Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, right, celebrates with teammates after the team clinched their fifth consecutive National League West title on Sept. 17 in Cincinnati. (Tanner Pearson / AP Photo)
It seems like a simple equation: $338 million produces 100.
That’s the Dodgers season-ending payroll and victory total. But to assume a franchise can merely buy a playoff berth is a stretch.
The New York Mets sit at home — or more likely at lavish vacation destinations, given their perch at the top of baseball’s payrolls at $345.8 million. They finished last in the National League East with a 74-88 record.
The Cleveland Guardians also sit at home, but are quite pleased about it. They earned a first-round bye and berth in the American League Division Series this weekend despite a payroll of only $74.2 million — baseball’s lowest and barely one-fifth that of the Mets.
Twelve of the 30 MLB teams qualified for the postseason, with four best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday. Eight of the dozen have payrolls in the top 10, with the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays joining the Mets as supreme underachievers given their No. 5-ranked payroll of $275.4 million.
Yet three playoff teams — the Tampa Bay Rays ($98.3 million) and Chicago White Sox ($98 million), in addition to the Guardians — rank among the six lowest payrolls, according to MLB Labor Relations Department’s (LRD) present-day salary calculations obtained by USA Today.
The combined LRD payrolls of those three overachievers don’t come close to the Mets or Dodgers, highlighting the enormous disparity between the haves and have-nots that team owners point to while demanding a salary cap during ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.
Oddly, only one playoff qualifier is among the 14 mid-range payrolls of roughly $100 million to $200 million — the Milwaukee Brewers, who achieved baseball’s best record at 103-59 while paying its roster $143.5 million. The Angels are also among that group, ranking No. 15 at $179.8, not enough to keep them from losing 100 games for the first time in franchise history.
The LRD payroll tracks a team’s real-time salary commitments for the current season, accounting for the 26-man MLB roster’s base salaries plus a prorated portion of signing bonuses. LRD differs from luxury tax payrolls, which are based on the average annual value of every player contract on the 40-man roster.
Luxury tax payrolls determine whether a team exceeds the league’s luxury tax threshold and owes financial penalties. MLB is using luxury tax payrolls in the CBA negotiations over a hard salary cap and floor, proposing a $245.3 million ceiling and $171.2 million floor for 2027.
Luxury tax penalties from clubs that exceed the thresholds funnel back to low-revenue clubs through revenue sharing. A record $402,637,907 was paid in luxury tax penalties last season, with the Dodgers paying the most at a record $169.4 million. This year the Dodgers’ luxury tax is projected at $180 million — higher than the LRD payroll of 16 teams.
The Dodgers also have the highest luxury tax payroll at $430 million, dwarfing the Mets’ $363 million number. Reasons? The Dodgers pay more in penalties because they have exceeded the luxury tax six years in a row, they have more players with massive average annual values and they took on additional penalties by acquiring starter Tarik Skubal at the trade deadline.
As we await the Cubs playing starting tomorrow in a Wild Card series against the Padres, let’s take a look back at the team’s long Modern Era postseason history. That history dates to 1906, when the team lost the World Series to the White Sox after winning a record 116 games during the regular season — a mark that still stands (though tied by the Mariners in 2001).
You know, of course, of the 108-year drought between World Series wins in 1908 and 2016, and the rest of the team’s post-1908 postseason history is, shall we say, not really very good.
Entering this year, the Cubs had participated in 22 postseasons with an overall record of 51-79-1. That’s a .392 winning percentage, equivalent to a 64-98 regular season. Yikes. Although, that is an improvement over last year at this time, when the winning percentage was .385. Baby steps.
The tie happened in the pre-lights era 1907 World Series, when Game 1 went 12 innings at West Side Grounds in a 3-3 tie and then was called for darkness. The Cubs won the next four games and the World Series, becoming the first team to win the championship series without losing a game.
Here are the Cubs’ records for each of the 22 postseasons in which they have participated before this year. Prior to 1984, all games are World Series games.
Obviously none of those records is very good, and it includes nine straight losses from 2003 through 2008 before the Wild Card Game win against the Pirates in 2015.
Now, if you’ll indulge me a bit, I present to you my personal records of attending Cubs postseason games. The Cubs have played 78 postseason games in my lifetime (the games from 1984 to now). Two of those games, the wild-card series vs. the Marlins in 2020, were during the pandemic season and not open to fans.
Of the 76 Cubs postseason games open to fans since 1984, I have attended 56 — all 37 played at Wrigley Field plus 19 road games, as follows: two in San Diego (1984), three in San Francisco (1989), three in Miami (2003), two in Arizona (2007), one in Pittsburgh (2015), two in St. Louis (2015), two in San Francisco (2016), three in Los Angeles (2016) and one in Milwaukee (2025).
Personal W/L record in all postseason games attended:
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 25: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers poses for a photo with his wife Kate Upton and his daughter Genevieve Upton Verlander while holding Bellamy Verlander during Career Celebration Ceremony prior to playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park on September 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was an emotional weekend to be a Tigers fan. First, the team ended their season in September instead of making a repeat trip to the postseason, which was certainly a bummer after the year got off to a strong start. But 2026 was not meant to be the Year of the Tiger. This weekend also saw the return of Justin Verlander to the mound at Comerica Park, just in time to make his final MLB start ever. Verlander, who had announced earlier in the year he would retire at the end of the season, missed most of the year due to injuries. It was poetic to see him back in action just in time to take his final bow.
Friday saw a tear-jerker of a retirement ceremony before the game, including a charming first pitch from Verlander’s daughter Genevieve. Then Saturday he took the mound one last time, had a strong final outing, before AJ Hinch brought Genevieve in once more to go get the ball from her father. It was one of those baseball moments that proves how wrong Tom Hanks was in A League of Their Own when he insisted, “There’s no crying in baseball!”
There is, Tom, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house on Saturday.
There was a lot going on this weekend, so we’ve collected some of the social highlights in case you missed anything.
Marcus Semien had a poor first season with the Mets as he continued to regress offensively, struggled defensively at second base, and missed time due to a hip injury.
While his offensive issues continued to worsen as he finished with a career-low .620 OPS, even more alarming was Semien's falloff at second base.
Following a 2025 campaign where Semien won the AL Gold Glove for the Rangers after ranking in the 92nd percentile in OAA, he was in the fourth percentile in 2026 -- near the very bottom of the league.
Semien has two years remaining on his contract, counting for $24 million toward the luxury tax payroll each of the next two seasons. That could obviously complicate things if he continues to struggle near the level he did this past season, and president of baseball operations David Stearns is making no promises about Semien's playing time going forward.
Asked on Monday during his end-of-season news conference at Citi Field whether he was ready to declare Semien the Mets' starting second baseman in 2027, Stearns was non-committal.
Stearns also talked upBrett Baty as a second base option. Baty, whom Stearns mentioned as a first base option as well, closed the season on a hot streak at the plate, but still finished with an uninspiring .681 OPS.
"I think we're gonna have options there next year," Stearns noted. "Marcus didn't have the type of year offensively that he wanted, that we would expect. Again, I think Brett showed us for the last four-to-six weeks of the season what his ceiling looks like. And as I said, we need him to get to that ceiling more consistently.
"And then we have a host of really good minor league infielders who are knocking on the doorstep. And so sitting here right now, I'm not gonna commit to what second base looks like next year. But I do think we've got some really good players -- both at the major league level and prospects that are coming -- that can make that a productive position for us."
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The minor leaguers Stearns is likely referring to are Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit, and Émilien Pitre.
After being acquired by New York, Rojas excelled, posting a .929 OPS in 29 games for Double-A Binghamton and homering in his first three games for Triple-A Syracuse following a late-season promotion.
Rojas might profile best at third base, but can also handle second.
Voit, 21, had a breakout season in 2026, slashing .347/.430/.517 for Binghamton after being promoted following a 76-game stint in the pitcher's haven of A-level Brooklyn. In 105 games across the two levels, Voit stole 45 bases and scored 80 runs.
Then there's the 23-year-old Pitre, a contact-first hitter the Mets acquired from the Rays in the Freddy Peralta trade.
Pitre hit .375 for Binghamton in 10 games after the trade, and hit .260 with a .357 OBP in 20 games following a promotion to Syracuse.
It remains possible that Semien rebounds following his down year. In the event he doesn't, the Mets could have a handful of in-house options ready to take over. And after listening to Stearns, it seems the ascension of someone like Rojas could come even sooner than initially expected.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 11: Manager Torey Lovullo (L) and general manager Mike Hazen of the Arizona Diamondbacks meet before Game Three of the Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on October 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 season is officially in the books, at least as far as the Diamondbacks go. For the third year in a row, it’s a case of, “Close but no cigar”, missing out on the playoffs by less than a handful of games. Of particular note this year, is the situation of manager Torey Lovullo, whose contract has now effectively expired. He signed a three-year contract after the run to the World Series in 2023, but the lack of any extension became an increasingly elephant-shaped object in the room, as we moved through this season. A decision on Lovullo’s future is likely to be made and announced in the next few days, so let’s chew over the possibilities.
The Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo connection
Perhaps the most obvious factor is, what happens with regard to Diamondbacks’ GM, Mike Hazen. He brought in Torey Lovullo in early November 2016, just a few after taking over, and that has been the situation ever since. It is easily the most stable partnership in franchise history. Lovullo is the longest tenured Arizona manager, and it’s not close: he has managed 1,518 regular season games, which is more than twice as many as anyone else (Kirk Gibson’s 728 is next). Indeed, across all of MLB, Lovullo has outlasted 27 of the other managers present when he was appointed. Only Dave Roberts in Los Angeles and Kevin Cash in Tampa have been in their positions for longer.
Hazen has four General Managers with more tenure than him, but may be on thinner ice than Lovullo. Despite franchise-record payrolls in 2024 and 2025, and not far short this year, the team has not reached the playoffs. There are legitimate questions to be raised about Hazen’s ability at constructing a major-league roster. While he is officially under contract through the end of 2028, it may be that the team is not willing to wait our those two further seasons, and opts to go in a different direction. If a new General Manager is brought in, it’s highly likely he will want the opportunity to pick his own manager.
Mike Hazen’s successes and failures
The bottom line is that, since his rookie success in 2017, the Diamondbacks have reached the post-season only once in the last nine years. Now, it’s undeniably a factor that being in the same division as the Dodgers makes things exponentially harder. They have won over 90 games (or equivalent) fourteen years in a row. Since 2013, they have won over a hundred games more than any other team. At $334 million per year, their TV deal alone is more valuable than all the D-backs revenue. Now resources aren’t everything. But the Dodgers are scarily well-run too, currently having the #1 farm system. Beating that? Good luck. Competing for a wild-card spot is the best-case scenario.
On that basis, Hazen has done well enough, keeping the team in the race four consecutive Septembers. It does seem that a lot of fans forget the horrors of the before times. In the five years before Hazen took over, the Diamondbacks didn’t have a single winning season. 2020-22 were pretty ugly as well. But since then? The D-backs have a .523 winning percentage, sixth-best in the NL, despite only one playoff appearance. Is “there or thereabouts, and hope things break our way” good enough? Many fans on social media would reject that, but I’m more pragmatic. I lived through 2004 and 2021. I have no desire to do so again.
That said, the current GM has failed in a number of areas, most notably on the pitching side. The big ticket free-agent signings in the Hazen era have largely been disastrous: Madison Bumgarner, Jordan Montgomery and (so far) Corbin Burnes, with Eduardo Rodriguez also terrible up until 2026. Even this year, we signed Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, both of whom underperformed. The farm system has been little if any help. The most productive prospect drafted or signed by Hazen is Ryne Nelson, at a total of just 5.1 bWAR. Next is… Drey Jameson and Brandon Pfaadt (2.2). Then there’s the Arizona bullpen, which until the second half of this year, has been an annual disaster.
The position players have been a better group. Corbin Carroll has been great, and the extensions signed by him and Ketel Marte have already repaid their value. Christian Walker, Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno all definitely count on the plus side of the Hazen ledger. But there have been misses as well. While the Twitiots would tell you Pavin Smith is the worst player in baseball, resigning Lourdes Gurriel Jr was a far bigger mistake. Although I will agree, the debacle which was Arizona’s first-base this year might have been key in the team missing the playoffs. Watching Jake McCarthy bat .291 for Colorado was also annoying.
Torey Lovullo’s successes and failures
It’s a lot harder to assess a manager, because it’s very much an “iceberg” position. By which I mean, ninety percent of what managers do, is invisible to fans. We see the pitching changes and the line-up. But the vast bulk of the work that goes on in the clubhouse, forging 26 individuals into a cohesive unit, happens entirely out of sight. When it does come to the surface – as with KetelGate – it’s rarely a good thing. While we still don’t know everything that happened, I feel I can confidently say, that whole situation, from a managerial point of view, was an absolute no-win. There’s no way to navigate that minefield in a way where everyone was happy.
I do think there are times where Torey does seem to have a case of “foot in mouth” syndrome. Most recently, after Saturday’s key defeat in San Diego, Lovullo put rookie pitcher Jose Cabrera into a key game to protect a one-run lead. Cabrera imploded, allowing five runs while recording four outs. Asked afterwards why, Lovullo answered, “I just felt like I wanted to see what Cabrera could do.” This is either terrible bullpen management, or terrible public relations. I’m inclined towards the latter, and suspect he didn’t actually throw the pitcher in there on a whim. But that’s what it sounds like, and perception is often stronger than reality.
It is interesting that those closer to Lovullo typically think more highly of him. Jack, for example, often gets accused of being a Torey mouthpiece. But I think he genuinely does believe Lovullo does a good job, all things considered. This comes from seeing him much closer up than the Twitiots, so should certainly not be discounted. Team president Derrick Hall also publicly praised the manager, saying “This year is probably his best year… I mean, he’s won, six out of 10 years he’s had a winning record. So, I mean Torey’s done a great job for us and he continues to… There’s so many factors, but he’s done a terrific, terrific job this year.”
Of course, votes of confidence from higher up for subsequently fired managers are a dime a dozen. And Lovullo himself recently said he thinks he needed to make the post-season: “The realities of it, when I sit back and I think about it at night, we got to get to this big dance. If we do, things will take care of itself. If it doesn’t, I’m in a totally different evaluation space.” That hasn’t happened, and for now, we can only wait and see what the team decides needs to be done. But if you were in charge of the Diamondbacks, and looking to build for the future, what would you do with Mike Hazen and Torey Lovullo? And if the answer is to move on, who should replace them?
That’s what the poll below is for, and as always, please feel free to explain your reasoning in the comments.
San Diego, California - September 25: Craig Stammen #14 of the San Diego Padres high fives his players before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
From 2016 to 2024, San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller hired four managers.
Andy Green was the rebuild manager, never intended to be the guy. Then Preller hired his friend from the Texas Rangers, Jayce Tingler. They had their first successful season in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. From the start of 2021, it was clear that Tingler was in over his head and he reportedly lost the clubhouse before the end of the year.
Then there was Bob Melvin and a playoff season in 2022 but there were lots of rumblings about disagreements between Melvin and Preller. After the debacle of the 2023 season, Melvin quit to take a job with the San Francisco Giants.
Mike Shildt had been a special advisor to Preller during Melvin’s tenure as manager. He was a logical choice to succeed Melvin due to his knowledge of the organization and an already established relationship with players and team members. He also had a winning record as a manager but a clouded situation regarding his exit from the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
After two seasons of 90 or more wins each year, Shildt walked away from managing, citing the strain on his mental and physical health. After his departure, word came out about clashes with Preller and his coaching staff regarding his management style and his verbally abusive behavior.
A surprising choice to lead the way
After a lengthy process with multiple interviewees coming through San Diego, former Padre Craig Stammen was announced as the manager for 2026 season.
It’s not a stretch to say there were many surprised, and sometimes outraged, reactions. A good portion of fans and media thought future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols had the job in the bag. At the press conference introducing the new on-field leader, Preller revealed he had to talk Stammen into taking the job. He had originally been part of the interviewing process, not an interviewee.
Needless to say, hiring a first-time manager who had never coached before caused a flurry of anxiety-ridden outbursts from all over the city. The Padres had been to the postseason for two years running. They had two seasons of 90 or more wins along with those two playoff runs. They needed someone who had the experience to take them over the finish line, not start over from scratch.
Preller was betting on an unproven former player that he respected so much he hired him to join the organization as soon as he retired from baseball. Giving him a special assistant role and placing Stammen in the front office, Preller said he always believed that managing was in Stammen’s future, but the Ohio resident and family man didn’t seem to be on board.
It appeared that Preller valued Stammen’s character traits and personality above any coaching experience. He was known as a leader in the clubhouse and the bullpen when he pitched for the team. Preller was gambling that those same leadership qualities would carry him through his rookie season if he had enough support around him.
Stammen is as steady as they come. We saw it when he pitched for the Padres. As a middle reliever, he famously started the “Stammen Game” for the 2020 playoffs and his teammates valued him for that and his quiet leadership.
What went wrong with the other guys
Andy Green being named as the manager for the New York Mets after serving as their interim manager this season highlights the prove-it nature of managing jobs in MLB.
When he was hired in San Diego, Green was the development guy, brought in to guide as Preller built. He would not be given the opportunity to manage a better team and was let go after the 2019 season.
Tingler was definitely Preller’s choice, but the match wasn’t good. The players didn’t respond to his style, and he seemed overwhelmed at many points during the season.
The two experienced and proven managers that Preller hired after that were both very set in their ways. Old-school baseball guys resistant to analytics and to the front office team’s involvement in the clubhouse. Neither Melvin nor Shildt could adapt to what was asked of them.
Preller is unique
A.J. Preller thinks and works outside the box. Like him or not, he is unique in baseball for the way he does his job. There has been a lot of criticism of his approach and his non-traditional way of building a baseball team.
Whether or not you agree with his choices, the Padres are more successful under his guidance and late owner Peter Seidler’s vision than at any other time in Padres history. Much of the credit goes to Seidler for the influx of money into the team. For better or worse, the Padres have a core of players tied to the team for many years, and that is due to Seidler and Preller.
If you stick with Preller, then you stick with his approach.
What makes Stammen different
Stammen is done with his first regular season as the Padres manager. He has led the team to 90 or more wins for their third season in a row. They are going to the postseason for the fifth time in seven years.
His rookie season was not without its ups and downs, but he remained constant. His only showing of temper was with umpires.
Mistakes were made, absolutely. Strategy and bullpen management are never mastered and are always second-guessed. No manager does it right if you ask the fans.
An article written by Kevin Acee and published in the San Diego Union-Tribune on Sept. 22 outlined the meeting that occurred between Preller, Stammen, Josh Stein (Preller’s vice president), and Ruben Niebla.
In that conversation, the group developed the “pitching chaos” plan that got the team through the two weeks leading up to the trade deadline. The season was slipping away, and thinking outside the box was a must. They cobbled together a map that would take the pitching staff through the two weeks until trades could be made to acquire more pitching. It probably saved the season.
Stammen is not a traditional baseball guy; he is not a seasoned veteran of dugout strategy or coaching.
He brings his experience as a player, his personality and character, his already established reputation, and the respect he has from those around him.
Probably most importantly, Stammen brings flexibility in thinking. A willingness to go outside the box, try new things, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes, on the biggest stage possible. His ego is not a hindrance to admitting when he needs to improve. He encourages others to contribute to the whole while guiding the ship with a steady hand.
What the future holds
We don’t know how far this team will go this season. We don’t even know if Stammen intends to stay for another year.
The new ownership has expressed a desire to win it all. If they put their money where their mouth is, the future could be bright for this organization.
The people leading going forward will be Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones. They will decide who the leadership team will be for next season and beyond.
If Preller remains in charge, it seems likely he will want Stammen to remain. It is hard to argue with what this team has accomplished this season.
Manager Don Mattingly told reporters that Arraez, the team's prized acquisition at the trade deadline, will not be on the roster when the Phils play their best-of-three series against their NL East rival.
Arraez suffered a sprained left ankle during Philadelphia's Sept. 24 game against the Milwaukee Brewers. He missed the rest of the final week and finished with a .310 batting average, the sixth time in his eight-year career that he has hit .300 or better in a season.
The injury may also have cost him his fourth career batting title. He finished second to Arizona's Gabriel Moreno, who won the NL crown with a .311 average.
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 15: Bobby Witt Jr. #7, Carter Jensen #22 and Jack Caglianone #14 of the Kansas City Royals look on during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Michaela Schumacher/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Major League Baseball has announced its finalists for the All-MLB Team, with Bobby Witt Jr., Jac Caglianone, and Carter Jensen among the nominees. Fans can vote on the nominees at www.mlb.com/all-mlb/ballot through October 9 with winners to be announced at the MLB Awards on November 11 on MLB Network.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. is second among all players in fWAR with 7.0, and leads all shortstops with 23 Outs Above Average. He is tied for fifth among shortstops in runs scored with 94, and leads them all with 45 steals. Other nominees at shortstop include CJ Abrams (Nationals), Mookie Betts (Dodgers), Ezequiel Duran (Rangers), Elly De La Cruz (Reds), Otto Lopez (Marlins), Kevin McGonigle (Tigers), Colson Montgomery (White Sox), Zach Neto (Angels), Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks), and Dansby Swanson (Cubs).
Catcher Carter Jensen set the record for most extra-base hits by a rookie catcher since 1947 with 64. He tied for second among all catchers with 27 home runs and is third in slugging percentage at .467. Other nominees include Drake Baldwin (Braves), William Contreras (Brewers), Dillon Dingler (Tigers), Hunter Goodman (Rockies), Liam Hicks (Marlins), Ryan Jeffers (Twins), Shea Langeliers (Athletics), Gabriel Moreno (Diamondbacks), and Adley Rutschman (Orioles).
Outfielder Jac Caglianone had a torrid August and was named American League Player of the Month then. He hit .289, good for sixth among all outfielders, and he is third in slugging at .494. Other nominees include Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox), Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves), Randy Arozarena (Mariners), Cody Bellinger (Yankees), Byron Buxton (Twins), Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks), Jackson Chourio (Brewers), Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Chase DeLauter (Guardians), Riley Greene (Tigers), Michael Harris II (Braves), Jake McCarthy (Diamondbacks), Jackson Merrill (Padres), Andy Pages (Dodgers), Tristan Peters (Brewers), Ceddanne Rafaela (Red Sox), Juan Soto (Mets), Chandler Simpson (Rays), Seiya Suzuki (Cubs), Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres), Mike Trout (Angels), Jordan Walker (Cardinals), and James Wood (Nationals). Three outfielders will be selected, regardless of which outfield position they played.
Fans voting on MLB.com and a decorated panel of media members, broadcasters, former players and other officials throughout the game will have equal say in determining the first-team and second-team choices who comprise the 2026 All-MLB Team. All choices will be based on the 2026 regular season, without regard for American League or National League affiliation.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates a strike out during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday, September 13, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joe Sullivan/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We’ve known who would be starting in the Wild Card series for a while now, but we didn’t know in what order they’d pitch. And that matters in a short series — a lot. In Cam Schlittler, the Red Sox are going up against the best pitcher in the American League tomorrow night. They need someone who can match his ability to miss bats and quiet both the Yankees lineup and the Yankee Stadium crowd. That guy is going to be Payton Tolle:
Chad Tracy announces Payton Tolle as the Red Sox Game 1 starter 👀🎙️
It’s been an incredible season for Tolle who, lest we forget, wasn’t even on the Opening Day roster and didn’t make his first start until late April. But over the next five months he endeared himself to Red Sox Nation like few other Sox players in recent memory. He’s even won over Pedro Martinez. “I wish I could have taught myself at an early age how to be like Tolle,” Pedro said. “The guy laughs, the guy pitches, the guy’s a bully. The guy is big, intimidating. He’s got everything. He’s out there to beat you. He’s a bully. I love him.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Tolle is a lefty, of course, as is Ranger Suárez… and Aroldis Chapman… and Jake Bennett… and Garrett Crochet… and Erik Miller… and Jovani Moran… and Alec Gamboa. In fact, the Sox had — by far — the most left-handed pitching staff in baseball this year, and the most left-handed pitching staff in almost four decades. This could end up being huge for them this month. (Mike Petriello, MLB.com)
We likely won’t get the final roster until tomorrow morning. But we do know this intriguing nugget: Braiden Ward, the speed demon who has yet to appear in a single Major League game, has traveled to New York with the team. If he does make the roster, his role would likely be limited to pinch-running. But he’s more than ready for that. “If they put me on the bases, especially first base, ninth inning,” he said, “even if a guy’s 1.1 to the plate and a 1.8 pop time (from the catcher), it’s ‘Hey Ward, go steal it. Go figure it out.’ That’s why they put you out there — to go try to steal the bag. If I get the opportunity, obviously I’m going to try to steal it. The other team knows that. It’s no surprise why I’m going to be out there.” (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
As Ward’s quote about catcher pop time demonstrates, information about the opposing team becomes paramount in the postseason. Could the Red Sox be at a disadvantage in that department given their widely publicized smaller scouting staff? “The Sox, who have done all of their regular-season advance scouting lately by video and through in-office data analysis, started their in-person preparations last week when they sent two of their top scouts to New York for the four-game Yankees-Rays series, to check out their expected Wild Card and ALDS foes.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
If you want to do some advance scouting of your own, here’s the series preview from FanGraphs. (Jay Jaffe, FanGraphs)
And here’s what the writers and analysts at one prominent outlet are predicting for the series. (The Athletic)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees throws to first base during the sixth inning of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on September 24, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the Yankees were ultimately unable to overtake the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League East title and thus the AL’s number one seed, they put together a splendid month of September, finishing 15-8. They did so while navigating a roster that was often in flux, welcoming some players back from stays on the injured list while others took their place. That volatility meant that the team rarely looked the same defensively from night to night. The Yankees were up to the challenge. Here are five of the best plays we saw from the Bombers in the field this month.
September 2nd: Caballero and Goldschmidt get after it early
Here’s a nice way to start a list—and a ballgame. The first pitch Cam Schlittler threw in this start at Angel Stadium was hit hard by Zach Neto towards shortstop. With an eight-degree launch angle, it was sort of a tweener—not exactly a grounder, not exactly a line drive. José Caballero, though, read this tricky batted ball well. Somewhat off-balance, he was able to make a lunging stab on the first bounce, then aim a strong throw to first, where the veteran Paul Goldschmidt made a classic scoop to retire the hustling Neto and start the night off right. Schlittler would go on to complete eight superb innings.
September 11th: Lombard denies Bichette with slick pick at short
George Lombard Jr.’s defense has been an obvious talking point since the young man came up to the Majors last month. He made a spectacular first impression the first few weeks, then endured some odd struggles at shortstop not long afterward. In September, though, the polished defender who was essentially MLB-ready years ago was the version of Lombard we typically saw. I don’t think any play he made this month quite matches some of the stunners he made in his first week and change, but this robbery of Bo Bichette was still excellent. His advanced coordination, agility, and strong arm are all on display here.
When Anthony Volpe made his return from the minor leagues, he began playing games at second base instead of his traditional shortstop position, where Lombard, as we saw in the previous clip, had already begun establishing himself in his absence. But the Fox still showed plenty of agility at the keystone, like on this grounder from Brett Baty which hopped off the pitcher’s mound. With his momentum carrying him into center field, Volpe was able to read the bounce off the hill, leap, and throw an absolute seed to first to record the out.
September18th: Jones makes sliding snare in the gap
Spencer Jones made no trivial number of nice catches in the outfield this month, but for my money this was his best. Tim Tawa ripped what looked to be a sure double into the left center gap, but the rookie outfielder quickly came to the rescue. Jones covered 69 feet in short order, then perfectly timed his slide and secured the catch to take away extra bases. Defensive metrics have been a bit down on Spencer, particularly in center field, but his great instincts still allow him to make plenty of pretty plays.
September 22nd: Bellinger, García combine for 7-2 double play
I see no better way to round out the list but with your regularly-scheduled outfield assist from Cody Bellinger — who even after losing a full month to injury has made a great case for his first Gold Glove since 2019. With the Rays putting the hit-and-run on, Bellinger tracked down a looping liner from Richie Palacios, then came up firing to catch Victor Mesa Jr. on his frantic retreat back to first base. Granted, this wasn’t the most accurate peg we’ve ever seen from Cody out there, but that just set up the back end of the highlight. Luis García Jr. had to drift a bit off the bag to receive the throw, but was able to scoop the ball and apply the tag on Mesa in one fluid motion as he tumbled to the dirt. This twin killing gave Carlos Rodón an extra boost as he went on to twirl eight scoreless innings.
This week, the future Hall of Fame Dodgers star-turned-NBC television broadcaster will be on assignment for the network’s coverage of MLB’s first-round wild-card playoff series, drawing none other than the San Diego Padres’ clash with the Chicago Cubs at Petco Park beginning on Tuesday.
A rookie broadcaster following a decorated 18-year career on the mound, Kershaw has made a positive impression in his television debut this year, which has included sideline work on NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball package as well as a cameo as the primary color analyst on a SportsNet LA Dodgers game last month.
Now, he will step onto an even bigger stage to kick off the playoffs, serving as a field-side “Inside the Pitch” analyst alongside play-by-play man Dave Flemming and game analysts Jim Deshaies and Mark Grant (a member of the Padres’ regular-season broadcast team) in the booth, and sideline reporter John Fanta.
A new October role, in what will be familiar postseason surroundings.
NBC Sports Names Announce Teams for Exclusive Coverage of MLB Wild Card Series Presented by AbbVie.
The Games Begin This Tuesday, Sept. 29 on NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN!
As a player, of course, Kershaw was a key figure in the recent explosion of the Dodgers’ and Padres’ National League West rivalry. Three times in the back half of his career, the two clubs met in memorable playoff matchups, with the Dodgers sweeping San Diego in the National League Division Series en route to their 2020 title, getting eliminated in a stunning upset during the 2022 NLDS, then exacting revenge in a five-game epic in the 2024 NLDS (the lone series of the three Kershaw missed because of an injury).
This year, the two teams can’t cross paths until the NL Championship Series, with the second-seeded Dodgers (who got a bye for the wild-card series this week) sitting on the opposite side of the bracket from the fourth-seeded Padres.
For now, however, their respective focus is on their more immediate task, with the Padres trying to avenge their wild-card elimination to the Cubs last year, and the Dodgers preparing to face either the Braves or Phillies in next week’s NLDS.
The same goes for Kershaw, who will be capping off his first year of TV work during this week’s best-of-three series (since NBC doesn’t have the rights to any further rounds of the playoffs).
Clayton Kershaw smiles on the field prior to a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Los Angeles. MLB Photos via Getty ImagesSan Diego Padres players acknowledge the fans after the Padres beat the Diamondbacks at Petco Park in San Diego, California, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As the 38-year-old told the California Post last month, he is still undecided on whether TV will be a full-time gig for him in retirement. This year, he has worked only a handful of games while also serving as a special assistant to the Dodgers’ front office.
For the next three days, at least, he’ll get behind the mic one more time.
He might not be playing October baseball this year. But he won’t be missing out on it, either.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Kris Bryant #23 of the Colorado Rockies sits in the dugout during a regular season game against the Athletics at Las Vegas Ballpark on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2025. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
Honorable Mention: Kris Bryant (N/A rWAR)
It seems like a lifetime ago that the Colorado Rockies held a press conference in early spring training in 2022 to announce that they had signed former MVP and World Series champion Kris Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million contract.
After Nolan Arenado’s public divorce from the club a year earlier, Rockies owner Dick Monfort wanted star power. So once the Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified and baseball was able to resume after the lockout, he made a splash and helped orchestrate the signing of Bryant.
While plenty of skeptics and red flags surrounded the signing, there was at least some optimism that Bryant could help bring a winning culture to the Rockies and provide the clubhouse leadership this team desperately needed.
The sad reality is that the signing has been a disaster, as Bryant’s body betrayed him, and injuries rendered him a shell of his former self.
Over four seasons with the Rockies, when he was actually able to suit up, Bryant has played just 170 games, worth -1.6 rWAR. In 2025, he managed to play just 11 games before the lumbar degenerative disk disease he was diagnosed with in 2024 made it too difficult to play, and he landed on the 60-day injured list.
2026 was the first year in which Bryant did not play a single game of baseball in his professional career. It didn’t take long for him to land on the 60-day IL as the Rockies placed him on the IL the first chance they got when such roster moves could be made in spring training. Bryant reported to camp when full-squad workouts began, but it was simply to make an appearance, get his physical, and check in with the team before heading back home to work with doctors.
In the past, Bryant was at least on our minds throughout the season as he would occasionally pop up in the dugout and talk to the media once or twice during the regular season. This year, Bryant talked to the media while he was in camp, and made an appearance in the dugout when the Rockies played in Las Vegas in June, but we otherwise haven’t heard much from him. The message we did receive back in February was not a hopeful one.
His message was simply about the pain he has been dealing with as a result of the back issues. There was also a clear subtext of his frustration about his physical well-being and inability to play baseball.
“Any time my feet hit the ground, I feel like I could probably fall over,” Bryant said to the media. “It’s unfortunate and obviously not how I want this to go. I’m here to figure things out and find out if there is a way to get better.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”
He then went on to share about his path forward heading into the start of spring training and the reality that little to no progress has been made to get back on the field any time soon.
“Usually in the progression you start with the exercises, then you move to running,” Bryant said. “Any time my feet hit the ground, I just feel like I could probably fall over.
“I don’t really have the best answer for [returning to the field], because I haven’t really determined a plan, but I just am following advice and [the trainer’s] guidance, and obviously meeting with doctors. I met with doctors in the offseason, just to get opinions. They pass them on to the training staff, and then we determine how we go.”
The reality of not having Bryant for the season was not a surprise for manager Warren Schaeffer and the new front office, and the best path forward was to plan that he wasn’t going to be part of the equation at all.
“There’s really not much to say about it other than the guy’s back really hurts, and he’s having a tough time progressing,” Schaeffer said. “We have to prepare like he’s not going to play. That’s just the way we have to go about it, hoping that he has a recovery and a breakthrough. But as of now, his back really, really hurts. It’s a real thing. He just can’t play baseball.”
If Bryant is physically unable to play baseball, what’s the next step? At the time of his interview, he skirted around the question of retirement, instead holding onto hope a solution could be found.
“I honestly try not to let myself get there, because when you’re going through it every single day, you just try to make it day to day,” he said. “A lot of people out there with chronic pain, you don’t want to think so far in the future because you’re just trying to get through the day. So I haven’t let myself get there.”
But that was six months ago, and change happens.
There are still two years and $54 million of guaranteed money left on Bryant’s contract. Any sort of solution to rectify the situation is a tough puzzle to solve, especially now with a ticking clock of roughly 30 days before the offseason begins and Bryant would have to be added back onto the 40-man roster.
The simplest answer is that the Rockies take the hit and pay him the full amount left on his contract, and he retires or is released, much like the Denver Broncos did with Russell Wilson. That parallel became more of a reality when the Penner Sports Group bought a 40% ownership stake in the club last April, bringing an influx of cash to help pay off debts for the club.
The more likely alternative that would make the most sense is that the Rockies work with Bryant and his agent, Scott Boras, on restructuring the deal to defer the remaining $56 million over several years. The Los Angeles Angels did that very thing with oft-injured Anthony Rendón in January, spreading out the $38 million he was owed this season over the next three-to-five years.
While there has been no news on the Kris Bryant front this season, there is no doubt in my mind that Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes have been looking into a solution to bring this disastrous union to a close.
After five years, it’s time to put this chapter of Rockies history in the rearview mirror.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves is introduced prior to the 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With the regular season coming to a close, we’re already getting our first glimpse of what awaits on the horizon of awards season. The All-MLB Team is starting to gain some footing and now, the nominees for the 2026 All-MLB Team have been announced. As such, the Braves are going to have plenty of opportunities to have at least one represenative on this year’s First-and-Second-Team squads.
The Braves have nine nominees — Drake Baldwin at catcher, Matt Olson at first base, Ozzie Albies at second base, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II in the outfield, Chris Sale as a starter, and Didier Fuentes, Raisel Iglesias and Dylan Lee as relievers.
A lot of these players have experience with this particular honor. Chris Sale made the All-MLB First Team in 2024, Ronald Acuña Jr. made the Second Team in 2019 and 2020 and the First Team in 2023 and Raisel Iglesias made it onto the second team as a member of the Angels in 2021.
If I had to guess, Matt Olson and Michael Harris II and Chris Sale may have a shot to make it onto the squads and I’d imagine that Chris Sale could have a real good shot at making the First Team as part of the “rotation.” Outside of that, I wouldn’t harbor too many hopes but who knows, we shall see. It’s also pretty impressive that Didier Fuentes even got nominated, so well done to him for even being considered.
Voting will take place at MLB.com/AllMLB until October 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET and the teams will be announced on November 11 at the MLB Awards Show in Las Vegas.
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 15: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers looks on as he receives the Roberto Clemente Award prior to a game against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field on September 15, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Kai Kanzer/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers’ 2026 season has come to an end, which means it is a pretty good time for us to check in on the state of the Rangers’ 40 man roster.
The 40 man roster currently is full, and in addition, there are six players — Carter Baumler, Jalen Beeks, Jose Corniell, Jack Leiter, Cal Quantrill, and Cole Winn — on the 60 day injured list. Those six players will have to come off the 60 day injured list at the end of the regular season, which means we have 46 players to account for on the 40 man roster.
Now, two of those six players — Jalen Beeks and Cal Quantrill — will be free agents at season’s end, which means we don’t have to concern ourselves with finding a 40 man roster spot for them. In addition, the following players are also set to hit free agency at the end of the season:
Tyler Alexander
Elias Diaz
Kyle Higashioka
Jakob Junis
Nicky Lopez
Jordan Montgomery
Joc Pederson
Trevor Williams
Yes, Higashioka and Pederson technically have mutual options, but since either side can decline, we can treat the pair as being pending free agents.
That said, there are some players currently on the 40 man roster who are not pending free agents, but who are going to end up being waived or non-tendered to create 40 man roster spots. The Rangers are going to have to once again build their bullpen from almost scratch, as well as likely add one or more minor leaguers to the 40 man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. We will go over who is Rule 5 eligible and who is likely to be protected in a future post.
The Rangers’ arbitration-eligible players are:
MacKenzie Gore — Arb 3
Logan O’Hoppe — Arb 2
Jake Burger — Arb 2
Josh Jung — Arb 2
Ezequiel Duran — Arb 2
Wyatt Langford — Arb 1
Robert Garcia — Arb 1
Jacob Latz — Arb 1
Cody Bradford — Arb 1
Evan Carter — Arb 1
As far as potential non-tenders go, most of these guys would appear to be safe from a potential non-tender. The two guys who strike me as possibilities for a non-tender would be Jake Burger and Logan O’Hoppe.
Burger has two seasons of team control remaining, and made $3.2 million in 2026. I’m guessing he’s looking at around $5.5 million in 2027. That’s cheaper than what you can get a similar player for on the open market — Josh Bell, for example, is a DH-only whose OPS+ the past four years has been 104, and assuming the Twins buy out his $10 million team option, he’ll have been paid $7 million for his one season of work for them.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that Burger will be a Ranger for 2027, though. Josh Jung, who has never been great defensively and who has put up an aggregate -18 DRS the past three seasons (-12 in 2026) and an aggregate -6 FRV (-4 in 2026) could be moved to first base in anticipation that Sebastian Walcott will be, if not the third baseman to start the 2027 season, the third baseman for the Rangers at some point in 2027. In that case, the Rangers would have to decide whether to make Burger a DH or trade him. Its possible that, with the uncertainty surrounding the labor situation, neither the Rangers nor any other team want to take a risk on what Burger might get in arbitration under a new CBA, and thus Burger could get non-tendered. But I think its more likely the Rangers tender him and then decide what they want to do with him from there, if he’s not traded before then.
As for O’Hoppe, acquired from the Angels with Chase Silseth at the deadline for Angel Arredondo, he made $2.63 million in 2026, and still has three years of team control remaining due to the time he spent on optional assignment in the minors in 2026. O’Hoppe’s defense, both statistically and per reports, has regressed significantly, and other than one inning behind the plate, the Rangers only used him as at DH during his time in the majors with them. He split his time at Round Rock roughly between catcher and DH.
The Rangers have Danny Jansen — who was pretty solid overall when he was healthy in 2026 — under contract for 2027, but no other realistic option in the system to be Jansen’s backup for 2027. If the Rangers were, say, the Dodgers or Yankees or someone like that, they’d tender O’Hoppe, who has options remaining, and send him to AAA to be their third catcher if they don’t think the glove and/or bat warrants a backup role, and find some veteran free agent to be the primary backup for Jansen. Because this is the Rangers, I’m not so sure that they’ll do that. They may, instead, offer O’Hoppe something similar to what he made in 2026 — or a slight reduction from that amount — and threaten to non-tender him if he doesn’t agree to that before the deadline.
Speaking of Silseth, he has two years and 105 days of service time. That should have him short of being a Super Two, but we won’t know for sure until the official numbers from MLB come out.
So that gets us to 34 to 36 players on the 40 man roster. The Rangers will probably need to pare another 4-6 players at some point in the offseason. Here’s who I see as being potential 40 man casualties:
The Injured Rule 5 Pick — Carter Baumler
Carter Baumler was acquired by the Texas Rangers as a Rule 5 selection from the Baltimore Orioles this past winter. The Orioles left him exposed because of concerns about Baumler’s inability to stay off the injured list. The righthanded reliever impressed in spring training, made the Opening Day roster, and was on the active roster before he went on the injured list, where he spent the rest of the season (although he did make 11 rehab appearances for the Express — three in late April before he was shut down again, and eight at the end of the AAA season).
Baumler will have to spend, by my math, 80 days on an active major league roster before he can be optioned to the minors, so if Baumler does stay on the Rangers’ 40 man roster until Opening Day, he’ll have to be carried on the active roster for 80 days or be put on waivers (assuming he doesn’t land on the injured list in the interim, in which case the service time calculation for Rule 5 purposes would be paused until he returns from the injured list).
If the Rangers had a crowded 40 man roster situation, Baumler would seem to be a no-brainer to be dropped — and he could be dropped anyway. If the Rangers feel good about what he showed in the final month with Round Rock and think he’s not a lost cause from a health standpoint, though, it would seem likely that they’d hang onto him and see how things go this spring.
The Up-and-Down Relievers Added in 2026 — Robby Ahlstrom, Gavin Collyer, Adam Macko, Ben Peoples
Four pitchers who were not on the 40 man roster to start the 2026 season, but who got a decent amount of time in the major league pen during the 2026 season. All of them except Macko have at least two options remaining after the 2026 season.
Ahlstrom, acquired from the Yankees all the way back in April, 2022, in the Jose Trevino trade, was exposed and went undrafted in the Rule 5 Draft in both 2024 and 2025. This year, the Rangers brought him up in June, and he got off to a very good start, allowing one run in 9.1 innings in his first nine appearances. He allowed 25 runs over 27.2 innings over his final 33 appearances, and ended up bouncing up and down between Round Rock and the majors over the final couple of months.
Ahlstrom ended the year with an ugly 6.08 ERA in 37 innings over 42 appearances in the majors, though with a more respectable 5.18 FIP and 4.31 xERA. He is also a lefty, which probably works in his favor.
Macko, 25, was acquired at the deadline from the Toronto Blue Jays for Josh Stephen and Josh Smith in what was basically a salary dump of Smith. He made just eight appearances covering nine innings for the Rangers post-trade, with a 6.00 ERA, and six appearances covering nine innings for the Express post-trade, with a 6.00 ERA. Like Ahlstrom, he’s a lefty, which helps, but I don’t know that the Rangers would keep both Ahlstrom and Macko on the 40 man roster, and with him being out of options, he seems like someone who could end up on the DFA carousel this winter.
Collyer is a righthander who was the Rangers’ 12th round draft pick in 2019. A free agent after the 2025 season, the Rangers re-signed him to a minor league deal, and after a strong camp, he was called up to the majors in mid-April. Like Ahlstrom, he got off to a strong start, not allowing a run in his first 11 appearances, covering 9.2 innings. Also like Ahlstrom, he had issues after that, allowing 16 runs over 15.1 innings in his final 13 appearances, walking and striking out 15. And like Ahlstrom, he ended up shuttling between AAA and the majors over the final few months, though he spent most of the second half in the minors.
Collyer put up a 2.37 ERA in 30 innings for Round Rock, with 42 Ks against 18 walks. His improved command was what got the team’s attention in spring training and got him promoted in the majors early. The failure to throw strikes in his later appearances with the team got him returned to Round Rock. The arm is legit — he was in the 84th percentile in fastball velocity, per Statcast, and elite at avoiding hard contact — but he’s not going to be more than an emergency up-and-down guy if he doesn’t tighten up the command and throw more strikes.
Peoples, acquired from the White Sox at the end of June for organizational depth A ball catcher Ben Hartl, is similar to Collyer in that he’s a righthander with a big fastball (75th percentile) and elite at avoiding loud contact, but who struggles to throw strikes. But while Collyer is mediocre at striking out batters, Peoples is near the bottom of the league, with just a 14.7% K rate.
Peoples was up for a month and a half after being acquired, was sent down in mid-August, and made just two more appearances in the big leagues for Texas after that. He ended the year with a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 innings over 16 appearances, but with just 10 Ks against 8 walks. He had an ugly 5.92 FIP but a respectable 3.92 xERA.
The Reliever Without Options Who Can’t Stay Healthy — Cole Winn
Cole Winn ended the 2026 season on the injured list, which is the same way his 2024 and 2025 seasons ended. He had two stints on the injured list in 2026, the same number of stints on the i.l. he had in 2025. He was out of options in 2026, and if he hadn’t been out of options, he probably would have been sent down to AAA at some point for a reason other than a rehab assignment.
Winn had a 7.79 ERA in 2024, a 1.51 ERA in 2025, and a 5.63 ERA in 2026. His xERAs (5.35, 4.19, 4.88) and FIPs (4.26, 3.90, 4.02) have been much more consistent and largely pretty pedestrian. His splitter and slider generate whiffs, but his command of his fastball and cutter in the strike zone results in those two pitches being punished too often.
I can’t see the Rangers keeping all four of Winn, Baumler, Collyer and Peoples. There’s only so many iffy righthanded middle relievers you can carry on your 40 man roster, especially given that the Rangers are going to add some (hopefully less iffy) righthanded middle relievers as free agents this offseason. It may be that the Rangers are going to be willing to carry either Winn or Baumler — two guys who can’t be sent down without clearing waivers — to start the 2027 season, but not both, and I’m not sure both stick on the 40 man roster all offseason.
The Nolan Ryan Winner Who Can’t Stay Healthy — Jose Corniell
Jose Corniell was the Nolan Ryan Pitcher of the Year in the Rangers’ organization for 2023, a season which saw him put up a 2.92 ERA in 101 innings between low-A and high-A. He missed all of 2024 and most of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery, but pitched very well upon his return in 2025, with a 1.89 ERA in 13 appearances in the minors before making his major league debut in game 162 of 2025.
2026 was a disaster, as he put up a 6.37 ERA in 10 appearances in AAA, and allowed 10 runs in 4.1 innings in two appearances in the majors when he was pressed into emergency duty. He went on the 60 day i.l. after his final major league appearance in July, and his status for 2027 is unclear.
Corniell technically is out of options, though he is most likely eligible for a fourth option. Given his health issues, however, I think there’s a good chance he is non-tendered and re-signed to a minor league contract.
The Disappointing Upper-Level Minor League Righthanded Arms — David Davalillo, Leandro Lopez, Winston Santos, Emiliano Teodo
Davalillo and Lopez were added to the 40 man roster after the 2025 season. Santos and Teodo were added after the 2024 season. None of them have pitched well since they got added, and if they were not on the 40 man roster currently, they would almost certainly not be added this offseason.
Davalillo is a control artist who, for much of 2026, failed to throw strikes, and had a 4.59 ERA in 100 innings between four levels in 2026, mostly at Frisco and Round Rock. Lopez missed three months of 2026 and was awful when he did pitch for much of the season, though he put up a 1.15 ERA and 431 OPS allowed in his final eight appearances, working mostly in relief. Santos missed most of 2025 due to injury and put up a 6.80 ERA in 25 appearances covering 83.1 innings between Frisco and Round Rock in 2026, as well as getting a couple of emergency call-ups to the majors, with Santos allowing two runs in one inning in his one major league appearance. Teodo also missed most of 2025, and while his surface numbers for Round Rock in 2026 were better — 3.73 ERA, 4.71 xERA, 4.50 FIP — he was still walking batters at a 16.8% rate. To put that in context, none of the 389 major league pitchers who threw at least 40 innings in 2026 had a walk rate higher than 15.3%.
Santos, who turns 25 next season and is coming off two straight disappointing seasons, would seem to be the guy most in danger of losing his roster spot. Lopez and Teodo are would seem to be the safest, as they have the stuff to potentially be quality bullpen arms, and Lopez, as noted above, pitched well over the last six weeks or so working out of the pen.
Oh, Yeah, He’s Still Here— Michel Otanez, Michael Helman
The Rangers claimed Otanez on waivers last November. He was optioned to the minors early in spring training, was designated for assignment in June, went unclaimed, was outrighted, and then was added to the 40 man roster and brought back up for one day in mid-September. The Rangers initially sent him back to Round Rock the next day, but that move was negated when he had to go on the injured list with an undisclosed viral illness. Otanez was bad for much of the year, but improved over the final month or two. Still, with no options remaining and the fact he’s been outrighted once before, I can’t see him sticking on the 40 man roster all offseason.
Michael Helman turns 31 early next season, put up a .207/.296/.360 slash line in 42 games for Round Rock last year after putting up a .231/.294/.406 slash line in 71 AAA games in 2025. He had a nice run late last season for the Rangers, but had a .250 xwOBA that indicated it was fluky, and had a .167/.235/.300 slash line in 35 plate appearances in the big leagues this year (with a .200 xwOBA). If you have an open 40 man roster spot, he’s an acceptable depth piece who can be called up in an emergency to play some center field and pinch run off the bench, but he’s not someone who you are going to going through machinations to ensure you can keep him on the 40 man. He’s another guy I could see the Rangers non-tendering and then re-signing to a minor league deal.
Okay, got all that? You will be tested on this next week.
With a little more than a week to go in the season, they were comfortably in a wild card spot, having gotten there with multiple long winning streaks. Then… they just stopped scoring runs. They went on the road at the end of the season and could barely muster anything crossing the plate. The team’s fans were beside themselves. What would happen to this club that at times seemed so dominant?
Oh, you think I’m talking about this year’s Cubs.
Nope, I’m talking about the 2022 Phillies, who with 12 games to go were 83-67 (psst… so were this year’s Cubs after 150 games). Then those Phillies lost five in a row. That streak included coming into Wrigley Field and being swept by a bad Cubs team and scoring just three runs in that series. I vividly remember talking to a couple of Phillies fans at Wrigley after that series was over and, well, I can’t post the language they used referring to their team.
Those Phillies then righted their ship, a little, winning four of five. Then they got shut out 10-0 by the Astros on the season’s penultimate day (in fact, they nearly got no-hit by Justin Verlander and two Houston relievers, including old friend Hector Neris, finally breaking up that effort in the ninth). They lost the next day, too, backing into the postseason when the Brewers lost.
Those Phillies then traveled to St. Louis for a Wild Card series and were losing 2-0 with one out in the ninth in the first game when seven of their next eight hitters reached base. They scored six runs in that inning and won 6-3.
That was the first of 10 wins in 12 games for Philadelphia, which included winning Game 1 of the World Series in Houston, against that same team that had nearly knocked them out entirely a few weeks earlier.
Ultimately the Astros won the World Series that year. (Incidentally, Alex Bregman batted .294/.379/.569 with three home runs in 12 postseason games for Houston in 2022; his solid postseason performance is one of the reasons the Cubs signed him.)
Now the Cubs are in a similar situation to those Phillies. Not identical, of course, but the clubs are quite similar. The 2022 Phillies were a slugging team near the top of MLB in offensive categories. They had a mediocre pitching staff that ranked 23rd in reliever ERA and had 22 blown saves, and their save leader — Corey Knebel, remember him from his Brewers days? — had just 12, with four of those blown saves.
This pretty much describes the 2026 Cubs, no? In fact, this year’s Cubs rank even higher than the 2022 Phillies in almost every offensive category. They were first this year in runs, SLG, OPS, OPS+, total bases and walks (a franchise record 674), and rank third in home runs. They also rank first in runners left on base, and I could cite RISP numbers but leaving a lot of runners also means that, well, you have a lot of runners in the first place. That’s what happens when you lead the league in walks and are sixth in hits.
This sort of offense shows in the Cubs’ record in “blowout” games (defined at baseball-reference.com as games won by five or more runs). They are 35-16 in those games, which is excellent. But they’re just 23-21 in one-run games, and that’s on the pitching staff, which has been horrific most of the year. How bad? This bad:
The Cubs pitching staff is one of the worst in MLB (only four teams, then Nationals, Royals, A’s and Rockies had as bad or worse pitching WAR), and if they didn’t lead the league in hitting WAR by a significant margin — 11 WAR over the Dodgers! — they’d be down near the bottom of the list. Instead, they rank third overall, behind only the Dodgers and Brewers.
Injuries are a big part of that. Only Shōta Imanaga, of all the starters, didn’t have a single day on the injured list, making 31 starts and throwing 173.1 innings, producing 2.0 bWAR. Even at that, the Cubs’ leader in bWAR (2.2) was Ben Brown, who threw only 68 innings and didn’t throw a single pitch after June 19. Brown’s injury was one of the major factors in making this pitching staff so awful. This Cubs team had a franchise-record 14 different pitchers record saves this year, including Corbin Martin (!), who posted a 10.80 ERA in seven games for the team in 2026.
Many of you will rightly criticize Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer for this patchwork bullpen that posted just 35 saves, with 23 blown saves. Granted and stipulated, the signings of Phil Maton (who was awful thanks to a knee injury, which he pitched through instead of having it taken care of) and Hunter Harvey (who threw only four innings for the team this year) were both wasted money.
But you know what, relievers are fickle and fungible. Last year Hoyer was praised for putting together a solid relief corps that included castoffs like Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar, all of whom were very good in 2025 (total 3.6 bWAR, which is half of what the entire Cubs staff put together this year). Hoyer tried a reunion with Thielbar this year; that didn’t work. Neither did six games of Pomeranz in 2026 after the Angels released him.
The larger issue is pitching development for the Cubs. Other teams seem to crank out endless lines of guys from their minor league systems throwing 98+. The Cubs don’t.
That’s a topic for another day, though. Today’s is: Why not the Cubs this year? We saw them run off a pair of 10-game winning streaks early in the year. (And then a 10-game losing streak.) We have seen them dominate games with their offense. They scored in double figures 21 times in 2026, the sixth-most such games for any Cubs team in the Modern Era (they also did it 22 times last year, and two of those years, 1929 and 1930, were juiced-ball offensive seasons). This sort of offense might, just might, be enough to overcome the shortcomings of this mediocre pitching staff.
When the postseason starts, things tend to reset from the regular season. Last year’s Brewers, for example, scored a bunch of runs in their first two Division Series games against the Cubs, then stopped hitting, scoring only 10 total runs in the next seven games, squeaking by the Cubs in that series, then getting swept in the NLCS by the Dodgers. There are tons of postseason examples just like this. In recent years, the 2024 Mets won a Division Series over a better Phillies team because Philly stopped hitting. The 84-78 Diamondbacks did it to the 100-62 Dodgers in 2023, outscoring them in a Division Series sweep 19-6.
Circling back to that 2022 Phillies team, they won two of the first three World Series games from the Astros and then… well, just stopped hitting, scoring only three total runs in the next three games as Houston won the Series. The point here is — at least the Phillies got to the World Series. I think this Cubs team can do that too, or even win the whole thing, if they hit like they are capable of. Let’s hope they start that tomorrow against the Padres. Go Cubs.
