ST. LOUIS, MO - SEPTEMBER 19: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals celebrates with CJ Abrams #5 after hitting a home run in the first inning during the game between the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Saturday, September 19, 2026 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We are in the last week of the season. The Nats only have six more games until the 2026 season is over. This road series in Detroit will be the last one of the season. It is crazy that it is almost over. Spring Training still feels like yesterday but here we are.
With a righty on the mound, the Nats have a lot of lefties at the top of the lineup. Abimelec Ortiz will be hitting third at first base. Daylen Lile will be the DH today which means James Wood is in left, Jacob Young is in center and Dylan Crews is in right. Jorbit Vivas plays second which moves CJ Abrams to short. DJ Herz will be on the mound for the first time since 2024 in this contest. Welcome back DJ!
The Tigers are loading up on right handed bats tonight. Riley Greene will be the only lefty in the lineup for AJ Hinch. Javier Baez will actually be playing center field in this one. The long time infielder has been playing more outfield the past couple of years. River Ryan was a major piece in the Tarik Skubal trade at the deadline. The 28 year old prospect has nasty stuff but has struggled to stay healthy. He is on the mound in this one.
This pitching matchup should be an exciting one. Both of these guys have good stuff but have not been available much. They are on the mound tonight though. Each of them are making their season debut. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 18: Interim Manager Chad Tracy #17 of the Boston Red Sox walks through the tunnel before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 18, 2026 at at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On June 25, the Red Sox were 32-46. The season looked over. Most people had stopped paying attention, and that was a reasonable call.
They ended up becoming the first team in MLB history to lose 46 of their first 78 games and still finish above .500. The 15-game win streak in July—which tied the all-time franchise record—was the moment that flipped it, but it wasn’t just that. Then came August. Then came September. Even with all the ups and downs. They went from 14 games under .500 to 14 games above .500 in 62 days. The only team in MLB history to do it faster was the 1914 Miracle Boston Braves, who got there in 60 days and then swept the World Series.
That’s the company this team is keeping. That’s the thing you just watched.
They clinched it Sunday despite losing 5-1 to Tampa, thanks to the Astros losing to Atlanta. The magic number hit zero in a visiting clubhouse, against a team that seemingly has the division all wrapped up. Back-to-back postseason berths for the first time since the 2016-2018 run. 85-72. Wild card.
How vindicated must Craig Breslow feel? After firing Alex Cora and crew in late April, NO ONE had any hope this team could do anything. They changed the entire ethos around this ballclub in one fell swoop and are actually starting to accomplish the mission Breslow came to Boston to achieve: sustained success.
The October questions are coming—lineup depth, roster decisions, whether this group can actually win a series when it matters. All of it. But that’s not what today is. This week is for the people who were still watching in June when this looked done.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 14: Dylan Beavers #12 of the Baltimore Orioles makes a catch during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Monday, September 14, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Phebe Grosser/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Update: The Orioles announced that tonight’s game willstart in a delay. The team said it would announce updates as they become available.
The Orioles postseason hopes have all but vanished, but they’ll still play the remainder of their schedule. Nobody can blame you if you’ve checked out on this disappointing season. But if you’re reading this now, you’re probably down to watch a few more baseball games while you still can.
Shane Baz will take the mound hoping for some late season run support. He’ll need to get it from a lineup that features Rece Hinds in right field and José Barrero at second base. Barrero is a career .182 hitter over five seasons (161 games). Tonight will mark his Orioles debut.
Dylan Beavers will leadoff and play left field. Pete Alonso (first base) and Gunnar Henderson (shortstop) will follow. Coby Mayo will bat fourth and DH against Toronto starter Trey Yesavage.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand will hit fifth and play third base. Samuel Basallo will catch Baz, and center fielder Colton Cowser will round out the lineup with Hinds and Barrero.
The Orioles (75-81) can only finish .500 this year. They would clinch a second-consecutive losing season with a loss today.
BALTIMORE – Dylan Cease will not require surgery on his balky right shoulder, leaving the Toronto starting pitcher free to build back up over the off-season and follow up his Cy Young-caliber campaign with another good season in 2027.
The bad news is that Cease likely won’t have a reason to return in 2026.
Cease said Monday, Sept. 21 that an MRI and other examinations determined inflammation in his shoulder, a relief to pitcher and club after he left his last start in the third inning with shoulder discomfort amid diminished velocity.
Cease, in the first season of a seven-year, $210 million contract, said his shoulder first felt funny as he warmed up for a July 25 start against Boston. He threw a one-hit shutout, striking out 12 that night, part of a 10-start run in which he posted a 1.89 ERA, struck out 89 in 62 innings and posted a 5-0 record.
But all the while, his velocity was diminishing. During his Friday start at Texas, the discomfort proved untenable. He walked six in 2 2/3 innings and gave up four runs, one earned, in an 11-6 loss at Texas.
“The velocity being down has been a little concerning but at the same time, I was getting outs,” says Cease. “It wasn’t anything too scary. Nothing about it feels like I need surgery. I was never really panicked or worried. Just more of an inconvenience that I couldn’t maximize my best self.
“The last couple starts, velo kept going down and down and then command – that last one, it almost felt like I was hurting the team.”
The Blue Jays lost both Cease’s start and the next night at Texas, two defeats that were likely the fatal blows to their wild card hopes. Manager John Schneider said Monday that the club will assess both Cease’s health and the relevance of their final three games against Cincinnati at Rogers Centre to determine if he’ll pitch.
“Him feeling better, with this time down, and feeling like himself and obviously the game meaning a lot,” says Schneider of the necessary conditions for a Cease return. “If those two things line up, hopefully he’ll be good to go.”
Toronto enters a three-game series at Baltimore with a 77-79 record, three games behind the Chicago White Sox for the final wild card, though the White Sox hold the tiebreaker so the deficit is effectively four games.
The Blue Jays do hold the tiebreaker over the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians, who lead them by 3 1/2 games, but their elimination number is three entering Monday.
Cease, 30, is enjoying the first All-Star season of his career. His 239 strikeouts in 169 innings have boosted him to atop the AL leaderboard in strikeouts per nine innings, at 12.7. His 2.40 ERA ranks second to Cy Young Award favorite Cam Schlittler and he leads the AL in fielding independent pitching (2.55).
Entering the final week of the regular season, the Dodgers more or less know their postseason fate.
They’ve locked up the National League West. They are a seemingly safe four games clear of the Atlanta Braves for a first-round bye. And, unless they can close a two-game gap on the Milwaukee Brewers without holding the tiebreaker, they will finish as the NL’s No. 2 seed, getting home-field advantage at least for the NL Division Series.
Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate a 10-4 win over the San Francisco Giants with Mookie Betts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. Getty ImagesLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, left, pitcher Tarik Skubal, middle, and manager Dave Roberts celebrate after clinching the National League West title after a game against the Cincinnati Reds, Thursday, September 17, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Thus, the real intrigue for now is who might be on the Dodgers’ postseason roster when the playoffs begin next month.
This year, injuries and fluctuating performances have forced them to cycle 53 different players through their clubhouse.
And while the core of the group is clear, many questions remain about how the club will construct its lineup and pitching staff for this fall’s pursuit of a third-straight World Series.
Here is the California Post’s best guess about how it will all shake out.
Lineup locks
Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, Tommy Edman, Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages, Kyle Tucker, Shohei Ohtani, Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas, Hunter Feduccia
Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker have cemented their place as everyday hitters thanks to late-season surges. Andy Pages is due back on Tuesday from a fractured hand. Freddie Freeman still seems somewhat limited by his right knee injury, but has nonetheless been able to manage it well enough to this point. And while Tommy Edman has been slumping lately, he doesn’t seem to be in immediate danger of losing at-bats.
Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers works out before a game against the San Francisco Giants, Saturday, September 19, 2026, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Getty Images
On the bench, Hunter Feduccia has locked up the back-up catching job, and could be a left-handed hitting option as a pinch-hitter. Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas, meanwhile, each provide versatile defensive depth, as well as extensive track records for postseason heroics when called upon.
Entering the final week of the regular season, the core of the Dodgers’ position player group looks as they expected.
Dodgers Lineup questions
Bubble candidates: Josue De Paula, Dalton Rushing, Alex Call, Alex Freeland, Hyeseong Kim
The Dodgers will still have one, if not two, position player spots to fill depending on how they construct their roster (i.e. an even 13 pitchers/13 hitters, or a 12/14 split like they used last year?)
And for those, they could have a number of difficult decisions.
Josue de Paula (95) of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after hitting a double during the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Getty Images
If he does, it will likely be as a left-handed bench bat; though if there is any lingering uncertainty with Ohtani, he could also provide insurance as a backup DH option. His main competition right now figures to be Alex Call (who might be redundant to Rojas and Hernández as a right-handed bench bat) or Dalton Rushing (who is an intriguing alternative as a left-handed bat, but remains sidelined from the setback he suffered with his elbow injury earlier this month).
In just 10 MLB games, De Paula has quickly built a strong case, showing supreme plate discipline (10 walks to only four strikeouts) and the potential for power (three doubles, one home run, seven RBIs). At this point, it might be more of a surprise if he doesn’t make it.
If the Dodgers elect to carry an extra position player on top of that, the choices are even more varied.
Last year, they rostered two base-running/defensive specialists throughout the playoffs in infielder Hyeseong Kim and outfielder Justin Dean. Dean is now gone, and Hernández could serve as a late-game defensive outfield replacement anyway. But Kim remains in consideration, manager Dave Roberts said, thanks to his speed and infield glove. Alex Freeland could also factor in here, as someone capable of providing more at the plate.
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) hits a sacrifice fly for center fielder Andy Pages (44) to score during the bottom of the fifth inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Friday, April 10, 2026. Carlin Stiehl for CA Post
Lineup projection for Los Angeles
C: Will Smith
1B: Freddie Freeman
2B: Tommy Edman
SS: Mookie Betts
3B: Max Muncy
LF: Teoscar Hernández
CF: Andy Pages
RF: Kyle Tucker
DH: Shohei Ohtani
Bench: Kiké Hernández, Miguel Rojas, Hunter Feduccia, Josue De Paula, Hyeseong Kim*
The Dodgers’ starting rotation is set, assuming no further setbacks with Blake Snell’s groin injury. The back end of the bullpen has come into focus, too, with Tanner Scott and/or Roki Sasaki the most logical candidates to serve as closer, and Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips separating themselves as the team’s next most-trusted high-leverage relief options.
Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park in Atlanta, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026. Getty Images
The only real question here is how the Dodgers will line up the rotation. Yamamoto-Skubal would make sense for Games 1 and 2 of a division series (keeping them both on-line for a potential Game 5). But could Tyler Glasnow’s potential issues with traveling tempt the Dodgers to use him primarily at home, if they can? All factors to consider in the coming weeks.
Pitching staff questions
Roster bubble candidates: Brock Stewart, Edwin Díaz, Blake Treinen, Kris Bubic, Jack Dreyer, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, Edgardo Henriquez, Will Klein, Eric Lauer
The first thing the Dodgers need to figure out here is health.
Edgardo Henriquez will almost certainly be on the playoff roster, and pitching in a high-leverage role, if he can make a full recovery from his recent back strain. Will Klein and Eric Lauer might also be available health-wise, though lack clear roles to step immediately back into.
Otherwise, the Dodgers will effectively have at least four open spots for six to seven other pitchers.
Los Angeles Dodgers’ Edwin Diaz (3) celebrates the third out and an 8-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Friday, September 18, 2026. Getty Images
For added right-handed depth, they might be deciding between Brock Stewart (who has been a go-to weapon against right-handed hitters recently), Edwin Díaz (who is trying to salvage his dismal debut season, and did throw a pair of scoreless outings this weekend) and Blake Treinen (who has curiously pitched only five times in three weeks since being activated from the injured list, and not in the highest of leverage).
For another left-handed option, they could go with Kris Bubic (the trade deadline acquisition who has impressed with three scoreless appearances since returning from an injury) or Jack Dreyer (who was one of the Dodgers’ best relievers from June to August, but has given up five runs in his last seven outings).
There are many permutations that the Dodgers could employ depending on opponent. They’re still figuring out the exact hierarchy of all their bullpen arms, too.
But as long as their rotation is dominant, everything else should take care of itself.
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 19: Josue de Paula #55 of the Tulsa Drillers swings the bat during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula has become major league stretch-run contributor over the last week and a half. But that followed a wonderful season in Double-A Tulsa, and on Monday he was named Texas League MVP.
De Paula with the Drillers hit .303/.401/.547 with a 145 wRC+, 27 home runs, 37 doubles, 106 runs scored, 104 RBI, and 31 stolen bases in 124 games. He set career highs across the board, including more than doubling his previous marks for home runs (previous high of 12) and extra-base hits (66, up from 30).
He led the league in runs scored, RBI, hits, doubles, and was in top five in the league in OPS, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, batting average, home runs, stolen bases, total bases (274), and extra-base hits.
De Paula hasn’t stopped producing since getting his first call-up to the majors, reaching base 18 times in 38 trips to the plate with his 10 walks more than doubling his four strikeouts, hitting .286/.474/.500 with three doubles and a home run in his first 10 games in the majors.
Eric Wedge was named Texas League manager of the year, the fifth Tulsa Drillers manager to capture the award, and the first since Tim Ireland in 2002 when Tulsa was a Texas Rangers affiliate. This honor comes 19 years after Wedge won American League manager of the year with Cleveland in 2007.
The Cubs haven’t yet said anything about the frightening injury to third baseman Alex Bregman during Sunday’s game in Cincinnati. I’ll spare you more photos, you’ve probably seen enough of Bregman’s swollen left eye.
We do have this update from ESPN’s Jeff Passan:
Chicago Cubs star Alex Bregman suffered multiple facial fractures after being struck by a foul ball while standing in the on-deck circle Sunday, sources tell ESPN. Bregman will not undergo surgery and is hopeful to return in the postseason.
So… at this point what we have is “hopeful.” What that post also says is that Bregman likely will not return for the six games remaining in the regular season.
Could he be ready to play a week from tomorrow when the Cubs will (presumably) be opening a Wild Card Series… somewhere, either at Wrigley Field or on the road? I suppose that depends on how quickly the swelling around his eye goes down and how he feels.
Will they place Bregman on the injured list? If the Cubs do that, he’d be out for the Wild Card Series. My feeling is that they won’t, hoping that he could play by then and that they can manage a roster a player short for the next six games.
It seems likely that Pedro Ramirez will play third base, mostly, with Matt Shaw possibly taking a game or two there. The Cubs also have Gabriel Arias to back up all three infield positions.
If the Cubs do decide to IL Bregman, I suppose they’d call up James Triantos, who can play third base, though most of his experience this year is at second base.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 15: Atlanta Braves injured pitcher Robert Suarez looks on from the dugout during the MLB game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Atlanta Braves on August 15, 2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
All eyes have been on Robert Suarez, one of the Braves’ prized offseason additions, as he rehabs and recovers from an elbow ailment that has cost him the last three months of the season.
Following his first rehab appearance with the Gwinnett Stripers on Sunday — which was Gwinnett’s final game of the season — it was a bit unclear what the next steps would be as he continues ramping up with hopes of pitching in the postseason.
On Monday afternoon, Alex Anthopoulos went on 680 The Fan Radio and was asked about Suarez. While Alex did not guarantee anything, he said it was “highly likely” that Suarez would be activated to the active roster “relatively soon,” perhaps on Wednesday or Thursday.
Alex also mentioned that Suarez, who is currently on the 60-day IL, will need a roster spot opened for his return. My guess would be Owen Murphy, who does not seem very likely to be in the Braves’ postseason mix and has options. But we will see.
Regardless, the healthy return of Suarez would be a major development for the Braves as they make final preparations for the postseason. We will see how he looks whenever he gets his name called in a few days.
The Boston Red Sox have officially clinched a postseason berth, completing one of the most improbable turnarounds in MLB history.
But the real test begins next week. After falling to the New York Yankees in last year’s Wild Card Series, Boston is looking to make a deeper October run this time around, and it looks like the Yankees will once again stand in the way.
It’s been a total team effort for Boston all season long, but the playoffs are where stars emerge and the margin for error becomes razor thin. While nearly everyone on the postseason roster will play a role, we’ve narrowed it down to the 10 players who could have the biggest impact on how far this team goes.
Here are the 10 most important — not necessarily the best — Red Sox players for the 2026 playoffs:
1. Payton Tolle, SP
What a difference a year makes. Last year, Tolle experienced growing pains in his first MLB stint and pitched just 1/3 of an inning in the Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium. This time, he’s coming off an exceptional rookie campaign with a chance to start Game 1 in the Bronx.
Tolle will enter the postseason with momentum on his side. The 23-year-old tallied 12 strikeouts while allowing just one run in six innings against Baltimore. He followed that up with six shutout innings against Kansas City, including an immaculate inning to begin the game.
If Tolle continues to perform at this level, he’ll give the Red Sox another frontline starter who can match up against other teams’ aces. He’s the pitcher with the greatest opportunity to change the trajectory of this postseason roster.
If the Red Sox make a deep postseason run, it’ll be because their rookie left-hander delivered each time he took the mound on the big stage.
2. Sonny Gray, SP
We’re sticking with pitching, because pitching is what propelled this Red Sox club to a postseason berth in the first place.
If Tolle is No. 1, it would be silly not to put Gray right behind him at No. 2. The 36-year-old veteran stabilized the rotation in the wake of Garrett Crochet’s injury. He was signed to be the No. 3 starter behind Crochet and Ranger Suarez, but he performed like an ace with a 17-5 record and a 2.82 ERA in 28 starts.
Now, Boston will lean on Gray and his big-game experience to lead the staff in October. Even if he doesn’t start Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, Gray will play a huge role in any postseason success.
3. Roman Anthony, LF/DH
The top position player on our list is the 22-year-old many expected to anchor Boston’s lineup and produce an MVP-caliber season in 2026. Instead, Anthony spent most of the year on the injured list and has largely struggled in the 50 games he’s been healthy. We know what the former No. 1 prospect is capable of, however, and he’ll significantly raise the Red Sox’ ceiling if he plays up to his potential in the postseason.
The Red Sox will lean heavily on their pitching staff throughout the playoffs, but Anthony is the X-factor in the lineup. This is a completely different club when he gets hot.
All it will take is a signature postseason moment for Red Sox fans to forget about the disappointing start to Anthony’s young career.
4. Ranger Suarez, SP
OK, back to pitching. A big reason the Red Sox signed Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract in free agency is that he has a stellar postseason track record. The 31-year-old boasts a 1.48 ERA across 11 playoff appearances (eight starts) with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The only reason he isn’t higher on this list is we project him to be the No. 3 starter, which means we won’t even see him if the Sox get swept out of the Wild Card Series. If Boston advances, another strong postseason from Suarez will be critical for their World Series chances.
5. Wilyer Abreu, RF
Abreu is one of Boston’s best all-around players, but he’s a streaky hitter. The Red Sox’ mediocre offense can’t afford for him to go cold in the postseason, so he’s an incredibly important piece if they hope to make a deep run.
When he’s hot, Abreu’s bat is elite. He leads the American League with 36 doubles along with 24 homers in 151 games.
As important as his bat will be, Abreu’s Gold Glove defense in right field will also be a difference-maker. Postseason games can come down to one defensive miscue, and Abreu has earned a reputation as one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball.
If Abreu can give the Red Sox consistent at-bats and quality defense, he can quietly become one of the most impactful players on the roster over an entire series.
6. Willson Contreras, 1B
We’ve got the Venezuelan sluggers back-to-back. Contreras has been the Red Sox’ most consistent bat all season, and he’ll be leaned on heavily in the heart of the lineup throughout the playoffs.
Unlike most of Boston’s lineup, Contreras will enter the Wild Card Series with plenty of postseason experience. He won a World Series with the 2016 Chicago Cubs and has 30 playoff games under his belt in total.
With a team-high 27 homers, Contreras will be counted on to supply the Red Sox lineup with power throughout their playoff run. If he goes cold, there will be even more pressure on guys like Anthony, Abreu, and the player who’s next up on our list to get runs on the board.
7. Adley Rutschman, C
Rutschman will need to step it up offensively, but his importance goes beyond his bat because of his position. One could argue the role he plays behind the plate is even more crucial.
As Boston’s starting catcher, Rutschman will be responsible for managing the pitching staff through almost every postseason game, meaning he’ll be involved on almost every pitch thrown. There’s also a significant downgrade at catcher if he goes down with an injury, with only Connor Wong and Mickey Gasper as his potential backups.
For the Red Sox to make it far, Rutschman has to be more than just a productive hitter; he must also work seamlessly with the rotation and bullpen while living up to his reputation as one of the best defensive backstops in the league.
8. Aroldis Chapman, CP
Having a closer who can slam the door shut gives clubs a huge advantage come postseason time. The Red Sox are fortunate to have arguably the best of the bunch.
While Chapman wasn’t otherworldly in 2026 like he was in 2025, he still was elite with a 1.95 ERA in 52 appearances. He’ll look to limit free passes after watching his walk rate jump from 2.2 to 4.1 BB/9 over last year. If he does that, Boston can effectively shorten games by having him available for the ninth inning. He can also single-handedly lose games, automatically making him one of the club’s most important players for the postseason.
9. Garrett Whitlock, RP
Boston’s bullpen is perhaps its biggest strength heading into the postseason, and that’s because of the Whitlock/Chapman combo at the back end. Whitlock has been an elite set-up man with a 1.75 ERA and 0.877 WHIP across 53 appearances this season.
Starters typically have shorter outings in the playoffs, so we could see the Red Sox turn to Whitlock early and often throughout October if they advance past the Wild Card Series. He’s the reliever Boston will count on to mow down the heart of an opposing lineup in a high-leverage situation. That could be the difference between a win and a loss, and that’s why Whitlock makes the top 10 over some other very important players.
10. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
Rafaela rounds out our top 10 most important Red Sox players for the postseason, but don’t let his ranking fool you. With elite defense in center field and a bat that made a significant leap this season, he can be considered another X-factor for this club in the playoffs.
If Boston makes a deep run, there’s a good chance we’ll get at least one signature Rafaela moment. The 26-year-old has a knack for coming up big in the clutch, whether it’s with a timely extra-base hit or a mind-blowing catch in center field.
Rafaela’s glaring absence during his time on the injured list with a quad injury has highlighted his importance to this club. If he’s back to full strength in time for the playoffs, that’ll give the Red Sox a major boost.
Honorable mentions: 3B Caleb Durbin, SS Trevor Story, LF/DH Jarren Duran, RP Erik Miller, RP Tyron Guerrero, P Brayan Bello and P Jake Bennett.
They didn’t crack the top 10, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have huge roles in October.
Durbin completely changes the outlook of the offense when he’s hitting. He’s also been an elite defensive third baseman all season long.
Story has been one of Boston’s best hitters since returning from the injured list. There’s no guarantee that’ll carry over into the playoffs, but he’ll at least have to be adequate defensively as the team’s starting shortstop.
Duran had a 2026 to forget, and with Anthony in left field and Mickey Gasper likely at DH, he’ll probably spend a fair amount of time on the bench. Still, he’s the type of player who can change a game with one swing, and his speed is a huge factor.
Miller and Guerrero will have major roles at the back end of the bullpen. Bello (if he makes the roster) and Bennett will be leaned on as bulk relievers. Miller has struggled lately, Guerrero is returning from injury, Bello is unproven in the playoffs, and we haven’t seen Bennett come out of the ‘pen.
We’re nearly there folks. The Yankees have just seven games left in the regular season, with only the thinnest of hopes at the division title left. The Rays will eliminate the Yankees from AL East contention with a combinationwin and a Yankees loss, and with the four-game set between the two about to kick off in the middle of this week that means that New York would essentially have to run the table from here to steal away the division crown. Their most recent outing in Arizona was a letdown as they lost two of three and had some self-inflicted wounds that prevented them from taking the middle game, but truth be told the Yankees have played well overall, owning one of the best records post-Deadline of any American League team — the only problem is the Rays have been a hair better than them through that same stretch, preventing them from gaining any ground whatsoever.
The good news is that the Yankees’ lead over Boston is as secure as the Rays’ lead over them, with a 5.5 game advantage plus the tiebreaker entering the final week of play. That all but assures that they’ll be playing the Wild Card Round at Yankee Stadium, but their fate is still largely up in the air for how far they can go. Aaron Judge’s immediate future is a question mark after he strained his calf trying to get involved without rehab games down the stretch, Ryan Weathers won’t be getting into any of these last regular season games, and Clarke Schmidt was unavailable for precautionary measures over the weekend. What are the Yankees going to do with Judge, and would it be safer to just shut him down? Can they make it far without him if they do or if he misses a significant amount of October? And can they survive the gauntlet run against Boston and Tampa regardless of who is available? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of September 24th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 21: Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and Seattle Mariners CEO John Stanton look on before the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Chicago Cubs at T-Mobile Park on August 21, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mariners are not the worst team in baseball anymore.
That hasn’t always been obvious these last few months. The Mariners have been terrible in the second half of the season. They’ve confirmed a losing record for the first time since 2021 and are all but eliminated from contention. In fact, they’ve been so bad one could fairly argue they were underdogs going into their recent series against the lowly A’s and Angels — they lost all three series. I even went so far as to say they were a push against the Rockies over the weekend. And that wound up being a fair assessment. They won the series but walked away with an even run differential at 10 runs scored and allowed.
Still, I have to give credit where it’s due. The series did move the Mariners ahead of the Rockies by WAR since the All-Star break. They are now merely the second worst team in the majors in the second half:
Team
Batters
Pitchers
Total
COL
2.6
1.7
4.3
SEA
5.8
0.6
6.4
ATH
3.4
3.3
6.7
CIN
3.3
4.0
7.3
SFG
3.0
4.4
7.4
Now, all of my league-worst doomsaying generally comes down to these WAR leaderboards. If we look at actual wins and losses, the Mariners are more like the sixth worst team in the majors in the second half, and not all that notable in a historic context. There’s reasons for this discrepancy, and WAR isn’t always the best at capturing the nuance in team-level performance in small (going on medium) samples.
But I think it’s worth understanding just how bad the Mariners look from this “true talent” perspective. This isn’t just a normal slump that every team goes through at some point in the season. This is the worst the Mariners have played in a half season this century:
Year
Half
Batters
Pitchers
Total
2026
2nd
5.8
0.6
6.4
2008
2nd
6.1
0.4
6.5
2010
2nd
6.7
-.01
6.6
2011
2nd
4.4
3.6
8.0
2019
2nd
5.2
3.3
8.5
The 2026 team is right there with the 2008 and 2010 teams by WAR in the second half. Again, both those teams lost far more games in either half, but it’s notable that the 2026 squad is comparable.
Now, “half” seasons are a misnomer. The split you see at FanGraphs or Baseball Reference simply denotes where the All-Star break divided the season in two, rather than equal 81-game stretches. For instance, the Mariners played 74 games in the second half of 2010, while they’ll only play 65 games in the second half of this year. In other words, on a rate basis, the Mariners aren’t nearly as bad in this second half as they were in those years.
Let’s account for this. I found every team’s half-season WAR and found the percentile and z-score within each half season. This way, we kind of sidestep the sample size question and think of these figures as relative to the rest of the league and half season. From that view, this is somewhere between the second and fourth worst stretch of baseball the Mariners have played this century.
Year
Half
WAR
Rank
Z-Score
2010
2
6.6
30
-1.81
2008
2
6.5
29
-1.71
2026
2
6.4
29
-1.45
2015
1
10.5
29
-1.43
2005
1
11.1
27
-1.36
2008
1
10.8
28
-1.32
2011
2
8.0
27
-1.25
2012
1
12.1
26
-1.05
2021
1
11.8
24
-0.97
2010
1
12.5
25
-0.90
What makes 2026 weird, of course, is the Mariners were actually pretty good in the first half. Sure, they were disappointing in many ways, but they ultimately ranked seventh in WAR and had a decent run differential. It wouldn’t have been surprising to see them surge in the second half, or at least maintain a frustrating relationship to .500. That would have been a totally normal shape for the season to take.
Instead, we got this:
Again, the Mariners are second worst team by WAR in the second half of 2026, behind only the Rockies. I looked into how rare it is for a team to collapse like this. In terms of raw WAR, the Mariners 16-WAR drop between halves is the ninth largest this century. That figure contains a few teams, like the 2018 Astros, who went from “best ever” to merely elite. If we instead look at change in z-score, the Mariners collapse is the sixth largest this century. And if we look at percentile change — i.e., the drop from seventh to 29th — the collapse is the third largest. We don’t see something like this every year:
Team
Year
1st Half WAR
2nd Half WAR
Raw ∆
Pct ∆
Z ∆
OAK
2008
23.0
6.1
-16.9
-0.80
-2.52
TEX
2000
18.3
2.9
-15.4
-0.55
-2.48
BAL
2005
23.1
8.1
-15.0
-0.79
-2.37
BOS
2012
21.3
5.4
-15.9
-0.66
-2.31
BOS
2006
20.7
8.9
-11.8
-0.66
-2.25
SEA
2026
23.0
6.4
-16.6
-0.76
-2.10
LAD
2010
22.5
8.1
-14.4
-0.65
-2.08
CIN
2014
21.0
6.7
-14.3
-0.72
-1.99
TBR
2009
29.4
18.1
-11.3
-0.31
-1.98
OAK
2014
27.2
12.2
-15.0
-0.59
-1.95
That’s to say, no matter how you cut it, 2026 represents both 1) some of the worst baseball the Mariners have played this century, and 2) one of the largest collapses in true talent we’ve seen from any team this century.
The reason isn’t complicated. The Mariners have been dreadful — truly dreadful — on the mound. They have a total of 0.6 WAR from their pitching staff in the second half, which ranks last by nearly a full win. Their starters have posted 1.7 WAR (29th) and their relievers have posted -1.1 (obviously 30th). August was arguably the worst pitching month in team history, and the Mariners have never been outscored by more runs.
Of course, the reason the Mariners were competitive in the first half is because their rotation was the very best in the majors by WAR. And while the bullpen was always somewhat shaky, they could avoid their worst options by getting seven innings a night from their starters. They were a top five pitching group overall in the first half. It doesn’t matter how you sort it, this is far and away the largest pitching collapse this century. We’ve never seen such excellence followed by such… whatever you want to call it.
Team
Year
1st Half WAR
2nd Half WAR
Raw ∆
Pct ∆
Z ∆
SEA
2026
13.4
0.6
-12.8
-0.89
-3.42
BOS
2024
13.4
1.6
-11.8
-0.89
-3.08
OAK
2015
11.7
1.2
-10.5
-0.76
-2.89
OAK
2008
12.8
2.1
-10.7
-0.69
-2.58
SEA
2011
13.9
3.6
-10.3
-0.76
-2.51
It’s hard to know exactly how much to blame the pitching, because the Mariners on defense are easily the worst fielding group in the majors in the second half. They were in the first half, too, but they’ve somehow gotten even worse. Since the All-Star break, they are in last by Fielding Run Value at catcher, third base, and shortstop. They are next to last at second base. The only position they’ve gotten positive value from is first base.
The Mariners lineup hasn’t even been that bad. They currently rank ninth by batting runs in the second half, with a broadly acceptable 103 wRC+. But for a team that largely punted defense to maximize offense, that’s not quite enough to reach even the median. The Mariners position players rank 18th in the second half by WAR, essentially unchanged from the first half.
I’ll leave you with a final plot:
This shows second half WAR (by z-score) on the x axis and next season WAR on the y axis. The Mariners second half WAR in 2026 is represented by the red line.
We can see a somewhat linear relationship between the points, meaning second half performance is generally indicative of next year performance. We can also see it’s rare for a team to play as bad as the Mariners have in the second half and then go on to be good, much less great, the next year. This is why the depth of the Mariners recent failure is concerning. What we’ve seen is not just bad baseball but a symptom of a bad baseball team. And it’s not easy to go from a bad baseball team to a good baseball team in an offseason.
That said, a bounce back is not without precedence. The only team this century to go from a bottom five team in the second half to a top five team the next year is the Red Sox. They did it twice, once from 2006 to 2007, and once from 2012 to 2013. They won the World Series both years.
It was a very scary moment during Sunday’s game against the Reds when Michael Busch hit a foul ball that Alex Bregman was unable to avoid as he warmed up on deck. Al already summarized what we know from the injury (and there likely won’t be another update until tomorrow due to today’s off day), but an uneasy question remains.
With six games remaining in the regular season and the Cubs one game from clinching a berth in the Wild Card round, today we need to take a closer look at what the Cubs offense and defense might look like if they are without their star third baseman for any length of time.
Even writing that sucks, a lot. After some early season struggles at the plate, Bregman is currently the second best hitter on the Cubs and it’s not particularly close. As I detailed less than a week ago, he’s been the second best hitter in all of baseball since the All Star Game, behind likely National League MVP, Pete Crow-Armstrong. Those numbers have shifted slightly since last week, with Fernando Tatis Jr. inching ahead of Bregman via fWAR in the last few games, but it’s still a potentially huge loss for any team.
It may be an even bigger loss for the 2026 Cubs than it would be for other teams in the Postseason hunt. The Cubs competitive edge is built almost entirely on elite offense and defense. You can see how the Cubs rank in a number of categories below:
Category
Rank
Offense
1st
Defense
1st
Pitching
29th
Starting Pitching
26th
Relief Pitching
28th
Ranks by fWAR
It’s old news at this point, but the reason the Cubs are where they are in the standings is their bats and their gloves. The pitching has been questionable at the best moments and that success is built on the ability of the Cubs defenders to turn weak contact into outs while outscoring their opponents. The former is what allows them to win games where they are giving up way more runs than they should.
Bregman isn’t just a team leader. He isn’t merely the big free agent signing who has set the tone for the Cubs. He’s their second-best hitter since the All-Star break, and their third best hitter during the 2026 season (behind Seiya Suzuki). He’s their fourth best defender this season (behind PCA, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner). So let’s just stipulate up front that if the Cubs need to replace Bregman it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to replicate that production. Below are select stats for all of the Cubs who have at least 180 plate appearances in 2026:
Name
G
PA
HR
R
RBI
SB
BB%
K%
ISO
BABIP
AVG
OBP
SLG
wOBA
xwOBA
wRC+
BsR
Off
Def
WAR
Pete Crow-Armstrong
156
702
45
118
107
38
11.11%
25.93%
.298
.326
.280
.371
.578
.402
.377
157
7.3
55.9
23.8
10.4
Dansby Swanson
121
466
19
81
67
17
10.52%
22.96%
.193
.247
.220
.303
.412
.314
.308
98
4.6
3.7
16.2
3.6
Nico Hoerner
153
666
8
62
71
22
6.31%
8.41%
.090
.277
.265
.317
.355
.299
.322
89
3.9
-5.2
9.2
2.6
Alex Bregman
153
693
26
89
89
3
10.82%
14.57%
.190
.273
.262
.352
.452
.352
.323
124
0.1
19.9
8.2
5.2
Miguel Amaya
80
243
6
35
26
0
9.47%
26.34%
.137
.309
.234
.339
.371
.321
.291
103
-1.3
-0.3
4.6
1.2
Carson Kelly
117
413
10
57
58
0
9.69%
15.98%
.122
.298
.264
.344
.386
.327
.315
107
-2.6
1.1
4.0
1.9
Seiya Suzuki
138
611
25
93
85
3
12.77%
24.39%
.204
.325
.267
.365
.470
.364
.339
132
-3.3
20.2
1.2
4.2
Ian Happ
150
612
24
87
67
4
12.91%
29.90%
.197
.289
.221
.331
.418
.330
.316
109
-1.7
5.2
1.0
2.7
Pedro Ramírez
75
245
6
36
32
7
7.76%
17.55%
.153
.303
.266
.324
.419
.322
.287
104
1.0
2.1
0.0
1.0
Matt Shaw
73
188
5
25
24
4
10.64%
17.55%
.181
.266
.238
.330
.419
.329
.300
109
-0.4
1.6
-0.7
0.7
Michael Busch
154
685
20
76
77
3
12.99%
23.21%
.157
.292
.239
.350
.396
.334
.333
112
-3.4
6.4
-6.6
2.2
Michael Conforto
108
295
15
32
44
1
11.53%
26.78%
.237
.288
.245
.339
.482
.352
.335
124
-0.5
8.0
-7.9
1.0
Minimum 180 plate appearances
The most obvious solution is a combination of Pedro Ramírez and Matt Shaw filling in at third base. In limited sample sizes, Ramírez has hit .350/.409/.575 with a wRC+ of 172 in 44 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. Shaw has hit .273/.367/.468 with a wRC+ of 132 against lefties. The results have not been as good against righties for either hitter. Ramírez is slashing .247/.305/.385 with a wRC+ of 89 in 201 plate appearances against righties while Shaw is slashing .205/.295/.373 with a wRC+ of 86 in 97 plate appearances against righties.
Neither is in the same category of defender as Bregman, who should compete for his second Gold Glove this season. You can see the OAA leaderboard from Statcast below:
It’s definitely not ideal, but winning baseball seasons always have a curveball or two. Here’s hoping the Cubs receive good news on Bregman after more tests are run and he’s able to rejoin the team quickly. In the meantime, it’s quite the opportunity for a couple of the Cubs young infielders to make their mark on a Cubs Postseason run. If he can’t play himself, I imagine no one will be cheering for Pedro and Shaw more than Bregman.
DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 20: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Coors Field on September 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a promising start to the season (remember when the Rockies went 13-14 in April?), the Rockies are one loss away from their fifth straight 100-plus-loss season. That’s largely due to a 7-25 skid since Aug. 17.
With Colorado (57-99) hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks (82-74) in its home finale Tuesday through Thursday, it’s hard to tune in with much optimism or interest right now. However, whether you plan on going to 20th and Blake to catch one last game or you’ll be tuning into Rockies.TV or KOA radio, here are some individual milestones and bright spots to look for in the final action at Coors Field in 2026.
Bark at the Park
With temperatures projected to be in the low 80s and high 70s, it’s a perfect time to bring out the dogs to Coors Field! Both Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s games will feature canines of all shapes and sizes participating in the pre-game parade for the annual Bark at the Park games. Regardless of what’s happening on the field, it’s aways fun to see the Simba Cam and how Ryan Spilborghs will interact with the dogs and fans in the stands.
K-Free’s final start as a Rockie at Coors?
131 Games over 10 seasons.
687 innings pitched.
Through the ups and downs, Kyle Freeland has been there for the Rockies. In those 131 games at Coors Field, which include 128 starts, Freeland has gone 40-40 with a 4.97 ERA and 538 strikeouts.
When he takes the mound on Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, it’s possible that it could be his last start as a Rockie at Coors Field. While Freeland, 33, has certainly had his share of struggles this year and in his career, this season he’s recorded four quality starts, including the first complete game in his career — an 8-1 win over Kansas City in the Mile High City on Aug. 2.
This season marks the end of Freeland’s five-year, $64.5 million deal. His future is unknown, and he could certainly be re-signed to stay with his hometown team. The majority of the Purple Row community believes that will be the case. Either way, it’s worth noting the history that might happen on Tuesday.
McCarthy’s triples and on-base streak
One of the most fun and exciting additions to the 2026 Rockies has been Jake McCarthy. Not only has he stepped up to be a great leadoff hitter, but his speed and ability to come up with clutch hits have made the Rockies a bigger threat at the plate.
The first thing to watch with McCarthy is to see if he can continue his on-base streak through the final homestand. McCarthy has currently reached base 22 games in a row, which is a career high for the former Diamondback. What a way to show the team that traded him what they are missing by stretching that to 25 games?
McCarthy hit a triple on Sunday against Seattle to extend his 22-game streak.
The 13th three-bagger of the year is currently the second-most in MLB behind Arizona’s Corbin Carroll, who has 16. McCarthy’s 13 triples are one shy of tying Charlie Blackmon (2017) for the second-most in a single season and only two behind Dexter Fowler’s single-season franchise best 15 in 2010. Nine of McCarthy’s triples have come at home this season. In an even deeper dive, McCarthy’s six triples during his 22-game on-base streak make him the third Rockie with six or more triples in a 22-game span in franchise history, joining Fowler (2011 and 2012) and Juan Uribe (2001).
The final thing to watch is McCarthy’s batting average. Entering the Arizona series, McCarthy is batting .297, which ranks No. 8 in MLB and No. 6 in the National League. Maybe McCarthy can take advantage of the spacious outfield at Coors Field by adding a triple or two and increasing his batting average.
Rumfield’s 24-game streak, AVG and OBP
Perhaps it’s fitting that during the same season that Todd Helton’s statue was unveiled at 20th and Blake, the Rockies seem to have found their first baseman of the future. Rumfield has proved to be the hitter the Rockies needed as a tough out who always finds a way to get on base.
Rumfield drew his 71st walk of the season to extend his on-base streak to 24 games on Sunday. On Saturday, Rumfield went 2-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored to help the Rockies beat Seattle 5-3.
Rumfield’s 24 games is the longest active streak in the Majors. It is also the longest on-base streak by a Rockie since Tyler Freeman’s 25-game streak, June 13-July 12, 2025.
Going into Tuesday, Rumfield is batting .300./.392/.451 with 71 walks and 85 strikeouts. His batting average is No. 7 in MLB and No. 5 in the National League, while his OBP is third-best in MLB and second in the National League behind Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers (.397). His numbers put him into tiers with veteran All-Stars like Jordan Alvarez and Luis Arraez, which is all the more impressive considering he’s a rookie. If he can finish hitting above .300, it will be the first time for a Rockie since Nolan Arenado (.315) and Trevor Story (.314) did it in 2019.
Then take McCarthy and Rumfield together. They are the first pair of Rockies to have an active on-base streak of at least 20 games at the same time since Charlie Blackmon (22g) and Elehuris Montero (26g) in 2023.
Goodman reaching the 40-HR milestone
Last season, Goodman had an outstanding year with 31 homers, 91 RBIs and hitting .278/.323/.520 in his first All-Star campaign. This season, he returned to the All-Star Game and enters the final homestand hitting .245/.312/.528 with 39 homers and 82 RBIs.
It would be so fitting for Goodman to hit his 40th home run at Coors Field to close out 2026. If he can hit the 40-HR milestone, whether it’s at home or in the final series of 2026 at the Chicago White Sox, Goodman will become the first Rockie to hit 40 homers since Arenado hit 41 in 2019.
It might be a long shot for Goodman to hit his 40th at Coors Field since only 16 of his 39 have come at home. But anything could happen, especially considering No. 39 came on Sunday vs. the Mariners, even though it was his first Coors Field homer since Aug. 1 vs. Kansas City.
Despite the Rockies going out with a whimper instead of a bang, the end of a season can be a bittersweet feeling as it’s never fun when baseball is over. With 100 losses seeming unavoidable, at least there are some smaller, individual things to watch for.
What are you excited about in the final three games at Coors this season? Anything you’re hoping to see? Let us know in the comments!
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MAY 03: A general view of the field and the Detroit skyline at Comerica Park before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Texas Rangers on May 03, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Officials with Fifth Third Bank and the Detroit Tigers held a press conference on Monday afternoon to announce a new name for Comerica Park. Back on February 2, Fifth Third Bancorp completed its merger with Comerica Incorporated. The latter’s absorption into Fifth Third immediately prompted the question about future naming rights for the Detroit Tigers’ ballpark. That question was answered today, as starting in 2027, Comerica Park will be re-named Fifth Third Park.
In a sense, this keeps things in the family. The Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens play at Fifth Third Field. From 2000-2021, the Tigers’ High-A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps, played at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan, until it was re-named LMCU Ballpark.
We could’ve hoped for something like Tigers Stadium at Fifth Third Park, or Mike Ilitch Field at Fifth Third Park, but instead it’s the most basic name possible. We’ll get used to it, but “Fifth Third” just doesn’t roll off the tongue. It sounds more like an exercise for people trying to cure a lisp, but here we are. Fans tend to find their own way to a nickname, but we’ll see if anyone comes up with a slightly more workable option.
In other news, first baseman and former prospect Jace Jung reportedly has a locker in the Tigers clubhouse as of today. It looks like he’ll get to join the team for the final week of the season, earning a bit of a thank you check after being stuck in Triple-A all year. He’s on the 40-man roster anyway, so perhaps he’ll just take Troy Melton’s active roster spot for the final week after Melton left Sunday night’s game in Chicago with tightness in his right forearm.
Comerica Park has 25 years of memories in it through Tigers baseball and various concerts people have attended over the year, as well as via the buildup of the surrounding entertainment district. This is a new chapter, but as some Olde English guy once wrote, “what’s in a name?” Ultimately, all that matters is how the Detroit Tigers play in Fifth Third Park.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 18: CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals hits an RBI single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on September 18, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the 2019 MLB Draft, CJ Abrams was one of the most highly touted prospects. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 4th overall prospect in that draft. However, he was not seen as being a monster power hitter. Pipeline actually expected him to be a 10 to 15 home run hitter whose speed and contact skills carried his profile.
After being taken 6th overall by the Padres and being traded to the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade, Abrams is now a much more powerful hitter. That slim, wiry kid who was projected to have 40 grade power is now a grown man with a 30 home run season under his belt.
Even now when you see Abrams, he does not look like your typical 30 home run bat. He has filled out, but he is not an overly physical player. Abrams is still quite lean and his exit velocities do not jump off the page. However, he has still found a way to hit 31 home runs even while slumping down the stretch.
I know he's struggled lately but Abrams having 31 homers is pretty nuts given his prospect profile and what we saw from him for most of his career. Does not look like your typical slugger but he hits bombs https://t.co/cf0KCHB6Tl
A big reason why Abrams is able to hit so many home runs is his pull heavy approach. This season he is pulling the ball in the air at a 24.7% clip, which is a career high and well above league average. His swing is geared to do damage to the pull side, which leads to him out slugging his exit velocities.
It is always fun to see a player succeed in a way that scouts did not expect. People throughout the industry knew that CJ Abrams would be a good player from a young age. However, he is doing it in a slightly different way.
As Abrams got closer to the big leagues, scouts became more bullish on his power upside. Baseball America said that Abrams could develop into a 20 home run bat and Pipeline stated that he had at least average power. Those projections seemed right on the money until this season. Abrams hit 18, 20 and 19 homers from 2023 to 2025.
However, he has reached a different level this season. With 31 homers, no shortstop has hit more long balls than Abrams. He has become a power bat that is a force to be reckoned with. If he can find a way to finish seasons more effectively, Abrams can become a 35 to 40 home run bat in the future.
He has been around a long time now, so it is easy to forget that CJ Abrams is still just 25 years old. Even though he has faded late in seasons, Abrams has been on an upward trajectory and this was his best year yet.
The question now is what comes next for Abrams. He just had a career year, but is getting closer to free agency. Abrams only has two more years of team control left. Do the Nationals trade him, extend him or do they want to build around him and let these next two years play out? We will get the answer to this question in the offseason.
All I know is that 30/30 players do not grow on trees. In fact, Abrams is only the second National to ever accomplish that. Alfonso Soriano is the only other, and that happened 20 years ago now. Abrams is a special player, and it will take a special haul to get him out of DC.
CJ Abrams is the 3rd player in Nationals/Expos franchise history to have a 30-HR/30-SB season, joining Alfonso Soriano (2006) and Vladimir Guerrero (2001 & 2002)! pic.twitter.com/RiJ0ieUFsb
With the recent extension of Cade Cavalli, there could be at least some chance of extending Abrams. He is not a Boras client, which makes things easier. However, it has been reported that there has not been a lot of movement on that front yet. It will be fascinating to see what happens this offseason.
Regardless of that, it is cool to see players morph into something we did not see coming. CJ Abrams was expected to be a great player, but not a big time power hitter. He has flipped the script and has become one of the best power hitting middle infielders in the game. Seeing that growth and development is one of my favorite parts of being a baseball fan. You can think you know it all, but the game will always throw surprises your way.
