As you know, the Cubs hold the tiebreaker over the three teams closest to them in the Wild Card race, the Phillies, Diamondbacks and Padres. This is extremely important now because the Cubs trail the Phillies by 1.5 games entering Thursday’s action, and the Phillies/Astros game will be happening this afternoon. The Cubs are 2.5 games ahead of the Padres and three games ahead of the Diamondbacks.
Tankathon has the Phillies with the toughest strength of schedule of the four clubs (fourth). The Cubs are ninth, Diamondbacks 20th and Padres 21st, entering Thursday’s action.
Here are the remaining schedules for all four teams. Home games in boldface.
Cubs, 15 games (9 home, 6 road)
Pirates (3), Braves (3), at Reds (3), Marlins (3), at Red Sox (3)
The Cubs dropped from fifth to ninth in the Tankathon ranking after the Brewers series. They have six games remaining against postseason contenders and nine against other clubs.
Phillies, 16 games (7 home, 9 road)
Astros (1), at Braves (3), at Nationals (3), at Mets (3), Brewers (3), Rays (3)
That’s 10 of 16 games against teams currently in first place, including today vs. the Astros. The Phillies are currently under .500 (28-31) against teams with winning records. That could help out the Cubs.
The Brewers might wind up really helping out the Cubs when that series happens, even though Milwaukee likely has clinched the NL Central by then. They still might have to win games to clinch home field. The Rays currently lead the Yankees by four games, but who knows? The AL East race might come down to the wire.
Padres, 16 games (6 home, 10 road)
at Giants (3), at Rockies (4), Marlins (3), at Dodgers (3), Diamondbacks (3)
The Padres have an “easy” stretch coming up, then finish up with six against postseason contenders. Those last three Diamondbacks/Padres games could help decide one of the wild card spots. San Diego is just 32-39 away from Petco Park.
Diamondbacks, 15 games (9 home, 6 road)
Rangers (3), Marlins (3), Yankees (3), at Rockies (3), at Padres (3)
A combination of teams fighting for postseason spots and teams way out of it. The D-backs and Padres have split their first 10 games this year, and the teams also have split at each other’s parks, 2-2 in San Diego and 3-3 in Arizona.
Braeden Bowman knows how quickly things can change in the NHL.
One minute, he was an unheralded prospect in the Vegas Golden Knights’ system. The next, he was skating on the top line alongside Jack Eichel, taking reps on the top power-play unit and showing he belonged in the greatest hockey league in the world.
Now comes the hard part.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, and Bowman knows that better than most. He got his opportunity last season. What he wants now is to make sure it wasn’t a one-time thing.
The undrafted forward from Kitchener, Ontario, went from a relatively unknown name in Vegas’ development system to an NHL regular in a matter of weeks. But Bowman isn’t interested in simply making a cameo.
He wants to make the NHL his permanent home.
“That’s my goal, to become a full-time player with the Knights,” Bowman said Tuesday at the team’s annual golf classic at TPC Summerlin, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Danny Webster. “I’m excited. The team’s looking really good again. Vegas always has a strong team, so I’m just trying to establish my identity on the team and we’ll see where it goes.”
Bowman, 23, received his first NHL call-up after captain Mark Stone broke his finger and missed roughly a month of action.
He didn’t waste the opportunity.
Bowman scored five goals and 11 points in his first 15 NHL games, quickly earning the trust of the coaching staff and opportunities in some of the most valuable minutes a player can receive.
For an undrafted player, it was about as good of an introduction to the NHL as he could have imagined.
But the NHL has a way of humbling everyone eventually.
After his blistering start, Bowman’s production cooled in the second half of the season, as he recorded just 15 points after that point.
He has the talent and the skill. Now he needs to learn how to handle the demands of an 84-game NHL season and, perhaps more importantly, how to maintain the level that initially earned him a spot on one of the best teams in the NHL.
Now he enters the season with something he didn’t have when he first received that call-up: experience.
And he knows the opportunity is waiting for him again.
The question isn’t whether Bowman can play in the NHL. He already proved he can.
Now, can he prove he can do it every night?
That’s the next step for Bowman.
And the sky is the limit. Imagine if Bowman has a breakout campaign. With a cap hit of just $875,000 through the end of this season, he could end up being one of the biggest steals for the Golden Knights.
SPRINGFIELD,MA - AUGUST 15: Steve Nash and Mike D'Antoni look on during the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on August 15, 2026 at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts. 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 (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Among the most infamous teams in modern NBA history is the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers. A star-studded group headlined by Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, all of whom finished top nine in MVP voting the season prior, went just 45-37 and earned the West’s No. 7 seed before being swept in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs.
Once head coach Mike Brown was fired after a 1-4 start, followed by a brief 4-1 stint from interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff, the Lakers hired Mike D’Antoni, who previously coached Nash for four seasons with the Phoenix Suns as they worked in tandem to innovate some of the most efficient offenses in NBA history.
Last month, D’Antoni was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Ahead of his induction, he spoke with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin about numerous topics, including his tumultuous Lakers tenure and why he initially opted to join the organization.
“One of the reasons why I took the Laker job — the biggest reason, other than I wanted to coach — was that Steve was going to be there,” D’Antoni told McMenamin. “So I’m thinking that if Steve and I can get this and put this together, we could be really good. And I remember asking them before I signed, ‘I know Steve’s hurt, when’s he coming back?’
“And they go, ‘Well, he’ll be back by Friday. And if we can get you to sign and you get in here, he’ll be almost ready to go right when you get here.’ That kind of pushed me over the hill.”
Only two games into the regular season, Nash fractured his left fibula and missed the next 24 contests. He suited up for 50 games total, his fewest since 1998-99 and third-fewest of his entire career, and posted the fifth-lowest assist rate (32.8%) of his career. The four seasons featuring lower assist rate were the first four of his career, all of which came before he made his eight All-Star appearances.
According to Cleaning the Glass, Los Angeles’ offense was just 0.2 points better per 100 possessions with Nash on the floor that year — a far cry from his enormous imprint during the previous eight seasons in Phoenix. Back injuries spoiled the majority of his next campaign as he played 15 games and the Lakers went 27-55. D’Antoni resigned at the end of the season.
“Well, Steve never really came back,” D’Antoni said. “And even when he did come back, he was about half himself. And so it was doomed from the start.”
On Wednesday night, the hockey world lost a Hall of Fame human being when Barry Melrose passed away at the age of 70. For as important as he was to the game of hockey at the rink, he was equally as important away from it. The way he loved the game was infectious.
Melrose was a player, coach, and legendary broadcaster for most of his life. As an NHL player, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Detroit Red Wings. Melrose, a defensive defenseman, scored 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points in 300 career games.
Before that, Melrose spent time playing for the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA. He also had stints in the AHL during and after his NHL career. Once his playing days ended, he made a name for himself as a coach with the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Melrose really captured the hearts of hockey fans through his career in broadcasting. In 1995, Melrose joined ESPN on a permanent basis as a color commentator. He was also a frequent contributor to NHL Network.
His stint as the Lightning head coach came in the middle of his broadcasting career, but it was short-lived. He returned to ESPN on January 1st, 2009, so he could cover the Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.
He would continue his broadcasting career all the way through 2023, when he retired so he could spend more time with his family following a Parkinson's disease diagnosis.
Speaking of the Blackhawks, Melrose played against them as a player more than any other team. 23 of his 300 NHL games came against them, just edging out the Blues, who he played against 22 times.
1 of his 10 career goals came against the Blackhawks, as well. While he was playing for the Maple Leafs, he scored a goal on Tony Esposito on March 22nd, 1982. Stew Gavin assisted on the goal. On the same day came one of Melrose's 23 assists as well, as he helped set up a goal scored by Rocky Saganiuk.
Melrose had three total points against the Blackhawks in his career. The third was an assist almost a year to the day later, on March 20th, 1983. Melrose assisted on a goal scored by Peter Ihnacak against Murray Bannerman.
It is never easy to say goodbye to someone like Barry Melrose, but it is easy to think about how much good he did for the game we love. Cooler than cool.
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LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 28: Evan Phillips #59 and Alex Vesia #51 of the Los Angeles Dodgers laugh during the 2024 World Series championship ring ceremony prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Friday, March 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Remember when the Dodgers went to the market and spent a lot of money to sign Edwin Díaz, baseball’s number one available relief pitcher simply because they could? Well, that hasn’t worked out the way everybody hoped. Intentionally overlooking the possibility — small, although very real — that something clicks and Díaz can perform up to his potential in the playoffs, the reigning back-to-back champs will have to make do without what they bargained for last offseason.
As damaging as that can be, this bullpen in its current construction bears no resemblance to the unit that was dragged over the finish line a season ago; this one is perfectly capable of not just getting by but fulfilling a crucial role in this quest for a three-peat.
Although other bullpens carry better stats, the Dodgers lead the National League in one particular category, one that will definitely come into play in October: strikeout rate, only trailing the Guardians in the entire sport with a 25.5-percent strikeout rate.
Any bullpen conversation with the Dodgers starts with Tanner Scott’s bounce-back, a pitcher we shall pretend arrived a year later than his contract would suggest. The former Padre has essentially filled the role set aside for Díaz before the season, as the standout closer acquired on the open market. Prone to inopportune slip-ups, hence the 1-5 record, Scott shouldn’t see his total production diminished to the point of skepticism around his ability to come up big in the playoffs. The air of invincibility may be lacking in comparison with other elite closers, such as Mason Miller and Josh Hader. Given where we were a year ago, it’s difficult not to embrace the optimism of this development. And we even have a backup plan for the closer role; more on that later.
Below Scott, the Dodgers rely on Edgardo Henríquez, who has firmly established himself as a key setup option, matching the wow factor of his stuff with the production on the mound. Henríquez was already a serviceable alternative coming up down the stretch last season. With adjustments to his arsenal and approach, the righty has taken his strikeout rate to the expected range for a pitcher of his qualities, near 30 percent.
The link in trust between last year’s bullpen and this season’s unit might be in the middle of a last dance in a Dodgers uniform. Alex Vesia — a free agent to be — might very well be priced out of staying with the Dodgers, who have other priorities, but let’s not dwell on that now and simply enjoy this special character who has been here since the start of this dynasty. Carrying on an extremely reliable career, becoming much more than the simple specialist he was first deployed as, Vesia has been equally dominant against righties and lefties—with a slugging percentage allowed below .300 facing either. Lastly, in the group of reliable regular-season options, you have maybe the heir apparent to Vesia in Jack Dreyer—a reliever developed in-house with similar fastball characteristics to Vesia, who has over 130 innings in the bigs since the start of last season with a sub-3.00 ERA. Equally dominant against righties and lefties, Dreyer is already a key cog in this bullpen, only in his second season as a big leaguer.
Beyond that trio, you have a balanced mixture of talented arms with a limited sample in the regular season, often due to injuries, and then perhaps this team’s secret weapon in the playoffs: talented starters turned relievers and all the flexibility they bring to the table. It’s difficult to imagine the Dodgers reaching their ultimate goal last season if not for the efforts of Roki Sasaki out of the bullpen, quickly becoming LA’s most trusted reliever back then. Working his way back from a nagging blister, Sasaki has taken steps forward on his way to establishing himself as a productive major league starter, but in the short term his postseason role once again lies in the work out of the bullpen. Considering his level of success as a closer last year, the Dodgers could reasonably hand him that role, but it should be noted that Scott has struggled when pitching in non-save situations this season, with an opponent’s OPS north of .700. Depending on how much weight the Dodgers place on that, they may just opt to keep him as the closer and have Sasaki in a firemen-type role.
While Sasaki is the high-profile name, there are other Dodgers starters who can provide a key impact working in relief, chief among them Justin Wrobleski, whose recent home run woes aside, has had a magnificent breakout campaign. On any other team, he’d be looked at as nothing but a starter, but the Dodgers can afford to rely on his skill set in a multi-inning role, similar to what we saw a year ago. A pitcher with more raw talent than Wrobleski but without the 2026 production to back that up, Emmet Sheehan looked great in his return to the bigs this month and will battle for a postseason spot down the stretch. If a pitcher as skilled as Sheehan ends up your go-to option to eat up innings in low-leverage spots, that’s something to be satisfied with.
All of this talent could reasonably be enough to get by in a scrap for the title, certainly much better than what Dave Roberts had at his disposal a year ago. However, we still haven’t even gotten to the wild cards of production—the ones that could make the difference between a pretty good bullpen showing and an outstanding one come the playoffs. It starts with perhaps the best success story of development in the Dodgers bullpen since Alex Vesia: Evan Phillips, who is finally healthy and pitching reasonably well in the time he’s been available.
When Phillips last pitched in the postseason, he was instrumental in helping the Dodgers get to the World Series before an injury kept him from participating in the Fall Classic. At his best, Phillips doesn’t come close to Díaz’s level, but he’s still a formidable force, and as things currently stand, there is no reason to believe he won’t carry that into October. He is probably the easiest name to be skipped to the front of the line in the race for high-leverage opportunities.
Beyond Phillips, you have Brock Stewart and Blake Treinen, whose case for reliability is a bit murkier, but it’s there nonetheless. However, the thing to note here is that even superb bullpens don’t have options of this quality just lying around with a small chance of being a big factor in the playoffs. It might even deserve more appreciation.
It's been reported for quite some time now that the St. Louis Blues have serious interest in acquiring Carolina Hurricanes defenseman and current RFA Alexander Nikishin.
The 24-year-old completed his rookie season, helping the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. With the stacked Hurricanes blueline, the organization is pondering the idea of trading Nikishin rather than signing him to a contract. While the Blues' interest is notable, with pre-season beginning in just nine days, the likelihood of a deal progressing before the season starts continues to shrink.
But if the Blues are keen on adding a left-handed defenseman, they could turn their attention toward Mason Lohrei of the Boston Bruins.
Lohrei would be cheaper to acquire and more affordable under the salary cap ($3.2 million AAV), but he is a slightly lesser player. Despite that, Lohrei has played 191 games in the NHL, boasts a 6-foot-5 frame, and has strong two-way defenseman traits.
Last year, Lohrei posted seven goals and 26 points in 73 games, and in 2024-25, he notched five goals and 33 points in 77 games. But the 25-year-old began to lose his spot in the pecking order as the season wore on. His ice time dropped to 16:54 from the 19:32 he averaged the year prior.
The Blues, on the other hand, are looking to beef up their left side. Currently, their left-handed defensemen feature Philip Broberg, Cam Fowler, Tyler Tucker, and Theo Lindstein. Broberg is the team's No. 1 defenseman, but after that, there are some question marks. Fowler struggled during the 2025-26 season and looked more comfortable in a third-pairing role. Tucker hasn't really emerged as anything more than a bottom-pairing defenseman. Lindstein is also still just 21 years old, and the organization could feel that additional time in the AHL is needed.
With those question marks, it's clear why GM Alexander Steen is monitoring the defense market, specifically NHL-established defensemen around 25 years old.
Lohrei, like Nikishin, would be an excellent fit behind Broberg now and in the future. His size is enticing; add that he is a capable puck mover and offensive threat, and he fits the Blues system perfectly. He showed strong skating results in 2025-26, landing in the 66th percentile in max skating speed, according to NHL EDGE.
Marginal rumors have linked the Blues and Lohrei at this time, but if the need for a defenseman grows, Lohrei fits the bill.
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 18: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros celebrates with manager Dusty Baker #12 after defeating the Texas Rangers in Game Three of the American League Championship Series at Globe Life Field on October 18, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Legendary manager and future Hall of Famer Dusty Baker was brought to Houston in 2020 to restore credibility, pride and honor to the Astros organization and lead it to another World Championship. In his four years as the team’s skipper, Baker accomplished both of those lofty goals. He continued the Astros Golden Age by going to the ALCS every season he managed the team, and winning the 2022 World Series.
Baker is one of 19 people to ever win a World Series as both player and manager. He is 8th all time in managerial wins with 2,183 regular season wins, and he has 57 more in the postseason. He is the first manager in history to lead five different teams to division titles. He is the first African American manager to both 2000 career wins and to 50 career postseason wins. He is the oldest manager to appear in, and win, the World Series.
Baker has long been regarded as a players’ manager, renowned for the strong relationships he has built with his players over the years. In Houston, that is exactly the kind of relationship he had with Astros 2B Jose Altuve.
I reached out to Baker to get his thoughts on Jose Altuve becoming just the second active member and 103rd member in the history of baseball to join the 2500 hit club.
Baker could not have been happier for his former charge:
“It’s remarkable what he’s accomplished. The epitome of determination, will power, hard work and perseverance. Not to mention a ton of ability in a small package. Couldn’t happen to a finer person. Next stop: 3000, then the Hall of Fame.”
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 04: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves tosses the ball to first base in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during a game at Citizens Bank Park on September 04, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There was good news and bad news Thursday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.
The good: Zack Wheeler continued to show that he’s over his second-half slump.
The bad: The Phillies’ bats did little to support Wheeler and a so-so seven-game homestand came to an end with a 2-1 loss to the Houston Astros.
Jhoan Duran gave up a tie-breaking solo homer to Cam Smith with one out in the top of the ninth to put the Astros ahead. Smith hit a down-the-middle, first-pitch splitter to left-center.
While Duran’s pitch was poorly located, it was hardly the Phillies’ biggest flaw of the day. Alec Bohm ran into an out at third base in the fifth inning. There was a mix-up in the infield covering second base on a double by Jose Altuve in the eighth. The Phils played over that one. Phillies hitters struck out nine times and had just three hits on the day. They chased 34 pitches out of the strike zone, a season-high 52 percent and the fifth-highest percentage by any team in the majors in a single game this season, according to Statcast. What’s more, that 52 percent chase rate was the highest in any Phillies game since tracking started in 2009.
Most of the chase came against Houston starter Cristian Javier, who kept the Phils off balance with four pitches – fastball, changeup, sweeper and cutter.
“We were swinging at pitches out of the zone and not letting him come to us. That was the biggest thing today,” Bryce Harper said. “I can only speak for myself, the last seven games haven’t been great. I’ve just got to be better.”
The Phils went 3-4 on the homestand, splitting a four-gamer with Atlanta and losing two of three to Houston.
The Phillies were a majors-best 21-7 in August. Their chase rate was just 29.7 percent and their 15.9 percent strikeout rate was the best in the majors. So far in September, the strikeout rate is over 22 percent. The team’s walk rate has shrunk from over 11 percent in August to under 7 percent this month.
These little things make a difference, especially with big games to play and October coming.
“I think we’ll be OK,” Harper said. “I don’t see us going backward in those situations. We’ve got to do it. If we don’t, it’s going to look exactly like it did the last couple years.”
(Harper was referring to two straight early playoff exits. Both were fueled by hitters chasing pitches out of the zone, and shaky bullpen work.)
Wheeler and Javier hooked up in a good pitchers’ duel Thursday afternoon. Javier held the Phillies to three hits and a run over six innings.
Wheeler pitched seven innings of one-run ball. He allowed five hits, walked two and struck out nine.
“Wheels was really good,” manager Don Mattingly said. “When you get that kind of start, you expect to win. We just weren’t able to get anything going all day.”
“Yeah,” Harper said. “Wheels did his job. As an offense, we weren’t able to get it going.”
Wheeler did some of his best work in the sixth and seventh innings. He struck out the side in the sixth then battled through a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.
Running on fumes, Wheeler issued a pair of two-out walks in the seventh as the Astros loaded the bases in a 1-1 game. The right-hander was at 105 pitches when Houston sent pinch-hitter Yainer Diaz to the plate. With the crowd of 37,100 on its feet, Wheeler struck out Diaz on a 2-2 sweeper to preserve the tie. It was his 110th pitch and he left the mound to a standing ovation.
Mattingly had rookie Alex McFarlane up in the bullpen, but it was Wheeler’s game.
“His stuff was still good,” Mattingly said. “I felt he had enough in the tank to get that hitter. He was the best guy for that situation.”
Wheeler admitted that he fed off the crowd in getting his final out. On the day, his fastball reached 97.2 mph and sat at 95.7 mph. He got four strikeouts on his splitter, which he rediscovered in his previous start. He got 18 swings and misses.
“Everything is doing what it’s supposed to,” he said.
Wheeler struggled in a six-start stretch from July 27 to August 21. He recorded an 8.51 ERA over that span. In three starts since then, he has allowed just three runs in 19 innings. He’s back. And that’s good news for the Phillies as the games only get bigger, starting this weekend in Atlanta.
The Phils trail the first-place Braves by four games in the NL East with 15 to play. That deficit is actually five games considering the Braves hold a tie-breaker over the Phils based on head-to-head record. The Phils pretty much need a sweep if they have designs on winning the division.
A wild-card playoff berth is more likely. The Phils lead the Chicago Cubs by one-game for the top wild-card spot.
The Phils need to win the division or the top wild-card spot to host a first-round, best-of-three playoff series. The race for the top wild-card spot could go right down to the final day.
“It’s super important,” Harper said of playing that first series at home. “We’re trying to run down the Braves and the Cubs at the same time. We want to play at home. We want to be here and play in front of our own fans, sleep in our own bed and have the opportunity to play at our park. It’s a huge advantage in the postseason, just hearing it from other players coming in here and playing in this environment. We expect our crowds to be loud and crazy and obnoxious and talk the crap that they do to other players and all that kind of stuff. So, I think it plays a huge part.”
Here are the pitching matchups for the series in Atlanta.
Friday night – Aaron Nola (6-10, 4.76) vs. lefty Chris Sale (14-9, 2.10).
Saturday night – Jesus Luzardo (14-5, 2.87) vs. right-hander Tyler Mahle (5-10, 4.05).
Sunday afternoon – Andrew Painter (3-9, 5.71) vs. right-hander Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.46).
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 09: Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jorge Mateo (9) tags Atlanta Braves shortstop Mauricio Dubón (14) out at 2nd base in attempt to steal the base during the MLB game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Braves on September 09,2026 at TRUIST Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Braves try to avoid getting swept / having the division lead possibly drop to two games (where they would be in danger of losing the division if swept over the weekend).
The 2026-27 NHL season continues to approach, with the New York Islanders' regular season opener in just 20 days, less than three full weeks.
Right now, the biggest story entering camp surrounds Victor Eklund and whether or not he's going to make the team, and how big of an impact he's going to have if and when he does break through with the NHL squad.
However, with just days until training camps open, Elliotte Friedman dropped something of a bombshell with the Islanders, reporting that New York is "around that," referring to Kirill Marchenko's reported availability as a trade chip with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Friedman says #Isles have been “around that” referring to #CBJ Marchenko.
Marchenko, 26, posted 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games across the 2025-26 season as Columbus' top forward.
Marchenko's broken out in the last two seasons and has become something of a star in the NHL. In 2024-25, Marchenko scored 31 goals and 74 points in 79 games.
This past summer at the 2026 NHL Draft, reports emerged that Marchenko informed Columbus he would not sign an extension following the 2026-27 season, with Marchenko set to be a restricted free agent just one year away from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
So while Columbus doesn't have immediate pressure to trade him away, if they don't, Marchenko could sign his qualifying offer and then simply walk to unrestricted free agency the following summer.
That's where the Islanders come into play. This past summer, fans have clamored for the Islanders to get involved with available players such as Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch, both of whom landed with the Washington Capitals.
There's a difference between those two and Marchenko.
First, Tuch is older than Marchenko, sitting at age 30, and soon to be past his prime. The Islanders are viewing this year as a transition year, and the contention window with Matthew Schaefer hasn't fully opened yet.
Optimistically, that window could open in one-to-two years. If Kyrou or Tuch were here, they'd both be 30 or older, with Kyrou currently 28 and showing signs of inconsistency.
Marchenko, however, at 26, is much younger. He's also played less NHL games than both, meaning less wear-and-tear. And, if the true window of contention opens in two years, well all of a sudden, Marchenko is 28 and at the height of powers.
It's a perfect fit for balancing wanting to compete this year, but keeping one eye on the future.
The cost of acquisition for Marchenko will be high, but the closer it gets to July 1 next year, that price will drop.
Nobody thinks a deal is imminent, which also helps the Islanders. They've been transparently against trading any of their top prospects.
This season represents their first full year with the vast majority of all their top guys playing in the organization, allowing for further thorough evaluation, and thus making it easier to trade one away if it comes to it.
Columbus also likely won't want to rebuild, and will be looking for guys to win-now. So it could cost guys on the NHL roster, too.
For now, the most notable thing is that the Islanders are actively involved in Marchenko.
The big takeaway is showing what type of player will fit into the Schaefer window, and who won't.
(Original Caption) 9/4/1961-New York, NY-ORIGINAL CAPTION: Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle lost ground in their efforts to equal or surpass Babe Ruth's home run record. Mantle made a brief defensive appearance, but never batted. Maris, who played, had his woes and went 0-for-8. This photo series shows Maris muttering as he pops up to the third baseman: spinning away from a tight pitch; dropping his bat on a bunt; and flipping his batting helmet away in disgust after grounding out. The Yankees still swept the doubleheader, 8-5 and 3-2.
Roger Maris arrived in New York on the cusp of his prime, with a few solid power seasons under his belt. He left as a legend who broke one of baseball’s most respected, yet controversial, records, and he definitely paid the price for it. Time has given him his due place in baseball history, but the largely unpopular, introverted slugger had to live in the shadow of friend and fellow star Mickey Mantle in the convoluted sixties.
Roger Eugene Maris
Born: September 10, 1934 (Hibbing, MN) Died: December 14, 1985 (Houston, TX) Yankees Tenure: 1960-1966
Roger Eugene Maris was born in Hibbing, Minnesota, on September 10, 1934. Both his parents, Rudolph S. “Rudy” Maris and Ann Corrine “Connie” (née Perkovich), were of Croatian heritage.
In this space, we have said countless times that ‘X’ player grew up loving baseball, but Maris was the opposite of that. He actually hated the game as a kid and said his brother Rudolph forced him to play it. Luckily, he eventually fell in love with it while he was in high school.
Maris moved to North Dakota with his family in the late thirties. There, he played ball at Bishop Shanley High School in Fargo, where he became a legend in multiple sports, most notably football. In fact, he earned a scholarship to the University of Oklahoma, according to the Society of American Baseball Research, but he decided to forgo college and focus on baseball instead.
The Cleveland Indians were the first MLB organization to employ Maris. He developed in their farm system and, playing for the Keokuk (Iowa) Kernels, he developed his power after manager Jo-Jo White made sure to teach him to pull the ball. That new swing helped Maris hit 69 round-trippers from 1954 through 1956. A year later, he would make his MLB debut with Cleveland, but not before marrying his high school sweetheart, Pat Carvell.
Family meant everything to Maris. He and Pat would go on to have six children, and they all gave him the emotional support and strength to navigate the highs and, especially, the lows in his career.
After playing 116 MLB games for Cleveland in 1957 and 51 in 1958, they traded Maris to the Kansas City Athletics. There, he hit 19 home runs in 99 games with a 97 wRC+. The power was there, evidenced by his 28 total homers between the two organizations, but the batting average and on-base skills weren’t fully developed yet.
Maris played in Kansas City until 1959. Late that year, in December, the Athletics sent him to the Yankees alongside Kent Hadley and Joe DeMaestri, with Marv Throneberry, Norm Siebern, Hank Bauer, and Don Larsen going the other way.
The Yankees were in the middle of their most successful stretch in franchise history. They went to the World Series in nine of the previous 10 seasons leading up to 1959, when they finished third in the junior circuit. Maris immediately had the best campaign of his career up until that point in 1960, when he slashed .283/.371/.581 with 39 homers for a 156 wRC+, surrounded by talented players like Mantle, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Tony Kubek, Bill Skowron, Clete Boyer, and Bobby Richardson, among others.
That year, he led the league in RBI with 112 and slugging percentage with .581. It was a marvelous display, but it felt like a ‘meh’ display if we consider what was about to come for him. Yes, it’s a crazy thing to say after a season in which Maris was an All-Star and won the Gold Glove and the AL MVP Award.
In 1961, however, he tried and succeeded in his quest to break one of baseball’s most revered records: Babe Ruth’s 60 home runs in a season. Since he reached his final tally of 61 in a 162-game calendar, however, his accomplishment had an asterisk attached to it for years.
Most fans and members of the media wanted Mantle to break the record instead. He was far more popular than Maris, and people sure let Roger know that. It wasn’t always in the kindest ways, either.
“The media scrutiny that Maris and Mantle had endured previously reached unprecedented heights in September. For Maris in particular, it became almost unbearable. While Mantle had been cordially, if not happily, dealing with the New York press ever since he became the heir to Joe DiMaggio, the plain-spoken, small-town Maris was nowhere near as comfortable in the spotlight,” Bill Pruden of SABR wrote about the uncomfortable situation for Maris. He has been described through the years as an ‘outsider,’ a man who didn’t like to talk too much, and the New York media found him awkward and unpleasant.
That didn’t stop him from completing a magical 1961, statistically speaking. While Mantle’s late-season hip infection took him out of the race for Ruth’s record, Maris kept going and eventually made history, whether people liked it or not. He finished the year with a .269/.372/.620 line, 61 dingers, 141 RBI, 132 runs scored, and a 162 wRC+, and the Yankees won the Fall Classic again.
Maris’ 1962 season would represent a stark drop-off in his power output with 33 home runs, but it was still enough to rank him fifth in the American League. He was solid overall, with a 126 wRC+ and 100 RBI, and the Yankees again won the World Series, giving the outfielder his second and final ring with New York.
Multiple injuries limited Maris to just 90 games in 1963, but he still managed to sock 23 homers and finish with an excellent 147 wRC+, slashing a robust .269/.346/.542 as the team made it back to the last series of the season, only to fall to Sandy Koufax’s Dodgers. Maris would produce another nice campaign in 1964, hitting a strong .281/.364/.464 and playing in 141 games, posting a 134 wRC+ and finishing with 26 round-trippers. He helped the Yankees advance to the World Series once again, falling 4-3 against the Cardinals.
The powerful slugger nursed a broken hand in 1965, which limited him to just 46 games. The second half of the sixties was actually rough for the Yanks, and that year marked the beginning of the decline and the return of some of the bad blood between Maris and the always unforgiving New York media. The team finished sixth in the American League that year and last in 1966, which wound up being the outfielder’s final campaign in the Bronx.
After two years in St. Louis in 1967 and 1968 (winning a couple pennants and a championship in ‘67), Maris would hang up his cleats. No matter how criticized he was back in the day, or how much of an outsider he was in the minds of some, he, his family, and everyone who saw him play can say that he is a Monument Park honoree.
After retirement, Maris and his brother owned and managed Maris Distributing, which was Budweiser’s beer distributorship in Gainesville, Florida. He also had a brief adventure as a coach at Oak Hall High School.
He was part of 1978’s Old-Timers’ Day in the Bronx, and Mantle introduced him to a welcoming crowd. Maris, unfortunately, started a battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1983, and died two years later. The Yankees at least retired his No. 9 in 1984, before he passed away.
Some say Maris is a borderline Hall of Famer, while others believe that he should be in because of the importance of the record he held until Mark McGwire broke it in 1998 and, of course, his two AL MVP awards and three World Series titles. The baseball world, however, hasn’t voted him in as of 2026.
In any case, Maris was one of the American League’s premier power hitters in the sixties, and he was part of one of the most fascinating records and chases in the history of the game. Because of that, he will forever hold an important place in Yankees history.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 24: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 24, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Phillies and Astros will wrap up what has been a bizarre series on Thursday afternoon. In both of the previous games, the Phillies fell behind early, and while their comeback fell short on Tuesday, they were able to surge ahead on Wednesday.
Zack Wheeler will start for the Phillies. The righthander has given up just two runs across 12 innings in his last two starts.
Aug 10, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) looks towards the sky after the Rays recorded an out against the Athletics in the sixth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Freddy Peralta looks like he’s back to his old self. Over his last five starts with the Rays, he has a 2.73 ERA and 3.80 FIP while cutting his walk rate from 9.4% with the Mets to 4.5% with the Rays. Kyle Snyder and his team helped Peralta clean up some mechanical things to help him get lower down the mound, but those were relatively minor tweaks compared to how Peralta has changed the way he uses his arsenal.
We know the Rays pitching team preaches two main things: winning the race to two strikes and expanding the zone with two strikes. It’s easy to tell a pitcher, “Okay, get to two strikes and then make them chase.” But what does that actually look like in practice?
It starts with how Peralta is attacking the zone. He’s actually finding the zone less with the Rays compared to his time with the Mets (40.5% vs 43.2%), but his strike rate is up (64.1% vs 60.5%). In other words, he’s throwing fewer pitches in the zone but getting more strikes overall. That’s the result of changing how and where he uses each pitch.
Zone% with Mets
Zone% with Rays
Four-seam
50.0%
47.7%
Changeup
34.9%
23.2%
Curveball
34.8%
61.9%
Slider
30.5%
—
Sweeper
47.4%
27.0%
Aside from Peralta’s fastball, all of his secondary shapes are being used differently. The changes are dramatic. Peralta has taken his changeup and sweeper out of the zone more often while dramatically increasing the rate at which he lands his curveball in the zone. Each pitch now has a more defined job.
Two important pieces of a fastball-offspeed relationship are velocity separation and vertical approach angle (VAA) separation. His offspeed pitch doesn’t have much velocity separation from his fastball which makes it harder to generate in-zone whiffs, so the Rays are having Peralta lean into its vertical separation from his fastball and use it primarily as a chase pitch. His overall usage of it has increased – especially against righties – which makes sense because it’s his best pitch. But the bigger change is where he’s using it: out of the zone rather than trying to steal strikes with it. His sweeper is being used in a similar way, but mostly for chases against righties.
Peralta’s curveball usage is most interesting. It’s a relatively platoon-neutral shape, but it lacks the velocity and depth to suppress contact. The Rays have helped him shift his usage of the pitch to being more of a taste-breaker to earn called strikes in counts where batters don’t typically swing at breaking balls. Peralta is throwing curveballs nearly a quarter of the time on the first pitch of an at-bat and getting just a 20% swing rate against it compared to his called strike rate of 54.3%. Peralta is taking advantage of that tendency by using his curveball to steal called strikes before hitters are ready to react to it.
Once Peralta gets to strike one, the rest of his arsenal can do what the Rays want it to do: attack the edges of the zone and force swings outside it. He’s throwing 45% fastballs and just under 40% offspeed pitches when he’s ahead or even in the count. The tunnel between those two pitches is excellent, allowing him to attack the zone without giving hitters an easy pitch to sit on. He’ll occasionally sprinkle in a breaking ball to keep hitters off balance.
Eventually, hitters will start to adjust and they might be looking to do damage on a first pitch curve in the zone. Peralta and the Rays might already be preparing for his next adjustment – a cutter.
It appears Peralta introduced a cutter in his most recent start against the Braves:
I circled two pitches that Hawkeye tagged as four-seamers, but their movement profile looks much more like a cutter. Peralta is clearly still developing the shape, so it will likely vary as he continues to refine it. The two pitches sat in the upper 80s with less vertical movement than his four-seamer and similar glove-side movement to his breaking balls.
That combination could make the cutter a useful “bridge” pitch to his sweeper against righties. It’s relatively easy for hitters to distinguish Peralta’s four-seam fastball from his sweeper out of the hand, but a cutter occupying the space between them gives hitters another shape to account for. Both cutters appeared to be intended down and just off the plate glove-side. That’s where Peralta’s breaking-ball shapes are most effective, so the cutter could add another layer of deception to the way his arsenal interacts.
Cutter shapes also tend to play platoon-neutral, so this is something he can deploy against lefties but with a different purpose than being a bridge to a breaking ball. It’s not a perfect tunnel because of the difference in vertical movement, but the difference in velocity between his cutter and offspeed is essentially nonexistent. The cutter and offspeed pitch sit in the same velocity band, but have nearly two feet of difference in horizontal movement. That could create a difficult decision for hitters looking to protect with two strikes; if Peralta can maintain those shapes, the two pitches could be difficult to distinguish out of the hand.
It will take some time for Peralta to land on a consistent shape, but I’m looking forward to seeing him increase its usage into October. The curveball has already given Peralta a new way to steal strikes early in the count; the potential cutter could make those strikes harder to predict while giving his sweeper and changeup more room to work once he’s ahead. That makes it an especially natural fit for the Rays’ philosophy.
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 1: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets during Round One Game Six of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 1, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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 (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we take a look at Bronny James.
Whether or not he was worth the gamble or not, Bronny James’ original spot on the Lakers was inarguably a result of his father being on the team. That he is on the team heading into the 2025-26 season, though, is a result of no one but himself.
Multiple seasons of hard work behind the scenes led to Bronny producing in meaningful minutes late in the regular season and in the first round series against the Rockets. Even if nothing else happens in his NBA career, the sequence of him and LeBron cooking the Rockets together will endure.
Even if those playoff minutes also showed how far Bronny has to go, it also instilled enough belief in the Lakers to fend off any potential suitors this summer. As much as he has shown signs of progress, though, the time has come for him to be more than a project and to make good on the team’s investment in him.
What is his best-case scenario?
The years of work, and perhaps being a bit liberated from his father going to the other coast, set Bronny down the path of an impactful role player off the bench. The archetype of player he could become — an athletic point-of-attack defender who can be a connector offensively — fits nicely alongside either Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves.
However, all we’ve seen are flashes of that type of player, and rarely, if ever, all at once. The best-case scenario of this season sees him take those flashes and turn them into sustainable stretches of play. No longer does it happen once every few games, but happens across multiple games.
One of Bronny’s biggest challenges, though, will be breaking through the rotation. Between Austin, Luka, Collin Sexton and Quentin Grimes, the backcourt already has a lot of minutes accounted for. He’s going to have an uphill battle to get in the rotation, but defense is the easiest way to project how he sets himself apart.
What is his worst-case scenario?
While Bronny has clearly shown improvement through two seasons, the starting point was far away from an NBA player.
It also means that even if he has improved, he still has a way to go. Improving from flashes to consistent production is a tall ask.
Bronny is going to start the preseason on the fringe of the rotation. To break into it, he’s going to have to beat out established NBA players. It’s quite the leap, one that isn’t inconceivable to say he might not make.
Flashes or production won’t cut it for a team that is deeper this season than last. If injuries pop up, he won’t be one of the first names off the bench. And if he can’t produce for consistent stretches, he’s not going to stick in the rotation.
As much as the team or coaching staff might be fans of him, playing time will be hard to come by and hard to maintain this season.
What is his most likely role on the team?
A deeper Lakers team this season will breed competition, which typically breeds improvement. Bronny will be part of that competition, but he’s going to have to work his way into playing time. That means he’ll have to improve even more, and in the biggest way yet.
For now, he’s going to be on the outside looking in, but the opportunities will come. He’ll have to take advantage of them to prove he deserves to remain in the NBA.
