SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: A general view of an empty stadium concourse before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park on September 08, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
There are any number of reasons why the San Francisco Giants have had a really terrible, awful, no-good, cruddy 2026 season. And sure, we could go through the likely reasons for that. But that kind of feels like an off-season thing. And we still have a handful of games to endure.
But you know who doesn’t have to endure any more of the 2026 season? The entire 2026 roster! Everyone’s season is over. Which just adds another heaping dose of misery to a team with an abundance of it already.
I think we’ve probably already done one of these posts this year, but if so, that was really early and before we knew just how bad the season was going to go.
And while I was initially planning to write about the outcome of the WPBL Championship game that took place yesterday afternoon, I am also old and will probably be asleep by the end of the game. So we’ll talk about that tomorrow.
Instead, it’s time for another round of my favorite game: Wrong Answers Only! Because I think we could all use the laughs.
Today’s topic: What is the cause of the Giants’ cursed 2026 season?
Last time, I went through a lengthy tale about Buster Posey buying a cursed object from a farmer’s market. So this time, I think I’m going to give the blame to Netflix. See, they were out in McCovey Cove for Opening Day this year, and I can’t help but think someone took something out of the water that they weren’t supposed to. A cursed home run ball that was never fished out of the water by kayakers. Or perhaps it was, and they were cursed too and put it back. Hard to say. But it’s definitely Netflix’s fault somehow.
What’s your best absurd reason for why this team has been cursed this year?
Happy Friday, everyone! We’ve got some big manager news, and for once it isn’t anyone getting fired. Two interim managers have been able to remove “interim” from their titles as the Mets and Red Sox make things official with Andy Green and Chad Tracy. We also know two players who might not be participating in the postseason, at least not right away. Aaron Judge will miss the Wild Card for sure, and Joc Pederson will be sidelined into the postseason.
Also, we look at Paul Skenes, who is pointing to the WBC as a possible culprit for his pitching issues, and we have some questions about the Angels.
The Mets will be standing by their interim manager.
Andy Green has agreed to a three-year deal to remain Mets manager after this season. Green took over as interim manager when Carlos Mendoza was fired in late June. He had insisted he wanted to return to the front office after the season, but he’ll continue in the dugout.
Another interim manager is sticking around for the long haul.
The Boston Red Sox have removed the interim tag from manager Chad Tracy's title and signed him to a three-year contract with a club option for 2030. Tracy took over as manager following Alex Cora's firing when Boston was 12-17. The Red Sox are 74-55 since.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 19: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after giving up an RBI in the second inning at Coors Field on August 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Top of the morning to you, Purple Row!
Well, friends, since it’s the final week of the 2026 regular season, teams are looking ahead to what comes next. For some, it’s preparing for the postseason, while teams like the Rockies are looking forward to what comes next after the World Series.
The Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks continue their series tonight with Mason Adams facing off against the veteran Merrill Kelly. Meanwhile, the playoff push continues across the league as teams fight for the few spots remaining in the Wild Card. It’s a fun time of the year in the final sprint!
Now, here are some links to kick off your Wednesday.
Rockies News & Links
Freeland soaking it all in ahead of potential final home start with Rockies | MLB.com — Tuesday was perhaps the last time Kyle Freeland takes the mound at Coors Field. As the season winds down, Freeland has been well aware this could be the end of his Rockies tenure, so he’s taken the time to enjoy and soak in every last minute with the team he grew up rooting for.
Offseason Outlook: Colorado Rockies | MLB Trade Rumors — MLB Trade Rumors always does some great content and this article gives a quick overview of free agents, salary obligations, and arbitration candidates heading into the 2026 offseason.
Judge likely to miss Wild Card Series with ‘moderate grade’ calf strain | MLB.com — The New York Yankees got some bad news about Aaron Judge’s availability in the first round of the postseason. Manager Aaron Boone announced that Judge was dealing with a “moderate grade” right calf strain and that the team isn’t planning on activating him for a potential Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox. Judge has been down most of the year with injury, so it may not be the worst news for the Yankees, but it certainly doesn’t help.
Red Sox award Tracy with 3-year deal; Breslow’s options for ’29, ’30 picked up | MLB.com — The turnaround for the Boston Red Sox from being dead in the water to clinching a playoff spot has been one of the fun stories of the 2026 season. To reward his efforts, the Red Sox took off the interim tag of Chad Tracy, officially making him the 49th manager in club history. Additionally, Boston has picked up the options of chief baseball officer Craig Breslow through 2030.
When Will the Angels Be Competitive Again? | FanGraphs — Dan Szymborski dives into the prospects of how quickly the Los Angeles Angels could turn things around under new owner Stan Kroenke. It’s worth a read and ultimately, it may not be as easy a turnaround as fans may hope for.
How Walt Weiss found the balance that guided the Braves to a NL East title | The Athletic ($) — Former Rockies manager Walt Weiss has had a much easier time in his second stint as a big league manager, guiding the Atlanta Braves to another NL East title. He reflects on the lessons he learned leading struggling Rockies teams and also points to the great working relationship he has with Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 18: Ranger Suarez #55 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on September 18, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you sign a pitcher to a $130 million contract, you’re an MLB decision-maker (Hello! Hire me! I have good ideas and work fairly hard!) If you’re not an MLB decision-maker and have the capacity to read my first sentence without taking it literally, you’ll want that $130 million pitcher to pitch in big games. The Boston Red Sox signed Ranger Suarez to a 5-year, $130 million contract shortly after losing Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs this offseason.
Suarez wasn’t making top dollar over the first eight years of his career, but he was pitching in big games. He threw in 11 postseason games for the Philadelphia Phillies, posting a 1.48 ERA on his way to four wins and one save. With one week remaining in the regular season, Suarez is lined up to start game three of the Wild Card series, although Chad Tracy said not to read into that yet. Despite Tracy’s guidance, I’m choosing to read into it.
Suarez has been streaky this season. He posted a 2.10 ERA over five starts in June. In August, he registered a 5.70 ERA. If you believe in pitcher streakiness, you’ll be pleased to know the lefty has allowed just two earned runs over his last three starts (19.2 innings). Is this the start of a hot streak, or just some fortunate outcomes over a short sample? To quote the owl from the Tootsie Pop commercial, let’s find out!
Suarez is typically effective against lefties, although he hit some blips during the middle of the season. He sees mostly right-handed hitters, though the Yankees are likely to keep both Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger in the lineup, as well as potentially Austin Wells and Jazz Chisholm. When Suarez got into trouble against lefties this season, it was primarily by missing the edge of the zone too often, falling behind in counts, and walking hitters. In August, he walked 15% of the lefties he faced. In September, he’s only seen 28 lefties, but he’s dialed it in.
Suarez has simplified his approach, increasing his sinker and slider usage. He’s thrown the sinker on the arm side where it can jam hitters, rather than trying to back door it.
His slider was also located low and on the glove side, which translated to a 50% chase rate. Suarez also increased his first-pitch strike percentage from 55% in August to 68% in September. When Suarez is ahead, hitters are forced to swing at more pitches on the edges, and it translates to easy outs. Bellinger and Rice both hit pitches on the inside part of the plate well. In a few meetings this season, Suarez has opted to pitch primarily away from them. If Suarez does pitch against the Yankees, it will be interesting to see if he tries to jam them or continues to pitch away. Either way, his sinker/slider combination has been very effective over the past few weeks.
Righties are the bigger question for Suarez. Fortunately, the Yankees’ right-handed hitters without Aaron Judge in the lineup aren’t as daunting. Paul Goldschmidt and Heliot Ramos are the two biggest names, while George Lombard has also hit lefties well in his debut season. Ramos and Lombard each have plenty of strikeouts in their game, as does Jose Caballero. Amed Rosario is also often in the lineup against lefties, but he’s posted a wRC+ of just 6 — yes, you read that correctly — 6 against lefties over the past two months.
Back to Suarez. Over his last three starts, he’s held righties to a .190 batting average while striking out 24.5% of them. He made some notable changes to his approach as well. He’s made changes to both his usage rates and how he’s deployed them.
For most of the season, he’s led with his cutter against righties. It’s been effective, as he’s thrown it high and inside where it can jam hitters. In September, he’s backed off the usage and thrown it more on the arm side. The strike rate has fallen, but the different approach might be helping his other pitches be more effective.
He’s made up for the lower cutter usage by increasing his sinkers to righties. Here’s a look at the heat map for most of the season and September.
Early in the season, he almost exclusively kept his sinker away from righties. More recently, he’s used the whole plate, throwing it down and away as well as inside. The strike rate is up, while the contact against it is weak. With the cutter more on the arm side, it might be more difficult for hitters to pull the trigger on the sinker, leading to an increase in called strikes.
The other notable change Suarez has made is slashing his changeup usage. For much of his career, his changeup has been his best pitch against righties. The swinging strike rate has been between 15 and 20%, with weak contact against it. This season, the zone rate and chase rate are below his usual marks, leading to a strike rate below 50%. From the beginning of the season through the end of August, the pitch accounted for 17% of his offerings to righties. Over his last three starts, he’s used the pitch just 8% of the time. He’s thrown it in just four two-strike counts in September, despite it being his second most used pitch against righties for most of the season. While it’s a good pitch when it’s working, it hasn’t been a weapon for most of this season.
Suarez’s deep arsenal means it can look very different for him on a given day. After returning from injury in July, he used five pitches over 14% of the time. As the Red Sox inched closer to securing a playoff spot, he cut the changeup and covered that portion of the plate with a sinker. It’s an approach that’s worked, but could be exposed as hitters are more ready for it. While most of the games this week are largely meaningless, how Suarez approaches righties in his final start of the season is something to watch, and could be a tell for how he performs in the playoffs.
Garrett Crochet ruined Game 1 for the AL Wild Card series last year for the Yankees.
And he could be looking to inflict damage on Boston’s AL East rivals once again.
The sidelined lefty ace said he hit 96 mph in a live batting practice session Tuesday and believes he can contribute in the postseason.
Boston Red Sox left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet continues his comeback from left shoulder inflammation during a side session at Polar Park on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
“The way that … just went, I could go get outs,” Crochet said, according to the Boston Globe. “It depends obviously what role they want me in. It’s not really for me to say. I know myself and I know my body, and the biggest thing was that I felt good out there. Felt like I was able to ramp up intensity to a place that I haven’t gone yet. Tomorrow is going to be a big deal, seeing how I recover.”
The Yankees and Red Sox are seemingly on a collision course for a second straight Wild Card clash, although Boston has yet to secure the No. 5 seed.
The loser of the AL Central battle between the Guardians and White Sox can still overtake Boston for that date in The Bronx next Tuesday.
Boston entered last postseason with Crochet anchoring its rotation off a season that earned him second place in the AL Cy Young voting but question marks in the rotation after him.
This time around, Boston has established starters but Crochet is the question mark.
Crochet is closing in on five months since he last pitched in an MLB game after landing on the injured list in April with left shoulder inflammation, having last started April 25.
Boston Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet throws a pitch during the fifth inning of a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
He did not pitch up to his standards in his six outings before being sidelined, posting a 6.30 ERA while allowing 33 hits and five homers in just 30 innings.
It’s uncertain how Boston would use him in the postseason due to the long layoff and the team having quality starters.
Lefties Peyton Tolle, Ranger Suarez and Jake Bennett plus righty Sonny Gray give Boston four capable starters to match up with the Yankees.
Last season, Crochet dominated the Yankees in Game 1, striking out 11 while allowing just one run in 7 2/3 innings in Boston’s 3-1 victory.
Brayan Bello lasted just 2 1/3 innings in a Game 2 loss and rookie Connelly Early logged only 3 2/3 innings in the decisive Game 3 loss.
“He’s definitely making progress,” Boston manager Chad Tracy — fresh off his promotion to full-time skipper — said, per the Boston Globe. “Again, it’s ‘see how he feels tomorrow.’ I know that there’s a lot of conversation around that because we’re only a week away from the postseason now. So determining how does he feel coming out of that [and] what does this weekend look like is going to be the next step.
“What that looks like now, I don’t know. I just know that whatever it is, it’s going to be done with Garrett’s best interest in mind, making sure that we’re doing it right.”
Crochet noted that he would “feel bad” taking someone’s spot on the roster, and said he would accept whatever the front office decides.
With the season ending Sunday, Boston does not have any soft landing spots to allow Crochet to face major-league hitters in a true game environment before the playoffs begin.
Boston ultimately may just have to trust that its star pitcher can return with no hiccups.
“You’re considering all those things,” Tracy said, per the Boston Globe. “We have to consider it and just be very, very mindful of, again, what are we potentially exposing him to and what can he give us really?”
The Vancouver Canucks dropped to 0-2 in the 2026 pre-season as they fell 3-1 to the Calgary Flames. Vancouver's lineup featured plenty of youth, while Calgary dressed a roster that will most likely be the same on opening night. Here are three Canucks standouts from Tuesday night.
Kevin Lankinen
Kevin Lankinen is the reason this game was close. Vancouver was outshot 31-9, with the 31-year-old making 28 saves. Although he allowed all three goals in the second, the middle frame was his best, as he stopped 15 of the 18 shots he faced.
Tuesday was a good bounce-back for Lankinen, who struggled during the scrimmage at training camp on Saturday. He came up with some big saves and was able to bail out his younger teammates throughout the night. Overall, it was a good start to the pre-season for Lankinen.
Aatu Räty
Aatu Räty was arguably the Canucks' best forward in this game. He led Vancouver with two shots on goal and recorded three additional shot attempts. Räty was also virtually unbeatable in the faceoff dot as he won 15 of the 20 draws he took.
After a less-than-ideal game on Saturday, Räty really stepped up against the Flames. He was able to win some board battles and looked engaged in the offensive zone. Ultimately, Räty made the most of his opportunities in what was his final game of the 2026 pre-season.
Adam Novotný
Adam Novotný did not look out of place in his second career pre-season game. The 18-year-old was constantly getting in on the forecheck and finished the night tied for second on the team with four shots. Novotný also blocked a shot on Tuesday and recorded one shot on goal.
Sep 22, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Vancouver Canucks left wing Adam Novonty (15) and Calgary Flames left wing Joel Farabee (86) battle for the puck during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Based on his performance during training camp and the pre-season, Novotný deserves some additional time with the NHL team. He will most likely head back to the OHL, but he has shown he may be closer to NHL-ready than initially thought. While it is early, it is safe to say that Novotný has a bright future ahead of him.
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Jake Burger #21 of the Texas Rangers runs the bases after a two-run home run in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Globe Life Field on September 20, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning, all!
Marcus Semien is in town with the Mets for the first time since being traded last offseason and reminisced about his time with the Rangers.
The Rangers have placed Joc Pederson on the IL, retroactive to Saturday, but are hopeful he will be available if they make the playoffs.
Pederson also missed time in 2025 due to a broken hand after being hit by a pitch.
Ezequiel Duran’s time in the Dominican Winter League last year has paid off to the tune of the eighth highest WAR in the American League.
Tim Cowlishaw thinks the Rangers have an advantage over Houston in these final games by having earlier start times than Houston.
Of course, that also depends on the Rangers winning games, and last night that didn’t happen in part because of weak defense.
Not to be outdone by the defense, the Rangers’ offense last night was 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Jake Burger’s assessment of the game and misplays amounted to “it sucks”
After narrowly beating the Ottawa Senators in Trois-Rivières on Monday night, the Montreal Canadiens enjoyed a much-deserved day off on Tuesday. The break was long planned, as it marked the halfway point of training camp, and everyone will be back in Brossard Wednesday morning.
Team B is scheduled to hit the ice first at 10:30 AM, followed by Team A at 11:50 AM and Team C at 1:00 PM. Then, on Thursday, Teams A and B will practice simultaneously at 10:30 AM before facing each other in a scrimmage at 11:30 on ice 2, while Team C will practice on ice 1 at 11:45. If you want to take a day off to visit the Canadiens’ camp, Thursday should be the day, as it’s the only scrimmage planned so far.
Friday, all three groups will practice at the usual times: Team A at 10:30, Team B at 11:50 Am and Team C at 1:00 PM. Then, on Saturday, the Canadiens will once again face the Senators, but this time in a split-squad game. Team A will stay in Montreal to play at the Bell Centre at 7:00 PM and will hold its morning skate at the CN Sports Complex at 10:30. Team B will have its morning skate at 11:30 before heading to Ottawa to face the Sens at 7:00 PM.
That will be the Canadiens’ final preseason game, and after that match we should see some cuts. Will Martin St-Louis be guided by who has an NHL contract, or will he truly award roster spots to the most deserving players? That remains to be seen. It wasn’t that long ago that the organization elected to put Joel Armia on waivers after an underwhelming camp.
Unless Kirby Dach raises his intensity soon, he could be a candidate for the same treatment. The question is, though, would he clear, or would a GM be willing to roll the dice on him? After all, he’s still a former third-overall pick and a big-frame potential center. Then again, there’s a significant injury history there, but it’s less of a factor when picking up someone on waivers than when actually using assets to acquire them.
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 24: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates during the game against the Washington Wizards on October 24, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
With a new NBA season on the horizon, I decided it was time to run one final NBA 2K27 simulation.
The goals were simple:
Could Cooper Flagg become an MVP?
Could the Mavs win an NBA championship with their current roster as the core?
And, perhaps most importantly:
How far can this version of the Mavericks actually go?
The rules
No trades.
It’s too easy in fandom to start adding Cade Cunningham or both Thompson twins and run amok across depleted rosters. Instead, I wanted to see how far this core could take us.
Whatever the front office has built, Cooper has to make it work.
Whatever young players develop, they develop.
Whatever weaknesses show up, we have to live with them.
And if Dallas eventually needs to make a move?
Too bad. I already took the trade machine away.
This isn’t about building the perfect Mavericks team.
It’s about finding out whether the team they actually have can become the perfect version of themselves.
And, well, we know how Year 1 went.
Year 1
Cooper Flagg wins Rookie of the Year.
The rest of the season?
Basically a horror movie.
Moving on.
Year 2
Things get better.
The Mavs win the NBA Cup, with Cooper Flagg taking home Cup MVP honors.
Dallas then beats the Spurs in the playoffs before eventually losing in the Western Conference Finals.
Progress!
One series away.
Ahead of schedule and The Mavs are building something.
Year 3
OK.
This is getting ridiculous.
Cooper Flagg averages 32.9 PPG, 10.5 RPG and 6 APG and wins MVP, becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history.
And he’s not alone.
Risacher wins both Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player.
The Mavs make it all the way to the NBA Finals.
Amazing.
And then they lose to the Detroit Pistons in six games. Maybe we should have traded for Cade Cunningham after all.
Was that the Mavs’ chance?
One series short again?
I hope not.
Let’s keep going.
Year 4
Cooper Flagg makes All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive Second Team.
And then…
The Mavs draw a tough matchup and lose in the first round to the Spurs.
Of course they do.
Kyrie retires as a Dallas Maverick, which is sad- but bittersweet.
We draft a new point guard with the Lakers’ pick.
And then we move on.
Year 5
Cooper Flagg has really come into his own at this point.
He’s now a 96 overall in NBA 2K and averages 32 PPG, 10 RPG and 5 APG.
He wins his second MVP.
He also wins Clutch Player of the Year, makes All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team.
Wow.
What a year.
And yet…
It still doesn’t translate into playoff success.
The Mavs lose in the second round to the Timberwolves.
At this point, this is all starting to feel a little too much like 2007 Dallas Mavericks, isn’t it?
The power of Dirk compelled me forward.
Year 6
Year 6 feels almost… ho-hum.
Cooper is once again All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team.
The Mavs enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed.
And honestly?
It feels like organizational-pressure time in 2K.
No more excuses.
Round 1: Portland
Win.
Round 2: Minnesota
Win.
Round 3: San Antonio
Win.
And if you’re paying attention, you know what that means.
We’re exercising some demons from these previous fake playoff runs.
Sound familiar?
Maybe a little 2011-esque?
By the time we reached the Finals, I decided I couldn’t just simulate the entire series at once.
I had to do it game by game.
Game 1: Win.
Game 2: Win.
Game 3: Win.
Are you kidding me?
A sweep?
No.
Surely not.
Game 4: Loss.
Game 5: Loss.
Game 6: Loss.
LET THE NBA 2K CONSPIRACY THEORIES FLY.
What in the David Stern is happening? I’m about to return this digital purchase to Xbox. Maybe it’s been recalled.
And then…
Game 7: Win.
THE MAVS WIN THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP.
Cooper and Sergio are stars in the series.
And yes, Naji, PJ, Gafford, Risacher — they all contributed. We better let Kyrie at the podium.
I’ll also note that Cooper shot 46 percent from three in the Finals. So there it is.
Six years.
Two MVPs for Cooper Flagg.
One NBA championship for The Mavs.
Did I buy a Dallas Mavericks-biased copy of NBA 2K27? I don’t care. Roll the credits.
Play We Are the Champions by Queen. Now we can start the season.
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - DECEMBER 23: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Frost Bank Center on December 23, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dylan Harper may have not been crowned the 2026 Rookie of the Year, but he had some of the best stats from his draft class, not to mention making his way to the NBA Finals.
Ata recent auction, his rookie card went for a whopping $320,860.
The All-Time Highest Public Sale for any Dylan Harper Card!
Final Sale Price on this 2025-26 Bowman Chrome Autographs SuperFractor Dylan Harper Signed Rookie Card: $320,860
Email Sell@Goldin.com to consign your Harper Items to one of our upcoming Elite Auctions! pic.twitter.com/1g478xo2Mx
According to Goldin Auction, 2025-26 Bowman Chrome Autographs SuperFractor Dylan Harper autographed rookie card achieved the largest payday for a public auction.
Harpers cars are a hot commodity. He recently also had an autographed 2025 Topps Chrome SuperFractor sell for $280,000. The card was one of a kind and graded a 7 by Professional Sports Authenticator Collectors Club. A 7 has been as assessed as near mint condition.
Collecting Spurs memorabilia is one thing, but the kind of cash it takes to obtain these types of mementos is next level. For now, I’ll stick to my bobblehead nights and t-shirt giveaways.
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Nae'Qwan Tomlin #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers goes to the basket for a dunk against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on April 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA game forces players into boxes. They’re asked to play specific, and sometimes simple, roles to help the team. The best players can both fit into and transcend that box when they need to.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s unorthodox basketball upbringing has made him a unique player. He didn’t play in the AAU circuits or even in high school. Instead, his skills were developed through high-level pick-up games that reward all-around talent rather than someone who is just an expert at one or two things.
Most players come into the league having already been forced into their mold. Tomlin didn’t, meaning he possesses skills that are uncommon for someone in his position. Those are seen most when he’s running in the open court or when attacking off the dribble if a defender closes out too hard.
That versatility is intriguing. Yet, it means little if you ultimately can’t fit into the box that the NBA puts you in. This is what Tomlin needs to figure out this season.
The simplest offensive role for him would be as a stretch four who operates mostly from the corner since he isn’t a pick-and-roll finisher. The Cavs tried him in that role last season, but he struggled to make a positive offensive impact once opponents stopped closing out to him, aside from being a strong offensive rebounder.
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You can only attack closeouts if you’ve given your defender a reason to actually close out. Tomlin didn’t do that last season, as he went 26-for-107 (24%) on corner threes. That was the worst percentage for a power forward last season from that spot. That’s on pretty high volume as well, since over a third of his field-goal attempts came from the corner. It’s difficult to envision Tomlin as a valuable member of an NBA offense if this doesn’t drastically change.
Developing a corner three-point shot is easier said than done — especially for someone turning 26 this season. Even though Tomlin is younger than most in terms of basketball developmental years, he isn’t a young player waiting to mature physically. At 26, you typically are who you are.
Similar concerns are there defensively. Tomlin can nominally defend the three and the four, but last season he was often too slow to defend more athletic threes and wasn’t sturdy enough to hold his own in the paint against bulkier fours. This is partially why the Cavs were in the 37th percentile for defensive rebounding percentage when he was on the floor. Tomlin would be better served if he could guard at one of those positions well, as opposed to being in between both.
Tomlin is a jack of many trades, but a master of none. He isn’t a defensive specialist or a marksman. Those archetypes can work on their own, depending on how good a player is at their specialty. However, there isn’t often room on the court for someone who is merely passable at a lot of things. That is most useful if you can fit into a role first, and then expand your game from there.
Tomlin’s path to the league is nothing short of remarkable. His career has been an unquestioned success since the moment he signed his first NBA contract last season. Most players with his backstory don’t make it to this point. Yet, if he’s going to sign another contract or be more than the 13th man on a roster, it’ll be because he finds his role. And he’s running out of time to do so, considering this is the final year of his deal.
DALLAS, TX - APRIL 5: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 5, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Former Blue Devil Cooper Flagg had a tremendous rookie season last year, winning Rookie of the Year over former roommate and teammate Kon Knueppel.
What will he do for an encore? Well, it’s going to be interesting.
First, many fans think that he’s grown significantly. And at 19, that’s certainly possible. He entered the NBA at 6-9. If he’s now 6-10 or 6-11, with his mobility and skills, he’s that much more of a problem.
But that’s only part of the problem the rest of the NBA faces: according to his trainer, Matt MacKinzie, Flagg has put in the work to be significantly improved this season.
You can be sure he put a lot of time in the weight room as well. If he’s up to, say, 220, that would mean he’s gained 15 pounds. If he’s grown taller as well, he’s going to cause a lot of problems. And if he has improved his outside shooting, he’s going to be a nightmare.
The Detroit Tigers missed a chance to secure a series win over the visiting Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, dropping the second of the three-game series, 3-1. Despite tossing a quality start, Drew Anderson was saddled with the loss while the offense barely made a peep at Comerica Park.
Making his final start of the 2026 campaign in Game 3 is left-hander Framber Valdez — the lone survivor from the Tigers’ pitching rotation from the beginning of the season. While his overall numbers fall significantly short of what one would expect for his level of pay, the 32-year-old has been a mostly steady presence on the pitching staff, save for his short suspension in May.
Valdez is finishing the season on a strong note, having put up a 1.50 ERA and 3.71 FIP over his three games in September, allowing 12 hits (one home run) and seven walks while striking out 13 plus a hit-by-pitch across 18 innings to earn a pair of wins along with a loss.
For the Nats, fellow southpaw Richard Lovelady will take the mound looking to give the team a series win in his sixth start of the season. The 31-year-old journeyman was with the New York Mets to begin the season and served primarily as a back-end reliever; he has become something of a Swiss Army arm for Washington since acquiring him in a trade in mid-April.
Lovelady has not thrown more than two innings in an appearance this season, so he ostensibly will be serving in the opener role on Wednesday.
Here is a quick look at the stats for both pitchers in the series finale.
Detroit Tigers (74-84) vs. Washington Nationals (74-84)
Time (ET): 1:10 p.m. Place: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan SB Nation Site:Federal Baseball Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Game 159: LHP Framber Valdez (10-11, 4.06 ERA) vs. LHP Richard Lovelady (3-4, 3.86 ERA)
For a while now, we have been able to lean on the crutch that the Orioles were still “mathematically alive” in the AL playoff race. There is a chance, perhaps even an inevitability, that it will no longer be a matter of math after today. The Orioles elimination number is at one, and they play two games today. The same is true for the Blue Jays. Both teams need to sweep today and hope that the White Sox and Rangers are suddenly sapped of all talent, much like the basketball players in the 1996 hit film Space Jam. Unfortunately, as far as I know, that movie was not based on a true story.
It’s likely to be a bummer of an end to the Orioles home slate in 2026. Double-headers can be cool, but a split admission isn’t ideal for really anyone. The weather is expected to be cloudy and cool, peaking in the mid-60s this afternoon, with 10 mph winds and a low chance of rain. I would guess that attendance to the afternoon start will be rather pitiful.
The Orioles do not have a starting pitcher named for either game today on their website just yet. But it sounds like Chris Bassitt is confirmed for Game 1 to take on Max Scherzer in a rematch of last week’s face-off in Toronto. As for Game 2, both teams are quiet. Craig Albernaz seems to be picking between Trey Gibson and Cade Povich. It might depend on what happens in the opener with both teams possibly treating it like a playoff game, since it pretty much is one.
Also, Pete Alonso will be named the Most Valuable Oriole some time today. That is not confirmed, but the announcement for MVO is slated for this date, and Alonso is really the only choice at the top of the ballot. It will be interesting to see how some other names finish further down the list. I would expect Trevor Rogers, Brandon Young, and Shane Baz to get some love, as will Gunnar Henderson despite his struggles, and you might even see Rico Garcia among the vote-getters.
Mariners Lose Scout Behind George Kirby and Jonny Farmelo to Orioles | Yahoo! Sports Apparently, this is a nice get by the Orioles. Joe Doyle, the reporter credited with most of the information in this story, explains that Ty Holub was courted by multiple organizations and chose to return to the Orioles, where he worked under the prior front office regime from 2013-17 as a baseball operations assistant.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s glasses are a distinctive feature on a distinctive player | The Baltimore Banner CES is one of the positives coming out of this season. It’s nice to read up a little more on him. Unless he is traded this offseason, he would seem like a lock to return to the Orioles in 2027. Jordan Westburg’s rehab is likely to bleed into the start of the season, and it’s possible that Coby Mayo sees time elsewhere on the field to get his bat into the lineup more often.
Candidates to add to Orioles’ 40-man roster | Baltimore Baseball As is explained in the article, there may not be a Rule 5 draft to protect players from this offseason. But you will still probably see the O’s (and other teams) add a handful of interesting youngsers to their 40-man roster sometime this fall.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Willie Greene turns 55 today. He spent part of the 1998 season with the Orioles, acquired from the Reds in a deadline swap for outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds. Greene played in just 24 games for the O’s and had a .608 OPS in that time.
Pete Harnisch is 60 years old. An Orioles’ first-round pick in 1987, the right-handed pitcher debuted with them at the major league level in 1988 and stuck around through ‘90 before he was part of one of the most lop-sided deals in team history. The Orioles sent him, along with Steve Finley and Curt Schilling, to the Astros in exchange for Glenn Davis. Harnsich was an all-star in his first season with Houston and had a few more impressive years after leaving Baltimore.
The late Marcelino López (b. 1943, d. 2001) was born on this day. He played in three seasons for the Orioles between 1967-70. In total he had a 3.23 ERA over 147.2 innings with the O’s.
This day in O’s history
1958 – Orioles pitcher Jack Harshman hits two home runs to help himself to a 3-2 win over the Washington Senators.
1967 – A Brooks Robinson homer in the eighth inning lifts the Orioles to a 7-5 win over the Red Sox.
1997 – The Orioles use three early runs off of Roger Clemens to hold onto a 3-2 win against the Blue Jays.
1999 – A 13-game winning streak comes to an end for the Orioles as they lose 9-6 to the Athletics in the first part of a double-header. They bounce right back in the evening with a 12-4 win led by Albert Belle’s four-double performance.
2002 – The Orioles lose their 26th game in 30 chances as Jay Gibbons’ two-homer showing isn’t enough and the Red Sox prevail 5-4 in 15 innings.
2013 – Not only do the Orioles lose 5-4 to the Rays, but Manny Machado suffers a season-ending injury when he steps awkwardly on first base and twists his knee.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Denis Kennedy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Zack Wheeler has reached a number that only 96 other pitchers in the history of the game have reached by striking out his 2,000th hitter on Tuesday night.
I will go so far as saying that his is the greatest free agent signing in team history.
