The MLB postseason kicks off today! Four Wild Card Series will be played over the next three days, in which time the Brewers will learn whether they’ll face the Cubs or the Padres in their Division Series matchup. You can check out our Wild Card Series Preview here, but here’s a quick rundown of this week’s action, and where you can find it:

Philadelphia Phillies @ Atlanta Braves (1:00 p.m. CT each day, NBC & Peacock)

The Phillies are back in the postseason for the fifth straight season and the third time as an NL Wild Card. Both of those Wild Card appearances have boded well for them, as they made the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS in 2023, taking out the Braves in the NLDS both times. This year, they backed into the final playoff spot on the last day of the regular season after spoiling multiple chances throughout the week to clinch, but nonetheless, they’re here. The Braves, who had a disappointing 2025 after making the playoffs each of the seven seasons prior, are back as the champs of the NL East for the first time since 2023. They’re led by the resurgence of a late-career Chris Sale, who once again put his name into contention for the NL Cy Young with a strong season. The offense has been good, albeit inconsistent, led by Matt Olson, Michael Harris Jr, and Drake Baldwin.

Chicago White Sox @ Houston Astros (4:00 p.m. CT each day, Peacock & NBC Sports Network)

What most would likely expect to be the most boring Wild Card Series, this set features the two worst teams in the postseason, at least by record. The Astros became the first division winner in MLB history to finish without a winning record, ending the year at 81-81, but I promise you they don’t care. They’re back in the playoffs for the ninth time in the last 10 years after missing the postseason last year. Even at .500, they led the league in homers this year, finishing in the top 10 in OPS, though their pitching staff ranked in the bottom-third of the league. The White Sox, who lost 100-plus games each of the last three seasons, are back in the postseason for the first time since 2021, when they lost in the ALDS to the Astros. They’re also an offense-first team, ranking in the top 10 in OPS, homers, and runs scored behind Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas, and Colson Montgomery, while their pitching staff sits right in the middle of the pack.

Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees (7:00 p.m. CT each day, NBC & Peacock)

One of two Wild Card rematches from a year ago, the Red Sox will once again travel to New York to face the rival Yankees in this best-of-three series. Last year, the Red Sox claimed Game 1 but dropped the last two games in three low-scoring games, as the two teams scored just 15 total runs in the series. I’d expect more scoring this time around, but who knows — these are two of the best pitching staffs in baseball, as the Yankees lead the league in ERA and the Red Sox rank third. Offensively, neither team is great, though the Red Sox had a solid second half and the Yankees can still mash homers, especially at Yankee Stadium. This should be a fun rivalry series in the Bronx.

Chicago Cubs @ San Diego Padres (9:00 p.m. CT each day, Peacock & NBC Sports Network)

Brewers fans will have to stay up late this week if they want to watch their two potential opponents in the NLDS face off, as the Padres will host the Cubs for their best-of-three series in San Diego. Chicago, who led the NL Central early in the season and looked like the top Wild Card team for most of the year, laid off the gas late in the year, allowing the surging Padres to take over that top seed in the final week. San Diego, which had one of the league’s worst offenses in the first half, has really turned things on since the All-Star break, led by Fernando Tatis Jr., who finished the season with 25 homers despite not hitting his first until May 30. The Padres also have one of the best bullpens in baseball, while the Cubs are an inconsistent offense-heavy team, as they have 35 wins of five-plus runs but they were also shut out 14 times this season. We’ll see how this one pans out as the Brewers await their opponent.

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We’ve already got goosebumps.

For the seventh time in MLB history, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are meeting in the playoffs.

This time around, the Bronx Bombers and BoSox will go toe-to-toe in the Wild Card round in a best-of-three series that determines who gets to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS.

The trio of games will all take place at the Bronx’s Yankee Stadium. They’re slated go down:

Game 1Tuesday, Sept. 29
8 p.m.
Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03 ERA) vs. Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA)

Game 2Wednesday, Sept. 30
8 p.m.
Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72 ERA) vs. Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA)

Game 3Thursday, Oct. 1
8 p.m.
Ranger Suarez (8-5, 3.22 ERA) vs. Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA)

If you’d like to be there, the lowest price we could find on tickets for any one games was $129 including fees on Vivid Seats.

Prices start at $131 and $135 including fees for the other two contests.

Over the course of the regular season, New York and Boston met 13 times; the Yankees took seven of those showdowns. In their final battle, the Yankees walloped the Sox 16-1 on Aug. 30. Heliot Ramos, Paul Goldschmidt, José Caballero and Austin Wells all homered for the Bombers that afternoon.

Both teams went 5-5 in their last ten games of the regular season.

As for this series, manager Aaron Boone left Aaron Judge off the Wild Card round roster but activated Giancarlo Stanton and Trent Grisham after both have been inactive for months and weeks at a time, respectively.

“[I’m] real confident if we play our game and pitch like we’re capable of, we got a chance to move on,” Boone said. “We got to play our best starting Tuesday.”

See you there, Bleacher Creatures.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the Yankees vs. Red Sox 2026 AL Wild Card series below.

How much are tickets for the Yankees vs. Red Sox Wild Card series at Yankee Stadium?

A complete breakdown of all the best prices on tickets for the three AL Wild Card series games at Yankee Stadium can be found here:

Are Yankees tickets available for later rounds?

Starry-eyed fans looking to get ahead of themselves can procure potential ALDS, ALCS and World Series tickets before the postseason even begins.

To grab seats for the game of your choosing, all potential hypothetical Yankees playoff tickets can be found here.

How to watch the Yankees in the 2026 playoffs

Fans that prefer to watch on the tube, you can catch Yankees playoff contests on ESPN.

All of these providers can be found on DIRECTV.

Huge 2026-27 NYC shows

The Yankees aren’t the only huge attraction in The Big Apple these next few months.

Here are just five of the biggest acts headed to New York City in the near future.

• Stevie Wonder

• Buddy Guy with Eric Clapton

• Death Cab For Cutie

• Gnarls Barkley

• Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band

Plus, Bernie Williams is making his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning show “Buena Vista Social Club” from Oct. 22 through Nov. 29. Don’t miss the star centerfielder from yesteryear under the spotlight today.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

Major League Baseball announced today that Colorado Rockies IF/OF Cole Carrigg has been selected as the National League’s Rookie of the Month for September. He joins TJ Rumfield, who won back-to-back awards in May and June.

Carrigg burst onto the scene in June — quite literally, with a triple in his very first at-bat. He’s had some ups and downs, but overall finished on a high note with a home run in the final game against the Chicago White Sox.

In 24 games in September, Carrigg slashed .327/.340/.571 with four doubles, a triple, six home runs and 17 RBI. He led qualified rookies in at-bats (98), home runs (6), RBI (17) and slugging percentage (.571) while being among NL rookie leaders in runs scored (12, T-3rd), doubles (4, T-3rd), stolen bases (3, T-2nd), average (.327, 2nd) and OPS (.911, 3rd).

Carrigg joins Josh Rutledge (July 2012), David Dahl (August 2016) and Nolan Jones (September 2023) as the only Rockies rookies to bat at least .300 and record at least 11 extra-base hits and three stolen bases in a calendar month.

Carrigg also becomes the 10th Rockies player to receive the Rookie of the Month Award, joining TJ Rumfield (May/June 2026), Nolan Jones (September/October 2023), Antonio Senzatela (April 2017), Trevor Story (April 2016), Ian Stewart (July 2008), Troy Tulowitzki (August 2007), Garrett Atkins (June 2005), Clint Barmes (April 2005), and Jason Jennings (August 2002).

Finally, Carrigg and Rumfield are just the second pair of Rockies teammates to win the award in the same season alongside Barmes and Atkins in 2005. Colorado is now the only National League franchise to have a pair of teammates win the award in the same season on multiple occasions.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Garrett Crochet is ready to go.

The lefty ace, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, was included on the Red Sox roster Tuesday morning ahead of Game 1 of the AL wild-card series against the Yankees.

On Saturday, Crochet threw his second live batting practice of the week.

“It was good. Been feeling good. I guess now it’s just a matter if anybody agrees with me,” he said afterwards, according to MLB.com.

The Red Sox seemingly did and now will have Crochet up their sleeve in the best-of-three series.

The 27-year-old last pitched on April 25 against the Orioles, allowing three hits and zero runs across six innings of a 17-1 win.

He has spent the past five months rehabbing and working his way back from the left lat strain, which was longer than initially anticipated.

“It was obviously a lot longer than I expected. Been busting my tail just to kind of give myself a fighting chance, and I feel like I did that,” Crochet said prior to the playoffs. “Now it’s just waiting for the roster to come out. I hope that I’m able to contribute, but regardless, I’m here, and I think that we have put ourselves in a great position to walk away from the Series with a win.”

In the 2025 wild-card series against the Yankees, Crochet started and grinded out a 3-1 win for the Red Sox in Game 1.

He allowed four hits and tallied 11 strikeouts across 7 ⅔ innings.

This year, Crochet could be used as a reliever as he works his way back to his prime form.

The Tennessee product has reliever experience from college and he served out of the bullpen early in his career with the White Sox. In his first 72 appearances, he held a 2.71 ERA as a reliever.

Crochet was converted to a starting hurler in 2024.

The Red Sox travel to The Bronx for Game 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Well, here we go again — for the second straight season, the Cubs and Padres meet in a Wild Card Series. Last year, the Cubs won it in Wrigley Field. This year, they’ll have to do that in San Diego.

If the regular season results are any indication, they can do it. The Cubs took the season series from the Padres five games to one, winning two of three in Petco Park in April and sweeping them in Wrigley Field at the end of June/beginning of July.

Here’s what happened in all six of those games.

April 27: Padres 9, Cubs 7

The Cubs fell behind 3-0 in the first inning, hut homers by Seiya Suzuki (in the second) and Moisés Ballesteros (a grand slam in the third) put the Cubs up 5-3 after three.

The Padres hit Matthew Boyd, Ben Brown, Phil Maton and Jacob Webb pretty hard, including a home run by Gavin Sheets off Webb, to take a 9-5 lead going to the ninth.

Mason Miller, the Padres’ supposedly unhittable closer, entered to finish up. The Cubs hit him. Matt Shaw, Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to load the bases with nobody out. Nico Hoerner hit into a force play at second, scoring Shaw and sending Swanson to third. Dansby scored on a wild pitch, bringing Michael Busch to the plate as the tying run. But Miller got Busch to ground out and struck out Alex Bregman to end the game.

Here’s the BCB recap of this game.

April 28: Cubs 8, Padres 3

The game went 2-2 into the sixth. Dansby Swanson had doubled in the two runs in the second.

The Cubs took a 4-2 lead in the sixth on a two-run double by Nico Hoerner. One of the runners who scored was Nicky Lopez. Yes, he played for the Cubs this year. That was the only run he scored as a member of the 2026 Cubs. The Padres closed to within one in the bottom of the inning off Edward Cabrera, who then departed the game having allowed three runs, striking out seven.

Then the Cubs blew the game open in the seventh. Seiya Suzuki led off with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. Michael Busch was hit by a pitch and Carson Kelly hit into a force play, with Suzuki taking third. Alex Bregman singled in Kelly to make it 5-3 and then Pete Crow-Armstrong hit this three-run homer [VIDEO].

Ryan Rolison finished up with two scoreless innings, just his third appearance as a Cub.

Here’s the BCB recap of this game.

April 29: Cubs 5, Padres 4

Miguel Amaya’s RBI single in the second gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead and that was extended to 3-0 on a Pete Crow-Armstrong two-run homer in the fourth.

But Miguel Andujar (solo) and Nick Castellanos (two-run) homered off Jameson Taillon in the fifth to tie the game 3-3.

Now that’s an interesting sentence. Not one of those players is on either team at this time. Andujar fractured his wrist and has been out since July (though has been on a rehab assignment and might return). Castellanos was released by the Padres in June. Taillon was released by the Cubs in July, caught on with the Blue Jays, then was injured and hasn’t pitched since early September.

The Cubs took the lead back in the sixth. Michael Busch led off with a walk and was forced by Michael Conforto. Conforto went to third on a double by Matt Shaw and scored on a PCA groundout.

Shaw then homered in the eighth to make it 5-3. In the bottom of the eighth the Padres got that run back on a sac fly by Fernando Tatis Jr. off Ben Brown.

Brown remained in the game in the ninth. He struck out Xander Bogaerts and got Ty France on a ground ball.

Then the two managers started playing the platoon game we rarely see in modern baseball. Craig Stammen sent Gavin Sheets up to bat for Andujar. Craig Counsell brought in left-hander Hoby Milner, so Stammen countered with Ramon Laureano.

Milner then struck out Ramon Laureano to end the game [VIDEO].

Here’s the BCB recap of this game.

June 29: Cubs 3, Padres 2

The Padres took a 2-0 lead off Shōta Imanaga with single runs in the third and fourth, but the Cubs tied it up on single runs in the fourth (RBI single by Michael Conforto) and fifth (sac fly by Seiya Suzuki).

Imanaga threw well in this game, not allowing a home run and striking out four in 6.2 innings.

The game remained at 2-2 into the bottom of the ninth. Jason Adam, who had retired the Cubs 1-2-3 in the eighth on just 10 pitches, remained in the game to start the ninth. Dansby Swanson and Pete Crow-Armstrong singled off Adam, so Craig Stammen summoned Mason Miller.

The Cubs hit him again. Alex Bregman singled to load the bases with nobody out. Unfortunately, Michael Busch then hit into a double play. He flied to short left and Swanson tried to score, but was thrown out at the plate [VIDEO].

PCA and Bregman moved up a base each on that throw, and PCA scored the winning run on this walk-off blast by Seiya Suzuki [VIDEO].

That ball didn’t miss being a three-run homer by much, but all the Cubs needed was a single, and they got it.

Here’s the BCB recap of this game.

June 30: Cubs 9, Padres 7

The Cubs got payback of sorts for the 9-7 Padres win in San Diego in April by defeating them by the same score at Wrigley Field two months later.

Fernando Tatis Jr. led off the game with a home run off Matthew Boyd, but the Cubs got that run right back on an RBI single by Carson Kelly in the bottom of the inning.

Then the Cubs exploded for four in the second. With one out, Dansby Swanson homered. Then Kevin Alcántara singled and Pete Crow-Armstrong walked, and Alex Bregman smashed a three-run homer to make it 5-1 Cubs.

It became 5-3 in the third when Manny Machado hit a two-run homer off Boyd. Michael Busch homered off JP Sears in the fifth to make it 5-3, and after Ian Happ singled, the Padres brought in Ron Marinaccio. Swanson homered again, his second of the game, to make it 8-3. PCA added a homer in the sixth to put the Cubs up by six.

Easy peasy, right? Well, nothing’s been that way for the Cubs this year. Javier Assad threw a scoreless seventh, but then gave up four in the eighth, including a three-run homer by Gavin Sheets and a solo shot by Tatis.

That was it for the Padres, though, and Tyler Ferguson and Ryan Rolison finished up.

Here’s the BCB recap of this game.

July 1: Cubs 23, Padres 3

This game began as a blowout and then turned into silly season.

Seiya Suzuki began the fun with a three-run homer in the first. Dansby Swanson homered in the second to make it 4-0, and after Miguel Amaya hit a two-run single in the third, Swanson homered again, a three-run job that made it 9-0.

The Padres scored a pair off Colin Rea in the fifth, but the Cubs increased their lead in the bottom of the inning. Michael Conforto homered with one out, and after Amaya walked and Swanson reached on an error, Pete Crow-Armstrong smacked a three-run homer to make it 13-2.

If you’re counting, that’s five home runs for the Cubs, and they were far from being done. Conforto homered again in the sixth with Ian Happ on base to make it 15-2.

The Padres brought in backup catcher Rodolfo Durán to throw the bottom of the inning. He retired the Cubs in order and San Diego scored one in the eighth.

Durán remained in the game to “pitch” in the eighth and I put that in quotes because, well, some of those “pitches” were thrown at ridiculously slow spees, in particular this one, hit for a grand slam by Swanson:

Here’s Swanson’s slam [VIDEO].

The Cubs scored eight in that inning and won 23-3. That was the most runs scored by any Cubs team since Aug. 18, 1995, when they scored 26 at Colorado, and the most at Wrigley Field since May 17, 1977, when they won 23-6 over… the Padres.

Here’s the BCB recap of this game.

The Cubs also tied the franchise record with eight home runs in that game, a record they broke less than two months later when they hit nine against the Brewers Aug. 31. In both cases multiple home runs were hit off position players, and I’ve already written something about that sort of thing, but that’s a topic for a different day.

Nevertheless, all those homers and runs count, and the Cubs thus outscored the Padres 55-28 in the six games. That’s not likely to be repeated in this Wild Card Series, but three Cubs did have monster seasons against the Padres.

Dansby Swanson: .647/.667/1.647 (11-for-18) with two doubles, five home runs, 13 RBI and eight runs in five games
Pete Crow-Armstrong: .364/.481/.909 (8-for-22) with four home runs, five walks, 10 RBI and eight runs in six games
Seiya Suzuki: .500/.520/.864 (11-for-22) with two doubles, two home runs and eight runs in six games

Overall the Cubs hit 18 home runs against the Padres this year and allowed nine.

Lastly, the Cubs handled Padres closer Mason Miller pretty well. It’s a very small sample size — three games and 13 plate appearances — but the Cubs had five hits and a walk off Miller, and struck out just twice. That’s an encouraging sign, and I’d think this should be a close and competitive series.

The Phillies barely made the playoffs. They went 10-14 in September, losing four of their last five games and had to wait until the last day of the season to claim the National League’s third and final Wild Card spot. They had a run differential of only +15, the offense was just 19th in runs scored, the defense was shaky, and the middle relief situation was a mess all season.

To that, I say: So what?

Once you reach the playoffs, what you did in the regular season doesn’t matter aside from home field advantage. Everyone’s stats have reset to zero, and runs don’t get added or deducted based on how well you did during the season. All that matters is that the Phillies will be taking on the Atlanta Braves in a three-game series, and whichever team wins two games advances to the next round.

With that in mind, I will preview this series with a little help from Philadelphia native Pink and her hit song “So What.”

Na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na-na!

I’m gonna drink my money

It seems like fan opinion was split on whether or not the Phillies should have celebrated after clinching the playoffs on Sunday.

Every other team that made the playoffs celebrated the accomplishment. You think the Phillies should have declined to do so just because they didn’t make it as convincingly as you would have liked? If they had actually backed in by still qualifying after losing their final five games, then I could see being a bit more subdued. But they actively clinched by winning the game.

As for the slow finish to the season, history has shown that like just about every factor, finishing the season strong is very predictive of a playoff run…except when it isn’t. For example, from 2022 to 2025, the Phillies’ worst month of September came in 2022, which happened to be their best postseason performance. And in September 2025, the Phillies went 17-8 – including winning four of their final five – and it didn’t help them win more than a single playoff game.

I got a brand new attitude, I’m gonna wear it tonight

The Phillies have not endeared themselves to the fans lately, and the nadir came on Saturday night when it looked like they might have actually quit. Fortunately, Zack Wheeler and the offense showed up on Sunday to propel the team to victory. If that version of the Phillies shows up, they can win this series. If the Phillies we saw for most of last week is what we get, it will likely be a short stay.

I don’t know where he went

Chris Sale is scheduled to start game one for the Braves. Theoretically this is a huge advantage for the Braves as Sale is one of the best pitchers in baseball. But that dominance hasn’t always showed up in the postseason. Sale has a career postseason ERA of 6.35 with a couple of really bad outings in there. He also hasn’t pitched in the playoffs since 2021.

Sale faced the Phillies four times this season. He undeniably did well against them, but familiarity often works against a pitcher come playoff time. If they don’t hit well against him, it won’t be because they don’t have a good scouting report or were taken by surprise.

The waiter just took my table

The Phillies’ trade deadline has turned out to be somewhat of a disaster with all the players they acquired having disappointed, gotten injured, or both. On the other hand, the Braves acquired starting pitcher Tyler Mahle from the Giants on August 2, and somehow, the guy who had an ERA of 5.13 with the Giants, has gone 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA in nine starting with the Braves.

Those numbers include him giving up five runs in five innings in his final start. But that was also a low-pressure tune up for the playoffs, so it’s hard to know if that actually means anything.

Mahle has spent most of his career as a cromulent mid-rotation starter, and certainly not a sub-2.00 ERA type of pitcher. It seems likely that there’s some regression due, and ideally, that regression would come on Wednesday afternoon when he’s scheduled to start game two of the series.

I’m still a rock star

One of the reasons the Phillies didn’t have a great September record is because their supposed star position players didn’t play well.

Kyle Schwarber had a drastic drop in production in the second half, and after a terrific August, Bryce Harper has been just okay over the last month. It feels like there have been a lot of pitches that he would have destroyed earlier in the season that have ended up being foul balls.

Then there’s Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto who both endured the worst seasons of their careers. Turner’s drop off from a guy who won the batting title and finished in the top five of MVP voting might be the biggest reason the Phillies’ win total dropped by seven. As for Realmuto, he finally ended his long hitless streak on Sunday. It seems clear that he can’t handle such a heavy workload anymore, but sadly, the backup catchers are somehow much worse.

For better or worse, these guys have all been here before. While the narrative seems to be that they’ve repeatedly failed in the playoffs, they’ve also had a lot of big moments in the playoffs as well. A strong run in the postseason can do wonders for flipping the narrative about how the season went.

And you’re a tool

I recently called Braves fans the softest in baseball, and sure enough, they’ve been at it again.

Let’s go over what the fans on Saturday night were enduring:

• Rainy weather
• A team that looked to be in full collapse mode
• A team that seemed incapable of scoring a run
• Falling behind early and eventually by double digits

Yes, they deserved to be booed! Any fan that didn’t boo was probably too numb to care. I’m fairly certain that just about every fanbase in America would have booed them. But probably not Braves fans. They would have left to watch college football or thrown garbage on the field.

There have already been complaints that it’s unfair for the Braves to have to play a “coin flip” series against the Phillies.

Remember that Braves fans whined endlessly about how unfair it was that they had to sit for a couple of days when they earned a bye through the Wild Card series in 2022 and 2023. Now it’s unfair that they actually have to play in the series?

It’s like they don’t understand or appreciate the very concept of playoffs. I guess if they had their way, we would just crown the regular season champion Brewers as the champions of baseball. (That might be the only way the Brewers ever get a title!)

You weren’t there, you never were

When these teams met in Philadelphia earlier in the month, the main character of the series was Ronald Acuña, Jr. He hit two key home runs and then did his celebratory home run trot, and for some reason, Braves fans acted like Zack Wheeler went on a hysterical tirade about it, even though he clearly did not.

The Phillies will need to do better against Acuña this time around, although shutting down Acuña in the playoffs hasn’t been all that much of an issue in the past. (He was a combined 7-29 in the 2022 and 2023 NLDS) The one year the Braves actually did make a run was 2021 when Acuña, coincidentally or not, missed the playoffs due to injury.

We’re all gonna get in a fight

Based on recent history (“Atta boy!”), there does seem to be some legitimate bad blood between these teams, which usually adds a degree of fun to a playoff series. I doubt there are going to be any “message pitches” or physical alterations, but it feels like the players would get a little extra pleasure from winning this series.

I gave you life, I gave my all

The Phillies have been carried by their starting rotation for most of the season. Can that strength carry them through this round of the playoffs?

Jesus Luzardo will start game one. He was dominant against the Braves this year, but after missing three weeks with shoulder inflammation, it’s unclear how long he’ll be able to pitch. Andrew Painter will follow him, and it’s tough to know what to expect from the rookie after his inconsistent season.

Presumably, Cristopher Sanchez will start game two. Sanchez was 0-2 against the Braves, but that’s more of an indictment of the defense (three unearned runs in 12 innings) and offense (three total runs scored in support in the two games).

Aaron Nola is scheduled for game three. (No, I don’t think they should start Zack Wheeler on short rest.) He faced the Braves three times, and based on how his overall season went, it shouldn’t surprise you that his start against them in April went poorly, while his two starts in September went well. (Three earned runs in 13.1 innings.)

Much like with Sale against the Phillies, nothing these guys do should surprise the Braves.

You let me fall

The Phillies have one of the best starting rotations in baseball. They also have a top closer. But it’s the guys who pitch in between them that has everyone understandably worried. Who among the setup relievers do you trust in this bullpen to hold a lead right now? Anyone?

The bullpen was probably the primary reason the Phillies exited the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, and those teams seemed to be in better shape entering the postseason than this year’s edition. The 2026 bullpen has a bunch of questionable arms, and a manager who hasn’t shown much of a knack for handling them.

The Phillies may need to pull from the 2019 Nationals’ playbook and use their starters in off-day relief appearances. But they will need to use some actual relievers at some point. Hopefully guys like Alex McFarlane, Jonathan Bowlan, and whatever lefthanders Don Mattingly trots out on a given day can come through.

I don’t want you tonight

The television schedule makers have made it clear that they don’t consider Phillies vs. Braves to be a marquee matchup since they’ll be relegated to the 2PM slot every game. It makes some sense. Yankees vs. Red Sox gets the 7 PM slot 10/10 times and the other two matchup feature western teams. (Although they certainly could have swapped them with the White Sox vs. Astros.)

Most of us are working at 2 PM, so hopefully, you’ll be able to either watch it somehow, avoid spoilers until you can watch, or just have to follow along remotely. Since I work from home, it isn’t a major problem for me, unless I’m unfortunately scheduled for a meeting during that time.

And guess what?

The final trivia answer of the season: In the first game the Phillies ever played at Tropicana Field, future Hall of Famers Scott Rolen, Fred McGriff, and Wade Boggs all played. Dirkniblick got it right.

Thanks for everyone who played this season!

I’m gonna show you tonight

Braves fans can talk a big game, but considering the history between the teams, you know they can’t be pleased about having to face the Phillies in the playoffs again.

Will history repeat itself? I honestly don’t know. I think the starting pitching will at least keep them in every game, but after that, it’s hard to predict much with this team. They’ve gone through stretches where they consistently get on base and then get hits with runners in scoring position. They also have stretches where every hitter seems to want to be the hero and pops up the first pitch as soon as a runner gets aboard.

It may come down to how well the bullpen performs, and that’s not a reassuring thought. But worse bullpens than this one have won playoff series, and the Phillies’ best hope might be that if the Braves find themselves trailing in the late innings, those past playoff failures start weighing on them, and they’re the ones who start pressing at the plate.

For what it’s worth, the Phillies seem to view themselves as a battle-tested team who has been there before. It’s time for them to back that up and show they have what it takes.

Go Phils!

Every generation has its random breakout journeyman, the guy who comes up, thrusts himself into the limelight with some big performances in key spots, and then, in time, fades into relative obscurity. In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, it was Shane Spencer. For the mid-2010s, Yangervis Solarte and Prestone Claiborne briefly locked down the hot corner and a middle relief spot, respectively. During the Baby Bomber years, Greg Bird, Mike Tauchman, and Oswaldo Cabrera each took a turn in this role, becoming — at least for a time — fan favorites.

Once upon a time, that flash-in-the-pan star was Shelley Duncan, now the manager for the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton (no longer) RailRiders.

David Shelley Duncan
Born: September 29, 1979 (Tucson, Arizona)
Yankees Tenure: 2007-09

On this day in 1979, Duncan was born into a baseball family. The son of former A’s catcher Dave Duncan and brother of the late 2006 Cardinals champion Chris Duncan, he played ball at Canyon del Oro High School in the Tucson suburb of Oro Valley, alongside future All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler. From there, he went on to the University of Arizona, where he was named an All-American first team outfielder by Baseball America as a freshman and a Pac-10 All-Star the following year. Based on his performance, he was drafted by the Yankees in the second round of the 2001 draft.

Upon joining the Yankees organization, Duncan began to slowly but steadily climb through the ranks: he spent 2003 and 2004 in High-A Tampa, broke out with Double-A Trenton in 2005, then reached Triple-A Columbus in 2006. He began the 2007 season with Triple-A Scranton (the Yankees swapped minor league affiliates that winter), before he got the call to the Show on July 20, 2007; with the team 7.5 games behind the first-place Red Sox in the standings and barely sitting up above .500, the Yankees were looking for a jolt — and fortunately, the hard-hitting outfielder provided.

Batting ninth and DHing during his first career start, Duncan went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, capping off a rally that made a 13-1 Yankees deficit into a not-quite-as-awful-but-still-bad 13-4 loss. The next day, he hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth for his first career home run, helping lead the Bombers past the Devil Rays. Two games later, he had his first multi-homer day, driving in four runs as the Yankees absolutely obliterated Tampa Bay 21-4.

Duncan excelled in a part-time role down the stretch for the 2007 Yankees, slashing .257/.329/.554 with 7 homers in 83 plate appearances. While he wasn’t the main reason for the 44-22 finish to the season to secure a Wild Card spot, his ability to produce off the bench certainly helped ensure the Yankees finished the season with the best offense in the American League.

Duncan spent the 2008 and 2009 seasons bouncing between Scranton and the Bronx, slashing just .181/.250/.264 in 80 plate appearances in the Majors, but earning the 2009 International League MVP while leading the league in home runs and runs batted in. On the back of these performances, when he chose free agency after the season when outrighted to Scranton, signing a deal with Cleveland that January.

Duncan was a part-time player for the next three years in Cleveland, where he was teammates with future Yankee Jayson Nix. Splitting time between first base, left field, and the DH spot, he posted a .231/.309/.430 slash with 33 homers across three seasons. Following a brief spell with Tampa Bay in 2013, Duncan bounced between minor league systems for the first couple of months of 2014 before hanging up the cleats for good after being released by the Reds in June.

After finishing his undergraduate degree in 2014, Duncan embarked on a minor league coaching career in 2015. He spent four years working for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as a minor league manager, then joined the Blue Jays front office as a Major League Field Coordinator and scout. After a couple years north of the border—and unfortunately personal hardship when his brother Chris passed away from brain cancer in 2019—Duncan worked as an analyst for the Chicago White Sox for two seasons. Soon, he was back in both the dugout and the Yankees family, as he took the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders managerial job in January 2023.

Duncan has spent the last four seasons in the role, leading the RailRiders to the league finals last season while earning the 2025 International League Manager of the Year Award. Happy 47th birthday, Shelley!

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

Carter Jensen capped off a terrific rookie season with his best month in September. The catcher hit .338/.407/.788 with eight home runs in 20 games, leading all of baseball in month in ten doubles, 19 extra-base hits, slugging percentage, and OPS (1.194). The league recognized his performance, awarding him not only American League Rookie of the Month, but American League Player of the Month.

It is the second month in a row a Royals hitter has taken home the monthly award in the American League, with Jac Caglianone winning honors in August. The two young hitters combined for 50 of the team’s 170 home runs this year.

Jensen’s 1.194 OPS is the second-best ever by a Royals hitter with at least 20 games in September, behind only Danny Tartabull’s performance in 1987. He is the first Royals catcher to win American League Player of the Month. It is just the fifth time a Royals hitter has won American League Rookie of the Month since the award was created in 2001. Eric Hosmer won it in July and September of 2011, Brian Bannister won it in June and August of 2007, and Billy Butler won it in July of 2007. It is the 14th time that a player has won both Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month at the same time.

Jensen seems to enjoy hitting in the fall. Last year he hit .300/.391/.550 with three home runs in 16 games upon a September callup.

Overall, Jensen hit .239/.323/.467 this year with 27 home runs, 80 runs scored, and 81 RBI. His 3.7 fWAR is fourth among all MLB rookies, and his 116 wRC+ leads all qualified American League catchers.

The Braves are going with a lineup that’s simultaneously surprising and not-so-surprising in Game 1 of their three-game playoff set against the Phillies:

The top half of the lineup isn’t that surprising. Sure, maybe you expected the Braves to start with Ronald Acuña Jr. given that the nominal starter they are facing today throws with his left hand, but they’ve chosen to alternate handedness while keeping Matt Olson ensconced in the third spot in the lineup.

This means that Mauricio Dubon, of the 317 wOBA, .308 xwOBA, 99 wRC+, with an 84 wRC+ and .290 xwOBA against southpaws this season, is hitting cleanup. Now, you might say, hold on — Dubon was one of the few guys hitting for this club in September. And, that’s true — he had a 131 wRC+. But, he also outhit his xwOBA by .064 in that month, so… the Braves are hoping it works anyway, I guess?

The rest of the lineup is surprising insofar as Mike Yastrzemski slots in at DH, despite said southpaw on the mound. The Braves are either hoping Jesus Luzardo doesn’t last long enough to get to the eighth spot in the lineup (or that if he does, there was a big early rally and it doesn’t matter), or afraid that they simply don’t have enough options to protect Yastrzemski against a lefty reliever later if they start someone else and then give the reins the Yastrzemski. After all, they’re not really awash in righty pinch-hitting options.

All of this means that Dubon starts in left, and Ha-Seong Kim gets the reins at shortstop. By carrying both Rowdy Tellez and Dominic Smith, the Braves have a lot of latitude to pinch hit for Kim whenever they feel like it, including early on — and move to Dubon to short in the process — we’ll see what happens, though.

While really anything can happen and something weird probably will, this game is more likely going to be about whether the Braves’ actual good bats can do stuff against Luzardo and/or whomever replaces him (Andrew Painter? I don’t know). From Dubon-onward, only Michael Harris II has actually hit at all well this year (and he’s been great, if kind of weird offensively with strong bookend months and a lot of luck in between), so either those guys all having bad seasons manage to show a scintilla of something positive, or it’s gonna be waiting for one of the mashers to mash.

The Phillies were kind enough to post their lineup right as I was ready for it, and it looks like this:

With Luis Arraez injured, the Phillies get to plug in an extra righty. Chief Ivan Annoyer Derek Hill hits fifth, former Brave and famed horse armor aficionado Bryan De La Cruz hits sixth, and Edmundo Sosa is hovering out there and will probably annoy Chris Sale and us out of the eight hole.

I won’t do batter-versus-pitcher stats against Luzardo since I have no idea how long he’s going to last, but for those that care about these guys versus Sale:

These numbers are neither good nor bad, really. They just kind of are. Alec Bohm’s gotten a bit lucky, and Sale has dominated most of the weaker hitters (except, of course, in seven PAs, Derek f’n Hill aargh). If you sum these all up, it bodes well with a .258 wOBA / .279 xwOBA in head-to-head matchups, but of course that means managing the mischief of Bohm, Trea Turner, and Kyle Schwarber a bit, while avoiding tumbling off the Derek Hill, roo. Anyway, I can’t imagine batter-versus-pitcher has that much bearing here, but what else is there to talk about? I guess I could scratch my head about Dubon hitting cleanup some more.

This game starts at 2pm ET.

Before we get to the four main minor league clubs of the Kansas City Royals, we are going to look at the Arizona Complex League and Dominican Summer League for Royals prospects.

The ACL

Tyson Moran, a 2025, 13th round pick by the Royals from Canada, spent most of his season in the ACL. The 20-year-old shortstop had a solid year too. Moran had a slash line of .322/.406/.538 in 171 at bats. He hit 12 doubles, 2 triples and 7 homers as well. Despite being listed as a shortstop, he spent most of his time defensively at first or second base. He was a perfect .1000 on his fielding at second, but around .980 at first. Moran did end the year in Columbia, but not before a good season in the ACL.

Manuel German is a 21-year-old first baseman that the Royals signed when he was 16 out of the Dominican Republic. After going through all the Dominican Royals affiliates, German played in the ACL this season. He has played in the ACL the last two season in fact. This year, his numbers were substantially better. German slashed .308/.370/.564, all of which are way better than his 2025 campaign. German also had 19 extra base hits. He had a .975 fielding at first base.

Ricson Gonzalez turned into a fast riser this season. The 21-year-old catcher from Venezuela played in 4 different levels, playing in the ACL, Columbia, Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas. His ACL numbers were solid, slashing .292/.426/.438 over 31 games. He walked 16 times, while only striking out 19 times. He did only play a combined three games between Quad Cities and Northwest Arkansas, but did get 19 games in Columbia, where his average was better than what it was in the ACL. He threw out 20 of 69 base stealers, or 29%.

Switching over to some of the better ACL pitchers. The Royals had plenty of guys who had tons of strikeouts, but a high ERA, like Keisther Castillo, a 19-year-old right hander from the Dominican Republic. Or Jesus Oliveira, a 21-year-old right hander. A guy that we did talk about, because of what he did in Columbia, is Ryan McDonagh, a 20-year-old right hander. The Canadian was exceptional, posting a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings, allowing hitters to only bat .187 against him. He struck out 20 batters in the 21 innings, only walking 6. It was mixed bag results for him in his 12 starts at Columbia, but expect McDonagh to start next season there for sure.

Cameron Millar, a 19-year-old right hander, who the Royals drafted in the 3rd round in 2025, out of high school, threw 17 innings this season, with a 4.76 ERA. He made 7 appearances, 6 starts, allowing 15 hits, 9 runs, 5 homers, walking 3 but striking out 25. Moises Amezquita, a 22-year-old left hander from Venezuela, had a good year between the ACL and Columbia. In the ACL, Amezquita posted a 2.40 ERA in 30 innings. He struck out 21 batters and allowed just 22 hits and 8 earned runs. Batters only hit .202 against him.

The DSL

Angeibel Gomez, the 17-year-old phenom, put up video game numbers this season. In 144 at bats, he slashed .361/.467/.653. He hit 13 doubles; a triple and 9 homers did the outfielder. He was also 15 of 17 stealing bases. He had a .978 fielding percentage in centerfield, with 5 outfield assists. He will be playing in the Arizona Fall League too.

Adrián Lunar, an 18-year-old catcher from Venezuela, posted a .336/.410/.369 slash line this season. Lunar is a left-handed hitter. He only had 4 extra base hits, all those being doubles. He started 31 games at catcher and was signed this past January by the Royals. Alan Angulo, an 18-year-old shortstop, slashed .323/.468/.421 this season. He also stole 14 bases. The Royals signed Angulo when he was 17. He split time between second and third base, despite being listed as a shortstop. Max De La Cruz, a 17-year-old outfielder, slashed .263/.456/.323 this season. De La Cruz, walked 31 times, compared to 23 strikeouts. He also stole 14 bases. He played all three outfield spots and had a perfect fielding percentage, all the way around.

Marcos Hernandez, a 17-year-old catcher slashed .278/.407/.340, walking 17 times and striking out 17 times. He also threw out 21 base stealers. Roy Rivero, an 18-year-old infielder, slashed .338/.422/.424. He stole 14 bases and hit 9 doubles. Jaider Suárez, a 17-year-old infielder slashed .379/.508/.564 in 140 at bats. He hit 6 doubles, 7 triples and a pair of homers. He was also 30 of 34 stealing bases. He might be one to keep an eye on as well.

On the mound, Luis Garces, a 17-year-old left hander, from Colombia, threw 28 innings, with a 4.82 ERA. He struck out 36 batters, allowing a .245 opponents’ batting average. The Royals signed him this past January. Ricardo Montilla, a 19-year-old right hander, from Panama, pitched 16.1 innings, with a 0.55 ERA. He walked 10 batters but struck out 8. Batters hit just .214 off him. Melvin Robles, an 18-year-old left hander, made 11 starts, totaling 35.2 innings, striking out 37 batters, allowing a 3.53 ERA. Batters hit just .237 off him.

Alving Campusano, a 19-year-old right hander, from the Dominican Republic, threw 17.2 innings, striking out 14 hitters, with a 2.04 ERA. The Royals signed him when he was 17. Kenyer Penaloza, an 18-year-old right hander, from Venezuela, threw 37 innings, allowing a 3.16 ERA, striking out 23 batters. Batters hit just .206 off him. Reynell Ramos, a 19-year-old from Venezuela, threw 37.1 innings, allowing a 2.41 ERA, striking out 42 batters, batters hit .248 off him.

A pair of National League East division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, kick off the 2026 MLB postseason with an afternoon opener at Truist Park.

The Philliesjust squeaked into the playoffs thanks to Zack Wheeler's gem in their regular-season finale, taking the final NL wild card spot over the hard-charging Arizona Diamondbacks. But their faltering finish means nothing now that everyone starts from scratch.

Meanwhile, the Braves cruised into the postseason, winning the NL East by six games over the Phils. They were able to set their playoff rotation so that ace Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA) will be on the mound for Game 1 of the best-of-three series. He'll be opposed by left-hander Jesus Luzardo (14-5, 2.86 ERA), who was Philadelphia's best pitcher during the second half of the season, but who just returned from the injured list on Sunday after dealing with shoulder inflammation.

Follow along for live updates, highlights and analysis from the Phillies-Braves NL wild-card matchup:

The MLB Postseason officially begins today, with all of the Wild Card series playing Game 1 of their best of three format. The Phillies made it close, but they eventually ensured that they too will be a part of the field, and they will actually be the first game of the day when they take on the Braves at 2:00 pm.

Here’s the rest of the postseason bracket:

There are many intriguing storylines as we begin the tournament, with two divisional rivalries right out of the gate in Phillies-Braves and Yankees-Red Sox. That’s before even diving into the surprising White Sox or the division winning, .500 record Astros. Beyond the Wild Card, there’s the ever-persistent question of can the Brewers or Rays convert regular season success into postseason wins, can Cleveland snap their 78-year championship drought, and can the new evil empire in the Dodgers pull of a three-peat?

The road to those answers and more begins in earnest today. So, what are your predictions for the 2026 MLB postseason? Who will be the last two teams standing? Who takes home the World Series trophy? How far will the Phillies go? What team could make a surprise run in the vein of the Blue Jays last year?

Meet the Mets

David Stearns addressed the media following a disappointing Mets’ season. Overall, he saw “extremely encouraging signs” as he looks ahead to 2027.

When asked about whether he would do anything differently with Pete Alonso given what happened in 2026, David Stearns replied bluntly, “I don’t get mulligans”.

Speaking on other topics of interest, Stearns talked about retiring the phrase ‘run prevention’, what it meant to see Freddy Peralta succeed in Tampa Bay, how he’d evaluated his free agent signings, Kodai Senga’s future with the Mets, the need to add starting pitching, and the decisions that created an “uncapped downside scenario”.

The Mets are planning to look ‘externally’ to fill their first base void.

Laura Albanese wrote about Stearns owning his failures and how he will get another chance to prove he’s not a failure.

John Harper graded Mets players, the front office, and Andy Green after their last-place finish.

While the Mets missed the playoffs in 2026, their 2027 blueprint is already taking shape, explains Chelsea Janes.

Juan Soto and Nolan McLean were nominated for the 2026 All-MLB Team. Now it’s up to the fans to cast their votes.

Around the National League East

Jesús Luzardo will start Game 1 for the Phillies, with Cristopher Sánchez taking the ball in Game 2 and Aaron Nola standing at the ready if a Game 3 is necessary.

Mark Bowman detailed three things the Braves learned from their final week of the regular season.

After an uneven 2026 season, the Marlins believe they are right there and are hungry to take the next step.

Around Major League Baseball

Will Leitch at MLB.com shared the Power Rankings at the start of the postseason.

With the postseason beginning today, Alden Gonzalez wondered if the Dodgers could be more vulnerable than we think.

The staff at The Athletic made their Wild Card round predictions.

In Ken Rosenthal’s view, even if the Brewers or the Rays win the World Series, the competitive balance argument will endure heading into the uncertain MLB offseason.

The Astros will run a bullpen game in Game One.

Newsday’s David Lennon made his picks for the end-of-season MLB awards.

Max Ralph provided the latest update on whether Aaron Judge will suit up for the Yankees in the Wild Card round.

Mike Elias vowed to get the Orioles back on track after a rough 2026 campaign that saw Baltimore miss the postseason yet again.

The Twins fired pitching coach Peter Maki and assistant pitching coach Luis Ramirez.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Thank you for joining us at Amazin’ Avenue during what was, by all accounts, a rough season for our Mets.

Lukas Vlahos looked at what the team’s 40-man roster would look like heading into the free agency period.

Linus Lawrence provided us with a much-needed Monday Stat Party.

This Date in Mets History

Casey Stengel was brought in to manage the expansion New York Metropolitans on this date in 1961.

The MLB wild card round gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 29, featuring a packed slate of games to kick off the action. Among them is an NL wild card series rematch, as the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs face off for the second straight year.

Last season, the Cubs edged out the Padres in a close 2-1 wild card series at Wrigley Field in Chicago. This year, the stage shifts to San Diego, giving the Padres home field advantage at Petco Park for the best-of-three set. The winner will earn the right to face the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-five Division Series.

"Should be a great series," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "They’re a great team, they’ve got a lot of great players, a good coaching staff. It’ll be tightly contested. They’re the ones that knocked us out of the postseason last year. So we’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game."

In Game 1, Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd will take the mound, while the Padres will start right-hander Michael King, in a duel to set the tone for the series.

More: MLB playoffs extra-innings rules: Is there a ghost runner?