ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ron Washington will not return for a third season as the Los Angeles Angels manager, The Athletic reported.
The Angels hadn’t publicly announced their decision Tuesday on Washington, who missed roughly half of the current season after undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery. Interim manager Ray Montgomery also won’t be the Angels’ next manager, according to the report.
The 73-year-old Washington was the oldest manager in the majors during his two seasons with the Angels, who hired him in November 2023. Los Angeles had the worst season in franchise history in 2024, going 63-99 after the free-agency departure of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The Angels went 72-90 this season and finished last in the AL West for the second straight season under Washington and Montgomery, the bench coach who stepped up in late June after Washington was sidelined by his health issues. Washington was back around the Angels in uniform at the close of the season, but he didn’t resume managerial duties.
Washington repeatedly said he hoped to return as manager next season, but owner Arte Moreno has decided to make yet another change to a franchise that has endured 10 consecutive losing seasons and 11 straight non-playoff seasons — both the longest active streaks in the majors.
Washington had success during his tenure as Texas Rangers manager from 2007-14, reaching two World Series while making three playoff appearances and posting five straight winning seasons. He moved on to coaching roles in Oakland and Atlanta, and he won a World Series ring with the Braves in 2021.
But he couldn’t save the long-struggling Angels despite remaining popular with his players and Orange County fans. The Halos will have their fifth full-time manager in eight seasons since the departure of Mike Scioscia, who managed the club for 19 years and won its only World Series title in 2002.
After years of free spending on veteran players by Moreno, the Angels have built the start of a young core with shortstop Zach Neto, catcher Logan O’Hoppe, outfielder Jo Adell and first baseman Nolan Schanuel. That rising talent hasn’t led to an improvement in the standings.
The Angels also paid $38.5 million this season to third baseman Anthony Rendon, who didn’t play in 2025 due to a lingering hip injury. Rendon, who hasn’t played more than 58 games in any of his six seasons with Los Angeles, still has one year left on one of the most disastrous free-agent contracts in major league history.
CHICAGO (AP) — Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly hit back-to-back homers, helping the Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 3-1 on Tuesday in Game 1 of their NL Wild Card Series.
Chicago also got a perfect performance from its bullpen in the franchise’s first playoff win since the 2017 National League Championship Series. The Cubs were swept by Miami in the wild-card round in 2020 during their last postseason appearance.
Game 2 of the best-of-three series is back at Wrigley Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Suzuki opened the fifth inning with a 424-foot drive to left-center off Nick Pivetta, tying it at 1 and sending a charge through a towel-waving crowd of 39,114 on a picturesque afternoon. Pivetta had retired 11 in a row before Suzuki extended his homer streak to five games going back to the regular season.
Kelly followed with a towering shot that drifted just over the wall in left-center. The catcher and Chicago native held his right arm in the air as he rounded first base.
It was the MLB postseason debut for both Suzuki and Kelly, who combined for the franchise’s first set of back-to-back homers in the playoffs since Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler went deep on Oct. 15, 2016, against the Dodgers.
Pivetta struck out nine in five solid innings, but San Diego’s lineup was shut down by Matthew Boyd and four relievers.
Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts produced an early lead for the Padres with back-to-back doubles in the second. Bogaerts advanced to third on center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong’s throwing error, but he was stranded there when Boyd retired Ryan O’Hearn (grounder to shortstop), Gavin Sheets (popup to third) and Jake Cronenworth (grounder to shortstop).
San Diego put runners on the corners with one out in the fourth, but Chicago shortstop Dansby Swanson made a nice running catch to help Boyd escape again.
Boyd exited after Freddy Fermin’s one-out single in the fifth. As shadows started to creep across home plate, Daniel Palencia retired each of his five batters for the win, including strikeouts of Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.
Drew Pomeranz and Andrew Kittredge each got three outs for Chicago before Brad Keller handled the ninth for the save.
Up next
Dylan Cease takes the mound for San Diego on Wednesday. Chicago was waiting until after the series opener to announce its Game 2 starter.
Cease went 8-12 with a 4.55 ERA in 32 starts this season. The 29-year-old right-hander was drafted by the Cubs in 2014, but was traded to the White Sox in July 2017.
“I definitely have no hard feelings towards them, but yeah, it feels like a lifetime ago,” Cease said.
Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series between the Guardians and Tigers was all about the dominance of Tarik Skubal. The presumptive Cy Young winner was outstanding in the series opener allowing just a single run while striking out a Wild Card record 14 over 7.2 innings as Detroit took Game 1, 2-1 over Cleveland.
Gavin Williams was nearly as good as Skubal allowing just two unearned runs over six innings with eight strikeouts.
Detroit's manager, A.J. Hinch, played small ball with his ace on the mound. With the score tied at one in the top of the seventh and runners on the corners, Zach McKinstry delivered a sacrifice bunt to score Riley Greene which ultimately was the difference on the scoreboard. The ultimate difference in reality, though, was Skubal.
With Game 2 being a potential elimination game and less than 24 hours away, lets dive right into the matchup that pits Casey Mize on the bump for Detroit against Tanner Bibee for Cleveland.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Game 2 between the Tigers and the Guardians
Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Time: 1:08PM EST
Site: Progressive Field
City: Cleveland, OH
Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for Game 2: Detroit at Cleveland
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Detroit Tigers (+100), Cleveland Guardians (-121)
Spread: Guardians -1.5 (+155)
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Tigers at Guardians - Game 2
Pitching matchup for October 1, 2025: Casey Mize vs. Tanner Bibee
Tigers: Casey Mize (14-6, 3.87 ERA) Last outing: 9/26 at Boston - 6.1IP, 2ER, 6H, 0BB, 8Ks Key Stat: Mize has struck out 8 in 3 of his last 4 starts
Guardians: Tanner Bibee (12-11, 4.24 ERA) Last outing: 9/24 vs. Detroit - 6IP, 1ER, 5H, 2BB, 5Ks Key Stat: Bibee has not allowed more than 2 earned runs in any of his last 4 starts while pitching at least 6 full innings in each
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Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Tigers at Guardians - Game 2
The Guardians lost 2 games in a row twice in September with an overall record of 20-8
Riley Greene was 1-3 in Game 1 and is now 7-29 (.241) with 2 runs scored in 8 career playoff games
Jose Ramirez was 1-3 in Game 1 and is now 39-162 (.241) with 18 RBIs over 43 career playoff games
Will Vest's save in Game 1 was his second career save in 7 appearances
Javy Baez was the only player from either team to collect more than 1 hit in the game collecting 2 singles in 3 trips to the plate
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for Game 2 between the Tigers and the Guardians
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Wednesday’s Game 2 between the Tigers and the Guardians:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Detroit Tigers +1.5.
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Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell (7) gets a fist bump from catcher Ben Rortvedt (47) after recording his 12th strikeout against the Phillies on Sept. 17. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
In the hours leading up to the Dodgers’ Sept. 10 game against the Colorado Rockies, Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt was taking a nap.
After the previous week, it was a well-deserved rest.
A 28-year-old journeyman backstop who’d been traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Dodgers at the deadline, Rortvedt was called up from the minors and thrust into emergency duty in the middle of a tight division race. In the span of three days from Sept. 3-5, both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing had been injured. And in Rortvedt’s first three starts with the Dodgers after that, he’d twice helped take a no-hitter into the ninth while offering unexpected contributions with his bat.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Rortvedt said then. “But this gets you battle-tested.”
By Sept. 10, however, Rortvedt’s time in the majors appeared to be ticking. The previous night, Smith had returned to the lineup a week after taking a foul ball off his throwing hand. Rushing was also working his way back from the injured list after fouling a ball off his leg five days earlier. And in what appeared to be one of his final days on the Dodgers’ big-league roster, Rortvedt went for a pregame nap.
And three weeks later, he will start behind the plate for the Dodgers in Game 1 of their National League wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.
In the lead-up to that Sept. 10 game, Smith’s hand swelled up on him, forcing him to be scratched from the lineup and ultimately go for further testing that revealed a fractured bone where the team initially believed there was only a bruise.
Rushing, meanwhile, never found a groove with his bat or his game-calling upon returning to the active roster a few days later, enduring more rookie growing pains that had plagued him all year.
Rortvedt, on the other hand, just kept on contributing, providing a steady presence behind the plate for the pitching staff, improved defense on balls in the dirt, and subtly useful offense with a .224 batting average and three sacrifice bunts.
It was enough for manager Dave Roberts to effectively name Rortvedt the team’s primary catcher in Smith’s absence, saying he would get the “lion’s share” of playing time if Smith wasn’t back for the start of the playoffs.
And though Smith was included on the Dodgers’ wild-card roster Tuesday, after making enough progress with his hand to take live at-bats during a team workout the night before, he still wasn’t ready to resume full starting duties. For this series, he will likely be only a pinch-hit option off the bench.
Rortvedt, meanwhile, will get playoff starts not even he could have seen coming a month ago.
“I’ve just been really grateful to get another chance [in the majors],” Rortvedt said last week. “And a chance like this is an amazing opportunity.”
A former second-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins coming out of high school in Wisconsin in 2016, Rortvedt has struggled to carve out a consistent major-league role in his nomadic professional career. He made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Twins but hit just .169 over 39 games. He was traded to the New York Yankees the following spring as a minor piece in a Josh Donaldson/Gary Sánchez deal, but spent most of that year injured.
After another disappointing 32-game stint in 2023 with the Yankees, when he hit .118, Rortvedt finally found some success in 2024 following another trade to Tampa Bay. Through mid-May, he was hitting over .300 and earning consistent starts behind the plate. And though his numbers faded the rest of the way, he finally seemed to be cementing his place on a big-league roster, entering this season confident that some offseason swing tweaks would lead to an even stronger year.
“I thought I was in a really good space to have a good year,” Rortvedt said.
Instead, it all fell apart.
In 26 games over the season’s first two months, Rortvedt had just six hits in 63 at-bats. He was relegated to backup duties, then ultimately the minor leagues. In late May, when he was designated for assignment, he traded emotional goodbyes with his Rays teammates on his way out of the clubhouse.
“The beginning of the year was a big down for me,” he said. “I messed around with a little too many things [in my swing], and I never got comfortable coming out of spring training.”
At the trade deadline, Rortvedt was on the move again, getting roped into a three-team deal with — coincidentally — the Dodgers and Reds that saw Los Angeles effectively use him to replace Hunter Feduccia as their third organizational catcher.
“As one door closes, another opens,” Rortvedt said. “And especially with the organization here, with the reputation, the job they do in all aspects of the game, I was extremely grateful to be in this kind of place.”
That didn’t mean his transition over the last month was easy. After being thrust into starting duties, Rortvedt spent most of his hours catching bullpens, talking with the team’s pitchers about their tendencies, and devouring film of the staff each night on his iPad to learn each one’s pitch mix.
“That’s really, really hard,” Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann said. “But his personality and the way he goes about things shows that he cares. It’s evident in his work and his meetings and talking to the guys, and putting defense first when he’s supposed to.”
Despite the whiplash nature of his return to the majors, Rortvedt found all-around success.
He has gone 11-for-49 at the plate with two doubles, a home run and an on-base-percentage above .300, posting a higher OPS than Rushing on the year. He has overseen a dominant run from the rotation, with Dodgers pitchers posting a 2.89 ERA in the 18 games he has caught.
“For him being new to the team, he’s just had a really good energy,” Dodgers Game 1 starter Blake Snell said. “He’s been very clutch for us offensively, very clutch for us defensively. I just attribute it to how much he wants to catch and how much he wants to be back there. His excitement, it’s contagious. And it’s helping the pitchers pitch good.”
The Dodgers, of course, are still hoping to get Smith back to full-time starting duties at some point this October. They still have Rushing as a long-term piece of their future puzzle.
But for now, Rortvedt has been the right guy at the right time to help the team navigate its sudden catching problems. And Tuesday night, he’ll get his first playoff start.
“It’s been pretty crazy,” Rortvedt said of his brief but influential Dodgers tenure. “But it’s definitely been better than sitting around.”
There’s a lot to unpack regarding the New York Rangers’ decision to send Brennan Othmann down to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
It feels as if Othmann has been knocking at the door to make the Rangers’ roster for a couple of years now.
Last year, Othmann was one of the Rangers’ last roster cuts, as he was close to making the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
After getting a 22-game audition with the Rangers during the 2024-25 campaign, he came to rookie camp this year with the hopes of earning a permanent NHL spot.
Upon speaking to Othmann for the first time since April, he emphasized that he’s in a better mental space and was feeling much more confident after a full offseason training with other NHL players.
Othmann’s newfound confidence and mentality unfortunately, did not translate to his play on the ice.
The 2021 first-round pick struggled to make a strong impression through training camp and four preseason games.
It wasn’t that Othmann performed at an unfathomable level, but it was more about what he didn’t do and the little things he needs to fix before taking the jump as a regular NHL player.
Mike Sullivan feels there are a couple of small aspects on the ice that Othmann still needs to unlock in order to earn a spot with the Rangers.
“We've had a number of discussions around what that pathway might look like for him to carve a role on the New York Rangers,” Sullivan said. “A lot of the discussion we had just talked about conscientious play, attention to detail, defensively, away from the puck, playing within structure, having some predictability and reliability and dependability around his game.
“I think if he can add more detail around those things, essentially that’s what it boils down to. It’s attention to detail in all zones, in particular on the defensive side of the puck. Those are the conversations I’ve had with Otter over the past little while.”
Over the course of training camp, Otthmann began falling behind players on the depth chart he was directly competing with for a roster spot, including Gabe Perreault and Brett Berard.
It was quickly becoming evident that the 22-year-old forward would get sent down to Hartford, and those assumptions ultimately became a reality, even sooner than many people originally anticipated.
Despite being set down, Sullivan made clear that there’s still a pathway for Otthmann to work his way back up.
“I said to Otter, ‘just because this decision was made today doesn't mean that there is finality to it and that the opportunity no longer exists, it very much exists and will continue to exist,’ and we will continue to work with Otter.” said Sullivan.
What is next for Otthmann?
Now he’ll likely play a top-line role for the Wolf Pack, where he’ll be put in a position to thrive and showcase his skills.
It isn’t necessarily what he may have wanted, but starting the season in the AHL could be positive for his overall development.
Only time will tell what the future holds for Otthmann, but he has a chip on his shoulder going into the 2025-26 campaign to show the Rangers brass what he is truly capable of.
Aaron Boone broke down some of the key decisions made ahead of the Yankees' Game 1 meeting with the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card round….
Why Warren cracked the roster
Will Warren won’t be needed as a starter during this best-of-three series with the division rival Sox, but the Yanks still elected to leave him on the 26-man roster.
Boone expects that he could be used in a number of different roles during this set.
“There’s some pockets where he could be really effective for us,” the skipper said. “It might be in the short-verse, it might be in the situation where we need some length from him, it might be in extra innings where you’re out of pitching and you have to roll.
“He’s pitched really effectively for us all year. He’s on his fourth day today so most of the series he should be in pretty good shape to be able to give us whatever we need.”
The 26-year-old pitched to a 4.44 ERA and 1.37 WHIP while making a career-high 33 starts this season.
He has just one big-league appearance out of the bullpen to this point.
Goldy gets the start over Rice
Ben Rice has been red hot, but Boone elected to sit him in favor of Paul Goldschmidt with ace southpaw Garrett Crochet taking the bump in the series opener.
Though Yanks fans would love to see the sweet-swinging Rice in there, Boone says it was an easy call turning to the veteran Goldschmidt, who has a .981 OPS against lefties this year.
Sep 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) runs the bases during his homerun against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Yankee Stadium. / Mark Smith-Imagn Images
“Goldy is going to play against every lefty we face,” he said. “Ben is obviously a huge part of our offense and is having a phenomenal year and he’s been hot, but part of that is he’s faced the people he should be facing.
“He’ll be back in there tomorrow against [Brayan] Bello, and obviously we have a really good chip over there sitting on the bench to use in a big spot as well.”
Rice finished with 26 homers and a .836 OPS during his breakout season.
Chisholm good to go
Jazz Chisholm is in the clear after leaving the season finale following a tough hit-by-pitch on the left forearm.
Like Rice, though, he is sitting in the series opener with the tough southpaw on the mound.
Amed Rosario, who has great numbers in his career against Crochet, jumps into the lineup in his place.
Boone didn't rule out turning to Chisholm early if the opportunity were to arise, though.
“I wouldn’t hesitate to use Jazz, he could be in this game early,” he said. “But yeah, as tough as Crochet is, he has been especially tough on lefties this year. There really is no good matchup, but Amed has good history with him, he’s hit him well and has faced him a lot this year.
"We just wanted to get another right-handed bat in there, but Jazz is good to go and he’ll be ready.”
Rosario is 6-for-9 with a homer in his career against Crochet.
He hit .298 with a .336 OBP and .800 OPS versus lefties this season.
So, who could the Blue Jays, Mariners, Brewers and Phillies draw first this postseason? Here’s how the Division Series bracket will take shape:
Do the MLB playoffs reseed teams?
The MLB playoffs follow a bracket format and do not reseed teams. That means, for example, the top-seeded Blue Jays will face the winner of the No. 4 New York Yankees-No. 5 Boston Red Sox series even if the No. 6-seeded Detroit Tigers were to advance.
What is the 2025 MLB playoff bracket?
Here’s a look at the Division Series bracket possibilities:
The first round of the MLB playoffs features a best-of-three format where the higher seed has home-field advantage for the entire series.
How many games are in the Division Series?
The postseason then moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed has home-field advantage for Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
So, who could the Blue Jays, Mariners, Brewers and Phillies draw first this postseason? Here’s how the Division Series bracket will take shape:
Do the MLB playoffs reseed teams?
The MLB playoffs follow a bracket format and do not reseed teams. That means, for example, the top-seeded Blue Jays will face the winner of the No. 4 New York Yankees-No. 5 Boston Red Sox series even if the No. 6-seeded Detroit Tigers were to advance.
What is the Division Series bracket in the 2025 MLB playoffs?
Here’s a look at the Division Series bracket possibilities:
The first round of the MLB playoffs features a best-of-three format where the higher seed has home-field advantage for the entire series.
How many games are in the Division Series?
The postseason then moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed has home-field advantage for Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
Martino notes that a decision on surgery will be made after Manaea has time to cool down physically now that the season is over.
It was a tough year for Manaea, whose season debut was delayed due to an oblique injury suffered during spring training. Then, when he was about a week away from finally taking the mound in the majors, he was diagnosed with loose bodies in his elbow, which set him back a bit.
Manaea finally made his first start of the season on July 13 against Kansas City, but he never looked like the topline starter that he was for the Mets in the second half of the 2024 season, when a tweak to his delivery saw him emerge as the team’s ace.
The lefty pitched to a 5.64 ERA in 2024, starting 12 games while making three additional appearances out of the bullpen.
While Manaea is under contract through the 2027 season, his spot in the rotation heading into 2026 is uncertain.
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has established his starting rotation for this week’s Wild-Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers’ playoff rotation is so deep that all-world Shohei Ohtani isn’t officially in it, and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw isn’t on the Wild-Card roster.
Ohtani is the “possible” starter for Game 3 on Thursday evening if the best-of-three series goes that far, Roberts said. If it doesn’t, who knows? Kershaw, on the brink of retiring after 18 seasons, would be activated only if the Dodgers reach a National League Division Series, Roberts added. He probably won’t start.
Blake Snell, who missed four months with left shoulder inflammation, gets the call in Game 1 on Tuesday, and Roberts indicated Yoshinobu Yamamoto would start Wednesday’s evening’s Game 2.
So why isn’t Ohtani on the slate?
“The work load, and it’s the proper rest for Snell and Yamamoto,” Roberts said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen with Game 3, but there could be an off day after that. We’re just trying to think through everything.”
Ohtani, of course, will lead off as the designated hitter.
Where does Ohtani fit in as a pitcher? His use as a late-inning reliever wouldn’t seem to work because of the logistics–warming up in the bullpen at a time when he might still be hitting.
“With him being the best player in the world, he’ll fit in wherever he wants to fit in,” Mookie Betts said Monday. “If he wants to pitch, I’m pretty sure nobody in a Dodger uniform would say no.”
Ruth played for the Boston Red Sox in the 1916 and 1918 World Series, making three pitching starts and winning all three, two of them complete games including a Game 1 shutout of the Chicago Cubs in 1918. He also played a little left field in the series. Overall, he had one hit in 10 at-bats, a triple that drove in two runs in the 1918 series. There was no DH in those days; pitchers had to hit.
The Red Sox won those two Fall Classics, and didn’t win again until 2004, long after Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees. He didn’t pitch in any of the six World Series he played for the Yanks.
Ohtani won a World Series last fall when his Dodgers defeated the Yankees in five games. He didn’t pitch in those playoffs as he recovered from his second right elbow surgery and wasn’t actively back on the mound this season until June 16.
The buildup experiment seemed to work. He averaged about four innings a game across his first 13 starts until Sept. 23 at Arizona, when he maxed out at six innings and 91 pitches, allowing no runs on five hits with no walks and eight strikeouts.
At the plate, Ohtani hit 55 homers, drove in 102 runs and scored a Major League-leading 146 more. He’s a slam dunk for his third consecutive league MVP.
It all seemed to be set for Ohtani to open the playoffs on the mound and at DH. Then it didn’t happen. If he’s not hurt, what gives?
“I mean, we have four or five starters now, and we’re a lot deeper than when we went into the playoffs last year,” Betts said. “These guys are pitching well, and they all feed off each other. The front office did an amazing job giving us this kind of staff, and the boys have done an amazing job performing.”
To be sure, the Dodgers went into the 2024 postseason with only three healthy starters: Jack Flaherty, Walker Buehler and Yamamoto, with the latter two coming off injuries. Even in winning it all, they certainly could have used a healthy Ohtani.
Last year, Dodgers starters were 18th in Major League Baseball with a 4.23 ERA, which increased to 5.25 in the playoffs.
This year, because of an embarrassment of riches, Dodgers starters were ninth with a 3.69 ERA, and their entire staff was first overall with a 3.95 ERA heading into the postseason.
Last year, Snell was with the San Francisco Giants, but the Dodgers signed him in the offseason for five years, $182 million. He has rounded into shape following the injury, giving up just 14 earned runs across 52 1/3 innings in August and September.
“That’s why I came here,” Snell said. “To get to the postseason and see how good I can be.”
Yamamoto was 12-8 with a 2.49 ERA in 30 starts. Tyler Glasnow had a sore right shoulder at the end of last season but is fine right now. Kershaw came back off the scrap heap on May 17 and finished 11-2 with a 3.36 ERA in 22 games. Emmet Sheehan was 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA in 12 starts. And after struggling as a rookie starter, Roki Sasaki has looked sharper as a reliever since recently returning from a right shoulder injury.
Ohtani as a pitcher is now an afterthought. Just hit, and everything’s fine. The Dodgers are being cautious.
“This is as good a starting staff as I’ve had going into the postseason,” Roberts said recently.
Thus, he has some choices. When asked about his Game 2 and possible Game 3 starters on Monday, Roberts tried to demur. “No Game 3. Yamamoto will start Game 2,” he said.
Pressed on his plans for Ohtani, Roberts said, “If there’s a Game 3, he’ll probably start Game 3.”
It wasn’t a full-throated endorsement, but as Betts said, if Ohtani wants to pitch, nobody in a Dodger uniform is likely to say no.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith sprints to first base after hitting a double off Colorado Rockies pitcher German Marquez on Sept. 9. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Despite missing the last three weeks of the season with a fracture in his right hand, catcher Will Smith was included on the Dodgers’ roster for their best-of-three wild card series against the Cincinnati Reds this week, the team announced ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday.
It was not immediately clear if Smith would be able to start Game 1 at Dodger Stadium. Ben Rortvedt was also on the roster, and is expected to start behind the plate if Smith can’t go.
Still, even having Smith’s presence as a potential pinch-hitter will be a boon for the team, which was bracing to begin the playoffs without the two-time All-Star before he made late progress this week in his recovery from his hand injury.
Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, who both missed time last week with minor injuries, were also on the roster as expected.
The other big development from Tuesday’s roster announcement was the absence of outfielder Michael Conforto, the $17-million offseason signing who struggled mightily for much of the regular season but had continued to get playing time through the end of the schedule.
Conforto hit only .199 this season, the lowest mark of any hitter with 450 plate appearances. He also managed just 12 home runs (a full-season career-low), 36 RBIs and struck out 121 times (albeit while drawing 56 walks and keeping his on-base-percentage above .300).
Conforto did finish the season better, batting .228 with a .678 OPS after July 1 and going 15-for-61 (.246 average) in September. As a left-handed hitter, he also appeared to have potential value off the bench.
However, the Dodgers elected to roster trade deadline acquisition Alex Call and defensive specialist Justin Dean (who finished the season in the minors) on their wild card roster. They also kept infielder Hyeseong Kim, who is a speed threat but has been equally inconsistent from the left side of the plate down the stretch.
There were few surprises among the Dodgers’ pitching staff, which included only 11 arms (not including two-way player Shohei Ohtani) for this abbreviated opening-round series.
Rookie phenom Roki Sasaki, who returned from a shoulder injury and impressed in two late-season relief appearances, was on the roster as manager Dave Roberts had hinted the day before.
So too were right-handed veteran Blake Treinen and embattled left-handed closer Tanner Scott, who were major disappointments in late-inning roles this year but flashed some improvement in the final days of the regular season.
The rest of the Dodgers’ bullpen includes converted right-handed starters Tyler Glasnow (who will likely return to the rotation if the team advances to the division series) and Emmet Sheehan, hard-throwing rookie right-hander Edgardo Henriquez, and three other left-handed options in addition to Scott: Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer and Justin Wrobleski.
Anthony Banda was the only snub from the team’s regular-season roster. Clayton Kerhsaw was also left off the roster as expected, but could have a role in future rounds if the Dodgers advance.
The blueprint had been laid out by Dave Dombrowski of how he wanted to build this Phillies team and, as he believes, it has pretty much been followed to a T. Of course, come playoff time there are no guarantees, but when talking about his club, the president of baseball operations seems as confident as he can be about the immediate future.
The postseason will begin for his Phillies Saturday at Citizens Bank Park when they take on the winner of the Wild Card Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds. While there is the obvious feeling of “anything can happen,” there is an air of confidence surrounding this team that is palpable.
Most of that building process during the offseason was to bring back the core players of the team, basically re-rack a group that lost in the National League Division Series to the Mets last year, with some tweaks here and there. That all seemed to be fine, but when the trade deadline approached at the end of July, Dombrowski and company felt two real needs faced them – a closer and a right-hand hitting outfielder. They got both of them with Jhoan Duran now ending games for the Phils and Harrison Bader manning centerfield on a daily basis.
Now the question will be, is it enough?
“We have a good club,” said Dombrowski Tuesday. “We probably have as good a club, to me, as anybody. We’re a well-rounded club. We’ve been there before. We’ve had experience now for a couple of years. We have some really good players who have had really good seasons, in the (Kyle) Schwarber’s and the (Trea) Turner’s. The supporting cast is deeper in the lineup. I think a guy like Bader brought a lot to us. I think when you look at our lineup, I don’t think you look at one spot and say, ‘There’s an out there.’ We play solid defense. Our starting pitching is deep. And I think right now our bullpen’s probably a little bit better than it’s been at various times.
“I think we have a legitimate closer and then we’ve built around that. Our bullpen guys have thrown the ball well from the left-hand side and the right-hand side. Now, when I say that, you have to play well at the right time, and you have to be in a position where you don’t want to be three and done. It can happen to anybody, really. You have to play well at the right time but I think we’re more equipped to do that.”
In Bader, the team not only secured the centerfield position, but they also brought a character into the clubhouse that seems to be accepted and enjoyed by all. For a team that has taken backward steps in the playoffs since making it to the World Series in 2022, that could prove significant.
Bader shows up in boot leg jeans and cowboy boots before games, even when the temperature is hovering near 90. He then gets into his cutoff shirts with baseball pants rolled up to knees with colorful arm sleeves and batting gloves. The bandana is ever-present around his semi-mullet. When he arrives, smiles around the clubhouse are soon to follow.
“We thought he was a good player and we thought he could play, for sure, defensively in center field,” Dombrowski said. “He could hit right and left-hand pitching. We knew he was an energy guy and would handle the situation and Philly would not be a problem based upon playing in New York in the past. I think the way he meshed in the clubhouse with our players was really good for our club. I think he was just a real fit with them. They all seem to build on his energy. His offense has been really good, especially early. I don’t think you could ever predict a guy to be that hot at the beginning. He’s a good hitter. He’s a good all-around player. He’s a threat to hit the ball out of the ballpark. He’s given us a lot. I didn’t know if he would play every day for us or not when we got him. We knew he had a chance to do that. But he’s really developed into our everyday center fielder, and he’s earned that. He’s done a lot.
“Really, the reason behind it was we needed a right-handed hitter to play in the outfield. It was an advantage to play centerfield, too. (Johan) Rojas could play defensively in center field and we like a lot of things about him. But from an offensive perspective he wasn’t contributing much. So, for us, it was a position to add somebody like that was the most important part of it. Also, we did think that he would handle the atmosphere and pressure well, which was important. We didn’t bring him in from the energy perspective, it’s just an added plus that he’s brought along and fit in well.”
And the addition of Duran has made manager Rob Thomson’s job so much easier in handling the bullpen. With the Phillies starting pitching having been so good, Thomson should be looking at only having to handle a couple of bullpen innings before getting to Duran. That is the hope, anyway.
“Any time you have somebody that’s a dominant ninth-inning guy, it’s helpful for you because then you can script around that,” Dombrowski said. “But I’ve also been in the postseason where we haven’t had that and been able to work around and manipulate some of your starters to your bullpen. You never know how it’s going to be. You never know how a starter’s going to pitch out of the bullpen. It has worked at times, too. I think anytime you have that guy that you just give the ball to and everybody goes out there and they feel good about, it’s good.”
The Phillies will have an intrasquad game on Wednesday before another voluntary workout Thursday and a mandatory one Friday. How the team handles the week and whether it’s good for a team has been a big topic around the club, and Dombrowski had to perfect answer on what the week off means.
“It’s an advantage if you win the first series and it’s a disadvantage if you don’t.”
That remains to be seen. But there’s no doubt in his mind, this team is built to advance.
NOTES
•About an hour before the team workout, Trea Turner was on the field doing some sprints, high-steps and change of direction things for his healing hamstring and seemed fine.
•When asked about pitcher Zack Wheeler and his surgery, Dombrowski said: “Everything went well, everything went very efficiently. He’s supposed to be here today or tomorrow. Surgery went great. He’ll go back in another month to get rechecked, but so far so good.”
•Dombrowski said reliever Matt Strahm had been guaranteed his contract for next season. “Had a provision in his contract that at the end of the season he would need to take a physical to have his contract guaranteed for next year, we did that yesterday so we have advised him that his contract is guaranteed for next year so we have done that. We’ve filed all the official notifications in that regard.”
•The Phillies 26-man roster for the NLDS is due on Saturday, Dombrowski said. He gave no indication of what it will look like.
While speaking for over a half hour, Stearns repeatedly cited run-prevention as the main reason the Mets will spend October at home.
He also didn't shoot down the possibility that the offensive core could be broken up, made no assurances about the future of the coaching staff, and touched on a whole lot more.
As Stearns and the front office get to work attempting to fix a roster that underwhelmed in a huge way in 2025, here are the five biggest questions they're facing...
Will there be a big shakeup with the core?
It's fair to say the Mets' unofficial offensive core is Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor,Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo, with Jeff McNeil being another long-tenured player who has been a lineup mainstay.
With Alonso a free agent, he's no longer a part of that core -- at least for the moment.
Regardless of the Alonso situation, could big changes be coming?
"I think we’re going to have to be open-minded on our position player grouping so that we can improve our run prevention," Stearns said on Monday. "Does that mean there are robust changes? I don’t know. Does that mean people could be playing different positions? Maybe. Does it mean we ask people to play different roles? Maybe."
Soto is obviously going nowhere, as should be the case. And it's impossible to envision a scenario where it makes sense to trade Lindor, who is a perennial MVP candidate who provides plus defense at shortstop.
That means that for the Mets to "shake up" the core, they would have to trade Nimmo and/or McNeil.
New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo (9) rounds the bases after his solo home run during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images
Nimmo is still a plus offensive player (he had a 114 OPS plus this season), but he's entering his age-33 season, is under contract through 2030, and has a full no-trade clause. He's also not a plus corner outfielder and has a subpar arm.
As far as McNeil, 2026 is the final guaranteed year of the extension he signed ahead of the 2023 season (the Mets have a club option for 2027 that's worth $15.75 million). The versatile McNeil had a solid season in 2025, with a .746 OPS (.111 OPS+). So it's possible to envision a scenario where the Mets find a market for him.
The Diaz decision should be a much easier one for the Mets than the Alonso one.
Diaz will be entering his age-32 season in 2026, but he was utterly dominant in 2025. And his stuff remains filthy.
He has also proven able to handle the pressure cooker that is in New York and has expressed a desire to stay. Meanwhile, the Mets have a bullpen that needs to be rebuilt and has no replacement closer waiting in the wings. Quite simply, they need to get it done with Diaz if he opts out as expected.
Regarding Alonso, things aren't simple.
The negotiations between the team and agent Scott Boras last season became so contentious that Cohen spoke about them in an exasperated way before things came to a head, with Alonso returning on a two-year deal with an opt-out.
And with Alonso looking for the payday he didn't get before this season, it's fair to wonder if the Mets' value of him will be aligned with where his contract ultimately lands.
It's also reasonable to believe the Mets could want a better defender at first base, which would obviously complicate things further unless Alonso is prepared to become mainly a designated hitter.
Throwing a bit of a wrench in the Mets' desire to change things up is the fact that Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson are all under contract for next season. But with Stearns saying it would be "foolish" to rely on Senga for 30 starts next year, it's hard to envision him being counted on as part of a five-man staff.
Aug 8, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) looks on during a mound visit in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. / Benny Sieu - Imagn Images
Another part of this calculation will be the kids, with Nolan McLean belonging in the 2026 rotation from the jump, Jonah Tong likely beginning the year with Triple-A Syracuse, and the plan for Brandon Sproat perhaps up in the air a bit.
In order for the Mets to add help to the rotation externally while also fitting McLean and perhaps other young homegrown pitchers in, they're going to have to trade some of its current members and/or change their roles.
As far as which top of the rotation pitchers the Mets could target...
The free agency crop is underwhelming, so they should turn their attention to the trade market. Tarik Skubal (one year from free agency) and Sandy Alcantara (two years from free agency) could make sense. As could Paul Skenes, who might not ever be truly available and would cost a King's ransom.
The bullpen must be rebuilt
With Diaz, Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, Gregory Soto, and Ryne Stanek all free agents -- and with Reed Garrett likely missing the entire 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery -- the Mets are going to have lots of work to do when it comes to assembling the bullpen.
Stearns' shrewd signing of Brooks Raley (who inked an inexpensive two-year deal while finishing his Tommy John surgery rehab), means he's under contract for 2026. The same can be said for fellow lefty A.J. Minter, who was terrific early in 2025 before being lost for the season due to a lat muscle tear.
Apr 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Mets pitcher A.J. Minter (33) reacts during the eighth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
If Diaz is re-signed, the Mets will have a nice nucleus in the back end. But much more will be needed, including a legitimate right-handed setup man.
It's possible New York could view hard-throwing prospect Dylan Ross as a serious option for the 2026 bullpen, but he's going to have to cut down on his walks after walking 6.2 batters per nine in his stint this year with Triple-A Syracuse.
Free agent relievers who could make sense include Robert Suarez and Emilio Pagan.
Given the inconsistency of the offense, it will be a surprise if the Mets don't move on from hitting coach Eric Chavez.
Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner is highly-regarded, and it's not reasonable to place much blame on him for the pitching staff woes given what he had to work with.
The Mets have interesting decisions to make on third base coach Mike Sarbaugh and bench coach John Gibbons.
Regarding Gibbons, could the team think it makes sense to have a different voice sitting next to Mendoza next season?
So, who could the Blue Jays, Mariners, Brewers and Phillies draw first this postseason? Here’s how the Division Series bracket will take shape:
Do the MLB playoffs reseed teams?
The MLB playoffs follow a bracket format and do not reseed teams. That means, for example, the top-seeded Blue Jays will face the winner of the No. 4 New York Yankees-No. 5 Boston Red Sox series even if the No. 6-seeded Detroit Tigers were to advance.
What is the Division Series bracket in the 2025 MLB playoffs?
Here’s a look at the Division Series bracket possibilities:
The first round of the MLB playoffs features a best-of-three format where the higher seed has home-field advantage for the entire series.
How many games are in the Division Series?
The postseason then moves to a best-of-five format for the Division Series. The higher seed has home-field advantage for Games 1, 2 and, if necessary, 5.
The Yankees' chase for their 28th title ramps up on Tuesday night when they begin their Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox, and two of their best players closed out the regular season by earning some hardware.
Outfielder Aaron Judge was named AL Player of the Month for September, while starter Max Fried was named Pitcher of the Month.
Judge capped off what will likely be his third AL MVP season with a blistering month of September. In 25 games, Judge led the majors with a 1.292 OPS, blasting 10 home runs with 17 RBI while walking 27 times.
Judge finished the season leading all major league players in batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), and slugging percentage (.688) while hitting 53 home runs with 114 RBI. He also became just the third player in major league history to win a batting title while hitting 50 home runs, joining Mickey Mantle (1956) and Jimmie Foxx (1938).
Fried, meanwhile, won all five of his September starts, pitching to a miniscule 1.89 ERA while striking out 35 hitters in 33.1 innings.
The lefty's first season in pinstripes couldn't have gone much better. Stepping into the role as the Yankees' ace following Gerrit Cole's Tommy John surgery, Fried pitched to a 2.86 ERA while leading the American League with 19 wins.
Fried will get the ball in Tuesday night's Game 1, facing fellow lefty Garrett Crochet.
