Category: MLB

Slow news day, eh?

The Atlanta Braves are out, the 2026 NLCS is set and the winner-take-all Game 5 in the ALDS between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians won’t be happening until tomorrow night, so we’re getting a sneak peek at what the offseason is going to feel like. It’s not fun, now is it?

Still, come on in and hang out. If you’ve got predictions for the ALDS, drop ‘em in the comments. If you’re hunkering down in the path of Hurricane Isaias, give us a thumbs up if you’re making it through. If you’re having something fun for dinner, let us know below.

Let’s have a chill evening, folks. Here’s a random clip for you as well:

When the Dodgers set their starting rotation for the National League Division Series, they did so with the NL Championship Series in mind.

And now that they’ve reached the NLCS, after eliminating the Braves in a four-game NLDS this past week, they have their pitching plans exactly where they want them.

For a second straight series, Tarik Skubal will once again be the team’s Game 1 starter against the Brewers on Sunday, manager Dave Roberts announced during a Friday video conference with reporters, setting up the reigning two-time Cy Young Award winner to square off with this year’s presumptive Cy Young winner in Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski.

After that, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be bumped up for Game 2, representing a shift from the NLDS when Yamamoto didn’t start until Game 3.

The Dodgers had pushed back Yamamoto’s start in the NLDS to keep him on his normal once-per-week pitching schedule, sliding Blake Snell in as their Game 2 starter instead.

The move briefly seemed questionable, after Snell managed only 3 ⅔ innings in a five-walk, one-run start in the team’s Game 2 loss.

However, Yamamoto calmed the waters by outdueling Chris Sale in Game 3, producing a seven-inning, one-run gem that lowered his career postseason ERA to 2.14 (second-best in the last 100 years among pitchers with at least 10 playoff starts, behind only Madison Bumgarner).

Now, just as the team envisioned, Yamamoto will be able to start twice in the NLCS — set to go on five days of rest for Monday’s Game 2, then on five days of rest again for a potential Game 6.

Snell, meanwhile, seems likely to pitch in Game 3. Tyler Glasnow would be the logical Game 4 choice. Skubal could go on four days of rest for Game 5.

“I think we’ve got the best rotation top to bottom in baseball,” Roberts said. “And it’s nice to be able to reset the rotation and get these guys going.

Indeed, the Dodgers’ rotation figures to represent their biggest matchup advantage over the Brewers. In last year’s NLCS sweep against Milwaukee, a quartet of Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani combined to give up just two runs in 28 ⅔ innings while combining for 35 strikeouts against the Brewers’ overmatched lineup.

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One key to their success then: The Dodgers’ rotation peppered the Brewers’ contact-happy lineup with a heavy dose of off-speed and breaking pitches.

Snell spammed them with a flurry of changeups in a scoreless eight-inning masterpiece. Yamamoto leaned on his splitter and curveball in the first of his two complete-game performances last October. Glasnow abandoned his trademark four-seam/curveball combination for a mix of more sinkers and sliders in a 5 ⅔-inning start. Ohtani threw the kitchen sink at them with a seven-pitch arsenal in his iconic 10-strikeout, three-homer outburst in Game 4.

In those games, only Yamamoto didn’t significantly decrease his fastball usage compared to his regular-season average.

The plan worked, getting the Brewers to uncharacteristically chase more often and whiff on one-third of all their swings in the series.

Roberts was careful to note on Friday that this is a new year, and that the Brewers pose a different challenge than they did back then.

“They’ve got another year under their belt,” Roberts said. “They’re just a lot more confident.”

Still, the Dodgers will hope to replicate their pitching success once again, inserting the newly acquired Skubal in for the injury-hampered Ohtani in a starting rotation they hope can carry them to a third straight NL pennant.

Winning the National League Division Series in four games afforded the Dodgers the luxury of setting their starting rotation exactly the way they wanted for the next round. Tarik Skubal gets the ball in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 to cover the first two games of the series in Milwaukee, manager Dave Roberts said via Zoom on Friday.

Skubal struck out seven in six innings in his win over the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS. This will be the fourth Game 1 start for Skubal, who has a 1.97 ERA in seven career postseason starts, with 63 strikeouts and seven unintentional walks in 45 2/3 innings, and he’s lasted at least six innings in all seven starts.

Yamamoto added to his legend in Game 7 of last year’s World Series, getting the final eight outs of Game 7 one day after starting and pitching six innings in Game 6. He’s the only pitcher in postseason history to win five straight road appearances while allowing no more than one run in each game, a streak that began in Game 2 of last year’s NLCS, also in Milwaukee.

Ahead of his NLDS start, Yamamoto expressed willingness to start on short rest or pitch of out of the bullpen if needed when asked.

“I’m going to get myself ready for any situation. If they want me to go out, then I go out,” Yamamoto said, with interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “But for me, just those are key things for me. Postseason is just focusing on the game right in front of me.”

But this far, every one of Yamamoto’s 86 MLB starts — including 10 in the postseason — have come with at least five days rest, and Game 2 comes with five days rest after his 10 strikeouts in seven innings on Tuesday in Atlanta. And starting Yamamoto in Game 2 of a best-of-7 series would allow him to also start in Game 6 on five days rest, while Games 1 and 3 starters would start in Games 5 and 7 on four days rest.

“It’s more looking at how he’s gotten his rest this year, and what gives him the best chance to pitch potentially two games, Games 2 and 6,” Roberts said. “With the off days and the game schedule, that’s probably the best way to manage it.”

In a season full of swings, Anthony Volpe nearly saved his best for last. 

Alas, what initially looked like a game-tying, two-run homer in Game 3 of the ALDS could not be saved by the second coming of Jeffrey Maier, and a few innings later, the Yankees were swept by the Rays. 

But Volpe’s near-moment, after a season in which he was twice demoted to Triple-A after losing his job as the Yankees starting shortstop, was a reminder that he may still have a place in the future of the organization, namely as their second baseman next season. 

There is a long way to go between now and whenever (or if) baseball begins in 2027 — due to the looming lockout — but as the Yankees enter the offseason, Volpe has at least given himself a chance to find a home again in pinstripes, as George Lombard Jr.’s double-play partner. 

“If we were going to go win a World Series, we needed Anthony Volpe on the team,” Aaron Judge said late Wednesday night. “He’s an incredible player, not only the talent he has, but to handle that type of adversity — not only from the game, not playing your best and then hearing it from fans, hearing it from everybody, and then for him to go down to Triple-A, work on what he needed to and then come up here with a bang like he did, it speaks volumes to his character and the type of grit he has.” 

It was not long ago that Volpe was at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, looking like a player who might benefit from a change of scenery in a trade this offseason. It is not out of the question that the 25-year-old could still be dealt this winter, depending on how the Yankees offseason shakes out. But with Jazz Chisholm Jr. headed to free agency and unlikely to return (despite his wishes), Volpe at the very least looks like a placeholder at second base, if not something more. 

In the Yankees’ five playoff games, Volpe started over Chisholm twice. The first came against Red Sox lefty Payton Tolle in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series before Chisholm’s untrustworthiness led to Volpe starting again in Game 3 of the ALDS against Rays righty Nick Martinez with the season on the line. 

Aaron Boone even considered starting Volpe at third base, a position at which he has played just one career major league game, for Game 2 against the Rays before deciding not to risk his first game there on Tropicana Field’s turf coming in the playoffs (though the decision to stick with Ryan McMahon still ultimately burned the Yankees). 

That Volpe was at second base for Game 3 was an indictment of Chisholm, but it also spoke to how the club believes in Volpe’s makeup, which was reinforced with how he responded to the demotion to Triple-A when he was replaced by Lombard after the trade deadline. 

“Volpe, what he’s able to do, talk about facing adversity, and what’s it tell you about him and his character and his makeup and his ability?” Boone said. “The way he’s come back and the level of at-bats he’s throwing up there [in Game 3], getting off the mat.” 

While Volpe hit 3-for-7 with a double and two strikeouts in his two playoff games this year, it remains a question what the Yankees could get out of him offensively next season. The demotion to Triple-A gave him the time to make some adjustments in his swing — ones he couldn’t fully make last offseason, which he spent most of rehabbing shoulder surgery — most notably using a stepback with his back foot to get him in a better rhythm. 

In the 14 regular-season games he played after coming back up from Triple-A, he hit .265 with a .695 OPS, one home run and five steals. Whether there is more where that came from (meaning more than his career .661 OPS across four seasons) remains to be seen. 

Volpe did look comfortable at second base, where his arm plays better and gives him more time to not have to rush plays, and it might just be his ticket to staying in The Bronx next year after a turbulent season. 

“I just wanted to stay in the moment,” Volpe said late Wednesday night. “I haven’t really even gotten to think of what’s happened or what happened to me or this year, anything like that, or how to get better from it. I just always tried to stay in the moment and do what I could do every single day to make myself the best player I can be, the best teammate, the best Yankee, everything.”

One round of the playoffs down, two to go, and Shohei Ohtani still looks nothing like Shohei Ohtani.

The Dodgers have moved him around their lineup almost on a game-by-game basis, as if they’re looking for a place to hide him without embarrassing him. If they really believe that “it’s going to click for him” at some point, as president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the other night, they have a strange way of showing it.

Statistically, Ohtani was in an even worse place last October, as he batted .121 over an eight-game stretch early in the postseason. The Dodgers kept Ohtani in his customary leadoff spot and he blasted three home runs in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series. He went on to homer three more times in the World Series. Sticking by Ohtani was an easy decision then, as the Dodgers were certain his problems were mechanical and not physical.

As much as Friedman and others have claimed that’s also the case this year, how they have used him indicates they are exaggerating, if not downright lying, about how confident they are about the health of his right arm and left knee.

Ohtani could also be experiencing discomfort in other areas of his body.

Last month, before Ohtani was placed on the injured list, he was known to be dealing with discomfort in his hip and neck. This week, in his final at-bat in Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, he grabbed his lower back after fouling off a pitch.

Heading into the NL Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Ohtani is 2 for 13 without any extra-base hits in this postseason.

So, what now? 

What do the Dodgers have to do with Ohtani?

The simple answer: Nothing different.

No need to drop him any further than fourth or fifth in the lineup. No need to replace him as the starting designated hitter. No need to shut him down. 

Keep running him out there – but not because manager Dave Roberts said that Ohtani is “going to come to life.” Ohtani last homered on Aug. 18, and it would be unrealistic to count on him to start launching balls into the stands again.

Here’s what Ohtani is doing: He’s reaching base.

He was on base at least once in every one of the four games of the NLDS. In 16 plate appearances, he walked twice and got on base a total of five times.

That’s an incredibly low bar for a four-time MVP, but that’s not how Ohtani should be judged right now. Rather, he has to be evaluated as one of the team’s 26 active players.

For a pitching-dependent team that isn’t expected to score runs in bunches – they averaged 3.5 runs per game in the NLDS – Ohtani is contributing enough offensively. He might be missing hittable pitches and reaching for too many that are outside of the strike zone, but opposing pitchers continue to treat him with a certain level of respect. That’s worth something, and it would be naive to think replacing him with Josue De Paula would represent an upgrade.

In the series-clinching win over the Braves on Wednesday, Ohtani drew a second-inning walk against starter Tyler Mahle, then stole second base. A resulting errant throw by Braves catcher Sean Murphy allowed Ohtani to advance to third base, from which he was able to score when shortstop Maurico Dubón dropped a popup by Max Muncy in shallow left field.

The run tied the game, 1-1. 

If Ohtani hadn’t scored, the game would have taken on an entirely different feel, as the Dodgers would have spent the night chasing the Braves instead of attempting to just wear them down.

In the game before that, Ohtani reached base on a catcher’s interference call to load the bases against Chris Sale. The Dodgers failed to score that inning, as Miguel Rojas lined out for the third out, but the plate appearance was nonetheless productive in that it elevated Sale’s pitch count and stressed the former Cy Young Award winner.

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Sale, who pitched a complete-game shutout against the Dodgers in late August, was removed from the game after just five innings.

So, there’s nothing wrong with Friedman’s insistence that Ohtani will continue playing in the upcoming NLCS against the Brewers.

Whether Ohtani is hitting or not, the best version of the Dodgers’ lineup has him in it. 

And while he might be incapable of being a consistent threat in these playoffs, who’s to say he won’t run into a pitch in a critical moment? 

At this point, his chances aren’t any worse than any of his potential replacements.

Max Muncy knows which Dodgers player had their bare butt exposed amid the team’s NLDS celebration.

But the Dodgers playoff legend refused to reveal the identity of said player. Instead, Muncy discussed a detail that shocked him about the now-viral video.

“I’m not gonna tell you who it was. I know who it was, but I’m not gonna tell you,” Muncy said.

Muncy asked Foul Territory’s AJ Pierzynski about the player’s fashion choice, beyond his bare butt.

“So, on that note, jockstraps with no sliders underneath?” Muncy said.

“That, to me, is one of the weirdest things about that is there’s no sliders underneath. This got way off topic real quick. Sorry about that one.”

While the Dodgers are all business on the field, fans can always count on some hilarious moments off the field from the star-studded roster. This October, it appears the viral butt cheek clip has taken the fan base by storm as the hilarious reactions from other players have also caused a stir on social media.

The Dodgers celebrated their NLDS victory over the Braves on Wednesday night, but their biggest task lies ahead. The NLCS matchup between the Dodgers and Brewers is slated to be one for the ages as both teams are deep in every facet.

Muncy is expected to play a big role for the Dodgers as the team chases its third consecutive World Series title. Against the Braves, Muncy hit his 19th postseason home run for the Dodgers, a franchise record.

You may have noticed that there are Major League Baseball games being played in front of packed houses each and every day this week. You may also have noticed that none of them have featured the Cincinnati Reds.

That’s because the Reds, unfortunately, were terrible this year. And terrible teams don’t get to play October baseball.

For this, the first Friday of the offseason, we will turn back to the Red Reporter tradition of listing, because on Fridays around these parts that’s what we do – we list. Here is a likely incomplete list of ways in which the Cincinnati Reds ranked dead last during the 2026 season, a list that tells just about every possible story as to why they aren’t playing in playoff games this week:

Hitting

• Strikeout rate (25.5%)
• BABIP (.278)
• Batting average (.229)
• On-Base Percentage (.305)
• Hits (1231)
• Singles (783)
• wRC+ (91)
• OFF (-66.3)
• Swords (277)
• Hit Into Play (3.536)

Pitching

• xERA* (4.92)
• BB/9 (4.19)
• BB (668)
• K/BB (1.94)
• FIP** (4.82)
• ERA** (4.84)
• WHIP** (1.44)
• Runs** (826)
• ERA-** (113)
• SIERA* (4.52)
• Exit Velocity* (89.5)
• Barrel %* (8.7%)

Fielding

• rSZ (-12)

These are all the ways in which the 2026 Cincinnati Reds were last, according to FanGraphs. Good thing it was only hitting the ball, pitching the ball, and fielding the ball where they struggled.

* last except for the Colorado Rockies, who barely even exist

** last except for the Colorado Rockies, who barely exist, and the Athletics, who have no home and played in a AAA stadium

With the conclusion of Kevin Gausman’s 5-year, $110 million contract that he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays after the Giants left him on read following the 2021 season, we can now see if the gamble to replace him in the aggregate as the team’s co-ace or, simply, the #2 starter to pair with Logan Webb, worked out as well as ownership expected it to after Farhan Zaidi no doubt offered his recommendation.

It’s important to keep in mind that after the Barry Zito, Jeff Samardzija, and Johnny Cueto deals ($346 million for 21.7 fWAR across 2,407 IP) and the Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain extensions ($153 million for 1 fWAR across 781 IP), the team’s ownership group decided that long-term pitching contracts weren’t good investments anymore and effectively banned them.

Sure, the Giants did wind up signing Logan Webb to a 5-year, $90 million extension back in 2023, but that caught a pitcher just as he was entering his prime rather than pay a premium to get (mostly) the downside of a guy’s career. I’ve already written about how Webb might already be at that point, but the Giants only have two years left on that deal. Kevin Gausman’s free agency started with a big red flag: year 1 of the deal would be his age-31 season. Instead, the team opted to go with short-term solutions while they waited for the farm system to produce the next crop of Logan Webbs or Matt Cains. Did the gambit pay off?

I’ve already checked in on the strategy a few times over the years, including a Giants-Blue Jays Series Preview from July, but that was before the deadline. That post included this graphic, which covered nearly the whole topic —

But now, with the season having concluded and Gausman’s Cubs team eliminated from the postseason, we can now look back and see how the entire strategy played out. AND, also, that this graphic was missing a VERY important pitcher, who I’ll get to in a moment.

Gausman wound up making all of his starts in his 5-year deal, allaying the injury concerns. From 2022-26, he threw 911.1 innings in 157 starts, went 57-53 with a 3.68 ERA (3.93 FIP), 9.65 K/9, 2.33 BB/9, and 1.00 HR/9.

The #2 starter trio of Carlos Rodon (2022), Alex Cobb (2022-2023), Robbie Ray (2024-2026), and Blake Snell (2024) threw 918.2 innings in 167 starts, went 57-42 with a 3.69 ERA (3.31 FIP), 9.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9. Here’s that graphic, refreshed:

Well, by every measure, Gausman won the move. Even in in the traditional counting stats. The Giants saved themselves $1.9 million and lost 6.1 wins above replacement over the last 5 years. Those 5 theoretical wins wouldn’t have amounted to very much in the grand scheme of things — the Giants would still be 391-419 since the start of the 2022 season — but on a weekly or monthly level, Gausman pitching consistently might’ve had a positive knock-on effect with the rotation and then bullpen.

Or, he could’ve gotten injured.

And, of course, the other way the Giants might have eked out a win with this strategy is in the returns they got for Cobb (who was on the IL at the time and hadn’t pitched an inning for the team in 2024) or Ray (to division rival San Diego). But they held on to Rodon and Snell at those respective deadlines. Of course, Snell then threw a no-hitter in his first start after the deadline, but the Giants never seemed all that interested in keeping him at all costs. And the return for Gausman (I know I misspelled Tyl Southisene’s name, but I’m not editing that image again) seems like it could be solid for Toronto as much as the Giants’ returns could be; though, they obviously win by that comparison based on volume alone or simply because they got Jacob Bresnahan.

Now, you could argue that there was a tweak in the strategy starting in 2024, when the team knew Alex Cobb wouldn’t be healthy enough to start the season, and possibly miss a decent chunk of the year. So, they hedged a bit by trading for Robbie Ray (and alleviating some of the dead money owed to Mitch Haniger) and setting themselves up for the next couple of years. They also stayed engaged with Blake Snell until they landed him (perhaps to his and the team’s detriment). So, at some point, the team recognized that money had to be spent on the rotation. But, wow, nearly $34 million for 3 extra wins above replacement across 5 seasons.

To be fair, although the Giants let their fear of age and injury prevent them from committing five years to Kevin Gausman but instead give out shorter terms to four pitchers with age and injury decline in their profiles, they did aim very high and succeeded in bringing in two Cy Young winners and another who was both not 30 and had garnered Cy Young votes the previous year (Rodon). So, it’s not like they pivoted from Kevin Gausman to Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle.

And you might quibble that Cobb doesn’t belong in this conversation at all. That he doesn’t amount to a co-ace or even a #2 starter. I don’t think that’s true, though. The reporting at the time suggested this was exactly the case. The Giants already knew they had a great one in Logan Webb, and so pairing him with a player of a similar profile helped him get better. So, Cobb belongs in the conversation. And he pitched well in the two seasons he managed to give them (he was an All-Star in 2023).

By the way, Cobb’s All-Star appearance wasn’t the only one of the group’s. Robbie Ray was an All-Star for the Giants last season. Carlos Rodon was an All-Star and got Cy Young votes in his lone Giants season. Blake Snell pitched a no-hitter. No postseason appearances, though, because the Giants weren’t good enough to make it into the lowered standard of the third Wild Card.

Gausman had Cy Young votes in the first two seasons of the five-year deal and was an All-Star in 2023. He didn’t throw a no-hitter, but he did have 3 complete games including 2 shutouts. He also made 8 starts in the postseason (and one relief outing) for Toronto and Chicago, posting a 4.12 ERA in 43.2 IP.

Spending $143.9 million over 5 years to come away with no positive memories but maybe 5-7 years of Jacob Bresnahan dominating at the major league level doesn’t feel like this strategy worked. The Giants seemed to have paid more than it paid out. At the end of the day, that was the concern once it became clear this was the team’s plan, and just because it’s come to pass doesn’t mean it should be shrugged off. But it also shouldn’t be totally condemned, either.

No, not because Cobb, Ray, and Snell spent a lot of time on the IL — injuries are a terrible excuse for sustained poor performance — but because it kinda worked? The Giants basically signed these guys in a pocket of high performance and got out maybe a season too soon rather than be stuck with a long-term contract that’s hard to move… not trying to compare that to Chapman/Adames situation the team now finds itself in, but it is interesting to note.

Wow. I can’t believe I’m not going to talk about the Giants’ decision to move on from Kevin Gausman ever again (unless they bring him back in free agency this offseason). But what do you think? In the final analysis, was ditching Kevin Gausman the right move?

Good afternoon everyone, we’re back for the latest edition of the mailbag, our first since the end of the Yankees season. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

jmack175 asks: What are the chances MLB changes the postseason format and re-seeds after the wild card round? Kinda dumb that the top two teams are playing each other after the wild card round is finished. A Tampa vs. Yankees series would be better as the final battle for the AL in a 7-game series.

I agree that the current format leaves a lot to be desired, with one of the glaring flaws being that in years such as this, when talent is so heavily concentrated in one division at the expense of the other two divisions in a particular league, you end up with the best teams all on one side of the postseason bracket, while the teams that made it in by default on the other side duke it out for a pass to the ALCS.

I’d imagine there are quite a few fans that would like to see change, and well, it seems like the league agrees. MLB’s latest proposal to the MLBPA reportedly includes a 154-game season, a seven-game division series, and allowing the higher seeds in each league to choose their opponents. Under this system, the three seed would get to choose their Wild Card round opponent, and then the number one seed would get to choose its division series opponent between the two Wild Card winners. This format isn’t at all perfect; if it was in place this year, for example, the third-seeded 81-81 Astros would’ve gotten to choose their first round opponent, and the Yankees still would’ve likely been left to play the Red Sox in the opening round. However, such a format also would have probably led the Rays to choose the White Sox as their Division Series opponent, letting the Yankees face the Guardians, and leaving the possibility of the Rays-Yankees ALCS that would’ve felt much more fitting given those were the top two teams in the AL all year.

Though I think this proposal would be a step in the right direction, I’d prefer the league go even further, and just seed the playoffs in order of record. It felt pretty silly to see the literally .500 Astros earn a higher playoff seed than a Yankees team that won 12 more games during the regular season. You could structure this in a way that still preserves some of the sanctity of the divisions themselves, by allowing the three division winners in, plus the three Wild Cards, and seeding those six teams by record. If MLB is to let 12 teams into its postseason tournament, I think this is the best way to seed it. 

Don Hood writes in:What has bothered me the most all season long is the lineup. I wrote into Pinstripe Alley several weeks ago remarking how I thought Lombard should be installed as the leadoff hitter. He gets on base, can steal a base, can cause distraction for the opposing pitcher, is fast at taking the extra base, etc. Last night, in the elimination game, Grisham, a horrible example of a leadoff hitter, went 0-5 with three K’s. Lombard, on the other hand, had two hits and a walk, on base three times. Absolutely time for change.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone that agreed with Aaron Boone’s decision to move Trent Grisham to the leadoff spot in the order. I’m something of a Grisham apologist, and I’ll note that before he got hurt in June, Grisham had a .332 wOBA a robust .360 expected wOBA, but it was clear before Boone penciled his name on top of the card on Wednesday night that that version of Grisham was nowhere to be found.

But the other half of Boone’s decision in Game 3, that of moving Ben Rice into the two slot out of the leadoff spot, made sense. Without Aaron Judge, Rice is the Yankees’ best hitter, and though it’s tempting to just bat your best hitter first to guarantee the most at-bats, you need to balance that desire with actually getting your best hitter in position to do maximum damage. To wit, Rice hit two home runs in Game 2, but with no on base. That game could’ve gone completely differently if men were on when Rice went deep, and the odds of the Yankees getting runners on ahead of Rice were higher with him hitting second behind a competent hitter.

Of course, a compromised Grisham does not look like a competent hitter, so that all leads to another question: who should have batted lead off? As Don notes, George Lombard Jr. could’ve been a reasonable option. Lombard has speed, and though it was just five games, he got on base at an excellent .368 clip in the playoffs.

That said, Lombard’s overall offensive numbers this season were nothing special, and it’s a lot to ask of the rookie to slot into the leadoff slot, especially without the platoon advantage, as he was on Wednesday (though for my money, I think Lombard might be a quality choice to lead off against lefties as soon as next Opening Day). Elsewhere, the choices still aren’t clear. Luis García Jr. is an excellent hitter against righties, but he’s not a guy who gets on base, and is better served lower in the order. The likes of Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero have speed but just not nearly enough offensive juice to warrant hitting leadoff.

I think there’s a safe choice, and then a wild card choice here. Cody Bellinger is either the Yankees’ second or third-best hitter with Judge out, and has the inverse skillset as García; Bellinger gets on base at a solid rate and has less power than Garcia. I would’ve likely penciled Bellinger in ahead of Rice on Wednesday. I do, however, want to highlight a sneaky option… Austin Wells. Though he made the baserunning blunder that may be the single moment that’s most remembered from this Yankee postseason, he put together some of the strongest at-bats of anyone in the lineup not named Rice in these playoffs. He’s also posted a .377 OBP and 143 wRC+ against righties post All-Star Break.

I’m not saying I would’ve done it, but the Yankees have experimented with Wells leading off before. He’s not the prototypical leadoff man, but since getting healthy this year, he’s been locked in against right-handed pitching. Maybe it’s something the Yankees can toy with again in 2027?

The Dodgers and Brewers meet in a best-of-seven NLCS beginning Sunday night in Milwaukee. The Brewers already won four out of seven regular games against the Dodgers this year, but in the regular season. While last year showed us the regular season and postseason are different — Los Angeles lost all six games to Milwaukee before sweeping them out of the NLCS — there are some potential takeaways from the 2026 regular season matchups.

Dodgers vs. Brewers games, 2026

• May 22: Brewers 5, Dodgers 1
• May 23: Dodgers 11, Brewers 3
• May 24: Dodgers 5, Brewers 1
• August 13: Brewers 5, Dodgers 4
• August 14: Dodgers 3, Brewers 1
• August 15: Brewers 4, Dodgers 1
• August 16: Brewers 6, Dodgers 2

Offense tough to come by

In seven total games, the Dodgers outscored the Brewers 27-25, with both teams averaging under four runs per contest. In five of the seven games, the losing team scored one or two runs.

Only two games saw one of the teams score more than five runs — on May 23 in Milwaukee, the Dodgers had five extra-base hits and broken open a one-run game with seven runs in the eighth and ninth innings combined; and August 16 in Los Angeles, the Brewers scored a pair of runs in the ninth inning to get to six in the their last regular season tussle of the year.

The Dodgers hit just .188/.291/.335 in these seven games, while the Brewers hit just .228/.313/.307.

Of the Dodgers seven home runs, three were hit by Andy Pages and two by Max Muncy. Teoscar Hernández homered once and hit .375/.444/.500 in seven games against Milwaukee. William Contreras hit two of the Brewers’ three home runs against the Dodgers, hitting .304/.360/.565 in his six games.

Milwaukee on the season stole 162 bases, fifth-most in the majors, with a 75-percent success rate, which will be something for the Dodgers to watch. But the Brewers only stole two bases in seven games against the Dodgers, and was caught three times. Notably, Milwaukee in the regular season did not face Tyler Glasnow or Blake Snell, the Dodgers’ two starting pitchers most susceptible to running.

Pitchers you will see in the NLCS

The likely starting pitchers of the first two games of the NLCS were all very effective in Dodgers-Brewers games this season.

Jacob Misiorowski struck out six and allowed one run in a win at Dodger Stadium on August 15, a game you might recall as Charley Steiner’s first full game broadcast on radio this season. Misiorowski has a 1.59 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 17 innings over three games against the Dodgers, including Game 3 of last year’s NLCS.

Tarik Skubal allowed only two runs (one earned) with seven strikeouts in six innings against the Brewers on August 16, but took a tough-luck loss.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto won both of this starts against Milwaukee, with 12 strikeouts and two runs allowed in 13 innings. Logan Henderson won both of his starts against the Dodgers, with 13 strikeouts and one run allowed in 12 innings.

Dustin May, whom you might remember as pitching the third-most regular season innings on last year’s Dodgers, started Game 3 of the NLDS for the Brewers, who acquired him at the trade deadline. On May 3 in St. Louis, May with the Cardinals allowed three runs in six innings in a loss to the Dodgers.

Roki Sasaki, now in the bullpen in October, had a 3.27 ERA in two starts against the Brewers, with more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six).

Baker’s dozen?

The Dodgers will likely add a 13th pitcher now that they are in a best-of-7 series after carrying a dozen pitchers in the best-of-5 NLDS.

Whether Justin Wrobleski makes the cut remains to be seen. In two starts against Milwaukee this regular season, Wrobleski allowed nine runs in 11 innings, including three home runs, and lost both games. Emmet Sheehan is another option should the Dodgers opt for a bulk pitcher in this round.

Four Brewers regulars — Jake Bauers (140 OPS+), Brice Turang (124 OPS+), Garrett Mitchell (112 OPS+), and Christian Yelich (91 OPS+) — all bat left-handed, as does Sal Frelick and David Hamilton. Should the Dodgers opt to carry more than three left-handed relievers, either at the expense of one of the five right-handed relievers who were active in the NLDS or adding a bulk pitcher, Jack Dreyer struck out four of his eight Brewers batters faced in the regular season in two appearances and 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

81-81 FINAL RECORD; AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST DIVISION CHAMPS

IN THE STANDINGS: The Astros finished the regular season in first place in the AL West with an 81-81 record, topping the second-place Rangers by 1.0 game. The Astros clinched their division on the final day of the regular season with a strong finishing kick, as they went 4-2 in their final six games, all on the road, to overtake the Rangers for the division title.

IN THE POSTSEASON: The Astros made their 19th postseason appearance in club history in what was the 65th year of the franchise that began in 1962. This season marked the 14th time in club history for the Astros to enter the postseason as a division winner. The Astros have won three different divisions in their history, the NL West (1980, 1986), NL Central (1997-99, 2001) and AL West (2017-19, 2021-24, 2026).

SINCE 2015: After a one-year hiatus, the Astros were back in the postseason this year for the 10th time in the last 12 seasons (2015-26). The Astros join the Dodgers and Yankees as the only teams in the Majors to qualify for the postseason in at least 10 of the last 12 years (since 2015).

POSTSEASON VETS: Since 2015, the Astros have played more postseason games (107) and earned more postseason wins (62) than any other AL club. The Astros are 62-45 in that span for a .579 winning pct. in the postseason.

THE WILD CARD ROUND: The Astros played in the Wild Card round for the fourth time in their postseason history. The Astros are now 3-4 all-time in the Wild Card round, dispatching the Yankees in the one-game playoff in 2015, sweeping the Twins in the 2020 Wild Card Series and getting swept by the Tigers in 2024 and the White Sox in 2026.

ABOUT THE WILD CARD SERIES: The Astros were swept in the Wild Card Series by the White Sox, losing Game 1 by a score 6-3, and losing Game 2, 7-3. The Astros out-homered the White Sox, 4-2, including one each by SS Jeremy Peña and 2B Jose Altuve. The Astros had several big performances out of their bullpen in the series, including impressive 3.0-inning appearances by RHP Miguel Ullola and RHP Peter Lambert.

AT THE HELM: Astros manager Joe Espada has guided the Astros to the postseason in two of his three seasons as the Astros manager since taking over before the 2024 season. Espada has posted a 256-229 regular season record in his three years as the Astros manager and ranks ninth in club history in managerial wins.

SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: After starting the season 20-31 after 51 games, the Astros went 61-50 (.550) in their last 110 games (starting on May 22). Their record since that date ranked fourth in the AL, trailing only playoff teams, the Red Sox (65-48), Yankees (63-47) and Rays (65-49).

LEAD PROTECTORS: The Astros went 70-0 when leading after 8.0 innings on the season. They were one of just four clubs that did not lose a game when leading after 8.0 innings, along with the Rays (85-0), Diamondbacks (72-0), and Rangers (70-0).

ROAD WARRIORS: The Astros posted a 42-39 record on the road, which was three games better than their home record (39-42), giving the Astros their sixth straight season with a winning road record. Houston started the season 1-9 on their first road trip before rebounding for a 41-30 (.577) road record after April 14.

MEASURING UP: The Astros went 29-26 (.527) against teams that finished with a winning record, with that winning percentage ranking fourth in the Majors, trailing only the Rays (40-28) in the AL. The Astros had winning records against five eventual playoff teams, the Cubs (3-0), Red Sox (5-1), White Sox (5-2), Guardians (4-2) and Phillies (2-1).

SILVER BOOT SECURED: The Astros finished their season series with a 9-4 record against the Rangers, securing them the 2026 Silver Boot. The Astros have now won the Silver Boot in 10 consecutive seasons (every year since 2017), during which the Astros have gone 102-55 vs. the Rangers.

GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros hit 226 regular season homers as a team this year, which were the most in the Majors. The last time the Astros led the Majors in home runs was in 2000, when they hit 249 homers. The 2026 Astros also led the AL in SLG (.417) and OPS (.732).

20-HR CLUB: The Astros had five players reach 20 home runs this season: DH Yordan Alvarez (42), 1B Christian Walker (29), 3B Isaac Paredes (25), SS Jeremy Peña (22) and RF Cam Smith (21). They were one of just three teams in the Majors to do so, along with the Braves (5) and Cubs (5).

TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros led the American League in two-out runs with 324 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (333) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes was the driving force behind this, as he led the Majors in two-out RBI with 46.

UP TO THE CHALLENGE: Astros hitters were third in the AL in successful ABS challenges with 93 (in 185 chances). Among individual players, Jose Altuve had 21 successful challenges on the year, the most in the American League.

ABOUT THE ROSTER: The Astros used 28 different position players and 31 true pitchers for a total of 59 players used in the 2026 season. They used 19 different starting pitchers, a franchise record.

THE LINEUP: The Astros used 156 different lineups in their 162 games, repeating a lineup just six times on the season. DH Yordan Alvarez had the most starts at any spot in the lineup among Astros, hitting second 147 times.

ANNUAL HOUSTON BBWAA AWARDS: The Houston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the 2026 Astros award winners as below:

• Astros MVP: Yordan Alvarez

• Astros Pitcher of the Year: Peter Lambert

• Astros Rookie of the Year: AJ Blubaugh

• Darryl Kile Good Guy Award: Bryan Abreu

• Fred Hartman Long and Meritorious Service to Baseball Award: Brent Strom

ASTROS 2026 HIGHLIGHTS:

Feb. 11……………First day of Spring Training

March 26 ………………….Astros Opening Day

April 3 ……………Alvarez records 500th RBI

April 6 ……………..Alvarez named AL POTW

April 21 ……..Altuve plays in 2,000th game

May 4 ………Alvarez named April AL POTM

May 13 …………..Cole walkoff single vs. SEA

May 25 ……..Astros throw no-hitter at TEX

June 3 ……….Arrighetti named May POTM

June 3 ………..Hader makes season debut

June 4 ……..Paredes hits 100th career HR

June 8 …………….Alvarez named AL POTW

June 8 …..Alvarez has six RBI in an inning

July 4 ………………Alvarez walkoff HR vs. TB

July 6 ………………Alvarez named AL POTW

July 11 ………………….2026 MLB draft begins

July 14 ……………..The 2026 All-Star Game

July 17 ……………Peña begins 15g hit streak

July 27 ………………..Peña named AL POTW

July 31…………Astros move into first place

Aug. 2 ……………..Astros win 11 of 12 games

Aug. 3 ……………Alvarez named July POTM

Aug. 3 …………………Astros trade for Varsho

Aug. 14 …………..Walker walkoff HR vs. SEA

Aug. 15 ……………Two added to Astros HOF

Sept. 3 ……….Hader named August ROTM

Sept. 4 ….Hader earns 250th career save

Sept. 9 …………..Altuve records 2,500th hit

Sept. 24 ……..Spence has three-HR game

Sept. 27 …………………Astros clinch division

Sept. 29……………Game 1 of the WC Series

The Nationals deployed a strategy of both buying and selling at the trade deadline this season, shipping off major league talents such as Curtis Mead, Luis Garcia Jr., and Foster Griffin, while also acquiring immediate big league help such as Connelly Early, Will Dion, and Yovanny Cruz. They didn’t quite buy in the sense some expected, holding onto almost all of their prospects except outfielder Christian Franklin, who was swapped for Orioles relief pitching prospect Joe Glassey, but they showed they would be somewhat aggressive in acquiring pieces that could help them win in the upcoming season.

So as the Nationals enter the winter and look to bolster their roster for a potential playoff push in 2027, the question looms of what current Nationals, either big leaguers or prospects, could be used as trade chips to strengthen the roster. Having taken over the organization about a year ago, there are still plenty of players in the system that Paul Toboni did not acquire, ones who he would be more willing to part with than the old regime would’ve been. Let’s examine some of those potential trade chips, and who Nats fans could expect to acquire if they were to be shipped off.

SS/2B CJ Abrams

I’ll begin by getting the big one out of the way, that being CJ Abrams. Abrams had a career year in 2026, setting new personal bests in just about all offensive categories, but he is also 2 years away from free agency, a defensive liability, and a middle infielder in a system with a plethora of middle infield talent on the way up. While in an ideal world Abrams could be a National long-term with a contract extension, it would be malpractice for Paul Toboni not to at least take calls from other teams about Abrams.

Now most fans would expect a CJ Abrams trade to be a signal of the Nationals selling, but does it have to be? Perhaps there is a world where a swap for a high-profile hitter or starting pitcher could be performed, bolstering the Nationals in another area while temporarily weakening them in another, at least until the likes of Seaver King, Eli Willits, and others can fill the gap.

2B Luke Dickerson

Luke Dickerson making it through the trade deadline as a National was somewhat of a surprise to me, as he was top of my list of prospects I expected the Nats to shop. Dickerson is a talented young ballplayer, putting up a strong 112 wRC+ in 118 games in 2026, but in a Nationals system filled to the brim with exciting middle infield talent, he’s an awkward fit. The Nationals have tried Dickerson all over the field, getting him plenty of outfield reps upon his call-up to High-A, but the best thing for both parties may be finding a new home for Dickerson and some more pitching depth for the Nats’ farm system.

1B/3B Yohandy Morales

Morales is another name I expect could be on a new ballclub by the start of 2026. Morales had a great year at Triple-A, with a 127 wRC+ in 104 games, and a solid cup of coffee at the big league level, with a 124 wRC+ in 17 games, but there are holes in his offensive profile that make me question his long-term viability as a big league bat, especially with the little defensive value he provides. The front office clearly had some questions as well, only finally giving YoYo a shot in the bigs in September despite some incredibly hot stretches at Triple-A during the year.

SS Coy James

James showed some exciting tools in 2026 at Low A, but similar to Dickerson, his fit in the Nationals farm system is awkward unless he were to be moved off the middle infield. The Nationals also not promoting James was somewhat interesting, although the logjam of infield talent at High A could also help explain that. James’ combination of power and speed makes him a more interesting trade chip than Dickerson and YoYo, with the chance of returning a quality big league reliever or backend starter if paired with another piece or two.

C Caleb Lomavita

Lomavita is another prospect brought in by the old regime that has simply been passed up in the Nationals farm system by other backstops, with Maxwell Romero Jr. earning the promotion to Triple-A over him midseason. Lomavita hasn’t posted bad numbers, with a 102 wRC+ in 85 games in 2026, but his free-swinging approach as well as subpar defense have led to him being passed up in the organizational depth chart. Lomavita may not bring in much value on his own, but could be used as a flier piece to help get a deal done.

The Red Sox and Yankees met in the postseason in consecutive years in the Wild Card round – both won by New York. 

The clubs had not met in consecutive postseasons since their pair of classics in the 2003 and 2004 ALCS. My how things have changed since those incredible back-to-back October clashes. 

The rivalry climaxed in those years. Despite the intrigue of another round of consecutive meetings in Oct… actually September, Boston and New York are in a far lesser realm of the rivalry, one where mediocrity limits its potential. 

While the Bleacher Creatures have every right to give it to Red Sox Nation for back-to-back flight stamps to Cancun, the Yankees have done nothing with either momentum boost from defeating their rivals over the past two years. In the ALDS in each of the last two seasons, New York went out with a whimper at the hands of the American League East champions – the Blue Jays in 2025 and the Rays in 2026. 

What happened to the era where the Red Sox and Yankees sent star after star into battle for marathons that defined generations? The truth is we’ll never be at the level of 2003 and 2004 between these teams again, but can we raise the standard just a little bit?

Both teams have a handful of big names that sometimes distract from flawed rosters that can otherwise barely qualify for the postseason and that’s about it. The Red Sox have averaged just 88 wins over the last two years. Dating back to the 2024 World Series, New York is just 2-10 in its last 12 playoff games against non-Boston clubs and have been eliminated at Yankee Stadium in four consecutive playoff exits since 2022. 

Weren’t these the teams that spent the majority of the first quarter of the 21st century fighting for division titles? Weren’t these the teams that met in October 2018 each having won 100 games in the regular season? 

The rivalry is calmer. The stakes are lower. The results fall short and it’s a sad state of a fierce rivalry that once defined the sport. These teams have lacked an all-in approach and frankly it’s starting to show in a major way – both against each other and in their own respective championship aspirations.

Heading into an offseason with uncertainty swirling around the sport as a whole, can the Red Sox and Yankees each take legitimate actions for a stern reestablishment as bonafide contenders?

Doubtful. 

Red Sox brass in the end-of-season press conference appeared committed to the young core that’s taken strides in recent regular seasons before bowing out with remarkably disappointing showings in the playoffs. In the Bronx, retaining general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone seems likely, keeping the status quo for a Yankees team that has failed to get over the hump in the Aaron Judge era and still remains without a championship since 2009. 

The Red Sox and Yankees will still pack stadiums and draw ratings whenever they meet, but this stage of the rivalry is a large, unquestionable disappointment. Here’s to that changing sooner rather than later…