BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Fans head up a ramp during a rain delay before the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on September 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The plan as of right now is for the Red Sox and Cubs to play a double header on Friday with start times of 1:05pm and 6:05 pm in an effort to get as much baseball in as possible before the onset of this weekend’s nor’easter. This is going to be a highly interesting scenario because while all models have come into agreement on the idea of there being strong, slow moving, and retrograding nor’easter, there’s actually quite a bit of disagreement on the initial timing and position of the low.
Let’s take a look at a couple of examples with both of the following maps valid for 4:00pm on Friday afternoon. First up, the RGEM (short range Canadian model):
This one has the low moving much quicker to the north initially before stalling and running into the block. If correct, harsh, full blown nor’easter conditions would arrive during the first game of the double header and we’d be in big trouble in trying to complete all three over the weekend.
But then there’s other short range models like the HRRR that handle things completely different:
Here, we see the low much further south during that same late Friday afternoon timeframe. As a result, the initial push of moisture into eastern Massachusetts is actually falling apart as it comes north in favor of newer, more powerful bands forming to the south closer to the low.
And you know what? If I had to guess based on all the data I’m looking at right now, I think the HRRR is closer to to the bone here. This makes me think we’re going to be dealing with a situation where they try and play baseball in some rain (maybe even on and off rain) Friday afternoon and evening to get these first two games in the books. A lot of this depends on what type of conditions MLB is willing to play through, but given what’s coming on Saturday, my guess is their tolerance is going to be pretty high and they push to get the games in.
In addition to the rain though, there will be wind, and despite the uncertainty in the exact timing and intensity of the moisture moving in on Friday before conditions further deteriorate over the weekend, I have a high degree of confidence the wind will be howling well before any rain gets there. The National Weather Service has already issued a High Wind Watch for Boston calling for gusts up to 50mph through Saturday evening. During the late Friday afternoon and evening timeframe, I would expect northerly gusts top 35 mph even before the precipitation arrives.
This means you should have incredibly blustery conditions blowing in from left field during whatever baseball is played on Friday. It won’t be great for fans, but it could be good for Patrick Sandoval’s ERA assuming he takes the mound at some point tomorrow.
Either way, this has the potential to get messy if all three games are needed to determine playoff seeding, and given that likelihood (the Cubs are a game behind the Padres for the top Wild Card spot while holding the tiebreaker), we’re probably going to see baseball played in some pretty crazy conditions at some point.
CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman is thankful he’s not a little shorter.
Sporting a discolored left eye after being struck by a foul ball in the on-deck circle, the three-time All-Star said it could’ve been worse.
“Super lucky it hit where it hit and just a lot of gratitude that it wasn’t a few centimeters higher,” he said before a game against Miami.
The ball, off the bat of teammate Michael Busch in Cincinnati, caused several facial fractures.
With the postseason approaching, the Cubs are glad the injury won’t require a stint on the injured list.
Bregman said he’ll likely start shagging ground balls in a day or so and will be trying out new styles of helmets to protect the eye.
“The whole left side of my face has been a little bit numb,” he said.
“He’s still got significant swelling in his face and his eye that needs to improve,” Chicago manager Craig Counsell said. “But all things considered, he’s in a good place.”
Bregman was on deck in the fourth inning of a 9-1 win at Cincinnati when he was hit on the left side of his face by Busch’s check-swing foul. Bregman immediately jogged toward the Cubs’ dugout and covered his face before going back to the clubhouse with an athletic trainer.
“When everything was going down on Sunday afternoon, I think that we all thought the worst case might be a possibility,” president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “And all the news since then has been really good. He’s had a lot of different doctor’s appointments, and they’ve been positive. And I think we have to take it one step at a time.”
Bregman is batting .262 with 26 homers and 89 RBIs in 153 games during his first season with Chicago. He signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs in free agency.
The 32-year-old Bregman got off to a rough start in his new home, hitting just .229 with two homers in his first 20 games. But he has been one of Chicago’s most productive players since the All-Star break, batting .305 with 17 homers and 48 RBIs in his last 57 games.
Bregman also has excelled in the postseason in the past. He won two World Series championships with the Houston Astros. He appeared in at least two postseason games in each of the previous nine years.
NEW YORK — Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hopes to return from a strained right calf for the playoffs and Giancarlo Stanton could be back after a 5 1/2-month absence.
New York manager Aaron Boone repeated he’s not counting on Judge to play in the AL Wild Card Series opener. Judge, sidelined since Sept. 16, said he’s trying to do all he can to be in the lineup.
“The Bronx is a magical place in October,” Judge said after a 9-2 win over AL East champion Tampa Bay. “I don’t want to miss out on that opportunity.”
Judge had a platelet-poor plasma injection. He was sidelined by a fractured rib from May 31 to Sept. 8 and played in just seven games before the latest injury.
“Any injection doesn’t feel too good that day, but I feel a lot better today and we’re going to keep making strides,” he said.
A three-time AL MVP, Judge is hitting .241 with 18 homers, 41 RBIs and an .871 OPS in 66 games this season, including .174 with one homer and three RBIs since coming back from the rib injury.
“We are going to listen to the body and see how he heals,” Boone said. “If he is in a position to do that, obviously we are going to want him. So, no, I haven’t ruled anything out, of course.”
Boone said he wasn’t planning on having Judge available for the best-of-three series, likely against Boston.
“Obviously as a player, you don’t want to hear that but that’s out of my control,” Judge said.
Boone said Judge had a moderate strain.
“Everybody’s `moderate’ is a little different,” Judge said.
Stanton, trying to return from injuries to calf muscles in both legs, faced pitchers at Double-A Somerset along with center fielder Trent Grisham, sidelined since straining his right hamstring on Sept. 4. Both ran the bases and Stanton homered while taking six or seven at-bats.
“Putting them on the outskirts of the conversation,” Boone, bothered by a cold, said in a raspy voice.
Following the end of the seasons for Yankees farm teams, New York has minor leaguers working out at Somerset in nearby New Jersey.
Stanton hasn’t played since April 24 because of strained calf muscles in both legs after starting the season with a .256 batting average, three homers and 14 RBIs in 24 games. The 36-year-old former NL MVP had 38 homers and 100 RBIs in his first season with New York in 2018 but has missed 500 of 1,194 games since (41.9%), through the end of this regular season.
His other injuries included strains of his right biceps, right knee, left hamstring (three times), left quadriceps and both calf muscles along with right ankle inflammation, left Achilles tendinitis and tendon pain in both elbows.
“You’re looking more at a pinch-hit scenario,” Boone said. “We’ll see if that’s even a realistic option.”
Stanton is owed $25 million next year in the final guaranteed season of a 13-year, $325 million contract that includes a $10 million buyout of a 2028 club option.
Lagrange could be brought up for major league debut
Carlos Lagrange, a 23-year-old right-hander who reached 100 mph with 98 pitches at Triple-A this year, threw to batters at Somerset. He was out between June 28 and Sept. 16 because of a right capsule strain.
Lagrange was shifted to the bullpen at the start of June.
“He’s in the conversation for something,” Boone said.
Clarke Schmidt still out
Right-hander Clarke Schmidt, who returned Sept. 16 following Tommy John surgery in July 2025, played catch but remains sidelined by right biceps cramps. New York had hoped to use him as a reliever in the postseason.
“Today was better than yesterday,” Boone said. “If he’s not a real viable option by tomorrow, then we’ll probably go a different way.”
Postseason rotation
Boone said Cam Schlitter will start Game 1 or 2 of the playoffs. Max Fried appears set to start whichever game Schlittler doesn’t, with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón available for Game 3.
“Whoever goes 1 or 2 can pitch 2 and 5 in the next series,” Boone said.
Fernando Cruz throws a bullpen
Right-hander Fernando Cruz threw a bullpen and will throw another one.
He hasn’t pitched in a game since Aug. 25 because of right elbow discomfort caused by a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament.
“I’m in a really good position to be back I will say in the next couple of weeks,” Cruz said.
He took issue with the diagnosis of his injury.
“I had a real good inflammation, real stiffness and irritation,” he said. “People can say it’s a partial tear, but in my heart it’s not a partial tear.”
Volpe will see time at the hot corner
With second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. back from a sprained right thumb, Boone said Anthony Volpe will see time at third.
“I’ll probably get him on there a time or two,” Boone said.
Volpe entered Wednesday hitting .263 with one homer, seven RBIs and four stolen bases over 11 games since his recall from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He played three games at third base for the RailRiders.
“It didn’t feel that bad when I played there, but we’ll see,” Volpe said.
CINCINNATI, OH - OCTOBER 22: Owner and CEO Bob Castellini speaks as general manager Nick Krall looks on after David Bell was introduced as the new manager for the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on October 22, 2018 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The empirical data does enough heavy lifting for even the most casual observers to note just how bad the Cincinnati Reds are at the sport of baseball at the moment. They do rank dead last in their division, after all, and a glance at their ghastly -160 run differential this season just hammers that point home.
They’re tied for the worst hitting team in a game where you need to hit. Their 91 wRC+ binds them with their frequent cellarmates from Denver, the Colorado Rockies, in last place there.
Their pitchers walk more batters per 9 innings than any other club, fueling a FIP that’s better than only one club in the sport. Their xFIP – at 4.79 – is worsted only by those same Rockies, who just wrapped up a fourth straight 100+ loss season.
Defensive metrics are notoriously all over the place, but one – Defensive Runs Saved – tends to stand out as the most telling year over year. The Cincinnati Reds rank dead last in that metric this season with just four more games left to play.
The Cincinnati Reds cannot hit, cannot pitch, and cannot field in a sport where the three things you must do 162 nights a year are hit, pitch, and field. A more perfect recipe for being dead last in one’s division there must not be.
It’s simple to stare at the ends and point out the obvious. This is a bad baseball team that looked bad at the outset, played badly, and is now in a bad, bad place in the standings. More telling, though, is observing the means to which those ends were produced, and for the Reds those means are just as last place as the product itself.
‘Why aren’t we the Brewers?’ How the Reds remain in limbo while other small-market clubs succeed. With @ctrent, unlocked and free to read. https://t.co/XYoua5ZSFx
In a rather scathing expose from The Athletic, the disconnect between the Castellini-led ownership group of the Reds and the Nick Krall-led front office could not be laid more bare.
The owners could not be more obvious in their dreams of being successful while simultaneously being more oblivious to their own meddling. The front office, continually stubbing its toes in attempts to persuade the owners into making more practical moves, has been forced to pivot to their second and third backup plans, most all of which have blown up in their faces in spectacular failure. Yet here those factions are, familiar in a Butter Battle Book way, insistent that they be the only two voices that ever get the chance to steer the wheel of this once proud franchise.
Neither seems able to budge. The Castellinis won’t sell, won’t change, and won’t change a thing about the front office that can’t get out of its own way. That has become the Reds way, even though it has tanked any and all interest in the club despite the roster boasting a handful of the single most electric talents in the sport today.
The term dinosaurs often gets lobbed around about individuals who have simply been everpresent for so long they must be decrepit. Dinosaurs also need be used to explain how a whole sect of sentient beings went extinct due to an inability to adapt to the pressures around them, and for the Reds that latter definition rings more true today than perhaps at any point in their century and a half of professional existence.
The Reds are broken, and the only people capable of fixing that simply won’t.
Aaron Judge's mildly defiant stance on the health of his right groin prompted New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone to note that the club will "see where he's at" when the team opens its American League wild card series Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Boone, appearing on Sirius XM Radio Thursday, responded to Judge's comments to ESPN a day earlier that he has "no control" over Boone's assessment that the 6-foot-7 slugger will likely miss the wild-card round after suffering the calf injury Sept. 16.
"The bottom line is he got ruled out for the regular season as he tries to get going here. He’s doing everything possible he can to be an option," Boone said Thursday. "The reality is we have several days left and we’ll see where we are when that day comes.
"When we start the playoffs, the first round, hopefully we move on – I can’t answer that. Hopefully we move on. His body will tell us that and all I know is Judgey is doing everything he can to put himself in play as soon as possible."
Judge was diagnosed with a moderate grade right calf strain. The muscle is not torn, which offers up for a return during the playoffs, yet the range of recovery is significantly variable.
The Yankees will host the best-of-three wild card series in the Bronx, almost certainly against the rival Boston Red Sox.
TORONTO - JUNE 20: Fred Lewis #15 and John McDonald #6 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrate John McDonald home run against the San Francisco Giants at the Rogers Centre during a MLB game June 20, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images) | Getty Images
John McDonald celebrates his 52ndbirthday today.
John McDonald enjoyed a remarkable career, especially for someone with a lifetime .233/.273/.323 slash line. How does a player last 16 years in the majors with numbers like that? The answer: exceptional defensive ability. Several years ago, I asked Brian Butterfield about Mac.
Last year in Seattle, we watched fielding practice before the game, and John McDonald was out there to the very end. That’s why he’s so good at it?
That’s exactly right, he’s the best I’ve ever been around. I’ve told several people in the game that he has the best work ethic and gets himself into the right position, which is better than any infield that I’ve ever had. I’ve been blessed to be around some great ones. And it’s not a mistake for me when he makes a play in the hole that brings the house down. I don’t get as excited because it’s something I expect from him, and it’s something he’s rehearsed so many times. He’s rehearsed going into the hole and getting the ball in the air as quickly as he can. He rehearses it. He rehearses it at game speed. When you look at him after he takes ground balls,, he’s got a lather, he’s tired, and practices defense quickly at game speed the way you should. He’s the best.
I watched McDonald take infield practice many times and always enjoyed it. He gave maximum effort every time, making sure to throw every ball straight over the top—never sidearm or three-quarters. While he had natural talent, his greatness as a defensive player was rooted in his relentless work ethic.
That was part of his appeal—he made us believe that with enough effort, we could be like him. Of course, few are willing to work that hard, but the hope is there. It reminds me of a scene in Kill Bill, where Quentin Tarantino’s character explains he prefers Batman to Superman, because Batman represents the idea that anyone could become a hero with enough dedication, while Superman is just born with it.
He played seven seasons for us and quickly became a fan favourite, even though he never started regularly. There’s something about backups—they’re harder to blame when the team loses.
Another reason for his long career—despite his limited bat—is that he’s simply a good guy. Everyone seems to like him. When you see a player stick around longer than his numbers suggest he should, it’s usually because he’s a great teammate. There’s a life lesson in that: skills matter, but being someone everyone likes can only help. If he wanted, he could easily move into coaching or managing.
When Cito Gaston was managing, he worked with McDonald on pulling the ball more aggressively. For a while, it paid off—Mac hit six home runs in 152 at-bats, including a hot streak in August 2010 when he batted .382/.417/.765 with three home runs in 34 at-bats. Pitchers soon adjusted, throwing pitches harder to pull, and his numbers dipped to .200/.222/.300 in September. Still, it was a worthwhile experiment; those six home runs marked a career high. Given more time, I believe Cito could have helped him adjust to outside pitches as well.
John McDonald currently serves as a roving coach for the Cleveland Guardians.
His ‘Father’s Day’ home run remains one of my all-time favourite Blue Jays moments.
Happy birthday, John!
Today marks Jim Acker’s 68th birthday.
Acker served as a reliever for the Blue Jays from 1983 to July 1986, and again from 1989 to 1991. Had he stayed just one more year, he would have earned a World Series ring.
Originally the Braves’ first-round pick (#21 overall) in 1980, he joined the Blue Jays through the Rule 5 draft prior to the 1983 season.
As a Rule 5 pick, Acker remained on the Blue Jays roster throughout 1983 and quickly established himself as one of the team’s more reliable pitchers, finishing with a 5-1 record and a 4.33 ERA over 38 games (5 starts) as a 24-year-old rookie. In 1984, despite some injuries, he appeared in 32 games (3 starts) and posted a 4.38 ERA.
The Blue Jays used a closer-by-committee approach in 1985, and Acker had a strong season: 7-2 record, 3.23 ERA, and 10 saves in 61 appearances (our relievers racked up plenty of wins that year—Dennis Lamp went 11-0).
That season marked the Blue Jays’ first-ever playoff appearance. Jim pitched in two postseason games, covering six innings, and allowed just two hits with no walks and five strikeouts. In July 1986, Acker was traded back to Atlanta for right-handed starter Joe Johnson, who made 29 starts for Toronto over the next two seasons, posting a 10-7 record with a 4.42 ERA.
Acker played for the Braves until August 24, 1989, when they traded him back to Toronto for Francisco Cabrera and Tony Castillo. Cabrera would later become a postseason hero for the Braves with his series-winning hit in the 1992 NLCS, though Atlanta ultimately lost to the Blue Jays in the World Series.
Acker was outstanding down the stretch in 1989, posting a 1.59 ERA over 14 games and 28.1 innings, helping Toronto secure another playoff berth. In the ALCS against the A’s, he pitched in all five games and recorded a 1.42 ERA over 6.1 innings, allowing just four hits and one walk while striking out four.
Acker followed up with a solid 1990 campaign (3.82 ERA in 59 games, 91.2 innings). 1991 was less successful, as his ERA rose to 5.20 over 54 games and 88.1 innings. The Blue Jays made the playoffs again, losing to the Twins in the ALCS; Acker appeared in one game.
After the season, he signed with the Mariners and pitched in 17 games, marking the end of his MLB career.
Acker appeared in ten big-league seasons, making 467 appearances (32 starts), with a 4.45 ERA, a 33-49 record, and 30 saves. Seven of those years were spent in Toronto. He wasn’t a strikeout specialist, averaging just 4.8 K/9, but that was a different era—relievers were used for multiple innings and pitched to contact to keep pitch counts down.
Happy birthday, Jim! Hope you have a great day.
Paul Spoljaric is celebrating his 56th birthday today.
Paul was a left-handed reliever for the Blue Jays, born in scenic Kelowna, BC. He joined the team as an amateur free agent, since Canadians were not included in the draft back in 1989.
He made the team out of spring training in 1994 but struggled in his first two appearances and didn’t return until 1996. That year, he fared much better, posting a 3.08 ERA in 28 games.
Spoljaric followed up with a strong 1997, recording a 3.19 ERA in 37 games. That year, the Jays traded him and Mike Timlin to the Mariners for Jose Cruz Jr., a former first-round pick and top prospect. Timlin and Spoljaric helped Seattle reach the playoffs, while Cruz went on to hit 122 home runs for Toronto over six seasons. It may have been Ash’s best trade for the Blue Jays.
After a difficult 1998 season in Seattle (6.48 ERA), Spoljaric was traded to the Phillies before 1999. In May, the Blue Jays brought him back, sending Robert Person to Philadelphia—the same Person Toronto had acquired from the Mets in the John Olerud deal.
Spoljaric appeared in 37 games for Toronto in 1999, making two starts and recording a 4.65 ERA.
After the season, Toronto traded Spoljaric and Pat Hentgen to the Cardinals for Alberto Castillo, Matt DeWitt, and Lance Painter—a trade that ultimately had little impact for the Jays. Spoljaric was released before the 2000 season, then signed with the Royals, where he pitched 13 games to close out his MLB career.
He played six seasons in the majors, including four with the Blue Jays. Across his career, Spoljaric appeared in 195 games (12 starts), posting a 5.52 ERA and recording four saves.
Happy birthday, Paul!
Kevin Millar is celebrating his 55th birthday today.
Millar spent his final big league season with the Blue Jays, brought in for his veteran presence. However, he hit just .223/.311/.363 over 78 games, and as a first baseman/DH, those numbers weren’t enough to secure his role—no matter how good he was in the clubhouse. After he left, it seemed most of his ‘veteran presence’ involved reminiscing about his time with the Red Sox.
He wasn’t one of my favourites.
Millar played 12 seasons in the majors, suiting up for the Marlins (5 years), Red Sox (3), Orioles (3), and Blue Jays. Over 1,427 games, he batted .274/.358/.452 with 170 home runs and a 14.2 bWAR (with -0.7 coming during his time with Toronto).
He earned a World Series ring with the 2004 Red Sox and played a key role in their legendary comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS. In Game 4’s ninth inning, down by a run, Millar drew a walk off Mariano Rivera. Dave Roberts pinch-ran, stole second, and the rest is history.
Happy birthday, Kevin!
Moisés Sierra turns 38 today.
Moisés was a top Jays prospect a few years back. He ended up playing 97 games with the Jays, over three seasons, hitting .229/.290/.368. We lost him on waivers to the White Sox. From there he went to the Royals, Marlins and Nationals.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 18: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning during the game against the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park on September 18, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, September 24, 2026, 12:35 p.m. ET
The Pittsburgh Pirates are facing off in the finale a three-game set inside PNC Park against the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s the final game of the season at PNC Park, so the Pirates hope to send their fans home with a win.
Kyle Leahy (10-5, 3.65 ERA) will start for the Cardinals. He only went 3 innings in his last start on September 18 against the Washington Nationals, giving up 5 hits and 6 earned runs in a 9-1 loss at Busch Stadium. Likey has not made it to the 5th inning in any of his last 5 starts, so that opens the door for the Pirates to pounce early. One of those games was against the Pirates back on August 29, when he only went 3 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 run in a 6-2 loss.
Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.91 ERA) is making his final start of the season for the Pirates. After an up-and-down year for the third-year ace, Skenes will hope to go out on a high note against the Cardinals, whom he lost to back on April 30 when the Cardinals were last at PNC Park in a 10-5 defeat.
Location: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Broadcast: KDKA AM/FM, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Pitching Matchup: Kyle Leahy (10-5, 3.65 ERA) vs. Paul Skenes (10-11, 3.91 ERA)
BD community, this is your game thread against the St. Louis Cardinals. Chime off in the comments section below.
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 23: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres hits a home run during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Nicole Vasquez/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The San Diego Padres got punched in the mouth in their series-opening loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, but they bounced back to even the series at a game a piece with a 5-1 win on Wednesday night. Manny Machado hit what proved to be the game-winning home run in the top of the fourth inning to give the Padres a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers would manage to score a run in the bottom half of the inning but that was all they would get. San Diego tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth inning and a single run in the top of the ninth inning to earn the four-run win.
Padres starter Robbie Ray engaged in a pitchers duel with Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The starters went three scoreless innings before either surrendered runs in the fourth inning. Despite only pitching 3.1 innings, Ray was removed from the game because he had thrown 84 pitches. Yamamoto meanwhile pitched six innings. Ray allowed one run on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts. Yamamoto allowed four runs on five hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Only two of the four runs allowed by Yamamoto were earned. The other two runs came as the result of an error made by the right-hander on a bunt from Dustin Harris. The ball was bunted back to the mound and Yamamoto fielded it and threw wildly to third base. The ball sailed past Max Muncy and went into foul territory allowing Ethan Salas to score to give San Diego a 3-1 lead.
Machado added his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to right-center field that allowed Fernando Tatis Jr. to tag up and score from third base, sliding in just ahead of the throw from Andy Pages to push the Padres’ lead to 4-1. San Diego scored the final run of the game in the top of the ninth inning after Samad Taylor drew a one-out walk. Taylor then stole second and third base, and scored when Freddy Fermin chopped a ground ball over the left side of the infield to put San Diego ahead, 5-1.
The Padres played a less than perfect game. They finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and they were outhit by the Dodgers 10-8, but they finished on top on the scoreboard. However San Diego did get a major contribution from Salas who started the game behind the plate. The 20-year-old got his first taste of the Padres-Dodgers rivalry and he was pivotal with ABS challenges. Salas challenged three balls and all were overturned to strikes.
Perhaps the most critical challenge came when the bases were loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning. David Morgan was behind in the count 3-1 against Shohei Ohtani with the bases loaded. Morgan hit the top outside corner of the zone and the pitch was called a ball. Salas challenged and got the strike to make the count 3-2. Morgan would go on to strikeout Ohtani to end the threat and the inning and the game went from possibly being tied at 2-2 to the Padres maintaining a 2-1 lead.
San Diego reduced the magic number to one and took over the top Wild Card spot in the National League after the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies lost. The Padres have a chance to clinch a playoff berth before they even take the field with the Arizona Diamondbacks playing early against the Colorado Rockies. If the Diamondbacks lose, the Padres are in. San Diego can also take care of business with a win over Los Angeles tonight at 7:10 p.m.
San Diego added Jason Adam back to the bullpen prior to the start of the game against Los Angeles. Griffin Canning was assigned to the ACL and Alex Jacob was designated for assignment,
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 23: Josh Naylor #12 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after hitting a walk off RBI single in the 10th inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on September 23, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last night’s walk-off win aside, it hasn’t been an ideal first year for Josh Naylor in Seattle after joining the team at the trade deadline last year for a thrilling run to the playoffs, followed up by signing the largest contract of his career this off-season: a contract that represented stability for Naylor, who is on his fourth organization with the Mariners, and a fanbase that was quick to embrace the soft-spoken, cerebral, often enigmatic Canadian.
It was, most everyone agreed, a slam-dunk of a deal for both sides: a round peg in a round hole for the Mariners, seeking help at first base; a steady producer at the plate who would balance out some of the Mariners’ more volatile strikeout-prone bats; veteran leadership for a young team. And for Naylor, a fast favorite with the fanbase, long(ish)-term stability, a chance to establish some roots in a community and a clubhouse after earning a more permanent place, helping the Mariners to a fairy tale-esque run down the stretch.
Unfortunately, 2026 has been anything but a fairy tale for the Mariners on the field, last night’s walk-off aside.
“It was tough as a team this year,” admitted Naylor. “We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to.”
Despite the rough season, Naylor has enjoyed integrating himself in to the Seattle community, both in the clubhouse and beyond. He and his wife Chantel have made a point to explore the state on off-days. They’ve also attended various Seattle sporting events, especially hockey games, something they’re both passionate about and hope to pass on to their young son. Naylor says the family plans to drop in to Seattle this winter to take in some football and hockey, although the family also plans to spend significant time back in Ontario with their son, as Naylor says he wants him to experience the Canadian winters he did as a child.
“I can’t wait to get him on skates,” he said.
[At this point we should note Naylor’s child is not yet one year old. Canadians: Very Serious about their hockey!]
The Naylors have also gotten involved locally with Ronald McDonald House, continuing on the charity work Naylor did with that organization while with Cleveland. Naylor, whose family is deeply important to him, is passionate about supporting families undergoing times of stress.
Maybe because family is so important to him, Naylor has also made a point to put his arms around the younger players, especially his infielders, a responsibility he shares with J.P. Crawford. The two famously took rookie Colt Emerson shopping to buy his first big-league suit, advising on cut and color (lavender!). They also “co-parent” second baseman Cole Young, who maybe doesn’t realize exactly how lucky he is to have not one but two veteran players watching over him.
“We sit by each other on the plane,” said Naylor. “If we’re not talking baseball, we’re talking TV shows or video games or whatever. But I try to take him under my wing a little bit. J.P.’s done a great job taking him under his wing, too, and I’m close to J.P., so he’s just kind of along for the ride now too.”
“We try to spoil him. We take him to the stores and stuff. Spoil him with that. Spoil him with just, like, personal time, me and him and a few other guys. We play video games every night together, and then we just talk about the day. Talk about future of baseball and our future, as individuals. We just became really, really close teammates, which is awesome.”
It’s a selfless act, to pour so much into another player, so much so that it makes one wonder if Naylor is either mimicking something that was given to him or seeking to avenge something he wasn’t given in his career. But he shrugs off the insinuation that this is some kind of karmic scales-balancing.
“I just think it’s good to be a good person, regardless of your status or age,” he said.
“I just think it’s nice to be nice.”
Whether it’s passing something along or being the change he wants to see, the effect is the same.
“If you can, if you see an opportunity to help, you help. If you need to seek help, seek help. But I don’t want to say it’s something that was done to me or not done to me. I just think it’s it’s good to be a good teammate, especially if you know someone is younger than you in experience-wise—not necessarily age, but just game experience—and you see they did something, maybe just get in their ear a little bit, say hey, that was awesome, or hey, you know, maybe try this or that.”
“I just try to be a source of confidence for people here. You know, whether it’s on a personal level or a baseball level, I just try to be there for you. If you need me to watch your kids for you because you want to go out with your wife, I’ll watch your kids for you. If you want to have a conversation about baseball and go back and forth on a topic? I’m more willing to do that. I try to be a really good friend first, and then an even better teammate after that. That’s just my goal in my career and my life.”
One thing Naylor has been monitoring is the improvement in his second baseman; he’s hopeful Cole Young will win a Gold Glove this year, and credits the work Cole has put in to get him to that level as well as the coaching he’s gotten from Perry Hill, or “Bone.” Naylor says he doesn’t want to speak on behalf of rookie Colt Emerson, but that he knows what it’s like to feel the pressure as a rookie in a big-league infield.
“Your first year it’s kind of tough because you may not know what to expect, and then the days get harder the worse you do. That’s at least what I felt. The days get tough if you’re not succeeding, and then you push a little bit harder to succeed, and then you probably fail a little bit more.”
“Every young guy goes through it at some point in their career, where you fail and it sucks, and you try a little bit harder the next day and maybe fail a little bit more and then it sucks more, and then you finally succeed and it’s like—ah, I didn’t need to try so hard for three or four weeks. I was really relaxed today and it worked out.”
It’s a hard-won mindset Naylor is trying to impart to his young infield-mates, something he says is eased by the daily infield practice mandated by Hill: exposure therapy to reading balls off endless fungo bounces.
“We’re all humans, so we make mistakes at times, but being prepared for anything is the mentality,” Naylor said, while noting he appreciates the opportunity to watch his fielders – who he says he wants to help win Gold Gloves – improve. “Helping someone get to their best level in life, and then also in their in their field, whether it’s sports, whether it’s academics, whatever the case is, I think it’s super cool to see someone succeed in their in their favorite thing to do.”
As much as he likes to see others learn, Naylor considers himself a perpetual student of the game.
“I think you can learn a lot from others. I try to learn a lot from people, whether they’re younger or older than me, whether they have five years less than me or five years more than me. I don’t really judge them on their time in the game or age. I just judge them on their knowledge. I think knowledge is power, so I try my best to take information from every source I can. Coaches, players, retired players. I like to learn. I think if you have a lot of tools in your toolkit, you’ll benefit at the end of the day. If you kind of limit yourself to being like a one-trick pony, it kind of hurts you sometimes. And I’ve been both. I’ve been the one-trick pony, and then I had to learn that it’s a game of adjustments and a game of kind of maybe doing things different sometimes.”
No one can accuse Naylor of being a one-trick pony; he’s one base shy of tying his record from last year, an impossible-seeming 30 bags from a slower-footed first baseman. Naylor credits fellow Canadian Dave McKay, the first base coach in Arizona, for teaching him a ton about the mechanics of stealing bases, as well as Mariners first base coach Eric Young Jr. for helping him study pitchers and understand advance scouting to triple his stolen base output for the second consecutive year.
“I just try to find ways to win,” said Naylor.
Naylor does not shy from doing what it takes to win. Some of his best accountability partners? His brothers, Bo and Myles.
“I try to improve my whole game every off season. I try to look back at the season—where I failed, what I didn’t do as well, and how it can get better, and then God willing, get better. In the off season you have a lot of time to think, you’re not really playing the game anymore. So I try to do a lot of thinking with my brothers, and we break down each other’s games and talk to each other a lot.”
He credits brother Bo with helping him get his swing back over the All-Star Break to where it was over the second half.
“We spent the All Star Break together, and he like broke down everything in my swing. And he said, you know, you need to start going back to this and doing this again and doing that. And he really helped me tremendously. He’s a big voice in my career and someone I listen to every day and talk to every day or every other day.”
While the off-season is likely coming sooner than anyone had hoped, Naylor is ready to reconnect with the helpers who have helped him, his brothers.
“I look forward to just spending time with them, just discussing baseball while we’re watching a TV show or a movie, sitting in our backyard, or I don’t know, walking our dogs in the snow. Just chit chatting about how we can get better together. That’s something we do every off-season, just try to get better together.”
Clearly, Naylor is close with his family, now centralized three time zones away from Seattle, but isn’t unhappy about the choice he’s made to sign here. For the deep thinker Naylor, the first year is just the beginning.
“I’ve really enjoyed this organization,” said Naylor. “That’s why my wife and I chose to be here. Love the guys here. Coaching staff’s awesome. City’s beautiful. I look forward to kind of getting more comfortable here, and maybe I observed a lot this year just to see how things are ran.”
It helps, too, that the fanbase has embraced him so well – something Naylor is appreciative of, especially the fans who shout encouragement when he is struggling (“that doesn’t happen everywhere”) – and have been freely expressing their creativity in supporting him. Is a bunch of grown men in sailor suits (“Naylor’s Sailors”) a little weird? Maybe so, but who cares.
“Everyone’s weird in their own way. But that’s what makes you so beautiful and so perfect for who you are. And if you’re not willing to accept it, you’re not willing to accept it, that is what it is. But for those who are, I think you get the best out of the person if you’re willing to accept who they are. And you have a ton of different personalities in this sport, and in life in general. I think everyone is who they’re meant to be.”
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani got a hit in his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup after missing two weeks with right biceps discomfort.
He went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts and a walk while batting second as the designated hitter against the San Diego Padres.
“He looked good,” manager Dave Roberts said. “At-bat quality good, there wasn’t any chase, I thought he hit the ball hard his first at-bat, just missed a homer in that other at-bat, took a walk. It just felt like he wasn’t sped up at all and I think he came out of it pretty well.”
A roar went up from Dodgers fans as Ohtani walked to the plate to Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good.” He promptly lined a 2-1 pitch from Padres starter Robbie Ray into right field and the fans got loud again. Ohtani was out at second base when Will Smith grounded into a fielder’s choice to third.
“Tonight showed that he’s in a good spot physically,” Roberts said.
Ohtani didn’t speak to the media afterward. He’ll be back in the lineup for the series finale.
Mookie Betts was in Ohtani’s usual leadoff spot, where he’s been since the two-way superstar went on the injured list on Sept. 8.
Betts is hitting .366 with six home runs, 21 RBIs, 13 walks and 18 runs scored in 18 games in September. He’s tied for third in the major leagues with 26 hits in September, and also ranks among National League leaders over the same timeframe in extra-base hits, RBIs, total bases, doubles and runs.
Ohtani last played on Sept. 7 against Cincinnati and came in hitting .277 with 30 homers, 80 RBIs, 89 runs scored and 80 walks in 134 games. He appeared physically compromised at the plate, shaking out his arm and wincing at times.
“A few weeks ago you could see that he couldn’t hit a fastball, he was underneath everything and it was a slower swing,” Roberts said before the game. “Just controlling the swing, the barrel, I think that’s something I’ll look at and obviously stuff like the wincing, but I don’t expect to see any of that.”
Roberts said he likely would have Ohtani leading off and Betts hitting second against right-handed pitching.
Roberts expects to see a focused Ohtani at the plate.
“It’s go-time for all of us and I think he’s in a good spot,” Roberts said. “He’s getting ready for the postseason. His mind should be there and my bet is that that’s where it’s at.”
In other moves, pitcher Tarik Skubal was reinstated from the bereavement list. He is scheduled to start at San Francisco. Reliever Kyle Hurt was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Rookie Josue De Paula sent back to minors, could return for postseason
With Ohtani’s return, Josue De Paula was sent down to Triple-A to join the Comets in the Pacific Coast League playoffs against the Las Vegas Aviators. De Paula had been in the lineup as the DH.
De Paula quickly became a fan favorite during Ohtani’s absence. The 21-year-old New York native reached base safely in 10 of his first 11 games in the majors. He went 2 for 3 with a run scored and a walk while notching his first career triple in the Dodgers’ 7-0 win over the Padres.
“He performed more than admirably,” Roberts said. “This also just gives us an opportunity to potentially have him back for the postseason. He’s a part of the conversation and he’s earned that, and that’s what I told him.”
If De Paula makes the postseason roster, he would serve as a pinch hitter.
“Josue has been awesome,” said Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations. “Injected some real life and energy into our team.”
DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 22: Idedmaro Vargas #6 of the Arizona Diamondbacks rounds third base to score on a Gabriel Morena double against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Coors Field on September 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Team News
D-backs live to fight another day in playoff chase with win over Rockies “We know where we stand,” Kelly said. “The ball’s not only in our court. There’s a couple balls bouncing in other people’s courts. We know that you know our backs are against the wall a little bit, and we do need a little bit of a miracle to get to where we want to go. So I think that maybe takes away a little bit of that playoff feel factor. But obviously, we all know that we have to win every single day.”
How did the Diamondbacks perform at Chase Field this season?
“One of the things we talk about at the beginning of the year is protect our turf,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I feel like our home record indicates that these guys have been very engaged and played good baseball in front of a home crowd. … I want teams to know when they’re walking down the hall and coming off their bus and into their clubhouse that they’re getting ready to play a tough game and it’s going to be a dog fight.” https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/how-did-the-diamondbacks-perform-at-chase-field-this-season
Small breeds of dogs live longer than larger breeds.
Smaller breeds have a life expectancy of 12-14 years. Larger dogs, on the other hand, have a life expectancy of around 8-10 years. For giant breeds, they can live as short as 5 years up to 8 years.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has the most mistakes in a movie in the 2000s.
With the constant pressure of TV or movie productions, errors are pretty much inevitable. A little continuity blip here and a stray Starbucks cup there, it can be easy for little errors to slip the editor or director’s notice. However, in all film history, The Curse of the Black Pearl is said to have the most film errors at 105 “goofs”.
Portugal is the top country for cork production.
Out of 2,200,000 hectares of cork forest worldwide, 34% is in Portugal. With annual cork production at 200,000 tons, 49.6% comes from Portugal. They must be serious about their wine.
This has been one of those series. You know, the one where the Cubs make solid contact but it finds a glove. I mean, not a lot of solid contact in these first two games. But when they do, it finds a defender. Meanwhile, the Marlins feel like they’ve had a never ending run of seeing eye grounders. It feels whiny to say that. But I’m not whining about the occurrence. The Cubs have done it to other teams plenty. It’s definitely part of the game. Were I going to whine, it would be about the timing of it. Between that and the storm bearing down on Boston, these were the last things the Cubs needed right now. I suppose, of the two, the pesky Marlins are the more frustrating one. If the Cubs could win these games, those games might not matter, or at least would matter less. The most important clinch of all hasn’t happened yet.
It’s early for me to write about Scoreboard Watching, but I look at scores across baseball and I tip my cap to the also-rans of MLB in 2026. They understand their role as spoilers here in the final playoff push. I look around the league and I see the Mets beating the Rangers, the Royals beating the White Sox, and of course the Marlins beating our Cubs. No doubt I hate seeing the Marlins doing this, but if they were doing it to the Padres or the Phillies, I’d be delighted. So I get it.
It’s all just disappointing because the pitching has done its job in this series, save the 12th inning Tuesday. As painful as that was to watch, I’m not going to throw a bullpen under the bus that got the game to the 12th inning. That wasn’t teams exchanging runs as you sometimes see in modern extra inning games. That was the bullpen closing the door for several innings and giving the offense a plethora of opportunities to win the game.
Two games into this series, the offense has four runs in 21 innings. Even those four runs feel a little fluky. Certainly the Tuesday rally benefitted from a miscue by the Marlins defense. The other three runs in the series have come from a few of those seeing eye type of hits that have benefitted the Cubs. Both the wind blowing in and the absence of Alex Bregman have paired with an effective job by the Marlins staff to frustrate the Cubs for two straight nights.
It’s not hard to imagine the Marlins coaching staff talking to their team about these games being what a playoff atmosphere is. The Cubs are a team that is in a position that the Marlins are trying to get to. They’ve been playing these games for a little while now. Before this, it was the Padres. Before that it was the Diamondbacks. Before that it was the Dodgers. After this, it will be the Braves. That’s a brutal stretch to be sure. Credit where it is due, they are 6-5 with four to go in this stretch of 15 straight games against playoff teams. Young, hungry and aggressive.
As to the Cubs, I staked out my position a little while ago. Your mileage may vary. But I believe this team will answer the bell, be ready to go and not be intimidated by any team in the playoffs. That isn’t me saying they’ll win. Heck, I’m not saying they won’t get blown out. But they aren’t going to be a team moping around because they struggled some in September. That doesn’t mean they didn’t blow all kinds of good opportunities. It could result in them having to go on the road for games that should have been in Wrigley. We aren’t going to know that before at least Friday. If whomever is that first opponent isn’t ready to play, the Cubs are going to make them hate life. If that team is sharp, it may be tough for this Cub team.
I’m not about to jump off of the bandwagon. I see a bunch of people doing so. It’s okay, I’ll see you all back next week after the Cubs win their first game. Don’t forget to at least keep an eye out for Pete Crow-Armstrong to find his 40th stolen base of the season. He has a flair for the dramatic, don’t be surprised if he finds a homer or two and possibly the MLB home run championship. It’s been a great season. You made it this far, stay on the ride.
Three Positives:
Michael Busch had a pair of singles and scored one of the two runs.
Dansby Swanson had a single and a walk. He drove in both runs.
The pitching was pretty good and one of them ought to get some love. I’ll give the kudos to Kevin Gausman. One out shy of a quality start. He allowed only two runs and struck out seven. He also made a neat play for that last out. And he threw the full 100 pitches that cap the day of most major leaguers these days. Hopefully, he just needs an ice back and a chiropractic visit after that last play and will be fine.
Game 158, September 23: Marlins 3, Cubs 2 (87-71)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Dansby Swanson (.115). 1-3, BB, 2 RBI
Hero: Jacob Webb (.095). 1.1 IP, 6 BF, H, BB, 2 K
Sidekick: Michael Busch (.057). 2-4, R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Carson Kelly (-.215). 0-1, DP
Goat: Ryan Rolison (-.173). 0.2 IP, 4 BF, 2 H, R, K (L 9-2)
Kid: Miguel Amaya (-.111). 0-3
WPA Play of the Game: Dansby Swanson’s two-run single with two outs in the sixth inning tied the game. (.270)
Marlins Play of the Game: The two-run homer by Kyle Stowers with one out in the fifth for the first two runs of the game. (.241)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 157 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 31 of 63 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Alex Bregman +26
Pete Crow-Armstrong +25.5
Shōta Imanaga +15
Carson Kelly +13.5
Ben Brown +13.5
Jameson Taillon -13
Dansby Swanson -14
Nico Hoerner -16
Caleb Thielbar -17.5
Seiya Suzuki -20
Scoreboard Watching: The Phillies and Cubs both lost. That leaves the two of them tied. The Padres defeated the Dodgers and moved into the first Wild Card slot, the Cubs second by tiebreaker and then the Phillies. The Diamondbacks won and are serious about making all of these teams sweat a little. I still feel very confident that in some order it will be the Padres, Cubs and Phillies.
Up Next: The series finale. The Cubs have now lost three of five to the Marlins. In general, the Cubs were good against the best teams and mediocre against everyone else, the obvious exception being the Brewers. The Cubs can split the season series with a win in the finale. Matthew Boyd (9-5, 4.06) will get the finale. Boyd snapped a long, rough streak with a good start last time out. He allowed one run over five innings and beat the Reds in Cincinnati. He did not face the Marlins in Miami.
28-year-old righty Tyler Phillips will start for the Marlins. The 2015 16th round pick of the Rangers (468 overall) is 5-6 with a 3.45 ERA. He beat the Cubs in Miami. He allowed three runs over five innings. He’s split his year between the rotation and bullpen, appearing in 36 games and making 19 starts. He has two saves. He’s been a part of the Marlin plan of having the back three-fifths of their rotation limited to five innings or less. It was June 28th the last time he threw more than six. There is only one other game he’s thrown more than five and that was back on August 13 against the Pirates. When he gets in trouble, it’s usually walks. He walks almost four per nine innings. That’s not an insane number by any means. But for a guy on a limited pitch count to begin with, that’s not optimal.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park on September 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The game was 4-1 in favor of the Brewers, but the Phillies had something <ahem> brewing.
On Wednesday night, needing a victory to help lower their magic number by a game, with one out in the seventh inning, Kyle Schwarber was plunked by pitcher DL Hall, followed by an infield single by Trea Turner. The team had done nothing with runners in scoring position all night long, but any chance that they can get with that happening, they would take it. The lineup card stated that Bryce Harper would stride to the plate as it was his turn in the order. What would he do?
August was Harper’s best month of the year. His .333/.496/.573 wasn’t his top slugging percentage of this season, but as far as actual production on the field, his 194 wRC+ during the month meant he had few peers during that month in terms of offensive production. While the batting average is nice and the slug is perfectly cromulent, if you’re like me, it’s the fact that he ended up on base half of the time he came to the plate that astounded. That’s treading into Bondsian territory.
It also coincided with a new approach that he and the team took: take pitches. A novel concept, it seemed to have been something that eluded the lineup as an offensive approach for many days. Swinging early and often, attacking pitches if they were in the zone, these were the hallmarks of the Phillies lineup these past few playoff years. In 2026, once August hit, it’s as though Harper decided that swinging less, particularly chasing less, was what he wanted to do in order to be more productive at the plate.
And whaddaya know, something crazy happened. Once Harper decided to swing/chase less, he actually started to become more productive at the plate.
Now, I’m not saying that it is a direct corollary that swinging less equals more production at the plate. It clearly has to do with more with the fact that he wasn’t chasing pitching out of the zone and getting himself out. But it simply cannot be a coincidence. Harper was good this year for most of the year, the usual cold and hot streaks aside, but during August, he was in a god-like mode when hitting. The team started to win more often too and it seemed like the entire offense was hitting well as a result of Harper swinging a hot bat.
However, it is no coincidence that I left the month of September in those charts.
Look at how the things have flip flopped. He’s swinging more and has exited that god mode when at the plate. While he’s been fine this month (.278/.346/.375 prior to Wednesday), it’s mostly just that – fine. The team has needed him to do more, only for him to not be there. I can’t help but believe that his sudden change in approach at the plate – swinging more often – has led to a drop in his production.
Anecdotally, it feels like each time Harper is stepping to the plate, particularly with runners on, he is swinging at the first pitch, no matter where it is. If it also feels to you like he is swinging at missing early in the count more and not just at the first pitch specifically, it could be the fact that pitchers have decided to change their pitch mix to him and he is deciding to jump on the first good fastball he sees.
However, the plan has changed against Harper this year.
There has been a noticeable jump in how pitchers are doing the whole fastball/changeup thing while decreasing the amount of breaking pitches he sees. How has Harper fared against this combination?
You guessed it, by swinging and missing at those offspeed pitches more often.
Granted, it’s the natural game of cat and mouse that pitchers and hitters have played since the dawn of the baseball age and Harper is caught in the middle of that. He’s still getting hits, but a 300 points loss in OPS is an issue.
The first pitch that Harper saw from Hall in that seventh inning, he drilled straight into the plate back to the pitcher for the second out of the game.
If the Phillies are going to do anything in the playoffs, Bryce Harper needs to be productive at the plate. While he did have good months during the season, August showed that a certain approach at the plate was one that worked for him and led to Phillies wins.
As Jack put it in the season three finale of “Lost”, we have to go back.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 20: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians singles on a ground ball to second base in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field on August 20, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Angel Martinez has had a good season for the Cleveland Guardians. Is what he is showing us likely to be repeatable?
Angel Martinez has a 110 wRC+ and a .306 xwOBA with a 22/3 K/BB%. Since coming back from a broken foot, Martinez has put up a 130 wRC+, but with identical K/BB% and xwOBA. Martinez has a 132 wRC+ against RHP and a 99 wRC+ against LHP, but a 125 wRC+ against LHP for his career. One would guess his splits against LHP will improve if he can continue to hit, period. But, there are questions if a player with Angel’s lack of walks and chase rate can sustain what he has done in 2026.
If you are like me, you may remember another fun Guardians’ outfielder who had a geeat season for them while chasing at an unsustainable rate. Oscar Gonzalez (in his age 24 season just as Angel is right now) had a 123 wRC+ with a .325 xwOBA, a 19.6/3.9 K/BB%, 47% chase rate, 21% line drive rate, 51% groundball rate and a 28% fly ball rate. He was a truly awful fielder putting up -6 DRS in two years and -12 OAA in the same time period. Gonzalez washed out of the MLB and has struggled to hit in the NPB so far, doomed by poor defende, an inability to stay disciplined at the plate and the failure to lift the ball with any consistency.
Angel Martinez is not a good defensive outfielder but he appears to be capable of average play in right field (1 DRS and 0 OAA) and not being Gonzalez level bad in left (-3 DRS and -2 OAA). I think we can be reasonably optimistic he can improve some given switching to the outfield was a late move for him, so he shouldn’t be unplayable… but he will also probably not be an asset out there.
The bigger issue is his underlying numbers, specifically his chase rate. Martinez has a 22% line drive rate and a 39% ground ball rate and a 39% fly ball rate. He pulls the ball almost 50% of the time, so he has the ability to make his best swings matter as seen in his 17 homers this season. But, the elephant in the room is Angel’s 42% chase rate. That’s about as bad as any starting player in MLB can manage, while still a little short of Gonzalez’s number. Both Gonzalez and Martinez make contact when they chase in the mid-60% range, but Martinez offers an 82% contact rate overall. He doesn’t miss any pitches in the zone, where Gonzalez would miss JUST enough to make his chase issues that much more glaring.
I want Angel Martinez to succeed. He is a truly special person and has saved this team multiple times. However, if pushed on this issue, I would have to guess that Martinez will probably not be a major league hitter longterm if he continues to chase at a 42% rate. If he can lower it to more of the 35% rate he flashed his first season, I am convinced that would be enough to make him a major league starter, especially if it resulted in his walk rate creeping closer to 6% and his opportunities to punish more pitches in the zone increasing. He has that dog in him with a 131 wRC+ in high leverage situations this season, and a general positive spirit that lights up the field. But, without showing he can lower that chase rate and increase the walk rate, I fear our Guardian Angel’s success may be as ephemeral as the dearly departed (to Japan) SpongeBob.
Angel fans… pin your hopes on his pulled fly-ball abilities, his knack of punishing meatballs when he sees them and his defensive mediocrity. Maybe he can find a little more of his minor league plate discipline (walk rate of 9.9% for his career on the farm) having established himself in the big leagues. If so, watch out, because an Angel Martinez who will take a walk even 7% of the time is an MLB All-Star. And, while there is no guarantee that can happen… it’s an exciting possibility that is not entirely out of the realms of reality.
Angel Martinez can enter 2027 with a starting outfield position in front of him, from my view. However, it would be wise to have plenty of depth just in case the chase issues that plagued another former Guardians’ outfield revelation come back to decimate Angel’s numbers as well. Here’s hoping Angel can rise above!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Andres Chaparro #87 of the Washington Nationals rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Entering 2027, there are going to be a few position battles to watch. There should be plenty of competition on the pitching staff in particular. However, one spot that intrigues me is the first base/DH position. It looks like there will be at least three players battling it out for that first base spot and I wanted to break things down.
For most of the season, there has been a lot of rotation at the first base and DH spots. Until he was traded, Luis Garcia Jr. got the at bats against righties. His platoon partner varied. At one point it was Curtis Mead, before the Aussie grabbed the third base role. Then it was Andres Chaparro, who had a great second half. With Garcia gone, there is now a lot of uncertainty.
Following the Garcia trade, the plan was for Abimelec Ortiz to slide into that role of being the first baseman against righties. However, that has not gone according to plan. Ortiz is hitting just .194 with a .592 OPS in 42 games. Despite having some promising batted ball data, Ortiz has not done enough to take the spot.
Ortiz is currently running a .220 BABIP in MLB despite 80th percentile pull-air, good launch angles, and great exit velocities (so the numbers are simply not representative of his performance at the plate). I'm disappointed to see the swing decisions being quite a major issue,… pic.twitter.com/QcmY65L6zm
I am not giving up on Ortiz, but you also cannot hand him a big role unless he shows a lot next spring. He has really gotten exposed after a hot start. In his last 28 games, Ortiz is hitting just .143 with a .390 OPS. The 24 year old has not been able to make the adjustments after pitchers figured out how to attack him.
However, the Nats have shown that they like to platoon a lot and Ortiz is the only left handed bat in the mix. This could give him a longer leash and put him in the mix for playing time. It also means the Nats could look to go outside the organization for a left handed first base option. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of left handed corner infield profiles set to hit free agency.
That either means they will give Ortiz more runway, or they will give more responsibility to their right handed bats. I think that second option is the way to go. Andres Chaparro has finally broken out of that Quad-A label this second half and has established himself as a big league slugger.
Since the break, Chaparro is hitting .292 with 10 homers and a .962 OPS. The 27 year old has consistently provided clutch hits and a lot of power. He has arguably been the team’s best hitter in the second half. Given his production, I would feel confident in giving Chappy a larger role, much like what the team did with Curtis Mead.
Andrés Chaparro since the All Star Break (48 games):
Chaparro has also shown an ability to hit right handed pitching when given the opportunity. In 71 AB’s against righties, Chaparro is hitting .296 with an .888 OPS. His numbers against righties are actually better than they are against lefties. That is impressive for a guy who is mostly known as a lefty crusher.
Obviously, Chaparro has locked down a roster spot for next season. However, I think he has made a strong case for every day playing time. Platooning is part of this front office’s philosophy, but I think the gap between Ortiz and Chaparro is wide enough to ignore that. Unless Ortiz takes a big offseason leap, Chaparro needs to be playing more next season.
There is also a third name that is making his case. For most of the season, Yohandy Morales was dominating in AAA. His surface level numbers in Rochester were better than Ortiz’s. However, some underlying concerns with Morales made the front office hesitant to call him up. Morales chases a lot, whiffs more than you would like and hits the ball on the ground quite a bit.
That is usually a very bad combination. However, Morales made it work in the minors thanks to how hard he hits the ball. The Nats finally gave Morales a shot in September, and he looks a lot like he did in AAA. Morales has yet to draw a walk and he strikes out a lot. He has still been productive thanks to his power though.
In 15 games, Morales is hitting .279 with 4 homers and a .930 OPS. That raw power is making up for some of the holes in his profile. So far, Morales has a 92.5 MPH average EV, a 64.5% hard hit rate and a 16.1% barrel rate.
All of those numbers are elite and his power has been super impressive. The home run he hit yesterday was an example of his truly elite raw power. It is rare to see a righty hit one out the other way in a big ballpark like Comerica but that is exactly what Morales did.
Yohandy Morales did this at the MiLB level all season. He has some unnaturally good power into the opposite field gap
His 4th HR comes in his 42nd PA…he has yet to take a walk in his young career pic.twitter.com/nwgAr69qqD
He has put his name in the mix for a roster spot in 2027. The difficult part is finding a way to fit both Morales and Chaparro. Ideally you would want a lefty to be part of a platoon. However, these two right handed bats have looked so much better than the left handed Ortiz.
This creates a bit of a dilemma for Paul Toboni this offseason. It was mentioned on the broadcast that the Nats are working on Morales’ third base defense. However, Brady House also needs playing time and has looked good since being recalled from AAA.
Honestly, this is a position to watch in the offseason. I could see a world where one of Chaparro, Morales or even House get traded this offseason. There is a lot of overlap with their offensive skillsets. Maybe they give Ortiz another shot or they try to find a left handed corner bat.
I don’t necessarily think you have to have a left handed bat in the mix. However, from everything we know about this front office, I am not sure they agree with that. The impressive showings by Chaparro and Morales, combined with Ortiz struggling has put the Nats in an interesting position this offseason. Paul Toboni will have to figure out what he wants to do with these corner bats.
