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The last two weeks I have gone position by position comparing the Cardinals roster and prospect pipeline to the Brewers for both hitters and pitchers. My assessment was that the current and future position-player talent on both teams is relatively close and that the gap on the pitching side is quite substantial. As I looked at both teams, I considered the talent at both the major and minor league levels. Even accounting for the Cardinals’ exceptionally deep farm system, I still think the Brewers have more talent in their organization. Point being, there is still a lot of ground for the Cardinals to make up. They aren’t going to make up this ground without taking risks, so today I am going to outline the approach I would like to see this offseason and heading into 2027.  

Side note: As a fan, I would certainly be in favor of adding $80+ million to the payroll and wiping out much of the talent gap, but alas, that does not seem to be in the cards. Since the future payroll level seems to be quite ambiguous, I am going to focus on trades and extensions. 

Starting Rotation

Current state: The Brewers hold a huge current advantage with Misiorowski and Henderson at the top of their rotation. The Cardinals have a clearly superior pitching pipeline. 

Offseason action: Trade the depth and aggressively promote prospects 

To match the Brewers’ rotation, the Cardinals need to find two top-of-the-rotation arms. Quinn Mathews is the only starting pitcher prospect likely to start the year in St. Louis, but there is a bevy of pitchers knocking on the door. Players who will need 40-man roster spots by the end of the year included Jurrangelo Cijntje, Brandon Clarke, Daniel Eagen, Mason Molina, and Braden Davis. Cooper Hjerpe and Tekoah Roby are already on the 40-man and could both start games, albeit with inning restrictions. Liam Doyle and Tanner Franklin do not have 40-man roster pressure, but both could be ready at some point during the season. If none of these nine prospects are ready next season, you might as well start the rebuild over anyway, so get them up as soon as they are ready.

Pallante and McGreevy are the perfect trade candidates. They have solid value with two and five years of team control, respectively, but neither is terribly likely to turn into a No. 2 starter. They give the team a higher floor, but they do not do much for the ceiling. Is turning over the rotation to the prospects a guaranteed path to catching the Brewers? Of course not. But hoarding fourth and fifth starters is not either.

Bullpen 

Current state: Big advantage Brewers with their three-headed bullpen monster. 

Offseason action: Take fliers on high-upside guys

If the Cardinals aren’t putting chips on the table for 2027, bullpen improvements will need to come internally or through under-the-radar acquisitions. The Cardinals already started this by claiming Chase Hampton off waivers from the Nationals. This is the exact type of move you like to see. Hampton has battled injuries the last three seasons, but he has flashed a plus fastball and multiple plus breaking balls at various times. There might be a 40-man roster crunch a year from now, but the Cardinals have a ton of roster flexibility to bring in lottery-ticket arms now. 

If you can find a couple of interesting pieces outside the organization and get a few mini breakouts internally (looking at you, Gastelum and Santana), the Cardinals could make up a ton of ground as early as next season.

Catcher

Current state: The Brewers have William Contreras for another year, if they don’t trade him, but cannot match the Cardinals’ depth. 

Offseason action: Clear the logjam 

I haven’t had a problem with how the Cardinals have managed the catcher situation to date, but it is time to clear the decks. You have to bet on players at some point, and Leo Bernal looks like a good bet. Jimmy Crooks hit for a 160 wRC+ as a 24-year-old in Triple-A. Unless another team values him in a trade as an impact prospect, he needs an extended run as well. 

Ivan Herrera is awesome and I will miss him, but he is expendable for the right return. The Cardinals have huge holes in center field and at third base. Herrera would be one of the best bats on the market, if made available, and should fetch a huge return.  

Even with Herrera out of the picture, the Cardinals are in a much stronger position than the Brewers at catcher looking ahead. 

First Base

Current state: Alec Burleson gives the Cardinals the upper hand against a (potentially) Jake Bauers-less Brewers.

Offseason action: Extend Burleson 

Let’s lock in Burleson to a long-term extension. This will solidify first base as a positional advantage for the Cardinals for the foreseeable future. Burleson is growing into a leadership role and seems to be loved by the front office and coaching staff. Even if he never learns how to hit lefties, he should be a middle-of-the-order bat against righties for years to come. 

Second Base

Current state: Both teams have studs in place, but Wetherholt is locked in for five years more than Turang. 

Offseason action: Do nothing 

This is self-explanatory. With JJ extended for eight seasons, the Brewers will have a tough time matching the Cardinals’ second-base production long-term.

Third Base

Current state: The Brewers have solid major league options in place and prospects on the way while the Cardinals are still searching. 

Offseason action: Acquire a major-league-ready prospect 

I am quite bullish on Blaze Jordan and wouldn’t mind giving him an extended run at third base. But if he ends up hitting, he could also help out at DH and first base. I would like to see the Cardinals add some upside from outside the organization by building a trade package around Michael McGreevy and/or Andre Pallante. The top of this market would be someone like Jefferson Rojas, the top-100 infield prospect the Mets acquired from the Cubs at the trade deadline. Sure, Jesus Baez might be the answer, but having multiple starting-caliber players would be a great problem to have. 

Shortstop

Current state: Cardinals slight edge now, but the Brewers have a superprospect coming. 

Offseason action: Extend Winn

Let’s not overthink this. If Winn is open to it, lock in a five- or six-year contract. More control would only make Winn more valuable as a potential trade chip if a player from the system emerges as a better option. The most exciting shortstop prospects are in the low minors (Sebastian Dos Santos, Miguel Hernandez, Yairo Padilla, and Rocco Maniscalco), so getting Winn locked in long-term gives the Cardinals some certainty. 

The Brewers have the game’s top prospect in Jesus Made on the way, but it is not a foregone conclusion he will be able to match Winn’s overall production. 

Left Field

Current state: Brewers have a star in Chourio and the Cardinals hope to have one in Joshua Baez. 

Offseason action: Do nothing

If the Cardinals were in a win-now mode, you would want more depth behind Joshua Baez. But for where they are at, he is the perfect player to pencil into the lineup every day and see what you have. 

Center Field

Current state: The Brewers got a great season from Mitchell, but may be vulnerable going forward. The Cardinals should still be searching. 

Offseason action: Acquire the center fielder of the future

Apparently the Cardinals are fine starting the season with Nathan Church in center field. This is where I would like to see the Cardinals get aggressive about prioritizing finding an impact talent. Would a package built around Ivan Herrera be enough to bring back one of the blocked Dodgers outfield prospects, Mike Sirota or Eduardo Quintero? The Dodgers have a pretty good DH already, so that scenario would likely require a three-team trade. The Braves look like a more logical fit for Herrera and have one of this year’s breakout prospects in Eric Hartman. Cleveland has a top-100 center fielder in Aaron Walton, who climbed to Double-A in his first professional season. 

There really aren’t many upper-minors center field prospects to pick from across baseball, so this route could take some creativity, but if Bloom can turn the catcher surplus into a chance at an impact outfielder, that would be a huge win for the organization.

Right Field

Current state: Jordan Walker outperformed the only black hole in Milwaukee’s lineup. 

Offseason action: Do nothing

I do not think this one needs much explanation either. The 2026 Cardinals’ arc mirrored Walker’s last season, and that could very well be the case in 2027. Walker has obviously earned plenty of runway. The general consensus seems to be that a long-term extension does not make sense for either side at this point in time. I tend to agree with that, but if the numbers work out, I would love to see the Cardinals explore this.

Designated Hitter

Current state: Cardinals with the advantage based on Yelich’s contract situation. 

Offseason action: Do nothing

In the scenario I have outlined, DH is the one area that potentially becomes problematic with Ivan Herrera traded away. Still, I think you have to roll the dice and try to mix and match. Bernal might be a good enough hitter to warrant DHing on some of his off days from catching. Blaze Jordan could be a good option, especially against lefties. This could also be an excellent way to ease in Rainiel Rodriguez when he makes his debut. I also think Deniel Ortiz is the most underrated prospect in the system. His defense is a question mark, but I think he is going to hit at the major league level and could be in play as early as midseason. 

Conclusion 

There you have it. Extend Burleson and Winn. Trade McGreevy, Pallante, and Herrera to shore up the remaining holes on the position-player side. Take a few fliers on high-upside relief arms, and buckle up for wave two of the youth movement. Best-case scenario: the young pitchers outperform expectations and push the team to contention ahead of schedule. Worst-case scenario: you get some of the learning curve out of the way and get even more answers on what the future core looks like. Catching the Brewers will require patience and a bit of luck, but some aggression and risk-taking will be required as well.

Meet the Mets

David Stearns’ current team may not be in the World Series, but Greg Joyce analyzed how he helped build the foundation for the Brewers’ run.

Steve Cohen’s influence could be the X-Factor in the offseason chase for Tarik Skubal.

Should the Mets give up on Ronny Mauricio? Logan VanDine believes it may be too early to give up on him.

Around the National League East

Dave Dombrowski put Trea Turner on blast, challenging him to either become a better shortstop or find a new position.

Around Major League Baseball

Game 4 of the American League Championship Series was postponed due to inclement weather. Game 4 will now be played tonight at 8pm ET. Game 5 will now take place on Sunday, October 18 at 5pm ET. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, will remain scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at Tropicana Field.

The start times for the World Series have been revealed.

Jayson Stark said the Brewers’ sweep of the Dodgers is one for the books, because the gamers beat the Hall of Famers.

In addition to having gamers, Mike Petriello argued that the Brewers also have some potential Hall of Famers.

Milwaukee has already punched a ticket to the Fall Classic, but Zach Sweet wondered who they should want as their opponent.

Buster Olney recapped how the Dodgers’ bid for a three-peat went up in flames in this year’s NLCS.

Ken Rosenthal commented on the uncertain reality facing the Dodgers, who spent big to build their MLB power.

Los Angeles is left to ponder their core as cracks emerged during the NLCS sweep.

Andy McCullough isn’t ready to call this the end of the Dodgers’ dynasty, but admits that Los Angeles has some hard questions to address during the offseason.

Bryan Hoch looked at five burning questions surrounding the Yankees entering the offseason.

Orioles’ owner David Rubinstein admitted that MLB owners are making a ton of money, saying they made more than he was making in private equity.

Martín Maldonado is joining the Tigers’ coaching staff.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Chris McShane reviewed Tobias Myers’ 2026 season.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1999, Robin Ventura hit a grand slam single to keep the Mets’ season alive and send the team to Atlanta.

Aaron Ashby did not have his best season in 2026. He pitched a ton: he tied for sixth in the league in appearances, and only Houston’s AJ Blubaugh surpassed his 87 bullpen innings this season (Ashby added another 2 1/3 innings in one appearance as an opener). Ashby’s 89 1/3 total innings are his most in a season since 2022, when he was primarily a starter; he’d only thrown 95 innings in the big leagues total since a shoulder injury cost him the entire 2023 season. That much action — arguably overuse — sapped Ashby’s effectiveness a little bit from 2025, when he was one of the best relievers in baseball:

• 2025: 66 2/3 innings, 2.16 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 1.170 WHIP, 10.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9
• 2026: 89 1/3 innings, 3.12 ERA, 3.11 FIP, 1.310 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 4.1 BB/9

Ashby was evolving, though, and underlying metrics suggest he wasn’t actually a lesser pitcher in 2026 despite more walks and a slight downturn in results. His “Stuff+” metrics, which attempt to put a number on how “nasty” a pitcher is, mostly held in 2026; his sinker and slider, two of the best pitches in the majors in 2025, were a little worse, but his curveball and changeup were both a little better. His Statcast profile in 2026 shows just as much red as it did in 2025; in both seasons, Ashby ranked among the elite in ground ball percentage and barrel percentage. In 2026, Ashby was in at least the 88th percentile in all of expected batting average, expected ERA, whiff percentage, and strikeout percentage — all higher than last season. His average fastball velocity was up a tick, from 97.4 to 97.7 mph.

So, while Ashby’s ERA was a run higher and an increase in walks created occasional problems, Ashby’s stuff was just as good as it was the previous season, in about 40% more innings. Watching Ashby was not always a comfortable experience this season — his command would come and go, and his 10.7% walk rate was higher than in any previous season — but his pitches were essentially as hard to hit as ever.

Maybe it should not have been a surprise, then, what we have seen from Ashby in the postseason.

Ashby pitched in three of four games against the Padres in the NLDS. He went multiple innings in two of those three outings, and picked up a win in the Game 4 series clincher when he went three scoreless, hitless innings to bridge the game from starter Robert Gasser to the big guns at the back of the bullpen, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill. In those three games in total, he pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowed two hits and two walks, didn’t allow a run, and struck out five.

In the sweep of the Dodgers, Ashby also pitched in three of four games. In a tight Game 1, Ashby pitched the seventh and eighth in a one-run game and allowed only a walk. He picked up saves in Games 2 and 4, and his Game 4 performance — he pitched the final three innings, and twice, with the tying run on third with one out, got out of the jam — will go down in Brewers lore. His full numbers against the Dodgers: 6 2/3 innings, two hits, one walk, six strikeouts.

Through two series, Ashby has pitched in six of Milwaukee’s eight games. He has totaled 12 1/3 innings; he has a win, two saves, he’s allowed four hits, three walks, and no runs, and he’s struck out 11.

This run is getting into historic territory. There’s a whole other series to go, and who knows what will happen, but: there have been only 26 instances in the history of the postseason where a pitcher went at least 12 innings with an ERA below 1.00. If you want to drop the ERA down to zero, where Ashby’s currently sits, there are only six others:

• Ken Dayley, who pitched 12 shutout innings in nine appearances for the 1985 Cardinals
• Mariano Rivera, twice, in the Yankees’ World Series runs in 1998 and 1999
• Another Yankee, Hall of Famer Goose Gossage, in 1981, who had six saves in 14 1/3 innings
• Cody Allen, during Cleveland’s run which ended in their Game 7 loss to the Cubs in 2016, had 10 scoreless appearances that totaled 13 2/3 innings and six saves
• Finally, a surprising name: John Rocker, who didn’t allow an earned run in 13 innings in the 1999 postseason (but who did allow two unearned runs)

Ashby is already at or near the innings pitched totals of all of these guys. He’s in relief ace territory at this point, and there’s a real argument that he should’ve won NLCS MVP; the cinematic nature of Jake Bauers’ exploits in the series probably clinched it for him, but Ashby was certainly just as deserving.

Ashby’s work in this postseason so far reminds me of two other players from the not-so-distant past. The first was another well-regarded prospect who didn’t work out as a starter but who became, briefly, a shutdown reliever and a major figure of the postseason: Andrew Miller. By the time he was 26, Miller had been a top 10 prospect; he’d already thrown almost 300 big-league innings in a variety of roles, and he’d been traded twice — once as the linchpin of one of the biggest trades of the 2000s, when the Tigers traded him and others for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis. Miller struggled as a starter but finally found success in his seventh season when he became a full-time reliever; over the next five years, Miller was as good as any relief pitcher in baseball and played a major role on several postseason teams. The 2016 campaign was the most magical, though: in 19 1/3 innings across 10 appearances for Cleveland, Miller allowed three runs (a 1.40 ERA), struck out 30 batters, and walked only five. For his entire postseason career, Miller allowed just four runs in 38 2/3 innings, giving him a lifetime 0.93 postseason ERA.

The other player I’m reminded of is Wade Davis, yet another big-time prospect who failed as a starter but who finally clicked as a full-time reliever. Davis was drafted by the Rays, but it didn’t work out there; he was traded to Kansas City in the James Shields trade, but had a disastrous 2013 season as a starter. In 2014, the Royals put him in the bullpen… and over the next four seasons, Davis had a 1.45 ERA in almost 250 innings. In the 2014 postseason, Davis allowed one earned run and struck out 20 in 14 1/3 innings across 12 appearances as a setup man, including 10 innings of a 0.00 ERA across the ALCS and World Series. The following season, when Kansas City won it all, Davis did not allow a run in eight appearances; he struck out 18 and walked three in 10 2/3 innings, the Royals won every game he pitched in, and he earned four saves and a win.

From a storyline standpoint, I remember Davis and Miller dominating the postseason discussion for those three years in the mid-2010s. The idea that the role of starting pitchers in the postseason was diminishing was still quite new at the time, so it was a big deal that you had these guys coming in and mowing everybody down. They just felt like the most dangerous weapons in their respective playoff runs. Miller came up a game short (and indeed, two of the three runs that Miller gave up in that 2016 postseason run came in the Cubs’ Game 7 triumph), but Davis is forever etched into the history of Kansas City baseball.

Ashby might already be there for the Brewers; even if things don’t go particularly as planned in the World Series, few will forget his heroics in the first two rounds. But for a guy who, like Miller and Davis, didn’t work out as a starter, and for a guy who had not had a good postseason career before this season (in 10 appearances across three seasons, he had a 7.71 ERA in 9 1/3 innings and as many walks as strikeouts), Ashby has written himself into the Milwaukee record books. If he can keep it going in the World Series, he just might join a truly elite list of postseason relief runs, the likes of which have only been seen a handful of times.

Good morning, baseball fans!

There is, unfortunately, no baseball to be had today (Saturday). But the 2026 MLB Playoffs will continue on Sunday with Game 5 of the American League Championship series between the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and the Cleveland Guardians.

As usual, I am writing this in the past, which means I do not yet know the outcome of Game 4. And neither team has announced a starting pitcher as of this time. But either way, the game will start at 5:00 p.m. PT on Sunday, airing on TBS/HBO Max, with national radio coverage available on ESPN Radio.

I think we’ve all weighed in on who we want to win this series, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s who we want to win this game. Personally, I hope this series goes a full seven games so the winner is tired going into the World Series, because it’s a rare year that my rooting interests are for the National League team. But after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers, I think the Milwaukee Brewers have more than earned our support.

But that’s just my opinion. Who are you rooting for in Game 5?

Today’s Reflections

THE DODGERS LOSE! THE DODGERS LOSE! THEEEEEE DODGERS LOSE! (I know that was John Sterling’s phrase, but I respectfully enjoyed — I mean, borrowed it)

And Cleveland is still up two games to one after Friday’s game was rained out. Game 4 tonight. Things get better and better! (except it doesn’t involve the Cubs)

It’s been a confusing time. After spending season after season getting stabbed in the heart by the Brewers with every great hit and great play, it has been entertaining to sit back, watch and enjoy the team that Milwaukee has built. Sigh. The Cubs’ front office has had the same relaxing opportunity to watch the organization this month and maybe there will be a change in the acquisition and the development process of the Cubs’ players to whatever the Brewers have been able to accomplish. It is getting old feeling like, “Wow, the Cubs have A good pitching prospect,” or “Hey, at least the Cubs have A COUPLE of good hitting prospects.” Nothing against Pedro Ramirez and Matt Shaw, but wouldn’t it be nice to have of a couple of potentially great prospects that are occasionally and successfully battling for a starting spot, than going, “Well, we think XXXXXX might be the better of the two”, and be some level of wrong every time?

Heh. I went to look for Friday’s articles and there was one that heavily covered what I mentioned above, plus added some tidbits in a better way than I did.

Honestly, if I had read these two articles, including this, I wouldn’t have written all that up above! Here’s an excerpt:

• “On the whole, using various Statcast measures, you can see how the Cubs rate out as having an almost average collection of pitching prospects, and below average hitting.“

I appreciate your reading.

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The two articles I linked above:

• Tony Andracki (CHGO.com): 3 lessons Cubs can learn from MLB playoffs. “As the Brewers continue to make waves in the MLB playoffs, the Cubs can take some lessons from around the league this fall.”
• Brett Taylor (North Side Baseball): Cubs Prospect Notes: Kepley, Conrad, Bailey, IFA, Martinez, Useche, Cabada, More. “(Ethan) Conrad is currently working out in Arizona, and, despite being a very big dude himself, he is kinda dwarfed by Myles Bailey.”

Analyzing The Cubs’ Philosophical Process:

• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Cubs Have More Money, Brewers Play Much Better Moneyball. “The Brewers are on the cusp of moving on to the World Series, where they’ll be favored to win for the first time in club history.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Dodgers’ downfall could leave Cubs dealing with an even bigger Brewers problem. “Milwaukee is back in the World Series – and that’s bad news for the Cubs.”
• Elias Schuster (Chicago Cubs On SI): Did the Cubs Actually Make a Huge Trade Deadline Mistake? “The Chicago Cubs put a lot on the line by moving Jefferson Rojas to the Mets, and the immediate results aren’t great.”

Pitching Articles:

• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Javier Assad Remains the Cubs’ Ultimate Swiss Army Knife. “Whenever Javier Assad wasn’t on the Cubs’ big league pitching staff in 2026, everybody should have been asking “Where’s Javier Assad?”.”
• Alexander Rosquez (LastWordOnSports): Clay Holmes Option Could Decide His Place in the Cubs’ 2027 Rotation. “The Clay Holmes option is a $12 million decision the Chicago Cubs cannot make for him.”
• Sam Caulder (North Side Baseball): Matthew “Nominal Cubs Ace” Boyd’s 2026 Season Was A Tale of Two Halves. “Matthew Boyd finished the season with respectable numbers, but his 2026 campaign was more complicated than the surface stats suggest. Here’s what went right, what went wrong, and what it could mean for his future in Chicago.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib): Grading Cubs’ 2026 starting rotation after another painfully familiar postseason disappointment. “This was a problem for Chicago from start to finish – and into the playoffs.”

Hitting Articles:

• Brett Taylor (North Side Baseball): Good to See Alex Bregman Continuing to Heal, Talking About Hitting. “Come for the look at Bregman’s vastly improved face, stay for his thoughts on how important a pitcher’s vertical attack angle (i.e., how low they can release from) and extension are.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Ian Happ’s Skill Set Was More Itself Than Ever in 2026, for Better and Worse. “Wherever one lands on the Ian Happ narrative spectrum, there’s no debating this point: Happ had a season very much in line with that narrative in what could be his final year with the Cubs.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib): Cubs now know the qualifying offer consolation prize if Seiya Suzuki leaves in free agency. “At the very least, they would get something.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball): Cubs Received the Maximum Version of the Alex Bregman Experience in 2026. “Alex Bregman finished 2026 as a top-10 player in Major League Baseball. Getting there wasn’t easy, though.”
• Josh Davis (Clutch Points): Cubs star Alex Bregman is 1 of many hitters to stink in playoffs, and he knows exactly why. “Cubs star third baseman Alex Bregman explains why MLB hitters are struggling in the 2026 playoffs after his own hitless Wild Card Series.”

Off-season Plans:

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Top Japanese Pitching Prospect Shoki Oda is Skipping the Draft in Japan So That He Can Sign with an MLB Organization. “We have essentially never before seen a top Japanese talent go this route.”
• Jason Ross (North Side Baseball): Could Kaima Taira Be the Next NPB Star in Chicago? “Kaima Taima will probably be posted this winter. Should the Cubs consider the reigning ERA champion of Japan in their search for pitching help?”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation): Here’s What My Ideal Cubs Offseason Would Look Like. “I think it’s worth zooming out a bit and figuring out what an ideal Cubs offseason actually looks like.”

Assorted Stories:

• Michael Bonocore (PetaPixel): Inside a Season With the Chicago Cubs’ Photographer. “Shooting in burst mode at 20 to 30 frames per second, he ends up with about 250 pictures from one home run per camera.”
• Abby Miller (Chicago Sun-Times): Cubs parking lot expansion greenlit by Plan Commission but with less spaces. “The parking lot will be able to fit 800 vehicles, instead of the 947 spaces originally proposed by the Cubs.”

I’ve been following this guy and his hitting demonstration online. His presentation is kind of captivating. He has hit against multiple “HOFers”, RHP and LHP, from different slots. He played small college ball, so it’s not like he’s the next big thing — he just shows how unhittable these guys were. The Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson presentations have been my favorites so far. The funny thing is how the comments blow up because when he’s talking to the camera, his back is to the machine, which is on, and it looks like he’s going to get nailed by half of the pitches. But not yet — at least he hasn’t posted it. 😀

Watch, it’s fun.

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): What Would Happen If You Stepped Into the Box Against Absolute Peak Kerry Wood? “It’s inarguable that Kerry Wood’s 20 strikeout game was the peakiest peak for his ability – indeed, it was one of the peakiest peaks we’ve ever seen from any player in baseball history.”

Food For Thought:

Lizzie Douglas (June 3, 1897 – August 6, 1973), better known as Memphis Minnie, was a blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter whose recording career lasted for over three decades. She recorded around 200 songs, some of the best known being “When the Levee Breaks“, “Me and My Chauffeur Blues“, “Bumble Bee”, and “Nothing in Rambling”. When she was seven years old, she and her family moved to Walls, Mississippi, south of Memphis, Tennessee. The following year, she received her first guitar as a Christmas present. She learned to play the banjo by the age of 10 and the guitar by 11, when she started playing at parties.

In 1910, at the age of 13, she ran away from home to live on Beale Street in Memphis. She played on street corners for most of her teenaged years, occasionally returning to her family’s farm when she ran out of money. Her sidewalk performances led to a tour of the South with the Ringling Brothers Circus from 1916 to 1920. Performers from the Mississippi Delta and other regions combined a mixture of dance rhythms, melodic phrasing, and storytelling of Black rural culture, all of which are elements that are audible in Minnie’s early guitar and vocal work. By adapting and reshaping this style, she became one of the performers who helped define the emerging country blues for later generations. She then went back to Beale Street, with its thriving blues scene, and made her living by playing guitar and singing, supplementing her income with prostitution.

This needs multiple angles!I got “Ghostbusters” vibes!

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

For the third consecutive October Friday night, there was no Major League Baseball to be watched on television. While that is not entirely the fault of MLB — last Friday was empty because of the LDS series not going the distance, and last night was due to a rainout — the league could do a much better job with their playoff schedule. Matt Gross has written approximately 38 articles on this topic if you’d like to research further. Without any storylines coming out of Cleveland on Friday, let’s go back to the Dodgers.

After winning 100 games in 2026, the Los Angeles Dodgers entered the playoffs as the odds-on favorites (better than 50% chance) to win the NL pennant and were far and away the favorites to win their third consecutive World Series. After a four-game sweep by the Milwaukee Brewers, it’s amazing how quickly the “dynasty is over” narrative has emerged.

At the same time, the Dodgers have myriad star/core players past their prime. As Buster Olney outlined today:

“Freddie Freeman is 37, Muncy is 36, Betts is 34. Ohtani is 32. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Edwin Diaz, Teoscar Hernandez, Will Smith, Tommy Edman are all in their 30s. Many are on the downslope of accomplished careers.”

Personally, I think they’ll be just fine. The greatest baseball player of this generation, and maybe ever, was a shell of himself due to bicep and knee injuries in these playoffs. Tarik Skubal is a free agent, but the Dodgers barely put a dent in their farm system with who they traded for him. Their prospects are still in the top five in baseball. Josue de Paula has arrived and will be ready to contribute in 2027, with fellow outfielder Mike Sirota right behind him. Whether Andrew Friedman and company choose to move any of these prospects for major league help, or blend the kids with the veterans, will be fascinating to watch. And, of course, if there isn’t a salary cap, they will have plenty of money to throw at their problems.

Is the Dodgers dynasty in the rearview, or will this be a minor blip for the team of the 2020s? Discuss in the comments and be good to each other.

The Atlanta Braves have already made some moves this offseason, according to the transaction log. Most notably, infielder Brett Wisely was selected to the major league roster. Outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett, and infielder Luke Williams elected free agency. 

Given his limited big league experience, the decision to add Wisely to the 40-man gives the Braves the option to use him in a later transaction. Atlanta will have plenty of decisions to make as it looks to improve the roster for 2027, and these early moves are a reminder that the team is already working to create flexibility for what comes next.

More Braves News:

Tate Southisene reached base four times in the recent Arizona Fall League matchup. More in the minor league recap.

MLB News:

Game 4 of the ALCS has been postponed to tonight due to inclement weather. Game 5 is slated for Sunday evening. 

From the Feed:

Braves special assistant Martin Maldonado is headed to the Detroit Tigers as a quality control coach.