Find the helpers: Checking in with Josh Naylor at the end of year one

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 23: Josh Naylor #12 of the Seattle Mariners reacts after hitting a walk off RBI single in the 10th inning against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park on September 23, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Last night’s walk-off win aside, it hasn’t been an ideal first year for Josh Naylor in Seattle after joining the team at the trade deadline last year for a thrilling run to the playoffs, followed up by signing the largest contract of his career this off-season: a contract that represented stability for Naylor, who is on his fourth organization with the Mariners, and a fanbase that was quick to embrace the soft-spoken, cerebral, often enigmatic Canadian.

It was, most everyone agreed, a slam-dunk of a deal for both sides: a round peg in a round hole for the Mariners, seeking help at first base; a steady producer at the plate who would balance out some of the Mariners’ more volatile strikeout-prone bats; veteran leadership for a young team. And for Naylor, a fast favorite with the fanbase, long(ish)-term stability, a chance to establish some roots in a community and a clubhouse after earning a more permanent place, helping the Mariners to a fairy tale-esque run down the stretch.

Unfortunately, 2026 has been anything but a fairy tale for the Mariners on the field, last night’s walk-off aside.

 “It was tough as a team this year,” admitted Naylor. “We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to.”

Despite the rough season, Naylor has enjoyed integrating himself in to the Seattle community, both in the clubhouse and beyond. He and his wife Chantel have made a point to explore the state on off-days. They’ve also attended various Seattle sporting events, especially hockey games, something they’re both passionate about and hope to pass on to their young son. Naylor says the family plans to drop in to Seattle this winter to take in some football and hockey, although the family also plans to spend significant time back in Ontario with their son, as Naylor says he wants him to experience the Canadian winters he did as a child.

“I can’t wait to get him on skates,” he said.

[At this point we should note Naylor’s child is not yet one year old. Canadians: Very Serious about their hockey!]

The Naylors have also gotten involved locally with Ronald McDonald House, continuing on the charity work Naylor did with that organization while with Cleveland. Naylor, whose family is deeply important to him, is passionate about supporting families undergoing times of stress.

Maybe because family is so important to him, Naylor has also made a point to put his arms around the younger players, especially his infielders, a responsibility he shares with J.P. Crawford. The two famously took rookie Colt Emerson shopping to buy his first big-league suit, advising on cut and color (lavender!). They also “co-parent” second baseman Cole Young, who maybe doesn’t realize exactly how lucky he is to have not one but two veteran players watching over him.

“We sit by each other on the plane,” said Naylor. “If we’re not talking baseball, we’re talking TV shows or video games or whatever. But I try to take him under my wing a little bit. J.P.’s done a great job taking him under his wing, too, and I’m close to J.P., so he’s just kind of along for the ride now too.”

“We try to spoil him. We take him to the stores and stuff. Spoil him with that. Spoil him with just, like, personal time, me and him and a few other guys. We play video games every night together, and then we just talk about the day. Talk about future of baseball and our future, as individuals. We just became really, really close teammates, which is awesome.”

It’s a selfless act, to pour so much into another player, so much so that it makes one wonder if Naylor is either mimicking something that was given to him or seeking to avenge something he wasn’t given in his career. But he shrugs off the insinuation that this is some kind of karmic scales-balancing.

“I just think it’s good to be a good person, regardless of your status or age,” he said.

“I just think it’s nice to be nice.”

Whether it’s passing something along or being the change he wants to see, the effect is the same.

“If you can, if you see an opportunity to help, you help. If you need to seek help, seek help. But I don’t want to say it’s something that was done to me or not done to me. I just think it’s it’s good to be a good teammate, especially if you know someone is younger than you in experience-wise—not necessarily age, but just game experience—and you see they did something, maybe just get in their ear a little bit, say hey, that was awesome, or hey, you know, maybe try this or that.”

“I just try to be a source of confidence for people here. You know, whether it’s on a personal level or a baseball level, I just try to be there for you. If you need me to watch your kids for you because you want to go out with your wife, I’ll watch your kids for you. If you want to have a conversation about baseball and go back and forth on a topic? I’m more willing to do that. I try to be a really good friend first, and then an even better teammate after that. That’s just my goal in my career and my life.”

One thing Naylor has been monitoring is the improvement in his second baseman; he’s hopeful Cole Young will win a Gold Glove this year, and credits the work Cole has put in to get him to that level as well as the coaching he’s gotten from Perry Hill, or “Bone.” Naylor says he doesn’t want to speak on behalf of rookie Colt Emerson, but that he knows what it’s like to feel the pressure as a rookie in a big-league infield.

“Your first year it’s kind of tough because you may not know what to expect, and then the days get harder the worse you do. That’s at least what I felt. The days get tough if you’re not succeeding, and then you push a little bit harder to succeed, and then you probably fail a little bit more.”

“Every young guy goes through it at some point in their career, where you fail and it sucks, and you try a little bit harder the next day and maybe fail a little bit more and then it sucks more, and then you finally succeed and it’s like—ah, I didn’t need to try so hard for three or four weeks. I was really relaxed today and it worked out.”

It’s a hard-won mindset Naylor is trying to impart to his young infield-mates, something he says is eased by the daily infield practice mandated by Hill: exposure therapy to reading balls off endless fungo bounces.

“We’re all humans, so we make mistakes at times, but being prepared for anything is the mentality,” Naylor said, while noting he appreciates the opportunity to watch his fielders – who he says he wants to help win Gold Gloves – improve. “Helping someone get to their best level in life, and then also in their in their field, whether it’s sports, whether it’s academics, whatever the case is, I think it’s super cool to see someone succeed in their in their favorite thing to do.”

As much as he likes to see others learn, Naylor considers himself a perpetual student of the game.

“I think you can learn a lot from others. I try to learn a lot from people, whether they’re younger or older than me, whether they have five years less than me or five years more than me. I don’t really judge them on their time in the game or age. I just judge them on their knowledge. I think knowledge is power, so I try my best to take information from every source I can. Coaches, players, retired players. I like to learn. I think if you have a lot of tools in your toolkit, you’ll benefit at the end of the day. If you kind of limit yourself to being like a one-trick pony, it kind of hurts you sometimes. And I’ve been both. I’ve been the one-trick pony, and then I had to learn that it’s a game of adjustments and a game of kind of maybe doing things different sometimes.”

No one can accuse Naylor of being a one-trick pony; he’s one base shy of tying his record from last year, an impossible-seeming 30 bags from a slower-footed first baseman. Naylor credits fellow Canadian Dave McKay, the first base coach in Arizona, for teaching him a ton about the mechanics of stealing bases, as well as Mariners first base coach Eric Young Jr. for helping him study pitchers and understand advance scouting to triple his stolen base output for the second consecutive year.

“I just try to find ways to win,” said Naylor.

Naylor does not shy from doing what it takes to win. Some of his best accountability partners? His brothers, Bo and Myles.

“I try to improve my whole game every off season. I try to look back at the season—where I failed, what I didn’t do as well, and how it can get better, and then God willing, get better. In the off season you have a lot of time to think, you’re not really playing the game anymore. So I try to do a lot of thinking with my brothers, and we break down each other’s games and talk to each other a lot.”

He credits brother Bo with helping him get his swing back over the All-Star Break to where it was over the second half.

“We spent the All Star Break together, and he like broke down everything in my swing. And he said, you know, you need to start going back to this and doing this again and doing that. And he really helped me tremendously. He’s a big voice in my career and someone I listen to every day and talk to every day or every other day.”

While the off-season is likely coming sooner than anyone had hoped, Naylor is ready to reconnect with the helpers who have helped him, his brothers.

“I look forward to just spending time with them, just discussing baseball while we’re watching a TV show or a movie, sitting in our backyard, or I don’t know, walking our dogs in the snow. Just chit chatting about how we can get better together. That’s something we do every off-season, just try to get better together.”

Clearly, Naylor is close with his family, now centralized three time zones away from Seattle, but isn’t unhappy about the choice he’s made to sign here. For the deep thinker Naylor, the first year is just the beginning.

“I’ve really enjoyed this organization,” said Naylor. “That’s why my wife and I chose to be here. Love the guys here. Coaching staff’s awesome. City’s beautiful. I look forward to kind of getting more comfortable here, and maybe I observed a lot this year just to see how things are ran.”

It helps, too, that the fanbase has embraced him so well – something Naylor is appreciative of, especially the fans who shout encouragement when he is struggling (“that doesn’t happen everywhere”) – and have been freely expressing their creativity in supporting him. Is a bunch of grown men in sailor suits (“Naylor’s Sailors”) a little weird? Maybe so, but who cares.

“Everyone’s weird in their own way. But that’s what makes you so beautiful and so perfect for who you are. And if you’re not willing to accept it, you’re not willing to accept it, that is what it is. But for those who are, I think you get the best out of the person if you’re willing to accept who they are. And you have a ton of different personalities in this sport, and in life in general. I think everyone is who they’re meant to be.”

Shohei Ohtani gets a hit in his return to the Dodgers’ lineup after 2 weeks out

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani got a hit in his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup after missing two weeks with right biceps discomfort.

He went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts and a walk while batting second as the designated hitter against the San Diego Padres.

“He looked good,” manager Dave Roberts said. “At-bat quality good, there wasn’t any chase, I thought he hit the ball hard his first at-bat, just missed a homer in that other at-bat, took a walk. It just felt like he wasn’t sped up at all and I think he came out of it pretty well.”

A roar went up from Dodgers fans as Ohtani walked to the plate to Michael Bublé’s “Feeling Good.” He promptly lined a 2-1 pitch from Padres starter Robbie Ray into right field and the fans got loud again. Ohtani was out at second base when Will Smith grounded into a fielder’s choice to third.

“Tonight showed that he’s in a good spot physically,” Roberts said.

Ohtani didn’t speak to the media afterward. He’ll be back in the lineup for the series finale.

Mookie Betts was in Ohtani’s usual leadoff spot, where he’s been since the two-way superstar went on the injured list on Sept. 8.

Betts is hitting .366 with six home runs, 21 RBIs, 13 walks and 18 runs scored in 18 games in September. He’s tied for third in the major leagues with 26 hits in September, and also ranks among National League leaders over the same timeframe in extra-base hits, RBIs, total bases, doubles and runs.

Ohtani last played on Sept. 7 against Cincinnati and came in hitting .277 with 30 homers, 80 RBIs, 89 runs scored and 80 walks in 134 games. He appeared physically compromised at the plate, shaking out his arm and wincing at times.

“A few weeks ago you could see that he couldn’t hit a fastball, he was underneath everything and it was a slower swing,” Roberts said before the game. “Just controlling the swing, the barrel, I think that’s something I’ll look at and obviously stuff like the wincing, but I don’t expect to see any of that.”

Roberts said he likely would have Ohtani leading off and Betts hitting second against right-handed pitching.

Roberts expects to see a focused Ohtani at the plate.

“It’s go-time for all of us and I think he’s in a good spot,” Roberts said. “He’s getting ready for the postseason. His mind should be there and my bet is that that’s where it’s at.”

In other moves, pitcher Tarik Skubal was reinstated from the bereavement list. He is scheduled to start at San Francisco. Reliever Kyle Hurt was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Rookie Josue De Paula sent back to minors, could return for postseason

With Ohtani’s return, Josue De Paula was sent down to Triple-A to join the Comets in the Pacific Coast League playoffs against the Las Vegas Aviators. De Paula had been in the lineup as the DH.

De Paula quickly became a fan favorite during Ohtani’s absence. The 21-year-old New York native reached base safely in 10 of his first 11 games in the majors. He went 2 for 3 with a run scored and a walk while notching his first career triple in the Dodgers’ 7-0 win over the Padres.

“He performed more than admirably,” Roberts said. “This also just gives us an opportunity to potentially have him back for the postseason. He’s a part of the conversation and he’s earned that, and that’s what I told him.”

If De Paula makes the postseason roster, he would serve as a pinch hitter.

“Josue has been awesome,” said Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations. “Injected some real life and energy into our team.”

LeBron James posts tribute after tragic news of Lakers announcer’s death

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Lakers announcer Lawrence Tanter wearing headphones and a microphone, Image 2 shows LeBron James in a Lakers uniform with his right arm raised, pointing his index finger upward, Image 3 shows Lawrence Tanter wearing a headset with a microphone and a black and white striped shirt with a Lakers logo

LeBron James used to salute Lakers public address announce Lawrence Tanter at every home game.

Tanter died at 76 years old, the Lakers announced Wednesday. James shared a heartfelt tribute for Tanter on social media the following day.

Longtime Los Angeles Lakers announcer Lawrence Tanter retired in June. AP

“REST IN PARADISE Lawrence Tanter! Loved seeing you pretty much every single home game for the past 8 years at the scores table and always acknowledging you with a �� cause you deserved the �� while you were living! Your voice command and echoed throughout the entire arena,” James wrote in a post on X.

“You made home games SPECIAL! You will be truly missed! Glad we got to share some time together my man! My heart and prayers goes to your family and loved ones! Love you LT! ❤❤❤❤❤”

While James is no longer with the Lakers, it’s evident Tanter’s influence even reached the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Tanter became a fixture for the Lakers, when he began working as the P.A. announcer during the 1982-83 season. His smooth delivery and baritone voice became signature for Lakers home games spanning more than 40 years.

Tanter was apart of 10 NBA championships throughout his storied Lakers tenure. He retired in June after a 43-year long run as the team’s P.A. announcer.

“We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of legendary Lakers public address announcer Lawrence Tanter,” the Lakers said in a statement Wednesday. “For 43 years, LT’s voice served as the soundtrack to Lakers games at the arena. He will be remembered as a cherished member of the Lakers family.”

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second quarter of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Getty Images
Lawrence Tanter was the Lakers’ longest-tenured P.A. announcer. NBAE via Getty Images

arizona diamondbacks news 9/24

DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 22: Idedmaro Vargas #6 of the Arizona Diamondbacks rounds third base to score on a Gabriel Morena double against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Coors Field on September 22, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Team News


D-backs live to fight another day in playoff chase with win over Rockies
“We know where we stand,” Kelly said. “The ball’s not only in our court. There’s a couple balls bouncing in other people’s courts. We know that you know our backs are against the wall a little bit, and we do need a little bit of a miracle to get to where we want to go. So I think that maybe takes away a little bit of that playoff feel factor. But obviously, we all know that we have to win every single day.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/d-backs-inch-closer-to-nl-wild-card-with-win-over-rockies

Diamondbacks hold on to beat Rockies, keep elimination number at 2

In order to catch the Phillies:

Diamondbacks go 4-0, Phillies go 1-3 or worse

Diamondbacks go 3-1, Phillies go 0-4

In order to catch the Cubs:

Diamondbacks go 4-0, Cubs go 0-4

In order to catch the Padres:

Diamondbacks go 4-0, Padres go 0-4

https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/diamondbacks-hold-on-to-beat-rockies-keep-elimination-number-at-2

D-backs Hold On In Playoff Hunt With Another Massive Win vs Rockieshttps://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/diamondbacks-hold-on-playoff-hunt-massive-win-rockies

How did the Diamondbacks perform at Chase Field this season?

“One of the things we talk about at the beginning of the year is protect our turf,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “I feel like our home record indicates that these guys have been very engaged and played good baseball in front of a home crowd. … I want teams to know when they’re walking down the hall and coming off their bus and into their clubhouse that they’re getting ready to play a tough game and it’s going to be a dog fight.” https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/how-did-the-diamondbacks-perform-at-chase-field-this-season

Other Baseball

    Shane McClanahan Not Available For Division Serieshttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/09/shane-mcclanahan-not-available-for-division-series.html

    Aaron Judge: Still Hoping To Be Active For Wild Card Roundhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/09/aaron-judge-unlikely-to-be-available-for-wild-card-round.html

    Counsell says Cubs at disadvantage after schedule changehttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/50016225/counsell-says-cubs-disadvantage-schedule-change

    Blue Jays’ Guerrero stands by comments about contract extensionhttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/50016563/blue-jays-guerrero-stands-comments-contract-extension

    MLB playoffs 2026 tracker: Standings, schedule, clinch scenarios, tiebreakers, playoff bracket and more

    https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/mlb-playoffs-2026-tracker-standings-schedule-clinch-scenarios-tiebreakers-playoff-bracket-and-more-130331560.html

    Sale’s 9th career 200-K season cements him among game’s greats
    https://www.mlb.com/news/chris-sale-reaches-200-strikeouts-for-ninth-time-in-career

    Here is each club’s top Arizona Fall League prospect
    https://www.mlb.com/athletics/news/top-arizona-fall-league-prospect-for-each-club-2026?t=arizona-fall-league-coverage

    Bonkers stats that have defined the 2026 season
    https://www.mlb.com/news/crazy-stats-2026-season-in-mlb



    Anything Goes

    This day in history:

    https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-24

    This day in baseball:

    https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/September_24

    Small breeds of dogs live longer than larger breeds.

    Smaller breeds have a life expectancy of 12-14 years. Larger dogs, on the other hand, have a life expectancy of around 8-10 years. For giant breeds, they can live as short as 5 years up to 8 years.

    Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl has the most mistakes in a movie in the 2000s.

    With the constant pressure of TV or movie productions, errors are pretty much inevitable. A little continuity blip here and a stray Starbucks cup there, it can be easy for little errors to slip the editor or director’s notice. However, in all film history, The Curse of the Black Pearl is said to have the most film errors at 105 “goofs”. 

    Portugal is the top country for cork production.

    Out of 2,200,000 hectares of cork forest worldwide, 34% is in Portugal. With annual cork production at 200,000 tons, 49.6% comes from Portugal. They must be serious about their wine.

    Bryce Harper needs to swing less to get better

    PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park on September 22, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images

    The game was 4-1 in favor of the Brewers, but the Phillies had something <ahem> brewing.

    On Wednesday night, needing a victory to help lower their magic number by a game, with one out in the seventh inning, Kyle Schwarber was plunked by pitcher DL Hall, followed by an infield single by Trea Turner. The team had done nothing with runners in scoring position all night long, but any chance that they can get with that happening, they would take it. The lineup card stated that Bryce Harper would stride to the plate as it was his turn in the order. What would he do?


    August was Harper’s best month of the year. His .333/.496/.573 wasn’t his top slugging percentage of this season, but as far as actual production on the field, his 194 wRC+ during the month meant he had few peers during that month in terms of offensive production. While the batting average is nice and the slug is perfectly cromulent, if you’re like me, it’s the fact that he ended up on base half of the time he came to the plate that astounded. That’s treading into Bondsian territory.

    It also coincided with a new approach that he and the team took: take pitches. A novel concept, it seemed to have been something that eluded the lineup as an offensive approach for many days. Swinging early and often, attacking pitches if they were in the zone, these were the hallmarks of the Phillies lineup these past few playoff years. In 2026, once August hit, it’s as though Harper decided that swinging less, particularly chasing less, was what he wanted to do in order to be more productive at the plate.

    And whaddaya know, something crazy happened. Once Harper decided to swing/chase less, he actually started to become more productive at the plate.

    Now, I’m not saying that it is a direct corollary that swinging less equals more production at the plate. It clearly has to do with more with the fact that he wasn’t chasing pitching out of the zone and getting himself out. But it simply cannot be a coincidence. Harper was good this year for most of the year, the usual cold and hot streaks aside, but during August, he was in a god-like mode when hitting. The team started to win more often too and it seemed like the entire offense was hitting well as a result of Harper swinging a hot bat.

    However, it is no coincidence that I left the month of September in those charts.

    Look at how the things have flip flopped. He’s swinging more and has exited that god mode when at the plate. While he’s been fine this month (.278/.346/.375 prior to Wednesday), it’s mostly just that – fine. The team has needed him to do more, only for him to not be there. I can’t help but believe that his sudden change in approach at the plate – swinging more often – has led to a drop in his production.

    Anecdotally, it feels like each time Harper is stepping to the plate, particularly with runners on, he is swinging at the first pitch, no matter where it is. If it also feels to you like he is swinging at missing early in the count more and not just at the first pitch specifically, it could be the fact that pitchers have decided to change their pitch mix to him and he is deciding to jump on the first good fastball he sees.

    However, the plan has changed against Harper this year.

    There has been a noticeable jump in how pitchers are doing the whole fastball/changeup thing while decreasing the amount of breaking pitches he sees. How has Harper fared against this combination?

    You guessed it, by swinging and missing at those offspeed pitches more often.

    Granted, it’s the natural game of cat and mouse that pitchers and hitters have played since the dawn of the baseball age and Harper is caught in the middle of that. He’s still getting hits, but a 300 points loss in OPS is an issue.


    The first pitch that Harper saw from Hall in that seventh inning, he drilled straight into the plate back to the pitcher for the second out of the game.

    If the Phillies are going to do anything in the playoffs, Bryce Harper needs to be productive at the plate. While he did have good months during the season, August showed that a certain approach at the plate was one that worked for him and led to Phillies wins.

    As Jack put it in the season three finale of “Lost”, we have to go back.

    2026 Cubs Heroes and Goats: Dansby Swanson is the Superhero vs. the Marlins

    This has been one of those series. You know, the one where the Cubs make solid contact but it finds a glove. I mean, not a lot of solid contact in these first two games. But when they do, it finds a defender. Meanwhile, the Marlins feel like they’ve had a never ending run of seeing eye grounders. It feels whiny to say that. But I’m not whining about the occurrence. The Cubs have done it to other teams plenty. It’s definitely part of the game. Were I going to whine, it would be about the timing of it. Between that and the storm bearing down on Boston, these were the last things the Cubs needed right now. I suppose, of the two, the pesky Marlins are the more frustrating one. If the Cubs could win these games, those games might not matter, or at least would matter less. The most important clinch of all hasn’t happened yet.

    It’s early for me to write about Scoreboard Watching, but I look at scores across baseball and I tip my cap to the also-rans of MLB in 2026. They understand their role as spoilers here in the final playoff push. I look around the league and I see the Mets beating the Rangers, the Royals beating the White Sox, and of course the Marlins beating our Cubs. No doubt I hate seeing the Marlins doing this, but if they were doing it to the Padres or the Phillies, I’d be delighted. So I get it.

    It’s all just disappointing because the pitching has done its job in this series, save the 12th inning Tuesday. As painful as that was to watch, I’m not going to throw a bullpen under the bus that got the game to the 12th inning. That wasn’t teams exchanging runs as you sometimes see in modern extra inning games. That was the bullpen closing the door for several innings and giving the offense a plethora of opportunities to win the game.

    Two games into this series, the offense has four runs in 21 innings. Even those four runs feel a little fluky. Certainly the Tuesday rally benefitted from a miscue by the Marlins defense. The other three runs in the series have come from a few of those seeing eye type of hits that have benefitted the Cubs. Both the wind blowing in and the absence of Alex Bregman have paired with an effective job by the Marlins staff to frustrate the Cubs for two straight nights.

    It’s not hard to imagine the Marlins coaching staff talking to their team about these games being what a playoff atmosphere is. The Cubs are a team that is in a position that the Marlins are trying to get to. They’ve been playing these games for a little while now. Before this, it was the Padres. Before that it was the Diamondbacks. Before that it was the Dodgers. After this, it will be the Braves. That’s a brutal stretch to be sure. Credit where it is due, they are 6-5 with four to go in this stretch of 15 straight games against playoff teams. Young, hungry and aggressive.

    As to the Cubs, I staked out my position a little while ago. Your mileage may vary. But I believe this team will answer the bell, be ready to go and not be intimidated by any team in the playoffs. That isn’t me saying they’ll win. Heck, I’m not saying they won’t get blown out. But they aren’t going to be a team moping around because they struggled some in September. That doesn’t mean they didn’t blow all kinds of good opportunities. It could result in them having to go on the road for games that should have been in Wrigley. We aren’t going to know that before at least Friday. If whomever is that first opponent isn’t ready to play, the Cubs are going to make them hate life. If that team is sharp, it may be tough for this Cub team.

    I’m not about to jump off of the bandwagon. I see a bunch of people doing so. It’s okay, I’ll see you all back next week after the Cubs win their first game. Don’t forget to at least keep an eye out for Pete Crow-Armstrong to find his 40th stolen base of the season. He has a flair for the dramatic, don’t be surprised if he finds a homer or two and possibly the MLB home run championship. It’s been a great season. You made it this far, stay on the ride.

    Three Positives:

    • Michael Busch had a pair of singles and scored one of the two runs.
    • Dansby Swanson had a single and a walk. He drove in both runs.
    • The pitching was pretty good and one of them ought to get some love. I’ll give the kudos to Kevin Gausman. One out shy of a quality start. He allowed only two runs and struck out seven. He also made a neat play for that last out. And he threw the full 100 pitches that cap the day of most major leaguers these days. Hopefully, he just needs an ice back and a chiropractic visit after that last play and will be fine.

    Game 158, September 23: Marlins 3, Cubs 2 (87-71)

    Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.

    THREE HEROES:

    • Superhero: Dansby Swanson (.115). 1-3, BB, 2 RBI
    • Hero: Jacob Webb (.095). 1.1 IP, 6 BF, H, BB, 2 K
    • Sidekick: Michael Busch (.057). 2-4, R

    THREE GOATS:

    • Billy Goat: Carson Kelly (-.215). 0-1, DP
    • Goat: Ryan Rolison (-.173). 0.2 IP, 4 BF, 2 H, R, K (L 9-2)
    • Kid: Miguel Amaya (-.111). 0-3

    WPA Play of the Game: Dansby Swanson’s two-run single with two outs in the sixth inning tied the game. (.270)

    Marlins Play of the Game: The two-run homer by Kyle Stowers with one out in the fifth for the first two runs of the game. (.241)

    Cubs Player of the Game:

    Game 157 Winner: Pete Crow-Armstrong received 31 of 63 votes.

    Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)

    The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.

    • Alex Bregman +26
    • Pete Crow-Armstrong +25.5
    • Shōta Imanaga +15
    • Carson Kelly +13.5
    • Ben Brown +13.5
    • Jameson Taillon -13
    • Dansby Swanson -14
    • Nico Hoerner -16
    • Caleb Thielbar -17.5
    • Seiya Suzuki -20

    Scoreboard Watching: The Phillies and Cubs both lost. That leaves the two of them tied. The Padres defeated the Dodgers and moved into the first Wild Card slot, the Cubs second by tiebreaker and then the Phillies. The Diamondbacks won and are serious about making all of these teams sweat a little. I still feel very confident that in some order it will be the Padres, Cubs and Phillies.

    Up Next: The series finale. The Cubs have now lost three of five to the Marlins. In general, the Cubs were good against the best teams and mediocre against everyone else, the obvious exception being the Brewers. The Cubs can split the season series with a win in the finale. Matthew Boyd (9-5, 4.06) will get the finale. Boyd snapped a long, rough streak with a good start last time out. He allowed one run over five innings and beat the Reds in Cincinnati. He did not face the Marlins in Miami.

    28-year-old righty Tyler Phillips will start for the Marlins. The 2015 16th round pick of the Rangers (468 overall) is 5-6 with a 3.45 ERA. He beat the Cubs in Miami. He allowed three runs over five innings. He’s split his year between the rotation and bullpen, appearing in 36 games and making 19 starts. He has two saves. He’s been a part of the Marlin plan of having the back three-fifths of their rotation limited to five innings or less. It was June 28th the last time he threw more than six. There is only one other game he’s thrown more than five and that was back on August 13 against the Pirates. When he gets in trouble, it’s usually walks. He walks almost four per nine innings. That’s not an insane number by any means. But for a guy on a limited pitch count to begin with, that’s not optimal.

    Gotta win this one at this point. Find a way.

    Do the Guardians Have a Good Player in Angel Martinez?

    CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 20: Angel Martínez #1 of the Cleveland Guardians singles on a ground ball to second base in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field on August 20, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images

    Angel Martinez has had a good season for the Cleveland Guardians. Is what he is showing us likely to be repeatable?

    Angel Martinez has a 110 wRC+ and a .306 xwOBA with a 22/3 K/BB%. Since coming back from a broken foot, Martinez has put up a 130 wRC+, but with identical K/BB% and xwOBA. Martinez has a 132 wRC+ against RHP and a 99 wRC+ against LHP, but a 125 wRC+ against LHP for his career. One would guess his splits against LHP will improve if he can continue to hit, period. But, there are questions if a player with Angel’s lack of walks and chase rate can sustain what he has done in 2026.

    If you are like me, you may remember another fun Guardians’ outfielder who had a geeat season for them while chasing at an unsustainable rate. Oscar Gonzalez (in his age 24 season just as Angel is right now) had a 123 wRC+ with a .325 xwOBA, a 19.6/3.9 K/BB%, 47% chase rate, 21% line drive rate, 51% groundball rate and a 28% fly ball rate. He was a truly awful fielder putting up -6 DRS in two years and -12 OAA in the same time period. Gonzalez washed out of the MLB and has struggled to hit in the NPB so far, doomed by poor defende, an inability to stay disciplined at the plate and the failure to lift the ball with any consistency.

    Angel Martinez is not a good defensive outfielder but he appears to be capable of average play in right field (1 DRS and 0 OAA) and not being Gonzalez level bad in left (-3 DRS and -2 OAA). I think we can be reasonably optimistic he can improve some given switching to the outfield was a late move for him, so he shouldn’t be unplayable… but he will also probably not be an asset out there.

    The bigger issue is his underlying numbers, specifically his chase rate. Martinez has a 22% line drive rate and a 39% ground ball rate and a 39% fly ball rate. He pulls the ball almost 50% of the time, so he has the ability to make his best swings matter as seen in his 17 homers this season. But, the elephant in the room is Angel’s 42% chase rate. That’s about as bad as any starting player in MLB can manage, while still a little short of Gonzalez’s number. Both Gonzalez and Martinez make contact when they chase in the mid-60% range, but Martinez offers an 82% contact rate overall. He doesn’t miss any pitches in the zone, where Gonzalez would miss JUST enough to make his chase issues that much more glaring.

    I want Angel Martinez to succeed. He is a truly special person and has saved this team multiple times. However, if pushed on this issue, I would have to guess that Martinez will probably not be a major league hitter longterm if he continues to chase at a 42% rate. If he can lower it to more of the 35% rate he flashed his first season, I am convinced that would be enough to make him a major league starter, especially if it resulted in his walk rate creeping closer to 6% and his opportunities to punish more pitches in the zone increasing. He has that dog in him with a 131 wRC+ in high leverage situations this season, and a general positive spirit that lights up the field. But, without showing he can lower that chase rate and increase the walk rate, I fear our Guardian Angel’s success may be as ephemeral as the dearly departed (to Japan) SpongeBob.

    Angel fans… pin your hopes on his pulled fly-ball abilities, his knack of punishing meatballs when he sees them and his defensive mediocrity. Maybe he can find a little more of his minor league plate discipline (walk rate of 9.9% for his career on the farm) having established himself in the big leagues. If so, watch out, because an Angel Martinez who will take a walk even 7% of the time is an MLB All-Star. And, while there is no guarantee that can happen… it’s an exciting possibility that is not entirely out of the realms of reality.

    Angel Martinez can enter 2027 with a starting outfield position in front of him, from my view. However, it would be wise to have plenty of depth just in case the chase issues that plagued another former Guardians’ outfield revelation come back to decimate Angel’s numbers as well. Here’s hoping Angel can rise above!

    Jalen Brunson hosts Saturday Night Live, a look back at other NBA stars who did: Michael Jordan, LeBron James

    Jalen Brunson is the King of New York City.

    If you had any doubt about that, the fact that he is hosting the season opener of Saturday Night Live this week — with musical guest KATSEYE — should tell you all you need to know (catch the show on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT, plus "SNL" streams live on Peacock).

    Brunson is the fifth NBA player to host the show. In tribute to Brunson and the start of a new SNL season, let's look back at the previous four.

    Charles Barkley

    Sept. 25, 1993, musical guest: Nirvana
    Jan. 9, 2010, musical guest: Alicia Keys
    Jan. 7, 2012, musical guest: Kelly Clarkson
    March 3, 2018, musical guest: Migos

    Barkley has hosted SNL four times — the most of any pro athlete (unless you're counting Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who has hosted five times). Three of Barkley's turns as host came a decade or more after he retired from playing, which speaks to just how much he broke out of the athlete mode to become a pop culture personality.

    Charles Barkley first appeared on SNL during his playing days, opening the 1993 season, and it gave us a glimpse of the larger-than-life personality that would fuel Barkley's post-playing career. Barkley was coming off his MVP season and having led the Phoenix Suns to the NBA Finals (where they fell to the Jordan-era Bulls). Barkley poked fun at himself: During a skit with "therapist" Stuart Smalley, Barkley was asked if he was happy and he said yes, he was the best basketball player in the world. Smalley (played by Al Franken) responded, "So, I guess since, you know, you're the best basketball player in the world, then I guess you won a lot of championships then?"

    Then there was the legendary one-on-one game where Barkley elbowed children's show icon Barney the purple dinosaur.

    Barkley would host three more times and was a favorite of the cast and crew, according to long-time SNL cue card guy Wally Feresten. Those appearances included some memorable skits, such as Barkley and Kate McKinnon playing the last two people at a bar for last call. It is Feresten who tells of a prank he and Barkley played on the SNL cast during rehearsal that was one of a kind.

    Barkley also has often been imitated on the show — and very well — by Kenan Thompson.

    Michael Jordan

    Sept. 28, 1991, musical guest: Public Enemy

    Jordan hosted when coming off an MVP, Finals MVP and championship season with Chicago. Jordan was at the peak of his powers, and in an oral history of the episode by SLAM, cast members like Chris Rock and Adam Sandler talked about how — among a group used to seeing stars every week — there were so many demands for his autograph from just cast and crew that they had to put a guard outside Jordan's dressing room door.

    Jordan had some really funny moments, with a monologue that included skits of endorsements he passed up, plus a “Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley” skit. It's also an episode often best remembered for Rev. Jesse Jackson's legendary reading of "Green Eggs and Ham" to honor the passing of Dr. Seuss.

    Maybe the best sketch with Jordan was a spoof on sports history where Jordan came in as "The First Black Harlem Globetrotter." The other famous bit Jordan was in was "Bill Swerski's Super Fans."

    LeBron James

    Sept. 29, 2007, musical guest: Kanye West

    LeBron came to Saturday Night Live off a season where he lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals faster than expected, only to run into peak Tim Duncan Spurs. Cleveland got swept. LeBron joked about that in his “LeBronologue” to open the show, saying that for people who aren't basketball fans, his team swept the Spurs to win the title, and people who are basketball fans need to "be cool and shut up."

    Maybe the most memorable sketch from the show was LeBron taping a "Read to Achieve" promo, but one character (played by Jason Sudeikis) keeps throwing bad passes to LeBron, and at one point throws a book instead of a basketball. The best line may have been when Sudeikis' character says to LeBron, "You're 22, right? Go sit at the kids' table, have a juice box."

    At the All-Star Game in 2025, LeBron was asked about his experience hosting SNL as the show was in the midst of its 50th season (credit to The Athletic’s Dan Woike for the question).

    "To be a part of Saturday Night Live's legacy is something that is a dream come true," LeBron said. "I mean, it's been on, obviously, my entire life, and seeing so many great actors grace those those skits every single Saturday, and so many entertainers that come here and do their do their bits as well. It was it was it was fun. It was super fun. Hopefully, I get the opportunity to do it again. I'd love to do it again."

    Bill Russell

    Nov. 3, 1979, musical guest: Chicago

    Russell was the first NBA player to host SNL, doing so in season five. His monologue was pretty short and compared life in the NBA to a week hosting SNL.

    Maybe the most memorable skit was "The Black Shadow," a satire of the popular 1970s show "The White Shadow" about a white coach of a majority black high school basketball team. This skit reversed it, with a black coach of a white team and the players keeping their coach out of trouble.

    The Washington Nationals have an interesting decision to make at first base next season

    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: Andres Chaparro #87 of the Washington Nationals rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 08, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

    Entering 2027, there are going to be a few position battles to watch. There should be plenty of competition on the pitching staff in particular. However, one spot that intrigues me is the first base/DH position. It looks like there will be at least three players battling it out for that first base spot and I wanted to break things down.

    For most of the season, there has been a lot of rotation at the first base and DH spots. Until he was traded, Luis Garcia Jr. got the at bats against righties. His platoon partner varied. At one point it was Curtis Mead, before the Aussie grabbed the third base role. Then it was Andres Chaparro, who had a great second half. With Garcia gone, there is now a lot of uncertainty.

    Following the Garcia trade, the plan was for Abimelec Ortiz to slide into that role of being the first baseman against righties. However, that has not gone according to plan. Ortiz is hitting just .194 with a .592 OPS in 42 games. Despite having some promising batted ball data, Ortiz has not done enough to take the spot.

    I am not giving up on Ortiz, but you also cannot hand him a big role unless he shows a lot next spring. He has really gotten exposed after a hot start. In his last 28 games, Ortiz is hitting just .143 with a .390 OPS. The 24 year old has not been able to make the adjustments after pitchers figured out how to attack him.

    However, the Nats have shown that they like to platoon a lot and Ortiz is the only left handed bat in the mix. This could give him a longer leash and put him in the mix for playing time. It also means the Nats could look to go outside the organization for a left handed first base option. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of left handed corner infield profiles set to hit free agency.

    That either means they will give Ortiz more runway, or they will give more responsibility to their right handed bats. I think that second option is the way to go. Andres Chaparro has finally broken out of that Quad-A label this second half and has established himself as a big league slugger.

    Since the break, Chaparro is hitting .292 with 10 homers and a .962 OPS. The 27 year old has consistently provided clutch hits and a lot of power. He has arguably been the team’s best hitter in the second half. Given his production, I would feel confident in giving Chappy a larger role, much like what the team did with Curtis Mead.

    Chaparro has also shown an ability to hit right handed pitching when given the opportunity. In 71 AB’s against righties, Chaparro is hitting .296 with an .888 OPS. His numbers against righties are actually better than they are against lefties. That is impressive for a guy who is mostly known as a lefty crusher.

    Obviously, Chaparro has locked down a roster spot for next season. However, I think he has made a strong case for every day playing time. Platooning is part of this front office’s philosophy, but I think the gap between Ortiz and Chaparro is wide enough to ignore that. Unless Ortiz takes a big offseason leap, Chaparro needs to be playing more next season.

    There is also a third name that is making his case. For most of the season, Yohandy Morales was dominating in AAA. His surface level numbers in Rochester were better than Ortiz’s. However, some underlying concerns with Morales made the front office hesitant to call him up. Morales chases a lot, whiffs more than you would like and hits the ball on the ground quite a bit.

    That is usually a very bad combination. However, Morales made it work in the minors thanks to how hard he hits the ball. The Nats finally gave Morales a shot in September, and he looks a lot like he did in AAA. Morales has yet to draw a walk and he strikes out a lot. He has still been productive thanks to his power though.

    In 15 games, Morales is hitting .279 with 4 homers and a .930 OPS. That raw power is making up for some of the holes in his profile. So far, Morales has a 92.5 MPH average EV, a 64.5% hard hit rate and a 16.1% barrel rate. 

    All of those numbers are elite and his power has been super impressive. The home run he hit yesterday was an example of his truly elite raw power. It is rare to see a righty hit one out the other way in a big ballpark like Comerica but that is exactly what Morales did.

    He has put his name in the mix for a roster spot in 2027. The difficult part is finding a way to fit both Morales and Chaparro. Ideally you would want a lefty to be part of a platoon. However, these two right handed bats have looked so much better than the left handed Ortiz.

    This creates a bit of a dilemma for Paul Toboni this offseason. It was mentioned on the broadcast that the Nats are working on Morales’ third base defense. However, Brady House also needs playing time and has looked good since being recalled from AAA. 

    Honestly, this is a position to watch in the offseason. I could see a world where one of Chaparro, Morales or even House get traded this offseason. There is a lot of overlap with their offensive skillsets. Maybe they give Ortiz another shot or they try to find a left handed corner bat. 

    I don’t necessarily think you have to have a left handed bat in the mix. However, from everything we know about this front office, I am not sure they agree with that. The impressive showings by Chaparro and Morales, combined with Ortiz struggling has put the Nats in an interesting position this offseason. Paul Toboni will have to figure out what he wants to do with these corner bats.

    Karl-Anthony Towns extension talks stall as Knicks face $276 million question

    LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 13: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks flexes after scoring against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter of a semifinal game of the Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena on December 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Knicks defeated the Magic 132-120. 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 Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

    Karl-Anthony Towns and the New York Knicks are approaching training camp without a contract extension, and one of the biggest financial questions surrounding their championship core remains widely unresolved.

    ESPN’s Shams Charania and Vincent Goodwill first reported Wednesday that extension talks have stagnated following extensive offseason discussions. An agreement is considered unlikely before training camp, with media day scheduled for Monday.

    “Talks have been described to me as cordial, there just has not been movement on a deal — especially as of late,” Charania reported.

    Towns is eligible for an extension worth up to four years and $276 million, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. He will earn $57 million this season and holds a $61 million player option for 2027-28.

    Newsday’s Steve Popper confirmed that the Knicks and Towns remain far enough apart that negotiations could linger into the regular season and potentially beyond.

    New York has made it clear that the franchise wants to keep Towns, and league sources have indicated Towns is willing to accept less than his maximum contract to re-sign with the Knicks.

    The central disagreement appears to be how large that discount will be. New York is attempting to preserve flexibility while owner James Dolan has publicly pushed to keep the franchise below the punitive second apron, but there might be a breaking point Towns is not willing to get past.

    Even then, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that conversations have remained positive and that the Knicks have made clear they want Towns long-term. Begley also revealed that New York has discussed extension structures with Towns beginning in the $45 million-to-$50 million annual range.

    Those figures would leave Towns well below his maximum, yet The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy also emphasized that neither side has abandoned an agreement even though talks have stalled a bit.

    “There’s been plenty of conversations with KAT, all cordial, all positive,” Bondy reported, citing a league source. “(Knicks) want KAT to be (there) for a long time. And just because a deal isn’t done now doesn’t mean it can’t get done.”

    Towns, meanwhile, publicly expressed the same desire to stay in New York last winter. “Hell yeah I want to stay here,” Towns told The New York Post in December. “Obviously, get a chance to be home, see my family. It means more than the money, you know. So just to be able to be here with the fans, be with the family. It means a lot. I would like it to continue.”

    ESPN’s Brian Windhorst identified Towns’ $61 million option and the Knicks’ self-imposed second apron restriction as the heart of the negotiations and the main hurdle to clear before an agreement is reached.

    “What KAT does will determine if Knicks core can stay together,” Windhorst said. “He’s got a $61 million option for not this season, next season. Knicks have said, ‘We don’t wanna be in second apron.’ If he picks up that option, they’re gonna be in the second apron.”

    Windhorst believes the relationship between Towns’ agency, CAA, and the Knicks increases the chances of a deal. Knicks president Leon Rose previously represented Towns, while CAA also represents Jalen Brunson and other New York players.

    “I honestly believe this is all gonna work out even if, again, you hear a little bit of wavering in the first couple of days of camp,” Windhorst said. “If James Dolan messes this up. Let Leon Rose and CAA do their business, and I think Karl-Anthony Towns will figure it out.”

    The Knicks already allowed Mitchell Robinson to leave in free agency while managing their second-apron restriction. Josh Hart is also extension-eligible, while Brunson and OG Anunoby will become eligible next offseason, making for a tight cap situation in New York.

    For now, Towns will report to training camp without a new agreement but ready to help the Knicks defend the title it took the franchise 53 years to reclaim.

    What We Know Halfway Through Preseason

    We're now at the halfway mark of preseason, so what do we know about the Edmonton Oilers so far?

    Mike Babcock has players Isaac Howard beside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, Ryan Shea beside Evan Bouchard, and Colton Dach at centre. Viljami Marjala looks good, and Devon Levi has an opportunity with Frederik Andersen injured.

    Of course, it's also preseason, so maybe everyone should be careful about deciding too much from any of this.

    Wasn't it just a few days ago that Mike Babcock said he didn't particularly like Howard's game?

    Howard had been having a good camp, played one exhibition game his coach didn't love and then played more than 17 minutes with Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman against Winnipeg. He didn't record a shot, Edmonton only had 18 as a team and there wasn't much offence from anyone.

    “It was just a gritty game. There wasn't a ton of chances either way. I think we just stuck with it,” Howard said. “I didn't think there was a ton going on that game. It was just a simple game.”

    Howard has talked about becoming a full-time NHL player, wanting the puck more and making his game simpler when he doesn't have it. Hyman has talked about the work Howard has put into the details of his game and everything that comes with playing in the NHL.

    Why You Shouldn't Take Preseason Too SeriouslyWhy You Shouldn't Take Preseason Too SeriouslyIsaac Howard played more than 17 minutes for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers#google_vignette">Edmonton Oilers</a> against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night and finished the night with no shots in a 2-1 overtime win.

    Halfway through preseason, that's still where the conversation is with Howard.

    Colton Dach at centre was surprising, but I guess someone's gotta center Alex Formenton and Mathieu Joseph. The line was Babcock's favourite in Edmonton's 5-2 win over Winnipeg, scoring an empty-net goal.

    “I was hoping for Docker big time today,” Babcock said. “We need him to be a player, and for him to play the way he did in his first exhibition game this year, playing in the middle… I didn't know if I had put him in a bad spot, to be honest with you. But I was so happy with that line.”

    Formenton's role hasn't taken very long to establish during camp. He scored on a breakaway in his first preseason game, had another one stopped and drew a penalty after getting behind Winnipeg's defence.

    “Pretty good, eh?” Babcock said. “I mean, what a difference maker he's going to be for us. An elite penalty killer, puts pressure on the other team.”

    Oilers Bubble Players Impress In Tight Preseason Win Over JetsOilers Bubble Players Impress In Tight Preseason Win Over JetsViljami Marjala’s overtime heroics and standout defensive performances from Atro Leppänen and Damien Carfagna force tough roster decisions as Edmonton’s youth depth shines against the Jets.

    Ryan Shea has had himself a good camp too, playing 22:31 beside Bouchard in Edmonton's first preseason game and finishing with a goal and two assists.

    Shea played 39 NHL games last season and he probably didn't expect to play beside Bouchard just yet. That said, playing beside Bouchard has given him plenty of minutes during the first half of preseason.

    Marjala scored the overtime winner against Winnipeg, and if he doesn't stick around, he's in first call-up territory, but so is Connor Clattenburg.

    Clattenburg was called up by Edmonton last season and is comfortable with role he fills on that team. He said during rookie camp that the Oilers are “just looking for the next guy up,” and Edmonton already has injuries before getting through September.

    The Mike Babcock Love: Why Are The Oilers "Laying It On So Thick"?The Mike Babcock Love: Why Are The Oilers "Laying It On So Thick"?Edmonton’s superstars are showering their polarizing new coach with praise, sparking theories that the public display of unity is a calculated smokescreen to avoid a bigger storyline.

    Devon Levi is in a unique spot while Andersen is out, stopping 22 of 23 shots against Winnipeg in his first preseason start.

    Levi came into camp behind Andersen and Tristan Jarry, but Andersen's injury means he can prove he should stick around over Jarry if he uses this time appropriately. 

    At the halfway point of preseason, we know that Howard is in the top nine, Dach is playing centre, and Shea is beside Bouchard. Marjala is producing, Levi is getting starts, and Clattenburg is waiting to get healthy.

    See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

    Submit your questions for The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast

    Send in your questions now for this week’s episode of The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast to discuss everything Pistons. Submit your question in the comments section here or on Twitter to @TheRealWesD3 and/or @RobbieBettelon. If you’re on BlueSky, you can also send to @RobbieBettelon.bksy.social.

    Join us live on Friday afternoon as Wes and Robbie discuss Pistons news late into September. What questions would you like to add to the show?

    Plus, The Pindown has a phone line where you can leave a message and hear your voice on the show. Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message around 45 seconds or less so we can fit everyone into the show.

    The podcast will be uploaded to all audio platforms the following morning.

    The Pindown: A Detroit Pistons Podcast Vitals:

    When: Friday, September 25th at 2:45 p.m. ET

    Where: Detroit Bad Boys YouTube Channel

    How to submit questions:

    • Detroit Bad Boys Website: Comment section of the weekly Pindown episode articles.
    • Call (313) 355-2717 and leave us a voicemail with your question. Please try to keep the message to 45 seconds or less.
    • Twitter: @detroitbadboys, @RobbieBettelon, or @therealwesd3
    • YouTube: Chat section of The Pindown live recording — Subscribe here

    As always, leave any questions or topics you want to be discussed in the comment section below.

    Go Stones.

    How do you feel about the ABS system after season one?

    Automated ball-strike system or ABS is being used for review as Arkansas Razorbacks take on Tennessee Volunteers during the SEC baseball tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Ala. on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Tennessee Volunteers 8-4. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co

    Entering the 2026 season, the introduction of the automated balls and strikes challenge system was a major topic. Throughout the early part of the season, we were heavily focused on who was winning or losing challenges, and what the best strategies for hitters and for pitcher and catchers were to get the most calls in their favor without squandering challenges in low leverage spots. As the season went on, the whole process became more natural and integrated into the approach on both sides of the ball. In low leverage situations, you absolutely better be correct. In higher leverage situations, it’s more reasonable to take a shot at a pitch the hitter or catcher feels is really a borderline call. And so, the game of baseball changes and keeps moving.

    Having watched the evolution of the technology unfold in Low-A and Triple-A, there was less of an adjustment period for fans who do follow the minor leagues. Indeed, the real annoyance for prospect writers now is the dark mode at High-A and Double-A, where there is no public Statcast data, and players who broke into full season ball using the system are then left up to the widely varying skills of minor league umpires through two levels, before getting back to ABS ball in Triple-A. Evaluating hitters in particular through those changing rule sets is a bit trickier.

    Overall, the league did a really good job developing and implementing the ABS system. It’s quick enough not to impede the flow of the game much, and the two challenge allotment keeps it from being used excessively. We could argue about whether there should be one challenge allowed or three, or whether teams should automatically get an additional challenge in the eighth and ninth innings to help insure that in the highest leverage situations and most pressure packed moments, that the game isn’t decided by the umpires, but overall I’d call it a pretty solid success.

    As a somewhat older fan now, do I love every aspect of it? Not really. Catchers used to be able to expand the zone with their target, and if the pitcher hit the glove without much movement required, you could expand the edges of the strike zone, which rewarded pitchers with good command. On the other side of it, if that catcher set up inside and you missed your target by two feet, it was never a strike even if it techically caught the by the book strike zone. Those differences have really taken some getting used to over the past few years as the system was tested in the minors.

    And of course, this impacts how the game is played and how it will be taught and played moving forward. The strict zone now enforced really puts even more emphasis on raw stuff, because you have to be able to draw whiffs and weak contact in the zone. The emphasis on velocity, spin, and nasty offspeed stuff over precision command is only going to continue to grow, and the soft tossing command artists of the past have very little space in the game at this point. Such is the way of things as ambiguity becomes a problem to be solved rather than just a fact of life.

    The benefits are there as well though. Watching a game end on a really bad ball or strike call was one of the more infuriating things in sports. Perhaps that sort of thing does build character, but it always felt brutal to be on the wrong end of one of those calls. Taking more of the umpire’s discretion out of the game was necessary, and it doesn’t help that the explosion of legal sports gambling has only added suspicion about games or individual pitches or plays in the major sports being rigged somehow. This short-circuited a lot of those concerns in baseball, at least in terms of the umpires.

    What do you think? After a year of the ABS, do you like it or not? What would you change if you were running the Show?

    Blackhawks Training Camp Roster Cut To 32 As 5 Players Sent To IceHogs Camp

    The Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday announced a new wave of roster moves as training camp comes closer and closer to ending. These 4 players were sent to the Rockford IceHogs on loan: 

    • Jiri Felcman
    • Martin Misiak
    • Marek Vanacker
    • Dylan Anhorn

    These are four players who are all signed to deals that allow them to be at camp without PTOs. Dylan Anhorn is a little bit older at 27, but the other three are young guys who have potential futures in the NHL. 

    In the case of Martin Misiak, he continues to get better with every passing year. He was one of Chicago's most impressive players at the Prospect Showcase and is looking to have a big year in Rockford. 

    As for Vanacker, he will go down to the IceHogs and could be called up as early as this year. As a former first-round pick in 2024, many believe he can be a difference-maker once he reaches the NHL. 

    Brett Seney, who was at camp on a PTO, was released from that and assigned to Rockford. His NHL tenure has come and gone, but he is one of the better leaders across the entire AHL. Seney will play a role in helping the young IceHogs progress in their pro careers. 

    Chicago's roster now sits at 32 players. 20 forwards, 9 defensemen, and 3 goalies make up camp going into Thursday's sessions. 

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    Yankees’ Austin Wells gets engaged to girlfriend in stunning beach scene: ‘Best off day’

    Yankees catcher Austin Wells got engaged to girlfriend Caroline Nielson.
    Yankees catcher Austin Wells got engaged to girlfriend Caroline Nielson.

    It’s been an exciting September for Austin Wells off the field — and the Yankees hope there will be a thrilling October on it to match.

    The Yankees catcher got engaged to girlfriend Caroline Nielson earlier this month, according to photos she shared of the proposal on Instagram.

    Nielson posted Wednesday photos of a touching beach scene with Wells down on one knee before the couple embraces.

    Yankees catcher Austin Wells got engaged to girlfriend Caroline Nielson. Austin Wells / Instagram

    The “forever and ever” caption suggests that the proposal took place Sept. 3 — an off day for the Yankees between series in California against the Angels and Padres.

    They also included a photo of their daughter, Lucy, as part of the joyous moment.

    Several significant others of Yankees teammates were quick to toast the couple in the comments section.

    “My heart!!!!! Let’s get these two married!!! ������♥♥♥♥” wrote Ava O’Connor, who is dating outfielder Spencer Jones.

    The couple got engaged on Sept. 3. Austin Wells / Instagram

    “The best off day in the history of off days,” wrote Carlos Rodon’s wife, Ashley.

    “SCREAMING CRYING,” wrote Ben Rice’s girlfriend, Sara Falkson.

    It is unclear when the couple first started dating. They announced that Nielson was expecting a child last November in one of the first public signs of a relationship.

    Before the big day, Wells has an important postseason in front of him.

    The engagement took place in California. Austin Wells / Instagram

    The 27-year-old catcher has somewhat rebounded from a miserable start to the season, pushing his average up to .185 after dipping down to .150 in July.

    Wells, who is respected by the Yankees for his skills behind the plate, will likely be a mainstay in the lineup during the postseason.

    That will begin next week when the Yankees in all likelihood will take on the Red Sox in a best-of-three wild card series in The Bronx.

    Wells did have perhaps his biggest moment in pinstripes when the rivals met last season in the same round, driving home the game-winning run with an eighth-inning single in Game 2.

    Austin Wells hits an RBI double during the second inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., on Aug. 23, 2026. Robert Sabo for NY Post

    The Yankees evened the series that night and went on to win Game 3 the following evening.

    Now, Wells and the Yankees will look for an even deeper postseason run with Nielson no doubt cheering him on from the stands.