Los Angeles, - October 15: Jake Bauers, hoists up the mvp trophy after defeating the Dodgers 6-4 to win Game 4 of a NLCS playoff baseball game and advance to the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, October 15, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
There are, possibly, only six more MLB games left on the calendar for 2026. Ten at most. Baseball has been a part of our daily lives going back to March. But in a few short weeks it will be gone. Winter will come. And with a looming lockout, there’s no telling how long that winter will last. But while we don’t yet know when we’ll see MLB baseball next, we do when we’ll next see some banana ball. The Savannah Bananas released their 2027 schedule, which stretches from early February to late September, including international dates and games played in football stadia. As for New England, we get summer stops in Worcester and Portland. (Boston Globe)
But about that looming lockout. How will CBA negotiations be impacted by the fact that the three teams left standing represent three of the smallest markets in baseball? “Under the soon-expiring CBA that has governed the sport since 2022, spending had a correlation coefficient of 0.31 to team wins and losses — meaning, if carving the pie of what goes into successful team building, about 31 percent of it would go to how much a team spent. That’s a lot — and, in fact, is up from a 0.23 correlation coefficient in the prior two CBAs (2012-16, ′17-21). But the other things that go into team-building — scouting and drafting well, coaching and developing players to be their best, well-integrated analytics, culture, luck, and more — account collectively for a much larger share of the pie that determines team success.” (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
One of the small market Brewers’ keys to success this year has been the production of late-bloomer Jake Bauers. Could he be a good fit for the Sox this offseason? “Bauers may not be a household name. But a peek under the hood at his profile paints the picture of a late bloomer who doesn’t strike out often, works the count, and has a propensity for tearing the cover off the ball. Given Boston’s emphasis on bat speed and hard-hit percentages, a player like Bauers should hold plenty of appeal.” (Connor Ryan, Boston.com)
Even if the Sox do sign Jake Bauers in the offseason, the most intriguing new player at Spring Training next year will likely be super-prospect Franklin Arias. Everyone already knows about him, so here’s a look at a few other, more under-the-radar names making their way up the Red Sox organizational ladder. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
The Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer experiences will perhaps lead the Sox to exercise additional caution with respect to Arias. But the fact of the matter is that he’s doing to determine a lot about how the 2027 Red Sox roster fits together. “I am 100 percent convinced that he’s ready to be their everyday shortstop,” said one MLB evaluator witha rival team.Initially, however, that could come with its own issues. To install Arias, untested, as the team’s starting shortstop, would mean displacing Trevor Story, who remains a hugely popular and respected figure in the Red Sox clubhouse.“ (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
NEW YORK, NY - 1956:: Infielder Andy Carey #6 of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait prior to a game in 1956 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The 1950s were an incredible era for the Yankees. They won six championships in the decade, and a few more in the years immediately before and after it. You can probably name the legends from that time: Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford. However, every team needs supporting pieces, and one of that era’s would be celebrating a birthday today.
Andrew Arthur “Andy” Carey Born: October 18, 1931 (Oakland, CA) Died: December 15, 2011 (Newport Beach, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1952-60
At birth, Carey was known as Andrew Arthur Hexem. However, his parents split when he was young and Carey didn’t have much contact with his biological father after that. His mother eventually remarried to Kenneth Carey — who had been her divorce attorney — and the future Yankee took on his stepfather’s last name.
Carey and his stepfather bonded over sports, and it became clear in his youth that the son was quite good at one. A star pitcher and third baseman in high school, Carey rebuffed several MLB teams and instead attended St. Mary’s College in the Bay Area. However, the school dropped their baseball program due to monetary issues after his freshman season, leading to Carey listening to major league offers. He eventually agreed to terms with the Yankees for $60,000 — a record for the franchise in the aftermath of the “Bonus Baby” rule being repealed.
With the Yankees, Carey had the reputation as a bit of a cocky young player. He made the team out of spring training 1952 after impressing in the Grapefruit League, but ended up spending the year going up and down from the minors. He stuck around starting in 1953 and would be a fixture for the team for years to come.
While he would spend most of his career at third base, the Yankees initially hoped to make him as flexible as possible in the field, as they looked to find a potential successor to Phil Rizzuto at shortstop. However, Carey viewed himself as a third baseman and pushed back against manager Casey Stengel. That would be a recurring them throughout Carey’s career, as he often was the subject of Stengel’s anger. Stengel heard from Carey’s minor league career that he could be motivated through anger. Carey was also winning to talk back himself, and the two would butt heads throughout the third baseman’s career.
On the field, Carey had his good years and bad. He broke out in 1954, hitting .302/.373/.423 in 122 games. He was credited with 3.6 fWAR that season, but only had two others where he was over even 1.5. However, he was still a fixture for the team in a highly successful era.
Despite being part of the team in 1953, Carey did not appear in that year’s victorious World Series. However, Carey did appear in four Fall Classics over his career, helping the Yankees win two of them: 1956 and ‘58. While he didn’t hit particularly well in either of those victorious series, he appeared in all and started six of seven games in 1956. He was also credited with making some key defensive plays to help preserve Don Larsen’s perfect game, and he later drove in a run during New York’s narrow 3-1 victory over Milwaukee in the 1957 opener.
He only recorded one hit in 1958, but it was an eighth inning single in Game 7, and he was on base for Bill Skowron’s three-run homer that basically put the series to bed.
For his career as a Yankee, Carey hit .266/.332/.397, which graded out to an exactly average 100 OPS+. However, with a new crop of youngsters coming through, Carey ended up being surpassed at third base by Clete Boyer. He only appeared in 41 games in 1959. After a handful of games the following season, the Yankees traded him to the Kansas City Athletics for Bob Cerv in May 1960.
Carey was traded a couple more times over his final years. He played for all of the A’s, White Sox, and Dodgers over the 1960-62 seasons. He also had been traded to the Phillies by the White Sox, but refused to report to Philadelphia. Eventually, Chicago worked out a deal with the Dodgers, where Carey would spend the final season of his career. He retired from baseball following the 1962 season.
Following his playing career, Carey settled back in the LA area and sold insurance (when he wasn’t scuba diving). He was married a couple times throughout his life, including one to actress Lucy Marlow. One of his children with Marlow — James — tragically died at the age of 23. Some sources cite his death as coming in a car crash, but SABR postulates that his name, location, and death date matches up with that of a man who was killed in a shootout with police following a robbery. Carey himself passed away in 2011 at the age of 80 due to Lewy body dementia.
Andy Carey doesn’t quite get the level of acclaim that a lot of other Yankees of that era do, but all of them played some role in one of the most impressive dynasties to ever grace the field.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
With this photo, I resume my photo sleuthing series that I generally run in baseball offseasons.
Before I get to this one, I’ll again put out a call: If you have any old Cubs or Wrigley Field (or even other baseball) photos you’d like me to sleuth, please send them along!
The sleuthing project for this photo isn’t about the date or location, because I already know that from the filename of the photo when I found it. It was “houstoncoltsfirstgamecubs.jpg.”
So this photo shows the very first pitch thrown by Houston’s MLB franchise. The pitcher is Bobby Shantz, who had been a pretty good lefty for the Philadelphia A’s a decade earlier — AL MVP in 1952 — and also put together some good years for the Yankees later in the 1950s, pitching for them in the World Series in 1957 and 1960. By 1961 he was about to turn 36 and so was left unprotected in the expansion draft.
Picked up by Houston, he was made their Opening Day starter on this day, April 11, 1962. This photo depicts him throwing that first pitch, to Lou Brock, that day’s leadoff hitter for the Cubs. Shantz wound up striking out Brock.
The sleuthing I’d like you to do is this. On the scoreboard, it shows Brock’s average as .353. That might be a bit small in the photo at the top of the post, so here’s a screenshot enlarging it:
Now, that couldn’t be possible if you’re the first batter of the season in your first at-bat, right?
I thought maybe this might be his BA from spring training. Unfortunately, back in that day, newspapers didn’t really keep track of spring numbers like they do now. In fact, MLB doesn’t have any spring stats on its website from before 2006. In trying to find out Brock’s 1962 spring BA, I did find one note that said he had hit safely in 18 straight spring games. Based on that, a .353 spring BA for Brock is certainly plausible.
Thus I’ll leave it to the sleuths among you: Can you find definitive proof of Brock’s 1962 spring batting average? Let us know.
The Cubs went 18-9 in spring training in 1962. Billy Williams had been the 1961 NL Rookie of the Year, and many observers were very high on Brock, who was about to turn 23 and who had played just four games for the Cubs in ‘61, and another rookie, Ken Hubbs. Many writers thought the Cubs could finish sixth or seventh in the new 10-team NL in 1962, which would have been an improvement over their 90-loss, seventh out of eight finish in ‘61.
Welp. Didn’t happen. The upstart expansion Colts pounded 13 hits, including three home runs, off five Cubs pitchers and won that Opening Day game 11-2. Ernie Banks’ first homer of the year (he’d hit 37 that year) was about the only Cubs highlight of the game. In fact, Houston swept that opening series and wound up finishing ahead of the Cubs, going 64-96 to the Cubs’ 59-103. It was the first-ever 100-loss season for the Cubs, which they wound up matching in 1966.
Shantz threw a complete game that day, but it was one of only three games he would pitch for Houston. On May 7 he was traded to the Cardinals for John Anderson and Carl Warwick. Warwick would later play for the Cubs in 1966, and Shantz pitched in 20 games for the Cubs in 1964 after coming over in the infamous deal that would send Brock to the Cardinals.
Just another little slice of Cubs and MLB history. And let us know if you find definitive proof of Lou Brock’s spring BA in 1962.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors controls the ball against Mohamed Diawara #51 of the New York Knicks during the first quarter of a preseason game at Madison Square Garden on October 15, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last weekend without official NBA content popping up our timelines, folks.
Last couple of sleeps before the next time you hit the sack there’s another (or multiple!) new banners hanging from the MSG rafters.
On delegating responsibilities to his assistant coaches and veteran players:
“My coaches can do their job, they can teach, take the lead in the areas that they need to, going by the practice plan and then on top of that, our veteran players, especially with the new guys, they can coach those guys because they kind of got a feel and they kind of know what we’re expecting on both ends of the floor.”
On his emotions ahead of the Knicks’ championship ring ceremony and banner raising:
“Obviously I’m going to be filled with a lot of different emotions. That’s a special moment. I’m going to be a little selfish, but for me individually, not only that, for my family, for the people in the organization, the team, the players, the other coaches, but just as importantly, the city of New York and the fans of the Knicks all around the world … so to see that happening while knowing the history of it, and knowing how hard it is to let alone get there on top of winning it, it’s going to be an awesome feeling with a ton of emotion inside. We’re all human, the trick is now to really appreciate and enjoy that moment and still try to lock in and get ready for the game and know you got to move forward once it’s over.”
On the challenges of defending an NBA championship:
“There are a lot of challenges in trying to do that. That’s why it hasn’t happened in the NBA in the last eight, nine years. In all of sports, you don’t hear a ton about back-to-back champions in the modern sports world no matter what sport it is you’re playing. The added quote, unquote pressure that some people may allow to seep in as the year goes on, there could be more jealousies, that the team is not connected, and people forget about sacrificing for the betterment of the team. Everybody has naturally been telling you how great you are the whole summer, and so you think you’re great, and you don’t have to go through and/or embrace the process like you did when you got there the first time because you think you know and it’s just going to happen in moments when you think it needs to happen. There’s a lot that can impact it.
“And for me, the biggest thing is trying to make sure our group understands that this is a new season, it’s a new team, and there are new challenges in front of us. Therefore, it’s not about the end result, we have to really make sure we focus our energy and effort on the process, by embracing all the details of the process. And if we do, that’s going to give us our best opportunity to do it again.”
On how the Knicks will handle being the hunted team:
“That’s another one, everybody likes to play the Knicks anyway, especially in MSG, and now it’s just an added carrot to the whole deal. We have a mature group, and that’s one of the main things that gives me — I don’t know if hope is the right word — but gives me hope that we’re going to take this or embrace this process like no other. I truly believe that the maturity of the group is going to help when it comes to all of it, not just being The Hunted, but handling being patted on the back all year, and media scrutiny that we’re going to be under and pressures of the other things that we’re going to be under. I think that’s what’s going to help a ton.”
On Jalen Brunson’s superpower:
“His focus and determination.”
On OG Anunoby’s superpower:
“His potential with his size, his athleticism, and his skillset.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ superpower:
“His skillset and his size.”
On Mikal Bridges’ superpower:
“His versatility.”
On Josh Hart’s superpower:
“His ability to connect the group, with sacrifice and determination.”
On his expectations for the Knicks’ bench:
“I’m excited about it. I’m looking forward to giving guys an opportunity that they might not have gotten before.”
On replacing Mitchell Robinson’s contributions following his departure to Boston:
“I talked to our guys about this. When I was in Golden State, we had a really good team the year we won back-to-back (2017 and 2018) and KD [Kevin Durant] left after that [after the 2019 season] and everybody thought that, rightfully so, we were going to go into the tank, because you can’t replace KD with one player. In 2022, we won it again, we basically had the same core minus KD. We replaced him basically with a young Jordan Poole, Otto Porter and Andrew Wiggins. And collectively, those three guys plus the rest of the group just brought a little bit more to the table, and we were able to get it done in 2022. So it’s no different with Mitch. Mitch is a great player. We’re not bringing Andre [Drummond] in here to quote, unquote be Mitch. Andre’s going to be Andre, but that means everybody else has to give a little bit more defensively, and has to give a little bit more when it comes to offensive and defensive rebounding,”
On the Knicks fans and how New York celebrates its championship teams:
“It’s like no other. This is my fifth championship that I’ve been a part of in some really good cities.
“Love you guys, love your energy. Keep bringing it, because we’re looking forward to having another fun year.”
On the improved Eastern Conference and increased competition:
“You see what goes on. A lot of teams got better, and it’s good. Excited for all of the other teams; you love when the competition’s high. Who doesn’t love that?”
Andre Drummond
On developing his jump shot throughout his NBA career:
“I did it when no one was watching. … So here we are, 15 years later, s–t, better late than never, right?”
On the skills that have allowed him to remain in the NBA entering his 15th season:
“Be a master of what I do. I mean, I’m able to rebound the ball at a high clip still. Obviously with the addition of the three-point shot, being able to be a good pick-and-roll defender, and just a great locker room guy altogether is really what keeps me around.”
On his passing ability and how his game has evolved:
“I love to pass, I love to see the floor, and I play well in the pocket. … The game is changing, [my] guards like to score, and I throw the pocket pass in.”
Jalen Brunson
On Andre Drummond establishing his own identity rather than replacing Mitchell Robinson:
“not coming in to be Mitch, he’s coming in to be himself.”
On Mike Brown taking time to build a personal relationship with him:
“He came down to Jersey in the summer, and we sat, had dinner, talked for two-and-a-half, three hours, whatever, and did not talk about basketball or what we were gonna do. So that just tells you who he is. That’s a genuine dude, and he just wanted to get to know all of us before we got into our jobs and to see what we had to do as a team. But it’s just genuinely who he is.”
“I want y’all to know I’m ready for y’all. Y’all not ready for me, I’m applying all pressure on y’all all summer…Y’all was sleeping on me…All gas no brakes-that’s gone be me rest of my life”
— Dink Pate’s 12 straight for Westchester wins last game of year, Mark Pope courtside pic.twitter.com/RP4ZHvJrfo
On Mike Brown addressing the team’s personal struggles and contract uncertainty:
“Mike talked about mindfulness. He talked about the situation to all of us openly, and we all talked as a team, as a family — the coaches and players — and it’s still so amazing to see how connected this team is, to see how much of a family unit we really are.
“It was really cool to have a coach talk to us about being you, about the struggles in life, and us being together and understanding where everyone is in life and the situations they deal with as a family, as brothers, that will allow us to even be more connected and allows us to even be a better team. That was an amazing job by him as our leader to approach the elephant in the room and to allow us, the players and the coaches and the ones who are on that core into Game 4, Game 5, who really found a way to get this title back to New York, allowing us to be human.”
Josh Hart
On Andre Drummond’s skill set:
“Way better passing than I thought he was.”
On Mike Brown’s leadership style and personality:
“Honestly, I didn’t know he was a military baby until you said it. Obviously, he’s someone who commands attention and respect and those kinds of things.”
“Now, he’s super chill. He’s a great person, lets us know, holds us accountable when we’re out there not doing what we’re supposed to do.
“He’s more of a ‘Who let the dogs out’ kind of guy.”
On McBride’s desire for a contract extension and the possibility of future negotiations:
“No doubt, he would love to get that. But at the end of the day, you work for the Knicks and it takes two sides to get a deal done. And if the Knicks aren’t ready to do extensions right now, then we just gotta buckle up and go have a great season. He’ll be a free agent this summer, but we’ll see. We’ve got a great relationship with [president] Leon [Rose] and the front office. We’ll see: there may be opportunities during the season, maybe in the near future. Who knows where we’ll be able to have those conversations.”
On McBride’s contributions to the Knicks and his willingness to play through injury:
“We’ve spoken to the Knicks throughout the summer. Miles, like any player in his position, would love to get an extension. I think he’s earned it. He’s been a huge part of where that organization has gone over the last three or four years. He’s been their sixth man. A lot of people don’t realize how hurt he played last year in the playoffs. He had abdominal surgery that caused him to miss a couple of months. He came back and he wasn’t really right yet, but he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to be there for his teammates.”
Joel Embiid, on facing the Knicks on opening night: "I don't really feel like watching that whole ceremony, so I guess I'll be in the locker room."
"It's the first game…The way I see it is taking it day-by-day, slowing getting better…It's about the process that it takes to… pic.twitter.com/tdExscxMlX
On the Philadelphia 76ers being the biggest threat to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference:
“The East has caught up with the West. You have the 76ers, obviously, you have the Toronto Raptors, you have Giannis [Antetokounmpo] with Miami, I think they’re still a few pieces away. But to me, if I had to pick one, it would be the 76ers. Nick Nurse won a championship [as coach of the Raptors in 2019]. Nick Nurse had to figure how pieces worked when he was in Toronto. And when you have guys that have high IQs — Jaylen Brown is a Finals MVP, LeBron James is [not just] arguably the greatest player but one of the smartest players to play the game of basketball. That’s not going to be a hard adjustment. … Offensively I see them getting out and running. I could see them being probably the best transition team offensively in the league. But I also could see them figuring things out on the fly while they’re still winning games during the regular season. And I also see LeBron James bringing out the best in Joel Embiid.”
On how Mike Brown should handle Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract situation:
“KAT is an emotional guy. And if I’m Mike Brown, the biggest thing is from a personal side, I would just want Towns to know that he’s loved on a day-to-day basis. That don’t mean that there’s not going to be times where you have to call him out in film, but if I’m Mike Brown, I’d go the extra mile to extend my love, whether that’s on the road, him meeting him for breakfast before shootaround, maybe dinners, just to let him know his value. And to let him know that he’s a huge and the most important part of this team. … It would be through actions and less through words.”
On the challenges of defending an NBA championship:
“The first thing is health, obviously. The second thing is getting through the regular season knowing that everywhere in every game that you play, you’re going to get everyone’s best shot. But last but not least is having everyone continue to lose themselves in the team and play agenda-free basketball. Because what ends up happening is when you win a championship, because of the praise that you get in the offseason, everyone starts to believe that they were the reason and guys come back and want a bigger role, instead of staying and playing and being a star of that role that helped them win the championship.”
On Jalen Brunson’s development into an elite player and leader:
“Offensively, I believe that Jalen Brunson over the last three years before Giannis was injured, has been consistently the best player in the Eastern Conference. But last year we saw him take that leap of accountability. We saw him doing the little things of fighting to get over screens. We saw him doing things of getting back in transition and getting extra possessions by taking charges. We saw him take over a Game 4 in Madison Square Garden in the second half to direct traffic and get buckets. We just saw leadership, right? We saw a guy in probably the hardest market to play in, have composure, have leadership and be able to perform on the biggest moments. But I think the most important thing is that he accepted the challenge of actually playing defense and playing enough defense where he wasn’t a liability. But also playing defense where the Spurs couldn’t hunt him out on the big stage. … He’s one of if not my favorite players in the NBA, but history tells us that we haven’t had a back-to-back champion in the last 8-9 years.”
There were a lot of problems with the 2026 Mets, a depressing and lengthy list that we don’t need to rehash here. The bullpen, however, was not one of them. Prior to the trade deadline, the Mets’ relief corp posted a 3.82 ERA with a 3.79 xERA and 15.1 K-BB%. That latter mark ranked 4th in baseball, and those numbers get even better if you remove Devin Williams’ contributions.
Brooks Raley was a big part of that success. Over 41.1 innings, the 38-year-old posted a 2.45 ERA with a 2.37 xERA. For most of the year, he was a highly effective 7th inning or setup man in Carlos Mendoza’s and then Andy Green’s arsenal.
That performance certainly earned Raley some advocates among Met fans, but was more a classic instance of a decent reliever having a hot couple months rather than someone ascending to elite status. Raley’s stuff metrics remained just okay. His slider is a plus pitch, but everything else was effectively slop. He survived more on weak contact than a particular propensity for whiffs, and his 15.0% K-BB% ranked an unremarkable 75th among relievers. The writing was pretty clearly on the wall for some sort of regression.
Enjoyably but unsurprisingly, said regression hit after Raley was shipped down to Philadelphia. He posted a 7.94 ERA over 11.1 innings with the Phillies, was a significant contributor to what would’ve been one of the most epic late-season collapses of all time, and was ultimately left off the postseason roster for the Wild Card round. Funnily, there wasn’t really a huge change to Raley before and after the trade; this was effectively the same pitcher just getting wildly different results. That’s baseball, Susan.
Now, the Mets surely would’ve preferred to be in a position where Raley’s strong first four months actually helped them reach the postseason, but they were able to parlay that performance into a couple interesting prospects. John Spikerman is a speed and OBP-oriented 4th outfield prospect, one who saw an uptick in exit velocities before the trade and actually hit for more after joining the Mets. To be clear, this took his power from “none” to “a bit below average.” That’s enough to make him an actual prospect who could play a bench role at some point in the next season or two.
Luke Gabrysh, meanwhile, continues to show some truly disgusting stuff; he had the best slider in MiLB per Stuff+, and had one of the ten best arsenals overall. Public facing stuff metrics are imperfect (and vastly inferior to what teams are using at this point), but these sort of numbers mean a lot more than his minor league ERA and indicate that the Mets got a potential steal here. Expect him to feature somewhat prominently in this offseason’s list process.
So yes, the Mets did not get exactly what they wanted out of Raley’s hot four months. But they made the best of a bad situation, leveraging an unsustainable performance to pick the pocket of a division rival at the deadline. Hopefully Gabrysh and Spikerman can twist that knife further for the Phillies in 2027 and beyond.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 17: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting an RBI Double during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game four of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 17, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Sunday everybody. Here take these links. No really, take them. Take them quickly. You have to go! Right now! Run! RUN!
In Mariners news…
Carlos Mendoza, who earlier this week joined the Phillies coaching staff, reportedly withdrew his name from consideration as the next Mariners manager to accept his new job. One would certainly hope, and perhaps expect, that a manager job would be more desirable than an assistant coach job, and this news does not inspire a ton of confidence in how the search is going.
Carlos Mendoza was a candidate for the Mariners' managerial job before withdrawing his name to become the Phillies' third base and infield coach, sources told ESPN. The Mariners and Astros are currently the two teams looking for a manager.
Adam Jude at the Seattle Times laid out five of the core questions that the organization has to find answers for before the lockout starts.
A handful of players formerly on minor league contracts elected free agency earlier this week, including infielder Miles Mastrobuoni.
Around the league…
The Rays big bats led the way in their Game 4 win over the Guardians last night to even the series at two games apiece. Game 5 is in Cleveland today at 2:08 pmPST on TBS.
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto may spend less time behind the plate next season, as it seems his thirteenth season behind the plate really took a big toll on him. Realmuto himself seemed to cite the responsibilities of ABS challenges as being especially draining.
WBO heavyweight champion targets big paydays against Hrgovic, Kabayel and Itauma after second round win
Thirty minutes after Daniel Dubois had dismantled Fabio Wardley in less than two rounds on Saturday night, his promoter Frank Warren shook his head in slight awe as he described the intensity before the annihilation: “I went in the dressing room beforehand like I normally do and I couldn’t have a conversation with Daniel because he was so zoned in and focused. It showed when he got in the ring. He went out there on a seek-and-destroy mission.”
Dubois resembled a much bigger and heavier version of a young Mike Tyson as, wearing black trunks and a black cape, he walked to the ring with intense purpose. There was not a flicker of emotion as he marched quickly towards Wardley for their WBO world title rematch.
French Open finalist wins 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 for her first title
Kartal will become new British No 1 after record run
Sonay Kartal missed out on winning the biggest title of her career as her brilliant run at the Wuhan Open ended in a final defeat by Maja Chwalinska.
Kartal has enjoyed her best tournament only a fortnight after returning from six months out with a back injury, but her efforts appeared to catch up with her as she faded in a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 loss.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back on the road to face the Minnesota Wild tonight at 6:00 PM.
Minnesota Wild - 5-2-1 - 11 Points - Won 1 - 3rd in the Central
Columbus Blue Jackets - 3-3-0 - 6 Points - Won 1 - 7th in the Metro
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Adam Fantilli has notched 2-1-3 in six career matchups against the Wild and posted 1-1-2 in his last trip to St. Paul.
Matthew Knies has 2-1-3 in five career games against Minnesota, with points in his last two outings (1-1-2) as well as goals in two of his three games at Grand Casino Arena.
Valeri Nichushkin has collected 6-8-14 in 34 career contests vs. Minnesota, including a two-assist effort in his last game in St. Paul, and has 2-4-6 in his last 5 on the road against the club.
Zach Werenski has tallied 7-4-11 in 15 career matchups with the Wild, who scored twice in the club’s last game and collected 3-2-5 during the 2025-26 season series. Also has points in six of his past nine overall (6-3-9).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 13.3% - 27th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 66.7% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 16 - 29th in the NHL
Goals Against - 21 - 8th in the NHL
WildStats
Power Play - 33.3% - 2nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 88.5% - 5th in the NHL
Goals For - 26 - 16th in the NHL
Goals Against - 20 - 4th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheWild
The Blue Jackets are 33-29-1-7 overall, and 14-17-0-5 on the road in Minnesota.
Columbus has earned points in four of its past five trips to Minnesota (2-1-2) and in 12 of the past 18 games played at Grand Casino Arena since the 2010-11 season (10-6-2).
The previous meeting between the clubs in St. Paul on Oct. 11, 2025, saw the most combined goals, as well as the most scored by Columbus, on the road in the all-time series after a 7-4 Blue Jackets win.
Columbus has scored on the power play in each of its last three appearances at Grand Casino Arena (3-for-9, 33.3 pct.).
The teams have combined for seven-plus goals in four of the last six overall.
Who To Watch For TheWild
Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild with 9 goals and 14 points.
Quinn Hughes leads the Wild with 10 assists.
Goalie Jesper Wallstedt is 5-1-1 with a SV% of .921.
Calvin Pickard is 0-1-0 with a SV% of .800. His last start was October 13th.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 6 Games Missed
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 6 Games Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 6 Games Missed
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 22
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN (Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo)
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Minnesota Wild tonight at 6:00 PM.
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New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change against the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning at Citi Field in Queens, New York, Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
The ex-Mets skipper, who was fired midseason following the club’s disappointing 34-47 start, was a candidate for the Mariners’ managerial vacancy, according to ESPN.
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After parting ways with Dan Wilson at season’s end, the Mariners, along with the Astros, are one of two teams in search of a new manager.
Mendoza, 46, spent more than a decade in various roles with the Yankees, including infield and bench coach, before taking over as Mets manager ahead of the 2024 campaign.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change against the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning at Citi Field in Queens, New York, Wednesday, April 29, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
He oversaw a memorable 2024 squad that rebounded from a tough start to make a surprise run to the National League Championship Series, where they fell to the Dodgers in six games.
The Mets surged out of the gate in 2025, only to suffer a second-half collapse that saw their playoff hopes vanish on the final day of the regular season.
A plethora of injuries and a 12-game losing streak in April sank New York’s season, leading to Mendoza’s dismissal in late June and the hiring of Andy Green.
The Post’s front page after the Mets fired Mendoza.
The Mendoza-led Mets went 206-199 during his two-and-a-half seasons at the helm.
Mendoza now joins the Mets’ National League East rival’s revamped coaching staff in the wake of another early postseason exit.
Philadelphia surprisingly retained Don Mattingly as manager but parted ways with hitting coach Kevin Long and infield coach Bobby Dickerson — paving the way for Mendoza’s hiring.
The Phillies finished 2026 with a fielding run value of -20, seventh-worst among all MLB teams, according to Baseball Savant.
Among Mendoza’s challenges will be working with $300 million shortstop Trea Turner, who posted an abysmal defensive season, leading to a “mandatory” warning from team president Dave Dombrowski to improve or be moved off the position.
“If he plays [shortstop] like he did in 2026, he can’t,” Dombrowski said of Turner. “And he totally understands that.
“We’ve already given him some information ourselves that we think could be helpful. Of course, Carlos Mendoza will be responsible for working with him.”
San Diego, California - October 05: San Diego Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller looks on during a workout ahead of Game 3 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
MLB free agency cannot begin until the season concludes after the World Series, but the San Diego Padres are not waiting for the end of this season before they start building for the future. It was reported on Saturday that San Diego had agreed to a minor league deal with Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Nogami.
Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball said the numbers on Nogami are limited, but he is an intriguing prospect with a multi-pitch arsenal. When the Friar Faithful get to see Nogami in action is unknown, but Zdunich thinks there could be a chance he gets an invite to Spring Training to see what he can do against top-level MLB talent.
Young controllable pitching is something the Padres have lacked in recent years due to a multitude of mid-season trades. Nogami provides that if he can be developed in the San Diego system under pitching coach Ruben Niebla.
This may not be a big-name, flashy signing but it is a start.
Another player who could see an opportunity to show what he can do is Alex McCoy, who has shown the ability to crush the baseball at the minor league level. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball says the problem is he is still very much a swing-and-miss candidate. McCoy has been getting some headlines in the Arizona Fall League and could be someone to watch in the minor league system as the Padres push him to show more at each of the next levels.
Padres News:
Ethan Salas made his long-anticipated MLB debut with the Padres at the end of the 2026 season, but that does not mean he walks into 2027 as the starter behind the plate.
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 15: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates after winning Game Four of the National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, October 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I’ll admit that there was a strong urge to tune out of the postseason once the Rays swept the Yankees in the ALDS. With the Dodgers and Brewers on a collision course in the NLCS, LA having swept the Brewers in the same round last year, and two of the stingiest teams in the Rays and Guardians set to square off in the ALCS Frugality Bowl, there was a feeling of inevitability that the Dodgers would match the Yankees as the only teams to three-peat in the last half-century. However, there was a different buzz emanating from this year’s Brewers squad, and four games later I know who I’ll be rooting for to win the World Series. Here are the reasons I want the Crew to be the ones lifting their very first Commissioner’s Trophy in less than two weeks’ time.
They swept the Dodgers! David* vanquished Goliath, the upstart rebels unseated the Ancien Régime. Selfishly as a Yankees fan, it is reassuring to know that the Yankees will remain the only team in over 50 years to win three World Series in a row. But I think it’s a win for the sport that the perennially contending Brewers finally defeated the new Evil Empire in baseball. And they didn’t just find a thermal exhaust port to blow up the Death Star, they blew it out of the sky with overwhelming firepower.
*The Dodgers were understandable NLCS favorites, but I suppose a team with 103 wins can only be so accurately described as ”David.”
They have two of the most exciting young players in the sport! On his day, Jacob Misiorowski is the most dominant starting pitcher I’ve seen since the 92 supernatural innings from Jacob deGrom in 2021. Between the regular season and postseason, he has thrown over 1,200 pitches 100 mph or faster and threw the fastest pitch by a starter ever at 106 mph, redefining what we know about the limits of pitcher velocity. Jackson Chourio keeps finding new ways to amaze this postseason. Leadoff and walk-off home runs, spectacular defensive plays — we are truly watching a superstar born before our eyes.
They’re not some Punch and Judy slap-hitting squad, they hit bombs! Or at the very least, they’ve picked an opportune time to really start hitting bombs after finishing second-to-last in the majors with 154 home runs. Milwaukee leads all postseason teams with 10 homers, many of them coming in pivotal spots to change the lead or supply valuable late insurance runs. They are proof positive of the winning formula in the modern postseason: shutdown pitching from top to bottom and timely home runs.
This team has grit! They overturned a deficit in two out of their three wins against the Padres in the NLDS and then came from behind to win all four games in their sweep of the Dodgers. Each night it seems like someone different coming through with the game-winning hit.
They deserve to be there! This isn’t a Guardians team sneaking into the playoffs by winning a laughable AL Central with a mid-80s win total. And it’s not like I’m going to root for the Rays because, well… it’s the Rays. This is a Brewers organization that has led MLB in wins the last two seasons and has won their division five out of the last six seasons. They routinely put themselves into advantageous positions in the postseason through their consistent pole-to-pole regular season performance, something the Yankees have not done enough the last 14 years.
How cool would it be to watch history made before our eyes! The Brewers are one of five teams to never win the World Series, having only made it there in 1982 and falling to St. Louis. There are baseball fans throughout Wisconsin who have been starved of a World Series contending team since the Braves bolted for Atlanta over 60 years ago (the Braves’ 1957 title was Milwaukee’s last baseball champion). It’s beyond time that a proud, often overlooked fan base gets their day in the sun.
I like how they’ve assembled their roster! They are a shrewd combination of homegrown talent, blockbuster trades and deadline moves to shore up holes, and under-the-radar acquisitions who they polish into impact players. They are a model organization when it comes to identifying and drafting talent, player development, and recognizing players that other teams are not getting the most out of.
Two of their best players this postseason have tremendous redemption stories. Jake Bauers and Trevor Megill were effectively out of jobs after several replacement level or worse seasons. Bauers refined his approach** to become the Brewers’ definitive offensive threat with 26 homers and a 142 OPS+. He was one of the most productive hitters in baseball and is absolutely raking this postseason. Megill has not allowed a run this October as the team’s closer.
**To get ahead of the point, yes, Bauers was a Yankee in 2023, but the Brewers themselves did outright Bauers off their big-league roster after 2024, making him a free agent. They gave up on him, too! But they did ultimately get him back on a minor-league deal, he became an above-average bat for the first time last year. The rest is history.
Owner Mark Attanasio could easily follow the examples set by Pittsburgh’s Bob Nutting and Miami’s Bruce Sherman and pocket the revenue sharing dollars that are meant to be reinvested into payroll. But he genuinely seems like an owner who has shown a committent to winning over the bottom line. Although past stars like Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta were traded a year before free agency, he has at least occasionally accepted the risk of gettin burned by large expenditures, Christian Yelich and Brandon Woodruff his team’s two highest-paid players yet providing little value. He understands that is the cost of business.
The Brewers occupy the smallest TV market of any MLB club yet spend more on payroll than ten other teams. While every owner, Attanasio included, is capable of allocating more into their rosters, that the Brewers’ percentage of revenue invested into payroll is commensurate with teams like the Dodgers and Yankees while the Rays and Guardians lag far behind is commendable.
I don’t want to get too deep into the weeds that the three teams left standing play in three of the smallest TV markets and sit in the bottom-third in payroll and the implications this has on the upcoming CBA negotiations. What I will say is that the owners’ battle plan has coalesced around the stance that a salary cap is necessary to preserve the competitive balance of the sport.
In sweeping the Dodgers, the Brewers struck a blow to this line of reasoning. Even if only a temporary disruption of the Dodgers’ hegemony over the sport, the run by the Brewers, Rays, and Guardians could not have come at a better time for supporters of the union. When combining team culture, payroll investment, and style of play, I feel the Brewers are the most deserving of the three to win the World Series.
No, I didn’t forget. Of course I am also rooting for the Brewers because Gary Sánchez plays for them. He occupies a cherished part in my Yankees fandom and I would love to see El Gary get a ring.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 14: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs smiles before the game against the Phoenix Suns on October 14, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Every year there’s an abundance of lists that come out about the NBA’s players, coaches and teams, and none matter more than the general manager survey released before the season. The latest one was published on Thursday, and according to most top executives, Victor Wembanyama is primed to have one of the greatest seasons of all time in 2026-27. He got the most votes to win Defensive player of the Year as well the majority for the MVP crown, and the San Antonio Spurs are the favorite to win the title.
Holy moly, such a season hasn’t been logged since the great Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993-94. Keep in mind that the NBA’s DPOY award started in the 1982-83 season, yet even if it existed earlier, the only bigs who could have arguably won it, earned the MVP and led a team to the chip were Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Yet don’t forget that Michael Jordan claimed both awards in 1987-88, but his team lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. LeBron James would have been the first to accomplish this feat since Olajuwon, but he got robbed of the DPOY in 2012-13.
Olajuwon, who played three years at school and didn’t simultaneously win both awards until he was 31, was already on a tear when he turned 23. That was in his second season and at that age had already ascended into one of the most devastating players in NBA history. He was skinnier then, but an athletic marvel who could down turnaround jumpers with ease and soar through the lane. He wanted the big moment, and in Mirin Fader’s biography about him, there is a great line where he defended himself against complaining teammates for taking a shot with multiple defenders on him because he was the one paid to take that shot.
Wembanyama is only entering his fourth season and will turn 23 on Jan. 4. He has gotten closer to his grown man body every year and like the young Olajuwon, needs to be defended with all five players plus is a factor in fourth quarters, as he averaged 6.3 points in those periods during the playoffs.
At this point, the only heavyweight on his level is Nikola Jokić, yet most GMs picked him over Wemby as the best center. That won’t be for long if he keeps improving at rapid speed and one example of how he has is the speed and timing of his pick-and-roll defense from his rookie year in 2023-24 until now. He impacts the game in more ways, so when his playmaking catches up to the Joker, he’ll jump to his own tier. He may never turn into the wow-passer Jokić is, but Wembanyama has the talent to average a triple-double, too.
In 2026-27, the race for the MVP should come down to Wemby, Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jokić, assuming they stay healthy, because they have a chance to win enough and put up incredible numbers. Wemby being the best in the league at guarding two players at once and creating a big intimidation factor with his shot blocking, will give him an edge over the field, while double-dipping for the other award.
Notably, only three of the last 10 GM polls have correctly predicted who would win the MVP award. Three of the last 10 polls also predicted the correct champion, but two of those were very easy to call since they were the Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors. Still, lots of those teams that were picked to win and didn’t were not as deep as the current Spurs. Don’t be surprised if Dylan Harper, who most GMs picked to have a breakout season, produces like an All-Star off the bench because he was already a major player to end last postseason.
Next season, the Spurs will have a target on their backs, but it won’t matter much because they have good coaching and a surplus of motivated talent spearheaded by Wemby. Most GMs don’t always get it right, but they believe he’s going to take over the league like only the most special have, so maybe opposing teams should take the survey as a bad omen.
BINGHAMTON, NY - AUGUST 08: Jefferson Rojas #1 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies reacts to a play during the game between the Hartford Yard Goats and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Saturday, August 8, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Nate Stickney/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Meet the Mets
Mets top prospect Jefferson Rojas launched a pair of homers last night in the Winter League; the 21-year-old Dominican is 4-for-7 overall in his first two games with Cibao.
Around the National League East
Former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was a candidate for the Mariners’ managerial job before withdrawing his name to become the Phillies’ third base and infield coach, per reporting from ESPN’s Jorge Castillo.
MLB Trade Rumors published their offseason outlook for the Atlanta Braves.
After missing a large chunk of his first full professional season due to injury, Marlins prospect Max Williams is making up for lost time.
Jessica Camerato of MLB.com took a look at three Nationals prospects who could make their debuts in 2027.
Around Major League Baseball
The Rays evened up the ALCS at two games apiece by beating the Guardians 7-3 in Game 4 at Progressive Field. Jonathan Aranda drove in a pair and Yandy Díaz sealed the game with a two-run homer in the ninth.
As a reporter who covered the end of the Yankees’ dynasty in 2001, Tyler Kepner of The Athletic asserts that the Dodgers won’t stop winning, but things may be different from here on out, like they were for the Yankees.
