Category: MLB

Nationals fans all know that Keibert Ruiz has had a great season. He has risen from the ashes to become one of the more productive catchers in the league. In a season full of offensive success stories, Ruiz is arguably the biggest organizational win. However, I still don’t think Ruiz is being talked about enough.

It has flown under the radar because the team has not been good, but Keibert Ruiz has been spectacular since the start of August. In 26 games, Ruiz is hitting .361 with a .936 OPS. He looks fresh and confident down the stretch, which is a great sign.

This hot run has Ruiz’s season stats looking really strong. For the year he is now hitting .289 with a .790 OPS. His wRC+ is now up to 113, by far his best in a full season. In 2024 and 2025, Ruiz hit .235 with a .610 OPS, making this turnaround borderline miraculous. 

Keibert Ruiz 2024-25: .235 AVG, .610 OPS
Keibert Ruiz 2026: .291 AVG, .793 OPS

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) September 13, 2026

The biggest factor behind Ruiz’s offensive breakout is his batted ball profile. In the modern game, pulling the ball in the air has become a big emphasis. Those batted balls tend to get the best results. Among qualified hitters on Baseball Savant, nobody pulls the ball in the air at a higher rate than Keibert Ruiz. His 34.2% air pull rate just beats out Pete Crow-Armstong, who air pulls 34% of the time.

For a slower player without much raw power who puts the ball in play a lot, hitting it at the right angles matters a lot. We saw that last year with Ruiz. Even in 2025, he was barely striking out. However, his ground ball rate spiked, which saw his OPS drop to a career low .595. Ruiz was also pulling the ball at the lowest rate of his career.

This year he has totally flipped this switch. His 59.7% pull rate is the highest number in all of baseball by over 5 percentage points. Ruiz is constantly getting out in front of balls and finding green grass to the pull side from both sides of the plate. This extreme approach does not work for everyone, but it suits Ruiz, who has exceptional hand-eye coordination.

Pulling the ball in the air helps him find easy hits, but it also makes hitting home runs easier. At 380 feet, Ruiz’s average home run distance is one of the lowest in all of baseball. Everything that goes over the wall counts the same, so this is not a bad thing. It honestly shows how Ruiz is able to tap into all the raw power he has.

Keibert Ruiz has reached 10 HRs

Season Stats:
10 HR
47 RBI
.283 AVG | .320 OBP | .777 OPS

Pace: 11 HR / 54 RBI#Natitudepic.twitter.com/BcxCiQ0Bxd

— PaceBall (@paceball__) September 10, 2026

His skillset is very different from a James Wood, so he does not hit the same way. One thing that this staff has done well is tailor their coaching to the individual. They have core principles like elevating the baseball, but that does not have to happen in the same way.

Keibert Ruiz’s offensive turnaround has been remarkable. However, Nats fans always knew he had hitting ability. He was not this good, but back in 2023, Ruiz had a solid offensive season. I think Keibert Ruiz’s rise on the defensive side of the ball has been even more stunning.

Between 2023 and 2025, Keibert Ruiz was the worst defensive catcher in baseball. His fielding run value numbers those seasons were -22, -7 and -10. In all phases, Ruiz was an absolute mess. His blocking was poor, he could not control the running game and his framing was almost comically bad.

Under the guidance of new catching coach Bobby Wilson, Ruiz has become an above average defensive catcher in one season. This season, Ruiz’s FRV is +2. He still has limitations controlling the running game despite some flashes of success. The big improvements have come with his blocking and framing.

Keibert Ruiz with the cannon and CJ Abrams with an absolutely filthy tag 😮‍💨🔥

This Nats defense has been FUN lately. pic.twitter.com/Smx03I6dDV

— natsfanatics (@natsfanatics_) May 21, 2026

Over the past few seasons, Ruiz had been a consistently poor blocker. His blocks above average were in the negatives each of the past three seasons. This season that number is 0. Keibert Ruiz is an average blocker behind the plate. He is not exactly Yadier Molina, but average is absolutely fine with me.

The biggest leap has come with his framing though. Ruiz was a below average framer in every season of his career. His framing run value was -9 last season, -3 in 2024, -12 in 2023 and -5 in 2022. That seemed like a part of his game that was beyond saving. However, he is up to +3 this season, which is truly remarkable for him.

These improvements have made him a very valuable player. This season, Ruiz has 2.4 bWAR and 2.1 fWAR. Before the season, Ruiz’s 8-year $50 million contract looked like an albatross. However, he has easily outperformed his yearly salary this season. Ruiz has been an above average starting catcher.

You have to give a ton of credit to both the player and the coaching staff for this improvement. It never felt like work ethic was Ruiz’s problem, but now we know for sure that it was not. He just did not have the right guidance. The upgrade from Henry Blanco to Bobby Wilson as catching coach cannot be overstated.

Ruiz’s hard work and determination is also beyond questioning. His future was in doubt after a pair of dreadful seasons and concussion issues. Ruiz worked his butt off to get better on both sides of the ball though. This was a career saving season for the Nats catcher.

He may never be the star he was supposed to be when he came over in the Scherzer/Turner trade. However, Keibert Ruiz has finally established himself. This is likely to be one of his better offensive seasons, but I think he has the ability to be solid on both sides of the ball for years to come. 

We have talked about the rise of Keibert Ruiz, but I still think it has been slightly underdiscussed. That is why I wanted to give him his flowers today. He has had a truly amazing season offensively and defensively. It is awesome to see a player you counted out get off the mat and produce in an unexpected fashion.

The Yankees were the only member of the top trio of American League teams playing on Monday, with both the Rays and Red Sox off inadvance of series against the A’s and Rangers, respectively. The AL West-leading [read: .500] Astros were also sidelined. So yeah, if the 2026 Yankees are the gold standard, then you know it’s a dreary night of action. Thankfully, they took care of their own business after a slow start by dropping a six-spot in the eighth inning on their ol’ Twins pals in the eighth inning to win on Clinching Day.

As it turned out though, the Yankees had already punched their 61st ticket to the postseason! Here’s what the teams that were active were up to on Monday night.

Chicago White Sox (77-73) 7, Cleveland Guardians (76-75) 3

Separated by a half-game before first pitch, the White Sox and Guardians squared off in Cleveland to begin a three-game set that could decide both the AL Central and—believe it or not with these records—a first-round bye. It was a scoreless duel through five, with Guardos ace Gavin Williams and the opener/bulk guy combo of Sean Newcomb and Sean Burke putting goose eggs on the board. Williams returned to the mound in the sixth, looking for a couple more punchouts to tie and surpass both Dylan Cease and Jacob Misiorowski (236) for the MLB lead. Instead, he was the one who got punc—OK you get it.

It started innocently enough with an infield hit by Andrew Benintendi. Then came one of the most remarkable at-bats of the entire season, as Tristan Peters worked Williams for 18 pitches before taking a walk. It was the longest at-bat (well, plate appearance I suppose) since a 19-pitch battle by Matt Wieters for the 2020 Cardinals (sure?).

Peters had worked Williams’ pitch count up to 113 by that point, so he was done for the night. Tim Herrin replaced him, and he honestly did his job by getting a double-play ball to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. But Lowe’s throw to second caromed off Peters’ helmet and scored Benintendi for the first run of the game.

From there, the wheels came off. Chase Meidroth singled in a second, Randal Grichuk got a knock to load the bases, Kyle Teel doubled in a pair, and after Daniel Espino replaced Herrin, Miguel Vargas dropped the hammer with a two-run bomb:

Burke gave one back in the home half and David Fry at least briefly woke up the home crowd with a two-run homer with two down in the ninth, but this never felt close after that one inning. Final score: 7-3, Chicago, and a 1.5-game lead in the AL Central.

AL Wild Card Rock Fight

Toronto Blue Jays (75-76) 5, Detroit Tigers (71-79) 6: Most Yankees fans’ eyes were directed at this game though, as either a Jays loss or Yankees win would punch the Bombers’ ticket to the postseason. They got both! The Jays’ loss came a little less than half an hour before New York beat Minnesota, so the Yanks got to feel good in the dugout for just a bit before they celebrated on the field.

For awhile, it looked like the wait would continue until at least tomorrow, as the Yanks trailed the Twins 2-1 through seven while the Jays rallied against the Tigers. Detroit had taken a 4-2 lead in the seventh with José Soriano set his no-hit bid ablaze, as Max Clark and Spencer Torkelson both doubled to get the Tigers ahead. But a three-run blast by Kazuma Okamoto brought the Jays back in front, 5-4. A year ago, this probably would’ve been a propeller of sorts; however, these Jays are not the same, and neither is weary Louie Varland. A pair of hits off Joe Mantiply set up the game-tying Tigers attack in the eighth on a flare to left by Brett Callahan against Varland, and a leadoff walk put Varland in position to fumble the ball away as the go-ahead run crossed home.

After his own leadoff walk, Kenley Jansen struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and got Alejandro Kirk to bounce into a game-ending double play for his 496th career save. The Jays still trail the Guardians by a game in the AL Wild Card with the Rangers one win behind them.

Baltimore Orioles (73-78) 2, New York Mets (69-81) 1: The O’s are just barely alive in this Wild Card conversation as well, but they got the win they needed to get to three games back; they’ll need many more this week! This one was all about Pete Alonso’s long-awaited return to Queens, and the Mets fans showered him with affection on a night in which they were (appropriately) eliminated. Alonso took an oh-fer, but Gunnar Henderson broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth with a solo shot and Rico Garcia held on to close it out.

Veteran left-hander Cole Irvin has been a stabilizing force in the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets rotation this year, and on Monday he was named pitcher of the week in the Pacific Coast League.

Irvin started twice for Oklahoma City last week against Sugar Land and didn’t allow a run in either game, totaling 9 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts and five walks. He also made this nifty stab of a line drive for a double play on Sunday.

You don't ever have to get ready if you stay ready like Cole Irvin pic.twitter.com/S9FUTF3Dl4

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 13, 2026

The 32-year-old Irvin pitched twice previously on four days rest this season, going four innings each time, and allowed nine total runs. On Sunday he pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings, after throwing five scoreless innings on Tuesday.

On the season, Irvin leads the Pacific Coast League in innings pitched (134), ERA (3.09), and wins (12).

Six Oklahoma City Comets have won Pacific Coast League player or pitcher of the week this season — James Tibbs (March 31—April 5 and May 25-31), Alex Freeland (May 11-17), Jack Suwinski (June 9-14), Ryder Ryan (June 9-14), Emmet Sheehan (August 17-23), and Irvin.

Tuesday schedule

• 4:35 p.m. PT: Texas League playoffs, Game 1: Tulsa (Adam Serwinowski) at Springfield (Yhoiker Fajardo)
• 5:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City at El Paso

The Columbus Clingstones season has come to a close. The Atlanta Braves Double-A affiliate has completed its season by going 64-68, and saw an infusion of talented prospects in the second half of the season. This article will highlight some of the successes and failures of the team’s season, as well as picking the team’s hitter and pitcher of the year.

Columbus Hitter of the Year: Jordan Groshans, 3B

A bit of an unexpected breakout was former first round pick and top Blue Jays prospect Jordan Groshans, who signed as a minor league free agent this year and saw a power breakout. Groshans would hit .282/.344/.588, 18 doubles, six triples, and 30 home runs with 36 walks to 84 strikeouts in 436 plate appearances before a promotion to Gwinnett. What makes this more surprising is the fact that he had never hit more than seven in a season before, though there was always more raw power in the 26-year-old’s bat.

Columbus Pitcher of the Year: Brett Sears, RHP

This was a fairly easy call here too as Brett Sears was not only the Clingstones top pitcher, but he pitched the most innings. With Columbus he pitched to a 3.33 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 113 strikeouts over 94.2 innings. That saw him post 7.6 H/9, 2.1 BB/9, and 10.7 K/9. Sears did split some time up in Gwinnett, but the majority of his time came here as he looked too advanced for Double-A hitters to solve.

Hitting

If they had more plate appearances both David McCabe and Adam Zebrowski would have been competition for Groshans for the Columbus top hitter, as both have an OPS above .900 like Groshans. The issue is they have half of his plate appearances. McCabe slashed .282/.382/.580 with eight doubles and 16 homers in 220 plate appearances. For Zebrowski it was .271/.343/.589 with nine doubles, a triple, and 19 homers in 220 plate appearances. That trio really helped the Clingstones offense this year.

Patrick Clohisy was a little further off that path, but still hit .261/.344/.433 with 19 doubles, four triples, seven homers, and 37 steals over 299 plate appearances – though it was his time later in Gwinnett that opened some eyes. Lizandro Espinoza put up a slash of .278/.404/.500 with seven doubles, three triples, five homers, and 26 steals in 156 plate appearances.

There were also several prospects who contributed after in-season promotions in Eric Hartman, Alex Lodise, Owen Carey, and John Gil. Gil hit .315/.385/.446 with four doubles, three triples, and two homers over 161 plate appearances. Lodise was .283/.343/.435 with five doubles and three homers in 102 plate appearances. Carey slashed .211/.296/.322 with five doubles, two triples, and two homers in 152 plate appearances – though his numbers were higher prior to a cold stretch in the final week of the season. Hartman hit .182/.312/.265 with three doubles, a triple, and two homers in 157 plate appearances.

Luke Waddell (.657 OPS), Ambioris Tavarez (.589 OPS), Archer Brookman (.685 OPS), Drew Compton (.556 OPS), Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. (.680 OPS), Will Verdung (.580 OPS), Dalton McIntyre (.625 OPS), Ethan Workinger (.627 OPS), Logan Braunschweig (.483 OPS), Carson Taylor (.778 OPS), and Cal Conley (.811 OPS) broke the 100 plate appearance mark here, though most of that group struggled to produce except for Taylor, Conley, Brookman, and also Kilpatrick in the second half of the season.

Among guys who weren’t here long Dixon Williams had a .762 OPS after a late season promotion, while Tate Southisene was hit by a pitch in his first game here, ending his season early – though he will be heading to the Arizona Fall League. Tristin English also added five home runs in under 100 plate appearances.

Pitching

The Columbus pitching staff was led by Sears, Garrett Baumann, Herick Hernandez, and Julio Robaina this year. Hernandez was probably Sears’ biggest competition for the top pitcher on the Clingstones staff, pitching to a 2.80 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, and 64 strikeouts in 45 innings before his promotion, though injury did hit for a short time. Baumann managed a 4.26 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts over his 76 innings as he split time between here and Gwinnett. Robaina, who signed in-season, had a 3.14 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts over his 63 innings.

Cam Caminiti was probably the best starter here with under 50 innings, pitching to a 2.01 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts over 31.1 innings. Cedric De Grandpre (3.48 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 11.3 K/9), Owen Murphy (6.10 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 11.8 K/9), Drue Hackenburg (0.96 ERA, 0.68 WHIP, 8.4 K/9) were the other starters who cracked 20 innings among the prospects.

Plenty more prospects appeared for a lesser amount of innings, with Luke Sinnard and Davis Polo being the bigger prospect names with Hurston Waldrep making a rehab start. Sinnard had a 4.15 ERA and 13 strikeouts over his 13 innings, while Polo had a 2.19 ERA and 13 strikeouts over his 12.1 innings. Waldrep went on to allow four runs in three and two thirds innings in that appearance.

The best performers in the bullpen were closer Tyler LaPorte, Luis Vargas, Anderson Pilar, and Isaac Gallegos. LaPorte had a 1.84 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 73 strikeouts over 49 innings. Vargas also racked up strikeouts, pitching to a 3.23 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts over his 61.1 innings. Pilar had a 4.43 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 30 strikeouts over 22.1 innings, while Gallegos had a 3.94 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts over 32 innings.

There were also some disappointing performances, led by the since designated for assignment Jhancarlos Lara and the injured and demoted Elison Joseph. Lara was a guy some expected to compete for a bullpen spot this spring, but in Double-A he had a 8.22 ERA, 2.61 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts to 29 walks in 15.1 innings. Lara also struggled with his command, and he had a 3.06 ERA and 1.98 WHIP with 18 strikeouts to 26 walks over 18.2 innings.

Others who started games and went at least 20 innings include Ian Mejia (7.13 ERA in 66 innings), Jack Dashwood(6.59 ERA in 27 innings), and Braden Scott (4.54 ERA in 40 innings) to go with the since-traded Lucas Braun (3.20 ERA in 51 innings). Others who mostly pitched out of the bullpen and hit that 20 inning mark would be Shay Schanaman (6.08 ERA in 61 innings), Samuel Strickland (6.39 ERA in 51 innings), Blane Abeyta (5.55 ERA in 49 innings), Owen Hackman (5.06 ERA in 48 innings), LJ McDonough (7.59 ERA in 43 innings)

This Week in the Minors is our weekly look at notable performances from all over the system, from big-name prospects and less-heralded guys alike. The mission is to answer this simple question: “Who had a good week?”

Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers (64-77, 21.5 games back)

The Storm Chasers lost 4 of 6 in their series against the Indianapolis Indians. At the plate, Carson Roccaforte went 9 for 23, with 4 doubles and 3 stolen bases. For the entire minor league season, between Northwest Arkansas and Omaha, Roccaforte has 30+ homers and 30+ stolen bases. Brett Squires went 8 for 18, with 3 doubles and 4 runs driven in. Alejo Lopez went 7 for 18, stealing 3 bases as well. Drew Waters went 7 for 20, smacking a pair of home runs. Maikel Garcia, who is on rehab assignment, went 4 for 13, with a double and two runs batted in.

On the mound, Vince Velasquez made one start, going 6 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits, striking out 6. Matt Moore made two scoreless relief appearances, totaling two innings, striking out 5. Lucas Erceg made two scoreless relief appearances, going 2.1 innings, striking out 4. John Means made another rehab start, going 4 innings, allowing 2 hits, no runs, striking out 4. Tony Gonsolin, who might join the Royals before the year ends, made one start, going 5 innings, allowing 3 hits, no runs, walking 1 and striking out 2.

All they can do is watch this Drew Waters homer go 👋 pic.twitter.com/SuCIYLTTdB

— Omaha Storm Chasers (@OMAStormChasers) September 13, 2026

The Storm Chasers have one series left, at home this week against the Iowa Cubs, the series runs Tuesday through Sunday.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (57-79, 30 games back)

The Naturals lost 5 of 6 in their series against the Tulsa Drillers to conclude their season. They did end the season with a walk-off hit, in an overall tough season.

On the mound, Drew Beam went 6 innings, allowing 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, striking out 5. Brandon Johnson made 2 scoreless relief appearances, totaling 3.1 innings, allowing 3 hits, but striking out 5 batters. Coleman Picard went 4 scoreless, hitless innings, striking out 5. James McArthur, on rehab assignment, made two appearances, going 1.2 innings, allowing 3 hits, 3 runs, walking 1 and striking out 2.

At the plate, Angel Acosta went 7 for 14, with two homers and a double. Acosta is a 23-year-old second baseman from Venezuela. He spent most of the year with Quad Cities. The Royals signed him when he was 19 years old. Spencer Nivens went 7 for 22, with two doubles and a homer. Connor Scott went 6 for 23, with two triples. Luke Pelzer went 5 for 15, with two doubles. Sam Kulasingam went 5 for 25, with a double, but did have the walk-off hit.

HE'S JUST TOO KUL!! Sam Kulasingam walks it off on the last play of the season 😮

FINAL: Naturals 5, Drillers 4 pic.twitter.com/7qlYe7rX8Q

— Northwest Arkansas Naturals (@nwanaturals) September 13, 2026

The Naturals are done for the season, similar to the Columbia Fireflies, I’ll do a deeper dive in the coming weeks on who had a good year and who struggled when Omaha and Quad Cities season concludes.

Quad Cities River Bandits

The River Bandits swept the South Bend Cubs and are now currently out to a 1-0 series lead over the Dayton Dragons, in a best of 3 series. Game two is tonight at 6:05 p.m. CT from Dayton. Game three, if necessary, will be Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. CT from Dayton again.

In the first three playoff wins though, on the mound the River Bandits pitching has been phenomenal. David Shields started game one against South Bend, going 3 innings, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs, striking out 5. But Dash Albus, threw 3 innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 run, striking out 4. Kamden Edge threw 1.2 scoreless, allowing a hit and walk, striking out a batter. Yimi Presinal got the last out of the 8th and L.P. Langevin closed the door in the 9th. In game two, Kendry Chourio threw 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 2, striking out 6. Ethan McElvain got the last two outs of the 5th. Emmanuel Reyes threw 3 innings out of the pen, allowing 3 hits, 1 run, striking out 5. Langevin got the save in the 9th. In game one against Dayton, the River Bandits threw a shutout, Tanner Jones, Edge, Jordan Woods and Langevin did the work.

At the plate so far, Derlin Figueroa is 3 for 9, with 5 walks. Jose Cerice is 4 for 10, with two doubles and 3 runs batted in. Austin Charles is 4 for 12, with a double, home run and 6 runs batted in.

Quad Cities takes Game 1 of the Midwest League Championship Series with a dominant 4-0 win!

Here’s our condensed highlights!#RaisingRoyals👑 #OneMorepic.twitter.com/cMxhSDWJvs

— Raising Royals (@KCRoyalsPD) September 14, 2026

Diamondbacks News

D-backs playoff odds on Sept. 14, 2023:
30.7%.

D-backs playoff odds on Sept. 14, 2026:
28.4%.

— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) September 15, 2026

Jim posted it in the recap, but, ya know what, right now I feel it bears repeating.

(SI.com) Corbin Carroll’s Massive Walk-Off Keeps D-backs’ Playoff Hopes Alive

The Arizona Diamondbacks were two outs away from taking a dive to 3.5 games back of the final Wild Card berth, staring down a 7-6 ninth-inning deficit at the hands of the Miami Marlins.

And then, struggling superstar Corbin Carroll — Arizona’s newest Roberto Clemente nominee — came to the plate, with the tying run at second base in the ninth.

The Marlins had just trotted out rookie right-hander Jack Ralston, after an injury forced veteran closer Pete Fairbanks out of the game with no outs and a runner aboard. A 2-1 splitter hung in the zone, and Carroll unleashed a massive blast down the right field line.

(Arizona Sports) Corbin Carroll’s walk-off home run proves Diamondbacks’ fighting spirit still alive

Corbin Carroll, a struggling and banged up superstar, launched a walk-off home run for the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team clawing to stay alive in the postseason chase, on Monday to earn what the team hopes will be a galvanizing 8-7 win over the Miami Marlins.

Carroll’s blast came at a precarious moment for the Diamondbacks, who had trailed 7-4, faced a potential three-game losing streak and the risk of falling behind the San Diego Padres by 3.5 games for the final National League Wild Card spot.

(Burn City Sports) Diamondbacks get their big lefty bat, but will it be enough to help their postseason chase

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the D-Backs claimed Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jesus Sanchez off waivers Monday. The move will require sending one of the right-handed outfielders down to Triple-A, although the team hasn’t revealed what that move will be.

Sanchez has been posting solid numbers in Toronto, hitting .260 with eight home runs, 35 RBIs and a .734 OPS through 99 games. The outfielder has made a career of hitting for power against right-handed pitching, posting a .775 career OPS in those situations, making his addition even more significant for an Arizona lineup that has needed more balance.

[Ed. Note] I wonder if he realizes that if he puts up the best month in his career, he’ll probably get his number retired at Chase.

MLB News

(Purple Row) Rockies’ late rally thwarted by Padres in 8-7 heartbreaker

The Rockies battled, but couldn’t score the run they needed or prevent San Diego’s late insurance runs as they fell 8-7 in a heartbreaker on Monday night at Coors Field.

Colorado trailed 6-1 after four innings, but made a game of it before San Diego’s shutdown, slider-throwing closer Mason Miller posted two strikeouts to earn his 37th save of the season — the Rockies’ only two strikeouts of the game.

(CBS Sports) MLB Power Rankings: Has the magic run out on the White Sox’s feel-good Cinderella story?

The feel-good story of the 2026 season, at least on a team level, is arguably the Chicago White Sox. You know, the team that was parked in No. 30 in these Power Rankings the last umpteen weeks of 2024 and was at or near the bottom for most of 2025. They looked like a feisty bunch early this season and then started hanging around first place in June and July before building a lead as big as 5 ½ games in August.

That lead is now down to a half game, as the Sox just finished a 1-5 week against the Pirates and Cardinals. They still sit in first place, but it might not be for long. The Guardians don’t exactly seem enthused at trying to win the division as they do more often than not these days, given that they only went 3-3 last week, but it’s been enough to thrust them up right in the White Sox’s rearview mirror so aggressively that it is fogging up.

(MLB.com) 14 straight! Dodgers tie MLB record for most consecutive playoff clinches

“We don’t take it for granted,” said Max Muncy, the longest-tenured Dodger, who has been around for nine of those years. “But it is the expectation here.”

Now that they’ve secured their spot in the field, the Dodgers will go for their 13th NL West title in the past 14 seasons. They lead the second-place Padres by nine games, in addition to holding the head-to-head tiebreaker. L.A. is also playing for a first-round bye, holding a 3 1/2-game lead over Atlanta for the second seed.

Good morning! The Mariners began their series against the Los Angeles Angels with a 6-4 loss. Staff writer Zach Mason detailed Kade Anderson’s struggles in his recap, and the Mariners were unable to put enough quality hits together to come out on top.

Logan Gilbert takes the mound tonight for the 6:38 PM start against RHP Ryan Johnson.

In Mariners news…

• A big congrats to Julio Rodriguez for being named the Mariners’ nominee for the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award.
• Zac Hereth at Seattle Sports 710 AM highlights six Mariners prospects with rising stocks in 2026.
• A bright spot of Andrés Muñoz’s rocky season has been an improved and un-hittable changeup.
• The latest of incredible Ichiro stories comes from this past weekend, where he threw a 127-pitch shutout in an annual All-Star Game against the best high school girls baseball players in Japan. 

Around the league…

• Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees became the latest teams to clinch their spots in the 2026 MLB Postseason last night.
• Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong smashed his 42nd home run this season, tying Cubs legend Billy Williams for most single-season home runs by a lefty in franchise history.
• Los Angeles Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz is not guaranteed a spot on the team’s playoff roster after an abysmal 2026 season.
• Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso was showered with applause in his return to Citi Field since leaving the Mets last season.
• Miami Marlins RHP Max Meyer has been shut down for the remainder of the season due to a neck strain.

Mets fans spent most of Monday night's game against the Orioles alternately showering Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso with affection and voicing their displeasure with David Stearns and the front office's decision to let him go.

When it comes to Mets fans welcoming a prominent former player back, Monday night stood alone for its combination of love for the player and vitriol directed at the decision-makers who oversaw his departure. 

Count former Mets GM Sandy Alderson among those on the side of the fans. 

During an appearance with Brian Kenny on MLB Network on Monday, Alderson gave a deep, illuminating answer when asked for his thoughts on the Mets not doing what it took to retain Alonso.  

"I was disappointed," Alderson said. "Look, Pete Alonsowas drafted by Tommy Tanous -- the scouting director at that time -- in the second round. Basically a home run hitter who got on base. And that's what he's been since he came to the big leagues. Let's say his defense is not superb. Poor defense doesn't outweigh the kind of homegrown, home run talent -- impact talent -- that Pete Alonso can provide. 

"From my standpoint, if they let him go because of his defense, I think that was a mistake. If they let him go because they thought his power was gonna diminish over time? Okay, that's a guess. It might happen, it might not. To me, the deciding factor is the guy is homegrown. He's gonna set your home run record. 

"Baseball is entertainment. It's not 'well, X's and O's, it doesn't matter.' No, it's entertainment. And sometimes you have to take that factor into account, and Pete Alonso was part of the entertainment that Mets fans appreciated and supported."

Alderson served as Mets GM from 2011 through 2018, and returned to the organization as its president from 2020 to 2023.

His second tenure with the club was in more of an oversight role as the team transitioned from the Fred Wilpon ownership to the ownership of Steve Cohen.

During his time overseeing baseball operations for the Mets, Alderson often spoke about baseball as an entertainment business first and foremost. And he believed in the value that homegrown players could provide. 

One of Alderson's biggest moves as GM was to sign David Wright to a seven-year extension after the 2012 season. Wright's career was upended soon after due to spinal stenosis, and he retired following the 2018 season after spending his entire career in Queens. His No. 5 was retired last season. 

As far as Alonso, he's having a terrific season in his first year in Baltimore.

While playing all 151 games, Alonso is slashing .268/.363/.496 (.859 OPS) with 35 home runs and an AL-leading 100 RBI. 

Rise and shine A’s fans and welcome to a new day!

The team made the decision to fire their long-time GM David Forst a few weeks back, installing Dan Feinstein to temporarily run the ship until a more thorough search for a new voice could take place over the offseason. The first name to emerge was former Astros GM James Click, who has plenty of experience in the front office and oversaw lots of success in Houston, including a World Series win.

Well we can add a couple more names to the list of potential GM’s. The team has reporedtly interviewed Mike Rizzo and BIlly Owens for the opening, making it three known names connected to the A’s job. The list is surely going to continue to expand but we have an idea of where the team’s heading.

Rizzo is best known for his time as the Washington Nationals’ president of baseball operations from 2009 until 2025. During that stretch the Nats won their first World Series title, but he also oversaw lots of losing teams during that stretch. While his team had winning records and huge success during the peak of that Nationals run, his most recent rebuild did not yield any results, paving the way for his eventual dismissal. While his Nats tenure didn’t end well, you can’t argue with the team’s first championship.

Owens is a name that should be much more familiar to A’s fans. He’s spent the past 30-ish years with the organization, including the past 11 as assistant GM to Forst. From slowly rising the ranks in the minor leagues as a coach to now being considered for the big job, Owens would be something of a continuity pick for the A’s. He was an assistant to Forst, who was an assistant to Billy Beane, who was an assistant to Sandy Alderson. Unlike with Rizzo and Click, Owens would be a first-time GM but that hasn’t stopped the A’s from going back to the most recent front offices and picking from a familiar crop.

Interestingly enough, the same report that revealed these interviews also said that the team would like to make their hire before the end of the season. If true that means the A’s aren’t going to wait around and want their new lead voice in position for the start of the offseason so he can hit the ground running. That might shorten the list of potential options since front office guys with playoff squads probably won’t make the jump before their team’s season concludes. What do you think of that decision? Is it smart to install the new GM as fast as possible, or should the team take their time and make sure they find the right guy? Whoever gets the job is going to oversee the first few years in Las Vegas, so it better be a home run hire.

We got a new series tonight across the country. The team is in Tampa Bay for three games against the playoff-bound Rays. They’re still fending off the Yankees for the AL East lead so don’t expect them to be anything but ready for game time. First pitch is at 3:40 Pacific. Until then, have a great day A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• No. 2 prospect in baseball De Vries undergoes successful shoulder surgery
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• A’s Shut Out Blue Jays 2-0 to Win Series
• Blue Jays Win 4-2 to Even Series
• A’s Walk Off Blue Jays 6-5
• Mariners Defeat A’s 2-0 in Road Trip Finale
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Bi-Polar Performance Arcs Make Evaluation Difficult
• A’s Escape Texas With A Win, Beat Rangers 9-2
• A’s Designate José Suarez For Assignment
• Q&A: Clarke determined to finish strong with A’s after long IL stint
• White exits with back tightness as A’s injury woes continue
• It’s Been a Bummer Summer in Sacramento
• The A’s valuation rises with sales of 2 MLB clubs as Las Vegas move looms
• Your 2026 Hacktastic A’s
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Daejon Love case brings back Eric Byrnes’ bizarre story of an A’s bat boy impersonation
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app
• How defensive whiz Clarke’s return will impact A’s
• How A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell brought taking a knee to MLB and what happened afterwards
• A’s Plan to Test Top Pitching Prospect Jamie Arnold at Next Level
• Separating The Wheat From The Chaff Not So Easy
• Amidst The Despair: The Position Player Talent Is There
• What Are The Next Steps For The A’s? ($)
• Where Each A’s Player’s Contract Stands Entering Offseason
• Why Athletics Will Have Scary Offense in 2027
• Underdog Athletics prospect Cole Conn playing like a big dog for Aviators
• Behind the Plate, the A’s Face an Offseason Reckoning
• Why The New GM Needs To “Clean House”
• A Seemingly Rock Bottomless Glass
• MLB Trade Grades: A’s Have Quiet Trade Deadline
• Fustercluck 2026: The Real Reasons For A Disappointing Season

MLB News and Interest:

• 14 straight! Dodgers tie MLB record for most consecutive playoff clinches
• Edwin Díaz Not Guaranteed Spot On Dodgers’ Playoff Roster
• Yankees check first box, head to postseason for third straight season
• Rafael Devers To Undergo Core Surgery
• Terry Francona encouraged by reports of Reds leaders’ return
• Diamondbacks Claim Jesús Sánchez
• Padres win 8th straight, maintain lead over Arizona in Wild Card chase
• PCA joins Hall of Famer Williams with 42nd homer on 4-hit, 4-RBI night
• Peters’ 18-pitch walk keys White Sox’s win vs. Guardians
• Braves Likely To Place Reynaldo López On Injured List
• Pete Alonso salutes thunderous ovations in Citi Field return
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Consistency is a key for him moving forward:

Butler’s proven to be an incredibly streaky hitter . Every year as a full time starter he’s had one good half (2nd half 24, 26 & 1st half 25), and one bad half.

It will be interesting to see how he develops as his career progresses.

Reminds me of Josh Reddick as an A. https://t.co/1WTZB45EwY

— Straight A’s (@StraightAs123) September 15, 2026

Possible option for next season?

Corey Avant's final 2026 start was something else: strikeouts for his first seven outs on his way to nine K's in five one-hit innings. pic.twitter.com/1gDT1KXXwR

— Jesse Goldberg-Strassler (@jgoldstrass) September 14, 2026

Congrats to Gelof on the nomination!

CERTIFIED GOOD GUY‼️🙌

Zach Gelof has been nominated for the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award for his outstanding work off the field!

He supports children, the sick, & our military – He also runs youth camps in Sacramento & his Delaware hometown! pic.twitter.com/EGtV4mVrNu

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) September 14, 2026

The Detroit Tigers have now won five straight after holding on for a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Center on Monday night. The good guys were no-hit through six innings but mounted two late-inning comebacks to seize Game 1 of the three-game series.

Toeing the rubber for the Motor City Kitties in Game 2 is right-hander Drew Anderson, who will make his eighth start since permanently joining the rotation. The 32-year-old has posted a healthy 2.97 ERA but a concerning 5.05 FIP over his last 33 1/3 innings, allowing 28 hits (five home runs) and 16 walks while striking out 27, earning a pair of losses in the process.

Anderson has seen Toronto once this season in relief on May 15, tossing four frames of shutout ball on one lonely hit and a strikeout in an eventual 3-2 victory for the good guys.

For the Blue Jays, fellow righty Braydon Fisher will get the start for the 10th time this season. The 26-year-old will presumably be serving in the opener role, as he has not thrown more than two innings in an outing all summer.

So far this month, Fisher has put up a 1.93 ERA and 4.18 FIP over six appearances, allowing four hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out seven and uncorking a wild pitch across 4 2/3 innings of work.

Take a look below at how the two hurlers match up on Roberto Clemente Day.

Detroit Tigers (71-79) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (75-76)

Time (ET): 7:07 p.m.
Place: Rogers Center, Toronto, Ontario
SB Nation Site:Bluebird Banter
Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network

Game 151: RHP Drew Anderson (4-6, 3.80 ERA) vs. RHP Braydon Fisher (3-4, 3.22 ERA)

Player	G	IP	K%	BB%	GB%	FIP	fWAR
Anderson	47	97.0	25.4	9.7	48.8	4.24	0.6
Fisher	72	72.2	24.4	12.9	43.5	4.25	0.1

ANDERSON

FISHER

Good morning! Today, Keagan makes a case for giving the ball to Payton Tolle in Game 1 of the all but inevitable Wild Card Series in New York. Aaron Boone in the other dugout won’t have much of a decision to make in that regard: Cam Schlittler is a lock for the Cy Young, and he could even win a surprise American League MVP. He’s going to throw the first pitch of that series.

But if you’ve been paying attention to the Yankees, you might have noticed something interesting about their starting options: right now, Gerrit Cole isn’t one of the team’s three best pitchers.

Cole missed the start of the season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, of course. He was pretty mediocre out of the gate before looking back to his old self through July and August, when he posted an ERA of 2.66 over 10 starts. But September has been a challenge for him so far — and not only when he was giving up historic homers. He couldn’t even make it through 5 against the Mets over the weekend.

Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, on the other hand, are as locked in as ever: neither one of them has given up more than 1 earned run in a start since July. Moreover, they’re both lefties, so they can theoretically neutralize the threat of the short porch in Yankee Stadium’s joke of a right field.

It’s a shame, because (1) it’s always fun to embarrass Gerrit Cole, and (2) he has, famously, been owned by the Red Sox in the playoffs, having faced the Sox twice and given up 7 earned runs in 8 innings. So here’s hoping he turns things around over the last two weeks of the season and works his way back into Boone’s good graces.

Use this space to talk about whatever you want and, as always, be good to one another.

The San Diego Padres secured their eighth consecutive win by the slimmest of margins against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Monday. Pinch hitter Adael Amador chopped a Mason Miller pitch over the mound that was fielded and thrown to first by Manny Machado to beat Amador for the final out to secure an 8-7 win for the Padres.

San Diego and Colorado went back and forth throughout the game but in the ninth, it came down to the final at-bat. Miller recorded a strikeout to open the frame before Kyle Karros reached on a single to bring the winning run to the plate for the Rockies. Miller then struck out Mickey Moniak which set up the pinch-hit appearance for Amador. He pounded the second pitch of the at-bat into the ground causing it to bounce high above the infield grass, just left of the mound. Machado who was playing toward second base, cut across the grass, caught the ball and snapped a throw to first baseman Ty France, which arrived a half-step ahead of the runner to give the Padres their eighth consecutive win.

San Diego jumped out to a 6-1 lead after three innings, which included homers by Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. Colorado began to chip away at the score, but Padres starter Casey Mize did a what he needed to do to get through his outing with minimal damage. Mize allowed the second run of his outing in the bottom of the fifth and completed five innings with two runs allowed on eight hits with two walks.

The Rockies took advantage of a shaky Padres bullpen, which sent Kyle Hart to the mound in the bottom of the sixth. Hart had another ugly outing, allowing three runs on one hit with two walks in just 1/3 or an inning. Bradgley Rodriguez came in to get the final two outs. San Diego returned to the plate with a one-run lead at 6-5 in the top of the seventh. They added a run in the top of the inning, but Rodriguez gave the run right back in the bottom of the inning.

Adrian Morejon took the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning after the Padres scored a run in the top of the inning. Morejon was working with a two-run lead and San Diego up 8-6 and like the first two relievers, he allowed Colorado to score to get within a run.

The Padres did not core in the top of the ninth and the Rockies appeared confident that they could at least tie the game if not win it in the ninth. Miller quickly dashed those hopes and locked down the win and his 37th save of the season on 14 pitches, 10 of which were strikes.

San Diego will try to win its ninth consecutive win today against Colorado at 5:40 p.m.

Padres News:

• The Mason Miller/Leo De Vries trade between the Padres and the Athletics will be talked about throughout the remainder of their careers, but with the recent news of De Vries needing season ending shoulder surgery, it appears San Diego won the trade.

• Jason Adam had a successful rehab outing with El Paso.

• Jackson Merrill earned Player of the Week honors after his red-hot performance on the last home stand.

Baseball News:

• The New York Yankees clinched a postseason berth with a win over the Minnesota Twins.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their 14th consecutive playoff berth with a win over the Cincinnati Reds.

• Corbin Carroll hit a two-run walk-off home run to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Miami Marlins.

• Pete Crow-Armstrong moved closer to a 40/40 season while helping the Chicago Cubs beat the Atlanta Braves.

I’m sure Anthony Volpe wanted to make a statement in his first game back from his demotion to Triple-A on August 4th, but I bet even he couldn’t have dreamt of the impact he would author. In his first MLB action in over a month, Volpe arrived in the Bronx sporting new swing mechanics and the results were immediate, the much-maligned infielder going 3-for-4 with a grand slam and a career-high five RBI. It’s his first and last ABs from that game that I would like to highlight today.

We first join Volpe with no outs in the bottom of the second last Thursday against the Rockies. The Yankees need to complete the sweep and have created a promising opportunity early with Ryan McMahon singling and Austin Wells drawing a walk to open the frame. They already lead, 2-1, courtesy of a Luis García Jr. two-run blast in the first, but after Max Fried surrendered a solo shot to Kyle Karros in the second, it became imperative that the Yankees take advantage of this scoring chance given the uncertainty of how many innings they’ll get from their starter recently back from injury.

Ryan Feltner starts Volpe with a first pitch sinker low hoping for an early double play ball.

Really excellent take here from Volpe, this sinker looking like a strike middle-down until about the last ten feet before home. I almost wonder if he was hunting something in a different zone the way the bat never left his shoulder on such a borderline pitch.

Feltner executed that sinker pretty much how he intended, so despite not getting the result he wanted, there is no need for him to deviate course.

Volpe follows up that excellent take with a positively head-scratching one. This sinker looks like a strike right down the middle the moment it leaves Feltner’s hand and never leaves the zone, yet Volpe watches it all the way into the catcher’s glove for strike one.

Ok, now I officially have no idea what Volpe is looking for. That’s two straight meatball sinkers from Feltner. The first he showed zero interest in offering at. This sinker is as center-cut as they come, yet all Volpe can do is fire a late emergency hack as if he is sitting on something else and gets surprised that this pitch is in a hittable location. This is a pitch he should be crushing but instead he’s swinging as if to fight it off foul to stay alive in a 1-1 count.

At this point I just assumed this AB would end the way a lot of two-strike counts against Volpe end — a strikeout swinging on a breaking ball out of the zone. So far it’s been same old, same old from Volpe, failing to take advantage of mistake pitches early in the count and thus needlessly fall behind, which around these circles we know as a non-competitive AB. Feltner has been gifted an opportunity for a strikeout and his first pitch selection to get it is the changeup.

Feltner misses wildly with this changeup, sailing it way up and in when he meant to locate it down below the zone. A completely non-competitive pitch and an automatic take from Volpe.

Feltner immediately shelves the changeup after such a wayward misfire and switches to the secondary that has given Volpe fits his whole big league career — the low and away slider.

Wow, this was… an impressively disciplined take from Volpe. This pitch looks exactly like the two in-zone sinkers that Volpe failed to punish earlier in the AB before taking a sharp left turn about halfway to the plate. You can tell that Volpe recognized the pitch pretty soon out of Feltner’s had based on the minimal flinch as he takes it for ball three.

Volpe has done well to work the count full after falling behind, 1-2. Feltner does not want to walk the bases loaded with no outs and the top of the order coming up, so he is somewhat forced into throwing sinkers in the zone again in the hope of inducing a double play ball.

This one lands in almost the same spot as the one Volpe took for strike one. This time he does elect to swing, but it’s not a particularly good swing. His whole front side flies open, causing the bat head to come around and over the top of the baseball, and all he can do is ground it foul to the pull side.

With a swing like that, Feltner must feel confident he can get Volpe to roll over a grounder if he can command his sinker lower than the last three he threw.

Instead, this sinker sails up and in just like the one changeup Feltner threw earlier. Volpe is a little unlucky that the pitch hit his bat on the check swing, otherwise he would have drawn the walk to load the bases.

After showing Volpe four fastballs with sinking movement in this AB, Feltner finally breaks out the four-seamer hoping that a straight flying heater will stay above Volpe’s barrel for a strikeout.

Volpe is sitting dead red, which is how he is able to make solid contact with this 95 mph four-seamer bearing in on his hands. The early swing allows him to get the bat head out and pull a sharp grounder through the hole on the left side for an RBI single to restore the Yankees’ two-run cushion.

Here’s the full AB:

We have to fast-forward to the seventh for the real fireworks. An RBI triple by Jake McCarthy in the top-half briefly made it 4-2, but a Cody Bellinger leadoff double, Jasson Domínguez walk, and Spencer Jones two-run single provided a cushion at 6-2. McMahon and Wells then drew a pair of two-out walks to load the bases for Volpe, who steps to the plate with the confidence of a pair of singles already to his name.

Unlike Feltner, Jimmy Herget looks to pitch Volpe backwards, starting with breaking balls away to slow down his bat and get him leaning out over the plate to in theory set up a heater inside later in the count.

This is a perfect slider from Herget, dotted right on the corner low and away. Even though it lands for a called strike, it’s still a good take from Volpe. Had he swung, at best you’re looking at a whiff and more likely an inning ending grounder.

Having earned the strike looking with that slider, Herget shows some impressive sequencing by throwing a sweeper out of the same slot — it should look like the slider Volpe just saw only this time with a foot-and-a-half more lateral movement away from the batter.

This is the best take from Volpe all game and maybe all season. This sweeper comes down the exact same tunnel as the slider that was just called a strike on the outside edge. You would expect most hitters to chase this pitch — they are forced to protect that outside edge now that the pitcher has established his breaking ball for a called strike in that quadrant. Just like the close slider he took for a ball just off the plate away from Feltner, Volpe must have gotten a good read on the spin of this pitch to layoff with hardly a flinch.

Despite not getting the chase, Herget sticks with his plan of soft away, hard in. He looks to bear a sinker in on Volpe’s hands for some weak contact.

Instead, he leaves this 91 mph sinker middle-middle, and unlike in the first AB we covered, Volpe doesn’t miss it. Volpe stays inside the baseball and drives it to the opposite field, short porching Herget for a grand slam. The swing is a thing of beauty, Volpe precise with his barrel to the baseball while showing an impressive amount of power despite taking an opposite-field approach.

Here’s the full AB:

The Yankees ended up routing the Rockies, 10-3, and Volpe single-handedly drove in half those runs. During the game, we learned about several mechanical adjustment Volpe implemented in his month-plus at Triple-A.

Here’s a Volpe swing from earlier this year (top) vs. the grand slam he just hit.

My God what an improvement https://t.co/T1koJCfnvkpic.twitter.com/L3tpGCiNAu

— Victor (@HalToHell) September 11, 2026

I spot two major differences at the initiation of the load phase: higher hand positioning and a small step back with his back foot. Starting with the hand positioning, I feel that this helps prevent Volpe from casting his swing — you can see how before the demotion his front elbow straightens out well before contact whereas on the grand slam swing, that front elbow stays bent and tight to the body. When you straighten your front elbow too soon, your hands tend to drift away from the body, causing the bat head to lag and the swing to become long and loopy. This robs you of power, prevents you from going to the opposite field, and makes it almost impossible to catch up to the heater. Keeping the front elbow tucked leads to a shorter, more compact swing, allowing Volpe to stay inside the baseball to drive it with power the other way as the barrel rotates in sync with the torso.

The adjustment that has me really excited, however, is the step back. Paul O’Neill noticed it right away on the broadcast and could not offer enough praise for the adjustment. He explained the way that that step forces Volpe to keep his weight back, allowing him to stay behind the baseball which is critical for efficiently transferring all of the stored potential energy from trunk to arms to bat. The hallmark of Volpe’s struggles is when he bails on his front side, the front hip and shoulder flying open way too early. This causes Volpe to step in the bucket, or fall with his weight toward third base rather than stride toward the pitcher, which not only robs him of power but is the prime culprit for all those whiffs against breaking balls away as Volpe deprives himself of plate coverage. This new step back is a godsend. In forcing him to keep his weight back a tick longer and stride forward instead of open, Volpe’s barrel should remain in the hitting zone for far longer than when he’s cutting across the zone when stepping in the bucket, which is how he is able to to drive a slightly inside pitch out of the park the other way.

We’ve seen Volpe make mechanical adjustments in the past and then get hot for a few weeks. However, without fail he has let those past adjustments fall by the wayside and revert back to his old bad habits every single time. Hopefully, this time around these changes are here to stay.

This week’s series at Citi Field not only offers the Orioles their last undoubtedly winnable series of the season, but also a chance to look into their potential future.

The Mets and O’s are easily two of 2026’s most disappointing teams. New York came into this season with the second-highest payroll in all of baseball and were the odds-on favorites to win the NL East. The Orioles’ preseason expectations were not quite as lofty. However, a summer spending spree that saw them bring in former Mets star Pete Alonso had many in Birdland dreaming of a return to the postseason.

Instead, with the Orioles’ win in Queens last night, the Mets have officially been eliminated from postseason contention—their fourth time missing the postseason in the six seasons since super billionaire Steve Cohen bought the team. The win represents only a brief stay of execution for the Orioles, who had only a 1.3% chance to make the playoffs heading into last night’s game.

Once it becomes official that the Orioles won’t be returning to the postseason this year, the front office will face some tough questions about how best to position Baltimore for 2027 and beyond. The first will be whether Mike Elias is still the best man to lead this front office. However, all the other questions (assuming baseball is played at some point in 2027) will be about how to reshape their roster to cover up the glaring deficiencies that ultimately sunk this talented but flawed team.

This year’s Mets offer a great example of how not to approach the offseason immediately following a disappointing season. This past offseason, as they are in seemingly every offseason since Cohen arrived, the Mets were busy. New York started their attempt at reshaping by trading outfielder Brandon Nimmo to Texas for infielder Marcus Semien.

After Alonso signed with Baltimore, the Mets went on a spending spree with all the money they weren’t paying their franchise leader in home runs. They gave $20M/yr to Jorge Polanco to replace Alonso at 1B and committed a combined $28M/yr to Devin Williams and Luke Weaver as bullpen reinforcements. They then made their big move to really try to fill the hole left by Alonso, giving Bo Bichette a $42M/yr deal to lure him away from Toronto.

New York stayed active in the trade market as well, sending away their top two prospects to the Brewers for two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta. The Mets also struck a deal with the White Sox, sending infielder Luisangel Acuña and another prospect to Chicago for now-Orioles outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Assuming the coming work stoppage is resolved sometime in the next 365 days, the Orioles will have all the chances to repeat or learn from New York’s mistakes. Letting Alonso walk (or not doing enough to make him want to stay) meant the Mets started trying to improve with a giant new hole in their roster.

The Orioles can’t make that same mistake with pending free agent Trevor Rogers. Unlike Alonso in New York, Rogers has repeatedly stated his desire to stay in Baltimore. With Rogers heading a rotation with Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Brandong Young, the O’s finally have a pitching staff worthy of a contender. Letting Rogers walk would be taking a step backwards before Baltimore could even think about taking a step forward. And like it did with Alonso in New York, it could force the Orioles to spend money on lesser players attempting to replace the reigning MVO.

The Mets’ spending habits in general should be a warning sign for the Orioles front office and how they look to improve this roster. Unlike last offseason, the list of pending 2027 free agents doesn’t have a lot of star power. Randy Arozarena, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Seiya Suzuki are the best bats set to be available this offseason.

All three of those players seem like square pegs for the round holes the Orioles have in their lineup. Chisholm will be coming off a down year with the Yankees and would be another infielder on a team already full of infield talent. Arozarena and Suzuki could both be the type of right-handed, power-hitting outfielder the Orioles thought they were getting with Taylor Ward.

However, both would likely command north of $25M/year as they head into their age-32 seasons. That level of investment paid off with Alonso, but Arozarena and Suzuki are both an echelon below the Polar Bear when it comes to the game’s best hitters. The lack of success Bichette and Polanco have had with the Mets (combined -0.6 bWAR this season) show that throwing money at players who don’t obviously fit the team’s needs can quickly sink a lineup.

Elias (or whoever replaces him) must continue to treat prospects like they have more value than just bargaining chips for improving the 2027 roster. Even if they re-sign Rogers, the front office may look to trade from the Orioles’ newfound minor league pitching depth to acquire a pitcher like Joe Ryan from the Twins or Logan Gilbert from the Mariners. However, trading someone like Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa or Caden Hunter for a pitcher with only one year of team control could prove short-sighted. If they entertain such a move, the Orioles may find themselves in the same position as the Mets with Peralta: forced to move him for pennies on the dollar if the team doesn’t meet expectations.

It’s clear that this roster needs to be rebalanced to address the staggeringly inconsistent offense and continue to build the strength of this rotation. However, as the Orioles’ current opponents can attest, change just for the sake of change can leave the team worse off and with even more disappointment next year.

Not that I expected anyone to read it, but I did some fun research for yesterday’s game preview. Basically, the Cubs are currently first by a mile in position player fWAR, but dead last in pitching fWAR. This has never happened over a full season; the closest I found was bottom five-ish (and not even that close to the bottom) for a top-ranked hitting/defense team, or, on the flip side, the 2000 Angels, who were dead last in pitching but second in position player fWAR.

So, the Cubs have a chance to do something kind of amazing depending on how the last couple of weeks play out. But, there’s a catch: right now, the Cubs are just barely behind the Nationals in pitching fWAR. Another day of the Nationals getting blasted while the Cubs do okay could flip things. The Cubs probably won’t catch the 28th-ranked team, but first and 29th has happened before, while first and 30th hasn’t.

So, do you think they’ll “pass” the Nationals over the last few games of the season? Or, are we going to see something truly incredible from a pretty good team?