Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Cubs

 

Okay...so the Craig Counsell era in Chicago hasn't gone as well as expected so far. Yes, they made the playoffs this year, but the guy who inherited Craig's old team has turned it into a mega-competitor that may have a stronghold on the NL Central for a while. The key word there is 'may', as the Cubs definitely have enough going for them long term to compete with them. Granted, the potential loss of Kyle Tucker wounds them somewhat, and the short-lived specter of a Zac Gallen trade cast doubt on how cutthroat the team will be this offseason, but perhaps providing room for Kevin Alcantara and Moises Ballesteros is a step in the right direction.

Case in point: with Patrick Wisdom gone, and Isaac Paredes in Houston, the opening at third left room for rookie Matt Shaw, who was the starter at third from the very beginning of the season, the Japan series. Granted, he wouldn't have much luck til he got to the states, but Shaw had a decent rookie year. May was his best month at the plate, in 11 games he hit .359 with 14 hits and 4 RBIs, but his power numbers would increase as the season went on. In the second half alone he hit 11 homers and 29 RBIs, all while providing great defense at the hot corner. Shaw didn't fare well at all in the playoffs, though. 

2026 Prediction: Begins to figure the majors out a bit more, at least at the plate.

The primary closing option for the Cubs this year, in a year without Adbert Alzolay, or without Ryan Pressly's better numbers, was organizational stalwart Daniel Palencia, a decent reliever who just needed a chance. This year, despite some injury-plagued stretches, Palencia gave a nice taste of his talents in the ninth, with a 2.91 ERA, 22 saves and 60 Ks. He also went 3-0 in six playoff appearances.

2026 Prediction: 30+ saves, holds it the whole year.

There were several backup catching options up for the Cubs this year, like Miguel Amaya and Reese McGuire, but in the absence of them, the Cubs also had the absolute tank that is Moises Ballesteros chilling in Iowa. Ballesteros is 21, plays catcher and 1st base, and is built like a brick shithouse. Dude punishes the ball whenever he can. In Iowa alone he hit .316 with 13 homers and 76 RBIs. That Ballesteros only had 20 games in the majors mostly meant the MLB roster was pretty full, but even in limited opportunities he proved himself, hitting .298 with 2 homers, 11 RBIs and a .868 OPS, only .010 higher than his Iowa OPS. This kid is looking pretty inevitable at this point.

2026 Prediction: Well if he's not up at some point they're gonna look pretty bad. I mean, letting a supercharged, big hitting prospect toil around in minor roles for two years? Who are they, the Yankees? So yeah, he plays 100 games in the bigs next year, passes his Iowa RBI mark and finds a place to play everyday.

I think the sneakiest thing the Cubs did at the deadline was stealing Andrew Kittredge from Baltimore, because Kittredge was quietly having a small comeback season and not everyone had noticed yet. The former Rays setup man finished the year strongly in Chicago, with a 3.23 ERA, 32 Ks and 5 saves filling in for Palencia. He was a little shakier in the playoffs, but famously got out of some scrapes against Milwaukee. 

2026 Prediction: A reunion with the O's, this time with a better manager and a healthier team, should go great for Kittredge, cause I know the fans enjoyed him this year. Not quite Rays quality, but he'll be able to handle a lot of the workload.

Finally, Willi Castro was a pretty nice pickup for the Cubs, as they needed a good utility piece, and Castro has been among the best of those lately. His Cubs numbers were a disappointment compared to his Twins run, as here he only hit .170 with 17 hits in 34 games. Very odd that Jose Caballero ended up being the pickup that Castro should have been for the Cubs.

2026 Prediction: Y'know honestly it wouldn't shock me if the Twins bring him back. They certainly need all the help they can get..

Coming Tomorrow- A small crew of Diamondbacks that tried, and failed to slip into the playoffs at the last minute. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Cardinals

 

I personally think it's kinda funny that the Cardinals haven't made the playoffs since being embarrassed by a wild card Phillies team. Now they know what it feels like I guess.

As the Oli Marmol era traipses on in St. Louis, and as John Mozeliak continues to prove that he has no idea what the hell he's doing up there, the standard seems to slip more and more for Cardinals baseball every year. This year, they couldn't even get a great season, or a trade, for Nolan Arenado. Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese continued to disappoint when given golden opportunities. The starting pitching wilted, with even surefire successes like Erick Fedde and Ryan Helsley letting them down and needing to be dealt. And even surging seasons, like those Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan and Ivan Herrera had, were cut short by injuries. This team finished in fourth place this year, behind three far superior competitors. And they only stayed ahead of the Pirates because, while Mozeliak can be misguided, he's not a complete trashfire of an executive like Bob Nutting is. 

Though, granted, he did give away Sonny Gray to Boston in exchange for a guy named Richard Fitts, so...perhaps it's closer than I'd like to admit. Boston may have been too cruel for Dick Fitts. We'll see if he fits in St. Louis, I suppose.

Lars Nootbaar, for the second year in a row really, settled into quiet, slightly-above-average mediocrity. In 135 games this year, Nootbaar hit .234 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs. The Cardinals' once-stellar battery of young outfielders is down to just him, Burleson and Victor Scott. And we're already hearing that Burleson might be on the block.

2026 Prediction: Traded midyear, and is a HUGE help for a competitor. 

Miles Mikolas may have had a shaky couple years after his MLB return, but since 2022 he's made 30+ starts a season and has been a reliable backbone for these Cardinals staffs. Now, granted, since 2023's season ended the quality hasn't exactly been sky high, but he's still capable of putting in the work. This year was an improvement over the putrid 2024, with a 4.84 ERA and 100 Ks in 31 starts. 

2026 Prediction: Ideally he retires but part of me thinks he's gonna try for one more go at this, and another part of me thinks the Cardinals will be the one that bites.

In the meantime, the Cards had a surge, finally, from former Rays top prospect Matthew Liberatore. They'd been waiting on prime stats from Liberatore for a while, and he gave them some in May, with a 2.97 ERA and 28 Ks in 6 starts. The rest of the year kind of diluted things, as he finished off with a 8-12 record and a 4.22 ERA. Still, it seemed like a decent enough start, despite a really rough July-August stretch.

2026 Prediction: An improvement, and a needed strong season considering the amount of question marks that are about to flood this rotation.

The Cardinals gave another rotation shot to Andre Pallante, and he started 31 games for them, pitching 162 innings. They weren't great innings though, as he went 6-15 with a 5.31 ERA and a -1.2 WAR. The fa fact that the Cardinals haven't cut Pallante yet means they're really worried about their rotation situation.

2026 Prediction:There's gotta be SOMEBODY that relegates this guy to the pen, right? Tink Hence? Tekoah Toby? Brycen Mautz? I'd rather try them out than keep Pallante up there if he's gonna be this crappy.

Pedro Pages was the designated backup catcher this year, and with Ivan Herrera hurt for a while, Pages got plenty of time to start. He hit .230 with 11 homers and 45 RBIs, but was much better behind the plate. The key is DHing Herrera and keeping Pages in at catcher, this way you get Herrera's power bat and Pages's occasional contact bat.

2026 Prediction: More of the same, with a slight offensive uptick.

At the very least, the St. Louis bullpen showed some serious staying power, though not the guys I thought. Going into this year I figured it'd be more favoring John King and Ryan Fernandez, but they both struggled this year. Kyle Leahy had room to thrust into high gear though, with a 3.07 ERA, a 1.5 WAR and 80 Ks. His 88 innings were the most of any reliever in St. Louis, and he was a worthy pace-setter this year.

2026 Prediction: Tries to close, isn't great at it, makes up for it in the eighth.

Similarly, Jojo Romero continued his excellent run with the Cardinals with another strong year, including a 2.07 ERA and a 1.7 WAR, taking 8 saves in place of Helsley after his trade. 

2026 Prediction: Carries most of the closing duties and gets 25 saves out of it.

The Cardinals have been very careful on using Michael McGreevy, as they only kept him up when they needed his talents in the majors. They honestly could have kept him up all year, he was clearly ready, but apparently they wanted to see if Andre Pallante was gonna turn around at all. McGreevy mostly impressed in 16 starts, despite a 4.47 ERA. He went 8-4 with 58 Ks. 

2026 Prediction: Breakout year, begins to inherit the rotation.

Coming Tomorrow- A handful of Cubs that finally went to October.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Brewers

After years of being in position to dominate and constantly getting knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, the Milwaukee Brewers finally had a team that could go the distance. For the first time since 2018, the Brewers made the NLCS, and though they weren't any match for a surging Dodgers team, they proved that with a lineup like this, and with the young pitching they've developed, this may be a regular occurrence. You can see we're beginning to shift from the team of Yelich, Woodruff and Peralta to the team of Chourio, Contreras and Misiorowski, and both factions could unite this year to produce a team that even edged out the Cubs thanks to a blistering second half. 

With so many great players to choose to make customs of every week and a half, that means some even more worthy subjects had to be kept until December. Meaning I had to wait until now to make a custom of Rookie of the Year candidate and immediate Milwaukee success Caleb Durbin. I dunno, maybe I'm still mad that we traded him for Devin Williams. That could have been OUR third baseman, man. Regardless, Durbin was fantastic in his first full season in the bigs, hitting .253 with 11 homers and 53 RBIs, plus 18 stolen bases and some strong defensive work at third. Between Durbin and Collins, the Brewers immediately found some answers at even more positions, and are firming their team up to be at this for a while.

2026 Prediction: Firmer stats in a second year, closer to 25 homers perhaps.

Joey Ortiz has found a niche as the nine man in this lineup, but even he had some strong moments this season, hitting .343 in August with 24 hits and 12 RBIs in 20 games. Clearly the Brewers love Ortiz for his defense, even if it wasn't as good this year at short [his first year there after Adames' departure], but he's definitely capable of some contact moments.

2026 Prediction: If the Brewers are gonna make any upgrades this offseason, it will be at shortstop. Meaning Ortiz might need to get used to utility/bench work.

After Jose Quintana's start to this decade, where he fell apart for the Cubs and was too injury-waterlogged to make any impact for the Angels, I did not think his career had much longevity left in it, especially after a decade of strong work with the White Sox and Cubs. But lo and behold, the 2022 season brought him back, and Quintana even became a crucial healthy arm for the Mets last year. The Brewers took a flyer on Quintana on a similar role, a veteran starting arm that could step in for injured guys. And even as an Opening Day guy, Quintana outdid everyone's expectations, going 11-7 in 24 starts with a 3.96 ERA and 86 Ks. Quintana could still be a big game guy for this team, even with much younger and starrier options around him, and proved himself even at 36. 

2026 Prediction: Who even knows. Look, I see somebody like the Phils or the Giants picking him up, and...it not going nearly as well.

After a terrific rookie season in 2023, Abner Uribe had a chance at becoming closer in Milwaukee, and blew it, getting hurt in April and leaving the position open for Williams again. Which honestly proves that Uribe might just be better as a middle relief guy right now. Anyway, moved back to the eighth in 2025, Uribe had an even better season, with a 2.7 WAR, a 1.67 ERA and 90 Ks. Once the closing option got injured, he even held his own in the ninth and notched 7 saves. He was also fantastic in the playoffs, striking out 6 in 6 innings, with one save. 

2026 Prediction: After a year like that it's gotta come down somewhat, but I still see him being healthy enough to play a big role in this team's October success.

The primary closing option, a year after Devin Williams' departure, was Trevor Megill. Megill, like Williams, is a reliever first and a closer afterwards, but Megill's strong work in Milwaukee led to him being RP1 going into the season, so given that job he got a lot done, with 30 saves in 50 appearances, plus a 2.49 ERA and 60 Ks. His midyear injury did open the door for Uribe a bit, but he was back in time for the playoffs, where he had a 2.25 ERA in 5 appearances. 

2026 Prediction: Breaks 30 saves again, gets another ASG nod.

So, stop me if you've heard this one before: the Brewers called up one of their top pitching prospects, they were excellent for 5 or so games and then immediately got hurt and had to miss the rest of the season. If this sounds like Robert Gasser last season, you're right. Logan Henderson's promotion was a huge deal in April, and he impressed, going 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 33 Ks in 5 starts. Then, of course, he gets hurt, and misses the rest of the season. Ironically, Robert Gasser was able to help out in October in his place, though not well.

2026 Prediction: Henderson and Gasser will get in a fistfight in the minors, as they're literally competing for the same roster spot. Henderson might win, as he's the better overall pitcher. 

Blake Perkins was hurt for the entire first half of the season, but luckily managed to come back to a vacancy in center field due to Jackson Chourio's injury. He was alright in 54 games, hitting .226 with 3 homers and 19 RBIs. Perkins just needs everything to fall in line for a full season, but with Chourio, Frelick and Collins all confirming outfield positions, he might just be better off as a bench guy.

2026 Prediction: A fuller year, and a statistically more valuable year, as a backup.

Finally, 2025 represented the long awaited return of Brandon Woodruff, after a year and a half of injury and contract hell. The Big Woo did exactly what he set out to do upon his return, going 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA and 83 Ks in 12 starts. It may have been a smaller sample size due to another injury taking him out for October, but Woodruff delivered in a year where many Brewers fans didn't know if he'd have anything left. The Brewers' brass helped matters by signing Woodruff to one more year.

2026 Prediction: A very strong season that sets him up for either a superfluous multi-year deal somewhere less competitive or, more likely, Kershaw money to keep him in Milwaukee til he retires.

Coming Tomorrow- A lot of small pieces of a Cardinals team lacking in big takeaways.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Braves

 

I remember watching a Spring Training game at the Braves' complex way back in March. And I think about the vibes I got from that game, and how excited all the Braves fans were for this season. There was an interview with newly-acquired Jurickson Profar, who was happy to be out of San Diego and was ready to compete some more, there was all this talk about the team's depth and versatility. It was looking like they'd be a favorite to overtake the Phillies and battle the Mets for the top.

That's...not exactly what happened. Which makes it all the more astonishing that it all looked so good heading into the year.

Three hitters made more than 150 games, and of the three, only one of them had a WAR higher than 3. No pitchers made all 32 starts, and the one with the most innings still had a 5.30 ERA. The team's two Cy Young candidates in June were both injured by August. Acuna was once again the magic hat. The guy who won Rookie of the Year is the kind of player that makes their highest-paid-catcher-in-baseball completely obsolete. And by the time the team actually got things going, it was September, and they were already out of contention. Everything that could go wrong 100% did this year, resulting in a 4th place finish below .500, and the end of the Brian Snitker era in Atlanta. The Braves will no doubt be back next year, with former shortstop Walt Weiss taking up the mantle of manager, and many injured players set to return at peak capacity. But this was a brutal blow to a team that had consistently one of the best in the game since 2019. 

Profar is the best summation of what went wrong. He came off his best season to date, an All-Star year with San Diego, and was primed to play a similar role with this Braves team. Then right as the season began, Profar tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, putting his entire 2024 comeback into a different light, and taking him out for the majority of the season. In his place, the Braves had to throw people like Alex Verdugo, Bryan de la Cruz and Stuart Fairchild into left, which did not work at all. Profar eventually returned to play 80 games this year, and hit .245 with 14 homers and 43 RBIs, which was decent, but not quite what was advertised.

2026 Prediction: Profar becomes Robinson Cano in New York- will be fine, but every good stretch will come with that question mark. Eventually it'll become too much for the Braves to bear, but perhaps not until 2027.

Sean Murphy began the year as the Braves' total catching option, after Travis d'Arnaud left in free agency, and ended the year...as Travis d'Arnaud, an overpaid burden blocking a younger and better catcher. Murphy was actually pretty good this year, with 16 homers and 45 RBIs in 94 games, plus some excellent defense, but he's a .199 hitter now. And when you've got Drake Baldwin, who's better at contact work even at the expense of the defense, you're gonna stand out in the wrong ways. 

2026 Prediction: Is traded pre-season. Does decently but doesn't match 2023. 

With Sale and Schwellenbach missing time, Strider coming in late, Lopez missing the whole season and Holmes bowing out late, Bryce Elder was the Braves' longest-standing starter, despite multiple attempts to demote him or move him to the bullpen. All in all, Elder's season wasn't great, as he posted a 5.30 ERA, and an 8-11 record, but as a rare Braves starter to stay healthy all year, Elder was in high demand all season and needed to be in every fifth day, due to lack of other options for the most part. 

2026 Prediction: Either his arm gives out again or he actually figures his shit out and has a bounce-back full season.

With all the vacancies and injuries, this also meant there was a serious demand for 10-year minor league veteran Grant Holmes, who'd been waiting for this moment for a while. Holmes had some MLB appearances last season, but as a swingman. Now there were rotation spots open, and Holmes responded with one of the best Braves pitching seasons of the year. The 29-year-old had a 3.99 ERA with 123 Ks, despite a 4-9 record due to the diluted lineup. Ultimately he'd also join the field of several injured Braves starters in August.

2026 Prediction: Once he's back, he may not have much of a chance to start, so back to long relief and swing roles.

The lack of starting options also meant it was time for oft-injured prospect A.J. Smith-Shawver to try again for his case at a permanent spot. In 9 starts he went 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA and 42 Ks, then, once again, the injuries struck.

2026 Prediction: He does this again and the Braves are gonna get tired of it. If he gets hurt again he's getting cut.

As good as Raisel Iglesias can be in the ninth, sometimes he has a season or two where things kinda unravel and he needs to be humbled a bit, and that was 2025 for the veteran closer. Despite 29 saves and 73 Ks, his 3.21 ERA was higher than usual, and accounted for a lot of blown opportunities. After how comparably untouchable he's been since coming to Atlanta, it was a wake-up call for all involved parties. Thankfully it didn't seem to scare the Braves too much, as Iglesias is back for 2026.

2026 Prediction: Now that that's out of his system, 30+ saves and a 2 ERA again.

Similarly, since coming over from Colorado, Pierce Johnson has become one of the Braves' most reliable relief pieces period. And since Joe Jimenez and A.J. Minter were not in the picture this year, he got even more responsibility placed upon him, which I think he did well with. Johnson, in 59 innings, had a 3.05 ERA, a 1.1 WAR [his highest since 2021], and 59 Ks. 

2026 Prediction: A slight downturn in a mid-level market [Reds? D-Backs? Rangers?]. 

I think the Braves fans had to be pretty disappointed when there'd been all this pomp and circumstance over a game at Bristol Motor Speedway, which was already a logistical and managerial disaster, and they don't even get the matchup they were promised. Cause they went in with the idea that it'd be Chase Burns vs. Spencer Strider, which sounds really cool, and then it rains halfway through the first inning, so they have to pick it up the following day, without either starter, and it becomes Brent Suter vs. Hurston Waldrep. That's not as cool. Waldrep had been called up as a swing option, with both Carlos Carrasco and Erick Fedde as rotation options, and was handed the ball after Austin Cox couldn't cut it. But Waldrep, the 23-year-old who tried to spin a similar 2024 opportunity into a run only to get hurt quickly into it, turned this into a pitch for long-term supremacy, and got the win, only allowing 3 hits and an earned run, and striking out 4. Waldrep would be one of the best pitchers of the Braves' second half, going 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 55 Ks in 10 starts. 

2026 Prediction: Opening Day rotation, stays in there all year. Hopefully the injury bug doesn't hit, cause I think they've got something here.

Nacho Alvarez Jr. was supposed to factor into 2025 as a backup infielder and utility guy, but then he got hurt pre-season and Nick Allen played that role anyhow. But, of course, Austin Riley gets hurt midyear, and once Alvarez got healthy he got third for a while. In 58 games he only hit .234 with 15 RBIs, but his defense was a big part of the Braves' late-season swell.

2026 Prediction: More prominent backup work, though he will have to contend with Mauricio Dubon on that bench.

As discussed, the Braves worked overtime after the trade deadline to add anyone they could who was DFA'd, needing all the help they could get, and managed to snag pieces like Erick Fedde, Joey Wentz, Brett Wisely, Jake Fraley, Alexis Diaz and Dane Dunning. The cleverest one was convincing the Rays to give up Ha-Seong Kim, who'd been injured all year and wasn't helping once he got healthy. Once Kim got to the Braves, he dominated, hitting .253 in 24 games with 3 homers and 12 RBIs, plus some excellent defense. This did a lot to up Kim's free agency case for this year.

2026 Prediction: Three-year deal with a competitor, has his best season to date and gets an ASG nod.

The other cool move the Braves made after the deadline was bringing back Charlie Morton to round out his career. Morton had a very rocky season, going from punchline to contender with the O's and then the opposite with the Tigers, but the Braves knew he needed to end his career with dignity, so they brought him back in late September. The 41-year-old made one last start, and in an inning an a third, gave up 2 hits but no runs, and notched his last strikeout. Then exited to a standing o in the place he'd come up nearly 2 decades ago. That's what everybody wants, I think.

Coming Tomorrow- The Brewers were closer than ever to a World Series, and they arguably have a team that can get them back. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Blue Jays

 

No one expected the Blue Jays to compete this year. Even less people expected them to finish the season at 1st in the AL East. And even less people expected them to make the World Series. But the Jays built an insanely efficient baseball team, with a lineup of really sturdy contact hitters, a rotation that even withstood an injury to Jose Berrios, a bullpen of young role-players, and the leadership of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., finally making his mark on Toronto. Yes, the run ended tragically in seven games of a ferocious World Series, but the Jays managed to not only fulfill the promise of a youth movement that had been building since 2019, but ensure that the infrastructure is in place to maintain this team's value going forward. The odds are that Bo Bichette might be playing somewhere else this year, unless Ross Atkins pulled whatever he pulled with Vlad and Cease, but enough people are sticking around that this team will definitely still compete.

Jeff Hoffman kept the closing position for the whole year in Toronto, despite a 4.37 ERA. It wasn't all terrible, Hoffman had 33 saves, 84 Ks and 9 wins, but the dominance Hoffman showed in a middle relief role in Philly seemed to dissipate. And despite some strong October work, the blown save to end all blown saves landed on Hoffman's shoulders, giving up a game-tying home run to Miguel Rojas of all people, and letting the game go to extras. Even if Hoffman rebounds next year, which is possible, that's gonna haunt him for a while.

2026 Prediction: A much better season. Not closing. The Jays want a proven clover, they asked about Raisel Iglesias after all. Hoffman is a set-up man, so given the opportunity to be one, he'll be much better.

Going into 2025, despite failing to sign Roki Sasaki, Willy Adames, Max Fried, Blake Snell, Juan Soto, or any of the truly high-tier free agents, the Blue Jays did land one big piece, that being Anthony Santander, the Orioles slugger who, in his age 29 season, had a 44-homer, 102 RBI year, the best of his career. Any alarm bells sounding yet? No. Thank you, Ross Atkins. Anyway, they give Tony Taters the money, and he hits SIX TATERS in his first year in Toronto. He'd just hit 44, because of injuries and a horrifying .175 average in the games he was healthy for, he only took 6 out. If he never recovers, the Jays fans are gonna look at this as grounds for running Atkins out of town on a rail. Out of EVERYBODY, they picked the one free agent with a palpable ceiling. He couldn't even do too much in the postseason. 3 hits, 2 RBIs in 5 games. 

2026 Prediction: He hits 25 homers. Will it be enough to satiate the fans? Not too sure.

After getting cut by the Guardians, y'know, the KINGS of high-defense/contact leaning little guys, Myles Straw got a job as a depth outfielder with the Jays. Then Daulton Varsho, the starting centerfielder, gets hurt and Straw becomes the everyday guy out there, reignites his career. Even though the defense is the star, Straw still hits .262, which isn't terrible. Varsho eventually comes back, gets hot, and Straw stays on as a defensive sub and depth piece. In the playoffs he was more notable for diving catches than any real plate work, but he's a big reason why the Jays made it as long as they did.

2026 Prediction: Similar role, perhaps more starts in right or left. Between him and Varsho, they've got it made out there.

Speaking of former Astros OF guys they didn't have any room for, Joey Loperfido came to Toronto last year in the deal that brought Yusei Kikuchi to LA...by way of Houston. Of the two pieces of that deal, I figured Jake Bloss would factor more into this season, but Loperfido took advantage of a midseason push and had a great second half, hitting .333 with 4 homers and 14 RBIs in 41 games. His appearances died down in September, and he didn't do much in October, but he was a great burst of energy down the stretch.

2026 Prediction: So all of the main outfield players are still in the picture next season. Santander, Varsho, Lukes, Schneider, Straw. They're all sticking around. Loperfido is the odd man out, and he still hasn't found a strong foothold in Toronto, at least not a long term one. Odds are he gets dealt this offseason. Wherever he's going, I think he makes it work there.

Ty France, after something of a comeback as 1st baseman for the Twins, wound up as a surprise trade deadline addition by the Jays, needing a power bench guy. France obliged, hitting .277 in 37 games, with 8 RBIs and 1 homer. 

2026 Prediction: Starter for a low-end non-competitor, a training wheels piece. Colorado could bite? Pittsburgh?

Also poached from Minnesota was middle relief wizard Louie Varland, who was working on a truly excellent season before the trade. After a 2 ERA with the Twins, Varland posted a 4.94 ERA with the Jays, with 2 more earned runs than in Minnesota. In the playoffs, he had a 3.94 ERA with 17 Ks and 7 earned runs, showing dominance more often than not. 

2026 Prediction: I say he settles in with Toronto, maybe gets to close.

After spending the first half of the 2024 season in Toronto and getting traded to Pittsburgh, looking to compete [?????], Isiah Kiner-Falefa found himself dealt right back to Toronto a year later, in time for a much more meaningful playoff push. IKF isn't the guy New York thought they'd be getting in 2022, but he's become a pretty handy guy to have around. IKF was mostly a fill-in for Bo Bichette, and acted as such in early rungs of the playoffs, before being shifted to a defensive sub, on account of a lack of hitting. As good as he was in the field, I fear IKF will forever be haunted by his choice of sliding strategy in a move that could have won the game in the bottom of the ninth. 

2026 Prediction: Whoever picks him up cuts him before the end of the year.

Coming Tomorrow- Unsurprisingly a ton of Atlanta Braves.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Athletics

 

It's extremely ironic that, in the first year of being stripped of their national identity and having to play in a minor league park in Sacramento without a credited city while they wait for their stadium in Las Vegas to be build, the Athletics finally formed a team identity for the first time since Fisher sold the farm in 2022. I can now tell you exactly who this team is, what they're trying to do and how far along they are. I couldn't tell you that during many of their last Oakland years. 

In 2025 alone, the Athletics reaped the benefits of two separate rookie stars, Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz, while getting 30+ homer years from veterans Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers and a 20-20-20 season from Lawrence Butler. Yes, they also dealt Mason Miller this year, but they got Leo de Vries in return for him, which is a very good thing. 

Does that mean every big piece is gonna hit the ground running immediately for the A's? No, not even remotely. Max Muncy was an April call-up that spent the majority of the season with the team, and did so without making much of an impact until far too late. Max Muncy, not to be confused with that other corner infield guy for the Dodgers. This reminds me of when the A's gave an Opening Day lineup spot to Kevin Smith, not to be confused with Kevan Smith the catcher, and Kevin Smith bowled an absolute gutterball in the majors. Muncy was...marginally better. At the very least he had 9 homers and 23 RBIs, but aside from a June run, he was mostly ineffective, and spent a lot of time in the minors.

2026 Prediction: Seeing as he will have competition at both 2nd and 3rd [see later in the post], he'll need to get into what prospectors have been talking about. I say he gets there, but I also think if the A's are gonna trade any of their infielders this offseason, it'd likely be him.

Denzel Clarke got a special award during Awards Week for the big 'web gem' of the year, which could have been any of his incredible catches in the outfield. The Toronto native may not have had the contact hitting part down during his rookie season, but his defense made him a crucial piece of the team's development. Even in games where the A's got embarrassed, I'd hear something insane Clarke did in center. He also stole 6 bases in 47 games, meaning if he gets a starting job next year, him and Butler could be a fun, speedy duo.

2026 Prediction: The A's wouldn't have released J.J. Bleday if they didn't think they had something in Clarke. I think if the A's build themselves up enough, they can use Clarke in the same way the Jays used Myles Straw this year, as a defensive substitution with the occasional contact perk. As for who'll get the majority of the offensive starts in center, uh...well, see a little below.

So...the wild idea Fisher had of getting Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs on contracts to start, uh...didn't really work. Springs flirted with greatness but was mostly fine. Sevvy struggled all year. Even J.P. Sears wound up getting dealt anyway. So a lot of local guys and scrubs had to start games for the A's, and one of the more prevalent ones was J.T. Ginn, who came up towards the end of last season. Ginn made 23 appearances, 16 of them starts, in 2025, and went 4-7 with a 5.08 ERA and, importantly, 99 Ks. The A's are gonna try to make sense of this rotation next year, with Jacob Lopez, Luis Morales and Gunnar Hoglund impressing in late months, and Ginn may be one of their most reliable rotation arms remaining.

2026 Prediction: A surprisingly great season that's a great audition for a better team to trade for him.

The Red Sox used Sean Newcomb as an Opening Day rotation guy this year, in case you've already forgotten. Because it's no longer 2018, that didn't especially work. So they cut him, and the A's picked Newcomb back up and used him, once again, in long relief. Somehow, this move led to Newcomb becoming one of the A's best relief pieces this year, posting a 1.75 ERA in 36 appearances, leading to a 1.7 WAR.

2026 Prediction: I actually think relief is the way to go. Somebody like the Reds or the Brewers is gonna pick him up and he's gonna be really useful. 

Two years ago, Zach Gelof was thought of as one of the foundational prospect pieces for the A's. He was brought up with Tyler Soderstrom, and was joined by Lawrence Butler some time later, and the idea was that they'd lead the team to greatness. Last year was...passable for Gelof, but he still led the league in strikeouts with 188. This year he missed almost the entirety of the year with injuries, and only made it up for 30 games, in which time he hit .174 with 46 more Ks. Either he's cooked or he's getting this out of his system.

2026 Prediction: Gelof will be higher in the depth chart than Muncy, and I think the A's will give him 2nd from the start, and some great games will follow. However, if he gets injured again I don't think the team will give him another chance.

The A's also had rookie Colby Thomas in the outfield mix, primarily in right field. Thomas seems like a decent piece, with some power perks, hitting .225 with 6 homers and 19 RBIs in 49 games. Thomas could be the missing piece to the outfield formula on offense, between Soderstrom and Butler.

2026 Prediction: Yeah, will get tons of starts at RF/CF with Bleday gone, will come into his own next year. Assuming the guys who broke out this year stay great, he could be a part of a great A's lineup next year.

Coming Tomorrow- Not sure if you heard, but the Blue Jays made a World Series this year. Here's a few people on that squad that I didn't get to during the year.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2025: Astros

 

For the first time since 2016, the Houston Astros failed to make the playoffs. What a great thing to say after all the hell they've put me through. Stealing signs, making it to the end every year, beating both my teams, not getting penalized enough. And this year, they finish 87-75, after being one of the best teams in the AL during the middle months, and are taken out in the final moments of the season by a Tigers win. They absolutely collapsed in August and September, and saw the Mariners overtake them for the division and go deeper than they could have. It was, in a word, satisfying.

Now, would this have happened if the big pieces hadn't gotten injured? Maybe. You also have to remember that Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman left, and more might be leaving this offseason. And knowing how the Astros handled Tucker's injury last year, by downplaying it to the point of inaccurately leading fans on, seeing them do it again this year with Yordan Alvarez just confirms how much of a sinking ship this team is now. Plugging Jose Altuve into left field while giving his position to Brendan Rodgers, then getting confused when that doesn't work, and then panicking when Cooper Hummel sucks in left as well and Jesus Sanchez hits .199 there. MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T PISS OFF YOUR LEFT FIELDER. He's gonna be making lots of money this offseason, as well Bregman, and if you'd have actually stayed on good terms with them it'd be for your team! Jeez!

Anyway, Yordan Alvarez only played 48 games this year, because he got hurt early, the injury was downplayed, he came back after the All-Star break and then got hurt again. So much is said about how well the Astros builds their organization, but not enough is said about how terribly they treat players once they're up. This could have been avoided, man. 

Alvy's year was...I mean I guess it was fine, for 48 games. Hit .273, 27 RBIs and only 6 homers. I reckon if he stays healthy and isn't screwed over by the team, they win that 88th game.

2026 Prediction: 2025 was the only full season of Alvarez's career that didn't give him over 30 homers. Next year will ensure this stays the case. An All-Star nod to follow.

Something else the Astros really don't like talking about is that since Yuli Gurriel left, they've had the absolute worst luck at 1st base. Similar to the Mariners' black hole at 2nd, the Astros have fired sure thing after sure thing into that position and they've all struggled. Trey Mancini gutter-balled, then Jose Abreu burned millions on a deal that could have gotten them the stars. And now it's Christian Walker's turn. The former Diamondback signed a pretty cool deal last offseason, for 3 years and 60 million, and the Astros must have forgotten the small detail that Walker was 33 when he signed it. This season was...certainly a season of baseball played by a 34-year-old. Despite barely missing any time, Walker was shockingly average, with the first under-average defensive work of his career, a negligible WAR figure and a career high 177 Ks. Granted, Walker also hit 27 homers and had 88 RBIs [the team leader in both!], but this was not his best work. He'd lost a dimension or so, and that's not what the Astros signed.

2026 Prediction: I'd like to think there's an improvement, but he'll be 35, and he's no Paul Goldschmidt. So there may be more of the same. The power numbers will be the same though.

After a phenomenal 2024, Ronel Blanco was one of several Houston starters, including Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers, Spencer Arrighetti, Luis Garcia, J.P. France and Hayden Wesneski, to miss copious amounts of playing time this year. I think of that group, Blanco had the best sample size, and quality, while he was healthy, with a 4.10 ERA and 48 Ks in 9 starts. Unfortunately, the injury came right after I picked him up in fantasy, and that was his season.

2026 Prediction: Um...something tells me Hunter Brown might not make all his starts. So I figure Blanco will at least be healthy enough to make up the work for him. A much better season, if not 2024-first-half levels.

For the second time with Houston, Mauricio Dubon won a gold glove as a utility infielder. For someone who struggled to find a place with both the Brewers and Giants, it's been very cool to see Dubon come into his own as a super-ute, and in a year with SO MANY INFIELD INJURIES, there was no shortage of playing time for the guy. And of course, Dubon was exceptional in the field, with a 17 fWAR figure, and the occasional contact moment as well. Even if so much is in disarray for this team, the Astros can still rely on Dubon, which is fantastic [I drafted this in early November]. 

2026 Prediction: WELL APPARENTLY THE ASTROS DON'T NEED HIM THAT BADLY ANYMORE. I honestly think Atlanta's a great place for him. He can play the infield on a daily basis or be a utility piece like in Houston. Plus, with all the injury turnaround they might need him a lot.

Victor Caratini has become one of the more respected backup catchers in the game, alongside Austin Hedges and Jacob Stallings. Unlike those guys, Caratini was able to hit this year. In 114 games, Caratini hit .259 with 46 RBIs and 12 homers, which, in this cursed year, was the 6th most on the Astros. Caratini's a very good guy to have around, and he's found a nice home in Houston.

2026 Prediction: Houston re-signs him, he becomes defacto starter midyear, does well.

So here's the story with Brandon Walter. Dude went to UDel, was drafted by the Sox, mostly minor league guy, gets a taste in 2023. Keeps kicking around, gets cut by the Sox, the Astros pick him up. This year, due to the lack of healthy options, Walter, at 28, gets a shot, and does well in a starting role. In 9 games, he has a 3.35 ERA, 52 Ks, and a 1.3 WAR. Then he gets hurt and is out for the rest of the year. Not sure who's unluckier, him or the Astros.

2026 Prediction: Even if he does come back, he's like ninth in the depth chart. I see him mostly as a triple-A guy.

So then after that, with little to no other healthy options, the Astros go with career swingman Jason Alexander, brother of Scott and not, as previously assumed, the star of 'Dunston Checks In'. Alexander began the year as a middle relief guy in Sacramento, and after one too many heckle of 'SERENITY NOW' from one of the dozens of people in attendance, he was cut and picked up by Houston. Where he soon found himself...starting games. In all honesty, for a while Alexander was one of the Astros' best players. From July 29th to September 15th, all of Alexander's starts culminated in wins, only allowing a high of three runs in any of them. Of course, then he got clobbered by Seattle, and there went the 1st place hopes, but Alexander still finished the year with a 4-2 record and a 3.66 ERA.

2026 Prediction: Well, he SHOULD be kept as a long man and relief piece, but with the injury turnover in Houston who even knows at this point? You know we're LIVING IN A SOCIETY.

Aside from nabbing Carlos Correa at the deadline, the Astros also tried to solve their left field issue by bringing in Jesus Sanchez, who'd been good, if not world-destroying, for Miami. Sanchez had some high highs, with 12 RBIs and 4 homers in 48 games, but the .199 average, despite some decent defense, made it more of a puzzling add. Sanchez is fundamentally a good player, but he couldn't meet this moment for the Astros.

2026 Prediction: I think he mellows out a produces a better full-season effort but he still has the potential to be a Dan-Vogelbach-sized thorn in the side of a fanbase who are expecting the world of him.

With Chas McCormick no longer an option and Jake Meyers oft-injured, the Astros brought up Zach Cole to potentially be the next great Astros outfielder. In 15 games, Cole hit .255 with 11 RBIs and 4 homers. He's got a high contact ceiling and hit over .300 with the Space Cowboys. Might be something here.

2026 Prediction: If the Astros don't deal him for Brendan Donovan or somebody like that, he makes his way up the depth chart and is the next Kyle Tucker, something the Astros desperately need.

And most surprisingly, the Astros brought in Craig Kimbrel after he proved he was useful, if low on options, for the Braves. Kimbrel is 37, and I think he just needs some seasons out of the spotlight, a lot like Aroldis Chapman, so he can find himself again. In 13 games, Kimbrel had a 2.45 ERA and 16 Ks. Not as poisonous as his Orioles or Phils numbers, and a lower key year. I'm not sure if this is the last we'll see of Kimbrel in the bigs, but at least if that's the case he doesn't go out completely undignified. 

2026 Prediction: I think he makes camp with somebody, has some middle relief appearances and one last save. And then hangs it up.

Coming Tomorrow- The A's didn't make the playoffs either, but at least I can see what direction they're headed.