Alex Bregman stood in the box at Tropicana Field on Sunday, Sept. 27 with a week-old set of facial fractures and sent a message. He had said he would not miss the playoffs despite the devastating injuries and Sunday, showed he's ready. The Chicago Cubs third baseman hit a Tanner Houck sinker for a 417-foot home run in his first at-bat of the day.
Two innings later, he drove another homer 402 feet. In the fifth, he hit one almost as far that went just foul, and he settled for a single.
On Sept. 20 in Cincinnati, Bregman, 32, was standing near the on-deck circle when Michael Busch checked his swing and fouled a pitch his way. The ball caught Bregman just below the left eye and left multiple fractures in his face.
He insisted he could play and the Cubs never put him on the injured list. He sat three games. By Wednesday, Bregman was tracking pitches off a machine. He came back Friday at Fenway as the designated hitter, with a C-flap on his helmet covering the left-side of his face. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in a 4-3 loss.
Sunday, when he got on base, he switched his batting helmet for one with double C-flaps.
Bregman came into the finale with 26 homers, 32 doubles, 89 RBI and a .799 OPS in 154 games this season.
The Cubs head to San Diego after Sunday's game to face the Padres in the National League wild card game.
Sep 27, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Fans sit in the stands during a rain delay before a scheduled game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Well, that was dumb.
About three hours after the scheduled first pitch, and about an hour after the original time before it was moved up earlier this weekend, the Yankees and Orioles’ season finale in the Bronx was officially cancelled. The nor’easter affecting the East Coast this weekend already caused Saturday’s game to be moved to Friday, and now it has officially led to Sunday’s planned season-ending clash to be cancelled. With this being the final day of the regular season and the playoffs beginning on Tuesday, as you might expect, this game will not be rescheduled, as it didn’t have any impact on possible playoff position.
You could kind of sense that there was not actually going to be any baseball played, as the Yankees never formally released a lineup for the game, other than that Elmer Rodríguez—who was technically never on the active roster today—as the probable starting pitcher. However, the three-hour wait between the “this game will not start on time” and “it’s cancelled” seemed unnecessary, but hey, we don’t get paid the big bucks to make these decision.
With that, the Yankees’ 2026 regular season is officially in the books. They will finish with a 93-68 record in their 161 games, a half-game shy of the 94-68 record with which they ended 2025. Like that year, they will have to settle for second place behind a surprising team, with the Rays being the culprit this time around instead of the Blue Jays.
With there being nothing to play for standings-wise for most of the last week, a lot of the attention has already been on the postseason, but now we can move our full focus to Tuesday and Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, who are now confirmed to face nemesis Cam Schlitter at 8pm ET. See you then.
The Braves won nine of the 13 regular season meetings in 2026. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 2022 and 2023 National League Division Series.
The Phillies last won the World Series in 2008, but have reached the Fall Classic twice since then, losing to the New York Yankees in 2009 and Houston Astros in 2022.
Philadelphia got off to a miserable start to the 2026 season and fired manager Rob Thomson but turned things around over the summer with interim manager Don Mattingly to stake their claim on a wild card spot.
Phillies playoff schedule
*If Philadelphia clinches wild card. Game 3 time subject to change
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The Yankees' 2026 regular season is in the books. Sunday's 1:05 p.m. game at Yankee Stadium between New York and the Baltimore Orioles, which was originally moved up from 3:20 p.m., is canceled due to inclement weather.
"The game will not be rescheduled," the Yankees said in part of a release.
Thirty-three minutes before the game's original start time, the Yankees announced on social media, "Please be advised today’s game will not start on time."
After more than three hours without an update, the game was called.
New York enters the postseason with a 93-68 record, which secured the American League Wild Card's first spot.
The Yankees start a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox this week at Yankee Stadium with starting pitchers and game times set.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 14: Reece Beekman #26 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball during the game against the Chicago Bulls on July 14, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards have signed four players to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced Sunday.
Reece Beekman
Trevor Keels
Chris Livingston
Steve Settle III
The Washington Wizards have signed G Reece Beekman, G Trevor Keels, F Chris Livingston, and F Steve Settle III to Exhibit 10 contracts.
In a related move, the team has waived F KeShawn Murphy.
The team also announced it waived KeShawn Murphy, who recently signed an Exhibit 10 deal. He’s a candidate to sign back with the Capital City Go-Go.
Beekman, 24, spent four seasons at Virginia before going undrafted in 2024. He spent his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors and later the Brooklyn Nets. The 6-foot-3 guard played last season with the Osceola Magic — the Orlando Magic’s G League affiliate. He averaged 8.8 points, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
Beekman and Livingston excelled with Washington’s Summer League team in July. Beekman capped his showing with a 13-point, 15-assist performance against the Atlanta Hawks’ Summer League squad.
Keels, 23, will spend training camp with the Wizards and likely join the Capital City Go-Go following the preseason. It’s a homecoming for the Duke product, who is from Clinton, Maryland, and played high school basketball at Paul VI Catholic.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 15.6 PPG on 40.4% 3PT in the G League last year. His best showing was a 46-point outburst in which he made all 12 of his 3-point attempts with the Sioux Falls Skyforce — the Miami Heat’s G-League affiliate.
Settle played five collegiate seasons, his first three at Howard before transferring to Temple for the final two. He spent last season in the G League with the Skyforce, averaging 8.2 points across 14 games.
Teams can offer an ~$85k bonus to players who sign an Exhibit-10 contract and spend at least 60 days with their G League affiliate. It’s essentially an incentive for the players to sign with the Go-Go, which these players could likely do following training camp and preseason.
Albert Smits had made the Rangers' opening night roster.
In the aftermath of the final Rangers exhibition Friday, Alberts Smits didn’t reveal much about whether he thought he’d done enough to make the roster. He left the final call to the coaches he spent the preseason impressing, though the 18-year-old — and No. 5 overall pick — did hint that “it’d mean a lot” for him to break training camp in the NHL.
The seemingly inevitable ruling on Smits’ future for the start of the 2026-27 season became formal Sunday, with the rookie making the initial 23-man roster, according to The Post’s Mollie Walker.
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The other competitions that defined training camp also came into focus Sunday. Winger Taylor Raddysh and goaltender Dylan Garand were waived. Forwards Matt Rempe and Jaroslav Chmelar, along with defensemen Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow, made the cut. Joonas Korpisalo beat out Garand for the job of backing up Igor Shesterkin.
The Blueshirts still need to either waive injured defenseman Vincent Iorio, who’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury, or put him on injured reserve to officially get to 23. But when that happens, the first iteration of the Rangers’ roster will have some history (Smits), redemption (Rempe), youth (Chmelar and Morrow) and risk (Korpisalo) sprinkled in as they try to avoid reaching the basement of the Eastern Conference again.
Albert Smits had made the Rangers’ opening night roster. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
When the Blueshirts face the Bruins on Tuesday for their season opener, Smits will likely occupy the spot alongside Braden Schneider on the third pairing as he has all preseason. There wouldn’t be a purpose to having Smits on the roster if he didn’t log regular minutes. The left-handed defenseman was drafted as an NHL-ready prospect and then spent the last 10-plus days proving it.
If Smits skates Tuesday, he’ll join Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière in Rangers history as recent 18-year-olds to make their debuts on opening night. Of the defensemen in team history — Dave Maloney (December 1974), Len Wharton (March 1945), Spence Tatchell (February 1943) and Red Garrett (November 1942) — to debut at 18 or younger, Smits would become the first to do so on opening night, according to archived rosters and game logs on Hockey-Reference.
When reflecting on his preseason games Friday, Smits acknowledged ups and downs but said he tried to make an argument that he can jump in. Coach Mike Sullivan, in a telling comment that same night, said Smits tends to perform better alongside the structure of veterans as opposed to the “scrambly” nature of younger players. He collected four hits, two blocked shots and an assist across three preseason games.
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits (63) controls the puck in the first period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The hype followed Smits throughout the preseason too. Sullivan raved about Smits’ passes, physicality and stick while defending. Schneider told The Post last week that Smits “definitely earned the chance” to skate in the opening night lineup.
“He doesn’t get outmuscled,” Sullivan said Friday, “and he’s not afraid to make a play. He plays the game out there like he belongs.”
While Smits starting the year with the Rangers seemed likely, other spots weren’t decided until the final cuts Sunday. Raddysh skated in 68 games for the Rangers in 2025-26 and collected 19 points, but he served as an extra forward rotating in throughout training camp. In an ominous sign, Raddysh was one of the players left out of the official game group that traveled to UBS Arena for what essentially served as a dress rehearsal in the preseason finale.
Rempe started the first session of training camp as an extra forward before clawing his way back to the first reps with the fourth line. Two procedures limited the 6-foot-9 forward to just 26 games last year, and he entered training camp knowing that he had plenty to prove. Chmelar drew plenty of positive reviews throughout his 28-game cameo last year but is waiver-exempt, meaning he could’ve been an option to be assigned to AHL Hartford. Robertson, who logged his first full NHL season last year after plenty of time with the Wolf Pack, and Morrow — the return in the K’Andre Miller trade who hasn’t stuck at the NHL level yet — were also on the bubble throughout training camp, while Korpisalo competed with Garand despite the Blueshirts trading for him in July.
Any uncertainty about the construction of the final spots faded Sunday. And the presence of Smits ensured Tuesday became a historic opener for the Rangers.
The St. Louis Blues' opening-night roster is becoming clearer, with the organization placing a pair of players on waivers.
Among those placed on waivers are goaltender Georgii Romanov and defenseman Calle Rosen.
Romanov is a 26-year-old netminder who is entering his second season with the Blues organization. He played 28 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds last season, posting an .898 save percentage and a 3.29 goals-against average.
He'll split starts with Will Cranley, who is expected to be a full-time AHLer this season.
As for Rosen, he's an experienced AHL defenseman entering his fifth year with the Blues organization. He's spent time in the NHL with the Blues, but has mainly been a reliable defenseman for the Springfield Thunderbirds.
The Blues reacquired him from the Washington Capitals, and in his return, the 32-year-old scored eight goals and added 31 points.
In addition to placing Romanov and Rosen on waivers, the Blues have recalled 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek and claimed defenseman Justin Barron from the Nashville Predators.
With Barron and Jiricek up in the NHL, the Blues are over the limit, so expect Tyler Tucker to be placed on the injured reserve and one of Barron or Jiricek to be sent to the AHL.
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SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3 Dylan Harper #2, Victor Wembanyama #1, De'Aaron Fox #4, Stephon Castle #5 and Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Training camp is nearly upon us. Now is the time for Mitch Johnson and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff to see how roster plans will come to life. That means experimenting with lineups in practice and the preseason before the season starts on October 20th.
This season should be a lot of fun from a lineup-combination perspective. San Antonio has a lot of diverse talent, giving them versatility and depth they can lean on. The team will eventually settle into the rotation and lineup that will lead to the most success in a postseason run, but to start the season, there should be some tinkering here and there that will lead to some interesting 5-man groups.
Guessing what those lineups will be is easier for San Antonio than for many other teams. The Spurs have more roster continuity than most of the league. We should expect to see a lot of the same units as last year, but with Tobias Harris and Tarris Reed Jr. sprinkled in. It’s just enough of a change to look forward to the lineups that will define San Antonio’s 2026-27 season.
Starters and finishers?
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Tobias Harris, Victor Wembanyama
I have banged the drum all offseason that Julian Champagnie should keep his starting spot heading into the regular season, despite the signing of Harris. However, the writing seems to be on the wall for Harris to take the four-man spot for San Antonio this season.
It makes sense; Harris is a veteran with a skill set the Spurs desperately needed last year. He’s a true forward with a big body who can defend decently well, hit threes (shot 36.8% from deep last year), and create his own shot when the offense stalls. He’s not quite the sharpshooter that Champagnie is, but makes up for it with those other skills
The rest of the group is exactly what you’d expect. This group (with Champagnie) had a +17.3 net rating last season and was San Antonio’s most effective lineup. A healthy and motivated De’Aaron Fox and a year-three leap from Stephon Castle could take this group to an even greater level.
We’ll see if this is indeed the closing group. If Champagnie is hot, it will be hard to keep him off the floor. If Dylan Harper takes another leap in year two, he will almost certainly need to be on the floor when the game is on the line.
Wemby-less group
Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, Luke Kornet
Go figure: San Antonio was at its worst last season when Victor Wembanyama was on the bench. That was especially noticeable in the playoffs, where teams picked on Luke Kornet when Wembanyama went to the bench. That is now an established strategy this team will have to deal with. They can make Kornet’s life easier by improving the rest of the defense around him.
Harper and Bryant are two of the Spurs’ best perimeter defenders, and Champagnie has shown the ability to play in passing lanes and hold his own on defense. This bench lineup is much better defensively, which should help them maintain leads when the starters exit.
This group should have some offensive juice, too. Harper is one of the best sixth men in the NBA, Keldon Johnson is the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Champagnie was a starter during the finals, and Bryant could make a leap.
Three-guard lineup
De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Tobias Harris, Victor Wembanyama
This is the group the Spurs have to make work. Fox, Harper, and Castle are too good to not find a way to play them all together. Those three only played 25 minutes together in the regular season, with a net rating of -26.9. Not great. San Antonio just never found a way to make the offense click with the three of them together.
Finding a way to make this work had to have been one of the coaching staff’s top priorities this offseason. This unit probably needs two major things to work: continued improvement in shooting from Castle and Harper, and more time on the court together. Harper shot 47.9% from three after the All-Star break last season, while Castle hit 41.7% of his threes in the same time frame. If that improvement carries over into the regular season, this lineup could sing. More than anything, this group just needs time to play together and figure out how to coexist.
Harris is a great add for this group, too. He helps them maintain size on the interior while not sacrificing shooting and playmaking. With Wembanyama on the floor, the team can maintain defensive dominance while maximizing playmaking and perimeter speed. On paper, it’s a lineup that makes a lot of sense; it just needs time to become one of the team’s go-to groups.
A couple of standouts emerged at the Montreal Canadiens’ camp. Up front, Florian Xhekaj has raised more than a few eyebrows with his consistent play, intense effort, and forecheck. On the blueline, David Reinbacher turned heads. The fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft may have seen his development slowed by a slew of injuries, but he’s fully healthy now and has shown what he can do in three preseason games.
Kaiden Guhle’s injury couldn’t have come at a better time for Reinbacher. It opened the door for him, and he didn’t just step into the space; he opened it with authority. So much so that he even got an audition to play alongside Lane Hutson in the Kraft Hockeyville game in Trois-Rivières. The Canadiens’ top defenseman was impressed with the youngster's play and had nothing but positive comments about his young partner after the game.
Yet, on Sunday, after putting a first group of players on waivers, the Canadiens reassigned 10 players to the Laval Rocket, including Reinbacher. He was joined by Owen Beck, Jacob Fowler, Dillan Bentley, Laurent Dauphin, Jared Davidson, Filip Mesar, Luke Mittelstadt, Owen Protz, and Tyler Thorpe. In other words, Florian Xhekaj and Adam Engstrom are the only two players who aren't on NHL contracts and are still with the team. Unless Kaiden Guhle is put on injured reserve, the Canadiens would have 24 players on their roster rather than the 23 permitted. Meaning there's still a move to make before Monday at 5:00 PM.
Meanwhile, Alex Belzile and Kaapo Kahkonen highlighted the group placed on waivers, along with Brett Berard, Hunter McKown, Sasha Pastujov, Samuel Poulin, Ethan Samson, Maksymillian Szuber, and Reilly Walsh.
Seeing Xhekaj stay up is surprising, given how many forwards are under contract, and Reinbacher heading to Laval is just as surprising. Throughout camp, he appeared to have the inside lane on Engstrom. Perhaps the organization would rather Engstrom sit as their seventh defenseman than Reinbacher if they decided to play Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj?
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: The sneakers worn by Myron Gardner #75 of the Miami Heat during the game against the Detroit Pistons during the 2025 NBA Summer League game on July 17, 2025 at the Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Kevin Cheveldayoff has never been afraid to revisit the past.
Throughout his tenure as general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, Cheveldayoff has regularly circled back to players already familiar with the organization. But Winnipeg passed on one such opportunity Saturday when former Jets goaltender Eric Comrie cleared waivers after being placed on the wire by the San Jose Sharks.
One day later, several more familiar names are available.
Former Jets Laurent Brossoit, David Rittich, Dominic Toninato and Ville Heinola were among the players placed on waivers Sunday as teams continued trimming their rosters ahead of Monday's deadline.
Photo by Robert Edwards/USA Today
The Jets made two moves of their own, placing forward Danny Zhilkin and defenceman Henry Thrun on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Manitoba Moose. Should both clear Monday, Winnipeg would be down to 24 healthy players and require one more move to reach its opening roster.
It comes one day after defenceman Isaak Phillips and forwards Nikita Chibrikov, Noah Gregor and Parker Ford all cleared waivers. The quartet can now be assigned to Manitoba after being placed on the wire Friday, while goaltender Thomas Milic was assigned directly to the Moose.
While the Jets continue sorting through their own roster, Sunday's waiver wire presents some interesting possibilities.
Brossoit is perhaps the most obvious example of Cheveldayoff returning to a familiar player in the past. The goaltender spent three seasons with Winnipeg from 2018-21 before leaving for Vegas, only to return to the Jets two years later.
Rittich spent the 2022-23 season in Winnipeg, while Toninato became a familiar face between the Jets and Moose after originally joining the organization in 2020.
Then there is Heinola.
Winnipeg selected the Finnish defenceman 20th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and spent years waiting for him to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. Heinola's time with the organization finally came to an end this summer when he joined the Vegas Golden Knights, only for the 25-year-old to land on waivers before the regular season.
Whether any of those reunions would actually interest Winnipeg is another question.
The Jets' decision not to claim Comrie is a timely reminder that familiarity alone isn't enough. The 31-year-old netminder had one of the more unusual relationships with the organization, having been drafted by Winnipeg, lost on waivers and eventually returned to the Jets before leaving for San Jose this summer. Despite Winnipeg's current uncertainty in goal behind Stuart Skinner, Comrie went unclaimed and is now eligible to report to the AHL's San Jose Barracuda.
There are plenty of intriguing names beyond the former Jets, too.
Forwards Sammy Blais, Philip Tomasino, Jakob Pelletier and Alexander Holtz were among those exposed Sunday, as were defencemen Henri Jokiharju, Juuso Välimäki and Ilya Lyubushkin.
Former Brandon Wheat Kings forward Cole Reinhardt was placed on waivers by the Florida Panthers, adding another Manitoba connection to the list.
The goaltending market is particularly crowded. Along with Brossoit and Rittich, Ilya Samsonov, Vitek Vanecek, Kaapo Kähkönen and Mads Søgaard were all made available.
For Cheveldayoff, the timing is intriguing.
Winnipeg has spent the weekend moving closer to its final roster, going from 26 healthy players Friday to 24 following Sunday's moves. The Jets have one final decision of their own to make before Monday's deadline.
At the same time, 31 other teams have provided them with plenty more to consider.
Ahead of the start of the 2026 regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers still have major question marks on defense, particularly on the third defense pair.
On Saturday, not long after Flyers general manager Danny Briere announced that former No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek would make the roster, Jiricek made a series of errors that led to goals against the Flyers despite facing against a greatly undermanned Washington Capitals team in the preseason finale.
A faulty anticipation of transition, a backhanded pass directly to a Capitals player, and a silly penalty contributed to three goals for Washington, and the Capitals' fifth goal in the 5-1 beatdown came after Noah Cates failed to handle a pass from Jiricek in the neutral zone,
Once Washington won that puck, Jiricek was too far out of position, and Rasmus Ristolainen was left back to defend by himself, and Aleksei Kolosov was nowhere near good enough to erase any of those mistakes on Saturday night.
This is precisely what the Flyers signed up for when they added the 22-year-old Jiricek via trade, but the problem for them is that they have aspirations of making the playoffs, and Jiricek still needs to develop despite needing to pass through waivers to make it back to the AHL.
Those two things don't mix, and while another NHL team may not necessarily be motivated to become Jiricek's fourth team in as many years since he was drafted in 2022, it is a possibility.
More concerningly, Oliver Bonk and Helge Grans have not done enough to steal a job from Jiricek, and Simon Benoit, a veteran newcomer, is not a right-shot.
If the Flyers want to take their time with Bonk and Jiricek and let the youngsters develop, they will need to turn elsewhere to maintain the integrity of their ultimate goals for the season.
NHL waiver wire flush with options
Nick Perbix could bring the size the Flyers covet on defense. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
The good news for the Flyers is that they have at least two options available to them, entirely for free, on the NHL waiver wire.
On Saturday, the Boston Bruins placed defenseman Henri Jokiharku, a 27-year-old former first-round pick and veteran of 448 regular season games, on waivers.
The Finn was an NHL regular with Buffalo, but since coming to Boston, he's placed in just 59 games, scoring two goals, 17 assists, and 19 points with a +9 rating while filling in on the power play and penalty kill when needed.
The 6-foot Jokiharju has two years remaining on his contract at a $3 million cap hit, and he's undeniably an upgrade on Benoit, Jiricek, Grans, Bonk, and even Noah Juulsen, who the Flyers made the playoffs with as their third-choice right-shot defender last year.
Further south, the Nashville Predators placed former Tampa Bay Lightning standout Nick Perbix on waivers, and the 6-foot-4 Canadian might better align with what the Flyers are trying to do on defense.
Perbix, 28, was an analytics darling in Tampa Bay playing a lesser role, but after just one year in Nashville, he's on waivers.
Perbix scored three goals, 10 assists, and 13 points in 79 games for the Predators last season while averaging a career-high 2:41 a game on the penalty kill, adding some important special teams value for a prospective taker like the Flyers.
Both Jokiharju and Perbix, with their short-term, affordable contracts, make sense as adds for the Flyers as they prioritize the proper development of Jiricek and Bonk.
The Flyers will need to spend a bit of cash to add either player via waivers, but that's no problem for them with their $13.9 million in cap space.
Now, it's more a question of how they want to develop Jiricek and how important he is to their future, compared to making the playoffs and remaining as competitive as possible.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, September 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees recently confirmed who’s taking the mound for the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
Cy Young frontrunner Cam Schlittler will take the bump for Game 1 in the Bronx to kick off the MLB postseason. Max Fried will hopefully help the Yankees advance in Game 2, and if needed, Gerrit Cole will close out the series on Thursday.
This rotation isn’t too far off from our earlier predictions on who makes the postseason roster, and it may be the best-case scenario for the Pinstripes. Hypothetically, if the Yankees ultimately overcome Boston in the Wild Card Series, Schlittler will be available to pitch for Game 2 against the Rays in the ALDS.
The 25-year-old righty made his postseason debut in Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Red Sox and made a splash with a breakout performance on the big stage in the 4-0 victory, allowing five hits and striking out 12 in eight shutout frames. He made his second appearance against the Blue Jays in Game 4 of the ALDS, allowing eight hits and giving up four runs in 6.1 innings.
Fried, who finished the regular season with a 2.80 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, has strong numbers against Boston since joining the Yankees. Facing the Red Sox in six games, including the postseason, Fried posted a 1.24 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in 36.1 innings. A 2021 World Series champion with Atlanta who was excellent in their championship clincher, Fried threw 6.1 shutout innings against Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series last year.
Cole, who was limited to 22 games and finished the regular season with a 3.61 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, will look to continue the Yankees’ postseason run in the Wild Card Series finale. If the Yankees sweep Boston in two games, he could be the starter for Game 1 of the ALDS. Fourth starter Carlos Rodón—who earned well-deserved chatter of a possible start in his own right with a 1.89 ERA in his last seven starts—would likely be in play for that outing if this series goes three games, the southpaw will be available out of the bullpen in the Wild Card as well. Obviously, the Yankees have to worry about getting past Boston first before they can fully plan for anything else.
You definitely won’t want to miss Schlittler face off against either standout rookie Payton Tolle or veteran right-hander Sonny Gray in a highly anticipated rivalry matchup to kickstart a potential long run into the postseason. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST on Tuesday from Yankee Stadium.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros points to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Athletics during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on September 26, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
TODAY’S FINALE: The Houston Astros (80-81) conclude the 2026 regular season with the final game of a four-game series against the Athletics (64-97) at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA.
Astros RHP Peter Lambert (8-10, 3.87 ERA) will be on the mound, opposite RHP Seth Johnson (1-0, 6.19 ERA) and the Athletics.
THE LAMBO: RHP Peter Lambert has been the most consistent starter for the Astros this season, as he leads the club in wins (8), starts (28), innings pitched (153.2) and strikeouts (153). He’s allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in 19 of his 28 starts on the year and has done so in 11 of his last 15 starts.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams having the same record with one games left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
CLINCH SCENARIO: The Astros can clinch the AL West division today with a win against the Athletics or a loss by Rangers against the Twins.
VS. THE ATHLETICS: This is the final series between the Astros and Athletics this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 21-23 at Daikin Park. The Astros have gone 6-6 vs. the Athletics this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 126-112 against the Athletics, including a 61-61 record on the road.
ROAD WARRIORS: Today is the final game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 40-30 (.571) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (43-28) and the Yankees (42-30).
LAST NIGHT’S GAME: The Astros defeated the Athletics, 13-2 at Sutter Health Park last night. RHP Hayden Wesneski allowed two runs (one earned run) on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings. SS Jeremy Peña (4×6, 4 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI) recorded his fourth multi-homer game of the season. The Astros offense combined for 16 hits.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 225 homers as a team this year, which is the most in the Majors. The last time the Astros led the Majors in home runs was in 2000, when they hit 249 home runs.
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 320 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (332) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes leads this effort, as he holds the Major League lead with 46 two-out RBI, directly ahead of STL 1B Alec Burleson (45 RBI).
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros record. Should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV).
THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.036), slugging percentage (.604), OBP (.432), batting average (.316), total bases (340), walks (109), IBB (33), wRC+ (180), OPS+ (189) and extra-base hits (77). He also ranks second in home runs (42), second in RBI (105), second in hits (178), fourth in doubles (34) and fourth in runs (104).
BATTING TITLE: DH Yordan Alvarez enters today’s game leading the American League in batting average. He is looking to become the third player in franchise history to earn a batting title, joining 1B Yuli Gurriel (2021) and 2B Jose Altuve (2014, 2016-17).
YORGONE: DH Yordan Alvarez launched his 42nd home run of the season last night at ATH. His 42 home runs are tied for the fifth most in Astros franchise history.
Astros Most Home Runs – Single Season
1. J. Bagwell: 47 HR (2000)
2. L. Berkman: 45 HR (2006)
3. R. Hidalgo 44 HR (2000)
4. J. Bagwell 43 HR (1997)
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Last night’s victory was the 255th win for Astros Manager Joe Espada surpassing Hal Lanier for the ninth-most managerial wins in Astros franchise history. Espada owns a 255-229 record with the Astros.
THAT BOY BLU: RHP AJ Blubaugh leads MLB relievers with 96.0 innings, with MIL LHP Aaron Ashby (87.0 IP) the next closest. He is seeking to become the 1st Astros pitcher to lead their league in innings since RHP Doug Jones in 1992 (111.2 IP). His 96.0 innings this season are the most by an Astros reliever since RHP Octavio Dotel tossed 97.1 innings in 2002.
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a 1.026 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 21 RBI, which ranks tied for second in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .354 (28×79) with four homers, 11 RBI and a .960 OPS in 22 games (19 starts) this month.
RACKING UP K’S: RHP Bryan Abreu has posted 528 career strikeouts, which ranks fourth among relievers in Astros history. He’s closing in on third-place RHP Dave Smith (529), needing only one strikeout to match the Astros reliever from the 1980s. LHP Billy Wagner (694) and RHP Brad Lidge (557) sit atop that all-time list.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1967 – In a classic, 11-inning pitchers duel in the Dome, both starting pitchers go the distance, with the Astros coming out on top over the Phillies, 1-0. LHP Mike Cuellar tallies 12 K’s in his 11.0 shutout innings. Phillies starter Jim Bunning allows just one run in his 10.2 innings of work. 1B Chuck Harrison singles home RF Rusty Staub to give the Astros the walkoff win.
1964 – Fittingly, Jimmy Wynn is the hero in the finlal game played at Colt Stadium as he drives home Rusty Staub in the 12th inning for a 1-0, walkoff win over the Dodgers. Colts RHP Bob Bruce hurls all 12.0 innings to earn the win, outdueling RHP Don Drysdale, who hurled 10.0 scoreless frames.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Sunday, September 27, 2:05 p.m. CT
Location: Sutter Heath Park, West Sacramento, CA
TV: SCHN, NBC Sports, Peacock
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
