Although it is nearly September, there are a good amount of players who are still unrestricted free agents. This includes former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Reilly.
Reilly still being a free agent comes after he won the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. The 33-year-old defenseman played in 42 games last season for Carolina, where he recorded one goal, nine points, and a plus-11 rating. He also posted two assists and a plus-2 rating in two playoff games for Carolina this past spring.
At this stage in his career, Reilly is more of a depth defenseman who can jump into the lineup when needed. When noting that the 33-year-old has 11 years of NHL experience and has had solid moments during his career, it would not be too surprising if he landed a PTO or a one-year deal from another NHL club with training camps starting soon.
Reilly spent three seasons with the Canadiens from 2017-18 to 2019-20, where he recorded three goals, 20 assists, 23 points, 85 blocks, and a plus-3 rating. His time with the Habs came to an end during the 2019-20 season when he was traded to the Ottawa Senators. Since his time with the Habs ended, he has had stints with the Senators, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, and Hurricanes.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Pitcher Jefry Yan #84 of the New York Mets and first baseman Christopher Morel #28 of the New York Mets celebrate winning in the bottom on the tenth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field on August 25, 2026 in New York City. The New York Mets won 3-2. (Photo by Benjamin B. Braun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets triumphed over the Brewers 4-3 in the tenth inning. The winning run scored when a throwing error by Brewers third baseman David Hamilton allowed Francisco Lindor to reach home safely.
There’s been a lot of discussion around Carson Benge as a serious Rookie of the Year contender, but it’d be unwise to sleep on Nolan McLean’s candidacy.
Laura Albanese examined the state of the Mets farm system after the roller coaster of a year it’s had.
Kodai Senga just might have what it takes to succeed as the new Mets closer.
Juan Soto remains on a deliberate running program but he’s still expecting to return next month.
Around the National League East
The Marlins were beaten by the Red Sox 7-3 after 11 innings. Cade Gibson gave up the go-ahead runs on a Jarren Duran grand slam.
The Nationals lost to the Rockies 3-1. Starting pitcher Andrew Alvarez gave up all three runs in his 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and issuing two walks while striking out six.
The Braves claimed a major victory over the Dodgers, winning 4-3. Ozzie Albies drove in the game winning run on an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Phillies were bested by the Mariners 4-1. Aaron Nola got the loss, allowing two runs six innings on three hits and three walks while striking out seven.
Around Major League Baseball
The Dodgers TV deal is an incredible competitive advantage that they further monetized with Mark Walter-owned insurers.
The late Dolly Parton visited Yankee Stadium nearly forty years ago as part of “Dolly”, her television series.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo apologized to Craig Counsell for the shouting match between the two teams during Monday night’s game.
Taj Bradley became a part of Minnesota Twins history Tuesday night, throwing what is believed to be the first immaculate inning in Twins history.
Despite parting ways with general manager Dana Brown, Jim Crane said Joe Espada will remain the manager of the Astros through the end of the season.
US President Donald Trump displays a ring presented to him by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter (L) during a ceremony to honor the 2025 World Series champions in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 23, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
It’s taken me a couple days to figure out what I want to say about Mark Walter, Guggenheim Baseball Management, and the ownership of the LA Dodgers. There’s plenty of people, including Jeff Passan, who have breakdowns of the facts and the allegations of the case. What we think we know is that Walter and Co., already enjoying an exemption in their TV deal following a bankruptcy judgement under previous ownership, further financialized themselves by taking loans from insurance companies also owned by W&C, then used the interest on repaying those loans to write off even more of their revenue sharing obligations, which are based around local TV revenue minus certain expenses.
In short, it seems the Dodgers borrowed money from themselves to lower the amount of money they owed the subsidized teams around the sport. They are under federal investigation but not really for anything baseball related, rather more inquiries into specific classifications of the various businesses Guggenheim controls. There isn’t even anything the Dodgers did that specifically goes against the Collective Bargaining Agreement — they seemed to have hired an army of accountants to find every gap in the rulebook and slip another $20 bill through it. It’s the same playbook that’s led the Ford Motor Company to be a lending service more than a car manufacturer.
At best it seems Bob Nutting might have been shorted a couple million dollars a year, but the object lesson you should be taking out of this is one of solidarity. Bob Nutting doesn’t care if Mark Walter cost him a couple million a year, if it means that together they can lower all MLB payrolls by a couple hundred million dollars.
I actually don’t think this is something that George Steinbrenner would have done. Capitalism has changed — you always bought an MLB team to make money off it, of course. But it used to be that you had to put a good product on the field to sell tickets and in-stadium ad dollars, or be the St. Louis Cardinals and take advantage of the country’s most powerful radio transmitter to reach farmers in 1960s Nebraska, or take on all the foreign currency risk of the Blue Jays and weigh it against the payoff of being the only game in the entire country.
Now, you inherit a court-ordered exemption from paying your fair share, and further financialize every element of the off-field operations to continually lower every possible obligation you have to the rest of baseball, and because those efforts will help champion the case for a salary cap, the 29 other men in your cohort will go along with it. Maybe, in March or May or August 2027, the knives will come out for Walter, but until the billionaire class has exacted every ounce of control they can over a new CBA, they’ll stand beside each other. What’s a few million when there’s a billion on the line?
This needs to be an object lesson for the union. Already, ownership has tried to drive a wedge between the young players who haven’t yet received their big multi-year deals and the veterans who have. The exact definition of labor in a baseball context is kind of tricky — once you sign for seven or eight hundred million dollars, the increasingly financialized world people who earn that much live in can’t really be classified as purely labor. Still, we pay for tickets and MLB.tv subscriptions and Substacks because of the players. I’m one of the few weirdos that cares about what the owners do. The value we seek in baseball comes from what the players provide.
It’s always easiest for the wealthiest cohort to stick together. There are fewer of them, and their interests are reasonably closely aligned already. If we think of who’s the least wealthy of the least wealthy baseball player cohort, we’d probably look at Latin players who grew up without the supports of Nice White Families and well-staffed prep schools. The backgrounds are not aligned, and the short-term interests aren’t either. But here we have the union’s equivalent of a couple million when a billion’s on the line.
The long term interests of the players, ones with nine-figure contracts and ones riding a shuttle between MLB and Triple-A, are the same, and that is preventing an artificial cap on the players’ share of baseball revenue. Yes, it’s easier for 30 men to stick together than 1200, but if Bob Nutting can forgive a few million dollars, the players need to learn from that example.
Seattle Mariners starter Bryan Woo brings one of baseball’s best home splits into the series finale as the Philadelphia Phillies visit the Seattle Mariners this afternoon. Philadelphia is a -126 favorite behind Jesús Luzardo, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. ET at T-Mobile Park.
Woo’s dominance at home shapes my Phillies vs. Mariners predictions, which back Seattle as a home underdog, lean Under a low total, and target the hottest bat in the series to go deep.
Who will win Phillies vs Mariners today: Mariners moneyline (+114)
Jesús Luzardo gives the Philadelphia Phillies a strong starter, but Bryan Woo’s dominance at T-Mobile Park and Seattle’s recent form make the Mariners worth backing as a home underdog. Woo has been a different pitcher in Seattle, striking out 69 batters against just 11 walks and allowing only four home runs across 64 1/3 home innings.
Philadelphia hasn’t solved Seattle’s pitching in this series, scoring only three runs through the first two games in losses of 9-2 and 4-1. Cal Raleigh is also scorching, with four homers over the first two games, giving the Seattle Mariners the hotter lineup.
Luzardo has been excellent, but at +114, I don’t need Seattle to hold the clear pitching edge. Woo’s home dominance and a struggling Phillies offense are enough to take the plus money. I’d play Seattle down to +105.
Phillies vs Mariners Over/Under pick: Under 6.5 (+109)
Woo and Luzardo both have real paths to controlling this game, and the plus-money price makes the Under at 6.5 worth backing. Woo’s home numbers are the foundation, with a 0.56 HR/9 at T-Mobile Park, and Philadelphia has been held down all series.
Luzardo gives us reason to expect Seattle’s scoring to cool as well. The Phillies left-hander owns a 3.35 ERA with 194 strikeouts and has gone 7-1 with a 2.06 ERA over his last 13 starts, and Seattle has scuffled against left-handers lately.
T-Mobile Park is one of baseball’s more run-suppressing environments, adding another layer to the pitching edge. I’d play the Under down to even money.
Phillies vs Mariners home run prediction: Cal Raleigh (+350)
Cal Raleigh has rediscovered his power stroke in a big way, and I’ll back the hottest bat in this series to keep it going. Raleigh homered four times through the first two games against Philadelphia, including a three-homer game on Monday, and his fourth blast gave him home runs in four consecutive official at-bats on his way to 18 for the season.
The left-on-left label is misleading, too, because Raleigh is a switch hitter and will bat right-handed against Luzardo. He has six homers in 143 plate appearances against lefties, and 13 of Luzardo’s home runs allowed this season have come from right-handed hitters.
Raleigh’s path is Luzardo’s four-seam fastball and changeup, more hittable offerings than his tough sweeper, with opponents slugging .473 against the four-seamer. With Raleigh seeing the ball as well as anyone in baseball, I’ll take his surge continuing at +350 or better for a quarter unit.
Ethan Diamandas' 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 3-5, -2.07 units
Over/Under bets: 5-3, +1.87 units
Phillies vs Mariners weather
T-Mobile Park is one of the most run-suppressing environments in baseball (92 Park Factor since 2024), which supports the Under pick. The retractable roof also keeps conditions steady for the 4:10 p.m. start.
Phillies vs Mariners odds
Moneyline: Phillies -126 | Mariners +114
Run line: Phillies -1.5 (+140) | Mariners +1.5 (-161)
Over/Under: Over 6.5 (-126) | Under 6.5 (+109)
Phillies vs Mariners trend
Seattle has produced just a .644 OPS against left-handed pitching over the last 30 days, a cold stretch against southpaws that backs the Under with Jesús Luzardo on the mound. Find more MLB betting trends for Phillies vs. Mariners.
How to watch Phillies vs Mariners and game info
Location
T-Mobile Park, Seattle, Wash.
Date
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026
First pitch
4:10 p.m. ET
TV
NBCS-Philadelphia, Mariners.TV
Phillies starting pitcher
Jesus Luzardo (11-5, 3.35 ERA)
Mariners starting pitcher
Bryan Woo (9-8, 4.10 ERA)
Phillies vs Mariners latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
A former Pittsburgh Penguins is reportedly getting a shot from the Calgary Flames.
According to PuckPedia, the Flames are expected to sign forward Alex Nylander to a professional tryout (PTO) agreement.
Nylander spent this past season with the Toronto Marlies. In 65 games with the AHL club, the former Penguins forward posted 24 goals, 29 assists, and 53 points. He also appeared in 24 playoff games for the Marlies during their Calder Cup championship run, recording six goals and seven points.
Nylander last played at the NHL level during the 2024-25 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he recorded zero points and four penalty minutes.
The Penguins acquired Nylander from the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2021-22 season in exchange for forward Sam Lafferty. From there, Nylander appeared in 14 games over two seasons with Pittsburgh, where he posted one goal and one assist.
Nylander spent the bulk of his time with the Penguins organization down in the AHL. In 142 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins over three seasons, he recorded 56 goals and 112 points.
Nylander's time with the Penguins ended during the 2023-24 season when he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sounds like Alex Nylander will be coming to camp with the #Flames, likely on a PTO.
After the Senators made the 2017 Eastern Conference Final, it wasn't long before they began a major rebuild that seemed to take forever. As everyone knows, they missed the playoffs for the next seven seasons.
But six years earlier, also under Eugene Melnyk, the club attempted a smaller rebuild.
The Sens were well clear of their 11-year streak of making the playoffs and were about to miss for the second time in three seasons. So, at the 2011 deadline, GM Bryan Murray dealt away Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly, Jarkko Ruutu, and Alexei Kovalev for draft picks.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss whether there's now more pressure on Travis Green in his third year.
As we strolled through The Hockey News Archive this week, we found this season preview from our Yearbook issue 15 years ago as the Senators prepared for the 2011-12 season.
As Bruce Garrioch checked in on the state of the Sens in that issue, it sure looked like the club was in for some dark days. A quick glance at the Senators' depth chart, combined with their attempts at reinforcements (in red), fully supported the notion that they'd begun a rebuild.
But shockingly, the team that everyone thought had begun a rebuild actually made the playoffs that season with just 92 points, and almost upset the New York Rangers in round one.
Oh, those pesky Sens.
The Hockey News Yearbook 2011-12 August 2011
Sensing Danger: New Coach Needs to Focus on Baby Steps
By Bruce Garrioch
THE OTTAWA SENATORS started their rebuild in February with their season going nowhere and the team falling fast.
Acting on the advice of GM Bryan Murray and his staff, owner Eugene Melnyk made the choice to unload veteran players in the hopes of landing prospects who can build a bright future.
One-by-one, players – mostly with expiring contracts – were waltzed out of the dressing room. They were tough decisions, but the Senators hope it will pay dividends in the end. The road back to respectability is going to take patience and will include some long nights, but this is the route they’ve decided on and the fans have accepted it.
This season will be a huge challenge for new bench boss Paul MacLean and goalie Craig Anderson.
OFFENSE The Senators were the NHL’s second-lowest scoring team last season. Nobody is sure that’s going to change.
While Jason Spezza was one of the club’s most productive players at both ends of the ice, they’re going to need more out of him. He’s not alone.
Milan Michalek has to stay healthy to contribute and so does captain Daniel Alfredsson. Returning from off-season back surgery, Alfredsson, 38, is in the twilight of his career, but can still be the club’s best player. He is going to have to lead the charge with what is going to be a very young group.
Nikita Filatov, acquired from Columbus for a third round pick in the 2011 draft, is going to get a top-six shot. If he can do it, the club needs him to fill the net along with Bobby Butler.
DEFENSE This is an area of intrigue. Acquired from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for the club’s No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, defenseman David Rundblad is expected to provide sizable offense from the back end, as fellow Swede Erik Karlsson already does. The Sens need more out of veteran Sergei Gonchar, who is back to fulfill the second year of his three-year, $16.5 million deal. His 2010-11 season was a disaster and ended when he sustained a concussion.
Ottawa also hopes to find a spot for highly regarded prospect Jared Cowen. He finished the year with the club’s American League affiliate in Binghamton and his 6-foot-5 frame would look good on the blueline, but he might get caught in the numbers game. Don’t be surprised if the Senators try to move Filip Kuba and Brian Lee at the end of camp.
GOALTENDING This is Anderson’s job. Signed to a four-year extension after being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Brian Elliott, Anderson is going to get a bulk of the playing time. The club signed Alex Auld to be a backup in every sense of the word.
Anderson was outstanding last year during his short stint with the Senators. He finished with an 11-5-1 record in 18 games with Ottawa playing mostly behind call-ups from Binghamton. But he is about to find out what pressure is really like playing in a Canadian market. The Senators aren’t expected to win, but the nation’s capital has been hard on goalies in the past.
If Anderson gets hurt, Robin Lehner will be called up from Binghamton to start. He won a Calder Cup as a 19-year-old last spring and the Senators plan to keep him in the minors to give him the chance to play.
All-time record: 638–620–188
SPECIAL TEAMS This is where Gonchar is going to have to make a difference. He was supposed to do that last year with Alex Kovalev, but it never happened and, as a result, Ottawa was one of the NHL’s worst teams. But their penalty killing has been surprisingly strong. Spezza has taken on more of a role in this area. Having a goalie who can stop the puck in Anderson will help, big time.
INTANGIBLES The decision to fire coach Cory Clouston was just part of the rebuilding program. His inability to communicate was considered a major issue and that’s why the change was made.
McLean has a good sense of humor and the players will like what he brings to the table. The big job is making sure they all buy into the program. He wants the team to have speed and toughness.
ROOKIES The Senators are going to be young. Butler, Colin Greening and Erik Condra got plenty of experience during the club’s late-season shift to youth and then they went down to the minors and won an AHL Calder Cup championship with Binghamton. Can they learn from that experience?
If Ottawa is going to have any rookie-of-the-year candidates it’s going to be either Rundblad or Cowen. Blueliner Patrick Wiercioch will also make a valiant push in camp for a permanent spot.
There is an opening on the second line and 2011 sixth-overall pick Mika Zibanejad from Sweden has a chance. If he impresses at camp, he will earn a spot on the roster.
CAP CRUNCH With so many kids, the Sens are a million miles from the cap. If they’re going to use some of that space, it would be best spent on scoring.
THE BRASS Melnyk hates to lose. He’d like this turnaround to come quickly. The Senators want to see where they stand after the next CBA negotiation. Murray is armed with a three-year contract and MacLean is on solid ground. All should make for an interesting year in Ottawa.
X-FACTOR It would take a Herculean effort from Anderson for this team to sniff a post-season berth. They aren’t going to fall short of any expectations because there aren’t any. Fans are being sold on a rebuilding process and it will be interesting to see if they buy tickets.
Where They’ll Finish
15th
The Senators have stars in Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, but beyond them is a team at the start of a slow, painful rebuild.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 25: Tyler Glasnow #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on August 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tuesday’s contest against the Atlanta Braves featured a disappointing ending where the Dodgers left the tying runner on third base in a 4-3 defeat, snapping their six-game winning streak.
Before the uneventful finish, Tyler Glasnow made his return to the mound, making his first start since May 6 against the Houston Astros. Although he allowed three earned runs in the first inning, Glasnow, like Tarik Skubal on Saturday, managed to settle in and didn’t allow another run the rest of the way. Glasnow ended his night tossing five innings against Altanta, allowing six hits and those three runs while striking out seven and not allowing a walk.
Glasnow discussed his change in sequencing after a laborious first inning, helping him settle into a groove where he struck out six over four shutout innings onward, per Courtney Hollmon of MLB.com.
“I think just switching up a little bit,” Glasnow said. “I think it was pretty fastball-heavy the first inning. A little bit predictable. Not a ton of hard-hit balls, but it’s just how it goes sometimes. But I think coming out in the second, I just felt more in rhythm and my slider was working a lot better. … The slider felt good today, too. So I just tried to start some guys off with it and throw it in middle counts and just not be so predictable.”
After spending parts of five seasons with the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks, Alek Thomas has had a nice start to his time as a Dodger. Thomas put the Dodgers on the board in the second inning of Tuesday’s matchup with an RBI single, and the outfielder has a .300 average with three RBI and a walk over his first three games with his new team.
Prior to the start of Tuesday’s game, Thomas spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA about getting acclimated with his new team and getting a first-hand understanding of how “next-level” the Dodgers really are.
“I’ve heard that everything is next-level, and it was very eyeopening to see that firsthand, even in the minor leagues. Everything has been just on another level to what I’ve been used to in the past. They’re in the future, it seems like. It’s been really great.”
Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times notes that Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to throw another bullpen either Thursday or Friday before he makes his return to the mound, which could be in a short start over the weekend in Detroit.
Ohtani is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Thursday or Friday, pitching coach Mark Prior said. Then Ohtani and the Dodgers will finalize next steps. But Roberts didn’t rule out the possibility of Ohtani making a short start Sunday in Detroit.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 25: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves singles in the eighth inning during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Tuesday, August 25, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cole Carter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves won their second straight after Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Atlanta jumped out front early, plating three runs in the first inning and later scoring the game-winning run in the eighth. Ozzie Albies came up big, knocking in Matt Olson to give the Braves the edge.
On the other side of the ball, Bryce Elder turned in a start that began shakily, but he ultimately settled in. Over six innings, he allowed three runs on eight hits. He recorded five strikeouts.
Tuesday’s win made for Atlanta’s 77th win of the year. They go for the series win tonight at 7:15 ET.
More Braves News:
The Braves currently have a 4.5 game lead over the division, but the NL East has taken some unexpected turns.
MLB News:
The Miami Marlins placed right-hander Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day injured list with right median nerve irritation. Lefty Dax Fulton was recalled in a corresponding move.
The Toronto Blue Jays placed right-hander Shane Bieber on the 15-day injured list with right teres major inflammation. The move is retroactive to August 21.
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Cast your vote here for Braves Player of the Game.
Welcome to The Hockey News Vancouver Canucks site's 2026–27 player preview article series. This series will outline the expectations for every player projected to play for Vancouver during the 2026–27 season. Today's player is Canucks defenceman Kirill Kudryavtsev.
Kudryavtsev's 2025-26 Season
Kudryavtsev ran into some difficulties during the 2025-26 campaign. The 22-year-old suffered an injury which kept him out of the lineup for two months. Unfortunately, this also forced Kudryavtsev to miss the 2026 All-Star Classic, which he was scheduled to attend as the Abbotsford Canucks' representative.
As for when he was in the lineup, Kudryavtsev played a significant role for Abbotsford. He recorded 20 points in 44 games and, at the end of the year, earned a call-up to the NHL. Kudryavtsev played three games for Vancouver, where he recorded his first two NHL assists.
Kudryavtsev's 2026-27 Letter Grade
The Hockey News' Canucks site gave Kudryavtsev a B- grade for his 2025–26 season. He took a step in his development and proved that he can be leaned on at the AHL level. Kudryavtsev has become a fan favourite within the organization and has become a draft-day steal.
Kudryavtsev's 2026-27 Predictions
Kudryavtsev is going to be given every opportunity to make the NHL team this year. He has a strong relationship with Manny Malhotra, as the two have worked together in the AHL. Ultimately, Kudryavtsev could be one of the final cuts in the pre-season, as the organization clearly believes he is ready for a bigger role.
As for the most likely option, Kudryavtsev will probably find himself back in Abbotsford this year. He will most likely be on the first pairing, which also comes with plenty of special teams work. If he does head to the AHL, Kudryavtsev will be a candidate to be called up if injuries occur.
Bold Prediction: Kudryavtsev plays at least 15 games in the NHL this season.
Apr 14, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kirill Kudryavtsev (59) handles the puck against the Los Angeles Kings in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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DENVER, CO - AUGUST 22: Colorado Rockies second baseman Willi Castro (3) prepares to bat in the first inning during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There has been talk in the Purple Row comments of late about platoons. The 2026 Colorado Rockies have used the platoon system for a while, or at least it has been more apparent this season. Looking for every measure to gain an edge and win ballgames, the Rockies are using platoons as much as they can in the lineup, hoping to put forth the best matchups night after night.
Back in May, I asked: Is the platoon system working for the Rockies? For the most part, I concluded that it was working in theory, as the Rockies were getting the necessary production from players facing opposite-handed pitchers.
However, because the Rockies’ offense has struggled recently, it seemed worth asking a follow-up question: Is the platoon system still working for the Rockies?
For this article, we’ll be looking at the platoon splits since the start of June.
Team splits
Since June, the Rockies offense as a whole ranks
fifth in batting average (.258),
sixth in on-base percentage (.329), and
second in slugging percentage (.443).
In addition, the Rockies have the
ninth-most hits (623), and
fifth-most runs scored (369).
In most positive cases, the Rockies are a top-10 team offensively across the board in baseball.
Facing right-handed pitching
As for facing right-handed pitching, Colorado is batting .261/.334/.467 with a league-leading .801 OPS since June 1. They also rank seventh in home runs (71) while being 13th in runs scored (245). Meanwhile, the strikeout rate is at a reasonable 21.1%, and the walk rate comes in at 8.9%, which is 10th-highest.
Those numbers have been fairly consistent over the summer months. The Rockies had a .268 AVG in June and are currently sitting at that mark in August. As for July, the average dropped down to .248 while the .298 OBP was noticeably lower than the other two months, which makes sense because that was a tough month for the Rockies. Still, the team has continued finding overall success against right-handed pitching.
Facing left-handed pitching
There have also been some positive developments since the start of June concerning production against left-handed pitching. Over the summer, the Rockies are slashing .251/.320/.399, which places them in the top 15 in all three categories. They have the fourth-most hits (213) and the second-most runs scored against lefties (124) while leading the league with 120 RBI. The strikeout total is sixth-highest in the league (218), but they have the fifth-most walks (79), and the actual strikeout rates (22.9%) and walk rates (8.3%) are roughly league average.
Now, the heavy lifting in that production came in June when the Rockies hit .286/.338/.435 against southpaws. In July, they hit .244/.333/.369 and are hitting .215/.280/.388 in August, while strikeout and walk rates have dropped to league average after being 25.5% and 6.1% respectively in June.
As we know, however, these stats tell only part of the story. While they look good on paper, do the individual players reflect the success?
The lefty hitters
The left-handed hitters have found plenty of success for the Rockies this season. On a given night, the Rockies typically have three regular left-handed hitters and the addition of two switch-hitters (more on them later). The current roster also has three additional lefties coming off the bench.
Across the board, the lefties are successful against right-handed pitching. Since the start of June, there have been nine players hitting .250 or better against righties, seven of whom are currently on the big league roster. Jake McCarthy (.301) and TJ Rumfield (.300) lead the qualified lefties in batting average and are regular contributors in most categories.
Since returning from injury that cost him a month of games, Mickey Moniak has settled in with a .492 slugging against right-handed pitching with eight home runs. One of the bigger surprises has been Brett Sullivan, who has just 76 plate appearances against right-handed pitching since June, but is slashing .289/.337/.605 with six home runs.
The same success can’t be said of the players when facing left-handed pitchers. McCarthy has continued to be phenomenal, batting .298/.359/.548 with four home runs. Rumfield has also continued to be steady, particularly in his ability to draw walks against left-handed pitching. However, the other regulars on the current roster are not doing much against same-sided pitching.
Moniak has a whopping 31.7% strikeout rate while hitting .216/.244/.351 with just one home run. He has been kept in the lineup out of necessity when facing lefties, but the production has still not come for him as it has against righties.
The lack of success for most of the lefties against same-sided pitching makes it understandable as to why the Rockies deploy platoons more often.
However, the plan is only as successful as the players doing the platooning.
The righty hitters
As expected, Hunter Goodman has been the Rockies’ best weapon against left-handed pitching. Among the right-handed options since June 1, he is slashing .309/.415/.529 with four home runs and 16 RBI. Losing him to injury has left a hole in the lineup that the other right-handed options haven’t been able to fill.Braxton Fulford has gotten opportunities but is still slashing just .190/.261/.286 against lefties since June, including .167/.167/.167 in August.
The other bright spot — who is also injured — is Kyle Karros. Coinciding with his breakout summer, Karros has batted .296/.405/.437 against southpaws with 10 walks against 12 strikeouts. Jordan Beck also tends to find his success against lefties, slashing .278/.381/.333, and has continued that role since being recalled. Newcomer Connor Norby has been a welcome surprise in his brief sample of playing time, batting .333/.429/.417 in just 16 at-bats against lefties.
However, Tyler Freeman and Ezequiel Tovar have mostly been empty at-bats against lefties and righties, making it hard to fill out and balance the lineup, a fact that extends to most of the right-handed hitters when facing the same side.
Outside of Karros’ excellent .313/.395/.554 slash and Norby’s .261/.346/.522 slash, the right-handers are struggling against righties. Goodman has an excellent .645 SLG, but that has correlated with a 33.1% strikeout rate. Strikeouts as a whole are rampant among the right-handed hitters not named Karros and Freeman.
With Goodman and Karros on the Injured List, Freeman in Triple-A, and the other options not exactly thriving on either side of the platoon, it’s showing cracks in the offense. More than ever, the Rockies need better right-handed hitters.
The switch-hitters
It’s worth pointing out how impactful it’s been having two switch-hitters in the lineup who are regularly consistent on both sides of the plate.
Willi Castro is having a career year, particularly in the power department, but his ability to contribute on both sides of the plate is especially useful. Castro is batting .240/.291/.417 as a right-handed hitter this season. It is the weaker side of his splits, but it’s passable enough to utilize him in the lineup. As a left-handed hitter against righties, Castro is slashing .281/.373/.525 and has nine home runs, which leads the lefties on the team. He tends to walk much more as a lefty, while the strikeouts are fairly similar on either side of the plate, albeit still a little higher than league average.
Since arriving in June, Cole Carrigg has played with his hair on fire since arriving in June, and his splits as a switch-hitter have been promising as well. When facing left-handed pitching, Carrigg — a natural righty — is batting .296/.324/.480 with two home runs and 17 RBI. When he flips to the more prevalent left side of the plate, Carrigg is still batting .252/.387/.432 with a 15.3% walk rate against a 17.5% walk rate.
The fact that both switch hitters are consistent and productive on both sides of the plate is a significant asset for the club. Castro and Carrigg have been a driving force for the offense all summer, and their ability to post up every night and compete regardless of the handedness of the pitcher is the type of switch-hitting production the Rockies haven’t had in a long time.
Is it working?
In general, there is still a viable reason for the Rockies’ utilization of the platoon system. The opposite-handed batters are finding success against their counterpart on the mound. However, the issue stems less from the actual act of match-up hunting through platoons but more from the platoon players not being effective hitters, especially against left-handers.
The Rockies offense is much better this year, but it has a lot of work to do that doesn’t necessarily involve the act of platoons.
So yes, the idea of platooning is still working for the team, especially when fully healthy. It’s the players themselves that have to start pulling their weight even more.
It was a heartbreaker for the Albuquerque Isotopes as they surrendered two runs in the bottom of the ninth to give Round Rock a 5-4 walk-off victory. Parker Mushinski started the game as the opener, tossing two scoreless innings; Jarrod Cande was responsible for the first two runs given up out of the bullpen, followed by Blas Castaño’s one run in two innings of relief. The pen held firm with two scoreless innings from Evan Shawver, but TJ Shook ended up with the loss after giving up a two-run double to end the game. Bryant Betancourt had another good night, going 2-for-4, while Sterlin Thompson also went 2-for-4 with two walks.
The Hartford Yard Goats had a quality offensive night, scoring eight runs on 12 hits en route to victory. Andy Perez and Jacob Humphrey each had three hits at the top of the order. Dyan Jorge had two hits and drove in three runs while the newly promoted Roynier Hernandez had two RBI as part of a 0-for-4 night. On the mound, Stu Flesland III made the start and allowed two runs through four innings before giving way to a bullpen that allowed just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts over five innings.
The Spokane Indians struggled to come through offensively all night but avoided the shutout by scoring a run in the ninth inning as they fell 6-1. Lorenzo Carrier had an excellent night, going 3-for-4 on the night. Not much else happened for the Indians as Blake Penso’s single in the ninth drove in the only run. On the mound, Everett Catlett kept things close after going five innings and allowing just one run. However, Justin Loer gave up three runs in the sixth inning, recording just two outs. Luke Hansel then took over and allowed two unearned runs in his 1.1 innings of work, giving up just one hit and allowing two walks.
The Fresno Grizzlies had a tough night on offense, mustering just five hits as they struck out 12 times and were shut out. Cort MacDonald led the offense with two singles, but the team went 0-for-8 with RISP. The pitching didn’t fare much better as Sandy Ozuna started the game and went just 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, followed by Manuel Olivares, who took the brunt of the damage. He worked 4.1 innings, but gave up five runs on seven hits.
This week, Evan Lang and I talk about the roster shuffling and promotions due to injuries as well as the removals of Michael Lorenzen and Edouard Julien.
The bad news for the Royals: They have just 30 games to play and are 8 back in the wild-card standings. That’s a tough mountain to climb. The other daunting factor … seven teams are ahead of KC in the standings: the Guardians, Astros, Twins, Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners and Tigers.
The good news: the middle of the American League playoff race is gooey and soft. There are just four teams with a winning record in the AL, and six make the postseason field. It’s quite possible the third and final wild-card team will have a losing record.
The hard truth: Baseball Prospectus has the Royals, who have a 58-74 record, with playoff chances equal with Bluto’s midterm grade-point average in “Animal House:” 0.0. It’s hard not to say that without the same contempt as Dean Wormer.
There was praise for Bridget Howard, who is in her first season as a sideline reporter for the Royals. But the story circled back to Hudler, who had been doing most of the games with Lefebvre for the past decade-plus. Viewers don’t know who will be the Royals’ game analyst until they tune to that day’s game. “Some viewers feel there are ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ due to a large, rotating cast of secondary analysts,” Keely wrote. “Sideline reporter Howard is noted as a ‘promising’ addition who is still finding her own voice. Overall, one’s tolerance for Hudler appears to be the deciding factor in how one appreciates these broadcasts.”
The first step comes Wednesday. A proposal about funding for the downtown stadium is listed on the agenda with Kansas City’s Tax Increment Financing commission. The meeting is expected to provide more details about how the city will pay for its portion of the stadium.
Sonya Brown, a casual Royals fan, said she is watching the financial details closely.
“I’m getting ready to retire soon, and I don’t want to end up paying a lot of taxes on stuff,” Brown said.
The going interest rate for K.C.’s special obligation bonds, reports the Beacon, is 5.725%, compared to 4.25% for general obligation bonds. Applied to a $600 million loan, this means that Kansas City is going to be spending about $7 million a year extra on stadium bond payments in order to avoid a public vote. That’s money that, if it were used to finance other city spending, could cover about $117 million in different public needs, if the city had gone the voter-approval route for the Royals project. But you can’t put a price on not letting the people vote, or rather you can, and that price is $117 million.
This stretch has also included Kimbrel notching save number 441 in Saturday’s 3-1 victory over the Tigers, which narrowed the gap between him at fifth and Lee Smith at fourth to 37. Whether or not he moves up in the ranks remains to be seen, but the fact he’s even performing to the rate of being worthy of save opportunities should exceed many expectations for him in Kansas City – and that’s saying a lot considering the Royals have been putrid in closing out games in the ninth in 2026.
And amid the Royals’ current eight-game winning streak, it’s worth noting the impact he’s made to help improve this bullpen to a state where a stretch like this is even achievable.
The case centers on a lawsuit from Sen. Mike Moon, an Ash Grove Republican, Rep. Bryant Wolfin, a Ste. Genevieve Republican and conservative activist Ron Calzone, who argue that the law is unconstitutional and should be struck down.
Missouri lawmakers passed the law during a chaotic special session last year designed to keep both the Royals and the Kansas City Chiefs inside state lines. The funding package, called the Show-Me Sports Investment Act, allows the state to pay for up to 50% of new sports stadiums, but the state’s exact financial role in the Royals stadium remains unclear.
Tuesday’s arguments are poised to be largely procedural. Calzone and the two lawmakers will try to convince the state’s highest court that they have legal standing to bring the case after a Cole County judge dismissed the lawsuit earlier this year.
Australia bans AI-generated music from official charts. “The crackdown comes as a variation of Madonna’s pop hit “Like a Prayer” created by an Australian producer using AI-generated vocals and drums has spent 16 weeks in the Australian top 20, stoking debate about generative AI’s place in music.“
Happy Wednesday, everyone! As we barrel headlong towards the last month of the regular season, some teams are starting to take a look at their results and decide it’s time to make sweeping changes. We certainly haven’t seen the last big changes we’re likely to see over the coming weeks, but just in recent days, the Astros have parted ways with their GM Dana Brown, and the Marlins have parted ways with, well, their entire scouting department. As other teams (the Padres) are ready to tighten the purse strings for next season, the Dodgers might be doing shady things with their broadcast funds. Isn’t baseball fun?
Let’s just get right into today’s links, because there’s a lot to unpack.
I’m no financial expert, but this doesn’t seem great.
The Dodgers' local-TV deal is a profound competitive advantage. Because of a bankruptcy-court ruling, the team will shield more than $1.3 billion from rev sharing over 25 years. What you might not know: They further monetized it through debt deals with Mark Walter-owned insurers. pic.twitter.com/HhwHf09Uc9
Anyone else remember when betting on baseball was a bad thing?
Today, we’re partnering with five of the most iconic teams in baseball: Dodgers, Braves, Giants, Red Sox, and Padres.
Baseball fans have made Kalshi part of how they engage with the game. We’re excited to keep investing in them and in the sport. pic.twitter.com/xsvpCSaYIH
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JUNE 12: A general view of Oracle Park prior to the game between the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants on Friday, June 12, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
At least, I hope it’s a good morning. The best mornings start with a great night’s sleep. So today, I thought we’d watch a video that the San Francisco Giants’ social media team put out recently where Dave Groeschner (vice-president of medical and performance) sits down to discuss how the Giants’ medical staff helps ensure the team gets the best sleep possible.
It is, essentially, an ad for Macini’s Sleepworld, the sponsor of the video. But it’s pretty interesting to see how the medical team prioritizes sleep as an important aspect of player health and performance. Most interesting to me, personally, is the sleep room that Mancini’s put together for the players inside of the ballpark. My co-workers and I have often said we wish our office had a rest room. Because sometimes when you’re not feeling well at work all you really need is just to be horizontal for a little while.
The sleep room that the Giants have features a couple of bunk beds and a gosh darn floating bed. The bed doesn’t float, but apparently it feels like you are when you are using it, which removes gravity as a factor and allows your body to release stress on your joints.
Gonna need every employer to catch up to the Giants on this front and institute a sleep room with a float bed as an employee perk.
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants conclude this three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds this afternoon at 12:45 p.m. PT.
I’m feeling in the mood for something different than what I usually do. I want to go full on listicle. A list article. Or maybe I just need to randomly ruminate?
I have been turning my back on the Cardinals games mid-game over the last few weeks. Especially it seems on Tuesday nights when I usually write… I suppose there were downward trends in June and July that led to our trade deadline results, but now that the pantry is stripped bare of starting pitching, it has become easier to not watch the games every inning.
Part of the downturn in entertainment value was certainly due to the offense not being able to do amazing comeback wins all season, but I think we all saw that one coming.
Which means I am not as apt to bother to go see them live, because of probabilities and whatnot (and intense heat indices). Money is always an issue, but it’s easier to spend time and currency on teams that don’t throw pitches that can be absolutely destroyed, and offenses that offend a little more often. I’ll probably go see some September baseball, because this is still a fun team to watch, but…
The bullpen is what it is at this point. Not the worst, but a nailbiter every time. It wouldn’t be so bad if our closer was a little more shutdown, but he would fit in on many teams as closer. This bullpen will however randomly give up games. And that alone will make it tough to be above .500, a make games not as easy to watch. It also drives down team morale of course, but no one can say how much that could matter, ephemera and random thoughts…
And! Just as we were certain this was one of the healthiest teams ever, nearly impervious… Welp!
Everson Pereira Aug 23 left hand contusion, indeterminate return date
Hunter Dobbins news seems impending at the time of this writing, stay tuned… but HunDo has a right flexor strain! oof… he is on the 15 day Injured List.
Max Rajcic underwent UCL reconstruction surgery, almost certainly done for the season.
And that’s your absolutely fantasticly wonderful injury rundown for August 26, 2026. Smdh.
Ok, what would I like to see the rest of the season, realistic expectations, if we are destined not to make the postseason?
JJ Wetherholt turns 17 HR into 20 HR. If JJ hits 20 HR, keeps doing what he’s doing with the elite defense and all… I think it will make the decision a little tougher for Rookie of the Year voters. Imagine an elite run prevention middle infielder that also hits 20+ HR a year and steals some bases? Of course if he can somehow hit the 20/20 club, that will help even more. What would bolster his Rookie of the Year campaign the most would be if he’s 20/20 and also hits .250 BA or more, which is still possible, if unlikely. But it would create a little more buzz…
Ivan Herrera is in a similar boat, because Wetherholt and himself have low BABIP and probably are better hitters than what their statlines look like. As absurd as it is, the true story on Herrera’s 2026 season revolves around something he cannot control… pitchers’ aptitude to hit him with a pitch. Only Steve Evans over 100 years ago has been hit more than Herrera, who has been hit 27 times so far. The all time Cardinals HBP record is 31. He might tie it, at least…
Alec Burleson: if he just keeps doing what he’s doing, he will get a few MVP votes. And that’s good enough!
Jordan Walker: 30 HR… he is only 3 away. He should reach the milestone! He is 24 years old. He almost certainly will reach 100 RBI, as will Burleson (both are just short by a few RBI); to add to that, he only needs two stolen bases to make it to 20. 30HR/100RBI/20SB guy!
Josh Baez, etc: if any of these players work out, that would be nice. Gorman is at the end of his rope, while Baez has certainly had an exciting beginning… will they K too much?
some may have chagrin about Masyn Winn but he has maintained the same OBP and run prevention that he has become known for. and that’s a fact, jack. And to back that up he is on pace to have his best RBI total of this career, if he can come back from the thumb fracture relatively quickly.
if the team can at least stay in the wild card race a few more weeks, I think that will advance the young team in a variety of ways, mostly experiential and mental, but still valuable. Confidence and perseverance are both key. If they narrowly miss the postseason despite injuries, that sure sets the mental table for next year, whatever happes with 2027.
Ultimately I would like to see the tides to turn and have this team continue to threaten for a postseason spot, just to keep things interesting to watch. But if they continue to crash and burn, there’s always the draft pick.
1995 in heavy metal…
1995 year in music, continued from last week, I have to get my heavy metal classics in… the first thing that I noticed in my research was that 1995 featured far fewer heavy metal releases, and the quality had started to dwindle. 1990-1994 were just totally stacked with just as many high-quality heavy metal albums as other genres. By 1995, however, heavy metal movements ran out of gas at least to some extent, with many advances and new styles having already happened. But there were still some absolute top-tier classics that stood out in 1995 Heavy Metal, so this week I bring you a Top 10 for 1995 heavy metal releases!
Zeni Geva – ‘Freedom Bondage’ this fantastically insane, punishing metal/noise rock album stole the show in 1995. I got to see them live in Davenport, Iowa one night in the 1990’s, and it was one of the most intense shows you could ever imagine! One of Steve Albini’s favorite bands, by the way… This album has to be heard to be believed, but it is full of heavy ultra-fuzzed-out guitars within a super tight rhythmic context, totaling ultimate rock n roll sonic devastation done tastefully (Japan) I could only find this one on youtube music as a playlist, but you can find the individual songs on youtube
Meshuggah – ‘Destroy, Erase, Improve’ early Meshuggah was death thrash crossover math metal insanity. So many hooks! In a somewhat off year in heavy metal, Meshuggah reinvented the wheel and created a new paradigm. There was an entire new genre titled ‘djent’ invented for this band! (Sweden)
Crowbar – ‘Time Heals Nothing’ New Orleans’ Crowbar is one of the heavyweight heavy metal bands of all time. This is, in my humble opinion, their best release. Or, at the least, their darkest, heaviest one. And by that I mean the lyrical content mixed with the crushing emotional tone and feel of the music on this collection of songs. You will just have to hear it to believe it! (New Orleans)
Death – ‘Symbolic’ it is difficult for me to put this at #4, after seeing it #1 overall on one site… but it is not my favorite Death album. It might have the best album cover, but… while this album is a set-in-stone classic, I have concluded that it is still at least somewhat overrated, compared to the rest of their discography. (Tampa Bay)
Fleurety – ‘Min Tid Skal Komme’ the hidden gem I uncovered in my research, occult maybe… if you want to hear one of the more talented black metal genre releases, a forgotten part of the past… this is worth your time! A lot is going on here… you have to hear this one. Multi-genre mastery! (Norway)
Morbid Angel – ‘Domination’ Tampa Bay was already on the map for a while in the death metal department, and Morbid Angel were veterans there by this point… this was their last album on Giant records. The Domination release also marked the end of the original David Vincent led era of Morbid Angel with some wicked fun backstory. Overall, it wasn’t quite as good as the prior releases, but it still had some huge hits and was a suiting finale for that first era; no regrets.
Dissection – ‘Storm of the Light’s Bane’ similar to Fleurety, this is one of the better old school black metal releases I have ever heard. It seems that the genre was entering it’s heyday at the time! Good stuff… what I think puts this Dissection release over some of the more obvious bands is how good the production sounds, especially for the time, top notch! I am no expert but I could see this album putting black metal on the map for many people. (Sweden)
Hieronymus Bosch – ‘The Human Abstract’ this album probably deserves to be ranked higher, because what I am discovering is just flat out mindbending… progressive death metal! Didn’t sound like anything else at the time. (Russia)
Mortem – ‘Demon Tales’ hooky blackened death metal! (Peru)
Down – ‘NOLA’ and to round out the top 10 a stoner metal supergroup classic encompassing the bands Corrosion of Conformity, 1/2 of Crowbar, and the singer of Pantera. (New Orleans, obviously)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 18: Wyatt Olds #75 and Adley Rutschman #31 of the Boston Red Sox celebrate after the Red Sox defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 at Fenway Park on August 18, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman missing time, the Red Sox have had to play musical chairs in the bullpen over the last few weeks. The music stopped while Raymond Burgos and Seth Martinez were standing, leaving Wyatt Olds and Alec Gamboa in the two remaining seats.
Ideally, neither pitcher is asked to pitch in high-leverage situations. When the Red Sox take a lead, the likes of Tyron Guerrero, Erik Miller, and Aroldis Chapman should be pitching. But there are times, such as Saturday against the Giants, when one of the low men on the totem pole will be given the ball in a close game. On Saturday, Olds entered the game with his team trailing by two runs in the top of the eighth. He ran into some trouble, but ultimately kept the Giants off the board and gave the Red Sox a chance to tie or win the game later (they did).
The offense gets the glory for grinding it out and scoring three runs in the ninth to win the game, but Olds deserves credit for giving them that chance. The low-leverage roles aren’t sexy, but they are important, especially in a thin bullpen. Chad Tracy can’t afford to throw Miller or Guerrero when trailing by three runs, with no off days in sight. He doesn’t want to extend his starter for additional innings when holding a healthy lead after six innings. Someone needs to pitch those innings, and in Gamboa and Olds, the Red Sox have a pair who have done the job admirably.
Gamboa’s stuff doesn’t jump off the page, but he has some qualities that make him a perfect innings eater. The most important is his control. He’s in the zone with his fastballs a lot. The strike rate on both his four-seamer and sinker is near 70%, which contributes to his low walk rate. They both feature solid velocity at about 96 mph, while 6.5 feet of extension helps them play up even more. Additionally, he has unique mechanics that present hitters with a different look.
Gamboa rocks back, hiding the ball before extending towards the plate and finishing his delivery. His arm angle is among the most vertical in the league at 62 degrees. That vertical release, coupled with some perceived cut on his four-seam fastball, might be aiding the incredibly low hard-hit rate against the pitch, despite locating in the zone frequently. Similarly, his sinker doesn’t have any outlier traits, but hitters have struggled to get it off the ground.
Gamboa has a slider as well, and like his fastballs, the stuff doesn’t jump off the page. Despite that, it induces chases at an incredibly high rate. That’s likely because of how many strikes he’s getting with his fastballs. Of pitchers with at least 250 pitches thrown, Gamboa ranks 2nd in percentage of pitches thrown while ahead in the count, behind only Josh Hader. Other pitchers nearby in the rankings include MLB saves leader Bryan Baker, Garrett Whitlock, Tyron Guerrero, and two-time Cy Young Award Winner Tarik Skubal. Pitching from ahead is a tried-and-true method of getting outs, and Gamboa has been able to do that.
Olds has only made a few appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen, but hasn’t allowed a run through 3.1 innings. If you’re looking for the opposite of Gamboa, you’ve come to the right place. Olds has electric stuff, but hasn’t been able to stay in the zone. He uses a fastball/slider combination, and each pitch is an outlier in its own way.
His four-seam fastball averages 97 mph and comes with above-average extension. Every pitcher on the Red Sox has above-average extension. I’m not sure why I keep writing it. You should just assume it unless you hear otherwise. On top of the velocity and extension, it has above-average vertical movement (16.5 inches) from a low release (5.4 feet, 33-degree arm angle). All of this combines for an incredibly flat approach angle, making it difficult to square up. The swinging strike rate currently sits at a solid 12% over a small sample, but the shape is solid enough to support a higher rate.
Olds’ slider is even more of an outlier. Here’s a look at vertical break and velocity from breaking balls across the league this season.
The harder you throw the ball, the less time it has to drop. Olds’ slider is averaging 11 inches of induced drop while being thrown at 88 mph. The closest comparisons this season are Brendon Little’s curveball, which is a tick slower with about one extra inch of drop, and Jacob Misiorowski’s curveball, which is slightly harder but doesn’t have the same bite. We’re dealing with an incredibly small sample, but so far his swinging strike rate is off the charts. Hitters struggle with shapes they don’t see often, and Olds has an outlier breaking ball.
The knock, as I mentioned, is his ability to throw strikes. His fastball zone rate is low at 40%. His slider strike rate is solid, but carried by the chases and whiffs he’s induced. The Red Sox have had success at helping pitchers find the zone, but Olds has been in the system since 2021 and has carried double-digit walk rates at every stop of his career. He’s also getting his first call-up in August with several other options on the shelf, so that might inform you of the Red Sox’s valuation of the reliever. Still, relievers get hot all the time, and his strikeout upside gives him an out when he gets into trouble and makes him an intriguing option for Chad Tracy in a pinch.
As I wrote this, Wyatt Olds began warming up to pitch the bottom of the tenth inning. This is the exact “pinch” I was referring to above. Let’s live react:
Otto Lopez: Does not strike out much; Olds immediately falls behind 1-0. Absurd swing by Lopez at 1-0 at a slider nowhere close. At 1-1, it’s a rare cutter from Olds that should be an out, but Monasterio makes a bad throw, and there are two runners on.
Heriberto Hernandez: Another cutter, this time for a pop-up. I guess I have to write about the cutter now.
Kyle Stowers: First lefty Olds is seeing today. Starts with a fastball down for a foul ball, bad location, good result. Another cutter, this one outside. I wonder if they think the cutter is the strike-getter he needs; they’ve all been around the zone. Another four-seam, fouled off to bring the count to 1-2. Another foul ball on a fastball. If he can elevate it, he’ll get a whiff, but he keeps throwing it down in the zone. The at-bat ends on a fastball in off the plate that was hit way down the line for a sacrifice fly.
Miguel Sanoja: Tying run on third base. You have to be careful with the slider in the dirt. Cutter, ball one to start. It’s close, but he can’t get a chase. Good four-seam on the hands for a foul ball. Another cutter, fouled off. I’d like to see the slider here at 1-2. Cutter misses. He loves the cutter tonight. Another cutter, this one isn’t close. 3-2, I want to see a slider. It’s all cutters. Another one fouled off. Oh god Gamboa is warming up I’m gonna have to rewrite this whole thing. Sanoja fouled off another cutter. Now he fouled off a fastball. Throw the slider, you lunatic. Do it. Do it please. He threw the slider, got a terrible swing for strike three, but the ball got away, and the run scored. You can’t make this up.
Olds really should have had four outs there if you count the error from Monasterio. He only threw two sliders, and both returned ugly swings. His fastball didn’t get whiffs, but he also couldn’t locate it up in the zone, which has basically been the story so far. The cutter was the real revelation as it led his arsenal, but he couldn’t quite find the zone with it. The stuff remains excellent, and the strikeouts are there, so I’m going to count that as a win. Poor defense let him down, but watch these two swings and tell me that isn’t something there.
Baseball is weird. It’s the only sport where you can be writing about two low-leverage relievers who happen to enter a game in the exact spot you say they might be a good fit for. Jarren Duran homered to blow the game open, and now Gamboa just needs to throw strikes to close it out. I was going to write a conclusion, explaining how when rosters expand, Gamboa and Olds might have a role. Instead, I’ll ask you to go back, watch the 10th and 11th innings from last night, and you can see them in the roles they might fill. Skip the part where Gamboa walks someone; that doesn’t fit the agenda.
COVERS INTEL: Bryan Woo has been overpowering at home, posting a 
