CAMDEN, NJ - SEPTEMBER 28: LeBron James #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers poses for a portrait on NBA media day on September 28, 2026 at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex in Camden, New Jersey. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Knicks annihilated the Sixers in the second round of the playoffs en route to snapping their 53-year championship drought last season. The vibes around Philly were Decidedly Bad after that humiliation, particularly since Knicks fans overtook the Wells Fargo Center for Games 3 and 4 of that series.
But on Monday, LeBron James managed to retcon that gut-punch into a positive for his new team.
“I had visions of playing in [Madison Square] Garden and finishing my career in the Garden,” he told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “One of the best places I’ve ever played. I think it’s the No. 1 arena in the world, as far as for a basketball player. But after they beat San Antonio, I was like, ‘Hey, I can’t.’ I couldn’t do it.”
Had Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs knocked off the Knicks in the NBA Finals, LeBron very well could be up in New York right now. That likely would have been about as well-received as Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors in 2016, but championship rings don’t come with asterisks.
Rich Paul says LeBron James would have signed with the Knicks if they did NOT win the NBA Championship
"If the Knicks hadn't won, there would be no board. He'd be going to the Knicks."
Paul added that “LeBron is always judged different” and “that’s a very fragile thing.” He implied that LeBron didn’t want to parachute in and create chemistry issues, which already seem to be festering in New York due to unresolved contract extensions.
LeBron put it even more simply Monday, though.
“Y’all wouldn’t have let me lay that down, at all,” James said, referring to the media. “But much respect to the Knicks, obviously. An unbelievable team, unbelievable players. Shout out Jalen Brunson. I love that guy, he’s unbelievable. But yeah, I’m happy where I’m at, and I’m looking forward to it.”
So, to put the domino effect of the past few months into context:
Sep 9, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) reacts after striking out in the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Royals had hoped to contend this year, and instead fell flat on their face to begin the year, eventually losing 93 games. It was a season that included blown leads, cold lineups, but also some bright spots like the emergence of Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone, the ageless Michael Wacha, a turnaround by Noah Cameron, and another sensational Bobby Witt Jr. performance.
We asked our writers to reflect on the 2026 season and the upcoming offseason.
What was the biggest reason why the Royals lost 93 games this year?
Matthew LaMar: The obvious answer is the bullpen, and the other obvious answer is injuries, but neither of them get to why both things were so impactful, and that “why” is just a total lack of organizational talent depth in the upper minors. That severely limited Kansas City’s ability to improve the team in the previous offseason via trades and was why the Royals couldn’t replenish talent internally when they needed to. It’s a little better now, but pitching depth is still a problem.
Jeremy Greco: I said it on our most recent podcast, so I guess I’ll stick to my guns: The bullpen. Last year’s bullpen on this team makes it a playoff contender, I think. There is certainly plenty of blame to go around between the offense not being good enough, the starting pitching suffering so many injuries, and then the offense suffering injuries.
But the bullpen was catastrophically bad. They were not especially good last year, but still put up a total of 4.1 fWAR. This year, they put up -3.2. That’s a difference of 7 wins and would have gotten them all the way up to 76 or 77, which still would have missed the tournament, but if they got most of those before the trade deadline, the Royals probably buy instead of sell, and who knows how that changes things.
Max Rieper: The bullpen was a major reason, and it has been a big weakness for J.J. Picollo during most of his tenure. The lineup also suffered from slow starts to key players like Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, an injury to Maikel Garcia, and the continued absence of a good on-base guy to set the table in the lineup.
Cullen Jekel: Roster mismanagement, specifically with pitchers. The bullpen went to hell incredibly quickly and there was no one available to step in and stop the bleeding. Additionally, the rotation took a big hit when Cole Ragans went down, which, I mean, shouldn’t have been too surprising. And yet there was no one available in the organization to replace, or help replace, him, either. The front office banked too heavily on the arms being healthy, and that house of cards completely collapsed early in the season.
sterlingice: They ranked in the bottom third of the league in runs scored and runs allowed. The offense performed as it has for 3 of the last 4 seasons. They just aren’t good enough unless Witt is having a superhuman season and a couple of other players are having career years. That needs to change. Meanwhile, the pitching took a step back. In the 2024 playoff season, the starters were historically lucky with health. This year, they relied on oft-injured starters like Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, Stephen Kolek, and Ryan Bergert alongside aging veterans Wacha and Lugo with predictable results. If castoff Randy Dobnak and his 5.9 K/9 ends up as your third-highest pitcher in bWAR, you’ve had a bad pitching season.
What was your favorite thing about this season? Player, game, play, moment, etc.?
sterlingice: Even though Father Time is undefeated and Perez had a down season, I enjoyed Salvy’s chase for the franchise home run record. I like that he did it during one of his trademark hot streaks where he had four home runs in seven games. I love that the record-breaking home run tied the game in the late innings, as so many of his have done throughout his career. I wish it had been at home, but kudos to the respectful Detroit fans. Of course, I wish it had been during a playoff chase. But sometimes these milestones help you get through a long August in a lost season.
Jeremy Greco: I want to cheat a little and say the World Baseball Classic was my favorite part of the season. It was an absolute blast, and I wish we could do it more often. But actually, in the season, it’s the star turns of Jac Caglianone and Carter Jensen. They both showed so much that it’s easy to believe they even yet have superstar potential left in their arsenals. When I think about just those two players for too long, it’s really easy to see why JJ thinks the team can compete next year.
Max Rieper: Every day I get to watch Bobby Witt Jr. in a Royals uniform is a treat. Again, he is one of the top three players in the league. That is amazing.
But yes, Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone each look like bona fide studs. It was cool to see them rake down the stretch.
Matthew LaMar: I really enjoyed Carter Jensen putting a strong season together. All too often, we’ve seen strong Royals prospects have a great debut and then fall off hard the following year (from Eric Hosmer to Ryan O’Hearn and Vinnie Pasquantino). Jensen, meanwhile, ended up with 27 home runs and nearly 4 WAR as a 22-year-old, all while catching much more than we thought he would. He was a consistent bright spot.
Cullen Jekel: Two things here. First, I was able to attend my first-ever Opening Day at Kauffman. I went with my wife, two sons, and father-in-law, and we had a great time. My boys still talk about it, and the youngest still sleeps with the Sluggerrr stuff I bought him that day. Second, Carter Jensen. After the team completely overplayed his sleeping in, after he found his footing, he became one of the best catchers, let alone among rookies, in the entire league. He had some growing pains, but he was a joy to watch every time he came to the plate. I’m excited that he’s part of the Royals core going forward. It isn’t easy finding a franchise catcher, but the Royals seemed to have nailed it with the local kid.
What should the Royals do this offseason?
Cullen Jekel: Talk about a loaded question. What shouldn’t the Royals do? The Royals should go out and acquire an entirely new bullpen while also adding another two or three starting pitchers. I would also like a new starting center fielder and left fielder, please and thank you, because Kyle Isbel and Isaac Collins ain’t it.
Jeremy Greco: Since they’ve declared their intention to compete, they should be incredibly aggressive to improve their roster. They need to add at least two high-quality starting pitchers plus a couple more who can act as depth, at least until guys start coming back from injury around midseason. They did an impressive job adding less-terrible options to the bullpen, but they need at least one and probably two really high-quality guys, plus a few more depth guys that you can mix and match with the current group so you can pick the ones who are working. They also need to add a legitimate-hitting left fielder.
Max Rieper: Revamping the bullpen is the top priority. The thing I noticed in this postseason is that with a few exceptions, the bullpens of contenders aren’t filled with high-priced free agents. It’s homegrown guys, guys picked up on minor league deals, waiver claims, and Rule 5 picks. That’s coaching. I like what pitching coach Brian Sweeney has done, but the pitching staff definitely took a step back. We need to find more diamonds in the rough.
I would look to add a left or center fielder. I would cut back on Salvy’s playing time, possibly with a platoon. I think you can squint and see them bouncing back well if they make the right moves.
Matthew LaMar: If the Royals want to compete next year, the only real option available to them is to spend a lot of money and cash some of their exciting young A+ to AA prospects in for established players. They need to grab Randy Arozarena or Taylor Ward for starters.
sterlingice: They clearly need another good right-handed bat. However, like the last two offseasons, there just aren’t many out there. This year, there are exactly two: Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki. Both will command a substantial contract that will look bad on the back end as both are in their early 30s. However, both would look good in this lineup for the next couple of years.
They need at least another starter and, really, more than that. The rotation for 2027 is currently Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, Seth Lugo (5.17 ERA), and that’s it. There are a decent number of mid-rotation starters. The Royals need to sign one and it needs to be the right one. I don’t even know where to start with the bullpen. All of the pitchers need to be ones that Brian Sweeney and company can improve so they are paying 50 cents on the dollar because there’s a lot of work to be done and limited resources.
What will the Royals do this offseason?
sterlingice: With the impending lockout, it’s very difficult to predict. There was a flurry of activity before the 2021-2022 lockout, including a one-day record, but the Royals weren’t a part of that. However, they were in a different place in their contention window than they are now. Smart teams will hedge as to whether it’s better to make moves pre or post-lockout and it remains to be seen which direction the Royals go. They have some money to play with, but not a lot.
I think they’ll sign a mid-rotation starter, a couple of mid-leverage bullpen arms that cost too much for what they are but won’t break the budget, and go bargain shopping for OF bats. It won’t be enough unless Witt has another great year, Jac and Jensen continue their upward trajectory, Vinnie can figure out how to start a season as strong as he ends them, the starters stay healthy, and the bullpen is magically overhauled. That’s a lot of “ifs.”
Max Rieper: I think they will have about $20-30 million to spend this offseason, which can go pretty quickly. I would expect them to trade for an outfielder – not a big trade, but maybe someone more promising than Isaac Collins. They will also likely bring in an outfielder, another Lane Thomas type, although that worked out pretty well when it was all done. The rest will be allocated to the pitching staff, maybe another starter and reliever if there is money left over.
Matthew LaMar: The Royals will not spend a lot of money and will keep all of their exciting young A+ to AA prospects. They’ll maybe go out and get someone for like $10 million a year over two or three years and tout that as a big acquisition. I am prepared to be underwhelmed.
Jeremy Greco: I think they’ll sign Taylor Ward, two middling starting pitchers, and one really good reliever, and hope they can cobble together the rest of it from spare parts.
Cullen Jekel: Nothing? I’m pessimistic about the 2027 season even occurring, and it’s going to be a rush to get things done this truncated offseason before a lockout. Now, if by some miracle of the baseball gods that there’s a (relatively) normal offseason, I can see the Royals adding a couple of cheap arms for the bullpen while maybe–maybe–coughing up some dough for a fifth starter. I bet they don’t make any changes to the coaching staff or the lineup aside from adding bench pieces. But Jensen-Witt Jr.-Caglianone-Garcia-Pasquantino-Perez-Massey-Collins-Isbel will probably be the Opening Day lineup.
World Series prediction?
sterlingice: I’d love it to be something fresh like Rays vs Brewers. But it will probably be something awful like the Dodgers over the Yankees/Red Sox winner.
Cullen Jekel: Well, at the beginning of the season, I predicted the Mariners over the Dodgers. Uh, I think I need to change at least half of that. Let’s go with the Rays over the Dodgers in seven even though I’ll be rooting for the Brewers.
Jeremy Greco: Padres over Rays in 7. Adrian Morejooooooooon
Matthew LaMar: Dodgers over White Sox. The new Evil Empire punctuates the season with their third consecutive victory over a plucky upstart and ushers in particularly nasty CBA negotiations.
Max Rieper: The Brewers win their first ever title, defeating the Red Sox.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - SEPTEMBER 28: Ryan Rollins, Cormac Ryan, Kel'el Ware and Jericho Sims of the Milwaukee Bucks atten Monday Night RAW at Fiserv Forum on September 28, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images) | WWE via Getty Images
Earlier this offseason, we asked you, the community, to put your Nostradamus hats on and tell us how many games you think the Bucks will win this season and which Buck has the best chance of earning some hardware. Soon, courtesy of our first Roundtable of the season, we’ll talk predictions too. But what do folks outside of our Bucks-centric universe think? Let’s check in.
Record
The community predicted the Bucks winning 31 or more games. Outside, the vibes are less optimistic. ESPN picked the Bucks to finish with a 25-57 record and in 14th place in the East:
Meanwhile, the Bucks will pivot after reaching the end of the Antetokounmpo era but still have a collection of solid veterans, led by Tyler Herro and Myles Turner, and a mix of young talent.
Sports Illustrated had Milwaukee finishing 15th in the East with a 24-58 record—an average of Chris Mannix, Liam McKeone, and Blake Silverman’s individual picks—but didn’t offer a justification beyond that. The Sporting News’ Stephon Noh sees things similarly for the Bucks, also predicting them going 24-58:
The Bucks were a bad team when they were missing Giannis last year, going 15-31 in those games. Now, they’ll have to live through a whole season without him. Milwaukee does have some solid players on its roster… But the Bucks have no high-end talent. The Bucks also have a lot of young players who are going to have to play and may not contribute to winning right away. Brayden Burries looked impressive in Summer League but is still just 21 years old. Nate Ament is much more of a project.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, on the other hand, sees things even more grimly, envisioning the Bucks mustering just 18 wins:
The Milwaukee Bucks emerged from the Giannis trade with a decent collection of quality NBA players. On some nights, they’ll probably look pretty competitive. But we had to balance the wins and losses somehow. The East is going to be loaded and someone has to finish last in the conference. Without a single superstar on the roster and a handful of veterans who seem destined to be traded before February, the Bucks are a prime candidate for that dishonor. On the bright side, Milwaukee fans should be treated to plenty of developmental minutes from Brayden Burries and Nate Ament.
But it’s not all doom and gloom! The Athletic’s John Hollinger sees the Bucks exceeding expectations—at least as far as surpassing BetMGM.com’s preseason over/under of 26.5 wins:
One consequence of the Giannis trade is that the Bucks have a much deeper roster than last season. Adding the grab bag of surplus Miami Heat players — Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyler Herro, Kasparas Jakučionis and the draft pick that became Nate Ament — gives the Bucks several halfway-decent players, making it difficult for them to be truly horrible. The Bucks also traded two fungible players for Caris LeVert, which, again, didn’t send an earthquake through the East but gave them another rotation-caliber player.
Combined with a couple of other factors, I think this is a beatable number for Milwaukee, even if the Bucks move on from a couple of vets in-season (Herro, Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma seem to be likely trade candidates). First of all, they have a first-year coach in Taylor Jenkins, who should be a major upgrade from Doc Rivers playing out the string a season ago. (Rivers had a great coaching career, but the tail end of it … yeeeeah.) Second, rookie Brayden Burries looked awesome in summer league and may have been severely underdrafted at No. 10.
I certainly don’t expect the Bucks to be good. But are 30 wins that outrageous for a Rollins-Herro-Jaquez-Ware-Turner lineup that brings Burries, Kevin Porter Jr., LeVert and Kuzma off the bench? I think they have a decent chance to be annoyingly frisky and stay on the fringes of the Play-In Tournament race. Not exactly “Bucks in six!” material, but my outlook is more optimistic than most.
If this isn’t enough to return your spirits to where they were, Bucks legend Jeff Teague will. He thinks things will work out just fine in Milwaukee, predicting the Bucks to be a “seven seed, six seed” with Taylor Jenkins taking home the Coach of the Year award.
Beyond wins and losses
As part of his 2026-27 Central Division preview, Yahoo! Sports’ Nekias Duncan had quite a bit to say about the Bucks—likes, question marks, best and worst case scenarios, and more. But it was his lineup to watch that caught my attention:
LINEUP TO WATCH: Rollins-Burries-Dieng-JJJ-Ware. If the “likes” section wasn’t enough of a signal, these are probably the five players I’m most excited to watch this year. Give me the mix of drives and pull-up shooting this group could provide and live with the results.
I had Rollins-Herro-Dieng-Jaquez-Ware sitting in my “Notes” app as my preferred starting five since the Giannis trade—well, at least until I came to accept the seemingly inevitable double big approach—but even with all my Burries fantasying didn’t dare insert him into that. Of course, as I should have realised, this doesn’t preclude that lineup from existing (forgive me, it’s been a big offseason). And now I need to see it. Often.
Draymond Green weighs in on Gary Trent Jr.
As you know, the NBA is still investigating the Bucks and Gary Trent Jr. for possible cap circumvention. On his podcast, Draymond Green shared his two cents on the matter. As you’d expect, he did so in typical stream of consciousness manner, with thoughts jutting angularly from one spot to the next as if his jump shot caroming off iron:
The Bucks are reportedly being investigated by the NBA for possible salary cap circumvention in the deal with Gary Trent Jr. The punishment could be equally as severe, if not worse, than the Clippers’ punishment if found guilty. Now, here’s what I will say. No way this could be worse, a worse punishment, because I mean I guess when you think about it it is circumvention ‘cause you could get a player for cheap. But it’s not the same. It’s not near the same. I do think the punishment will be extraneous but this really will set the Milwaukee Bucks franchise back. And I think if this was to happen—see what you got to remember is this. I think if this was to happen, I think the Bucks owner would then sell. Because, unlike Steve Ballmer, who’s the wealthiest owner, um, unlike Steve Ballmer who has a team that’s in Los Angeles, the Milwaukee Bucks lose five first round draft picks and they can never be good for 20 years. So, I think you’d see that owner sell the team, uh, if this is the case because they’re going to, they’re going to be—like they can’t rebuild. No free agent’s going to Milwaukee. They’ll have to pay like a fourth tier player max money to come to Milwaukee. So, if this is the case, I think the Milwaukee Bucks will be on sale shortly thereafter. But we saw how long it took the Kawhi investigation to play out. So, I think this will take a while. And I don’t think it’ll come back nearly as bad or, or any, um, punishment because I just don’t think—even if that was the case, like how do you get record of that? I just don’t know. I don’t foresee it. You know, there’s—what I will say, you know, there are deals made beforehand in any business all the time. So, no one puts it on paper. When you’re doing good business with someone, you don’t put it on paper. So, I don’t know how they would be able to find this if this even is the case.
Yeah, time to take a breath. Then again, this is the same guy who thought it was “absolutely beautiful” Kawhi Leonard didn’t get the bulk of the punishment for the Los Angeles Clippers’ salary-cap circumvention, has taken Leonard’s word that he didn’t know anything about it, and questioned why the league even has a salary cap.
More Milwaukee community moments
After recently being spotted surprising Lincoln Avenue Elementary students who were displaced after their school was destroyed by a fire earlier this summer, the Bucks continue to embed themselves into the Wisconsin community. Tyler Herro appeared at the Green Bay Packers’ home opener, while Ryan Rollins, Cormac Ryan, Kel’el Ware, Jericho Sims and Taylor Jenkins attended WWE’s Monday Night Raw at Fiserv Forum:
PR working overtime? Perhaps. But it’s great to see these Bucks out and about in their community regardless.
Okay, now we can get back to our Bucks bubble and wait for the actual games to play out—prove ‘em wrong, fellas!—starting next week when preseason kicks off. In the meantime, if you’ve heard anything more about the Bucks, whisper it down the lane in the comments.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series couldn’t have gone much better for the Yankees. On the mound, Cam Schlittler was excellent, blanking the Red Sox for 6.1 impressive innings. Then, led by Ben Rice, the Yankees’ offense plated nine runs, pulling away from Boston to go up 1-0 in the series.
Yesterday wasn’t just the opening of the Yankees-Red Sox series, though. All three of the Wild Card matchups also got underway on Tuesday, so let’s check in on what happened.
AL Wild Card Series Game 1
Chicago White Sox 6, Houston Astros 3 (Chicago leads 1-0)
After jumping out to a 3-0 lead early, the White Sox withstood the Astros and tacked on some more runs late to take the opener of the other AL matchup in Houston.
Facing an Astros’ bullpen game, the White Sox got going quickly. With a runner on third in the first, Munetaka Murakami hit a fly ball that was deep enough for Chicago’s Sam Antonacci to tag up and score. The next inning, Antonacci did it at the plate, hitting a bases loaded single to bring home two more runs. A Colson Montgomery homer in the fourth and a Chase Meidroth RBI single in the fifth had Chicago up big before Houston showed any resistance.
A two-run shot from Nelson Velázquez in the bottom of the fifth got the Astros on the board, but Chicago got one of those runs back a little while later. Houston countered with one in the eighth and brought the tying run to the plate, but couldn’t cash in as the ChiSox held on from there. Amusingly, the Astros have now lost eight consecutive playoff games in Houston since early on in the 2023 playoffs. If Chicago can win one more at Daikin Park either today or tomorrow, they’ll not only eliminate Houston but also secure their first playoff series victory since winning the 2005 World Series, over two decades ago. The Astros will have their best pitcher going for them in Hunter Brown, so we’ll see if that’s enough to keep their season alive.
NL Wild Card Series Game 1
Atlanta Braves 5, Philadelphia Phillies 3 (Atlanta leads 1-0)
Austin Riley’s go-ahead eighth inning home run stunned the Phillies to give the Braves the series opener.
The Phillies opened the scoring early when Alec Bohm doubled home a run in the top of the first. Atlanta then answered back with Mike Yastrzemski RBI single. The game remained tied for a while after that as both Chris Sale and Jesús Luzardo put in solid outings; Luzardo hadn’t necessarily been expected to even last five innings, as he was still relatively fresh off the IL and threw an inning of relief just to help the Phillies clinch a playof spot on Sunday. Things changed as both teams got to the bullpen, and there were some dramatic swings.
Atlanta took the lead for the first time in the sixth when Ozzie Albies hit an RBI triple thanks to some less-than-stellar fielding from Phillies’ center fielder Derek Hill. However, a Ronald Acuña Jr. misplay in the seventh allowed J.T. Realmuto to hit a triple of his own, scoring two runs to put Philly back in front.
Phillies’ manager Don Mattingly went for the kill shot by bringing on closer Jhoan Duran in the seventh. He got through that inning fine and came back out for the eighth, facing the heart of Atlanta’s order. He got two quick outs before Michael Harris II kept the inning alive with a softly-struck infield single. Duran hit Albies with a pitch after that, bringing Riley to the plate. Duran then left a fastball right in the middle of the zone, and Riley took full advantage, giving Atlanta a lead that Raisel Iglesias held on to in the ninth.
If the Braves win today, then they’ll advance to play the two-time defending champion Dodgers in the NLDS. If the Phillies can hold them off behind ace Cristopher Sánchez however, then Game 3 awaits on Thursday.
San Diego Padres 8, Chicago Cubs 0 (San Diego leads 1-0)
Michael King took a no-hitter into the seventh inning as the Padres’ offense crushed Cubs pitching in the late night game out west.
The Cubs’ story this season is that they have an excellent offense and poor pitching, ranking first and last in fWAR respectively. However in Game 1, only one of those things proved true. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado both hit first inning home runs against Matthew Boyd, getting San Diego off to the perfect start, from which they only added on to their lead.
Meanwhile, the Cubs offense couldn’t do much against King. The former Yankee didn’t allow a hit until Nico Hoerner singled with one out in the seventh. In total, King shut out Chicago over seven frames, allowing just the one hit and three walks, striking out eight.
In the ninth inning, Padres’ pitcher Joe Musgrove returned to the majors after a two-year absence while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He allowed a couple Cubs to reach base, but did end up throwing a scoreless inning.
Yesterday, the 2026 MLB playoffs began with four opening games in the best-of-three Wild Card series. The victorious Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres moved one step closer to the Division Series. There, the rested Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays are waiting to pounce on their prey.
While the Athletics are watching the playoffs from afar for a fifth straight year, that does not mean October baseball is devoid of players and coaches who have history with the Green and Gold.
Stephen Vogt, a fan-favorite during his successful career with the A’s, has led Cleveland to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons as their manager. In hindsight, the A’s should have hired him instead of Mark Kotsay, but the past cannot be changed and Vogt finds himself in a much more stable situation in Cleveland.
Moving to active players, there are former A’s on just about every postseason squad. Matt Olson has started every game at first base for the Braves, who also employ Sean Murphy as their backup catcher and onetime A’s minor leaguer Grant Holmes in their rotation. Former Athletic, left-hander Jesús Luzardo, started the Philadelphia Phillies first playoff game.
Another former A’s draft pick, Nick Allen, is a backup infielder on the Houston Astros, while reliever Sean Newcomb, who was on the A’s from 2023 through 2025, is a vital part of the White Sox’ bullpen.
On the East Coast, veteran pitchers Paul Blackburn and Sonny Gray enjoyed strong seasons with the Yankees and Boston Red Sox and will be counted on if their teams want to make a deep postseason run this fall.
Shifting to the West Coast, Aaron Civale, who the Athletics designated for assignment earlier this year, will pitch in relief for the Chicago Cubs. Their opponent, the Padres, are reaping the rewards of employing closer Mason Miller, who has thrived since the A’s traded him during the 2025 trade deadline. Miguel Andujar joined his former teammate Miller in San Diego this season.
Which of these former players competing this week do you most want to see win the World Series? What are your playoff predictions? Should the A’s attempt to bring back Blackburn in free agency this offseason?
The Athletics are still searching for their next general manager. Ideally, the club will have someone in place before free agency opens after the playoffs end.
James Click, Mike Rizzo, Boston Asst GMs Mike Groopman & Taylor Smith and A's Asst GM Billy Owens are the names who've been publicly linked to the A's GM search. Jon Daniels reportedly took himself out of consideration. Assuming there are names we haven't yet heard also involved.
This fact sums up the state of baseball in this max-effort era. Fewer starters are pitching deep into games because of the strain on their arms from trying to throw every pitch as fast as possible.
Justin Verlander’s retirement means the active career shutout leader has fewer shutouts than Nolan Ryan has no-hitters. pic.twitter.com/FjkrJ8Y61F
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning everyone!
The MLB postseason kicked off yesterday, and we’ve got all of the scores and news you need to know to get your Wednesday started.
Yesterday afternoon the Atlanta Braves won a roller coaster of a game as the lead changed four times. Ultimately Austin Riley had his redemption arc and hit the go-ahead three run HR off of Jhoan Duran fastball that was in the triple digits in the eighth inning.
Tyler Mahle, the Braves’ best trade deadline pickup will be taking the mound for the Braves against Cristopher Sánchez. Both pitchers were on completely different trajectories to end the season.
Before he joined the Braves, Mahle had a 5.13 ERA in eighteen starts. Since he joined the Braves he has a 1.99 ERA in nine starts, averaging six innings per appearance. In his first eighteen starts, Sánchez had a 2.00 ERA and averaged 6.5 innings per start. Since then, he has a 4.10 ERA while averaging 6.0 innings pitched. If we look at the last month, it is even worse. Sánchez has a 5.12 ERA since the start of September.
This does not mean the Braves will have it easy today. It is a do or die game for the Phillies so if Sánchez starts to struggle, it would not be shocking to see a starter come in on short rest to take over. Sánchez is a very good pitcher, in fact he will likely get some Cy Young down votes. However, on paper the matchup looks good. The players on the Braves’ playoff roster have a combined OPS of .759 against him in their careers.
Ronald Acuña has an OPS of 1.000 in sixteen ABs, Ozzie Albies has a .500 average and 1.193 OPS in eighteen ABs, and Austin Riley has a .467 average and 1.104 OPS in fifteen ABs against him. The rest of the team has mostly struggled, so there is some pressure on these three to perform. Michael Harris, fresh off of a three hit night, has struggled to an OPS of .321 in fifteen ABs.
Mahle has not faced the Phillies nearly as much as Sánchez has faced the Braves. However, he did face them in back-to-back starts in early September. In those combined starts he pitched 13.0 innings and only gave up one run on ten hits. He struck out six to only one walk. He was able to induce a whopping twenty-three ground balls in that span. He did have some luck with a BABIP of .220, but the results were great.
On paper, the Braves have the edge today. It is truly going to depend on if Acuña, Albies, and Riley can continue to rake against Sánchez in a period where he is clearly worn down at the end of a long season. Of course, other players stepping up would be nice too. If Mahle can perform like he did against the Phillies already this month and the Braves can get to the bullpen relatively early, they will be in a good spot. The Braves lead MLB in wRC+ in the ninth inning.
If the Braves win today, technically the Phillies miss October baseball this season.
First pitch is at 2:00 EDT.
Game Info
Game Time: Wednesday, September 30th, 2:00 pm EDT
Location: Truist Park, Atlanta, GA
Watch: NBC/Peacock
Radio/Audio: 680 AM / 93.7 FM The Fan and ESPN Radio
A quiet offseason left the Warriors in a position that seems similar to previous season beginnings.
The franchise’s goal remains the same: maximize the twilight of Steph Curry’s career by competing for another NBA championship. However, injuries to Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody paired with minimal offseason personnel changes create a new need for Golden State: immediate impact from rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.
“The nature of our league and social media and all the microscopes is that they’re going to expect him to be a 20-8-6 guy like right out the gate – or whatever number you put on him. His job is to block all that out,” Curry told reporters Tuesday in Hawaii at the team’s first day of training camp. “He’ll know if he’s impactful. He’ll know if he’s helping win games. The stats and the numbers will follow.”
“It’s our job to protect him in that,” Curry stated. “But he also needs to have confidence coming in that he can impact the game and he establishes his own kind of metric of what a good game is. And just allow him to grow into that.
“He’s going to get opportunities though, so that’s going to be fun.”
The immediate need for impact provides Lendeborg with plenty of opportunity to showcase that. It might even come in the form of a starting role; a rarity in a Steve Kerr-led team.
Veteran center/power forward Al Horford already has praise for the rookie early in training camp. Most notably, perhaps, is the ability to fit into Golden State’s style of play.
“He’s able to kind of do a little bit of everything as a player,” Horford told reporters Tuesday in Hawaii. “So, I just feel right away for him… whether it’s creating his own shot, getting to the basket, finding the open guy – he’s understanding how to play and move without the ball. A lot of the things that coach wants us to do; he already has a good feel for it.”
Curry echoed Horford speaking of Lendeborg’s offensive abilities. The feel, size and shooting ability that the rookie displayed during the NBA Summer League does not go unnoticed by the veterans.
“You can tell he wants to make the right play,” Curry explained. “And for our offense, and our whole game plan, that’s usually going to shine when you’re seeing the floor and making good decisions.”
On the defensive side, Horford pointed out the intangible skills that will help Lendeborg make the transition to the NBA level.
“For him, we’re staying on him making sure that he’s communicating, making sure that he’s in the right position,” Horford explained. “And if he’s able to do those things, I feel like he’ll find his way.
“But, it all sounds good until we start playing. He has to be able to show that he can hold his own defensively.”
Lendeborg also has impressed Curry with his intangible skills. The Warriors’ franchise star notes that they will be key in the rookie’s growth.
“So, it’s a lot for a rookie to kind of absorb all this information, process it, and do it in real time. And then still have the confidence that even if you mess up, it’s fine, it’s the growing pains of your early career.”
As much as Lendeborg wants to post numbers that will put him into Rookie of the Year discussion, veterans like Curry and Horford will be looking for the 24-year-old to impact the number in the win column.
His ability to play within the Warriors’ system and focus on growth in the face of inevitable mistakes will be paramount the team waits for the return of Butler and Moody.
The 2026-27 NHL season is two days away for the Detroit Red Wings, and it appears as though they won't have one of their most important pieces on the ice with them when it comes time to drop the puck on Friday evening.
Unsigned defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who remains a restricted free agent, has returned to his native Sweden and is training with Frolunda.
"I don't see the reason for me to sit at home, to be honest," Edvinsson said earlier this month. "I think I would be stressed if I were back in Sweden now and I saw everybody else practicing. We are going into a new season where it's important that everybody is linked together."
"I don't know the expression, but everybody needs to be on the same page, and that was my reasoning to come over here," he continued.
Earlier this week, Red Wings interim GM Shawn Horcoff released the following statement:
“As of today, Simon is not practicing with the team. The organization will continue conversations with Simon and his representatives.”
Edvinsson, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (sixth overall pick) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has emerged as Detroit's second-best defenseman behind Moritz Seider.
According to various reports, the Red Wings are allegedly interested in a bridge-style contract for Edvinsson, while he and his camp would prefer a more long-term arranement.
A difficult situation for the Red Wings just became more difficult with the start of the regular season now just over 48 hours away.
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Joe Musgrove #44 of the San Diego Padres reacts after striking out Michael Conforto #20 of the Chicago Cubs in ninth inning to end game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are not many things that could steal the headlines from a Michael King seven-inning, one-hit performance in the postseason, but Fernando Tatis Jr. tried with a solo home run to leadoff the bottom of the first inning and a mad dash from first base in the bottom of the seventh inning where he stole second base and then came around to score when the ball kicked away and into left-center field. While both of these performances from the San Diego Padres’ 8-0 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park, it was the top of the ninth inning when Joe Musgrove made his long-awaited return to the Padres that seemed to draw the biggest cheer from the Friar Faithful in attendance.
The right-handed starter has not pitched in an MLB game since October 2, 2024 and he could not have had a better moment to return to the mound. Musgrove came in from the bullpen between the bottom of the eighth and the top of the ninth inning and the crowd reached a fever-pitch as he jogged toward the infield. The San Diego native was a surprise addition to the Wild Card roster for the Padres, but he looked as good as ever in his lone inning of work.
Musgrove struck out the the first batter he faced, Michael Busch, on three pitches and froze him with a curveball at the top of the zone to get the first out in the top of the ninth inning. Musgrove then allowed a single, a walk and a single to load the bases and it appeared as though San Diego would relinquish the shutout, but that was when Musgrove got a pep-talk from Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla and went to work. Musgrove got Pedro Ramirez to pop out on a 1-2 pitch to Jake Cronenworth for the second out of the inning. Musgrove then faced pinch-hitter Michael Conforto who was caught looking on a 2-2 pitch at the top of the zone to seal the win for the Padres and complete a scoreless inning of work in his MLB return.
King set the tone early in his outing with back-to-back strikeouts of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman. King then got Busch to ground out to Ty France at first base and the inning was over after 11 pitches. The right-handed starter for the Padres never looked frazzled or overmatched against a Cubs offense that has the ability to score runs in bunches. King had a no-hitter through six innings and it was only broken up in the top of the seventh when Nico Hoerner hit a grounder behind third base that Manny Machado had to make sliding backhand stop and was unable to get the ball out of his glove cleanly to try to make the play at first. Hoerner has decent speed so even if Machado had made a clean transfer it would have been close. King got back-to-back strikeouts after the hit to complete his outing.
San Diego scored early and often in the game which allowed King to pitch without any pressure of surrendering runs. Tatis led off with a solo home run and Machado followed with a solo home run later in the inning to give the Padres a 2-0 lead after the first inning. Machado struck again in the bottom of the third inning when he hit an RBI-double into the right-center gap to score Tatis who walked earlier in the inning. San Diego added a run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Xander Bogaerts crushed a solo home run to make the score, 4-0. The Padres added three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run single from Jackson Merrill and a passed ball which allowed another run to score to put the Padres up, 7-0.
The most exciting play of the night came in the bottom of the seventh inning. Tatis led off the inning with an infield single that Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson just stuck in his back pocket. Tatis then stole second base, but the throw to get him was short, it bounced and deflected off Tatis and into left-center field. With the play in front of him, at least for the first part, Tatis got back on his feet and sprinted for third. As he approached it was evident he was going to try to score and that was what he did, sliding headfirst into home plate without a tag to put San Diego well in front of Chicago at 8-0.
The Padres can win the series with a win over the Cubs tonight, but they will need another strong effort on the mound from Game 2 starter Nick Pivetta and another strong night at the plate where all of the big-name stars play a role in putting runs on the scoreboard. San Diego and Chicago will meet at 7:00 p.m.
The White Sox took Game 1 in Houston, but all the team could talk about after was their fans – or lack thereof, apparently.
The Astros heard the boo birds during their 6-3 loss at Dalkin Park, where the announced crowd was 34,011 — about 21 percent below a sellout for the playoff game.
Reliever Bennett Sousa called the fan base “definitely spoiled,” having made the ALCS seven times straight from 2017-23.
Astros players were irate about hearing the boo birds on Tuesday night. Getty Images
The Astros have the worst record of any playoff team (81-81) in MLB history, having snuck into the playoffs after winning the floundering AL West.
“As a team and as a staff, we know how we feel about our guys. And if that’s felt differently from the outside — that’s OK. We can live with that,” Sousa told reporters, per The Athletic. “But as a team, we know that we lay it on the line every day. We’ve been working our ass off. We’ve been playing hard. We got in the playoffs. We just really need the support of our fans.”
They employed a bullpen game to start this series and the boos began in the first two innings.
Those boos became increasingly louder by the seventh inning, drowning out any cheers that may have been coming while the Astros tried to rally.
AJ Blubaugh walked three of the first five batters he faced as the opener and one scored before Chicago added two more in the second to make Houston’s bullpen plans go up in flames.
For Sousa, he didn’t do a lot to inspire faith after entering a 5-2 game in the seventh inning and immediately allowing two base runners.
A Houston Astros fans that did attend Tuesday’s game were booing the home team. AP Photo/Kevin Ng
When Braden Montgomery stepped into the box with runners on second and third with out, Sousa threw two sliders to catcher Yanier Diaz, who couldn’t handle them, and one run scored on a wild pitch.
“I’m not going to lie to you, I was pretty pissed off in the dugout when I came in, about the boos,” Sousa said, according to The Atheltic. “This team has laid a lot on the line to be in this position to give the fans a playoff game — a playoff series. We want their support.”
Baseball is a results-oriented business and asking for cheers with that kind of performance is asking a lot.
Fans sit among empty seats during the second inning in Game 1 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series between the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox. AP Photo/Karen Warren
Still, the stadium failing to sell 7,157 tickets — based on the announced crowd — is rather alarming.
“It’s extremely frustrating as a home player,” Astros first baseman Christian Walker said, per The Athletic. “We’re here, playing at home; we need cheers. We need energy. We don’t need boos. What purpose does that serve in that moment? Whatever fans are feeling, we’re feeling it tenfold. We’re the ones out there. We’re the ones in the fight. We worked our butts off this whole season to put ourselves in this spot, and for guys to get booed, it’s frustrating.”
Home fans did cheer for the team at different points of the game, but those were mostly few and far between.
Beloved star Jose Altuve earned cheers from the fans when he legged out an infield single in the eighth, and rookie pitcher Miguel Ullola received some positive feedback when he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second inning to keep the game 3-0.
Ace righty Hunter Brown will take the mound in Houston in an elimination Game 2 on Wednesday, though it is not currently a sellout according to the official team site, as there are hundreds of tickets still for sale in dozens of sections.
Is it too early to get excited about Walker Kessler?
We know that he’s an elite rebounder and rim protector. But so far, there’s something about him that just, well, feels like the type of thing that can really tip a franchise in the right direction.
He’s a personality guy.
Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler takes part in a press conference during the team’s media day at the UCLA Health Training Center, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in El Segundo, CA. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
“I look at him as a two-way talent, and I think the fit is exciting,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Tuesday when asked what excites him most about the center, before emphasizing his next sentence.
“The person is really exciting.”
In the three media availabilities Kessler has had with reporters since the Lakers acquired him on a four-year, $130 million deal — which included LA trading a slew of assets to Utah — Kessler has already made a big impression.
He has said multiple times he’d run through a wall for the Lakers.
What does that mean?
“It’s a great question,” Kessler said, flashing a smile. “For me, it’s just doing the little things and just competing my tail off every night and doing all the little stuff, whether that’s setting a hard screen, crashing the glass, sprinting the floor, just doing all the things it takes to win.”
They have zero tradable first-round draft picks through 2033 after trading two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033) and two pick swaps (2028 and 2030) to the Jazz for him.
Kessler seems genuinely grateful they took that gamble. “When you have someone backing you and someone that shows you the belief that they have in you, it makes it a lot easier to want to make them proud and want to make them feel like you’re doing your absolute best for them,” he said.
Kessler has already excited everyone around him. Jake LaRavia said Kessler changes everything defensively when he’s on the court.
“It’s going to make us wings and guards feel a lot more comfortable being a little bit more aggressive defensively, maybe being able to pick up full court a little bit more,” LaRavia said.
Added Matisse Thybulle: ““[I] just feel like I can fully live up to my defensive potential because of having a rim protector like Walker.”
As for Kessler, he’s all in on the Lakers.
Redick recently said he believes the Lakers could be championship contenders this season. Kessler didn’t hesitate when asked if he agreed.
“I believe so,” he said. “No question. Yeah, undoubtedly.”
Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler participates in the team’s media day at the UCLA Health Training Center on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, in El Segundo, Calif. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag
What does he think of the Lakers’ defense?” We’re going to be a nasty defensive team,” he said.
Even from the perimeter?
“I think people aren’t taking into account how good our perimeter defense is going to be with some of these guys,” he said.
Oh, yeah, who?”I mean, Thi [Adou Thiero], Ziaire [Williams], Quentin [Grimes], Bull [Thybulle], Van [Jarred Vanderbilt], Jake — I could go through the whole team.”
OK, what do you think about Redick’s coaching style?
“In film, I was ready to go fight somebody or something,” he said. “He’s such a good motivator. He’s incredible.”
And your chemistry with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves?”It’s not hard to be a fit when the guys are as good as they are,” he said.
Kessler is so positive. His excitement is palpable. It’s obvious he’s already making a contribution to the team, and we haven’t even seen him take the court yet wearing Purple-and-Gold.
Everyone wants to play with him. Everyone likes him. Everyone believes he can turn things around for the Lakers on defense.
Last season, the Lakers were 20th in defensive rating (115.5) and 27th in rebounds (41 per game). They averaged just 4.3 blocks per game.
That should change with Kessler down low.
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In 2024-25, Kessler was second in the league in blocks (2.4), and he contested 7.5 shots per game at the rim, which tied him for fifth most in the league, according to NBA.com.
Last season, we only got to see a glimpse of Kessler. He averaged 11.1 points and 12.2 rebounds in five games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Kessler, who essentially has only played three NBA seasons, believes he hasn’t even begun tapping into his potential.
“No, I haven’t,” he said. “I think that Utah did a great job of letting me show kind of like my baseline, just play hard, play good defense, rebound, set good screens, be a lob threat. But no.”
So, what’s his ceiling?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I haven’t reached it yet. I’m just going to do the best I can and be the best I can become.”
It’s all very exciting for a Lakers team that had a porous defense last season led by an inconsistent center in Deandre Ayton. They now have a beast down low, as well as someone who should be a lob machine alongside Doncic on offense.
Kessler wants to be great. He’s willing to lay himself on the line for the Lakers. And it’s obvious that everyone is already responding to him.
There are still a lot of questions. How will he fit in alongside Doncic and Reaves on the court? Will he become the All Defense-type player the Lakers need him to be? Will he complete the Lakers’ Big 3?
But as of now, all signs point to yes. Not only is he a potential game-changer on the court but he’s also the type of guy who excites the team behind the scenes.
As much as the Lakers want this to work, he wants it every bit as much.
“I don’t really feel pressure,” he said. “I just feel grateful. Grateful for this opportunity and grateful to play for this franchise.”
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 06: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) walks off the mound during the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles on September 06, 2026, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
If you had been told back in March that the 2026 Orioles season would include Kyle Bradish making 29 starts for the Orioles and receiving a five-year contract extension during the season, you would probably be picturing something exciting happening. Things did not quite work out that way. There were ups and downs for Bradish’s first full season back after his Tommy John surgery, and by the time his season ended slightly early due to a sports hernia, Bradish was just about exactly average.
You may have set your hopes higher. I think the Orioles certainly did. It’s not like these were the first starts Bradish made after his surgery. He got in six games at the end of the 2025 season and every indication there was that he would be picking up where he left off before having to get Tommy John. Batters couldn’t hit him very well. He had an excellent strikeout rate, was controlling the walks and home runs at acceptable rates. It wasn’t crazy to believe that Bradish would be able to return to top-of-the-rotation form.
The Orioles were counting on being able to get a quality 1-2-3 out of Bradish, Shane Baz, and Trevor Rogers. Other writers will be covering those other two guys on different days. As far as Bradish, by the time his season came to an end, that just wasn’t what he was. The strike rate was down substantially, the walk rate increased, the home run rate had a bit of a jump.
It all added up to Bradish posting a 4.12 ERA for the season – an ERA+ of 99, or 1% below league average for a pitcher. Peripheral stats such as FIP, the ERA-analogue stat that tries to subtract defense from the equation, had Bradish at a 4.35. The Orioles, I believe, wanted more than this. They needed more.
To be sure, it is good that Bradish ended up among the 65 MLB pitchers who threw at least 150 innings this year. By not missing many starts until the end of the season, that avoided exposure to depth options like Cade Povich, and by averaging more than five innings per start for the season, Bradish also (mostly) avoided contributing to seeing guys like Keegan Akin or Yaramil Hiraldo pitching in the fourth or fifth inning.
These are not trivial problems to avoid, and yet… of that list of 65 MLB pitchers who tossed 150 innings, Bradish came in 47th. It could have been worse. It’s just that it needed to be better. The Orioles did not commit to the next five years of Bradish at $18 million per season for a 4.12 ERA.
The signs were there from as soon as Bradish’s first start that he wasn’t going to be picking up right where he left off last season. Walking three batters while failing to get through five innings against the Twins back on March 28 turned out to be more like the typical 2026 Bradish start than any of us would prefer. He took the loss because the offense only scored one run in the game. Of course, that fact was also more like the typical 2026 Orioles offense than any of us would prefer.
Seven starts into his season, Bradish was sitting on a 5.03 ERA and he had walked 21 batters in only 34 innings. That’s a tough way to win, and naturally he wasn’t winning. His record was 1-4, and the O’s were just 2-5 in those starts. By season’s end, Bradish himself had a 7-14 record, and the Orioles were 13-16 in games that he started. With apologies for beating this same drum yet again: The team needed more than that to be successful this year. Mike Elias bet part of this season’s chances of success on getting more than that, and he just didn’t.
It wasn’t just Elias betting on Bradish in a big picture way. This also included times where the manager, Craig Albernaz, decided that he was going to count on Bradish to get one more batter rather than bringing in a reliever. One such time, particularly memorable to me because I was baking in the sun in Cincinnati watching it play out in person, Albernaz let Bradish, already past 100 pitches in the eighth inning, stay in for one more batter. That batter hit an RBI double, expanding the O’s deficit that day from 2-1 to 3-1. They ended up losing, 3-2.
There were stretches in there where you could believe that a fully healthy Bradish will be better than this. From May 8 on through to August 15, a stretch of 17 starts, Bradish had a 3.18 ERA. It wasn’t exactly as good as his pre-surgery outings, not quite as many strikeouts and not quite as few walks but still: That would have done the trick, if he was that over the full season.
The Orioles are being their usual cagey selves over when exactly Bradish suffered the sports hernia; the results look like maybe his five starts were disrupted by that. That added close to half a run to his season ERA. We’d probably feel a bit different about Bradish’s season if he closed out at 3.65, which is what he had after his August 15 start. That would be a fine baseline to bring into next season, with hopes of improvement on that.
Instead, like so many other things to do with the 2026 Orioles, we must simply hope for better without there being a ton to hang that belief on. Maybe the most important aspect of this hand-waving has nothing to do with how Bradish pitches at all and everything to do with whether the front office and coaching staff assemble at minimum a competent defense behind him. Bradish was one of the more heavily-victimized pitchers by bad defense: He was on the mound for 12 of the team’s 88 unearned runs. This doesn’t even count plays that weren’t scored as errors but an MLB player should have made.
I don’t want to act like the defense is too much of an excuse, though. Bradish has a rough-looking Statcast page, and none of that stuff cares about his defense. That’s so much blue. In this, blue is bad. What it looks a whole lot like on here is that Bradish’s curveball and slider were not up to the form he has showed previously. That seems like the avenue for improvement. The fastball isn’t the problem: He’s working with the same pre-surgery velocity and close to the same pre-surgery movement. Whether he can improve those other pitches, I just don’t know.
It is going to be even more important for the outlook of the 2027 Orioles that Bradish, heading into his age 30 season, pitch better next year. Trevor Rogers is almost certainly going to depart as a free agent, and the chances of Elias bringing a pitcher of the caliber of what Rogers showed in 2025 and from June onward in 2026 are slim. The top of the rotation will be counting even more heavily on Bradish and Baz doing good-to-great things that they did not do over the full 2026 season, as well as Brandon Young repeating his surprise 2026.
DETROIT, MI - JULY 09: Athletics Zack Gelof (20) slides into the railing trying to catch a foul during game between Athletics and Detroit Tigers on July 9, 2026 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI (Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Happy Wednesday, everyone. Except, maybe, for the Detroit Tigers. News is emerging that Zack Gelof of the A’s is suing the Tigers for lost potential earnings after he missed a month of play from an injury he sustained in Comerica Park’s outfield. We’ll have more on that below, but it’s not exactly how the Tigers would like to start their offseason, certainly.
We’re also into the Wild Card games now, so news is going to be all postseason all the time. We’ll have more of that in the coming days as the final postseason picture takes shape.
For now, though, let’s get right into the news.
Detroit Tigers News
Well this is… interesting.
Zack Gelof is suing the Detroit Tigers after missing “30 days of work” following an injury from attempting to catch a fly ball
The lawsuit says that the collision tore his uniform and caused a deep laceration beneath his right kneecap that missed his patellar tendon. He was… pic.twitter.com/k7cTemOkRD
Sam Blum has more information on the lawsuit, in which Gelof cites that his injury at Comerica Park “will adversely impact his future earnings.” The lawsuit suggests that the exposed piece of metal that Gelof ran into was not something that he could have anticipated encountering. “Not in a professional stadium, where everyone else involved are making 10s of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars off the performance of these athletes,” his lawyer said. Gelof missed a month of play following the injury.
AJ Hinch shared his feelings about Kevin McGonigle’s incredible rookie season.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 29: Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox arrives ahead of Game One of the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees on September 29, 2026 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Red Sox are up against the wall. Cam Schlittler, once again, shoved against the Red Sox in game one, throwing 117 pitches in a 6.1-inning shutout before handing it over to the bullpen. Paul Blackburn and John Schreiber shut the door, keeping the Red Sox off the scoreboard to win game one, 9-0. Coming into this season, the winner of game one has won 15 of 16 Wild Card series since playoff expansion. The only exception is the Yankees over the Red Sox last season.
If the Red Sox want to keep their season alive, it comes down to Sonny Gray. Let’s think about it in innings. The Red Sox used five relievers on Tuesday night: Erik Miller, Greg Weissert, Alec Gamboa, Wyatt Olds, and Brayan Bello.
Erik Miller was excellent immediately after being acquired, but his September, as well as his career-long control issues, should reduce him to only low-leverage spots. Greg Weissert can potentially provide an inning, but he’s not an arm to trust on back-to-back days in a sticky spot. Alec Gamboa and Wyatt Olds were both late additions to the roster, and neither looked particularly up to the job in game one, while Brayan Bello has never pitched two days in a row in the major leagues.
That leaves Ranger Suarez, Garrett Crochet, Garrett Whitlock, Aroldis Chapman, and Jake Bennett as the unused pitchers, alongside today’s starter Sonny Gray.
Ranger Suarez is set to start game three. Garrett Crochet is a complete unknown. He hasn’t pitched since April, and he was ineffective when he was on the mound. If he’s healthy, I’d expect him to be able to get outs, but who knows where he’s truly at health-wise. Garrett Whitlock has been one of the best relievers in baseball, but his longest outing of the season is 1.1 innings. He’s only thrown more than 30 pitches once this season, and it came in an outing in which he walked two hitters. Extending him for more than one inning could be a tricky proposition. And then there’s Aroldis Chapman. Chapman, like Whitlock, has been fantastic, but hasn’t got more than three outs in a game this season. If you put those three arms together and assign two innings to Crochet, that’s four innings. Of course, given the stakes, they could extend Whitlock or Chapman, but their effectiveness after three outs is a relative mystery. If you want to give Jake Bennett an inning or two, you could, but he doesn’t seem like an arm they’d go to unless they were trailing, and there’s no need to eat innings in a do-or-die game.
The offense was, at least in terms of scoring, the worst in baseball in September. Roman Anthony was lost in the middle of game one, and the rest of the lineup couldn’t touch Schlittler. If I were a betting man, I wouldn’t put money on them putting a lot of runs on the board against Max Fried. If they want a chance to win the game, they’ll need to keep the Yankees off the board, and with the lack of quality innings in the bullpen, that means getting length out of Sonny Gray.
Gray has been the Red Sox best starter by ERA this season. He’s gone at least six innings in 22 of his 29 starts. In two starts against the Yankees, he’s allowed three earned runs over 13.2 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts and 3 walks. Despite a 14-year career, Gray has only thrown in six postseason games. In those six games, he has a 3.26 ERA, but has only pitched more than five innings once (an 8-inning shoutout for the Athletics against the Tigers in 2013). For the Red Sox to win today, they need Sonny Gray to turn in one of the best postseason performances of his career.
Fortunately, Chad Tracy can unload the clip in game two, because in playoff baseball terms, game three might as well be in six months. The Red Sox need to play every card they have to keep the season alive, but Sonny Gray keeping the Yankees off the scoreboard for as long as possible is the key.
