Category: Baseball

What. A. Game. The San Diego Padres edged out the New York Yankees in a pitcher’s duel on Friday night. It was a win the Friars desperately needed after dropping their series against the Cincinnati Reds earlier this week. Starters Walker Buehler and Max Fried went toe to toe, each allowing a run. Their respective bullpens locked it down, forcing extra-innings drama.

The Yankees quickly got on the board in the 10th with a Spencer Jones RBI single. The onus was then on the Padres to tie the game in the bottom of the tenth. They did that, and more. Luis Campusano, after throwing out three Yanks on the basepaths, hit a two-run homer into deep right field off of Paul Blackburn. It was a walk off for San Diego, the first in quite some time. Hopefully, it’s the turning point that the Padres need.

Taking the mound

Carlos Rodón (NYY) v. Robbie Ray (SD)

Rodón has spent much of the 2026 season stuck on the injured list. He’s made three starts since returning from his most recent stint, pitching to a 2.84 ERA during that time. That’s just a little higher than his 3.20 ERA this season. When he’s been on the field, Rodón has looked stellar.

That said, the Yankees’ starter has yet to work through six innings since June 10 against the Cleveland Guardians. Rodón has yet to pitch five innings since returning from the IL. But, in the time he has spent on the mound, he’s dominated. The bigger question for New York will be if their bullpen can hang on.

Since being traded to the Padres, Ray has looked great. He’s cemented himself as a valuable contributor to San Diego’s starting rotation, pitching to a 3.42 ERA through five starts. Most of that damage came in his first start (4 ER, 5.0 IP). Without that start, Ray’s ERA with the Padres goes down to 2.53 clip.

Ray has reinvented himself this season, owning a 3.14 ERA through 149 innings pitched. Most of that time was in San Francisco, where Ray was the de facto ace while Logan Webb struggled all season. He’s been dominant from the left side of the mound and will look to continue that against a potent Yankees lineup.

Batter up!

Ty France, per usual, had a productive night at the plate. The star first baseman went 2-for-3, scoring the lone run the Padres had in the first nine innings. The game would never have gone to extras if France had straightened out a fourth-inning foul ball from Fried just a little. He missed a home run by inches that would have been the winning run. The Friars ended up getting the job done anyways.

1. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
2. Samad Taylor, LF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Ty France, 1B
5. Jackson Merrill, CF
6. Xander Bogaerts, SS
7. Freddy Fermin, C
8. Jake Cronenworth, 2B
9. Ethan Salas, DH

The lineup, despite struggling against Fried, put together some decent offense against New York. That said, the Friars struggled to score in any of their opportunities, going 2-for-7 at the plate. That being said, San Diego will have an opportunity to turn that around versus Rodón tonight.

Relief corps

The Padres’ bullpen locked it down after Buehler departed. Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller pitched four scoreless innings before heading into the 10th inning. Miller pitched an (almost) immaculate ninth inning, throwing nine strikes but inducing a fly out from Ben Rice instead of a strike out. Miller gave up a run in the 10th due to the ghost runner, but quickly locked it down afterwards.

That leaves San Diego with plenty of options to turn to for Game 2. Jhony Brito, Griffin Canning, Kyle Hart, David Morgan and Wandy Peralta will all be available for manager Craig Stammen. None of them have pitched particularly well in high-leverage situations. Though, with the way Ray has been pitching, the Padres should be alright.

Mets lineup

Francisco Lindor – SS
Juan Soto – LF
Bo Bichette – DH
Carson Benge – RF
Jared Young – 1B
Marcus Semien – 2B
A.J. Ewing – CF
Francisco Alvarez – C
Brett Baty – 3B

Zac Thornton – LHP

Giants lineup

Jonah Cox – CF
Rafael Devers – DH
Bryce Eldridge – 1B
Jung Hoo Lee – RF
Shay Whitcomb – 3B
Turner Hill – LF
Andrew Knizner – C
Osleivis Basabe – 2B
Christian Koss – SS

Anthony Molina – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 4:10pm EDT
TV: SNY
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

Shohei Ohtani is the biggest piece of the Dodgers puzzle, whether he pitches or not. He’s the team’s best hitter by a sizable distance, and getting him right for the postseason is of the utmost importance.

So as he potentially sits for a third straight game for the first time since joining the Dodgers, let’s take a look at who has filled in at designated hitter at the times when Ohtani hasn’t batted, whether by days off or on some days he was pitching earlier in the year.

Ohtani is hitting .279/.382/.526 with 30 home runs in his 128 starts at designated hitter. Eight different players have combined for the other 13 starts at DH, plus various late-game fill-ins over the course of the year, have hit .276/.344/.534 with three home runs and six doubles in 64 plate appearances. In other words, they’ve held their own so far in the small sample size.

Facing left-handed starting pitchers the last two nights, the right-handed Alex Call started at DH, and the left-handed Dalton Rushing pinch-hit later in the game. Rushing has played in all four games since getting activated on Tuesday, and is hitless in four at-bats, with three strikeouts and a hit by pitch. He started three times at DH earlier this season.

Other Dodgers at DH

• Dalton Rushing 3 starts, 16 PA, 2-for-16, double, home run, 4 RBI
• Alex Call 2 starts, 10 PA, 2-for-9, 2 doubles, 1 walk
• Teoscar Hernández 2 starts, 8 PA, 4-for-7, home run, 2 RBI, 1 walk
• Will Smith 2 starts, 8 PA, 2-for-6, double, home run, RBI, 2 walks
• Miguel Rojas 1 start, 5 PA, 3-for-5, 2 doubles, RBI
• Ryan Ward 1 start, 5 PA, 0-for-3, 2 walks
• Santiago Espinal 1 start, 5 PA, 2-for-5, 2 RBI
• Andy Pages 1 start, 4 PA, 1-for-4, RBI
• Tommy Edman 0-for-1
• Chuckie Robinson 0-for-1
• Ben Rortvedt 0-for-1

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Nationals
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 6:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Facing the righty Zack Wheeler, instead of the lefty Sanchez, the Braves are returning lefty hitters to places of prominence in their lineup. Drake Baldwin returns to the leadoff spot, Michael Harris returns to the lineup at the cleanup spot, and Dominic Smith takes the DH spot.

Saturday squad ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/oRsBNlXXe0

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 5, 2026

The Phillies only made minor personnel and positioning tweaks, going from facing the lefty Sale to another lefty Perez.

Wheels on the mound#RingTheBellpic.twitter.com/aDzJk9UBC9

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 5, 2026

Game Info

Game Time: Saturday, September 5th, 6:05 p.m. ET

Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Rod Barajas celebrates his 51st birthday today.

Barajas spent two seasons with the Blue Jays from 2008 to 2009, during a 14-year major league career.

In 2008, the Jays signed Barajas as a backup to Gregg Zaun. Around that time, three significant events occurred:

1. Zaun missed about three weeks with an injury.
2. The Jays fired John Gibbons and hired Cito Gaston.
3. Barajas hit a little hot streak.

Like many catchers, Barajas was a streaky hitter. In May 2008, he hit .370/.424/.630—numbers that exceeded his usual performance, but the timing was ideal. With a new manager in Cito Gaston, first impressions mattered, and Barajas seized his opportunity by playing daily and impressing Gaston. Although his numbers dipped to .179/.188/.269 in July, he had already won over Cito. Zaun, meanwhile, was understandably unhappy about losing his job due to injury.

Barajas may have been the better choice regardless—he was an excellent defensive catcher, throwing out 34% of base stealers during his two seasons with the Jays. He was tough, skilled at blocking the plate, and a solid receiver with occasional power. After the season, Zaun departed as a free agent.

Barajas posted a .237/.275/.406 slash line over 229 games with Toronto, hitting 30 home runs, driving in 120 runs, walking 37 times, and striking out 137 times across those two seasons.

Over his 14-year career, Barajas hit .235/.284/.407 with 136 home runs and 480 RBI, playing for seven different teams.

Candy Maldonado celebrates his 66th birthday today.

Maldonado played three seasons for the Blue Jays, joining the team via a trade from the Brewers on August 9, 1991, in exchange for Bob Wishnevski and William Suero (obscure names, even for die-hard fans). He played for Toronto during the 1992 World Series season before leaving as a free agent, only to re-sign at the start of the 1995 season.

The standout season was 1992, when Maldonado hit .272/.357/.462 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 137 games, primarily in left field. While not an outstanding outfielder, he did lead the AL in assists that year with 12. In the ALCS, he batted .273/.360/.545 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI. His World Series performance dipped to .158/.238/.316 with 1 home run and 2 RBI, but all was forgiven thanks to the championship—and his lone World Series ring.

I always liked Maldonado. He may not have been a superstar, but he certainly had his moments. As a Blue Jay, he hit .272/.363/.462 with 34 home runs and 119 RBI in 250 games. Over his 15-year career, he posted a .254/.322/.424 line with 146 home runs and 618 RBI in 1,410 games. He is a member of both the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame and the Puerto Rico Hall of Fame.

Happy Birthday to both Rod Barajas and Candy Maldonado.

The New York Yankees didn’t really make too much noise before the 2026 trade deadline. They added a slugging first baseman in Luis García Jr., an outfielder in Heliot Ramos, and not much else. They failed to bring in significant additions to the rotation and bullpen, which was ‘addressed’ with cheap free-agent signing Michael Fulmer and waiver claim John Schreiber well after August 3.

For this exercise, let’s focus on the major trades, namely García and Ramos, and a third player who was called up from Triple-A Scranton but has been, essentially and for all intents and purposes, a post-deadline acquisition: shortstop George Lombard Jr.

Luis García Jr.

The lefty slugger has been the best player the Bombers acquired at or around the trade deadline. The 26-year-old masher started his breakout in the nation’s capital and continued it in the Bronx. He has hit, before Friday’s game, a robust .292/.337/.500 with five home runs and a 132 wRC+ in pinstripes.

García had flirted with above-average power numbers in the past, but he had never put together such a strong season until 2026, making him a bit of a gamble for the Yankees. So far, it’s safe to say it has paid off big-time, as he has given the team a reliable, productive left-handed slugger to plug and play in the middle of the lineup.

During times when the Yanks missed some key power hitters, including the still-absent Aaron Judge, García has proved to be a useful hitter.

Heliot Ramos

While García’s arrival has been a hit, the same can’t be said about Ramos. The outfielder is struggling to the tune of a .141/.286/.266 with a home run, a 27.3 percent strikeout rate, a 61 wRC+, and -0.5 fWAR. He has been with the Yankees for a month, yet he’s already their least valuable position player by fWAR.

If we see Ramos’ performance with the Yankees without context, he has been a disaster. However, it’s important to point out that since August 20, he has been hitting a solid .227/.370/.455 with a homer, two doubles, and a 136 wRC+ in 27 plate appearances. His expected stats also suggest he’s been quite unlucky in New York; he’s got a perfectly solid .338 expected wOBA as a Yankee. See, for instance, the hardest-hit double play ball in the majors this year:

Perhaps if we give him some more time, his overall stat line would look a lot better.

Ramos isn’t much of a defender, and he isn’t particularly fast, either, but in time, he’ll prove that he’s a fine hitter with power. His role will undoubtedly diminish when Aaron Judge returns from injury, though.

George Lombard Jr.

The Yankees decided to start the Lombard clock on August 4, right after the deadline. And what a ride it has been. He started his MLB tenure on fire, with highlight-reel defensive plays and two homers in his first four games.

After a few weeks, his offensive performance started to diminish, and he had a .253/.310/.367 line with a 90 wRC+ on Tuesday, when he had to depart a game after injuring his knee. He dodged a bullet and, after missing a few days, returned to the lineup on Friday.

The Yankees are committed to letting him develop at the MLB level. After all, he made light work of Double-A and Triple-A pitchers this year.

Lombard is the Yankees’ shortstop of the future. He’s an extremely young player, and he may make mistakes in bunches, but the potential is there for him to impact games both offensively and defensively (and on the basepaths, too) for a long time.

Today’s roster move: Here

Saturday notes…

• IT’S BEEN A WHILE: A win today will be the Cubs’ third in a row. They have not won three straight since Aug. 9-12, when they won at Kansas City, 10-2, and after a day off won at Washington, 8-6 and 12-6. They have played 21 games since the last of those wins, going 9-12, including back-to-back wins twice, Aug. 17-18 at home vs. the White Sox and Aug. 23-24 at Seattle, then Arizona. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• DAY vs. NIGHT: The Cubs are just 31-30 in day games, a stark difference from their 49-32 at night. They are 9-14 in day games on the road but 7-9 in day games on the road following night games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• GETTING AHEAD AND STAYING AHEAD: The Cubs never trailed in their wins Thursday and Friday. They had not done that in consecutive games since July 27-28, when they won at St. Louis, 7-3 and 10-2. They have played 35 games since then, going 19-16. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• JUST ONE RUN: The Cubs have allowed one run in each of the last two games. They had allowed no more than one in back-to-back games twice before this season, April 19-20 and June 12-13. They have given up one or zero runs in 15 total games, one of every 9.5 they have played. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
• TODAY IN CUBS HISTORY: Frank Schwindel’s seventh-inning grand slam, his third homer in a series against the Pirates in which he went 10-for-18 and was named NL Player of the Week, erased an 8-7 deficit and gave the Cubs a 11-8 win over the Pirates at Wrigley Field. It happened five years ago today, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021.

Cubs lineup:

The Saturday squad.

Tune in live on @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/djDkhUWu58

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 5, 2026

Marlins lineup:

Game two.

🤝: @PNCBank
📺: https://t.co/CoO4Nlpkc8
👂: @MarlinsRadio, @radiomambi710, @1043wqam
⏰: 4:10 PM ET
🏟️: Roof status: CLOSED#FightinFish // https://t.co/HLOUFjItKkpic.twitter.com/bCkwm4LCoo

— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 5, 2026

Javier Assad, RHP vs. Ryan Gusto, RHP

In the words we used to use all the time for Kyle Hendricks: “All he does is get guys out.”

That really does apply to Javier Assad, who returns to make this start. The assumption I make is that the Cubs are pushing Clay Holmes, whose turn it would have been today, back so he can start in Milwaukee sometime next week.

Assad has been up and down from Triple-A Iowa multiple times this year. However, in the major leagues since May 1, here are his numbers: 2.24 ERA, 0.995 WHIP, 6.0 percent walk rate. A few too many home runs (12 in 64.1 innings) but out of his 17 outings since May 1, he allowed one or no runs in 12 of them and the Cubs are 15-2 in those games.

Go get ‘em, Javier.

Ryan Gusto was an 11th-round pick of the Astros in 2019 and came to the Marlins at the 2025 Trade Deadline in the deal that sent Jesus Sanchez to Houston.

He’s been in 19 games (14 starts) this year with middling results. Gusto pitched four innings in relief against the Cubs June 28, 2025 in Houston and allowed seven hits and four runs, including a two-run homer by Seiya Suzuki.

Today’s game is on Marquee Sports Network.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

MLB.com Gameday

Baseball-reference.com game preview

Please visit the Marlins site Fish On First. If you do go there to interact with Marlins fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.

You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).

At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.

The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.

You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

For all the talk about resurgent players (Lawrence Butler, Zack Gelof, Jacob Lopez), back sliding players (Luis Morales, Jack Perkins), and a hitting core with elite talent but only decent results (Nick Kurtz/Shea Langeliers/Jacob Wilson/Tyler Soderstrom/Brent Rooker), the A’s fortunes in the near future may lie with some prospects who are fast-tracking themselves towards 2027 relevance.

Without a doubt the A’s have a projected lineup for 2027-28 that could be imposing but so far has only been “middle of the pack” and with even less of a doubt the pitching has been bottom of the barrel in most statistical categories.

What the A’s are hoping to accomplish is to mirror, somewhat, the Chicago White Sox’ arc, rising from the depths of 100 loss territory to challenge for the division title soon after. On one hand, the White Sox did take 2 years, not 1, to go “last to first” but on the other hand they were coming from a record 121 losses.

This quartet of A’s prospects have in common that they would not normally be on a “2027 ETA” timeline and that they are very much poised to make an impact in 2027. And if they do, the A’s could be putting an awful lot of star talent on the field. In alphabetical order:

Jamie Arnold

Arnold is a key one to watch simply because he is a starting pitcher and nowhere is the need greater for the A’s than the front of the rotation. Arnold was just drafted in 2025 and only debuted in April, 2026 with an aggressive promotion to AA Midland.

Perhaps partly as a result of the aggressiveness of the assignment, Arnold sputtered some at the outset but he has come on like gangbusters of late and recently earned a promotion to AAA. With a 2.31 June ERA, a solid 3.54 ERA in July, and and a stellar 1.57 ERA in August, Arnold put a bow on his second half surge with 5 shutout innings in his PCL debut.

With a handful of AAA starts under his belt to end this season, it’s not inconceivable Arnold could vie for a spot in the A’s rotation out of camp in 2027, with the more likely outcome that he will be on the Gage Jump “first man up” track. Either way Arnold has a good chance to significantly impact the 2027 rotation, hopefully along side Jump, JT Ginn, and Jacob Lopez.

Drew Burress

2 months ago Burress hadn’t even yet been drafted by the A’s and yet his debut in Stockton has been so fantastic it’s not hard to envision a scenario where he begins the 2027 season at AA (or gets there within the first month) and forces his way up to the big leagues mid-season.

If this sounds overly aggressive, remember that Kurtz and Wilson shot through the minors at this rate and Burress matches their 1st round pedigree. In 26 games so far, Burress is crushing pitching to the tune of a .314/.453/.637 slash line with 7 HR and 14 stolen bases in 15 attempts.

The 28.5% K rate needs some work, and A ball is nowhere near MLB, but if Burress gets to AA in April and picks up where he is leaving off in September, he could well be in the big leagues sometime in 2027 giving the A’s another explosively athletic outfielder.

Leo De Vries

De Vries only started his pro career in 2024 and he did so at age 17, which would suggest a typical ETA of around 2029. But De Vries is no typical prospect, ranked top 3 in all of MLB.

Only injuries (finger, shoulder) stopped him from being a possible call up in 2026 and if he is fully healthy come spring training, the question will be “when” not “if” he will be called up to the big leagues in 2027.

Devin Taylor

Taylor is mashing and hasn’t let up all year, starting in A+, continuing in AA, and now making a mockery of AAA. At Lansing, Taylor earned a promotion by hitting .292/.425/.436 in 57 games. At Midland he found yet another gear, slashing .323/.409/.534 with 14 HR in 68 games. In 3 AAA games he’s 6 for 14 with 2 HR.

There are questions around Taylor’s LF glove, but if he can rake at the big league level the A’s can find a spot for the LH slugger even if it’s heavily utilizing the DH position, just as the Astros have done with the elite hitting/shaky fielding Yordan Alvarez and the Phillies have done with the similarly profiling Kyle Schwarber.

Already the A’s have quite a bit of enviable raw talent on the field with Kurtz at 1B, Wilson at SS, Langeliers at C, Soderstrom in LF, Henry Bolte in CF, Gelof somewhere on the infield and Butler looking, for the past half season, like the player the A’s saw and quickly inked to a multi-year extension.

Add Arnold, Burress, De Vries, and Taylor throughout the season and 2027 could have a plethora of star upside — upside that needs to be harnessed, mind you, upside that has to stay healthy. But in terms of potential to impact the AL West? These fast-trackers could be changing the landscape in a big way. Soon.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country.

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These sorts of surveys can be pretty fickle, especially when the Wild Card standings are changing nearly on a daily basis.

To recap: I asked you on Tuesday where you thought the Cubs would finish the regular season. At the time, the Cubs held the first Wild Card spot. They have since fallen out of that spot and trail the Phillies by half a game. I’d think most of us would agree that if it’s Cubs/Phillies in a Wild Card series, we’d like those games to be played at Wrigley Field.

And a plurality of voters in the SB Nation Reacts survey said that’s what will happen:

Fortunately, most of you are optimistic enough that the Cubs will, in fact, make the postseason — only four percent were negative enough to vote “miss the postseason.”

Should be an interesting ride the rest of the way. Three weeks to go.

The national questions asked of SB Nation Reacts respondents all had to do with home runs.

This includes both leagues, but Kyle Schwarber and Pete Crow-Armstrong have both hit more home runs than anyone in the American League. And, in fact, this race has tightened considerably since the survey was taken. Schwarber’s last home run was Aug. 26 in Seattle; since then he’s 4-for-23 with no long balls and still has 40.

Meanwhile, PCA has gone wild over the last week. Since Aug. 26, when he trailed Schwarber 40-33 in the home run race, the Cubs center fielder has batted .344/.382/.906 with six home runs, including his three-homer day against the Reds, and now trails the Phillies DH by just one.

Again… should be an interesting race the last three weeks and if these two teams meet up in the Wild Card round… something else to watch!

This is more just a matter of opinion. In general, 40-45 has been the high range for homer hitters in recent years, though Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh, among others, blasted through that on their way to 60+ home run seasons.

It looks like this one will be right. Schwarber and PCA might be the only ones to top 40. Junior Caminero, Matt Olson and Yordan Alvarez all have 37, so they could hit that mark as well, as could Hunter Goodman (36) and Ben Rice (35).

Thanks for participating!

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This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.

Stan Kroenke has slowly assembled a professional sports empire.

On Sept. 1, America’s largest private landowner agreed to buy Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels from longtime owner Arte Moreno in a deal valuing the franchise at $4 billion.

If the purchase is approved by MLB, it would give Kroenke control of a team in each of the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB — making him the first owner to do so.

Kroenke also owns several soccer teams, including Arsenal in the English Premier League and the Colorado Rapids in MLS, as well as the Colorado Mammoth in the National Lacrosse League.

Using the most recent Forbes valuations available and including Forbes’ $2.8 billion Angels valuation, Kroenke’s sports portfolio would total $25.7 billion. That’s a total valuation above other sports magnates, such as Josh Harris and the Glazer family.

Harris’ ownership stakes include the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils — a portfolio that equals roughly $15.5 billion by Forbes valuations.

Meanwhile, the Glazer family’s joint portfolio of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United totals $13.8 billion via Forbes.

Madison Square Garden Sports, which owns the New York Knicks and Rangers, sits just behind the Glazer family at $13.75 billion.

The Angels, who Kroenke has agreed to buy at a valuation well above Forbes’ estimate, would become the fourth-most valuable team in his portfolio, behind the Rams, Arsenal and Nuggets.

The premium Kroenke agreed to pay is among the heftiest in recent baseball transactions.

The three most recent MLB control-sale agreements have all valued franchises well above their preceding Forbes estimates, with the Angels going 43% above their latest valuation as of March 2026.

The San Diego Padres sale earlier this year went 26% above the team’s valuation, while last year’s Tampa Bay Rays sale went 36% above.

Those are in contrast with the earlier sales of the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets, both of which went for near their Forbes valuation.

Kroenke, however, isn’t alone in putting large sums of money into sports franchises.

Reported franchise transaction values have totaled $34.5 billion in 2026 to date, including the Los Angeles Lakers’ $12.5 billion transaction value and the Seattle Seahawks’ $9.6 billion sale.

The Padres deal was worth just under the Angels total at $3.9 billion, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx went for a joint total of $4.5 billion.

Combined, those five deals have set a record, beating the previous highs of $23.8 billion in 2025 and $21 billion in 2023.

And while new owners aren’t always an improvement, Angels fans have reason to hope: Kroenke’s teams have all won at least one league championship during his ownership, the most recent being Arsenal’s 2026 English Premier League title. Will the Halos join that circle?

Methodology: Team values are the latest Forbes estimates and represent full franchise enterprise values, not owners’ individual equity stakes. The Kroenke total includes the pending Angels acquisition and excludes the Colorado Mammoth, which Forbes does not value. Franchise transaction data are from J.P. Morgan through 2024 and USA TODAY analysis of Spotrac and league/team reports for 2025-26. J.P. Morgan determined the transaction universe and year placement through 2024. For 2025-26, USA TODAY assigned deals to the year their definitive sale agreement was announced.

Data is current through Sept. 4.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stan Kroenke's Angels deal would add MLB to his $25.7B sports empire

Triple-A: Norfolk Tides 10, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Marlins) 5

The Tides brought the lumber with double-digit runs and hits, plus nine walks, overcoming an early 4-0 deficit for a runaway victory. Rece Hinds was the hitting star, reaching base five times on four singles and a walk, and he scored three runs. Six other batters had one hit apiece, including Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Creed Willems. Weirdly, despite scoring 10 runs, the Tides had only five RBIs. That’s because Jacksonville committed six (!) errors to hand Norfolk a bunch of gift runs.

Michael Forret had another uninspiring Triple-A start. He lasted three innings and gave up three walks, three hits, and two runs, and uncorked two wild pitches. I get why the O’s wanted to bring Forret back to the organization, but I feel like they would’ve been better off keeping Tyler Wells. Long reliever Christian Heberholz also gave up three runs, but relievers Gerald Ogando, Anthony Nunez, and Yosver Zulueta worked a scoreless inning apiece. Nunez struck out all three batters he faced.

Box score

Double-A: Chesapeake Baysox 3, Portland Sea Dogs (Red Sox) 1

As usual for this loaded Baysox staff, they delivered a great pitching performance. This time it was right-hander JT Quinn who tossed five scoreless innings, striking out five. He has a 2.50 ERA in four Double-A starts. Four relievers kept the Sea Dogs at bay for the rest of the night.

Former Orioles farmhand Morgan McSweeney, whom the O’s released in 2024, made the start for Portland. Frederick Bencosme tagged him for a solo homer and Victor Figueroa added an RBI single. Vance Honeycutt had a double, a walk, and two stolen bases. Griff O’Ferrall contributed a pair of singles, while Aron Estrada took a rare 0-for-4. Wehiwa Aloy did not play.

Box score

High-A: Frederick Keys 9, Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets) 5

The Keys pulled off an impressive come-from-behind victory in Brooklyn. Trailing 5-1 in the eighth, they erupted for a seven-spot in the frame, then added an insurance run in the ninth. Impressively, they scored all seven of those eighth-inning runs with two outs. Five consecutive batters reached base, starting with a Braylin Tavera two-run double and capped by a Yasmil Bucce three-run homer.

The top of the Frederick lineup did nearly all the damage, with the first four batters combining for eight of the club’s nine hits. That included a 3-for-5, two-RBI performance by Jaiden Lo Re, a Randal Diaz homer, and a pair of hits by leadoff man and 2026 second-round pick Ty Head, playing his fourth game since his promotion to High-A.

Keys starter Twine Palmer and reliever Ben Vespi gave up five runs before relievers Chandler Marsh, Teddy Sharkey, and Braeden Sloan worked a scoreless inning apiece to finish off Frederick’s comeback.

Box score

Low-A: Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (White Sox) 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 4

The Shorebirds were the only O’s affiliate to lose, as a three-run rally in the top of the ninth came up just short. Delmarva had 11 hits, and every batter in the starting lineup had at least one, but they stranded 11 runners in the game. Catcher Miguel Rodríguez and shortstop Jemone Nuel combined to drive in all four runs. First round pick Eric Booth Jr. went 1-for-5 atop the lineup.

Right-hander Braden Smith, the Orioles’ 15th round pick this year, made his first professional start. He worked two innings, giving up three hits, three walks, and two runs.

Box score

Saturday’s scheduled games:

• Norfolk: vs. Jacksonville, 6:35 PM. Starter: Cade Povich (2-4, 5.68)
• Chesapeake: vs. Portland, 6:35 PM. Starter: Patrick Reilly (0-2, 4.33)
• Frederick: at Brooklyn, 6:00 PM. Starter: Christian Rodriguez (2-2, 5.96)
• Delmarva: at Kannapolis, 7:00 PM. Starter: Collin McKinney (0-0, 0.00)

Diamondbacks News

Diamondbacks’ Slump Is Hurting Postseason Chances
The Diamondbacks simply must find a way to get out of this scoring funk they have been in for a while now.

Diamondbacks Prospect Has Award Winning Homer Spree
The Amarillo Sodpoodles’ Avery Owusu-Asiedu has had himself a great time since being promoted to AA. The outfield prospect has now homered in four consecutive games for the second time in a month. The feat hasn’t been done for a few years now and was done by the Dodgers’ Will SMith.

Diamondbacks Release Spring Training Schedule Despite Threat of Lockout
Anything to distract from the owners and players competing to see who can set fire to the game faster.

Diamondbacks Make Surprise Decision to DFA Jorge Barrosa
The longer the season gets into September, the more it looks like Arizona has some sort of handshake deal with Max Kepler to keep him around.

Diamondbacks to Activate Corbin Burnes Tuesday
Can Corbin Burnes maybe get a hit with runners in scoring position?

Other Baseball News

How Mark Walter’s Financial Scandal Shapes the NL West
Those hoping that Walter playing fast and loose with investor funds will lead to the Dodgers being put on a leash are likely to be sorely disappointed.

Sal Stewart Stands as Clear NL ROY Favorite
The Cincinnati Reds might have themselves another Rookie of the Year winner. Sal Stewart is certainly making his case, but he cannot rest on his laurels as this competition could go down to the wire.

NL Central Could Sweep Awards
The Brewers might have the Cy Young winner, joining the Reds with the Rookie of the Year and the Cubs with the likely NL MVP. The division could even end up with the NL Manager of the Year.

The Giants Have Been Way Off BaseRuns
The San Francisco Giants are over 12.5 base runs below what they should be and it is costing them heavily.

I’ve never seen anything like this…

This ump stopped the game & made Cardinals rookie Hancel Rincon straighten his hat, saying nobody will wear it like that on his field. Quickly followed up by the worst revenge call I’ve ever seen.

Suspend him now @MLBpic.twitter.com/wgov05ubXy

— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) September 5, 2026

Ranking the Worst Remaining MLB Owners Post-Moreno
An interesting ranking. Ken Kendrick does enough to stay off the list.

Blaze Alexander Slide Starts O’s – Red Sox Donnybrook
Old friend alert. Blaze Alexander is causing some chaos. But really, it seems he is just living rent free in the heads of the Red Sox.

This was slide from Blaze Alexander. He was clearly trying to send a message. https://t.co/2j9bwflr6mpic.twitter.com/eRs7ghQESu

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) September 5, 2026

I’m a personal believer in wearing the lowest possible number as a player. No infielder should have a number greater than 25, and 25 should only be worn by a first baseman. Numbers in the 30s and 40s are for pitchers, and your outfielders fill out the rest. That is the Way Baseball Numbers Should Work.

Of course, the Yankees have retired 21 numbers, every single one-digit, and 15 of those 21 are below #25 — yes, I’m finally correctly counting Whitey Ford, who I always forget when listing off the retirees by memory. Add that to the 25 other guys that are on the present roster, when you get added to the big-league club there aren’t that many options to put on your back. In 2016, Aaron Judge ran into this problem, eventually deciding to keep the #99 issued to him in spring training. That #99 will likely be the next number the Yankees retire, and I think it’s a part of what’s made him one of the faces of baseball over the past decade.

Now we have a pair of rookies filling out the middle of the Yankee order, both of them sporting unusual jersey numbers for much the same reason that Judge did. George Lombard Jr. is #96 and Spencer Jones #78, George one of three MLB players to sport those digits this year and one of them was Quad-A relief depth Yovanny Cruz for these same Yankees. Jones wears a slightly more popular number, even if I only know one of the other guys who share 78:

And despite my penchant for lower numbers (I’m #24 myself), I love what Lombard and Jones have done, even if it was by accident. It’s difficult to stand out on the current Yankee roster — ok, it’s difficult to stand out on what the ideal current Yankee roster is. Even if you’re a threeish win player, pretty good, you’re going to end up behind the big three in the rotation, Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and of course the captain himself. This goes triple when you try and stand out in the annals of Yankee history itself.

#78 and 96 allow the youngsters to carve out a bit of their own identity, just a little. It probably isn’t going to last. Ben Rice was issued #93 for his first taste of MLB in 2024, and once he carved out a permanent role for himself on the team switched to the much more sensible, and aesthetically pleasing, #22. If Jazz doesn’t return to the team this winter, #13 becomes an obvious option for George if he can stick to the roster, ditto for #12 if the club lets Trent Grisham walk. #78 is a little more of a reasonable number albeit one more for relievers than starting centerfielders, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jones switch down as well.

*Kramer's moviefone voice* "well why don't you just tell me what number isn't retired"

— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) July 8, 2014

With a club as numerically complicated as the Yankees, picking something a little funky and unconventional makes me like you just a little more — indeed, perhaps more than GLJ’s current performance deserves. We’ve seen how Judge has been able to take a strange jersey assignment and make it his own. I’m not asking either Spencer or George to be Aaron Judge, just to want to be as much of an individual in an org that sometimes squashes that.

After a solid win Friday night in the battle of the aces, the Braves now face what sure seems like a disadvantageous pitching matchup Saturday, with Martin Perez facing Zack Wheeler.

Wheeler has been mostly back to his normal self coming back from injury this season, though with a slightly elevated, but still low walk rate. He has struggled a bit over the last month or so, with walks in particular. The Braves’ offense would do well to pay attention to his command and be a little patient at the plate. Wheeler still utilizes a true six-pitch arsenal with his four-seamer as a primary but a sweeper, sinker, splitter, curve, and cutter all mixed in and serving as solid pitches. He also maintains elite extension in the 97th percentile. If the Braves get lucky, Wheeler will still be struggling with command and will pair some of those walks with a homer or two.

Perez continues to muddle through the 2026 season performing admirably as a veteran innings-eater and has been rewarded with a 3.05 ERA that is more than a bit lucky. The Phillies have struggled on offense this year and have historically struggled against lefty pitching, with this year being no different. This is a good matchup for Martin with that platoon advantage, but that won’t make us any more comfortable watching him face Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.

Game Info

Game Time: Saturday, September 5th, 6:05 p.m. ET

Location: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pa.

Watch: BravesVision

Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan

Unless you have been living under a rock this year, you would know that the Nationals bullpen has struggled. The unit has an ERA over 5 and has blown a mind boggling 35 saves. However, in the last couple weeks the Nats have called up three home grown relievers who have all gotten off to impressive starts.

It is still very early days for Erik Tolman, Jared Simpson and Jack Sinclair, but so far they have impressed Nats fans. For Simpson and Sinclair, the jury is still very much out, with both only making one appearance. Tolman has plenty to prove as well but at least he has done it over multiple outings.

With the largest sample size, Tolman is the first name I want to talk about. His first five big league outings could not have gone much better. Through 6.2 innings, he has yet to allow a run and has struck out 8 batters. It also feels like he is getting better each time he takes the mound.

In his last appearance, Tolman came in with the bases loaded and nobody out in the 8th. He responded by getting a strikeout and double play to stamp out the threat. The 27 year old southpaw came back for the 9th and struck out the side. It was extremely impressive stuff from the rookie.

Erik Tolman first MLB save pic.twitter.com/ycnTBwouwf

— Kev (@klwoodjr) September 1, 2026

We have talked a lot about Tolman’s story, but his performance on the mound has been almost as impressive. His 97 MPH fastball gets on hitters in a hurry. With opponents fearing the fastball, Tolman can drop in his 85 MPH changeup which gets hitters way out in front. Against lefties, he will also feature a slider.

In the minors, command was an issue for Tolman. However, he has only walked two hitters so far in the big leagues. With a few more impressive outings, Tolman could easily lock down a spot in the 2027 bullpen. The raw stuff is impressive and the command has been better than expected for the former 14th rounder.

That is a theme for all of these guys. All three were late round picks who have command concerns. However, in the early going, all of them have been throwing strikes. Throughout his baseball life, Jared Simpson has struggled throwing strikes. It has gotten better this year, but he is still walking over 5 hitters per 9 in the minors. 

However, if you just watched his debut, you would not know that he has any command issues. The lefty out of Iowa was pounding the zone with his 4 pitches. He throws a 4-seamer, a sinker, a splitter and a slider. The sinker has been a massive addition this year and has been a big part of his breakout.

Like Tolman, Simpson came into his last appearance in a tough spot. He made his MLB debut facing the top of the Braves lineup with runners on first and second with nobody out. Simpson responded by getting a double play and flyout.

Jared Simpson comes out in a tough situation on his MLB debut

Gets the double play and fly out to end the inning

Can’t ask for anything better pic.twitter.com/9Qk633afAP

— Kev (@klwoodjr) September 2, 2026

Just like Tolman, Jared Simpson kept going. He got nine outs while facing just 8 batters. At first, he was pitching to contact a lot. However, as he built up confidence, the strikeouts began to come. Simpson finished his outing by striking out the last two batters he faced. I can’t wait to see the former 8th rounder pitch again.

Jack Sinclair was the latest homegrown reliever to make his debut. He was thrown into a more forgiving spot than Simpson. Sinclair came into a 5-0 deficit, so the stakes were lower. However, he still had to face Max Muncy to start his MLB career.

Sinclair ended up winning a 10 pitch battle with Muncy, finishing him off on his signature sweeper. That sweeper is a pitch that Sinclair will lean on a lot. However, with a sinker at 96 and a 4-seamer that can touch 99, he has enough heat to keep guys honest.

start the k counter on jack sinclair 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/ph1BV7R0IX

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 5, 2026

After a breakout 2024 season in AA, Sinclair really struggled in Rochester last year. This season, his ERA was around 4, but he got a lot of strikeouts. His FIP of 3.65 was also encouraging. With the Max Kranick experiment failing, the Nats pulled the plug and decided to give Sinclair a look.

Last night was a good start for the righty, who tossed a 1-2-3 inning. The former 16th round pick looked the part in his debut. All of these guys were drafted by Mike Rizzo, but took major strides with the new regime. Tolman and Sinclair added velocity, while that sinker unlocked a lot for Simpson.

We still need to see more from all of these guys, but at worst, they are quality depth. These three have proven they can get outs at this level and have good stuff. To get full time spots in the bullpen moving forward, they need to do more. However, these are all intriguing arms that the Nats can use as optionable bullpen pieces.

The process to get here has been ugly, but the Nats are finally starting to build some bullpen depth. If Paul Toboni can find a closer this offseason, I actually think the bullpen can make massive strides. These three under the radar arms can be a part of that.