HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 16: John Rave #16 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after hitting a two run home run in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on September 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Guardians beating the White Sox yesterday, the Royals were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
Just in case you missed it, the Royals High-A affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits won the Midwest League championship on Tuesday night, capping an incredible second half.
Carter Jensen is wrapping up a one-of-a-kind type of season for the Royals.
Justin Lamkin named as the Royals breakout prospect of the year.
Brian Burrows of Kings of Kauffman talks about Bobby Witt Jr.’s all-time status as a Royal.
Sep 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy (31) reacts with first baseman TJ Rumfield (7) after being driven in on an RBI in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The first article I wrote for Purple Row was a look at the 2025 Rockies base stealing prowess… or lack thereof. In general, the 2025 Rockies were a very fast team across the entire lineup that kept running into outs on the basepaths despite their speed. I posited that the main issue had to do with their conservative approach to taking leads before attempting steals.
On the positive side, while the 2026 Rockies still remain near the bottom in the league in their lead distance they have managed to improve their overall base running by a pretty substantial margin.
The most surface-level means of assessing base running success is to look at a team’s stolen bases. With roughly two weeks remaining, the 2026 Rockies have stolen more bases (100) than they did last season (87). What’s more, they’ve done so with a higher overall success rate (72.5%) than they had last year (68.5%).
Stealing bases, however, is only one component of running the bases.
Fangraphs Base Runs above Average (BsR), which is an attempt to calculate the cumulative baserunning value, is the widest lens through which to get the full picture on the basepaths. Using BsR, we can see obvious improvement for the Rockies this year. While the 2025 version of the team was 30th in MLB at -10.3, this year’s squad has jumped all the way to 14th with a respectable 0.3.
The interesting thing is, almost all of their baserunning gains can be traced back to one player: Jake McCarthy.
Removing his 7.5 BsR would drop the Rockies from 14th in the Majors down to 28th.
Removing his 30 stolen bases would drop the Rockies from 15th in the Majors down to 27th.
Although McCarthy’s legs have lifted the entire team up, the legs of fellow newcomer TJ Rumfield appear to be dragging it down.
Last season, every single Rockies player that got at least 100 opportunities on the bases graded out with a sprint speed above the league average line of 27 feet per second. The highest was Brenton Doyle with a sprint speed of 29.5, and last was Hunter Goodman, who just barely clocked in above league average at 27.2 ft/sec.
This season, the team has a much larger disparity between the fastest and slowest runners on the team:
It should not come as a shock that Rumfield is the slowest runner on the 2026 Rockies by a wide margin. We’ve all seen him run. He’s a hitter not a sprinter.
The margin of his speed difference with the other players on the team, however, is noteworthy.
Rumfield is more than a full foot per second slower than the Rockies second-slowest runner, Troy Johnston. He’s a whopping 5.1 ft/sec slower than the Rockies aforementioned McCarthy, the fastest Rockie. Only four teams have a wider disparity between their fastest runner and their slowest, with the Kansas City Royals taking the crown for the incredible 6.4 ft/sec difference between the sprint speeds of Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez.
As covered this past spring, pure sprint speed isn’t everything when it comes to baserunning. For Rumfield, though, the results do not get prettier when looking beyond his raw speed tool.
While Rumfield hasn’t been caught stealing this season, that’s a result of his decision not to attempt stealing bases. At first glance, it would seem that he knows his limitations as a player and sticks to moving station-to-station on the basepaths.
Baseball Savant attempts to count a player’s full contributions on the basepaths with “Baserunning Runs.” This is counting stat that combines the total outs made on the basepaths (including caught stealing and thrown out trying to stretch hits) and successful advances (including both stolen bases and successful attempts to stretch hits into more bases) and translates them into an equivalent number of runs. Even without having been caught stealing a single time, Rumfield’s negative six Baserunning Runs are the worst in the league.
McCarthy’s six Baserunning Runs are tied for sixth overall in the Majors.
Conclusions
The 2026 Colorado Rockies base running looks wildly different than it did just last year. This is no longer a team full of only speedsters without the ability to make use of that tool effectively.
They are, instead, a team of extremes on the base paths. They are buoyed by a single baserunning star at the same time they are anchored by one of the least-valuable runners in the league.
Given the high value that both McCarthy and Rumfield have brought at the plate and in the field this season, both should be expected to remain fixtures in the lineup heading into next year. This dichotomy of extremes at either end of the baserunning spectrum is likely here to stay for the foreseeable future.
The Isotopes lose their second game in as many days to the Salt Lake Bees. Unlike Tuesday’s game, where the Isotopes lost in heartbreaking fashion in extra-innings, the Bees were in control from the very start of this one.
Jack Mahoney (No. 15 PuRP) continued his struggles at Triple-A. Mahoney started this game and only managed to get through the first two and a third innings before being pulled due to a right-leg injury sustained while fielding a grounder. On the whole Mahoney was charged with three runs, all earned, on four hits and a walk while striking out no one before departing in the third.
Valente Bellozo took over after the unexpected exit of Mahoney in the third and did his best to keep the Isotopes in it. Bellozo pitched until the ninth inning, five and two third innings all told, and allowed a further four runs on nine hits. Evan Shawver took the ball in the ninth, when the game was already out of hand, and threw a scoreless frame.
At the plate the Isotopes struggled to score runs all game long. They scored their first run in the bottom of the fourth when Sterlin Thompson (No. 16 PuRP) walked, advanced to third on a single by Vimael Machín, and then driven in by a Chad Stevens sacrifice fly. The only other Isotopes run of the night occurred after Tyler Freeman led off the eighth with a double and advanced on a couple of ground outs.
Every year MLB names a Roberto Clemente award winner for best representing baseball on and off the field through positive involvement within their community. This year the Rockies have nominated Kyle Freeland for his continued work supporting Special Olympics Colorado. Maddy Dickens of SI.com digs into what qualifies Freeland for the award now that voting has officially begun.
The MLB Pipeline crew go through every team in the league and name their biggest breakout prospect of the year. For the Rockies they have named Cristian Arguelles which shouldn’t be much of a surprise considering the 19-year old earned the DSL MVP award.
Ian Cundall goes through each organization in MLB and assigns their minor league systems with grades for the year. This isn’t comparative rankings between the systems, BA has already done that recently, but instead an assessment of how that system performed and improved from where it was at the start of the year. While the Rockies system only managed to reach the 23rd rank in BA’s midseason farm system rankings, Cundall gives them a high B+ grade for 2026 thanks to the improvements and talent influx this year.
Well, if you have a burr under your saddle about how a player is doing, send me a note. I’ll write a few paragraphs about how bad they are doing. Then in the next game, he will explode (i.e. PCA, Monday night). You’re welcome.
In the meantime, I’ll work my “magic” on Seiya Suzuki. PCA’s problems were prominent as the lead-off hitter. Suzuki’s troubles were slightly covered up by PCA and Alex Bregman’s successes, but actually are worse.
Suzuki cruised through August, where he hit .303 (33-of-109), 25 R, 10 2B, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 17 BB, 26 K, 2 SB. September has been a totally different story. Suzuki is hitting .170 (8-of-47), 7 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 12 BB, 11 K, 0 SB. My calling on PCA was that he having a lack in power — this is a much better example of that. Eight hits, just three XBH, and a drastic decrease in runs scored or driven in. Come on, Seiya, prove my “lucky” comments does work out for you in the next few games.
The Cubs split two games with the Braves Monday and Tuesday, and had a 50% success percentage while having two excellent starting pitching performances, one marred by the One-Bad-Pitch error. I’m sure that every team has this problem, especially sporadically, or in short bunches. This has been an entire-season event for the Cubs.
If not for PCA’s big game, David Peterson would be the easy winner of Player of the Game Monday — I just might name him so, because it was his biggest performance thus far with the Cubs. Six innings of one-run ball, three hits, three walks and seven strikeouts, with 56 of his 85 pitches for strikes.
Kevin Gausman was on his way to an even better game. He entered the sixth inning Tuesday, having allowed just two hits, no walks and five strikeouts before it became unraveled. After his sixth strikeout, Gausman gave up a single, a two-run homer and an infield single before leaving with a 3-2 lead.
Daniel Palencia did his job, stranding the inherited runner and got the out to end the inning. But Jacob Webb and Edward Cabrera imploded, having each given up a two-run home run to put the game out of reach.
Offensively, outside of PCA’s 4-for-5 night with a double, home run, stolen base and four RBI, there wasn’t much there. The closest to having a good two games this weekend was by Michael Busch, who was 1-for-6 with three walks and three runs scored.
On Monday, Nico Hoerner went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two RS. Michael Conforto and Carson Kelly had RBI hits. Tuesday, Matt Shaw was 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Pedro Ramirez had a hit and RBI, and Miguel Amaya had an RBI.
Tuesday, the Cubs didn’t get a runner in scoring position after the fourth inning and managed just five hits in the game.
Peterson, Gausman and PCA were definitely the stars of the two games. They just needed a bit more help on Tuesday.
I appreciate your reading.
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Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): PCA joins Hall of Famer Williams with 42nd homer on 4-hit, 4-RBI night. “Dating back to his early days with the Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong always showed a level of respect for the team’s icons when they would visit Spring Training or make a stop by Wrigley Field.”
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Nothing the Cubs Have Tried with Edward Cabrera Has Worked. “When the Cubs acquired Edward Cabrera from the Marlins over the winter, everyone agreed that the team would make some interesting changes to his pitch mix. Unfortunately, none of the ones they’ve implemented have turned out well.”
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Jacob Webb’s Water Needs to Find Level Before Cubs Drown. “If the Cubs had the benefit of an even moderately reliable bullpen, Jacob Webb might have to be worried about finding a red tag in his locker soon.”
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): The Cubs’ Farm System Grade is Passing, But Barely. “There are always bright spots and hopefully some longer-term progress, but it’s inarguable that the system, on paper right now, doesn’t look like it’s one of the better ones.”
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Can Pete Crow-Armstrong Resist the Temptation to Try to Save the Cubs? “It’s not selfishness. At this point in the season, it might not even be voluntary. One way or another, though, Pete Crow-Armstrong is back in swing mode, trying to single-handedly win games that must be won, instead, as a team.”
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): PCA Sets Several New Precedents in Monday’s Win. “He set or tied at least two team records, joined an elite group of franchise superstars, and essentially created a new category for repeated offensive excellence during Monday’s win.”
Leo Morgenstern, Joey Peterson, Taylor Greenhut (Just Baseball): Who Matches Up Best To Take Down the Dodgers in the Playoffs?. “Simply put, while there are questions surrounding the pitching staff, this is the one team that could get past the Dodgers thanks to its ability to hit better than anybody else.”
Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): The Biggest Winners and Losers in the Cubs’ Farm System in 2026. “From breakout performances to disappointing seasons, there was no shortage of storylines across the Cubs’ farm system this year. With the season nearly in the books, here are some of the biggest winners and losers from 2026.”
Since making his debut on CD as a singer/songwriter, John Fusco has proven himself to be as equally as talented a bandleader as he is a screenwriter and movie/TV producer. The filmmaker who gave us Young Guns, Hidalgo, Thunderheart and The Highwayman, he’s a storyteller with few peers as this disc, which delivers a blues-filled saddlebag of what he terms the “Wild West Soul of America” shows.
Raised in Prospect, Conn., Fusco spent his early adulthood in the South as a laborer and blues singer. He delivers a film-noire mix of blues and roots held together by gritty lyrics – in this case, the description of folks who find themselves trapped between past mistakes and an uncertain future. The songs unfold like a film script and are infused with coyote howls, mariachi horns and much, much more. Fusco plays keys throughout. His pleasant, well-worn voice fits perfectly with the theme of his material. Blues takes many forms, and John Fusco has a style that’s truly all his own. Check out this pleaser and I’m sure you’ll agree. It’s a winner on all counts.
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
PHOENIX − When they retire Sandy Alcantara’s jersey with the Miami Marlins, when they build a statue of him outside loanDepot Park, when fans tell their kids and grandkids about his legacy, they’ll talk about the night of Sept. 16, 2026
This was the night Alcantara, the Marlins’ 2022 Cy Young winner, one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history, who has thrown more innings than any pitcher in baseball this year, made the ultimate sacrifice for his team.
The last time Alcantara made a relief appearance
Alcantara, just two days after throwing 101 pitches as a starter, not only made his first relief appearance in nine seasons Wednesday, but produced the first save of his illustrious career Wednesday, preserving the Marlins’ 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Marlins’ season still is on life support, sitting 7 ½ games out of a wild-card berth with just nine games remaining, but thanks to Alcantara, they’re still alive.
“It’s a testament to him wanting to win,’’ Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said, “and keep us in this thing until there’s no pulse.’’
The Marlins players, clinging to a one-run lead in the ninth, actually couldn’t believe what they were seeing when Alcantara emerged from the bullpen. He hadn’t pitched in relief since his 2017 rookie season while he was with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was traded that winter to Miami with Zac Gallen and two other prospects for All-Star outfielder Marcell Ozuna.
Why Alcantara's save was a monumental moment
And never once did he pitch in relief with the Marlins, making 201 career starts and pitching 1,272 innings.
In fact, no pitcher in baseball history had ever recorded a save while leading the league in innings since Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser in May, 1987, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The only other pitchers to achieve the feat were Hall of Famer Phil Niekro in 1978 and Andy Messersmith in 1975.
Yet, he was, 48 hours after starting Monday, willing his body, his arm and his mind to secure the Marlins’ victory.
“When you’re a franchise player, and someone who’d been the face of your franchise for this many years and is willing to do that,’’ McCullough said, “it’s great for the rest of our group to see that. He’s creating his own legacy.
“He’s going to have his own wing one day at loanDepot, and rightfully so, for what he’s done.’’
How the Marlins players reacted to Alcantara's save
The moment the final out was made, the Marlins acted almost as if they just clinched a playoff berth, with McCullough saying he hadn’t felt such an adrenaline rush since his first day on the job.
The Marlins made sure they were going to savor this moment for posterity, with Alcantara climbing into a laundry cart after the game and getting sprayed with adult beverages before boarding their flight to San Diego.
“I think that was the best thing in the world for this team to watch him go out there and get the first save of his career,’’ Marlins starter Ryan Gusto said. “I can’t even explain how fired up we were. I mean, to be watching him in that situation on one day rest is insane. I mean, we were loving every single second of it. …
“The dude is an inspiration. He’s a leader in the clubhouse. Everybody loves him.’’
How this moment ranks in Marlins history
The Marlins certainly have had fabulous moments with two World Series championships, but this was a moment that will live in Marlins’ fame, with one of the biggest stars in their franchise history showing the ultimate sacrifice for his team.
“I think you saw the excitement from the group because of what he’s meant to this franchise,’’ McCullough said, “but also certainly to go out there at a moment like that. …
“Everyone in our organization and everyone in this clubhouse has an appreciation for Sandy and what he’s done, and this is just another way, with his unselfishness, and his desire to win, and win in Miami.’’
Will Alcantara spend the rest of his career with the Marlins?
Alcantara, who had been on the trade block in past winters, but not this last trade deadline, made it perfectly clear after the game that he wants to spend the rest of his career in Miami. This is the final year of his five-year, $56 million contract extension. The Marlins have a $21 million club option in 2027 on Alcantara that they plan to exercise, but if it’s up to Alcantara, he’d love to work out another extension and never leave.
“This is an organization that gave me an opportunity since 2017,’’ Alcantara said, “to establish myself as a starting pitcher. So, I trust and I believe everything this team has been doing. I want to be here for a long time. I just want to win for this team.’’
Certainly, the Marlins are slowly moving towards respectability, after losing 100 games just two years ago. And if they’re going to get back to the postseason, they’ll have to jump on Alcantara’s shoulders. He is 13-10 with a 3.84 ERA this season, pitching an MLB-leading 206 innings, and yes, with a save, too.
How did Alcantara do in his previous start?
Alcantara, who pitched five innings Monday, knew that the Marlins’ bullpen was fatigued after an 11-inning victory Tuesday. He told Marlins pitching coach Daniel Moskos when he arrived Wednesday afternoon that he would be available out of the bullpen if needed, the second time in two weeks that he volunteered. In the sixth inning, with the Marlins leading 4-2, he came into the clubhouse, put on his full uniform, changed into his spikes, and went to the bullpen.
He came into the game in the ninth with the Marlins clinging to a 4-3 lead against a team that leads the major leagues in comebacks and is still in the wild-card hunt. He gave up a towering fly ball to Pavin Smith that left fielder Heriberto Hernandez caught against the fence, and then a 396-foot blast by Tim Tawa that traveled to the warning track. He walked Laars Nootbaar, bringing up dangerous Ketel Marte, with speedy Jordan Lawlar inserted as a pinch runner. Marte fouled off the first pitch. Alcantara threw a 100-mph fastball that missed on the second pitch. Lawlar tried to steal second. Catcher Joe Mack threw a perfect strike to shortstop Otto Lopez, who applied the tag, and after the replay review was confirmed, the game was over.
And the celebration was underway.
There was no need for his teammates to even convince him to get into the laundry cart for the joy ride.
“It was a great experience,’’ Alcantara said. “I just get naked, get in the cart, and it was a good experience. We had fun together.’’
Said Gusto: “I mean, it was insane. There was much more celebration for his first career save than really any other win we’ve had this season.’’
When is Alcantara scheduled to pitch next?
Alcantara, who’s still scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Padres, says he’d be glad to keep volunteering for spot relief roles. The only difference is that he’d love his next future ones to be in the postseason, still admiring watching Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitch in relief in Game 7 of the World Series after starting Game 6. And it was in this same building at Chase Field 25 years ago that Hall of Famer Randy Johnson also achieved the feat, winning Game 6 against the New York Yankees, and then coming into relief and winning Game 7 for the D-backs first World Series title.
“This is my first one,’’ Alcantara said, “so hopefully they keep giving me the opportunity. If we make the playoffs, I would do it.
“I’m here to win.’’
The man certainly proved that, in front of the entire organization, that will be talked about for generations.
“I think he’ll always remember this night,’’ Gusto said. “It was pretty special. I know I definitely will.’’
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 06: Aroldis Chapman #44 of the Boston Red Sox high-fives Adley Rutschman #31 after defeating the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Sunday, September 6, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alyssa Piazza/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Red Sox are basically locked into the fifth seed in the American League and, at this point, I can’t help but build out postseason rosters to fall asleep at night. Today, I wanted to look at the bullpen, where there are still quite a few decisions to be made. News comes in fast and furious on many of the names in question, which I’ve included below.
Assuming health, Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle, and Jake Bennett will be the four starting pitchers needed in the postseason. While teams often go with a 12-man pitching staff (and just three starters) for the initial three-game series, I’d hope that the team has loftier goals than that this year, so we are trying to find 13 arms (nine relievers) for the numerous five- and seven-game series that follow.
A Capital-C Closer who has plenty of experience pitching in Yankee Stadium. Chapman is quickly becoming one of the great Red Sox relievers of all time, whose 2027 option has vested, meaning he’ll return to Boston at a very reasonable $13M. I enjoyed @RedSoxPayroll holding everybody accountable on Twitter about that fact.
This is the fourth time this season in national baseball writer has indicated Aroldis Chapman will be a free agent after 2026.
His vested option at 40 innings has already hit, he just needs to pass a physical after the season and he's under contract with Boston for 2027.
Only five pitchers in MLB (min: 40 IP) have a better K-BB% than Whitlock’s 27.4%. Those pitchers are Mason Miller, Jacob Misiorowski, Jhoan Duran, Josh Hader, and Mason Montgomery. Four of those guys are elite closers, and one is cruising to a Cy Young Award. Whitlock would have no issue taking over the closer role in 2027, however unlikely that may be.
Speaking of K-BB, Miller was 16.2% with San Francisco and is 27.4% with Boston (identical to Whitlock’s). Lefties are hitting .173 and slugging .247 against Miller in 2026. By the way, Marcelo Mayer has not yet made an appearance for the Giants as he continues to rehab his injuries.
Guerrero was unable to stay in the league beyond 2019 due to a 13.6 career BB%, but has remarkably cut that to 4.4% this season. It’s easy to forget that Guerrero didn’t even make his Red Sox debut until May 22nd of this season. Quickly entering the high-leverage picture, Guerrero has thrown ten games this season on no rest and entered with runners on base eleven times. His current IL stint was likely more about giving him some rest and getting him ready for October than a true shoulder injury.
Between the acquisition of Miller via trade and the emergence of the 35-year-old Guerrero, having four power arms like this at the back of the bullpen is essential for October success, with two throwing from the left side and two from the right side.
Crochet threw a 30-pitch bullpen session across two simulated innings at Fenway Park on Tuesday. Chad Tracy said, “Everything went well. That was the most volume he’s had, so we’ll see over the next couple of days how he feels and go from there.”
The Woo Sox season ends this Sunday, so it feels unlikely that he’ll go on a minor league rehab assignment. Personally, I’d feel better about things if Crochet made one relief appearance against the Cubs in the final weekend of the season. Sure, he’s “done crazy things before” and “isn’t Joe Schmoe” but I’d rather avoid a return in the seventh inning on the road at Yankee Stadium in a playoff game, if at all possible.
Justin Slaten
I had every intention of putting Slaten into this tier before the news in the past couple of days. Slaten has a “degenerative” arm issue in the flexor (forearm), which can’t be good news in the short or long term.
Tier 3: Something to Prove
With six relievers in the top two tiers, the Red Sox would have needed to choose three arms from the remaining tiers to make up a 13-man pitching staff. Without Slaten, they’ll need to choose four, most likely from this group of six.
Bello, Gamboa, Olds, and Moran all pitched on Tuesday night while trailing, which gives you a bit of an idea of what their “B” bullpen is right now. There will most likely be four pitchers from this group, and it will unquestionably be a difficult choice. The final 11 games will be a continued tryout for all of these pitchers.
Bello’s overall numbers are shaky, but in 63 ⅔ innings as a reliever, he has a 1.98 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 15.1% K-BB. An absolutely remarkable juxtaposition.
After three poor outings in August, I had Moran on the outside looking in. He was likely overworked and has rebounded in September with five consecutive scoreless outings, totaling 5 ⅔ innings.
Weissert’s overall numbers are decent, but it’s the meltdowns that stick out, and he has ten of them. Other than Slaten (out of the year), no other reliever on the roster has more than six meltdowns.
Gamboa has been a pleasant surprise. He has started two games as the Opener, ahead of Bello. In recent weeks, he’s moved up the chain in leverage, partially due to injuries in the ‘pen, and partially due to success. Gamboa has given up just one run in 11 outings since returning to the team on 8/12 (16 innings). With Chapman, Miller, and Crochet as likely “locks”, it may come down to Moran vs. Gamboa as the final lefty.
Olds had a lot of trouble throwing strikes at every level of the minor leagues, usually sitting between six to seven walks per nine innings. He got to the Big Leagues and has slashed that to 3.3 walks per nine. The strikeouts have always been there, thanks to a unique arm angle and a 113 Stuff+ rating.
Houck was shaky at the start of his rehab but has locked in since. He threw three innings on Friday, allowing one run, and then struck out the side in an inning of work on Tuesday night.
Hello, Tanner Houck.
He strikes out the side in the 7th. Worked around a 1-out walk. 4 Whffs. Leaned on Splitter. Averaged 92.2 on the Sinker. 94 on 4SFB.
It was planned to be a shorter outing, with one in the 40-50 pitch range coming later in the week. pic.twitter.com/w5CDfZLfoo
Like Crochet, it would be great to see Houck throw at Fenway during the final week of the season to shake off the cobwebs.
If I had to guess which four arms the Red Sox choose, I’ll say: Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Jovani Moran, and Alec Gamboa. You can make the case for, and against, any of them.
Johan Oviedo: One appearance, out with an elbow injury since March 30th
Kutter Crawford: Last pitched Sept. 28, 2024
Oviedo and Crawford are on the 60-day IL, and the remaining three are the only other pitchers on the 40-man roster. Tommy Cassell reported yesterday that Oviedo and Crawford could pitch in Worcester this week, before the Triple-A season ends. It’s hard to imagine either of them leapfrogging the arms in the tier above.
I’ve made the case for Samaniego in enough Minor Lines articles this year that I won’t do that again here, but I’m surprised we haven’t seen him up since June 2nd.
Raymond Burgos had my two favorite non-Tolle pitching moments this season. He threw three innings in relief on TWO consecutive days in early August when the bullpen needed a reset. Then, in his next appearance a week later in Pittsburgh, he pitched two innings in relief, sat through a 2-hour and 34-minute rain delay, and then threw two more innings to finish the game. Not all heroes wear capes.
I wish Patrick Sandoval nothing but the best with a different franchise in 2027.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 15: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles gestures to the crowd following his ninth inning solo home run marking his 300th career home run during the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 15, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
What a weird series we just witnessed. I’m not sure that I’ve ever witnessed other team fans cheering so much for an Oriole and probably I never will again. The circumstances surrounding Pete Alonso and the Mets, and the fact that he came over to the Orioles afterwards, are not repeated just every year and the O’s aren’t likely to sign most of the players who are so beloved. I can’t imagine a fanbase-wide kind of warmth for a former Oriole. I don’t cheer in any way for a player on another team who used to play here when they are playing the Orioles. I don’t even clap for the “welcome back” video package.
Alonso homered again last night and the Mets fans were happy about it. I guess it helps that this season is a lost cause for them, so it’s not like it hampered their chances in any way. The Orioles finished off a sweep by taking a 7-1 victory on Wednesday. That’s the other weird thing. Or maybe it’s not so weird. Right after everybody gives up on the O’s, they go ahead and look like a competent baseball team for a few days, or maybe even several days.
It’s probably too late for it to matter, unless they just pretty much run the table, but as long as that possibility is alive, we might as well cling to it. Those slim hopes got a small boost yesterday, as on top of the Orioles winning their own game, Cleveland and Chicago flipped in the AL Central. That’s significant for the O’s because the Orioles have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the White Sox, which they do not against the Guardians. So, if the O’s do somehow run down the current wild card 3 team, they would have the edge in a tie.
There are also the Rangers and Blue Jays still to pass. That’s another reason why it’s so unlikely and why the Orioles probably have to run the table. Maybe they could spare a loss. Their last three series are Brewers, Jays, and Yankees. It’s a tough road. The Rangers are the only one of these teams to play today.
There were two bits of Orioles news yesterday. The team placed infielder Jackson Holliday on the 10-day injured list with left wrist inflammation. Since there’s not much season left, that means he’s probably done for the year, a disappointing end to a disappointing season. Posting a .921 OPS in July got people’s hopes up, but Holliday has sagged since, dropping a .495 OPS in August and .520 in September, tanking his season numbers.
Not much to do except hope this was connected to the wrist issue. That’s not a crazy thing to think, since players poorly play through injuries that should have them on the IL with some frequency. But it’s not guaranteed. The Orioles are really going to have to think hard about what Holliday will have to offer next year, and if that’s a roster space they need to improve. If he was a 2 WAR player, there’s something there, but this year he had a 0.2 bWAR.
Also announced yesterday was a diagnosis for injured pitcher Kyle Bradish. It’s a sports hernia for Bradish. Manager Craig Albernaz said they are exploring the next steps. Bradish’s season wrapped with a 4.12 ERA, or an exactly league average 100 ERA+. You may have had higher hopes. I certainly did. Hopefully next year is better for him as well, with Tommy John surgery farther in the rear view mirror.
Concerns for and about Samuel Basallo (Steve on Baseball) Steve Melewski takes a look at Basallo, another Oriole who’s mightily slumping late in the season.
Today in 1970, the Orioles clinched the American League East title. The O’s actually lost their game on this day, a 2-0 setback to Washington, but since the Yankees were beaten by the Red Sox, the Orioles clinched. They went on, as you know, to win the World Series.
In 1999, the Orioles team plane took off without Cal Ripken Jr. This incident was cited when GM Frank Wren was fired shortly after the season. In the O’s game that night, during the course of an 8-3 Orioles victory over the Twins, Jesse Orosco set a major league record with his 1,072nd appearance as a pitcher. Orosco finished with 1,252 games, still the recordholder. The active leader, Kenley Jansen, is in 19th place on the career list with 980 appearances.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2025 reliever Kade Strowd, and 1979-81 infielder Wayne Krenchicki.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid (1859), Marriott founder J. Willard Marriott (1900), author Ken Kesey (1935), baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda (1937), Hall of Fame basketball coach Phil Jackson (1945), Indian prime minister Narendra Modi (1950), Super Mario voice actor Charles Martinet (1955), and actress Danielle Brooks (1990).
On this day in history…
In 1630, the city of Boston was founded in what was then the Massachusetts Bay colony.
In 1787, the Constitution was signed at the end of a nearly four month long Constitutional Convention.
In 1862, the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia clashed in the Battle of Antietam, with the Union driving off the invading army. The battle saw over 22,000 casualties, of which more than 3,500 were killed. This remains the single bloodiest day in the history of the United States military.
In 1908, nearly five years after its first flight, the Wright Flyer, being flown by Orville Wright, crashed. A passenger, Lt. Thomas Selfridge, was killed during the crash, making him the first ever fatality from an airplane.
In 1944, the Allied powers launched Operation Market Garden, a combined air-and-land invasion of the Netherlands meant to secure an invasion route into Germany. The 60-mile advance liberated much of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation; however, the main objective of securing a bridge over the Rhine was not accomplished with great losses suffered by the British paratroopers who were tasked with capturing and holding the bridge as relief never arrived.
In 1983, Vanessa Williams was named Miss America, the first Black winner of the pageant.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on September 17. Have a safe Thursday.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 15: Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after his 45th home run of the season during the Philadelphia Phillies versus Washington Nationals Major League Baseball (MLB) game on September 15, 2026 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was good to see the Phillies patient approach at the plate from August return, if only for a night. The team drew a season high 13 walks against the Nationals bullpen game. Unfortunately, you still have to drive those baserunners in somehow, as despite the platoon of baserunners, the Phillies only managed to score three runs thanks to a lackluster performance with runners in scoring position. They accomplished the first part of consistent offense in getting runners on base. They’re still working on the second part.
Jonathan Santucci of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies delivers a pitch during a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on June 12, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Syracuse is continuing to keep their season alive as we come to the final few games of the season, with the season ending on September 20th. The win keeps them 1.5 games back of first place Rochester, who won their game as well.
Jefferson Rojas was far and away the star of the show. He homered for the second time in two games at the Triple-A level, providing serious firepower for the stretch run (and also, undoubtedly, putting himself on the 2027 map like Carson Benge and AJ Ewing before him). Rojas’s home run put them up 4-1 in the second, and they looked well on their way to a win. Jonathan Santucci, however, could not keep the lead safe, surrendering four runs (three earned), leaving the game tied at four in the sixth. Ryan Clifford, who struggled this year, had a feel good moment, homering to make it 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth. The Mets pen would hold that skinny lead, keeping their season alive.
CF D’Andre Smith: 0-3, BB, 3 K
3B Jefferson Rojas: 3-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
SS Ronny Mauricio: 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, 2 K
2B Vidal Bruján: 0-3, BB, K
1B Eric Wagaman: 1-4, RBI, K
DH Billy Amick: 0-4, 3 K
LF Ryan Clifford: 1-4, R, HR, RBI, 2 K
RF Jose Ramos: 1-3, R, 2 K, SB
C Hayden Senger: 1-3, 3B
LHP Jonathan Santucci: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
RHP Kevin Herget: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (1-0), BS (1)
LHP Cionel Pérez: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, H (1)
RHP Chayce McDermott: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S (1)
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L, 6-9 vs. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp — at two games behind league-leading Indianapolis with four to play and Rochester also ahead, the RailRiders’ season is almost officially over (doesn’t help that they lost Oswaldo Cabrera to DFA limbo; alas)
CF Jarred Kelenic 1-4, HR, BB, 2 RBI, 2 K — game-tying two-run blast in the fifth; Jacksonville quickly untied it and didn’t look back RF Jasson Domínguez 3-3, HR, BB, 2 RBI, HBP, throwing error — a perfect effort from Jasson at the plate (including a 430-foot tank), but no cigar DH J.C. Escarra 2-5, K 2B Marco Luciano 2-4, 2 RBI, K, SF SS Max Schuemann 0-3, BB, K, GIDP, HBP — back-breaking double play ball in the ninth when he batted as the tying run with none out 3B Tyler Hardman 1-5, K, GIDP — flew out to end it 1B Ernesto Martinez Jr. 0-4, 2 K LF Kenedy Corona 2-3, 2B, BB C Abrahan Gutierrez 1-4, GIDP, catcher interference error
Brendan Beck 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4 ER), 1 BB, 5 K — has really had a nice year at Triple-A but not a good day yesterday Danny Watson 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K Carlos Lagrange 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K — pretty good return from the IL, clipped below! topped 100 mph four times and also tried his slider, sweeper, changeup, and sinker in 19-pitch outing; probably too late to be trusted in the Yankees bullpen but you never know Eli Morgan 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 3 K (loss) — ack Justin Topa 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (3 ER), 0 BB, 0 K — ack x2 Eric Reyzelman 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Low-A Tampa Tarpons: L, 0-1 vs. Jupiter Hammerheads — Tampa loses a heartbreaker in the do-or-die Game 3 of the Florida State League Championship Series; weather played in a role, and there was even a delay between innings with the game scoreless in the ninth … it was the third rain delay of the night
SS Dax Kilby 1-4, K — his year’s not over! check him out in the Arizona Fall League soon CF Yostin Pena 0-3, K, 2 SB, HBP RF Wilberson De Pena 1-3, BB, K — single in the sixth was only Tampa’s third hit (and final of the season) 3B Anthony Potestio 0-4, 4 K — tough way to end the season 1B Tyce Armstrong 0-3, 2 K, HBP C Luis Puello 1-4, 2 K, passed ball LF Diego Castellanos 0-4, 2 K DH Luke Pettitte 0-2, BB, K — was Tampa’s last batter of the season as Hammerheads struck out side in the ninth, pre-rain delay 2B Luis Escudero 0-3, 2 K
J.T. Etheridge 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, WP — nails tough while keeping it scoreless; he’ll join Kilby in the AFL Jose Ledesma 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, HBP Rafael Arias 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 3 BB (1 IBB), 1 K — went from hopping around the mound with one foot to walking off in just a couple minute when Jake McCutcheon ending it on a double to left-center
The Detroit Tigers’ six-game winning streak came to an unceremonious end on Wednesday afternoon with a 5-1 loss to Max Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays. For the third straight time, Keider Montero only lasted four innings, but truly it was the lack of offense and some poor defense that led to the defeat.
The Motor City Kitties now move on to Chicago, where they will take on the White Sox in a four-game series this weekend starting on Thursday. Left-hander Framber Valdez will get the start in the opener looking to continue his streak of 13 innings without allowing an earned run this month.
The 32-year-old faced the ChiSox once before this season back on May 30, when he surrendered four runs on six hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out four and uncorking a wild pitch over 6 2/3 innings to earn his second loss of the season.
For Chicago, right-hander Erick Fedde will face the Tigers for the third time in his 15th start this season. Over the 33-year-old’s 8 2/3 innings of work against the Olde English D so far, he has four runs on eight hits (one home run) and four walks while striking out seven, earning a loss in the process.
Here is how the two hurlers match up for the series opener at Rate Field starting on Thursday night.
Detroit Tigers (72-78) vs. Chicago White Sox (77-75)
Time (ET): 7:40 p.m. Place: Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois SB Nation Site:South Side Sox Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 153: LHP Framber Valdez (10-10, 4.01 ERA) vs. RHP Erick Fedde (8-9, 3.97 ERA)
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 16: Drew Gilbert #0 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates after hitting the game-winning two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in the tenth inning at Busch Stadium on September 16, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When I trained to become a lifeguard, one of the first lessons we learned was that a drowning swimmer is very dangerous. In their desperate flailing, they can accidentally take potential rescuers or nearby swimmers down with them.
That might explain what happened in St. Louis Wednesday afternoon, when the San Francisco Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals in 10 innings, putting the Cards on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs. Just like the Giants.
Drew Gilbert delivered a two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning and the Giants held on for a 6-5 win, taking a road series for the first time in three months.
The Cardinals were already on the fringes of the wild-card race before losing to the Giants in five of their six games this month. They’ve fallen to 75-78 and their tragic number is down to two.
Gilbert spoiled a nice comeback by the Cardinals, who rallied for two runs in the bottom of the 9th off Dylan Smith. Leo Bernal delivered a game-tying single with his team down to their last strike, but at that point, the Cardinals had been sucked into the Giants’ whirlpool, like a lifeboat that stayed too close to the Titanic.
Anthony Molina bounced back from his worst outing of the season with his best, going 5.2 shutout innings and striking out two. He gave up only two hits, both of them to center fielder Nathan Church, who may now be his archnemesis. He left with a 1-0 lead which stretched to 3-0 in the 7th, when a Jonah Cox RBI single and a Jordan Walker era got the Giants two runs.
Cox went 3-for-4 and moved to second base from center in the bottom of the 10th, which only featured fly balls to the outfield. He individually manufactured the Giants’s first run of the game by singling and stealing two bases before scoring on a weird double play where Cox raced home and beat the tag on Bryce Eldridge at second base.
Andrew Knizner went 3-for-4 and was hit by a pitch — clearly the Cardinals are afraid of him. Shay Whitcomb went 2-for-5 and scored a run, bringing his average ever so close to the Mendoza line.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Giants game in 2026 without some very silly, costly baseball. The Cards got back in the game thanks to two rough defensive plays. Carson Seymour would have been out of the 7th unscathed if he’d managed to catch a simple toss from Eldridge as he covered first. Then Christian Koss kept the inning alive by air mailing the throw to first on a routine ground ball. To top it all off, Trent Harris relieved Seymour and let in another run when his first pitch was a wild one.
The managers each threw a bone to box score enthusiasts in the 10th, when a pinch-runner and a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 9th led to four defensive changes for the Cardinals in the top of the 10th, including the DH coming in to catch. Not to be outdone, Tony Vitello made five separate defensive changes in the bottom of the inning, a true treat to anyone inexplicably scoring at home.
The Giants are still sinking, but they’ve lifted their heads closer to the surface thanks to climbing over the Cards. The dream of 70 wins is still alive. Watch out, Dodgers.
WASHINGTON — There are 12 former All-Stars and at least two future Hall of Famers occupying the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse on a given day. This collection of well-paid, salty, accomplished stars will command most of the attention as the Phillies attempt, for the fifth consecutive year, to bring a World Series title home to Philly.
Then there is Jonathan Bowlan, an easygoing dude from Memphis, quiet and forthright, making his way through his first full season in the big leagues. Bowlan might not realize it yet, but he may have more to do with whether the Phillies raise a trophy in October than any of the superstars.
Bowlan, 26, has emerged as the Phillies’ primary set-up man, aiming, along with 25-year-old Orion Kerkering, to form a bridge between the club’s quartet of ace starting pitchers and their dominant closer, Jhoan Duran.
It is thankless work, and the sixth through 10th innings are exactly where the Phillies’ prior championship quests have gone awry. Lately, they’ve been trouble spots as the club staggers down the stretch to finalize a National League wild-card berth.
Bowlan has given up a run in five consecutive appearances entering Wednesday, Sept. 16, including late-game homers in three of those; Kerkering gave up runs in four of his last five games, including multiple-run outings in Phillies losses.
“Those innings,” says interim manager Don Mattingly, “are always the stressful innings.
“And you'd like to be able to lock down that end of the game when you get a lead or you're in a close game.”
Mattingly was speaking after Bowlan gave up a first-pitch, three-run, pinch-hit homer to Daylen Lile in the seventh inning of a 6-3 loss to Washington, the latest setback that imperiled the club’s wild-card standing. Oh, the team’s still on fairly firm ground, with a 95% chance to reach the playoffs, according to FanGraphs.
It’s just that the Phillies keep slipping down the pecking order and, with a rough combo of a flailing lineup and slumping bullpen, inspiring little confidence in their postseason chances.
For Bowlan, learning to cope has come before having to face the bright lights of the postseason. He’s found that in reflecting on failure, there’s a fine line between quickly moving on and interrogating what went wrong.
“There’s definitely times I lose some sleep at night, for sure,” Bowlan tells USA TODAY Sports. “But as soon as you wake up the next morning, it’s a new day. It’s a blessing. God woke me up to continue on. And you can’t live in the past. Because you can learn from your experiences, for sure. And that’s what I continue to try and do.
“It’s taken some time to learn that, about the short memory. But I’ve gotten to the point where, ‘Yeah, you can think about it a little bit.’ And there’s times where it was a tough thing to happen in that situation.
“But you live and you learn. All you can do is just keep chugging along. Keep moving.”
Red-faced October
That ethos certainly applies to the Phillies, who won’t glean any sympathy from rival fanbases, given their four-year run of success powered by an aggressive ownership group bent on winning their first World Series since 2008.
Yet every bite at the apple ends rottenly for all but one team every year. And October's late innings have been a long-running soap opera in Philly.
In 2022, it was Jose Alvarado, relieving ace Zack Wheeler in the sixth inning of World Series Game 6, the Phillies leading 1-0, only to give up a left-on-left three-run blast to Yordan Alvarez, enabling the Houston Astros to nail down the championship.
A year later, it was the rookie Kerkering – with just eight major league appearances under his belt – summoned to protect a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning of NLCS Game 3, the Phillies nine outs from seizing a 3-0 lead on the ostensibly overmatched Arizona Diamondbacks.
Instead, Kerkering gave up three consecutive hits, including Lourdes Gurriel’s RBI double, to tie the game and set the stage for closer Craig Kimbrel yielding a walk-off hit, one of Kimbrel’s many failings in that series. The Diamondbacks won in seven games.
In 2024, the goats were numerous – from Alvarado to Carlos Estevez to Jeff Hoffman, who yielded six earned runs and recorded four outs across three games – as the Mets pulled off a stunning NLDS upset.
And last year, it was Kerkering, aiming to keep the Phillies alive in the 11th inning of NLDS Game 4 at Los Angeles, but infamously fielding Andy Pages' two-out ground ball and throwing home instead of taking an easy out at first.
Now, Kerkering realizes that staying true to himself is just as important in the aftermath as breaking down pitches that backfired or physical errors. And even his recent struggles have provided teachable moments.
“You look at some of those struggles you’ve gone through the last couple years and just try to learn a lot more,” says Kerkering, “since I came up through the system so fast and wasn’t able to really go through those downs. I think going through them now a little bit has been super-helpful. You’ll go on some great runs and some not-so-fun runs. But that’s what baseball is. It’s a game of failure.
“You just try to make sure you get back on who you’re supposed to be as a person.”
A 'whoa' moment
Bowlan’s recent struggles have overshadowed his excellent work most of this season. He’s blown five saves but also has a 1.04 WHIP and struck out 71 in 55 innings.
It’s been a startling rise for Bowlan, who admitted he was a bit stunned – “Kind of a whoa moment,” he says – when the Phillies acquired him over the winter for longtime lefty reliever Matt Strahm. The Phillies’ suggestion he lean more heavily on his four-seam fastball – its usage has risen from 33.6% to 48% - has paid significant dividends.
That will be his best friend come the postseason, waters he’s looking forward to navigating.
“I’ve heard that being in the playoffs is one of the best experiences you can have in this game,” says Bowlan. “Being in that situation, from what I’ve learned, you’ve got to just slow things down. You can’t let things overwhelm you. These guys have been through it. They’ve been through big situations.
“I’m just trying to learn from them to the best of my ability.”
Both Bowlan and Kerkering are operating a rung higher than the Phillies anticipated this season. They signed right-hander Brad Keller to a two-year, $22 million deal over the winter after his stellar 2025 with the Chicago Cubs. But Keller struggled into June, missed a month with forearm tendinitis and then tore the UCL in his throwing elbow in July.
Veteran lefties Alvarado, Brooks Raley and Tim Mayza balance out the bullpen, but aren't necessarily built for one-inning, high-leverage situations.
That's just one reason why Bowlan and Kerkering will be front and center this postseason.
Kerkering is now in his third full major league season, yet maintains he’s “still the pup” on a club with 10-year vets like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Zack Wheeler. He has been through the postseason fire, for better or worse, and knows what he’ll tell Bowlan before his October indoctrination.
“Think of it like you’re playing the Dodgers, you’re playing the Braves’ series – (multiply) that by five,” says Kerkering. “The intensity, how much people care, how much louder and the passion.
“But you still have to make your pitches. It’s a big moment for the pitcher, a big moment for the hitters. It doesn't matter how long they’ve been there. You’re battling each other out and there’s very few teams left.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 02: Taylor Trammell #26 of the Houston Astros attempts to avoid a tag by Elias Diaz #35 of the Texas Rangers in the third inning at Daikin Park on August 02, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Look, the Yankees are probably cooked in the AL East at this point. They had their opportunities, but the Rays have opened up a 4.5-game AL East lead with 10 games left for the Bombers, and they would need to sweep the four-game set coming up next week—one that features a doubleheader Tuesday—to even have a remote chance since that would give them the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay.
The odds are the odds at this point: a 5.9-percent chance per FanGraphs to win the AL East. Old friend Brandon McCarthy was more likely to get a hit in a given at-bat (.062 career batting average) than the Yankees are to pull this off. Bartolo Colon’s .084 average would be a dream in comparison. Hits did occasionallyhappen for McCarthy! But it ain’t lookin’ pretty for the 2026 Yanks.
So the Rays are almost certainly winning the division and the Yankees and Red Sox will almost certainly duke it out again in a best-of-three Wild Card Series. Great. Fabulous. The rest of the AL is a damn mess:
Yuck! The skinny on the teams still competing for division titles:
The White Sox were once actually coasting a bit to that AL Central crown and even a first-round bye, but they’ve really begun to run out of steam.
The Guardians are now just barely in front of Chicago for both of those, but if it ends in a tie, then the White Sox have the tiebreaker, so how comfortable can Cleveland really feel?
The AL West is even more garbage, with the Rangers’ win and Astros’ loss last night bringing them even at .500 on the dot, in first place. I would say that I cannot believe how much the Mariners beefed this, but, well, they have a history. So does the division itself! All these AL West teams have negative run differentials, by the way.
Back to the matter at hand, the Astros have the tiebreaker between those two, but with Yordan Alvarez looking hobbled … I don’t know.
Shooting from the hip, I trust Cleveland to eke out their third consecutive division title. They have a roster more accustomed to the chase this time of year and the White Sox have been surviving on some magic beans for much of the season anyway. This is not to imply that the Guardians are actually good, mind you; it was just always going to be a tough sell for the Pale Hose to go from 121 losses in 2024 and 102 last year to not only a winning record this year, but a division title as well. It could still happen, sure! I’d think it was more interesting. But my brain says Cleveland.
As for the AL West? Hooboy. Give me the Rangers, whatever. They’re oh-so-quietly getting healthier and Houston’s dropped seven of ten, including a clunker last night to the crappy Royals. Although the Astros get to end the season with four games against the awful A’s, I think Texas will take advantage of a not-so-tough slate of their own. Corey Seager has an OPS over .900 in his past month of play. He would love nothing more than to pants Houston again.
I know the Wild Card is its own mess that could allow for one of the two division contenders that loses out to sneak into October anyway if Toronto and Baltimore can’t heat up. But let’s focus on those two bye contenders. Which teams win the divisions? Who makes it to the ALCS? Sadly, one of them will, while two of the Yankees, Rays, and Red Sox will be stuck at home. Them’s the breaks.
Today on the site, Scott will discuss the RailRiders’ last-ditch effort this week to make the International League playoffs, Matt will run through the Rivalry Roundup, Jonathan will celebrate the 109th birthday of a wartime Yankee who had a film career as well, and John will muse on Giancarlo Stanton’s speed. (Yes, really! It’s a fun piece, I promise.) Later, Peter will break down an excellent strikeout from Max Fried for his Sequence of the Week.
Left-hander Jackson Wolf continued his excellent run since coming over from the Padres in the Casey Mize trade, while Jace Jung provided the offense on Wednesday.
Wolf located his fourseam and sinker well in this one, and dropped in plenty of good curveballs to baffle the Bats. He scattered five hits and two walks, pitching into the sixth with five strikeouts on the day. His outings tend to feature a fair amount of traffic, but very little damage.
He holds an ERA under 2.00 since coming over, and hasn’t allowed a single home run. It’s only 27.2 innings, but it’s also notable that Wolf’s strikeout rate has spiked from 21.2 percent in the Padres system, to 31.8 percent in Toledo. I don’t really see any outstanding differences in his stuff, but the Padres are pretty poor at developing pitchers so hopefully the Tigers are helping him improving his approach, pitch mix, and location. With pitching depth always a key concern, it feels like the Tigers have a pretty nice sixth starter who can also pitch in as a lefty in relief if Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter, or Drew Sommers need backup in 2027.
The Hens didn’t have much going on offensively in this one, but in the bottom of the third, Andrew Navigato drew a one-out walk. Trei Cruz ripped a single to center field, and Jung launched his 21st home run of the season to right field.
That blow made it 3-0. Wolf gave up a run in the fifth, but came back out to collect two outs in the sixth before giving way to the pen.
Nick Sandlin and Jack Little got the Hens through the eighth. Tanner Rainey walked a batter but closed it out for his fifth save.
Our friends at Tigers Minor League Report voted Max Anderson their minor league player of the year this week. He posted a single and a double in this one. No doubt it’s been a frustrating year for him, as he improved his swing decisions as needed but never got the call to the big leagues. He should get his opportunities in 2027.
Max Anderson belts a double high off the wall in right, missing a homer by a few feet. But it goes as 23rd double and 40th extra-base hit with Toledo. pic.twitter.com/1Stux4YVzW
