The Winnipeg Jets have their opening-night roster set.
Winnipeg finalized its 23-man group Monday, with a late waiver claim helping settle the final few roster decisions ahead of Friday's regular-season opener against the Boston Bruins.
The Jets claimed goaltender Clay Stevenson off waivers from the Washington Capitals, adding the 27-year-old to a crease that will begin the season with Stuart Skinner as its starter. The move resulted in Domenic DiVincentiis being assigned to the Manitoba Moose, while forward Brayden Yager was also sent to the AHL as Winnipeg got down to its 23-man limit.
Photo by Terry Lee/USA Today
Stevenson brings limited NHL experience but strong numbers from his most recent opportunity. He went 3-1-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in four games with Washington last season, while spending the majority of the year with the AHL's Hershey Bears.
Defencemen Elias Salomonsson and Garrett Brown and forward Walker Duehr were designated as Injured Non-Roster on the final list.
Salomonsson has been dealing with a shoulder injury, while Brown and Duehr have been sidelined with lower-body injuries.
With those moves complete, Winnipeg will begin the season carrying 13 forwards, eight defencemen and two goaltenders. Seventeen of the 23 players have previously suited up for the Jets.
Among those sticking around are 18-year-old Viggo Björck, Brad Lambert and defenceman Tyrel Bauer. Björck, selected eighth overall by Winnipeg in June, earned a roster spot just months after hearing his name called at the NHL Draft, while Bauer is in position to make his NHL debut after spending the past several seasons developing with Manitoba.
When transnational alliances have scarcely been weaker, the way the club was allegedly run offers a bleak vision of a world driven by brute power and wealth
The cache of leaked emails and documents that would eventually lead to the crisis in which Manchester City are now embroiled was published by Der Spiegel in 2018, and often it was the tone of the club’s communications that was as startling as their content. Of City chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak, a trusted adviser to the royal family of the United Arab Emirates, it was said that he would “rather spend 30 million on the 50 best lawyers in the world to sue [Uefa] for the next 10 years” than accept a fine.
In the same tranche of documents, City lawyer Simon Cliff asserts that “Uefa doesn’t respond to anything other than aggression”, and threatens the governing body of European football – who were pursuing City over alleged financial irregularities at the time – with “the destruction of their rules and organisation”.
The last time Florida Panthers captain Sasha Barkov was on the ice for a National Hockey League game, he was skating around Amerant Bank Arena with the Stanley Cup.
That was on June 17, 2025.
Now, exactly 469 days later, Barkov is ready to resume his potential Hall of Fame career with a reconstructed right knee and a new fire in his belly after sitting out a full NHL season that came directly on the heels of consecutive championships.
“I’m obviously very excited to play meaningful games,” Barkov said Monday. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”
Barkov missed all of last season after tearing his ACL and MCL during what was his first on-ice workout of training camp last September.
He returned in time to represent Finland at the IIHF World Championships in late May, leading his country to a gold medal while pacing his teammates with 11 points in 10 games.
Not bad considering it was his first action in nearly a year and fresh off major knee surgery.
After spending the summer continuing to put the work in and preparing to hit the ground running with the Panthers, Barkov survived training camp and Florida’s abbreviated preseason slate and is now chomping at the bit to start playing meaningful games again.
“I’m very excited, of course,” Barkov said. “I was happy to be able to play two games before that, to kind of get into the rhythm.”
Through camp and the exhibition games, Barkov has been skating on what could end up being a very formidable forward line, flanked by a familiar face in Sam Reinhart and a new linemate in Brady Tkachuk.
The younger Tkachuk brother was acquired in late June and only adds to what could very well be considered the deepest forward group in the league.
Through five periods spent together during the preseason, the new Barkov line combined to rack up five goals and seven assists on 20 shots and a plus-13 on-ice rating.
When asked about Tkahcuk, Barkov said there is a lot to like about what he brings to the table.
“Just everything he does,” said Barkov. “He knows his role right away. He knows he needs to be fast, he knows he needs to stay on the pucks, like control the puck and that kind of stuff, and he was unbelievable for those two games.”
They also skated together on the Cats’ top power play unit, along with Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones.
It should be fun to watch the group continue to acclimate to one another and grow together as the season progresses.
Photo caption: Sep 22, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk (8), center Aleksander Barkov (16), and center Sam Reinhart (13) look on from the players bench against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period t Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 23: The Los Angeles Dodgers' MLB World Series trophy is displayed during a ceremony in the Russell Senate Office Building on July 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Dodgers were joined by numerous members of Congress as they celebrated back to back World Series Championships. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The MLB Postseason officially begins today, with all of the Wild Card series playing Game 1 of their best of three format. The Phillies made it close, but they eventually ensured that they too will be a part of the field, and they will actually be the first game of the day when they take on the Braves at 2:00 pm.
There are many intriguing storylines as we begin the tournament, with two divisional rivalries right out of the gate in Phillies-Braves and Yankees-Red Sox. That’s before even diving into the surprising White Sox or the division winning, .500 record Astros. Beyond the Wild Card, there’s the ever-persistent question of can the Brewers or Rays convert regular season success into postseason wins, can Cleveland snap their 78-year championship drought, and can the new evil empire in the Dodgers pull of a three-peat?
The road to those answers and more begins in earnest today. So, what are your predictions for the 2026 MLB postseason? Who will be the last two teams standing? Who takes home the World Series trophy? How far will the Phillies go? What team could make a surprise run in the vein of the Blue Jays last year?
Flushing, N.Y.: New York Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns speaks to the media during the team's pre-opening day workout at Citi Field in Flushing, Queens, March 25, 2026. (Photo by Thomas A. Ferrara/Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
David Stearns addressed the media following a disappointing Mets’ season. Overall, he saw “extremely encouraging signs” as he looks ahead to 2027.
When asked about whether he would do anything differently with Pete Alonso given what happened in 2026, David Stearns replied bluntly, “I don’t get mulligans”.
Speaking on other topics of interest, Stearns talked about retiring the phrase ‘run prevention’, what it meant to see Freddy Peralta succeed in Tampa Bay, how he’d evaluated his free agent signings, Kodai Senga’s future with the Mets, the need to add starting pitching, and the decisions that created an “uncapped downside scenario”.
The Mets are planning to look ‘externally’ to fill their first base void.
Laura Albanese wrote about Stearns owning his failures and how he will get another chance to prove he’s not a failure.
John Harper graded Mets players, the front office, and Andy Green after their last-place finish.
While the Mets missed the playoffs in 2026, their 2027 blueprint is already taking shape, explains Chelsea Janes.
Juan Soto and Nolan McLean were nominated for the 2026 All-MLB Team. Now it’s up to the fans to cast their votes.
Around the National League East
Jesús Luzardo will start Game 1 for the Phillies, with Cristopher Sánchez taking the ball in Game 2 and Aaron Nola standing at the ready if a Game 3 is necessary.
Mark Bowman detailed three things the Braves learned from their final week of the regular season.
After an uneven 2026 season, the Marlins believe they are right there and are hungry to take the next step.
Around Major League Baseball
Will Leitch at MLB.com shared the Power Rankings at the start of the postseason.
With the postseason beginning today, Alden Gonzalez wondered if the Dodgers could be more vulnerable than we think.
The staff at The Athletic made their Wild Card round predictions.
In Ken Rosenthal’s view, even if the Brewers or the Rays win the World Series, the competitive balance argument will endure heading into the uncertain MLB offseason.
The average NBA career is a short 4 1/2 years. Yaxel Lendeborg wants to make sure his time in the league stretches far beyond that number, and that begins with taking care of himself in the gym.
“I want to be here every single day at all times just because I know how it’s going to get,” Lendeborg said Monday at Warriors Media Day. “The average … lifespan I guess that people are in the NBA is three, four years, I think I keep hearing. I definitely have hopes and plans of being in it for way longer. If I can get like grandpa Al (Horford), then hopefully 20 years would be great, but we’ll see how it all goes. I’m going to continue to try to work out and stay in the best shape as I can be.”
Lendeborg’s constant presence in the gym also has caught coach Steve Kerr’s attention, who told media that the rookie has “a great approach”.
“I’ve literally had three different conversations with him telling him to get out of here for a few days because, you know, we’re going to embark on this eight-month journey or so starting tomorrow,” Kerr said Monday. “He just can’t stay out of the gym. He wants to be great.”
Kerr also said how he likes Lendeborg’s “journey,” winning a national championship last year at Michigan and having to “fight for everything,” while adding that he is “going to play a ton”.
The 24-year-old briefly played alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green during Butler’s players-only camp in San Diego, but as Golden State begins its training camp Tuesday, the veterans and coaching staff surely will be keeping an eye on Lendeborg’s ability to fit into the Warriors system.
The MLB wild card round gets underway on Tuesday, Sept. 29, featuring a packed slate of games to kick off the action. Among them is an NL wild card series rematch, as the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs face off for the second straight year.
Last season, the Cubs edged out the Padres in a close 2-1 wild card series at Wrigley Field in Chicago. This year, the stage shifts to San Diego, giving the Padres home field advantage at Petco Park for the best-of-three set. The winner will earn the right to face the NL Central champion Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-five Division Series.
"Should be a great series," Padres manager Craig Stammen said. "They’re a great team, they’ve got a lot of great players, a good coaching staff. It’ll be tightly contested. They’re the ones that knocked us out of the postseason last year. So we’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game."
In Game 1, Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd will take the mound, while the Padres will start right-hander Michael King, in a duel to set the tone for the series.
The Chicago Cubs will send left-hander Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91 ERA) to the mound for Game 1 on Tuesday, while the San Diego Padres counter with right-hander Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA).
Chicago Cubs vs San Diego Padres schedule
Game 3 time is subject to change.
Game 1, Tuesday, Sept. 29: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET – NBCSN/Peacock
Game 2, Wednesday, Sept. 30: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET – NBCSN/Peacock
Game 3*, Thursday, Oct. 1: Cubs at Padres – buy tickets – 10 p.m. ET – NBCSN/Peacock
* if necessary
What decides the Cubs vs Padres series?
Offense shouldn't be a problem in this series. The Cubs were the highest-scoring team in the majors this season, averaging 5.25 runs per game. Meanwhile, the Padres really caught fire after the All-Star break − with an average of 5.2 runs per game that was second only to the Cubs.
Which team's pitching staff can rise to the occasion and shut down their opponents' bats will likely be the difference in who moves on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the division series. It could all come down to the bullpens in the late innings, where the Padres and lights-out closer Mason Milller have a definite advantage.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on September 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Playoff baseball is finally here. Chris Sale will man the mound for the Braves while Jesus Luzardo will start for the Phillies. Sale is ready for the moment, but many in Braves country know it is going to be just as important that the offense is ready to go as well. It does seem that the Braves are ready to make the most of the opportunity, especially in front of the home crowd at Truist.
In the modern NHL, it isn’t uncommon for high draft picks to be given favourable chances in training camp to prove what they can do at the highest level.
It’s understandable. Organizations want these picks to succeed because failed development breeds criticism for management. Criticism creates pressure and eventually costs people jobs.
For a 21-year-old fourth-round pick who only has six games of professional experience under his belt, it is almost unheard of.
Senators defenseman Hoyt Stanley spoke on Monday about keeping his confidence high throughout camp (Senators/YouTube).
Yet, this is the reality Hoyt Stanley is living right now.
The defenceman was the Senators’ first pick, but a fourth-round selection (108th overall) from the 2023 NHL Draft. After three seasons at Cornell University, the 6’3”, 203 lb right-shot defenceman was enjoying his first main NHL training camp.
Early in camp, the Senators paired him with a third-year pro and regular, Tyler Kleven.
What was immediately noticeable in camp was Stanley’s blend of size and skating ability, and how he uses it effectively to disrupt offensive rushes. This combination has been a calling card for the Senators’ amateur scouts in recent years, but what separates Stanley from his prospect peers within the organization is how he limits mistakes.
For a prospect who has not played many professional games, it has been impressive to watch the simplicity and effectiveness of his game. And when he is handling the puck, there have been very few unforced errors.
Those traits have certainly caught the attention of the veteran defencemen on the team.
Following the Senators’ final split-squad game against the Montreal Canadiens, Thomas Chabot was asked about the quality performances of the young defencemen.
“The younger guys coming up, it's awesome to see (their development),” Chabot said enthusiastically. “You guys saw it last year. We had to use so many defencemen, unfortunately, but to see that there are so many guys down the pipeline who can come in and have a great impact and play good hockey, it makes everybody feel better.
“There are learning curves for everybody, but to see them go through training camp, step up and get the job done like that, all credit to them. The way Hoyt’s been playing, everybody notices, and it's good for him. It won't be long before we see him (in the NHL).”
We might even see it sooner than we expected.
Stanley was named to the Senators’ 23-man opening night roster on Monday.
When asked about the fact that he was still participating this late in training camp, Stanley still was not completely sure whether he was sticking with the club. Despite messages from friends, family and former teammates asking for clarity on his situation, Stanley admitted he was trying to take everything one day at a time.
“Yeah, definitely didn't know what to expect,” Stanley said while reflecting on his first training camp. “Coming into my first training camp, I don't want to say I’m super surprised, but I'm definitely grateful.
“I just put the work in all summer and wanted to work as hard as I could every day at camp and show what I could do, and control what I could control. I’m just grateful they've taken notice and that I'm still here. I’m just continuing to try to learn as much as I can for as long as I stick around.”
As grateful as Stanley is, he has the confidence to compete with the best players in the world.
“You want to have self-belief and believe that you can compete with the best players,” he explained. “In the summer, I'm working my tail off with some of the best players in the world too.
“Knowing that you can compete with these guys (helped), but also at the same time, I’m grateful. A lot of people probably wouldn't think that I would be at this point. So I’m happy to be here still.”
Injuries to Warren Foegele, Kurtis MacDermid and Artem Zub meant that the players were designated as injured, non-roster players. The Zub injury in particular helped open the door for Stanley to break camp with the team.
In two preseason games with the Senators, Stanley recorded a beautiful goal, two penalty minutes and two shots on goal. He finished the preseason with an even plus/minus rating. When Stanley was on the ice at five-on-five, the Senators generated 45.83 percent of the shots (CF%), 47.83 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 50.00 percent of the total goals (GF%), and 43.93 percent of the expected goals (xGF%) per Natural Stat Trick. These numbers may seem unflattering, but the sample size is small and, relative to his peers, they were still among the better marks on the team.
Stanley is one of eight defencemen on the roster, but with Zub being out of the lineup for the immediate future, he’ll likely be competing with Carter Yakemchuk for those third-pairing minutes. It creates an interesting dynamic: on one hand, you have Stanley; on the other, Yakemchuk, who has the pedigree, offensive aptitude, and more professional experience, but also has defensive warts that will hopefully lessen with time and experience.
What helps Stanley is a belief that as the talent and competition around him improves, he has found ways to elevate his game as well.
“I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but it's definitely it's cool to take in,” he explained. “I've always thought that as the game gets faster and the players are elevated, that I also seem to rise to the occasion and play better with better players. I’m just fortunate that's the way my game's been since I was younger. I believe a lot in myself and the work I've put in.”
How it will unfold will be intriguing, but Stanley wants to make the most of this opportunity.
“Since I was a kid, like everyone else, I dreamed of playing in the NHL and playing my first game,” he stated. “If I got the opportunity, just going to try to make the most of it and show what I can do.”
By Graeme Nichols The Hockey News
This article was published first at The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For more from THN, click on one of the latest headlines below:
Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis instructs players during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Brossard, Quebec, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP
Eastern Conference Finals: Montreal over Carolina
Western Conference Finals: Dallas over Vegas
Stanley Cup Final: Montreal over Dallas
Hart Trophy (MVP): Macklin Celebrini, San Jose
Norris Trophy (Defense): Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Igor Shesterkin, Rangers
Calder Trophy (Rookie): Ivar Stenberg, San Jose
Adams Trophy (Coach): Martin St. Louis, Montreal
First coach to be fired: Sheldon Keefe, New Jersey
Ethan Sears
Eastern Conference
Metro
1. Carolina 2. New Jersey 3. Washington
Atlantic
1. Montreal 2. Tampa Bay 3. Florida
Wild cards
Buffalo Ottawa
Western Conference
Central
1. Dallas 2. Colorado 3. Minnesota
Pacific
1. Anaheim 2. San Jose 3. Vegas
Wild cards
Edmonton Utah
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) looks on during the second period of a preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Eastern Conference Finals: Montreal over Carolina
Western Conference Finals: Dallas over San Jose
Stanley Cup Final: Montreal over Dallas
Hart Trophy (MVP): Macklin Celebrini, San Jose
Norris Trophy (Defense): Quinn Hughes, Minnesota
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa
Calder Trophy (Rookie): Ivar Stenberg, San Jose
Adams Trophy (Coach): Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose
First coach to be fired: Scott Arniel, Winnipeg
Andrew Crane
Eastern Conference
Metro
1. Carolina 2. Washington 3. Philadelphia
Atlantic
1. Montreal 2. Florida 3. Tampa Bay
Wild cards
Buffalo Boston
Western Conference
Central
1. Colorado 2. Minnesota 3. Dallas
Pacific
1. Vegas 2. Edmonton 3. San Jose
Wild cards
Utah Anaheim
Eastern Conference finals: Montreal over Carolina
Western Conference finals: Colorado over Vegas
Stanley Cup final: Colorado over Montreal
Hart Trophy (MVP): Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado
Norris Trophy (Defense): Quinn Hughes, Minnesota
Vezina Trophy (Goaltender): Igor Shesterkin, Rangers
Calder Trophy (Rookie): Porter Martone, Philadelphia
Adams Award (Coach): Martin St. Louis, Montreal
First coach to be fired: Sheldon Keefe, New Jersey
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 28: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox speaks to the media during a workout ahead of the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees on September 28, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another year another Red Sox vs Yankees Wild Card round at Yankee Stadium.
I think it’s safe to say we’d all like something different but if that’s not possible, for the Red Sox to win this year. They almost pulled it off in 2025 but with the offense and pitching (minus Garret Crochet) both depleted it was just too much to overcome. This year, while Crochet is at most a bullpen arm, the Sox acquired veterans Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez to bolster a playoff rotation. And watched Payton Tolle surge to the top anyway and become the obvious choice for Game 1.
Game 1
Tolle made his brief MLB debut and playoff debut (1 out) last year but is still very much a rookie. This year he’s been fantastic while putting up an ERA right about 3.00 and striking out 171 in 148.2 innings of work. It’s wild to think that he didn’t make the team out of Spring Training. But they wanted a little more development out of Tolle and when he returned in late April he looked MLB-ready starting from 6.0-inning, 11 strikeout tour de force against these same Yankees. Tolle made a second start against the Yankees in June during The Turnaround Homestand where he struck out 7, allowed 1 hit, and 0 runs.
Cam Schlittler is the Game 1 starter for New York.
Compared to Tolle’s 16 MLB innings in 2025, Schlittler threw 73.0 in the regular season. He bumped that to 193.3 in 2026 on his way to, unfortunately, probably a Cy Young award. Not bad for a guy drafted in the 7th round. The Red Sox selected Caleb Bolden with the pick immediately preceding him. Win some, lose some. He faced the Sox four times this season with the Yankees winning three of the four. That’s just bad luck. April he was dominant: 8.0 inning, 4 hits, 2 runs. Early June he lasted just 5.2 innings, 4 hits, 1 run. Honestly most of the time the Sox might win this one but it featured that 5-run eighth inning bullpen collapse. In Boston during late June was another 5.0 inning effort with 4 runs (0 earned) on 5 hits. Sox win this game. Then back in NYC in August 5.2 innings, 2 hits and 0 runs. Hopefully the coaches have been working on this. Third time through the order and he’s a .691 OPS allowed pitcher vs. ~.500 which is huge. The Blue Jays also faced him in four games and put up a total OPS of .686 against Schlittler to the Sox .560 mark. So, it can get better.
Game 2
Game 2 features Sonny Gray, the elder statesman of the rotation. Gray faced the Yankees twice this season, the Sox won both matchups. In early June he went 6.1 innings while allowing 3 runs on 8 hits. During The Weekend he was even better: 7.1 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs. The Sox did have to wait until the 10th inning to walkoff the game but it was a masterpiece against (probably still) Aaron Judge-less Yankees.
Max Fried was rumored to be starting Game 1 for a bit over the weekend, although that seemed kinda nuts to everyone. Is it good or bad he tossed only 112.2 innings this year? Is he fresh or rusty? Fried was originally drafted by the Padres in 2012 and traded with a package for Justin Upton. Did you forget the Justin Upton era (1 year) in San Diego? (I sure did). Despite this limited workload, Fried faced the Sox twice. One was 8.0 innings of 3 hit, 0 run ball. The second was a 3.2 inning return from the IL during the August doubleheader in the Bronx. Three hits, 1 run. That one run? A Nick Sogard homer. Just about 12 innings and 1 run. Maybe they should have opened with this guy?
Game 3
Hopefully there is no Game 3 because the Sox go 2-0. But if they can only win one of the first two games then Ranger Suarez will start the third matchup of the Wild Card series. The Sox signed him in part because he’s been excellent in October. Well, he had a pretty good September. He’s allowed just 3 runs all month putting up a 1.09 ERA in that span. Batters hit just .182/.250/.284 during the last month of the regular season. In his introduction to the rivalry in April, Suarez lost 4-1, hit hard through 4.2 innings of work including a crushing homer. Then in early June he held the Yankees to 1 run in 6.1 innings but the bullpen couldn’t hold them back. Sox lost 6-1. Then he allowed 6 runs as part of the 16-1 drubbing in August. He might not be the guy you want starting in this series but then again, he’s in a groove now and has recovered from various IL stints so he might just be in a better place pitching-wise than August.
Gerrit Cole used to be the ace. Now he’s the number three. Cole missed all of 2025 with injury but came back for 127 innings this year. Despite no longer having Rafael Devers, Cole was hit hard by Boston: 5.1 innings, 7 hits, 2 homers, 4 runs. Masa and Anthony Seigler hit the bombs, and, clearly neither will e playing this fall. So someone else will need to emerge as the hero.
Aaron Judge is probably out but he’s trying to play anyway.
Giancarlo Stanton is possibly out but he’s been on the IL since April. If he’s healthy is that even the way to return? We might find out!
Trent Grisham is also a possibility.
Ben Rice ended up with 41 homers but didn’t even lead the American League. Thanks, Pete! Alonso also robbed Yordan Alvarez of a chance at the Triple Crown by winning RBI as well. Just doing service all over the league.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Tuesday, September 29: Payton Tolle (3.03 ERA / 3.04 FIP) vs. Cam Schlittler (1.95 ERA / 2.56 FIP)
Wednesday, September 30: Sonny Gray (2.72 ERA / 3.47 FIP) vs. Max Fried (2.80 ERA / 2.65 FIP)
Thursday, October 1: Ranger Suarez (3.22 ERA / 3.16 FIP) vs. Gerrit Cole (3.41 ERA / 3.93 FIP) (If needed)
When/Where to Watch
Tuesday, September 29: 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock
Wednesday, September 30: 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock
Thursday, October 1, 8:00 PM ET on NBC / Peacock (If needed)
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 27: Cleveland Guardians right fielder Jo Adell (7) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during a MLB game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals on September 27, 2026, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Their 2026 campaign was an utter disappointment. The Royals entered the year with high expectations but fell short of their intended goals. A slow start and a slew of injuries sent them tumbling down the American League Central standings.
KC suffered through a rough spring. As the calendar flipped to June, the Royals were 22-37, well behind the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians in the division race.
This week, both of those competitor teams made the playoffs. The Royals had to watch from their own dugout as their AL Central rivals clinched postseason berths at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals have been here before. A large part of this team was here when they turned 106 losses in 2023 into a postseason run in 2024. There will most likely be a few changes to the coaching staff and free-agent signings to bolster the bullpen and rotation — but the core is here to stay, including starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo.
It’s up to that group to get back to the winning baseball of years prior.
“From my end, I feel like we have the pieces to be able to do it and we didn’t do it this year,” Pasquantino said. “Like I said, that’s a failure. That doesn’t mean I have any less confidence going into next year. … I’m walking into next season expecting us to be in a playoff push the whole year. Those are just words; they don’t mean anything right now, but those are my expectations. We just gotta go do it.”
David Lesky pointed toward the last game in August as the last gasp of a team falling apart.
I sort of think September, and this weekend on a smaller scale, was just a team that ran out of gas. Specifically, it was about a pitching staff that ran out of gas. That’s an issue, of course, but it’s a bigger issue when they weren’t good enough on a full tank. I will never stop believing that when they got the band back together in mid-August and went on that run, they saw that Sunday loss against Cleveland that dropped them to 7.5 back with 24 to play and realized the longshot dream was dead. They went 7-17 from there. I have a hard time thinking they could have continued the run they were on with this pitching staff, but none of them are stupid. They knew that they almost had to win that last game of August. And when they didn’t, it completely fell apart.
Former Royals broadcaster Buddy Blattner (1969-1975 for the Royals) is on the ballot for the 2027 Ford C. Frick award.
Miami Dolphins star RB (and fantasy top pick) De’Von Achane suffered a torn ACL in the game against the Chiefs and is out for the season. Football is brutal.
USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino is mad about Manchester City’s financial chicanery, of which they’ve apparently been found guilty.
Atlanta’s NWSL expansion club starting in 2028 has been revealed to be Atlanta City FC.
The Senate passed a bill containing regulations over college sports by a 77-22 vote yesterday.
Your song of the day is Audioslave with Yesterday to Tomorrow.
SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 28: A general view of the ballpark as fireworks go off on the field on Opening Day before the game against the San Francisco Giants on March 28, 2024 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB Playoffs begin today and it will be jam-packed with four games. Here’s everything you need to know to keep up with the action.
National League
The Atlanta Braves welcome the Philadelphia Phillies to town for Game 1 of their Wild Card series which begins at 11:00 a.m. this morning and will air on NBC/Peacock, with national radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
After that, the San Diego Padres will welcome the Chicago Cubs to Petco Park to begin their series at 7:00 p.m. PT tonight. This series will have the same broadcast coverage on NBC/Peacock and ESPN Radio. I would expect that to be delayed for this one due to the overlap with the second AL game.
American League
The Houston Astros will welcome the Chicago White Sox to town to begin their series this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. PT, with coverage on Peacock/NBC Sports Network and radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
After that, the New York Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox for Game 1 tonight at 5:00 p.m. PT. This will somehow also be on NBC/Peacock with national radio coverage on ESPN Radio.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 14: Colorado Rockies President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta looks on during batting practice prior to the game between the San Diego Padres and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Monday, September 14, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
While much of MLB looks to the postseason with games starting today, the Colorado Rockies are turning to their rebuild, a point Paul DePodesta stressed in a recent conversation (linked below) with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.
“After living through this for a year, we have a very good direction on what it is we feel we need,” DePodesta said. “So we’ll certainly be ready to act early this offseason if need be.”
For teams not playing in the postseason, this week will make debriefing sessions with media and the beginning of personnel changes. DePodesta is expected to speak with media within the week, so stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, here’s what’s happening with the Rockies and in baseball today.
Close losses defined this 100-loss season for Rockies | Denver Gazette ($) — As Kevin Henry writes, “ avoid 100 losses in 2026, the Rockies needed to win five more games than they did. Considering the team was 17-25 in one-run games and 12-24 in two-run games this season, there are plenty of contests where one or two moments made the difference between a win and a loss.” He then identifies five games that the Rockies should have won, including a heartbreaker at Coors Field on August 31 with Colton Cowser made a stunning bottom-of-the-ninth catch that led the Baltimore Orioles to a 2-1 win.
Scouting in the age of machines | FanGraphs — Here Brendan Gawlowski, himself a former scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates for four years, explains what scouts bring to baseball teams.
This week on the internet
In case you missed it, with their win last Saturday, the Rockies helped not only themselves but also the Cleveland Guardians, which led Guardians fan @GuardsJoey to post this:
Can someone organize a go fund me for a charity in Colorado?
I don’t know how to organize it but I’ll promote it with everything I’ve got if someone sets it up https://t.co/5ge7DIEgQW
The Guardians reached out to the Rockies for Goodman’s charity of choice, and he went with Clothes to Kids. As of Monday morning, the organization had received more than $7,000 in donations.
For the fifth time in six years, the Minnesota Twins clocked out at the end of September—eschewing October overtime. On many occasions I was in the trenches with them, attending 27 contests (most at home, some away). My personal 11-16 record wasn’t exactly sterling—but neither was the club’s. You know the old mantra: “a bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work”? Swap amateur angling for stadium spectating and a lot of fun was still had at the ballpark(s) this particular 162 slate.
The beginning of the season brought cold, cold, and—you guessed it—a little more cold. I wasn’t done lugging the parka from the parking ramp until late-May. But I bundled up and even convinced some family to shiver along with me. On April 14 we saw two Buck Truck bombs and an Abel/Rogers/Sands shutout of the BoSox!
As April showers (and cold) turned into May flowers—the dogs ate them. I kid, I kid…just trying to scare gintzer more about Bark at the Park Night (when Bailey Ober inexplicably twirled a complete game shutout against the Miami Marlins!). To be fair, I also consumed my share of cased-meat dogs.
June 12 brought me a wild 9-8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals where Buxton doubled twice, homered—and the Twins still needed long balls from Royce Lewis & Brooks Lee in B8 to take a lead!
A few weeks later, I attended the big Joe Ryan versus Shohei Ohtani pitching matchup in front of a sold-out Target Field crowd. The Twins lost and were swept by True Blue—but years from now someone will be impressed at me seeing Ohtani pull double duty (even if that someone is me!).
When the calendar flipped to July, I saw Alan Roden walk off the Cleveland Guardians—then paused to enjoy the All-Star festivities with my unaccustomed-to-billed-headware niece.
Fortunately, I was able to pull off two more baseball stadium trips: Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. and Chase Field in Arizona. Great times—like a Buxton salami—in both locales!
For the first time, I was also at Target Field without a baseball game—instead, the Tim McGraw concert! My sister and I had a great time and it’s a tribute to Son-of-Tug that his music can bridge a 13-year sibling gap.
A 15-2 victory (featuring a 10-run inning!) over the Tigers was somewhat of a September salve for another late-season collapse. My final night under the North Loop skies was another high-scoring fun affair!
At least there was no Curse of Kyle Lohse (seeing him at the Dome when I pined for Santana, Radke, or even Silva)—my SP distribution was remarkably even…
Joe Ryan: 7 starts
Zebby Matthews & Taj Bradley: 4 starts
Bailey Ober & Connor Prielipp: 3 starts
Simeon Woods-Richardson & Mike Paredes: 2 starts
Mick Abel & Dean Kremer: 1 start
Sometimes I complain about the traffic—or the ushers—or the folks oblivious to the water fountain button in the bottom right corner. Sometimes my baseball glove gets stolen out from under my seat. But I still enjoy getting out to the ballgame. There’s a song about it, after all.
