At the end of last season, Rockies broadcaster Jerry Schemmel was let go for the second time in five years. It was unclear who would join longtime radio voice Jack Corrigan in the booth, but the Rockies held auditions during spring training, and the job was eventually won by Zach Goodman – broadcaster for the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles and son of Rockies TV broadcaster Drew Goodman.

Goodman joined the booth on April 4th and never looked back. Through the ups and downs of the Rockies season, he reflected on his rookie season.

Getting into a routine

One of the first things Goodman had to do was find a routine, especially since a typical workday looks very different working in sports.

“I’ll usually get up around 8:40ish to 9:00, and then I’ll go to work out. And then if we’re on the road, I’ll try to look around the city a little bit,” he said.

“But then I’ll come back and start looking up some stuff for the game. I’ll usually do the pitching matchup really early in my book just to have that ready for when I go to the ballpark. And then if it’s an away game, you’ve got to get on the bus whenever the bus is scheduled. If it’s a home game, I just try to get there for home clubhouse availability, which usually starts four hours before first pitch. And then once I’m there, I’m getting my interview. Then, I’m talking to people throughout the clubhouse to see if [I] can get anything interesting to use on air.”

He also uses the opportunity to continue developing relationships with players and personnel before heading to the dugout for Warren Schaeffer’s press conference and batting practice.

“And then you go up to the booth and start really grinding on your book,” he continued. “I’m someone who [likes] having a big scorebook, and I like having all of the information I want to use, the majority of it, on one page. I’m not good at trying to find it throughout other pages while also calling the action. So I like having everything I want to use in my book. So that’s usually a somewhat tedious (process), putting it together for an hour or hour and a half of writing everything in – finding different old stories, statistics, all that good stuff. So that takes a while.

“You hit the ballpark, and then you jump into the pregame show, then the game, and then the postgame show and all of a sudden you’re going home.”

New Things

There have also been numerous differences between the minors and Majors that Goodman has adjusted to. The most noticeable, of course, was the travel.

“You’re not on a bus for 12 hours,” he said. “You’re on a nice plane, and you’re going to big cities, and you’re traveling every few days compared to once a week.”

His favorite trip of the year was to Las Vegas and Chicago in June.

“Wrigley Field’s been my favorite visiting ballpark so far,” Goodman said. “It’s just all about the game of baseball. I love that. Every aspect about that place is celebrating baseball, which is really cool. But then obviously you’re in Vegas, and we stayed on the Strip and that was fun for a couple of days. I think we were all ready to get out of there on the third day.”

But in terms of actual broadcasting, there are a lot more resources and a lot more things that he needs to do to prepare.

“In my role with the Rockies radio right now with KOA, I have to get a pregame interview every single day of a player or sometimes an opposing broadcaster or a coach,” he said.

“But finding somebody to talk to for five minutes every single day, working around their schedule and coming with questions that’ll hopefully be interesting, relevant and different from the previous questions – just doing that on a daily basis has been something new to me, and I’ve really enjoyed that process. But that’s definitely been something that’s a little bit different because that’s not something I had to do at the minor league-level at all.”

When he’s not looking for Rockies players to interview, he tries to mix things up by finding opposing players with Colorado connections.

“I [interviewed] Jackson Holliday recently, just to talk about Ethan Holliday and his dad and growing up at Coors Field,” Goodman said. “And then I did Kyle Leahy on the Cardinals, who went to Erie High School and Colorado Mesa (University). Riley Cornelio with the Washington Nationals went to Pine Creek High School. So whenever there’s a Colorado connection, I go for that.”

Other times, especially if the team is struggling and there’s nobody to talk to, sometimes he’ll seek out a broadcaster from the opposing team to, “kind of get the lay of the land on how their team’s doing and their observations on the Rockies from an outsider’s point of view, who’s studying them to talk about them for a three-game set, but hasn’t watched them every single day and just being impressed by guys.”

Another thing that Goodman has needed to get used to, though, is interacting with fans.

“I think something else that has been new to me is getting notifications and DMs and comments on social media, whether they’re negative or positive,” he said.

“It’s just kind of funny because I don’t view myself in that way. I view myself as just a normal person who was playing college baseball a couple of years ago. I do normal things, and it’s just kind of weird to me that there’s people I don’t know who have strong opinions about me and will voice them to me over social media at times. And whether they’re positive or negative, it’s just kind of bizarre to me and weird to me, and it’s an adjustment that people know who I am. That’s kind of a weird one.”

But he’s learning to balance it, especially with advice from other members of the Rockies broadcast crews and players.

“It’s been really cool because I’ve had a lot of people reach out. There’s been so much positivity connected to it, and people reaching out to me and getting to interact with different fans who share the same love for the Rockies that I do and seeing them, whether it’s at the ballpark or just emails that I’ve gotten that I’ve been able to respond to and have a conversation with – all of that has been really cool, and I’ve enjoyed that aspect a ton,” he said. 

“From the negative side of things, when people are critical about how I’m doing or the team or any of that, it’s funny,” he continued. “It simply does not bother me at all because if you’re taking the time to write to a 26-year-old who’s living his dream and you’re just trying to bring him down in any way. Why would I care about your opinion? I don’t know you. It doesn’t bother me. It’s the entertainment industry – you’re never going to make everybody happy, and I just go based off what my family and friends think of me, and what my coworkers think of me, and as long as all of that is positive, then I’m OK.”

Highlights

The Rockies finished 58-104 this season, but it was filled with plenty of highlights for the young broadcaster. While he said “the whole season” has been a highlight, especially since he was able to spend the year with his dad covering the team he grew up a “diehard fan of,” there was a moment recently that will be etched in his memory forever: Catching a foul ball at Yankee Stadium.

“It was right after I dropped the ball the previous road game, which was a week before in Atlanta, but I botched that one,” he said. “[It was] just an easy pop-up right to me. I dropped it. I got a whole heap of ribbing from everybody in the Rockies travel crew to attendants at Coors Field when I got home. So then to catch one, and I was doing play-by-play during it, was pretty cool.”

It came off the bat of Hunter Goodman facing Cam Schlittler.

“[Goodman] fouled it back. It was just right at me, and it was like a heat-seeking missile,” he recalled. “I couldn’t get out of the way, but it hit me right in the chest and fortunately, I caught it clean with my hands. And I don’t usually do this because it’s bad etiquette, but I thought it would be cool to get both Schlittler and Goodman to sign the ball. I couldn’t track Cam Schlittler down in their clubhouse, but Hunter signed it for me. So that’ll go up in my office or my room, but I’ll definitely have that ball forever.”

Goodman also had the chance to make some memorable calls, including the third home run of each of Goodman’s three-home run games. But, as luck would have it, he was also able to call his first walk-off in early September. 

“The way our broadcast is structured is that Jack is the lead, so he does the ninth and the 10th innings, so anytime there’s a walk-off, it’s usually going to be him calling it and getting to call the end of the game. If it’s the 11th, that’s my inning and I do play-by-play for it,” he explained. 

“And a couple weeks ago, the Rockies walked off the Orioles. It was a crazy back-and-forth game, and so many things went against the Rockies. Their luck was so poor, and eventually – after a long at-bat, 3-2, a lot of two-strike pitches left on left with Brett Sullivan fresh into the game – he lines a walk-off single into left field,” Goodman recalled. “And getting to call that was my first walk-off call at the major-league level. And that was one, even though I’ve been doing it all year, and at the start of the year, it hits you like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re doing Major League Baseball. This is really cool.’

“I got a little emotional after that one because that was one that really hit home, like, ‘Wow, you’re here. You just got to call a walk-off in a Major League Baseball game. That’s really cool.’ So that was one that definitely stands out to me.”

Challenges & Surprises

As with any job, there have also been some challenges that Goodman has faced. Namely, the Rockies had another bad year and trying to balance representing the team with being honest with the fans.

“It’s difficult because in some ways, you’re protecting these guys because you know them and you’re representing the team,” he said. “We’re not some reporter looking for an angle, trying to discuss a guy and his faults. We’re looking to prop these guys up and talk about them and be an ally for them. 

“But at the same time, you have to be honest with the fans,” he continued.

“Fans understand the game, too, and they’ll know if you’re BS-ing them completely. So there’s that line to walk. But with the Rockies this season in particular, is the record in a great spot? No. But from the expectations of what happened last year to where the organization is right now, it is just so positive. So many things have gone well this year, from what Paul DePodesta has done to Josh Byrnes and Walker Monfort. So many great additions to the team. I think Warren Schaeffer has done an excellent job at the helm, keeping this team motivated and he really is the right fit for this group of guys.”

He also pointed to players like Jake McCarthy, Cole Carrigg, Troy Johnston, Kyle Karros and TJ Rumfield as positive points in another down season, as well as the 16-win improvement from last year. 

“If you improve 15-20 games, that is a massive improvement,” he said.

“And yes, does 100 losses look good? No. But for this organization, this whole season has been such a massive step in the right direction, and I think we’re going to continue to make better strides as the years go on. If you’re a Rockies fan, if you support this team, I’d be really excited about the direction of this organization and its ability to have sustained success.”

But as far as surprises go, Goodman mentioned the massive machine that makes a baseball game operate, even though he grew up seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff.

“I think the fans would be surprised at how much goes into a major league operation, like in terms of at the ballpark,” he said, “the amount of clubhouse managers, the amount of people looking through video, the amount of coaching staff looking through video, the amount of trainers, the health and nutrition standpoint, the social media, the marketing, the communications… I mean, it just goes on and on and on. 

“And there are so many people that are involved in making the organization work,” Goodman continued.

“It’s crazy the amount of people that have to do so many jobs to put a baseball team on the field – put a winning team on the field, keeping those guys healthy, as well as the people that go into putting together a broadcast on both the radio and the television side. I mean, there’s so many people involved in the operation, and I kind of knew it from growing up, but I think people would be really surprised at the manpower that goes into putting together a broadcast, a baseball team’s performance, all of that. There’s just so many people involved.”

What’s Next

Now that Goodman has wrapped up his rookie season, he is excited to “see how far [he] can take this thing.”

“I would love to do football and basketball and hockey and whatever medium is available,” he said. “I really do like the radio medium, but I’d also do television, as well.”

But he has really come to appreciate the unique nature of baseball radio.

“I love baseball radio, especially because it’s one of the last true sports that relies on that medium, and it gives you the opportunity to really describe everything that’s going on in a baseball game,” he said.

“And there’s so much always going on, and I like the pacing of it and the ability to really have the freedom to take it any direction you want. [That] has been really fun. And then also just being super descriptive and trying your best to paint a picture to somebody that can’t see what you’re seeing. That’s what I’m constantly thinking about when I’m in the radio booth – (I’m) thinking about what the listener is hearing and hoping that they can envision what I am seeing out on the field.”

He also noted how different that is from a television broadcast.

“And that’s a challenge that is very different from television because on television, you could take four pitches and not say anything,” he said. “You could take four pitches and be talking about the Oscars or the Emmys or anything random, but the viewer can still see what’s going on in the game. Whereas on the radio side, you’re every pitch. You’re trying to make sure that everybody knows exactly what’s going on. You’re their eyes and ears. You have to be the one to describe it to them. So I really enjoy that aspect of it, and I’ve learned a ton this year from both Jesse Thomas and Jack Corrigan.”

But as far as the offseason goes, Goodman plans to keep busy.

“I’m somebody that likes to work, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy the first few days off, and then I have a lot of weddings and stuff,” he said. “My little brother’s bachelor party is coming up in a few weeks, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy that stuff. But I’m also sure that pretty soon after, I’ll be like, ‘All right, I’m ready to have baseball back.’ 

“And I’ll also be looking forward to the players and the owners coming up with an agreement so that we have baseball next year, so that’s something obviously we’ll all be keeping an eye on,” he continued. “But you know, (it’s) definitely really important for the people working in the industry. But I’m looking forward to doing other sports, as well. I love baseball and I love talking about it every day, so I’m going to miss it when it’s done.”

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Welcome back to this season’s final edition of Monday Stat Party, a weekly series showcasing some of the most curious and nostalgia-inducing statistical developments from the past week of Mets baseball. What unites each entry is the sense of intrigue which they aim to spark, and the unbridled love of the game’s anomalies from which they arise. Without further ado, let the stat party begin.

TUESDAY

With his 25th stolen base of the season, A.J. Ewing broke Mookie Wilson’s 1981 record for the most stolen bases by a rookie in franchise history.

Kodai Senga became one of just 11 Japanese-born players to reach eight career saves, joining: Kazuhiro Sasaki (129), Koji Uehara (95), Takashi Saito (84), Akinori Otsuka (39), Shigetoshi Hasegawa (33), Shingo Takatsu (27), Hideki Irabu (16), Hisanori Takahashi (10), Masanori Murakami (9), and Yoshihisa Hirano (8).

Francisco Alvarez and Carson Benge each hit two doubles, marking the first time multiple Mets hit multiple doubles in a game since Ronny Mauricio and Jeff McNeil did it on July 27, 2025, in San Francisco.

WEDNESDAY

Marcus Semien hit his 15th home run of the year, giving the Mets six or more players with 15+ homers for the fifth time in franchise history after 2000 (7), 2017 (8), 2019 (6), and 2025 (6). The only teams with more 15-homer players this season were the Cubs, Reds, and Dodgers (all tied at 7). Of the Mets’ players with 15+ homers last season and this season, only two (Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto) overlap.

Juan Soto reached base four times for the 103rd time in his career, moving past Ted Williams for the third-most such games by a player before turning 28 years old. Soto trails only Mickey Mantle (121) and Jimmie Foxx (112).

Soto became the fifth Met to get intentionally walked three times in a game, after Claudell Washington (August 26, 1980), Vince Coleman (August 10, 1992), Todd Hundley (June 28, 1997), and David Wright (May 19, 2007, and July 18, 2009).

Brett Baty’s 455-foot home run tied the longest blast of his big league career, a homer off Brad Lord on August 20, 2025, in Washington.

Francisco Alvarez’s seventh-inning single registered an exit velocity of 113.7 mph. It was Alvarez’s 15th career batted ball with an exit velocity of 112+ mph, the second-most by a Met player in the Statcast era (since 2015) behind Pete Alonso, who had a whopping 130.

Alvarez, Lindor, and Baty each recorded a batted ball with an exit velocity over 110 mph, marking the first time the Mets recorded three batted balls with an exit velocity of 110+ mph in the same game since September 10, 2025, in Philadelphia.

Nolan McLean completed his rookie year with a total of 179.2 innings pitched, the most by a Mets rookie since Jae Weong Seo (188.1 in 2003), and 194 strikeouts, the third-most by a Mets rookie behind Dwight Gooden (276 in 1984) and Kodai Senga (202 in 2023).

McLean recorded his 250th strikeout in his 39th career game, tying Jacob deGrom for the fifth-fewest games by a Met to reach that milestone behind Dwight Gooden (29 games), Matt Harvey (34 games), Noah Syndergaard (36 games), and Kodai Senga (38 games).

McLean recorded his 26th game with at least five strikeouts this season, the most by a Mets pitcher since deGrom (29) and Syndergaard (27) in 2019.

McLean became the first rookie with 20 quality starts since the Royals’ Yordano Ventura (22 in 2014). McLean’s 20 quality starts this season were tied with Sonny Gray and Cam Schlittler for fifth-most in the majors behind Cristopher Sánchez (22), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (22), Sandy Alcantara (21), and Michael Wacha (21). McLean also recorded his 21st start of six or more innings pitched this season, the second-most by a Met in a season since 2020, trailing only Chris Bassitt (23 in 2022).

THURSDAY

Zac Thornton’s 63 strikeouts through 15 career games ranks fourth among Mets left-handers, behind Steven Matz (87), Bill Pulsipher (74), and David Peterson (69).

Juan Soto became the second Mets player to get intentionally walked four times in a two-game span, after Travis d’Arnaud did it while batting in the No. 8 spot ahead of Jon Niese and Bartolo Colón on June 1-2, 2014, in Philadelphia.

The Mets scored two or fewer runs through nine innings for the 63rd time this season. That ties 2013 for the most such games the Mets have had in a season in the Wild-Card Era (since 1995).

Over the franchise’s first five trips to Arlington, the Mets are still yet to lose a series on the road against the Rangers. They won two of three in 2003, won two of three in 2011, split a two-game set in 2017, won two out of three in 2024, and won two out of three again in 2026.

FRIDAY

Carson Benge became the first Mets rookie with 20+ homers and 20+ stolen bases in a season.

Benge became just the eighth player in MLB history to join the 20/20 club in their debut season, joining: Jackson Chourio (2024), Anthony Volpe (2023), Bobby Witt Jr. (2022), Julio Rodríguez (2022), Marty Cordova (1995), Ellis Burks (1987), and Mitchell Page (1977). (source: Sarah Langs on X)

Benge recorded his 43rd multi-hit game of the season, breaking Pete Alonso’s 2019 record for the most multi-hit games by a rookie in franchise history.

With a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning, Brett Baty extended his career-high 18-game on-base streak. It was snapped with an 0-for-4 performance on Saturday.

Bo Bichette hit his fourth home run at Nationals Park this season, tied for the most by a Mets player in any season on the road against the Nats/Expos. His six extra-base hits trail only David Wright (7) in 2012.

Francisco Lindor didn’t notch his 300th home run on Friday night, but he did record three batted balls in a game at 107+ mph for the first time in the Statcast era (since 2015). Unfortunately for him, only one of the three resulted in a base hit.

The Mets allowed five wild pitches in a game and four wild pitches in an inning for the first time in franchise history.

SATURDAY

Jonah Tong set career highs with nine strikeouts and 19 whiffs in a game.

Mets pitchers recorded 14 or more strikeouts in a game for the 12th time this season, the fourth-most such games in a season in franchise history behind 2021 (19), 2019 (17), and 2022 (17).

With a start at shortstop, Brett Baty became the first Mets player to play six different positions in a season since Jeff McNeil in 2023.

Nate Lavender has recorded 19 scoreless appearances in his first 21 career outings, tied with Jaime Cerda, Erik Goeddel, and Daniel Zamora for the second-most by a Met behind Joe Smith (20).

In the Mets’ penultimate game of the season, their No. 8 and No. 9 hitters hit back-to-back homers (A.J. Ewing and Ronny Mauricio). The 2026 Mets had done that once before — in their first game of the season, when Carson Benge and Francisco Alvarez went deep at Citi Field against the Pirates.

The Mets clinched their sixth consecutive victory in the season series with Washington. Their record against the Nationals is 57-33 over that span.

SUNDAY

Francisco Lindor became the fifth player to hit their 300th career home runwhile having played at least 50% of their games at shortstop, joining Ernie Banks, Cal Ripken Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Tejada. (source: Sarah Langs on X) He is also the 11th switch-hitter to reach the 300-homer mark. (source: Sarah Langs on X)

Lindor became one of 27 players with 300 home runs and 200 stolen bases, and the third active player to have reached the milestone along with Andrew McCutchen and Mike Trout. He is the fifth member of that club to have played for the Mets; the others were Willie Mays, Darryl Strawberry, Gary Sheffield, and Carlos Beltrán.

Lindor became the seventh player to hit their 300th home run as a Met, joining Dave Kingman, George Foster, Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, Mo Vaughn, and Curtis Granderson.

Lindor’s 300th homer registered a 110.8-mph exit velocity, marking the third-hardest-hit homer as a right-handed batter in his career. His only harder-hit homer from the right side as a Met came on another afternoon in Washington, when he took MacKenzie Gore deep on August 21, 2025.

Ronny Maurcio became the first Met to hit three consecutive homers out of the No. 9 spot, with two on Saturday and one on Sunday. (source: SNY broadcast)

Carson Benge recorded his 14th three-hit game of the season, extending his record for the most three-hit games by a rookie in franchise history.

Juan Soto holds a 1.101 OPS against the Nationals in 39 games played facing his former team. That’s the third-highest OPS for any player with at least 150 plate appearances against the Nationals/Expos, trailing only Jim Edmonds (1.198) and Todd Helton (1.114).

Miscellaneous Mets stat of the week:

Let’s talk about the rookies.

In Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, A.J. Ewing, and Zac Thornton, the Mets have four rookies with at least 1.5 bWAR*. That’s tied for the most rookies with 1.5+ bWAR* in a season in franchise history, matching the mark from 1983 (Darryl Strawberry, Carlos Diaz, Walt Terrell, and Doug Sisk).

In Benge, McLean, and Ewing, the Mets have three rookies with at least 3.0 bWAR*. Prior to this year, they had never had as many as two such rookies in a single season. In fact, the 2026 Mets are just the third team in the modern era (since 1900) to have three rookies with at least 3.0 bWAR*, joining:

2006 Marlins (4: Hanley Ramírez, Dan Uggla, Josh Johnson, and Aníbal Sánchez)

1989 Orioles (3: Randy Milligan, Bob Milacki, Gregg Olson)

*bWAR separated for position players and pitchers, not cumulative

Thank you for following along all year! Here’s to many more stat parties in 2027…

Well, it looks like we’re doing this again.

For the third time in five seasons, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies will be facing off in the Postseason. You don’t need me to tell you how the past two series went but if you’re dwelling on that, I’d advise you not to. Both managers have changed, both teams have a new look when compared to those two series and Philadelphia’s home crowd and/or ballpark won’t play a factor in this series since every game will be taking place in Cobb County.

So while this is a familiar Postseason foe, I think we’re all looking forward to a different Postseason result this time around. Atlanta should also benefit from having been able to prepare for this series for a solid week. The Phillies could’ve had a similar amount of preparation time but they instead left it all the way until Game 162 in order to clinch their spot in the Postseason. Depending on how you feel, it’s either a blessing or a curse that the Phillies will be going out of the frying pan of the regular season and into the fire of the Postseason without much rest or preparation.

With that being said, I’d imagine that the Phillies certainly would’ve preferred being able to set up for the Postseason since now they’re having to strain a bit in order to get things set up the way that they’d like for this series against the Braves. Let’s take a look at how the Phillies are shaping up for this series, what to watch out for and what my personal outlook is for this particular series.

Starting Pitching

As far as starters go, the Braves will have the advantage here largely because of the fact that the Phillies had to expend a a lot of resources just to even make it into the Postseason. Cristopher Sánchez had to start this past Friday, Aaron Nola started on just two days rest on Saturday (and wasn’t particularly effective) and Zack Wheeler was forced to go on Sunday, so Sánchez would likely be the Game 2 starter and if Wheeler shows up (likely Game 3, if necessary) then he’ll be pitching on short rest. Jesús Luzardo has essentially been rushed back from the shoulder inflammation that he’d been dealing with for September and if he does pitch, it could be in a short burst rather than any type of extended start.

Depending on how Luzardo feels, he might be the Game 1 starter. If it’s more of an opener-type deal then Andrew Painter could get the bulk of those innings for Game 1. Either way, it’s certainly not an ideal situation for Philadelphia coming into a three-game series against the Braves.

Sánchez has been solid over the past month or so but the Braves proved that they can score runs on him, so that wouldn’t be an impossible task if they have to face him. Luzardo utterly dominated Atlanta in his last outing against the Braves but again, he’s coming off of an injury and may not be as effective in his first appearance back. Nola just might be exhausted after having pitched more often than usual over the course of this past week. Painter has certainly been tricky for the Braves to deal with so far but again, it’s not an impossible task to score runs off of him.

With all of that being said, Wheeler has always been tough on the Braves and I’d imagine that one less day of rest wouldn’t be enough to throw him off. Outside of that, it really feels like the Braves are catching the Phillies in a vulnerable spot as far as their starting pitching goes. That’s not to say that Philadephia’s just going to be serving up meatballs for the Braves to feast upon but there’s definitely a scenario where the Braves can find themselves getting into Philly’s bullpen early and that could reap some benefits for Atlanta. However, if this rotation performs as expected and the Braves continue to struggle at the plate early on in games (Atlanta has only hit .242/.296/.383 in the first six innings of games this year, good for just a .298 wOBA an 86 wRC+, which is the second-worst mark in baseball so far), then they’re probably going to need some more late heroics in order to pull something off.

Bullpen

Philadelphia’s bullpen also has some questions heading into this series. Jhoan Duran is ready to go and he’ll likely be very tough to deal with if he does enter the game but outside of that, there’s nobody who’s particularly imposing in this relief corps. Jonathan Bowlan willbe on the roster but there’s a question of how effective that he’ll be since he’s been dealing with a groin strain here in the latter portion of September and he hasn’t pitched since September 17. If he does turn out to be healthy and effective then Atlanta will have a tough challenge on their hands but if not, Philadelphia’s bullpen depth will be put to the test during this series.

Don Mattingly has come to trust rookie hurler Alex McFarlane out of the bullpen here in the second half of the season and for the most part, he’s been very effective. With that being said, the Braves will be coming into this game having tagged McFarlane with his worst appearance of the season back on September 6, which is when they got him for three runs off of three hits — including that infamous homer from Ronald Acuña Jr. that set off furiously-goofy debates about how long a home run trot should be. Tim Mayza has been relatively reliable for them so far and the Phillies will also be hoping that new acquisition José Urquidy can deliver.

Still, there is a lot of uncertainty about whether or not the Phillies can get to Duran without stepping on a landmine. José Alvarado has always had his fair share of adventures, so there’s another guy who could be tricky for the Braves to deal with but they’ve also had success against him in the past. This isn’t a bad bullpen by any means but it’s also not one to be feared, either — especially considering that in the converse of their early -inning struggles, the Braves have hit .250/.319/.437 with a .329 wOBA and 107 wRC+ across the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings this season. If the Braves are going to put runs on the board, this’ll likely be their best chance to do it against the relief portion of Philadelphia’s pitching staff.

Offense

You have to respect a lineup that still has Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber lurking in it. They’ve done enough damage to the Braves in the past that it would be foolish to imagine that they wouldn’t be dangerous. Schwarber has definitely enjoyed his time hitting against the Braves this season and Harper has shown that he can turn the switch on at any given moment. It really wouldn’t be shocking if those two found it in them to send some more torment towards Atlanta’s way.

With that being said, those two haven’t exactly been tearing it up in the short term coming into the Postseason. If anything, the Phillies have been relying on guys like Derek Hill, Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa to carry them in the Postseason. Perhaps that explains a lot about why it took them all 162 games to lock down a Postseason spot but either way, those guys could be very tricky to deal with in this series. Hill already proved in this ballpark how dangerous he could be after he hit a bases-clearing double off of Chris Sale during that fateful series not too long ago. The Postseason is full of stories of unsung heroes causing trauma and grief for opponents so that’s definitely something to watch out for.

Still, this isn’t exactly the deep and dangerous Phillies lineup that the Braves had to deal with in both 2022 and 2023 when Philadelphia bounced Atlanta out of the Postseason on two consecutive occasions. Trea Turner has had a down season, Bryson Stott and Bryan De La Cruz have both slowed down recently, Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford haven’t really been tearing it up on a consistent basis and J.T. Realmuto’s production has fallen off of a cliff. Luis Arraez has usually been a thorn in Atlanta’s side but if he plays, he’ll be coming off of a spraing ankle and to be honest, I wouldn’t expect him to play. Over the course of the entire 2026 season and up until Game 162, the Phillies were tied with the Reds and Rockies for the lowest wRC+ in all of baseball (91) and that number has only gone up slightly (94) since August 1.

I wish I could say that the Braves have the clear advantage here but Atlanta has only produced 91 wRC+ as a team since August 1 and it’s only slightly better for the Braves when you extrapolate through to the rest of the season (98 wRC+). Someone’s going to have to get a big hit and some point and hopefully Atlanta’s deeper lineup will be able to get the job done with the home field advantage.

Defense/Base Running

Well, this one is pretty clear-cut. The Braves will be heading into the Postseason having posted a Top-5 defense in all of baseball according to OAA (22) and DRS (63). Once the Phillies acquired Luis Arraez, they basically decided to go all-in on offense while hoping that nothing disastrous happens out in the field. Considering that Philadelphia’s OAA for the season has been -14 and their DRS is all the way down at -43, the Braves would seem to be much less likely to give away extra outs. That’s huge in a such a short-sample size as any given Postseason series and Atlanta’s advantage on defense really could come in handy if these games end up being extremely close.

With that being said, the Phillies have done a better job running the bases when compared to Atlanta. This was a point of emphasis for the Braves heading into the season and unfortunately, things haven’t really changed for the better over the course of the season. The Braves are sitting on -4 Baserunning runs according to Baseball Savant, while the Phillies have a positive value of 9 Baserunning Runs so far this season — good for the third-best mark in baseball. Both teams are in the same neighborhood when it comes to preventing stolen bases but it’s pretty clear that Atlanta’s probably going to have the tougher task of preventing the Phillies from running wild on the basepaths.

Overall Outlook

I’m going to say that Atlanta’s home field advantage is going to be huge in this series. While Atlanta’s offense hasn’t been particularly great across the board so far this season, they’ve produced at a very solid level at home, to the tune of a .259/.321/.428 collective slash line along with .327 wOBA and 106 wRC+. Ronald Acuña Jr. has started to heat up recently, Michael Harris II has been a very consistent hitter so far, Matt Olson has had himself another great year and hopefully Drake Baldwin and Mauricio Dubón will both rise to the occasion as well.

On top of that, the Braves will also have the advantage of having a more reliable bullpen and being pretty well set up for the first two games of the series. Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle will be getting the ball for Game 1 and 2 and we’ve known that for a while now, compared to the situation that the Phillies have been dealing with. If both Sale and Mahle perform as advertised then you have to like their chances when it comes to turning things over to this particular bullpen late in the game.

Philadelphia may have expended too many resources and too much energy just to get across the finish line in the NL Wild Card race and the Braves will have to take advantage of that. The neutral fan in me believes that the Braves have the edge and of course the objective fan in me believes that the Braves are going to pull this off as well. With that being said, this is a weird sport, this is a weird team and these two teams are so familiar that anything could be on the table as far as results go.

With that being said, you play all of these games to get home field advantage for a reason and I feel like that could make all the difference in the world for the Braves. Atlanta won the overall season series and went 4-2 against Philadelphia in Cobb County. All the Braves need are two more wins and they’ll be getting on a plane to Los Angeles. We’ll see what happens.

Game 1: Tuesday, September 29 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Game 2: Wednesday, September 30 at 2:00 p.m ET
Game 3 (if neccessary): Thursday, October 1 at TBD (2:00 p.m. ET or 8:00 p.m. ET)
All games televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock
All games will be on ESPN Radio and the Braves Radio Network (680 The Fan/93.7 FM)

Rick Rizzs Happy Totals: 76
Dan Wilson Tough One Tonights: 86
Run Differential: -58
2025: 90-72, +72
2024: 85-77, +69
2023: 88-74, +99
2022: 90-72, +67

wRC+: 102 (10th)
Rotation ERA-/FIP-: 105/98 (19th/13th)
Bullpen ERA-/FIP-: 115/103 (27th/20th)
OAA: -57 (30th)
BsR: -4.6 (24th)

Mariners fWAR leader: Randy Arozarena, 5.6
Mariners bWAR leader: Randy Arozarena, 5.6

Beef Boy Bombs: 23
Josh Naylor SB: 30 for 39
Julio HR-SB: 22-22
Ty France Memorial HBP Counter: Randy Arozarena, 26

Concussions: 2
All-Stars: 1

Last time a 1B stole 30 bases in back-to-back seasons: 1922
Combined Naylor, Cal, Julio wRC+: 98
Combined Naylor, Cal, Julio wRC+, 2025: 143
Cole Young DRS: 16
Cole Young OAA: -5
Combined Refsnyder and Ward wRC+: 29
Randy Arozarena wRC+: 151 (3rd)
Last time a Mariner was in the top 3 in wRC+: 1995 (Edgar, 1st, 182)
Players with six consecutive 20-20 seasons: 5 (Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Bobby Abreu, Willy Mays, Randy Arozarena)
J.P. career rWAR as a Mariner: 21.8 (12th)
Dominic Canzone wRC+ vs LHP: 147

Logan Gilbert K: 205 (8th)
Piggyback starts: 4
ERA in piggyback starts: 2.50
Emerson Hancock 2023-2025 ERA: 4.81
Emerson Hancock 2026 ERA: 3.57
Bryan Woo changeup RV/100: 3.7

Seranthony Domínguez WPA: 1.12
Andrés Muñoz K%: 37.1% (4th of 258)
José Ferrer GB%: 56.2% (18th of 258)
José Ferrer BABIP: .329 (226th of 258)
Eduard Bazardo HR/9: 1.74 (21st of 258)
Matt Brash IP: 16.2

2026 Mariners among the 50 Greatest Mariners: 8
2026 among the 50 greatest Mariner seasons: I don’t know, like, 40th?

Piggyback rides: Randy Arozarena, +1.2 cWPA
A pig in a poke: Cal Raleigh, -1.3 cWPA

Seasons since Mariners’ last playoff appearance: 1

The book is now closed on the 2026 Washington Nationals season. They finished the season 77-85, making an 11 win improvement from last season. This was a true step forward season, but there is still a way to go. James Wood summarized the season well when he told me, “We should be proud of how far we’ve come, but there is still a lot more to improve on”. 

As we wrap up the season, I want to focus on the positives. While there are some areas that will need to be improved, the Nats exceeded expectations. The betting markets are not gospel, but on BetMGM, the Nationals over/under win total was 65.5 games. They were expected to be a bottom feeder team.

Those expectations were not misplaced in my opinion. The Nats were coming off a disastrous 66-96 season, where the final record was flattering if anything. Last season, the Nats had a -212 run differential. Based on that run differential, they should have been a 100 loss team. Instead of adding pieces, the Nats traded their best starter and reliever in the offseason.

Hopes were not high in the offseason. In addition to the betting markets, the local media was bearish on this team. Mark Zuckerman got local reporters to predict the Nats win total, and nobody had the team winning more than 75 games. I was not included in this, but I had the Nats having a similar record to last season.

I was hopeful that improved player development and strides from core players would help them avoid a 100 loss season. However, the Nats just seemed outgunned in a competitive NL East division. Most pundits thought that Blake Butera and his group were in for a long year. 

However, that did not turn out to be the case. It did not take long for fans to realize that this offense was going to be special. Even as the pitching struggled, the bats were firing on all cylinders. James Wood and CJ Abrams both had great seasons, but there were so many different heroes along the way.

We saw so many players take major strides offensively. Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead took monster leaps before being traded. Jacob Young got to 10 home runs on the season, and that might not even be a top three offensive success story of the year. I thought Keibert Ruiz was damaged goods, but he turned in a career year. 

Even in this last game of the season, we saw the fruits of this offensive turnaround with another breakout star. Andres Chaparro looked like your typical slugger who was too good for AAA but not good enough for the big leagues. He turned into a monster in the second half with an OPS over 1.000 with 12 homers and a .306 average. On the last day of the season, Chaparro hit two home runs to finish his breakout year in a big way.

You have to give a lot of credit to the Nats new hitting coaches. Matt Borgschulte leads the way, but he works very closely with Andrew Aydt and Shawn O’Malley. Blake Butera talked about how those three work so well together and have such complimentary skillsets.

Borgschulte has been a hitting coach in the majors and minors. Despite being 35, he is highly experienced. Meanwhile, Andrew Aydt is an expert on the biomechanics side of things. He came from Driveline and put together plans on how to maximize a hitter’s swing. If anybody needed advice mechanically, Aydt was the guy. Meanwhile, Shawn O’Malley cut his teeth in the Mariners system as a hitting coach. He is also the only one to have big league experience.

This group was such an upgrade on the Darnell Coles operation we saw for years. It shows you that coaching does in fact matter. The 2026 season was truly evidence that it sometimes is on coaching. This coaching staff truly elevated the players.

There were a ton of positives this season, but as James Wood said, this group wants more. Blake Butera felt like he was in two different minds at the end of the season. He knew this was a step forward season, but there was also this tinge of disappointment because he knew it could have been better.

He is already putting together a plan for this team to have another 11 win improvement in 2027. Butera stressed the importance of this offseason. He told me,  “With the strides we made this season, we need to make sure those players come back next season not only the same, but better”.

While players such as James Wood and CJ Abrams had monster years, there are still hitters with more in the tank. On the pitching side, Butera said they have moved in the right direction but they still need to see further improvements. 

For his part, James Wood said that another 11 win jump starts with improving the little things. He told me he wants to find ways to help get the team one or two more wins. Wood also mentioned that he needs to improve defensively and he cost the team runs at times.

With such a young team, if each player just gets a little bit better, it could go a long way. However, this should also be an opportunity for the team to bring in outside help. Blake Butera has downplayed the role of veteran leadership, but he said it obviously would not hurt. I think it would be a real sign of intent to go out and truly augment this core.

For the first time in a while, this team looks to be on the cusp of something special. That run differential, which was -212 last year, was +6 this season. This season was not a fluke, it was a transformational year. However, they will need to capitalize on this success.

Obviously, they will have a big decision to make with CJ Abrams. The Nats shortstop/second baseman has been in trade rumors for a while. That did not stop him from putting together a career year though. He hit 33 homers, stole 34 bases and drove in 106 runs. Hopefully the Nats can build around Abrams and make the playoffs with him in DC.

I think this is possible if the right moves are made. The blown save record was a big talking point this season, and rightfully so. If the Nats can find a way to solve the bullpen puzzle, they could pick up several more wins just by doing that. At the end of the year, guys like Erik Tolman and Jack Sinclair stepped up. However, I still think this team needs a true closer.

With all of the heartbreaking losses, this Nats team had to show their true character. In fact, Blake Butera told me the thing he was most proud of this season was “the resiliency”. He admitted there were times this season where he was not sure how they would respond. 

In Ted Lasso, they talk about being a Goldfish and having a short memory. Butera brought that up and said he has “A bunch of Goldfish”, who can quickly turn the page after a tough loss. Hopefully that resiliency won’t have to be tested as much next year.

There were ups and downs, but this was the best Nationals season since 2019. I know the bar is low, but this was still a lot of fun. After years of concern, I finally feel optimism around the Nats. Now it is time to capitalize on that in the offseason. Thanks for a great season. The best is yet to come under Blake Butera and Paul Toboni!

Lewis Ferguson says he was never close to leaving Bologna this summer amid reports of interest from boyhood club Rangers.

But the Scotland midfielder, 27, does retain aspirations of an Ibrox return at some stage in his career.

Ferguson was released by Rangers at 14 and made his way to Serie A in 2022, via Hamilton Academical and Aberdeen.

He has captained Bologna since 2023 and led them to their first Coppa Italia in over 50 years in 2025.

However, starts became sparse last term under Vincenzo Italiano, making just 17 in the league.

Asked about links to Rangers, Ferguson said: "I had a long think after the World Cup about my future and I was a little bit unsure but nothing was ever that close."

• Pocognoli has no concern over Scotland's lack of goals
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And he added: "When I went back for pre-season, we had a new manager [Domenico Tedesco] and it was like a fresh start.

"We changed again since [with Raffaele Palladino], so I've had three new managers in the last two months [including Sebastien Pocognoli with Scotland].

"I had a long think about what my future was going to look like and in the end it was still at Bologna.

"I've loved every moment that I've had there. It was just about continuing that journey and seeing where it takes me."

'Always something in the back of mind'

Ferguson, who is under contract until 2028 with the option of a further year, has played every minute of Bologna's five Serie A games so far this season.

His father, Derek, and uncle, Barry, both played for Rangers with the latter captaining and at one stage managing at Ibrox.

In July, newly-installed Rangers manager Derek McInnes spoke of an "obvious link" with Ferguson, having worked with the player at Aberdeen.

On his bond with Rangers, Ferguson said: "It's no secret that I grew up a fan and my family is involved in the club.

"It was a dream of mine as a kid and that's not changed but I don't want to speak about that while I'm a player at Bologna.

"In the future, you never know. It might happen, it might not, but it's always been something in the back of mind."

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World Series champion with the Yankees.
Best friends with Babe Ruth.
Walter Johnson’s kryptonite.

That’s one heck of a three-line resume. It belongs to a diminutive speedster who patrolled center field and held down the leadoff spot for the Yankees in the early 1920s: Whitey Witt.

Witt came to New York via Philadelphia after falling out with legendary Athletics owner/manager Connie Mack. He only wore pinstripes for four seasons, but it was an eventful era, and Witt left his mark on Yankee history. Oh, and to justify that remark about Walter Johnson, for his career, Witt hit .345 off “The Big Train,” with 39 hits in 113 at-bats, with more walks than strikeouts. He did all that against the most dominant pitcher of baseball’s first century and an inaugural Hall of Famer.

Lawton Walter “Whitey” Witt
Born: September 28, 1895 (Orange, MA)
Died: July 14, 1988 (Salem County, NJ)
Yankees Tenure: 1922-25

Whitey Witt debuted with the Philadelphia A’s in 1916 at the age of 20. Immediately a full-time player, Witt struck out more than he walked that rookie season. It was the only time in his major-league career that happened.

By 1921, he really had his feet under him. Witt hit .315 that season while leading the Junior Circuit in plate appearances. Philadelphia, however, was putrid, as Mack had long since dimantled his famed “$100,000 Infield” dynasty that won a trio of championships in the previous decade. These A’s finished the season 53-100-2, good for last in the American League. That offseason, the Yankees came calling. The New York Times reported that the Yanks paid Philadelphia $16,000 for Witt’s services but Miller Huggins, the Yankee skipper, refused to corroborate the price.

1922 was an eventful season for Witt. A fixture at the top of the lineup (he led off 138 times), Witt racked up a .400 OBP, thanks to 89 walks, a number that led the American League. “Get on base and let Babe Ruth drive you in” seems like an all-time great baseball strategy, honestly. He also only struck out 29 times. Imagine a 3:1 walk-to-strikeout ratio in today’s game.

In the final series of the season, Witt was the victim of an unfortunate and scary incident. Playing in St. Louis, in the first game of a three-game set to decide the pennant, Witt was struck in the head by a Coca-Cola bottle, allegedly thrown by a fan. “Knocked me out, and they had to carry me off the field bleeding on a stretcher,” Witt recalled. “It was a really nasty crowd, and after I got hit, a riot almost broke out.”

He missed the penultimate game of the season but returned for the finale and drove in two runs in the Yankees’ 3-2 win that clinched the pennant for the Bronx Bombers. (Days later, the New York Times reported that a 10-year-old boy was the culprit.) It was the Yanks’ second flag in a row after securing their first in 1921, but also for the second year in a row, they were matched up with their Polo Grounds landlords, John McGraw’s New York Giants. The Yanks were dusted in what was essentially a sweep, with only a tie sparing them from full ignominy, Witt held to a 4-for-18 (.222) showing in the Fall Classic.

The following season saw Witt permanently earn his place in the Yankee history books. On April 18, 1923, Witt strode to the batter’s box to lead off the bottom of the first in the Yankees’ home opener… at the brand new Yankee Stadium.

The first Yankee to bat in “The House That Ruth Built,” Witt grounded out. Witt was also standing on base two innings later when Ruth hit the first home run at the new park. When Witt touched home plate, he became the first Yankee to score a run at the Stadium. Not bad claims to fame. He had a career year, hitting .314/.386/.408 with a 107 OPS+ in 146 games, good for a career-high 3.2 rWAR with the Yanks winning their third-straight pennant.

That fall saw Witt win his one and only World Series championship, as the Yanks got their revenge and beat the Giants in six games. Witt later remarked that capturing the title with Ruth, one of his best friends, was the greatest possible thrill.

Witt played two more seasons with the Yankees before they replaced him with Murderers’ Row stalwart Earle Combs. That, of course, meant Witt was in New York long enough to see the ascent of Lou Gehrig, who Witt held in the highest respect.

His Yankee career ended the way it started, with another scary incident. In November 1925, he went goose hunting with—appropriately—Goose Goslin, a Hall of Fame outfielder for the Washington Senators. Goslin’s shotgun exploded, lacerating his left hand, prompting Goslin to forswear hunting until after his playing days ended. He and Witt were supposed to go on a quail hunt the following week.

After bouncing around the minor leagues for a few seasons, Witt went home to New Jersey where he spent the rest of his life. Witt died in his home on July 14, 1988, at the ripe old age of 92. The day before, he’d played a round of golf, a sport he loved almost as much as baseball.

Whitey Witt did not have a long Yankee career. But it was a memorable one. He won a World Series title and was the first Yankee to bat at Yankee Stadium and to score a run there. Witt’s tenure in pinstripes saw him rub shoulders with Ruth and Gehrig and the rest of the legendary figures of the 1920s iteration of the Yankees.

Happy 131st birthday, Whitey Witt.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

The good news is that the Cubs allowed only 20 runs in the six games over the past week, and six of those were in the 12th inning on Tuesday. So in general, the pitching staff did its job.

The bad news, unfortunately, is that the Cubs scored only 15 runs over the six games, and six of those were on Sunday. They got shut out once.

Hopefully, the pitching staff does well against the Padres and the bats come out of their slumber.

Here’s who was hot and not for the Cubs over the past week.

Three up

After a slow September, Seiya Suzuki had himself a nice week

Coming into the week, Suzuki had batted just .188/.333/.297 (12-for-64) over 18 September games with just one home run and 17 strikeouts.

He came out of that by batting .350/.435/.550 (7-for-20) with a double and a home run in five games played against the Marlins and Red Sox. His 81 walks tied him for third-most on the team this year (with Ian Happ).

Let’s hope he keeps that hitting going in San Diego.

Alex Bregman is just a beast

After the frightening injury a week ago, Bregman didn’t play until Friday and appeared in just two games this week, both against his former team, the Red Sox.

I’d say that .500/.556/1.375 (4-for-8) with a double, two home runs, three runs scored, four RBI and a walk is a pretty good performance from a guy playing with facial fractures.

Here’s his four-hit day Sunday [VIDEO].

Bregman has played in 102 postseason games and hit 19 home runs. That’s the kind of production the Cubs will need going forward.

Pete Crow-Armstrong joined the 40/40 club

PCA went just 5-for-19 and did not homer, though his 45 home runs tied him with Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead. The last time a Cub had led all MLB players in home runs was in 2000, when Sammy Sosa had 50.

PCA also stole three bases over the week, giving him 41 for the year. Here’s the 40th, at Wrigley Field on Thursday, that got him into the elite 40/40 club [VIDEO].

There’s absolutely no question he should be elected NL MVP unanimously.

Honorable to Shōta Imanaga, who threw six innings in two games this past week, allowed two runs and just one home run, and struck out 10. He could be a very important pitching weapon in the postseason, as could Daniel Palencia, who threw 2.1 scoreless innings in two games against the Marlins and had his four-seamer hitting 100 miles per hour multiple times.

Three down

Dansby Swanson had a quiet week

Swanson, still recovering from his oblique injury that kept him out a month, went 1-for-18 with eight strikeouts in playing five games against the Marlins and Red Sox. He did homer in the game just before that, against the Reds on Sept. 20.

It hasn’t affected his defense, though [VIDEO].

That’s a heads-up play by both Swanson and Nico Hoerner, showing the value of those two in the field. A run scored on that play, but that defense likely prevented a much bigger Red Sox inning.

Edward Cabrera, yikes

Cabrera’s bullpen appearance on Tuesday against his former team, the Marlins, was just awful. He entered the game in the 12th inning with the team down 4-2, still possibly a manageable deficit, and the first five hitters who faced him: walk, hit batter, walk, single, single. Four more runs scored before Cabrera managed to finish off the inning.

He won’t be on any postseason roster and the Cubs will have decisions to make regarding his status for next year and beyond. He’s under team control for two more years.

Nico Hoerner’s bat went quiet

Nico, who had a tremendous start to his season in April, didn’t hit much most of the rest of the season and batted just .200/.304/.200 (4-for-20) in the six games against the Marlins and Red Sox, all singles. It would be nice if Nico’s bat got going in the Wild Card Series.

You can see the heads-up defense he always plays in the video above, taking a throw bare-handed from Swanson. As always, defense will be key for the Cubs’ chances in the postseason.