The National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers that starts Sunday, Oct. 11 prompts a long-time baseball scout to share wisdom.
“It's all about fishing in the right pond,’’ Logan White, former vice president of amateur scouting for the Dodgers, told USA TODAY Sports.
When he joined the Dodgers in 2002, White said he studied every state to determine its history of producing major leaguers. More than two decades later, the postseason rosters for the Dodgers and Brewers reinforce White's findings: California rules.
Ten Brewers players on the team’s 26-man roster for the NLDS were native Californians, making up almost 40 percent of the roster. That includes Christian Yelich, the three-time All-Star, and Trevor Megill, a closer who made the All-Star team in 2025.
Five Dodgers players on the team’s 26-man roster for the NLDS were native Californians, making up almost 20 percent of the roster. That includes Freddie Freeman, the 10-time All-Star first baseman, and Tarik Skubal, the two-time Cy Young Award winner.
Population and warm weather give California an inherent advantage, of course. But Logan also noted, “They have always had a great infrastructure with youth leagues, Little League, everything else.’’
White, who left the Dodgers for the San Diego Padres in 2015, said his research helped dictate how he allocated resources.
“(In California), I had multiple crosscheckers that lived there, part-timers and area guys,’’ he said.
Tim Fortugno, a former major leaguer who scouts for the Tampa Bay Rays, was sitting inside Cal-Berkeley’s Stu Gordon Stadium Friday, Oct. 9. He rattled off names of some of the Cal-Berkeley players who became major leaguers, such as Hall of Fame Jeff Kent, three-time All-Star Marcus Semien and 10-year catcher Bob Melvin.
All three are native Californians.
“That’s just one college,’’ Fortugno told USA TODAY Sports. “You know, I could go down the street to Stanford. I could go down the street to Fresno State.’’
Or he could head south, where UCLA, USC and Cal State Fullerton produced a litany of major leaguers.
Changing landscape
White said he thinks California is losing college talent because of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) compensation, which took effect for college athletes in 2021. According to White, it’s not just sweeter NIL deals that have lured native Californians elsewhere, but also sellout crowds at schools like Tennessee and LSU and the ability for families to watch games livestreamed rather than needing to be near the school.
“That never used to happen,’’ White said of talented players leaving California.
As for youth baseball, California has won the Little League World Series championship eight times, more than any other state. But California has won only once since 2023.
White attributes that to the rise of elite travel baseball teams.
“I think they're just bypassing playing Little League because you have so many of these travel ball programs (that) want their kids playing year-round with their team so they don't let them go play Little League,’’ White said.
Cold-weather phenomenon
Cold-weather states produce pitching talent, White said.
His theory: young pitchers in states with large populations and warm weather get “pitched all year.’’
“I think you lose a lot of pitchers,’’ White said, “because they, I don't want to say they got abused, but they pitch so damn much that they get abused, right?
“I can't tell you how many kids I knew were great pitchers at 12 in Arizona, and even some I've heard of in California, and they were not that good when they're 18.
“It's because they play in the fall, the winter, and they were playing a lot, I think. And I like playing, but pitching all the time, year-round is tough.’’
Of the 15 native Californians on the Dodgers' and Brewers' NLDS rosters, eight are pitchers. And White also said, "California is always going to produce players because it's got weather, it's got population, great infrastructure, coaching, all that stuff. How might those numbers look in a decade?"
Sleeper states
In addition to studying the states producing the most major leaguers, White said he also studied the ratio of major leaguers to population. He said the highest ratio belonged to the state of Washington.
Sleeper states for producing talent include Georgia and Ohio, according to White, who also called the Carolinas “sneaky good,’’ with a wealth of Division 1 college programs between the two states.
Californians on Brewers, Dodgers rosters
The Dodgers and Brewers will have to turn in their finalized 26-man rosters for the NLCS Sunday, Oct. 11. Though that could lead to some adjustments, here are the native Californians (with their birthplace) who were on the NLDS rosters for the Brewers and Dodgers.
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 05: Austin Wells #28 of the New York Yankees looks on before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on October 5, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have our LCS matchups, and though we already knew this, they do not involve the Yankees. The Dodgers and Brewers will square off in the NLCS for a second-straight year, and after erasing an 0-2 deficit in the ALDS, the Guardians advance to the ALCS for a second time in three years, where they’ll clash with the Rays. It was a fairly scintillating comeback for Cleveland, who saw Gavin Williams strike out 12 to help propel them to a decisive Game 5 victory last night.
On the site today, Andrew recaps last night’s ALDS Game 5, and also profiles the enigmatic Orlando Hernández, who turns 61 today. Later, Matt delivers his All-September Yankees team, and John spins through a somber week in Yankee social media.
Today’s Playoff Matchup:
National League Championship Series Game 1
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (RHP Jacob Misiorowski vs. LHP Tarik Skubal)
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
TV: FOX/FOX ONE
Venue: American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI
Questions/Prompts:
1. As noted by Matt in the news today, the time might be now for the Yankees to consider what the future holds for Giancarlo Stanton. Will Stanton play for New York in 2027?
2. Which Ace do you think will perform better tonight, Misiorowski or Skubal?
Rick Monday dashes between two men in the Dodger Stadium outfield to snatch an American flag they were about to burn at a game in 1976. Soon after, Fred Claire directed that the stadium message board offer this salute: "RICK MONDAY … YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY." (Herald Examiner / Associated Press)
Fred Claire was calling. In April, when we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Rick Monday rescuing an American flag from protesters about to set it aflame, Claire wanted to share more of the story.
Claire, then the Dodgers’ publicist and later their general manager, had directed that “RICK MONDAY … YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY” appear on the Dodger Stadium message board.
As we talked, Claire made sure to drop the name of the college student earning $15 per game to operate the message board on game nights.
“I’m still in awe of how he met the moment,” Jeff Fellenzer told me after Claire died Monday.
“He just calmly turned to me. He was sitting two or three seats away. He said, ‘Jeff, just type these words.’ None of us really knew what was going on. It happened so fast.”
As extraordinary as it might sound for an executive to remember and elevate the work of a young assistant half a century earlier, the anecdote reflected three of Claire’s very best qualities: treat everyone with respect, share the credit and help whoever you could.
Claire and Fellenzer stayed in touch over the years. In 1999, when Fellenzer launched a sports business and media class at USC, Claire co-taught the class for the first three years, and since then he always made sure Fellenzer told his students they always could reach out for advice on pursuing careers in baseball or sports business.
“His door was always open to helping people realize their dreams,” Fellenzer said.
Two weeks ago, Fellenzer’s students took a midterm examination. Among the topics: Claire’s keys to building a winning sports franchise.
The bullet points included starting with strong, committed ownership; delivering a good product; establishing credibility and trust with fans and media; and hiring good people and letting them do their jobs.
Claire consistently took ownership of one of the worst trades in Dodgers history, when he swapped future Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez for infielder Delino DeShields. Coaches and scouts suggested the young and wiry Martínez might never develop into a pitcher as successful as his brother Ramon, but Claire did not fault them.
“The facts are the facts,” he said, “and those facts are, I traded Pedro.”
Compare that to whatever this is that New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is trying to say in the wake of their apocalyptic season: “We and I made a number of decisions that created the potential for an uncapped downside scenario.”
I’m not picking on Stearns. He is far from alone in a new generation of executives comfortable deploying the verbiage of “trust the process” and “sustainable success” as defenses when the process has not resulted in success.
Claire spoke plain English, and he would go on “Dodger Talk” on Sunday mornings to speak directly with fans. When the Dodgers traded future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza in 1998, Claire led with integrity at the risk of losing his job: The Fox ownership had made the trade, he announced, not him. Sure enough, he was fired.
Fox treated the Dodgers more as television content than as a community treasure. This is not a misprint: Under Fox, the Dodgers never appeared in the playoffs.
Under the O’Malley family, for whom Claire worked for three decades, the Dodgers did not win every year, as they do now. They fielded a competitive team at a fair price.
Parking was no more than $5 — that would be $10 today, after inflation — and the Dodgers nurtured the next generation of fans by offering free tickets to A students and a kids’ fan club that included six tickets for $2.
Fan loyalty? The Dodgers haven’t lost 100 games in 118 years. They just raised prices on season tickets, again. The Colorado Rockies lost 100 games for the fourth consecutive year — and they raised season ticket prices 12%.
In 1996, when Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan asked owner Peter O’Malley to abandon his plan to build an NFL stadium in the Dodger Stadium parking lot, O’Malley stood down. He then put the Dodgers up for sale, because he believed a family business would lack the resources of wealthier corporate ownerships, and the team might not remain competitive.
Compare that to today, when owners want players to help subsidize teams with fewer resources via a salary cap, and when analysts openly wonder how much the involvement of private equity in ownership might prolong the looming lockout, because trading short-term pain for long-term gain is a straightforward financial principle.
I’d love to discuss all of this with Claire. Fellenzer would too.
On the day before Claire died, as word spread of his imminent passing, Fellenzer sent him an email, thanking him for 50 years of friendship, for impacting him and so many of his students, and for living his life as “such a stellar role model and human being.”
Claire wrote back. His reply, shared with permission:
“Jeff. Thank you.
“A young student typed words that will live, RICK MONDAY … YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the National League Championship Series for a third consecutive season.
The Dodgers will be tasked with beating the Milwaukee Brewers, who produced the best record in the league this season. This is the second consecutive season the two teams have met in the NLCS.
Los Angeles managed to sweep Milwaukee in 2025, holding the Brewers' offense to just one run in each game. Ohtani was named the series MVP, having delivered a strong two-way performance.
The Dodgers’ superstar closed out last year's NLCS by pitching six shutout innings while striking out 10. He also hit three home runs in the game.
Will Shohei Ohtani need another strong performance for Dodgers to win?
Ohtani has not been healthy for a good portion of the 2026 season.
He was limited as a pitcher, and hasn’t pitched at all since July 3 due to his injuries. It is unlikely that he will pitch during the postseason.
Ohtani will remain available as a designated hitter, despite dealing with knee inflammation and biceps discomfort.
The lack of pitching from Ohtani will not diminish Los Angeles' chances of making the World Series. Ohtani did not pitch during his first season with the Dodgers in 2024, but the team captured the World Series title anyway.
He spent the entire 2024 season recovering from right elbow surgery he underwent in September 2023. The four-time MVP reached several career milestones that year and created the 50-50 club after producing 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
Shohei Ohtani's NLDS stats
Ohtani produced just two hits and a run in four games against the Atlanta Braves in the 2026 National League Division Series. He did not hit a home run but did steal a base. He was walked twice and struck out four times.
The Braves reportedly refused to consider trading Didier Fuentes to the Tigers in a potential package for Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline. While some fans may be disappointed at the lack of prioritization of the immediate term, its not hard to understand the reluctance to trade a 21 year old pitcher who just posted absurd numbers over 73.1 innings in his first full major league season and who possesses bullpen ace and electric starter potential. Nevertheless, this reinforces how high the Braves are on Fuentes and how much they view him as a part of their future. It will be interesting to see how they approach Didier’s role going into next season after such a successful season out of the bullpen, but the tantalizing potential for a 22 year old Fuentes to take another step up into a starting pitcher with electric stuff, particularly given the question-marks in the Atlanta rotation.
CLEVELAND — Gavin Williams had 12 of a record 21 strikeouts by Cleveland pitchers, José Ramírez hit a go-ahead home run on a pitch just above home plate and the Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 Saturday night to complete a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in their best-of-five AL Division Series.
Cleveland opens the AL Championship Series at Tampa Bay on Monday night, seeking its first World Series trip since 2016. The Guardians/Indians franchise hasn’t won the title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB teams.
Guardians pitchers set a record for strikeouts in a nine-inning postseason game and the most in any regular or postseason game since at least 1900. The White Sox got just three hits, put only nine balls in play and finished the series with 75 strikeouts and a .185 batting average.
“It was less about chase and more about being attacked in the zone and swing and miss in the zone,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Just didn’t have what it would have took to move some balls forward there.”
Cleveland became just the 11th team to win a best-of-five series among the 96 that fell behind 0-2, the first since the 2017 New York Yankees against the Indians and only the fourth to achieve the feat after losing the first two games at home.
Two days after saving Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher in postseason history to get the last out of a game and start the following game when his team faced elimination in both.
He didn’t allow a hit until Kyle Teel looped a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth, two innings after Ramírez homered for the second straight game, a two-run drive off Sean Burke.
After a walk loaded the bases, Erik Sabrowski relieved and struck out Munetaka Murakami on a foul tip, the pitcher letting out a yell.
Williams’ 12 strikeouts tied Cleveland’s record for a postseason game. He got 22 swings and misses, and his 24 strikeouts over three games were one shy of the mark for best-of-five postseason series.
“That was big-boy stuff today,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve seen other performances like that in the postseason, but to do it in this stage and these types of games facing three straight elimination and you have one of your starters say I will pitch whenever you need me to, super impressive.”
Hunter Gaddis followed Sabrowski and got four outs, and Cade Smith finished for his first career five-out save, striking out the side in the ninth. He blew a fastball by Tristan Peters for the final out, setting off a celebration at Progressive Field.
Chicago, the first team to reach the playoffs after three straight 100-loss seasons, has not won the World Series since 2005.
Ramírez homered on a knuckle-curve 0.74 feet above ground, the lowest pitch hit for a postseason home run since tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast, and the lowest hit by Ramirez in his 14-year big league career.
Steven Kwan had singled leading off the fourth ahead of Ramírez’s sixth postseason homer, which went just over the wall near the right-field line.
Murakami and Andrew Benintendi struck out four times each, and Teel and Chase Meidroth three times apiece.
Up next
Tampa Bay went 5-1 against the Guardians, including three shutouts. It will be the third postseason meeting of the teams following the Rays’ win in the 2013 wild card game and the Guardians’ sweep in the 2022 Wild Card Series.
It's not clear where receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will be playing as of next week. It's becoming more and more clear he won't be playing for the Cardinals.
Via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, Harrison was not present for team meetings on Saturday night.
Harrison reportedly has been told he won't be active for Sunday's game against the Lions, as a trade is finalized.
Some in league circles believe he'll be traded to the Texans. Some think the Raiders could be lurking. Sunday's games could shake things up, based on injuries that could happen in the various games.
Regardless, it's hard to imagine Harrison staying with the Cardinals given these developments. At this point, it's just a matter of the Cardinals getting the best return they can for the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 08: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox in game four of the American League Division Series at Rate Field on October 08, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nah nah nah nah
Nah nah nah nah
Hey hey hey
GOOD BYEEEE…
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
ITS ALL OVER
GO HOME NOW
AND CRYYYYY
Alright- got that out of my system.
Well it was a thrilling night down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (thrilling? That’s what you call when your heart is beating out your butt?). After 2 games it looked like we probably wouldn’t get another home crowd until next season, but the Road Guardians were able to come alive thanks to some Heroics from several of our guys. A new brand new life appeared in their eyes when Jose started to turn his series around, and after two 9 run outbursts, the Guardians and their fans were believing again. The teams would be given about 44 hours to rest up and get to Cleveland before we do this one last time, the 18th between the two teams this year. Would the White Sox continue their dream season? Would the Guardians finish off the comeback? Would Jake stress eat half a rotisserie chicken through it all? Let’s see!
Through 2 innings both pitchers looked SHARP. Gavin was up to his typical routine of gassing 99 past hitters and locating in the zone. He had 4 strikeouts through 2 innings allowing only a Walk to reach. It was only 24 pitches but he looked in command early, and the crowd was loving it…. But not to be outdone, Sean Burke was matching Gavin stride for stride, getting 5 easy outs and ending the 2nd with his 1st K on Travis Bazzana. And then, the worst thing a Cleveland fan can hear when facing Chicago in the Playoffs… Rain.
The rain picked up at the end of the 2nd and you could feel the crowd lighten up, knowing the history here. Fortunately Gavin didn’t seem to mind, adding another 2 quick strikeouts and getting a groundout to make it 3 complete innings, a first for any Cleveland pitcher since Game 2.
And UNfortuantely, Sean Burke continued to match Gavin out there. He wouldn’t rack up the K’s, but he was extremely efficient. He would retire the first 7 batters in just 20 pitches. Petey Halpin, making his first start of the postseason (in for the struggling Angel Martinez) was the first to make Burke work, getting a 7 pitch groundout and making Burke cover the bag as well. Even just making him run for 5 seconds felt like a Win, as Burke would get Rocchio to check swing Strikeout, finishing the 3rd inning on 34 pitches and putting the Guardians on Perfect Game Watch.
0-0 thru 3.
Back out there for the 4th and Gavin was absolutely dialed in. With the heart of the White Sox order (Teel/Vargas/Murakami), Gavin would throw a 13 pitch masterpiece, striking out the side, reaching 101 and using that 2 seamer to perfection. Thru 4 innings Gavin was everything you could ever want in a Game 5 Starter, striking out 9 allowing just one base runner to reach.
In the bottom half of the inning, Kwan would record the first hit of the game, a single to CF, and we would finally get to see how Sean Burke would react out of the stretch.
The GOAT doing GOAT things. Outside of a few inconsequential solo homers in the regular season, Sean Burke was the one pitcher we haven’t been able to figure out. So leave it to Jose to golf one out that was an inch off the plate. A Homer that only he could hit, sending the crowd into a brief frenzy before they chanted his name.
Add in a hustle infield single, and Burke’s pitch count started to climb and Venable’s leash on him begun to shorten. Sean Newcomb would start to warm in the bullpen as we headed to the 5th inning, the Guardians holding a small 2-0 lead.
But all series long, and honestly, all season long, the White Sox had this innate ability to answer right away. And coming to the plate were some very familiar faces, one who drove Gavin out of a gem with an 18 pitch at bat just a month ago (a detail the announcers just couldn’t keep out of their mouths). But the Big Rig was more like an unstoppable train tonight, and that continued in the 5th with a strikeout, a rare groundout and another swinging strikeout. His masterpiece would continue for at least one more inning- with a line of 5IP, 1 BB, 11 K on 72 pitches. A long way to go but just an incredible line through 5 innings of an elimination game.
To the bottom of the 5th and we got some fireworks again- but not the good kind. With 1 out Greedy Petey Halpin lined one into the RF corner and seeing it slow down, Petey decided to try for 3. Well, he ain’t Greedy Petey for nothin, and was thrown out taking 3rd. In the moment, I didn’t hate it. He’s probably the fastest guy on the team and was daring the White Sox to make 3 great throws. If they don’t, he’s a Sac Fly from Rocchtober away from expanding the lead. But they did make two great throws, and our first runner in scoring position was out before we could even get a bat. After thinking about it more, and who was coming up, I don’t love the aggressiveness there. Trust one of Rocchio or Kwan to get a hit, or at least a walk to get Jose up. Gotta know who is behind you and the situation here. Don’t hate it, don’t love it, it is what it is and we are still 2-0 headed to the 6th inning.
To start the 6th DOES ANYONE GET HBP AS MUCH AS THESE GUYS? I’m sure they aren’t even that high up there, but man it feels like we’ve hit far too many of them this series. Well, from cruise control to alarms blaring in every Cleveland fan’s heart, the Sox get their leadoff man on with the top of the lineup incoming. On an 0-2 pitch nonetheless. Woof!
So Gav. You’ve thrown a gem. You have a 2 run lead. But the tying run is at the plate, how do you respond?… Quick strikeout, flyout, but then a 2 out single (the first hit for the White Sox all game) and we ask again Gav, this time in the voice of Carl Willis coming out for a meeting on the mound… You’ve thrown a gem, you’ve got the tying run on base, and the most dangerous batter Chicago has is at the plate. How, do you, respond?
He would walk Vargas on 5 non-competitive pitches, loading the bases for Munetaki Murakami and ending his day at 5.2 IP.
As I type this, I know his line isn’t final. There’s a chance that 5.2 IP has 3 ER attached to it. Hopefully Sabrowski does his job and there are no runs attached to it. But all I gotta say is Gavin spun an absolute gem. So no matter what happens, that needs to be the AND SRIK SABROWSKI STRIKES OUT MUNETAKI MURAKAMI!!! KICKSTART MY HEART AND LET OUT THAT PRIMAL ROAR YOU BEAUTIFUL CANADIAN HOSER!!!!! (I do assume Hoser is a term of endearment in Canada? Or at the very least a regular of fun name-calling banter. I apologize if it is a slur or offensive in anyway).
Whoa BABY that 6th was a ride! Now can we please add some insurance here? Because I’m counting the outs we have left and I would REALLY like a 3rd and 4th run here.
Oh no that wouldn’t happen here. Sean Newcomb put his big boy pants on tonight and would strikeout Kwany and Jose before Chase “handsomest man in the world” DeLauter squeaked one by Chase “most White Sox looking White Sox ever even more than Aaron Rowand/Paul Konerko/Joe Crede” Meidroth, but Jo Adell could not play hero and we go to the 7th, still 2-0.
Vogt would surprisingly pull Sabrowski after the one batter, putting Hunter Gaddis directly into the fire against the White Sox for what might have actually been the 18th time this season (I think it’s actually 12 which is insane anyway). Interesting decision, knowing you likely don’t want to go 2 Cade innings again, AND, it’s Hunter Gaddis…
But the Big Hairy Georgian was AWESOME, striking out 3 while allowing just one flare off the end of the bat. Another great call by Vogt, and we are 6 outs away from the ALCS. Big question now becomes, do you stuck with Gaddis for Doyle? Herrin for Antonacci/Teel/Vargas? Does Shawn Armstrong come into play? How many outs are we asking of Cade? All nerve wracking questions that would matter a whole lot less if you could just ADD A DAMN INSURANCE RUN!!!
Nope. Again, why would we do that? What’s the fun in winning easy? Why not enter every inning with a solid chance at colossal heart break? What’s the saying? It’s better to have loved and lost rather than to win by 5 or 6? Something like that?
Onto the 8th inning, and Hunter Gaddis comes back out after a 14 pitch, BEAUTIFUL 7th, ready to throw pitch 15 and possibly more for the 9th hitter and beyond. Randall Grichuk, he of Guardian faithful Free Agency dreams (and then again of the Waiver Wire), would pinch-strikeout for Doyle before the lineup would turn over. Gaddis stayed on; so of course Antonacci would get the Sox 3rd hit of the night (all were flares off the end of the bat), which would be all that Vogt needed to go to the ‘pen, hopefully one last time (in a good way), where he’d be calling on Cade Smith to get 5 outs.
Look, I trust Cade Smith more than any pitcher we’ve maybe ever had. But Thursday’s appearance, as well as the fact that he’s thrown in every game this series, has me more nervous than I’ve ever been with him taking the mound. Usually, I’m as steady as a rock. Tonight, I’m a shaky wet puddle on the floor.
Oh Jaker, ye of little faith. Cade would scare me for two pitches way out of the zone before coming back to strike out Teel and then getting Vargas to pop up to Bailey. Cade Smith. K’d. The Cade Crusader. Gettin the job done like he has 200 times before.
3 outs away
So please, one final time, can I get an insurance run???
Well, we’d get our chance. Halpin would lead the inning off with a double off the top of the wall, but Grant Taylor would come in and somehow get the job done by getting Rocchio to ground out, walking Kwan and then Jose (intentionally), then two sharp groundouts from Chase and Jo. 0-3 with RISP on the night. Would it bite us one final time in a year where it seemingly did once every series? Would 2 runs be enough for the extremely overused Cade Smith?
Unbelievable. The Cleveland Guardians come back from down 2 games to none to advance to the American League Championship Series for the 2nd time in 3 seasons under Steven Vogt! Incredible pitching to set strikeout records in both game 4 with 19 in 9 innings and then again in game 5 with 21 strikeouts.
Gavin Williams. Jose Ramirez. Cade Smith. THAT IS GUARDSBALL BABY.
——
Let me just say, major shout out to the Chicago White Sox. What they overcame this year was remarkable. I mean, this was their second best season in the last 100 years, and they almost beat us! It was close. Now, we might take our seasons for granted here, ya know, we just wake up and win the division so the ALCS is way more in our wheelhouse. But in Chicago it’s basically a pipe dream. So for them to come so close to it, is truly remarkable. They deserve a lot of credit for putting together such an incredible Wild Card round Win for one of their greatest moments in franchise history. And they almost won the division too. Great stuff guys really!
No, no trolling. In all seriousness the White Sox and Guardians were neck and neck all year and it made plenty of sense that this came down to a Winner-Take-All Game 5. They were a formidable opponent that I would’ve hated to lose to because, well, I just don’t like them. But damn it did I respect their game all season long. They got the better of us just as often as we did them (literally, the regular and post season series came out to 9-9).
What a year, and we ain’t done. ALCS starts Monday night in Tampa. I have no idea who’s pitching and I do not care. Let’s enjoy this ride Cleveland! See you Monday!!!
It's a battle of NL heavyweights as a pair of 100-win teams stage a rematch of last year's NLCS with the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers looking to avenge their loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers will have to break through on the road once again if they hope to make it three titles in a row.
Meanwhile, the AL matchup offers the complete opposite, with the top-seeded Rays looking to get back to the World Series for the first time since the COVID-shortened 2020 season – and hoping to win it for the first time in franchise history.
They'll be heavy favorites over the Cleveland Guardians, who had to survive a grueling five-game division series just to get here.
Printable MLB playoff bracket: 2026 League Championship Series update
MLB playoff bracket, schedule
* - if necessary
ALCS: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians/Chicago White Sox
All times Eastern
Game 1: Monday, Oct. 12. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 13. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 15. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 6 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 16. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 6 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
*Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 17. Rays at Guardians/White Sox 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
*Game 6: Monday, Oct. 19. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 5 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
*Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 20. Guardians/White Sox at Rays, 8 p.m. – TBS / truTV / HBO Max
NLCS: Milwaukee Brewers vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
All times Eastern
Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 11. Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 12. Dodgers at Brewers, 5 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 14. Brewers at Dodgers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 15. Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
*Game 5: Friday, Oct. 16. Brewers at Dodgers, 9 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
*Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 18. Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
*Game 7: Monday, Oct. 19. Dodgers at Brewers, 8 p.m. – FOX / FS1 / FOX Deportes / FOX One
CLEVELAND — Gavin Williams had 12 of a record 21 strikeouts by Cleveland pitchers, José Ramírez hit a go-ahead home run on a pitch just above home plate and the Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 Saturday night to complete a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in their best-of-five AL Division Series.
Cleveland opens the AL Championship Series at Tampa Bay on Monday night, seeking its first World Series trip since 2016.
The Guardians/Indians franchise hasn’t won the title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB teams.
Guardians pitchers set a record for strikeouts in a nine-inning postseason game and the most in any regular or postseason game since at least 1900.
Petey Halpin celebrates after hitting a double during the eighth inning of the Guaridans’ series-clinching win over the White Sox in Game 5 of their ALDS matchup on Oct. 10, 2026 at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Getty Images
The White Sox got just three hits, put only nine balls in play and finished the series with 75 strikeouts and a .185 batting average.
“It was less about chase and more about being attacked in the zone and swing and miss in the zone,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Just didn’t have what it would have took to move some balls forward there.”
Cleveland became just the 11th team to win a best-of-five series among the 96 that fell behind 0-2, the first since the 2017 Yankees against the Indians and only the fourth to achieve the feat after losing the first two games at home.
Two days after saving Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher in postseason history to get the last out of a game and start the following game when his team faced elimination in both.
He didn’t allow a hit until Kyle Teel looped a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth, two innings after Ramírez homered for the second straight game, a two-run drive off Sean Burke.
After a walk loaded the bases, Erik Sabrowski relieved and struck out Munetaka Murakami on a foul tip, the pitcher letting out a yell.
Williams’ 12 strikeouts tied Cleveland’s record for a postseason game. He got 22 swings and misses, and his 24 strikeouts over three games were one shy of the mark for best-of-five postseason series.
“That was big-boy stuff today,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We’ve seen other performances like that in the postseason, but to do it in this stage and these types of games facing three straight elimination and you have one of your starters say I will pitch whenever you need me to, super impressive.”
Guardians react with their signs during the ninth inning of their Game 5 series-clinching home win over the White Sox. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Hunter Gaddis followed Sabrowski and got four outs, and Cade Smith finished for his first career five-out save, striking out the side in the ninth. He blew a fastball by Tristan Peters for the final out, setting off a celebration at Progressive Field.
Chicago, the first team to reach the playoffs after three straight 100-loss seasons, has not won the World Series since 2005.
Ramírez homered on a knuckle-curve 0.74 feet above ground, the lowest pitch hit for a postseason home run since tracking started in 2008, according to MLB Statcast, and the lowest hit by Ramirez in his 14-year big league career.
Steven Kwan had singled leading off the fourth ahead of Ramírez’s sixth postseason homer, which went just over the wall near the right-field line.
Cleveland starter Gavin Williams pumps his fist after a strikeout in the fifth inning of the Guardians’ Game 5 series-clinching win over the White Sox. AP Photo/Phil Long
Murakami and Andrew Benintendi struck out four times each, and Teel and Chase Meidroth three times apiece.
Up next
Tampa Bay went 5-1 against the Guardians, including three shutouts.
It will be the third postseason meeting of the teams following the Rays’ win in the 2013 wild card game and the Guardians’ sweep in the 2022 wild card series.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 10: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates after hitting a two run home run during the fourth inning in game five of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on October 10, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!!! YOUR CLEVELAND GUARDIANS ARE GOING TO THE ALCS!!! WHAT A GAME!!! WHAT A SERIES!!!
Where do we start? That was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve ever watched. Gavin Williams, after closing Game 4 out less than 48 hours ago, had maybe the best start of his career in the most important game of his career. THAT is what an ace does.
How about our goat??? After one of his toughest seasons(due to injury), Jose Ramirez had maybe his best playoff series ever. He absolutely put the offense on his back in every win.
Gavin Williams was unbelievable tonight, but this entire pitching staff deserves their flowers. They were all incredible tonight after some not so great performances earlier in this series. Erik Sabrowski, NAILS, and Hunter Gaddis, for all of his playoff mishaps, was absolutely crucial in this game. They don’t win this game without his 5 out performance. And then of course, the best reliever in all of baseball did what the best reliever in all of baseball does. DOMINANCE.
I know it’s just the ALDS, but this was a series and specifically a game that I will never forget. Seeing all of our stars deliver at the highest level and in the most high leverage situations is truly what being a baseball fan is all about. You can not ask for anything more than what the Guardians gave us tonight. Emjoy it y’all, we’re on to the Rays.
Major League Baseball is officially on to its semifinals with the matchups set for the best-of-seven American and National League Championship Series that begin on Sunday, Oct 11.
The NLCS features a Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewersrematch from a year ago, with the Dodgers sweeping aside the Brewers – who like this season, were the NL's top seed. But this Milwaukee team won 103 games and features one of the game's best pitching staffs, led by likely NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski.
The Brewers and Rays are among the five MLB teams that have never won a World Series title, joined by the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. The World Series is scheduled to begin on Friday, Oct. 23 in Milwaukee or Los Angeles, as both NL finalists have better records than their AL counterparts.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani works out Saturday at American Family Field ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against Milwaukee Brewers. (Kyla Wolf / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani blistered a ball into the second deck in right-center field. Then he launched another, this time a little closer to the imposing video board looming over American Family Field that bore the massive “2026 NLCS” logo.
“Good day of work for him,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said after the Dodgers’ workout Saturday. “Him and Bookie [Mookie Betts] had been talking hitting the last few days. His idea to hit on the field. New field, new backdrop, that sort of thing.”
Ohtani has only hit in batting practice on a field a handful of times this season. But ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, he had an extended session off the machine.
“Just trying not to flip the barrel so soon,” Bates said of what Ohtani has focused on mechanically. “Get comfortable in the setup so he feels like he’s in a good position to swing the bat, but mostly just not have his top hand roll over too soon. Then just sticking his finish, and that helps him reverse engineer, keeps the effort level low and obviously just on the ball longer.”
Ohtani went two for 13 in the NLDS, recording two singles in the first two games. The four-time MVP will try to overcome his recent struggles when he faces Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1.
Misiorowski raised his own bar in his second major-league season. But Ohtani’s struggles bumped him down to the No. 5 and 4 spots in the Dodgers’ lineup for games 3 and 4, respectively, against the Atlanta Braves.
Ohtani’s recent slump, however, isn’t going to change how Misiorowski pitches to him.
“It’s still October,” the Brewers ace said. “You’ve got to still pitch like he’s the best in the world and trust your stuff and go beat him at his game, and do your job.”
That track record is what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is leaning on, too, as he continues to predict that Ohtani will bust out of his funk.
“There’s nothing right now I’m going to hang my hat on outside of, I just believe in the person and the talent,” Roberts said in a conference call Friday. “I do think that getting a couple days out of a game environment to kind of work on his swing, rest the body, rest the mind is a benefit. I’m just never going to count Shohei out.”
Ohtani’s biggest contribution in the NLDS didn’t involve a swing. In his first at-bat of Game 4, he took advantage of Tyler Mahle taking a careful approach with him, drawing a five-pitch walk. Then he stole second base and capitalized on a pair of Braves errors to score.
“Outside of [Chris] Sale, I thought he did a good job of controlling the zone,” Roberts said. “I saw some better swings.”
Dodgers players work out at American Family Field on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Dodgers players take part in an off-day workout on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS.
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal walks on the field during practice.
Dodgers rookie Josue DePaula kneels on the field during practice.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
But the Dodgers also expressed optimism while Ohtani was on the injured list, and again after he had the bye week to work on his swing.
“It feels really good overall,” Ohtani said last Oct. 2, the last time he addressed the media. “I do feel like my swing is in a better place, feels smooth, and just a little tweak here and there, and I’ll be ready.”
Ohtani didn’t will a hot streak into existence then. But the Dodgers keep preaching optimism.
“If he’s in the batter’s box, he’s still a threat,” Roberts said Saturday. “He swung the bat well against these guys last postseason. Their memories — those pitchers, their memories are long. Now it’s just up to Shohei to understand that and control the strike zone. They’re just not going to give in to him regardless of how he might be swinging the bat over the last couple months, in my opinion.”
Roberts said he expects infielder Miguel Rojas to be on the Dodgers’ NLCS roster despite sustaining a back injury in Game 3 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers also plan to add a pitcher and remove a position player, to balance the roster at 13 pitchers and 13 position players.
“Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching,” Roberts said when asked what the Dodgers would prioritize. “As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced. So that really doesn’t come into play. I think for us, it’s more of, who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium- to lower-leverage situation?”
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) kicked off on Oct. 3, featuring six teams comprising prospects from all 30 MLB organizations.
* Salt River Rafters include D-backs, Rockies, Twins, Yankees, Nationals.
* Mesa Solar Sox include Athletics, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, Blue Jays.
* Glendale Desert Dogs include Braves, White Sox, Dodgers, Marlins, Pirates.
* Scottsdale Scorpions include Tigers, Astros, Brewers, Giants, Rays.
* Surprise Saguaros include Guardians, Royals, Mets, Phillies, Rangers.
* Peoria Javelinas include Orioles, Reds, Padres, Mariners, Cardinals.
The teams play for six weeks from Oct. 3 to Nov. 14. There is a round-robin playoff with all six teams participating. The Fall Stars Game is on Nov. 8. A Home Run Derby takes place before the playoffs on Nov. 7.
The Quarterfinals begin Nov. 12 with the top two-seeded teams having a bye in the first round and playing the winners of that round in the semifinals beginning Nov. 13.
The championship game will be carried on MLB Network, MLB.com, and the MLB app (Nov. 14).
Each organization sends at least seven players to its team, and they name the participating players in August.
Padres prospects
The San Diego Padres sent five pitchers and three position players to the Peoria Javelinas of the Fall League. After finishing their minor league seasons, each player will continue developing with more competition in the desert. Some are replacing lost time due to injury, or they need further development beyond their normal seasons.
RHP Winyer Chourio, LHP Igor Gil, RHP Francis Peña, RHP Kannon Kemp, and RHP Jordan Valenzuela are the chosen pitchers. Chourio and Kemp are starters.
Catcher Ty Harvey, outfielder Alex McCoy, and infielder Justin DeCriscio are the three position players.
Danny Worth, Padres minor league infield coordinator, is the manager for the Javelinas. He just completed his second season in the Padres organization.
A split week
For their first week of competition, the Javelinas split their six games while playing two games versus Mesa, one game versus Salt River, one game versus Scottsdale, one game versus Surprise, and one game versus Glendale.
They sit in third place behind Salt River and Scottsdale, two games back of the lead.
The Javelinas are hitting just .219 so far but have healthy on-base and slugging numbers that give them a team .743 OPS. They are second in RBI with 32, while Salt River leads with 42.
Winyer Chourio has one start and three innings pitched without allowing a run on two hits. He walked none and had one strikeout.
Kannon Kemp started one game and allowed four hits and a run in 1 ⅔ innings pitched with a walk and three strikeouts.
Francis Peña has made two appearances and two innings pitched with two hits and no runs.
Jordan Valenzuela has made two appearances and pitched two innings, with three hits and two runs, a walk, and two strikeouts.
Igor Gil allowed two hits and two runs with a walk and a strikeout in his 1 ⅔ innings over two games, giving him a 10.80 ERA.
McCoy keeps hitting
Outfielder Alex McCoy, 6-foot-7 and 24 years old, missed much of 2025 with an injury. The gap doesn’t seem to have slowed his development much. Starting 2026 in Single-A Fort Wayne, McCoy was promoted to Double-A San Antonio for the last 25 games of the season. Over the two levels, McCoy hit .278/.355/.467 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI. His 26% strikeout rate was a bit high, while posting a 9% walk rate.
In the five games he has played with Peoria, McCoy has been in left field and hitting .250 with an .881 OPS while slugging a double and a homer for five RBI. He has four stolen bases in five attempts.
It could be debated whether he has earned a Spring Training invite to play left field and try hitting against more elevated pitching to see what he can do.
Infielder Justin DeCriscio has played in four games and has two hits with three RBI, hitting a double to drive in runs.
Catcher Ty Harvey missed much of 2026 due to injury and needs at-bats for development to catch up with his contemporaries. In four games as catcher and DH, Harvey has one hit and one RBI with five walks and seven strikeouts. He also has four stolen bases in four attempts.
Infielder Brandon Butterworth, traded by the Padres in 2025 to the Orioles (Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano), is also on the Javelinas playing alongside some former teammates.
MILWAUKEE – At this stage of the playoffs last year, Brewers manager Pat Murphy joked that he was certain the Dodgers couldn’t name eight players on his roster.
The false humility backfired.
Murphy’s words cast a spell on the Brewers, who went from being the winningest team in baseball to a collection of obscure laborers as unremarkable as the podunk town in which they play.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, left, talks to members of the media during a workout for the National League Championship Series at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. Tannen Maury/UPI/Shutterstock
The Dodgers swept the Brewers in four games and went on to win the World Series.
Murphy started his news conference as he often does, asking reporters with whom he was unfamiliar to stand and introduced themselves. He playfully asked Japanese reporters if they could help him land a job in Nippon Professional Baseball.
But before Murphy was the manager of the Brewers, or even the coach at Arizona State or Notre Dame, Murphy was an amateur boxer who moved to Miami with designs of fighting professionally.
The day before Game 1, the fighter in him emerged.
Murphy said he regretted how he characterized his team last year. Getty Images
Murphy said he regretted how he characterized his team last year.
“I”m sorry I played that underdog card,” Murphy said. “I probably shouldn’t have played that, used that as an excuse for why we didn’t play well.
“I don’t care who the underdog is. I don’t care who the favorite is. It’s about getting in the ring and fighting it out.”
There were more boxing metaphors.
“I think any time there’s familiarity it could help,” Murphy said. “You fight a guy once and you fight him the second time, you should have a better idea. Everything’s different. The guy is a little different that you’re fighting the second time, even though it’s the same person. They’ve got a different strategy, maybe different personnel.”
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) pitches during the first inning of a National League Division Series game against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Brewers once again finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, this time by winning a franchise-record 103 games.
But questions remain over how their unconventional offense translates in the playoffs. The Brewers had baseball’s highest batting average in the regular season. They also had the second-fewest home runs. They also don’t have much of a rotation after their first two starters, Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson.
Asked how the Brewers’ fastball-reliant pitching staff would deal with a Dodgers’ lineup with a penchant for hitting fastballs, Murphy replied, “You’ve got to execute because executing pitches is what it’s about. That stops offense. We’re still going to pitch to our strengths. It’s like any other fight. Styles matter, but we can only do what we can do. I can’t all of a sudden become a counterpuncher if I’m Mike Tyson, and they can’t be Muhammad Ali if all year they fought like George Foreman.”
Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich takes batting practice ahead of Game 1 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Milwaukee. AP Photo/Kyla Wolf
For the Brewers to have a chance in this series, they will almost certainly have to win Game 1 in which Misiorowski will be their starter. The prohibitive favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award, Misiorowski beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, limiting them to one run over six innings and striking out six. But pitching opposite Misiorowski will be Tarik Skubal.
From there, the Dodgers will have an enormous edge in starting pitching. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2, after which Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are expected to follow, in that order. The more games are played, the more the Brewers’ bullpen figures to tire.
The Brewers know what they’re up against. But they’re also projecting a different energy this year, and they’re counting on that to assist them in overcoming the band of superstars from the entertainment capital of the world.
“Look, if you want to play who’s favored in this series, it’s probably not us, but it doesn’t matter,” Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich. “It’s the same thing in spring training when we’re the team that’s never picked to win the division or be the postseason team. It doesn’t matter who people say is favored or not favored because you have to go play the games.”
