Boyd Where Available

 

So, to recap: the Cubs rotation was their greatest setback for the majority of the season, especially without Justin Steele or Cade Horton. So the Cubs got David Peterson, Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman, and now it's, at the very least, better. Not enough to outweigh the Brewers, but better.

So here's where they're at. Shota Imanaga, since his rough May and June stretch ended, has basically been himself. In 60 games since July began, he's 4-4 with a 4.26 ERA. Not 2024 good but good. Matt Boyd, since he got back from the IL, is 6-3 in 14 games, with a 3.48 ERA and 55 Ks, returning somewhat to the dominance he had in 2025. David Peterson, since coming over from New York, is 4-2 with a 4.41 ERA and 54 Ks, a very average fifth man but thankfully they got enough to MAKE HIM the 5 man. Clay Holmes, in 6 games in Chicago, has a 3.51 ERA with 20 Ks, and was doing a lot better before that sixth start. And Kevin Gausman, despite a 5.31 ERA, has 4 wins and 44 Ks in 7 Cubs starts. Sort of like what Gausman was doing in Toronto this year, shakier accuracy but guys still can't always hit it. It's not pretty, and it's not perfect, but for a team that is missing two surefire young options [three if you count the still hurt Edward Cabrera], it's a lot better than before. 

The Cubs are not going to win the NL Central. They know that. Odds are they've got a date with Philly for wild card week, that's perfectly acceptable. I have been to a Phils-Cubs game already this year, and if that, and literally everything else I've seen, is any preview...the Cubs are gonna outhit the Phillies, no matter what happens. If they put Sanchez, Wheeler, Luzardo, whoever up, even if the Phillies have to play the Cubs' best arms, I still think the Cubs have the advantage because they actually show up. It's not down to two or three guys, everybody pitches in. Carson Kelly's still a .260 hitter with 54 RBIs; J.T. Realmuto is not that this year. Michael Busch, even in a down year, is gonna have 75+ RBIs; Alec Bohm's year is even less pretty. Alex Bregman had a slow start, but look at him now, hitting .260 with 24 homers and 82 RBIs, a pretty standard Bregman year if I've ever seen one.

And I don't think any Phillies pitcher right now can accurately tame Pete Crow Armstrong, who's got a 9 WAR, 41 home runs, will pass 100 RBIs any day now, 36 steals [meaning 40/40 is on the table] and some of the most insane outfield catches you'll see anywhere. PCA has been building up to this season for so long, and it's every bit as good as advertised. He really is excelling at every facet of the game, and making it look so easy. I still think it's kinda unfair that he was the Cubs's only All-Star this year, as Seiya Suzuki would have deserved it as well [again, another terrific hitting year from him], but he will be getting an MVP at this rate, so it's not a huge loss.

The Cubs' hitting is paving the way for a long postseason run, but the pitching still threatens to hold them back, even if it is a lot better. They just need the right matchup, and a team with weaknesses they can exploit in a way that makes more of a difference than the Cubs' own weaknesses being exploited. It is possible, even if it will be very difficult, especially if they face the Brewers again. But with PCA playing this well, the sky's the limit.

Coming Tonight: His team was no-hitting the Mariners for a hot second until the bullpen blew it. Nevertheless, he's still fighting for the slightest chance of a playoff spot.

Outmuscled

 

It really is this simple, even still. The Cubs have six guys in their starting lineup with over 500 plate appearances, and all of them are among the best hitters at their position. Bregman, PCA, Suzuki, Happ, Hoerner, Busch. All show up every day and do their absolute best and outhit everybody, and they do that. One of them's probably winning an MVP unless Shohei has anything to say about it. The Cubs' hitters are hitting .250, there's three guys with over 20 homers [the whole outfield], and even the less-heralded positions have extremely good security. And yet because the pitching staff has a combined 4.6 WAR, compared to the hitters' 31.5, I'm not sure what kind of playoff team the Cubs are going to be.

Like, let's be honest, the Cubs went into July knowing they needed to fix the rotation, and they did. They already picked up David Peterson, then they got Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. The rotation is now Imanaga-Boyd-Peterson-Holmes-Gausman, and you all see how that's better, right? Holmes has been terrific in 4 starts, with a 1.96 ERA, and Gausman's continued his steady but not prime season with a 2-1 record and 22 Ks. Peterson's 4-1 with a 3.93 ERA in 9 starts. Obviously this is better. But it's still not elite. Without Justin Steele, Cade Horton or Ben Brown, it's not elite, and the Cubs will need to hope that Imanaga stays this sharp, or that Boyd continues his upswing. They have Daniel Palencia back, he is closing games, but he's still a little shaken. The bullpen's a liability in general still. They got Ryan Zeferjahn to prevent this and he hasn't helped at all.

So the idea is just to keep hammering away, which is effective. PCA's now going for the 30/30/30 season, he's at 26 doubles. Happ has come alive again all of the sudden, he's looking for his 25th home run sooner or later. Carson Kelly's been very steady, he's got 8 homers and 45 RBIs, continuing his positive production from last year. Michael Conforto's been an excellent DH, he's got 12 homers and 33 RBIs. Pedro Ramirez has been a HUGE help filling in for Swanson, he's hitting .291 with 21 RBIs and 10 doubles. They've had some huge wins in the past week, including scoring 19 runs against the Mariners, and now get to play the Reds this weekend as they head towards a quiet fall.

I just know that the other teams in the NL will be more balanced. The Phillies have great pitching and some definite stars in the lineup. The Braves and Brewers have both facets in droves. The Dodgers obviously are balanced. I can see this team outmuscling the Padres but that's basically it. Unless the Cubs somehow figure it out in a way that fixes all the issues the pitching has had all year, they may exit the postseason around when they did last year, and I really don't want that for them.

Coming Tonight: One of the single most consistent all-around performers in the game. He's got two World Series rings. Right now he's trying to get his team to the playoffs, which is way tougher than it should be.

Busch Whacked

 

I continue to marvel at the Cubs' lineup. It continues to be a collection of like-minded, overpowering offensive threats that always find a way to come together and embarrass you. The Brewers may be the better team, and may continue to be the better team, but I will not count this Cubs team out.

First of all, they have a guy who's probably winning the MVP this year. Pete Crow-Armstrong heard all the mess about his slump last year, or about his high WAR, low production stuff, and he sprung into action, with a 27-homer season, 30 steals, 72 RBIs, the potential for 30-30 with the other 30 also being a definite possibility, and some of the most incredible throws and plays in center. This man is playing eye-popping baseball and ascending to the dominance the Cubs knew he'd get to. 

And it's not like it's just him, pretty much everybody is hitting. Both catchers are hitting, Kelly with some solid .265, 42 RBI work with great defense, and Amaya with some cheesy power in there too. Swanson's HR streak has slowed down but he's still got 17 and 63 RBIs. Hoerner is powering back up again, he's hitting .260 with 55 RBIs and 18 steals. Bregman has 13 homers and 54 RBIs, and even if it's not his best, he's still great at third. Michael Busch, though down from last year, still has 63 RBIs. Ian Happ's continued his solid 2020s run and his 20 homers. Seiya Suzuki has another 20-homer year, with 67 RBIs. Even Michael Conforto is quietly having a comeback year as a DH/bench bat, with 9 homers and 26 RBIs. And then you've got this Pedro Ramirez kid, who's great defensively, great on the base paths, and hits .300. And he's the bit player in place of Matt Shaw. That's a nice bit player to have, man. 

The thing that keeps this team grounded is the pitching, and even that's improved. Kevin Gausman did well in his first Chicago start, David Peterson's 3-1 and slowly getting his groove back in different blue pinstripes, Boyd's dominant again with an 8-1 record and a 3.50 ERA, and even Imanaga's figured his stuff out again. The hope is Clay Holmes comes around, because his comeback start was shakier than it needed to be. These guys also technically need to figure out who's gonna close games, because right now it's Jacob Webb, and that's RP1 more than anything. If Daniel Palencia would stay healthy for more than 5 seconds, I'd feel better about him, but he's hurt again. With Holmes at least you have an all-star closer, but you want him starting. It's that or going with Assad or Braxton Garrett. Still time to work it out, or for Palencia to come back, but it's still worrying.

As it stands, the Cubs have the first wild card spot, and I definitely think they have enough momentum to at least hang onto a wild card berth. The Phils are also in the mix, but they're way shakier. I see the Cubs keeping their padded lead over St. Louis and continuing their August dominance. I'm not sure if this year will end any differently than last year, but at least they've got a working model and can stick to it.

Coming Tomorrow- A starter for a team that really, REALLY wants to make the playoffs this year, huh?

Top 10 Trade Deadline Deals of 2026

 Well...a lot happened this time around. 

Following the brass today was HARROWING. So much was happening, and so quickly. Almost evenly displaced as well, like there'd be a move, I'd have time to make a custom of them, and the next two moves would be up. And I think it was all a well rounded bunch. Last year the emphasis was on relief pitching, this year it was a little of everything. Some teams needed starting help, some teams needed outfield bats, some teams needed catchers [and some needed catchers and somehow forgot to deal for any]. A lot went down, even to the point where, after the BIG MOVE happened a few days ago, I was worried nothing would top it. And...I mean, we'll get to it, but there certainly was competition. 

I have a lot of other posts planned for deadline week, I have a 'best of the rest' one planned, I have a 'the ones I didn't understand' post in a bit. But we've got to do the top 10. This kept sliding by the whole day and got to the point where it is now. One spot stayed the same. And...yeah.

Anyway, we start with one I really didn't think was gonna happen this deadline:

#10: Heliot Ramos to the Yankees, 2 prospects to the Giants

So, the Yankees went into the deadline looking for bullpen work and a catching upgrade, and got neither. So Heliot Ramos, a very savvy lineup addition, makes it to the end of this list without going forward. Let me just stress that I love this move, Ramos is young, controllable, and powerful. He's been hurt for a bit but he's hitting .264 with 9 homers and 34 RBIs in 74 games. He's a ferocious hitter with a huge upside and a lot to accomplish, and...he gets to hit in Yankee stadium. The tricky part is it crowds the outfield a bit. Right now it's Ramos/Jones/Dominguez/Grisham, and eventually Bellinger and Judge are gonna come back and it's gonna get even more crowded. It's bad enough that Paul Goldschmidt's gonna have even less at-bats now [more on that in another post], now we're crowding the active roster. It's gonna be worth it if Ramos continues his very strong work, which is very likely.

#9: Taylor Ward to the Mariners, 3 prospects to the Orioles

The Mariners have the kind of team that should work more in concept, because you have Randy Arozarena, Brendan Donovan, Julio Rodriguez, Dominic Canzone and Josh Naylor there and the contact game is ailing. So in comes Taylor Ward to make it even more ridiculous. Ward's having another excellent season, but it's a very contact heavy one without much need for power. He only has 7 homers and 30 RBIs, and that is appalling from a guy who's had 100 RBIs and 36 homers JUST A SEASON AGO. Wouldn't a trip to Seattle be a fun time to start power-hitting? Ward's an excellent outfield bat with some versatility and perks, and he could be the lineup piece that the Mariners need to save their season. I just think he really fits with what they're doing in Seattle. I'm also really happy the Mariners didn't deal Kirby or Emerson. Yes, that prevents against the possibility of stretch Kade, but their rotation is excellent and didn't need to be broken up beyond Castillo.

#8: Kevin Gausman to the Cubs, 2 prospects to the Blue Jays

The Jays had a really weird deadline, because they both sold and bought at the same time. And arguably they should have committed more to one than both. Ultimately, they chose to part with one of their longest-tenured stars, the mighty Kevin Gausman, where he will become something the Cubs have desperately needed this year: an actual ace. Justin Steele's been hurt, Cade Horton's out for a while, Shota Imanaga's struggled. They need stability, and Gausman is a veteran arm with postseason experience who can back up the already strong offense. This is a downslope of a year compared to his peak, as he is 5-10 with a 4.38 ERA, but he's still a fundamentally strong pitcher with a lot of great starts left in him. I think he will greatly aid the Cubs down the stretch. Perhaps not as much as someone a little further down, but enough to land on this list.

#7: Luis Arraez and Caleb Killian to the Phillies, 2 prospects to the Giants

This is arguably a little low, but it's down here because the Phillies really needed a better option at fourth or fifth starter and didn't get one. They also needed an outfield bat...and didn't get one. So Luis Arraez, as good as he is, is an odd consolation for so many pieces of this lineup that needed help, and if we miss out on a World Series, it could be Dombrowski's fault for not going further. However...the Phillies now have Luis Arraez. And that's a very good thing. One of the best contact hitters in the game, and a terrific defensive 2nd baseman, joins this lineup, and moving Stott, Bohm and Harper around supremely improves the defense in general. Arraez is electric wherever he is, and the Phils could see that fully going forward. We also got Caleb Killian, who's a terrific bullpen arm with a great upside. Very much a win for Philly, even if the team isn't fully improved by this deadline.

#6: Foster Griffin to the Guardians, 4 prospects to the Nationals.

The Guardians had a sneakily good deadline, bringing on a lot of pieces that lift this team up to where they can really chase Chicago. Foster Griffin was their best move, because their fifth man in the rotation was Slade Cecconi, and as good as he can be, they could do better. Their rotation is now Messick, Williams, Bibee, Griffin and Cantillo, and that's among the best in the bigs. Griffin isn't an ace, but he's an excellent mid-rotation arm with 12 wins and a 3.05 ERA under his belt, and that's from playing for a very okay Nationals team. He'll thrive in a playoff environment in Cleveland, and build on this belated rookie season to become an even bigger force going forward. 

#5: Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to the Cubs, Francisco Rojas to the Mets

This one ways a little more than Gausman to me for the Cubs pitching additions, because Holmes, until the injury, was having the best season of his career, and one of the only good seasons on the Mets. Through 9 games he had a 2.39 ERA, and was proving that the Mets moving him to the rotation was a good idea after all. The idea is that once Holmes is active [as well as Braxton Garrett], he'll be able to aid the Cubs rotation, and I see him as a front-facing integral arm that could lead them through some postseason games. Tyrone Taylor's also an excellent outfield depth option for this team, and could be very helpful on a postseason roster. The Cubs weren't fully ready before, and now they are.

#4: Freddy Peralta to the Rays, 3 prospects to the Mets

This deal will work out if the thesis, that the Mets were just a really poor fit for Peralta, is true. Peralta succeeded in Milwaukee, a small market team built on contact and pitching. That's also the Rays. Low budget, small core, close wins, and an impressive rotation. Peralta levels it up, as good as Rasmussen and Martinez have been. Shane McClanahan's gonna miss some time, and Peralta will be relied upon to deliver Brewers numbers as an ace for a Rays team with a shot at a #1 seed. Peralta's 4.99 ERA will need to come down if the Rays want to take advantage of this deadline, and I have a feeling it will. Meanwhile, Jett Williams is still chilling in the Brewers' farm system, and Brandon Sproat is getting all kinds of starts, so...lolMets.

#3: Liam Hicks to the Rays, Brayden Taylor and 2 prospects to the Marlins.

I like this one a little better for the Rays, simply because it fixes a lot of problems. It ups their catching game, ensuring Nick Fortes doesn't have to start behind the plate as much. It also gives them a proven contact bat with some kick against righthanded pitchers, and a very well-trusted lineup presence. I think he's just one of those guys who can pop into any lineup and just dive right in with excellent production, so I think he'll love Tampa. And also, he drains the Rays' farm system a little more so other teams can have a chance. Just a really cool, sneaky move by the Rays that positions them further towards a late run.

#2: Adley Rutschman and Jake Rogers to the Red Sox, Carlos Narvaez and 4 prospects to the Orioles.

I would say since Varitek left, the Red Sox have had a revolving door at catcher. So many guys that could have been the one, or should have. Victor Martinez, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Sandy Leon, Christian Vasquez, Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez, and the list goes on and on. So to finally have an answer at catcher, and for it to be Adley Rutschman a terrific hitting catcher whose team already foreshadowed this move by signing Samuel Basallo to a multi-year deal...that is huge. Rutschman's having another great season, but it did feel like this O's team was moving past the need for him. With this Boston team he'll fit right in, and be another huge lineup piece of a team that's quickly becoming a serious wild card threat. Very much a case of giving a team exactly the guy they need going forward.

But of course...nothing was gonna top the #1 piece on the board. Even if you disagree with its existence, this deal needed to be #1.

#1: Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers, River Ryan, Zyhir Hope and 1 other prospect to the Tigers

So. The best team in baseball got the best pitcher in baseball. In 16 starts, Skubal had a 2.79 ERA, 7 wins, 116 Ks and a 2.9 WAR. He's still in his peak, is effortlessly brilliant, and was never gonna stay in Detroit. The Dodgers taking him happened because they had a well-stocked farm system where even their lower tier prospects were more than other teams were offering. It's disappointing that, like a lot of recent Dodger developments, nobody else could stop it from happening. But now Sku gets to help the Dodgers go for a threepeat, and it's gonna make electric October baseball even if they don't get all the way. It's also gonna add fuel to the fire that Skubal will, in all likelihood, choose to stay in LA going forward. Definitely shifts the balance of the game, which is what the trade deadline is for. 

So yeah. A lot happened. A lot of teams won. And now the Dodgers are even scarier. Sets up the last third perfectly.

Sometime tomorrow there'll be a 'best of the rest' post most likely, with a lot of other deals that didn't make this list. 

Seiya So

 

Usually around this time of year, the Chicago Cubs are either cartwheeling out of a playoff spot or cartwheeling out of first. This year's no different. The Brewers have a padded lead of the NL Central, and 7 games back are the Cubs, at 57-45, well over .500 after their stumble in late May. They've been rock-solid ever since, are still a proven competitor, and are looking at a playoff spot, even if it's not the safest one. I know this sounds an awful lot like last season's Cubs team, but they swear it's different.

Although, last season's Cubs team had a healthy Cade Horton, better seasons from Imanaga, Boyd and Taillon, and the Kyle Tucker factor. Now we have a mediocre Alex Bregman season, a snakebitten rotation, a very scattered bullpen [Palencia keeps getting hurt], and an alarming lack of upward momentum. Matt Shaw, Kevin Alcantara and Moises Ballesteros are all stalling at the gate after big callups last year, and there haven't been any real younger Cubs coming to save the rotation either. Is this team moving forward? Can it move forward at all?

If this team does anything long-term this season, it'll be because the lineup has packed so much run production in there that other teams can't handle it. Seiya Suzuki has 17 homers, 53 RBIs and an .831 OPS, and this is a walk in the park year for him. He routinely gets the OPS over .800, routinely produces tons of runs. Just a steady RBI guy, the exact kind of guy the team needed without being too big or two one-dimensional. Michael Busch has been like that too, just gets in there, produces runs, doesn't need to do much else. He's only got 13 home runs and 54 RBIs but the season's still sort of young. Ian Happ has 18 homers and 45 RBIs, and has continued to be this consistent source of power for a good half-decade or so.  Dansby Swanson's very hot-and-cold, but when he's hot he's unstoppable. And then you have Pete Crow-Armstrong once again working on an MVP campaign, not only hitting .282 with a .900 OPS, 22 homers, 55 RBIs and 25 steals, but some of the best outfield catches in the game. He's nailing every facet of this game and doing exactly what the Cubs knew he could. 

Beyond that, there's still work to be done. David Peterson and Jameson Taillon are getting crucial big game situations and can't really contend with them right now. Imanaga and Boyd are okay but have been better. There's no slam dunk guy in this rotation because Steele and Horton are out, and while Steele should be back soonish, a lot will be on his shoulders when he does get back. Basically, this team isn't a playoff WINNING team if they don't have starters that know what they're doing. The Cubs will be going up against teams like the Brewers, Dodgers, Braves and Phillies, and they all have excellent rotations for a playoff schematic. What do the Cubs have right now? And if they want Skubal, do they have the prospects to make it work? Will they GO for Kevin Alcantara or Matt Shaw? 

The Cubs have a team that could surprise some people this year, it's just not complete, and I don't know if it will be.

Coming Tomorrow- Something I've noticed in the last couple seasons is that he may not be prompt, he may not begin the season on the active roster, but when he gets there, he makes it count. 

First It Giveth..

 

On Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs won a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, 23-3. Dansby Swanson had 3 home runs and 8 RBIs, coming off a game where he had 2 home runs and 3 RBIs. Then yesterday, the Chicago Cubs lost a baseball game 17-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals. Dansby Swanson, who came into the game hitting .210, now sits at a measly .208. I know, if you can't take it, don't deal it, but it's gotta be a wild 48 hours for the Cubs. The Padres might even be a better overall team than the Cardinals, but in those games, the stars both aligned and slammed shut to provide the outcomes we got.

The Cubs are a truly confusing team, in that they should be better than they are, and oftentimes do capitalize on the talent they have but not in a way that boosts them long term. Without Justin Steele, Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera, this team is sort of balancing plates trying to keep teams down. Matt Boyd is back, he's been fine thus far, if still a bit imperfect. Imanaga's been struggling but is still a decent option. Rea's having an awful year, Assad's mostly eating innings, and David Peterson got the snot kicked out of him yesterday. Additionally, the bullpen's falling apart as well, with Palencia, Hoby Milner, Phil Maton, Ethan Roberts, Riley Martin, Hunter Harvey and Shelby Miller all out. If the pitching injuries was actually a map of the active roster this would be a first place team. Unfortunately it is not, and this team is just plugging guys into places [Bryse Wilson, Trent Thornton, Tyler Ferguson] and hoping nothing goes wrong.

And it sucks because this team truly can hit, and confidently so. The team's sent down Moises Ballesteros, who went cold after May, and Michael Conforto's been playing DH in his place, and he's not half bad. Hitting .248, 7 homers and 21 RBIs. Not Mets good but a good role player. Seiya Suzuki's got 13 homers and 42 RBIs, and Ian Happ's got 17 homers and 41 RBIs, meaning with PCA that's an entire outfield of solid run producers. With the exception of the DH spot, it's an entire lineup of people with a WAR of 1.4 or higher [weird that Nico Hoerner's bringing up the rear after a great start], and all of these guys know how to score runs and keep pitching scared.

But, as we've seen time and time again, that means nothing without a comprehensive pitching staff. And the Brewers are leading this division, handsomely, because they can backup their lights-out lineup with guys like Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Brandon Woodruff and Shane Drohan. The Cubs don't really have more than just one of those guys right now, at best. Which is why a team can take them for 17 points. I think if this pitching staff can grow back over time, and recoup to the level its potential let on, this team could make a wild card run, but...even then, Cabrera was on and off before getting hurt, Taillon's just completely off this year, and there's no chance of Horton being back til midyear next year. Steele is still a 'wait and see' thing, and who even knows what he'll look like when he gets back.

The Cubs should hold onto days like Wednesday, where they can take a team for over 20 points, and figure out how to get around days like yesterday. Cause they have a team that could compete, it's just not complete yet.

Coming Tonight: A man I've never known to throw a pedestrian season...yet here he is throwing one..

No Arms to Hold You

 

Almost the entirety of the Cubs' rotation is injured right now. Justin Steele, Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon. All hurt. A moment ago Edward Cabrera was hurt along with them but he's back now. Being without those guys hurts this team, because what the hell is left? Cabrera's playing hurt essentially, he's got a 5 ERA because he's not in ideal condition right now. Imanaga's got a 4.26 ERA and has gotten lit up more consistently than not. Colin Rea ain't it. Javier Assad's fine but there shouldn't be that much hinging on him. 

And so the most important guy in this rotation, as PCA hits cycles and Suzuki and Bregman hit 'em out...is Ben Brown. Career swingman, never got the opportunities, now a key starter with a 1.74 ERA and a .968 WHIP. Brown is your 2026-standard hard throwing young phenom, so you can guess why he hasn't been fully healthy the last few years. But right now he's basically all the Cubs have. And...last year, at least they had Cade Horton cracking the rotation and becoming a star. Before they had Steele going on a three month tear every year. In the Maddon/Ross days they had the depth to keep throwing solid choices out there the whole year. And now it's 'if Ben Brown doesn't nail a start we're screwed'. That's not good, man.

It's not due to lack of trying, really. The Cubs draft well, they sign well, they put together a rotation that, when healthy, can work. The issue is there wasn't enough depth this year, or, more specifically, the depth is just bad. Ideally the Colin Reas and Javier Assads are supposed to provide solid help in the event of a full rotation cratering, and they've just added to it. 

Sucks, cause the team's still hitting well. PCA heard everyone saying he's not as good of a hitter as forecast and started going off at the plate, with 13 homers and 35 RBIs. Suzuki and Busch have been heating up as of late, that's always a good thing. I think it's evident that Hoerner and Happ have cooled down but with the rest of the team doing well it's not much of an issue. Carson Kelly was not a one-year thing, the team's defense is great across the board, and at the very least the batting depth is there. But in this division, it means nothing if the pitching isn't great, and...considering Daniel Palencia's hurt again and Caleb Thielbar probably has to close now, it's probably going to get worse. 

The Cubs are in 3rd, trying to stay out of fourth. This week they have to play the Rockies, who honestly have a more concrete rotation schematic right now, and then the Jays, and they have to hope that the Pirates don't keep surging enough to strand them in 4th. A competitive year is still possible for the Cubs, but if we're waiting for the pitchers to come back it might be a longshot.

Coming Tomorrow- The Rangers have had a lot of problems this year. Luckily...they have a solution.

Chicago Cope

 

The Blackhawks and Bulls didn't make the playoffs, the Bears don't play for a bit. For now, Chicago sports fans get to decide who gets to disappoint them in the interim. One of these Chicago teams has a high payroll, an expertly-plucked manager, a key new addition this year and some of the most impressive winning streaks of the season. The other is the Chicago White Sox. They both essentially have the same record right now. 

And I think the White Sox might honestly have the edge right now? Because the Cubs will do this thing where they win 10 games in a row and are really excited and then they lose 10 games in a row and...like, what was the point of any of that. The White Sox are as inconsistent and up-and-down as any middle of the road team, and they're not really pretending they're anything they're not. They've had a lucky stretch as of late, they're in 2nd in the AL Central, ahead of the Tigers and Royals who've both had terrible months. 

This season, the White Sox actually have some palpable star performances, rather than 'people who are doing slightly better than average'. Munetaka Murakami has 20 home runs, 41 RBIs, and...79 strikeouts but that's less important. Davis Martin is a genuine pitching gem right now, he's 8-1 with a 2 ERA. It takes a lot to have 8 wins through 2 months on a middle of the road team like the White Sox, but Martin's got enough in the tank to make it work. Even Miguel Vargas, who I've written off like three different times now, has an .831 OPS, 12 homers and 31 RBIs. It's a very nice run for the corner infielder who seems to have finally hit his stride in Chicago. And then Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, Tristan Peters, Sam Antonacci and Randal Grichuk are all filing in behind them with terrific seasons and great offensive skill. I knew a lot of these answers would click eventually but this is a very sure, very accurate version of this team. 

And on top of all that they keep bringing up surefire hits. They just threw Rikuu Nishida, a Japanese-born, U.S. based outfielder, into the mix and he's already a defensive favorite. And they just brought up David Sandlin, dealt by Boston for a bag of chips so that's ANOTHER White Sox star you can thank the Red Sox for, he went 6 innings and all he gave up was a solo homer for his debut. They're figuring more stuff out, and getting more and more confident.

Whereas the Cubs...have basically all the pieces for a competitive, division-clinching team...yet can't stay lucky with them.

I dunno if PCA cursing out the Sox fan was the turning point but it can't have helped. It's not that Pete Crow Armstrong's having a bad season per se, as he's an asset in the outfield and on the base paths, but that .677 OPS for a star player just illuminates how people are turning on the guy. This villain arc has allowed people to go 'maybe he's just not that good'. Cause at least when Alex Bregman gets in an argument with a fan on twitter, he remembers to hit .300 and knock 30 long balls or something. But PCA, as valuable as he is in terms of WAR, is a .224 hitter who leads the team in strikeouts, and it's wild that because of his multi-tool prowess that's not a dealbreaker anymore. He's not Taylor Walls bad, but he's verging on it.

The rotation's caved in a bit without Cade Horton, Edward Cabrera and Matt Boyd, plus Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon have had some rough stretches of late. And then you call on Jordan Wicks for the first time in a year, he gets lit up. This looked like a great rotation in March, and it's not coming together. For all that this team is hitting, and they very much are, the injury troubles with the pitching staff have deadened the attack, and have neutralized them at a moment where the Brewers, and to a lesser extent the Cardinals, aren't as put off. 

In the Cubs' defense, they have been finishing off the Pirates quite a bit lately, and seem to be working their way back up. They're giving Ben Brown more of a workload, including some starts, and they're coasting on an incredible run from Ian Happ. They'll likely be fine in the long run. But this month, especially the crosstown series, pointed out how much trouble they could be in this year. They've been getting caught sleeping late the past few years, and this year they need to ensure a different outcome. 

Coming Tonight: The Mets got tired of waiting. The A's jumped at the ideal timing. Be like the A's.

Sho Stopper

 

Bit of a topsy-turvy NL Central year so far. We had the Brewers on the bottom for a bit, the Pirates in last for a moment, and now the Reds are down there after a rough week. But leading ever since that fateful game in Philly I went to is the Chicago Cubs. I'm once again choosing to take credit for this.

Could the Cubs simply have the most effective lineup in baseball? With the exception of Dansby Swanson, who's a .194 hitter with 25 RBIs, everybody's hitting. Moises Ballesteros is an everyday DH at the MLB level now, that's pretty damn cool. Dude's built like a lunchroom trashcan and he makes contact like crazy. Alex Bregman's having a slower start to the season than usual but he's still a good option at third. Happ, Hoerner, PCA, Suzuki and Kelly are all off to fantastic starts. PCA in particular is doing his usual multifaceted thing, with 10 steals and a ton of robberies to distract from his fairly pedestrian hitting. 

I think the biggest sign of this team's success has been the eventual blossoming of those Japanese contracts. Seiya Suzuki took a few years to really adjust to a 162 game season, and he's looking very confident now, hitting .274 with 7 homers and 16 RBIs. Dude's just a ferocious hitter and it doesn't surprise me that Chicago's taken to him. Same with Shota Imanaga, who's just a reliable, consistent hurler who doesn't need to be too flashy, a lot like a Masahiro Tanaka type. Imanaga's 4-3 with a 2.32 ERA and 59 Ks, the best line in the rotation thanks to some mixed bag starts from Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon and injuries to Matt Boyd and Cade Horton. Already this team has needed to resort to Colin Rea and Javier Assad for rotation spots, and aside from Imanaga it's honestly not pretty. But again, having Imanaga there gives them a leg up.

And also, just to be clear...the Cubs are still a winning team even with this rough rotation. Cabrera and Taillon still have ERAs under 4. They can still get you through a game without too much bleeding. Compared to 2025, Taillon looks way more trustworthy, despite those 11 home runs thus far. I don't know who the 'break in case of emergency' starter is from here on out, or if there's a rookie on the horizon, but I think they're closer to a decent rotation as they are than if they try an overhaul. Fundamentally, Cabrera, Taillon and Rea are good pitchers, they've just had some rough patches. 

The Cubs have lost 4 straight, need to upset the Braves tonight and then look to recoup momentum with a hometown brawl at Comiskey. There's a reason they're still in first, and there's a reason barring those weak patches this team hasn't been knocked off for long.

Coming Tomorrow- He won a World Series in his first full year in the bigs. Been a rough go of things since then though.

I Guess I'll Take Credit for That..

 

I went to a Phillies game a couple weeks ago against the Cubs. Nothing really noteworthy happened, so I thought at the time. But from the start of that game, both teams embarked on long streaks. The Phillies, who lost that game, would go on to lose the next 9, eventually squeaking out a win in Atlanta Saturday night. The Cubs, who won, would keep rolling themselves, winning THEIR next 9. It never usually works that well, where one game can be a turning point for two different teams. And now the Cubs are heading towards first while the Phillies, the way it's looking, might be firing some people very soon.

I don't really want to say the Phillies thing was my fault, but I can take being responsible for a Cubs run. Always fun to see. 

I root it back to Ian Happ, who's always been a sort of supporting player for these Cubs teams despite being longest-tenured. He shows up, does something cool, doesn't make it about him, and Hoerner or Suzuki or PCA gets to be the hero. Well right now Happ leads the Cubs in homers with 7. Dansby Swanson has 6. The people you think would be hitting all the homers in Chicago, like Suzuki and Bregman and Busch, aren't doing as much for this team as the fundamental, 'always there' guys. It's honestly odd that the Cubs have sort of taken Dansby Swanson for granted, but he really just shows up, plays great defensive shortstop, hits .244 and drives in a lot of runs. He's had a 4+ WAR every season he's been a Cub. Even Happ, as good as he's been, didn't really lock in til around 2022. By the way, shockingly Happ's never hit more than 25 homers in a season. Could this be the year he goes for 30?

As I figured, even during the Cubs' rough stretch earlier, the plan of putting a bunch of proven run producers in the same lineup has worked extremely well for this team. Suzuki's hitting .300 in his first 15 games, he's 4 homers in. Hoerner's not only leading the team in average but in RBIs and stolen bases. Moises Ballesteros has become an excellent DH option, with 4 homers and 12 RBIs already. Carson Kelly's strong 2025 has carried over to a just-as-strong 2026, still starting and hitting .300. It's really only PCA and Busch who aren't hitting, and they can turn around in an instant. The rotation isn't terrific, with a lot resting on another okay Shota Imanaga season, but the idea is for the lineup to just outhit anybody anyway. Kind of an uphill battle when you're playing the Dodgers but against the majority of the rest of the league they can really score.

It's a tough division, especially considering that everyone's still above .500, but I think the Cubs have proven, since the streak, that they have the hitting to outrun the competition, and they could build on this and have a fruitful postseason. That's only if they can hang onto momentum like they just did though.

Coming Tonight: I was beginning to think 1st base in Houston was cursed, but all it took was a year to figure out the new park and this guy seems to have broken it.

The Extra Perk of Extending Your Enemies

 

I think about the ending of John Carpenter's In The Mouth of Madness, where Sam Neill, who's spent the whole film in prison, basically wanders out the front door after a breakout. The whole film, we're led to believe he'll face consequences for something that wasn't his fault, and then the chaos of the film decides he won't after all, and he just sort of finds his way. That is how anyone who gets an extension this year that isn't a rookie should feel.

Nico Hoerner getting an extension is just a wild perk on the whole thing, because the guys getting locked down are the younger, more pressing guys like Konnor Griffin and Colt Emerson, or even the second or third year guys pieces like Tyler Soderstrom and Roman Anthony. And then suddenly you get Nico Hoerner signed for the next 7 or so years, solely because the Cubs have finally realized that they have one of the best all-around second basemen in the game and they don't want anyone else to have him. They were trying to move him, eventually decided not to, and...that's the right move. I think they also knew that the salary cap discussions are gonna make it difficult to do as many extensions in a year or so, and they wanted to get this in before they're limited. 

Thankfully, the Cubs are looking at yet another peak year for Hoerner, who they've already, smartly, built the team around. Right now he's hitting .273 with 5 RBIs and 5 doubles, plus a 0.8 WAR. Since his age-25 season in 2022, Hoerner has locked in and become that multi-tool, Sandberg-esque infielder for the Cubs, with exceptional defensive numbers, terrific contact hitting and crucial lineup presence. I remember they brought him up painfully early in 2019 to mend an injury-addled infield, and he honestly didn't do too badly for himself, but struggled for the next few years as the team shed a number of its Maddon-era strengths. Hoerner's a very classic-feeling presence, a career .280 hitter who doesn't strike out much at all, averages 170 hits a year, and owns his position. Him not making an all-star team to this point is, quite frankly, a travesty, but considering that Ozzie Albies, Ketel Marte and Luis Arraez also play in this division I sort of get it. Hopefully this is the year.

The Cubs, by the way, have struggled to find their footing thus far, despite a better team. The main issue has been the starting pitching, as Matt Boyd and Cade Horton are both injured, Steele is already missing time, Imanaga and Taillon have struggled, and Ben Brown still seems to be not quite ready for prime time. At the very least Edward Cabrera has been very sharp, but that was the guy they got for insurance. The bullpen hasn't been much better, with really only Daniel Palencia holding things down. The heart of the lineup still hasn't fully showed up, with Bregman, PCA, Busch and Swanson still looking for consistent success. It's clear the Brewers want this division this year, and the Cubs need to find a way to oppose them, even if this start was not what they wanted. 

Clearly there's a way through this, and enough constant performers like Hoerner will make it a lot easier to stomach. The injured guys will be back eventually [most of them anyway], and then hopefully this period will be long forgotten.

Coming Tomorrow- The Mets traded him for a similar veteran presence. Right now it's looking like neither team should have traded these guys. 

2026: Mind the Elephant Dung

 

It's not as if the MLB hasn't done a 'let's pretend everything's normal' season before. You saw it in 1995. You saw it in 2020 and 2021, after the pandemic. You saw it after free agency began in the 70s. There is always going to be an effort, whenever there is something that, in a just world, would lead to work stoppage or a deliberation, for the people who lie and die by the revenue to go 'okay, from the top, just like the last time'. 

More than even 2023, the league seems headed for not just a players' strike, but a complete lockout. The wealth disparity between owners has become ridiculous, with teams like the Dodgers able to routinely buy championships, and teams like the Guardians [who, keep in mind, also have CEOs with plenty of money] not at all able to compete. The players are gonna go towards the best offers to sustain their lifestyles, and the guys with the bigger pockets are gonna have those, so they're gonna keep winning. Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease and Tyler Soderstrom will be making Shohei Ohtani money for their solid but not overly spectacular gameplay. And so the owners' immediate response is, 'okay, let's pay everyone less and do a salary cap'. Not to actually put more money into the team and try as much as the top guys are. No, bring them down and justify their lack of spending. 

It's 100% true that every MLB player, and MiLB player, deserves the right to earn enough to make a living. But if there's a pay disparity, the workers should not be blamed or penalized, the owners and CEOs should. Without players, there is no product, as the owners will likely find out in a year's time. If you want to bring in revenue, you need to pay your star players, or any players, what they are worth. We know what happens when an owner doesn't do this, and it leads to a mass talent exodus that makes John Fisher only the SECOND-worst owner in A's history. Now, it's also an issue when the lack of talent on the field, and the lack of ticket sales, doesn't provide an incentive for owners to spend because they own 3 or 4 other things with more immediate revenue. 

Regardless, something needs to be done. I'm of the opinion that a salary floor should be implemented above all else, to incentivize the Bob Nuttings and Pohlads of this world to actually build teams. Some cap might need to be in there as well None of the players' union people want a salary cap, even with Tony Clark conveniently leaving his position ahead of the union a year or so before deliberations begin [it's still bad what he did, I just think the timing of it coming out is really suspicious]. You have two stubborn camps, one with money and one without, and like in 2023, and 1994, you can kind of guess who's gonna cave first. Whether or not the solution will actually help anyone, that's another thing entirely.

But with all this a year away, and with the tensions between the owners and players still relatively high [remember, Bryce Harper nearly beat the shit out of Rob Manfred last year], there's still a season of baseball that needs to be played. Which means everyone needs to act like there isn't gonna be a work stoppage next year and deliver an exciting season. Easy, right?

There's obviously a lot of great storylines to follow this season. The Cubs are certainly one of them. Yes, they lost Kyle Tucker, but they gained Alex Bregman, still an elite third baseman and an upgrade from Matt Shaw in several ways. Bregman-Swanson-Hoerner-Busch may be one of the best infields in the league, on a count of how much can be produced, and how much value you're getting. The Cubs have reportedly tried to trade Nico Hoerner, but I wouldn't dream of it considering how valuable he's been for them, and how consistent he's been since 2022. With the Brewers looking to continue their sleeper-hit status and the Reds looking to compete without overdoing it, the Cubs are the favorite for 1st in the NL Central. Y'know, like last year. Is this the team that actually gets over the hump?

A lot of really cool stuff could happen in this season. Konnor Griffin might be ready in Pittsburgh, and that team might have enough to sneak into the conversation. The Athletics might be a playoff team this year, and have the contracts to last them through the Vegas premiere. Murakami might be the piece that gets the White Sox out of 'laughable' status. Andrew Painter might FINALLY get to start MLB games. Ohtani and Judge might chase 50 again. There's all sorts of promise and excitement, and I really hope this year can deliver, even if it's looking pretty likely that we might not get a full season next year. 

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. 

Division Series' Conclusion: Two Different Types of Close Games

 

I watched...fourteen of fifteen innings of last night's Mariners-Tigers playoff game. That was honestly all I could take. Honestly, one of the best pitched games I'd ever seen. Literally every pitcher each team brought in was dominant. Both Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo were unbeatable in relief. Jack Flaherty got out of a ton of scrapes in extras. Both bullpens were tight; Bazardo, Melton, Munoz, Vest, all brilliant. 

But what infuriated me to the point of turning it off before the walk-off was the fact that literally any time there were runners in scoring position, someone capable of batting them in would get up and do absolutely nothing. The Tigers' guys were understandable because they're not known for power. But the Mariners' core could have ended the game at any time, and Raleigh, Arozarena, Rodriguez, Polanco, Suarez and Naylor were inconsolable, and had so many missed opportunities in extras. Yes, the bullpen was difficult, but...say, for instance, that Polanco DOESN'T end the game with a walk-off single. Then every missed chance those power guys had would look even worse. And everything the fans are saying about what should be done about the Yankees and Phillies who didn't hit would be repeated with some of those guys. 

But yes, the M's waited for a reliever they COULD hit off of, and Jorge Polanco cracked one off of Tommy Kahnle to end it...in the fifteenth. Now, the bad news is the M's have next to no pitching left, and have to start Bryce Miller tomorrow which, uh...didn't go too well in Game 4 to be honest. And its short rest. But the good news is that if the heart of the lineup shows up, the Mariners very well could get past this Jays team, and are in sight of their first-ever World Series berth. It may seem difficult, but it can happen. They just need to tap into what made them winners here. The ability to outlast the inevitable.

The Tigers will be back with a team that can hold onto momentum better next year. The fact that they managed to persist long enough to regain momentum in October is admirable. They need to learn from September, though, or else it'll stop them from the big prize.

As for the Brewers...well, they managed to not crater after starting the series 2-0 and seeing the Cubs tie it. Teams have fallen victim to that before. The Brewers, even in a bullpen game, stayed strong and shut down a fairly unpredictable Cubs lineup. You can boil it down to Jacob Misiorowski if you want but it's really not that simple- Megill, Uribe and especially Chad Patrick were just as integral.

And again, one of the heroes of this team was Andrew Vaughn, a guy who was too mediocre even for the White Sox, got pawned off for Aaron Civale, then suddenly found his swing in Milwaukee and usurped Rhys Hoskins for the starting 1B spot. Tonight his homer broke the tie and sealed the game [though Turang's later homer also helped]. That someone like Vaughn can be a success for a team like the Brewers is pretty exceptional, and proof that this system really has something going. 

The Brewers have again triumphed over Craig Counsell, which is pretty wild to think about. In an NLCS against the Dodgers, they may be a sneaky favorite to win regardless of the momentum the Dodgers have built over this playoff season [predictably]. The Dodgers have Ohtani, but the Brewers are even, amazing on defense, practically unhittable and have answers for everything. It may go all 7. 

The Cubs were a long shot to outlast the Brewers, but I admire that they got close. Michael Busch, Seiya Suzuki, Matthew Boyd and Kyle Tucker have proven themselves admirable October pieces, and I know the majority of them could help this team get back to October next year. I also think the bullpen was a big part of why they persisted, though it consisting mainly of 30somethings like Colin Rea, Drew Pomeranz and Brad Keller does put its sustainability into question. I think the Cubs have enough to keep competing, and hopefully PCA figures out how to avoid that 2nd half crash out going forward.

Jays-M's tomorrow. Rooting for Seattle but honestly I could live with Toronto winning. 

Division Series' Day 5: Keeping Me On My Toes

 

I really thought the Mariners were gonna go with a bullpen game and opening for Kirby or something like that, but they had faith in Bryce Miller. Not 2023 Bryce Miller.....current Bryce Miller. So if you wanted to know why their series is 2-2, that's why.

Look, the Tigers are just a good team. You can't keep them down. Just when you think they've quieted down they blow back up again, and like the Jays anybody can be the hero at any time. Torres, Dingler, Jahmai Jones, Greene, McKinstry, most notably Javier Baez, who was responsible for FOUR runs. You forgot how good this guy can be in October because it's been so long. This was both on the Tigers' offense and on the Mariners' bullpen, who turned sour after a relatively strong series. 

Now, Game 5 in Seattle is gonna be tight as hell. Both teams want it. I wanna say Seattle has the leverage but the Tigers might go with Skubal again. It's gonna be wild no matter what happens.

The Brewers are clearly the better team in their matchup. They proved it during the regular season. The trick now is making sure their mistakes don't come back to haunt them. And somehow earlier today, Quinn Priester was the mistake. He's had such a great season, and has been such an integral piece of this team's success this year...but his first October start was not great. The 4 runs the Cubs won on came against Priester. And even if the Brewers end up winning this series, the fact that Priester was the low point here is gonna be a major takeaway going forward.

Still, it was nice for the Cubs to get a win. Happ scored a playoff run, and I'm mostly happy he got to see a team hit October again. Michael Busch is definitely a top-tier postseason performer and I hope he gets more opportunities to share it. PCA was right about the refs. Palencia closing over a full season would be great. I'm not sure how much hope I have that they'll win Game 4, but they've at least proved they can upset this team without getting completely owned.

And speaking of getting completely owned...

I had a feeling this series might go this way, but not that it would be so embarrassing. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. owned the Yankees. The splitters owned the Yankees. The rotation, and even the bullpen in this game, owned the Yankees. And as good as Judge and somehow Ryan McMahon could be, the Blue Jays can get production from EVERYBODY. Ernie Clement, Nathan Lukes, Addison Barger, Myles Straw. Pretty much anybody can be the hero in Toronto, and the Yankees have multiple people who simply couldn't in this game. And thus...the Jays, with a very good team, advance, and the Yanks don't. Can't make it any clearer than that. The Jays were the better team, and they had the momentum.

The Yankees only get further next year if they stop fooling themselves. Deluding themselves into thinking that things that have not worked before will eventually work is not the way to go. Sometimes you have to let somebody go rather than let them let you down again. That could go for Volpe, for Boone, for lots of people. The fanatical approach will get the team nowhere, especially with the AL East looking to be even more competitive next year. 

The Jays have a serious shot at a World Series. If the Tigers win, it's a 75% chance. If the M's win...little closer to 50/50.

This one I actually saw coming. I knew the Phils weren't gonna let THAT be the end of it. They'd come this far, they'd gotten the okay to wear the baby blue throwbacks on the road. They were gonna make it count.

I don't care if those are Kyle Schwarber's last two homers in Philly colors, he made 'em count. He's one of the best power hitters of his era, and he's done so much for us, including this. It happened after a lot of hemming and hawing from fans, but it still happened. Also props to Ranger Suarez [AND AARON NOLA] for holding down the best offense in the NL, and Brandon Marsh, J.T. Realmuto, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm for providing strong run support. This was the effort we'd been waiting all series for, and even if another game like it doesn't happen, we still won this one and earned it.

Tomorrow I think a series ends, and one goes to Game 5. I have my guess of which that is. I'd rather not be proven wrong, but I'd be fine with happy Cubs fans even if my Phils go down as well.

Wild Card Series Day 3: Scores Settled?

 

A lot of 'was this trip really necessary?' outcomes for the wild card round. Lot of teams just beating the lower seed. The only 'upset' came from the team that had led the division the whole year beating the team that won it in the last few games. Still some intriguing baseball games to get us there but it's very much calling into question of the reason for expanding the playoffs, aside from 'to give teams the ownership group likes a chance'. Though...considerably less of that than in 2020 or 2022. A lot like Survivor instituting a final four tiebreaker to ensure the winner they want only for the people they like in the last several seasons to be shit at making fire.

The Tigers were able to win against the Guardians in October, after...not really being able to do so in September. They did it with contact, like RBIs from Wenceel Perez, Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson and Riley Greene. The only real long ball was an inconsequential one from Dillon Dingler. The Tigers did almost spoil their win once or twice, and Spencer Torkelson's defense at 1st allowed 2 more runs to score, but they finished off Cleveland simply by being a better-developed team than them, and promptly punched their ticket to Seattle. Right now the Mariners are the favorites, which is a weird thing to say considering how well the Tigers were playing in June, but with Skubal on the mound anything's possible.

The Guardians were over a dozen games out of 1st at the beginning of September and still made the playoffs. That alone is an accomplishment. They were able to take the division with a wildly depleted team, led by a ton of rookies and unsung guys, and still pose a threat to the Tigers in a wild card series. That they didn't completely get the job done is sad, but understandable. The heroes yesterday were guys like George Valera, a rookie outfielder responsible for a rare earned run for Cleveland, and Chase DeLauter, the rookie prospect who got his first hit in the postseason, and Brayan Rocchio, who finished the season making up for all the time he wasn't hitting in the first 5 months. They will be back stronger, better developed and more commandingly. 

The Cubs were the better team heading into their wild card series and were able to stave off the Padres after all, despite...being the Cubs. A lot had been made about their rough postseason luck since 2017, and they were able to erase that thanks to a home crowd, a better team and a commanding start from Jameson Taillon. If Seiya Suzuki, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch are gonna be great playoff pieces, they might be in for a long run. And if Jamo's a valid October option, only allowing 2 hits in 4 innings, they might have the starting depth after all. Cubs-Brewers has the potential to be the tightest series of the four, as the Brewers don't want you to know that they've actually lost steam since their insane August. Could go either way honestly. 

As for the Padres...they got here, and they fought hard, but if Tatis and Machado aren't gonna hit then there's no point in showing up. At the end, the Padres were starting fights with the umps, saying they took the series from them. No. The Cubs were better and you couldn't hit them. Don't try and blame the system. One of the few Padres to actually show up this series was Freddy Fermin, the catcher they traded for to ensure they actually had a decent option back there. Fermin went 4-for-11 this postseason, hitting .364. The goal is for the rest of the team to show up as well. Jackson Merrill getting a late homer isn't gonna be enough. Next year it may be tougher for them to catch the Dodgers unless they really put the effort in.

As for my Yankees...what else can you say but 'wow'? Cam Schlittler getting Game 3 was a risk, and it paid off in dramatic fashion. The man went 8 innings, striking out 12, allowing no runs and no walks. It was a masterful performance, made even crazier by the fact that Schlittler was nearing 100mph for most of the night and was hitting 97 in the 8th. Nobody could hit this guy, and nobody could hit the bullpen either. The Yankees won this game by completely silencing a very tough Red Sox team, and remembering to contact-hit when they could. And again, the guys we got midyear, like Amed Rosario, David Bednar and Ryan McMahon, were the true difference maker. Very proud of these guys, and hopefully they can regain momentum in Toronto.

Connelly Early didn't do terribly badly himself, he struck out 6 through 4, but the problem with the Sox starting Nathaniel Lowe and Romy Gonzalez is that the errors that the Yankees' infield worked to avoid are gonna happen. That 4th inning illuminated just how unfit defensively this Sox team was for this moment, and they failed Connelly Early. The Red Sox were very close to winning this series and shocking everyone, and for the first time since 2003 they simply couldn't stop the Yankees. 

I assume they'll be back, bigger and badder, with their big 3 next year, and that'll be...fun. For now, we've got 4 fun looking series scheduled for this weekend. Still a lot of teams I really enjoy in the mix, so I'm enjoying this.