Boston, MA - September 22: Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman and starting pitcher Payton Tolle talk in the fifth inning. The Boston Red Sox played the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park on September 22, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Last year, the Yankees lost Gerrit Cole, in what was probably the last true year of his prime. A loss like that would reverberate throughout a team’s entire season, usually. Instead, the Yankees more or less recreated Cole in the form of Cam Schlittler, now the favorite for the AL Cy Young and starting Game 1 of the Wild Card Series this week.
Garrett Crochet is Boston’s version of Cole: the ace, the guy you work day and night to land, and then pay him handsomely to start the big games. He has not thrown a pitch in anger since April 25th, and yet the Sox boast the third-best pitching staff in baseball, with only the Dodgers and Phillies notching more fWAR as a total unit. We start at the top, where Payton Tolle, Ranger Suarez, and Sonny Gray will likely take the ball in the three Wild Card games against the Yankees (in a yet-to-be-announced order).
Wild Card Series Game 1: Tuesday, September 29, 8pm EST Wild Card Series Game 2: Wednesday, September 30, 8pm EST Wild Card Series Game 3: Thursday, October 1, 8pm EST (if necessary)
Tolle has built a solid case for AL Rookie of the Year, and while he probably won’t take the award home, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him as one of the finalists. The lefty features six pitches but like Schlittler, will offer a fastball of some variety about two-thirds of the time. He has faced the Yankees twice, allowing just a single run across 13 innings in those two outings. This will be his first postseason start, though he did retire the only batter he faced in a relief appearance last October in the Bronx (Trent Grisham with the bases loaded).
Suarez has been everything the Sox could hope for when they inked him to that five-year, $130 million contract last winter. A four-win season as the No. 2 man in the rotation, I could probably copy and paste what I said above about Tolle here, just with more postseason experience on Suarez’s time from his Phillies days. The same six pitches, the same fastball-heavy approach. The first two games of this series will see the Yankees facing a bunch of heaters in the zone — they’ll need to be ready to swing. During his October tenure in Philly, Suarez had a superb 1.48 ERA across eight starts and three relief outings from 2022-25.
Former Yankees righty Sonny Gray rounds out the trio, continuing to defy the aging curve with another 3.5 win season at 36 years old. He offers a different look than the two southpaws and will be making his first playoff appearance since 2023 with the Twins.
The rotation is formidable, but what really worries me is the strength of the bullpen, as well as a couple injections the unit is getting. We’ve seen the Yankees win a lot of games this year by being iced out by the starter and breaking out late against relievers, but that’ll be a tough out with the Red Sox, whose relief corps has the best ERA and FIP in the sport. Aroldis Chapman, for all his personal faults, is putting the finishing touches on what is a Hall of Fame resume, with 35 saves and a 33-percent strikeout rate holding down the ninth inning.
But before you even get to the ninth, there’s a series of very hard-throwing hurdles to clear. Garrett Whitlock elevated his game this season with a cripplingly low walk rate, deciding to just not throw balls anymore. Brayan Bello is only a reliever in name, following an opener much of the year; he’ll also be an option should the Red Sox need a guy that can deliver more than three outs. (Tyron Guerrero also came out of baseball irrelevance to re-establish himself as one of Chad Tracy’s favorite weapons, though a lat strain will sideline him for this sseries.)
Jake Bennett made the most of his May 1st call-up from Pawtucket, putting up 2.5 wins in 113.1 innings, but like Carlos Rodón, he’ll be shifted to a reliever role as well, at least for this series. The man chiefly tasked with replacing Crochet has faced the Yankees twice this year, facing 44 batters and allowing just eight of them to reach base. And then, of course…
Garrett Crochet threw live batting practice in Fort Myers on Saturday, as scheduled, Chad Tracy said.
It went well and he felt good coming out of it. He is likely to join the Red Sox on their flight to New York tonight.
They have not said if he'll be on the ALWCS roster.
I’m writing this at 1pm Pacific time on Sunday, and I gotta admit. I feel more confident that Crochet will be on the Red Sox Wild Card roster than Aaron Judge will be on the Yankees’. I don’t imagine the club will push their ace very far in a bullpen role, surely one inning at a time only, but we’ve seen what the southpaw’s stuff looks like, and if it plays up in relief like many guys find, that’s as devastating a one-two southpaw punch between him and Chapman as you’ll ever see.
This is not going to be an easy series. The Yankees have a lot to contend with when it comes to the octopus of Red Sox pitching, and the lineup doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Maybe they’ll surprise us all, but the pressure has to be on New York’s own collection of arms to hold serve given what Boston has at its disposal.
Sep 27, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) celebrates in the locker room after win against the Tampa Bay Rays and clinching a playoff spot at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Now we can breathe a sigh of relief. Taking a much needed win to make the playoffs, the Phillies are waking up today in Atlanta to prepare for the wild card round against the Braves. It should at least be entertaining.
Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! The 2026 regular season has ended. And for the Orioles, the end of the season was a literal washout. Yesterday’s game between the Orioles and Yankees was technically delayed for about three hours yesterday, but I think we all knew the game wasn’t going to be played. The weather in New York was too severe and for the duration of the delay, the Yankees never even submitted a lineup.
But they had to pretend the game might be played, because MLB had just sent the Red Sox down to Tampa to play a game against the Cubs due to the same storm. So now the Yankees have an extra day off ahead of the Wild Card series in New York. I’m not saying it was a conspiracy. But I’m not saying it’s not a conspiracy.
Going into yesterday, there were two playoff spots yet to be finalized. The AL West had to be determined, as did the final spot on the NL Wild Card race. The Astros won and head to the playoffs with an 81-81 record. And the Phillies, who had almost frittered away their playoff spot, won to keep it at the last minute.
There is no baseball today. The Wild Card round kicks off tomorrow with four games.
But not for the Orioles. For the Orioles, the off-season begins today. And they have a lot of things to work on. If I were going to pick one thing I am looking to see improve, I am going with defense. The most disheartening part of this season was seeing plays that should have been made not be made. And on a regular basis.
Here at Camden Chat, we’re jumping right into the offseason. We have already started prospect reviews. Player reviews are coming, along with looks ahead at the 2027 season. Of course, a lot of that depends on if and when the 2027 season begins.
Henderson on Orioles’ season: ‘A failed year for us’ – Baltimore Baseball This is a few days old, but shockingly, there isn’t a lot of news right after an 82-loss team gets rained out of a meaningless game. Rich Dubroff has the transcript of Gunnar Henderson’s interview with press a few days ago.
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have three Orioles birthday buddies. Grant Jackson (b. 1942, d. 2021) had an 18-year career, five-plus of which were spent with the Orioles. He pitched in 209 games for the Orioles from 1971-76 before the Orioles traded him to the Yankees in that big nine-player trade in June 1976.
Also born on this day in history are former Orioles Mike DeJean (56) and Todd Frohwirth (b. 1962, d. 2017).
On this day in 1953, the American League owners agreed to move the St. Louis Browns to Baltimore. Good day for us!
In 1958, Gus Triandos stole the only base of his Major League career.
In 1971, the Orioles swept a doubleheader with the Red Sox to give them 100 wins for the third straight season.
In 2011, the Orioles played the most exciting game you’ll ever see from a 93-loss team. Down 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, three straight his from Chris Davis, Nolan Reimold, and Robert Andino gave the Orioles a 4-3 walkoff victory. Moments after the Orioles won, the Rays walked off the Yankees in Tampa. The combination of games knocked the Red Sox out of the playoffs. The Red Sox had been two games up in the AL East on August 27th before going 7-20 in September.
In 2023, the Orioles beat the Red Sox again. But this time it was their 100th win of the season. Much preferable.
And one year ago today, the Orioles finished the season with a 3-2 loss to the Yankees. Kyle Bradish allowed two runs in four innings. Rico Garcia took the loss. Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson hit back-to-back home runs.
In the four seasons since MLB changed its playoff format in 2022, two teams have played in the wild card series and gone on to win the World Series: the 2023 Texas Rangers and 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers.
Here's how USA TODAY Sports' MLB reporters and editors see the best-of-three wild card series playing out:
Slugger Yordan Alvarez, who will win the American League MVP, carried the Houston Astros on his back to the AL West title.
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, who should finish runner-up, led the Rays to the best record in the American League.
Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler, who will win the AL Cy Young award, will be pitching Game 1 against the Boston Red Sox. Milwaukee Brewers All-Star pitcher Jacob Misiorowski, who will win the NL Cy Young award, will be pitching Game 1 when the Brewers face the winner of the San Diego Padres-Chicago Cubs series.
Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who will unseat Shohei Ohtani as the NL MVP, will be trying to get the Cubs past the Padres in their three-game series at Petco Park in San Diego in a rematch of a year ago.
And, oh, how this postseason field is littered with future Hall of Famers from everyone from Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers, Manny Machado of the Padres, Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians, Chris Sale of Atlanta, Aaron Judge of the Yankees, Jose Altuve of the Astros and Bryce Harper of the Phillies.
There are players who have been a postseason fixture like Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman, who will be playing in his 10th consecutive postseason with his third different team, and Judge who hopes to play in his ninth postseason in 10 years.
There are aged veterans like 39-year-old Cubs reliever Caleb Thielbar, 38-year old Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, 37-year-old Freeman, 37-year-old Sale and 36-year-old Sonny Gray of the Red Sox.
And then there are the real kids, like 20-year-old Ethan Salas of the San Diego Padres, who will be the youngest catcher to ever appear in the postseason, along with 22-year-old outfielders Jackson Chourio of the Brewers, Roman Anthony of the Red Sox and Justin Crawford of the Phillies.
Now that the postseason field is set with eight teams playing in the wild-card round beginning Tuesday, here is one player from each team who could have the biggest impact on whether they’ll still be playing into the weekend.
Chicago Cubs
Third baseman Alex Bregman
A week ago, he didn’t know whether he could play another game this year n when he suffered multiple fractures in his face after being hit by a foul ball near the on-deck circle. Well, he proved he’s back by going 4-for-4 with two home runs Sunday in his second game since the injury. If Bregman resembles the same guy that hit .298 with 19 homers and 53 RBI with a 1.000 OPS in his last 60 games, he could make sure the Cubs’ offense is too powerful to stop. He has begun taking ground balls but has been restricted to DH duties since his return.
San Diego Padres
Pitcher Michael King
The Padres’ rotation has been a mess all year outside of one pitcher. King was 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA, leading the team with 185 innings. King will start Game 1 against the Cubs. If he struggles and the Padres lose, they could have a short-lived postseason, relying on Nick Pivetta, who just returned from the injured list and Walker Buehler. The Padres have the best bullpen in the land, but they’re going to need King to dominate if they’re going to have a prayer of winning their first World Series in franchise history.
The Phillies near-historic collapse made a mess out of their rotation, with ace Zack Wheeler having to pitch Sunday just to save their season. Now, they may no choice but to turn to Luzardo, who rejoined the Phillies’ staff Sunday for the first time since Sept. 7 when he was shut down with shoulder inflammation. Luzardo needed just four pitches to get three outs in the eighth inning of their clinching game. The Phillies now must decide whether he’d be more valuable to them as their emergency starter or out of their beleaguered bullpen. Yet, no matter what role, the Phillies badly need him.
“I feel like I'm prepared to give the team whatever they ask, whatever they need,” Luzardo told reporters Sunday.
Atlanta
Pitcher Chris Sale
The old man produced yet another Cy Young-caliber season, 14-9, 2.16 ERA, joining Hall of Famer Randy Johnson as the only lefties to strike out 200 or more batters in nine seasons. Yet, after Sale, there’s a steep dropoff with Tyler Mahle and Grant Holmes following him in the rotation. Simply, if Atlanta is going to have a deep run, they need to win every time Sale pitches, or they’ll be in deep trouble.
Boston Red Sox
First baseman Willson Contreras
He has been their best hitter all season, hitting .276 with 27 homers and 81 RBI, but missed eight consecutive games after being hit on the right hand with a pitch Sept. 17. He returned Sunday as their DH and is expected to be fine for the postseason where he’s badly needed as their biggest offensive weapon.
“That’s so much what the postseason is about," Red Sox manager Chad Tracy told reporters Sunday, “these big moments where one swing can change a game. So. that power and that presence in the middle of the order is important."
The Yankees are expected to be without Aaron Judge for their heavyweight bout against the Boston Red Sox, and with their offensive struggles, they have to rely on their pitching. And who better than Schlittler, the Boston kid who Red Sox love to hate. The Red Sox not only let him get away, but he he continues to get his revenge, going 2-1 with a 0.74 ERA in four career starts against Boston. Schlittler will win the Cy Young award this year with his 1.95 ERA in 33 starts during the season, but for him to really be a Yankee hero, he needs to dominate in October, too.
The White Sox will go only as far as their starting rotation will lead them, and it starts with Martin (9-8, 3.95 ERA). He had a sensational first half, going 9-4 with a 3.41 ERA, but has struggled since the All-Star break with a 0-4 record and 5.12 ERA. He had a clunker in his last start Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, unable to get through the first inning. The White Sox can ill afford another early ouster or they’ll be ousted themselves before they can even enjoy a few good helpings of Texas barbeque.
Houston Astros
Slugger Yordan Alvarez
The Astros, the first team in MLB history to win a division in a full season without a winning record, need to rely on the same guy who carried them on his back all season. They go as Alvarez goes. Alvarez, who slashed .316/.432/.601 with 42 homers and 106 RBI this season, has plenty of postseason experience. He has slashed .294/.393/.551 in 60 postseason games. Alvarez must continue to terrorize the opposition for the Astros to keep their season alive. If Alvarez is shut down, so will the Astros’ season.
The 2026-27 NHL season is about to get underway after an eventful offseason. led by two major trade requests and a boatload of money being handed out.
Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck and Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin made the trade requests and that will be hanging over their teams early this season. Fellow U.S. Olympian Brady Tkachuk was moved to the Florida Panthers.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers made an offer sheet to the Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson that changed the salary structure for younger players. Carlsson's deal, which was matched, was topped by Mackllin Celelbrini and Cale Makar, who became the NHL's first $20 million player.
How does that change the power structure in the NHL? USA TODAY provides its season-opening power rankings:
New coach Manny Malhotra won an American Hockey League championship, but he'll have his work cut out to get the Canucks out of last place. Thatcher Demko and Filip Chytil are injured already. A key will be Elias Pettersson returning to form.
They added defenseman Simon Nemec after trading Mackenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson last season, but they're still in rebuilding mode.
30. Seattle Kraken
The Kraken are still looking for an identity after one playoff appearance in their first five years. Their offseason was relatively quiet outside of unsuccessfully trying to trade for Jason Robertson.
Three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck remains away from the team while awaiting a trade. Goalie acquisition Stuart Skinner has had great - and bad - stretches, but he's no Hellebuyck. If the Jets get a good return, they'll move up the list.
Brady Tkachuk's skill set will be missed. The Senators have plenty going for them, but they are in a tough division.
26. Detroit Red Wings
Their troubled offseason included Larkin's trade request and GM Steve Yzerman stepping aside. Larkin is with the team, so that will help. But they won't end their 10-season playoff drought.
25. New York Islanders
A team with Matthew Schaefer, Ilya Sorokin and coach Peter DeBoer should make the playoffs. But the departure of captain Anders Lee hurts.
24. Los Angeles Kings
Coach Peter Laviolette usually has success in his first season with a team. The key question: Can Quinton Byfield thrive as a No. 1 center after Anze Kopitar's retirement?
23. Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks matched the offer sheet and got Cutter Gauthier re-signed, but the defense is weaker and they moved out Mason McTavish and Chris Kreider.
22. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets were in the news a lot, but Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko weren't traded, and Adam Fantilli eventually re-signed. But even with bringing in Alexander Nichushkin, it might not be enough to end the team's playoff drought.
21. Philadelphia Flyers
Porter Martone will try to become the first Flyers player to win rookie of the year. Matvei Michkov looked better in training camp after a tough sophomore season. Still, the team didn't get its No. 1 center when the Ducks matched the offseason sheet.
The Rangers are a better team after trading for Pavel Dorofeyev and Sean Durzi. But they have a ground to make up to be a playoff team.
19. Nashville Predators
New GM Chris MacFarland added Mavrik Bourque, plus former Avs Jack Drury and Ross Colton. Trading Luke Evangelista might hurt, though.
18. Toronto Maple Leafs
New GM John Chayka lucked out with a lottery win and drafted Gavin McKenna, plus he signed two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky, 22-goal defenseman Darren Raddysh and remade the bottom six. New coach Jim Hiller will have to make it all mesh.
Franchise stalwarts Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are in the final years of their contracts. They got back to the playoffs last season. This season is not as certain, especially with Ben Kindel and Bryan Rust injured early.
The Blues moved Jordan Kyrou, kept Robert Thomas and named him captain. Offseason acquisitions Connor McMichael and Mason McTavish could push the Blues toward a playoff spot.
The Devils are deeper on the wings and Luke Evangelista was a good pickup. If their goaltending can hold up, their playoff absence could be only one season.
13. Boston Bruins
David Pastrnak leads by example with four consecutive 100-point seasons and now he has the captaincy. He, Morgan Geekie and Jeremy Swayman will lead the Bruins to the playoffs again.
12. Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights handed the coaching reins to Ryan Craig, who has been preparing for this position. He takes over a team that went to the Stanley Cup Final last season. He'll have to find a way to make up for Pavel Dorofeyev's lost goals.
The Sabres have the talent to make it two playoff appearances in a row after ending a record 14-season drought, but they have to figure how to make up for Alex Tuch's goals.
2026-27 NHL power rankings 10-1
10. Utah Mammoth
They've been spending wisely since moving to Salt Lake City, and now they've added veterans Anders Lee and Vincent Trocheck. A 100-point season seems possible.
9. Edmonton Oilers
They took a step back with a first-round exit and fired coach Kris Knoblauch. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are hoping veteran coach Mike Babcock takes them to the top.
The Lightning haven't escaped the first round since 2022 but they're still in a championship window, assuming Victor Hedman has a bounceback season. It would help if MVP Nikita Kucherov signs an extension.
7. Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens are built with a host of players on reasonable contracts growing together. That got them to the Eastern Conference finals. Now, they've added veteran power-play presence Chris Kreider to that mix.
6. Washington Capitals
The Capitals won the offseason by bringing in Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner. All-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin liked what he saw and signed a one-year deal.
5. Minnesota Wild
Bill Guerin received a contract extension and the hockey world is waiting for him to get one for Quinn Hughes. Otherwise, the Wild remain among the upper-tier teams in the tough Central Division.
The Stars re-signed Jason Robertson and traded Mavrik Bourque. But they get Tyler Seguin back from injury. They remain a deep, dangerous team.
3. Florida Panthers
The 2024 and 2025 champions imploded last season under major injuries, including Aleksander Barkov. He's back, the Panthers brought in Matthew Tkachuk's brother, Brady, and will be a Stanley Cup threat if the goaltending holds up.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
The defending champions are in the mix for a repeat. Brandon Bussi showed he can handle the net. They'll have to cope with Seth Jarvis' early injury and find a solution to Alexander Nikishin not reporting.
1. Colorado Avalanche
The No. 1 overall Avalanche were swept in the conference finals because of injuries to Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. If both stay healthy, the Avalanche can get to the final this year.
COLUMBUS, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 24: Sergei Murashov #1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins attempts to make a save during the second period of the preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on September 24, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…
The Penguins assigned Bill Zonnon, Harrison Brunicke and Joel Blomqvist to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Sunday and placed Blake Lizotte, Ben Kindel, Justin Brazeau and Ryan Graves on injured reserve. Pittsburgh must make at least two more roster moves before Monday’s deadline to reach the 23-player limit. [PensBurgh]
With Lizotte and Kindel out in the short term, forward Hendrix Lapierre is looking to capitalize on an opportunity after injuries created a hole in Pittsburgh’s bottom-six. Lapierre, acquired from Washington in the offseason, is competing with several players for a chance to fill the opening at center. [Trib Live]
The Penguins entered training camp with several goaltenders competing for NHL playing time, including Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist, giving head coach Dan Muse a problem to solve ahead of the regular season and for the team’s future. [Trib Live]
Murashov continues to make strides after two strong seasons in the AHL, putting himself in position to show his worth in the NHL. [Penguins]
Evgeni Malkin is set to begin his 21st NHL season at age 40, making him the oldest player on the Penguins and one of the oldest Penguins in franchise history. Malkin, who signed a one-year contract extension this offseason, remains part of Pittsburgh’s veteran core alongside Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
David Pastrnak was named the 28th captain of the Boston Bruins, the team announced on Sunday. [Sportsnet]
The Carolina Hurricanes unveiled their Stanley Cup championship rings Sunday during a private ceremony honoring players, coaches and team staff. The rings feature nearly 900 diamonds and rubies and include design elements commemorating the team’s 2026 championship run. [NHL]
The Islanders threw us a curve as they wrapped up preseason cuts and reassignments by announcing the signing of Logan Stanley as Big Veteran Defenseman. Season-opening rosters are due throughout the NHL today, and certainly Stanley was not on our radar entering the weekend.
There are also several “he’s fine, it’s just maintenance” injury situations as camp winds down, so it seems there are a few moving parts that could linger into the season.
Brayden Schenn and Matthew Schaefer were described as precautionary after “tweak” during preseason, Tony DeAngelo missed for a “maintenance” day, and of course Mathew Barzal missed the whole preseason with his (presumed knee inflammation) but will travel with the team to Toronto where they open the season on Wednesday.
Islanders News
As Stanley stepped in, Isaiah George (thought by some to be poised to grab a roster spot), Cole Eiserman, Kashawn Aitcheson and Vitek Vanecek (if he clears waivers) were assigned to AHL Hamilton. [Isles]
Pete DeBoer said not to read the Stanley signing as disappointment in George’s progress, said it’s part of “the journey.” (Honestly, with all these vets and now Stanley, too, it didn’t look like a top-six job was even available unless George wowed them.) [Newsday | Post]
Stanley was skating with his old junior club awaiting a contract. DeBoer says he doesn’t buy the knock on Stanley’s skating, calling him “light on his feet,” and he likes adding a huge guy who can clear the front of the net, throw hits, fight and “can also play.” [Isles]
7 facts about Stanley, who will wear #8, is 6’7, 231 lbs., 28 years old. [Isles]
Season preview: The Isles, of course, feel they have a good hockey team. [Newsday]
Is that Ondrej Palat-Casey Cizikas-Anthony Duclair trio really gonna be a line? [Post]
Victor Eklund made every case to make the team. [Post]
Elsewhere
SO many players (71) on waivers over the weekend, most of them clearing. [Sportsnet]
Big storylines for the coming season are largely in the East. [NHL]
Once top-ranked James Hagens’ draft fall lit a fire under him. [NHL]
His new captain in Boston is David Pastrnak. [NHL]
One “bold” prediction for each team, though most are not bold. [Athletic]
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 26: Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers hugs his daughter Genevieve before leaving his final game against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at Comerica Park on September 26, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All things come to an end, and on Saturday we witnessed a really poignant ending to the career of one of the greatest pitchers and greatest Detroit Tigers of all time. Justin Verlander, with minimal preparation and no buildup, took the mound against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Comerica Park, and managed to turn back the clock one last time. It wasn’t a great outing, but it was a very solid one as Verlander tossed 5.1 innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts. There was certainly nothing left in the tank when his wife Kate Upton, and manager A.J. Hinch, sent young Genevieve Verlander to the mound to take her father home for keeps. There also wasn’t a dry eye in the house.
The game is the game, and it keeps on moving. An extremely disappointing 2026 season for the Tigers is now over, and our attention now turns entirely to assessing where things went wrong, and how the club can turn things around in 2027 as we face a very difficult and uncertain offseason.
On Sunday afternoon, something far more important to the Tigers franchise and its future was in play as River Ryan took the mound as he begins the work of getting back into form after a few injury plagued seasons. Fans can’t control anything, but even we know that you have to be about the process over the results, and you can only really look backwards for a little while. The phrase, “we’ll get them next year,” is a rueful joke as much as anything else when times are hard, but it does embody something fundamental about being a sports fan, and about life in general. In so many ways, the lessons sports teaches are intertwined with all the lessons life tries to teach to everyone.
There’s no reason to weep too much over the retirement of an extraordinarily wealthy athlete with an incredible career behind him, and a lovely family to focus his full attention on. Objectively we all know this. We’re sad to see Verlander ride off into the sunset as one of the all-time great Detroit Tigers, but in some ways these things really aren’t about the individual athlete. They have their own distinct perspective on their lives and careers. This is more about us as fans of the game.
Sports and the legacies of their greatest practitioners and teams articulate the passing of time for all of us as sports fans. We think about where we were, and maybe more precisely, who we were, when we first recognized that a Justin Verlander or a Barry Sanders was a generation defining talent. We remember the performances, the big moments, the highs and lows, but we each remember them within the context of our own lives and memories. Some of the sadness we feel in a moment like Saturday’s is much more about our own sense of the passing of time, the passing of people from our lives, the way this old world just keeps changing.
For younger fans, this can all just feel too sentimental and nostalgic as they prepare to try and conquer the world in their own ways. For all of us who’ve already fought some or most of our battles, a little nostalgia is natural and appropriate. Justin Verlander’s presence in the game frames whole eras of our lives at this point.
For myself, Justin Verlander was a major force in actually getting me back into baseball. Growing up in the 80’s, the 1984 Tigers’ World Series championship team was the defining sports team of that whole era, only giving way to the Bad Boys era Pistons at the end of the decade. I grew up pitching and playing shortstop, wanting to be Alan Trammell and Jack Morris. But owner Tom Monaghan was apparently satisfied with one World Series title, and rarely did they sniff another opportunity.
By the early 90’s my family had moved out of state at a time when Sportscenter was still new, and it was difficult to follow your favorite teams from afar. Between the Tigers slide into mediocrity, the frustrations of the first decade and a half of Mike Ilitch’s ownership, the strike, and then the steroid era, baseball pushed me away. Of course, I was in my early 20’s then with plenty of other interests to occupy me as well.
It wasn’t until 2004-2005 that I really came back to the game, partly driven by Trammell’s presence as manager, but also by the Tigers attempts to turn things around after the catastrophic 2003 season. But it was in 2006 that a young rookie starter with a ridiculous level of arm talent started making waves, and it was initially watching Justin Verlander that rapidly drew me all the way back into a full-on obsession with the game.
The next few seasons featured frustration as Verlander tried to overcome a habit of slow starts to his seasons followed by furious finishes. The first no-hitter of his career on June 12, 2007 against the Brewers served notice, but the Tigers were collectively spinning their wheels. The global financial crisis of 2007-2008 took its toll on the region as it did everywhere, and the Tigers were disappointing in the wake of the painful 2006 World Series loss to the Cardinals. There were some rough years for many in 2007-2009. The pain of Game 163 against the Minnesota Twins broke some in the fanbase for years to come.
Many feared that Dave Dombrowski would never get the roster mix right and build a consistent winner. That Jim Leyland just didn’t have enough feel for his pitching staff anymore. Even the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera didn’t seem to make enough differences. At the same time, something else happened in 2009 as Verlander put together the first of his many Cy Young award worthy seasons. While he still struggled through March and April as usual, for the first time he was pretty dominant the entire rest of the way, topping 240 innings with a 3.45 ERA and a 2.80 FIP with the highest strikeout rate of his career to date.
For myself, after moving back to the Detroit area after over a decade on the west side of the state, that was the first season I ever saw him pitch live, and must-see-JV was already a thing before it became a slogan. Over the next few seasons I made a point of catching Verlander starts whenever possible and became more and more invested in his struggles to finally put everything together for a full season.
We know what came after that, as Verlander embarked on a good season in 2010 and then ultimately leveled up into an absolute monster in his AL MVP and Cy Young winning 2011 campaign. He finally developed the slider that would become a trademark pitch for him, and he also perfected his three gears approach to pitching, realizing he could get early outs at 92-93 mph, ramp up into the mid-90’s the second time through the order, and then empty the tank from 96-101 mph the rest of the way, even far beyond 100 pitches per outing. We may never see something like that again.
No-hitters suddenly seemed like a likely enough possibility that fans went to pieces when he gave up his first knock in the fourth inning. On May 7, it became a reality as he blanked the Blue Jays for his second no-no. Another one seemed possible at any time, but instead the third wouldn’t arrive until 2019 with the Astros when he blanked the Blue Jays in the Rogers Centre for the second time. Verlander became the face of baseball on the pitching side during those years. He was on the cover of video games and doing commercials. He felt like the ultimate diva style ace, hyper competitive, cocky verging on downright surly at times, approaching every start like a prize fight with himself as the reigning and defending champ.
By now I was long since fully hooked on baseball again, and pitching specifically, watching and reading everything I could find on pitching mechanics and pitch development. The timing was great, as for three years, Verlander wasn’t just the ace of the Tigers, he was the most consistently dominant pitcher in baseball and doing things rarely seen in the game. The combination of command, velocity, breaking stuff, and durability was hard to process, with few precedents in the game before him.
Yet the Tigers still couldn’t get it done, despite an enormous amount of talent and a lot of good times and spectacular individual performances. Miguel Cabrera finally put it all together in 2012-2013 and was the best hitter in baseball. By 2012, Max Scherzer was running with Verlander neck and neck, and ultimately surpassing him while the latter’s velocity slipped in 2014 and his body barked at him all season long.
At the end of that season, Scherzer went on to a spectacular five year run with the Washington Nationals. Cabrera had peaked only to immediately start a process of physically breaking down that would only accelerate in the years ahead. Verlander too appeared to have finally passed his peak in his ninth full season in the league. He was into his early 30’s now, and by that point it’s hard not to expect a rapid decline in performance in the not too distant future.
Right about then, I started writing for Bless You Boys, and suddenly Justin Verlander was my subject. The timing was good. I was convinced he had another full act in him and in 2015. Verlander, at the urging of then girlfriend Kate Upton, spent that offseason working with Dr. Annie Gow, a physical therapist who helped him restore his flexibility, strength and mobility. He came into 2015 spring training highly optimistic and early reports indicated that his velocity was back. Then came an injury, initially reported as a triceps strain, but which was actually a lat strain instead. For the first time in his career, the Tigers horse, as Jim Leyland would refer to him, went on the injured list. Verlander had already had two full acts in his career, the early years to 2009, and his run from 2010-2014. There had to be a third. As it turned out, there was far more than that to come, but no one could’ve but Verlander himself could’ve predicted it at the time. He did always say that he wanted to pitch into his 40’s until the wheels came off. Well here we are.
Skepticism over a return to form in 2015 reached a fever pitch in May and into June as Verlander was unable to get on the mound. Finally, the rehab work began and he made a start with the Toledo Mud Hens at the beginning of June. Afew of us here at BYB, including former site manager Kurt Mensching, went down to see his second rehab start in Toledo. This will always remain a vivid memory for me.
Prior to the game, as Verlander warmed up in a Jurassic Park themed jersey down the third base line, looking quite out of place, the big board showed the Belmont Stakes, where American Pharoah won the first horse racing Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. Verlander took the mound sitting 94-95 mph, and carved through most of the Cleveland Triple-A squad with ease. He looked very good. The one exception was this skinny little shortstop who cranked a solo shot off one fastball and roasted a very hard hit single his second time up. Francisco Lindor would go on to become quite a player, to no surprise for anyone paying attention that day. What was key though, was that Verlander looked good, and so I was loudly opining on the site about a huge resurgence coming the rest of the season.
Betting on Justin Verlander rarely steered me wrong. I had him on a dynasty league team from 2007 until I finally and somewhat painfully dropped him last season. It’s Justin Verlander, so of course he went on to be the best pitcher in the American League and probably all of baseball again in the second half of the 2015 season. His velocity started ticking back up to the high 90’s peaks. The breaking stuff was crackling. He was back.
MLB debuted Statcast that summer, and sure enough, Verlander was up at the top in terms of spin rates and riding action, as predicted. There was plenty to write about as we tried to digest this huge inflow of new information about the game, and Verlander was an ideal outlier specimen to study, trying to understand exactly how to optimize pitches with spin.
On August 26th, we were back to old times as Verlander took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the Angels, only for Chris Iannetta to drop a line drive on the chalk of the left field line, one of the more crushing hits I can remember by an opposing team outside of the postseason. Pablo Sandoval still has the most devastating blows against Verlander from the 2012 World Series Game 1, obviously. The point is, Justin Verlander was back, and while I was already convinced it was coming, I never could’ve imagined it would be 12 more seasons, most of them still great, until he finally hung up his spikes.
And while Verlander was back in form, one couldn’t really say the same about Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Max Scherzer had left in free agency after the 2014 season, and things were just never the same again. There’s another life lesson. You can go back in life, in all senses of the phrase, but when you get there it won’t be the same because you are no longer quite the same person either.
2016 was another real disappointment for the team as they crumbled down the stretch. On the Verlander front it was still great to watch Verlander build on 2015 and put together another Cy Young award caliber season only to be robbed by two Tampa area reporters who didn’t even cover baseball at that point. Kid Rick Porcello took home the hardware, and Kate Upton, by now engaged to Verlander, let fly with the legendary tweet that sent old Twitter into a frenzy.
Still, by 2017 it was clear that the magic was gone from the Tigers. Verlander’s magic was still running strong and his last second trade to the Houston Astros on August 31, 2017 was the final blow of that era. Many Tigers fans cheered the bittersweet sight of him winning his first ring with another club, but what gnawed at me was seeing the Astros ditch his twoseam fastball entirely and help him reach a new level of performance. I have always wondered how much greater his career could’ve been with better coaching and more information. In 2018 and 2019, he was better than ever, finally taking home another Cy Young award in 2019 and racking up 300 strikeouts in a season for the first time. By then, his future Hall of Fame credentials were long since assured.
Finally, after 14 years of greatness, Verlander’s UCL gave way in 2020. The Astros cheating scandal, and the entire culture of that front office in those years, tarnished his ring. Jeff Luhnow was banned for life. AJ Hinch was fired. Verlander’s career seemed to be coming to an end in a fairly dark place and time and he took some deserved heat from hiding of most of the Astros’ conduct. You had to wonder if Verlander would ever be the same, and if he would ever get another chance. We probably should’ve known better. Reinvigorated by the birth of his daughter, he rehabbed back into peak form and stormed back in 2022 to his third AL Cy Young award. He would go on to his second World Series title with the Astros.
By this point, Verlander was rarely on the minds of most Tigers fans anymore. The Astros didn’t pursue him too hard that offseason, and instead he signed a large short-term contract with the Mets, rejoining Max Scherzer for a half season. He was traded back to Houston at the trade deadline with Steve Cohen footing some of the bill, played there in 2024, and then left for a quiet but solid season with the San Francisco Giants in 2025. There were times where it felt like Verlander might make a brief fit for the Tigers one more time, but when that didn’t happen, it felt like chances of a reunion were probably done.
Instead, we did finally get that reunion. It didn’t go the way anyone hoped, but here at the end of his career, I’m still very glad he returned to Detroit. His reaction to coming home made it pretty clear that his heart never really left the Motor City, and that despite his success in Houston, he always viewed himself as a Tiger first and foremost. His wife is from Michigan. He got his start here. He became Justin Verlander here. In his own comments about the team, the fanbase, and the city, you can see him processing everything I’m writing about here, reminiscing on both the good times and the bad, feeling older for noticing how much time has passed and how much things have changed.
Verlander will hopefully go on to a long and fruitful retirement and finally be a full-time dad. His stature in the game is unassailable, and the way things are trending, we’ll never see his like again. His words over the last week have made it all but a certainty that his preference is to go into the Hall of Fame as a Tiger. We’ll see how that turns out when he’s eligible in five years. Expect the number 35 to be retired and added to the outfield walls, and in time a statue will be added on the concourse. Detroit does not forget its legends.
It’s entirely normal too to be skeptical about all this adulation. This is a more cynical era that the days when players like Babe Ruth and Willie Mays made their legends. But if Justin Verlander isn’t a baseball legend to future generations than who will be? He was hyper-competitive, he understood what he owed to the fanbase and to the game, there was never any drama, he took relatively team friendly extensions twice and never showed the slightest inkling of leaving until the Tigers forced his hand with a deadline decision at a time where they were clearly going into teardown mode. And most importantly, Justin Verlander was one of the greatest pitchers of all-time. He was everything you could ask and more from a Detroit athlete.
Verlander wasn’t able to give us that final act this season. But he was able to dig down and provide one more beautiful performance and a memory that will stick with many of us forever. For all the young fans out there looking for their Justin Verlander, a player that will help define an era or two for them in their lives and as sports fans, I hope Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark achieve this level of stature, accomplishment, and longevity in the game for you all, and not just for the Tigers’ benefit. Even for the greats, it’s hard to have multiple great eras in a baseball career. Don’t take it for granted if we’re so fortunate. A career like Justin Verlander’s may never be seen again.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 01: José Caballero #72 of the New York Yankees throws during warm ups prior to Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The regular season was buried in the rain yesterday, but for over a week now, the Yankees have had their eyes on October. OK fine, due to how Major League Baseball lined it up this year, we have to be pedantic and talk about late September first. The Wild Card Series against the Red Sox begins tomorrow night, and that will determine whether or not the Yankees actually make it to the literal month of October. If they win Game 1, then they’re guaranteed of that since at minimum, Game 3 would be October 3rd, but of course the Yanks want to go deeper than that. How’s it gonna shake out? To quote Aaron Boone for the millionth time this season, “We’ll see.”
All systems are go for us on the site today as we preview the Wild Card Series and more. Josh and Peter will preview Boston’s pitching and hitting, and Peter will also take a separate more bird’s-eye view and argue why the Yankees can take home their 28th championship this year. I’ll have the Rivalry Roundup summing up the Game 162 action yesterday, Kevin will celebrate the 131st birthday of the Yankees’ first World Series champion center fielder, Estevão will run the monthly GM poll so that we can get a pulse on the feelings before the playoff run, Jeremy will run through the best plays of September, and Madison will put out the prompt for mailbag questions.
Today’s Matchup:
Offday
Questions/Prompts:
1. Any big late Yankees playoff roster predictions?
2. Dan Wilson became the first managerial casualty of the offseason yesterday. Who will be the next?
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HOUSTON — Distance from devastation granted Fred VanVleet not just a surgically repaired knee but new clarity. One year removed from tearing his ACL and on the eve of the NBA season, the Houston Rockets point guard appreciates the everyday tasks he once considered minute and mundane. Hell, he joked, he even enjoys media day now.
“I have a whole newfound perspective on this thing that we do here that we call a job and also just life in general,” VanVleet said this month. “I’m just really grateful and excited to be able to get back out there on the court.”
The Rockets bring back their seven main rotation players from last season – including the team’s three top scorers in Kevin Durant, Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson – plus offseason signings Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic. But Houston’s most important additions might actually be the re-addition of VanVleet and backup center Steven Adams.
Following months of recovery and rehabilitation, VanVleet and Adams are primed to return to the court when the Rockets tip off the 2026-27 NBA season in October.
Rockets head athletic trainer Jason Biles told USA TODAY Sports that both players approached the rehab process the same way they approach playing a game.
“Aggressive, steady, consistent. They’re competitive guys. and it really showed in the process,” Biles said. “They want to be back out here. Some guys may have taken even longer time, but they worked really hard to put themselves in this position, and they’re also team guys. They don’t want to let the team down. They want to be a part of it and fulfill their responsibilities.”
How Rockets kept their injured stars 'integrated and connected'
Whenever a player is facing long-term injury rehabilitation, Biles and the Rockets’ team doctors sit down with the player’s personal team and map out a plan. They progress from pain management to restoring mobility and stability, followed by adding strength and, finally, back to basketball.
Early on after his injury, VanVleet rehabbed at the Rockets’ training facility almost every day. During the NBA season, Adams rehabbed with team staff in Houston and with his personal physical therapist in Washington, D.C.
Injured players can feel isolated and unempowered. Biles said the Rockets worked to make sure that Adams and VanVleet, two of Houston’s vital locker room leaders, were around the rest of the team as much as possible during their recoveries.
“I always want them to be integrated and connected,” Biles said. “There are some instances where a guy is going to need some time one-on-one with me that may be separate from the team, but as a general rule, we’re all in this together, and we love for everybody to be around. It offers, especially with those two guys, great teaching points for young guys, and it’s good for them, too. It keeps them feeling like they’re a part of something.”
VanVleet’s case was unique because it was his first long-term injury recovery, and a grueling one. Biles said that ACL rehabilitation has shifted from time-based to performance-based, meaning there’s no concrete timeline for a return. In basketball specifically, it’s important that the injured knee regains as much strength as possible so that both sides of the body are symmetrical.
“The hardest challenge, probably, in ACL rehab is the time that it takes,” Biles said. “It’s just a grind, mentally, because you can imagine having to bring it for 12 months, you expend a lot of mental energy doing that.”
Biles got creative with ways to keep VanVleet engaged in his rehab. He played energizing music during sessions, alternated between indoor and outdoor settings and asked coaches to come up with interesting shooting games. Sometimes, they tried to make shots with a football – whatever kept the vibe fun and light.
Adams’ physical recovery was complicated because problems with the ankle can affect the knees, hips and lower back. But Adams said the key to his process was a mental adjustment.
“You have to kind of redefine what a win looks like,” Adams said. “Usually, when you play basketball, you’re kind of like, ‘Did I do my job well? Did I guard this person correctly? Did I do this many pick-and-roll coverages?’ Blah blah. But for rehab, it’s like, ‘Oh, did I achieve more dorsiflexion today? Was I able to do this many reps of toe movements?’ You know, real boring stuff. But you have to kind of just use those as wins because it’s pretty easy to slip off and feel sorry about yourself.”
Adams said his previous knee injury helped him feel better equipped to tackle the recovery process for his ankle and to be a source of comfort for VanVleet, in his own way.
“My love language is sending like really inappropriate reels or memes,” Adams said. “So I sent him some real rough stuff, but it’s all love.”
Rockets returnees propel expectations
After Houston was eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers from the first round of the 2026 playoffs with VanVleet, Adams and an injured Durant watching from the sidelines, the Rockets are hoping that getting their key players back will make the team whole again.
Their absences last season provided what Rockets general manager Rafael Stone described as a silver lining, forcing young players like Thompson, Şengün, Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith Jr. to develop new skills and shoulder increased responsibilities. Their returns will allow every player to slide back to his natural position.
“This team was constructed to have me and Steven on the floor, not on the bench, and not in street clothes,” VanVleet said.
VanVleet is a vocal leader and on-ball operator who greases the wheels of the Rockets’ offense. Adams’ screening and offensive rebounding are central to Houston’s physical, glass-gobbling identity – which coach Ime Udoka said the team intends to “quadruple down” on this season.
“When you get Fred and Steven back, two of our more experienced, high-IQ guys, vocal guys, the communication and everything goes up on both ends of the floor,” Udoka said. “We’re all excited. Seeing everybody in the gym playing five-on-five and you can kind of see the new pieces, as well as guys coming back. Steven and Fred looking good out there gives us a lot of optimism.”
The final hurdle of the rehab process is a battery of return-to-play tests. Biles said the tests look different for each player but generally measure balance, range of motion and how well they can jump, land and cut.
VanVleet has been fully cleared, while Adams had not yet taken his final return-to-play tests as of Sept. 25, according to Biles.
Udoka said the Rockets will probably not allow Adams or VanVleet to play in back-to-back games to start the season, adding that minute restrictions for both players will be determined by how they progress through training camp.
“I’m sure what you guys see won’t be the finished product, but I’m in a really good spot,” VanVleet said. “Being able to play some five-on-five over the last couple weeks, build some strength and some conditioning and things like that. But yeah, considering 12 months ago I wasn’t able to walk at this point in the year, I’d say I’m doing pretty good right now.”
Adams added, “Pretty confident in the position right now, but still got to just take your time with it because there’s one thing getting back from the injury, but then getting to an NBA level, it’s a different ask.”
Biles said he preaches patience to athletes who are returning from a long layoff.
“Give yourself some grace,” he said. “I’ll let them know to be patient but also encourage them to get them to have confidence in the work they’ve already put in, and to trust that process. You keep stacking days and it’s really all about habit formation and bringing it every day. And then next thing you know, the end is in sight and then you’re back to who you want to be on the court.”
VanVleet and Adams return with great expectations placed upon them, but VanVleet doesn’t feel pressure to suddenly fix all the Rockets’ problems.
“I like pressure, so I’m not running from that. It’s not that simple, quite frankly,” he said. “But I think that we will look like a different group and my identity is not tied to the result, but I’m confident that it’ll look better.”
Basketball: NBA Playoffs: Cincinnati Royals Oscar Robertson (14) in action, pass vs Boston Celtics Bill Russell (6) and Tom Sanders (16) at Cincinnati Gardens. Game 4. Cincinnati, OH 3/30/1966 CREDIT: Walter Iooss Jr. (Photo by Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X11537 )
It’s (mostly) in amazing condition, and, aside from the various great Celtics like Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones, and Satch Sanders, you also get to see vintage Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas. Jack Twyman was also on the team, as was Wayne Embry, who would later become a really talented general manager with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He put together a roster with Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Craig Ehlo, and others, that was talented enough to give Michael Jordan and the Bulls some trouble.
The Royals, now the Sacramento Kings after a befuddling stop as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings (then just the Kansas City Kings), were always undersized, and Russell-led Boston won this game, to tie the series 2-2.
It was a five-game series, and Boston would ultimately go on to win its eighth straight championship, knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3 in the finals.
Welcome to a postseason where virtually every participant is looking over their shoulder, wondering if their two-man rotation can hold up, if their moribund lineup will wake up, if their shaky bullpen can hold up.
Little wonder that in a season that produced the first .500 division champion in major league history that the participant in MLB’s popular bracket challenge will have their flaws. On paper, anyway, one team has far fewer than the rest.
Yet they’re also due for things not to go their way.
With that, ranking MLB’s playoff teams by best chance to win the World Series:
Of course it’s more fun to go faux contrarian and anoint someone else the favorite. We’re not that silly.
For a minute, it seemed the trade for Tarik Skubal was kind of ho-hum. Very quietly, the dude was not quite as dominant as his previous AL Cy Young Award campaigns. But he is locked the hell in again, posting a 33-6 strikeout-walk ratio his last five starts. Simply nobody can match up with Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start a playoff series.
Beyond that, Tyler Glasnow has struck out 49 in his last 34 1/3 innings. Blake Snell has all of October to work his way back into form. And did you check out the September OPS for Teoscar Hernandez (.998), Mookie Betts (1.136) and Kyle Tucker (.919)?
Sho-who? This three-peat would be far less dependent on the great Ohtani.
They were two-and-out in their past two playoff appearances, but now the Rays have graduated beyond the wild-card series and await the Red Sox-Yankees winner. They narrowly won the season series against both clubs and acing this ALDS test might be their stiffest challenge in getting to the World Series.
Like many lower-revenue, highly-analytical clubs, there’s always the question of whether their act will translate to the postseason. Will a club that ranked 22ND in home runs run into enough balls? Will their contact-happy offense keep things moving or prove ineffective against nastier stuff?
And will No. 2 starter Nick Martinez continue his All-Star run, or will his lack of punch (just 109 strikeouts in 180 innings) be a liability?
These are all the question marks. They don’t take away the fact this is a fantastic team, one that’s proven the class of the AL over six months.
No, really, we mean it this time: This, this 2026 season, this is the year for the Brewers.
Don’t look now, but this is the eighth postseason in nine years for the Brewers, a title-less run nearly akin to the ‘90s Braves or the Dodgers from the previous decade. Yet no one openly wonders what’s wrong with the Brewers in October or if they’ll finally get to a World Series, already.
But those diminished expectations come from the lower-revenue, plucky-Midwesterners leitmotif assigned the Brewers. And on the other hand: The more times you get in the tournament, the better your chances of winning.
And these guys have Jacob Misiorowski, impending Cy Young Award winner, ready to unleash from Game 1. Whether they can bridge the gap from Miz to the rest of a pitching staff that will be relied on 2 through 13 is the major question.
Enjoy Misiorowski’s explosive fastball. Then pull up a chair and get to know DL Hall and Shane Drohan and Abner Uribe real well. You’ll be seeing a lot of them and their ability to get outs will likely determine if this 103-win joyride will continue.
If you’re staring at every other postseason game wondering why starters are going two or three or four innings, Yankees games might feel like comfort food.
Even moreso than the Skubal- and Yamamoto-led Dodgers, the Yankees line up four deep in their rotation, with the strident and cocksure Cam Schlittler leading the way in Game 1 against the Red Sox. And then it’s Max Fried, and Gerrit Cole, and Carlos Rodón, with Will Warren swinging into a handy long guy/spot starter situation. Kind of nice!
Yeah, pitching will have to be their backbone because Aaron Judge almost certainly won’t be around for the wild-card round, or perhaps any stage of these playoffs. Still, despite a fair amount of slug in the lineup and that starting rotation, it will come down to how effective their relievers can be in multiple appearances.
5. Cleveland Guardians
They have one thing the Yankees and Red Sox and Braves do not: A first-round bye. They will need it, as starting pitching is their backbone and any advantage to line up more optimally than their opponent will be cherished.
On top of that, it’s the White Sox-Astros winner that will come out of the chute and face the Guardians, who can hit the survivor with Gavin Williams (239 strikeouts) and Parker Messick () right out of the gate.
Yet it’s the age-old question with Cleveland: Will it slug enough in October? The Guardians rank 27 TH in the majors in homers – only Milwaukee hits fewer among playoff teams – and 26 TH in OPS.
They’re also fairly green: Rookies Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana rank second and third on the team in home runs and Bazzana can provide instant offense with his power and speed. Will the young guys hold up under the playoff pressure at a time their club can’t necessarily rely on three hits in an inning to score runs?
Here they are, folks: The worst offense in the major leagues throughout the month of September. But don’t let them get hot.
Seriously.
For these Phillies, the getting there was by far the hardest part in this, their fifth consecutive postseason trip. They got tantalizingly close to an epic choke job but righted the ship just at the end and now the basic facts of this club remain:
Few teams can match up with Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign in their Game 162 clincher – beyond the offense appearing sentient – was Luzardo throwing an inning for the first time since he came up with a balky shoulder three weeks ago. Now, the Phillies’ grand separator – their fantastic starting pitching – is back.
They face a massive obstacle in wild card Game 1: The great Chris Sale. But perhaps their harrowing escape may engender the proper devil-may-care attitude it takes to slay a giant like Sale, a result that would flip that wild-card series on its ear. Then, it’s get the ball to Sanchez for Game 2, escape Atlanta and line up Wheeler and a hopefully whole Luzardo for the NLDS.
Volatile team, these Red Sox. As if it wasn’t enough getting their possible Hall of Fame manager fired only to run off a 15-game winning streak, win 21 of 25 in July and clinch the No. 2 wild card going away, now the Red Sox loom as the most mysterious club this postseason.
Can they topple the Yankees? Will Payton Tolle end up a national folk hero? Can Willson Contreras swing a bat after getting hit on the hand late in the year? Will Roman Anthony take to October or fold? Can Ceddanne Rafaela stay healthy?
Will Chad Tracy stay on point managing his first postseason games?
Yeah. These guys can win it all or go two-and-out against the Yankees.
Can you win a World Series back-to-front? In other words, can the game’s deepest bullpen be the bulwark of a championship team?
The Padres may find out. Trade acquisitions Robbie Ray and Casey Mize were hit hard after their arrivals in San Diego, hardly alleviating the pressure on a Mason Miller-led unit that can only hope the Rays and Michael Kings and Walker Buehlers of the world can deliver them a lead.
The good news: No offense has been hotter since the All-Star break: The Padres are second to the Cubs in slugging, first in batting average (.269) and third in runs. Their wild-card series should be a doozy in an activated Petco Park.
Yet Adrian Morejon and Bradgley Rodriguez and Miller have a way of quieting things down in the late innings. Whether they have the wherewithal to last all October is another question.
9. Atlanta Braves
Simply, no path is tougher: Phillies, followed by Dodgers followed by, probably, the Brewers. If they get to the World Series by toppling Sanchez and Misorowski and Skubal and Yamamoto, more power to them.
But it’s a significant ask, particularly when the pitching thins out after Sale and recently acquired Tyler Mahle. Keep an eye on recently activated reliever Robert Suarez. If he and closer Raisel Iglesias can make it a seven-inning game, the Braves will be tough.
Like the Braves, it’s a long road, one that begins at Petco Park in a rematch of last year’s wild card series. Can the Cubs hammer their way to the World Series?
That would certainly run counter to the notion that great starting pitching needs to get you there. We’re not entirely sure an amalgam of Kevin Gausman, Matthew Boyd and Clay Holmes will cower many opposing lineups.
The Cubs ranked 18th with a 4.27 rotation ERA and while the weaker arms are marginalized in the postseason, it’s hard to win without a true bell cow. Yet with Alex Bregman, pending MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong and a built-for-postseason hitter like Nico Hoerner, the games will not lack for excitement.
Sorry: You finish .500, you get punished in the rankings.
The Astros have a chance to turn the playoffs on their ear, should they make a deep run while getting in with a subpar record and avoiding the beasts of the AL East until the ALCS thanks to the format. Folks will be screaming mad if they’re still around while two of the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays have gone home.
Yet the Astros seem to thrive on wearing the black hat. They also have homefield advantage in the wild-card series, where their lineup that led the majors in home runs will take aim at the Crawford Boxes.
They’re not expected to do much. And if they do, you’ll probably hear about it.
Somebody’s gotta be No. 12 and at the risk of being accused of hating fun, we need to drop the White Sox here. They are a fantastic story, even without any papal blessings. The world really does need to get familiar with Tristan Peters and Sam Antonacci and Miguel Vargas, who have dazzled the South Side all summer and revived a sagging franchise.
It’s just real hard to envision them pitching enough to seriously threaten for the AL pennant. Yet if they can sneak away with two wins in Houston, they’ll be plenty familiar with the Guardinas, who would await in an all-AL Central ALDS.
