Category: MLB

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the 2026 major league season is going to end this week. It might not happen until Saturday. Or it could be as soon as tomorrow. But by this time next week, MLB will have crowned a first-time World Series champion and will have begun a potentially very, very long and painful offseason.

Exactly how many more days of baseball we’ll get depends on whether the Tampa Bay Rays can find a spark and climb their way out of their 2-0 series hole against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Rays didn’t exactly get blown out in the first two games in Milwaukee, losing each game by one and ending with the potential tying run at third base in both cases. One swing of the bat in each game could’ve made this a 2-0 Tampa Bay lead. But the Rays — like most teams this postseason — have had no answer for the Brewers’ dominant bullpen, and have squandered the opportunities they’ve had, going 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position so far.

The good news for the Rays is that the next three games will be at friendly Tropicana Field, where their 55-26 mark this season was tied for the best home record in baseball with — you guessed it — the Brewers. The Rays also figure to have the starting pitching advantage for Games 3 and 4, sending former Brewer Freddy Peralta and Griffin Jax to the mound against Milwaukee’s lesser-tier starters and bullpen games. With Jacob Misiorowski looming for the Brewers in Game 5, it would behoove the Rays to win the next two games and even up the series before dealing with the Miz.

I’ve said before that I’m rooting for the Brewers to win it all, but that doesn’t mean I want this series to end in a clean sweep. Sweeps are boring (unless it’s the Orioles doing it). I want a seven-game World Series, and I want every moment of every game to be exciting. Both games have been decided by one run so far — why not make it all seven? Is that too much to ask?

This might be the last time we get to watch Major League Baseball for a long while, so we need to make it count. Let’s stretch this thing out as long as we can before we delve into the bleak reality of an extended baseball hiatus.

Links

For decades, he’s hunted tickets from Cal Ripken’s ‘Iron Man’ streak. Just 8 elude him. – The Baltimore Banner

If you happened to attend an Orioles game in Minnesota, Kansas City, or Texas in the early 1980s and still have your ticket stub, maybe you can help Rick Taylor complete his truly impressive collection.

Should Orioles give Mountcastle a try in the outfield? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Rich Dubroff fields a question from a reader who clearly has no memory of the Ryan Mountcastle outfield debacle of 2020-21. I envy that reader.

A hope for the O’s farm: Teach young players more situational awareness – Steve Melewski

I like what I’ve read about Mike Shildt and his emphasis on fundamentals. I just wish there was some evidence that it was actually working.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day, including outfielder and MLB The Show aficionado Dwight Smith Jr. (34), left-hander Danny Coulombe (37), and righty Wayne Garland (76).

On this day in 1998, Hall of Fame Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar declared free agency after three seasons with the Birds. He certainly had an eventful tenure in Baltimore. The O’s stunned the baseball world in December 1995 by signing Alomar, one of baseball’s most coveted free agents, to a three-year, $18 million deal (which was a lot of money at the time). Production-wise, Alomar was one of the best signings the Orioles ever made, earning an All-Star nod all three years and winning two Gold Gloves, and boasting a potent .862 OPS and 50 homers as he helped the O’s make the playoffs in 1996 and 1997. But his tenure was forever stained in September 1996 when he spit on umpire John Hirschbeck, turning him into an oft-booed pariah among baseball fans. After leaving the Orioles, Alomar signed with Cleveland to join his brother, Sandy Jr.

Remember when Cowboys week actually meant something to the Eagles? Those were fun times. Now, tonight, we have to see which team stinks less.

At least there is the World Series, which has been very good so far.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Hey look, another piece about Alec Bohm and the decision to offer him a qualifying offer. Fortunately, this one makes more sense.
• Is it possible that the key piece to the 2027 roster rests on the suddenly sketchy back of their top prospect?

MLB news:

• Quinn Priester had the same type of surgery as Zack Wheeler and though he’s watching the World Series from the dugout, he’s on track to return earlier than expected in 2027.
• Stu Sternberg would tell you he tried to win with the Rays in Tampa Bay. Now, they’re moving forward trying to win without him ($).
• Brandon Woodruff has come full circle with the Brewers, hoping to win a title in the stadium he made his major debut in.
• Who have been some of the top performers in the Arizona Fall League this past week?

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 (8-4)

MESA 7, SURPRISE 4 (BOX)

• 1B COLE MATHIS: 0-4, K

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 (8-5)

GLENDALE 10, SURPRISE 3 (BOX)

• 2B BRUIN AGBAYANI: 0-4, BB
• SS BOSTON BARO: 1-3, RBI, BB, K
• RHP BRENDAN GIRTON: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP RYAN LAMBERT: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 (9-5)

SURPRISE 9, MESA 2 (BOX)

• 1B COLE MATHIS: 1-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SB (1)
• 2B BRUIN AGBAYANI : 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 K
• RHP CALVIN ZIEGLER : 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, HBP

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 (9-6)

PEORIA 12, SURPRISE 11 (BOX)

• DH BOSTON BARO: 2-5, 2 R, HR (1), 4 RBI, K

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 (9-6)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 (10-6)

SURPRISE 5, SALT RIVER 3 (BOX)

• 2B BRUIN AGBAYANI: 1-4, RBI, K, SB (2)
• RHP PEYTON PRESCOTT: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP IRVING COTA: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, HBP, H (2)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 (10-6)

NO GAME (SCHEDULE)

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE SEASON TO DATE

BRUIN AGBAYANI: 10 G, 34 AB, .118/.268/.176, 4 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 7 BB, 13 K, 2/2 SB, .190 BABIP

BOSTON BARO: 8 G, 22 AB, .227/.452/.364, 5 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 9 BB, 7 K, 3/3 SB, .286 BABIP

COLE MATHIS: 8 G, 32 AB, .156/.289/.281, 5 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 6 BB, 4 K, 1/1 SB, .148 BABIP

IRVING COTA: 4 G (0 GS), 11.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER (3.27 ERA), 3 BB, 14 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 0 BLK, .200 BABIP

BRENDAN GIRTON: 4 G (0 GS), 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER (0.00 ERA), 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HBP, 0 WP, 0 BLK, .286 BABIP

RYAN LAMBERT: 4 G (0 GS), 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER (0.00 ERA), 2 BB, 5 K, 0 HBP, 1 WP, 0 BLK, .000 BABIP

PEYTON PRESCOTT: 4 G (4 GS), 7.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER (3.68 ERA), 5 BB, 6 K, 1 HBP, 0 BLK, .348 BABIP

CALVIN ZIEGLER: 4 G (0 GS), 3.0 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 5 ER (15.00 ERA), 5 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, 2 WP, 0 BLK,

.222 BABIP

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Steve Ontiveros, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1971 – Vida Blue of the Oakland Athletics wins the American League Cy Young Award by a 98-85 margin over Mickey Lolich of the Detroit Tigers. Blue was 24-8 for Oakland, posting 301 strikeouts, eight shutouts and a 1.82 ERA, becoming the youngest pitcher to win the award. In the National League, Ferguson Jenkins* of the Chicago Cubs receives the honor, and 2016 – The Cubs tie up the World Series with a 5 – 1 win over the Indians in Game 2. Jake Arrieta does not allow a hit until the sixth, while the Cubs score against Trevor Bauer in the top of the first and add runs in the third and fifth. Anthony Rizzo scores twice while Kyle Schwarber, who has missed almost the entire season with an injury, drives in a pair, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1911 – Danny Murphy of the Philadelphia Athletics has four hits as the A’s beat the New York Giants, 13-2, to win the World Series in six games. Philadelphia puts the game out of reach with a seven-run seventh inning.
• 1931 – Charles Comiskey dies at age 72. The Chicago White Sox owner and pioneer player never recovered from the betrayal of the 1919 World Series.
• 1934 – The Boston Red Sox acquire shortstop Joe Cronin from the Washington Senators for his counterpart Lyn Lary and an estimated $250,000. Senators owner Clark Griffith needs the money to keep his franchise afloat during the Great Depression and is willing to see his best player leave in order to do so. Cronin will hit .295 with 95 RBI in 1935, the first of his 11 seasons as a Boston player.
• 1940 – Detroit Tigers outfielder Hank Greenberg is named the American League MVP with Cleveland Indians pitcher Bob Feller finishing second. Greenberg hit .340 with 41 home runs and 150 RBI, while Feller posted a 27-11 record with a 2.61 ERA. Having won the award in 1935 as a first baseman, Greenberg becomes the first player to win the MVP again playing a different position.
• 1950 – The Baseball Writers Association of America selects New York YankeesshortstopPhil Rizzuto as the American League MVP. He posted a .324 batting average with 200 hits and 125 runs scored, but drove in just 66.
• 1960 – After his family has been operating the team in the nation’s capital ever since Clark Griffith took over as manager of the club in 1912, Calvin Griffith, president of the Washington Senators, makes the decision to move his club to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
• 1982 – Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies becomes the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards, taking National League honors. The 37-year-old lefthander, who led the National League in wins (23), innings pitched (295.2), strikeouts (286) and shutouts (6), was a previous winner in 1972, 1977 and 1980.
• 1985 – The Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 of the World Series, thanks in part to a controversial ninth-inning call by Don Denkinger. The umpire rules the Royals’ Jorge Orta safe at first base, when replays show he was out. The Royals will go on to score two runs to win, 2-1, forcing a seventh game.
• 1991 – OutfielderKirby Puckett prevents two Atlanta runs with a leaping catch in the third inning and then lofts a sacrifice fly in the fifth to give the Twins the lead in Game 6 of the World Series. The Braves tie it in the seventh, but Puckett turns out the lights in the 11th with a home run to force a seventh game. (Jack Buck: “”And we’ll see you ..… tomorrow night!”)
• 1996 – The New York Yankees clinch their 23rd World Series by defeating the Atlanta Braves, 3-2, in Game 6. Joe Girardi‘s RBI triple keys a three-run rally against Greg Maddux. John Wetteland is named Series MVP after posting his fourth save.
• 1997 – Edgar Renteria ends one of the most thrilling Game 7 in World Series history, singling with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Florida Marlins their first World championship with a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians. The five-year-old Marlins become the youngest expansion team to win the Fall Classic. Pitcher Livan Hernandez wins the Series MVP award. Following the 2010 season, a panel of experts at the MLB Network will vote this game the 13th greatest game of the past fifty years.
• 2000 – In Game 5 at Shea Stadium, the Yankees win their third consecutive World Series, their fourth title in five years, and record their 26th World championship, by defeating the Mets, 4-2. Luis Sojo‘s ninth-inning two-out, tie-breaking single off starter Al Leiter is the decisive hit. Yankees shortstopDerek Jeter becomes the first player to win the All-Star Game MVP and the Series MVP honors in the same season. Joe Torre becomes only the fifth manager to win four World Series championships, joining Hall of FamersJoe McCarthy (7), Casey Stengel (7), Connie Mack (5) and Walter Alston (4) .
• 2004 – In Game 3 of the World Series at Busch Stadium, Manny Ramirez hits a two-run home run as the Boston Red Sox defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1, for their third consecutive victory. Pedro Martinez is the winning pitcher, helped by relievers Mike Timlin and Keith Foulke as Jeff Suppan is the loser.
• 2004 – Prior to Game 3 of the World Series, Edgar Martinez receives the Roberto Clemente Award, an honor given to the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team. A native of Puerto Rico, the Marinersdesignated hitter, like the award’s namesake, is involved in a number of charitable causes.
• 2005 – In the World Series, the Chicago White Sox complete a sweep of the Houston Astros with a 1-0 victory in Game 4. Freddy Garcia pitches seven solid shutout innings. Series MVPJermaine Dye connects for an RBI single off Brad Lidge in the eighth for the only run of the game, as Juan Uribe adds strong defensive support at shortstop. Garcia becomes the first Venezuelan starter to win a World Series game. He also accomplishes the feat with good friend and fellow countryman Ozzie Guillen at the helm, who manages the White Sox to earn the franchise’s first World Championship since 1917.
• 2011 – New Chicago Cubs President Theo Epstein announces the appointment of Jed Hoyer, who worked with him with the Boston Red Sox, as the team’s new general manager.
• 2014 – 22-year-old outfielder Oscar Taveras is killed in a car crash near his hometown of Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic. Only ten days ago, the promising prospect was playing for the Cardinals in the NLCS.
• 2018 – The Dodgers win a marathon Game 3 in the World Series, 3-2 over the Red Sox, on a walk-off homer by Max Muncy off Nathan Eovaldi to lead off the 18th inning. The game lasts 7 hours and 20 minutes and begins with a great start by Walker Buehler, who shuts out the Sox for seven innings. But Los Angeles can only score one run on a solo homer by Joc Pederson in the third, and in the eighth Boston ties the score on a two-out homer by Jackie Bradley off Kenley Jansen. The two teams trade runs in the 13th when the Dodgers manage to score on a two-out error by 2B Ian Kinsler. The score remains at 2-2 until Muncy ends the game as Eovaldi begins his seventh inning of work. The game’s total time and the 18 pitchers used are both postseason records.
• 2019 – Major League Baseball honors the best relief pitchers in the game before Game 4 of the World Series. Aroldis Chapman wins the Mariano Rivera Award for the first time, while Josh Hader is a repeat winner of the Trevor Hoffman Award.

Cubs Birthdays:Steve Ontiveros, Otto Vogel, Tommy Griffith, Harry Chapman, Andy Sommers.

Today in history:

• 1774 – First Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia.
• 1776 – Benjamin Franklin departs for France on a mission to seek French support for the American Revolution.
• 1824 – First presidential election in American history where the popular vote is important with 18 states choosing presidential electors by popular vote. Andrew Jackson wins the most votes but is short of a majority, forcing a contingent election in the House of Representatives which John Quincy Adams wins.
• 1861 – The Pony Express (Missouri to California) ends after 19 months.
• 1881 – Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: The most famous shootout in the Wild West occurs between lawmen, including Wyatt Earp, and the Cowboys, with Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton killed.
• 1951 – Future world heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano defeats former champion Joe Louis by TKO in the eighth round at Madison Square Garden.
• 1962 – Nikita Khrushchev sends note to JFK offering to withdraw his missiles from Cuba if US closes its bases in Turkey. Offer is rejected and JFK warns Russia that the USA will not allow Soviet missiles to remain in Cuba.
• 1968 – Future world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman wins the Olympic heavyweight gold medal when the final against Jonas Čepulis (Soviet Union) is stopped in round 2 at the Mexico City Games.
• 1970 – The “Doonesbury” comic strip debuts in 28 newspapers.

Today in music history:

• 1927 – American jazz vocalist Adelaide Hall makes her 1st recordings – “Creole Love Call” and “Blues I Love to Sing” – with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey.
• 1956 – Jazz trumpeter Miles Davis leads his new quintet — Paul Chambers (double bass and cello), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Red Garland (piano), and Philly Joe Jones (drums) — in the second of two marathon sessions at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack, New Jersey; released by Columbia as the classic albums ‘Cookin'” (1957),”Relaxin'” (1958),”Workin'” (1960), and “Steamin'” (1961).
• 1965 – Queen Elizabeth decorates The Beatles with medals making them members Order of the British Empire (MBE) at Buckingham Palace.
• 1973 – Wings release single “Helen Wheels”.
• 1981 – British rock band Queen and David Bowie release their serendipitous collaborative single “Under Pressure.“

*pictured.

We got a breather after a breathless first two games of the World Series, with the two teams returning to action tonight as the series shifts to Florida. The Brewers only outscored the Rays by a total of two runs in Games 1 and 2, but they won both games, and the pressure is on Tampa Bay to turn this into a series back at home. They’ll have Freddy Peralta on the mound in service of that effort, with the righty coming off an ALCS MVP award and the team looking for him to continue what he’s done since he came over via trade from the Mets.

It’ll be a light day on the site ahead of the Game 3 matchup, which will go off at 8pm ET and will see the Brewers counter with lefty Robert Gasser against Peralta. In the morning, you can catch Nick’s review of Tim Hill’s disappointing 2026 campaign, while Matt profiles Snuffy Sternweiss, not a household name as far as Yankees history goes, but the author of a couple of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen from a lower-profile Yankee.

Today’s Playoff Matchup:

World Series Game 3
(Brewers lead 2-0)

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Milwaukee Brewers
(RHP Freddy Peralta vs. LHP Robert Gasser)

Time: 8:00 p.m. EST

TV: FOX/FOX One/Fox Deportes

Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL

Questions/Prompts:

1. Who do you think has the pitching advantage tonight between the Brewers with Gasser and the Rays with Peralta?

2. As he’s set to become a free agent after the World Series, do you think Freddy Peralta has resuscitated his free-agent value with what he’s done down the stretch and in the playoffs?

TAMPA — Mike Rizzo, the architect of the Washington Nationals’ World Series championship, now would like to turn around the fate of the franchise the Nationals defeated to accomplish their historic feat.

Rizzo is interviewing for the Houston Astros’ vacant general manager job Monday in Houston, two persons with direct knowledge told USA TODAY Sports. The persons spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Astros want to keep their search private.

The Nationals beat the Astros in 2019 in seven games for their first World Series title in the nation’s capital just weeks before the Astros’ sign-stealing cheating scandal was revealed, and two months before they were punished.

Rizzo, 65, has since informed friends of his deep desire to work for the Astros since the firing of GM Dana Brown in August. Rizzo has strong respect for Astros owner Jim Crane, believing they’ll continue to spend money to be a contender having reached the postseason nine times in the past 10 years – including eight division titles. Rizzo and his family also live in West Palm Beach, Florida, site of the Astros' (and Nationals) spring-training complex.

How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.

There was something hauntingly familiar with the way Game 3 of USA TODAY Sports' annual Simulated World Series played out.

The Tampa Bay Rays jumped out to a quick early lead, but the Milwaukee Brewers slowly and methodically chipped away before finally recording a 5-4 victory − one that wasn't decided until after some wild ninth-inning drama. Sure sounds an awful like the actual Game 2, doesn't it?

Here's how our Game 3 simulation played out:

Newsday | Erik Boland ($): “… there should have been an attempt by the club hierarchy to acknowledge and understand — or, at the very least, pretend to understand — the anger of that fan base, spoiled as it may act at times, after yet another sooner-than-expected October exit.”

So sayeth Boland, in a scathing critique of how Hal Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman, and Aaron Boone addressed yet another disappointing Yankees’ season this past week. Steinbrenner was happy to pin the blame on the players (as he should) but the Yankee brain trust decried any notion that there are larger structural or philosophical issues with the organization. It’s incredibly insulting to a fanbase whose members tend to live and die with the club. As Boland said towards the end of his piece, “In the end, Yankees fans deserved better.”

MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: Would the real Austin Wells please stand up? Because how the Yankees feel about their backstop has the potential to shape their approach to the position in free agency. If first-half Austin Wells is the real deal, the Yankees need to explore taking a swing at catcher – perhaps Tyler Stephenson or Ryan Jeffers, or a trade for Hunter Goodman. But if second-half Austin Wells, who was a better hitter by orders of magnitude, is here to stay, then perhaps the Yanks tinker around the edges at the position. Any moves the Yankees make at catcher this offseason will likely tell us everything we need to know about how they view Wells moving forward.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Speaking of the offseason. The Yankees have $71.9 million in payroll coming off the books, which might suggest increased flexibility to build a roster without blowing past last year’s $296.4 million Opening Day payroll. Raises to returning players, however, could account for $26.4 million. Now start accounting for potential returns for David Bednar and Paul Blackburn. Those two could easily eat up close to $35 million in 2027. All of a sudden, much of that money is gone. There are non-tender moves the Yankees could make (and likely will) to find some more spare change with which to tinker with the offense.

One of the biggest names remaining in the Mariners’ managerial search has reportedly withdrawn from contention, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic: Rocco Baldelli has reportedly taken himself out of the running, citing “family considerations.”

Baldelli, 45, is originally from Rhode Island, and spends part of his time there, but also has a home in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he was based during his seven-year professional playing career as a member of the Rays. For the past year, he’s been working with the Dodgers as a special assistant/advisor to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. Perhaps that was enough being cross-coastal for Baldelli, who has three children under age five, including three-year-old twins.

Baldelli has been a popular name in the Mariners’ coaching search thanks to a strong reputation for facility with analytics. He joined the Rays front office shortly after his playing career ended and was with the organization – arguably the most analytics-friendly front office in the sport – until he departed to take the Twins’ managerial vacancy. Baldelli was with Minnesota from 2019-2025, overseeing the Twins in three playoff appearances but also a deeply disappointing 2024 where the team finished fourth in the AL Central despite being favored in preseason odds. The Twins parted ways with Baldelli after 2025, when the Twins again finished fourth in the Central.

Baldelli’s playing career was unfortunately cut short because he battles mitochondrial channelopathy, a rare genetic condition that affects how mitochondria in your cells produce energy, which can cause a host of issues, from fatigue to diabetes to persistent muscle weakness or pain.

The Mariners will now turn their attentions elsewhere as they continue to narrow their pool of candidates, as reportedly they were hoping to make a hire before the end of the month. They’ll have plenty of competition in attracting said candidates even in just the AL West, with both the Astros and the Angels looking for new managers. The Astros made a hiring move today, hiring Conner Watson away from the Cleveland Guardians, to be hitting director. Watson served as the Guardians’ assistant director of hitting development for the past two years; previously he was with Driveline in their Arizona location, serving as the Hitting Lead for four years after coming out of the small-college coaching corps.

Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability). 

The Padres’ Failed Starter

As the Padres’ general manager A.J. Preller tends to do each offseason, he went bargain hunting. in 2026, this came in the form of several lower-tier free agents being signed to ridiculously low contracts with the hopes that one or two of them would pan out. One of these was Griffin Canning. Canning was coming off of a career year with the New York Mets, posting a 3.77 ERA across 76 1/3 innings pitched. Unfortunately, a ruptured tendon in his left Achilles ended his season prematurely. That allowed San Diego to pick him up on a measly one-year, $2.5 million deal.

Overall Grade: C

He performed roughly to those expectations. In 30 appearances (11 starts), Canning posted a 5.68 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and .276 opponent batting average. Putting it kindly, he struggled to limit runs. Putting it less kindly, he pitched like a guy who didn’t want to play baseball any longer. Canning simply couldn’t record outs.

His first start was quite good, surrendering just one run across five innings against the Chicago White Sox. Then the illusion came crashing down. Canning would surrender three or more runs in seven of his ten starts. He surrendered more runs than innings pitched seven times. He also surrendered more runs than strikeouts recorded five different times. It was tough going for quite some time.

However, those early struggles make it hard to discern his later success. After failing to pitch in the starting rotation, Canning transitioned into a bulk relief role, where he flourished. The righty pitched his final start for the Padres on July 18 against the Kansas City Royals. After that, Canning only surrendered more than two runs twice with a 2.70 ERA after July 23.

Junior Caminero doesn't say much in the Tampa Bay Rays clubhouse. He lets his bat do the talking.

So, when the 23-year-old third baseman started screaming in the visitors' dugout during Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night, his teammates noticed.

"When he speaks, everybody listens," Rays infielder Richie Palacios said Sunday.

Fox cameras caught the outburst after the sixth inning of Game 2. Moments earlier, Chandler Simpson had a Christian Yelich fly ball bounce off his glove for what should have been the third out. A 4-0 Rays lead was gone, and the clip spread fast.

So did the assumption that Caminero was tearing into Simpson.

Junior Caminero was fired up back in the Rays dugout after the Brewers tied up the game in the 6th pic.twitter.com/QmJljvYFMo

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 25, 2026

The Rays said that was not the case.

"Yesterday, he was just encouraging us to lock in, lock in and not worry about what's behind us but to worry about what's ahead of us," Palacios said. "We all took it as a positive."

Tampa Bay needs that message to stick. The Rays lost 5-4 and trail the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0 heading into Game 3 on Monday, Oct. 26 at Tropicana Field.

What Junior Caminero said about his World Series dugout reaction

Caminero never named a teammate. Speaking through interpreter Kevin Vera after the game, he pointed at the whole defense.

"We had to get outs," Caminero told reporters. "At the moment, we weren't doing our job."

Simpson certainly wasn't the only one not doing his job. Jonathan Aranda let a routine grounder go through his legs in the fourth inning with a runner on third, costing the Rays a run. In the sixth, Simpson's misplay was scored a single, not an error, but it put runners on the corners and forced manager Kevin Cash to pull Ian Seymour. The play didn't directly lead to a run, but the Brewers tied the game in the sixth anyway.

Caminero said his goal was "trying to create some energy and get some life back into us."

There’s no doubt that the first two games of the 2026 World Series have been nothing short of incredible. The City of Milwaukee has waited 44 years for this and is now two wins away from its first World Series in 69 years.

With any team that’s making a run to a championship, many different factors go into a team’s success; for the Brewers, it’s so difficult to narrow it down to just one. Of course, you’ve got the bullpen, the relentlessness of the offense, and a manager’s trust in the midst of adversity.

For once, the Brewers’ starting pitching, clever defense, and small-ball approach aren’t holding down the fort. Rather, the monotonous, tedious at-bats mixed with the ability to feed off one another have been driving the boat, and that’s what we saw in last night’s tumultuous 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Of the many storylines to come out of last night, it was the Brewers bullpen once again, dominating the mound. Specifically, Aaron Ashby improved his postseason line to a whopping 15.2 innings pitched, five hits allowed, and 17 strikeouts, the best line of anyone on the team. He is now second in MLB history with the most consecutive scoreless innings pitched to start the postseason, trailing only 2016 Andrew Miller with the Cleveland Indians by .1 innings.

While the Brewers pitching got 27 outs in a high-stress volume, the Brewers offense put far more pressure on the Rays pitching staff by prolonging at-bats. Beginning at surface level, the Brewers were retired in order just once last night, which came in the bottom of the second inning. Outside of that, the Brewers sent at least four batters to the plate in each inning.

The at-bats that jolted the Brewers offense awake weren’t lengthy, which is astonishing. But the punches that were landed, meaning at-bats where runs were scored, batters took longer in the box. Chourio and Bauers saw a collective of five pitches to get the offense started; after that, each at-bat that resulted in a run, the Brewers offense saw at least six pitches.

From that point on, the narrative wasn’t just Bauers’ ability to put together long at-bats but rather the entire lineup. During those long innings for the Rays pitching staff, they struggled to put away the Brewers hitters. Even in the “shortest” inning of the night for the Rays pitching staff, the Brewers forced Drew Rasmussen to throw 18 pitches to go 1-2-3. A large chunk of those pitches were thrown to Jackson Chourio, who quickly fell into a 0-2 count before fouling off five pitches, mixed in with three balls. Not that Rasmussen had his A+ stuff last night, but this at-bat was quietly underrated despite it resulting in a groundout, as that had pushed his pitch count to 48 through two innings.

Once Logan Henderson settled into the game, the Brewers offense began chipping away, slowly and methodically. After a lengthy bottom of the second inning, none other than Bauers stepped in and picked up right where the offense left off. Bauers went to the plate and saw seven pitches to open the bottom of the third. Christian Yelich followed up with a six-pitch at-bat himself.

To some, seeing Rasmussen come out for the fourth inning was a bit of a shock, but to the Brewers, they saw an opportunity: to break into the Rays bullpen before hitting the halfway mark of the game. Cooper Pratt settled into the game nicely after his first-inning error and proved it after his not-so-rookie-looking at-bat. After a called strike to open his plate appearance, he swung at a pitch quite far outside of the zone, then came three straight takes. All three were on a fastball, until he fouled one off before walking. After a few quicker at-bats from the bottom of the lineup, Bauers landed the final blow to Rasmussen with another six-pitch at-bat to load the bases.

Throughout the 2026 postseason, the Brewers have faced a handful of the best pitchers with the highest Whiff percentages in baseball. Whiff% measures how often a batter swings and misses the ball compared to the total number of swings they take. So far in the postseason, they have faced five pitchers that all rank in the top 50 among qualified starters. Rasmussen was one last night, Nick Martinez the other, and of course Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the NLCS.

If you lower the Whiff% to a minimum of 50 innings pitched, the number of pitchers that the Brewers have seen in the postseason spikes to 10 out of the top 100. This goes to show that the quality of pitching that the Brewers have seen throughout this run, with all the comebacks involved, is among the top in baseball.

Cam Booser had the most efficient inning from any Rays pitcher that we’ve seen at any point in the World Series, as it took him just 10 pitches to get through the fifth inning, and that’s with allowing a one-out walk. The next inning, though, you could see the tide change. Sal Frelick isn’t known for his power, until it comes to tying the game in big moments. First, in college, when Boston College trailed by three, what’d he do? Take Auburn deep to right-center field to tie the game. The next? Game three of the 2024 Wild Card Series to extend the Brewers’ lead over the New York Mets. Finally, in the biggest and best at-bat of his career, he hits a home run straightaway to center field to tie the game.

How’d he get there? By making Ian Seymour throw eight pitches. After getting ahead 0-1, Seymour threw him two straight balls. Then the foul barrage came. Four of them, all by just a flick of the bat. Then, he got a gift of a fastball left over the plate, and he didn’t miss. It was his first home run since July 11th. This season alone, most of his hits were either pull-side or opposite-field; his hits up the middle were groundballs, rarely line drives; he had five total all season.

Seymour couldn’t find a way to get rid of the Brewers; Hamilton followed up with a nine-pitch at-bat, then Chourio saw eight pitches, and Bauer saw six. The Brewers were in control.

The seventh inning wasn’t as lengthy as what we saw, but it was still effective as Cooper Pratt hit the go-ahead single. The bottom of the eighth inning was the final blow. The Rays needed two pitchers to get through the inning; three of the five batters to appear in the inning saw five pitches or more.

Overall on the night, the Brewers fouled off 44 pitches; 22 of those were with their backs against the wall in two-strike counts. The series is far from over, and the Brewers still have yet to face a couple more of the Rays pitchers who are high in Whiff%, that being Freddy Peralta and Griffin Jax.

Patience has been a key approach for the Brewers all season, and it somehow has gotten better in the postseason among the league’s best. The Brewers will seek to continue their success in this department Monday night against their former teammate.

It’s Sunday once more, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! With the untimely end of the Yankees season now more than a week and a half behind us, we begin to settle into what looks to be a long, long, loooooong winter. The offseason doesn’t mean that life stops, however, and this week, we have a jam-packed social media roundup. And so, without further ado, let’s get started!

Raise the Banner

This past Tuesday, the 2026-2027 NBA season went underway, and with it came one last celebration for the New York Knicks. The 2026 NBA Champions received their championship rings and raised a banner at Madison Square Garden, before unfortunately losing to the 76ers in the first game of the new season. A pair of Yankees fan favorites, Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler, were in attendance.

They weren’t the only ones from the Yankees family there, though. YES researcher James Smyth was also in the Garden, although since he didn’t mow down the Red Sox lineup or lead the league in postseason home runs and RBI (seriously, that’s how dominant Rice’s postseason was), he didn’t get a seat on celebrity row.

Two Best Friends

Former Yankee infielders Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela, along with their wives, were spotted on vacation together in Europe. Although they no longer don the pinstripes (and although Urshela has retired from the sport entirely), it’s nice to see they still find time to hang out.

The Pride of Somerset

The Somerset Patriots, as always, take great pride in the big league performance of their former players; this week, they celebrated the season totals of Yankees rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr.

Wedding Reflections and Outdoor Fun

Two weeks ago, Luke Pettitte — not only the son of a Yankee legend, but himself now a Yankee prospect — celebrated his wedding. This past week, his mother Laura took to Instagram to reflect on the occasion. She and Andy also went on a hike.

End-of-Year Reflections

Brendan Beck sat down with the Somerset Patriots to discuss his Major League debut and his dominant season with the Triple-A Scranton RailRiders.

Everything Must Go!

The Scranton No-Longer-The-RailRiders are hosting a yard sale on November 1st, if anyone is in Scranton, PA, and interested in buying RailRider merchandise.

For the World Series, we’re bringing you some of the key quotes and storylines from each game following the postgame press conference.

Pat Murphy

The Brewers erased an early 4-0 deficit to win 5-4 and take a 2-0 series lead. Murphy again spent most of the press conference discussing what impressed him most, including rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt. Pratt made an error on the first play of the game that snowballed into the Rays’ four-run first inning, but he bounced back to deliver a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

“That speaks to Cooper, what type of individual he is, being able to hang in there when things didn’t go great for him early, even early in that at-bat. That guy is super tough on right-handers. For him to put that ball in play, we spent a lot of time on that reliever and talking about how to face him. He’s outstanding, and Coop just put together a great at-bat, a great teacher for every young person in the room that the game doesn’t start a certain way, doesn’t mean it has to end that way.”

As a follow-up, Murphy was asked about this team’s mentality and its ability to come back from deficits over and over again:

“We’re down to the end of the season here. They’re going to tap us on the shoulder here at some point and tell us no more. Guys just, they don’t give up. They believe, and they don’t give up. They just keep going. That’s a great club across the way, it really is.”

In a game full of quality at-bats, Murphy shouted out several, starting with Brice Turang.

“His day didn’t start exactly the way he wanted. He had a line drive caught, but he put together four quality ABs today. Numerous guys (did). Sal put together four quality (at-bats), hit four balls on the screws today. Bauers put together quality (at-bats). Chourio gets two knocks. Contreras two knocks.”

Another at-bat Murphy highlighted was William Contreras’ RBI single in the first inning.

“It’s a huge at-bat. Huge at-bat. We set (Contreras up), and he came through with a knock, and then Mitchell got a big knock. That first inning meant something that we bounced back against a pitcher that good. I mean, that guy (Rays starter Drew Rasmussen), he’s as good as there is out there. We got his pitch count up and got him out of there.”

Murphy had high praise for Aaron Ashby, who pitched the final 1 2/3 innings of the win, comparing him to legendary relievers Goose Gossage and Rollie Fingers.

“He does what it takes. It’s unconventional. Multiple innings in relief. It’s Goose Gossage-like. I guess we had a guy like that here too, Rollie.”

He was also asked about starting pitcher Logan Henderson, who gave up four runs (three earned) in that first inning.

“I think he was a little jittery again in the first inning. I think in his mind he thinks he’s tired because it’s the end of the year and it’s a lot, but this is where you’ve got to learn that lesson that you’ve got a lot left. You pick yourself up. You’ve got a lot left. He’s got to come to that realization because we need him going forward.”

Finally, Murphy was asked if he’s a “big Sal fan,” referring to Frelick. Murphy responded by saying he named his son’s dog Sal.

Sal Frelick and Cooper Pratt

Frelick, who hit the game-tying home run in the sixth, and Pratt, who hit a go-ahead single in the seventh, broke down their performances after the game.

Frelick on his approach against Tampa Bay reliever Ian Seymour prior to the home run:

“He’s pretty much a sinker guy. Was fouling them off. Missed a few good ones. And then late in the at-bat, he started throwing four seams and kind of caught me by surprise. Was able to spoil a few of those and was just really hoping, because I had seen the sinker earlier, that he would maybe leave one over the plate, and yeah, he did.”

Pratt on baseball being a redemptive game:

“I need to be better defensively, but it’s always awesome when you have an opportunity to kind of redeem yourself and make up for it. Yeah, probably wasn’t the best swing, but it did the job and gave us the opportunity to score a run. I’m not going to complain.”

Frelick on this team’s comeback mentality:

“It seems like we’ve had a lot of experience with it in the postseason so far. It feels like kind of down early almost every game so far. I’m not sure what the actual numbers are on that. Our offense is built to kind of chip away and wear on pitchers, which I think can be good when you’re trying to come back. At the same time, if we’re up, it’s the same exact approach.

I think just having an offense built like that is really good for when you’re down. Again, today we go down four. We know how good that guy (Rasmussen) is over there. Let’s just wear on him, see if we can get him out of the game, get to their bullpen and really break the thing open.”

Frelick on being a competitor:

“I don’t know, I just grew up playing a ton of different sports. I wasn’t always the most gifted athlete. Murph will tell you firsthand that it’s never pretty watching me take a swing or run or field or whatever it might be. I just always felt like that was where I was able to get my edge was just kind of turn everything into a competition. Put myself in the box and iso me and the pitcher. Or on defense, just iso me and the ball. How can I beat it?

I just feel like that’s how I’ve always played. I know Murph always tells me I can’t look flashy, I can’t look cool. That’s not me. He doesn’t want that. Not that I do either, but I’m glad that he allows me to play that way.”

And Frelick on Pratt:

“Just to highlight this guy real quick… has a little mistake early in the game, doesn’t slam a glove, doesn’t hang his head, nothing. Comes off the field and later in the game has a big at-bat and maybe swings at a ball or two, locks it back in. This is a rookie, like people forget. This is our shortstop. This is a rookie, and we trust him. I just hope that if there’s people, young kids watching, that was just really cool for me to see. Coop has grown up a lot — I don’t know if you would have done that maybe your first game, but it’s cool to see.

I just hope everybody understands how hard that is, especially in the moment. All you want to do is throw something or get mad, but you’ve got four at-bats. I was just proud of that.”

Frelick and Pratt on whether they thought Frelick’s deep fly out in the seventh inning had a chance to make it over the fence:

FRELICK: “Did you think it was gone?”

PRATT: “I thought it had a chance or at least off the wall.”

FRELICK: “I’ve never hit a homer that I thought was gone, so, no, I didn’t.” (Laughter.)

PRATT: “It looked good off the bat.”

Entering 2026, the catcher position was one the Nationals were dying to get more production out of, as their catching room ranked dead last in fWAR in 2025 with -1.3. Keibert Ruiz had steadily been declining ever since being extended in early 2023, and Drew Millas and Riley Adams each had something to offer in a backup role, but probably not in a starting role. The acquisition of Harry Ford for Jose A. Ferrer in the offseason provided the Nats with a little more long-term clarity about the position, but probably not an immediate solution.

Turns out, the answer to the Nationals’ catching woes was just a commitment to better coaching; with the new staff in charge, the Nats’ catching room took a major leap, going from last in fWAR in 2025 to 17th in 2026. Now, as the Nationals enter a critical offseason for setting them up for success in the near future, let’s take a look at the Nats’ catching unit as a whole, and make sense of where playing time makes the most sense to go to in 2027.

Keibert Ruiz

Keibert Ruiz took the biggest leap of perhaps any National under the new coaching staff in 2026. He hit .280/.316/.443 with 10 home runs and a 105 wRC+, making him five percent better than the league-average hitter after adjusting for league and ballpark. His 1.9 fWAR was a considerable improvement from his -1.1 mark in 2025, and made him a completely viable starting catcher option for the Nats.

The defensive improvement mattered just as much. In 2025, Ruiz finished with minus-six blocks above average, plus-one caught stealing above average, and minus-nine framing runs. Those numbers illustrate why catching defense requires more than counting runners thrown out. His throwing was respectable relative to his opportunities, but other parts of his game remained costly.

In 2026, Statcast credited Ruiz with plus-two catching runs, including plus-three framing runs, zero blocking runs and minus-two throwing runs, along with a positive ABS contribution. Blocking runs and blocks above average are different measures, but the broader improvement is clear. Ruiz became a more complete catcher, even with room to improve against the running game.

Ruiz’s contract went from practically unmovable last season to now not bad value, and raises the question of if another team called the Nats with an offer for Ruiz, should they consider it? Ruiz certainly now looks like at least a decent platoon option behind the plate, but the presence of some other catching options in Triple-A could make him expendable depending on how the front office feels.

Harry Ford

Ford’s first season with the Nats was hardly a declaration that the position belonged to him. In 38 major-league games, he hit .190/.314/.350 with three home runs and an 87 wRC+. His Triple-A performance also fell short of expectations: a .223/.370/.335 line and 96 wRC+.

There were encouraging details beneath those numbers. Ford walked in 14.4 percent of his major-league plate appearances, showing that his patience could survive the jump. But getting on base cannot carry the entire offensive profile. The Nats need more consistent contact and damage when he swings.

Ruiz and Ford are a sensible catching platoon, as Ruiz performs better against righties and Ford performs better against lefties. Still, Ford may need to take a step forward either offensively or defensively in 2027 to guarantee his starting role moving forward.

Maxwell Romero Jr.

Romero delivered the loudest power numbers of the group, hitting 23 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A while batting .253/.364/.515. He reached Rochester in July, putting himself close enough to matter in the 2027 discussion.

Minor-league production does not automatically translate into major-league success. Nevertheless, that combination of power and on-base ability deserves consideration at a position where the Nats have struggled to generate offense.

Romero should enter spring training with a chance to push the established options. Depending on how Romero performs, Ruiz may become a luxury rather than a necessity for the Nats, one they could move to upgrade other areas such as the pitching staff. At minimum, he gives the Nationals another potential answer if injuries or poor performance disrupt their plans.

Where do Drew Millas and Caleb Lomavita fit?

Millas faces a tougher argument after hitting .185/.277/.262 with two home runs and a 53 wRC+ in 50 games. A backup catcher can survive below-average offense, but that level of production leaves little margin elsewhere. He looks more like depth than someone the Nats should pencil into its preferred tandem.

Lomavita remains a longer-term consideration. He hit 14 home runs with a .244/.311/.453 line and 102 wRC+ at Double-A. The power increased considerably from his six-homer 2025 season, though his overall offensive production was only slightly above league average. His season also ended on the injured list.

Entering 2027, Ruiz offers the strongest immediate case, Ford remains the key development priority, and Romero supplies intriguing pressure from below. For the first time in a long time, the Nats seem to have some solid options for how they move forward with their catching unit, rather than hoping for the best from what they had.