Excellence has not waned under Chris Fagan and while this is their fourth grand final in a row, it is the first they have gone into as favourites
“Give me 80,000 people at the MCG and I was Hercules,” Brent Crosswell once said. “Give me a grey day at the Western Oval and I wasn’t worth a cracker.” Crosswell, who probably would have won two Norm Smith medals if there was such a thing back then, would have been right at home in this Brisbane Lions team. They need a big occasion. They need the game to have weight. When it’s a sleepy shift in western Sydney or Tasmania, they drift. They drive their coach spare. When it’s all chips in, they are peerless.
This is Brisbane’s fourth grand final in a row. But it’s been seven years at the pointy end of the ladder. In that time, the competition has completely changed. The rules have changed. The way the game is played has changed. Their grand final opponents have all dipped in and out of contention. But the Lions have remained football’s great constant. They too have lost players. They too have shifted the way they play. But their excellence hasn’t waned.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves hugs Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on September 23, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the division having been locked up last weekend and the seeding essentially being locked in as well, this was pretty much a dead-rubber series for the Atlanta BRaves as they took on a struggling Cincinnati Reds squad that is also playing out the string.
As such, the main thing that everybody was looking for was simply quality of performance and health rather than actual results. The Braves have gotten the results that they needed for the 2026 regular season and all they need now is to gear up for the Postseason and the long road that awaits them. So, did the Braves escape from this series unscathed and looking fine? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. Let’s hop into it.
The only thing to take away from this is that Ronald Acuña Jr. avoided a serious injury scare after fouling one off of the one part of his lower leg that wasn’t covered in armor. Needless to say, the Braves could ill afford to lose Acuña (or anybody else in the core, for that matter) so it was certainly a relief to hear that both the X-ray and the CT scan were negative and that Acuña ended up just needing a night of rest to bounce back from the shin contusion.
Anyways, JR Ritchie got the ball to start this one and for what it’s worth, he pitched a mighty-fine five innings during this contest. If the only mistake is giving up a homer to Elly De La Cruz, you’re doing fine. Ritchie has certainly earned an opportunity to pitch his way onto the Postseason roster and if all goes well in Miami, he’ll be there.
Other than that, the offense had nothing to write home about in this one. This was the tenth time that Atlanta had been shut out this season and hopefully it’ll be the last time — both in the regular season and in the Postseason!
Chris Sale went into this one needing 10 strikeouts to reach 200 on the season for the ninth time in what is likely going to end up being a Hall-of-Fame career. Walt Weiss mentioned in the pregame press conference on Thursday that he definitely would’ve preferred to not have Sale out there for 97 pitches but ultimately, I think he was going to stay in as long as it took if he was close and sure enough, Sale was close near the end of his start. Also, shout-out to Sal Stewart for being a homie and not challenging the strikeout pitch for No. 200 because that, um, was a bit outside.
On the other side of things, Andrew Abbott largely kept Atlanta in check for the most part as the Braves once again found runs very hard to come by against this Reds pitching staff. Fortunately, they actually did score on this particular night — Matt Olson hit his 41st dinger of the season in the sixth inning to tie the game up at one run apiece and then Austin Riley hit a homer of his own to knot things up at two in the seventh inning. There weren’t any fireworks after that in regulation, so it was time for the ghost runners to get involved in extra innings.
The tenth ended up being pretty straightforward — Brent Suter sat down the Reds in order in their half of the tenth and then Mauricio Dubón came through with a short dribbler that was as good as a line drive to center that brought home the speedy DaShawn Keirsey Jr. from third base and earned Dubón the Dubble Bubble helmet of honor for the night. Sweet.
Carlos Jorge, Héctor Rodríguez and Elly De La Cruz all homered in this game for the Cincinnati Reds as they continued to find their power stroke during this series at the expense of Atlanta’s pitching staff. Those three Reds players have a combined 37 home runs so far this season and 30 of those have come from Elly, so that tells you how much of a shock it was to see some of those balls get out for Cincinnati on this particular night.
Fortunately, the Braves were able to keep pace for the most part as their offense continued to ramp up a bit. Atlanta got this one started on the right foot with four runs in the first inning off of Brady Singer but instead of it turning into a walkover for the Braves, it turned into a serious baseball battle as Tyler Mahle had his first rough start for the Braves since arriving at the Trade Deadline. Austin Riley added on a home run in the fifth inning in order to bring the game to a 5-5 deadlock.
Mike Yastrzemski’s go-ahead single in the fifth inning ended up being the final run that the Braves put on the board in this one, as the aforementioned Rodríguez dinger off of AJ Smith-Shawver ended up being the one that turned the game around in favor for the Reds as it was a go-ahead, two-run shot of his own. The offense for Atlanta was certainly active and the fielding display on defense was very solid as well but sometimes it’s hard to still win a game when the pitching has a rough night. That was the case here as the Braves ended up dropping their final home series of the season.
So, the most important development to come from this series is that the Braves will have to go without Martín Pérez until the NLCS (if they get that far). Also, Mauricio Dubón finally got a walkoff hit, Chris Sale hit 200 strikeouts on the season and Ronald Acuña Jr. cane out of it healthy. Outside of that, it’s hard to really glean too much from this series since the Braves don’t really have a ton to play for and the Reds are certainly playing out the string, themselves.
With that in mind, it’ll certainly be interesting to see how JR Ritchie’s next start goes. That’s likely going to be his final audition for a Postseason roster spot and considering how Atlanta’s starting pitching depth has suddenly been tested, it’ll be crucial to see if he can perform. It is going to be very, very fascinating (and t o t a l l y not nerve-wracking at all) to see how everything works out for the rotation and the rest of the pitching staff going forward.
Anyways, the Braves are officially locked into the three-seed and set for the Wild Card Series beginning on September 29. While Atlanta was still able to do enough to win the division, it’s not lost upon me that Atlanta dropped 13 games against the Reds, Giants and Mets this season. Turning over even half of those games would’ve probably gotten the Braves the bye but also, I hate looking at “what-if’s” since it comes to that sort of thing since Walt Weiss has always been adamant that it’s not about who you’re playing but when you’re playing them. Either way, it’s still a tiny bit frustrating to think about so many winnable games against struggling teams that could’ve had a big impact on the Postseason seeding. Again, I’m not super upset about it since ultimately the goal is to get into the bracket no matter what and the Braves did that (and have a divisional flag to show for it) but boy oh boy, having that bye sure would’ve been nice!
So yeah, there’s the takeaways. It stinks to lose Martín Pérez, it’s good that they didn’t lose Ronald Acuña Jr. and let’s make sure that nobody else goes down as they wrap this season up in Miami.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 24: Luis Arraez #4 of the Philadelphia Phillies bats during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Another night. Another loss. Another lackluster performance from the offense.
It all could lead to another early-round postseason exit, IF the Phillies are even able to get there.
On Thursday night in front of a disgruntled Citizens Bank Park crowd, the lineup continued its September-long snooze in a 5-1 loss to the Brewers that featured four Phillies hits, only one of them for extra bases. It was their 12th loss in their last 20 games and, perhaps a bit coincidentally, the 12th time in 20 games this month they’ve scored 3 runs or fewer, including 7 of their last 9.
On Wednesday night they fell 4-1, piling up just six hits while going 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position, and are 1-for-16 in those situations over the last two nights. Oddly, hitting with runners in scoring position hasn’t really been a problem for the Phils this year. In fact, their .271 average with RISP is actually 3rd-best in baseball and their .798 OPS is 2nd.
But both losses had all the notes of recent October failures, and the fans in attendance recognized it.
And now, they may have also lost their star second baseman and primary trade deadline acquisition for the rest of the season.
Talk about Jesus Luzardo and his potential return all you want. This offense, as currently constituted, cannot win the World Series.
Arraez’ ankle injury trying to evade the tag of first baseman Jake Bauers last night just might be the death blow to an already underachieving lineup.
Luis Arráez went down in pain after running to 1st base on this play. He has left the game. pic.twitter.com/nbKPlGanAg
Even though Arraez was hitting only .278/.309/.369 with just 12 extra-base hits in 46 games with the Phillies, his arrival gave the offense a different dynamic as the No. 4 hitter. But in September, even with Arraez (who also wasn’t hitting great) an already struggling offense is having its toughest month yet.
September: .655 OPS, 79 wRC+
May: .667 OPS, 79 wRC+
April: .678 OPS, 85 wRC+
July: .686 OPS, 85 wRC+
August: .763 OPS, 108 wRC+
June: .778 OPS, 110 wRC+
Their 81 runs scored in September are tied for 5th-fewest in MLB, their .225 batting average is 4th-lowest, .302 OBP is 7th-worst and only the Angels have a worse slugging percentage than the Phils (.352) in September. They have hit just 15 home runs as a team this month, tied with Washington for the fewest in baseball, and their .655 OPS is also last.
The struggle bus has pulled up and welcomed all comers.
Kyle Schwarber leads the team with 5 HRs (one of only three players with more than one), but is hitting .171/.236/.395 with a .721 OPS. That’s second-best among the regulars. Bryce Harper’s .278 average and .348 OBP are fine, but his .367 slugging percentage, one homer and 7 RBIs aren’t getting it done in the No. 3 hole.
It’s pretty simple. If Schwarber and Harper don’t provide the power, no one will.
There is simply no way the Phillies can win a title with players hitting like this (in September):
Trea Turner: .226/.301/.269, wRC+ 83
Bryson Stott: .182/.286/.258, wRC+ 53
Justin Crawford: .239/.265/.391, wRC+ 72
J.T. Realmuto: .113/.214/.177, wRC+ 11
Brandon Marsh: .156/.174/.267, wRC+ 12
Only Alec Bohm is hitting well among the everyday starters, with a .319/.405/.464 slash line and 12 RBIs this month.
But much of these issues aren’t exclusive to September. It’s been a feature of the 2026 Phillies, not a bug. The Phils are 17th in runs scored this season, 22nd in average, 23rd in OBP, 21st in slugging, and 28th in wRC+.
If you judge this team’s position players by fWAR, they have the 5th-worst collection of non-pitchers in the sport. Only the A’s, Reds, Angels and Rockies have less WAR from their position players. As bad as his season has been, Turner actually has the 4th-highest fWAR (1.0) among Phils’ non-pitchers.
How exactly can anyone expect the Phillies to go on a deep playoff run with a roster like this, especially when going up against 100-win teams like the Brewers and Dodgers, and facing a brutal road wild card series against the Braves in Atlanta, provided they can even hold off the hard-charging D-Backs?
And now, the Phillies face some major decisions with Arraez out. Do they move Harper back to first base, second Stott to second and play Bohm at third? Do they insert Bryan de la Cruz and/or Derek Hill into right field? Or, do they simply play Stott at second and Sosa at third the rest of the way?
At this point, it hardly matters if Luzardo is going to be available for the wild card round. It would be nice if the high-priced offense could give their struggling relievers a little breathing room, but that doesn’t seem likely.
We’ve seen these Phillies lose playoff series when the pitching has been incredible. It doesn’t matter.
The lineup stinks. They can’t hit. It isn’t getting better.
Unless something drastic and unforeseen happens, there is no way they are winning a World Series like this.
Make sure to check out an all new Hittin’ Season podcast featuring a plethora of conversation about the Phillies’ offense and its chances in the MLB playoffs.
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BOSTON, MA - JUNE 5: Steven Wright #35 of the Boston Red Sox delivers as storm clouds roll in during the first inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers on June 5, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Another series, another run of silent bats. But Ceddanne Rafaela returned and played in two-of-three against the Cleveland Guardians.
The Cubs did clinch their playoff berth Thursday. So they are looking for seeding. Likewise, while the Red Sox are probably the second Wild Card, though there is a scenario where they fall to the third Wild Card due to losing some tiebreakers.
The action kicks off with a doubleheader: Sunday’s game was moved to Friday afternoon at 1:05 and Friday’s game was moved up to 6:05. Saturday remains scheduled as normal, but it is expected to be rained out. In that case (and maybe sometime Friday we’ll hear) the game will be moved to Sunday. And with the aforementioned rain, it’s believed the teams may fly to Tampa and play at Tropicana Field as a neutral site. As Joe Castiglione would say “can you believe it?”
Will Willson Contreras play this weekend? Don’t count on it, per the man himself. He may not feel ready by Tuesday. He does recognize how hard his teammates are playing every day and wants to help. Thanks again, Rangers!
The Red Sox have announced Alex Gamboa and Brayan Bello as the starters for Games 1 an2 2, respectively. Gamboa could be filling in as an opener for Jake Bennett to get some innings out of him before the postseason, but that hasn’t been announced. It would be weird to do a strict bullpen game in the first part of the doubleheader in case something goes wrong in the evening. Bello, of course, is coming off one of the best starts of his entire career. Hopefully the Sox can score enough runs to win this time for him.
Chad Tracy said in Thursday’s postgame interview that Patrick Sandoval was willing to volunteer for a bit of bullpen work and the one inning he tossed Thursday evening doesn’t remove him from consideration to pitch against the Cubs.
The Cubs will be sending two-fifths of the Mets 2026 Opening Day rotation the Sox. Clay Holmes has given up 17 runs over his last three starts and last 15.1 innings. He didn’t face the Red Sox when he was with the Mets in the first half.
David Peterson had and ERA over 6.00 with the Mets (3.85 FIP) and now has an ERA of 3.94 (4.20 FIP) with the Cubs. Unlike Holmes, Peterson has been on a roll allowing just a since run in each of his last three starts. One start before he did give up 6 in 3.2 innings. So it’s not that long a run of success.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is officially a 40-40 guy.
Alex Bregman suffered a foul ball to the face while in the on deck circle a few days ago. He’s questionable to play, but like Willson might try to get in a game to tune up for the playoffs if he’s not in pain.
Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki have 24 and 25 home runs, respectively.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, September 25 (1) (Fenway): Clay Holmes (3.25 ERA / 3.62 FIP) vs. Alex Gamboa (1.16 ERA / 3.16 FIP)
Friday, September 25 (2) (Fenway) : David Peterson (4.96 / 4.03 FIP) vs. Brayan Bello (4.49 ERA / 4.00 FIP)
Saturday, September 26 / Sunday 27 in Tampa?: TBD (— ERA / — FIP) vs. TBD (— ERA / — FIP)
Los Angeles, California - September 24: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 and Ethan Salas #8 of the San Diego Padres celebrate with teammates in the clubhouse after beating the Los Angeles Dodgers to secure a playoff spot on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
With a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night, the Padres won the series and more importantly secured a postseason berth. It is the first time in franchise history the team has reached the postseason in three consecutive seasons. San Diego is in, but with three games remaining against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park, there is still plenty to play for.
The Padres hold a one-game lead over the Chicago Cubs for the top Wild Card spot and if they can maintain that position they would host the Wild Card Series. The Philadelphia Phillies dropped another game back with a loss to the Milwaukee Brewers which means the Diamondbacks still have a chance to reach the postseason if they can get some wins to end the regular season and the Phillies continue to struggle.
San Diego was held hitless against Los Angeles until the top of the sixth inning. Ethan Salas broke up the no-hitter by Tyler Glasgow with a one-out grounder to left field that seemed to wake the slumbering Padres offense. Fernando Tatis Jr. followed with another single on a grounder ball to right field that allowed Salas to move to third base. With runners on the corners, contact man Dustin Harris hit a sacrifice fly to right-center field that was caught by Andy Pages. He did not even attempt to throw home and Salas tagged up and scored to give San Diego a 1-0 lead. Tatis later stole second base, but the inning ended when Manny Machado struck out.
The Padres kept the Dodgers off the scoreboard and returned to the plate in the top of the seventh looking to add on. Jackson Merrill hit a one-out double to right field and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk to put runners at first and second base. Glasgow was removed from the game and Austin Hays was called on to pinch-hit against Justin Wrobleski. Hays hit a sharp ground ball that kicked off the glove of Max Muncy and rolled into shallow left field, that allowed Merrill to score to give the Padres a 2-0 lead. Samad Taylor struck out for the second out of the inning, but Salas impacted the game once again with his second single which allowed Bogaerts to score from second to push the San Diego lead to 3-0. Tatis again followed Salas with a single to drive in the fourth run of the game and Harris grounded out to end the inning. The three-run inning allowed the Padres to take control of their playoff destiny.
The Dodgers were able to score a run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Adrian Morejon was called for a balk, which allowed Mookie Betts to score. Morejon ended the inning one batter later when he got Miguel Rojas to fly out to end that Los Angeles scoring threat.
The Dodgers were able to add a run in the bottom of the ninth, but they should have never had the opportunity. Mason Miller struck out Pages, got Hunter Feduccia to fly out and then struck out Tommy Edman, but the strikeout pitch bounced and got through Salas allowing Edman to reach first base. Shohei Ohtani who was limited throughout the game hit an RBI-double to left-center field to score Edman who advanced to second base on a defensive indifference and the Padres’ lead was cut to 4-2. Miller finally closed the game and earned the playoff-clinching save when he got Betts to ground out to Ty France at first base.
It is important to note that Nick Pivetta pitched very well in the game. He did not stay in long enough to earn the win, but that was not because he was ineffective. He needed 87 pitches to get through 4.2 scoreless innings, which was his most pitches thrown since his return from injury. Pivetta allowed just four hits and one walk to the Dodgers and he had seven strikeouts. He was in a little trouble when manager Craig Stammen removed him from the game, but Pivetta put together a solid night. Yuki Matsui and Jason Adam each completed scoreless inning. Morejon pitched 1.1 one innings with one run allowed on a balk and Miller allowed the one run in his inning of work.
Salas finished the night 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI and Tatis followed with a 2-for-3 night with a walk and RBI. Merrill and Hays had the only other hits in the game and despite San Diego being outhit 7-6, the Padres were able to end the night with a champagne celebration in the visitor’s clubhouse before returning to San Diego.
The Padres will look to maintain and perhaps improve their playoff position when they host the Diamondbacks tonight at 6:40 p.m.
The World Champion Knicks begin training camp on Monday.
Here are three things to keep an eye on while the team prepares to defend its title...
EXTENSION TENSION?
Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart and Miles McBride are all eligible for extensions.
As noted earlier this week, Towns’ side and the Knicks have been in regular contact throughout the offseason about the extension. Per a league source familiar with the matter, the talks have been positive. And the Knicks have made it known that they want Towns in New York for a long time.
Towns has also previously said that he wants to be a Knick for a long time, yet no deal has come to fruition.
ESPN reports that negotiations have become stagnant and an agreement ahead of camp is unlikely. I’m not refuting that reporting, but I’d be surprised if the situation hung over the team like a cloud during camp, as ESPN suggested.
Towns, per SNY sources familiar with the matter, has been at the Knicks facility ahead of the start of camp.
Based on recent history, I think any issue like this will generate much more noise outside of the Knick locker room than inside of it. The team is just coming off of a timeless championship run. Towns and the Knicks have until June 30 to come to an agreement, but it’s also worth pointing out Towns’ negotiations may impact extension talks for Hart and McBride.
Towns is making $57 million this season, he has a $61 million player option for next year, and is eligible for a four-year extension worth as much as $276 million.
At one point in offseason discussions, the Knicks made offers to Towns that started between $45 million and $50 million per season, per league sources. The length of those offers is unknown. Clearly, those offers were rejected. If Towns and the Knicks don’t find common ground on an extension, he won’t opt out of his $61 million player option for 2027-28.
Towns opting out would give the Knicks much more flexibility under the second apron to extend Hart, and possibly, McBride. But if he opts in for 2027-28, the Knicks will have much less financial flexibility under the second apron for other extensions.
To get more perspective on potential extensions for Towns, Hart, and McBride, I reached out to my friend and salary cap guru Yossi Gozlan, founder of The Third Apron.
For our hypothetical, Gozlan uses $75 million as a combined annual salary for the first year of Towns and Hart extensions. With this number, the Knicks would have roughly $13-$14 million in second apron space to offer McBride.
Feb 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) is greeted by guard Josh Hart (3) during a timeout in the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Let’s say the first year of Towns and Hart extensions are a combined $65 million (**not realistic, in my view but we'll use it for purposes of the exercise). The Knicks in this scenario would have roughly $23 million in space under the second apron. This, as Gozlan notes, should be enough to sign McBride and a good backup big man.
The Knicks have to project these extensions out further than next season, obviously. And when you look ahead to 2028-29, the numbers look a bit different, since Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are eligible for extensions during the 2027 offseason.
Let’s say Brunson signs a max extension. If you take Brunson’s deal and combine it with a total $75-$80 million in extensions for Towns and Hart, the Knicks would have around $10 million under the second apron for either McBride or another player. In this example, Anunoby does not sign an extension. That $10 million is certainly below McBride’s market value. So that’s where the situation gets tricky.
A couple of things can change here -- the salary cap numbers for future seasons can come in higher than current projections, which would give the Knicks more room under the second apron. Or the Knicks could change course and decide to spend above the second apron in team salary, but owner James Dolan has said that the organization will not spend above the second apron this season.
If the cap projections are accurate and the Knicks want to stay below the second apron, it will be difficult to extend Towns, Hart, and McBride under current configurations.
In that case, it will be interesting to see how the organization approaches McBride’s future. There are pathways to retain McBride via extension or via free agency -- but each pathway requires additional decisions/moves. I assume teams have -- and will continue to -- ask the Knicks about the possibility of trading for McBride.
CAMP CONFRONTATIONS?
As of Friday morning, the Knicks have 18 players under contract -- teams can have a maximum of 21 players under contract during training camp. I expect that rookie Tyler Nickel will take up one of the remaining spots, and I expect versatile third-year wing Kevin McCullar will eventually have a roster spot, as well.
Will the Knicks add another veteran ahead of camp?
Earlier this month, they signed veterans Bruce Brown Jr., John Konchar, and Ochai Agbaji to compete for a wing position. They also signed big men Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman to compete for a center position.
Mar 20, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ochai Agbaji (30) runs up court after a basket against the New York Knicks during the first half at Barclays Center. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
It will be interesting to watch those veterans during training camp and preseason games (you can expect Knicks regulars to play fewer minutes this preseason, so the team will have a chance to get an extended look at other players).
If the Knicks decide that they need a veteran center and wing on the roster, they will need to make a trade to shed salary.
As things currently stand, the Knicks only have room for one veteran minimum contract if they want to remain under the second apron in team salary. So, for example, if they wanted to keep Eubanks and Konchar, they would need to shed salary via trade.
They were in this situation last year with Landry Shamet, Malcolm Brogdon, and Garrison Mathews.
They only had room to keep one of those veterans, but were considering keeping two of them. Brogdon decided to retire (at the time of his retirement, there was no guarantee he was going to make the roster, despite reports to the contrary). So the Knicks kept Shamet and the veteran responded with a great season, making pivotal plays throughout the title run.
ROTATION ALTERATION?
Speaking of Shamet, I’ll be interested to see how Mike Brown deploys his bench this season -- maybe we get some clues about his bench approach during preseason games.
The defending champs (it still feels a bit foreign to type that phrase) have a deep bench with Shamet, McBride, Jose Alvarado, and Andre Drummond. They also have a pair of young players in Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara who showed that they can contribute last season.
The Knicks showed their commitment to Shamet (four years, $24 million), Alvarado (three years, $14.3 million), Diawara (four years, $11.2 million) and Clarkson (one year, $3.8 million) by re-signing them in the offseason. Kolek is under contact this season with a team option for next season (deadline to decide is June 29, 2027).
But Brown last season made it clear that he doesn’t play favorites/politics with his rotation minutes. He’s not going to play someone who isn’t producing just because they have a strong financial commitment from the Knicks.
He benched Clarkson early in the 2025-26 season and went back to him later in the year and in the postseason. Same goes for Alvarado. He benched free agent signee Guerschon Yabusele early in the 2025-26 season, as well. So the players who start the season in Brown’s rotation will not necessarily be the players who finish the season in it.
Former Rangers captain and interim manager has spoken about the "true leader" he believes Dan Neil can be for the Ibrox club.
Ferguson spoke to the former Sunderland captain and his father as part of his role as Rangers ambassador when the Glasgow club were looked to bring in the 24-year-old.
Neil has been a recent standout for Rangers, particularly in the back-to-back wins over Celtic.
"I had a good chat with him and his old man when Rangers were interested in him," said Ferguson, who will manage Rangers in the upcoming Tennent's Sixes.
"I came away so impressed by him. He was so eager to come to Rangers. I know there were a number of clubs after him, and Rangers did brilliantly to get him.
"It's always difficult when you don't have a good start, but it shows you how strong a character he is. He's come through that period and over the last couple of weeks, I think he became a real leader for the Rangers team."
On this date 25 years ago, a 38-year-old Michael Jordan announced his return as a player with the Wizards. “I’m doing it for the love of the game,” he said at the time. “Nothing else. For the love of the game.” The Wizards sold out every home game in his two seasons there but never made the playoffs.
I asked a few of my colleagues to share some thoughts about Jordan’s final un-retirement.
Sam Amick: As a kid who was a maniacal MJ fan despite growing up in the San Francisco Bay during the Warriors’ Run TMC era, his choice to put that Wizards jersey on hurt almost as bad as those Golden State years before Timmy, Mitch and Mully arrived. He had some good moments, but you just knew that nothing would compare to the (last) Bulls chapter that should have been his swan song.
Mirin Fader: I can’t get over that he was still a pretty productive player. That was truly remarkable, all things considered. But him in that blue jersey just looked wrong to me.
Jason Jones: I’m glad he eventually had his farewell tour, even as a Wizard. Things ended so abruptly in 1998 for someone of his stature; it was good the NBA could thank Jordan properly.
Law Murray: I still have mixed feelings about this comeback. I’m focusing on how it started, not how it ended. I know, hindsight is 50-50. But it is certainly one of the greatest flexes ever by a GOAT candidate. The man was the part owner and basketball president and decided to wear THAT uniform, for the love of the game!
Marcus Thompson II: All I even remember about the Michael Jordan era with the Wizards was Mariah Carey’s Wizards dress at the All-Star Game.
Joe Vardon: It was April 8, 2003. I was a young reporter covering Cleveland sports. The now-Guardians had their home opener during the day, and MJ and the Wizards were in town that night. I was late to the basketball game. I walked through the tunnel and behind the hoop close to the Wizards’ basket, on my way to my media seat.
There was a stoppage in play. Michael was at the elbow, with his hands on his shorts. He glanced up and looked right at me, right into my eyes, and held his gaze for a few seconds. It felt like an eternity. It was the only time I ever saw Michael play in person. He scored 26 points that night, and the Wizards won.
It was one of the few times in my career I was actually star-struck — the greatest player ever stared directly into my soul.
The last 24
📈 Upside. Which teams will exceed their projected win totals this season? John Hollinger has his picks — including the rebuilt Bucks.
⏰ Dame Time again? Damian Lillard is back for the Trail Blazers this season after sitting out with a torn Achilles tendon. Early reports are that he’s looking like his old self.
Mariah Carey’s famous jersey dress was actually more of a jersey gown, and man, was it glorious!
Carey wore the floor-length, fitted, blue Wizards jersey to honor Jordan at his final All-Star Game in Atlanta in 2003.The diva’s dress — OK, maybe it was her performance — made the GOAT emotional; Jordan looked like he was holding back tears.
But Carey’s isn’t the only iconic jersey dress. Singer Mya actually wore a powder blue North Carolina Tar Heels jersey dress (No. 23, of course!) in her video for “Best of Me, Part 2” with Jay-Z three years earlier, and it is the earliest instance of the dresses that I remember. Stylist June Ambrose tailored the dress, and it remains one of the style’s greatest moments. (The video was also considered really fly for that era.)
Here’s a little history: Jersey dresses were the result of one of the (in hindsight!) funniest eras of fashion. During the early 2000s, the trend for men was to wear oversized clothing. And I mean, extremely oversized. People were buying the largest sizes possible!
According to the New York Times in 2003, the dress style was created when Mitchell & Ness, the sporting goods brand, decided to use smaller jerseys that were sitting in the warehouse and turn them into dresses. And of course, due to its lack of sleeves and lower neckline, the basketball jersey is the best option of all sports for something like this.
So while Joe Vardon may have a moment where Michael Jordan looked into his eyes to remember the early 2000s, I’ve got the jersey dress.
WNBA playoffs
The field is set
It’s one of the best times of the sports calendar! (Yes, I will say this multiple times a year, and I am always right.)
The WNBA playoffs start Sunday, and I’ve got to be honest, y’all: I’m pretty pumped. This season has been so interesting, and the games have been good. There’s something for everyone. You’ve got young players — generational talents! — helping turn organizations into winners. A former soccer player turned basketball player putting on a show. (They don’t call her The Spectacle for nothing.) A team and an M’VP trying to repeat. A really tough expansion team (Golden State) in the playoffs for the second time in just their second season. Two bona fide MVP candidates who can give you 30 apiece on a good night, and 20-plus on a normal one. I couldn’t hit everybody, but this is all really riveting stuff!
And yet, everybody can’t win.
The first round starts Monday. Here are the matchups:
The spots are locked and the teams are ready to go 🚨
Check out the official bracket for the 2026 WNBA Playoffs presented by @madebygoogle.
The best-of-five semifinals begin Oct. 4, and the best-of-seven WNBA finals start on Oct. 17.
The same way fans have been arguing incessantly online about end-of- season awards, I think there’s a case for so many teams.
And finally, Sunset: Last night’s game between Connecticut and the Toronto Tempo was the final game for the Sun franchise. The team was sold to Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta in May for $300 million and will relocate to Houston. The Sun beat the Tempo 95-81 before a sellout crowd of 8,911.
Thanks for following along as I filled in for Zach. He’ll be back Monday — when The Bounce returns to five days a week.
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have trimmed their training camp down by four more to 28 on Friday morning, and they include a couple players that have had really strong training camps.
We wrote after Thursday night's 1-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks that defenseman Adam Jiricek, a first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2024 NHL Draft that he will make this decision on who to keep as a seventh defenseman with Tyler Tucker (tweaked right knee) currently shelved.
Well, at least for the time being, veteran Calle Rosen will be that guy.
Jiricek, along with 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg, Dylan Peterson and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, who also had a terrific game on Thursday, were all assigned to Springfield.
It's really not that big a surprise, despite that Jiricek, Peterson, who also had a strong training camp, Stenberg and Kaskimaki all are waiver-exempt.
All of the others, including Oskar Sundqvist, Nathan Walker, Jack Finley, Zach Dean, Dillon Dube and Rosen will require waivers to be sent down to the AHL.
For Jiricek, he can go to Springfield and play upwards of 25 minutes or more and continue to ascend and perhaps become a dominant player.
Kaskimaki displayed enough talent that he can be a sure-fire call-up should the Blues need one at any point, as can Peterson, who displayed a well-balanced mix of grit, toughness, some speed and an offensive skill set. The best thing for Stenberg is he needs to play a more refined role and play bigger minutes; his training camp produced very mixed results.
The Blues will need to trim five more players off the roster by the NHL's opening night deadline, which is 4 p.m. (CT) on Monday.
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Patrick Kane wore the Chicago Blackhawks jersey Thursday night against the St. Louis Blues. This road game was his one opportunity to get some preseason work in before the real games begin. The Blackhawks want to save his home debut for the regular season, so he isn't expected to play Saturday night's preseason finale at the United Center.
When the season does start, Kane and the Hawks will play in the first three games on the road before returning home to play the Blues on October 6th. Kane coming back has plenty of hockey implications, but the organization also recognizes the magnitude of his cultural importance in town.
Whenever Patrick Kane speaks now, you can hear the genuine excitement for him to be representing the Chicago Blackhawks on the ice again.
“Nice to wear the Blackhawks sweater again and wear the jersey and be back out there as a Chicago Blackhawk again, so that was a good feeling,” Kane said with a happy face.
On the ice, he showed glimpses of his former self. He may not be a 90-point player anymore, but his ability to create time and space for himself and others in the offensive zone is still incredibly noticeable.
Kane played on a line with Frank Nazar and Roman Kantserov, and they each had multiple chances set up by Kane. None of them were buried, but those floodgates are sure to open soon. More than anyone, 38-year-old Patrick Kane seems to be in mid-season form already.
"I thought we had some chances, some looks," Kane said of his line. "Maybe a little sloppy with the puck at times, but I didn't think we gave up much. Maybe trying too many plays at times instead of making the simple play to keep possession. We could have capitalized on some chances."
When Connor Bedard comes back, that may be his spot instead of Frank Nazar, but the line is going to be strong in the offensive zone all year long regardless. Patrick Kane has the hockey IQ to make those around him better, even now, and it is already showing in the chances that were created in St. Louis.
Kane recognized that they were a bit rusty, but he also admitted that game action, albeit preseason, is much different than practice. It was good for him to get into this game.
"When [Patrick Kane] got the opportunity to be out there, I thought he did a good job," head coach Jeff Blashill said. "He competes, he reloads hard, he's doing all the things we're asking him to do. I thought he and Roman [Kantserov] showed good chemistry again. It was a good first step."
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In Elliotte Friedman's latest episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts, the NHL insider revealed that Dylan Larkin has expanded his trade list as he continues to pursue a move away from the Detroit Red Wings.
The list is reportedly up to seven teams, and the Minnesota Wild are still among them.
''One of the things I heard about Larkin is that there are more teams that he's willing to go to than what have been reported," said Friedman.
"I think some of the other teams there are Colorado, Washington, and I suspect, in case people didn't know them already, Dallas and Tampa.''
Of those seven teams, a deal is unlikely with the Panthers and Golden Knights, as they don't have the future assets to make it work and likely don't want to part with many of their NHL veterans.
The Stars and Avalanche are in the same boat: fairly happy with their rosters and lacking tradeable assets, but they could still find a way to make a deal work.
The Capitals and the Wild are the most interesting teams that could make it work with the Red Wings.
So, with all of this, does Larkin expanding his trade list make configuring a deal for Larkin more difficult? The simple answer is yes, because they now have two more teams to compete with, but outside of Washington, their competition likely couldn't match what the Wild have at their disposal.
It also raises the asking price for Larkin. With more teams able to discuss trades, the Red Wings gained a bit of leverage and could demand more, or better assets, in a deal.
That's where the Wild will be most affected by the expanded list.
It doesn't end their chances of acquiring Larkin, but it does add to the difficulty.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers to clinch a wildcard spot at Dodger Stadium on September 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Padres took out the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-2, and clinched a playoff spot, leaving one playoff position open for either the Phillies or Diamondbacks.
Arizona begins play on Friday two games behind the Phillies.
So how much of a chance do they have of making the Major League Baseball playoffs? Here’s a rundown of baseball’s playoff races and what teams already have clinched.
Lovullo is on a one-year contract, and has yet to be extended beyond 2026. Earlier in the year, reporting suggested it was a simple cause-and-effect: if Lovullo wants to be retained, he needed to get Arizona back to the postseason.
Even the manager himself noted as much. The Diamondbacks are still, somehow, alive in this playoff race, though they will need an improbable sweep of the San Diego Padres this weekend to make it in.
But according to the latest comments from Diamondbacks team president and CEO Derrick Hall, the Lovullo decision is not that simple.
“I highly doubt that Torey Lovullo would accept a one-year deal. This guy has been here for 10 years; he took a team to the World Series, he’s 11 games over .500 this year … There seems to be an ownership group that is not totally convinced that he’s the right guy for the job,” Gambadoro said.
“If that’s the case, then maybe he does decide to say ‘let me see what’s out there.’”
The Friars beat the Dodgers 4-2 on Thursday night in Los Angeles, formally punching their postseason ticket with three games left in the season and as exciting as that is, there is still plenty to play for. San Diego is still in position to host the National League Wild Card series at Petco Park.
That interview took place months before the 2025 season — yes, 2025 — when Quero predicted the White Sox to be improved because of their collective youthful energy, even coming off 121 losses.
“I mentioned it again in Spring Training,” Quero told MLB.com during a recent interview. “Maybe some people think I was crazy, but I’m not. The guys are proving it right now.
“I’ve played with a lot of players here in the Minor Leagues, we played in the playoffs, too. It’s the base of a really good team we play with right now. You can see the guys are hungry and we play really good baseball.”
Sep 18, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Athletics left fielder Zack Gelof (20) watches as center fielder Henry Bolte (33) makes a catch in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Welcome to Friday A’s fans!
With just three games remaining in the regular season, this seems like an appropriate time to reflect on an Athletics season that began with promise before a rash of injuries and a league-worst pitching staff contributed to another summer collapse.
Making matters worse is the fact that the 2026 American League West was the worst division in MLB history. Either the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers will win the division and play in the playoffs despite finishing the season with at best a .500 record. As a result, this year will go down as a missed opportunity for the A’s to be involved in a postseason race, something the franchise has yet to experience under manager Mark Kotsay.
However, given the pitching staff Kotsay had at his disposal, it was not surprising that the A’s finished the season with the league’s second-worst ERA and allowed the second-most runs, behind only the Colorado Rockies. Additionally, the Green and Gold allowed the most home runs and posted the league’s second-worst WHIP.
Right-hander Luis Severino earned $22 million to make 12 starts before missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, while fellow veteran Jeffrey Springs allowed more home runs than any other pitcher. J.T. Ginn and Gage Jump at least showed flashes of promise, giving the team two rotation building blocks. Whoever the A’s new pitching coach is will need to help right-hander Luis Morales get back on track after his significant regression this season.
The A’s league-worst bullpen comprising many waiver-wire arms also failed to consistently retire opposing batters, resulting in outfielder Carlos Cortes pitching in nine blowout losses. Outside of Hogan Harris and Luis Medina, the team needs relievers it can trust. That is why the new general manager should prioritize acquiring bullpen reinforcements, along with at least one starting pitcher, this winter.
The A’s offense should be fine, provided the injury bug does not bite again. In fact, the unit provided some of the best moments of the 2026 season, from dramatic comebacks to breakout performances and unexpected contributors.
Rookie Henry Bolte looks like the answer to the A’s center field and leadoff hitter questions, while versatile Zack Gelof shrugged off injuries to enjoy a resurgent career-best season. Now if only right fielder Lawrence Butler could stay consistent for a whole season instead of waiting until the team is out of contention to start performing better.
What was your favorite moment from 2026? Which players lived up to expectations and who underperformed? Will the Athletics get one final season in Sacramento, or will the lockout derail the 2027 campaign?
The Cubs last played the Red Sox July 20, 2025 at Wrigley Field, 432 days ago. They lost 6-1 after winning the first two games of that series.
In hindsight, that’s when the wheels started falling off the 2025 season. The Cubs entered that game leading the NL Central by one game and were 20 games over .500 at 59-39. They went 33-30 after the July 20 loss, which isn’t terrible, but the Brewers went 38-25 and won the division by five games.
These games are more meaningful for the Cubs, as they could still finish as the fourth, fifth or sixth NL postseason seed. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are most likely headed to New York Tuesday to begin a Wild Card series.
For more on the Red Sox, here’s Mike Carlucci, a writer for our SB Nation Red Sox site Over The Monster.
As the Cubs arrive in Fenway Park they face perhaps the most mercurial Red Sox team in a generation. Boston famously got off to a disastrous start. Alex Cora and the entire (well, mostly, Andrew Bailey survived) coaching staff departed unceremoniously, or perhaps slightly ceremoniously, in a van that said “Coaches for Hire.”
But then a 15-game winning streak. And a streak of 9. They couldn’t lose.
After about 40 gamers though, things slowed down. With a playoff berth clinched, Boston welcomes the Cubs to Fenway Park on a weekend the city braces for a nor-easter. Sunday became Friday afternoon. Friday evening became…slightly earlier on Friday. Saturday is… possibly being moved to Tropicana Field on Sunday. On the NESN post-game show the plan was for the players to be packed and ready to go to Tampa for a game Sunday and then from there to New York for the Wild Card.
Former Cub Willson Contreras hopes to play in the series after getting hit in the hand by the Texas Rangers. He’s still in a lot of pain trying to swing and isn’t sure he will be ready for the Wild Card. Garrett Crochet will probably not appear in any games. However they did move him to the Spring Training park to keep building up. Maybe if Sunday is played in Tampa he’ll make a surprise entrance?
Alex Gamboa will be the starter/opener in Game 1. He’s gone as deep as 4.0 innings before so it might be a short start rather than a strict open. It’s possible Jake Bennett provides some bulk innings as well. Bennett, in his rookie year, had a fantastic first half but tired in the second half.
Brayan Bello gets the start for Game 2. He’s been starting with an opener most of the summer but last time out against the Rays he went 8.0 brilliant innings in a return to starting the game in the first inning himself.
Who pitches on Saturday? It could be anyone! Possibly Jedixson Páez as he made one appearance for Boston already and could save the bullpen from carrying those innings. He’s tossed 6.2 innings in his career, all in 2026, with both colors of Sox while allowing 14 earned runs. You hate to think of a player as expendable but, in a potentially rain-shortened (or canceled) game 162 that is meaningless to at least one team involved, that just might be the bar.
Fun facts
This is only the second time that the Cubs have finished the regular season playing an American League team, and the first outside Chicago. They wrapped up 2020 on the South Side vs. the White Sox.
Since interleague play began in 1997, the Cubs have played only 27 games against the Red Sox, tying for their fewest against an American League team. They also have played 27 vs. the Athletics. They have played 28 vs. the Orioles and Rays, 29 vs. the Angels and 30, their total against Boston after this weekend, vs. the Blue Jays and Rangers.
The Cubs are 14-13 against the Red Sox, despite having been outscored by 11 runs, 142-131. The Cubs are +6 in all games except the second one in their last visit to Boston: a 17-0 shellacking on April 27, 2024.
The Cubs lost that series finale, too, 5-4, leaving each team with six wins when they have met in Boston. Half of the Cubs’ wins came in 2014, when they swept the Sox by scores of 2-0, 2-1 and 16-9. They went 1-2 in each of their three other series at Fenway Park. They split the first two games of all three.
(Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
Probable pitching matchups
Friday, Game 1: Clay Holmes, RHP (2-4, 4.26 ERA, 1.241 WHIP, 4.11 FIP in eight starts with Cubs; 6-8, 3.25 ERA, 1.165 WHIP, 3.62 FIP in 17 starts overall) vs. Alec Gamboa, LHP (1-0, 1.16 ERA, 1.065 WHIP, 3.16 FIP)
Friday, Game 2: David Peterson, LHP (6-2, 3.94 ERA, 1.394 WHIP, 4.20 FIP in 15 games with Cubs; 9-8, 4.96 ERA, 1.514 WHIP, 4.03 FIP in 31 games overall) vs. Brayan Bello, RHP (6-7, 4.62 ERA, 1.371 WHIP, 4.00 FIP)
Saturday: TBD vs. TBD
Times & TV channels
Friday, Game 1: 12:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Friday, Game 2: 5:05 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
Saturday: 6:15 p.m. CT, Marquee Sports Network
As you have likely heard, there is a chance that the Saturday game might be moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and played on Sunday instead of Saturday. If that happens, the game would likely be played at 2:05 p.m. CT so as to match up with all the other last day of the regular season starting times.
Prediction
I throw up my hands here. I have no idea. I like picking two of three so why the heck not. The Cubs need to win one more game than the Padres do this weekend against the Diamondbacks to finish ahead of them for a wild card spot, and one more game than the Phillies do against the Rays to finish ahead of them. (Those numbers include the fact that the Cubs own the tiebreaker against both the Padres and Phillies.)
Up next
The postseason! The Cubs will be playing Tuesday. Against … the Phillies, or the Padres, or the Braves, or even possibly the Diamondbacks, and at this time we have no idea where. As always, we await developments.
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 23: Sam Antonacci #17 of the Chicago White Sox bats during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Sydney Schneider/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We are entering the final week of the regular season. The playoff field is mostly set, with, realistically, just the Rangers battling the Astros for the AL West – the loser stays home – and the White Sox battling the Guardians for the AL Central – the loser gets the final Wild Card spot. The Royals, obviously, are not included in this year’s field.
And yet, I discovered last year that having your local team miss the playoffs doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The Royals also missed the playoffs that year, and yet I became invested in the Seattle Mariners. Cal Raleigh was such a fun story last year, and they had all that amazing pitching. Plus, they’d had one of the most exciting trade deadlines, acquiring Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor. So when it came time for the playoffs to start, unlike most seasons, I kept watching.
And what I found was an absolutely liberating experience. When the Mariners managed to scrape past the Tigers and Tarik Skubal, it was nearly as much fun as watching the Royals win. But when the Phillies lost on the terrible defensive play, I didn’t feel the crush of defeat the way I normally do. When the Mariners blew the late lead in game seven of the ALCS, I felt a small twinge, but rebounded very quickly. I was even able to transfer my temporary allegiance to the Blue Jays and the exciting story of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smashing every single ball thrown near him. When they also blew a late lead in game seven of the World Series, again, a small twinge, but then I was able to simply enjoy how cool Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s postseason performance had been.
Every season, 18 teams stop playing after the regular season ends. From that point on, it’s constant attrition until there can be only one winner. It seems silly that only 1/30 of the fans get to enjoy the season based on their team winning the whole thing. So I highly recommend giving temporary fandom a shot. It can be rewarding without being nearly as punishing as the usual thing.
That said, I think even temporary fandom has to be a bit organic. If you try to force it, it simply doesn’t work. That’s what I found out last year when I tried to transfer my Phillies fandom to the Brewers. Milwaukee just wasn’t able to appeal to me for whatever reason, and so I became an AL-only fan. But to give you all the best chance I can to find that organic excitement, let’s go over some of the storylines for each of the playoff contenders, and hopefully you’ll find at least one team you can vibe with!
The Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in the American League, and they’ve done it on the backs of two young position players who could hardly be any different. Junior Caminero has battled with Yordan Alvarez for the AL lead in home runs for most of the season; he leads all of MLB in swing length and bat speed. He leads the American League in EV90 – a stat that averages the top 10% hardest-hit balls by a player. On the other end of the spectrum is Chandler Simpson. Simpson doesn’t have a single barrel to his name in the entire season, though he squares the ball up better than anyone; he just doesn’t hit it very hard. He almost never walks or strikes out. But he has the fourth-best batting average in MLB and leads the AL in stolen bases. He’s basically what you would get if you took Luis Arraez and traded away what little power he has for elite defense and speed.
Drew Rasmussen leads the rotation, but Griffin Jax and Shane McClanahan (who will miss at least the ALDS) have been good too. Freddy Peralta has been rejuvenated after being acquired at the deadline. Nick Martinez has been solid. Ian Seymour has been significantly better than his ERA, but might end up in the bullpen for the playoffs, where he could really dominate. If he does, he’ll join Bryan Baker – battling for MLB saves leader – and Kevin Kelly – 24th in MLB for reliever fWAR.
The New York Yankees are probably a tough sell for most Royals fans, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about them a little. Aaron Judge is a generational talent. Ben Rice is having the kind of breakout season we all hope to see from Jac Caglianone next year. Cody Bellinger is still very good; Paul Goldschmidt is having a heck of a last hurrah. Giancarlo Stanton is trying to come back to attempt more playoff heroics.
On the pitching side, Cam Schlittler is probably going to win the AL Cy Young Award. He somehow overshadows Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and the breakout of Ryan Weathers. They have two relievers who have topped 2.0 fWAR in setup man Brent Headrick and closer David Bednar.
The Boston Red Sox might be the poster children for the idea that good things can happen when an underachieving team fires its manager, even if the manager is widely regarded as quite good at his job. Roman Anthony was one of the best prospects in baseball last year and is starting to come back into his own again after battling injuries all season. Mickey Gasper was a waiver wire pickup who has nearly carried the offense. Willson Contreras is having the best season of his good career at age 34. Cedanne Rafaela has been electric in center field, though he injured his hamstring and his availability for the playoffs is in question.
Rookie Payton Tolle might have stolen the show with his tremendous pitching, but Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez are no slouches. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman have always been very good, but Brayan Bello has been a revelation since being bumped from the rotation, and Erik Miller has turned out to be a very good deadline pickup. Collectively, the Red Sox have had the most valuable bullpen in the AL, and it isn’t particularly close.
The Chicago White Sox are this year’s version of the 2024 Royals. They lost 102 games last year and this year they’re battling with the Guardians for the division and will settle for a Wild Card. And that’s just the very beginning of why they’re going to be my favorite team to start the 2026 playoffs! They also have Team Italy contributors Sam Antonacci and Kyle Teel. They have Munetaka Murakami being way better than people expected. They have two young sluggers named Montgomery who are not related to each other. They have a huge surprise in Tristan Peters and a young veteran taking yet another step forward in Miguel Vargas, and somehow Chase Meidroth has exploded.
They don’t have much of interest in their rotation, but Grant Taylor has been pretty good in the bullpen. They recently promoted top pitching prospect Hagen Smith to the bullpen and demoted top pitching prospect Noah Schultz from the rotation to the bullpen, and both have been utterly dominant.
I don’t want to spend the time to go over the Texas Rangers or the Houston Astros. We’re still not sure which of them will even make it; the Astros are still stained by the cheating scandal of nearly a decade ago in many minds, and the Rangers do everything they can to be political and on the wrong side for my taste. The Rangers have Nicky Lopez, and the Astros have Yordan Alvarez. Either team could be the first-ever MLB team to make the playoffs with a sub-.500 record, and maybe you want to root for the chaos and gnashing of teeth that such a team winning the World Series would lead to. And who would I be to stop you?
The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to be a hard sell for many, but they have a certain appeal. They’re going for the first threepeat since the Yankees did it from 1998-2000. Shohei Ohtani won’t be pitching, but he should still be hitting, and that’s still worth the price of admission. Josue De Paula earned a promotion to the bigs when Shohei was hurt a couple of weeks ago, and he did well enough that I absolutely would not count him out of postseason appearances even after he was demoted upon Shohei’s return. Max Muncy is still Max Muncy. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernández are no longer as good as they once were, but they’re still good. Enrique Hernández is somehow still around and has always been a monster for LA in the postseason.
Their pitching, as usual, is just silly. Tarik Skubal is taking up all the oxygen, but Blake Snell has won a pair of Cy Young Awards; Yoshinobu Yamamoto almost single-handedly won the World Series for them last season; Tyler Glasnow would have won a Cy Young if he could have ever pitched a full season; Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan, and Roki Sasaki have all been very good. In their bullpen, Edwin Díaz has been a disappointment, but Tanner Scott has rebounded in a big way, and they have old friends Will Klein and Kris Bubic to help carry the load, too.
The Atlanta Braves have Ronald Acuña Jr. – he’s always fun. Drake Baldwin is an exciting young catcher. Ozzie Albies has bounced back. Matt Olson has hit 40 home runs for two straight seasons. And old friends Lane Thomas and Mike Yastrzemski are role players who could be key pinch-hitters on the nights they don’t start.
On the pitching side, it’s Chris Sale and then everyone else. Chris is 37, a future Hall of Famer, and somehow he’s still dealing so well that if it wasn’t for the next starting pitcher we’re going to talk about, he’d be a strong candidate for the Cy Young Award this year.
When you talk about the Milwaukee Brewers, you don’t start with the hitting; you start with Jacob Misiorowski. He is, as hinted above, a near lock for this year’s NL Cy Young at only 24. He has a 1.86 ERA, and he has a 31.7% K-BB%, which is higher than the K% of all but two other starting pitchers in all of baseball. They also have three flamethrowing relievers at the back end of their bullpen: Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby.
But actually, their offense is pretty fun, too. Brice Turang has taken even a step above last year’s breakout. Jackson Chourio bounced back after taking a dip in his sophomore year. Jake Bauers has come out of nowhere at age 30. Garrett Mitchell has done the same, though he’s still just 27. And William Contreras is still a truly excellent catcher. Andrew Vaughn continues his career resurgence after arriving from Chicago last season. Christian Yelich is no longer the player he once was, but he used to be so good, and for some, it might be fun to watch him try to finally capture a championship.
The Brewers are also a small-market team and will finish the season with more wins than any other team.
The Philadelphia Phillies have the same exciting guys they’ve had for a few years. Bryce Harper might have some weird opinions, but he can hit a baseball. So can Kyle Schwarber, though I don’t know if he has any weird opinions.
Pitching has been their real calling card this year, though. Cristopher Sánchez was on a Cy Young track until the Royals roughed him up and he finished looking far more mortal. They also have Zack Wheeler, though he’s had a similar arc to his season. Jesús Luzardo was fantastic before he got hurt, though he promised to return for the playoffs and successfully threw a bullpen session recently. Jhoan Duran is still one of the best closers in the sport, and his sidekick is former Royal Jonathan Bowlan.
The Chicago Cubs start and mostly end with Pete Crow-Armstrong, the 40-40 center fielder who seems destined not just for this year’s Gold Glove, but also a platinum glove and an MVP Award. Seiya Suzuki and Alex Bregman have been adequate sidekicks for the guy who has basically been the best player in MLB with little to no competition. Bregman, unfortunately, suffered multiple facial fractures from an errant foul ball, and his availability for the playoffs is in question.
On the pitching side, I have to be honest: no one really stands out. Their best pitcher by fWAR has been Ben Brown, and he was ruled out for the remainder of the season at the beginning of the month. The next most valuable has been Shota Imanaga, and he’s been plenty good but simply cannot compare to the other studs around the sport.
The San Diego Padres have Fernando Tatis Jr., and you don’t need much more to be interested in them. But they also have Manny Machado still chugging along. Jackson Merrill has been enjoying a bounce-back campaign. Xander Bogaerts has been playing his best ball in years. Old friends Samad Taylor and Freddy Fermin have valiantly held down bench roles. But it’s old nemesis Ty France who seems to have boosted the Padres from “playoff contender” to “championship threat”, at least on the hitting side. He’s enjoying the best campaign of his career and treating all of MLB as he always has the Royals. At least now everyone else feels our pain.
Now, if you actually want to know what’s powering the Padres’ success…remember how I mentioned the Red Sox had the most valuable bullpen in the AL and it wasn’t particularly close? They lead the second-place AL team by 1.6 fWAR. The Padres lead the Red Sox by 1.4 fWAR. Mason Miller has had a nearly 4-WAR season as a reliever. Adrian Morejon has the third-best reliever fWAR in baseball at 2.8. Yuki Matsui has a sub-1.00 ERA over the past month. Michael King leads their rotation, and he’s been more “quite good” than “fantastic,” but if you want to see a team try to pull off the HDH victories of 2014 and 2015, these Padres might be the team to do it.
I won’t tell you which team to pick, though I’ve told you my favorite in the AL. After doing this exercise, I think I’m probably leaning toward the Padres in the NL, but maybe The Miz can attract me back to the Midwest. But really, it doesn’t matter which team you pick. Just that you pick one and give yourself an additional opportunity to feel some relatively risk-free joy in a world where it can be so hard to find.
