CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 03: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors stands for the national anthem prior to Game Seven of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs assistant coach at Rocket Arena on May 03, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite all the disappointment years ago when the Toronto faithful were so convinced the Raptors got it wrong at number 4, Scottie Barnes has done nothing but exceed expectations and lead the Toronto Raptors through an, at times, awkward rebuilding stage. Now, after a disappointing game seven exit, Toronto has swung for the fences in an effort to construct a team that will prove lightning can strike twice.
In order for that to happen, Scottie will have to continue improving again this year. First, let’s dish out expectations of Scottie. Then, talk about how he will meet them.
The Ceiling
Regardless of who he’s sharing the floor with, Scottie will need to spend at least part of the season as “the guy”. At his best, Kawhi might play 65 games and at his worst that could be closer to 50. When it comes to the playoffs, matchups and homecourt advantage are everything. This past year proved that. Making sure that easily winnable games are in the bag and they’re able to compete with teams above 0.500 when Kawhi is resting will be imperative. Scottie will have to be the key to that. Expecting numbers closer to 20-8-8 would be an adequate ceiling.
The Floor
We would need a Pascal Siakam version of Scottie. Now that might sound like an insult to PSkills, but the year the Raptors won the chip, he was only averaging 17-7-3 shooting 55% from the field and 37% from three. Compare that to Scottie last year, 18-8-6 shooting career highs of 51% and 30% from three. Fairly similar, with Siakam having the edge in efficiency but Scottie in overall numbers. Scottie also boasts better defence, so this feels like an easily manageable statline for him, especially when sharing the floor with Kawhi who will pull defenders aware from Barnes.
Of course, that range doesn’t allow much wiggle room for a rough start or dips statistically. Make no mistake, the expectations are extremely high. He has a habit of doing the expected though.
Scottie the scorer
Two seasons ago, approximately 58% of the points Scottie scored were on two-point makes. The following year that ballooned to 67% and in the most recent season was 80%. This drastic increase shows how Scottie is developing his game. His size and physicality make him a dominant force in and around the paint, something we have undoubtedly enjoyed watching.
Plays like that one prove his ability to overpower opponents, something that he wasn’t this confident doing at the beginning of his career, but now make him someone defenses have to be extremely worried about.
Becoming a human highlight reel with poster dunks like this is one thing, but Scottie has also consistently been developing a midrange over the last couple seasons. Two years ago 7% of his scoring came from the midrange, this past season that figure is now 12%. Now, when defences collapse on him in an effort to block paths to the basket, he has another option.
This low key feels like the Scottie Barnes "I need to get this midrange shot going" era. pic.twitter.com/4zC3Gob9av
His long range shooting is still a work in progress. The percentage of his points that come from beyond the three-point line is steadily decreasing from 25% two years ago to a mere 14%. In some ways, that’s not a bad thing as he’s taking more of the shots that he is more efficient at, but does hurt in the way of spacing.
His next stage as a scorer will hopefully be to continue to improve that shot. This past season was his career best at 30.4%, but if he could eventually improve that number closer to 33 or 35 that would be far more impactful, especially in minutes shared with Poeltl who has no long range either.
Having the gravity he does on the floor also opens up his teammates. Scottie has proven time and again to have a high basketball IQ and find the open man when he has drawn a second defender. This fits perfectly into the brand of basketball that Toronto has been playing the last two seasons under Darko.
Scottie the Facilitator
Last season, Scottie had a 2.26 assist to turnover ratio on almost 6 assists per game. Solid numbers for someone who isn’t even playing the point, but showing his skill and smart decision making as a facilitator nonetheless.
Some of them are plays almost no one would be able to see, like Ja’Kobe Walter sprinting the floor for a wide-open dunk:
With the face-paced ball-movement oriented system that is developing in Toronto, Scottie is the perfect prototype of what the Raptors need. Unselfish, smart basketball. If he can score, he does. If there’s a better shot available, he’ll pass. He makes things easier for everyone who shares the floor with him.
All of that before even mentioning his impact on the other end of the floor.
Scottie the defender
Last season, a lot of people (including me) felt like he was being snubbed from DPOY conversations. Not to say that Wemby didn’t deserve it, but to be left out of discussion entirely felt a little bit insulting. Then to be delegated to the Defensive Second Team was adding insult to injury.
He ranks 15th in the League for defensive win shares, but is one of only five on that list that played more than 60 games. He ranked ninth in the league for total steals, sixth for total blocks, and helped Toronto become the fifth-best defence in the League.
He leads the team in defensive rebounding, steals, and blocks per game. It’s unsurprising that you can find mixtapes just of his defense all over the internet proving his prowess at that end of the floor.
His timing, fearlessness, and effort make him able to guard virtually anyone. Including guys taller and longer than him:
This was enough of a case for First-Team last year, but hopefully if he’s able to put together another year like this he will finally get that nod.
Despite additions and changes to the roster, Toronto will undeniably have to rely on Scottie to continue to do what he is capable of. His role as a defender, facilitator, and scorer means that he is a critical piece of this roster as they seek their second title. If he is “the guy” or if he is the “Pascal” to Kawhi, either way Toronto won’t have another title this year without him.
The Mets' star shortstop has dealt with a number of different injuries over the past year, leading to him posting all-around one of the worst statistical seasons of his 12-year career.
Lindor underwent a procedure to clean up tissue in his elbow during the winter, he missed most of camp after arriving with a broken hamate bone, then was sidelined for two months after tweaked his calf just weeks into the season.
He’s shown flashes of the expected All-Star form since returning from the IL, but still hasn’t quite looked like himself at times at the plate, in the field, and even on the bases.
With just two games remaining this season, the 32-year-old carries a career-worst .731 OPS, has committed a career-high 11 errors at shortstop, and sits in the 41st percentile according to Statcast in OAA (-1).
You could potentially point at the slow start and injuries for the down offensive production, but the several mental mistakes on both sides of the ball have been very head-scratching.
Whatever the reasoning behind it, Lindor knows that he needs to be better next year.
“I have no other option,” he told Mike Puma of the NY Post. “I have to go back to being a plus-player at shortstop -- not only defensively, but running and hitting, too.”
That happening is a must if the Mets hope to get things turned around next year.
There are plenty of exciting pieces shining throughout the system as part of this developing young core, but they absolutely need their stars in Lindor and Juan Soto to stay healthy and lead the way at the top.
The Rangers assigned six more players to Hartford on Friday morning as they continue to cut their roster down ahead of the start of the regular season.
Among that group was forwards Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin.
The young duo were two of the biggest standouts throughout both rookie and pro camp and preseason play, but there weren’t many openings to be had on the NHL roster.
That doesn’t mean the organization isn’t excited about their potential.
In fact, head coach Mike Sullivan had nothing but good things to say about the both of them just hours after they received the boot from their first pro camp.
“We’re excited about them,” he said. “Great kids, very coachable, very talented -- big, strong, competitive -- they are two different players, but both have all of the attributes that are important to succeed at the NHL-level.
“They are players we believe have a ton of upside -- they are starting that journey, and I believe they have a chance to be impactful NHL players -- the energy and enthusiasm is contagious, they love hockey -- sky’s the limit for them.”
Both recently acquired prospects are heading into their first professional campaigns after enjoying successful careers with their respective clubs in the OHL.
Greentree, a scrappy high-skilled winger, has topped the 30-goal mark each of the past three seasons skating with the Windsor Spitfires and is just two years removed from a 100+ point campaign.
Beaudoin is a big center who has only continued developing his two-way game, and is coming off a season where he posted career-highs across the board with the Barrie Colts.
Though they’ll both start the season down with Hartford, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them make an impact at the pro-level this at some point now just one phone call away.
And if not now, the future is certainly looking very bright on Broadway.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 25: Josh Jung #6 of the Texas Rangers reacts to getting hit by a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on September 25, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung suffered a fractured hand when he was hit by a pitch yesterday, putting an end to Jung’s 2026 season.
This is the third time that Jung, who has been plagued by injuries during his professional career, has had a broken bone sideline him in the last four seasons. In 2023, he fractured his left thumb catching a line drive. In 2024, he went on the injured list the first week of the season with a fractured wrist that ended up costing him almost four months.
Jung was having the best offensive season of his career this year, slashing .299/.363/.462 with a 139 OPS+. Jung also missed around six weeks due to a calf strain suffered in July.
The loss of Jung hurts the Rangers as they continue to try to come back in the division race against the Houston Astros, especially given that they also are without Joc Pederson due to a fractured hand suffered on a hit by pitch. Both the Astros and the Rangers lost yesterday, dropping them both to 79-81. This guarantees that whoever wins the American League West will not have a winning record.
The Sabres will be down two of their presumed starters on defense. Olen Zellweger is in concussion protocol but expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, Lindy Ruff said. Mattias Samuelsson, however, remains week to week with his lower-body injury.
Buffalo signed veteran Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year deal on Friday, adding depth to the left side of the defense corps. Grzelcyk will make his team debut against the Penguins, drawing into the lineup along with Zach Metsa.
How the Sabres arrange their defense pairs minus Samuelsson and Zellweger remains to be seen. The team has worked with a variety of pairs at practice, including time spent by Louis Crevier alongside both Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.
Ruff said he intends to stick with consistent power-play units to start the season in a bid to grow chemistry. We’ve seen the same two groups of five for the duration of camp, both of which will be fully intact for today’s game:
PP1: Doan, Thompson, Benson, Quinn, Dahlin
PP2: Helenius, McLeod, Ostlund, Norris, Power
The Sabres have made their power play a focus in camp. The organization’s analytics department did a deep dive on power plays around the league during the summer and produced a lengthy report for Buffalo’s coaches, who in turn whittled it down into digestible information for the players.
In their previous preseason game featuring the NHL lineup, the Sabres went 0-for-3 on the power play but had plenty of opportunity. Today offers one final tune-up for the two units ahead of the regular season.
Sep 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers fans react to the solo homer from Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Friday night, Oracle Park was far from the intimidating cave it may have once been in the SF-LA rivalry.
When the Dodgers from the south, along with their legion of supporters, arrived at the den of these Giants, their faces did not drain of color. They did not breathe dank air, nor pick their way through bones, the scraps of other intruders, as they tentatively descended into the darkness, dreading the fight that was soon to come.
No, when LA comes to the town, they arrive as the conquering army. Oracle Park is not hostile territory, but Dodger Stadium North. A team-owned retreat center, a spa center. Friday night’s game, the first of the final season series, felt, in tone, less like a contest for the Dodgers, and more of an opportunity to reset, relax, tinker a bit, and tune-up before a deep play-off run.
Dave Roberts’s line-up on Friday looked like the October line-up we’re all waaaaaayyyy too familiar with now. Shohei Ohtani was back at the top. Andy Pages was running down line drives in center field. Enrique Hernández, somehow, still out there, still patrolling some section of the diamond. And then there was Tarik Skubal on the mound. Reigning Cy Young, newest toy, ready to fulfill his sole purpose in a Dodger uniform: win in the postseason.
LA’s lead stayed at just two runs for the vast majority of the game, but there was never any measurable threat to it considering the Giants batting order isn’t much of a gauntlet, and Tarik Skubal is very good at pitching. The lefty needed just 75 pitches to complete 7 innings of work. He allowed just three singles. 13 Giant hitters were fed into the Skubal woodchipper between Bandura’s 3rd inning single and Davidson’s two-out, end of the bat nubber in the 7th. He didn’t just strike out 10, he blew them away, scattering as easily as leaves in an autumnal breeze.
Against the San Francisco Giant Flying Squirrels, this was a time to re-sharpen and embolden. Skubal went back-to-basics, ensuring the foundation of his arsenal was solid, the essential tools in working order. The scrape of a blade across a leather strop could be heard as he pitched. He upped his 4-seamer usage to 48% and just went right at the hitter. 21 of the 23 batters he faced saw a first pitch strike. Nothing he threw was errant. Anything out of the zone, tastefully and intentionally placed. He generated 21 whiffs in all, with both his fastball and change-up earning a 50% swing-and-miss rate. Skubal could’ve gone 9. Given how little stress he experienced, he probably could’ve pitched through the 11th or 12th — but that wasn’t needed. This was just a run-through, a dress rehearsal. Skubal walked off the stage for Roki Sasaki in the 8th, then Tanner Scott in the 9th — one iteration of many bullpen looks LA could show off in the coming weeks.
The game breezed by in under two hours. No pitcher broke a sweat. There were 10 total hits, and three of those hits turned into outs by outfield assists trying to stretch singles into doubles. Very little traffic on the basepaths for arms to navigate. The first time two consecutive batters for either team reached base and stayed there wasn’t until the top of the 9th. All the runs scored in the 2nd: a pair of solo shots courtesy of Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages in the 2nd inning. Both pounced on location mistakes by Giants starter, Yunior Marte, whose loopy pitch shapes can be devastating when dropping out of the zone,
Marte, the losing pitcher, still continued to show some levels of promise. Command of the splitter was mercurial at the start, but once he got some command of it(see Ohtani flail above), it helped prevent opposing hitters from ambushing his 4-seamer. Rather than focus on the outcome too, Marte celebrated the little victories. He pitched five complete, and struck out 4 while walking just one batter (his lowest game total in 5 starts). Mookie Betts knocked three hits off of Marte’s servings last Saturday, but after a 1st inning walk, coaxed two ground outs. He beamed, pumping his fist, as his fastball on the outside edge was overturned for a strike-3 against Ohtani to start the game.
After winning four of their first five games, the Giants have now lost six straight to the Dodgers. If the weekend continues as it has been, they’ll have a chance to tie the California-era streak of 8 on Sunday. The longest losing streak to the Dodgers in club history (limited to one season) is 10 games, back in 1953. 10 is also the Giants longest winning streak against the Dodgers. They achieved this twice (said under breath in 1938 and 1905), so…you know…that’s something.
One of baseball's greatest pitching careers took the mound for the last time Saturday, Sept. 26.
Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander is making the final start of his major league career, bringing an end to a journey that spanned more than two decades, multiple Cy Young Awards, MVP honors, championships and thousands of strikeouts.
Verlander emerged as one of the best pitchers of his generation, combining elite velocity, durability and postseason success while starring for several contenders throughout his career. Along the way, he built a resume that places him among the most accomplished starting pitchers in baseball history.
USA TODAY Sports will have live updates, highlights, notable moments, key statistics and reaction throughout the Detroit Tigers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game. Follow along for coverage as Verlander takes the ball one more time.
Verlander and the Detroit Tigers will host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, Sept. 26, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET at Comerica Park.
1-2-3 to start
01:20 PM ET, September 26 2026
Justin Verlander opened the final start of his career with a perfect first inning: three up, three down. His fastball topped out at 93 miles ab hour. That's well short of the 102 he hit during his 2007 no-hitter on the same mound, but it's plenty for a 43-year-old in his first big league outing since March 30.
As he walked off, home plate umpire and crew chief Laz Diaz check Verlander's glove and hands for substances, as is the norm now in baseball. They seemed to be wishing each other well. Diaz is also retiring after the season.
One last walk to the mound
01:11 PM ET, September 26 2026
Justin Verlander took the field for the final time by himself. His Tigers teammates let him go out on the mound at Comerica Park alone and the crowd cheer him. The moment lasted for nearly 40 seconds with the crowd on its feet and Verlander tipping his cap behind the mound before his teammates ran out on the field to join him.
Wearing the moment
12:56 PM ET, September 26 2026
Justin Verlander's teammates made sure that the day had some fun to it too. They showed up at Comerica wearing T-shirts with selfies Verlander had posted over the years, a nod to the 43-year-old future Hall of Famer from a clubhouse that knows its watching history.
Justin Verlander takes the mound for the final time today 🧡
His @Tigers teammates commemorated the occasion by coming to the ballpark with special shirts featuring Verlander 👏 pic.twitter.com/EJdwTeuTqc
It's a young Tigers clubhouse, and most of them were kids when Verlander threw his first no-hitter at Comerica in 2007. They are soaking it in.
All smiles
12:32 PM ET, September 26 2026
Justin Verlander arrived at Comerica Park for his final start in a tan suit and wearing a wide smile. It's his 557th career start and his first at Comerica since 2017. He looked like a man who has made his peace with the day. "I feel like I ran my race," he told reporters this week. "I feel like I gave it everything I could."
Justin Verlander arrives in style for his final career start in Detroit today 🤩 pic.twitter.com/L9bnn0PLfT
Tigers-Pirates lineups for Justin Verlander's final MLB game
12:31 PM ET, September 26 2026
Pittsburgh Pirates
Starting pitcher: Kirby Yates
Ryan O'Hearn DH
Brandon Lowe 2B
Bryan Reynolds LF
Oneil Cruz CF
Konnor Griffin SS
Spencer Horwitz 1B
Ronny Simon RF
Jacob Gonzalez 3B
Henry Davis C
Detroit Tigers
Starting pitcher: Justin Verlander
Max Clark CF
Hao-Yu Lee 2B
Kevin McGonigle 3B
Eduardo Valencia DH
Riley Greene LF
Dillon Dingler C
Spencer Torkelson 1B
Zach McKinstry RF
Javier Baez SS
What Justin Verlander has said about final MLB start
12:05 PM ET, September 26 2026
"It’s weird, because it’s almost like playoff anxiousness, but yet I’m not doing my headphones-on, normal routine, which usually helps assuage some of that. So, feel a little naked right now."
"I haven't really known what to expect this whole time coming into this weekend. And particularly (Friday), I started really noticing: I'm really on edge right now and have a lot of angst, in a good way. I enjoy it, but, I was like, 'Oh wow, this is more than maybe I anticipated.'"
"There’s no script. I want to go as long as I can. I skipped about a month’s worth of rehab to be able to do this, but I also don’t want to just go out there and throw 20 pitches. I think everybody feels comfortable with 20 pitches, and then after that, we’re kind of in a who-knows zone."
"We’ve been through a lot over the years. Your love and support has meant the world to me. … That love and support has solidified for me that I am, and always will be, a Detroit Tiger."
Justin Verlander's most memorable moments
11:40 AM ET, September 26 2026
MLB debut (2005)
Verlander made his major league debut with the Detroit Tigers on July 4, 2005, beginning a career that would span more than two decades. He threw 5⅓ innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts against Cleveland.
AL Rookie of the Year (2006)
One year later, Verlander helped lead the Tigers to the World Series and was named American League Rookie of the Year. He made 30 starts and had a 17-9 record with a 3.63 ERA in 186 innings.
First no-hitter (2007)
Verlander threw the first of his three career no-hitters against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 12, 2007. He struck out 12 and walked four in a 4-0 win.
AL MVP and Cy Young season (2011)
Verlander authored one of the greatest pitching seasons of his generation in 2011, winning both the American League Cy Young Award and AL MVP after leading the league in numerous categories, including wins (24), ERA (2.40), innings (251) and strikeouts (250). He also threw his second no-hitter during the 2011 season, blanking the Blue Jays in Toronto.
World Series championship (2017)
After being traded to the Houston Astros late in the season, Verlander played a key role (5-0 in five regular-season starts, ALCS MVP) in the franchise's run to a World Series title.
3,000th career strikeout (2019)
Verlander became just the 18th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts on Sept. 28, 2019, further cementing his Hall of Fame credentials. He struck out Kole Calhoun of the Los Angeles Angels.
Third career no-hitter (2019)
He added another no-hitter to his résumé on Sept. 1, 2019, joining an exclusive group of pitchers with at least three no-hit games. Once again, the no-no came against the Blue Jays and Verlander recorded 14 strikeouts.
Return from Tommy John surgery (2022)
After missing nearly two full seasons, Verlander returned to win another Cy Young Award, one of the most remarkable comeback stories in recent baseball history. He made 28 starts for the Astros and went 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA at the ripe ole age of 39. He also had 185 strikeouts in 175 innings.
Another World Series title (2022)
Verlander helped the Astros capture a second championship during his tenure with the club, knocking off the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
Why is Justin Verlander retiring?
11:15 AM ET, September 26 2026
At 43 years old, Justin Verlander is in his 21st MLB season. Injuries plagued him this season as he's only made one start (March 30 at Arizona Diamondbacks).
Verlander was initially placed on the injured list with left hip inflammation after that start against the Diamondbacks. Later in the year, he suffered a hamstring injury, which further delayed his return to the mound.
Justin Verlander's career by the numbers
10:51 AM ET, September 26 2026
WAR: 82.3
Record: 266-159 (17-12 in postseason)
ERA: 3.33 (3.58 in postseason)
Starts: 556 (37 in postseason)
Complete games: 26 (2 in postseason)
Innings pitched: 3571⅓ (226 in postseason)
Strikeouts: 3554 (244 in postseason)
Walks: 1006 (74 in postseason)
WHIP: 1.13 (1.11 in postseason)
2006 American League Rookie of the Year
2011 American League MVP
American League Cy Young Award in 2011, 2019, 2022
2-time World Series champ (2017 and 2022 with Houston Astros)
2017 American League Championship Series MVP
Who is Justin Verlander facing in his final MLB start?
10:25 AM ET, September 26 2026
Verlander will face the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, Sept. 26, in what will be the last start of his Hall of Fame career. Verlander has faced the Pirates 10 times in his career, sporting a 5-2 record and 3.08 ERA in 61⅓ innings.
He's only faced the Pirates once since 2017, though, and that came last season on July 29, 2025. He worked five innings, allowing one run on six hits, one walk and seven strikeouts.
The Braves don’t have any stakes here in the last two games, so while it would certainly be nice to grab another win, the real goal is to stay healthy, in rhythm, and not overworked. Brent Suter will start today’s game and will hope to cover some innings in the absence of Martin Perez. Suter has been able to cover 3.0 innings many times this season and has covered 3.2 innings twice, which will probably be his goal today. Atlanta will probably let him go as long as he can regardless of results.
Meanwhile, Miami will throw their own opener in what looks like a bullpen game. This game really is going to have a minor league feel with no real stakes and bullpen games for each team. Cover innings and stay healthy. Anything else is gravy.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 26, 4:10 p.m. ET
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 25: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers tips his cap to fans after being introduced at his Career Celebration Ceremony prior to playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Comerica Park on September 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This weekend is all about celebrating Justin Verlander and his storied career that began and now ends in Detroit. We’ll ignore that little detour to Texas. This is a time to remember some of the most incredible moments in Verlander’s baseball history, so we asked the BYB staff to share some of their highlights from Verlander’s career and what he’s meant to all of us.
Mr Sunshine: Watching his first no-hitter live on TV. Was the first Tigers no-hitter I had seen in my life and such an incredible performance. True must-see JV.
JT Law: I was at the no-hitter in Toronto. Had a ticket in the 500 level but leaned up against a railing at the top of the 100s, behind third base. After a few innings, I didn’t even want to think the phrase “no-hitter,” so I told myself I’d go up to my proper seat when he gave up his “next hit.” Around the seventh, a guy in Blue Jays gear bounced up to me (I was wearing a Tigers hat) and said loudly, “He’s got a no-hitter going, eh?” Of course, when he finished it, tons of fans (of both teams) cheered vigorously, and hundreds of Tiger fans stuck around long after the final out to keep cheering when he was interviewed on the field.
Mr Sunshine: I may still have an unopened box of Fastball Flakes in my knick-knack trunk. JV was my favorite Tiger during his entire tenure.
Adam: I saw him get shelled in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series in person. It sucked.
Honestly, I don’t really feel anything for him anymore. He went and won World Series rings with other teams and it was a full decade before he returned to Detroit. In fact, it’s been so long, I don’t really remember anything specific about his tenure.
He was also a prick to a certain member of the press corps, and as a person who works in media, that does not endear me to him at all.
I hope he has a great final outing and goes into the Hall of Fame with a Tigers cap, but I kind of doubt either of those will happen. Still, he will always be a Tiger great.
Ashley: I honestly resisted admitting that one of my strongest memories of him was the disaster game one of the 2012 World Series that created some of the most magnificent gifs I’ve ever seen.
Zane: My sports fandom was kickstarted by JV’s 2011 MVP season! For the longest time, my lock screen passcode was 073111; Tigers vs Angels, Verlander vs Weaver. The bunt to break up JV’s potential no-hitter was infuriating, but Guillen pimping a home run and Weaver getting ejected and suspended for throwing at Avila’s head after? Peak baseball. Peak.
As Adam and Ashley highlighted, it hasn’t always been a smooth ride, but I will always respect that Verlander was ready to stick around for life and that he was ready and eager all these years later to end his career in Detroit (even if we knocked on the door a year too late). JV was the first guy to truly enamor me in sports. He is the reason I ended up here writing Skubal scouting reports and listening to Skubal minor-league starts in college, and I hope I’m at Comerica Fifth Third when we retire #35. (Also, I agree, Jack White; this is a White Sox stadium tier name.)
P.S. Like Mr. Sunshine, I definitely have a box of Fastball Flakes tucked away as well. Skubs didn’t stick around long enough for a shitty merch opportunity like that!
Mr Sunshine: Never forget the Don Kelly Hot Foot incident in 2011 either
I think the last two items really show what JV meant to the franchise during his first run: dominant pitching and a fun-loving guy elsewhere. Lots of memories of him smiling or being goofy with teammates, and just as many of him obliterating opposing hitters. You then got to pair him with one of the best hitters of all time and some of the best pitchers the game has seen and it was just…magical.
Brandon: Yeah, I’m going to be pretty sentimental about this. My only expectations for players in any sport is that they stay out of trouble, compete as hard as possible, and show love to the hometown crowd supporting them. Few did this as well or as long as JV. Was he a fiery hotshot? Yes, and I loved it. Signed reasonably team-friendly extensions, was the best pitcher in franchise history, and when we traded him away, he always showed love to Detroit even as he went on to pretty incredible 4th and 5th acts in his career, depending on how you want to break his 21 full-season career down into component eras.
Verlander was the guy that brought me back to baseball after checking out in the 90s and early 00s. I knew he was the hard-throwing rookie supposed to lead the Tigers’ return to glory, but it was a complete-game shutout against the Royals in May of 2006 where I really sat up and took notice. Watching that game is my first really distinct memory of thinking, damn, this guy could be great.
The no-hitters and MVP awards were fun, and there were long stretches in 2011 where he seemed to take a no-hitter into the sixth or seventh inning constantly, but probably my specific peak memories of those years come from the 2012 playoffs, shoving twice against the A’s and then carving up the Yankees in the ALCS too. Those starts were so impressively dominant it felt like we couldn’t lose. And then there’s the flip side, because I remember the Pablo Sandoval game, Game 1 of the World Series, really well too, and that was just crushing.
Probably my clearest memory from those years came in 2015, though. After struggling through 2014 with his velocity down, and then having an injury for the first time that spring, there was a lot of chatter that Verlander was done as an ace and moving into the downside of his career. I thought otherwise, and had just started writing for Bless You Boys in the 2014-2015 offseason. Kurt Menchsing and I went to see Verlander’s final rehab start in Toledo on June 6, 2015. We had a great time, chuckling at JV wearing a Jurassic Park-themed jersey, and cheering American Pharoah to horse racing’s first Triple Crown in decades as they broadcast the Belmont Stakes on the big screen before the game.
Verlander looked great, apart from some pesky kid named Francisco Lindor squaring him up twice, and I came away convinced that he was going to get back to dominating. And so he did. That second half of 2015, when he was once again the best pitcher in the American League and probably all of baseball, is really fresh in my memory. Statcast started up at midseason, and I was among the first to dig into that data, and I wrote immediately that Verlander’s spin rates and velocity were both back in elite territory in early July as he started ripping off one great start after another.
All those memories of starting here at BYB, learning to dig deeper into pitching data, Verlander’s resurgent season, Dombrowski getting fired, are all tied up together with the hope at the time that 2011-2013 was just the first act and they’d have another run with JV before he was through. Turns out it was the Tigers who were done, and JV was brewing up another decade of greatness that would take him to Houston for another great era of baseball for another city.
Justin Verlander has been my favorite pitcher and one of my favorite players for 20 years. It’s just going to feel weird that it’s all over after so many times when people wrongly thought he was done. I can’t say I’m excited to see him pitch in a diminished state on Saturday, but I am happy that he’ll leave the game where he began it, in front of the crowd that has loved him best for all these years. And yeah, I will probably get a bit weepy when AJ comes to take him out of the game and get him his standing ovation. Few in Detroit sports history have deserved it more.
Cameron: Got weepy reading that.
JT Law: No, no, just got dusty in here, is all.
Cam: It’s not hyperbolic to say that Justin Verlander is the biggest reason I’m a baseball fan. I was nine years old when he debuted, and he has been one of the few constants in the game since. Nothing lasts forever, but JV was a staple of Major League Baseball for such a long time that sometimes it felt like he just might. Twenty-one seasons as a Major League pitcher is unheard of in this era, and he wasn’t just some scrub collecting a paycheck; he was good-to-great until the wheels finally fell off. Watching his career unfold as the young, fire-breathing rookie who was one of the faces of the Tigers’ turnaround, to the best pitcher on the planet in the early 2010s, to erasing all doubt of his potential demise and leading the Astros to their organization’s first World Series title, to coming back from Tommy John surgery to win the Cy Young Award at age 39, and then to see him become a little bit of a journeyman into his 40s despite having nothing left to prove has been a true sight to behold. Though I never met him, I grew up with Justin Verlander, and his career, which has spanned two-thirds of my life, coming to an end puts a lot into perspective personally.
I was lucky enough to work for the Mud Hens in 2015 when Verlander made his rehab start in Toledo. That was a special night for the city, and my family having a suite for that night in advance turned out to be a wonderful stroke of luck. When I worked in social media and analytics, I was really just copying and printing batting average splits for the managers to digest; the organization at the time didn’t really do sabermetrics – one of my roles was to bring a packet of statistics into the clubhouse for the staff. While down there, I saw JV walking around with his headphones on, just absolutely locked the f*** in like he was about to take the mound for the World Series.
His presence loomed large, and no one in the clubhouse said a word to him. That is, until Jim Leyland walked in. JV snapped out of his daze and shared a warm embrace and a few words with his former manager. Two of the most important figures of the Tigers I grew up right in front of me; one enjoying retirement with nothing left to prove, and the other entering the back half of his career with everything still to prove. I’m really glad I witnessed that, and recalling it right now is stirring up lots of feelings.
Baseball at its best, and unfortunately at its worst, has the ability to move us die-hard fans in ways nothing in life can. Justin Verlander, the best pitcher in Detroit Tigers history, the best pitcher of his generation, and one of the all-time greats, moved everyone who watched him. There’s a reason he was called “Must See JV.” The level of dominance he displayed while toeing the rubber demanded your attention. Now, for better or worse, all eyes will be on him as he takes the mound for the last start of his illustrious career. He said that he’s willing to pitch until his arm falls off, and I hope he gets the chance. Regardless of how it goes, when AJ Hinch makes the long stroll from the dugout to yank him, two things will be true: Justin Verlander is going to be a stubborn prick about coming out of the game, and there will not be a dry eye in the stadium or anywhere else the game is being displayed.
Ashley: I may have joked a little about him, and I certainly had differences of opinion on some things Verlander has done, but as someone who became a Tigers’ fan in 2011 (my return to baseball as an adult), watching those years of Detroit baseball was really something special. I latched onto Alex Avila early on as my favorite player, and I think getting to watch his relationship with Justin Verlander really helped me appreciate the team and the sport on a totally different level. Getting to watch one of the best pitchers in the game routinely make batters look silly, and then getting to see the camaraderie that he had with his teammates in the bullpen, it made me understand that there was more to baseball than just what was happening on the field, that you could grow to love and appreciate the people playing it too. I really feel so blessed to have come into this fandom at that time, with some of the most amazing players in the franchise, and it really helped develop a love of the game for me that hasn’t gone anywhere since. I remember staying up until after midnight on the trade deadline where Verlander was sent to Houston, really feeling like it was the end of an era for a team that had been struggling. I’m not sure I’ll ever care about players as much as I did in that era, and that’s okay. It’s wild to see those guys retiring now. Admittedly, I also thought all those Perfect Game ads with Verlander and Kate Upton were a lot of fun.
If you missed the ceremony before Friday’s game, here it is in full:
The same story we’ve been seeing played out. With the wind howling in, the Cubs couldn’t hit the ball out of the park. The Cubs lost two games. The Cubs last won a game in which they didn’t homer on July 30 against the Cardinals. Fortunately, the team hits a lot of homers, because they have become a team that must have them. It’s been frustrating to watch the pitching be pretty good but the Cubs losing most of their games anyway. They go long stretches with no base runners. Then when they do get runners, they strand them anyway. The team will finish the season in quite a funk. The team got on a plane for Tampa having scored nine runs in their last five games.
Your mileage may vary as to if you consider it a silver lining that the Phillies are collapsing harder. As I sit here writing this, the Phillies were shut out, losing to the Rays. Even a Rays team that has already clinched home field advantage through the AL playoffs and is resting players was too much for the Phillies. In a wild twist of fate, the Phillies now have a decent chance to miss the playoffs. They are sitting on a magic number of two with two to play. If they could just win two games against the Rays, they’d be in. But can they do that? The Phillies will run a bullpen game on Saturday while hoping to find a way.
I write somewhere around 1,000 words about the Cubs after each of 162 games (fuzzy math for a doubleheader and my midseason vacation). I’ve been doing this for nine full seasons and one partial season. So I’ve written maybe 15,000 words about various versions of this team. Never mind that for a while there that number was drifting up to between 1,500 and 2,000 words. It starts to feel like all of the words have been said before. I think of how many hundreds of thousands of words Al has typed out about various Cub teams and I’m in awe. I believe the Barenaked Ladies once told us that “it’s all been done before.”
It was around this time last year that I flipped the script for one night. It was the last Thursday of the season. I remember Cade Horton had been injured and it was a proverbial straw breaking my back. Just one too many unfortunate occurrences. I’m not sure I’ve ever quoted myself. Maybe, to show a prediction I made or something. But let’s find this.
Ho hum. So much for reaching the playoffs with any kind of momentum. The best pitcher has an injury that is still being evaluated. The closer looked decent enough in facing a couple of live hitters for the first time in weeks. The third starter just allowed eight earned runs in a start. The best hitter is maybe going to play tomorrow for the first time in weeks but can’t play the field yet. The second best hitter is battling a terrible slump since the break, but at least showed glimpses a few times per week. It’s not polished. It’s not healthy. It’s not even playing really tight ball.
There are stories of teams that slide into the end of the season, then get hot in the playoffs and make a run. There is no one formula on how you play early, late or even the middle. To my eye, the Cubs will be two players short of their best 26. We knew one of those months ago when Justin Steele was injured. Miguel Amaya had a great start to the season but hasn’t meaningfully contributed since May. The Cubs will field a 26 that when healthy and productive are plenty adequate to win a playoff series.
We’re seeing very few signs that we are heading for that ending. For a team that I’ve enjoyed so much, and believed could do damage, I’ve lowered my expectations. It’s not even an expectation. One win and don’t be embarrassing. That’s my new definition of a successful postseason series.
Lowered expectations. I have so much optimism most of the time where the Cubs are concerned. Maybe this going to be the time. I tell myself that so often. I see all of the things that can go right. But also, Clay Holmes has struggled. Alex Bregman’s eye. The offense is scuffling. The bullpen has been historically bad and can’t really be counted on to close out a win. This team might have actually started unraveling before it ever played a game this year. So much disappointment.
One more to go. Hey, I got an unexpected gift. I didn’t expect to be able to see the Cubs in person again until 2028. But they’ll be in town Sunday, I’ll grab tickets and I’ll go watch No. 162. I hope it’s better than 160 and 161 were. I know this, I love a good conversation about game theory. I’ve seen people talking about what is best. The Cubs want to be in the 4/5 game. For whatever reason, the sport that wants to be helping its highest seeded teams didn’t set the playoffs up to re-seed after the first round. I said it a while back. The Cubs want to be in the spot that has them face the Dodgers in the second round, should they get there. No offense to the two-time champions. I suspect both they and the Brewers would beat the Cubs pretty easily. But the Dodgers are a better matchup for this team.
Try to beat the Padres again. Then stay out west and take on the back-to-back champs. Maybe, you catch them dealing with too many of their own injuries. The Brewers pretty much wiped the floor with the Cubs this year after knocking them from the playoffs last year. The games don’t look to be evenly matched at all. Let the Phillies or Diamondbacks deal with the Braves, then the winner try to beat the Brewers. The best chance for this team to win involves a whole lot of players that won’t be on the postseason roster for one reason or another.
Three Positives: (Game One)
Michael Busch had two singles and a walk and scored a run. Busch has heated up some down the stretch, though the power numbers didn’t really come with it.
Tyrone Taylor hadn’t gotten much playing time of late. He crushed a double and drove in a run. He hit the ball well a couple of other times with nothing to show for it.
Matt Shaw had a single and a double.
Game 160, September 25: Red Sox 4, Cubs 3 (88-72)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Miguel Amaya (.11). 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Hero: Tyrone Taylor (.07). 1-3, 2B, RBI
Sidekick: Michael Busch (.06). 2-3, BB, R
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Alex Bregman (-.20). 0-4
Goat: Nico Hoerner (-.19). 0-4
Kid: Dansby Swanson (-.17). 0-4, R
WPA Play of the Game: Adley Rutschman singled with runners on second and third and one out in the fifth inning. Two runs scored, tying the game. (.155)
Cubs Play of the Game: Miguel Amaya doubled with runners on first and second and one out in the second to give the Cubs a three run lead. (.150)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Three Positives: (Game two)
David Peterson threw five shutout innings, striking out six.
Seiya Suzuki had two hits and drew a walk.
Nico Hoerner had two singles.
Game 161, September 25: Red Sox 2, Cubs 0 (89-72)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: David Peterson (.29). 5 IP, 19 BF, 3 H, 2 BB, 0 R, 6 K
Hero: Javier Assad (.17). 2.1 IP, 8 BF, BB, R, 3 K (L 6-2)
Sidekick: Seiya Suzuki (.09). 2-3, BB
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Ryan Rolison (-.32). 0.1 IP, 3 BF, H, BB, R, K
Goat: Michael Conforto (-.22). 0-4
Kid: Pedro Ramirez (-.15). 0-3
WPA Play of the Game: Wilyer Abreu’s two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning for all of the runs in the game. (.343)
Cubs Play of the Game: With a runner on first and no outs, David Peterson got Connor Wong to ground into a double play. (.098)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 159 Winner: Matthew Boyd received 54 of 69 votes.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Pete Crow-Armstrong +25.5
Alex Bregman +23
Shōta Imanaga +15
Ben Brown +13.5
Carson Kelly +11.5
Jameson Taillon -13
Dansby Swanson -16
Seiya Suzuki -17
Caleb Thielbar -17.5
Nico Hoerner -18
Notes: Four players have a shot at the bottom spot for the year. The last time last place scored over -20 was in 2022 when Jason Heyward was last with -15.5. Two people with a shot at the top spot. If PCA gets first or second for the last game, he will post the highest total by any Cubs since Cody Bellinger in 2023 (+35).
Scoreboard Watching: Phillies lose. The Diamondbacks all over the Padres. The Phillies are in pretty desperate need of a win.
Up Next: A rare neutral site game in Tampa against the Red Sox, trying to avoid a sweep. Neither team has announced a starter. Both teams seem likely to use pitching by committee in the game.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 18: Seattle Mariners pitcher Andrés Muñoz (75) pitches in the ninth inning during a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good day friends, and welcome to the final weekend of the regular season.
Last night the Mariners fell short in their comeback effort, dropping a 7-5 game to the Angels. The M’s will play in their last night game of the year this evening with first pitch set for 6:40 pm PT.
In Mariners news…
In case you missed it, closer Andrés Muñoz will not be throwing any pitches this weekend after he was placed on the injured list with right knee inflammation.
Adam Jude at The Seattle Times spoke with beloved broadcaster Rick Rizzs about his pending retirement and the long journey that has taken him to this moment.
David Schoenfield at ESPN recapped the major storylines to watch in the final weekend of the season.
As Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer enter their twilight years in the majors, they have a message to the game: bring back the starting pitcher. Tyler Kepner at The Athletic has more. ($)
Evan Drellich and Andrew Marchand at The Athletic explained why 60 missed games will be a key breaking point for owners during CBA negotiations.
The Guardians truly are an enigma.
The Guardians currently have:
no qualifying .300+ hitters no players with 20+ HR no players with 75+ RBI no players with 40+ SB
No MLB team has ever finished a non-shortened season without having any players accomplish any of those feats and yet still made the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/dkMgp4uUIa
Ian Happ is an absolute legend….dude playing possibly his last game at Wrigley tossed a ball to the bleachers with $300 cash to buy fans beers pic.twitter.com/dZxVsO16Gg
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 2: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on July 2, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I am going to need a bit of time to digest the 2026 Cardinals season. The first half was largely defined by optimism and excitement, but the cruel forces of regression to the mean in the second half took much of the Bloom out of the Cardinals’ rose. The preseason ZiPS projected win total was 76 with an 80th-percentile projection of 82.8 wins. The Cardinals sit at 77 wins with two to play. If you take ZiPS as the gold standard, which I personally do, the Cardinals have marginally exceeded expectations. That is certainly better than marginally underachieving, but it is not the resounding success that looked like a real possibility in the early going. Today, I want to highlight a few of the things that I think I will remember when I look back on the 2026 Cardinals.
The Position Player Core Emerging and Fading
Through the first half of the year, the Cardinals were really mostly fun. And that was mostly because of the position player core. The defense was great, and the offense was solid and seemed to have a penchant for late-inning dramatics. The combination of the completely unexpected Jordan Walker breakout and the highly anticipated JJ Wetherholt excellence stole the show. Along with the two stars, Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, and Ivan Herrera gave the Cardinals a legitimately excellent core. Through the first half of the season, the Cardinals had five players on pace for 3+ WAR seasons.
This group was producing at an elite level. Like, a “this position player core is good enough to compete for a World Series” level. I was curious how they stacked up against other teams’ core position player groups, so I pulled each team’s top five WAR players through June 27 and looked at the combined WAR production.
Through the first 80 games, the Cardinals’ quintet’s WAR of 10.3 was the fifth best in baseball. For reference, the Cubs had the best group of five with 11.5 combined WAR among Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson, and Ian Happ.
I think we were all braced for some potential regression from Jordan Walker in the second half, but regression and/or injury hit the group hard.
After the tepid second half, the Cardinals’ core five WAR total ranks 20th for the full season. I still feel really good about this group moving forward. Wetherholt and Winn dealt with injuries. Burleson only had a minimal step back. Herrera’s finish is slightly concerning, but with his track record, I expect this to be a minor bump in his career trajectory. Walker is, of course, the elephant in the room. This team looked completely different while he was obliterating baseballs in the middle of the lineup. Hopefully his second-half performance is his new floor and he can continue to build moving forward.
The Starting Pitching Stepping Forward
Part of the reason the starting pitching sticks out to me is just how fun the Kyle Leahy breakout has been. Leahy went from being one of my least favorite pitchers to watch to perhaps my favorite on the team. His second-half charge led a rotation that only got better as the year went on. At the end of April, they ranked 29th in MLB in WAR. They improved that ranking every month and have climbed to 12th in baseball for the full season. Here is how the first and second halves compare.
Despite trading away May, the Cardinals’ rotation has still improved in the second half, going from 4.8 WAR to 7.0. Pallante and McGreevy have remained steady by the underlying metrics throughout the season. Leahy had his coming-out party and Mathews has looked good in his first eight starts.
I am absolutely in agreement with those who argue the Cardinals should go after a top-of-the-rotation pitcher this offseason via trade or free agency, but the quality of the depth that emerged this season is going to give the team a lot of flexibility moving forward. The Memphis rotation going into next year could conceivably be Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tekoah Roby, Daniel Eagen, and Mason Molina (with a star-studded AA rotation behind them). The current rotation sets a high floor and the prospects on the way provide a high ceiling. Hopefully we look back on 2026 as the beginning of a decade-long run of starting pitcher excellence.
The Bullpen Woes
I did frame this article as the things I would remember from this year, so, unfortunately, the bullpen must be mentioned. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives too much, but other than Riley O’Brien pitching lights out for a month or so at the beginning of the year, not much went right for this unit. The surface statistics like ERA and WAR paint the bullpen as one of the five or ten worst pens in baseball, but it felt much worse. The 29 blown saves are the most the team has had since 2008. The LOB% of 68.4% was second-worst in baseball.
I don’t think it is reasonable to frame the bullpen as the reason the Cardinals missed the playoffs. Going by Win Probability Added (WPA), the Cardinals’ bullpen contributed -2.82 wins. The MLB average bullpen was around +2. So, an average performance would have ostensibly netted the team about five wins. Five additional wins would still have the team five games out of the last Wild Card spot. If you swapped in the No. 1 bullpen by WPA, Atlanta at +11.71, then you would have a team sneaking into the playoffs. This is not to make excuses for the pen, but just to illustrate how narrow this team’s path to the playoffs was.
I would love to see Chaim Bloom make some targeted acquisitions this offseason, but internal help is on the way too. The good news: things are unlikely to get any worse than this year.
A Glimpse Into the Future
To end on a positive note, we got some extremely fun debuts this year. Joshua Baez, Leo Bernal, Quinn Mathews, and Cooper Hjerpe have all been on the prospect radar for years and all of them acquitted themselves quite well in their limited St. Louis time. We will all remember Joshua Baez’s three-homer game at Wrigley as the signature moment of the season. But the thing that will make these debuts truly significant is what they do next. Baez and Bernal give the Cardinals two more players who could join the aforementioned core five to anchor the next great team. Bernal looked like a 10-year veteran (mostly) and has the on-field swagger and presence reminiscent of Yadier Molina. Baez hit 41 home runs across the minors and majors and could be the big power bat that the team has been searching for. Yes, they both have questions that they will need to answer, but the upside is tremendous and both should be penciled into the Opening Day lineup in 2027.
On the pitching side, Mathews and Hjerpe overcame a lot to make successful St. Louis debuts. There are still plenty of questions around health and strike-throwing ability, but both have the upside to be difference-makers in the rotation.
In addition to the big four prospects (and Wetherholt), Luis Gastelum, Cade Winquest, Brycen Mautz, Blaze Jordan, Jimmy Crooks, and Bryan Torres all made it to St. Louis for the first time. Not all of these gentlemen are likely to be impact big leaguers, but all of them made the 2026 season more exciting.
What I’ll Actually Remember
The harsh reality is that I probably won’t remember much of the 2026 season five or ten years from now. In St. Louis, we remember the teams that play and win in October. I am broadly supportive of the approach the Cardinals’ front office and ownership have taken in bringing in Bloom and focusing on a real reset. But I am ready to see winning baseball and monetary investment in the major league roster again. I am willing to trust the process for now, but the thing that would make 2026 truly stand out is if it is the last season in which the Cardinals miss the playoffs in the next decade or so.
INGLEWOOD, CA - DECEMBER 23: Bogdan Bogdanovic #10 of the LA Clippers plays defense during the game against the Houston Rockets on December 23, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Flawed analogy: An NBA team is like a video game build.
Each team has attributes, and each team has to choose which attributes to prioritize. Although that’s where the flaws in the analogy begin. In most video games, the limitations on attribute distribution are stricter. It’s typically smart to punt on strength entirely if your build is charisma-focused. The NBA is less capped: Ideally, you’d max out in everything.
Yet, there’s still something of a cap. There are only so many good players. It can be sensible to triple down. That’s what the Houston Rockets have mostly done. They’ve sunk most of their attribute points into defense and rebounding:
Bogdan Bogdanovic is the exception.
Bogdanovic brings much-needed skills to Rockets
Historically, Bogdanovic has been a knockdown shooter who can also handle the ball and make plays for teammates. He’s not a great defender. We’ll get into that, but first, let’s address the elephant in the room:
Bogdanovic may not be good anymore.
We all know it. Last year, Bogdanovic appeared in just 23 games. He averaged 7.4 points with a 52.5 True Shooting % (TS%), and per DataBallr, the Clippers were -5.1 when he was on the floor.
If we’re being charitable, Bogdanovic was playing hurt. He got injured in EuroLeague over the summer. If we’re being less charitable, some injuries don’t really heal, and at 34, it’s possible that Bogdanovic’s goose is irrevocably cooked.
With that ugliness out of the way…
In 2024-25, the Bogey Man had a strange season. He struggled for 24 games with the Hawks, got traded to the Clippers, and started lighting it up, averaging 11.4 points per game while hitting 42.7% of his 4.8 threes per game in 30 games with the Los Angeles Aspiration*.
*Shout out to Pablo Torres.
Is it so inconceivable that we’re getting that Bogdanovic? Thirty-four is old, but it’s not old old. It’s possible that Bogdanovic is healthy again and ready to give the Rockets an injection of floor spacing and secondary ball-handling.
If Ime Udoka is even willing to play him.
Bogdanovic may not fit Rockets’ vision
Even at his best, Bogdanovic has never been much for defense.
The Rockets also signed Marcus Smart this summer. He’s not as dynamic as (the best version of) Bogdanovic offensively, but the gap is wider on defense, and Ime Udoka being who he is…
Time will tell how often Bogdanovic even sees the floor.
If anything, the Bogdanovic signing signals that Rafael Stone has (at least some) understanding of what this team needs. That’s a positive. Otherwise, Bogdanovic may need to wait for an opportunity, and all we can do is hope that he’s ready for it:
You don’t get infinite lives in the National Basketball Association.
Warwickshire beat Leicestershire by an innings & 79 runs
Ethan Bamber’s five-wicket haul seals title for Bears
Warwickshire were crowned County Championship champions after beating Leicestershire by an innings and 79 runs at Edgbaston on Saturday. They entered the third day needing seven wickets to clinch the title, while the visitors required 182 more runs to send them back in to bat.
Chris Woakes got the hosts off to the ideal start by bowling Sol Budinger for 47 and the former England all-rounder soon struck again when his delivery to Jonathan Tattersall was caught by Rob Yates at slip.
COLUMBUS, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 24: Zach Werenski #8 of the Columbus Blue Jackets passes the puck against against Harrison Brunicke #45 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period of the preseason game at Nationwide Arena on September 24, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Penguins have announced their roster for this afternoon (3:30pm start) against Buffalo.
6 – Kaedan Korczak 45 – Harrison Brunicke 49 – Sam Girard 57 – Trevor van Riemsdyk 58 – Kris Letang 65 – Erik Karlsson 72 – Declan Carlile
GOALIES
1 – Sergei Murashov 37 – Arturs Silovs
One forward and defenseman will need to be scratched from the list.
This isn’t a pure dress rehearsal game, new rules limit veterans of 100+ games to playing in only two preseason games. At the same time, teams must dress a certain number of veterans per game, so players like Elmer Soderblom and Connor Dewar who are likely to be in the opening night lineup to start the regular season can’t play in this one. In their spot are players like McGroarty, Broz and Zonnon.
On defense, it’s interesting to see Harrison Brunicke (and not Ilya Solovyov) take part in the proceedings, if only as the seventh defenseman who will get scratched after warmups. Brunicke hasn’t made as noisy and flashy of a run to a lineup spot in this training camp, compared to 2024 and 2025 when he was one of the biggest subjects around, yet he looks to be in good position just the same. The team has plenty of right shot defenders and may choose to start Brunicke in the AHL where he can play, but at this rate he might not remain in Wilkes-Barre for very long.
There’s no surprises in goal, where it looks as if Sergei Murashov has nudged ahead of Joel Blomqvist when it comes to nailing down an NHL roster spot. That situation played out as expected, and seemingly as the team wanted to make their star young goalie prospect the first in line for NHL minutes this season over his competition.
Ryan Graves and Justin Brazeau are both off the ice recently with undisclosed injuries. It looks like Graves is far outside the NHL picture but this mysterious recent ailment might allow him to be attached to injured reserve at the start of the season instead of going on waivers at the end of training camp for the second year in a row. A conspiratorial mind could have field day on the timing of this, but we’ll see what comes of Graves’ status as the regular season approaches. No matter how it shakes out a return to the NHL roster seems the most unlikely at this point given how his preseason went from placement in practices with AHL players to more unsteady performances in exhibition games.
Defenseman Ryan Graves (lower-body) will not skate today. His status will be updated after further evaluation. pic.twitter.com/NDrrySbsX8
