Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell chats with starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) after Imanaga finished the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Chicago. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Not that I expected anyone to read it, but I did some fun research for yesterday’s game preview. Basically, the Cubs are currently first by a mile in position player fWAR, but dead last in pitching fWAR. This has never happened over a full season; the closest I found was bottom five-ish (and not even that close to the bottom) for a top-ranked hitting/defense team, or, on the flip side, the 2000 Angels, who were dead last in pitching but second in position player fWAR.
So, the Cubs have a chance to do something kind of amazing depending on how the last couple of weeks play out. But, there’s a catch: right now, the Cubs are just barely behind the Nationals in pitching fWAR. Another day of the Nationals getting blasted while the Cubs do okay could flip things. The Cubs probably won’t catch the 28th-ranked team, but first and 29th has happened before, while first and 30th hasn’t.
So, do you think they’ll “pass” the Nationals over the last few games of the season? Or, are we going to see something truly incredible from a pretty good team?
Just when you think Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has gone into a slump — and he was 0-for-8 with three strikeouts Saturday and Sunday — he breaks out of it in a big way.
PCA was 4-for-5 Monday against the Braves at Wrigley Field, including his 37th stolen base and 42nd home run of the season. That home run tied him with Hall of Famer Billy Williams for the most by any left-handed hitter in Cubs franchise history.
So congrats to Pete for that, good company to be in, and that offensive display helped lead the Cubs to a 7-3 win over the Braves in the series opener.
David Peterson struggled a bit in the first inning, but got out of it scoreless. There was more traffic on the bases for Atlanta in the second, but Peterson induced this double play to end the inning [VIDEO].
Then the Cubs brought out the bats in the bottom of the second. Ian Happ led off with a double and went to third on a single by Nico Hoerner. After Michael Conforto struck out, Pedro Ramirez walked to load the bases.
You see the smile on Kelly’s face as he scores, and BCB’s Sara Sanchez summed that up (Bluesky link):
The Cubs reached a couple of milestones in that inning. Details from BCB’s JohnW53:
The run scored by Ian Happ on Carson Kelly’s second-inning forceout was the Cubs’ 800th of the season, making 2026 just the 13th season since 1901 in which they have reached 800.
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s next-batter two-run double raised his RBI total to 100, making him only the second Cub to drive home triple-digit runs in the past eight seasons.
Seiya Suzuki knocked in 103 runners last year, the most since 2018, when Javier Baez led the National League with 111. Anthony Rizzo had 101 that year, his fourth consecutive seasons with at least 100. Kris Bryant had 102 in 2016.
Others in the past 20 years: Aramis Ramirez, 2007-08; Derrek Lee, 2009; and Alfonso Soriano, 2012.
With that, the Cubs led 3-0 going to the third, and that’s when Peterson settled down and retired six of the seven batters he faced in the third and fourth.
Meanwhile, the Cubs extended their lead in the bottom of the third. Michael Busch led off with a walk and … stole second? [VIDEO]
That was certainly unexpected. Busch now has 10 career steals in 12 attempts. He took third on a ground out by Happ and scored on this single by Hoerner [VIDEO].
That put PCA in scoring position, but he was stranded.
Peterson had more traffic on the bases in the fifth and sixth but got out of both innings scoreless and then the Cubs further extended their lead in the bottom of the sixth after their first two hitters were routine outs. Kelly singled and PCA launched home run No. 42 [VIDEO].
As noted above, that homer matched Billy Williams’ total in 1970, the Hall of Famer’s career high and up to this year, the only 40-homer season by a Cubs left-handed hitter.
This was David Peterson’s fourth quality start in his 13 since joining the Cubs. He is tied with Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon for fourth most on the team, behind Shota Imanaga, 12; Matthew Boyd, eight; and Colin Rea, six. Six others have between one and three, for a team total of 51. They began Monday tied with the Angels, Cardinals and Rangers for 15th most. The Dodgers had 78; the Phillies, 69; and the Mariners and Red Sox, 68.
It was clear that Craig Counsell was going to allow Peterson to face the lefty-hitting Michael Harris II leading off the seventh, then remove him. Harris singled, and Peterson departed to warm applause, with Javier Assad coming into the game. It was not a great outing for Assad, who allowed an infield hit on which Alex Bregman made a throwing error, putting runners on first and third. A force play scored the first Atlanta run, charged to Peterson, and then Mike Yastrzemski homered to make it 7-3.
Fortunately, that was it for Braves scoring in this game, though there was a bit of nervous time in the eighth and ninth. Ryan Rolison put the first two Atlanta hitters on base in the eighth via hit and walk, then induced a double play and fly to center.
Ryan Zeferjahn was entrusted with the four-run lead in the ninth and, well, he did end the game but not until he loaded the bases on two hits and a walk with one out. After the walk, pitching coach Tommy Hottovy went to the mound.
This was a good win for a number of reasons. First, the Braves are a very good team, in first place in the NL East by 4.5 games over the Phillies, and the Cubs handled them quite well. Also, this put the Cubs half a game ahead of the Phillies for the top wild-card spot, as the Phillies were idle on Monday. Philadelphia opens a series against the Nationals at Washington Tuesday evening. The win also reduced the Cubs’ magic number to clinch a postseason spot to seven.
The Cubs will look for the series win over the Braves Tuesday evening at Wrigley Field (weather permitting!). Kevin Gausman will start for the Cubs and Martin Perez goes for Atlanta. Game time is again 6:40 p.m. CT and TV coverage will be via Marquee Sports Network.
Sep 12, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger (21) reacts after stealing secondbase against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning.
Evan Grant writes that we’re nearing the thrilling conclusion to everyone’s least favorite gameshow, ‘Who Wants to be an American League Playoff Team?’.
Kennedi Landry writes about the return of veteran reliever Robert Garcia and his impact on what has been a scuffling bullpen.
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle evokes the god of utility players Ben Zobrist when listing Duran’s year as something that has gone right for Texas this year.
The Mets continue a three-game series against Pete Alonso and the Orioles at Citi Field on Tuesday night at 7:10 on SNY.
Mets Notes
Francisco Lindor and Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso both enter play on Tuesday with 299 career home runs
A.J. Ewing is hitting .370/.434/.630 with three homers and three doubles in 53 plate appearances over his last 13 games
Sean Manaea allowed four runs on five hits while walking none and striking out four in 5.0 innings against the Marlins in Miami in his last start on Sept. 8
Today's Lineups
ORIOLES
METS
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DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 03: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks hangs off the rim after a dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half at American Airlines Center on April 03, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Using the latest release in the NBA2K franchise to simulate Mavericks Year Two scenarios for Cooper Flagg? It can get weird. And I’m talking Nathan Fielder movie trailer — compelling weird.
We all know how Flagg’s rookie year went — incredible for the individual, slow-moving car crash for the team.
With NBA 2K27 finally out, it seemed like a good time to do some projections on what comes next. Originally, I was going to do a five-year projection — until Cooper’s Year 2 fully pulled me in, heart first.
First off: I didn’t alter any settings or change anything that would make the Mavericks any better than what NBA 2K created them to be. No trades. No roster moves. Nothing. I let the computer cook.
I hit “Sim Regular Season” and waited for the first stop.
The NBA Cup was over — and guess who won?
That’s right, Mavs fans. Dallas hangs its first Cup banner in this simulation.
And who might be the Cup MVP, you ask?
Ooof. Those 3-point numbers.
But I can’t deny the results.
As I continued the sim, I had to deny somewhere between 25 and 30 trade offers for Kyrie Irving, but especially with the early success, I felt like we had to let the team ride it out. No meddling. No panic. We were staying the course.
Next stop: the All-Star Game.
I located Cooper in the Rising Stars Game, where he dropped 25 points, but he didn’t make the actual All-Star Game. Which, honestly, reminded me of everything I find dumb about the All-Star Game in the first place.
So I kept simming.
I noticed the wins were beginning to pile up, but I wanted to let the season play out before checking the standings.
And then, at the end of the regular season, there the little Mavericks sat:
The No. 2 seed in the West.
No end-of-season awards for Flagg, but Naji Marshall was named Sixth Man of the Year. Flagg, meanwhile, averaged a solid 22 points per game and pushed his 3-point percentage up to 35% — respectable considering he was launching eight attempts from deep per game.
Then came the playoffs.
First matchup: the Denver Nuggets.
And somehow — amazingly — the Mavericks pulled it out in seven games.
A successful season. I would have taken that result 10 out of 10 times.
But Round 2 was against our dear friends, the San Antonio Cowboy Accessories.
I braced myself for the inevitable disappointment.
Instead, the Mavs beat them in six.
At this point, I started to really believe.
I started imagining what I would do if this were happening in real life. Would I survive the glee? Would my body be physically capable of processing this much unexpected joy?
And then came the question I probably shouldn’t have allowed myself to ask:
Could my digital Mavericks make it to the Fake NBA Finals?
The Western Conference Finals wasn’t even against the Thunder. They had already been bounced in Round 2.
Instead, it was the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And suddenly, this wasn’t just a fun little NBA 2K experiment anymore.
So let me ask: Would you consider this a successful season?
A No. 2 seed in the West. A first-ever NBA Cup. Cooper averaging 22 points a game and shooting 35% from three. A playoff series win over Denver. Beating the Spurs in six. Naji Marshall winning Sixth Man of the Year.
At what point does this go beyond “successful” and into “wildest dreams” territory? The playoff berth? The first-round win?
But for now, the Mavericks were staring down the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, with the Thunder already gone. Ultimately, the Mavs bowed out in five games after Digital Flagg picked up an injury in Game 2 of the Fake WCF.
If this happened in real life — if Cooper’s second season actually played out this way — what would you do?
Would you be thrilled and call the season a massive success regardless of what happens next? Would you start believing this team is actually ready to contend? Or would you be sitting there, like me, thinking, wait a minute… are we really two wins away from the NBA Finals?
Because at this point, I wasn’t simulating the rest of the season to see what happened.
I was simulating because I needed to know. And because this offseason will not end.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 16 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #16.
Let's take a look.
Mike Sillinger - 2002-2003 - Drafted by Detroit in 1989.
Sillinger is best known for playing for 12 different NHL teams and being traded nine times. He played 155 games for the CBJ and had 86 points. He retired in 2008 after playing 1089 games for 12 different teams.
Of course, nowadays, he's best known for being the father of Jackets forwards Cole and Owen Sillinger.
Alexander Svitov - 2004-2007 - Drafted by Tampa Bay in 2001.
Svitov played 105 games for the Jackets and scored 26 points after being traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning. After playing in Columbus, the former #3 overall pick never played another NHL game.
He returned to Russia, where he would play until 2022. Svitov is now an assistant coach for Avangard Omsk in the KHL.
Derick Brassard - 2008-2013 - Drafted by Columbus in 2006.
Brassard was drafted 6th overall in the 2006 NHL Draft. He totaled 169 points in 309 games while playing for Columbus.
After playing over 1000 games for 10 different teams, Brassard retired in 2024. Brassard is a minority owner of the
Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Max Domi - 2021-2022 - Drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2012.
Domi played 107 games for the Jackets after coming over from the Montreal Canadiens in the Josh Anderson trade. He had 56 points for Columbus and was then traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Since leaving Columbus, he's played for Carolina, Chicago, Dallas, and Toronto. He's played for 7 teams in 10 seasons, although he's played the last three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In three seasons, he has 116 points.
Brendan Gaunce - 2023-2026 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2012.
Gaunce played 59 games for the Jackets and had 12 points. He served as the Cleveland Monsters Captain in 23-24 and totaled 85 points for the Monsters over three seasons.
He signed with the AHL's Iowa Wild for the 2024-25 season and recorded 29 points. However, this summer, Gaunce was traded back to the Columbus organization in exchange for Cameron Butler. After playing 25 games for the CBJ and 44 games for Cleveland last season, he left in free agency to sign with the AHL's Providence Bruins.
There are 16 days left until opening night at NWA. Who's your favorite #16?
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All the latest updates from around the grounds Email Tanya with any thoughts or comment BTL
Notts have made a last-minute addition to their side, seam bowler Mukesh Kumar who has taken 233 first-class wickets during a career played entirely in India.
He arrives on the back of helping East Zone win the Duleep Trophy.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 14: Reynaldo López #40 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field on September 14, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves lost to the Cubs 7-3 on Monday in Chicago. While the Braves did have a chance to make things interesting late, the game never really seemed that close. One bright spot was a solid outing in relief from A.J. Smith Shawver.
However, the story of the game were the continued struggles of Reynaldo Lopez. He was not effective at all in his two starts since returning from the IL. Following the game, he also let the team know that he had experience should issues at different points of the season. As a result, he will be headed back to the IL. And with shoulder issues being the reason he only made one start in all of 2025, it is a less than ideal end of Lopez’s 2026 season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made Edwin Diaz the highest paid closer over the offseason. Now, he might not even make the postseason roster.
Diaz had a rehab outing Sunday in which he faced eight batters, retiring only two while walking three and hitting a batter. He threw 30 pitches to get those two outs, with only 13 strikes. Manager Dave Roberts talked about his recent woes on Monday before the Dodgers game against the Cincinnati Reds.
“He needs to pitch better. It hasn’t been good,” Roberts said on Monday. “He’s going to pitch on Wednesday, and I guess we’ll evaluate then. I think the world of him. The baseball card looks great. But where we’re at, there’s got to be something for us to be able to hang our hat on. And he knows that. He knows that. He wants to pitch well. So for me, Wednesday, we’ll be watching closely.”
He also acknowledged that Diaz might not make the postseason roster.
“Yeah … we have to go with our best pitchers, as far as performance, talent, all that stuff. So my bet is that he will be (one of them). But again, there’s got to be some kind of evidence or something for us, again, to sort of bet on. My bet is yes, but we still have to see something.”
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic has more on the terrible season overall that Diaz has had as a Dodger here.
The Dodgers are already down another reliever, at least for the rest of the regular season. Edgardo Henriquez went on the IL on Monday with lower back discomfort. Bobby Miller was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Right-hander Paul Gervase and left-hander Kris Bubic also joined the team in Cincinnati. Gervase was added to the active roster, and Bubic could be added in the coming days.
Roki Sasaki has been sidelines with a blister and is tentatively scheduled to pitch on Thursday in Cincinnati. However, the weather is supposed to be hot and humid, and the team is worried about how that will affect Sasaki’s blister.
“We just can’t put him in a position to go backward. And so obviously people can look at Thursday. But again, if he can’t do it without accomplishing it, finishing a start, and not regress, then it’s not worth it. So I think for us, we’re just keeping it open-ended right now.”
Bill Plunkett of the OC Register has more info on the Dodgers pitching merry-go-round here.
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 3: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Take a quick look at FanDuel’s listed odds for the Eastern Conference Champion and you’ll see the defending-champion New York Knicks there at +340. After them, you have the Philadelphia 76ers (+400), Boston Celtics (+500), Detroit Pistons (+850), and Cleveland Cavaliers (+900) rounding out the top five.
However, there is one team missing from that top five that may just be better than all of those championship hopefuls, and that is the Toronto Raptors, who currently sit at sixth-place in the Eastern Conference title race at +950 (an implied probability of 9.5%). If you ask me, this is a gross underestimation of their abilities, and the basketball world is going to rue the day they counted out the Raptors.
I may be as bullish as anyone I know on the Raptors, but it’s hard not to be after seeing the unique way they were able to improve their team this offseason.
Let me explain. The Raptors and Pistons are not too dissimilar in the sense that they were both elite defensive teams (Raptors were 5th in defensive rating, Pistons were second), lead by their top five picks from the 2021 NBA Draft (Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham), who were using this offseason to find ways to get over the hump offensively (15th in offensive rating, 10th).
For the Pistons, they had to go about this in a very orthodox way. Additions like Isaiah Joe, John Collins, and Ebuka Okorie helped improve their offense. But to get these guys they got rid of Isaiah Stewart (arguably the team’s second-best per minute defender), Tobias Harris (a metronomic veteran presence), and Caris LeVert (67th percentile Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus, per Dunks & Threes). Simply put, they improved their offense, but had to take a hit on defense to do so.
The Raptors’ big offseason acquisition (which looks like it won’t be getting rescinded by the league front office) involved trading Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and first/second round draft capital in exchange for two-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard.
Dick, while still a promising player in my opinion, hardly factored into head coach Darko Rajakovic’s rotation last season (averaging just 14 minutes per game), so his loss won’t really be felt. That means that from an on-court perspective, the Raptors swapped Ingram for Leonard – a player who is not only a far superior offensive player, but a marginally better defender as well.
Not only is Leonard an upgrade on both ends of the floor, but he is also an easier fit alongside other high-usage players. Last season, the Raptors were better with Scottie Barnes on the floor on his own than they were when he shared the floor with Ingram. Meanwhile, the 2018-19 Raptors were better with Leonard and Pascal Siakam (a player with similar offensive shortcomings to Barnes) on the floor together than they were when just one of them was on the court.
The Raptors’ other marquee edition was Allen Graves, who they took with the 19th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. I’m not going to pretend to be some draft aficionado, but everything I’ve seen from Graves thus far screams immediate two-way impact player. At the very least, he certainly doesn’t tilt their team one way or the other.
Allen Graves…
The analytics darling of the 2026 NBA Draft. 6'9, 7'0 wing. Crazy STL% and BLK%. Soft touch. Elite offensive rebounder. Can shoot it. Never turns it over. Plays a hyper-efficient brand of basketball. pic.twitter.com/jE0z6vXfezhttps://t.co/TewtChUvCr
— Basketball University (@UofBasketball) June 1, 2026
Unlike the Pistons, the Raptors were able to build upon their weakness while also avoiding diminishing from their strength. This is without noting that, even with the 35-year-old Leonard, the Raptors are still fairly young. If Rajakovic’s head is in the same place as mine, it’ll mean that the other four players in Toronto’s starting lineup (Barnes, Collin-Murray Boyles, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett) will all be 27 years old or younger. Then, off the bench they’ll have Graves, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter (all of whom are under 24); plus Jakob Poeltl and Kyle Anderson there to provide some much-needed veteran experience. Tons of room for in-house improvement, but also enough steadiness to survive the rigors of the NBA season.
Yes, all of this hinges on Leonard’s health, which, before last season, was as reliable as a restroom soap dispenser. Prior to 2025-26, Leonard had only played over 60 games once since the last time he called Air Canada home. But is that any more risky than the Celtics relying on Jayson Tatum and Paul George, or a playstyle that keeps leading to upsets in the playoffs? Is it more risky than the 76ers starting a lineup with a 42-year-old, the basketball analytics equivalent of a flat Earther, and Joel Embiid (who has an even more checkered availability history than Leonard)? What about a Cavaliers team with three non-shooters in their opening five and two guards with durability concerns and a huge target hovering over them on defense? Is it riskier than that? I don’t think so.
All the teams favored over the Raptors have some glaring holes (heck, even the Knicks have to overcome the loss of Mitchell Robinson). On paper, the Raptors have the fewest flaws of any Eastern Conference team. And in the playoffs, the team that comes out alive is usually the one with the least amount of weaknesses.
Sep 9, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) runs off the field after the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Another off day yesterday as we march toward the end of the season. Another light news day.
Bobby Witt Jr was nominated for the Roberto Clemente award.
Witt makes ongoing philanthropic contributions around the Kansas City community. He supports organizations in their fight against ALS and is an active voice in helping the Royals encourage kids’ literacy through educational reading programs. He is a classroom champion within their literacy league.
“Just like all Royals fans and Kansas Citians, I’m grateful for the way Bobby has personally embraced and lifted our hometown,” Royals owner John Sherman said in a news release. “He doesn’t just show up for the photo op or put his name on something.
“We have children in our public schools, young baseball and softball players, and others facing significant challenges in their lives who’ve been touched by Bobby’s inspiration.”
Witt is looking to join Salvador Perez as the Royals’ second Roberto Clemente Award winner. Perez won the 2024 honor for his humanitarian efforts in Kansas City and Venezuela.
Minneapolis-based Mortenson has broad experience with sports and entertainment projects, including T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Energizer Stadium in St. Louis, Allianz Field in Saint Paul and the future ballpark for the Athletics in Las Vegas.
Kansas City-based McCownGordon has worked on various projects including the Kansas City Symphony’s future performing arts venue, the Barney Allis Plaza renovations and numerous other corporate and municipal projects in the region and beyond.
“We’re honored to have the opportunity to help build the new home for the Royals and be part of a transformational project that will have a lasting impact on Kansas City,” Logan Gerken, Mortenson sports and entertainment vice president, said in a statement. “Together with McCownGordon, we bring deep sports construction experience and capacity, forming a partership with longstanding roots and relationships in this community.”
Nick Krall, team president of the Reds, expects to return for the 2027 season despite being last in the standings after making the playoffs last year. Sounds…familiar.
Drew Brees contemplated coming back for the AFC Championship game last year for the Broncos. LOL.
Old friend for the Chiefs Isiah Pacheco will miss 12 weeks with back surgery.
The VAR crew for the Manchester Derby over the weekend did not get assigned a game for the upcoming weekend. They awarded a controversial goal to Erling Haaland.
Pete Alonso received a resoundingly warm welcome from the Citi Field crowd last night, and despite a good start by Jonah Tong, Alonso’s Orioles beat the Mets by a 2-1 score. Alonso and Francisco Lindor each hit very long foul balls that would’ve given them their 300th career home runs if they’d kept them fair, but both players are still sitting on 299 heading into the second game of the series.
Tim Britton writes that Alonso’s return put the spotlight on David Stearns, as Alonso’s departure from the Mets has thus far been the defining decision of Stearns’ tenure.
The Guardians lost to the White Sox, having entered the night with a chance to overtake their rivals for first place in the American League Central. Now they’re 1.5 games back heading into the second game of that series.
In a back-and-forth affair, the Blue Jays suffered a loss to the Tigers, a massive missed opportunity that leaves them one game behind the Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot.
The Padres managed to beat the Rockies by an 8-7 score, giving them an important win as they try to keep hold of the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 29: The Baltimore Orioles mascot performs before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 29, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the final installment of Camden Chat’s minor league week in review series. Two more affiliates, the Chesapeake Baysox and Frederick Keys, finished their 2026 seasons this week. Let’s take one last look at how most of the Orioles’ prospects fared before they headed home for the offseason.
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week’s results: 3-3 at Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals)
Next week’s opponent: vs. Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
Second-half record: 27-39, last place (12.5 GB) in International League East
Overall season record: 55-86
The Tides are the only O’s affiliate that’s still in action. They have one more series to go before closing the book on an overall miserable campaign. They finished last place in the first half and will most likely do the same in the second. They’ve got the worst full-season record of any of the 30 Triple-A teams, including the Pacific Coast League. They’re worse than every Double-A team, too. Norfolk is the affiliate that was supposed to provide MLB-ready talent to the Orioles throughout the season, but there was precious little talent to be found here.
The Orioles’ top position player prospect at this level, Enrique Bradfield Jr., reached base eight times with two doubles this week, but his overall Triple-A numbers remain uninspiring: a .265 average and .705 OPS in 84 games. Before the season, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that we’d see the former first-round draft pick make his MLB debut this year, but barring a surprise call-up in the next two weeks, that’s not going to happen. The 24-year-old has now spent parts of two seasons at Norfolk with a .251/.332/.344 slash line. There were questions about his offense when the O’s drafted him and he hasn’t answered them, at least not in a positive way.
Outfielder Jud Fabian had a nice week, mashing three home runs and driving in seven. Fabian is finishing the season strong, but with a .198 average and .679 OPS, the former #67 overall pick can no longer be considered a prospect. Catcher Creed Willems had two dingers as well, giving him a career-high 20 home runs this season. But he hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in Triple-A (.762 OPS), and it’s unclear what the Orioles’ plans are for him. Are we noticing a theme here? Where is the top-level talent ready to burst onto the major league scene?
There’s not much help on the pitching side, either. The Tides’ rotation started the season with three of the Orioles’ top pitching prospects — Trey Gibson, Nestor German, and Levi Wells — but only Gibson got a cup of coffee in the majors this year, making seven ineffective starts. This week he coughed up six runs and 11 hits in 4.1 innings against the Redbirds. Wells underwent season-ending core muscle surgery in May, and German has been on the IL since August. Elsewhere in the rotation, righty Juaron Watts-Brown was torched for 10 runs, 13 hits, and eight walks in 8.2 innings over two starts, while Cade Povich, who might replace Kyle Bradish in the O’s rotation, threw a quality start.
Veteran relievers Félix Bautista and Ryan Helsley continued their rehab assignments. Helsley made one perfect appearance with a strikeout, and Félix threw three innings, giving up a solo homer as his only blemish. At this point, with the Orioles out of contention, it almost feels pointless to add either or both to the O’s bullpen for the final two weeks of the season. But if doing so would give Bautista and Helsley some positive momentum heading into 2027, then maybe it’s worthwhile.
Last week’s results: 4-1 at Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants)
Final second-half record: 38-29, second place (4.0 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
Final season record: 67-68
The Baysox wrapped up their 2026 campaign with a series win over Richmond, continuing their inspired late-season play. After a last-place finish in the first half, the Baysox came on strong after the All-Star break, ending just four games out of the division lead.
It’s not the end of the line for every Baysox hitter, though; infielder Aron Estrada and catcher Ethan Anderson both got promoted to Norfolk, where they’ll get a one-week taste of Triple-A ball. Estrada went 5-for-15 with a homer this week to finish his Chesapeake campaign with a .278/.321/.481 line and 24 roundtrippers, and at age 21, he was more than 2.5 years younger than the average Double-A player. Pretty impressive. Anderson, too, showed prolific power with an .881 OPS and 21 dingers in 82 games with the Baysox. It’s unclear what his long-term position will be — his catching skills reportedly leave much to be desired — but that bat will play. Fittingly, Anderson mashed two more homers this week.
Shortstop Griff O’Ferrall, the #32 overall pick in 2024, had a forgettable season overall (.222/.307/.312), but he saved the best for last. He was a hit machine with a 10-for-20 week, including a home run, and he stole three bases. Top infield prospect Wehiwa Aloy also homered, his 25th of the year, completing a .288/.358/.506 performance across two levels this season. Vance Honeycutt’s red-hot start to his Double-A career stalled this week. He hit two homers, but was otherwise 0-for-15 with seven strikeouts.
What would the final week of the Baysox season be without one last stellar turn through the rotation? The five-headed monster of starting pitching prospects dazzled again. Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa, Caden Hunter, JT Quinn, and Patrick Reilly each allowed one or no earned runs this week for a combined ERA of 0.76. Dzierwa and Quinn each worked five scoreless, and Reilly and Eyanson each struck out seven. If any or all of these guys move up a level to Triple-A next year, the Norfolk Tides are going to be a much more menacing group than they were this season.
Last week’s results: Lost South Atlantic North Division Series, 2-1
Overall season record: 83-46
The Keys’ outstanding 2026 season came to a heartbreaking end this week as they lost the best-of-three Division Series to the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the Pirates’ affiliate. The Keys had edged out the Grasshoppers for the division title in both halves of the season, nipping them by one game in the first half and 1.5 in the second, but it was Greensboro that got the last laugh. The first game of the series was all Frederick, a 13-1 win on the road, before the Keys lost both their home games by two runs and were eliminated.
It was a hit-happy series for Jaiden Lo Re, who went 5-for-13, and 2026 second-round pick Ty Head socked a homer. Enddy Azocar, who fell into a cold spell after his scalding hot stretch upon joining the O’s organization, was just 2-for-12 in the series, though he did homer. Randal Diaz drove in five runs despite just two hits.
The pitching star of the series was lefty Boston Bateman, who won the opener with a dominant five-inning, 10-strikeout performance. It was a nice way to put a bow on a strong 2026 season for Bateman, who posted a 3.65 ERA and 12.2 K/9 in 24 regular season games (21 starts), albeit with too many walks (5.0 BB/9). He’s been a bit overshadowed this year by the Orioles’ higher-level pitching prospects — if it’s possible to overshadow a guy who stands 6’8” — but it’s easy to see why the O’s made him the prize of their Ryan O’Hearn/Ramón Laureano trade with San Diego last season.
It’s time for our final player of the week poll. Last week we crowned a new first-time winner, Vance Honeycutt, who joins other single-week winners Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Wehiwa Aloy, Jaiden Lo Re, Joseph Dzierwa, Luis De León, and Heston Kjerstad. Two-time winners include Enddy Azocar, Caden Hunter, Ike Irish, Aron Estrada, and Victor Figueroa.
Our final winner of the year will be a first-timer. Who gets your vote?
The logo of the Hartford Yard Goats is seen on a hat during a Minor League baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
This is our second day of reorganizing the Rockpile. (Consider yourselves part of a big science project.)
Yesterday, the Rockies did something (link to recap).
At any rate, it’s playoff season in Hartford, ADD STUFF
Enjoy some Yard Goats postseason action!
Tonight, the Hartford Yard Goats will begin their Eastern League playoff series on the road in Reading, Pennsylvania, this afternoon at 4:45 PM. They will face the Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies) in a best-of-three series for the Northeast Division Championship.
Game 2 will take place at Dunkin’ Park on Thursday, September 17th (4:30 PM), and the decisive Game 3 (if necessary) will be at Dunkin’ Park on Friday, September 18th (4:30 PM).
The winner of the Divisional Championship will advance to the best-of-three Eastern League Championship Series (ELCS) which will begin Sunday, September 20th in either Richmond, Virginia, or Erie, Pennsylvania.
The Yard Goats won the first half Championship, and Reading clinched the second half title.
Kyle Freeland could be in final month of long Rockies career: ‘I’m keeping an open mind’ | Denver Gazette ($) — “Obviously, I’m at the end of the contract now. There are a lot of different variables go into it. I’m from Denver, born and raised. I’ve been with this organization for 12 years now, but we’ll see what happens. I’m not counting anything out. I’m not letting anything go. I’m open to everything,” Freeland told Kevin Henry. “It would be nice to spend a whole career in Colorado, but I understand that there are ways that everything works, and sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Does an MLB manager need experience playing pro ball? We asked 99 players | The Athletic (Gift Link — $) — This question was part of The Athletic’s anonymous player poll. Of 99 respondents, 83 said they would feel comfortable playing for a manager without MLB experience. As Chad Jennings writes, “The players’ comfort would depend on the manager’s knowledge and communication skills; some measure of trust would have to be earned — perhaps more so than with a former player — and any benefit of the doubt.” The focus is on Tony Vitello, but obviously Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer falls into this category as well.
Tonight, the Rockies will meet the San Diego Padres at 6:40 pm. Walker Buehler will start for the Padres will the Rockies have not yet announced their starter though there is reason to believe that Kyle Freeland will be back to start the game.
This week on the internet
It turns out — I knew this, but I forgot — that players in the KBO get their own songs.
Last week, I found Sam Hilliard’s song, and, Reader, it is amazing.
I’ve already told Sam, our Purple Row musician, that should there be a lockout, I hope she will write songs for each Rockies player.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees and the rest of the team stands on the field during commemorations for the 25th anniversary of 9/11 before the game between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2026 in The Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees will officially be playing baseball in October after last night’s loss by Toronto, shortly followed by New York’s own win allowing for a more raucous celebration rather than a somber one. It has not come easily for them this year, as they’ve weathered more than their fair share of blows to key players and endured lengthy slumps from others, but the man who has stood at the helm all year coasted them through to the starting line once again.
I’m not one to subscribe to the notion that managers strongly impact the game positively or negatively, but Aaron Boone has been a lightning rod for criticism throughout his tenure in New York for a whole host of reasons out of his control on top of some that he does hold some influence over, so I think it’s only fair to give him some credit for what has been an incredibly difficult season to navigate. Losing Aaron Judge to start June and not getting him back until September was a severe blow to the team, as it would’ve been at any point over the last near decade, and the offense withered without him for a long while. Unlike when he went down in 2023, however, this year’s Yankees didn’t collapse with the captain out of commission, and though they tried their hardest to make the games frustrating they managed to walk the tightrope convincingly enough to stay afloat in the standings.
You could certainly credit a large portion of that success to a stronger and deeper rotation this season compared to when they were rolling out Gerrit Cole and a bunch of bodies and I’d agree, but there’s been turmoil there too as injuries continually prevented the Yankees from lining up their five best starters in a given turn through the order. On top of that, the pitching staff as a whole was a little suspect with a bullpen that many questioned at the start of the year — for good reason as it turned out. David Bednar was unquestioned as the closer, though he struggled out of the gate, but the bridge to Bednar was rickety and swinging on frayed rope at the start of the year. Fernando Cruz was a solid option who earned some late-inning appearances, but unfortunately an elbow injury has put his season (and perhaps Yankees career) in jeopardy. Camilo Doval was the initial setup man, but he turned out to be a bust in pinstripes and there were only question marks surrounding the rest of the relief corps.
The emergence of Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick forming the big three at the back of the ‘pen quite possibly is the biggest reason that this team is leading the Wild Card standings with a shot at the division still, their lock-down performances holding slim lead after slim lead and putting out fires whenever called upon having bailed out an offense that looked downright putrid for weeks. Boone has rarely leaned so heavily on a pair of arms before, but he’s fitted the two into the Scott Proctor mold and reaped the rewards for doing so while seemingly keeping them fresh enough as we enter the final stretch of the regular season.
The bullpen management has been his biggest success, but Boone and the front office have pushed the right buttons in a number of areas. The team was getting nothing out of the catcher position offensively in the first half of the year, but they surprised many by not acquiring a catcher at the Trade Deadline and instead affirming their faith in Austin Wells, who shepherded the pitchers well enough but had been absolutely dreadful with the bat. He turned around and gave them a respectable July before hitting above-average in August, and though he’s gone through another slump in September he’s still become more than respectable in the lineup again. Wells is far from the only regular they’ve been rewarded for believing in — Jazz Chisholm Jr. endured a topsy-turvy season that drew plenty of criticism after he put a goal of 50 home runs and 50 steals on his shoulders in spring. The homers never came close as he hit only six through the first two months, but Jazz has gotten close on the basepaths with 40 stolen bags this year. The option of flipping Chisholm ahead of his impending free agency was floated in trade rumors but never emerged, and instead he’s turned in a season that will end up coming close to his previous two years by fWAR.
The only real shakeup that Brian Cashman made to this roster came at the deadline, where the team traded for Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos — a pair of platoon bats, though García was the big get having led the National League in slugging when he was moved and has played accordingly since. From within they called up George Lombard Jr. and sent Anthony Volpe down to Triple-A to work on his maligned offensive capabilities while also considering new positions. Both moves paid dividends, with Lombard providing a spark and an injection of youth to the lineup while Volpe got a hero’s return on Thursday when he hit a grand slam against the Rockies and received a curtain call from the fans. I can’t imagine that when Volpe was demoted he was ever significantly in the team’s immediate plans for the rest of the year, but injuries again pressed them and their choice to finally allow Volpe the space to work on his craft has paid off with him sliding into second base in Chisholm’s absence.
There’s a dozen points where this season could’ve gone up in flames for the Yankees, but here they stand in the middle of September with a ticket to at least two guaranteed games of postseason baseball with the potential for more. The division is still within their grasp even if time is running out, and they simply can’t control how well the Rays have played. They can only handle their own business, and they’ve done a phenomenal job of doing just that this year.
