Category: MLB

Lower slot, sky-high ceiling: Inside Luzardo's dominant summer run originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Jesús Luzardo will start Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday in Atlanta, 22 days after his previous start.

Activated from the injured list Sunday, Luzardo threw four pitches and induced three groundouts. The appearance could not show how deep he is ready to pitch, but the Phillies came away comfortable enough to give him the ball.

Luzardo’s previous start showed why the Phillies wanted that option. On Sept. 7, Labor Day, he threw the first complete game of his career in his 150th major league start. He struck out 12 and needed 109 pitches in a 1-0 win over the Braves.

It completed a 16-start run in which Luzardo went 10-1 with a 1.70 ERA and the Phillies went 14-2. No qualified pitcher in baseball had a lower ERA from June 10 through Sept. 7.

His average arm angle in the complete game was 26.5 degrees.

That reading put a stamp on a trend that had developed start by start. Luzardo was at 32.1 degrees on June 5. His angle dipped below 30 on June 23 and remained there for each of his final 14 starts.

As the angle fell, his results improved. The connection is more complicated than one mechanical number. Luzardo also threw more first-pitch strikes and leaned harder on one of baseball’s best sweepers in favorable counts.

Asked Monday about the lower slot, J.T. Realmuto pointed to more than the breaking ball.

“I don’t know the numbers or anything to back it up, but for me, it actually feels like his fastball got better,” Realmuto said.

Realmuto saw Luzardo beating right-handed hitters with the four-seamer more often. Better location could have contributed, but the pitches also worked together.

“I feel like his fastball played up when his arm slot lowered a little bit, and that just makes the sweeper that much better,” Realmuto said.

The numbers support what Realmuto saw. Against right-handed hitters, Luzardo’s four-seam whiff rate rose from 15.2 percent over his first 15 starts to 23.4 percent over his final 14. Their slugging percentage in plate appearances ending with the pitch fell from .554 to .389.

The lower slot was not entirely new. Luzardo raised his arm in 2024 to create more ride on his four-seam fastball. The delivery aggravated his back, and a lumbar stress reaction ended his season in June. With the Phillies in 2025, he returned to a lower slot that better fit his body and new sweeper.

He went lower again in 2026 without a planned overhaul or target number. Speaking Sept. 11 during the Phillies’ previous trip to Atlanta, Luzardo said he followed what felt right.

“It just felt better,” Luzardo said. “Just felt cleaner and easier for me to repeat my mechanics that way.”

“Gradually, some days I would throw a little lower, and I was like, ‘All right, that feels pretty good. Let me try that out,'” Luzardo said. “Every time I threw down there, it just felt cleaner and cleaner.”

Phillies assistant pitching coach Mark Lowy, who spoke that same day, has known Luzardo since the left-hander was a teenager. He also sees a delivery that works better with a lower slot.

“For him, the slot being lower, the rotation is a little bit cleaner,” Lowy said. “It just seems like that works with his body.”

“It’s more like a health and philosophy thing for me than pitch shapes or execution,” Lowy said. “I think he’s just kind of settled back down into more of a natural slot.”

One day later, left shoulder stiffness forced Luzardo out of his scheduled start. The Phillies eventually placed him on the 15-day injured list with inflammation. The timing adds context to Lowy’s health framing. The lower slot did not make Luzardo injury-proof, but it does not erase what the preceding three months showed.

A real change, with a tracking caveat

Statcast measures arm angle from a pitcher’s throwing shoulder to the ball at release. Luzardo’s pitch-weighted average fell from 31.4 degrees over his first 15 starts to 26.7 over his final 14, a drop of 4.7 degrees.

The shift cannot be explained by throwing more sweepers, a pitch he already releases from a lower angle. His arm angle dropped by at least four degrees on each of his four pitches. His release point also moved about two inches lower and three inches farther to the side.

Lowy warned against placing too much weight on a comparison between readings from different ballparks.

“I’m always a little bit of a skeptic with some of the measurements we get outside of CBP,” Lowy said. “Just ’cause you never know how well everything’s calibrated, and I don’t want to compare, you know, a road park to our home park.”

One road start still stood out. On July 9 in Cincinnati, Luzardo followed what felt natural instead of forcing his arm higher.

“Cincinnati stood out to me when he threw there, just visually,” Lowy said. “Throughout the outing, it just looked lower. I think instead of trying to create it differently, he kind of just fed into the lower slot, then he threw really well that day.”

Luzardo’s measured angle was 25.7 degrees. He allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings and struck out 11. Entering 2026, his previous lows were 28.0 degrees in a regular-season start and 27.6 in the postseason. Cincinnati was his first start on record below 27.

The broader change remains clear when road readings are removed. Luzardo averaged 31.3 degrees in his eight early starts at Citizens Bank Park. He averaged 26.1 in his six later home starts, a 5.2-degree drop measured in the same ballpark.

What changed with it

June 23 is the dividing line because it was Luzardo’s first start below 30 degrees.

His estimated xERA, which accounts for strikeouts, walks and quality of contact, also improved. The actual ERA swing was even larger.

Lowy said early results obscured some good work. A broken-bat single and a nine-pitch walk could precede a three-run homer. In another order, the same events might produce one run.

“All the numbers underneath the surface early on pointed to, like, dude, you’re doing a really, really good job,” Lowy said. “Let’s not panic.”

The lower angle should not receive credit for every result. Luzardo allowed five runs, one earned, in his first sub-30-degree start. He later allowed six earned runs in Miami at 26.8 degrees.

The relevant change is his broader move into a lower release window, not whether he was at 25 degrees or 27 in one start.

An elite sweeper, used differently

Luzardo’s sweeper finished among the best pitches in baseball. Only five qualifying pitches produced more than its plus-23 run value. Its 47.6 percent whiff rate ranked fifth. The .159 slugging percentage against it was third lowest, while the .112 batting average was second lowest.

The movement numbers alone do not show the lower slot making it better. The sweeper’s horizontal movement held at about 8.5 inches. Its velocity barely changed, and its whiff rate went from 47.2 percent to 47.8.

“I don’t think the pitch necessarily changed,” Luzardo said. “I think maybe a lower slot, different approach angle.”

The same break can look different from a lower and wider starting point. Luzardo believes the ball begins farther behind a left-handed hitter and farther away from a right-handed hitter.

“Whether it does add or doesn’t add more inches horizontally, I think just the angle itself probably helps me,” Luzardo said.

The lower release also works with his sinker, which moves in the opposite direction.

“Adding the sinker out of that slot kind of creates a little more east and west,” Luzardo said.

The results were most pronounced against left-handed hitters. Their chase rate against his sweeper rose from 38 percent to 46 percent. In 41 plate appearances that ended with the pitch during the second span, lefties had two singles in 40 at-bats and struck out 29 times.

Across Luzardo’s entire arsenal, lefties hit .105 in the second span. His strikeout rate against them climbed from 26 percent to 44 percent.

The largest strategic change was when Luzardo threw the sweeper. With two strikes, its usage jumped from 43.3 percent to 56.4. His changeup use in those counts fell from 23.7 percent to 10.7.

“Analytically now, baseball is going towards, like, you throw your best pitch in favorable counts,” Luzardo said.

The sweeper’s chase rate climbed from 33 percent to 42 percent. Its putaway rate, the share of two-strike sweepers that produced a strikeout, rose from 27 percent to 32 percent.

“I think more guys just have a hole to a sweeper than they do to a changeup,” Luzardo said. “A lot of times changeup seems to be a weak-contact pitch. And if you’re looking for swing and miss, it’s probably something else, at least for me.”

The changeup was not obsolete. Luzardo said the choice remained lineup-dependent, but he found more chances to finish hitters with the sweeper.

More first-pitch strikes

Getting ahead was a separate adjustment. Luzardo did not describe it as a direct result of lowering his arm.

“I was struggling earlier,” Luzardo said. “I don’t think it was really because of that, but I was falling behind more.”

His overall zone rate barely changed, from 46.2 percent to 46.9. His first-pitch strike rate made a larger jump, from 59.8 percent to 65.4.

“I think that we just made a conscious effort, like, I need to get in the zone more. I need to start ahead more,” Luzardo said. “Whatever pitch that is, make sure it’s in the zone.”

Getting the first strike created more chances to use his sweeper. His overall chase rate increased only one point, from 33.2 percent to 34.2. The larger increase was concentrated against his best pitch.

The lower slot happened by feel. The commitment to early strikes was intentional. They developed together during the best stretch of his career, even if the data cannot assign each change an exact share of the credit.

Luzardo finished the regular season 14-5 with a 2.86 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 179 2/3 innings.

“He knows what he needs rather than, ‘I’m gonna go do what everyone else does, because that’s how it’s supposed to look,'” Lowy said.

The Phillies do not know how many innings Luzardo can give them Tuesday. Sunday showed that he could return to a major league mound. His final 16 starts explained why they were willing to put him back on one in Game 1.

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When the Yankees faced a Red Sox lefty in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series last year, Aaron Boone sent Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the bench, much to his chagrin. 

History could repeat itself Tuesday night, with Boone having to decide whether to start the left-handed hitting Chisholm or the right-handed hitting Anthony Volpe at second base against southpaw Payton Tolle.

Chisholm said Monday he expected to be in the lineup Tuesday, but had not yet heard anything from Boone. Asked if he would be “angry” not to be in the lineup to face Tolle — against whom he is 1-for-5 with a home run and two strikeouts — Chisholm indicated he would. 

“As a competitor, who wouldn’t be?” said Chisholm, who was upset last year when he was not in the Game 1 lineup against lefty Garrett Crochet. “It’s the playoffs, you want to play.” 

Chisholm started both games against Tolle during the regular season, though the Yankees roster composition will be different this time around, including having Volpe (0-for-2 against Tolle) as a utility player. Chisholm also only got 12 plate appearances under his belt after returning from the IL last week for a right thumb sprain. 

Boone brought up Chisholm’s recent injury when acknowledging he was considering platooning him and Volpe at second base. 

“Volpe is very much in play,” Boone said. “The platoon stuff is in play there. Obviously Jazz is just coming back from the thumb. He was able to get a couple games in, would have liked another one or two, but the weather didn’t really cooperate this weekend. Anthony’s put himself very much in the mix to be a part of the equation.” 

Chisholm, a pending free agent, had a mostly brutal contract year in the regular season but had been playing his best baseball when he got hurt earlier this month. He was asked if he would understand why Boone would play the platoon matchups in this series. 

“In a way,” Chisholm said. “But it’s playoff baseball, it’s different.” 

Ryan Weathers threw an inning of live batting practice Monday, which the Yankees will have to take into account when deciding whether the left-hander will be on their roster. Because he is coming back from a left forearm flexor strain, the live session Monday will likely make him unavailable to pitch in Game 1 on Tuesday, but would he be recovered in time to pitch either Wednesday or Thursday? 

Weathers’ first live session was Friday, and he threw again Monday on two days’ rest. If he makes the roster, the Yankees will essentially have him for one inning versus another lefty like Tim Hill, who would probably be available to pitch in all three games. 

Crochet, who has been out since April with a shoulder injury, threw a second live batting practice Saturday as he attempts to rush through an expedited rehab that could land him on the Red Sox wild-card roster. 

“I guess now it’s just a matter of if anybody agrees with me,” said Crochet, who was pleased with his stuff and his health. “I’ve been busting my tail just to give myself a fighting chance, and I feel like I did that. … Now just waiting for the roster to come out.” 

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said he did not know yet whether Crochet would crack the roster. He felt more optimistic about Willson Contreras, who returned to the lineup Sunday after missing eight games with a bruised hand. 

“We’ll make sure we get everybody through [the workout] and see where we’re at, but I think he’s ready to go,” Tracy said. 

One other roster curiosity for the Red Sox: Triple-A outfielder Braiden Ward traveled with the team to The Bronx because he stole 61 bases in the minors this season and could be added as a pinch runner. 

If so, the 27-year-old would be making his major league debut. 

“It’s like a dream — it’s a fever dream,” Ward said. “One day I’m in Worcester, the next day I’m in Florida, the next day I’m at the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed at in New York City, the greatest view, the greatest team, getting to hopefully play in the greatest rivalry.”

Each year, I look at how each Jays player performed during the season.

We signed Dylan Cease on December 2nd last year. He got a seven-year, $210 million contract. I read a few baseball commentators call it the worst free-agent signing of the off-season. Right now, they appear very wrong.

We disagreed. 42.9% of us were ‘Kind of Happy’, 41.8% were Very Happy. Only 5.1% were Kind of or Very Unhappy.

Cease spent the previous two seasons with the Padres. He had a very good season in 2024, a 3.47 ERA and a 4.0 bWAR and a less good 2025 season, with a 4.55 ERA and a 1.0 bWAR.

The Jays thought they saw something in him that they could ‘fix’. I’m always dubious of teams thinking that. But it seems like the Jays were right.

There are several Yankees roster questions whose answers will dictate the outfield alignment for the Game 1 lineup. Will Aaron Judge play? And if so, would he be mobile enough to play right field? How about Trent Grisham? Can Heliot Ramos be trusted in right field? 

The only certainty, really, is Cody Bellinger’s presence in left field. But Spencer Jones has made a charge that gives him a strong argument to be 1) in center field and 2) in the middle of the lineup even against a strong lefty in Boston’s Payton Tolle. 

Among the more impressive, and surprising, aspects of Jones’ emergence is how he has done it: A mighty lefty slugger with a notorious whiffing problem in the minors has done the bulk of his major league damage against fellow lefties. 

An outlier of a talent, he has also been an outlier among young lefty hitters in slashing .389/.441/.667 in 59 plate appearances against southpaws. 

“I think we get a lot of times caught up in a smaller sample, but from my watching him, I feel like he’s been really impressive against left-handed [pitching],” manager Aaron Boone said during Monday’s workout day in The Bronx ahead of Tuesday’s wild-card series opener against the Red Sox. “It’s not just, ‘Yeah, he’s gotten hits,’ but he’s faced a lot of tough lefties and not only held his own but kind of thrived.” 

Many young lefty hitters require a platoon complement at least early in their careers. In explaining his success against lefty pitching, Jones mentioned conversations with other “really good left-handed hitters on this team,” with Bellinger among the best in the game at hitting lefty-on-lefty. 

“It’s just about I think making tight turns,” Jones said, “and being ready and preparing yourself for left-handed arms. Kind of just having an idea, visualizing, what you want to do and where you want to hit the ball. It’s a combination of a lot of things.” 

The biggest threat to Jones’ lineup spot is Grisham, who has been sidelined since Sept. 4 with a hamstring strain but has felt healthy enough to be activated for several days, a process delayed by the complications of optioning another player so close to the postseason. 

Boone said Grisham, who was set to take live batting practice Monday, is “very much in play” to be a part of the wild-card roster. 

If Grisham is cleared, it would set up Boone with a decision between a rookie’s potential and a veteran’s experience. Grisham is more sure-handed in center but does not have Jones’ legs. Jones, who has been spotty defensively, does not have Grisham’s years of reps and is probably a bigger risk to misplay a routine ball, even if he has a better chance at making a spectacular play. 

Regardless, Jones — who struck out 200 times at Double-A Somerset in 2024 and who in 2025 could not fight his way to the majors — has positioned himself well for not just a roster spot but playing time. 

Which is starkly different from his status at this time last year, when he and his girlfriend drove from Triple-A Scranton back home to Nashville, Tenn. They watched Cam Schlittler dominate in Game 3 of the wild-card series on an iPad in the car and during a stop at a Chipotle. 

“What I was thinking about [then] was: being on the team, being in that lineup and being able to play in these games,” Jones said. “Now we get to come in here this week, and I’m excited about it.”

Cam Schlittler had made 14 major league starts before taking the ball in Game 3 of last year’s wild-card series against the Red Sox in The Bronx. 

“I thought [the Yankees] were in trouble when they lost the first game of that series,’’ an American League scout said Monday. “I didn’t know yet that Cam Schlittler was Cam Schlittler.” 

Now, it’s no secret. 

And instead of asking the right-hander to save their season, as they did in 2025, the Yankees are looking for Schlittler to get them out of the gate fast. 

It’s why the 25-year-old, who is certain to win his first AL Cy Young Award this offseason, was tabbed to pitch Tuesday night’s opener at the Stadium by Aaron Boone and the pitching department. 

“For him to put faith in me to go out there and put a good performance in in Game 1, that’s definitely a great feeling,’’ Schlittler said before the Yankees worked out in The Bronx on Monday. 

In that decisive Game 3 against Boston, Schlittler tossed eight shutout innings — striking out 12 and walking none — to knock off the Red Sox. 

He wasn’t as dominant against the Blue Jays in the ALDS, but that was before Schlittler established himself as one of the top pitchers in the game. 

And the Walpole, Mass., native will be facing his hometown Red Sox, a franchise — and fanbase — he’s developed a long history with. 

He hasn’t shied away from all aspects of the rivalry — both good and bad — in this age of social media. 

Last year, Schlittler said he was disappointed by how some Red Sox fans went after not only him but his family during the postseason, calling it “personal.” 

This time around, Schlittler said he knows what to expect. 

“I wouldn’t say I’m always on my phone looking for that stuff,’’ Schlittler said. “At the same time, I don’t really live under a rock. I’ve found ways to use that to my advantage. I think I’m good at keeping receipts. At the end of the day, I’m locked into going in there [Tuesday] and doing my job.” 

He’s done that better than just about anyone in the American League in his first full season in the majors, finishing with an AL-best 1.95 ERA, as well as 239 strikeouts over 33 starts. 

While that won’t be forgotten if Tuesday night doesn’t go Schlittler’s way, those accomplishments will certainly look less impressive. 

And he knows that what happens in these playoffs will go a long way in defining his legacy. 

Still, in a rotation that includes high-priced free agents like Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, Schlittler has clearly stood apart. 

But he’s not ready to put himself in their category — yet. 

“I think an ace is someone that has longevity [and] success in their career over a handful of seasons and they’ve shown consistency,’’ Schlittler said. “I think I’ve shown consistency over a year and a half, but I still think we’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got a lot of guys in this rotation that have a lot of experience and have proven to be an ace. I have confidence in myself to kind of treat myself like an ace, but I wouldn’t really define that yet.’’ 

Boone is ready to take that leap. 

“He’s turned into an ace in the sport,’’ the manager said. “He’s obviously super talented and really skilled, but he’s also really tough and able to focus. And it seems like the bigger the game, the better he seems to be here in his young career.’’

Is it possible that the postseason fate of Giancarlo Stanton — at least for the first round — came down to a bunch of at-bats against Ryan Weathers, Elmer Rodríguez and prospect Kyle Carr at an empty Yankee Stadium? 

It certainly sounded as if the day’s live batting practice, on the eve of Game 1 against the Red Sox, would matter, with the slugger attempting to show team brass both that he is healthy enough to play and that his bat is ready enough to perform. 

If manager Aaron Boone & Co. were judging purely on what they saw Monday, Stanton could more easily argue the former than the latter. 

He stepped to the plate five times and was able to take his vicious hacks without betraying discomfort. Afterward, he made his way to the outfield and ran curves. Finally, as other Yankees hitters stepped into the box, Stanton took a lead off first base and several times ran to second. He was not going 100 percent, but this version of Stanton is never going all out because he is purposeful with each step to try to avoid injury. If he needed to demonstrate that he could make it through a game without a setback, perhaps he accomplished as much. 

But in the tiny sampling of five plate appearances against Weathers (the first two), Rodríguez (the next two) and Carr (the final one), Stanton walked; fought a nine-pitch at-bat that included four foul balls before swinging through a breaking ball for a strikeout; hit a hot-shot ground ball to the shortstop area; chopped another, more softly, to the left side; and swung through an offspeed pitch for his second strikeout of the late afternoon session. 

Boone, who watched the entire live BP, had earlier branded the workout day “important” and said the club had not made the final decisions, such as determining whether Stanton would be on or off the roster. 

“I want to see another day here [from Stanton],” Boone said before the workout ahead of Tuesday’s Game 1 of the wild-card series. “Again, I don’t know if there’s one definitive [moment] like, ‘Ooh, there he is, he’s on.’ It’s more just letting the day unfold, seeing where we’re at, and making a final call one way or the other.” 

While a series of strikeouts or a few home runs may have made the decision easier, it is likely that the Yankees will wrestle all night with a call that will have to officially be made Tuesday morning. 

Stanton has not played in more than five months — since all the way back on April 24, a game so long ago that after Stanton suffered his initial injury, his pinch runner was Randal Grichuk — and in total this season has incurred three separate calf strains. 

He was on the verge of returning from that strain in June, when he had graduated to running the bases and hurt his right calf again. And then he was on the verge of returning from that strain in August when he was running the bases and suffered a strain to his left calf. 

Still chasing his first title, the 36-year-old brings a prodigious October résumé, including 18 home runs in 202 plate appearances. By showing he can fill a valuable niche — a right-handed pinch hitter to deploy against a lefty-heavy Boston staff — he has successfully made his case for a roster spot.

SAN DIEGO — The last time the Chicago Cubs laid eyes on the San Diego Padres they had to refrain from laughing aloud in their faces.

It was July 1 at Wrigley Field.

And the Cubs humiliated the Padres, winning 23-3, with No. 9 hitter Dansby Swanson hitting three home runs and driving in eight runs, handing the Padres their worst loss in the 58-year history of the franchise.

It was the Cubs’ fifth consecutive victory, and the Padres’ fifth consecutive loss, leaving the Padres’ season on the brink.

Well, here they are meeting again, and, oh, how so much has changed.

The Padres these days just so happen to be the hottest team in baseball, winning 17 of their last 20 games, to not only storm into the postseason, but clinch the top wild-card spot, hosting the Cubs in the best-of-three wild-card series.

It’s a rematch of the wild-card series a year ago, only this time the games will all be played at raucous Petco Park and not Wrigley Field.

The Padres (91-71) are in the postseason for the third consecutive year, fifth time in the last seven years, and believing this time around they could go where they have never gone before in franchise history.

That’s winning a World Series.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns met with the media Monday in his end-of-season news conference. From first base plans and Pete Alonsofallout to the starting rotation's outlook and second base's starter, Stearns' 2026 reflection and 2027 outlook were covered extensively on SNY.

"I'm always under pressure," Stearns said. "My job is to put a winning team on here, on the field, every single year. That hasn't changed from the day I sat up here for my introductory press conference to when I'm sitting up here right now."

What other key topics did Stearns discuss? From the Mets' roster to New York's retooled coaching staff and front office, here is a closer look.

Bo Bichette's opt-out decision remains ongoing

Bichette has time to opt in or out of his contract with the Mets. He and Stearns "have not had those discussions."

"I have not had those discussions with Bo," Stearns said of Bichette, who slashed .260/.312/.390 with 18 home runs and 78 RBI in 160 games. "He's got the right now to take some space, discuss with his family and his agent, and I'm sure he'll get back to us."

Brett Baty's September momentum

Baty slashed .333/.417/.608 with three home runs and 16 RBI in September, capping his fourth full season since his Aug. 17, 2022, debut. Will he take another step in 2027?

"The truth is we won't know," Stearns said of Baty, who slashed .236./.309/.371 with 11 home runs and 56 RBI in 143 games. "I do think, having been around Brett for multiple years now -- I think where he is from a mindset perspective, his level of belief in himself and how he works through an at-bat, is different right now. But as with any player, until you see it for an extended period, very difficult for me to sit here right now and have complete certainty on that."

Ronny Mauricio's 'flash'

Mauricio, who broke out with two home runs this past weekend to cap a 20-game sample size with the Mets this season, has a pivotal offseason entering the 2027 campaign.

"He's among them," Stearns said of Mauricio, who slashed .220/.258/.441 with four home runs and eight RBI. "Ronny goes into next year out of options. We saw the flash of potential over the last couple days. That was exciting for us to see -- I think great for him to experience going into the offseason, and so he's among them. I think he comes into spring training next year competing for a spot."

Francisco Alvarez's 'really encouraging' second half

Alvarez slashed .233/.311/.399 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI in 113 games but left Stearns impressed elsewhere.

"Probably up and down," Stearns said of Alvarez's fourth MLB season. "But we've seen, I think -- again, the second half Francisco behind the plate was really encouraging. I think his defense took a step forward behind the plate. His command of the pitching staff and game-calling took a step forward in the second half. Really a credit to him for not getting down and frustrated, and a credit to our coaching staff for getting him there."

Kodai Senga's to-be-determined role

Senga started 8 of 31 games and moved to the bullpen. Will he remain a reliever or return to his role in the starting rotation?

"I think we'll make that determination as we get into spring training and see where we are," Stearns said. "We know where Kodai's passion is. He's been very honest with that. We also understand that we need a level of production, in whatever role he's going to be in, to contribute to a winning team. And so, we'll ultimately make that role determination as we get into next year."

Bullpen options

Whether or not the Mets' bullpen includes Senga, Stearns sees options among the returning arms.

"I give Devin (Williams) a lot of credit for working his tail off to getting back here and being able to pitch a couple games in September," Stearns said of Williams (right shoulder strain) returning from a late-season stint on the injured list to make two relief appearances. "I think that was important for us. It was important for Devin. He's now going to have a completely normal offseason. He's healthy, he feels great and we expect him to be a big part in the back end of the bullpen going forward.

"We also feel really good about some of the younger guys who stepped up in a big way over the last two months, whether that's aNate Lavenderor (Dedniel Núñez) coming back or (Daniel) Duarte taking some leverage innings. We saw flashes from (Jefry) Yan that make you believe that there's a level in there that he can be one of the better left-handed relievers in baseball. Again, we need to see consistency, and we recognize that, and there's inevitable volatility in bullpens. But I think what we saw out of that group collectively was very encouraging."

Reed Garrett, Tylor Megill eye spring in Tommy John rehabs

Garrett and Megill are set to enter the spring at 100 percent after missing the 2026 season due to surgeries in 2025, Stearns said.

"They've both been around the team over the last couple weeks," Stearns said. "Great to see them. We expect them to be full go in spring training."

Stearns did not say whether Megill, a starter before he went down with his injury, would be a reliever when asked.

"I think he's going to come and compete, and we believe he can contribute on the team," Stearns said of Megill, who is a career 26-26 with a 4.46 ERA in 88 games (81 starts). "He'll ramp up for starter workload over the offseason and come to spring training, compete."

Jared Young's concussion recovery 'going well'

Young, who sustained a concussion in the past two weeks, is doing "well" after the "scary" incident against the Philadelphia Phillies.

"Concussions are serious, and obviously that was as ugly as it gets on a baseball field and scary," Stearns said of Young, who slashed .266/.330/.429 with nine home runs and 39 RBI in 103 games. "Right now, everything seems to be going well. But concussions are serious, and we've got to see how this goes."

Derek Falvey's addition to front office

The Mets added to the front office this past week when they hired Falvey as their senior advisor for baseball operations.

"Derek's in the office today," Stearns said. "He's up and going. Derek, in my estimation, is one of the better executives in our sport. He's got a tremendous amount of experience. He's touched every aspect of baseball operations over the course of his career. He ran the business side in Minnesota as well. So, I think he's going to help us everywhere. He's a great thought partner, can provide some different life experiences and different perspectives, and I'm thrilled that he's on board right now."

Falvey's career includes stints in the front offices of the Cleveland Guardians (2008-16) and Minnesota Twins (2017-26).

"I think you can add to front offices in a variety of different ways," Stearns said. "I think the important part is getting people here who are ready to contribute and want to contribute and can offer us perspectives that will help."

Stearns did not "close the door on" adding to the front office further.

"There's always executive movement in October," Stearns said. "I'm open to adding, as I've always been, if we find the right complements and the right people. So, I wouldn't close the door on anything right now."

Staff movement

Andy Green is the Mets' full-time manager, and "conversations on" his coaching staff will come in the near future.

"Andy and I are going to have conversations on that this week, and we'll get to a decision point here over the next week or so," Stearns said.

With the Mets' 2027 blueprint already taking shape, Green and Stearns look to build on the 2026 season's improved second half.

"I think the manager is always an integral part of that, and I think Andy did a really nice job creating an environment that facilitated that level of connection," Stearns said. "I also think players are responsible for that, and both the players we had here and the younger players and the Triple-A players who joined after the deadline made real effort of that and I'm appreciative of that."

October baseball always has a funny way of bringing old enemies together, only this time there’s a change of address. 

One year after the Chicago Cubs eliminated the San Diego Padres in three games at Wrigley Field in the 2025 National League Wild Card Series, the two teams will meet again in a rematch Tuesday night at Petco Park. 

The Cubs won five of six meetings between the teams this season, including a football score of 23-3 back in July. The Cubs also bring baseball’s most productive offense, an extraordinary defense, and the likely NL MVP in Pete Crow-Armstrong. 

But July 1 is in the past. The Padres caught fire during the final two months of the season, finishing with the best record in baseball over their final 59 games at 41-18, earning the right to have the sequel held at Petco Park. 

Here’s how the California Post views the matchup this season:

Cubs offense vs. Padres pitching

Advantage: Padres

The Cubs can rake. They led the majors in OPS and the NL in homers this season. Crow-Armstrong was a gold glove-caliber centerfielder and a 40-40 wrecking ball on offense. Alex Bregman, in his first season with the Cubs, has been bludgeoning opponents. He returned from taking a foul ball off the face by going 4-for-4 with two homers in Chicago’s final game of the regular season on Sunday. 

However, the Padres possess the weapon that everyone in the postseason wants: a lights out bullpen. It essentially shrinks the game from nine innings to six when you have three relievers capable of dominating the opposing lineup. 

If San Diego has questions, it’s their starting pitching. Michael King is expected to start Game 1 on Tuesday after a 3.21 ERA this season. The Padres just need him to get through six innings with the lead so they can hand the ball to Adrian Morejon, Bradgley Rodriguez and Mason Miller to close it out. 

The Cubs’ offense has a simple mission: damage the Padres starter and knock him out of the game before the bullpen door swings open with any of the aforementioned relievers. 

Padres offense vs. Cubs pitching

Advantage: Padres

San Diego’s offense lacked a spark in the first half of the season. At one point they were 50-53 on July 23 and on the outside looking in of the MLB Playoffs. But then Fernando Tatis Jr. found his power, and Jackson Merrill started to look like the 2024 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up again.

At the same time the Padres offense flipped the power switch, the Cubs starting rotation started to sputter. Kevin Gausman, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline, has an injury to his non-throwing shoulder and his availability is in question. Matthew Boyd offers stability, as does Shota Imanga, but the Cubs’ greatest weapon might be their defense behind their starters. Chicago’s defense this season has been spectacular and that can only breathe confidence into their starting staff as the series develops. 

Four keys to the series

1. It’s Miller Time!

The absolute worst place the Cubs want to find themselves is trailing going into the top of the ninth inning. Because that’s when Miller, one of baseball’s most overpowering relievers, is at his absolute best. 

On the bright side, the Cubs have had previous success against Miller, but voluntarily making him the obstacle standing in the way between you and advancing to the NLDS is not the best way to spend the end of September. 

2. PCA’s MVP season needs to turn into October stardom

Crow-Armstrong’s 2025 postseason was forgettable: .185 with no extra-base hits in 29 plate appearances against San Diego and Milwaukee.

His 2026 regular season saw him become a 40-40 superstar and the likely NL MVP. PCA is a game-changer with his bat, legs, or glove. The playoffs is now his opportunity to introduce this year’s version of himself to the world. For the Cubs to advance, PCA will need to be the MVP of the series. 

3. Throw away the regular season

The Cubs can have confidence going into the Wild Card series knowing that they dominated the Padres during the regular season, but it can’t give them false security. 

As we’ve seen in the past, including when the Brewers swept the Dodgers in six games in the 2025 regular season, only to see Los Angeles sweep Milwaukee in four games in the NLCS, regular season success doesn’t translate to the postseason. 

The Padres team that lost five of six to Chicago before the All-Star break is not the same team that will be waiting at Petco Park. 

San Diego’s lineup improved dramatically, the pitching staff stabilized and the Padres arrive playing their best baseball.

The rearview mirror is useful. You just can’t drive while staring into it.

4. Make home field matter 

This is the most significant reversal from last October.

San Diego had to win at Wrigley. Now Chicago has to survive a Petco Park crowd that has turned the Gaslamp into one of baseball’s loudest October stages.

Home field doesn’t swing a bat, but in a three-game series, familiarity matters. So does adrenaline.

Prediction: 

The Cubs are talented both offensively and defensively to win this series, but the Padres arrive as the hotter team and have the better bullpen and home field advantage. 

Chicago took the series in three games last season, but the sequel feels like it’s San Diego’s turn.

Prediction: Padres in three

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Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young addressed the media today in the wake of the team’s disappointing 80-82 finish.

I am not sure if this was broadcast live or not, but if it was, I didn’t hear it, because I was busy working. I haven’t seen the DMN or the Rangers website put up any stories about Young’s comments yet, as I’m typing this, but the beats did live-tweet things.

Young said, per the beats, that the Rangers have not exuded enough “toughness and [] grit” the past few seasons, and that has shown in the team’s poor road performance. Young said, per the beats, that “[t]here are some things we need to change in terms of bringing out that grit and toughness . . . that it takes for a team to go on the road, into an opposing city and play in front of opposing fans.”

This year, across MLB, home teams won 52.9% of games, and away teams won 47.1% of games. Last year, it was 54.3% and 45.7% across MLB. The Rangers in 2025 won 59.3% of their home games and 40.7% of their road games, and in 2026 won 55.6% of their home games and 43.2% of their road games. I’m not sure if the issue is grit or toughness or something else, but the Rangers have underperformed on the road the past two years (or overperformed at home).

Something else that jumped out at me is Young saying that the team needs to be more athletic, needs be better defensively and on the basepaths, needs to be younger. I thought that was an interesting comment.

Back in June, I wrote about how the Rangers were epically unsuccessful in going from first to third in the first half of this season. The extreme station-to-station aspect of their baserunning, along with their miserable performance in bases loaded situations (a 549 OPS in 139 plate appearances with the bases loaded, compared to a 746 OPS leaguewide) were two of the biggest reasons why the Rangers’ run scored lagged behind what their overall offensive performance would have suggested that they should have scored.

But its worth asking how it is that the Rangers ended up with a group of position players that are not particularly athletic or good defensively or on the basepaths.

Let’s look at the position player moves the team has made over the past two years, since the end of 2024.

In December, 2024, they signed catcher Kyle Higashioka. Higashioka turned 35 in April of 2025, and wasn’t (and still isn’t) particularly fast or athletic, even for a catcher — he was 62nd out of 83 catchers in sprint speed in 2025, and 76th out of 87 catchers in sprint speed in 2026.

Also in December, 2024, they traded three players for Jake Burger to replace Nathaniel Lowe at first base, desiring more power at the position. Burger is actually just a little below average in sprint speed among MLB players, but he isn’t going to be described by anyone as particularly athletic, or gifted defensively or as a baserunner, and despite how little major league experience he has, he turns 31 at the beginning of 2027.

At the end of December, they signed Joc Pederson to a free agent deal, in what was really the one major move they made in an effort to upgrade the offense. Regardless of the merits of making your big offseason position player move the signing of a platoon DH to a big contract, Pederson — signed for his age 33 and age 34 seasons — is near the bottom of the league in terms of athleticism, defense, and baserunning.

They did add the 36 year old Kevin Pillar as a bench player. He was, once upon a time, a very athletic player, a quality defender and baserunner. There was still some athleticism there, I think, but it was hard to notice when he was slashing .209/.209/.256. I don’t think I realize until now he never ended up drawing a walk in 2025.

There was also Sam Haggerty off the bench, and he had a little of that speed and athleticism Young was talking about, but he was also a role player, and though he came back in 2026, he got quickly released because he couldn’t hit.

When Jake Burger got hurt, and the team needed to get someone to play first base, they signed free agent Rowdy Tellez, who, well…let’s put it this way. In 2025, there were 579 players with at least 10 opportunities for Statcast to measure their sprint speeds. Tellez was faster than two of them — Sam Huff and Martin Maldonado — and tied with Giancarlo Stanton. The other 575 players were ahead of Tellez.

Come the 2025-26 offseason, once again, the Rangers only made one really big move in regards to the lineup: they traded Marcus Semien to the Mets for Brandon Nimmo. Again, whatever the other motivations and positives that deal provides, its a downgrade in terms of speed, athleticism and defense.

And they added 39 year old Andrew McCutchen, who once upon a team fit the speed/defense/athleticism mold, but not in 2026.

They did add Danny Jansen, who probably has above-average athleticism for a catcher. Then when Jansen and Higashioka got sidelined they signed Einar Diaz out of the free agent scrap heap. Fun fact — Diaz was 80th in sprint speed out of 87 catchers in 2026, one of the few catchers actually slower than Higashioka.

No wonder the organization was so excited about Nicky Lopez’s presence — he’s not, at this stage in his career, someone who is elite in terms of speed or athleticism or defense, but he’s average to a little above in those categories, and on this team, it makes him look like Jim Thorpe.

If you’re identifying position players who you think of as regulars or semi-regulars on the Rangers, Evan Carter, Wyatt Langford, and Ezequiel Duran are the only three who you fit that triumvirate of attributes Young says the team needs. Of course, Carter and Langford also have not been able to stay healthy — and one of the other things that Young said that the team needed to improve upon is its health.

Otherwise…Corey Seager is Corey Seager. You know what he is. Josh Jung is not particularly athletic, is slow, has regressed defensively, and can’t stay healthy. Justin Foscue is much the same.

Here’s the thing that kind of stuck with me when I read those quotes from Young today, though, that prompted me to sit here and pound out what is now over 1000 words on the topic.

If you feel, Chris, that the Rangers are not young enough, not athletic enough, not good enough defensively, then whose fault is that?

How did it happen?

How is it that you would put together a lineup on the position player side over the past two years with moves that have prioritized the team going after primarily older, slower, unathletic players who are limited defensively, and then act surprised that your team is not athletic enough and not good enough on the basepaths and not good enough defensively?

Happy Wild Card eve to all who celebrate. How are we feeling?

Firstly, a hype video for you. This year’s campaign theme and accompanying hashtag? LET IT FLY.

Are you hype enough yet? Let us know the creative ways you’re playing hooky with work or school for tomorrow’s 2 pm ET contest. We can write you a permission slip if you need.

It’s been a busy day for Demetrius and company with today’s team workout and other new info on tomorrow’s matchup. ICYMI…

• Demetrius’s report from Truist Park today: Braves stay loose and focused on Workout Day ahead of Wild Card Series against Phillies
• Ivan’s last deep dive for the regular season: Braves biweekly: a cromulent clincher

Tomorrow night’s home plate umpire has recent Altercations against both teams:

Tomorrow’s starter for Philly is Jesús Luzardo. But they’ll be without their main trade deadline piece:

And that’s what you missed on BP. The floor’s yours for your hopes, fears, predictions, prayers to baseball gods, and whatever else is on your mind tonight.

In assessing the Mets’ brutal 74-win season, president of baseball operations David Stearns on Monday cited changes that went badly. 

“We and I made a number of decisions that created the potential for almost an uncapped downside scenario,” Stearns said at Citi Field. “We had a lot of change. I think change in New York is probably different than change in other markets.” 

In addition to overhauling the roster nucleus, Stearns implemented an almost entirely new coaching staff. The Mets got buried in the first three months of the season, and even a solid post-trade deadline showing couldn’t rescue the team. 

“My job is to put a winning team on the field every single year,” Stearns said when asked about the pressure he is facing. “That hasn’t changed.” 

In a 32-minute session with reporters, he offered few specifics but acknowledged the starting rotation will be a point of emphasis. But with lefty ace Tarik Skubal looming as the top free agent, Stearns declined to say if he might be active in the top end of the pitching market. 

“I do think it is necessary for us to add to our starting rotation,” Stearns said. “We can do that in a variety of different ways. You would always love to add to the top of your rotation. Any team would love to do that. Over the long term, what we need to do is develop pitchers at the top of a rotation, and I think we are proving we can do that, and we’ll continue to do that.” 

Nolan McLean, after a strong rookie season, is a lock for the rotation, and homegrown options Christian Scott and Zac Thornton appear in strong position for spots.

The Mets also have Sean Manaea under contract for another season and Kodai Senga as a starting or relief option. Tylor Megill will be returning from a season of Tommy John surgery rehab and could factor in either as a starter or reliever, according to Stearns. 

First base remains a jigsaw puzzle — Jorge Polanco will be returning from ankle surgery after his underwhelming first season in Queens, and Jared Young remains in the equation after a solid showing as a stopgap. Stearns also mentioned Brett Baty — following his strong August and September — as an option to receive regular at-bats. 

“Marcus [Semien] didn’t have the type of year offensively that he wanted, that we would expect,” Stearns said. “Brett showed us our last four, six weeks of the season what his ceiling looks like, and we need him to get to that ceiling more consistently.” 

Stearns said there are “really good minor league infielders knocking on the door.” That list includes top prospect Jefferson Rojas and Émilien Pitre, who was acquired from the Rays at the trade deadline. 

“Sitting here right now, I’m not going to commit to what second base looks like next year,” Stearns said. “But I do think we’ve got some really good players both at the major league level and prospects that are coming that can make that a productive position for us. 

“Our goal is not to build the team through free agency. Our goal is to have a consistent pipeline of young talent that can consistently restock a team — they’re going to be selective, very aggressive pursuits. We have complete ownership support to make those selective, very aggressive pursuits, and I think we will continue to do that.” 

Stearns also touched on the front office composition following the addition last week of former Twins director of baseball operations Derek Falvey as a senior advisor. Falvey was in the team’s offices Monday to begin his new role, according to Stearns. 

“Derek is one of the better executives in our sport,” Stearns said. “He’s got a tremendous amount of experience. He’s touched every aspect of baseball operations over the course of his career around the business side in Minnesota as well. So, I think he’s going to help us everywhere. He’s a great thought partner. He can provide some different life experiences and different perspectives.”

If you’re reading a Red Sox blog, you’re probably a bigger baseball fan than most. Still, baseball is a regional sport, and it can be hard to get eyes on other teams throughout the season. We see the American League East teams a few times, the other American League teams twice, and the National League teams once each. The team the Red Sox were in April is far from the team they are now. The same goes for every other team.

The baseball postseason has a way of breeding stars. Starters who go on short rest, relievers who perform Houdini-like escape acts, and utility players who come up with big hits. I won’t pretend to watch every game every night, but I do typically turn on a few innings during the day when they’re available, and flip over to another game on MLB.TV when the Red Sox game ends. That, combined with being chronically online with a Twitter algorithm that serves me baseball highlights, means I have a pretty solid lay of the land.

So if you haven’t had much opportunity to watch the rest of the playoff field yet, here is one player from each of the other Wild Card round teams to keep an eye on.

Tristan Peters, Chicago White Sox

FanGraphs projected the Chicago White Sox for 67 wins entering the season. They flew past that mark by recording 84 wins and securing the final American League Wild Card spot. FanGraphs isn’t infallible, but exceeding projections by 17 wins usually requires some breakout stars. One of those for the White Sox is center fielder Tristan Peters.

Peters played for the Savannah Bananas in 2021, before their popularity exploded and before he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers. He was traded to the Giants, and then to the Rays in 2022 before debuting for Tampa in late 2025. He went 0-12 and was designated for assignment this past winter. The White Sox acquired Peters for cash, and he took off from there. His bat is solid but unspectacular; he hit .265 with 12 home runs and a low strikeout rate, but his fielding is excellent. If not for Ceddanne Rafaela, Peters would be a frontrunner for the Gold Glove in center field. The White Sox have been one of the better defensive teams in the league this season, and he’s a large part of that.

Hayden Wesneski, Houston Astros

The Astros are full of familiar faces: Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, Jose Altuve, and Josh Hader, to name a few. Their offense kept them afloat, posting the fourth-best wRC+ on the way to the worst regular-season record ever by a postseason team. In the playoffs, they’ll need to pitch to make a run. Hunter Brown is their ace, but you’ve heard of him, so how about Hayden Wesneski?

Wesneski made his season debut in July after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and was a huge boost to the Astros’ rotation. In 11 starts, he was 6-2 with a 3.25 ERA. He’s not at all overpowering; his fastball averages 93 mph and gets hit hard, but he throws enough pitches to keep hitters off it. He leads with a huge sweeper with over 20 inches of horizontal break and commands a cutter well to generate weak contact. If he commands his changeup to lefties, he can get quick outs and eat innings for an Astros team that doesn’t want to lean on its bullpen.

Alex McFarlane, Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies nearly pulled off a historic collapse in September, losing four of their final five games. They gave the Diamondbacks a glimmer of hope, but ultimately beat the Rays to clinch on the last day. If Philadelphia makes a run during the postseason, it will likely be due to their pitching. They had the second-best team xERA in the second half of the season. A large part of that was thanks to the rotation, full of pitchers that you know: Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Zack Wheeler, and Aaron Nola. Jhoan Duran is at the back of the bullpen, but there’s another electric arm in the pen as well — Alex McFarlane.

McFarlane debuted in July and was nearly perfect for most of the season. He didn’t allow a run in 17 of 19 appearances, striking out 25% of opponents on the way. He’s got a huge fastball that averages 99 mph and gets up as high as 102. It’s from a low release that creates an uncomfortable look for hitters and racks up whiffs. He pairs it with a sinker that’s just as hard, plus two breaking balls. He’s your classic hard-throwing reliever, and he’ll likely find himself in a big spot against the Braves this week.

Ethan Salas, San Diego Padres

Ethan Salas is the youngest player in the majors. His bat isn’t anything special, although he’s performed better at the plate in a short sample than I think most expected. He’s got an absolute cannon behind the plate, though. It’s awesome.

He’s 0-5 on throwing runners out in the majors. In my unprofessional opinion, the bases were stolen on the pitchers more than Salas, though. Moving on.

Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs

This one is a deep cut, but a great story. Alex Bregman is playing for the Cubs just days after taking a foul ball off the face. You’ve probably heard of him because he hit two home runs against the Red Sox on the final day of the season. He’s really good.

Didier Fuentes, Atlanta Braves

The Braves are always in the mix, and they’re always kind of boring if you ask me. They have one of the best lineups in baseball (though they’ve slumped in the second half), a solid rotation led by Chris Sale, and a good bullpen. Ronald Acuna, Matt Olson, Michael Harris, and Drake Baldwin are all back this season, as is Rasiel Iglesis in the bullpen. Someone who hasn’t been in the mix this season is Didier Fuentes.

Fuentes debuted early this season and made one start before transitioning to the bullpen. He’s third on the team with 58 pitching appearances and has been the Braves’ top bullpen arm besides their closer. His 31% strikeout rate is among the best in baseball, while he limits walks as well. It’s a simple approach from Fuentes, who throws 70% four-seam fastballs and dares hitters to hit it. When he isn’t throwing fastballs by hitters, he’s pulling the string and dropping in mid-80s sliders to get ugly swings. He’ll likely move back to the rotation at some point, but for the next month, he’ll be a top arm in the Braves bullpen.

Cthulhu, New York Yankees

Last but not least, we have the New York Yankees. We play them 12 times a season, so you’re likely familiar with most of their players. Cam Schlittler is the ace, and Ben Rice is the best hitter. You’ve seen George Lombard debut and you know Gerrit Cole from years past. You probably haven’t seen Cthulhu, a cosmic entity that seeks to regain control over the world and whose presence drives humans mad. Seriously, he’s on the Yankees, and the players support his motives. Pretty messed up, right?

It’s award season in Major League Baseball, and the first thing we’ve got to bring to your attention is the All-MLB team. As a quick reminder, the fans are included as one of several entities (media, broadcasters, former players, “other officials”) who have a say in who ends up on the league’s All-MLB teams, which award the best players at each position.

Finalists in this award don’t necessarily work the same way that they do in the other awards—this is a much more open field. But it’s still cool to see Brewers players among the finalists at several positions. Here’s a quick rundown of who you can vote for amongst Brewers.

Jake Bauers, 1B

Bauers, who finished second in the National League in wRC+, is up against 13 other options at first base. Bauers had his best season by far, and finished with 26 homers, 86 RBI, and the second-best on-base percentage in the National League, aided by a Soto-ian 16.3 walk percentage. Bauers stands out among the nominees but has some tough competition; others who figure to factor heavily at first base include Pete Alonso, who led the AL in homers (43) and RBI (113), Alec Burleson, who led the majors with 116 RBI, Willson Contreras, who hit a career-high 27 homers and had a career best 153 OPS+, and Ty France, who had a surprising career-best year for the Padres at age 31.

Brice Turang, 2B

Turang should be the heavy favorite at second base after finishing his season with a 124 OPS+, 37 doubles, 21 homers, 100 RBI, 19 stolen bases, and Gold Glove-caliber defense. He had a 7.3 WAR season via Baseball Reference, which is getting close to MVP territory in many seasons. His primary competition probably comes from Pittsburgh’s Brandon Lowe, who hit 35 homers and played some of the best defense of his career, and JJ Wetherholt, the St. Louis rookie who played some of the league’s best defense while putting up a slightly above average offensive season.

William Contreras, C

Contreras is right in the mix amongst a strong group of catchers despite going through a brutal offensive slump for much of the summer. A strong finish to the season meant Contreras finished with a .270/.341/.417 batting line (108 OPS+) and 27 doubles, 18 homers, and 94 RBI. By WAR, this was Contreras’s worst season as a Brewer, though, so he’s not the favorite this season; this should be Arizona’s Gabriel Moreno (143 OPS+, 6.7 bWAR, led the NL in batting average at .311), who will see competition from Colorado’s Hunter Goodman (41 homers), Detroit’s Dillon Dingler (4.9 fWAR, 27 homers), and Atlanta’s Drake Baldwin (.284/.358/.459, 25 homers).

Jackson Chourio, OF

Chourio is the Brewers’ one candidate in the outfield this season (a little harsh on Garrett Mitchell, in my opinion), and he would surely have had a great chance had he not missed six weeks at the beginning of the season. Chourio has looked like a superstar for the past couple of months, but with only 127 games played, he’s likely to get overlooked. The strongest contenders here include the presumptive NL MVP, Pete Crow-Armstrong (45 homers, 41 stolen bases, league-leading 156 OPS+, best defense in league), Seattle’s Randy Arozarena (AL leading 113 runs scored, 26 homers, 148 OPS+), the Dodgers’ Andy Pages (.274/.343/.468, 23 homers, excellent defense), Atlanta’s Michael Harris II (26 homers, 36 doubles, .294/.321/.491), Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela (great defense, solid offense) and Wilyer Abreu (AL leading 38 doubles, 24 homers, good defense), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (who overcame a very slow start to finish with a 130 OPS+, 25 homers, and 32 doubles).

Jacob Misiorowski, SP

Five pitchers make the All-MLB first team, and Miz is a lock to be one of those five (he would probably be a lock to be the only one if there were only one). Misiorowski is the only nominated Brewer; those who might join him on the first team include Cam Schlittler of the Yankees, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, and Zack Wheeler of the Phillies, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tarik Skubal of the Dodgers, Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays, Chris Sale of the Braves, and maybe a surprise like Eduardo Rodríguez of the Diamondbacks or Parker Messick of the Guardians.

Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe, RP

Both Megill and Uribe are finalists this season, deservedly so. After a rough first couple weeks, Megill was dominant for months; he converted 30 of 33 save opportunities and finished with a 2.63 ERA and 1.85 FIP. Uribe was just as good: in 61 outings, he had a 1.97 ERA and 2.68 FIP, converting six saves along the way. Either Brewer reliever could conceivably make it, but the favorites here figure to be Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker, who tied for the league lead with 41 saves and had a 1.44 ERA (though his 3.07 FIP will give pause to those who prefer FanGraphs’ WAR); San Diego’s Mason Miller, who looked like the league’s best reliever for essentially the entire season, tied for the NL lead in saves, had a 1.67 ERA and an eye-popping 1.17 FIP; Toronto’s Louis Varland, who had a 1.27 ERA in 78 innings (more than the other contenders here) and converted 35 saves; Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran, who pitched to a 1.82 ERA 1.42 FIP in 59 1/3 innings; and the ageless Aroldis Chapman, who had 35 saves for the Red Sox while pitching to a 1.92 ERA.

Who do you think should make it? Drop your All-MLB team in the comments. You can vote through Friday, October 9, and teams will be announced All-MLB teams will be announced on November 11 at the MLB Awards Show.