Oct 1, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves infielder Matt Olson (28) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jonathan Bowlan (not pictured) during the seventh inning in game three of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Round 1 of the Orioles-less 2026 postseason is in the books. With the Braves finishing off the Phillies in the sudden-death Game 3 of the Wild Card Series last night, the Division Series matchups are set. Because of MLB’s bizarre decision not to re-seed teams between rounds, the American League pits the teams with the two best records against each other — the Rays and Yankees — while the White Sox take on the Guardians in an AL Central battle. In the NL, the Padres will face the top-ranked Brewers, and the Braves head to L.A. to face the two-time defending champion Dodgers.
Who are you pulling for, Camden Chatters? I’d say there’s only one series where I have a clear favorite, which of course is rooting for the Rays to win (or more accurately, rooting for the Yankees to lose). I have no strong feelings either way about the Guardians and White Sox, but I guess I’d lean toward Cleveland since it’s been nearly 80 years since their last World Series win.
As for the National League, I’d be happy for either the Brewers or the Padres — two teams who have never won a World Series — to make it to the Fall Classic, and in a perfect world they wouldn’t have to face each other until the NLCS. But only one can even advance that far. Each team’s roster is sprinkled with former Orioles — Manny Machado and Austin Hays for San Diego; Joey Ortiz and DL Hall (and Gary Sánchez) for Milwaukee — so pick your favorite. Meanwhile, it’s hard to get excited about the Braves/Dodgers matchup. Hopefully, whoever wins that series will lose swiftly to either the Brewers or Padres in the Championship Series.
Including the Rays, there are three teams still alive in the postseason that have a chance to win their first World Series in franchise history. That would be a cool thing to witness, even if it’s a far cry from the enjoyment we’d get if the Orioles were involved. But because the baseball gods don’t want us to have any fun, I’m sure we’ll just end up with a Dodgers/Yankees World Series that will make everyone want to throw up.
Davy Andrews revisits Craig Albernaz’s criticism of Samuel Basallo for not playing through pain, and points to Gunnar Henderson as an example of why that’s a misguided thing to say. If you can even imagine Craig Albernaz saying something misguided!
Well, my preferred answer — blow up the roster and replace everyone with better players — apparently isn’t happening, so your guess is as good as mine.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day: outfielder Aaron Hicks (37), infielder José Morban (47), and right-hander Victor Santos (50).
On this date in 2012, Chris Davis tied an Orioles record by homering in his sixth consecutive game, providing the only offense in a 1-0 victory over the Rays. The O’s won despite the Rays’ James Shields throwing a complete game two-hitter with 15 strikeouts, as Miguel González and three Birds relievers kept Tampa Bay off the board.
In 2016, the Orioles clinched a playoff spot on the last day of the season by beating the Yankees, 5-2, in New York. Matt Wieters crushed two home runs in what turned out to be his final regular-season game as an Oriole. Kevin Gausman worked 7.1 strong innings, and Zack Britton got the last five outs to punch the Birds’ ticket to October, sending them to Toronto for the Wild Card Game. I forget what happened after that.
The O’s have also played four postseason games on Oct. 2, three of them victories. In 1996, they beat Cleveland, 7-4, to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Division Series. The O’s stormed out to a 4-0 advantage by the fifth thanks to a Brady Anderson homer and RBI hits by Hall of Famers Cal Ripken and Eddie Murray, before Cleveland rallied to tie it up. The Orioles broke the deadlock with a three-run eighth inning that featured a fielder’s choice error, an Anderson sac fly, and an RBI single by another Hall of Famer, Roberto Alomar. A crowd of 48,970 was on hand for the festivities at Camden Yards.
In 1997, the Orioles again took a 2-0 lead in the Division Series, this time against Seattle, with their second consecutive 9-3 victory. Anderson homered and drove in three, Harold Baines hit a dinger, and Alomar and Mike Bordick each drove in two runs. That supported a strong effort by starter Scott Erickson, who held a powerful Mariners lineup to three runs in 6.2 innings.
And in 2014, the O’s opened the Division Series with a 12-3 shellacking of the Tigers at Camden Yards. Facing the first of Detroit’s three Cy Young-winning starters, Max Scherzer, the Orioles pounded him for five runs, including homers by Nelson Cruz and J.J. Hardy. Five different O’s batters had multi-hit games and seven drove in at least one run. This was a tense, 4-3 game until the bottom of the eighth, when the O’s exploded for an eight-run inning and sent 12 batters to the plate.
For a very few, the season is not yet over. The Arizona Fall League (AFL) beckons, and the invitations given often present signs of where a player stands in an organization and provide an opportunity for a player to redefine that path. Once seen, not so long ago, as a finishing school for top MiLB prospects, more recent versions have taken on a different cast. The league opens play tomorrow (Oct 3) and runs through mid-November. The Cardinal’s prospects will play for Peoria, teamed with players from the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, and Seattle Mariners.
Over recent years, the players invited have tended younger, no longer right on the cusp of MLB. And the reasons for their assignment vary. Some of the more common scenarios that lead to a player being sent to the AFL:
Players who have lost in-season time due to injury, are healthy now and will use the AFL to accumulate innings or plate appearances;
Players who have been in the organization long enough that they will be requiring a 40-man roster spot this fall and the team is not 100% sure where they want to go with said player;
Players who have interesting tools but haven’t quite developed enough to advance them beyond their level. Often, these players are facing a roster crunch at the next level, and the team needs another look to map out where they project this player.
So, who is all going for the Cardinals? And what is their story. Let’s look.
Bringing the 🔥 to the desert!
LHP Brandon Clarke (No. 9), RHP Tekoah Roby (No. 14) and OF Tai Peete (No. 17) lead the #STLCards minor leaguers named to the Peoria roster for the upcoming AFL season.
With slightly less fanfare, that initial post was followed yesterday by:
RHPs Joseph King and Nolan Sparks have been added to the Peoria AFL roster.
LHP Brandon Clarke will not participate in the AFL and undergo a minor procedure to remove a loose body in his left arm. He will join staff in Jupiter later this month to continue training and be ready… pic.twitter.com/api8pBHSQY
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) October 1, 2026
Tai Peete, CF, AA, Age 21
Tai Peete was acquired from Seattle last off-season in the Brendan Donovan trade. One of the more mercurial prospects in the Cardinal prospect pipeline, Tai carries a 60-grade FV (from Baseball America) with an Extreme risk rating. BA really likes him, ranking him #10. MLB.com has him #17 and Fangraphs at #21. Quite the range.
He is a player still adjusting to a position change (moving from the dirt to CF) but is viewed as above-average out there already. Tai really only played half a season this year, mostly due to injury, across the High-A and AA levels. Even in the crazy offensive environment of the lower minors, he was 16% above average (wRC+ 116). Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Ability to make more contact will define his level of success. For him, the AFL offers the opportunity to round out his playing time.
Sammy Hernandez, C, High-A, Age 22
Sammy Hernandez was acquired from Toronto (for Genesis Cabrera) in the midst of the 2023 season, so it seems like he has been in the system forever. A development project if there ever was one, he has bounced between Low-A (Palm Beach) and High-A (Peoria) for 3 different seasons now. This season was his best and could be considered a least a bit of an offensive break out. His 17% walk rate suggests he is overcoming major plate discipline and swing decision issues that plagued him earlier. The 18% K rate probably confirms that. Carrying a wRC+ of 140 and lots of other gaudy statistics begins to make this look like an offense-first Catcher in the mold of Ivan Herrera. Sammy falls into category#2. He is rule V eligible this winter for both the MLB and MiLB versions of the Rule V draft (not sure if either will happen). His age works in his favor. His presence in the Cardinal system, seemingly deep with catching prospects, does not. If there is a Rule V draft, he will be eligible for the minor league portion, and some smart team likely takes him. I’d put Anaheim at the top of that list. By and large unranked (in a class of ~53 prospects by FG) by prospect evaluators, the AFL assignment lets the club get one more look at him against what portends to be a bit stiffer competition than High-A. Intriguing.
Cade McGee, Util, AA, Age 23
Cade was a 9th round draft pick in the 2024 draft, so he hasn’t been around all that long, so he doesn’t fit the profile of a player needing a 40-man roster spot this winter. He didn’t get 100 games in this year, so they may well be looking at extending his season to get reps in. I listed him as Util because of the distribution of games played by position: C – 24, 2B – 22, 3B – 18, 1B – 18, DH – 14. Versatility is good, but it limits the reps at any one position, and I suspect the AFL may help fill that gap. I note that since moving to Springfield, he has been confined to 3B and 2B. The hit tool looks OK, not much power (not enough for CIF anyway) but still a wRC+ of 115 across two levels. A very late in the season promotion to Springfield (AA) along with this AFL assignment suggest they may be pushing him a bit.
Brandon Clarke, SP, AA, Age 23
Clarke was acquired in the Sonny Gray trade, which appears to have worked out really well for all sides. He is a 2024 draftee, so there are no Rule V considerations here. His season didn’t start until June after off-season arm surgery to address circulation issues, so he fits the AFL assignment category#1 neatly. Brandon fits anywhere between #5 and #16 on the Cardinals prospect list, depending on which pub you go by. BA is least optimistic on him yet grades his FB at 60 and his slider at 70 (not a grade they hand out often). Note: FG rates that slider at 80. Injury and command issues are his stalking issues. Clarke started his season at High-A, finished pitching at AA and went to the Development List just before season’s end, ostensibly to prepare for the AFL. While the AFL isn’t deep enough to be considered a finishing school, it could well be a launch pad for a pitcher like this.
Authors note: I wrote this brief before it was announced that Clarke would undergo minor surgery and not be able to participate in AFL games. I left it in, obviously.
Tekoah Roby, SP, AAA, Age 25
Roby was acquired from Texas in a multi-player deal that saw Stratton and Montgomery go to Texas and Roby, Saggese, King and International Bonus Cash coming to StL. Not a bad return. Prospect rankings on Roby are very tight, ranging from #12 to #14. All of those are certainly discounted due to injury (and recovery concerns). After ascending to AAA in 2025, Roby got hurt and spent the remainder of 2025 and 2026 recovering and rehabbing. He has been pitching for some time on the backfields at Jupiter, facing hitters. The AFL will allow him to get into game action for the first time and likely sets the stage for a return to AAA next year after a normal off-season. So, he is most definitely AFL assignment category#1. He will look to collect innings, work off rust and the typical command issues that come early in the TJ rehab cycle. Proving health will be key as availability has been his biggest liability up to now.
BA scouting grades (pre-injury) say it all: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55
Nate Dohm, SP/RP, AA, Age 23
Dohm was acquired last year from New York in the Ryan Helsley trade. While his current level shows AA, that was a very late season promotion resulting in only one game at the AA level. The rest of the season was spent at High-A Peoria. Nate finished the season on the Development, like Clarke, ostensibly to prepare for the AFL. Nate apears on the FG prospect lists at 34. BA and MLB.com agree, as they do not have them in their Top-30 list. Dohm overall is a 35+ FV, with a 60 grade FB, 50 grade slider and 50 grade command. He is not Rule V eligible this off-season, so he is not AFL assignment category#2 for sure. He got in 25 games, 13 starts and 12 relief appearances for 61 IP, so he ended up a little short on workload, which I imagine they wanted closer to 90 or 100 IP. I suspect the Development Team wants to accumulate more IP but also likely he will workshop some new pitching tools.
Michael Watson, RP, AA, Age 24
Watson came to the Cardinals in 2024 as an unrestricted free agent out of indy ball. He is unranked as a prospect, even on FG’s 53 deep list. He repeated AA this past season after a fairly successful 2025 season across High-A and AA. He is a lefty who is adept at missing bats with a side-arm, mid-tier FB, but lacks command, running a K-BB% at less than 15. His ERA- and FIP- run just slightly better than average for the league he was in. I’d place him in the tweener category — a guy who needs more than the 52.2 IP he got but also needs to show a little more if he wants to make the AAA roster next spring. So, more category#3.
Frank Ellisalt, SP/RP, High-A, Age 24
Ellisalt also came to the Cardinals with Dohm (and Jesus Baez) in the Helsley trade last year. He carries a #47 ranking on the FG prospects list and does not appear on shorter lists. He sports a FB and slider combo both graded at 60 (interesting!), but very poor command. He is not Rule V eligible until next year. Injury derailed his 2026 season and, like Roby, the AFL offers the opportunity to get some competitive pitches in before everyone goes home for the winter. Category#1 on this pitcher. It is good to see he has health back.
Towards the end of November, I’ll provide an update on how these guys did.
Joseph King, RP, AA, Age 25
King was a ninth-round draft pick back in 2022. He has been on the edges of the lengthier FG prospects list and not on anyone else’s top 30. He sports a good FB and power change but struggles with command. This was the first season his BB rate was decent (9.6%), allowing his excellent K rate (30% +) to play. Injuries have played a part, as well, appearing in only 34 games over the past three seasons. Rule V isn’t a concern with him, but making up missed innings is.
Nolan Sparks, RP/SP, AA, Age 24
Sparks was a thirteen-round draft pick in 2024. He does not appear on any prospect lists. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but he strikes out a lot of guys and walks a lot of guys, although this was his first full season. He pitched a few games after being drafted in 2024, pitched in 18 games in 2025 and carried a full load this past season, so catching up on innings doesn’t seem like a big concern. He isn’t eligible for Rule V, so that is not an issue. Since he wasn’t on the original roster, this may be more of a guy assigned to fill out the roster. He seemed to have a prominent role in the AA playoffs. Perhaps they find that 34% K rate at AA intriguing.
In other MiLB news
Also from the Cardinals today,
We have acquired RHP Brian Curley from Arizona as the Player to be Named Later to complete the August 3rd Lars Nootbaar trade. pic.twitter.com/XKQ3xQbX0X
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) October 1, 2026
For those of you that watched, you may remember Curley pitched the game of his life against Springfield in the AA playoffs. He was a 2025 3rd round draft pick for the D-backs. Will likely start the 2027 season in the AA rotation right alongside old friend Daniel Eagan. He will slot in the prospect list at around 30-35. For comparison sake, he was #21 on Arizona’s prospect list. Cardinals end up with four Arizona pitching prospects this year. Martinez for Arenado, Eagen, Santana and Curley for Nootbaar. Not hard to notice yet another young pitcher that does not need 40-man protection.
Last but not least
In the fun category, I present this post.
BA staffers drafted power-hitting MLB prospects with one goal in mind: have the team with the most major league home runs ⚾️
Which team do you think will have the most MLB homers between 2027-2030?
(Teams had to have exactly two top-50 prospects, two No. 51-100 prospects, two… pic.twitter.com/UpvilP7epu
Happy birthday to Rafael Lopez, and a mighty host of others.
Today in baseball history, in 1966 – Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers wins his 27th game of the season and the final game of his career. Koufax’s 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies clinches the National Leaguepennant for the Dodgers; 1974 – Future Hall of FamerAl Kaline announces his retirement. During a 22-year career with the Detroit Tigers, Kaline compiled 3,007 hits and 399 home runs. He also batted .379 in the 1968 World Series; 1983 – Carl Yastrzemski plays in his 3,308th and final game, hitting a single as the team’s left fielder. After the Red Sox’s 3-1 victory over Cleveland, “Yaz” takes one more “final lap” around Fenway Park and will stay to sign autographs on Yawkey Way for over an hour; and 2016 – Veteran broadcaster Vin Scully calls his final LA Dodgers game, a 7-1 loss in San Francisco, after a record 67 MLB seasons, and other stories as well.
1936 – The Yankees even the World Series and set a Series record for runs as they demolish the Giants, 18 – 4. Lefty Gomez coasts to a six-hit win, while every member of the Yankees lineup makes a hit and scores at least one run. Tony Lazzeri hits a grand slam, the first in World Series play since 1920.
1947 – The Dodgers squeak out a 9-8 win over the Yankees, jumping on Bobo Newsom and Vic Raschi for six runs in the 2nd inning. Yogi Berra becomes the first player to hit a pinch home run in World Series history, belting one off Brooklyn’s Ralph Branca in the seventh inning.
1969 – Pete Rose, in the eighth inning of the Reds’ 8-3 win at Atlanta Stadium, clinches the National Leaguebatting title when he beats out a bunt to third base for a hit in his last at-bat of the season. The day starts with the Cincinnati right fielder tied with Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente, who goes 3 for 4 against Montreal but finishes .005 of a point behind (.3447 to .3452) the eventual all-time hits leader.
1984 – In a game played with replacement umpires, the Cubs clobber the Padres, 13-0, in Game 1 of the NLCS. Chicago hits five home runs at Wrigley Field, including one by winning pitcher Rick Sutcliffe.
2001 – Slugging Sammy Sosa becomes the first player in baseball history to slug 60 home runs in three seasons. The Cubs outfielder connects off Lance Davis in the first inning of the team’s 5-4 loss to Cincinnati at Wrigley Field to reach the milestone.
2012 – Seven years after being beaned on the first pitch he saw in his only career plate appearance, derailing a promising career, former Cub Adam Greenberg gets a chance to bat again in the major leagues. The Miami Marlins send him up to pinch-hit in the 6th inning against the Mets’R.A. Dickey. He strikes out on three pitches from the knuckleballer, but the crowd cheers wildly as his story of perseverance has made him a hero to many.
2018 – The Rockies defeat the Cubs, 2-1, in 13 innings in the Wild Card Game. After scoring off Jon Lester in the 1st, the Rockies’ bats go quiet, while the Cubs tie it with two outs in the eighth when Javier Baez doubles off Adam Ottavino, scoring pinch-runner Terrance Gore. However, the Cubs, whose bats have gone stone cold of late, waste a number of other chances. Tony Wolters, the Rockies’ third catcher of the game, drives in Trevor Story with a two-out single off Kyle Hendricks in the 13th for the go-ahead run, and Scott Oberg preserves the win as Colorado will continue its travels, moving to Milwaukee, WI for Game 1 of the NLDS, its fourth city in four games.
1789 – George Washington transmits the proposed constitutional amendments, known as the United States Bill of Rights, to the states for ratification.
1866 – J. Osterhoudt patents the tin can with a key opener.
1919 – US President Woodrow Wilson has a stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed.
1925 – Josephine Baker first performs in Paris in La Revue Nègre at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
1950 – First strip of Charlie Brown, “Li’l Folks,” later “Peanuts,” by Charles M. Schulz is published in seven nationwide papers.
1967 – Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first Black Supreme Court Justice.
1977 – Austrian Ferrari driver Niki Lauda finishes fourth in the US Grand Prix East at Watkins Glen to clinch his second Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship, while Englishman James Hunt wins the race.
2002 – The Beltway sniper attacks begin, extending over three weeks.
2009 – “Stan Lee Day” declared by County of Los Angeles and the City of Long Beach.
2016 – Kim Kardashian is robbed at gunpoint of $10 million worth of jewelry in her hotel room in Paris.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: Gary Sanchez #99 of the Milwaukee Brewers looks on during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on August 12, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s time for the Brewers’ 2026 playoff campaign to begin!
Anyone who wanted to see a second straight year with a testy intra-division NLDS matchup between the Brewers and Cubs had their hopes quickly dashed on Tuesday and Wednesday as the Padres, one of the hottest teams in baseball, utterly demoralized the North Siders with wins of 8-0 and 4-1. Neither game ever felt all that close.
Now, in their first series in the 2026 postseason, Milwaukee has to face off with the only team in baseball with a better winning percentage than them over the season’s last two months. Since August 1, both the Padres and Brewers won a league-best 35 games, but Milwaukee lost 18 while the Padres lost 17, giving San Diego the best record in the league in that span.
The Brewers also have some unwelcome memories against the Padres this season; in what was otherwise a magnificent regular season, the team’s low point (as well as this website’s comment section’s most anxious moment) came in the wake of a three-game sweep by the Padres in San Diego from August 10-12. Milwaukee held leads in the seventh inning or later in two of those three games, but the bullpen was unable to hold them, and after an 11-inning loss in the last game of that series with the Cubs mounting a serious charge for the division lead, it was a dark moment in an otherwise bright season.
Milwaukee, of course, recovered well — they won three of four against the Dodgers that weekend and played well down the stretch, and by the end of the season the thought that the Cubs were about to catch them felt ludicrous. But the Padres are one of the only teams that can say they had the upper hand over the Brewers this season — though in their other series this year, the Brewers took two out of three in Milwaukee early in the season.
Much of San Diego’s lineup comes in on a high note. Fernando Tatis Jr. was one of the league’s best players over the last two-plus months of the season; after not hitting a home run for the first two months of the season, he hit 25 from May 30 on, and he had a 1.012 OPS over the final 30 days of the season. Xander Bogaerts, Jackson Merrill, and Ty France also had OPS numbers of at least .895 over the last month of the season, even while the first two of those players had generally underwhelming full seasons. France was a bit of a revelation; he hit .295/.363/.502 this season (a 139 OPS+) in 500 plate appearances, the best offensive season of his career, after he’d barely been a replacement-level player from 2023-25.
Much of their newly discovered offensive firepower was on display against the Cubs. Bogaerts went 4-for-8 with a double and a homer. Manny Machado was 3-for-7 with a double and a homer. Merrill went 4-for-7. Tatis homered. Gavin Sheets, who missed almost all of September, hit a massive two-run pinch-hit homer on Wednesday; he’s now homered in two of his last three at-bats going back to the regular season. The full-season numbers suggest that the Padres were a decent but not outstanding offensive team but make no mistake: they’re as hot as anyone in the league right now.
On the other side of the ball, the biggest questions come in the form of the Padres’ starting rotation. Michael King, who was outstanding on Tuesday to the tune of seven one-hit, shutout innings, had a very good season and slots in nicely as their ace. But after that, things are sketchy. Nick Pivetta started Wednesday and held the Cubs to one run, but he was a bit shaky — he allowed three hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings — and he only managed eight starts during the regular season. Randy Vásquez, who had a 3.90 ERA and 4.24 FIP in 140 2/3 innings, might start a game, but after that things are extremely sketchy. Walker Buehler was second on the team in innings pitched this season, but he wasn’t very effective (4.64 ERA, 4.51 FIP). Casey Mize and Robbie Ray should be filling this role, but both of them have been disastrous since coming over at the trade deadline: Mize, who is on the IL anyway with a sprained ankle, had an 8.72 ERA in five starts, and Ray had a 7.56 ERA in four.
The danger on this pitching staff is in the bullpen. Mason Miller was the game’s best reliever this season. He is one of the only players in the league who can rival Jacob Misiorowski’s fastball velocity, and he finished the season in Statcast’s 100th percentile in xERA, xBA, fastball velo, whiff percentage, and strikeout percentage, with a 98th percentile finish in hard-hit percentage. With 129 strikeouts in 70 innings, Miller averaged 16.6 strikeouts per nine innings; that’s the fourth-highest K/9 rate ever for a player who threw at least 50 innings.
It’s not just Miller, though. Adrián Morejón, like Abner Uribe, is one of the best setup men in the league; he had a 2.37 FIP this season and offers a left-handed compliment to Miller. Yuki Matsui’s advanced numbers are sketchy, but he pitched to a 1.83 ERA in 64 innings this season. Young Bradgley Rodriguez is another flamethrower — he averages 98 mph on his fastball — and he was outstanding in 74 innings. David Morgan and Jhony Brito both had ERAs under 2.50 in September, and Jason Adam, who has had a sneaky great career, is back after missing essentially the entire second half of the season. He threw a perfect inning against the Cubs on Wednesday. Wandy Peralta is out there, too, finishing the season with a 3.61 ERA over 77 1/3 innings.
If the Brewers are going to win this series, they’re going to need to get ahead early in games, because if they find themselves needing to comeback against Rodriguez, Morejón, and Miller, they’re in big trouble. Home-field advantage should help, and the Brewers have been great down the stretch themselves. Several of their offensive players seem to be peaking at the right time, and there are no major health concerns that we haven’t known about for a long time. It will be a fascinating series.
Probable Pitchers
Note: the Brewers have announced Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1 and Logan Henderson in Game 2, but beyond that, neither team has announced anything. There will be a lot of conjecture here.
Game 1: Saturday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA, 2.17 FIP) vs. RHP Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.63 ERA, 4.51 FIP)
It will be crucial that the Brewers win Game 1. With King and Pivetta unavailable due to the Wild Card series, the Brewers will have a massive starting pitcher advantage in the first game of the series. I’m not at all sure that Buehler will be the starter—he supposedly was going to be if the Cubs had forced a game three in the Wild Card round. Vásquez has been fine as a back-end starter this season, but he’s been about league average, and the Padres left him off of their roster in the Wild Card round and don’t seem to be factoring him into their plans. Ray could get this start if the Padres prefer the lefty matchup, but Ray has been abominable as a Padre and that’s a big leap of faith. Whoever starts, it will be a quick hook, in all likelihood.
Game 2: Sunday, October 4 at 3:00 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47 ERA, 3.32 FIP) vs. RHP Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA, 4.13 FIP)
King will almost surely throw in Game 2 after four days rest; his last two starts of the regular season both came on four days so there’s no reason why they’d stop doing that now. As noted above, King is the Padres’ best starter and their best bet to get deep into a game. He’s also the only Padre who has beaten the Brewers in Milwaukee this season; he went 5 2/3 innings and allowed just one run on May 13. He did not pitch in the series in San Diego.
Henderson, of course, is no slouch. The Brewer co-ace did lose in San Diego but he didn’t pitch badly — five hits, one walk, three earned runs and seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings on August 10. Two of those three runs came in the seventh inning when Merrill got him for a two-run homer; I would not expect Henderson to still be pitching in the seventh inning of this game no matter how well he’s been pitching before that. Remember, that game in San Diego was near the end of a 17-games-in-17-days stretch.
Game 3: Tuesday, October 6 at 8:30 p.m.: LHP Robert Gasser (5-5, 3.87 ERA, 4.24 FIP) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA, 2.21 FIP)
Since the All-Star break, Gasser has made 12 starts. The Brewers are 10-2 in those games, and over 63 innings, he’s got a 2.86 ERA and 3.47 FIP. He has earned this start. Gasser doesn’t have major strikeout stuff and he’s a relatively soft tosser, but like Henderson, he’s managed to just avoid hard contact; he’s amongst the better pitchers in baseball in terms of average exit velocity. He throws five different pitches at least 10% of the time, with four of those in a nearly even split (the sweeper, four-seam fastball, sinker, and cutter are all thrown between 18 and 25 percent of the time), which keeps hitters off balance.
Pivetta, as mentioned above, is a good pitcher, but he was hurt for much of the season and he looked a bit shaky on Wednesday. This is another one in which you would expect a quick hook.
Game 4 (if necessary): Wednesday, October 7 at 9:00 p.m.: Bullpen vs. Bullpen
I don’t think we’re going to see anyone on three days rest in this series, so I expect to see dueling bullpens in this one. Maybe we’ll see Aaron Ashby as an opener, which was a common tactic last postseason, but the Cubs and Dodgers both had platoon disadvantages versus lefties, which isn’t really the case with the Padres; aside from Merrill, all their best hitters are right-handed. It feels like this will probably be Dustin May, which I don’t feel great about, but maybe the Brewers can get two or three scoreless innings from him before handing it over to Ashby or Chad Patrick.
Game 5 (if necessary): Friday, October 9 at 3:30 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA, 2.17 FIP) vs. RHP Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA, 4.13 FIP)
The extra day off here would enable the Padres to bump King into a potential Game 5 on regular rest. Misiorowski would still have a major advantage as a starter, but the chance to throw King instead of whoever starts game one here is a definite boost for the Padres. Let’s hope the Brewers end this series in four or less, and we are instead thinking about Miz as the Game 1 starter in the NLCS!
How to watch and listen
Saturday, October 3 at 7:30 p.m: watch on FS1, listen on the Brewers Radio Network
Sunday, October 4 at 3:00 p.m: watch on FS1, listen on the Brewers Radio Network
Tuesday, October 6 at 8:30 p.m.: watch on FOX or FS1, listen on the Brewers Radio Network
Wednesday, October 7 at 9:00 p.m. (if necessary): watch on FOX or FS1, listen on the Brewers Radio Network
Friday, October 9 at 3:30 p.m. (if necessary): watch on FOX or FS1, listen on the Brewers Radio Network
Prediction
One could easily make the argument that based on the last two months, this is the “real World Series.” These are the two hottest teams in the league, and while the Padres weren’t nearly as good as Milwaukee in the first half, not much separates them at this point in the season. There’s star power on either side, with Tatis, King, and Miller for the Padres and Brice Turang, Jackson Chourio, and Misiorowski for the Brewers. There’s even an old enemy in the form of Machado — we’re going to hear some of the loudest booing we’ve ever heard at American Family Field when he steps to the plate on Saturday.
The teams are closely matched. I’d give the Brewers a slight advantage offensively — their lineup is a little bit deeper. The Brewers have a good bullpen, but that is San Diego’s greatest strength, and it could end up being a real factor this postseason. Milwaukee is a better defensive team, certainly, and they should have an advantage on the basepaths, as well. But the big separator here is in the rotation: I don’t trust anyone past King for San Diego, while I’d certainly prefer Henderson and probably Gasser to whoever the Padres will use as their number two.
Milwaukee has a major advantage on paper in game one, and I like Henderson against King at home in Game 2. San Diego will probably get one in San Diego — that place was rocking against the Cubs — but I think Milwaukee will steal one on the road to seal the series. Let’s say Brewers in four.
The Florida Panthers will learn on Friday, Oct. 2 how long captain Aleksander Barkov will be out after he left the ice with an apparent injury to his left leg.
"It's not related to his injury last year at all," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Oct. 1. "So we'll have a good idea by (Friday) afternoon."
Barkov went down awkwardly on his left leg during a board battle in the second period. He got up and immediately went to the dressing room, limping and throwing off his glove in anger. He didn't return to the game.
Aleksander Barkov heads STRAIGHT off the ice after falling awkwardly on his leg 🤕
Barkov missed all of last season after receiving right knee surgery for a torn ACL and MCL... pic.twitter.com/t4Vh9OGKTe
Barkov's injury last season was one of many that derailed the Panthers as they missed the playoffs after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
Gustav Forsling, who scored in overtime in the Panthers' opening win, missed Thursday's game. Maurice said he's day-to-day and there's a good chance he could return for Florida's next game.
The Miami Heat will head to Quebec City, Canada, to face the Toronto Raptors Saturday, Oct. 3. Both teams have been revamped, with Miami pulling off the blockbuster to land star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, while Toronto reunited with Kawhi Leonard.
Those are just two of the teams to have undergone massive changes, and they’re not even the ones that had the most seismic offseason; the Philadelphia 76ers went all-in on their championship window and added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
While it’s safe to expect veterans to play limited minutes during preseason games, here are five storylines I’m tracking as we inch closer to the 2026-27 NBA regular season:
The vibes are seemingly high in Miami, but how will the Heat offense actually look?
New addition Klay Thompson took the team out on a boat to cruise around Biscayne Bay. Earlier in the month, captain Bam Adebayo and point guard Davion Mitchell organized a players-only week of training they started calling “pain camp,” for all the cardio work they did. Players have said all the right things.
By all accounts, the vibes around the new-look Heat are high. But what will their play look like, in practice? One thing that struck me from the early footage coming from their camp at Florida Atlantic was the pace. Miami led the league last season in that stat, generating 104.22 possessions per 48 minutes. And now with Antetokounmpo, that emphasis on fastbreak offense should only intensify; Antetokounmpo ranked second in the NBA with 5.5 fast break points per game. Antetokounmpo sucks in the defense when he attacks in transition, and his vision allows him to find open shooters.
I expect the Heat to continue to play fast, and I expect Antetokounmpo to put up huge assist numbers, if he stays healthy. The big question here is whether Miami’s shooting holds up and whether it can sustain this style for an entire season.
It’s Luka’s team now. Can he lead the Lakers to the top of the West?
The Los Angeles offense, at times last season, looked rather disjointed, particularly when both Luka Dončić and LeBron James were on the floor at the same time.
Both are players who thrive when the ball is in their hands, and both are among the game’s best passers. The issue, then, became: what was one supposed do when the other had the ball? Most often, the player without the ball was relegated to standing off to the side, away from the action.
But now with James moving onto the 76ers, the bulk of Los Angeles’ play-making will fall to him. Last season, Dončić led the NBA in usage rate (36.8%), or the number of possessions that end with that player taking a shot or committing a turnover. Dončić also ranked sixth in assist percentage (38.7%), or the rate of teammate field goals a player assisted while on the floor – among all players with at least 50 games.
Being as ball-dominant as Dončić is (and being as talented as he is when he initiates actions), I suspect both those figures will be even higher this season. I also suspect that, if healthy, Dončić will play his way into the Most Valuable Player conversation even more so than he has in recent seasons.
Shooting guard Austin Reaves is the other play-maker for the Lakers, and one who should excel even further when Dončić takes a blow on the bench. But when both are on the floor, expect Dončić to be the one to orchestrate everything.
I’m not worried about alphas or top dogs in Philadelphia. But Nick Nurse has some work to do.
During 76ers media day, when asked who the “alpha” would be on the roster, newly acquired All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown wasn’t having any of it. “Next question,” he said, with sober indifference.
I understand why the question was asked, but I think framing this team in that way is flawed. This isn’t LeBron James willing the 2017-18 Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. This isn’t Brown taking on the biggest role of his career last season while Jayson Tatum was out, recovering from an Achilles tendon tear. It’s not Tyrese Maxey carrying the Sixers two seasons ago as Philadelphia contended with debilitating injuries.
The reality is this team doesn’t need to worry about alphas or No. 1s, and if that’s where the discourse ever goes to, coach Nick Nurse will have failed. Top to bottom, this Sixers team is as talented as it has been in decades. This is Philadelphia’s best shot to win a title in the Joel Embiid-Maxey window.
The task at hand is to get the new faces (and old, too) to buy into a team mentality that foregoes individual accolades in favor of collective success. In practical matters, James, Brown, Maxey and Embiid may see their scoring averages dip a touch. I think that would be a good sign that things are working. As long as this team stays healthy, and as long as they share the ball, a championship should be within reach.
Young Spurs seem loose and confident. Can San Antonio learn from last year’s disappointment?
San Antonio’s stars may be young, but they appear to have embraced trolling, to a certain degree. In an interview with GQ, Stephon Castle downplayed the energy at Madison Square Garden during the Finals, calling the first game “underwhelming.” For the most part, I think this is a good thing. I would want my players to be confident and bold.
But talk is just talk, and the real test here is whether the Spurs can become the first team since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors to win a title the season after losing the NBA Finals.
It will come down to the continued development of Victor Wembanyama, Castle, Dylan Harper and how veteran De’Aaron Fox bounces back from an uneven Finals. But more than anything, the Spurs need to learn from their loss against the Knicks, when they couldn’t close out games because they stopped attacking the paint, became too passive and fell in love with a 3-point shot that wasn’t dropping.
I think two teams are lurking. Both could be Finals-worthy
It seems like no one is talking about the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton is back and healthy, and if not for his Achilles tendon that snapped in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, we might be talking about them in a very different way. The roster has changed somewhat. And while I think Indiana will continue to miss Myles Turner’s perimeter shooting, I actually think Ivica Zubac is an excellent fit with Haliburton’s passing ability. But there’s still a lot to work out, so the preseason will be telling to see how the Pacers gel with Zubac providing rim protection, defensive rebounding and rim running.
Out West, I think it’s the Minnesota Timberwolves who are flying a bit under the radar, overshadowed by the Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. But with LaMelo Ball in place, Anthony Edwards finally has another player who can both create his own shot and initiate actions. This should take a huge burden off of Edwards, and it should make Minnesota more consistent against better defenses in the playoffs.
The NBA's preseason schedule is set to begin, and the first game could be a showcase for the blockbuster moves that shook up the league this offseason.
Every team in the league returned to the court this week for the start of training camps, and the opening exhibition game of the 2026-27 season is slated for Saturday, Oct. 3 with an NBA Canada game featuring the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat in Quebec City.
Though the availability of star players remains to be determined, it could be the first opportunity to see Giannis Antetokounmpo in a Heat jersey and the return of Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors. Both Antetokounmpo and Leonard were acquired via high-profile trades in recent months.
The 2026-27 regular season begins on Tuesday, Oct. 20 with three games, including an afternoon tilt between the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. That matchup will be followed by an evening doubleheader when LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers visit the reigning champion New York Knicks and the Spurs host the Thunder in a Western Conference Finals rematch.
Final: Friday, Dec. 11 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis
When is the NBA trade deadline?
The trade deadline for the 2026-27 NBA season is Thursday, Feb. 11.
When is the NBA All-Star break?
The All-Star break for this season will run from Feb. 19 through Feb. 24.
When is the 2027 NBA All-Star Game?
NBA All-Star weekend is Feb. 19-21 in Phoenix. The 76th NBA All-Star Game will take place at Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns, on Sunday, Feb. 21.
When does the NBA regular season end?
The 2026-27 season ends Sunday, April 11 with a full slate of 15 games.
When does the NBA postseason begin?
The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament runs from Tuesday, April 13 through Friday, April 16. This will be followed by the 2027 NBA playoffs.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees reacts after a three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a glorious playoff win against the Red Sox, the Yankees basked in a glorious offday. In a parallel universe, we may have been sweating out a do-or-die Game 3 against Boston, but in this universe, the Yankees left no doubt, pounding their rivals and giving themselves a chance to enjoy a full reset before this titanic ALDS clash with Tampa Bay. The Rays will be even more rested, but I’m sure the Yankees aren’t concerned with that; they’re rolling into the next round with the wind at their backs, an offense that’s suddenly clicking supporting a league-leading pitching staff.
On the site today, you can catch Andrew’s rundown of the Game 3 clash between the Phillies and the Braves, as well as Jonathan’s entry in the Yankee Birthday series, highlighting pitcher Spec Shea. Also, Andres implores the Yankees not to deploy Trent Grisham in center field, while Madison delivers the answers to this week’s mailbag.
Today’s Matchup:
Offday.
Questions/Prompts:
1. Who would you lean towards for the Game 1 start against the Rays?
2. Did any of the outcomes or performances of the four Wild Card Series particularly surprise you?
Sep 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; General view of the helmet used by the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of the first inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images
Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The Brewers are set to begin their quest to the World Series this weekend as they have home-field advantage throughout the postseason, starting with the NLDS against the San Diego Padres, who took down the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series this week.
Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JUNE 26: Chicago Bulls first round draft picks Caleb Wilson (right) and Dailyn Swain (left) pose for a portrait after a press conference at Advocate Center on June 26, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (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 Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The once proud franchise known as the Chicago Bulls has been in the wilderness for a decade now. There have been many issues in Windy City, but perhaps their biggest fault is them not picking a direction. For far too many years, the Bulls spent their season finishing between 35 and 40 wins, finishing right on the fringes of the playoffs, and either getting spanked in the first round or picking late in the lottery. It’s hard to improve when, as a franchise, your ethos is being too good to stink while also being too bad to be actually good.
Enter last year’s Bulls, who finally decided to pick a direction after the All-Star Break. That direction was down, so tank commander Donovan and the group of guys they pulled out of the morning run on the Blacktop courts at Jackson Park lost many games down the stretch. Heck, even the tanking Mavericks couldn’t help but beat them by a million in game 82. Of course, that loss put the Bulls into a coin flip for ninth in the lottery, which they went on to win. Naturally, they then jumped into the top four of the draft. Quite the turn of events!
(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the summer, the Bulls look dramatically different and there is no confusion about what the goal is. They want to build a winner around Caleb Wilson, and this year is the start of making that dream a reality.
Chicago Bulls: Over/Under 29.5 wins (-115/-110)
To win Central Division: 65/1
To win Eastern Conference: 175/1
To win Finals: 1000/1
Last season: 31-51, 12th in the Eastern Conference
Key additions: Caleb Wilson (4th pick in 2026 Draft), Dailyn Swain (15th pick in 2026 Draft), Norm Powell (via Miami), Nic Claxton (via Brooklyn)
Key losses: When you’re terrible, no one is a key loss
Coaching change: Billy Donovan OUT (now lead assistant in San Antonio), Tiago Splitter IN (via Portland)
To be honest, the Bulls new front office did some nice work this offseason. Obviously, the two rookies are headliners for the organization. But beyond that, Claxton is a fun piece to work with at center, especially after years of the Nikola Vucevic experience. Norm Powell and Buddy Hield should be nice vets to have around for this team. Plus, internal development from Matas Buzelis should have fans excited for a Wilson/Buzelis pairing for years to come. And hey, Noa Essengue grew again and, just maybe, is better at the game of basketball.
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 10: Tiago Splitter and Dailyn Swain #5 of the Chicago Bulls look on during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
What can’t be overlooked here is the cultural shift that happened in one offseason. With Brysen Graham heading up basketball ops and Tiago Splitter at head coach, there are actual adults in the room. Combine that with a young core of Wilson, Buzelis and Swain, there’s actually something worth getting excited about in Chicago. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I’m bullish on the Bulls.
Heeeyyyy, we remember you. | NHLI via Getty Images
Good morning and happy Friday, the New York Islanders are last in the Metro.
Islanders News
Pierre LeBrun talks to Mathieu Darche on chasing Kirll Marchenko, the DeBoer hiring, and more. “It might look like we didn’t do much this summer, but it’s not because we didn’t try. And I don’t want to do anything reckless.“ [Athletic]
How do the Isles use Mat Barzal whenever he returns? [Newsday]
After one game, Anthony Duclair “appears to be capable,” to steal a Rasin’ Arizona line. [Post]
Elsewhere
Last night’s scores included the Jack Hughes getting the Devils the win in overtime after he objected to a mid-game question from AJ Mleczko about bubble wrap and plastic utensils (he was reportedly injured during a team dinner last season). [NHL]
Igor Shesterkin has tied his buddy Ilya Sorokin in career goals, having shot into the empty net against the Lightning. Asked about Sorokin’s goal (which was a Nashville own goal), Shesterkin said, “this one counts!” [NHL]
Returning from a seasonlong injury, Aleksander Barkov left the Panthers-Sharks game after an awkward fall along the boards. [Sportsnet]
Gary Bettman is not a fan of the NTC-wielding trade-request trend. [Sportsnet]
Matthew Knies scored three points in his Columbus debut. [NHL]
The ugly Putin stain on “absolutely shallow and borderline dismissive” Ovechkin’s legacy. [Athletic]
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Blake Lizotte #46 of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles the puck during the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on September 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
Penguins center Blake Lizotte missed practice Thursday while being evaluated for a lower-body injury, just one day after returning from injured reserve in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 season-opening win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Center Ben Kindel, meanwhile, returned to practice in a full-contact jersey and participated in line rushes, signaling he could be nearing a return from his lower-body injury. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins assigned forward Rutger McGroarty to their American Hockey League affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, on Thursday afternoon. [Trib Live]
The Penguins’ makeshift third line of Filip Hallander, Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre provided a major spark in Wednesday’s win, with each player scoring a goal. The trio was assembled because of injuries and absences, but their strong chemistry and offensive contributions could give Pittsburgh more options as the season begins. [Trib Live]
Penguins head coach Dan Muse and defenseman Erik Karlsson toured U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock as part of the team’s new partnership with the company, which became Pittsburgh’s official helmet partner for the 2026-27 season. [Penguins]
News and notes from around the NHL…
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the recent increase in players requesting trades despite having no-movement clauses is not good for players, teams or fans. [Sportsnet]
The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension worth $43.2 million. [Associated Press via TSN]
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman returned to the lineup Thursday night for the first time since stepping away from the team in March to address his mental health. [Associated Press]
Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff says there remains no timeline for a Connor Hellebuyck trade. [TSN]
Some NBA players develop a reputation that supersedes their actual on-court impact.
Aging millennial fans will remember Nick Van Exel. Random example: it could have been Rod Strickland. Perhaps it should be Tracy McGrady, but let’s avoid that collective trauma.
The memories are visceral. Van Exel was a joy. He was so talented, but never especially impactful.
Van Exel was ball dominant. He made bad decisions. He wasn’t much of a defender. He was one of the most fun players in the NBA to watch, until he was on your team.
Kyrie Irving has a similar mythology. He’s much better than Van Exel, don’t get me wrong. Irving impacts winning, but somehow, his immense talent outpaces his actual production anyway. He is on an extremely small list of the most skillful basketball players in NBA history.
It’s a matter of scale. In his prime, Van Exel was one of the fifteen-or-so most talented players in the NBA, but he was a fringe top-50 guy at best. Irving is…what? One of the one, two, or three most talented basketball players of his generation? But he’s likely never been a true top-ten player.
The Houston Rockets have been linked to Irving in trade rumors. Sure, they’re linked to just about everyone, but given Rafael Stone’s love of a good bargain, this one feels different.
But should he go after him?
Rockets regularly linked to Kyrie Irving
There’s a temptation to answer with yes, simply for the sake of having an excuse to watch Irving more often without being reminded that Cooper Flagg is yet another future MVP candidate who isn’t on the Houston Rockets.
Yet, that’s not a good reason to advocate for a player acquisition. So, I’ll cop out instead. The Rockets should be interested in Irving at the right price.
When we last saw Irving healthy, he was mostly the same player he’d been throughout most of his career. His 3.4 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) fell short of the 7.7 mark he posted in 2019-20 (wait: Was Irving a top ten player?), but he still scored 24.7 points per game with a very solid 59.4% True Shooting %.
He also makes sound conceptual sense for the Rockets. Insulate two of the best shot creators of their generation in Irving and Durant with a murderer’s row of defensive wings. It also helps that they have long-standing chemistry (although who knows what their personal relationship looks like, given that they’re both, let’s say, interesting guys). Finally, it also helps that they’re both logical partners for Alperen Sengun, given their elite three-point gravity.
There are immediate basketball downsides, but they shouldn’t be enough to dissuade Rafael Stone. Irving will be earmarked for a starting position that will present an obstacle for Reed Sheppard, but Fred VanVleet is already there.
The broader implications are more concerning. Even in 2024-25, Irving managed to suit up for just 50 games. He couldn’t play last year. Will he even get on the floor?
It’s a real concern, but it’s also the reason why Irving’s trade value ought to be relatively low. So, without further ado, here’s my price:
Fred VanVleet, Clint Capela, and the Rockets’ 2028 first-round pick, top five protected.
Take it or leave it, Mavericks fans. The Rockets should protect their pick against abject disaster. If something goes so poorly that they’re picking in the top five in two summers, there’s a reasonable chance it’s at least partly on Irving’s shoulders.
Perhaps that’s not enough. If so, the Mavericks can keep Irving. He’s injury-prone, infamously troubled, and a Rockets team without a clear franchise player moving forward would do well to keep their picks anyway:
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees is safe at first base after hitting a single against Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New York Post | Mark W. Sanchez: The biggest surprise of the Wild Card Series sweep over the Red Sox was the 18 combined runs scored by the Yankees, not a team known for scoring when Aaron Judge is on the shelf. The way New York put up those runs was surprising too, with a mixture of bunts, base hits, and big home runs all contributing, and the blowout in Game Two sparked by Spencer Jones hustling on a dropped third strike, then stealing second and third. If the Yankees can use all these weapons the same way in the ALDS, it may be a short series for the Rays.
NJ.com | Randy Miller ($): Speaking of Aaron Judge, the Yankee Captain remains optimistic he’ll play a role in the ALDS against Tampa. Judge is in the midst of rehabbing that calf strain, taking BP and running on the field before this week’s Wild Card Games. I’m still skeptical he’ll be available over the next week, but I’ve been surprised before.
New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: Right off the bat, the Yankees will have a tough assignment in ALDS Game One. Drew Rassmussen, who could very well end up a Cy Young Award finalist, will get the ball for the Rays, fresh off four regular season starts against the Yankees this year, putting up a 2.86 ERA and striking out 26 in 22 innings. Drew’s one of the best in the AL, but having a righty on the hill does mean the Yankees should be able to put their ideal lineup in to counter.
FanGraphs | Michael Baumann: This got lost in some of the excitement yesterday, but the Yankees’ strategy of stacking the bench at the expense of the bullpen paid off in spades in the Wild Card round. With 16 position players available, Aaron Boone had more buttons to push in specific pitching matchups, and did so fabulously. The team won’t be able to carry quite so many hitters in the ALDS, but with starters that can go deep into games and your high-leverage relievers able to be used more with extra off days, don’t be surprised to see them carry one more potential batter than the Rays might.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: DeAnthony Melton #8 of the Golden State Warriors poses for a portrait during NBA media day on September 28, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Last season, De’Anthony Melton committed a career-high 1.9 turnovers per game, and made only 29.4 percent of his three-point attempts. You could say he was all thumbs.
He may have a better grasp of his game in 2026-27 thanks to some offseason procedures.
Melton was slowed last season by an injury to his right thumb and apparently, also his left thumb. Not only did Melton have trouble shooting or handling the ball, particularly in the last month of the season, but he was unable to hitchhike, review movies, or efficiently make decisions using a rule of thumb. Not only was Melton not making three-pointers, he wasn’t able to make the classic NBA three-point gesture, holding up his third-through-fifth fingers while making a circle with the pointer finger and thumb.
But now after taking both thumbs in for refurbishing, Melton is poised for a bounceback season, after honestly bouncing back pretty nicely last season, averaging 12.3 points per game in his return from an ACL tear early in the 2024-25 season. Despite going through an undeclared thumb war last year, Melton has been otherwise healthy for the start of the season for the first time in years, after rehabbing a knee last year and working through back problems two years ago.
It’s a shocking update for a team that normally only announces mysterious illnesses, secret surgeries, contract impasses, and sucker punches during training camp. I haven’t thumbed through the GSOM archives yet, but this might be the best preseason news since JaVale McGee officially became a vegan in the fall of 2017.
But Melton truly could be a floor-raising player for the Warriors, if they can get more than the 23 minutes per game in 49 games they got last season. When healthy, Melton has been a very good defensive player, consistently averaging two or more “stonks” (steals + blocks) and an above-average three-point shooter. He’s not a true point guard, but when all his fingers work, Melton can reliably bring the ball up and not embarrass the offense.
If the Warriors are going to find success next season, it’s likely going to be because of their defense. Having a healthy, ten-fingered Melton next season should go a long way to Golden State having a top-10 defense.
