Category: MLB

A.J. Ewing has had to battle through ups and downs during his first big league season, like any rookie would.

The young slugger recently endured a dreadful two-month slump at the plate that saw him uncharacteristically expanding the zone, leading to an uptick in strikeouts. 

As he’s done throughout this terrific campaign, though, Ewing appears to have found his way out the other side.   

He has been spectacular for the Mets thus far during the final month of the season, and that continued in Friday night’s Subway Series opener in the Bronx. 

Like everyone else in orange in blue, the lefty was set down pretty easily by Carlos Rodon, but he was able to break through later in the ballgame against the Yankee bullpen. 

Ewing delivered a big two-out RBI single against former Met Paul Blackburn, keeping a rally going and cutting into the deficit in the top of the seventh. 

He then led off the ninth by jumping all over a first pitch fastball from star closer David Bednar, crushing it high over the bleacher creatures into the second-deck in right.  

The Mets still ended up dropping the opener, 5-3, but it’s been encouraging to see the 22-year-old rounding back into form down the stretch in the regular season. 

Ewing’s blast was his second during his five-game hitting streak, and he’s also added nine RBI during that span. 

Looking further, he’s hitting .316 with a .355 OBP and .829 OPS over his last 15 games.

“I’m just trying to win pitches right now,” Ewing said. “Not trying to do anything more that the plan I have -- that’s the mental side of baseball, it’s difficult to not try to chase results, but just trying to stick to the plan pitch-by-pitch.”

One aspect of the upcoming labor battle this offseason, after the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, is Major League Baseballs desire to expand from 30 to 32 teams.

MLB’s last expansion was in 1998, and Jeff Passan at ESPN in his outline of potential new cities notes that commissioner Rob Manfred wants the league to decide on one west coast and one east coast team by January 2029.

In a subsequent video, Passan says Salt Lake City has the most compelling case for adding an expansion team.

It will be at least three decades before MLB adds more teams, the longest stretch without expansion since the first 60 years of the American League (1901-60) saw eight teams in each league for a total of 16 teams. Since then:

• 1961: 16 to 18 teams (Angels, new Senators added)
• 1962: 18 to 20 (Mets, Colt .45s)
• 1969: 20 to 24 (Expos, Padres, Royals, Seattle Pilots)
• 1977: 24 to 26: (Blue Jays, Mariners)
• 1993: 26 to 28 (Marlins, Rockies)
• 1998: 28 to 30 (Diamondbacks, Rays)

Matt Brown expertly covers the business of college sports at his Extra Points newsletter, and analyzed how the potential MLB expansion cities might affect revenue for some college programs.

Links

Sam Miller at his Pebble Hunting newsletter isn’t a fan of the trend of more position players pitching:

It’s a bit surprising to me that baseball, which has so many unwritten rules about what players should and shouldn’t do when the game is out of hand, has settled on such a bizarre, asymmetrical surrender when it comes to position players pitching. The pitcher throws the single worst pitch he can. The batter then takes a massive overswing.

Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times argues that Major League Baseball, the Players Association, and LA28 should figure out a way to come to an agreement on making MLB players available to play in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles:

The league says play ball, but not without the authority to punish players that do not wish to play.

The union says play ball, but not unless the league eases up on mandatory participation, and unless LA28, the international baseball federation and the International Olympic Committee provides major league players with flexibility in areas such as accommodations, tickets and marketing rights.

Mason Adams did not come to the Rockies with the pedigree of a top pitching prospect.

Acquired from the White Sox along with Carlos Vielma in exchange for Brenton Doyle, Adams arrived as an older arm with an injury history rather than a marquee prospect. At 26, he is pitching in the big leagues for the first time while still working his way back toward a full workload after Tommy John surgery.

It is impossible to know what he will ultimately become, but through four starts, the results are intriguing. Adams has struck out 22 batters in 18.2 innings, while allowing five home runs and plenty of hard contact.

Still, there is enough here to get excited about for a Rockies team desperate for pitching. And with four starts now under his belt, there is enough to start looking under the hood.

What does Adams have?

Adams has already shown six pitches in the majors: a four-seam fastball, sinker, cutter, curveball, sweeper and changeup.

None of them looks particularly elite on its own. What stands out is the variety — different speeds, different movement profiles, and enough options to change how he attacks hitters as the game progresses.

Even the three fastballs move differently enough that a hitter cannot treat them as the same pitch, and the velocity separation across the arsenal gives Adams another way to change the look. His four-seamer sits roughly 11 mph above his curveball, with the cutter falling in between.

Taken together, the arsenal fits the broader direction the Rockies have been moving on the mound, even if nothing in Adams’ profile screams future ace.

The Rockies do not need Adams to become an ace. They need competent major-league pitchers — and a lot of them. So far, the way Adams has used his six-pitch mix suggests there may be enough for Adams to become a useful major-league starter.

Changing the problem

What stands out more than the number of pitches in Adams’ arsenal is how he changes the mix once hitters have seen him.

Bryan Torres provided one of the clearest examples against St. Louis, seeing five four-seam fastballs during a six-pitch walk the first time they met.

The second meeting lasted one pitch: another four-seamer, which Torres lined for a single.

The third plate appearance looked completely different.

Another curve.

Then Adams changed speeds.

One more changeup ended the at-bat.

Two curves. Two changeups. No fastballs.

Adams froze him for strike three.

A similar adjustment had shown up five days earlier in Atlanta, where Adams struck out Drake Baldwin twice using two different pitch progressions.

The usage by time through the order makes the pattern easier to see:

Atlanta and St. Louis make it easy to think Adams is following a simple script: show the four-seamer early, then shift toward the sinker once hitters come back around.

Detroit complicated that assumption. Instead of leaning harder on the sinker the second time through, Adams nearly doubled his curveball usage. The adjustment itself appears to be the point, not necessarily which pitch he turns to.

The swing-and-miss gives that approach some teeth, too, particularly with two pitches.

Through his first three starts, Adams’ four-seam fastball generated a 27.8% whiff rate, compared with a league baseline around 21–22% for four-seamers. His curveball was even more impressive at 58.3%, compared with a major-league baseline around 29–31%.

Against Detroit, both generated a 33% whiff rate as Adams struck out five over five innings.

When hitters make contact

That is where the warning signs start to show.

Through his first three starts, only 36.1% of Adams’ balls in play were on the ground, compared with a league rate around 44%. Nearly 64% were hit in the air.

The contact was not soft, either. Adams entered Friday with a 61.1% hard-hit rate, well above the league average of roughly 39%, while right-handed hitters had slugged .808 against him.

Those numbers come from barely 14 major-league innings and should not be treated as established trends, but they are difficult to ignore:

That is the early concern: when hitters make contact, too much of it has been hard and too much of it has been in the air.

Friday did not eliminate that problem. Riley Greene singled at 111.5 mph, Colt Keith hit a ball at 99.6 mph and John Peck hit one at 97.1 mph before Max Clark homered at 95.2 mph in the fifth.

After Clark’s home run, Adams walked the next two hitters before getting Javier Báez to roll over a sweeper for an inning-ending double play, his second of the game. Seven of his 10 non-strikeout outs came on the ground.

The contact is still a warning sign, but Detroit offered a glimpse of what is possible when Adams can keep more of it on the ground.

Enough to raise the floor?

The hard contact is real. The amount of air contact is real. The four-seamer cannot carry the arsenal by itself.

But Adams has already shown some swing-and-miss, and he has not attacked hitters the same way every time through the order. The ability to change the mix as hitters adjust is part of what makes these first four starts interesting.

Four starts are nowhere near enough to know where that leads. But for a rotation that needs competent major-league innings almost as badly as it needs upside, Adams is showing enough to suggest he could help raise the floor in 2027.

That is enough reason to keep watching.

ON THE FARM

Triple-A:Reno Aces 6, Albuquerque Isotopes 5

The Albuquerque Isotopes (69-73) battled back from an early three-run deficit and briefly took the lead in the seventh, but the pitching could not quite hold it in a 6-5 loss to the Reno Aces (63-78).

Roc Riggio got Albuquerque on the board with his fifth Triple-A home run in the third, and the Isotopes continued chipping away after falling behind 4-1. Edouard Julien and Chad Stevens drove in runs in the fourth before Nic Kent tied the game with an RBI single in the sixth. Sterlin Thompson then gave Albuquerque its first lead with a solo homer in the seventh, his 12th of the season.

Thompson finished 2-for-5 with the homer, two runs and an RBI and is now hitting .325 with a .989 OPS. Riggio went 3-for-4 with his homer and an RBI, pushing his OPS to .840. Julien added two hits and an RBI, while Kent also had two hits. Albuquerque finished with 12 hits and three walks, but went just 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.

The pitching was leaky throughout. Patrick Weigel allowed two runs over two innings, pushing his season ERA to 7.38, while Mason Green gave up two more over four innings. Parker Mushinski surrendered the tying run in the seventh, moving his ERA to 3.38, before Jeff Criswell allowed the go-ahead solo homer to Aramis Garcia in the eighth and took the loss.

Double-A:Somerset Patriots 4, Hartford Yard Goats 3

The Hartford Yard Goats (65-70) were held scoreless for seven innings before making a late push, but the comeback fell just short in a 4-3 loss to the Somerset Patriots (73-63).

Somerset built a 4-0 lead against Konner Eaton, scoring once in the first, once in the third and twice in the fourth. Eaton allowed four runs on six hits and three walks over five innings, striking out five and surrendering two home runs before Nathan Blasick and Hunter Mann combined for three perfect innings out of the bullpen.

Hartford finally broke through in the eighth when Jack O’Dowd singled and Jimmy Obertop followed with his fifth home run of the season to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Yard Goats threatened again in the ninth, loading the bases with nobody out before O’Dowd brought home Braylen Wimmer with a sacrifice fly. Dyan Jorge stole second for his 55th steal of the season, but Obertop and Skyler Messinger struck out to end the game.

O’Dowd finished 2-for-3 with an RBI, while Obertop drove in two with the homer. Hartford had eight hits but struck out 11 times, went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six on base.

Let’s See If The Colorado Rockies Have Learned How To Play Baseball Yet | defector.com

Defector’s Lauren Theisen checks in on the Rockies, finds them improved from last year and still very much the Rockies. It’s a short, funny read built around Tuesday’s loss in New York and one especially ugly defensive sequence.

In 2026, debuting hitters have slugged … like Ruth? | MLB.com

Sarah Langs looks at the ridiculous success hitters have had in their MLB debuts this season, including a record 15 players who have homered in their first game. There’s some Rockies history in the mix too, with Trevor Story among the rare players to homer twice in a debut.

What’s next for Tigers? Young core, payroll flexibility offer options | MLB.com

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand looks at a Tigers team that has struggled this season but still has a young core led by Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, Max Clark and Dillon Dingler. With the Rockies in Detroit this weekend, it’s an interesting look at a rebuilding club that already has several young players producing at the major-league level.

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

Good morning Birdland,

The Orioles kicked off their road trip with a 7-4 win in Toronto on Friday night, but unfortunately they did not get any closer to the AL’s coveted final wild card spot. That’s because the Guardians also won, beating the Twins 5-2. The gap to sneak into the playoffs remains at three games with 14 left on the schedule.

If you are still watching the Orioles at this point, you probably shouldn’t be pinning your joy on whether or not they make the playoffs. That’s been true of this team since the late-90s, and it continues today. Instead, try to find positives elsewhere.

For me, that starts with Coby Mayo lately. The guy hit another home run in the win, and this one was off of another right-handed pitcher. He is up to 23 long balls on the year and owns an OPS+ of 112. He has a .942 OPS since July 5 and has posted an OPS of .873 or better in each of the last three months. If he continues to show this promise at the plate, the Orioles will have to find a way to get his bat into the lineup most days in 2027.

Chris Bassitt was also good, allowing two runs over five innings. Since being activated off of the IL, the veteran righty has a 4.24 ERA and is averaging 5.2 innings per start. This isn’t earth-shaking stuff, but it’s solid, dependable production that the Orioles were hoping for.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand had three more hits. His OPS this season is up to .803. Maybe he needed to spend the first 3.5 months of the season in Triple-A working on some things, but it’s also worth wondering how much of a difference he would have made if he had been in Baltimore earlier in the year.

And it was a nice night for Dylan Beavers, leading the team with three RBI. The outfielder’s place in the lineup has come and gone throughout the season. So far in September he has been getting more consistent playing time, and maybe that is paying off. Getting him as many at-bats as possible down the stretch should be a priority, especially compared to someone like Leody Taveras.

The O’s and Jays are back at it today. First pitch is set for 3:07 in a matchup between Kyle Bradish (7-13, 3.91 ERA) and opener Spencer Miles (6-2, 2.77 ERA).

Links

Mulling over MVO candidates | Roch Kubatko
Pete Alonso will run away with MVO honors, but who comes in second and third is less obvious. At least one starting pitcher should be in the mix. Trevor Rogers has probably been the most consistently good, though his season-long totals aren’t as appealing as some others. Shane Baz has thrown the most innings. Brandon Young feels like the savior of the group given where he began the year.

Helsley, Bautista take next rehab steps toward return to O’s bullpen | Orioles.com
Provided there are no set backs, it sounds like both righties will make it back to the big leaguers for a little while this season. That’s nice! This duo might form the team’s go-to eighth and ninth inning options to lock down wins next summer.

The Orioles’ front office shake-up speaks to their biggest challenge | The Baltimore Banner
I cannot speak to what sort of influence Matt Blood had within the Orioles organization. Jon Meoli makes it seem like he was an important voice, and there is evidence to suggest he did some good work. But changes are clearly needed in Baltimore. Something has gotten stale. They need new perspectives to come in and explain what is working and what might need updating. It’s unclear if Blood leaving means that will happen, but it does indicate that there is some heat on the warehouse, as there should be.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Kyle Bradish turns 30 today. The righty is a real success story for the current regime. Acquired from the Angels as a modest prospect, Bradish developed into a Cy Young candidate in 2023, signed a big extension earlier this season, and has been solid in his return from Tommy John surgery this year.
• Keith Hughes is 63 years old. The outfielder was a backup for the 1988 Orioles, hitting .194/.294/.324 that year.
• Mark Thurmond turns 70. He spent two seasons on the Baltimore pitching staff from 1988-89, tossing 164.2 innings, mostly out of the bullpen with an occasional start sprinkled in.
• The late Albie Pearson (b. 1934, d. 2023) was born on this day. From 1959-60 he was a reserve outfielder with the Orioles, accumulating a .621 OPS across 128 total games.

This day in O’s history

1964 – The Orioles beat the Athletics 1-0 in a game that sees both teams generate one hit each. The Orioles also set a record for the fewest at-bats in a nine-inning game with 19. John Orsino leads off the eighth inning with a double, is pinch run for by Bob Saverine, who then scores the lone run of the day.

1988 – Eddie Murray collects his 2,000th career hit, but the Orioles lose 6-1 to the Red Sox.

2009 – Brian Roberts hits a grand slam and his club-record 51st double of the season to lead the Orioles to a 7-3 win over the Yankees.

2014 – The O’s sweep a double-header from the Yankees, winning 2-1 and then 5-0, to step closer towards an AL East championship. It is also reported that Chris Davis will be suspended 25 games for testing positive for amphetamines, extending into the upcoming postseason.

Good morning, baseball fans!

Another week of San Francisco Giants baseball comes to an end this weekend, so it’s time to make our picks for Player of the Week!

This week, as with many other weeks, my pick is going to be Rafael Devers! Over the last week (my week is including last Friday through this Thursday) had eight hits, four runs, three home runs and nine RBI, leading the team on offense once again.

I’m going to give an honorable mention to Bryce Eldridge as well, who has a six-game hitting streak going as of the time this is being written, and who knocked in seven RBI in that time as well.

Who is your pick for Player of the Week?

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants continue this series against the San Diego Padres this afternoon at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Today’s Reflections

I wish I just saw the 8-6 final score from Wednesday game. That meant that my comment from Tuesday of that the Cubs could hang with the Brewers was accurate.

Um, nah. That’s a case of spinning something positive out of nothing ending up kicking your tail.

Kevin Gausman is the next Jekyll and Hyde performer for the Cubs. What do they really have with him?

The best offense and defense in baseball was held to three hits over eight innings and committed two uncharacteristic errors.

Digging for a plus …. the bullpen allowed a hit and an unearned run over four innings. At the time, it was just clean-up work, low leverage.

That was all that could be rung out of Wednesday’s loss. Thursday’s day off may help. We’ll see.

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Wednesday Night’s Game Stories:

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Kevin Gausman allows three homers, but a lot goes wrong for Cubs as Brewers sweep cements Central control. “Gausman, the Cubs’ headlining acquisition at the trade deadline, has gone back and forth between great outings and rough ones. Wednesday was one of the latter, though he wasn’t the only thing that went wrong for a Cubs team swept out of Milwaukee.”

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Sun-Times): 3 takeaways as Chicago Cubs get swept, including their tenuous playoff positioning — and the bullpen’s woes. “Gausman said, “It comes back to execution. I can’t throw lazy (splitters) in the zone.”“

Assorted Playoff Stories:

• Brandon Glick (Cubbies Crib): What’s the actual panic level for Cubs fans with postseason fast approaching? “Can this team hang with the National League’s best?”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Quantifying Hope: Cubs’ Odds Still Holding Steady at 96.6% Despite Skid. “Losing four straight may have caused the sky to fall, but the same can’t be said for the Cubs’ postseason odds.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports): How Should the Cubs Rotation Be Managed Down the Stretch of 2026? “In 2026, the Cubs’ starters have been a major storyline.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs’ magic number after Brewers sweep paints terrifying NL Wild Card picture. “Things are getting tight.”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): How Badly Did the Cubs Hurt Their Playoff Odds These Last Few Weeks? “Yikes. That’s a bona fide collapse.”
• Mike Petriello (MLB.com): The Cubs are the best-hitting, best-fielding team in baseball. There’s just one little problem … “Will the bats and gloves be enough to overcome the arms in October?”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): After Brewers sweep, Cubs fighting for playoff spot as wild-card standings tighten, series losses keep coming. “The Cubs have gone from NL Central contenders to wild-card leaders to fighting for their postseason lives amid a stretch of series losses. With 15 games left, it’s not about tuning up for the playoffs but ensuring they get there.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): With division race all but over, Cubs need to get right before they lose playoff spot. “At least the Chicago Cubs didn’t need to worry about another bullpen catastrophe.”

Assorted Pitching Woes:

• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs need bullpen answers and all options have to be considered. “Everywhere Counsell looks in his bullpen, there are questions.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Swanson Nearing Return, Steele Making Another Rehab Appearance, Palencia Not Missing Bats. “As much as I’d like to go on about Pete Crow-Armstrong having just the 16th season of 10+ fWAR in the last half-century, I feel like we’ve already chewed most of the meat off that bone.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs brought Kevin Gausman in to anchor the rotation but he’s only pulled them down. “A clunker in his latest start has only turned up the pressure on Kevin Gausman and the Chicago Cubs, as their marquee trade deadline add continues to struggle.”
• Dan Fappiano (Yardbarker): Kevin Gausman reaping benefits of ’emotional’ Chicago Cubs trade. “It didn’t take long for the right-hander to find his footing in Chicago. One series with the Cubs, and Gausman realized the opportunity that was in front of him.”
• Chris Pownall (DaWindyCity): Cubs are watching their worst trade deadline decision come back to haunt them. “The Chicago Cubs made several significant additions at the trade deadline, but failing to land a proven closer is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Amid bullpen panic, Cubs ‘still have all the faith’ in Jacob Webb, others to recover in time for playoffs. “The Cubs’ bullpen is in a rut at the wrong time, but the team still believes it’s possible for Webb and other struggling relievers to recover from a late-season stumble in time for the playoffs.”
• Anthony Mason (MLBTradeRumors): Phil Maton To Undergo Knee Surgery. “The team hasn’t provided many more specifics but it’s fair to assume this will end his season.”

Assorted Stories:

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs have a clear plan for Dansby Swanson’s return. “Cubs manager Craig Counsell provided a surprising level of detail about Swanson’s program during Friday’s pregame media briefing at Wrigley Field.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Cubs promote top prospect Josiah Hartshorn, raising possibility of 2027 MLB debut. “Hello, Double-A.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Owen Ayers Keeps Racking Up the Huge Caught Stealing Numbers. “Less discussed in his breakout, though, is the fact that this is a guy who really only became a full-time, dedicated catcher a few years ago.”
• Daniel Curran (Just Baseball): How Pete Crow-Armstrong Put It All Together. “It took a mixture of improvements to get to this version of PCA, but the final product is a star center fielder staring down an MVP season.”
• Max Ralph (MLB.com): Could Cubs’ best-in-show defense become 1st ever to sweep outfield Gold Gloves? “Each of their starting outfielders — Ian Happ in left field, PCA in center and Seiya Suzuki in right — at least has an argument to be golden this season.”
• Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Matt Shaw’s Best Opportunity With Cubs Will Likely Come In October. “Matt Shaw hasn’t played a huge role for the Cubs this season. But October could present the perfect opportunity for him to become a difference-maker.”
• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Why Cubs could trade Matt Shaw despite potential starting OF role in 2027. “The Cubs could deal their young, versatile future starter for one reason.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Monster Season Has Crossed Another Threshold. “Today is an arbitrary cut-off with two and a half more weeks left in the season, and 10.0 is an arbitrary cut-off for a counting statistic.”
• Yirsandy Rodriguez (North Side Baseball): Michael Conforto Is A Flawed Hitter, and the Cubs Couldn’t Care Less. “Michael Conforto has regained the impact he once had against fastballs, but off-speed pitches continue to expose a weakness that could prove a problem for the Cubs.”

Food For Thought:

Samuel Gene Maghett (February 14, 1937 – December 1, 1969), known as Magic Sam, was an American Chicago blues musician. He was born in Grenada County, Mississippi, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter. After moving to Chicago at the age of 19, he was signed by Cobra Records and became well known as a bluesman. He was known for his distinctive tremolo guitar playing.

Maghett moved to Chicago in 1956, where his guitar playing earned him bookings at blues clubs on the West Side. He recorded singles for Cobra Records from 1957 to 1959, including “All Your Love” and “Easy Baby”. They did not reach the record charts but had a profound influence, far beyond Chicago’s guitarists and singers. Together with recordings by Otis Rush and Buddy Guy (also Cobra artists), the West Side Sound was a manifesto for a new kind of blues. Around this time Magic Sam worked briefly with Homesick James Williamson. Magic Sam gained a following before being drafted into the U.S. Army. He served six months in prison for desertion and received a dishonorable discharge.

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

The Red Sox continue to prepare for the inevitable when the regular season comes to an end: a return to Yankee Stadium in the Wild Card series for the second consecutive season. 

The Yankees have pulled further ahead for the top Wild Card spot in recent days, fueled by a series against the lowly Colorado Rockies. That all but seals the deal that the Red Sox won’t host the first round at Fenway Park. In the meantime, Boston’s magic number for a playoff berth is into single digits. 

Should the team take care of business, the Red Sox will clinch playoff berths in consecutive seasons for the first time since three straight trips from 2016 to 2018. Boston’s path to October in 2025 and 2026 came on drastically different paths, though the records could be the same or very similar. 

The 2025 team slugged their way through the season, even after the rattling trade of Rafael Devers, though the lineup lost its thump late in the season with the injury loss of Roman Anthony and several platoon players holding onto playoff lineup spots. Garrett Crochet dominated as the Cy Young runner up, though the depth behind him ran out by the first round.

The Red Sox revamped their starting rotation for 2026, though the season appeared to fall apart with an insufficient offensive unit for the early months. Alex Cora got fired, Crochet and Anthony went down for months with injuries and a late-June series loss appeared to signal rock bottom. With 15 games to go this season, it’s hard to imagine that stretch being a part of the same season given the magic the Red Sox rode back into contention this summer. 

So, with the context of two seasons and a strong idea of what the playoff roster should look like, are the Red Sox better positioned for a playoff run in 2026 than they were in 2025? 

I believe so. 

Behind Crochet, the Red Sox did not have enough proven performers ready to meet the moment in October. Brayan Bello struggled, Lucas Giolito was unavailable and Connelly Early got forced into a position contenders should not have to commit to. The lineup solely relied on Trevor Story to drive in runs while Alex Bregman ran out of gas after Game 1.

This year, the Red Sox should feel confident in all three starters they would trot out in the Wild Card series in Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez (1.48 career postseason ERA) and Payton Tolle. The lineup also has far healthier and capable impact bats with Anthony, Adley Rutschman, Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu ready to deliver when the game is on the line. Just as they were last year, Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock are weapons at the back end of the bullpen while Crochet and potentially even Tanner Houck could be ready to get outs in relief as well.

The Yankees should also feel better about their spot compared to a year ago, even with Giancarlo Stanton down for the year. Aaron Judge is back, young bats have emerged and the trio of first-round ready starters in Cam Schlittler, Max Fried and Gerritt Cole is a lethal combination, along with a bullpen that’s gelled over time. 

Both rosters are better than a year ago. Another tilt in The Bronx will put the rivals back in the spotlight with the pressure on in the likelihood of another entertaining clash.

Jose Alvarado’s appearance last night probably solidified what Don Mattingly is thinking in the playoffs. He and Alex McFarlane are going to be the bridges to Jhoan Duran. Jonathan Bowlan looks like he is struggling to handle to pressure as it continues to mount with each appearance that gets closer to September, so maybe those are the two that get leaned on.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• The Phillies have had a really good offensive approach since the All-Star break. Can they keep it up during the playoffs against better pitching ($)?
• Bryson Stott is still considered the young guy on the infield, but he’s pretty much a (good) finished product.
• Trea Turner hasn’t had a good season, but he can still help the team as he heats up a bit heading into the final few weeks ($).

MLB news:

• Luis Robert was apparently more popular as a waiver claim than he was as a trade candidate as four different teams put in a claim on him.
• Salvador Perez, an icon in Kansas City, isn’t sure yet if he’ll retire, taking it year by year. I am of the same approach.
• Trade candidates for this coming offseason, including a surprising name in Atlanta that came up during this past trade deadline already.

To say that Anthony Volpe’s MLB career to this point has been a disappointment would be an understatement. He has certainly had his moments, but a first-round pick producing an 85 wRC+ in parts of four campaigns is definitely not what you want, 2023 Gold Glove notwithstanding. Having said that, it’s impossible to deny that the kid is a hard worker and seems determined to make it work at the highest level.

After the Yankees promoted George Lombard Jr. immediately following the Trade Deadline, Volpe was sent to the minor leagues. He didn’t use the time to play around or publicly complain about fate and harsh roster decisions. No, he used it to train, work, and try to become the best version of himself he could be.

Volpe made adjustments at the plate, increased his focus, and started to perform and put up numbers in Scranton. From August 7th to September 7th—exactly a month’s worth of stats—he hit .284/.381/.642 with a 1.023 OPS, a 159 wRC+, 10 home runs, seven doubles, and eight steals as well. Additionally, he worked in other infield positions other than shortstop, increasing his versatility by spending the bulk of his time at the keystone, plus a few games at the hot corner.

Of course, Volpe has raked in the minor leagues before; that’s part of what excited Yankees fans about him in the first place, especially in 2022. The challenge will be doing it in the majors, but he got off to a solid start with a 3-for-4 performance on Thursday against the Rockies as a second baseman filling in for the injured Jazz Chisholm Jr. One of those hits was a grand slam to the Short Porch, and on the night, he drove in five while stealing a base.

Nobody rational is losing their minds over one game, but there are some changes he implemented in his batting stance and timing mechanism that are worth discussing. A Twitter user named Victor posted a video comparing Volpe’s stance earlier in 2026 and one from Thursday’s game, and the difference is quite clear.

The swing seems much more explosive. Obviously, being healthy after offseason labrum surgery helps, but the infielder seems to have incorporated a step-back move to fully load and then unleash his power on pitches. The swing path also looks different, in this lone example, at least. Well, for a day, at least, it all worked, but his Triple-A performance this past month can’t be completely ignored, either.

Since they have a pressing need at second with Chisholm out and he only made three appearances at the hot corner in the minors, Volpe is expected to be used almost exclusively at the keystone in the short-term, although it’s nice to know he could be an emergency option across the infield if something comes up. All things considered, the former Gold Glover does have some exciting potential to help the Yankees in the next week or two. He just has to take advantage of his opportunity.

Although it almost feels as though Volpe has been around forever, the man is still just 25 years old. Fate and his own hard work have given him a chance to put himself on the map again—especially as the Yankees enter an offseason where Chisholm may depart in free agency. It’s likely to be a brief window in terms of immediate 2026 impact, so he needs to show something.

Whatever happens with Volpe when Chisholm returns is anyone’s guess, because the latter is expected to slide back to his starting role once he’s deemed healthy enough to play. For the former, however, it all starts with making a good impression in the handful of MLB games he will be given in the next couple weeks, and we aren’t talking exclusively about stats: how his swing looks, how he fares in adversity, how he looks with the glove, and his level of intensity and focus will all be evaluated. It’s one thing to have a big game with the cellar-dwelling Rockies in town; it’s quite another to do so against tougher foes, especially if he remains a factor for the Rays series from September 22-24 (though Chisholm could be back by then).

Volpe has a brief but meaningful chance in front of him, regardless of whether or not it results in a spot on the postseason roster, or if there’s a potential impact on 2027 plans. Those are discussions for another time. The here and now is all that matters for Volpe.

Iowa Cubs 9, Toledo Mud Hens 3 (box)

This was a nice, well played one-run game until the Hens bullpen fell apart in the late innings.

Dylan File got the start, and he was…fine. The right-hander allowed a run in the first and another in the third, but that was all over his six innings of work.

Meanwhile the offense blew a scoring opportunity in the first, and didn’t see another until the fifth. With two outs in the inning, Michael Siani reached on a James Triantos error at second, and then stole second base. Trei Cruz singled him in to make it a 2-1 Iowa lead, but that was as close as they’d get.

Andre Granillo was mauled for four runs in the seventh, and Tanner Rainey gave up three more as the Cubs turned this into a rout.

Jace Jung singled off of Ethan Roberts to start off the ninth, and Corey Julks homered to left center field to make things a little more respectable.

Cruz: 1-2, RBI, 2 BB, CS

File: 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 H, 0 BB, 6 K

Coming Up Next:

Erie SeaWolves 6, Reading Fightin Phils 3 (box)

Joe Miller threw a good game and the SeaWolves outslugged the Phils to win with a surge in the late innings on Friday.

The left-hander gave up a run in the bottom of the first, but then locked down the Phils over the next five frames. Meanwhile, veteran lefty Adam Seminaris had the SeaWolves number as he scattered five hits without a walk over six scoreless frames.

Finally in the seventh, the SeaWolves broke through. Roberto Campos led off with a single and Seth Stephenson walked. A wild pitch advanced them both, and Viandel Pena lifted a sacrifice fly to score Campos. Patrick Lee and Peyton Graham walked to load the bases, and Woody Hadeen pulled a ground ball through the infield for a two-run single that made it 3-1 SeaWolves. E.J. Exposito was hit by a pitch, but Thayron Liranzo lined into a double play that caught Hadeen too far off of second base.

Zane Barnhart took over from Miller and with one out he walked former Tigers’ farmhand Austin Murr. Nick Biddison then cracked a two-run shot that tied the game 3-3.

Campos quickly untied it with a solo shot in the top of the eighth. Yosber Sanchez struck out two swinging in a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth. 4-3 SeaWolves.

Exposito walked with two outs in the top of the ninth, and Liranzo mashed a two-run shot to left center field to make it 6-3.

Moises Rodriguez was excellent, whiffing two batters in a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to earn the save. Stephenson stole two bases to get him to 65 stolen bases on the year, tying him for the team lead with Peyton Graham.

Campos: 3-4, 2 R, RBI, HR

Lee: 1-3, R, 2B, BB, K

Stephenson: 1-3, R, BB, 2 SB

Miller: 6.0 IP, ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Coming Up Next: The series is knotted at two games apiece heading into a 6:45 p.m. ET start on Saturday.

The Atlanta Braves had an exciting Friday night, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in an 11-inning thriller to take game one of the weekend series. Drake Baldwin was the man of the hour and delivered a walk-off to give the Braves the 6-5 edge. 

Baldwin’s double capped off an 11-hit night for the Atlanta offense as the Braves collected their 87th win of the season. With a five-game lead in the NL East, the series continues tonight at 7:15 ET.

More Braves News:

Lane Thomas has officially been placed on the injured list. Outfielder DeShawn Keirsey Jr. has been recalled in a corresponding move.  

Drue Hackenberg struck out nine for the Columbus Clingstones on Thursday. More in the minor league recap.

MLB News:

Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is undergoing hip surgery and will miss the remainder of the season. He has been on the injured list since August 30.

From the Feed:

Reliever Elieser Hernandez has been outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett and elected free agency.

Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Today is my parents’ 45th anniversary. Tomorrow is my cousin’s birthday. Time marches on, huh? I know yesterday was hard for many people in this fandom (and beyond), so hopefully we can help today, tomorrow, and beyond feel a little more normal.

Today on the site, Andrés will look at what Anthony Volpe has done in the past month to prepare himself for the opportunity to fill in for the injured Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, Madison will run through the Rivalry Roundup, and Jonathan will celebrate the 110th birthday of underrated Yankees masher Charlie Keller. Later, Josh will discuss Cam Schlittler and the AL MVP conversation, Kento will give Brent Headrick his flowers, and Matt will remember the game in 1990 in which the Yankees were improbably allowed to score 10 unearned runs.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. New York Mets

Time: 1:35 p.m. EST

TV: YES Network, SNY, MLB Network

Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY

Questions/Prompts:

1. Who will end up leading the American League in homers: Yordan Alvarez (38), Junior Caminero (40), or Ben Rice (37)?

2. Any college football matchups on the top of your docket for today?

ABC7 | Sam Ryan: Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and baseball played somewhat of a role in helping New York and the nation emotionally recover. Several players from 2001 were part of the pregame remembrances ahead of the Subway Series game on Friday. Players from both teams also took time to tell what they remember from those times 25 years ago.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Among those pregame moments, the Yankees had Brielle Saracini and Sean McGuire, who were both children when they lost parents on 9/11 (and later married), throw out the first pitches. However, it was not Saracini’s first time up close with the Yankees, as Derek Jeter and the team invited her to a game back in 2001 after she had written a letter to the team as a 10-year old shortly after the tragedy. Ahead of Friday’s game, they reunited and both remembered their experiences.

New York Post | Dan Martin: The Yankees made a couple lower-profile additions to try and shore up their bullpen in recent weeks, and one of them was former AL Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer. In this Subway Series, he’s facing the team that drafted him years ago, eventually trading him to the Tigers for Yoenis Cespedes in 2015. However, he’s now on the other side of the city and has gotten off to a decent start in the Bronx.

Two starters are getting closer to coming off the injured list to help the Yankees in the bullpen.

Clarke Schmidt will make a fifth rehab appearance on Saturday, which could be his last if he gets through it without issue to finish off his comeback from Tommy John surgery, with the hope that he joins the Yankees on their upcoming road trip and gets activated.

“Let’s get through Saturday and we’ll see,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday before the Yankees’ 6-4 win over the Mets in the teams’ Subway Series opener. “But that’s in play.”

Ryan Weathers, meanwhile, is almost a week into his throwing program after being shut down for two weeks with a left forearm flexor strain, and is hoping to advance to a bullpen session on Monday.

The left-hander, who expects to start throwing his hard slider on flat ground Saturday — at which point he will be throwing all his pitches again — is trying to talk his way into being activated as soon as possible so he can pitch in at least a game or two of the regular season before heading into the playoffs.

“Obviously we’re kind of fighting the clock right now and we’re trying to be smart with it too,” Weathers said. “But everything’s trending in the right direction. … I have no doubt I could throw 40 pitches right now in a game. It’s like, if I just need 20-25, I’d rather use those in a game than burn them in a live [batting practice].

“I just would like to get an inning back in competition before [the playoffs]. Not that I don’t trust myself in a wild card or division series, but it’s more high-pressure and just [want to] get my feet back under me for an inning.”

José Caballero was out of the lineup Friday against the Mets for a second straight game, with Boone playing the hot hand at second base (without the injured Jazz Chisholm Jr.) in Anthony Volpe, who was called up on Thursday after learning the position at Triple-A.

Boone acknowledged that he has spoken with Caballero — who the Yankees value as a 10th man off the bench — about the situation as they enter crunch time.

“Everyone wants to play,” Caballero said. “Everyone wants a chance to be out here and playing.That’s why we have a manager. He’s the one making decisions to play or not.

“We all, as players, have to take it and be OK with it and try to do the best we can do in the role we got.”

After getting Thursday off, Aaron Judge (1-for-3 with a walk) returned to the lineup Friday in his third game back from missing three months with a right rib stress fracture.

Boone said, “We’ll see,” when asked if Judge could play in all three games against the Mets.

The Yankees recalled reliever Bradley Hanner, returning to 14 pitchers on the 28-man roster after playing the Rockies series with an extra position player (Jasson Domínguez, who was optioned to Triple-A after Thursday’s game).

Brett Baty’s left knee appears to have avoided the worst.

Though the utilityman wasn’t in the Mets’ starting lineup on Friday, interim manager Andy Green expected to have him off the bench if needed for the Subway Series opener at Yankee Stadium.

Baty did not appear in the Mets’ 6-4 loss.

Baty left Wednesday’s game with discomfort in the knee after running to first base.

He underwent an MRI exam a day later that was negative for structural damage.

Green noted that Baty would have been absent from Friday’s starting lineup regardless with left-hander Carlos Rodón on the mound for the Yankees.

Green lauded MLB’s decision to put the Mets and Yankees on the same field for the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

“I was watching part of the documentary earlier in the day and literally crying at the Mike Piazza home run, because that brought back so many memories of feeling like baseball had value that went beyond just the game,” Green said. “There’s moments where sport transcends entertainment and that was one of them and has played a huge part in our country’s healing from that day.”

Green was a player in Class-A on Sept. 11, 2001, preparing for a playoff game in the Midwest League. “Waking up that morning expecting to play and then feeling how radically insignificant what I once felt was incredibly significant,” Green said.

Nate Lavender’s scoreless streak to begin his major league career (14 innings) was snapped on Wednesday when he allowed three earned runs in the ninth inning against the Marlins.

Green wasn’t unhappy that the streak had concluded.

“I’m glad he gave up a run this year,” Green said.

year.’ That’s not how the big leagues work.

Of the 176 players all-time who have played for the Mets and Yankees, five are on the current rosters: Juan Soto, Devin Williams, Paul Blackburn, Amed Rosario and Ali Sanchez.