Judge took live batting practice on Friday at Tropicana Field, but has not yet progressed to running the bases or practicing in the outfield.
The superstar slugger continues to work his way back from a right calf strain, which also sidelined him for the team's Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox.
The Yankees offense fared just fine without their captain in that series, scoring 18 runs across the two-game sweep of their archrivals.
In 66 games during the regular season, Judge slashed .241/.360/.511 with 18 home runs and 41 RBI. He missed more than three months with a right rib stress fracture before returning to the Yankees Sept. 7, hitting his first home run back Sept. 14. The calf injury came two days later.
Meanwhile, Aaron Boone did make one change to the Yankees' 26-man roster for the ALDS; Ryan Weathers - who has not pitched since late August due to a flexor tendon strain in his left forearm, but has been ramping up with live batting practice - has been added to the team's bullpen for the series.
As such, versatile infielder and righty batter Amed Rosario was left off the roster, having been swapped for the southpaw. This makes sense, as the expected Rays starters for the first three games of the series - Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, and Freddy Peralta - are all right-handed pitchers.
Weathers recorded a healthy 3.60 ERA and 1.223 WHIP across 25 starts for New York during the regular season. His strong strikeout rate, walk rate, and ground ball rate indicate his theoretical fit as a bullpen option for the Yankees during the upcoming series.
The 2026 Major League Baseball playoffs are on to the best-of-five Division Series with eight teams remaining – and a quadruple header on Saturday, Oct. 3 to get the round underway.
The Yankees, White Sox, Padres and Braves all had to win best-of-three wild card series, while the Rays, Guardians, Brewers and Dodgers all earned a bye through the first round as the top division winners in each league.
The winners advance to the best-of-seven League Championship Series.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yankees captain Aaron Judge was left off the roster for New York’s AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays while he tries to work his way back from a calf injury.
A three-time AL MVP, Judge hasn’t played since Sept. 16.
Giancarlo Stanton, who hasn’t played since April 24 because of strained calf muscles in both legs, remained on the 26-man roster for the best-of-five series starting Saturday.
Stanton was active for the Wild Card Series sweep of Boston but didn’t get in the games, which both turned into blowouts.
Judge was sidelined by a fractured rib from May 31 to Sept. 8 and played in just seven games before straining his right calf. He was limited to 66 games this season and hit .241 with 18 homers, 41 RBIs and an .871 OPS, including .174 with one homer and three RBIs in September.
Left-hander Ryan Weathers, sidelined with a left forearm flexor strain since Aug. 22, was added to the roster as an 11th pitcher.
Utilityman Amed Rosario was dropped. He had two plate appearances in the Wild Card Series with a walk and a strikeout.
White Sox-Guardians
Right-hander Tyler Davis was added by the Chicago White Sox, who dropped right-hander Huascar Brazobán.
Brazobán appeared in Game 2 of the sweep at Houston, facing three batters. He hit his first, struck out his second and allowed a single to his third.
With this in mind, here are three things to watch as the teams collide in Game 1 of the AL Division Series on Saturday night:
Rust versus rest
The Rays are fresh, having not played since their regular season finale on Sunday, Sep. 27. They’ve got their pitching set the way they want, with ace Drew Rasmussen starting the opener, and their bullpen arms having had the time to reset.
But the Yanks are surging with confidence after outscoring the Red Sox, 18-2, over two blowouts that were played without star Aaron Judge, who remains out for the ALDS due to injury.
Those games were so lopsided that the Yankees did not have to stress their high-leverage relievers and their terrific rotation flexed two strong starts, one each for Cam Schlittler and Max Fried.
Gerrit Cole will take the mound in Game 1 for New York, with Schlittler is set for Games 2 and 5, if necessary.
So which team has the advantage? Maybe neither, if history is any guide.
Since this playoff format started, teams that had the bye have won 9 of the 16 five-game sets in the divisional series against the teams that won a Wild Card Series. It is worth noting, however, that in the last two years, teams with the bye have won 6 of the last 8.
The Yankees are rolling in red hot, but it’s hard to believe the Rays, mostly a contact, speed-based team, will be hampered by any layoff rust, especially with Rasmussen pitching.
Rice could be nice
Ben Rice landed the hammer blow to the Red Sox in the Wild Card, and now he'll be looking to wreak havoc on the Rays in the ALDS.
The lefty slugger excelled against Tampa during the regular season. Rice hit seven homers against them this year in 51 plate appearances, batting .356.
He was especially successful at Tropicana Field, going 11-for-24 (.458) with five homers and a 1.685 OPS.
Rice has 10 career home runs against Tampa Bay overall.
His at-bats in Game 1 against Rasmussen should be especially intriguing, because he's the one Rays pitcher who has been able to stifle him.
Rice is 1-for-16 lifetime against the Tampa Bay righty, though the one hit was a home run on July 9 of this year.
Considering how crucial Rice was in the Yanks’ victory in the Wild Card Series over Boston, this is a matchup with meaning.
Sep 29, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) runs after hitting a grand slam home run against the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Considering how crucial Rice was in the Yanks’ victory in the Wild Card Series over Boston, this is a matchup with meaning.
Glove story
The Rays love to take chances on the basepaths, pushing the pace and trying to inject chaos into an inning.
Sharp defense when the Rays run is paramount for the Yankees to escapef innings before Rays baserunners become runs allowed.
“If you’re clean there, there’s some outs to be had,” Aaron Boone said on the workout day. “But they do a lot of things really well.”
The Rays were second in MLB with 164 stolen bases. Chandler Simpson led the AL with 46 steals, but he was also caught an MLB-most 14 times.
Yankee backstop Austin Wells threw out 14-of-64 runners trying to steal, or 21.9 percent -- a few notches below the MLB average rate of 23 percent.
Per Baseball Savant/Statcast, Wells ranks in just the 23rd percentile for average "pop" time, at 1.97 seconds.
While New York's catcher wasn't tested by a quiet Red Sox offense on the basepaths during the Wild Card round, Wells will certainly have to make plays behind the plate during the Divisional Series against the Rays.
Judge was not included on the team's ALDS roster submitted in advanc of Game 1 Saturday, Oct. 3, even as he vowed to "do all he can" to play against the Rays after sitting out their two-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox in the wild-card round.
Judge suffered the injury Sept. 16 at Minnesota, just seven games after returning from a rib fracture. He played in just 66 games this season after winning consecutive AL MVP awards.
Now, he'll cool it a little longer as his teammates take aim at the Rays, who won the AL East in Judge's absence.
Before the Yankees finished off the Red Sox, Judge got simulated at-bats in at their Class AAA facility in Somerset. After the team flew to Tampa for the ALDS, he worked out at their spring training facility there and also went through the off day workout at Tropicana Field. Manager Aaron Boone did not specify whether Judge had run the bases in his rehab progression, often one of the final steps to a return, but noted he had tested the calf in other fashions.
New York's sweep of Boston marked its first playoff games contested without Judge, 34, since 2015.
The club added lefty starter Ryan Weathers to the roster for this round, as the best-of-five format will require more length from the pitching staff. DH Giancarlo Stanton is also back on the roster, though he didn't get an at-bat in the two-game wild card series as he returns from a lengthy absence due to a pair of calf injuries.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 05: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field on September 05, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, LSB.
In his latest Q&A Evan Grant was asked if the Rangers would consider moving their outfield fences in to account for their crappy crappy offense.
Also up for discussion: How possible would a Ron Washington reunion to close out his career be?
The Sabres are riding a six-game winning streak against the Blackhawks, the longest such streak in franchise history. • In that span, Buffalo has outscored Chicago 30-10. • Buffalo’s .657 all-time home points percentage against Chicago is its fourth-highest against any current NHL opponent, trailing only San Jose (.833), Vegas (.813) and Toronto (.676).
In his last 10 games against Chicago, Rasmus Dahlin has registered 12 points (2+10), including two assists in each of his last three matchups with the Blackhawks. Dahlin is one of 11 defensemen in NHL history to record multiple assists in at least three consecutive games against Chicago. A multi-assist performance tonight would make him just the second defenseman to extend such a streak to four or more games against the Blackhawks, joining Zach Werenski (six games). Dahlin’s active three-game multi-assist streak against Chicago is tied with Pat LaFontaine (Oct. 21, 1992 to Oct. 29, 1995) for the longest by a Sabres skater against the Blackhawks all-time. A multi-assist performance tonight would give Dahlin sole possession of the franchise record.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 6-0-0 in six career games against Chicago and he has recorded a .928 save percentage and a 1.67 goals-against average in that span. • A win tonight would make Luukkonen the second goaltender in NHL history to earn a win in each of their first seven games against the Blackhawks (Andrei Vasilevskiy; Jan. 24, 2017 to March 4, 2021).
Ryan McLeod has tallied at least one point in every game he has played against the Blackhawks as a member of the Sabres and he is riding a four-game point streak against Chicago (3+2). A point tonight would make McLeod the first skater in Sabres history to record at least one point in each of his first five games against the Blackhawks as a member of the Sabres. With a point tonight, McLeod would also become the first Sabres skater since Victor Olofsson (5+1) from Nov. 17, 2019 to Jan. 17, 2023 to record at least six points in his first five games against Chicago with Buffalo.
Tage Thompson is riding a four-game point streak against Chicago and he has posted seven points (4+3) in that span. Thompson recorded two goals, including the game-winning tally, in the last matchup between the Sabres and the Blackhawks on April 13, 2026. In his last 11 games against Chicago, Thompson has posted 15 points (9+6).
Konsta Helenius scored his first goal of the season on Oct. 1 at Columbus and a goal tonight would make him the first Sabres rookie to record a goal in their first two games of a season since Maxim Afinogenov from Nov. 10 to 12, 1999. • Dave Andreychuk (Oct. 6 to 9, 1982) is the only other Sabres rookie to do so.
Jack Quinn has registered at least one point in three consecutive home games against Chicago (2+3), including two points in each of his last two.
Josh Doan has posted three points (2+1) in his last two games against the Blackhawks and a point tonight would give him a three-game point streak against Chicago. In his last two meetings with the Blackhawks, Josh Norris has posted three points (2+1).
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 03: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors stands for the national anthem prior to Game Seven of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs assistant coach at Rocket Arena on May 03, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s hard to believe we’ve finally made it through the summer and tonight, the first preseason game of 2026-2027 season tips off for the Toronto Raptors. As is customary, it is one of two NBA Canada Series games, tonight being hosted by Quebec City. This has been a great tradition since 2012, allowing more of the country to be able to watch Canada’s team in person. Previous hosts have included Ottawa, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton, and Winnipeg, but this will be the first held in Centre Vidéotron.
The new-look Miami Heat has travelled to face them, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Klay Thompson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bobby Portis Jr. having joined over the summer.
While preseason games are often about getting organized and making those final roster decisions, we can hope to get a bit of a look at Kawhi, Scottie, Giannis and Bam, a harbinger of what could be an excellent matchup throughout the season.
Miami’s size will undoubtedly be a factor. Their frontcourt includes a near-seven-foot Nick Richards and Giannis, 6’10” Nikola Jovic, and Bam Adebayo and Bobby Portis Jr. who are both 6′ 9” and over 250 pounds. This will be advantageous on both ends of the court, as defensively their size and physicality will be an asset rebounding, but they can also play bully-ball at the other end of the court. The other major change to their roster, adding a pair of excellent veteran shooters in Hardaway Jr. and Thompson mean that if anyone gets jammed up in the paint, there will be one or both of them set from outside the arc and ready to shoot.
Toronto won’t have the size advantage, but can rely on the defensive prowess of Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard, and Collin Murray-Boyles. While undersized, their wingspans and athleticism allow all of them to guard guys bigger than them. Kawhi has already proven he can make life difficult for Giannis, and CMB seems to love to play as an undersized center. The wing defence will need to be on a string tonight to shut down the options outside of the paint. Ja’Kobe Walter, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley will all have to be on top of closeouts and shut down shooting opportunities.
More likely than not, this game will come down to the bench though. Both teams will be interested in seeing what the last few guys on the roster can do. Newly-extended Jamal Shead, rookie Allen Graves, and guys like Tyreke Key, Chucky Hepburn, and Alijah Martin could all see solid minutes. They will have to be the difference makers if they want to win the game.
Luckily for Toronto, they’ve all proven to be solid defenders, with the right mindset to want to go out and win games. Especially in a situation like this where they’re auditioning for minutes during the regular season.
Either way, it’s incredibly exciting to see the Raptors back out on the court, especially in Quebec City!
Injury Report
While it’s a little unclear during the preseason, some of Toronto’s players did sit out of the open scrimmage due to various ailments, but it’s unclear if they’ll be suiting up tonight. This could affect Jamison Battle, Kyle Anderson, and Allen Graves.
For Miami, the only two clear missing players will be Keshad Johnson and Dru Smith, sidelined by a right hamstring strain and a calf strain, respectively.
Probable Starters
Toronto: Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 23: hird baseman Miguel Vargas #20 of the Chicago White Sox is tagged out in a rundown by pitcher Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals during the 3rd inning of the game at Kauffman Stadium on September 23, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’m not saying the Royals suddenly have a playoff offense, but some health and an addition or two could make the offense good enough with the right pitching in place. A guy like Vinnie Pasquantino getting back to where he was in 2025, along with an acquisition or two, and Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone taking a step forward could make this offense legitimately good in 2027. There are a lot of ifs, but they don’t seem quite as daunting as they have in the past. But boy do they need to figure out how to translate all the hard hits and batting average into runs scored.
Hammond got off to an impressive start at Single-A Columbia in his first full season, and his improved chances of sticking at shortstop only increased enthusiasm. But he only slugged .312 over his final 40 games to finish as a league-average bat in the Carolina League on the year as a whole.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on before the first pitch against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning everyone!
It’s Saturday and The Division Series’ are set to get underway this morning. In the meantime, it’s time to get you caught up on the latest news from around the league.
After falling just two games short of a playoff spot this year, the Diamondbacks are planning to reduce payroll this winter.
The Dodgers will have to try to win their third straight World Series with a hobbled Shohei Ohtani, who admitted he will not be fully healthy heading into the postseason.
The San Diego Padres have made the postseason for the third consecutive season. Each team claimed a playoff berth in a slightly different manner.
The 2024 and 2025 clubs leaned heavily on pitching to earn back-to-back postseason appearances. Often, the Padres required perfection from their pitching staff to stay competitive in a postseason series.
This season, the Friars rode their offense into October baseball, highlighted by clutch hitting from Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, Manny Machado, and Ty France. That same formula helped them advance into the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The bats are hot
The Padres may have the most explosive offense remaining in the postseason. Since July 17, the team’s batting average is .270. This is a remarkable feat because they posted a .226 batting average through the first 96 games of the 2026 season.
You cannot argue with the results; the Friars scored 343 runs in the team’s final 66 games. The offense averaged 5.20 runs per game, and it may be their blueprint for victory over the top-seeded Brewers.
Quick work in eliminating the Cubs
Granted, the starting pitching deserves some of the credit, but the bats set the tone for the series win over the Cubs. The lineup batted .328, outscored Chicago 12-1, and slugged four home runs in the two-game sweep. Machado’s bat came alive at the right time, as he hit .429 (3-for-7) with a home run, a double, two runs scored, and two RBI.
The results offer a stark contrast to last season. The Padres struggled badly at the plate in the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. In defeat, the team batted .189 and scored only five runs. The most alarming stat was the lineup striking out 20 times in 95 at-bats.
The Brewers’ pitching staff will be a formidable challenge for the Friars’ lineup. They must continue delivering timely hits with runners in scoring position. In the Cubs series, the club batted .500 (5-for-10) with RISP.
You might see small ball come into play in this division series. It is the perfect source to plate runs in expected low-scoring contests.
Good-hitting teams know playoff success begins and ends with quality pitching. The Padres have the right balance, and the Friar Faithful hope the magic continues for another postseason series.
I’ve shown you that chart before, but it’s worth repeating here. The Cubs, by fWAR, had one of the worst pitching staffs in all of Major League Baseball. The only reason they were in the postseason is the offense, which as you can see outpaced the second-place Dodgers… by a lot. If the 2026 Cubs had posted a league-average fWAR figure for hitters, they’d probably have finished well under .500.l Conversely, if they’d had league-average pitching, they’d probably have won 100 games and still be playing.
So, here we are. Jed Hoyer has a lot of work to do to improve this pitching staff for next year. He admitted in his year-end presser that he didn’t do very well in 2026. There are two major issues for Hoyer, in my view:
Dumpster-diving for relievers. It worked in 2025. It spectacularly backfired in 2026.
Pitching development has not produced the 98+ mile per hour fastballers that every other team seems to have on an assembly line.
Fixing those two things will not be easy. But that is what the Cubs must do if they are to compete with other pitching staffs in modern baseball.
The Cubs used 39 (!) pitchers this year, not counting catcher Carson Kelly, who threw in three blowouts, including one game the Cubs won. He posted a 6.00 ERA. Ten of the 39 actual pitchers had a higher ERA than that, and 12 of them had worse bWAR than Kelly’s 0.0 as a pitcher.
I’m not posting comments on 39 pitchers. Nor do you probably want that. Here are comments on 22 of them.
Shōta Imanaga: B
This grade will likely be controversial. I kind of look at Imanaga as the pitching version of Ian Happ — someone who Cubs fans love to dislike, but his performance is relatively solid.
It’s the home runs, right? That’s the biggest issue with Imanaga. Apart from those, though, he posted a 2.0 bWAR season, which is pretty much in line with his previous seasons. He was healthy all year and made 32 starts and went six innings or more in half of them. He doesn’t walk guys (5.2 percent walk rate).
I would not be against bringing him back at a reasonable price for a couple more years.
Matthew Boyd: C
Boyd made only 22 starts due to two injuries — a biceps issue that kept him out for much of April, then he hurt his knee playing with his kids and missed most of May and June.
Sometimes he was unhittable. Other times he was serving up long balls. (That wasn’t unique to Boyd, either, among this staff.)
He’s been a good Cub for two seasons and really seemed to enjoy his time here. But he’ll be 36 in February. There’s a $15 million mutual option which seems likely to be declined.
Colin Rea: C-
Like a lot of Cubs pitchers, Rea had issues with home runs. Oddly, after he left the rotation following the acquisitions of Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman, Rea seemed the forgotten man. He appeared in only 11 games from Aug. 8 to the end of the season and threw just 19.1 innings.
He’s been a useful spare part for two seasons, but in a revamp of this staff, I think it’s time to move on.
Edward Cabrera: F
I’m honestly not sure what happened here. Cabrera was perfectly fine for his first seven starts, posting a 3.27 ERA and 1.282 WHIP, numbers completely in line with what he did in 2025 in Miami.
Then he started to get hit, hard, and wound up with an IL stint. He came back for one start in August, got hit hard again and left with a blister issue that kept him out a month. On his return he went to the bullpen and was bad again and was left off the postseason roster.
After those first seven starts he posted an 8.84 ERA and 1.707 WHIP and allowed 11 home runs in 38.2 innings, which is awful even by this pitching staff’s low standards.
Cabrera turns 29 in April and has two years of team control remaining. So do they try to fix him? Or put him in a trade package?
For whatever it’s worth, Owen Caissie didn’t have a good year in Miami, either, batting .220/.288/.412 in 108 games, with some IL stints. He struck out 123 times in 291 at-bats.
Ben Brown: A
Probably the biggest “what if” question about the Cubs this year revolves around Brown, who finally figured things out and had become an outstanding starting pitcher when the neck injury from two years ago reoccurred and forced him to the injured list in mid-June. Despite that, Brown led all Cubs pitchers with 2.2 bWAR, which tells you how bad the rest of the staff was. (It took Imanaga an entire season of 32 starts and 174.1 innings just to get to second on that list at 2.0.)
Brown’s best start of the year was probably his six-inning, four-hit, one-run, seven-strikeout game against the Pirates May 25. (And the Cubs lost that game 2-1!)
Here’s hoping for a full recovery and Brown leading the Cubs rotation in 2027.
Javier Assad: B
Assad became the guy Cubs fans loved to clamor for every time he was sent down to Triple-A Iowa. (That was done five times this year, the maximum for any player in a season.)
Truth be told, the Cubs might have been better off just putting him in the rotation and not trading for Kevin Gausman. Assad made 11 starts and posted a 3.49 ERA and 1.200 WHIP in that role. He allowed too many home runs (10 in 56.2 innings as a starter), but so did the entire Cubs staff.
After April 25, when he got pounded by the Dodgers for six runs in 2.1 innings, Assad posted a 2.63 ERA and 1.062 WHIP in 75.1 innings. Yes, the FIP was a bit high in that span at 4.92, but you can’t argue with the results.
Assad is who he is — about a 2 WAR starter who will consistently post an ERA in the mid-3s and keep the Cubs in games. Just give the guy a rotation spot in 2027. He’s a perfectly cromulent No. 5 MLB starter.
Ryan Rolison: B-
The Cubs saw something in Rolison even after he posted a 7.00 ERA for the Rockies last year, so they claimed him off waivers in January — from the White Sox, who had claimed him from the Braves in December, who had acquired him from Colorado for cash considerations in November.
Rolison was really good until mid-August when he ran out of gas — over his last 17 appearances he posted a 5.87 ERA and 1.565 WHIP, with a high walk rate (11.7 percent).
Overall, though, this was a very good year and he’s still pre-arb for 2027, which this front office will like.
Aaron Civale: B
Civale was poor as a starter for the A’s, so the Cubs acquired him by trade in July for a guy who had a 32.7 percent walk rate at Myrtle Beach (Aiden Moffett, and no I am not kidding about that walk rate, look here).
Civale had been pretty good in five relief appearances for the Cubs last year and he was very good again in 18 relief outings this year — 1.73 ERA, 1.064 WHIP, and only two home runs in 36.2 innings. (Given the propensity of home runs allowed by this staff, that seems important to note.)
He turns 32 next June and won’t be expensive to bring back.
Trent Thornton: C+
Thornton’s season was pretty much comparable to what he had posted in Seattle in 2024. His 2025 season was ruined by an Achilles injury, but he recovered from that and was a useful spare part in the Cubs pen. His season ended with an injury that appeared mysterious, as he had just thrown a good scoreless inning against the Pirates.
Peterson’s overall numbers with the Cubs were pretty good: 3.70 ERA, 1.369 WHIP. That included a horrific outing against the Cardinals July 3 (10 runs in 3.2 innings). After that he was quite a bit better: 2.66 ERA, 1.310 WHIP, only seven home runs in 71 innings.
Maybe they should have started him against the Padres. He threw well enough in relief in the Wild Card Series. I would not be opposed to bringing him back.
Clay Holmes: D+
Holmes started off well enough as a Cub, with a 1.55 ERA and 1.000 WHIP in five starts in August, with only one home run allowed in 29 innings.
September was not as kind: four starts, 8.24 ERA, 1.729 WHIP, 15 walks in 19.2 innings. These numbers are likely why he wasn’t used in the Wild Card Series.
He’s a free agent and I doubt he’ll be back.
Jacob Webb: C-
This is a tale of three seasons.
13 appearances through the end of April: 5.06 ERA, 2.062 WHIP, three HR in 10.2 innings 44 appearances from May 1 to Aug. 21: 1.55 ERA, 0.971 WHIP, three HR in 46.1 innings, 52 strikeouts 11 appearances from Aug. 24 to the end of the season: 9.90 ERA, 1.700 WHIP, four HR in 10 innings, four blown saves
That’s one really good reliever for three-plus months and two outright release candidates.
I can’t explain that. Can you?
The Cubs have a $2.5 million team option on Webb, so they’ll probably keep him for another year. The year as a whole wasn’t awful, but those four blown saves…
Kevin Gausman: D
Gausman’s nine starts as a Cub weren’t any better than what he did in Toronto over 23 starts there. He had a couple of really good outings, notably seven shutout innings vs. the Diamondbacks Aug. 24, but the bad outweighed the good, and his postseason experience, one of the reasons for the deal, turned out not to mean much.
The Cubs had one of their season ticket holder Chalk Talk sessions with Gausman in early September that I attended, and he seems like a thoughtful, good dude. He’ll turn 36 in January and I wonder if his career is over.
Ryan Zeferjahn: C+
You can see the talent, the 98+ fastball, it’s just thisclose but not quite all the way there.
There was the blown save in Milwaukee, but then there was the easy save he posted in the final home game against the Marlins.
The Cubs might have something here, and he’s pre-arb for 2027 and under team control for three years after that. So they have time to figure things out with him. Hopefully it works.
Daniel Palencia: C-
Anointed the closer in Spring Training by Craig Counsell, Palencia threw well for five outings, then hit the IL with an oblique injury.
Returning on May 4, he pitched all right, but didn’t get many save opportunities because the Cubs were winning blowouts and walk-offs, then they went on that long losing streak. In mid-June he had some elbow flexor inflammation and missed another two months.
His first five outings after returning were just plain bad: 14.54 ERA, 1.846 WHIP, two home runs in 4.1 innings and his velocity topping out at 98-99 instead of the 100+ he had thrown previous to the injuries.
Then things seemed to fall into place. Over his last seven appearances of the regular season, Palencia threw 7.2 innings, allowed one hit, three walks and one unearned run, striking out six and regularly hitting 100 again. He threw one inning in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series in San Diego and got taken deep by Gavin Sheets on a 101 mile per hour fastball that, well, a hitter shouldn’t be able to hit:
That was a good pitch and well located and I don’t see how Sheets hit that thing 394 feet.
It was a lost season for Palencia, but if he and Zeferjahn are 100 percent next year and Zeferjahn can throw strikes, maybe the Cubs finally have that 100 mile per hour late relief tandem that they’ve needed all along.
Phil Maton: F
Maton had a very good year in 2025 split between the Cardinals and Rangers. The signing did not seem unreasonable, even with Maton being 32, though I wouldn’t have given him two years.
The knee injury that ruined his season was evident as early as April 8, the first time he went on the IL after posting a 13.50 ERA and 2.500 WHIP, with four walks and two HBP among 24 batters faced.
He returned April 27 and gave up a pair of runs to the Padres in his first outing back — a game the Cubs lost 9-7. Win that game and the Cubs would have hosted the Padres in the Wild Card Series.
He pitched okay for a time, then went back on the IL in late June after blowing a save opportunity against the Mets June 25 by serving up a home run to former Cub Jared Young, the first batter he faced. (The Cubs won that game 4-3 in 10 innings.)
Returning from that stint July 19, Maton was given about the lowest leverage situation you could ask for: Throwing the eighth inning at home with a 10-0 lead against the Twins. He allowed three singles, a walk and a run. That was it, he hit the IL for a third time and finally had knee surgery in early September.
One wonders if Maton had the procedure when this first cropped up in April, maybe he could have come back and been effective in the second half.
We’ll find out next year because Maton was signed to a two-year deal (with an option for 2028!). Hopefully, things will improve. They really couldn’t get worse.
Hunter Harvey: F
I could have given Harvey an “incomplete” because he pitched in only four games for the Cubs. The “F” grade is really for Hoyer here, because he spent $6 million for those four games, and he did that knowing that Harvey had a long injury history. That was money basically flushed down the drain. He has a mutual option for 2027 that will almost certainly be declined. There’s no reason to bring him back.
Riley Martin: Incomplete
Martin’s a great story, a sixth-round draft pick in 2021 from Quincy University who almost gave up baseball for pharmacy school.
He threw very well in eight games before missing the rest of the season with a flexor strain. He did make one rehab appearance for Triple-A Iowa in September and could be an important part of the 2027 bullpen.
Jordan Wicks: D-
The only reason he gets a “D-” instead of an “F” is the 10th-inning save he posted against the Brewers June 28.
Wicks is only 27 and was a first-round draft pick. He has talent. Maybe the Cubs can turn him into the next Drew Pomeranz or Caleb Thielbar (at least when those guys were good).
Caleb Thielbar: D-
Speaking of Thielbar… this was a “roll the dice” signing at age 39 after his good 2025 season. It could have been predicted to fail, and it did. This is a D- instead of an F because over his last 14 appearances, Thielbar posted a 2.84 ERA and 1.184 WHIP and allowed just one home run in 12.2 innings.
Thielbar turns 40 in January and is almost certainly done. He pitched 10 MLB seasons and had a total of 5.2 bWAR and made about $15 million, which is pretty good for an 18th-round draft pick from South Dakota State.
Roberts’ setback was a laceration on the middle finger of his pitching hand — the result of a metal vent coming loose.
Roberts said he was on his ninth rep in a 10-throw workout involving a medicine ball, which is part of his daily routine. Without space to do the drill in the weight room, he moved to a tunnel at Citizens Bank Park. On the ill-fated throw, the medicine ball rebounded off one wall and hit a vent cover on another, dislodging it.
The vent was about to strike Roberts’ leg, so the pitcher reached back out of pure reaction. The cut is on the underside of the pitcher’s fingertip, which impacts his ability to throw. He did not require stitches, but he needs to let the wound heal before he can ramp up his throwing intensity.
Then over his last seven outings he had a 13.50 ERA and 2.625 WHIP and went on the IL with forearm inflammation. He did not pitch in MLB the rest of the year, though he did make 17 appearances for Triple-A Iowa, some on a rehab assignment, others on option after that ended.
As with many others, Roberts has talent and if he can be made right, he could be an important part of next year’s bullpen.
Braxton Garrett: Incomplete
Garrett was acquired from the Marlins at the trade deadline for Jonathon Long and Jace Beck. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss almost two full seasons from mid-2024 to the middle of this year.
Garrett threw five innings for the Cubs against the Red Sox in the final game of the regular season, allowing one run. He’ll be in the mix for the rotation in 2027.
In alphabetical order: Charlie Barnes, Ty Blach, Tyler Ferguson, Gavin Hollowell, Cade Horton, Antoine Kelly, Luke Little, Corbin Martin, Hoby Milner, Jayden Murray, Drew Pomeranz, Yacksel Rios, Jameson Taillon, Vince Velasquez, Andrew Wantz, Bryse Wilson and Jake Woodford also pitched in at least one game for the Cubs in 2026.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 26: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets runs to third base during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 26, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Carson Benge made his case for why he feels he deserves to win NL Rookie of the Year.
WICHITA, KS - JULY 01: Christian Zazueta #26 of the Tulsa Drillers pitches during the game between the Tulsa Drillers and the Wichita Wind Surge at Equity Bank Park on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Lathe Cobb/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES — Josue De Paula will be on the field at Dodger Stadium on Sunday whether or not he plays in Game 2 of the National League Division Series. That’s because he and Christian Zazueta will be honored on the field as the Branch Rickey Award winners as the Dodgers 2026 minor league player and pitcher of the year.
De Paula is the Dodgers’ best prospect — in MLB Pipeline rankings updated just this week, De Paula is the fourth-best prospect in the sport, to name one outlet. He hit .303/.401/.547 with a 145 wRC+ 37 doubles, 27 home runs, 31 steals, 106 runs scored, 104 RBI, and nearly as many walks (81) as strikeouts (87) for Double-A Tulsa to win Texas League MVP, more than doubling his career highs in home runs and extra-base hits.
Then De Paula made his major league debut in September, hitting a robust .323/.500/.581 with three home runs, a triple, and a double in 11 games when Shohei Ohtani was on the injured list, with 11 walks against only five strikeouts. There’s an excellent chance the 21-year-old will be active on the Dodgers’ roster for the NLDS against the Braves, and in between he reached base five times in three postseason games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, helping the Comets win the Pacific Coast League title and the Triple-A national championship game.
Zazueta didn’t win any particular league awards, but only because he split his time nearly evenly between High-A Great Lakes and Double-A Tulsa, posting a 3.65 ERA in 23 games, including 22 starts, with 144 strikeouts against only 20 walks in 103 2/3 innings. Among the 264 pitchers with at least 100 minor league innings in 2026, Zazueta’s 30.4-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate was the best.
This is the second straight Branch Rickey Award for Zazueta, who was also the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year in 2025 as well. He’s the fourth Dodger to win multiple minor league pitcher of the year awards since the honor began in 1989, joining Chad Billingsley (2004-05), James McDonald (2007-08), and Zach Lee (2013, 2015).
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 2: Robbie Ray #38 of the San Diego Padres speaks to the media before the National League Division Series workouts at American Family Field on October 2, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Heading into the National League Wild Card Series against the Chicago Cubs the belief was that Michael King would start Game 1, Nick Pivetta would start Game 2 and Walker Buehler would start Game 3 if he was needed. The San Diego Padres ensured he would not be needed with a two-game sweep of the Cubs, which earned them the opportunity to face the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series.
As a result of San Diego’s quick work of Chicago, the Padres had two days off to rest and prepare for their NLDS matchup with the Brewers. That also allowed time for San Diego manager Craig Stammen and his staff to look at the rotation and the best way to get the most out of that group to give them a chance to win and advance to the National League Championship Series against the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.
The prevailing thought, at least among much of the Friar Faithful, was that Buehler would take the mound in Game 1 and depending on how the game went, Stammen and the Padres would lineup their starters for the remainder of the series accordingly. That thought was put to rest on Friday when it was announced that trade deadline acquisition Robbie Ray would get the ball in Game 1. The left-hander has had an up-and-down tenure in San Diego since being acquired from the San Francisco Giants, but he is an established veteran with many years of experience and an American League Cy Young Award (2021) on his resume.
Ray had a season record of 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA in 22 games with the Giants, making him one of the top trade candidates at the deadline this year. The addition of the left-hander and former Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize was considered one of Padres general manager A.J. Preller’s most successful deadlines in his tenure in San Diego. Since being acquired, Ray has a record of 3-2 with a 5.02 ERA in nine games. He also had 57 walks and 107 strikeouts with San Francisco and has 27 and 33 in the same categories with San Diego.
It is surprising to see Stammen going with Ray against Misiorowski who is the clear favorite to win the Nationals League Cy Young Award for the 2026 season, but it is understandable when you consider the Padres bullpen. All that Ray has to do is get through four innings, at worst three, and San Diego can lean on the bullpen to cover the rest of the game. The roster for the NLDS has not yet been announced but the names that will surely be there like David Morgan, Yuki Matsui, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller would be enough to cover five innings if Ray can get through four. Any additional arm like Wandy Peralta, Randy Vasquez, Kyle Hart or even Joe Musgrove would simply allow for matchup flexibility and would serve as “break glass in case of emergency” arms in the series opener.
The idea is for the Padres to split the two games in Milwaukee to give them a chance to clinch the NLDS and move onto the NLCS in front of the 47,000-plus fans who packed Petco Park in the Wild Card Series. San Diego has a clear home field advantage and the only drawback from the series against Chicago is that is no longer a secret. The Brewers know they HAVE to get two at home or they run the risk of their 103 win season coming to an abrupt end in America’s Finest City.
