Category: MLB

The World Series is here!

It’s been over a week since the Brewers dispatched the Dodgers in the NLCS. Since then, we’ve watched the Rays defeat the Guardians for the American League pennant and done plenty of speculation about whether Brandon Woodruff would be healthy enough to make the Brewers’ World Series roster.

Woodruff, whose season appeared over after he exited his last start on July 4th with a new injury to his already surgically repaired shoulder, has gotten surprisingly close to game-shape. After it was determined that his shoulder did not need surgery as originally anticipated, Woodruff opened the door to a late October return. During the NLCS, he threw a bullpen session. Earlier this week, he faced live hitters.

It wasn’t a straightforward decision, though. The league has rules about replacing players due to injury in the postseason, and per their rules, a player can only be replaced on the roster in the event of a new injury, meaning that if Woodruff were to pitch (or try to pitch) but reaggravate the shoulder, the league likely would not allow the Brewers to replace him. That would make the inclusion of him risky, as there would be a very real possibility that you’d be leaving yourself a man short.

It turns out that the Brewers were willing to take that risk.

Woodruff has made the Brewers’ World Series roster, at the expense of Chad Patrick, who was on the roster but did not pitch in either of the team’s first two series. Here is the full roster:

Brewers:

Catchers (2): William Contreras, Gary Sánchez

Infielders (6): Jake Bauers, David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Cooper Pratt, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn

Outfielders/DH (5): Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich

Pitchers (13): Aaron Ashby (L), Shane Drohan (L), Robert Gasser (L), DL Hall (L), Kyle Harrison (L), Logan Henderson (R), Dustin May (R), Trevor Megill (R), Jacob Misiorowski (R), JoJo Romero (L), Antonio Senzatela (R), Abner Uribe (R), Brandon Woodruff (R)

On the position player side, there is, unsurprisingly, no change. There was perhaps a world in which the Brewers chose to go with Bo Naylor as a third catcher, which would free up Gary Sánchez for more pinch-hit duty, but Milwaukee has opted to stick with 13 pitchers.

Harrison, like Patrick, has been on the roster but hasn’t appeared in a game. Senzatela did not pitch in the NLCS, but had a couple of appearances against San Diego in the NLDS. Drohan had a shaky, short start in game four of the NLCS. Milwaukee has been leaning heavily on basically four pitchers in their bullpen: Megill, Uribe, Ashby, and Hall, with Romero playing a nice role as well. The Rays’ two best hitters are both right handed in Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz, but they’ve got a couple of good lefties, too—Jonathan Aranda and Victor Mesa Jr.—so the Brewers will have to pick and choose how they play matchups in the bullpen.

The #WorldSeries Crew ❕#WinOurWay x @AmFampic.twitter.com/Oya31RmdZb

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) October 23, 2026

Rays:

Catcher (2): Nick Fortes, Liam Hicks

Infielders (6): Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, Jorge Mateo, Richie Palacios, Taylor Walls, Ben Williamson

Outfielders (5): Johnny DeLuca, Victor Mesa Jr., Cedric Mullins, Chandler Simpson, Ryan Vilade

Designated Hitter (1): Yandy Díaz

Pitchers (12): Bryan Baker (R), Cam Booser (L), Garrett Cleavinger (L), Griffin Jax (R), Kevin Kelly (R), Nick Martinez (R), Steven Matz (R), Freddy Peralta (R), Drew Rasmussen (R), Ian Seymour (L), Cole Sulser (R), Tyler Wells (R)

The Rays, on the other hand, have been using 12 pitchers the whole postseason, which continues in the World Series. In the ALCS, Tampa Bay had only two left-handed pitchers on the entire roster, but the Brewers match up well against right-handed pitching—they were second in the majors with a .759 OPS against righties, while they were 14th with a .706 OPS against lefties—so the Rays opted for an extra lefty in Garrett Cleavinger. Cleavinger didn’t have a great season, and he hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since early September; an injury kept him out of the season’s last month, though he was healthy enough to be on the ALDS roster but did not pitch. Cleavinger will, at least, take a little pressure off of Ian Seymour and Cam Booser, who we are likely to see a lot over the next week.

Beyond the Cleavinger/Hopkins switch, the Rays are going with the same roster they used in the ALCS.

Got ours#ForTampaBay | #WorldSeriespic.twitter.com/14B5Oeu1lk

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 23, 2026

The offseason is officially underway for the Pittsburgh Pirates and there are a lot of things they need to figure out before the start of the 2027 season. One of those things is what to do with some upcoming free agents. 

Let’s take a look at some of the players that are on expiring contracts and set to become free agents, and decide whether to bring them back or let them seek other opportunities.

The biggest name is definitely second baseman Brandon Lowe. Lowe has only been in Pittsburgh for one year but that year was fantastic. The veteran leads the team in RBIs and home runs and he is a National League gold glove finalist. The issue is with the season he had he is going to ask for an expensive contract and the Pirates front office is known for not wanting to spend that type of money.

Lowe will be a free agent this winter, and it’ll be interesting to see what he signs for, whether it’s with the Pirates or somewhere else.

I think it is important for Pittsburgh to bring him back. He brought much needed power to the lineup this year after the Bucs were dead last in home runs in 2025. The Pirates had a formidable offense this year and a lot of that is because of the addition of Lowe. He also brings veteran leadership which is huge because of the young team that is around him. 

Pittsburgh signed Gregory Soto as a free agent last offseason, and now the 31-year-old is set to hit the open market once again. Soto had a respectable season with the Pirates in 2026. He posted a 3.63 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP. His strikeout rate of 27.7 percent in 2026 was also an improvement from a year ago.

Soto was thrown into a closer role for a bit of the season with 22 save attempts converting on 16 of them. He struggled in that role but Soto is an important piece to bring back, they can use him in relief situations like in the seventh or eighth inning. 

Still, the Pirates need more bullpen depth, and Soto’s experience as a veteran reliever could be nice to have on a still-young team. If Pittsburgh doesn’t re-sign Soto, there will likely be another team interested in adding him.

Kirby Yates’ contract is indeed expiring, making him a free agent. The veteran pitcher is in a very different situation than the two players mentioned earlier on this list. Yates confirmed after game 162 that he is retiring from baseball at the conclusion of the season.

Yates’ time in Pittsburgh didn’t last long. He pitched in 15 games after the Pirates traded for him ahead of the deadline in early August.

Yates’ career is over but the other two players are going to start a lot of important front office conversations in the offseason in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have to ask themselves is this the year to spend money and bring back both Lowe and Soto? 

MILWAUKEE — Brandon Woodruff's two-month sprint to return for the Milwaukee Brewers' World Series run paid off in the biggest way.

Woodruff, the Milwaukee Brewers' senior member of the pitching staff, was included on the 26-man roster submitted to Major League Baseball hours before Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, Oct. 23, a significant surprise since he hasn't pitched since July 4 due to a shoulder capsule injury.

Woodruff replaces right-handed reliever Chad Patrick on the roster.

Woodruff, 33, initially believed the injury would require surgery. But he and medical professionals determined in August that he could rehab the injury and avoid surgery, and began a throwing program knowing the Brewers were playoff locks.

Yet rostering Woodruff does not come without risk for the Brewers: While injured players can be replaced mid-series, they must remain on the roster if the injury was, essentially, a pre-existing condition.

That concept came up Thursday evening when Woodruff talked with manager Pat Murphy and club president Matt Arnold. And he stressed that he wouldn't be doing this if he couldn't help them win the World Series.

"I didn’t want this to be a charity pick," Woodruff said a few hours before Game 1 Friday. "I wanted to be on the roster so I could help win. I was very straightforward about that. I just wanted to help win and give innings as much as possible.

"That was the message."

Woodruff pitched a live batting practice session this week and Murphy said Thursday that Woodruff impressed hitters. Just as Woodruff impressed the Brewers in his comeback attempt.

"It's almost incredible that the kid has worked his way back," Murphy said Thursday, noting roster deliberations were going to be challenging. "His mind was on this. He was very quiet about it, but his mind was on this.

"It's kind of incredible, and he threw the ball really well."

Woodruff has pitched nine seasons with the Brewers, sitting out the 2024 season due to shoulder injury. He last pitched July 4 but posted a 2.98 ERA in his nine starts.

As he prepared for surgery, noted orthopedist Keith Meiser viewed Woodruff's charts and his progress and had a different message in late August: Start throwing.

"As we started getting later and things started playing out, that became a conversation," Woodruff says of the World Series. "Just dangling that carrot in front of your face. I know it’s in front of me.

"There’s risk there. But that’s something I was willing to take."

Brewers roster for World Series

PITCHERS (13) — LHP Aaron Ashby, LHP Shane Drohan, RHP Logan Henderson, RHP Dustin May, RHP Trevor Megill, RHP Jacob Misiorowski, LHP JoJo Romero, RHP Antonio Senzatela, RHP Abner Uribe, RHP Brandon Woodruff.

CATCHERS (2) — William Contreras, Gary Sánchez

INFIELDERS (6) — Jake Bauers, David Hamilton, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, Cooper Pratt, Andrew Vaughn

OUTFIELDERS (5) — Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Luis Lara, Garrett Mitchell, Christian Yelich

World Series schedule

• Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
• Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
• Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
• Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
• Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 28 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
• Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 30 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
• Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 31 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandon Woodruff opens up on World Series roster spot: 'Didn't want to be charity pick'

One of the most important matters of business for the Yankees this offseason is on the way to being taken care of. 

Pitching coach Matt Blake and the team are in the midst of negotiating a new contract and moving toward a deal, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported Friday, which would ensure that the Yankees hang on to one of the best at his job in the game.

Blake, who was working on an expiring deal this season, oversaw a pitching staff that led the majors with a 3.24 ERA despite dealing with key injuries to their rotation and a largely no-name bullpen.

That was the strength of the Yankees all season, and while it still culminated in an ALDS ouster against the Rays, retaining Blake was an essential move for Aaron Boone, who is also coming back for a 10th season as manager next year.

The Yankees originally hired Blake in 2020 with no major league experience, but he quickly squashed any concerns about that and earned the respect of his pitchers with his knowledge and easygoing demeanor. While they have plenty of well-paid pitchers in their rotation, the Yankees almost annually take relievers off the scrap heap and turn them into important contributors, largely a credit to Blake and the pitching group (this year made up of assistant pitching coach Desi Druschel, bullpen coach Preston Claiborne and director of pitching Sam Briend).

“I think he’s pretty damn good at his job,” Will Warren said of Blake late this season.

This year, which was Blake’s seventh on the job, the Yankees withstood injuries to Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Ryan Weathers in their rotation, in large part due to the emergence of ace and soon-to-be AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler.

In the bullpen, closer David Bednar was the only established reliever (aside from Camilo Doval, who was traded at the deadline as a rare exception of an arm the Yankees could not fix), but the unit still finished second in the majors with a 3.13 ERA.

“I would say if you told me the way the injuries were going to play out and maybe who the names were [in the bullpen], I’m not sure I would have guessed we would have led the league in ERA and be in the top three or four of a lot of the main peripherals,” Blake said during the ALDS. “But it’s not totally surprising when you see we got the best out of a lot of them and they picked each other up and we had a great culture in the group this year. It felt rewarding to show up to the field every day. I feel like they were invigorated in a lot of ways. The starters rallied around each other, the bullpen had a great dynamic, so it did feel like we had a strong, core group that carried us for the year.”

The Dodgers will enter the offseason with 21 pitchers on the 40-man roster, not counting a certain two-way star who won’t require surgery this offseason after all. Let’s look at the group for a moment.

Starting pitchers (8)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Blake Snell
Tyler Glasnow
Roki Sasaki
Justin Wrobleski
Emmet Sheehan (arbitration eligible)
Gavin Stone (arbitration eligible)
Landon Knack (out of options)

Shohei Ohtani also plans to pitch in 2027, and the Dodgers very much want him to do so. But it’s fair to wonder just how many starts on the mound they can expect from someone pulling double duty, and coming off a season in which injuries ground his production to a halt by mid-August.

Keep in mind also that Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have an injury history that requires taking a seat before reading in full. That duo combined for 29 regular season starts in 2025, and only 22 in 2026. If we add in Ohtani to make a trio, that’s 43 starts in 2025 and 36 in 2026. Depth will obviously be needed here.

In theory, Christian Zazueta or Jackson Ferris could pitch their way into relevance here, whether or not they are added to the 40-man roster in November.

Right-handed relievers (10)

Edwin Díaz
Edgardo Henriquez
Brock Stewart (arbitration eligible)
Will Klein (coming off elbow surgery)
Kyle Hurt
Ben Casparius (last 5+ months of season on IL with shoulder inflammation)
Seth Halvorsen
Paul Gervase
Bobby Miller
Jake Cousins (arbitration eligible, on IL all year after June 2025 Tommy John surgery)

Left-handed relievers (3)

Tanner Scott
Jack Dreyer
Ronan Kopp

Looking at it another way, only nine of these pitchers were active for the Dodgers during this postseason. Jack Dreyer’s exclusion in October was notable because he was used so regularly during each of his first two major league seasons, and was active during the entire 2026 postseason as a rookie.

More moves will be made this offseason regarding Dodgers pitching. But today’s question is this — What is one pitching roster move you’d most want the Dodgers to make before the 2027 season?

The Tampa Bay Rays released their 26-man roster for the 2026 World Series, opting to carry 12 pitchers into their battle against the Milwaukee Brewers with just one significant change.

Veteran left-hander Garrett Cleavinger is on after he was omitted from their American League Championship Series roster, replacing rookie right-hander Brody Hopkins, who did not pitch in the ALCS.

Rays World Series roster

PITCHERS (12): RHP Bryan Baker, LHP Cam Booser, LHP Garrett Cleavinger, RHP Griffin Jax, RHP Kevin Kelly, RHP Nick Martinez, LHP Steven Matz, RHP Freddy Peralta, RHP Drew Rasmussen, LHP Ian Seymour, RHP Cole Sulser, RHP Tyler Wells

CATCHERS (2): Nick Fortes, Liam Hicks

INFIELDERS (7): Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jorge Mateo, Richie Palacios, Taylor Walls, Ben Williamson

OUTFIELDERS (5): Jonny DeLuca, Victor Mesa Jr., Cedric Mullins, Chandler Simpson, Ryan Vilade

World Series schedule

• Game 1: Friday, Oct. 23 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
• Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 24 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
• Game 3: Monday, Oct. 26 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
• Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 27 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
• Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, Oct. 28 — 8 PM ET, at Tampa Bay
• Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, Oct. 30 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS
• Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 31 — 8 PM ET, at Milwaukee – TICKETS

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rays World Series roster: Tampa Bay makes one change to pitching staff for Fall Classic

Baseball is a game about second chances. And third chances. And fourth chances.

Back in the 2017 MLB Draft, with the 28th pick of the first round, the Toronto Blue Jays selected right-handed pitcher Nate Pearson.

It was easy to see why. After leaving Florida International for the College of Central Florida, Pearson burst into the draft scene. According to Baseball America’s draft report on him, “[h]is fastball shows late running or sinking movement and he made tremendous growth with his command. His changeup now projects as a plus pitch, showing late fade when he locates it down in the zone. He throws both a slider and a curveball, and scouts see his slider as a more prominent part of his future. The pitch shows slurvy shape and sits in the low 80s. Pearson’s athleticism and rapid growth could lead him to come off the board as high as the back of the first round.”

He peaked as the Blue Jays No. 1 prospect in 2020 while ranking No. 2 in both 2021 and 2022. In 2020, Baseball America ranked him as the No. 7 prospect in all of baseball.

Nate Pearson's first 19 games with the Royals:

0.45 ERA | 0.85 WHIP | .147 AVG | 19 K | 3 SV

The former top prospect has excelled out of the bullpen in Kansas City 👑 pic.twitter.com/C1HG8FS9O9

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) September 10, 2026

Debuting in that strange season of 2020, he started four games while appearing in another. That’s the most starts he’s made in a season in his career. Since, he’s started only two other games, pitching primarily as a reliever as he’s bounced between the Blue Jays, Cubs, Astros, and Royals.

Why?

Why else: injuries. He’s battled multiple elbow injuries while also suffering groin, shoulder, and lat injuries, as well as illness. It’s why, despite his tantalizing stuff, he’s bounced around four different clubs since 2024.

He began 2026 with the Astros. After 16 appearances with decent results, Houston designated him for assignment on July 19. Three days later, the Royals traded for him. He made his first appearance as a Royal on July 26.

Focus for a minute on Pearson’s first 20 outings for the Royals. It tells the story of a reliever who could very well help anchor the Royals bullpen in 2027:

21 innings pitched, 20 strikeouts, 7 walks, 11 hits (zero of which left the yard), 0.43 ERA, 2.62 FIP, .212 batting average on balls in play, 3 saves, 1 blown save, 11 holds, 4 doubles allowed.

Pearson became ineffective starting around September 13. Over his final six appearances, his numbers cratered – 5 innings pitched, 5 strikeouts, 7 walks, 10 hits (including 1 home run), 21.60 ERA (!), 9.10 FIP (!!), .474 batting average on balls in play, 0 saves, 1 blown save, 0 holds, 3 doubles allowed. By then, the Royals were out of it, but his spiral meant one less reliable option in a bullpen that didn’t have many reliable options with which to begin.

PIT – Rafael Flores Jr. 2-run HR (10)
⚡ Go-ahead HR ⚡

📏 426 ft | 💨 110.2 mph | 📐 29°
⚾️ 89.7 mph slider (KC – RHP Nate Pearson)
🏟️ Out in 30/30 parks 💣

KC (3) @ PIT (4)
🔻 8th#LetsGoBucspic.twitter.com/0cIT3hSZ8Q

— MLB Home Runs (@MLBHRs_) September 20, 2026

Pearson remains arbitration-eligible for one more season. Will the Royals bring him back or non-tender him? He’s due for a raise from the $1.35 million he signed for last offseason with the Astros.

I wouldn’t mind bringing him back. There’s still something so intriguing about him, especially when considering his first 20 appearances with the Royals.

Veteran backstop Jonah Heim’s stay in Atlanta was brief, but he helped the Braves temporarily bridge the gap between the team’s starting catcher and his injured handcuff.

How Acquired

The Atlanta Braves signed Heim to a big league contract on February 10, 2026, after he’d lingered on the free agent market and Sean Murphy’s recovery from late-season surgery in 2025 looked like it was going to prevent him from being ready for the start of the 2026 regular season.

What were the expectations?

Heim, who was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2023, was coming into Atlanta to be the (initial) primary back-up to reigning Rookie of the Year winner, Drake Baldwin. Heim had been a regular starter with the Texas Rangers, having played in 124 or more games for four consecutive season. His 2024 and 2025 campaigns saw his production crater: after 2.7 fWAR in 2022 and a career-high 4.0 in 2023, Heim posted marks of 0.0 and -0.4 the following two years. The decline was across the board: he both hit worse (from a 103 wRC+ in 2022-2023 to a 71 wRC+ in 2024-2025), and his once-vaunted defense fell into “truly abysmal” territory.

Projection systems ahead of the 2026 season were still splitting the difference, figuring he was something like a below-average regular, with a well-below average bat balanced by still being able to play catcher fairly well.

The Braves didn’t need him to do much else; they just needed him to hold down the fort for a while.

2026 results

Heim started 12 games behind the plate for Atlanta, giving the team a .231/.311/.410 slash line. In some ways, that was better than expected… but really, it was just the result of outhitting his xwOBA in a 45-PA sample. His .277 xwOBA as a Brave was basically the same as his .279 xwOBA in 2024-2025. While a tiny sample, he continued his trend of being rated poorly by defensive metrics, with no recovery whatsoever from the depths he started to plumb after 2023 in that regard.

Heim started intermittently for the first six weeks of the year, while Sean Muprhy was out. In a bittersweet twist of fate, he had his best game as a Brave on May 3, hitting a homer (his only homer as a Brave) and a double against the Rockies on May 3. However, Murphy was activated, and Heim ended up designated for assignment and subsequently traded to the West Sacramento Athletics for cash.

For the Braves, that ended up being fairly awkward, as Murphy ended up with another lengthy injury stint a week later, and the Braves had to make do with options that were even worse than Heim. It got even more dire when Baldwin also hit the shelf, and the catcher situation started to look like the 2021 Kevan Smith et al. disaster.

For Heim, though, things ended up similarly unfortunate, but in a more circuitous way. Heim was a semi-regular for the Athletics, logging 345 PAs in 93 games. He finished with -0.6 fWAR, a new career low, in large part due to a continued, and worsening inability to actually play the catcher position all that well. But, the way he got there was particularly painful, as he was actually hitting fairly well for his new team (105 wRC+) through the end of June, until once again falling apart down the stretch. Basically, Heim finished at a 66 wRC+, which involved a 103 wRC+ through June, and a 44 wRC+ from July-afterwards. The Braves didn’t miss aggregate-production-in-2026 Heim, but they did miss May-and-June Heim… not that it really works that way.

What went right?

Heim did manage to become an unexpected regular with the Athletics, something that probably wasn’t in the cards for him after how bad he was in 2024-2025.

His aforementioned final game with the Braves was great, and not in the stat-padding way. His homer turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead, and then he added a lead-extending sacrifice fly and a two-run double, both of which came in fairly close games.

While these didn’t come with the Braves, Heim also had two epic games for his new team in the span of 11 days. On June 8, he was a big part of a barnburner against the Brewers, hitting a game-tying pinch-hit homer in the tenth (an inning the Athletics started down four runs). Then, he did it again against the Angels, this time a two-run shot in the ninth that set up a walkoff walk victory an inning later.

Another thing went right for Heim — perhaps one unexpected given his defensive issues. No one in baseball was better at gaining value via ABS: Heim’s 4.3 runs above average led MLB.

What went wrong?

Heim, a switch hitter, hit much better from the right-side in 2026 — so much so that he faced a few right-handed pitchers as a right-handed hitter. He simply couldn’t hit righties, though, which was an issue given how much playing time he got. Overall, his 2026 season was his third straight year with a drop in production. Outside of a few categories like chase rate, Heim rated poorly, bottom third or worse, in most offensive, defensive and base-running metrics according to Baseball Savant.

The real issue, though was his defense: you can tolerate a platoon-ish catcher even if he has a weak bat against right-handed pitchers. What you probably can’t tolerate is a guy who gives away runs in all three of framing, throwing, and blocking — even if he gets some of those back through his mastery of the challenge system.

Only two catchers were definitively worse at blocking than Heim in 2026. Combine that with below-average performance in framing and throwing out baserunners, and it’s a recipe for bleeding value.

Heim didn’t have a particularly bad game as a Brave: his worst WPA performance before he was sent west was an 0-for-2 against Tarik Skubal in a game the Braves won (one of his outs was a double play ball). He had many grislier performances down the stretch, but we won’t dwell on those.

2027 outlook

Heim, who will start the 2027 season at age 31, is likely in his full-time back-up portion of his career, and even that might be optimistic. Maybe his ability to hits righties rebounds… or maybe his defense does, but neither has shown any inclination of happening. He’ll likely land a job somewhere in 2027, pending the occurrence of an actual season, but if he gets an MLB deal this time, it might be the last one he gets. He’ll still be projected for above-replacement, well-below average performance, but even that seems like a tough sell given how poorly he’s played for three seasons now. Never-say-never on a return to Atlanta, but that seems doubtful.

Last week, I wrote about the things the Colorado Rockies were doing well to follow the “Moneyball-like’ ways of the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays based on the keys to success laid out by The Athletic’s Eno Sarris. I compared the Rockies improved stolen base rate and decreased strikeout rate as evidence of the ways Colorado did better in 2026.

This week, I wanted to look at some of Sarris’ other points and see how the Rockies measure up. This time, pitching is the focus, specifically with Colorado’s use of technology and creative pitching strategies.

Everyone knows the Rockies have been late to the game in the research and development department. However, based on this framework, there is both promising news and worrisome news. 

“Rays and Brewers were both early on using tech and data”

Sarris points to several innovative technology tools that capture data that have helped Milwaukee and Tampa Bay be more informed. Both organizations have been using them for several years, even a decade in some cases. The good news is that the Rockies have upped their data and tech game in the last few seasons, some of which Purple Row has covered, but they are still playing catch-up behind the Rays and Brewers. 

The first tech Sarris mentions is KinaTrax, which captures biomechanics without markers. The Rays started using KinaTrax in 2015. The Rockies have only been using it since 2023 and only really optimising the data with the opening of the performance lab in 2024. Implementing systems like this throughout the farm system and at the Major-League level is a monumental undertaking. The organization has to give it time to work. Plus, having a front office and manager that didn’t embrace analytics as much as current president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and manager Warren Schaeffer do now likely delayed the maximum effectiveness of the data.

The same goes for the other technologies innovative teams are using to get the best out of their pitching staffs. The Rockies are using Edgertronic (high-speed cameras that better capture ball release out of the pitcher’s hand), Catapult, which helps with fatigue monitoring, and virtual reality to prep for games. 

Back in 2018, Adam Ottavino had to bring Edgertronic to the team and argue for its implementation.

As Purple Row’s Renee Dechert wrote in September, the Rockies pitching coaches are using Catapult now, but the organization was one of the last teams to adopt it. Using it and learning how to use it to improve will also take time.

When it comes to virtual reality work, the Rockies should have been pioneers with the tech, considering it was developed by Chris O’Dowd, the son of former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd. But the tech-resistant ideology persisted long after other teams were benefiting from wearing VR. Even the performance lab was behind the timeline of most other teams. While the Rockies opened theirs in 2024, the Brewers have been utilizing theirs since 2019.

It takes the tech and the people who believe in it and know how to use it for a team to truly thrive in the analytics department. As Sarris says, “It takes great communicators to turn all that data into insights that the best coaches can use to improve their players.” 

The Rockies are getting there, but they are tardy. Time will tell if the data, the communication, the coaches and the players can align and improve.

“Rays were early on using the opener and other out-of-the-box pitcher-use strategies”

Creativity is a mixed bag in MLB. As Sarris writes, the Rays have always been on the cutting edge in this area. It’s a high-risk, high-reward endeavor that can label an organization as an innovative trailblazer or as a ridiculous flop. 

The Rockies found this out in 2012-13 when they embarked on the four-man rotation with 75-pitch limits. It didn’t work out so well, but neither has any kind of pitching on a consistent basis. In this way, the Rockies don’t have much to lose and, therefore, have more wiggle room to try new approaches. 

In 2026, the Rockies experimented with nine openers or bullpen days. This can be hard to classify with some Colorado pitchers — like Chase Dollander, Tanner Gordon and Ryan Feltner — going back and forth from the rotation to the bullpen. The Rockies went 1-7 in those games, but it wasn’t necessarily due to pitching. The Rockies scored two or fewer runs in seven of those games, including two shutouts. 

As Sarris notes, one feature teams like the Rays sometimes use is having a follower, a pitcher who enters the game after the opener and can eat up innings in the middle of the game. Some teams are finding success with using a follower on bullpen days or opener games and finding success. 

The Rockies did this with Dollander early in the season. Dollander was a follower five times, pitching at least four innings in each of those appearances when he was the second arm to enter the game. As a follower, Dollander posted a 3.20 ERA in 25.1 innings. It was better than the 4.82 ERA he posted in the 18.2 innings when he wasn’t a follower or starter. 

That being said, Dollander was one of the Rockies best pitchers this year before suffering his season-ending injury on May 15. So it probably wouldn’t matter when Dollander pitched because he would have been significantly better than the combined Rockies ERA of 5.59.

Conclusions

In my opinion, the Rockies don’t seem opposed to thinking outside of the box. They just don’t have the depth to do it. Whether it’s injuries or ineffectiveness, the Rockies are usually forced into pulling up prospects or signing sub-par free agents, often aging veterans who aren’t as good as they used to be. Since the Rockies already struggle so much with pitching at altitude and transitioning to and from lower elevations, they also aren’t able to attract high-level talent. This is where the failure in development is so devastating. 

Perhaps if the technology and data implementations take hold, combined with the new front office and coaching regime, the Rockies recent draft picks and newer prospects will be better prepared to succeed. That could allow the organization more freedom to be creative and find ways to win in Colorado.

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I trust you have been reading my series on the 17 (!) 2026 Cubs who are either free agents or who have various forms of contract options, either club or player or mutual. That series will continue through next week.

After that, during the first week of November I’ll begin my usual series on free agents who the Cubs might target. That’ll be right about when the World Series ends, and the free-agent period begins five days later.

And that could wind up being a very busy period, per this article by Andy McCullough in The Athletic:

The incoming free-agent class features scant stardom beyond [Tarik] Skubal. San Diego Padres starter Michael King and Boston Red Sox veteran Sonny Gray could also strike it big. Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena headlines a group of hitters that includes Milwaukee Brewers postseason hero Jake Bauers, two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki. At 28, Padres lefty Adrián Morejón tops the relief market. The incoming class from Nippon Professional Baseball features pitcher Hiromi Itoh, third baseman Teruaki Sato and pitcher Kaima Taira.

All might find a home before the lockout, or face a lengthy wait for the sport to resume operations. The prospect of a market compressed by a deadline is far from the union’s ideal — but the landscape beyond this winter is even harder to predict.

“I think there’s going to be more urgency,” one executive said. “And I think it could be a fun month of November, if we treat Dec. 1 like, ‘This is a deadline. So let’s get some s— done.”

The article hints that some free agents — and teams, too — might want to get some sort of deals and cost certainty before a new CBA that could put some limits on both. For example, in addition to the owners’ proposed salary cap, there’s another proposal on the table that could limit the maximum length of a contract:

In June, MLB proposed for the 2027 season a maximum contract of five years and $202 million for a free agent joining a new team. The player could sign with his current team for six years and $265 million. Compare that to what Skubal might command this winter: One executive floated a 10-year, $400 million deal as a hypothetical.

“Major League Baseball can’t stop that right now,” the executive said. “But after the lockout’s over and the settlement, it might not be possible for that guy to get that contract.”

Any deals signed before Dec. 1, under the current CBA, seem likely to be grandfathered if the payroll system has a major revamp done. That would also apply to current deals such as the 15-year, $765 million deal signed by Juan Soto with the Mets prior to the 2025 season, and any other long-term deals that go far beyond this year. Even if some sort of salary cap/floor system is agreed to — and who knows? — it will take a while to unwind all those large deals. There will have to be cap exceptions, to use an NBA term, for those sorts of contracts.

There was a feeding frenzy of sorts like this five years ago when the last CBA was up:

On Dec. 1, 2021, hours before the CBA expired, the Texas Rangers introduced their $500 middle-infield duo of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Teams were handing out nine-figure contracts across the sport: Max Scherzer received $130 million from the New York Mets. The Detroit Tigers flung $140 million at Javier Baez. Robbie Ray got $115 million from the Seattle Mariners and Kevin Gausman agreed to a $110 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

You will likely remember that the Cubs signed Marcus Stroman to a three-year, $71 million deal at that time. The deal came with two opt-outs. Stroman was pretty good the first year, not so much in 2023, then he opted out and signed with the Yankees.

Could the Cubs be part of this sort of free-agent circus, if such a thing comes to pass? You’d like to think so, at the very least to retain Seiya Suzuki, who might be the best hitter available this winter.

One thing’s for sure. There is going to be a lockout. No one from MLB has specifically said that yet, but all signs point to the sport being shut down after the deal expires at 11:59 p.m. ET (10:59 p.m. CT) on Dec. 1. After that — well, as always, we await developments.

The Asheville Tourists had a really rough season but still had some standout performers on the offense. Let’s take a look.

Asheville Tourists 2026 Record: 43-87

The Tourists got off to a brutal start going 6-18 over their first 24 games in April. In May, they struggled more going just 5-21 over 26 games. They performed better in June going 12-13 in 25 games. In July, Asheville would go 10-14 over 24 games. They played another 24 games in August going 8-16. They finished the season in September going 1-5. It was a rough season for Asheville.

Here are the team leaders (min 300 PA or 40 IP):

TEAM LEADERS
Hits – Caden Powell (115)
2B – Kyle Walker (26)
3B – Kyle Walker (2)
HR – Caden Powell (18)
RBI – Caden Powell(69)
BA – Jack Moss (.339)
SB – Kyle Walker (37)
OPS – Justin Thomas (.868)
wRC+ – Justin Thomas (118)

IP – Parker Smith/Dylan Howard (98.0)
W – Parker Smith (5)
SV – Colby Langford (4)
SO – Dylan Howard (91)
ERA – Cole Hertzler (2.72)

NOTABLES

Justin Thomas, OF
Thomas was an 11th round pick by the Astros in the 2025 draft and put together a big year for Asheville. The outfielder started the season in Asheville and was really good posting a .868 OPS with 20 doubles, 17 home runs and 34 stolen bases over 94 games. This earned him a promotion to Double-A where he played in 20 games with a .750 OPS. Thomas finished the year with 19 home runs and 41 stolen bases over 114 games between High-A and Double-A as he had a breakout performance.

Cole Hertzler, RHP
Hertzler dealt with a few injuries early in his career but finally had a healthy season and was able to show what he could do on the mound. The right-hander started in Asheville dominating with a 2.72 ERA over 10 starts. He was promoted to Double-A where he posted a 4.20 ERA over the final 40.2 innings of his season. He was nearly unhittable this season holding opponents to just a .183 BAA.

Caden Powell, INF
Powell had a solid 2025 season until he got injured and missed time. He returned with a vengeance in 2026 putting together some nice numbers. The 22-year-old played the full season in High-A and compiled 18 doubles, 18 home runs, 69 runs batted in and 30 stolen bases. He was even better over the final 86 games batting .291 with a .890 OPS. He lead Asheville in hits, home runs and runs batted in.

Jack Moss, 1B
Moss was released by the Reds early in the season and the Astros signed him as a free agent. After a few games in Fayetteville, he moved up to High-A and was great batting .339 with 16 doubles, 4 home runs and 48 runs batted in over 69 games. He finished the season in Double-A hitting .286 over six games. While he doesn’t have a ton of power, he makes a lot of contact and showed a great hit tool in 2026.

Kyle Walker, INF
Walker was drafted in the 2025 draft and had a solid first full season in 2026. The infielder played the full season in Asheville and was a mainstay at the top of their lineup hitting .251 with 26 doubles, 5 home runs and a team leading 37 stolen bases. Walker posted solid walk and strikeout rates while also transitioning back to playing shortstop.

Ethan Frey, OF
Frey was selected by the Astros in the third round of the 2025 MLB Draft, with the team going over slot to secure his signing. He came into the season with high expectations but had a rough start. After a slow April, he turned things on before getting injured and missing some time. Despite that, Frey still managed to post a reasonable stat line hitting .288 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 19 stolen bases and a .845 OPS over 70 games.

The Tampa Bay Rays are ready to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series as they have announced their roster of 26 players for the Fall Classic.

The roster is identical to what they rolled out when they swept the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, as they have swapped top prospect Brody Hopkins for southpaw Garrett Cleavinger.

Although Brody Hopkins was on the Rays roster for the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Kevin Cash never found the correct moment to utilize Hopkins’ tantalizing arm as his command issues make him a liability in close games.

The Brewers roster of position players consists of six left-handed hitters, so Kevin Cash opted to have another southpaw in the bullpen, joining Steven Matz and Ian Seymour.

During the 2025 campaign, Cleavinger at times was the best reliever in the Rays bullpen but the 32-year old southpaw has dealt with injuries in 2026 and poor performance while on the active roster. He finished the regular season with a 4.79 ERA | 4.12 FIP with a 29.8 K% & 12.2 BB% over 41.1 IP. Cleavinger last pitched on September 4th, he was placed on the Injured List following that outing with left forearm tightness; Cleavinger has not pitched since that performance.

The rest of the Rays roster remains the same.

PITCHERS (12): RHP Bryan Baker, LHP Cam Booser, LHP Garrett Cleavinger, RHP Griffin Jax, RHP Kevin Kelly, RHP Nick Martinez, LHP Steven Matz, RHP Freddy Peralta, RHP Drew Rasmussen, LHP Ian Seymour, RHP Cole Sulser, RHP Tyler Wells

CATCHERS (2): Nick Fortes, Liam Hicks

INFIELDERS (7): Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jorge Mateo, Richie Palacios, Taylor Walls, Ben Williamson

OUTFIELDERS (5): Jonny DeLuca, Victor Mesa Jr., Cedric Mullins, Chandler Simpson, Ryan Vilade

33 Years Ago Today

I vividly remember that moment. Whether the Blue Jays won or lost, I felt confident we’d be okay. With Pat Hentgen lined up to start game 7 after his impressive outing in game 3, there was reassurance. Still, I’m grateful for how it all turned out. Even after countless viewings, Joe Carter’s ability to keep that ball fair continues to amaze me.

A few years back, I had the chance to interview Hentgen and finally ask him a question that had always been on my mind:

I remember thinking when Joe Carter came to bat in game 6, “Oh well, even if we don’t win, you would be pitching the next day.” All would be good. Do you ever think about that you could have been pitching game 7?

Oh, of course. That whole day is like, I was charting the game, and I could tell you those numbers were starting to get a little scribbly towards the end there. We were down by 2 going into the 9th. You know Joe pulls those balls all year long and pulls them foul. So when he hit that ball, I was in the corner of the dugout. I’ll never forget it. I had my back to left field. I had my back to the foul pole. When he hit it, I remember just thinking, ‘Stay fair, stay fair’, because I felt it was hard enough hit to go out. And it just stayed fair that day for whatever reason.

But yeah, I thought about how it would have went down. And how you play 174 games or whatever, and it comes down to one game. It would have been pretty exciting, I’ll tell you. I know one thing in those situations: managers never let the starting pitcher get in any trouble. The minute I would have had some trouble going, we’d have had Harry Wholestaff in there. Every guy would have been available.

Thankfully, we never needed that seventh game.

Game 6 got off to a fast start, with the Jays putting up three runs in the first inning.

Devon White worked a one-out walk and raced home on Paul Molitor’s triple. Molitor then scored on a sacrifice fly by Carter.

John Olerud followed with a double, coming around to score on Roberto Alomar’s single.

• The Phillies scored once in the fourth, but the Jays answered in the bottom half: Alomar doubled, advanced on a Tony Fernandez groundout, and scored on an Ed Sprague sac fly. Another run came in the fifth thanks to a Molitor solo home run.

The seventh inning brought trouble. Dave Stewart, after 120 pitches, allowed a walk, a single, and a three-run homer to Lenny Dykstra. Cito Gaston, in his first stint managing the Jays, was slow to pull him from the game.

Danny Cox came on and struggled, giving up three hits, a walk, and two runs while recording just one out. Al Leiter got the final two outs of the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth despite a Dykstra walk and stolen base. Duane Ward handled the ninth efficiently.

The final frame was set up perfectly. The top of the order came to bat: Rickey Henderson walked, Devon White drove a deep fly out, and Molitor singled, putting the tying run on second. That’s when the unforgettable happened—Mitch Williams, my all-time favourite reliever, took the mound.

Henderson later said he tried to distract Williams from second base, forcing him to pitch out of the stretch and lose a bit off his fastball. With Rickey representing the tying run, Williams’ attention was split—understandably so. Carter, meanwhile, was always a threat to bring in a run with a sac fly.

Molitor was named series MVP after slashing .500/.571/1.000 with 10 runs, 8 RBI, 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 home runs. Alomar wasn’t far behind, hitting .480/.519/.640 with 5 runs and 6 RBI. Fernandez drove in 9 runs with a .333/.423/.381 line. Ward contributed 2 saves and a win—the clincher in Game 6.

And then there’s Joe Carter. He finished with a .280/.250/.560 slash line and 8 RBI, three of which were pivotal. Interestingly, his 3 sacrifice flies dropped his OBP below his batting average—something I’ve always found odd.

It was truly one of the greatest moments in World Series history, and probably the most significant in Blue Jays lore.

Beyond the home run itself, Tom Cheek’s legendary call made it even more iconic.

I’ll never tire of watching that play.

On the cusp of a World Series crown, a former Yankees phenom turned flameout is not ruling out a return to where it all started.

Catcher/designated hitter Gary Sanchez, a member of the 2026 National League champion Brewers, is preparing to face his one-time AL East foe, the Rays, in the World Series in search of his first career championship.

At 33, the well-traveled slugger has been with six different organizations in the five years since his Yankees career unceremoniously ended in 2022 with a trade to the Twins.

But once the World Series wraps up, “El Gary” — who has spoken fondly of his at-times tumultuous career in the Bronx — is not ruling anything out.

“I’m still playing, and you never know,” Sanchez said in an interview with Jomboy Media’s JoezMcfly. “I’m a free agent [this offseason] and life takes many turns. You never know.”

The Support for Gary Sanchez is still there El Gary on being with the Yankees #yankees#mlb#nyypic.twitter.com/MurpZzcu1q

— JoezMcfly (@JoezMcfLy) October 23, 2026

A highly touted prospect in the Yankees’ system, Sanchez took the Yankees and MLB by storm in 2016, going on a torrid stretch over the last two months that nearly earned him Rookie of the Year honors.

Among his exploits, Sanchez earned Player of the Month honors for August and became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 11 career homers.

He followed that up by establishing himself as one of the team’s most feared hitters, posting a pair of 30-plus home run seasons and making two All-Star teams from 2017-2019.

“You know, I had my best years in the big leagues with the Yankees,” Sanchez said. “Many fans will remember me for a long time, and I set records for the franchise too.

“I will be mentioned for a long time and it’s the team I played with the longest, so thank you for all the support.”

However, defense, hustle and ability to make consistent contact made Sanchez a polarizing figure in New York, cutting into his playing time and, ultimately, his Yankees tenure.

Since his departure, Sanchez has settled into a role as a right-handed power bat off the bench, making stops with the Twins, Mets, Padres, Orioles and now the Brewers for a second stint.

In 86 games this season, Sanchez slashed .209/.349/.422 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs.

His lone postseason at-bat resulted in a crucial walk, setting up Jackson Chourio’s walk-off single in Game 2 of the NLDS.

Sanchez’s once-suspect defense has seen improvement since leaving left New York, but he appeared behind the plate for 43 games this season while splitting the rest of his time between DH and first base.

The Yankees were reportedly in the market for a right-handed catcher this past season but ultimately did not make a trade, instead rolling with veteran Ali Sanchez down the stretch.

Entering an offseason that is likely to see a lockout, predicting any moves is difficult, but Sanchez appears more than open to a second act in the Big Apple.

Before he was Birdie, William Cree was a little man with a big right arm and impressive speed. Born about an hour south of Pittsburgh, like many players of his day, the old-timer had a unique path to the majors, including playing under a fake name to preserve his eligibility.

William Franklin “Birdie” Cree
Born: October 23, 1882 (Khedive, PA)
Died: November 7, 1942 (Sunbury, PA)
Yankees Tenure: 1908-15

After finishing school in Pennsylvania, Cree attended Southwestern State Normal School, where he played football and baseball while earning his teaching credentials. After graduating in 1903, Cree started teaching in the public school system while continuing to play baseball and football. His athletic prowess earned him a scholarship offer from Penn State.

In the fall of 1904, just three days into his Nittany Lion football career, Cree dislocated his collarbone and was out for the season. However, he was healthy and ready for baseball the following spring. After collecting several extra-base hits, the nickname Birdie was born.

Cree actually used a variation of that nickname for his secret identity, presenting himself as Bill Burde, to play amateur baseball for some spending money while still in school. Following the 1907 season, Burde was purchased by Connie Mack and the Philadelphia Athletics.

The team left him with his amateur club for the start of the 1908 season and they moved him to center field. Before the season was over, Detroit acquired Cree the outfielder, not Burde the shortstop, from the Athletics and then promptly traded him to the New York Highlanders.

In September of 1908, Cree made his major league debut. He appeared in 21 games the rest of the way, batting .269 with two triples. The Highlanders finished the year in eighth place with a 51-103-1 record.

At age 26, in 1909, Cree played his first full season of professional baseball. The Highlanders moved him all over the field as he saw time at all three outfield spots, both middle infield positions, and even made one appearance at third base. Cree hit his first home run, which also happened to be the first home run hit out of legendary Shibe Park in Philadelphia by a right-handed batter. The team improved overall but still finished below .500.

The 1910 season was Cree’s breakthrough campaign. The team finished second in the American League with an 88-63-5 record, in part due to Cree’s improvement. His average increased by more than 20 points to .287, while he hit 16 triples and tied for the team lead with four home runs.

For an encore, Cree followed up his breakthrough season with what ended up being his best campaign. In 1911, Cree ranked in the top five in the American League in several categories and had one of the best seasons in club history by a non-superstar player. His batting average was .348, while he slugged .513 on 181 hits. That included 22 triples, 30 doubles, and 48 stolen bases. His production was good for a 5.6 WAR and a 152 OPS+.

The amazing run peaked and he started to come back down to earth in 1912. That season, Cree still slashed a very respectable .332/.409/.453 but was limited to only 50 games after battling a severe cold to start the year and then getting his wrist broken on a hit by pitch at the end of June. Sadly, Cree was never the same after this injury. 

With the wrist injury lingering, Cree battled through the 1913 season. His average dropped to .272, but he still managed to hit 32 extra-base hits in 145 games. This year was the first in which the club was officially known as the Yankees, giving Cree the distinction of having played under both names.

Rocky is the only way to describe Cree’s 1914 season. Arriving overweight and out of shape, Cree was released and briefly played for Baltimore in the International League before the Yankees bought him back. Finishing off the year, Cree hit .309 in 77 games with a 2.9 WAR.

Cree couldn’t lose the weight he had added and then suffered another injury during spring training in 1915. In what would be his final professional season, Cree slashed .214/.353/.276 in 74 games, opting for retirement after the season rather than going down a level into the minors. Cree ended his career having played parts of eight different seasons professionally all with New York. His final career slash line was .292/.368/.398 and a 125 OPS+.

In retirement, Cree worked in banking and took up several leisure activities, such as golf and tennis. He even appeared at a few Old-Timers’ Days as well. But in November 1942, Cree succumbed to an illness just a couple weeks after turning 60.

Happy birthday, Birdie!

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See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.