Sep 12, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger (21) reacts after stealing secondbase against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Good morning.
Evan Grant writes that we’re nearing the thrilling conclusion to everyone’s least favorite gameshow, ‘Who Wants to be an American League Playoff Team?’.
Kennedi Landry writes about the return of veteran reliever Robert Garcia and his impact on what has been a scuffling bullpen.
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle evokes the god of utility players Ben Zobrist when listing Duran’s year as something that has gone right for Texas this year.
The Mets continue a three-game series against Pete Alonso and the Orioles at Citi Field on Tuesday night at 7:10 on SNY.
Mets Notes
Francisco Lindor and Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso both enter play on Tuesday with 299 career home runs
A.J. Ewing is hitting .370/.434/.630 with three homers and three doubles in 53 plate appearances over his last 13 games
Sean Manaea allowed four runs on five hits while walking none and striking out four in 5.0 innings against the Marlins in Miami in his last start on Sept. 8
Today's Lineups
ORIOLES
METS
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DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 03: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks hangs off the rim after a dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half at American Airlines Center on April 03, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Using the latest release in the NBA2K franchise to simulate Mavericks Year Two scenarios for Cooper Flagg? It can get weird. And I’m talking Nathan Fielder movie trailer — compelling weird.
We all know how Flagg’s rookie year went — incredible for the individual, slow-moving car crash for the team.
With NBA 2K27 finally out, it seemed like a good time to do some projections on what comes next. Originally, I was going to do a five-year projection — until Cooper’s Year 2 fully pulled me in, heart first.
First off: I didn’t alter any settings or change anything that would make the Mavericks any better than what NBA 2K created them to be. No trades. No roster moves. Nothing. I let the computer cook.
I hit “Sim Regular Season” and waited for the first stop.
The NBA Cup was over — and guess who won?
That’s right, Mavs fans. Dallas hangs its first Cup banner in this simulation.
And who might be the Cup MVP, you ask?
Ooof. Those 3-point numbers.
But I can’t deny the results.
As I continued the sim, I had to deny somewhere between 25 and 30 trade offers for Kyrie Irving, but especially with the early success, I felt like we had to let the team ride it out. No meddling. No panic. We were staying the course.
Next stop: the All-Star Game.
I located Cooper in the Rising Stars Game, where he dropped 25 points, but he didn’t make the actual All-Star Game. Which, honestly, reminded me of everything I find dumb about the All-Star Game in the first place.
So I kept simming.
I noticed the wins were beginning to pile up, but I wanted to let the season play out before checking the standings.
And then, at the end of the regular season, there the little Mavericks sat:
The No. 2 seed in the West.
No end-of-season awards for Flagg, but Naji Marshall was named Sixth Man of the Year. Flagg, meanwhile, averaged a solid 22 points per game and pushed his 3-point percentage up to 35% — respectable considering he was launching eight attempts from deep per game.
Then came the playoffs.
First matchup: the Denver Nuggets.
And somehow — amazingly — the Mavericks pulled it out in seven games.
A successful season. I would have taken that result 10 out of 10 times.
But Round 2 was against our dear friends, the San Antonio Cowboy Accessories.
I braced myself for the inevitable disappointment.
Instead, the Mavs beat them in six.
At this point, I started to really believe.
I started imagining what I would do if this were happening in real life. Would I survive the glee? Would my body be physically capable of processing this much unexpected joy?
And then came the question I probably shouldn’t have allowed myself to ask:
Could my digital Mavericks make it to the Fake NBA Finals?
The Western Conference Finals wasn’t even against the Thunder. They had already been bounced in Round 2.
Instead, it was the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And suddenly, this wasn’t just a fun little NBA 2K experiment anymore.
So let me ask: Would you consider this a successful season?
A No. 2 seed in the West. A first-ever NBA Cup. Cooper averaging 22 points a game and shooting 35% from three. A playoff series win over Denver. Beating the Spurs in six. Naji Marshall winning Sixth Man of the Year.
At what point does this go beyond “successful” and into “wildest dreams” territory? The playoff berth? The first-round win?
But for now, the Mavericks were staring down the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, with the Thunder already gone. Ultimately, the Mavs bowed out in five games after Digital Flagg picked up an injury in Game 2 of the Fake WCF.
If this happened in real life — if Cooper’s second season actually played out this way — what would you do?
Would you be thrilled and call the season a massive success regardless of what happens next? Would you start believing this team is actually ready to contend? Or would you be sitting there, like me, thinking, wait a minute… are we really two wins away from the NBA Finals?
Because at this point, I wasn’t simulating the rest of the season to see what happened.
I was simulating because I needed to know. And because this offseason will not end.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 16 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #16.
Let's take a look.
Mike Sillinger - 2002-2003 - Drafted by Detroit in 1989.
Sillinger is best known for playing for 12 different NHL teams and being traded nine times. He played 155 games for the CBJ and had 86 points. He retired in 2008 after playing 1089 games for 12 different teams.
Of course, nowadays, he's best known for being the father of Jackets forwards Cole and Owen Sillinger.
Alexander Svitov - 2004-2007 - Drafted by Tampa Bay in 2001.
Svitov played 105 games for the Jackets and scored 26 points after being traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning. After playing in Columbus, the former #3 overall pick never played another NHL game.
He returned to Russia, where he would play until 2022. Svitov is now an assistant coach for Avangard Omsk in the KHL.
Derick Brassard - 2008-2013 - Drafted by Columbus in 2006.
Brassard was drafted 6th overall in the 2006 NHL Draft. He totaled 169 points in 309 games while playing for Columbus.
After playing over 1000 games for 10 different teams, Brassard retired in 2024. Brassard is a minority owner of the
Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League.
Max Domi - 2021-2022 - Drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2012.
Domi played 107 games for the Jackets after coming over from the Montreal Canadiens in the Josh Anderson trade. He had 56 points for Columbus and was then traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Since leaving Columbus, he's played for Carolina, Chicago, Dallas, and Toronto. He's played for 7 teams in 10 seasons, although he's played the last three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In three seasons, he has 116 points.
Brendan Gaunce - 2023-2026 - Drafted by Vancouver in 2012.
Gaunce played 59 games for the Jackets and had 12 points. He served as the Cleveland Monsters Captain in 23-24 and totaled 85 points for the Monsters over three seasons.
He signed with the AHL's Iowa Wild for the 2024-25 season and recorded 29 points. However, this summer, Gaunce was traded back to the Columbus organization in exchange for Cameron Butler. After playing 25 games for the CBJ and 44 games for Cleveland last season, he left in free agency to sign with the AHL's Providence Bruins.
There are 16 days left until opening night at NWA. Who's your favorite #16?
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All the latest updates from around the grounds Email Tanya with any thoughts or comment BTL
Notts have made a last-minute addition to their side, seam bowler Mukesh Kumar who has taken 233 first-class wickets during a career played entirely in India.
He arrives on the back of helping East Zone win the Duleep Trophy.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 14: Reynaldo López #40 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field on September 14, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves lost to the Cubs 7-3 on Monday in Chicago. While the Braves did have a chance to make things interesting late, the game never really seemed that close. One bright spot was a solid outing in relief from A.J. Smith Shawver.
However, the story of the game were the continued struggles of Reynaldo Lopez. He was not effective at all in his two starts since returning from the IL. Following the game, he also let the team know that he had experience should issues at different points of the season. As a result, he will be headed back to the IL. And with shoulder issues being the reason he only made one start in all of 2025, it is a less than ideal end of Lopez’s 2026 season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made Edwin Diaz the highest paid closer over the offseason. Now, he might not even make the postseason roster.
Diaz had a rehab outing Sunday in which he faced eight batters, retiring only two while walking three and hitting a batter. He threw 30 pitches to get those two outs, with only 13 strikes. Manager Dave Roberts talked about his recent woes on Monday before the Dodgers game against the Cincinnati Reds.
“He needs to pitch better. It hasn’t been good,” Roberts said on Monday. “He’s going to pitch on Wednesday, and I guess we’ll evaluate then. I think the world of him. The baseball card looks great. But where we’re at, there’s got to be something for us to be able to hang our hat on. And he knows that. He knows that. He wants to pitch well. So for me, Wednesday, we’ll be watching closely.”
He also acknowledged that Diaz might not make the postseason roster.
“Yeah … we have to go with our best pitchers, as far as performance, talent, all that stuff. So my bet is that he will be (one of them). But again, there’s got to be some kind of evidence or something for us, again, to sort of bet on. My bet is yes, but we still have to see something.”
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic has more on the terrible season overall that Diaz has had as a Dodger here.
The Dodgers are already down another reliever, at least for the rest of the regular season. Edgardo Henriquez went on the IL on Monday with lower back discomfort. Bobby Miller was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Right-hander Paul Gervase and left-hander Kris Bubic also joined the team in Cincinnati. Gervase was added to the active roster, and Bubic could be added in the coming days.
Roki Sasaki has been sidelines with a blister and is tentatively scheduled to pitch on Thursday in Cincinnati. However, the weather is supposed to be hot and humid, and the team is worried about how that will affect Sasaki’s blister.
“We just can’t put him in a position to go backward. And so obviously people can look at Thursday. But again, if he can’t do it without accomplishing it, finishing a start, and not regress, then it’s not worth it. So I think for us, we’re just keeping it open-ended right now.”
Bill Plunkett of the OC Register has more info on the Dodgers pitching merry-go-round here.
Sep 9, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) runs off the field after the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Another off day yesterday as we march toward the end of the season. Another light news day.
Bobby Witt Jr was nominated for the Roberto Clemente award.
Witt makes ongoing philanthropic contributions around the Kansas City community. He supports organizations in their fight against ALS and is an active voice in helping the Royals encourage kids’ literacy through educational reading programs. He is a classroom champion within their literacy league.
“Just like all Royals fans and Kansas Citians, I’m grateful for the way Bobby has personally embraced and lifted our hometown,” Royals owner John Sherman said in a news release. “He doesn’t just show up for the photo op or put his name on something.
“We have children in our public schools, young baseball and softball players, and others facing significant challenges in their lives who’ve been touched by Bobby’s inspiration.”
Witt is looking to join Salvador Perez as the Royals’ second Roberto Clemente Award winner. Perez won the 2024 honor for his humanitarian efforts in Kansas City and Venezuela.
Minneapolis-based Mortenson has broad experience with sports and entertainment projects, including T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Energizer Stadium in St. Louis, Allianz Field in Saint Paul and the future ballpark for the Athletics in Las Vegas.
Kansas City-based McCownGordon has worked on various projects including the Kansas City Symphony’s future performing arts venue, the Barney Allis Plaza renovations and numerous other corporate and municipal projects in the region and beyond.
“We’re honored to have the opportunity to help build the new home for the Royals and be part of a transformational project that will have a lasting impact on Kansas City,” Logan Gerken, Mortenson sports and entertainment vice president, said in a statement. “Together with McCownGordon, we bring deep sports construction experience and capacity, forming a partership with longstanding roots and relationships in this community.”
Nick Krall, team president of the Reds, expects to return for the 2027 season despite being last in the standings after making the playoffs last year. Sounds…familiar.
Drew Brees contemplated coming back for the AFC Championship game last year for the Broncos. LOL.
Old friend for the Chiefs Isiah Pacheco will miss 12 weeks with back surgery.
The VAR crew for the Manchester Derby over the weekend did not get assigned a game for the upcoming weekend. They awarded a controversial goal to Erling Haaland.
Pete Alonso received a resoundingly warm welcome from the Citi Field crowd last night, and despite a good start by Jonah Tong, Alonso’s Orioles beat the Mets by a 2-1 score. Alonso and Francisco Lindor each hit very long foul balls that would’ve given them their 300th career home runs if they’d kept them fair, but both players are still sitting on 299 heading into the second game of the series.
Tim Britton writes that Alonso’s return put the spotlight on David Stearns, as Alonso’s departure from the Mets has thus far been the defining decision of Stearns’ tenure.
The Guardians lost to the White Sox, having entered the night with a chance to overtake their rivals for first place in the American League Central. Now they’re 1.5 games back heading into the second game of that series.
In a back-and-forth affair, the Blue Jays suffered a loss to the Tigers, a massive missed opportunity that leaves them one game behind the Guardians for the final American League Wild Card spot.
The Padres managed to beat the Rockies by an 8-7 score, giving them an important win as they try to keep hold of the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 29: The Baltimore Orioles mascot performs before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 29, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the final installment of Camden Chat’s minor league week in review series. Two more affiliates, the Chesapeake Baysox and Frederick Keys, finished their 2026 seasons this week. Let’s take one last look at how most of the Orioles’ prospects fared before they headed home for the offseason.
Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Last week’s results: 3-3 at Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals)
Next week’s opponent: vs. Charlotte Knights (White Sox)
Second-half record: 27-39, last place (12.5 GB) in International League East
Overall season record: 55-86
The Tides are the only O’s affiliate that’s still in action. They have one more series to go before closing the book on an overall miserable campaign. They finished last place in the first half and will most likely do the same in the second. They’ve got the worst full-season record of any of the 30 Triple-A teams, including the Pacific Coast League. They’re worse than every Double-A team, too. Norfolk is the affiliate that was supposed to provide MLB-ready talent to the Orioles throughout the season, but there was precious little talent to be found here.
The Orioles’ top position player prospect at this level, Enrique Bradfield Jr., reached base eight times with two doubles this week, but his overall Triple-A numbers remain uninspiring: a .265 average and .705 OPS in 84 games. Before the season, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that we’d see the former first-round draft pick make his MLB debut this year, but barring a surprise call-up in the next two weeks, that’s not going to happen. The 24-year-old has now spent parts of two seasons at Norfolk with a .251/.332/.344 slash line. There were questions about his offense when the O’s drafted him and he hasn’t answered them, at least not in a positive way.
Outfielder Jud Fabian had a nice week, mashing three home runs and driving in seven. Fabian is finishing the season strong, but with a .198 average and .679 OPS, the former #67 overall pick can no longer be considered a prospect. Catcher Creed Willems had two dingers as well, giving him a career-high 20 home runs this season. But he hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire in Triple-A (.762 OPS), and it’s unclear what the Orioles’ plans are for him. Are we noticing a theme here? Where is the top-level talent ready to burst onto the major league scene?
There’s not much help on the pitching side, either. The Tides’ rotation started the season with three of the Orioles’ top pitching prospects — Trey Gibson, Nestor German, and Levi Wells — but only Gibson got a cup of coffee in the majors this year, making seven ineffective starts. This week he coughed up six runs and 11 hits in 4.1 innings against the Redbirds. Wells underwent season-ending core muscle surgery in May, and German has been on the IL since August. Elsewhere in the rotation, righty Juaron Watts-Brown was torched for 10 runs, 13 hits, and eight walks in 8.2 innings over two starts, while Cade Povich, who might replace Kyle Bradish in the O’s rotation, threw a quality start.
Veteran relievers Félix Bautista and Ryan Helsley continued their rehab assignments. Helsley made one perfect appearance with a strikeout, and Félix threw three innings, giving up a solo homer as his only blemish. At this point, with the Orioles out of contention, it almost feels pointless to add either or both to the O’s bullpen for the final two weeks of the season. But if doing so would give Bautista and Helsley some positive momentum heading into 2027, then maybe it’s worthwhile.
Last week’s results: 4-1 at Richmond Flying Squirrels (Giants)
Final second-half record: 38-29, second place (4.0 GB) in Eastern League Southwest
Final season record: 67-68
The Baysox wrapped up their 2026 campaign with a series win over Richmond, continuing their inspired late-season play. After a last-place finish in the first half, the Baysox came on strong after the All-Star break, ending just four games out of the division lead.
It’s not the end of the line for every Baysox hitter, though; infielder Aron Estrada and catcher Ethan Anderson both got promoted to Norfolk, where they’ll get a one-week taste of Triple-A ball. Estrada went 5-for-15 with a homer this week to finish his Chesapeake campaign with a .278/.321/.481 line and 24 roundtrippers, and at age 21, he was more than 2.5 years younger than the average Double-A player. Pretty impressive. Anderson, too, showed prolific power with an .881 OPS and 21 dingers in 82 games with the Baysox. It’s unclear what his long-term position will be — his catching skills reportedly leave much to be desired — but that bat will play. Fittingly, Anderson mashed two more homers this week.
Shortstop Griff O’Ferrall, the #32 overall pick in 2024, had a forgettable season overall (.222/.307/.312), but he saved the best for last. He was a hit machine with a 10-for-20 week, including a home run, and he stole three bases. Top infield prospect Wehiwa Aloy also homered, his 25th of the year, completing a .288/.358/.506 performance across two levels this season. Vance Honeycutt’s red-hot start to his Double-A career stalled this week. He hit two homers, but was otherwise 0-for-15 with seven strikeouts.
What would the final week of the Baysox season be without one last stellar turn through the rotation? The five-headed monster of starting pitching prospects dazzled again. Anthony Eyanson, Joseph Dzierwa, Caden Hunter, JT Quinn, and Patrick Reilly each allowed one or no earned runs this week for a combined ERA of 0.76. Dzierwa and Quinn each worked five scoreless, and Reilly and Eyanson each struck out seven. If any or all of these guys move up a level to Triple-A next year, the Norfolk Tides are going to be a much more menacing group than they were this season.
Last week’s results: Lost South Atlantic North Division Series, 2-1
Overall season record: 83-46
The Keys’ outstanding 2026 season came to a heartbreaking end this week as they lost the best-of-three Division Series to the Greensboro Grasshoppers, the Pirates’ affiliate. The Keys had edged out the Grasshoppers for the division title in both halves of the season, nipping them by one game in the first half and 1.5 in the second, but it was Greensboro that got the last laugh. The first game of the series was all Frederick, a 13-1 win on the road, before the Keys lost both their home games by two runs and were eliminated.
It was a hit-happy series for Jaiden Lo Re, who went 5-for-13, and 2026 second-round pick Ty Head socked a homer. Enddy Azocar, who fell into a cold spell after his scalding hot stretch upon joining the O’s organization, was just 2-for-12 in the series, though he did homer. Randal Diaz drove in five runs despite just two hits.
The pitching star of the series was lefty Boston Bateman, who won the opener with a dominant five-inning, 10-strikeout performance. It was a nice way to put a bow on a strong 2026 season for Bateman, who posted a 3.65 ERA and 12.2 K/9 in 24 regular season games (21 starts), albeit with too many walks (5.0 BB/9). He’s been a bit overshadowed this year by the Orioles’ higher-level pitching prospects — if it’s possible to overshadow a guy who stands 6’8” — but it’s easy to see why the O’s made him the prize of their Ryan O’Hearn/Ramón Laureano trade with San Diego last season.
It’s time for our final player of the week poll. Last week we crowned a new first-time winner, Vance Honeycutt, who joins other single-week winners Payton Eeles, Braylin Tavera, Wehiwa Aloy, Jaiden Lo Re, Joseph Dzierwa, Luis De León, and Heston Kjerstad. Two-time winners include Enddy Azocar, Caden Hunter, Ike Irish, Aron Estrada, and Victor Figueroa.
Our final winner of the year will be a first-timer. Who gets your vote?
The logo of the Hartford Yard Goats is seen on a hat during a Minor League baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
This is our second day of reorganizing the Rockpile. (Consider yourselves part of a big science project.)
Yesterday, the Rockies did something (link to recap).
At any rate, it’s playoff season in Hartford, ADD STUFF
Enjoy some Yard Goats postseason action!
Tonight, the Hartford Yard Goats will begin their Eastern League playoff series on the road in Reading, Pennsylvania, this afternoon at 4:45 PM. They will face the Reading Fightin Phils (Philadelphia Phillies) in a best-of-three series for the Northeast Division Championship.
Game 2 will take place at Dunkin’ Park on Thursday, September 17th (4:30 PM), and the decisive Game 3 (if necessary) will be at Dunkin’ Park on Friday, September 18th (4:30 PM).
The winner of the Divisional Championship will advance to the best-of-three Eastern League Championship Series (ELCS) which will begin Sunday, September 20th in either Richmond, Virginia, or Erie, Pennsylvania.
The Yard Goats won the first half Championship, and Reading clinched the second half title.
Kyle Freeland could be in final month of long Rockies career: ‘I’m keeping an open mind’ | Denver Gazette ($) — “Obviously, I’m at the end of the contract now. There are a lot of different variables go into it. I’m from Denver, born and raised. I’ve been with this organization for 12 years now, but we’ll see what happens. I’m not counting anything out. I’m not letting anything go. I’m open to everything,” Freeland told Kevin Henry. “It would be nice to spend a whole career in Colorado, but I understand that there are ways that everything works, and sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Does an MLB manager need experience playing pro ball? We asked 99 players | The Athletic (Gift Link — $) — This question was part of The Athletic’s anonymous player poll. Of 99 respondents, 83 said they would feel comfortable playing for a manager without MLB experience. As Chad Jennings writes, “The players’ comfort would depend on the manager’s knowledge and communication skills; some measure of trust would have to be earned — perhaps more so than with a former player — and any benefit of the doubt.” The focus is on Tony Vitello, but obviously Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer falls into this category as well.
Tonight, the Rockies will meet the San Diego Padres at 6:40 pm. Walker Buehler will start for the Padres will the Rockies have not yet announced their starter though there is reason to believe that Kyle Freeland will be back to start the game.
This week on the internet
It turns out — I knew this, but I forgot — that players in the KBO get their own songs.
Last week, I found Sam Hilliard’s song, and, Reader, it is amazing.
I’ve already told Sam, our Purple Row musician, that should there be a lockout, I hope she will write songs for each Rockies player.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees and the rest of the team stands on the field during commemorations for the 25th anniversary of 9/11 before the game between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium on September 11, 2026 in The Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees will officially be playing baseball in October after last night’s loss by Toronto, shortly followed by New York’s own win allowing for a more raucous celebration rather than a somber one. It has not come easily for them this year, as they’ve weathered more than their fair share of blows to key players and endured lengthy slumps from others, but the man who has stood at the helm all year coasted them through to the starting line once again.
I’m not one to subscribe to the notion that managers strongly impact the game positively or negatively, but Aaron Boone has been a lightning rod for criticism throughout his tenure in New York for a whole host of reasons out of his control on top of some that he does hold some influence over, so I think it’s only fair to give him some credit for what has been an incredibly difficult season to navigate. Losing Aaron Judge to start June and not getting him back until September was a severe blow to the team, as it would’ve been at any point over the last near decade, and the offense withered without him for a long while. Unlike when he went down in 2023, however, this year’s Yankees didn’t collapse with the captain out of commission, and though they tried their hardest to make the games frustrating they managed to walk the tightrope convincingly enough to stay afloat in the standings.
You could certainly credit a large portion of that success to a stronger and deeper rotation this season compared to when they were rolling out Gerrit Cole and a bunch of bodies and I’d agree, but there’s been turmoil there too as injuries continually prevented the Yankees from lining up their five best starters in a given turn through the order. On top of that, the pitching staff as a whole was a little suspect with a bullpen that many questioned at the start of the year — for good reason as it turned out. David Bednar was unquestioned as the closer, though he struggled out of the gate, but the bridge to Bednar was rickety and swinging on frayed rope at the start of the year. Fernando Cruz was a solid option who earned some late-inning appearances, but unfortunately an elbow injury has put his season (and perhaps Yankees career) in jeopardy. Camilo Doval was the initial setup man, but he turned out to be a bust in pinstripes and there were only question marks surrounding the rest of the relief corps.
The emergence of Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick forming the big three at the back of the ‘pen quite possibly is the biggest reason that this team is leading the Wild Card standings with a shot at the division still, their lock-down performances holding slim lead after slim lead and putting out fires whenever called upon having bailed out an offense that looked downright putrid for weeks. Boone has rarely leaned so heavily on a pair of arms before, but he’s fitted the two into the Scott Proctor mold and reaped the rewards for doing so while seemingly keeping them fresh enough as we enter the final stretch of the regular season.
The bullpen management has been his biggest success, but Boone and the front office have pushed the right buttons in a number of areas. The team was getting nothing out of the catcher position offensively in the first half of the year, but they surprised many by not acquiring a catcher at the Trade Deadline and instead affirming their faith in Austin Wells, who shepherded the pitchers well enough but had been absolutely dreadful with the bat. He turned around and gave them a respectable July before hitting above-average in August, and though he’s gone through another slump in September he’s still become more than respectable in the lineup again. Wells is far from the only regular they’ve been rewarded for believing in — Jazz Chisholm Jr. endured a topsy-turvy season that drew plenty of criticism after he put a goal of 50 home runs and 50 steals on his shoulders in spring. The homers never came close as he hit only six through the first two months, but Jazz has gotten close on the basepaths with 40 stolen bags this year. The option of flipping Chisholm ahead of his impending free agency was floated in trade rumors but never emerged, and instead he’s turned in a season that will end up coming close to his previous two years by fWAR.
The only real shakeup that Brian Cashman made to this roster came at the deadline, where the team traded for Luis García Jr. and Heliot Ramos — a pair of platoon bats, though García was the big get having led the National League in slugging when he was moved and has played accordingly since. From within they called up George Lombard Jr. and sent Anthony Volpe down to Triple-A to work on his maligned offensive capabilities while also considering new positions. Both moves paid dividends, with Lombard providing a spark and an injection of youth to the lineup while Volpe got a hero’s return on Thursday when he hit a grand slam against the Rockies and received a curtain call from the fans. I can’t imagine that when Volpe was demoted he was ever significantly in the team’s immediate plans for the rest of the year, but injuries again pressed them and their choice to finally allow Volpe the space to work on his craft has paid off with him sliding into second base in Chisholm’s absence.
There’s a dozen points where this season could’ve gone up in flames for the Yankees, but here they stand in the middle of September with a ticket to at least two guaranteed games of postseason baseball with the potential for more. The division is still within their grasp even if time is running out, and they simply can’t control how well the Rays have played. They can only handle their own business, and they’ve done a phenomenal job of doing just that this year.
The Cubs lost another chance for a sweep this weekend, but emerged with a series win over the Pirates.
The two games Saturday and Sunday both had the final scores of 4-3, but with different winners. There wasn’t a lot of opportunity for an offensive display by any Cub hitters, nor were there examples of great starting pitching.
On the hitting side, the Cubs had a lot of chances to push a run across, but of the nine walks by Pittsburgh in the two games, only one Cub crossed the plate.
The Cubs offense was led by Pedro Ramirez, who went 2-6 with a HR, RBI, 2B and a run scored, and Michael Busch, who went 3-for-7 with a HR and a run scored. They both were the offensive stars in Saturday’s game, with both hitting their solo home runs, and Ramirez adding a double in the 4-3 Cubs’ win.
Miguel Amaya, catching Sunday, was the star of that game, going 2-for-3 with a two-RBI home run, but it wasn’t enough as the Cubs lost, 4-3. For the rest of the weekend, Alex Bregman was 2-for-6 with a walk, a double and a run scored. And while Nico Hoerner was only 1-for-7, he did drive in an RBI in each game.
Clay Holmes was the victim of the One Bad Pitch Saturday. Holmes was not consistent in his 5.2 IP, having allowed five hits and four walks, but also struck out six. One pitch scored three runs on Ryan O’Hearn’s three-run homer. Two of those runs were earned.
Sunday, Matthew Boyd was victim of the bullpen allowing inherited runners. Boyd left the game with one out in the sixth with two on and the score tied at two, and Aaron Civale allowed the two runs score and, in the end, cost the team the game and the sweep. In his 5.1 IP, Boyd didn’t allow a home run, but four runs scored on seven hits and two walks. He did strike out three.
(Crossing fingers) Minus the inherited runners problem — Once again, the bullpen was almost perfect over the two days. Six pitchers accounted for seven scoreless innings pitched for both games, scattering three hits and four walks while striking out six. These were higher-leverage games than what we have had recently. Civale’s relief of Boyd does mar that a bit.
Due to high expectations, Pete Crow-Armstrong isn’t having a horrible month – the period just isn’t exactly what we have been witnessing from PCA. So far in September, PCA is hitting .227 (10-for-44) with a double, three HRs, seven RBI, six walks, 16 strikeouts and four stolen bases.
The totals in the last three categories are pretty much on pace with last month, but he’s not in the other four. In August, PCA hit .280 (practically his BA for the season) with six doubles, one triple, 14 HR and 28 RBI — the last four categories for September are behind this pace.
And one thing PCA can have credit for is that Saturday and Sunday were only two of three hitless games this month. However, of the other games, in which he did have a nine-game hit streak, only one was a multi-hit game. We aren’t seeing the power, the above-the-norm performance that we have been used to all year. Time for that full game off, as the Cubs have been getting by with only RC level performance the last 13 days? I don’t know, but only the ones closest to him can help him make that decision, not me.
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Brian Sandalow (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs use picky lineup and struggling bullpen to beat Pirates 4-3. “The same bullpen that’s been maligned and pointed to as potentially a fatal flaw threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings, before the Cubs scored twice in the eighth despite getting only one hit during the rally.”
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Alex Bregman Trending Toward Top-3 Career Season. “I’ll never forget a debate I had with a buddy roughly 25 years ago over his claim that Reggie Miller wasn’t very good because he scored most of his points in the fourth quarter.”
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Bregman is quietly playing Gold Glove-level defense. “He has quietly pieced together one of the best defensive showings of his career. It has been the type of defense that could very well net him a second career Gold Glove Award.”
Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 1952 – 6 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career, he played in various groups and performed a range of music, including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz fusion.
Influenced by Peter Green and Eric Clapton, Moore began his career in the late 1960s when he joined Skid Row, with whom he released two albums. After Moore left the group, he joined Thin Lizzy, featuring his former Skid Row bandmate and frequent collaborator Phil Lynott. Moore began his solo career in the 1970s and achieved major success with 1979’s “Parisienne Walkways”, which is considered his signature song. During the 1980s, he transitioned to playing hard rock and heavy metal, achieving varying degrees of international success. In 1990, he returned to his roots with Still Got the Blues, which became his most successful album. Moore continued to release new music throughout his later career, collaborating with other artists from time to time. He died on 6 February 2011 from a heart attack while on holiday in Spain.
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INGLEWOOD, CA - January 14: Kyshawn George #18 of the Washington Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly #0 of the Washington Wizards, Alexandre Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards, and Tre Johnson #12 of the Washington Wizards looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on January 14, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When the Washington Wizards started their rebuild in 2023, rotation debates centered around Deni Avdija versus Corey Kispert for a starting spot and whether Mike Muscala or Danilo Gallinari would back up Daniel Gafford.
Three years later, Bilal Coulibaly is the lone holdover from a roster that’s undergone a complete overhaul. Washington’s new-look squad of talented veterans and ascending young players presents head coach Brian Keefe with several questions surrounding his starting lineup and rotation.
But considering the team’s 50-196 record since the start of the 2023-24 season, Keefe’s dilemma is one Washington appreciates the ability to solve.
While Keefe hasn’t formally spoken on his 2026-27 rotation, an educated guess would tab Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr as likely starters when Washington opens against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 21.
AJ Dybantsa, the team’s No. 1 selection in June’s draft who general manager Will Dawkins hinted could play both shooting guard and small forward, likely slots into one of the openings. That leaves three players — Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Tre Johnson — vying for one starting spot.
Each player boasts a compelling case. The decision comes down to what Keefe values most: elite defense, knockdown shooting, or the best combination of both.
Bilal Coulibaly
Over the last two seasons, Coulibaly has started all 115 games he’s played in.
The French wing is the team’s best perimeter defender. His 86.5-inch wingspan, which ranks in the 99th percentile among NBA guards, allows him to disrupt passing lanes and deny shots. His 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 3.1 deflections per game all ranked in the 90th percentile or better at his position last season.
Coulibaly’s ability to defend the opponent’s top offensive threat could best complement Young, whose elite offensive production often overshadows his lackluster defense.
As the primary defender, Coulibaly held Giannis Antetokounmpo to just seven points on 2-for-7 shooting in Washington’s 129-126 win over the Milwaukee Bucks last December. For reference, Antetokounmpo scored 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting against all other defenders.
(Video via Youtube.com/Byvarunshankar)
Coulibaly’s 41.4% 3-point clip in five games alongside Young provides some additional promise.
But the sample size next to Young — just 29 3-point attempts — is small compared to a relatively poor body of work. Coulibaly is a career 31% 3-point shooter whose inconsistent jumper presents potential spacing issues when paired with other non-shooters like Davis (27% 3PT), Sarr (33.3% 3PT) and Dybantsa (33.1% 3PT).
If Coulibaly outduels George and Johnson, Washington’s starters wouldn’t include a single player who shot over 34% 3PT last season.
Does Coulibaly’s defense outweigh his offensive limitations and the spacing issues those might bring? That’s a question for Keefe to assess and eventually answer.
Tre Johnson
Johnson is a lethal outside jumpshooter who struggles on defense. He’s essentially the opposite of Coulibaly.
The 6-foot-5 guard shot nearly 40% from three before a hip injury sidelined him in November. His percentage dipped after that setback and further dropped following a January ankle injury. He finished his rookie season at 35.8% 3PT.
Johnson’s jumper would solve Washington’s spacing issues. But his 125.7 defensive rating, which would’ve ranked dead last in the NBA if he played enough games to qualify, suggests a vulnerable defensive backcourt between him and Young.
Alex Sarr defended the most rim attempts per game last season in part because Washington’s poor perimeter defense funneled many drives into their 7-foot center. A starting backcourt of Young and Johnson wouldn’t necessarily solve that problem — if anything, it could worsen it.
While starting Johnson remains possible, it wouldn’t align with the franchise’s goal of overhauling one of the league’s worst defensive units. Starting Coulibaly or George better supports that objective.
Kyshawn George
George is the perfect middle ground.
The third-year wing offers the best combination of size (6-foot-8), shooting (38.1% 3PT), offensive creation (4.5 assists per game), and defensive ability (1.9 stocks per game) among this trio. And unlike the other candidates, George’s game doesn’t include a major deficiency.
After an offseason of growth — in both strength and skills — George’s physical defense holds up against guards, forwards and possibly some smaller centers. He offers the defensive versatility that Wizards general manager Will Dawkins preaches.
His 42.8% clip on catch-and-shoot threes last season showed he can space the floor. In a lineup with Young, one of the league’s prolific passers, that percentage could solve potential spacing issues.
The argument against starting George centers around a few things, none of which are indictments of his game. One of those arguments: George’s on-ball play was so promising last season that bringing him off the bench to run the second unit makes more sense.
According to databallr.com, George created 25.4 points per game last season. While impressive, his 2.6 turnovers per contest showcased room for growth in both court vision and decision-making.
Washington’s lack of a true backup point guard has opened the door for George to assume similar offensive creation responsibilities, which might overlap with Young if deployed in the same lineups.
But after acquiring Tre Mann to presumably compete with Bub Carrington for the backup point guard role, George’s on-ball duties no longer appear as vital to the second unit’s success as some previously imagined.
The decision
Keefe’s philosophy will show through this choice.
Are Washington’s spacing or defense concerns so great that it warrants leaving the team vulnerable on one of those ends? Or are those holes so vast that a partial fix to both is better than completely solving one?
The former favors Coulibaly and Johnson. The latter sides with George.
Keefe’s decision looms as training camp approaches.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Bogoljub Markovic #23 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on July 15, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After being drafted and stashed, then going on to win MVP and, for the second year in a row, the Top Prospect Award in Serbia’s Adriatic League, the Milwaukee Bucks committed to Bogoljub Markovic early this offseason, signing him to a four-year, $9.3m rookie contract.
The timing was both right and wrong. Markovic does have talent (more on that in a moment), plays a position of need, and, at just 21 years old, fits the Bucks’ current timeline. So, if he’s ever going to become an NBA player, now, while the Bucks have no pressure to win, is the time to find out. On the other hand, signing Markovic so early in the offseason undoubtedly contributed to the Bucks’ roster logjam, leaving them in the position they are now, needing to trim two players without many appealing pathways to do so. In hindsight, waiting until after his Summer League evaluation would’ve retained at least some roster flexibility. But I digress; Markovic is here—at least for now.
In Summer League, Markovic put up decent counting stats: 8.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.2 SPG, 1.0 BPG, and 1.2 TPG, to go along with .381/.364/.667 shooting splits. He had some moments too, including a 16-point, eight-rebound showing against the Phoenix Suns. But he also went MIA for stretches—or even entire games, like the 1/9 stinker against the Philadelphia 76ers to wrap up SL play. In the end, his play earned him a C- on our official Summer League report card.
Offensively, Markovic has some chops. He’s a gifted passer who can create from the high and low post and, under the right circumstances, even off the dribble. He’s more explosive than you’d think too—no, I’m not going to call his athleticism “sneaky”—able to quickly flush home dunks. He’s also a capable shooter, though he needs to improve his consistency to become a legitimate floor-spacing big in the NBA. This, it seems, is his most likely avenue to a real NBA role.
On the defensive end, it’s a different story. If Markovic was a cricket bat, he’d be applauded for his defensive stroke play—how vertical he is. Unfortunately, he’s a basketballer and he’s just far too upright as a defender to make much of an impact. Like a cricket bat, he’s also still far too thin and narrow, meaning he’s too easily pushed around. He’ll get some boards and blocks by nature of his length, but he’s no deterrent at the rim and gives up far too many second chance opportunities. Put it this way, Markovic is strictly a four and should only ever see minutes at the five in blowouts.
Looking ahead, a successful season for Markovic would be one in which he hits the gym, hard, and polishes the stroke enough to earn semi-consistent court time; 40 games at about 10 minutes per would mean he’s made significant strides. Anything more would be a bonus.
With Markovic snicking one to slips and on his way back to the changerooms, which Buck will be next to join him?
