Is it ok to talk about the playoffs?

I think it’s ok to talk about the playoffs. Choose from any of the major people that make projections and you’ll find that most, if not all, have the Phillies at something close to 99% positive that they will make the playoffs. That’s pretty rare with this many games to go for a nondivision leading team, but here we are.

So, we can start to look forward a little bit.

These are the four main contenders for the Phillies to see when they open a playoff series. Sure, the Brewers and one of the Dodgers and Braves will be waiting in the NLDS should the Phillies make it that far, but one can dream.

Which team would you rather the Phillies see to open a wild card round?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Phillies fans and fans across the country.

The Yankees limp home from a disappointing finish to their West Coast trip, losing a series to the Padres as the offense went quiet for long spells across the three games. Luckily, they will have a certain Aaron Judge available to play when they return home to the Bronx, the captain returning for the first time in over three months from a broken rib. Before we look ahead to his return, let’s award one last At-Bat of the Week of the 2026 season’s Judge-less era to Austin Wells for his heroics to win the series against the Angels.

We join Wells with two outs in the top of the tenth, the score knotted at one apiece. He didn’t even start the game, but entered in the eighth as a pinch-hitter and successfully adjusted his sights with a single. He now bats in the highest leverage spot of the game. The bases are loaded thanks to a José Caballero single and Jazz Chisholm Jr. walk, but a Luis García Jr. infield fly puts them one out away from squandering this golden opportunity.

The hard-throwing reliever Luke Murphy starts this encounter off with a perfect back door cutter for a called strike.

This is just an unfair pitch to start the AB, beginning as a ball outside before cutting back toward the plate and painting the outside edge of the zone. Wells is likely geared up for the upper-90s four-seamer that runs away from a left-handed batter, so it’s easy to give up on a pitch that looks like a ball away out of the pitcher’s hand.

Next, Murphy tries to locate a four-seamer up and under Wells’ hands.

Luckily for Wells, Murphy overthrows this pitch as he reaches back for 98 mph and yanks it below the zone for an automatic take, ball one.

Having displayed far better command to the top of the zone with the cutter, Murphy now targets the same location he failed to hit with the previous four-seamer.

Once again, Murphy is inch-perfect to his target, nailing the corner up and in with this 91 mph cutter. There’s not a left-handed batter in the league who is doing damage with this pitch — Wells is just lucky that the foul pop up leaves the field of play to give him another shot.

I’m a little surprised that after two immaculately executed cutters and one poorly executed four-seamers, Murphy once again switches to the four-seamer.

This time he is able to execute to his spot on the corner up and away. Wells gets off a good swing, slashing it foul the other way to stay alive.

Now that he’s got the feel for his four-seamer, Murphy tries to climb the ladder a rung higher than the one he just threw.

He achieves just that, but at 95 mph Wells has a fraction more time to again fight it off foul. While these are two more than decent pitches, the one thing you could say is that by pitching Wells up and away instead of up and in, it gives Wells the chance to extend his arms and hit it foul — a chance he gladly accepts to extend the AB.

Murphy goes for the trifecta with his third straight four-seamer to that same spot up and away.

This heater is a little lower and catches a little more plate than the previous two, and that’s all Wells needs to pull it through the hole between the first and second baseman for the go-ahead two-run single.

Here’s the full AB:

Wells was one of the worst qualified hitters in baseball through the first few months of the season, but amid the rumors of the Yankees shopping for a catcher as the Trade Deadline approached he turned his season around. The deadline came and went without backstop reinforcements. and the faith they placed in Wells appears well-founded as he’s got a .781 OPS and 119 wRC+ over the last two months.

This AB encapsulates a lot of the subtle changes that have catalyzed this rediscovery of form at the plate. Wells doesn’t look overmatched by the velocity or height of any of these pitches when for much of the first half of the season it looked like he’d never catch up to a fastball above 95 mph nor one located belt-high and up. It might be cliché and oversimplified but Wells just looks more “hitter-ish” at the plate — there’s no flinch in his takes whereas he looked like he wanted to chase everything in May and June. There’s conviction in his swing decisions but also flexibility in his approach — I love the way he stays behind those two foul balls immediately preceding the single, going with an opposite-field approach as the location of the pitch dictates rather that blindly trying to pull everything. Finally and most importantly, Wells recognized his barrel was underneath those two foul balls, so he made the mid-AB adjustment that allowed him to raise his swing path to the elevated heater. It’s these kind of mechanical adjustments both month-to-month and pitch-to-pitch that make me confident that this productive version of Wells is here to stay.

The Dodgers flipped their rotation order slightly for the last two games of the homestand, with Tarik Skubal pitching Tuesday on four days rest, followed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Wednesday before the Thursday off day.

“I know Mark [Prior, pitching coach] talked it out with both guys, but I don’t know exactly what the details are,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters Monday at Dodger Stadium.

The obvious reason seems like it’s simply acknowledging that this the order the Dodgers would prefer to use in October, with Skubal in Game 1 and Yamamoto in Game 2. In a best-of-7 series, the Game 1 starter is lined up for Game 5 on four days rest. The Dodgers have yet to start their Japanese ace on fewer than five days rest at any point in his three seasons with the team, though his World Series heroics in relief on zero days rest last year is duly noted.

There’s also lining things up for October, while playing the remaining 18 games on the schedule.

Roberts on Monday also said the Dodgers will need to fill a few starts down the stretch. Emmet Sheehan after his fantastic effort on Monday will get another start on Sunday in Miami. Roki Sasaki is close to being activated off the injured list too, but it’s just a matter of when to slot him back in.

If the Dodgers get the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, they get a bye into the National League Division Series, which earns them five days off before a Saturday, October 3 start to their postseason. But if they are the No. 3 seed, they’ll have to play the wild card round, which starts on Tuesday, September 29.

The Dodgers enter Tuesday a game and a half behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the No. 1 see, and two games up on the Atlanta Braves for the No. 2 seed. They do not have the tiebreaker with either team, so will need to beat them outright.

With Sheehan going Sunday in Miami, the Dodgers could start Skubal next Monday, September 14 on five days rest, then twice on four days rest (September 19, 24) to keep him available for Game 1 of a wild card series on September 29. But that feels aggressive. They could also slot Sasaki in next Monday and start Skubal and Yamamoto in order once a week three more times, keeping them available for either a wild card series or with time for a tuneup in between the final week of the regular season and October 3-4 in the Division Series.

This week is pretty set, but there is flexibility in the final two weeks to pretty much do whatever they want. Keep in mind that Justin Wrobleski could fill in with a bulk effort, Bobby Miller could do the same during the final week after his 15 days on optional assignment are up, and that the Dodgers will probably want to have Sasaki pitch in relief at some point before October given that that will be his role in the postseason.

Here’s what a rest-of-the-season rotation could look like for the Dodgers, with all the caveats above.

Tuesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Reds
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Alek Thomas was the odd man out in the Dodgers outfield last week, when he was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on September 1, then was designated for assignment on Saturday to make room for Bobby Miller’s return to the 40-man roster.

Now both are back with Oklahoma City, as Miller was optioned to Triple-A on Monday and Thomas on Tuesday was sent outright to the Comets after clearing waivers.

Acquired by trade after the Arizona Diamondbacks designated him for assignment in May, Thomas was called up to the Dodgers on August 22 to fill in after Andy Pages broke his left hand. Thomas started in center field in five of the seven games for which he was active, and had an RBI hit in each of his first three games, totaling four hits in 19 at-bats with a double and a walk, hitting .211/.250/.263 in limited duty.

The 26-year-old Thomas homered three times in his first two games back with the Comets and on the season is hitting .294/.359/.517 with a 119 wRC+ and 10 home runs in 58 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.

The Nats made several moves at the deadline that I have talked about quite a bit. However, there is one deal that did not get a lot of press but it has been aging well for the Nats. Just before the deadline, the Nats made a seemingly minor move with the O’s. They sent outfielder Christian Franklin to Baltimore in exchange for reliever Joe Glassey.

Franklin was the bigger name of the two and has already made his MLB debut in Baltimore. However, I think the Nats will get the upper hand in this exchange. Since joining the Nats organization, Glassey has been slicing through hitters like butter. He dominated in AA, which earned him a late season promotion to Rochester.

Glassey played five years of college baseball and was an undrafted free agent out of Illinois. That means Glassey is an older prospect having turned 25 in July. While Glassey put up very impressive numbers in the lower minors, the age stuck out like a sore thumb. Before joining the Nats, Glassey only made 2 appearances in AA.

However, he has proven that his dominance can translate to the upper levels. In 10 outings at Harrisburg, Glassey did not allow a single run in 11 innings while striking out 12 batters. More impressively, he only gave up 1 hit and 1 walk. He was just mowing guys down and he forced his way to AAA.

Throughout his professional career, Glassey’s strikeout to walk numbers have been extraordinary. In 27 innings last year, Glassey struck out 37 and walked just 2 hitters. This year it has been more of the same with 70 strikeouts to 9 walks in 44.1 innings. 

So how does Glassey produce these jaw dropping results? Well, his biggest weapon is his changeup/splitter that is absolutely filthy. The pitch gets so much movement and he kills spin on it so effectively. His changeup averages below 1,000 RPM, which is an outlier number. That stat is why I think the pitch is actually more of a splitter.

Once he gets to the big leagues, I think he will be throwing that pitch even more than he already does. It looks like a true plus-plus pitch that will help him carve out a big league role. To go with that changeup, Glassey has a solid fastball. It sits around 94-95 MPH with solid ride and run. He commands the pitch very well which helps make up for its average traits. Finally, Glassey will mix in a slider to keep hitters honest.

This arsenal reminds me of Tommy Kahnle who carved out a long big league career with his nasty changeup. In his prime, Kahnle had more velocity than Glassey does, but I think Glassey’s command is better.

He has only made two appearances so far in Rochester, but at the moment it looks like more of the same. Glassey has not allowed a run in his two outings and has struck out 5 hitters in the process. Even at the highest level of the minors, nobody has figured out that changeup yet.

Heading into next season, I think we will see Glassey at some point. Honestly, he might break camp with the team if he has a good spring. With how dominant he has been, Glassey will get chances to prove himself.

It was an on the margins move, but this deal is aging well for Paul Toboni so far. Some of his less than stellar trades have been talked about lately, but this one looks good. Franklin was not someone the Nats needed given their outfield depth.

 Meanwhile, Glassey has a chance to be a long term piece of a Nats bullpen that desperately needs help. The lack of a plus fastball might limit his ceiling, but Joe Glassey has a very clear path to being a 7th inning guy for a long time.

You never know what the baseball gods have in store. It can literally be hit or miss. The Cincinnati faithful packed Riverfront Stadium to witness Pete Rose’s magical night as he surpassed Ty Cobb’s record. Who could possibly forget the 22-minute victory lap that Cal Ripken Jr took around Camden? For every one of those, there’s the flip side. Tony Gwynn’s 3000th hit came in front of scattered patrons inside a decrepit Olympic Stadium in Montreal.     

Jose Altuve sits at the doorstep of 2,500 hits, needing only 1 hit to join that exclusive club. The first single came against Tyler Clippard of the Nationals on July 20th, 2011. 5,529 days later here we are. Inevitably the boos will come reigning down tonight in South Philly, the same fan base that booed Santa Claus, and they will be relentless. Of course, there’s also the little matter of the 2022 World Series the Astros took in 6 games over the Phillies to add insult to injury. That’s the backdrop for #27 to author another hallmark moment in his amazing career.     

Former teammate Bud Norris fondly remembers their first meeting:

“When I first learned he was our top prospect in 2011, I walked down to minor league camp and waited until he came through the cage. I heard the ball coming off his bat and was immediately impressed. It was three days later and he’s in a big-league spring training game and he went 3-3 with a pair of doubles. All doubters stopped talking that day.”

When asked what truly sets Jose apart from others, Bud didn’t hesitate:

“He never gives up on AB’s. He will take his swings. He can barrel any pitch in any location, and he knows how to backspin balls for lift and then also line drive powers them out to all fields.”

In a nutshell, the 5’6” maestro has set the standard for the Astros franchise. Norris concurs.        

“Altuve changed the game. He’s the embodiment of what makes the game so great. Size doesn’t show up on a trackman. He’s just a special guy and a great talent.”

Get ready to witness history.

Chase Burns got the start for the Cincinnati Reds against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night in southern California, and he did not allow a hit.

Their ace. The starter. Did not allow a hit. Front-page news almost every time you see those components combined, right?

For 44 brilliant pitches, Burns tore through the Dodgers lineup once, and swooshed right by superstar Shohei Ohtani twice. That, though, was it – Cincinnati began to deploy their plan to keep him healthy for 2027 while still building innings and endurance by starting every fifth day through the end of the season, and lefty Brandon Williamson took over to throw 86 innings beginning with the Bottom of the 4th.

This appears to be the plan. It’s not going to be easing him back to 70 pitches, then 60, then 50 and 40 and so on. Rather, he’s going to go out and face a lineup for a turn and hopefully do so as efficiently and effectively as possible, likely for at least three more turns through the rotation as there are 18 games remaining in this 2026 season.

Doing so will keep him from adding to the 15 wins he’s accrued already this year, if that’s the kind of thing you’re still into despite all the dissection of the stat over the last 35 years. It might also keep his velocity up around 99 mph, as he knows he’s not going to need to pace himself so much while letting it rip.

With 148.1 IP under his belt, another trio of 3.0 IP outings would push him to 157.1 for the year. That would be nearly a 50 IP jump over the 109.1 IP he logged across all levels during the 2025 season, a significant but not outlandish progression. Beyond that, it would – in theory – build him up to the point where going a full season with zero throttling in 2027 would be firmly on the table, something that sounds increasingly juicy with Hunter Greene sidelined and the rest of the Reds rotation options looking anything but rock-solid dependable over the course of this particular season.

It obviously reduces the Reds chances of winning more games than they lose this season, something that’s already going to be nearly impossible for all the reasons mentioned in the above sentence. They’re also 69-75 with a brutal schedule remaining, but maybe this will help them sink down the depth chart of win leaders across the league and, therefore, give them a better chance at a top draft pick next summer.

Most importantly, it’s them being proactive about keeping their resident ace in the best position to succeed next year when the Reds, presumably, will try to make more of an effort to win games than they have so far in 2026.