Excellence has not waned under Chris Fagan and while this is their fourth grand final in a row, it is the first they have gone into as favourites
“Give me 80,000 people at the MCG and I was Hercules,” Brent Crosswell once said. “Give me a grey day at the Western Oval and I wasn’t worth a cracker.” Crosswell, who probably would have won two Norm Smith medals if there was such a thing back then, would have been right at home in this Brisbane Lions team. They need a big occasion. They need the game to have weight. When it’s a sleepy shift in western Sydney or Tasmania, they drift. They drive their coach spare. When it’s all chips in, they are peerless.
This is Brisbane’s fourth grand final in a row. But it’s been seven years at the pointy end of the ladder. In that time, the competition has completely changed. The rules have changed. The way the game is played has changed. Their grand final opponents have all dipped in and out of contention. But the Lions have remained football’s great constant. They too have lost players. They too have shifted the way they play. But their excellence hasn’t waned.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 24: Luis Arraez #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Another night. Another loss. Another lackluster performance from the offense.
It all could lead to another early-round postseason exit, IF the Phillies are even able to get there.
On Thursday night in front of a disgruntled Citizens Bank Park crowd, the lineup continued its September-long snooze in a 5-1 loss to the Brewers that featured four Phillies hits, only one of them for extra bases. It was their 12th loss in their last 20 games and, perhaps a bit coincidentally, the 12th time in 20 games this month they’ve scored 3 runs or fewer, including 7 of their last 9.
On Wednesday night they fell 4-1, piling up just six hits while going 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, and are 1-for-16 in those situations over the last two nights. Oddly, hitting with runners in scoring position hasn’t really been a problem for the Phils this year. In fact, their .271 average with RISP is actually 3rd-best in baseball and their .798 OPS is 2nd.
But both losses had all the notes of recent October failures, and the fans in attendance recognized it.
And now, they may have also lost their star second baseman and primary trade deadline acquisition for the rest of the season.
Talk about Jesus Luzardo and his potential return all you want. This offense, as currently constituted, cannot win the World Series.
Arraez’ ankle injury trying to evade the tag of first baseman Jake Bauers last night just might be the death blow to an already underachieving lineup.
Luis Arráez went down in pain after running to 1st base on this play. He has left the game. pic.twitter.com/nbKPlGanAg
Even though Arraez was hitting only .278/.309/.369 with just 12 extra-base hits in 46 games with the Phillies, his arrival gave the offense a different dynamic as the No. 4 hitter. But in September, even with Arraez (who also wasn’t hitting great) an already struggling offense is having its toughest month yet.
September: .655 OPS, 79 wRC+
May: .667 OPS, 79 wRC+
April: .678 OPS, 85 wRC+
July: .686 OPS, 85 wRC+
August: .763 OPS, 108 wRC+
June: .778 OPS, 110 wRC+
Their 81 runs scored in September are tied for 5th-fewest in MLB, their .225 batting average is 4th-lowest, .302 OBP is 7th-worst and only the Angels have a worse slugging percentage than the Phils (.352) in September. They have hit just 15 home runs as a team this month, tied with Washington for the fewest in baseball, and their .655 OPS is also last.
The struggle bus has pulled up and welcomed all comers.
Kyle Schwarber leads the team with 5 HRs (one of only three players with more than one), but is hitting .171/.236/.395 with a .721 OPS. That’s second-best among the regulars. Bryce Harper’s .278 average and .348 OBP are fine, but his .367 slugging percentage, one homer and 7 RBIs aren’t getting it done in the No. 3 hole.
It’s pretty simple. If Schwarber and Harper don’t provide the power, no one will.
There is simply no way the Phillies can win a title with players hitting like this (in September):
Trea Turner: .226/.301/.269, wRC+ 83
Bryson Stott: .182/.286/.258, wRC+ 53
Justin Crawford: .239/.265/.391, wRC+ 72
J.T. Realmuto: .113/.214/.177, wRC+ 11
Brandon Marsh: .156/.174/.267, wRC+ 12
Only Alec Bohm is hitting well among the everyday starters, with a .319/.405/.464 slash line and 12 RBIs this month.
But much of these issues aren’t exclusive to September. It’s been a feature of the 2026 Phillies, not a bug. The Phils are 17th in runs scored this season, 22nd in average, 23rd in OBP, 21st in slugging, and 28th in wRC+.
If you judge this team’s position players by fWAR, they have the 5th-worst collection of non-pitchers in the sport. Only the A’s, Reds, Angels and Rockies have less WAR from their position players. As bad as his season has been, Turner actually has the 4th-highest fWAR (1.0) among Phils’ non-pitchers.
How exactly can anyone expect the Phillies to go on a deep playoff run with a roster like this, especially when going up against 100-win teams like the Brewers and Dodgers, and facing a brutal road wild card series against the Braves in Atlanta, provided they can even hold off the hard-charging D-Backs?
And now, the Phillies face some major decisions with Arraez out. Do they move Harper back to first base, second Stott to second and play Bohm at third? Do they insert Bryan de la Cruz and/or Derek Hill into right field? Or, do they simply play Stott at second and Sosa at third the rest of the way?
At this point, it hardly matters if Luzardo is going to be available for the wild card round. It would be nice if the high-priced offense could give their struggling relievers a little breathing room, but that doesn’t seem likely.
We’ve seen these Phillies lose playoff series when the pitching has been incredible. It doesn’t matter.
The lineup stinks. They can’t hit. It isn’t getting better.
Unless something drastic and unforeseen happens, there is no way they are winning a World Series like this.
Make sure to check out an all new Hittin’ Season podcast featuring a plethora of conversation about the Phillies’ offense and its chances in the MLB playoffs.
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ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves hugs Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on September 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the division having been locked up last weekend and the seeding essentially being locked in as well, this was pretty much a dead-rubber series for the Atlanta BRaves as they took on a struggling Cincinnati Reds squad that is also playing out the string.
As such, the main thing that everybody was looking for was simply quality of performance and health rather than actual results. The Braves have gotten the results that they needed for the 2026 regular season and all they need now is to gear up for the Postseason and the long road that awaits them. So, did the Braves escape from this series unscathed and looking fine? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. Let’s hop into it.
The only thing to take away from this is that Ronald Acuña Jr. avoided a serious injury scare after fouling one off of the one part of his lower leg that wasn’t covered in armor. Needless to say, the Braves could ill afford to lose Acuña (or anybody else in the core, for that matter) so it was certainly a relief to hear that both the X-ray and the CT scan were negative and that Acuña ended up just needing a night of rest to bounce back from the shin contusion.
Anyways, JR Ritchie got the ball to start this one and for what it’s worth, he pitched a mighty-fine five innings during this contest. If the only mistake is giving up a homer to Elly De La Cruz, you’re doing fine. Ritchie has certainly earned an opportunity to pitch his way onto the Postseason roster and if all goes well in Miami, he’ll be there.
Other than that, the offense had nothing to write home about in this one. This was the tenth time that Atlanta had been shut out this season and hopefully it’ll be the last time — both in the regular season and in the Postseason!
Chris Sale went into this one needing 10 strikeouts to reach 200 on the season for the ninth time in what is likely going to end up being a Hall-of-Fame career. Walt Weiss mentioned in the pregame press conference on Thursday that he definitely would’ve preferred to not have Sale out there for 97 pitches but ultimately, I think he was going to stay in as long as it took if he was close and sure enough, Sale was close near the end of his start. Also, shout-out to Sal Stewart for being a homie and not challenging the strikeout pitch for No. 200 because that, um, was a bit outside.
On the other side of things, Andrew Abbott largely kept Atlanta in check for the most part as the Braves once again found runs very hard to come by against this Reds pitching staff. Fortunately, they actually did score on this particular night — Matt Olson hit his 41st dinger of the season in the sixth inning to tie the game up at one run apiece and then Austin Riley hit a homer of his own to knot things up at two in the seventh inning. There weren’t any fireworks after that in regulation, so it was time for the ghost runners to get involved in extra innings.
The tenth ended up being pretty straightforward — Brent Suter sat down the Reds in order in their half of the tenth and then Mauricio Dubón came through with a short dribbler that was as good as a line drive to center that brought home the speedy DaShawn Keirsey Jr. from third base and earned Dubón the Dubble Bubble helmet of honor for the night. Sweet.
Carlos Jorge, Héctor Rodríguez and Elly De La Cruz all homered in this game for the Cincinnati Reds as they continued to find their power stroke during this series at the expense of Atlanta’s pitching staff. Those three Reds players have a combined 37 home runs so far this season and 30 of those have come from Elly, so that tells you how much of a shock it was to see some of those balls get out for Cincinnati on this particular night.
Fortunately, the Braves were able to keep pace for the most part as their offense continued to ramp up a bit. Atlanta got this one started on the right foot with four runs in the first inning off of Brady Singer but instead of it turning into a walkover for the Braves, it turned into a serious baseball battle as Tyler Mahle had his first rough start for the Braves since arriving at the Trade Deadline. Austin Riley added on a home run in the fifth inning in order to bring the game to a 5-5 deadlock.
Mike Yastrzemski’s go-ahead single in the fifth inning ended up being the final run that the Braves put on the board in this one, as the aforementioned Rodríguez dinger off of AJ Smith-Shawver ended up being the one that turned the game around in favor for the Reds as it was a go-ahead, two-run shot of his own. The offense for Atlanta was certainly active and the fielding display on defense was very solid as well but sometimes it’s hard to still win a game when the pitching has a rough night. That was the case here as the Braves ended up dropping their final home series of the season.
So, the most important development to come from this series is that the Braves will have to go without Martín Pérez until the NLCS (if they get that far). Also, Mauricio Dubón finally got a walkoff hit, Chris Sale hit 200 strikeouts on the season and Ronald Acuña Jr. cane out of it healthy. Outside of that, it’s hard to really glean too much from this series since the Braves don’t really have a ton to play for and the Reds are certainly playing out the string, themselves.
With that in mind, it’ll certainly be interesting to see how JR Ritchie’s next start goes. That’s likely going to be his final audition for a Postseason roster spot and considering how Atlanta’s starting pitching depth has suddenly been tested, it’ll be crucial to see if he can perform. It is going to be very, very fascinating (and t o t a l l y not nerve-wracking at all) to see how everything works out for the rotation and the rest of the pitching staff going forward.
Anyways, the Braves are officially locked into the three-seed and set for the Wild Card Series beginning on September 29. While Atlanta was still able to do enough to win the division, it’s not lost upon me that Atlanta dropped 13 games against the Reds, Giants and Mets this season. Turning over even half of those games would’ve probably gotten the Braves the bye but also, I hate looking at “what-if’s” since it comes to that sort of thing since Walt Weiss has always been adamant that it’s not about who you’re playing but when you’re playing them. Either way, it’s still a tiny bit frustrating to think about so many winnable games against struggling teams that could’ve had a big impact on the Postseason seeding. Again, I’m not super upset about it since ultimately the goal is to get into the bracket no matter what and the Braves did that (and have a divisional flag to show for it) but boy oh boy, having that bye sure would’ve been nice!
So yeah, there’s the takeaways. It stinks to lose Martín Pérez, it’s good that they didn’t lose Ronald Acuña Jr. and let’s make sure that nobody else goes down as they wrap this season up in Miami.
Los Angeles, California - September 24: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 and Ethan Salas #8 of the San Diego Padres celebrate with teammates in the clubhouse after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers to secure a playoff spot on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
With a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night, the Padres won the series and more importantly secured a postseason berth. It is the first time in franchise history the team has reached the postseason in three consecutive seasons. San Diego is in, but with three games remaining against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park, there is still plenty to play for.
The Padres hold a one-game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the top Wild Card spot and if they can maintain that position they would host the Wild Card Series. The Philadelphia Phillies dropped another game back with a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers which means the Diamondbacks still have a chance to reach the postseason if they can get some wins to end the regular season and the Phillies continue to struggle.
San Diego was held hitless against Los Angeles until the top of the sixth inning. Ethan Salas broke up the no-hitter by Tyler Glasgow with a one-out grounder to left field that seemed to wake the slumbering Padres offense. Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with another single on a grounder ball to right field that allowed Salas to move to third base. With runners on the corners, contact man Dustin Harris hit a sacrifice fly to right-center field that was caught by Andy Pages. He did not even attempt to throw home and Salas tagged up and scored to give San Diego a 1-0 lead. Tatis later stole second base, but the inning ended when Manny Machado struck out.
The Padres kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard and returned to the plate in the top of the seventh looking to add on. Jackson Merrill hit a one-out double to right field and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk to put runners at first and second base. Glasgow was removed from the game and Austin Hays was called on to pinch-hit against Justin Wrobleski. Hays hit a sharp ground ball that kicked off the glove of Max Muncy and rolled into shallow left field, that allowed Merrill to score to give the Padres a 2-0 lead. Samad Taylor struck out for the second out of the inning, but Salas impacted the game once again with his second single which allowed Bogaerts to score from second to push the San Diego lead to 3-0. Tatis again followed Salas with a single to drive in the fourth run of the game and Harris grounded out to end the inning. The three-run inning allowed the Padres to take control of their playoff destiny.
The Dodgers were able to score a run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Adrian Morejon was called for a balk, which allowed Mookie Betts to score. Morejon ended the inning one batter later when he got Miguel Rojas to fly out to end that Los Angeles scoring threat.
The Dodgers were able to add a run in the bottom of the ninth, but they should have never had the opportunity. Mason Miller struck out Pages, got Hunter Feduccia to fly out and then struck out Tommy Edman, but the strikeout pitch bounced and got through Salas allowing Edman to reach first base. Shohei Ohtani who was limited throughout the game hit an RBI-double to left-center field to score Edman who advanced to second base on a defensive indifference and the Padres’ lead was cut to 4-2. Miller finally closed the game and earned the playoff-clinching save when he got Betts to ground out to Ty France at first base.
It is important to note that Nick Pivetta pitched very well in the game. He did not stay in long enough to earn the win, but that was not because he was ineffective. He needed 87 pitches to get through 4.2 scoreless innings, which was his most pitches thrown since his return from injury. Pivetta allowed just four hits and one walk to the Dodgers and he had seven strikeouts. He was in a little trouble when manager Craig Stammen removed him from the game, but Pivetta put together a solid night. Yuki Matsui and Jason Adam each completed scoreless inning. Morejon pitched 1.1 one innings with one run allowed on a balk and Miller allowed the one run in his inning of work.
Salas finished the night 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and Tatis followed with a 2-for-3 night with a walk and RBI. Merrill and Hays had the only other hits in the game and despite San Diego being outhit 7-6, the Padres were able to end the night with a champagne celebration in the visitor’s clubhouse before returning to San Diego.
The Padres will look to maintain and perhaps improve their playoff position when they host the Diamondbacks tonight at 6:40 p.m.
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 5: Steven Wright #35 of the Boston Red Sox delivers as storm clouds roll in during the first inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers on June 5, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another series, another run of silent bats. But Ceddanne Rafaela returned and played in two-of-three against the Cleveland Guardians.
The Cubs did clinch their playoff berth Thursday. So they are looking for seeding. Likewise, while the Red Sox are probably the second Wild Card, though there is a scenario where they fall to the third Wild Card due to losing some tiebreakers.
The action kicks off with a doubleheader: Sunday’s game was moved to Friday afternoon at 1:05 and Friday’s game was moved up to 6:05. Saturday remains scheduled as normal, but it is expected to be rained out. In that case (and maybe sometime Friday we’ll hear) the game will be moved to Sunday. And with the aforementioned rain, it’s believed the teams may fly to Tampa and play at Tropicana Field as a neutral site. As Joe Castiglione would say “can you believe it?”
Will Willson Contreras play this weekend? Don’t count on it, per the man himself. He may not feel ready by Tuesday. He does recognize how hard his teammates are playing every day and wants to help. Thanks again, Rangers!
The Red Sox have announced Alex Gamboa and Brayan Bello as the starters for Games 1 an2 2, respectively. Gamboa could be filling in as an opener for Jake Bennett to get some innings out of him before the postseason, but that hasn’t been announced. It would be weird to do a strict bullpen game in the first part of the doubleheader in case something goes wrong in the evening. Bello, of course, is coming off one of the best starts of his entire career. Hopefully the Sox can score enough runs to win this time for him.
Chad Tracy said in Thursday’s postgame interview that Patrick Sandoval was willing to volunteer for a bit of bullpen work and the one inning he tossed Thursday evening doesn’t remove him from consideration to pitch against the Cubs.
The Cubs will be sending two-fifths of the Mets 2026 Opening Day rotation the Sox. Clay Holmes has given up 17 runs over his last three starts and last 15.1 innings. He didn’t face the Red Sox when he was with the Mets in the first half.
David Peterson had and ERA over 6.00 with the Mets (3.85 FIP) and now has an ERA of 3.94 (4.20 FIP) with the Cubs. Unlike Holmes, Peterson has been on a roll allowing just a since run in each of his last three starts. One start before he did give up 6 in 3.2 innings. So it’s not that long a run of success.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is officially a 40-40 guy.
Alex Bregman suffered a foul ball to the face while in the on deck circle a few days ago. He’s questionable to play, but like Willson might try to get in a game to tune up for the playoffs if he’s not in pain.
Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki have 24 and 25 home runs, respectively.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, September 25 (1) (Fenway): Clay Holmes (3.25 ERA / 3.62 FIP) vs. Alex Gamboa (1.16 ERA / 3.16 FIP)
Friday, September 25 (2) (Fenway) : David Peterson (4.96 / 4.03 FIP) vs. Brayan Bello (4.49 ERA / 4.00 FIP)
Saturday, September 26 / Sunday 27 in Tampa?: TBD (— ERA / — FIP) vs. TBD (— ERA / — FIP)
The World Champion Knicks begin training camp on Monday.
Here are three things to keep an eye on while the team prepares to defend its title...
EXTENSION TENSION?
Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Miles McBride are all eligible for extensions.
As noted earlier this week, Towns’ side and the Knicks have been in regular contact throughout the offseason about the extension. Per a league source familiar with the matter, the talks have been positive. And the Knicks have made it known that they want Towns in New York for a long time.
Towns has also previously said that he wants to be a Knick for a long time, yet no deal has come to fruition.
ESPN reports that negotiations have become stagnant and an agreement ahead of camp is unlikely. I’m not refuting that reporting, but I’d be surprised if the situation hung over the team like a cloud during camp, as ESPN suggested.
Towns, per SNY sources familiar with the matter, has been at the Knicks facility ahead of the start of camp.
Based on recent history, I think any issue like this will generate much more noise outside of the Knick locker room than inside of it. The team is just coming off of a timeless championship run. Towns and the Knicks have until June 30 to come to an agreement, but it’s also worth pointing out Towns’ negotiations may impact extension talks for Hart and McBride.
Towns is making $57 million this season, he has a $61 million player option for next year, and is eligible for a four-year extension worth as much as $276 million.
At one point in offseason discussions, the Knicks made offers to Towns that started between $45 million and $50 million per season, per league sources. The length of those offers is unknown. Clearly, those offers were rejected. If Towns and the Knicks don’t find common ground on an extension, he won’t opt out of his $61 million player option for 2027-28.
Towns opting out would give the Knicks much more flexibility under the second apron to extend Hart, and possibly, McBride. But if he opts in for 2027-28, the Knicks will have much less financial flexibility under the second apron for other extensions.
To get more perspective on potential extensions for Towns, Hart, and McBride, I reached out to my friend and salary cap guru Yossi Gozlan, founder of The Third Apron.
For our hypothetical, Gozlan uses $75 million as a combined annual salary for the first year of Towns and Hart extensions. With this number, the Knicks would have roughly $13-$14 million in second apron space to offer McBride.
Feb 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) is greeted by guard Josh Hart (3) during a timeout in the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Let’s say the first year of Towns and Hart extensions are a combined $65 million (**not realistic, in my view but we'll use it for purposes of the exercise). The Knicks in this scenario would have roughly $23 million in space under the second apron. This, as Gozlan notes, should be enough to sign McBride and a good backup big man.
The Knicks have to project these extensions out further than next season, obviously. And when you look ahead to 2028-29, the numbers look a bit different, since Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are eligible for extensions during the 2027 offseason.
Let’s say Brunson signs a max extension. If you take Brunson’s deal and combine it with a total $75-$80 million in extensions for Towns and Hart, the Knicks would have around $10 million under the second apron for either McBride or another player. In this example, Anunoby does not sign an extension. That $10 million is certainly below McBride’s market value. So that’s where the situation gets tricky.
A couple of things can change here -- the salary cap numbers for future seasons can come in higher than current projections, which would give the Knicks more room under the second apron. Or the Knicks could change course and decide to spend above the second apron in team salary, but owner James Dolan has said that the organization will not spend above the second apron this season.
If the cap projections are accurate and the Knicks want to stay below the second apron, it will be difficult to extend Towns, Hart, and McBride under current configurations.
In that case, it will be interesting to see how the organization approaches McBride’s future. There are pathways to retain McBride via extension or via free agency -- but each pathway requires additional decisions/moves. I assume teams have -- and will continue to -- ask the Knicks about the possibility of trading for McBride.
CAMP CONFRONTATIONS?
As of Friday morning, the Knicks have 18 players under contract -- teams can have a maximum of 21 players under contract during training camp. I expect that rookie Tyler Nickel will take up one of the remaining spots, and I expect versatile third-year wing Kevin McCullar will eventually have a roster spot, as well.
Will the Knicks add another veteran ahead of camp?
Earlier this month, they signed veterans Bruce Brown Jr., John Konchar, and Ochai Agbaji to compete for a wing position. They also signed big men Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman to compete for a center position.
Mar 20, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ochai Agbaji (30) runs up court after a basket against the New York Knicks during the first half at Barclays Center. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It will be interesting to watch those veterans during training camp and preseason games (you can expect Knicks regulars to play fewer minutes this preseason, so the team will have a chance to get an extended look at other players).
If the Knicks decide that they need a veteran center and wing on the roster, they will need to make a trade to shed salary.
As things currently stand, the Knicks only have room for one veteran minimum contract if they want to remain under the second apron in team salary. So, for example, if they wanted to keep Eubanks and Konchar, they would need to shed salary via trade.
They were in this situation last year with Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon, and Garrison Mathews.
They only had room to keep one of those veterans, but were considering keeping two of them. Brogdon decided to retire (at the time of his retirement, there was no guarantee he was going to make the roster, despite reports to the contrary). So the Knicks kept Shamet and the veteran responded with a great season, making pivotal plays throughout the title run.
ROTATION ALTERATION?
Speaking of Shamet, I’ll be interested to see how Mike Brown deploys his bench this season -- maybe we get some clues about his bench approach during preseason games.
The defending champs (it still feels a bit foreign to type that phrase) have a deep bench with Shamet, McBride, Jose Alvarado, and Andre Drummond. They also have a pair of young players in Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara who showed that they can contribute last season.
The Knicks showed their commitment to Shamet (four years, $24 million), Alvarado (three years, $14.3 million), Diawara (four years, $11.2 million) and Clarkson (one year, $3.8 million) by re-signing them in the offseason. Kolek is under contact this season with a team option for next season (deadline to decide is June 29, 2027).
But Brown last season made it clear that he doesn’t play favorites/politics with his rotation minutes. He’s not going to play someone who isn’t producing just because they have a strong financial commitment from the Knicks.
He benched Clarkson early in the 2025-26 season and went back to him later in the year and in the postseason. Same goes for Alvarado. He benched free agent signee Guerschon Yabusele early in the 2025-26 season, as well. So the players who start the season in Brown’s rotation will not necessarily be the players who finish the season in it.
Former Rangers captain and interim manager has spoken about the "true leader" he believes Dan Neil can be for the Ibrox club.
Ferguson spoke to the former Sunderland captain and his father as part of his role as Rangers ambassador when the Glasgow club were looked to bring in the 24-year-old.
Neil has been a recent standout for Rangers, particularly in the back-to-back wins over Celtic.
"I had a good chat with him and his old man when Rangers were interested in him," said Ferguson, who will manage Rangers in the upcoming Tennent's Sixes.
"I came away so impressed by him. He was so eager to come to Rangers. I know there were a number of clubs after him, and Rangers did brilliantly to get him.
"It's always difficult when you don't have a good start, but it shows you how strong a character he is. He's come through that period and over the last couple of weeks, I think he became a real leader for the Rangers team."
On this date 25 years ago, a 38-year-old Michael Jordan announced his return as a player with the Wizards. “I’m doing it for the love of the game,” he said at the time. “Nothing else. For the love of the game.” The Wizards sold out every home game in his two seasons there but never made the playoffs.
I asked a few of my colleagues to share some thoughts about Jordan’s final un-retirement.
Sam Amick: As a kid who was a maniacal MJ fan despite growing up in the San Francisco Bay during the Warriors’ Run TMC era, his choice to put that Wizards jersey on hurt almost as bad as those Golden State years before Timmy, Mitch and Mully arrived. He had some good moments, but you just knew that nothing would compare to the (last) Bulls chapter that should have been his swan song.
Mirin Fader: I can’t get over that he was still a pretty productive player. That was truly remarkable, all things considered. But him in that blue jersey just looked wrong to me.
Jason Jones: I’m glad he eventually had his farewell tour, even as a Wizard. Things ended so abruptly in 1998 for someone of his stature; it was good the NBA could thank Jordan properly.
Law Murray: I still have mixed feelings about this comeback. I’m focusing on how it started, not how it ended. I know, hindsight is 50-50. But it is certainly one of the greatest flexes ever by a GOAT candidate. The man was the part owner and basketball president and decided to wear THAT uniform, for the love of the game!
Marcus Thompson II: All I even remember about the Michael Jordan era with the Wizards was Mariah Carey’s Wizards dress at the All-Star Game.
Joe Vardon: It was April 8, 2003. I was a young reporter covering Cleveland sports. The now-Guardians had their home opener during the day, and MJ and the Wizards were in town that night. I was late to the basketball game. I walked through the tunnel and behind the hoop close to the Wizards’ basket, on my way to my media seat.
There was a stoppage in play. Michael was at the elbow, with his hands on his shorts. He glanced up and looked right at me, right into my eyes, and held his gaze for a few seconds. It felt like an eternity. It was the only time I ever saw Michael play in person. He scored 26 points that night, and the Wizards won.
It was one of the few times in my career I was actually star-struck — the greatest player ever stared directly into my soul.
The last 24
📈 Upside. Which teams will exceed their projected win totals this season? John Hollinger has his picks — including the rebuilt Bucks.
⏰ Dame Time again? Damian Lillard is back for the Trail Blazers this season after sitting out with a torn Achilles tendon. Early reports are that he’s looking like his old self.
Mariah Carey’s famous jersey dress was actually more of a jersey gown, and man, was it glorious!
Carey wore the floor-length, fitted, blue Wizards jersey to honor Jordan at his final All-Star Game in Atlanta in 2003.The diva’s dress — OK, maybe it was her performance — made the GOAT emotional; Jordan looked like he was holding back tears.
But Carey’s isn’t the only iconic jersey dress. Singer Mya actually wore a powder blue North Carolina Tar Heels jersey dress (No. 23, of course!) in her video for “Best of Me, Part 2” with Jay-Z three years earlier, and it is the earliest instance of the dresses that I remember. Stylist June Ambrose tailored the dress, and it remains one of the style’s greatest moments. (The video was also considered really fly for that era.)
Here’s a little history: Jersey dresses were the result of one of the (in hindsight!) funniest eras of fashion. During the early 2000s, the trend for men was to wear oversized clothing. And I mean, extremely oversized. People were buying the largest sizes possible!
According to the New York Times in 2003, the dress style was created when Mitchell & Ness, the sporting goods brand, decided to use smaller jerseys that were sitting in the warehouse and turn them into dresses. And of course, due to its lack of sleeves and lower neckline, the basketball jersey is the best option of all sports for something like this.
So while Joe Vardon may have a moment where Michael Jordan looked into his eyes to remember the early 2000s, I’ve got the jersey dress.
WNBA playoffs
The field is set
It’s one of the best times of the sports calendar! (Yes, I will say this multiple times a year, and I am always right.)
The WNBA playoffs start Sunday, and I’ve got to be honest, y’all: I’m pretty pumped. This season has been so interesting, and the games have been good. There’s something for everyone. You’ve got young players — generational talents! — helping turn organizations into winners. A former soccer player turned basketball player putting on a show. (They don’t call her The Spectacle for nothing.) A team and an M’VP trying to repeat. A really tough expansion team (Golden State) in the playoffs for the second time in just their second season. Two bona fide MVP candidates who can give you 30 apiece on a good night, and 20-plus on a normal one. I couldn’t hit everybody, but this is all really riveting stuff!
And yet, everybody can’t win.
The first round starts Monday. Here are the matchups:
The spots are locked and the teams are ready to go 🚨
Check out the official bracket for the 2026 WNBA Playoffs presented by @madebygoogle.
The best-of-five semifinals begin Oct. 4, and the best-of-seven WNBA finals start on Oct. 17.
The same way fans have been arguing incessantly online about end-of- season awards, I think there’s a case for so many teams.
And finally, Sunset: Last night’s game between Connecticut and the Toronto Tempo was the final game for the Sun franchise. The team was sold to Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta in May for $300 million and will relocate to Houston. The Sun beat the Tempo 95-81 before a sellout crowd of 8,911.
Thanks for following along as I filled in for Zach. He’ll be back Monday — when The Bounce returns to five days a week.
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have trimmed their training camp down by four more to 28 on Friday morning, and they include a couple players that have had really strong training camps.
We wrote after Thursday night's 1-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks that defenseman Adam Jiricek, a first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2024 NHL Draft that he will make this decision on who to keep as a seventh defenseman with Tyler Tucker (tweaked right knee) currently shelved.
Well, at least for the time being, veteran Calle Rosen will be that guy.
Jiricek, along with 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg, Dylan Peterson and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who also had a terrific game on Thursday, were all assigned to Springfield.
It's really not that big a surprise, despite that Jiricek, Peterson, who also had a strong training camp, Stenberg and Kaskimaki all are waiver-exempt.
All of the others, including Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker, Jack Finley, Zach Dean, Dillon Dube and Rosen will require waivers to be sent down to the AHL.
For Jiricek, he can go to Springfield and play upwards of 25 minutes or more and continue to ascend and perhaps become a dominant player.
Kaskimaki displayed enough talent that he can be a sure-fire call-up should the Blues need one at any point, as can Peterson, who displayed a well-balanced mix of grit, toughness, some speed and an offensive skill set. The best thing for Stenberg is he needs to play a more refined role and play bigger minutes; his training camp produced very mixed results.
The Blues will need to trim five more players off the roster by the NHL's opening night deadline, which is 4 p.m. (CT) on Monday.
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Patrick Kane wore the Chicago Blackhawks jersey Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues. This road game was his one opportunity to get some preseason work in before the real games begin. The Blackhawks want to save his home debut for the regular season, so he isn't expected to play Saturday night's preseason finale at the United Center.
When the season does start, Kane and the Hawks will play in the first three games on the road before returning home to play the Blues on October 6th. Kane coming back has plenty of hockey implications, but the organization also recognizes the magnitude of his cultural importance in town.
Whenever Patrick Kane speaks now, you can hear the genuine excitement for him to be representing the Chicago Blackhawks on the ice again.
“Nice to wear the Blackhawks sweater again and wear the jersey and be back out there as a Chicago Blackhawk again, so that was a good feeling,” Kane said with a happy face.
On the ice, he showed glimpses of his former self. He may not be a 90-point player anymore, but his ability to create time and space for himself and others in the offensive zone is still incredibly noticeable.
Kane played on a line with Frank Nazar and Roman Kantserov, and they each had multiple chances set up by Kane. None of them were buried, but those floodgates are sure to open soon. More than anyone, 38-year-old Patrick Kane seems to be in mid-season form already.
"I thought we had some chances, some looks," Kane said of his line. "Maybe a little sloppy with the puck at times, but I didn't think we gave up much. Maybe trying too many plays at times instead of making the simple play to keep possession. We could have capitalized on some chances."
When Connor Bedard comes back, that may be his spot instead of Frank Nazar, but the line is going to be strong in the offensive zone all year long regardless. Patrick Kane has the hockey IQ to make those around him better, even now, and it is already showing in the chances that were created in St. Louis.
Kane recognized that they were a bit rusty, but he also admitted that game action, albeit preseason, is much different than practice. It was good for him to get into this game.
"When [Patrick Kane] got the opportunity to be out there, I thought he did a good job," head coach Jeff Blashill said. "He competes, he reloads hard, he's doing all the things we're asking him to do. I thought he and Roman [Kantserov] showed good chemistry again. It was a good first step."
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In Elliotte Friedman's latest episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts, the NHL insider revealed that Dylan Larkin has expanded his trade list as he continues to pursue a move away from the Detroit Red Wings.
The list is reportedly up to seven teams, and the Minnesota Wild are still among them.
''One of the things I heard about Larkin is that there are more teams that he's willing to go to than what have been reported," said Friedman.
"I think some of the other teams there are Colorado, Washington, and I suspect, in case people didn't know them already, Dallas and Tampa.''
Of those seven teams, a deal is unlikely with the Panthers and Golden Knights, as they don't have the future assets to make it work and likely don't want to part with many of their NHL veterans.
The Stars and Avalanche are in the same boat: fairly happy with their rosters and lacking tradeable assets, but they could still find a way to make a deal work.
The Capitals and the Wild are the most interesting teams that could make it work with the Red Wings.
So, with all of this, does Larkin expanding his trade list make configuring a deal for Larkin more difficult? The simple answer is yes, because they now have two more teams to compete with, but outside of Washington, their competition likely couldn't match what the Wild have at their disposal.
It also raises the asking price for Larkin. With more teams able to discuss trades, the Red Wings gained a bit of leverage and could demand more, or better assets, in a deal.
That's where the Wild will be most affected by the expanded list.
It doesn't end their chances of acquiring Larkin, but it does add to the difficulty.
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TORONTO, CANADA - APRIL 9: Immanuel Quickley #5 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles against the Miami Heat during the second half in their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on April 9, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Mark Blinch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Toronto Raptors have high expectations. Immanuel Quickley could be the most important player in their quest to make a deep playoff run. Here are three reasons why:
Explosive Three-point Shooter
Among the litany of reasons why the 2018-19 roster was perfectly crafted to optimize Kawhi Leonard, none was arguably more important than the spacing he was provided on the offensive end. The Raptors finished with the sixth-best three-point percentage (36.6) and made the seventh-most three-pointers (1,015) that season.
Leonard was surrounded by capable shooters in Kyle Lowry (34.7 per cent), Danny Green (45.5 per cent), Pascal Siakam (36.9 per cent), and Marc Gasol (44.2 per cent). Norman Powell (40.0 per cent) and Fred VanVleet (37.8 per cent) were also blistering options off the bench.
Last season, Toronto finished 21st in three-point percentage. Quickley was undoubtedly the most prolific marksman in the starting lineup (37.4 percent) and the best volume shooter on the roster (2.5 threes made on 6.8 attempts).
With RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl expected to join Quickley and Leonard as projected starters, it’s paramount that Quickley becomes the elite knockdown shooter that he’s capable of being.
New Role, Better Fit
Quickley’s two full seasons in Toronto have differed in terms of on-ball responsibilities. In 2024-25, the point guard nearly matched the career-high in usage he set during his rookie year with the New York Knicks. But last year, playing alongside Brandon Ingram, the evolving Barnes, and the bulldozing Barrett, Quickley recorded a usage rate of 21.1, his lowest since 2022-23.
With Leonard incoming, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see Quickley’s recent usage remain the status quo. During two of his best seasons as a pro with the Knicks, Quickley was assisted on 73 per cent of his made threes. He’s always been an electric catch-and-shoot player with dangerous range.
Quickley has undoubtedly grown as a pick-and-roll threat, and that part of his game will still be relied on. Lowry and VanVleet were often asked to run off the offence in extended spurts during the championship run. But if Quickley can consistently make teams pay off-ball, it’ll go a long way in supporting Leonard.
The right side of the ball
While Pat Beverley was telling a story about Leonard on a podcast, he offered some insight into the champion’s mindset. In response to the coaching staff asking him to switch on defence for a specific sequence, Beverley recalled Leonard saying: “If he can’t guard, then why is he in the game?”
The 2019 roster was arguably one of the greatest defensive teams of all-time. While this year’s roster has a few elite (yet growing) defensive minds, it also houses a few question marks. During the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers relentlessly attempted to hunt Barrett on switches. Teams are expected to try that with Quickley. To his credit, Quickley has been solid on the defensive side, particularly with his effort level and fight through screens. If Quickley can hold his own on a nightly basis, it’ll be a huge win for Toronto.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 22: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs and fans react to a run against the Miami Marlins during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field on September 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Josh Hader’s recent collapse against the Mariners illustrates just how shaky the Astros bullpen is heading into the postseason, writes Chandler Rome at The Athletic.
Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo threw a bullpen session yesterday and was feeling good enough that the team thinks he could be back for the postseason.
This is not surprising but good confirmation to have.
Dan Szymborski at Fangraphs did yet another statistical analysis on whether participation in the World Baseball Classic impacts regular season performance.
In recent years, it’s been extremely rare for a player who qualifies for the batting average title to go homerless in a season. Yet, the Rays’ Chandler Simpson is on track to do just that, writes Davy Andrews at Fangraphs.
Yes, pitchers really are throwing harder than they ever have before.
We need more Joey Vottos on television.
"The guy that used to hit .300, I'm sorry to tell you, is going to hit .240, .250 today. It just is what it is."@JoeyVotto breaks down why the league does not have more players like Luis Arraez and explains how baseball's evolution has led to that trend. pic.twitter.com/3C5fEUsv1s
May 4, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) singles during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Yesterday afternoon, while the Orioles were enjoying their day off, they were eliminated from the postseason race. The Chicago White Sox defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-1 to clinch the third Wild Card spot. This was just a formality; the Orioles have been out of the race for a few weeks. I know this was a very frustrating year for the Orioles and a down year for the American League, but it’s still something that they were not eliminated until there were just four days left in the regular season.
Despite being eliminated, the Orioles have one final series to play. And they are playing another team with nothing to play for this weekend. Unfortunately, the New York Yankees have nothing to play for for the opposite reason as the Orioles. They have clinched the first Wild Card spot and have been eliminated from the AL East, so their spot in the playoffs is set in stone.
The Orioles have been terrible against the Yankees so far this year. Over the first three series of the season, they are 2-8 and have been swept twice. Even against a Yankees team will mostly be trying to stay healthy and set up for the Wild Card round, it would be nice to see the Orioles rise up and get a series win to finish off the year. Or heck, why not a sweep? After sweeping the Blue Jays to wrap up their home schedule, they could end the season on a six-game winning streak. A sweep would also get them back to .500. And while .500 is far from the goal for this team, it’s better than being a loser.
So what have the Yankees been up to since the Orioles last played them? After they beat the Orioles 6-1 to complete a sweep on August 20th, they have gone 19-12 to maintain their comfortable hold on that top WC spot. They were unable to make up any ground on the division-leading Rays.
The big news for the Yankees in September was the return of their star, Aaron Judge. Judge have been on the IL since May 31st with a broken rib. He was back in action on September 8th, but lasted just seven games before going back on the IL with an injured calf. There was a bit of a kerfuffle yesterday when Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that Judge would not be ready for the Wild Card round. Judge didn’t like the declaration, but it does seem highly likely he won’t be playing in that series.
The Yankees have arguably the best starting rotation in the American League, led by Cam Schlittler (32 GS, 1.89 ERA) and Max Fried (20 GS, 2.80 ERA). Lefty Ryan Weathers has been quite good, but has been on the IL for about a month. And you know the rotation is deep when Gerrit Cole is the fourth guy I mention.
Despite spending most of the year without Judge, the Yankees offense is also up there near the top of the league. This is largely due to Ben Rice, whose power and on-base skills have flourished in his third big-league season. He is sitting on 41 home runs, which is tied with Pete Alonso and others for the top mark in the AL.
Games 1 & 2: Friday, Sept 25th, 4:05 PM
Where to watch: MASN/YES
With a major Nor’easter set to slam New York this weekend, MLB has elected to move Saturday’s game to Friday to avoid the inevitable rainout. It’s a smart move, and hopefully the storm won’t also affect Sunday’s game.
These games are being played as a single-admission doubleheader, which might make you compare the Orioles and their rainout this week against the Blue Jays. The Orioles opted to turn their final two home games into a split-admission doubleheader, charging fans twice if they wanted to see both games. The Yankees did no such thing. And I gotta say, when I read that I was a little irked. If the Yankees are making you look greedy in comparison, that’s a bad look.
With their spot in the postseason secure, the Yankees are playing it loose and have not announced any pitchers for this weekend’s series. I imagine that any regular Yankees starter you see will have a short tune up in preparation for the playoffs.
The Orioles have announced their pitchers. For game one, it will be Trevor Rogers, making what could be his final start as an Oriole. I hope not! Rogers is coming off of an incredible start against the Brewers. He held the best team in baseball to just one run on three hits. He pitched eight innings and struck out 10.
Game two’s starter will be Brandon Young. Young also had a nice start against the Brewers, a two-run, six-inning game with nine strikeouts. I half expected them to skip Young’s final start. But maybe it’ll be a short one. Albert Suárez is back with the Orioles for the final series.
Game 3: Sunday, Sept 27th, 3:20 pm
Where to watch: MASN/YES
Shane Baz will take the mound to close out the season for the Orioles. Baz got the win against Toronto on Monday with a 6.2 IP, three-run effort. Baz’s 4.11 ERA puts him at an exact average ERA+ of 100. Baz has done a pretty good job of proving he’s better than his numbers last year with the Rays. Since May 15th, his ERA is 3.66.
Baz has faced the Yankees twice this year. In May, he allowed five earned runs in 5.2 innings. In August, it was three runs in 6.1 innings. Better! He also struck out 10 that night.
How many games do you think the Orioles will win to close out the season?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 16: Brady House #12 of the Washington Nationals is tagged out by Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets to end the second inning at Citi Field on August 16, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New York Mets (73-86) will wrap up their 2026 season against the Washington Nationals (75-84) in a battle for last place in the National League East (and, depending on how you look at it, either the chance to avoid the misfortune of finishing in the cellar or the opportunity to cement better lottery odds in the MLB Draft). The Mets own a 6-4 lead in the season series against their division counterparts this year, with the two sides splitting a four-game set at Nationals Park in May. The Mets have won four straight after dropping four of the first six.
The Mets had the opportunity to play spoiler against the Rangers and ran with it over their three-game set at Globe Life Field, and they mostly succeeded in putting a dent in Texas’ playoff hopes. They took two out of three which, combined with the Astros taking two of their last three games, put both Texas-based teams in a first-place tie at 79-80 (no, that is not a typo). With Houston holding the tiebreaker, that effectively means the Rangers are now in second place with three games to go. The Mets took the first three against old friends Jacob deGrom and Brandon Nimmo, with a 6-3 victory on Monday and a 7-2 win on Tuesday, before falling 3-1 in the finale to be denied a sweep. Still the win did get the Mets to 73 victories on the season, meaning that, at the very least, they would not reach 90 losses on the season, which was no sure thing given the 12-game losing streak in April.
One of the big blasts in the series with a pinch hit, ninth inning grand slam off the bat of Brett Baty. The blow came after the Rangers intentionally walked Juan Soto for the third time in the game, setting a new Mets’ club record for a single game. It was Baty’s second grand slam of the year, the most on the club, and continued a torrid stretch for the young infielder. Since August 1, Baty leads all Mets’ hitters with a 159 wRC+ while slashing .301/.383/.559 in 38 games—that OBP is also tops on the club since the start of August. His 23 runs batted in since August 1 are also tied for a club lead alongside Bo Bichette and Francisco Lindor. Baty, like many of the young players on the club, are fighting to prove they belong on the club next year, and with his late-season surge, he’s likely established some sort of role on the 2027 Mets (if not as a starter, then at the very least a super utility player, perhaps like a Jeff McNeil type who can slot into essentially any position when needed and will accumulate 400+ at-bats despite not having a solid starting role).
The big news that broke right before the first game of the series win was the announcement that Andy Green had been signed to manage the team for three years after serving as interim skipper since late June. Since taking over, Green has put together a 39-39 record, which some would argue is not nearly definitive or inspiring enough to offer Green the role without going through a formal interview process. However, all that aside, the players, both new and established, have really taken to Green and enjoy playing for him. He got a resounding vote of confidence from both Soto and Lindor, and Steve Gelbs, in a pre-game discussion on the hire, said one veteran Mets player called Green the best manager he’s ever played with. For a team looking for stability and dreading the idea of another offseason of upheaval, being able to establish this sort of stability before heading into an uncertain offseason is a big win. Whether Green’s honeymoon is prolonged or ends rather abruptly remains to be seen.
The Nationals enter this series after taking two of three from the Tigers, which followed their series win against the Cardinals. In all, they’ve won eight of their last 11 games, which has helped hold off the Mets and keep them in fourth place in the NL East. For the Mets to overtake Washington—New York does hold the tiebreaker, though the two clubs cannot finished tied unless a game is rained out and not made up—they would have to sweep the series. Losing any game this weekend would guarantee the Mets their first last place finish since 2003—I will point out that these two clubs tied for last place in 2020, though I am all for pretending 2020 did not exist.
James Wood is looking to wrap up a solid third year in the majors, one that saw him pick up his second straight All-Star nod. Wood missed some time with an oblique injury and just returned on September 2, and has struggled since his return, posting a 78 wRC+ with no home runs and a .242/.333/.303 slash line in 18 games. Comparatively, he leads the club with a 141 wRC+ for the whole season, with 30 home runs and a .262/.385/.505 slash line in 132 games. CJ Abrams is also wrapping up a terrific year, one that saw him make the All-Star team for the second time in his career, as he enters play hitting .262/.338/.500 while leading the club in home runs (33) and runs batted in (103) and placing second in runs scored (92). One thing to watch out for: light-hitting Nasim Nuñez sits at 49 stolen bases, and will very likely be gunning for number 5o during the weekend. Nuñez’s accomplished the feat despite posting a miniscule 52 wRC+ and slugging just .242 on the year, the lowest by any major league player with over 475 plate appearances since the 1973 season.
Friday, September 25: TBD vs. Andrew Alvarez, 6:45 PM EDT on WPIX
TBD
The Mets have not officially announced who will take Christian Scott’s spot on Friday, though it’s likely they go with either Justin Hagenman or a traditional bullpen game. Scott’s season came to an end when he was placed on the IL with left knee inflammation.
Alvarez is enjoying a really solid rookie campaign after a brief cup of coffee in the majors with Washington last year. The former 12th round pick has become one of Washington’s most dependable pitchers this year, making 16 starts and eight relief outings across his 108 innings. He has the third-best ERA among Nats pitchers, and his 2.99 ERA as a starting pitcher is the best on Washington’s staff. He is coming off two really strong starts in a row—his last time out, he pitched six shutout innings of five-hit ball against the Cardinals, and before that, he hurled seven one-hit innings against the Angels. Despite the positive result, he did not factor in the decision in either game. He struck out eight batters in each of those outings.
Saturday, September 26: Jonah Tong vs. Jake Irvin, 4:05 PM EDT on SNY
After one of the best starts of his young major league career, in which he allowed just one unearned run over six innings, Tong reverted back to his troubling trends and took a step back against the Phillies. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings against Philadelphia, allowing four earned runs on five hits to pick up the loss. He also walked four batters, which is unfortunate after he walked just one in each of his previous two starts. He ended up throwing 95 pitches, which is his most in any of his major league starts in 2026, and tossed 61% of those for strikes. Tong will look to make a positive final impression as he hopes to position himself for a spot in the club’s 2027 rotation.
Irvin has had another mediocre year for Washington, though he has pitched better as of late. His last start was one of his better ones this year, as he allowed two earned runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings. The most encouraging sign was that he didn’t walk a batter while striking out eight. It’s his first time now allowing a walk since his start on April 25, which comes after he walked 13 across his previous four starts. The eight punch outs are also the second-most in a start this season. The Mets have faced Irvin twice this year and have put up seven runs (six earned) in ten innings against him, with the Mets winning both of those games.
Sunday, September 27: Sean Manaea vs. DJ Herz, 3:05 PM EDT on SNY
There was a point in Manaea’s outing against the Rangers when it seemed he might be heading for an early exit. He allowed three runs across the first four innings and struggled in the fourth, hitting two batters and loading the bases twice before allowing two runs. However, he buckled down and shut the door in the fifth and sixth innings, which positioned him for a win after New York re-took the lead in the sixth. In all, he allowed three earned runs on three hits, with nine strikeouts and two walks in six innings. The nine strikeouts were his second-most in a start. With Manaea under contract for one more year, his recent turnaround will give the team a lot to think about as they ponder the best way to use Manaea in 2027.
Herz made his season debut on September 21 after missing the entire 2025 season following Tommy John Surgery. The left-hander was slated to return earlier, but a flexor muscle train shut him down in June, and he finally recovered enough to make it back to the big league level after tossing 88 2/3 innings for Washington in 2024. In his first major league outing in almost two full years, Herz allowed four earned runs on five hits over four innings against the Tigers, which resulted in a loss. He struck out four, walked two, and threw 63 pitches in his return.
