MLB News
The World Series got underway on Friday evening, and the Milwaukee Brewers took Game 1 3-2. Game 2 is set for tonight at 8:00 ET.
Our player review series continues with catcher Jonah Heim,
Relive the 10 biggest robberies by the Braves’ defense in 2026.
Joe Posnanski at his Joe Blogs newsletter wrote about 10 people he would immediately put into the National Baseball Hall of Fame today. Vin Scully, who topped the list, won the Ford C. Frick Award in 1982 and was inducted into Cooperstown, but Posnanski explains the Hall of Fame as an institution does not recognize such inductees as actual Hall of Famers, as they are not recognized in the plaque room.
Posnanski also advocated for Janet Marie Smith, currently the Dodgers executive vice president of planning and development, saying “she changed the way we watch baseball.” More Posnanski on Smith:
Janet Marie Smith was an urban planner with no baseball experience, but Lucchino hired her to direct the design of what would become Camden Yards. And she brought a vision to life of a ballpark that was old and new at the same time, a place that was somehow distinctive and yet felt like it had been in Baltimore for a hundred years. Camden Yards is a miracle. And every ballpark constructed since then — all twenty-two of them — has merely been an effort to replicate that miracle.
Speaking of Dodger Stadium, Smith was interviewed as part of an Architectural Digest video profile of the Los Angeles landmark now 65 seasons into its history.
Todd Benzinger, the first baseman and corner outfielder who played for five teams in his nine major league seasons, died on Wednesday at age 63. He played in 1992 for the Dodgers, and the switch-hitter started 13 of the first 38 games that season at first base in a time share with rookie Eric Karros and a gimpy-kneed Kal Daniels. By the last week of May, Karros took over first base for good, and Benzinger’s remaining starts came in right field and left field.
Benzinger in 1992 hit .239/.272/.348 with a 76 wRC+, 16 doubles, and four home runs in 121 games and 313 plate appearances. Mark Langill at Dodger Insider remembered Benzinger’s brief time with the Dodgers.
Dan Szymborski at FanGraphs reviewed manager Dave Roberts postseason, something the site has done after each team has been eliminated this season.
Good morning, Rockies fans!
There’s little need to spend much time discussing what Hunter Goodman brings to the table as the Colorado Rockies’ starting catcher. His 41 home runs in 2026 speak for themselves.
And when I talk about Colorado’s catching depth, I’m not necessarily talking about who’s immediately behind Goodman.
Brett Sullivan offers a left-handed bat but leaves plenty to be desired defensively. Braxton Fulford is baseball’s fastest catcher by Statcast sprint speed, but hasn’t shown much offensively outside of Triple-A. Neither is guaranteed a role in Colorado going forward.
No, it’s what’s happening further down in the organization that gets interesting.
Bryant Betancourt (No. 32 PuRP), Colorado’s No. 27 prospect according to MLB.com, hit .271 with 17 home runs and an .815 OPS, reaching Triple-A at just 22 years old while boasting a plus throwing arm.
Cole Messina (No. 45 PuRP), Colorado’s 2024 third-round pick, reached Double-A Hartford, hitting .226 with eight home runs, 21 doubles and 21 stolen bases while earning above-average grades for his defense and arm.
Colorado’s No. 6 and No. 9 prospects per MLB, Daniel Jackson (No. 12 PuRP) and Jack Natili (No. 20 PuRP), combined for 10 home runs in just 37 games at Fresno after being drafted in 2026. Natili also brings a plus arm behind the plate. Not bad for their first taste of professional baseball.
Jack O’Dowd (No. 35 PuRP), son of former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd, came through independent ball before hitting .307 with 23 home runs across three levels this season. He’s now hitting home runs in the Arizona Fall League, though his future might be at first base.
None of these players is guaranteed to become an everyday big-league catcher. But for an organization with more questions than answers at most positions, Colorado’s catching pipeline might actually be something to get excited about.
O’Dowd and Thomas deliver in the Arizona Fall League | MLB.com
Speaking of O’Dowd, he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI in Wednesday’s 7–5 win over Scottsdale, while Jared Thomas added two hits, three RBI and two stolen bases.
The two kept hitting Thursday, despite Salt River’s 15–8 loss. O’Dowd launched his AFL-leading fifth home run, while Thomas finished with a double, triple and four RBI.
O’Dowd is now batting .350 with five home runs and a 1.206 OPS through 10 games. The Rafters sit at 9–7, just 1.5 games out of first place, and return to action Saturday against Surprise at 4:30 p.m. MDT. Fans can watch AFL games for free on MLB.com.
One realistic offseason decision the Rockies can’t afford to swing and miss on | SI.com
Trading Hunter Goodman after a 41-homer season? That’s certainly one way to shake things up. Scott Roche makes the case that Colorado could follow Baltimore’s approach with Adley Rutschman and cash in on its biggest trade chip. I’m not convinced Goodman is going anywhere, but if Paul DePodesta decides to move him, he’d better get a haul.
The Quiet Deadline Addition for the Rockies | Last Word on Sports
Connor Norby didn’t receive much attention when he arrived from Miami in the Victor Vodnik trade, but he quietly became one of Colorado’s better hitters down the stretch. After batting .309 with an .829 OPS in September, the 26-year-old enters 2027 with a chance to establish himself as a regular contributor. Augustus Oswald takes a closer look at one of the Rockies’ less-heralded deadline acquisitions.
October 24, 2007: The Rockies make their World Series debut | Baseball-Reference
Nineteen years ago today, the Rockies took the field at Fenway Park for the first World Series game in franchise history. The Rocktober magic lasted approximately zero innings. Josh Beckett and the Red Sox handed Colorado a 13–1 beating in Game 1, and, well, we know how the rest of that series went.
Who are the Rockies’ biggest trade pieces heading into the offseason? | DNVR Rockies(Podcast)
The Rockies have plenty of roster holes and not nearly enough established talent to fill them all. So who could Colorado actually afford to trade? Christian Saez and the DNVR crew run through the possibilities, potential returns and what could be a busy winter for Paul DePodesta.
Well, this should be fun. With the CBA expiring December 1, MLBPA executive director Bruce Meyer described the owners’ salary cap proposal as a “nuclear bomb.” Rob Manfred, meanwhile, continues to argue that baseball needs a more competitive economic system. The two sides don’t appear particularly close, and another lockout is looking more and more likely.
This is pretty cool. Robin Yount threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Milwaukee’s first World Series game since 1982 while wearing one of Bob Uecker’s plaid sport coats. The Brewers’ radio crew joined in, wearing jackets from Uecker’s personal wardrobe. A wonderful way to make sure Harry Doyle — er, Mr. Baseball — was part of the moment.
Mathemadage: The Inevitable Reliever Blowup Theory | FanGraphs
Ever watch a bullpen game and think, “There’s no way all six of these guys are going to have it today”? Apparently, that feeling isn’t supported by the numbers. Ben Clemens digs into years of data and finds surprisingly little difference in blowup rates between bullpen games and games started by non-ace starters. It’s a fascinating look at something that feels obvious until you actually do the math.
From Cherry Creek High School to the Air Force Academy to the World Series. Not a bad baseball journey. Kyle Newman traces Griffin Jax’s path to Tampa Bay, where the former reliever has returned to the rotation and is expected to start Game 4 against Milwaukee. A fun Colorado connection to this year’s Fall Classic.
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Today’s Reflections
Good morning. If you recall, I moved from Oklahoma a little over a year ago, leaving things like baseball-size hail and tornadoes behind. Tornado watches are a part of life in Oklahoma, just like brushing your teeth. Warnings? You stop what you’re doing and go watch what going on out your front door. You know how to quickly get in your hidey hole. So pull up a chair if need be.
So why were there four unconfirmed (thus far) tornadoes in Northern Arizona?!?! The tornado warnings were the first ones since 2010! I live hours from these areas, but I guess I brought some bad mojo for them.
And for my area — golf ball- to baseball-sized hail pummeled several areas around town, luckily not my part. As a former insurance manager, I’m blue in the face telling people to call their insurance agent if they have comprehensive coverage so a claim can be started. “No, it won’t be covered — It’s an act of God.” It could be looked at like an Act of God, but that is one that is covered. “No, you need a special rider.” (?) I have the same insurance coverage as I did in OK, and it would be covered here. “Oh, you must have gotten a waiver.” (??)
I’ve been out the biz for a while. I forgot how stubborn and stupid people are about insurance.
ANYWAY (sorry for the rant), World Series Game 1 was pretty exciting! Good ballgame, the Brewers survived a ninth-inning rally by the Rays and won 3-2.
I appreciate your reading.
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The Beginning of Cubs’ Award Season!
Free Agent/Trade Stories:
Pitching Stories:
Hitting Stories:
Assorted Stories:
Food For Thought:
Mamie Smith (néeRobinson; May 26, 1891 – October 23, 1946) was an American singer. As a vaudeville singer, she performed in multiple styles, including jazz and blues. In 1920, she entered blues history as the first African-American artist to make vocal blues recordings. Robinson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1891. When she was around age 10, she found work touring with the Four Dancing Mitchells, a white act. As a teenager, she danced in Salem Tutt Whitney’s Smart Set. In 1913, she left the Tutt Brothers to sing in clubs in Harlem and married William “Smitty” Smith, a singer.
On February 14, 1920, Smith recorded “That Thing Called Love” and “You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” for the Okeh label in New York City, after African-American songwriter and bandleader Perry Bradford persuaded Fred Hager to break the color barrier in black music recording. Although this was the first recording by a black blues singer, the backing musicians were all white. Hager had received threats from Northern and Southern pressure groups saying they would boycott the company if he recorded a black singer. Despite these threats, the record was a commercial success and opened the door for more black musicians to record.
Smith’s biggest hits were the August 10, 1920 recordings of a set of songs written by Perry Bradford, including “Crazy Blues” and “It’s Right Here for You (If You Don’t Get It, ‘Tain’t No Fault of Mine)”, again for Okeh Records. A million copies were sold in less than a year. Because of its historical significance, “Crazy Blues” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994 and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2005.
Although other African Americans had been recorded earlier, such as George W. Johnson in the 1890s, they were performing music that had a substantial following among European-American audiences. The success of Smith’s record prompted record companies to seek to record other female blues singers and began the era of what is now known as classic female blues.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB Playoffs continue this weekend with Game 2 of the World Series between the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers.
As usual, this is being written before Game 1 has taken place, because I live in the past. So I don’t know who won Game 1 Friday night. But you do, lucky you!
Game 2 will be Saturday night at 5:00 p.m. PT, broadcast on Fox/Fox One, with national radio coverage available on ESPN Radio.
Right-hander Drew Rasmussen is scheduled to start for the Rays. Rasmussen ended the regular season with a 2.67 ERA, 2.82 FIP, with 174 strikeouts to 32 walks in 172 innings pitched. This will be his fourth start of this postseason, his most recent was in the Rays’ 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on October 18th, in which he allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts and a walk in seven innings.
He’ll be facing off against Brewers right-hander Logan Henderson, who ended the regular season with a 2.47 ERA, 3.32 FIP, with 110 strikeouts to 19 walks in 98.1 innings pitched. This will be his third start in this postseason, his last was in the Brewers’ 7-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on October 12th, in which he allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits with two strikeouts and and two walks in four innings.
Who are you rooting for in Game 2?
The Brewers’ formula this postseason has followed a similar recipe in many of their wins: hope your starter makes it two turns through the lineup, rely on your middle-inning groundball specialists, and then hand the ball off to Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill for the final three innings. The tale of the tape in Game 1 followed this script almost to a T, Milwaukee jumping out to an early lead, Jacob Misiorowski going two turns, Abner Uribe recording a dominant four outs, and Ashby and Megill locking down the final 2.2 innings to secure the opening game of this edition of the Fall Classic in front of a packed and frenetic Miller Park crowd, 3-2.
Milwaukee Brewers 3, Tampa Bay Rays 2
(Milwaukee leads, 1-0)
As untouchable as Misiorowski pitched during the regular season — leading MLB in ERA (1.80), FIP (2.17), strikeouts (252), and pitcher fWAR (6.6) while throwing more pitches over 100 mph (1,115) than every other starter combined to virtually guarantee NL Cy Young honors — he has looked mortal in the playoffs. During the regular season, his four-seamer induced a 40.2-percent whiff rate and held batters to a .174 average, but in the postseason the whiff rate plummets to 16.1-percent while the batting average against skyrockets to .364. The velocity is holding steady, but he’s lost life on the pitch while throwing a much higher percentage down in the zone. Fastballs that hitters had been whiffing beneath are now a fair bit easier to foul off, leading to inlfated pitch counts early and a dearth of strikeouts.
The Miz made a partial adjustment in Game 1, commanding his four-seamer belt high or above with better consistency than his starts against the Padres and Dodgers, and it allowed the Brewers’ ace to complete five innings for the first time this postseason. The strikeouts didn’t return, Misiorowski punching out just three of the 19 batters he faced, but for the most part he was able to stay out of trouble thanks to some brilliant defensive plays by his teammates.]
The traffic started early, Misiorowski giving up consecutive one-out singles in the first to Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson, but he got Junior Caminero to roll over a cutter for the inning-ending double play. One of the many marks of a good team is the ability to immediately punish your opponents for failing to capitalize on a scoring opportunity, and that’s just what happened in the bottom of the first. Jackson Chourio led off with a single, and after a Jake Bauers pop out, Christian Yelich lined an 0-2 Nick Martinez cutter into the gap in right-center. Center fielder Jonny DeLuca covered a ton of ground and went fully horizontal on the diving attempt, but the ball clanged off his glove for an RBI triple.
William Contreras then ambushed the next pitch Martinez threw, another cutter that the All-Star catcher rocketed to the left side of the infield. Taylor Walls couldn’t get his glove up quite in time, and the liner ricocheted off the webbing into left field to easily plate Yelich and spot Misiorowski an early 2-0 lead. For all that has been made of the elite defense from the Rays outfielders and Walls this postseason, you just had this feeling that both those tough liners would have been caught had they been hit by Yankees batters.
Misiorowski settled down to retire the side in order in the second and third, but encountered his toughest test in the fourth. A leadoff walk from Aranda followed by a Caminero double put runners on second and third with one out. Liam Hicks then topped a weak grounder to the right side to get the run in from third and cut the deficit in half. Misiorowski refocused to get DeLuca to fly out and strand Caminero at third.
In the Miz’s final inning of work, he allowed a leadoff single to Victor Mesa Jr., who then advanced to second on a Ben Williamson grounder. The Rays right fielder bailed the Brewers out though, committing a cardinal sin by making the final out at third base on an ill-advised steal attempt that drew a pinpoint throw from Contreras.
Martinez posted the lowest strikeout rate and walk rate of any qualified starter during the regular season, but it was he instead of Misiorowski who won in the strikeout department in Game 1 with five in five innings. Martinez stranded Sal Frelick at second in the second following a single and sac bunt by striking out Chourio on a backdoor sinker. He then faced the minimum across his final three innings of work, aided by a sparkling defensive play from Mesa to atone for his blunder. Speedster David Hamilton laced a grounder down the right field line and was thinking triple immediately out of the box. However, a stumble around second paired with a perfect throw and relay from Mesa and Williamson beat Hamilton to third by half a step.
With both starters out of the game after five, Uribe was the first man out of the Brewers bullpen. Normally more of a groundball specialist than a strikeout artist, Uribe rung up three of the four batters he faced. The most important one was to finish the sixth. After Aranda reached on a one out single, the Brewers executed a textbook strike-‘em-out, throw-‘em-out double play to end the inning, Simpson going down swinging on a back-foot slider and Contreras gunning down Aranda at second for his second caught stealing of the contest.
Kevin Cash selected Steven Matz as his first reliever out of the ‘pen, and the veteran southpaw was wayward with his command, issuing three walks while recording five outs between the sixth and seventh. The final of those free passes came back to haunt him, Cooper Pratt drawing the walk to lead off the seventh and advancing to second on a Hamilton grounder. That brought sidewinding righty Kevin Kelly out of the Rays bullpen to neutralize Chourio with a runner in scoring position with two outs, but the Brewers’ young star inside-outed a first-pitch sinker just inside the bag at first and beyond Aranda’s diving attempt to plate Pratt. The score was 3-1, Milwaukee.
With this extra insurance run, you felt that the Brewers’ lead was unassailable with Ashby and Megill primed for their lanes. Ashby entered the Fall Classic with the most innings (12.1) of any postseason reliever yet had not surrendered a single run, and it was more of the same in the seventh and eighth innings. He retired all five batters he faced, three via the strikeout thanks to his deadly sinker-changeup duo.
That left it up to Megill to secure his fifth save of these playoffs, but this game had one more dose of high drama in store. Aranda and Simpson reached on a pair of one-out singles and Caminero worked a six-pitch walk after falling behind, 1-2, to load the bases with one out. Hicks appeared to ground into the game-ending double play, but replay review revealed that Pratt prematurely took his foot off the bag at second before the ball had contacted the inside of his glove. The call on the field was overturned, Caminero ruled safe at second while pinch-runner Jorge Mateo scored on the play and Simpson advanced to third.
Megill had to do it all over again, this time facing DeLuca with runners on second and third with two outs. However, Brewers fans could exhale and celebrate for a second time as he made quick work of the Rays center fielder, striking him out on a filthy knuckle curve below the zone to secure the Brewers’ first win in a World Series in 16,077 days (Game 5 in 1982) by a score of 3-2.
The Brewers will look to maintain the momentum of this narrow victory into Game 2 tonight. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen is set to face off against Logan Henderson with first pitch scheduled for 8:00 pm ET.
Good morning Birdland,
The Fall Classic is underway, and the Milwaukee Brewers have taken the early lead. The Brewers were able to hold off a late Rays rally to take Game 1 of the World Series 3-2 on Friday night.
Trevor Megill, Milwaukee’s closer, got himself into quite a jam in the ninth inning, loading the bases with one out and a two-run lead. He got Liam Hicks to ground into what seemed like a game-ending double-play, but replay revealed that shortstop Cooper Pratt’s foot had come off of second base prior to receiving the initial feed. The runner at second was called safe, the runner at first was out, and Tampa’s second run of the day had scored.
That made it a one-run lead with two outs and Jonny DeLuca at the plate. But rather than becoming a iconic moment in Rays history, Megill was able to win the battle, striking out DeLuca to secure the victory.
That sets the stage for Game 2 tonight at 8 p.m. Drew Rasmussen is on the bump for Tampa. The 31-year-old has been terrific this year, posting a 2.67 ERA over 172 innings in the regular season and then dominating in the postseason as well with a 1.29 ERA over 21 frames. Perhaps, if it was really even necessary, there is the added incentive for Rasmussen to pitch well against his former club. After making his big league debut earlier that season, he was dealt from Milwaukee to Tampa back in 2021 as part of the Willy Adames deal.
As the World Series inches closer to a conclusion, baseball will be faced with the hard reality we have all been concerned about for years now. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred re-affirmed just prior to first pitch last night that he was off the opinion that the league needed a salary cap. Obviously, the players and MLBPA disagree. A lockout is coming. How long it lasts, no one really knows.
That likely future could make the typical offseason calendar rather useless. MLB free agency will technically start five days after the World Series ends. But most players don’t sign anywhere until after Thanksgiving. The lockout is set to start on December 1. And the possibility that the league will be implementing a salary cap of some sort makes it almost impossible for some front offices to sign major contracts until they know what sort of budget they are working within.
Enjoy these few days where the focus will be on the field. Because once it’s over, we might instead be fixated on some office building in New York for the months that follow.
Links
Can Jared Banner fix the Orioles? Here’s what his mentors said. | The Banner
The Orioles front office needs fresh perspective. It seems like Banner can provide that. But Mike Elias is still going to be the chief baseball decision maker. One change to an underling can only do so much.
Rising prospect Anderson wraps strong season with stellar homecoming | Orioles.com
It was nice to see Ethan Anderson take a step forward this past season. He’s a switch hitter that seems to have really found himself at the plate this last year. Finding a spot for him on the field could be an issue. The Orioles want him to catch, but there are questions about his ability back there. He may have no choice if he stays in the organization since Pete Alonso won’t be leaving any time soon at first base.
Orioles infield coach Miguel Cairo on Gunnar Henderson: “I want to have 26 guys like that’ | Baltimore Baseball
A team of 26 Gunnar Henderson’s would probably be pretty light on pitching, but I take Cairo’s point. Gunnar is a gamer. He cares. And he is super talented. He also needs to sort out some things at the plate to get back to the MVP level he expected to be at the last two years.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
This day in O’s history
It’s been a slow date in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. So, instead, here are some happenings from beyond Birdland:
1926 – Harry Houdini’s last performance takes place at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit.
1931 – The George Washington Bridge opens to public traffic over the Hudson River.
1946 – A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket takes the first photograph of earth from outer spcae.
1992 – The Toronto Blue Jays become the first Major League Baseball Team based outside of the United States to win the World Series.
2003 – The Concorde supersonic airliner makes its last commercial flight.
2004 – Arsenal Football Club loses to Manchester United, ending a row of 49 matches unbeaten, a Premier League record.
It is no secret that the Cardinals have stockpiled minor league talent, but how did that talent develop in 2026? Let’s take a look at every player who started the season as a ranked prospect in the system.
Here are the rules:
I will go in reverse order of the FanGraphs preseason ranking. I am not including the future value tier that FanGraphs assigned to each prospect because I do not want to muddy the waters with debating where the player should have ranked coming into the year. For example, I would not have ranked Pete Hansen in my top-20 Cardinals prospects with a 40+ FV, as FanGraphs did. So, my evaluation for Hansen of “Stock Ticking Up” means that I think he had a positive season, not that I agree with his FanGraphs grade. Said another way, I’m not re-grading every prospect, just judging which direction each one moved, regardless of where he started. Clear as mud. Alright, on to the list!
53. Branneli Franco, RHP, Low-A – Stock Ticking Down
Franco was terrible in the Complex League, but then put together 15 solid innings in Palm Beach as a 19-year-old. He showed impressive stuff with a fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s, but the 7.54 season ERA is ugly.
52. Sebastian Dos Santos, SS, Low-A – Stock Up
Dos Santos put together the second-best age-18 season of any Cardinals hitting prospect in the last two decades. He already has great plate discipline and an ability to drive the ball in the air and should be hitting national top-100 lists early next season.
51. Carlos Carrion, SS, DSL – Stock Ticking Down
Carrion was the Cardinals’ second-biggest international signee after Emanuel Luna, but missed most of the season with injury and was unproductive in his 10-game cameo in the DSL.
50. Chase Davis, CF, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Down
Davis made it to Triple-A and showed off above-average plate discipline and incredible exit velocity metrics. Unfortunately, he still has not figured out how to turn this skill set into production as he struggled to an 81 wRC+ in Memphis.
49. Won-Bin Cho, OF, Double-A – Stock Up
Cho had a breakout year, finally cracking the High-A level on his third try and earning a promotion to Springfield. He more than doubled his ISO to .231 and improved his K/BB rate substantially to give the Cardinals a hard 40-man roster decision this offseason.
48. Jack Gurevitch, 1B/3B, Double-A – Stock Up
Gurevitch advanced from Palm Beach to Peoria and finally to Springfield while swatting 32 home runs and carrying a 127 wRC+. He has real big swing-and-miss issues, but he definitely juiced his prospect status with his in-game power results.
47. Bryan Torres, UT, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Torres completed his personal odyssey to triumphantly reach St. Louis. He might have just enough versatility to stick around in some capacity.
46. Colton Ledbetter, OF, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Down
Ledbetter salvaged his season after a stint on the development list and ran a 125 wRC+ over his last 68 games. He improved offensively while advancing a level, but it may not be enough to earn him a 40-man spot this offseason.
45. Randel Clemente, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Clementeimproved his BB%… from 26.1% to 19.9%. He has some of the best stuff in the system but is running out of time.
44. Yordy Herrera, LHP, Low-A – Stock Down
Herrera was released in July.
43. Matt Pushard, RHP, MLB – Stock Down
Pushard did not stick in St. Louis after being selected in the Rule 5 draft.
42. Frank Elissalt, RHP, High-A – Stock Down
Elissalt, part of the return package for Ryan Helsley, missed the entire season with an injury, but at least he has returned to action in the AFL.
41. Mason Molina, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Up
Molina was one of the biggest risers in the system as he dismantled Double-A and finished the season in Memphis in his age-22 season. His 150 strikeouts ranked 12th in MiLB, and he now looks like a potential back-of-the-rotation arm as early as next season.
40. Ethan Young, RHP, Low-A – Stock Ticking Down
Young only managed to pitch 31 innings, but ended the year healthy. Despite a 7.26 ERA, he had decent underlying numbers and flashed good stuff at Palm Beach.
39. Jack Martinez, RHP, High-A – Stock Ticking Up
Martinez struck out 121 batters in 93.2 innings at the Low-A and High-A levels. His slider was ranked as one of the best in the minors by Baseball America.
38. Skylar Hales, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Hales walked too many and carried a 6.34 ERA at Memphis while losing a tick off his fastball. He is Rule 5 eligible and seems unlikely to be protected.
37. Jose Davila, RHP, Double-A – Stock Down
Davila converted to relief and posted decent, if unspectacular, numbers while finishing in Double-A.
36. Braden Davis, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Davis held his own in Double-A and cut his walk rate from 16.6% to 14.4%, but his strikeout rate fell from 33.8% to 28.3%.
35. Blake Aita, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Aita advanced to Double-A and threw over 100 decent innings on the year, but did not distinguish himself in a loaded system and struggled to keep the ball in the yard.
34. Nate Dohm, RHP, Double-A – Stock Down
Dohm battled injuries and command problems while pitching to a 7.19 ERA over 61.1 innings. He still has huge stuff and potential upside, but 2026 was a setback.
33. Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Double-A – Stock Up
Fajardo was one of four teenagers to pitch in Double-A across all of baseball and one of the biggest risers in the system. His fastball is not overwhelming, but he rode his off-speed pitches to a sensational 22.3% K-BB% on the year.
32. Austin Love, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Love struggled to a 6.52 ERA at Springfield and Memphis and walked almost a batter per inning after his promotion.
31. Luis Gastelum, RHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Gastelum carried a mediocre 4.64 ERA and 19/12 K/BB ratio through his first 18 Triple-A games before turning into a terror, posting a 0.00 ERA and running a 30/5 K/BB ratio over his final 18 games. He started off rocky in St. Louis but pitched to a 2.31 ERA with a 34/7 K/BB ratio over his final 23.1 innings.
30. Emanuel Luna, OF, DSL – Stock Ticking Up
Luna turned heads in just nine games by hitting three DSL bombs, carrying a 226 wRC+, and hitting a ball 115.8 mph. It is an incredibly small sample size, but his K% of 18.2% was encouraging as well.
29. Juan Rujano, C, CPX – Stock Down
Rujano entered the season with some hype from the third-party outlets after a solid DSL debut in 2025, but struggled to a 68 wRC+ in the Complex League in his stateside debut.
28. Leonel Sequera, RHP, High-A – Stock Down
Sequera had decent strikeout and walk numbers, but for a player with a questionable fastball, the 1.92 HR/9 and 7.23 ERA are too much to overlook.
27. Cesar Prieto, IF, MLB – Stock Ticking Down
Prieto had the best Triple-A numbers of his career in 2026, but was downright horrible in his St. Louis cup of coffee.
26. Blaze Jordan, 3B, MLB – Stock Up
Blaze crushed Triple-A with a rare blend of power and contact, had solid underlying offensive metrics in 58 major league games, and graded out above average defensively at third. After being left exposed to the Rule 5 draft last offseason, he put himself back in the team’s plans with a strong 2026.
25. Nathan Church, CF, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Church ended with a slash line remarkably close to his preseason ZiPS projection, so this is a tough one. His status as the presumed starting center fielder shows the Cardinals have confidence in him beyond his surface-level numbers, so that will be the tiebreaker.
24. Tanner Franklin, RHP, Double-A – Stock Up
Franklin has been an up-arrow guy since the day he was drafted. Recently, Baseball America argued that he might have the best stuff of any pitcher in the minor leagues.
23. Cade Crossland, LHP, High-A – Stock Ticking Down
Crossland was a strikeout and walk machine in Palm Beach, but showed improved control at the end of the season in Peoria. He averaged only 92.1 mph on his fastball after topping out at 98 mph in college, so his ceiling may be more limited than we thought on draft day.
22. Sem Robberse, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Robberse had a second season mostly wiped out by injury.
21. Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Hjerpe successfully returned from Tommy John and earned his call-up by striking out 13.07 per nine across 42 minor league innings. The control and health remain huge question marks, but it was a positive year for Hjerpe.
20. Jesus Baez, SS, Double-A – Stock Up
Baez entered the year as a nice lottery ticket with tools to dream on. He leaves it with 39 home runs and underlying metrics that ranked him as the second-best 21-year-old hitter in the minors according to Baseball America’s HIT+, trailing only Josue De Paula.
19. Pete Hansen, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up
Hansen actually posted decent numbers in Memphis with ERA, FIP, and xFIP between 4.18 and 4.53 across 101.1 innings. His upside seems limited to a John King-type career, but he will probably debut for someone at some point.
18. Hancel Rincon, RHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Rincon followed up his breakout 2025 campaign in Springfield with a nice run at Memphis that led to his St. Louis debut and a 40-man roster spot. He has already moved to the bullpen, but his 21.4% K-BB% was the best in Triple-A for pitchers who threw 70+ innings.
17. Brycen Mautz, LHP, MLB – Stock Down
Mautz looked like a back-end rotation candidate with upside following his 2025 breakout in Springfield. After a rough season, you would be thrilled if he turned into a meaningful relief piece.
16. Ixan Henderson, LHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Henderson started the year injured, made it back for one start at Memphis, and then landed back on the 60-day IL. His status going into next year is unclear, but this year was an unfortunate setback for one of the big 2025 breakout prospects.
15. Chen-Wei Lin, RHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Up
Linhad a solid season behind the more heralded pitching prospects in the Springfield rotation, cutting his BB% from 17.5% to 11.2% across 102.2 innings. It wasn’t a full breakout, but it was progress for a pitcher with substantial upside.
14. Tai Peete, CF, Double-A – Stock Up
Peete started to translate his raw power into game power in 2026, posting an ISO of .254 while advancing to Double-A. His hit tool is still a question, but he improved his contact rate in Springfield and is obliterating the AFL.
13. Ryan Mitchell, OF, Low-A – Stock Ticking Up
Mitchell is still a bit of a project and will need to add strength to keep advancing through the system. Still, he held his own in full-season ball as a 19-year-old who had limited exposure to elite competition in high school.
12. Tekoah Roby, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up
Roby missed the entire season, as expected, so you cannot dock him for that. Back on the mound in the AFL, he has struck out 13 in 9.2 scoreless innings while topping out at 99 mph.
11. Tink Hence, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Down
Hence was injured and ineffective while losing his 40-man roster spot.
10. Quinn Mathews, LHP, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Mathews showed marginal improvements in his second go at Memphis, but the walks were still concerning. His first nine starts for St. Louis were impressive, and if the improved control sticks, he will be a fixture in the rotation for years.
9. Leo Bernal, C, MLB – Stock Up
Bernal continued his methodical climb through the minors with an excellent showing in Triple-A as a 22-year-old. His impressive major league debut was enough to finally put him on the national radar and in top-100 prospect lists where he belongs.
8. Yairo Padilla, SS, High-A – Stock Ticking Up
Padilla showed off exceptional Statcast data in the Florida State League, posting above-major-league-average exit velocity numbers as a 19-year-old shortstop. Injuries limited him to 37 games and kept him from having a true breakout, but I was highly encouraged by the improvements we saw.
7. Joshua Baez, OF, MLB – Stock Ticking Up
Baez gave up some of the contact gains that fueled his 2025 breakout, but showed the power was real, hitting 41 home runs between Triple-A and the majors. His productive 30-game MLB trial run is enough for me to come away feeling positive about his season overall.
6. Brandon Clarke, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Clarke was electric in limited innings and seemed to be improving his control as the season went on. Still, he threw only 29.2 innings, failing to alleviate the biggest concern in his profile.
5.Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Triple-A – Stock Ticking Up
Cijntje quietly put together an excellent season and, unlike many recent Cards prospects, had no issue adjusting to Triple-A. Finishing second in MiLB in strikeouts and the strong finish at Triple-A are enough for me.
4. Jimmy Crooks, C, MLB – Stock Ticking Down
Crooks doubled his Barrel% and cut his chase rate by 5% in Triple-A while putting up video-game numbers. But he is already 25 and failed to prove it in St. Louis in his second cup of coffee.
3. Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Double-A – Stock Up
Rodriguez had huge expectations coming into the season and was largely living up to those in the first half, earning a promotion to Double-A after tearing up the Midwest League. Then in July he went ballistic and hit .390 with 16 bombs over his final 44 games to establish himself as the best hitting prospect in the minors.
2.Liam Doyle, LHP, Double-A – Stock Ticking Down
Doyle had an adjustment period to Double-A but finished strong over his final 11 starts with a 1.78 ERA, a 30.3% strikeout rate, an improved 12.4% walk rate, and only 0.49 HR/9. He basically held serve throughout the season, but since he has nudged down slightly on top-100 lists, we will be conservative.
1. JJ Wetherholt, 2B, MLB – Stock Up
Wetherholt’s offensive performance was in line with preseason projections and his defense wildly exceeded expectations. His .029 gap between expected and actual wOBA was the third unluckiest among qualified hitters.
And finally, here are the players who were not ranked coming into the year who should be ranked in the Cardinals’ top 30 heading into next season.
Miguel Hernandez, SS, Low-A
After a successful run in the Complex League, Hernandez bashed out a 163 wRC+ over 103 plate appearances in Low-A as an 18-year-old. Like Dos Santos, he will start making noise on national lists with a good start to 2027.
Deniel Ortiz, 1B/3B, Double-A
Ortiz was criminally omitted from the FanGraphs preseason prospect list, but that surely won’t happen again. He improved his contact rate by 10% while moving up to Double-A and mashed a 120 wRC+, despite a wrist injury that sapped some of his power.
Jacob Odle, RHP, High-A
It was Jacob Odle, not Tanner Franklin or Liam Doyle, who graded out as having the best starting-pitcher Stuff+ in the system by Baseball America (sixth in MiLB). Odle will need to improve on his 15.5% BB%, but his 34.1% K% was the best in the system.
Xavier Cruz, RHP, Low-A
Cruz came out of nowhere in 2026, flashing an upper-90s fastball and insane spin rates in the Complex League and at Palm Beach. In Jake Wood’s excellent podcast earlier this week, Moises Rodriguez compared his arm talent to that of Tanner Franklin.
The Final Tally
Stock Up: 12
Stock Ticking Up: 15
Stock Ticking Down: 13
Stock Down: 13
Brycen Mautz and Nate Dohm were the two I was highest on who took a step back this year. You are always going to have some pitcher injuries, and Elissalt and Henderson both losing a year was disappointing. Tink Hence is really in a separate category since his decline started in 2025 and he just did not bounce back the way we hoped. The rest of the prospects who slipped a full grade, by my evaluation, were lower-impact.
The raw numbers understate just how successful this season was from a development perspective. Top prospects’ performance has an outsized impact on the health of a system. The Wetherholt, Bernal, and Rainiel seasons alone would have been enough to make this a pretty positive season for the system. No players in the preseason top 10 performed poorly enough to move them down a FV tier. When you add the Franklin, Fajardo, and Molina breakouts on the pitching side along with the emergence of Dos Santos, Jesus Baez, and Miguel Hernandez on the hitters’ side, you have to be incredibly happy with the results.
Final Grade: A+
Now, the important part. Which player evaluations do you disagree with? Who did I miss?
With each day that the World Series plays a game, we get closer to the start of free agency. The Phillies promise to be active, but the thing that I am most interested in is arbitration. Which players are going to be tendered contracts, which players won’t be. That discussion will lead to more free agents entering the market, a big thing considering that the market isn’t that great to begin with.
On to the links.
Phillies news:
MLB news:
The first game of the 2026 Fall Classic was a nailbiter, with Milwaukee using some timely hits, excellent pitching, and a tense ninth inning to survive a 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay. It was the Brewers’ first World Series game in 44 years, and—much to the pleasure of the home crowd—they fortunately slammed the door on their first World Series win since then as well. It had been over 16,000 days ago! My parents were barely married at that point, and I’m older than most of the players at this point. So yeah, it’s been a little while. Congrats to the Brew Crew, who really needed to win the Jacob Misiorowski vs. Nick Martinez start that was closer than it should’ve been. Now, we’ll see if the Rays counter by winning their own apparent mismatch on paper.*
*This is no shade to Logan Henderson, who I very much like. But we’ve soon too much of what Drew Rasmussen can do when he’s rolling.
Today on the site, Peter will recap the World Series opener, Michael will run through the third week of Yankees prospect action in the Arizona Fall League (shouts to Dax Kilby), and Nick will celebrate the 139th birthday of the Deadball Era’s Hugh High. Later, Andrés will take Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner to task on his blame game and John will examine where the Yankees’ budget stands as the offseason begins.
World Series Game 2
(Brewers lead 1-0)
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
(RHP Logan Henderson vs. RHP Drew Rasmussen)
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
TV: FOX/FOX One/Fox Deportes
Venue: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
1. Who was the MVP of World Series Game 1?
2. Were you surprised to see the replay review center overturn this call at second on the possible game-ending double play in the ninth?
Friday night was the second scrimmage of the third week of fall ball for LSU. It was the first intra-squad of the session that was closed to the public, as they hosted members of the Coaches Committee and players’ families. Media was allowed to attend, though, so I was able to get another full night of observations.
Although a few pitchers had some success on Thursday night, the offense was really good. Like I had mentioned, 10 of the 18 starters drove in at least one RBI and while there was only one ball that left the stadium for a homerun, it seemed like productive at-bat after productive at-bat.
On Friday, pitching fought back. Landon Hood and Danny Lachenmayer were two of the names that had very good outings, which is a continuation of what we’ve seen from them for the past three weeks. I firmly believe that Hood is a name to watch to land in that all-important weekend rotation come the spring.
Opposite of Hood was two-way stud, Lucas Nawrocki, who started on the mound after hitting a homer the night before. That’s two weeks in a row that he’s done that. He had his moments of struggle, but still flashed plenty of signs to be excited about.
Dylan Minnatee, Parker Loew, and Angel Laya each notched 2 hits, but the big swings were very limited against Nate Yeskie’s pitching staff.
Before we get going, I’ll list off the lineups for each team and who pitched. Cumulative stats for Thursday night are included. We’ll then transition to some bullet point notes.
Lineups
Gold (visitors)
1.) CF – Nate Davis-Cleary (0-4)
2.) 2B – Cade Kurland (1-3, BB)
3.) RF – Angel Laya (2-4)
4.) C – Cade Arrambide (1-3, BB)
5.) 1B – Mason Braun (0-1, 2 BB)
6.) SS – Dawson Park (1-2, RBI/BB)
7.) 3B – Jack Ruckert (0-2, RBI/BB)
8.) DH – Jordan Martinez (1-3, RBI)
9.) LF – Eddie Yamin (0-3)
SP – Landon Hood (3.0 IP/3 H/0 R/4 K/1 BB/61% strikes/6-11 1st pitch strikes)
RP – Cooper Williams (2.2 IP/4 H/2 R/3 K/3 BB/57% strikes/8-14 1st pitch strikes)
Purple (home)
1.) CF – Jason Wachs (1-3, RBI)
2.) C – Omar Serna (0-3)
3.) SS – Steven Milam (0-1, 2 BB)
4.) LF – Dominic Santarelli (0-3)
5.) 2B – Parker Loew (2-2, RBI/BB)
6.) 3B – Malachi Washington (1-3, RBI)
7.) 1B – Dylan Minnatee (2-2, 2B/BB)
8.) RF – William Patrick (0-2)
9.) DH – Lucas Nawrocki (1-2, 2B/RBI)
SP – Lucas Nawrocki (1.2 IP/1 H/1 R/3 K/4 BBs/40% strikes/1-9 1st pitch strikes)
RP – Kaden Smith (2.0 IP/3 H/1 R/1 K/0 BB/67% strikes/5-9 1st pitch strikes)
RP – Danny Lachenmayer (3.0 IP/2 H/0 R/5 K/2 BB/60% strikes/9-13 1st pitch strikes)
Scrimmage notes
Player of the night
Although Landon Hood was very good, I’m going with Danny Lachenmayer. He struck out 5 threw 3 innings of work for the second week in a row.
As far as a positional player of the game, Dylan Minnatee and his 2-2, including a nice double, were probably two of the best swings of the night.
Next up
LSU has one more intra-squad game for the week and potentially for the fall session. With the next 3 weeks being their exhibitions against Samford, Troy, and SLU, I’m not sure if they will have any more public scrimmages. It’s possible, but we will keep you guys informed.
As for this weekend, they return on Sunday at 1 pm for first pitch. It’s back to being open to the public with gates opening at 12:45 and entry/parking free.
Below is my video recap that I do after every single game. Follow me on X @DCBilliotJr for much more!
New York Post | Greg Joyce: With the World Series just getting underway, there are not yet any roster moves to be made. However on Friday, the Yankees came closer to a big one on the coaching staff. Reports are that the Yankees are close to a deal with pitching coach Matt Blake to retain him going forward. Under Blake, the Yankees had arguably the best rotation in the majors this year and have regularly turned less-than-heralded pitchers into crucial bullpen arms.
MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: After another disappointing exit in the ALDS, the Yankees have some decisions to make across the roster this offseason. Here’s an overall outlook of who’ll definitely be back, who might not be, and the choices the Yankees will face over the winter.
Japan Times | Jason Coskrey: Yankee legend and 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui is getting back into the baseball ranks as he has been named manager of the NPB’s Yomiuri Giants. Before coming over to MLB, Matsui was a legendary player for the Giants, who are considered the Yankees of Japan. Debuting as a teenager and spending a decade in Tokyo, he won three MVP awards and three Japan Series championships, clubbing 50 homers during his final season with the Giants in 2002. Now, he’ll look to lead the team to similar heights as their skipper. Fellow former Yankee Masahiro Tanaka is a member of the Giants’ playing roster. Congrats to Godzilla!
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski threw the fastest recorded pitch in World Series history as his side began the best-of-seven season finale with a win.
The right-hander played a starring role in the 3-2 win at home to the Tampa Bay Rays, in the first match of the 122nd World Series.
It is only the second time in more than a century that neither side contesting the World Series has won the title before.
A sell-out crowd watched the Brewers in only their second appearance in the finale of the Major League Baseball season, and their first since losing to the St Louis Cardinals in 1982.
Milwaukee's American Family Field has 41,900 seats but with standing-room-only tickets available for the 'Fall Classic', 43,250 fans packed in to see the game.
"It was amazing - just to have the city behind me, it means the world, we couldn't ask for anything better," said Misiorowski.
The Brewers host the second match of the best-of-seven series on Saturday before the teams move to Florida for three games, then return to Milwaukee for the final two matches, if needed.
Misiorowski, 24, became the youngest starter since 1997 to win a World Series opener, after restricting the Rays to just one run in five innings.
His fastest pitch at 103.5 mph beat the previous mark of 103.2 mph set by Aroldis Chapman of the Chicago Cubs in 2016 - though speeds have only been recorded since 2008.
Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich also played a key role, scoring one run and driving in another as they took a 3-1 lead.
The Rays added one run in the final inning and had a runner on third base as they pushed to level the score, but Milwaukee closed out victory.
"It feels great. The guys settled in right away and did a great job," Yelich said. "We've still got a ways to go but nice to get that first one."
The Brewers made the World Series by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 to claim the National League title, while the Rays clinched the American League pennant with a 4-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians to reach the post-season finale for only the third time.
The Rays lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2008 World Series and the Dodgers in 2020, but manager Kevin Cash took solace from the fact that they tested the Brewers on Friday.
"We came up a little bit short, but there's some benefit maybe from a loss," said Cash.
MILWAUKEE — Trevor Megill induced the game-ending double play Friday night and screamed. The sellout crowd roared. Fireworks went off. Brewers players hugged. GM Matt Arnold was high-fiving friends and employees in his suite.
The Brewers had just won Game 1 over the Tampa Bay Rays, their first World Series victory in 44 years.
Then, as Megill stomped off the mound, he noticed the umpiring crew starting to huddle.
The Tampa Bay Rays were challenging.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal," Megill said. “It was the last out of the game, so what did they have to lose? I thought they were just challenging the call at first base.
Nuh-uh.
The Rays were challenging the play at second too. Rookie shortstop Cooper Pratt’s foot barely lifted off the base as he turned what appeared to be the game-ending double play.
Megill paused, stood on the field, looked at second base umpire James Hoye, who was on the headset with the New York replay booth, and said, “Hey, what are you hearing?"
“He said, 'Whatever, not too good,' Megill recalled. “ “You want to throw some baseballs.’ ’’
Megill, now assuming the worst, kept throwing warm-up pitches. The crowd kept holding its breath. Suddenly, there was an entire stadium full of angst.
“You got to think worst-case scenario there," Megill said. “Once the replay went up that it was on the play at second base, and zoomed in, it didn’t look good."
The game was not over.
Junior Caminero was safe at second base. Chandler Simpson was at third base. And a run scored.
The apparent 3-1 victory suddenly became a 3-2 lead with runners on second and third. Two outs. And Jonny DeLuca at the plate.
Brewers catcher William Contreras, called the team's MVP of the postseason by Brewers manager Pat Murphy with his two hits, RBI, and two caught stealings, went to the mound to make sure that Megill was ok. Megill assured him that he was fine, but, hey, who was the next batter again.
It was DeLuca, their No. 6 hitter, who hit 11 homers during the season.
“This is a game of momentum," DeLuca said. “In that place, you’re not sure if the game is ending or if you’ll get an opportunity."
Said Rays manager Kevin Cash: “Once I saw a replay a couple of times, I felt like it was going to get overturned. And felt good about Jonny going up there against Megill with two outs.’’
Megill, who was just celebrating a few minutes earlier, suddenly had to regain his composure, Pratt had to take deep breaths and pray that Megill would prevent the most painful mistake of his professional career.
Megill raised everyone’s blood pressure at American Family Field when he fell behind 2-and-1 to DeLuca. He came back a knuckle-curve for strike 2. Then, he threw it again, just below the strikezone. DeLuca swung and missed.
Megill screamed and stomped off the mound.
This time, it counted.
Brewers 3, Rays 2.
“That was crazy," said Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby, who pitched 1 ⅔ perfect innings, and hasn’t allowed a run in 14 innings this postseason. “Just crazy credit to Megill for having that unload of adrenaline and emotion, and then to have that thing overturned and get back out there.
“That was huge. That’s why he’s the guy in the ninth for us. Unbelievable composure out of him. It was special to come back and have that composure.
Said Murphy: "That, was the biggest at-bat of the game."
Can you imagine if the Brewers had lost the game because of the challenge?
Can you imagine how demoralized the Brewers would be knowing they have to face Rays ace Drew Rasmussen in Game 2?
How Pratt would have to live with the blunder if it cost them the World Series?
“Obviously, it was a stressful situation,’’ Megill said.
Just ask Pratt, who immediately ran over to Megill and said "thanks for picking me up.’’
“I just wanted to win so bad," Pratt said. “I felt terrible. I mean, that’s not what you want, especially to end the game. And when we got the last out, I just took a deep breath
“What a huge sigh of relief."
Hey, that’s what teammates are for, right?
“That’s just kind of Brewer baseball, and it’s part of the plan here," Megill said. “Guys are going to have something that don't go the right way, and it's up to the teammates to pick them up. So, you know I'm sure he’ll it'll come through big in the next couple games for us.’’
For now, well, Game 1 was in the books.
It was emotional with the sellout crowd standing and screaming most of the game. And it was heart-stopping.
Yet, the Brewers didn’t wildly celebrate. There was no loud music blaring in the clubhouse. Just relief. Three more victories to go.
“This means a lot, but it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t get there,’’ Megill said. “We got three more wins to go. We know it's not done yet.
“It’s just one step in the right direction.’’
Next time, a step that will stay on that bag.
“You better believe it," Pratt said.
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Heart-stopping replay complicated Brewers' long-awaited World Series win
After all the pomp and circumstance, after all the anticipation, the Milwaukee Brewers finally hosted a World Series game for the first time in 44 years, and my goodness did it live up to the hype with a 3-2 Brewers victory.
In the first inning, Jacob Misiorowski ran into a little bit of trouble, allowing singles to Jonathan Aranda and Chandler Simpson. The Rays had two on and one out with a big time threat in Junior Caminero at the plate. Caminero ripped a line drive, but it was right at third baseman David Hamilton, who easily caught it and doubled off Aranda at second base.
The crowd erupted on that play and they were able to erupt again in the bottom half of the first. Multiple times.
Jackson Chourio swung at the first pitch he saw from Rays starter Nick Martinez and lined a single to right field. The captain, Christian Yelich, then crushed an 0-2 cutter on the inside corner into the gap in right-center.
Jonny DeLuca came oh-so-close to running that down and making an incredible catch, but he just couldn’t hold on to it. It goes as a triple for Yelich and it gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead.
“It got in on me a little bit, I could kinda tell I backspun it, so it’s not really like hooking or it’s not really diving, so you know it’s gonna kind of hang up there a little bit. Was just hoping that it was fan enough away from him to get down and fortunately it did.” Yelich said.
With Yelich on third, the Rays infield was drawn in for William Contreras. And he took advantage.
Very quickly, the Brewers established a lead for Misiorowski and got to Martinez before he was able to settle into the game.
After that, though, the Brewers offense struggled for a few innings, going three-up and three-down in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings.
Meanwhile, the Rays were able to get some traffic against Misiorowski in the 4th. A leadoff walk to Aranda was followed by a scorching double to center just off the outstretched glove off Garrett Mitchell. The ball left the bat at 112.7 MPH. That led to 2nd and 3rd for the Rays and Liam Hicks cashed a run in with a groundout to first on a slow roller.
The Rays had some more traffic in the 5th and 6th innings. They were 11-for-11 on stolen bases in the first two rounds of the postseason. But they hadn’t yet faced William Contreras. Contreras gunned down Victor Mesa Jr at 3rd base in the 5th and then completed a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play to end the 6th inning.
Contreras literally could not have walked the baseball down there and handed it to Hamilton in a more perfect spot than he did on that throw in the 5th.
It was a 2-1 ballgame after that, typical of the Brewers this postseason. A close, intense matchup, battling out long at-bats and grinding your way through.
The Brewers finally broke through again in the 7th inning. Cooper Pratt got things started with a leadoff walk. Sal Frelick then flew out and David Hamilton grounded out, but the grounder allowed Pratt to reach second base. That would prove important for the two out rally as the Brewers had their most clutch hitter due up in Jackson Chourio.
Chourio has said he was born for those moments. Once again, he proved that he was.
Swinging at the first pitch, Chourio delivered a single past a diving Jonathan Aranda that brought home Pratt and made it a 3-1 Brewers lead.
“The way I’ve always looked at it is it’s important to start with a good foot ahead. So if I have the opportunity to do that, I’m going to take advantage.” Chourio said.
“He’s special. He’s got special ability to compete at the big time. He’s poised. The last AB is the last AB. He’s ready every time. The kid is continuing to do this (indicating up), and it’s scary.” Pat Murphy said.
The Brewers bullpen was once again spectacular. Abner Uribe went 1.1 scoreless IP. He turned it over to Aaron Ashby, who again, delivered a perfect outing, retiring each of the five batters he faced and striking out three of them. Then it was on to Trevor Megill to close things out in the 9th.
Megill retired Yandy Diaz on a grounder to third. Jonathan Aranda reached base for the fourth time with a single to left. Then Chandler Simpson lined a single to center and Junior Caminero drew a walk. That loaded the bases for Liam Hicks.
Hicks hit a grounder to Turang’s left, forcing a tough turn and fire to second base to attempt the double play. Initially, it was a double play, the game was over, the fireworks went off, the TV postgame show set was being wheeled onto the field, fire up Glory Days, it’s a big Brewers win.
But hold on. Hold everything. The Rays challenge and upon review, Cooper Pratt’s foot left second base just a little bit early. That meant the Brewers had to lock back in, there was still one more out to get. A run had scored, so it was a 3-2 Brewers lead now. Tying run is on third, the go-ahead run is on second.
Megill, unphased, comes back to strike out Jonny DeLuca to end this game for good this time.
“Just freaking get after it. Gotta go for a strikeout there.” Megill said on his mentality after the overturn.
The Brewers got four impressive innings from their bullpen in support of Jacob Misiorowski. Misiorowski hasn’t had the strikeout stuff he had during the regular season, tallying just three punchouts in his five innings. But he still kept barrels off the ball, and he kept the lead for the Brewers and the bullpen to hold.
Yelich struck first, Contreras added on, and Chourio came through with what ended up being the winning run in front of a crowd of 43,250.
The Brewers have taken a 1-0 series lead over the Rays. They are three wins away from immortality. Logan Henderson gets the start for Game 2 while the Rays will have Drew Rasmussen.