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In Chaim Bloom’s end-of-season press conference, he was firm on his stance that the Cardinals would not take any shortcuts in building a team that could contend for division titles and World Series championships. Watching the Cubs get swept out of the playoffs in two games was quite enjoyable, but was also a good reminder of how silly the current playoff structure is. But whatever. Those are the rules, so the only way to avoid the fake playoffs and get a real series is to win the division with a top-two record in the league. 

Building a team that can compete for a division title is not a theoretical target. The Brewers happen to play in the NL Central with the Cardinals, so the path to reaching this goal runs through Milwaukee. If your goal is to beat another baseball team in a baseball game, a critical component of the exercise is to have better baseball players on your team. Unfortunately for us Cardinals fans, the Brewers have had really excellent baseball players over the last few years. 

Today, I am going to go position by position and diagnose which franchise has the edge in 2027 and long term. For this exercise, I am focused entirely on players already within the respective organizations. This is not an argument for or against the Cardinals acquiring outside help, but rather just a snapshot of the current talent pools. When I am thinking about the long-term outlook of a position, I am mostly focused on the current major league roster and upper-level prospects. Both the Cardinals and Brewers have super deep and talented farm systems, but it is too early to start making plans around Trevor Condon or Ricki Moneys. Finally, this post got pretty long, so this will only cover the position-player side of things.

The Brewers posted a team FanGraphs WAR of 26.1 this season, outclassing the Cardinals’ 15.6 WAR. Let’s dive right in and get to work. 

For space, not all players are listed, so the player total will not equal the positional total. Def is the FanGraphs defensive value plus positional adjustment. 

Catcher

The Brewers had a significant edge on the Cardinals during the 2026 season thanks to the excellent all-around play of William Contreras and a surprisingly effective offensive season from Gary Sanchez. 

The catcher position looks to be one of the more tenuous ones for Milwaukee moving forward. Contreras is under contract for only one more season and seems like a prime candidate to be traded in the offseason. Sanchez will be 34 next season and is not under team control (mutual option). The Brewers have two organizational top-30 prospects at the catcher position in Jefferson Quero and Marco Dinges. Quero was previously a top-100 prospect at some outlets, but had a down 2026 season with a below-average Triple-A batting line. He looks like a poor man’s Jimmy Crooks to me. Dinges is a power/bat-first prospect with only 58 Double-A plate appearances and does not project as a starting-caliber player.

The Cardinals are primed to give Bernal the starting job with Crooks or Pages serving as the backup and Ivan Herrera as the third catcher. Of course, Rainiel Rodriguez may factor in at some point in 2027. With all the comments from the front office about getting Rodriguez positional versatility, I am starting to think that he is more likely to break in as a corner infielder. This makes sense to me for a couple of reasons. The obvious one is the depth of options at the catcher position. The other reason is that he might simply be outhitting the catcher position. There is a real chance that he is a top-10 hitter in MLB and a potential cornerstone for the franchise for the next decade. Do you really want to risk the wear-and-tear of the catcher position on a bat that elite? I am not sure I do. 

With or without Rodriguez behind the plate, the Cardinals should have a big edge over the Brewers over the next three seasons. William Contreras has declined by WAR the last three seasons and is getting to the older side for a catcher going into his age-29 season. Still, he is a stud and Bernal is more upside than a guarantee, so the Brewers get a slight edge for 2027.

2027: Brewers, slight edge

Long term: Cardinals, big edge

First Base

The Brewers produced the best first-base offensive output in baseball with the platoon of Bauers (career 88 wRC+ coming into the year) and Vaughn (career 102 wRC+ coming into the year). 

Give the Brewers as much credit as you want for the production they got out of these two, but this level of performance is almost certainly unsustainable. Bauers is a free agent and Vaughn has one more year of team control. The Brewers do have an enviable amount of upper-minors corner bats on the way. Andrew Fischer hit 48 home runs between High-A and Double-A. He may stick at third base, but was given time at first as well. He looks like an extreme version of Joshua Baez, if you can imagine that, with a 33% strikeout rate and 37% whiff rate. Blake Burke hit 30 home runs in Double-A as a 23-year-old and Luke Adams cracked out a 149 wRC+ as a 22-year-old in Triple-A. None of these prospects are considered top-100, but all three have a chance to be problems in the future. 

The Cardinals have Alec Burleson under team control through 2028. If he is around, he will get the vast majority of the playing time for at least the next two seasons. Jack Gurevitch and Deniel Ortiz are a tick behind the Brewers’ trio in prospect pedigree, but both have starter upside at first or third base. The big thing in the Cardinals’ favor is all of that catching depth could spill over into first base with Rodriguez and Bernal already playing the position. 

I like the Cardinals’ first-base setup in 2027 and going forward. The Brewers have enough prospect depth to make it interesting, but the Cardinals have the best player in Burleson, solid prospect depth with Ortiz and Gurevitch, and the leftover catchers to fill in as needed.

2027: Cardinals, big edge

Long term: Cardinals, slight edge 

Second Base

Turang has improved every season of his career and put up borderline MVP-caliber numbers in 2026.

Both teams are set at second base for the foreseeable future. I am guessing that when the 2027 player projections are released, Turang and Wetherholt will be within a half win of one another. Turang is under team control for three more years while Wetherholt is locked in with the Cardinals for eight more seasons. Between these two players, you would much rather have Wetherholt going forward just because of the contract situation. Things are more complicated when you start looking at the minor league depth. The Brewers have a bunch of middle-infield prospects on the way that could slide over to second base. Still, assuming that baseball’s number one prospect, Jesus Made, sticks at shortstop, none of them would be projected to outperform JJ. 

2027: Even 

Long term: Cardinals, slight edge

Third Base

Joey Ortiz played like prime Nolan Arenado across 50 games, and the Cardinals went a full season without an answer at the hot corner. 

Ortiz is not a prototypical third baseman, but he has had excellent production at the position over the last three seasons. With Cooper Pratt in as the primary shortstop until the prospects arrive, I assume Ortiz is going to get the majority of his playing time at third. He is under team control for three more seasons. If either of the aforementioned Andrew Fischer or Luke Adams can make it work defensively, they could challenge for playing time as early as next season as well. Jett Williams is a former top-100 prospect who played plenty of third base in Triple-A, but he had a down season offensively and looks like a utility bat moving forward. 

You know all the names that are in play for the Cardinals. If the season started tomorrow, we would get some combination of Saggese and Blaze Jordan. Jesus Baez might start making top-100 prospect lists this offseason and is the most obvious potential fit in the upper-minors. Gurevitch and Ortiz could also be in the discussion at some point, but neither is the type of prospect you pencil in. This is where I start to get excited thinking about whether Rainiel Rodriguez could handle third defensively. If my theory is correct that he might be hitting his way off of the catcher position, it would be a huge deal if he could play third base rather than DH and first. 

Neither team has an obvious long-term stud at the position, but the Brewers have a much higher floor with Ortiz. Jesus Made could also be an option at third if his defense does not surpass that of the incumbent shortstop, Cooper Pratt. Luis Pena is the Brewers’ second-best prospect and is ranked in the top-20 on most national lists. He could be their long-term preference at third, but looks like he still has a lot of developing to do. Scouts love Pena because of his tools and the exit velocity numbers he has posted, but he has yet to crack double-digit home runs in a season and has not done much offensively above Low-A. He is only 19 and has already made it to Double-A, but until he puts up actual numbers, I will not be too worried about him. 

2027: Brewers, big edge

Long term: Brewers, big edge

Shortstop

Even in a down season, Winn provided enough production to comfortably outperform the Brewers’ mix of shortstops. 

The Cardinals pretty clearly have a present advantage at the shortstop position. Cooper Pratt is only 22 and put up a really solid season, but he did have some BABIP luck and looks to be more solid than exceptional defensively. While the Cardinals have the advantage today, the Brewers pretty clearly have it moving forward. Jesus Made is the game’s top prospect and could debut as early as next season.

2027: Cardinals, slight edge

Long term: Brewers, slight edge

Left Field

Chourio is still just 22 and is inching dangerously close to superstar status. 

Chourio is under team control through 2033 and appears to only be getting better. It is not realistic to project Joshua Baez to match or exceed his production, but it would be a big deal if he could at least close the gap. 

2027: Brewers, big edge

Long term: Brewers, big edge

Center Field

The Brewers have a good center fielder and the Cardinals do not.

Mitchell is a high-strikeout guy who has posted a career 115 wRC+ thanks to a .382 career BABIP. He has a volatile profile and is only under contract for two more years. Luis Lara broke out in Triple-A as a 21-year-old, but struggled a bit after being called up. He signed a long-term extension and is under team control for the next ten years with club options. Lara is not a sure thing either, but he should have a reasonably high floor thanks to his speed and contact ability. The next-best prospect in the pipeline is Braylon Payne, who made it to Double-A as a 19-year-old. He has swing-and-miss problems, but a ton of upside with 70-grade speed, plus defensive grades, and above-average power. 

This feels like a position in which the Cardinals could quickly close ground, but they are signaling that they are going to stick with Nathan Church to start next season. After that, you are waiting for Josiah Ragsdale, Tai Peete, or one of the teenage prospects to emerge. Despite the relatively uninspiring depth in Milwaukee, I would still give the Brew Crew the edge both now and moving forward. 

2027: Brewers, big edge

Long term: Brewers, slight edge

Right Field

Jordan Walker’s solid season was enough to give the Cardinals their first decisive win for the 2026 season.

The Brewers will surely have better production next year with either positive regression from Frelick or putting Lara in right field full time. Still, you would much rather have Walker and his upside than anyone the Brewers are likely to run out over the next few years. 

2027: Cardinals, big edge

Long term: Cardinals, big edge

Designated Hitter

Both teams had disappointing seasons from their primary DHs, but at least the Cardinals were not paying theirs $26M. 

Yelich is under contract for two more seasons and for once, this control is a disadvantage for the Brewers. He is a good bet to rebound some, but is unlikely to be worth his salary as he enters his age-35 season. The previously mentioned corner-infield prospects could help provide some production in the future. Josh Adamczewski is a top-100 prospect who is seen as one of the best pure hitters in the minors but a below-average defender. He only has 66 games in Double-A and is just 21, so he is probably a few years away from being a major factor. 

It is hard to project DH value because you do not know if teams are going to use the position as a rotating way to give guys a day off, or have a mostly full-time DH. Herrera is a good bet to be one of the best DHs in the sport for the next three years of his team control. This, combined with Yelich’s contract, gives the Cardinals the edge now and moving forward.

2027: Cardinals, big edge

Long term: Cardinals, slight edge

Advantage by Position

Takeaways 

1. The Cardinals could have a huge advantage at the catcher position as early as next season if the Brewers trade Contreras. 
2. I give the Brewers the edge at the shortstop and third base positions long term, but a lot of that is based on teenage prospects that might be overrated. Made and Pena have not posted numbers in line with their prospect rankings. If they do not live up to the hype, the Brewers will be in trouble. 
3. The biggest single position advantage now and in the future is Chourio in left field. Unless Baez turns into a 3+ WAR player pretty quickly, this is going to be tough to overcome.
4. Outside of Chourio, the Brewers’ outfield is really not scary in the short or long term.
5. Christian Yelich is the only bad contract on either team, eating up almost 20% of the Brewers’ payroll. That is a real advantage for the Cardinals.
6. Where Rainiel Rodriguez fits in positionally could change the picture a ton. 

Alright, so where does this leave us? Based on my assessment, the Cardinals and Brewers should have the same number of positional advantages next season. Turang outperformed his expected stats and likely just put up his career year. Bauers is a free agent. Ortiz, Mitchell, and Vaughn all crushed their projections and are likely to regress. You could see some bounceback from Contreras, Yelich, and Frelick and continued improvement from Chourio, Lara, and Pratt. Any time a team wins 103 games, they are all but guaranteed to have some regression the next season. There is plenty of uncertainty on the Cardinals’ side too. No one knows what Walker will do next. Burleson’s 2026 will be tough to beat. I would expect better seasons from Winn and Herrera. Baez has such a low bar to clear from the left fielders he is replacing that he alone could make up a ton of ground. A full season of Bernal should be a huge improvement too. 

We obviously haven’t begun to address the pitching side with this comparison, but on the position-player side, the Cards are a center fielder and third baseman away from being right there.

The Wild Card series wrapped up on Thursday and now we’re onto the divisional rounds, which will give us our fist look at the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians. These series will feature some old friends, and has there are a lot of storylines to keep up with.

Here are some Rockies storylines from the first week of the offseason, as well as some from around the league:

Rockies News & Links

• Here is each club’s Arizona Fall League sleeper prospect | MLB.com — For the Rockies, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra believe that Jack O’Dowd (HM PuRP) is the biggest sleeper prospect.
• Rockies Struck Gold With One of Paul DePodesta’s First Moves | Sports Illustrated — It’s no secret that TJ Rumfield was one of the brightest spots on this 2026 Rockies team. Scott Roche revisits the move and the impact it had on this team.
• 4 Rockies Prospects Listed in MLB Pipeline’s Final Top-100 List | Sports Illustrated — You can probably guess the four (they’re Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 on our mid-season PuRPs list).

Around MLB

• Seattle Mariners claim Michael Toglia off waivers from Cincinnati Reds | Red Reporter — Old friend Michael Toglia played just 10 games with the Reds in 2026 before a shoulder injury ended his season. Wick Terrell breaks down the move, and Toglia’s tenure with the Reds, on our sister site.
• Dodgers’ Ohtani admits he won’t be fully healthy in playoffs | ESPN — Shohei Ohtani has been fighting left knee and right biceps injuries, so this could be a story to keep up with in the postseason. The Dodgers have a ton of depth even without Ohtani, and are still favored to threepeat, but it’s definitely something to watch.
• Yankees’ Aaron Judge Undergoes Experimental Blood Treatment In Desperate Bid To Return | Yahoo! Sports — Another storyline to watch is that of Aaron Judge. Judge has been battling hamstring injuries for most of the season, but was available to play against the Rockies a few weeks ago. The headline is slightly misleading, stating, “But the shot he received is a fairly new medical innovation, known as platelet-poor plasma (PPP), and it is so groundbreaking that it is still considered relatively unproven by the healthcare industry.”
• Miz and Miller in same series? Postseason velocity records beware! | MLB.com — Zach Sweet writes, “Fifty-six pitches. That’s the most triple-digit heat any postseason series has produced since pitch tracking began in 2008.” That happened during the 2016 Giants-Cubs NLDS. And Jacob Misiorowski has thrown four more this season by himself. And Mason Miller is second in that arms race. Good luck to any of the batters in this series!
• MLB nixes plan to host regular-season game at Grand Teton National Park | The Athletic ($) — Looks like MLB read Renee’s article explaining why a game in the Tetons was a bad idea!
• Are Dodgers villains? Or a model to aspire to? Their title defense could shape MLB’s labor debate | The Athletic ($) — Look, I hate the Dodgers as much as the rest of us (#BeatLA!). But Andy McCullough makes some good points about how we’ve gotten to a potential lockout, and how the Dodgers are being blamed (rightfully or wrongfully) for what’s likely about to happen in two months.

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Today’s Reflections

There’s not much to say about Game 2 or the Wild Card Series overall.

Nico Hoerner was the only hitter to consistently rise to the challenge of the Padre pitching. Hoerner went 2-for-4 in each game with a double and RBI in Wednesday’s game. Seiya Suzuki was 2-for-7 with a run scored over the two games.

There wasn’t anything worth talking about regarding the pitching staff.

Not-very-deep-or-analyzed thoughts about the state of the team going into 2027:

There will probably be a lockout.

The coaching staff: …… Not ready to cut Counsell, but wouldn’t be upset if they did. There will be some movement in the staff, however.

I would love to re-sign Seiya, but now is his time to go get his bag and the Cubs won’t match, so good luck. I feel the Cubs and Ian Happ will part ways.

This would be a great reduction in production, but ride into the regular season with some combination of Pedro Ramirez, Matt Shaw and Kevin Alcántara into the OF to start and hope Josiah Hartshorn will be ready in the second half. Very few quality FA OFers, so it is not worth it to overpay for anyone out there.

Pour all that “new” money and spend it in every facet of the pitching staff. Top two SP, a closer and a very good high-leverage RP. “Well, what about the strike and all those high-dollar guys sitting out?” Any time off is less wear on their arms. Plus it would give Justin Steele and Cade Horton more time to get ready. Cheer for a strike? Maybe it would help the Cubs.

Again, just off the top of my head stuff, no numbers or targets — just a basic set up for improvement for the team in the future. Nothing in stone. Probably way off.

I appreciate your reading.

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Wild Card Game No. 2 Stories:

• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune {$}): Chicago Cubs quickly KO’d from playoffs after bats quiet again in 4-1 loss to San Diego Padres. “Just as the clock hit midnight in Chicago to ring in October, the Cubs’ 2026 season ended with a dud.”

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Cubs mull what could have been after abrupt Wild Card exit. “Looming free agencies of Happ, Suzuki at forefront as Chicago looks ahead after ‘sour taste’ of 2026’s end.”

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs don’t get close to meeting championship expectations as season ends in two-game playoff sweep vs. Padres. “The Cubs’ season ended with a thud Wednesday night as they were swept out of the postseason with a 4-1 loss to the Padres.”

Post-Mortem for Wild Card Stories:

• Matt Ostrowski (North Side Baseball): Cubs Get Stern Reminder About What It’s Like To Play Baseball Without Joy. “The Cubs didn’t do the little or big things right in their series against the Padres, looking miserable as they trudged to the finish line of their season.”
• Tyler Edmunds (OnTapSportsNet): The Cubs Didn’t Just Lose — They Quit. “The Cubs didn’t just lose the series on Wednesday night, they quit. The “magical” season ends on a whimper.“
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Tyler Mahle’s Wild Card brilliance calls Cubs’ Kevin Gausman decision into question. “While a less-than-100% Gausman struggled, Tyler Mahle was brilliant for the Braves.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Stinging from playoff exit, Cubs must make sure next year is different: ‘It’s time to look in the mirror’. “The Cubs’ disappointing playoff failure generates plenty of questions. But only one matters: How do they make sure this doesn’t happen again?”
• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs make MLB postseason history with all-time terrible slugging percentage. “This feat of history is one to forget for the Cubs amid a horrible postseason run.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs’ swift elimination leaves them facing reality of season gone wrong: ‘I look at it as a failure’. “The Cubs reacted to an earlier-than-expected playoff loss, the end of a brief stay that had the Padres looking like championship contenders and the Cubs nowhere close to sniffing their World Series aspirations.”
• Alex Pratt (Yardbarker): Chicago Cubs: A weird and wild season comes to an end. “The team that struggled down the stretch, lost the top Wild Card spot, and was running into a buzzsaw had an uphill battle.”
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs’ total playoff no-show let — and left — everybody down.. ““I’m just feeling pretty disappointed in myself,” Pete Crow-Armstrong said after going hitless in two wild-card games against the Padres. “But that’s for me to work on.”“
• Matt Snyder (CBSSports): Pete Crow-Armstrong takes accountability after Cubs’ quick postseason exit: ‘Pretty disappointed in myself’. “The likely NL MVP was 0 for 7 with a walk and four strikeouts in the Wild Card Series vs. the Padres.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Alex Bregman Did Something This Week That He’s Never Done Before in the Postseason. “For the 10th time in his 10+ year MLB career, Alex Bregman made the postseason.”
• Sean Sears (Chicago Cubs On SI): Takeaways After Cubs Fall Apart in Wild Card Series, Fail to Reach Full Potential. “The Cubs’ bats never woke up as the red-hot Padres completed the series sweep.”

Pre-MVP Celebration:

• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Don’t Stop Him Now: The Breathtaking Brilliance of Pete Crow-Armstrong, One More Time. “Picking a favorite highlight from the season Pete Crow-Armstrong just had is functionally impossible. Any time you alight on one, another thrusts itself at you. Let’s sit with a few of the best, as a balm for the disappointment of a summer that gave way to fall too soon.”

Post-Post Series/Off-season Stories:

• J.P Hoornstra (The Big Lead): Longtime Cubs infielder who finished career in Cleveland dies at 76. “A veteran infielder who played nine MLB seasons and was known more for his glove than his bat with the Cubs and Indians died at 76”
• Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Cubs’ offseason: 3 big questions for a second-place team still chasing the Brewers. “Here are three questions to ponder as Cubs players and personnel scatter for the offseason, not knowing exactly when they will regroup and return to business as usual.”
• Zoe Grossman (Chicago Cubs On SI): The Toughest Contract Decision Facing the Cubs This Winter. “On the heels of a crushing playoff exit, the Cubs now must turn to the offseason.
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs’ Wild Card collapse opens door for Jed Hoyer to revisit painfully familiar narrative.“We’re here again.”
• Doug Schwamb (Chicago Cubs On Si): The Biggest Fix the Cubs Need to Make After An Ugly 2026 Ending. “The Chicago Cubs season is over and there’s plenty of blame to go around. However, the Cubs biggest mistake cost them a shot at a deep playoff run.”
• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Why Cubs’ biggest priority in offseason is not their beloved free agent outfielders. “The top priority for the Cubs after elimination has nothing to do with their outfield.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Was That Ian Happ’s Last Game as a Chicago Cub? Were These Words His Farewell?. “I’m not sure there’s been a more controversial GOOD player in my time covering the Cubs than Ian Happ.”.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago {$}): ‘He’s the Chicago Cubs’: Ian Happ — team’s longest-tenured player — faces uncertain future after playoff exit. “Key members from the past two playoff teams are impending free agents and unlikely to return, a group that includes left fielder Ian Happ, who has spent the last 10 big-league seasons representing the organization.”
• Madison Williams (Newsweek): Ian Happ Reflects on His Time as a Cub Ahead of Free Agency. “Longtime Cubs outfielder Ian Happ could’ve played his last game with the team as the Padres swept them in the wild-card.
• J.J. Cooper & Mark Chiarelli (Baseball America (free): What’s Next For Cubs In 2027? Top Prospects, Biggest Needs. “As soon as an MLB team bows out of the postseason, fans immediately want answers.”
• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Tigers tabbed as No. 1 landing spot for Cubs 4.51 ERA starter in free agency. “Tigers linked to Kevin Gausman as affordable free agent target,”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune {$}): Column: With both teams on Peacock, finding a Chicago playoff game on TV never has been so maddening. “It’s one thing to miss a regular-season game because it was on an app you don’t have.”

Food For Thought:

Leroy Carr (March 27, 1904 or 1905 – April 29, 1935) was an American blues singer, songwriter and pianist who developed a laid-back, crooning technique and whose popularity and style influenced such artists as Nat King Cole and Ray Charles. Music historian Elijah Wald has called him “the most influential male blues singer and songwriter of the first half of the 20th century”.

After his parents separated, Carr moved from Nashville to Indianapolis, Indiana with his mother. Carr was a self-taught piano player. After dropping out of high school, Carr travelled with a circus, and in the early 1920s served in the U.S. Army. Carr returned to Indianapolis and worked in a meat-packing plant. He was married and had one daughter. Carr was convicted of bootlegging and served a year at the Indiana State Penitentiary. His light bluesy piano combined with Scrapper Blackwell’s melodic jazz guitar attracted a sophisticated black audience. The two recorded with Vocalion Records beginning in the 1920s.

Francis Hillman “Scrapper” Blackwell was an American blues guitarist and singer. Best known as half of the guitar-piano duo he formed with Leroy Carr in the late 1920s and early 1930s, he was an acoustic, single-note picker in the Chicago blues and Piedmont blues styles, with some critics noting that he veered towards jazz.

Blackwell was born in Syracuse, South Carolina, on February 21, 1903 as one of sixteen children. He claimed to be part Cherokee. When he was quite young, his family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he spent most of his life. He was nicknamed “Scrapper” by his grandmother because of his fiery nature. Although largely self-taught as a guitarist, Blackwell was later influenced by the recordings of Willie Harris and Blind Lemon Jefferson, and probably by the East Coast Piedmont style of his birthplace. He didn’t consider himself a professional musician until pianist Leroy Carr persuaded Blackwell to record with him

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

Sweeping the Red Sox with two blowout wins was a joyous occasion, not to mention the tangible positive impact of setting up your rotation for the ALDS. The Yankees can begin the series against the Rays with Gerrit Cole as the Game 1 starter, which is only fitting considering Cole’s regular-season campaign in 2026 began and ended against the Rays, both times with a quality start.

Making his postseason debut this season, Cole will get the ball after nearly a week and a half off, his longest time between starts since returning from injury. In three appearances against the AL East champs in the regular season—the most he had against any single team—Cole averaged six innings and delivered a 2.50 ERA, enjoying success against a team not known for its home run pedigree.

Having last played a competitive meaningful game well before the end of the regular season, the Rays will set out to prove there is no rust in their game with Drew Rasmussen starting Game 1. Who better to represent what the Rays are all about than Rasmussen, acquired for the power-hitting Willy Adames as a swingman/backend starter, only to turn into one of the more dominant starters in the AL?

The postseason scenario and all that it entails could be seen as an opportunity to test the Rays’ resolve when it comes to their ace. Rasmussen was already dominant last season—part of what held him back from entering the conversation with the big boys was just how carefully managed he was by the Rays, who only let him reach or surpass 90 pitches twice in 2025. This year, Rasmussen has done that 17 times, including a career-high 114 pitches in a win over the Yankees just a couple of weeks ago—one in which perhaps the Rays gave a sign of their intentions with a trial run. With this extra leeway, Rasmussen managed to pitch 22 more innings than last season despite having one fewer start (31 to 30).

Rasmussen’s ability to go deeper into games than what we’re accustomed to seeing not only from him but also from the Rays as a team is of great value—especially if we are to read into regular season numbers. As much as the Yankees may have a better rotation, perhaps the biggest advantage in this series is in the bullpen. While New York had the second-lowest bullpen ERA in baseball, Tampa was only number 14. The key here, particularly looking at the postseason and a matchup with the Yankees lineup, is that the 95 home runs allowed by the Rays’ bullpen represented the third-highest mark in the bigs.

Then again, this is a Tampa team with the benefit of off-days between each of the first three games. One can only imagine how aggressive they might be willing to go with the likes of Bryan Baker, Cam Booser, and Kevin Kelly. While Baker is the closer, Booser gets the nod as the X-factor for the Rays in Game 1 and this series as a whole—the Yankees were 1-for-10 against him in the regular season, the one being an Austin Wells home run.

Booser’s importance stems from a complete lack of southpaw options for a team whose only other left-hander who finished the season on the active roster was Steven Matz. Garrett Cleavinger was cleared to be a part of the ALDS roster, but his 2026 numbers were quite bad, with an 89 ERA+ in 41.1 innings.

Unlike the Red Sox, all the Rays’ top starters are right-handers, allowing Aaron Boone to utilize his lefty-heavy lineup without fear, starting in Game 1 against Rasmussen. And if Booser can’t shut them down out of the bullpen, Tampa all of a sudden has an incredibly difficult mission to contain Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, Luis Garcia Jr., and company.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' 2026 postseason begins at home on Saturday, Oct. 3, hosting Atlanta in Game 5 of the best-of-five National League Division Series as the back-to-back World Series champions chase a third in a row.

No NL team has ever won three consecutive titles and the last Major League Baseball team to do it was the New York Yankees from 1998-2000. The Dodgers got a bye to the NLDS with the second-best record in the NL, while Atlanta had to win a hard-fought wild card series against their rival to advance.

Trade deadline acquisition and back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal makes his first postseason start for the Dodgers, who last played six days ago. Skubal went 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts after the joining the Dodgers and the 29-year-old is a free agent this winter, expected to sign a record-setting contract.

"Everybody's got one goal at hand. I fit right in with that," Skubal told reporters. "I think everything that I try to do is try to win as many baseball games as I can. I'm excited to start doing that in October."

Where to watch Dodgers vs Braves: TV channel, streaming

• Time: 4 p.m. ET
• TV channel: Fox
• Live stream: Fubo

The Red Sox clearly weren’t couldn’t hit enough this year and the Yankees exposed that in glaring fashion in the postsesson. 

Boston added a real bat last offseason in Willson Contreras – who produced an All-Star season and did homer to produce one of just the two runs the Red Sox scored in the Wild Card series. Contreras alone clearly wasn’t enough, especially after the spaced-out departures of Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman from last year’s team.

Caleb Durbin had a nice summer improvement. Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu each get ridiculously hot for a few weeks. The potential still remains in Roman Anthony despite a frustrating injury finish to the season. But as a sum of the parts, the Red Sox took a massive step back offensively in 2026. 

They scored just two runs in the series. They’ve scored just 11 in eight postseason games dating back to Game 4 of the 2021 ALCS (more of a historical trend than current lineup analysis but you get the point). Most notably in a trend I’ve followed for awhile, Boston finished outside of the top-10 in team OPS for the first time since 2017. Clearly, there’s a lack of slug and lack of clutch production among the group. 

To me, two real problems stand out when I consider the lack of production in the postseason:

I totally agree that historically the Red Sox operate best with a full-time DH with power – though Craig Breslow and his theory of versatility disagrees. And for as important as Rafaela and Abreu have been with their gloves and regular-season production, Boston needs them to step up in October to have any chance of real advancement in the coming years. 

So, how do you fix it? Because that’s the hard part. Boston can use right-handed power, but where can the difference really be made? 

The Red Sox really don’t pay for free-agent bats anymore (a year of Bregman does not qualify to me). Even if that approach changes, the headlining names in an underwhelming class this offseason are Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki.

Could this be the lineup whenever the Red Sox next take the field? 

1. Roman Anthony, LF
2. Adley Rutschman, C
3. Randy Arozarena, DH  
4. Willson Contreras, 1B
5. Wilyer Abreu, RF
6. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
7. Caleb Durbin, 3B
8. Curtis Mead, 2B
9. Franklin Arias, SS 

It seems like this could finally be the offseason where the team and Jarren Duran go in different directions for a fresh start on both sides. Is Trevor Story on the roster come next year – or whenever the sport commences a season again? Whatever the scenario is, outside of DH, the Red Sox don’t have a position that’s open to fill when pursuing offensive additions. They’re ultimately going to need to make hard decisions about players already on the roster to move on from and identify real talent that can produce when it matters. And likely turn to another daring trade. Because ultimately that’s what the need for improvement comes down to. The Red Sox did enough to qualify for the postseason in consecutive years – the first time they did so since 2016 through 2018. That can’t be good enough on its own anymore after two disappointing exits. 

The lineup will be the central point of roster construction this winter. What’s your confidence level the Red Sox are ready to go to war offensively next time baseball resumes?

October’s baseball bazaar is just getting started. Narratives are barely in script development. Yet things are about to pick up with four fairly compelling Division Series matchups.

And the window for pivotal players to emerge has opened.

Perhaps the plot will stick to the main characters, and Shohei Ohtani and Junior Caminero and Jacob Misiorowski will steal the headlines, dominate the search engines and/or artificial intelligence summaries.

Yet the difference may come down to players who have not yet seized the spotlight, fading into the tapestry of a 162-game season yet now with an opportunity to break out in a larger way.

Herewith, four players who could decide the American and National league Division Series:

Rays-Yankees: Victor Mesa Jr.

He doesn’t even have 100 major league games under his belt. But goodness, can Mesa impact a baseball.

It’s been six years since Randy Arozarena took over the COVID bubble playoffs with a stunning power display of 10 home runs in an 18-game span. We are not expecting that from Mesa. But it’s safe to say he’s the Rays’ latest reclamation project to pay off.

Mesa hit 14 home runs in just 79 games, slugged .498, posted an .803 OPS and 128 wRC+. Sure, he’s never done that over a full season.

But he doesn’t have to.

Mesa’s on a heater in this moment, with a .355/.410/.605 line and four homers in September. And he will enter these playoffs bereft of expectations. Caminero is the Rays’ MVP hopeful, Yandy Díaz the swole and savvy veteran of past playoffs, Chandler Simpson the blazing speed merchant.

Mesa bats seventh. Kind of the perfect place to chill out and ambush a pitcher hopeful he’s navigated the teeth of the Tampa Bay lineup. We’ll see about that.

Guardians-White Sox: Tristan Peters

If you’re on your lunch break and looking for something to zone out on for a few minutes, get a load of this 18-pitch at-bat between Peters and Guardians ace Gavin Williams.

Williams led the AL with 248 strikeouts, but in the sixth inning of a scoreless game, Peters literally ended him, by fouling off 12 pitches and driving Williams’ pitch count from 95 to 113 before drawing a walk. The White Sox took the lead that inning and maintained their AL Central lead, though the Guardians would claw back and win the division title.

Now, the Central rivals square up again. And there couldn’t be a greater contrast than the teams’ pitching staffs: Cleveland will attack Chicago with two studs, Williams and Game 1 starter Parker Messick, who could be AL Rookie of the Year after posting a 2.56 ERA and 6.3 WAR.

The White Sox, with no such aces, will keep the bullpen door open constantly, a mix-and-match that worked well in their wild-card wins at Houston. That approach will be tougher.

No, the best asset the White Sox may have is their quietly potent lineup neutralizing Messick and Williams and lengthening the bridge to dominant closer Cade Smith. Enter guys like Peters, who almost serves as a second leadoff man in the No. 6 hole, after Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami and Co. have had their bite of the apple and before the Flyin’ Montgomery Fellas (Braden and Colson) and Game 2 wild-card hero Chase Meidroth dig in.

Peters posted 47 extra-base hits, plays a stellar center field and, like many of the above White Sox, fills a role akin to a deluxe glue guy. He yielded to defensively gifted Brenton Doyle in the Game 1 lineup against Messick, but this is a roster that will use every corner of it to best the Guardians. And this time, if Peters manages to wear out Williams again, the stakes will be much higher.

LOS ANGELES — After two days of four playoff games during the wild card round, Saturday gives us one more day full of baseball on Saturday to start the Division Series round in both the American League and National League.

The Dodgers will start Tarik Skubal in Game 1 of their NLDS against a potential bullpen game by the Braves, in the second game of the day, a 1 p.m. start at Dodger Stadium with temperatures expected in the triple digits.

“Hopefully everyone is drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated,” Skubal said Friday. “It’s going to be a hot one.”

But the first game of Saturday is in Cleveland, with the Guardians facing the Chicago White Sox in a true division series. The other ALDS is also an actual division series with Drew Rasmussen and the Tampa Bay Rays hosting Gerrit Cole and the New York Yankees.

Saturday ends with Robbie Ray and the San Diego Padres on the road to face likely NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski and the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Fox Sports has the NL playoffs this year, with TBS televising the AL side.

After Saturday, there’s one more chance for a day with four postseason baseball games. If both National League series don’t end in sweeps, next Wednesday, October 7 will feature two NLDS Games 4 and two ALDS Games 3.

Saturday Division Series schedule

10 a.m. PT: White Sox at Guardians
ALDS Game 1: Hagen Smith vs. Parker Messick
TBS (Alex Faust, Ron Darling)

1 p.m.: Dodgers vs. Braves
NLDS Game 1: Tarik Skubal vs. bullpen game
Fox (Joe Davis, John Smoltz)

3:30 p.m. PT: Yankees at Rays
ALDS Game 1: Gerrit Cole vs. Drew Rasmussen
TBS (Brian Anderson, Jeff Francoeur)

5:30 p.m. PT: Padres at Brewers
NLDS Game 1: Robbie Ray vs. Jacob Misiorowski
FS1 (Adam Amin, Adam Wainwright, A.J. Pierzynski)

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers open their 2026 postseason run on a sweltering Saturday afternoon, hosting the Atlanta Braves in Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium.

Tarik Skubal will start for the Dodgers in Game 1, the team’s prized trade-deadline acquisition set to make his seventh career postseason start. Amazingly, all six of his playoff starts with the Detroit Tigers were on the road, and he did quite well, with a 2.04 ERA and 56 strikeouts against only six walks in 39 2/3 innings.

“Usually when I walk out onto the field in a playoff game, it’s usually received with a lot of boos. So I’m excited to get some cheers in there for us,” Skubal said Friday. “And to pitch at home, I think it’s going to be a ton of fun in front of this atmosphere.”

The Braves haven’t yet named a starting pitcher and will likely go with a bullpen game on Saturday.

Keith Williams Jr. will sing the national anthem before Game 1 and former Dodgers (and Braves!) first baseman Adrián González will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

NLDS Game 1 info

• Teams: No. 2 seed Dodgers vs. No. 3 seed Dodgers
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 1 p.m.
• TV: Fox (Joe Davis, John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal)
• National radio: ESPN Radio (Dave O’Brien, Jessica Mendoza)
• Local English radio: AM 570 (Charley Steiner, Rick Monday)
• Local Spanish radio: KTNQ 1020 AM (José Mota, Luis Cruz)

MLB Trade Rumors published their estimates for 2027 raises for arbitration eligible players on Friday. Their system is based on a model created by Matt Swartz that inputs all the relevant historical data on arbitration salaries both agreed and arbitrated to generate an estimate for each player. MLBTR has been using it for over a decade and generally has a strong reputation for general accuracy.

The Detroit Tigers have 11 players due a raise in 2027. The Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays all have more than 11 players due an arbitration raise. Four other teams have 11 players exactly in line for a raise.

A good place to start getting a grasp on the offseason is through these estimates, a list of impending free agents, and an understanding of each club’s payroll and 40-man roster situation. For example, the Brewers and Rays are both generally small payroll clubs. The fact that they’re in the top seven teams in terms of players due a significant raise says that they may have some payroll issues this offseason, and could be pretty active in trading players away as they get more expensive. Of course we have to get into their projected 2027 payroll to really know if they’re facing a problem as most of these raises are very small, and they may have money coming off the books elsewhere.

The new CBA negotiations are going to weigh heavily on teams’ calculations as well. Other than in his first months on the job back in 2022, Scott Harris has shown absolutely no interest in the trade market, dealing away or acquiring talent only when he has to around the trade deadline, so who knows if he’ll even be thinking about trades this offseason, but there will probably be plenty of opportunities once the CBA is settled.

As noted by MLBTR (read the full 30 team breakdown here), service time data isn’t finalized by the league yet, and there may be some minor adjustments to come. We also don’t have the Super Two cutoff date that can alter the equation for a few specific players. For now, this is the best estimate we’re going to get. We’ll list the player, their age and service time, and then their 2026 salary followed by MLBTR’s arbitration estimate for 2027.

Will Vest-31 (5.100 years): $3.950MM —>$4.4MM

Zach McKinstry-31 (5.099): $4.2MM —> $5MM

Matt Vierling-30 (5.026): $3.255MM —>$3.7MM

Riley Greene-26 (4.110): $5.0MM —>$9.3MM

Spencer Torkelson-27 (4.076): $4.075MM —>$7.7M

Kerry Carpenter-29 (4.057): $3.275MM —>$4.1MM

Tyler Holton-30 (4.047): $1.575MM —>$2.4MM

Beau Brieske-28 (4.007): $1.157MM —>$1.5MM

Reese Olson-27 (3.123): $818,100 —>$1.5MM

Wenceel Pérez-26 (3.000): $803,400 —>$1.4 MM

Parker Meadows-26 (2.169): $805,300 —>$1MM

Using FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, the Tigers final estimated payroll for 2026 was $205M, whereas in 2025 that number was $155M. The Tigers spent right up to the luxury tax threshold back in the spring, but by dealing away Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize’s remaining salary, they ended up well under the limit. That was important as to not affect their draft position in a year in which they’re due a Competitive Balance Round A selection as a revenue sharing club. That’s the round where they drafted Kevin McGonigle in 2023, as well another really exciting young hitting prospect in Michael Oliveto in 2025. With a few sizable free agent contracts coming off the books, Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg should also have plenty of payroll flexibility.

Looking through the arbitration eligible list, the only players that are locks to return are Riley Greene and Reese Olson. Greene remains a real bargain, and the larger question in his case is whether the Tigers front office is even interested in an extension. If not, perhaps Greene could even end up traded in 2027. Meanwhile, Olson is still super cheap and the Tigers need starting pitching, so that’s a guaranteed keeper as well.

Most of the rest are seeing only small increases in their arb years. I added their ages to the list, because that’s often instructive. Are the Tigers going to pay 30-year-old Matt Vierling an extra half a million after two seasons where he was barely on the field? It’s not impossible but it seems pretty likely he’s gone with only one position in the outfield not spoken for and Ben Malgeri a younger, more well rounded version of Vierling. Wenceel Pérez isn’t getting a big enough increase to worry about, but again the Tigers need some roster spots open, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Pérez was released either. His eyesight is the more pressing concern at the moment and we wish him the best. Parker Meadows’ defensive ability is such an outlier that the Tigers might decide to keep him and see if he can finally get right, but with Max Clark in center field and Ben Malgeri, Brett Callahan, as well as Zach McKinstry and to some extent Javier Báez all able to play the position, perhaps they’ll finally just move on from Meadows as well. More likely they bring him to camp and see how it goes.

The Tigers will see if Will Vest can get back from the stress fracture in his elbow as he’s still inexpensive and the needs in the bullpen are so glaring. For similar reasons and lack of expensive, the Tigers will probably hang onto Holton and Brieske. They are starting to develop enough left-handed relief pitching that maybe they’ll shop Holton for something else, but that’s going to be a very small scale deal if it were to happen. It’s not easy to have too many lefties, generally.

The two biggest questions on the current roster are whether the Tigers will keep Kerry Carpenter and Spencer Torkelson. The latter continues to produce to a modestly above average degree at the plate, but by the standards of a first baseman that’s not terribly compelling production. Torkelson’s struggles on ground balls and the fact that the Tigers have some other candidates to play first base all say that Torkelson is far from certain to return. He’s actually a decent little trade chip if the Tigers do decide to move on, as his power and plate discipline all say he should be a better hitter than he is. Probably there’s a team out there that believes they can get more production out of him.

On the other hand, the Tigers have just Dillon Dingler, Hao-Yu Lee, and Eduardo Valencia holding things down as the right-handed bats should the Tigers part ways with Torkelson. Of the young players they can look to for help, it’s basically down to Ben Malgeri and John Peck. Torkelson for $7.7M doesn’t sound so bad in that light. The Tigers should just stop considering him their full-time first baseman, and they took some steps toward that posture in September.

Kerry Carpenter is another whose time in the organization could be coming to an end. The Tigers can certainly keep him into whatever kind of spring camp we have next year and then decide, but the injuries and one-dimensional nature of his game all say he’s going to be of limited utility. He’s also 29 and dealing with a case of plantar fascitis that didn’t resolve after months of rest and rehab. That’s sometimes a hard injury to fully resolve as players get older. The Tigers could certainly use him in a limited role as a part-time DH, considering the number of inexperienced outfielders they have available, but all of those outfielders are major upgrades defensively as compared to putting Carpenter back in right field very often.

His situation probably depends on his medicals in the spring, and he’s another one that certain teams might look to as a minor trade acquisition if they need some low cost power from the left side. Carpenter does still have three options available and a decent highlight reel, but right now he’s a part-time DH with a bit of a difficult medical history.

The Tigers ended the season with nine players on the 60-day injured list. Space will have to be opened back up on the 40-man roster for each of them. Expect at least a few to be released or possibly moved in trade.

LHP Bailey Horn

RHP Reese Olson

RHP Burch Smith

RHP Will Vest

INF Trey Sweeney

OF Kerry Carpenter

OF Parker Meadows

OF Wenceel Pérez

OF Matt Vierling

This offseason, Gleyber Torres, Jack Flaherty, and Kenley Jansen are headed to free agency, so they’ll come off the 40-man to open three spots, but they’ll still need to clear six spots to keep all their 60-day guys, and they’ll also need to protect Josue Briceño and Max Anderson from the Rule 5 draft in December, or whenever the draft happens this offseason. The 40-man certainly has plenty of players who could be lost with negligible impact.

We saw a new look Tigers team over the final 6-8 weeks of the regular season as many of the names we’ve mentioned here were on the injured list. It’s time to move on from some of them, let the new breed take over, and use available roster spots to add some supporting cast, most particularly serious relief help, this offseason.

It looks like a pretty quiet offseason is in store for the club in free agency. Acquiring one of the top relievers available should be a priority, and every team wants more starting pitching depth, but don’t expect much until the new CBA is in place. Even then the free agent market doesn’t have many interesting fits for the Tigers. Their focus should be to sort out their roster, especially in regard to the bullpen, right field, and first base, add some pitching help, and then be ready to pounce if the new CBA causes payroll and roster issues for other teams that the Tigers can exploit. They have payroll space and plenty of prospect depth should the front office decide to get active in a market for trades and free agents that should be fairly frenzied if the expected lockout goes as long or longer than last time around, and comes with significant changes to payroll structure around the league.

The best baseball happens in October. It's time for the best teams to make their mark and etch their name into history.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the second-best team in the National League this season and, after a first-round bye, are ready to get their best-of-five NL Division Series with the Atlanta Braves going.

The Braves are coming off a three-game NL wild card series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves were one of the few teams that LA struggled with throughout the regular season. Through six meetings, the Dodgers have beaten the Braves just once. Atlanta has outscored Los Angeles 26-15 and the Braves swept the Dodgers in their last three-game series at Truist Park in August.

However, luckily for LA, the Dodgers have home field advantage in this round.

The first two games will be played at Dodger Stadium. The series will switch to Atlanta for Game 3. If a Game 4 is necessary, the teams will remain in Atlanta. If there is a deciding Game 5, it will be held in Los Angeles.

Here's a look at the NLDS schedule between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves:

There's no time like October in baseball. It's the race for the coveted World Series pennant in the MLB postseason.

The San Diego Padres advanced to the National League Division Series to face-off against the top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-five game series beginning Saturday, Oct. 3.

The Padres found their way to the NLDS by defeating the Chicago Cubs in the National League wild card series in a 2-0 sweep. The Brewers were resting as they were awarded a first-round bye with the top record in the NL.

San Diego should feel confident going into the series with the Brewers. Each hosted a three-game series at their home ballpark. The Padres when 3-0 at Petco Park during the regular season, however on the road at American Family Field in Milwaukee, they lost the series 2-1. Overall they won the season series 4-2.

The five-game series begins with back-to-back games at American Family Field, then the series shifts to the West Coast at Petco Park in San Diego for Game 3 and Game 4, if necessary. A deciding Game 5 would be played back in Milwaukee.

Here's a look at the NLDS schedule between the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers: