Kris Bubic, who the Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline from the Kansas City Royals, is joining the Dodgers in Cincinnati. (Jayden Mack / Getty Images)
Dodgers left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic is scheduled to meet the team in Cincinnati, according to people with knowledge of the plans who weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly.
Bubic made his last rehab appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, so the Dodgers are not expected to activate him off the 60-day injured list right away.
The Dodgers acquired Bubic from the Royals at the trade deadline this year. He’d been on the IL since May, first with a low-grade flexor strain in his left forearm, and then a shoulder impingement setback.
Bubic reported to the Dodgers’ Arizona complex, where the 2025 All-Star began working back as a reliever due to the time constraints of the season.
In six Triple-A rehab appearances (5 2/3 Innings) this month, Bubic didn’t allow a run, and he limited opponents to two hits and two walks.
Because Bubic is on the 60-day IL, the Dodgers will need to clear spots on the active and 40-man rosters to reinstate him.
Deyvison De Los Santos. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Wild Card Race.
As of Monday morning, the Marlins are 5 games back from the Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card race.
The Diamondbacks have chances of winning a NL Wild Card. As of Monday morning, they were 2.5 games back from the third Wild Card. They need to win this series, and a sweep would be really nice.
The Obvious. Diamondbacks bats will live-like-kings in this series. In September (through the 10th), the Marlins allowed an average of 7 runs per game.
The Subtle. Although this season the Diamondbacks allowed an average of 4.41 runs per game (much less than 7), in 20% of their games they allowed 7 or more runs.
The Difference that Matters. Winning games is the difference that matters.
Royals Players to Watch.
Former Diamondback Deyvision De Los Santos at first base. In 2022, he was a Dbacks minor league All-Star. In 2024, he was traded to the Marlins. This season is his MLB debut. His OPS+ of 133 is outstanding, but his .444 BABIP suggests that his batting is not sustainable. He is a bench player and may not play in every game.
Pitching Matchups.
Announced Diamondbacks Pitchers:
Corbin Burnes. His first game back he pitched three scoreless innings (2 hits and 2 walks). His results were excellent! With the caveat of only 9 batted balls (and zero ground balls), his underlying statistics tend to show he only pitched average (4.39 xERA, 3.79 FIP, 7.27 xFIP). Nevertheless, I’m confident he will again have excellent results.
Michael Soroka. His first game back he pitched 4 innings with 3 earned runs (3 hits and 1 walk). With the caveat of 11 BIPs, his underlying statistics show that possibly he pitched better than each of Burnes and Gallen in their first game back (3.04 FIP, .319 xOBP, .407 xSLG).
Merrill Kelly. Two of his last three starts were quality starts. The non-quality start was 4.1 innings with only 1 eanred run, and the Diamondbacks won that game.
Anounced Marlins Starters:
Sandy Alcantara. The Marlins lost the last six games that he was the starting pitcher. That increased my confidence that the Diamondbacks will win this game.
Janson Junk. In September, his 10.13 ERA (2 games) shows that the Diamondbacks will have chances to score runs. Will they win this game?
Ryan Gusto. In June, he pitched well against the Diamondbacks (0 earned runs in 4 innings). On the other hand, in his latest start against the Cubs, he allowed 5 earned runs in 4.2 innings. Will he pitch with Gusto?
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates with Wade Meckler #53 after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Floating on a river, gazing at the heavens, you’re liable to see neither the hearts of the Anaheim Angels nor the spirits of the Seattle Mariners. Sacramento offered two of the season’s most gutting, but representative losses, and Seattle’s California carousel of hell continues in Disneyland. They’ll take on the team owned no longer by Arte Moreno for the first time in more than two decades.
The Angels are a moribund bunch, but they are in many ways what Seattle would look like if the M’s couldn’t hit. Like, really couldn’t hit. They are an atrocious defensive team (hark, the vantablack kettle) that strikes out a boatload, undermining what’s actually a decent pitching staff. Deadline deals chipped away at that pitching staff and lineup, moving Jo Adell and Jose Soriano among others. While they dealt some arms away from their bullpen, flamethrower Ben Joyce is healthy after missing half the year and working his way into high leverage.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Zach Neto
SS
R
644
30.6%
8.7%
0.200
113
Mike Trout
CF
R
579
26.3%
16.2%
0.186
129
Wade Meckler
LF
L
282
19.1%
10.3%
0.092
119
Vaughn Grissom
1B
R
418
18.9%
6.5%
0.144
93
Moisés Ballesteros
C
L
308
23.1%
8.4%
0.133
77
Denzer Guzman
3B
R
252
26.6%
5.2%
0.128
71
Josh Lowe
DH
L
308
29.2%
8.1%
0.148
75
Jose Siri
RF
R
213
32.4%
6.1%
0.171
87
Christian Moore
2B
R
104
29.8%
6.7%
0.084
41
Anaheim has a couple familiar faces up top in Zach Neto and Mike Trout, but not many. They’ve taken the back half of the year to wisely audition several young players, finding some promise in folks like Wade Meckler but still waiting on more elsewhere. Moises Ballesteros was a highly regarded prospect with the Cubs but has not found his swing yet since coming over in return for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. There’s a few post-hype hopes here as well in Josh Lowe and Jose Siri, but hope has been their predominant currency.
Last year, the Angels moved Reid Detmers to the bullpen and he wound up seeing some high leverage work by the end of the season. Perhaps it was out of frustration with his slow development path despite possessing above average stuff, but that experiment lasted one season because a talented starter — even an inconsistent one like Detmers — is always going to be more valuable than a back-end reliever. If there’s one thing that he’ll carry forward from his time in the ‘pen, it’s a more aggressive approach that leans heavily on his two fantastic breaking balls to put batters away.
Detmers has thrived in his return to the rotation this year, accumulating a career-high 4.4 fWAR with career-best marks in ERA and FIP. His strikeout rate is right in line with his career norms but the big reason he’s taken a big step forward is because he’s cut his walk rate by nearly three points and has dramatically reduced the amount of hard contact he has allowed. The last time he faced the Mariners, way back in early April, he held them scoreless over 6.2 innings with four strikeouts.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Ryan Johnson
84.1
17.4%
10.7%
14.6%
34.5%
5.12
5.91
Logan Gilbert
172
27.3%
6.4%
14.1%
37.3%
3.72
3.84
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Sinker
22.4%
17.3%
92.3
81
18
73
0.511
Cutter
37.7%
37.8%
89.6
104
97
83
0.336
Splitter
8.3%
30.4%
84.7
74
92
143
0.243
Sweeper
31.6%
14.5%
80.8
106
92
68
0.286
From a previous series preview:
Ryan Johnson is a perfect encapsulation of everything wrong with the Angels current player development philosophy. He was drafted in the second round in 2024 after dominating in college ball at Dallas Baptist. He made the Opening Day roster in 2025 as a reliever, skipping the minor leagues entirely. After a month and a half and a 7.36 ERA, the Angels pulled the plug and sent him to High-A to continue his development as a starter. He made 12 starts in the minors and looked really good. Fast forward a year and Johnson had a solid, but not outstanding, spring training and Los Angeles opted to start the season with Johnson on the big league roster again. After allowing six runs in his first start of the year, the Angels sent him back to the minors for a few months before recalling him for good in mid June. It’s really too bad because Johnson has a really intriguing profile, and obviously has some raw talent, but the games the Angels have played with his development pathway have really hurt his ability to grow.
Since the beginning of August, Johnson has enjoyed some solid results on the mound — he’s running a 2.11 ERA over his last seven starts — but his peripherals are just as bad as ever — his FIP is up at 5.43 during this stretch.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Yusei Kikuchi
53
22.9%
9.7%
11.7%
38.9%
4.75
4.20
George Kirby
165.1
19.9%
5.6%
11.2%
43.9%
4.25
3.85
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
40.7%
41.4%
95.7
101
96
112
0.287
Cutter
6.9%
7.4%
90.2
76
Splitter
20.4%
7.4%
86.7
105
94
75
0.336
Curveball
10.8%
9.3%
79.2
97
86
151
0.310
Slider
21.1%
34.4%
87.3
93
84
110
0.361
Yusei Kikuchi missed nearly four months of the season with a shoulder injury. He returned to the majors towards the end of August and resumed his brand of effectively wild pitching. After a slight dip in velocity last year, his heater is back to averaging close to 96 mph. It’s the eighth hardest four-seamer from the left side among all starting pitchers this year. He continues to mix in a hard slider and a curveball as his primary secondary pitches, but he’s replaced his changeup with a true splitter and added a cutter this season. The split has been an excellent pitch but the cutter has been hit pretty hard.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Astros
75-75
0.500
—
-53
L-W-L-L-L
Rangers
74-76
0.493
1.0
-44
L-L-L-W-W
Mariners
70-80
0.467
5.0
-58
W-W-L-W-L
Athletics
61-89
0.407
14.0
-203
L-W-W-L-W
Angels
56-93
0.376
18.5
-76
W-W-L-L-L
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
86-63
0.577
+10.5
+125
W-W-W-L-W
Red Sox
82-68
0.547
+6.0
+88
L-L-L-W-W
Guardians
76-74
0.507
—
-7
W-L-W-L-W
Blue Jays
75-75
0.500
1.0
-31
W-L-L-W-W
Rangers
74-76
0.493
2.0
-44
L-L-L-W-W
Academically, baseball continues elsewhere. Houston hosts Kansas City, because other teams get really mad if you flake on games you committed to a year ago that you never really thought would materialize until it’s this week. Texas hosts the Red Sox, the winner gets to keep the red, blue, and white color scheme for the rest of the year, the other has to wear a city connect of the opponent’s choosing.
The White Sox face the Guardians and the Cubs take on Atlanta if you’d like to prioritize baseball from clubs who might respect your time better the rest of this year.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros celebrates with Cam Smith #11 after the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Astros defeated the Phillies 2-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the final month of the season just ahead, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.
First Place: Houston Astros (75-75)
Top Position Player: Yordan Alvarez (5.8 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Peter Lambert (2.4 fWAR)
Much like a panicked squashed cockroach in a muggy South Texas roadside motel, the Astros currently find themselves right at .500 but somehow leading the division. What I mean is they’re barely alive, but still living their dream in a division that is a trashcan.
The rest of the way the Astros start with four games at home versus lowly Kansas City and then welcome the NL East leading Braves to Space City for a three game set. Houston then finishes the year with two games in Seattle before finishing the season with a four-game set with the Athletics.
Houston might very well walk away from what should be a disappointing season in terms of record with a division crown, triple-crown winner, and possible MVP. Why the baseball Gods feel inclined to continue to bless this abomination of a ball club is beyond me.
Second Place: Texas Rangers (74-76, 1 GB)
Top Position Player: Ezequiel Durán (4.7 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Jacob deGrom (4.1 fWAR)
The other Texas team came into the month with a chance to run down their instate foes but have not done anything to make it easier on themselves after starting September 5-6. The odds makers currently have the Rangers’ playoffs chances around 30 percent. And it might just be recency bias, but the Rangers seem like the hottest team out west with their current two-game win streak.
The Rangers’ next game kicks off a nine game homestand. The Red Sox are the first team to come to town, followed by the Blue Jays, and then the Mets crash the party. All three series are three games apiece. The Rangers then close the season in Minnesota with another three game set against the Twins.
Not having a single game left against the AL West hurts the Rangers chances to run down the Astros. Another Texas-sized problem for the Rangers is the fact their lone star neighbors hold the tiebreaker so they are really an additional game back in the standings. With 12 games left to go will the Rangers be able to free the world from having to watch the Astros in the playoffs?
Third Place: Seattle Mariners (70-80, 5 GB)
Top Position Player: Randy Arozarena (4.3 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Bryan Woo (3.7 fWAR)
While I would say the Tigers have to hold the torch for the most disappointing team in 2026, the Mariners might be the challenger for that top spot. Seattle’s sky high expectations are all but sleepless at this point, unless they find some magic and get some help.
In order to reach the .500 mark, that might be all that is needed to win the west, the Mariners would need to be near perfect. They honestly have the schedule to pull it off, but it is hard to sweep teams. Starting today the Mariners are in LA for three games against the Angels, then shoot over to Denver to face the punching bag of a club in the Rockies for three games. Seattle returns home for the final six, with two against the Astros, before getting the Angels for the last four games of the season.
The Mariners have already clinched the tiebreaker versus the Astros on the season. It is very unlikely, but having the tiebreaker is huge and if the Astros slip the Mariners very well could be the team that squeaks their way into the division crown.
Fourth Place: The Athletics (61-89, eliminated)
Top Position Player: Nick Kurtz (2.6 fWAR) Top Pitchers: J.T. Ginn (1.7 fWAR)
The team formerly from Oakland always comes into the season looking at true two outcomes. They either surprise and find themselves at the top of the division with players to be traded later, or they bottom out like they did this season. The Athletics have one more year before relocating to Vegas.
On a Yankees note, the Athletics are our second favorite team this week as they face the Rays starting on Tuesday for a three game set in the Trop. It might be a bad bet, but maybe the Athletics will be able to channel ghosts of decades past and take one or two games before leaving Florida.
Last Place: Los Angeles Angels (56-93, eliminated)
Top Position Players: Mike Trout and Zach Neto (3.3 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Reid Detmers (4.4 fWAR)
The Angels might finally, ironically, have a light at the end of the tunnel as they will be under new ownership after the 2026 season. Change cannot come fast enough for the team battling the Rockies for the league’s worst record.
Sep 27, 2020; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals fans celebrate across the street after The Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers and clinched a postseason spot at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
A lot has changed in a week! The Cardinals were longshots to sneak into the postseason but after getting swept by the San Francisco Giants, they’re effectively eliminated (just 5 games, per MLB.com). The Giants looked certain to be 100-game losers, but after the sweep, they need just 1 more win to avoid triple digit losses. They’re sure to win that game at some point over these final 12, but they’ll need to do it without their best player(s). Meanwhile, the Cardinals are trying to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1994 & 1995.
Losing Rafael Devers will surely make it difficult to win on the road, where the Giants have gone just 26-49 (.347). That 3-game sweep in San Francisco was the first time the Giants had done that to the Cardinals since 2001; however, the last time the Giants swept the Cardinals in St. Louis in a 3-game series was just in 2023. Still, I don’t think a case could be made that the 2023 & 2026 squads have many similarities.
So, what is there to care about with this series? Oh, I know, I know, we’re all clinging to the 1-for-4s of a lot of guys with options or are just warm bodies, but there are a few small things that tie back to the rest of the season:
Alec Burleson leads the majors with 109 RBI and is tied with Rafael Devers for the MLB lead in doubles (36). Wilyer Abreu and Bryan Reynolds also have 36, so, it was going to be a battle down the stretch with a healthy Devers, but for now, it’d be enough to hold Burleson double-less in the series (won’t happen lol).
The Giants are at least considering shutting down Logan Webb, in which case they might continue their history-making roster size this season with a 68th player, possibly in this series!
Landen Roupp is the 19th Giants starting pitcher in the last decade to hit the 150 IP mark (150.2). If he can make it through 2 innings, he’ll surpass Justin Verlander’s 152 IP last season. He also might be able to surpass Logan Webb’s 160.2 IP this season. Roupp, a famous bigot, is about average relative to the other pitchers on this list in terms of mound performance. His hits per 9 and homers per 9 are right near the top. His strikeout rate is fine. But the walks (4.3 BB/9) separates him from the pack.
Drew Gilbert has 3 triples this season and has never had more than 4 in a season (once in college, and last season in the minors). The Cardinals haven’t allowed many triples this year (14 — 5th in MLB). Also worth point out: since June 14th — so, the past 3 months — he’s slashed .239/.338/.391 (70 G, 216 PA). A very useful player.
With three games this week in the toughest place for a left-handed batter to homer this season (seriously. Busch Stadium’s 73 Park Factor is lower than the Giants’ 77), Bryce Eldridge might not get to 20 home runs this year, but he’s just 4 away and is already just 1 of 8 Giants in the history of the franchise to hit at least 15 home runs at age 21 or younger. What a list:
Mel Ott, 1929 (age 20) — 42 HR
Orlando Cepeda, 1959 (age 21) — 27 HR
Orlando Cepeda, 1958 (age 20) — 25 HR
Mel Ott, 1930 (age 21) — 25 HR
Willie Mays, 1951 (age 20) — 20 HR
Whitey Lockman, 1948 (age 21) — 18 HR
Mel Ott, 1928 (age 19) — 18 HR
Bryce Eldridge, 2026 (age 21) — 16 HR
Although Jung Hoo Lee — who has now completed exactly 2 years of MLB service time as of yesterday, according to Baseball Reference — has settled into being a platoon/fourth outfielder type, he went 3-for-9 in San Francisco against the Cardinals with an extra base hit — a double, which he does have 29 of already. He’s 11-for-30 in his career at Busch Stadium (.367/.387/.500 in 31 PA). One more double and he’d have 30+ doubles in consecutive seasons and would be the 50th Giant to hit at least 30 doubles in a season in the Oracle Park era. The most recent 10 years is an interesting list:
Rafael Devers, 2026 (36)
Jung Hoo Lee, 2025 (31)
Matt Chapman, 2024 (39)
Mike Yastrzemski, 2022 (31)
Brandon Crawford, 2021 (30)
Kevin Pillar, 2019 (37)
Brandon Belt, 2019 (32)
Brandon Crawford, 2017 (34)
Buster Posey, 2017 (34)
Denard Span, 2017 (31)
The Giants have won just 4 road series all year and they were all before June 18th. And, keep in mind, it’s only been a week, and all that stuff I wrote last week about the young players on the St. Louis side still applies. They’re a dangerous team even if they have a losing record at home in 2026.
Series Overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (62-88) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (74-76) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Monday & Tuesday at 4:45pm PT, Wednesday at 10:15am PT National broadcasts: None
Projected starters Monday: Landen Roupp (RHP 9-13, 4.00 ERA) vs. Quinn Mathews (LHP 1-3, 4.11 ERA) Tuesday: Blade Tidwell (RHP 0-2, 4.82 ERA) vs. Andre Pallante (RHP 12-6, 3.45 ERA) Wednesday: TBD vs. Matthew Liberatore (LHP 5-14, 5.53 ERA)
Prediction time
Christian Koss has slashed .281/.337/.438 over his last 30 games (108 PA) with 4 homers, 3 doubles, and 4 stolen bases. The prediction is that he will have a multi-hit game in this series.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 13, 2026: A view of the batting helmet worn by Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians prior to a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Jays start a three-game series with the Tigers tonight.
The Jays are one game back of the Guardians for the last Wild Card spot. The Tigers are eight games back, not officially eliminated, but effectively eliminated.
Starting pitchers:
Tonight, 7:00 Eastern: Troy Melton (8-4, 2.42) vs. José Soriano (12-7, 3.48).
Tuesday, 7:00 Eastern: Drew Anderson (4-6, 3.80) vs. TBD.
Wednesday, 3:00 Eastern: TBD vs. Max Scherzer (2-8, 6.38).
I try not to be an ‘old man’, but I’m tired of bullpen days. I know we are going to see a few more this year, but I’d love it if, next year, we could roll out real starting pitches every game, every series. I know we are doing well in those games, but without any way to prove it, I think it adds a lot of strain on the arms of the bullpen guys.
On offence, the Tigers are sixth in the AL with 4.47 Runs per game (the Jays are tied for last with 4.05).
On the pitching side, the Tigers are third best at 4.00 runs per game (the Jays are sixth at 4.26). So, ummmm, why are the Tigers so far back in the race?
The Tigers have scored 70 more runs than they have given up (the Jays have allowed 31 more runs than they have scored). Detroit’s Pythagorean record is 81-68 (their real record is 12 games worse); the Jays 72-78 (their real record is 3 games better). So the Tigers have been very unlucky?
The Tigers are on a four-game win streak and are 7-5 in September. This won’t be an easy series.
The Tigers have some excellent offensive players:
SS Kevin McGonigle is hitting .272/.373/.425, with 17 home runs, 88 walks and 89 strikeouts, with 12 steals and a 6.3 bWAR.
C Dillon Dingler is hitting .244/.304/.456 with 27 home runs, 32 walks and 131 strikeouts for a 3.9 bWAR. He’s also thrown out 27.3% of base stealers.
LF Riley Greene is hitting .283/.370/.484 with 20 home runs, 64 walks and 145 strikeouts with a 2.8 bWAR.
2B Gleyber Torres is hitting .268/.370/.381 with 8 home runs, 51 walks and 74 strikeouts, with a 2.4 bWAR in 88 games.
In the bullpen:
Kenley Jansen is their closer. He has a 3.51 ERA, with 19 saves and 6 blown saves. Batters are hitting .168/.280/.329 against him.
Drew Anderson has a 3.80 ERA with 7 holds and 6 blown saves. Batters are hitting .239/.323/.407. He spent the last four years pitching in Japan and then Korea.
Tyler Holton is a lefty; he has a 2.74 ERA, with 14 holds and 2 blown saves. Batters are hitting .259/.318/.395 against him.
Kyle Finnegan has a 3.79 ERA with 14 holds and 9 blown saves. Batters are hitting .275/.372/.450 against him.
We still aren’t in ‘must rule the table’ territory, but we have to win one more than the Guardians. That would be easier to do if we keep winning each series.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 12: Emmanuel Rodriguez #21 of the Minnesota Twins hits a solo home run in the first at-bat of his MLB debut against the Cleveland Guardians during the third inning of the game at Target Field on September 12, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The youth movement is continuing to progress, with Emmanuel “Dinamita” Rodriguez making his major league debut this past weekend, hitting a homer in his first big-league at-bat. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, he’s joining the team just as they are all but mathematically eliminated from making it to the playoffs. There’s a chance, but with the way the Twins played against the division the past two weeks, it seems unlikely the team could make a miracle push in the last couple of weeks of the season, especially since they no longer face any in-division opponents for the rest of the season.
The Past Week on Twinkie Town:
Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
We’re starting a new segment called Daily Questions! Provide your opinion on the Twins and debate with the community!
Game threads and recaps are back! Commiserate with your fellow fans as we experience the season together.
This past weekend was the 25th anniversary of September 11th, and Zach Koenig recaps the last Twins game before that fateful day.
Aidan O’Brien checks in on the Twins’ 2026 draft class in their first taste of professional baseball.
We have our first playoff spot clinched! The Tampa Bay Rays are locked into a playoff spot and have a 4.0-game lead over the Yankees for the AL East and the AL #1 seed. Meanwhile, the White Sox and Guardians are only half a game apart. In the West, it’s just as close, with the Astros and Rangers separated by only one game. And in the wild card race, the Guardians, Blue Jays, and Rangers are all within two games of each other for the final spot.
The Brewers have joined the Rays as a lock for the playoffs, and currently hold a 2.5-game lead over the Dodgers. They have also almost clinched their division as well. It’s not much of a race in the other divisions either, with Atlanta holding a 5.0-game lead over the Phillies, and the Dodgers holding a 9.0-game lead over the Padres. The Wild Card race has also settled a bit, with the Diamondbacks now 2.5 games back from the Padres in the race for the final spot. It’s not insurmountable, but with less than 15 games left in the season, Arizona needs to pick up the pace.
Jeff Passan at ESPN shares some early intel on the offseason, and the questions facing teams and players with a lockout looming.
It's once again clinching season in Major League Baseball.
The postseason is rapidly approaching, and the field for this year's World Series race is starting to take shape. While much of the National League picture appears close to being settled, several American League races remain wide open, with division titles, wild-card spots and postseason seeding still up for grabs.
Here's a look at every team that has clinched a playoff berth, which clubs are closing in and what the postseason bracket would look like if the season ended today.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - MARCH 18: Cooper Flemming (11) of the Tampa Bay Rays tags a runner out at second base during a minor league spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles on March 18, 2026 at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
This was the 23rd week of full minor league play (stats are entering play on Monday, September 14th).
According to FanGraphs (which factors in age and proximity to the big leagues), prospect Theo Gillen tops the system and might just find himself in the running for Minor League Player of the Year. Gillen ranks 4th among all minor leaguers while Caden Bodine ranks 11th.
Meanwhile, Aidan Cremarosa is the top hurler in the system. Over his first professional season, Cremarosa has a 2.82 ERA | 3.02 FIP with a 29.8 K% & 6.0 BB% over 76.2 IP in Single-A. FanGraphs slotted the 22-year old as the 30th top prospect in the Rays system during their midseason rankings.
RUMBLINGS
The Bowling Green Hot Rods lost to the Winston-Salem Dash in the South Division portion of the South Atlantic League playoffs.
Grady Emerson returned to action to pinch run for the Charleston River Dogs a few days after leaving a game early after being hit by a pitch
The Charleston River Dogs are currently down 1 game in a best of 3 series with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers in the Single-A Carolina League Championship Series
Team Offensive Leaders: AVG: .291, Tony Santa Maria OBP: .414, Ryan McCoy SLG: .541, Ryan McCoy HR: 21, Nathan Flewelling wRC+: 145, Ryan McCoy SB: 55, Tony Santa Maria
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 02: Max Clark #15 of the Detroit Tigers bats during a game between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers on September 2, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Kevin McGonigle was promoted to the Detroit Tigers Opening Day roster late in spring training, there was plenty of excitement, and despite a failure of a season from a team perspective, the rookie has been as good as advertised and still leads AL Rookie of the Year polling. The follow up question from many was when would Max Clark, the Tigers second best prospect, join his buddy in the big leagues. It took time, but the Tigers decision to give Clark plenty of Triple-A time this season has been vindicated by his all-around strong showing since his promotion back on July 31.
The Clark situation was a bit tricky to explain in May when the Tigers were busy getting their faces rubbed into the mud by just about anyone they faced. Apart from McGonigle himself, Clark was the best pure hitting prospect the Tigers have had in decades. His swinging strike rates of 6.3 percent at Double-A Erie and 5.4 in Triple-A were even a bit better than McGonigle’s numbers. On the other hand, Clark was still working on improving against left-handed pitching, and his route running and base stealing abilities were still predicated more on pure speed rather than technique. These were the areas the Tigers wanted him to improve on with manager Gary Jones and the Mud Hens’ staff, and he certainly did so. The time to refine his game got the 21-year-old well prepared for the major leagues, and the proof is in the numbers already.
Clark has played 39 games and now has 154 plate appearances, so he’s got a quarter of a regular season under his belt. He’s already been worth 1.2 fWAR, putting him pretty close to a 5 WAR pace. He’s hitting .274/.355/.444 with a 124 wRC+, meaning he’s been 24 percent better than a league average hitter’s run production. Along with three homers, three triples, and eight doubles, Clark also has five stolen bases now, and as he’s gotten more comfortable, the level of aggression on the basepaths is increasing. He’s also dropped some good bunts down, showing the versatility in his game, and has had really good success against left-handed pitching, all elements the Tigers wanted to see him develop this season.
Here are Clark’s slash lines in his splits.
RHP: .230/.316/.368 for a .684 OPS
LHP: .356/.420/.600 for a 1.020 OPS
This isn’t going to last. The wide disparity in splits and some struggles against right-handed pitching are going to even out. Clark is unlikely to buck the heavy weight of platoon splits and actually be better against left-handed pitching, but this is something he focused on improving this season, and he’s being rewarded right now.
Results based hitting statistics are treacherous at this early stage. There will likely be some ups and downs in his age 22 season next year. Still, evidence that Clark is already thriving at the major league level is found a little deeper. His 93.4 percent in-zone contact rate is outstanding, as is his 6.8 percent swinging strike rate. He is chasing more, with a 29.6 outside the zone swing percentage compared with 20.7 percent at Triple-A, but that’s still a decent mark and should improve. Generally hitters chase more in the bigs, but not quite to this degree, especially in a player who doesn’t swing and miss much, so the odds are very good that as Clark gets acclimated, he’ll do an even better job being selective.
Physically, the tools are as advertised. Clark has good bat speed at 73.4 mph average and basically average swing length, placing him just inside the top 75 qualified hitters in baseball in that regard. His average sprint speed to first is 28.6 feet per second, which is good though not great. However, his top line marks this season have been just outside of elite territory just shy of 30 feet per second. He’s hit one ball 111.3 mph for his top exit velocity of the year in Triple-A, putting him into plus raw power territory, although he doesn’t sell out for big swings often enough for that to matter too much. As with McGonigle, it’s more just about barrelling up more balls in the air, especially to the pull side, but 20 home run seasons in his prime still seem like a reasonable expectation even if we don’t see that for another 2-3 years.
Defensively, Clark has already been worth four Outs Above Average, with only 16 players this season collecting more OAA in center field. That’s despite the fact that Clark has only played a quarter of a season. This is a center fielder who should eventually challenge top dogs like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Ceddane Rafaela for the title of best in baseball.
Perhaps the element of Max Clark that is most important to his future success, and finally getting its due, is his baseball intelligence and absolute love for the game, in contrast to the accusations of hot doggery and immaturity leveled against him briefly after dropping a pair of high fly balls in the notorious spring skies down in Lakeland.
As anyone who followed Clark closely in high school and through the minor league knows, Clark is one of the most baseball obsessed players around, ready to give you a detailed scouting report on every notable player he’s competed against from memory. He breaks down at-bats, the finer details of defense and base stealing, like a successful 10-year veteran with an eye toward a future managerial career, and he has the communication skills to match. His teammates are happy to let him do the talking, because he’s very good at it, and as a result, they don’t have to say anything. A team leader is under development.
You can see him calculating his way through at-bats, learning when to use his time out to recalibrate, and when to use it to freeze a pitcher who is fighting his control. As he’s settled in, the mind games Clark is capable of playing, like feigning bunt to draw in the infield, or setting up one way in the box for the opposing catcher to see, and then adjusting slightly just as a pitcher goes into his delivery, or simply being a pest at first base to draw attention and throws from the pitcher, have become more prominent. He’s only going to get more comfortable and able to put his speed to work as he gets to know the league and settle in further as a bona vide big leaguer next year.
It was clear early on in his pro career that Clark was going to be a valuable player just on the basis of his speed, defense, and pure contact hitter abilities. That gave him a strong floor as a prospect, but just about everything else we hoped for is coming to fruition. His refinements defensively and in his base running have been impressive to watch unfold, but he’s also added strength and bat speed and now represents a fairly significant power threat to go with the ability to put the ball in play a lot and run. All the tools are in place for Max Clark to be an All-Star caliber player for years to come.
However, the real kicker always comes back to his competitive intensity and baseball intelligence. For all the flash, and his nickname is “Spark” after all, Clark is a true team player and leader, who just wants to win baseball games by any legal means necessary.
One series of moments in the weekend series sweep of the Colorado Rockies really brought this home. In the bottom of the fifth inning in Friday’s 6-2 victory, Clark fouled off a first pitch cutter from right-hander Mason Adams, and then watched as Adams fished for the outer edge of the plate away with the next three pitches. Clark might have expected a fastball up or a breaking ball down in a 1-2 count, but instead, Adams came back in under his hands with a 93 mph fastball, and Clark was not surprised. Instead he got to it and launched a game tying solo shot over the right field wall.
An inning later, he was on first base after getting hit by a pitch after Riley Greene and Dillon Dingler had powered the Tigers to a 4-1 lead. Recognizing that pitcher Nick Frasso was really struggling to locate and wasn’t paying much attention to anything else, Clark quickly stole second base, and then took third and then home on two more wild pitches from Frasso. The young rookie could’ve been forgiven if he bounced exuberantly into the dugout, feeling himself and enjoying the moment. Instead, he scored, gave thanks for a brief moment, and then went directly to Zach McKinstry in the on-deck circle to pass on some intel on Frasso.
A small moment, but an instructive one. Clark is always alert and thinking out there, trying to find those extra edges that lead to victory. This is why it’s so easy to believe that, whatever struggles may come, and they come for every player, Max Clark is going to survive them and thrive. He has all the baseball ability you could ask for in a player physically, speed, power, insane hand-eye coordination, agility, but the asset that will ensure he gets everything out of his raw ability is that intelligence and obsessive love for the game in all its detail and nuance.
Clark continues to move up in A.J. Hinch’s lineup hierarchy, now batting sixth quite a bit, but we all know what we’re looking at here. Max Clark is perfectly suited to be the Tigers’ leadoff hitter in 2027, and it would be nice to see Hinch turn the job over to him over the final two weeks and just let him run with it.
Either way, Max Clark is here to stay and is off to a very fine start to his major league career. His buddy Kevin may always outshine him a bit, but the Tigers now have an extremely dynamic duo to lead this team over the next decade. Hopefully an extension offer is in the works. As frustrating and miserable as the 2026 season has been at times, the arrival of the best prospect duo since Tram and Lou makes it a lot easier to bear. This season marks the end of a decent little run for the franchise, but it’s just the beginning for a young, athletic Tigers team now taking shape.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets runs the bases after his eighth inning grand slam home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on September 12, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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.
MONDAY
Jonah Tong recorded 12 whiffs through two innings, tying for the most whiffs in the first two innings of a game by a Mets pitcher in the Statcast era (since 2015). The record was set by Noah Syndergaard on April 15, 2018, against the Brewers, and matched by Jacob deGrom on July 14, 2019, in Miami.
TUESDAY
Nate Lavender recorded a 14th straight scoreless appearance to begin his career, marking the second-most for a Mets pitcher behind Joe Smith (17 in 2007). Lavender’s streak would come to an end on Wednesday night.
Brett Baty recorded an extra-base hit in five straight games for the first time in his career, and became the first Met to do so since Francisco Lindor from August 13-19, 2025.
WEDNESDAY
With his 23rd stolen baseof the season, A.J. Ewing broke a tie with Lee Mazzilli and teammate Carson Benge for the second-most stolen bases by a rookie in franchise history, trailing only Mookie Wilson (24 in 1981).
The Mets won despite allowing 14 runs for the first time in franchise history. They were previously 0-86 in games in which they allowed 14+ runs. The Mets also won despite allowing 20 hits for the first time in franchise history. They were previously 0-24 in games in which they allowed 20+ hits. It was the first time a team won despite allowing 20+ hits since…exactly three years earlier, when the Orioles beat the Red Sox 13-12 on September 9, 2023.
The Mets posted multiple six-run innings in the same game for the first time since August 29, 2025, in Jonah Tong’s debut at Citi Field (also against the Marlins).
For the first time in franchise history, the Mets won a game in which they allowed three or more runs in three different innings.
FRIDAY
Carson Benge recorded his 10th outfield assist, tied with Cleon Jones for the fourth-most by a Mets rookie behind Juan Lagares (15 in 2013), Rod Gaspar (12 in 1969), and Tsuyoshi Shinjo (12 in 2001). (source: Anthony DiComo on X)
Cody Bellinger’s homer marked the first home run hit off Nolan McLean’s curveball since the right-hander debuted in the big leagues. It was just the fourth extra-base hit, along with an Ian Happ double on June 24, an Ozzie Albies double on July 5, and a Trea Turner double on July 19.
SATURDAY
The Mets hit six home runs in a Subway Series game for the first time in franchise history. The Yankees had done it once before against the Mets on July 10, 1999, in a 9-8 Mets win at Shea Stadium thanks to Matt Franco’s walk-off single off Mariano Rivera.
Carson Benge’s fifth-inning RBI single marked his 147th hit of the season, moving him past Ty Wigginton and into second place on the Mets’ rookie hits leaderboard, trailing only Pete Alonso (155 in 2019).
Francisco Lindor reached 20 home runs for the 9th time in his career. He is only the second primary shortstop to reach 20+ homers in 9+ seasons, joining Cal Ripken Jr. (12 seasons of 20+ homers).
Lindor hit his first grand slam since Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS at Citi Field against the Phillies. Lindor now has seven grand slams with the Mets including postseason games, passing Mike Piazza for the most in franchise history.
Lindor became the eighth player in MLB history to hit a leadoff home run and grand slam in the same game, joining: Bobby Doerr (August 1, 1939), Von Hayes (June 11, 1985), Darrin Jackson (August 25, 1991), Kenny Lofton (August 20, 2000), Charlie Blackmon (May 31, 2016), George Springer (October 3, 2021), and Jake McCarthy (July 3, 2026). (source: Sarah Langs on X)
Lindor hit his 291st homer while playing shortstop in a game, tying Miguel Tejada for third-most behind Cal Ripken Jr. (345) and Alex Rodriguez (344). (source: Sarah Langs on X)
Lindor recorded his 24th multi-homer game while playing shortstop, tying Ernie Banks for second-most behind Alex Rodriguez (33). (source: Sarah Langs on X)
Lindor recorded his 3rd multi-homer Subway Series game, breaking a tie with Pete Alonso and Jorge Posada for the most in Subway Series history. Lindor previously hit three homers exactly five years earlier on September 12, 2021, at Citi Field, and hit two homers on July 24, 2024, at Yankee Stadium. (credit: Sarah Langs on X)
Lindor recorded five RBI in a game for the ninth time as a Met. Three of those games have come against the Yankees.
Zac Thornton became the first Mets pitcher to complete seven innings in a Subway Series game since Max Scherzer on July 27, 2022, at Citi Field. He became the first left-hander to do it since Jon Niese on May 27, 2013, at Citi Field.
Thornton recorded his seventh quality start through 13 career games, tied for third-most by a Mets left-hander behind Steven Matz (9) and Sid Fernandez (8).
The Mets won a Subway Series game by 10 or more runs for the third time in franchise history. All three have ended with a score of 12-2 (June 9, 2000, at Yankee Stadium, and June 26, 2024, at Citi Field, were the previous two).
The Mets scored 10+ runs for the 17th time this season, tied with 1990 for the fourth-most such games in a season in franchise history. The 2000 (24), 1999 (20), and 1997 (18) teams are the only ones in franchise history with more double-digit scoring games. The Mets this season are tied with the Nationals for the second-most double-digit scoring games behind the Cubs (21).
SUNDAY
The Mets and Yankees held each other to three hits or fewer for the second time in Subway Series history. The first time was June 28, 1998, in a 2-1 Mets win at Shea Stadium.
The Mets suffered their 14th shutout loss of the season, tying them with the Mariners for the fourth-most of any team in the majors behind the Reds (16), Guardians (15), and Pirates (15).
Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:
Only eight homegrown Mets have put up 30-homer seasons in orange and blue:
Dave Kingman (1975, 1976, 1982) Darryl Strawberry (1987, 1988, 1990) Todd Hundley (1996, 1997) David Wright (2007, 2008) Ike Davis (2012) Lucas Duda (2014) Michael Conforto (2019) Pete Alonso (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
The Cubs took two of three from the Pirates after getting swept in Milwaukee and entering Monday’s action hold the top wild card spot by virtue of their tiebreaker over the Phillies. The Cubs’ magic number to clinch any postseason spot is now 8.
Here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.
Three up
Alex Bregman continues his hot second half
The Cubs third baseman batted .400/.520/.700 (8-for-20) over the six games with three doubles, a home run, three walks and only one strikeout. He began getting hot two games before the All-Star break and over that 55-game span is batting .312/.391/.638 (68-for-218) with 17 doubles, 18 home runs, 49 RBI and 45 runs scored.
Busch didn’t start the first game at Milwaukee and pinch-hit, going 0-for-1. In the five games since then: .353/.429/.588 (6-for-17) with a double, a home run, three walks, six RBI and five runs scored.
It would be great to have Busch’s bat in the postseason as hot as it was last October, when he hit four home runs in eight games.
Pedro Ramirez broke out of his slump
In last week’s edition of this feature I noted that Ramirez was in an 0-for-18 slump.
He broke out of that this week by batting .250/.286/.650 (5-for-20). Not much of a batting average — but two of the five hits were home runs. He added two doubles and seven runs scored.
I’m going to give a cautious hat tip to Daniel Palencia, whose outing on Sunday was his best since returning from the injured list. He hit 100 miles per hour for the first time and got five whiffs among 18 pitches thrown. A healthy, productive Palencia would be a huge boost to the bullpen.
Three down
Ian Happ is slumping again
After hitting pretty well most of August, Happ is in a September slide.
Over the six games, he batted .083/.389/.083 (1-for-12). The OBP looks good due to seven walks drawn over the week. But Happ also left one game early due to what was reported as a foot issue and didn’t start the first game of the week in Milwaukee.
As is the case for many Cubs, a healthy and productive Happ would be a huge help in October.
Kevin Gausman, woof
Gausman has had several very good starts for the Cubs. His last one, last Wednesday against the Brewers, was not one of those. He allowed seven runs (six earned) in four innings and got taken deep three times. It was a bit surprising, as he had held the same Brewers to one run in seven innings just six days earlier at Wrigley Field.
His next start comes up Tuesday against the Braves. He’s made three starts at Wrigley since joining the Cubs. The other two (against the White Sox and Diamondbacks) were shaky. Hopefully, this upcoming start will be better than that.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a quiet week
The presumptive National League MVP hit his 41st home run last Monday in Milwaukee.
In the five games since then PCA is batting just .150/.227/.150 (3-for-20) with seven strikeouts.
He does seem to go through stretches like this from time to time. It would be good for him and the team if he’d come out of it starting Monday against Atlanta. He’s four stolen bases away from a 40/40 season, which would be the seventh such year ever and first for a Cub.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 01: Troy Johnston #20 of the Colorado Rockies throws the ball prior to the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Tuesday, September 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Ray Bahner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Rowers!
As a reminder, we are doing some experimenting with our morning article lineups over the next few days. Earlier this morning, you read Scaling the Rocks, which features news and links from both the Rockies as well as around baseball.
This is the Rockpile, which will continue to be our daily feature story.
And finally, in two hours you will be able to read the daily Pebble Report, featuring all of the minor league action from the previous day.
You’ll still get the same information, but it’ll be broken into smaller chunks instead of one long thread.
This is not something we’ll run regularly at this time, as we’re still in the experimentation phase, but we just wanted to make you aware.
Troy Johnston made his long-awaited MLB debut last season on July 29 for the Miami Marlins at age 29. He was drafted in the 17th round of the 2019 draft (501st overall) after playing three years at Gonzaga University, and journeyed through the Marlins’ minor league system, including 3.5 seasons in Triple-A Jacksonville from 2022-2025.
Johnston played 44 games with the Marlins in 2025 before being placed on waivers at the end of the season and claimed by the Rockies. Despite a torrid spring training that saw him hit .375/.438/.589 through 23 games, Johnston almost didn’t make the Opening Day roster. An injury to Tyler Freeman opened up the spot, and he has not looked back. But Johnston is enjoying his first full MLB season, and finding success as a ‘veteran rookie.’
“It’s a dream come true,” Johnston said.
“It’s hard to complain when you’re in the big leagues. I think about all the times I wanted to quit and I’m sitting in Triple-A or Double-A and I’m like, ‘This sucks. I hate hit. I’m just going to keep grinding it out.‘ But to be here in this locker room and get to live my dream everyday, it’s all worth it.”
He is also finding the balance of being a 29-year-old player who only has one year of service time — both leaning on his veteran baseball experiences and his new MLB player experiences.
“It’s a weird, slippery slope,” he said.
“Sometimes, I’ll take things too far, and then I won’t take things far enough, and I’ll step in when I need to and then I’ll stay back when I don’t. It’s kind of a part of knowing where my role is and trying to do my best to kind of read the room.
“And whatever the team needs me to do, I’m willing to do,” he continued, “whether that’s take control and do certain things (or if) they want me to stay back. (If) they want me to enforce certain things. I’m willing to do whatever they want. And for me, yeah I’m older and yeah I do have a year of service time but I’ve been around baseball enough. I kind of know how people work and how this game works.”
Johnston has found some success in Colorado, hitting .280/.350/.395 with 29 doubles, one triple, four homers and 48 RBI in 121 games. Up until the All-Star break, he was hitting .301, but a challenging July dipped his average from .313 on July 1st to .283 on July 31st. He had a hot August, though, slashing .319/.407/.511 through 17 games, but has had a cold start to September. In just six games in September, Johnston has gone 3-for-18 (.167) with one double, one RBI, one walk and seven strikeouts.
But he credits his overall success to hitting coach Brett Pill, and his unique approach to coaching.
“Pill and I talk about (a lot). A lot of the way that my brain works is that I don’t like to live, breathe, eat and, like, be baseball. Baseball is what I do, it’s not who I am,” he said. “I have a lot of (heavy) interests outside of baseball, and I really focus on those, and that helps me be a better baseball player because I’m not overindulging in the sport and overindulging what’s going on. I try to leave baseball at the field. I never bring it home, even in the mornings. That’s been a real key to the success that I’ve had in the past.”
Specifically, Johnston and Pill talk about golf and the similarities between a golf swing and a baseball swing.
“We talk about the way that long drivers work and the way that golfers use their bodies,” he continued, “because if you look at professional golfers, it’s very similar to the way that baseball players use their bodies. The only difference is that we use a little bit of momentum, or a little bit of a timing mechanism, and we have a moving target. They don’t, but at impact and at swing, they’re very, very similar, and I understand that very well. So Pill will talk to me quite a bit about golf swings and different things like that, and that really helps me click.”
He also credits his success to the team’s to manager Warren Schaeffer.
“He’s unbelievable. What a leader!” Johnston exclaimed. “I have nothing but good things to say about him. What an absolute leader! He cares so much about his players and so much about winning. It’s fresh, it’s new, I love it.
“It’s one of the special things you get in this game because there’s so many people that really, honestly, are there to progress in their own career and progress as a coach and they’re going to do what they need to (in order) to do that,” he continued. “But Schaeffer’s at the highest level, and all he wants to do is win and make sure that (we) as players have as much success as possible. And so to have a manager like that and have a coach like that, it’s just absolutely fantastic to have him as a leader.”
Johnston had some really early success, hitting .318 through 24 games in April. That also included his favorite play of the season.
“I had the go-ahead two-run double against the Dodgers (on April 18) and we ended up winning,” Johnston said. “It was off Will Klein. I think that’s one of my favorite memories from this year.”
His other favorite moment was his first homer as a Rockie, which came on March 30th in Toronto.
“I was 0-for-2 and looking for a certain pitch,” he recalled. “[The Blue Jays] brought in another guy, and I was like, ‘Alright, I”m going to look for a curveball here and do my best. And all of a sudden, [Spencer Miles] threw me a curveball!
“I hit it out, we took the lead, and after that we scored, like, 10. So it was awesome to be a part of that and cement myself in at least that win that day. But to help the team and do what they need me to do and have so much fun, that’s awesome.”
But Johnston has had success on the pitcher’s mound in 2026, as well.
“One of my favorite things was that I did get to pitch a little bit, and it was so much fun because I throw this little ‘air cutter’ that just kind of goes across the plate,” he laughed. “I don’t throw it very hard — I don’t throw hard in general — and so it’s fun to be able to kind of mess around and do that.”
“I didn’t realize how hard it is,” he said. “The strike zone is very, very small. And credit to every pitcher out there that can throw strikes like that. It’s absolutely incredible because when you’re at the plate, everything looks like a strike. And there’s some thing that never look like a strike. But when you’re up on the mound and you’re looking down, you’re like, ‘I don’t even know where the strike zone is.’ And I’m throwing it and I’m not getting calls and I’m like, ‘That looks like a strike from up here!’
“But it’s very difficult,” he said. “So all the kudos to all the pitchers out there that can throw strikes like that. It’s very impressive.”
But the biggest adjustment Johnston made in 2026 that he’s most proud of is taking care of his mental health.
“My mental approach to the game has been better this year than it has in years past, and I think that’s allowed me to play very free. I think that’s the thing I’m most proud of,” he said. “Numbers are going to come, numbers are going to go. Successes and failures are all part of the game. But I think I’ve stayed pretty level-headed and I’ve tried my best to know my mental capacity can only take so much. And so trying to out there and just be an actual human being and then come to the field and be a baseball player. That’s what I’m most proud of.”
There are only 13 games left in the season, and Johnston will be a free agent at the end of it. It’s hard to say what the future holds for him, but if nothing else, we’ll miss Johnston’s personality and knack for keeping things light in the clubhouse. Who knows — maybe we’ll see him in the broadcast booth in the near future.
But for now, enjoy some of this year’s Troy Johnston personality highlights:
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 11: Los Angeles Dodgers Josue De Paula (95) smiles in the dugout after an interaction with Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) in the dgugtou during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Miami Marrlins on Friday, September 11, 2026 at LoanDepot Park in Miamim, FL (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was a real week of ups and downs for the Dodgers, who ran their season-best win streak to eight games before dropping two games in Miami, with a brutal Sunday loss that prevented what would have been a stellar week.
The Dodgers finally pulled the plug on Shohei Ohtani, placing the superstar on the injured list Friday after he aggravated his right biceps in his lone game on Monday. They played Freddie Freeman and designated hitter on Tuesday, then sat on Wednesday and Friday while dealing with a right knee injury. On the field, Freeman is hitless in his last 16 at-bats and has one hit in his last 26 at-bats, and was moving gingerly at first base on Sunday before a bad toss to covering pitcher Tanner Scott in the fateful ninth inning.
But the Dodgers also saw top prospect Josue De Paula not only make his major league debut, but thrive in doing so, reaching base six times in 11 at-bats, including his first major league home run and a double on Sunday.
In all, the Dodgers won four out of six games, and can clinch a postseason berth as early as Monday.
Batter of the week
Teoscar Hernández continued his stellar September with seven hits in 16 at-bats, tied for the team lead with six RBI, hit a home run and a triple, and even stole a base.
The offense was for the most part humming this week, with De Paula, Hernández, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Will Smith, and Kyle Tucker all posting an OPS over 1.000.
Pitcher of the week
Emmet Sheehan bookended the week with stellar starts. He allowed a run in 5 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts to beat the Reds on Monday after getting called back up from Triple-A. Then Sheehan on Sunday pitched six scoreless innings on Sunday.
Week 25 results
4-2 record 36 runs scored (6.00 per game) 18 runs allowed (3.00 per game) .780 pythagorean win percentage
Year to date
90-59 record 741 runs scored (4.97 per game) 571 runs allowed (3.83 per game) .617 pythagorean win percentage (92-57)
Welcome aboard: Top prospect Josue De Paula was called up directly from Double-A on Friday, and started all three games in Miami — two at designated hitter, then Sunday in left field. In his first game, De Paula reached base once in his four trips to the plate in his first game with a walk, the third Dodgers player to make their major league debut in 2026. De Paula joined first baseman/outfielder Ryan Ward (2 for 5, RBI on April 19 at Colorado) and catcher Eliezer Alfonzo (0 for 2 on July 5 vs. San Diego) in the Dodgers’ first-timer club this season.
Go90: Friday’s victory in Miami gave the Dodgers 90 wins on the season, something they’ve done every full season since 2013, excepting only the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign in which the team was 43-17. The Dodgers are the first team in MLB history to win 90 games for 13 full seasons in a row.
Monday: Emmet Sheehan was recalled from Triple-A, with Bobby Miller optioned the day after pitching three innings in relief.
Tuesday: Center fielder Alek Thomas cleared waivers and was sent outright to Oklahoma City.
Friday: Shohei Ohtani was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, which opened up a lane of playing time for Josue De Paula’s first major league call-up. Left-hander Eric Lauer was moved to the 60-day IL, ending his season.
The Dodgers run the Eddie Milner gauntlet, finishing up the road trip with a series against the Cincinnati Reds for the second week in a row, followed by the San Francisco Giants in Los Angeles next weekend. The pitching matchups for the latter half of the week are a guess, as the Dodgers have TBA listed for the final two games in Cincinnati.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MARCH, 1956: Infielder Jerry Coleman, of the New York Yankees, poses for an action portrait during Spring Training in March, 1956 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
“Jerry Coleman, who was banging out base hits all over the green sod at Yankee Stadium last spring, helped today to knock out a rail bridge about twenty-five miles south of Sariwon in his first combat mission in Korea as a Marine air captain.” – The New York Times, February 1, 1953.
I’m highly skeptical that any ball player has had a cooler one-paragraph article in the NYT about them. But Coleman was a pretty fascinating guy with a rather cool history. When he wasn’t racking up World Series titles with the Yankees, he was flying combat in Korea. When his playing days ended, he ended up becoming one of the most famous and beloved broadcasters in the sport. Oh, doctor!
Name: Jerry Coleman Born: September 14, 1924 (San Jose, CA) Died: January 5, 2014 (La Jolla, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1949-1957
Two things happened in early 1942 that changed Jerry Coleman’s life. First, he attended a presentation about the US Navy’s flight training program and instantly decided he wanted to become a fighter pilot. Second, the Yankees offered him $2,800 to sign with the organization. Not yet 18 and therefore unable to join the Navy, Coleman signed on the dotted line and joined the Yankees.
Coleman eventually ended up flying in the Pacific theater, transferring stateside in summer of 1945 to train for an invasion of the Japanese islands. Japan, however, surrendered shortly after and Coleman was discharged in early 1946, allowing him to play baseball.
He made the Yankees out of spring training in 1949 and quickly inherited the second base job due to injury. From there, he was a mainstay in the Yankee lineup. And on the final day of the season, with the Red Sox and Yankees tied and playing for the pennant, the diminutive Coleman had a signature Yankee moment.
With New York up 2-0 on Boston in the home eighth, Coleman came to the plate with the bases loaded, facing Red Sox hurler Tex Hughson. Coleman swung at the first pitch and muscled a pop fly where neither the second baseman nor the right fielder could get it. He couldn’t have run the ball out there and placed it any better. All three runners scored, extending the Yankee lead to five. And those runs were huge, as the Red Sox scored three in the ninth before the Yanks put them away to clinch the pennant.
In that year’s World Series, the Yankees knocked off the Dodgers in five. Coleman, for his part, drove in four runs on the five hits, picking up the first of four World Series rings he’d win as a player. It was the first of three consecutive titles for Coleman, and the first of five straight for the ‘50s Yankees dynasty. Coleman was also recognized as the Associated Press choice for American League Rookie of the Year.
The next season was Coleman’s finest. He made the All-Star Game, the lone time he did that in his career. And in the World Series against Philadelphia, he drove in three of the Yankees’ 11 total runs, reached base six times in four games, and was named winner of the Babe Ruth Award, a still-active honor but the only such award in the days before the World Series MVP. Coleman walked off Game 3 with a single against Russ Meyer, plating Gene Woodling with the run that put the Yankees ahead 3-0 in a series they’d sweep.
The Korean War interrupted Coleman’s playing days as he was off to serve his country again. During that conflict, he flew 63 combat missions, in the process becoming the only major leaguer to have experienced aerial combat in two different wars. Coleman provided close air support and flew interdiction/strike missions. Though he returned to the Yankees for the 1955 season, he remained with the Marine Corps reserves until 1964, when he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Back in baseball, Coleman played three more seasons, ultimately retiring after the 1957 campaign. The effects of his wartime service, and injuries on the diamond, took their toll and Coleman was never the same player he’d been before heading to Korea.
But baseball was not done with him. The third and final act of his baseball career would be the longest, and the one for which he is best known. In 1960, he started broadcasting baseball games. From 1963-1970, he called Yankee games, though that ended when his wife expressed a desire to move to the West Coast. Coleman was, however, on the call when old friend Mickey Mantle clubbed the 500th homer of his Hall of Fame career.
From 1972 until his death in 2014 (with the exception of 1980 when he served as the Padres’ manager), Coleman broadcast San Diego games, where his signature lines “Hang a star on that one, baby!” and “Oh, doctor!” became well-known to baseball fans.
In the process, Coleman became one of the most beloved figures in baseball. In 2005, he was honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame with the Ford C. Frick Award for his achievements in broadcasting.
Coleman died in January 2014 at the age of 89, after suffering a fall. I’ll leave summing up his extraordinary life and career to C. Paul Rogers III, Coleman’s SABR biographer:
“He became a bona-fide war hero in two wars, had a baseball playing career that earned him Rookie of the Year and World Series MVP honors, and then transitioned into a Hall of Fame broadcasting career. Through it all, he remained a very humble man with a great sense of humor and an appreciation for his good fortune in surviving two wars and for his ability to play Major League Baseball. Jerry Coleman was not only a San Diego treasure, but an American treasure.”
Happy birthday, Jerry Coleman.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
