Category: Baseball

Michael Wacha reached the 200-innings mark this year, writes Jaylon Thompson.

“Yeah, getting to that 200 mark is definitely a cool feeling,” Wacha said. “It’s always been a goal of mine as a starting pitcher to reach that number. And yeah, definitely a cool memory that I’ll have.”

Wacha gave up six runs — although only two were earned — in what turned out to be an 11-5 loss on Saturday to the Guardians.

“You know, he’s battled some things just like everybody does throughout the course of the year,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said pregame. “And having your body go through the rigors of pitching this many innings. But, he’s never wavered, and he takes a lot of pride in it. And we’ve seen him continually evolve year after year.”

Jackson Stone has more.

“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever been around,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Professional, gives you everything he’s got. I know he was frustrated with the results tonight, but you look up and he’s out there in the seventh. … I love the guy. Love everything about him, love the way he competes.”

He also writes that Carter Jensen continues to set rookie records.

He’s now homered 20 times while batting leadoff and playing catcher, which is eight more such home runs in a career than anyone else in MLB history. 

That’s not your normal catcher.

“He’s driven. We talk about it all the time. He works, he’s committed, he wants to be better,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “I know he’s had a really good season. I mean, anytime you pass Mike Piazza in something, that’s pretty impressive. We talk about his growth on the defensive side of the ball as well, but overall, he still wants to be better. He’s not satisfied.”

Here is what this year’s MLB postseason bracket looks like.

Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler will start Game 1 of the Wild Card series against the Red Sox.

How the Tigers blindsided Justin Verlander with an emotional send off in his last game.

Kirby Yates makes his first career start in his final MLB game.

The AL West is officially the worst division in baseball history.

Francisco Lindor becomes the second switch-hitter with 300 home runs and 200 steals.

Dodgers pitcher Blake Treinen will miss the postseason.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson won’t return next year.

Jarren Duran has the worst 20/20 season in modern baseball history.

The Mariners surprise longtime broadcaster Rick Rizzs with a tribute in his last weekend before retirement.

MLB is talking to the White House about playing a game in a national park.

Longtime White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper died last week.

Remember Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, ten years after his death.

Scientists detect radio signals coming directly from a planet outside our solar system.

An Indian-Pakistani restaurant in a Houston strip mall makes more Uber Eats deliveries than any other restaurant in the world.

Some Brits want to get rid of the big fuzzy hats at Buckingham Palace.

Your song of the day is Wolf Parade with Fine Young Cannibals.

The Yankees gained an extra day of rest with a nor’easter canceling Game 162 against the Orioles on Sunday. It means they’ll have two days off before opening their 2026 playoff odyssey Tuesday night against the Red Sox in the AL Wild Card Series. Boston has one less day of rest after losing to the Cubs, 6-2, on the final day of the regular season. Earlier today, my colleague Josh provided a preview of Boston’s top-of-the-class pitching staff, and now we’ll look at the offense.

The Red Sox were seemingly dead and buried on June 24th after dropping two of three to the last place Rockies. They sat in last place at 32-46, 15.5 games back of the first-place Rays, listless after the ground-shaking April 25th firing of longtime manager Alex Cora. But then a four game sweep of the Yankees at Fenway catalyzed one of the most stunning mid-season turnarounds in recent memory. They won an astonishing 27 of 30 games between July 3rd and August 7th to seriously threaten the Yankees’ position in second place. This owes a lot to, as Josh covered, a pitching staff that was fantastic all season long. However, the sudden emergence of impact hitters from the margins of the roster deserves as much of the praise for ultimately getting them into this playoff series against the Yankees.

Before we look at the individual players, we should recap how the offense in aggregate performed across the whole season. They finished middle of the pack in terms of OPS (.718), wRC+ (99), stolen bases (107), and fWAR (20.3). They hit the fifth-fewest home runs (162) in the league while striking out and walking at a roughly league-average clip. And as the Yankees deal with uncertainty over Aaron Judge’s availability, the Red Sox just got their own star slugger back just in time for this series.

Willson Contreras missed eight games after being struck on the hand by a pitch, but returned to the lineup in the final game of the regular season. The longtime Cardinal seemingly had a point to prove all season after getting traded to the Red Sox over the winter, and he was far and away Boston’s best hitter, slashing .276/.387/.518 with a team-high 27 home runs, 81 RBI and 4.1 fWAR, his 152 wRC+ third in baseball among hitters with at least 500 PAs. He thrives against fastballs and anything on the outer-half, his one weak spot up and in.

Roman Anthony appeared poised to step up as the league’s next superstar after a breakout rookie campaign, but a torn finger ligament limited him to just 54 games. He returned with two hits against the Yankees on August 30th and posted a 123 wRC+ in his final 24 games, though he finished with just five home runs in 240 plate appearances. Like Contreras, he loves to crush the fastball, but is certainly vulnerable to breaking balls from righties and changeups from lefties low and away.

Before the season started, the outfield was expected to carry the offense. Despite Anthony missing most of the season, the outfield still produced the bulk of the position player value. Ceddanne Rafaela posted his first above-average campaign by wRC+ (108) while maintaining Gold Glove defense in center but did deal with some right leg injuries in the final weeks of the season. Wilyer Abreu didn’t quite take the next step that many expected him to but still produced plenty of value by matching his career averages by batting .248/.327/.446 with 24 home runs, 76 RBI, and a 112 wRC+, though his defense regressed significantly from its usual sterling standard. The pair do the bulk of their damage against the breaking ball so expect a heavy diet of fastballs inside to Abreu and away to Rafaela.

All this being said, the story of the Red Sox season and in particular the turnaround in fortunes has been the transformation of other teams’ castoffs and their own borderline MLB players into impact contributors, not dissimilar from the Yankees’ next-man-up movement in 2019. Chief among them was Mickey Gasper, who was claimed off waivers over the winter and was optioned multiple times early before exploding for a 130 wRC+ in 67 games (though will miss this series with a biceps injury). One-time Yankee Jahmai Jones thrived in a platoon bench role, posting a 184 wRC+ in 179 plate appearances, almost exclusively against lefties.

Caleb Durbin was a sturdy three-win player who batted league average. Former Yankees first round pick Anthony Seigler was a revelation for 49 games at second posting a 102 wRC+, though his availability is threatened by a wrist injury. Nick Easton floundered in his first two big league seasons but was good for a 104 wRC+ in 65 games.

There are some softer landing spots in the lineup. Adley Rutschman never quite adjusted to life with the Red Sox with just a 77 wRC+ in 31 games after moving to Boston at the deadline and could yield playing time to Connor Wong behind the plate. Jarren Duran endured a miserable campaign at a 70 wRC+ in 150 games and likely played himself out of a starting role in the playoffs. Trevor Story could only a muster a 68 wRC+ in 63 games of another injury ravaged season.

For Boston, the question becomes whether this accumulation of injuries to position players leaves them blunted for this series. That being said, their main protagonists are all available just in time, Contreras, Anthony, Abreu, and Rafaela representing a potent threat at the top of the lineup. If the Yankees can limit the damage done by those four they’ll be in a good position to advance.

We did it, folks.

We made it through another 162 games of Rockies baseball.

While they limped to the end and ultimately finished 58-104, there were plenty of glimmers of hope for the future (as well as many reminders of why they finished with a fourth-consecutive 100-loss season).

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be running our “Ranking the Rockies” series as well as continue to bring you as many updates as we can about the team.

But in the meantime, here are some updates from a busy final weekend of the MLB regular season!

Rockies News & Links

• Goodman reaches 40-HR milestone, and Rockies want more | MLB.com — Hunter Goodman finished 2026 with 41 home runs, becoming the first Rockie since 2019 to accomplish the feat. Thomas Harding caught up with the slugging catcher after the milestone on Saturday night.
• Condon’s full season, new mindset crucial for ’26 development | MLB.com — Charlie Condon (No. 2 PuRP) finished 2026 by being named the PCL’s “Top MLB Prospect” and an All-Star. Thomas Harding caught up with the top prospect, as well as some of his Triple-A coaches, about his 2026 season.
• Coors Field employees, regulars pray MLB avoids lockout | Kevin’s take | Denver Gazette ($) — With an MLB lockout likely looming on the horizon, Kevin Henry checked in with some folks who will also be affected: Folks who work at Coors Field, including ushers, concessionaires, custodial staff, security staff and others.
• The Rockies are the fifth MLB team to lose 100 games in four straight seasons. Here’s a historical comparison. | Denver Post ($) — It was another down year for the Rockies, who made dubious history once again with a fourth-consecutive 100-loss season. Kyle Newman breaks down how this season fits in a historical context.

Around MLB

• Here are the Triple-A All-Stars and award winners for the 2026 season | MLB.com — As mentioned above, Condon was named an All-Star and “Top MLB Prospect” for the PCL. Alongside him, Zac Veen (No. 6 PuRP) took home the MVP award and Sterlin Thompson (No. 16 PuRP) was also named an All-Star. Veen became the first Rockies prospect to earn MVP honors since Joshua Fuentes in 2018.
• Tigers’ emotional Justin Verlander leaves final career start to hugs | ESPN — In case you weren’t watching the Tigers-Pirates game on Saturday, it marked Justin Verlander’s final MLB start. And just warning you now: Have tissues handy!
• Brewers buck tradition, name Christian Yelich first captain in club history | The Athletic ($) — Christian Yelich has been a stalwart for the Brewers since they traded for him during the 2017-2018 offseason. The Brew Crew rewarded him by naming him Captain, one of three active players to don the title (Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Salvador Perez of the Royals). If the Rockies decided to name a captain, who would it be?
• Dan Wilson will not return as Seattle Mariners manager | ESPN — The Seattle Mariners struggled mightily in 2026 after 2025 saw them nearly make the World Series. Unfortunately for Dan Wilson, that meant the end of his tenure. He was promoted to manager on August 22, 2024 and went 186-171 in 357 games at the helm.
• Alonso becomes first player to win RBI title in both leagues | MLB.com — After 10 years in the New York Mets organization (six in the Majors), Pete Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason. He had a productive year, slashing .267/.363/.522 with 43 homers (1st in the AL) in 161 games with the O’s and became the first player to win the RBI title in both the National and American Leagues.
• Here are the final stats leaders from the 2026 season | MLB.com — TJ Rumfield won the OBP crown in the National League (and MLB), but doesn’t get a mention in this particular article.

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When Trey Gibson took the mound for the nightcap of the Orioles’ September 23 doubleheader against Toronto, there was little reason to expect much. The 24-year-old was only there because Baltimore’s rotation had run out of healthy arms: Kyle Bradish was sidelined with a sports hernia, and the Orioles needed an extra starter for the doubleheader. Gibson’s big-league résumé to that point did not inspire confidence: a 7.36 ERA and a 1.91 WHIP in seven tries. One fantasy site called him a “high-risk option.”

Then he threw 6⅔ scoreless innings against a Blue Jays team that had still harbored playoff aspirations that morning. The righty allowed three hits and two walks, and struck out seven. It was the best start of his young career by a country mile, and perhaps, looking ahead to next season, a statement that there could be more where this came from.

Obviously, one start isn’t a season. So what did the rest of Trey Gibson’s 2026 actually say?

Gibson came into this season a former dark horse who was already building a name for himself. An undrafted free agent, Gibson was pitching for the collegiate summer team the Chatham Anglers when the Orioles signed him to a minor league contract in 2023.

Then, over parts of three seasons, Gibson’s star began to rise, capped off by 2025, when his 166 strikeouts across three levels led every pitcher in the system, resulting in his being named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Thus Trey Gibson had a head of steam entering this spring. But it turns out, MiLB is one thing, and the dance is another. After six starts at Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles handed him the ball at Yankee Stadium on May 3. He went 4⅔ innings and gave up three runs, two of them on homers. May was respectable overall for him: a 3.65 ERA in three appearances, including 5⅔ innings of one-run ball against the Rays.

June, however, was not. Over five starts Gibson got walloped: a 9.58 ERA, with opposing hitters averaging nearly .300 against him. Sure, there were OK indicators, stuff-wise: he struck out 25 in 20 2/3 innings, including eight at Dodger Stadium. But it was still ugly. This stretch was capped off, in a manner of speaking, by a June 30 outing against the White Sox where he posted this line: 2⅔ innings, seven hits, six walks, eight runs. Ouch. Back to Norfolk went Gibson, and it wasn’t clear he’d be invited back to the big leagues at all this year.

Back at Triple-A, at a surface level, Gibson actually got worse as the summer went on. He had a 3.55 ERA from March through July and a 5.27 ERA in August and September. But if you look closer, you’ll also see a walk rate that got cut in half (4.3 BB/9 through July, and 2.0 in August and September) and an uptick in strikeouts (though this had never been a problem for the righty). Gibson, during his struggles this summer, had lived too much in the zone and allowed too many hits. But by cutting down the walks, he made himself a different pitcher.

I’m not saying the Orioles were onto this when he was called back up for one last big-league start this season; by all appearances it was purely a move of necessity, when Kyle Bradish went down with a hernia. But as you now know, Gibson’s scoreless outing was a revelation, and certainly a moment he demanded to be taken seriously as a starting pitcher candidate.

What does Gibson’s season tell us, as we close the book on a lost season for the team as a whole and look ahead to 2027? Obviously, cautious optimism has to be the right answer. One start in nine tries is not much to go on. Also it came against a Blue Jays team that had been already eliminated from postseason competition in Game One of the doubleheader that day. And it’s true, Gibson is striking out fewer hitters than he used to. In 2025, when he was the organization’s Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year, he was a strikeout machine, with 12.4 whiffs per nine innings across three levels. At Norfolk this year it was 8.0 early in the season, and slightly rebounded to 9.0 per nine over the last two months. In nine starts as a big leaguer, he averaged 8.4.

One more interesting thing about Gibson. A mounting complaint about the Mike Elias regime is the failure to draft pitchers. Gibson is, in a way, no rebuttal to this at all, because the Orioles signed him in August 2023 after he went undrafted! (This was just after a stretch in which, by BirdsWatcher’s count, Baltimore didn’t draft and sign a single pitcher in the first four rounds from 2019 through 2022.) On the other hand, Gibson provides strong evidence that the Orioles can develop pitching, alongside 14th-rounder Michael Forret and Luis De Leon, who signed for $30,000. That’s a point in the front office’s favor, at least.

Trey Gibson was signed as a relative unknown, and he still remains such. He has a 95-mph fastball, a great work ethic, an ability to miss MiLB bats, one great MLB start to his name, and that’s pretty much it. But if you’re looking for an interesting contender for a spot in the 2027 starting rotation, you can’t overlook Trey Gibson.

The MLB playoff teams are in place, with the Astros and Phillies qualifying yesterday.

Here is the schedule for the first round of the playoffs. No baseball today, then a bunch of baseball tomorrow.

Zack Meisel wrote about Austin Hedges’ miraculous season as a hitter. Truly remarkable that he ended up an above average hitter.

Guardians fans have been thanking Hunter Goodman and the Rockies by donating to a Colorado charity for kids.

Welcome to week 27 (the final week!) of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!

1. Milwaukee Brewers (103-59); 5-1 this week; Clinched NL Central

The Brewers capped off the best regular season in franchise history, as they went 5-1 against the Phillies and Cardinals to finish the year with 103 wins, easily surpassing the previous record of 97 wins set in 2025.

Brice Turang capped off a 20-homer, 100-RBI season with two homers and three doubles this week, driving in a team-high seven. Jackson Chourio added eight hits, including a homer, while driving in five, scoring seven runs, and swiping a pair of bases. Christian Yelich and Gary Sánchez also homered.

Jacob Misiorowski finished his historic season with another scoreless outing, striking out five over 5 1/3 innings to pick up his 16th win of the year. Logan Henderson turned in five innings of one-run ball, while Robert Gasser went six innings with one run allowed, striking out a team-high nine batters. Aaron Ashby, Trevor Megill, Antonio Senzatela, and Shane Drohan each picked up a save this week for the bullpen.

Milwaukee now enjoys a little bit of a break, as they’ll be closely watching the NL Wild Card Series between the Cubs and Padres. The winner of that best-of-three set will face the Brewers in the best-of-five NLDS beginning in Milwaukee on Saturday.

2. Chicago Cubs (89-73); 2-4 this week; Clinched NL Wild Card #2

Chicago limped to the finish line, finishing in the second Wild Card spot after dropping two of three to both the Marlins and Red Sox this week.

Alex Bregman, who exited last Sunday’s game after taking a foul ball off the face in the on-deck circle, returned with a bang, slugging two homers and a double as part of a four-hit weekend against Boston. Seiya Suzuki added the only other homer, while Pete Crow-Armstrong finished off a 40-homer, 40-steal season with three steals this week.

Matthew Boyd had the best start of the week, going seven innings with one run allowed and six strikeouts. David Peterson tossed five scoreless innings, striking out six, while Gavin Hollowell, Daniel Palencia, Colin Rea, Ryan Zeferjahn, and Jacob Webb combined for 9 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out six.

The Cubs now travel to San Diego, where they’ll take on the Padres in a best-of-three NL Wild Card Series to determine who faces the Brewers in the NLDS.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates (82-80); 3-3 this week; Eliminated from Postseason

The Pirates ended their season on a high-ish note, as they officially clinched a winning season for the first time since 2018, going 3-3 against the Cardinals and Tigers.

Brandon Lowe slugged a pair of homers to lead the Bucs, while Konnor Griffin wrapped up a solid rookie campaign, picking up a team-high eight hits, including a homer. Rafael Flores and Jacob Gonzalez both added homers as their lone hits of the week.

Paul Skenes finished off another 200-strikeout campaign, going 6 1/3 innings with one run allowed and eight strikeouts. Jared Jones turned in a pair of solid outings, totaling 11 innings with no runs allowed and 14 strikeouts. Lake Bachar, Yohan Ramírez, Evan Sisk, Gregory Soto, Luke Weaver, and the retiring Kirby Yates combined for 15 scoreless innings, striking out 21.

4. St. Louis Cardinals (77-85); 1-5 this week; Eliminated from Postseason

The Cardinals continued their second-half freefall, dropping two of three to the Pirates before being swept by the Brewers, finishing the year eight games under .500.

Alec Burleson capped off a strong season with three homers this week, while Leo Bernal, Jordan Walker, and Iván Herrera added a homer each. JJ Wetherholt led the team with five hits on the week.

It wasn’t a great week on the mound for the Cards, but Matthew Liberatore turned in the best start, allowing one run and striking out six over 5 2/3 innings. Gordon Graceffo, Cooper Hjerpe, Brycen Mautz, Hancel Rincon, George Soriano, and Cade Winquest combined for 15 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out 16.

5. Cincinnati Reds (75-87); 3-3 this week; Eliminated from Postseason

The Reds went 3-3 to end the season, winning two of three from the Braves before dropping two of three to the Blue Jays over the weekend.

Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez both slugged a pair of homers, while five others added a homer apiece. Carlos Jorge led the squad with seven hits, including a homer, and Héctor Rodríguez had six hits, including a homer, a double, and a triple, driving in five.

Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder both turned in strong starts, as Abbott went seven frames with two runs allowed and six strikeouts, and Lowder went six scoreless, striking out two. Tejay Antone, Graham Ashcraft, Brock Burke, Pierce Johnson, and Emilio Pagán totaled 12 scoreless innings for the bullpen, striking out 11.

Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! The 2026 regular season has ended. And for the Orioles, the end of the season was a literal washout. Yesterday’s game between the Orioles and Yankees was technically delayed for about three hours yesterday, but I think we all knew the game wasn’t going to be played. The weather in New York was too severe and for the duration of the delay, the Yankees never even submitted a lineup.

But they had to pretend the game might be played, because MLB had just sent the Red Sox down to Tampa to play a game against the Cubs due to the same storm. So now the Yankees have an extra day off ahead of the Wild Card series in New York. I’m not saying it was a conspiracy. But I’m not saying it’s not a conspiracy.

Going into yesterday, there were two playoff spots yet to be finalized. The AL West had to be determined, as did the final spot on the NL Wild Card race. The Astros won and head to the playoffs with an 81-81 record. And the Phillies, who had almost frittered away their playoff spot, won to keep it at the last minute.

There is no baseball today. The Wild Card round kicks off tomorrow with four games.

But not for the Orioles. For the Orioles, the off-season begins today. And they have a lot of things to work on. If I were going to pick one thing I am looking to see improve, I am going with defense. The most disheartening part of this season was seeing plays that should have been made not be made. And on a regular basis.

Here at Camden Chat, we’re jumping right into the offseason. We have already started prospect reviews. Player reviews are coming, along with looks ahead at the 2027 season. Of course, a lot of that depends on if and when the 2027 season begins.

Links

Orioles season ends one game short thanks to nor’easter – The Baltimore Banner
If you were sitting around yesterday waiting to watch the Orioles, you were disappointed

Henderson on Orioles’ season: ‘A failed year for us’ – Baltimore Baseball
This is a few days old, but shockingly, there isn’t a lot of news right after an 82-loss team gets rained out of a meaningless game. Rich Dubroff has the transcript of Gunnar Henderson’s interview with press a few days ago.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have three Orioles birthday buddies. Grant Jackson (b. 1942, d. 2021) had an 18-year career, five-plus of which were spent with the Orioles. He pitched in 209 games for the Orioles from 1971-76 before the Orioles traded him to the Yankees in that big nine-player trade in June 1976.

Also born on this day in history are former Orioles Mike DeJean (56) and Todd Frohwirth (b. 1962, d. 2017).

On this day in 1953, the American League owners agreed to move the St. Louis Browns to Baltimore. Good day for us!

In 1958, Gus Triandos stole the only base of his Major League career.

In 1971, the Orioles swept a doubleheader with the Red Sox to give them 100 wins for the third straight season.

In 2011, the Orioles played the most exciting game you’ll ever see from a 93-loss team. Down 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, three straight his from Chris Davis, Nolan Reimold, and Robert Andino gave the Orioles a 4-3 walkoff victory. Moments after the Orioles won, the Rays walked off the Yankees in Tampa. The combination of games knocked the Red Sox out of the playoffs. The Red Sox had been two games up in the AL East on August 27th before going 7-20 in September.

In 2023, the Orioles beat the Red Sox again. But this time it was their 100th win of the season. Much preferable.

And one year ago today, the Orioles finished the season with a 3-2 loss to the Yankees. Kyle Bradish allowed two runs in four innings. Rico Garcia took the loss. Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson hit back-to-back home runs.

Now we can breathe a sigh of relief. Taking a much needed win to make the playoffs, the Phillies are waking up today in Atlanta to prepare for the wild card round against the Braves. It should at least be entertaining.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• It got hairy, but the Phillies were able to avoid the company of the 2007 Mets and the 1964 Phillies by winning yesterday ($).
• The stars were actually out to play for the Phillies yesterday. Can they continue to do it against the Braves?
• Jesus Luzardo was activated for yesterday’s game and should be in play to be the game one starter on Tuesday.

MLB news:

• The playoffs are now set with the Astros somehow winning the AL West yet again. Maybe this will be the end of their reign.
• MLB has talked with the Trump administration about playing a game in a national park. Please don’t do this.
• Max Scherzer pitched into the eighth inning yesterday for the Blue Jays. Will that be his final MLB start? I’d say no.
• Dan Wilson will not be coming back to manage the Mariners next year. Not a big surprise with how that team collapsed this year.

Last year, the Yankees lost Gerrit Cole, in what was probably the last true year of his prime. A loss like that would reverberate throughout a team’s entire season, usually. Instead, the Yankees more or less recreated Cole in the form of Cam Schlittler, now the favorite for the AL Cy Young and starting Game 1 of the Wild Card Series this week.

Garrett Crochet is Boston’s version of Cole: the ace, the guy you work day and night to land, and then pay him handsomely to start the big games. He has not thrown a pitch in anger since April 25th, and yet the Sox boast the third-best pitching staff in baseball, with only the Dodgers and Phillies notching more fWAR as a total unit. We start at the top, where Payton Tolle, Ranger Suarez, and Sonny Gray will likely take the ball in the three Wild Card games against the Yankees (in a yet-to-be-announced order).

Wild Card Series Game 1: Tuesday, September 29, 8pm EST
Wild Card Series Game 2: Wednesday, September 30, 8pm EST
Wild Card Series Game 3: Thursday, October 1, 8pm EST (if necessary)

Tolle has built a solid case for AL Rookie of the Year, and while he probably won’t take the award home, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him as one of the finalists. The lefty features six pitches but like Schlittler, will offer a fastball of some variety about two-thirds of the time. He has faced the Yankees twice, allowing just a single run across 13 innings in those two outings. This will be his first postseason start, though he did retire the only batter he faced in a relief appearance last October in the Bronx (Trent Grisham with the bases loaded).

Suarez has been everything the Sox could hope for when they inked him to that five-year, $130 million contract last winter. A four-win season as the No. 2 man in the rotation, I could probably copy and paste what I said above about Tolle here, just with more postseason experience on Suarez’s time from his Phillies days. The same six pitches, the same fastball-heavy approach. The first two games of this series will see the Yankees facing a bunch of heaters in the zone — they’ll need to be ready to swing. During his October tenure in Philly, Suarez had a superb 1.48 ERA across eight starts and three relief outings from 2022-25.

Former Yankees righty Sonny Gray rounds out the trio, continuing to defy the aging curve with another 3.5 win season at 36 years old. He offers a different look than the two southpaws and will be making his first playoff appearance since 2023 with the Twins.

The rotation is formidable, but what really worries me is the strength of the bullpen, as well as a couple injections the unit is getting. We’ve seen the Yankees win a lot of games this year by being iced out by the starter and breaking out late against relievers, but that’ll be a tough out with the Red Sox, whose relief corps has the best ERA and FIP in the sport. Aroldis Chapman, for all his personal faults, is putting the finishing touches on what is a Hall of Fame resume, with 35 saves and a 33-percent strikeout rate holding down the ninth inning.

But before you even get to the ninth, there’s a series of very hard-throwing hurdles to clear. Garrett Whitlock elevated his game this season with a cripplingly low walk rate, deciding to just not throw balls anymore. Brayan Bello is only a reliever in name, following an opener much of the year; he’ll also be an option should the Red Sox need a guy that can deliver more than three outs. (Tyron Guerrero also came out of baseball irrelevance to re-establish himself as one of Chad Tracy’s favorite weapons, though a lat strain will sideline him for this sseries.)

Jake Bennett made the most of his May 1st call-up from Pawtucket, putting up 2.5 wins in 113.1 innings, but like Carlos Rodón, he’ll be shifted to a reliever role as well, at least for this series. The man chiefly tasked with replacing Crochet has faced the Yankees twice this year, facing 44 batters and allowing just eight of them to reach base. And then, of course…

Garrett Crochet threw live batting practice in Fort Myers on Saturday, as scheduled, Chad Tracy said.

It went well and he felt good coming out of it. He is likely to join the Red Sox on their flight to New York tonight.

They have not said if he'll be on the ALWCS roster.

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) September 27, 2026

I’m writing this at 1pm Pacific time on Sunday, and I gotta admit. I feel more confident that Crochet will be on the Red Sox Wild Card roster than Aaron Judge will be on the Yankees’. I don’t imagine the club will push their ace very far in a bullpen role, surely one inning at a time only, but we’ve seen what the southpaw’s stuff looks like, and if it plays up in relief like many guys find, that’s as devastating a one-two southpaw punch between him and Chapman as you’ll ever see.

This is not going to be an easy series. The Yankees have a lot to contend with when it comes to the octopus of Red Sox pitching, and the lineup doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Maybe they’ll surprise us all, but the pressure has to be on New York’s own collection of arms to hold serve given what Boston has at its disposal.

Free of charge for the discerning reader.

Happy birthday to Enoli Paredes, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1930 – As a Yankee, Babe Ruth returns to the mound after a nine-year absence at Fenway Park and pitches a complete game, beating the Red Sox, 9-3. The last time the “Bambino” took the mound, he defeated the A’s at the end of the 1921 season, and 1938 – At Wrigley Field, Gabby Hartnett hits his famous “Homer in the Gloamin'” in the ninth inning against the Pirates’ Mace Brown to give the Chicago Cubs a 6-5 victory, their ninth straight. It is a key triumph en route to the Cubs’ National League pennant, and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1924 – Rogers Hornsby finishes the season with a .424 batting average to lead the National League.
• 1941 – Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox goes 6 for 8 in a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics to finish the season with a .406 batting average. He had started the day batting .3995 — which rounds up to .400 — and his manager, Joe Cronin, had suggested he sit out the otherwise meaniningless games to preserve the mark, but Williams insisted on earning the title on the field. No player has batted .400 since.
• 1951 – Allie Reynolds pitches his second no-hitter of the season as the New York Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox, 8-0, in the opener of a doubleheader. The Yankees clinch the American League pennant with an 11-3 victory in the nightcap.
• 1955 – The Yanks win the first game of the World Series as Whitey Ford beats Don Newcombe, 6-5. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Elston Howard, in his first World Series at-bat, knots the score at 2-2 when he homers off Dodgers right-hander Don Newcombe. The round-tripper to deep left field at Yankee Stadium marks the first time a black batter has hit a home run off a black pitcher in the history of the Fall Classic. In a controversial play in the eighth, with Frank Kellert at bat, Jackie Robinson steals home to bring the Dodgers to within a run of a tie, but they will fall short today.
• 1958 – Going 7-for-11 to end the season, Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams becomes the first 40-year-old to lead the league in hitting and wins his sixth and final batting title. The “Splendid Splinter’s” .328 batting average beats out his teammate Pete Runnels, who goes 0-for-4 today and ends up the campaign with a .322 mark.
• 1960 – In his final major-league plate appearance, against Baltimore’s Jack Fisher, Ted Williams picks out a 1-1 pitch and drives it 450 feet into the right-center field seats behind the Boston bullpen. It is Williams’ 521st and last home run, putting him third on the all-time list. The blast gives the seventh-place Red Sox a 5-4 victory. Williams stays in the dugout, ignoring the crowd’s cheers, but when he trots out to left field in the ninth, he is replaced immediately by Carroll Hardy. He retires as a standing crowd roars.
• 1974 – Nolan Ryan pitches his third of seven career no-hitters, striking out 15 batters and beating the Minnesota Twins, 4-0, at Anaheim Stadium. He also walks eight to run his season total to 202 bases on balls, joining Bob Feller in 1938 as the only pitcher to walk more than 200 in a season. Ryan will again top 200 in 1977.
• 1988 – Orel Hershiser of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws ten shutout innings against the San Diego Padres and extends his streak of scoreless innings to 59, breaking the record set by Don Drysdale in 1968.
• 1995 – Dennis Martínez‘s fastball breaks Minnesota Twins’ Kirby Puckett’s jaw in what becomes Puckett’s final career plate appearance in the Cleveland Indians’ 12-4 win.
• 1997 – Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres ties Honus Wagner‘s record by winning his eighth National League batting title. Gwynn finishes at .372, becoming the first player to win four consecutive NL batting titles since Rogers Hornsby won six straight between 1920 and 1925.
• 2005 – Alex Rodriguez hits his 47th home run in the Yankees’ 2-1 victory over Baltimore. The shot breaks Joe DiMaggio‘s single-season club record for home runs by a right-handed batter, set in 1937.
• 2008 – Mike Mussina, who has won 18 or 19 games five times, finally becomes a 20-game winner at age 39. The Yankee hurler tops the Red Sox, 6-2, as Daisuke Matsuzaka falls to 18-3 on the year. Mussina will announce his retirement after the season.
• 2022 – Aaron Judge ties one of the most hallowed records in baseball — the 61 home runs hit by Roger Maris in 1961, which still stands as the American League record six decades later. He takes Tim Mayza deep with a man on base in the 6th inning of a game at Rogers Centre, breaking a 3-3 tie to lead the Yankees to an 8-3 win. While three players have exceeded that total in the National League, all were active in the steroids era and their accomplishment has been tainted as a result – which is not the case for Judge.
• 2023 – With a homer and two RBIs in Atlanta’s 5-3 win over the Cubs, Matt Olson sets a new modern Braves franchise record for RBIs with 136, besting Eddie Mathews‘ mark of 135 set in 1953, although it is still shy of the all-time franchise best of 145 dating back to 1894 and Hugh Duffy. Olson had earlier passed Andruw Jones‘ record of 51 homers, being now at 54. The win clinches the best record in the National League for the Braves.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1897 – Although he gives up 14 runs on 17 hits, Dave Wright of the Chicago Colts wins his first and only major league game. The 21 year-old Dennison, Ohio native is the beneficiary of Chicago’s 11-run fifth inning when the club beats the Pirates, 15-14.
• 1930 – The Cubs bring down the season’s curtain as Hack Wilson has his 189th and 190th RBI in a 12-11 victory over the Reds. Wilson’s major league RBI record will remain untouched. With Riggs Stephenson and Kiki Cuyler each driving in 100 runs, the Cubs have the first all-100 RBI outfield in the 20th century. The Boston outfield in 1894 also had the same credentials.
• 1932 – In the opening game of the World Series, Lou Gehrig‘s home run leads the Yankees to a 12-6 win over the Cubs.
• 1935 – With nothing on the line, the pennant-winning Cubs finally lose to the Cardinals and snap their 21-game win streak. The skein is the longest in the majors since the Giants of 1916 won 26 games and tied one. However, Chicago’s win streak is the longest without a tie since 1880.
• 1959 – In the first game of a best-of-three playoff, the Dodgers beat the Braves, 3-2, in a cold Milwaukee drizzle. Rookie Larry Sherry pitches 7.2 innings of scoreless relief. In a losing cause, Eddie Mathews hits his 46th home run to win the title. Ernie Banks had finished the year with 45.
• 1962 – In front of only 595 fans at Wrigley Field, the Cubs (58-101) beat the Mets (39-118) in the first meeting in major league history between two 100-loss teams before the series begins. The New York expansion team will split the remaining two games in Chicago to finish the season 40-120, establishing the record for the most losses in baseball’s modern era that will stand until 2024.
• 1995 – A fan takes exception when a Cub reliever gives up two-run, pinch home run to James Mouton, giving the Astros an eighth-inning 9-7 lead. As the Houston pinch-hitter rounds the bases, the 27-year-old spectator runs out of the stands and heads toward the mound, where he is immediately pinned by Randy Myers, who in addition to his pitching prowess, is well trained in the martial arts.
• 1998 – In the first National League playoff since 1980, the Cubs beat the Giants, 5-3, to take the National League’s wild card berth. San Francisco makes the game interesting by scoring three runs in the ninth inning in front of a very anxious crowd at Wrigley Field.
• 2001 – In the first home game at Wrigley Field since the September 11th terrorist attacks on America, Sammy Sosa, after hitting his 59th home run of the season, pulls out a small American flag and waves it as he circles the bases. After scoring and making a curtain call from the dugout, the Cub slugger continues to wave Old Glory.
• 2003 – Ron Santo, the team’s radio color commentator, joins Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Billy Williams, becoming third player to have his number retired by the Cubs. The nine-time All-Star third baseman, who spent 14 of his 15 seasons with Chicago (1960–1973), will have his uniform No. 10 below Ernie Banks’s on the left-field foul pole.
• 2007 – The Chicago Cubs clinch the NL Central division title with a 6-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Reds, combined with a loss by the Milwaukee Brewers. It is the third different franchise that Cubs manager Lou Piniella has led to a division title. For Chicago, Alfonso Soriano hits his 32nd home run of the season, taking Bronson Arroyo deep in the first inning. It is Soriano’s sixth home run leading off a game this month, a new major league record. It is also his 13th homer in September, tying Ernie Banks‘ franchise record.
• 2012 – 2B Darwin Barney of the Cubs makes a wild throw to first base after fielding Justin Upton‘s ground ball in the 8th inning of the Cubs’ 8-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. The miscue ends Barney’s 141-game errorless streak, tying Placido Polanco‘s all-time record for a single season, set in 2007.
• 2015 – Chris Denorfia of the Cubs does something unprecedented when he homers as a pinch-hitter for Fernando Rodney in the bottom of the 11th inning to give his team a 1-0 win over the Royals. His blast off Miguel Almonte is the first-ever pinch-hit, walk-off homer in extra innings in a 1-0 game.

Cubs Birthdays:Enoli Paredes*, Joey Nation, Dick Gernert, Dick Barrett, Hank Grampp, Jim Brillheart, Wilbur Good.

Today in history:

• 1066 – William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, lands at Pevensey Bay in Sussex, beginning the Norman Conquest of England.
• 1542 – Explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo is the first European to sail into San Diego Bay, naming it San Miguel and claiming it for Spain.
• 1781 – 9,000 American and 7,000 French troops begin the Siege of Yorktown.
• 1785 – Napoléon Bonaparte, aged 16, graduates from the elite École Militaire in Paris, ranking a lowly 42nd in a class of 51.
• 1901 – American businessman King C. Gillette establishes the American Safety Razor Company.
• 1976 – Muhammad Ali defeats Ken Norton in a 15-round unanimous points decision for the WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight boxing titles.
• 1982 – First reports appear of deaths from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules.

Today in music history:

• 1956 – RCA Records reports Elvis Presley sells over 10 million records.
• 1963 – New York City DJ “Murray The K” plays The Beatles’ “She Loves You” on the radio.
• 1968 – Janis Joplin announces she’s leaving the rock band “Big Brother & the Holding Company.”
• 1968 – The Beatles’ single “Hey Jude” hits No. 1 and stays there for nine weeks.
• 1974 – “I’m A Ramblin’ Man” by Waylon Jennings peaks at No. 75 on the pop chart and No. 1 on the country chart.
• 1974 – British guitarist Mick Ronson joins the rock band “Mott the Hoople”.
• 1976 – Tamla/Motown Records releases “Songs in the Key of Life,” the 18th studio album by Stevie Wonder; the double album plus EP is the biggest seller, includes “Sir Duke,” “As,” and “Isn’t She Lovely,” and wins the Grammy for Album of the Year (1977).
• 1978 – Metal band Black Sabbath release their eighth album “Never Say Die,” the last to feature Ozzy Osbourne before he is fired.
• 1981 – Olivia Newton-John releases single “Physical” (Billboard Song of the Year 1982).
• 1985 – “Don’t Lose My Number” by Phil Collins peaks at No. 4.
• 1985 – “Freedom” by Wham! peaks at No. 3.
• 1991 – “Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M. peaks at No. 10.

*pictured.

Last Week’s Results:

• Tuesday: Phillies 6, Brewers 4
• Wednesday: Brewers 4, Phillies 1
• Thursday: Brewers 5, Phillies 1
• Friday: Brewers 8, Cardinals 4
• Saturday: Brewers 3, Cardinals 2
• Sunday: Brewers 6, Cardinals 4

Division Standings:

• Brewers 103-59
• Cubs 89-73 (14 GB)
• Pirates 82-80 (21 GB)
• Cardinals 77-85 (26 GB)
• Reds 75-87 (28 GB)

Last Week:

• Brewers 5-1
• Cubs 2-4
• Pirates 3-3
• Cardinals 1-5
• Reds 3-3

Top Pitching Performance of the Week

Jacob Misiorowski didn’t have the greatest start we’ve ever seen, but he gets the shoutout here because it capped off what has been a great season for the likely NL Cy Young winner. In Sunday’s regular-season finale, he went 5 1/3 scoreless frames, striking out five and picking up his 16th win of the year. Miz finishes the year leading the league in a good chunk of pitching stats, including strikeouts (252), WHIP (0.80), batting average against (.157), and ERA (1.80). Just look at this stat from the great Sarah Langs:

Jacob Misiorowski led MLB in strikeouts (252) and led all qualifiers in ERA (1.80) and opponent batting average (.157)

He’s the 4th pitcher since 1950 to lead MLB in all 3 of those for a season, joining:

1986 Mike Scott
1979 J.R. Richard
1965 Sandy Koufax

h/t @EliasSports

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 28, 2026

Shoutout to Robert Gasser, who went six innings with one run allowed and nine strikeouts to cap off what has been a great final month-plus for him, as he seems like the likely No. 3 starter behind Miz and Logan Henderson entering the postseason.

A career-high 9 Ks and another quality start for ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/SPJzOp9QHh

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 26, 2026

Top Hitting Performance of the Week

This was a two-way race between Brice Turang and Jackson Chourio, but I’ll give the upper hand to Milwaukee’s second baseman. Turang finished up arguably the best season we’ve seen for a primary second baseman in franchise history, as he collected nine hits this week, including two homers and three doubles, driving in seven to surpass 20 homers and 100 RBIs for the year.

What a milestone for Brice Turang https://t.co/toWB9CKnAkpic.twitter.com/8lZQt7mLG9

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 27, 2026

Not to be overshadowed, Jackson Chourio led the team with a strong .471/.550/.647 stat line, picking up eight hits, including a homer, and driving in five with a team-high seven runs scored. He also swiped a pair of bases, finishing the year with a career-high in homers (25) and steals (23).

Jackson Chourio is 3-for-3 today. He is hitting .340 in September 🤯 pic.twitter.com/dccNwlp5PU

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) September 27, 2026

Injury Notes & Roster Moves

• After LHP Colton Gordon made a valiant relief appearance on Tuesday night against the Phillies (5 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 K) to save the rest of the bullpen, he was optioned on Wednesday, as RHP Lyon Richardson was selected to replace him.
• Richardson, who did not appear in a game this week, was then designated for assignment on Friday, as RHP Bryse Wilson was activated from the 15-day injured list and replaced him on the active roster.
• Andrew Vaughn was placed on the 10-day injured list with an illness ahead of Friday’s game (he’ll be ready for the postseason). Outfielder Brandon Lockridge was recalled to replace him on the roster.
• Cooper Pratt was also scratched from Friday’s game with illness, though he then entered to replace what appeared to be a worn-down Joey Ortiz. Ortiz sat out the rest of the weekend, but an MRI came back with only “abdominal swelling” and a bruised knee. According to Adam McCalvy, Ortiz is also expected to be ready for the postseason.

On Deck:

• Monday: Off Day
• Tuesday: Off Day (Wild Card Series)
• Wednesday: Off Day (Wild Card Series)
• Thursday: Off Day (Wild Card Series)
• Friday: Off Day
• Saturday: NLDS Game 1 vs. Cubs/Padres (Time TBD)
• Sunday: NLDS Game 2 vs. Cubs/Padres (Time TBD)

The 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs have arrived with the best-of-three wild card series beginning Tuesday, Sept. 29, featuring some marquee matchups led by a New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox showdown in the American League.

In the NL, the San Diego Padres host the Chicago Cubs while the Philadelphia Phillies visit Atlanta. In the other AL series, the Houston Astros (81-81, the worst record for a playoff team in history) face the Chicago White Sox.

In the four seasons since MLB changed its playoff format in 2022, two teams have played in the wild card series and gone on to win the World Series: the 2023 Texas Rangers and 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers.

Here's how USA TODAY Sports' MLB reporters and editors see the best-of-three wild card series playing out:

Yankees vs. Red Sox predictions

• Bob Nightengale: Yankees in 3
• Gabe Lacques: Yankees in 2
• Kristie Ackert: Yankees in 3
• Jesse Yomtov: Yankees in 3

Astros vs. White Sox prediction

• Bob Nightengale: White Sox in 3
• Gabe Lacques: White Sox in 3
• Jesse Yomtov: White Sox in 3

Atlanta vs. Phillies prediction

• Bob Nightengale: Atlanta in 3
• Gabe Lacques: Atlanta in 2
• Jesse Yomtov: Phillies in 2

Padres vs. Cubs prediction

• Bob Nightengale: Padres in 2
• Gabe Lacques: Padres in 3
• Kristie Ackert: Cubs in 3
• Jesse Yomtov: Padres in 3

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB expert playoff predictions and wild card picks: Yankees or Red Sox?

SAN DIEGO — It’s a Major League Baseball postseason filled with stars, award-winners, and future Hall of Famers.

Slugger Yordan Alvarez, who will win the American League MVP, carried the Houston Astros on his back to the AL West title.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, who should finish runner-up, led the Rays to the best record in the American League.

Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler, who will win the AL Cy Young award, will be pitching Game 1 against the Boston Red Sox. Milwaukee Brewers All-Star pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, who will win the NL Cy Young award, will be pitching Game 1 when the Brewers face the winner of the San Diego Padres-Chicago Cubs series.

Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who will unseat Shohei Ohtani as the NL MVP, will be trying to get the Cubs past the Padres in their three-game series at Petco Park in San Diego in a rematch of a year ago.

And, oh, how this postseason field is littered with future Hall of Famers from everyone from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers, Manny Machado of the Padres, Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians, Chris Sale of Atlanta, Aaron Judge of the Yankees, Jose Altuve of the Astros and Bryce Harper of the Phillies.

There are players who have been a postseason fixture like Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman, who will be playing in his 10^th consecutive postseason with his third different team, and Judge who hopes to play in his ninth postseason in 10 years.

There are aged veterans like 39-year-old Cubs reliever Caleb Thielbar, 38-year old Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, 37-year-old Freeman, 37-year-old Sale and 36-year-old Sonny Gray of the Red Sox.

And then there are the real kids, like 20-year-old Ethan Salas of the San Diego Padres, who will be the youngest catcher to ever appear in the postseason, along with 22-year-old outfielders Jackson Chourio of the Brewers, Roman Anthony of the Red Sox and Justin Crawford of the Phillies.

Now that the postseason field is set with eight teams playing in the wild-card round beginning Tuesday, here is one player from each team who could have the biggest impact on whether they’ll still be playing into the weekend.

Chicago Cubs

Third baseman Alex Bregman

A week ago, he didn’t know whether he could play another game this year n when he suffered multiple fractures in his face after being hit by a foul ball near the on-deck circle. Well, he proved he’s back by going 4-for-4 with two home runs Sunday in his second game since the injury. If Bregman resembles the same guy that hit .298 with 19 homers and 53 RBI with a 1.000 OPS in his last 60 games, he could make sure the Cubs’ offense is too powerful to stop. He has begun taking ground balls but has been restricted to DH duties since his return.

San Diego Padres

Pitcher Michael King

The Padres’ rotation has been a mess all year outside of one pitcher. King was 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA, leading the team with 185 innings. King will start Game 1 against the Cubs. If he struggles and the Padres lose, they could have a short-lived postseason, relying on Nick Pivetta, who just returned from the injured list and Walker Buehler. The Padres have the best bullpen in the land, but they’re going to need King to dominate if they’re going to have a prayer of winning their first World Series in franchise history.

Philadelphia Phillies

Pitcher Jesus Luzardo

The Phillies near-historic collapse made a mess out of their rotation, with ace Zack Wheeler having to pitch Sunday just to save their season. Now, they may no choice but to turn to Luzardo, who rejoined the Phillies’ staff Sunday for the first time since Sept. 7 when he was shut down with shoulder inflammation. Luzardo needed just four pitches to get three outs in the eighth inning of their clinching game. The Phillies now must decide whether he’d be more valuable to them as their emergency starter or out of their beleaguered bullpen. Yet, no matter what role, the Phillies badly need him.

“I feel like I'm prepared to give the team whatever they ask, whatever they need,” Luzardo told reporters Sunday.

Atlanta

Pitcher Chris Sale

The old man produced yet another Cy Young-caliber season, 14-9, 2.16 ERA, joining Hall of Famer Randy Johnson as the only lefties to strike out 200 or more batters in nine seasons. Yet, after Sale, there’s a steep dropoff with Tyler Mahle and Grant Holmes following him in the rotation. Simply, if Atlanta is going to have a deep run, they need to win every time Sale pitches, or they’ll be in deep trouble.

Boston Red Sox

First baseman Willson Contreras

He has been their best hitter all season, hitting .276 with 27 homers and 81 RBI, but missed eight consecutive games after being hit on the right hand with a pitch Sept. 17. He returned Sunday as their DH and is expected to be fine for the postseason where he’s badly needed as their biggest offensive weapon.

“That’s so much what the postseason is about," Red Sox manager Chad Tracy told reporters Sunday, “these big moments where one swing can change a game. So. that power and that presence in the middle of the order is important."

New York Yankees

Pitcher Cam Schlittler

The Yankees are expected to be without Aaron Judge for their heavyweight bout against the Boston Red Sox, and with their offensive struggles, they have to rely on their pitching. And who better than Schlittler, the Boston kid who Red Sox love to hate. The Red Sox not only let him get away, but he he continues to get his revenge, going 2-1 with a 0.74 ERA in four career starts against Boston. Schlittler will win the Cy Young award this year with his 1.95 ERA in 33 starts during the season, but for him to really be a Yankee hero, he needs to dominate in October, too.

Chicago White Sox: 

Pitcher Davis Martin

The White Sox will go only as far as their starting rotation will lead them, and it starts with Martin (9-8, 3.95 ERA). He had a sensational first half, going 9-4 with a 3.41 ERA, but has struggled since the All-Star break with a 0-4 record and 5.12 ERA. He had a clunker in his last start Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, unable to get through the first inning. The White Sox can ill afford another early ouster or they’ll be ousted themselves before they can even enjoy a few good helpings of Texas barbeque.

Houston Astros

Slugger Yordan Alvarez

The Astros, the first team in MLB history to win a division in a full season without a winning record, need to rely on the same guy who carried them on his back all season. They go as Alvarez goes. Alvarez, who slashed .316/.432/.601 with 42 homers and 106 RBI this season, has plenty of postseason experience. He has slashed .294/.393/.551 in 60 postseason games. Alvarez must continue to terrorize the opposition for the Astros to keep their season alive. If Alvarez is shut down, so will the Astros’ season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From Bregman to Luzardo, 8 players who will decide MLB playoffs wild card series

The regular season was buried in the rain yesterday, but for over a week now, the Yankees have had their eyes on October. OK fine, due to how Major League Baseball lined it up this year, we have to be pedantic and talk about late September first. The Wild Card Series against the Red Sox begins tomorrow night, and that will determine whether or not the Yankees actually make it to the literal month of October. If they win Game 1, then they’re guaranteed of that since at minimum, Game 3 would be October 3rd, but of course the Yanks want to go deeper than that. How’s it gonna shake out? To quote Aaron Boone for the millionth time this season, “We’ll see.”

All systems are go for us on the site today as we preview the Wild Card Series and more. Josh and Peter will preview Boston’s pitching and hitting, and Peter will also take a separate more bird’s-eye view and argue why the Yankees can take home their 28th championship this year. I’ll have the Rivalry Roundup summing up the Game 162 action yesterday, Kevin will celebrate the 131st birthday of the Yankees’ first World Series champion center fielder, Estevão will run the monthly GM poll so that we can get a pulse on the feelings before the playoff run, Jeremy will run through the best plays of September, and Madison will put out the prompt for mailbag questions.

Today’s Matchup:

Offday

Questions/Prompts:

1. Any big late Yankees playoff roster predictions?

2. Dan Wilson became the first managerial casualty of the offseason yesterday. Who will be the next?