ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Nathan Eovaldi #17 of the Texas Rangers on the mound during a game against the New York Mets at Globe Life Field on September 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for September 26, 2026 against the Minnesota Twins: starting pitchers are Nathan Eovaldi for the Rangers and Bailey Ober for the Twins.
The Rangers play their penultimate game of the regular season against the Twins. They need a win to avoid a losing season. They also need a win because of the whole A.L. West race going on. Nathan Eovaldi makes his first start since his return from the injured list. We need Big Game Nate to be Big Game Nate today.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Burger — 1B
Duran — 3B
Lopez — 2B
Jansen — C
Carter — CF
Osuna — DH
3:10 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -125 favorites.
Max Scherzer is not going to rush into a decision about retirement.
Scherzer, the 42-year-old three-time Cy Young Award winner, told reporters in Toronto that he will put off a decision on whether he will pitch in 2027 until the offseason. He plans to make one more appearance, on three days' rest, with the Blue Jays in their season finale Sunday, Sept. 27 at Rogers Centre. Scherzer said he wanted to ensure his wife and children got to see him pitch one more time, regardless of future plans.
Scherzer is a 224-game winner who ranks ninth on Major League Baseball's all-time strikeout list with 3,550 career punchouts. Like his longtime Detroit Tigers teammate, 43-year-old Justin Verlander, Scherzer is a lock for induction into baseball's Hall of Fame.
Verlander, a 266-game winner, ranks eighth on the strikeout list with 3,560 strikeouts; he struck out six in the final game of his career Saturday at Detroit's Comerica Park. It was just his second start of the season after myriad injuries.
Pitching into 2027 would afford Scherzer the chance to pass Verlander if he can't do so Sunday. Scherzer also needs just 91 strikeouts to pass Don Sutton and Tom Seaver and move into sixth place on the all-time list.
Yet Scherzer insisted he's not locked in a can-you-top-this battle with Verlander, his Detroit teammate from 2010-2014. The two have been texting in recent days, he said.
"I hope he goes out there and strikes out the world today," Scherzer told reporters in Toronto.
There's one more potential consideration: Playing one more season would afford Scherzer and Verlander the stage to themselves at their respective Hall of Fame inductions, five years after they retire.
TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 16: Max Scherzer #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in their MLB game at Rogers Centre on September 16, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images)
Second-to-last day of the regular season.
There isn’t much news. Max Scherzer says he’ll wait until after the season to decide whether he wants to pitch next year, but he’s set to start tomorrow, in front of his kids (just in case). He hasn’t put up numbers that would make me want to re-sign him. 3-9, 6.14 ERA in 77.2 innings; I would rather give those innings to a young pitcher, even if the young pitcher puts up similar numbers. At least a younger pitcher so mature into better numbers.
Over his two seasons with the Jays, he has a 5.64 ERA with an 8-14 record in 34 starts, with 34 home runs, 57 walks and 143 strikeouts in 162.2 innings. He had some very good moments, and he seems like a great teammate and good guy to have around.
He’s not going to become a pitching coach; guys who make $370 million in their career don’t become pitching coaches. It is too much work for too little money. But I’m sure spring training invites will come. He says he’d like to coach youth and amateur baseball.
Justin Verlander is starting today for the Tigers. It will be interesting to see how long he goes. But it would be cool if he could get another strikeout or two. I think I’ll watch.
He looks good in the first: no strikeouts, but three quick outs.
Today’s lineup. No Springer. I hope he gets a standing ovation every at-bat tomorrow. Another guy with a decision to make on playing again next year. He just turned 37. I think this season has been hard on his body, but he might want another go-around. He seems to love being around his teammates.
I don’t know how many teams are looking for a full-time DH. I like the idea of it being a rotating spot, to allow guys to get a break now and then.
The good news is Bateman’s back in the lineup, so we don’t have to spend all winter worrying that his injury is worse than reports.
Colson Montgomery made history for all the wrong reasons Friday night, breaking a 17-year-old record for strikeouts in a single season during his first full year in the majors.
The record was previously held by Mark Reynolds, who struck out 223 times in 2009.
Montgomery, the White Sox shortstop, struck out for the 224th time this season at home against Colorado, setting a new single-season mark.
Colson Montgomery just broke the @MLB single season strikeout record with his 224th strikeout!
I don’t really know what he is looking for with a 3-2 count but apparently it wasn’t a 93mph fastball right down the middle.
The record-setting strikeout came in the fifth inning against Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano.
With a full count, Montgomery watched a 93-mph fastball down the middle of the plate go by.
Montgomery is batting .199/.285/.407 this season. Despite the modest averages, the 24-year-old has hit 31 home runs, driven in 87 runs, and posted a 1.9 WAR for the White Sox.
His impact has been more evident in the field, with Chicago director of hitting Ryan Fuller describing Montgomery’s year as “unbelievable.”
It’s possible he could be passed this weekend, though, with Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber sitting at 218 strikeouts with two games left against the Rays.
Montgomery tied the record Thursday night in Kansas City, but the team’s celebration in the locker room was focused on clinching its first playoff berth since 2021.
Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery misses the ball for a strike during the fifth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Rate Field in Chicago, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The South Siders became the first team in MLB history to reach the postseason after back-to-back 100-loss seasons.
It has been a frustrating month for Montgomery, who has hit .111 so far, with 38 strikeouts and eight walks.
“I was told this by someone really close, that I know, is they asked me: ‘Did Shaquille O’Neal care about his free-throw percentage? Probably not,’” Montgomery said.
Chicago White Sox’s Colson Montgomery reacts after striking out during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel
“He’s just going out there and doing the things he knows he’s really good at and that’s dominating his craft. It’s what I’m trying to do. Try not to think about it at all.”
Even with the record, manager Will Venables still believes in his young infielder.
“In Colson’s case, he doesn’t like the strikeout, but I also don’t see him going up there just trying not to strike out, or the idea of a strikeout is consuming him or taking away from his approach and aggressiveness,” Venables said.
The White Sox finish the regular season with two more games against Colorado before the playoffs start.
They sit one game behind Cleveland in the AL Central and will either earn a bye as the No. 2 seed or be the No. 6 seed and face the AL West winner in the Wild Card round.
Tampa Tarpons center fielder Yostin Pena (27) at bat during the Tarpons vs Lakeland Flying Tigers game at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, USA, on July 28, 2026. (Photo by Carl Rizzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
The minor-league season has officially come to an end, a season in which we saw a bit of a shift from the usual trend of Yankees’ minor league seasons.
We didn’t see too many midseason departures due to a weird deadline, we didn’t see a plethora of starting pitchers excel and we saw, for once, a group of hitting prospects that actually showed promise. Remember, entering this year, the No. 4 hitting prospect in the organization behind George Lombard Jr., Dax Kilby, and Spencer Jones was… who, exactly?
Scott will have you covered in the coming days with a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders-intensive recap, but here’s the final evaluation of the rest of the full-season affiliates in a player-specific format, where I highlight some of the players to watch who defined the seasons at their respective levels.
Double-A Somerset Patriots
Record: 74-64
Run differential: +45
Hitters
OF Jace Avina: The hitter with the best name brand here, Avina had a solid season all around in his first season in Double-A, but warts still remain. Acquired in the Jake Bauers trade after 2023 (who would’ve thought he’d turn into that in Milwaukee), Avina was remarkably consistent all year through late July, even winning Eastern League Player of the Month after posting a 1.106 OPS in May.
However, as has been his bugaboo at times in his career, he ended the season in a slump, hitting just .229 with a 90 wRC+ in his final 41 games. It might’ve been the result of a midseason approach change, as he cut down on strikeouts at the expense of power production. When he was raking during the early summer, he was striking out nearly 30 percent of the time. He should get to Triple-A at some point next year, but I’m not convinced he’s passed all the tests to get there yet.
1B/3B Coby Morales: Somerset’s MVP in 2026, the corner infielder was a 20/20 bat this year at the level, showing a side of him that we hadn’t quite seen. The 2023 18th-round pick out of Washington started his professional career with extremely little pop, but has slowly tapped into his raw power over the course of his career. Now finishing his age-24 season, Morales was reliable all season long in Somerset.
He finished slashing .282/.372/.479 with a 129 wRC+ while splitting time at first and third base. I’m not entirely sure of his big league projectability, but this is a guy who will be in Scranton next year. With 156 total games of Double-A experience, it’s time to see if he can sink or swim.
OF DJ Gladney: There were a few quiet minor-league free agent signings who fared pretty well for the Yankees this year. Gladney is one of them, posting a 113 wRC+ in Double-A after spending six years in the White Sox organization. We’ll see if he re-ups on another minor league deal or heads elsewhere.
1B/LF Josh Moylan: Every draft, the Yankees pick one guy who displayed big-time power in college and see if it translates. It doesn’t usually work, and it seemed like Moylan would be the latest example of the archetype failing in the pros… but maybe there’s something there. After struggling to hit much of anything through 2025, the 24-year-old finally got on a heater down in High-A before a late June promotion. After being called up, he posted a 118 wRC+ in 68 games in his first taste of Double-A. His 29 home runs were the most in the farm this year. Keep an eye on him.
C Manuel Palencia: Through late June, the closest catching prospect to the majors in the system was one of the worst hitters in the entire system, but he suddenly found something when the calendar flipped to August. After hitting one singular homer in his entire pro career through June 30th, he had six in July. In his final 150 plate appearances, he slashed .319/.351/.521. I’d have him repeat the level to see if those two months were a fluke or a sign of things to come.
Garrett Martin, Tyler Hardman, Marco Luciano: A grab bag of guys you’ll hear about from Scott in his Scranton roundup. These three guys were part of a historic start to the season for the Patriots, combining for 44 home runs in 550 plate appearances. Hardman hit a wall in Triple-A, the erstwhile Giants prospect Luciano did incredibly well and should push for a 40-man spot this offseason, and Martin suffered a season-ending injury in July. It’s a real shame; he was on pace to go well past 30/30 this season.
Starting Pitchers
Ben Hess: Just a really disappointing season from the former first-round pick. He had a 4.45 ERA in 56.2 innings, struggling with a high walk rate despite having stretches of brief brilliance with his enticing stuff. The injuries were rough, costing him a month early in the year and leaving him with a summer of building back up. Just a few weeks after finally getting back to full strength, he was put on the 60-day injured list. Next year will be big for him.
Xavier Rivas: This was Somerset’s best pitcher all season. In 81.1 innings, the former 16th-round pick pitched to a 3.65 ERA with a 22.0 K-BB%, boasting one of the largest strikeout rates of any Double-A pitcher by leaning heavily on his filthy secondaries. He hit a major wall in Triple-A and will have to fine-tune some things to avoid being the next Edgar Barclay with his low-90s fastball, but it was a step forward for a guy who has a case to be the org’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Rory Fox: If it’s not Rivas, it might be Fox. The Notre Dame product had a really strong debut season, tossing 130 total innings across two levels. What might be most impressive? After being so-so in Hudson Valley, he was aggressively pushed to Somerset in late July and excelled, pitching to a 3.97 ERA in eight starts across 47.2 innings. This guy eats innings like a bowl of cereal in the morning.
Cade Smith: Not related to the Guardians’ closer, Smith had some prospect stock entering the season, but is likely off everyone’s boards after struggling to a 5.27 ERA in 124.2 innings. The 24-year-old former sixth-round pick will repeat the level in 2026 looking to find the stuff that had him jump up prospect lists in A-ball a few years ago.
Relievers
Kelly Austin: A former Astros prospect acquired last July, Austin was Somerset’s closer in 2025, but had to repeat the level this year. I thought he might be able to break through into Scranton this year, but he battled some early struggles to make his season numbers more palatable towards the end, as the 25-year-old finished with a 3.61 ERA in 57 innings.
Hayden Merda: He earned a late-season promotion to Scranton for his exceptional work down here this season. When he was drafted, he sat 91-92. Now, two years after Tommy John surgery? How about 96-98? Command is still a bit of an issue, but he struck out 67 in 41.2 effective innings at this level this season.
Tony Rossi: The Yankees love to play with overage undrafted free agents with outlier traits in the bullpen. Rossi is quite old for a guy who made his pro debut last summer, but the 26-year-old has been exceptional at keeping the ball in the ballpark (3 HR allowed in 94 career innings) and racking up strikeouts. He had a 27.0 K-BB% in the minors this year while not allowing many homers and a .171 BAA. That’s not bad.
High-A Hudson Valley Renegades
Record: 65-65
Run differential: +4
Hitters
INF Core Jackson: It was a strong debut season for Jackson, who battled a few minor ailments (three different injured list stints) to have one of the more productive all-around seasons in the system, slashing .262/.360/.459 with 41 stolen bases in 101 games across two levels, being promoted in early August to Somerset. He spent much of the season at shortstop, but should settle at second or third base long term. The former fifth-round pick is in a good spot to be a featured face in Somerset in his age-23 season next year.
INF Roderick Arias: Remember me? The former uber-prospect revived his stock after a miserable two years in Tampa and a dreadful first two months in Hudson Valley, with an exceptional finish to the season, slashing .305/.377/.521 with a 133 wRC+ in his final 83 games across two levels. He’s still extremely athletically gifted and just turned 22 years old. He popped some big exit velocities and displayed tremendous arm strength, splitting time at shortstop and third base this year. He has a toolkit; let’s keep an eye on him next year.
C Eric Genther: Is this the new best catching prospect in the system? Hard to say. Genther, a former outfielder from Rhode Island, converted to catcher after signing as an undrafted free agent last summer and spent this season as a work in progress on both sides. He bounced back from a putrid start (0 HR in first 40 games) to ultimately finish as the Renegades’ best hitter, and should get to go to Somerset next year. Now, he is an extreme work in progress behind the plate, allowing a truly baffling number of stolen bases (196 in 65 starts).
OF Wilson Rodriguez: You don’t hear of many players coming from Puerto Rico anymore because of how their pipeline has changed over the years, but Rodriguez is the organization’s most notable Puerto Rican as a former 17th-round pick. He was a pretty niche prospect for his entire career, but got hot in June (.319/.396/.615) to put himself on the map. He unfortunately suffered a season-ending injury in late July, but having just turned 22, there’s time for him to become someone.
C David McCann: Another former undrafted free agent, McCann split time across three different levels this year, but never stopped displaying his raw power. The 22-year-old from Virginia Tech slugged .544 in the first 68 games of his pro career and also saw time at first base this season.
INF Jackson Lovich: He’s a fun prospect. A six-game cameo in Tampa last year got a lot of people excited about the Missouri alum’s potential, but the former 16th-round pick looked like one for much of the season, with big contact issues delaying a seemingly overdue promotion to this level. After he got to Hudson Valley? He stepped up his game, reining in those whiff issues and rediscovering his unique power-speed combo. He finished with 24 home runs and 41 stolen bases, the first Yankee to reach those numbers in 32 years.
Starting Pitchers
Bryce Cunningham: For much of this season, a guy who’s been hyped as one of the organization’s best pitching prospects looked pretty tough. He was able to routinely go deep into games, but he struggled with command and missing bats, posting a single-digit K-BB% all season long. Due to the roster churn and promotions, he got a late promotion to Somerset and actually finished really strong, posting three consecutive starts of at least six innings with 21 total strikeouts to zero walks. It was also nice to see him build up to 105 innings after his injuries last year.
Allen Facundo: The stuff is absolutely there for Facundo to be in the big leagues one day; it’s just not going to be as a starter. The Yankees finally got him out of Tampa in April and he showed he can stay healthy, but he wasn’t able to show he can consistently throw strikes. The 24-year-old walked 71 batters in 99 innings in Hudson Valley, but also struck out 123. He should probably be put in the bullpen next year and sent to Somerset to expedite his high-level stuff.
Luis Serna: Entering this season, you could lump Serna in a group with Henry Lalane as damaged goods after years of injuries, but the 22-year-old found an unlikely revival in 2026, just by finally being able to stay healthy. He blew past his prior career high of 69.1 innings to toss 118.2 and set the Hudson Valley single-season strikeout record at 140, while reasonably managing his walks. The ERA was still pretty average at 4.32 in 23 starts, but he’s back on the prospect radar after vanishing following a brilliant 2021 and 2022.
INF Dax Kilby: It was a lost season for Kilby, who missed several months due to recurring hamstring issues. This was a guy who had skyrocketed into the Top 100 lists entering the season, but only managed 154 plate appearances due to an exceptionally low start. The only two things I really got out of his season? He’s absolutely not a shortstop down the road (second base, third base, or center field seem more likely), and he has one of the best eyes of any 19-year-old I’ve ever seen. He had a 25.3-percent walk rate this season. The Arizona Fall League awaits.
OF Yostin Pena: I will try to not be a prisoner of the moment, but this might be the best prospect in the system. A 6-foot-4 athletic freak from the D.R., Pena is just 18 years old and hit historically well in the DSL, becoming the first Yankee in nine years to skip the GCL/FCL and go straight to full-season ball, where he barely slowed down. He finished the season hitting over .350 with truly alien exit velocities for a player his age, strong defense in center field (with a cannon for an arm), and plus-plus speed. This is the most tool-heavy guy in the entire system and I am super excited about 2027 for him.
INF Luis Escudero: Who had the best overall numbers for this elite Tampa offense? It was actually Luis Escudero, who slashed .288/.455/.556 in 202 plate appearances after spending the spring at the complex. The 20-year-old packs a lot of pop in a small, 5-foot-8 frame, and somehow managed to have an even better eye than Kilby this year. There wasn’t enough sample to have him go to High-A to start next season, but he’ll be there soon if he continues to produce.
UTL Luis Puello: Do you miss Jesus Rodriguez in the system? Here’s your new favorite prospect. Puello is basically a baby Rodriguez, already having experience at catcher, first base, left field, and right field. I’m not sure what his long-term position is, but if any organization can get this guy catching in order, it’s this one. His bat also looks great, smacking 14 home runs in 73 games with some solid game power.
OF Brando Mayea: In the most recent edition of “former multi-million prospect shows life,” Mayea looked really bad to start the season, but found something over the course of the regular season. I’m going to need to see a lot more to be truly convinced the 20-year-old is on the right path, but he hit .298 across his final 47 games. Now if he could only find the power…
2026 Draftees Grab Bag: Way too little sample for much on any of these guys. Here’s a sampler:
Tyce Armstrong, the guy who once hit three grand slams in a game, carried that Big 12 power into Single-A, finishing the season on an absolute heater.
Anthony Potestio, the 11th-round pick, is getting a lot of buzz for how well he handled Single-A pitching as someone who didn’t play in the SEC or Big 12. In 19 games, he slashed .333/.513/.684.
Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II has been the most impressive in terms of exit velocities. He’s pumped out a handful of batted balls over 105 mph already.
Starting Pitchers
Tyler Boudreau: A 2025 undrafted free agent, Boudreau came out of nowhere to be one of the most productive starting pitchers in the system. In 103 innings, he posted a 3.41 ERA with a 17.3 K-BB% and even struck out six in 3.1 shutout innings in a brief Somerset cameo. This is a guy who will have an opportunity to get himself on the map in Hudson Valley next year.
Justin West: Mr. Consistency. West started the season with some growing pains, but ended it as the most effective starter in the system. The 22-year-old finished the season by pitching to a 2.23 ERA across his final 10 starts, averaging six full innings per start. He just got better and better over the course of the season.
The Injured Bunch: Oh boy. Mac Heuer suffered a season-ending injury in July. Thatcher Hurd started the season recovering from Tommy John surgery, made eight solid starts, and finished the year injured. Brennan Stuprich spent several months on the injured list. J.T. Etheridge was also only limited to 13 starts, but he finished the season extremely strong and will be a sneaky pitcher to watch in the AFL next month.
The Phillies took advantage of a Mets fold to reach the postseason in 2007, but nearly 20 years later, they are on the verge of their own collapse.
The Phils lost for the ninth time in 14 games Friday night, and their lead for the final wild-card spot in the National League is down to one game over the Diamondbacks with two games remaining.
Arizona holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Trea Turner reacts after a strikeout in the fourth inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Getty Images
The Phils have scored two runs during their three-game losing streak, including Friday’s 2-0 loss to the Rays, and their postgame show on NBC Sports Philadelphia — with host Michael Barkan and analysts Ricky Bottalico and Ruben Amaro Jr. — unloaded on the flailing team after the game.
“Two-nothing Tampa Bay, incredibly. Ruben, I would submit to you, they would flip the table if they could make contact with the table … Guess what, this season’s not just spiraling down the drain, it is choking down the drain,” Barkan said. “And if you’re watching this in that clubhouse, prove me wrong. I’ll be glad to eat my words.
“There are two games remaining in this regular season and this team has lost nine of its last 14 games. This is a September to forget, an epic September to forget for the Phillies, who have shown us very little this month. I wish I had some daylight for you, folks. I wish I had some hope … Right how I expect very little from this team with Arizona now [one game] back of a playoff spot.”
Frustration takes center stage on Postgame Live after another quiet night for the Phillies’ offense. pic.twitter.com/vJDqY0Ft0U
Amaro interjected, “That’s not nice,” during Barkan’s opening remarks, but Bottalico quickly added that “Michael’s not wrong” in his blunt assessment.
“No.1, I think you had your hope. You had Christopher Sanchez go out there and throw a nice game for ya. What did you do offensively? Absolutely jack,” the former All-Star closer said. “I mean, think about this, all this money that you put into all these players, who were supposed to be these big-time players. Nothing. And it hasn’t been just one game. It’s been the last three games.
“All you had to do was win one stinking game. I mean, you sit here and you wait for this team to win one stinking game.
Bottalico added that he could “feel the tension at the ballpark” among the unhappy crowd at Citizens Bank Park.
“They’re not there to necessarily go crazy for the home team; they are there to let them know that they know what’s going on right now,” Bottalico said. “And this team is not playing up to snuff. They are not. Are the starting pitchers? OK, they’re doing fine.
“But how in the world do you score two runs in three games when you need a win? If there is a pressure situation on a team, these guys that are paid that money are the guys that are supposed to step up. It’s not happening.”
Arizona Diamondbacks’ Nolan Arenado (28) is congratulated by Geraldo Perdomo (2) after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning at Petco Park in San Diego, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Getty Images
The Diamondbacks, meanwhile, have won six consecutive games, including Friday’s 11-4 rout of the Padres — and they’re feeling themselves.
“Something magical is going to happen here,” shortstop Geraldo Perdomo said, per MLB.com.
In 2007, the Mets led the Phillies by seven games with 17 to play before going 5-12 and relinquishing the NL East title on the final day of the regular season.
Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Detroit Tigers (75-85) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (81-79)
Time/Place: 1:10 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site:Bucs Dugout Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Juston Verlander (0-1, 12.27 ) vs. RHP Kirby Yates (2-5, 3.32 ERA)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 2: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers reacts as he watches a tribute video on the scoreboard honoring his career before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on September 2, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are the answer to a unique baseball trivia question following today’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
The Pirates will be the final team legendary pitcher Justin Verlander faces in his epic 21-year career that will almost certainly end with enshrinement into the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown once he is eligible.
Verlander began his career as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers. He went on to make his MLB debut the following year, which led to an impressive 13-year run with the franchise. During that time, the Tigers qualified for the playoffs five times and the World Series twice, in 2006 and 2012.
With the Tigers exiting their contending window, Verlander was traded to the Houston Astros, who were poised to go on a dynastic run that saw them win the World Series in 2017 and 2022. After making appearances in the Fall Classic in 2019 and 2021, once he turned 40 years old, Verlander was on a quest to win 300 games, but he ultimately fell short of that goal.
Throughout his career, Verlander has a WAR of 82.3, with 266 wins to his name. But it’s up to the Pirates to ensure he doesn’t get No. 267.
Location: Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
BD community, this is your gameday thread for today’s game against the Detroit Tigers. Chime off in the comments section below.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals hits a RBI sacrifice fly in the third inning against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on September 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Nats are playing an early game in an attempt to try and avoid the bad weather. This game got pushed from 3 PM to 12:35. With just two games to go, we are really in the homestretch here. Hopefully the Nats can finish strong this weekend.
Blake Butera is making a couple changes to his lineup. Abimelec Ortiz enters the fray as the DH. Yohandy Morales will also be in the lineup as the first baseman. Nasim Nunez is at short which pushes CJ Abrams to second base. This will be a Nationals debut for Connelly Early, who is returning from injury. The Nats acquired Early for Curtis Mead. He will only throw 2 to 3 innings before Jake Irvin follows him.
Nationals 9/26
J. Wood RF A. Ortiz DH D. Crews CF C. Abrams 2B B. House 3B D. Lile LF Y. Morales 1B K. Ruiz C N. Nuñez SS
The Mets are making changes in the middle infield. Francisco Lindor will be the DH in this one. That pushes Brett Baty to shortstop. This will actually be Baty’s first MLB start at short. Ronny Mauricio will be at second base. Those are the only real changes the Mets are making. Jonah Tong will be on the mound.
I am looking forward to seeing what Connelly Early can do in his Nats debut. It is exciting to see him finally on the mound in DC. With the Nats locked into 4th place, there is not a ton to play for standings wise, but it is great to see Early. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 24: Pitcher Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies waves to the crowd as the team circles the field after their final home game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field on September 24, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 Colorado Rockies have had a better year than the 2025 Colorado Rockies.
That is not exactly a difficult bar to clear after 43-119, but the improvement has been real and the floor of the roster is considerably higher.
There are still bad performances, of course, but Colorado simply does not have as many roster spots producing the kind of extreme negative value that overwhelmed the 2025 team. Some of that has come from young players developing and holdovers taking steps forward, but a large part of the improvement has also come from subtraction.
The Rockies changed a significant portion of the roster over the course of 2025 and into 2026.
Twenty-five players who received meaningful playing time in 2025 — at least 50 plate appearances for a position player or 10 innings for a pitcher — are no longer part of the Rockies’ major-league picture in 2026.
So what has happened to them?
For the most part, 2026 has not gone nearly as well for those players as it has for the Rockies.
Who left the 2025 roster
Departed Group
Players
2025 rWAR
Position players
12
-5.3
Pitchers
13
-5.5
Total
25
-10.8
Even that total is softened by two useful players the Rockies traded away.
Remove those two useful major leaguers and the other 23 departing players combined for -12.5 rWAR.
So where are those players a year later?
Where are they now?
2026 Status
Players
Count
MLB
Ryan McMahon, Ryan Rolison, Tyler Kinley, Jake Bird, Germán Márquez, Anthony Molina
6
High minors/MLB cameos
Michael Toglia, Orlando Arcia, Kyle Farmer, Yanquiel Fernández, Carson Palmquist, Austin Gomber, Ángel Chivilli, Bradley Blalock, Luis Peralta, Scott Alexander
10
Playing elsewhere
Thairo Estrada, Warming Bernabel, Nick Martini, Blaine Crim, Sam Hilliard
5
No 2026 game action / out of pro ball
Jacob Stallings, Sean Bouchard, Nick Anderson, Dugan Darnell
4
That is a pretty revealing snapshot of the 2025 roster one year later.
Rolison posted a 7.02 ERA over 42.1 innings for Colorado in 2025. One year later, he has become a very good reliever for the Cubs, carrying a 3.02 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 62.2 innings, with 54 strikeouts, nine wins and three saves.
Tyler Kinley has also found more success after leaving. His Rockies portion of 2025 ended with a 5.66 ERA, but he immediately went on a strong run with Atlanta and has remained a useful major-league reliever in 2026. Between Atlanta and Detroit, Kinley has worked 56.2 innings over 63 appearances with a 3.49 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 48 strikeouts.
Germán Márquez has improved somewhat from his final season in Colorado, although his 2026 has not gone entirely smoothly. After posting a 6.70 ERA over 126.1 innings for the Rockies in 2025, he recorded a 5.26 ERA in 53 innings with San Diego. The Padres designated him for assignment in August and released him three days later, after which Márquez signed a minor-league deal with Minnesota and is finishing the year with Triple-A St. Paul.
Ryan McMahon remains an everyday player with the Yankees, although his offensive production has slipped. Through 122 games, McMahon is hitting .210/.276/.352 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI, good for a .628 OPS and 75 OPS+. He is still a major-league regular, just not a particularly productive one offensively.
Jake Bird has also remained in the majors, though his results have been uneven. He posted a 5.93 ERA over 30.1 innings with the Yankees before joining Washington, where he has allowed three earned runs over 8.1 innings for a 3.24 ERA. Overall, Bird has a 5.35 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 38.2 innings between the two clubs.
Anthony Molina has also found another major-league opportunity with San Francisco. He has worked 34 innings across nine appearances and five starts, going 3-2 with a 3.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 31 strikeouts.
Still, this is the exception rather than the rule. Only six of the 25 have spent most of 2026 in the majors.
MLB jobs have become Triple-A jobs
The players in the largest group still have plenty of professional baseball left in them. What has changed is their role.
Michael Toglia has again shown that Triple-A pitching is not much of a problem. After signing a minor-league deal with Cincinnati, he hit .273/.373/.547 with 22 home runs for Louisville and earned a return to the majors in August. His opportunity was cut short less than two weeks later when he dislocated his right shoulder on a diving catch against Arizona on August 21. He was placed on the injured list two days later, underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum, and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in September.
Yanquiel Fernández also remains interesting, especially considering his age. He has hit 27 home runs in Triple-A for the Yankees organization. That is a productive developmental season, but it comes after Fernández appeared in 52 games for the Rockies in 2025 and has not returned to the majors in 2026.
Austin Gomber’s 2025 season was shortened by a shoulder injury, but after returning in June he still made 12 starts for Colorado before being released in August. In 2026, he has bounced through the Triple-A rotations of Texas, Atlanta and Detroit and has not made it back to the majors.
Kyle Farmer has gone from 300 plate appearances with Colorado to a much more marginal role with Atlanta. His season has included a forearm injury, a July release and re-signing on a minor-league deal, and a September return to the majors after spending time with Triple-A Gwinnett.
Orlando Arcia has hit well in Triple-A but has received only a brief look with Minnesota.
Bradley Blalock was designated for assignment by Colorado in January and then traded to Miami for right-hander Jake Brooks. He has spent most of 2026 at Triple-A Jacksonville while earning a pair of September recalls with the Marlins.
Carson Palmquist opened 2026 in the Rockies organization but did not return to the majors with Colorado. He was designated for assignment in May and traded to Washington for cash, where he has received two major-league looks and is finishing the season with Triple-A Rochester.
Ángel Chivilli has made a stronger case with the Yankees. Acquired from Colorado in the January trade that sent TJ Rumfield to the Rockies, Chivilli has posted a 3.78 ERA over 16.2 major-league innings. That number was inflated by one six-run outing just before he was optioned in August; before that appearance, he had allowed only two earned runs in 15.2 innings. Still, he has spent most of the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
What has disappeared is the regular major-league playing time.
Others are playing elsewhere
Several former Rockies are continuing their careers outside affiliated baseball.
Thairo Estrada has gone to the Mexican League and has hit well there, while Nick Martini has split his season between independent ball and Mexico. Warming Bernabel, who received 146 plate appearances for Colorado at age 23 in 2025, has appeared only briefly outside affiliated baseball this season.
Blaine Crim has taken a more circuitous route. He opened 2026 in the Rockies’ minor-league system, was designated for assignment in May and claimed off waivers by Texas. The Rangers released him about a month later, and Crim is now continuing his season in Korea with the NC Dinos, where he is hitting .255 with 10 home runs and 43 RBI.
He is not the only former Rockie to end up in the KBO.
Sam Hilliard has easily had the biggest year of anyone in this group. Playing for the KT Wiz, Hilliard is hitting .305/.374/.586 with 39 home runs, 122 RBI and a .960 OPS through 130 games.
Hilliard is having an excellent year, and Estrada has been productive in Mexico, too. But none of the five has occupied an MLB roster spot after receiving meaningful playing time for Colorado a year earlier.
Nick Anderson went to spring training with Oakland before retiring in May.
Dugan Darnell signed with Detroit but spent the spring injured and was released without appearing in a regular-season game.
The overall picture is pretty simple.
Of the 25 players who received meaningful time for the 2025 Rockies and are out of Colorado’s major-league picture this year, only six are spending 2026 primarily in the majors. Ten are mostly in the high minors or have received only brief MLB opportunities, five are continuing their careers elsewhere and four have not recorded regular-season game action.
But most have not left Colorado and become more established major-league players.
Raising the floor
That helps explain one of the biggest differences between the 2025 and 2026 Rockies.
The floor is much higher.
Not every holdover has improved, and not every replacement has worked. But there simply is not another collection of players producing anything close to the -12.5 rWAR left behind by those 23 departures.
There is less extreme negative value on the roster, and that is a big part of why the 2026 Rockies are substantially better than the team that came before them.
It also means the next step gets harder.
There are still roster spots that could change this winter, and there should be plenty more movement. But this time the decisions will be more targeted. There is not another giant pile of obvious negative value waiting to be cut away.
The Rockies have benefited from aggressive turnover once.
There is no reason to stop now.
So, who stays? Who goes? And which current Rockies deserve another year before Colorado starts looking for an upgrade?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Rob Refsnyder #30 of the Boston Red Sox is introduced ahead of game one of the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A season ago, the Red Sox finished third in the American League East, winning 89 games. This season, depending on the result of a final game at Tropicana Field against the Chicago Cubs (a real sentence), the team will win 87 or 88 games.
Last year, Boston was the 5-seed playing at the New York Yankees, losing the series in three games. This year, they are the 5-seed playing a three-game series at the New York Yankees, beginning on Tuesday.
A year ago, the Sox limped into the playoffs without Roman Anthony, and Wilyer Abreu returning from a calf injury and not at full strength. This season, the status of Willson Contreras, arguably the team’s MVP, is unknown due to pain in his hand. His potential replacement, Mickey Gasper, will be out with “a pretty significant biceps injury.” Last year’s Game One starter, Garrett Crochet, is attempting to return in a relief role for the Wild Card series and isn’t at full strength.
It sure feels similar, and for me, going out in the Bronx would not be a successful season, whether the American League bracket format is “fair” or not. It’s been five years since the Red Sox won a playoff series, and expectations need to be higher around here.
This 2026 result was enough for management to pick up Craig Breslow’s options in 2029 and 2030, as well as sign Chad Tracy to a three-year contract, following this season.
What would make this Red Sox season a success for you? Discuss in the comments and be good to each other.
With both the Mets and Nationals having nothing to play for in the dog days of the season, it gives both clubs an opportunity to shake it up and test some things out with an eye towards next year.
That's why the Mets will be giving Brett Baty a look at shortstop in Saturday afternoon's contest.
"Where the season is right now, for us, this serves a purpose for 2027," manager Andy Green said. "Brett has been incredibly valuable bouncing around the field from a roster-construction prospective, as you look towards the future his ability to defend at short when Francisco [Lindor] needs a day off gives us flexibility if it's a viable solution.
"These games don't have playoff implications for either team, so we don't feel like we're necessarily shorting the industry by doing it at this point in time, and it serves a purpose for us towards the future."
Baty has appeared at shortstop three times this year, but this will be his first career start at the position.
The 26-year-old infielder has continued taking groundballs out there throughout this season, and that's something that Green and the Mets expect to carry into spring training next year.
"Very much so," the skipper said. "I've had the privilege of coaching a lot of really good big-league infielders, [bench coach] Kai [Correa] has, and [third base coach] Tim Leiper has as well -- we all see in him the athleticism necessary to defend the field there on a fill-in basis -- Brett's incredibly athletic."
Baty will also continue to see reps in the outfield, despite the emergence of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing really digging into his playing time out there.
"Brett very much could still slide to the outfield depending on what happens," Green emphasized. "You look around baseball and the best teams have someone like this who has the athleticism to do all of these things -- he's found a great measure of comfort at that as the year has gone on and we've seen his bat wake up and get loud.
"A loud bat for someone who can defend all over the field is incredibly invaluable -- you never know what hole you are going to have fill from different injuries in a season, so him being prepared to fill as many holes as possible for us could set us up really well heading into next year."
Baty has now added 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, and RF to his toolbox.
When it comes to making roster moves, the Mets are unmatched. On the penultimate day of the season, the team has optioned left-handed reliever Jefry Yan to the minors and called up right-handed reliever Chayce McDermott to take his place on the active roster.
Known for his enthusiastic and elaborate strikeout celebrations, Yan made his major league debut with the Mets this year and wound up throwing 20.1 innings with the team. In that time, he had a 4.87 ERA and a 4.82 FIP with 26 strikeouts and 15 walks.
McDermott had brief stints with the Orioles and Dodgers before the Mets picked him up this year, and he’s thrown 5.1 innings with the team at the major league level. In a total of 7.2 innings with the Mets and Dodgers this season, he has a 5.87 ERA and a 6.49 FIP. In 41.1 innings in the minors, he has a 3.92 ERA and a 3.82 FIP.
Jefry Yan's season has officially comes to an end.
The Mets optioned the left-hander to the minors to bring in Chayce McDermott for Saturday's game.
Yan joined the big-league roster midseason after they dealt all of their big bullpen arms.
The reliever showed some of the positives he put on display with Syracuse but ultimately faltered, being optioned back to the minors after allowing runs in each of his last four appearances from late-August to early-September.
He eventually rejoined the squad and enjoyed some success, putting together 5.1 scoreless innings before allowing a pair of runs while serving as the opener for the first time in his career on Friday.
Yan finishes his season with 4.34 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over his first 17 MLB appearances.
It's a bit tough to see him back pitching for the Mets in meaningful games early on next season, but perhaps he'll be able to compete for a spot with the state of their bullpen.
This is McDermott's second stint with the Mets since being acquired from the Dodgers at the deadline.
