Category: Baseball

We’re doing the player reviews. The first part is a lot of “this guy was injured” and “this guy was cut early” and “you don’t even remember who this guy is.”

But, someone has to get the PAs and pitch the innings. Maybe you’d prefer it was someone else in the organization instead.

Here’s your chance to lobby for that. Lobby to no avail, of course, since the season has already happened and you presumably can’t go back and change it. Have at it.

I’m not even saying it can’t be someone that played for the Braves in 2026. But, if you felt like, for example, JR Ritchie got too many innings, who should’ve gotten those innings instead?

Former New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who won five World Series rings as a member of the team's "Core Four" during his playing career, says he no longer feels welcome by the organization.

On a new episode of "The Show" podcast, Posada told New York Post writers Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman that the current version of the team needs a coaching staff that will "push" them to be more accountable to themselves and each other.

But he said he doesn't think he'll be involved in any official capacity.

“I could, but I don’t think they want me there, to tell you the truth,” Posada said on the episode, which premiered on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

“I don’t feel welcome when I go there, you know? Even in spring training, I don’t feel like – I’m just like, I don’t know, like, I don’t feel welcome. I don’t feel like they want me there, so I don’t go.”

The five-time All-Star was part of the Yankees' "Core Four," along with shortstop Derek Jeter, starting pitcher Andy Pettitte and closer Mariano Rivera, that won four World Series titles from 1996-2000. He later won a fifth ring in 2009.

Posada, who spent his entire 17-year major-league career in Yankee pinstripes, didn't go into any specific details about his rift with the organization.

“I don’t know what happened. I’d rather just move forward,” he said. “My last season of my career was a really tough one when it comes to handling everything in my part and also the Yankees toward Jorge Posada. So, it’s tough to go back and feel that again.”

The five-time All-Star had his number 20 retired by the Yankees in 2015 and has been a participant in the team's Old Timers' Day ceremonies.

However, his final season in 2011 was tainted by public disagreements with the team about playing time and his shift from playing catcher to serving as designated hitter.

More: World Series winners by year: Full list of MLB champions

Posada, a fan favorite for his emotional style of play, said on the podcast that the current Yankees squad seemed to lack some of his trademark fire, and that the players need leaders in the clubhouse to uphold the team's high standards.

"[Mental mistakes are] magnified during the playoffs," he said. "So during the season, if it happens and you don't address it, that's when it becomes a problem. So it needs to happen more during the season and make these guys more accountable."

The Yankees were eliminated from this year's playoffs when they were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League division series.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jorge Posada reveals rift with Yankees: 'Don't think they want me there'

Meet the Mets

Danny Abriano at SNY imagined how the Mets might rebuild their bullpen ahead of next season.

Voting is open for the 2026 Heart and Hustle Award, and Carson Benge is the Mets nominee.

Like many Mets fans, Daryl Strawberry is “heartbroken” over the Mets 40 year championship drought, but he isn’t losing faith in the team.

Ron Darling clarified his recent comments on his future in the SNY booth.

Around Major League Baseball

Jim Bowden at The Athletic ranked the top 40 free agents this offseason and speculated on where they could end up.

Cam Schlittler seems like a lock for the Cy Young Award, but he’s not the only Yankee with a chance at some hardware.

Jackson Chourio is growing into his superstar potential this October, raising the standards for young stars in the postseason.

William Contreras—or “Wild Bill” as he’s becoming known—has been showing off his many talents this postseason, including his mastery of ABS challenges.

Aaron Ashby now holds the record for the longest scoreless streak by a reliever in postseason history.

Ben Williamson’s walk-off single gave the Rays life for at least one more game.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Micah Noe reviewed Ronny Mauricio’s disappointing season abbreviated by injury.

This Date in Mets History

65 years ago, ground was broken on an ash heap in Flushing Meadows, soon to be the home of the New York Mets.

The Fall Classic has been extended to Game 5 after the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 on Tuesday. With a 3-1 series lead, the Brewers have the chance to win their first World Series tonight at 8:00 ET.

Braves News:

Our 2026 player review series continues with right-hander Hurston Waldrep. 

MLB News:

Minnesota Twins right-hander Jeff Hoffman underwent surgery on his right elbow. He is expected to be ready for the start of the 2027 season. 

The Philadelphia Phillies have officially announced Peter Fatse as their next hitting coach. 

From the Feed:

Will the Rays win again tonight? Drop your predictions here.

The 2004 ALCS swung on a stolen base in Game 4 and if the Rays are going to join that Red Sox team in MLB history, perhaps it will be a caught stealing that swings the series.

One of the pivotal plays in the 4-3 win in 12 innings in Tuesday’s Game 4 that got the Rays on the board in this series involved an agonizingly close overturned stolen base that instead ended a Milwaukee scoring threat in the top of the ninth inning in a 2-2 game.

Cooper Pratt has originally been ruled to have stolen second with two outs before video replay changed the call.

Safe or out? pic.twitter.com/BMVpb3RmPU

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 28, 2026

“There’s a caught stealing there that’s … really, really close. Maybe in season that’s a stands,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Who knows? We had a couple things not go our way in terms of calls — not saying they’re wrong, but I’m just saying we had a couple things really — running out of the baseline there the first run we gave up or second run, whatever. Come on.

“Look at it. The ump didn’t have it that way, and that’s part of it. We got some benefit of some things too sometimes.”

With Andrew Vaughn at the plate with two outs facing Rays closer Brian Baker, the Brewers attempted to get Pratt in position to potentially score on a bloop by having him steal.

A bang-bang play went in their favor at first before Rays manager Kevin Cash opted to challenge.

The Fox broadcast booth of Joe Davis and John Smoltz analyzed the slo-mo angle while they world awaited the verdict.

The slowed clip appeared to show second baseman Richie Palacios just getting Pratt before his leg touched the bag, although one could possibly argue it wasn’t conclusive.

“The first thing to know is the strings on the glove don’t count,” Davis said.

“I think the glove got the hand. How about the pressure on the two dudes sitting down in a little cramped closed telling Kevin Cash, ‘Challenge this.'”

New York officials ultimately saw enough to feel confident in reversing the call to end Milwaukee’s threat, setting the stage for the Rays’ heroics in the 12th.

After Pratt redeemed himself with a homer to take a 3-2 lead, an error followed by four straight hits gave the Rays the win and set up Wednesday’s Game 5.

“We weren’t knocking balls in the gap or knocking balls out of the ballpark,” Cash said. “We pieced together a big inning, maybe the most important inning of our season.

We awoke this morning to discover that the 2026 baseball season was still with us. Standing on the brink of elimination, Brewer brooms sweeping towards them, the Rays found a way to survive, walking off Milwaukee on a Ben Williamson single to right.

But doom still stares them in the face: a 3-1 deficit is a forbidding thing. The odds of a comeback are against them. But we are not asking about odds. We are asking about a stranger, less predictable thing: the vibes, the hopes, the general sense of it.

The Rays have faced World Series deficits twice before, in 2020 and in a year that you surely recall. They had no miracles in them then. Do they have one in them for 2026?

This week, I set out on a quest to find a bullpen as bad or worse than the 2026 Cardinals bullpen. We all found it aggravating at times, with only a few bright spots if we were paying attention. The closer was an enigma with a lot of saves, and a lot of memorable blown saves. It certainly felt like. 8 was enough!

George Soriano also had 8 blown saves. etc

Let’s get in a time machine back to 2018. John Brebbia, Jordan Hicks, and Carlos Martinez were our only trustworthy bullpen arms… and Carlos Martinez only pitched 18 innings in relief, so he almost doesn’t count.

Guys with names like Mike Mayers, Tyson Ross, and Dominic Leone were at least a hair above replacement level. They were there, not doing too much harm, but also allowing damage.

Bud Norris, Dakota Hudson, Tyler Webb, and John Gant were also out there, not bad, not good, but there.

Sam Tuivailala showed some promise, but was not much of a factor, either. Greg Holland and his 7.92 ERA was also a member of this bullpen! Sigh. But Brett Cecil was the worst part of this horrible bullpen, with negative fWAR in over 30 IP.

The 2018 Cardinals bullpen ranked #25/30 teams. This team was a good team with a bad bullpen, going 88-74, which was not good enough for the playoffs that year, finishing 2.5 games out of wild card berth.

Oddly enough, the 2017 and 2019 bullpens were assets compared to the 2018 Cardinals’ bullpen. In 2019, Brebbia, Martinez, and Gant stepped it up a notch while Giovanny Gallegos emerged as the bullpen leader. Showing anything can happen, I suppose!

Fastforward to 2021 when the bullpen was an asset again thanks to peak Gallegos and Genesis Cabrera. This bullpen was good enough to make the playoffs, but fell victim to the one game playoff system in place at the time. This would end up Mike Shildt’s last chance in a Cardinal uniform. Ryan Helsley pitched 47 innings with a 4.56 ERA. Kodi Whitley was better than Helsley in only 25 IP.

The 2022 bullpen was lead by the talents of Ryan Helsley who emerged as a 1.25 ERA / 2.34 FIP dominant pitcher! Gallegos was also incredibly good that season, albeit not quite that astonishing at 2.88 FIP. That’s a nice duo to build a bullpen around…

The issue was that Jordan Hicks would have been a triple threat, but he had a rather unlucky 4.37 ERA, while his other rate stats were 2.39 xERA, 3.06 FIP, and 3.20 xFIP. That’s enough evidence for bad luck. Maybe he was tipping his pitches.

While 2022 relievers had some high end talent, the bullpen also included guys like Packy Naughton, Jake Woodford, Chris Stratton, and Zach Thompson. So even with the one-two of peak Helsley and a still really good Gallegos, this bullpen ended up in the middle of the pack.

The Cardinals bullpen remained mid in 2023 and 2024, but in 2025 the bullpen was actually an asset.

But… in 2026 it was an afterthought. sad, really.

So many lessons not learned by the organization. The bullpen is back to 2018 levels where it crippled the team for some reason, reasons unknown other than they though they thought they could get away with the bullpen as an afterthought. It is a fantasy that you do not need a reliable bullpen. I agree with all sabermetric finds outside of this one.

8 years later, the Cardinals have designed a bullpen almost to fail spectacularly with Gordon Graceffo the most valuable member by fWAR. That was not supposed to happen! O’Brien and Bruihl were both above replacement level. Yet, the Cardinals bullpen were #25/30 in WAR. They barely cracked the top 20 in ERA. Not real good, especially with a lackluster bullpen.

If there is some sort of decade cycle, we should not be worried about the bullpen. We had an offyear in 2018, which was surrounded by good bullpen years. There’s a good chance that the 2025 bullpen is closer to the 2027 than the 2026 one was. I think the Cardinals are overall bullpen savvy, so there should be some improvement during the next season. They don’t usually cough up a bad bullpen.

1999 Heavy Metal for Halloween!

• Today Is The Day – ‘In The Eyes of God’ two members of Mastodon before they went on to their more well-known band, and early alt metal noise rock stalwart Steve Austin, create a monster of a prog metal psychedelic art rock album of the highest order (live in St Louis 1999)
• External Suffering – ‘Drowning in Tragedy’ a good example of everything that was happening in heavy music in 1999. new find, but I think an instant classic!
• Melvins – ‘The Maggot’ one of the best Melvins albums of all! even has a cover song! Top tier.
• Botch – ‘We Are The Romans’ Converge opened the doors a year before, but Botch took it to the next level for the times! post punk metalcore noise rock whatever you want to call it this is influential af for 1999
• Neurosis – ‘Times of Grace’ heavy and haunting to this day, for me completes their first four cycle of album in grand fashion, haunting and hypnotic and heavy, but more noise rock maybe?
• Type O Negative – ‘World Coming Down’ the heaviest Type O Negative album, a band that is just as much doom metal as it is goth rock and epic industrial metal.
• The Dillinger Escape Plan – ‘Calculating Infinity’ reinvented the whole game
• Immolation – ‘Failures For Gods’ early death metal stalwart becomes legendary!
• Angelcorpse – ‘The Inexorable’ intricate, brutal tech death of the highest order from KC!
• Deeds of Flesh – ‘Path of the Weakening’ instant classic upon first listen!
• Breach – ‘Venom’ there was definitely a noise rock prog metal thing happening this year, and this was definitely a good part of it!
• Cave In – ‘Until Your Heart Stops’ legendary noise rock post metal album along with Both and Breach!
• Nootgrush – ‘Erode The Person’ the sludge metal legends get it started here!
• Monstrosity – ‘In Dark Purity’
• Deformity – ‘Murder Within Sin’
• Delorian – ‘When All The Laughter Has Gone’
• Cavity – ‘Supercollider’
• Vile – ‘Stench of the Deceased’
• Amorbital – ‘Invicta’
• Unruh – ‘Setting Fire To Sinking Ships’

Well there you have it, a heavy metal Halloween soundtrack time machine to the year 1999!

1999 Heavy Metal Underground Radio From George Matt Bowles

Happy Early Halloweeen VEB! I found a cat mask that looked like my cat, so I was a cat dad for Halloween at work. What are you going to be? I spent many years not being anything, which is just as good!

2026 was a tale of two seasons for right-hander Roki Sasaki.

To begin the season, Sasaki struggled to find his footing back in the rotation after becoming the team’s de facto closer during their 2025 title run. Sasaki entered the All-Star break with a 5.33 ERA and a 1.358 WHIP across 81 innings over his first 16 games. He followed up a poor first half with an incredible six start stretch to begin the second half until a blister on his right middle finger sidelined him for a month.

Just like the year before, there was no room for him in the starting rotation in October, and he was relegated to just 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in the postseason. The Dodgers don’t have to look far to add supplemental value to the rotation for 2027, and Sasaki’s goal for next season is to be become a reliable starter both in the regular season and when it matters most, notes Dylan Hernandez of the California Post.

“To start in the regular season and continue being a starter in the postseason, I think I have to give a performance worthy of that,” he said. “I know what I did this year wasn’t enough.

The Dodgers attempted to have Shohei Ohtani battle through both knee and biceps injuries in the second half, and it resulted in a nearly two-month long home run drought where he was a shell of himself offensively— let alone the fact that he hadn’t taken the mound since July 3.

It seems that there was a lack of full transparency between the two-way superstar and the coaching staff, as Katie Woo of The Athletic details.

“I think in his mind, he thought the best way to help the team was to go out and play, which I respect,” Friedman said in September. “But us staying really connected and sharing that information, I think, will be really important going forward. And again, the communication back and forth has been awesome. The fully sharing exactly how he’s feeling, maybe not as awesome.”

One of the more intriguing international talents entering this offseason is Japanese right-hander Shoki Oda. Oda intends to forego a career in the NPB, notes Michael Clair and Ayako Oikawa of MLB.com, and his fastball has put him on the same echelon of both Ohtani and Sasaki.

The Dodgers are already in the mix for Japanese outfielder Teruaki Sato, but Dylan Hernandez of the California Post notes that the Dodgers would be the expected landing spot for Oda.

And while people familiar with his situation insist he hasn’t made a decision, the widespread expectation around the industry is that 18-year-old Shoki Oda of Japan will end up with the Dodgers.

The offseason has arrived, but there’s no rule against watching a few White Sox highlights to get us through it. Each week, I’ll pick a player and revisit five plays worth another look. No homework, no deep dive. Just a little baseball to fill the void.

First up: Chase Meidroth, who apparently took it personally whenever a baseball tried to sneak through the infield. With a Gold Glove potentially headed his way, it feels like a good time to revisit some of the leatherwork that put him in the conversation.

Grab your morning coffee and enjoy five reasons opposing hitters might prefer to send the ball somewhere else.

Here are five favorites listed in chronological order:

1. No hits for you
April 17 vs. Athletics

Nick Kurtz sent one toward right field. Chase Meidroth had other plans. A diving stop and a throw to first later, Kurtz had himself a ground out, and we had ourselves a replay.

2. Balance is overrated
May 6 at Angels

Feet set? Optional. Out at first? Required. Chase gets the throw off from an awkward angle and sends Travis d’Arnaud back to the dugout.

3. Chase it down, call it a night
June 10 vs. Braves

A one-run lead in the ninth is no time for a bloop to get any bright ideas. Chase’s running catch sealed a 2-1 win. Exhale, Sox fans.

4. Up by 21? Still diving
June 26 vs. Royals

Apparently, a 22-1 lead wasn’t enough to convince Chase to take it easy. He punctuated the blowout with a diving play for the final out. The Royals couldn’t even leave town with a little ground-ball consolation prize.

5. A little early for a highlight reel?No, absolutely not
August 7 vs. Guardians

Chase needed all of one inning to give us something worth replaying. A backhand throw retired Brayan Rocchio to end the first. Might as well get Cleveland acquainted with the glove right away.

Those are my five, but Chase gave us plenty to choose from. Which play was your favorite? Did I leave out a gem? Drop yours in the comments, and let me know which players should get the highlight treatment next.

The offseason is almost upon us, which means it’s time to pull out your calendars and see when certain offseason events occur. November is sure to be busy, but things get a little more uncertain once we turn to December and the expected lockout begins. During that time, some events will be postponed if not cancelled outright.

Today, be on the lookout for my Rockpile covering the 40-man roster.

Either way, here is the calendar of notable dates for the offseason.

Day after the World Series ends

• Free Agents file – 7 am MT

November 1

• Gold Glove Awards announced – 7 pm MT (ESPN)

November 2

• HOF eight-person Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives and umpires
• Silver Slugger Award finalists announced – 12 pm MT
• BBWAA Awards Finalists announced – 4- 6 p.m. MT (MLB Network) – (ROY, Cy Young, MVP, etc)

Five days after the World Series ends

• Free agency opens at 3 p.m. MT 
• Last day to issue Qualifying Offer 
• 60-day Injured List reinstatement 
• Contract options deadline 

November 6

• Heart & Hustle Awards announced – TBD – MLB Network
• Gold Glove Awards dinner in NYC – Platinum Glove winners announced

November 9

• Rookie of the Year – 5-6 pm ET (MLB Network)

November 9-12

• GM Meetings in Las Vegas

November 10

• Manager of the Year – 5-6 pm MT (MLB Network)

November 11

• Cy Young Awards and BBWAA Relievers of the Year – 5-7 pm MT (MLB Network)
• MLB Awards show – 7- 9 pm MT (MLB Network)
• All-MLB first and second teams
• Hank Aaron Award winners
• Comeback Players of the Year
• Mariano Rivera & Trevor Hoffman relievers of the year
• Edgar Martinez DH of the Year

November 12 

• MVP Award – 5-6 pm ET (MLB Network)

November 16 

• Hall of Fame announces its 2027 ballot, 10 am MT – Writer’s ballot

November 17-19

• Owners meetings in New York

November 17

• Silver Slugger Awards
• Deadline for players to accept the Qualifying Offer, 2 pm MT
• Rule 5 protection deadline (Players need to be added to 40-man roster to protect from the Rule 5 draft)

November 20

• Non-tender Deadline

December 1 

• CBA expires 9:59 pm MT – Lockout begins

December 6

• BBWAA announces Contemporary Baseball Era inductees

December 7-9

• Winter Meetings in San Diego (Likely to be canceled)

December 8

• Draft Lottery (likely to be postponed during lockout)

December 9

• Rule 5 Draft (likely to be postponed or canceled during lockout)

January 8 

• Arbitration figures exchanged (likely to be postponed during lockout)

January 15

• International signing period opens

January 19

• Hall of Fame announces BBWAA voting results & 2007 inductees, 4 pm MT (MLB Network)

In the meantime, here are today’s links and content for the Rockies and the rest of MLB!

Rockies news and links

Owen Cuffe promoted to assistant director of pitching for the Colorado Rockies | Purple Row

The Rockies are looking to continue shaping their pitching philosophy this offseason and as part of that, they have promoted Owen Cuffe to assistant director of pitching. Cuffe was hired last January to work as a pitching and rehab coach in the Arizona Complex League. The team seems to have liked him enough in that role to now expand his talents to all facets of the organization.

Top 40 MLB free agents for 2026-27: Contract predictions, team fits for Skubal, Peralta, more | The Athletic ($)

Jim Bowden end up listing Taylor Ward as a free agent option for the Rockies. Ward’s right-handed bat and potential for power could be a nice fit for the Rockies. Ward didn’t have a good season between the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners, so a one-year prove-it deal on a cheaper deal could be a steal for the Rockies if he rebounded.

World Series Highlights Rockies’ Need for Bullpen Help in 2027 | Rockies On SI

Ben Fisher highlights how bullpens have been a focal point of the World Series teams and the Rockies should take note of how important late-game relievers are for a winning team.

Rockies prospect Stu Flesland III on fast track to Coors Field | Denver Gazette

Kevin Henry catches up with prospect Stu Flesland III who could be at Coors Field sooner rather than later. He’s currently in the Arizona Fall League and continuing to look for more velocity.

Are the Brewers Cheating? Milwaukee on the Brink, Jack O’Dowd’s Rise & MLB’s Last Game? | Mile High Territory

On this episode of Mile High Territory, Ryan Spilborghs and Troy Renck talked about the Milwaukee Brewers being on the brink of a title and then talked about Jack O’Dowd as well as some stories with former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd.

Around MLB

Rays live to fight another day thanks to Williamson’s walk-off single | MLB.com

The Milwaukee Brewers came three outs shy of securing their first World Series title as the Tampa Bay Rays managed to pull off a 4-3 walk-off victory in the 12th inning. Former Rockie Antonio Senzatela finished the 11th inning and started the 12th, but left after an error allowed the lead off runner to reach. Shane Drohan then entered, and the Rays tied the game and managed to load the bases before a chopped single to right field won the game. So, they’ll play at least one more tonight in Tampa Bay with the series now 3-1 in favor of the Brewers.

118.2 mph exit velo! 103.8 mph fastball! These are the Arizona Fall League Statcast leaders | MLB.com

The AFL is at its midpoint, so Jim Callis breaks down some of the Statcast leaders to this point in the season. Jack O’Dowd comes in with the fourth-longest home run.

Astros GM Search: Mike Rizzo May Be Exactly What Jim Crane Wants — and That Says Everything | The Crawfish Boxes

The Houston Astros are in search of a new general manager and former Washington Nationals leader Mike Rizzo interviewed for the position. Our Astros affiliate breaks down the fit of Rizzo.

Phillies hire Fatse as new hitting coach | MLB.com

The Phillies lineup is sure to look different next year and the team has hired a new hitting coach and assistant to hopefully provide a new path forward.

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The Tigers had some housekeeping to do before the real offseason begins, and they made progress on Tuesday by inking veteran catcher Carlos Perez and several of their better minor league relief prospects to new minor league deals.

Pérez took the place of Tomás Nido as their Triple-A depth catcher de jeur back in July, with Nido eventually signing on with the Boston Red Sox. Pérez was red hot with the bat in Toledo until an ankle injury in August ended his season. The 36-year-old backstop has some major league experience and is regarded as a good game caller with solid defensive skills.

The three relievers signed to new minor league contracts were some of their top relievers at the Double-A level last year. Sinkerballer Moises Rodriguez leads the way with a high 90’s sinker that touches triple digits and a solid breaking ball. He was our 28th ranked prospect, and really the only notable upper level relief prospect on our preseason prospect rankings. The 24-year-old rarely allows hard contact in the air and posted a 2.57 ERA in 2026, but inconsistent command and two good pitches that don’t really pair together that well by shape and appearance out of hand have kept him from breaking through. He signed a one-year deal to stay in the Tigers farm system, though he’s eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason.

Veteran right-hander Marco Jimenez also re-signed with the Tigers. The 26-year-old throws hard and has a quality breaking ball, but the fastball shape plays down a bit from the 97-98 mph typically seen from Jimenez. He has hit triple digits for various stretches in the past, though injuries have also slowed his progress. He only threw 16.2 innings in 2026, but his strikeout rate was decent and his walk rate was excellent. The home runs were a problem though that’s obviously a small sample and Jimenez hasn’t had much trouble with giving up home runs in the past.

Finally, 30-year-old right-hander Wandisson Charles also re-upped with the Tigers. After several years in the Baltimore Orioles system without breaking through to the major leagues, Wandisson didn’t pitch in 2025 and the Tigers brought him in on a minor league deal last winter. He was the key cog in the Erie SeaWolves bullpen this year, striking out 31.2 percent of hitters faced over 63.2 innings of work. Charles is another who throws hard and keeps the ball on the ground. The heater is good enough that he could probably hang in middle relief, but his breaking stuff needs to be more consistent.

The Tigers other minor league free agents not yet re-signed includes outfielder Roberto Campos, utilityman Trei Cruz, and right handed relievers Yoniel Curet, who is young enough and has power stuff worth keeping, and veteran reliever Jack Little. Campos is far and away the most notable name as he received a $2.85 million bonus as a teenager who flew Cuba to the Dominican Republic. Now 24, Campos’ progress has been slow, but it has remained steady as well and he handled the jump to Double-A reasonably well this year. At this point his upside is more of a fourth outfielder type, but the Tigers would probably like to hang onto him one more year to see if he improving selectivity helps him finally tap into more of his raw power.

Good morning. Especially since we’re getting a Game Five tonight. Apologies to Jack Buck in the Great Beyond for today’s title. And we’ll see you tonight from when you’re reading this.

• The Rays beat the Brewers 4-3 in Game Four after falling behind 3-2 in the top of the 12th inning and then scoring twice in the bottom of the inning.
• With 2.1 scoreless innings in Game Four, Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby recorded his 18th consecutive scoreless inning of work in the playoffs, a new record for one postseason.
• Game three will be remembered for the eight-run fifth inning that seems to have clinched the title for the Brewers (although the Rays aren’t dead yet). Julian McWilliams goes over that pivotal point in the Series that broke the Rays’ back.
• Jake Mintz points out that Christian Yelich’s hustle on the base paths was the difference in Game 3.

After further review, Christian Yelich was ruled safe at second base to load the bases with two outs in the 5th pic.twitter.com/OTsRHlPsZW

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 27, 2026

• Michael Baumann breaks down that eight-run inning. (Fangraphs paywall)
• Andy McCullough looks at that eight-run inning and the Brewers on the brink of their first title. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• The Brewers Jackson Chourio became the youngest player since Joe Garagiola in 1946 to have four hits in one World Series game.
• Matt Snyder writes that Chourio is now the face of the Brewers franchise.
• Jordan Shusterman has more thoughts on Chourio and his Game Three heroics.
• Jesse Rogers looks that the impact that manager Pat Murphy has had on the Brewers’ success.
• Andy McCullough and Will Sammon note that if the Brewers want to continue to be good, they may have to trade many of the heroes of this season. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Tyler Kepner writes about Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff’s career with Milwaukee and his miraculous comeback from injury to pitch the ninth inning in Game Three. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Davy Andrews marvels at Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson’s speed and unique sliding technique. (Fangraphs paywall)
• Will Sammon asks some scouts how much could Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta make in free agency this winter. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Despite some bad predictions with the two small markets, television ratings were only down a little for Games One and Two.
• Dan Shanoff and Andrew Marchand have more on what the TV ratings mean. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• None of this matters to commissioner Rob Manfred, who argued that two small market teams in the World Series means even more that baseball needs a salary cap. Mike Axisa reports.
• A FAQ on the upcoming collective bargaining talks and the lockout.
• Before that, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman have the top 50 free agents this winter.
• Congratulations to the Mets’ Francisco Lindor, who won this year’s Roberto Clemente Award.
• The Mariners are holding in-person interviews for their vacant manager job. The two candidates appear to be former Astros manager Joe Espada and Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler.
• Eric Longenhagen looks at some of the prospects in the Arizona Fall League.
• An update on the restrictions on outfield defensive positioning in the AFL.
• Legendary Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said that he doesn’t “feel welcome” around the Yankees. He didn’t say why.
• Andrew Baggarly reports on Giants team president Buster Posey comments on how the team plans on developing better “stuff” among their pitchers. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Former Dodger Miguel Rojas plans to play one more game for his original Venezuelan League team in Miami this November before retiring.
• The 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui has been named the new manager of the Yomiuri Giants in NPB. Max Ralph reports.
• Sweeny Murti notes that former Royal Danny Jackson had the only immaculate inning in postseason history and didn’t even know it for 30 more years. That’s because “immaculate inning” wasn’t a thing in 1985.
• Charlotte Barnes has a look at the “organized chaos” as the wives, fiancées and girlfriends of major leaguers in the World Series plan what they’re going to wear to support their significant others. (The Athletic sub. req.) There’s a lot of planning and custom orders.
• And finally, we all know the sad part of the Brewers run to the title is that Bob Uecker is not around for it. Cody Stavenhagen talks to people in the Brewers family about their memories of Uecker and how none of this seems complete without him. (The Athletic sub. req.)

On one hand, I’m never truly ready for baseball season to end, but in the case of this World Series, I have a particular rooting interest who could’ve ended the season on Tuesday night. Having crushed the Rays in Game 3, the Brewers went into Game 4 a win away from a sweep and the franchise’s first ever World Series championship.

In the end, they came mightily close, but not close enough. Having taken a lead in the 12th inning, the Brewers couldn’t quite hold on. With five consecutive batters reaching base, the Rays came storming back in the bottom of the 12th, ensuring that we’ll have at least one more game this season.

World Series Game 4

Tampa Bay Rays 4, Milwaukee Brewers 3 — 12 innings
(Brewers lead series 3-1)

The two teams traded runs back and forth throughout the first half of the game.

Having been part of some defensive miscues that helped doom the Rays in Game 3, Chandler Simpson helped get Tampa Bay off to a better start in Game 4. His second inning double scored Jonny DeLuca to get Tampa Bay on the board and open the scoring.

Milwaukee got on the board themselves in the top of the fourth. Cooper Pratt hit a two-out double to score Sal Frelick and even things up. However, the Rays answered back in the bottom of the inning. With Junior Caminero on second, DeLuca hit a grounder to Brewers’ third baseman David Hamilton. Hamilton’s reaching attempt to tag out an advancing Caminero missed and his throw to first was then wide of the mark. The error allowed Caminero to score.

However, it didn’t take long for Hamilton to atone for that. He was due to lead off the top of the fifth and took Griffin Jax deep to tie the score once again.

After that, the game became a battle of the bullpens, and quite a battle it was. After tying it up in the fifth, the Brewers had just three runners reach base in regulation innings, and none of them advanced into scoring position. Meanwhile after taking the lead in the fourth, the Rays had just two runners reach base, and similarly they didn’t get close to scoring. Eventually the game headed into extra innings.

Both teams traded opportunities in extras, but it wasn’t until the 12th inning when things went haywire. With one out in the top half of the inning, Cooper Pratt went deep, giving the Brewers their first lead of the game and putting them on the cusp of a championship.

However, a fairly big issue arose after that in that the Brewers didn’t have an obvious option to try and close out the win, having used most of their big pieces to get the game to extras to begin with. That includes Aaron Ashby, who went 2.1 innings in this game, setting a record in the process. They tried sticking with Antonio Senzatela, who had finished off the 11th, until Camerino reached on an error to lead off the inning, leading to Pat Murphy going back to the bullpen.

Shane Drohan was the call, but things didn’t improve from there. Liam Hicks singled to put runners at the corners. DeLuca then punched through a single of his own, tying the game back up. Following a Simpson single to load the bases, Ben Williamson capped off the comeback with yet another single. His walk-off scored pinch runner Nick Fortes as the Rays had won the game to stay alive.

Milwaukee will now have to try again tomorrow night, when they’ll likely send Jacob Misiorowski to the mound. Meanwhile, the Rays used their Game 1 starter, Nick Martinez, for two innings out of the bullpen in this one, so it’s unclear exactly where they’ll go.

How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.

In real life, the Milwaukee Brewers have three more chances to close out the 2026 World Series, so the pressure won't really start ramping up unless they have to return home still looking for that clinching victory.

In USA TODAY Sports' annual Simulated World Series, the Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are on much more even footing, with each team winning twice on the other's home field. Game 5, in this sense, is more pivotal than it is a potential endpoint.

Also in our version of the series, the Rays have ace Drew Rasmussen available to pitch on full rest after starting him in Game 1. The result was a classic pitcher's duel against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski, with both pitchers putting up goose eggs ... until Tampa Bay broke through in the eighth for a 3-0 win.

Rays vs Brewers World Series Game 5 simulation

The stage was set for a classic pitching matchup, with Rasmussen and Misiorowski fully rested − and with fresh bullpens behind them thanks to a blowout Brewers win in Game 4.

For seven innings, the bullpens remained quiet as the two aces carved up hitters with ease.

The Rays got two runners on base in the first, but Jonny DeLuca was no match for the Miz and grounded out.

Meanwhile, Rasmussen was super-sharp. He pitched around an error and a stolen base in the Milwaukee fourth when the Rays retired lead runner Jackson Chourio at third base on a poor bunt by Brice Turang.

The Brewers didn't get a hit off the Rays right-hander until the sixth inning, when Sal Frelick roped a one-out single to right field. But he was cut down by Fortes trying to steal second. Rasmussen got out of a jam later in the inning after David Hamilton singled, stole second and went to third on catcher Nick Fortes' throwing error. Chourio grounded out to end the threat.

The Rays finally cracked the ice in the eighth against lefty reliever Aaron Ashby, who had just entered the game for Misiorowski. Second baseman Nick Madrigal led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Taylor Walls. After Yandy Diaz walked, Jonathan Aranda grouned a left-on-left single to right, but Madrigal was cut down at the plate on a perfect throw from Sal Frelick for the second out.

With runners on the corners, pinch-hitter Ryan Vilade plated the game's first run with a clean single to center. And Junior Caminero provided the exclamation point with a two-run double off Trevor Megill for a 3-0 lead.

The Rays wouldn't even need closer Bryan Baker to finish things out. Rasmussen remained in the game for the ninth inning to retire the Brewers in order and complete the shutout.

BOX SCORE:  Rays 3 Brewers 0

FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: Rasmussen dominant in 3-hit shutout

What to watch in (the real) Game 5

▶ Misiorowski obliterates lefty hitters. Expected NL Cy Young award winner Jacob Misiorowski had a historically dominant season in 2026, allowing the fewest baserunners per nine innings since Pedro Martinez in 2000. One of the most eye-popping stats is his overpowering success against left-handed batters. He held them to a .114/.189/.189 slash line in 366 plate appearances.

There's not much the Rays can do about that, except maybe sit first baseman Jonathan Aranda or left fielder Chandler Simpson. In Sim Series Game 5, both of those lefty hitters started with the only lineup change from Game 1 being Ben Williamson starting at second base over switch-hitter Richie Palacios.

▶ Ashby finally falters. Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby has emerged as one of the stars of this postseason, tossing a record 17⅔ scoreless innings. His overpowering presence has helped the Brewers lock down any lead, no matter how small, in the late innings.

In Sim Series Game 5, the Brewers turned to Ashby with the score 0-0 in the eighth. He'd been perfect so far in this series as well, allowing no hits and no runs over three appearances and 3⅓ innings. But this time, the Rays cracked the code. An unlikely leadoff single from backup infielder Nick Madrigal (who didn't even make the Rays actual World Series roster) started the winning rally. Yandy Diaz walked. And even more stunning, Jonathan Aranda pulled a single to right field. (Ashby yielded just a .215 batting average to left-handed hitters during the regular season.)

Ryan Vilade, the Rays' best weapon off the bench against leftt-handed pitchers (.272/.341/.477), had the big hit here with an RBI single that scored Diaz and ended Ashby's outing. Should the Brewers have brought in right-hander Trevor Megill to counter Vilade? Perhaps so in hindsight.

Megill did come in one batter later to face Junior Caminero, who sealed the deal with a two-run double.

▶ Rasmussen's availability. Although Rays ace Drew Rasmussen wasn't at his best in the real Game 2, a second chance for redemption would be welcome. He was outstanding once again here in the Sim Series, going the distance and only allowing three hits and two walks, while striking out seven for his second win. (He tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings in the opener.)

In real life, the Rays still need to win three in a row, so there isn't much difference in Rasmussen pitching Game 5 or Game 6. But after they used Game 1 starter Nick Martinez in relief and will likely need to go to a bullpen game, they might be wishing they had their ace on the mound − and an extra day of rest to refresh the bullpen.

▶ Baserunning blunders. In an attempt to break through against Rasmussen, the Brewers ran themselves out of a couple innings, with Chourio getting caught trying to advance to third base on Turang's bunt in the fourth. Turang was also caught in a rundown on a steal attempt immediately after that.

Also in the sixth, Sal Frelick was cut down trying to steal second with one out.

Rays catcher Nick Fortes was almost exactly average in throwing out runners during the regular season with 15 outs in 75 attempts (20%). The Brewers' William Contreras was much better, going 15-for-54 (28%). Dynasty League Baseball accounts for the proficiency of each catcher in throwing runners out. Fortes has a zero arm rating (average), while Contreras is a -2, which is above average. (The ratings range from +4 to -4.)

Through the first five games of the Sim Series, the Rays have not attempted a stolen base on Contreras, while the Brewers are 6-for-9 on their attempts vs. Fortes.

Previous 2026 Sim Series results

• Game 1:Rays 3, Brewers 0
• Game 2:Rays 5, Brewers 2
• Game 3:Brewers 5, Rays 4
• Game 4:Brewers 9, Rays 1

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Simulated World Series 2026: Peerless pitching propels Rays in Game 5

Good morning Birdland,

The Orioles year-long hunt for a new General Manager to sit underneath Mike Elias in the front office came to an end last week, when they announced the hiring of Jared Banner. The 41-year-old Banner was officially introduced to the media and fan base in a press conference on Tuesday.

Banner comes to the Orioles with 18 years of baseball operations experience. He has spent the last six seasons with the Cubs organization, including the last two being spent as their assistant general manager.

Elias will continue to be the boss. However, he made it clear in the press conference that Banner’s role is going to be significant:

“Our setup right now is that Jared will take over everything to do with our internal players, our internal coaches, player development, performance, healthcare, all of that is going to fall under his umbrella,” Elias said. “I will then work more directly on the scouting and acquisition side of the equation — pro, international, amateur, contracts, things like that. But we will be running the whole team together and working in concert with one another. But that’s sort of the general division of management duties.”

“I think that Jared is very tremendously experienced in those areas, very successful in those areas. I think he’s better than I am in those areas. And this will also allow, hopefully, the club to leverage me a little bit better and allow me to spend more of my time on the acquisition side of things.”

That’s a big job ahead of Banner. The responsibilities being handed to him are in many of the areas in which the Orioles have struggled under Elias. And he is taking it on with just about a month before the current CBA expires. Without a new deal, clubs and players on the 40-man roster cannot communicate. So, any sort of offseason training will need to be mapped out ahead of time. No matter how experienced the new GM may be, that is a lot to sort out in just a few weeks.

It is possible that additional shakeups will be coming in the organization’s player development structure, though nothing was revealed on that front. Obviously, Matt Blood, the team’s former vice president of player and staff development, left the organization last month. Banner seems to be coming in, absorbing Blood’s old responsibilities, and likely taking on a few more.

Elias said a few weeks ago that he expected to expand the front office this offseason. Adding Banner while losing Blood would not seem to represent an expansion itself, so something more could be coming. Whether that means allowing Banner to fill out a bigger developmental staff, or if Elias himself gets more deputies on the player acquisition side. It remains to be seen.

No conclusions can be made about Banner or the decision to hire him. Many in the fan base think the clube needs someone other than Elias to lead them. Clearly, ownership disagrees. At the very least, it is good that the Orioles identified weaknesses. They believe that Banner can help solve them. Whether that is true or not won’t be evident until the team starts playing baseball again. Right now, we don’t know when that will be.

Links

Banner excited to be new O’s GM: ‘We’re going to build a winner’ | Orioles.com
The American League is ripe for a team to rise above the mediocrity. If the Orioles are as talented as they seem to think they are, there is no reason it can’t be them.

Jared Banner is here to kickstart Orioles’ player development, plus other takeaways | The Banner
More on how Elias’ and Banner’s roles will differ. It is a little reminiscent of The Office arch where Michael and Jim become co-managers. Michael handles the “big picture” plans while Jim handles the “day-to-day” items. It won’t be as funny if it doesn’t work out for the Orioles.

Orioles Notes: Front Office, Rotation | MLB Trade Rumors
Elias says, once again, that the rotation is a priority going into the offseason. It is true that every team wants more starting pitching. But it is a tad annoying that the Orioles are trying to find an ace or ace-adjacent arm every single winter. If you have to say you’re looking for that kind of player every year then you failed to find them the previous year.

Some leftovers on Banner’s hiring as Orioles general manager | Roch Kubatko
Banner is saying all of the right things as he steps into this new role. He has a positive outlook. He seems excited to be hear. And his resumé speaks for itself.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Corban Joseph turns 38 today. The utility man played for five teams across parts of three big league seasons. That included a 14-game stay with the Orioles in 2018.
• Nate McLouth is 45 years old. Signed in the middle of the 2012 season, McLouth stepped right into the Orioles left field role and help the organization back to the playoffs for the first time since 1997. He stuck around for 2013, where he was worth 1.9 bWAR.
• Juan Guzmán is 60 today. The Orioles acquired him from the Blue Jays at the 1998 trade deadline. Over the next year he made 32 starts and was then traded to the Reds at the 1999 trade deadline. That swap with the Reds would land reliever B.J. Ryan in Baltimore, where he would develop into one of baseball’s better closers.
• Bob Melvin is 65 years old. The former catcher had a three-seasons stint in Baltimore from 1989-91. He may be better known by modern fans as a manager, a role he held for several clubs between 2003 and 2025.
• The late Sammy Stewart (b. 1954, d. 2018) was born on this day. He was an important member of the Orioles pitching staff from 1978 through ‘85. In that eight-year span he threw 866 innings, a mix between the rotation and the bullpen, and even led the league in ERA (2.32) in 1981.

This day in O’s history

Nothing of note has happened in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. So, here are a few things that have occurred outside of Birdland:

1886 – The Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland.

1919 – U.S. Congress passes the Volstead Act over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto. This paves the way for Prohibition to begin the following January.

1942 – The Alaska Highway first connects Alaska to the North American railway network at Dawson Creek in Canada.