Category: MLB

The Dodgers ended August on a high note with a win on Sunday in Detroit, but the month itself was quite mediocre, with an offense that left a lot to be desired.

The result was a losing month, going just 13-14 in August, following a ho-hum 13-11 in July. The Dodgers were outscored in July (113-105), and August was more of the same, scoring 104 runs and allowing 106. This marks the first time the Dodgers were outscored in consecutive months since April, May, and June 2013. That was the first season of a 13-year stretch of consecutive playoff berths, a streak that will hit 14 this year despite the last two months of meh.

The main positive of August was getting both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow back from months-long stints on the injured list, and putting the Dodgers postseason rotation in place, along with the acquisition of Tarik Skubal joining Yohsinobu Yamamoto. Those four combined for 2.22 ERA in 16 starts with 116 strikeouts against only 26 walks in 97 1/3 innings, with a 23.6-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate.

Roki Sasaki, Eric Lauer, Justin Wrobleski, and Emmet Sheehan combined for 11 starts, plus one relief appearance, with a collective 6.83 ERA, 16 home runs allowed, and a 9.9-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate. The Dodgers lost eight of their 11 starts.

Fun fact

Tommy Edman has been hit by 10 pitches this season, the most by a Dodger since Freddie Freeman in 2024. Five of those hit by pitches came in a 12-day span from August 17-28, after Edman was also hit by five pitches in July. Per the Dodgers, Edman is the first player in franchise history to get hit by five pitches two months in a row since Dan McGann in May and June 1899 for Brooklyn. The only other Dodgers player with two five-HBP months in the same season is Justin Turner, in April and September 2017.

The Dodgers had their second straight month of offensive malaise, headlined by a road trip through Atlanta and Detroit last week that saw the Dodgers score only 17 runs in six games. The Dodgers scored two or fewer runs nine times during August, which was pretty much in line with the rest of their season.

Alex Call led the Dodgers with an .830 OPS in August, but only batted 22 times. The only other players with an OPS that started with an eight were Max Muncy (.828, 19 RBI) and Andy Pages (.802 in 19 games before a fastball broke his hand).

Freddie Freeman had no home runs in his 26 games in August, with a 96 wRC+. Regulars Mookie Betts (97 wRC+), Teoscar Hernández (89 wRC+), Kyle Tucker (69 wRC+) and Edman (67 wRC+) were all below average offensively.

They couldn’t get much traction against opposing starting pitchers. Excluding the three games at Coors Field from August 17-19, starting pitchers against the Dodgers in August had a 3.29 ERA while averaging 5.58 innings per start.

The difference over the last two months for the Dodgers has been the lack of big games, scoring six runs or more only six times in August, their worst such month of the season.

Month	0-2 runs	6+ runs	Runs/game	wRC+
Mar/Apr	8 (1-7)	13 (12-1)	5.39 (4th)	121 (1st)
May	8 (0-8)	8 (8-0)	5.25 (4th)	116 (2nd)
June	9 (3-6)	12 (11-1)	5.44 (4th)	119 (5th)
July	6 (2-4)	7 (5-2)	4.38 (17th)	95 (20th)
August	9 (2-7)	6 (5-1)	3.85 (24th)	91 (22nd)

Not being able to blow teams out led to a lot of closer games, with 15 of the Dodgers’ 27 August games decided by one run. The Dodgers were 7-8 in those games.

On the season, the Dodgers are 29-14 in blowouts, games decided by five or more runs, tied for the second-most blowout runs in MLB. But that’s after having only two such wins in July, and only two blowout wins in August — on August 17 at Coors Field, and Sunday in Detroit.

After slugging only .395 in July, they slugged just .378 during August, ninth-lowest in MLB. Two powerless months in a row was only one fewer than the total number of sub-.400 slugging months the Dodgers had in the previous seven seasons combined.

Up next

Only four weeks remain in the regular season, and the Dodgers play 25 games in 27 days beginning Tuesday. Fifteen of the final 25 games are at Dodger Stadium, and the Dodgers in September only play two series against teams with winning records — the 69-68 Marlins (September 11-13 in Miami) and 72-65 Padres (September 22-24 in Los Angeles).

Today’s the final day of August, which means that we’re knocking on the door of the crucial month of September. Every team in baseball will get an opportunity to add two players to their roster for the final month of the season and as such, the Braves have decided to go with a balance of veteran presence and young talent that could potentially make a big impact.

Friend of the site Grant McAuley is reporting that the Braves have decided that their two September callups will be RHP Blake Burkhalter and INF Kyle Farmer.

Blake Burkhalter is one of the #Braves two September call-ups. Kyle Farmer is the other.

Burkhalter, who turns 26 in 3 weeks, was a 2nd round pick by Atlanta in 2022. He's overcome injury to become an effective reliever – 1.26 ERA and 46 K in 35.2 IP (11.6 K/9) – this season.

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 31, 2026

As Grant mentioned in the post above, Burkhalter has been doing a very good job down on the farm this season, with the vast majority of those 35.2 innings coming at the Triple-A level with the Gwinnett Stripers. He’s sitting on a 1.48 ERA (31 ERA-) and a 2.77 FIP (58 FIP-) across 24.1 Triple-A innings. As evidenced by the impending call-up, it sure seems like the Braves have decided that Burkhalter deserves a shot in the bigs and he could certainly help out a bullpen that has continued to get the job done throughout the season. Burkhalter’s first appearance will be his big league debut, so that’s exciting to think about.

Burkhalter made our Battery Power prospects list of players who’d likely be called up to the bigs in 2026, so there’s that. It also would behoove you to look out for his cutter, which our crew deemed as the best on the farm.

Meanwhile, the Braves have clearly decided to shore up their depth at the big league level by bringing Farmer back into the fold. Farmer (who was actually part of the Opening Day roster, believe it or not) had actually been released back in July but the Braves brought him back on a minor league deal on July 28 and his numbers in the minors (.227/.289/.255, .270 wOBA, 50 wRC+) have been very similar to what he produced across 12 games and 16 plate appearances with the Braves in the bigs (.267/.250/.333, .238 wOBA, 52 wRC+).

Basically, I’d imagine that Farmer will be stashed directly on the bench and he’ll get occasional pinch hitting/running duties and could possibly get a start if the injury bug gets bad or the Braves put out a Day After Clinching lineup if all goes well and they hold on to the divisional lead.

Reports surfaced on Sunday that infield prospect John Peck would be promoted to Detroit to make his major league debut on the road against the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers seventh round pick back in 2023 out of Pepperdine University, the recently turned 24-year-old was always a quality defender, but over the past year he’s broken out with the bat. He reached Triple-A Toledo in late June, and now that rapid rise will culminate with a promotion to the major leagues.

The Tigers draft strategy under amateur scouting director Mark Connor, who has done a pretty brilliant job overall, has often seen them selecting undervalued athletic middle infielders and center fielders with contact skills for cheap draft bonuses. The idea is that by stockpiling this type of player to save money for other more prominent names in the draft, the Tigers will get more bang for their buck overall. If just one player like this blooms in terms of plate discipline and power in their mid-20’s per draft, these classes are going to turn out much stronger than just the big bonus names.

The 2023 draft is the first test of this strategy, and both outfielder Brett Callahan and infielder Peck are the prominent examples of just how well it can work with good player development. The Tigers already have the likely AL Rookie of the Year in Kevin McGonigle, along with blue chip center fielder Max Clark in the big leagues out of the 2023 draft class. You can’t do much better with two first round picks, and now Callahan and Peck, each of whom received a bonus under $250,000 have reached the Show with a chance to help turn their draft class into perhaps the best in team history.

Source: Tigers are calling up INF John Peck.

— Emily Waldon (@EmilyCWaldon) August 30, 2026

Peck was Pepperdine’s starting shortstop when the Tigers paid him $222,500 to sign as their seventh round pick. Coming from a lower tier baseball power, and flashing minimal home run power, Peck’s value was mostly tied up in his glove on draft day. He hit six home runs in 49 games during his junior year, so he didn’t get any significant national attention. Frankly his 21.7 percent strikeout rate didn’t really fit the profile of a light-hitting, contact first athlete, but the Tigers liked his raw power and his chances to develop in pro ball, and they’ve been proven correct so far.

Even so, there are still major questions about Peck’s bat and whether he’ll be able to adapt to major league pitching. The Tigers are moving him up very aggressively here, and it’s not as though he tore Double-A and Triple-A up this year to a degree that would lend a lot of confidence to a fast promotion. Peck showed out pretty well back in spring training, building on a modest 2025 breakout that saw him jump to Double-A late in the season. He arrived in camp with more good muscle on his six-foot frame, and the adjustments he’s made over two seasons to lower his hands and simplify his path to the baseball continued to pay dividends as he made plenty of hard contact in camp and showed his ability to drive balls to the opposite field as well.

The Tigers sent him out to Erie to continue to build on his 25 games look there at the end of the 2025 season. Peck provided some confirmation of spring impressions by cranking 10 homers and stealing 19 bags in 58 games there from April through late June. He still struck out quite a bit for a player without huge power numbers, punching out 25 percent of the time, while walking just 5.5 percent of the time. More selectivity was required for Peck to avoid getting himself out on the ground a lot, but that didn’t really show up at all. He did some damage, but he still hit the ball on the ground nearly 50 percent of the time he put something in play. He slashed .285/ .328 ./511 for the SeaWolves, and the Tigers decided to move him, along with Callahan, up to Toledo in late June.

Peck never got a chance to settle in at the Triple-A level. He suffered a leg injury in just his second game with the Mud Hens on June 24, and missed about six weeks. The nature of the injury was never made public, but we’re guessing hamstring. Peck only returned to Toledo from the injured list and a rehab stint last Tuesday, playing one series with the Hens. There’s nothing wrong with throwing him into the deep end for a month since he’ll be added to the 40-man roster this fall, but he’s basically skipping Triple-A and doesn’t have the discipline and contact numbers to justify such a rapid promotion.

Defensively, Peck can play shortstop but he has some trouble there throwing on the run from tough angles. He’s very good at both third and second base, occasionally misplaying a ball, but making some stellar plays as well. His arm strength is plenty, but again he can get a little wild at times throwing on the move. Right now, I don’t really view him as a future everyday player, but rather more of a right-handed hitting Zach McKinstry with a little more raw power to cash in if he can start putting more balls in the air to the pull side.

Still, defensive versatility is really valuable, and here it’s allowing Peck to skip right over a more highly regarded hitting prospect in Max Anderson. Anderson plays second base but isn’t particularly good there and doesn’t have the speed, agility, or arm to really handle the left side of the infield at all. The Tigers don’t really have a spot for Anderson right now. Peck isn’t really an everyday shortstop but he can hang there, and he’s at least an average defender everywhere else and can probably learn to play some corner outfield as well.

Rosters don’t expand until Tuesday, when the active rosters grow from 26 to 28 players, so someone will have to be demoted if Peck is coming up for Monday night’s game. Veteran outfielder Corey Julks seems the most likely player to be designated for assignment, to make a spot on the 40-man and active rosters for Peck.

Expect Peck to struggle at the plate in September. He’s looked good since coming off the injured list, but again we’re talking about six Triple-A games with which to acclimate to that level, let alone the major leagues. Peck controls the zone decently, doesn’t chase excessively, and makes plenty of contact in the strike zone. It’s just that a lot of that contact is on the ground. He’s not so fleet of foot that he’s going to pressure infielders and beat out a lot of infield hits.

John Peck is very much still a work in progress. His defensive versatility, above average speed and raw power, and a solid approach at the plate say he has a solid chance to develop a lot further as a hitter and potentially turn himself into an everyday player, or close to it, but he has a lot of work ahead of him to get to that point. There are going to be growing pains. Hopefully he has some good moments, takes his lumps, and can carry some lessons into the offseason that will help him make the Opening Day roster in 2027. Just don’t expect a whole lot from the bat right now. Playing with the major league club will give him exposure to the best pitching in the world, and allow the coaching staff to work with him both on his hitting but to clean up some of his actions defensively. The opportunity for development is right there for him, but this is definitely still a work in progress.

The stage is set to kick off the Atlanta Braves makeup game against the San Francisco Giants.

Let’s look at these rosters.

Drake Baldwin is leading the team off with Mike Yastrzemski set to finish in the nine-hole. After this matchup will be the trip to Washington, so the Braves will need to carry their momentum while they’re still at home.

Atlanta will be led by Bryce Elder on the mound, and he hasn’t had the best results as of late. This could be the turnaround he needs to boost back his confidence and help the team come out with a win.

And for the Giants, behind former Braves’ pitcher Anthony Molina, they’re looking to put a stop the Braves’ winning streak.

There are five players on their roster who are batting over .400 against Elder, and holding over an .800 OPS.

The Braves have to decide which version will show up to keep their streak alive.

Tune in at 6:05 p.m. ET to watch it all play out.

The Mets are activating infielder Mark Vientosoff of the 10-day IL.

The Mets had a spot on the active roster after outfielder Luis Robert Jr. was claimed off waivers by Baltimore earlier in the day.

Vientos suffered a fractured right hand on July 9 when he was hit by a pitch while facing Kansas City Royals righty Michael Wacha.

Vientos began a rehab assignment on Aug. 21, and he's been on an absolute tear at the plate over the past week or so, hitting five home runs in his last four games. He had a huge performance on Sunday, blasting three home runs as the Syracuse Mets pitched a combined no-hitter against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

He's in Monday's lineup as the DH and batting cleanup.

"I think today, obviously he hit three home runs yesterday so I think the smart thing is to get him in the lineup as quickly as possible and see if he can do that again here," interim manager Andy Green said.

Overall, it's been a down year for the 26-year old. He's hit just .211 with a .644 OPS to go along with 11 home runs and 35 RBI. 

It will be interesting to see where and when Vientos plays upon returning, as Greenhas said the infielder does not have a "perfectly laid path" for playing time upon his return. With Bo Bichette playing third base, Jared Young getting most of the time at first, and Juan Soto seeing most of the time at DH since his return from the IL, Vientos will likely see most of his action at first against left-handed pitchers.

"Lefty on the mound, obviously losing Luis Robert today we had a hole in the lineup so he fits right in at the DH spot today." Green said. "What I said before still rings true and I reinforced it with him as well like ‘I don’t know how your opportunity is gonna unfold this month. I do know if you play really well you’ll play more’ and that was the encouragement and the clarity I tried to give him… Excited to watch him play today."

Ladies, gentlemen, and distinguished others! Welcome to Meaningful September Baseball! Starting things off, you don’t get much more meaningful than this series against the Phillies. In fact, I think a case could be made that it is at least as, if not more, important than the upcoming series against San Diego. You might disagree with that sentiment, but the way I see it, if the Diamondbacks don’t win this series, here and now, against the Phillies, the odds of that final series mattering grow slimmer. On the flip side, you win or sweep this series, well, our odds of making that SD series matter less for the opposite reasons increase.

It is going to be an incredibly hard task, however. The Phillies are one of, if not the hottest team in baseball right now. They are currently on a four game winning streak, and a couple games before that they won nine in a row. They are on fire, and it’s going to take an all around performance each and every game for the Diamondbacks to have a shot. On the other hand, the Phillies are destined to come back down to earth eventually. Maybe the Diamondbacks are the ones to make that happen.

In addition to facing such a fearsome foe, the Diamondbacks are either getting a perennial MVP candidate back, or a clubhouse cancer. The debate doesn’t seem to leave much room for nuance within that binary, so it must be true. Regardless of which it is, I don’t think anyone will disagree that it is going to be incredibly impactful. Either the team is going to rally around him, forgive, and move on, or his presence will destroy the chemistry they’ve spent the past three seasons building in the clubhouse. He’s either going to be a massive difference maker, or he’s going to be a waste of a roster spot and we’ll be missing the .1-whatever batting average Vargas has been putting up in his absence. We’ll start to get the answers to that this series.

So yes, this is undeniably an important series. For reasons on and off the field. In the standings. Maybe even in decision making come this offseason, though I would hope those that run the Diamondbacks are slightly less reactionary than us fans and at least wait until the next series to make those types of decisions. Regardless, I think I’ve made my case for most important game of the season.

The Diamondbacks have not yet announced their starters as of writing. It should be Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez going in the first two starts, if the rotation holds. Right off the bat, the Diamondbacks are putting their best chance forward at winning the series. It is worth noting, however, that Pfaadt has been much more average his last two starts than he had been prior and since his return from the minors. He’s still giving the Diamondbacks length and a chance to win the game, but much less convincingly than he had been before.

E-Rod continues his Cy Young caliber season. Obviously, he won’t get it. That’s locked up by some guy in Milwaukee. But it’s a hell of a redemption story that he’s going to get any votes at all, which he should. If you had told me at the start of the season that he would clearly be our best starting pitcher, I would not have expected us to be playing Meaningful September Baseball.

The Phillies will be trotting out Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo, and Andrew Painter for their starters. Nola is having another down year. It feels odd to say, but between his ERA of 5.03 and Painter’s 5.95, the Diamondbacks have a pretty clear pitching advantage in this series.

Ultimately, I’m not sure it’s worth making a prediction for who will prevail in this series. The Diamondbacks have been pretty mediocre overall lately, the Phillies have been literally on fire. That being said, the rotations line up so we have our strongest part versus their weaker half. And… the Phillies can’t win forever. It will be a hard fought battle, but it will be a great series.

Game 1 — 8/31, 6:40 PM: TBD vs. Aaron Nola (1.6 bWAR, 5-10, 5.03 ERA/89 ERA+, 1.39 WHIP

Game 2 — 9/1, 6:40 PM: TBD vs. Jesus Luzardo (5.1 bWAR, 12-5, 3.09 ERA/145 ERA+, 1.12 WHIP)

Game 3 — 9/2, 6:40 PM: TBD vs. Andrew Painter (0.3 bWAR, 3-8, 5.95 ERA/75 ERA+, 1.44 WHIP)

Well, that wasn’t great. But after a rough weekend in New York the Red Sox are at home for three games against the Seattle Mariners. Boston sits at 74-63, in the second Wild Card, and has a 5.0 game lead over the Cleveland Guardians sitting in the third Wild Card. The Seattle Mariners are 5.0 games behind Cleveland. They are at 64-73. They are 5.0 games back in the AL West. Amazingly they aren’t yet out of it but that’s the 2026 American League.

Boston won 2 of 3 games against Seattle back in May, just before the Colorado Collapse and the Turnaround for All Time. Ranger Suarez, Connelly Early, and Payton Tolle started those games and the one they lost was a 3-1 outing started by Tolle. Mass Pike allowed 3 runs in 6.0 innings and was relieved by Danny Coulombe (gone) and Ryan Watson (gone).

George Kirby did not face the Red Sox in June when he was having a better go of things. In the last month, Kirby has struggled against the Astros (4.2, 5 earned) and Brewers (3.1, 6 earned). However he also had some success: 7.0 shutout innings against the Twins, 7.1 innings of 1-run ball against the Phillies. His other August start was a middle level: just 5.0 innings but only 1 run. He’s opposed by Payton Tolle. Still in his second MLB season, Tolle is called on to be the stopper. After three losses in NY he’s the one the team is counting on to reverse the bad run. Against the Marlins he struck out 7 over 5.1 innings. The ‘pen is rested thanks to Mona but 6.0+ innings of shutdown baseball would be welcome. Hopefully the bats can back him up early.

Bryan Woo also missed the Sox when they were in Seattle. While Kirby shut down the Philles last week, Woo struggled: 4.0 innings and 6 runs allowed. And the Rangers and Dodgers each hit him for 5 in July. He’s struck out 5 batters in four straight outings heading into Tuesday. Sonny Gray was bumped from his normal schedule to get a little more rest. The Sox insist there is nothing wrong, this is just load management. If this is true, the Sox are looking at that big lead over Wild Card 3 and saying they need to keep their key players at their best. The Yankees shuffled their rotation to prioritize last weekend. Boston did not. Gray and Tolle faced the Fish instead. This might have handed the Yankees home field advantage but the tradeoff is the Sox are looking at October. If they are ready to go vs. a little tired will that be more important?

The series concludes with Seattle not knowing exactly who will pitch. But the Sox send forth Yankees Killer Patrick Sandoval.

Was this his best start for Boston? Maybe? It tied his high in strikeouts (7) and he allowed just 3 hits in 5.1 innings. One solo home run decided the game. There were walks (4) which wasn’t the best thing but he’s literally the last guy in the rotation and is – mostly – keeping them in games. The last time he faced the Mariners was 2023. Were the Yankees just unprepared? Is he gaining strength and feeling as he makes more starts? Are the Mariners a good offense?

Cal Raleigh hit 3 home runs in one game against the Phillies. Plus 1 more in the series and 1 against Toronto this weekend. This his streak has him up to 19 homers and a .171/.288/.353 slash line. He had an .867 OPS in August but that came with a .195 batting average but a .347 OBP.

Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, and Dominic Canzone each have 20 homers to lead the team.

Josh Naylor leads the Mariners with 25 steals. He’s still running and still taking bags. Who else not know for speed could just add this to their game?

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday, August 31: George Kirby (4.02 ERA /3.32 FIP) vs. Payton Tolle (3.09 ERA / 3.19 FIP)

Tuesday, September 1: Bryan Woo (4.36 ERA / 3.42 FIP) vs. TBD (— ERA / —FIP)

Wednesday, September 2: TBD (— ERA / — FIP) vs. Patrick Sandoval (4.20 ERA / 4.22 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Monday, August 31: 6:45 PM ET on NESN

Tuesday, September 1: 6:45 PM ET on NESN

Wednesday, September 2: 4;10 PM ET on NESN

We had hoped that this series might be a meaningful clash for the NL Central title.

Instead, the Brewers lead the division by eight games. It’s still possible for the Cubs to catch them, I suppose, but extremely unlikely. Instead, these become important games for the Cubs to hang on to the top wild card spot.

For more on the Brewers, here’s Harrison Freuck, manager of our SB Nation Brewers site Brew Crew Ball.

After more than two months without seeing each other, the Brewers and Cubs are set to go head-to-head for seven games over the next two weeks, starting with four games at Wrigley. With Milwaukee up seven games in the division, these last two series will play a role in how the standings shake out. Milwaukee, after a rough sub-.500 April, played great baseball in May and has maintained a pretty consistent rate through June, July, and August, with a winning percentage at .600 or better each month. Interestingly, the Brewers have had the most success against teams over .500, going 37-21 against those opponents compared to a 48-31 record against sub-.500 teams.

Over the last month or so, the Brewers’ offense has been led by Jackson Chourio, Andrew Vaughn, Jake Bauers, and Joey Ortiz (yes, Joey Ortiz). Chourio looks to be on his way to another 20-20 season despite missing the first six weeks of the season, while Bauers is having a career year in his age-30 season. Vaughn, while not flashing a ton of power, has been great at getting on base, with a .307 batting average and .395 OBP. Ortiz, hitting just .253/.318/.382 for the season, has quietly been one of the best hitters in baseball over the last two months — since July 4, he’s hitting .328/.377/.552 with five homers, seven doubles, three triples, 19 RBI, and 19 runs. Even as some of the other big boppers (William Contreras, Brice Turang, and Christian Yelich) have struggled, he’s provided a solid presence to the bottom of the lineup. Other key pieces offensively for Milwaukee include rookies Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt, as well as Garrett Mitchell, Gary Sánchez, Sal Frelick, and David Hamilton.

On the mound, the Brewers have lined up their best arms for this series, with Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, and Logan Henderson all expected to appear. Not much can be said about Misiorowski that hasn’t already been said, but Harrison and Henderson have also been quietly great on their own. In the bullpen, closer Trevor Megill has been one of the best since the end of April, as he’s 20-for-21 in save chances with a 1.09 ERA since that time. Abner Uribe, who has missed the last couple of weeks, is also slated to return by this series, shoring up the backend of the ‘pen. Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick, and DL Hall have also been solid.

This should be another fun series between two of baseball’s best teams. I’ll predict a 2-2 series split at Wrigley.

Fun facts

The Cubs were swept in three games when the Brewers made their first visit to Wrigley Field in May. The scores were 9-3, 5-2 and 5-0. That made the Cubs’ record at home in their 30-year rivalry 119-113. They are 40-32 in first games, 36-36 in second games, 32-34 in third games, 11-9 in fourth games and 0-2 in fifth games.

Last year, in a five-game series, the Cubs lost, won three and lost.

The Cubs last swept the Brewers at home on Aug. 2-4, 2019. Since then, they have won five series, split one and lost nine, including four straight losses in 2021. The Cubs won the first two games twice in 2022 but lost the third.

In series that began in the last week of August or later, the Cubs are 61-62 overall vs. the Brewers, but just 15-27 during the past 10 seasons. At home, they are 33-31 overall and 6-14 since 2016.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Monday: Clay Holmes, RHP (1-2, 1.96 ERA, 0.957 WHIP, 3.69 FIP in four starts with Cubs; 5-6, 2.26 ERA, 1.057 WHIP, 3.35 FIP in 13 starts overall) vs. Kyle Harrison, LHP (10-3, 2.79 ERA, 1.123 WHIP, 3.29 FIP)

Tuesday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (8-3, 3.99 ERA, 1.216 WHIP, 4.67 FIP) vs. Robert Gasser, LHP (4-5, 4.59 ERA, 1.300 WHIP, 4.44 FIP)

Wednesday: David Peterson, LHP (4-1, 3.90 ERA, 1.355 WHIP, 4.31 FIP in 11 games with Cubs; 7-7, 5.11 ERA, 1.516 WHIP, 4.05 FIP in 27 games overall) vs. Jacob Misiorowski, RHP (14-5, 1.73 ERA, 0.755 WHIP, 2.14 FIP)

Thursday: Kevin Gausman, RHP (3-1, 5.14 ERA, 1.214 WHIP, 4.08 FIP in five starts with Cubs; 8-11, 4.52 ERA, 1.275 WHIP, 3.60 FIP in 28 starts overall) vs. Logan Henderson, RHP (9-2, 2.48 ERA, 0.825 WHIP, 3.29 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Monday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Tuesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, TBS (outside the Cubs and Brewers market territories)

Wednesday: 6:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network (outside the Cubs and Brewers market territories)

Thursday: 6:15 p.m. CT, Fox-TV (regional — coverage map). A reminder that if you subscribe to MLB.TV or MLB Extra Innings, you can watch this game via those services even if it’s not on the Fox affiliate in your market.

Prediction

I’m going to agree with my SB Nation colleague and call for a 2-2 series split.

Up next

The Cubs travel to Miami for a three-game series against the Marlins. That series begins Friday evening.

Earlier in the week, I put a post on The Feed asking about which prospect has impressed the most in the Phillies’ minor league system this year. My original idea was Bryan Rincon since he came from so far down the team’s prospect list to put himself in contention to at least be considered for a bench spot on the 2027 Phillies, but then you had some ideas as well.

What did you have to say about it? Let’s see.

When I wrote up that post earlier last week, Rincon was the name that came to mind right away since he has hit over 20 home runs a season after not doing a whole lot.

However, Francisco Renteria is probably the name that has impressed the most this season. Coming into the year as a highly touted international prospect, there was a fair amount of hype surrounding him. What he did in the Dominican Summer League was nothing short of amazing, living up to all the talk. He hit for power, he hit for average, he showed some surprising speed – it was the whole package.

There needs to be a pretty decent amount of brake pumping on his prospect profile though. He was doing all of this damage against kids that probably don’t have a major league debut in their future, so obliterating the pitching is probably to be expected. When the team decides to bring him stateside would give us a better look at how he fares against better pitching, so it’s fine to get excited about what he might be able to turn into.

However, what he did this year was incredibly impressive and we should be excited about him. Is he the best prospect in the system right now? There could at least be an argument made for him.

Like I said before, Bryan Rincon having the kind of season he has had puts him squarely in the conversation with next year’s utility position that will (likely) be vacated by Edmundo Sosa.

Can he hit for the same kind of power away from Double-A Reading and the high offensive environment their home field has? That’s likely the big question. At least according to Keith Law, maybe it won’t be that much of an issue:

Shortstop Bryan Rincon has had a real breakout season this year in his first go-round in Double A, with 20 homers already (his previous season high was eight) and a .267/.402/.501 line that has him up 98 points of OBP and over 200 points of SLG from 2025. Reading is a great home-run park, but Rincon doesn’t have much of a home/road split.

I don’t think he’s going to be a 20-25 homer guy in the majors, but he is clearly hitting the ball much harder now, and there will probably be 15-20 homers in his peak seasons. With his eye and his plus defense at short, he looks like he could be an everyday player.

That’s a useful player to have and helps the team make some roster decisions for the future. So while this season was a great one to have for him, next year, when he presumably makes it to Lehigh Valley, becomes just as important for how his role is shaped within the organization’s future.

Alirio Ferrebus, the man that made Eduardo Tait expendable at last year’s trade deadline.

Man, that trade looks better every day.

I’m mostly being facetious about Tait being expendable because of Ferrebus, but the latter’s season this year has opened up some eyes. He didn’t walk that much while in Clearwater (where he spent the bulk of his season), but there was some power and a decent hit tool at that level while maintaining defense that we can at least say “Hey, maybe he can stay there a bit”. Catching prospects are fickle, so much shouldn’t be expected as he climbs the latter, but at least he has given something to get a tingle about.

Days after hitting the waiver wire, reliever John Schreiber is making a new home in the Bronx.

The Yankees reportedly claimed Schreiber on Monday, according to MLB Insider Joel Sherman. The Royals placed him on waivers Saturday following their 8-3 win against the Guardians.

The 32-year-old right-hander joins the Yankees bullpen with a 3.65 ERA in 55 appearances with Kansas City this season. Through 49.1 innings pitched, however, Schreiber’s strikeout (17.7 percent) and walk (10.8 percent) numbers raise some questions that aren’t exactly reassuring for the September playoff push.

Sherman reported that he’ll be joining the roster on Tuesday, providing the Yankees with a 14th pitcher for the upcoming three-game series against the Angels. A spot opened Monday after the Yankees announced that reliever Justin Topa elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment.

This move will hopefully allow relievers David Bednar, Brent Headrick, and Paul Blackburn to take some much-needed rest after exhausting their efforts in the last few series against the Blue Jays, Astros, and Red Sox.

Schreiber first went to Kansas City in 2024 in a trade with the Red Sox for David Sandlin. He initially made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2019 and spent two seasons with the team before he was claimed by Boston.

The Royals reportedly sought options to part ways with Schreiber ahead of the August 3 trade deadline, but couldn’t find any trade partners eager to participate.

With the postseason looming, this move has the potential to work out well for the Yankees after losing both Fernando Cruz and Ryan Weathers to the IL. Accompanied by fellow new additions Michael Fulmer and Luis Gil, who was most recently called up on Sunday, Schreiber is an addition that can help the Yankees’ bullpen shut down any offense.

Clinging to hopes of claiming a wild-card playoff berth in the American League, the Baltimore Orioles have picked up center fielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the New York Mets.

The move gives the Orioles a right handed-hitting and former Gold Glove-winning center fielder for the final month of the regular season.

The waiver claim was first reported by SNY's Chelsea Janes.

Robert, who signed a free-agent deal with the Mets this past offseason, has been a disappointment in New York − battling a back injury and playing in just 58 games. Sandwiched around a trip to the 60-day injured list, Robert has posted a .223/.303/.399 slash line with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs.

However, the Orioles are hoping to tap into the talent that won him a Gold Glove with the Chicago White Sox in his rookie season of 2020, and an All-Star nod in 2023, when he hit 38 homers and stole 20 bases.

Robert, the 2019 USA TODAY Minor League Player of the Year, was recently placed on outright waivers by the Mets, making him and his contract available for any team to claim.

He has a base salary of $20 million, of which the Orioles will pay about $3 million. He also has a $20 million team option (with a $2 million buyout) for next season.

The Orioles have yet to confirm the move.

Although his defensive metrics have not been great this season, Robert gives the Orioles an above-average glove in center field, allowing Colton Cowser to move to a corner outfield spot full-time.

He would also be eligible for the postseason if the Orioles add him to their active roster before Tuesday. At the start of play on Monday, Aug. 31, the O's sit just one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the AL's third wild-card spot.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Orioles add outfielder Luis Robert off waivers for stretch run, per reports

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to begin a long stretch of games against NL Central foes, as they’ll start with four games against the Cubs at Wrigley. The Brewers, who sit at 85-52, are currently firmly in first place in the division, with an eight-game lead over the 77-60 Cubs. The Crew has won five consecutive series to build on their lead, while the Cubs have lost three straight series to the Mariners, D-backs, and Reds.

On the injury front, reliever Abner Uribe is expected to return for this series after missing the last couple of weeks with a right forearm flexor strain. Not far behind him is left-handed reliever JoJo Romero, who joined Uribe on his recent rehab assignment after an appendectomy in mid-July. Brandon Woodruff is still unexpected to return this year, though it’s possible he makes it back in a later postseason series, while Rob Zastryzny and Joel Kuhnel both have TBD returns. Brian Fitzpatrick, Quinn Priester, and Angel Zerpa are all out for the season.

Chicago is without shortstop Dansby Swanson (mid- to late September return), as well as a whole bunch of pitchers. That group includes Edward Cabrera (September), Justin Steele (potentially September, but in a relief role), Shelby Miller (potentially September), Ben Brown (September, though recently pulled off rehab assignment), Phil Maton (TBD), Hunter Harvey (TBD), Gavin Hollowll (September), Riley Martin (out for season), Cade Horton (out for season), and Porter Hodge (out for season).

Milwaukee’s offense is led by Jake Bauers, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Garrett Mitchell, who have pretty consistently made up the top few spots in the order. Christian Yelich has slid down in the order but has played well lately, while Andrew Vaughn and Joey Ortiz have both quietly been consistent of late. Sal Frelick, Cooper Pratt, Gary Sánchez, Luis Lara, and David Hamilton all play regularly, too. As a team, Milwaukee is hitting .255/.338/.397 (.735 OPS ranks fifth), with 126 homers (last), 683 runs scored (third), and 135 steals (tied for fourth)

Pete Crow-Armstrong is turning in an MVP season, as he’s hitting .283/.377/.577 with 38 homers, 91 RBIs, 99 runs, and 32 steals. Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Alex Bregman, and Michael Busch are all regular contributors offensively, while Nico Hoerner is having a bit of a down year but is still hitting .263/.318/.356. Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya share catching duties, and Michael Conforto is also in the outfield/DH mix. Pedro Ramírez, Matt Shaw, Tyrone Taylor, and Gabriel Arias round things out. As a team, Chicago is hitting .251/.339/.428 (.767 OPS ranks first), with 187 homers (third), 725 runs scored (first), and 101 steals (10th).

On the mound, Aaron Ashby, Trevor Megill, and the soon-to-return Uribe lead the bullpen. Ashby has a 3.24 ERA and 13 wins, spanning 75 innings with 104 strikeouts. Megill leads the team with 25 saves and sports a 2.24 ERA, while Uribe has been even better with a 2.05 ERA. Chad Patrick, DL Hall, Bryse Wilson, Antonio Senzatela, and Grant Anderson (who is more than likely the odd man out upon Uribe’s return) round things out. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.37 team ERA (second), including a 3.46 starter ERA (fourth) and a 3.25 bullpen ERA (third). They’ve struck out 1,320 batters (second) across 1,225 2/3 innings.

Jacob Webb leads Chicago’s bullpen with 60 appearances, sporting a 2.87 ERA and team-high nine saves in 15 chances. Daniel Palencia has dealt with injuries and honestly hasn’t been all that good when on the field, with a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 innings, though he is 3-for-3 in save chances. Ryan Zeferjahn, acquired from the Angels at the deadline, has struggled with a 5.79 ERA over 9 1/3 innings, as has Caleb Thielbar (4.97 ERA). Ryan Rolison (2.79 ERA over 51 2/3 innings), Trent Thornton (3.45 ERA over 44 1/3 innings), and old friend Aaron Civale (1.54 ERA over 23 1/3 innings) have all been solid, and fellow old friend Colin Rea (4.48 ERA over 126 2/3 innings) has worked in a starter/long-relief swing role. As a staff, the Cubs have a 4.14 team ERA (14th), including a 4.32 starter ERA (18th) and a 3.90 bullpen ERA (12th). They’ve struck out 1,057 batters (26th) over 1,224 2/3 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Monday, August 31 @ 6:40 p.m.: LHP Kyle Harrison (10-3, 2.79 ERA, 3.29 FIP) vs. RHP Clay Holmes (5-6, 2.26 ERA, 3.35 FIP)

Harrison continues to impress in his first season in Milwaukee, with a 10-3 record, 2.79 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 127 strikeouts across 103 1/3 innings. He took a no-decision in Milwaukee’s extra-innings loss to the Mets last week, working five innings with one run allowed on six hits and a walk, striking out five. Harrison has made three appearances against Chicago, totaling 13 innings with a 1.38 ERA and 22 strikeouts. That includes a pair of starts while with Milwaukee this year, spanning 12 innings with two runs allowed and 20 strikeouts.

Holmes, 33, is one of Chicago’s deadline acquisitions, coming over from the Mets. He’s made four starts in a Cubs uniform, spanning 23 innings with a 1.96 ERA, 3.69 FIP, and 10 strikeouts. The veteran right-hander went seven scoreless innings in a no-decision against the D-backs his last time out, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out five. Holmes, a former longtime Pirate, has made 18 appearances (two starts) against Milwaukee, with a 1-3 record, 5.96 ERA, and 24 strikeouts across 25 2/3 innings.

Tuesday, September 1 @ 6:40 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (4-5, 4.59 ERA, 4.44 FIP) vs. LHP Matthew Boyd (8-3, 3.99 ERA, 4.67 FIP)

This spot, originally Dustin May’s, has now flip-flopped with Gasser after Gasser stepped in to finish out May’s start against the Mets last week when May exited after just one pitch (he was alright and started in Sunday’s series finale against the Rangers). For the season, Gasser is 4-5 with a 4.59 ERA, 4.44 FIP, and 78 strikeouts across 82 1/3 innings. He stepped in nicely in that game against the Mets, going 5 1/3 innings with one run allowed on six hits and two walks, striking out six to earn the win. Gasser’s lone start against the Cubs came back in 2024, when he went six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a no-decision.

Boyd, 35, was an All-Star for the first time in his career last season, but he’s taken a slight step back while dealing with injuries in 2026. Across 17 starts this year, he’s 8-3 with a 3.99 ERA, 4.67 FIP, and 76 strikeouts over 97 frames. The left-hander has taken the loss in two of his last three starts (the third start was a no-decision in a game the Cubs would lose in extra innings), allowing 13 runs (12 earned) over 17 1/3 innings against the Cardinals, Mariners, and D-backs. Boyd has made five career starts against Milwaukee, going 2-2 with a 9.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts across 23 innings. That includes one win and one loss last season, when he allowed nine runs over 10 1/3 innings.

Wednesday, September 2 @ 6:40 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.73 ERA, 2.14 FIP) vs. LHP David Peterson (7-7, 5.11 ERA, 4.05 FIP)

Misiorowski, who is now just a few weeks away from officially wrapping up what appears to be an NL Cy Young-winning season, is 14-5 this year, with a 1.73 ERA, 2.14 FIP, and 222 strikeouts over 151 innings. He hasn’t shown quite as much swing-and-miss stuff in his last few outings but he’s still keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard, as he’s totaled 18 innings with three runs allowed (1.50 ERA) and 18 strikeouts in wins against the Dodgers, Braves, and Mets. Misiorowski has made four starts against the Cubs, going 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 28 strikeouts across 20 frames. That includes a pair of wins this year, as he’s totaled 12 innings with just one run allowed and 16 strikeouts.

Peterson, who turns 31 on Thursday, is a former long-time Met who was acquired by the Cubs in late June. While his season numbers aren’t great, he’s been better with the Cubs, pitching to a 3.90 ERA, 4.31 FIP, and 46 strikeouts across 55 1/3 innings in 11 appearances (10 starts). He’s taken a no-decision in each of his last two appearances, spanning 11 innings with four runs allowed and 14 strikeouts against the Mariners and Reds. Peterson has faced Milwaukee seven times in his career (six starts), going 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 34 frames. That includes a win in his Cubs debut back in June, tossing 5 2/3 innings with two runs allowed and two strikeouts.

Thursday, September 3 @ 6:15 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (9-2, 2.48 ERA, 3.29 FIP) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (8-11, 4.52 ERA, 3.60 FIP)

Henderson continues to impress in his rookie season, as he’s now made 14 starts with a 9-2 record, 2.48 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 86 strikeouts across 76 1/3 innings. He picked up his third straight win against the Rangers on Friday night, going seven innings with one run allowed (a solo homer) and allowing no other baserunners with seven strikeouts. This would mark Henderson’s first career appearance against Chicago.

Gausman, 35, is another deadline acquisition of the Cubs, joining them from the Blue Jays. The 14-year veteran has made five starts with Chicago, with a 3-1 record, 5.14 ERA, 4.08 FIP, and 29 strikeouts over 28 innings. He’s had two rough outings (five innings with five earned runs against the Reds and 4 2/3 innings with six earned runs against the Nationals) but also two solid seven-inning outings (no runs against the D-backs, two runs against the Royals), so it just depends which version shows up. Gausman has made eight career appearances (six starts) against Milwaukee, going 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA and 46 strikeouts across 40 2/3 innings. That includes a no-decision while with the Blue Jays earlier this year, when he went five frames and allowed three runs with five strikeouts.

How to Watch & Listen

Monday, August 31: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Tuesday, September 1: Brewers TV and nationally on TBS; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Wednesday, September 2: Brewers TV and nationally on MLB Network; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Thursday, September 3: Exclusively televised nationally on Fox/Fox One; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

This is a big series for both squads, and the pitching matchups tell the story. Give me a series split.

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

TUESDAY

Zac Thornton became the first Mets pitcher with at least six quality starts in their first 10 career games since Steven Matz. The only other Mets debuting since 2000 to accomplish that feat were Dillon Gee, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergaard.

Carson Benge notched his 11th three-hit game of the season, overtaking the record for a Mets rookie set by Pete Alonso (10) in 2019.

Christopher Morel’s eighth-inning ground out registered a 114.6 mph exit velocity, marking the second-hardest-hit ball by a Met this season.

WEDNESDAY

Dustin May’s one-pitch start marked the shortest outing for an opposing starting pitcher in Mets franchise history. The record was previously held by Cubs right-hander Frank Castillo, who retired leadoff hitter Vince Coleman on three pitches before being relieved due to a right shoulder strain at Wrigley Field on August 10, 1991. The previous record for the shortest start in Citi Field history was held by Bartolo Colon, who threw just four pitches before exiting against the Royals on June 21, 2016, after leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield lined a ball off Colon’s right hand.

THURSDAY

Brett Baty’s 106.8 mph line out off Jacob Misiorowski was the fifth-hardest-hit batted ball anyone has mustered off Miz’s four-seam fastball over his two-year career.

Jackson Chourio became the fifth player to record four or more hits, two or more homers, and at least one stolen base in a game against the Mets, joining George Altman (May 15, 1962), Maury Wills (May 30, 1962), Steve Finley (May 30, 1999), and Ozzie Albies (June 30, 2021). Chourio also became the first home or visiting player to do it at Citi Field.

Jackson Chourio is batting .353 with 3 homers and a 1.036 OPS in eight career games at Citi Field, where he made his debut on Opening Day in 2024. That OPS ranks 12th-best among players with at least 35 plate appearances at the ballpark (Troy Tulowitzki leads the pack with a 1.368 OPS in 58 career plate appearances at Citi Field, with Brandon Lowe and Miguel Cabrera next on the list).

The Brewers are now 20-6 against the Mets in their last 26 regular-season meetings, dating back to September 21, 2022.

The Mets suffered their 12th loss of the season in which they recorded three or fewer hits, tied for the second-most such games in MLB this season behind only the Guardians (13).

FRIDAY

Nate Lavender recorded a 10th straight scoreless appearance to begin his career, tying left-hander Jack Leathersich (debuted in 2015) for the most scoreless appearances to begin a career in franchise history. Joe Smith (debuted in 2007) holds the franchise record with 17 straight.

SATURDAY

Nolan McLean’s 2.83 ERA through 35 career games is the ninth-best among Mets pitchers with a minimum of five innings per outing, behind: Jerry Koosman (2.30), Matt Harvey (2.38), Dwight Gooden (2.47), Jacob deGrom (2.56), Jon Matlack (2.64), Kodai Senga (2.74), Tom Seaver (2.76), and Noah Syndergaard (2.82).

Over his last 11 starts, McLean has tallied 66.1 innings pitchedwhile posting a 1.76 ERA. McLean is the ninth Met since 2000 to record an 11-game single-season span with an ERA below 2.00 while averaging six or more innings per outing, joining: Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler, and Max Scherzer.

McLean recorded his 18th start of six or more innings pitched this season, tied for sixth-most in the majors. That total is already tied for third-most by a Met in a season since 2020, trailing Chris Bassitt (23 in 2022) and Max Scherzer (19 in 2022).

SUNDAY

Francisco Lindor hit his 155th home run as a Met, moving past Dave Kingman and into sixth place on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard.

A.J. Ewing racked up his 22nd stolen base of the season, tying Lee Mazzilli in 1977 for second-most by a Mets rookie behind only Mookie Wilson (24 in 1981).

Zac Thornton’s 2.93 ERA through 11 career games is the 12th-best among Mets pitchers with a minimum of five innings per outing, behind: Nolan McLean (2.23), Jim McAndrew (2.26), Tom Seaver (2.43), Matt Harvey (2.44), Steven Matz (2.52), Rob Gardner (2.59), Anthony Young (2.62), Rick Aguilera (2.74), Masato Yoshii (2.77), Nolan Ryan (2.85), and Jason Isringhausen (2.92).

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

The Mets have gone 11 seasons without a Gold Glove Award winner, with their last one being Juan Lagares in 2014. That marks the second-longest drought in the majors, behind only the Nationals (Adam LaRoche in 2012).

A momentum building series win over the Chicago Cubs where there was drama in all 3 games, the Diamondbacks would look to carry that momentum into their 4 game series against the struggling San Francisco Giants. The good news going into this series is the Dbacks have had the Giants number in 2026, winning 8 of the 9 games they have played, but the Giants lineup of MLB the show randomly generated names would be doing their best to play spoiler to the Dbacks and attempt to deny them from gaining any ground on the Padres or Phillies in the NL Wild Card race.

Three’s (Mid) Company

The Diamondbacks starting rotation depth has been tested multiple times throughout 2026 but more so the last month plus as the Snakes have had to rely heavily on arms like Mitch Bratt, Kohl Drake and Jose Cabrera to fill in those gaps. While the expectations were on the low end for the young arms, outside of Bratt’s 7 shutout innings against San Diego earlier this month, the results have been less than ideal as they have only gone 6 innings or longer in 2 of the 20 combined starts, both of which were by Mitch Bratt.

The fellas and I agreed that these short outings from the young arms are leading to the bullpen being used more often than most would like, which could be a recipe for disaster with only a month left to go. If this team is to complete their playoff push and sneak into October, they are going to need their starting pitching to carry the load a bit more and try to keep the big bullpen arms from being overused.

Noot Scootin’ Boogie

The lone acquisition for the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline was off to a rough start at the dish, as the three of us and many other D’Backs fans and writers were starting to get worried that Lars Nootbar would be another black hole in a lineup that at times already has too many spots, but the last 10 games from Noot Noot (.310/.355/.724 for a 1.079 OPS) has the three of us hoping that Lars has adjusted to his new team and found his footing at just the right time. Gabe, Brandon and I were all on the same page in saying that if Nootbar can at least be a .750-.780 OPS hitter the rest of the way, then that could be a big boost for this offense and provide a bit more length in the lineup.

Letting Opportunities “Split” Away

Going into the series the Diamondbacks were a full game behind the San Diego Padres for the 3rd Wild Card spot in the NL, but thanks to a lot of help from the D’Backs expansion brothers in the Tampa Bay Rays they were able to leave San Fran a half game ahead of the Pads. Normally that would have us absolutely amped up that we were able to leap frog the Padres and get back into a WIld Card spot, but the fellas and I all felt the same in saying that it felt like the Diamondbacks left a prime opportunity to leave with an even bigger lead on the table as even just 1 more win in this series would have given the Snakes a 1.5 game lead, with a sweep giving them a 2.5 game lead. 

Gabe mentioned that a 2.5 game lead wouldn’t be a big enough gap to fully secure any kind of playoff spot, it would have put a lot of pressure on the Padres to make up as much ground as they could before the final series of the year when the Snakes and Padres meetup in San Diego. Brandon also pointed out that a sweep of the Giants would have kept Arizona just 3 games back of the Phillies and Cubs for that first Wild Card spot and the chance to even host a Wild Card series. A series split doesn’t technically have a winner or loser, but with the missed opportunities for the D’Backs to gane even more ground in their playoff push had us all feeling like they really came away from this 4 gamer as losers.

The Phightin Phils

The three of us turned our attention to the next series ahead of the Diamondbacks as the red hot Phillies, winners of 8 of their last 10, would be coming to Chase Field for a big 3 game set starting on Monday night. The big talking point heading into this Phillies series is the potential return of Diamondbacks 2nd Baseman Ketel Marte after the wild drama filled last few weeks became the talk of the baseball world. We all acknowledged that there will most certainly be a mixed reaction from the Snakes fans in attendance, but the hope is that the clubhouse will be ready to welcome Ketel back with open arms and be ready to focus on winning ballgames, as Ketel is a critical bat to have for this final month.

While the focus has mostly been on the Padres and the 3rd and final Wild Card spot, the D’Backs are still within striking distance of both the Phillies and the Cubs for the 1st or 2nd spot, so a series win or even a series sweep of the Phils could be the kind of juice the Snakes need to get them fired up and ready to hopefully play their best ball and finish out the regular season on a high note and with as much momentum heading into October.

After a blazing hot start to Devin Fitz-Gerald’s Nationals career, in which he posted a 132 wRC+ and had a May as hot as any month ever from a Nats prospect, he earned a promotion to Double A in early June, simultaneously climbing many top 100 prospect lists. The hit tool looked as advertised, but the sudden increase in power output was a welcome surprise as well, as Fitz-Gerald hit 12 home runs in 51 games at High A.

A slowdown in production is expected when any prospect moves up a level, but to say Devin Fitz-Gerald hit a wall in Double A at first would be an understatement, as from his callup on June 7th to the end of June, he posted a -1 wRC+, hitting .137 with just a .178 slugging percentage. His influx of power output he had in High A suddenly vanished, and it seemed his hit tool and approach went with it, as he was swinging at everything, struggled to draw walks, and struck out too much.

July was an improvement for Fitz-Gerald, as he swung less, leading to more walks and less strikeouts, but he still wasn’t tapping into much of the power which made him a game wrecker at High A, posting a .306 slugging percentage and 82 wRC+ on the month. Through almost two months at Double A, Fitz-Gerald was looking somewhat overmatched, causing some fans and analysts to begin to lose some faith. Others however, who understood the kind of talent they saw earlier in the year, were willing to hold the line and bet on him to figure it out.

Sure enough, August was a breakout month for Fitz-Gerald at Double A. He swung at pitches in the zone about as much as he did in June, but he chased outside the zone 13% less, and made more contact overall when he did swing. The power stroke finally returned for Fitz-Gerald as well, as he swatted 3 home runs in August, as compared to just 1 in June and July combined. Overall, Fitz-Gerald hit .310 and posted a 139 wRC+ in August, much more in line with the numbers he was posting earlier in the season.

There is still questions to be answered about Fitz-Gerald’s profile, such as if he can sustain his power numbers for longer periods of time in the upper minor leagues, but his season teaches us something important when it comes to prospect scouting as a whole: it is important to demonstrate patience with players, especially ones going through changes.

For Fitz-Gerald, that change wasn’t just a promotion to a new level, but dealing with his mother’s tragic cancer diagnosis, and having to be gone from home for months at a time to play baseball. There can be more to a players surface level numbers than meet the eye, and a bad month or two doesn’t mean he should be written off entirely.

I expect Fitz-Gerald will begin the 2027 minor league season at Double A, where hopefully Eli Willits will be next to him playing Shortstop, creating one of the most exciting middle infield prospect duos in Nationals minor league history. With another offseason to bulk and work on his swing, hopefully Fitz-Gerald can continue to add more power output to his game, as when he combines his plus hit tool with the ability to pop balls over the fence, he’s as dangerous a hitter as the Nationals have in their farm system.