SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: A detailed view of signage on the field during National League Wild Card Series workouts by the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park on September 28, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Postseason baseball is back, and unfortunately the Detroit Tigers aren’t part of it. For some, that really kills the interest level, and I get it. On the other hand, sports are amplified by the bright lights of the playoffs and World Series, and there is little better than postseason baseball in my opinion. So, pick a team or just see whose bandwagon you feel like jumping on along the way. Even without the Tigers, it’s going to be a really fun month of baseball, and potentially instructive in regard to the challenges facing the Tigers to get back to the playoffs.
All four Wild Card series are best-of-three, with the two top teams in each league waiting for their divisional round opponents. The home team stays the home team for the whole series, and there are no off days in an effort get to the full rounds without putting the top teams on the shelf for more than a few days.
Here are the times for Game 2 of each series, all of which are being broadcast through Peacock. If necessary, Game 3 schedules will be announced as required to take advantage of prime time. I never minded the old all-or-nothing Wild Card games, but it is fun that every series becomes win or go home for one team after the first game. We’ll see which of Tuesday’s winners can close it out today.
2:00 p.m. ET Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves
5:00 p.m. ET Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros
8:00 p.m. ET Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
10:00 p.m. ET Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres
The Phillies looked to have Game 1 of their series under control, but the Braves wouldn’t go away. Austin Riley launched a three-run shot off of closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning to seize a two-run lead and held on to win.
Both teams went with a bullpen game in this one, as White Sox pitching shut down the Astros and kept Yordan Alvarez in check. The White Sox’s offense cashed in some early runs and then added on after Houston threatened to get back into the game in the middle innings.
Cam Schlittler, the presumed AL Cy Young award winner, was pretty masterful for the Yankees as he shut down Boston over 6.1 scoreless frames with 10 punchouts. The Yankees built an early lead against lefty Peyton Tolle, but the game was close until they got to the Red Sox bullpen late and pulled away with a 9-0 victory.
Finally, the Padres lit up former Tigers’ lefty Matt Boyd while right-hander Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh before it was broken up. The Cubs bullpen couldn’t contain the damage as the Padres poured it on to win 8-0 in Game 1 at Petco Park.
NEW YORK - MAY 17, 1932. The starting pitching staff of the New York Yankees pose in the dugout on May 17, 1932. They are (L-R) Johnny Allen, George Pipgras, Red Ruffing, and Lefty Gomez. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) | Getty Images
Sometimes it is easy to forget that professional athletes are human. They all have lives outside of their jerseys and had a journey to get to the biggest stage. Some players’ paths to the majors stand out from others. Johnny Allen has one of those stories that feels too human to be a professional athlete, much less a World Series champion.
John Thomas Allen Born: September 30, 1904 (Lenoir, NC) Died: March 29, 1959 (St. Petersberg, FL) Yankees Tenure: 1932-1935
The first part of Allen’s life was less than ideal, as his father passed away suddenly while he was still a young child. Facing hard times, Allen’s mom had to make the tough decision to send him and some of his siblings to an orphanage. Allen would grow up in that orphanage. When he was a teen, he lost some of his toes when a shotgun accidentally fired into his foot. However, while at the orphanage, Allen started playing baseball.
After graduating from Thomasville High School in North Carolina, Allen took a job and went to work in Sanford. As a young adult, Allen started playing baseball again and quickly made a name for himself on the local scene as a fiery and dominant pitcher. It took a few years, but Yankees scouts would eventually find and sign Allen in 1929.
The Yankees sent Allen to Jersey City for the 1930 season. The 25-year-old went 12-16 with a 3.98 ERA at the Double-A level. Then, in 1931, Allen split time with Jersey City and Toronto and went a very impressive 21-9. That performance earned him a spring training invite.
Allen broke spring training with the Yankees for the 1932 season. In his rookie year, at the young age of 27, Allen would go 17-4 with a 3.70 ERA in 192 innings. The Yankees faced the Cubs in the World Series, the same one that featured Babe Ruth’s famous “Called Shot.” Allen started Game 4 of the series but only got two outs and gave up three runs. Despite his rough outing, the Yankees were able to come back in the finale and complete the sweep. The 1932 World Series featured a record number of future Hall of Famers, including 13 players, both managers (Joe McCarthy for the Yankees and Rogers Hornsby for the Cubs), and even an umpire in Bill Klem.
In his sophomore season, Allen remained primarily in the starting rotation but had a bit of a sophomore slump, seeing his ERA rise to 4.39 and his record slip to 15-7. The Yankees finished the season in second place and out of the postseason. Allen went into the offseason feeling like he deserved more innings and money from the Yankees. He finally agreed to a contract after a long holdout.
The holdout was left to sour in the mind of ownership as Allen was plagued by injuries in 1934. Limited to only 13 games, Allen posted a 5-2 record with a 2.89 ERA across 71.2 innings. The team missed out on the playoffs again despite a 94-60 record.
1935 saw Allen bounce back in a big way. He went 13-6 in 23 starts and was able to log 67.0 innings with a 3.61 ERA. He led the American League in allowing the fewest hits per nine innings at an 8.0 clip and strikeouts per nine innings with 6.1. However, after constant clashes and outbursts, including destroying furniture after bad games, the Yankees decided they had had enough of Allen. Despite being 50-19 in pinstripes, the Yankees dealt Allen to Cleveland for Monte Pearson and Steve Sundra.
Although Pearson turned out to be a heckuva find, Allen did enjoy the best years of his career in Cleveland from 1936 to 1941 following his trade from New York. His tenure by Lake Erie was highlighted by a historic 1937 season in which he pitched to a 15-1 record, a then-record for the highest single-season winning percentage at .938. Allen would be named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News. In the Land, Allen compiled a stellar 67-34 record with a 3.65 ERA and earned his sole All-Star selection in 1938.
After his time in Cleveland, the remainder of Allen’s playing career became a journey. In December 1941, the front office traded him to the St. Louis Browns, where he went 18-7 with a 3.21 ERA over two seasons. In 1943, the Brooklyn Dodgers purchased his contract, transitioning Allen to the National League for the first time. He spent two and a half seasons in Brooklyn’s bullpen.
The Dodgers traded Allen to the New York Giants in July 1944 for pitchers Bill Sayles and Andy Karl. Allen closed out his 13-year Major League career with the Giants in 1945. When he retired, Allen hung ’em up with a lifetime 142-75 record, a 3.75 ERA, and a reputation as one of the fiercest competitors of his era.
After his playing days ended, Allen ended up working his way up the ranks as a minor league umpire. He additionally worked in real estate and as an automobile tag inspector. Allen was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, posthumously, in 1977.
Happy birthday, Johnny!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 1: Colorado Rockies players, from left, center fielder Jake McCarthy (31), left fielder Mickey Moniak (22), center fielder Cole Carrigg (16), and shortstop Ryan Ritter (8) celebrate the win after a game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
During the 2024 and 2025 seasons, it seemed like the Colorado Rockies were finding ways to make the record books in the worst ways imaginable every day. It was so frequent that I took it upon myself to try to chronicle those records and statistics, compiling them into articles to cap off the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
I entered 2026 expecting to do the same thing, preparing a document that the Purple Row crew and I could add to throughout the year. To my joyous surprise, I won’t be writing that dubious history article again. Despite the Rockies becoming the first team since the 1965 New York Mets to have four consecutive 100-loss seasons, there wasn’t a lot of notable historical failings for the club. Instead of being historically awful, they were mostly just bad in 2026, which is a milestone in its own right.
Rather than dig through the weeds to find more reasons to point the finger at how far this team has to go, let’s look at the improvement for the club that inspires some inkling of hope for the future.
The record
I know it seems asinine to celebrate the fact that a team lost only 104 games, but considering that the Rockies lost 119 a year ago, that 15-game improvement feels remarkable.
Remember how they didn’t have 10 wins until June 2 last season? Well, the 2026 club managed to secure the 10th win on April 22. The 2025 squad’s 43rd and final win didn’t come until September 21, during their final home game of the season. The 2026 team secured their 43rd win on July 31 and were up to 45 wins at the end of a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals on August 2.
The separation of a few weeks between when the 2025 squad lost their 100th game (Game No. 139) and when the 2026 team lost their 100th (Game No. 157) shows a team that made some steady improvement. The fact that it was a real possibility in the middle of August that the team could avoid 100 losses made the collapse through the end of the season all the more painful.
Considering where the team started coming into the year, 104 losses is still some positive momentum, even if it’s ugly to look at.
Offensive improvement
The majority of improvements for the 2026 season are thanks to the offense. While still flawed in ways, the Rockies batters made a massive leap forward under Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco.
In 2025, the Rockies offense was the worst in franchise history. Compared to the rest of baseball, Colorado ranked:
23rd in AVG (.237)
30th in OBP (.293)
24th in SLG (.386)
29th in runs scored (597)
25th in HR (160)
29th in K% (25.9%)
30th in BB% (6.7%)
30th in wRC+ (75)
30th in fWAR (-3.0)
Across the board, the Rockies were not a good offensive team last season. So, the emphasis of the new front office and coaching staff was to boost production and approach at the plate through a new philosophy and personnel.
The results ended up speaking for themselves. At the end of the 2026 season, the Rockies ranked:
4th in AVG (.254)
7th in OBP (.322)
5th in SLG (.417)
7th in runs scored (752)
19th in HR (180)
21st in K% (22.8%)
27th in BB% (8.1%)
29th in wRC+ (91)
30th in fWAR (8.0)
In the basic counting stats, the Rockies saw such incredible improvement. Instead of being a bottom feeder in most every single category, they managed to put the ball in play more and get on base. It helped by having an influx of talent for the season and a better overall lineup.
The team still strikes out too much and walks too little, but the fact that they were able to get back toward the league average in both of those categories is an important step forward for the club. The Rockies were at their best when they were able to draw walks and get base hits to drive in runs.
They scored nearly 150 more runs in 2026 than they did last season. The run differential still wasn’t great at -192, but considering the Rockies had a historically bad -424 differential last season, that’s a promising improvement that could get better if the Rockies can get the entire offense working cohesively and more consistently.
Road warriors
Part of the significance for the offense was that they looked like a more competent team on the road. Despite the natural regression for the offense away from Coors Field, where there was much more offensive output, the road offense was actually one of the best for the franchise since 2002.
The Rockies batted .237 on the road this season, which actually ranked 11th for the franchise since the introduction of the humidor at Coors Field, with the .704 OPS ranking sixth. In 2025, the Rockies had a .203 AVG and .589 OPS, which was by far one of, if not the worst, road offenses in team history.
The key factor was that they managed to score more runs on the road. Their 346 road runs ranked 21st in baseball this season but ranked third for the club since 2002 and most since they scored 340 road runs in 2009. If the pitching had been better, there is no doubt that the Rockies could have won more than 25 games on the road this season.
Bits and pieces of the pitching
Pitching, particularly starting pitching, was the major flaw of the Rockies in the 2026 season, a theme that carries throughout team history. The rotation was truly awful this season and took a nosedive over the final two months. However, there are some inklings of positive notes from the pitching staff this season.
The offense did a lot of heavy lifting to improve the 2026 Rockies, but the bullpen held its own for most of the season. The Rockies pitching staff had a league-worst 5.59 ERA, but the relievers had a 4.80 ERA, which ranked 27th in baseball. Compared to the 5.18 ERA for the bullpen in 2025, that’s a steady improvement with room for more growth, especially with the infusion of some young arms like Mark Manfredi and Nick Frasso.
The Rockies also proved that struggling arms could find new life in the bullpen. Chase Dollander found a groove starting the year as a bulk reliever out of the bullpen before carrying over into the rotation. Antonio Senzatela was one of the best relievers in baseball to start the season after struggling so long in his career as a starter. Ryan Feltner found a new gear coming out of the bullpen to end the season as a bulk reliever. Jordan Romano reestablished his ability to be a high-leverage reliever worthy of closer opportunities.
While he faded down the stretch, Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) brought a stabilizing, reliable veteran presence to the rotation and recorded 12 wins in the year, the most for a starter since 2021. There were plenty of lessons to be learned from top to bottom for the pitching staff.
Something that shouldn’t be overlooked is that the Rockies made incremental progress in walks allowed. An 8.7% rate in 2025 improved slightly to 8.3% in 2026, which isn’t much, but it’s enough to take the Rockies from 11th-highest to 21st-highest.
If the Rockies could improve their ability to miss bats and start getting more strikeouts across the board, it would certainly help complement the slight improvement in walks allowed.
A long way to go
Ultimately, it’s clear the Rockies have a long way to go. However, they are trending in the right direction in some areas. The offense has a clearer identity and a group of players capable of doing good things. TJ Rumfield and Cole Carrigg, along with Kyle Karros, headlined a group of young hitters that can make a big impact. You had experienced players like Jake McCarthy and Willi Castro put together extraordinary bounce-back seasons. You had the explosive power of Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak (when he’s healthy).
2026 mostly boiled down to finding an offensive baseline that works. There is plenty of work to do to take the next step offensively, but you can see the path forward.
The pitching is another story. The franchise has to find a way to build a pitching pipeline, complemented by better acquisitions. We saw hints of what a competitive rotation can do for the club back in April, but things quickly went off the rails. Adjustments and recalculations will have to be made, and new experiments need to be conducted, but you can see potential in the arms and what could be if things start clicking.
Either way, 2026 was a step in the right direction and, if nothing else, gave me hope that things can get better.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 23: Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals bats during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Zack Belsky/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In the next edition of my player grading series, I wanted to talk about a player I have been thinking about quite a bit these past couple of days. Brady House did not have a full scale breakout in 2026, but he took a substantial leap forward. He made serious improvements and has put himself in position to fully break out in 2027.
Heading into the season, there was cautious optimism around House, especially after a monster Spring Training. However, he did really struggle in his first taste of big league action. In 2025, House hit just .234 with a .574 OPS in 73 games. He showed his whiff and chase issues, while also not displaying the power that made him a top prospect.
That put a lot of pressure on House entering 2026. He needed to take a step forward in order to maintain a spot in the Nats future. The best way to describe House’s season is that he held serve. He did not become a star, but he did enough to keep his spot as the third baseman entering next season.
A theme of House’s career is that he gets a little bit better every year without taking a massive jump. That happened again this year. Rather than getting overwhelmed in the big leagues, House held his own. On the season, House hit .247 with a .710 OPS, which is solid but not mindblowing by any means.
There was one area where House was elite though, and that was hitting left handed pitching. On the year, House hit .350 with a .975 OPS against southpaws. He has established a floor as a platoon masher with great tools. Moving forward, he will have to show more against right handed pitching though.
House got protected against righties, but he still got ample opportunities. In 220 AB’s against righties, House hit just .200 with a .586 OPS. Whenever Blake Butera talks about House, he emphasizes that the approach against righties is something that needs to improve.
However, Butera has also said that the 23 year old is just scratching the surface of his potential. This is an idea that I buy into as well. You can see the talent with House, he just needs more consistency.
One thing that stands out to me is House’s batted ball data. His xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard hit rate all rank at least in the 63rd percentile. House actually underperformed his xwOBA by 20 points this season, showing there is more in the tank.
Despite not having great chase or whiff numbers, House makes enough hard contact to make up for that. He also found a way to cut that chase rate by over 2% compared to 2025. This new found discipline helped House’s walk rate go from 2.9% to 8.2%.
Honestly, you can divide House’s season into two parts. After making the team and starting the first six weeks, House was sent down to AAA, where he played 50 games. Before he got sent down, House was hitting .227 with a .681 OPS. That was an improvement on 2025, but still left plenty to be desired. He hit for more power, but still struck out a lot.
In the minors, House was able to work on some things. He hit over .300 in Rochester and was able to develop. House actually hit for the cycle in one game down on the farm. He did his thing and waited for his next shot.
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) July 11, 2026
After Curtis Mead got traded, House got that opportunity and was rock solid. He hit .268 with a .738 OPS in the second half. House only hit three home runs, but he was driving the ball from gap to gap. He posted a 104 wRC+ and only struck out 23% of the time.
With 10 home runs on the year, House made strides towards tapping into his impressive raw power. However, I still think there is a lot more to come. While a lot of Nats were pulling and elevating the ball more, House’s GB rate and air pull percentage stayed stable. Hopefully that is an element of his game that will improve in 2027.
If House can elevate more consistently, there is every reason to believe he can be a 25 home run bat. As we saw with that moonshot against Eury Perez, when House gets a hold of a baseball, it flies out of the stadium. The key will be getting to that A swing on a more consistent basis.
Like a lot of his offensive game, House got better against fastballs in 2026, but still could use further improvement. We saw with that swing against Perez, he can time up the heater. House just cannot do it every time right now.
Honestly, the most disappointing part of House’s game in 2026 was his defense. After grading out as a positive defender in 2025, House posted -4 outs above average this year. It was particularly ugly at the beginning of the season. In fact, his defensive struggles were a big reason he got sent down.
To his credit, I thought House’s defense looked a lot better once he came back. There were not as many errors and the routine plays became routine. House has all the tools to be an above average defender, and I think that will happen in time.
Overall, this was a solid but not spectacular season for House. He posted 0.6 fWAR and 0.7 bWAR. That is a step in the right direction, but he has not made it quite yet. With how he finished the season, I have faith in House to make further improvements.
Given his slow but steady progression as a pro, I think House will establish himself as a solid but not spectacular starter in 2027. My expectation is a .740 to .750 OPS with 20-22 homers and around 2-2.5 WAR. House will not get a super high grade, but he had a solid season. As the saying goes, C’s get degrees and I think Brady House had a C+ season.
The Atlanta Braves offense has been hot and cold all season long. This has led to multiple shifts in not only which players are in the lineup, but also where they hit in the lineup. This makes sense because if it is not working, there is not reason to keep it the same.
In the game yesterday the Braves were able to score five runs and had opportunity to score even more based on the fact that they were able to produce more base runners than some may have assumed they would based on the pitching matchup.
Today the Braves are taking a similar approach that was sometimes deployed in the regular season of constructing a lineup based on the starting pitcher.
In today’s lineup the only player difference is that Sean Murphy will be in and Mike Yastrzemski is out, but there has been a massive shift where the players are hitting in the lineup. We see Ronald Acuña move up to leadoff, Ozzie Albies shift from sixth to third, Matt Olson shifts down to fourth, Austin Riley shifts from seventh to sixth, and the biggest one is Michael Harris shifting from fifth to seventh.
This shifts may seem odd at first, but the Braves have a decent sample size against Cristopher Sánchez and the lineup seems to be constructed based on that. Ronald Acuña has a 1.000 OPS against him in sixteen ABs, Ozzie Albies has a .500 average and 1.193 OPS in eighteen ABs, and Austin Riley has a 1.104 OPS in fifteen ABs. This would explain some of the shifting. On the flip side of the coin, Michael Harris has a .321 OPS against Sánchez in fifteen ABs.
This is the point where analytical teams are likely in the ear of the manager, and this lineup is set to get to Sánchez the best way they can.
The Phillies were bound to have a different lineup since Sale is a LHP and Mahle is a RHP.
This is indeed the case as Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford will both be getting the start today. Tyler Mahle faced the Phillies twice already this month and held them to only one run over thirteen innings while only walking one and inducing twenty-three ground balls.
On paper the Braves have the edge, but this is playoff baseball where anything can happen. The Braves lead MLB in wRC+ in the ninth inning and are in the top eight in the eighth inning. If they can get to the bullpen early, it could be the X factor.
The Philadelphia Phillies have their backs to the wall as they take on the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of their National League wild card playoff series this afternoon.
The Phils saw a 3-2 lead disappear in one swing of Austin Riley's bat in the series opener yesterday, as the Braves rallied for a 5-3 victory that put them on the verge of advancing to the NL division series.
Needing a win to stay alive, the Phillies' season now hinges on the left arm of Cristopher Sanchez (18-7, 2.91 ERA), who led the National League in wins and was the NL's starting pitcher in the All-Star Game.
He'll be opposed by right-hander Tyler Mahle (7-10, 3.99 ERA), who went 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA in nine starts for the Braves after they acquired him from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline.
USA TODAY Sports will follow all the action with updates and analysis.
While eight of MLB's final 12 teams are in the top 10 end-of-season payrolls, based on figures from the MLB Labor Relations Department and obtained by USA TODAY, the remaining four are among baseball’s lowest spenders.
That includes the teams with the best records in each league, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Brewers’ payroll entering the postseason is $143.5 million, good for 19th in MLB. The Rays’ $98.3 million total is No. 25.
Austin Riley had the worst season of his career: .219 average, .654 OPS and 201 strikeouts. His postseason history isn't much better. He entered Tuesday hitting .232 in 36 playoff games.
That was all forgiven with one swing Tuesday. Riley hit a three-run homer off Jhoan Duran to give the Braves a two-run lead heading into the ninth.
Zack Wheeler isn’t available out of the bullpen today, three days after throwing 97 pitches in the regular-season finale. Aaron Nola would be available in a “total emergency,” Don Mattingly said.
Atlanta will be throwing right-handed starter Tyler Mahle.
The Phillies changed their batting order to have the right-handed bat of Alec Bohm to break up the run of lefties Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott. Bohm moves up from fifth to the cleanup spot.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Xander Bogaerts #2 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In case you didn’t know, there were three other games played yesterday besides the one in which the Red Sox offense laid an egg against Cam Schlittler while the team wasted its most electric pitcher. I’m of course talking about the start of the NHL season!
I kid, I kid, but in all seriousness, there were plenty of big moments to choose from in Tuesday’s action around the league. Let’s take a look.
Even with the results of Tuesday’s game, I am very glad the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry has the prestige to garner an 8:00 first pitch so I can be safely out of work when the game’s on. I definitely did not have the radio on listening to Phillies-Braves at 2:00 on a Tuesday afternoon. Anyone else who definitely didn’t may have missed Austin Riley’s three-run home run turn a 3-2 game on its absolute head. The Phillies pitching staff, led by starter Jesus Luzardo, cruised through seven innings and Jhoan Duran was easily navigating through the Braves lineup – until he wasn’t and ran into Michael Harris II who started the rally. Chris Sale had the no decision in this one but he looked great in 6 1/3 innings, striking out nine even with the three runs allowed.
Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, partners in the “get Jordan Hicks off my baseball team” trade, both provided valuable outings in relief as the White Sox pulled ahead against the Astros. Hicks got the decision win! Even another ex-Red Sox, Sean Newcomb, got in on the action (though he allowed two runs.) The two-run home run Newcomb allowed, though, was the only extra-base hit the White Sox would allow on the night. It’s so funny looking at the White Sox lineup and recognizing so many former Red Sox, but it’s good to see some experiencing playoff action, as well.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is the surefire NL MVP. The Cubs lineup on Tuesday, though, was punchless, and the wind was taken from them very early this game. How early? How about the first two batters both taking Matthew Boyd deep? After Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado each put a ball in the seats, Michael King, working with a lead, was electric. He took a no-hitter into the seventh. He benefitted from another former Red Sox player in Xander Boegarts hitting a home run. The Padres’ bullpen would complete the shutout with Joe Musgrove, once one of the best emerging pitchers in the game, returning from a lengthy Tommy John recovery, which was a super cool moment for anyone still awake at 1 in the morning. This was a shellacking, but unlike the game at Yankee Stadium, it was never remotely close, not even for a minute.
This is the kind of thing I was talking about down the stretch. I felt the Cubs wouldn’t be backed down or awed by the situation. This is an experienced club. At the end of the day, this didn’t come down to injured pitchers or one eyed third basemen. It didn’t come down to one team scuffling a bit or another one that is on a major role. It came down to exactly one scenario. The Cubs needed to have a pitcher good enough to shove for seven innings against a good offensive team. They needed one because the Padres had one.
With the stuff that modern pitchers have, when they are clicking on all cylinders and not making any mistakes, it is very difficult to get anything going. For what it was worth, their hitters did have patience. They drew three walks from Michael King, who was pumping the strike zone with frisbees. When you see a hitter who is among the best in the game and in a good groove himself like Alex Bregman flailing with half swings at where the ball maybe used to be, it’s not hard to understand how mystifying King was. You definitely hat tip to him.
Is there some chance that maybe if Cub pitching were matching zeroes that he’d have at least broken a sweat? Sure. It was unfortunate that the Padres ambushed Cub starter Matthew Boyd and jumped on him instantly. A hat tip to the Padre scouting department. They had a plan as a team and they executed it. They’d clearly prepared for Boyd. They swung early and often and as was noted on the broadcast, they were able to recognize balls and strikes and only swing at the strikes. They were amazingly prepared.
That was about as unfortunate a game as you could possibly get in a short series. Not only did you lose and make the Padres feel even more confident about their game planning, you didn’t force them to use any significant reliever. They have a fully stocked bullpen that was already known to be lethal. In the short history of these three game Wild Card series, the team that has won the first game has won almost every series. I have no doubt that will level off at a lower level than it’s at so far, but it is the simple math of the format. One win gives you so many advantages in the series. Given that you had to give the Padres the edge in the first place (home field, better record, better pitching), you’d have to make them overwhelming favorites to advance at this point.
Again, the Cubs won’t back down. If Game 2 unfolds more like an ordinary game, the Cubs will be in the fight. But the Cubs were always a good, not great team. This is a tough assignment if this team is going to hold off the offseason.
Turn the page. Slow the game down. Do what you do. Hope it is enough.
Three Positives:
Nico Hoerner had two of the three Cub hits.
Seiya Suzuki had the other hit and drew a walk.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had a walk and stole a base. What almost was, he came very close to robbing that first homer. One wonders if it would have shifted the energy at all.
Wild Card Game 1, September 29: Padres 8, Cubs 0
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Seiya Suzuki (.083). 1-3, BB
Hero/Sidekick: Michael Conforto/Jacob Webb (.000). Conforto: 0-1; Webb: 1.1 IP, 5 BF, 2 H
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Matthew Boyd (-.203). 4 IP, 17 BF, 5 H, BB, 4 R, 4 K (L 0-1)
Goat: Ian Happ (-.074). 0-3, BB
Kid: Pedro Ramirez (-.057). 0-4
WPA Play of the Game: Fernando Tatis Jr. homered on the first pitch in the bottom of the first. (.105)
Cubs Play of the Game: Seiya Suzuki reached on a throwing error by Xander Bogaerts and was awarded second leading off the second inning. (.062)
Note: 18 of the 75 WPA events recorded for this game were recorded at .000.
Cubs Player of the Game:
Up Next: Game 2 in San Diego will see Kevin Gausman for the Cubs. Kevin was 9-12 with a 4.51 in the regular season. He did have a 4-2 record as a Cub, but also posted a 4.83 ERA and had the Cub longball problem, allowing 11 homers in only 50.1 innings. It’s obvious the Cubs need to add more talent to their pitching staff in 2027. It’s even more obvious that they need to examine everything in their training and medical department to determine if any amount of their injury woes could have been prevented or lessened. But also, the Cubs need to look at if there is a further issue with some of their approach. Gausman is an exhibit of a pitcher with a long track record who allowed almost as many homers with the Cubs (11) as with the Blue Jays (15), despite throwing more than 70 percent of his innings with the Jays.
Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86) starts for the Padres. Pivetta missed most of this year with a right elbow injury. The 33-year-old righty was excellent when healthy. He made four starts in September, throwing a total of 18.2 innings and allowing three runs on 15 hits. He struck out 18 and walked two. He got up to 87 pitches in his last start and that’s usually the threshold where a pitcher is pretty much good to go. I imagine if he is in a groove, they’d let him approach 100 pitches. And with a fully loaded bullpen and blood in the water, if he struggles at all, I imagine they’ll happily try to steal a game with their bullpen. I have no doubt the Padres could run this game as a bullpen game and still be able to bring their key guys back again for game three.
I thought Gausman should have started that first game. I have to wonder about his health after that diving play he made in his last game. Hopefully the Cub bats can get in the fight. It’s still since July 30 that the Cubs won a game without hitting a homer. Teams that hit more homers tend to win games. Teams that don’t score any runs continue to lose every time. So it’s now or never.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 18: Charley Steiner speaks during ceremony to unveil statue of former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax at Dodger Stadium on June 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Every game of the Dodgers postseason, from the National League Division series to — should they advance — the National League Championship Series and World Series, will be televised by Fox Sports. But on radio, Charley Steiner will call Dodgers home playoff games at Dodger Stadium for AM 570 and the team’s radio network, with Stephen Nelson on radio play-by-play when the Dodgers are on the road.
For Steiner, Saturday will be first playoff action in three years, with a long journey in between that included a debilitating back injury and battling cancer. Now, he’s feeling well, and ready to call his first postseason game since the 2023 NLDS.
Steiner called 35 Dodgers games on radio this season, and he gradually increased his workload as the season progressed. He called the first three innings of two games on the very first homestand, then gradually added innings over the next few months, before handing off the play-by-play reins to Nelson or Tim Neverett in each game.
“The whole issue was a question of physical strength,” Steiner said via phone. “When I first started way back at the beginning of the season, three innings was a lot.”
Steiner called the first game of nine of the Dodgers’ first 10 home series this season, before calling the first five innings of the last two games of the Dodgers’ series against the Tampa Bay Rays (June 15-16) and Baltimore Orioles (June 19-20).
On the Dodgers’ 10-game homestand heading into the All-Star break, Steiner called every other game, going five innings for three games, then six innings for two games.
On August 13, Steiner called the first six innings of the Dodgers’ series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers before handing off to Nelson for the rest of the game.
“I was leaving and I said to Duane [McDonald, radio producer and engineer for the last decade], ‘I’ll see you Saturday, we’ll go for seven,’” Steiner recalled. “And Duane said, ‘Fuck it, let’s just do nine,‘ and you know that was the kick in the ass that I needed.”
Two days later Steiner called all nine innings of the Dodgers loss to Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, completing Steiner’s first time calling a full game since Game 3 of the 2023 NLDS.
“That was such a big deal to me, because it’d been such a long time. I didn’t know if I’d be physically able to do it, and then I did,” Steiner said. “It was for me the most significant broadcast that I had done, because I had to do so much to get to that point.”
Steiner has seen it all during his career, including 14 years at ESPN before broadcasting baseball games for the last quarter-century, three years for the Yankees before the last 22 years with the Dodgers, his favorite team growing up in New York. He’s called three different World Baseball Classics and called baseball games in seven different countries. But that August 15 game against the Brewers stood out to Steiner given all he endured physically over the previous two years.
“To me it was getting back in the saddle, I knew I could ride the horse to the finish line. And when the game ended, I did,” Steiner added. “I don’t know how many thousands of games I’ve done and how many years I’ve been doing it, but all of that was encapsulated into the first pitch of that game. The long journey took another step forward.”
September saw Steiner increase his workload even more. He called all nine innings of September 1 against the St. Louis Cardinals, then called the first six innings the next day, and all nine innings on September 4 against the Washington Nationals. Steiner called back-to-back full games on September 8-9 against the Cincinnati Reds, September 18-19 against the San Francisco Giants, and September 22-23 against the San Diego Padres. In all, Steiner called 10 full games, all over the final six weeks of the regular season.
He’ll call Games 1-2 of the NLDS on Saturday and Sunday.
“I can’t thank so many folks enough who’ve been so kind and supportive during this journey, especially within the booth. And then the reaction I’ve gotten from listeners and fans, it’s been overwhelming,” Steiner said. “So now, yeah, to the postseason, and I sure would like to call the third World Series championship in a row.”
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 29: Philadelphia pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) reacts after catching a line drive during the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Atlanta Braves in game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on September 29th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
No one should have been surprised when Austin Riley connected on a nearly 100 mph fastball right down the heart of the plate from Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in the 8th inning of the Phillies’ 5-3, Game 1 loss to the Braves yesterday in Atlanta.
Sure, Duran is the Phils’ lone reliable relief pitcher, a closer with truly unhittable stuff most of the time. And Austin Riley, who hit .219 with a .654 OPS this season, didn’t seem the likeliest of guys to play home run hero, but there were mitigating circumstances.
Duran was being asked to somehow get the Phillies across the finish line following five gutsy innings from Jesus Luzardo and one inning from rookie reliever Alex McFarlane. After breezing through the first five outs, Duran’s command wavered and the Braves made him pay.
It’s a fundamentally terrible idea to ask someone to do something difficult they’ve rarely ever been asked to do before in the most high pressure situation imaginable. One should not reasonably expect that to work very well. While Duran had pitched multiple innings in the past, those instances were rare and, not recent. He had only worked more than one inning in one instance this season, and twice last year, both with Minnesota.
Should Duran have been able to escape the 8th inning without allowing a crushing homer? Sure, but it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that he didn’t.
But Don Mattingly had little choice. There was no one else he trusted to protect a 3-2 lead to secure any of the remaining nine outs needed once J.T. Realmuto put the Phils ahead with his clutch two-run triple a half-inning before. Injuries and poor performance robbed him of any wiggle room, which is why Riley’s three-run blast in the 8th inning was shocking, but not surprising.
You could argue Mattingly should have used Duran for more multi-inning save attempts in September, but the Phillies’ final month struggles likely rendered those plans moot.
Let’s also not gloss over the fact that, had the Phillies not dithered around in the final two weeks of the season, Zack Wheeler would have started this game and, potentially, pitched a bit deeper than Luzardo was able to. Or that, if the bats had shown more of a pulse against Chris Sale in Game 1, they could have provided some cover to a substandard relief corps.
Actions have consequences, as we all saw in Game 1’s final three innings.
It’s easy to point the finger at Dave Dombrowski and his bullpen construction. Clearly, the team didn’t have the arms they needed. In hindsight, believing in Orion Kerkering, who was optioned to AAA two weeks before the end of the season following last year’s meltdown in Los Angeles, was a mistake, as was hitching their wagons to Jose Alvarado, whose struggles in 2026 mirrored those of ‘25 and were indicative of a reduction in his stuff during the course of the year.
But there is also a slew of bad luck thrown into the mix here.
Brad Keller looked to be a tremendous off-season free agent signing. Signed to a two-year, $22 million contract, Keller had a 4.02 ERA in 31.1 innings until he was shut down for the season with an ailing elbow. Tanner Banks, who had become one of the team’s most trusted left-handed relievers after a stellar 2025 season, missed much of the second half after posting a 6.19 ERA in 36.1 innings. Kyle Backhus was never supposed to be a major contributor, but his 4.95 ERA in 20 innings was a disaster.
The only pleasant surprise in the relief corps this year was the emergence of rookie right hander Alex McFarlane, who is the only other arm in the ‘pen that Mattingly trusts right now. And he also gave up a key run on Tuesday, an RBI triple to Ozzie Albies that briefly gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead.
That the Phillies were not able to reach down into the minors for additional help is certainly an indictment of Dombrowski and the farm system, but the general manager did attempt to mitigate that with a couple more arms at the trade deadline.
Brooks Raley was supposed to become an important left-handed, late inning option after his acquisition from the Mets. Over the last four seasons, Raley had ERAs of 2.68, 2.80, 2.45 and 1.96 in 52.2 innings with the Mets this year. No, he never had great stuff, but he was consistently excellent for New York since 2022. After the trade, Raley’s 7.94 ERA in 16 appearances forced Dombrowski to leave him off the wild card roster.
Caleb Kilian, acquired in the Luis Arraez trade, got hurt almost as soon as he arrived. So, Dombo’s two trade deadline acquisitions to improve the struggling bullpen both turned out to be useless. Were other top-tier closer-type relievers traded? No, but that doesn’t mean had Dobrowski been better at developing prospects that they couldn’t have overpaid for something better than Kilian or Raley in August.
But even if a handful of these pitchers had turned out to be productive, it may not have mattered. That’s because once you put on a Phillies uniform, you are unable to secure late leads in the postseason.
Here are all the instances, dating back to Game 3 of the 2023 NLCS, in which the bullpen was unable to secure a save, eight blown saves in all.
Game 3, 2023 NLCS: Orion Kerkering, holding a 1-0 lead in the 7th, allows a leadoff single and RBI double to blow the lead. Craig Kimbrel then gave up the walk-off single in the 9th for a 2-1 loss.
Game 4, 2023 NLCS: In what was a full-on bullpen game, Kimbrel entered the 8th inning with a 5-3 lead, but surrendered a game-tying, two-run home run to Alek Thomas and then, a few batters later, an RBI single to Gabriel Moreno, handing the Phils a 6-5 defeat.
Game 1, 2024 NLDS: Entering the 8th inning with a 1-0 lead, Jeff Hoffman blew the save but was ably aided by Matt Strahm and Kerkering in allowing five 8th inning runs in an eventual 5-2 defeat.
Game 2, 2024 NLDS: This game the Phillies actually won! With a 6-4 lead in the 8th, Strahm gave up a game-tying two-run blast to Mark Vientos to tie the game 6-6. The Phils walked it off in the bottom of the 9th, of course.
Game 4, 2024 NLDS: Entering the 6th inning with a 1-0 lead, Phillies closer Carlos Estevez served up a grand slam to Francisco Lindor that sealed the Phillies’ fate in a series-ending 4-1 loss to the Mets.
Game 1, 2025 NLDS: Holding a 3-2 lead in the 7th, Matt Strahm allowed a two-out, three-run home run to Teoscar Hernandez in a crushing 5-3 defeat to the Dodgers.
Game 4, 2025 NLDS: With a 1-0 lead entering the 7th, Jhoan Duran walked in a runner with the bases loaded and two outs to tie the game at 1-1. Kerkering would finish the choke job with his game-ending error in the bottom of the 11th.
Game 1, 2026 Wild Card: Duran gives up the three-run homer to Austin Riley, with four outs left to get, in a 5-3 defeat.
Seven playoff defeats. Eight blown saves. The Phillies have not successfully executed a save situation since Game 1 of the ‘23 NLCS. And this list doesn’t even count Game 6 of the 2022 World Series in which Alvarado served up a go-ahead home run to Yordan Alvarez in the 6th inning of an eventual 4-1 loss.
At the end of the day, Tuesday’s blown save by Duran was the result of trusting the wrong players and a lot of bad luck. No one knows how Mattingly would have handled the 9th inning had Duran escaped the 8th, but the fact he was put in the position of having to manufacture an elaborate plan to secure the final nine outs of the game is an indictment on the relievers in his ‘pen and an offense that continues to provide the pitching staff with little room for error.
Even if the Phillies figure out a way to win Games 2 and 3 against Atlanta, how do they piece together an additional three series victories over the next three weeks and win a title? How can they do that with only two relief pitchers they trust?
Watching Riley’s home run sail over the right field wall was an incredible moment. How could it happen again? How could this team blow another Game 1 in a tight playoff series?
The Yankees have a chance to complete a sweep of the Red Sox on Wednesday night when the teams clash in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series.
Here’s a look at three things to watch as Max Friedopposes former Yankee Sonny Gray at 8 p.m. at Yankee Stadium:
A Gray matter
Gray, a 36-year-old righty, has a complicated history with the Yankees. He’s had a very good career but did not pitch well in 2017-18 in the Bronx after a ballyhooed trade from Oakland. There’s still some leftover Gray-said, Yanks-said wreckage from when he pitched here, and he noted before this season that he was happy to be in Boston, a place where it’s “easy to hate the Yankees.”
Think that’ll be a talking point in the stands in Game 2? How will Gray react to his reception, which probably will be, um, loud? Even if he had a 4.51 in 41 games (34 starts) as a Yankee, he’s still a dynamite pitcher, as evidenced by his 18 wins this season (tied for the most in MLB) and 2.72 ERA. He threw five sharp innings for the Yanks in a 2017 ALCS game against Houston and has a 3.26 ERA in six previous postseason starts. In 10 lifetime starts against the Yanks, he has a 3.67 ERA, including two good ones this past June.
Gray said on Tuesday that being a Yankee made him a “better pitcher, a better baseball player.” We’ll see how that looks in a huge rivalry moment in Game 2. Boston’s season might depend on how he pitches.
Lefty-laden lineup?
With Gray starting, Aaron Boone has a chance to deploy even more left-handed hitters in his Game 2 batting order. Luis García Jr. and Jazz Chisholm Jr. did not start in the opener and could be factors, though there likely will be late mixing-and-matching, too, since the Red Sox have some strong southpaw relievers.
Here’s the thing – the Yankee lefties already dominated Game 1, which was started by a lefty. A lot of the damage was done by Rice, who was 4-for-5 and joined BobbyRichardson, Bernie Williams, Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano as Yankees who have knocked in six runs in a postseason game. But overall in the opener, Yankee left-handed hitters were 8-for-18 (.444) with 8 RBI – Austin Wells, who hit just .122 against lefties during the season, knocked in the other two runs.
New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) celebrates while running the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Gray actually was better against lefties than righties during the season, holding them to a .654 OPS, 28 points lower than his mark against righties. Keep an eye on these matchups early: Rice is 3-for-7 with two homers against Gray and García is 4-for-10 with a home run.
Load management
In terms of bullpen work, Game 1 was a Yankee dream. They did not use Brent Headrick, who made the second-most appearances (81) in baseball this year, though he warmed up. Closer David Bednar warmed up, but did not pitch either. The Yankee bullpen, which was second in relief ERA to Boston this year, is fresh going forward.
Some of the savings is due to Schlittler, of course, who delivered 6.1 shutout innings and helped blank Boston for the second straight postseason game, including his 2025 playoff masterpiece. The Red Sox had never been shut out in consecutive postseason games in their long history.
Boone tried to squeeze an extra out from Schlittler, but he gave up a hit with one out in the seventh. Boone turned to Paul Blackburn, who has been excellent – he had a 1.69 ERA during the regular season and has a 0.83 ERA since June 21. Blackburn threw 1.2 shutout innings and stranded an inherited runner. John Schreiber threw a scoreless ninth after the game got out of hand.
NEW YORK ― Pull up a chair. Sonny Gray is ruminating on his time as a Yankee, and it got kind of deep.
Gray will be charged with keeping the Boston Red Sox’s season alive Wednesday, Sept. 30, when he takes the ball in Game 2 of the American League wild card series against New York. Game 1, a 9-0 Yankees romp, showed just how loud Yankee Stadium can get.
And Gray knows the pinstriped faithful will be loaded for bear after his offseason comments noting that it’s "easy to hate the Yankees" – made in the wake of his trade from the St. Louis Cardinals to Boston – put him on the other side of this storied rivalry.
Gray’s first go didn’t go great, as he struggled with the Yankees in 2017 and 2018 after a trade from Oakland, a 27-year-old dude adjusting to significant expectations.
Fast forward to 2026 and Gray, 36, is an 18-game winner with a 2.72 ERA for the surprise Red Sox, now a three-time All-Star who’s had plenty of time to reflect on his career.
He believes those two seasons in the Bronx, where he posted a 4.51 ERA, briefly lost his rotation spot and struggled with injury, steeled him for the rest of his career.
Including coming back as a pariah to the fans.
"I came from Oakland, and Oakland to here," Gray said, launching into a two and a half minute answer on how fans might perceive of him after his winter comments berating the Yankees. "I think that maybe during my time there was a lot of outside this, outside that, unfamiliarity with me and my situation and my family.
"It's kind of like one of those things that you have a snowball or whatever, right? And there's a snowball that kind of starts rolling down a hill. If you don't ever stop it, then the snowball just gets bigger and bigger and bigger and it picks up traction and it just gets more snow. And it just continues to go down this thing.
"And the then the bigger the snowball gets, the harder it is to stop it or take a step back. And for me, it just took me to get away and get myself into a different environment and then reflect on those things, right, like reflect on what was good, what was bad, what didn't work. And that took some time."
Not too much time, though. Gray was an All-Star in 2019 after the Yankees spun him off to the Cincinnati Reds. While injuries hampered him in multiple seasons, he was very dependable and a valued workhorse in Cincinnati and Minnesota before signing a three-year, $75 million contract with St. Louis.
Gray tossed 180 and 184 innings in 2023 and 2025. The Cardinals, suddenly in a rebuild, took advantage of his value to send him to Boston, where he’s been terrific.
Thanks in part to taking a little bit of the Bronx with him.
"I do know that playing here made me a stronger person, made me a better man, a better husband," says Gray, who along with wife Jessica has two sons. "Ultimately, it made me a better pitcher, a better baseball player. And that's kind of what I take from my time here. I think there's a lot of people and a lot of players that can have one bump in the road and not get back on the tracks.
"And for me, there's been bumps along the way and that may have been a little bit of a bigger bump than others. But then to be able to re-center, to refocus, to continue to have confidence in yourself and not get off the wagon, get back on the wagon and continue to move forward in your career and in your life as well.
"I learned a lot."
The Red Sox are grateful. This season was bumpy, what with the firing of manager Alex Cora after 27 games, a fair amount of rotation uncertainty with Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet getting sidelined for five months and continued struggles of Brayan Bello. Another lost season seemed to be loading.
But the Red Sox won 21 of 25 games in July to rally for a playoff spot. Ultimately, rookie left-hander Payton Tolle emerged as an ace-caliber weapon. They lined up behind Gray first.
"He's had a great career. He’s a pitcher to its finest degree," says veteran Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story. "He's very detail-oriented. And he's gonna be ready. There's no doubt.
"He's shown that he can lead the staff this year, Beast going down and Sonny stepped up and filled some big shoes.
"And all he did was just be him. That's the guy he is."
Being Sonny Gray will have to suffice Wednesday night. The Red Sox’s survival depends on it. They hold a 2027 option on Gray, though he can opt out if they exercise it, which could lead to a longer-term commitment, or a polite goodbye.
Those are issues for another day. Gray is still in the now, and Wednesday night he’ll be in Yankee Stadium, where he is expecting an impolite welcome, one he feels steeled to endure as he pitches from a place of greater comfort.
"I've really enjoyed my time in Boston. I really have," says Gray. "My family's enjoyed it. It's been a great place for us."
Sep 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) reacts after striking out in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Royals had hoped to contend this year, and instead fell flat on their face to begin the year, eventually losing 93 games. It was a season that included blown leads, cold lineups, but also some bright spots like the emergence of Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone, the ageless Michael Wacha, a turnaround by Noah Cameron, and another sensational Bobby Witt Jr. performance.
We asked our writers to reflect on the 2026 season and the upcoming offseason.
What was the biggest reason why the Royals lost 93 games this year?
Matthew LaMar: The obvious answer is the bullpen, and the other obvious answer is injuries, but neither of them get to why both things were so impactful, and that “why” is just a total lack of organizational talent depth in the upper minors. That severely limited Kansas City’s ability to improve the team in the previous offseason via trades and was why the Royals couldn’t replenish talent internally when they needed to. It’s a little better now, but pitching depth is still a problem.
Jeremy Greco: I said it on our most recent podcast, so I guess I’ll stick to my guns: The bullpen. Last year’s bullpen on this team makes it a playoff contender, I think. There is certainly plenty of blame to go around between the offense not being good enough, the starting pitching suffering so many injuries, and then the offense suffering injuries.
But the bullpen was catastrophically bad. They were not especially good last year, but still put up a total of 4.1 fWAR. This year, they put up -3.2. That’s a difference of 7 wins and would have gotten them all the way up to 76 or 77, which still would have missed the tournament, but if they got most of those before the trade deadline, the Royals probably buy instead of sell, and who knows how that changes things.
Max Rieper: The bullpen was a major reason, and it has been a big weakness for J.J. Picollo during most of his tenure. The lineup also suffered from slow starts to key players like Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, an injury to Maikel Garcia, and the continued absence of a good on-base guy to set the table in the lineup.
Cullen Jekel: Roster mismanagement, specifically with pitchers. The bullpen went to hell incredibly quickly and there was no one available to step in and stop the bleeding. Additionally, the rotation took a big hit when Cole Ragans went down, which, I mean, shouldn’t have been too surprising. And yet there was no one available in the organization to replace, or help replace, him, either. The front office banked too heavily on the arms being healthy, and that house of cards completely collapsed early in the season.
sterlingice: They ranked in the bottom third of the league in runs scored and runs allowed. The offense performed as it has for 3 of the last 4 seasons. They just aren’t good enough unless Witt is having a superhuman season and a couple of other players are having career years. That needs to change. Meanwhile, the pitching took a step back. In the 2024 playoff season, the starters were historically lucky with health. This year, they relied on oft-injured starters like Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, Stephen Kolek, and Ryan Bergert alongside aging veterans Wacha and Lugo with predictable results. If castoff Randy Dobnak and his 5.9 K/9 ends up as your third-highest pitcher in bWAR, you’ve had a bad pitching season.
What was your favorite thing about this season? Player, game, play, moment, etc.?
sterlingice: Even though Father Time is undefeated and Perez had a down season, I enjoyed Salvy’s chase for the franchise home run record. I like that he did it during one of his trademark hot streaks where he had four home runs in seven games. I love that the record-breaking home run tied the game in the late innings, as so many of his have done throughout his career. I wish it had been at home, but kudos to the respectful Detroit fans. Of course, I wish it had been during a playoff chase. But sometimes these milestones help you get through a long August in a lost season.
Jeremy Greco: I want to cheat a little and say the World Baseball Classic was my favorite part of the season. It was an absolute blast, and I wish we could do it more often. But actually, in the season, it’s the star turns of Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen. They both showed so much that it’s easy to believe they even yet have superstar potential left in their arsenals. When I think about just those two players for too long, it’s really easy to see why JJ thinks the team can compete next year.
Max Rieper: Every day I get to watch Bobby Witt Jr. in a Royals uniform is a treat. Again, he is one of the top three players in the league. That is amazing.
But yes, Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone each look like bona fide studs. It was cool to see them rake down the stretch.
Matthew LaMar: I really enjoyed Carter Jensen putting a strong season together. All too often, we’ve seen strong Royals prospects have a great debut and then fall off hard the following year (from Eric Hosmer to Ryan O’Hearn and Vinnie Pasquantino). Jensen, meanwhile, ended up with 27 home runs and nearly 4 WAR as a 22-year-old, all while catching much more than we thought he would. He was a consistent bright spot.
Cullen Jekel: Two things here. First, I was able to attend my first-ever Opening Day at Kauffman. I went with my wife, two sons, and father-in-law, and we had a great time. My boys still talk about it, and the youngest still sleeps with the Sluggerrr stuff I bought him that day. Second, Carter Jensen. After the team completely overplayed his sleeping in, after he found his footing, he became one of the best catchers, let alone among rookies, in the entire league. He had some growing pains, but he was a joy to watch every time he came to the plate. I’m excited that he’s part of the Royals core going forward. It isn’t easy finding a franchise catcher, but the Royals seemed to have nailed it with the local kid.
What should the Royals do this offseason?
Cullen Jekel: Talk about a loaded question. What shouldn’t the Royals do? The Royals should go out and acquire an entirely new bullpen while also adding another two or three starting pitchers. I would also like a new starting center fielder and left fielder, please and thank you, because Kyle Isbel and Isaac Collins ain’t it.
Jeremy Greco: Since they’ve declared their intention to compete, they should be incredibly aggressive to improve their roster. They need to add at least two high-quality starting pitchers plus a couple more who can act as depth, at least until guys start coming back from injury around midseason. They did an impressive job adding less-terrible options to the bullpen, but they need at least one and probably two really high-quality guys, plus a few more depth guys that you can mix and match with the current group so you can pick the ones who are working. They also need to add a legitimate-hitting left fielder.
Max Rieper: Revamping the bullpen is the top priority. The thing I noticed in this postseason is that with a few exceptions, the bullpens of contenders aren’t filled with high-priced free agents. It’s homegrown guys, guys picked up on minor league deals, waiver claims, and Rule 5 picks. That’s coaching. I like what pitching coach Brian Sweeney has done, but the pitching staff definitely took a step back. We need to find more diamonds in the rough.
I would look to add a left or center fielder. I would cut back on Salvy’s playing time, possibly with a platoon. I think you can squint and see them bouncing back well if they make the right moves.
Matthew LaMar: If the Royals want to compete next year, the only real option available to them is to spend a lot of money and cash some of their exciting young A+ to AA prospects in for established players. They need to grab Randy Arozarena or Taylor Ward for starters.
sterlingice: They clearly need another good right-handed bat. However, like the last two offseasons, there just aren’t many out there. This year, there are exactly two: Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki. Both will command a substantial contract that will look bad on the back end as both are in their early 30s. However, both would look good in this lineup for the next couple of years.
They need at least another starter and, really, more than that. The rotation for 2027 is currently Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, Seth Lugo (5.17 ERA), and that’s it. There are a decent number of mid-rotation starters. The Royals need to sign one and it needs to be the right one. I don’t even know where to start with the bullpen. All of the pitchers need to be ones that Brian Sweeney and company can improve so they are paying 50 cents on the dollar because there’s a lot of work to be done and limited resources.
What will the Royals do this offseason?
sterlingice: With the impending lockout, it’s very difficult to predict. There was a flurry of activity before the 2021-2022 lockout, including a one-day record, but the Royals weren’t a part of that. However, they were in a different place in their contention window than they are now. Smart teams will hedge as to whether it’s better to make moves pre or post-lockout and it remains to be seen which direction the Royals go. They have some money to play with, but not a lot.
I think they’ll sign a mid-rotation starter, a couple of mid-leverage bullpen arms that cost too much for what they are but won’t break the budget, and go bargain shopping for OF bats. It won’t be enough unless Witt has another great year, Jac and Jensen continue their upward trajectory, Vinnie can figure out how to start a season as strong as he ends them, the starters stay healthy, and the bullpen is magically overhauled. That’s a lot of “ifs.”
Max Rieper: I think they will have about $20-30 million to spend this offseason, which can go pretty quickly. I would expect them to trade for an outfielder – not a big trade, but maybe someone more promising than Isaac Collins. They will also likely bring in an outfielder, another Lane Thomas type, although that worked out pretty well when it was all done. The rest will be allocated to the pitching staff, maybe another starter and reliever if there is money left over.
Matthew LaMar: The Royals will not spend a lot of money and will keep all of their exciting young A+ to AA prospects. They’ll maybe go out and get someone for like $10 million a year over two or three years and tout that as a big acquisition. I am prepared to be underwhelmed.
Jeremy Greco: I think they’ll sign Taylor Ward, two middling starting pitchers, and one really good reliever, and hope they can cobble together the rest of it from spare parts.
Cullen Jekel: Nothing? I’m pessimistic about the 2027 season even occurring, and it’s going to be a rush to get things done this truncated offseason before a lockout. Now, if by some miracle of the baseball gods that there’s a (relatively) normal offseason, I can see the Royals adding a couple of cheap arms for the bullpen while maybe–maybe–coughing up some dough for a fifth starter. I bet they don’t make any changes to the coaching staff or the lineup aside from adding bench pieces. But Jensen-Witt Jr.-Caglianone-Garcia-Pasquantino-Perez-Massey-Collins-Isbel will probably be the Opening Day lineup.
World Series prediction?
sterlingice: I’d love it to be something fresh like Rays vs Brewers. But it will probably be something awful like the Dodgers over the Yankees/Red Sox winner.
Cullen Jekel: Well, at the beginning of the season, I predicted the Mariners over the Dodgers. Uh, I think I need to change at least half of that. Let’s go with the Rays over the Dodgers in seven even though I’ll be rooting for the Brewers.
Jeremy Greco: Padres over Rays in 7. Adrian Morejooooooooon
Matthew LaMar: Dodgers over White Sox. The new Evil Empire punctuates the season with their third consecutive victory over a plucky upstart and ushers in particularly nasty CBA negotiations.
Max Rieper: The Brewers win their first ever title, defeating the Red Sox.
Yesterday afternoon the Atlanta Braves won a roller coaster of a game as the lead changed four times. Ultimately Austin Riley had his redemption arc and hit the go-ahead three run HR off of Jhoan Duran fastball that was in the triple digits in the eighth inning.
Tyler Mahle, the Braves’ best trade deadline pickup will be taking the mound for the Braves against Cristopher Sánchez. Both pitchers were on completely different trajectories to end the season.
Before he joined the Braves, Mahle had a 5.13 ERA in eighteen starts. Since he joined the Braves he has a 1.99 ERA in nine starts, averaging six innings per appearance. In his first eighteen starts, Sánchez had a 2.00 ERA and averaged 6.5 innings per start. Since then, he has a 4.10 ERA while averaging 6.0 innings pitched. If we look at the last month, it is even worse. Sánchez has a 5.12 ERA since the start of September.
This does not mean the Braves will have it easy today. It is a do or die game for the Phillies so if Sánchez starts to struggle, it would not be shocking to see a starter come in on short rest to take over. Sánchez is a very good pitcher, in fact he will likely get some Cy Young down votes. However, on paper the matchup looks good. The players on the Braves’ playoff roster have a combined OPS of .759 against him in their careers.
Ronald Acuña has an OPS of 1.000 in sixteen ABs, Ozzie Albies has a .500 average and 1.193 OPS in eighteen ABs, and Austin Riley has a .467 average and 1.104 OPS in fifteen ABs against him. The rest of the team has mostly struggled, so there is some pressure on these three to perform. Michael Harris, fresh off of a three hit night, has struggled to an OPS of .321 in fifteen ABs.
Mahle has not faced the Phillies nearly as much as Sánchez has faced the Braves. However, he did face them in back-to-back starts in early September. In those combined starts he pitched 13.0 innings and only gave up one run on ten hits. He struck out six to only one walk. He was able to induce a whopping twenty-three ground balls in that span. He did have some luck with a BABIP of .220, but the results were great.
On paper, the Braves have the edge today. It is truly going to depend on if Acuña, Albies, and Riley can continue to rake against Sánchez in a period where he is clearly worn down at the end of a long season. Of course, other players stepping up would be nice too. If Mahle can perform like he did against the Phillies already this month and the Braves can get to the bullpen relatively early, they will be in a good spot. The Braves lead MLB in wRC+ in the ninth inning.
If the Braves win today, technically the Phillies miss October baseball this season.
First pitch is at 2:00 EDT.
Game Info
Game Time: Wednesday, September 30th, 2:00 pm EDT
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Watch: NBC/Peacock
Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan and ESPN Radio
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning everyone!
The MLB postseason kicked off yesterday, and we’ve got all of the scores and news you need to know to get your Wednesday started.
