BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 12: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on September 12, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Now that the World Series is over, baseball can start handing out hardware. On Monday, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. was named a finalist for AL Most Valuable Player for the second time in his career.
Witt led the American League with 7.0 fWAR, and hit .281/.359/.441 with 18 home runs. He finished ninth in the league in hits (157), ninth in runs scored (94), sixth in doubles (33), second in steals (45), and ninth in Runs Created (95). He led all AL defenders with +24 Outs Above Average and was a finalist for a Gold Glove Award. Witt will be up against Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez and Rays third baseman Junior Caminero. Witt finished second to Aaron Judge in 2024. He finished fourth in MVP voting last year, and seventh in 2023.George Brett is the only Royals player to win AL MVP, taking home the award in 1980.
Carter Jensen was not named a finalist for AL Rookie of the Year, despite a strong season behind the plate. The Kansas City native hit .239/.323/.467 with 27 home runs and 65 walks, but was shutout in favor of Kevin McGonigle of the Tigers, Parker Messick of the Guardians, and Payton Tolle of the Red Sox.
The MVP Awards will be announced on November 12, at 6 p.m. CT on MLB Network.
Here is a complete list of finalists for MLB awards:
AL MVP: Yordan Alvarez, Astros; Junior Caminero, Rays; Bobby Witt Jr., Royals
The San Diego Padres enter the condensed free agent season before the expiration of the current CBA with multiple holes in their starting rotation. The five-day exclusive window for negotiating with pending free agents expired along with the deadline for setting each team’s 40-man roster on today.
Then the real fun begins with all free agents open to negotiate with any team they choose and deciding if they want to sign before the CBA expires or take their chances with the status of the game after the new contract is signed.
Bullpen losses
The news on Oct. 30 was the first blow to the Padres bullpen. Bullpen coach Ben Fritz, a member of the Padres coaching staff since 2015, was hired away by the Arizona Diamondbacks to be their pitching coach.
Fritz was the bullpen coach under Larry Rothschild until Rothschild’s firing in 2021. He assumed the primary job for the remainder of that season and then became the bullpen coach again when Ruben Niebla was hired prior to the 2022 season.
As the shepherd of one of the best bullpens in baseball over the past several seasons, the Padres gave Fritz a big raise last offseason to keep him on staff. He had reportedly been targeted by several other teams as their pitching coach.
LHP Adrián Morejón is a free agent. The Padres’ closer, Mason Miller, acknowledged Morejón’s value to the bullpen, saying he believed he was the most valuable reliever in MLB. In an article by Dennis Lin in The Athletic on Sept. 14, Miller stated, “He’s the most valuable reliever on our team and, I would argue, in baseball too.”
It remains to be seen if the Padres can offer the reliever a contract that will keep him in San Diego. His projected value, which ranges from 3 years and $42 million by Jim Bowden (The Athletic) to 5 years and $90 million by Joel Reuter (Bleacher Report), might not be in the budget for the Friars due to the lack of starting arms on the roster.
Morejón has stated on multiple occasions his desire to stay with the Padres but team-friendly free agent deals are mostly nonexistent in modern baseball. If the team can come up with a creative deal to keep Morejón, A.J. Preller will need to keep the top priority on the starting rotation.
Keeping Hart, Matsui, Peralta and Estrada
The Padres got very lucky when LHP Yuki Matsui opted to remain with the team. He had a player option to make himself a free agent but decided to accept his $6.5 million salary for 2027 and has another option in 2028.
After signing with the Padres before the 2024 season, Matsui posted a 3.86 ERA over the first two seasons with the team. Coming to MLB after dominating as a closer in Japan, Matsui was unable to replicate that success. He pitched well but wasn’t able to repeat his dominance. Making some adjustments to his pitch arsenal before the 2026 season, Matsui went back to featuring his slider and improved his effectiveness. In 64 innings of relief, Matsui lowered his ERA to 1.83 without a significant change in walk or strikeout rates.
By staying in the fold, Matsui saves the Padres the need to find a high-leverage replacement for the 31-year-old lefty.
LHP Kyle Hart had an up-and-down 2026. He had stretches of valuable effectiveness and a few blow-up appearances. He finished the season with a 4.92 ERA in 64 innings pitched. The Padres exercised his $2.5 million team option, keeping the 34-year-old in the bullpen for the 2027 season. This most likely represents the team’s need to keep the bullpen as intact as possible for the next season. His salary is reasonable for a pitcher who can pitch at any point in a game and for more than one inning.
LHP Wandy Peralta opted in for the third and final time in his four-year contract with the Padres. He signed a 4-year, $16.5 million deal before the 2024 season and has a sub-4 ERA with the Padres for his time in the bullpen. In 2026, he finished with a 3.61 ERA in 77.1 innings. Peralta was left off the postseason roster after losing effectiveness at the end of the season.
RHP Jeremiah Estrada is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason. He will need to be offered a contract by Nov. 20 for his first opportunity at arbitration. His 2026 season was injury-marred, and that will probably affect the offer he gets for his first contract year.
Only throwing 31 innings for the year, Estrada finished with a 3.48 ERA. He had both shoulder and leg injuries that limited his availability and effectiveness.
Arbitration-eligible
Closer Mason Miller is in his second year of arbitration eligibility and stands to earn a big raise from his $4 million 2026 salary. After posting 38 saves and a 1.67 ERA in 70 innings pitched, Miller is projected to earn $8.1 million, according to MLB TradeRumors.
RHP Bryan Hoeing, who again spent most of the season on the injured list with flexor tendon surgery, is projected to be offered $0.8 million in arbitration. He should be healthy to start 2027.
RHP Jhony Brito is arbitration-eligible and is projected to be offered $0.8 million for 2027. He spent part of 2026 on the injured list from his Tommy John surgery and then completed his rehab in time to log innings in El Paso and pitch nine innings for the Padres. He should be a contender for the either the bullpen or possibly as a starter in 2027.
The rest of the bullpen
RHP David Morgan, RHP Bradgley Rodriguez, RHP Hunter Stratton, and RHP Garret Hawkins are under contract and on the 40-man roster for the 2027 season. All should be in the running for bullpen spots when the 2027 spring camp begins.
Other options
The status of Joe Musgrove is undetermined but it would be a big surprise if he isn’t in the mix for the starting rotation in 2027. Pitching three innings from the bullpen in the 2026 postseason showed that Musgrove can still pitch. The questions are about his ability to bounce back from his outings. His health will most likely be determined during the spring of 2027.
These 11 players will be joined by the pitchers signed by the organization during free agency or acquired by trade. There are also several minor league pitchers who could be added to the roster before being left available for the Rule 5 draft.
As it stands, the bullpen only lacks Morejón from the dominant bullpen seen in 2026. It should remain a strength for the 2027 Padres.
BRONX, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the New York Yankees game against the Boston Red Sox in game 1 of the American League Wild Card Playoff Series at Yankee Stadium on September 29, 2026 in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Cam Schlittler was officially announced as a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award on Monday night as MLB Network revealed the finalists for all BBWAA end-of-year awards. Schlittler was the lone Yankee to finish in the top three for any of the honors.
The 25-year-old ace, who led the AL with a 1.95 ERA and 6.2 FanGraphs WAR, was named by the BBWAA alongside Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays and Parker Messick of the Guardians. The winner, along with the recipients of each league’s MVP, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and the newly-created Reliever of the Year awards, will be announced next week on MLB Network. The Cy Young voting results in particular will be revealed on Wednesday, November 11th.
The NL Cy Young nominees are World Series champion Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers, Atlanta’s Chris Sale, and Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sánchez.
Seeing as 2026 was not a banner year for the Yankees’ position players, no Bombers were nominated for MVP. Presumptive winner and Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, Rays star Junior Caminero, and the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. are up for the award on the AL side. There was some hope that Schlittler or slugger Ben Rice might have an outside shot at third, but no dice; they’ll instead eye a top-10 finish.
Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs is likely to receive his first career MVP—Shohei Ohtani is nominated in the NL for the third straight year, while Brice Turang of the World Champion Brewers is also on the podium. The only year since 2021 that Ohtani hasn’t won an MVP is 2022, when Aaron Judge beat him out with 62 homers; this will almost surely be the second.
As for Rookie of the Year, New York was represented—albeit across town in Queens. Mets outfielder Carson Benge was nominated in the NL, along with JJ Wetherholt of the Cardinals and Sal Stewart of the Reds. The AL nominees are Messick, Tigers infielder Kevin McGonigle, and Red Sox starter Payton Tolle.
Unsprisingly, Aaron Boone was not given the nod as a Manager of the Year finalist, but two of his division rivals were. Kevin Cash, who led the Rays to the World Series, was nominated alongside interim-turned-full-time Red Sox skipper Chad Tracy and upstart White Sox manager Will Venable. Yankee icon Don Mattingly was nominated on the NL side for his interim work in Philadelphia. He is up for consideration alongside Braves first-year manager Walt Weiss and the Brewers’ Pat Murphy (who is eyeing a MoY three-peat).
The Reliever of the Year finalists are unsurprisingly all closers: Bryan Baker, Cade Smith, and Louis Varland in the AL; and Jhoan Duran, Trevor Megill, and Mason Miller in the NL. Note that this a brand-new honor that the BBWAA decided to start giving out, and it is fully separate from the Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman Reliever of the Year awards, which are given by MLB itself alongside the Hank Aaron Awards, the Edgar Martinez Awards, the Comeback Players of the Year, and the All-MLB Teams.
The Colorado Avalanche have completely flipped the script at the United Center.
After falling behind 2-0 early, Colorado rallied with goals from Nazem Kadri and Jaden Schwartz to even the score before Kadri struck again in the second period. Schwartz added his second of the night with just 10.6 seconds remaining, sending the Avalanche into the third period with a 4-2 lead over the Blackhawks on the road in Chicago.
First Period
It was an unfortunate start for Colorado, as Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser was credited with a goal after his point shot deflected off Cale Makar and past Mackenzie Blackwood, who couldn't track the puck in time.
The Avalanche had a chance to respond after Ethan Del Mastro was called for interference, but they failed to capitalize on the power play. Their road struggles continued at the 7:05 mark when a costly turnover by Nazem Kadri led to a 2-on-1 rush. Connor Bedard fed Roman Kantserov for a one-timer over Blackwood's glove to make it 2-0.
Past the halfway point of the period, Brock Nelson was called for high-sticking after accidentally catching Ryan Donato with the blade of his stick while attempting to change lines.
Colorado appeared to get on the board with 6:38 remaining when Nathan MacKinnon set up Devon Toews for a one-timer that Martin Necas redirected past Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight. Chicago challenged for goaltender interference, however, and officials in Toronto overturned the goal, ruling that Gabe Landeskog interfered with Knight.
The Avalanche eventually got one that counted. Kadri pounced on a rebound that Knight couldn't cover, diving forward to poke the loose puck across the goal line and cut Chicago's lead to 2-1.
Just 26 seconds later, Colorado had its equalizer. Jaden Schwartz finished off a beautiful pass from T.J. Hughes with a one-timer past Knight to pull the Avalanche even at 2-2.
Things got chippy shortly after when Artyom Shumenov caught Cale Makar in the face with an elbow. Martin Necas stepped in to defend his teammate, dropping the gloves with Shumenov. Both received roughing penalties, while Shumenov was also assessed a four-minute penalty for the hit. Colorado couldn't capitalize on the ensuing power play.
The Avalanche outshot Chicago 14-4 in the opening 20 minutes, carrying plenty of momentum into the second after erasing the early two-goal deficit.
Second Period
Colorado found itself shorthanded early after Kadri cross-checked Ryan Greene from behind while the two battled for a loose puck. With just three seconds remaining on the penalty kill, Oliver Moore was called for tripping T.J. Hughes, giving the Avalanche a brief power-play opportunity. Colorado couldn't convert, marking its third unsuccessful man advantage of the night.
Blackwood continued to come up big at the other end, making a spectacular split save to rob Blackhawks captain Connor Bedard. The stop sent Bedard tumbling over Blackwood's left pad and into the net.
After coming up empty on their fourth power play, the Avalanche finally made their fifth count. Kadri redirected a blast from Makar past Knight for his second goal of the night and fourth of the season, putting Colorado in front 3-2.
The Avalanche also managed to kill off a late cross-checking penalty to Noah Juulsen. Knight kept Chicago within striking distance moments later, denying Nathan MacKinnon on a beautiful backhand.
But Colorado had one more punch to deliver before the intermission. With just 10.6 seconds remaining, Sam Malinski fired a wrist shot from the point, and Schwartz got just enough of his stick on it to redirect the puck across the goal line. His second goal of the night gave the Avalanche some much-needed breathing room and a 4-2 lead heading into the third period.
Third Period
Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane left the game in the second period and was absent from the bench to start the third. He was later ruled out for the remainder of the night with what appeared to be a lower-body injury.
The Avalanche caught a fortunate break on what could only be described as a double doink. Frank Nazar rang the puck off both posts, sparing Mackenzie Blackwood from potentially giving up a goal.
Brock Nelson was sent to the penalty box at 8:02 for tripping Nazar, but Colorado once again came through on the penalty kill. The Avalanche successfully killed off the infraction, improving to a perfect 4-for-4 on the night in a much-needed response from a unit that had struggled in recent games.
Dodgers majority owner Mark Walter speaks during the team's World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium on Nov. 3, 2025. (Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
But keeping the Dodgers, right? “No matter what,” Walter told the California Post last week.
Wait a second, though. In August, Walter’s TWG Global holding company issued a statement that was definitive in two specific aspects: the Dodgers were “not being sold” and his company was “not considering exiting its stake in the Cadillac Formula 1 team.”
So I reached out to Walter’s company and to his personal spokesman, asking how to reconcile the definitive statement denying interest in a Formula One sale with the news of a possible sale and, in light of that development, whether the denials of interest in a Dodgers sale should remain credible.
No one at the company emailed me back, and the spokesman declined to comment. Someone in contact with Walter, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment, advised me to wait and see if a Formula One deal actually materializes and, if so, for what value.
Amid federal investigations into whether the insurance companies Walter controls might have violated laws designed to protect investors, and as he is a defendant in multiple civil lawsuits filed by investors that allege fraud and breach of contract, Walter is selling off assets from his sports empire.
He could generate a significant share of the more than $20 billion he might need to recapitalize the insurance companies and satisfy state regulators. It is uncertain how that might influence the federal investigations and civil lawsuits.
The Lakers sold for $12.5 billion — the valuation for the entire team, not for Walter’s controlling share.
Walter is seeking $3 billion for his interest in the Formula One team, according to Sportico, and $700 million for the Sparks, according to Bloomberg. The sale of the Chelsea stake, owned jointly by Walter and Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly, generated about $1.27 billion, according to the Financial Times.
The sale of the Dodgers could generate $10 billion to $13 billion, The Times has reported.
None of this is to say Walter is not genuine in his proclamation that he is not selling the Dodgers. He said the Dodgers would win, and they have: three championships within six years, after three in the previous 56. The shine has been restored to an L.A. crown jewel.
“As always when we have an investigation — external, law enforcement, whatever — we monitor that,” Manfred said at the World Series. “That’s where we are right now. We’re just watching what’s going on right now.”
And that is indeed where we are right now: We don’t know what’s going to happen with the feds, and in the courts. For today, and for the immediate future, the Dodgers are not for sale. But plans can change, as Walter’s Formula One team just learned.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 28: Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots over Svi Mykhailiuk #10 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at Delta Center on October 28, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
It was just five days ago that the Spurs met up with the Jazz, defeating them 117-111 with a 36 point outburst from Victor Wembanyama and a good supporting effort from Devin Vassell and all of the guards. The short handed Jazz depended heavily on their youthful players with Keyonte George torching the Silver and Black defense for 31 points and Darryn Peterson and Ace Bailey doing their parts. Multi-team retreads Mo Bamba and Jaxson Hayes actually looked like legit bigs in that game, and the Spurs had their hands full pulling out a win on the road in Salt Lake City.
Lauri Markkannen should be back in the lineup tonight, which should improve their big man rotation a lot, and this could be a tough game than it looks for San Antonio against the 1-6 Jazz. The Spurs offense looked much better at times against the Timberwolves on Saturday than it did against the Jazz, but also had some extended lapses where they took several minutes of game time off from scoring. Victor Wembanyama’s masterclass performance with 43 points and 6 blocks took over the game, but it would nice to have a game where the Silver and Black don’t need that kind of performance to win, and maybe let some of the younger players like Reed get in some work and game experience. Tonight could be the night if the Spurs can play with consistent effort and put the Jazz away early.
Let’s GOO Spurs!! Victor must dominate Lauri. If you’re eligible to vote in the US elections and you haven’t voted yet, get out and vote tomorrow.
Game Prediction:
Responding to the criticism of the three guard lineup, Mitch Johnson puts in a triple tower lineup of Wemby, Reed, and Kornet to start the game. They hold the Jazz to 6 points in the first quarter, but only score 16, all of them by Victor.
San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz November 2, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT Streaming: DAZN, League Pass TV: DAZN Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres pitches in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on October 06, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
Petco Park’s King of the Hill
When Michael King was traded to the Padres in 2024, he was the main piece in their return for superstar slugger Juan Soto. Up to that point, King had mostly been used out of the bullpen by the New York Yankees. He had produced phenomenal results in 2022 (2.29 ERA) and ‘23 (2.75 ERA). After coming over from New York, King anchored San Diego’s rotation with a 2.95 ERA across a career-high 173 2/3 innings pitched. An injury-plagued 2025 campaign caused King to re-sign with the Padres heading into 2026.
Overall Grade: A+
He immediately proved his value, anchoring the rotation after Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove spent most of the season on the injured list. King posted a 3.21 ERA across a career-high 185 innings of work. He was even better as the season went on, with a 2.84 ERA in his final 15 starts and a 2.53 ERA across his last seven.
San Diego’s ace found his biggest problem in something that wasn’t even his fault. King had the fourth-least run support among all starting pitchers (3.68 runs per game). Of the three pitchers with less run support than King, only one of them had more wins (Cam Schlitter, 14-6). In 14 of King’s 32 starts he surrendered one run or less. The right-hander was also ranked 11th in quality starts with 18.
King declined his $28 million player option earlier this week, making him a free agent. He’ll be one of the most sought-after pitching free agents on the market. King is predicted to land a five-year, $118 million deal this offseason. San Diego expects to be a major player to re-sign their ace. New ownership has stated that they’re all in. What that means will be tested by whether King remains with the Padres in 2027.
Cam Schlittler was must-see TV during the 2026 MLB season, posting an American League-leading 1.95 ERA with 239 strikeouts.
Now, the Yankees ace is one step closer to cementing his impressive in baseball history.
Schlittler was named a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award on Monday night, as the right-hander went 14-6 with a 0.919 WHIP over 33 starts.
The 24-year-old also posted a 7.0 WAR, second among all pitchers in the majors (only behind the Philadelphia Phillies' Cristopher Sanchez and his 8.1 WAR). Including position players, Schlittler was fifth overall in WAR.
His competition for the award are the Cleveland Guardians' Parker Messick and the Toronto Blue Jays' Dylan Cease.
Messick went 12-9 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.063 WHIP, and 193 strikeouts, registering a 6.3 WAR over 32 starts. Cease was strong in his first year in Toronto (5.5 WAR), going 11-6 with a 2.40 ERA, 1.101 WHIP, and 239 strikeouts across 29 starts.
The BBWAA will announce their winner for the 2026 AL Cy Young award on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gestures prior to game three of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on October 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani won’t win the National League MVP award this year, but will finish among the top three in MVP voting for a sixth year in a row. Ohtani was the only Dodger on Monday to be announced among the top three in voting for the five Baseball Writers Association of America awards.
Ohtani won National League MVP in each of his firsttwo years with the Dodgers, and before that won American League MVP in 2021 and 2023 with the Angels. He finished second in 2022 AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge, who set an AL record that year with 62 home runs.
This year Ohtani will finish no lower than third place in NL MVP voting. Chicago Cubs center fielder extraordinaire Pete Crow-Armstrong is going to run away with the award, which will be announced on Thursday, November 12. Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang will also finish in the top three for the award.
Ohtani famously did not hit a home run after August 18 during the regular season, and not until Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, just as the Dodgers’ goose was nearly fully cooked, a career-worst drought of 155 plate appearances without a long ball. But though left knee inflammation and right biceps strain hampered him down the stretch, Ohtani still put together a fine campaign.
In total, Ohtani’s combined 6.6 fWAR was tied with Milwaukee Brewers ace pitcher Jacob Misiorowski for second-highest in the NL, behind only Crow-Amstrong (10.6). Ohtani’s 6.5 bWAR was tied for fifth in the NL, behind Crow-Armstrong (9.8), Philadelphia Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez (8.1), Turang (7.3), and Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno (6.7).
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: Walt Weiss #22 and Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate after the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Truist Park on August 27, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fresh off of the heels of two Atlanta Braves players receiving Gold Glove Awards (Matt Olson at First Base and Mauricio Dubón as a utility man), it looks like there’s a chance that they’ll have some company when it comes to bringing home individual hardware from the 2026 season.
2024 National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale is once again up for the award, as he’s been named as a Finalist for the 2026 Award as well. Manager Walt Weiss will also be waiting for a call from the BBWAA in a couple of weeks, as he’s been named as a Finalist for the 2026 NL Manager of the Year Award.
Sale continued to defy Father Time in 2026, as he delivered yet another great season on the mound for the Braves. He made 27 starts and threw 162.2 innings and finished the season with a 2.16 ERA (51 ERA-) and a 2.29 FIP (55 FIP-), good for 5.8 fWAR on the season as he served as the clear rock of Atlanta’s rotation. It’s really amazing to consider that two of Sale’s Top-5 seasons (according to fWAR) have come here in his mid-to-late 30s during this stint with the Braves. I’d be shocked if Sale won it this year (as the award appears to be Jacob Misiorowski’s to lose after he had an incredible regular season) but it’s still amazing that he’s even made it this far as a finalist following his age-37 season.
Your 2026 @officialBBWAA NL Manager of the Year Award finalists:
Meanwhile, Walt Weiss should also be applauded for the work he did in helping bring this team back to the Postseason in his first year as a manager since 2016. 2026 was by far Weiss’s best season as a manager, as Atlanta went from 76 wins in 2025 to 94 wins and an NL East title in his first season sitting in the manager’s chair for the Braves. Whatever consternation there may have been about the Braves going with an internal option to replace Brian Snitker following the 2025 season is surely gone now, as Weiss proved himself fully capable of being able to manage this team at a high level.
The Manager of the Year Award winners will be announced on the night of November 10, while the Cy Young Award winners will be revealed on November 11, so you can go ahead and circle those dates to check back in and see if Sale and Weiss can end up taking home some individual glory heading into the Winter.
Here’s the full slate of BBWAA Award nominees for 2026:
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 10: Nasim Nuñez #26 of the Washington Nationals slides past the tag of William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers after a sacrifice bunt by Drew Millas in the ninth inning at American Family Field on April 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
2026 was the most successful season in Brewers history, culminating in the franchise’s first World Series championship. Still, even the best teams have off days.
Just like last year, I’ll be ranking the five best and five worst Brewers games of the season, and since there was a lot more good than bad in 2026, I’m starting with the worst and saving the best for last.
The Brewers fell behind early in this one, but took the lead in the seventh on a two-run double by Blake Perkins and an RBI single from David Hamilton. However, Angel Zerpa gave up a game-tying solo homer to Jahmai Jones in the eighth. Abner Uribe came on in the ninth and struck out the first batter he faced, but then fell behind Spencer Torkelson 3-1. Torkelson sent the next pitch over the fence for a walk-off home run.
On top of the pain of a walk-off, this loss makes the list because it came in the middle of a stretch of five losses in six games. There’s plenty of time to bounce back from April losses, but it’s never great to start the season with a losing streak.
For most of this game, it looked like the Brewers were going to escape with a win against Braves ace Chris Sale. Sale didn’t allow an earned run, but the Brewers scratched out two unearned runs against him on five hits. In the ninth, Aaron Ashby came in for what would have been his first save of the season and instead took his first loss. He got one out, then gave up a single to Matt Olson and a walk-off homer to Ozzie Albies.
This game was uniquely frustrating because Albies didn’t exactly square up Ashby. His homer traveled just 339 feet and had an expected batting average of .090, per Statcast. This was a game the Brewers should have won; instead, it became their third straight loss.
The two worst losses listed in last year’s article were both playoff games, which made sense given that the Brewers were swept in the NLCS. This year, their playoff run featured just two losses altogether: Game 3 against the Padres, and this one.
Milwaukee entered this game up 3-0 in the World Series with a chance to keep their foot on the gas and sweep the Rays for the first championship in franchise history. The Rays took an early lead, but the Brewers tied the game on a home run by light-hitting third baseman David Hamilton. Pat Murphy used closer Trevor Megill to get one out in the eighth, then brought in Aaron Ashby for what would be his last outing of the season, and Ashby delivered 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Unfortunately, by the eleventh inning, the bullpen was running on fumes. Antonio Senzatela came in for Ashby after the first out of the eleventh, and while he managed to send the game to the twelfth, the only pitchers left in the bullpen were Kyle Harrison, Brandon Woodruff, and Shane Drohan. Milwaukee finally took the lead in the top of the twelfth courtesy of a homer from Cooper Pratt, but a throwing error from Joey Ortiz put Junior Caminero on first to start the bottom half. Drohan then came in and gave up four straight hits to lose the game.
It was the only World Series game the Brewers lost on their way to a five-game series win, which certainly softens the blow. Still, it makes the list because of how painful it was in the moment and how great a win would have been. If the Brewers had swept the Rays on a twelfth-inning homer from their rookie shortstop, and Drohan, who’d made just one other playoff appearance, had closed it out, it would have made for an incredible story. Instead, Milwaukee needed one more game.
This one makes the list simply because it was, statistically, the worst loss of the season, a 13-run defeat. Starter Thomas Pannone allowed a three-run homer to Daniel Susac, but the Brewers clawed back to make it 3-2 heading into the sixth. Then things went off the rails. Chad Patrick and Ashby combined to give up seven runs in the sixth, and by the eighth, infielder Andrew Vaughn was on the mound. Just one of those days.
This game takes the top spot because, even more than the others, it was a game the Brewers should have won (or at least shouldn’t have lost this badly).
Going into the top of the ninth, the score was 3-3. Brewers manager Pat Murphy brought in his closer, Trevor Megill, to send the Brewers to the bottom of the frame with a chance to win. Here’s a chronological recap of the beginning of the ninth inning:
Megill hit leadoff man CJ Abrams.
Joey Wiemer reached on the first bunt hit of his career, partially because Luis Rengifo was playing way too far back.
Luis García Jr. singled into center field, scoring Abrams and sending Wiemer to third.
Jorbit Vivas laid down a safety squeeze but bunted it right back to the mound. Megill tried to get Wiemer at home but instead shoveled the ball past catcher William Contreras, and Wiemer scored on the throwing error.
Drew Millas laid down yet another bunt, right at Megill, but Megill, perhaps still rattled from the previous play, took way too long to throw it home. Pinch-runner Nasim Nuñez scored to make it 6-3, Nationals.
Murphy pulled Megill for Easton McGee, who gave up a 115.3-mph RBI double to James Wood.
For a team that preaches (and practices) sound fundamentals, this game was hard to watch. It was a very un-Brewers-like way to lose, which makes it, in my opinion, the worst loss of the season.
So, what do you think? Did I miss any losses that should have made the list? Let me know in the comments.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 23: Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners gets set during the third inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on September 23, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the new GTA game drops in two weeks, don’t expect to find Mariners second baseman Cole Young in Vice City.
“I know it can be very addicting,” he laughed on a media call earlier today. “I don’t want to get addicted to that game.”
The disciplined Young has plans for his off-season that don’t involve boosting virtual cars (or, one presumes, collecting fairy bottles). Instead, he plans to build on the season that ended with a significant piece of hardware, as Young took home his first career Gold Glove yesterday.
A steady performer in the minor leagues who made an equally steady climb up to MLB, Young has gotten to where he is largely thanks to his ability to be the same person every day: never getting too high or too low, his gift is his consistency. But even Young couldn’t deny how much he wanted to win the Golden Glove when his name started emerging as a candidate mid-season, a vision that sharpened until becoming reality on Sunday night.
“Just talking with [Mariners infield coach] Perry Hill, we were talking about if I had a chance or not,” said Young the day after his big win. “Honestly, I had no idea. I knew it was a close close run, and I’m super grateful to be in that position.”
Young put himself into that position thanks to the same thing that’s propelled him steadily through his professional career: his top-tier discipline. In identifying areas he could improve in from his rookie year to his sophomore campaign, Young put refining his defense front and center, honing in on it as one of the things over which he could exert the most control in a sport that often feels out of a player’s hands.
“The thing I’ve noticed with defense is that you can control a lot of the stuff,” said Young. “You can control your pre-pitch routine. You can control where you think the ball is going to get hit. There’s just so many controllables on defense.”
Young was maybe a dark horse in the second base race compared to the other candidates, the Royals’ Michael Massey and Chase Meidroth, who went to the playoffs with the White Sox. Both had better numbers by MLB’s in-house stat, Outs Above Average (OAA), a range-based stat, but Massey had significantly fewer games at second base than the other two. However, Young outperformed Meidroth in Sports Info Solutions’ Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), racking up 17 – best among AL second basemen and eighth-best overall – to Meidroth’s 0.
For Young, the award is a partial reward for an off-season spent attacking and correcting the flaws that limited his playing time in his rookie season. Young realized that in baseball, everything begins with the body, and applied himself to both overhauling his conditioning and improving his feet and his hands, using as a basis Perry Hill’s “six Fs” of fielding (feet, field, funnel, footwork, fire, follow).
“The number one thing for me this past off-season was getting my body in good shape, just so I could move better, get my body in better position so I could make difficult plays. That was number one for me,” said Young, who said this year he felt like he could have gone on playing well past the end of the season thanks to a better focus on conditioning and taking care of his body to withstand the rigors of a 162-game season.
“The second one was improving my hands. So I did a lot of stuff I learned from ‘Bone’ (Hill), the six F’s, and worked really hard the past season so when I show up to spring training, I’m able to play every single day. Hold my own on defense and not be a liability.”
Young said he noticed the difference immediately upon arriving at spring training, and that confidence carried forward as he stacked strong innings in spring on both sides of the ball that carried over into the regular season.
“Once I got to spring training, that’s when I noticed – once I got out on the field I just felt like I was able to move better. I felt really good in spring and that gave me some confidence going into the season that I could play every day in the big leagues and be good defensively. But I think it started in spring training, getting a lot of reps and making myself feel comfortable, that’s when I noticed I made a leap forward and it gave me a bunch of confidence.”
That confidence was hard-fought and built over the off-season where Young focused intently on improving his turns at second base, trying to master the switch to the other side of the bag and the different body positioning needed. But even as a (now Gold Glove-winning) second baseman, Young says he still carries a shortstop mentality, trying to think about being rangy and having a strong arm, something he said he wants to focus especially hard on training this off-season just in case he’s needed at shortstop, as he was called upon to do a few times this season.
“I’m so used to the second base throws, so just making sure throughout the season that I’m maintaining my arm strength, and that starts in the off-season…just building the arm strength and being versatile.”
“It’s weird, because coming up in the minor leagues I was a shortstop, and you work on having a ton of range [at that position], so I feel like I’m always training like I am a shortstop, so when I do go to second base I can still have that range and have a strong arm. So deep down, I try to look at myself as a shortstop, just to like, not limit my range or anything like that.”
Positional versatility is something Perry Hill preached constantly, both in general and to Young as an individual. With the coaching staff overturn, the Mariners opted not to bring Hill back with one year left on his contract, so Young will have to make another adjustment this upcoming season after spending years building his relationship with “Bone” – although he’s quick to say this isn’t the end of their friendship.
“I feel like me and Bone in the past couple years have developed such a good relationship, and I know it’s not going to be the end of the relationship,” said Young. “I’ve talked to him a couple times this off-season, and I know we’re definitely going to stay in touch. But it’s just, I learned so much from him, and he’s changed me defensively in such a positive way, and I definitely would not have won this award if it weren’t for him. So we’re definitely going to stay in touch forever. He’s meant so much to me.”
Perhaps sensing that a coaching change was coming, Young allowed himself to want to win the Gold Glove – something over which he had no control, except with the defensive effort he put out on the field every day.
“It’s hard,” he admitted. “You have to come up every single day and have that mentality, and it takes a lot of discipline. So for me, I feel like I worked really hard on defense to make those improvements, and I feel like I was disciplined every single game, and I was on top of that, so it means a lot to win this award. I’m happy all the work I put in this past off-season paid off, and the discipline this whole year – I’m glad it paid off.”
Appropriately, the low-key sophomore second baseman had a low-key celebration at home with his dad in Pittsburgh, where he spends the off-season in the snow and the cold rather than retreating to Florida or Arizona like many of his other baseball peers. Rather than attending a fancy training academy, Young works out with two pitchers: Pittsburgh-born Mason Miller and Mariners farmhand Scott Effross.
His other training partner: dad Rick, who he says is always willing to hit ground balls or feed the fielding machine for him. That’s apparently where the Gold Glove trophy will reside, as well, with Young’s dad:
“He’s already got a spot picked out in his room,” said Young.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 29: Isaac Paredes #15 of the Houston Astros runs to first base in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox in game one of the American League Wild Card Series at Daikin Park on September 29, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, the Houston Astros announced they has exercised their club option on 3B Isaac Paredes.
Paredes, 27, posted his second straight strong season with the Astros and his second career 4+ WAR season. Despite a slow start to the season, Paredes hit a career best .262 and posted a career best .360 OBP. His 27 doubles were also a career high mark, while his 25 HR and 94 RBI were the second highest totals of his career in those categories.
Paredes contract for 2027 is worth $13.35M. He is a free agent after the 2027 season.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 30: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the New York Knicks during a 2026 Emirates NBA Cup game on October 30, 2026 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After initially being listed as questionable for the Sixers tilt with Chicago Monday, the Sixers have upgraded Joel Embiid to available with plantar fasciitis management.
Philadelphia will have just about everyone available against the lowly Bulls. Dominick Barlow (back) and, of course, Ariel Hukporti are the only Sixers to appear on the injury report. Those aforementioned Bulls come into the night 29th in point differential.
They’re 24th in points scored per 100 possessions and 29th in points allowed per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. They also remain without their starting center Nic Claxton, yet to make his Bulls debut after suffering a hamstring injury in training camp. Claxton was initially listed as doubtful, making it possible, but he was eventually ruled out. The 6-1 Sixers should be able to easily dispatch of this team.
It’s not a good thing that Embiid is dealing with plantar fasciitis, but it’s a good thing that “management” is still in the designation.
“Well, plantars is a little bit of a come-and-go-type of thing,” Nick Nurse said pregame. “So they’re just trying to manage it. It’s very painful if you’ve ever had it. And it can kind of come and go out of nowhere. So we’re just trying to manage the pain with that and be as smart as you can.”
Nurse also provided a brief update on Barlow, who’s been getting in some individual work on the court.
“He’s seeing a specialist tomorrow,” Nurse said. “He’s been on court a little bit, not a ton yet, not a ton of moving around. I think they want to get to tomorrow’s appointment. Hopefully, it’ll be positive where he can get into his workouts a little bit.”
It's been a difficult start to the season for Colorado Avalanche forward Logan O'Connor, both on and off the ice. After spending the opening weeks recovering from a lower-body injury, the 30-year-old is now working his way back into the lineup while dealing with the loss of his father.
O'Connor's father, Myles, a former NHL forward, died unexpectedly on October 6 in Calgary. At the time, O'Connor was nearing his return from injury, but understandably stepped away from the team following his father's passing.
He eventually made his season debut on October 23, logging 14:41 of ice time in Colorado's 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. He appeared in two more games before missing Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames to attend his father's memorial service.
Gavin Brindley was recalled from the Colorado Eagles to fill the vacancy and played 12 minutes against Calgary. His stay with the Avalanche didn't last long, though.
With O'Connor rejoining the team for its upcoming road trip, Brindley has been reassigned to the Eagles. Colorado will face the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday before traveling to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
O'Connor is still looking for his first point of the season, although his value to Colorado goes well beyond the scoresheet. He's a hard-working, physical forward who brings speed, experience and a reliable presence to the Avalanche's bottom six.
And given everything he's been through over the past month, simply having him back with the team is welcome news.
As we reported earlier Monday, the Avalanche also recalled defenseman Keaton Middleton from the Eagles.
With Josh Manson expected to miss approximately eight weeks because of an ankle injury, Noah Juulsen is set to take his place in the lineup. But head coach Jared Bednar wanted an extra defenseman available for the two-game road trip, and Middleton got the call.
The big, physical blueliner gives Colorado a seventh defenseman to work with if needed, although he's unlikely to see any game action over the next two days. For now, his presence is more about having another option available than making an immediate change to the defensive pairings.
The Avalanche have some work to do away from home. Their road performances have been a source of frustration early in the season, and this back-to-back presents an opportunity to start turning things around.
Colorado (8-5-1) enters Monday's matchup third in the Central Division, while Chicago (4-9-1) sits at the bottom of the standings. Puck drop at the United Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. Mountain Time.
