Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is having an historic season. Through Wednesday, 153 games, he is batting .282 /.375/.581 with 115 runs scored, 44 home runs and 37 stolen bases. The slugging percentage and .956 OPS lead the National League.
However, based on this Bluesky post, PCA might have done even better:
Okay, that’s something of what might be called a “freak show stat,” because as Mike Petriello points out, baseball is a very different sport than it was during DiMaggio’s time, which is now between 75 and 90 years ago. That’s a really long time and we should expect sports to evolve over time.
There’s one truth not stated in that post, though, and that’s the reason PCA has faced so many different pitchers. That’s from 10 days ago, and the Cubs haven’t played any teams in those 10 days that they hadn’t faced earlier this yer, so that number isn’t likely to have increased much. The only team they’ll face going forward that they haven’t seen is the Red Sox, who they’ll play for the final three games of the 2026 regular season.
The truth is this: The balanced schedule.
Before the balanced schedule took effect in 2023, MLB teams played a schedule mostly in their own league. They’d play their “rival” twice, then three games each against one division in the other league. It amounted to 20 interleague games, and playing 20 of the other 29 teams.
Now, with the balanced schedule, every team plays all 29 other teams and there are 48 interleague contests per team. What that means, of course, is that teams are playing nine clubs that they didn’t used to see, and fewer games against divisional opponents, down from 19 to 13.
This, obviously, means that players would see many more different pitchers. In 2022, 523 different men pitched for MLB teams. Now, this includes position players pitching, though that was done far less even that recently — only 30 different position players that year, compared to the ridiculous number of 11o this year. We can’t really take an “average” per team because some of these pitchers pitched for multiple teams.
You ready for this? There have been 856 different players throwing at least one pitch for an MLB team this year. Even if you take out the position players for both years, that’s still a 48 percent increase.
And that’s my point here. Hitters are just seeing far more pitchers now than they did with the unbalanced schedule. Combine that with the fact that even over just four years, the number of pitchers who can throw 98 miles per hour has also increased, and I think that likely results in a drop in batting average and offense.
Now, the Cubs have bucked that trend, a bit, by having what could be an historically great offensive season. Good on them, but if MLB went back to the unbalanced schedule, I think that would help boost offensive production. The unbalanced schedule is a good idea for a number of reasons; this is just one more, and I think that MLB and the MLB Players Association should consider reverting to the unbalanced schedule for the next CBA. It would be good for the sport, in my view.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 17: Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics is relieved by manager Mark Kotsay #7 of the Athletics in the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on September 17, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the first two games of this three-game series saw the A’s barely lose, there was no doubt who the better team was today in the last game of the set. The Athletics got smacked in the finale on Thursday afternoon, losing to the play0ff-bound Rays 10-1 to wrap up their time in Florida. Just one more road series of the season left!
Springs solid early, falters late
Making what is likely one of the final starts of his A’s tenure, veteran Jeffrey Springs got the call for the finale against his former team. It’s been an overall rough season for him but he seemed to be sprinting through the finish line here at the end. The game started out well enough for the lefty as he allowed just one hit the first time through the Rays’ lineup.
Things hit the wall in the fourth however for the southpaw. If you want to look up the exact details of what happened then be my guest but it was ugly. When the inning had ended the Rays had put up a six-spot, chasing Springs from the game after he managed just one out in the frame.
Another dud from Springs and his season ERA now stands at 6.18 through 28 starts. Today was probably he second-to-last start in an Athletics uniform, with his final start scheduled for next week at home against the Angels. He’ll certainly be glad to not call Sutter Health Park home next year.
A’s offense struggles against an ace
On the other side of things, the Athletics’ offense was going up against Tampa’s co-ace in Drew Rasmussen. The right-hander has had a fantastic season up to this point and today was no different. The Athletics managed just four hits and a pair of walks against the right-hander as he looked dominant from the jump. The A’s had a chance to push across a run against him in the third when a double-steal put runners at second and third, but with two outs they needed a base hit and Jeff McNeil couldn’t deliver. That was their best chance against Rasmussen but just couldn’t cash in. That’s why he’ll be starting a playoff game for Tampa Bay soon enough.
The A’s would not be shutout in this one though. Rasmussen was done after five full innings, making way for the bullpen for the final four frames. Right fielder Lawrence Butler greeted the first arm out of the ‘pen with a leadoff blast to start the sixth, putting the A’s on the board:
No shutout today! That was Butler’s 17th of the year and 20 home runs is definitely within reach. That should be a personal goal for him in the final week-plus we have here in the 2026 season. He started the year slow but he’s sure ending it on a high note.
The final frames
That was just about it though. The A’s would work one more walk from Alika Williams but the Rays would continue to add on, first two more in the sixth before another pair in the eighth for good measure to make it double-digits for them on the day. Funnily enough Tampa only collected seven hits this afternoon, but they also worked nine (!) walks. Can’t win like that.
Not a good day at all in Tampa. The A’s couldn’t escape Florida with at least one win and now head to their final road destination of the year with a 61-92 record. With just nine games to go the A’s should be able to avoid a 100-loss season, but the sooner we get that 63rd win the better. Hopefully it comes this weekend.
The A’s now head to Cleveland for what will be their final road series of the season. The Guardians are holding onto the AL Central lead by a thread so it’s an excellent time for the A’s to play spoiler. The A’s have yet to announce their starter for tomorrow but it could be right-hander Mason Barnett, who could get one or two more looks here in the final stretch. Cleveland does know who they’re going with as right-hander Daniel Espino gets the nod as an opener. We’ll have to wait and see how Cleveland follows him up.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 17: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after hitting Brandon Lowe #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates (not pictured) with a pitch in the second inning during the game at PNC Park on September 17, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It seems safe to say that Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison will not be on the postseason roster.
Harrison, who recorded the first five outs of today’s game against the Pirates working around just a first-inning double, then gave up three hits, two walks, and hit two batters with two outs in the second, allowing five runs (four earned) by the time he exited.
Harrison entered his August 31 start against the Cubs with a 2.79 ERA over 103 1/3 innings this season, but he now sits with a 4.25 ERA over 112 1/3 innings, allowing 24 runs (21 earned) over his last nine innings across four appearances. The velocity is still there, but the shape is not, and it’s all but a certainty with less than two weeks until the postseason that Harrison will not be on the roster this postseason.
That’s the bad news.
The good news?
Milwaukee’s bullpen (mostly) picked him up to get the finish line.
While the Brewers ultimately lost 7-4, the bullpen worked the last 6 1/3 innings, allowing just a two-run homer in the eighth, and right-hander Garrett Stallings once again turned in a great relief appearance.
The Brewers struck first in this one, as Gary Sánchez, Sal Frelick, and David Hamilton hit a trio of singles in the top of the second to plate a run, putting the Crew up 1-0.
After striking out Brandon Lowe and inducing a groundout from Nick Gonzales to begin the second, things quickly went awry for Harrison.
He walked Ronny Simon, allowed an infield single to Jared Triolo, and a catcher’s interference by Bo Naylor (which officially counts as an E2) loaded the bases. It only got worse from there, as the rookie Konnor Griffin hit a two-run double and Oneil Cruz followed with a two-run single to make it 4-1 Pittsburgh.
Harrison then hit Bryan Reynolds with a pitch, loaded the bases again with a walk of Rafael Flores Jr., and hit Lowe to make it 5-1 before Pat Murphy was forced to pull him.
Chad Patrick entered and struck out Gonzales, but the damage was done.
Neither team had much of a threat after that until the sixth inning, when the Brewers got one back with a Joey Ortiz walk, Frelick single, and a Naylor forceout on what should have been a double play ball — Griffin threw the ball into the first-base dugout, allowing Ortiz to score and cut the lead to 5-2.
The Brewers continued to chip away in the eighth inning against Luke Weaver, as Garrett Mitchell doubled and scored after advancing on a pair of flyouts by Ortiz and Frelick. Naylor then followed with a solo home run that barely made it over the 21-foot wall in right field, as a young Brewer fan appeared to possibly reach over to (unsuccessfully) grab the ball. The homer call stood after review, and suddenly it was 5-4.
After Cooper Pratt kept the pressure on with a single up the middle, Pirates manager Don Kelly opted to go to his closer Mason Montgomery, who walked Brice Turang but got out of the inning with a strikeout of Luis Lara.
Aaron Ashby took over for Stallings — who pitched three scoreless innings from the fourth through the seventh, allowing just a hit and a walk while striking out six — in the eighth looking to preserve the one-run deficit. He wasn’t able to do it, though, as he allowed a single and a homer to Henry Davis, extending Pittsburgh’s lead to 7-4.
Andrew Vaughn drew a one-out walk in the ninth, but he was left stranded there and the Brewers were unable to complete the sweep in Pittsburgh.
It was a very rough day for Harrison (1 2/3 IP, 5 R (4 ER), 4 H, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 2 K) and home plate umpire James Hoye (nine overturned calls on 11 challenges), but a good day for Patrick (1 1/3 IP, 1 BB, 2 K), JoJo Romero (1 IP, 1 K), and Stallings, who has yet to allow a run over 14 major league innings this season.
Offensively, the Brewers finished the day with nine hits and six walks, but they didn’t do quite enough to make up for Pittsburgh’s five-run second inning. Frelick was the only player with two hits, while Naylor, Turang, and Ortiz each reached twice with a hit and a walk.
The Brewers will look to shake this one off as they continue their road trip in Baltimore this weekend. Dustin May gets the ball in Friday’s series opener, while the Orioles have yet to announce a starter (though it’s expected to be Cade Povich). First pitch in that one is at 6:05 p.m. See you then.
The Dodgers' Kyle Tucker hits a home run during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. (Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
Sheets of plastic were already in place in the Great American Ball Park visiting clubhouse Thursday afternoon, attached to the ceiling with binder clips and folded up above the lockers, ready to be unfurled after the game for the Dodgers’ celebration.
It took an extra day for the Dodgers to let them down. But with their 8-2 win Thursday, they clinched the NL West division for the 13th time in 14 years. It was never much of a contest. The Dodgers widened their lead in the division to 9 1/2 games — before the conclusion of the Padres’ game against the Rockies.
“What’s funny is Los Angeles has always been looked at, as far as sports, a Laker town,” manager Dave Roberts said this week. “I don’t know, I think we might have market share now in Los Angeles.”
They are guaranteed, at the very least, home-field advantage in a wild-card series. The next week and a half, they’ll be playing for a first-round bye, straight into the National League Division Series.
On Thursday, however — as the offense surged from top to bottom and the bullpen-day pitching staff, headlined by Justin Wrobleski’s three perfect innings and Landon Knack’s four scoreless innings, quieted the Reds offense — was a chance for the Dodgers to celebrate what they’d done so far in the season.
It’s a big deal,” Roberts said. “It’s not easy. I think a lot of people think it’s easy, it’s a rite of passage. It’s not easy to win a division when everyone is gunning for you, to keep everyone motivated to play over the course of 162.
“It’s something we’re all really proud of but that’s not the end goal. Like I mentioned [Monday] night when we clinched the postseason berth, you have to celebrate those moments and then turn the page and look forward. But it’s exciting.”
As wide of a lead as the Dodgers have in the division race, their season hasn’t been smooth sailing.
At the beginning of the year, the rotation bore the brunt of the injury bug, with left-hander Blake Snell and right-hander Tyler Glasnow missing months of the season.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers’s two big deadline acquisitions didn’t make nearly the impact they were expected to.
Right fielder Kyle Tucker — who continued his recent hot streak with a single, two doubles and a home run on Thursday — is still on pace for the worst full season of his career. And reliever Edwin Díaz not only has spent most of the season on the IL but lost the closer spot with poor performance when he was healthy. He’s scheduled to be activated off the IL (neck inflammation) Friday.
So, the Dodgers made a splash at the trade deadline, acquiring two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. He’s fit right in, making a now Shohei Ohtani-less projected postseason rotation still the most daunting the sport has seen in decades.
What was supposed to be Ohtani’s first full season of two-way duties since joining the Dodgers turned into a second-half injury-management debacle. The Dodgers still hope he’ll be back from the 15-day IL (right biceps and left knee injuries) before the end of the regular season.
He’s set to progress to hitting off coach-thrown batting practice this week, Roberts said.
“Overall, body feels normalish,” Roberts said. “... There’s no pain. He’s doing everything he needs to do. I still don’t know when time to (return to) play is, but everything that I hear is really positive.”
Injuries have hit the position-player group hard down the stretch, with center fielder Andy Pages (fractured left hand) — likely to return during the Dodgers’ upcoming homestand — and catcher Dalton Rushing (right elbow) also on the IL, and first baseman Freddie Freeman (right knee tendinitis) and infielder Miguel Rojas (right shoulder soreness) playing through ailments.
The rotation also isn’t out of the woods. Snell left his start Wednesday with what the team called left groin tightness, and it remains to be seen if he’ll make another regular-season start. Right-hander Roki Sasaki is working back from a blister on his middle finger and is penciled in to return from the IL next week against the Padres.
Despite all of that, the Dodgers have already won 93 games — matching their 2025 season total — with nine games to go.
“I don’t think we’ve been able yet in the season to be the whole group healthy and performing the way we know we can perform,” left fielder Teoscar Hernández said when the Dodgers clinched a postseason berth Monday. “But at the same time, it’s baseball. Things like that are going to happen, so just have to support each other the way we’ve been doing this year, the past year, in the hard moments, and just keep going.”
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 17: Kyle Tucker #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a home run during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 17, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fittingly, in a game in which the Dodgers secured the NL West crown, they did so in the dominant manner in which they’ve won this division—this season and in many other campaigns—beating the Reds 8-2 in the final game of this road trip.
There are plenty of games in the regular season in which you can pinpoint a couple of pitches—mistakes that were hit and others that weren’t—to argue a game could’ve gone the other way. Well, this was not one of those times, as Brady Singer could not buy a strikeout against the Dodgers, throwing less than half of his pitches inside the zone, which led to plenty of walks. And the walks were the least of his problems, as whenever Singer threw anything in the zone, it was getting hit and hit hard.
Before Elly De La Cruz could even enter the batter’s box for the first time, the Reds already trailed the Dodgers by a pair. In the top of the first, Kyle Tucker took advantage of a Freddie Freeman walk and hit a two-run bomb, crushing a low sinker right in the middle of the zone.
Because the Dodgers stranded a couple of runners who got on base in the first after that Tucker homer, the right fielder would already come back to hit again in the next frame. Tucker made it a 4-0 game with an RBI double following a Freddie Freeman RBI sac fly.
Seemingly trying to push through Singer’s struggles, the Reds kept him in there, and even in a scoreless third, the signs of trouble were evident—multiple hitters reached base, and a Josue De Paula lineout over 100 MPH was doing the heavy lifting for that only zero Singer put up on the board. It felt inevitable that in the following frame, it’d turn sideways quickly. The first six hitters to come to the plate in the fourth all reached safely, including Tucker with his third hit in as many at-bats. Josue De Paula’s RBI single made it 7-0, and Singer finally got the hook, by that point already nearing 100 pitches on the day.
As the Reds starter was running on fumes in a feeble attempt to contain the Dodgers’ offense, Justin Wrobleski was cutting it loose, as only a pitcher who knew he was in for a shorter outing would do. Sitting at 96 mph+ on his fastball and sinker—a tick and a half over his season average on the former—Wrobleski faced nine hitters and retired them all, dominating through three before handing it off to the Dodgers’ bullpen to maintain a seven-run lead. Blake Treinen contributed one inning that had the Reds’ only run—a Sal Stewart long ball—before Landon Knack came in to complete four scoreless frames, enjoying the momentum of a commanding lead to keep the Reds from making this a close contest. The final inning was left to Seth Halvorsen, who went from taking the loss yesterday to finishing the NL West-clinching game, allowing just one run—quite the turnaround for the former Colorado Rockie.
With a single, a double, and a homer after four, Tucker had multiple chances to become the first Dodger to hit for the cycle since Cody Bellinger did it back in 2017 as a rookie. He even crushed one into the gap in left center, but the Reds’ defense played it cleanly, forcing him to not even be able to try a bold move by going to third—already looking gassed from all the running around the bases he had to do.
In the ninth inning of a 7-1 game, the Reds did what they should know better than to do against the Dodgers—they let a left-hander pitch to Miguel Rojas. The Dodgers’ veteran infielder didn’t forgive this offense by tacking on a run with a solo shot, his fourth of the year, all against southpaws.
The Dodgers rush back home because the Giants await, with a three-game set starting on Friday night (7:10 p.m. PT) in an exclusive broadcast on Apple TV. Tyler Glasnow starts, hoping to shake off a couple of rusty starts against the Twins and Marlins, while César Perdomo makes only his fourth appearance in the big leagues.
Kyle Tucker, their $60 million-a-year-man who was rarely heard from the first five months of the season, homered for the fourth time in his past eight games and drove in three runs as the Dodgers thumped the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 Thursday, Sept. 17 at Great American Ballpark to clinch the division title with nine games remaining.
The Dodgers (93-60) hold a four-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the race for the No. 2 seed in the NL and a first-round bye. Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker so Los Angeles must finish a game clear of the Braves to avoid playing in the wild-card series.
The likeliest scenario is the Dodgers playing host to the winner of an Atlanta-San Diego best-of-three in the NL Division Series. They most certainly won't have Shohei Ohtani, the pitcher, in this postseason and they may not have Ohtani the hitter near the height of his powers, or even at all.
Yet they will carry the deadliest 1-2 pitching combo - 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto and two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal - into the postseason tournament.
And they'll also have, it seems, a sentient Tucker.
The 29-year-old right fielder who signed a four-year, $240 million deal was batting just .221 with a .671 OPS on Sept. 8. Thursday, he went 4-for-5 with three extra-base hits, capping an eight-game stretch in which he went 12-for-29 (.414) with four homers and a 1.566 OPS.
The @Dodgers are NL West champions for a 5th straight season!
His outfield mate, Teoscar Hernández, has been similarly potent, boosting his season OPS by 68 points thanks to a .385/.492/.712 line over his previous 15 games. They need the lineup length right now with Ohtani resting due to right biceps and left knee injuries.
Should the four-time MVP return, and lefty starter Blake Snell's groin scare is truly just that, the Dodgers should be well-stocked for October.
For now, their preliminary accomplishments are well in hand. This is the Dodgers' fifth consecutive division title and the lone runner-up finish in this 14-year run came in 2021, when their 106 victories were one fewer than the San Francisco Giants' 107. They probably won't get to 100 wins this year. But they certainly were good enough - and hope that holds true in October, too.
CINCINNATI, OH - JUNE 20: Casey Janssen #44 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 20, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Toronto defeated Cincinnati 14-9. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Casey Janssen turns 45 today. He has always been one of my favourites, and a favourite among readers of this site. Long before I joined, the site even interviewed him back in 2008.
Janssen was selected in the fourth round of the 2003 draft out of the University of California, during the J.P. Ricciardi era. That year, the Jays picked David Purcey in the first round, with Zach Jackson, Curtis Thigpen, and Adam Lind all chosen ahead of Casey.
Janssen made his Blue Jays debut at the end of April 2006, stepping in after A.J. Burnett landed on the DL due to complications from his 2003 Tommy John surgery. Casey started off strong, going 3-2 with a 3.12 ERA in six May starts, but struggled as the season progressed, ultimately finishing 6-10 with a 5.07 ERA.
In 2007, a string of pitching injuries shifted Janssen to the bullpen, where he became the setup man for closer Jeremy Accardo. He finished the year with 24 holds, 6 saves, and a 2.35 ERA in 70 appearances. While he only struck out 39 batters in 72.2 innings, he excelled at keeping the ball on the ground and consistently got the job done.
Casey missed all of 2008 and the early part of 2009 due to a torn labrum. The Jays tried him as a starter upon his return, but after five rough outings and a 6.23 ERA, he transitioned back to the bullpen for good, where he remained a key contributor for the next five seasons.
Between 2010 and 2014, Casey appeared in 279 games, recording a 2.99 ERA and 83 saves. He served as the team’s closer from 2012 to 2014 and currently ranks fifth on the franchise’s all-time saves list and fifth in games pitched by a Blue Jays pitcher.
You might recall that he battled a bout of food poisoning over the All-Star break, which likely contributed to a difficult second half. After a solid start to the season, he posted a 5.70 ERA following the break.
Following the 2014 season, Janssen signed with the Nationals, but struggled in 2015, leading the team to decline his option for 2016. He was briefly with the Padres and Red Sox organizations, but never made it back to the majors. In 2017, he continued his career in the Mexican League.
I’m not exactly sure why Janssen became such a favourite here, but he was undeniably effective. I always enjoyed his distinctive follow-through, especially the pronounced bend in his lead leg that brought him so low to the ground. It also helped that he seemed like a genuinely good guy.
Marcus Semien turns 36 today.
In 2021, Marcus played all 162 games for the Blue Jays, slashing .265/.334/.538 with 45 home runs and 15 steals. He earned both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards for second base and finished third in MVP voting.
The Jays finished that season 91-71, which was only good enough for fourth place in the AL East.
Afterward, Semien signed a seven-year, $175 million contract with the Rangers. Before this season, the Rangers traded him to the Mets. He’s not having a great season there.
Over his 14-year career, Marcus has hit .251/.319/.429 with 267 home runs and a 49.9 bWAR.
Happy Birthday, Marcus.
On this day in 2019 (seven years ago), Cavan Biggio hit for the cycle—just the third Blue Jay to do so, joining Jeff Frye and Kelly Gruber.
His game unfolded like this:
– Strikeout in the first
– Two-run homer in the third
– Single in the sixth
– Double in the eighth
– Two-run triple in the ninth, part of a four-run inning that secured the win
He also stole two bases, scored three runs, and drove in four.
The game took place in Baltimore. I noted in the recap that the announced attendance was 9,280, but estimated that about 9,000 were disguised as empty seats. The Jays won 8-5.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 15: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game at Target Field on September 15, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It wouldn’t have been a proper Yankees-Twins series in Minnesota without a game that devolved into extra-innings madness. The Yankees failed to cash in multiple bases loaded opportunities and so missed a chance to sweep, falling farther behind the Rays in the standings. Nonetheless, the Bombers took care of business in the first two games of the series, and it is from the middle game that we pull our candidate for Sequence of the Week.
We join Max Fried with two outs in the bottom of the fifth on Tuesday at Target Field. The Yankees have a 3-1 lead courtesy of a Cody Bellinger two-run homer and George Lombard Jr. RBI single. However, the Twins are threatening to cut the lead to one with Emmanuel Rodriguez on second with a two-out double. That brings the number nine hitter Austin Martin to the plate, a batter Fried absolutely wants to retire to avoid the lineup turning over with a runner in scoring position.
After going almost all fastballs the first time he faced Martin, Fried looks to steal a called first-pitch strike with a backdoor sweeper.
After seeing mostly hard stuff that moved away from him, you can understand why Martin would give up on this pitch early given how far from the strike zone it is initially aimed. Fried sweeps in a dandy on the outer half for called strike one.
Establishing that backdoor breaking ball for a called strike forces Martin to respect any pitches that start away, even those that look like balls out of the hand. This opens up a host of possibilities for Fried, including the changeup low and away for chase.
This is a pretty well-executed changeup out of the zone down and outside. It looks like it is aimed at that corner of the zone before fading away from the hitter. You can see Martin was initially tempted to chase the pitch — a product of that first pitch backdoor sweeper — before holding up for an impressively disciplined take.
With Martin taking against that last pitch away, Fried and Ali Sánchez feel that there is an opening for another backdoor sweeper.
Another decently executed pitch, just a little too low to nip the bottom of the zone for a second called strike. It is worth noting that Martin showed some willingness to offer before backing off, so that outside pitch is still open for chase opportunities.
Not wanting to fall any further behind in the count, Fried throws his first fastball of the encounter. However, unlike the four-seamers and sinkers he threw Martin in the first AB, this cutter breaks toward the hitter instead of away. Therefore, if the hitter succeeds in reading fastball spin out of the hand, a backdoor cutter that starts off the plate away should freeze Martin.
That is precisely what happens, Fried pinpointing this cutter with precision on the corner up and away. Martin leaves the bat on his shoulder, only to watch the pitch cut across the black of the plate for called strike two.
Now that he has established his fastball in the zone and has the count leverage in his favor, Fried has an opening to climb the ladder with the cutter hoping for a chase and whiff under a pitch elevated above the zone.
Even though this offering misses the top of the zone by about a foot, it’s not a complete waste pitch. Fried has reset the hitter’s eye level for the fastball up, which should open the door for a breaking ball down and in.
That is just what Fried’s thought process is with the count full. He doesn’t need to give in with a fastball with first base open, knowing that it will be very hard for Martin to lay off a breaking ball that looks like a strike out of the hand.
Now this is what you call a back-foot sweeper. The pitch looks like a strike for much of its journey toward home until the lateral sweep really seems to accelerate in the final 15 feet. It’s just where you want to land a pitch like this, close enough to the strike zone to extract the chase but close enough to the batter that he is not able to pull in his hands in time to make contact.
Asked after the start what positives he would take away, Fried cited breaking ball command and an economical pitch count to go seven strong on just 88 pitches, the first point certainly highlighted by this sequence.
The Yankees desperately needed this start from Fried, not only to boost their chances of winning this particular game but also as a sign of continued build-up from the recurrence of his left elbow bone bruise. Fried labored in the start before this one, needing 80 pitches to complete 3.1 innings. Seeing him back to his best when it comes to pitch efficiency and damage limitation has to be encouraging as they formulate their postseason rotation plans.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 12: Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on September 12, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The offense fell flat for the Colorado Rockies as Mason Adams struggled on the mound, leading to a 9-3 victory for the San Diego Padres. The Rockies will now look to settle for a series split in their final match-up against the Padres in 2026.
Tanner Gordon (1-4, 5.55 ERA) takes the ball for the Rockies, still trying to figure out a role with the Rockies. Since rejoining the rotation on August 21, Gordon has had two brilliant starts surrounded by three not-so-great starts. In his last two outings, he has allowed nine runs on 18 hits in 8.2 innings of work. Specifically, he allowed four runs on 10 hits in four innings against the Detroit Tigers. A familiar issue is that Gordon may throw a lot of strikes, but he gives up a lot of contact and that gets him into trouble. He doesn’t walk many and can get a modest number of strikeouts, but if he isn’t inducing the kind of contact that leads to groundball outs, things can get away from him in a hurry.
This will be Gordon’s first appearance against the Padres this season. He has made three previous starts in his career, going 1-1 with a 4.60 ERA. He made two starts in 2025, allowing seven runs on eight hits over 9.2 innings of work. He had 14 strikeouts against two walks, but was stung by four home runs. The Padres have a knack for hitting the ball hard, especially at Coors Field, so that will be something that Gordon has to be mindful of.
Michael King (11-9, 3.03 ERA) makes the start for the Padres. It’s been business as usual for King since his transition into a full-time starter when joining the Padres in 2024. In 175 innings of work, he has 148 strikeouts against 66 walks while opponents are hitting just .215 against him. King has been an effective workhorse all season, working at least six innings in all but nine of his 30 starts. He’s been on a hot streak lately, allowing just three runs over his last four starts, all of which came in seven innings. King’s command can get shaky at times, but he combats that with a strong strikeout ability and by getting weak contact.
He last faced the Rockies on July 28, allowing four runs on six hits over six innings. In five career appearances against Colorado, King has a 5.54 ERA over 26 innings of work. He has given up five home runs while striking out 30 against eight walks. A free-swinging Rockies offense will need to make him work and find a way to square up the ball like they did Tuesday night.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 14: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrates his solo home run with Jackson Merrill #3 in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 14, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (83-69) at Colorado Rockies (56-96), September 17, 2026, 12:10 p.m. PST
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The Cubs took two of three from the National League East division-leading Braves at Wrigley Field, winning the series. Once again, likely NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong led the Cubs offense with two home runs and a triple, but as has often been the case this season he’s had company with another teammate having a big game. On Wednesday night that backup act was Alex Bregman who put on an offensive show of his own [VIDEO].
In addition to hitting his 26th bomb of the year, Bregman added a triple and a double on the night. It was just another great night at the ballpark for the 32-year-old third baseman who has a 5 fWAR season in his first year with the Cubs, the first such year for him since 2022. Bregman has really turned a corner since the All Star Break, as you can see from his splits below:
Half
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
ISO
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
First Half
94
431
9
45
41
2
11.4%
15.3%
.119
.267
.241
.336
.359
.312
.310
97
Second Half
56
250
17
43
47
1
9.6%
13.6%
.318
.294
.305
.384
.623
.427
.340
174
It’s been a pretty big turnaround since mid-July for Bregman and it’s mostly apparent on the power front. You can see that in both the Isolated Slugging (ISO) above but also just in the home run tally with Bregman almost doubling his home run total from the first half in 180 fewer plate appearances. But what really puts these numbers in perspective is the league context. Below you can see the top 15 players in MLB by fWAR since the All Star Break (is it any wonder the Cubs lead the league offensively with three guys in the top 15?):
Name
Team
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
ISO
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
WAR
Pete Crow-Armstrong
CHC
57
269
23
52
52
13
11.52%
26.02%
.389
.280
.269
.357
.658
.419
.400
169
4.4
Alex Bregman
CHC
56
250
17
43
47
1
9.60%
13.60%
.318
.294
.305
.384
.623
.427
.340
174
3.4
Elly De La Cruz
CIN
57
253
13
44
30
12
12.25%
25.69%
.258
.375
.303
.387
.561
.406
.402
156
3.2
Fernando Tatis Jr.
SDP
55
248
18
45
43
12
10.48%
14.11%
.311
.287
.301
.379
.612
.416
.432
169
3.1
Jackson Merrill
SDP
56
236
15
36
45
7
4.66%
21.19%
.279
.344
.315
.349
.594
.398
.422
157
2.9
Gabriel Moreno
ARI
53
239
9
31
43
2
10.46%
14.23%
.227
.331
.314
.385
.541
.396
.360
151
2.7
Steven Kwan
CLE
54
245
2
40
14
4
13.06%
9.39%
.081
.385
.351
.437
.431
.389
.348
153
2.5
Alejandro Kirk
TOR
46
188
8
15
32
1
11.17%
11.70%
.164
.328
.321
.394
.485
.377
.340
145
2.3
Pete Alonso
BAL
56
246
16
32
37
3
10.98%
22.76%
.259
.326
.292
.386
.552
.401
.424
163
2.2
Ty France
SDP
53
227
9
29
33
0
9.69%
19.38%
.205
.367
.323
.396
.528
.398
.344
157
2.1
Seiya Suzuki
CHC
55
254
9
45
33
2
16.54%
22.05%
.214
.317
.262
.390
.476
.380
.352
143
2.1
Rafael Devers
SFG
52
226
18
39
46
0
13.72%
22.12%
.337
.278
.275
.376
.611
.413
.367
165
2.1
Ezequiel Duran
TEX
56
232
7
28
32
4
8.19%
24.14%
.174
.336
.271
.341
.444
.343
.303
122
2.0
Randy Arozarena
SEA
56
251
14
44
30
4
10.36%
21.12%
.237
.289
.265
.367
.502
.377
.334
151
1.9
Carter Jensen
KCR
52
221
11
32
25
1
14.48%
26.24%
.280
.263
.226
.344
.505
.366
.355
134
1.9
Qualified hitters, select stats
Bregman hasn’t just been good in the second half, he’s been the best hitter in baseball by some metrics. The above chart is sorted by fWAR but if it were resorted by wRC+, a stat that measures hitters run production off a league and park normed baseline of 100, Bregman would rank first, followed by a virtual tie between Fernando Tatis, Jr. and PCA. Bregman is also pacing the field in wOBA, a fancy on-base percentage that gives hitters more credit for extra base hits.
Bregman hasn’t just turned it on in the second half, he’s returned to vintage Bregman. In fact, by the end of 2026 a glance at his slash line will show 2026 as his best season by fWAR since 2022. His process in scrutinizing his at bats and making adjustments is obvious to anyone watching him study the tape in the dugout after an at bat, but if you’re more of a chart type you can also see the adjustment below:
You can see how Bregman’s wOBA and ground ball rate are inversely correlated pretty clearly in this chart. As Bregman has hit the ball in the air more, he’s gotten better production. The results speak for themselves [VIDEO].
It’s a good sign that the Cubs offense has kept rolling as they past the mid-point of September. With nine games left to play, they’ll need Bregman, PCA and Seiya Suzuki to keep setting a torrid pace offensively as they try to out hit their pitching woes down the stretch and into the Wild Card round.
Now, a heavily upvoted shitpost from the Diamondbacks subreddit, and a Tweet by one of the most toxic members of fandom may not seem worth bothering about. And they probably are not. But it does reflect a general feeling that September is the cruelest month for Arizona fans. It is true that this is the fourth consecutive season where the team could be seen as imploding. There was the “backing into the post-season” meme from 2023, missing out by a narrow margin in 2024 and 2025, and while the story of this year has yet to be completed, at the time of writing the team is on the outside of the NL playoff picture. Never mind that their record would be winning two of the three divisions in the AL…
So, first stop. Is there any truth to the perception?
The reality
TL;DR No.
The team’s performance in September over the past few years is not particularly better or worse than their performance the rest of the year. Indeed, the last time the D-backs had any kind of losing record in September was in 2022. Here’s their performance by each calendar month since the beginning of the 2023 season:
Mar/Apr: .517
May: .495
June: .551
July: .495
Aug: .554
Sep/Oct: .511
The overall win percentage in that time is .521. Based on that, over the 3.5 seasons and 92 September games, you would expect their record in the month to be 48-44. It is actually… 47-45. If that’s the “choking” demanded for the narrative, it’s an underwhelming one. Now, I also hear, “The meltdown is when they need to win the last few games to make the wildcard they lose.” So let’s take a look at each recent season specifically, and see what actually happened.
2023. Well, the above doesn’t exactly support the idea of a meltdown, does it? On September 13, Arizona had just a 30.7% chance of making the post-season. But they were about to go on an 8-2 run which included sweeps against both the Cubs and Giants. The former was particularly huge. They came in to Chase Field on September 15, with a 2.5 game lead over the D-backs, and left three days later, behind Arizona and broken. Including that series, Chicago went 5-10 the rest of the way, and their odds cratered from 58% to zero in five days. Now that’s what I call a genuine September meltdown. Losing the last four games, as the D-backs did? Irrelevant, as the subsequent playoffs proved.
2024. This is the season where I would say there is the best case for a meltdown, and it’s likely where the myth began. Though September as a whole was hardly a disaster, Arizona going 13-13. That, however, perhaps felt like a meltdown after the Diamondbacks went a stellar 35-17 in July and August. With seven games to go, the D-backs were three clear of the Braves. However, they’d lost the tie-breaker. Arizona went 2-5, while the Braves went 5-2, and the rest is history. But four of those games were against the Padres and Brewers, who were ahead of us in the standings. It included a loss by the odd run in nineteen in Milwaukee. A win there and the meltdown myth never gets started. That’s the margin we’re talking about here. Maybe we should be blaming the team which started 4-7 that year, not the one which finished 6-5.
2025. For there to be a “meltdown” in September, I’d say there has to be a significant chance of success there to begin with. But the highest chance of the D-backs making the post-season that month was only 12.3%. The last day it was even twenty percent – still an outside shot – was back on July 19. Sure, as in 2023, they finished the year on a losing streak: five games this time. But also as there, that ignores the good run the Diamondbacks went on immediately before that, winning seven of nine. They’d have needed to go 4-1 thereafter to reach the playoffs, for an overall 11-3 record over the last couple of weeks. Not doing so, going “only” 7-7, is hardly a meltdown.
Why the difference?
What I think is interesting is why some people choose to think the D-backs collapse, when the facts really don’t particularly support that as a narrative. I think part of it is actually a back-handed compliment, in that this is the first time, literally in a generation, where the D-backs have been consistently competitive for several years in a row. Put it this way: nobody cares very much right now about September meltdowns over at Purple Row, despite the Rockies playing 42 points worse after August 31. Below, you’ll see the team’s winning percentage through 136 games, which is there or thereabouts around the end of August (save for 2020, when I used the number through 35 games).
The 2023-26 run is the first time the Diamondbacks has been above .450 (the line highlighted above), through that point in the season, for five consecutive seasons since 2003. It’s the first time in over twenty years where Arizona have had four seasons in a row with meaningful baseball in the second half of this month. We’re not used to having September baseball that matters. Or, at least, it seems to. The reality, of course, is that wins and losses count exactly the same. If you’re looking for a reason why we “backed into the playoffs” in 2023, the 8-16 record of the D-backs in July is a far bigger explanation than anything in September.
Maybe fans remember failure better than success? Just ask Byung-Hyun Kim. Or this season, where we’ve had perpetual complaints about D-backs’ LOBsters. They actually score a higher percentage of baserunners than 23 of the 30 MLB teams. Or demands the Diamondbacks do a better job with a man on third and less than two outs, when only three teams bring those runners home at a higher rate than Arizona. I’m not sure if it’s a result of baseball being a game where a 30% success rate at hitting is considered elite, and 70% of baserunners will be stranded. It goes against studies which have shown team victories tend to be better remembered.
Yet here we are, some recalling meltdowns that barely happened. Of course, some people simply have a narrative to push, e.g. “Torey sucks!“ and will make up whatever history they want to support it.
Conclusions
“My job is to get us to the playoffs. What happens after that is f___ luck.” — Billy Beane
The reason he said that is because baseball has the biggest element of random chance in any of the major sports. The difference in the spot where ball meets bat, between a game-ending fly-ball and a game-winning home-run, is so small as to be beyond the bounds of human skill. Sure, some are better at it than others. But even Mark McGwire hit a home-run fewer than every ten at-bats. A baseball game is a series of chaotic and inherently unpredictable events. Over a season of 162 games, less so. But the smaller you shrink that, the greater the odds of something unexpected.
If we presume a 26-game month, there’s a better than even chance that a .500 team will lose at least four games in a row. It’s about a one-in-three chance for a five-game losing streak, so having one is basically meaningless in terms of “proving” anything. The problem is that, when a season comes down to the last few games, you’re basically in “playoffs before the playoffs”. Take 2025, where the D-backs would have needed to win four of the last five games to make it in. At that point, to quote Beane, what happens is “f___ luck”. It’s really not up to Torey very much. And you can expand the principle backwards.
The Diamondbacks are, let’s be honest, not going to compete for the division title any time soon. The Dodgers simply have too many competitive advantages. From having the reigning MVP on their books for $2 million this year, to that Godzilla-sized television contract, alone worth more than all of the D-backs’ revenue streams combined. While the scales of balance have the Dodgers’ thumb pressing down on one side, all we can hope for is to compete for a wild-card spot. And four years in a row, Torey Lovullo has got us there, successfully negotiating the shoals of injury and MarteGate to have the team playing meaningful baseball into late September.
Maybe it’s just me, but realistically, it’s hard to demand anything more.
TORONTO, CANADA - SEPTEMBER 16: Center fielder Myles Straw #3 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates hitting a RBI single during the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on September 16, 2026 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy off-day. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am happy to have an off-day.
I am happy we have meaningful baseball to watch in September. If you go back a month or so, I didn’t think we’d get that, so this is a bonus. It would be nice if we could be consistent, but this is the hand we’ve been dealt. When people ask if we are going to make the playoffs, I’ve been saying ‘no’, but I’d be happy to be wrong.
So, what do you think? Do you think the Jays will pull it out? Are you just enjoying the ride? Is it too much of a rollercoaster?
It has been a weird season—so many pitching injuries. We seemed to have too many starters at the start of the season, and now we are having two bullpen days every five. The team seems to be doing its best to be careful with the pitchers, but we have several older pitchers with a lot of innings on their arms. And a handful of young arms who are being pushed harder than they’ve ever been.
And, of course, so many guys not hitting. Too many guys not hitting, starting with Vlad, of course, and going pretty much down the whole roster. Other than Brett Bateman, it seems everyone has had long slumps (and he hasn’t been around long enough to slump). I have said before that I believe in changing hitting coaches every year. Not that it is fair. Not that it is the coach’s fault. And it would be a lousy way of doing business. But I believe players sometimes need to hear things a different way. Even if they are saying the same things, which they pretty much will.
But none of it is the coaching. The coaches didn’t get dumb over the winter.
I said, in the game thread, that I zone out when people try to tell me how easy hitting is. Anyone who thinks it is easy hasn’t watched a curveball with a bat in their hand.
Anyway, what do you think? Will the Jays pull it off and make the playoffs? And are you enjoying the ride? Or is it too much of a rollercoaster?
The 2022 12th-rounder missed the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery and didn’t crack the Jays’ preseason Top 30 list as a result. He looked revitalized after rehab, however, and finished with a 2.50 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 117 strikeouts over 82 2/3 innings across the Single-A, High-A and Double-A levels, and he jumped into the Top 100 when it became clearer that he had the stuff to back up the results: a 93-95 mph heater with improved velo, two whiff-inducing breakers in a slider and a curveball and an improved offspeed option in his mid-80s splitter.
Even as the major league team has been inconsistent, the Blue Jays have had a very successful year on the farm. They graduated several key contributors to the major league team, including Brandon Valenzuela and Spencer Miles, who have drastically outperformed their prospect rankings. Johnny King and Nolan Perry took major steps forward on the mound, and Sean Keys and Charles McAdoo did at the plate. Ricky Tiedemann also finally returned and reached the majors.
They traded their top prospect Arjun Nimmala, but got back a team-controlled starter. They also boosted their depth, acquiring Dasan Hill from the Twins and Brett Bateman from the Cubs. Bateman has been a revelation and has taken over the leadoff role that they’ve struggled to fill all season. Overall, the good far outweighs the bad with this system, and they are positioning themselves to bounce back in 2027.
Tomorrow we start the next ‘most important series of the season’. Three games with Texas. I’m thinking a series will would be good and a series loss might be the end of their chances. They have 9 games left. They are a game behind the Rangers, and 1.5 behind the White Sox, 2 games the Guardians. And they need to pass two of those teams.
Tomorrow Dylan Cease starts. Saturday José Soriano. And Monday, some version of Spencer Arrighetti and the bullpen
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox and Adley Rutschman #31 talk during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, September 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Any baseball season has its share of ups and downs, but the 2026 Red Sox take the cake for extremes. For today, I want to break down the rollercoaster into three parts, with a particular focus on the last two.
In the first 78 games of the season, the Red Sox were horrible, going 32-46.
In their next 37 games, they were historically fantastic, going 32-5.
However, in their last 37 games, they’ve slipped into a mediocre malaise, going 18-19.
To be fair, these last 37 games come with all sorts of caveats: The first handful are guaranteed to be filled with losses because whenever you divide these things after a hot streak, you always draw the line right where the wins end. The team also seemed to run out of gas a little bit after expending so much energy in July to get back in the race, and then lately, they’ve been resting guys and trying to get things aligned for the playoffs.
But it’s the last caveat that really muddies the waters here. Not only does it obscure how good Boston might have been in September if they had to fight to the finish line, but it also poses a tricky, potentially season ending question if the Sox get this wrong. Can you just turn the magic back on whenever you want?
On one hand, we’ve already gone deep into why the Red Sox are doing the correct thing on paper in punting September thanks to the ridiculous setup MLB has for the postseason structure. However, watching these games every night after the highs of July and August is jarring. That “it” factor, whatever it is — real or perceived — is gone. Maybe it was going away anyway, but now that the Red Sox have turned it off somewhat intentionally by prioritizing rest over results, it feels like watching a hangover.
I guess what I find so uncomfortable and unsatisfying about watching this play out is that in July and August it felt like the Red Sox saved their season, and they very much did. But what does that even mean anymore? Historically, it meant you were going to get a September chock-full of meaningful games. Now, you get a sleepwalk September with a short Wild Card series that may or may not yield a glorious October run. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I don’t like that.
I want urgency in volume, and I’m nervous that after all that work, all that winning, and all those storylines that played out all summer, it’s possible the Red Sox only play two truly meaningful games after Labor Day (Game 1 and 2 in New York on September 29th and 30th). Doesn’t that feel odd?
Now of course, if they win that Wild Card series, it’s awesome! The doors to October truly open and the matchups on paper keep getting more and more favorable until / if they reach the World Series. But man, it’s such a strange dynamic. We could be living in a world where we’ve already seen the last meaningful win of this crazy 2026 Red Sox season weeks ago. Or, we could be living in a world where the last meaningful win of the 2026 Red Sox season is still be weeks away. Bonkers!
The only thing we know for sure is that we’re right in the middle of September, and there’s no urgency as the games click down. Then all at once, twelve days from now, all the urgency will hit at once like a tsunami, and the Red Sox will need to instantly recapture that magic they had all summer. Can they they do that? Can they emerge from this cocoon of complacency all at once? I don’t know.
They’re certainly doing everything they can to load the guns and the set the table for that happen, but I don’t know if you can just flip a switch like that in this sport. With each passing day, it feels more and more like this is either going to work like a dream or be a complete disaster. The magic is either going to regenerate in full force and last well into October, or it already left for good in August. We just don’t know which until we wake up when September ends.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 12: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers stands in the dugout before the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 12, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have faced lefthanded starting pitchers in their last three games.
That’s kind of unusual. Those three games represent 6.5% of the games the Rangers have had this season against lefthanded starting pitchers, despite representing a hair under 2% of the total games the Rangers have played so far this season.
The Rangers have had 46 games against lefthanded starters this season, and 106 games against righthanded starters. The odds that any given three game stretch from this season for the Rangers would feature three lefthanded starting pitchers is around 1 in 36, or a little less likely than Danny Jansen hitting a home run in any given plate appearance.
We are conditioned to think of this as being a Bad Thing for the Rangers, due to their seemingly years-long struggles against lefthanded pitchers. That has not been the case in the year of 2026, however. The Rangers have a 768 OPS against lefties this season, compared to a 696 OPS against righthanders.
They have especially excelled against lefties this month, with a .383 wOBA that is first among all major league teams. The Yankees are second, at .382, the A’s are at .366, the Padres at .360, and everyone else is at .351 or lower.
For the season as a whole, the Rangers are fourth in wOBA against lefthanded pitchers, at .337, nine points ahead of Boston and the Reds, who are tied for fifth. What makes this all the more remarkable is that the Rangers were 29th in wOBA against lefties at the end of April, at .263 (just one point ahead of the Phillies, in last), as well as at the end of May, when their .280 wOBA against southpaws was ahead of only Seattle (.276).
Since the beginning of June, though, the Rangers have a .360 wOBA against lefthanders, second best in the majors, behind only the Cubs. For the past three-plus months, the Rangers have been raking against lefties, and lagging (.300 wOBA, 29th in the majors) against righthanders.
Sorry, all that isn’t really on topic, but I got interested in the numbers and went down a rabbit trail.
What matters if that the Rangers are facing a righthanded starting pitcher tonight — Boston Red Sox veteran Sonny Gray. And that means that the Rangers are going to have to figure out what to do at their DH spot against a righthanded pitcher.
A stray comment a few days ago sent me down a separate rabbit trail looking at whether the Rangers DH their backup catchers more often that other teams. I worked on a post on it for a while, looking at how often catchers were DHing for every team in the majors this year, until I got bored about halfway through my research and stopped.
However, in the interest of being eco-conscious, I will share what I wrote about the Rangers’ DH situation in 2026 in that mostly-likely-never-to-be-completed draft post:
(This is the start of the deep dive on the Rangers DH usage from that post. I’m also not updating the data, which was accurate through Sunday, but don’t include the last two games, because I don’t feel like it.)
The Rangers have had a total of seven games started at DH by catchers* this season — three by Elias Diaz, two by Kyle Higashioka, one by Austin Wynns, and one by Danny Jansen.
* I’m not counting Logan O’Hoppe, who had six starts at DH, because he was up to be the righthanded DH rather than be the backup catcher, as evidenced by the fact he has one more inning behind the plate for the Rangers than I do.
Diaz’s three starts all came against lefthanded starters, with two coming in a three game span against the A’s.
Higashioka’s two starts both came against lefthanded starters. One of them was in the 14 K Reid Detmers game, and I’d forgotten how jacked up the Rangers’ lineup was that day:
McCutchen — LF
Foscue — 2B
Nimmo — RF
Burger — 1B
Duran — 3B
Jansen — C
Haggerty — CF
Higashioka — DH
Helman — SS
Wynns’ one start was his final game with the Rangers, and was also, weirdly, not only against the A’s, but against Jacob Lopez, who was also the starter in one of Diaz’s games at DH.
And Jansen’s start was against Eduardo Rodriguez, a lefty.
So this seems to be less of a “the Rangers love starting their backup catcher at DH” situation and more of a “the Rangers’ righthanded bench options are limited.” And we see that manifest itself at the DH position because the Rangers platoon at DH, with Joc Pederson starting at DH against righthanders and whatever righthanded hitter happens to be hanging around and not otherwise in the lineup starting at DH against lefthanders.
We thought that the 2026 Texas Rangers had solved their righthanded bench bat situation with the signing of veteran Andrew McCutchen and the return of kinda-veterany Sam Haggerty. McCutchen was no longer a viable everyday guy but had slashed .267/.353/.389 against lefties for Pittsburgh in 2025, while Haggerty had slashed .318/.376/.435 against lefties for Texas in 2025. Texas seemed to be in okay shape, as McCutchen could DH against lefties, Haggerty could play center field, Pederson and Evan Carter could avoid southpaws, and all figured to be well.
Except McCutchen had just a 602 OPS against lefties in 50 plate appearances before being released in late May, while Haggerty put up a 404 OPS in 36 plate appearances against lefties this year before being released ten days later. Both players, incidentally, were even worse against righthanders.
Justin Foscue became the righthanded bat of choice against lefthanded pitchers. In my mind, he’s the righthanded compliment to Pederson at the DH spot, and it seemed in my mind like he’s been the regular DH against lefthanded pitchers this season.
So it was quite a surprise when I went and looked and saw Justin Foscue has just 11 starts at DH this season.
Only 11 starts at DH for Foscue! Even with him not coming up until May, it seems like there should be many more than that.
Part of it is simply a numbers game…the Rangers have faced only 44 lefty starters this season, so no one was going to rack up a huge number of DH starts against lefties. But still, you’d expect Foscue to have more than 25% of those opportunities.
And Foscue has started most of the time when the Rangers have faced a lefty, starting 34 times against lefthanded pitchers. Its just that most of those starts have been with Foscue playing second base, rather than DH, either because Corey Seager was injured and they needed someone to play in the infield, or Josh Jung was injured and they needed someone to play in the infield, or Ezequiel Duran was playing in the outfield and they needed someone to play in the infield.
Aside from Pederson and Foscue, who have combined to start 105 of 150 games at DH (Pederson also has nine starts at first base and one start in right field), and the seven catcher starts at DH, the Rangers have gotten nine starts apiece at DH from Andrew McCutchen, Wyatt Langford and Brandon Nimmo, six from Logan O’Hoppe, four from Corey Seager, and one from Alejandro Osuna. If everyone is healthy, your playoff lineup probably has Pederson and Foscue platooning at DH, but during the regular season the DH spot against lefthanded pitchers has been kind of a revolving door based on who is healthy and who Skip Schumaker wants to get a half-day off at the DH position.
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The last time the Rangers faced a righthanded pitcher, on Saturday, Joc Pederson was the DH, as he has been in almost every game started by a righthander this year. Pederson ended up leaving the game after being hit in the hand with a pitch. Initial x-rays were negative, but a subsequent follow up revealed a small fracture.
Normally Pederson would go on the injured list while waiting for the swelling to go down and for the fracture to heal. But it is crunch time, the Rangers are in a playoff race, and Pederson has been a significant contributor for the Rangers this season, so the decision was made to give it a few days before a decision was made. Monday’s off day and the string of lefty starters meant that there were four full days between Pederson getting hit and the Rangers having a game that he would normally start.
Pederson has said that he is going to try to play through the injury, and was working with the team medical staff to reduce the swelling in his hand enough to allow him to grip a bat properly so he could test his pain tolerance when he swings. This afternoon, when lineups are released, will likely be our first inkling as to how that has gone.
If Pederson is not able to DH, the first option would seem to be Alejandro Osuna, who was called up in place of Cam Cauley the day after Pederson’s injury. Osuna is a lefthanded hitting outfielder, and is someone the Rangers could simply plug in in place of Pederson, should they wish.
Another option would be to put Nicky Lopez into the lineup at second base. Ezequiel Duran has been playing second base against most righthanded pitchers of late, while manning center against lefties. However, with Josh Jung just having returned from his calf injury, and the team cognizant of the time Corey Seager has missed this season, Skip Schumaker could DH one of those infielders and have Duran play third base or shortstop, respectively. Seager has started every game since sitting the finale in Sacramento a month ago, and has been the DH in only one of those games, the finale in Chicago on August 26. Jung has started at third base in all four games since being activated this past Saturday. This may be viewed as an opportunity to get one of those two a partial day off while keeping their bat in the lineup.
The Rangers could also opt to use Justin Foscue or Cody Freeman instead of Lopez as the Pederson replacement, whether at DH or at in infield position so an infielder can DH. Foscue has not hit righthanders well this season, though — he has a .177/.214/.304 slash line with 3 walks against 23 Ks in 84 plate appearances. Freeman, meanwhile, has a 493 OPS against righthanded pitchers, and has been mostly relegated to late inning defensive replacement work over the past week.
I will also note that Kyle Higashioka has been out on a rehab assignment with Round Rock since September 4. Higashioka has only been used at DH, which would suggest that the flexor strain that landed him on the injured list is such that he’s to ready to be used at catcher yet. If Pederson were to go on the injured list, the choices to replace him on the active roster would be Higashioka, who will have to be activated from his rehab assignment by September 24 anyway, or Cauley.
