Category: MLB

MLB Trade Rumors has released their annual list of projections for arbitration-eligible players, and the Brewers feature a whopping 16 players on the list, led by catcher William Contreras, second baseman Brice Turang, and first baseman Andrew Vaughn.

As with everything else this offseason, the arbitration process would be frozen in the event of a lockout, which certainly appears to be the most likely scenario. Either way, the arbitration system itself could change under a new collective bargaining agreement, so these numbers may not hold even if the offseason proceeds normally.

As things stand now, here’s what MLB Trade Rumors projects:

• William Contreras (5.112 years of service): $14.6MM (Brewers hold $14.5MM club option)

Contreras and the Brewers avoided an arbitration hearing last winter, agreeing to a $9.4 million salary for 2026 with a $14.5 million club option for 2027. That $9.4 million was a new record for a second-year arb-eligible catcher. This time, the option is actually slightly below his $14.6 million projection, the reverse of last year, when the Brewers declined a $12 million option that came in above his projection.

The Brewers control Contreras through the 2027 season no matter what, so they could theoretically decline his option and try to save some money in arbitration. That’s probably not worth it, for a couple of reasons: one, Contreras is one of the best catchers in baseball, and there’s no guarantee he’d get less in arbitration; and two, they’d risk alienating their starting catcher over what could end up being a negligible amount of money. Not only would that look bad, but there are other ways the Brewers could trim payroll if they choose to. Unless the Brewers decide to trade him, it’d be a surprise if they didn’t pick up the option.

Contreras put together a season pretty similar to last year’s, hitting .270/.341/.417 (108 OPS+) with 18 homers and 94 RBIs across 147 games and making the All-Star team. However, his 2.9 bWAR was nearly a full win less than his 2025 season (3.8). He’ll be a free agent after 2027.

• Brice Turang (3.165): $9.5MM

Turang earned $4.15 million in arbitration last season as a Super Two. He followed his 2025 breakout with an even better season, hitting .268/.366/.450 with 21 homers, 100 RBIs, 102 runs, and 19 steals for 7.3 bWAR. He should finish in the top five in NL MVP voting, and his $9.5 million projection, the second-highest on the team, reflects that. Turang remains under club control through 2029.

• Andrew Vaughn (5.142): $8.5MM

Vaughn avoided arbitration with a $7.65 million deal for 2026. He opened the season on the injured list, and by the time he returned, Jake Bauers had turned into one of the Brewers’ best hitters. Still, when he played, Vaughn hit: .306/.390/.444 (130 OPS+) in 104 games, albeit with just six homers.

Next season is Vaughn’s final year of arbitration eligibility, so he and Contreras will hit free agency together after 2027.

• Trevor Megill (5.002): $8MM

Megill avoided arbitration last year by signing a one-year, $4.7 million deal for 2026. While that was more than MLBTR projected ($4.2 million), he earned every penny, posting a 2.63 ERA, 1.85 FIP, 30 saves, and 69 strikeouts over 61 2/3 innings.

Arbitration rewards saves, which is why his projection jumps to $8 million. Like Contreras and Vaughn, Megill will be a free agent after 2027.

• Garrett Mitchell (4.040): $2.7MM

Mitchell finally stayed healthy for a whole season, and the results speak for themselves: .262/.354/.416 with 11 homers, 30 doubles, and 14 steals in 145 games, worth 3.4 bWAR. He earned $950,000 in 2026, and his projection nearly triples that, at $2.7 million. Mitchell is arbitration-eligible through 2028.

• Sal Frelick (3.072): $2.4MM

Frelick is entering arbitration for the first time after the worst season of his career: .230/.295/.319 (70 OPS+) over 111 games, worth -0.5 bWAR. He’s projected at $2.4 million.

• Joey Ortiz (3.030): $2.4MM

The overall body of work isn’t eye-popping, but Ortiz found another level after moving to third base, and his season-long stats show it: .270/.328/.402 over 134 games, worth 2.6 bWAR. He’s projected $2.4 million in his first year of eligibility and might get a bit more.

• David Hamilton (3.011): $1.6MM

Hamilton came over from Boston in the Caleb Durbin trade and played all over the infield, hitting .245/.314/.336 with 30 steals in 121 games. With Pat Murphy at the helm, the fact that Hamilton led the majors with 13 sacrifice bunts means something. He’s at $1.6 million.

• Bo Naylor (3.014): $1.5MM

The Brewers acquired Naylor and reliever Codi Heuer from the Guardians on Aug. 1 for outfielder Blake Perkins and reliever Craig Yoho. Naylor hit .143 over 28 games with Cleveland before being optioned in May but posted a .903 OPS with four homers in 14 games with Nashville after the trade. He appeared in only three games for Milwaukee.

With Gary Sánchez a free agent and Contreras entering his final year of control, Naylor could get a real look in 2027. MLBTR has him at $1.5 million, which is well worth it if Milwaukee sees him as the backup catcher.

• Quinn Priester (2.134): $1.3MM

Priester spent the entire season on the injured list, ultimately undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in June. Because he spent the year on the 60-day IL, he still accrued major league service time and pay. That’s how he reached 2.134 years of service, just above MLBTR’s projected Super Two cutoff of 2.133. His $1.3 million projection is based mostly on his strong 2025.

• Angel Zerpa (4.082): $1.3MM

Zerpa avoided arbitration at $1.095 million in his first year of eligibility. His 2026 was a lost one, though: just 12 2/3 innings with a 6.39 ERA before he suffered a UCL tear that required Tommy John surgery. He’s projected for a modest raise to $1.3 million and has two more arbitration years before free agency after 2028. There’s no guarantee he’ll be ready for the 2027 season, which could make him a non-tender candidate.

• Akil Baddoo (3.082): $1.3MM

Baddoo signed a one-year major league deal with the Brewers in December but suffered a quad strain near the end of spring training and spent the start of the season on the 60-day IL. He was activated and optioned to Nashville on May 24 and never appeared in a big league game for Milwaukee. At $1.3 million, and with the Brewers’ outfield depth, he’s probably a non-tender candidate.

• Bryse Wilson (5.049): $1.1MM

Wilson’s 2026 was a roller coaster. After brief stints with the Phillies and Cubs, he signed a one-year major league deal with Milwaukee on July 10, was designated for assignment on Aug. 8, elected free agency, and re-signed with the Brewers three days later. He then landed on the injured list with a lower-back strain on Aug. 31.

When he was needed, he was solid: a 3.51 ERA over 25 2/3 innings with 23 strikeouts and just one walk. At 5.049 years of service, 2027 would be his final arbitration year. Wilson is nice to have, but he’s a depth arm; at a projected $1.1 million, he’s an obvious non-tender candidate if the Brewers need the roster spot.

• DL Hall (3.074): $1MM

Hall was one of the Brewers’ best relievers this year. In 47 appearances, he posted a 1.91 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings and finished the season worth 2.0 bWAR. The walks are still a concern (35 in 61 1/3 innings), but a $1 million projection is a bargain for those results. Non-closers tend to be undervalued in arbitration, but I’d still be willing to bet he gets more than that.

• Grant Anderson (3.007): $1MM

Anderson was a key middle-relief piece for most of the year, posting a 3.36 ERA in 59 innings across 52 appearances. He was optioned to Nashville after the Brewers added pitching at the deadline and later landed on the IL with right biceps inflammation. He’s projected at $1 million.

• Jared Koenig (2.158): $900K

Koenig’s season was pretty much the worst-case scenario. The Brewers placed him on the IL in April with a sprained UCL, which Pat Murphy called a “big concern,” and he didn’t return until late June, 81 days later. He spent much of the year in the minors (2.21 ERA) and finished with just seven big league innings and a 9.00 ERA. He’s a Super Two, with MLBTR projecting him at $900,000.

Whoops, didn’t expect today’s games to get under way quite as early as they did. The White Sox vs. Guardians game is already under way in Cleveland, but there’s currently no score at the end of the third inning. So it’s not as if we missed much. A full slate of four Division Series games under way today. I imagine we’ll be cheering on Atlanta as they take on Los Angeles. But I’m less certain about the San Diego vs. Milwaukee contest. I don’t have much love for either team, though the Padres have been more annoying of late. I’ll probably put aside my Braun hatred for the week, and cheer for the Brewers. Here is the full schedule for today, all times Arizona.

• Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians 10:00 am
• Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers 1:00 pm
• New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays 3:30 pm
• San Diego Padres @ Milwaukee Brewers 5:30 pm

The stage is set for the Postseason, and the Yankees have confirmed their 26-man roster for the American League Division Series.

There isn’t too much of a change from the Wild Card Series roster, but it’s worth noting that Aaron Judge is left out once again, and Ryan Weathers is available to step in as a reliever for the first time since late August. The lefty pitcher was placed on the IL with a left forearm flexor strain. The Yankees also left out third baseman Amed Rosario to make room for Weathers on the roster.

Here’s everything you need to know about each player and how they can propel the Yankees’ postseason run in the ALDS against Tampa Bay.

Position Players

Cody Bellinger: The Yankees will rely on Bellinger to give the offense some momentum, especially without Aaron Judge. He went 3-for-9 in the Wild Card Series with a home run that sealed the victory for the Yankees in Game 2. If he can stay hot in Tampa Bay, it should be enough to keep the Pinstripes on top.

José Caballero: A utilityman most likely to be deployed at third base, Caballero has the potential to be effective defensively and may get the start over Ryan McMahon. He finished September batting .163 with a .260 OBP, but didn’t get any at-bats during the Wild Card Series against Boston.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.: Jazz will likely play second in higher risk scenarios and alternate with Anthony Volpe. He went 2-for-3 with two runs and worked a walk in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.

Luis García Jr.: After drilling a home run that helped the Yankees dominate Boston in Game 2, García Jr. will look to keep his numbers up against the Rays. He will likely alternate with Paul Goldschmidt, who does well against lefties.

Paul Goldschmidt: Serving as a reliable option at first base, Goldschmidt brings a strong veteran presence that sets the tone for the younger guys on the roster. He worked two walks late in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series that gave Ben Rice the perfect setup for the grand slam.

Trent Grisham: After making his return from the IL in the Wild Card Series, Grisham will likely alternate at center field with Spencer Jones. It’s unclear if the Yankees will use him as a starter against Tampa Bay over Jones, but keeping him available to pinch hit could be the best option.

Spencer Jones: Following his postseason debut, Jones will likely continue to build off his momentum as the Yankees head to Tampa Bay. However, if he ends up struggling to make an impact offensively, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a pinch hitter like Stanton take his place in the order.

George Lombard Jr.: A standout in the Wild Card Series, Lombard Jr. instills confidence defensively while also remaining fearless at the plate. He went 4-for-8 against Boston with three runs, and can give the Yankees support towards the middle of the order.

Ryan McMahon: Alternating with Caballero at third, McMahon is expected to make a start at least once against Tampa to test the options at third base.

Heliot Ramos: Although he didn’t play a huge role in giving the Yankees insurance against Boston, Ramos will likely start at right field if the Rays throw out a left-handed starter and otherwise prepare to get hot off the bench in the ALDS. There’s also a chance that he alternates with Spencer Jones in the field. After a bit of a cold start in Pinstripes, Ramos finished September batting .255 with a .491 slugging percentage.

Ben Rice: What else is there to say about Rice other than that he’s been the most clutch hitter for the Yankees without Aaron Judge? There’s no doubt we’ve seen the last of his electricity at the plate, and it’ll be very exciting to see how he matches up against the Rays.

Ali Sánchez: Available as a backup for Austin Wells behind the plate, it’s unsurprising that Sánchez made the roster and has the chance to appear in a low-risk scenario.

Giancarlo Stanton: Despite not getting the chance to hit in the Wild Card Series, Stanton will likely have a pinch hitting opportunity in the ALDS. One of the Yankees’ all-time leading playoff sluggers, with 18 homers, Big G might have his classic playoff moment that will leave the Rays stunned.

Anthony Volpe: After hitting a sacrifice bunt in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series that helped set the Yankees up to shut down Boston, Volpe has the potential to shine against the Rays. He will alternate with Jazz at second, and we will likely see him get the start at least once in the series.

Austin Wells: After jumpstarting the Yankees offense that totaled 18 runs in the two-game Wild Card Series sweep, Wells will look to bring the same energy against Tampa Bay. It will be fun to see him hopefully win an ABS challenge.

Pitchers

David Bednar: Maintaining his spot on the roster as the Yankees’ closer, Bednar wasn’t needed in the Wild Card Series but got some work to stay fresh in Game 2. He’ll be prepared to earn the save against Tampa Bay should the Yankees enter the ninth with a lead and continue the chase for 28.

Paul Blackburn: After giving up a hit in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series and inducing a double play that ended the seventh, Blackburn is prepared to make an impact in quieting the Tampa Bay offense.

Gerrit Cole: Getting the start for Game 1 of the ALDS, Cole will look to dominate the Rays in his first postseason outing since 2024. If needed, he will also likely be available for the Game 4 start.

Max Fried: Effectively shutting down Boston’s offense in the Wild Card Series, Fried will likely start Game 3 and hopefully keep the Rays’ offense at bay.

Brent Headrick: Maintaining consistency throughout the regular season, Headrick is expected to shine in a relief role throughout the postseason. He finished the regular season with a 2.18 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 78.3 innings. Headrick was used a lot, but did at least get three full days of rest going into today.

Carlos Rodón: If we don’t end up seeing him in a starting role, Rodón is expected to come in as a reliever and shut down the Tampa Bay offense. He didn’t make an appearance against Boston, but if he can keep his numbers from September trending in the right direction, he’ll be lights out.

Cam Schlittler: Dominating Boston in Game 1, and continuing his feud with seemingly the entire state of Massachusetts, Schlittler will surely be one of the Yankees’ most powerful weapons on the bump. The 25-year-old ace is poised to make his second career ALDS appearance as a starter for Game 2 and could be available for a decisive Game 5 should this series go the distance.

John Schreiber: Taking a spot as a relief option if needed, Schreiber may take the mound in a low-risk scenario.

Will Warren: Giving up a run in 1.2 innings of Game 2 in the Wild Card Series, Warren will look to bounce back and silence the bats from Tampa Bay. One of the team’s core starters all year, Warren started transitioning into a role with the bullpen through a couple appearances in September and his presence as a multi-inning option is one of the reasons the Yankees can so confidently field an extended bench.

Ryan Weathers: Positioned to make his first relief appearance since being reinstated from the IL, Weathers will be a crucial addition to this roster in place of third baseman Amed Rosario. He showed promising signs in his bullpen sessions, and we’ll expect him to be an essential factor in shutting down the Rays’ offense. Weathers was another starter alongside Warren making the shift over, though he has some experience relieving as he made 12 appearances out of the ‘pen in his rookie season with the Padres.

Ryan Yarbrough: Securing his spot on the roster over Tim Hill, Yarbrough will be available as a low-risk option, and he could make an appearance on the bump if there’s a scenario where they need to get a reliever out of a jam.

I’m putting this together the night before, because I’m out tomorrow morning. We have four games today.

Game One: 1:00 Eastern:

White Sox @ Guardians: Smith vs. Messick.

Game Two: 4:00 Eastern:

Braves @ Dodgers.

Game Three: 6:30 Eastern:

Yankees @ Rays. Cole vs. Rasmussen.

Game Four: 8:50 Eastern:

Padres @ Brewers. Ray vs. Misiorowski.

Go Baseball Go.

After somewhat intense speculation, the Atlanta Braves have selected a pitcher to start Game 1 of the NLDS.

Dylan Dodd is starting for the Braves today.

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) October 3, 2026

The Atlanta Braves, who have won the 2026 NL East Division title and brushed aside the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round, have selected Dylan Dodd to start the playoff game today. As you likely already know Chris Sale and Brent Suter will likely not pitch until Games 2 and 3 respectively, and Grant Holmes pitched nearly one time through the order on Thursday. The Braves have ten other options and have decided on Dylan Dodd.

Dylan Dodd has a 2.54/3.83/3.94 line in 49 and 2/3 innings this season. He hasn’t started a game since 2023, when the Braves considered him a pitching prospect. His numbers in that stretch are horrifying (7.60/6.92/6.50 over 34 and 1/3 innings) but that’s not nearly reflective of the work he has done since. His longest outing since his starting days was 3 and 2/3 innings in Houston on September 13th, 2025. The sinker and cutter have been quite good this season.

I don’t hate this. Dylan Dodd won’t get lost in the moment. Both Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman are big lefties at the top of the lineup. The Braves seem to view the opener role as a reliever who can pitch up to 3 innings. So we may see Dylan for 13 batters today if all goes well. Please, go well.

Game 1 of the National League Division Series will pit a reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner with a fellow who's made just seven career starts. 

That's the Atlanta Braves' reality as they trot out Dylan Dodd against Tarik Skubal in the opener of their best-of-five Saturday, Oct. 3 at Dodger Stadium. 

Skubal, 29, will give up his reign as the AL's top pitcher - his August trade to the Dodgers instead installed him atop the two-time defending champions' pitching pyramid. He unseats World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto as their first ace out of the chute. 

NLDS: It's not David vs. Goliath – Ohtani injuries among Dodgers' problems

Skubal also has a shot to help neutralize Atlanta's lefty hitters, such as leadoff man Drake Baldwin, slugging first baseman Matt Olson and left fielder Mike Yastrzemski. 

Dodd's task is even more focused: Shut down Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the first couple innings. 

A third-round pick in 2021, Dodd had a pair of three-inning outings in April and May but has been used in much shorter bursts since then. Yet Atlanta comes into this series with its starting pitching compromised, as ace Chris Sale's turn doesn't come up until Sunday - and, he closed out their Game 3 clincher in the wild card series against Philadelphia, recording the final four outs Thursday. 

So the Braves will attempt to patch together nine innings of a bullpen game, with either Sale or No. 2 starter Tyler Mahle ready to roll in Game 2 Sunday. 

Where to watch Dodgers vs Braves: TV channel, streaming

• Time: 4 p.m. ET
• TV channel: Fox
• Live stream: Fubo

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers vs Braves pitchers: Who is Atlanta starting in NLDS Game 1 against Skubal?

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers will carry 12 pitchers and 14 position players on their National League Division Series roster against the Atlanta Braves, including 21-year-old rookie Josue De Paula active after impressing in his first 11 games in the majors in September.

Down from the usual split of 13 pitchers and 13 position players during the pre-September regular season, manager Dave Roberts has intimated multiple times over the last two weeks that a short series like the best-of-5 NLDS makes it less likely to carry an extra arm. It gives them more room for more specialized players, like De Paula in what is essentially a left-handed pinch-hitting role, plus Hyeseong Kim also active as a speedster to potentially pinch-run and play defense up the middle in the late innings if needed.

Kim hit .259/.323/.328 in 43 games for the Dodgers this season, and stole five bases in six attempts. But he spent most of his season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, having last played for the Dodgers on May 27.

De Paula is 21 years, 111 days old on Saturday. If he gets into a game this October, he’ll be the youngest Dodgers position player in a postseason game since 19-year-old Willie Crawford in the 1965 World Series.

Dodgers NLDS roster

• Starting pitchers (4): Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow
• Right-handed relievers (5): Roki Sasaki, Edgardo Henriquez, Edwin Díaz, Evan Phillips, Brock Stewart
• Left-handed relievers (3): Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, Kris Bubic
• Designated hitter (1): Shohei Ohtani
• Catchers (2): Will Smith, Hunter Feduccia
• Infielders (5): Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas, Hyeseong Kim
• Outfielders (4): Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker, Josue De Paula
• Infielder/outfielders (2): Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández

Kris Bubic, acquired at the trade deadline from the Kansas City Royals while on the 60-day injured list, rehabbed in Triple-A in September before joining the Dodgers. He made the bullpen as the third left-handed reliever, over Jack Dreyer and Justin Wrobleski.

“Our first two starters are going to be left-handed, you’re talking about a lot of innings being covered by left-handed pitching in a series,” Roberts said Saturday, referring to Tarik Skubal starting Game 1 and Blake Snell starting Game 2.

Roberts was asked Friday which relievers he felt might close games for the team in October.

“I think the one guy I feel that it’s easy to say I see finishing games is Tanner [Scott], but if it’s a different lane that I feel that he’s the best option in the eighth inning, then we’re going to use him,” Roberts said. “But as far as Evan, Roki, Diaz, I feel very comfortable with any of those guys closing out the game.”

LOS ANGELES — The Atlanta Braves set their roster for the National League Division Series against the Dodgers on Saturday, carrying 13 position players and 13 pitchers for the best-of-5 series.

Atlanta is carrying one more pitcher than the Dodgers, which makes sense given that the Braves are deploying a bullpen game for Game 1 on Saturday.

The Braves haven’t yet made a decision on whether ace Chris Sale would start in Game 2 on Sunday. That would be five days after his start in Game 1 of the wild card series, but the veteran left-hander also got the final four outs in relief to close out the wild card round on Thursday. Braves manager Walt Weiss they won’t decide on whether Sale starts Game 2 until Sunday morning.

“When we came in the other night, the first words out of his mouth were ‘I feel amazing,’” Weiss said Saturday. “If he were to come in tomorrow morning and say ‘I feel amazing,’ there’s a chance he pitches tomorrow.”

Among the pitchers added for Atlanta who weren’t active during the wild card round are AJ Smith-Shawver and JR Ritchie, who have both started and pitched in relief for the Braves this season. Demetrius Bell at Battery Power has more on the Braves roster.

Braves NLDS roster

• Potential starting pitchers (4): Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, JR Ritchie, AJ Smith-Shawver
• Right-handed relievers (5): Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suárez, Didier Fuentes, Grant Holmes, Victor Mederos
• Left-handed relievers (4): Dylan Lee, Dylan Dodd, Brent Suter, Ray Kerr
• Catchers (2): Drake Baldwin, Sean Murphy
• Infielders (5): Matt Olson, Ha-Seong Kim, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Rowdy Tellez
• Outfielders (5): Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Mike Yastrzemski, Lane Thomas, Brewer Hicklen
• Infielder/outfielder (1): Mauricio Dubón

Join us as all four divisional series get underway on Saturday. Each best-of-five playoff series in the divisional round will have a 2-2-1 home field structure, where the higher seeded team hosts Game 1, Game 2, and if necessary the deciding Game 5, while the lower seed hosts Game 3 and Game 4.

Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians -1:00 p.m. ET – TBS

Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers – 4:00 p.m. ET – FOX

New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays – 6:30 p.m. ET – TBS

San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers – 8:30 p.m. ET – FOX

The Division Series is here!

A full day of Postseason baseball is on the way 🫡 pic.twitter.com/k1ljcR0exm

— MLB (@MLB) October 3, 2026

Another round, another roster update.

The Atlanta Braves are set to do baseball battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers in just a few short hours and as such, the team has taken this chance to update the roster a bit. There are three changes, which we’ll get into below:

Your 2026 NLDS roster!#LetItFlypic.twitter.com/C9Ja61916L

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 3, 2026

Lane Thomas has been healthy and Walt Weiss expressed confidence that Thomas would be involved for this series, and sure enough, he’s on the roster. His right-handed bat should come in handy against the litany of left-handers that the Dodgers will be sure to throw out there over the next few games.

Meanwhile, the pitching situation (particularly when it came to starters and bulk guys) had to be addressed and it has been, as both JR Ritchie and AJ Smith-Shawver have been added to the roster. It’s safe to assume that one (or possibly both) of those guys will be making starts at some point during this series or they’ll be covering as many innings and outs as they can.

Rowdy Tellez gets to stick around for another round, while Dominic Smith, Luke Williams and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. have all been dropped for the NLDS.

Here’s the full roster:

26-Man Roster:

PITCHERS (13): LH Dylan Dodd, RH Didier Fuentes, RH Grant Holmes, RH Raisel Iglesias, LH Ray Kerr, LH Dylan Lee, RH Tyler Mahle, RH Víctor Mederos, RH JR Ritchie, LH Chris Sale, RH AJ Smith-Shawver, RH Robert Suarez, LH Brent Suter

CATCHERS (2): Drake Baldwin, Sean Murphy

INFIELDERS (6): Ozzie Albies, Mauricio Dubón, Ha-Seong Kim, Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Rowdy Tellez

OUTFIELDERS (5): Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Brewer Hicklen, Lane Thomas, Mike Yastrzemski

So, what do y’all make of the NLDS roster? Like it? Love it? Want some more of it? Hate it? Let’s hear it.

Diamondbacks News

Ken Kendrick Announces Cuts to 2027 Payroll
In entirely predictable fashion, Ken LKendrick is unhappy with the results of his investment in the 2026 team. The result of the situation is that the team should be expecting reduced investment in 2027. Some of that will come organically from contracts dropping off. Some of it will have to come from parting ways with some contracts, a task easier said than done.

Diamondbacks Executives Speak About Relationship with Ketel Marte
The Ketel Marte saga just keeps going. This story simply will not go away until a year after he either comes correct regarding his behaviours or the team is a year moved on from having found a viable trade.

What Might a Lower Payroll Really Mean?
If nothing else, it seems likely fans will get a hefty serving of developing talent for a while.

What is Marte’s Future with the Diamondbacks
At the end of the day, Marte’s particular situation means he is almost entirely in control of the entire affair. HIs future is in his hands. Now it is time to see what he will do with it, since it is clear he no longer has people rushing to defend him.

Was Retaining Lovullo the Right Move?
It is honestly hard to see how it wasn’t.

Other Baseball News

ALDS Preview: Guardians Versus White Sox
This particular series feels almost irrelevant, which is somewhat sad to be saying about a division series.

NLDS Preview: Dodgers Versus Braves
What ends up getting more coverage, Ohtani continuing to have work restricted in the playoffs, or the brutal heat expected to descend on the game?

Judge Left Off Yankees ALDS Roster
It’s getting harder and harder to imagine Judge returns before the lockout.

Dodgers to Throw Skubal for Game 1
Tarik Skubal will finally be3 given a chance to earn that massive arbitration win of his.

Projected Arbitration Salaries for 2027
MLBTR has one of the very best arbitration estimators in the entire business. Here are their estimates for next season. Notably, the Diamondbacks have four arbitration eligible players. Only three are likely to be tendered.
Player (service time): projected salary
Lars Nootbaar (5.076): $6.3MM
Pavin Smith (4.144): $2.5MM *(non-tender candidate)
Gabriel Moreno (4.061): $6.1MM
Ryne Nelson (4.020): $3.4MM

The Red Sox season is over. But Red Sox injury news never stops! At least this is good-ish news: Mickey Gasper underwent successful “distal biceps tendon repair” surgery yesterday to fix his gnarly looking arm:

Mickey Gasper’s biceps tore off his tendon. He will have surgery in Boston Friday pic.twitter.com/0dPknfy3y4

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) September 29, 2026

It’s expected that it will take 4-6 months for Gasper to get back into game action, so it’s unclear whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day 2027. Of course it’s also unclear if baseball itself will be ready for Opening Day 2027… (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

But before we can look to the future, we must reckon with the past. In this case, we’re still done talking about the fact that Sonny Gray sure did seem pissed about being taken out of Game 2 after only 70 pitches. Is this something that’s going to cause long-term issues between players and management? According to one scribe, there were “traces of betrayal” in the visitor’s clubhouse following the game. “The failure to recognize and honor [Sonny Gray’s] ability in the middle of the biggest game of the year had to feel like a show of disrespect — not just to Gray, but also, many of his teammates.” (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

McAdam’s story is more unsourced speculation than anything else — I mean, what exactly does he mean by “traces of betrayal?” But he’s not the only one making similar insinuations. “I think a lot of their leadership stuff got masked because they went on that massive run,” former player and current broadcaster/podcaster Anthony Rizzo said. “I just feel like there’s so much kind of [expletive] that happened in Boston this year… and now that you don’t win, this is when it all comes out under the hood.” (Kayley Brown, Boston.com)

But these supposed issues don’t seem to be making ownership second-guess the decision to extend Craig Breslow. “Something we’ve been striving for is baseball operations continuity and stability. I know that sounds a little odd, given that we made a change with the manager and coaching staff. The hallmark of a good baseball organization is continuity, No. 1, at the ownership level. But with your baseball operation, we haven’t had that for some time. So we wanted to do that, we were proactive with that, and we informed him midseason that we were picking up the option. There was no contractual need to do it, no mechanism. There was nothing that had to be done. We wanted to do that as a demonstration of commitment to stability and continuity.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

The executives in the commissioner’s office are probably pretty happy about things right now, too. That’s because the Red Sox-Yankees series did some pretty good numbers. “Tuesday’s Game 1 averaged 7.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, making it the most-watched opener of an MLB Wild Card or Division Series since 2006,.” (Chris Spiering, ClutchPoints)

The minor league season has officially concluded league-wide, with the Triple-A Championship Game on September 26th officially serving as the conclusion of the final game in Minor League Baseball in 2026. As thousands of players across all levels prepare for their offseason, there exists a handful in every organization who aren’t quite done with organized ball yet.

That is where we find the Arizona Fall League, which will be running for the 34th season since its founding in 1992 as an opportunity for an assortment of prospects to gain additional in-game experience. It’s often used by organizations to compensate for lost time due to injury, give experience to lower-minor prospects against stiffer competition, or to use it as an extra opportunity to tweak or introduce something in a low-stakes environment.

The Yankees have sent players of all shapes and sizes to this, from non-prospects deep into the organizational depth chart to highly touted prospects like Aaron Judge, Gleyber Torres, Jasson Domínguez, and Alfonso Soriano. Two years ago, current Boston rival Caleb Durbin got himself on the map with a huge performance, proving that this stage can positively impact prospect buzz.

For those unfamiliar with the format, the league’s 30 teams are divided into six AFL clubs, which have a 35-man roster and contain the contingents from five different organizations. It changes every year, so the one that the eight Yankees representatives will be going to is the Salt River Rafters, alongside prospects from the Twins, Rockies, Diamondbacks, and Nationals.

With the AFL officially kicking off today at 3:30 p.m. EDT in Glendale, let’s meet the eight-man Yankees contingent:

INF Dax Kilby

The prized prospect of the bunch, Dax Kilby will headline the group. The 2025 first-round pick stole headlines with an incredible 19-game cup of coffee in Single-A Tampa last August that vaulted him onto Top 100 lists and raised high expectations for his first full professional season at age 19, but such a season was doomed from the start.

A hamstring injury suffered early in spring held him out of the Spring Breakout game in March and delayed his season debut until May 28th, but there was still plenty of runway from there. Unfortunately, after taking just two at-bats, he suffered a setback that held him out an additional six weeks. He finally returned for good on July 17th, but was limited to just 36 total games in what was supposed to be a big season for him. It comes as no surprise, then, that he’s getting extra reps here in Arizona.

In his extremely limited time at Tampa this season, Kilby was effective, slashing .261/.448/.435 with a 143 wRC+ in 154 plate appearances. He boasts an extremely mature approach at the plate, walking in a quarter of his plate appearances, but has yet to really tap into the power. He’s above-average at pretty much everything, something you love to see from a 19-year-old, but you’re looking for the standout trait.

Dax Kilby with his 3rd HR on the season!

105.6 mph / 18 deg, pulled on a 3-0 cutter over the RF fences.

AVG: .281
OPS: .882

Dax has been swinging with a lot more intention since coming back from injury, appearing to sell some contact for some more power and the results have… pic.twitter.com/ueKBXSEiWg

— Yankees Stats (@ChrisCoop_) August 27, 2026

Something to monitor in this, aside from how he performs against older pitching, will be his defense. He’s never been considered likely to stick at shortstop, but is a good enough athlete to feasibly play second base, third base, or even center field. We’ll see if he’s moved around or if one of the best prospects in all of the AFL will just get to man shortstop the entire time.

RHP Mack Estrada

Every year, you’ll see the Yankees send one or two guys to the AFL who don’t have much of a pro sample to go off of. This year’s version of that is Mack Estrada, the team’s 11th-round pick in 2024, who has just 4.1 professional innings through the first 2.5 seasons of his professional career.

Estrada is a guy that the Yanks invested a lot in, giving him a massive overslot of $640,340, the fifth-highest in the class, to get him out of a commit to go to Florida State out of junior college. He, like the rest of the team’s draft-year pitchers, was shut down to end the 2024 season, but went under the knife early in 2025 and missed the next season and a half due to Tommy John surgery.

He only got back to pitch in four games this summer with the FCL Yankees, where he struggled in a bunch of small, choppy outings. He’s spent the last two months in the complex, so we’ll see if he’s being utilized as a multi-inning guy in the AFL.

What can we expect from him? We don’t have data on how his stuff has looked post-TJS, but he’s more of a fastball/slider guy who was capable of getting it up to 96 on the heater in college. The Yankees love to tinker with young pitcher’s arsenals, so we’ll see if he has another offering or two.

FSU baseball picked up a JUCO commitment from RHP Mack Estrada. Estrada has a 2.66 ERA/1.25 WHIP in 44 IP at Northwest Florida State College. 57 K-20 BB. 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame. 91-94 MPH FB, nasty slider to pair it with.

🎥: @PGCollegeBallpic.twitter.com/ey9EWGfyHQ

— Brett Nevitt (@brettpn) March 25, 2024

RHP J.T. Etheridge

A handful of the players in this year’s AFL contingent missed time in the last two years due to injury, but few were able to get back from those injuries with enough time to be as impactful as J.T. Etheridge was.

An undrafted free agent out of Louisiana in 2024, Etheridge started his pro career strong in the FCL in May 2025, but struggled after a promotion to Tampa late in the season. His 2026 started as more of the same, pitching to a 6.51 ERA deep into August. As a prospect without much invested in you, it’s a dangerous game to play going into an offseason with zero production above rookie ball at 25, which he’ll be in January.

The fact he’s here in Arizona, though, shows that he did make some progress. Something seemed to click in mid-August, when he suddenly became the unlikely ace of a Tampa team that came within a game of a Florida State League championship. In his last six starts, he allowed just one run in 27 innings with 38 strikeouts, including a pair of scoreless playoff outings. The decision to send him came before a few of these outings, so the belief might’ve been there even longer.

Allow me to introduce you to 2024 UDFA JT Etheridge, who is being sent to the AFL this season.

He made his game 1 playoff start tonight in Tampa and it was a beauty.

5.0 IP
1 H
0 ER
7 K – 0 BB

If you look purely results, you'd be confused why the Yankees would send Etheridge… pic.twitter.com/azWQ6b2sH6

— Yankees Stats (@ChrisCoop_) September 9, 2026

He boasted an impressive 32.9 strikeout rate with great whiff rates. He sits at 94 on his four-seam fastball and has both a sweeper and a slider that grade well above average. The damage off him primarily comes from the curveball and sinker, which he throws a combined 23 percent of the time. Expect him to tinker with those this fall.

RHP Antonio Gomez

While Kilby is the much more important prospect for Yankees fans to monitor this fall, I’d argue that the guy I’m most excited to see get extra reps here is Antonio Gomez. You may remember that name from a couple of years ago as a defense-first catcher whose bat never quite caught up with him. Yes, that is that same kid.

Gomez was floundering at Double-A Somerset in June 2025 when he was placed on the Development List. While that is usually a death sentence for any prospect, Gomez was different. Instead of being in organizational limbo, he was switching professions, going from a catcher with an 80-grade arm to a flamethrowing reliever. He made his pitching debut a month later and lit up the radar guns, but underwent elbow surgery after just four outings.

He returned this August and has just been trying to get into a rhythm as a pitcher. He’s only tossed 8.1 total innings across 10 career outings, so any experience he can get here in Arizona is extremely valuable. The thing that tickles your fancy about him is his alien fastball, which sits in the upper 90s with over 20 inches of induced vertical break, something you pretty much never see in the bigs:

Casual 80-grade fastball from Antonio Gomez https://t.co/4BORYPs6MUpic.twitter.com/2JhYgaVTih

— Victor (@HalToHell) August 9, 2026

RHP Anthony Mena

A late addition to the roster, Anthony Mena signed as an older international signing in 2024 at the age of 19 and didn’t make his stateside debut until 2026 after two solid years in the DSL. In 2025, he struck out 57 in 45.2 innings with a 3.11 ERA.

The results were pretty rough in his 16.2 innings in the FCL early this summer, but he got an aggressive promotion to Tampa midway through the season after a mountain of injuries completely destroyed their pitching depth. His stuff hasn’t quite caught up yet, but he did pretty well after the promotion, allowing just three runs in 16.1 innings across five multi-inning outings.

He leans on his low-90s sinker, throwing it 44 percent of the time, while supplementing it with a changeup, slider, and curveball, with the latter two generating the best results.

RHP Chris Veach

Our last pitcher of the bunch, Chris Veach, is the only one who isn’t extremely early in their development as a Single-A pitcher. A 2024 undrafted free agent out of South Carolina, Veach graduated from Tampa in 2025 after a terrific season, pitching to a 2.53 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 57 innings.

Among qualified MiLB pitchers that haven’t allowed a home run this year, Chris Veach leads the pack in K-BB% at 41.3%.

I wrote about one of my favorite and one of the most unique arms in the Yankees organization in my first piece for @YankeesFarm below ⬇️ https://t.co/9bKM9INzKJpic.twitter.com/sxz3yo6SjB

— Victor (@HalToHell) May 12, 2026

This year has been a much more difficult season for him, but not because of anything on the field. The 25-year-old missed nine weeks with an undisclosed injury in the summer, shortly after earning a promotion to Double-A Somerset in June. He was only able to get into 25 games and throw 29 innings, but he excelled while doing so, pitching to a 1.86 ERA with 39 strikeouts to 10 walks. He’ll be 26 in a month and a half, so the extra development will be very helpful for him.

We don’t have arsenal stats for High-A and Double-A, but a look at Veach’s repertoire shows he utilizes a heavy diet of changeups that is backed up by a trio of fastballs. Things might’ve changed in the last year, but he threw a breaking ball just 0.8 percent of the time last season. Could that be something they ask him to work on in the desert?

INF Core Jackson

Finally, to the position players. Core Jackson is the second-biggest name value prospect they’re sending to Arizona this fall. The 2025 fifth-round pick had a strong debut season in the system, splitting time between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset.

Jackson, who turns 23 in eight days, slashed .262/.360/.459 with 41 stolen bases in 101 games across the two levels. He’s played an adequate shortstop, but has also gotten run at both second and third base. With Kilby on the roster, I can’t imagine he plays much shortstop this fall, even if both likely project as third basemen.

He was limited to just 101 games this year due to three very short stints on the injured list for minor ailments, which might be why he’s here. It could also be a big vote of confidence for an upper-minors infielder, who could be a good 2027 away from knocking on the door of the majors.

Core Jackson is a Yankees prospect to follow through the rest of the year.

Above-avg power (12 HR & .212 ISO)
Solid K-avoidance (20.7% K%)
.914 OPS vs. LHP
27 SB

Currently running an .818 OPS on the year, could be a 20/20 threat in the future.#RepBXpic.twitter.com/zBK4V1GsmN

— Tobey Schulman (@tschulmanreport) July 20, 2026

1B Kyle West

Our last Yankee heading to the desert is another 2025 draftee, and someone who managed to be one of the more unlikely 20/20 players you’ll ever see. Drafted in the 13th round out of West Virginia last year, it was a difficult debut season for West, who exclusively plays first base.

He slashed .226/.300/.394 with 20 home runs, 76 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 124 games with Hudson Valley and suffered from a consistency issue. He’d have strong weeks, but immediately trade it with rough weeks. This is a guy who slugged .600 in the Big 12 just 18 months ago and was drafted for his slugging ability. The conditions in the AFL usually benefit offense, especially with the altitude. This guy could hit some moonshots if he gets a hold of one.

KYLE WEST SENDS US HOME WITH A 3 RUN WALK OFF HOME RUN!!!!!!!💣💣💣 pic.twitter.com/5VGLzSrKFb

— Hudson Valley Renegades (@HVRenegades) July 5, 2026

The Division Series begins today for both the American and National Leagues, which once again means all-day baseball. The AL has tomorrow off to start the staggering of schedules/avoid competing too much with the NFL, so get your fix today. This gives the AL teams three days off if a series goes five games, which is ridiculous.

The ALDS is a best-of-five series with games with the first two games at home for the higher seed, followed by two games at the lower seed, and game five back home for the higher seed.

Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians, 1:00

Where to watch: TBS / HBO Max

The AL Central matchup pits Hagen Smith of the White Sox against Parker Messick of the Guardians. Messick was an All-Star this year with a 2.56 ERA over 32 starts. Smith is a rookie who had a 1.29 ERA this season in 18 games. 17 of them, however, were out of the bullpen. Smith started against Houston in the Wild Card round and pitched three innings with two hits and no runs. He’s like a jumbo opener, I suppose.

I don’t have a strong rooting interest in this one. I’d be happy with the Guardians moving on, as they haven’t won the World Series since 1948. And I really like José Ramírez. As for the White Sox, they have two things going for them. One, they are coming off of a string of horrendous seasons and kind of came out of nowhere this year. And they play second fiddle to another team in their own city. That other team was already eliminated, of course.

Atlanta Braves @ Los Angeles Dodgers, 4:00

Where to watch: FOX / FOX One

As I write this, we are about 3.5 hours from game time and the Braves have not announced a starting pitcher. Bold. It’ll be Tarik Skubal for the Dodgers.

Obviously we are all rooting against the Dodgers in this one, right? They’ve won three World Series since 2020 including the last two seasons. Pass. The Braves are my rooting interest by default.

New York Yankees @ Tampa Bay Rays, 6:30

Where to watch: TBS / HBO Max

The Rays were the best team in the American League this year and also the Orioles had an 8-5 record against them. That doesn’t mean anything, but it’s all I have. The pitching matchup is Gerrit Cole vs Drew Rasmussen.

Gotta root for the Rays here for several reasons. First, obviously you know why. Also, they’ve never won the World Series. And they have a handful of former Orioles including the delightful Cedric Mullins. Go get a ring, Ced!

San Diego Padres @ Milwaukee Brewers, 8:30

Where to watch: FS1 / FOX One

It’s a real shame this matchup isn’t a possibility for the NLCS, although at least we know one of them will be there. Neither of these teams has ever won the World Series. San Diego has Manny Machado, who is now an old man with 399 career home runs. Milwaukee has one of the most exciting young pitchers in baseball, who has thrown over 1,100 pitches over 100 mph this season.

That guy, Jacob Misiorowski, is starting tonight for the Brew Crew. It’ll be old friend Robbie Ray for the Padres. I haven’t seen Ray pitch lately; I assume his pants are still very tight.

I hope they all have fun!

Here is the White Sox lineup:

Chase leads us off for Game 1 pic.twitter.com/foAl5pE1Ku

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 3, 2026

Here is the Guardians lineup:

Postseason baseball. Today.#GuardsBall | #StandGuardpic.twitter.com/cPVqNgWrbD

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 3, 2026