Category: Baseball

The Diamondbacks took two out of three against the Reds the hard way, including a last minute come from behind win and a loss where they gave up 11 runs, losing two pitchers in the aftermath. But they also got Drey Jameson back, and I for one still believe there’s hope he’ll be a productive big leaguer. And nothing else of any importance happened, once again.

The Cubs at one point looked like they were going to run away with the first Wild Card, and they are still cruising to the post season, no doubt. However, that seeding is suddenly in question given the meteoric rise of the Philadelphia Phillies. At one point they were as up by as much as seven games, but that’s shrunk down to four and the Phillies don’t seem to want to stop winning. A strong series by the Diamondbacks here and their playoff picture could look drastically different.

Game 1 — 8/24, 6:40 PM: Merrill Kelly (-0.4 bWAR, 8-11, 5.37 ERA/79 ERA+, 1.51 WHIP) vs. Kevin Gausman (0.9 bWAR, 6-11, 4.58 ERA/96 ERA+, 1.29 WHIP)

It takes a certain level of skill to be both the best free agent signing a General Manager has had, and also simultaneously be the worst. Merrill Kelly is giving it his best effort, though. He’s got a ways to go before he matches the likes of Madision Bumgarner and Jordan Montgomery, but he’s well on his way. In his last five starts, he has given up five or more runs three times, including giving up six in each of his last two starts. His walks have jumped, his strike outs are down, and innings pitched is also trending down a bit as well. All in all, not a good time for Kelly recently.

Gausman is one of the Cubs deadline acquisitions this year, and it’s been a mixed bag. First time out, he went seven innings, only gave up two runs, it was great. The next two starts… not so much. He didn’t make it out of the fifth inning in either game. That first short start he gave up six runs in route to a 7-0 Cubs loss to the Nationals. The second, he kept the White Sox to three runs, but still couldn’t get past 4.1 inning. The rest of the season, he’s been solid, even if it’s a bit of a down year compared to what he normally throws. The Diamondbacks shouldn’t go into the game expecting a pushover.

Game 2 — 8/25, 6:40 PM: Brandon Pfaadt (1.6 bWAR, 7-1, 3.39 ERA/125 ERA+, 1.13 WHIP) vs. Clay Holmes (2.2 bWAR, 5-6, 2.49 ERA/165 ERA+, 1.10 WHIP)

Pfaadt was on a killer run leading up to his last start, but definitely hit a road block. A 5.1 inning, five run outing is a hell of a way to end a scoreless streak and that’s exactly what he did. Hopefully it’s not a sign of things to come and Pfaadt will pick back up where he left off.

A what-could-have-been matchup. Of course the Diamondbacks were in on Clay Holmes until the very end until the Mets decided to go a different direction. It’s worked out about as well for the Cubs as we would have hoped it to work out for us. He is sitting at a 2.81 ERA versus the 2.39 he put up with the Mets. Nothing crazy different there. To be noted, his FIP with the Mets was 3.20 and it’s now 4.21 with the Cubs. Looking back at his career, typically his FIP and ERA are decently aligned, so there may be room for the Diamondbacks offense to make some noise and regression.

Game 3 — 8/26, 12:40 PM: Eduardo Rodriguez (4.9 bWAR, 13-4, 2.61 ERA/162 ERA+, 1.20 WHIP) vs. Matthew Boyd (0.3 bWAR, 8-2, 4.15 ERA/98 ERA+, 1.24 WHIP)

Rodriguez continues his Cy Young caliber season. He wasn’t scored upon against the Reds when arguably they needed a stopper more than anything. Before that, he held the Braves and Dodgers, two very potent offenses of course, to just two runs apiece. He continues to be the foundation of the Diamondbacks starting rotation this season, and no reason to assume that won’t continue.

Boyd missed about six weeks earlier this season after he, and I’m not kidding, bent down to pick up his kid’s Legos and tore the meniscus in his left knee. He did clarify later that he believed he had already been dealing with a torn meniscus, but that specific motion is what finished the job, but still, not something to look forward to, as I find myself ten months past my thirtieth birthday. Anyway, he’s been aggressively fine for the Cubs, some good games, some not so good, but overall nothing terrible or spectacular.

Conclusion

Like I said in the last series preview, they’re all must wins until further notice. There are only 32 games left, and to realistically have a shot at the playoffs, they’ll need to get to 88+ wins. That means going no worse than 19-13 the rest of the way. Basically, they need to win every series, with maybe one mulligan mixed in there. The Cubs are another good team, no way around that one, but especially since they have both Pfaadt and E-Rod going for them this series, I think they have a chance. And hey, maybe Kelly remembers how to pitch and they can even sneak in a sweep. But a series win is probably our best outcome.

Texas Rangers lineup for August 24, 2026 against the Chicago White Sox: starting pitchers are Kumar Rocker for the Rangers and Jose Urquidy for the ChiSox.

Texas hits the road for a six game road trip, starting tonight with the first of three in Chicago against the White Sox. Former Astro Jose Urquidy, acquired by Chicago from Pittsburgh a month ago, makes his first major league start since he was with Houston in 2023. Urquidy was very good against the Rangers when he was with the Astros…in the regular season, at least.

The lineup:

Pederson — DH

Seager — SS

Langford — LF

Nimmo — RF

Duran — 3B

Carter — CF

Burger — 1B

Diaz — C

Freeman — 2B

6:40 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are +117 underdogs.

Former Husky left-handed pitcher Andrew Sears made his MLB debut over the weekend for the Detroit Tigers, and made a bit of history in doing so. Sears joins George Springer, Kyler Fedko, Ben Casparius, PJ Poulin and Anthony Kay as UConn baseball alums who have appeared in a Major League Baseball game in 2026, the most players in an individual season in program history.

Another #HookC MLB Call Up!

Would set a record with six former Huskies appearing in an MLB game in the same season! #UConnBredpic.twitter.com/3GuXwOqEQ7

— UConn Baseball (@UConnBSB) August 22, 2026

Sears, a West Warwick, Rhode Island, native, pitched the 2023 spring in Storrs after transferring over from Division III Rhode Island College. He made 14 starts for the Huskies and had 74 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched with a 6.24 ERA. His best outing as a Husky came on April 21, 2023 when he struck out 11 in seven innings against Georgetown. He was drafted in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Tigers.

The left-hander worked his way up through the minor leagues and pitched to a 2.16 ERA in 58.1 innings pitched across four levels in the Detroit system this season, a majority of which with Double-A Erie. In two appearances with Triple-A Toledo, Sears didn’t allow an earned run in 9.2 innings while punching out 14.

In his debut on Sunday, Sears came in in relief and served as the “bulk guy” for the afternoon in a bullpen game against the Kansas City Royals. He pitched four innings and allowed five runs on six hits while striking out three, getting credited with the loss in the 11-7 defeat.

1st @MLB strikeout for Andrew Sears 👏 pic.twitter.com/bMJItD1Dgi

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 23, 2026

Sears becomes the 22nd UConn player to debut in the majors, the second this season alone along with Fedko. He is also the first player during the new era of NIL and the transfer portal to transfer into UConn and get drafted, perhaps becoming the trailblazer into what will become the norm not just in the program, but what has become the norm in college athletics.

Once again, the All-Star Break came and went, and MLB schedules have been released with varying fanfare. The Dodgers used to at least try. Not anymore.

The 2027 schedule is now live on https://t.co/DfSjNjPljm! Stay tuned for more information coming soon. pic.twitter.com/jTvbshbmXy

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 17, 2026

Once again, in July, I broke down the entire 2027 schedule in real-time as it slowly populated on the Dodgers’ website.

This year, there is a giant elephant in the room: the pending 2027 lockout of the players by the owners. There are those who think there will be no disruption to the schedule. Some would call them optimists; some would call them naive. I am not in that camp.

I have publicly predicted that, in the best-case scenario, we will get at most half a schedule in 2027. I would like to recant that prediction: we are getting at most 60 games in 2027. As to why, the league is spewing propaganda at an alarming rate, which merits its own essay on a different day.

However, maybe I am wrong. And it is better to hope for the best while planning for the worst.

Some of you may not enjoy traveling and prefer to visit Dodger Stadium. I understand and salute you, as Dodger Stadium needs its regular denizens, unless you want to take a stand due to the organization’s recent actions.

Under the elephant-sized assumption that we get a full 2027, this year will be the first year since going on the payroll that I will largely abstain from road travel. Fun is fun, but I finished the circuit back in Philadelphia. Taking it easy is my own just reward.

In the old days, I started planning for away travel the day the following year’s schedule is released and finalized details such as flights, tickets, and hotels six months before the games. I also set up price alerts to ensure I do not miss a good deal. If I were planning my usual slate of 13-17 away games, I would do the same but opt to purchase travel insurance for flights in case the tickets become moot.

Most U.S. airlines will allow you to cancel a flight for airline credit, but converting it back into cash is preferred because most U.S. airlines do not make it easy to redeem that airline credit, unlike, say, Amazon, which auto-deducts any credit first.

For a home game at Dodger Stadium, you will have 82 chances in 2027. I do not live in Los Angeles, but stadium giveaways would likely guide me, which have not been released yet. To help break down the currently planned schedule for next year, this essay will cover each scheduled series, provide comments, and link to any relevant Guide entries, if applicable.

The Dodgers’ 2027 schedule*

*assuming a full slate of 162 games

We are on the Boston cycle, and the Dodgers will not visit Sacramento, Houston, the Southside of Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, the Bronx, and Minneapolis in the 2027 regular season, as those teams will instead visit Dodger Stadium. If you did not go to these locations in 2026, you must wait until 2028, at the earliest.

All series are three games, unless otherwise noted. No two-game series on the current schedule.

March 25-31 — vs. Atlanta Braves (starting on a Thursday with an off-day Friday), vs. Minnesota Twins

• The Guide for Dodger Stadium is right here.

April 1-11 — 4 at Colorado Rockies, at Arizona Diamondbacks, at San Diego Padres: Starting off with a three-city, NL West-only jaunt is one way to start the traveling portion of the schedule. Personally, I would rather have interdivision games to start the year and end the year to spice up the proceedings.

April in Colorado will likely be cold and/or snowy. The other two destinations would likely be fine and/or lively.

• The Guide for Colorado is right here.
• The Guide for Arizona is right here.
• The Guide for San Diego is right here.

April 13-18 — vs. Colorado; vs. Chicago Cubs

April 20-25 — at Philadelphia Phillies, at Washington Nationals

An East Coast series that is essentially connected by rail tugs on my heartstrings. If there is another capital visit, it will likely be here.

• The Guide for Philadelphia is under development. (Spoilers: It’s surprisingly good.)
• The Guide for Washington, D.C., is right here.

April 26-May 2 — vs. Chicago White Sox, vs. Detroit Tigers

May 3-5 — at Seattle Mariners

A single-series road trip to the Emerald City? Sign me up, provided that the organization fixes its baffling logistical issues from 2025.

• The Guide for Seattle is right here.

May 6-9 — 4 vs. San Francisco Giants

May 11-16 — at Cleveland Guardians, at Boston Red Sox

In 2023, the Dodgers went to Cleveland before going to Boston. Logistically, the pairing makes sense. It is easy to forget that the last time the Dodgers went to Boston, it was part of a three-city road trip involving Cincinnati and the minor league facilities in Tampa Bay.

• The Guide for Cleveland is right here.
• The Guide for Boston is right here.

May 17-26 — vs. Cincinnati Reds, vs. San Diego, vs. Arizona

May 28-June 6 —at Anaheim Angels, at Milwaukee Brewers, 4 at Chicago Cubs

A de facto home series followed by a week in or near Chicago. Californians tend to forget that Milwaukee is only an hour’s drive from Chicago, with the team likely to return to the “haunted” Pfister Hotel.

• The Guide for Anaheim is right here.
• The Guide for Milwaukee is right here.
• The Guide for Chicago (NL) is right here.

June 7-13 — vs. Milwaukee, vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

June 14-16 — at San Francisco

Again, another one-city road trip, and this time, it’s the first visit to San Francisco in 2027.

• The Guide for San Francisco is right here.

June 18-20 — vs. Miami Marlins

June 22-27 — at Tampa Bay Rays, at Miami

I am surprised it has taken this long for an all-Florida road trip to happen. Still, if a Florida-based Dodgers fan were to spend all week bouncing between Tampa and Miami, it would certainly save on travel costs.

• The Guide for Miami is right here.
• The Guide for Tampa Bay is right here.

June 28-July 4 — vs. Washington, 4 vs. New York Mets(last homestand before All-Star Break)

July 6-11 — at Pittsburgh, at New York Mets (last road trip before All-Star Break)

Unfortunately, if one held romantic notions about taking a train from Pittsburgh to New York, I would remind them it’s likely a 9-hour one-way trip. Flying is the order of the day between these two locales, which is a shame, considering a Philadelphia-to-New York connection would not have the same problem.

• The Guide for Pittsburgh is right here.
• The Guide for New York (NL) is right here.

July 16-21 — vs. Anaheim, vs. Sacramento Athletics

July 23-29 — at St. Louis Cardinals, 4 at San Diego

The last visit to San Diego happening before August? Boo. St. Louis in the heart of summer is less than ideal, but the schedule is the schedule.

• The Guide for St. Louis is right here.

July 30-August 5 — vs. San Francisco, vs. Houston Astros

August 6-11 — at San Francisco, at Texas Rangers

The last matchup between the Giants and Dodgers happens before Labor Day? Boo. Visiting Dallas in the summer will likely be both cheap and miserable.

• The Guide for Arlington is under development. (Spoilers: It’s middling at best.)

August 13-18 — vs. Philadelphia, vs. Colorado

August 20-25 — at Baltimore Orioles, at Cincinnati Reds

An interesting road trip. Baltimore and Cincinnati in August will likely be quite hot and sticky. Still, if I were to pick one road trip to go on in 2027, this set would be the one. Admittedly, Mom has already picked Baltimore for her 2027 trip, so one must turn lemons into lemonade.

• The Guide for Baltimore is right here.
• The Guide for Cincinnati is right here.

August 27-September 1 — vs. New York Yankees, vs. St. Louis

September 3-8 — at Kansas City Royals, at Atlanta

It took almost six months, but the Dodgers will play the other half of their Opening Week matchup. One should visit Kansas City at least once in their life; however, Labor Day week is not the ideal choice for weather and sports reasons.

• The Guide for Kansas City is right here.
• The Guide for Atlanta is right here.

September 10-19 — vs. San Diego, vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 4 vs. Arizona (last homestand of the regular season)

September 21-26 — at Colorado, at Arizona (final road trip of the regular season)

Finishing on the road against the Rockies and Diamondbacks is a choice to be sure. Still, I am sure someone outside of Diamondbacks HQ was clamoring for seven matchups between the Dodgers and D-Backs in the 2027 campaign’s waning moments.

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For those optimistic souls, it’s time to start planning travel for the upcoming campaign. Assuming things go to plan, which is a giant assumption at the moment, which 2027 series are you looking forward to? Be sure to point it out in the comments.

The Pirates hit multiple home runs in the first round of the MLB draft over the past four years, beginning with Paul Skenes in 2023.

Skenes, Konnor Griffin, and Seth Hernandez possess some of the best young talent in all of baseball and were selected in three consecutive drafts from 2023 to 2025.

The Pirates’ first-round pick before Skenes hasn’t panned out nearly as well.

Pittsburgh selected second baseman Termarr Johnson fourth overall in 2022. Johnson was regarded as the best prep bat available and one of the top high school hitters the draft had seen in years.

Fast forward four years and a once bright future looks darker than the Pirates’ current playoff hopes. 

Standing at 5-foot-7 and 200 pounds, the young middle infielder hit under .200 at Triple-A Indianapolis before suffering a season-ending left knee injury.

Johnson underwent surgery on Thursday to repair his left ACL and also endured an LCL procedure.

It’s a serious injury that could affect a portion of his 2027 season and was described by Pirates Senior Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk as “pretty traumatic” when he spoke to the media last week.

In 96 games, Johnson slashed .199/.336/.319 with a career-low .655 OPS, 90 points lower than last year.

He is only a career .239 hitter over five years in the minor leagues over 467 games. Johnson slugged 14 doubles, eight home runs, and drove in 37 runs prior to the injury, but he has always left more to be desired.

A strong contact-first approach was Johnson’s calling card out of high school and was expected to hit for a high average. His best mark came in a full season with the Double-A Altoona Curve last year, hitting .272 in 119 games.

Johnson struck out 101 times this season, over a strikeout per game, and isn’t an elite defender at second.

Will Johnson ever figure it out in the minor leagues before he even gets a crack at the majors?

His home run totals have plummeted every season after a career-best 18 during his first full year of pro baseball in 2023. 

It hasn’t clicked. Johnson hasn’t rapidly advanced through the minor leagues like many projected he would.

The former No. 4 overall pick used to be a top 50 prospect in the sport. Now he is the 19th best prospect in the Pirates’ own farm system, according to MLB Pipeline.

The odds of Johnson becoming the Pirates’ second baseman of the future continue to plummet, especially with Nick Gonzales emerging as one of the best contact hitters in baseball and likely moving to second if Brandon Lowe leaves in free agency.

The power isn’t there. The highly-regarded hit tool has taken a hit. Fielding leaves some to be desired.

Johnson is in jeopardy of falling into a category with Tony Sanchez, Travis Swaggerty, Will Craig, and others who never panned out as Pirates first-round picks.

He is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this offseason and will need to be protected by the Pirates and added to the 40-man roster.

The Pirates have a decision on their hands for what could be the worst draft pick of the Ben Cherington era.

The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have put Kyle Freeland on the 15-day injured list with cervical radiculopathy, retroactive to August 21st. Freeland left in the fourth inning of his start on August 19th against the Los Angeles Dodgers with the neck injury.

The Rockies announced today the following transactions:
– Placed LHP Kyle Freeland on the 15-day IL (retroactive to Aug. 21) with cervical radiculopathy.
– Selected the contract of RHP Blake Adams (#57) from Triple-A Albuquerque.

— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) August 24, 2026

In 23 starts this season, Freeland, 33, is 4-10 with a 6.37 ERA. He is in the final year of his five-year, $64.5 million contract that included a player option for 2027 if he was able to reach 170 innings. Currently, Freeland has recorded 124.1 innings, so the IL stint makes it even less likely that the option will vest.

Additionally, the Rockies have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Blake Adams.

Adams, 25, was drafted by the Rockies in the 13th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Kansas State University. He began 2026 with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats before being promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque in May.

In 17 appearances (two starts) with the ‘Topes, Adams has gone 2-5 with an 8.10 ERA across 50 innings.

UPDATE:

Thomas Harding is reporting that the Rockies will also select the contract of RHP Mason Adams as well.

The #Rockies are expected to call up RHP Mason Adams — part of the deal that sent CF Brenton Doyle to the #WhiteSox, to make his Major League debut tomorrow vs. the #National. LHP Kyle Freeland (pinched nerve in the neck) is expected to go to the 15-day IL. https://t.co/Tyx7I7Pmxq

— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) August 24, 2026

According to Harding, Mason Adams (No. 17 PuRP) will make Freeland’s start against the Washington Nationals tomorrow night. Mason Adams came to the Rockies as part of the trade that sent Brenton Doyle to the Chicago White Sox. The 26 year old has a 2.08 ERA in three starts at Triple-A Albuquerque.

Presumably, Blake Adams, a reliever, will start join the Rockies for tonight’s game while Mason Adam’s promotion will be announced tomorrow.

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The Cubs already have the postseason tiebreaker over the Phillies and Padres for a potential Wild Card Series matchup.

They swept the Diamondbacks in Wrigley Field back in May, so will need to win only once to get the tiebreaker over Arizona for such a matchup. Of course, two or three wins here would be better.

For more on the Diamondbacks, here’s Jim McLennan, manager of our SB Nation D-backs site AZ Snakepit.

To start by answering the obvious question: nobody knows anything. Ketel Marte failed to show up at Fenway for the opening game in Boston — not the first time he has gone AWOL. He was put on the restricted list initially, but is now on the IL with a bad knee (which, to be fair, had been an issue for a while). Exactly what was going on has been the subject of a LOT of speculation, people poring over every social media “like”. But that’s all it is: speculation. Everyone who does know has been very tight-lipped. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens – both when Marte is fit, and perhaps, during this off-season. He now has full no-trade rights: between that and this incident, if the team does want to trade him, it won’t be easy.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team is busy fighting Philadelphia and San Diego for a wild-card spot. The only thing consistent about the team is their lack of consistency. They’ll look great one series, then flat and lacklustre the next. Beat the Dodgers, and win the season set for the first time since 2018. Then lose a series to the Rockies, at home. Then beat the Braves on the road. Early on, it seemed Arizona could only beat teams with losing records. Now it seems they’re the ones which give them the most trouble. Arizona had to come from behind in the seventh inning on Sunday to scratch out the series win over the Reds.

With Marte out, while Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll are both well down on last year’s production, Gabriel Moreno has become the team’s MVP. He goes into Sunday’s game batting .307, with a 134 OPS+. But Nolan Arenado has also surpassed expectations, and is tied for the team lead with 21 HR. At the other end of the age spectrum, outfielder Jordan Lawlar recently returned from another IL stint, and if he can stay healthy, could provide an offensive boost down the stretch.

On the pitching front, the Cubs will see Brandon Pfaadt, who was on a real roll until meeting the Red Sox buzz-saw; Eduardo Rodriguez, the most consistent starter for Arizona; and Merrill Kelly, about whom, the less said the better. Since we last met, the D-backs have dumped original closer Paul Sewald, who is now with Toronto. It’s been a loose committee since, though Brandyn Garcia has seen most of the saves. The bullpen recently got previous closer Justin Martinez and his 102 mph fastball back after Tommy John, so he may become a high-leverage option as well. 

Fun facts

The Cubs swept the Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field, May 1-3. The wins were the second through fourth of the Cubs’ first 10-game winning streak.

The Cubs have not won every game of a series at Arizona since July 5-7, 2010. Since then, they are 21-28 in the desert while winning five series, losing seven and splitting three, including last season. They won the first two games in 2018 and 2021 but lost the third. They lost three straight in 2012, 2014 and 2023.

In all games of the rivalry, the Cubs are 93-100. They have been shut out 17 times and blanked the Diamondbacks only six times, with just one of those on the road, a 4-0 win on Aug. 24, 2002. Tonight’s series opener will be the Cubs’ 74th game at Arizona since then.

(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)

Probable pitching matchups

Monday: Kevin Gausman, RHP (1-1, 6.19 ERA, 1.375 WHIP, 4.27 FIP in three starts with Cubs; 6-11, 4.58 ERA, 1.298 WHIP, 3.58 FIP in 26 starts overall) vs. Merrill Kelly, RHP (8-11, 5.37 ERA, 1.519 WHIP, 5.79 FIP)

Tuesday: Clay Holmes, RHP (1-2, 2.81 ERA, 1.125 WHIP, 4.21 FIP in three starts with Cubs; 5-6, 2.49 ERA, 1.108 WHIP, 3.43 FIP in 12 starts overall) vs. Brandon Pfaadt, RHP (7-1, 3.39 ERA, 1.139 WHIP, 3.99 FIP)

Wednesday: Matthew Boyd, LHP (8-2, 4.15 ERA, 1.242 WHIP, 4.67 FIP) vs. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP (13-4, 2.61 ERA, 1.206 WHIP, 3.78 FIP)

Times & TV channels

Monday: 8:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Tuesday: 8:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network, also streaming on Peacock (outside the Cubs and Diamondbacks market territories)

Wednesday: 2:40 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network

Prediction

I keep picking two of three. One of these days it’s gotta happen. Right? So, two of three in Arizona.

Up next

The Cubs have Thursday off, then return to Wrigley Field to host the Cincinnati Reds in a three-game series beginning Friday afternoon.

The Nationals are getting dangerously close to the basement of the National League East, as a 3-game sweep at the hands of Miami now has them 10 games below .500 and just 1.5 games above the last place New York Mets. Their month of August has been simply abysmal, with hopes for a playoff berth having crashed all the way down to attempting to avoid ending the year 5th in the division. Washington is 2-8 across their last 10 games, but luckily, they begin the homestand with the worst team in MLB.

At just 50 wins through 130 games, 2026 has been another hard-to-watch chapter of Rockies baseball. Colorado has lost their last 6 games, and is months removed from being in any type of conversation regarding October baseball. Their pitching, per usual, has been the anchor dragging their team down, so this week’s series could be a good time for the Nationals’ offense to come alive in a big way.

Game One – Monday, 6:45 PM ET

WSH: RHP Cade Cavalli (11-5, 3.22 ERA)
COL: RHP Ryan Feltner (5-7, 5.97 ERA)

With the season all but over, Cavalli is one of the few reasons to continue tuning in to Nationals’ games, especially against a team like Colorado. He can drop his ERA below the 3.20-mark with another great outing, and Feltner’s struggles this season create a favorable matchup for the Washington hitters.

Game Two – Tuesday, 6:45 PM ET

WSH: LHP Andrew Alvarez (2-5, 3.60 ERA)
COL: LHP Kyle Freeland (4-10, 6.37 ERA)

Freeland and Alvarez have been going in opposite directions this season, with the latter emerging as a potentially crucial piece to Washington’s future. His 2.42 ERA in August has continued his strong season, and a few more starts of similar caliber could earn his spot in the rotation next season.

Game Three – Wednesday, 6:45 PM ET

WSH: TBA
COL: RHP Tanner Gordon (0-4, 5.75 ERA)

The Nats have yet to announce a starter for Wednesday night’s game, but whoever they start is likely to have better numbers than Gordon. He’s another part of a rough Colorado rotation, and Washington will likely deploy a handful of relievers with uncertainty at the back end of their staff.

Game Four – Thursday, 1:05 PM ET

WSH: RHP Jake Irvin (2-8, 5.82 ERA)
COL: RHP Gabriel Hughes (0-5, 6.54 ERA)

It would certainly be nice to get any semblance of success from the 29-year-old Irvin, whose August ERA has ballooned above the 6.50 mark. Hughes hasn’t fared any better, riding a 6.54 ERA through his first 42.2 innings in the big leagues.

The Yankees are hitting their stride at a crucial point of the season, cutting the deficit in the AL East race to just three games after sweeping Baltimore and taking two of three from Toronto. The offense that was so stagnant for much of the summer has been rejuvenated of late, thanks to a combo of players who have struggled all year starting to wake up and recent callups earning their place in the lineup. Austin Wells may have been a black hole through the first half, but since July he’s managed to find himself at the plate and it’s made a huge difference once coupled with George Lombard Jr.‘s arrival and Spencer Jones’ latest stint on the team. Throw in Jazz Chisholm Jr. running into a few home runs and Ben Rice starting to come out of a lengthy slump, and the team finally doesn’t feel like the pitching staff giving up multiple runs dooms them. Add in Cody Bellinger returning, and they just might even be able to slug their way into some wins instead of making due with a handful of offense.

On the other hand, their dominant staff has hit a couple of road bumps in the health department. Both Max Fried and Ryan Weathers hit the IL this week, and though the former is expected to be back as soon as his 15-day stint is up while the latter is still expected to be back before the end of the year that’s still a significant blow to the rotation depth all of a sudden. What do the Yankees do in the interim with their open rotation slot, and can the Triple-A depth step up when they need them most? Is the faith in the offense about to be rewarded with a hot streak to close out the year? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of August 27th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Garrett Crochet just lost a bit of control over his future.

Thanks to a unique provision in his contract, Crochet, who has been on the injured list for most of the season and last pitched for Boston on April 25, had an interesting clause activated by the team that takes away his 2030 opt-out in his contract.

Crochet has spent 120 consecutive days on the IL, which triggers a clause that voids his 2030 opt-out, with his salary set at $30 million for his age-32 season.

No one knows what baseball will look like in 2030 and if there will be a salary cap in the major leagues, but $30 million is certainly a bargain by today’s standards for Crochet’s services.

Crochet was the league’s fourth-most valuable pitcher according to WAR via FanGraphs from 2024-25, though he’s spent most of 2026 injured while the Red Sox have surged in the second half. 

Assuming MLB does not add a salary cap as owners battle players in CBA negotiations with a potential work stoppage looming, Crochet may have just missed out on a massive raise on his contract.

Many expect impending Dodgers free agent Tarik Skubal to sign a huge contract this offseason, although the same collective bargaining uncertainty still exists.

Crochet is owed just $45 million in 2031 and 2032, making this deal a complete bargain for Boston. 

The Red Sox acquired Crochet in a December 2024 trade with the White Sox for prospects Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth and Wikelman Gonzalez. 

Crochet had an incredible first season in Boston, posting a career-best 2.59 ERA with 18 wins as the Red Sox’s unquestioned ace and workhorse starting pitcher.

While he battled injuries this season, he is expected to return, though given where we are in the season, he will likely take on a bullpen role rather than take time to build up to a starting pitcher’s workload.

The Red Sox sit 3.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL wild-card race with a 71-59 record entering Monday’s slate.

Welcome back to Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

MONDAY

Carson Benge became the fourth player since 1997 to record a solo assist at home plate on consecutive batters, after Brian Hunter (May 18, 1998), Gary Sheffield (April 25, 2001), and Rocco Baldelli (August 12, 2004). (source: Sarah Langs on X)

Carson Benge became the first Mets outfielder with two outfield assists to the catcher in the same inning. (source: Sarah Langs on X)

Since being eliminated by San Diego in the 2022 Wild Card Series, including a 7-1 Game 1 loss, the Mets have now won seven of their last eight series openers against the Padres.

TUESDAY

Prior to Tuesday night, the Padres were the only National League team to never have a right-handed batter deliver a multi-homer performance at Citi Field. Tatis became the first Padre to accomplish the feat, and just the second Padre with a multi-homer game at Citi Field after Ryan Schimpf on August 12, 2016.

Zac Thornton’s 14 whiffs marked his most in a game out of his nine career starts, while his seven strikeouts were tied for his most in a game.

WEDNESDAY

With his fourth-inning homer, Carson Benge became the second Met with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases in their rookie season, joining Darryl Strawberry (26 homers, 19 stolen bases) in 1984.

Nate Lavender became the seventh Mets rookie to earn a win this season, along with Nolan McLean, Zac Thornton, Jonah Tong, Chayce McDermott, Jonathan Pintaro, and Jefry Yan. That gives them the most rookies on a team to earn a win this season. It also ties them for the third-most in franchise history, behind 1995 (9) and 1983 (8).

FRIDAY

Brett Baty’s 114.0-mph double in the fourth inning off Sean Burke marks the third-hardest-hit ball of Baty’s career, and the fourth-hardest-hit ball by a Met this season.

SATURDAY

Christian Scott struck out five or more batters for an 11th consecutive outing. He is one of only seven MLB pitchers with an active streak that long, along with Dylan Cease (31), Jacob Misiorowksi (24), Jesús Luzardo (13), Gerrit Cole (12), Tarik Skubal (12), and Gavin Williams (11).

Luis Torrens hit his sixth homer in 10 games for the first time in his career, becoming the first Mets catcher with six or more homers in a 10-game span since Francisco Alvarez from July 4-19, 2023. Prior to this 10-game span, Torrens had only clubbed 10 homers over 204 games with the Mets.

SUNDAY

Luis Robert Jr.’s fourth-inning single registered a 114.6 mph exit velocity. Despite only playing in 52 games so far this season, Robert now leads the Mets with eight batted balls of 110+ mph, overtaking Brett Baty and Juan Soto, who are tied for second place with seven apiece.

Nolan McLean recorded his 17th start of six or more innings pitched this season, tied for seventh-most in the Majors. That total is already tied for fourth-most by a Met in a season since 2020, trailing Chris Bassitt (23 in 2022), Max Scherzer (19 in 2022), and Luis Severino (18 in 2024).

Over his last 10 starts, McLean has tallied 59.1 innings pitchedwhile posting a 1.97 ERA. Over the last 10 seasons, the only other Mets pitchers to tally 59+ IP with an ERA below 2.00 in a 10-game span are Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, and Max Scherzer.

The White Sox became the second interleague opponent to walk-off the Mets twice in one season, after the Twins did so in 2004 with walk-off hits from Michael Cuddyer and Mike Ryan.

After being walked off by the Cubs on April 19 and being walked off twice by the White Sox in this series, the Mets were walked off three times in one state for the first time since 2021, when they suffered two walk-off defeats to the Marlins and one to the Rays.

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

Only six Mets players have recorded a base hit, walk, hit-by-pitch, and reached on error in the same game, with Asdrúbal Cabrera being the only Met to do it twice (April 15, 2016, in Cleveland, and May 3, 2017, in Atlanta). Cabrera is one of only 41 players to accomplish the odd feat twice in his career, a list including 13 Hall of Famers as well as near-certain future HOFer Albert Pujols.

Ahead of the 2022 season MLB expanded the playoffs to include an additional Wild Card slot, now including three Wild Card teams in both leagues. The move came a decade after MLB introduced the Wild Card Game, pitting two Wild Card teams against each other in a one-game event with the winner moving on to the LDS.

The thought process behind the third bid, at least the one presented to the public, was simple enough. Having another team completing to make the playoffs would make the final stretch of the regular season more exciting and inclusive to a deeper group of teams. It would also allow another team the chance at a World Series run.

To be fair, the expanded playoff has delivered on those two promises. Every year since the decision has seen tight races in the final days before the end of the season, often with the spot not locked in until the last day or two. Additionally, a third Wild Card team has twice reached the World Series, both in 2022 with the Phillies and 2023 with the Diamondbacks. In both those cases, the team held onto the final playoff bid by only one game in the final standings. It’s hard to say that it had been anything other than a success.

But this season is showing the other side of the coin. For the most part, the National League has had a typical year with good but seemingly not great teams fighting down the stretch. The Cubs currently hold the top Wild Card spot and have had it for most of the year. The Phillies are red hot and right on their heels in the second Wild Card slot. The Padres have used a strong second-half of the season to climb into the third seed, with the Diamondbacks, Marlins, and Cardinals still in contention. In theory those teams are all good enough to make a run. But the top teams in the N.L. have sat almost head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league with both the Brewers and Dodgers expected to win around 100 games. The season has felt like a race for next best.

Who will be the third N.L. Wild Card team?

The American League is a much bigger mess. A lot of that is due to relative mediocrity at the top, resulting in what could be a sub-.500 team making the postseason. The three best team sin the A.L. all come from the East, the White Sox lead the central and would normally be considered the weakest of division winners. But the West really screws everything up. The Astros and Rangers are tied for first place despite being a game under .500, resulting in the final Wild Card spot being held by a team that has lost more games than its won. The Guardians have the same record, tied for the final playoff spot, with the Blue Jays, Twins, and last place Orioles still within a couple of games. Even the Detroit Tigers, who tried desperately to sell at the deadline, are one hot week away from being in the playoffs.

Who will be the third A.L. Wild Card team?

With the general feeling of “meh” at best competing for the final spot in both leagues, it’s easy to feel down on the expansion. Add to that the growing feeling that teams are trying to be just good enough to be in contention down the stretch and keep fans interested without having to do the expensive work of building a real winner.

The tradeoff is basically more high-intensity baseball in September vs. a better quality of team in the playoffs.

Maybe this is a one-off blip, or maybe it’s a sign of things to come. So did baseball do the right thing with playoff expansion, or is this watered-down version of the playoffs not worth it in the end?

Has MLB playoff expansion been good for the game?

Be on the lookout later this week for results to these questions and the rest of SB Nation’s Reacts surveys.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country.

Welcome back to another Reacts Survey! In this week’s survey, we’re asking fans which team they would feel safest about facing in the playoffs.

While there’s obviously no such thing as a “safe” matchup in the postseason, we’re curious to see which team fans feel the safest about facing come a playoff series, and we’re providing a few options in the Dodgers, Braves, Cubs, Phillies, and Padres.

The Dodgers, who are the biggest threat to Milwaukee for the NL’s best record at 80-51 entering Monday, are understandably the favorite to return to the World Series, as L.A. has won each of the last two years and they’ve only gotten better, at least on paper. The Brewers have had some success against the Dodgers in the regular season this year, though, winning four of seven, including three of four in Los Angeles in August.

The Braves, at 76-55, are currently atop the NL East and sit with the third-best record in the NL, which means as it stands, they would take on the last Wild Card team in the opening round of the postseason. The Brewers have split their season set with Atlanta, going 3-3 with both teams taking two of three at home (though the last of Milwaukee’s “home games” was an Atlanta win at the Little League Classic in Pennsylvania).

The Cubs, at 75-56, are still in play to win the NL Central, though they sit six games behind Milwaukee and currently own the best record in the Wild Card race. The Brewers are 4-2 against Chicago this year, sweeping the Cubs at Wrigley in May before dropping two of three in Milwaukee at the end of June. The two squads still have two series to go, with a four-game set in Chicago to begin September before a three-game set in Milwaukee beginning on Labor Day.

The Phillies, at 73-58, are currently rolling through a nine-game winning streak that has put them right back into the mix for both the top Wild Card spot and the NL East race. After a dismal 9-19 start under Rob Thomson, the team fired Thomson before naming Don Mattingly the interim manager, and Mattingly has proceeded to lead them to a 64-39 record. The Brewers took two of three against Philadelphia in Milwaukee back in June, and the two teams will face off in Philadelphia for three games right before the end of the regular season in late September.

Finally, the Padres, at 71-60, are currently fighting for the last NL Wild Card spot, as they sit in that position now but are just two games ahead of the 69-62 D-backs and four games ahead of the 67-64 Marlins. Despite having the worst record of the teams listed here, the Padres have had the most success against Milwaukee, as they swept the Crew in San Diego in early August after dropping two of three against Milwaukee in May, meaning they’re 4-2 against the Brewers overall.

So, who would you feel safest about facing? Weigh in below and stay tuned for results later this week!

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