NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after a strike out against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox may have snuck into the the playoffs in the worst American League of our lifetime, but they never made it to October. As the calendar flips to baseball’s most prestigious month, we now know Fenway Park will once again sit silent for the fifth consecutive postseason. It’s the longest drought we’ve ever seen in the Wild Card era, and the real measuring stick that separates the contenders from the pretenders in the expanded playoff format.
Failing to reach the bar that should be considered the bare minimum for this franchise has sadly become the new norm, but there’s something especially repugnant and appalling about this particular conclusion to the season I’m still trying to wrap my brain around. Everything sucks right now! — Both in the immediate, and on the horizon.
As we pick up the pieces, sadness and anger are sharp and palpable this morning, but the uneasiness and confusion that make up those components are still hard to process. So instead, disgust and uncertainty rule the day; and even before the fog of last night’s disaster has fully lifted, it’s clear these emotions are not going to be temporary. The darkness is rising like menacing mountain in front of us, promising to deliver a period of awful that will define the coming weeks, months, and maybe years.
Normally, when a season ends, it comes with the typical melancholy of needing to wait until spring. But this year, with a lockout looming, we don’t even know when regular season baseball will be played at Fenway Park again. (Let alone postseason baseball, which is the thing we’re truly starving to see and just had ripped away from us again.)
But even if we somehow get good news on the lockout front of this layered cake of crap, are we even sure the Red Sox are going to move heaven and Earth in response to this week’s embarrassment in New York? Historically, this wouldn’t be a question, but last year, the season ended in the Bronx because the Sox didn’t have enough firepower in the lineup, and they somehow ended up right back in the same spot 12 months later with Nate Eaton and his career .601 OPS once again in the starting lineup for Game 2 of the Wild Card series.
It’s not just that this series sucked, it’s the discomfort of knowing the response to it is probably also going to suck. We are living in an entirely different Red Sox universe than we were 20 years ago, and it’s categorically worse in almost every way.
Speaking of which, Willson Contreras had some interesting comments after the game last night:
Willson Contreras just heavily insinuated there is too much data being used in the Red Sox organization. Asked if Red Sox pulled Sonny Gray too early, he twice did the “lips sealed” motion.
So, we’ve got a star player criticizing (and correctly I might add) the team’s overreliance on data when it comes to decision making in a do-or-die playoff games, and we’ve got Sonny Gray, who was right in the middle of last night’s questionable decision to remove him after just 4.2 innings saying this:
Sonny Gray: “I would’ve liked to have been trusted in that moment.”
What an absolute waste of Sonny Gray’s ability to pitch deep into games! Not only did the Sox waste it last night in a game they had to win, but they also kind of screwed up any inside track they might have had to land him with a mutual option before we plunge into the depths of the offseason.
Pretty much the only thing the Red Sox made certain going into the winter is that they extended Craig Breslow and Chad Tracy, which while designed to cerate some stability, also has the potential to backfire in spectacular fashion, particularly after what we saw the last two nights in their first playoff games working together.
And amid all this fog, something else happened this week that might be even worse. Roman Anthony is once again injured.
Chad Tracy on Roman Anthony: "He was sent back last night after leaving the game. We sent him back to Boston for extra, additional imaging which actually revealed some new strains to different muscles in his wrist in addition to exasperating the old injuries. It’s not great."
In many ways, this piece of uncertainty hits the hardest. Something is clearly wrong when a 22-year-old hitting phenom keeps getting hurt swinging a bat. It feels increasingly likely that his elite swing speed is the very thing that breaks him, and I’m not sure how you fix that.
But to cut to the chase, this news on Anthony sours even the most obvious beacon of hope Sox fans can cling to for whenever baseball returns. Roman Anthony is supposed to be the future, the thing we can dream about in future summers, the guy in the middle of the next great run of Red Sox teams, and now, there’s a real chance the injury bug is just going to drag him into its lair and ruin something spectacular. It just sucks for both him and us!
Last night, he was one of the last guys to leave the dugout, just staring into the abyss of the repulsive present and uncertain future confronting both him and the team.
Oh, and to make matters worse, it’s going to be a long, long time before we get an answer on what Anthony’s future health might hold, because not only does he need to play for an extended period of time to prove he can kick this thing, but we don’t know when the next time he’s even going to get a chance to do that.
This series in New York ruined the 2026 season, the looming lockout threatens to ruin the 2027 season, and the Anthony news threatens to already blow an early hole in the 2028 season and beyond.
We are staring at a wall of shit, and I just wish I knew when it was going to get better. It’s October 1st, and I already wish we were on the exact opposite end of the calendar on April 1st, only this time, there’s no guarantee baseball will even begin again when we get back to that date. And from there, the future of the young core looks less certain than ever.
Emotions are running high after the Boston Red Sox’ embarrassing Wild Card Series loss to the New York Yankees.
Red Sox fans could only watch with disgust as the offense was outscored 18-2 in the two-game sweep. They were left scratching their heads after manager Chad Tracy’s questionable decisions to pull starters Payton Tolle in Game 1 and Sonny Gray in Game 2. After Wednesday’s season-ending loss, players voiced their frustration with the organization’s approach.
Now, we must turn the page to an offseason of uncertainty. It’s obvious that major moves need to be made if the Red Sox hope to advance past the Wild Card Series for the first time since 2021 and regain their reputation as a perennial contender. So, where does chief baseball officer Craig Breslow begin?
Here are the four biggest questions Breslow and the Red Sox face heading into the offseason:
How can the offense be fixed?
The Red Sox finished the 2026 regular season ranked 23rd in MLB in runs scored, 26th in home runs, and 20th in slugging percentage. They were dead last in runs scored in September, and that lack of production continued in the postseason when they were outscored 18-2 by the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series.
Suffice it to say, upgrading the lineup should be Breslow’s No. 1 priority this winter, but what are the paths to doing so?
This year’s free agent class doesn’t feature many enticing options. Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena, Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, and Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe are the top three hitters set to hit free agency. If the Red Sox aren’t going to spend for one of them, they’re better off turning their attention to the trade market.
The problem is that Boston depleted its farm system at the trade deadline, sending four of its top 10 prospects to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman. With much less prospect capital to offer in deals, Breslow will have his work cut out for him in trade discussions this offseason.
Who are the odd men out?
Unless the Red Sox want yet another early playoff exit in 2027, or to miss the postseason altogether, there should be a good amount of roster turnover this winter.
Outfielder Jarren Duran and shortstop Trevor Story are clearly the top candidates to be traded. Duran is coming off a woeful season and still has two years left on his contract. Story struggled through another injury-plagued campaign, and No. 1 prospect Franklin Arias is ready to take his starting shortstop job.
Parting ways with Duran and Story would help clear logjams at their respective positions, but to bring in All-Star-caliber talent via trade, Breslow will have to get bolder. That might mean a willingness to package a key contributor like Wilyer Abreu in a blockbuster deal for an offensive upgrade. And would Boston dare give up on former top prospect Roman Anthony after his disappointing sophomore season? It doesn’t seem all that far-fetched in the immediate aftermath of his latest injury setback.
Left-handed pitchers Payton Tolle, Garrett Crochet, and Ranger Suarez are probably the only Red Sox players safe from being traded this offseason. Everyone else should at least be on the table.
What does an Adley Rutschman extension look like?
The Red Sox didn’t trade top prospects Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, and Harold Rivas to the Orioles for a one-and-a-half-year rental. They acquired Adley Rutschman with the intention of signing him to an extension. The question is, what would such an extension look like given the soon-to-be 29-year-old’s inconsistency and durability issues in recent years?
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh signed an extension with an average annual value of $17.5 million before the 2025 season. Los Angeles Dodgers backstop Will Smith’s recent extension is worth $14M per year. Rutschman is expected to look for a $20M AAV, such as a five-year deal worth roughly $100M.
Is he worth it? That’s a whole other conversation for a different day.
Who could fill the Sonny Gray void?
The Red Sox couldn’t have asked for more from Gray in 2026. The 36-year-old put up Cy Young-caliber numbers, stepping up as the rotation’s de facto ace while Garrett Crochet missed most of the year due to injury.
Unfortunately for Boston, Gray is scheduled to hit free agency this offseason. And even if he decides to hold off on retirement, his recent remarks suggest he’s probably not re-signing.
Without Gray, the Red Sox’ projected 2027 rotation is still pretty solid…
Garrett Crochet, LHP
Payton Tolle, LHP
Ranger Suarez, LHP
Jake Bennett, LHP
Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, or Johan Oviedo (all RHP)
… but it would look far better with a legitimate Gray replacement.
Free-agent options include righties Michael King, Joe Ryan, Freddy Peralta, Casey Mize, and Kevin Gausman. Or, the Red Sox could trade for an arm, just as they did when they acquired Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason.
With only one more wild-card series to wrap up, Major League Baseball's division series is starting to come into focus.
Four division winners secured spots by earning byes as their league's top-two seed, and three teams have since joined them by wining in the wild-card round. Only one spot remains to finish out the full bracket of the division series, which is a best-of-five series that begins Saturday, Oct. 3.
Here's a look at the teams that have clinched division series berths, the clubs still fighting to advance and the latest 2026 MLB playoff bracket.
Sonny Gray wanted more of a chance to save the Red Sox season.
When it wasn’t given to him, with Gray being pulled in the fifth inning in a move that backfired in a 9-2 Game 2 wild-card loss to the Yankees on Wednesday night that ended Boston’s season, the ex-Yankee bust made it clear he believed he should have been trusted in that spot.
“I’m the best pitcher in the American League going through the order for a third time. I think that’s a fact,” Gray told reporters after the game. “I would’ve liked to live or die with me in that moment but that’s the competitor I am. Yeah, I think you can probably ask the guys and they felt the same way.
“I felt strong. I felt confident. I felt convicted … but what can you do, you know?”
Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) is pulled from the game in the fifth inning during Game 2 of the Wild Card game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Gray only threw 70 pitches when he was pulled after 4⅔ innings with two on and two outs in 1-0 game, having allowed one solo homer to Luis Garcia Jr. at that point.
After Ben Rice singled in the fifth inning to advance Austin Wells to third base with two outs, manager Chad Tracy replaced Gray with lefty reliever Erik Miller.
Bellinger greeted Miller with an RBI single to boost the Yankees lead to 2-0, leaving Gray with two earned runs on his ledger to go along with six hits and five strikeouts.
When asked if he had talked to Tracy since the manager’s polarizing decision, the frustrated 36-year-old shook his head and said “No.”
“I think I got clipped for a solo home run and then some singles, but I felt like I stayed on the attack throughout,” Gray added. “I’m frustrated, for sure. You know, not ready for it to end. A lot of emotions.”
A reporter asked Red Sox fire baseman Willson Contreras about the team’s thoughts on Gray coming out early.
“It’s not enough when you have talent or you have data or you have computers that’s telling you what to do, because this is baseball,” Contreras said in response to another question. “The data is here to help us, but at the end of the day you are going to have to need experience and veteran guys to win games.”
Tracy’s decision-making was also questioned following the Yankees’ 9-0 Game 1 win on Tuesday night when he pulled starter Payton Tolle after 4⅔ innings as well while trailing 1-0.
He was just 83 pitches in when Miller replaced him and allowed a solo homer to Ben Rice.
Both nights it seemed Tracy was eager to get to his bullpen, which was baseball’s best during the regular season with a 3.00 ERA.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) is pulled from the game in the fifth inning during Game 2 of the Wild Card game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Yet, the bullpen finished this series with a staggering 20.25 ERA after giving up 15 runs, 15 hits and seven walks across 6⅔ innings.
“It’s obviously been an eventful year. In the moment right now you can’t think much more other than anything but the fact that we just lost a playoff series,” Tracy said.
The Red Sox were outscored 18-2 overall and it’s the second consecutive season in which they were sent home by their biggest rivals.
The organization and Tracy will have a lot of questions to answer for an up and down season that included firing Alex Cora in April.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 29: A general exterior view of Citi Field signage before the game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 29, 2024 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Jared Young is recuperating at home from his scary collision with Nolan McLean, but he is hoping to put that all behind him and get ready for next year.
After Hunter Goodman and the Rockies defeated the White Sox, which allowed the Guardians to clinch the division, Cleveland fans have donated more than $20,000 to Goodman’s charity of choice Clothes to Kids Denver.
The Phillies star started the do-or-die Game 2 against the rival Braves with an RBI single in the first inning.
The middle innings were tough, with a groundout, strikeout and costly misplayed fly ball in the seventh giving Atlanta a 2-1 lead.
But Harper put the mistakes behind him moments later with a game-tying home run in the eighth before the Phillies went on to win in extra innings.
How did Harper get over his mistake so quickly? After the game, the 33-year-old spoke about how years of experience built him for these moments.
“I was thinking about Krew, my son, what I would say to him in that situation,” Harper explained postgame. “I think it’s a learning situation not just for myself, but for everyone else, as well. You try to flush it as quick as possible.
“I grew up playing in a lot of big games. I’ve said it in the past about the postseason, but playing huge games that people are counting on you from the time you are 10 years old all the way until now. I don’t think people understand what that feels like or looks like — because when you guys were 10 years old, you probably weren’t playing in front of 3,000 people yelling and screaming at you, wondering why you aren’t the player you want to be.
“So, I’ve been through a lot of situations to get me to this point. When you make a play like that, I’m out there hearing it obviously (from opposing fans). But, how quickly can I turn the page and just get past that moment, knowing that I’m still coming up to the plate to hit. Knowing that in the postseason, it doesn’t matter what you did in the at-bat before or the inning before — it’s what you do in that moment.
“For me, everybody is going to make mistakes at some point, but it’s how you come through in the next situation. It’s not that serious, to tell you the truth. I think people take it very seriously, and don’t get me wrong, I take it very seriously. But I think there’s a mindset, especially for kids nowadays, that parents and coaches put so much on kids these days that they have to come through and be great. But for me, it’s ‘How can you learn from the situation that you’re in to come out great in the next one?'”
Harper showed he can quickly learned from mistakes, and it helped keep the Phillies’ season alive. In 59 career postseason games, Harper is now up to 18 home runs and a batting average of .272, proving that he often rises in key moments.
Willson Contreras provided one of the few good Red Sox swings in this embarrassing showing against the Yankees and then took another postgame whack at his team.
The first-year Red Sox slugger seemingly took aim at the organization’s analytics philosophy after their 9-2 Game 2 loss to the Yankees in a wild-card sweep.
“There’s a lot of things to get better at in each area of the game. If you watch the game, we have to get better at the game running, we have to get better at taking care of the stealers, we have to do a lot of different stuff,” said Contreras, who homered off Max Fried in the sixth inning. “It’s not enough when you have talent, or you have data, or you have computers telling you what to do, because this is baseball.
“The data is here to help us but at the end of the day, you’re going to need experience and veteran guys to win games. There’s a lot of stuff that I would like to say, but I’ll state it like that.”
Boston Red Sox’s Willson Contreras waves his batting helmet as he leaves the field after losing to the New York Yankees in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
If there was any confusion about who Contreras, 34, was throwing under the bus, the line “you have computers telling you what to do” clears that all up.
The Red Sox, like any team that thrives in baseball, rely on analytics to help them.
There will always be a debate about how much of the human element should be blended into games versus specifically relying on data to make decisions.
Contreras received a follow-up question about whether the Red Sox rely too much on data, and provided a cryptic decision.
“If you watch the game,” he said, “if you watch the game.”
His shot at the “computers” is notable since it came after two seemingly analytics-driven decisions for the Red Sox backfired, one in each game.
Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer of the Boston Red Sox, is seen in the dugout before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park in Boston, Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. Getty Images
First-year manager Chad Tracy pulled Payton Tolle in a 1-0 game to have lefty reliever Erik Miller face Ben Rice in the fifth inning in Game 1 and Rice promptly homered.
He tried a similar move Wednesday in yanking Sonny Gray in the fifth for Miller to face Cody Bellinger in a 1-0 game and the Yankees outfielder laced an RBI single.
When asked his thoughts on pulling Gray, Contreras did not verbally answer but said all he needed to say by instead pretending to sew his mouth shut.
Contreras also provided an interesting answer about what happened to the team’s once-scorching lineup, with Boston tearing the cover off the ball during its 32-5 run that saved its season and then slumping to end the regular season before this two-run showing over 18 postseason innings.
“That’s a good question,” he replied. “I’m not going to answer it because I don’t want to give my honest answer. We got eliminated, that’s the bottom line.”
Contreras is under contract with Boston for the 2027 season and the team holds a $17.5 team option for 2028, and he produced a career-best .901 OPS this past season.
Boston surely will aim this offseason to build a deeper lineup around him and Roman Antony and if the team value his two cents, it seems he’ll be telling them to forget the data and use their eyes.
That's how the 2026 MLB wild card round has played out. Now, all the cards are on the table as the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves face off one more time to determine the final team to advance to the division series.
Each of the first two matchups was decided by a game-winning home run − Atlanta winning the opener on Austin Riley's three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth, and Philadelphia prevailing in Game 2 on Alec Bohm's 10th-inning solo blast.
Who will be the hero in the deciding game between these two NL East division rivals? We'll find out tonight.
Phillies vs Braves predictions
Bob Nightengale: Phillies 5, Atlanta 3 – The stars saved the Phillies’ season in Game 2. They’ll do it again, with Aaron Nola on the mound and Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber providing the fire power.
Gabe Lacques: Braves 7, Phillies 6 – One more bullpen pratfall does in the Phillies for good.
Steve Gardner: Phillies 5, Braves 3 – Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola (or both) keep the Braves bats quiet just long enough for the Phillies to eke out the win.
Jesse Yomtov: Phillies 6, Braves 2 – Phils build a big enough lead early that their bullpen can't blow it and hang on to win their first playoff series since 2023.
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ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: Los Angeles infielders Enrique Hernandez (8), Mookie Betts (50), Freddie Freeman (5), and Miguel Rojas (72) talk during a pitching change during the MLB game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on August 27th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As the Los Angeles Dodgers await the outcome of the final game between the Philadelphia Philles and Atlanta Braves to see who they will face in the NLDS, the team is busy working on keeping their bats and arms fresh and ready for the road to a three-peat that lies ahead.
As Bill Plunkett of the OC Register notes, the last two championship wins were won mainly on the backs of the pitchers – the bullpen in 2024, and key starters in 2025. Could this finally be the year that the Dodgers win it by having their offense outslug the other teams?
“It would be nice to slug our way to a World Series one of these years,” third baseman Max Muncy joked on the eve of another postseason run. “We can’t keep letting the pitchers take all the credit, right?”
The offense has looked better in the month of September, and they hope to continue that and have those that weren’t hitting join those that are. Plunkett has more thoughts from the players on how they’re looking to perform in the playoffs here.
As Bill Shakin of the L.A. Times notes, the last two World Series runs have had signature moments from Freddie Freeman, and ponders if this playoff run will have the same.
“My body feels good,” Freeman said. “I think that’s the main thing. I feel like it’s in a good spot to be able to do the work and hopefully fix my swing and everything that’s been going on the last couple months.”
Shakin goes on to cover Freeman’s lackluster second half, and has more quotes from the man himself here.
As the team moves into its newest playoff era, one player is contemplating the end of his own. Miguel Rojas announced at the beginning of the season that he would be retiring at the end of this season. Now, he’s not quite so sure. Maddie Chen of the L.A.Times talks about how Rojas is facing the possible end of his career.
“From this moment on, it will be kind of like a day-to-day thing,” he said. “And you might get to know that I’m stepping away from the game in an Instagram post, or from me just saying goodbye on a video. I don’t know. I don’t know how it’s going to be, but at this moment, I’m not 100% [certain].”
SAN DIEGO — There was San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., with sunglasses on his face and a cigar in his mouth, dancing in the middle of the clubhouse with Padres new co-owner Kwanza Jones.
There was former All-Star center fielder and San Diego native Adam Jones, flying in from Barcelona, Spain, to hang out with shirtless former teammate Manny Machado in the middle of the champagne-soaked, music-blaring, cigar-scented party.
There was Padres starter Walker Buehler with a beer bong, taking turns drinking from it and pouring it on the heads of his teammates.
The Padres, believing this is the best team they’ve built for October in perhaps three decades, danced, partied and sprayed champagne Wednesday night into the wee hours after winning 4-1 to sweep the Chicago Cubs in the best-of-three wild card series.
The Padres talked about their domination of the Cubs, suffocating their high-powered offense to such an extent that the Cubs produced only one extra-base hit in 18 innings. The Cubs became only the third team in the last 100 years to lead MLB in runs scored and then be limited to one or no runs over a two-game span in the postseason, joining the 1983 Baltimore Orioles and the 1940 Cincinnati Reds.
They whispered about this being one step closer to facing their menacing neighbors to the north, knowing the World Series goes through Los Angeles, where the Dodgers have won the last two titles.
And they spoke in reverence about the team they now need to beat to get where they want to go for the first time in their 58-year history: The Milwaukee Brewers, that lovable little team in the Midwest, who just so happened to have won more games than any team in baseball the past two years, 97 games in 2025 and a franchise-record 103 games this season.
Yes, even though the Padres are the hottest team in baseball – winning 19 of their last 22 games and having just swept the Brewers at San Diego's Petco Park in August – the Brewers are going to pose a problem.
Potentially a big one.
"They’re a huge challenge, they’re the best team in baseball," A.J. Preller, Padres president of baseball operations, told USA TODAY Sports. "You look at their record, year in and year out. They’ve got the two-time manager of the year (Pat Murphy), who’s a force in the dugout. They’ve got the No. 1 pitcher in the game (Jacob Misiorowski). Their roster is loaded.
"They’re the best team in baseball for a reason, and it’s going to be a big challenge for us, for sure."
The Brewers, just like the Padres, have yet to win a World Series title in their franchise history, too. They’ve won the NL Central title four consecutive years, five of the last six years, and have reached the postseason seven times since 2018. But they haven’t reached the World Series since 1982.
Now, it will be a matchup of two of the greatest small-market success stories in baseball, beginning Saturday, Oct. 3, in Milwaukee, with the winner awarded a date in the NL championship series against either the Dodgers or the winner of the Philadelphia-Atlanta wild card series.
The Padres, after thoroughly embarrassing the Cubs, now want to make sure the Brewers have a lone postseason series, too, on their road to a brown and gold October.
"Milwaukee has been the best team all year," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "They just win. That’s what they do. And they do it a little bit different than everybody else. They don’t hit home runs, but they’ve got a lot of speed, a lot of athleticism, and have got a great pitching staff.
"We're going to have to play our best, just like we did against the Cubs, to knock them out."
Certainly, the Padres, with a payroll about $80 million higher than the Brewers, have the bigger and richer stars, living in million-dollar homes on Coronado Island and driving Bentleys, while the Brewers are the blue-collar grinders driving pickup trucks, with their luxury items being a deer stand in the woods.
The Padres have five players on their roster who are earning at least $20 million a year, with three – Tatis, Machado and Xander Bogaerts – having contracts worth at least $280 million. The Brewers have only two players earning $20 million – Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff – and Woodruff is injured. Yelich is the only player on the team with a contract guaranteed for more than $95 million.
Yet, year after year, the Brewers are in the postseason, only to be knocked out when the stakes are the highest.
"Obviously, the Brewers are a No. 1 seed for a reason," said Padres DH Gavin Sheets, who hit a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the fourth inning to break open the game. "They're a great team. They've got great arms. We've played them strong all year, and we know what they offer. Obviously, you've got Misiorowski in Game 1, who's a great pitcher.
"Top to bottom, they're a solid, solid team."
The Brewers don’t have the big-time stars, they don’t hit home runs, they won’t dazzle you, but, oh, can they ever play baseball.
"They play a different brand of baseball than most teams we’re used to facing," Padres veteran pitcher Joe Musgrove said. "You know, they move guys over. They play small ball. They play hard. It’s going to be a tough task in front of us because we got a good group in here, and we’re every bit as confident as they are."
The key, says Ruben Niebla, Padres pitching coach and associate manager, is keeping their leadoff hitters off base. Pete Crow-Armstrong, who’ll likely be the unanimous NL MVP winner, reached base only once the entire series, on a walk. Alex Bregman never reached base at all.
Now, it’s up to the Padres’ vaunted pitching staff to make sure they shut down the Brewers’ leadoff hitters, too, before they create havoc on the bases.
"They’re a dangerous team," Niebla said. "It’s their athleticism. The way they play the game, the ability to run, the way they bunt, the hit and run, the way they play defense. The pressure they put on the pitcher.
"We have to control the running game, control the counts, control the leadoff hitter. That’s important, because once their leadoff hitter is on, they’re much more dangerous."
But, of course, what the Padres have more than the Brewers is a world of momentum, playing their best baseball since July 24, going 41-18 to not only win a wild-card berth, but the home-field advantage in the first round as the top wild-card seed.
"Momentum’s the biggest thing in baseball," Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill said. "It doesn’t matter whether it’s a regular-season game or a postseason game. Momentum is everything. We know they’re a good baseball team. They play the game to win. But you know what? We’re a pretty good baseball team, too.
"We know they won a lot of games, but the record doesn’t translate to the postseason, so we’re both going in clean."
The Padres have played with urgency throughout September, fighting just to get into the playoffs, and now with a brief two-day break, they believe they’ll still have all of the momentum on their side.
"We're going to start in Milwaukee, it's going to be just like here," Sheets said, "it's going to be rocking. But I think there's some momentum that gets built when you play these two games. I think you gain a lot of momentum from a series like this."
Besides, the way the Padres are playing these days, anything less than a World Series berth would be a gut-wrenching disappointment. They believe they can beat anyone, at any time, and yes, even those bullies up the I-5 Freeway.
"We’re not done!"’ Padres third baseman Machado said. "We’re not done! We’re going to continue to fight to bring a championship to the city of San Diego."
The Padres' only regret is that Peter Seidler, their beloved late owner who passed away in 2023, is not around to see this.
"He’d be really proud what this team continues to do," Preller said. "He used to always talk about one day the baseball gods will smile upon us. Hopefully, we’re getting closer to that moment."
Here is a decent recap of things that were said at the Royals end of year press conference yesterday. Also, shoutout to my former classmate and friend Maddie Hartley for writing this story.
Royals general manager J.J. Picollo didn’t shy away from his assessment of their 2026 season.
“I think it goes without being said, it’s kind of disappointing sitting here today without being in the playoffs as we expected,” Picollo said in Wednesday’s end-of-season press conference at Kauffman Stadium. “It was something we certainly felt was attainable coming into our season.”
The Royals finished with a 69-93 record — the club’s first losing season since a 106-loss 2023 — landed at the bottom of the AL Central and missed the postseason for the second straight year.
“We’ve got to figure out how to get this current roster playing to its abilities and put ourselves in a better position in 2027,” Picollo said. “But it’s not just about ‘27, it’s about long-term success.”
The Royals are overhauling their training staff as well.
On Wednesday, Royals general manager J.J. Picollo announced that head athletic trainer Kyle Turner, assistant athletic trainer Chris DeLucia and major league rehab coordinator Jeff Blum will not return.
My fellow writers here at Royals Review, have put out great work here the last couple of days, so I’m going to link some of their stories below.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 11: The Atlanta Braves honor the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park on September 11, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue today with Game 3 of the National and American League Wild Card series.
As usual, I am writing this before all of yesterday’s games have been played. So I don’t yet know the outcomes, which means I don’t yet know which games will actually have a third game. Fun!
Also, all games that do happen will have national radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
First up, we know for sure that the Philadelphia Phillies will take on the Atlanta Braves at 11:00 a.m. PT and the game will be broadcast on NBC/Peacock.
If necessary, the Chicago White Sox will play the Houston Astros at 2:00 p.m. PT, airing on Peacock/NBC Sports Network.
If necessary, the Boston Red Sox will play the New York Yankees at 5:00 p.m. PT, airing on NBC/Peacock.
And finally, if necessary, the Chicago Cubs will play the San Diego Padres at 7:00 p.m. PT, airing on Peacock/NBC Sports Network.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 26: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after hitting a home run in the third inning during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Saturday, September 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Lawrence Brown/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning!
For fans of teams that missed the playoffs, this week is the time for reviewing the 2026 season, a time to look to the future outlook of each organization and dream of what steps each team could take to one day eventually play October baseball again.
Over the course of the week, almost every Rockies-specific news site has published their own form of 2026 review or offseason preview piece. There are plenty of opinions on what the Rockies need to do moving forward, and you have the opportunity to read them all!
If you’d rather stay connected to the present, however, playoff baseball has begun! Outside the Rockies-specific media ecosystem, analysis of the Wild Card round has begun. Even if the Rockies aren’t a part of the field again this year, there’s nothing better than engrossing yourself in the theater of playoff baseball.
Rockies News & Links
Questions facing the Colorado Rockies after fourth 100-loss season | Mile High Sports — As the Rockies finish up 2026 and begin looking to the 2027 season, Drew Creasman lays out the major questions the franchise will need to answer moving forward. Creasman goes over everything from the uncertainty the new ownership rumors have brought to what it will take for fans to come back to the ballpark. It’s a useful initial primer on the state of the franchise.
Rockies 2026 postmortem: Until Colorado figures out starting pitching, losing will continue | The Denver Post ($) — In Kyle Newman’s look forward at the current state of the team, he identifies pitching as the key component that the team will need to focus it’s efforts on improving. Credit is given to the start of a productive lineup that began forming in 2026 but makes it clear that that will not be enough on its own to turn the organization’s fortunes around.
How Rockies reach MLB playoffs in not-so-distant future | Kevin’s take | The Devner Gazette ($) — Kevin Henry has a more optimistic view of the Rockies current outlook than some. Henry compares where the Rockies are with how the Chicago White Sox were able to reach the playoffs just two seasons after a historic 121 loss season in 2024 and sees a potential blueprint for the Rockies to follow. Even with the precedent of possibility having been set, Henry acknowledges the challenges ahead in terms of improving the teams pitching staff to be playoff caliber.
The 2027 Free Agent Tracker Is Here! | Fangraphs — While the playoffs are underway for the best teams, the rest of the league is able to start looking ahead to the possibilities for next season. Every year Jason Martinez and the team over at Fangraphs maintain an incredibly useful reference tool showcasing all available free agents. Take a look and start dreaming of next year.
How 2026 MLB Playoff Rosters Were Built | Baseball America ($) — Now that the playoff field is set, J.J. Cooper does a comparison of how the players on each roster were acquired by their organization. It’s a fun piece that shows winning teams can be constructed in all sorts of different ways without any specific avenue of player acquisition being the prevailing best path.
Astros players blast their own fans for booing, not showing up to playoff loss | The Athletic ($) — The Houston Astros managed to just barely earn a trip to the playoffs with a .500 record which happened to be good enough to win the American League West. Their recent history of dominance had set their fans up to have higher expectations and so began booing the team during their game one loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The Astros players were not pleased with this believing that they’d just played their hearts out attempting to get to where they were. A fascinating situation that Chandler Rome breaks down with a multitude of quotes from those involved.
Everybody Except the Yankees Is Doing Wild Card Roster Construction Wrong | Fangraphs — The optimal way to construct a roster is a complicated topic with a multitude of factors to consider. Michael Baumann argues that the way the New York Yankees have chosen to trim their pitching staff heading into the Wild Card round is not only different from the rest of the field but an advantage based on the dynamics of a short series.
Okay. The appearance of San Diego native Joe Musgrove in the ninth inning, to the screams of a chanting crowd, was pretty cool.
And that was the only enjoyable part of Game 1 of the Wild Card game versus the Padres. “Enjoyable” because by that point, Cub fans that were still watching were like any other neutral observers.
The gameplan was obvious for the Padres: Swing at everything that Matthew Boyd threw. Ten of Boyd’s first 11 pitches were swung at, very productively. They were just looking for the right changeup to flutter by. From the mound, the Padres plan was pound, pound, pound sweepers at the Cub hitters.
The result: Two first-inning home runs, an RBI-double and a third home run for a 4-0 Cub deficit. Then to start the fifth inning, unexpectedly, Javier Assad put himself in an immediate jam, loading the bases with two outs. Ryan Rolison allowed those three inherited runners to score. At 7-0 and still needing the third out, the game was beyond being over.
I hate Sunday Morning Quarterbacking, but at the moment the second home run was hit, it occurred to me, “Craig Counsell went with the pitcher he knew best, not necessarily the best pitcher to put out there.” I’m sure that he would vehemently deny this, and I could be as far off as possible, but it was a thought I had.
Michael King was extremely effective with his sweeper early, then with his mix of pitches, went into the seventh inning without allowing a hit. It was an impressive performance.
The only possible offensive leader was Nico Hoerner. He beat out a infield single to end the no-hit bid in the seventh, then singled to load the bases in the ninth. The Cubs managed three hits in the game and were given four walks, but struck out 11 times.
Since this will be posted after Game 2, there’s not much for me to say in a rah-rah fashion. I just hope I have two Cubs wins to write about for Saturday’s article.
I appreciate your reading.
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Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Chicago Cubs’ Game 1 Loss Revealed the Playbook Against Their Top Hitters. “The Cubs found themselves losing just about everywhere in the box score against the Padres in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series. Worse, the Padres emerged with a clear plan to stifle the team’s top two hitters—unless the duo can adjust right away.”
Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Facing elimination, Cubs starting playoff-tested Kevin Gausman in Game 2 vs. Padres. “With their season on the line, the Cubs will turn to the headlining piece of their trade-deadline haul, giving the ball to Gausman, who made six playoff appearances a year ago, including two in the World Series.”
William Rory Gallagher (2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as “Ireland’s first rock star”, he is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing and live performances. He has sometimes been referred to as “the greatest guitarist you’ve never heard of”.
Gallagher gained international recognition in the late 1960s as the frontman and lead guitarist of the blues rock power trio Taste. Following the band’s break-up in 1970, he launched a solo career and was voted Guitarist of the Year by Melody Maker magazine in 1972. Gallagher played over 2,000 concerts worldwide throughout his career, including many in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. He had global record sales exceeding 30 million.
During the 1980s, Gallagher continued to tour and record new music, but his popularity declined due to shifting trends in the music industry. His health also began to deteriorate, resulting in a liver transplant in March 1995 at King’s College Hospital in London. Following the operation, he contracted a staphylococcal infection (MRSA) and died three months later at the age of 47.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
SPRINGFIELD, MO - APRIL 08: Liam Doyle #19 of the Springfield Cardinals pitches during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Kaylee Vaughan/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Sadly, we have reached the last minor league update of the 2026 season. These are a bit time-consuming, so I suppose it’s not that sad for me, but it’s just another reminder that there’s no more baseball to follow. Technically, the AFL is there, but it doesn’t scratch the same itch. At least this year there’s some interesting prospects to follow.
Cijntje played his first game at Memphis on July 19th and a day later was my first half update for pitchers. He had better stats at Memphis than Springfield, so score one for the scouting department on knowing when to promote him.
We all knew he had good AAA stats when the Cardinals decided to promote him to the big leagues. So instead of the full season stats, why not share how he did in September in response to getting demoted? Better than Nolan Gorman, that’s for sure.
Tink Hence, RHP – 24 (#10 VEB prospect)
Didn’t pitch after July 19th, was very bad when he did pitch. Had surgery of some sort. Not even Jeff Jones knew what surgery he had, so your guess is as good as mine.
Ixan Henderson, LHP – 24 (#16 VEB prospect)
Only ended up pitching in one game at Memphis after a monthlong rehab process. He walked four and struck out none, although he didn’t allow a run. He was shut down after that one start however.
Once again, his Springfield stats predated my halftime update, so I don’t feel the need to share those stats as well. It was only a 106 wRC+, but did come with a somewhat low BABIP. He also got hurt in his last game at AA, missed some time, played rehab games in the lower levels and when he was deemed ready, was sent to AAA.
At some point, I’m sure I’ll cover a player who wasn’t promoted midseason. Easier on me not to have to transcribe stats for two different levels though. He didn’t really pitch better in Memphis, but it would be accurate to say he didn’t miss a step.
This 17th rounder adapted fairly well to his midseason promotion to Memphis – of course – with the exception of a really high BABIP. Whether unlucky or not, his pro career started in 2025, so hard to complain about a 17th rounder with mediocre stats in AAA.
Ledbetter’s season started extremely slow, but he recovered in the 2nd half. His xwOBA was just .299 (actual wOBA .343), so safe to say the batted ball metrics aren’t supportive of him.
I will repeat it is amazing how long it took the Cardinals to send down Fernandez last season, but once they did, he became persona non grata. He was okay in Memphis, better in St. Louis, but I never really got the impression the Cardinals ever wanted to use him.
Sandro Santana, LHP – 21 (Traded in a package for Lars Nootbaar)
Well, the Mason Molina part of the Phil Maton trade is working out really well at least. Not so much this part of the trade. But it was for 2 months of Maton so feels like found money either way.
Does not include his two postseason appearances. Pitched 3.2 IP with 8 Ks and 5 BBs with one earned run and then later 5 IP with 6 Ks and 2 BBs and no earned runs. Kind of surprised, even with the playoff innings, that he didn’t throw more innings. Followed up a 95.2 IP college season with 111.2 IP.
I should have posted his stats in the last update, because he only actually pitched in one game in Springfield. It was a very good 4 inning appearance with seven strikeouts and one walk and no runs allowed.
Franklin also threw 6.1 IP in the playoffs with 9 strikeouts and one walk. I do not know why they don’t just include playoff stats in their overall stats, I get it for the majors, but not the minors.
He didn’t really pitch better in Springfield – he wasn’t great in his two postseason starts, although he did strike out 7 in one of them. But he certainly pitched well overall as a 19-year-old in AA, which is crazy.
Daniel Eagen, RHP – 23 (Traded in a package for Lars Nootbaar)
Eagen also pitched 9 innings with 12 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs in the playoffs. Pitched noticeably better overall in his five starts (and seven appearances) as a Cardinal.
I’m in a pickle, because I can’t say anything in the vicinity of negativity in these posts, so I will just say factually speaking, he had a 92 wRC+ in High A and his 3.9 BB% would not rank very highly on the MLB leaderboards.
Josiah Ragsdale, OF – 22 (traded in a package for Dustin May)
In the first half, he had a near identical hitting line in High A, but he actually had a much better BABIP than in Springfield. Because he struck out less and had more power in AA.
He made 14 starts in High A, which featured a much higher strikeout rate, but also a higher walk rate. Hunter Dobbins and Fajardo were also in the trade for Contreras, so think of Aita as a bonus.
Honeyman seems to have gotten injured on July 21st, played in a week’s worth of rehab games a Low A a month later, appeared in precisely one game at Springfield at the beginning of September and then missed the rest of the season.
I should have listed him in the lower level section, but he did actually get promoted to AA for the last 10 games of the year (and the playoffs). He must have been on a hot streak, because he absolutely killed it in Springfield with three homers in 10 games for a 177 wRC+.
He rose from the dead in High A, delivering unexpected power, so power to him for being average at AA. He also seems quite good defensively from the few games I watched.
He spent the first half of the season in High A and all you need to know is that he wasn’t really that good – he had a considerably lower strikeout rate. Hopefully, something clicked.
He proved too good for High A almost immediately, but AA proved to be more of a challenge. In the context of the run environment, these are closer to mediocre numbers than they might appear.
