Category: Baseball

We come to the last week of the season, and the Twins have officially been eliminated from playoff contention and will not be able to finish the season with a winning record. On the bright side, Walker Jenkins figured out major league pitching! The Twins wrap up the season with a series in San Francisco and finish at home against the Rangers. If you want something to root for, the Twins are tied for third with the Tigers, so maybe we can root for being right in the middle of the division.

The Past Week on Twinkie Town:

• Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
• We’re starting a new segment called Daily Questions! Provide your opinion on the Twins and debate with the community!
• Game threads and recaps are back! Commiserate with your fellow fans as we experience the season together.
• While this season has (maybe) not gone as expected, at least we’re not the 2016 team, as Zach Koenig reminds us.
• We’ve seen one week of Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Aidan O’Brien writes about why he has the makings of a star.

Elsewhere in Twins Territory:

• It’s been an up-and-down year for Bailey Ober, but Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune looks at whether there’s still a place for a sub-90 pitcher in today’s MLB.
• Aaron Gleeman analyzes five breakout prospects from the 2026 season.
• Matthew Taylor at Twins Daily dives into two bullpen arms, Cole Sands and Kody Funderburk, and their prospects for 2027.
• Aaron Sabato will finally have an opportunity to play in the majors after getting promoted for the final week of the season.

In the World of Baseball:

• The Yankees and the Red Sox joined the Rays as teams to clinch their spot in the playoffs. Due to a quirk in MLB playoff format, only one of these teams is going to make it to the ALCS. The Rays have not exactly clinched the #1 spot in the AL, but with seven games left in the season, they only need to win two of those games to finish in the top spot. The Guardians and White Sox are battling it out for the AL Central lead, after another classic September charge from the Guardians to go from a distant second in the division to now having the lead. However, neither team has clinched a playoff spot, as the Blue Jays, Astros, and Orioles still have an outside chance for the final wild-card spot. In the AL West, the Rangers hold a slim 1.0-game lead over the Astros, so it’s still anyone’s game there.
• In the NL, the Dodgers and Braves have joined the Brewers as division champs, while the Cubs, Padres, and Phillies are all virtual locks to make it to the wild card round. Only the Diamondbacks can take a spot, but it’s going to be tough, as they are four games behind the Phillies for the last spot.
• Boston started out the season 10-17, with the playoffs a distant hope. Tim Keown at ESPN looks at how the team pulled itself together and could potentially finish with the third-best record in the American League.
• While it might seem that the season is all but over, Brent Maguire at MLB.com looks at the top nine things at stake in the final week.

Each year, the Phillies select a position player and a pitcher from their minor league system that they believe to have had the best year in their organization. This year’s winners are probably easy to identify.

McFarlane has been making a name for himself of late at the major league level, but it’s important to know how well he was doing in the minor leagues. He struck out over 12 hitters per nine innings, showing his stuff was still quite good even as he climbed the minor league ladder (even if his control was a bit sketchy at times), posting a 1.83 ERA across 36 minor league innings.

Rincon was arguably the biggest breakout the team had offensively. His .267/.410/.517 line with 27 home runs and 67 RBI was eye opening, his added 30 steals less so as he’s always had the speed. His finally getting some consistent playing time with no real major injuries happening was huge for his development as a hitter, changing his trajectory with the organization. He has a real chance at cracking a roster as utility player in the near future, maybe even as a starter if he can continue these improvements he has made this season.

Congrats to both players.

The Texas Rangers enter the final week of the 2026 regular season in first place in the American League West with a 78-78 record, one game up on the Houston Astros.

One week ago today, we talked about how the 2026 Rangers were in almost exactly the same spot the 2025 Rangers were in 365 days earlier. Fangraphs had the Rangers with a 31.3% chance of making the playoffs when we did that post.

Three days ago, we talked about how, with nine games left in the regular season, the Rangers were still in the mix after taking two of three against the Red Sox. Fangraphs gave the Rangers a 32.9% chance of making the playoffs when we did that post.

Things have changed quickly over the past week, and in particular, over the weekend. Texas took two of three over the Toronto Blue Jays, who were one of the teams the Rangers were fighting for a playoff spot three days ago. The Astros, meanwhile, got swept at home by the Atlanta Braves, with former Rangers Tyler Mahle and Martin Perez starting two of the games for Atlanta and throwing a combined 10.1 innings with just two runs allowed. We appreciate the hard work, fellas.

Cleveland and Chicago, who are battling for both the American League Central crown and the third Wild Card spot, had strong weekend series as well. Cleveland swept the Swingin’ A’s at home, moving to 81-75 on the year, while the White Sox took two of the final three games of their four games series at home against Detroit, going to 80-76 on the season.

The success of Cleveland and the White Sox have pretty much eliminated the Wild Card as a path to the playoffs for the Rangers. The Rays have almost sewed up the American League East, and the Yankees (89-66) and the Red Sox (84-72) have largely sewn up the top two Wild Card seeds. Fangraphs gives all three of those teams a 100% chance of making the playoffs, even though the Red Sox haven’t technically mathematically clinched a postseason spot yet.

The third Wild Card spot is currently held by the White Sox, who are two games ahead of the Rangers, though they have the tiebreaker over Texas, making it effectively a three game lead. For the Rangers to claim the third Wild Card spot, they would have to be three games better than either the White Sox or the Guardians over the final six games, while losing at least one more game than the Astros. That’s mathematically possible, but not likely.

Fangraphs’ playoff odds gives the Guardians a 62.8% chance of winning the division and a 34.9% chance of earning a Wild Card berth, while the ChiSox are at 37.2% and 58.7%, respectively. Fangraphs has the winner of the Central having a 97.1% chance of earning a first round bye, so both teams have something to play for, since the division winner gets a few days to rest and arrange their pitching staff while the second place team will spend Tuesday, Wednesday and (if necessary) Thursday of next week playing in Arlington or Houston to advance to the Divisional Series.

We said Friday morning that whoever lost the Rangers/Jays series would likely be in need of a miracle to make the postseason. That’s where the Jays find themselves now, at 77-79, three games back of White Sox for the third Wild Card spot, and tied with the Astros. The Jays lost their season series to the ChiSox, split their season series with the Astros, and won their series against the Guardians, so Toronto needs to have a great final week and hope that either Chicago or the Guardians collapse.

Currently, Fangraphs gives the Blue Jays a 3.6% chance of making the playoffs. The only American League teams not eliminated that have lower odds are the Orioles and Mariners, each at 0.1%.

So, long tail/black swan outcomes notwithstanding, the Rangers’ task for the final week of the season is straightforward. Win more games than the Astros in the final week, and Texas wins the division and most likely hosts the Guardians or White Sox next week. Win fewer games that the Astros in the final week, and Texas almost certainly is sitting at home wondering what if.

Among the A.L. contenders, the Orioles and Jays start a three game series on Monday, and are off on Thursday before their final three games on Friday through Sunday. Every other A.L. contender is off today and then plays six in a row through the end of the season.

The Rangers have a three game series against the Mets at home on Tuesday and Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon, then go to Minnesota for games Friday night and Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

The Astros play Tuesday and Wednesday evening in Seattle, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in Sacramento, and then Sunday afternoon in Sacramento. The night games are West Coast night games, so all the Rangers’ games will be in the late innings or over when Houston plays this week except on Sunday, when every plays at the same time.

The Mets have lefty Sean Manaea (4.74 ERA/4.54 FIP in 17 starts and 14 relief appearances this year) going on Tuesday, righty Nolan McLean (3.18 ERA/3.65 FIP in 30 starts) on Wednesday, and rookie lefty Zac Thornton (3.40 ERA/4.50 FIP in 14 starts) on Thursday. McLean is the most difficult matchup for the Rangers — he has a 2.62 ERA in 65.1 innings over 11 starts in the second half, and has allowed more than two earned runs in a start just twice since the beginning of July. This is also the most innings he’s pitched in a season in his career, and the Mets may be cautious in regards to how far they push him in what would be his final appearance of the year.

The Rangers have TBD as their starters for the Mets series. My guess is that the plan is to have Nathan Eovaldi start Tuesday. That would set him up to pitch the season finale on regular rest, health allowing, and the Rangers also will have a full, rested pen after Monday’s off day if Eovaldi is limited to 70 or so pitches, having not thrown more than 46 in an appearance since being activated. My guess is that some combination of MacKenzie Gore and Kumar Rocker go Wednesday and Thursday — with Eovaldi potentially limited as far as how deep into the game he can go, the Wednesday starter may be whichever of the pair they think can go the longest. For most of the season, Gore has been able to eat innings, even if he’s not effective, but he has gone 4 innings or less in four of his last five starts and is battling the shoulder/back spasms that shelved him early in his last outing. Rocker has gone five or fewer in seven or his last eight outings, and is well past the most innings he’s ever pitched in his career.

(UPDATE — The Rangers have now announced that MacKenzie Gore will be starting the opener against the Mets on Tuesday.)

The Twins have TBDs as their starters for the Rangers series. Lefty Zebby Matthews is pitching in the series opener against the Giants today, and so would seem likely to start either Saturday or Sunday. Righthander Taj Bradley is going Tuesday against San Francisco, and could make the start on Sunday, but if he does, it would likely be a short outing, as he’s already passed his major league career highs in starts (31 after Tuesday’s start) and innings (172.1 before Tuesday’s start). Joe Ryan made his last start on Saturday, which would put him on schedule to start Friday against the Rangers. Righthander Dean Kremer (4.97 ERA/4.86 FIP in 16 starts this year), acquired from the Orioles at the deadline, started for Minnesota on Sunday and would seem likely to start Saturday.

As for the Rangers, if Jacob deGrom goes on regular rest, he’d start the opener in Minnesota on Friday. If the Rangers opt to give him an extra day of rest due to his groin, he could go Saturday, but that would mean that if the Rangers make the playoffs and play in the Wild Card Round, he’d go on regular rest in a potential Game Three, which is only played if the first two games are split. That means its possible the Rangers would lose the first two games without deGrom going at all, opening the organization up to second-guessing.

If Eovaldi is able to go on Tuesday without problems, then he would presumably start on Sunday if the game matters. If the Rangers are out of the playoff race by Sunday, there’s no reason to push him, and if the Rangers have already clinched by Sunday, you’d save Eovaldi to go on Tuesday in Game One of the Wild Card Series.

With Cal Quantrill on the injured list, the big question for the Rangers is who would start in on Friday or Saturday in Minnesota — whichever game deGrom doesn’t start. Cody Bradford would seem to be the best choice for the other game, with Jordan Montgomery available for length behind him. However, the Rangers could slot Bradford into one of the two games against the Mets, and push back Rocker or Gore. That would especially make sense if Gore needs additional recovery time.

The good news as far as the bullpen goes is that Peyton Gray appears likely to be activated for the Mets’ series, after throwing a bullpen over the weekend. Gray would likely replace Winston Santos, who was brought up when Quantrill went on the injured list. Gray was a 7th/8th inning guy for Skip Schumaker before going on the i.l., and given the state of the rest of the pen, would likely be put right back into that mix.

The Rangers could also churn some of the low-leverage arms in the pen as needed — Ben Peoples is eligible to be recalled on Wednesday, and Gavin Collyer can be recalled at any point, so if Adam Macko, for example, gets used for a couple of innings and they want a fresh arm, one of them could be pulled up and Macko sent down. The Rangers could also, I believe, send down Cody Bradford, who has options, if and when he makes his next start or lengthy appearance out of the pen, and bring up Peoples or Collyer, or purchase the contract of a Joe Ross or a John King just to have an arm to feed to the wolves in the pen, if needed.

The Astros have Cristian Javier going up against Logan Gilbert on Tuesday, followed by TBD against George Kirby. The Astros went with Ethan Pecko as their bulk guy last week after Javier’s start, then Peter Lambert. I would think they would have Lambert come back on regular rest against Kirby in Seattle on Wednesday, but that remains to be seen. Regardless, those pitching matchups have to be encouraging for us Rangers fans.

The A’s/Astros series is TBD for all four games currently. If Lambert goes on Wednesday, that would mean Hayden Wesneski would likely go in the opener in Sacramento, and Javier in the finale. The good news for the Rangers is that Hunter Brown — easily the Astros’ best starter this year — pitched on Sunday, so while he will be starting either Friday or Saturday in Sacramento, he’ll only be going in one game, and won’t be facing Seattle.

Man, I’m nervous. And excited. And nervous. This is exciting stuff.

And at the end of the day, if the Rangers win out, they get in. Let’s send positive vibes into the universe for that to happen, and then we don’t have to worry about all the rest of this.

Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman has returned to Chicago a day after being hit in the face by a foul ball while standing in front of the on-deck circle during a road game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Bregman shared that information — as well as a photo that appears to show that his left eye remains swollen shut — Monday morning on his Instagram Stories.

“Back in Chicago,” wrote Bregman, who also appeared to have a cut and bruising near his left cheekbone where the ball off teammate Michael Busch’s bat made contact during the fourth inning of the Cubs’ 9-1 victory.

Read more:Is it still a rivalry? Dodgers complete sweep of woeful Giants

It was the second photo and update posted by Bregman since the gruesome injury occurred. On Sunday evening, the three-time All Star shared a photo that appeared to have been taken in the team’s clubhouse. In addition to his eye being swollen shut and cheek cut, Bregman also has gauze inserted in his left nostril, where some bleeding had occurred.

“Thanks for the messages yall,” Bregman wrote. “I’ll be back.”

Before the incident occurred, Bregman hit a run-scoring single in the first inning and walked and eventually scored in the third. He was standing several feet in front of the on-deck circle when Busch fouled off a pitch by Cincinnati’s Luis Mey on a checked swing.

Read more:Dodger Stadium has a botanic garden tour. Meet the man entrusted with making it a draw

Bregman lost his bat but maintained his footing as the ball struck him. He covered his face with his left hand and was able to jog toward the Cubs dugout, where a trainer helped him down the steps and into the clubhouse. The 11-year veteran was taken to a hospital for testing.

“It’s a terrible, terrible accident,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said after the game. “We hope he’s OK.”

Bregman is batting .262 with 26 home runs and 89 RBIs in his first season with the Cubs. He is probably best known to Los Angeles fans as a member of the Houston Astros team that defeated the Dodgers in the 2017 World Series and were later found by MLB to have illegally used technology to steal signs during that season. Bregman and the Astros also won the 2022 World Series.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

On August 22nd, during a divisional game between the Yankees and Blue Jays the YES Network invited to the booth a special guest: the retired slugger Cecil Fielder. Fielder had history with both franchises—he debuted as a member of the Blue Jays, and then later in his career came aboard with the Yankees after becoming a star, helping them win a championship in 1996.

Despite a brief detour in which he expressed befuddlement with modern hitting, Fielder’s conversation with Michael Kay and former teammate Paul O’Neill was ultimately a pleasant one. He spoke reverently about the 1996 team he helped bring to championship glory. “I didn’t have to do much; I just had to fit in,” he said. “All I had to do was come here and just play, and that’s what we did. We just went out, and if we play today we win today.”

Cecil Grant Fielder
Born: September 21, 1963 (Los Angeles, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 1996-97

Fielder grew up in La Puente, outside Los Angeles, and was so dominant an athlete during his youth that opposing parents continually accused his parents, Edson and Tina Fielder, of faking Cecil’s age. A three-sport star at Nogales High School, he enjoyed basketball more than football and baseball but chose to pursue baseball because he didn’t think his bulky frame would allow him to succeed at the point guard position he played. Concerns about his size, though, would follow him throughout the early portions of his budding baseball career.

After the Orioles took a flyer on him out of high school, Fielder played at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas—but only for one season. His college coach wanted him to lose a whopping 50 pounds; he quit the program two games into his sophomore year. Shortly afterward, in June of 1982, the Royals selected him in the supplemental draft—but they too had their doubts about Fielder long-term. In 1983 Kansas City traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays for veteran outfielder Leon Roberts.

Fielder made his MLB debut in the second half of 1985, the Jays’ first playoff season after a slow build. Over the next four seasons, he flashed the tantalizing power he was already known for, but couldn’t establish himself as a regular on a Toronto team which was perennially gunning for the World Series. So, Cecil went to Japan.

With Hanshin in 1989, Fielder overcame a sluggish start to become a fan favorite, wowing crowds with his prodigious pop. He hit 38 home runs and slugged .628 in his lone NPB season, earning some interest from a few MLB clubs. The Tigers brought him aboard on a two-year, $3 million pact, and were immediately rewarded, as Fielder tore the cover off the ball in a legendary 1990 season, once even demolishing a Dave Stewart pitch out of Tiger Stadium entirely. That was the kind of power that the man they called “Big Daddy” brought to the plate. His grand finale came in the Bronx.

On October 3rd, Fielder made history by hitting his 50th home run of the season off the Yankees’ Steve Adkins in the second inning. It had been nearly three full decades since an American League player last reached the 50-homer mark (and 13 years since George Foster for the Reds). Fielder pulled it off in his first season as a true big-league starter. He went on to hit his 51st homer of the season off Alan Mills in the top of the eighth. At this point, his pursuit of history was the only compelling storyline; Detroit and New York both finished well out of the playoff picture.

The next season, the Tigers improved substantially, and Fielder clobbered another 44 homers, but it was not enough to carry them to the playoffs—they finished tied for second in a crowded AL East, seven back of Toronto. That was as close as they’d come to the postseason while Fielder was under their employ—and by 1996, Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson was gone and the Tigers were back in the basement. Indeed, it was the middle of a nearly two-decade stretch of no playoff baseball in Detroit until 2006. Well on their way to 109 losses, they shopped Fielder, who had a season and a half remaining on his deal.

The Yankees, leading comfortably in the AL East, were an obvious fit. They would be willing to take on Fielder’s big salary (he was the highest-earning player in the league in 1996), and the offense lacked a true power threat from the right side of the plate. To that point, no one had hit more homers in the ’90s than Cecil, surpassing even Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Ken Griffey Jr. So on July 31st, they got their guy, sending Rubén Sierra—who Joe Torre wanted out of the clubhouse anyway—and preseason 12th-overall Baseball America prospect Matt Drews the other way in the deal.

Fielder’s production in pinstripes in the back half of the regular season was essentially consistent to what he did in Motown. He posted a 109 OPS+ before the trade, and a 108 after the trade. He socked 13 dingers to get to 39 on the season, and typically sat between O’Neill and Tino Martinez in the order. Despite Fielder’s quality play, the Yanks oddly scuffled to a 13-17 record in August before rebounding with a 16-11 September to clinch the AL East, their first division title in 15 years.

In the Yankees’ ensuing postseason run, Fielder made an immediate impact, hitting a home run in a 12-inning Game 2 win over Texas in the Bronx to even the ALDS. He added two more hits and RBI in Game 4 as the Bombers punched their ticket to the ALCS against the division rival Orioles.

Fielder provided quality over quantity in that five-game set. While he only grabbed three hits against Baltimore, one was a two-run homer against Mike Mussina in Game 2 which gave the Yankees some valuable insurance runs in a 5-2 victory. Then in the decisive Game 5, Fielder’s three-run jack was the first of back-to-back jacks with fellow powerhouse Darryl Strawberry.

It was easy to wonder whether that effort might be for naught when the Yankees fell behind the Braves two games to none to start the World Series as the series shifted to Atlanta. But the Bombers rallied heroically, first when David Cone outdueled Tom Glavine in a 5-3 win in Game 3, then when they overcame a 6-0 deficit to win Game 4 8-6 in extra innings. Fielder got the rally started with a two-run single to put the Yankees on the board. With no DH for the games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Torre had been tasked with a tough decision of whether to play Fielder or Martinez at first base. With Tino slumping, Torre had gone with Fielder; it was the right call.

With the series tied back up, it was Fielder’s RBI double off an otherwise-pristine John Smoltz in the fourth inning of Game 5 which provided the only run of the entire night—the Yankees pitching, led by Andy Pettitte, shut down the Braves and allowed New York to take control of the Fall Classic once and for all.

Fielder grabbed one last knock in Game 6, his ninth of the series, as the Yankees won 3-2 to clinch their 23rd championship.

Fielder stuck around in 1997, and remained a regular in the lineup until a thumb injury sidelined him in mid-July. He returned a few months later in time for the end of the regular season, but saw a reduced role in the playoffs. He only appeared in two games in the Division Series and picked up one hit as the Yankees bowed out to Cleveland. Fielder’s power had declined—across the full year, he only managed to hit 13 homers, the same number he had hit after the trade the previous season. His slugging percentage was .410, the lowest he’d posted in a full season to that point.

The Yankees, retooling their lineup with the additions of Chuck Knoblauch, Scott Brosius, and Chili Davis, let Fielder walk in free agency at year’s end. He signed with the Angels, and put together a solid first half near his hometown before struggling mightily after the All-Star Break. In August, the Angels released him—undeterred, he quickly joined up with Cleveland for one last opportunity to reach the postseason. But his steep decline continued there, and the AL Central champs cut bait after 14 games. Unable to catch on with Toronto the following spring, Fielder retired in 1999 with 319 career home runs: the exact total his son Prince would rack up in his own terrific career.

Cecil’s retirement was far from easy—he and Prince were estranged for a time and a purported gambling habit led to the collapse of his marriage. But by the time he joined the YES booth this August, he had repaired his relationship with Prince, remarried, and was able to reminisce about the good times with O’Neill, with whom he captured championship glory 30 years ago.

Happy birthday, Cecil.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Tonight the Jays start their second-to-last series of the season. Six games remain, with a mathematical chance of making the playoffs, but math occasionally lies. But a series sweep would make things a little more interesting.

Anyway, they have three games in Baltimore:

• Tonight, 6:35 start time: Trey Yesavage (5-5, 3.65) vs. Shance Baz (6-15, 4.11).
• Tuesday, 6:35 start time: Max Scherzer (3-8, 6.07) vs. Chris Bassitt (8-5, 4.64).
• Wednesday, 6:35 start time: TBD vs. TBD.

Trey’s last rehab start wasn’t exactly something to build our confidence, but then I doubt there is a direct correlation between rehab starts and the major league return.

Rain is in the forecast for Baltimore this week, but the league will get the games in no matter what it takes. There isn’t time to reschedule.

The Orioles are two games back of the Jays, not quite officially eliminated, but they likely will be in the next couple of days.

The Orioles rank sixth in the AL in runs/game at 4.44 (the Jays are second-to-last at 4.01). They are 11th in runs allowed per game at 4.64 (the Jays are sixth at 4.30).

The Orioles have some excellent batters and fielders:

• Pete Alonso: .264/.358/.500 with 38 home runs, a league-leading 105 RBI, 78 walks and 163 RBI for a 4.3 bWAR.
• Gunnar Henderson: .223/.308/.397 with 23 home runs, 65 walks and 151 strikeouts, 3.0 bWAR. Outs Above Average has him at a +2, but I think his defence is better than that.
• Colton Cowser: .224/.313/.367 with 13 home runs, 43 walks and 118 strikeouts for a 2.4 bWAR. Outs above average have him at a +7 in center field.
• Samuel Basallo: .223/.292/.408 with 18 home runs, 32 walks and 104 strikeouts for a 1.7 bWAR. He’s just 21, has a great arm behind the plate, throwing out 26.2% of basesteals (league average is 22.7).

The bullpen isn’t their strong point:

• Andrew Kittredge: 3.61 ERA, 10 saves, 5 blown saves, 9 holds. Batters are hitting .274/.311/.416 against him.
• Rico Garcia: 3.18 ERA, 9 saves, 6 blown saves, 18 holds. Batters are hitting .185/.261/.343 against him.
• Anthony Nunez: 3.90, 3 saves, 3 blown saves, 7 holds. Batters are hitting .204/.304/.322 against him.
• Grant Wolfram: 4.35, 1 save, 1 blown, 13 holds. Batters are hitting .261/.327/.397 against him. He’s a lefty, but lefties are hitting .284/.348/.382 against him.
• Yennier Cano: 3.00, 3 saves, 2 blown, 13 holds. Batters are hitting .214/.273/.280 against him.

They also have former Jays lefty Josh Walker in the pen. He has a 1.57 ERA in 29 games.

The Milwaukee Brewers are set to wrap up their last road trip of the 2026 regular season this week, as they’ll visit the Philadelphia Phillies for three games. A pair of playoff teams (barring a final week collapse by Philadelphia), the Brewers sit at 98-58 with the best record in baseball, while the Phillies are 86-70 and currently sit in the final NL Wild Card spot, four games ahead of the D-backs with six games to go. Last time these teams met, back in June, the Brewers took two of three in Milwaukee with a pair of shutouts.

The Brewers injured list currently includes relievers Grant Anderson (on rehab assignment), Bryse Wilson (on rehab assignment), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). They’re also without starters Quinn Priester (out for season) and Brandon Woodruff (potential late postseason return).

Philadelphia is without pitchers Jesús Luzardo (aiming for postseason return), Caleb Kilian (out for season), and Brad Keller (out for season). Outfielders Johan Rojas and Adolis García are also out for the year. Right-hander Jonathan Bowlan is also considered day to day with a mild groin strain.

Jake Bauers and Jackson Chourio lead the way for Milwaukee’s offense, with Brice Turang a homer and a steal away from a 20-20 season. William Contreras has also been a key producer over the last month or so, and Joey Ortiz has been a leader offensively in the second half. Andrew Vaughn, Garrett Mitchell, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, and Christian Yelich have also been regular producers, with Gary Sánchez, David Hamilton, Sal Frelick, and Bo Naylor serving as depth. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .258/.341/.403 (.744 OPS ranks fourth), with 149 homers (tied for 28th), 802 runs scored (second), and 156 steals (fifth).

Kyle Schwarber is tied for the major league lead with 45 homers this season, driving in 95 and also walking 101 times, just behind Bryce Harper’s 104. Harper has slugged 28 homers, while Trea Turner is a homer away from a 20-20 season (19 homers, 21 steals), and Brandon Marsh, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, and Bryson Stott also have double-digit homers. Deadline acquisition Luis Arraez is hitting “just” .285 since joining Philadelphia, and Justin Crawford rounds out the usual starters. Bryan De La Cruz, Derek Hill, Garrett Stubbs, Edmundo Sosa, and Rafael Marchán round out the bench. As a team, the Phillies are hitting .241/.312/.397 (.709 OPS ranks 22nd), with 179 homers (tied for 14th), 697 runs scored (tied for 13th), and 102 steals (15th).

Milwaukee’s bullpen is anchored by closer Trevor Megill, setup man Abner Uribe, and high-leverage arms in Aaron Ashby, Chad Patrick, and DL Hall. Ashby’s 3.27 ERA is actually the worst of that group, while Megill leads the team with 29 saves this year. Shane Drohan has rejoined the bullpen after working as a starter for most of the year, as has the struggling Kyle Harrison. Deadline acquisitions JoJo Romero and Antonio Senzatela are also in the ‘pen, as is Colton Gordon, who hasn’t yet made an appearance with Milwaukee (more on him later). As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.54 team ERA (second) including a 3.64 starter ERA (fifth) and a 3.41 bullpen ERA (fourth). They’ve struck out 1,492 batters (second) over 1,393 2/3 innings.

José Alvarado leads Philadelphia with 65 appearances, though his 5.02 ERA over 57 1/3 innings isn’t ideal. Jhoan Duran is the closer, as he’s 32-for-34 in save opportunities, turning in a 1.76 ERA and 79 strikeouts over 56 1/3 innings. The aforementioned Bowlan (3.36 over 56 1/3 IP), Tim Mayza (3.46 ERA over 65 IP), and Chase Shugart (4.03 ERA over 51 1/3 IP) all play key roles, while deadline pickup Brooks Raley (8.71 ERA over 10 1/3 IP) has struggled. Tanner Banks (6.82 ERA over 33 IP) and Max Lazar (5.63 ERA over 8 IP) have also had a rough go, while Alex McFarlane (2.35 ERA over 15 1/3 IP) has been solid. As a staff, the Phillies have a 4.00 team ERA (11th) including a 3.79 starter ERA (seventh) and a 4.34 bullpen ERA (21st). They’ve struck out 1,510 batters (first) over 1,384 1/3 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Tuesday, September 22 @ 5:40 p.m.: RHP Dustin May (7-9, 4.61 ERA, 3.50 FIP) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (13-5, 2.99 ERA, 3.47 FIP)

May has had an up-and-down tenure in Milwaukee, with several strong starts and several short ones. After working six scoreless innings against the Reds on September 11, he went just 2 1/3 innings against the Orioles on Friday, allowing three runs on six hits, a walk, and a hit batter while striking out four, needing 70 pitches to do so. He’ll go on short rest after the shortened start, looking to bounce back against Philadelphia. May has faced 28 teams in his career, but the Phillies are not one of them (the other is Toronto).

Wheeler, 36, was nearly a Brewer as the return from the Mets in the Carlos Gomez trade, but that never came to fruition as Gomez ultimately headed to Houston. He remains one of the most consistent starters in the majors, as he’s 13-5 with a 2.99 ERA, 3.47 FIP, and 177 strikeouts over 150 1/3 innings this year. He’s allowed one run or fewer in each of his last four outings against the Angels, Braves, Astros, and Nationals, totaling 26 innings with three earned runs and 29 strikeouts. The veteran righty has made 11 career starts against Milwaukee, and he’s 5-2 with a 2.41 ERA and 78 strikeouts across 71 innings.

Wednesday, September 23 @ 5:40 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (10-3, 2.51 ERA, 3.30 FIP) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (7-10, 4.49 ERA, 4.78 FIP)

Henderson, who has quickly developed into Milwaukee’s No. 2 starter, has had a great rookie season, going 10-3 with a 2.51 ERA, 3.30 FIP, and 107 strikeouts across 93 1/3 innings. He’s coming off what he’d probably consider a “disappointing” start against the Pirates, going five innings with three runs allowed (tying a career-high mark) and eight strikeouts in a no-decision. This marks Henderson’s first career appearance against Philadelphia.

Nola, 33, is another veteran right-hander, having spent all 12 seasons of his career in Philadelphia. Nola is having a mediocre year, with a 7-10 record, 4.49 ERA, 4.78 FIP, and 169 strikeouts over 168 1/3 innings. He’s had trouble with the long ball, allowing an MLB-worst 34 homers this season. He’s looked better over his last several outings, though, allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts, totaling 48 1/3 innings with a 1.86 ERA and 48 strikeouts. Nola has made 16 career starts against Milwaukee, going 7-3 with a 3.22 ERA and 104 strikeouts over 95 innings. That includes a no-decision back in June, when he went 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and striking out three.

Thursday, September 24 @ 5:05 p.m.: TBD vs. TBD

Neither team has announced a starter for Thursday’s series finale, and it’s hard to predict Milwaukee’s starter due to the recent shuffling e.g., Dustin May and Kyle Harrison. This seems like the perfect opportunity for Colton Gordon, who the Brewers acquired alongside Lance McCullers Jr. in exchange for Jadyn Fielder back in July. Gordon, 27, hasn’t yet appeared in the majors with Milwaukee, but he’s 6-4 with a 5.95 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 95 1/3 innings in MLB with the Astros. He’s made 10 starts with Triple-A Nashville since being acquired, going 1-5 with a 4.67 ERA and 48 strikeouts over 54 innings. The former eighth-round pick has made one career start against Philadelphia, which came last June while with Houston. He went five scoreless innings, striking out four to pick up the win.

Philadelphia will likely go with José Urquidy as the “bulk arm” in this game, as the last turn through the rotation, left-hander Tim Mayza opened the first inning before turning it over to the right-hander. Urquidy, 31, started the season with the Pirates and also spent time with the White Sox before being claimed off waivers by Philadelphia on Thursday. He’s made 12 appearances (one start) this year, totaling 33 2/3 innings with a 4.54 ERA, 3.84 FIP, and 27 strikeouts. In Friday’s loss to the Mets, he worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on five hits and six strikeouts. Urquidy has faced 26 teams in his career, but the Brewers are not one of them.

How to Watch & Listen

Tuesday, September 22: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Wednesday, September 23: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Thursday, September 24: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

The Phillies have a lot more to play for at this point, as they’re fighting with the Cubs and Padres for home-field advantage in the NL Wild Card Series (whereas the Brewers are just fighting with the Dodgers for the top overall seed). Philadelphia hasn’t been consistent recently, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Brewers sneak away with two out of three.

The Dodgers are taking advantage of the schedule in front of them, with 14 wins in 19 September games, including winning the last 10 in a row at home. This week that meant beating the Reds three times in four games in Cincinnati, then returning to Los Angeles to sweep the Giants.

They went with a two-way under the Cincinnati skyline, first clinching a postseason berth on Monday, tying the Atlanta Braves record with 14 straight postseasons, followed by winning their fifth straight National League West title and 13 out of 14 on Thursday.

Entering the final week of the season, the Dodgers can clinch a bye week with a magic number of three over the Braves.

Batter of the week

Kyle Tucker is starting to turn things around at the plate, and followed up an excellent series the previous weekend in Miami with nine hits in 20 at-bats, with three home runs and two doubles, with six walks and just one strikeout.

Honorable mention goes to Mookie Betts, who tied a Dodgers record with three doubles on Saturday, part of a stretch of three consecutive games with at least three hits. Will Smith found his power again with two home runs and a double, and Alex Freeland reached base eight times in 14 trips to the plate, including a home run and a double.

Pitcher of the week

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to beat the Reds on Tuesday, his third straight seven-inning start in September. Yamamoto this season has allowed zero or one run in 14 of his 27 starts.

Honorable mention goes to Justin Wrobleski, who retired all nine batters he faced with three strikeouts while starting Thursday’s division clincher in Cincinnati, and to Landon Knack, who got the win in that game with four scoreless innings in relief. Also to Emmet Sheehan, who continued his strong six-week run with nine strikouts in 5 1/3 scoreless frames on Sunday.

Week 26 results

6-1 record
39 runs scored (5.57 per game)
16 runs allowed (2.29 per game)
.836 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

96-60 record
780 runs scored (5.00 per game)
587 runs allowed (3.76 per game)
.627 pythagorean win percentage (98-58)

Miscellany

Half a hundred: The Dodgers have won 10 games in a row at home, and Sunday’s win was their 50th win at Dodger Stadium this season. That’s six straight years with 50 wins at home, plus seven straight full seasons dating back to 2019. Since moving into Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers won 50 home games 12 times in 51 full seasons through 2014. But since 2015, they’ve won at least 50 games at home 10 times in 11 full seasons.

A crowded 10-K: Tyler Glasnow beat the Giants on Friday with a strong six innings, including 10 strikeouts. Glasnow is the eighth different Dodgers pitcher with a 10-strikeout game this season, the most in franchise history. No other MLB team this year has more than five such pitchers.

Parliamentary procedure: After making the All-Star team as a starter with the Kansas City Royals in 2025, left-hander Kris Bubic was on the 60-day injured list when the Dodgers acquired him just ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. Now he’s pitching in relief, angling for a spot on the postseason roster. With his appearance on Wednesday, Bubic became the 33rd different Dodgers pitcher used this season. So far, Bubic has four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings in three appearances. “It’s just funk,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday of Bubic. “It’s nothing overpowering, but there’s just funky swings, soft contact. I see him as a neutral pitcher, gets left and right out. I like those converted starters, because he knows how to navigate lineups.”

A quirk: The division clincher Thursday in Cincinnati was an 8-2 win, then came four home runs in the eighth inning Friday on the 20th anniversary of the 4+1 Game for another 8-2 triumph. That was the first time in Dodgers history they’ve won consecutive games by an 8-2 score.

Transactions

Monday: The fresh arm express was busy this week, beginning with Emmet Sheehangetting optioned the day after pitching six scoreless innings, in favor of Paul Gervase.

Monday: One day after a rare bad outing, Edgardo Henriquez was placed on the injured list with low back discomfort, ending his regular season and putting his playoff availability in question. Bobby Miller returned from Triple-A.

Wednesday: Trade deadline acquisition Kris Bubic was activated off the 60-day IL to make his Dodgers debut in relief, the team’s 33rd pitcher of the season. Gervase was optioned and Ryan Ward was designated for assignment.

Thursday: Miller was sent back to Oklahoma City, and Landon Knack was called up to pitch four scoreless innings in relief in the division clincher in Cincinnati.

Friday: Edwin Díaz was activated off the injured list and Knack was optioned.

Sunday: Sheehan got the call back up to the Dodgers, with Tarik Skubal placed on the bereavement list. Kyle Hurt was also called up, with Seth Halvorsen optioned.

Game results

• Monday: Dodgers 4, Reds 1
• Tuesday: Dodgers 4, Reds 0
• Wednesday: Reds 6, Dodgers 2
• Thursday: Dodgers 8, Reds 2
• Friday: Dodgers 8, Giants 2
• Saturday: Dodgers 10, Giants 4
• Sunday: Dodgers 3, Giants 1

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11| Week 12 | Week 13 | no reviews for Weeks 14-15 | Week 16 | Week 17 | Week 18 | Week 19 | Week 20 | Week 21 | Week 22 | Week 23 | Week 24 | Week 25

Up next

The Dodgers conclude the regular season by running the Dave Dravecky gauntlet, hosting the San Diego Padres before going to San Francisco for three more with the Giants.

Expect Andy Pages and Roki Sasaki (out of the bullpen) to be active for the Padres series beginning Tuesday. Shohei Ohtani could return to the lineup as early as Wednesday.

Blake Snell left his Wednesday start in Cincinnati with left groin tightness, but wasn’t placed on the injured list. If he starts this week, it would be in San Francisco, Roberts said over the weekend.

Gabriel Hughes and TJ Rumfield are two very different players.

Hughes was drafted by the Rockies in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft and has worked his way up through their minor league system. Rumfield was acquired from the Yankees in an offseason trade.

Rumfield made the Opening Day roster; Hughes debuted mid-season.

And, of course, Hughes is a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery while Rumfield is a position player.

But both have made an impact for the Rockies this year in different ways.

TJ Rumfield

TJ Rumfield is making a case for NL Rookie of the Year. Through Saturday, he is slashing .302/.392/.454 with a 23-game on-base streak, the longest in the Majors and the longest single-season on-base streak by a rookie in franchise history.

But how would Rumfield sum up his rookie season?

“A lot of learning experiences,” he said. “I think a lot of the team stuff – trying to gel together with guys and make conversations with new people, and even when you have new faces in here, trying to make them feel comfortable because I know how I felt when I first got in the locker room. It’s just small things like that, and ultimately just learning every day.”

And those learning experiences have paid dividends for the rookie, as he ranks among all qualified rookie leaders in average (.302, 1st), OBP (.392, 1st), OPS (.846, 1st), hits (159, 3rd), and multi-hit games (41, T-2nd). Rumfield ranks among NL qualified rookies in doubles (29, 1st), RBI (70, 2nd), extra-base hits (47, 2nd) and total bases (239, 2nd). And he ranks among Major League leaders in OBP (.392, 3rd) and average (.302, 5th).

He and Yordan Alvarez (.312/.429) are the only qualified players in all of MLB with a batting average of at least .300 and an OBP of at least .309.

Not too shabby.

Rumfield has also been a defensive stalwart for the Rockies at first base — something they’ve been sorely lacking since Todd Helton retired in 2013. He’s made plenty of jaw-dropping plays, but one stood out to him in particular on May 18 against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field.

“I just remember the ball going up in the air and like, ‘Okay, this is one where I can maybe go over the dugout. Like this could be cool,’” he recalled. “And you get closer and closer, and you’re like, ‘Uh oh, it’s about to happen!’ And the momentum taking me over – it was just everything you dream of. Nobody caught me, but it was fine. It’s baseball. You dream of making plays like that and just trying to make a little difference in the game.”

He’s also been leaning on his teammates, especially Troy Johnston.

“(He’s given me) more golf advice,” Rumfield chuckled. “But the boy’s a great teammate. I would actually go to him when I’m feeling down. And he can attest to this – I’ll go to him and I’ll be like, ‘Troy, you’ve got to give me something. Tell me something good about myself.’ And he always does. We’re currently 3-for-3 on that one.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer has also helped his fellow Virginia Tech alum get settled from day one.

“Schaeff was unbelievably welcoming on the first day in spring training,” Rumfield recalled, “calling me into his office and letting me know, ‘Hey, you’re welcome here. I just want you to come and compete.’ It didn’t feel like anything was given to me. I just had to go out and earn it, and I’ve wanted to do that. That’s what I’ve done my whole entire career. It was nice to have the front office be so welcoming – Schaeffer be so welcoming – and just everything kind of working out.”

Gabriel Hughes

Gabriel Hughes (No. 7 PuRP) has been a different story.

The former 10th-overall pick had a long way to the majors that included Tommy John surgery in 2023. But he didn’t let that slow him down, making his long-awaited MLB debut on July 3.

Hughes made his last start on September 18 — his 13th of the year — and took yet another no decision. In 14 appearances (13 starts), Hughes is 0-8 with a 6.33 ERA. The only other Rockies pitcher in franchise history to begin their career with zero wins through their first 13 starts was Jon Gray in 2015-16.

But like Rumfield, Hughes said his rookie year has been “a learning experience.”

“It’s been very different from every level I’ve played at so far, and I think learning how to manage that schedule is part of being a professional,” he said. “But it’s been wonderful, too, being able to travel to so many different places, play so many different places, experience so many different things. It’s been really special being able to see so much of the country in such a short amount of time.”

For example, Hughes was able to pitch at Yankee Stadium — somewhere he’d always dreamed about as he grew up as a huge fan of Mariano Rivera. And he had to navigate the New York City Subway System to get there:

But like all of the other pitchers, Hughes noticed a difference pitching at Coors Field versus the road. But not necessarily in the way one would think.

“I think it’s an experience that Albuquerque has prepared me for, where you go from elevation to non-elevation every week,” he said. “I think here, the biggest difference is that you do it every three to four days instead of every week.”

In addition to his body preparation, though, Hughes has made some adjustments to his pitching.

“I think one of the things I’ve really learned is that I have to have different starting points for a lot of my pitches when I’m here versus on the road,” he said. “It’s not something I’ve thought about too much in the past when I was in Albuquerque. But here, where the margin for error is so low, I think it’s extremely important. So that’s something I’ve continued to work on. But that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve noticed because the margin for error is so low, so you have to be sharp here and on the road.”

And the coaching staff have given Hughes a lot of good advice and a lot of good ideas, which he has enjoyed.

“It’s been awesome. They’re all young and full of ideas,” he said.

“And working with Alon (Leichman) and Gabe Ribas and Matt Buschmann has been really cool because there’s always some new idea, and it’s always, ‘Hey, take it or leave it. If it works for you, great. If not, no worries.’ There’s no ego there. But I think it’s really cool because if I have ideas, I can bounce them off them. They have great ideas that they bounce off me, too.”

He also had high praise for his manager.

“I think Schaeff’s been really cool, too,” he continued. “He’s been a great manager so far because he’s been willing to give praise when you need it and to give you tough words when you need it. And I have no doubt that all the coaches would go to war for us.”

There have been a lot of up-and-down moments for Hughes during his rookie season, but one stands out in particular:

“Striking out Shohei (Ohtani) on three pitches at Dodger Stadium was pretty cool,” he said. “I think it was to lead off an inning, and it was a fastball up, a curveball that he fouled off, and a fastball above the zone for a swing and miss. That was a pretty cool feeling.”

Hughes was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on September 19 to finish his rookie year, but still finished with 1.1 fWAR — leading the Rockies’ rotation.

Looking to the future

Rumfield and Hughes represent the Rockies future. Both have been bright spots in different ways, and it will be exciting to see what they are able to do in their sophomore campaigns.

In the meantime, there are six games left in the Rockies 2026 campaign and hopefully they are able to finish strong.

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All the way back in March, there were still plenty of questions about this Atlanta Braves ballclub as the curtain was being raised on the 2026 season. Would the squad as a whole be able to get over the injury bug that hampered their 2024 season and then wrecked their 2025 season? Would the rotation have enough to get through the long season? Would they be able to fend off two contenders in particular from the Northeast? Would they be able to get over losing one of their starters for an entire season du Would this team respond positively to having a new manager in charge?

There were plenty of questions heading into the 2026 season and as far as the regular season goes, the answers were all positive. It’s September 21 and the Atlanta Braves are NL East champions once again. For the seventh time in nine years, the Braves are the top dogs in their division and their two years in the wilderness when it comes to the East have come to an end.

While it may not be a massive shock to see this particular Braves team make it back to the top of the divisional mountain, it is a pleasant surprise that the Braves ended up basically going wire-to-wire. From Opening Day on March 27 until now, the Braves went into every game this season either tied for first place or by themselves at the top. There was no need for a late-season surge or an extremely dramatic race going down to the very last week of the season where they flip-flopped in the standings — the Braves got their surge done early on in the season and maintained from that point forward and now they’ve clinched the divisional title with a week to spare.

That’s not to say that this was easy — as Walt Weiss mentioned in the away clubhouse in Houston before the champagne started flowing, winning a division is never easy since you’ve got to be on top of things for a solid six months. It’s a massive challenge and as it turns out, the Braves were up to the challenge. They took advantage of both the Phillies and the Mets stumbling out of the gate to start the season, they survived a serious run of malaise in June and halfway through July that saw the lead fall down to just two games by the All-Star break. The lead got back as high as nine-and-a-half games on August 12 but again dipped down to being as low as three games on September 9.

If the pressure that the Phillies was putting on them was clear in the standings, it wasn’t apparent by the way that the Braves responded to that pressure. When the lead fell down to just two games on July 18, Atlanta responded by rattling off 14 wins out of 18. When it was down to three on August 22, the Braves went on a seven-game run that included a sweep of the Dodgers. When the Phillies were within striking distance with a stretch looming that saw the Braves face Philadelphia seven times over ten games, the Braves responded by going winning five of those seven games. Dusting off the divisional title with a sweep in Houston (their first sweep on the road since May, mind you) was just another example of how when the circumstances called for it, the Braves were usually able to rise up to moment and take care of business when they needed to.

The much-maligned rotation also deserves plenty of praise for how they performed over the course of this season. There were real questions for everybody in this rotation — including the ace of the rotation, Chris Sale. Thanks to some reportedly impressive preseason workout regimens, Sale was able to not just ward off Father Time but deliver one of the best seasons of his career so far — at age 37!

Meanwhile, Martín Pérez admitted early on that this was the first time that he had felt healthy since 2023 and he responded to the faith that the Braves organization placed in him by delivering his most productive season since 2022. The questions concerning Atlanta’s action (or lack therof) at the trade deadline were answered by Tyler Mahle arriving and immediately stepping his game up once he entered Atlanta’s rotation. Bryce Elder was able to be productive more-often-than-not, himself and Grant Holmes has shown flashes of being an incredible effective option in the rotation all season. It’s a group that’s proven to be greater than the sum of its parts, and that’s even with guys like Spencer Strider being injured for the most part and Spencer Schwellenbach being gone for the entire season.

Outside of Chris Sale, however, the biggest star on this pitching staff has collectively been the bullpen. Raisel Iglesias has had his ups and downs but as you can imagine by the fact that he’s still closing, there have been more “ups” than “downs.” With that being said, this bullpen is certainly more than just its closer and that’s been proven with the way that Didier Fuentes, Dylan Lee, Dylan Dodd and everybody else who’s been called upon in big spots has usually managed to go in and get the job done in very effective fashion. With Robert Suarez potentially returning, that just makes this bullpen even tougher to deal with down the road and for all we know, this could very well be the successor group to the Night Shift from 2021 that we’ve all been waiting for.

The bullpen keeping teams in games has been crucial since Atlanta’s offense has proven all season that they can get it done late in games against the other team’s bullpen. Heading into Sunday’s action, the Braves had the second-best wRC+ in the National League when it came to production from the seventh inning through the ninth inning, with a wRC+ of 109 in that situation. It’s only gotten better for Atlanta recently, as they’ve been hitting at a clip of 130 wRC+ as a team in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings since August 1. That’s still tied for second in the NL (in both scenarios behind the Cubs) but it’s proof that this is a team that can make a run late in games if they need to.

We saw a perfect example of it this past weekend in Houston. Ronald Acuña Jr.’s grand slam broke the game open for Atlanta in the seventh inning. They’ve won games late and they know how to pull off comeback victories as well, as a whopping 41 of their 92 wins so far have been of the comeback variety. The comeback victories are actually a trend from last season, when the Braves pulled off comeback victories in 41 of the 76 games that they won in 2025. They also did it 43 times when they won 104 games in 2023 and then picked up 38 comeback victories when they won it all back in 2021. Fighting for 27 outs has been akey factor in Atlanta’s success in this current era and it’s something that Walt Weiss has carried over from the Snitker Era to his current time as manager so far.

So while Atlanta’s offense hasn’t been nearly as potent as it was in those 2022 and 2023 seasons, they’ve been doing enough to get the job done and keep the line moving. Having Acuña continue to perform at a high level entering the Postseason would be crucial and it would also be huge to see Matt Olson continue to hit balls far and deep like he’s done all season. Michael Harris II’s consistency would be greatly appreciated in October and then having a hitter like Mauricio Dubón who has consistently come through in big moments for the Braves will also be huge going forward as well. Drake Baldwin has star potential, himself and then both Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley should be able to provide the experience to not be blinded by the bright lights of October since they’ve been there, done that, and have plenty of celebratory t-shirts to prove it when it comes to Postseason experience.

All in all, you have to like where this Braves team is at as they head into the Postseason as NL East champions. The rotation will be shortened during the Postseason so that makes things a bit easier for Walt Weiss to keep track of going forward. The bullpen is a strength and it’s especially important for the relievers to come up big during this time of year. It’s also important for the timely hitting to be there as well and the Braves have shown that they’re capable of getting that timely offensive production in late game situations and in high-leverage situations as well.

As long as they can stay healthy, the Braves have got all the ingredients to get a deep Postseason run cooking and in a NL bracket that appears to be extremely competitive, it’s not like there’s a going to be a clear-cut favorite this October. The Dodgers look as vulnerable as ever, the Brewers are definitely in a position where they need to finally prove that they can do something in the offseason, the Cubs offense is dangerous but they’ve also been prone to running extremely cold at times, the Phillies have struggled against the Braves all season and the Padres could very well run out of gas by the time the Postseason runs around (though admittedly, that is a scary team to face with the way that they’ve been playing lately). It’s a wide open bracket and it’s a wide open Postseason as well since the American League hasn’t been as good when compared to the National League.

So there’s plenty of reason to feel optimistic. The Braves are back on top of the division, they’ve proven to be resilient whenever the situation has called for it, they’ve bounced back from adversity on plenty of different occasions during this season and they’ll be entering the Postseason after playing a whole bunch of games against contenders for weeks on end. Here’s hoping that there’s a fun Postseason ahead for us fans and one that could potentially end with a parade in Atlanta (hopefully a slower one if it does happen) and Cobb County to start off November. That sure would be fun, right? Let’s see what happens!

With one week to go in the regular season, the Cubs’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth has dropped to one, and their magic number to get home field in a Wild Card series is now six. This means that the Cubs control their own destiny. Win out — six games — and they will be home a week from Tuesday against either the Padres or Phillies. (Easy? No, but it is possible.)

In the meantime, here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.

Three up

Pete Crow-Armstrong had a very weird, but productive, week

PCA batted .345/.367/.897 (10-for-29) with two doubles, a triple, four home runs, nine RBI, seven runs scored and two stolen bases. That’s a 1.264 OPS for the six games, which might actually be good enough to get him another Player of the Week award.

But here’s the thing. He put up those numbers while going 0-for-15 with five strikeouts in three of the six games!

That means that in the other three games, he was 10-for-14 (.714) with all those other peripheral numbers.

That’s just crazy. Here’s his 3-for-4 day against the Braves last Wednesday [VIDEO].

I keep saying this but I have to say it one more time: Savor this PCA season, we have not seen anything like it from a Cubs player — or most MLB players! — in most of our lifetimes. I hope he can steal two bases against the Marlins this week so he’d join the 40/40 club at Wrigley Field.

And remember, PCA is only 24. Who knows? He might do this again next year!

David Peterson is getting hot at just the right time

In his two starts over the week ending Sunday, Peterson threw 12 innings, allowed six hits and two runs, walked four and struck out 14. For his last three starts, which include two against postseason teams (Braves and Brewers), Peterson has a 1.65 ERA and 1.163 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. (And the run charged to him against Atlanta scored after he left the game.)

I think the Cubs might have to consider Peterson for a Wild Card series start.

Here are his seven K’s last Tuesday against the Braves [VIDEO].

Daniel Palencia appears to be back

Palencia pitched just twice over the week, but the second outing was two scoreless innings against the Reds Saturday, the first time he’d thrown two full innings in a game since April 2025. The best news is that in that two-inning outing, Palencia threw eight of his 20 pitches at 100 miles per hour, a level he had trouble hitting in his first few outings back.

Then he struck out JJ Bleday on this excellent slider to end the outing [VIDEO].

I don’t think I have to tell you how much having a productive Palencia would mean for the Cubs in the postseason.

Three down

Nico Hoerner is still struggling

Remember when Nico was hitting at MVP level in April?

He’s had a rough time since then. Over the six games he batted just .250/.280/.292 (6-for-24) with one double.

Nico’s offensive numbers are down this year and he’s only going to post a bit more than 2 bWAR after a 6.2 bWAR season in 2025.

Hopefully he can turn it on in October, and continue playing solid defense at second base.

Clay Holmes got roughed up by the Reds

Holmes has had a couple of clunkers since joining the Cubs — this week against the Reds and the previous week against the Marlins.

The good news is that both of those starts were on the road. In four Wrigley Field starts since joining the Cubs, Holmes has a 1.14 ERA and 1.014 WHIP in 23.2 innings, with 18 strikeouts and only one home run allowed.

He’ll likely start Thursday against the Marlins (though currently that game is listed as TBD for the Cubs starter), which would set him up for a start in the Wild Card series the following week. If that series winds up at Wrigley, I’d seriously consider Holmes for one of the starts.

Edward Cabrera had a rough transition to relieving, but maybe there’s hope

Cabrera’s first relief outing for the Cubs probably went an inning too long, as he was left in for a third inning of work after finishing the seventh and throwing a scoreless eighth against the Braves last Wednesday. Craig Counsell left him out there in a 4-3 game and he served up a two-run homer to Drake Baldwin in the ninth.

Things were better for Cabrera in a scoreless inning against the Reds in a low-leverage situation on Sunday. He allowed a hit and a walk, but got out of the inning with a double play. He threw only nine pitches, two of which hit 99. Perhaps shorter outings would be better for Cabrera.

Worcester: Cancelled (rain), end of season

Remember when Portland’s last game of the season was cancelled due to rain? Oh, that was just last week.

Well, as we’re stuck in a cycle of weekend storms, the last game of the season was cancelled for the WooSox. A factor in this decision was Worcester being eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday night. Still, for the season to end so unceremoniously calls for at least some commemoration, and so I’d like to shout out some names on the roster. I originally intended on going down the line on the website and speculate on future contributions to the team, but, by my estimation, especially since the trade for Adley Rutschman that had a ripple effect through the organization, a good portion of Worcester’s roster are either one-year placeholders until the farm gets replenished with the next couple of drafts or guys that are dealing with significant injuries. So, here’s to the guys that may not be that:

Allan Castrofinished the season with 77 RBIs, two behind Bobby Dalbec for the team record since they relocated to Worcester five years ago… and saying that relocation happened six seasons ago is crazy for someone who went to the first home stand under pandemic crowd protocols. Castro really was a constant for the offense amidst a handful of platoon guys cycling through the team and that can’t be understated. He batted doubtful games back into contention and sealed close games away. If I pick a workhorse/general player of the year, it’s him orBraiden Ward, but only because Franklin Arias started the year in Portland.

Speaking of Braiden Ward, I personally was sad to see Brennan Bernardino go this offseason but loved the return from Colorado. And he performed fantastically, particularly near the end of the season. He ended up swiping 61 total bags and ther’s some clamor around a potential call-up to the Sox who, despite being a generally quick team in terms of baserunning, lack a real Dave Roberts-esque “when you see him, you know he’s going to steal” threat. Ward provides that, is defensively versatile, playing second as well as center field, and is pretty reliable with the bat in a pinch.

Franklin Arias is banging on the door and he will definitively be getting the call either in 2027 or Opening Day 2028, depending entirely on the length of the lockout. Either way, though, keeping him off the 40-man roster for now means, even with a lockout, he’ll get valuable time to improve his exceptional swing even more, though not against Major League arms. His totals across Portland and Worcester read like an All-Star caliber player: 28 home runs, .323/.400/.557 slash line, a 14% strikeout rate, and a plus glove in the infield to boot. Arias may or may not live up to his sky high prospect status, but pencil him in to the next iteration of this Red Sox team, whenever that comes.

John Holobetz will also likely be given the call in 2027. He’s still just 24. The 6’3” righty struck out 132 in 119 innings, walked just 36, had a WIP of a hair under 1.25, but even more comforting is he outperformed his Portland numbers in Worcester, signaling quick growth. While it’s sad that Quinn Priester missed 2026 with an injury, he was a world-beater in 2025, and the value of having steady presence in the rotation can’t be understated Depending how he bounces back in 2027, especially with the Brewers emerging as an NL front runner, expect that trade to go down in the history books as a win-win.

Hayden Mullinsalso put in his best work in 2026, and more specifically, directly before his promotion to Triple-A right before the end of the season. He celebrated his 26th birthday last Monday and so, in his age-25 season, Mullins was exactly what Portland needed in a rotation guy, especially following Anthony Eyannson’s departure. He struck out 132 in 92 innings, walked 49, lacked the longevity that Holobetz and others in the rotation had but did not give up long balls, getting taken yard just seven times all season (and even one of those was in his only Worcester appearance.) The 6’0” lefty will continue his development in 2027 before likely a late season call-up; it’s possible the team explores some multi-inning reliever roles depending on how this development goes.

Of course, too, the team’s former first-round draft pick Mikey Romeroand current millionaire Kristian Campbellare still kicking around Wrocester, and the latter wants a redemption arc after a rough 2025. Neither saw any Major League time due to a cluttered roster and a multitude of other reasons, but don’t count either out for a platoon role next year, pending a lengthy lockout. You want guys looking better in September than they did in April, and while Campbell swung somewhat of a hot bat in the spring, I think that notion is true for both of these guys. The same is even true with Jedixson Paez (who saw Major League action, but don’t mention this to him) Blake Wehunt and Gage Ziehl. These are all guys to watch in 2027, provided some trade for a hole on the roster doesn’t call for dealing one of them (I think Campbell is pretty set on this roster given his price tag.) But, depth is a good problem to have.

And so ends my fourth full season providing Minor Lines for Over The Monster. You’ll see me kicking around during the playoff push and the offseason providing input on pieces that can make this 2027 team – and farm – even better than the 2026 version. Thanks so much for reading all season, and Go Sox!