ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 29: Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley (27) hits a three-run home run during the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Atlanta Braves in game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on September 29th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There’s no real answer here. Coverage of Game 2 will also start quite soon. Have at it if you want, or just wait around for actual game-related stuff.
I will say that even though it was super-awesome, Austin Riley’s three-run go-ahead blast didn’t actually register that high on cWPA. Even among the current Braves run from 2018-on, it was barely within the top 25 (23rd) in cWPA, worth about four percent of title likelihood. It wasn’t even that big of a deal for Riley, as he’s had seven bigger hits. His biggest was the single in Game 4 of the World Series that brought the Braves to within a run and put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, but the Braves actually failed to score more there and needed the later back-to-back homers to pull ahead. Nor was it his biggest homer, as that goes to the tiebreaking shot in Game 1 of the 2020 NLCS.
But, this is about how you feel about Riley’s season — before yesterday’s eighth inning, and now.
BALTIMORE, MD - CIRCA 1988: (L) George Bell #11, Lloyd Moseby #15 and Jesse Barfield #29 of the Toronto Blue Jays poses together for his portrait prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles circa 1988 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Moseby played for the Blue Jay from 1980-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thirty-Seven Years Ago
The Blue Jays clinched first place in the AL East by defeating the Orioles 4-3. A dramatic three-run rally in the eighth inning erased a 3-1 deficit and sealed the win.
Here was the starting lineup:
Lloyd Moseby CF
Mookie Wilson LF
Fred McGriff 1B
George Bell DH
Ernie Whitt C
Kelly Gruber 3B
Nelson Liriano 2B
Junior Felix RF
Jimmy Key started but was limited to four innings, surrendering eight hits and three earned runs, with no walks and six strikeouts. Frank Wills provided four shutout innings of relief, giving up just one hit. Tom Henke closed out the ninth for his 20th save.
The eighth inning proved decisive. Nelson Liriano worked a walk against Dave Johnson, prompting a pitching change. Kevin Hickey entered and walked pinch-hitter Manny Lee, with Rob Ducey pinch-running. Mark Williamson then replaced Hickey. Lloyd Moseby sacrificed both runners into scoring position. Mookie Wilson singled in a run, Fred McGriff drove home the tying run, and George Bell hit a sacrifice fly to give Toronto the lead.
Tom Henke made quick work of the ninth, striking out two to secure the victory.
The Blue Jays ultimately fell to the Athletics in five games in the ALCS.
That roster featured some impressive performances:
Fred McGriff, at 25, posted a .269/.399/.525 line with 36 home runs. Critics pointed to his 92 RBIs, suggesting that with fewer walks (he drew 119), he could have reached 100 RBIs.
Tony Fernandez endured a down year, finishing at .257/.291/.389.
Kelly Gruber contributed a .290/.328/.448 line with 18 home runs.
George Bell batted .297/.330/.458, adding 18 home runs and 104 RBIs.
Dave Stieb went 17-8 with a 3.35 ERA in 33 starts, though he completed just three games.
Jimmy Key finished 13-14 with a 3.88 ERA.
John Cerutti posted an 11-11 record and a 3.07 ERA.
Mike Flanagan went 8-10 with a 3.93 ERA.
Todd Stottlemyre finished 7-7 with a 3.88 ERA.
Tom Henke recorded a 1.92 ERA and 20 saves.
Duane Ward notched a 3.77 ERA and 15 saves.
Eleven Years Ago
The Blue Jays clinched their first playoff berth since 1993 by winning the opening game of a doubleheader against the Orioles, securing the AL East crown.
I’m not doing a recap…you guys saw it. Marcus Stroman was unhittable. Our offence was great. And the Orioles helped out by not being able to field.
Some quick points:
8 innings of 1-run ball from Marcus Stroman…how amazing has he been? He’s gone through so much; he deserves this.
We scored 15 runs on 18 hits and 10 walks.
Ryan Goins was 5 for 5 with a double and a beauty of a bunt single.
Revere, Donaldson, and Pillar each had 2 hits.
Encarnacion hit his 37th home run, getting RBI 107 and 108.
Bautista and Smoak hit home runs in the top of the 9th.
The GameThread for game two has to go up in just a few minutes, so I’m going to end it here, and the new GameThread will go up.
Give a JoD to all the players, to Gibby and to Alex. And let’s take one each for ourselves.
We dropped the second game of the doubleheader (played in the rain), as Gibby rested the regulars. Here was our lineup:
Pompey CF
Pennington LF
Carrera RF
Colabello DH
Hague 1B
Thole C
Kawasaki 3B
Barney 2B
Diaz SS
Some of those names barely register from their time with the Jays.
R.A. Dickey tossed five scoreless innings (allowing only two hits and no walks), but the bullpen surrendered eight runs.
After a thrilling ALDS win, the Jays dropped the first two games but rebounded to take the next three (Jose Bautista starred, driving in five runs with a 0.41 WPA in the series). However, Toronto fell to the Royals in six games in the ALCS.
A few birthdays to note today, though none warrant a full post:
Trent Thornton turns 33 today. Acquired from the Astros for Aledmys Diaz, he pitched in 108 games (36 starts, including some as an opener) over five seasons with the Jays, compiling a 7-14 record and a 4.77 ERA. He’s spent the last year and a half with the Mariners.
Hagen Danner turns 28 today. He logged just 0.1 innings for Toronto in 2023 and spent much of this season injured. Here’s hoping he’s healthy next year and can contribute to the bullpen.
Craig Kusick would have turned 84. He passed away in 2006 at 57. He played 23 games for the Jays in 1979—his final MLB season. Previously, he spent seven years with the Twins. The first baseman finished his career with a .235/.342/.392 line in 496 games.
Bryan Bullington turns 46. He threw six innings for the Blue Jays in 2009, appearing in parts of five seasons and 26 games overall.
Curtis Goodwin turns 54. His final two games of a five-year Jays career came in 1999. He played 431 games in the majors, batting .248/.307/.302.
Brian Moran turns 38. In 2020, he pitched one inning across two games for Toronto. Over three seasons, he logged 11.1 innings—but this guy is a big fan:
May 19, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
The offense struggled at key points. The Royals got off to a slow start this spring with a 22-37 record entering June. The club posted a .650 OPS in May as the offense couldn’t get into an early season rhythm.
Things started to turn around down the stretch. Rookie catcher Carter Jensen began to ascend behind the plate and Jac Caglianone tapped into his immense power. Both players won the American League Player of the Month award.
Yet, the Royals couldn’t overcome their early strugles. It’s easy to point to down seasons from Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino, among others. The trio dealt with injuries at different times, which zapped their production.
What I believe this move signals is that the Royals feel there’s more to come from their offensive performance. I can’t disagree there, but the club would be better served to finding two or three productive bats from outside the org. The Picollo Era has been marked by awarding too many plate appearances to too many sub-mediocre hitters.
Zumwalt has been in the sights for a segment of this fan base for the better part of two seasons. I get it. When a team underperforms—and the Royals have certainly underperformed—there needs to be accountability. Owner John Sherman’s guy is Picollo. Picollo’s guy is Quatraro. So someone on the coaching staff needs to take the fall. Or be reassigned.
Philip Ruo at Royals Keep evaluates Royals hitters the Royals picked up last season, like Isaac Collins.
In one respect, Collins succeeded in solidifying left field. Collins accounted for 78% of the plate appearances from Royals left fielders in 2026. He also provided a noticeable improvement in offensive production with a slash line of .214/.321/.324 with an 84 wRC+ and 0.2 fWAR. However, his wRC+ and fWAR rank second-to-last and last among qualified primary left fielders. Collins was brought in for his on-base skills and plate discipline, but he saw a noticeable decline in his xwOBA from .322 in 2025 to .294 in 2026, which places him in the 15th percentile in the majors.
As the Mets enter the offseason, they'll be facing a familiar challenge: put together a team that can get them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2024.
David Stearnsand the front office failed in that regard last offseason, due in part to the drastic changes that were made to the roster and coaching staff. There were other things at play, including long-term injuries to Francisco Lindor and Clay Holmes, some worst-case scenarios playing out, and an over-reliance on bounce backs.
This time around, the Mets will almost certainly have much less turnover, but that doesn't mean the overall result in 2026 wasn't an abject failure.
New York had a 34-31 record after the All-Star break, which was a big improvement after things spun out of control in the first half and led to a trade deadline sell-off.
But the most important developments for the Mets after their dismal start? The emergence of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, the impressive return of Christian Scott, the moxie and performance of Zac Thornton, and some good late-season signs from Jonah Tong.
The above should give the Mets confidence that they're in solid shape when it comes to their lineup and a chunk of the starting rotation. They have an emerging young core to complement their more established stars, and potentially have high-upside players coming soon from the upper levels of the minors. But serious help is still needed this winter.
Specifically, the Mets need to add external help at first base, address the DH spot, bolster the bullpen with multiple new arms (including a back end option), and -- most importantly -- find a pitcher who profiles at the very top of the rotation.
In both 2025 and 2026, the Mets were done in, due in large part to not having enough starting pitching depth. And it can be argued that they left themselves short one legitimate starter both times. That can't happen again, so New York should be focused on pairing a new prospective ace with another addition who profiles in the middle or back of the rotation.
About that ace ... it's not difficult to figure out that it should be Tarik Skubal.
In one of the weakest free agent classes in recent memory, Skubal stands out even more than he ordinarily would.
Fresh off back-to-back Cy Young awards, the 29-year-old Skubal posted a 2.72 ERA (2.51 FIP) and 0.96 WHIP while walking just 1.5 per nine innings and striking out 186 batters in 158.2 innings in 2026.
Aug 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning at Comerica Park. / Lon Horwedel - Imagn Images
Skubal's season was briefly interrupted by NanoScope surgery on his pitching elbow that kept him out of action from April 30 through June 13. But he continued to be dominant upon his return. After having a 2.70 ERA (2.11 FIP) over his first seven starts, Skubal had a 2.73 ERA (2.66 FIP) in the 19 starts he made post-surgery, with 10 of them coming after he was dealt to the Dodgers at the trade deadline.
During Stearns' end-of-season news conference on Monday at Citi Field, he was asked multiple times about the Mets' offseason plan for adding pitching, but unsurprisingly didn't offer much when asked in a roundabout way about a possible Skubal pursuit.
"I do think it is necessary for us to add to our rotation," Stearns said. "We can do that in a variety of different ways. We've talked about this plenty before -- you'd always love to add to the top of your rotation, any team would love to do that -- over the long term, what we need to do is develop pitchers at the top of our rotation, and I think we are proving we can do that, and we'll continue to do that."
While Stearns refused to make any declarations about the type of pitcher the Mets would go after, it is pointless to read into that.
For one, Skubal is still under contract with the Dodgers, and no executive is going to talk about going after a player who is on another team.
Second, and even more importantly, no exec is going to tip his or her hand entirely and risk wrecking leverage ahead of possible negotiations.
While Stearns (smartly) won't say it, I will: The Mets should make Skubal the centerpiece of their offseason plan, using the resources at their disposal to add one of the most talented pitchers in the sport to slot in front of Nolan McLean.
The Mets' biggest need this offseason is at the top of their rotation, with Skubal a nearly perfect way to fill that need. And Skubal will cost only money, since the midseason trade from Detroit to Los Angeles makes him ineligible for a qualifying offer and the draft pick compensation it would've required from any team that signed him.
When discussing Skubal and the Mets, it's obviously instructive to consider Stearns' philosophy when it comes to signing pitchers to long-term deals. Specifically, he has not shown much interest in signing pitchers in their late-20s or 30s to those kind of pacts -- and that philosophy is generally a valid one.
For every long-term, big-money deal to a pitcher 29 or older that works out (Max Scherzer's seven-year deal with the Nationals looks incredible in retrospect, and the Yankees' deal for Max Fried is aging well), you can point to a whole bunch that didn't or currently aren't (Patrick Corbin, Jacob deGrom, Jordan Zimmermann, Felix Hernandez, Corbin Burnes).
As far as how Stearns has operated in the past, it's fair to throw what he did in Milwaukee out the window given the payroll constraints he was working under.
Jun 26, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks during a press conference before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. The club earlier today parted ways with manager Carlos Mendoza (not pictured). / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
But except for a serious pursuit of then-25-year-old Yoshinobu Yamamoto ahead of the 2024 season, Stearns' main forays into the free agent starting pitching market with the Mets have been measured:
Sean Manaea: Three years, $75 million Clay Holmes: Three years, $38 million Frankie Montas: Two years, $34 million Luis Severino: One year, $13 million Griffin Canning: One year, $4.25 million
Of those signings, Holmes was the biggest success as the Mets turned him back into a starter after he spent years in relief. But that success resulted in Holmes being set to opt out after the second season of his contract, which led to New York trading him at the deadline.
During his time leading the Mets' baseball operations, Stearns has been reluctant to offer deals to starting pitchers (except Yamamoto) that exceed three years. When that is your philosophy, the risk is obviously lower. But sometimes a calculated risk is needed.
When it comes to Skubal, there is risk. In addition to the minor surgery he had this season, Skubal underwent flexor tendon surgery in 2022 and had Tommy John surgery in 2017.
Skubal is also likely to receive the biggest deal ever for a starting pitcher when it comes to average annual value. Maybe his age (30 when next season begins) and yearly value of his deal will make the years easier to stomach, but something like $400 million for eight years is easy to imagine.
There's also the looming lockout and new CBA to consider.
While it's difficult to envision the players caving on a hard salary cap, it's fair to believe the new CBA will include stiffer penalties for teams that exceed the luxury tax thresholds.
But even after considering all of that, it's still reasonable to conclude that the Mets should go after Skubal with gusto -- that he should be the exception to Stearns' rule, maybe with a slight nudge from owner Steve Cohen.
Things could always go sideways, as they often do with long-term deals for older starting pitchers. But there's no reason to think Skubal won't be exceptional for the first half of any deal he signs, which would also theoretically line up with a World Series window the Mets will hope to be entering.
When you look at Skubal, who combines one of the best arsenals in baseball with perhaps the best command in baseball (and whose metrics look like this), the biggest risk for the Mets would be not going all-in on him.
After taking the first game of the series in dominant fashion, the Yankees look to take care of business tonight in the Bronx. The Bombers hand the ball to veteran lefty and ace Max Fried. What can Fried do to follow up on Schlittler’s gem in the opener and send Boston home for the winter? Let’s preview Game 2 of this Wild Card Series.
Fried’s body of work was spectacular, but limited in 2026. In 20 starts this season, he posted a 2.80 ERA and a 0.994 WHIP, racking up 104 strikeouts over 112.2 frames while holding opponents to a meager .201 average. In his last two starts of the regular season, Fried dominated Minnesota, going seven strong innings of one-run ball on September 15th, before stumbling slightly against the Rays on September 22nd, when he took a loss after allowing four runs over 6.2 innings.
The 32-year-old Fried squared off with the Red Sox twice during the 2026 regular season. Back on April 22nd, he abandoned his windup mid-game to pitch entirely from the stretch and went eight dominant innings in Boston, striking out nine and giving up only three hits.
Fried’s most recent encounter with the Beantown Boys was on August 29th, when he was coming off the injured list. In that game, he tossed 3.2 frames of one-run ball to help the Yankees to a 9-2 victory. Even though it was last year, we’d also be remiss if we didn’t note that Fried fired 6.1 innings of shutout ball against Boston in the 2025 Wild Card Series opener.
When facing left-handed starters like Fried, the Red Sox usually counter with a lineup heavily anchored by switch-hitters Adley Rutschman and Nick Sogard, alongside right-handed bats Willson Contreras, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Trevor Story. With Roman Anthony leaving Game 1 with an injury, we will have to wait and see what the Red Sox do to try and get some offense. Few Red Sox hitters have many at-bats vs. Fried, but Story has gone 5-for-22 with two home runs off Fried.
Boston counters with right-handed Sonny Gray. The former Yankee has put together a great season as a 36-year-old. After logging an 18-5 record over 29 starts with a 2.72 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and 149 strikeouts in 169 innings, many Red Sox fans would argue “their guy” should be in the down-ballot Cy Young race. Gray is coming off a masterful performance against the Guardians on September 23rd, firing six scoreless innings while earning his 18th win. Over his last three starts, he has surrendered six earned runs across 18.1 innings. Gray attacks hitters with a heavy dose of four-seam fastballs paired with hard-sweeping sliders and multi-quadrant breaking balls.
Gray had one meh start and one really, really good start against the Yankees in the regular season. His numbers ended up at 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts. He outlasted the Yankees in the Stadium on June 5th, giving up three runs over 6.1 innings for a 5-3 win, though the Bombers did tally eight hits in that game. He followed that up on June 28th with a big personal performance, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning and recording his 2,000th career strikeout.
However, Gray has not faced this Yankees lineup and arguably faced the Yankees this season when they were at their worst.
Meanwhile, the Yankees’ playoff roster is finally the chess board Brian Cashman has tried to provide Aaron Boone with for years, even if the team is still missing the most important offensive piece on the roster. With a right-hander on the bump to start the game, I expect the Yankees to roll a lefty-heavy lineup out of the starting gate despite Gray’s splits showing he has been just as effective versus lefties as righties.
My bold prediction is that Boone will start two right-handed bats tonight in George Lombard Jr. and Amed Rosario. Rosario is 7-for-24 lifetime vs. Gray, while Ryan McMahon is 1-for-11 — though the contact-oriented Fried has generally preferred to have the more defensively adept McMahon at the hot corner. The good news for the Yankees is Trade Deadline acquisition Luis Garcia Jr. is 4-for-10 with a home run, and Game 1 hero Ben Rice is 3-for-7 with two home runs. Those are good for a 1.200 and 1.841 OPS, respectively. Trent Grisham might not start, but he has also hit Gray well, sitting at a .500 average in 10 at-bats with a home run and a 1.445 OPS of his own. The cherry on top is Spencer Jones is also batting .500 against Gray with a double sprinkled into those three hits. Maybe this is all Small Sample Theatre, but it’s worth considering.
The Red Sox have lefties galore on their staff and, in an elimination game, will have to lay all their cards on the table. If you decide to keep score at home, I would recommend a pencil tonight and be ready for lots of scratches through the lineup card, as each pitching change could very well be met with a counter in the batter’s box.
Jaylen Brown’s departure from the Boston Celtics won’t just impact the team offensively and defensively on the court, it also will force other players to step up and take on more of a leadership role.
Jayson Tatum, as the team’s best player and face of the franchise, is shouldering more of a leadership responsibility entering the 2026-27 NBA season.
And the team’s most experienced player is impressed with what he’s seen so far.
“From the outside looking in, I always thought (Tatum) was one of the best players in the league. Getting to know him now, he’s a guy I feel like is really coming into his own as a leader,” Celtics guard Mike Conley Jr. told reporters Wednesday.
“A guy that’s ready to make a jump. I think after the last couple years with the injury, he has a lot to prove, and he’s out there trying to prove it. I’m excited for him and his growth throughout the time I’m around him. I’m going to try to help him as best I can.”
Conley provided some specific examples of Tatum stepping up as a leader.
“In L.A. he called everyone and said let’s go work out, let’s go meet, let’s spend about seven or eight days out there and go golf, go out to eat,” Conley said. “He’s setting up all kinds of things off the court.
“He’s bringing in huddles after practices and every workout we have, he has something to say, calling guys out and just really taking ownership of the situation. I think that’s big.”
Conley is about to enter his 20th season. He and Kevin Durant are the only players from the 2007 NBA Draft who are still playing.
The 39-year-old guard isn’t a starter-level player anymore, but he remains one of the most respected veterans in the league and a great locker room presence. His experience and wisdom should help Tatum and many other Celtics players improve as leaders this season.
Now, the Flyers have to build on it. The new 84-game regular season starts Wednesday when the Flyers welcome the Penguins for their anticipated opener (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT). Flyers Pregame Live starts at 6:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Flyers Postgame Live will come after the final buzzer.
“We hope our young guys take another step,” Briere said a little over two weeks ago. “And if they do, I think we’ll be very competitive. I think last year, going into the season, we were just hoping to be competitive, we were hoping to be in the mix. In or out of the playoffs was going to be a good season.
“I see us as more competitive than we were last year and a better team than we were last year. Where it leaves us, time will tell. But certainly, I’m hoping that after the players tasted the playoffs last year, that they’re eager to get back there once again.”
Before the puck drops at Xfinity Mobile Arena, let’s get into our Flyers Fearless Forecast, featuring projections for how the team will finish and a random assortment of bold predictions from NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jordan Hall, Ashlyn Sullivan and Joe Fordyce.
Hall
Flyers prediction/Cup prediction
The Flyers’ run to the playoffs last season was particularly impressive when you consider they had lost 12 of 15 games prior to the Olympic break in February. There’s reason to believe they can avoid such a funk this season, which would put them in good position for consecutive postseason berths.
The club’s lineup didn’t change a whole lot this offseason, but the addition of Joseph Woll could be critical. Last season, the Flyers’ skid coincided with Dan Vladar getting hurt. The team struggled mightily to stop the bleeding.
Woll, the new backup goaltender, has starter’s experience and played in a pressure-packed market with the Maple Leafs. He’ll give the Flyers a quality safety valve at the most important position in the game.
While the league-worst power play remains a legitimate concern, the Flyers have optimism around full seasons for Tyson Foerster and Porter Martone. Those two goal-scoring wingers combined for only 38 games last regular season. Both are big pieces to the Flyers’ present and future.
With more answers than they had at this time last year, the Flyers will make it back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns. We’ll have them going 46-25-13 for 105 points.
The Flyers, though, will stomach a first-round exit because of a challenging Metropolitan Division matchup against a team like the Hurricanes or Capitals. But another trip to the playoffs should be considered a victory in the grand scheme.
As for the Stanley Cup, the Avalanche will be healthier this time when it matters most, beating the Capitals in six games.
Tippett’s time
A healthy Owen Tippett is poised to score 35 to 40 goals and put up 70 or more points. That would be a major step for the talented power forward who has battled streakiness in his career.
He hasn’t hit 30 goals yet and his career high in points is 53. But down the stretch last season, especially in March, the mild-mannered Tippett fueled the Flyers’ playoff push. The 27-year-old should ride that confidence this season.
“He has just got so much potential,” Travis Konecny said in March. “I love when you see him realize it during a game and he’s like, ‘This is my game and I’m taking over.’ It’s fun to watch.”
Power struggle
The fear for the Flyers would be the power play not improving. It was in the basement last season at 15.7 percent. Over the last five seasons combined, it has operated at 14.1 percent, easily the worst in the league.
Will the Flyers finally find some answers? It’s tough to say they will. They did homework in the summer and they’re harping on it every day, but the Flyers didn’t address it with an offseason move.
The power play could prove costly again, putting the pressure on offseason fixes next summer.
Sullivan
Flyers prediction/Cup prediction
I think the Flyers beat their point total from last season and finish with over 100 points. In January last season, the Flyers lost 11 of 15 games. A large part of that bad stretch was the wearing down of Vladar because the Flyers didn’t have a lot of trust in their backup goaltenders.
The addition of Woll to the goaltending room will hopefully stop those long losing streaks in their tracks. If Vladar can’t go, the Flyers should have a lot more confidence in Woll being able to steady the ship.
I think the Flyers’ season will end the same way it ended last season — with a loss in the second round of the playoffs. I also think with the expected competitiveness in the Metropolitan Division, the Flyers will make the playoffs with the last spot (third place) in the division.
My Stanley Cup prediction is the Dallas Stars vs. the Florida Panthers, with the Stars winning it all. The Stars have a proven core that is working to get over the hump of deep playoff contention.
Power surge
The Flyers’ power play might be fixed. I know … I can’t believe I am writing that either.
I am really encouraged from what we saw from the first power play unit throughout the preseason and training camp. Working to create plays with net-front presence speaks to the skill sets of Martone and Matvei Michkov.
Martone played only 19 games for the Flyers last season, including the playoff run. That was not long enough to make a lasting impact on the power play. A full season with Martone making plays could bring this power play to at least relevancy in the NHL.
Imagine how many more games the Flyers would have won in regulation last season if the power play could have done anything … anything at all.
Tyson’s turn
Foerster is going to lead the Flyers in goals. Tippett led the Flyers with 28 last season; Foerster will finish with more than that this season.
I was so impressed with how Foerster responded to the big injury last season and immediately impacted the lineup upon his return in April.
Foerster is taking on more responsibility this season and his connection with Konecny is noticeable daily on the ice.
Fordyce
Flyers prediction/Cup prediction
The arena is cold, the ice is painted and it’s time for the rubber to hit the ice.
The Flyers enter this season with expectations that most players on this team are not familiar with. The kind of expectations that come with a playoff run that included a first-round win over their opening night opponent, the bitter rival Pittsburgh Penguins.
The offseason was headlined by a big swing and perceived miss when the Flyers signed Ducks star Leo Carlsson to an unprecedented offer sheet, only to see Anaheim match the offer and retain the young phenom.
That does not, however, mean that this team did not get better, particularly in net. Not only is this Year 2 of Vladar, who was awarded a new contract during the offseason, but also a trade for Woll gives the Flyers what they hope to be a formidable 1-2 tandem.
For these reasons and more, I believe the Flyers will comfortably make the Stanley Cup Playoffs without needing a stretch of red-hot hockey down the stretch to solidify their place.
When it comes to the Stanley Cup Final, I’m going to be that guy, the one who picks the favorites. The Florida Panthers enter this season getting Aleksander Barkov back from injury. Oh, and they added Brady Tkachuk to a lineup that features his brother Matthew Tkachuk for a full season. Last year, Matthew Tkachuk missed a sizable portion of the season with an injury from the start. I think the Panthers will meet the Colorado Avalanche in a hard-fought series, with Florida eventually capturing its third Cup in four years.
Martone mania
When I look at how this season will play itself out, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Martone will be the Flyers’ leading goal scorer. Martone seems to be unfazed for a young player who burst onto the scene late last season, and I expect him to roll into the 2026-27 season and not miss a beat.
Woll’s resurgence
My second prediction: Woll will rediscover himself with the Flyers. This tends to happen to players when they leave Toronto. Phil Kessel, Mitch Marner and several others could attest to being unlocked upon leaving the Maple Leafs for in many cases greener pastures.
Not suggesting that Woll is on the level of talent as a Kessel or Marner, but I believe the 28-year-old goaltender will find a new level of success in Philadelphia.
SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 29: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrates at home plate after scoring in the seventh inning during Game One of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Jefferson Rojas is nearing the majors, but his hopes could be stalled by a potential lockout.
Joel Sherman wrote a guide to the Mets’ offseason, covering the big questions and potential targets.
Freddy Peralta won the American League Pitcher of the Month honor for September, and David Stearns credited Tampa Bay for doing what the Mets were unable to achieve with Peralta.
Around the National League East
The Phillies announced their complete Wild Card series roster.
The Braves beat the Phillies 5-3 in the first game of the Wild Card series. Austin Riley hit a three-run home run off of Phillies closer Jhoan Duran in the eighth inning to seal the victory.
Paul Casella compiled a list of four key takeaways from the first game between the Braves and the Phillies.
Around Major League Baseball
The White Sox beat the Astros 6-3 in the first game of their series and made it look easy.
The Yankees completely dominated the Red Sox 9-0 in the first game of their Wild Card series, with plenty of help from Massachusetts natives Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice.
The Padres bashed their way to a win in a 8-0 beatdown of the Cubs, and Michael King’s seven innings of one-hit baseball sealed the deal for the Padres to take the lead in the Wild Card series.
Britt Ghiroli is dreading this postseason, as the looming lockout could stop games for an indeterminable amount of time.
After years as baseball’s worst hitter, Austin Hedges has been experiencing an offensive renaissance at 34 years old.
The Minor League Baseball award winners were announced Monday evening.
There’s a way each postseason team could eventually go the distance and win the World Series.
Aaron Judge was officially left off the Yankees Wild Card series roster, but he’ll continue his rehab in hopes of being activated for a potential American League Division Series.
Giancarlo Stanton and Garrett Crochet could perform some postseason heroics after being added to their respective teams rosters.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
A Pod of Their Own returned with their 2026 season postmortem.
Linus Lawrence listed the different former Mets playing in this year’s postseason.
Lawrence also wrote a guide to the postseason with reasons why a Mets fan might want to root for each team.
Steve Sypa published the Prospect Report Card for September.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have 1 day until opening night at Nationwide Arena.
Let's take a look at who wore 1 and where they are now.
Jean-François Labbé - 2002 - Undrafted out of
Sherbrooke, Quebec.
Jean-François Labbé played in 14 games with the Blue Jackets over the course of two seasons. He went 3-5 with an .890 SV%. He spent the bulk of his time playing in the AHL for the Syracuse Crunch.
He left North America in 2003 for Russia. He then played in Germany and Poland before returning to Canada in 2009. After playing a season for Sherbrooke Saint-François in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey, he would retire.
Labbé was primarily an AHL goalie, playing in a total of 261 games. He had a record of 131-97-25 and had 13 shutouts. He has won numerous awards in the AHL, including Best Goaltender and Most Valuable Player. For his efforts, Labbé was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2016.
After retiring, he moved into coaching, where he was either a head coach or a goaltending coach at different stops.
Tomáš Pöpperle - 2007 - Drafted by Columbus in 2005.
Pöpperle played two games for Columbus in 06-07, which were the only two NHL games of his career, both of which were in relief. His SV% was .929% and he had a GAA of 1.35.
He played 66 AHL games for the Syracuse Crunch before returning to Europe. He last played in 23-24 in Germany's second tier.
Steve Mason - 2009-2013 - Drafted by Columbus in 2006.
Mason won 96 games for Columbus in his career. His win total is third behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Elvis Merzlikins. His 19 shutouts are also second, while he played 13,138:02 of TOI, which is fourth. His GAA is fourth in team history, while his save % is fifth.
After he was traded to Philadelphia, he played four years for the Flyers before spending a season with the Winnipeg organization. After suffering two concussions and a serious knee injury, Mason wouldn't play again and would retire.
Mason started his career with a bang, winning the 08-09 Calder Trophy and being named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team. He was also named an NHL All-Star during his rookie year, to go along with his NHL second-team honors.
Mason was traded to the Flyers on April 3, 2013, in exchange for
goaltender Michael Leighton and a 2015 third-round draft pick. In Philly, he would finish with a record of 104-78-36.
Mason, while playing for Canada at the U20 World Junior Championships, went 5-0 with a SV% of .951 and won tournament MVP, best goaltender, and was an all-star.
Oh, what could have been.
There is one day left until opening day at Nationwide Arena.
Payton Tolle had just retired Paul Goldschmidt for the third time on one pitch, running his pitch count to a manageable 83 with two outs in the fifth inning Tuesday, when Chad Tracy decided he’d seen enough.
With Boston trailing by one run and Ben Rice, who doubled in the first inning, due up next, the manager opted to remove his pitcher who had settled into the pitching duel by that point.
And it backfired in horrible fashion for Boston.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy talks with Payton Tolle on the mound during the fifth inning in game one of the American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx on September 29, 2026. Getty Images
Lefty reliever Erik Miller immediately surrendered a long solo homer to center field to Rice — the first of his two against Boston relievers — and it completely changed the tone of the game in Boston’s 9-0 loss to the Yankees in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series at Yankee Stadium.
“Not just the pitch count necessarily, but you’re trailing already, you’re moving through the third time,” Tracy said. “Rice had already hit a double in the gap off of him, and you have a nice lane there for Miller, and obviously he got him. Just felt like it was the time to go.”
This postseason marks Tracy’s first calling the shots and moments like this one Tuesday night are what ultimately can swing series.
Sure, Boston did not score, but being down 1-0 to Cam Schlittler and the Yankees bullpen is a vastly different world than trailing by two entering the seventh.
Tolle allowed four hits over the first nine batters but settled down to retire eight of the next 10 batters and navigated a two-on, no-outs situation in the fifth while trailing 1-0.
Red Sox pitcher Erik Miller (67) reacts as Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) rounds the bases on his solo home run during the fifth inning of Game 1 of the ALWild Card Series at Yankee Stadium, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
He began the sixth by retiring Austin Wells on six pitches and then sitting down Goldschmidt, leaving him certainly with room to possibly navigate six innings if he worked effectively.
Tracy, though, opted for a new look in Miller, ending Tolle’s day after 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” Tracy said. “They did an effective job of grinding the count up as well. He had traffic. They put traffic on him. He was able to navigate his way through that. I think he competed extremely well for the time that he was out there and gave us what he could.
“I think the number being up there in the mid-80s, still trying to get through five, probably higher than what you normally see with Payton, and to be expected in an environment like this. But I thought he competed his butt off.”
Miller, a midseason trade acquisition, struggled to end the regular season and those issues carried over to the postseason when he fired a middle-middle 97-mph heater that Rice hit out to dead center.
Tolle said that as a competitor, he felt he could have gone longer but understood the decision due to the strength of Boston’s bullpen during the regular seaosn.
Boston is now one loss away from a second straight early postseason exit at the Yankees’ hands.
“Wasn’t good enough,” Tolle said. “They had a good plan and I threw a lot of balls … just didn’t feel like I could command the zone, kind of let some at-bats get away from me. A lot of pitches.”
He added about the bullpen: “Those guys picked me up a lot this year.”
Player of the decade finally wins player of the year
Tamika Upton wins her third NRLW medal
Nathan Cleary has completed rugby league’s boxset of awards after the Penrith star was voted the runaway winner of his first Dally M Medal at the NRL’s gala night.
Unable to attend Wednesday’s awards in Sydney after his horror ankle injury in Penrith’s preliminary-finals loss, Cleary finished 14 points clear of Cronulla half Braydon Trindall.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves hits a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning in game one of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was an exciting afternoon at Truist Park as the Atlanta Braves defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 to take Game 1 of the National League Wild Card. Chris Sale got the start and was brilliant. In 6.1 innings, he recorded nine strikeouts and issued one walk. He was charged with three earned runs.
The Atlanta offense had some tough breaks and was unable to put together timely hitting until later in the game. However, that changed when a Michael Harris II single and a hit by pitch had two on for Austin Riley. Riley launched a homer to right center field to give the Braves the 5-3 edge.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 29: Payton Tolle #70 of the Boston Red Sox walks back to the dugout after being pull against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning in game one of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 29, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Wednesday, OTM! If you’re reading this, that means the sun did rise once again after a horrific game one loss to the New York Yankees last night. My question to you today is simple: do you still believe? The offense is putrid, Roman Anthony is hurt again, and the Yankees have Max Fried lined up to start. Signs are bad, but as Payton Tolle said, he hasn’t heard a fat lady sing. I’m sure if he walks around New York City for long enough, he’ll find one, but he probably wouldn’t find one who’s omniscient and only sings in conjunction with the end of a baseball playoff series. If he did, he should bring her to American Idol or something. America’s Got Talent, maybe? I don’t know, I’m just vamping.
Are we going to win tonight? Do we have any chance at pulling this series out? Talk about this and whatever else you want, and as always, be good to one another.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Josue De Paula #95 of the Los Angeles Dodgers singles during the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on September 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While eight teams battle it out to see who will advance to the Division Series, the Dodgers are among four teams using this time off to prepare for October baseball.
After winning an even 100 games in the regular season, the Dodgers secured a first-round bye and will await the winner of the NL Wild Card matchup between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. While the Dodgers continue to add the finishing touches to their postseason roster, there are some lingering questions as to which players will be a part of the team’s depth chart.
21-year-old outfielder Josue De Paula made his presence known while filling in for the then-injured Shohei Ohtani, slashing .323/.500/.581 across 42 plate appearances before he was sent down to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Sonja Chen of MLB.com believes that both De Paula and utility man Hyeseong Kim can make an impact on the postseason roster, with the former being relegated to pinch-hit opportunities due to his lack of big-league experience in the outfield.
Of course, De Paula is capable of playing the corner outfield, but we only saw him play six innings in left as a Dodger. And given how important defense is in the postseason, I doubt we will see him in the field unless it’s an emergency.
The month of September has given Shohei Ohtani plenty of time to prepare for his third consecutive postseason run with the Dodgers. The Dodgers still have another three days to prepare for the NLDS, and Ohtani is using this time to get his swing in the right place, per Chen.
“Everything is feeling great physically,” general manager Brandon Gomes said on a Zoom call with the media on Tuesday. “The swings, once he came back, overall were in a good place. And using these five days to continue to get reps and feeling good into this series is really important. But feels like he’s in a great spot.”
Freddie Freeman had his power zapped in the second half of the regular season, hitting just one home run while posting a slugging percentage of .339. Freeman dealt with patellar tendonitis in his right knee, but entering the NLDS, he said that he’s feeling a lot better, reports Jack Harris of the California Post.
“I truly feel good right now, physically,” Freeman said on Tuesday, during a video conference with reporters ahead of the Dodgers’ first pre-National League Division Series bye week workout. “So it’s on me now to figure out the mechanics of the swing in the next five days. And I have all the confidence in myself that I will figure that out by [Game 1 on] Saturday.”
Darren Raddysh’s first night as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs was certainly memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
The Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in the season opener at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday. William Nylander scored 48 seconds in and again late in the third. Josh Anderson, Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Carrier answered for the Canadiens. Raddysh, who was paired with Morgan Rielly and logged 23:47, more ice than anyone in blue and white except Auston Matthews, finished minus-2 with three shots and two blocks. He was on the ice for all three Montreal goals. The first two, in particular, followed the kind of plays that get clipped and circulated before the third period even starts.
“Obviously, you know, not what we wanted. Obviously, I think personally myself, I can do a little bit better,” he said after the game. “But, yeah, you know, I’m really excited to be here and be a part of this and just be a part of the whole organization.”
The Leafs acquired Raddysh’s rights from Tampa Bay for a 2026 fifth-round pick and signed the Toronto-area product to an eight-year, $68 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) before he could test free agency. After a 22-goal, 70-point breakout with the Lightning, the bet was simple: a right-shot who can run a power play and move pucks would stabilize a blue line that needed more than veteran stopgaps. One night does not settle that bet, but it certainly asks for a marked improvement.
On Anderson’s tying goal at 10:53 of the first, Raddysh’s attempted breakout was intercepted and the puck stayed in Toronto’s end long enough for Kirby Dach and Carrier to set up a rebound that Anderson batted out of the air. On Bolduc’s 2-1 goal early in the second, Raddysh seemed caught puck-watching in front of Sergei Bobrovsky while Mike Matheson crashed the crease.
Head coach Jim Hiller did not single him out. He framed the night as what a new group looks like when the first real game arrives before the reads do.
“I thought he was alright too, but I thought, like, we had a lot of new guys. And I thought we looked a little bit like a new team today,” Hiller said. “We just weren’t connecting with our passes. And, you know, I don’t know if that has anything to do with nerves or being in the building for the first time and the first time everybody together. So we just weren’t clean as a team.”
Raddysh heard the same thing from the other side of the stall. Training camp was short. The system is new. The names around him, Gavin McKenna, Kirill Marchenko, Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic and the rest of a remade roster, are still getting used to one another. He has seen this Montreal team plenty from his Tampa years. Nothing about their speed or their forecheck surprised him.
“Yeah, the training camp’s short. A lot of new guys and, you know, everyone’s trying to learn a new system with a new coach,” he said. “There’s a lot of new learning curves. But, you just got to be prepared for that.”
The pairing with Rielly was the other story that followed him out of the room. Camp had pointed that way for more than a week: two offensive defensemen, extra offensive-zone starts, a clean slate for Rielly under a new staff. Tuesday was the first real look. Chemistry is not built in 23 minutes against a team that plays fast and stays simple. Raddysh said as much.
“Yeah, it was good to finally play a real game with Morgan and try and build out the chemistry that we’ve had these few days of training camp. Yeah, I just got to get ready for it all.”
The schedule does not leave much room to sit with any of it. The New York Islanders are in town Wednesday. Raddysh called that an advantage.
“Yeah, it’s always good when, you know, you play right the next day, so you can kind of put this in the back and just get ready for tomorrow and be prepared for the Islanders.”
One game. A hometown contract that runs through 2034. A minus-2 that will follow him until the next one doesn’t. Raddysh already said the part that matters: he can be better. The Leafs paid for the version that usually is.
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