DiamondCentric

At the moment when the San Diego Padres needed Mason Miller’s dominance the most, his fastball could not prevail against Jackson Chourio, who ended up hitting a walk-off single to decide Game 2 of the NLDS and give the Milwaukee Brewers a 2-0 lead. Welcome to baseball, folks. All great relievers have had good and bad moments, but there are situations when you simply need nothing to go wrong. Miller could not get it done. We know he was not the only reason the Padres lost the series in four games, but his performance left a bitter taste in an elimination that once again ended earlier than expected. Still, including the postseason, Miller had not allowed an earned run in 80 of his 90 appearances with the Padres prior to that defeat against the Brewers. During that period, he recorded a 1.41 ERA, a 0.83 WHIP, a .136 batting average against, and 17.06 strikeouts per nine innings. In addition, he had not allowed a hit in 56 of his 90 appearances, had struck out two or more batters in 63 of them, and at least one in 83. That’s why, although Miller could not live up to his reputation in the crucial moment of Game 2 against Milwaukee, that does not take away from the credit he deserves for his impressive impact throughout the year, completing one of the best seasons by a pitcher in the history of the game. Miller has recorded 88 saves in 98 opportunities over his career, converting them at an 89.8% rate. Through his first 98 save opportunities in the major leagues, his 88 saves represented the seventh-highest total of all time, while his 89.8% conversion rate ranks eighth historically. Miller closed out 53 of the Padres’ 91 wins this season and did not allow an earned run in 57 of his 66 appearances. San Diego went 56-10 in games in which he pitched. Since his acquisition at the 2025 trade deadline, the Padres have gone 73-15 in his 88 regular-season appearances and 74-16 when including the postseason games in which he has pitched. According to Baseball Savant, this season he ranked in the 100th percentile in the major leagues in expected ERA (xERA) at 1.70, expected batting average (xBA) at .138, whiff rate at 45.3%, average fastball velocity at 101.4 mph, and strikeout rate at 47.4%. His four-seam fastball finished in the 94th percentile for run value, and his overpowering slider finished in the 98th percentile. His evolution since pitching for the Athletics in 2023 has been sensational. Velocity is undoubtedly one of the most revealing factors behind Miller’s dominance and one of the reasons he can devour hitters. However, his slider is the lethal weapon when it comes to overpowering opponents. He threw it 49.7% of the time, just above his four-seam fastball (48.3%), and the results were extraordinary. Hitters batted just .132 against that pitch, even with better results than its .086 xBA suggested. Miller allowed only two extra-base hits—a double and a home run—while striking out 83 of the 139 batters he faced. His whiff rate was 56.3%, 19.8 percentage points higher than his fastball’s, and his 59.7% strikeout rate was the highest among all pitch types during the 2026 season. Miller finished by striking out 76 of the 116 batters who completed a plate appearance against his slider, which is just absurd. He also established an Expansion Era record (since 1961) by not allowing any extra-base hits during a streak that spanned 58 appearances and 61 innings pitched, from August 6, 2025, through July 12, 2026. He surpassed the previous marks set by Alan Embree, who did it over 47 appearances in 1997-1998, and Luis Aquino, whose streak covered 56 innings between August 1988 and June 1989. Another legendary moment of his season came when he established the longest streak of consecutive scoreless innings in San Diego franchise history: 34⅔ innings between August 6, 2025, and April 25, 2026. He surpassed the previous record of 33⅔ innings set by Cla Meredith between July and September 2006. Including the 2025 postseason, Miller’s streak reached 37⅓ consecutive scoreless innings during his streak; during that window, opposing hitters collected just seven hits in the regular season, all singles, in 107 at-bats against Miller. Among the 353 pitchers who faced at least 100 batters from the beginning of his streak, he ranked first in batting average allowed (.065), slugging percentage allowed (.065), and strikeouts per nine innings (17.91). The gap between him and the pitchers who ranked second in those categories was wide, to say the least. His 34⅔ consecutive scoreless innings during the regular season represented the longest streak by any pitcher, starter or reliever, in the major leagues since Zac Gallen’s 44⅓ innings between August 8 and September 11, 2022. It was also the longest streak by a reliever since Josh Hader’s 38 innings between August 1, 2021, and June 5, 2022. Since the beginning of the Expansion Era in 1961, it was the eighth-longest streak of consecutive scoreless innings by a reliever. J.C. Romero ranks seventh with 36 innings in 2004, while the longest streak belongs to Gregg Olson, with 41 innings between 1989 and 1990. Miller was also the first pitcher since 1961 to record a streak of 34 consecutive scoreless innings while striking out at least 70 batters, as well as the first to complete a streak of 34 scoreless innings while allowing fewer than 10 hits. His 69 innings pitched this season established a new career high, surpassing the 65.0 innings he pitched in 2024 with the Athletics. He converted all 25 of his save opportunities in the first half of the season and was the only reliever with a 100.0% save conversion rate before the 2026 All-Star Game (minimum of 20 saves). With that achievement, he joined the legendary Trevor Hoffman, who did it in 1998, as one of only two San Diego closers to convert their first 25 save opportunities before the All-Star Game. Miller’s career-high 38 saves in 41 opportunities left him tied for first place in the National League with St. Louis’ Riley O’Brien and tied for third in the major leagues, behind Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker and Cleveland’s Cade Smith, both with 41. In other words, Mason Miller is even better than his reputation suggests. View the full article

Pat Murphy loves players who do the little things well. He respects the underdog. He admires the guy who isn’t the most physically gifted, but pours every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears into every pitch to maximize his success. Sal Frelick is the quintessential Pat Murphy Guy. He’s been a productive big-leaguer when everything clicks, but he has real physical limitations. At 5-foot-9, Frelick isn’t the biggest guy. He’s not the strongest guy, posting the eighth-lowest hard-hit rate among qualified hitters since his debut in 2023. This season, he wasn’t the healthiest guy, playing through and eventually spending a month on the injured list with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. The result was a career-worst campaign: Frelick hit just .230/.295/.319 (72 wRC+) and was worth -0.5 fWAR. But Frelick has produced before, and he has the intangibles Murphy prizes. He’s scrappy, gritty, and an emerging clubhouse leader—words that can be vapid cliches, but aren't, here. Before Game 2 of the World Series, the manager reiterated his belief that Frelick brings more to the table than his slash line or physical tools indicate. “He’s just the ultimate competitor, winner,” Murphy said. “He’s got the ‘it’ factor. You think of Joe Montana. You think of people that have—Larry Bird—that have the ‘it’ factor. I’m not saying he’s at that level of talent or has been in a position to do those things, but he has that ‘it’ factor. He can take a team down the field.” A few hours later, Frelick delivered perhaps the biggest swing of his life in another comeback postseason win, hitting a game-tying homer off Rays left-hander Ian Seymour in the bottom of the sixth inning. He torched the ball all night. For the first time this season and the third time in his career, he hit four batted balls over 95 mph in a game. “He hit four lasers tonight,” Murphy said. “He hit four balls right on the screws.” That sixth-inning laser erased an early 4-0 deficit after a shaky first inning that featured Cooper Pratt’s fourth postseason error and another wobbly start by Logan Henderson. It was just Frelick’s fourth career home run against a southpaw, including postseason games. He takes a slightly different approach against them, and has usually reserved his power-oriented swings for matchups where he has the platoon advantage. Seymour posted reverse splits this year, but the Rays have used him as a situational lefty in the postseason, including on Saturday night. He has weapons to retire left-handers, including a running two-seamer and a sweeper with plenty of horizontal movement in opposite directions. That’s what Frelick expected to see when he stepped into the box. On the first pitch, Seymour threw a sinker over the inner third for strike one. He never went to the sweeper, instead alternating sinkers and four-seamers for most of the at-bat. All nine pitches were fastballs (Rays manager Kevin Cash admitted he felt Seymour was “stubborn” in not mixing things up), and Frelick kept spoiling them. “He’s pretty much a sinker guy,” Frelick said. “Was fouling them off, missed a few good ones, and then late in the at-bat, he started throwing four-seams and kind of took me by surprise. Was able to spoil a few of those and was just really hoping, because I had seen the sinker earlier, that he would maybe leave one over the plate.” On pitches seven and eight, Frelick fouled off fastballs that nicked the inside corner. At that point, he was prepared to turn on velocity that leaked a little further over the plate. “Didn’t sell for it, but I just thought, ‘If he executes a good slider here, I’ll try to fight it off,’” Frelick said. “I’m an eight-hole hitter, I’m a lefty, and you assume a guy like that is coming at you.” He got his mistake. Seymour’s ninth pitch was another four-seamer closer to the middle of the zone. Frelick, whose average bat speed of 68.3 mph ranks near the bottom of hitters, unleashed a 75.7-mph swing. He was right on time with enough authority, launching that fastball to center field to bring the Brewers all the way back. The next inning, Pratt redeemed himself with a two-strike single to drive in the winning run. Aaron Ashby continued his yeoman’s work out of the bullpen with another multi-inning save, bringing Milwaukee within two wins of its first World Series championship. This is the formula that’s gotten the Brewers this far against great October pitching: wear them down with long, disciplined plate appearances, then pounce on the inevitable mistake pitch. This team keeps coming back because it’s developed the right blend of scrappiness and timely power. “Our offense is built to kind of chip away and wear on pitchers, which I think can be good when you’re trying to come back,” Frelick said. “At the same time, if we’re up, it’s the same exact approach. I think just having an offense built like that is really good for when you’re down.” Usually, Frelick does the scrapping to set up that big swing. This time, he supplied the power. After a rough regular season, he’s rewarded Murphy’s loyalty and belief, hitting .273/.370/.409 (118 wRC+). “We talked about it when you guys were all here earlier,” Murphy said postgame. “He’s got the ‘it’ factor.” View the full article

How good have Game 1 and Game 2 of the World Series been? Two teams in the bottom half of payroll competing against each other. Two teams who have to compete against teams with significantly higher payrolls all season but had the best record in their respective leagues. The Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays tied for the major-league lead with a .258 team batting average. The Brewers had baseball's best on-base percentage (.341) while the Rays led the AL in OBP at .326. Brewers had 1,422 hits to lead baseball while the Rays were #2. The Brewers scored the second most runs in baseball (832) while the Rays ranked fourth in the American League (736 runs). Meanwhile, the Rays ranked 11th in the American League with 169 homers. The Brewers 154 homers was just two more than the Blue Jays who had the lowest long-ball total. The teams put the ball in play. The Rays had the fewest strikeouts in baseball, and the Brewers had the fourth fewest. Tampa had 164 stolen bases, most in the AL and second in MLB. The Brewers stole 162 bases. (See the Addendum at the bottom of this article to see where the Twins ranked in these categories.) Add in dominant bullpens and starters who throw strikes with good stuff. As important, they are helped by generally very good defense. Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang are finalists for 2026 Rawlings Gold Gloves. Turang won the platinum winner just a couple of years ago. Garrett Mitchell is very good in centerfield, and Sal Frelick has previously won Gold Gloves. The Rays have a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop (Taylor Walls) and in left field (Chandler Simpson). This week, Sports Info Solutions announced their 2026 Fielding Bible Awards. Brice Turang and Taylor Walls were winners at second base and shortstop, respectively. But to the main point of this article. Beyond the statistics, what do the two World Series team do as an organization, and how do they compare to the Twins? The first topic is the MLB Draft. One of the fun things going back to when we added Brewer Fanatic to the DiamondCentric family has been following how the Brewers do things. I have developed several thoughts on how the Twins draft based on paying attention to it for 30 years. My time following the Brewers draft goes back about five years. And, frankly, I had to research the Rays draft the last week or so, preparing for this article. Here are thoughts on how the three organizations have drafted in the last decade or so. Milwaukee: Mix and Match to Maximize Draft Board The Brewers like to draft high school players with upside. While many teams go safe after the first three or four rounds by selecting mostly college players. The Brewers are one of just a few organizations that you will find taking high school picks often in the final 10-15 rounds of the draft. It takes creativity with the draft's bonus pool. In 2022, they took infielder Eric Brown Jr with the 27th pick out of Coastal Carolina and signed him for about $650,000 under slot value. Then in the second round, they drafted Jacob Misiorowski out of junior college and doubled the $1.13 million slot value. They drafted several college players and signed them for $100-150,000 under slot to give to The Miz. That's worked out quite well. In 2023, they drafted college hitters Brock Wilken and Mike Boeve which gave them almost $2.5 million in slot space. That allowed them to sign prep stars Cooper Pratt (6th round), Bishop Letson (11th round) and Josh Adamczewski (15th round). That strategy certainly comes with risks. A high school player may have a higher ceiling, but they also have much lower floors. Milwaukee drafted 10 high school players among their 21 picks in 2024. In 2024 and 205, they picked 12 high school players to 10 college guys. Tampa Takes Toolsy Teens with Top Picks When the Rays used the second overall pick in the 2026 draft to take high school shortstop Grady Emerson, it marked the sixth time in the last seven drafts that they took a high school player. And frankly, aside from a few big-time college players (Evan Longoria, David Price, Dewon Brazelton, and Brendan McKay), the Rays have drafted a lot of high school athletes with their top picks over their three decades of existence. And they've generally done a very good job. You remember the names like Josh Hamilton, Carl Crawford, Rocco Baldelli, and Delmon Young, Tim Beckham certainly fits that category. He was the top overall pick in the 2008 draft. The biggest difference appears to be how willing to use their draft picks in trades. Of the 26-man World Series roster, just three were drafted, signed and developed by the Rays. Certainly, a different story from their first World Series run in 2008. It's a strategy that relies upon patience and player development. It takes time for a 17-year-old to fully develop as a player, as a person. A 21- or 22-year-old college draft pick is nearly full developed. But the Rays take the tools a player already has and goes to work with them. Simpson was the Rays' second-round pick out of Georgia Tech from 2022. He's got a good eye, bat-to-ball skills, and incredible speed. His development plan didn't include a check box for "Hit more homers." No, they let him develop into a guy who hit .306 in 2026, his second MLB season, and led the league with 46 stolen bases. He won't be walk much. He won't have much power, so he won't have a great OPS., However, Kevin Cash is one of the smartest managers in baseball and he's had him batting third in the World Series. Twins Take Tools Early, Then Go to College When drafting near the very top of the MLB Draft, the Twins are not afraid of taking the player with the most upside. Obviously in most cases, that is a high school pick (Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, Walker Jenkins), but many believe that Vahn Lackey, the team's 2026 top pick from Georgia Tech, might just be scratching the surface of his talent. As the first round moves to its second half and into the competitive balance picks, the Twins history is to take college bats, mashers like Matt Wallner, Brent Rooker, Aaron Sabato, or even college middle infielders who hit well in college with a couple of strong tools, like Luke Keaschall, Kaelen Culpepper and Levi Michael. While there are plenty of examples of taking pitchers in various spots of the draft, they seem to like taking pitchers with "Ace" upside, but they have missed time with injury. Connor Prielipp and Riley Quick fit into that category. It seems once the team gets past about pick 100, they have really focused their attention almost solely on college players. In 2026, the Twins made 21 draft picks. 20 of them were college players. They drafted right-handed prep pitcher Ethan Wachsmann was the team's third-round pick (#79 overall). Rounds 4-10 were all pitchers. Most recent years, rounds 11-20 for the Twins have been 8-10 pitchers. In 2026, they selected more infielders. The Twins scouts and pitcher development deserve credit for finding arms that provide the team with more organizational depth. SUMMARY At season's end, 22 out of 46 players on the Twins 40-man roster (six on 60-Day IL) had been drafted by the team. The Brewers have eight players on their World Series roster that they drafted. The Rays have just three players on the World Series roster that they drafted. Of course, that's not the only measure of draft success. It's not even the best. And there is no way to truly grade a draft. Personally, I like the Brewers method the most as a draft and development fan. Consider it's important to be strong up the middle. Pratt and Turang are the keystone combo. Frelick and Mitchell are Brewers in center and right field. Misiorowski and Henderson are their top two starters, and Aaron Ashby has starred out of the bullpen this offseason. The Rays draft doesn't have a strong presence on their playoff roster, but that's because they are big on trades. Consider their deadline deal with the Marlins involving Liam Hicks. They gave up two former high school first-round picks and a Twins 2023 draft pick for him. Addendum The Twins hit .245 (4th in AL), .317 OBP (5th in AL), .403 SLG (4th in AL) and a .720 OPS (4th in AL). They scored 739 runs which tied with the Yankees for second in the AL. They ranked fifth in the league with 1,337 hits. Their 256 doubles ranked fifth. They were second with 26 triples, and their 187 homers ranked sixth in the AL. On the other side, the Twins had the second fewest walks and fifth fewest in strikeouts (7th fewest in MLB). They had 91 steals (9th in the AL). And to summarize the pitching, the Twins finished in the bottom third of most pitching stats in the AL. And while the Twins don't commit many errors, we know that their defense leaves a lot to be desired. View the full article

On Friday, the Royals outrighted five pitchers off the 40-man roster: Easton McGee, Connor Seabold, Alex Lange, Mason Black, and Alec Marsh. McGee and Seabold immediately opted for free agency, which isn't surprising since they got little opportunity in Kansas City and were both acquired mid-season. Lange opted to stay in Kansas City and was outrighted to Omaha. Black was also sent to Omaha, but that was more because he didn't have enough MLB service time to opt for free agency. The only question mark in that group initially was Marsh, who hadn't pitched since 2024 because of injuries and surgery on his right shoulder. On Saturday, KC Star Royals beat writer Jaylon Thompson reported that Marsh would opt for free agency. Marsh's decision ends his tenure with the Royals, whom the righty has played his entire professional career with. Marsh showed flashes of brilliance and upside, and in 2024 he seemed on track to become a dependable arm in the Kansas City rotation for years to come. Unfortunately, like many talented pitchers, injuries decimated Marsh, and his professional future in general looks questionable after two lost seasons. So let's look at how Marsh's career started promising, how things changed when Matt Quatraro and Brian Sweeney came to Kansas City, and whether Marsh still has anything left in the tank to impress an interested MLB team this offseason. Marsh Showed Promise and Potential As A Prospect Out of College The Royals selected Marsh in the 2019 MLB Draft with the 70th overall pick in the competitive round. Marsh succeeded in his final season at Arizona State, a baseball powerhouse. In 17 games (16 starts) and 101.1 IP, Marsh posted a 3.46 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a 2.75 K/BB ratio, striking out 99. Many scouts liked Marsh's four-pitch mix, fastball cut, and competitiveness on the mound. Marsh dominated rookie ball in 2019 with Idaho Falls in the short-season Pioneer League. He posted a 4.05 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 25.8% K-BB% in 13 games and 33.1 IP for the Chukars. Unfortunately, he didn't pitch in the minor leagues in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, but he got some work at the Alternate Site that season. MLB Pipeline ranked Marsh as the No. 12 prospect in the Royals' system in 2021, but he struggled to adjust to Double-A pitching in 2022. After posting a 4.97 ERA, 3.87 FIP, and 27.4% K-BB% in 25.1 IP with the Naturals in 2021, his ERA jumped to 7.32 in 114.1 IP. While he still struck out guys in bunches (27.4% K%), he struggled with the long ball, as shown by a 20.6% HR/FB% allowed. As a result, many experts and Royals fans wondered whether he had the "stamina" to start at the MLB level. Marsh showed progress in Northwest Arkansas and the Minors in general in 2023. In 47.1 IP with the Naturals, he posted a 5.32 ERA and 1.58 WHIP, which aren't great on the surface. However, his 4.08 FIP was more impressive, and he lowered his HR/FB% to 10%. He also did much better in a promotion to Omaha, posting a 2.40 ERA, 3.51 FIP, and 18.2% K-BB% in 15 IP. Because of this strong Triple-A showing, Marsh earned a promotion to Kansas City on June 30th. Rough Rookie Debut With Royals, But Solid Sophomore Season As the Royals went through a rebuilding season under first-year manager Quatraro, Marsh got time in the Kansas City rotation and bullpen. He made 17 appearances (8 starts) and pitched 74.1 innings in 2023. Unfortunately, his first exposure to Major League hitters yielded mixed results. The former Sun Devil posted a 5.69 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 5.70 FIP, and 13.5% K-BB%. Home runs plagued him, as he gave up an HR/FB% of 18.4%. Only Josh Taylor, Jonathan Heasley, and Tucker Davidson posted higher marks in that category that season. However, despite the mediocre surface-level numbers, Marsh showed promise in many of his Stacast categories, especially K%, Swinging Strike%, and CSW%. With a six-pitch mix that included three above-average offerings, the Royals kept him in the rotation in 2024 as long as he made adjustments. Under Sweeney and assistant pitching coach Zach Bove, Marsh made the right adjustments and thrived during the Royals' 86-76 season, especially early in the year. In his first nine starts and 50 IP, Marsh posted a 3.24 ERA, 3.65 FIP, 1.06 WHIP, and 14.4% K-BB%. He regressed over the rest of the season, with his ERA rising to 4.53 in 26 games (25 starts) and 129 IP. That said, he showed positive progress over a larger sample of innings, with his strikeout, whiff, and CSW numbers remaining solid despite the issues with barrel and hard-hit rates allowed. The Royals had Marsh throw a little more horizontally in 2024, which explained the improvement. His average arm angle went from 37 degrees in 2023 to 32 degrees in 2024. While his whiff and chase rates fell, his TJ Stuff+, xwOBACON, and zone rate improved, as shown in the TJ Stuff+ comparison below. Marsh became less of a strikeout artist in 2024 and more of a complete pitcher, which is what the Royals needed at the bottom of the rotation during their playoff season. Shoulder Injuries Decimate Marsh's 2025 and 2026 Seasons Marsh was durable in 2023 and 2024, aside from a short IL stint for a minor elbow contusion from a comebacker against the Blue Jays on April 24th. Unfortunately, the injuries piled up in 2025, starting as early as Spring Training. He experienced shoulder tightness early in Spring Workouts, which delayed his start. When he returned, he developed right shoulder impingement, and the Royals placed him on the 60-Day IL on March 24th, further delaying his season start. After being put on the IL, Marsh went through a merry-go-round of rehab that proved unsuccessful. He suffered multiple setbacks in extended Spring Training and was eventually shut down from throwing in early July. Marsh received cortisone shots in late July, but it seemed to make no difference, and he ended up being shut down for the remainder of the year. In early November, Marsh ended up getting labrum repair surgery after it was deemed that conservative treatment was not enough. That decision also effectively ended his 2026 season due to the long rehab process associated with such surgeries. While he recovered from shoulder surgery, Marsh made little progress in 2026. Rehabs from such surgeries are grueling, and the Royals were pretty silent about Marsh's progress throughout the season. That contrasted with other pitchers who missed considerable time, such as James McArthur, who also missed all of 2025 and 2026 due to surgery. McArthur ended up pitching in Double-A and suited up for the Royals in the series finale. Why the Royals Let Marsh Go and What He Could Offer After two missed seasons and radio silence about his rehab, the Royals likely felt Marsh was too big a risk to bring back for 2027. Expectations are higher in 2027 after a disappointing 2026 campaign, and injuries to Cole Ragans, Luinder Avila, Ryan Bergert, and Stephen Kolek last season already gutted the pitching depth. They can't afford to have a questionable Marsh sit on the 40-man roster when they need a pitcher who can contribute at the MLB level immediately. Even though Marsh has Minor League options and wouldn't be expensive (he likely would've commanded under $1 million in arbitration), Kansas City decided to let him go and find other options in his place, internally or externally via free agency or trade. If healthy, the former Arizona State product could be a decent reliever. That's why the Royals held onto him for so long, even though he didn't pitch at all in the past two seasons. Before his injury, Marsh's pitch quality was great, with five pitches earning TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher in 2024. His curveball was a nasty offering that generated a 32.7% chase rate and could be a put-away pitch in more limited innings. Below is an example of his curve not only inducing Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson to chase, but also to strike out. ZFpidzZfWGw0TUFRPT1fVkFkWlZ3QURYbEVBQUFBRlZ3QUFBVmRXQUZsWEJ3QUFBbEZUQUZkVVZRQUdBZ1pR.mp4 To be honest, if healthy, Marsh was worth bringing back, despite the layoff. His stuff and profile are intriguing, especially in a relief role. Given the Royals' bullpen struggles last year (29th in bullpen ERA and 30th in bullpen WHIP), Marsh could've been a cheap internal option who could've developed into a higher-leverage option with more experience. That said, I don't think Marsh has been healthy for a while, and his outlook for 2027 probably wasn't optimistic either. With a new training staff coming to Kansas City and a questionable rehab history, Marsh would probably be better off starting anew with a different organization, should he get that opportunity. Will he get the opportunity, however? That remains to be seen, and his progress this winter could determine whether he lands a spot on a Spring Training roster in February (if we start on time, of course). For now, Marsh will simply be an intriguing former Royals story who had the potential to be something special in the long term, but injuries robbed him of that opportunity. View the full article

Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix is "always having conversations," but why even consider splitting up his club's strong middle infield? AJ Ramos, Kevin Barral, Isaac Azout and Ely Sussman discuss Barry Jackson's Miami Herald report about Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards, plus Javier Sanoja's chances of winning the National League Gold Glove at third base. This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Jackson reported on Thursday that "Though the Marlins aren’t believed to be shopping Lopez or Edwards, neither player is considered untouchable. If a team is willing to offer a lot in return, Miami would listen." Both of them are entering their first year of arbitration eligibility in 2027. They're on track to reach free agency following the 2029 season. View the full article

Game 2 of the World Series began as inauspiciously as possible for the Brewers. Logan Henderson did a decent job of working high and low against Rays designated hitter Yandy Díaz and eventually got him to knock a diving changeup straight into the dirt. The ball died on its way to Cooper Pratt, though, and rolled (rather than bouncing) the final several feet to him. Thrown off by the awkward contact, Pratt made a bad throw, and Jake Bauers could offer him no assistance. Instead of an easy out, the game opened with a runner in scoring position for Tampa Bay. Everything spiraled on Henderson for a bit after that. He struck out Jonathan Aranda, but on a 1-1 fastball, Chandler Simpson lined a single into left-center field, scoring Díaz. The Rays had jumped out to a quick lead, and one of the game's fastest players was on base. Simpson stole second. Junior Caminero, after spoiling several pitches, got a changeup that Henderson left up and lashed another single through the left side, scoring Simpson. Henderson jumped ahead 0-1 with a good fastball to Liam Hicks, but then he threw him a cutter. Henderson's cutter is the fourth-best pitch in a two-pitch arsenal. It's just not good. Occasionally, it must be thrown to keep hitters honest when they have something figured out with regard to his lethal fastball-changeup combination, but Henderson should never throw a hitter an 0-1 cutter in their first at-bat against him in a game. It was the wrong pitch, and it was executed woefully. Hicks punished him mercilessly, doubling the Tampa lead. At that moment, the Rays had three hard-hit (95+ MPH of exit velocity) balls with a launch angle above 0°. The next one they got came in the fifth inning, when Aranda cracked a double against Dustin May. The one after that will come sometime this week in St. Petersburg. Henderson had felt the building pressure of the inning, until Hicks blew things open. The release of that homer was devastating, but it was still a release. Thereafter, Henderson settled down—and the Rays never got another breath. The Brewers' formidable pitching staff wrapped around them like a boa constrictor and squeezed the life out of them. Hicks went deep on the 25th pitch Henderson threw. Of those, 19 had been either his four-seamer or his cutter. From that point forward, though, Henderson and the other five pitchers who appeared for Milwaukee threw 69 fastballs (counting cutters) and 63 non-fastballs. Heat made up just 52.3% of the Brewers hurlers' mix after Hicks's homer, which is unusual: 66.4% of the team's pitches were heaters this year. The Rays were hunting those fastballs, but they stopped getting them. Henderson got two whiffs on changeups from Richie Palacios en route to a strikeout, and though he left a change a bit up to Johnny DeLuca, he had DeLuca far enough out in front to induce a harmless flyout and get out of the inning. In the second, Henderson worked backward with a runner in scoring position, getting ahead of both Díaz and Aranda with changeups and finishing them off with high heaters. He'd locked his command back in, but just as importantly, he had flipped his sequences, and the Rays were in the rocking chair. He sailed through the third inning (and second look at the heart of the Tampa order), too, with a pattern that became easy to read for outsiders but impossible to counter for batters: changes to get ahead, then high fastballs for the righties and fading changeups for the lefties. He just trusted his arm speed, and the outs piled up without trouble. Because he'd burned so many pitches and taken so much damage in the first, though, Henderson didn't have any more leash. Pat Murphy turned to his bullpen in the fourth inning, trailing by two runs and staring at a left-handed lane in the Rays lineup that cried out for JoJo Romero. The sturdy southpaw loaded up both Palacios and Victor Mesa Jr. with sweepers, on which they made easy outs. He got a bit unlucky when DeLuca tapped a sweeper so weakly that it became an infield single, but ended up escaping the inning by dropping in a backdoor sweeper to punch out Taylor Walls. The Brewers offense was slowly, steadily working its way back into the game. By the end of the fourth, they had closed the deficit to 4-3, and the momentum was all running in their direction. Dustin May only threw fastballs in his glimpse of the top of the Rays order, but he threw all three flavors of them and got Díaz, Simpson and Caminero on a trio of very weakly hit grounders. In the middle of that, Aranda did crack a double, but May brought the power just when the team needed to overpower Tampa's best bats. It was reminiscent of Game 2 of the NLCS, when May relieved Henderson directly and defused a Dodgers rally that (briefly) put them back ahead of the Crew. This appears to be the role in which May can thrive right now: one inning against the right pocket of the lineup, letting it eat. Once—just once—there was real danger that the Rays would tack onto the lead they had. In the top of the sixth, DL Hall got a lot of help from the Rays themselves. After he hit Hicks to start the inning, Palacios laid down a sacrifice bunt. The Rays have been avid bunters this year, leveraging not only their contact-oriented approach at the plate but the speed and bunting skills of their hitters. Palacios never had a chance to reach, though, as David Hamilton handled the bunt readily and smoothly. That was one free out. After Hall struck out DeLuca (working backward again: sliders to set him up, a sinker to blow him away), he got to a 1-1 count against Mesa, then threw a sinker that ran right back over the middle of the plate. We talked before the series about the need to avoid doing exactly that against Mesa. The resulting batted ball was a grounder, but it was well-struck and went straight through, to left fielder Jackson Chourio. Hicks, running from second, tried to score on the hard-hit ball. That was a mistake, and Chourio's accurate throw punished him for it. Hall wasn't sharp, but he escaped the situation, thanks both to some good inverted approaches and to some good luck. The rest of the way, there would be no need for defensive heroics. Hall came closest to giving up damaging contact, and it was just that hard ground ball-turned-outfield assist. Abner Uribe came on in the seventh and (inexplicably) walked the hapless Walls, but then he went to work on Díaz, hammering him with sliders down and away. Even a brilliantly well-organized swing can only hope for a single on the stuff with which Uribe peppered Díaz, and the hurler executed so well that even that didn't turn out to be feasible. Díaz struck out. Uribe bullied Aranda with sheer velocity, but got him out when he moved his buzzing sinker from the middle of the plate to off the plate away; the would-be slugger hit it right into the ground. Another firm pitch below the zone got Simpson to hit the only kind of grounder on which he isn't dangerous: medium-speed, right to the first baseman. By the time Uribe returned to the mound for the top of the eighth, the Brewers led by a run. At that point, he just needed to keep them down. He threw five straight sliders to Caminero, got a groundout on the last of them, and made way for Aaron Ashby. The team's relief ace struck out pinch-hitting lefty-masher Ryan Vilade with a changeup running off the plate from him, and he forced Palacios to hit the ball right into the ground on a slider. Inning over. DeLuca was, for most of the night, the toughest out in the Rays lineup, and he led off the ninth with a double when Ashby hung a curveball at the top of the zone. No biggie. Ashby then got Mesa to chase a slider in the dirt for out No. 1 in the inning (and 25 in the game, for the Crew's hurlers). He fed pinch-hitter Ben Williamson a steady diet of changeups and got another weak grounder. That swung things, once more, to Díaz. More changeups ensued. Finally, Ashby put Díaz away with a curveball down, and it was over. The Brewers had won 5-4, and while the lion's share of the credit can go to their resilient and balanced offense, the pitching staff did the most impressive work. After Hicks homered, the Rays were stymied. The Brewers' plans and their talent just overwhelmed a good-not-great offense, when it needed to do so more than ever. Henderson, Romero, May, Hall, Uribe and Ashby racked up 10 total strikeouts, but those weren't the most telling at-bats. They also got 10 outs from Rays hitters on grounders with a launch angle below -15°—the kinds of choppers that hardly ever become any kind of trouble. The highest number of outs recorded on balls hit that way in a game, this year, was 12. It was done twice, by the Rockies and Tigers, respectively. Both times, they were facing the Rays. The Brewers used a very different plan than the Rays were ready for in Game 2. They induced an extraordinary number of weak, easy infield outs, by studying what worked for other teams in the past—but also by simply veering away from what Tampa was expecting. It became an all-hands effort; that's fine. The Brewers only need two more wins to become World Series champions. If that happens, Game 2 might well be remembered for the offensive heroics and as a bit of a slog. It should also be remembered, though, as a microcosm of this team. They were smothering; they were ingenious; they were surprising; and they became inevitable. The Rays offense got to Henderson big and loud and fast, and then everything got very, very quiet. One by one, the Brewers took the air out of the lungs of Rays batters. They dominated them, with teamwork and intelligence. They made an early hole seem escapable and a late lead seem insurmountable. They won in a narrow but utterly decisive fashion, and they head to Florida with their opponents gasping for a restorative breath that might never come. View the full article

Cooper Pratt was on the hook to wear the scapegoat horns from the first batter of the game. But if you have followed these Milwaukee Brewers this season, his 25 teammates wouldn’t allow that. It just isn’t what they do if they can help it. And the way the Brewers are going at the moment, they have been doing something about it. To use a word that manager Pat Murphy has used previously, these Brewers are uncommon. So they did an uncommon thing in Game 2 of the 2026 World Series. They took those horns off their rookie shortstop. Then, the 22-year-old paid them back. Because of both of those, the Brewers are halfway to the first World Series championship in the franchise’s 58 seasons. Pratt atoned for a very costly first-inning error by driving in the go-ahead run with a seventh-inning single in the Brewers’ 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at American Family Field. The Brewers, MLB’s best team during the regular season, defended their home-field advantage by taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which now shifts to Tampa Bay for the next three games. Pratt has had a rough postseason defensively, which was his calling card as he climbed the ladder in the Brewers’ system to make his MLB debut in June after signing an eight-year, $50.75 million contract this spring before touching an MLB diamond. He committed errors in three consecutive games in the NL Division Series vs. the San Diego Padres and had a few other shaky plays. He had five errors total in 74 games defensively this year. So it was surprising when Pratt fielded a grounder from leadoff hitter Yandy Diaz and spiked his throw so much that first baseman Jake Bauers had little chance to scoop it before it went into the Brewers’ dugout. The Rays then did what the Brewers do to other teams. They pounced on the mistake. Right-hander Logan Henderson followed by allowing four runs, including a two-run homer by Liam Hicks. While Henderson was on the hook for the deficit, Pratt knew he was responsible for the situation. As Henderson did in mucking his way through the next two innings before turning the game over to a nails Brewers bullpen, Pratt steadied himself. There were still eight innings left and plenty of time for him to make some sort of contribution, any contribution to get the Brewers back into this game. The Brewers started the process of removing the horns from Pratt. They scored twice in the bottom of the first against Rays ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who had been dominant in three other postseason starts. Pratt had a chance to make it 4-3, but he struck out on three pitches to end the first. It started to turn in Pratt’s favor in the fourth. The Rays still led 4-2 when Pratt came up with one out. He got into an 0-2 hole against Rasmussen, who was starting to hit his limit. Pratt then took three pitches, two just off the bottom outside corner. He fouled off a 3-2 pitch, then took a 94.7 mph sinker, also low and outside, for a huge walk. Sal Frelick, another big part of this Game 2 win, singled Pratt to third. Pratt scored when David Hamilton’s grounder went through the legs of first baseman Jonathan Aranda. The Brewers trailed 4-3. After Pratt flew out to center to end the fifth, Frelick took the spotlight for the moment when he hit a tying homer leading off the sixth. Frelick had a disappointing regular season, much of it due to a shoulder injury, and had just four homers this year. He had only three career homers during the regular season against left-handed pitchers before that blast. Then came the seventh. After right-handed reliever Abner Uribe danced in and out of trouble in the top half, Brice Turang—Pratt’s middle-infield partner—had a leadoff double and went to third on Garrett Mitchell’s fly to the warning track in right. Right-hander Kevin Kelly came in to face Pratt in the biggest moment of his young career. Kelly got up on Pratt 1-2, then couldn’t get the rookie to chase a low changeup. Kelly tried a third sinker in the low-outside part of the zone. Pratt chiseled it to right and Turang trotted home with the go-ahead run. “There was a runner on third, so I was looking to get something up,” Pratt told Fox’s Tom Verducci. “Then got down 1-1 and chased a little. Heartrate was going and I got back in. Breathe, calm down and just looked for a pitch that I could handle. I stayed inside it and it went over first base, and I was pretty pumped up, man. It was pretty electric.” With the bullpen at an elite level, Pratt gave the Brewers the decisive hit and a seventh comeback win in nine postseason victories this year. Pratt was redeemed on this day. He had a moment—a World Series moment—that will stick with him for the rest of his life. Now, the Brewers are halfway to that elusive World Series championship that would make that moment even more indelible. View the full article

On Saturday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the New York Yankees could be interested in acquiring Kansas City second baseman Michael Massey. MLB Trade Rumors highlighted his report in their Yankees Note roundup. Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Yankees' regular second baseman in 2026, will be a free agent this offseason, and New York likely won't bring him back. They have internal options like Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero, but it seems they want to upgrade beyond those two. The Yankees could pursue a trade for Xavier Edwards or Ketel Marte, both of whom have been rumored as Yankees targets in the past. That said, Massey could be a better option because of his cost, stellar defense, and lefty swing, which fits Yankee Stadium's lefty-friendly right-field porch. Here's what Anthony Franco of MLBTR said about the Massey rumor: Massey had a career year for the Royals in 2026 after being plagued by injuries in 2025. In 131 games (a career-high) and 452 plate appearances, Massey hit .274 with a .735 OPS. He also hit 13 home runs, scored 49 runs, drove in 50 RBI, and stole 3 bases. The former Illinois product also earned his first Gold Glove nomination for his second base defense. Massey doesn't walk much (4.7% BB%), but he doesn't strike out and puts the ball in play. His barrel and hard-hit rates are slightly below average, but his profile could fit in New York, especially considering the home ballpark and lineup around him. If the Royals trade Massey to the Yankees, they'll likely ask for pitching help in return. Under GM Brian Cashman, the Yankees have been a pitching factory, so they can afford to part with some arms this offseason. Two options that could make sense for Kansas City are Will Warren and Clarke Schmidt. Warren accumulated a 2.2 fWAR last year and sported a 3.92 ERA with 158 strikeouts in 156 IP. However, he's projected to be the Yankees' No. 5 starter next year, and the Yankees have talented arms on the 40-man roster, Elmer Rodriguez and Brendan Beck, who could replace him. As for Schmidt, he missed most of 2026 due to injury. However, he posted a 2.85 ERA in 85.1 IP in 2024 and a 3.32 ERA in 78.2 IP in 2025. Although he made only one appearance in 2026, Schmidt's stuff profiled very similarly to Warren's, based on TJ Stuff+ metrics. More players would likely be involved in a trade involving Massey and Warren or Schmidt. However, this kind of trade could be a win-win for both organizations, especially if Maikel Garcia or Nick Loftin could slide over to the keystone to replace Massey in 2027. View the full article

Hello again, Brewers fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Brewer Fanatic, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. And what a season it’s been: the Brewers are in the World Series, and they took Game 1 at American Family Field. Whatever happens from here, this is a team (and a community) that has given us plenty to celebrate. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post When the Brewers traded for Dustin May and JoJo Romero in early August, not everyone was thrilled, and the reaction thread got heated fast. After one poster spent days complaining that the front office wouldn’t make a move, then greeted the trade with “LMAO,” @Brewcrew82 had heard enough. His no-nonsense response pointed out that the Brewers had just landed a legitimately solid starter (one who nearly no-hit Milwaukee earlier in the season) and said what plenty of you were thinking. It earned Brewcrew82 an American Family Field frame! Brewcrew82, please private message me (click on my name at top of post), and let me know your address so I can ship your prize! Most Popular Post Runner-Up Back in April, @sveumrules asked a simple question: How annoying are Pat Murphy’s Brewers? The answer, backed by a mountain of numbers, was very. Since 2024, Milwaukee has had the second-best record in baseball on a payroll more like the crust your kids had you cut off their Wonder Bread. sveumrules broke down how they do it: refusing to chase, running wild on the bases, leading MLB in infield hits, refusing to make the third out and snatching away hits on defense. Six months later, the rest of baseball is finding out just how annoying they can be. Congratulations, sveumrules, you win... well, nothing. Sorry about that. Most Prolific Poster We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the season, and this time around that poster was @adambr2! Thanks for being such an integral part of the Brewer Fanatic community, adambr2! Most Popular Blog Entry We have a thriving blog community here at Brewer Fanatic, and every user can create their own blog that will be read by thousands of fellow Brewers fans. Twelve years ago, @Stealofhome built a prospect comparison system called JAVIER, and this season he brought it back to life. In Minor League Stat Comparison Tool, he introduced Prospect Wavelength, a site that uses walk rate, strikeout rate, isolated power and speed to compare any minor league hitter against players going back to 1978. Search a name and you’ll see his odds of reaching the majors, his range of outcomes and his 20 most similar players. Stealofhome kept updating it all summer based on reader feedback, too. Stealofhome, private message me with your address so we can ship you your Brewers puzzle! Most Popular Blog Entry Runner-Up After ten years as the lone Brewers fan surrounded by Red Sox hats in upper New England, @TheIrrelevantWriter was finally heading home to Wisconsin. A Long Trip Home and Late Weekly Mix-up Results captured the drive back, including a full Brewers radio broadcast with Jeff and Lane on the open road and the excitement of his first games at AmFam in a decade. Oh, and his weekly Milwaukee Metric Mix-up picks went 2-for-9. One commenter said the entry deserved more views, and it turns out the community agreed. It was our second-most-popular blog entry of the season! Welcome home, Irrelevant. That’s all for the 2026 season, folks. Give a round of applause to everyone mentioned in this piece, and let’s bring a World Series title home to Milwaukee! View the full article

Hello, Mets fans! This is new to you, so I'll give you the rundown. Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Grand Central Mets, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. The 2026 season gave us plenty to talk about (mostly not great), but positives included Carson Benge’s breakout, three Gold Glove finalists, and our community was there for every pitch. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post This season’s most popular post had nothing to do with baseball, and that’s exactly why it meant so much. Over in our This and That 2026 thread, @metirish shared that ten years ago that day, he quit inbibing, calling it one of the best decisions he ever made. He celebrated the milestone in style, trading in his MINI Cooper for a new Subaru Forester. The community showed up with plenty of love, and we’re happy to add to it. Congratulations on ten years, metirish! To mark the occasion, you’re taking home a 1986 Jesse Orosco bobblehead, frozen in his infamous World Series-winning pose. Metirish, please private message me (click on my name at top of post), and let me know your address so I can ship your prize! Most Popular Post Runner-Up Sometimes the most popular post is simply a welcome return. Before an August day game against the Padres, @kcmets popped back in to start the game thread, asking whether any schmoe could still start one of these the day after a loss. The answer was a resounding yes, and the thread filled with welcome-backs (and at least one question about whether kcmets had finally remembered his password). Congratulations, kcmets, you win... well, nothing. Sorry about that. Most Prolific Posters We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the season, and this time around we have a tie! Congratulations to @Edgy MD and @Frayed Knot, who were in every game thread with sharp observations all season long. Thanks to both of you for being such an integral part of the Grand Central Mets community! Most Popular Blog Entry We have a growing blog community here at Grand Central Mets, and every user can create their own blog that will be read by hundreds of fellow Mets fans. This season’s winner is something a little different: @MFS62’s James Bond Visits the Mets, a spy parody in which M sends 007 to the colonies to figure out this baseball business. Bond arrives at Shea armed with a pneumatic bat from Q, discovers his old friend Felix Leiter is now pitching for the Mets under the name Al, and squares off against his most sinister foe yet, the Obnoxious Baseball Fan. MFS62 noted in the comments that hundreds of people had read it but only one had commented. Well, MFS62, the readers have spoken! Private message me with your address so we can ship you your Mets banner full of historical franchise logos! Want to see your name here next time? Any Grand Central Mets member can start a blog in our blogs section, and we award prizes to our most popular entries twice a year. Start writing this offseason and you could be featured in our next Community Awards! That’s all for the 2026 season, folks. Give a round of applause to everyone mentioned in this piece, and here’s to a big offseason and an amazin’ 2027 in Queens! View the full article

Hello again, Blue Jays fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Jays Centre, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. The 2026 season had no shortage of drama, from a nail-biting opener to a late-summer push for a playoff spot, and our community was there for every pitch. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post Congratulations to @Omar, but did he write a great post, or did he just know exactly when to show up? After a long wait to start the season, the Blue Jays opened at home against the Athletics with a game that had everything: 16 strikeouts by Jays pitching, a solid debut from Kazuma Okamoto, a blown save, and a walk-off. Omar was ready with three words and a celebration GIF: “Game one win!!” Sometimes that’s all you need, and it earned Omar this Dave Stieb autographed baseball! And look at this autograph! It's, uh... unique? Omar, please private message me (click on my name at top of post), and let me know your address so I can ship your prize! Most Popular Post Runner-Up Nothing brings Jays fans together quite like a win over the Yankees. After Toronto beat Gerrit Cole and New York in mid-August, @Terminator summed up the night in a quick highlight list: Aaron Boone got tossed, Cole had a meltdown and took the loss, and the Jays moved within a game of a playoff spot. What a start to the weekend indeed. Congratulations, Terminator, you win... well, nothing. Sorry about that. Most Prolific Poster We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the season, and this time around that poster was... @Omar again! That makes it a clean sweep of the forum awards for Omar this season. Thanks for being such an integral part of the Jays Centre community, Omar! Most Popular Blog Entry We didn’t have any blog entries qualify this time around, which means next season’s prize is wide open! Every Jays Centre member can start their own blog, and it will be read by thousands of fellow Blue Jays fans. Whether it’s a trade proposal, a deep dive on a prospect, a hot take on the bullpen, or your favorite memory from the 2026 season, you can learn how to create a blog here and browse what other members are writing in the blogs section. Twice a year, we award prizes to the writers of our most popular blog entries, so the next one could be yours. Start writing this offseason, and you could be featured in our next Community Awards! That’s all for the 2026 season, folks. Give a round of applause to everyone mentioned in this piece, and here’s to a big offseason and an even bigger 2027 for the Blue Jays! View the full article

Hello again, Red Sox fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Talk Sox, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. The 2026 Red Sox gave us a little bit of everything, from an ugly start and a historic power outage to a midsummer surge nobody saw coming, and our community had something to say about all of it. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post Sometimes you just need someone to say what everyone is thinking. In late May, with Boston sitting at 22-29 and near the bottom of the league in nearly every power category, @Tedballgame responded to our breakdown of the team’s offensive collapse with a no-holds-barred review of the lineup: no hard contact, no clutch hitting, nobody who could bunt a runner over, and, from a man with more than 60 years of watching this team, the weakest-hitting third basemen he could remember. His verdict? “Utterly pathetic.” Plenty of you agreed, and it earned Tedballgame this really cool Pudge bobblehead! It's not even plastic, but instead it's old-school ceramic! Tedballgame, please private message me (click on my name at top of post), and let me know your address so I can ship your prize! Most Popular Post Runner-Up By mid-July, things looked very different. The Red Sox had won 16 of 18 and climbed into a Wild Card spot, and the debate in our 10,000-reply “Realistic Look at the 2026 Red Sox” thread turned to what happens when injured regulars return. @a700hitter made the case for the kids: when Marcelo Mayer and Trevor Story come back, Cheng and Seigler should keep their jobs, thanks to their situational hitting, defense, and knack for making things happen. Congratulations, a700hitter, you win... well, nothing. Sorry about that. Most Prolific Posters We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the season, and this time around we have a tie! Congratulations to @mvp 78 and @moonslav59, who also happen to be the top two posters in that marathon 2026 season thread. Thanks to both of you for being such an integral part of the Talk Sox community! Most Popular Blog Entry Every Talk Sox user can create their own blog that will be read by thousands of fellow Red Sox fans. Timed to Hall of Fame weekend, @Charlie Hoke's Too Late for the Baseball Hall of Fame started with a painful piece of Red Sox history: Luis Tiant appeared on 22 Hall of Fame ballots without being elected and passed away in 2024 without the honor. Charlie argued the Era Committees meet too rarely and called for annual votes and a wider electorate, including living Hall of Famers and baseball historians, so players like Dwight Evans can be recognized while they’re still here to enjoy it. Charlie, private message me with your address so we can ship you this signed Roman Anthony card! Most Popular Blog Entry Runner-Up Way back in April, @Jakob Kazlauskas was already waving the flag for a lefty in Worcester. Jake Bennett Emerging as Key Left-Handed Option for Red Sox Bullpen broke down Bennett’s five-pitch mix and his scoreless start at Triple-A, highlighting a changeup that could play in the big leagues and predicting he’d be in a Red Sox uniform by midseason. By July, fans in our forums were calling Bennett a revelation. Nice call, Jakob! This was our second-most-popular blog entry of the season! That’s all for the 2026 season, folks. Give a round of applause to everyone mentioned in this piece, and here’s to a busy offseason and a big 2027 at Fenway! View the full article

Hello again, Cubs fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on North Side Baseball, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. The 2026 season gave us plenty to talk about, from Gold Glove-caliber defense to the usual trade deadline debates, and our community was there for every pitch. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post This year’s most popular post wasn’t a hot take or a trade proposal. During the opening weekend series against the Nationals, @NorthsideAvenger shared that his father, the man who made him a Cubs fan, had passed away. As is the case with so many of us, we learned to love the game through our older family members. He wrote about watching games together, opening packs of baseball cards (his dad loved pulling Andre Dawson; he loved pulling Ryne Sandberg), and how his father stayed calm through the entire 2016 World Series while the rest of us were a wreck. His post was a reminder of why so many of us love this team, and the community responded with an outpouring of support. NorthsideAvenger, thank you for sharing your dad with us. We’re sending you a Wrigley Field frame, and we hope it finds a good spot next to some of those memories. NorthsideAvenger, please private message me (click on my name at top of post), and let me know your address so I can ship your prize! Most Popular Post Runner-Up Every once in a while, the baseball world hands us a gift, and @CaliforniaRaisin was quick to unwrap it. During the All-Star break, CaliforniaRaisin brought a screenshot of Bruce Levine’s apparently accidental tweet, which took a shot at the front office and memorably referred to them as “twinkle dee and twinkle dum,” to the 2nd half placeholder thread. The tweet stayed up for over half an hour, and the thread had a field day. Congratulations, CaliforniaRaisin, you win... well, nothing. Sorry about that. Most Prolific Poster We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the season, and this time around that poster was @Tangled Up in Plaid! Thanks for being such an integral part of the North Side Baseball community, Tangled Up in Plaid! Most Popular Blog Entry Every user of North Side Baseball can create their own blog that will be read by thousands of fellow Cubs fans. @ryanrc came into 2026 with a pretty strong track record: his MOJO system projected the 2025 Cubs at 92.5 wins, and they won 92. In Predicting the Cubs Wins for 2026: Revisiting My MOJO System, ryanrc adjusted PECOTA’s projections using six team-level factors (momentum, organization, job roles, offering diversity, injury risk, and slugging), pegged the Cubs for 94 wins, and called for two big midseason bullpen additions to make a real October run. It’s a fun, thorough read, and it was our most popular blog entry of the season! Ryanrc, private message me with your address so we can ship you your Cubs banner! That’s all for the 2026 season, folks. Give a round of applause to everyone mentioned in this piece, and here’s to an exciting offseason and a big 2027 on the North Side! View the full article

Hello again, Twins fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Twins Daily, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. While the 2026 season wasn’t great for Twins fans, we still had some positives, and there’s always a lot to talk about. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post Congratulations to @Dman, but did they write a great post, or did they happen into some first-post luck? Either way, jumping early into the article BREAKING: Twins to Call Up Top Prospect Walker Jenkins is a good way to ensure you get a lot of likes. And in this particular case, it earned Dman an autographed Byron Buxton baseball! Dman, please private message me (click on my name at top of post), and let me know your address so I can ship your prize! Most Popular Post Runner-Up Sometimes the most popular posts aren’t about breaking news. Sometimes they just say what everyone is feeling. After the Twins dug out of an early 4-0 hole to beat the Brewers 8-6 in August (a game that featured Kaelen Culpepper’s first big-league hit, a home run), @USAFChief summed up the 2026 Twins perfectly. The roster was clumsy and frustrating at times, but Chief was glad the front office didn’t tear it down at the deadline. That ode to a scrappy team struck a chord with plenty of you and earned the season’s second-most-popular post. Congratulations, Chief, you win... well, nothing. Sorry about that. Most Prolific Poster We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the season, and this time around that poster was @Patzky! Thanks for being such an integral part of the Twins Daily community, Patzky! Most Popular Blog Entry We have a thriving blog community here at Twins Daily, and every user can create their own blog that will be read by thousands of fellow Twins fans. After a 4-9 start to August and a home sweep at the hands of the Phillies, @LA Vikes Fan had seen enough. In Time To Make Some Big Changes and Audition Guys for the Rest of 2026, LA laid out a plan to use the final six weeks as a tryout for 2027: call up Walker Jenkins, Ben Ross and Kendry Rojas, pick a position for Luke Keaschall and stick with it, and free up playing time for the kids. Plenty of readers were on board, and a couple of weeks later the Twins did call up Jenkins. LA, private message me with your address so we can ship you your Twins art! Most Popular Blog Entry Runner-Up Back-to-back appearances for @Doc Munson, who took home the top blog prize last offseason! Doc is a trade-proposal machine, and this time he went shopping for the one premium prospect worth flipping Joe Ryan for. His Top Ten Twins Trade Target (spoiler: there weren’t actually ten, he just wanted another “T” in the title) made the case for Sebastian Walcott, Xavier Isaac, Jesús Made and a pair of Dodgers outfielders, and the comment section turned into a lively debate over whether Ryan should be traded at all. It was the second-most-popular blog entry of the season! That’s all for the 2026 season, folks. Give a round of applause to everyone mentioned in this piece, and here’s hoping 2027 gives us a lot more to cheer about! View the full article

Hello again, Twins fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Twins Daily, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. While the 2026 season wasn’t great for Twins fans, we still had some positives, and there’s always a lot to talk about. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post Congratulations to @Dman, but did they write a great post, or did they happen into some first-post luck? Either way, jumping early into the article BREAKING: Twins to Call Up Top Prospect Walker Jenkins is a good way to ensure you get a lot of likes. And in this particular case, it earned Dman an autographed Byron Buxton baseball! Dman, please private message me (click on my name at top of post), and let me know your address so I can ship your prize! Most Popular Post Runner-Up Sometimes the most popular posts aren’t about breaking news. Sometimes they just say what everyone is feeling. After the Twins dug out of an early 4-0 hole to beat the Brewers 8-6 in August (a game that featured Kaelen Culpepper’s first big-league hit, a home run), @USAFChief summed up the 2026 Twins perfectly. The roster was clumsy and frustrating at times, but Chief was glad the front office didn’t tear it down at the deadline. That ode to a scrappy team struck a chord with plenty of you and earned the season’s second-most-popular post. Congratulations, Chief, you win... well, nothing. Sorry about that. Most Prolific Poster We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the season, and this time around that poster was @Patzky! Thanks for being such an integral part of the Twins Daily community, Patzky! Most Popular Blog Entry We have a thriving blog community here at Twins Daily, and every user can create their own blog that will be read by thousands of fellow Twins fans. After a 4-9 start to August and a home sweep at the hands of the Phillies, @LA Vikes Fan had seen enough. In Time To Make Some Big Changes and Audition Guys for the Rest of 2026, LA laid out a plan to use the final six weeks as a tryout for 2027: call up Walker Jenkins, Ben Ross and Kendry Rojas, pick a position for Luke Keaschall and stick with it, and free up playing time for the kids. Plenty of readers were on board, and a couple of weeks later the Twins did call up Jenkins. LA, private message me with your address so we can ship you your Twins art! Most Popular Blog Entry Runner-Up Back-to-back appearances for @Doc Munson, who took home the top blog prize last offseason! Doc is a trade-proposal machine, and this time he went shopping for the one premium prospect worth flipping Joe Ryan for. His Top Ten Twins Trade Target (spoiler: there weren’t actually ten, he just wanted another “T” in the title) made the case for Sebastian Walcott, Xavier Isaac, Jesús Made and a pair of Dodgers outfielders, and the comment section turned into a lively debate over whether Ryan should be traded at all. It was the second-most-popular blog entry of the season! That’s all for the 2026 season, folks. Give a round of applause to everyone mentioned in this piece, and here’s hoping 2027 gives us a lot more to cheer about! View the full article

Following a thrilling 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the 2026 World Series, the Milwaukee Brewers will be looking to protect their home-field advantage in a fascinating pitching matchup in Game 2. The Brewers will send rookie right-hander Logan Henderson to the mound to start Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Rays (7 p.m. CT, Fox) as they look to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Henderson has started Game 2 in each of the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres and the NL Championship Series vs. the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Henderson was better in the NLDS, when he limited the Padres to two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks while striking out four in five-plus innings. Against the Dodgers, Henderson made it two batters into the fifth inning, giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts. Henderson was hit own worst enemy in that game as he made not one, but two throwing errors, one on a pickoff attempt that allowed a run and another on a bunt that led to a run. Regardless, Henderson has had a tremendous rookie season. He had a 3.32 FIP (2.47 ERA) over 18 starts and 98⅓ innings and a walk rate of 5.1% and a strikeout rate of 29.6%. Henderson has not faced the Rays in his brief career, but has faced a pair of Rays hitters. Those are catcher Liam Hicks and backup center fielder Cedric Mullins. Henderson faced Hicks this year when the catcher was still with the Miami Marlins. That came July 17 at American Family Field with Hicks going 0-for-2 with a strikeout. The game against Mullins came last year when he was with the Baltimore Orioles. In that game, Mullins also went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. The Rays had seven hits in Game 1 of the World Series, with Jonathan Aranda going 3-for-3. He seemed at ease in facing the high heat from Jacob Misiorowski and is slashing .316/.395/.395 this postseason, so a hitter to focus on. Chandler Simpson had two hits and was on the back end of a double steal in the ninth inning as the Rays put the pressure on Brewers right-handed closer Trevor Megill. Simpson seemed to sustain a minor knee or hamstring injury during his ninth-inning plate appearance, but obviously remained in the game and stole a base. It didn't seem like anything that should impact his availability for Game 2 or beyond, but something to monitor. Logan Henderson vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Liam Hicks L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 2 Cedric Mullins L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/23/2026. After surprisingly not getting the Game 1 assignment to get an extra day of rest, ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen will start for the Rays. Rasmussen is a former highly touted Brewers prospect who was shipped to the Rays in the 2021 deal in which the Brewers landed shortstop Willy Adames. Wound up being a good horse trade, but now one that the Brewers will have to deal with the player they dealt away. Rasmussen has come into his own the last two seasons, but only after having three surgeries on his right elbow. Two of those were Tommy John surgeries that came before the trade while he was at Oregon State, the other was an internal brace procedure in the 2023 season, allowing him to return at the end of the 2024 campaign. Rasmussen has been an All-Star this year and last. While he received AL Cy Young votes last year, he was much better in 2026. Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.82 FIP (2.67 ERA) with a stellar 4.8% walk rate and solid 26% strikeout rate. He has faced the Brewers twice in his career, including April 1 this year at American Family Field. He went five innings, giving up two runs (one earned), striking out eight while allowing three hits and a walk. Brice Turang homered off him. Jake Bauers has seen Rasmussen the most, going 3-for-8 with a walk and three strikeouts. William Contreras is the only other Brewer on the World Series roster with two hits vs. Rasmussen, those coming in six plate appearances that include a solo homer and a walk. The Brewers showed excellent patience in Game 1 by drawing four walks against a team that doesn't walk many. Contreras and Jackson Chourio had a pair of hits in the Series opener. Drew Rasmussen vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Jake Bauers L 9 8 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 .375 .444 .375 .819 0 0 0 0 0 2 William Contreras R 6 5 2 0 0 1 1 1 0 .400 .500 1.000 1.500 0 0 0 0 0 3 Sal Frelick L 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 4 Brice Turang L 5 4 1 0 0 1 2 1 0 .250 .400 1.000 1.400 0 0 0 0 0 5 Joey Ortiz R 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .250 .250 .250 .500 0 0 0 0 0 6 Gary Sánchez R 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .250 .250 .500 .750 0 0 0 0 0 7 Christian Yelich L 4 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 .250 .250 1.000 1.250 0 0 0 0 0 8 Jackson Chourio R 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 9 David Hamilton L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 10 Garrett Mitchell L 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 11 Bo Naylor L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/23/2026. View the full article

Jack and Spencer discuss the Brewers' Game 1 win against the Rays, and the game of inches that it was. Players discussed include Jacob Misiorowski, Jackson Chourio, David Hamilton, William Contreras, and Christian Yelich. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

Many complaints about the Twins' bullpen are echoed by fans and reflected when the staff is asked to carry too much because the starting core cannot go deep into games. The Minnesota Twins obtained A.J. Minter from the New York Mets at the trade deadline, adding a left-handed reliever with experience and the potential to strengthen their bullpen. Although he had a few tough performances late in the season, his overall record with the Twins gives them reason to consider bringing him back for 2027. In 25 games, Minter went 1-1 with a 2.78 ERA, 21 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings and a .218 batting average against. He also earned 0.6 bWAR, underscoring his significant contribution during his stint with Minnesota. That's when the conversation becomes intriguing. Don’t Let the Ending Define the Season Pitchers are often judged by their most recent game; a few difficult outings late in the season can easily alter the story, but they should not automatically overshadow what came earlier. It must be determined whether Minter's later struggles indicate a more serious issue or simply reflect a tough stretch within an otherwise successful career. The Twins must make that distinction before deciding on his future. His 4.91 FIP, compared with his 2.78 ERA, also merits note, as does his struggle against lefties. The difference suggests that his ERA may not tell the full story and casts doubt on whether his run prevention is sustainable. Many of those doubts stem from fans who say his ERA will not be sustainable given his considerably lower velocity as the season went on. In the off-season with the Mets, Minter was recovering from a torn left lat and prior hip labrum microfracture surgery. Before his surgery, his fastball dipped from an average of 96.7 mph in 2022 to 92.5-93.7 mph this season. That's a huge drop in the world of pitching. Still, as he worked to improve, he performed better in high-leverage situations, allowing only eight walks over 22 innings. Only 4.3% to the leagues average 9.9%. So, while his struggles can be cited, his work ethic can be, too. His results should not lead Minnesota to rely only on the surface figures when assessing his value. Experience Comes with Value Minter brings more than his Minnesota statistics; with Atlanta, he appeared in high-pressure postseason situations, including the Braves’ 2021 World Series championship campaign. Minter's walk rate was comparable to that of Robert Suarez, demonstrating the kind of command associated with high-leverage bullpen arms and strengthening the case for retaining him at the right price. That experience could benefit a Twins team trying to build a competitive pitching staff, but one factor must be considered given his off-season history and its effect on his on-the-mound work. Before making a decision, Minnesota should assess his medical outlook, velocity, and other basic performance figures. His recovery does not preclude a reunion, but it should factor into the length and value of any contract he may receive. Make the Right Investment The Twins should not overpay for familiarity, but they also shouldn't rule out a productive option without weighing the cost of replacing him. Minter. who will be 33 years old until next September, has shown he can be effective in Minnesota. Still, his FIP and injury record provide valid grounds for caution, and together these factors should help the Twins make an informed decision. The Twins pitching staff is a huge component of that. Since joining the Twins staff as bullpen coach a year ago, LaTroy Hawkins has been the pitcher whisperer. The bullpen pitchers, such as Minter, have improved by homing in on their “new normals.” For Minter, that has meant adjusting his fastball usage, relying more on cutter, and working with his lower velocity. The issue is not whether Minter had a perfect season, since he didn't; it is whether his performance, experience and potential contribution warrant a new contract. Minter is on most top ten lists of bullpen free agents. The Twins might consider bringing A.J. Minter back for 2027; if his medical exam is positive and the financial terms are acceptable, that could be a sensible decision for Minnesota. It isn't always necessary to pursue the most well-known name when building an improved roster; sometimes what matters is identifying the value a player can bring and matching the investment to the opportunity. Minter has given the Twins enough reason to keep the discussion going. View the full article

There wasn't anything particularly impressive about the San Diego Padres as a defensive team in 2025. As a collective, they ranked just 19th in Fielding Run Value (-10) and Outs Above Average (-7), and 14th in Defensive Runs Saved (+28). So, depending on your metric of choice, they were either almost precisely in the middle of the pack or comfortable below average. Only one player from last year's iteration of the Friars was genuinely good on either side of the metric spectrum, with Fernando Tatis Jr. sitting at +8 OAA & +15 DRS. Xander Bogaerts, good by OAA (+7), was bad on the DRS side (-4) while everyone else lingered closer to either end of the average threshold. Yet, there was a significant shift for the Padres in 2026. This year's iteration of the team wasn't just improved defensively, but a legitimately elite squad in matters of their glove work. Their +37 FRV ranked fourth, their +19 OAA sat ninth, and they finished 12th in DRS (+29). That's a far cry from where they landed on the board the previous season. It's not an especially complicated formula in what allowed them to improve, either. The most obvious element of said formula comes in the form of Ty France. The longtime journeyman didn't just earn a bench job on a minor-league deal out of camp, but quickly secured the first base position for almost the entirety of 2026. Much of that was on the strength of his bat, but his glove might have just been more responsible considering what it brought to the position itself and how that permeated throughout the rest of the infield dirt. France posted +7 OAA for the season, a number which trailed only Atlanta's Matt Olson at the first base position. Statcast's newly-available first base receiving metric also graded him as above average in every facet of receiving with the obvious exception of high throws (such is the life of a short king). His work earned him acknowledgement as a Gold Glove finalist for 2026, one of two Padres to receive such recognition. Manny Machado also demonstrated marked improvement off a 2025 season that had some questioning his long-term viability at third base as he continues to age. After a below-average defensive year by each of OAA & FRV, Machado rebounded to well above the average threshold in each (+11 OAA, +8 FRV). Xander Bogaerts continued his trend of having his defense prop up his value as well, going for +2 OAA & +4 FRV. It wasn't just the infield plying their trade successfully, either. While Jackson Merrill & Tatis represented the quality defenders on the outfield grass, their counterpart in left field was left wanting in 2025 as the Padres were below average in each of the three primary defensive metrics last season. That was primarily due to the bulk of the work being handled by the poorly graded combination of Gavin Sheets & Ramón Laureano. The team didn't drastically improve, but they were better in each of the three main defensive categories, especially as Dustin Harris turned in positive marks in more than 100 innings down the stretch. Having Freddy Fermin, the team's other Gold Glove finalist, behind the plate certainly played its role as well. While Fermin's offense led to his ouster as the team's starting backstop by year's end, he still turned in strong grades that weren't just above average in each facet of catcher defense—framing, blocking, and throwing—but landed him in the top seven or eight at the position no matter how you slice it. Again, the team-wide defensive improvement wasn't simply a concentrated effort, but one that manifested as the team worked to construct its bench. Given Ty France's free-agent status, Freddy Fermin's trade status, and the lack of clarity around left field next season, it's unclear whether the Padres will be able to maintain this improvement heading into 2027. But the where and the how of the defensive gains that unfolded in 2026 aren't any sort of mystery that the team will need to work hard to solve. View the full article

The Sporting News has been examining the 140 greatest baseball players of all time through an unconventional approach. Instead of ranking every player on a single list, the publication divided its selections into 14 positionless rooms, each representing a different archetype of greatness. The categories explore the various ways players have shaped baseball history, from sustained excellence to unforgettable performances and complicated legacies. According to The Sporting News, “Our ‘rooms’ serve not only to honor the game’s greatest players, but to contextualize their standing in baseball history — for better or worse.” The publication's overview of the 14 rooms outlines its effort to celebrate the game's greatest players while recognizing what makes their careers distinctive. From a Minnesota Twins perspective, this series identifies two players for each of the 14 rooms. Some former Twins might fit into different categories when viewed nationally, but their careers still connect to the themes behind each room. This installment examines two players whose reputations became complicated by controversy and two others whose distinctive skills helped make them memorable parts of Twins history. Pariahs The Sporting News describes its Pariahs room as a place for players whose legacies have been damaged by cheating, dishonesty or discrimination. These are figures whose actions challenged baseball's integrity, even as their accomplishments remain part of the game's history. The Twins connections to this category require some distinction. Chuck Knoblauch became a divisive figure among Minnesota fans after his departure and later faced serious off-field controversies. Carlos Correa's connection is more directly tied to baseball's competitive integrity because of the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal. Neither story is identical to every case represented by the category, but both demonstrate how circumstances beyond a player's statistics can shape his reputation. Chuck Knoblauch Chuck Knoblauch was one of the best players in Twins history before his relationship with the organization and its fans deteriorated. His departure after the 1997 season created a divide that followed him back to Minnesota, eventually producing one of the ugliest fan incidents in Metrodome history. Knoblauch burst onto the major league scene in 1991, winning American League Rookie of the Year honors while helping Minnesota capture a World Series championship. He hit .281, stole 25 bases and became an important part of the club's title-winning lineup. Over seven seasons with the Twins, he established himself as an elite leadoff hitter, combining patience, contact ability and speed. Knoblauch finished his Minnesota career with a .304 batting average, a .391 on-base percentage, 43 home runs and 276 stolen bases in 1,013 games. He earned four All-Star selections during his Twins career, along with a Gold Glove and two Silver Slugger Awards. Those numbers demonstrate why he remains among the franchise's most productive second basemen. The relationship began to unravel as Minnesota struggled during the mid-1990s. Knoblauch voiced frustration with the organization's direction, and the Twins traded him to the New York Yankees after the 1997 season. He went on to win three more World Series championships in New York, but his departure left many Minnesota fans feeling betrayed. The tension became impossible to ignore when Knoblauch returned to the Metrodome with the Yankees in 2001. Fans threw hot dogs, beer bottles and quarters toward him, causing delays and nearly forcing the game to be forfeited. It was an extraordinary scene involving a player who had helped bring a championship to Minnesota only a decade earlier. Knoblauch's reputation became more complicated after his playing career. He faced assault charges in 2009 and was arrested again in 2014 following allegations involving his former wife. Those incidents were separate from his on-field accomplishments, but they added to the difficult public narrative surrounding his post-playing life. His planned Twins Hall of Fame ceremony was canceled following the 2014 arrest. His playing record remains impressive, but his legacy illustrates how a player's accomplishments do not always tell the complete story. Carlos Correa Carlos Correa arrived in Minnesota with a reputation as one of baseball's most accomplished young shortstops. A former No. 1 overall draft pick, Rookie of the Year and World Series champion with Houston, he appeared to be the type of player who could anchor the Twins' roster for years. His career, however, has carried controversy from the beginning of his professional success. Correa was a central member of the Houston Astros during their 2017 championship season, which later became synonymous with the organization's electronic sign-stealing scandal. An MLB investigation found that the Astros used technology to decode and relay opponents' signs during the 2017 season and postseason. Correa subsequently acknowledged that the team's actions were wrong and that its players needed to accept responsibility. The controversy followed Correa throughout his career. His postseason accomplishments and reputation as a talented defender remained significant, but the Astros' championship became a frequent subject of debate. For many baseball fans, that period continues to complicate the way they view the team's success. Minnesota gave Correa a new opportunity after the 2021 season. He initially signed a three-year, $105 million contract with the Twins, then opted out following the 2022 campaign. His subsequent free agency became one of the most unusual episodes in recent baseball history. Correa agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with San Francisco, but concerns surrounding his surgically repaired right ankle prevented the deal from being finalized. A subsequent agreement with the New York Mets, reportedly worth $315 million over 12 years, also fell apart over medical concerns. Correa ultimately returned to Minnesota on a six-year, $200 million contract. The contract became a major part of the Twins' financial planning, but Correa's Minnesota tenure ended sooner than anticipated. On July 31, 2025, the Twins traded him back to Houston. Minnesota agreed to send $33 million to help cover his remaining contract, which carried $96 million in guaranteed salary through 2028, with club options extending from 2029 through 2032. The Astros sent minor league pitcher Matt Mikulski to Minnesota in the deal. The trade was a baseball and financial decision, not a punishment for the sign-stealing scandal. Still, Correa's Twins story included an unusual combination of controversy, enormous contractual commitments, medical uncertainty and a departure before the deal had run its course. Correa fits the Pariahs room most directly because of his association with one of baseball's most notorious competitive-integrity scandals. His free-agent saga and eventual trade added more layers to a complicated career, even as his considerable ability remained apparent. Artists The Sporting News describes its Artists as players who made baseball look like an art form. Their distinguishing characteristics go beyond conventional production. They had signature ways of hitting, fielding, pitching or running that made their performances memorable. For the Twins, Corey Koskie and Joe Nathan represent two different versions of that idea. Koskie combined athletic defense with an unusually well-rounded offensive game, while Nathan turned closing out games into a precise and repeatable craft. Corey Koskie Corey Koskie was a key player during Minnesota's transition from a struggling franchise into a consistent American League contender. The Canadian third baseman spent seven seasons with the Twins from 1998 through 2004, providing a combination of power, on-base ability, speed and acrobatic defense. Koskie never received the national recognition that went to some of his contemporaries, but he was an important part of the lineup during Minnesota's return to prominence. His offensive game was especially well-rounded for a third baseman. He could hit for power, work counts, reach base and create additional value on the basepaths. The 2001 season was his most complete statistical performance. Koskie hit 26 home runs, drove in 103 runs, scored 100 runs and stole 27 bases. He became the first American League third baseman, and just the second third baseman in major league history at the time, to combine at least 100 runs, 25 home runs, 100 RBI and 25 stolen bases in a season. His performance demonstrated the variety of skills that made him valuable. Minnesota won three consecutive division titles from 2002 through 2004, and Koskie was part of the core that helped make those teams successful. His importance to that era received renewed recognition in 2025, when the Twins inducted him into their team Hall of Fame. Koskie's career was later cut short by a concussion sustained while playing for Milwaukee in 2006. He had left Minnesota by then, but the injury ultimately ended his playing career. Koskie may not be an obvious choice as one of the Twins’ best players, but the Artists category offers a way to recognize the signature skills that made him stand out in Minnesota. His ability to combine offensive production, speed and defensive athleticism made him an important player during one of the franchise's most significant turnarounds. Joe Nathan Joe Nathan was one of the most reliable closers in baseball during his time with the Twins. Acquired from San Francisco in the 2003 trade that sent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to the Giants, Nathan quickly became a defining presence at the back of Minnesota's bullpen. Nathan's success was built on power, command and an ability to execute when the game was on the line. His fastball and breaking pitches gave hitters little margin for error, and his strikeout ability allowed him to escape difficult situations without relying exclusively on contact. For Twins fans, his entrance into a close game became a familiar sign that Minnesota was only three outs away from a victory. His career numbers in Minnesota are exceptional. Nathan recorded 260 saves with a 2.16 ERA across 463⅓ innings in 460 appearances. He struck out 561 batters and held opponents to a .186 batting average. He remains the Twins' franchise leader in saves and ranks among the most successful relievers in team history. Nathan was especially important during Minnesota's run of division titles in the 2000s. He saved 44 games in 2004, 36 in 2006 and 47 in 2009, providing consistent production in seasons when the Twins needed dependable late-inning pitching. He made six All-Star teams over his major league career and finished among the league's top relievers in several seasons. His value was not simply the number of saves he accumulated. Closing games requires a particular combination of preparation, composure and execution. A starter can settle into a rhythm over several innings, but a closer often enters with runners on base or faces the heart of the opposing lineup with the result hanging in the balance. Nathan fits the Artists category because of the craft behind his results. He developed a recognizable approach to the most pressure-filled job in baseball and delivered with remarkable consistency. His Twins career was not the longest among the franchise's great pitchers, but his signature role and outstanding production made him one of the most memorable. Four Different Legacies Knoblauch, Correa, Koskie and Nathan show how differently a player's reputation can develop. Knoblauch's exceptional Twins career became intertwined with a bitter departure and later personal controversies. Correa's accomplishments have been complicated by the Astros' sign-stealing scandal and an unusual journey through free agency before his eventual return to Houston. Koskie and Nathan represent a different side of the game's history. Koskie's versatility and athleticism made him a valuable part of Minnesota's emergence as a contender, while Nathan perfected one of baseball's most demanding roles. The Sporting News' room concept encourages fans to look beyond traditional rankings and consider the different forces that shape a player's legacy. In Minnesota, these four careers show that baseball history includes both the controversy that follows certain players and the distinctive skills that make others memorable. Some legacies are complicated by what happened away from the field. Others are remembered for the way a player made the game look when the ball was in play. Both are part of what makes the history of Twins baseball worth revisiting. Should other players be placed in these rooms? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs are no strangers to doing business with each other. Of course, there’s the infamous Pete Crow-Armstrong trade back in 2021, which has not aged well in the slightest for one of those franchises in particular. But the two teams made another deal this summer that could pay dividends for the Mets. David Stearns sent pitcher Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor to Chicago in exchange for 21-year-old infield prospect Jefferson Rojas. And while there was plenty to like about Rojas when he came over, he might be even better than the Mets initially anticipated. Rojas had posted an .800 OPS with the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate, along with 15 home runs (already a career high) and 17 stolen bases. With solid defensive ability across the infield, he profiled as someone who could be ready for major-league action in the near-future. That’s especially true now. For as good as Rojas was with Chicago, the Mets seemingly unlocked another level of production after bringing him into the organization. He was assigned to Double-A Binghamton upon his arrival, and he absolutely took off. Across 29 games, he recorded 18 extra-base hits, a .929 OPS and three stolen bases. Those are significantly better numbers than he posted during his already impressive stretch with the Cubs, and his performance earned him a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse late in the season. He only appeared in six games at that level, and his strikeout numbers increased fairly substantially... but so did just about everything else. Rojas launched three home runs in those six games, drove in seven runs and scored eight of his own. Most 21-year-olds aren’t even at Triple-A yet, and a lot aren’t even at Double-A. Rojas was already dominating at the highest levels of the minor leagues, so what led to his sudden surge in production? It would be easy to look at a small sample like this and chalk it up to luck. However, his BABIP and walk rate in Binghamton were actually both lower than they were with Nashville, the Cubs’ Double-A affiliate. While there’s always going to be some noise in a relatively small sample, I think the biggest change came in his batted-ball profile. Over the past couple of years at the Double-A level, Rojas had a fly-ball rate of around 36%. He’s not the most powerful hitter on the planet, but he’s got enough pop in his bat to do damage when he elevates the ball. And we saw that in a big way late in the season. His fly-ball rate climbed to 41.1% in Binghamton, and in that six-game stretch with Syracuse, it jumped all the way to 50%. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that his power production increased alongside that change. When Rojas started putting the ball in the air more frequently, he began turning more of his contact into extra-base hits and home runs. The beautiful thing is that he didn’t have to sell out for power to do it, either. In addition to hitting the ball in the air more often, Rojas started using the whole field more effectively. His pull rate dropped from 49% with Chicago to roughly 40% after the trade. Rather than trying to force the ball to his pull side in search of extra-base hits, he took what pitchers gave him and drove the ball hard to all parts of the field. That’s a pretty encouraging sign for a developing hitter; Rojas was able to increase his power production without becoming overly reliant on one part of the field, which should help him continue to make adjustments as he continues to face more advanced pitching. There’s obviously still plenty of room for growth, though. His six-game stint at Triple-A was impressive, but it also came with a very high strikeout rate and a very low walk rate. He’s not going to keep hitting a home run every other game on average forever, and he’ll need to show that he can maintain his production against better pitching over a longer stretch. The good news is that Rojas has already found success at the highest levels of the minors. With another offseason to refine his approach and continue developing his bat, there’s reason to believe he can take another step forward in 2027. Defensively, Rojas has the ability to move around between second base, third base and shortstop. He saw the most action at the hot corner this year, which is probably where he profiles best in the long term. He doesn’t necessarily have the range you’d want from a middle infielder, but he has a strong arm that should serve him well on the left side of the infield. That defensive versatility gives the Mets some flexibility as they figure out where he fits into their future plans. And if his bat continues to develop the way it did after the trade, he could give the organization another high-upside option in the infield. There’s still work to be done before Rojas is ready to become a regular contributor at the major-league level, but the early returns have been awfully encouraging. If he can keep making strides this offseason and carry that momentum into 2027, we could see him at Citi Field at some point next year. View the full article

No one seems satisfied with Jacob Misiorowski's work. Throughout his start in Game 1 of the World Series, FOX broadcast team Joe Davis and John Smoltz repeatedly lamented that they weren't seeing the dominant version of the presumptive National League Cy Young Award winner. Smoltz started speculating that Misiorowski might not be long for the game in the third inning. On social media, there was nervousness and hand-wringing, as fans watched the Rays spoil several two-strike pitches and consistently touch a fastball that was sometimes untouchable this year. Tampa batters fouled off 14 of the 25 heaters at which they swung, and they put six more in play—half of those being hit hard. The number everyone had been watching was Misiorowski's induced vertical break, and that number got back to his seasonal average. His velocity (he sat at 101 miles per hour and touched 104) was a hair better than usual. Yet, he didn't overpower the Rays. People were concerned. In the end, though, there was no reason to be. Misiorowski only allowed one run, and it came on the heels of a misread by Garrett Mitchell on a Junior Caminero line drive. That ball was blistered, but Mitchell should have caught it, and if he had, Misiorowski would have gotten through the fifth inning with fewer than 75 pitches and no runs allowed. As it was, he left with 78 pitches after five, having allowed five baserunners and struck out three. No, he's not in midseason form, and yes, there's been a real adjustment by the whole league to prepare for and time up that historic heater. If truth be told, though, the Rays not only didn't bang him, but didn't come especially close to doing so. That's a fair encapsulation of the whole night, in a sense. For the first time in the lifetimes of most millennials, Milwaukee was the center of the baseball universe, and when you earn that bright a spotlight, some flaws you barely knew were there show up. It's an unforgiving grading curve. Strong performances will be cast as barely sufficient, because they are; you're playing the toughest games of your life. You don't even have to make a big mistake, much of the time, to pay a heavy price. Fans, broadcasters and even former players expect perfection from the teams who earn the right to play on the sport's grandest stage, but the truth is that the quality of the two teams creates mutual pressure and mutual difficulty. Far from perfect, games can often seem sloppy, even when they aren't. Be it via careful preparation, prodigious talent or an unexpected bit of luck, teams end up challenging each other to do things they usually don't, or to do things they usually do at a higher level than ever. The inevitable result of that raised standard is the odd moment when it can't be met, and those can be the moments that decide games. There will be moments when the standard can't be met on both sides, though. You can win while making a key mistake or two, forced or not. The keys are to force more mistakes than you make; to stay poised in the wake of the hiccups, both individually and collectively; and to occasionally do something special—to clear a bar set higher than you've ever cleared before. While some warts showed up in Game 1, the Brewers won because they managed all of the above a bit better than the Rays did. Here are five moments that tipped the scales. Christian Yelich and the Wasted Sinker When it comes to control and execution, Nick Martinez is scary-good. The 36-year-old veteran and semi-surprise Game 1 starter for Tampa had a 3.10 ERA this season, and it's not because his stuff is off the charts. On the contrary, unlike Misiorowski, Martinez is below-average at missing bats. He's also not an elite ground-ball guy. He survives by getting help from his defense, but he also thrives because he doesn't depend on that help; he makes his own luck. With superb control, he always works ahead in counts, which gives him the opportunity to start carving edges and forcing hitters (even if they put the ball in play, as they usually do) to make weak or harmless contact. The Brewers take an aggressive tack when they face pitchers like that. They swear they don't ever go into a game planning to be more aggressive in the early going, and the data backs them up. Here's a histogram showing the frequency of various swing rates for the team over the first two innings of games this season, including October. Its normality suggests, more or less, randomness. However, the three times they faced Tarik Skubal this season can all be found in the righthand tail of that distribution. Ditto for their showdown with Joe Ryan of the Twins in mid-May. Game 1 of the World Series is over there, too. Against pitchers they know will fill up the zone, the Brewers offense starts with a plan not to let them steal strikes. So it was that Jackson Chourio singled on the first pitch Martinez threw. One batter later, Christian Yelich stepped to the plate. Martinez wasn't going to get hurt on the first pitch again, but nor did he want to fall behind Yelich. He executed two consecutive pitches as well as even Martinez can do it: a backdoor slider for a called strike one, then a four-seam heater above the zone that Yelich chased for strike two. On the first 0-2 offering, he tried to punch Yelich out with a changeup running to the outer edge, but Yelich spoiled it. That was no problem for Martinez, though. In fact, it set up his next idea perfectly. Martinez made a habit of throwing front-door sinkers to lefty batters in two-strike counts this year, especially when ahead 0-2 or 1-2. In a perfect world, that pitch (he throws it high, more a two-seamer than a true sinker, so calling it a front-hip offering isn't quite right; it's more like a threat to your ribcage) zips back over the edge as a batter freezes and raises their hands, for a called third strike. Even if he gets a swing, though, he'll often jam the batter. If he has the hitter looking away (as he surely did after throwing Yelich that changeup), he doesn't have to be perfect to get a very good result. That was the pitch Martinez and Liam Hicks next tried, but this time, Martinez's signature command faltered. In fact, he threw Yelich a meatball. If the next pitch had gone differently, we might remember this as a crucial mistake by Yelich, more than by Martinez. That pitch was very hittable, but Yelich could only foul it off. The previous three pitches in the sequence (and the 0-2 count) explain why he was caught in a defensive mode, but that was a missed opportunity. For the Rays, though, it was something worse: a wasted offering. If Martinez hits his spot with the pitch, even if Yelich fouls it off, he's set up for a variety of things thereafter. Another changeup is very much a possibility. Another four-seamer above the zone is on the menu. Because of that ugly miss, though, Yelich was back in the at-bat, even after missing a cookie. He had the plate covered and the timing right. Thus, Martinez and Hicks had to try a pitch that would require perfect execution again: a cutter, down and in. Again, Martinez missed, because even an elite zone-filler sometimes does that. This time, Yelich was ready. Yelich posed a very tough challenge to Martinez: he forced him to be perfect. When Martinez faltered, the Brewers' captain capitalized. Garrett Mitchell and the Freeze The top of the fourth inning could have been disastrous. It could have been when the Brewers lost Game 1. Instead, it might be when they won it. Jonathan Aranda singled to lead off the frame against Misiorowski. The Brewers' ace then struck out Chandler Simpson—no easy thing to do, and an easy thing to forget which we ought not to. Simpson struck out in only 7.8% of his plate appearances this year, the second-lowest rate in the league. He gets started early and is on time for the fastball more consistently than any hitter in the league, and his bat is in the hitting zone a long time. Because he has very little bat speed, though, Simpson has to commit earlier than most hitters to keep up with the heat. After pumping the top arm-side corner of the zone for a while to set him up, Misiorowski found a punchout by throwing Simpson a curveball that even he couldn't wait back long enough on, and which he was never going to be able to avoid swinging at. Trouble stirred right back up thereafter, though. Misiorowski threw Caminero a fastball with plenty of velocity (101.5 MPH), but with way too much zone around it on all sides. Caminero hit a rocket, and Mitchell simply couldn't get going back quickly enough to spear the liner. As many outfielders now do, Mitchell hops like an infielder as the ball passes through the hitting zone, giving himself a more dynamic starting position and the ability to get moving faster (in most directlons) toward the ball. On balance, this is a valuable bit of defensive craft. The Brewers certainly believe in it. However, there are two drawbacks to it: Outfielders are farther from the play than infielders, and it's often harder for them to perfectly time their bounce to be coming down as the ball passes through the hitting zone and contact is made. That problem is exacerbated, of course, with a pitcher like Misiorowski on the mound. Between his extension down the mound and that extraordinary velocity, it's easy to end up ever-so-slightly late in getting ready to move. The one direction this move doesn't allow an outfielder to move as well is straight back. For infielders, this isn't a problem. Any ball on which a second baseman or shortstop needs to go straight back will have plenty of air under it; you can turn and run underneath it as it drops. Not so for a center fielder. Caminero hit this ball 113 MPH at a launch angle of just 13°. Mitchell would have needed to make a fast read, turn the right way and start backward immediately to flag the ball down. If a fielder is working from a standard outfield setup, that's doable. The ball didn't pass all that far over his starting position, because it was hit so low. The way Mitchell moves pre-pitch, though, it became impossible. By no means is that an easy play, but it's makeable, and it went unmade. It's a perfect example of the unforgiving nature of playing in the World Series. The incredible talent of Mitchell's own teammate made his job harder. So did the top-of-the-scale bat speed of Caminero, producing a batted ball you hardly ever see. This is the master's-level course, all right. To Misiorowski's immense credit, though, he locked back in and minimized the damage. William Contreras deserves some credit, too. Seeing the mistake his hurler had just made with a four-seamer, he called nothing but cutters the rest of the frame. Hicks grounded out, Johnny DeLuca flied out, and only one run came home. It could so easily have become two, if the Brewers' battery hadn't recovered so well from the shock of that ball getting over Mitchell's head. David Hamilton vs. Ben Williamson The fifth inning might most be remembered for William Contreras throwing out Victor Mesa Jr. to end the top of the frame, with the Rays outfielder ill-advisedly trying to steal third base with two outs. However, two other plays better exemplified how tricky and dangerous World Series baseball is. Under the surface, real trouble burbled in that top half of the fifth. Ben Williamson came to the plate with a runner on and nobody out. Misiorowski got ahead 0-2, but when he tried to put Williamson away with a rare slider, he left it up and over the middle of the plate. Luckily, Williamson was hunting the four-seamer or cutter, so he hit the top of the ball, even at the top of the zone. That created a wild, high bouncing ball, though, and it could easily have been an infield single, or worse. Williamson rarely hits grounders down the third-base line. Misiorowski's velocity, the chance for a double play and Williamson's scouting report had the Brewers infield playing him a step toward the middle of the diamond. That forced David Hamilton to cover significant ground as the ball soared high and floated over third base. He did so, and he made a strong throw on the run. Good thing, too, because Williamson can move and got a good break out of the box. Hamilton's throw still had him beaten by plenty, but it was a long-hop peg that carried Jake Bauers across the base and behind the baseline. It required, therefore, a second great play in one: Bauers moving fluidly and stabbing the ball, holding the bag for the out. That, as much as Contreras's great throw (and Hamilton's sure-handed tag), got the Brewers out of the fifth and helped Misiorowski qualify for the win. Then, in the bottom of the inning, Hamilton nearly broke the game open offensively. He lined a ball into the right-field corner and had a sure triple. Unfortunately, he got the feet wrong. This is one of those things that happens when you're playing under unusual conditions and there's extra adrenaline coursing through you. Routes get a little less clean. You slightly rush something, and then you rush your efforts to compensate for it. Hamilton took a hair too long to bend his run toward second base, so when he did, he cut a bit too sharply and aimed for too fine a piece of the inside corner of the base. At the last moment, he realized his left foot wouldn't find the bag, so he shortened his stride and tagged second with his right foot, instead. The necessary stutter-step threw off his balance very slightly, which slowed him down for a moment's moment. Afterward, some criticized Hamilton's choice to keep going. Shortstop Taylor Walls wasn't covering second, and the throw was still coming in from the corner to the relay man, Williamson, when the slight stumble happened. He could have retreated. If you watch the play without hindsight bias, though, it's almost impossible to argue he should have. There was one out in the inning already. If Hamilton makes third there, he can score without a hit, and with his speed, that means an especially wide number of possibilities. He's also the fastest Brewer (and one of the fastest players in the league), so he had every reason to feel confident in his ability to recover and get to his destination. He even would have, if not for a truly perfect relay peg from Williamson. It was sweet revenge for the Rays second baseman, but not a blunder by Hamilton. This is the high hum of a machine working perfectly; it's the best sound in the world. Hamilton's speed put pressure on the defense. The defenders executed a flawless relay. Everyone made the right decisions. Only a very slight misstep prevented Hamilton from making third; only the perfection of his opponents made that misstep matter. That's the World Series, for you. The Brewers Are Truly Built Different The lead always belonged to Milwaukee, and they felt like the better team. The game was miles from being decided when the seventh-inning stretch came, though. Milwaukee still only led by one run, and the Rays had already proved that they do enough things well to hang with the best team in baseball. It was time, therefore, for the Brewers to remind their guests why they deserve that honorific. Cooper Pratt is as much a rookie as exists in late October. He debuted barely four months ago. He's only 21 years old. He hits at the bottom of the order, and given the strength of this lineup, that's only right. However, there have been times this fall when he's looked like an unflappable (even impeccable) veteran. One such moment changed the game for good, leading off the bottom of the seventh. Steven Matz jumped ahead of Pratt with a first-pitch strike. He got ahead 1-2 with a changeup that was perfectly placed, and on 2-2, he tested him with two straight high sinkers in the zone that tested whether Pratt trusted himself enough to be on time for high heat. He passed both tests by fouling off the pitches, then took two more that missed down. It was an eight-pitch walk. Not as glamorous as Jake Bauers's in the NLCS, maybe, but it would prove just as important. Two batters later, the good news was that Pratt was in scoring position. Hamilton (him again) hit a ground ball that moved him to second base. The bad news, though, was just as urgent: there were two outs. Chourio was up again. Chourio would swing at the first pitch again. Chourio, again, came through. That sequence—a hard-worked walk from behind in the count; a productive out; an ambush hit to score a run—is the Brewers in a nutshell. They're slow, until they're fast. They're dangerous in more ways than an opponent can handle. The Rays didn't do much wrong in that whole inning. They didn't make a telling mistake. The Brewers just beat them. Trevor Megill and the Head-Clearing It was all set up, and then it could all have gotten away, and almost did. Trevor Megill was off his game. He entered with a two-run lead and got the first batter out, but then, he found himself in near-instant danger. The genius of the Rays batters laid in not overswinging against a hard-throwing pitcher who would exploit any overeagerness. Jonathan Aranda swung the bat at just 63.9 MPH to flick a high fastball the other way for a single. Simpson swung it at just 57 MPH to scoop a curveball out of the dirt and find grass up the middle. That's peskiness. That's a team offering a snorting, stomping, high-octane hurler a stern test. Megill wobbled a bit in the face of it, too. Caminero stepped in as the go-ahead run, and Megill walked him. Just like that, a single could tie the game, and an extra-base hit would flip the scoreboard. What flipped, instead, was a switch inside Megill. He got a first-pitch ground ball from Hicks that almost ended the game. Newly minted Fielding Bible Award winner Brice Turang turned a sharp ground ball well to his left into a near-double play. Turang is the master of the quick pick and turn, showing his back to home plate as he whirls to take down the lead runner on a play on which many second basemen would take the sure out. In fact, if Hicks hitting the ball there for a potential twin-killing in a pivotal late-inning situation looked familiar, it ought to have. It happened in July, too. N3l6dmpfWGw0TUFRPT1fVkZVSFhWWlhVd2NBREZZQlhnQUhCRkJmQUZnRlZWUUFVMTBNVkZBQkJsVlFWUW9B.mp4 The ball Hicks hit Friday night was much firmer, and the Brewers had more time. Turang wasn't quite as smooth with the throw to Pratt covering second, though, and although it wasn't initially called that way, the young shortstop gave up the bag a hair too soon as he stretched for the throw. Little things. Little, tiny things, on this big stage. The whiplash of that moment—the fireworks going, the postgame set rolling onto the field, then the sudden quite and the long wait of a review that (rightfully) forced everyone back to their places—could have done in Megill. Instead, he used that time to reset. He hadn't pitched well to that point, but nor had he pitched so poorly, after all. The Rays were perfect pests. They were clever. They were also a little lucky, and then he'd gotten into his head while walking Caminero. Time to clear all of that. Time to breathe deep, prepare for the battle, and win it. He still missed, high, with two fastballs out of his first three pitches to DeLuca, but they were purposeful misses. He was back to firing with conviction. When, on 2-1, he caught the edge with a curveball that DeLuca was utterly unready for, it was all but over. The next pitch was in the dirt, but it wasn't non-competitive, as the tries Megill had made at that pitch against Caminero had been. DeLuca went fishing; the Brewers reeled in a win. This whole postseason has been a lesson in the enormous difficulty and fragile excellence of baseball played at this level. The Brewers have made plenty of mistakes, because this is a game where mistakes are unavoidable. They've made fewer than their opponents, though, or capitalized better on their opponents' than their opponents have on theirs. It's been a breathtaking display of the beauty of greatness, even amid (and perhaps because of) imperfection. The Brewers are just three wins from their first World Series championship. The Rays will make them earn those three wins, and there will be more times when something doesn't look quite right. That's not a sign of lousy work being done; it's a testament to the degree of difficulty. View the full article

It has been years since Austin Martin’s pedigree as the 5th overall pick in the 2020 draft has carried much weight. His stock declined almost immediately, resulting in his trade to Minnesota. As his struggles continued, there was hope that he still had a future as a right-handed-hitting role player in a lineup that desperately needed one. His stock seems to have plummeted even further in 2026, however, leaving significant questions about where Martin sits in 2027. In theory, Austin Martin should be a very valuable player, even as a pure weak-side platoon/bench option. Right-handed hitting outfielders have become increasingly difficult to find in recent years, and finding a productive one has been even tougher. For much of recorded baseball history, right-handed hitters took a healthy majority of at-bats compared to left-handed hitters. In 2026, that split was essentially 50/50. Meanwhile, right-handed-hitting outfielders specifically had their weakest offensive season since 1974, posting around league-average production overall. The problem is that Austin Martin fell well within this group of historically bad right-handed-hitting outfielders in 2026. After Matt Wallner was demoted to St. Paul on May 14 and being given an everyday job, Martin slashed .173/.276/.254 for the rest of the season. His overall production on the year was only slightly below league average, and his defense graded out positively, but the way he finished at the plate was impossible to overlook. In a perfect world, the Twins have Byron Buxton playing nearly every day in center field, Luke Keaschall playing every day in a corner spot, and the left-handed hitting duo of Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins playing regularly against right-handed pitching. This leaves a small but important role for a right-handed hitter, who will need to be trusted to perform against left-handed pitching while still providing passable defense. Martin’s competition in 2027 is fairly modest, at least right now. Gabriel Gonzalez is a former top 100-ish prospect himself, though he is not well thought of defensively and struggled at the plate in 2026 even at the Triple-A level. Ben Ross tore up Double-A and Triple-A offensively and offers the speed and athleticism of Austin Martin, as well as the ability to play in the infield if needed. The Twins didn’t feel obligated to give him much playing time down the stretch, making it worth wondering how much they believe in him, even as a bench bat. Ryan Kriedler may have been the team’s best defensive shortstop and backup center fielder last year, but the bat will always be a major weak spot in a lineup if he gets anything close to everyday playing time. The other risk is the Twins simply going out and buying a more trustworthy right-handed hitting outfielder if they don’t want to gamble on this group. The options are admittedly thin in free agency, and those who are worthy candidates such as Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki will likely be cost-prohibitive. It’s also worth noting that most of the current internal candidates have minor league options remaining, including Austin Martin himself. Perhaps the Twins could consider trading Martin if their faith in his development has run out. With the historic lack of quality right-handed outfielders in baseball, perhaps a team would at least give up something to acquire him and try to get him on track themselves, though the return would be far from noteworthy. The bigger benefit would be clearing a 40-man spot if the Twins are truly ready to move on so they can give that opportunity to someone else. The hope was that, heading into 2027, Austin Martin would at least have a leg up on the internal candidates for an opening day roster spot. After how his 2026 season ended, it’s difficult to make that argument. Now 27 years old, Austin Martin has left many questions about his ability to produce in the MLB unanswered. He’s approaching a crossroads where the team would be justified in moving on to younger, more promising candidates to sink or swim in this role. Austin Martin’s role for the 2027 season ranges from regular playing time on the opening day roster to not being with the organization at all. Should the team give him one last chance? Should they utilize his remaining minor league option to make him earn his way back? Should they cut ties altogether? Let us know below! View the full article

One of many Marlins pitchers who enjoyed great results when paired with Jeff Mathis, AJ Ramos explains what made him so valuable as the team's backup catcher. View the full article

Franklin Arias was thought to have broken out in 2025 when he played at three minor-league levels, concluding his season with the Portland Sea Dogs. That season he hit .278/.335/.388 with 27 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 66 RBIs in 116 games. But that was just the beginning for the Red Sox number one prospect as he put on a show in 2026. Opening the season with Portland, the shortstop played 75 games at Double-A, dominating as he slashed .318/.407/.587 with 17 doubles, one triple, 19 home runs and 52 RBIs. The power surge was a welcome surprise, as his 19 home runs were one more than the 18 he had hit since making his debut back in 2023. “He said he was working really hard in the off-season. He put all the work in, especially on his body and nutrition side. And at the complex in Fort Myers, they worked really hard with him. He’s really grateful that he put the work in as well so he can show up and have power as well,” Arias explained through Juan Montero back in July when asked about how power at the plate became a bigger part of his game. The manner in which he was handling pitching and putting together quality at-bats quickly began a discussion about if he would be in Boston before the end of the season. In Portland, he started pulling pitches more while displaying a more patient, mature approach; he swung on just 43.4% of the pitches thrown to him but managed to make contact on nearly 90% of pitches in the zone. Then, on July 24, he was one step closer to the Show, getting promoted to Triple-A Worcester. Despite how well he was playing, the young infielder was not thinking about any promotion, admitting that he was just trying to help Portland win as many games as they could while showing his abilities on the field. “It’s something I've been dreaming of since I was a little kid,” Arias told the media through Montero. “Now that I'm here, I'm living my dream. Being one call away [from Boston], I'm really happy and grateful for the opportunity.” With Worcester, he continued to play hard, appearing in 42 games at Triple-A where he hit .331/.388/.506 with 11 doubles, six home runs and 39 RBIs. But despite the success, there were still learning moments for the top prospect. “It was a matter of time before he hit a couple balls hard and kind of got rolling,” acting manager Iggy Suarez explained following a 7-for-22 stretch in Norfolk that included two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs. “When you face older pitchers, when they start spinning the baseball at you, they want to see how you handle it. He was expanding the zone a little bit and then dialed it back. He let a couple pitchers know that he wasn’t going to swing at it and then forced guys to come in the zone and that’s when he was doing damage. “He ambushed Chris Bassitt on the first pitch and that went out in a hurry. That’s when he started to get spin, started chasing and that’s when he realized what they were doing. It’s good to see that process going on in his head.” Arias is well-known as a fastball punisher, though his skills against off-speed and breaking balls remain a work in progress. He’ll have to make an adjustment heading into 2027 if he and the organization plan for him to be a serious contributor at the major-league level. Sliders were thrown to him 23.8% of the time, yielding an expected batting average of .255 against the pitch. Fastballs, on the other hand, saw him have an xBA of .291 while whiffing just 11.11% of the time. The story remained the same for most similar offerings. Sweepers (.217 xBA) and changeups (.098) neutralized him quite well, while sinkers (.413) and cutters (.381) could barely contain him. Still, Arias played well despite the plan of attack from pitchers. In September, now fully adjusted to Triple-A pitching, the infielder went off in 14 games as he hit .407/.456/.576 with four doubles, two home runs and 15 RBIs. It was a spirited effort on his part, trying to will the WooSox into the playoffs. “He’s an All-Star for sure,” Suarez explained about Arias during the final week of the season. “A freak of an athlete. You see the wiry frame and the impact he provides on the baseball. To be able to slow the game down and not let it speed up on him, I think he knew what was waiting for him here. Had a little bit of a couple bumps in the road here, but I think he’s adjusting to pitchers adjusting to him. Pretty impressive. He’ll chase but then he’ll recognize he’s chasing and adjust very quickly. I’m glad I have the front row seat to seeing it all.” “He’s very slow, observant. The baseball IQ at such a young age, man, he’s smart. He sees a lot of the game and hearing him talk through things, I told him he has instincts. That’s hard to teach. For a 20-year-old in Triple-A knowing the whole hype and the lights he’s under, it’s awesome.” Even with all the hype surrounding his name, there's still room to grow for Arias. In Worcester, he was less of the power hitter he was in Portland and closer to the elite contact hitter he was in 2024 and 2025. This was due in part to not pulling the ball as much, his pull-air rate dropping to 12%. The change in approach could have been due to how pitchers attacked him in Triple-A, but he still managed to flash some power down the stretch. Next year will be telling for Arias as to what kind of hitter he could truly be at the major-league level. Amidst all of these developments, one thing is certain: After a second consecutive breakout campaign for the young infielder, Arias is on the fast track to the major leagues. In 117 games in 2026, he finished the season slashing .323/.400/.557 with 28 doubles, one triple, 25 home runs and 91 RBIs. The team thought about calling him up to Boston for the playoffs, sending him to Fort Myers with the other taxi squad players, but he was never added to the roster. Regardless, the Red Sox has a special talent on their hands, and 2027 will be a fun year to follow his progression whether in in the minor or major leagues. View the full article