SAN FRANCISCO — The Willie Mac Award was created by former Giants owner Bob Lurie, who was horrified that McCovey was playing across the bay in Oakland and vowed to bring McCovey home. Three years after he returned, the Giants gave out the award for the first time, and there have been 44 winners over the past four-plus decades.
For the first time, the Willie Mac Award winner is an actual Willy.
Willy Adames is the 2025 winner of the award, given annually to the most inspirational Giant, as voted on by teammates, coaches, support staff and fans. Adames, a clubhouse leader through thick and thin, won in his first year with the Giants.
The smile never left Adames’ face this season and he never stopped splashing teammates with Powerade or removing their helmets after homers, even when he was going through his own struggles. Adames was hitting under .200 through the season’s first month and had just five homers over his first 65 games as a Giant, but he kept the energy up throughout and eventually turned his own campaign around.
“I’m truly honored to receive this Willie Mac Award. This means so much to me because it comes from my teammates, coaches and our fans,” Adames said in his speech. “I’m proud to wear this uniform for all of the years I’m going to be here.”
"I'm proud to wear this uniform."
Willy Adames expresses his gratitude for Giants fans after winning the 2025 Willie Mac Award 🥹 pic.twitter.com/WlmwmuczeO
Adames has 28 homers entering the season’s final weekend, giving him a real shot to become the first Giant in 21 years to reach 30 in orange and black. His .733 OPS is lower than he and the Giants hoped, but is a number that would have been hard to imagine in April and May. Adames has also turned his defense around after a shaky start.
Adames said in July that this season was difficult on him, but he tried his best to continue to be a team leader during his own down times. The energy never wavered.
“Obviously when you’re not performing well it’s tough to keep yourself together, but that’s the one thing I can control,” Adames said in July. “I told Buster (Posey), that’s the only thing that’s never going to change: My attitude and my work ethic and my willingness to try to be better. My energy is going to be the same every day, no matter if I’m doing good or bad.
“In the beginning when we were winning a lot of games, that helped. And then when we were struggling, it was tough for me to keep myself together because we weren’t winning and I had to step up and do my thing. We have a really good group in here that was like, ‘You’re going to be alright, you’re going to be alright.’ Everybody had my back and I feel like that’s what makes teams great.”
Adames became the first shortstop to win the award since Brandon Crawford in 2016. He joined Matt Chapman and Wilmer Flores as current Giants who have won.
“I’m very impressed with Willy,” he said. “He’s the same person every day. He’s not trying to fake it, he’s just trying to be the same person every day.”
They didn’t dogpile on the mound. They were animated but relatively reserved in an abbreviated clubhouse champagne shower.
It was no doubt a celebratory moment for the Dodgers, capturing their 12th division title in the last 13 years with an 8-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday.
But it was accompanied by moments of internal reflection, as well. About a regular season that has posed challenges at every turn. About a six-month slog in which frustration and adversity were around every corner.
“This has been a tough year,” third baseman Max Muncy said.
Dodgers Roki Sasaki, left; Shohei Ohtani, left center; Hyeseong Kim, right center; and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, right, celebrate after clinching the National League West title against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Thursday. (Darryl Webb / Associated Press)
“Not the smoothest of rides to get here,” first baseman Freddie Feeman added.
The reasons why are numerous, from early-season injuries in the rotation to an extended second-half slump from the lineup to a string of bullpen collapses that made the division race unexpectedly close.
Through it all, however, ran one common thread.
While there is no universal consensus over the veracity of a so-called “World Series hangover,” some team members have acknowledged the unique obstacles that have come with trying to repeat as champions.
There is the physical toll. The mental exhaustion. The threat of complacency and stagnant satisfaction.
In their bid to win a second consecutive World Series this year — something no team has accomplished since the New York Yankees’ three-peat from 1998-2000 — the Dodgers at various times seemed to battle each one.
“Baseball is different than any other sport,” manager Dave Roberts said. “The psyche part of it, the battle of attrition, all that stuff kind of matters. There's probably many reasons why [repeating as World Series champions] hasn't been done since the Yankees did it [from 1998-2000]. But that's something we're trying to do. We have an opportunity to make history. It hasn't been easy. But that's part of it."
The question now: Have the obstacles of the regular season steeled them for another championship run? Or will this prove to be a campaign that in some ways was ill-fated from the start?
“This was as tough a path as we’ve been through,” Roberts said, amid Thursday’s clubhouse celebration. “But the old adage — iron sharpens iron. I do think we’re better for the adversity ... I'm excited for what's to come."
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addresses the team in the locker room after defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-0 to clinch the National League West title at Chase Field on Thursday. (Chris Coduto / Getty Images)
The “World Series hangover” conversation has followed the Dodgers since they reported for spring training. It slowly revealed itself in ways that were both obvious and small.
Start with the bullpen, where every impact reliever who returned from last year’s title-winning team either regressed in their performance, spent time sidelined with an injury, or in several cases endured both after the heavy workload they shouldered in last year's playoffs.
“I think it would be probably trying to fool ourselves if we said it didn't have anything to do with it,” right-hander Michael Kopech, who has been limited to just 14 appearances this year and will begin the playoffs on the injured list with a knee problem, said last month. “But at the same time, that's what we all sign up for. Any team that was in the position that we were last year would have done the same.”
“There probably is some mental fatigue and some physical [carry] over,” fellow right-hander Blake Treinen echoed. “But to say it's an effect on the whole year, I don't know. I think getting caught up on excuses and reasons is a dangerous thing.”
The bullpen has pointed elsewhere in explaining its season-long struggles. As Treinen noted, “at the end of the day, we get paid to handle” the burdens of bouncing back from whatever happened the previous fall.
The Dodgers also tried to mitigate such factors, bolstering the group with the veteran offseason signings of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. But as they flopped, the unit as a whole suffered one calamity after another. The more they spiraled, the harder it became for speculation about the after-effects of last October to be blocked out.
“You don’t try to lean on the what-ifs and maybes and this could be and that couldn’t be,” Treinen said. “We just have a job, and it’s been weird [this year].”
On the other side of the ball, the Dodgers dealt with a different dynamic in the wake of last year’s triumph. For an offense usually predicated on a disciplined daily approach and ability to work quality at-bats, there were long stretches of the season in which that edge would seemingly soften. When consistent execution at the plate looked like a puzzlingly difficult task.
“This is not an excuse, but we started the year last year really early, we played until November, and then this year we started early again,” infielder Miguel Rojas said, citing not only the Dodgers’ grind to get through last postseason but also their two international trips to Japan and South Korea over the last 18 months.
“We're human beings. And sometimes you get tired, especially mentally. You got a lot of things going on in your life, and your year. It's not easy to be locked in every single time.”
That was especially evident during the team’s second-half slide, when a common contrast could be drawn between the Dodgers and their upset-minded opponents.
“When you're the defending champions … we definitely got everyone's best shot this year,” Muncy said.
Dodgers third base Max Muncy is injured while tagging out Chicago White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor, who tried to steal third, on July 2 at Dodger Stadium. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
And, too often, the Dodgers struggled to conjure the intensity to match.
“That's part of what we signed up for, but it takes a tax,” Roberts said. “It's tough every day to bring your best when you know that other teams are bringing their best … You try to put forth every game is the same, April is just as important as September and October. That in theory is great. But it’s hard to do that in practice.”
Add in the fact that “when you make deep playoff runs every year, it takes a toll on guys' bodies. And this year, I think you saw it more than ever," noted Muncy, who missed time with knee and oblique injuries.
Despite all that, of course, the Dodgers still rang in what has become a nearly annual tradition on Thursday night. They sprayed bottles and smoked cigars in a division-clinching clubhouse celebration. They doused Shohei Ohtani with all manner of liquid and “MVP” chants. They turned the booze-soaked plastic lining on the floor into a slip-and-slide for members of their training and support staff.
“This never feels old,” Freeman said from behind champagne-drenched ski goggles.
“It's still the best feeling in the world,” a shirtless Clayton Kershaw added.
Amid the scene, however, was also a business-like understanding.
Winning the division was what the Dodgers always expected to accomplish.
Repeating as World Series champions, and overcoming all the hangover effects that have followed them to this point, remains the ultimate challenge.
“We've been battle-tested,” Muncy said, framing the ups and downs of this year as building blocks to lean on in the postseason.
“The thing that I think is pretty telling is, [with] all that we've gone through, this team stayed connected,” Roberts similarly declared.
The path ahead still isn’t simple. The team will have to take the long route through October — starting with a best-of-three wild card round next week, rather than a bye to the division series.
But lately, they’ve seen signs that their hangover might be subsiding, winning 12 of 17 games behind a more consistent offense, a dominant surge from the starting rotation, and a bullpen that is getting new reinforcements from the likes of Kershaw, Roki Sasaki and (likely starting in the playoffs) Emmet Sheehan.
“Yeah, we won the division," Roberts said. "But on top of that, more important, we’re playing good baseball.”
The goal now is to maintain that momentum, embrace the lessons this regular season provided, and avoid any further pitfalls that have tripped up so many previous defending champions before them.
After all, winning consecutive World Series might not be easy. But next year, they'd love to give it yet another try.
“It’s more about playing for each other, trusting each other,” Roberts said. "The rest of it will take care of itself.”
LA Card Show will make its Dodger Stadium debut Sunday. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Dodger Stadium won't be empty Sunday, even though the next time the Dodgers play at home will be Tuesday in a National League Division Series opener.
But LA Card Show will make its Dodger Stadium debut that day with a Dodger blue-tinged format that includes a watch party of the team's regular-season finale starting at 12:10 p.m. on DodgerVision.
Most of the time, however, attendees likely will have their heads down, studying the intricacies of trading cards and memorabilia of all stripes and types. More than 350 collectibles vendors will display, buy, sell and trade wares across sports, Pokémon, Disney and other trading card games along with comics, toys and art.
“It’s the perfect blend of card show and cultural experience, and Dodger Stadium provides the ultimate backdrop for us to lean in and create an extraordinary event.” said Chris Koenig, executive director of Dodgers 365, the program that brings outside events into Chavez Ravine.
The event begins at 10 a.m. and will include live DJ sets, food vendors, brand activations, giveaways and an autograph lounge with former Dodgers Ramón Martínez, Joe Kelly and Orel Hershiser, who owns a collectibles store in Claremont called Legends’ Attic.
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh watches his historic 60th home run of the season during the eighth inning of a home game against the Colorado Rockies on Sept. 24. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Raleigh's historic 60th home run, second long ball Wednesday night, came against Colorado Rockies reliever Angel Chivilli in the bottom of the eighth inning. The ball soared 389 feet into the right field stands and ended up in the hands of longtime Seattle resident Glenn Mutti-Driscoll, a licensed hydrogeologist who was attending the game with some co-workers.
It didn't stay Mutti-Driscoll's possession for long.
“I was standing with it for 15 or 20 seconds and there was a kid in front of me," Mutti-Driscoll said Thursday in an interview, via the Seattle Times.
In that moment, Mutti-Driscoll was moved to make an incredibly generous gesture. He handed the historic and potentially quite valuable ball to a 12-year-old boy he had never met.
“The whole thing was surreal. It just was happening so fast,” Mutti-Driscoll said. “And standing there with it and I guess looking down at the kid, and he deserves it more than me.”
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh celebrates in the dugout after his 60th home run of the season. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
The recipient was Marcus Rueblos, a sixth-grader from Maple Valley, Wash., who was attending the game with his family.
"A genuine act of kindness, a true gentleman," Marcus' father Galan Rueblos later wrote on Facebook. "Marcus was in tears. We were all in shock. The fans were going crazy!"
Mariners security quickly whisked Marcus and Galan Rueblos away to get the ball authenticated. According to an MLB Network report, Mutti-Driscoll told Marcus at the time to make sure Raleigh got the ball. Rueblos said during a radio appearance Thursday that his son would have done that anyway.
“My son whispered to me and said, ‘Dad, because it’s Cal, I want him to have [the ball],’" Rueblos told KIRO-FM (97.3) in Seattle. "He was never thinking, are we going to keep it for money? That wasn’t even a thought.”
Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions, told The Times on Thursday that Raleigh's 60th home run ball likely would have been "a six-figure ball" had it gone on the auction block.
Marcus received a Raleigh-signed bat and an invitation to batting practice in exchange for the ball, according to the Mariners. Rueblos said his son had hoped to meet Raleigh the night of the historic home run but was unable to since the game was still in progress at the time.
Marcus understood and was thrilled with the experience, Rueblos added — and was still "hugging the bat" the next morning.
“We were never thinking about how much the ball was worth, or the most we could get,” Rueblos said. “We have the future MVP, hopefully, and [Marcus] touched history, that’s kind of more precious; he’ll live with that forever.”
The feel-good didn't stop there either.
On Thursday, the Mariners launched a search for the mysterious stranger who had gifted the ball to someone he had never met. Eventually, they tracked down Mutti-Driscoll and were able to get him, his wife Catherine and their sons Ethan, 14, and Aiden, 10, to T-Mobile Park for a pregame meet-and-greet with Raleigh before that night's game against the Rockies.
Raleigh gave Ethan and Aiden signed balls and presented their father with a bat, on which Big Dumper had written, "Glenn, thanks for being a a good guy & nice catch."
Raleigh's two home runs Wednesday helped the Mariners defeat the Colorado Rockies 9-2 and clinch the American League West Division title for the first time since 2001. In doing so, the player lovingly known as Big Dumper became the seventh player in MLB history to hit at least 60 home runs in a season (joining Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Aaron Judge.
With two games left in the regular season and a spot in the postseason on the line, the Mets are looking to bolster their bullpen.
New York is calling up relief prospect Dylan Ross from Triple-A before Saturday's game against the Marlins.
SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reported the move wouldn't be made ahead of the series opener, but likely at some point this weekend.
The 25-year-old right-hander had a 2.17 ERA, and 1.15 WHIP over 49 appearances across three minor league levels this season. Ross saw most of his action in Triple-A, pitching to a 1.69 ERA with 39 strikeouts over 28 games (32.0 IP).
Martino reported on Sept. 17 that Ross was "a real possibility to get a tryout this month" as the team works to fill their righty reliever need.
Ross was a 13th-round pick by the Mets out of the University of Georgia in the 2022 MLB Draft, but underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2022 season and a revision procedure in 2023, causing him to miss all of the 2023 season.
He pitched one inning for St. Lucie in 2024 before throwing 54.0 innings during the 2025 season, recording an impressive 80 strikeouts to just 33 walks.
The reliever is listed at 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds and features a fastball that sits at an average of 96.8 mph, with the ability to hit triple-digits. He also throws a splitter, cutter, slider, and occasional curveball.
Ross is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter due to being a college draftee with three seasons of professional baseball under his belt.
In a corresponding roster move, Kevin Herget has been designated for assignment.
NEW YORK — All even atop the AL East with three games to go.
That means the division title will be determined this weekend by how the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees handle a pair of also-rans.
After both teams won at home, the Yankees and Blue Jays remain tied for first place — and the best record in the American League — at 91-68. New York hosts last-place Baltimore, while Toronto welcomes fourth-place Tampa Bay north of the border.
“I think everyone’s very locked in the way they need to be right now,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Hopefully we can keep this going.”
Regardless of results over the next three days, the Yankees and Blue Jays are both headed to the playoffs.
One will have home-field advantage throughout a best-of-three Wild Card Series — very possibly against another AL East foe, the Boston Red Sox.
The other will win the division and earn a first-round bye before opening the postseason at home Oct. 4 in Game 1 of a best-of-five Division Series.
“I’ll take the bye all day long,” Boone said. “It’s winning a series, essentially, without having to play one.”
To do that, New York must finish ahead of the Blue Jays because they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after winning the season series 8-5. So the Yankees need the Rays to trip up Toronto at least once.
“I think everybody wants to feel this pressure at the end of the season,” outfielder Daulton Varsho told reporters in Toronto, where his sixth-inning grand slam broke a scoreless tie and sent the Blue Jays to a 6-1 win over Boston. “You want to feel that because that means you’re in it.
“It’s one of those things where you either can crumble and fall and not play well, or we can be us and know that throughout the season, we’ve played really good baseball, and just keep trusting it.”
Powered by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer, the Blue Jays are in the playoffs for the fourth time in six years. But they haven’t won a postseason game since 2016 and are seeking their first division crown since 2015.
Toronto is 3-7 against Tampa Bay (77-82) this season.
Shane Bieber (3-2, 3.57 ERA) is scheduled to pitch against Rays right-hander Adrian Houser (8-4, 3.18) in the series opener. Touted prospect Trey Yesavage (0-0, 5.00) makes his third major league start for the Blue Jays versus Joe Boyle (1-3, 4.40), and Kevin Gausman (10-11, 3.47) opposes Tampa Bay rookie Ian Seymour (4-2, 2.85) in the season finale.
Aaron Judge and the Yankees are 6-4 against the Orioles (75-84) after taking three of four games in Baltimore last weekend.
New York slugger Giancarlo Stanton, however, said the Orioles are “always a threat.” The Yankees throw rookie Will Warren (8-8, 4.35 ERA) against ace left-hander Trevor Rogers (9-2, 1.35), who fired six shutout innings of one-hit ball to beat the Bronx Bombers in his most recent outing.
“Got our work cut out for us,” Boone said. “Hopefully, get one tomorrow and go from there.”
Another rookie, Cam Schlittler (3-3, 3.27), faces Baltimore right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano (10-9, 4.54), and Luis Gil (4-1, 3.29) pitches for New York versus Kyle Bradish (1-1, 2.25).
“Can’t let one of these games slip away from us,” Yankees catcher Austin Wells said.
Toronto has dropped six of eight since a six-game winning streak, stumbling toward the finish line of a surprisingly successful season.
New York, which has won five straight and eight of nine, boasts the top record in the majors (31-14) since Aug. 6 and has made up five games on the Blue Jays since Sept. 17.
“It’s what we’re capable of, and we’ve got three more games to be the ultimate factor, and then turn the page and see what else we can do,” Stanton said.
But the defending American League champions still need to gain one more game this weekend to win their second consecutive division crown and third in four years.
“We’ve got to go out and play well, execute, and play good baseball,” Stanton said. “It’s a good preview (for the playoffs), and it’s understood what we need to do. So, you can’t look to Sunday, you can’t look to Saturday, just execute Friday.”
The 60-homer mark remains a magical threshold in baseball.
Babe Ruth was the first hitter to reach it in a season, and nobody else did until Roger Maris 34 years later. Then it was another 37 years until Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa surpassed 60 home runs in 1998, part of a power surge in which there were six 60-homer seasons between ’98 and 2001.
After that, it took over two decades before New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit 62 in 2022. Now Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh has 60 this year, and fittingly the American League MVP race is coming down to him and Judge.
Raleigh (-220) was a slight favorite for the award over Judge (+165) according to BetMGM Sportsbook. But 60 homers is no guarantee of anything. In 1999, both McGwire and Sosa surpassed 60, but Chipper Jones was the National League MVP. McGwire hit a then-record 70 home runs in 1998 but lost out to Sosa, who hit 66.
While Raleigh tries to add to his home run total, Judge has 51 of his own — and he’s closing in on the AL batting title. So the only thing that’s clear about the MVP race is that everyone else is fighting for third.
Advanced stats favor Judge
Judge led the American League in Baseball Reference’s version of wins above replacement (bWAR) — and by a pretty healthy margin of 9.3 to 7.2. The FanGraphs version (fWAR) is closer, with Judge up 9.6 to 9.1, but the New York outfielder also has significant leads in batting average (.330-.247), on-base percentage (.457-.360) and slugging percentage (.683-.594).
Judge and Raleigh both play for teams headed for the playoffs. Raleigh’s role on a Seattle club that has won its division, but was also in danger of missing the postseason until recently, could weigh in his favor. But Baseball Reference has a stat for that, too: Championship win probability added (cWPA) measures how much a player’s contributions have increased his team’s chances of winning the World Series. Judge has the edge there too, with a cWPA of 3.8% to Raleigh’s 3.0%.
How much does WAR affect the voting?
Quite a bit, seemingly.
From 2012 to 2015, Mike Trout led all AL hitters in bWAR every season but only won the MVP once. He was beaten out twice by Miguel Cabrera and once by Josh Donaldson — most contentiously in 2012 when the Triple Crown-winning Cabrera beat out Trout despite the latter’s 10.5-7.1 advantage in WAR.
But since 2016 across both leagues — and not counting the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign — only five of 16 MVP winners failed to lead his league in bWAR. Those were:
— Christian Yelich in 2018 was fourth in the NL in bWAR, but the only three players ahead of him were pitchers, who often face an uphill climb in MVP voting.
— In 2019, Trout somewhat ironically beat out Alex Bregman despite a bWAR deficit of 8.9-7.9.
— In 2021, Bryce Harper (5.9 bWAR) won MVP honors in a year pitcher Zack Wheeler led the NL in bWAR. Juan Soto had 7.3 bWAR, but his Washington Nationals lost 97 games.
— In 2022, Paul Goldschmidt (7.7) beat out Manny Machado (6.8) and Nolan Arenado (7.9) in the MVP race. Pitcher Sandy Alcantara (8.0) led the NL in bWAR.
— In 2023, Ronald Acuña Jr. (8.4) beat out Mookie Betts (8.6) for NL MVP.
It’s Acuña’s MVP that might be most analogous to Raleigh’s bid this year. Acuña in 2023 had a unique statistical accomplishment on his side — he’d become the first player to reach 40 homers and 70 steals in the same season.
Raleigh makes history
The question for Raleigh is whether Judge’s advantage in many key stats is small enough that more subjective factors can tip the race to the Seattle slugger. The Mariners just won their first division title since 2001, and Raleigh’s role as a catcher presumably includes contributions that stats have a hard time measuring. With Judge no longer playing center field — he’s been exclusively at designated hitter and in right field this year — it’s fair to say Raleigh has the tougher job.
No catcher — and no switch-hitter — has ever hit as many homers as Raleigh in a season. In that sense, he’s had a more historic year than Judge.
Now it’s up to the voters to decide if it was more valuable.
CLEVELAND — Detroit manager A.J. Hinch knows the Tigers’ 4-2 win over Cleveland counts only as one game in the standings.
However, the victory gave the Tigers plenty of momentum going into the final series of the regular season.
“Everybody needs to see a little bit of positivity in the game,” Hinch said. “I think everybody takes a collective breath and say, ‘here we go,’ We know these games matter the most. Even though they count the same, they don’t feel the same because of where we’re at.”
The Tigers and Guardians are both 86-73 and tied atop the American League’s Central Division with three games remaining. The last time the division was remotely close after 159 games was in 2014, when the Tigers had a two-game lead on the Kansas City Royals.
The last time the AL Central was tied at this point was 2006 when the Tigers and Minnesota Twins had 95-64 records.
The Tigers snapped an eight-game losing streak and go into Boston in control of their own destiny. Despite having a 9 1/2 game lead in the division on the morning of Sept. 1, Hinch has tried to keep things focused on the Tigers still having control of a playoff spot despite going 6-15 in September.
Detroit though knows what it is like to be left for dead and all of a sudden get hot at the end to make the postseason. Last season, the Tigers were 55-63 before going 31-13 the remainder of the season to get a wild-card spot.
“This is a weird sport we play. Anything can happen. We’ve seen it with our own eyes. That’s why you have to play all 162 games,” Riley Greene said.
The Tigers swept the Red Sox in a three-game series in Detroit earlier this season. Boston took two of three in its series against Toronto, but lost 6-1.
“We know if we win as many games we can, we’re going to be just fine. We have a good team. We need to play like it,” Hinch said. “Tonight was a good example of what we can bring to the table. Fenway (Park) is going to be an incredibly fun place to play. They are trying to get to the finish line as well, so I expect it to be tough, hard fought games.”
Even though the Guardians were unable to sweep the Tigers for the second time in less than two weeks, they still got what they wanted by taking two out of three games.
“We’re in first place, aren’t we? That sounds good to me,” Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges said. “We talk about winning series. We did that. If we win every series moving forward, we win the world championship.”
The Guardians — who are 18-6 in September — play a Texas Rangers squad that has dropped 9 of 10. However, Texas swept the Guardians in a three-game weekend series last month. The Rangers though will be without their key stars.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled with the way our guys played these last three days,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We played a great series. Our goal is to win series. We talk about it all year long and we won the series, so we got to do that one more time. We got to win a series this weekend and see what happens.”
If Cleveland and Detroit end up tied after the regular season, the Guardians would win the AL Central due to an 8-5 advantage in the season series and host a Wild Card Series.
Cleveland and Detroit also have a one-game lead on Houston for the final wild-card spot.
The Guardians and Tigers also hold the tiebreak over the Astros. Both teams have a magic number of two to clinch a postseason spot.
The Mets do not have the tiebreaker over the Reds (Cincinnati won the season series) or the tiebreaker over the D-backs (season series was split, D-backs will end season with a better intradivision record).
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Francisco Lindoris hitting .333/.429/.694 with four homers in 42 plate appearances over his last nine games
In 11.2 innings over nine appearances this month, Edwin Diaz has allowed one run on six hits while walking three and striking out 17
Brandon Sproat has a 3.94 ERA (2.39 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 15 strikeouts in 16.0 innings over his first three big league starts
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Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Marlins play a three-game series in Miami starting on Friday at 7:10 p.m. on PIX11.
5 things to watch
It all comes down to this
As the Mets won two of three games against the Cubs in Chicago, the Reds dropped two of three to the Pirates and the Diamondbacks lost two of three to the Dodgers.
Cincinnati owns the tiebreaker over the Mets by virtue of winning the season series, and Arizona will have the tiebreaker over them as well due to a stronger intradivision record (the teams split the season series).
So this is simple for the Mets: their magic number is three over the Reds and two over the D-backs. If they sweep the Marlins, the Reds and D-backs can't catch them.
The Reds head to Milwaukee this weekend for a three-game series against the Brewers, while the D-backs play three games against the Padres in San Diego.
A lot has been put on the Mets' trio of rookie starters down the stretch, and that will continue on Friday night.
Sproat gets the start in what will be the biggest and most pressure-filled outing of his young career.
His 3.94 ERA does not reflect how well he's pitched over his first three big league starts, since two of the runs he allowed on Sept. 19 against the Nationals should have been unearned due to a misplay by center fielder Jose Siri that was somehow ruled a hit.
Sproat has the stuff to thrive, and has shown poise as well. Following the hiccup he had in the third inning of his last start, he rebounded to throw a shutdown frame in the fourth to complete his night.
Who will start for the Mets on Saturday and Sunday?
Following Sproat's start on Friday, things are up in the air.
It seems likely that Clay Holmes will start on Saturday, but who pitches after him is a mystery. That's because it's been a struggle for Sean Manaea since his strong piggyback performance on Sept. 16, when he allowed one run in 5.0 innings.
New York Mets starting pitcher Sean Manaea (59) delivers a pitch during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Manaea surrendered three runs in 3.0 innings in a start on Sept. 21 against the Nationals, and allowed two runs in 1.0 inning while pitching in relief against the Cubs on Wednesday.
As far as Sunday?
If that game matters for the Mets, it's very hard to envision them handing the ball to David Peterson. The lefty allowed five runs in 1.1 innings on Tuesday in Chicago, and has an 8.42 ERA in 41.2 innings over nine starts dating back to Aug. 6.
So it could be all hands on deck for New York on Sunday afternoon.
Will Mets go defense over offense?
The Mets have vacillated between defensive and offensive lineups lately.
On Thursday night against the Cubs, they went with Tyrone Taylor in center field, Luisangel Acuña at second base, and Luis Torrens behind the plate.
Earlier in the series, they had a lineup that included Brandon Nimmo in center field and Starling Marte in left field.
Perhaps the Mets will split the difference a bit in Miami.
A lineup with Brett Baty at third base, Taylor in center field, Francisco Alvarez behind the plate, and with DH duties split between Marte and Mark Vientos could make the most sense.
Marlins' starting pitching is lined up perfectly
The Marlins' minuscule playoff chances were extinguished on Thursday, but they remain a tough opponent.
That mainly has to do with the three pitchers they'll have toeing the rubber to start these games.
It will be Sandy Alcantara on Friday (the Marlins pushed him back so he can pitch in this series), Eury Perez on Saturday, and Edward Cabrera on Sunday.
Following a tough first half as he worked back into shape following Tommy John surgery, Alcantara has been dominant. In seven starts since Aug. 15, he has a 2.70 ERA in 46.2 innings, allowing just 30 hits.
Perez has been hit and miss (the Mets lit him up for five runs on Aug. 29 as he failed to escape the first inning), but has filthy stuff. The same can be said for Cabrera, who has slowed down a bit lately -- New York touched him up for six runs (five earned) in 4.0 innings on Aug. 30.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Francisco Lindor
Lindor has the same look in his eye at the plate that he had during the 2024 NLDS against the Phillies.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
Clay Holmes
Holmes has been strong over his last three appearances.
Which Marlins player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Jakob Marsee
The rookie has an .876 OPS over his first 222 big league plate appearances.
The Tigers have blown a huge lead in the AL Central and may miss the playoffs entirely. Photograph: Aaron Josefczyk/UPI/Shutterstock
On Wednesday night against the Cleveland Guardians, Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson stood stunned as he watched a routine ground ball spin off his glove and into right field. Later, his teammate, catcher Dillon Dingler, doubled over in disbelief after an innocent foul pop up plopped off his mitt and on to the dirt. These were some of the low-lights of yet another Tigers loss, their eighth straight, a defeat which dropped them completely out of first place for the first time since April, shortly after the 2025 season began.
Collapse is not a powerful enough descriptor to characterize Detroit’s sudden and dramatic downfall, which we’ll get to momentarily. But first, some housekeeping. With three games to go of the regular season, the Tigers and the Guardians are tied for first place in the AL Central, but Cleveland own the tiebreaker as they have the better head-to-head over the course of the season. The Tigers do hold a one-game lead over the Houston Astros for the final wildcard place, but if their collapse continues and the Astros do well in their final games, Detroit would be in serious trouble. For the Tigers, who were skating towards the playoffs with a 9.5-game lead in the AL Central with just 16 to play as recently as 10 September, there are three ways their regular season could end. On Monday morning, their fans could wake up dazed but with a division title, sputtering “it was all just a terrible dream.” Or Detroit could be preparing for a humiliating but somewhat face saving wildcard series. The third option, in which the Astros overtake them and the Tigers miss the postseason altogether, is that the franchise becomes the holder of what is arguably the most catastrophic late season collapse in nearly 150 years of Major League Baseball.
At this point, one thing we can definitively say is that these once promising young Tigers are in dire need of a break. By that I mean for a few bounces to go their way, and a couple of days to set their heads straight. Except baseball doesn’t work that way. As Earl Weaver, Baltimore’s Hall-of-Fame manager once told Washington Post writer Thomas Boswell, “This ain’t a football game, kid. We do this every day.”
And it’s that baseball schedule, a 162-game slog that starts in the thaws of March and ends in the early frosts of late September, that is at least partially responsible for the history that made the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies and the 2007 New York Mets the benchmarks for late season swoons. The sheer volume of baseball games in a season opens the door for graphics like this, which claims (ridiculously) that on that same 10 September, Detroit had a 100% chance of making the playoffs. Now they don’t know if they’re going anywhere other than Cancún. This couldn’t happen in most other sports, where, for example, a four-game divisional lead in the NBA feels like eight, and, well, a division title really doesn’t matter and sliding down a few seeds has minor consequences.
In the pre-division MLB alignment up of 1964, when the Phillies blew their 6.5 game lead with 12 to play, the result was brutal: a blown National League pennant. In the wild card era of 2007, when the Mets, who are on the verge of making their own piece of miserable history this season, blew a seven-game lead with 17 to play, they wound up missing out on the playoffs entirely. If the Tigers earn a wildcard berth over the Astros, they’ll be forced to play, guess who, the Guardians in a three-game series, and all those match-ups will be played in Cleveland.
And yet, with such a long season, streaks of such malaise are not unheard of, even for strong teams. The 2000 New York Yankees finished the season 3-14 and went on to win their third World Series title in four years. So when AJ Hinch’s Tigers, a relatively young, inexperienced club, slumped to a 1-14 stretch in July, was it unnerving? Yes. But then they righted the ship and hit their high-water mark of 25 games over .500 on 23 August. Criticism of team president Scott Harris – who passed on adding a big bat to protect the farm system despite a good but not great lineup – quieted once the team turned things around. Now? Well, it’s a different story altogether, with the once celebrated Harris being universally vilified by the locals.
With soon to be multi-Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal under team control for just one more year and the team on the verge of making the wrong kind of history, all of the franchise’s recent accomplishments are on the verge of being cast in the darkest shadow baseball can offer. Their unexpected playoff run in 2024? Owning the best record in baseball earlier this season? Sending six players to the All-Star Game? The reclamation of all-star Javier Baez (once considered one of the worst free agent contracts in baseball history)? yet another incredible season from Skubal? Torkelson, the former No 1 overall draft pick, who wasn’t even guaranteed a starting place in Spring Training, finally fulfilling his potential? Right now, that’s all gone.
Instead, the city of Detroit is deep into the full-blown panic that takes over when a sports plague sucks up every ounce of oxygen available. Tuning into local sports talk radio for just five minutes on Thursday revealed hosts and callers arguing over whether it’s better to miss the playoffs altogether rather than suffer the embarrassment of a wildcard series. One host decried that the “anything can happen in the playoffs” mantra sounded a lot like “trying your luck as a 16th seed in an NCAA basketball tournament.” Gulp.
“To be honest, people are embarrassed by it, because you take pride in your city,” says Deadline Detroit journalist Allan Lengel (disclaimer: yes, he’s a relation). “And so this is another national embarrassment, and we’re kind of hoping that nobody in other cities is paying attention, but, you know, I’m getting little notes from people: ‘Oh my God … what’s going on with the Tigers?’”
What’s going on is that their fanbase is so low, they can’t begin to imagine the team winning another game, and that’s in a sport where you can run into a win here and there almost by accident.
All that said, for a collapse of this type to unfold, it does take two to tango, and what Cleveland have pulled off is nearly as remarkable. On 4 September, the Guardians were in third place with a 69-70 record, 11 games behind Detroit – only slightly better than their 15.5 game July deficit. Then, just as the Tigers were gearing up for their sudden slide, Cleveland put together a run of 19 games where they won all but two games and outscored their opponents 86 to 32, while posting a 1.35 ERA, a truly jaw dropping set of results.
That staggering run came to a close on Thursday night, with Detroit snapping their slide, moving back into a dead heat with their rust-belt rivals. But as it’s been with the September version of the Tigers, even the good news isn’t good: Cleveland own the tiebreaker, so even when Detroit is even, they’re still effectively in second place. To finish the season, Cleveland are at home to Texas, who have nothing to play for while Detroit head to Boston whose games should still matter as the AL playoff picture takes form.
What’s good? Well, maybe it’s that Detroit, a city that’s had its share of both real life and sports setbacks, is back in a more familiar place – as underdogs.
Former Rangers midfielder Scott Arfield on TNT Sports
In transition it looked as if Genk could have scored a few more goals. It felt almost inevitable Oh was going to put one in the back of the net. Rangers are not in a great place and the performance embodied that.
It's a crowd now who are so disillusioned with what's going on here.
You don't see any signs of really what Russell Martin is trying to implement. He talks about dominating the ball and having possession, but it isn't with any great purpose.
John Souttar and Derek Cornelius must pass the ball to each other I don't know how many times without it actually going up the pitch.
Ex-Rangers striker Steven Thompson on BBC Sportsound
The onus has to be on the players as well. The transfer of the ball through the thirds is so laborious. The supporters are urging the players to do things quicker, and they're just not.
Everything is so predictable and so slow in the build-up that it's easy to defend against. How long are we going to keep hearing 'We're going to get there' for?
Former Rangers midfielder Derek Ferguson on BBC Sportsound
Rangers went down with a whimper. The feeling within the stadium is there is no belief from the players.
There is no evidence in that performance that Rangers are getting there. Genk were going through the motions, they were in control, even if Rangers kept 11 men on the field. Fans can't keep coming to watch a Rangers side accept defeat like that.
There is a way of winning, and a way of losing. That's not the way you lose a football game.
Ex-Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday on BBC Sportsound
Rangers didn't make Genk defend at any point. It was another underwhelming performance. I'm not seeing enough that suggests there's going to be an improvement by the time they travel to Sturm Graz in two weeks two.
Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist on TNT Sports
With the greatest respect, Genk are bang average. Rangers didn't pose them anywhere near enough problems. Previous Rangers sides would've wiped the floor with them.
After the Mets' 8-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night at Wrigley Field, manager Carlos Mendoza and players spoke about the bullpen and Brett Baty's performance...
Mets bullpen continues to come up clutch
Mets starters have not given the bullpen any breaks for most of the season, but although length has not been had, the relievers have come up clutch of late.
In Thursday's win over the Cubs, Nolan McLean could only give the Mets 5.1 innings and the bullpen had to get the final 11 outs. Similar to Tuesday's win, the bullpen was dominant, not allowing a run over the final 3.2 innings that they had to pitch. Going up against a high-powered offense like the Cubs was no easy task and the bullpen was up for the challenge.
"They’ve been through ups and downs, but they were able to bounce back," Mendoza said. "We’ve been asking a lot of them…We’re going to continue to rely on those guys. They know where we’re at. They know where we’re at and they’ll continue to ask for the baseball."
Brett Baty playing like an everyday player
Arguably, the biggest hit of the night came off the bat of Brett Baty. With the team up 3-0, Baty took southpaw Shota Imanaga deep for a three-run shot that gave the Mets a six-run cushion that they would not relinquish.
The three-run blast proved to be the difference on Thursday, but it wasn't just the offense that impressed Mendoza. In the third, Baty made a nifty barehanded play that helped McLean finish the inning.
"It’s pretty impressive," Mendoza said of Baty's growth this season. "It hasn’t been easy for him, but he feels like he’s an everyday player at this level. The defense at third, defense at second base, but some of the left-on-left at-bats, like what we saw today. Confident player now, having good results, playing with joy and with confidence."
Baty went 2-for-4 with that three-run blast on Thursday and is now hitting .289 with an OBP of .333 and slugging .533 over his last 15 games. But it's his numbers against left-handers that's pretty impressive. He's slashing .247/.301/.377with an OPS of .678, which isn't that much lower than when he takes on right-handers.
"I think just hanging in there, not trying to do too much with them," Baty said of his success against lefties of late. "And really just trying to stay on the slider [of Imanaga] there."
Lindor joined the offensive barrage with a solo shot, his 30th of the season.
The blast allowed the Mets shortstop to reach 30 homers and 30 stolen bases this year, the second time he's done it in his career. The milestone had more significance when looking at the entire 2025 Mets team. He and Juan Soto are just the third pair of teammates to have 30-30 seasons at the same time, joining Dante Bichette and Ellis Burks of the 1996 Rockies and Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry of the 1987 Mets.
It's also the first time in franchise history that three players have had 30 home runs in the same season, joining Soto and Pete Alonso.
"Pretty impressive. Not easy to do," Mendoza said. "Elite players, guys at the top of the lineup all year. Lindor today reaching 30 homers to go along with 30 stolen bases is pretty impressive. Goes to show the type of players we have here and they’ve been caring us the whole year. They’ll continue to lean on those guys and they will step up."
Lindor didn't make too much of his milestone but chose to praise Soto and Alonso for being the best at what they do.
"I’m blessed to be around good teammates, good people who are elite and at the top of what they do," Lindor said.
Nolan McLean couldn't have possibly imagined pitching with the weight of the Mets' season resting on his shoulders in late September, but the rookie right-hander embraced the high-stakes assignment with grit and just enough efficiency.
With sole possession of the NL's third wild-card spot on the line, McLean helped save the Mets' postseason hopes on Thursday night, completing 5.1 innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts in the team's critical 8-5 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The outing was anything but blemish-free for McLean. He was responsible for all five runs, three of which came on a home run to Seiya Suzuki in the sixth inning that knocked him out at 94 pitches. But ample run support from the Mets arrived at an opportune time, and even the vulnerable version of McLean appeared tougher than most.
"You try to look at the positives the best you can," McLean said after the win. "Obviously, getting stung there at the end with a couple of solo shots. But tried to focus on the positives. A win's a win, and I just appreciate the offense keeping me in the game."
McLean didn't need much time to gain control over the Cubs. After working around a double in the first, he struck out the side in the second and four more between the third and fourth innings. He served up a pair of solo homers to Suzuki and Dansby Swanson, cutting the Mets' lead to 6-2 after five, but the 24-year-old added another three punchouts before the three-run blast.
It would've been unreasonable for the Mets to demand a flawless performance from McLean, making just his eighth MLB start. Much to their delight, perfection wasn't required. McLean received a boost from his teammates at the plate, and the bullpen delivered 3.2 scoreless innings in his stead.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has been impressed with McLean's makeup since his big league debut in mid-August. And at a time when the team is desperately requesting quality length from starters, it just so happens to be the youngster stepping up and carrying the load.
"You feel good about your chances every time he takes the baseball," Mendoza said. "Today was the perfect scenario, a couple of guys on and he's up to 91-92 pitches and you still feel really good about him getting out of that situation...
"And I'm going to continue to say, the way he makes adjustments, recognizing what's working for him. Today was the cutter and he kept going after, using that pitch. There's a lot to like, and he's got so many weapons as well."
While one could easily argue that McLean's big-league promotion was weeks overdue, the Mets are thankful to have him now in crunch time, with only three games remaining in the regular season. He owns a stellar 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts across 48 innings, and his 11 punchouts against the Cubs were the most by a Mets pitcher in 2025.
Since he left the game with one out in the sixth, McLean still remains eligible for rookie status next season. If he logs two innings of relief work on the road this weekend against the Marlins, he'd lose that rank. But the Mets will undoubtedly need McLean fresh to start Game 1 of a potential best-of-three Wild Card series next week.
"I want to win every game," McLean said. "That's just how I was raised and how I compete. Every time I go out there, I'm trying to win and compete. I just like winning."
Nolan McLean with his 11th strikeout of the night!
