EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 28: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers poses for a portrait during NBA Media Day on September 28, 2026 at UCLA Health Training Center in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Aside from Walker Kessler’s four-year, $130 million deal, the largest contract the Los Angeles Lakers handed out to an external free agent this summer went to Quentin Grimes, who signed a four-year, $60 million deal. With two open spots available in the starting lineup to join Kessler, Reaves and Luka Dončić, the Lakers will likely hope one of their biggest money signings of the offseason can solidify himself as a member of that quintet.
Other than Grimes, candidates to earn a starting spot on the wing are players like Jake LaRavia looking to rebound from a tough second half in 2026-27, Ziare Williams trying to fully break through in the NBA and Matisse Thybulle aiming to put a few injury-riddled years behind him. Grimes is embracing that spirit of competition and believes it will ultimately benefit the Lakers.
“You want to be competitive every day in practice. I want to fight for [a starting spot], I want to earn it,” Grimes said. “You don’t want anything handed to you or given out to you. So, I feel like having that competition aspect to go out there and try to fight for a starting spot is going to be big for our team.”
Beyond his floor-spacing and ability to attack closeouts, Grimes was signed for his point-of-attack defense. While he didn’t flourish in that area as much during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, it was perhaps his greatest skill back when he played for the New York Knicks and he sounds ready to set the tone defensively for a Lakers roster that certainly skews toward the offensive side of the floor.
“I feel like I take a lot of pride defensively…Everybody wants to have responsibility, whatever it is on the court, and mine happens to be defensively,” Grimes said. “I know what I’m capable of offensively and they know that as well.
“So, just to be able to know that and guard the best player every night, take on that challenge, want to be competitive, want to do whatever I can to help this team win. That’s all I want is that responsibility.”
Although the box score doesn’t reflect an intensely competitive game, tempers flared in the stands at Yankee Stadium Wednesday night.
A big fight broke out in the upper deck during the Yankees’ 9-2 Game 2 win over the Red Sox, which swept Boston out of the playoffs.
A viral video of the brawl captured a Yankees fan wearing black shirt throwing punches left and right on a Red Sox fan, who was wearing a yellow Boston jersey.
Fans in the upper deck were seen brawling in the Bronx during Game 2 of the Wild Card. pic.twitter.com/gdkONCzDOL
Yankees and Red Sox fans brawl during Game 2 of the Yankees-Red Sox wild-card series on Wednesday night. X/mkell__
Another Red Sox fan, wearing a red jersey and who appeared to be with the fan in the yellow jersey, ended up getting in a blow to the Yankees fan’s head.
It knocked the fan backwards into the stairs of the section and gave the Red Sox fan in the yellow jersey enough time to gather himself and retaliate.
The fan got in a few punches before the Yankees fan stood back up and began fighting back again.
As the chaos went on, many fans around the fight didn’t take action.
Instead, many watched and recorded the incident on their phones.
The Red Sox fan in the red jersey eventually pushed the Yankee fan away, towards the exit, but he didn’t go quietly.
The fan said “F–k you” toward the Boston supporters while flipping them the bird before putting their Yankee hat back on and leaving.
Since, the Yankees knocked out biggest rivals for the second consecutive season in the wild-card round, there was bound to be some tension and outbursts during the series.
New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox fans brawl in what turned into a viral video on Wednesday night. X/mkell__The Yankees fan begins to leave the fight and the upper deck section during the Game 2 playoff matchup. X/mkell__
The upper deck battle wasn’t the only notable altercation of the night in The Bronx.
It may have seemed surprising that Bradley Beal chose to re-sign with the Clippers this summer.
Gone are Ivica Zubac, James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, as well as any chance to compete.
The Clippers were embroiled in the salary cup circumvention scandal, which led to them being stripped of five first-round draft picks, the franchise being given a $30 million fine and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer being suspended for a year, among other penalties.
Bradley Beal of the Los Angeles Clippers poses for a photo at the Los Angeles Clippers Media Day at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. Getty Images
To put it mildly, the Clippers weren’t exactly a shining beacon for free agents.
“Obviously, I’m getting older,” Beal told reporters. “I can go try to win and go chase winning, and I had plenty of opportunities to go do that. But I can’t be of service to them, either, if I’m not healthy. My biggest thing is being healthy and making sure that I can consistently play, consistently be available.”
Beal is a three-time All-Star and averaged more than 30 points in consecutive seasons from 2019-2021. But he has missed at least 29 games the last five seasons due to various injuries. He’s currently out for the start of Clippers training camp because of right knee inflammation.
“It’s been a knock on me the last four or five years. And I can’t shy away from that,” Beal said. “My biggest thing is who gives me the best advantage of being available, being myself consistently. And I have a great relationship with the staff here. And I entrusted them with putting me in that position.
“I feel like if I went anywhere else, I’d be starting all over again, kind of putting a lot of unnecessary stress and pressure on myself to perform and do things. And I can’t answer and necessarily check that box yet. So giving myself time to be able to check some of those boxes before making those types of moves.”
Beal, who only played six games for the Clippers last season after suffering a left hip fracture that required season-ending surgery, is clearly prioritizing his mental and physical health over the prospect of winning a title.
The revamped Heat, who acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo in June, showed interest in Beal in free agency. The Celtics and Warriors had varying degrees of interest in him as well.
Dec 25, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) walks down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The back-to-school-like excitement that surrounds Boston Celtics Training Camp is unmatched. The Patriots stink, Drake Maye may be a fraud, and the Red Sox just played 18 innings of torturous baseball in a humiliating Wild Card Series sweep vs. the rival Yankees.
Many, if not all, Boston sports fans are wondering what Lucky has for them this fall. Washed away in all of the preseason wonder is Payton Pritchard’s new extension eligibility. As of Thursday, the Celtics can offer Pritchard an extra three years for a total of $67 million — roughly $22.3 annually.
The seventh-year guard still has two seasons remaining on his current four-year, $30 million contract. Said deal has become one of the most valuable in the league ever since the former Oregon standout hit his stride two years ago en route to a Sixth Man of the Year worthy campaign. He’s averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game on 46.8% from the field and a crisp 39.3% from beyond the arc during that span.
There’s no disputing that he’s earned a proper payday at this point.
Pritchard’s recent emergence clearly played a role in the front office’s decision to shake up the roster this summer. His consistency on the ball, last season in particular with Jayson Tatum sidelined for the majority, gave Brad Stevens and Co. the confidence to build a roster with an expanded role for him in mind.
He was more than comfortable being aggressive offensively, and the team was better for it. Quite frankly, the most frustrating part of the playoff collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers was Pritchard’s lower usage as the series went on.
Unfortunately, with the way the league works today with all of the financial restrictions, there’s no guarantee that a deal comes together smoothly. The Celtics have the challenge of trying to maximize every dollar they spend to avoid finding themsleves facing the dreaded apron penalties again.
In 2026, two years before an extension would kick in, it doesn’t feel like there’s much risk to paying Pritchard. The reality that Boston’s executives have to live in is that of 2028. The six-foot-one-inch guard will be entering his age 31 season.
As Celtics fans have witnessed with former small stars like Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker, time isn’t always kind to the little guys. Thomas’s career was derailed after his age 27 season when he played through a hip injury in the playoffs, and Walker wasn’t ever the same after his age 30 season when recurring knee issues limited his quickness.
Because of their size disadvantages, small guards typically have to rely on quickness and athleticism to thrive in the NBA.
It would be unfair to put Pritchard in a box and pretend like his game is entirely dependant on his burst. It’s a big part of it, but his elite skills play a huge role too. The West Linn native is the Celtic that I am most confident in every time he fires up a three. His patience on drives and attention to detail with his footwork make him a menance for opposing defenders to deal with.
Neither of those skills should go away with age. In fact, I’m pretty sure most shooters will be able to shoot it until the day they retire.
Paying Pritchard, whatever the number is, will most likley work out for the Celtics. The question is more about their eagerness to get a deal done — something to pay attention to over the next two and a half weeks during No. 11’s eligibility window.
The Phillies are turning to a starter with a 5.14 ERA in his last 50 starts.
The Braves are opening with a reliever who has pitched nine times since the end of the 2024 season.
Welcome to Desperationville.
Aaron Nola (27) of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the first inning during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Getty Images
The only wild-card series to go the distance will feature the Phillies starting veteran Aaron Nola over ace Zack Wheeler on short rest, per The Athletic, and the Braves countering with southpaw reliever Ray Kerr, who went 26 months between major-league appearances before his Aug. 17 season debut.
Neither NL East squad has to be loving its current situation, with the Phillies surely kicking themselves for stumbling late in the year and the Braves’ lack of pitching depth looming large.
In an ideal world, the Phillies would have had Wheeler available for a start in this series but they had to burn him Sunday against the Rays to secure their playoff spot.
Rather than turn to Wheeler on three days rest, they will be going with Nola on regular rest.
Nola had a chance to ensure Wheeler could start in this series when he faced the Rays last Saturday, but he lasted one inning and allowed three runs on four hits.
He finished the regular season with a 7-12 record and a 4.67 ERA.
Ray Kerr #62 of the Atlanta Braves pitches against the Miami Marlins in the first inning of a game at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, Friday, September 25, 2026. Getty Images
The Athletic noted that Wheeler could serve as a reliever, along with Game 1 starter Jesus Luzardo, but he’s made just one relief appearance out of 323 career MLB outings, including the postseason.
Wheeler tossed 1 ⅔ innings in relief in the 2023 NLCS in a 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks.
The Braves, meanwhile, are likely using Kerr to limit how many times Grant Holmes — a starter — has to face the Phillies’ lineup, per The Athletic.
Holmes allowed an .886 OPS to opposing batters when facing them a second time, compared to a .590 OPS the first time through.
Kerr, meanwhile, only joined the team in August after last pitching for the franchise in 2024.
He only made his major-league debut at 27 in 2022 after previously working at 7-Eleven.
“It’s really surprising to just see him go from 7-Eleven and us working together at IMAX theater,” Kerr’s brother Richard Kerr told The Athletic for a piece published in September.
“Him furthering his career was such an eye-opener for a lot of people.”
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees avoids a tag by Liam Hicks #34 of the Tampa Bay Rays to score a run during the seventh inning of the game at Yankee Stadium on September 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees are on their way to Tampa after making quick work of the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series. It’s only fitting that their next hurdle takes the form of the team that edged them for the division title—just like last year. The Tampa Bay Rays own the Junior Circuit’s top regular season record and likely represent the Yankees’ most significant hurdle for returning to the World Series.
Unsurprisingly, the Yankees fed off terrific starting pitching to sweep Boston. Cam Schlittler continued his superlative season (and his ownership of their arch rival) in Game 1, then Max Fried followed with an understated yet still stellar six innings of his own. But Aaron Boone’s club didn’t need to rely solely on the starters. In both games, the Yankee offense exploded in the latter half of the game to make the late innings as comfortable as a California King after a long day on the road.
With all that in mind, the Yankees are entering this tilt with the Rays looking like a well-oiled machine. They’ll need to keep it up to handle a pesky, modular, and cerebral Tampa Bay team that thrives on the margins.
On offense, this year’s Rays are not unlike the Blue Jays who ended the Bombers’ season in 2025, marking a departure from more power-focused, high-whiff lineups of past iterations. Like that Toronto team, they are extremely difficult to strike out—both their K rate and whiff rate were lowest in the league. They have plenty of contact-oriented bats: Yandy Díaz led the AL with 180 hits, and Chandler Simpson is the ultimate throwback, hitting over .300 with 46 steals and zero homers. Jonathan Aranda blends contact skills and pull power to right field. But they also have their own equivalent to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the heart of the order: All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero, whose 42 homers match the total Ben Rice put up this year. Their 104 team wRC+ was tied for fifth in MLB with the ALDS-bound White Sox.
As ever, the Rays’ pitching staff is loaded for bear—one of the few staffs that can compete with the Yankees. They throw tons of different looks at you, from the relentless top-down attack of ace Drew Rasmussen to the bouncy, crafty stylings of veteran Nick Martinez. Trade deadline addition Freddy Peralta is pitching like Freddy Peralta again, and they’ve got Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour as additional options.
For a five-game series, I anticipate Rasmussen (already listed as the Game 1 starter), Martinez, and Peralta in a three-man rotation, with Seymour as their designated long man out of the bullpen. Jax, who converted to starter this year after a fruitful stint in Minnesota’s bullpen, took a comebacker off his back in the penultimate game of the season. Indications from the team are that he’ll be good to go and could potentially reprise his late-inning role or be a “leverage guy.” Manager Kevin Cash demurred when asked for more details on his strategy—no surprise for a team that likes to keep their cards close to the chest.
Then there’s the bullpen, which could add Jax or Seymour to an already talented crew. Closer Bryan Baker, once an inconsistent middle-inning arm for Baltimore, has blossomed into an intimidating closer with triple-digit heat and a nasty changeup. Kevin Kelly has been among the league’s best setup men with a 2.44 ERA in 73.2 innings. Reports indicate that the Rays could welcome back Tyler Wells and Garrett Cleavinger, both of whom have missed time with injury. Add lefty Cam Booser to the mix, and you have a good idea of some of the arms the Yankees will see in the later innings.
The fruits of dispatching Boston early are borne in how the Yankees can set up their staff for this series. Gerrit Cole was the presumptive Game 3 starter for New York—he’ll likely start Game 1. There will then be a day between Game 1 and Game 2, giving an additional day of rest for Schlittler and Fried, who I expect to be deployed afterward. Since there will be a full four days between Game 1 and a hypothetical Game 4, the Yankees could start Cole again if they so choose and reserve Carlos Rodón for a piggyback role in case a starter can’t go deep.
The staggered scheduling of games promises to redound to the benefit of both pitching staffs, who likely won’t run their bullpens ragged with the first three games taking place across five days. As such, the focus in the series to me will be the lineups. Which team can snatch the initiative and give their pitchers a lead with which to work? Who can put up a crooked number—like the ones the Yankees pasted onto Boston—to dent opposing morale?
It’s with that question that we address the Aaron Judge of it all. Judge was vocal about his desire to play in the Wild Card Series, but ultimately was left off the roster. Instead, Giancarlo Stanton was given a spot, though he went unused. The full nature of Judge’s quad strain is still a little iffy, but bringing him back was wishful thinking against Boston, and I believe will be wishful thinking against Tampa, too. At any rate, this lineup has been clicking—which gives Boone every excuse to wait until they’re confident Judge can be his fully healthy self, rather than the limited version which probably couldn’t play the outfield as it stands. I expect the Yankees will not bring Judge onto the ALDS roster—and if they do, he will see limited playing time, if any.
For the best-of-three series with Boston, the Yankees got aggressive with their roster, constructing a super-bench and bringing only ten pitchers. With a best-of-five series on the horizon, the Yankees will probably add another arm or two, but I expect them to continue to carry a deep bench, especially if Judge remains sidelined. Boone was able to roll out two very different-looking lineups against Boston, and both produced. Just as the Rays thrive on changing things up and preventing their opponent from getting comfortable, the Yankees can and should continue to weaponize their depth in the same way.
Whose lineup is better? On paper, you can make a compelling argument for either side. One thing I’ll note, though, is the relative inexperience in the postseason for Tampa Bay as compared to the Yankees, who feature plenty of guys who have become postseason mainstays. Caminero has two postseason plate appearances in his career—Aranda has one. Richie Palacios and Victor Mesa Jr., two toolsy bats whom the Rays have relied upon for much of the latter half of the year, are playing October ball for the first time. Cedric Mullins appeared on two Orioles teams that combined to win zero postseason games.
The only hitter with an extensive October resumé is Díaz—who has a .561 OPS in 26 career playoff games. Past results don’t predict future outcomes, but we have seen plenty of teams with minimal collective postseason appearances flame out quickly. There will be lots of pressure on Tampa to prove they can hang.
One last thing: the last time New York faced Tampa in the postseason, they did so during the pandemic, in an absolutely vacant Petco Park in San Diego. This year, the series starts in Tropicana Field, where a healthy contingent of Yankee fans has always made their presence felt. This could undercut the Rays’ home-field advantage and give the Bombers an important energy source to siphon in the first two games. The Trop is not a beloved building in these pages, but if the Yankees can make it a second home field, the Rays will need to be that much more perfect.
For those reasons, I believe the Yankees will win this ALDS in four games. I think it could stand as another example of how participating in the Wild Card Series can help a team more than a first-round bye—provided they ace the test, which the Yankees did. From my perspective, New York’s pitching staff has more talent, and their lineup more experience. I think these factors will prevent us from seeing the complacent, often sluggish Yankees who bowed out early last October and were vanquished by the Dodgers in the previous Fall Classic. So long as they continue to cash in on their opportunities and mitigate mistakes, they’ll be able to unseat the AL’s top seed.
But you know what they say: you have to play the games. Game 1 of the Divsion Series is slated for Saturday, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. EST.
The San Jose Sharks continue to build something special on the ice in California's Silicon Valley. They're coming off the first winning season since 2019 and have established themselves as one of the younger, more promising teams in the NHL despite failing to make the postseason for a seventh consecutive year.
The Sharks have built their core through the draft over the years bringing in Celebrini, Will Smith, Michael Misa and Igor Chernyshov. They continued that blueprint in the 2026 NHL Draft with three first round picks selecting Ivar Stenberg with the No. 2 pick, Keaton Verhoeff at No. 9 and Ryan Lin at No. 21.
One of the areas of focus was their defense and the team's physicality. They added Kiefer Sherwood during the 2025-26 season and his impact was felt immediately. They kept on adding guys that fit that mold during the offseason, a necessary move especially after rugged Ryan Reaves announced he's retiring.
They added defenseman Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba and Michael Kesselring, but traded forward William Eklund. Collin Graf was another big re-signing over the offseason, inking a three-year extension in San Jose.
Head coach Ryan Warsofsky was signed to a multi-year contract extension with the Sharks, after last season's 34-point improvement. Sharks GM Mike Grier puts a formidable team together. The Sharks are ready to get rolling as the team begins play on Thursday, Oct. 1.
Here's a breakdown of the San Jose Sharks' offseason moves and what to expect from them heading into the 2026-27 NHL season:
San Jose Sharks offseason review
Record last season: 39-35-8, 86 points (11th in Western Conference)
Is the Sharks' young core ready to take the next step and make a postseason appearance?
Sharks general manager Mike Grier has slowly, but surely rebuilt this roster into a team that looks like it can be competitive and make a postseason run. Hired in 2022, Grier has methodically drafted and made complementary moves, whether through free agency or trades, to help improve the roster. Entering the 2026-27 season, San Jose has a roster made up of young stars led by Macklin Celebrini. One of the youngest teams in the league, the Sharks' average age is 24. Veterans Darnell Nurse, Michael Kesselring and Jacob Trouba are ready to help support and guide the young group. The Sharks were in the mix for the wild card spot last season, now they are on everyone's radar to make the leap as a playoff contender.
Projected lines and defensive partners
#SJSharks practice lines, trending toward Dickinson sitting on opening night:
The Sharks aren't a surprise team anymore. They have talent and it's known around the league. The Shark Tank will be rocking and it will feel like a playoff environment. This will fare well for the Sharks as they attempt to end a seven-year playoff drought. Macklin Celebrini will make his first NHL All-Star Game appearance and could even an MVP favorite if San Jose makes the playoffs.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 26: Edouard Julien #6 of the Colorado Rockies looks on from the on-deck circle during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Sunday, April 26, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Mooney/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 52, Edouard Julien (-1.0 rWAR)
The modus operandi for the new front office of the Colorado Rockies entering the 2026 season was to raise the talent level and improve contact abilities. The free-swinging nature of the Rockies’ lineups of the past was an issue that the new leaders were hoping to rectify.
The Rockies made two trades near the end of January that seemed to focus on this goal and then some. One of those trades brought over TJ Rumfield from the New York Yankees, while the other brought back pitcher Pierson Ohl and infielder Edouard Julien from the Minnesota Twins. Ohl ended up as a non-factor in 2026 because of Tommy John surgery, but Julien spent significant time with the big-league club.
A strong start but a sharp decline
Julien’s time in Minnesota was disappointing. After a strong rookie campaign in 2023, Julien’s production declined rapidly over the next two seasons at the plate. Sure, he played well enough in Triple-A, but with other rising talent options for the Twins and his lack of minor league options, he became expendable for the Twins.
The Rockies hoped Julien’s elite contact and on-base skills could rebound and translate to a change of scenery, while providing defensive versatility at two open positions: first base and second base. The 27-year-old made a strong first impression in spring training, slashing .300/.417/.533 in 30 at-bats with 10 strikeouts and six walks over 11 games. It was certainly better than his .158/.304/.211 slash line during the World Baseball Classic with Team Canada, where he still drew four walks against eight strikeouts.
The trade appeared to be even more of a steal as Julien took off in April. By the end of the first month of the season, he was slashing .304/.396/.443 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 91 plate appearances over 27 games. Notably, Julien was doing quite well out of the leadoff spot, and it looked like the Rockies had found a quality option to get on base and get the offense started.
Then the wheels fell off.
Julien hit just .083 in May, going 5-for-61 while making 16 starts. He endured a 12-game hitless streak from May 10 to May 27, going 0-for-34 with 12 strikeouts and two walks. As he struggled, he was moved toward the bottom of the lineup as Jake McCarthy started to really take off.
He rebounded nicely in June, however, slashing .288/.422/.365 and showing off the plate discipline that made him intriguing in the first place. In 64 plate appearances, he drew 12 walks while striking out just 15 times. Unfortunately, he declined sharply again in July, going 5-for-38 across 14 games.
He played just three games in August, going hitless and drawing four walks, before he was designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A Albuquerque, where he finished out the season batting .263/.394/.375 with 20 strikeouts against 16 walks in 99 plate appearances. As for his line with the Rockies, Julien batted .208/.322/.292 in 88 games.
The good and the bad at the plate
Up until getting sent to Triple-A, Julien was a regular piece for the Rockies. He and Willi Castro split the majority of the time at second base as Castro bounced around the diamond at multiple positions.
The reason that Julien got so much playing time was that the on-base factor was so important for the Rockies. His 14.1% walk rate was the highest it had been since the 15.7% he recorded in 2023, and his 25.7% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career. Despite playing in just 88 games, Julien’s 39 walks were the fifth-most on the team this season.
He was also making more contact than he ever had before, at a rate of 78.0%. On pitches inside the strike zone, Julien had an 86.3% contact rate on a 62.5% swing rate. However, it also meant that he was making a lot of contact on pitches outside of the strike zone, with a 49.5% contact rate on an 18.6% swing rate. The ability to control the zone and exhibit elite discipline is what the Rockies hoped he could do on the regular, and they saw the impact it could have in two separate months. Unfortunately, the wild swings in the opposite direction showed that the contact didn’t always yield results.
Julien has been a groundball machine during his career with a 48.6% groundball rate. In 2026, Julien posted a career-high 50.3% groundball rate. Despite a career-high hard-hit rate of 49.7%, Julien just wasn’t finding results. See, he was elite at making contact on a lot of pitches, but that accounted for a lot of foul balls and weak balls put into play. When he would smoke a ball, it was on the ground half the time and playable for opposing defenses.
He also didn’t benefit much from the platoon system facing right-handed pitching, batting .214/.324/.307 in 84 games.
Julien definitely has the potential for more power in his bat; he hit 16 home runs during his rookie campaign, after all, but he couldn’t tap into that with the Rockies. Of the 49 hits he had this season, he had just nine doubles, a triple, and three home runs.
Offensively, the potential was there for Julien to thrive, especially looking at his Baseball Savant batting metrics, but the reality is that he just couldn’t take his game to the next level like a lot of other players were able to do this season at the plate. It feels as though his offensive stats are hollow outside of being able to draw walks and sometimes get a groundball single.
Defensive woes
As for the defensive side of things, that’s where Julien’s struggles really came to light. Initially, it was believed he would be a main option to man first base before Rumfield made that position his own. The Rockies were also committed to using Castro everywhere they could, particularly at third base and shortstop, to spot struggling players. That left second base primed for Julien to play the majority of his time there.
Unfortunately, it was not a pretty sight most of the time.
There were concerns about Julien’s defense in Minnesota and that is why he got bumped from spots multiple times. He didn’t do much to dispel those concerns in Colorado. In 467.1 innings at second base, Julien recorded -7 Defensive Runs Saved and was worth -4 Outs Above Average and -3 Fielding Run Value.
He could still throw out some highlight-reel plays here and there, but Julien’s defensive tenure at second base was not a pretty sight. His range and arm were not good, and there was a reason that his defensive playing time diminished as Kyle Karros solidified third base, allowing Castro to play at second base more regularly, and Julien served as the designated hitter and pinch hitter more often.
Au revoir?
The intentions behind the acquisition of Edouard Julien were well placed by the Rockies this season. Having a player capable of controlling the strike zone and drawing walks is something that will work for the crew at 20th and Blake. For brief moments, Julien did a great job showcasing that idea.
Unfortunately, his entire batting profile and lack of a defensive home made it more difficult to justify him staying around as the season entered the final stretch. Rumfield also ended up exhibiting the approach so much better over the course of the season as well.
In all likelihood, Julien will be made a free agent when the offseason begins. There is a world where you keep him on as a minor league depth piece, but ultimately he doesn’t bring enough to the table to justify keeping him around. Hopefully he can find an opportunity elsewhere, because there is some sort of potential, but the best thing he did for Colorado was show what a disciplined approach can do for a ball club.
As it does every season, the NBA has a few new points of emphasis for officials to focus on, something reporters were briefed on this week.
Flopping is back on the agenda, it's a point of emphasis. Nobody is happier about it than Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, who said this, via Jon Krawczynski at The Athletic.
"Hopefully the league cleans up this crap, because nobody wants to watch it," Finch said Wednesday. "That's what they said was the feedback from the fans. They're tired of watching the flopping. And we know that it's been rewarded at too high a level, so just stop rewarding the flopping."
The league knows what flopping is when it sees it, they just have to call it.
"We have a really strong definition of what a flop is — it's secondary theatrical exaggerated movements (STEM)," said Monty McCutchen, the NBA's head of referee development and training, when speaking to reporters this week. Definition or not, enforcement of that has been inconsistent (at best) in recent years.
There is nobody in favor of flopping. Where it gets tricky for officials is that embellishment — something not as dramatic as a flop — is legal. For example, a player driving the ball and snapping his head back to embellish any contact is not flopping. It has to be more theatrical than that. Also worth noting, just because a player sits down after a contested corner 3 doesn't mean it's a flop or foul either.
There are other points of emphasis for officials as well.
See below for Part 1 of the 2026-27 Points of Emphasis video (narrated by SVP, Head of Referee Development and Training Monty McCutchen), which provides examples and guidance regarding Off-Arm Push Offs by Offensive Players and Freedom of Movement – Screens: pic.twitter.com/zMMmOK3Kxq
• Off-arm push-offs by offensive player. This has become a growing issue in recent years, with high-profile players — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown, James Harden — singled out by fans and online referees for pushing off with their off arm. In the NBA's view, a ballhandler can use his off arm to feel for an opponent and be firm to hold a space, but if there is force used by the arm — particularly a push-off — to create space, the focus is to make that an offensive foul call. McCutchen admitted referees haven't been as consistent or as focused on that as they should have been in recent years.
It's a tough line for officials to draw.
"We have players that are going to live on the line where 10 times that they have the ball, they're going to be feeling and firming [with their off arm, which is legal] during a game, and three times during the game they may have full extension or have force," McCutchen said. "You're not allowed to call it because of the name on the back of their jersey."
McCutchen added this could tie into flopping, with defenders exaggerating and selling contact from a player's off-arm in hopes of drawing a call.
• Pushes by screen setters. There was a rise in guys setting legal screens last season, then pushing/shoving the guy trying to get over the screen to create space. The league wants those called.
“I’m so excited. I’m never watching another baseball game again,” the 34-year-old model admitted while sitting next to Verlander when asked about her feelings about his retirement by co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
“It was tears of joy for me,” Upton added as laughs filled the room.
Kate Upton and Justin Verlander are seen at the “TODAY” show in Manhattan, New York, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. GC Images
Verlander, 43, was honored at Comerica Park on Friday night before taking the mound for the last time on Saturday against the Pirates in what was a 4-3 win for Detroit.
Before his last start, the three-time Cy Young winner and two-time World Series champion also caught the first pitch thrown by his 7-year-old daughter, Genevieve, who threw a strike and then gave her dad a big hug in what was adorable moment.
“It’s been awesome. We’ve been practicing,” Verlander told reporters before the game. “She’s all pumped up about it. We actually came out here to the field and practiced off the mound one day. I asked her, ‘Where do you want to go? You want to go to the mound? And she’s like, ‘The mound.’ I’m like, that’s my girl.”
Another emotional moment came when Verlander was pulled in the top of the sixth inning.
He began to shake with tears as Genevieve, who was wearing her dad’s Tiger jersey, sprinted out to give him a hug following his last MLB pitch. Verlander gave his daughter the ball and said goodbye to his teammates before walking off the diamond to a standing ovation while holding Genevieve’s hand.
Upton, dressed in an orange sweater and Tigers hat, was watching with their 1-year-old son, Bellamy. The family of four hugged before leaving through the team’s dugout.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander is greeted by his wife Kate Upton after the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectGenevieve Verlander, right, hugs her father Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers as he leaves the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Getty Images
Verlander gave up five hits and two runs with six strikeouts. He finished the season with a 7.00 ERA.
His 266 career wins rank 36th all-time — tied with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey — while a total of 3,560 strikeouts are the eighth-most ever.
“There’s no script,” he said afterwards. “I want to go as long as I can. I skipped about a month’s worth of rehab to be able to do this, but I also don’t want to just go out there and throw 20 pitches. I think everybody feels comfortable with 20 pitches, and then after that, we’re kind of in a who-knows zone.”
Verlander and Upton met while filming a commercial for “Major League Baseball 2K12” in 2013. The two became an official couple in 2014 and Upton posted a photo of her with the major leaguer at Fenway Park.
The two got engaged in 2016 and tied the knot in 2017 in Tuscany, Italy just days after Verlander won the World Series with the Astros.
El Segundo, CA, - September 28, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler participates in the team's media day at the UCLA Health Training Center on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 in El Segundo, CA. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Whether it’s been head coach JJ Redick or superstar point guard Luka Dončić, excitement surrounding Walker Kessler’s arrival with the revamped Los Angeles Lakers is palpable.
Kessler himself relayed that excitement during Monday’s media day, expressing optimism about his fit alongside Dončić and Austin Reaves, as well as what the organization’s commitment to him means.
“Obviously, playing with guys like Luka and AR that are unbelievable guards, and especially – and even AR in the pick and roll – but Luka in Dallas with playing with kind of a lob threat big, the formula’s been done before and it makes sense,” Kessler said. “As far as the belief they’ve shown in me, it makes me excited for this year. It makes me feel like I can run through a brick wall for this organization, this team, my teammates. I’m just so excited.”
This isn’t the first time that Kessler has said he wants to bust through a wall. Back in July, one of his first quotes as a Laker was a similar sentiment based on having a franchise back him the purple and gold did.
“It definitely makes you feel a certain way when you know an organization believes in you,” Kessler said on Monday during his first media availability since joining the Lakers. “And I think what they’ve invested, they’re showing that belief in a monetary value, not just with money, but like you said, assets. And for me, I’m somebody that if I know that they have that belief in me, I’m gonna run through a brick wall for them. That’s just how I’ve been wired my whole life and it definitely makes it a lot easier to go out there and compete for a team.”
Run through a brick wall is a classic sports truism, so Kessler was asked to explain how that sentiment may manifest on the court. The fifth-year center clarified he’s willing to embrace the little things and the dirty work to help make the Lakers a great team.
Of course, his rim protection and interior scoring are the headlining reasons Los Angeles sought him but nailing the details of his role could take his impact to another level. He seems ready to do exactly that because of the confidence the organization has instilled him.
“For me, it’s just doing the little things and just competing my tail off every night and doing all the little stuff,” Kessler said. “Whether that’s setting a hard screen, crashing the glass, sprinting the floor, just doing all the things it takes to win. I think when you have someone backing you and someone that shows you the belief that they have in you, it makes it a lot easier to want to make them proud and make them feel like you’re doing your absolute best for them.”
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees looks on during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It was always inevitable that Cam Schlittler would continue his feud with Red Sox fans and Boston-based media outlets.
Following the blowout 9-2 win on Wednesday night that clinched the Yankees’ slot in the ALDS, Schlittler was easy to find in the comments on the Yankees’ celebratory social media post. The Walpole, Massachusetts native had some choice words in response to some earlier comments made about his career stats against the Red Sox.
Schlittler’s comment, “Wat the 4’s gotta say now,” is a clapback at some personalities from New England sports media personality Jared Carrabis’ podcast ‘Section 10.’
To provide a bit more context, Rusey, one of the personalities on the podcast, previously called Schlittler ugly and essentially useless, even after dominating Boston in the final rivalry matchup of the regular season. He could’ve taken the high road in celebratory fashion on Wednesday night, but he seemingly found that choice too boring and let the fans stay mad.
Schlittler had an outstanding performance to completely shut down Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday night. Pitching through six and a third scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts, the Yankees’ ace has accumulated a 0.47 ERA in his first six career starts against the Red Sox. He’s the fourth pitcher in MLB postseason history with two 10-strikeout games before turning 26.
The Yankees’ postseason run hasn’t seen the last of Schlittler, as he will likely take the mound for the second game of the best-of-five Division Series against Tampa Bay, with a chance to start in Game 5 as well should it go the distance. Securing the Wild Card Series in two games allows for an extra day of rest before the Yankees travel down to face the Rays.
Phil Mickelson sought treatment earlier this year for “family trauma and addiction”, his representatives confirmed to multiple outlets on Wednesday.
The 56-year-old golfer voluntarily entered a treatment facility and has since returned home. Mickelson’s representatives did not say when he sought treatment or how long he stayed at a facility.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees looks on during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Well that’s how you win a playoff series! The Yankees swept aside an inferior Red Sox squad, outscoring their opponents, 17-2, in two games in the Bronx. They are set for a date with the Rays in what should be a thrilling ALDS. However, before we get to that, we get to introduce our first Sequence of the Week of the postseason, Cam Schlittler setting the tone in Game 1 for the eventual sweep of Boston.
We join Schlittler in a packed house at 161st St. and River Ave., the Yankees ace set to throw the first pitch of this seventh playoff meeting between eternal foes. He is the best pitcher in the AL, the presumptive Cy Young winner after posting the third-lowest ERA (1.95) by a starter in a season in franchise history. He owns the Red Sox in his young career and is looking to author another chapter in his postseason biography after tossing eight scoreless innings and striking out a dozen to eliminate the Red Sox in Game 3 of last year’s AL Wild Card Series. The Red Sox offense may have been hobbled by injury in September, but they are not a group to be trifled with, starting with leadoff hitter Roman Anthony. Anthony missed most of the season with a torn finger ligament but returned at the end of August to post a 119 wRC+ in his final 25 games.
Schlittler certainly wants to declare a statement of intent from the first batter he faces, particularly the face of the Boston franchise. Everybody in the stadium and watching the broadcast knows a heater is coming first pitch, the only question is how fast.
We have our answer. Schlittler throws one of the fastest pitches of his season, dotting this 101 mph four-seamer on the corner away and at the knees for strike one. If anyone had any doubts whether Schlittler would be amped up for this start, this pitch is a resounding yes.
With the adrenaline coursing through his veins, it looks like Schlittler has access to a couple more mph on his fastball. He looks to take advantage of this fleeting boost in velo with another four-seamer to Anthony, convinced that he can throw it by the dangerous Boston lefty.
This one comes in at *just* 100 mph. Austin Wells sets a target up and in and Schlittler doesn’t miss his spot by much, tugging this pitch just a few inches inside. It starts as a ball out of his hand and never really deviates toward the zone, making for a pretty straightforward take by Anthony.
After two pitches, it appears Schlittler’s release is better aligned for that outside lane than to the glove side. Anthony showed zero interest in offering at the first pitch fastball called for a strike, so Schlittler and Wells go back to that well.
Schlittler throws almost an identical copy of the first pitch of the game, dotting another 101 mph four-seamer low and away. Same pitch, same result. Anthony is clearly hunting something up and on the inner half. It wouldn’t make sense for him to be guarding against the breaking ball below the zone considering Schlittler threw a fastball roughly 90-percent of the time during the regular season.
It’s been a slightly different approach from Schlittler to start the game, as he generally likes to live up in the zone with all three of his fastballs. That partially helps to explain Anthony’s passivity against the two in-zone four-seamers low, however that approach now has him in the hole, 1-2. There’s no subtlety to the following pitch selection, Schlittler looking to bully Anthony into submission with another heater over the plate.
This is Schlittler’s third four-seamer at 101, though this one catches way more plate than the other two. All the same, Anthony still can’t catch up despite knowing exactly what’s coming, his late swing slashing the pitch foul back to the screen.
Following that foul ball, Schlittler introduces his first wrinkle of the AB. After finally establishing his four-seamer in the zone but above the knees, Schlittler has the situation perfectly set up to get Anthony to chase a curveball in the dirt.
You might wonder why an MLB hitter would swing at a pitch that bounces in front of home plate. However, out of the hand this curveball looks exactly like the four-seamer in the zone that immediately preceded it. Because he has to stay geared up for 101, Anthony is almost forced into starting his swing before that curveball’s downward break kicks in, leaving him no chance to check his swing in time. I’ll admit I was shocked to see Schlittler throw a curveball this early in the game. I was expecting a diet of purely fastballs in the first inning and maybe even the whole first time through the order before using the curveball later in the game as a change of speeds and change of look.
Here’s the full sequence:
This outing was vintage Schlittler against Boston, but with an extra twist that could vault the Yankees ace into truly untouchable territory this postseason. He threw a career-high 32 curveballs to the tune of a gaudy 50-percent whiff rate. It surely confounded the Red Sox game plan against him and they were helpless against the Uncle Charlie for the entirety of his outing. Even if he ups the fastball usage in subsequent starts, the curveball usage rate in this game plants the seed of doubt in the mind of anyone attempting to game plan for Schlittler. Don’t be surprised to see his calling card elevated heater rack up whiffs in bunches now that hitters have to be mindful of the hook.
Though not quite as stratospherically dominant as last season’s Wild Card start against the Red Sox, Schlittler still found a way to silence Boston without his A-1 fastball command. He threw a career-high 117 pitches across 6.1 scoreless, striking out ten to join Bob Gibson as the only other pitcher in MLB history with multiple scoreless starts with double-digit strikeouts against the Red Sox in the playoffs. Needless to say, we are excited to see what brilliance he cooks up next.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox reacts in the fourth inning against the New York Yankees in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
By now you’ve seen the quotes. After another ugly night at Yankee Stadium, a number of Red Sox veterans expressed their frustration not only with the way they played, but with certain on and off-field decisions.
First and most notably there was Sonny Gray, who didn’t mince words when it came to his thoughts about being lifted after having thrown just 70 pitches in an elimination game. “I think I’m the best pitcher in the American League going through the order a third time. I think that’s a fact,” Gray said. “I would have liked to have been trusted in that moment.” (ESPN)
Making matters worse, Chad Tracy’s decision to lift Gray in favor of Erik Miller seems to have soured the pending free agent on the organization as a whole. Gray was asked a variation on a question that every veteran has been asked dozens of times throughout their career: “Are the Red Sox a destination you’d want to return to?” It’s a softball question that, 99 times out of 100, would be answered with pablum about enjoying his time here and wanting to explore his options, and doing what’s best for his family, yadda, yadda, yadda. But in the heat of the moment, Gray offered something else:
When Sonny Gray was asked if the Red Sox were a destination he'd want to return to…
Earlier this season, in the midst of one of the hottest stretches in baseball history, Willson Contreras made it clear that he wanted to finish his career in Boston, saying that he had “found my family.” But in the clubhouse last night he didn’t hold back in criticizing the organization’s decision-making “It’s not enough when you have talent, or you have data, or you have computers telling you what to do, because this is baseball,” he said. “The data is here to help us, but at the end of the day, you’re going to need experience and veteran guys to win games. There’s a lot of stuff that I would like to say, but I’ll stay (with) that.” Asked further about accounted for the Sox’ swing from mid-summer brilliance to fall failure, Contreras demurred in eyebrow-raising fashion: ”I’m not going to answer it because I don’t want to give my honest answer.“ (Justin Leger, NBC Sports)
So what was Chad Tracy’s explanation for the quick hook? “We were trailing, we’re struggling to score runs, and you have to when you get in spots where you’re struggling to score runs and you’re already trailing, you feel like you’ve got to be aggressive and go,” he said. “They’re getting back to the top of the lineup, they got a couple hits against them, you see if you can put it out. And if you put it out, you’re kind of lined up to where we wanted to go. That just didn’t work.” (Tara Sullivan, Boston Globe)
While Tracy’s quick hooks are garnering a lot of attention, the Red Sox weren’t going to win much of anything with the way they were hitting. “Obviously, we didn’t score enough runs,” said Sox Trevor Story. “That’s kind of what it comes down to. We weren’t really swinging it real hot at the end of the season coming into the postseason.” (Steve Buckley, The Athletic)
Naturally, it’s even harder to score runs without Roman Anthony. The Red Sox have struggled to get a handle on Anthony’s injury all season long, and that appears to still be the case today. “We’re still trying to figure out exactly what happened and what the prognosis will be,” Craig Breslow said, while Anthony himself sounded devastated: “I feel sick to my stomach. I haven’t slept much. It doesn’t really feel real, to be honest,” he said. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
