NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 11: An overall view of Yankee Stadium during God Bless America during the game between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees on September 11, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The National League and American League Wild Card series continue today, with all four series playing the second of three potential games.
Because I live in the past and have to write these before the games have been played, you have a better idea of how the series are going than I do. But here’s what’s on deck for today. I’m going to do these by time instead of league because that makes more sense. Also, rather than repeating myself, all of the games will have national radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
First up, we have the visiting Philadelphia Phillies against the Atlanta Braves, in which Atlanta has a 1-0 lead in the series. This one starts at 11:00 a.m. PT and airs on NBC/Peacock.
After that, we have the visiting Chicago White Sox playing against the Houston Astros at 2:00 p.m. PT, and airing on Peacock/NBC Sports Network.
Then it’s the visiting Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees at 5:00 p.m. PT, airing on NBC/Peacock.
And then finally, we have the visiting Chicago Cubs playing the San Diego Padres at 7:00 p.m. PT, airing on Peacock/NBC Sports Network.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 25: Cole Carrigg #16 of the Colorado Rockies at bat against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on September 25, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jayden Mack/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Greetings, friends!
The postseason is officially underway after the first day of Wild Card action. The games were electric, but it’s also interesting to see how teams constructed their rosters. Injured pitchers who hadn’t started for a while made rosters, while Aaron Judge was left off the roster for the New York Yankees. It’ll be interesting to see if any teams can move on to the division round today.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Rockies got some good news to cap off the 2026 season as MLB announced Cole Carrigg was named the National League Rookie of the Month for September. It was the third time a Rockies rookie earned the award this season after TJ Rumfield won the award twice.
Now, here’s what’s going on for the Rockies and the league.
Yankees traded TJ Rumfield to Rockies — And he matched 1926 MLB record | heavy.com — Rumfield’s rookie season was definitely one for the record books as he led the National League in OBP, the first rookie to lead his league in that category in 100 years. It’s interesting to think that because of Ben Rice’s breakout for the New York Yankees last season, Rumfield’s opportunity opened up in Colorado.
Affected by Altitude Episode 227: 100 Once More | Rocky Mountain Rooftop — Evan Lang and I recap the end of the 2026 and what went wrong and right. We also talk about the great seasons for Hunter Goodman and Rumfield before saying goodbye to Kyle Freeland and naming our September Players of the Month!
Around MLB
Here is why each playoff team could win the World Series | MLB.com — The beauty of the chaos of the MLB postseason is that truly anything can happen. Every team that makes it to the dance has a chance to win the whole thing, so the writers at MLB.com share those reasons.
O’s to renovate LF upper deck at Camden Yards, add social space | MLB.com — Every offseason, teams turn their attention to renovations and alterations that could be made to the ballpark. The Baltimore Orioles, who have moved the outfield walls a couple of times over the years, are building what I can mostly relate to a “Party Deck” in left field.
Would Jose Iglesias ever return to the MLB? Yes, with 1 condition | Today.com — Former Rockies infielder Jose Iglesias has transitioned his music career into a stint on Broadway. While his post-baseball pursuits are going well, he’d still be interested in returning if a team ready to compete for a title came calling.
Despite once seemingly having no path toward big league playing time, Ethan Anderson’s impressive 2026 campaign saw him rise to the top of Baltimore’s catching prospects and put him on the doorstep of the major leagues.
This time last year, catcher was perhaps the most logjammed position of any in the Orioles organization. Adley Rutschman was the established starter coming off his fourth (albeit injury-riddled) season in the majors. Samuel Basallo had arrived in Baltimore at the end of August to start his promising big league career. Backstop was simply not a major position of need for Baltimore, and as such, it seemed like there was no real path forward for any minor leaguer.
Fast forward a year, and things have changed in a big way. Rutschman suffered through another injury-laden first half before being shipped off to Boston in a blockbuster trade. Basallo missed some time with his own injury issues and only projects as a part-timer behind the plate going forward. Injuries to the established catchers mean the Orioles once again cycled through backstops, with Chadwick Tromp, Sam Huff, Carlos Narváez, Yohel Pozo and Jake Rogers all seeing action behind the plate for Baltimore.
While Pozo and Narváez are still under team control for a couple more seasons, their lackluster offensive games mean that the role of Basallo’s running mate should be an open competition. And no minor leaguer, after 2026, is better positioned to take advantage of that opportunity than Anderson.
The former 2024 second-round pick out of Virginia spent most of the year with the Baysox in Double-A and established himself as the heartbeat of Chesapeake’s lineup. Compared to what he’d become, the 23-year-old switch-hitter got off to a relatively quiet start. Over the first month of the season, he hit a strong .302, but only put up one home run and four total extra-base hits en route to a SLG (.397) lower than his OBP (.429)
In May, those numbers would flip. Anderson started showing off his power stroke during the second month of the season, swatting 7 homers along with 3 doubles as he put up an improved .484 SLG. However, his average dipped down to .220, while his OBP dropped to .317. Overall, his first two months of the year reflected a respectable minor league hitter, but one who was still figuring some things out offensively.
Everything truly clicked for Anderson starting in June. In 21 games that month, he again launched 7 long balls, but added to that power with a .286 average, a .368 OBP and a strikeout rate that decreased from 26% to 14 percent.
Throughout the second half of the season, Anderson continued to wear out minor league pitchers. After missing most of July with an ankle injury, he returned in August and embarked on an epic hot streak. Over his final 25 games of the season (split between Frederick, Chesapeake and Norfolk), Anderson slashed .333/.390/.604 (.995 OPS) while hitting another 8 home runs and continuing to keep his strikeout rate under 20 percent.
Perhaps most encouraging was the cup of coffee Anderson had in Norfolk to end the season. In five games, the former Virginia Cavalier picked up a hit in all five contests, hit his first two Triple-A home runs and proved even a step up in competition couldn’t slow him down.
Anderson finished the season with a final triple slash of .288/.375/.544, a .919 OPS, 14 doubles, 24 home runs, 55 RBIs and a 22.1% strikeout rate. Of his 344 ABs, 303 came for the Baysox and 21 of his 24 long balls came against Double-A pitchers. Of the Orioles’ Top 30 prospects, only Wehiwa Aloy and Aron Estrada (25 each) hit more home runs than Anderson.
The switch-hitting Anderson also shows promise from both sides of the plate. He has more power against left-handed pitching, with 18 of his 24 homers coming from the right side and a slugging percentage that’s nearly 100 points higher. However, as a LHB against RHPs, Anderson hit .306—compared to .280 against LHPs.
Having already made his way up to Triple-A, Anderson will likely split time with Creed Willems behind the plate to begin next season. Both Anderson and Willems have the same problem; each has a strong offensive profile for a catcher, but questionable defensive skills that make it uncertain if they can stick behind the plate long term.
Anderson did play 500 defensive innings at catcher this past season, compared to 207 innings at 1B. If he can continue to hold his own behind the dish, Anderson should be first in line to replace Narváez in Baltimore next season. The Orioles have had some success in developing catchers defensively, as Basallo was graded as a below-average defender in the minors but showed major strides as a receiver over his first big league season.
A year ago, Anderson would not have been worth monitoring going into 2027, as he’d likely just be another Willems—stuck in Triple-A all season. But with Rutschman gone and the need to pair Basallo with a catcher who can play 75+ games, Anderson is now on a short list of players who could make their debut in 2027.
The 2026 MLB playoffs kicked off with a bang, setting the stage for a full slate of matchups Wednesday, Sept. 30, with pivotal second games in the best-of-three wild card round.
The day’s action begins with the Atlanta Braves, fresh off a come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1. Up 1-0 in the series, the Braves are looking to clinch a spot in the next round, while the Phillies fight to keep their season alive.
In the late afternoon, the American League takes center stage as the Chicago White Sox look to end their series against the Houston Astros.
Later, all eyes will be on the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The Red Sox, on the brink of elimination, need a Game 2 win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The night concludes with the San Diego Padres taking on the Chicago Cubs. After a dominant Game 1, the Padres have a chance to close out the series at home as the Cubs try to force a decisive Game 3.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 29: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees celebrates as he walks back to the dugout after closing out the top of the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in game one of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 29, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last year, Cam Schlittler put in one of the most memorable Yankees’ playoff pitching performances of the century in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox. With the series tied at one and everything at stake, he went eight innings, striking out 12 batters while scattering a couple hits and no walks. While anyone who had seen him pitch in the weeks leading up to that start could see that there was something there, that start exceeded almost everyone’s expectation. Adding to that, he was born and raised in Massachusetts, and hasn’t been afraid to go at Boston fans on social media, clearly coming in with a chip on his shoulder, even against the team he grew up rooting for.
Flash forward a year, and Schlittler has very much looked like the pitcher he was that day in 2025, except for the entire season. With a season ERA under 2.00 and a bunch of other excellent numbers, he’s the current favorite for the AL Cy Young Award. While starting a rookie in a do-or-die game last season was something of a risk, this year he was the no-doubt choice to take the mound in Game 1 as the Yankees and Red Sox met in the Wild Card Series again.
While just on raw numbers, Schlittler wasn’t as good as he was last year, his start in Game 1 against the Red Sox looked pretty similar to 2025.
In 6.1 innings on Tuesday night, Schlittler kept the Red Sox off the board, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out 10. Both the hits he allowed were just singles and none of any of the runners even got into scoring position while he was in the game. You always feel somewhat on edge during close playoff baseball games, but there wasn’t much actual reason to be while Schlittler was in the game. Other than maybe going eight innings like he did last year, you couldn’t really ask for much more from him.
Between his performance this year and last year, he’s writing himself quite a legacy in this rivalry.
Then there’s Ben Rice. While Rice grew up a Yankee fan in enemy territory, he grew up in Massachusetts all the same. He’s probably not going to get the award love that Schlittler will, but he’s arguably been just as important this year. With 41 regular season home runs, he’s carried the offense at points, especially with Aaron Judge injured for much of this season.
On Tuesday night, he carried the offense once again. Rice went 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI. He turned a close game into a more than comfortable one.
While he wasn’t involved in the first of the Yankees’ nine runs, he played a part in a whole chunk of the rest. In the fifth inning, he hit a home run to double the Yankees’ lead with the game still very close. As the Yankees started to tack on some insurance runs, he drove home one with a single as part of a two-run seventh. However, the big blow was still yet to come.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, the Yankees led 5-0 with Rice at the plate. At five runs, they had a comfortable lead, but still one you’d probably expect them to turn to closer David Bednar for, if not only to erase any doubt. With one swing, Rice put the cherry on top of the game and insured they could save some bullpen bullets for future games.
The Yankees getting these performances in big moments is always great. It’s even better when you factor in that both Schlittler and Rice are homegrown prospects. Then you add in the fact that they’re from Red Sox territory and it adds a layer of humor. That being said, no matter where they’re from, I’ll take performances like what they provided on Tuesday night.
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado hit first-inning home runs for the Padres in the opener and San Diego never looked back, going on to win 8-0 as starter Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning.
Kevin Gausman will start Game 2 for the Cubs while Nick Pivetta takes the mound for the Padres, hoping to put away Chicago and get some revenge for last year's loss at this stage in the postseason. The Padres have not reached the World Series since 1998 and have never won a championship.
The Padres-Cubs winner advances to the best-of-five NL Division Series, where it will face the Milwaukee Brewers, who finished with MLB's best regular season record. If the Cubs win Game 2 on Wednesday, the winner-take-all Game 3 will be played on Thursday in San Diego.
Where to watch Cubs vs Padres: TV channel, streaming
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Likely Cy Young Cam Schlittler was lights out at Yankee Stadium and Ben Rice hit two home runs, including a back-breaking grand slam in the eighth inning in front of a raucous crowd.
"You could feel that energy, it was electric and so many guys played so well, you enjoy it for a minute," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters after the win.
"But it's getting right back after it tomorrow knowing that we'll have a chance to close it out ... It's one win. So we've got the blinders on. But it's a confident group in knowing that we can, if we play our game we can beat anyone.
Lefty Max Fried will start for the Yankees and Sonny Gray goes for the Red Sox trying to stave off elimination. The winner of this best-of-three series advances to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 08: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at American Family Field on September 08, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The regular season is over, and with that, one of the great regular seasons in the history of the franchise has also come to an end. Jacob Misiorowski, the 24-year-old flamethrower who hadn’t yet reached 75 regular season innings in his career before the season started, had a breakout campaign for the ages. Before moving on to the next phase of Misiorowski’s 2026 season, let’s look back on what he did and place it in some historical context.
In his first season in the big leagues, Misiorowski was pretty good and certainly showed flashes of greatness, but he was far from a finished product. Across 15 games (14 of which were starts) in 2025, the big righty had outstanding highs, like when he started his second big-league outing by retiring the first 18 Twins he faced before a walk and a two-run homer ended his afternoon, or when he struck out 12 in six innings in his fifth start, leading to an unlikely All-Star appearance after just five major league games. But there were also lows: command, which had been an existential question mark for Miz as a minor leaguer, sometimes got away from him, and he finished the season with a too-high 4.2 walks per nine innings. He tended to fold under pressure; when things started to go bad, he would find it difficult to stop the bleeding. While there was plenty to like, Miz finished the regular season in 2025 with a 4.36 ERA (96 ERA+).
But if anyone was worried about Misiorowski’s long-term upside, the 2025 postseason was an affirmation of belief. He pitched three times, all out of the bullpen; in two outings against the Cubs, he went seven innings, allowed four hits and one run, and struck out seven. Both appearances came in wins, including four innings in the series-clinching Game 5, which Milwaukee won 3-1. By the time Misiorowski entered the first inning of Game 3 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, Los Angeles already had the lead. But with two men on and one out, Misiorowski struck out Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernández. He pitched another 4 1/3 innings, struck out a total of nine batters to just one walk, and allowed only one earned run. Milwaukee’s offense was unable to overcome Tyler Glasnow and Milwaukee lost, but across 12 innings in his first postseason, Misiorowski struck out 16, walked just three, and had a 1.50 ERA.
While some (like me) were guarding themselves against too-high expectations coming into the 2026 season, it turned out we need not worry. The pitcher who we saw in the 2025 postseason was the pitcher we got in 2026. On Opening Day, Misiorowski gave up a home run to the first batter he faced… and then allowed only one more hit while striking out 11 over the next five innings. On April 7, he struck out 10 Red Sox in 5 1/3 innings. He had back-to-back starts with nine strikeouts at the end of the month.
When the calendar turned to May, he got even better: 5 1/3 shutout innings, eight strikeouts, two walks against the Nationals on the May 1. May 8 served as a coming out party of sorts; he blew by Aaron Judge and the Yankee lineup, nearly throwing an immaculate inning in the first as he sat well above 100 mph, and finished with 11 Ks, two walks, and two hits allowed in six shutout innings. The Brewers lost on May 13, but not until after Misiorowski, who struck out 10 and walked none in seven shutout innings, left the game. Eight strikeouts, one walk, three hits, no runs in six innings against the Cubs on May 19. Twelve strikeouts, one walk, two hits, and one run in seven innings against St. Louis on May 25. He capped his historic May with seven shutout innings, eight strikeouts, and no walks against the Astros on May 31.
Misiorowski’s May was the stuff of legend, one of the great pitching months in the history of baseball. Across six sparkling starts, he went 38 1/3 innings and allowed one run for a 0.23 ERA. He struck out 57 and walked six. It was as unhittable as any pitcher has looked over a month as I have seen in my lifetime. The streak wasn’t done, either; Colorado snuck a run across on June 6, but it was unearned.
Then, on June 12 against the Phillies, we got Misiorowski’s masterpiece. He struck out Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper swinging in the top of the first, and it was clear immediately that Philly had no chance. He went for efficiency in the second in another perfect inning. Three more strikeouts (all swinging) in the third. Schwarber knocked a single to left to start the fourth, but Turner struck out and Harper hit into an inning-ending double play. The Phillies didn’t get another runner on base all night. When he struck out Justin Crawford on a 103.1-mph fastball to end the game, Misiorowski had faced the minimum, struck out 15, walked none, and thrown the first shutout of his career. He’d thrown the fastest pitch ever tracked by a starting pitcher at 104.5 mph. It was the best start in the history of the franchise, and one of the best of all time.
It was the greatest pitching performance I’ve ever seen and is tied for the eighth-highest game score in any nine-inning game in baseball history. In eight starts between May 1 and June 12, Misiorowski had a 0.17 ERA, 80 strikeouts, and nine walks in 54 1/3 innings. It was a stretch that had me asking irresponsible questions and concluding that no matter what happened over the rest of his career, Misiorowski over the month’s first couple months had shown us pitching that put him amongst the greatest of all time.
After the showcase on June 12, Misiorowski, the bum, took his foot off the gas: between mid-June and the end of August he had “only” a 2.25 ERA, 91 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 64 innings. He had a little hiccup against the Cubs — but the team still won — in early September and took his foot off the gas a bit as the season neared its conclusion… but, surprise, over his last four outings, Misiorowski, even when clearly in “cruise until the end of the season” mode, allowed one run for a 0.46 ERA in 19 2/3 innings.
When all was said and done, Misiorowski had an eye-popping stat line: 30 games (all starts), 16-5, 1.80 ERA, 232 ERA+, 2.17 FIP, 252 strikeouts, 0.802 WHIP, 4.9 H/9, 13.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9. He earned 6.5 WAR via Baseball Reference and led all pitchers with 6.6 WAR via FanGraphs. His 4.9 hits allowed per nine innings and .157 opponent batting average are both all-time records in a major league non-Negro League season. And he obliterated every record for velocity that we’ve ever had from a starting pitcher. A few more fun tidbits via Sarah Langs:
He was the third-youngest pitcher to lead qualified pitchers in ERA and strikeouts since earned runs became official in 1913, older only than Dwight Gooden in 1985 and Hal Newhouser in 1945 (when most of the league’s regulars were in the military).
His 0.80 WHIP was the second lowest in any qualified season since the Dead Ball Era ended in 1920, behind only Pedro Martínez’s legendary 2000 season.
He is just the fourth pitcher since 1950 to lead baseball in strikeouts, ERA, and opponent batting average, joining Mike Scott in 1986, J.R. Richard in 1979, and Sandy Koufax in 1965.
Misiorowski became the eighth pitcher since 1913 to have an ERA of 1.80 or lower and 250 strikeouts or more, joining a list that includes Gooden in 1985, Martínez in 2000, Koufax in 1966, Jacob deGrom in 2018, Tom Seaver in 1971, and Bob Gibson and Luis Tiant in 1968 — seven of the most legendary pitching seasons of all time.
Misiorowski threw “only” 174 2/3 innings this year; he is a product of his time. (Even as the Brewers protected his innings, only 22 pitchers threw more than Miz this season.) Because of that relatively low inning count, Misiorowski’s season isn’t going to immediately pop up if you’re sorting historic seasons by WAR.
But make no mistake: this was a historic season. We already mentioned that he set records for H/9 and opponent batting average. His 232 ERA+ is the 14th highest by a qualified pitcher in AL/NL history, six of the 13 seasons in front of him came more than 100 years ago. His 13.0 K/9 are the fourth most by a qualified pitcher in a full 162-game season. By most rate-related measures, it was the greatest season by a pitcher in the history of the Milwaukee Brewers.
He will surely become the fourth Brewer to win a Cy Young Award, joining Rollie Fingers, Pete Vuckovich, and Corbin Burnes. The only question is whether he is the unanimous selection, something none of his three Milwaukee compatriots managed.
Behind the lanky, goofy kid who loves Pokémon is an absolute assassin who turned in a magical, almost unbelievable season. Miz’s towering presence at the top of the rotation gives Milwaukee an edge over essentially anyone they could face this postseason. Sure, on any given day, there are other great pitchers in the league who could out-pitch Misiorowski, but there is no pitcher in the league who is better than Misiorowski. And given the way that he tends to get jacked up for big games, I am excited to see what he will offer us when he is back on the hill in the postseason beginning this Saturday.
BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 28: A general view of Eutaw Street prior to the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday, March 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
The first day of postseason action is in the books, and after some fireworks in the early slate, boy did the evening games disappoint.
Austin Riley hit a late three-run homer to lift the Braves 5-3 over the Phillies in the opener. The White Sox jumped out to the early lead, then saw the Astros chip away a bit before running out of time in a 6-3 win for the South Siders. And then there was basically no drama in New York or San Diego. The Red Sox could do nothing against Cam Schlittler. Our old friend Adley Rutschman went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, and the Yankees prevailed 9-0. Michael King was similarly dominant for the Padres. Manny Machado had two hits, including a home run, while Austin Hays was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the 8-0 win over the Cubs.
There are four more games on the docket today, all at the same times as Tuesday, so from 2 p.m. through midnight at least you should have pretty consistent baseball to watch/listen to on NBC, NBCSN, or Peacock. Or you could be like me and accidentally fall asleep sometime around 9 p.m. trying to get your kids to just go to bed. That’s why the condensed game highlights exist.
On the Orioles front, it was an expectedly quiet day. There are unlikely to be any roster moves of consequence until after the World Series, so we have some time to decompress.
The biggest news of the day was that a renovation is coming to the left-field upper deck area at Camden Yards. This is something that had been discussed for a while now, and it’s about time they did something. The team has rarely allowed fans to even sit in the section the last view seasons. It used to be an area known for cheap tickets and good views, particularly on weekend evenings, when they used to sell $5 student tickets. But that was a long time ago at this point.
The plan will be to replace about 2,000 seats in the section and turn it into a “new social space.” The renderings indicate it will essentially be a wide open concourse with a dedicated bar, some concession stands, tables, televisions, and drink rails.
It was understood several years ago when the Orioles and the State of Maryland agreed to a 30-year lease that upgrades were coming to Camden Yards. This is the latest in a slew of renovations that have been done to modernize the stadium. Just this year the team added a bar to the flag court, upgraded the sound and video systems, and added more premium club level suites. In addition to this change in left field, the story on MLB.com indicates that “The Orioles will be announcing additional renovations to various areas of the ballpark later this year.” So, more to come there, it seems.
Now can the front office build a team that actually makes people want to show up and watch the on-field product? That has proven more difficult than originally expected.
Orioles core issues addressed at press conference | Roch Kubatko Roch mentions how the Orioles attendance numbers were in the bottom third of the league again this season. That is largely a reflection of the team and how it has under-performed recently. It just doesn’t make sense to fork over a bunch of cash to go watch yet another season of mediocre baseball, no matter how fancy some of the stadium upgrades may be.
What went wrong with the 2026 Orioles, according to their players | The Baltimore Banner All of the quotes are interesting, but Chris Bassitt’s seem the most relevant. He is a veteran that has been on good teams and bad teams. He knows what works, and his opinion is that the guys that you expect to be leaders need to actually walk the walk. It’s a pretty direct call to action for Gunnar Henderson, Kyle Bradish, Pete Alonso, and Shane Baz, among others.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Seth Smith turns 44 today. He wrapped up his 11-season MLB career with a one-year stay in Baltimore back in 2017. In that season he hit .258/.340/.433 with 13 home runs.
Curtis Goodwin is 54 years old. The outfielder made his big league debut with the Orioles in 1995, and would go on to be a nice defense-first option in center field that season. The Orioles then traded him after the season, along with another prospect, to the Reds in exchange for David Wells.
John DeSilva turns 59. He pitched in two games for the Orioles in 1995.
Yorkis Pérez is 59 as well. The southpaw made his way to Baltimore in 2002, when he was an occasional member of their bullpen, compiling a 3.29 ERA over 27.1 innings that season.
The late Robin Roberts (b. 1926, d. 2010) was born on this day. The Hall of Famer spent parts of four seasons in Baltimore from 1962-65. In that time he had a 3.09 ERA over 761.1 innings.
This day in O’s history
1978 – Orioles second baseman Rich Dauer makes his first and only error of the season in the finale. His 86 games and 425 chances without an error are American League records.
1989 – The Orioles, who had taken on the identity as the “Why Not?” team after losing 107 games the season prior, just miss out on the playoffs by two games. They lose 4-3 to the Blue Jays, the team they were chasing, on the final day of the regular season to finish second in the AL East.
2012 – The Orioles beat the Red Sox and clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 1997, though their exact seeding and whether they will be AL East winners or wild card finishers remains up in the air.
Happy birthday to Trent Thornton, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1972 – Roberto Clemente doubles off the Mets’Jon Matlack to become the eleventh major leaguer to collect 3000 hits. The hit, sadly, will be the Pirate right fielder’s last, as he will die in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve attempting to bring relief aid to earthquake-stricken Managua, Nicaragua, and other stories as well.
Today in baseball history:
1927 – With the score tied 2-2 in the eighth, Mark Koenig triples and Babe Ruth hits home run number 60 off Tom Zachary for a 4-2 win. In the ninth, Walter Johnson makes his final appearance as a player. He pinch-hits for Zachary and flies out to Ruth. Ruth hits 17 homers in September, the highest month’s home run output till Rudy York‘s 18 in August 1937.
1942 – Down 7-0 to Red Ruffing in the World Series opener, the Cardinals storm back for four 9th-inning runs, not enough to win but enough to portend the result of the Series.
1950 – Before 23,879 at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn pulls within one game of the lead, as Erv Palica wins, 7-3, over the Phillies. The Brooks rout rookie Bob Miller and then Duke Snider and Roy Campanella pound homers off Jim Konstanty. It is the Phillies’ fifth loss in a row, their eighth in ten games. The red-hot Dodgers have now won 13 of their last 16 games. For the second year in a row, the pennant race will come down to the last game. If the Dodgers win tomorrow, the race will end in a three-way tie.
1951 – Jackie Robinson hits an upper-deck home run in the 14th inning off Robin Roberts, who came on in the 8th, to give the Dodgers a critical 9-8 win over the Phils. Robbie saves the game in the 13th by making a great catch of an Eddie Waitkusline drive and throwing to second base for a double play.
2001 – Todd Helton‘s double is his 100th extra base hit of the season. He is the first player in history to have 100 extra base hits in back-to-back seasons. Lou Gehrig and Chuck Klein were the only others to do it twice in their careers.
1917 – The Cubs finish the season with a 9-2 loss to the visiting Braves. Vic Saier, out with a broken leg he suffered on April 15th, starts at 1B and goes 3 for 4 in his last game as a Cub. He’ll play in 1919 with the Pirates.
1922 – In the second of two at Cubs Park, the Cards whip the Cubs, 5-3, in a game stopped after five innings. The big blow for the Birds is a three-run homer in the first inning by journeyman infielder Del Gainer off Cubs lefty Percy Jones. When Jones is lifted, so is Gainer, who closes out his career with the home run. The Cards also take the opener, 9-8.
2007 – Alfonso Soriano hits his 14th home run of the month, this one against Homer Bailey. This sets the Chicago Cubs record for most homers by one player in a month, and contributes to a new team record of 45.
2013 – The Cubs fire manager Dale Sveum one day after the end of a second straight disappointing season in which they lost 96 games after losing 101 in 2012.
2025 – It’s also a low-scoring game in Wrigley Field, where the wind is blowing in for Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly still manage to hit back-to-back homers off Nick Pivetta in the 5th to lead the Cubs to a 3-1 win. Four Cubs relievers retire the final 14 Padres batters in order to seal the win.
1939 – In the first televised college football game, Fordham defeats Waynesburg 34-7 at Randall’s Island, NY.
1955 – American actor and cultural icon James Dean is killed in a car crash at age 24.
1968 – Motown releases The Supremes‘ single “Love Child.”
1980 – Ethernet specifications are published by Xerox in collaboration with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation.
1982 – Columbia Records releases Bruce Springsteen‘s sixth studio album “Nebraska,” a solo record made without a backing band.
1985 – Island Records releases “Rain Dogs,” the ninth studio album by singer-songwriter Tom Waits; the album features guitarist Marc Ribot, guest appearances from Keith Richards, and one of Waits’s most covered songs, “Downtown Train.”
2024 – A Montana man is sentenced to six months in prison for illegally using large Marco Polo sheep tissue and testicles to clone giant hybrid sheep for trophy hunting.
Well it’s finally over and on the books for 2026. While the season didn’t end on a very good note, let’s instead talk about what went right. After stripping the roster down to the bolts, old school projections systems and Vegas odds had the Cardinals as one of the worst teams in baseball. Many fans claimed the same, this team just would not be able to compete. Did they compete? Well, sort of. It’s not really easy to describe, but since the season just ended, it seems like the best time to recall all that should be praised about Cardinals baseball 2026 edition.
This is a feel-good Cardinals article.
There are some things we, as fans, should feel good about, so let’s feel good about them. It was in some ways a very entertaining season! I won’t be done complaining about the interim state of this team, especially because of the stale finish and bad aftertaste of losing 4 in a row at the end, but that’s for another time. This is a feel-good sportsball article. Let us praise them.
The Cardinals lead MLB in three of the four double play categories on fangraphs. That said, Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt were the best middle infield defensive combo in baseball. I had fun watching it all season, when they weren’t out with injuries. According to Baseball Savant, the statcast metric Infield DP shows that JJ Wetherholt was the second best defender in MLB at turning the double play, with Masyn Winn tied for third! That combo beats any other fielding combo. And ok so, big deal, they turn a lot of double plays… they are also The Top 2 middle infielders at Fielding Run Value. Both are among the best at the Range statistic. Only Pete Crow-Armstrong had more FRV! Now that is a valuable middle infield. The Nationals and the White Sox also were really good at turning the DP, but the Cardinals ran away with it here. (Honorable mention to the Brewers, yet another thing they are good at).
Alec Burleson keeps getting better at hitting every season, and now that he isn’t playing the outfield, he isn’t a liability on defense. Burly has arrived in 2026! Big time. While Burleson’s wRC+ is about the same as the previous season, Burly raised his ISO from .169 to .193 which resulted in 8 more home runs than 2025 and 11 more doubles! This power surge provided RBI, 116 to be exact, enough to lead all of MLB! It’s been a long while since the Cardinals had a RBI leader: the last time it happened was in 1971! While his offensive season was a resounding success, his improvement on defense was perhaps equally as impressive. Burleson is simply better at playing first base than at the outfield, and this helped him not tank his overall value. Alec was not the most rangey first baseman, but the fact that he was not a liability there was huge. He’s an average defender range-wise. Where Burleson truly shined was at fangraphs Scoops statistic, #4 in MLB… while the new statcast statistic 1B Receiving described Burleson as the best in all of baseball. Go Burly! He should get a haul if they trade him, but he appears to be part of the core team for the foreseeable future.
Jordan Walker went from on the verge of losing his job in St Louis to being one of the 8 players in MLB to reach the 100 RBI milestone in 2026. His 29 HR was within the top 25 in major league baseball! And most impressive, outside of a Home Run Derby Championship that made him a household name… he went from -1.3 fWAR to 2.8! That is an over 4 WAR improvement! I wonder if any other player made that much of a leap this season, congratulations Jordan Walker! Definitely a feel-good story of the year, he may not be exactly what we want him to be just yet, but I cannot think of a much better turnaround than that as a Cardinals fan. He also more than doubled his stolen base total this year! Going from almost being fired or demoted or traded to an All-Star Appearance and a Home Run Derby trophy is rather amazing! But the 100+ RBI makes him part of the future production core.
JJ Wetherholt’s debut season was so good defensively that he should get rookie of the year. That is not a popular opinion, but since he was able to start hitting MLB pitching from the get go it made his elite defense shine and it was valuable to the team. For much of the season he looked like a well above average hitter, but all in all not bad for a rookie, 101 wRC+ is a hair above league average. I’ll take it, especially when he’s undoubtedly the best defensive second baseman in all of baseball. And it wasn’t even close. If he is robbed of rookie of the year, which he probably will be, he will still be a part of the feel-good story of 2026. It will be a sham if it is not Wetherholt, since the second highest WAR total was that of Carson Benge, and it wasn’t even that close to Wetherholt. The MVP of the Cardinals team, when going by fWAR, & it’s not even close, sorry Burly. And sorry rookie of the year competition! (maybe they should just give it to the pitcher). And oh yeah, not only is he a 100th percentile fielder, JJ is a 91st percentile baserunner. If JJ doesn’t win, the humans deciding the award are pretending that defense doesn’t matter.
Riley O’Brien was the poor man’s version of Mason Miller, tied for the NL lead in saves. And he didn’t have the most blown saves on the Cardinals! George Soriano shared that title with him, each having 8 BS. Maybe the most apt abbreviation for any stat. But hey, this is all about the praise and Riley O’Brien mostly got the job done! You cannot deny the fact that he is tied with the league lead in saves. I’m not sure that it means anything, but maybe it will help him down the road.
The 2026 Cardinals were the 8th best team by baserunning value on Baseball Savant! That is a strength and what they were really good at was the timely stolen base… many of their stolen bases lead to runs.
Jimmy Crooks as much as we were disappointed was really good at a stat called Catcher Framing Runs, in limited playing time he was the 13th best at it. Pages was good at it too but not quite on Jimmy’s level there.
Cardinals pitching was #3 in MLB regarding ground ball percentage, which fed the middle-infield double play machine. I’m hoping they keep pitching like this if we are to have elite middle infield defense.
Michael McGreevy was tied for best in NL with Imanaga at controlling the running game.
Ivan Herrera tied the Cardinals’ all-time record for hit by pitch! Ivan tied a record dating all the way back to 1910, when Steve Evans got hit by the pitch 31 times. Herrera holds the modern day record, one could say. What a painful achievement becoming a part of Cardinals history!
Joshua Baez debut game at Wrigley Field will be the stuff of legends for decades. For the first time in MLB history, Joshua Baez hit 3 home runs in an MLB debut game! Absolutely insane. Not many had even hit 2 home runs in their debut game. Baez finished the season well above average at 113 wRC+, a rather promising debut over 108 plate appearances. 7 home runs for 2026, almost half of them in one game! The above average hitting powered by a monster .510 SLG%. The K rate was 30.6%, not so bad. That was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen.
Kyle Leahy converting to a starting pitcher deserves a lot of praise; it was a gamble that paid off. Especially needed when trading away Gray and May! Kyle at up 140 innings, not too shabby for a first year starter! Was he just an innings eater? His Fielding Independent Pitching stats agree with this traditional ERA, Leahy was a good starter this season: 3.60 to 3.66. xERA is not as much of a fan, but all in all, Kyle Leahy is a success. Extrapolate his innings out to 180 IP and he’s a 3.3-3.4 fWAR starter! Pretty good!
Leo Bernal seemed to solve the catching situation at the last minute, with a 124 wRC+ in 24 games with .189 ISO. That’s a strong hitting catcher! The good news is I don’t know why the power would be an illusion. His statcast looks in the red, especially with hard hit percentage. The defense looked good too outside of the errors (good blocking and an especially good pop time, good framing as well in the small sample of play).
Luis Gastelum had a rough start in MLB but looked like an old pro by the end of the season. As far as standard rate stats, it’s not a big sample, but only xFIP is enamored with him. However, what I do like a LOT is his 10.80 to 2.95 K/BB ratio! 3.66/1 if you prefer to see it that way. His changeup already had a Run Value of 4, and his sinker was pretty good too. As long as he can limit the home runs, he will be a valuable bullpen arm.
Last but definitely not least, the debut of Quinn Mathews! The pearled one impressed with 49.1 IP 2.3 K/BB ratio, but what was most impressive was the stability of his rate stats across the board: 3.83 ERA and an equal FIP, a 3.84 xERA matching, and a not too bad 4.14 xFIP. Now is the time for Quinn, as he is nearly 26 years old. He seems ready for a rotation stint in 2027.
Well that’s about all the praise I can heap on this sub-.500 team. It was definitely an interesting season, not boring! I don’t really understand some of the moves made, as they half ass tanked towards the end. But I suppose that’s just a team running on fumes. I’m still wondering why Burleson and Wetherholt sat the last game, as it was too late to tank out for a better draft pick. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of my questions really. There will be a companion piece, but I wanted to celebrate despite the bad aftertaste of the end of this season. Some questions were answered, and many more remain. They are certainly forming a long game here. I guess I’ll just keep following along, and hope the story stays interesting!
Postseason Rooting Rights
I will be rooting mostly for the White Sox to beat the Asstros and advance to see what they can do. I will be upset if that doesn’t happen… I don’t expect them to make it very far but I at least want that to happen. They are what I wanted the Cardinals to be, let’s see how they can turn it around. They’re kind of like if we had a top-notch bullpen and some more home run power.
Also, I’d love to see the Cubs lose during the first round, so I’m also heavily rooting for the Padres. So that’s my AL team and my NL team, got a couple of horses in the race. Go White Sox! Go San Diego! Beyond that, I am rooting for the Phillies because I think they have a better chance at knocking out the Dodgers than the Braves do, I’m not sure why I think that but I guess I don’t trust the Braves rotation. I’d root for either over LA though!
It pains me to root for the Red Sox, but since Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras are over there now, I guess I’ll have to root for them. It’s a little easier since I don’t care if the Yankees win. Should be a good series!
Hoping for a random, super underdog World Series! White Sox vs Padres
1997 Heavy Metal Edition
I continue my ramblings about each year of music in my life, revealing some rather insane heavy metal releases from 1997 now… similar to 1995, I feel like the number of quality metal albums went down, and I’m not surprised since the late 90s is probably the least popular time for heavy metal. Anywho, let’s dive right in to this mire of heavy sounds…
Düreforsög – ’Knee’ absolute wild genius out of Norway! Complex compositions that blend heavy metal with cartoony fun and a variety of genres. The band is absolutely airtight and super talented, almost seeming like they could play this stuff blindfolded. If you like creative heavy music, this one’s for you! It’s more on the fun side of heavy metal, not quite so dark sounding as the other metal bands of this time period. If you are a fan of bands like Mr Bungle, you’ll need to hear this. However, the unseriousness of this band may drive many away, even though it’s seriously good music. (Norway)
Fu Manchu – ‘The Action Is Go’ perhaps the polar opposite of the last albums frenetic schizophrenic pace that is about as far removed from Black Sabbath as you can get… FU MANCHU is Orange County’s answer to Black Sabbath sounds. Blend in a heaping dose of skate punk and the ultra thick Sabbath style riffs and sound… An all time classic! If you like 70s rock you might actually like this a lot. Or maybe it’ll be too 90s, you’ll just have to hear it for yourself. Bought this just after I moved to Chicago so it’s a big part of my college soundtrack! You’ll even get some Star Wars references in addition to the muscle car and weed ones. (Southern California)
Today Is The Day – ‘Temple of the Morning Star’ this band was on a long run of genre-defying creative opuses, and this was their highest peak in popularity. If you want to hear what a legit insane-sounding person sounds like, this is your ticket to rock. This particular album is one of the band’s darkest and heaviest-sounding ones of all. Love it or hate it, you’ll never forget it. The band’s first six albums are among my favorite heavy albums of all time, and this is the first one that I bought. Underground cult classic. (Nashville)
Fredrik Thorendal’s Special Defects If you are a Meshuggah fan, you need this album to complete your collection. If you haven’t heard it yet, it’ll feel like the lost Meshuggah album. A little less heavy and a little more jazzy, though! This one never gets old. Once you hear it though, you’ll be like, that’s so Meshuggah. If you don’t know the legendary Swedish technical death metal or “djent” band, they sound like alien robots with an angry bald guy screaming at you while everyone is on shrooms. (Sweden)
Orange Goblin – ‘Frequencies From Planet Ten’ what they call “stoner rock” and this is one of the best albums in the genre! This is another Sabbath worship album, but maybe a little more psychedelic with somewhat leaner guitar sounds. They definitely have that 70’s vibe, though! This album could have been released in many different decades. Perhaps that’s why the followup is called Time Travelin’ Blues! Later albums from Orange Goblin sound more heavy metal, but this one is my favorite of theirs. (England)
Shrüm – ‘Red Devils And Purple Ringers’ uncovered a hidden gem here! the original bassist of Acid Bath’s first band, it’s equally as creative but features a different vocalist and a slightly different sound as well. Still heavy, but more of a psychedelia thing happening here. I just found this but liked it a lot upon first listen, had to share, not much to say about it other than I’m glad I found it, and a must hear for Acid Bath fans. RIP Audie Pitre the talented bassist at the center of both bands. What made this band truly unique is that they were two bassists and a drummer! (Louisiana)
Sadistik Exekution – ‘KAOS’ the extremest of extreme metal! Like an absolute storm of shit, being inside a possessed tornado, wondering if the tempo somehow got sped up to infinity, etc. Some guy is screaming at you while you’re having a nightmare inside a spinning tornado house. Probably won’t even sound like music. (Australia)
Emperor – ‘Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk’ I’m more into the other subgenres of extreme metal, but I know my black metal too, and this is one of the genre’s best albums. With Halloween coming up, it is a good time to start listening to this. Epic winter-at-night fantasy music. (Norway)
Electric Wizard – ‘Come My Fanatics’ I’m not a huge Electric Wizard fan, but this album has a certain sound about it that is almost as heavy as a black hole as you struggle not to enter its event horizon… but from that first riff, this whole album pulls you in. And there’s an interesting enough variety of sounds here to make it a good full album listening experience. Another 1997 album that sounds more than a bit 1970’s Sabbath! In a good way. (England)
Assück – ‘Misery Index’ a band name that makes me chuckle every time I see it and wonder why, butt anyway, this is a grindcore/crust punk masterpiece full of succinct ripper tracks averaging only a minute or two. Exemplary of the genre. And probably inspired the band Misery Index! (Florida, duh)
His Hero Is Gone – ‘15 Counts of Arson’ the soundtrack to the revolution. (Memphis)
Subarachnoid Space – ‘Almost Invisible’ this was a 90’s psyche rock band that later turned into a metal band, so this should have been listed in last week’s 1997 list… but I remember buying it not long after moving to chicago and playing it every night when I went to sleep… its droney space rock vibes were always an easy way to fade into slumber, coating the city sounds outside in comforting organic guitar goodness. Almost Invisible also would be a good soundtrack for a nice inner voyage… a staycation in an album. (San Francisco)
After winning Game 1, the Chicago White Sox can finish off the Houston Astros in the best-of-three American League wild card series on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Daikin Park.
Chicago's 6-3 victory in the opener was a slog with both teams opting to use an opener, though rookie White Sox southpaw Hagen Smith went three innings to start things off. Houston used eight pitchers in the Game 1 loss after sneaking into the playoffs with an 81-81 record, the worst mark for a postseason team in MLB history.
Sean Burke (11-8, 3.34 ERA) will start Game 2 for the White Sox, while right-hander Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.19 ERA) takes the mound trying to save the Astros' season.
The winner of the series advances to face the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Division Series, beginning Saturday, Oct. 3.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
The Philadelphia Phillies have their backs against the wall after a crushing Game 1 loss against the Atlanta Braves, and send ace Cristopher Sanchez to the mound to save their season on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Truist Park.
Austin Riley hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth in the opener off ace reliever Jhoan Duran, the latest bullpen failure in the Phillies' run of five consecutive postseason trips.
Sanchez went 18-7 with a 2.91 ERA in the regular season for the Phillies. Right-hander Tyler Mahle gets the start for the Braves, who would clinch the best-of-three series with a win and advance to the National League Division Series against the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
If the Phillies win Wednesday, the winner-take-all Game 3 of the wild card series will be played on Thursday in Atlanta.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Baseball is a numbers game, but when it comes to payroll and the playoffs, teams didn’t simply have to pay to reach the 2026 postseason.
While eight of MLB's final 12 teams are in the top 10 end-of-season payrolls, based on figures from the MLB Labor Relations Department and obtained by USA TODAY, the remaining four are among baseball’s lowest spenders.
That includes the teams with the best records in each league, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Brewers’ payroll entering the postseason is $143.5 million, good for 19th in MLB. The Rays’ $98.3 million total is No. 25.
The two top 10 payrolls that didn’t make the playoffs this year are the New York Mets — the highest in pro baseball — and 2025 World Series runner-up Toronto Blue Jays, which have the fifth-most expensive roster.
The two leagues’ postseason stables look drastically different.
The New York Yankees’ $304.6 million payroll is nearly a third of the league’s $1.03 billion total. And then the three lowest payrolls in the playoffs — the Rays, White Sox and Guardians — are all below $100 million.
On the diamond, though, do payrolls matter as October heats up?
USA TODAY looked back at the 10 previous World Series winners’ opening-day payrolls, per The Baseball Cube, a statistics website founded in 2003 that covers college and professional baseball.
While there has been some variance, seven of the 10 started the season with a payroll of at least $200 million once adjusting to 2026 dollars. And all 10 were above $160 million.
The league’s highest opening-day payroll won the World Series twice — the Dodgers in 2025 and the Boston Red Sox in 2018. While the Mets finished 2026 with baseball’s biggest payroll, Los Angeles entered the season with the biggest payroll on The Baseball Cube’s ledgers and could be the third such instance if they complete the threepeat.
It is worth noting that the 2026 final figures can’t just be directly compared with the historical opening day payrolls. However, after adjusting the previous 10 champions’ opening-day payrolls to 2026 dollars, this year’s opening-day payrolls for Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, the White Sox and Cleveland would all be below every World Series champion since 2016.
This means that if any of those four clubs win this year’s Fall Classic, their opening-day roster would be cheaper, in 2026 dollars, than any other recent champion.
Adjusted for inflation, we'd have to go back to 2005 to find a World Series champion with a smaller opening day payroll than the Brewers' Baseball Cube opening-day $139 million. That year, the Chicago White Sox won the title with a $75.2 million roster that adjusts to about $127 million in 2026.
Methodology: USA TODAY obtained final team payrolls heading into the playoffs from MLB’s Labor Relations Department. Historical opening-day payrolls for World Series champions via The Baseball Cube; inflation adjustments using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U.
2026 MLB postseason payrolls
Final payrolls among playoff teams, via MLB Labor Relations Department
Since returning to the Dodgers in 2023, Miguel Rojas has been part of two championship teams and was the World Series Game 7 hero last year. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Miguel Rojas has remained composed at the field. But away from it, on the precipice of what could be his last postseason run as a player, he hasn’t been able to hold back the tears.
“It’s been hard,” Rojas said in a recent conversation with The Times. “I’m not going to lie. I’ve been crying by myself at home.
“Every time I take a little time to post on my social media about saying thank you, it’s because I don’t want to do a full press conference of telling people, ‘Hey, this is the day that I’m retiring’ because I don’t think I’m good enough. I didn’t play a career that I’m good enough to do that. I’m not going to end up in the Hall of Fame or anything like that. So I’m just going to do it my own way. And whenever I go, I just want the fans, the people around baseball, [to know] how grateful I am for all the moments.”
His last Instagram post was a series of photos of him looking up at the applauding crowd in the Dodger Stadium left-field bleachers. He put it up during the Dodgers’ final regular-season homestand with the caption, “Thank You Dodger Fans” and a blue heart emoji, taking a moment to let it sink in that it could be his last before hanging up his spikes.
Rojas hasn’t finalized his retirement decision just yet, however. He’ll reflect more on his future after the final out of the Dodgers’ postseason run.
“From this moment on, it will be kind of like a day-to-day thing,” he said. “And you might get to know that I’m stepping away from the game in an Instagram post, or from me just saying goodbye on a video. I don’t know. I don’t know how it’s going to be, but at this moment, I’m not 100% [certain].”
When Rojas first returned to the Dodgers, he didn’t necessarily expect this chapter of his career to be so meaningful. He’d debuted with the club in 2014 but spent the next eight years with Miami. Then in 2023, the Marlins traded him.
“I came here as a protection piece,” he said. “Like, ‘OK, we’re going to bring this guy in, he can play different positions, he can be our security blanket if something happened with any one of our infielders.’ I didn’t think too much of it. As a player, I was thinking that this is great that is happening to me. I’m coming to the best team in baseball with an opportunity to win a championship, late in my career. I mean, what’s better than that?”
Well, two championships, and a quest for a third.
Over the past four seasons, not only has Rojas established himself as a clubhouse leader, winning the Roy Campanella award three years in a row, but he also became a 2025 World Series hero.
“I’m living proof that you never know when good things are going to be happening to you,” Rojas said. “It can be at the beginning of your career, or it can be when you’re like 20 years into your professional career.”
He’s set to become a free agent this winter, once the one-year, $5.5 million deal he signed last December expires. So, the 37-year-old has had to grapple with the reality that his 13-year MLB career could be coming to a close.
“There’s days where I feel like I shouldn’t be retiring,” he said. “There’s days where I wake up in the morning and I say, ‘Yeah, it’s time.’ I’m still going back and forth. I’m not 100% sure that this is the right decision, of stepping away from the game. … When I think about what will be the deciding factor, it will be if this is enough for me, just walk away with what I have. I don’t want to be a bother. … If I’m going to be here next year, it’s going to be because we’re looking for something.”
No matter what, he pictures his future with the Dodgers.
“I wouldn’t play for another team,” he said. “After what happened my last couple years, after winning two World Series here, after becoming a big part of the 2025 season, it would be kind of stupid for me to go anywhere else and part ways with this organization.”
If Rojas doesn’t come back as a player, he’s lined up to join the Dodgers’ player development department, with managerial aspirations down the line.
That vision of the future includes a milestone in his personal life: becoming a citizen of the United States. Rojas is scheduled to take his naturalization test this week, as he first told the Orange County Register.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity and this part of my life, where I become a United States citizen,” he said. “Both of my kids were born in Miami and grew up in the United States. And obviously, my ties with Venezuela will always be where I’m coming from, and I will never forget that. But this is a great opportunity for me, especially after my [playing] career, and I’m looking forward to continuing my career after baseball here in the United States.”
Rojas’ appointment was originally scheduled for January, he said. But relations between his home country of Venezuela and the United States froze the process.
A series of memos from the Department of Homeland Security put a hold on immigration applications from nationals of countries on the department’s “high risk” list, including Venezuela. In early January, the United States captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a covert military operation.
Rojas has been waiting all year for a letter rescheduling his naturalization test, he said. Finally, last week his wife texted him with the new date: Oct. 2. He’d have to fly to Miami the day before.
That was another advantage of claiming a first-round bye: Rojas won’t have to miss an if-necessary wild-card Game 3.
Instead, he’ll have that final big step in the citizenship application process done before the Dodgers begin their postseason run with Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday. Rojas will be there as they shoot for a third straight World Series title, a feat no NL team has ever achieved.
“We’re not going to play until we’re 50 and be this good,” Rojas said of the veteran-heavy Dodgers. “But if this is a window that we have to be great, why not try to go after it?”
