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Last week we handed out our honorary Twins Daily Awards for the 2026 season, highlighting our picks for Most Valuable Player, Best Pitcher, Rookie of the Year and Most Improved. It's important to recognize and shine a light on the standout performances that elevated this team and offered real reason for encouragement. However, since this team ultimately fell short of its goals and finished below .500, it also feels worthwhile to look at the MVP conversation from the other side: who was least valuable to the 2026 Twins? Which players were most complicit in holding the club back from being a true contender in this watered-down American League? There are a few ways to look at this. It's not as simple as asking who had the worst base numbers. Guys like Justin Lawrence (18.00 ERA in 6 IP), Luis Garcia (10.38 ERA in 8 ⅔) and Kyler Fedko (0-for-16 with 8 Ks) would qualify by that measure, but none played enough to have a truly substantial impact on the team's fate. Here are seven players who merit consideration for 2026 Twins LVP, with an added note at the end on why it matters moving forward. Victor Caratini A randomly excellent month of June is the only thing salvaging what was otherwise a disastrous season for the free agent signee. Even with his 1.059 OPS that month, he still finished with a 77 OPS+ and a negative-1.35 Win Probability Added that ranked worst among all Twins position players. He was one of the slowest players in the league, clogging the base paths when he got on, and defensively he was totally unable to control the opposing run game, allowing 64 steals on 77 attempts. The Twins signed Caratini to a two-year deal with the expectation that he'd take over for Ryan Jeffers as starting catcher in 2027, but they've got to be having second thoughts about that plan with Caratini coming off an alarmingly lackluster season at age 33. Justin Topa He borders on too small of a sample, having thrown just 19 innings before being released in late May, but Topa packed a whole lot of badness into his 23 Twins appearances: 8.05 ERA, 6.47 FIP, 2.00 WHIP, 12-to-11 K/BB ratio. Making matters worse is that the team was counting on him for a semi-significant role, coming into the year as one of the more established members of a piecemeal Opening Day bullpen. He was decent for the first month but went off the rails afterward, and largely epitomized what was wrong with this relief corps before it got revamped. James Outman Not a serious contender because he didn't have a big enough role, but with Outman it's more about opportunity cost. The Twins could have used those 70 plate appearances more productively on just about anybody. Instead, Outman batted .156 with 29 strikeouts, and his outfield defense was not nearly strong enough to make up for the offensive ineptitude. The situation was more frustrating in terms of optics than functional damage done. It was always obvious Outman was not a good player. He was bad before the Twins acquired him last year, bad after they acquired him, and bad this year when given another chance. He somehow got another 100 plate appearances in Detroit after the Twins cut him loose in June, and was bad there too. Tristan Gray A strong candidate. The Twins took an inexplicable liking to him and ran him out for 52 starts, mostly at shortstop, before his demotion to Triple-A around the All-Star break. Offering little on offense or defense, Gray was chiefly responsible for turning the shortstop position into an area of massive disadvantage for Minnesota in the first half. The only redeeming quality of Gray's time with the Twins is that he batted .300 with runners in scoring positon and had a few memorable clutch hits, compiling 29 RBIs in his 188 plate appearances. He might skirt LVP status for that reason alone despite sub-replacement level production overall. Matt Wallner Wallner, conversely, provided little in terms of positives to offset his poor performance. The combination of a .167/.259/.292 slash line with bottom-barrel defense in right field led to negative-0.8 fWAR and negative-1.4 bWAR, both surpassing Gray for lowest among Twins position players. Wallner also had the second-worst WPA (ahead of only Caratini), so his lack of offensive output was costly. The 28-year-old was optioned to Triple-A in mid-May and never made it back, despite hitting pretty well for the Saints. It's been a dramatic fall-off for a hitter who was one of Minnesota's best in 2023-24. Simeon Woods Richardson In the span of 12 appearances (10 starts) for the Twins, Woods Richardson was about as bad as can be. He posted a 7.74 ERA and 6.16 FIP, allowing a jaw-dropping 65 hits and 25 walks with only 26 strikeouts in 47 ⅔ innings. The team went 1-9 in games he started. His negative-2.24 WPA was not only the worst on the team, but in all of baseball. The performance was discouraging enough that the Twins simply released Woods Richardson in early June — a stunning turn of events for a 25-year-old starting pitcher with a recent track record of MLB success. Royce Lewis Lewis is a bit different from everyone else on this list. Relatively speaking, his performance wasn't horrible, just well below average. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference both pegged him as modestly above replacement level. He stayed healthy, hit some homers, drove in some runs, played a ton. But that last part is sorta the issue. Lewis had by far the most playing time of anyone here. When healthy he was consistently an everyday player but rarely was he helpful. Yes, his 86 OPS+ is better than the 77 from Caratini, but Lewis made 130 more plate appearances and he was putting forth this sub-mediocre production from an offense-driven position, especially after the move to first base. So, where do you land on the least valuable player for the 2026 Twins? For me it's probably between Wallner and Woods Richardson, but Caratini has a case and I think Lewis might have an even stronger one. That's where this discussion takes on forward-looking relevance. Because while some of these guys are already out of the picture and others are on their way, Lewis and Caratini remain penciled into 2027 plans as of now. This sets up a critical question for the offseason: Are the Twins content to hope that two of the players most responsible for their disappointing outcome this year will reverse course, despite giving little tangible reason for such belief? Or will they seek to find ways to upgrade at catcher and first base? The latter would be a bit easier, given that Lewis is arbitration-eligible whereas Caratini is locked in for $7 million with a $3.5 million buyout for his 2028 option. View the full article

One of the best things that could have happened for the Milwaukee Brewers came as a result of what transpired with the 2015 San Diego Padres. That was the year the Padres fired Bud Black just 65 games into 2015 with a 32-33 record. That was Black's ninth year with the Padres and would be the team's fifth straight losing season. Dave Roberts was the bench coach that year and served as Black's replacement for a game before the Padres tabbed their Triple-A manager, Pat Murphy, to serve as the manager for the remainder of the season. There were no promises of Murphy retaining the job beyond that. He guided the Padres to a 42-54 mark, which left the Padres in fourth place in the NL West. Murphy had no MLB experience before getting the interim job, so he was learning the ins and outs of being a manager on the fly. While he had been in the Padres' system for five years, Murphy was known for being a college coach, first at Notre Dame then at Arizona State. He was successful wherever he went, just not for those 96 games with the Padres. One of his former proteges came calling. Craig Counsell had been plucked out of the Brewers' front office in May of that year to replace Ron Roenicke as manager following a 7-18 start. But it was the start of a new era for the Brewers. David Stearns was in his first season leading the front office, so changing managers after a slow start made sense. A clean slate with Stearns being able to pick his guy, which was Counsell, no interim tag needed. Once the 2015 season ended, Counsell was able to make some key changes to his coaching staff. Murphy, Counsell's coach at Notre Dame, was brought in as the bench coach, replacing Jerry Narron, and Derek Johnson was named pitching coach, taking over for Rick Kranitz. That trio would turn out to be the ones who helped turn the Brewers into a consistent contender. Murphy being hired by Counsell was not a token move to bring an old friend in. Counsell knew Murphy's strengths and how they complemented Counsell's skills. Counsell was a terrific manager for the Brewers. He would post a 434-412 record in nearly six seasons (.513 winning percentage). Those first two years, 2015-16, the Brewers had a 134-165 record (.448 winning percentage). Since then, the Brewers have had one losing season and even that comes with a caveat. It was the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in which the Brewers went 29-31 and still made the playoffs. But then Counsell got the itch. Whether or not he was unhappy with the Brewers or just wanted a bigger paycheck, which seems more likely, he unceremoniously bolted for the rival Chicago Cubs after posting a 92-70 record in 2023 as his contract expired. Stearns didn't have to look far for Counsell's replacement. Murphy left Counsell to fly on his own with the Cubs and took over as the Brewers' skipper. Since then, the Brewers have taken their game to a new level. Some of that has to do with an ever-improving roster, but it really seems to be because of how Murphy has handled being the head honcho. As the bench coach, Murphy's personality wasn't as public as it has been in the last three seasons. With young players dominating the roster, Murphy has been able to lean into his college experience. Sure, he has the fun nicknames that don't always seem that creative, but they do bring a smile. Counsell always came off as a little too hyperfocused, not always knowing when to be a little lighter when the moment called for it. He had a sense of humor, but it wasn't part of his persona. Murphy has the charm and charisma that have made him a tremendous fit for a young roster. It probably wouldn't work in most other places, but He can at one moment be pulling a pocket pancake out during a national-TV interview, then the next be benching a top prospect for not hustling or throwing strikes. That type of discipline doesn't always work at the MLB level. But it does with the Brewers because of the players who are leaders in the clubhouse. Christian Yelich is at the forefront of that movement as the team's highest-paid player and with the second-longest tenure behind Brandon Woodruff, who has also been a big presence even with injuries diminishing his time on the field. Sal Frelick and William Contreras are others in a leadership role. It has been that core that has helped Murphy deliver his message to the newcomers to the team, whether they be prospects coming up or trade acquisition new to how the Brewers do things. The 67-year-old Murphy has overseen the two best seasons on the field in Brewers history, winning 98 games in 2025 and topping that with a very consistent 103-win performance in 2026. He became the first manager in Brewers history to be named Manager of the Year in 2024, his first season, repeated the NL honor again last year with talk of a three-peat this year. Since Murphy arrived as bench coach in 2016, the Brewers have had 90 or more wins five times after doing it in eight of 47 seasons previously. With the franchise's first trip to the World Series in 44 years, Murphy has the Brewers at their zenith. He has guided the Brewers to three of their four consecutive NL Central titles. The Brewers have won six division titles since his arrival, including five in the last six seasons, and eight trips to the postseason in nine years. Only Counsell's first full season of 2016 and the shortened 2020 season have the Brewers not finished first or second in the Central. He has been able to relate to the players on a personal level while keeping an edge. Perhaps that is because he has a son at the Double-A level in the Padres' organization. Murphy can grit his teeth when something goes awry on the field, but then have his younger kids by his side during the postgame press conference as he name checks all the reporters in the room and hands out one-liners. He is a terrific communicator in addition to being able to execute a game plan with what many would consider a bunch of misfit players in MLB's smallest media market. Much like Bob Uecker, Murphy's quips get a lot of attention. But when you sit and listen closely as he gets into strategy and why things may have went the way they did, you can hear the depth of Murphy's baseball knowledge and just how detail-oriented he is and what he commands from his players. It is why the Brewers have already made a lot of history this season and now sit four wins away from doing something no other team in the franchise's previous 57 seasons has done: Win a World Series. View the full article

Optimism surrounds every team entering spring training. The weather is getting a little warmer, the days are getting a little longer, and if you scroll through social media timelines, you will see the boys of summer donning their Blue Jays gear and getting work in down in Dunedin, Florida. This past season, in particular, optimism was at an all-time high; the Jays played baseball well into November the year prior, the city buzzed with baseball fever, and people thought this year they would get over the hump and be the only team left standing at the end of it all. In the end, the Blue Jays fell short and missed the playoffs entirely, but let's flash back to March, when optimism was high, and check in on some of the bold predictions we made to see where we ended up. Just like the players on the field, we writers need to be held accountable, too. 1) Michael Coyle: Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease both throw over 200 IP and strike out over 200 batters Did it happen? - No In hindsight, betting on two of the most dominant and consistent workhorse starters over the past five seasons wasn’t a bad bet. Cease had been one of baseball's most durable pitchers, and only Logan Webb had thrown more innings than Gausman over the previous four seasons, but unfortunately, this didn’t come true. Dylan Cease had a dominant first season in Toronto, one that will likely earn him Cy Young votes, and he eclipsed the 200+ strikeout mark, finishing with 239, third-best in baseball. But that was the only part of this prediction that worked out. Cease spent some time on the IL and finished with just 169 innings pitched. Gausman threw 127.1 in Toronto and another 50.1 with the Cubs, and he only finished with 181 strikeouts across both teams, so not quite there. This isn't necessarily a knock on them; only three pitchers in the majors eclipsed the 200 innings mark (Sandy Alcantara, Cristopher Sánchez, Michael Wacha), and only 13 eclipsed the 200 strikeout mark, which is what made this prediction bold in the first place. It may be a while before we see another Blue Jays starter push past 200 IP again. 2) Matthew Creally: Brendon Little will have a sub-2.50 ERA Did it happen? - No Welp. Overall, Little didn't get there. He was a big part of the bullpen in the first half of the 2025 season. Then he faded down the stretch and into the playoffs, and a portion of the fanbase started to turn on Little. But back in March, things were looking better; Little had made some changes to his pitch mix. He added a four-seam fastball and a re-tooled slider to his arsenal, and John Schneider even called Little his reliever MVP of the spring after he did not allow a run and struck out over 40% of batters. Unfortunately, things went south quickly. Little allowed runs in four of his first five appearances, and three of them were three-run outings or worse. From there, the team optioned him to the minors, and he didn't return full-time until July. Overall, he finished the season with a 6.35 ERA. However, over his 23.2 innings in the second half, he produced a 2.28 ERA, so there's reason to be optimistic about Little again going into 2027. 3) Mike LeSage: Kevin Gausman will finish second in Cy Young voting Did it happen? - Still pending (but no) The good news: The Blue Jays will likely have a pitcher finish second in Cy Young voting! The bad news: it won't be Kevin Gausman. Like the 200+ inning and strikeout call, some bets were on Gausman continuing to do what he’s always done, but as he pitched through his age-35 season, his effectiveness dropped a touch from previous levels. While his strikeout and walk numbers were generally the same as they were in his prior two seasons, he allowed more hits and gave up more home runs. It wasn’t a bad season, but Gausman needed to take a leap forward to enter the Cy Young contention, and that didn’t happen. 4) Bryan Jaeger: Daulton Varsho finishes top three in AL MVP voting Did it happen? - Still pending (but no) Oh, what could have been for Daulton Varsho. Not only will he not finish top three in MVP voting, but he also wasn’t even in the top three on his own team (either of them). He hit just seven home runs, posted a 91 wRC+, and his usually elite defence took a step back. Flash back to 2025, and it looked like Varsho had made some serious changes to his game. He hit 20 home runs in just 71 games and seemed like he was about to catapult in his walk year as a power hitter with excellent center field defence. The recipe for an elite season from Varsho was there, but it fell apart, and it got even worse after a midseason trade to Houston. What will happen for Varsho on the free-agent market remains to be seen, but his drop-off from such promise to such a disappointing season helped keep the Blue Jays out of the playoff race. We’ll see what happens for him this offseason. 5) Simon Li: Austin Cates jumps into the top 15 in the Blue Jays system Did this happen - No Now for one from down on the farm. Cates was an intriguing arm entering the system. The 23-year-old had success pitching for Dunedin and then Vancouver in prior years. While his 2026 season wasn’t bad and there's reason for optimism, he’s unlikely to rank among the system's top 15 prospects. He got the bump to Double-A this year, where he started 20 games and posted a 5.17 ERA. He still has a nice fastball/splitter combo that can play well when he locates effectively, and he’s still young. Cates started the Blue Jays' spring breakout game in 2026 and remains an intriguing prospect. The team should get a good look at Cates next spring, and this prediction may be a year too early for the young right-hander. But ultimately, he’s not ranked among Jays Centre's top 15 prospects (or any major publication's list), so this one is also incorrect for now. 6) Sam Charles: The Blue Jays will not win more than 80 games Did this happen? - Yes Well, the good news: We got one right! The bad news: This wasn't the outcome we wanted. We all know how the season played out. The offense was dreadful, the injury bug devastated the pitching staff, and in the end, the Jays finished with just 79 wins. George Springer, Daulton Varsho, Alejandro Kirk, Davis Schneider, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, and Ernie Clement all finished with a higher wRC+ in 2025 than in 2026, and the team also got almost nothing from Anthony Santander and Addison Barger; the season was a bust for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., too. The good news is the Blue Jays should bounce back to a more respectable win total in 2027, but there are more questions now than before this year. 7) Edward Eng: Jeff Hoffman figures out the home run issues and becomes the shutdown closer the Blue Jays need Did this happen? - No Well, the first half of the bold prediction was true! Jeff Hoffman did figure out his home run issues. His astonishing 1.99 HR/9 from 2025 dropped to 0.55 this past season, his lowest since 2023 with the Phillies. Still, ultimately this prediction wasn’t the case. Hoffman was removed from the closer role by the end of April, and Louis Varland put together one of the best closer seasons by a Blue Jay in his place instead. It wasn’t the home runs that got Hoffman; it was an extremely high BABIP. It finished at .356, but early in the season it was well over .400, both extremely high numbers. It wasn’t BABIP alone that got Hoffman removed from the role, but it's important to note that Hoffman was still solid through the middle of the season and gave the Blue Jays some quality relief before a midseason trade sent him to Minnesota. In the end, the Blue Jays got the shutdown closer they needed, but it just wasn't Jeff Hoffman. 8) Leo Morgenstern: Two Blue Jays will make their first All-Star Game this summer Did this happen? - Yes Success! The 2026 All-Star Game was very Blue Jays-prominent, with John Schneider and his coaching staff leading a bullpen game, and the AL side winning 4-0. Three Blue Jays became first-time All-Stars: Dylan Cease, Ernie Clement, and Louis Varland all represented the Blue Jays in Philadelphia this summer. The Blue Jays started that game with one of their first-time All-Stars, Cease, who led AL pitchers in fWAR through the first half of the season and threw a clean first inning to start the Midsummer Classic. Joining him as a first-time All-Star was Clement, who not only won the vote to start at second base but also led the American League with over 3.2 million votes. Varland gave up a hit and struck out one in a clean relief inning, and John Schneider and the coaching staff went home happy. Kazuma Okamoto, Addison Barger, or, to a lesser extent, Cody Ponce or Spencer Miles could have a shot to crack the All-Star Game for the first time next season. If I wanted to be pedantic, I could say this prediction was wrong because the Blue Jays sent three players to their first All-Star Game and not two, but we need a win, and we’ll take that here. 9) Owen Hill: José Berríos makes more starts than Max Scherzer Did it happen? - No At the time, you could see how bold this prediction was. José Berríos was set to start the season on the IL, but his season wasn't over yet. Max Scherzer joined late in spring and was entering what, at the time, was a crowded starting-pitching puzzle. Unfortunately, Berrios had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and didn’t make a start for the 2026 Toronto Blue Jays. Scherzer, on the other hand, ended up making 18 starts for the team, and at times the Jays were relying on Scherzer while they didn't have many other options in the starting rotation. Berríos will likely miss the start of next season, but assuming no setbacks, he will be on the comeback trail in 2027. What Scherzer will do, on the other hand, remains to be seen; the now 43-year-old could retire from baseball, or he could rejoin the Blue Jays or another team. 10) Bob Ritchie: Andrés Giménez steals 25+ bases and has a wRC+ above 114 Did this happen? - No Andrés Giménez didn't hit these numbers in 2026. Giménez did lead the team with 20 stolen bases, but didn't reach the 25 plateau after stealing 30 in both 2023 and 2024. As for his wRC+, while it improved from 2025, he finished at just 81, 19% below league average. Giménez did have his moments at the plate, though; he led the team in RBI with 59 and ranked third in raw +WPA, showing he can still come up with some clutch production. The Andrés Giménez who finished sixth in MVP voting in 2022 seems well in the rearview mirror now, and barring something unexpected, the bat seems to have settled around this range for the time being. 11) Jesse Burrill: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will set the record for the hardest hit ball in the Statcast era Did this happen? - No Ever since Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a prospect and was crushing baseballs harder than ever, I've always thought he’d one day sit at the top of the exit velocity leaderboards. The current leader was Oneil Cruz, who hit a baseball at 122.9 mph in 2025 and also hit the hardest ball in 2026 at 119 mph. Vlad’s hardest-hit ball was 116.3 mph, which still put him 13th in baseball in max EV, but that was his lowest max EV since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. His overall offensive numbers were down across the board, and his exit velocity numbers were a part of that too. He hit a baseball at 120.4 mph in 2025, so he can still put it all together. But Vlad has a lot of work to do at the plate before he can worry about elite EV numbers, no matter how fun that would be. Overall, as a group, the Jays Centre staff went 2-9 on our bold predictions. So we're batting .222 as a unit. Or the equivalent of Brandon Valenzuela’s batting average. But that's the point of bold predictions. If we got too many right, you could argue they weren’t bold enough, and if we got none, that wouldn't be great either. Going into spring 2027, once the players and owners have come to terms on a CBA (hopefully), we can get optimistic about baseball again, and I'm sure the predictions will be even bolder next time around. View the full article

A young, relatively inexperienced team like the Miami Marlins has hardly any players on fully guaranteed contracts, which can make their roster overview confusing. This article simplifies the status of every player on Miami's 40-man roster. You will find 45 players below because I've included members of the 60-day injured list. After the conclusion of the World Series, those players must be reinstated from the IL. This list will be updated at that time and there'll be subsequent updates throughout the 2026-27 offseason following any major league transactions. All arbitration projections are courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors. Pre-arbitration players typically earn within a few thousand dollars of the MLB minimum salary, which was $780,000 for 2026. Players have been listed in alphabetical order. Maximo Acosta: Pre-arbitration Sandy Alcantara: Club option for 2027 at $21 million ($2M buyout) Anthony Bender: Fourth year of arbitration eligibility ($3.4M projection) Brandan Bidois: Pre-arbitration Bradley Blalock: Pre-arbitration Zach Brzykcy: Pre-arbitration Owen Caissie: Pre-arbitration Griffin Conine: Pre-arbitration Deyvison De Los Santos: Pre-arbitration Logan Driscoll: Pre-arbitration Xavier Edwards: First year of arbitration eligibility ($3.5M projection) Josh Ekness: Pre-arbitration Pete Fairbanks: Free agent Calvin Faucher: Second year of arbitration eligibility ($2.9M projection) Dax Fulton: Pre-arbitration Wikelman González: Pre-arbitration Ryan Gusto: Pre-arbitration Ronny Henriquez (60-day IL): Pre-arbitration Heriberto Hernández: Pre-arbitration Janson Junk: Pre-arbitration William Kempner (60-day IL): Pre-arbitration Otto Lopez: First year of arbitration eligibility ($5.4M projection) Joe Mack: Pre-arbitration Jakob Marsee: Pre-arbitration Adam Mazur (60-day IL): Pre-arbitration Max Meyer: Second year of arbitration eligibility ($2.7M projection) Patrick Monteverde: Pre-arbitration Andrew Nardi (60-day IL): Second year of arbitration eligibility ($1.1M projection) Brian Navarreto: Pre-arbitration Graham Pauley: Pre-arbitration Eury Pérez: First year of arbitration eligibility ($3.2M projection) Michael Petersen: Pre-arbitration Tyler Phillips: Pre-arbitration Jack Ralston: Pre-arbitration Agustín Ramírez: Pre-arbitration Esteury Ruiz: First year of arbitration eligibility ($1.3M projection) Javier Sanoja: Pre-arbitration Jared Serna: Pre-arbitration Robby Snelling (60-day IL): Pre-arbitration Kyle Stowers: First year of arbitration eligibility ($3.2M projection) Victor Vodnik: First year of arbitration eligibility ($1.4M projection) Josh White: Pre-arbitration Tyler Zuber: First year of arbitration eligibility ($900k projection) View the full article

It’s not common for a 23-year-old pitcher to start Game 1 of a playoff series. It’s also not common for said 23-year-old to put up frontline starter numbers in what was arguably the best division in baseball this year. Nevertheless, that’s precisely what Payton Tolle and his beautiful mustache accomplished in 2026. Tolle entered the season as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, and after a rough first cup of coffee in the majors in 2025, he developed into one of the American League’s premier left-handed arms. The Boston Red Sox have plenty to be excited about with their young starter, who quickly proved he belongs among the best pitchers in their rotation. He finished the season with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across 148 2/3 innings, striking out 171 batters while issuing just 40 walks. Those are pretty darn good numbers, especially for a rookie. But what’s even more impressive is that the underlying data suggests he could have been even better; Tolle’s 3.04 FIP was right in line with his ERA, while his expected ERA sat at just 2.70. His quality-of-contact metrics were excellent, with both his hard-hit rate and barrel rate ranking inside the top quarter of the league. His average exit velocity allowed was just outside that group in the 73rd percentile, while his strikeout and walk rates both ranked at or above the 80th percentile. Then there’s the pièce de résistance: his chase rate. Tolle generated swings on pitches outside the strike zone at a ridiculous 36.4% clip, ranking in the 96th percentile across the league. It's no wonder that hitters struggled to make any sort of consistent, quality contact against him. In case it wasn't already clear, Tolle isn’t your average 23-year-old. His maturity starts with his four-seam fastball -- like several other pitchers in Boston’s organization, Tolle leans heavily on a three-fastball mix consisting of a four-seamer, sinker and cutter. Each pitch serves a different purpose, but the four-seamer is what makes the rest of his arsenal work. His four-seamer averaged 96.1 MPH this season, already an impressive velocity for a young left-hander. However, his flatter 28-degree arm angle helps create a unique movement profile, generating plenty of run in on left-handed hitters and away from righties. It also helps that Tolle gets nearly seven-and-a-half feet of extension on the pitch, thanks to his 6-foot-6 frame. That combination of velocity and extension allows his 96 MPH fastball to play more like a triple-digit offering. Hitters certainly felt the effects of that. Tolle’s four-seamer generated whiffs on more than 30% of swings this season, an absurd mark for that specific pitch type. His sinker provides a different look, coming in around 94-95 MPH with more run and a different vertical movement profile. It wasn’t a bad pitch by any means, but opposing hitters had the most success against it compared to the rest of his mix. Part of that likely comes from the respect hitters have to give his four-seamer. Still, it served its purpose, and was a quality number two pitch. His cutter, however, was more effective. Coming in around 88-89 MPH, roughly eight MPH slower than his four-seamer, it gives Tolle another fastball look with a completely different movement pattern. Hitters have to account for the harder four-seamer and sinker, making it difficult to adjust when Tolle takes something off and changes the ball’s direction. The result was a lot of awkward swings and weak contact. His cutter generated the lowest average exit velocity of any pitch in his arsenal at just 84.7 MPH, giving him another reliable option to keep hitters off balance. The three fastballs lay the foundation for Tolle’s primary put-away pitch: his curveball. When hitters are gearing up for a 95-96 MPH fastball, a pitch that initially looks similar out of the hand before diving in the opposite direction can be incredibly difficult to handle. He doesn’t need to throw his curveball all that often for it to make an impact, either. He used it just 9% of the time this season, yet it generated a remarkable 43.4% whiff rate. The curveball’s overall movement profile isn’t necessarily anything extraordinary; it’s the deception that makes it so effective. By the time hitters recognize the difference between the curveball and his fastballs, they’re already committed to a swing that has little chance of making contact. Tolle also mixed in a changeup roughly 3% of the time, although that pitch remains a work in progress. Opposing hitters produced hard contact against it, and there’s a reason it's a distant fifth in terms of favorability. Developing a more reliable changeup could be one of his priorities this offseason, though he was already stronger against right-handed hitters this year than left-handers. He probably won’t take home American League Rookie of the Year honors, especially with the performances of Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle and Guardians left-hander Parker Messick complicating the race. But that shouldn’t diminish what he accomplished in his first full season in the majors. The Red Sox have themselves another legitimate frontline starter, and he’s only 23 years old. With Garrett Crochet hopefully returning to full health next season, Boston could have one heck of a lefty-heavy rotation heading into 2027. View the full article

As we prepare to regroup for the arrival of new faces at the major- and minor-league levels, hoping to propel the 2027 Mets forward, we are compelled to note that some around us have excused themselves from the table this summer without much notice, even (initially) among Mets Roster Central staff themselves. But oh, what we have missed! Carlos Mendoza's most fateful moment, the particle physicist employed by a major-league team, and more! Transactions, 7/3/2026 GOING Signed away by Monclava (Mexican League) Relief Pitchers Robinson Martinez R/R DoB: 1998-03-20 High Level: AA (2025) Robinson Martinez had been a fugitive from the Baltimore, Miami, and Philadelphia systems when the Mets spotted him in Dominican Summer League, liked what they saw, and signed him to a minor-league deal back in December, but there must've been a health issue, because they released him on April 1 without getting into a single Spring Training game. It took until July for him to find a new home, getting into 16 games with Los Acereros de Monclava. He's already made his first appearance back with Escogido, the same Dominican Winter League team he was with last season, hoping another version of the Mets will spot him anew. Transactions, 7/14/2026 GOING Signed away to Minor-League Contract by SFG Relief Pitchers Alex Carrillo R/R DoB: 1997-06-06 High Level: MLB (2025) Alex Carrillo — two R's, two L's — made three appearances for the Mets in 2025, and two were bad and the third was terrible. In fact, it is not too much to say that third appearance was the most eventful and indicting of Carlos Mendoza's career as Mets manager. The Mets found themselves up 2-1 over Cincinnati that July 18 evening at home. It was the end of four, and Sean Manaea had been cruising. But Manaea had been on a workload restriction as he worked back from oblique and elbow injuries. That's too bad. One can generally say that MLB managers baby pitchers in such situations, trying to preserve them for future situations that will perhaps never be as high leverage as the moment they are in, but we weren't there. We did not know the fullness of Manaea's vulnerability to reinjury. In retrospect, seeing how long it eventually took for Manaea to return to full effectiveness, one can give him a pass on the hooking. BUT ... this was the first game back from the All-Star Break. If the Mets had to get five innings holding a lead from their bullpen, this was the day to do it. But with this slender lead, Mendoza did not turn to Brooks Raley. Nor did he reach out to Brandon Waddell. Going to Edwin Díaz that early was right out, but one might guess veterans like Reed Garrett, Max Kranick, and Kevin Herget were all chomping at the bit when the phone rang. As, we hope, were José Buttó and Dedniel Núñez — young, but beautiful, throwing effectively, and well rested. But Mendoza thought ... something, and decided to go to Carillo first. Carillo, again, had appeared in two previous games and yielded runs in both. Whatever greater good Mendoza was willing to sacrifice this moment for, sacrifice it he did, as the game blew up in his face over the course of Carillo's 1 1/3 innings, in which he gave up five runs on two walks and three hits — all three of which left the yard, lest you think those runs scored after he left the game. We're not here to bury Carillo. Young pitchers are a risky bet, and he didn't put himself in the game. But the Mets would lose, 8-4. and finish the season tied with these very same Cincinnati Reds, losing the playoff berth to them based on winning the seasons series, making this decision easily the most fateful of Carlos Mendoza's Met tenure. You don't like to make so much of one moment, but Carillo has yet to appear in the majors since, and Mendoza's career marches on. Transactions, 7/16/2026 GOING Signed away to Minor-League Contract by STL Relief Pitchers Rayner Reyes R/R DoB: 2005-10-20 High Level: DSL (2026) Rayner Reyes has a cool name. It means "Counselor of Kings," or the like, but he didn't last long enough with the Mets, sadly, to acquire a face. He threw 18 innings in the DSL and walked 16 batters. While that be the place to work out your kinks, the Mets felt they had seen enough and let him go at the start of Spring Training. Signed mid-season by St. Louis, the Cardinals either found a him to be a new man, or molded him into one, because he threw 9 2/3 innings for the Cards and only walked one guy — a guy with a .400 OBP. Be patient and thoughtful, Mets! Transactions, 7/17/2026 GOING Signed away by Tijuana (Mexican League) Relief Pitchers Adbert Alzolay R/R DoB: 2995-03-01 High Level: MLB (2024) Adbert Alzolay was actually a case of the Mets trying to be patient. The team signed the six-year Cubs veteran to a two-year minor-league contract to allow him to rehabilitate from UCL surgery under their watch without a threat of him jumping to a new team once he was ready. Adbert, though never became ready, flaming out over 14 2/3 minor league innings this summer. The Mets have done at least one of these creative every year for several years running — either signing guys injured drawing interest from other teams to two-year minor-league deals, or signing minor-league free agents to MLB contracts despite no MLB experience. These are exciting flanking maneuvers to watch your team make, and they are the kind you keep your eye on, because if they work out, they can change how teams do business. But none, so far, have worked out. Transactions, 7/20/2026 GOING Signed away by Ottawa (Frontier League) Relief Pitchers Jamdrick Cornelia L/L DoB: 2005-11-17 High Level: DSL (2024) Rooting we certainly were for young Jamdrick Cornelia, partly because it's always nice to see players coming from somewhere beyond the usual places (noting that Curaçao isn't that off the map, as far as baseball players go), partly because Curaçaoan players always give us an opportunity to type a cedilla, and party because he was signed three an a half years ago, but we still haven't been able to find a photo except the one at left, in which he looks like a second-grader who will need to throws to propel the ball the full 60 feet 6 inches to the plate. Alas, Jammy — despite a 2.97 ERA over (small) parts of three seasons — hadn't pitched since 2025 when the Ottawa Titans signed him, and despite going unscored upon in three appearances, he found himself sent packing by them as well, after getting caught up in roster crunch. Transactions, 7/28/2026 GOING Signed away by Gastonia (Atlantic League) Relief Pitchers Tyler Burch R/R DoB: 1997-09-02 High Level: MLB (2024) Idaho native Tyler Burch never saw the field at all for the Mets at any level as the former Phillies/Orioles prospect spent the first half of the season on the Injured List with Binghamton. Hopefully his 14 1/3 innings of Atlantic League action went some ways to getting his career back on track. I'm pretty sure he's completely difficult guy from Tyler Burch, the particle physicist working for the Red Sox, but ... holy crap! There's a particle physicist working for the Boston Red Sox!! Transactions, 8/4/2026 GOING Signed away by Monterrey (Mexican League) Infielders Yonny Hernandez S/R DoB: 1998-05-04 High Level: MLB (2023) Yonny Hernandez hasn't tasted a major-league sunflower seed since 2023, but those seeds are so good, and so Yonny soldiers on, alternately working the grind and lying in wait for his next taste. Along the way, he gave the Syracuse version of the Mets some of his best baseball, slashng at .305 / .394 / .385 // .779 for the team's top farm club while spitting time between second and third with a few cameos at short. Sadly for Yonny, the opportunities that arose in the Mets infield this summer were for shortstops and firstbasemen, and he carried on with that near-.400 OBP while the likes of Gabriel Arias, Andy Ibáñez, Ronny Mauricio, Christopher Morel, Zack Short, Eric Wagaman, and Jared Young got calls Yonny did not get. Most of those selections were defensible, but don't tell that to Yonny. Fun Yonny Hernandez facts include his tearing up the Atlantic League in 2024 with a .325 batting average for the Long Island Ducks, and that he shares his name with a Colombian motorcyclist who has been tearing up the pavement with the MotoGP World Championship, among other biking circuits, since 2010. Transactions, 8/12/2026 COMING Unretired and Activated from Voluntarily Retired List Relief Pitchers Brett Banks L/R DoB: 2001-10-03 High Level: Brooklyn (2026) Not everybody in these transactions are here because they quietly left the organization. Some are here because they quietly came back. Consider Brett Banks. Brett, the 2023 11th-round pick out of UNC-Wilmington mysteriously retired after three appearances in 2026. There was no reported injury and no apparent regression — just a guy hanging 'em up. But hey, sometimes life doesn't cooperate with your career, and you have to walk away. But the Mets kept him on the reserve list, and come mid-August, Brett decided to go back into the salt mines of St. Lucie. He initially didn't prosper, which is to be expected coming back after time away from training, but he finished strong with 4 1/3 scoreless innings following a promotion to Brooklyn. Mets Roster Central will reach out to the Mets and to Brett and try to get more to the story, and we hope everything is going well for the young Metling. Transactions, 8/19/2026 GOING Signed away by CHC to Minor-League Contract Infielders Jackson Cluff L/R DoB: 1996-12-03 High Level: AAA (2026) Jackson Cluff joins Yonny Hernandez in the club of AAA infielders who couldn't get a tumble with the big club in 2026, even as Zack Short (Zack Short!) somehow started three games for The Queensmen. Unlike Yonny, who didn't get the call because he hadn't been playing shortstop, Jackson was just in the midst of a really terrible season going .169 / .289 / .309 // .598 in 216 plate appearances for Dick Scott in Syracuse. A week after the Mets let him go, the playoff bound Cubs picked him up. You need emergency depth down the stretch, or perhaps guys to play as you rest your regulars, and the Chicago scouts presumably told the team he wasn't as bad as he had played. Jackson proceded to go .169 / .289 / .309 // .598 in 68 more trips for the Iowa Cubs, and those scouts are all, "Well, yeah, but we also told you about Pete Crow-Armstrong, so ... !" Transactions, 8/19/2026 GOING Signed away by York (Atlantic League) Relief Pitchers Jordan Geber R/R DoB: 1999-07-31 High Level: AAA (2026) Back in Spring Training, the Mets had Joey Gerber and Jordan Geber. They were giving serious looks to both players and OH! the laughs we had! Two guys with similar names! Both funny names! Joey, acquired for cash from the Rays before the 2025 season, pitched well enough to get into seven games with the big club before being released in August. And while you may ask "Who didn't?" well, Jordan Geber didn't, spending most of the season with Binghamton, and cameoing with Syracuse before being released on August 3. He was released, in fact, exactly one day after Joey Gerber, leading Mets Roster Central to strongly suspect someone in administration, confused the two, looked up and said, "Didn't we release that guy?" and released the other one, just to make sure. Transactions, 10/15/2026 GOING GOING GOING Signed away by PHI to Be Third-Base Coach and Infield Instructor Opted for Free Agency Opted for Free Agency Manager Infielders Outfielders Carlos Mendoza Vidal Brujan MJ Melendez S/R DoB: 1979-11-27 High Level: MLB (2026) S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 High Level: MLB (2026) L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 High Level: MLB (2026) No more looking back (for now), as these transactions bring us up to the current moment. Vidal Bruján joined the 2026 Mets for nine appearances, but about 1,670% of his value can be found in a single game — way back on May 11. The Mets were tied with Washington at six apiece in the 11th. Mark Vientos had gone oh-for-five, but he was the magic runner that opened the top of the inning for the Mets, and Vidal was sent in to run for him. The Mets had blown a late two-run lead, had had trouble advancing guys in scoring position, so who knows where things are going, but you don't want Vientos out there as the tying run. Brett Baty lined one to center, giving Broojie a chance to advance to third, which he did, and then Marcus Semien lofted a fly down the left-field line, giving Vidal a chance to score, which he did. Neither was superheroic, but neither would have been likely with Vientos out there! Big whoop, right! He did what any pinch-runner would be expected to do, but ... here's the thing — the game wasn't over. VB stays in the game to play short, moving Bo Bichette to third, and Baty to first, improving the Mets D at all three positions. The Nats score their magic runner in their half of the inning, despite Brujan getting an assist and a putout, and the Mets come up again in the 12. These sorts of wars of attrition come too rarely these days, and you didn't want to see the Mets blow this. The 2026 Nats bullpen has not yet established themselves as the legendary unit they would be by the end of the year, but they are the 2026 Nats bullpen. Hayden Senger (Hayden Senger?!) comes up, and everybody in the park knows he's bunting. But still, he gets it down and advances magic runner mystic sprinter Tyrone Taylor to third. And Carson Benge plates him with an infield hit. A cheap way to get the lead back, but the lead is back. In extra innings, with the free runner everywhere, however, a one-run lead is not enough. We know this. So, Bo Bichette singles up the middle, and the Nats walk the hell out of Juan Soto to bring up Vidal Brujan! It's one of the easiest decisions of Blake Butera's season as Nats manager. Vidal certainly wasn't in the game for this situation, but this is the one he found himself in. And then he did this: RBI bunt single! Gutsy as hell! Popping it up in the air could have led to a double-play, but ... coulda but didn't! And from there, the floodgates opened. Game over. That bunt broke the Nats pen for good, possibly for the season. The Mets would put up a total of 10 runs before the inning was out, the most profligate extra inning in the team's long history, but Vidal's RBI was the biggest and bestest. We will have far less trouble recalling MJ Melendez. In between Mike Tauchman going down in Spring Training and Jared Young returning from meniscus surgery in late May, Melendez was their designated lefty firstbaseman/corner outfield type, and for a while, looked kind of like he can be a guy. As the Mets' lineup floundered early in the season, he prospered a little, starting 56 games and regularly appearing in the third, fourth, and fifth spots in the lineup. But as continued exposure dimmed his star, it only augmented Young's and when it came down to a choice between the two, it wasn't a hard one. MJ had the good sense, to have perhaps his strongest game in his Mets debut, doubling twice off of Shohei Ohtani, who we hear can be a tough assignment. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza moves on to Philadelphia, despite the Alex Carillo Fiasco noted above. Apart from him being exactly as maddening as the current model of asset-management manager is, we have fond memories of him, and wish him as much luck as possible without crossing with the good fortunes of his now-former team. That catches you up. We hope it was the thrilling trip for you that it was for Mets Roster Central. We hope our future updates can be shorter. Because believe it or not, here at MRC, we respect your time! Your Projected 2027 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Sean Manaea Nolan McLean Christian Scott Zach Thornton Jonah Tong R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 L/L DoB: 2002-01-17 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 Relief Pitchers Chayce McDermott Tobias Myers Cionel Pérez Kodai Senga Robert Stock Austin Warren Devin Williams L/R DoB: 1998-08-22 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 R/L DoB: 1996-04-21 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 L/R DoB: 1989-11-21 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Jefry Yan Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio Jorge Polanco L/L DoB: 1996-08-17 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 Infielders Outfielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Jared Young Brett Baty Carson Benge A.J. Ewing Juan Soto R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 L/R DoB: 2004-08-10 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Tylor Megill Philip Abner Daniel Duarte Reed Garrett Justin Hagenman Nathan Lavender Dedniel Núñez Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross R/R DoB: 1995-07-28 L/L DoB: 2002-05-04 R/R DoB: 1996-12-04 R/R DoB: 1993-01-02 R/R DoB: 1996-10-07 L/L DoB: 2000-01-20 R/R DoB: 1996-06-05 R/R DoB: 1997-11-07 R/R DoB: 2000-09-01 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Jack Weisen- berger Cameron Weston Hayden Senger Christian Cairo Christopher Morel Eric Wagaman Nick Morabito Cristian Pache R/R DoB: 1997-10-08 R/R DoB: 2000-08-27 R/R DoB: 1997-04-03 R/R DoB: 2001-06-11 R/R DoB: 1999-06-24 R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 R/R DoB: 2003-05-07 R/R DoB: 2020-08-21 Your Projected Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Hitting Coord. Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Ass't Pitch. Coach Andy Green Kai Correa Justin Willard Troy Snitker Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado Dan McKinney DoB: 1977-07-07 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 DoB: 1989-06-06 Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Pract. Pitcher Equip. Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers Nate Irving Tucker Frawley J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Jonathon Cramman Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 33894 DoB: 1984-05-08 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1991-03-23 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Recond. Coordinator Recond. Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB:1972-07-17 DoB:1978-??-?? DoB:Circa 1980 DoB:1988-06-23 DoB:1996-??-?? DoB:1987-??-?? DoB:1991-??-?? DoB:????-??-?? DoB:1962-07-19 2026-2027 MLB Free Agents Hitting Coord. Strategy Coach Bat'g Pract. Pitcher Relief Pitchers Jeff Albert Danny Barnes Kevin Mahoney Joey Gerber DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1997-05-03 2026-2027 Minor-League Free Agents Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Eris Albino Dalton Mall Matteo Morelli Christopher Rochin Omar Victorino Luis Alvarez Jesüs Anton Mike Baumann Yoralbert Cadíz Joe Charles R/R DoB: 2004-02-24 R/R DoB: 1999-08-27 R/R DoB: 2006-02-27 R/R DoB: 2006-09-18 R/R DoB: 2005-06-09 R/R DoB: 2003-05-05 R/R DoB: 2006-02-17 R/R DoB: 1995-09-10 R/R DoB: 2004-10-24 R/R DoB: 2000-04-05 Relief Pitchers Colton Cosper Anthony Crespo Chris Devenski Franyel Diaz Kevin Herget Joe Jacques Wilson Lopez Yoelvis Martinez Trey McGough Pablo Medina L/L DoB: 2002-09-08 R/R DoB: 2004-05-04 R/R DoB: 1990-11-13 R/R DoB: 2004-12-18 L/R DoB: 1991-04-03 L/L DoB: 34769 R/R DoB: 2002-07-15 R/R DoB: 2006-06-21 L/L DoB: 1998-03-29 L/L DoB: 2006-10-12 Relief Pitchers Catchers Jahzeel Montas Layonel Ovalles Anthony Reynoso Jun-Seok Shim Jermayne Verdu Deivy Victora Brandon Waddell José Aular Austin Barnes Julian Hernandez R/R DoB: 2005-01-06 R/R DoB: 2003-06-16 L/L DoB: 39102 R/R DoB: 2004-04-09 ?/R DoB: 2006-07-27 R/R DoB: 2005-08-14 L/L DoB: 1994-06-03 R/R DoB: 2004-01-02 R/R DoB: 1989-12-28 R/R DoB: 2005-09-24 Catchers Infielders Daniel Silva Christian Arroyo TT Bowens Vidal Brujan Taylor Darden Jefrey De Los Santos Alexander Eneas Cole Fowler Grae Kessinger Leandy Mella S/R DoB: 2005-01-12 R/R DoB: 1995-05-30 R/R DoB: 1998-05-27 S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 R/R DoB: 2000-01-16 R/R DoB: 2003-05-30 R/R DoB: 2007-09-12 L/R DoB: 2002-12-10 R/R DoB: 1997-08-25 L/R DoB: 2007-02-24 Infielders Diego Mosquera Sam Robertson José Rojas Nick Roselli Dangelo Sarmiento JT Schwartz Zack Short Kevin Villavin- cencio Trace Willhoite Wyatt Young L/R DoB: 2005-05-14 R/R DoB: 2004-07-17 L/R DoB: 1993-02-24 L/R DoB: 2003-03-31 R/R DoB: 38356 L/R DoB: 1999-12-17 R/R DoB: 1995-05-29 R/R DoB: 2003-11-24 R/R DoB: 2000-11-17 L/R DoB: 1999-12-05 Outfielders Haniel German Simon Juan MJ Melendez Adolfo Miranda Jared Oliva Jaylen Palmer Jeffry Rosa Matt Rudick AJ Salgado Mike Tauchman R/R DoB: 2005-12-05 R/R DoB: 2005-07-13 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 R/R DoB: 2006-10-04 R/R DoB: 1995-11-27 R/R DoB: 2007-07-31 R/R DoB: 2004-09-11 L/L DoB: 1998-07-02 L/R DoB: 2001-09-16 L/L DoB: 1990-12-03 View the full article

The New York Mets have a glaring need at first base, and a future Hall of Famer recently stated he wants to play another year. Is this a match made in heaven? According to Baseball-Reference, the Mets placed 26th in first base bWAR this season with 0.3. After losing Pete Alonso in free agency to the Baltimore Orioles, they pivoted and signed career second basemen Jorge Polanco and challenged him with learning first base. Polanco only managed to play 37 games this year due to injury and struggles at the plate. The Mets then leaned on lefty Jared Young, who posted 1.7 bWAR, and righty Mark Vientos who posted -1.2 bWAR. Needless to say, it's clear the organization needs a right-handed first basemen to create a strong platoon with Young. Lo and behold, Paul Goldschmidt will be a free agent this offseason following a season where he hit .252 with a 112 OPS+. According to Jon Heyman, Goldschmidt, 39, wishes to keep playing, stating that he loves to compete. A few things the Mets will love when evaluating Goldschmidt include a .299 average with a .967 OPS vs left-handed pitching in 2026; likewise, he has never posted a below league average WRC+ (99 or worse) in his 16 year career. The 2022 NL MVP can retire right now and probably walk his way into Cooperstown, but evidently Goldschmidt will not stop playing while playing at a high level. By the time next season rolls around, he will only be five years removed from his 2022 MVP and has been excellent in recent campaigns as part of a platoon with Ben Rice on the Yankees. In recent memory, the Mets have rarely had a set platoon for a position. Before the 2025 season, Jesse Winker and Starling Marte were supposed to platoon at DH before they both dealt with injuries. They do play matchups like every other team, but no 1-2 punch at a position they have had would be as effective as a platoon with Goldschmidt and Young. Another tidbit of note: David Stearns has not gone an offseason without signing a player away from the Yankees since he took over in Queens. His addiction started with Harrison Bader and Luis Severino in 2024, continued with Juan Soto in 2025, and then led to the bullpen tandem of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver in 2026. Coincidence? Maybe, but if he were to look for his fix again this winter, Goldschmidt would be near the top of the wish list. You can argue there will be better first basemen on the market this offseason, but there is no better fit for what the Mets need. They are primed to enter a bidding war for Tarik Skubal and other pitchers this offseason. A veteran first basemen who has produced every year of his illustrious career would be the perfect addition to a roster needing a little more punch from its infielders. View the full article

Every big-league team faces an important roster challenge at the end of the season. Clubs must prepare for free agency, evaluate their organizational depth, and determine which players deserve a spot on the 40-man roster heading into the winter. For the Minnesota Twins, this process will require several decisions that could shape the team's roster heading into the 2027 season. The Twins currently have 46 players on their 40-man roster, including six pitchers on the 60-day injured list. Those injured players must be accounted for, because at the end of the World Series, they'll have to be placed back on the 40-man list. Minnesota also has several players who finished the season on the roster but might not fit into the organization's long-term plans. With four players eligible for free agency and several others facing uncertain futures, the Twins have plenty of work ahead. Some decisions will be straightforward, while others could involve moving on from players who have contributed at the major-league level. Pending Free Agents Josh Bell, Ryan Jeffers, A.J. Minter, and Taylor Rogers headline Minnesota's group of pending free agents. Each player presents a different dilemma, as the Twins determine how to allocate their offseason resources. Jeffers is arguably the most significant decision point. Minnesota could extend him a qualifying offer and see whether he accepts a one-year contract worth approximately $23 million. That would give the Twins a chance to retain an established catcher, without committing to a multi-year deal. However, Jeffers could have a strong market as a free agent, making a multi-year contract with another organization a realistic possibility. Bell was a useful offensive presence during his time with Minnesota, leading the team in runs batted in. However, his lack of defensive value limits his versatility. The Twins could look for a more robust bat this offseason while rotating players through the designated hitter spot. Part of their reason for signing him last winter was that Derek Shelton respected and valued his clubhouse gravitas, but that consideration now needs to take a back seat. Bringing Bell back would make sense only if the organization believes his production justifies the roster spot and financial commitment. Minter was a solid addition at the trade deadline. The Twins should look to add a reliever of his caliber this winter, whether that means negotiating a new deal with Minter or finding a comparable arm elsewhere. Bullpen depth is important, but Minnesota must balance that need against its available payroll. Rogers has indicated that he wants to continue pitching in 2027. However, a return to Minnesota seems unlikely. The Twins need to aim higher; there's little left in Rogers's tank. Injured Players Returning to the Roster Mick Abel, Anthony Banda, Pablo López, David Festa, Mike Paredes, and Cole Sands are the pitchers who must be accounted for as Minnesota clears its 60-day injured list spots; that list doesn't exist during the offseason. Several of these decisions should be relatively easy. López remains a key part of the rotation, while Abel and Paredes are pitching options the organization will want to evaluate. However, Banda, Sands, and Festa are more complicated cases. Banda is not expected to return to the field until July and is projected to earn approximately $2.3 million through arbitration. That creates a difficult calculation for a team that needs bullpen help, but might not receive much immediate value from the left-hander. Minnesota could decide that his experience and potential contributions later in the season justify the cost. Alternatively, the front office could use that roster spot and salary on a healthier option. Sands is projected to earn approximately $1.3 million through arbitration. He broke out in 2024, establishing himself as a useful bullpen arm, but his performance has declined since then due to injuries. The Twins must decide whether they believe he can rediscover that form, or whether his recent struggles suggest it's time to move on. Unless he's willing to sign for something closer to the league minimum, he's unlikely to return—but such deals are relatively common, in situations like this. Festa's case is different because he remains pre-arbitration eligible. His salary is not the primary concern, but injuries have limited his availability over the past two seasons. Minnesota must determine whether he can still develop into a dependable major-league starter or whether another pitcher deserves the opportunity. Other Pitchers the Twins Could Drop Garrett Acton, Jack Anderson, Eric Orze, and Marco Raya are additional candidates to lose their roster spots. The Twins need to maintain a deep collection of pitchers throughout the organization, but not every arm needs to occupy a 40-man roster spot. Minnesota can continue developing players in the minor leagues without protecting all of them from the Rule 5 Draft. Acton, Anderson, and Orze have opportunities to make their cases, but they are competing for limited space. The front office must determine whether their potential contributions justify protecting them over other pitchers who might be available through trades, waivers, or free agency. Raya presents the most interesting decision among this group. He's been one of Minnesota's more prominent pitching prospects for multiple seasons, but has yet to put everything together in the upper levels of the minor leagues. His development has not followed the trajectory the organization once hoped for, and there are questions about his performance since shifting to the bullpen. The Twins could give Raya another opportunity to develop, especially if they believe his raw ability remains worth protecting. However, moving him into a relief role is not necessarily a simple solution. If Minnesota doesn't believe he can succeed in a relief role at the major-league level, they could decide to open his roster spot for someone with a clearer path to contributing. These decisions are particularly important, because the Twins will need multiple bullpen options in 2027. The goal should be to retain pitchers who have a realistic chance of helping the major-league club, as well as being optionable and affordable. Other Position Players the Twins Could Drop Ben Ross, Aaron Sabato, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Royce Lewis, and Austin Martin round out the group of players who could be considered for removal. Ross and Sabato received opportunities with the major-league club late in the season, but those promotions felt more like courtesy call-ups than the beginning of a long-term role. Ross could still compete for a backup infield job next season, particularly if the Twins value his defensive versatility. Sabato appears to be the easiest decision among this group. He's spent years in the organization trying to establish himself as a viable option, but his path to a regular role remains unclear. Wallner's future is another situation worth watching. After struggling with the Twins, he spent the remainder of the season at Triple-A. His offensive potential has been evident, but he has not consistently translated that ability into major-league production. The writing is on the wall with this one; consider it an open spot. Larnach, Lewis, and Martin are more complicated decisions, because each has a different combination of experience, potential, and contractual considerations. Larnach remains under team control through arbitration, giving Minnesota a chance to retain him without making a long-term commitment. His skill set feels redundant, though. Other players who fit his profile are more important to the franchise. Lewis is the most recognizable name in this group, but he hasn't been a consistently productive big-leaguers since the middle of 2024. He's more headache than headliner, but getting rid of a headache often requires swallowing a bitter pill. Martin has yet to reach arbitration, making him an inexpensive option. He has a sufficiently patient approach to maintain a high floor for offensive value, but his ceiling is very low—and, try as he might, he's still not looking like a plus defender, even in left field. The Twins appear to have several players with higher ceilings or who are better fits for the roles these six players might occupy. A couple of them could survive the autumn reaping, but most of the group will slough off before December. The Twins Need to Make Room for the Future Clearing roster spots is only the first step. The organization must also decide how those spots will be used. Retaining too many fringe players could limit the team's flexibility when opportunities emerge through free agency, trades, or the waiver wire. Some decisions will be difficult, because Wallner, Lewis, and Raya still have intriguing potential. Others (including Sabato and some of the fringe pitching options) might be easier to move on from. The injured pitchers pose financial and developmental questions that the front office must weigh carefully. If Minnesota wants to build a more competitive roster in 2027, it must be willing to move on from players who no longer fit its plans and use that flexibility to pursue better options. The 40-man roster cleanup is an early but important part of that process. The decisions made this winter could determine how much flexibility the Twins have when the more significant opportunities of the offseason arrive. Who would you remove from the 40-man roster? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Baseball is a beautiful, emotional game. At the same time, every play and outcome is measured and assigned a number. For example, Championship Win Probability Added, or cWPA, determines how much an individual play changes a team’s chances of winning a World Series. Milwaukee's historic playoff run has been shaped the most by these five moments, as measured by cWPA. 5. Trevor Megill Retires Mookie Betts in Game 1 of NLCS: cWPA 2.24% In the opening game of the NLCS, Milwaukee muscled two runs across against Tarik Skubal. The Brewers’ bullpen backed Jacob Misiorowski with 11 outs of scoreless relief before handing the ball to Trevor Megill. The closer entered the game in the top of the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. The first two batters were disposed of on five pitches. Then things got interesting. Kyle Tucker and Josue De Paula both drew walks to bring up the leadoff hitter, Mookie Betts. Megill bounced a knuckle curve for ball one. The next pitch was a 98-MPH fastball over the heart of the plate. Betts belted it 375 feet to the warning track, where Garrett Mitchell squeezed it for the final out. Milwaukee took Game 1 and moved 2.24% closer to a World Series title. 4. William Contreras's Home Run Against Kris Bubic in Game 2 of NLCS: cWPA 2.45% Logan Henderson pitched fine over four innings the next day, but nearly threw the game away with two errant throws to first. The Dodgers carried a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the fifth, when left-hander Kris Bubic entered the game for Los Angeles. Brice Turang struck out looking, and William Contreras came to the plate with one out and nobody on. Bubic's 0-1 pitch was a middle-middle fastball, and Contreras did not miss it. His 436-foot home run tied the game, as the Brewers ultimately won 7-4. 3. Christian Yelich's Go-Ahead Single Off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2 of NLCS: 3.10% cWPA The Dodgers held six leads during the NLCS, but Milwaukee quickly overcame the deficits each time. In Game 2, Los Angeles had taken its second lead of the night by the third inning, when Jake Bauers worked a 12-pitch walk to load the bases for Christian Yelich. Yamamoto hung a breaking ball, and Yelich lined it into center field for a base hit. Hamilton and Turang scored, putting Milwaukee back in front. 2. Jake Bauers's Series-Flipping Homer Against Blake Snell in Game 3 of NLCS: 3.90% cWPA Blake Snell offered a valuable lesson on adversity prior to Game 3 in Los Angeles. The Dodgers’ left-hander backed up his words and retired 14 consecutive Brewers at one juncture, before a leadoff walk to Andrew Vaughn to start the 7th inning. For the second consecutive game, Jake Bauers delivered an impressive, marathon at-bat. Snell tried to sneak a fastball past Bauers on the 11th pitch, but Jake the Rake was ready. His 109-MPH laser beam deposited into the bleachers put the Brewers ahead for good—and seemed to sew up the series, even if that wasn't quite the truth. 1. Jackson Chourio's Walkoff Single Against Mason Miller in Game 2 of NLDS: 6.94% cWPA The bases were loaded with two outs. Milwaukee trailed by a run. Chourio was down to his final strike against (arguably) the best relief pitcher in the world, Mason Miller. This moment carried more tension than any at-bat in Brewers postseason history, with an off-the-charts Championship Leverage Index of 173.47. Miller’s 40th pitch of the afternoon was a 101-MPH fastball that caught too much of the plate. Chourio ripped a liner past the outstretched glove of Jake Cronenworth and into center. Yelich scored easily, and Sal Frelick narrowly avoided the tag at the plate. Pandemonium in Milwaukee, and the greatest single moment of the 2026 postseason (so far), by the numbers. Over the next week or two, the team might just top it. View the full article

Two weeks have come and gone in the Arizona Fall League, an extended showcase allowing some of baseball’s rising stars to get extra reps against top-level competition. Notably, for anyone who will be on a 40-man roster next year, this could be the last taste of baseball for a while should a lockout come. While the big-league Milwaukee Brewers are dancing onto the World Series for the first time since the 1982 season, they have a few farmhands capturing headlines in AFL play so far. Matthew Wood The minor-league backstop is Rule 5-eligible going into this offseason, meaning if the Brewers don’t protect him by adding him to the 40-man roster next month, another organization could pick the 25-year-old up and give him a shot—assuming that, despite the looming lockout, the Rule 5 Draft actually happens. One of the catcher’s most notable attributes is his plate discipline, as he walked 18.4% of the time while only striking out in 13.5% of his plate appearances this year. That performance has carried into the first two weeks of the Arizona Fall League. So far, he's 4-for-11 (.364 batting average) with four runs, a double, a run batted in and a stolen base. Wood has 10 walks and no strikeouts through 21 plate appearances. He enjoyed a career-best season with the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers this year, throttling 18 home runs to the tune of an .890 OPS in 95 games. Before this year, Milwaukee’s rising signal caller had just 15 long balls over the course of 290 contests. With every well-worked at-bat, the Penn State alum is making a larger case to be placed on the 40-man roster, but it's important to take AFL results with a grain of salt, especially in small samples. Jett Williams Williams didn’t have a good season in his first year with the Brewers organization. He was one of two prospects (Brandon Sproat being the other) in a trade involving two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers. The 22-year-old utility player swatted nine home runs, had 41 runs batted in and hit just .233 over 81 games with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. In the AFL, things aren't going any better. He's gone just 3-for-27, with six runs, a triple and three stolen bases over 33 plate appearances. Williams has six walks and 10 strikeouts. Selected in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, he's known for his blistering speed and doubles power. Neither will come much into play, though, if he can't become a more consistent pure hitter. Jose Meneses Meneses is a very intriguing prospect in the Brewers pipeline, and his start in the AFL is a fine microcosm of his overall baseball profile. He's made three appearances for the Scottsdale Scorpions, and he has allowed one run on no hits in 2 1/3 innings of work. The 21-year-old Venezuelan has handed out three free passes while striking out two. Take a step back to look at Meneses’s overall prospect makeup, and it’s clear what the ceiling and floor look like: a 28.6% strikeout rate this year, but a sky-high 16.9% walk rate. Meneses forces a remarkable 61.5% ground-ball rate. Now it’s just about staying ahead in counts, if he wants to be a major-league contributor someday. View the full article

It was a bit of a weird week for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League. Monday’s game was postponed due to weather and the stadium still did not have power the next day, so Tuesday’s contest was postponed also. They did manage to get four games of the scheduled five games in this week, though, so the Chicago Cubs' representatives got their fair share of playing time. If you missed the primer and week 1 recap, you can find it here! Dominick Reid Stats: DNP Dominick Reid is in line to start today's game on 10/19, but did not pitch in a game this past week. Anhuar Garcia Stats: 1.2 IP, 1 hit, 3 runs (1 earned), 2 strikeouts, 4 walks Garcia’s line looks a bit worse than he actually pitched. He did walk four batters, which included a leadoff walk and three two-out walks. He should probably have gotten out of his outing unscathed, but his defense let him down. With two outs, he got a pop-up to the right side that fell in the infield, allowing two runs to score. While technically not an error as no one touched it, it was clearly a ball that should have been caught. In the next inning, he walked back-to-back hitters with two outs and got a ground ball to second that got under Juan Cabada’s glove and scored both runners. It was not a very clean outing, but the results were a little worse than the actual performance. Luis Rujano Stats: 1.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 strikeout, 2 walks Rujano got into one game this week and showed much of the same stuff as he did last week, including another throwing error. He mostly used his 94-96 mph sinker and his 82-83 mph slider. Rujano got only weak contact, but also walked two, threw a wild pitch, and had a passed ball from Miguel Useche that led to the run scoring. Jhon Cabral Stats: 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 strikeout, 1 walk Cabral got the save in the eighth game of the AFL for the Solar Sox in his only appearance this week. He was nearly entirely fastballs at 98-100, though he threw one slider and got his only strikeout with it. He walked the leadoff hitter but then went strikeout, weak groundball, weak flyball to end it. Yoendris Gonzalez Stats: DNP After a really rough first two appearances, Gonzalez did not get a chance to redeem himself this week, but will certainly pitch next week. Kade Snell Stats: 9 ABs, 4 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts Snell started three of the four Mesa games this week and the surface numbers look better than last week, but the process was pretty similar. Everything is on the ground and he is not showing much exit velocity outside of a 101.2-mph RBI, line-drive single, which did come off a 95 mph pitch. His other three hits were two infield singles and a bloop single to left that should have been caught. He is taking his walks, but is also striking out too frequently. He is reaching base a lot, but these infield and bloop singles leading to an .800 BABIP this week are just not sustainable. Juan Cabada Stats: 9 ABs, 2 hits, 1 walks, 3 strikeouts Cabada started two games this week and showed some improvements and maturation in the way he worked at-bats. One of his two hits was an RBI single that was absolutely an error, but the other was a 100.2-mph, line-drive RBI single that caused Surprise to forfeit the game in the top of the 10th inning (that's the Arizona Fall League for you). In his first start of the week, Cabada turned in probably his best performance in the AFL to date. Facing Jarlin Susana, a giant Nationals prospect close to the majors with premium velocity, Cabada did not look overmatched. In his first at-bat, he got that single/error and in his second at-bat he flew out off of a 100.5 mph fastball. After Susana was out of the game, Cabada worked a 3-2 count from down 1-2 and wound up striking out on a 95 mph fastball. He then grounded out and struck out on a questionable high curve ball, but had no challenges because he had lost one on the first pitch of his third at-bat. He finished the game with the aforementioned single that ended the contest. His second start of the week saw him strike out after being up 3-0 in the count and walk after going down 0-2 before a flyout and a groundout. Harrison Feinberg Stats: 4 ABs, 2 hits, 1 walks Can we get this guy more playing time please? Feinberg started one game this week and his four at-bats ended in batted balls that were hit at: 102.1, 107.5, 97.8, and 109.6 miles per hour. That is good! The only downside here is everything is still on the ground. He also drew a walk that included a phenomenal 2-2 take and threw a runner out at home from left field in the bottom of the eighth to keep it a one-run game, leading to the Solar Sox tying it in the 9th and winning in extras. Feinberg knows how to put together an at-bat; you would never know that this is his professional debut. He has a closed off stance and does not get cheated. If you squint, you can sort of see some Giancarlo Stanton here. I'm going to throw some cold water on myself after that comparison, but please, let this guy start more games this week. Miguel Useche Stats: 8 ABs, 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts Useche has made the move and is now on the Solar Sox with his Cubs brethren. He started two games, one of them behind the plate. His first start was a bit of a mixed bag with a weak lineout, weak groundout, and strikeout in his first three at-bats. He then hit an RBI triple into the backside gap at 99 mph to salvage his start before striking out on a very questionable call and walking in his last two plate appearances. He could have challenged but the team was out of them, partially because he used up a Mesa challenge on a bad decision in the first inning. His second start was behind the plate and... he didn’t look great. He gave up five stolen bases and committed a throwing error and had a passed ball in key situations. He went 1-3 with a weak infield single at the plate. View the full article

Jake McKibbin and Jason Wang talk through how the Brewers could match up against the Rays or Guardians in the 2026 World Series. 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

Week 2 of the Arizona Fall League is in the books, with San Diego Padres prospects playing for the Peoria Javelinas in the showcase event. Each week, we will take a look back at how the Padres' prospects fared. One of the Javelinas' games this week was rained out. For last week's recap, check here. Ty Harvey, C After an opening week highlighted by five stolen bases, the catcher has yet to find his rhythm at the plate. Padres Mission's No. 5 prospect went 2-for-11 this week with a pair of RBIs and a stolen base in the three games he played in. Two of those games were at the designated hitter spot, the other behind the plate. Justin DeCriscio, SS DeCriscio continued to show versatility by playing three spots in three games: second base, shortstop and third base. He went just 1-for-10 at the plate, but did have an impact Thursday vs. Scottsdale. DeCriscio had a leadoff six-pitch walk in the third inning, then stole a pair of bases and scored on Harvey's infield single to third. He then had a bases-loaded RBI single in the fourth. Alex McCoy, OF Padres Mission's No. 8 prospect made jaws drop with a homer in Thursday's game against Scottsdale. Leading off the top of the fourth inning, McCoy crushed an 89.3 mph first-pitch sinker middle in from right-hander Marcus Johnson (Tampa Bay Rays, Double-A) out to deep left. The 436-foot shot had an amazing exit velocity of 118.2 mph. For comparison, only two balls had a better exit velocity in all of MLB this season: 119 mph by Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates and 118.5 mph by Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros. It was the second homer of the AFL for McCoy, who hit 19 between High-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio this year. That was part of a 3-for-12 week for McCoy, who also had an opposite-field double with a bit of an awkward slide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by MLB’s Arizona Fall League (@mlbazfallleague) Jordan Valenzuela, RHP Valenzuela also pitched Tuesday against Scottsdale. He allowed a run on one hit and a hit batter in the five hitters he faced. It was his third appearance in the AFL. The 21-year-old is in his first full season in the U.S. and made 21 appearances at Low-A Lake Elsinore during the regular season. View the full article

By innings pitched, the top three hurlers for the 2025 Milwaukee Brewers were Freddy Peralta, Quinn Priester and Jose Quintana. The trio combined for 465 2/3 innings of work in the regular season, and another 25 during the team's two playoff series. That's just a hair shy of a third of the total workload borne by the whole pitching staff last year. In Milwaukee, though, nothing is forever, and most things aren't even for that long. Over the offseason, Quintana left via free agency, and the club traded Peralta to the New York Mets. Priester is still in the organization, but thoracic outlet syndrome ended his season before it began. One passive departure, one proactive one, one by accident—that's how these things tend to go. However, replacing the only three pitchers who exceeded 130 innings is always difficult work for a team. This year, of course, Jacob Misiorowski stepped forward to become the ace of the starting rotation. Three other pitchers stepped up early on, making bids to complement Misiorowski and replace the absent Peralta, Priester and Quintana: Kyle Harrison, Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat. That group combined for 318 2/3 innings this season, concentrated mostly in the first half. In fact, they pitched 239 frames before the All-Star break (about 28% of the team's total), but fewer than 80 after it. None of the three has appeared in a postseason game. The Brewers have had to turn over a huge portion of their workload even in the last three months. Into the gap left by the injuries and poor performances of Harrison and Sproat stepped Logan Henderson, who has become the real No. 2 behind Misiorowski. But there's another issue in play, when it comes to those two. Last year, at all levels and including the playoffs, Misiorowski pitched 141 1/3 innings. This season, that number is 183 frames and counting. Henderson pitched 103 innings last year; he's already at 131 1/3. The team's two most important starters are far beyond their previous career highs in innings pitched. The above is to say nothing of plunging resources into the acquisition of Ángel Zerpa, only to have him need Tommy John surgery early in the season, or of Jared Koenig pitching through major elbow trouble and falling out of the mix. It's to say nothing of giving Brandon Woodruff $22.025 million and getting just 45 1/3 innings from him. On every front, the Brewers have faced adversity in patching together a pitching staff. They got through the regular season with the fourth-fewest runs allowed per game of any team in the league, and some of that was thanks to their defense, but another portion was thanks to the first-half boosts provided by Harrison and Woodruff. Between being reliant on pitchers who barely cracked the depth chart in the spring and the degradation in performance one often sees from pitchers like Misiorowski and Henderson as they stretch beyond their previous maximums, they really shouldn't be a top-tier run-prevention team at this point. They should be scrambling. They should be running out of steam. Give the team credit. Down the stretch, with the luxury of a cushion in the standings, they were as careful as they could be, while still pressing to earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage. Misiorowski has made 31 starts this season, including his two postseason appearances. Of those, only four came on four days' rest, and one of those was a programmed, abbreviated September appearance to prepare him for the possibility of being needed on four days' rest in Games 1 and 5 of a best-of-seven series. Over half of Misiorowski's starts came on five days, and eight times, he's gone on six days. Pitching just once a week for significant stretches has slowed his accrual of innings and maximized his chances to recover and pace himself. The same goes for Henderson. He's made 27 total starts, of which just 16 came on five days of rest or fewer. He's started on six days five times and on seven or more five times more, not counting his first rehab start after over a month on the injured list at midseason. Treating five days as regular rest and offering a sixth whenever possible has made it possible for Henderson and Misiorowski to stay ready for all the playoff duty asked of them, even if they've looked a bit off their game. The same treatment has kept Robert Gasser and Shane Drohan reasonably fresh. Winning each of their first two series in four games has been huge, of course. It's allowed for more days off, and for the team's bullpen to soak up more of the innings the club does need to pitch. They don't have to improbably survive much longer. There are only (give or take) 60 more innings to cover. There are only seven more dates on the calendar, and three more days between now and the first one, and two off days in the set. The Brewers have cheated death. They lost the guys who threw 500 innings for them last year, and they've shelved the guys who gave them 320 this year. They're down to no more than 10 trustworthy arms, and on most nights, they'll try to get from Pitch No. 1 to Out No. 27 with five or fewer. That's no sweat. What the team put itself through and what the baseball gods have decided to put them through should have been fatal, or at least very damaging. Instead, they've only allowed 21 runs in eight playoff games. They just need four more wins. They shouldn't have had enough pitching to get here, but they have more than enough to make it the rest of the way. View the full article

The second week of the Arizona Fall League is officially complete. The Mesa Solar Sox played slightly better this time around, going 2-2 on the week along with one game being canceled. Overall, their record now sits at 4-6-1, 3.5 games back of first place. We're not here to discuss fall league standings, though. Let's check in on how each member of the Boston Red Sox organization did during the second week of the AFL. Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH Last week, Anderson was one of the best hitters in the AFL, so expectations were high heading into the second week. The corner infielder appeared in three of his team’s four games, making two appearances at first base and one as designated hitter. While he wasn't quite as hot this time, Anderson still went 3-for-10 with two doubles, two RBIs and three walks. He did strike out five times, however, showcasing a major hole in his game despite the decent showing at the plate. At the end of two weeks in Arizona, the slugging corner infielder is hitting .345/.486/.655. Anderson currently leads all Mesa batters in several offensive categories such as home runs, RBIs, batting average, slugging and OPS. Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/OF Zanetello impressed during the first week despite a stat line that would have people wanting more if you just looked at the numbers. That same trend continued into the second week, as the utility player appeared in just two of the team’s games including an appearance at third base alongside his regular position of second base. In those two games, Zanetello put up mixed results despite going hitless. Overall he would go 0-for-8 with two RBIs, a walk and five strikeouts. In his first game of the week, he went for 0-for-5 but put the ball in play three times while driving in two runs. In the top of the seventh inning, despite flying out, Zanetello managed to take a 93-mph fastball up and away and drive it out to right field at 96.1 mph. In his final game of the week, Zanetello didn’t fare too well, striking out in all three of his at-bats. After two weeks, he’s batting .143/.314/.321 with seven walks, showing an ability to get on base even if his batted balls aren’t falling in for hits. Mason White 2B/SS White, an Arizona native, appeared in three games for Mesa this week and continued his trend of putting the ball in play even if they didn’t fall in for hits. During the week, the middle infielder went 2-for-11 with two walks and four strikeouts. Offensively, you would like to see a little bit more from White considering he finished the season in Double-A.. Through eight games played, he’s struck out just 12 times, helping to offset it by walking seven times. Overall, he’s hitting .172/.333/.276. Harry Blum Blum managed to get into one game this week, continuing to look well out in Arizona despite some command issues. In his lone appearance, the right-hander tossed one inning, allowing one hit and two walks but preventing the Surprise Saguaros from scoring. He also struck out a batter. He tossed 19 pitches in his lone inning with just eight of them going for strikes. Velocity-wise, he topped out at 94.9 mph on his four-seam fastball. Overall, he generated two whiffs. Blum got off to a quick start, retiring the first two batters he faced before he walked the next batter which was followed up by a single and his second walk. He got out of the bases-loaded jam by getting a strikeout with his sinker. Through two weeks, he has a 0-1 record with a 2.70 ERA in 3 1/3 innings pitched. He’s allowed five walks while striking out four. Madinson Frias Frias got the start for Mesa on Saturday and while he provided some length (pitchers don’t tend to go long in the AFL), he struggled at keeping the Salt River Rafters off the board. Tossing 2 2/3 innings, the right-hander allowed three runs on five hits, one being a home run, and a walk. He also struck out two batters while tossing 50 pitches. Of them, 26 went for strikes. Frias pitched better than his stat line suggested, as the first run of the game he allowed came on a fielding error in the first inning. After that, he didn’t allow another run until the third inning when he began to tire. Notably, his fastball topped out at 96.1 mph and he generated four whiffs. Overall on the fall season, he has a 0-1 record with a 7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings pitched. He’s allowed four runs on seven hits, one being a home run, and three walks while also striking out four batters. Nicholas Judice Judice returned to Mesa this week after taking a short leave to get married and pitched in one game where he struggled. Lasting just 2/3 of an inning, Judice allowed three runs on a walk and two hits, including a home run. In his lone outing of the week, the right-hander tossed 28 pitches with only 14 of them for strikes. Judice was welcomed into the bottom of the first rudely, giving up an RBI single to his first batter before following it up with a bases-loaded walk. He looked ready to limit the damage after a pop-up made it two outs, but then allowed a grand slam to Sebastian Walcott before finally getting out of the inning. Velocity-wise, he topped out at 90.7 mph and generated two whiffs. Overall on the season, he’s tossed three innings with a 9.00 ERA and allowed three runs on two hits and a walk. He’s also struck out four batters. Trennor O’Donnell O’Donnell struggled in his lone inning of work this week. Coming into the game with a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh, he allowed three runs on three hits, one being a home run, while striking out a batter. He would end up with a blown save, but thanks to some extra-inning magic, the Solar Sox wound up winning the game. O’Donnell needed 22 pitches in the outing but was in the strike zone often with 17 strikes. The outing started off rough as the right-handed allowed a double right away. After a fly-out for the first out, it was followed by a triple and then a home run to make it 8-7. He would settle down after that and get the next two batters out. His fastball topped out at 92.3 mph and he generated four whiffs. Overall on the season, he has a 6.75 ERA in four innings. Caden Vire Vire did not get into a game during the second week of action. Overall, he’s tossed 1 2/3 innings with a 5.40 ERA. He’s allowed one run on one hit and three walks while also striking out one batter. View the full article

With the second week of the Arizona Fall League in the books, we can start to make stronger declarations about the performances of the New York Mets prospects in the desert. With a majority of the pitchers receiving praise and the majority of the hitters struggling, there are lots of pros and cons to talk about. After two weeks of play, the Surprise Saguaros are 8-3, tied for the best record in the AFL. The Saguaros went 4-0 this week including two blowout wins, which featured a dominant 10-0 victory over the weekend with Peyton Prescott receiving the win. Here is how the eight Mets faired in the four games played this week. Bruin Agbayani 2B/SS/3B Agbayani saw action in two of the four games played this week, generating one hit and four walks. Agbayani currently has a .091 batting average in the AFL, the lowest on the Saguaros. While Agbayani has reached base in most of the games he has played thus far, only twice has it been by way of getting a hit. Boston Baro SS/3B/2B Like Agbayani, Baro only saw action in two games this week, which is the same amount of hits he has so far. In that 10-0 win, Baro went 1-for-3 with two walks, two stolen bases and came around to score three times. He has seen the majority of his play at third base while also DH’ing earlier in the week. If he can build on his action-packed game from the weekend, Baro could be in for a strong finish to the fall season. Cole Mathis 1B/DH In Thursday’s 17-8 win versus the Desert Dogs, Mathis went 2-for-5 with two RBI singles and came around to score both times. Mathis sports the best batting average of the three Mets hitters in the AFL; however his average is only .167. The 10-0 game saw Mathis go 0-for-4, but he did not strike out. Mathis’s .602 OPS is 10th on the Saguaros, and he hopes to build on that during the rest of his time in Surprise. RHP Irving Cota Cota was featured in MLB.com’s Week Two top performers article, and for good reason. Over the weekend, he threw three perfect innings with five strikeouts. Cota leads the AFL in WHIP (0.52), batting average against (.040) and is second in strikeouts (12). He has only given up one hit thus far in 7.2 innings of work for the Saguaros. Notably, he has also generated six whiffs on his changeup and cutter, two secondary offerings cited as areas for improvement prior to the AFL. Cota would need nine more strikeouts to tie his total from all of last season. His development has been exciting for the Mets, especially with how bleak the minor-league pitching infrastructure looks as of right now. If Cota keeps this up, you will continue to see his name in the top performers lists. RHP Brendan Girton Girton only saw one inning of work this week, but in that lone inning, he retired all three batters by way of the strikeout. In 2.1 innings of work in the AFL so far, Girton has not given up a run. Coming off a season in which he sported a 6.72 ERA in Double-A Binghamton, his short season with Surprise can only be seen as a positive thus far. RHP Ryan Lambert Like Girton, Lambert also only saw one inning of work this week. In Lambert’s inning, he closed out Friday’s win over the Solar Sox with a strikeout and no base runners allowed. That is now three no-hit outings for him so far in Surprise, with five strikeouts to boot. RHP Peyton Prescott Prescott started Saturday’s game versus the Desert Dogs, going two innings before handing it off to fellow Met Irving Cota. Prescott gave up one hit but that run did not come around to score; he also recorded two strikeouts, bringing his AFL total to four. So far, Prescott has allowed seven hits with only three coming around to score. He also currently sports the same number of walks as strikeouts, but his ERA remains at 2.35. RHP Calvin Ziegler Ziegler was the only Met to not record a positive outing this week, giving up two runs in one inning of work. While Ziegler currently holds a 19.29 ERA in 2.1 innings, he should continue to see work out of the bullpen for the remainder of the AFL. View the full article

With the San Diego Padres' season over, attention turns to roster moves for the 2027 season. That means knowing who you need to focus on from a free-agent and arbitration perspective. All options—player, club, or mutual—must be exercised within five days of the end of the World Series. Mutual options are almost universally declined. Players eligible for a qualifying offer must receive one with that same five-day period, then have another seven days to decide whether to accept, which puts the player under contract for the 2027 season. This year's qualifying offer is reportedly $23.15 million, although that could change when formally announced by MLB. Players who are eligible for arbitration must be tendered a contract by the end of November. This is different from exchanging figures for a hearing, but it guarantees a player will be under contract. Those who are non-tendered become free agents. Players who are pre-arbitration or on minor-league contracts also must be tendered a contract by this same deadline. Minor-league contracts are generally one-year deals. All arbitration projections are courtesy of MLB Trade Rumors. Pre-arbitration players basically make a version of the MLB minimum salary, which was $780,000 for 2026 (slight raises for second and third years). The minimum is expected to be $1 million in the new collective-bargaining agreement. Super 2 players become eligible for arbitration a year early and have four years of arb. This article is a reference list to know the contract status of every play on the 40-man roster. If you do some rudimentary math, you'll see that there are more than 40 players listed (there are 46). Players on the 60-day injured list do not count toward the 40-man. All players come off the injured list after the World Series as a matter or procedure, regardless of their health status. Any player, whether eligible for arbitration or a free agent, can re-sign with the Padres at any time. Negotiations with other teams can't begin until five days after the World Series ends. Unless otherwise noted, any free agent can be given a qualifying offer. Contract info courtesy of Cot's and Spotrac. Pitchers (24) Jason Adam: Free agent. Jhony Brito: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $800,000. Walker Buehler: Free agent. Yu Darvish: On restricted list (was not paid $15 million salary in 2026). Due $15 million in 2027 as part of a six-year, $108 million contract that runs through 2028. Griffin Canning: Mutual option for $5 million in 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. Jeremiah Estrada: First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $1.3 million. Lucas Giolito: On 60-day IL (right elbow inflammation). Mutual option for $8 million in 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. Kyle Hart: Club option for $2.5 million in 2027 with a $200,000 buyout. Garrett Hawkins: Minor-league contract. Yet to make MLB debut. Bryan Hoeing: On 60-day IL (right flexor tendon surgery). First year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $800,000. Michael King: Player option for 2027 at $28 million and player option for 2028 at $30 million. Not eligible for qualifying offer after receiving one last year (he declined). Yuki Matsui: Player option for 2027 at $6.5 million and player option for 2028 at $7 million. Mason Miller: Second year eligible for arbitration as Super 2. Projection: $8.1 million. Casey Mize: Free agent. Not eligible for qualifying offer by virtue of being traded during the season. Adrian Morejon: Free agent. David Morgan: Pre-arbitration. Joe Musgrove: Due $20 million in final year of five-year, $100 million contract. Wandy Peralta: Player option for 2027 at $4.45 million. Final year of contract. Nick Pivetta: Club option for 2027 at $14 million and player option for 2028 at $18 million as part of four-year, $55 million contract. Robbie Ray: Free agent. Not eligible for qualifying offer by virtue of being traded during the season. Bradgley Rodriguez: Pre-arbitration. JP Sears: Second year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $2.8 million. Hunter Stratton: Pre-arbitration. Randy Vasquez: Borderline Super 2 status, to be announced by MLB soon. Super 2 would make him eligible for the first of four years of arbitration. Otherwise, he will be in the third and final pre-arb year. Catchers (4) Luis Campusano: Third year eligible for arbitration as Super 2. Projection: $1.7 million. Rodolfo Duran: On 60-day IL (strained right forearm). Pre-arbitration. Freddy Fermin: Second year eligible for arbitration as Super 2. Projection: $2.6 million. Ethan Salas: Pre-arbitration. Infielders (8) Xander Bogaerts: Due $25,454,545 in 2027 as part of an 11-year, $280 million contract that runs through 2033. Jake Cronenworth: Due $12,285,714 in 2027 as part of a seven-year, $80 million contract that runs through 2030. Ty France: Free agent. Manny Machado: Due $39,090,909 in 2027 as part of an 11-year, $350,000 contract that runs through 2033. Mason McCoy: Pre-arbitration. Gavin Sheets: Final year eligible for arbitration. Projection: $6.5 million. Sung-Mun Song: Due $3,333,333 as part of a four-year, $15 million contract that runs through 2029. Gage Workman: Pre-arbitration. Outfielders (7) Jase Bowen: Pre-arbitration. Dustin Harris: Pre-arbitration. Ramon Laureano: 60-day IL (right hip surgery). Free agent. Jackson Merrill: Due $8,111,000 in 2027 as part of a nine-year, $135 million contract that runs through 2034. Luis Rengifo: On 60-day IL (left knee surgery). Free agent. Fernando Tatis Jr.: Due $20,784,286 in 2027 as part of a 14-year, $340 million contract that runs through 2034. Samad Taylor: Pre-arbitration. Designated hitters (3) Miguel Andujar: Mutual option for $8 million in 2027 with a $2.5 million buyout. Austin Hays: Free agent. Will Wagner: Pre-arbitration. View the full article

Postseason baseball is in full swing, and the Twins are not a participant. That means it’s time to shift the focus to this offseason and beyond, and the Twins will have some important decisions to make this winter. One of those decisions is what to do — or what not to do — with catcher Ryan Jeffers. Jeffers had a career year offensively in 2026, slashing .256/.353/.461 for an impressive .814 OPS. After a few seasons of inconsistent production at the plate, he finally put everything together offensively and established himself as one of the more productive catchers in the league. And while he’s not known for his elite blocking and receiving, or his ability to gun down runners trying to steal a base, the Twins had the most successful ABS challenges of any team this year. A lot of that is because of Jeffers. He’s developed into one of the better catchers in the league, but there’s one pretty significant problem: He’s no longer under contract. Which brings us to the question of whether the Twins should make an attempt at bringing him back. The general consensus around this situation is that Jeffers is probably gone this winter, and I don’t disagree that that’s the likeliest outcome. But if I’m the Twins, I’m doing what I can to bring him back for next year, and potentially even longer than that. With league-wide spending likely looking radically different next season due to the negotiations around the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Twins will be one of the many teams that need to increase their budget. In the MLB owners’ initial proposal back in July, there was a proposed salary cap and salary floor, with the salary floor set at $171.2 million. For context, the Twins’ payroll in 2026 was around $115 million. They’re going to have to spend some money anyway, and I think there’s a strong case to be made for Jeffers to get some of that money. If Jeffers is out the door, Minnesota’s starting catcher for next year would likely be Victor Caratini. He posted a .627 OPS this year. His glove behind the dish is much better than his bat, but a low-.600s OPS hitter just isn’t startable, even at catcher, which isn’t exactly known for being a strong offensive position. Unless the Twins want Caratini starting 100 games next year, they’re going to need someone else until someone like Vahn Lackey or Eduardo Tait is ready for the majors. I’d argue spending more to bring Jeffers back makes more sense than signing or trading for someone else. He’s already familiar with the pitching staff, and has proven he can provide legitimate offensive production at a position where that’s especially valuable. The first and biggest decision the Twins will have to make is whether to offer Jeffers the qualifying offer. The qualifying offer is expected to be worth roughly $24 million this offseason, which is a heck of a lot of money for a catcher. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Jeffers would be unlikely to accept it. But if the Twins offer it to him and he signs elsewhere this winter, they’d receive a draft pick following the first round. The problem might be what happens if Jeffers actually accepts. The Twins’ baseline payroll is expected to be around $110 million for next season, so a $24 million qualifying offer would immediately push that number upward of $130 million. That would leave a pretty significant chunk of the Twins’ payroll already spoken for, and just how can we expect the Pohlads to increase the payroll? It’s easy to say they should bring him back after the season he just had, but $24 million for one year is a massive commitment for a team with a limited budget. There’s a very real possibility the Twins decide that number is simply too high and let Jeffers walk rather than risk having that much money tied up in one player for one season. The other option is a multi-year deal. This would obviously be tougher to pull off, since Jeffers is coming off a career year and the catcher market continues to evolve. Caratini just signed a two-year, $14 million deal this past offseason, and Jeffers would certainly be worth a lot more than that after his 2026 season. Across the league, the top four catcher contracts in terms of annual average value are Cal Raleigh at $17.5 million, J.T. Realmuto at $15 million, Will Smith at $14 million and Salvador Perez at $12.5 million. However, not all of those contracts are the same. Realmuto and Perez are older catchers on shorter deals, whereas Raleigh and Smith are on longer-term deals, and both are around the same age as Jeffers. Given his production this year, Jeffers is going to be looking for as big of a contract as he can get. He’s 29 years old, coming off the best offensive season of his career and entering free agency as easily the best catcher available. And with Scott Boras representing him, I don’t think the Twins should expect to get him on a short two- or three-year deal at a discount. A four-year, $60 million contract would probably be closer to the floor than the ceiling, and something in the neighborhood of $80 million might be more realistic. I’d still be interested in bringing Jeffers back, but committing at least $60 million to him over four (or more) years is a much bigger decision than simply giving him the qualifying offer. Especially when the Twins have Lackey and Tait in the organization and presumably hope one or both of them can eventually take over behind the plate. That doesn’t mean a long-term deal wouldn’t make sense. Jeffers has proven he can be a productive offensive catcher, and having him around for the next few years would give the Twins a legitimate answer at a position that has been somewhat difficult to figure out. But they’d have to be comfortable committing a significant amount of money to him while also knowing that their top catching prospects could eventually make that contract more difficult to justify. Minnesota will have to decide on the qualifying offer for Jeffers within five days of the World Series ending, so we’ll have a lot more information then. It would obviously be great to have someone like Jeffers behind the plate, but the business side of things might make that a lot tougher for the Twins. View the full article

The debate over baseball’s greatest players usually begins with a familiar question: Who belongs at the top of the list? The Sporting News is taking a different approach to that discussion, examining 140 of the greatest players in baseball history and organizing them into 14 position-less groups, or “rooms,” that represent different forms of greatness. The project considers more than traditional rankings. The Sporting News evaluated more than 500 candidates, accounting for modern statistics, newly available Negro Leagues data, changing demographics and the evolution of the game. Rather than force players from different eras into a single ranking, the publication created categories that recognize the different ways players have shaped baseball history. As The Sporting News explained, “Our ‘rooms’ serve not only to honor the game’s greatest players, but to contextualize their standing in baseball history — for better or worse.” From a Minnesota Twins perspective, the concept offers an opportunity to revisit the franchise's greatest players and consider how their accomplishments fit into baseball's broader history. Some Twins legends earned national recognition for their statistical achievements, while others built their reputations through memorable moments and lasting connections with fans. This series will identifty two Twins players that fit into each of The Sporting News' 14 rooms. These are Minnesota-focused selections, not necessarily the same groupings the national publication will use for its own list. The goal is to recognize the different ways Twins legends have made their mark on the game. We begin with two categories that represent the highest levels of accomplishment and legacy: Inner Circle and Immortals. Inner Circle: Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew The Sporting News describes the Inner Circle as a collection of “the greatest baseball players who ever lived.” It is the ultimate category, reserved for players whose accomplishments place them among the most exceptional talents in baseball history. Minnesota has no shortage of candidates for such recognition, but Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew offer two very different examples of what greatness can look like. Rod Carew Carew's greatness was rooted in his extraordinary ability to hit a baseball. He spent 12 seasons with the Twins, winning seven American League batting titles and establishing himself as one of the most consistent hitters of his era. He finished his major league career with a .328 batting average and 3,053 hits, eventually earning first-ballot induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. His 1977 season remains one of the defining individual performances in franchise history. Carew captured the American League Most Valuable Player Award after hitting .388, collecting 239 hits and leading the league in runs scored and triples. He was not simply a player who could hit for a high average. He controlled at-bats, put pressure on defenses and consistently found ways to reach base. Carew's seven batting titles with Minnesota reflect a level of sustained excellence that few players have matched. He hit .300 or better in 15 consecutive major league seasons, demonstrating that his success was not limited to a brief peak. For a franchise that has produced numerous memorable power hitters, Carew represents a different kind of dominance. His ability to make consistent contact and produce at an elite level made him one of baseball's premier offensive players. In a category reserved for the game's greatest talents, Carew deserves serious consideration. Harmon Killebrew Where Carew mastered the art of getting on base, Killebrew made his mark by sending baseballs into the stands. One of the premier power hitters of his generation, Killebrew finished his career with 573 home runs, including 475 with the Twins franchise. That total remains a Minnesota franchise record. Killebrew's power was at its peak during the late 1960s, when he became one of the American League's most feared hitters. In 1969, he hit 49 home runs, drove in 140 runs and drew 145 walks on his way to winning the American League MVP Award. His 49 home runs remain the Twins' single-season franchise record. His career also illustrates how the greatest players can define an organization for generations. Killebrew started his career with the Washington Senators before following the franchise to Minnesota in 1961. He became a cornerstone of the early Twins teams and helped establish a tradition of star power that continued in the decades that followed. Killebrew's combination of longevity, power and offensive production places him among the defining sluggers of his era. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984, cementing his place among baseball's all-time greats. Carew and Killebrew reached greatness in different ways, but both helped establish the Twins as a franchise capable of producing elite individual talent. Their accomplishments give Minnesota a compelling case for representation in the Inner Circle conversation. Immortals: Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer The Sporting News defines the Immortals as players who “shattered barriers. They broke records. They captivated nations. They inspired millions. Their imprint endures.” This category extends beyond statistics, recognizing the players whose accomplishments and influence continue to resonate long after their careers end. For Twins fans, Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer represent two different generations of that enduring connection. Kirby Puckett Puckett's major league career lasted only 12 seasons, but few players have left a more powerful imprint on Minnesota baseball. He collected 2,304 hits, batted .318 for his career and earned 10 All-Star selections, six Gold Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards. He also helped the Twins capture World Series championships in 1987 and 1991. His postseason performances helped turn him into a franchise icon. The defining moment came in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, when Puckett delivered a walk-off home run in the 11th inning against the Atlanta Braves. Earlier in the game, he made a spectacular catch to rob Ron Gant of an extra-base hit. His performance helped force a decisive Game 7, which Minnesota won to claim its second championship. Puckett's legacy is about more than one October night. His energetic personality, infectious enthusiasm and consistent production made him a fan favorite throughout his career. He became the face of the franchise during a period when the Twins delivered two of the most memorable championship runs in baseball history. His career ended abruptly when glaucoma caused irreversible damage to the retina in his right eye, forcing his retirement in 1996. He was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2001. The Immortals category captures what makes Puckett so special to Minnesota. His playing career was relatively short, but his most memorable moments have become permanent parts of the franchise's identity. Joe Mauer Mauer's legacy began long before he reached the major leagues. The St. Paul native was the first overall selection in the 2001 MLB Draft, and expectations followed him from his high school days through his 15-year career with Minnesota. He ultimately delivered a career that exceeded even ambitious expectations. Mauer won three American League batting titles, earned six All-Star selections and claimed the 2009 AL MVP Award. Perhaps most remarkably, he became the only catcher in American League history to win three batting titles. He was also a three-time Gold Glove winner behind the plate. Mauer's 2009 campaign stands among the finest offensive seasons ever produced by a catcher. He hit .365 with a .444 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage, leading the American League in all three categories. His ability to combine elite contact hitting with the physical demands of catching made him a unique player. His career eventually shifted to first base following a concussion in 2013, but his impact on the franchise remained significant. Mauer spent his entire major league career with Minnesota, becoming one of the most recognizable players in the team's history. His combination of local roots, on-field excellence and longevity made him a natural representative of the Twins organization. Mauer's legacy reached another milestone in 2024, when he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. His place in Minnesota baseball history was already secure, but Cooperstown confirmed his standing among the game's elite. Puckett and Mauer illustrate the two sides of immortality in sports. Puckett is remembered for championship moments and a personality that captivated fans. Mauer is celebrated for a historic statistical profile and a career that connected a hometown star with the team he grew up watching. Both left legacies that extend beyond their numbers. For Twins fans, their names remain inseparable from some of the franchise's most meaningful memories. Two Rooms, Four Twins Legends The Inner Circle and Immortals categories provide two ways to think about baseball greatness. Carew and Killebrew built their cases through extraordinary production, while Puckett and Mauer created lasting legacies through a combination of performance, personality and connection with Minnesota fans. All four belong in conversations about the greatest players to wear a Twins uniform. Whether the discussion focuses on career statistics, peak performance, championships or cultural impact, each player offers a different reason to celebrate the franchise's history. The Sporting News project invites baseball fans to consider greatness from multiple perspectives. For the Twins, these four legends are an excellent place to start. Would you add other players to these two rooms? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Josiah Hartshorn wasn’t some premier, can’t-miss prospect in the run-up to the 2025 MLB Draft. He was Chicago’s sixth-round selection last summer, but he's since blossomed into the organization’s top prospect. That’s quite the jump in a short time, and it’s not hard to see why the Cubs are so excited about his future. He began the 2026 season with Low-A Myrtle Beach, where he posted an .884 OPS, while recording 15 extra-base hits and seven more walks (34) than strikeouts (27) in 39 games. Promptly, the Cubs promoted him to High-A South Bend, where he was even better. In 83 games in the Midwest League, he logged 39 extra-base hits and an outstanding .965 OPS. He also stole 12 bases, while recording 79 strikeouts and 54 walks, showcasing the well-rounded offensive game that makes him such an intriguing prospect. Oh, and he did all of that at just 19 years old. A lot of players that young aren’t even at that level, let alone putting up an OPS north of .900, but Hartshorn made it look easy, generating power to all fields and overpowering opponents athletically. He even got a brief opportunity to appear in a few Double-A games at the end of the season, giving him a taste of the next level. It’s clear that the Cubs are excited about what he could become, and it's hard to blame them. But what's made Hartshorn so successful, and why has he climbed the prospect rankings so quickly? For starters, Hartshorn hits the ball hard consistently from both sides of the plate, but he doesn’t have to sell out to generate that contact. His 25.3% line-drive rate is outstanding, giving him a strong foundation for continued success as he progresses through the minors. Line drives are the most sustainable form of batted balls for logging hits, and Hartshorn has shown an ability to produce enough of them to run a high batting average. If he can maintain that approach against increasingly advanced pitching, there’s reason to believe he can continue to find success at each level. His splits from each side of the plate are pretty interesting, and might be where a note of caution is worth sounding. As a left-handed hitter (against right-handed pitching), Hartshorn posted a .949 OPS. That was more than 150 points higher than his .795 OPS as a right-handed hitter. He posted a .462 on-base percentage from the right side of the plate, but that's because he drew a whopping 32 walks in 117 plate appearances. He hit 23 home runs on the year, but 22 of them came left-handed. Whatever version of him might someday thrive in the majors against lefties has yet to emerge; a passive walks-only approach won't cut it. Of course, Hartshorn brings more to the table than just his offensive ability. He also provides decent defense, although his long-term defensive profile adds little value. He appeared in 58 games at first base and another 58 games in the outfield this season. Of his 58 outfield appearances, 37 came in right field, while the other 21 came in center field. He might not be the twitchiest athlete on the field, but he has strong straight-line sprint speed. If nothing else, he has great size, and might soon be the best defensive option at first base in the organization. Then there’s his arm. Hartshorn pitched in high school, sitting in the low- to mid-90s on the mound. That arm strength has translated well to the outfield, where he recorded seven outfield assists this season. Seven assists from a part-time outfielder is pretty remarkable, and it gives the Cubs another reason to feel good about his defensive potential—although, in the minors, assists often come from reckless baserunning and/or shallow fences. Hartshorn has become Chicago’s top prospect in a short time for a reason. He’s a well-rounded hitter who combines contact, power potential and plate discipline. Defensively, he offers versatility and the arm strength to become a plus defender in a corner if things go especially well. He’s still very young, and there’s plenty of development ahead before he’s ready to contribute at the major-league level. Hartshorn will turn 20 next year, so a debut at Wrigley Field in 2027 might be asking a bit much. But 2028 is certainly a possibility, and the Cubs have plenty of reasons to be excited about what the future holds. Finding a player with this kind of potential in the sixth round is no easy task. Chicago appears to have done exactly that, and if Hartshorn continues developing at this pace, he could become a cornerstone for the club before the end of the decade. View the full article

We all know the starting rotation was a trouble spot for the 2026 San Diego Padres. Yes, there were some outstanding performances, but mostly it was a worrisome group throughout the season. Fortunately, the rotation gave the Friars just enough to be able to make a franchise-record third straight postseason appearance. Now, it is time to hand out grades. For this unit, we are only including true starters, not players who started a game or two and then took up shelter in the bullpen. In other words, players need to have been classified as a starter on the roster (or at least were) at some point this season. Previous entries: Grading Every Padres Position Player (2026) Regular-season innings pitched in parentheses. Michael King (185 IP): A- Originally penciled in to be the No. 3 starter entering spring training, the right-hander's role grew in importance with injuries. He eventually stepped up to become the ace of the staff. King tied for the team lead in starts (32) and was far and away No. 1 in innings pitched (career high of 185). His rate stats were down from 2025 (9.2% walk rate from 8.4%, 21% strikeout rate from 24.7%), but he compensated for that with a much higher groundball rate at 44% (up from 38.6%). He also stepped up big-time in the postseason, probably leading him to opt-out of his contract. Walker Buehler (154⅔ IP): B- Padres fans were skeptical of bringing in a former enemy with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But the right-hander changed minds with a solid performance. For a bit, Buehler was the most consistent starter on the team, but that said more of the state of the rotation than it did Buehler. He wasn't spectacular, but he did pretty much what was expected. Randy Vasquez (140⅔ IP): B The right-hander proved a valuable member of the staff, mainly as a starter but then later as a reliever. He had a nice start to the season, then a swoon as the team struggled in June. He seemed to pitch better with a chip on his shoulder, which could come in handy after he was snubbed from the postseason roster when it was clear the Padres needed another effective arm. Barring a crazy offseason, Vasquez should be the team's No. 4 starter next year. Griffin Canning (88⅔ IP): C- As you can see, after the top three, the level of quality drops off precipitously here. The right-hander never got going as a member of the rotation once he returned in May from the Achilles injury sustained last year. Canning made just 11 starts, eventually being relegated to the bullpen. For what it's worth, he did step up his performance in September. German Marquez (53 IP): F Signing the right-hander at the beginning of spring training felt like a good gamble. It turned out not to be. After spending his first 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, Marquez made six starts before hitting the injured list with forearm irritation, then came back in July and was better, but then was cut loose in early August. Casey Mize (44⅔ IP): F A curious case that may never be explained. After a really nice start to his season with the Detroit Tigers, Mize came over at the trade deadline and was ineffective with the Padres. A weird ankle injury stumbling down the dugout steps that never truly healed was just one of many bad ingredients in this recipe. Robbie Ray (43 IP): C- The other pitcher the Friars got at the deadline, Ray also didn't live up to his billing, though he wasn't outright terrible like Mize. The left-hander walked nearly as many as he struck out (27, 33) while also giving up his share of hits (39). The 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner didn't feel like a risky proposition when acquired, though he also didn't rise to the occasion. Nick Pivetta (34⅔ IP): B Many wondered if the right-hander's season was over when he left an April start with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Even after having a setback in his first rehab outing, things looked bleak. But the Opening Day starter bounced back and made a surprising return for four September starts, then two more in the postseason. He should be a key part of the team next year if the Padres hold onto him (his player option converted to a club option due to his injury). JP Sears (32⅔ IP): C The other piece the Padres picked up in the Mason Miller trade from 2025, the left-hander was a non-factor except for a couple of emergency starts when the rotation was at a crossroads. The Padres need to figure out if Sears is part of their 2027 plan after he spent most of the season at Triple-A El Paso. Matt Waldron (32⅔ IP): D The knuckleballer's tenure with the Padres came to an end in late July after a couple of injuries, one of which he didn't disclose until his roster spot was on the line. Even when active, he was ineffective. Lucas Giolito (29⅔ IP): D Signed in late April, the right-hander only made five starts and two relief appearances before going on the injured list and never being heard from again. Joe Musgrove (0 IP): C The fan favorite, who was on the mend from Tommy John surgery, appeared on track to be on the Opening Day roster when his arm didn't recover from a 60-pitch debut in an exhibition game. Musgrove was nearing another return when his arm again didn't bounce back. That scuttled his entire regular season, but Java Joe made his triumphant return in the NL Wild Card Series clincher, then two innings in the NL Division Series finale. He has the offseason to figure out how to get his arm in condition to handle a full-season workload again. View the full article

Nate Pearson - Starting Pitcher Age on Opening Day 2027: 30 Service Time: 5.042 2024 Salary: $800,000 2025 Salary: $1.350,000 2026 Salary: $1.350,000 2027 MLB Trade Rumor Estimate: $2,000,000 Nate Pearson Background Pearson has been somewhat of a journeyman during his time in professional baseball. The former first-round draft pick has spent time in Toronto and Chicago before signing with the Houston Astros last season. He began the season on the injured list while recovering from offseason right elbow surgery but returned to action in May. With Houston, he posted a 3.60 ERA in 20 innings pitched across 16 games. On July 19, Pearson was designated for assignment. A few days after his designation, the Royals traded for Pearson in exchange for pitching prospect Max Martin. Pearson's 2026 Season Total: 42 G, 46 IP, 37 H, 26 BB, 41 K, 4.11 ERA, 1.370 WHIP, 4 Saves Royals: 26 G, 26 IP, 21 H, 14 BB, 25 K, 4.50 ERA, 1.346 WHIP, 3 Saves Pearson hit the ground running after coming to Kansas City. In his first 20 appearances with the Royals, he pitched 21 innings with only 1 earned run, 20 strikeouts, and 11 baserunners allowed, good for a 0.43 ERA and a 2.62 FIP. Pearson’s emergence into the Kansas City bullpen was a much-needed spark for the bullpen that had posted a 5.30 ERA before his arrival. Pearson slightly adjusted his pitch mix by leaning more on his fastball and sinker. In Kansas City, he increased his fastball usage from 40.5% to 48.1% and his sinker from 9.5% to 16%. To offset this adjustment, he decreased his slider usage from 36.1% to 21.6%. Pearson was unable to maintain the near-perfect start to his Royals tenure. In September, he had a stretch of five consecutive appearances with at least one earned run, during which his Royals ERA ballooned to 4.62 and his FIP to 3.77. Pearson stands out with his fastball velocity and extension. His extension was the highest among Royals pitchers, and only Steven Cruz has a faster fastball velocity than Pearson. His TJStats Stuff+ of 107 topped all Royals pitchers other than Craig Kimbrel and Anthony Gose (who had a much smaller sample). Despite this near-elite combination of Statcast metrics, Pearson was below average in strikeout, walk, and CSW (called strike + whiff) rates. Pearson’s success has stemmed from his ability to limit hard contact and induce ground balls. Royals Depth Starting Pitcher 40-man roster: Steven Cruz, Jose Cuas, Connor Thomas, Connor Seabold, Carlos Duran, Beck Way, Nolan Hoffman, Spencer Mivens, Easton McGee Arbitration Eligible: Nick Mears, Alex Lange, Daniel Lynch IV, James McArthur, Lucas Erceg, Anthony Gose 2027 Club Option: Carlos Estévez Triple-A: Tyler Guerrero, Augusto Mendieta, Shane Panzini, Luke Little, Ben Sears, Chazz Martinez, Brandon Johnson, Oscar Rayo Double-A: Dennis Colleran Jr., Kamden Edge, L.P. Langevin, Zachary Cawyer, Tomas Molsky, Chase Jessee, Nate Ackenhausen, Chase Isbell, Christian Chamberlain, Dash Albus, Yimi Presinal Why the Royals Should Offer Him Arbitration He was a standout pitcher in an otherwise disastrous bullpen for the Royals in 2026. His combination of fastball velocity, stuff, and extension is unmatched in any other option currently in the Royals system. With Estévez sidelined by injury, the Royals bullpen was never able to find its footing in high-leverage late-inning situations. Pearson was given opportunities to pitch in situations, earning three saves and six holds, that could prime him for competing for that role in 2027. Pearson also showed he can prevent runs for long stretches during the season in his first 20 appearances (TJStats summary below) for the club. Over that period, he greatly reduced his walk rate to only 8.5% with an increased strikeout rate of 24.4%. If he can bring that level to the Royals in 2027, he will likely become an integral part of an improved bullpen that will hopefully help see the Royals return to post-season action. Why the Royals Should Non-Tender Him His ability to perform at a high level over extended periods can be offset by consecutive struggles to get batters out. With a low strikeout rate, he may become overly reliant on his defense to put players out. With a high walk rate, baserunners can easily pile up. Pearson’s Location+ is also the lowest of all Royals pitchers with at least 10 innings pitched, which contributes to his poor strikeout and walk rates. Despite his excellent stuff on his pitches, they become less effective if they are not properly placed. For a pitcher entering his thirties, the time may have passed to hope for a noticeable increase in command. His $2 million contract estimate may be noteworthy for a small-market team like the Royals. Only three relievers for the Royals made at least that much in 2026, none of whom were on the active roster to finish the season. While a seemingly low value when compared to some contracts throughout the league, every million is noticed in a lower payroll, and the Royals may not be interested in paying for upside that has not yet materialized at the major-league level. Prediction: The Royals Keep Pearson His overall performance stood out enough to warrant a return next season. With so many underperforming relievers last season, there will likely be many new faces in the Royals bullpen. There will be players that are likely ahead of him in non-tender priority, and it will be impossible to replace everybody in one offseason. Pearson showed enough during his time in Kansas City with his stuff, velocity, and extension to give him considerable upside for next season. If the team can isolate the issues that plagued him at the end of the season, Pearson could be in contention for a role at the back end of the bullpen, depending on any potential offseason acquisitions. What do you think the Royals should do with Dobnak? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Last week the Twins announced the hiring of a new pitching coach in Brian Reith, who formerly held the same position for the Tampa Bay Rays' Triple-A affiliate. He's been in the minor-league instructional circuit for a while now, but those who follow the big leagues may be unfamiliar with his name. To help you get acquainted, here's a rundown of Rieth's background and a few facts about him that might help shed light on why the Twins selected him, and what could be expected to change under his watch. A more traditional choice for pitching coach The last two Twins pitching coaches were far from conventional. Wes Johnson was plucked straight from the college ranks with no formal experience coaching in the pros, an exceedingly rare transition. When Johnson returned from whence he came, his former assistant Pete Maki stepped in as another outside-the-box staff leader, originally drawn from the college ranks and never having pitched professionally. When he was first hired last year, manager Derek Shelton emphasized the importance of bringing major-league experience onto the coaching staff. His initial wave of hires, which included LaTroy Hawkins and Grady Sizemore, reflected that priority. Reith does too. He's farther removed from his MLB playing time than Hawkins or Sizemore, but Reith threw almost 130 innings in the majors with Cincinnati back in the early 2000s. During his playing career he also pitched in China, Mexico, and indy leagues. He's got a lot of practical experience and that's a notable distinction from his predecessors. He has a reputation as a fastball evangelist In a 2018 interview with IndianaRBI, Reith emphasized mastery of the fastball as foundational to effective pitching. “What I focus on mostly is fastball command and getting them to understand the four quadrants of the (strike) zone, how effective that can be and how it sets up their other pitches,” said Rieth, who was pitching coach for Tampa's Single-A affiliate at the time. “By doing this, starters can also help relievers later in the game.” That philosophy seems to remain intact eight years later. As Twins Daily's Parker Hageman notes, the Class-AAA Durham Bulls threw a 60.2% mix of fastballs over the past five years under Reith, and with great success. The Twins, meanwhile, threw the lowest mix of fastballs in the majors last year (26.7%). The Twins have a complex decision-making structure, and of course, different personnel from Tampa's Triple-A team. Reith isn't going to just come in and commandeer game-planning singlehandedly. But I do expect we'll see this influence play out in some fashion. I'm here for it, in large part because more fastballs can lead to fewer walks, and that was an irritating tendency of the 2026 Twins staff. In five years with Reith as their pitching coach, Durham issued the fewest walks in Triple-A. A successful track record Not only did Durham excel at strike-throwing during Reith's tenure, they were also just really good in general, ranking fourth in WHIP, fifth in strikeouts and fifth in ERA among Triple-A clubs. That success can't be attributed solely to Reith; the Rays as an organization are a pitching development powerhouse, and that's why they are where they are, bidding for a World Series berth with a bottom-tier payroll. But Reith has been a key cog in their integrated system for many years. Short of actual major-league experience, I can't imagine what more I'd want to see from a pitching coach's track record to instill confidence. Connections to current Twins players and coaches It wouldn't be a Twins hire if there wasn't some historical familiarity. Reith comes over from a Rays organization that previously employed Shelton, and his predecessor Rocco Baldelli. Reith overlapped with Minnesota's pitching-minded assistant GM Josh Kalk in Tampa as well, and that feels like a particularly meaningful connection. During his time with the Rays, Reith also worked with several current Twins pitchers, including some pertinent names: Taj Bradley: Spent considerable time pitching Durham over the years and was there when the Twins traded for him at the deadline in 2025. “My relationship with (Bradley) is good,” Reith said after joining the Twins. “It’s a mature relationship. We’ve worked well together in the past, and I’m really excited to work with him again and continue that and build on that some more.” Joe Ryan: Reith was coaching in the minors for Tampa as Ryan developed into a legit pitching prospect, and oversaw him directly at Class-A Bowling Green in 2019. Ryan came up as one of the most extreme fastball-heavy pitchers in the game, which seems relevant given the prior note about Reith's philosophies. Relievers: Yoendrys Gómez was with Tampa on a minor-league deal this past spring and made the team, so he didn't actually pitch in Triple-A, but I'm sure the two crossed paths at least. Reith did coach Eric Orze and Garrett Acton in Durham, though it remains to be seen if those two will stay in the 2027 picture. Maybe their history with Reith gives them a leg up. A bridge between analytics and instruction This, I believe, is what the Twins are hoping Reith can actualize. The game of baseball is increasingly driven by data and analytics. Every team uses them to some extent, but the most effective ones are able to translate information into actionable and impactful guidance. The new hire brings an interesting blend of experience in this regard. He made it to the big leagues as a pitcher. His fastball-centric mindset feels decidedly old school. Despite coming from an analytics-oriented Rays organization, and surely is adept with technology, you don't read his quotes and get the sense that he leads with it. Kyle Gibson, who pitched for Durham in Triple-A in 2025 before retiring, told Dan Hayes of The Athletic that Reith "has an incredible understanding of how to use analytics to best set a pitcher up for success. He understands the delivery really well also, and will be a huge asset as the Twins keep developing pitching." Here's hoping. There's definitely a lot to like. View the full article

If the Brewers win the World Series beginning next week, they'll call themselves the champions of the baseball world. That claim will be legitimate, but not exclusive, because one other team has already proved their primacy on a global scale this year: Team Venezuela, at the World Baseball Classic in March. The 2026 event was the sixth edition, but only once before has what might happen this fall come to fruition: players who won one of the game's great tournaments also winning its other one. When Team USA won their first and only WBC title in 2017, the roster included a young star on the infield named Alex Bregman. Their bullpen was fortified, in part, by veteran righty Luke Gregerson. Less than eight months after winning the sport's preeminent international competition, Bregman and Gregerson won the most prestigious domestic competition in the world, as members of the 2017 Houston Astros. For Gregerson, it was a capstone moment. He would never make another significant on-field contribution to the game, but winning the WBC and the Fall Classic in the same season was a seal upon a solid career of middle relief. For Bregman, it was more like a springboard. He began to burnish his legend as a winner even while he was an amateur, but winning the double championship raised that reputation to a new level. This fall, Jackson Chourio and William Contreras have a chance to become the only players other than Gregerson and Bregman to be meaningful contributors to a World Series winner in the same season in which they played for the winning team in the WBC. The Brewers couldn't have gotten nearly this far without them, and they're counting on the experience each brings to this moment as they await the winner of the American League Championship Series. There's some irony in this observation, where Chourio is concerned, because his desire to play in the WBC imperiled his season. During an exhibition game before the tournament began, he was hit in the hand, and suffered a fracture. Rather than get a clear diagnosis on that injury and withdraw from Team Venezuela, though, he played through the problem. He was noticeably worse for wear, going just 3-for-15 with two walks and occasionally being protected via substitution during Venezuela's run, but it was immensely important to him to be there. He ended up going on the injured list just before Opening Day and missed the first several weeks of the season, but he did find ways to help Venezuela win games. It was a bumpier ride through the tournament for Contreras. Sometimes usurped by Salvador Perez, he found only inconsistent playing time, and didn't make much of it. He was 0-for-13, though he did draw three walks. He played fine defense, including throwing out a runner, but was carried to the victory by his teammates. No one can say that of him this fall. Contreras has been worth 5.7% of a championship over the last two series, with 11 hits (including three homers) and a seemingly insatiable hunger to win that has spread to his fellows at the most important moments. Chourio is one such recipient of the catcher's leadership and intensity, and (mostly thanks to that game-flipping walkoff single against Mason Miller), he's been worth 4.2% of a title this October. Contreras and Chourio are the twin fires fueling the whole team, and they're hoping they're enough to power a second team to a championship in 2026. Of course, there's also a melancholy echo of what Bregman and Gregerson achieved that would be part of the two Brewers batters' story. When the Astros won the 2017 title, they did so in the shadow of Hurricane Harvey, which crashed into Houston late that summer. The storm killed over 100 people and caused over $125 billion in damage. The Astros' victory became a great symbol of the city's resilience. Chourio and Contreras carry the same weight on their shoulders, but it's because of their homeland, not their big-league team. On June 24, two severe earthquakes hit Venezuela—the worst the country has suffered in at least 100 years. According to the IFRC, at least 6,500 people were killed. (According to World Vision, as many as thousands are still missing.) The quakes leveled 190 public buildings and damaged almost 900 more, in addition to countless family homes. They created over 4 billion pounds of debris. The humanitarian crisis in the country is huge and ongoing. The IFRC estimates that their immediate response project will last at least two full years. It's no stretch to say that Chourio and Contreras are each playing for their country and their team, at the same time. Their victories and their heroic moments bring ever-greater awareness to the need for more resources and more action in Venezuela, to save lives and rebuild reshaped communities. Their native country suffered a cruel blow from fate this summer, barely three months after a long-awaited victory in the nation's favorite sport. Chourio and Contreras can't fix that. They can, however, do something exceptionally rare on the field, by winning both parts of this dual championship opportunity. No matter who wins the ALCS, no one will take the field with more emotion than Chourio and Contreras come Friday. They bear some responsibilities other players won't have to worry about, but they also have a chance to go down as two of the greatest champions in the history of the sport. View the full article

Considering the injuries and the struggles that permeated the entire group, there weren't a whole lot of success stories in the Chicago Cubs' 2026 bullpen. Ryan Rolison, at least, qualifies. Rolison was originally a draft pick by the Colorado Rockies who had the early part of his professional career derailed by injury and the latter portion consumed by struggles, the latter even upon his conversion to full-time relief. He changed hands three times over the offseason, ping-ponging from Colorado to Atlanta to the South Side before the Cubs claimed him on waivers in January. While a good spring had him on track to appear at some point in 2026, he didn't break camp with the team. By mid-April, though, Rolison was in the mix. That ended up being a permanent arrangement, as he went on to log 63 innings across 60 appearances. He posted a very steady 3.14 ERA and a 3.93 FIP. It wasn't perfect—there was the occasional clunker, and his walk rate sat a shade below 11%—but Rolison gave the Cubs at least 10 innings of relief work each month following his April arrival. A number of interesting things unfolded as Rolison adjusted to the Cubs organization. Perhaps most notable is how his usage shifted throughout the year. In his first month, he was primarily four-seamer, curveball, and slider. As the season transpired, the final month saw him become much more sinker-forward, with the four-seam and sweeper serving as his next two most frequently-used pitches. Notably, that evolution occurred primarily against left-handed hitters, against whom Rolison was wildly successful. He faced 123 left-handed batters, and they batted just .162/.230/.189. He remained primarily four-seam/curveball against righties, though with success that didn't nearly match that of his work against left-handed batters. By September, the sinker and sweeper did each come into play against righties, and it'll be interesting to see how that manifests next year—especially if the Cubs intend to allow Rolison to factor into higher-leverage situations. In 2026, Rolison made 24 appearances (13 1/3 innings) in situations deemed to be high-leverage, and posted a 5.40 ERA. That ERA is a bit deceptive, however. The majority of the runs he allowed in those situations came in the first half, before he seemed to settle into that role more comfortably. He got out righties in those spots late in the year, as well as lefties. That could be telling for Rolison's usage next season. The sinker was Rolison's highest-rated pitch by Stuff+, at 113. If it's his intent to utilize that pitch above all others (while allowing the sweeper and other secondary stuff to work off it), there's a very effective reliever in there under team control for another three seasons. Of course, we've only seen a glimpse of him as a trusted arm. That only about 13 of Rolison's 63 innings came in high-leverage situations means he's only passed the first of several tests as a back-end arm. As the team works to fill out their staff for next season, it seems entirely reasonable that this continually-evolving version of Rolison could be destined for higher leverage next season, given the groundwork that was laid in 2026. View the full article