Category: Baseball

Inspiration. 

Many fans have expressed their unhappiness when the Diamondbacks failed to score with runners in scoring position.

In May after 32 games, my batting perspective was that the Diamondbacks batted below league average with RISP. 

“While the Diamondbacks’ batting ranked high with men on first base and no runners on base, they batted below league average with men in scoring position (RISP). Batting with RISP was a negative contributing factor.” — Makakilo

In September after 152 games, how are the Diamondbacks batting with RISP?  Recently, Jim McLennan noted that this season the Diamondbacks are scoring a high percentage of their baserunners.

“…Or this season, where we’ve had perpetual complaints about D-backs’ LOBsters. They actually score a higher percentage of baserunners than 23 of the 30 MLB teams….” —  Jim McLennan

Let’s look at batting with RISP.

Let’s start with a high-level perspective.

Looking at all runs scored by the Diamondbacks, what percentage were scored with RISP?  This season in games through 17 September, 77.3% of Diamondbacks runs happened with RISP (per Baseball Reference Stathead).  That percentage is the second highest in MLB (Brewers were highest with 80.7%).  Clearly, this is a strength of the Diamondbacks. 

Did the Diamondbacks do it with homers?  Their .0292 home runs per plate appearance with RISP was only slightly more than the MLB average of .0277 (they ranked 11th).  My conclusion is they did it with a fairly balanced mix of homers and non-homers.

My Approach to Address, “How well did Diamondbacks bat with RISP”?

My goal was to compare the Diamondbacks to other teams based on three measures of batting with RISP: OBP, SLG, and wOBA. 

Two data splits made the data more relevant to the question:

• (RISP when the tying or go-ahead runs was on base) vs (all RISP PAs).
• (RISP for 1 August to 15 September) vs (RISP for the full season).

Data was courtesy of Baseball Savant.

Torey Lovullo’s Recent Comment.

Slugging (SLG) was one of the three measures that I looked at. Days after my writing was completed, Lovullo made the following comment. His comment appeared to support a conclusion that SLG is perhaps the most important of the three measures. Also, he said that slugging with RISP was worse in the last few weeks. He was correct. From 1 to 19 September, for RISP with the tying or go-ahead run on base, the Diamondbacks’ .390 SLG ranked 20th in MLB. For all RISP, their .405 SLG ranked 18th.

“…And then we hit and slugged with men in scoring position. That’s been something that’s kind of been a missing piece of this puzzle foe a few weeks.” — Torey Lovullo, postgame on 20 September.

The Data to Address, “How well did Diamondbacks bat with RISP”?

In RISP situations, did the Diamondbacks bat better when the tying run or go-ahead run was on base?  The data shows that their wOBA and SLG were better, but their OBP was the same.  Also, the data shows their SLG ranked very highly, their wOBA was average, and their OBP was below average.  The following table shows the comparisons and the ranks compared to other teams:

For the full season, for RISP with the tying or go-ahead run on base (10 relevant PA minimum), Jose Fernandez had the team high .706 SLG (20 PAs).

What about recently?  How did they compare from 1 August to 15 September?  For RISP situations, when the tying or go-ahead run was on base their SLG was about the same (and was ranked very highly).  However, their wOBA and OBP fell, but they continued to be ranked about the same as the entire season.  In the last month and a half, for all RISP situations, their SLG and wOBA rose significantly.  The following table shows the comparisons and the ranks compared to other teams: 

For 1 August to 15 September, for RISP with the tying or go-ahead run on base (10 relevant PA minimum), Corbin Carroll had the team high .800 SLG (18 PAs). Second place was Ryan Waldschmidt with .786 SLG (16 PAs).

Summary.

The Diamondbacks percentage of runs scored in RISP situations was the second highest in MLB.

For the full season, in RISP situations when the tying run or go-ahead run was on base, the Diamondbacks wOBA and SLG were better than all RISP situations. Their SLG ranked very highly compared to other teams. Jose Fernandez had the team-high SLG.

For 1 August to 15 September, in RISP situations when the tying run or go-ahead run was on base, the Diamondbacks SLG was about the same as the full season, and was ranked above average compared to other teams. Corbin Carroll had the team-high SLG, with second place Ryan Waldschmidt.

In their heyday, the Dallas Cowboys would often win on Sundays simply due to the star on the side of their helmets.  Twenty straight playoff appearances will do that kind of thing, intimidating the opposing sideline before the ball was even kicked off.   

The Houston Astros have experienced their own championship pedigree. What started with a Wild Card victory over the Yankees in 2015, ultimately ushered in the “Golden Era” of Astros baseball, turning into 62 post season wins. Over 50,000 packed Yankee Stadium that day only to be silenced by Dallas Keuchel, who pitched scoreless ball over six frames.  Solo home-runs from Carlos Gomez and Colby Rasmus would be enough, and the soon to be dynasty had authored its first chapter. That was October 6th, 2015. What would transpire next, four World Series Appearances and a pair of World Championships. Memories to last a lifetime.   

Since 2015, the other professional franchises in town haven’t fared as well. The Rockets have run through a gauntlet of coaches. Kevin McHale, J.B. Bickerstaff, Mike D’Antoni, Stephen Silas and current front man Ime Udoka, all in search of returning to The Finals which has evaded them for more than three decades.   

The Texans have also hired five head coaches in that span. Bill O’Brien, Romeo Crennel, the lost season with David Culley, Lovie Smith and now DeMeco Ryans. The only championship that’s happened there was the hosting of Super Bowl 41, which the Texans weren’t a participant of. There’s been seven playoff berths but zero advancement past the divisional round.    

Yordan Alvarez called a players only meeting on Sunday after the Braves completed the sweep. The hope would be that for the next six games, he does his talking at the plate, channeling some of the past championship lore.    

First pitch is 8:40 tonight.  

The latest news and info about the Houston Astros:

Yordan Alvarez is tired of losing, and he let his teammates know about it:

Team meetings this time of year are sometimes eyewash. Time will tell if the one had in Houston on Sunday qualifies. That Yordan Alvarez spoke in it is important, though, and is instructive for the long term – https://t.co/kNxl3sUWS3

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 21, 2026

Astros starting pitching has been this feeble since 2013:

There are 6 games remaining and Peter Lambert leads the Astros with 8 wins. The last time they didn't have a pitcher reach double-digit wins in a 162-game season was in 2013, when Jordan Lyles led the team in wins (7). The Astros lost 111 games that season.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) September 21, 2026

Meanwhile, the starting pitching was probably the best part of the 3 game sweep the Astros just endured at the hands of the Atlanta Braves to close out the home portion of the season:

The Astros threw their best three starters at the Braves – Lambert, Wesneski and Brown – and they had a 1.72 ERA in 15 2/3 innings. Houston’s bullpen had a 10.32 ERA in 11 1/3 innings.

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) September 21, 2026

Carlos Correa spoke about why his attempt to come back this season was thwarted, and if he would be open to changing positions again:

Carlos Correa spoke today and said some interesting things. Free to read – https://t.co/xnBAsPbOY1

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 18, 2026

It has been four years since the Astros parted ways with Yuli Gurriel. Four years of first base failure. Here’s how bad it’s been:

The Astros' first base production since 2023 is not good. The money they've spent is more painful. Given the state of the farm system and hesitancy to spend in free agency, the few deals Jim Crane does green-light must age well for this to function – https://t.co/AS6pa5X6cG

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 19, 2026

Could a former front office member be heading back to Houston?

Weekend Notebook: Several jobs on line in final week
https://t.co/mbhNZce1Bw

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 21, 2026

From Bob Nightengale:

– While Mike Elias’ job is safe as the Orioles president of baseball operations, there continues to be a shuffling of the front office desk.

While Matt Blood, vice president of player and staff development, was let go earlier in the month, now longtime assistant GM Sig Mejdal, who was with Elias in Houston, was demoted and no longer is in charge of the team’s analytics department.

An inability to score runners from 3rd base with less than 2 out has doomed the Astros all season:

The #Astros have had 259 runners on third base with fewer than two outs, and only 47.1% (122) have scored. Only the Reds, Royals and Guardians have fared worse in that regard. pic.twitter.com/B9Hf0F7o9J

— Javier Gonzalez (@Astros_Coverage) September 19, 2026

It’s really gonna hurt if 82 wins is all it takes to win the AL West and the Astros don’t get there:

The Astros were swept this past weekend, while the Rangers won a home series against Toronto to take a one-game lead in the AL West.

Who will emerge victorious atop the division? pic.twitter.com/Q946LjvLRl

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 22, 2026

Ken Rosenthal believes that right now, Yordan Alvarez should be MVP

The AL MVP race is close, but @Ken_Rosenthal says he would cast his vote for Yordan Alvarez over Junior Caminero. pic.twitter.com/WhvAsWkOjP

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 22, 2026

Astros legend Larry Dierker reflects on his career:

Larry Dierker has probably seen more Astros games in person than anybody else. As he turns 80 today, the former pitcher, broadcaster and manager reflects on his life and career.

“When I look back at it, sometimes I’m surprised I did all that stuff."https://t.co/XAhnOcWo41

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) September 22, 2026

Another scout is leaving the organization:

Astros director of international scouting Brian Rodgers is leaving the organization for the same job with the Washington Nationals, sources tells @spencernusbaum_ and me – https://t.co/AbDNJcpiU2

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) September 22, 2026

The Dodgers and San Diego Padres have faced off the postseason three times, in every even year dating back to 2020. For that streak to continue, it would likely need to happen one round later than the previous three matchups.

At the moment the Dodgers have the second-best record in the National League, two games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. But with six games remaining for both teams, Los Angeles needs nine of 12 outcomes to go their way to overtake Milwaukee for the No. 1 seed. Conversely, the Dodgers are up four games on the Atlanta Braves and need only three of 12 outcomes to go their way to clinch the No. 2 seed, which would earn them a bye past the wild card round and into the NL Division Series.

The three Dodgers-Padres postseason tussles have all been in the NLDS. The Dodgers swept away San Diego in Texas in 2020, then the Padres returned the favor by beating the 111-win Dodgers in four games in 2022. Two years later was the best battle of the three, with the Padres holding a 2-1 series lead over the Dodgers, who held San Diego scoreless for the final 24 innings of the series to survive and advance.

MLB playoffs are structure such that the No. 1 seed in each league plays the winner of the wild card series between the No. 4 and No. 5 seed, while No. 2 takes on the series between No. 3 and No. 6. Entering Tuesday, the NL wild card is a tight race

NL wild card standings

Chicago Cubs 87-69
San Diego Padres 87-69
Philadelphia Phillies 86-70
– – – – – – – – – –
Arizona Diamondbacks 82-74
*through September 21

The Cubs were 5-1 against the Padres and 6-1 against the Phillies, so would hold any tiebreakers, and Philadelphia was 6-0 against San Diego. Arizona’s last gasp might lie in their final three games against the Padres this weekend, if the Diamondbacks aren’t eliminated by then.

The point is any of those three teams could finish in just about any order from the fourth to sixth seed based on this final week. If the Padres end up the six seed, that would line them up for a potential NLDS against the No. 2 seed Dodgers, provided San Diego beats the No. 3 seed Braves.

But if the Dodgers are the No. 2 seed and the Padres are fourth or fifth, that means they couldn’t meet until the NLCS. Teams in the same division meeting in the postseason has only been possible since 1995, and two NL West teams have met in the NLCS only once — in 2007, the Diamondbacks ran into Rocktober and were swept in four games by the Colorado Rockies.

Divisional matchups in the League Championship Series has happened a total of 12 times:

1996 ALCS: Yankees over Orioles
1997 NLCS: Marlins over Braves
1999 ALCS: Yankees over Red Sox
1999 NLCS: Braves over Mets
2003 ALCS: Yankees over Red Sox
2004 NLCS: Cardinals over Astros
2004 ALCS: Red Sox over Yankees
2005 NLCS: Astros over Cardinals
2007 NLCS: Rockies over D-backs
2008 ALCS: Rays over Red Sox
2011 NLCS: Cardinals over Brewers
2023 ALCS: Rangers over Astros

Tuesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Padres
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA, TBS (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Yankees right-hander Clarke Schmidt underwent testing on his right biceps after experiencing soreness on Sunday and looks to have avoided a serious injury.

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters before Tuesday's doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium that Schmidt "looks like he’s in a pretty good spot" following the results of the tests. 

While it appears Schmidt, who was recently activated off the 60-day IL, averted disaster, his availability is still in question. Boone said the right-hander will play catch on Tuesday to see how available he can be and what the next steps are.

Schmidt has appeared in one game this season, when he pitched 0.2 innings against the Minnesota Twins on Sept. 16. He allowed two hits while striking out two on 24 pitches (13 strikes) during his outing. The Yanks called the 30-year-old's number once again on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but Schmidt experienced "cramping" in his right biceps while warming up and had to cut it short.

"Nothing structural, it was more precautionary," Schmidt said after the game. "Given the circumstance coming back from surgery, I don’t want to push through anything. All the testing was fine – nothing with the shoulder, nothing with the elbow."

Schmidt had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in July of last year and has a history of injuries over the last few seasons, including a right lat strain and right rotator cuff tendonitis.

After making 32 starts in 2023 as a full-time starter for the first time in his career, Schmidt has made a total of 30 starts since.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. expected to be back Tuesday

The Yankees will be getting some reinforcements for the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader as they are expected to activate Chisholm from the IL, per Boone.

Chisholm has been out since Sept. 9 with a right thumb sprain, and the infielder's return should give New York's offense a nice boost.

In 134 games this season, Chisholm is slashing .232/.312/.403 with 19 home runs, 55 RBI and 40 stolen bases. He was on fire prior to the injury, hitting .391 (18-for-46) in his last 15 games.

I have a busy day so let’s have an Open Thread.

It sounds like Brett Bateman’s injury isn’t too serious, which is good to hear. I’d be ok when them sitting him the last five games.

The Sun has a story ‘Who’s to blame for Dylan Cease’s breakdowns?‘ Hmmmm who ever invented baseball? Throwing a baseball, that hard, snapping off spin, doing it over and over isn’t really something an arm was developed for.

What do I want to see in the last five games? I don’t know really, I’d like to see some good plays. I’d like to see some of the young guys play. I’m guessing they will have to call up a couple of the young starters. Scherzer will start tonight. José Soriano will start one. And Trey Yesavage will start one (which will be a bullpen day). That leaves two. CJ Van Eyk? Grant Rogers? I don’t know if they will want to start the major league clock on anyone. Maybe Chad Dallas will get a start? Josh Fleming?

Anyway, use the thread to discuss anything you’d like. Baseball related or not.

I realize I’m jumping the gun here by six games and the Mariners are not mathematically eliminated yet, but I mean…(/gestures at entire cosmically cursed existence of the Seattle Mariners Baseball Club). This party is all but over. But, I’m going to try and steer the discourse into a more positive direction because, hey, it wasn’t all bad! There were a lot of exciting, fun, emotional, and unique moments in the 2026 Mariners season.

Here are a few of the more obvious ones:

Randy Day (AKA The Day Randy Woke Up and Said “I am going to kill the Cubs myself”)

Just spectacular and it really put an exclamation point on the career season Randy was already having at that point. I hope the Mariners can bring him back, but if not, I will miss him dearly and we’ll always have 2026 Randy, Destroyer of Worlds.

Colt Emerson’s first career walk-off

Before we found out Colt Emerson was playing hurt, boy, he had a great first few weeks in the show. Here he smashes a line drive into right field through the lefty shift and then gets thrashed around a bit by his teammates as tradition dictates. Hope to see more of this next season and lots more, Colt!

The Cal Raleigh 3 dinger game

In what will surely be a sneaky hard trivia question one day, a finally healthy and resurgent Cal Raleigh blasted three home runs against the Phillies in Seattle after enduring months of what can only be called The Worst Season Ever to Follow a 60 Home Run Season. So in a few decades, if you see a trivia question about “What season did Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh hit three home runs in one game?”, just remember it came AFTER his career year in 2025. You’re welcome.

Lazaro Montes hits the longest home run in Safeco Field/T-Mobile Park history

This is probably my favorite because I’m fascinated by this enormous, violent-swing-having lad. This ball landed in the center field concourse, which is a landing spot that was previously unthinkable to just about every Mariners fan who has watched games at our marine layer-drenched stadium since 1999. Maybe it was the warm night air in combination with one of the, uh, “home run-prone” baseballs in the mix combined with a swing that could supply enough wind energy to power a small nation that produced this massive 474 foot blast. Regardless, it happened and it was special. Hope to see many more!

Okay, let’s hear from y’all in the comments!

What was your favorite moment, storyline, or player achievement during the 2026 Mariners season?

Your answers may help fuel nominations for this year’s annual Lookie awards, so let’s see what you got. And don’t worry, there will be plenty more opportunities to doom and gloom about all the things that went wrong in 2026 (someone should write a book about it, honestly), but let’s see those silver linings for now.

The Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in baseball at 98-58. They’ve essentially clinched a bye for the Wild Card round, and it is just a matter of whether or not they will have homefield advantage throughout the entire playoffs.

Or at least, the entire playoffs before they get eliminated.

This is the Brewers’ fourth straight National League Central title, and the eighth time in the last nine years that they’ve made the playoffs. There’s a belief in baseball that if you make the playoffs enough times, eventually, things will break your way, and you’ll win a World Series.

Eventually has yet to come for the Brewers. Not only have they not won the World Series, but they also haven’t even made it there during this run. The closest they came was in 2018 when they lost 4-3 in the NLCS to the Dodgers. Last year, they once again faced the Dodgers in the NLCS, and went down without much of a fight, getting swept. They had homefield advantage in 2025, and all it resulted in was scoring a total of two runs across their two NLCS home games.

The Dodgers flipped the script in the #NLCS!

After being swept by the Brewers in the regular season series, the Dodgers got the sweep of Milwaukee in the Championship Series! pic.twitter.com/M7n7tvj5PM

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 18, 2025

Will this year be any different for the Brewers? They seem to have a roster capable of winning it all. They’ve scored the second-most runs in baseball. They have a strong front of their rotation, and a bullpen capable of holding leads.

But they’ve seemed to have the necessary pieces in past years as well, and it hasn’t mattered. Maybe “eventually” simply hasn’t happened yet, or maybe they’re a great regular season team that lacks an extra something for the playoffs?

Opposition research: Logan Henderson

Most of us are familiar with Brewers’ ace Jacob Misiorowski who is very likely to win the NL’s Cy Young award this season. But one star pitcher does not a rotation make, and if the Brewers want any chance of winning a World Series, they’re going to need to get good starts from Mis’ rotation mates.

A good place to start is rookie righthander Logan Henderson. Henderson was called up at the beginning of 2025, and immediately impressed, striking out 29 batters in his first four starts. However, he experienced elbow inflammation which ended up sidelining him for almost the entire season.

After spending most of the early season in AAA, Henderson was recalled to the majors in May and had a string of strong starts before a back strain sent him to the Injured List. Since returning in July, he picked up where he left off. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start and has a 2.51 ERA on the season.

Logan Henderson, Nasty 84mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/mcU8SPtzD3

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 3, 2026

It’s understandable that the Brewers want to be cautious with a promising young pitcher, but it is somewhat concerning that he’s already had two notable injuries in two years. But that might work out in the Brewers’ favor if he’s relatively fresh for the playoffs.

Hating on the Brewers

For a while, it seemed like the Oklahoma City Thunder were following the Brewers’ example as a team that left Seattle only to repeatedly fall short in the playoffs every year. Except the Thunder finally won a title in 2025, something the Brewers have yet to do, and really only came close once – and that was in 1982.

The Pirates have been to twice as many World Series as the Brewers in the last 48 years.

— John Steigerwald (@Steigerworld2) September 16, 2026

Maybe it’s because they play in a small market, or maybe it’s because of all their past playoff failures. But nobody will view this team as a serious contender until they actually win the World Series.

Remembering a guy who played for both the Phillies and Brewers

After spending his early career with the Braves, Wes Helms was traded to the Brewers. For a second, it looked like Milwaukee might have stolen him when he hit 23 home runs in 2003. But he couldn’t follow up on that success, and after basically being relegated to a bench role over the next two seasons, he left as a free agent after 2005.

Helms had a strong season at the plate as a part-time player with the Marlins in 2006, and the Phillies signed him, hoping he could adequately replace David Bell at third base. Instead, he actually made Phillies fans feel slightly wistful for Bell.

In the end, "David Bell" was too high a projection for Wes Helms’ Phillies career. https://t.co/4s9tMHligL

— The Good Phight (@TheGoodPhight) February 7, 2017

There was a three-way split of playing time at third base among the 2007 Phillies: Abraham Nunez – who could field, but couldn’t hit, Greg Dobbs – who could hit, but couldn’t field, and Helms, who couldn’t do either. Somehow, the Phillies overcame the black hole at the position to win the NL East.

Realizing they needed a better option, the Phillies signed Pedro Feliz after the season, and released Helms, who went on to spend three seasons as a lousy bench player for the Marlins.

Additional thought about the series

The Phillies seemingly have more to play for this series, as they can still finish as any of the three Wild Card seeds or miss the playoffs entirely. The Brewers will likely be more concerned with getting their team ready for the playoffs.

You’d think that would be an advantage for the Phillies, but it is hard to understand this team much of the time. You don’t want your team to “peak at the wrong time,” but with one week until the playoffs begin, this seems like the right time for heretofore slumping hitters like Brandon Marsh and J.T. Realmuto to get their acts together.

Go Rays!

This four-game tilt against the Rays in the penultimate series of the season had the chance to be a blockbuster showdown to decide the division. However, the Yankees losing two out of three to the Diamondbacks removed a lot of the jeopardy from this series, New York now needing to sweep just to avoid being eliminated from the AL East title race and depending on a very unlikely collapse from Tampa in their final series of the season to keep the divisional door the slightest bit ajar. All the same, this could be a preview of a prospective ALCS showdown, so I expect both teams to come out firing. The first game of today’s doubleheader is a makeup of the rainout from May 23rd.

Carlos Rodón finds himself in the unexpected position of being on the postseason rotation bubble. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried are seemingly locks which would pit Rodón against Gerrit Cole for that final spot if they roll out a three-man rotation. It almost comes down to a style choice at that point — Rodón walks almost three times as many batters as Cole, but surrenders about half as many home runs per nine. He’s a good choice to start a game against the Rays — in six starts against Tampa with the Yankees, Rodón has a 3.69 ERA and 31.3-percent strikeout rate in 31.2 innings. In 15 starts this season, Rodón is 6-3 with a 2.95 ERA (142 ERA+), 3.69 FIP, and 83 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.

The Rays have a maddening habit of transforming other teams’ castoffs into rotation stars. This season’s example is longtime journeyman Nick Martinez, who had pitched as a swingman the previous four years in San Diego and Cincinnati. Martinez owns the lowest walk rate (3.5-percent) of any qualified starter, using deception and precise command to induce soft contact. He’s technically got a six-pitch mix but usually sticks with sinker, changeup, cutter, and four-seamer. In 29 starts, Martinez is 15-4 with a 2.94 ERA (142 ERA+), 3.98 FIP, and 101 strikeouts in 171.1 innings.

This is more or less the Yankees’ go-to lineup for the rest of the regular season with Aaron Judge on the IL. Heliot Ramos and Spencer Jones are both going to get a lot of run out in the outfield, so it was encouraging to see them both hit home runs against the former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes in their last game. José Caballero gets the start over Ryan McMahon at third and sounded eager to make an impact against the team that traded him to the Yankees at last year’s deadline.

The Rays have their three-headed slugging monster atop lineup and then stack the bottom two-thirds with speed. Junior Caminero is third in MLB with 41 home runs giving him back-to-back 40-HR seasons. Chandler Simpson is MLB’s stolen base leader with 46 and third in batting average at .309, but is the only qualified hitter in baseball without a home run this season.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY

First pitch: 1:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, Rays.TV

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY) | WDAE 95.7 FM, WQBN/1300AM (TB)

Streaming: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Back in the Bronx. #RepBXpic.twitter.com/cGC4UCz9Jj

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 22, 2026

Double duty kind of day

👀: https://t.co/FG0urYVWGJ
👂: 95.7 WDAE pic.twitter.com/rbFEAJJG8H

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) September 22, 2026

The final week of the regular season is upon us and the Mariners have one last chance to throw some chaos into the AL West race with a two game series against the Astros. This season has been supremely disappointing, and the team has been frustrating to watch, but these are the last Mariner games we’ll see until next year — and the looming labor lockout by the owners could extend that hiatus even further. Enjoy them.

Game	Time	Mariners Starter	Rockies Starter	Mariners Win%	Rockies Win%
Game 1	Tuesday, September 22 | 6:40 pm	RHP Logan Gilbert	RHP Cristian Javier	61.9%	38.1%
Game 2	Wednesday, September 23 | 7:10 pm	RHP George Kirby	RHP Ethan Pecko	60.8%	39.2%

Overview	Mariners	Astros	Edge
Batting (wRC+)	102 (5th in AL)	103 (4th in AL)	Astros
Fielding (FRV)	-53 (15th)	-10 (9th)	Astros
Starting Pitching (FIP-)	99 (8th)	116 (14th)	Mariners
Bullpen (FIP-)	103 (9th)	106 (14th)	Mariners

The Astros were just swept by the Braves this past weekend, dropping them from first place in the division. They’re just a game behind the Rangers and hold the tiebreaker if the two teams should finish with matching records. Between the injuries and ineffectiveness across the pitching staff, the offense — and more specifically, Yordan Alvarez — had been carrying the team through the summer. Unfortunately, the team has scored more than four runs in a single game just once over their last 10 games. It’s a terrible time for a slump. 

Player	Position	Bats	PA	K%	BB%	ISO	wRC+
Jeremy Peña	SS	R	456	23.9%	5.3%	0.197	123
Yordan Alvarez	DH	L	663	17.3%	15.8%	0.284	179
Isaac Paredes	3B	R	631	13.5%	10.6%	0.174	127
Jose Altuve	2B	R	545	19.6%	7.3%	0.153	99
Yainer Diaz	C	R	333	15.6%	3.6%	0.168	111
Daulton Varsho	CF	L	526	20.3%	7.4%	0.134	78
Christian Walker	1B	R	608	23.4%	7.9%	0.186	97
Cam Smith	RF	R	542	25.8%	7.2%	0.180	84
Taylor Trammell	LF	L	273	31.1%	9.5%	0.157	84

Yordan Alvarez’s shot at winning the AL Triple Crown looks pretty slim right now. A late season slump, spurred on by a nagging ankle injury, has dropped him to second in the AL in home runs and RBIs. He’d have to have a monster week to have any hope of catching Pete Alonso for the RBI lead; Alvarez trails Alonso by six right now. The other batter who is swinging the bat well right now is Jeremy Peña; he has posted just an 89 wRC+ in September, but he collected 10 hits and three home runs last week. The rest of the lineup is really struggling; Jose Altuve (96 wRC+ in September), Cam Smith (60), Daulton Varsho (42), and Christian Walker (17) are all mired in slumps this month.

Probable Pitchers 

Updated Stuff+ Explainer 

• Stuff+ scores for Mariners starters

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Cristian Javier	61	21.3%	9.7%	10.4%	24.9%	5.31	4.74
Logan Gilbert	178	27.2%	6.5%	14.1%	37.6%	3.69	3.86

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	50.8%	42.9%	93.2	97	125	79	0.399
Sinker	2.2%	0.0%	93.1
Cutter	8.7%	6.2%	89.1	94
Changeup	7.6%	25.0%	85.5	82	96	84	0.275
Curveball	1.7%	1.4%	77.6
Sweeper	29.1%	24.5%	81.3	114	115	81	0.191

For a pitcher with such a long history against the Mariners, it’s been nearly three years since Cristian Javier has pitched against them (his last outing against Seattle came on September 26, 2023). He blew out his elbow early in 2024 and missed most of last year recovering from the resultant Tommy John surgery. At his peak, he leaned heavily on a backspinning four-seamer and a slow sweeper as his primary weapons, essentially acting as a two-pitch pitcher. After his surgery, he’s expanded his repertoire a bit to include a changeup and a cutter. He’s bounced between the rotation and the bullpen throughout this year but it looks like he’s finally found his groove down the stretch; over his last six outings (five starts, one bulk relief appearance) he’s running a 3.77 ERA and a 3.72 FIP.

Pitcher	IP	K%	BB%	HR/FB%	GB%	ERA	FIP
Ethan Pecko	28.2	16.4%	10.3%	12.5%	38.6%	3.77	5.50
George Kirby	169.2	19.9%	6.1%	11.1%	43.8%	4.24	3.85

Pitch	Usage vRHB	Usage vLHB	Velocity	Stuff+	Whiff+	BIP+	xwOBA
Four-seam	21.1%	22.4%	93.5	99	109	123	0.466
Sinker	36.6%	13.5%	92.9	100	136	80	0.300
Cutter	4.6%	27.9%	90.2	98	78	109	0.421
Changeup	0.0%	7.7%	87.1
Curveball	5.7%	17.6%	81.6	98
Sweeper	32.0%	10.9%	82.7	105

The Astros promoted Ethan Pecko in mid-August to take the place of Tatsuya Imai in the rotation. He was the team’s fourth ranked prospect on their preseason list and looked serviceable with a 4.25 FIP in 17 appearances in Triple-A before his debut. His best pitch is his four-seam fastball which has given minor league batters fits when he’s able to locate it at the top of the zone. He has five other pitches in his repertoire but most of his secondary pitches look average at best. He’s got decent command and uses his wide arsenal to keep batters guessing. It’s a back-of-the-rotation profile, but that’s exactly what the Astros have needed this summer. The Astros have used an opener in front of Pecko the last two times his turn has come up in the rotation — I’d expect them to do the same on Wednesday.

---

The Big Picture:

Team	W-L	W%	Games Behind	Run Diff	Recent Form
Rangers	78-78	0.500	—	-34	W-L-W-W-L
Astros	77-79	0.494	1.0	-59	L-W-L-L-L
Mariners	73-83	0.468	5.0	-56	L-W-W-L-W
Athletics	61-95	0.391	17.0	-223	L-L-L-L-L
Angels	60-96	0.385	18.0	-87	L-W-L-W-L

While the Mariners try to keep the Astros from gaining any ground in the AL West, the Rangers are hosting the Mets.

Is this remotely surprising? Chad Tracy and the Red Sox have agreed to a three-year deal that will make him the team’s 49th full-time manager, hopefully at least through the 2029 season. At the same time, Red Sox ownership has exercised the 2029 and 2030 options it held on Craig Breslow’s contract, giving him the big chair for at least four more seasons. Given the way this season has played out, the Tracy deal in particular was a foregone conclusion. But you certainly wouldn’t have said that back in June, and the fact that Breslow is being extended today instead of fired is evidence of the team’s remarkable turnaround.

“Craig and Chad are two exceptionally talented leaders who have earned these opportunities in very different ways,” said Red Sox President & CEO Sam Kennedy. “Over the last three years, we have watched Craig bring clarity, discipline, and conviction to the work of building our baseball operation. Chad was asked to step into a difficult situation with little notice, but the trust he immediately commanded at the major league level was earned through years of work across our organization. What this team has accomplished over the past several months has been historic. Results matter greatly in this business, but so do judgment, character, and the ability to bring out the best in others. Craig and Chad have demonstrated all of those qualities, and they have earned our confidence in leading us forward.” (MLB.com)

---

FSG appears to be hoping to finally achieve some continuity in the front office and dugout with this move, which is something they’ve struggled to find in recent years. “Since Francona and Epstein ended their successful run together in 2011, the Red Sox have had eight manager/baseball operations head combinations, including Ron Roenicke’s one-year stint alongside Bloom in between Cora stints in 2020. The longest of those pairings — the ill-fated Bloom-Cora marriage — lasted fewer than three years during Cora’s second stint, from the start of 2021 to September 2023.” (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

---

But Tracy and Breslow still have some work to do this year, because the Red Sox offense is seriously scuffling right now. As a team, the Sox are barely hitting above the Mendoza Line over their last 11 games, while averaging fewer than 3 runs scored. Part of that is due to the absence of some key pieces, like Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela, but lineup mainstays like Wilyer Abreu and Adley Rutschman are fighting slumps, too. “Just got to stay with it,” Chad Tracy said after Sunday’s loss. “Obviously we’ve got to hit and score runs. But we’re getting our way back to health, and we’ll get there.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

---

If the offense doesn’t get going and the Sox get bounced in the first round without playing a single game at Fenway, just like they did last year, does that change the ultimate perception of the job Craig Breslow did this year? Perhaps. Of course the perception of the job he’s done has already changed several times over the past few months, which may be a product of his willingness to shake things up mid-season. “I always try to be guided by what I believe to be right and best for the organization,” Breslow said. “Oftentimes, most people in these jobs would say their initial read or inclination of a situation was largely a correct one, but friction and inertia and emotion prevented you from acting on that. Then, you look back and say I wish I would have done whatever it was you were thinking at the time more often than you say that was probably not the right decision, and I wish I hadn’t.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)

---

One of those decisive mid-season moves was the trade of Marcelo Mayer — the man who was once heralded as the future of the Red Sox by the Red Sox themselves — to the San Fransisco Giants for middle reliever Erik Miller. But while the move divided Red Sox fans, his family is thrilled with the trade, as they say Mayer faced undue criticism and even threats from Boston fans. “When his dad found out about the trade to San Francisco, Enrique said he “jumped 10 feet in the air.” ‘I can’t explain how happy we are… Marcelo got a cortisone shot to be ready to come back a month and a half early to help the team in the playoffs and then he gets the rap he doesn’t play in pain? That couldn’t be further from the truth.” (Susan Slusser, San Fransisco Chronicle)

Aaron Judge will almost certainly sit out the New York Yankees' upcoming American League wild-card series due to a calf strain, manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Judge missed 75 games this season with a rib fracture and then suffered the calf strain in just his seventh game back Sept. 16 at Minnesota. While the Yankees have fared well enough without him – they head into Tuesday 89-66 and can clinch the No. 1 wild card spot with one more victory – his lineup presence will be greatly missed in the postseason.

The Yankees will likely play the Boston Red Sox for the second consecutive year in an AL wild-card best-of-three that begins Tuesday, Sept. 29.

"We're planning on him not being a part of that," says Boone, who also noted Judge had a platelet-poor plasma injection in the leg.

Aaron Judge injury

Boone told reporters in New York that Judge suffered a "moderate grade" strain of his right calf, which the Vermont Sports Medicine Center defines as the "largest and most variable category" of injury. It falls shy of a Grade III injury which would indicate the calf muscle is torn and almost certainly put Judge out for the entire postseason.

Judge was removed early from the Sept. 16 game in Minnesota. He was working his way back into full playing shape after the extended absence due to his rib fracture.

How will Yankees replace Aaron Judge?

The only silver lining for the Yankees is that they moved aggressively to augment their lineup at the trade deadline due to Judge's original injury. They added both right- and left-handed sluggers in Heliot Ramos and Luis García Jr., with Ramos expected to retain many of the plate appearances Judge might have received in the wild-card series.

Ramos is batting just .172 with a .672 OPS and four home runs in 32 games since his arrival from San Francisco, but he is a former All-Star who hit 22 and 21 home runs in 2024 and 2025.

How will Aaron Judge's injury affect Yankees?

Judge's injury isn't the only one the Yankees have been monitoring. Center fielder Trent Grisham has not played since suffering a hamstring injury Sept. 4. Grisham, who has hit 18 home runs, is not expected to be activated by the end of the regular season, Boone said Sept. 20, but is a possibility to return by the wild-card series.

That would move rookie Spencer Jones out of center field and create an alignment of Grisham and All-Star Cody Bellinger and, likely, a platoon of Ramos and Jones in the third outfield spot. All-Star Ben Rice, whose 39 home runs lead the Yankees, is entrenched in the DH spot, with García and Paul Goldschmidt sharing first base duties.

Will Aaron Judge play in the AL division series?

Should the Yankees advance out of the wild-card series – they are likely to play the Boston Red Sox in the best-of-three shootout for a second consecutive year – the AL division series will begin Saturday, Oct. 3. That would give Judge 17 days of recovery since suffering the calf injury, which would offer no guarantee but obviously enhance the chances.

The AL championship series begins Oct. 12 and the World Series tips off Friday, Oct. 23.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Aaron Judge to miss Yankees' wild-card series, Aaron Boone says

Aaron Boone met with the media to shed some light on Judge’s injury status ahead of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Rays.

Boone revealed that he suffered a moderate grade right calf strain that landed him on the 10-day injured list, and the Yankees captain received a PPP (platelet-poor plasma) injection as treatment during Monday’s off day. Unfortunately, according to Boone, this means they’re not planning for him to be available for the upcoming Wild Card Series. They haven’t officially ruled him out, however, but his appearance is becoming less likely by the minute.

This is certainly frustrating news, as we’ve all been eagerly awaiting the front office to be less ambiguous on the subject. They’ve been very communicative about several injuries throughout the season, but when it comes to the Yankees captain, everyone seems to be playing the cards very close to their chest.

The postseason roster is expected to be released early next week, and without Judge, I’m anticipating that Yankees fans will be a lot less hopeful for the best and more prepared for the worst.