Category: Baseball

The most dangerous hitter for the Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League, it is no surprise that Chase Harlan was right in the middle of the action, making the most of his one hit in a 10-5 win. As the Desert Dogs led 4-1 in the seventh inning, Harlan helped put the game out of reach with a three-run bomb, his fifth home run. Harlan leads the team in several key offensive categories, including but not limited to runs (15) and RBI (17).

Harlan’s getting warmed up for Saturday!

The @Dodgers No. 9 prospect climbs into a tie for the second most homers this Fall with his fifth. Harlan is now batting .281 with a 1.004 OPS. pic.twitter.com/PkaWpV9Xq9

— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) November 4, 2026

Besides Harlan, the only other Dodger to feature in the Desert Dogs starting lineup was Eduardo Quintero, who managed to record an RBI despite going hitless in three at-bats. Struggling heavily with the bat in the AFL, Quintero at least still leads his team in stolen bases, successful in all six tries.

Lastly, Brooks Auger was the first reliever out of the bullpen as the Desert Dogs needed five innings to complete this one after starter Briggs McKenie tossed four scoreless. Auger allowed four baserunners in just two frames, but a key out with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth prevented the Solar Sox from doing major damage against the left-hander.

Tuesday score

Glendale 10, Mesa 5

Wednesday schedule

After putting up 10 runs to beat the Mesa Solar Sox, the Glendale Desert Dogs return to the field against the Surprise Saguaros at 5:30 p.m. (PT).

Morning, all!

Former Ranger Mark Teixeira has been elected to the US House of Representatives in Texas’ 21st Congressional District.

I’m not seeing anything else Rangers-related out there. So let’s talk about Star Trek.

If you were a Star Trek fan in the ’90s, you probably remember the Ferengi, an alien species whose defining cultural characteristic was an overwhelming obsession with commerce and accumulating wealth. Their appearance and characterization have drawn criticism for echoing antisemitic caricatures, which probably wasn’t helped by the fact that the most notable Ferengi were all played by Jewish actors. Deep Space Nine, the series that did the most with the Ferengi, gave them considerably more depth.

The Ferengi were originally introduced in The Next Generation as recurring antagonists for the Federation. The way they were written didn’t really lend itself to that, though, so the apocalyptic cyborg zombies ended up being the bigger threat. That worked out fine, because the Ferengi eventually got an extended look in the best series, Deep Space Nine, where they reflected both humanity’s inherent greed and our ability to overcome it and accomplish great things.

Some of the series’ best episodes put a Ferengi at the center of the story. In particular, “The Siege of AR-558” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon” follow Nog, a young Ferengi serving in Starfleet, through a devastating combat injury and its aftermath. In the latter, he retreats into a holographic fantasy world to escape his PTSD.

There’s a baseball tie-in here, I promise.

Captain Sisko, being an anachronistic nerd, is a huge baseball fan. In “Take Me Out to the Holosuite,” a considerably more lighthearted episode, a Vulcan captain challenges Sisko and his crew to a game. This is wildly unfair: Vulcans are much stronger than humans, Bajorans, Trill, and Ferengi, and Sisko’s crew has almost no baseball experience. Their preferred recreational activities tend toward racquetball and banging holographic hookers in the holosuites at Quark’s bar.

Rom, a lovable Ferengi doofus, is particularly terrible at baseball, and Sisko boots him from the squad. Eventually, Sisko remembers that playing a game with your friends is supposed to be fun after Rom’s nookie-girl wife convinces Sisko he’s being a tool and gets Rom back on the team. We get a little Sandlot in space, except the Vulcans still win in a blowout because they are perfectly logical superhumans. Rom does, however, accidentally lay down a bunt that brings home the crew’s only run.

The actor who played Rom, Max Grodénchik, was actually an accomplished baseball player—and reportedly the best player in the cast. Which created a problem: he had trouble making himself look as hopeless as Rom was supposed to be.

Apparently, there are limits to acting. To achieve the necessary level of baseball incompetence, Grodénchik ended up throwing and batting left-handed.

So that’s all I’ve got today: Mark Teixeira and a possibly offensive Jewish caricature who’s laughably bad at baseball but comes up big in the clutch anyway.

The MLB offseason may officially be underway, but Ronny Mauricio continues to mash.

Mauricio wasted no time making his presence felt with the Tigres del Lacey in his Winter League debut Tuesday night, crushing a second pitch two-run homer in the top of the sixth. 

According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, the monstrous no-doubt blast left the bat at a whopping 112 mph and traveled 441 feet into the right field bleachers. 

Mauricio finished 1-for-4, but appears to be picking up right where he left off in the power department. 

The young infielder, of course, homered three times over the final two games of the Mets' season finally receiving another opportunity called back up with the team. 

Prior to that, he spent the majority of the year battling injury or down in Triple-A. 

Though he still has plenty to refine with his offensive game, this is certainly encouraging momentum in what is a big offseason for Mauricio's Mets future.

The 25-year-old no longer has any minor league options, but the organization made it clear upon season's end that he'll be among those competing for a spot during spring training. 

¡RONNY SE FUE PARA LA CALLE! 🚀 Mauricio estrena su cuenta de cuadrangulares con los @TigresdelLicey 🐯 #LIDOM #CopaBanreservas https://t.co/pKH0Q3N8E0

— LIDOM (@LIDOMRD) November 4, 2026

The San Diego Padres as well as the rest of the teams in Major League Baseball are on the clock. With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire Dec. 1, there is a limited window in which MLB clubs can work to improve their teams before owners and players cease to communicate. There have been offers and responses volleyed back and forth from both sides, but the communication between MLB and the MLB Players Association seemed more performative than actually working to get something done. These communications have led many fans and baseball writers to assume a lockout will occur as soon as the current CBA expires, which puts a halt to the normal offseason work that must be done.

Understanding this to be the case, new Padres owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones can and should work to accomplish some moves address their roster before the deadline. San Diego is in desperate need of starting pitching as Randy Vasquez is the only starter from the 2026 season remaining in the rotation. Yes, Joe Musgrove is there too but what he can and will be is an unknown. Yu Darvish could return, but the expectation is the veteran right-hander will retire. The Padres did not pick up the club option on Nick Pivetta and declined mutual options on Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito. Those three joined Casey Mize, Robbie Ray and Walker Buehler as free agents. And of course, Michael King, the ace of the staff, opted out of his contract, which means he too is a free agent.

With multiple rotation holes to address, Feliciano and Jones may not want to wait until after a new CBA is signed to make moves. Many fans would love to see King re-signed and since he has stated he wants to remain in San Diego, that may be the easiest deal to get done. Tarik Skubal is the top free agent pitcher on the market and he is one of the best arms in the game. The left-hander is reportedly looking to sign with a team prior to the CBA expiring and the Padres have been one of the teams mentioned as a potential suitor because of Feliciano and Jones wanting to make a big move. There are several other options on the market when it comes to starting pitching such as Freddy Peralta, Sonny Gray, Shota Imanaga and Nick Martinez to name a few.

However, Feliciano and Jones are the unknown. This is their first offseason since becoming owners and although they have stated they want to invest in the team what that looks like has never been seen. Do they want to spend big and make several additions, which is what the team needs, or do they want to make one big signing and then add on the margins to cobble together a pitching staff much like general manager A.J. Preller was forced to do in 2026? The addition of Skubal would certainly illustrate a commitment to spending, but so would an addition of King and another top free agent arm or two before then adding some lower-level options further down the pitching tier.

What is known at this time is Dec. 1 is rapidly approaching and the Friar Faithful will be watching closely to see if the new owners will put their words into action to address their many lineup needs before the 2027 season… whenever that might be.

Padres News:

• Austin Hays made a big splash when he was added to the Padres’ roster late in the 2026 season, but fizzled out as the season came to a close. Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ballgave Hays his grade for his limited efforts in San Diego.

• AJ Cassavell of Padres.com says the Padres’ offseason goals are clear after all of the club, player and mutual options have processed.

Baseball News:

• The MLB sent a new proposal to the MLBPA, which would push the implementation of a salary cap to 2028.

• The Seattle Mariners have hired Jason Kanzler to fill their managerial vacancy.

• The St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox made a trade.

Perla Paredes at MLB.com writes about Michael Massey’s breakout season and what it means for the Royals.

Nick Loftin also provides additional flexibility after spending time at second base, third base and right field this season. The Royals relied on him heavily at third while Maikel Garcia dealt with injuries, and Loftin earned his own Gold Glove finalist selection for his work at the hot corner.

Kansas City could still explore ways to add offensive production this winter, particularly with the team also looking for another bat to complement its established core. The club’s biggest priorities, however, remain rebuilding its bullpen and adding starting pitching. 

That doesn’t necessarily rule out an addition at second base if the right opportunity arises.

David Lesky has his free agent predictions.

You can see that I have the Royals signing Ian Happ. It’s not what I’d do, but their outfield defense wasn’t great last year, and Happ is a great defensive fit. I have concerns about his bat and whether he’ll be enough to help the lineup, but he was really good against righties last year, hitting .241/.358/.458. It does not help with their issues against lefties. He hit .145/.217/.267 in 144 plate appearances against them last season. It wasn’t quite so bad in 2025, so it could’ve been a fluke. He hit .305/.350/.438 against lefties in 2023, so he has the ability, but that was a long time ago. So no, I don’t love the idea, but I get it.

Jim Callis at MLB Pipeline ranks rookies on their long-term value.

7. Carter Jensen, C, Royals (age 22)
Jensen is just the fifth rookie catcher to combine at least 27 homers and a 120 OPS+, following Rudy York (1937), Earl Williams (1971), Matt Nokes (1987) and Mike Piazza (1993). Jensen is a better defender behind the plate than all of them and younger than all but Williams, who edged him by 11 days.

Carson Roccaforte won a minor league Gold Glove.

Owners propose delaying a salary cap until 2028.

World Series TV ratings were down, but still better than in many recent years.

The Mariners hire front office exec Jason Kanzler as their new manager.

The Rays plan to hold onto Drew Rasmussen.

The Rangers could move some of their biggest stars.

The Orioles are open to trading most of their roster.

Texas outfielder Evan Carter has surgery and will miss the start of next season.

Teams have until December 1 to sign posted Japanese free agents.

Dodgers owner Mark Walter will sell his F1 stake.

Jay Jaffe at FanGraphs looks at the Contemporary Era Hall of Fame ballot.

Former MLB star Mark Teixeira won a seat to Congress.

Former MLB pitcher Matt Shoemaker wins his school board race by 28 votes.

Miami is atop the first College Football Playoff rankings.

The New York Liberty fire coach Chris DeMarco after just one season.

Scientists find dinosaur blood in fossils for the first time.

CVS will split into two companies in one of the largest corporate splits in history.

The Simpsons has a new voice behind Apu.

Your song of the day is Empire of the Sun with Walking on a Dream.

This will be the last of the series on Jose Altuve and the Hall of Fame index. Congratulations to everyone that went through the journey with me. I know parts have been tedious, but I firmly believe that performing every test is the only way to make a complete and informed judgment on a player. In this edition we will taje a look at the counting numbers. This is what casual fans do when they try to decide whether someone should be in the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, some Hall of Fame voters that should know better use the same test.

Doing so enters us into what I would lovingly call the Harold Baines problem. Baines may be among the bottom five in terms of qualified Hall of Fame players. He certainly might be the least qualified right fielder. Veterans Committe voters put him in because he had a lot of hits and RBI. All that is true, but when you play regularly for more than 20 years, you are going to compile some numbers. The question is how often he was actually good.

That is what totals don’t tell us. They don’t tell us the era that the player played in. They don’t tell us the home ballpark he played in. They don’t tell us the number of years it took him to compile those numbers. So, the other tests are so much more valuable in telling us whether someone should be in. We can assume that certain numbers like 3000 hits and 500 home runs automatically get you in, but we have players with 500 home runs that are not in and maybe shouldn’t be.

However, it would be irresponsible not to include these numbers in our analysis. At the end of the day, it is just another test. The more tests you pass the more likely you should be in the Hall of Fame. We will look at the middle group of eleven Hall of Famers first and then look at Altuve and the other currently active second basemen in terms of career numbers.

Hall of Fame Counting Numbers

	AVG	Hits	HR	Runs	RBI	SB	BB
Rod Carew	.328	3053	92	1429	1015	353	1018
Frankie Frisch	.316	2880	105	1532	1244	419	728
Jackie Robinson	.313	1563	141	972	761	200	757
Craig Biggio	.281	3060	291	1844	1175	414	1160
Ryne Sandberg	.285	2386	282	1318	1061	344	761
Roberto Alomar	.300	2724	210	1508	1134	474	1032
Joe Gordon	.268	1530	253	914	975	89	759
Bobby Doerr	.288	2042	223	1094	1247	54	809
Billy Herman	.304	2345	47	1163	839	67	737
Bid McPhee	.272	2258	53	1684	1072	568	568
Jeff Kent	.290	2461	377	1320	1518	94	801
HOF Mean	.295	2391	189	1343	1095	280	830

Outs are the blood currency of the sport. It is the one thing that stays constant throughout baseball history, so a player’s ability to get on base is a huge part of their value. It should be noted that Biggio’s combined hits and walks are far and above everyone here and put him in the top five all time at the position. Throw in the obscene about of hit by pitches and he is elevated even higher. Eddie Collins is the only second base in history to get on base more often than Biggio.

Of course, critics would point out that this doesn’t make him a top five overall second baseman and it fails the first portion of my supposition above. Biggio played a long time and was able to accrue a ton of numbers. Being a compiler and being great are not necessarily one in the same thing. Furthermore, players like Robinson, Gordon, and Doerr saw their careers cut short by World War II and racism. However, we can consider them to be outliers in this regard and we can begin to see some some commonalities across the board.

For instance, it looks like most Hall of Famers have at least 2000 hits. As we move forward, that will become tied to their walks as well as a player with more walks may have fewer hits. Six of the eleven players had 200 or more home runs. They also tended to have more than 1300 runs and 1000 RBIs and that is particularly true when we remove those players that saw missed seasons mentioned above. Most also had more than 100 steals.

Current Counting numbers

	AVG	Hits	HR	Runs	RBI	SB	BB
Jose Altuve	.300	2519	271	1306	931	330	696
Marcus Semien	.251	1719	268	1023	850	149	676
Ketel Marte	.277	1413	193	766	663	69	523
HOF Mean	.295	2391	189	1343	1095	280	830

Obviously, we can point out some obvious problems with counting numbers. Runs and RBI are opportunity stats. By sheer definition, someone has to drive you in and someone has to be on base to drive in. The biggest factor are where these guys hit in the order. Altuve spent most of his career hitting first or second, so he will get plenty of opportunities to score runs, but won’t get as many RBI opportunities. So, it is hard to ding him for having relatively few RBI opportunities.

However, if we suspend disbelief for a second we can project him out over the next three seasons. That assumes he finishes his contract and it assumes we will not have a labor stoppage this winter. If he averages 150 hits a season he will end up at 2969 hits. If we assume he averages 15 home runs a season he will end up with 316 which would put him second to Jeff Kent. If we assume 70 runs a season that would end up being 1516 and would put him fourth in the list above. If he averages 50 RBI a season he will get close to mythical Hall of Fame mean.

In other words, Altuve is either there or within reasonable distance of getting there in every single metric. Obviously, the next three seasons will almost certainly lower his career averages in the offensive and defensive value categories. That is the trade off of continuing his career from this point forward. Everything we have seen from Semien and Marte indicate they need three to five more solid seasons to get into the conversation. They may or may not get there.

Every winter, the front office scours the free agent and trade markets, looking to add a couple of relatively unknown and underperforming arms to send to the Matt Blake Relief Pitcher Factory, in the hopes of developing the next Luke Weaver or Paul Blackburn. Last winter, that pitcher was Angel Chivilli. Acquired from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for minor league first baseman T.J. Rumfield — a superfluous bat who was blocked at the Major League level by Ben Rice — Chivilli boasted a less-than-stellar Major League stat line, with a 6.18 ERA in 73 games across two seasons. However, his young age (he debuted at 21, and 2026 was his age-23 season) and lively fastball supplied optimism that he would be the next Matt Blake success story.

Alas, injuries derailed any chances of Chivilli making a true impact at the Major League level this past season. Even so, during his stints in the Bronx, he flashed enough to understand why the Yankees sought him last winter, and for fans to hope that he could be major part of the big league bullpen over the next couple of years.

Grade: Incomplete

2026 Stats (Yankees): 15 games, 16.2 IP, 3.78 ERA (113 ERA+), 5.74 FIP, 4.79 xFIP, 21.9 K%, 9.6 BB%, -0.2 fWAR, 0.1 rWAR

2027 Contract Status: Entering third year of pre-arbitration eligibility

Following an inconsistent showing in spring training, Chivilli began the 2026 season with the Scranton RailRiders. He immediately began to dominate, and after 8.1 scoreless innings in Triple-A, earned himself a trip to the Bronx when the Yankees needed some extra bullpen arms in the middle of April. Unfortunately for him, after just two appearances, he found himself on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort. The injury kept him off the mound for more than six weeks, as he would not return to the mound until June 10th.

For the second time that season, though, Chivilli did not remain in Scranton for long. After a dominant stretch in which he allowed just two runs in 8.1 innings, he received the call back to the Bronx on July 5th. Over the next month, he became an integral part of the Yankees bullpen, tossing 12 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, during which time he limited opposing batters to a .146/.196/.167 slash line and struck out a batter per inning. He slowly climbed the bullpen’s circle of trust, and with the Yankees trying to find some reliable setup arms behind Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick, the Yankees sent him in to protect a one-run lead with a runner on third following the Yankees’ six-run inning on August 4th against the Cardinals.

It would turn out to be Chivilli’s worst appearance of the season. He walked the first batter he faced, then a three-run homer, then a single, then another homer, then a single, then (mercifully) a flyout, and then another homer. Just like that, a 7-6 lead become a 13-7 deficit — and, unfortunately, Chivilli’s Yankees season would be over. In need of an extra arm after the trade deadline, the Yankees optioned him back to Scranton; two days later, he found himself on the Triple-A injury list with a posterior elbow injury, and although he did get a clean bill of health on September 21st, by that point, neither the RailRiders nor the Yankees opted to use him.

All in all, it wasn’t exactly a lost season for Chivilli: he was absolutely dominant in the Triple-A bullpen, and outside the six-run inning in which he was left out to dry, he allowed just three runs (only one earned) in 15.2 innings — good for a 0.57 ERA. Furthermore, his 32.6 whiff percentage would have ranked in the 93rd percentile, ahead of Tarik Skubal, Mason Montgomery, Zack Wheeler, and Luke Weaver. There’s reason for optimism here. Unfortunately, given the injuries, it’s hard to justify anything other than an incomplete grade at this time.

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See more of the Yankees Roster Report Card series here.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! The hot stove has started to warm, all while discussions between MLB and MLBPA have cooled, likely making a labor stoppage more and more likely this coming year. But in the meantime, we’ll get to keep an eye on a lot of transactions and debate where the big names like Tarik Skubal will be heading over the offseason. With that in mind, we have some free agent lists and projections to dive into, plus some minor moves the Tigers have made to their coaching staff and also a new pitcher.

So let’s just jump right into today’s news.

Detroit Tigers News

• A new face for the Tigers’ coaching staff.

Per sources, former Red Sox third base coach Kyle Hudson will be the Tigers new first base coach

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) November 3, 2026

• Interesting.

Tigers are getting RHP RJ Petit back from Rockies, per sources. The big reliever, a former Tigers draft pick, went to Colorado last winter in Rule 5 Draft, but missed the season due to Tommy John surgery.

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) November 3, 2026

• Not a heck of a lot of surprises here.

The Detroit Tigers today made the following transactions:

– Exercised their 2027 club option for RHP Drew Anderson.
– Declined their 2027 club option for RHP Kenley Jansen.
– Signed RHP Jacob Waguespack to a one-year, $1.3 million guaranteed major league contract for the 2027…

— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) November 2, 2026

MLB News

• The top 2027 free agents, according to FanGraphs.
• Breaking down the best velocity and movement in 2026’s pitching.
• The big names on the Contemporary Era Hall of Fame ballot.
• Breaking down all the 2027 option decisions.
• These are some of the best bats available on the free agent market.
• Here are the finalists for all the major awards of the season.
• Jason Kanzler will be the new Mariners manager.
• Checking in on all the newest hot stove rumors.
• Top 12 moments of the MLB postseason.
• One offseason move every AL team should make (but probably won’t).
• The top trade targets of the offseason.
• How did the Rays’ home stadium help the Brewers win the World Series?
• Breaking down potential contracts and free agency moves.
• Pat Murphy has apologized for his anti-Yankees comments during the Brewers’ World Series celebration.
• Here are the biggest needs for all 30 MLB teams. ($)
• More information on the delayed salary cap MLB is proposing. ($)
• Could the Angels be on the cusp of a renaissance? ($)
• Direct from MLB… this should get interesting.

With free agency already underway, and recognizing that Clubs will need a full offseason to operate within the cap and floor system, MLB is proposing to phase in the salary cap and floor in 2028

The projected cap and floor payrolls for 2028 would make 12 clubs increase payroll… pic.twitter.com/EfMErTa1Jo

— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2026

Projected cap and floor in 2028 vs. 2026 payroll pic.twitter.com/e7nLRvG2S4

— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2026

MLBPA already shared their opinion.

In response to the league's revised salary cap proposal, the MLBPA says "MLB owners continue to propose blowing up the current system and replacing it with one designed to line their pockets and increase their franchise values." pic.twitter.com/D8sIgMuFcR

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) November 3, 2026

• How outfielders are getting better and better.

Wrote about how outfielders keep getting better and better and how we talk too much about Ks when we talk about batting averages declining.

We just had the lowest-ever BABIP on balls hit 200+ feet or more .. https://t.co/SZRbsK6brv

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) November 2, 2026

Yesterday, we received the cheering news that three Phillies were named finalists for major awards: Cristopher Sánchez for the Cy Young, Jhoan Duran for Reliever of the Year, and Don Mattingly for Manager of the Year. But when the winners are announced, we are likely to receive less cheering news. Those three awards are expected to head to trophy cases outside of our fair city.

But while Phillies might not bring home the bacon this year, they won’t be shut out forever (a Phillie hurler has to win the Cy one of these years, right?). So today’s question is: Who will be the next Phillie to win a major award?

NNow that the World Series is over, and congrats to the Brewers, we can move on to more important topics. A side note: didn’t the Brew Crew remind you of the 2015 Royals? They kept the line moving, played generally solid defense, got the lead, and then their Ned Yost look-alike manager turned the game over to their bulletproof bullpen.

The Royals used a different strategy when they won their first title. When Game Five of the 1985 World Series kicked off, Kansas City once again found themselves in a heap of trouble. Just like the Championship Series against Toronto, the Royals had played themselves into a three-games-to-one hole.

The Royals sent 23-year-old lefty Danny Jackson to the mound to try to extend their season. Jackson had been in this situation just 11 days prior, in a crucial Game Five against the Blue Jays. Jackson responded with a complete-game, eight-hit shutout, which jumpstarted the Royals’ comeback in that series.

Jackson had a terrific 1985 season, making 32 starts and throwing 209 innings to the tune of a 14-12 record with a 3.42 ERA.

Jackson’s opponent on this cool St. Louis evening was the estimable Bob Forsch. At the age of 35, Forsch was in his 12th year with the Cardinals, and though he was not the pitcher he had been during his late-1970s peak, he could still deliver.

Kansas City struck first, with a Frank White groundout bringing home Lonnie Smith. St. Louis got the run back in its half of the inning on a Jack Clark double, which drove home Tommy Herr.

Kansas City gave Jackson some breathing room in the second. Jim Sundberg stroked a one-out double and came home on a Buddy Biancalana single. With two outs, Smith drew a walk. Willie Wilson delivered the big blow with a triple, driving home Biancalana and Smith. 4-1, Royals.

That was the score heading into the bottom of the seventh, which led to a piece of World Series history.

Terry Pendleton led off the inning and swung at the first pitch, lofting a foul ball toward the Royals dugout on the third-base side. George Brett gave chase and slid into the dugout in pursuit but missed the catch. Pendleton, who would spend the final year of his excellent 15-year career with the Royals, looked at strike two before swinging and missing on the third pitch.

Catcher Tom Nieto was the next batter and pulled a bunt attempt foul on the first pitch. I’m not sure why a manager would call for a catcher to bunt. They normally aren’t known for being fleet of foot. Nieto played for seven seasons, appearing in 251 games. You know how many stolen bases he had in his career? Zero. Yet Whitey somehow thought he might be able to beat out a bunt?

Nieto fouled the second pitch straight back before looking at a called third strike.

The third batter of the inning was Brian Harper, pinch-hitting for Todd Worrell. Harper fouled off the first and second pitches. He swung and missed at the third pitch.

Nine pitches, three strikeouts.

Jackson had done what no one else had done before or since, throwing an immaculate inning in the World Series. No one thought much of it at the time. In fact, the term “immaculate inning” didn’t even exist in 1985. The term wasn’t used until sometime around the year 2000.

Did you notice anything else unusual about the inning? The hitters all swung at the first pitch, something you rarely see today. Add in the fact that Jackson was already into the seventh inning and the Royals’ bullpen was somewhat thin, and it’s kind of amazing that the Cardinals didn’t take a few pitches in an effort to get Jackson out of the game.

With the inning, Jackson became the first Royals pitcher to accomplish the feat. Since that time, the Royals have had two other pitchers throw an immaculate inning.

Jeff Montgomery accomplished the feat on April 29, 1990, against the Texas Rangers, victimizing Pete Incaviglia, Geno Petralli, and Thad Bosley.

The third and last Royals pitcher to throw one was, drum roll… Stan Belinda of all people. On August 6, 1994, Belinda chopped down Eric Anthony, Chris Howard, and Luis Sojo of the Seattle Mariners. Belinda came to the Royals from the Pirates in an ill-advised 1993 trade in which Kansas City gave up two young pitchers, Jon Lieber and Dan Miceli, in a desperate attempt to stay in the playoff race. Belinda’s Royals career lasted 60 games over parts of two seasons. Lieber and Miceli both pitched for 14 seasons. Yeah, the Royals got hosed in that trade. As famed football coach Bum Phillips once said, you’re better off dancing with the one that brung ya.

The Royals have been on the wrong side of an immaculate inning three times. The first came on September 23, 1997, when Doug Jones of the Brewers struck out Johnny Damon, Scott Cooper, and Rod Myers in the ninth inning.

Their next trifecta came from the arm of Chris Sale, who whiffed Kelvin Gutierrez, Nicky Lopez, and Martin Maldonado on June 5, 2019. Sale was on fire that summer, as he also threw an immaculate inning against the Orioles just a month before he brushed aside the Royals.

Kansas City has also been the most recent immaculate-inning victim, when Ron Swanson look-alike Payton Tolle struck out Nick Loftin, Bobby Witt Jr., and Jac Caglianone on nine pitches back on September 13, 2026.

Immaculate innings are rare, with, by my count, only 125 in the history of the game. That number is probably not 100% accurate, given what baseball scorekeeping was like in the early to mid-1900s. The Texas Rangers are the only team that has never had an immaculate inning, which is a bit of a surprise since they employed Nolan Ryan for several years. Ryan had two immaculate innings over his illustrious career.

Sandy Koufax and Sale both have three immaculate innings. Several of the best pitchers in the history of the game have had immaculate innings, guys like Walter Johnson, Warren Spahn, Robin Roberts, Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez. And much like no-hitters, they can be kind of random, with guys like former Royals Mike Magnante and Brad Boxberger throwing one. David Cone tossed one in 1991 while playing for the Mets. No surprise, as when Cone was on, he could be tough to hit.

But here we are, 41 years after that sweet Royals victory, and Jackson remains the only pitcher to have accomplished the feat in World Series play. I’ll drink to that.

Dylan Beavers played his way into Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list with a strong 2025 season. The former first-round pick slashed .304/.420/.515 over 94 games at Norfolk before finally earning a promotion in the middle of August. Baltimore could have called up Beavers sooner, but the organization waited to preserve his rookie eligibility for the 2026 season. The move could have yielded Baltimore a Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) draft pick if Beavers won the Rookie of the Year award last year. That did not happen.

Beavers provided reason for optimism with a strong close to the 2025 season. The rookie posted a .375 on-base percentage over his first 35 big league games. Beavers tallied four home runs and five doubles, but he also walked 26 times in 137 plate appearances. The numbers led to plenty of Moneyball “he gets on base” memes throughout the month of September.

Beavers failed to carry that momentum into the 2026 season. His .228 batting average actually represented a one point increase, but his OBP dropped to .307. His plate appearances increased by 226, but he only walked nine more times. The drop led to a below-average 93 OPS+ in 2026.

The Rookie of the Year award was always a long shot, but Baltimore hoped to see continued success from the 25-year-old. Instead, his lack of progress represented one of the many failures in the outfield. Colton Cowser shined defensively but struggled for extended stretches at the plate. Taylor Ward lost his power. Tyler O’Neill continued to fall short of the performance his contract should demand. Heston Kjerstad never arrived, and we saw more of Leody Taveras than we ever expected.

Beavers posted pedestrian numbers in April before suffering a strained oblique in mid May. The injury cost Beavers six weeks and prevented the outfielder from establishing an everyday role in Baltimore’s disappointing lineup. The injury may have impacted his defense, but Beavers looked below average out there all season. There’s plenty of reason to believe that Beavers could bounce back at the dish next year, but the team will also look for an improvement in the grass. He posted a -9 Outs Above Average and -8 Defensive Runs Saved over 660 innings in 2026.

The numbers weren’t there at the end of the season, but Beavers displayed something that can’t be taught—an ability to rise to the occasion in the biggest moments. Beavers delivered a pair of walk-off hits in 2025 before adding two more last season. According to Yahoo Sports, Beavers’ four walk-off RBIs tied for the most by any player in his first 110 games since the stat became official in 1920. Funny enough, Christian Encarnacion-Strand is one of five other players to match the number with four walk-off hits in his first 110 games.

The Orioles just threw in the towel on Kjerstad, but the team still believes in Beavers. There is clearly room to upgrade the outfield in free agency, but the team desperately needs Beavers and Cowser to take a step in the right direction. O’Neill, Christian Franklin, and Rece Hinds remain in the organization. Blaze Alexander can play some center field, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. should receive an opportunity at some point next season.

Where does that leave Beavers? He could easily start on Opening Day in either of the outfield corners. The team should probably stop attempting to play him in center field, but he still has time to develop into an average corner outfield defender. There’s some pop in the bat (nine homers in 2026), but a return to his patient approach could lead to more at bats at the top of the order.

Beavers probably shouldn’t be Plan A on a team hoping to reach the postseason, but he could develop into that by the end of the year. Looks for the Orioles to make external additions to the outfield while keeping Beavers in the picture for 2027 and beyond.

So I gather there was an election yesterday? Mark Texiera lost his run for Texas’ 21st district. We don’t talk politics on this site really, there’s enough to shout about just in terms of baseball, but I think we can all agree that the good people of Texas deserve better than a vile Yankee. Former Blue Jay Matt Shoemaker seems likely to be elected to his local school board, which is nice.

David Bell stepped down as assistant GM and VP of Baseball Operations. Bell joined the front office two years ago after a six year stint managing the Reds. He was one of three guys with the same job title, alongside Joe Sheehan and Michael Murov. His particular area of responsibility was apparently overseeing mental and physical development and contributing to major league strategy. It sounds like this was a personal decision, not a firing over the Jays’ poor on-field performance this past year. The team is apparently looking to find a replacement.

It’s always basically impossible to know what front office changes like this actually mean. The development pipeline has had a strong couple of years, but how much if any of that is attributable to Bell is impossible to know from the outside. Anyway, happy trails, David.

MLB pipeline has a nice little write up on 2023 first rounder Brandon Barriera. He seems to be in a good place, which is nice to hear. His Arizona Fall League performance wasn’t great, but I’m glad to see him at least reliably getting on the mound. At this point you can’t really call him a prospect, given how little he’s had the opportunity to develop over three mostly lost pro seasons, but he’ll get another shot in 2027 to see if he can get on track.

The big news, such as it is, is that MLB issued another proposal to the union. As with previous proposals, it’s based on a 50-50 split of “baseball revenue”, but the definition of that revenue is slippery. The union’s response was predictably unimpressed. It seems like we’re in the same spot we’ve been in for more than a year now: the owners insist on a cap, and the players insist they won’t accept one. Personally, I don’t necessarily hate the concept of a cap in theory. In practice, though, the owners’ long history of dishonesty and collusion makes it hard to believe it could be administered fairly. We’ll probably have posts digging into the fine points of league and union proposals as the winter goes on. God knows there won’t be much else to write about. Mostly I just want a 2027 season, but nothing we’ve heard has given me reason to be less pessimistic on that front.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

We’re back with our first offseason pod! Darby and I share our final thoughts on the World Series, discuss Rays chances in awards season, including Taylor Walls’ first career Gold Glove. We then pivot to the Rays to-do list this offseason with the lockout looming, including shoring up the starting rotation, additions to the 40-man roster, and trying to bolster a roster that can help the team defend its American League title.

All podcasts are streamed live on our YouTube channel, and are also available wherever you get your podcasts (Apple and Spotify links below). If you love what we do on Rays Your Voice and would like to support the show, head on over to our Patreon, where even just $1/month helps us with recurring expenses.

Meet the Mets

Anthony McCarron made some bold predictions for the offseason for the Mets, Yankees, and beyond.

Tim Britton and Will Sammon compiled a group of things they’ve heard about the Mets offseason priorities, including getting pitching and where they stand in pursuing Japanese free agent Teruaki Sato.

Around the National League East

Alec Bohm is now a free agent, leaving a major question mark at third base for the Phillies.

Around Major League Baseball

The Yankees have largely dismissed criticism of the team and front office as “noise” and that may not be the wisest choice.

Rays owner Patrick Zalupski wrote a letter to the Rays fans following their loss in the World Series.

Erik Neander reiterated the Rays intention to have Drew Rasmussen leading their rotation in 2027.

ESPN put up their list of the top 50 free agents this offseason, along with some contract projections.

MLB’s latest CBA proposal includes phasing in a salary cap and floor in 2028, with increases in the payroll limits on both ends.

Delaying the salary cap until 2028 would allow for teams and the league to have time to figure out how best to implement the radical change.

MLB illustrated how the cap and floor would affect baseball by disclosing how many teams would need to change on either side of the limits.

The MLBPA responded to the MLB’s public announcement of their latest CBA proposal, reiterating their opposition to a salary cap.

Ian Browne took a look at what free agents could help the Red Sox for 2027 and beyond.

The Mariners have filled their managerial opening, hiring Jason Kanzler, who served as the Cubs director of player development over the last three seasons.

David Bell stepped down as the Toronto Blue Jays assistant general manager and vice president of baseball operations.

Shohei Ohtani’s home run in the NLCS could signal a strong season ahead in 2027.

The Angels are on the verge of a renaissance, and could send a message on their potential future even just by attempting to fill their front office opening with a big name.

There’s some competition for the title of best hitter in this free agent class, with seven strong contenders.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

The Amazin’ Avenue Offseason Plan Contest has officially kicked off!

Steve Sypa reviewed Xzavion Curry’s confounding 2026 season with the Mets.

A Pod of Their Own returned with another new episode.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets, along with the rest of the league, had their first experience with free agency 50 years ago today, when the league’s first free agency period began.

Major League Baseball has created a new proposal that includes the implementation of a salary cap/floor system in 2028. The MLBPA quickly rejected this proposal in a statement on social media. The proposal is likely to become a major point of contention as MLB and the union prepare for negotiations ahead of the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. 

Braves News:

Our 2026 player review series continues with right-hander Rolddy Muñoz. 

How much free agent activity do you anticipate before the lockout?

MLB News:

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Edwin Uceta underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder last month. He is expected to miss the first couple months of the 2027 season. 

The Seattle Mariners have hired Jason Kanzler as their next manager. He has spent the last three seasons with the Chicago Cubs, working as their director of player development. 

From the Feed:

Which of these shortstops do you think would be best for the 2027 Braves?