CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 25: Lucas Spence #28 of the Houston Astros bats in a game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on July 25, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (72-74) lost 7-5 (BOX SCORE)
Sugar Land got on the board in the first inning on a Schiavone RBI double. Mayer got the start but ran into some trouble in the 2nd inning allowing 5 runs. He ended up going 4 innings and allowing 6 runs, 5 earned. Sugar Land got a run back on a Ferreras RBI groundout and another in the 5th on a Matthews sac fly. The offense picked up 2 runs in 7th as they cut the lead to one. Munoz allowed a run in the 9th and the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Sugar Land fell 7-5.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 05: A general view as Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 5, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles backed themselves into a corner where they probably need to win every remaining game or all but one remaining game in order to make the postseason. They responded to being in that corner by sweeping the Mets, a not very good team, in a series where the Mets fans were all continually cheering for the best Orioles player. Now they are back in Baltimore to face the team in MLB with the best record so far this season, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee has been laying waste to just about all comers as this season goes along. Their 95-58 record is the best thing anybody has going on this year. They have already clinched their division title, and at this point they only “need” to win games to make sure they stay ahead of the Dodgers for the #1 seed in the National League. The back-to-back champions are currently at 93 wins. That one isn’t a done deal yet for the Brewers.
One part of why the Brewers have been able to do this is the absolute freak Jacob Misiorowski, a second-year starting pitcher who’s taken a big leap this year after a mixed bag rookie season a year ago. Misiorowski is averaging over 100mph on his fastball and it’s proving mostly unhittable, which is how he’s been able to drop a 1.89 ERA and 0.812 WHIP on the league. As of this writing, it seems that we will not see Misiorowski pitch in this series, though the Brewers do have a TBD for Sunday and until that turns into someone else, I guess it might be him.
The bullpen is holding up its share of the weight as well. There are six relievers, including former Oriole DL Hall, who are sitting with a 3.50 ERA or better. Hall, in fact, has a 2.17 ERA through 43 games. Closer Trevor Megill has a 0.902 WHIP in his 57.1 innings. You are doing pretty well as a closer if you are allowing fewer than one baserunner per inning pitched. It is a very good way to seal wins.
The Brewers have also scored more runs than anybody else in baseball. They have been able to do this in part because there are six decent-to-great hitters in their regular lineup, plus two guys on the bench (including former Oriole Gary Sánchez) who are doing well in their reserve opportunities. They’re getting a breakout season from first baseman Jake Bauers at age 30, another “good hitting, great defense” season from Brice Turang, and even former Oriole Joey Ortiz, who was absolutely terrible at the plate a year ago, has bounced back to decent.
These guys are helping themselves out by cashing in the scoring opportunities that they do get. Their split with runners in scoring position is nearly 60 points higher than their regular batting. This is the #1 number among all MLB teams. (The Orioles, with a .759 OPS with RISP, are in 10th.)
This is a complete team that hasn’t had much postseason success despite fairly dominant regular seasons. They have won their division five times since the 2018 season, with two wild card bids, and have advanced past the first round in which they played just twice. That gives them the edge over the Mike Elias era Orioles in two ways: They’ve actually been consistently good, and they’ve actually won a few playoff games here and there.
The Orioles are inferior to this team in basically every way and they’ve got to manage to sweep this series or at the absolute worst win two out of three. Yeah, good luck with that.
As of this writing, the Orioles are listing TBD as their starting pitchers for every game of the series. Very helpful for bloggers who are trying to say something informative about the series. It appears likely that Cade Povich will be recalled from Norfolk to start one of the games.
Game 1: Friday, 7:05pm Eastern
BAL starter: TBD
MIL starter: Dustin May – 4.49 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 1.287 WHIP in 28 games (Cardinals then Brewers)
May was a well-regarded pitching prospect so long ago that people were hoping that the Orioles would be able to pry him loose from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado trade, and disappointed when they did not manage to do so. Due to a variety of injury challenges (and one global pandemic) he hasn’t pitched a full season worth of starts in his seven-year career until this season. Dean Kremer, the pitcher the Orioles actually got, has more than doubled May’s career bWAR to date.
The 29-year-old 6’6” righty appeared to be a victim of bad luck with the Cardinals earlier this year, allowing a .322 BABIP that probably wasn’t all his fault. Since joining the Brewers, May’s BABIP luck has improved (.288) but he’s getting substantially worse results, probably because he’s now giving up home runs and other hard contact like it’s going out of style. There does exist the possibility that the Orioles will show up with a game plan that allows them to take advantage of this.
Game 2: Saturday, 7:05pm Eastern
BAL starter: TBD
MIL starter: Robert Gasser – 4.30 ERA, 4.32 FIP, 1.266 WHIP in 19 games
Gasser is in his third season with the Brewers, though he had to get Tommy John surgery just five starts into his MLB career and as a result, he’d only pitched in seven major league games before this season. He started this season out with Milwaukee’s Triple-A team and eventually was added to the MLB club, since when he’s done… fine. He has the same ERA+ as Trevor Rogers this season. That feels less bad when you’ve got a guy doing what Misiorowski has done at the top of the rotation as compared to what has happened with Orioles starting pitching.
The Statcast peripherals for Gasser are not good. He has been particularly vulnerable to giving up hard contact. He does not get many ground balls, he does not throw the ball hard, he does not get a lot of swing-and-miss and he doesn’t get batters to chase very often outside of the strike zone. Absolutely none of which means that the Orioles offense will do well against him on Saturday. Gasser is left-handed.
Game 3: Sunday, 7:20pm Eastern
BAL starter: TBD
MIL starter: TBD
Note: This game airs on Peacock and only on Peacock.
Double TBD. Sheesh. Get it together, teams.
**
How do you think this series is going to go for the Orioles? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
SPRINGFIELD, MO - SEPTEMBER 15: Charles Davalan #25 of the Tulsa Drillers looks on prior to the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 in Springfield, Missouri. (Photo by Shanna Stafford/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
With a suspended meeting in Triple-A and Tulsa losing a winner-take-all matchup, it was an eventful day despite a low number of games in the Dodgers’ minor league system.
Player of the Day
In a game where hits were incredibly difficult to find for the Drillers, recently promoted outfielder Charles Davalan recorded one of his team’s RBI in a 6-4 loss.
Elected the Midwest League MVP for his efforts in High-A with the Loons, Davalan ends the year positively, even with Tulsa failing in its final objective.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
Both offenses were rolling through the first four before the rain put a stop to this game. Austin Galthier left the yard with a two-run shot, and twice hitting with runners in scoring position, first baseman and cleanup hitter Matt Gorski drove in a run with an out.
While the Chihuahuas had already gone to the bullpen in the fourth inning, Charlie Barnes was the only Comets pitcher to appear in this one before its suspension. The left-hander was averaging nearly 20 pitches per inning and running into all kinds of trouble.
It’ll be Hyeseong Kim coming to bat in the top of the fifth when the game resumes later today. Kim is one of only two Comet hitters yet to reach safely in this game.
Double-A Tulsa
For a team that was nearly outhit four to one by their opponent, the Drillers did about as decent a job at staying competitive as they could’ve hoped: eventually losing 6-4 to the Cardinals and saying goodbye to the postseason, dropping the Division Series in three.
Cardinal starter Liam Doyle refused to let the Drillers put the ball in play, allowing five walks but striking out eight in 3.2 innings and ultimately only letting across one earned run.
Despite their hitting struggles, the Drillers managed to take a 3-2 lead in the seventh thanks to an Elijah Hainline sacrifice fly. However, relievers Christian Suarez and Jacob Kmatz both allowed multiple runs in the eighth and ninth to quickly surrender control of the game to the Cards.
ONEOK FIELD IS ROCKIN' 🔥
Hainline hits a sacrifice fly and Young scores to put the Drillers in the lead! pic.twitter.com/aUDLolbvxT
Not only did Tulsa finish the game without a homer while the Cardinals had three, but they didn’t even record an extra-base hit, limited by three strikeout games from Mike Sirota and Jake Gelof.
Partially responsible for the game being so close, starter Christian Zazueta had a productive performance, allowing just a pair of runs in five innings, both of them solo shots. Zazueta recorded seven of his 15 outs via strikeout as he was inducing whiffs at will, ultimately undone by his team’s lack of run support.
The Great Lakes Loons were eliminated by the Dayton Dragons in the Division Series, losing it two games to one.
Class-A Ontario
The Ontario Tower Buzzers were swept by the Lake Elsinore Storm in the Division Series.
Transactions
The Dodgers optioned Bobby Miller back to Triple-A and called up Landon Knack.
Thursday’s scores
Springfield 6, Tulsa 4
El Paso 5, Oklahoma City 5 – suspended game will resume today
Friday’s schedule
4:05 p.m. PT: OKC and El Paso resume yesterday’s suspended game tied 5-5 in the top of the first inning
The regularly scheduled Friday matchup between OKC (Christian Romero) and El Paso (Jhony Brito) will start after the end of the first game. It’ll be a seven-inning affair.
As you know, the Cubs hold the tiebreaker over the three teams closest to them in the Wild Card race, the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres.
This is extremely important because the Cubs are now tied with the Phillies entering Friday’s action after the Phillies beat the Mets Thursday, and lead the Padres by one game, as San Diego also won on Thursday.
The Cubs lead the Diamondbacks by five games and thus the magic number for the Cubs clinching a Wild Card berth is four.
The magic number for the Cubs to clinch the first wild card over the Phillies is 9. But for the Phillies to surpass the Cubs, their number is 10, due to the tiebreaker.
Tankathon has the Phillies with the toughest strength of remaining schedule of the four clubs (third). The Padres are ninth, Cubs 14th, and Diamondbacks 16th, with nine games remaining for all four teams.
Here are the remaining schedules for all four Wild Card contenders. Home games in boldface.
Cubs, 9 games (3 home, 6 road)
at Reds (3), Marlins (3), at Red Sox (3)
The Reds are in disarray at this point, having lost eight of their last 10. The Marlins are just 31-44 on the road, though they did just take two of three from the D-backs in Phoenix.
The interesting series is the last one, as both the Cubs and Red Sox will be jockeying for postseason positioning.
Phillies, 9 games (6 home, 3 road)
at Mets (3), Brewers (3), Rays (3)
The Phillies do get to finish their season with a six-game homestand — but with both series against the teams with the best records in their respective leagues.
So hopefully the Brewers do the Cubs a solid and beat up on the Phillies. And Cubs fans will have to hold their noses and root for the Mets this weekend.
Padres, 9 games (6 home, 3 road)
Marlins (3), at Dodgers (3), Diamondbacks (3)
As noted, the Marlins did win a series in Arizona, and they will be facing the Padres on the road just before heading to Wrigley.
Diamondbacks, 9 games (3 home, 6 road)
Yankees (3), at Rockies (3), at Padres (3)
The D-backs play a pair of teams, one in a postseason spot and fighting for one. In between they face one team way out of it. The D-backs and Padres have split their first 10 games this year, and the teams also have split at each other’s parks, 2-2 in San Diego and 3-3 in Arizona.
If Arizona is eliminated before that final weekend (or even if they aren’t), they could help out the Cubs by defeating the Padres.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 14: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres bats during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday, September 14, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Padres came down from the mountains with the margin they need after winning on Thursday by a large margin.
With a 9-2 victory over the Rockies, the Padres increased their lead in the race for the final National League playoff spot to four games with nine games remaining in the regular season.
That lowered the Padres’ “magic number” to six, meaning any combination of Padres wins and Diamondbacks losses that add up to six assures the Padres a postseason berth.
The Padres’ offensive aggressiveness claimed another Rockies victim in Tanner Gordon. After a pedestrian top of the first inning in which he allowed a couple of singles and had a couple of strikeouts, Gordon had a 1-0 lead to work with heading into the second inning.
This weekend, Arizona will play its final three-game set of the regular season in front of the Chase Field home crowd.
It’s likely to be packed, with the 88-64 New York Yankees coming to town, and a 25-year celebration of the Diamondbacks’ World Series victory over those same Yankees.
A roof leak during a storm may sound like a minor inconvenience, but in Phoenix, where a retractable roof is supposed to be one of the building’s defining features, it becomes another uncomfortable reminder of Chase Field’s aging infrastructure. This is also hardly a new problem. Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall acknowledged the roof has leaked before, saying he first witnessed an issue during a monsoon roughly 20 years ago. The roof is only the latest concern surrounding the stadium, which has also dealt with unresolved HVAC problems, a roof motor that reportedly has not functioned properly for years, and piping issues on the upper level.
Mets first baseman Jared Young “avoided the scariest outcomes” after a terrifying collision with pitcher Nolan McLean during the top of the sixth inning during the Phillies-Mets bout at Citi Field on Thursday night, manager Andy Green told reporters after the game.
A weak grounder to first base off the bat of Justin Crawford brought Young and McLean together and a bit of miscommunication caused a really ugly and scary collision. While both fielders scrambled for the ball, McLean’s knee appeared to strike Young’s head, sending the first baseman to the ground.
The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their fifth consecutive National League West title and 13th in the past 14 seasons with an 8-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday afternoon.
“It’s a big deal,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that a lot of people think that it’s just a rite of passage, [but] it’s not easy. So it’s something that we’re all really proud of, but really understand that’s not the end goal.”
“He’s doing well,” Friedman said, via Jack Harris of the California Post. “He’s progressing well.”
When asked if Ohtani would be back in time to join the Dodgers in the playoffs, Friedman pointed to the two-way player returning even sooner: “I expect him back in the regular season,” he said.
KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 17: Athletics starting pitcher Mason Barnett (63) is relieved in the third inning during a major league baseball game on August 17, 2026, between the Athletics and the Kansas City Royals, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning A’s fans. Happy Friday!
The Athletics entered their final road trip of the season riding high after scoring 25 runs and securing both series victories during a six-game homestand last week. The American League-best Tampa Bay Rays halted the Athletics’ momentum by sweeping them in three games for the second time in as many months.
The A’s used to be the embodiment of small-market success, but that baton has now been passed to the Rays, who have a legitimate shot at reaching the World Series this fall. If the A’s want to reclaim their crown, the team must upgrade its pitching and defense, two major weak spots that heavily contributed to the Rays’ blowout victory yesterday.
That will be an offseason focus, as it is too late in the season to expect changes. At 92 losses with nine games left, the A’s need to win at least two games to avoid a dreaded 100-loss campaign.
This weekend, the team wraps up its road slate with three games against the 78-75 Cleveland Guardians, who are in a fierce battle with the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central title. After failing to play spoiler in Tampa Bay, the Athletics will look to lower the Guardians’ hopes of a third straight playoff appearance under manager Stephen Vogt—an A’s fan-favorite during his playing days.
Right-hander Mason Barnett will return from Triple-A Las Vegas to start tonight, while Cleveland will counter with opener Daniel Espino. Left-hander Jacob Lopez and right-hander Jack Perkins will make the Athletics final two road starts of 2026, while the team’s offense will look to scratch runs across against Guardians right-handers Tanner Bibee and Gavin Williams.
What are you hoping to see from the Athletics in Cleveland? Which players should the A’s further evaluate and who should sit on the bench over these final nine games?
Not good optics. Will the team turn things around before moving to Las Vegas, or will the losing stretch follow them to “Sin City”?
From A's PR: A's lost their 90th game last night and have now lost 90 or more games in 4 of last 5 seasons and lost 483 games over last 5 years, which is second most in MLB (Rockies, 512) and most by A's over a 5-yr span since 1961-65 in Kansas City when they had 487 losses.
Yesterday’s game was not the first time sloppy defense and walks have resulted in an A’s loss this season. Both are areas that can be coached. The fact that these problems continue to happen suggests that manager Mark Kotsay and his coaching staff are struggling to teach these players how to play error-free baseball.
A's had one-run losses in first two games vs. Rays. Today, a 4th-inning defensive meltdown, 2 errors and 10 walks led to a 10-1 loss.
Kotsay: "We played sloppy defense and walked so many guys I stopped counting. Any time you play like that, you’re going to get your ass kicked.”
Do you think it’s fair to compare A’s players to legends of the game’s past? If so, share your best comparisons for the current members of the Green and Gold in the comments.
🚨 SPECIAL SHOW TONIGHT AT 8:00 PM PACIFIC! 🚨
The A’s were swept by the Rays in Tampa, but Sam @StraightAs123 is turning postgame duty into one of the most entertaining experiments of the season.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 17: (L-R) Richie Palacios #1, Taylor Walls #6, Chandler Simpson #14, and Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrate after defeating the Athletics 10-1 at Tropicana Field on September 17, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thursday was an off day for the Yankees, but as we progress into the final weeks of the 2026 regular season, every game matters for many teams around the Junior Circuit. Between the mediocre races in the Central and West, or the fight for the final wild card spot, there is plenty of moving that could take place before the end of the season.
Let’s take a look at what went down on Thursday.
Tampa Bay Rays (93-59) 10, Athletics (61-92) 1
On a night where they had a free half-game to take in the East, the Rays took full advantage on Thursday. Despite a quiet start on both sides, a big fourth inning fueled an easy Tampa Bay win against the A’s.
Starters Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen kept the game scoreless through three innings of play, before the Rays’ bats turned the corner in the fourth. In that inning, Chandler Simpson’s single score a pair, before a double from Richie Palacios cleared the the bases to plate three more. After the dust settled in the fourth, the Rays were up 6-0 and cruising into the middle innings.
Rasmussen turned in a good day at the office, tossing five scoreless for the Rays, while the offense continued to plug away, led by Simpson, Palacios, Liam Hicks, and Taylor Walls, who all tallied a pair of RBIs each. They made the most of their opportunities, as they needed just seven hits to reach their double-digit run total.
The only noise the A’s made in this one came from a long Lawrence Butler home run in the sixth, though it was a only a blip in the blowout the Rays dished out. With the win, they jump to a daunting five game lead in the East.
Texas Rangers (76-77) 3, Boston Red Sox (83-70) 4:
In the race in the West, the Rangers dropped a crucial one, as the Red Sox came back to win on Thursday. The Rangers went up 3-0 early on, with help from Josh Jung’s 10th homer of the season, and held that lead through six innings. After scratching a run across in the seventh, the big blow came off the bat of Trevor Story, who belted a three-run bomb to suddenly give the Sox the lead. They’d hold on to it, as they inch closer to clinching a postseason berth.
Houston Astros (77-76) 6, Kansas City Royals (67-86) 2: The Astros popped back above .500 with a win over the Royals on Thursday. Of their six runs, five of them came on a quintet of solo homers, including Jeremy Peña’s 20th of the season that tied things up in the first, as well as Yordan Alvarez’s 40th bomb of the season. Meanwhile, five different Houston pitchers helped to keep this one calm, as the Royals were only able to plate a pair with just three hits
The race in the West may very well come down to the final days of the season.
Chicago White Sox (78-75) 3, Detroit Tigers (72-81) 1: The White Sox rode the wave of a three-run bomb in the first inning, as Munetaka Murakami’s 32nd long ball of the season gave them a lead they’d never give up. The win gets them into a dead heat atop the Central alongside the Guardians, who had Thursday off.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 28: Luis Castillo #58 of the Chicago White Sox pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field August 28, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning friends and happy Friday!
The M’s kick off their three-game set against the Rockies tonight with first pitch scheduled for 5:10pm PT. Let’s check out what else is happening around baseball.
Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic previewed the winter’s coming managerial carousel by discussing the six most vulnerable skippers around the league. ($)
Jarrett Seidler at Baseball Prospectus continued his ranking of the sport’s front offices by revealing Nos. 20-11. ($)
Despite the fierce odds against a playoff appearance for the Marlins, right-hander Sandy Alcantara still believes. Matthew Trueblood at Baseball Prospectus has more. ($)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 17: Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after being hit by a pitch from Chase Silseth of the Texas Rangers in the eighth inning at Globe Life Field on September 17, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Breathe a sigh of relief. For now, anyway.
Willson Contreras was forced to leave last night’s game after getting hit by a pitch in the right hand. It looked pretty bad in the moment and he later said his hand went numb for about five minutes. Thankfully, post-game x-rays were negative. But, given how the Red Sox medical staff has diagnosed injuries this year, well, you know:
It was the 24th(!) time that Contreras has been hit this year and he’s had more than enough of it. “I feel like … ” Contreras said, pausing for seven seconds, “I want to say something I can’t say. Let’s leave it at that… If nobody does anything about it, I’m going to keep getting hit. That’s the way I see it. That’s it.”
Regardless of the x-rays, don’t expect to see Willson in the lineup any time soon in light of the fact that the Sox don’t really have anything to play for. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Contreras wasn’t the only injury scare we had during last night’s game. Even though the Sox found themselves in a save situation, closer Aroldis Chapman did not make it into the game. Is this something to worry about? “He’s just dealing with some lat tightness we’re going to be conservative with,” Chad Tracy said. “It’s getting better, but we’ve got to make sure it gets there. That’s why he wasn’t available tonight.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
If Chapman does go down for an extended time, the Sox don’t have another all-time great closer to replace him with. But they are pretty good in the giant Cuban fireballer department in general. That’s because Johan Oviedo made his first rehab appearance last night, hitting 98.5 on the gun and striking out 4 over 2.1 innings. (Katie Morrison-O’day, MassLive)
Meanwhile, there’s another injury to keep on eye on in the lineup. “Nearly three months after Caleb Durbin first dislocated his left pinkie and more than a month after he reinjured it, the third baseman’s digit remains locked nearly at a right angle.” Durbin is unable to fully straighten the finger and it could require offseason surgery, but he’s staying on the field for now. “There really is kind of a joint understanding that we’ll get it looked at at the end of the season if we have to, because [whatever the diagnosis is], it’s not going to impact my decision to play at all,” he said. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Several MLB teams have already locked up postseason berths, but many of baseball's biggest races remain unsettled. The American League Central and AL West are still up for grabs, the final AL wild-card spot remains hotly contested and jockeying for National League wild-card positioning could continue until the season's final days.
Here's every team that has clinched a playoff berth, along with the clubs that could be next and what the postseason bracket would look like if the season ended right now.
Major League Baseball's 2026 regular season has two weekends to go, with contenders still jockeying for position and some postseason spots still very much up for grabs.
The Cleveland Guardians managed to run down the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central and it looks like the race will go down to the final days of the season. Just two years after setting an MLB record with 121 losses, Chicago has the chance to get back to the postseason for the first time in five seasons.
The big race to watch in the National League is the wild card, with the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres all in contention to secure the top wild card spot – and host the best-of-three wild card series.
The NL Central (Milwaukee Brewers) and NL West (Los Angeles Dodgers) titles have already been clinched, leaving four of baseball's six divisions still not secured. The AL West race also features the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers within one game – and the team who comes in second likely missing out on the playoffs.
Here's the latest look at the MLB postseason picture:
Standings updated entering play Friday, Sept. 18
MLB playoff bracket 2026
#-division champion; *clinched at least a wild card spot
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 17: Trevor Story #10, Wilyer Abreu #52, Isiah Kiner-Falefa #2 and Nate Eaton #18 of the Boston Red Sox after a three-run home run in the eighth inning to take the lead against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on September 17, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, LSB.
The Rangers lost a crusher last night, 4-3 to the Red Sox.
That’s all for this morning. The Rangers start up a crucial wildcard series with the Blue Jays tonight at 7:05 with Kumar Rocker on the mound for Texas.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 04: Manager Stephen Vogt of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates with his players after the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Detroit Tigers during game one of a doubleheader at Progressive Field on September 04, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. The Guardians defeated the Tigers 7-6. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every series looms large at this point, so the Guardians find a three-game set against one of the worst teams in MLB playing a big part in their pursuit of a playoff spot.
The Athletics are 61-92 with a -214 run differential, since 8/4 they are 23rd in team wRC+ at 91, ninth in baserunning runs above average at 1.4, 27th in Defense at -15, 28th in starting pitcher ERA at 6.17 (5.16 FIP), and 23rd in bullpen ERA at 4.53 (3.75 FIP).
The Guardians are 78-75 with a -7 run differential, since 8/4 they are 11th in team wRC+ at 101, 18th in baserunning runs above average at -0.9, sixth in Defense at 0.9, 21st in starting pitcher ERA at 4.57 (4.12 FIP), and fourth in bullpen ERA at 3.11 (3.39 FIP).
Put the ball in play, get to the starters, and play solid, fundamental baseball with good plate discipline and good things will happen vs. The A’s.
Matchups:
Game One, Friday, 7:10PM, Barnett, RHP 7.08 ERA (6.98 FIP) vs Espino, RHP/Cantillo, LHP
Game Two, Saturday, 6:10PM, Lopez, LHP 5.02 ERA (5.07 FIP) vs. Bibee, RHP
Game Three, Sunday, 1:40PM, Perkins, RHP 6.14 ERA (4.73 FIP) vs. Williams, RHP
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 17: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres bats during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday, September 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Bogaerts led off the second inning with a solo home run that tied the game at 1-1. He followed that with an RBI-triple later in the second inning. Bogaerts returned to the plate in the top of the fourth inning and hit a ground rule double, leaving him five innings to get a single to complete the cycle. His first opportunity came in the top of the sixth inning, but he was called out on an ABS strike-three. Bogaerts got his last chance for a single leading off the top of the ninth inning, but he struck out swinging to end his night at the plate.
Michael King started on the mound for San Diego, and he got into trouble with the first batter of the game. Jake McCarthy connected on a leadoff triple and scored one batter later when Connor Norby hit an RBI-single to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. King settled in after the first and completed six innings allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts. The most impressive part of his start considering where he was pitching, was that the right-hander did not allow a home run.
Bogaerts was not the only Padres player to have a successful day at the plate. Dustin Harris turned in a 3-for-5 day with a run scored and three RBI. Ty France finished 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Jake Cronenworth and Samad Taylor each had two hits in the game. The only two San Diego starters not to record a hit in the game were Manny Machado and Luis Campusano. However, Machado did record an RBI.
The start from King combined with the nine-run, 15-hit performance from the offense allowed Padres manager Craig Stammen to give his high leverage bullpen arms their third day off in a row. Yuki Matsui and Griffin Canning combined the final three innings of the game for San Diego.
The Padres return to Petco Park to open a three-game series with the Miami Marlins tonight at 6:40 p.m.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 14: Christian Encarnacion-Strand #32 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates a double in the seventh inning during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Monday, September 14, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last week Matt Blood, the Orioles’ vice president of player development and domestic scouting, was let go after seven years with the organization. It’s too early to say definitively why, but one narrative that’s seeped into the mainstream is that the front office is unhappy with how the Orioles’ draft picks have panned out. Recall that the Orioles were rewarded for years of tanking by picking in the top five of the draft four years running from 2019 to 2022, landing No. 1 overall twice (Adley Rutschman in 2019, Jackson Holliday in 2022), alongside star college outfielders Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser. Well, so far, the returns are underwhelming. Kjerstad still hasn’t stuck as an everyday big leaguer. The jury’s out on Cowser and Holliday. And Rutschman, the centerpiece of the whole rebuild, is now wearing Red Sox red after Baltimore traded him to Boston at the deadline. Mike Elias’s front office gets credit for stockpiling prospects, especially athletic left-handed college hitters who play up the middle, but that’s a pretty thin return out of the draft.
But while the merits of the Orioles’ drafting strategy may require further assessment, one thing the regime seems to have quietly done quite well at is turning up players nobody else wants anymore. I’m referring to the waiver wire pickups, the “for cash” trades, the minor-league deals not even the biggest Orioles sicko paid attention to when they were announced. Despite all the sour feelings around this season, we might ask, is this front office actually good at finding value where the market says there isn’t any? There are a couple names that give cause to think this.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand is one. A fourth-round Twins pick in 2021, he came to Cincinnati in 2022, mashed as a rookie in 2023 (.270, 13 homers in just 63 games), then lost most of two seasons to a wrist fracture. After a lousy, injury-shortened 2025 (.208, -0.6 bWAR in just 36 games), the Reds designated him for assignment and shipped him to Baltimore on April 13, 2026 for cash considerations, after Ryan Mountcastle got hurt. In 51 games since, CES has delivered a .277/.326/.520 with an .846 OPS and 35 RBIs in 51 games. He’s been one of the Birds’ best clutch hitters, and is hitting close to .300 over his last month. He’s also playing a good third base, too, allowing the Orioles to replace the injured Jordan Westburg’s production without relying too much on the dangerous “Coby Mayo at 3B” experiment. Seriously impressive value.
The Orioles bullpen is full of random guys like this. Granted, some arms are random and not-great, but some are pretty exciting. The gold standard here remains Yennier Cano, one of four arms (along with Cade Povich) that Baltimore got from Minnesota in July 2022 for Jorge López, an emotionally tough trade at the time that has aged pretty well, in fact. From a terrible 9.22 ERA in Minnesota that year, Cano became an All-Star in 2023, posting a sterling 2.11 ERA in 72 2/3 innings with 65 strikeouts, and though he hasn’t returned to that form, with periods of up and down efficacy, he’s posted 1.3 WAR across three seasons since, and has looked good this season, with a 3.06 ERA and a new two-year extension.
Another is Rico Garcia, a fellow journeyman and a waiver wire pickup last August after he did stints with both New York teams in 2025. Garcia competently appeared in 20 games for the O’s last season and has been a revelation this year, with career bests in ERA (2.94) and innings (64 1/3). The right-handed Garcia, with his wicked changeup, is the guy Orioles manager Craig Albernaz turns to to clean up bad bases-loaded situations.
And let’s not forget the run of waiver claims that built the 2022-23 roster’s supporting cast. Ramón Urías is a huge one. Claimed off waivers from the Cardinals in 2020, he went on to win a Gold Glove and post 10.5 WAR in six seasons before Baltimore flipped him to Houston at the 2025 deadline for pitching prospect Twine Palmer. Jorge Mateo, acquired off waivers from San Diego in August 2021, led all of MLB in stolen bases in 2022 and won a Fielding Bible Award as the league’s best defensive shortstop before injuries eroded his value and the Orioles finally let his option lapse this past November. Cionel Pérez, plucked off waivers from Cincinnati in November 2021 right after he’d posted a 6.38 ERA there, immediately ran a 1.40 ERA in his first Baltimore season. The lefty was great until he wasn’t. And Danny Coulombe, acquired from Minnesota in March 2023 for pure cash, gave the Orioles a 2.81 ERA and then a 2.12 ERA over two years before elbow surgery.
Even before that, there was Tyler Wells. Baltimore took the big righty in the Rule 5 draft from the Twins in December 2020 and not only did he stick with the team, he became a valuable swingman for them between 2021-26, with 5.3 WAR in that stretch. Wells had real high points—he was arguably the O’s best starter in the first half of 2023 (3.18 ERA, 103 strikeouts in 104 2/3 innings), although he continued to battle injuries and inconsistency. Tommy John surgery cost him basically all of 2024 and 2025 but he came back in September 2025 and was throwing well enough by mid-2026 (2.67 ERA in 54 innings) that Baltimore actually got something for him: they traded Wells to Tampa Bay at the deadline for pitching prospect Michael Forret.
I should also mention the grandaddy of this whole approach, Anthony Santander, even though he predates Elias. Baltimore grabbed the talented but oft-injured switch-hitting outfielder in the December 2016 Rule 5 draft, and though he struggled to justify the pick for a couple of years, by his mid-to-late twenties he turned into a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat, racking up 11.0 bWAR across eight seasons in Baltimore before cashing in on a five-year, $92.5 million deal with Toronto. Tony Taters is the platonic ideal of the genre: a player another team was essentially happy to lose, acquired for nothing, who became an All-Star.
I don’t want to overstate things. Whether this list is probative of anything depends on your baseline (are others teams also succeeding by scavenging?). But it’s at least persuasive. This front office seems to be very good at scouting random, unappreciated talent, acquiring it, and in some cases, flipping it for something. You can’t build a playoff team this way. But as a low-cost pipeline for finding two, three, four wins a year out of players other organizations had already discarded, the record over the last five-plus years is hard to disagree with, and Encarnacion-Strand and Rico Garcia suggest that the pipeline isn’t slowing down.
