Tampa Tarpons shortstop Dax Kilby (3) prepares for the game against the Lakeland Flying Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida, on July 28, 2026. (Photo by Carl Rizzo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
All eyes are on the Yankees as they make their 61st postseason berth with the division still in sight, but it’s also a great time to see prospects shine from the Yankees’ farm system. The Arizona Fall League will get underway in the next few weeks, and the Salt River Rafters will have six Yankees prospects on the roster to watch.
Dax Kilby, the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect and MLB’s No. 85 prospect overall, is one of the most notable names of the bunch. He was their top pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Despite battling a hamstring strain that has limited him to 36 games this season between the Single-A affiliate Tampa Tarpons and FCL Yankees, the 19-year-old shortstop is an exciting hitter who’s managed to turn some heads.
#Tarpons INF @dax_kilby (1-for-3, 2B, 2 BB, R) reached base 3 times last night while also making the best play of the game, saving the tying run from scoring by making a diving stop and making a strong throw to 1B. #Yankeespic.twitter.com/zpLgD86YkY
The Arizona Fall League will provide ample opportunity for Yankees prospects to stand out and potentially generate some buzz about bumping up in the minors. Kilby will be joined by fellow shortstop and Yankees No. 12 prospect Core Jackson, who has 14 home runs, 41 stolen bases, and a .819 OBP in 101 games between the Hudson Valley Renegades and Somerset Patriots.
First baseman Kyle West and righty pitchers Mack Estrada, J.T. Etheridge, and Chris Veach will also be joining Kilby and Jackson among the Yankees’ contingent on the Salt River Rafters squad.
In addition to the Yankees, the Salt River Rafters are also affiliated with the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Twins, and Nationals. The league kicks off with the Rafters facing the Desert Dogs at 1:30 p.m. on October 3. You definitely won’t want to miss the AFL Home Run Derby and Fall Stars game before all the action comes to a close on November 13th. Pinstripe Alley will have regular updates on the best of the AFL throughout the season.
BRIGHTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 15: Head Coach Joe Mazzulla & Paul George #13 of the Boston Celtics speaks to the media during a press conference on September 15, 2026 at The Auerbach Center in Brighton, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Paul George and Mike Conley Jr.’s introductory press conference at the Auerbach Center on Tuesday delivered on just about everything Boston Celtics fans would’ve expected. Both guys are happy to be in Boston and are eager to try and compete for what would be their first NBA championships.
“The past couple of years have been rough from a physical standpoint and that weighs on you mentally,” George said via the Celtics’ YouTube page. “When you wanna do things that you know your body has a limitation to [it’s tough]. I feel great. I feel really good physically and I’ve worked hard this summer.”
He went as far to call his transition to Boston a “rebirth” and added that he’s been able to strengthen his knee during the offseason.
Now, the easy skeptical response here is, “well, what else is he going to say up at the podium?”
That’s a fair point.
But, what fans wouldn’t have expected to see was the moment when George effectively walked the walk when he took a playful jab at Joe Mazzulla — who we all know doesn’t do “playful.”
The veteran forward joked about the Celtics having perhaps underestimated his capabilities in their first-round playoff series against him in the spring. He laughed and turned to Mazzulla who just gave him a hard stare. The still image of this should live forever somewhere in Boston’s practice facility (if George does anything memorable with the franchise, of course).
Joe Mazzulla’s reaction when Paul George brought up beating the Celtics last playoffs 😭 pic.twitter.com/934OW7ECsV
That’s a man who’s feeling untouchable. For George to think that he can poke their bear and get away with it, he must be feeling like he’s back on the Indiana Pacers.
I mean, did he not see the viral video of Mazzulla sparring in the octagon back in July? He looked like an absolute weapon.
Had the chance to speak with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and watch him train with the great @Eric_XCMMA.
Really fascinating to hear how much MMA has influenced the way he coaches.
He’s clearly put in the work himself. Far more than just a fan of the sport.
George is lucky that Joe didn’t just put him in a guillotine hold right there in the Auerbach Center press room. He should’ve been on thin ice after he earlier had to be corrected by Brad Stevens that the Celtics do, in fact, have more NBA titles than the rival Los Angeles Lakers. Brad had his fastball. He joked that the Cs actually have six more titles than L.A., who subtly claimed five Minneapolis titles from the 1950s.
Also, credit to Mazzulla for having restraint in that moment. He surely wanted to make it clear that disrespect will not be tolerated.
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 14: Toronto Blue Jays Infielder Andres Gimenez (0) reacts during the MLB regular season game between the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays on September 14, 2026, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Jays and Tigers play at 3:00 Eastern.
The Jays, either during or after last night’s game, decided to change around the starting pitching plans for the rest of the way.
Today Scherzer still starts.
Thursday off-day.
Friday Dylan Cease, instead of Arrighetti and bullpen.
Saturday Jose Soriano
Sunday Arrighetti/bullpen.
And, Max, no pressure, but you need to get us some innings tonight. I really expected some pitching moves this morning. I’m still expecting them, but they better announce them soon.
The team figures Trey Yesavage will join the roster again Sunday or Monday and will take part in a bullpen day. And Shane Bieber is hoping to be back before the end of the season too.
As much has the bullpen day exploding, the offense has to start doing offensive type stuff. They have run up against a couple of good pitchers in this series, but they are going to have to figure out how to hit guys, even if they are good.
This is the lineup that is going to try to score today:
Today’s Lineups
TIGERS
BLUE JAYS
Kevin McGonigle – 3B
Brett Bateman – CF
Hao-Yu Lee – 2B
Nathan Lukes – RF
Colt Keith – DH
Vladimir Guerrero – 1B
Riley Greene – LF
George Springer – DH
Dillon Dingler – C
Kazuma Okamoto – 3B
Max Clark – CF
Josh Smith – 2B
Spencer Torkelson – 1B
Ernie Clement – SS
Brett Callahan – RF
Brandon Valenzuela – C
John Peck – SS
Myles Straw – LF
Keider Montero – RHP
Max Scherzer – RHP
Kevin Glew tweets that W.P. Kinsella died 10 years ago today. Beyond Shoeless Joe, he wrote a number of books I enjoyed. We got to meet him, a book store near us had a night with him and he was everything you’d want him to be funny, personable, and full of interesting stories.
And it is Tim Raines birthday. He turns 67 today. He is one of those guys to whom I owe some of my baseball fandom. He showed the value of getting on base, getting into scoring position. He came up as a second baseman, but those were the days when base runners tried to take the second baseman out of the game. The team knew he was too valuable to put him in a spot where guys were trying to take out his legs.
He also taught me that teams sometimes focus on the wrong things. They moved him to center field when Andre Dawson left the team. He was great, but his throwing arm wasn’t great. Instead of blaming the crappy players on the team for not winning, they blamed his arm and moved him back to left. Bad teams often blame the wrong things for losing.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 15: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros pitches in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Daikin Park on September 15, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In last night’s 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, Hunter Brown went the first 5 innings for the win, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, walking 3 and striking out 10.
After the game, Brown spoke to reporters and acknowledged that Astros pitching guru Brent Strom taught him a new pitch:
Hunter Brown unveiled a new slider tonight: "I got a new one. Strommy taught me that one and it was pretty good. He told me I've got to think of a name for it. Kind of brought out the cutter again and then started throwing this downer, slider thing — half curveball."
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Clarke Schmidt #36 of the New York Yankees smiles before a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 26, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees reinstated Clarke Schmidt from the 60-day injured list ahead of today’s series finale in Minnesota. The team also optioned right-handed reliever Bradley Hanner to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and designated Oswaldo Cabrera for assignment.
It’s the end of a long road back for Schmidt, who hasn’t pitched on a major league mound since July 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. At the time, Schmidt was in the midst of establishing himself as one of the Yankees’ best starters, running a 3.07 ERA across 164 innings between 2024 and 2025.
Schmidt won’t have enough time to build up to a starter’s workload prior to the postseason, but he has a real chance to make an impact in the Yankee bullpen. He’s been used in one-to-two inning stretches in the minors, where his fastball has sat around his customary 94 mph. Beyond David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, and Brent Headrick, the Yankees have little set in stone in their bullpen, leaving a wide opportunity for someone like Schmidt to grab a meaningful role with a strong showing in the final two weeks of the season.
The Yankees had to manage their 40-man roster as a result of this move, and Cabrera was sadly the casualty. Schmidt coming off the 60-day IL necessitated clearing a spot on a full 40-man. Cabrera, who has spent most of the season at Triple-A after recovering from a gruesome knee injury last year, drew the short stick. The Yankees could have plausibly transferred Fernando Cruz to the 60-day IL, but instead opted to keep hope alive for a return from Cruz.
It was a surprising move, considering that Cabrera seems likely to be claimed by another team after batting .288 with a .790 OPS this year at Triple-A.
He played three games for the Yankees this season, but has spent most of it at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after finishing off his comeback from a grueling broken ankle that he suffered on a slide home last May in Seattle.
“Very difficult,” manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday at Target Field. “One of the parts of the game that are tough. You’re fortunate to come across – and I feel like I’m blessed to have a lot of guys on this team that you just admire and respect and love doing the job with on a daily basis, and Oswaldo’s right there at the top of that list. Just who he is, how he goes about things, how he treats people, the competitor he is, the teammate he is. So those are hard things all the time.
The Yankees designated Oswaldo Cabrera for assignment on Wednesday. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“The good thing is Oswaldo’s come back from a very difficult injury and had a really good year down in Triple-A, he’s playing really well. So, hopefully this is just one of those things. I’m confident Oswaldo will go on to have a very good career and hopefully it’s still with us.”
The 27-year-old utilityman still has another minor league option remaining after this season, increasing his value if a team should claim him.
The Yankees could have gone another route to open a spot on the 40-man roster, but doing this preserves as much pitching depth as possible while also leaving the door open for Fernando Cruz to pitch again this season (instead of transferring him to the 60-day IL as he attempts to come back from a partially torn UCL).
Cabrera’s path back to the Yankees had also become more difficult with the addition of fellow utilityman Max Schuemann, Anthony Volpe adding some defensive versatility before being recalled and José Caballero already serving as a superutilityman in the big leagues.
Clarke Schmidt of the New York Yankees reacts after Nick Kurtz of the Athletics scores on his three-run homer in the sixth inning on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Cabrera entered the organization in 2016 out of Venezuela, making him the second-longest tenured member behind only Aaron Judge.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jacob deGrom told the Texas Rangers before the trade deadline that he wanted to stay and believed the team could make the playoffs.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner is doing his part down the stretch, even while pitching through mild groin tightness.
DeGrom struck out eight in five innings as the Rangers opened a series of playoff contenders with a 4-2 win over Boston to stay within a game of AL West-leading Houston with 11 games left. Texas (75-76) remained 1 1/2 games behind Cleveland for the third and final wild card.
“It’s what you play this game for. You play to win and go to playoffs, and hopefully win a World Series,” deGrom said. “That’s what we talked about in the spring and set goals. And we’re right here in a playoff race.”
The 38-year-old right-hander (11-9) took his regular turn in the rotation five days after 12 strikeouts and no walks in six scoreless innings of one-hit ball at Seattle — a game Texas lost. That also was when he felt his groin tighten while covering first base on a grounder.
During his bullpen session between starts, deGrom said he only threw 10 fastballs, then added it only might have been nine.
“If it was April, May, that type of deal, I’m not sure I would push it,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s like, I’m ready, give me the ball and I’ll give you everything I have, and he’s doing that. I know he doesn’t feel 100%. He’s not even going to tell me that it’s probably worse than he’s even telling me.”
On his last pitch against the Red Sox, with the bases loaded in the fifth, deGrom got Adley Rutschman on an inning-ending groundout. Boston had two runners after the first two pitches of the inning, on a hit batter and catcher’s interference, before a sacrifice bunt and then a two-out walk.
DeGrom retired the first seven batters he faced before Caleb Durbin’s solid single in the third. No. 9 batter Nick Sogard followed with a liner over the wall in right field for a homer that got the Red Sox within 4-2, on a pitch deGrom felt went where he wanted it.
“I was like, all right, that’s all they get,” said deGrom, whose groin again tightened on him throwing a fastball in the second inning but didn’t get any worse.
“I think it’ll be something we’ll be able to manage and get out there in five days,” he said.
Hours after the trade deadline on Aug. 3, the Rangers dropped a series opener at home to San Francisco. It was their season-high sixth loss in a row. They had just been swept in a three-game series at Houston, going from a half-game division lead to 2 1/2 games behind the Astros.
The Rangers then won four in a row, a streak capped by deGrom’s nine strikeouts in five innings against Baltimore in his first start after the deadline, when at least one contending team had inquired about the availability of the pitcher with a full no-trade clause.
“He’s just setting an example to the entire team, just about how he’s going about it right now. Showing up, maybe not feeling 100%, but he’s going to give you his best effort every single time and doing it how he is doing it,” first baseman Jake Burger said. “It’s impressive, and I think that signals to the whole entire team.”
Texas hasn’t reached the playoffs since winning its only World Series title in 2023, which was deGrom’s first season after signing a five-year, $185 million contract in free agency — a deal that has a conditional option for 2028. The Rangers won all six of his starts by the end of that April before elbow surgery that kept him out until the final three games of the 2024 season.
PITTSBURGH — The best pitcher in baseball on the team with the best record in baseball isn’t sure how exactly the Milwaukee Brewers keep doing this.
Asked how a team that works on the fringe of baseball’s middle class has turned Champagne celebrations into a September ritual, Jacob Misiorowski shrugged.
“I couldn’t tell you,” the 24-year-old ace said. “You know, I’ve been trying to figure it out all year.”
The search will continue into October. The Brewers (94-57) won their fourth straight NL Central title when they rode their flame-throwing star and a couple of timely hits from role players Luis Lara and Joey Ortiz for a 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh.
When Atlanta rallied past the Chicago Cubs about 30 minutes later, there was a roar that seeped through the cinderblock walls outside the visitors’ clubhouse at PNC Park. Bottles were popped. Cigars were lit. Beers — Miller Lites, of course — were chugged.
This part of the journey never gets old, not even for Christian Yelich, who has been a fixture during Milwaukee’s run of eight playoff appearances in nine years.
“We’re a good team,” the three-time All-Star and 2018 NL MVP said. “This is what we set out to do every season at the beginning of spring training. We just keep playing our game.”
Brewers win with a smart, unselfish style
Milwaukee doesn’t overwhelm opponents with power or gaudy stats — outside of Misiorowski’s stream of 100 mph-plus fastballs — and instead relies on singles, smart baseball and a selfless approach.
The Brewers gave Pittsburgh a glimpse in the second inning. Jake Bauers led off with a single to right field, advanced to second on a groundout and sprinted to third on a wild pitch. Lara followed with a fly ball to center field deep enough to allow Bauers to dash home.
Just like that, Milwaukee was up 1-0 with the NL Cy Young favorite on the mound. While Misiorowski didn’t think he had his best stuff on a night he tossed five scoreless innings to drop his ERA to an MLB-best 1.89, it hardly mattered.
“It’s just the boys grinding, them doing their jobs and putting a run across the board,” Misiorowski said. “So that’s all I can ask for.”
A lot of times, it’s all he needs. The Brewers don’t just, as Ortiz put it, “single you to death.” They largely avoid the mental mistakes that can make all the difference during the 162-game regular season.
The proof came in the fourth when the Pirates put together their only significant rally. Pittsburgh had runners on first and second with one out when Rafael Flores hit a sharp grounder that glanced off Milwaukee third baseman David Hamilton’s glove and rolled into the outfield. Pittsburgh’s Nick Gonzales stayed at third rather than race home after a mix-up with third base coach Tony Beasley.
In the chaos, the Brewers caught Pirates designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn in a rundown between second and third for the second out. Misiorowski got Spencer Horwitz to fly out and end the threat.
It’s been like that all year. It’s been like that most of the last decade.
“I think we do a really good job of knowing how to win, creating a winning culture and everybody knows, like, every night it’s time to win,” Yelich said.
Yelich believes that culture starts with the ownership group headed by Mark Attanasio and trickles down to general manager Matt Arnold to manager Pat Murphy to a roster whose payroll of around $140 million is 19th highest in the majors.
The other National League teams that began the day in playoff position — the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Diego and the Chicago Cubs — all are inside the top 10.
Brewers no longer are overlooked around the majors
Given the Brewers’ success since their renaissance began in 2018, it’s hard to paint them as underdogs.
“I wouldn’t say they underestimate us anymore,” Misiorowski said. “I think we’ve gotten to a spot where they kind of see it.”
The Pirates, who are on the cusp of having their playoff drought hit 11 years, certainly have.
“Other teams are definitely looking at what (the Brewers are) doing ... because they haven’t spent the money that the Dodgers have,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “Money doesn’t always buy wins or championships. It’s a game that we’re playing. You have to go out there and play good baseball, and the Brewers have done that consistently over the last few years.”
When Ortiz was a rookie in Baltimore in 2023, he remembers sitting around with teammates wondering “how was Milwaukee winning these games?”
Now he knows. And no, there is no secret sauce. Just good baseball.
“It’s just competing, focusing on the stuff we can control, worrying about today and nothing else,” he said. “I feel like we just have a bunch of competitors on the team who want to do what we can to win. I don’t really think we think too much.”
While the Brewers have locked up the division, they’re hardly finished. The next step is trying to hold off the Dodgers for the No. 1 seed in the National League and the home-field advantage that comes with it.
For all of Milwaukee’s success, one thing the club hasn’t done is translate it into an extended October stay. The Brewers are still searching for their first World Series appearance since 1982. Yet they keep giving themselves a chance. They’ll take it.
“I think we stick to our plan and stick to who we are,” Ortiz said, “and try and be the best at what we can do.”
Chuck Fletcher's long NHL executive career continues as the former Minnesota Wild GM has agreed to join the Seattle Kraken as a senior advisor.
Fletcher spent nine seasons with the Wild as the GM and five as the executive vice president of hockey operations. During his time with the Wild, Fletcher negotiated the now-infamous 13-year contracts for defenseman Ryan Suter and winger Zach Parise.
Although those signings never resulted in a Stanley Cup, the Wild made the playoffs six times during Fletcher's tenure in Minnesota.
Minnesota was Fletcher's first chance to be an NHL GM, but he had multiple stops with different NHL franchises before that. He first worked as an assistant GM of the Florida Panthers from 1993 to 2002 before moving to the Anaheim Ducks and then to the Pittsburgh Penguins, both as an assistant GM. After his time in Minnesota, he worked as a senior advisor for the New Jersey Devils, then took the GM job with the Philadelphia Flyers before returning to his senior advisor role with the Devils.
Now, Fletcher has taken another senior advisor role with the Kraken. The Kraken are in a difficult situation. They feel pressure to be competitive, but they lack the high-end talent to do so. They haven't committed to rebuilding with their young pieces, but haven't been able to go all in either.
They've tried to blend young prospects and veterans, but it's amounted to just one playoff appearance in five seasons. Current Kraken GM Jason Boterill has been tasked with developing his prospects and fighting for the playoffs, but so far it's proven to be too tall an order.
With Fletcher's resume, Boterill hopes he can help him and the Kraken get to where they want to be.
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Following the 2026 NHL Prospects Tournament, the Detroit Red Wings are ready to focus on the beginning of Training Camp, which officially begins on Thursday, Sept. 17.
One player who participated in two of the tournament's three games was 2023 first-round (ninth overall) pick Nate Danielson, who began last season with the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins before eventually being called up to the Red Wings.
Danielson, who appeared in 28 NHL games last season, recorded two goals and five assists before being returned to the AHL. However, he suffered a stress fracture in mid-February that sidelined him for the remainder of the Griffins' season.
This time around, Danielson has his sights set on earning a spot on the Red Wings' roster out of Training Camp.
"For sure," he said of his goal to make the Red Wings' roster. "I mean, I want to come into Camp and definitely earn a spot. I mean, ultimately my goal is to be an impact player in the League this year and be someone who contributes. That's kind of my goal for the year."
Danielson got his first taste of NHL action with the Red Wings last season, and while he viewed the experience positively overall, he believes he can improve his ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities.
"I feel like there's a lot of different things you can work on," he said. "I think finishing is definitely something I kind of need to bear down on. I felt like last year, I lacked that at times."
Griffins head coach Dan Watson, who coached Detroit during the Prospects Tournament, believes Danielson is almost overly focused on his defensive responsibilities to the point where it hinders his offensive abilities.
“His vision, the way he thinks the game, he’s very responsible, maybe sometimes too responsible," Watson said of Danielson's attributes. "And that sometimes can hurt you, but I just think his willingness to go to the net, his willingness to create some more offense around the net; that’s what he was asked to do last year, and he started to do that with us before he got injured.
"So, hopefully he’s been able to rehab himself, to feel stronger, get stronger, and have the ability to do that."
Danielson appeared in 18 games with Grand Rapids last season, recording three goals and 12 assists. The previous season, his first full campaign with the Griffins, he posted 12 goals and 27 assists in 71 games.
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ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 13: Ray Kerr #58 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Truist Park on September 13, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There were a few overarching themes in play in the first half of September for the Braves:
They are still great at accumulating more wins than warranted by their production
They are also great at beating the Phillies
The two things above have made them overwhelmingly likely to win the division for the first time since 2023
The schedule was very tough, and they did okay-ish
But, this team still isn’t playing well by an objective measure
Put the above together, and the Braves went 7-7 in September’s first half. That 7-7, though, was well-scattered, as they went 4-3 against the Phillies, capturing the tiebreaker and more or less cementing their spot atop the division unless they suffer a late September collapse and the Phillies actually get it together enough to win a bunch of their remaining games. Still, as I describe below, this hasn’t exactly been a triumphant ride to the division title. Yeah, the schedule has been a gauntlet, but the Braves are once again winning games moreso than doing a bunch of stuff that leads to winning games.
How did the Braves do recently?
As noted, they went 7-7. 12 of those 14 games were against contenders, but they went 6-6 in those games while also going 1-1 against the Nationals. In terms of game-by-game odds, yeah, they should’ve gone 7-7. One thing this stretch featured was their two lowest-win odds games of the years, both in Philadelphia. They did indeed lose both of those games. To date, the Braves have lost all four of their games where their pre-game odds were below 40 percent, and have gone 11-5 in games where their pre-game odds were above 60 percent. In some ways, this feels intuitively “right” to me, even if there’s no real reason why that shuld be the case.
Production-wise, it’s more or less the same story. The Braves finished 23rd in position player fWAR in the first half of September, including 22nd in offensive inputs and 21st in offensive inputs. They finished 17th in pitching fWAR, with relative ranks of 11th, 21st, and 21s in ERA-, FIP-, and xFIP-, respectively. Both the rotation and the bullpen were basically in that same place. With their total of 1.0 fWAR each in the position player and pitching buckets over these 14 games, the Braves “should have” gone 6-8. They went 7-7. Surprise, surprise, they did it again.
Ranks aside, the September numbers are underwhelming so far: a 91 wRC+ with a marginal xwOBA overperformance, and a 93/106/107 (again, ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-) pitching line. That doesn’t feel like a team that has largely survived a September gauntlet to nearly sew up a division crown, but here we are, as we have been.
How are the Braves doing on the season?
Well, again, they have MLB’s fourth-best record. It looks like they’ll finish with 94-95 wins, unless something strange happens. They are almost certain to win the division, but very unlikely to catch the Dodgers or Brewers. Right now, though, they’re 20th in position player fWAR, though they’re at least 13th in xwOBA and seventh in team defense (park effects ding their offense, while xwOBA isn’t park-adjusted). It’ll feel strange if/when they win the division with a sub-100 wRC+, but again, here’s where we are.
Amusingly, for all the droning and hand-wringing about the pitching both in the offseason and at the Trade Deadline, it’s actually been pretty good. The Braves are up to tenth in pitching fWAR, with an average rotation and top-ten bullpen. The rotation’s line is 89/102/98; the bullpen’s line is 81/93/97. Perhaps one reason the Braves win a lot of games relative to production is that bullpen ERA-x/FIP gap: it’s easier to win when you allow relatively few runs, and fewer runs than you “should,” late in the game.
The Braves do have the league’s fifth-best run differential, but are only ninth in BaseRuns. Only three teams have outperformed their BaseRuns more than the Braves, but one of those is the Phillies, so ha ha ha, I guess. The disparity with WAR-wins is a currently-insane 12. There’s more to say about the wins versus WAR-wins and BaseRuns versus WAR-wins differentials, but not here.
How are the hitters doing?
At this point, I don’t really even know how to say anything new.
These last 14 games were a stars-and-scrubs effort. Mike Yastrzemski and Ronald Acuña Jr. did some great stuff and got fortunate. Drake Baldwin was solid. Mauricio Dubon and Ha-Seong Kim were also there. Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies basically went full-on tire fire. Michael Harris II and Sean Murphy didn’t help. That’s the team, and that’s not great.
For the season as a whole, you basically have the team’s front four doing stuff, and everyone else…not doing doing stuff. Dubon has at least provided value via defense and versatility, but the back half of the starting crew has been pretty damaging to the team’s production. It’s still kind of amazing the Braves are where they are given the table above.
The wOBAs and xwOBAs have largely normalized for everyone. There’s a bit of “Albies has stolen the mojos of Baldwin and Acuña” but not much.
That said, and totally in keeping with this season as whole, guess who led the team in WPA for these 14 games among position players? First, Murphy, and then Kim just 0.01 WPA behind. Both guys had two huge games as part-time players. The Braves will take it.
How are the pitchers doing?
It was a good two weeks for HR/FB for the starters. Grant Holmes and Martin Perez were big beneficiaries despite problematic peripherals. Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle were worse than they have been peripherals-wise, but the lack of homers helped. The less said about AJ Smith-Shawver and Reynaldo Lopez at this point, the better.
The season-long stats are largely familiar to y’all at this point. Sale and Mahle rule, Perez has been decent, Holmes still doesn’t really have the juice to be an average-y starter, and so on and so forth.
Reliever-wise, Didier Fuentes was a beast these two weeks, but when is he not? Ray Kerr also reappeared and was surprisingly really good in a longer relief role. Kerr, in particular, managed three multi-inning outings, and earned shutdowns in two of them despite them being medium-leverage appearances. Between Kerr and Suter, the Braves seem very wealthy in “lefties who can avoid having to use multiple relievers to mop the game up,” which is not a super-useful thing to be wealthy in, but will probably help give guys rest that they may or may not desperately need down the stretch.
See you at the end of the season. Hopefully there’s no reason to skip one of these, though the short turnaround to the Wild Card round is awkward.
If you have any thoughts on how to amend these for next year, or do something different as a check-in, I’m all ears. These were in some ways easier to do than my old monthly recaps, but somewhat less fun though maybe more informative. That said, I don’t know if I have the time to do the old monthly recaps anymore, but maybe next year will be a lot easier than this year.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 15: Gabriel Moreno #14 of the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of the game against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field on September 15, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Marlins defeated the Diamondbacks 4-2 in 11 innings. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Cardinals Made Right Move Trading Nootbar So far, this has been a win-win sort of trade. Arizona has benefitted from an improved Nootbar. St. Louis has benefitted from the promotion of Baez to fill Nootbar’s place on the roster and the pitching prospects have picked up right where they left off at the deadline.
The good news there is Crisantes hitting his third home run since joining the Reno Aces. The bad news is, they lost the game anyway. The worse news is, the Diamondbacks organization has probably seen Drey Jameson play his last game for them.
Drey Jameson appeared to intentionally hit Sterlin Thompson in the 8th inning, causing both benches to clear.
Jameson and Reno manager Jeff Gardner have been ejected.@Aces | #Dbacks
Additional note to that. Jameson missed Thompson with a 98 mph fastball that went behind the hitter. But, Jameson isn’t a quitter, so he went back to the well and threw another 98 mph heater at Thompson. Jameson has reportedly already been suspended.
Other Baseball News
Pete Alonso Hits 300th HR in Victory Over Mets Alonso, the longtime Met, launched his 300th career home run against his former club. That did nothing to dampen the standing ovation the Citi Field crowd gave him for achieving the feat.
MLB Teams with Potential 2026 Managerial, Front Office Changes The consensus seems to be that Mike Hazen is probably safe, given his multi-year contract and the fact that Arizona is still in contention for the playoffs. There is less certainty about Lovullo, whose contract expires at the end of the season. The looming 2027 lockout is likely to play a major part in some decisions, including potentially the retention of Hazen and Lovullo.
The Seattle Kraken are adding a familiar name with decades of NHL front-office experience to their hockey operations department.
Seattle announced Wednesday that Chuck Fletcher has joined the organization as a senior advisor to general manager Jason Botterill, bringing the veteran executive to the Pacific Northwest after two seasons in a similar role with the New Jersey Devils.
Fletcher’s arrival gives Botterill another experienced voice to lean on as the Kraken continue shaping their hockey operations department and searching for the right formula to establish themselves as a consistent force in the NHL.
The move also represents another chapter in a front-office career that has taken Fletcher through some of the league’s most prominent organizations.
The Montreal native entered the NHL in the early 1990s with the expansion Florida Panthers, where he worked as an assistant general manager alongside Bobby Clarke. Fletcher spent nearly a decade in Florida and briefly assumed interim general manager duties during the 2001-02 season before moving to Anaheim.
With the once-Mighty Ducks, Fletcher served as assistant general manager and director of hockey operations. He was part of the organization during its run to the 2003 Stanley Cup Final, gaining valuable experience with a franchise that was beginning to establish itself on the NHL stage.
Fletcher’s next stop came in Pittsburgh, where he joined the Penguins in 2006 as Ray Shero’s assistant general manager.
That stint ultimately brought the biggest team accomplishment of his early executive career. Pittsburgh captured the Stanley Cup in 2009, giving Fletcher a championship on his résumé before he received an opportunity to run an NHL franchise himself.
That opportunity came with the Minnesota Wild in 2009.
Fletcher spent nine seasons as Minnesota’s general manager, overseeing a team that reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times during his tenure. The Wild won two playoff series during that span, while Fletcher became closely associated with the organization’s decision to sign Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to matching 13-year contracts in 2012.
Minnesota did not renew Fletcher’s contract following the 2017-18 season, bringing his first lengthy run as an NHL general manager to an end.
He soon returned to an advisory role with New Jersey before landing his next major opportunity.
In December 2018, the Philadelphia Flyers hired Fletcher as their general manager, placing him in charge of an organization looking to regain its footing in the Eastern Conference.
His time in Philadelphia lasted just over four seasons. The Flyers reached the playoffs once during Fletcher’s tenure, and the organization dismissed him in March 2023.
Rather than remaining away from the NHL, Fletcher returned to the advisory side of hockey operations.
He joined the Devils for the 2024-25 season as a senior advisor to general manager Tom Fitzgerald, a role he maintained for the following two seasons. When Fitzgerald departed New Jersey before the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign, Fletcher’s future with the organization became uncertain.
That uncertainty has now led him to Seattle.
Fletcher, the son of longtime NHL executive Cliff Fletcher, arrives in the Emerald City with more than three decades of experience across the league. His career has included front-office positions with expansion teams, Stanley Cup contenders and organizations undergoing major transitions.
Now, he will work alongside Botterill as the Kraken continue their effort to build a sustainable hockey operation.
For Seattle, Fletcher’s arrival adds another experienced voice to a front office focused on building the foundation of a team capable of competing for the Stanley Cup.
For Fletcher, it marks another chapter in a long NHL career — one that has taken him from assistant general manager roles to the general manager’s chair and now back into an advisory position, where his experience can help shape Seattle’s next steps.
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 26: Paxton Kling #28 of the LSU Tigers reacts towards the end of the game against the Florida Gators during the Division I Men’s Baseball Championship held at Charles Schwab Field on June 26, 2023 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The participants in the Arizona Fall League from the Texas Rangers’ organization were announced yesterday. The are Rangers farmhands who will be playing for the Surprise Saguaros are:
C Julian Brock
RHP Alejandro Chiquillo
IF Casey Cook
RHP J’Briell Easley
RHP Jesus Gamez
RHP Jacob Johnson
OF Paxton Kling
RHP Mason McConnaughey
It is a collection of players that is light on big time prospects and heavy on guys who missed a decent chunk of the season.
Johnson was the team’s 11th round pick out of Pearl River Community College in 2025, Johnson split the 2026 season between the complex league and low-A Hickory, though he went over a month without pitching in June and July. The 20 year old put up a 2.51 ERA in 43 innings over 14 appearances, striking out 48 and walking 12. He is ranked #22 on the Baseball America top 30 Rangers list.
Kling, a 7th rounder who spent two seasons at LSU before transferring to Penn State for the 2025 season, was the Rangers’ 7th round pick in 2025. A righthanded hitting center fielder with speed, Kling was slashing .261/.400/404 for high-A Hub City before a broken wrist landed him on the injured list for over six weeks. After struggling initially upon his return, Kling slashed .412/.574/.441 in his final 10 games at Hub City, and was promoted to Frisco last week, where he’s playing center field for them in the playoffs. For the season he slashed .243/.383/.361 with 57 walks and 102 Ks in 401 plate appearances, and is #19 on the BA Rangers list.
McConnaughey, a 22 year old righthander, was the Rangers fourth round pick out of the University of Nebraska in 2025, but didn’t make an appearance in game action until the end of June due to recovery from Tommy John surgery. McConnaughey put up a 3.48 ERA in 20.2 innings over 8 appearances between the complex league and low-A.
Cook, the Rangers’ third round pick in 2024 out of the University of North Carolina, missed the bulk of the 2026 season after undergoing shoulder surgery in February. In 47 games between the complex league and Hub City, he slashed .181/.310/.349.
Easley, 24, is a righthanded pitcher signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Kansas who the Rangers signed in March, 2025. He pitched mostly for Hub City but moved up to Frisco for the final week of the season and the playoffs. Easley was used as a reliever in the second half of the season, and for the year had a 5.43 ERA in 58 innings over 32 appearances.
Brock, 25, was the team’s 8th round pick in 2023 out of Louisiana-Lafayette. He split the season between Frisco and Round Rock, putting up a .197/.312/.332 slash line in 68 games.
Chiquillo, 23, split the season between the complex league and Hickory, putting up a 4.79 ERA in 56.1 innings over 17 appearances.
Gamez, 23, made 42 appearances for Hub City this year, with a 3.74 ERA in 43.1 innings, striking out 69 and walking 47.
Single-game tickets to watch the new-look Sixers will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 17.
Following a tumultuous offseason that included signing superstar LeBron James and trading for former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, there’s more excitement around the Sixers in Philadelphia than there has been in a long time.
James and Brown playing alongside the young backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe plus franchise stalwart Joel Embiid gives the Sixers one of the most complete starting fives in basketball.
After joining the franchise in May, president of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey also acquired notable depth pieces Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade via free agency and drafted guard Labaron Philon Jr. 22nd overall in June’s NBA draft.
The team will debut on the road against the reigning champion New York Knicks on Oct. 20 before coming back to Philly to host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Sixers’ home opener on Oct. 22.
Sixers fans can purchase single game tickets here starting Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.
