ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 27: Chandler Simpson #14 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a Single during the twelfth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field on October 27, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the season on the line as the Milwaukee Brewers took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 12th inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the World Series, the home team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning and the Rays won the game and avoided the sweep. Milwaukee and Tampa Bay will meet today at 5 p.m. with the Brewers needing one win to earn their first championship in franchise history. Meanwhile the Rays would like to send the series back to Milwaukee with a win.
For baseball fans, a 12-inning World Series game is just what you want — more baseball. For Brewers fans it was probably excruciating to know your team was that close to closing out the series and completing a dominant postseason run. Fans without a rooting interest in the series, just wanted a good competitive series that allowed them to hang on to baseball for as long as possible. With a looking lockout likely coming when the CBA expires in December, it’s hard to say when or in the most dire circumstances, if baseball returns.
The optimists hold out hope a deal can be reached to avoid a lockout altogether. The pessimist says the 2027 season will be at least cut in half if not lost completely as the owners and players reach a stalemate about a potential salary cap and salary floor. With all the uncertainty surrounding the game, fans should enjoy the baseball that is left. If you’re not a fan of the Brewers or Rays, then root for more games. It should be an exciting finish to the season and fans should hope the offseason is held off just a bit longer between the top seeds from the National and American leagues.
Padres News:
Reliever Jeremiah Estrada missed a chunk of the 2026 season with injury. How did that affect his grade from Gaslamp Ball’s Lincoln Zdunich?
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 1: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Josh Walker (61) reacts after pitching in the sixth inning during a game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 1, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Josh Walker has learned not to take it personally. Well, to be honest, I haven’t actually asked him, but you figure somebody DFA’d seven times in his career—twice by his current team—has developed some thick skin.
He’s also developed his game in this, his fourth season, and it was good news for us, because the unsung lefty was an essentially costless addition to the team, and turned out to be one of its best relievers, with a 2.08 ERA in 30 1/3 innings, 29 strikeouts, a 1.19 WHIP, and his first big-league save. Along the way he put up 18 straight scoreless outings, the longest such streak by an Oriole in a decade.
You may have heard this story, or one like it, before. Walker was taken in the late rounds of the draft (in 2017, by the Mets, out of the University of New Haven), then saw his career delayed by injury/bad luck. First, a car accident left him needing elbow nerve-transposition surgery. Then the pandemic wiped out the 2020 season.
When Walker finally reached the majors, he got hit hard: an 8.10 ERA in fourteen games in 2023 and a 5.11 ERA in ten games in 2024. The Mets DFA’d him, then traded him to Pittsburgh. From there, waivers, waivers, waivers, as Walker made stops with the Pirates, the Blue Jays (a 7.20 ERA in three games in 2025), the Phillies, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Baltimore again. The O’s DFA’d him too, to clear room for Shane Baz, and he cleared waivers in January.
Walker entered 2026 with a 6.59 career ERA, little in the way of expectactions, and his season started like this: a May call-up, an option, another call-up, another option, a doubleheader 27th-man cameo, an on-paper move, and then, around August, a quiet turn into the most reliable arm in the Orioles bullpen. This was around the time he posted an 18-inning scoreless streak.
With Keegan Akin out due to injury, Josh Walker became Craig Albernaz’s most trusted lefty out of the ‘pen. And one of its most valuable, his 0.9 WAR ranking behind only Rico Garcia and Tyler Wells among relievers.
So what turned Walker from discarded over most of his career to indispensable this year? It’s not so much changed stuff: his four-seamer averaged 93.0 mph this year, slightly slower than before, and his slider was much the same as ever.
But the pitch mix was indeed different. As a rookie Walker was close to a two-pitch pitcher: 65% four-seamers and 33% sliders. This year, he threw 38% sliders, 27% sinkers, 25% four-seamers, and about 10% changeups. The changeup, in particular, was new: he didn’t throw the pitch at all in 2024 or 2025, and this season it was his best strikeout pitch, with a 44% whiff rate and a .172 xwOBA (the slider was close behind, at a 32% whiff rate and .195 xwOBA). Walker mostly threw the change mostly against righties, who actually hit him much worse than southpaws.
Improved, too, was Walker’s control. While Walker’s strikeout rate of 23% wasn’t much to write home about, he did avoid hard contact, with the lowest barrel, sweet-spot, and xwOBA rates of his career.
He also got ahead in counts. His first-pitch strike rate was 62.1%, up from 50% as a rookie, and his walk rate fell from 12.5% to 9.5%. It appears that, because Walker was able to land his offspeed stuff, hitters could no longer sit on his four-seamer.
So, is the Walker revival smoke and mirrors, or something to rely on next year? Mostly the former, I’m happy to report. His 3.33 FIP says the ERA is somewhat too flattering. But his 2.70 xERA, which accounts for the quality of contact he allowed, backs up his stinginess, and there is barely a gap between his actual and expected wOBA (.265 and .255), speaking to the weak contact he allowed. That said, we don’t have a huge sample size from him (30 innings), and relievers who thrive on weak contact, as opposed to strikeouts, are more prone to year-to-year swings than pure flamethrowers.
Still, this version of Walker seems convincing. A four-pitch lefty who throws strikes, has a real weapon against righties, and limits hard contact definitely has a role to play in the bullpen. And he’s still on a pre-arbitration salary. After seven DFAs, Josh Walker has earned the right to be taken seriously—and perhaps some prime real estate in next year’s bullpen, too.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: An overall view of Truist Park before Game Two of the Wild Card Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’re doing the player reviews. The first part is a lot of “this guy was injured” and “this guy was cut early” and “you don’t even remember who this guy is.”
But, someone has to get the PAs and pitch the innings. Maybe you’d prefer it was someone else in the organization instead.
Here’s your chance to lobby for that. Lobby to no avail, of course, since the season has already happened and you presumably can’t go back and change it. Have at it.
I’m not even saying it can’t be someone that played for the Braves in 2026. But, if you felt like, for example, JR Ritchie got too many innings, who should’ve gotten those innings instead?
Former New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who won five World Series rings as a member of the team's "Core Four" during his playing career, says he no longer feels welcome by the organization.
On a new episode of "The Show" podcast, Posada told New York Post writers Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman that the current version of the team needs a coaching staff that will "push" them to be more accountable to themselves and each other.
But he said he doesn't think he'll be involved in any official capacity.
“I could, but I don’t think they want me there, to tell you the truth,” Posada said on the episode, which premiered on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
“I don’t feel welcome when I go there, you know? Even in spring training, I don’t feel like – I’m just like, I don’t know, like, I don’t feel welcome. I don’t feel like they want me there, so I don’t go.”
The five-time All-Star was part of the Yankees' "Core Four," along with shortstop Derek Jeter, starting pitcher Andy Pettitte and closer Mariano Rivera, that won four World Series titles from 1996-2000. He later won a fifth ring in 2009.
Posada, who spent his entire 17-year major-league career in Yankee pinstripes, didn't go into any specific details about his rift with the organization.
“I don’t know what happened. I’d rather just move forward,” he said. “My last season of my career was a really tough one when it comes to handling everything in my part and also the Yankees toward Jorge Posada. So, it’s tough to go back and feel that again.”
The five-time All-Star had his number 20 retired by the Yankees in 2015 and has been a participant in the team's Old Timers' Day ceremonies.
However, his final season in 2011 was tainted by public disagreements with the team about playing time and his shift from playing catcher to serving as designated hitter.
Posada, a fan favorite for his emotional style of play, said on the podcast that the current Yankees squad seemed to lack some of his trademark fire, and that the players need leaders in the clubhouse to uphold the team's high standards.
"[Mental mistakes are] magnified during the playoffs," he said. "So during the season, if it happens and you don't address it, that's when it becomes a problem. So it needs to happen more during the season and make these guys more accountable."
The Yankees were eliminated from this year's playoffs when they were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League division series.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: Ben Williamson #15 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with Jorge Mateo #9 and Ryan Vilade #26 after hitting a walk-off single during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Danny Abriano at SNY imagined how the Mets might rebuild their bullpen ahead of next season.
Voting is open for the 2026 Heart and Hustle Award, and Carson Benge is the Mets nominee.
Like many Mets fans, Daryl Strawberry is “heartbroken” over the Mets 40 year championship drought, but he isn’t losing faith in the team.
Ron Darling clarified his recent comments on his future in the SNY booth.
Around Major League Baseball
Jim Bowden at The Athletic ranked the top 40 free agents this offseason and speculated on where they could end up.
Cam Schlittler seems like a lock for the Cy Young Award, but he’s not the only Yankee with a chance at some hardware.
Jackson Chourio is growing into his superstar potential this October, raising the standards for young stars in the postseason.
William Contreras—or “Wild Bill” as he’s becoming known—has been showing off his many talents this postseason, including his mastery of ABS challenges.
Aaron Ashby now holds the record for the longest scoreless streak by a reliever in postseason history.
Ben Williamson’s walk-off single gave the Rays life for at least one more game.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Micah Noe reviewed Ronny Mauricio’s disappointing season abbreviated by injury.
This Date in Mets History
65 years ago, ground was broken on an ash heap in Flushing Meadows, soon to be the home of the New York Mets.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 07: Hurston Waldrep #64 of the Atlanta Braves in action against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on July 7, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Fall Classic has been extended to Game 5 after the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Tuesday. With a 3-1 series lead, the Brewers have the chance to win their first World Series tonight at 8:00 ET.
Braves News:
Our 2026 player review series continues with right-hander Hurston Waldrep.
MLB News:
Minnesota Twins right-hander Jeff Hoffman underwent surgery on his right elbow. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2027 season.
The Philadelphia Phillies have officially announced Peter Fatse as their next hitting coach.
From the Feed:
Will the Rays win again tonight? Drop your predictions here.
The 2004 ALCS swung on a stolen base in Game 4 and if the Rays are going to join that Red Sox team in MLB history, perhaps it will be a caught stealing that swings the series.
One of the pivotal plays in the 4-3 win in 12 innings in Tuesday’s Game 4 that got the Rays on the board in this series involved an agonizingly close overturned stolen base that instead ended a Milwaukee scoring threat in the top of the ninth inning in a 2-2 game.
Cooper Pratt has originally been ruled to have stolen second with two outs before video replay changed the call.
“There’s a caught stealing there that’s … really, really close. Maybe in season that’s a stands,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Who knows? We had a couple things not go our way in terms of calls — not saying they’re wrong, but I’m just saying we had a couple things really — running out of the baseline there the first run we gave up or second run, whatever. Come on.
“Look at it. The ump didn’t have it that way, and that’s part of it. We got some benefit of some things too sometimes.”
With Andrew Vaughn at the plate with two outs facing Rays closer Brian Baker, the Brewers attempted to get Pratt in position to potentially score on a bloop by having him steal.
One of the angles showed on the broadcast. @MLBONFOX/X
A bang-bang play went in their favor at first before Rays manager Kevin Cash opted to challenge.
The Fox broadcast booth of Joe Davis and John Smoltz analyzed the slo-mo angle while they world awaited the verdict.
The slowed clip appeared to show second baseman Richie Palacios just getting Pratt before his leg touched the bag, although one could possibly argue it wasn’t conclusive.
A tighter look at the tag being applied. @MLBONFOX/X
“The first thing to know is the strings on the glove don’t count,” Davis said.
“I think the glove got the hand. How about the pressure on the two dudes sitting down in a little cramped closed telling Kevin Cash, ‘Challenge this.'”
New York officials ultimately saw enough to feel confident in reversing the call to end Milwaukee’s threat, setting the stage for the Rays’ heroics in the 12th.
After Pratt redeemed himself with a homer to take a 3-2 lead, an error followed by four straight hits gave the Rays the win and set up Wednesday’s Game 5.
“We weren’t knocking balls in the gap or knocking balls out of the ballpark,” Cash said. “We pieced together a big inning, maybe the most important inning of our season.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: Ben Williamson #15 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with Jorge Mateo #9 and Ryan Vilade #26 after hitting a walk-off single during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We awoke this morning to discover that the 2026 baseball season was still with us. Standing on the brink of elimination, Brewer brooms sweeping towards them, the Rays found a way to survive, walking off Milwaukee on a Ben Williamson single to right.
But doom still stares them in the face: a 3-1 deficit is a forbidding thing. The odds of a comeback are against them. But we are not asking about odds. We are asking about a stranger, less predictable thing: the vibes, the hopes, the general sense of it.
The Rays have faced World Series deficits twice before, in 2020 and in a year that you surely recall. They had no miracles in them then. Do they have one in them for 2026?
This week, I set out on a quest to find a bullpen as bad or worse than the 2026 Cardinals bullpen. We all found it aggravating at times, with only a few bright spots if we were paying attention. The closer was an enigma with a lot of saves, and a lot of memorable blown saves. It certainly felt like. 8 was enough!
George Soriano also had 8 blown saves. etc
Let’s get in a time machine back to 2018. John Brebbia, Jordan Hicks, and Carlos Martinez were our only trustworthy bullpen arms… and Carlos Martinez only pitched 18 innings in relief, so he almost doesn’t count.
Guys with names like Mike Mayers, Tyson Ross, and Dominic Leone were at least a hair above replacement level. They were there, not doing too much harm, but also allowing damage.
Bud Norris, Dakota Hudson, Tyler Webb, and John Gant were also out there, not bad, not good, but there.
Sam Tuivailala showed some promise, but was not much of a factor, either. Greg Holland and his 7.92 ERA was also a member of this bullpen! Sigh. But Brett Cecil was the worst part of this horrible bullpen, with negative fWAR in over 30 IP.
The 2018 Cardinals bullpen ranked #25/30 teams. This team was a good team with a bad bullpen, going 88-74, which was not good enough for the playoffs that year, finishing 2.5 games out of wild card berth.
Oddly enough, the 2017 and 2019 bullpens were assets compared to the 2018 Cardinals’ bullpen. In 2019, Brebbia, Martinez, and Gant stepped it up a notch while Giovanny Gallegos emerged as the bullpen leader. Showing anything can happen, I suppose!
Fastforward to 2021 when the bullpen was an asset again thanks to peak Gallegos and Genesis Cabrera. This bullpen was good enough to make the playoffs, but fell victim to the one game playoff system in place at the time. This would end up Mike Shildt’s last chance in a Cardinal uniform. Ryan Helsley pitched 47 innings with a 4.56 ERA. Kodi Whitley was better than Helsley in only 25 IP.
The 2022 bullpen was lead by the talents of Ryan Helsley who emerged as a 1.25 ERA / 2.34 FIP dominant pitcher! Gallegos was also incredibly good that season, albeit not quite that astonishing at 2.88 FIP. That’s a nice duo to build a bullpen around…
The issue was that Jordan Hicks would have been a triple threat, but he had a rather unlucky 4.37 ERA, while his other rate stats were 2.39 xERA, 3.06 FIP, and 3.20 xFIP. That’s enough evidence for bad luck. Maybe he was tipping his pitches.
While 2022 relievers had some high end talent, the bullpen also included guys like Packy Naughton, Jake Woodford, Chris Stratton, and Zach Thompson. So even with the one-two of peak Helsley and a still really good Gallegos, this bullpen ended up in the middle of the pack.
The Cardinals bullpen remained mid in 2023 and 2024, but in 2025 the bullpen was actually an asset.
But… in 2026 it was an afterthought. sad, really.
So many lessons not learned by the organization. The bullpen is back to 2018 levels where it crippled the team for some reason, reasons unknown other than they though they thought they could get away with the bullpen as an afterthought. It is a fantasy that you do not need a reliable bullpen. I agree with all sabermetric finds outside of this one.
8 years later, the Cardinals have designed a bullpen almost to fail spectacularly with Gordon Graceffo the most valuable member by fWAR. That was not supposed to happen! O’Brien and Bruihl were both above replacement level. Yet, the Cardinals bullpen were #25/30 in WAR. They barely cracked the top 20 in ERA. Not real good, especially with a lackluster bullpen.
If there is some sort of decade cycle, we should not be worried about the bullpen. We had an offyear in 2018, which was surrounded by good bullpen years. There’s a good chance that the 2025 bullpen is closer to the 2027 than the 2026 one was. I think the Cardinals are overall bullpen savvy, so there should be some improvement during the next season. They don’t usually cough up a bad bullpen.
1999 Heavy Metal for Halloween!
Today Is The Day – ‘In The Eyes of God’ two members of Mastodon before they went on to their more well-known band, and early alt metal noise rock stalwart Steve Austin, create a monster of a prog metal psychedelic art rock album of the highest order (live in St Louis 1999)
External Suffering – ‘Drowning in Tragedy’ a good example of everything that was happening in heavy music in 1999. new find, but I think an instant classic!
Melvins – ‘The Maggot’ one of the best Melvins albums of all! even has a cover song! Top tier.
Botch – ‘We Are The Romans’ Converge opened the doors a year before, but Botch took it to the next level for the times! post punk metalcore noise rock whatever you want to call it this is influential af for 1999
Neurosis – ‘Times of Grace’ heavy and haunting to this day, for me completes their first four cycle of album in grand fashion, haunting and hypnotic and heavy, but more noise rock maybe?
Type O Negative – ‘World Coming Down’ the heaviest Type O Negative album, a band that is just as much doom metal as it is goth rock and epic industrial metal.
Happy Early Halloweeen VEB! I found a cat mask that looked like my cat, so I was a cat dad for Halloween at work. What are you going to be? I spent many years not being anything, which is just as good!
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 14: Roki Sasaki #11 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during Game Three of the National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
2026 was a tale of two seasons for right-hander Roki Sasaki.
To begin the season, Sasaki struggled to find his footing back in the rotation after becoming the team’s de facto closer during their 2025 title run. Sasaki entered the All-Star break with a 5.33 ERA and a 1.358 WHIP across 81 innings over his first 16 games. He followed up a poor first half with an incredible six start stretch to begin the second half until a blister on his right middle finger sidelined him for a month.
Just like the year before, there was no room for him in the starting rotation in October, and he was relegated to just 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in the postseason. The Dodgers don’t have to look far to add supplemental value to the rotation for 2027, and Sasaki’s goal for next season is to be become a reliable starter both in the regular season and when it matters most, notes Dylan Hernandez of the California Post.
“To start in the regular season and continue being a starter in the postseason, I think I have to give a performance worthy of that,” he said. “I know what I did this year wasn’t enough.
The Dodgers attempted to have Shohei Ohtani battle through both knee and biceps injuries in the second half, and it resulted in a nearly two-month long home run drought where he was a shell of himself offensively— let alone the fact that he hadn’t taken the mound since July 3.
It seems that there was a lack of full transparency between the two-way superstar and the coaching staff, as Katie Woo of The Athletic details.
“I think in his mind, he thought the best way to help the team was to go out and play, which I respect,” Friedman said in September. “But us staying really connected and sharing that information, I think, will be really important going forward. And again, the communication back and forth has been awesome. The fully sharing exactly how he’s feeling, maybe not as awesome.”
One of the more intriguing international talents entering this offseason is Japanese right-hander Shoki Oda. Oda intends to forego a career in the NPB, notes Michael Clair and Ayako Oikawa of MLB.com, and his fastball has put him on the same echelon of both Ohtani and Sasaki.
And while people familiar with his situation insist he hasn’t made a decision, the widespread expectation around the industry is that 18-year-old Shoki Oda of Japan will end up with the Dodgers.
The offseason has arrived, but there’s no rule against watching a few White Sox highlights to get us through it. Each week, I’ll pick a player and revisit five plays worth another look. No homework, no deep dive. Just a little baseball to fill the void.
First up: Chase Meidroth, who apparently took it personally whenever a baseball tried to sneak through the infield. With a Gold Glove potentially headed his way, it feels like a good time to revisit some of the leatherwork that put him in the conversation.
Grab your morning coffee and enjoy five reasons opposing hitters might prefer to send the ball somewhere else.
Here are five favorites listed in chronological order:
1. No hits for you April 17 vs. Athletics
Nick Kurtz sent one toward right field. Chase Meidroth had other plans. A diving stop and a throw to first later, Kurtz had himself a ground out, and we had ourselves a replay.
2. Balance is overrated May 6 at Angels
Feet set? Optional. Out at first? Required. Chase gets the throw off from an awkward angle and sends Travis d’Arnaud back to the dugout.
3. Chase it down, call it a night June 10 vs. Braves
A one-run lead in the ninth is no time for a bloop to get any bright ideas. Chase’s running catch sealed a 2-1 win. Exhale, Sox fans.
4. Up by 21? Still diving June 26 vs. Royals
Apparently, a 22-1 lead wasn’t enough to convince Chase to take it easy. He punctuated the blowout with a diving play for the final out. The Royals couldn’t even leave town with a little ground-ball consolation prize.
5. A little early for a highlight reel?No, absolutely not August 7 vs. Guardians
Chase needed all of one inning to give us something worth replaying. A backhand throw retired Brayan Rocchio to end the first. Might as well get Cleveland acquainted with the glove right away.
Those are my five, but Chase gave us plenty to choose from. Which play was your favorite? Did I leave out a gem? Drop yours in the comments, and let me know which players should get the highlight treatment next.
DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 10: A general view of the stage prior to the Draft Lottery at the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings at Hilton Anatole on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The offseason is almost upon us, which means it’s time to pull out your calendars and see when certain offseason events occur. November is sure to be busy, but things get a little more uncertain once we turn to December and the expected lockout begins. During that time, some events will be postponed if not cancelled outright.
Today, be on the lookout for my Rockpile covering the 40-man roster.
Either way, here is the calendar of notable dates for the offseason.
Day after the World Series ends
Free Agents file – 7 am MT
November 1
Gold Glove Awards announced – 7 pm MT (ESPN)
November 2
HOF eight-person Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires
Silver Slugger Award finalists announced – 12 pm MT
The Rockies are looking to continue shaping their pitching philosophy this offseason and as part of that, they have promoted Owen Cuffe to assistant director of pitching. Cuffe was hired last January to work as a pitching and rehab coach in the Arizona Complex League. The team seems to have liked him enough in that role to now expand his talents to all facets of the organization.
Jim Bowden end up listing Taylor Ward as a free agent option for the Rockies. Ward’s right-handed bat and potential for power could be a nice fit for the Rockies. Ward didn’t have a good season between the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners, so a one-year prove-it deal on a cheaper deal could be a steal for the Rockies if he rebounded.
Ben Fisher highlights how bullpens have been a focal point of the World Series teams and the Rockies should take note of how important late-game relievers are for a winning team.
Kevin Henry catches up with prospect Stu Flesland III who could be at Coors Field sooner rather than later. He’s currently in the Arizona Fall League and continuing to look for more velocity.
On this episode of Mile High Territory, Ryan Spilborghs and Troy Renck talked about the Milwaukee Brewers being on the brink of a title and then talked about Jack O’Dowd as well as some stories with former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd.
The Milwaukee Brewers came three outs shy of securing their first World Series title as the Tampa Bay Rays managed to pull off a 4-3 walk-off victory in the 12th inning. Former Rockie Antonio Senzatela finished the 11th inning and started the 12th, but left after an error allowed the lead off runner to reach. Shane Drohan then entered, and the Rays tied the game and managed to load the bases before a chopped single to right field won the game. So, they’ll play at least one more tonight in Tampa Bay with the series now 3-1 in favor of the Brewers.
The AFL is at its midpoint, so Jim Callis breaks down some of the Statcast leaders to this point in the season. Jack O’Dowd comes in with the fourth-longest home run.
The Houston Astros are in search of a new general manager and former Washington Nationals leader Mike Rizzo interviewed for the position. Our Astros affiliate breaks down the fit of Rizzo.
The Phillies lineup is sure to look different next year and the team has hired a new hitting coach and assistant to hopefully provide a new path forward.
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, left, talks to vice president and assistant general manager Ryan Garko as they watch practice during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
The Tigers had some housekeeping to do before the real offseason begins, and they made progress on Tuesday by inking veteran catcher Carlos Perez and several of their better minor league relief prospects to new minor league deals.
Pérez took the place of Tomás Nido as their Triple-A depth catcher de jeur back in July, with Nido eventually signing on with the Boston Red Sox. Pérez was red hot with the bat in Toledo until an ankle injury in August ended his season. The 36-year-old backstop has some major league experience and is regarded as a good game caller with solid defensive skills.
The three relievers signed to new minor league contracts were some of their top relievers at the Double-A level last year. Sinkerballer Moises Rodriguez leads the way with a high 90’s sinker that touches triple digits and a solid breaking ball. He was our 28th ranked prospect, and really the only notable upper level relief prospect on our preseason prospect rankings. The 24-year-old rarely allows hard contact in the air and posted a 2.57 ERA in 2026, but inconsistent command and two good pitches that don’t really pair together that well by shape and appearance out of hand have kept him from breaking through. He signed a one-year deal to stay in the Tigers farm system, though he’s eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason.
Veteran right-hander Marco Jimenez also re-signed with the Tigers. The 26-year-old throws hard and has a quality breaking ball, but the fastball shape plays down a bit from the 97-98 mph typically seen from Jimenez. He has hit triple digits for various stretches in the past, though injuries have also slowed his progress. He only threw 16.2 innings in 2026, but his strikeout rate was decent and his walk rate was excellent. The home runs were a problem though that’s obviously a small sample and Jimenez hasn’t had much trouble with giving up home runs in the past.
Finally, 30-year-old right-hander Wandisson Charles also re-upped with the Tigers. After several years in the Baltimore Orioles system without breaking through to the major leagues, Wandisson didn’t pitch in 2025 and the Tigers brought him in on a minor league deal last winter. He was the key cog in the Erie SeaWolves bullpen this year, striking out 31.2 percent of hitters faced over 63.2 innings of work. Charles is another who throws hard and keeps the ball on the ground. The heater is good enough that he could probably hang in middle relief, but his breaking stuff needs to be more consistent.
The Tigers other minor league free agents not yet re-signed includes outfielder Roberto Campos, utilityman Trei Cruz, and right handed relievers Yoniel Curet, who is young enough and has power stuff worth keeping, and veteran reliever Jack Little. Campos is far and away the most notable name as he received a $2.85 million bonus as a teenager who flew Cuba to the Dominican Republic. Now 24, Campos’ progress has been slow, but it has remained steady as well and he handled the jump to Double-A reasonably well this year. At this point his upside is more of a fourth outfielder type, but the Tigers would probably like to hang onto him one more year to see if he improving selectivity helps him finally tap into more of his raw power.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: Ben Williamson #15 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off RBI single in the 12th inning during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning. Especially since we’re getting a Game Five tonight. Apologies to Jack Buck in the Great Beyond for today’s title. And we’ll see you tonight from when you’re reading this.
The Rays beat the Brewers 4-3 in Game Four after falling behind 3-2 in the top of the 12th inning and then scoring twice in the bottom of the inning.
Game three will be remembered for the eight-run fifth inning that seems to have clinched the title for the Brewers (although the Rays aren’t dead yet). Julian McWilliams goes over that pivotal point in the Series that broke the Rays’ back.
None of this matters to commissioner Rob Manfred, who argued that two small market teams in the World Series means even more that baseball needs a salary cap. Mike Axisa reports.
Charlotte Barnes has a look at the “organized chaos” as the wives, fiancées and girlfriends of major leaguers in the World Series plan what they’re going to wear to support their significant others. (The Athletic sub. req.) There’s a lot of planning and custom orders.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: Ben Williamson #15 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk-off single during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On one hand, I’m never truly ready for baseball season to end, but in the case of this World Series, I have a particular rooting interest who could’ve ended the season on Tuesday night. Having crushed the Rays in Game 3, the Brewers went into Game 4 a win away from a sweep and the franchise’s first ever World Series championship.
In the end, they came mightily close, but not close enough. Having taken a lead in the 12th inning, the Brewers couldn’t quite hold on. With five consecutive batters reaching base, the Rays came storming back in the bottom of the 12th, ensuring that we’ll have at least one more game this season.
Tampa Bay Rays 4, Milwaukee Brewers 3 — 12 innings (Brewers lead series 3-1)
The two teams traded runs back and forth throughout the first half of the game.
Having been part of some defensive miscues that helped doom the Rays in Game 3, Chandler Simpson helped get Tampa Bay off to a better start in Game 4. His second inning double scored Jonny DeLuca to get Tampa Bay on the board and open the scoring.
Milwaukee got on the board themselves in the top of the fourth. Cooper Pratt hit a two-out double to score Sal Frelick and even things up. However, the Rays answered back in the bottom of the inning. With Junior Caminero on second, DeLuca hit a grounder to Brewers’ third baseman David Hamilton. Hamilton’s reaching attempt to tag out an advancing Caminero missed and his throw to first was then wide of the mark. The error allowed Caminero to score.
However, it didn’t take long for Hamilton to atone for that. He was due to lead off the top of the fifth and took Griffin Jax deep to tie the score once again.
After that, the game became a battle of the bullpens, and quite a battle it was. After tying it up in the fifth, the Brewers had just three runners reach base in regulation innings, and none of them advanced into scoring position. Meanwhile after taking the lead in the fourth, the Rays had just two runners reach base, and similarly they didn’t get close to scoring. Eventually the game headed into extra innings.
Both teams traded opportunities in extras, but it wasn’t until the 12th inning when things went haywire. With one out in the top half of the inning, Cooper Pratt went deep, giving the Brewers their first lead of the game and putting them on the cusp of a championship.
However, a fairly big issue arose after that in that the Brewers didn’t have an obvious option to try and close out the win, having used most of their big pieces to get the game to extras to begin with. That includes Aaron Ashby, who went 2.1 innings in this game, setting a record in the process. They tried sticking with Antonio Senzatela, who had finished off the 11th, until Camerino reached on an error to lead off the inning, leading to Pat Murphy going back to the bullpen.
Shane Drohan was the call, but things didn’t improve from there. Liam Hicks singled to put runners at the corners. DeLuca then punched through a single of his own, tying the game back up. Following a Simpson single to load the bases, Ben Williamson capped off the comeback with yet another single. His walk-off scored pinch runner Nick Fortes as the Rays had won the game to stay alive.
Milwaukee will now have to try again tomorrow night, when they’ll likely send Jacob Misiorowski to the mound. Meanwhile, the Rays used their Game 1 starter, Nick Martinez, for two innings out of the bullpen in this one, so it’s unclear exactly where they’ll go.
