The Florida Panthers are going to be a team that is watched closely this season.
Coming off an injury plagued campaign a year ago, the Panthers are once again healthy and ready to resume their role as one of the league’s top teams.
But they are also on the cusp of becoming something the NHL has not seen in over a decade and rarely has seen over the past half century.
A dynasty.
Generally, a team can be considered a dynasty when they win three of more championships during the same era of dominance.
Most recently, the Chicago Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups in a six-year span (2010, 2013 and 2015). Prior to that, the Detroit Red Wins won Cups in 1997, 1998 and 2002.
Those count as dynasties.
Before that, the New York Islanders winning four straight titles from 1980 to 1983 and the Edmonton Oilers winning five titles between in seven years between 1984 and 1990 dominated the 80s, and the Montreal Canadiens basically running the 70s with six Stanley Cup wins in nine years were absolutely dynasties.
Now what about the Panthers?
Florida won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2024 and 2025 after reaching the Stanley Cup Final in three straight seasons, starting in 2023.
Another championship (or two, or three) over the next several seasons will absolutely qualify the Panthers as a dynasty.
Looking forward, the team’s window of opportunity to continue finding that kind of success seems wide open.
They have an incredibly formidable core group of players who are all signed through at least the end of the decade and are entering or currently residing in the prime years of their respective careers.
It’s a list that includes Sasha Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, Brad Marchand, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen and Niko Mikkola.
Additionally, Florida General Manager Bill Zito and his staff will have more money to spend in the coming years as the league’s salary cap continues to rise.
Some of that will go toward an extension for Brady Tkahcuk, whose contract has two years remaining and is eligible to sign a new deal next summer, and the team’s future goaltenders, as both Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid are under contract through the end of the 2027-28 season.
Based off his track record, Panthers fans can feel confident that Zito will continue to build and maintain Florida’s elite, championship contending roster.
Under head coach Paul Maurice, the team will continue to play a brand of physically imposing and aggressively defensive hockey that thrives once the playoffs arrive.
Will all that be enough for the Panthers to reach the mountaintop at least one more time over the next several seasons?
Time will tell, but there’s an argument to be made that Florida will be as prepared and capable of any team vying to make that climb.
Their next bite at the championship apple will begin later this week in Fort Lauderdale.
Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; The FloridaPanthershoist theStanleyCupafter winning game six of the 2025StanleyCupFinal against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 11: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs hits his hat to the crowd before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on September 11, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The pace continues to be a furious one for the Atlanta Braves here in September. Once they get done facing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field this week, they will have played 13 games in a row against teams who are currently in Postseason position — and it could be 16 games in a row if the Houston Astros can find any vein of real consistency.
It’s definitely a tough gauntlet for any team to endure but the good news is that the Braves have done a solid job of navigating it so far. They did what they needed to do against the Phillies and they avoided getting swept against a red-hot Rays squad, so they’ve been doing a decent job of simply treading water in these turbulent waves during this part of the schedule.
It remains to be seen whether or not this will have a galvanizing effect on the Braves going forward or if it’ll cause them to run out of gas at some point but either way, you can’t say that the Braves will be cruising into October no matter how they get in. They will have been baseball battle-tested and proven resilient thanks to this unrelenting schedule, which continues on with six more big games this week.
September 14-16: Chicago Cubs
Current Record: 83-67 Projected Record (via FanGraphs): 90-72
Depending on how things shake out, this could be a potential Wild Card Series preview and it would certainly be an intriguing one if the Braves stayed in the third seed and the Cubs potentially fell to the six-seed. This would be a good ol’ fashioned matchup of whether or not strong pitching (from the Braves) can overcome a lineup that can seemingly go off at any given moment. We’ll get a taste of that this week as the Braves visit Wrigley Field for three games against the Cubs.
Chicago essentially finds themselves in a similar spot as the Phillies, since losing five-out-of-six to the Brewers this month essentially nuked any hope they had of catching Milwaukee for the NL Central title. Instead, they’re now jockeying for position in the NL Wild Card. Barring the collapse of the century, they should make it into the Postseason altogether but their position in the standings isn’t as comfortable — what with the Phillies being tied with them on record and the Padres currently surging in the standings with a seven-game win streak. It’s anybody’s guess as to whether or not the Cubs will be hosting a series at Wrigley or potentially having to travel to get their October quest started.
Either way, this is likely going to be a tough series for the Braves considering what the Cubs have going on. Chicago has had the best offense in baseball this season (according to wRC+) and they’ve only tightened their grip on that position since August. Dating back to August 1, the Cubs have collectively hit at a clip of .260/.342/.477 with a wOBA of .330 and a wRC+ of 126. The nearest team in wRC+ to them since August is (none other than) the Brewers, who have produced a wRC+ of 114 since August. Pete Crow-Armstrong is likely going to win NL MVP and he’s been mashing lately along with Alex Bregman and Seiya Suzuki in particular. We’re all familiar with Dansby Swanson’s wOBA Rollercoaster and as of right now, the cart is going upwards so he’ll also potentially be dangerous to deal with as well.
So with Chicago’s offense being as good as it is, it’s only natural to try to figure out why they aren’t leading their division (outside of the Brewers just being a buzzsaw this season) and it’s partially due to the fact that Chicago’s pitching hasn’t been nearly as consistent. Since August 1, Chicago’s pitching staff has the 20th-highest ERA- in baseball (105) and the next-to-worst FIP- in all of baseball (114). The Braves probably don’t want to get into a slugfest with this team but if they can keep things low-scoring and tight, Atlanta’s bullpen would have the clear advantage here.
With that being said, the Cubs are sending two of their better starters to the mound during this series in the form of David Peterson and old friend Kevin Gausman, so this probably won’t be smooth sailing for a Braves lineup that has found it tough to hit away from home in recent times. On the other hand, the Braves have had plenty of experience with Peterson over the years due to his stint with the Mets and for the most part, they’ve had decent success against him so hopefully that’ll continue. On top of that, the Braves managed to get four runs off of Kevin Gausman when they saw him earlier this season as a member of the Blue Jays, so the Braves have shown that they can get something against these two guys. We’ll just have to see if Atlanta can manage to get the job done and get some runs on the board against this duo for the first two games and Shota Imanaga for the series finale on Wednesday.
Monday, September 14 at 7:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision, MLB Network) Tuesday, September 15 at 7:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision, Gray TV, TBS) Wednesday, September 16 at 7:40 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
September 18-20: Houston Astros
Current Record: 75-75 Projected Record: 81-81
Is it really going to happen? Are we going to see a .500 (or possibly below) team make the Postseason? If the Astros (or the Rangers) don’t pick up the pace then it’s looking very likely that this apparently broken sport with no parity that’s dominated by one club in particular will be dealing with a scenario where an 81-81 team will be 13 wins away from a World Series title. That is the future that awaits the Astros if they can manage to make it through this season on top of the AL West.
It’s been a deeply weird month of September for the Astros so far, who are showing the sense of urgency that you’d expect from a team that’s going to finish very close to .500 but also somehow finds themselves in the thick of a playoff race. They took out the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox over four games but then slipped on a banana peel at home against the Diamondbacks. They then proceeded to do the Braves a solid by taking a series in Philadelphia before going down to Tampa Bay and getting rocked in a three-game sweep. They’ll be taking on the moribund Royals before hosting the Braves but with the way this Astros team has looked, it’s really anybody’s guess as to whether or not Houston will be above or below .500 once the Braves come to town.
Houston hasn’t been particularly good at much of anything this season, which makes sense considering their record. They’ve put up a wRC+ of 91 since August 1 (24th-best mark in baseball since that date. Better than the Braves, which is scary) and their pitching hasn’t been too great, either with an ERA- of 102 and a FIP- of 99 since that date. They’ve been a very average ballclub but they still have to be taken seriously since this is a steam that’s still having to swat away the Rangers for the lead in the AL West. Atlanta’s going to have to take them seriously — especially if the Braves want to keep pressure on the Dodgers for the sixth seed.
At the plate, I think everybody knows to look out for Yordan Alvarez but he’s also been getting some help from guys like Issac Paredes, Yainer Diaz, Cam Smith and ol’ Jose Altuve. With that being said, outside of old friend Nick Allen surprisingly carrying a 100 wRC+ for the season, there’s not a lot of danger to be found elsewhere in Houston’s lineup. The same could be said for their pitching staff, which doesn’t have a lot of guys who should be feared outside of Josh Hader. If you see Josh Hader, it’s probably too late.
In order to avoid seeing Josh Hader, Atlanta will have to likely figure out how to score runs off of the probable trio of Peter Lambert, Hayden Wesneski and Hunter Brown. It’s kind of wild how similar these three pitchers are — Brown’s FIP since August 1 has been 3.69, Lambert’s FIP since then has been 3.57 and Wesneski has been sporting a FIP of 3.78. Brown and Wesneski are also separated by 10 points in ERA (3.56 and 3.66, respectively) but Lambert has been the exception with an ERA of 5.27. Either way, all three of these guys are perfectly fine and while that doesn’t seem imposing, it could be for a Braves lineup that is still trying to get their footing as far as hitting on the road is concerned. Hopefully Atlanta will have it figured out and they’ll be able to crack their code as they return to a former place of glory from five years ago.
Friday, September 18 at 8:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision) Saturday, September 19 at 7:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision) Sunday, September 20 at 2:10 p.m. ET (BravesVision)
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 23: Ziaire Williams #1 of the Brooklyn Nets attempts a layup defended by Donovan Clingan #23 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at Moda Center on March 23, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look atZiaire Williams.
A perfect storm of departing contracts afforded the Los Angeles Lakers an opportunity to officially move forward with a revamped team built around superstar Luka Dončić this summer.
Head coach JJ Redick and company had a specific identity in mind when crafting the new-look Lakers: defense, youth and athleticism. A young wing they took a flyer on who projects as a prototype that the franchise (and its fanbase) has desired for a while, Ziaire Williams, fits that mold perfectly.
The 25-year-old wing has spent the better part of his five-year career on middling teams and without a creator as talented as Dončić or Austin Reaves, who possess the ability to enhance the skills of the people around them. Despite the malaise one might play with on a team like the Brooklyn Nets, Williams produced some great tape and the stats back it up.
Defensively, the lanky 6-foot-9 Williams is the exact type of wing stopper you’d want to see next to Los Angeles’ star backcourt. He ranked in the 91st percentile in defensive matchup difficulty, 87th in perimeter isolation defense, 97th in passing lane defense and 96th in deflections per 75 possessions last season, all according to BBall Index.
He’s a consummate disruptor both on and off the ball and causes the exact type of chaos a defense needs to win; it’s just a matter of him doing it while on a team with serious aspirations.
Williams’ shortcomings offensively may just be a result of the lack of creation he’s shared the floor with. Not to mention, while in Brooklyn, he was often tasked with creating offense on his own, which detracted from his ideal role off the ball. The forward has a chance to really flash his skills as an off-ball spacer playing off of the natural gravity Dončić and Reaves create.
Williams shot 34.3% from beyond the arc last season, which ranked just in the middle of the league, and 33.9% on catch-and-shoot threes, which ranked even lower. Those numbers start to look reasonable when you consider the factors under which he was shooting the deep ball. According to BBall Index, he had an overall 3-point openness rating that graded out in the ninth percentile… ninth… along with a catch-and-shoot shot quality rating that slotted him in the 27th percentile. He will see better-quality 3-point opportunities with the Lakers, without question.
It’s natural to herald that Williams, given his skillset, age and physical ability, will turn into a better version of himself when surrounded by better talent, but it’s not a given.
What is his best-case scenario?
Redick has been itching to roster a player of Williams’ potential and ability. And he’s already had plans for him this offseason.
In an ideal world, Williams solidifies his spot on the roster by earning the highly coveted fifth spot in the starting lineup. He’s got a legitimate chance, too. He’s at a similar level defensively as Jarred Vanderbilt, but has a vastly superior offensive repertoire. If Jake LaRavia continues to struggle to knock down the deep ball, he and Williams will be even on that side of the ball, but Williams is significantly better defensively.
Williams has one of the best chances at breaking into the lineup, especially if Redick wants to counter a weak defensive backcourt with a versatile defense by fielding Quentin Grimes, Williams and Walker Kessler alongside Dončić and Reaves.
What is his worst-case scenario?
I don’t expect his defense to be the reason he’s played off the floor moving forward. He’s too gifted in that department for that to be the case. It all comes down to shooting.
How many players coming into Los Angeles with the promise of an ability to space the floor have fallen at the behest of the Crypto.com Arena lighting? LaRavia is a prime example. He arrived as a 42.3% 3-point shooter and had the worst perimeter shooting season of his career last season, shooting 32.1%.
What if all the talk about the subpar shot-creating talent Williams was playing with is all just wishcasting? If he continues to be a low-30s shooter from deep, it will be hard to justify having him out there in the role that many are hoping he can fulfill.
He was, after all, available for the minimum as a 24-year-old former 10th overall pick.
What is his likely role on the team?
Williams is an archetype many teams want. His youth and contract alone make him a justifiable swing to take.
His skillset will be used and needed on the Lakers this season. Williams will most likely have a pretty prominent role as one of the more versatile wings on the roster. Will he actually make a leap playing around supreme talent, or is the player the Nets and Memphis Grizzlies rostered just who he is?
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 06: Dustin May #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at American Family Field on August 06, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers are set to conclude their stretch of consecutive NL Central opponents this week, as they’ll visit the Pittsburgh Pirates for three games to begin a nine-game road trip. The Crew has faced the Cubs for seven games and the Reds for six games over the last two weeks, going 8-5 over the stretch to clinch a playoff spot and all but put the NL Central away. On the other side, the Pirates have been playing well and are back to .500 on the season, as they won five consecutive series before dropping two of three to the Cubs over the weekend. Pittsburgh currently has the edge in the season series at 6-4, including a three-game sweep in their only series at PNC Park.
All of Milwaukee’s current injuries are on the mound, as they’re without relievers Rob Zastryzny (on rehab assignment), Grant Anderson (mid to late September), Bryse Wilson (mid-September), Brian Fitzpatrick (out for season), and Angel Zerpa (out for season). Starters Quinn Priester (out for season) and Brandon Woodruff (may return for postseason) are also shelved.
The Pirates just lost slugger Esmerlyn Valdez, who exited over the weekend with a hamstring strain that’s expected to keep him out the rest of the season. Catcher/first baseman Endy Rodríguez is also done for the year, as is right-hander Mitch Keller. Pitchers Kirby Yates, Braxton Ashcraft, and Isaac Mattson are all listed as late September returns after going on the IL in the last couple of weeks.
Jake Bauers leads the Brewer offense with 26 homers in what has been a career-year for him. Jackson Chourio is also raking, with 23 homers, 17 steals, and a .292 batting average, while Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Garrett Mitchell are also coming off a solid homestand. Joey Ortiz continues to surprise after a very rough first two months of the season, and Christian Yelich, Gary Sánchez, Andrew Vaughn, Sal Frelick, Cooper Pratt, Luis Lara, and David Hamilton have all contributed at various points this season. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .259/.341/.406 (.747 OPS ranks fourth), with 146 homers (28th), 778 runs scored (second), and 144 steals (fifth).
Brandon Lowe leads Pittsburgh with 29 homers and 85 RBIs this year, adding 28 doubles. Oneil Cruz and Ryan O’Hearn both have 18 homers, and Cruz is closing in on 30 steals with 27 thus far. Bryan Reynolds also has 17 homers and a team-high 36 doubles. Henry Davis starts behind the plate, with Rafael Flores Jr. sharing duties, while Spencer Horwtiz, Nick Gonzales, rookie Konnor Griffin, Jared Triolo, and Jake Mangum are among the other regulars. Ronny Simon, Billy Cook, and Jacob Gonzalez round out the squad. As a team, the Pirates are hitting .253/.330/.401 (.731 OPS ranks seventh), with 170 homers (17th), 718 runs scored (fifth), and 126 steals (eighth).
Milwaukee’s bullpen is led by Trevor Megill, Abner Uribe, and Aaron Ashby, with Chad Patrick and DL Hall also taking some of the medium- to high-leverage innings. JoJo Romero has been good, not great, while Antonio Senzatela has been not so good, and Garrett Stallings, who was called up again last weekend, has yet to allow a run in 11 major league innings. Kyle Harrison has also seemingly been moved to the bullpen, though he’s been roughed up in the worst way over his last few appearances. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.57 team ERA (second), including a 3.63 starter ERA (fifth) and a 3.50 bullpen ERA (fifth). They’ve struck out 1,433 batters (second) over 1,339 2/3 innings.
Mason Montgomery has seemingly taken over the closer role for Pittsburgh, as he now has 13 saves and a 2.73 ERA over 62 2/3 innings. Yohan Ramírez, Gregory Soto (who still leads the team with 14 saves), and Luke Weaver also play key roles. Camilo Doval, Wilber Dotel, and Brandon Eisert fit somewhere in the middle, while Lake Bachar has been one of the better deadline pickups with a 2.61 ERA over 20 2/3 innings in 10 appearances (five “starts”). Speaking of “starts,” after the injury to Ashcraft, the Pirates don’t really have a clear five-man rotation — instead, Khristian Curtis and Carmen Mlodzinski have functioned more as innings eaters than typical one-inning relievers. Antwone Kelly rounds out the group. As a staff, the Pirates have a 4.18 ERA (15th), including a 4.23 starter ERA (17th) and a 4.11 bullpen ERA (17th). They’ve struck out 1,369 batters (fifth) over 1,338 1/3 innings.
Probable Pitchers
Tuesday, September 15 @ 5:40 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (14-5, 1.95 ERA, 2.24 FIP) vs. TBD
Misiorowski is looking to close out his NL Cy Young candidacy with at least two (likely three) more outings over the next two weeks. Through 27 starts this year, Miz is 14-5 with a 1.95 ERA, 2.24 FIP, and 236 strikeouts over 161 1/3 innings. He went 6 1/3 innings against the Cubs in his last outing, allowing one run on four hits and two walks, striking out nine as the Brewers would go on to win in extra innings. Misiorowski has made three career starts against Pittsburgh, going 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 18 frames. That includes a six-inning no-decision with three runs allowed and nine strikeouts back in April of this season.
With Ashcraft and Keller both shelved and no other clear starters, the Pirates have been deploying Lake Bachar as an opener with some combination of Khristian Curtis and Carmen Mlodzinski eating most of the innings. Assuming Bachar gets the start here, I’d expect Curtis and/or Mlodzinski to pitch in relief, with the other likely to start in Thursday’s series finale.
Wednesday, September 16 @ 5:40 p.m.: RHP Logan Henderson (10-3, 2.34 ERA, 3.17 FIP) vs. RHP Jared Jones (4-6, 4.10 ERA, 3.71 FIP)
Henderson continues to turn in strong results in his first full season. He’s made 16 starts this year, with a 10-3 record, 2.34 ERA, 3.17 FIP, and 99 strikeouts across 88 1/3 innings, and he’s allowed three or fewer runs in all 16 appearances. He went five innings against the Cubs his last time out, allowing just an unearned run on two hits and a walk, striking out six to pick up the win. Henderson has made two starts against the Pirates, totaling 11 innings with a 2.45 ERA and 14 strikeouts. That includes a win in early August, when he went six frames with two runs allowed and eight strikeouts.
Jones, 25, has great stuff on the mound but hasn’t quite been able to put it together yet. He’s made 18 starts this year, with a 4.10 ERA, 3.71 FIP, and 100 strikeouts over 85 2/3 innings. He’s coming off back-to-back great starts, though, as he’s earned the win in both games, totaling 13 innings with no runs allowed on four hits and three walks, striking out 17 against the Angels and White Sox. Jones is 1-1 in two starts against Milwaukee, as he allowed one run and struck out seven over six innings in 2024 but took the loss in August of this year (in the same game that Henderson won), allowing three runs and striking out four over four innings.
Thursday, September 17 @ 11:35 a.m.: RHP Dustin May (7-9, 4.49 ERA, 3.43 FIP) vs. TBD
May is coming off one of his better starts since joining the Brewers, as he went six strong innings, allowing no runs on two hits and a walk while striking out six in Milwaukee’s 20-0 blowout victory over the Reds. Across seven starts with Milwaukee, he’s now 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA, 4.47 FIP, and 27 strikeouts over 29 1/3 innings. May picked up a win against Pittsburgh in his Brewers’ debut back in early August, going six innings with two runs allowed and five strikeouts. For his career, he’s 1-2 with a 5.56 ERA and 19 strikeouts over 22 2/3 innings against the Pirates.
See Tuesday’s probable pitching matchup above for more information on the Pirates’ likely plan.
How to Watch & Listen
Tuesday, September 15: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Wednesday, September 16: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Thursday, September 17: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)
Prediction
The Brewers are on the verge of clinching the division, while the Pirates are still trying to keep themselves in the playoff picture, even if the odds are very slim. I think that will make this a more interesting series than one might expect but still give me Milwaukee to win two of three.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - SEPTEMBER 13: Brody Hopkins #88 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on during the game between the Houston Astros and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Sunday, September 13, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Alex Zadorozny/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Rays pitching prospect made his Major League debut this weekend against the Astros. His stuff was electric and his command was better than expected. He could be an impact reliever during the final two weeks of the regular season and into October.
It’s not a hyperbole to say that Hopkins has the best stuff in professional baseball.
Brody Hopkins just posted the best single-game reliever proStuff+ of the season at 136, filthy stuff from top to bottom. The line was messy though, 2 runs on a homer allowed. Josh Ekness graded next at 115, Tanner Scott at 112. pic.twitter.com/ADaEiv5Amj
It starts with a very low, sub five-foot release height with plus extension that makes his 100mph fastball get on hitters even faster than the radar gun suggests. It gets significantly more vertical movement that expected from his slot, making it a pitch that plays best up in and above the zone – although the release traits and sheer velocity make it something that will be effective anywhere in the zone.
Hopkins pairs that with a mid-90s cutting fastball that can miss bats when located up and induce weak contact when located down. His best pitch though is his upper 80s breaking ball. It has a steep break and drops more than other breaking balls from a similar slot and velocity. There really isn’t a 1-for-1 comp for that pitch. Hopkins hasn’t thrown any in the majors yet, but Hopkins also throws a pair of plus secondaries. He has a low-90s offspeed pitch that he gets plus separation off his fastball, and an upper-80s slider with a two-plane shape.
The area for Hopkins remains his command. He has a relatively low training age as he didn’t start pitching full time until he became a professional in 2024, so he is likely to be a slow-burn type of developer in his command. This, coupled with having to adjust to a new baseball this season in Triple-A, gave him some struggles early on.
His command improved following a mechanical adjustment in June, and his zone and strike rates steadily improved as the year went on. But there wasn’t room for Hopkins in the Major League rotation. They began to shorten him up to a relief role in mid-August, and he has taken to it well.
Fast forward to yesterday, and Hopkins looked solid with his command in his Major League debut:
He had an above-average strike rate in that outing, and the homerun he allowed was really just a great piece of hitting from Isaac Paredes to turn on triple-digits at the very top of the zone up and in. He zoned two pitches at 50% as well, so hitters couldn’t be passive at the plate. Hopkins continues to command the ball a little bit better every time he takes the mound.
In the bullpen, his command has looked closer to average than the 30-grade command he was showing previously this season.
Hopkins honestly looks more like how he did at Double-A Montgomery in 2025.
It appears that he’s adjusting well to the AAA/Major League baseball. His arsenal has been simplified a bit – relying less on his offspeed pitch and leaning more into his fastballs and outlier breaking ball. Hopkins could still work as a starter in the future with a smaller arsenal because all three of those pitches grade as elite or close to it.
Hopkins will certainly have an opportunity to work as a starter beyond this season, but he’ll have a chance to impact games in relief as the Rays look to make some noise in the Postseason.
Kris Bubic, who the Dodgers acquired at the trade deadline from the Kansas City Royals, is joining the Dodgers in Cincinnati. (Jayden Mack / Getty Images)
Dodgers left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic is scheduled to meet the team in Cincinnati, according to people with knowledge of the plans who weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly.
Bubic made his last rehab appearance for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, so the Dodgers are not expected to activate him off the 60-day injured list right away.
The Dodgers acquired Bubic from the Royals at the trade deadline this year. He’d been on the IL since May, first with a low-grade flexor strain in his left forearm, and then a shoulder impingement setback.
Bubic reported to the Dodgers’ Arizona complex, where the 2025 All-Star began working back as a reliever due to the time constraints of the season.
In six Triple-A rehab appearances (5 2/3 Innings) this month, Bubic didn’t allow a run, and he limited opponents to two hits and two walks.
Because Bubic is on the 60-day IL, the Dodgers will need to clear spots on the active and 40-man rosters to reinstate him.
As the Knicks look to repeat for a championship, the club has a good chance at having three All-Stars during the 2026-27 season.
Jalen Brunson andKarl-Anthony Townsare the two obvious names, with both players having made the All-Star team each of the last three seasons. Looking to join them this season is OG Anunoby.
Entering his 10th NBA season, Anunoby has proven to be one of the more valuable players in the NBA, but he has very little to show for it when it comes to awards -- with Anunoby having only two NBA All-Defensive team appearances for his career accomplishments.
Anunoby was phenomenal during New York’s championship run, with the 6-foot-7 forward averaging 20.1 points throughout the playoffs. In the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Anunoby rose to the occasion, becoming a franchise legend.
Anunoby’s tip-in that essentially won the Knicks Game 4 is one of the biggest plays in league history. That moment makes it easy to forget his game-saving block of Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox the play before. The two moments were a microcosm of the Knicks' "demon," as Josh Hart calls him. Anunoby can impact the game on both sides of the floor, and is one of the best defenders in the NBA -- both in one-on-one situations and help scenarios.
During the Finals, Anunoby was arguably New York’s most important contributor. In five games, he was second in scoring (21.2 points) and converted 16 of 32 threes. The playoff performance highlighted Anunoby’s value to the Knicks. With that added attention, there will be more awareness of how much Anunoby contributes to New York’s success going into this season.
Jun 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) shoots against New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) in the fourth quarter during game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. / Geoff Burke - Imagn Images
Non-traditional star
There are a few factors that have worked against Anunoby. He’s never been one to post eye-popping numbers. Anunoby averaged a career-high 18.0 points during the 2025-26 season, but he’s not known as a high-scoring contributor, averaging a combined 16.7 points over the last six seasons with the Knicks and Toronto Raptors. Anunoby is also not a traditional scorer since he’s not attacking off the dribble much. Of the forward’s shot attempts in the postseason, 40.9 percent came without a dribble, per NBA Stats.
Another reason is the Knicks have never had a dominant regular season. Most teams that have produced more than two All-Stars in a season in the modern era have posted dominant records.
New York has won at least 50 games all of the last three seasons, but all three campaigns were in the low-50s. Even the 53-29 mark from the championship season was low for the traditional standard of a title winner. If New York can be a top-three seed and play at a 55-plus win pace, that would help Anunoby’s case.
Luck will also be a factor, since injuries could have an impact either as a positive or a negative. Meanwhile, Anunoby’s role could level up this season after the Knicks discovered alternative styles of play in the postseason. Towns was unlocked as a playmaker, averaging 4.9 assists during the playoffs.
Anunoby’s ability to cut to the basket or spot up from the corner three makes him likely to benefit from more ball movement and have extra scoring opportunities. Also, Brunson is recovering from offseason wrist surgery. While he might not miss games, New York could manage the captain’s minutes throughout the season with an eye toward another playoff run. That might open up more shot attempts across the roster.
If the Knicks have a top record and Anunoby continues his steady production, there’s a very good chance at him earning a well-deserved spot on the All-Star team.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 11: Dillon Brooks attends Game Four of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 11, 2026 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. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Nearly 300 kids showed up Saturday to watch Dillon Brooks set up layup drills at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa.
This wasn’t a random appearance or a half-hearted community obligation. Suns veteran Dillon Brooks rolled straight from a media availability into on-court work with kids who came because they believe in what he’s building in Phoenix, and look up to him.
One of the instructors nailed it. With Brooks involved, “it just brings more people out.” That’s what star credibility does in a market. Kids show up. Parents pay attention. The Suns organization gets community penetration without forcing it.
This matters because Brooks just signed a three-year, $73 million extension that locks him in Phoenix through 2029-30. That contract is a statement that Phoenix is investing in Brooks long-term, and this camp is a glimpse of proof that he is returning the favor.
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 1: Collin Gillespie #12 and Dillon Brooks #3 of the Phoenix Suns talk to the media after the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 1, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena 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 Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Brooks is one of the most misunderstood players in the league, with the narrative centered on who he is on the court. As a person, you hear nothing but great things from every organization he’s been a part of.
Brooks recently returned from China, where he trained kung fu and worked with UFC fighters because, of course, he did.
This is a man committed to attacking his physical and mental ceiling. But what he emphasized at the camp tells you his real priority: mental wellness alongside basketball fundamentals. He talked directly about teaching kids early that their mental game controls everything, then connecting that to nutrition, body care, and stretch routines.
There are plenty of young Suns fans who look up to Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks in this community, so it’s always great to see players get involved and make a difference. More of this stuff as the headliners, please!
I wonder if he did his patented pre-game staredown at the camp. Will investigate more on this matter.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Jeremy Peña #3 of the Houston Astros celebrates with Cam Smith #11 after the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on September 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Astros defeated the Phillies 2-1. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every day, Pinstripe Alley offers updates on what the Yankees’ top American League opponents are up to through the Rivalry Roundup. The AL East is well-trodden ground there, but with the final month of the season just ahead, we’re going to take a peek around MLB as a whole and check in with each of the other five divisions. Who’s surprising? Who’s underwhelming? Who’s simply mediocre at the moment? Read on and find out.
First Place: Houston Astros (75-75)
Top Position Player: Yordan Alvarez (5.8 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Peter Lambert (2.4 fWAR)
Much like a panicked squashed cockroach in a muggy South Texas roadside motel, the Astros currently find themselves right at .500 but somehow leading the division. What I mean is they’re barely alive, but still living their dream in a division that is a trashcan.
The rest of the way the Astros start with four games at home versus lowly Kansas City and then welcome the NL East leading Braves to Space City for a three game set. Houston then finishes the year with two games in Seattle before finishing the season with a four-game set with the Athletics.
Houston might very well walk away from what should be a disappointing season in terms of record with a division crown, triple-crown winner, and possible MVP. Why the baseball Gods feel inclined to continue to bless this abomination of a ball club is beyond me.
Second Place: Texas Rangers (74-76, 1 GB)
Top Position Player: Ezequiel Durán (4.7 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Jacob deGrom (4.1 fWAR)
The other Texas team came into the month with a chance to run down their instate foes but have not done anything to make it easier on themselves after starting September 5-6. The odds makers currently have the Rangers’ playoffs chances around 30 percent. And it might just be recency bias, but the Rangers seem like the hottest team out west with their current two-game win streak.
The Rangers’ next game kicks off a nine game homestand. The Red Sox are the first team to come to town, followed by the Blue Jays, and then the Mets crash the party. All three series are three games apiece. The Rangers then close the season in Minnesota with another three game set against the Twins.
Not having a single game left against the AL West hurts the Rangers chances to run down the Astros. Another Texas-sized problem for the Rangers is the fact their lone star neighbors hold the tiebreaker so they are really an additional game back in the standings. With 12 games left to go will the Rangers be able to free the world from having to watch the Astros in the playoffs?
Third Place: Seattle Mariners (70-80, 5 GB)
Top Position Player: Randy Arozarena (4.3 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Bryan Woo (3.7 fWAR)
While I would say the Tigers have to hold the torch for the most disappointing team in 2026, the Mariners might be the challenger for that top spot. Seattle’s sky high expectations are all but sleepless at this point, unless they find some magic and get some help.
In order to reach the .500 mark, that might be all that is needed to win the west, the Mariners would need to be near perfect. They honestly have the schedule to pull it off, but it is hard to sweep teams. Starting today the Mariners are in LA for three games against the Angels, then shoot over to Denver to face the punching bag of a club in the Rockies for three games. Seattle returns home for the final six, with two against the Astros, before getting the Angels for the last four games of the season.
The Mariners have already clinched the tiebreaker versus the Astros on the season. It is very unlikely, but having the tiebreaker is huge and if the Astros slip the Mariners very well could be the team that squeaks their way into the division crown.
Fourth Place: The Athletics (61-89, eliminated)
Top Position Player: Nick Kurtz (2.6 fWAR) Top Pitchers: J.T. Ginn (1.7 fWAR)
The team formerly from Oakland always comes into the season looking at true two outcomes. They either surprise and find themselves at the top of the division with players to be traded later, or they bottom out like they did this season. The Athletics have one more year before relocating to Vegas.
On a Yankees note, the Athletics are our second favorite team this week as they face the Rays starting on Tuesday for a three game set in the Trop. It might be a bad bet, but maybe the Athletics will be able to channel ghosts of decades past and take one or two games before leaving Florida.
Last Place: Los Angeles Angels (56-93, eliminated)
Top Position Players: Mike Trout and Zach Neto (3.3 fWAR) Top Pitcher: Reid Detmers (4.4 fWAR)
The Angels might finally, ironically, have a light at the end of the tunnel as they will be under new ownership after the 2026 season. Change cannot come fast enough for the team battling the Rockies for the league’s worst record.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates with Wade Meckler #53 after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Floating on a river, gazing at the heavens, you’re liable to see neither the hearts of the Anaheim Angels nor the spirits of the Seattle Mariners. Sacramento offered two of the season’s most gutting, but representative losses, and Seattle’s California carousel of hell continues in Disneyland. They’ll take on the team owned no longer by Arte Moreno for the first time in more than two decades.
The Angels are a moribund bunch, but they are in many ways what Seattle would look like if the M’s couldn’t hit. Like, really couldn’t hit. They are an atrocious defensive team (hark, the vantablack kettle) that strikes out a boatload, undermining what’s actually a decent pitching staff. Deadline deals chipped away at that pitching staff and lineup, moving Jo Adell and Jose Soriano among others. While they dealt some arms away from their bullpen, flamethrower Ben Joyce is healthy after missing half the year and working his way into high leverage.
Player
Position
Bats
PA
K%
BB%
ISO
wRC+
Zach Neto
SS
R
644
30.6%
8.7%
0.200
113
Mike Trout
CF
R
579
26.3%
16.2%
0.186
129
Wade Meckler
LF
L
282
19.1%
10.3%
0.092
119
Vaughn Grissom
1B
R
418
18.9%
6.5%
0.144
93
Moisés Ballesteros
C
L
308
23.1%
8.4%
0.133
77
Denzer Guzman
3B
R
252
26.6%
5.2%
0.128
71
Josh Lowe
DH
L
308
29.2%
8.1%
0.148
75
Jose Siri
RF
R
213
32.4%
6.1%
0.171
87
Christian Moore
2B
R
104
29.8%
6.7%
0.084
41
Anaheim has a couple familiar faces up top in Zach Neto and Mike Trout, but not many. They’ve taken the back half of the year to wisely audition several young players, finding some promise in folks like Wade Meckler but still waiting on more elsewhere. Moises Ballesteros was a highly regarded prospect with the Cubs but has not found his swing yet since coming over in return for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. There’s a few post-hype hopes here as well in Josh Lowe and Jose Siri, but hope has been their predominant currency.
Last year, the Angels moved Reid Detmers to the bullpen and he wound up seeing some high leverage work by the end of the season. Perhaps it was out of frustration with his slow development path despite possessing above average stuff, but that experiment lasted one season because a talented starter — even an inconsistent one like Detmers — is always going to be more valuable than a back-end reliever. If there’s one thing that he’ll carry forward from his time in the ‘pen, it’s a more aggressive approach that leans heavily on his two fantastic breaking balls to put batters away.
Detmers has thrived in his return to the rotation this year, accumulating a career-high 4.4 fWAR with career-best marks in ERA and FIP. His strikeout rate is right in line with his career norms but the big reason he’s taken a big step forward is because he’s cut his walk rate by nearly three points and has dramatically reduced the amount of hard contact he has allowed. The last time he faced the Mariners, way back in early April, he held them scoreless over 6.2 innings with four strikeouts.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Ryan Johnson
84.1
17.4%
10.7%
14.6%
34.5%
5.12
5.91
Logan Gilbert
172
27.3%
6.4%
14.1%
37.3%
3.72
3.84
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Sinker
22.4%
17.3%
92.3
81
18
73
0.511
Cutter
37.7%
37.8%
89.6
104
97
83
0.336
Splitter
8.3%
30.4%
84.7
74
92
143
0.243
Sweeper
31.6%
14.5%
80.8
106
92
68
0.286
From a previous series preview:
Ryan Johnson is a perfect encapsulation of everything wrong with the Angels current player development philosophy. He was drafted in the second round in 2024 after dominating in college ball at Dallas Baptist. He made the Opening Day roster in 2025 as a reliever, skipping the minor leagues entirely. After a month and a half and a 7.36 ERA, the Angels pulled the plug and sent him to High-A to continue his development as a starter. He made 12 starts in the minors and looked really good. Fast forward a year and Johnson had a solid, but not outstanding, spring training and Los Angeles opted to start the season with Johnson on the big league roster again. After allowing six runs in his first start of the year, the Angels sent him back to the minors for a few months before recalling him for good in mid June. It’s really too bad because Johnson has a really intriguing profile, and obviously has some raw talent, but the games the Angels have played with his development pathway have really hurt his ability to grow.
Since the beginning of August, Johnson has enjoyed some solid results on the mound — he’s running a 2.11 ERA over his last seven starts — but his peripherals are just as bad as ever — his FIP is up at 5.43 during this stretch.
Pitcher
IP
K%
BB%
HR/FB%
GB%
ERA
FIP
Yusei Kikuchi
53
22.9%
9.7%
11.7%
38.9%
4.75
4.20
George Kirby
165.1
19.9%
5.6%
11.2%
43.9%
4.25
3.85
Pitch
Usage vRHB
Usage vLHB
Velocity
Stuff+
Whiff+
BIP+
xwOBA
Four-seam
40.7%
41.4%
95.7
101
96
112
0.287
Cutter
6.9%
7.4%
90.2
76
Splitter
20.4%
7.4%
86.7
105
94
75
0.336
Curveball
10.8%
9.3%
79.2
97
86
151
0.310
Slider
21.1%
34.4%
87.3
93
84
110
0.361
Yusei Kikuchi missed nearly four months of the season with a shoulder injury. He returned to the majors towards the end of August and resumed his brand of effectively wild pitching. After a slight dip in velocity last year, his heater is back to averaging close to 96 mph. It’s the eighth hardest four-seamer from the left side among all starting pitchers this year. He continues to mix in a hard slider and a curveball as his primary secondary pitches, but he’s replaced his changeup with a true splitter and added a cutter this season. The split has been an excellent pitch but the cutter has been hit pretty hard.
The Big Picture:
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Astros
75-75
0.500
—
-53
L-W-L-L-L
Rangers
74-76
0.493
1.0
-44
L-L-L-W-W
Mariners
70-80
0.467
5.0
-58
W-W-L-W-L
Athletics
61-89
0.407
14.0
-203
L-W-W-L-W
Angels
56-93
0.376
18.5
-76
W-W-L-L-L
Team
W-L
W%
Games Behind
Run Diff
Recent Form
Yankees
86-63
0.577
+10.5
+125
W-W-W-L-W
Red Sox
82-68
0.547
+6.0
+88
L-L-L-W-W
Guardians
76-74
0.507
—
-7
W-L-W-L-W
Blue Jays
75-75
0.500
1.0
-31
W-L-L-W-W
Rangers
74-76
0.493
2.0
-44
L-L-L-W-W
Academically, baseball continues elsewhere. Houston hosts Kansas City, because other teams get really mad if you flake on games you committed to a year ago that you never really thought would materialize until it’s this week. Texas hosts the Red Sox, the winner gets to keep the red, blue, and white color scheme for the rest of the year, the other has to wear a city connect of the opponent’s choosing.
The White Sox face the Guardians and the Cubs take on Atlanta if you’d like to prioritize baseball from clubs who might respect your time better the rest of this year.
Deyvison De Los Santos. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Wild Card Race.
As of Monday morning, the Marlins are 5 games back from the Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card race.
The Diamondbacks have chances of winning a NL Wild Card. As of Monday morning, they were 2.5 games back from the third Wild Card. They need to win this series, and a sweep would be really nice.
The Obvious. Diamondbacks bats will live-like-kings in this series. In September (through the 10th), the Marlins allowed an average of 7 runs per game.
The Subtle. Although this season the Diamondbacks allowed an average of 4.41 runs per game (much less than 7), in 20% of their games they allowed 7 or more runs.
The Difference that Matters. Winning games is the difference that matters.
Royals Players to Watch.
Former Diamondback Deyvision De Los Santos at first base. In 2022, he was a Dbacks minor league All-Star. In 2024, he was traded to the Marlins. This season is his MLB debut. His OPS+ of 133 is outstanding, but his .444 BABIP suggests that his batting is not sustainable. He is a bench player and may not play in every game.
Pitching Matchups.
Announced Diamondbacks Pitchers:
Corbin Burnes. His first game back he pitched three scoreless innings (2 hits and 2 walks). His results were excellent! With the caveat of only 9 batted balls (and zero ground balls), his underlying statistics tend to show he only pitched average (4.39 xERA, 3.79 FIP, 7.27 xFIP). Nevertheless, I’m confident he will again have excellent results.
Michael Soroka. His first game back he pitched 4 innings with 3 earned runs (3 hits and 1 walk). With the caveat of 11 BIPs, his underlying statistics show that possibly he pitched better than each of Burnes and Gallen in their first game back (3.04 FIP, .319 xOBP, .407 xSLG).
Merrill Kelly. Two of his last three starts were quality starts. The non-quality start was 4.1 innings with only 1 eanred run, and the Diamondbacks won that game.
Anounced Marlins Starters:
Sandy Alcantara. The Marlins lost the last six games that he was the starting pitcher. That increased my confidence that the Diamondbacks will win this game.
Janson Junk. In September, his 10.13 ERA (2 games) shows that the Diamondbacks will have chances to score runs. Will they win this game?
Ryan Gusto. In June, he pitched well against the Diamondbacks (0 earned runs in 4 innings). On the other hand, in his latest start against the Cubs, he allowed 5 earned runs in 4.2 innings. Will he pitch with Gusto?
Sep 27, 2020; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals fans celebrate across the street after The Cardinals defeated the Milwaukee Brewers and clinched a postseason spot at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
A lot has changed in a week! The Cardinals were longshots to sneak into the postseason but after getting swept by the San Francisco Giants, they’re effectively eliminated (just 5 games, per MLB.com). The Giants looked certain to be 100-game losers, but after the sweep, they need just 1 more win to avoid triple digit losses. They’re sure to win that game at some point over these final 12, but they’ll need to do it without their best player(s). Meanwhile, the Cardinals are trying to avoid back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1994 & 1995.
Losing Rafael Devers will surely make it difficult to win on the road, where the Giants have gone just 26-49 (.347). That 3-game sweep in San Francisco was the first time the Giants had done that to the Cardinals since 2001; however, the last time the Giants swept the Cardinals in St. Louis in a 3-game series was just in 2023. Still, I don’t think a case could be made that the 2023 & 2026 squads have many similarities.
So, what is there to care about with this series? Oh, I know, I know, we’re all clinging to the 1-for-4s of a lot of guys with options or are just warm bodies, but there are a few small things that tie back to the rest of the season:
Alec Burleson leads the majors with 109 RBI and is tied with Rafael Devers for the MLB lead in doubles (36). Wilyer Abreu and Bryan Reynolds also have 36, so, it was going to be a battle down the stretch with a healthy Devers, but for now, it’d be enough to hold Burleson double-less in the series (won’t happen lol).
The Giants are at least considering shutting down Logan Webb, in which case they might continue their history-making roster size this season with a 68th player, possibly in this series!
Landen Roupp is the 19th Giants starting pitcher in the last decade to hit the 150 IP mark (150.2). If he can make it through 2 innings, he’ll surpass Justin Verlander’s 152 IP last season. He also might be able to surpass Logan Webb’s 160.2 IP this season. Roupp, a famous bigot, is about average relative to the other pitchers on this list in terms of mound performance. His hits per 9 and homers per 9 are right near the top. His strikeout rate is fine. But the walks (4.3 BB/9) separates him from the pack.
Drew Gilbert has 3 triples this season and has never had more than 4 in a season (once in college, and last season in the minors). The Cardinals haven’t allowed many triples this year (14 — 5th in MLB). Also worth point out: since June 14th — so, the past 3 months — he’s slashed .239/.338/.391 (70 G, 216 PA). A very useful player.
With three games this week in the toughest place for a left-handed batter to homer this season (seriously. Busch Stadium’s 73 Park Factor is lower than the Giants’ 77), Bryce Eldridge might not get to 20 home runs this year, but he’s just 4 away and is already just 1 of 8 Giants in the history of the franchise to hit at least 15 home runs at age 21 or younger. What a list:
Mel Ott, 1929 (age 20) — 42 HR
Orlando Cepeda, 1959 (age 21) — 27 HR
Orlando Cepeda, 1958 (age 20) — 25 HR
Mel Ott, 1930 (age 21) — 25 HR
Willie Mays, 1951 (age 20) — 20 HR
Whitey Lockman, 1948 (age 21) — 18 HR
Mel Ott, 1928 (age 19) — 18 HR
Bryce Eldridge, 2026 (age 21) — 16 HR
Although Jung Hoo Lee — who has now completed exactly 2 years of MLB service time as of yesterday, according to Baseball Reference — has settled into being a platoon/fourth outfielder type, he went 3-for-9 in San Francisco against the Cardinals with an extra base hit — a double, which he does have 29 of already. He’s 11-for-30 in his career at Busch Stadium (.367/.387/.500 in 31 PA). One more double and he’d have 30+ doubles in consecutive seasons and would be the 50th Giant to hit at least 30 doubles in a season in the Oracle Park era. The most recent 10 years is an interesting list:
Rafael Devers, 2026 (36)
Jung Hoo Lee, 2025 (31)
Matt Chapman, 2024 (39)
Mike Yastrzemski, 2022 (31)
Brandon Crawford, 2021 (30)
Kevin Pillar, 2019 (37)
Brandon Belt, 2019 (32)
Brandon Crawford, 2017 (34)
Buster Posey, 2017 (34)
Denard Span, 2017 (31)
The Giants have won just 4 road series all year and they were all before June 18th. And, keep in mind, it’s only been a week, and all that stuff I wrote last week about the young players on the St. Louis side still applies. They’re a dangerous team even if they have a losing record at home in 2026.
Series Overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (62-88) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (74-76) Where: Oracle Park | San Francisco, California When: Monday & Tuesday at 4:45pm PT, Wednesday at 10:15am PT National broadcasts: None
Projected starters Monday: Landen Roupp (RHP 9-13, 4.00 ERA) vs. Quinn Mathews (LHP 1-3, 4.11 ERA) Tuesday: Blade Tidwell (RHP 0-2, 4.82 ERA) vs. Andre Pallante (RHP 12-6, 3.45 ERA) Wednesday: TBD vs. Matthew Liberatore (LHP 5-14, 5.53 ERA)
Prediction time
Christian Koss has slashed .281/.337/.438 over his last 30 games (108 PA) with 4 homers, 3 doubles, and 4 stolen bases. The prediction is that he will have a multi-hit game in this series.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 13, 2026: A view of the batting helmet worn by Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians prior to a game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on August 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Jays start a three-game series with the Tigers tonight.
The Jays are one game back of the Guardians for the last Wild Card spot. The Tigers are eight games back, not officially eliminated, but effectively eliminated.
Starting pitchers:
Tonight, 7:00 Eastern: Troy Melton (8-4, 2.42) vs. José Soriano (12-7, 3.48).
Tuesday, 7:00 Eastern: Drew Anderson (4-6, 3.80) vs. TBD.
Wednesday, 3:00 Eastern: TBD vs. Max Scherzer (2-8, 6.38).
I try not to be an ‘old man’, but I’m tired of bullpen days. I know we are going to see a few more this year, but I’d love it if, next year, we could roll out real starting pitches every game, every series. I know we are doing well in those games, but without any way to prove it, I think it adds a lot of strain on the arms of the bullpen guys.
On offence, the Tigers are sixth in the AL with 4.47 Runs per game (the Jays are tied for last with 4.05).
On the pitching side, the Tigers are third best at 4.00 runs per game (the Jays are sixth at 4.26). So, ummmm, why are the Tigers so far back in the race?
The Tigers have scored 70 more runs than they have given up (the Jays have allowed 31 more runs than they have scored). Detroit’s Pythagorean record is 81-68 (their real record is 12 games worse); the Jays 72-78 (their real record is 3 games better). So the Tigers have been very unlucky?
The Tigers are on a four-game win streak and are 7-5 in September. This won’t be an easy series.
The Tigers have some excellent offensive players:
SS Kevin McGonigle is hitting .272/.373/.425, with 17 home runs, 88 walks and 89 strikeouts, with 12 steals and a 6.3 bWAR.
C Dillon Dingler is hitting .244/.304/.456 with 27 home runs, 32 walks and 131 strikeouts for a 3.9 bWAR. He’s also thrown out 27.3% of base stealers.
LF Riley Greene is hitting .283/.370/.484 with 20 home runs, 64 walks and 145 strikeouts with a 2.8 bWAR.
2B Gleyber Torres is hitting .268/.370/.381 with 8 home runs, 51 walks and 74 strikeouts, with a 2.4 bWAR in 88 games.
In the bullpen:
Kenley Jansen is their closer. He has a 3.51 ERA, with 19 saves and 6 blown saves. Batters are hitting .168/.280/.329 against him.
Drew Anderson has a 3.80 ERA with 7 holds and 6 blown saves. Batters are hitting .239/.323/.407. He spent the last four years pitching in Japan and then Korea.
Tyler Holton is a lefty; he has a 2.74 ERA, with 14 holds and 2 blown saves. Batters are hitting .259/.318/.395 against him.
Kyle Finnegan has a 3.79 ERA with 14 holds and 9 blown saves. Batters are hitting .275/.372/.450 against him.
We still aren’t in ‘must rule the table’ territory, but we have to win one more than the Guardians. That would be easier to do if we keep winning each series.
On Monday, more and more contract extensions appear to be coming through across the NHL, while fans of the Detroit Red Wings anxiously await word on a Simon Edvinsson deal. If it doesn't happen by Tuesday night, the Red Wings will be operating under an entirely new set of standards when it comes to contracts.
That's because Tuesday marks the moment the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement officially kicks in, bringing with it several significant changes to how contracts can be structured. If you've noticed a flurry of eight-year deals getting done across the league over the past few days, that's because under the new CBA eight-year contracts will be replaced with seven years as the new maximum for a player re-signing with his own team, and six years for a player signing with a new organization.
Also changing under the new deal, teams will no longer be able to defer salary on new contracts, and front-loading deals will be significantly more restricted, closing off two mechanisms clubs have used to artificially lower cap hits.
So if Detroit wants to use the current rules to its advantage in getting an Edvinsson extension done, whether that means tacking on an eighth year or structuring the deal with deferred or front-loaded money, the window is closing fast, and the price tag isn't getting any cheaper while they wait.
The market for young defensemen shifted dramatically when the Vancouver Canucks signed 20-year-old Zeev Buium to an eight-year, $75.04 million extension carrying a $9.38 million annual cap hit. With Edvinsson holding a stronger NHL track record than Buium at a similar stage of his career, it's fair to expect Detroit's young blueliner could command a deal in a similar range, and possibly a cap hit well into eight figures.
Beyond the contract-length changes, the new CBA brings several other notable shifts that will shape the league going forward. Players further down NHL lineups stand to benefit as well, with the league minimum salary climbing from $775,000 to $850,000 in 2026-27, with further bumps to $900,000, then $950,000, and eventually $1 million by the final year of the deal.
The regular season is also expanding from 82 to 84 games, while teams must now ice a cap-compliant roster for playoff games, closing a loophole where clubs used long-term injured reserve during the regular season to build rosters that would've otherwise exceeded the cap.
Other changes include a new AHL recall rule requiring a player to play at least one minor-league game before being recalled, closing a "loan" loophole, and a provision allowing teams to assign one 19-year-old CHL graduate per season directly to their AHL affiliate instead of back to junior, though 18-year-olds remain ineligible.
Rounding out the changes, any player making his NHL debut in 2026-27 or later will be required to wear cut-resistant neck protection, and teams can no longer mandate a specific dress code like suits and ties.
The Red Wings have a rare, closing window to lock up a promising young defenseman on terms that simply won't exist once the calendar flips and once the new CBA takes hold, Detroit will be negotiating under a new set of rules.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 12: Emmanuel Rodriguez #21 of the Minnesota Twins hits a solo home run in the first at-bat of his MLB debut against the Cleveland Guardians during the third inning of the game at Target Field on September 12, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The youth movement is continuing to progress, with Emmanuel “Dinamita” Rodriguez making his major league debut this past weekend, hitting a homer in his first big-league at-bat. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, he’s joining the team just as they are all but mathematically eliminated from making it to the playoffs. There’s a chance, but with the way the Twins played against the division the past two weeks, it seems unlikely the team could make a miracle push in the last couple of weeks of the season, especially since they no longer face any in-division opponents for the rest of the season.
The Past Week on Twinkie Town:
Check out The Feed, where you can add your discussions about the Twins!
We’re starting a new segment called Daily Questions! Provide your opinion on the Twins and debate with the community!
Game threads and recaps are back! Commiserate with your fellow fans as we experience the season together.
This past weekend was the 25th anniversary of September 11th, and Zach Koenig recaps the last Twins game before that fateful day.
Aidan O’Brien checks in on the Twins’ 2026 draft class in their first taste of professional baseball.
We have our first playoff spot clinched! The Tampa Bay Rays are locked into a playoff spot and have a 4.0-game lead over the Yankees for the AL East and the AL #1 seed. Meanwhile, the White Sox and Guardians are only half a game apart. In the West, it’s just as close, with the Astros and Rangers separated by only one game. And in the wild card race, the Guardians, Blue Jays, and Rangers are all within two games of each other for the final spot.
The Brewers have joined the Rays as a lock for the playoffs, and currently hold a 2.5-game lead over the Dodgers. They have also almost clinched their division as well. It’s not much of a race in the other divisions either, with Atlanta holding a 5.0-game lead over the Phillies, and the Dodgers holding a 9.0-game lead over the Padres. The Wild Card race has also settled a bit, with the Diamondbacks now 2.5 games back from the Padres in the race for the final spot. It’s not insurmountable, but with less than 15 games left in the season, Arizona needs to pick up the pace.
Jeff Passan at ESPN shares some early intel on the offseason, and the questions facing teams and players with a lockout looming.
