SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants got a preview of the automated ball-strike system, or ABS, during Cactus League games this past spring. Starting next year, the system will be making its debut in the majors.
Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday morning that ABS will be coming to the majors in 2026. Human umpires will still call balls and strikes behind the plate, but each team will have two challenges per game and extra appeals in extra innings.
Pitchers, catchers and batters are the only players who can challenge, which they do by tapping their heads. If a challenge is successful, teams retain their challenge.
“Everybody’s probably for it at this point,” said manager Bob Melvin. “You saw how many misses there were in spring training and there’s so much information now that, like anything they’ve done here recently, they’re trying to get it right and make it better.”
The Giant who stands to be impacted the most, by far, is catcher Patrick Bailey. The one-time Gold Glove Award winner has been the most valuable defender since making his debut, according to Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value, and much of his value derives from his framing.
Over the last three seasons, Bailey has been the best at turning strikes into a wide margin, leading all backstops with 64 Catcher Framing Runs. For context, the Blue Jays’ Alejandro Kirk ranks second in Catcher Framing Runs during that same timeframe with 33. And unlike most catchers, Bailey excels at stealing strikes on all sides of the plate — up, down, left or right.
“He’s as good as you get, and he understands (the zone) too,” Melvin said. “He knows all the numbers. He knows what his pitchers can do and where he needs to go to get these strikes. It makes a big impact. He’s a pretty cerebral player on top of it. A lot of understanding of the nuances of the position.”
Bailey said he wasn’t a fan of ABS during spring training, but he had a more measured stance when speaking with reporters on Tuesday.
“I don’t really have any thoughts on it,” Bailey said. “We’ll just have to figure out what it looks like. I’ve had experience with it in Triple-A a little bit and in spring training. It’ll be a big chance and we’ll have to figure out how to use it to the best of our ability.”
Bailey said he doesn’t believe that the system will take away the value of frame, adding that catchers still “have to get calls and keep strikes, strikes.” While Bailey will likely have a few framed strikes overturned, he’ll also have his chance to turn incorrectly-called balls into strikes.
“This past week, off the top of my head, there’s obviously times where I’m catching where it’s pretty confident that was a strike,” Bailey said. “That’s going to be able to help catchers as well. I think some of the best catchers are going to be the ones that know the zone the best. So, there’s going to be training in that and value and that. We’ll have to see what that looks like.”
“Maybe a little bit,” Melvin said when asked if Bailey’s value will be impacted. “I don’t think a good framer goes away unless it’s wholesale. I still think his value is going to be pretty high.”
While technology will now help determine balls and strikes — Hawk-Eye technology will run in the background of games and monitor the location of every pitch — the home-plate umpire will still be responsible for the majority of calls. This, in turn, maintains the human element of the game. The full ABS system, by contrast, completely removes that component.
The full ABS system was tested in the minors from 2022-24 but phased out by the end of the 2024 season in favor of the challenge system. With this system, every call was dictated by Hawk-Eye technology and took the responsibility of calling balls and strikes out of an umpire’s hands. Justin Verlander and Robbie Ray were among those fine with the challenge system but against full ABS.
“I think it’s a nightmare scenario with full ABS,” Verlander said. “I think you completely take away the art of pitching. It would just completely go away. You’d have a designated hitter sitting behind home plate (instead of a catcher) setting up on the corner. … I think the appeal system is definitely the better scenario for that.”
“I don’t really have a problem with (the challenge system). I do have a problem with the full ABS system. It just doesn’t seem right if you were to call balls and strikes off the full zone,” Ray said. “I feel like that would be taking away from the sport. … If there’s a big situation and you feel like you make your pitch — or a hitter feels like he gets a close pitch that gets called a strike — I don’t mind having the ability to challenge that.”

ARLINGTON — Two things struck us Tuesday morning after hearing the revolutionary news that MLB has decided to institute an Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system – or as they are otherwise known “robot umps,” – for the 2026 season.
First, because we may be a bit warped: This is really gonna hurt Bruce Bochy’s chances of catching Tony LaRussa on the all-time ejections list (to which Bochy later assured us: “Oh, I’m gonna catch him”). We’ll see, he’s four back. And this is going to tamp down ejections.
Second, Wyatt Langford, the most discerning of Rangers hitters, stands to be among baseball’s biggest beneficiaries.
“I’m definitely excited,” he said in the Rangers’ clubhouse prior to Tuesday’s game against Minnesota. “I personally feel like it’s going to help me.”
He should be even more excited than that.
Entering Tuesday, over the course of his short two-year career, umpires had called 111 pitches out of the zone strikes, according to MLB’s own Statcast system. It was the 14th most blown calls in baseball. In 15th? Baseball’s most discerning and best hitter, Aaron Judge.
He was abused so badly as a rookie, even MLB had to make amends and eventually squeeze out Angel Hernandez for perhaps the three most egregious blown strike calls — plural — in a single at-bat in Houston last year. Google it if you need a laugh.
This year, he ranks 25th in baseball with 49 blown calls. He’s the only Ranger in the top 90, which probably also says a little about the club’s plate discipline or, more accurately, the lack thereof. But, hey, that’s a story, or theme, for another day. Like the whole offseason.
In the meantime, there is this: Inaccurate ball-strike calls may be the only thing standing between Langford and an .800 OPS, which would mean the difference between this being another step in the right direction and a leap into full-fledged stardom.
Look at the most impactful of those calls. Langford had six called third strikes, two of them on full-count pitches. He had five 1-1 counts go to 1-2 on pitches when balls were actually out of the zone. And he had 19 0-0 pitches turn into 0-1 counts on mistake calls. He’s 4 for 28 in those plate appearances with two walks. Here’s the difference between Langford after 1-0 vs. 0-1: A .987 OPS vs. a .573 OPS. After 2-1 vs. 1-2: .725 vs. .494. It’s a huge swing. If even half those pitches go in Langford’s favor it stands to swing his season OPS by 15-20 points. He entered Tuesday at .778.
“The 1-1 pitch might be the most important in baseball,” Bochy said. “If it’s not, the first pitch is. This should be a huge benefit for Wyatt.”
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Bochy is in favor of the change. He was impressed by the system in spring training and he came away with a favorable view. Hasn’t changed since March. He welcomed the news on Tuesday. Well, it beat talking about the other topics, such as potential official elimination from playoff eligibility and which players are officially shut down (as of Tuesday that list included Marcus Semien, Corey Seager and Sam Haggerty).
For the record, teams will start games with two challenges that can be made by pitcher, catcher or hitter. If replay overturns the call, the challenging team retains its challenge. If not, a challenge is lost. There will be some strategy to using these, similar to replay challenges. Don’t want to use them too early. Don’t want to use them on relatively meaningless pitches. Don’t want to allow them in the hands of everybody because there are guys who now ground out to shortstop and immediately cup their hands at first base to urge the dugout to challenge.
As a team, the Rangers were mixed on their input to MLB’s committee. Player rep Josh Jung said that, unsurprisingly, hitters were very much in favor of it and pitchers, not so much. Ranger pitchers entered Tuesday with 361 charitable strike calls, 14th in the majors, right around league average.
The Rangers are going to have a whole lot of offensive issues to address this offseason. For a second straight season, they’ve shown no ability to hit the fastball. They seem to hunt breaking balls too much, instead of being on time to drive fastballs and reacting to spin. They swing too often and walk too little. It will keep them busy.
But the news on Tuesday that ABS is coming is bound to help one of their best players get even better.
Every little bit helps.
Find more Rangers coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

PHILADELPHIA − Things went from bad to worse for the Phillies.
They were cruising along with a 3-0 lead on Sept. 23 as Cristopher Sanchez was dominant through 7 innings, keeping alive their chance to clinch a bye through the wild card playoffs. The Phillies needed a win and a Dodgers loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks to clinch.
But Phillies manager Rob Thomson decided to pull Sanchez, who had thrown 91 pitches through that point. David Robertson then gave up two runs as a light rain started falling before Tanner Banks got out of the inning.
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The Phillies brought in closer Jhoan Duran to protect that one-run lead. But with one out, he gave up a game-tying homer to Heriberto Hernandez on an 0-and-2 pitch clocked at 101 mph.
Before the home run, Hernandez fouled a pitch off J.T. Realmuto’s right, throwing hand. Realmuto stayed in the game, but was pinch hit for to start the ninth by Rafael Marchan.
Marchan singled as a heavy rain started falling. That’s when play was stopped.
For the Phillies, they were playing without Bryce Harper, who was out with an illness. In addition, shortstop Trea Turner and Edmundo Sosa are still on the injured list. That left Bryson Stott to play shortstop and Weston Wilson at second.
Still, the Phillies were in good shape after Kyle Schwarber hit his 54th homer in the first inning, a solo blast. Then Otto Kemp, playing first base in place of Harper, added a two-run shot in the second inning.
Sanchez was cruising. He threw seven shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk. He struck out 6. Sanchez surpassed 200 strikeouts on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.57. Thomson has already penciled Sanchez in to start the Phillies’ first postseason game.
But Thomson decided to pull him in the eighth for Robertson.
It didn’t go well. With one out, he gave up a solo homer to Griffin Conine. Then one out later, he gave up a single to Otto Lopez. Liam Hicks followed with a single sending Lopez to third. But Harrison Bader’s errant throw from center field allowed Lopez to score.
Banks came in and struck out Jakob Marsee to end the inning, the Phillies clinging to a 3-2 lead.
Duran couldn’t hold it.
The blown save is his third in 18 save opportunities since coming to the Phillies in a July 31st trade with the Minnesota Twins.
And then the Phillies had to wait out the rain for a chance to clinch a bye for the first round of the playoffs.

Mike Shildt knows better than to stand in the way of progress.
In the case of the automated ball strike (ABS) challenge system approved for the 2026 season on Tuesday by Major League Baseball’s joint competition committee, technology could very well save the Padres manager from himself.
“I think it’s also going to save managers some money,” Shildt said with a laugh. “We’re going to have to really work hard to get ejected now. With replay, you can’t argue against … New York, although I’ve tried, and that didn’t work. That’s a bigger fine. And now you can’t yell at an umpire for balls and strikes, because he’s just doing what the monitor tells him. So ejections go way down and fines are down.
“So anyway, that’s maybe a benefit from it.”
That’s not to say that Shildt isn’t a fan of the commissioner’s office doing what it can to improve the game. He lumps ABS with the three-batter minimum and pitch clock as changes that were only a matter of time. MLB has been studying fan engagement and enjoyment and is trying to make the game more appealing to a younger audience.
Getting calls right is part of that consideration, and MLB has the technology to help umpires with the strike zone just as they can use instant replay to review calls on the field.
But “robot umps,” as the ABS system is called in passing, won’t apply to every pitch.
Just contested pitches.
If a pitcher, catcher or hitter disagrees with the plate umpire’s call, he simply taps his hat or helmet and vocalizes a challenge. From there, the Hawk-Eye cameras tracking each pitch determine if the ball clipped any part of the strike zone. The review of the challenge will then be played on ballpark videoboards in a process that takes about 15 seconds.
Each team will start each game with two challenges, with successful challenges retained.
The system has been tweaked over recent years in the minors and was in use in spring training as a potential preview for the 2026 season.
“I like the challenge system,” Padres first baseman Ryan O’Hearn said. “I think it’s a good mix of the human element and guys being able to challenge pitches in big spots. I like the format of it. It’s not going to be like a first-inning, anytime challenge. It’s going to be in big spots. Guys don’t want to lose a challenge for their team.”
Indeed, a strategy will emerge when it comes to using the challenges. Guidelines will also take shape, as Triple-A El Paso manager Pete Zamora said in spring training that his catchers were in charge of challenges.
Reliever Jeremiah Estrada, who’d been part of minor league games with a version of ABS in play, sees the logic in that.
“I’ll leave it up to the catcher,” Estrada said. “He’s the one that knows. I mean, I know what will look like a strike … but he’s seen it throughout the entire game to understand where the umpire’s eyes have been at.”
As part of the move to the ABS challenge system, the strike zone will be defined in a way like never before.
Baseball rules outline what the strike zone is, but the boundaries can be inconsistent from game to game and even pitch to pitch, judging by some of the independent umpire reviews that take place on such websites as UmpScorecards.com.
The strike zone used for next year’s challenge system will be a two-dimensional rectangle set in the middle of home plate with the edges set to the width of the plate (17 inches), the top based on 53.5% of a batter’s height and the bottom based on 27% of a batter’s height.
Official heights will be measured and certified before a player may appear in an MLB game. Measurements were taken this year in spring training before the system was used on a trial basis at select parks in Cactus and Grapefruit League games.
At that point, Shildt figured implementation in the majors was only a matter of time.
“That was coming,” Shildt said.
He added: “I think it’s ultimately that you want to get it right. You want a fair game, and you don’t want a decision to be made to affect a team one way or the other.”

The New York Yankees became the latest team to clinch a playoff spot on Tuesday, doing so in dramatic fashion on a walk-off win vs. the White Sox after a ninth-inning comeback. The Yankees have now made the postseason in back-to-back seasons and in eight of their last nine attempts.
Down 2-1 headed into the bottom of the ninth, Anthony Volpe scored the tying run on a wild pitch from Chicago reliever Brandon Eisert before José Caballero drove in Aaron Judge for the winning run.
The extent of New York’s playoff berth is to be determined since the Yankees remain in the hunt for both the American League’s top seed and the East division crown. The Yankees entered Tuesday trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by two games in both races. It’s worth noting the Blue Jays won the season series (8-5), meaning the Yankees will have to beat them outright to prevail.
The Yankees can credit their success to yet another terrific season from Aaron Judge, who may well win consecutive AL MVP awards. Offseason additions like slugger Cody Bellinger, lefty Max Fried, and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt also ranked among the 10 most productive players on New York’s roster, according to Baseball Reference’s metrics.
In a sense, a down year would’ve been understandable. The Yankees lost outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Mets through free agency, then saw ace Gerrit Cole succumb to Tommy John surgery back in the spring, before he could throw even a single regular-season pitch. Yet the Yankees were able to weather those setbacks, as well as losing months in June and July. As of Tuesday, they had the best run differential in the entire American League.
The Yankees will wrap up their regular season with two more games against the White Sox and then three against the Baltimore Orioles, one of the year’s most disappointing clubs.

NEW YORK – By early July, the Yankees had lost their AL East lead, and by early August they had lost their way entirely.
But a late-season surge strengthened the Yanks’ wild card standing, and on Tuesday night they punched their ticket to the playoffs.
Down 2-1 to the Chicago White Sox heading into the ninth inning, the Yankees put together the rally they needed. After Anthony Volpe scored from third base on a wild pitch from pitcher Brandon Eisert, Jose Caballero played hero with a walk-off single to score Aaron Judge from second.
Down the stretch, the Yankees compiled MLB’s best record since Aug. 6, going 29-14 and putting pressure on the Toronto Blue Jays, who were coasting in first place.
Toronto holds the tiebreaker over the Yankees, based on their 2025 head-to-head record.
But the Yankees still have an outside chance to win the division.
Entering Tuesday, if the Blue Jays played .500 (3-3) in their final six games, the Yankees needed to win all their remaining six games to repeat as AL East champs.
This is the seventh time the Yankees have reached postseason in manager Aaron Boone’s eight-year tenure, winning the pennant in 2024 but still seeking the franchise’s first world title since 2009.
If the Yankees maintain their top AL wild card standing, they will host a best-of-three series against the second AL wild card starting next Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
If the Yankees were to win the division, they’d open the postseason in a best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Oct. 4.

The Red Sox are another step closer.
Boston opened its three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-1 victory at Rogers Centre on Tuesday night. The Red Sox, who currently hold a one game lead for the second American League Wild Card spot, are another win closer to their postseason goal.
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Alex Cora and company received help elsewhere, too.
The Cleveland Guardians earned a 5-2 victory against the Detroit Tigers in their series opener. Cleveland now sits atop the American League Central after having won 11 of its last 12 games. Meanwhile, Detroit, which had an 11-game lead in the division earlier this month, is a half game up on the Houston Astros for the third AL Wild Card spot.
Boston should benefit from Detroit’s slide. The Red Sox host the Tigers in a three-game series this weekend and thus could have the opportunity to gain further ground in the standings.
The Red Sox remain four games back of the New York Yankees, who earned a 3-2 victory against the Chicago White Sox and thus kept a stranglehold atop the Wild Card standings.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora managed Tuesday’s game like a postseason matchup. With starting pitcher Lucas Giolito sitting at 98 pitches and allowing a two-out walk to Alejandro Kirk, Cora pulled the right-hander with two outs in the fifth inning. He went to the bullpen, and the group stepped up.
Justin Wilson, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Aroldis Chapman combined for the final 4.1 innings and did not allow a single hit in relief.
The Red Sox will face the Blue Jays in the middle game of the three-game set on Wednesday night.

Human umpires will still call games, but robots will be used if teams want to challenge up to two calls per game, plus any additional appeals in extra innings.
The MLB had tested the ABS throughout its minor-league system for years until deciding to make the leap for next season. With the move, the MLB joins the NFL and others in utilizing technology to regulate a major part of the game.
The NFL implemented Sony’s Hawk-Eye camera system to measure first downs for the 2025 system, with the traditional first down chains used as a backup.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said players’ preference for the challenge system versus the robotic umpires calling every pitch played a major role in the decision.
“Throughout this process, we have worked on deploying the system in a way that’s acceptable to players,” Manfred said in a statement. “The strong preference from players for the challenge format over using the technology to call every pitch was a key factor in determining the system we are announcing today.”
“I commend the Joint Competition Committee for striking the right balance of preserving the integral role of the umpire in the game with the ability to correct a missed call in a high-leverage situation, all while preserving the pace and rhythm of the game,” he also said.
Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, who is on the committee, believed the change was inevitable.
“Honestly, I was pretty indifferent. I knew it was looming, just the way the vote is structured. So I tried not to get too one way or the other. I think if you were ask me, I’d probably would have leaned more against it, but I just tried to be open about it, and just kind of fell on indifference,” he added.
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The MLB playoffs take place later this month, with the season concluding in October.
Robotic umpires will make their debut with the season opener in March next year.

A number of teams are starting to shift their focus to October as the final month of the 2025 MLB regular season continues.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs have both clinched postseason berths, with the Brewers also taking home the NL Central title. ThePhiladelphia Phillies have locked up the NL East title, the Los Angeles Dodgers are headed back to October (again) and the Toronto Blue Jays became the first AL team to secure a playoff spotand the New York Yankees followed days later.
And in the biggest twists of the 2025 season, the Cleveland Guardians have rocked the American League playoff picture with a September surge, emerging as a serious contender in both the AL Central and wild-card race while the New York Mets’ prolonged struggles have opened the door for the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL wild-card race.
Beyond division races, there are many storylines to watch as the regular season comes to an end and playoffs begin: Where do current playoff matchups stand? What games should you be paying attention to each day leading up to October? Who will be the next team to clinch a postseason berth? And what does the playoff schedule look like?
We have everything you need to know as the regular season hits the homestretch.
Key links: Full MLB standings | Wild-card standings
Who’s in?
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers clinched the season’s first playoff spot for a second consecutive year on Sept. 13 and followed up by securing their third straight NL Central title.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies clinched a spot in the postseason on Sept. 14. With a win the following night, Philadelphia clinched the NL East title for the second straight year.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs clinched their spot in the postseason on Sept. 17 and will be making their first playoff appearance in a full-length season since 2018.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers clinched their 13th consecutive playoff appearance on Friday.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays became the first AL team to secure a postseason berth with a with over the Royals on Sunday.
San Diego Padres
The Padres clinched their fourth postseason trip in six years with a walk-off win over the Brewers on Monday.
New York Yankees
The Yankees became the second AL team to clinch a playoff spot with a walk-off win over the White Sox on Tuesday.
Who can clinch a playoff spot next?
On Tuesday, the Seattle Mariners can clinch a postseason berth with a win over Colorado.
There are also a number of other clinch possibilities coming up:
The Phillies can clinch a first-round bye and home field advantage in the NLDS with a win over Miami and a Dodgers loss on Tuesday.
The Dodgers can clinch the NL West as early as Wednesday.
The Blue Jays can clinch the AL East as early as Wednesday.
The Mariners can clinch the AL West as early as Wednesday.
The Brewers can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NL as early as Wednesday.
The Cubs can clinch the No. 4 seed in the NL as early as Wednesday.
What are this October’s MLB playoff matchups as it stands now?
American League
Wild-card round: (6) Tigers at (3) Guardians, (5) Red Sox at (4) Yankees
ALDS: Tigers/Guardians/ vs. (2) Mariners, Red Sox/Yankees vs. (1) Blue Jays
National League
Wild-card round: (6) Mets at (3) Dodgers, (5) Padres at (4) Cubs
NLDS: Mets/Dodgers vs. (2) Phillies, Padres/Cubs vs. (1) Brewers
Breaking down the AL race
The Blue Jays have taken control of the race for the AL’s No. 1 seed. While Toronto sits atop the AL East, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are duking it out for wild-card seeding. And the Seattle Marinersare attempting to separate themselves from the Houston Astros in a two-team AL West race. Meanwhile, theCleveland Guardiansare in hot pursuit of the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central while also playing themselves into a tight race for the final wild-card spot.
And what about when these teams get to the postseason? Here’s what their chances are for every round:
Breaking down the NL race
The Brewers were the first MLB team to seal its spot in October, and the Phillies — who then sealed an NL East title — clinched next. A group of contenders have separated themselves atop the NL standings with the New York Mets,Arizona DiamondbacksandCincinnati Redsbattling for the final playoff spot, and there is intrigue in the NL West as the Dodgers attempt to fend off the Padres for the division crown.
And what about when these teams get to the postseason? Here’s what their chances are for every round:
Game of the day
Looking for something to watch today? Here’s the baseball game with the biggest playoff implications:
Playoff schedule
Wild-card series
>Best of three, all games at better seed’s stadium
Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30
>Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1
>Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*
Division series
>Best of five
ALDS
>Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
>Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5
>Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7
>Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8*
>Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10*
NLDS
>Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
>Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
>Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8
>Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9*
>Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11*
League championship series
>Best of seven
ALCS
>Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 12
>Game 2: Monday, Oct. 13
>Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15
>Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16
>Game 5: Friday, Oct. 17*
>Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 19*
>Game 7: Monday, Oct. 20*
NLCS
>Game 1: Monday, Oct. 13
>Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14
>Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16
>Game 4: Friday, Oct. 17
>Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 18*
>Game 6: Monday, Oct. 20*
>Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 21*
World Series
>Best of seven
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24
>Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25
>Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27
>Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28
>Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29*
>Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31*
>Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1*
* If necessary

The Seattle Mariners became the latest team to clinch a postseason berth when they defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Tuesday night for their fifth straight win and improved their record to 88-69 on the season. The Mariners, who staked out a three-game advantage last weekend by sweeping the Houston Astros, are seeking their first American League West title since 2001.
The Mariners trailed 3-1 entering the eighth but a two-out, bases-clearing double from Josh Naylor turned that two-run deficit into a 4-3 lead. Andres Munoz then shut the door in the ninth for his 38th save of the season.
The Mariners haven’t had a player win the MVP award since Ichiro Suzuki did it in 2001. Catcher Cal Raleigh has a chance, however, depending on how voters weigh him against New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. For as good as Raleigh has been this season, setting a new franchise single-year record in home runs in addition to the league-wide positional mark, he hasn’t been the Mariners’ only key contributor.
Rather, the Mariners have received massive years from center fielder Julio Rodríguez, right-handed pitcher Bryan Woo, left fielder Randy Arozarena, and shortstop J.P. Crawford. Muñoz has also been excellent, and earlier this summer he earned his second All-Star Game honor.
The Mariners, after suffering through losing months in both May and June, have locked in for September. They started the month with an 0-4 mark, but have a 14-1 record in the time since, a remarkable stretch that included a 10-game winning streak.
The Mariners will complete their regular season by playing two more games against the Rockies and then three against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a potential World Series preview.

There is so much to be decided in the final week of the regular season. One of the biggest must-watch items on the docket: What will Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh do in their closing arguments for American League Most Valuable Player?
While MLB.com’s latest MVP poll shows Shohei Ohtani continuing to hold a comfortable advantage in the National League, the race in the AL almost literally can’t get any closer. After 40 of our experts cast their votes, the Yankees’ captain and the Mariners’ slugging catcher were separated by only two points.
Voters ranked their top five picks in each league on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale — five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on. Votes were based not just on performances to date, but also on how things are expected to go over the final few games remaining. Here are the poll results.
The choice between Judge and Raleigh is a real toss-up, even among league executives. Judge moves back into the No. 1 spot by a very narrow margin after falling to No. 2 in August. He has six homers in his past 14 games and needs just one more long ball for his third 50-homer season. Judge is also in line to lead the Majors in on-base percentage (.451), slugging percentage (.672) and FanGraphs WAR (9.2) for the third time in four years. His .326 average is the best in the bigs, meaning the 6-foot-7 Judge could become the tallest batting champion in MLB history.
Raleigh made an impact in the Mariners’ biggest series of the year this past weekend. He homered twice during Seattle’s road sweep against the Astros, putting the Mariners in a commanding spot to earn their first division title since 2001. Raleigh, with five dingers in his previous seven games, is up to a franchise-record 58 home runs this year. He could become the seventh player and first catcher to reach the 60-homer plateau — and he would achieve it while playing for a likely division winner. It’s an easy case to make for MVP.
The Guardians, 11 games out of the AL Central entering Sept. 5, are just a single game behind the faltering Tigers heading into a massive three-game showdown in Cleveland that begins Tuesday. The Guardians have gone 15-2 since that date, and, unsurprisingly, Ramírez has been driving the bus. He has a .297/.392/.593 slash line with 10 extra-base hits over the past 17 games and is putting the finishing touches on his third 30-30 campaign. He should be inside the top five in AL MVP voting for the sixth time in the past nine seasons.
While the Guardians have surged since early September, the Royals have stumbled. Kansas City was one game out of a Wild Card spot at the end of Sept. 6, but it has dropped nine of the past 14 games to turn from a postseason hopeful into an also-ran. Witt’s numbers remain a clear step down from last season, when he was the AL MVP runner-up. But with 23 homers and 37 steals, he is the first player in MLB history to record a 20-30 stat line in each of his first four seasons. His 7.7 fWAR ranks fourth in the Majors, trailing only Judge, Raleigh (8.8) and Ohtani (8.8).
There have been a handful of worthy MVP candidates on the team with the best record in the AL this season. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette both received consideration from our voters. Catcher Alejandro Kirk has had a 4-WAR season. But it’s the 36-year-old Springer who gets into our top five. He has 30 homers, a .953 OPS and 4.7 fWAR. Those are his best marks in each category since 2019, when he won a Silver Slugger and finished seventh in the AL MVP voting. His .307 batting average is a career best as is his 162 wRC+, which is second only to Judge (199) in the AL.
In his 13 starts and 41 innings since returning to pitching on June 16, Ohtani has recorded 54 strikeouts and only nine walks. His 2.12 FIP is third-best among pitchers with at least 40 innings while his 27.1% strikeout-minus-walk rate is tied for 12th. He has allowed only one earned run over the past 13 2/3 innings, and he has posted an extremely low 3.9% barrel rate. Ohtani would have a rock-solid MVP case if we just focused on his offense — he’s atop the NL once again in runs (141), home runs (53, tied with Kyle Schwarber), OPS (1.015) and wRC+ (172). Including his brilliance on the mound makes Ohtani a near lock to take home a fourth MVP award.
Schwarber has put together a heck of a walk year. He has produced career highs in home runs (53), RBIs (129), wRC+ (152) and fWAR (4.7). He might end up leading the Senior Circuit in those first two categories. Schwarber’s 59.7% hard-hit rate isn’t just a personal best; it’s No. 1 among all qualified hitters. However, his MVP chances have dimmed over the past few weeks. Since his momentous four-homer night on Aug. 28, Schwarber has four homers and a .395 slugging percentage across 22 games.
After all of that early-season hullabaloo about Soto’s underwhelming beginning as a Met, he’s going to end up having another special year. His OPS (.933) is above .900 for the third straight season, and he’s likely going to lead the Majors in walks (123) for the fourth time since 2021. His 42 homers are a career high, and Soto’s 35 stolen bases — nearly triple his previous high — make him the 16th player in MLB history to put up a 40-30 season. He is the only Met in that small group.
Every player in each league’s top five in this poll has seen their name on at least one MVP ballot. Well, everyone except Perdomo, who has had a tremendous breakout season at the plate. Strong defense has always made him valuable, but now with 19 home runs and a 138 wRC+, Perdomo has transformed into one of the game’s most well-rounded players and a surprising MVP candidate. His 6.9 fWAR ranks fifth in the big leagues.
Perdomo has been fantastic since the July 31 Trade Deadline, batting .322 with a .971 OPS, eight homers and 11 steals in 47 games. Although the D-backs were a seller at the Deadline, those contributions have helped them make a late-season charge, and they entered Monday just one game out of a playoff spot.
With Zack Wheeler out for the season, Skenes should run away with the NL Cy Young. He’ll get plenty of down-ballot support for MVP, too. He’s actually coming off his shortest start of the year as he allowed seven hits, three walks and three runs to the Cubs in just 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday. But no matter — Skenes still leads all qualified pitchers with a 2.03 ERA. His 23.5% K-BB walk rate and 0.96 WHIP are unmatched in the NL, and he’s right behind the Giants’ Logan Webb for the league lead in strikeouts (211 to 209).
In the Live Ball Era (since 1920), the only qualified starting pitcher to have at least 200 K’s and an ERA of 2.10 or better within his first two MLB seasons is Dwight Gooden for the 1985 Mets. After his season finale on Wednesday against Hunter Greene and the Reds, Skenes will likely double the size of that club.

Two of those clubs — the Brewers and Padres — have already begun a big series at Petco Park, with Milwaukee having clinched the National League Central but looking to wrap up the NL’s top seed and San Diego still clinging to hopes of a division crown of its own after clinching a playoff spot on Monday.
With October in sight, here’s a look at other important series to watch this week, games that will have major seeding implications for some clubs, and major implications for others who are trying to squeak into the playoffs.
The stakes are as high as they can get in this three-game set between the two teams atop the American League Central. The Tigers have had a tight grip on the division lead for most of the season, but Detroit has lost nine of 10 while the Guardians have surged with 15 wins in their last 17 games. It all adds up to a showdown with the AL Central crown on the line — Cleveland enters the series just one game back.
The Jays have clinched a postseason berth, but now they hope to hold off the Yankees to claim Toronto’s first division title in a decade. Toronto is also looking to clinch the AL’s top seed. The Red Sox, meanwhile, are still trying to scratch their way into the postseason, currently just a game ahead of the Guardians and Astros for the second AL Wild Card spot. One of those three — or perhaps even the Tigers if Cleveland overtakes them this week — will likely be the odd team out when it’s all said and done.
The Dodgers are in. Now their goal is to clinch their 12th NL West title in the past 13 seasons. They’re in a good spot, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Padres with the tiebreaker on their side. The D-backs, meanwhile, are just a game back of the Reds and Mets for the third NL Wild Card spot. Despite selling at the Trade Deadline and being streaky in the second half, Arizona is still within striking distance. But the D-backs will have to contend with Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who are lined up to pitch in the series.
The Mets need a swift turnaround in this final week of the season after being caught by the Reds for the third NL Wild Card position (Cincinnati owns the tiebreaker between the clubs). New York — which has lost 11 of its past 15 games — faces a Cubs team that has clinched a spot in the postseason with a comfortable lead over San Diego for the top NL Wild Card spot. The Mets need to win and will need a little help from the Pirates and Brewers, who play the Reds to finish out the regular season.
The Astros have been overtaken in the AL West after being swept by the Mariners at home over the weekend, and being three games behind Seattle with just six to play, it appears Houston will have to fight to get into the playoffs at all as it battles to beat out the Red Sox, Guardians or Tigers for an AL Wild Card berth. The Astros will face the A’s in Sacramento without closer Josh Hader and slugger Yordan Alvarez, though they hope they’ll get an injured Jeremy Peña back during the series.
The Reds have been hot, having won five straight following a four-game sweep of the Cubs over the weekend at Great American Ball Park. But Cincinnati will have to deal with NL Cy Young Award candidate Paul Skenes, who is slated to take the mound for the Pirates on Wednesday. Cincinnati does have the benefit of holding the tiebreaker against the Mets, with whom it is presently tied for the third NL Wild Card spot.
The Yankees still have a chance to catch the Blue Jays and win the division, but it’ll be a tall order, particularly because Toronto owns the tiebreaker between the clubs. Still, with a homestand against the White Sox and Orioles to conclude the regular season schedule, it isn’t out of the question if New York takes care of business in the Bronx this week.
The Mariners are in great shape coming off their huge sweep of the Astros at Daikin Park over the weekend. Seattle enjoys a three-game lead over Houston, as well as ownership of the tiebreaker should things get wild this week. On top of that, the M’s will host the club with baseball’s worst record this season, the Rockies, for three at T-Mobile Park. It would behoove Seattle to take care of business against Colorado before concluding the regular season with three against the Dodgers.

The San Diego Padres are returning to the playoffs. The Padres clinched their spot in the tournament with Monday night’s win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park (SD 5, MIL 4, 11 innings). This marks San Diego’s second straight postseason appearance and their fourth in the last six years. They had five postseason appearances during the franchise’s first 51 seasons of existence.
With the Padres in, five of the six National League postseason spots have been claimed. The Brewers (NL Central) and Philadelphia Phillies (NL East) have won their divisions, and Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers have clinched postseason berths. The Dodgers hold a three-game lead over the Padres in the NL West, plus they have the tiebreaker, so it’s really a four-game lead.
The Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets have identical 80-76 records, though because the Reds won the season series, they hold the tiebreaker and technically occupy the third wild card spot. The Arizona Diamondbacks are nipping at the Reds’ heels in addition to the Mets. The NL postseason field is shaping up to look like this:
Bye: Brewers and Phillies
WC: WC3 at Dodgers
WC: Padres at Cubs
2025 MLB playoff picture: Baseball standings, projections, odds as Mets, Tigers, Astros fight for their lives
Kate Feldman
San Diego has leaned heavily on run prevention, particularly a bullpen that is four deep in closer-caliber relievers, to get back to the postseason. They have allowed the second-fewest runs per game this season, though they’re middle of the pack in runs scored per game, and they’re near the bottom of the league in home runs. Creating runs can be a challenge at times.
Still, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. are a formidable offensive core, and Xander Bogaerts returned from a foot fracture Monday. Luis Arraez, Jake Cronenworth, Jackson Merrill, and trade deadline additions Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn could be very strong complementary pieces, though they’ve rarely been hot (or healthy) at the same time this season.
Ace right-hander Michael King has battled shoulder and knee trouble this year and has been shaky of late, though he is a safe bet to start a postseason game, likely Game 1. Nick Pivetta has been the club’s most reliable starter all season. Dylan Cease can dominate on his best days, which he has not had enough of this season. A spot in the postseason rotation is not assured.
Jeremiah Estrada, Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, and closer Robert Suarez are as good as any bullpen foursome in baseball. Righty Jason Adam went down with a season-ending quad injury earlier this month, however, taking away a high-leverage option. The plan for the Padres is simple: get good starting pitching, scratch out a few runs, and smother the opponent with the bullpen.

Major League Baseball owners have officially approved a group led by Patrick Zalupski as the new owners of the Tampa Bay Rays, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Topkin notes that the official transfer is still pending the formal closing of the sale, which is expected later this week. Previous reporting has indicated that the team is being sold for somewhere around $1.7B.
“It’s good to go,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says.
It was originally reported back in June that Sternberg was in “advanced” talks about a sale to the Zalupski-led group which will soon take over the majority stake of the team now. Those negotiations came on the heels of Sternberg receiving pressure to sell from both the commissioner’s office and other owners throughout the league. Sternberg will retain a minority stake in the Rays but will take a backseat after owning the club since purchasing it for $200M back in 2004.
Zalupski is the CEO of Dream Finders Homes, a publicly traded, Jacksonville-based developer that has built more than 31,000 homes across ten states. Back in June, Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.4B, while his company’s valuation rested at $3.4B. It’s not entirely clear how many other investors are a part of the group. Sportico reported over the summer that Ken Babby, who owns multiple minor league teams and is the son of a prominent NBA agent, and Bill Cosgrove, CEO of the Union Home Mortgage Group, are among the others involved in the incoming ownership group.
The new ownership group is expected to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay area, though Zalupski’s vision is for an eventual stadium in Tampa proper, rather than the Rays’ longtime home in St. Petersburg. That’d mean a move from Pinellas County to adjacent Hillsborough County and would also mean negotiating with a different collection of local government officials than the Pinellas County officials who regularly clashed with Sternberg throughout his quest for a new stadium.
For the time being, of course, the Rays are playing in Tampa. They’ve temporarily relocated to George M. Steinbrenner Field — the spring facility and Class-A home for the Yankees — in the wake of massive damage to Tropicana Field at the hands of Hurricane Milton last offseason. The Rays are hoping that they’ll be able to return to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season. They still have another three seasons remaining on their prior lease there, and now that new ownership is all but in place, that period could serve as a bridge to the construction of a new stadium — though there will obviously be numerous hurdles to clear as the new management commences talks with the requisite governmental bodies in Tampa and looks to secure funding.
Broader questions about what the change in ownership means for the Rays will persist for the foreseeable future. Longtime fans will dream of larger payrolls helping to fuel a club that’s managed to be near-perennially competitive despite spending less than the vast majority of the league. However, new ownership is not always a path to exponentially larger payrolls. That may be the case for Steve Cohen’s Mets, but one need only look at the Marlins, Royals and Orioles to find recently sold teams that have yet to significantly invest in bolstering player payroll. An eventual new stadium could be a major step in that direction, but that’s years down the road.
Presumably, there will be some other turnover within the organization. Rays presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld are departing once the sale is finalized, but it’s not at all clear what, if anything, a sale might mean for the baseball operations or dugout staff. (Silverman was once Tampa Bay’s head of baseball operations but has been on the business side of operations since 2017.)
President of baseball operations Erik Neander is signed through at least the 2028 season, while manager Kevin Cash’s most recent extension carries him all the way through 2030. That pair is among the most respected in the industry at their positions, and one would presume that their presence is a selling point for incoming ownership. Other changes could still ensue, but until the deal is official and Zalupski first meets with the media, there will be at least some level of uncertainty regarding matters of this nature.

For a third time this month, Florida baseball has had another former pitcher called up. Left-hander Hunter Barco was promoted by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday, Sept. 22.
Between Double-A and Triple-A Indianapolis, Barco held a 4-1 win-loss record with a 2.81 ERA, 116 strikeouts and 49 walks in 99.1 innings.
Barco, who was the No. 4 prospect in the system, was drafted No. 44 overall in the second round back in 2022.
In Triple-A, Barco recorded 82 strikeouts, 42 walks and a 3.79 ERA in 17 starts and 23 appearances.
At UF, the Jacksonville native and Bolles School alum, helped the Gators make back-to-back appearances in NCAA regionals. In his final year, Barco posted 69 strikeouts, 11 walks and a 2.50 ERA.
Last week, Philip Abner was called up by the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Brandon Sproat made his debut with New York Mets on Sept. 7.

LOS ANGELES — Hyeseong Kim did not sign with the Dodgers to play in the minor leagues.
“It’s not like I had the desire to go down to the minors. But if it all came down to it, I didn’t mind going down to the minors. It happened,” Kim said through his interpreter.
“I mean, just looking at our roster it’s full of great players. If worse comes to worse, I was definitely prepared to start in the minors. But my goal was to survive in Major League Baseball with the Dodgers. But if it all came down to it, I was okay with it.”
Asked to make some significant swing changes, Kim opened the season in Triple-A. He spent a month there before making his MLB debut with the Dodgers in May. He was back in Oklahoma City in August on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment, returning from a shoulder injury that he tried to play through with poor results.
The result is a debut season in the United States after making the jump from an All-Star career in South Korea that has featured more plate appearances in the minors (169) than the majors (161). Since returning to the Dodgers when rosters expanded at the start of September, Kim has watched a lot of Major League Baseball – but he hasn’t played much of it. He has started just four games this month and gone 1 for 14 in limited action. With the Dodgers facing five left-handed starting pitchers last week, Kim has not seen the field since the last inning of a 10-2 win in San Francisco eight days ago.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is honest about where Kim stands as his rookie season winds down and the postseason looms.
“I don’t feel comfortable with him versus left-handed pitching. Balls that are going away from him,” Roberts said recently. “I think with Hyeseong, I love the defense. … This is his first year in the major leagues and I think he’s done a great job.
“I think right now for Hyeseong, there’s too much chase out of the hitting zone and there’s not enough contact. So for me, when you chase a lot and you don’t make a lot of contact, that is not a good spot for the postseason. I think he’s going to be a very good player. He’s helped us out a lot this year. I just think that there’s a lot more growth as a major-league hitter that needs to happen. There’s not enough walk in there, again, because there’s a lot of chase. He’s growing. He’s going to get better. But I think right now (when it comes to playing time) I’ve got to think about guys that I feel that can handle postseason pitching. But I think that this experience for Hyeseong to be on the club, to be in a pennant race, I think this is going to help him going forward.”
Roberts acknowledged that Kim’s “defense, his versatility and his speed is a big benefit for a potential (postseason) roster.” This does not come as a surprise to Kim.
“Just like any player would say, getting a chance to play every day would obviously be ideal,” Kim said. “But understanding my role – each player has a different role on the roster. So understanding that, I just prepare if I get a chance to play.
“If I do make it to the postseason roster, I’ll focus on what I’m good at – pinch-running, substituting on defense. Those are two roles that I have in my mind.”
Whether he thinks he can hit left-handed pitching or should play more is not important, Kim said.
“As a player, I’m willing to do whatever the team wants me to do,” he said. “My opinion is not important. I’m just ready to do whatever the team asks me to do.”
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes praises Kim for being a “terrific athlete, 80 human being, 80 work ethic,” using the 20-80 scouting scale that is a second language in baseball.
Despite the limited contributions, Kim’s rookie season has not been a disappointment, Gomes said.
“Not at all,” Gomes said. “I think for Hyeseong he made some meaningful strides with his swing. We feel even better about the defense, the baserunning – which we thought highly of. He’s an excellent defender, can really run the bases. We think there’s going to be versatility there with the potential to play the outfield in the future at a high level. And I think some of the hitting growing pains – we’ve seen some high highs and some low lows. I think overall with his makeup and his work ethic we’ll bet on him being able to continue to make the needed adjustments to be a successful offensive player.”
Whether he develops into an everyday player or has to be platooned against left-handed pitching “probably depends on the adjustments” Kim still has to make, the GM said. Kim has been given just 19 at-bats against left-handed pitching at the major-league level and held his own with seven hits, including one of his two home runs.
“I think we’ll see based on the continued growth in the box,” Gomes said. “Now, we do feel there is some bat-to-ball in there. He is really fast and could really wreak havoc by bunting and shooting balls the other way.
“There’s still a lot to build upon offensively. We just didn’t have that much time to work with him. Spring training is not a great environment to make adjustments and then just get thrown into games.”
Largely thanks to a .383 batting average through the end of June, Kim has hit .283 against pitching vastly superior to what he saw during his eight professional seasons in Korea.
“Definitely the pitchers,” Kim said of the biggest challenge he faced in making the jump from the KBO to MLB. “Obviously the average velocity is higher. That’s probably the biggest difference. Just seeing higher velocity every day.
“Obviously I went through a hitting change, my stance and all that, and facing different pitchers every day. As a player, I’m learning something new every day. I’ve learned a lot this year.”
After they signed Kim for three years and $12.5 million (plus two club option years), the Dodgers traded the incumbent starter at second base, Gavin Lux, to the Cincinnati Reds for a draft pick (used on Arkansas outfielder Charles Davalan) and minor-league outfielder Mike Sirota (who has hit .333 with a 1.068 OPS at two Class-A levels this year).
Lux has hit .267 with a .723 OPS, playing an everyday role in left field, second base or third base for a Reds team that enters the final week of the regular season in contention for a wild-card spot – and potentially a first-round matchup with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers would make that deal again, Gomes said.
“Yeah,” he said. “Obviously Luxie was a big part of what we did last year and he’s had another good year this year.
“It’s hard to digest now because it’s not impacting the major-league team. But we basically got an additional draft pick and got a guy we really liked in addition to Mike Sirota, who is excellent. It’s the push and pull of – there’s not many times in our position where we are able to push value forward. When we have the opportunity to do it without taking a step back on the major-league roster, it’s a prudent thing to do.”

The Chicago Cubs are off Monday, but they can still take a step toward securing home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The one team that can overcome the Cubs in the wild card standings are the San Diego Padres, who enter action with a three-game deficit as they open a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers at Petco Park.
The Cubs are currently locked into one of the top two wild card spots in the National League, but are within striking distance of playing the best-of-three series at Wrigley Field beginning next Tuesday.
Here’s a breakdown of where things stand.
National League Wild Card Standings:
Chicago Cubs – 88-68
San Diego Padres – 85-71 (3 GB)
Cincinnati Reds – 80-76 (5 GB of Padres)
New York Mets – 80-76
Arizona Diamondbacks – 79-77 (1 GB of Padres and Mets)
The Current MLB Playoff Bracket
If the season ended today, here’s how the series would shape up in the first round in each league.
American League Byes – Toronto Blue Jays (AL East), Seattle Mariners (AL West)
Wild Card Round Series – Cleveland Guardians at Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
National League Byes – Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central), Philadelphia Phillies (NL East)
Wild Card Round Series – Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs
Notes on Tiebreakers –
According to MLB.com, the Reds hold a tiebreaker over the Mets for the wild card series. The Reds also have a tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks if those two teams finish the regular season tied in the standings.
The Diamondbacks also currently hold a tiebreaker over the Mets with a superior divisional record.
The Mets only hold a tiebreaker over the Dodgers, but lose a tiebreaker to the Padres.
The Cubs and Padres split their season series, so the team with the better divisional record would earn home-field advantage if they finished the regular season tied in the standings.
Cubs’ Magic Number for Home-Field Advantage
The Cubs are now guaranteed to finish no worse than the second National League wild card spot, and they’re still closing in on clinching home-field advantage in that series despite their four-game losing streak.
For the Cubs to host that first round series, their magic number currently stands at four, which means they will need a combination of wins and Padres losses to secure the opening series being played at Wrigley Field.
Who Would the Cubs Play if They Win the Wild Card Round?
If the Cubs can advance in the wild card series, it’s looking more likely that they would face the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series, with that series opening up at American Family Field.
The Brewers hold a three-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the National League, and they also own the tiebreaker over the Phillies if the two teams end the season with identical records.
What Does the Remaining Schedule Look Like?
The Cubs have two home series left to end the season. The first is against the Mets, who are desperate to get back into a playoff spot after being jumped by the Reds this week. The Cubs then finish the regular season with three games against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
The Padres open a three-game series against the Brewers in San Diego on Monday night. They then end the season with a three-game set against the Diamondbacks, who are one game out of the last wild card spot with six games remaining in the regular season.
If the Padres hope to leap-frog the Dodgers, they’re going to be rooting for the Diamondbacks, who open a three-game series in Phoenix on Tuesday night. The Dodgers then end the season against the surging Seattle Mariners, who suddenly appear ticketed to winning the American League West crown and clinching a first-round playoff bye.
After their series with the Cubs, the Mets head down to Miami to wrap up the season against the Marlins.
The Reds have a three-game home series against the Pirates beginning Tuesday before heading to Milwaukee for the final series of the regular season against the Brewers.

The Yankees could have champagne on ice Tuesday night in The Bronx.
How many bottles they would pop, if they take the series opener against the White Sox, remains to be seen.
The Yankees need just one win to secure a postseason berth, according to MLB, though they still have much more at stake over what could be a chaotic final week of the season around the American League, including an outside shot to chase down the Blue Jays for the division, or a likelier chance to claim the top AL wild-card spot for home-field advantage in the opening playoff series.
“It’s going to be a wild week, for sure,” manager Aaron Boone said on Sunday of the playoff race at-large.
“Hard to predict what’s going to happen and who’s going to be playing who. Certainly paying attention to it all, but in the end, it’s about handling our own business day in and day out. But it should be fun to watch it all unfold.”
Around this time of year, Boone often likes to say some version of “be careful what you wish for.” But the Yankees might be about to become fans of the Red Sox — to an extent and only as long as they are taking care of their own business in The Bronx.
The reality is that the Yankees enter the final week of the season trailing the Blue Jays by two games for first place in the AL East. The Blue Jays own the tiebreaker, courtesy of going 8-5 against the Yankees this season, so Boone’s club will have to make up three games with six games left if they are going to defend their division title.
And the Blue Jays are set to host the Red Sox on Tuesday night in Toronto for three games before finishing the season against the Rays, who have nothing to play for.
So while the Red Sox are the closest team to the Yankees in the wild-card standings — trailing them by three games, with the Guardians and Astros both four games back — the Yankees need them to win at least one game against the Blue Jays to keep their division hopes alive.
That will only be useful if the Yankees take care of business against the lowly White Sox beginning Tuesday before ending the regular season with the Orioles, whom they just took three of four against in Baltimore.
“Obviously, we can only control what we can control, but I’m confident in this team,” Cam Schlittler said. “We got a chance to put ourselves in a really good spot, whether that’s a bye or not. I know the team’s going to be locked in the next six games.”
CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS
The Yankees, whose 28-14 record since Aug. 6 is the best in MLB during that span, have the easiest schedule on paper among all the contending AL teams. The Red Sox play the Blue Jays and Tigers. The Guardians play the Tigers and Rangers. The Tigers play the Guardians and Red Sox. The Astros play the Athletics and Angels. The Mariners play the Rockies and Dodgers.
The matchups between the Guardians, Tigers and Red Sox mean that only two of those teams can finish with 89 wins, and one of them will be the AL Central winner, which is why the Yankees winning their 89th game on Tuesday would clinch their playoff spot.
As for seeding in the wild-card standings, the Yankees do not have the tiebreaker against the Red Sox, Guardians or Tigers, have it against the Mariners and are up in the air against the Astros — they went 3-3 against each other during the regular season, so the next tiebreaker is in-division record (the Yankees are currently 24-25 while the Astros are 22-24).
If the Yankees cannot catch up to the Blue Jays, the next priority would be securing the top wild-card spot, which would allow them to play the first-round series at home. The magic number to do that is four.
Aside from scoreboard watching and winning their own games, the Yankees still have questions to answer this week.
Will their third starter in a playoff series be Schlittler or Luis Gil? Is Anthony Volpe’s solid play on both sides of the ball since he got the cortisone injection for real, and is it enough for him to fend off José Caballero in the postseason? Is the recent momentum from the bullpen legitimate or just taking advantage of bad teams (which may not actually get answered this week considering the opponents)?
“Every day, it feels like there’s so much on the line,” Boone said. “But once it’s over with, you got to move on too. It’s great this way heading into an off day. It’s always good racking up a couple wins into an off day and guys can unplug a little bit, recharge a little bit and understand we got a real important one the next day.”

Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels are once again to miss out on the MLB postseason, but Trout will get to head into his 2026 campaign with a major milestone completed.
Trout hit his 400th-career home run in the eighth inning of an Angels 3-0 win over the Colorado Rockies this weekend, making him the 59th MLB player to eclipse 400 homers.
After the accomplishment, Trout met with the fan who caught his ball on the field for a quick game of catch (and some signed memorabilia) in exchange for the piece of history.
Which brings us to today’s quiz. While age and a history of injuries will likely keep Trout from ever returning to his MVP form again, he’s one of the most accomplished all-around players in MLB history. With that being said, how many of the 15 players in Major League Baseball history to rack up at least 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases in their career can you name in five minutes?
Good luck!
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As the 2025 Major League Baseball season entered its final stretch, the Dodgers were heading towards their 12th National League West title in 13 years, holding an 88–68 record and a three-game cushion over the Padres. And the team has already secured a playoff spot for a franchise-record 13th straight year. But all this is on the surface, and beneath it, whispers are growing like rivals are pointing to a rare roster rule, one that only benefits the Dodgers. They believe LA has found an unfair edge in Shohei Ohtani‘s postseason role.
So, what is all the fuss about? It comes down to a special roster advantage. MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote, “Teams are upset that the Dodgers will have one more pitcher than everyone else on their roster since there’s a special exemption for Shohei Ohtani as a two-way player,” in his September 21 column.
Here’s how it works in simple terms. Every team can have 26 players on its postseason roster. Of those 26 players, a maximum of 13 can be pitchers. Because Ohtani qualifies as a two-way player, he doesn’t count against that pitcher limit. So, the Dodgers can carry 13 regular pitchers plus Ohtani, giving them 14 available arms. No other team gets that luxury. So Nightengale explained, “If Ohtani is a starting pitcher, he can remain in the game as a DH once he’s replaced on the mound.”
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But there’s a catch. What if they use him from the bullpen, where the team struggles mostly in the season, and he has a legendary record during the 2023 World Baseball Classic? Nightengale notes, “But if he starts the game as a DH and pitches out of the bullpen, the Dodgers would lose the DH once his relief appearance is over.” So, to avoid losing his bat, they can move Ohtani to the outfield, where he’s already shown his willingness to play. But there’s a problem. He hasn’t played a single inning in the outfield since 2021, when he made only seven —six games in right field and one in left.
So, the Dodgers have not shown their willingness to use Ohtani in relief, as Dave Roberts already said after Ohtani’s willingness to play in the outfield, “I don’t know if it’s a pipe dream, but it’s very commendable from Shohei. There are a lot of variables. But to know that he can potentially run out there, it’s great. Maybe just in theory. But again, I love him for even throwing that out there.” And as per Jack Harris, the Dodgers beat writer for the LA Times, “Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani’s next start will be Tuesday in Arizona. That would keep him on track to make a potential start in the wild card round.”
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Ohtani’s dual role boosts Dodgers, but bullpen woes remain
After signing a massive 10-year, $700 million contract, Ohtani powered Los Angeles to a World Series title last year without even throwing a pitch. And this season, he returned to the mound and looks good in both roles. At the plate, he is hitting an incredible .338 with a .769 slugging percentage, seven homers, and 13 RBIs this month alone, and is on a pace for the league lead in home runs. And on the mound, he has posted a 3.29 ERA in his 13 starts.
And of course, the defending champions are far from a one-man show. Beyond Ohtani, they have two other superstars, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, in an anchor role. Teoscar Hernández and young outfielder Andy Pages are also adding depth. And most importantly, the rotation looks untouchable for the first time in so many years, with aces like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell.
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NEW YORK — Major League Baseball owners voted unanimously Monday to approve the sale of the Tampa Bay Rays to group headed by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski, allowing the transfer from Stu Sternberg’s group to close.
The Rays said on Sept. 17 they expected the sale to close within two weeks.
Sternberg took control of the team from founding owner Vince Naimoli in November 2005 and rebranded it the Rays from the Devil Rays after the 2007 season. The Rays won AL East titles in 2008, 2010, 2020, and 2021, and twice reached the World Series — losing to Philadelphia in 2008, and to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.
The Rays in March withdrew from a $1.3 billion project to construct a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, citing a hurricane and delays that likely drove up the proposal’s cost. The team said in June it had started talks about a potential sale.
Because of damage to Tropicana Field caused by Hurricane Milton last October, the Rays played home games this season across the bay at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays went 41-40 for their ninth straight winning record at home.
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Playing home games in an open-air ballpark for the first time, the Rays experienced 17 rains delays over 16 games for a total of 17 hours, 47 minutes.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week that he expects, under Zalupski, the Rays will start a new search for a new ballpark site in the Tampa-St. Pete area. Under Sternberg, the Rays announced plans for and then failed to move ahead with proposed ballparks at the Al Lang Stadium site in St. Petersburg (2007), Ybor City in Tampa (2018), and the site adjacent to the Trop in downtown St. Petersburg (2023).
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Tampa Bay started this season with an $81.9 million payroll, ahead of only the Athletics and Miami.
Playing at a 10,046-capacity ballpark, Tampa Bay had 61 sellouts and drew 786,750, down from 1,337,739 in 2024, when they were 28th among the 30 teams and ahead of only Miami and Oakland.
Tampa Bay is currently 29th in home attendance this year, ahead of only the Athletics, who are playing home games at a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, Calif., while a new stadium expected to open in 2028 is built in Las Vegas. The Rays have completed their home schedule while the A’s have drawn 711,609 with six home games left.

Earlier this month in Houston, during New York’s 8-4 win over the Astros on September 4, Ashley Rodon delivered a sharp critique of the umpiring crew. “The zone is absolutely horrendous the entire series. GESH,” she wrote on X, before following up with, “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS CREW.” Her frustration mounted further, as she added, “How are you supposed to know what the zone is as a hitter….. zero consistency at all.” Seems like Carlos Rodon’s wife never hesitates to say what Yankees fans are already thinking…
Her words came right after Carlos fought through six innings with Adrian Johnson behind the plate, surrendering just two runs on three hits while working around a strike zone that shifted from pitch to pitch. Adding to that, the same night also included a disputed call at third base. It was when Ryan McMahon appeared to secure Jose Altuve’s liner before losing the ball on the transfer. Third base umpire Brian Walsh ruled no catch, keeping the inning alive and eventually helping Houston trim the lead to 4-2.
Now, the spotlight has shifted when Carlos was asked directly about his wife’s habit of weighing in online. During a joint appearance, the host of Jomboy Media broached the subject with a light tone as she asked, “I would love to know how you got started on Twitter and kind of your thoughts about uh about what some of the stuff that she has to say.” Carlos kept his answer measured but supportive.
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“She’s my biggest fan… She’s also the biggest fan of the Yankees.” But his response came way later than Ashley’s frank answers.
“Well I think oh for him, he makes fun of me all the time. He acts like he doesn’t love it, but he loves it. I know. I’m wildly opinionated. Yeah. And I feel like he gets held accountable, and I think that’s very important, right? You’re held accountable for how you play. I always got frustrated when he was younger, and I was like ‘Man, no one’s holding this umpire accountable.’,” Mrs. Rodon replied to the host first.
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She explained further that her passion comes from the perspective of a fan. And that fan spirit goes unaffected even though she is married to one of the Yankees’ starting pitchers.
“I may know him, but I love the game, and it’s so fun, and I love getting to know people. I always tell Carlos. I will sit in the Bleachers. I don’t even care. Now I get to like really make fun of him. Yeah. Because we’re in a different position than we were before.” Then the response of Carlos Rodon came in.
When the host asked what more he could want, Rodon added simply, “Not much else. Not much else.”
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Ashley, then, closed the exchange with a brief reflection, “I think it’s incredible.” But this wasn’t the first and only instance that Ashley’s bold take created a buzz.
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How Ashley Rodon did not choose silence on bad calls
Back in May this summer, the New York Yankees faced a jarring setback in Sacramento as the Athletics capitalized on the unusual setting of Sutter Health Park. After a commanding 10-2 opening victory over the A’s, the Bombers suffered a surprising defeat in the second game despite Aaron Judge hitting two home runs. The stark contrast in outcomes drew pointed attention from Ashley Rodon.
Without concealing her frustration with the venue, she unapologetically wrote on X, “Criminal to play major league games in minor league parks.” Ashley tried to highlight how the environment might affect the players’ performance and the atmosphere of the game.
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Carlos Rodon, however, performed with precision and authority. He delivered 98 pitches, struck out ten, and maintained control of the game. And then he handed the ball off with a two-run lead.
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Yet, the Sutter Health Park, which accommodates approximately 14,000 fans compared with Yankee Stadium’s 46,000-plus, suggested a subtle psychological disadvantage for the visiting team. Ashley tried to note this gap. And while the Yankees remain a formidable squad, the unexpected loss in Sacramento posed questions about their hold on the ground in unconventional venues.

For the first time since its inception in 2019, there were two divisions — 30 high school freshmen and sophomores and 44 juniors and seniors. In years prior, the event featured just juniors and seniors but this year’s event included the freshman and sophomore junior division.
The student-athletes participated in the two-day event that featured a pro-style workout on Saturday and two games on Sunday, both of which took place at Truist Park. There was a Junior Division game (consisting of freshmen and sophomores) followed by a Senior Division game (juniors and seniors).
Braves senior director of alumni relations and growing the game Greg McMichael — who was a relief pitcher for Atlanta from 1993 to 1996 and helped the Braves to their 1995 World Series championship — has been a vital contributor to these special events in recent years.
“It’s been really exciting to see some of these kids,” McMichael said. “This year we’ve done it a little bit differently. We brought in the Junior [Division]. They consist mainly of our best RBI [Nike’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities Program] kids. They’re the younger kids, freshmen and sophomores. Our scouting group recommended a few players from around the [Southeast]. So we have probably the best talent we’ve had since we started this thing. From what I’m hearing there are about six potential Draft picks that [are here].”
Though he is not a Draft pick as of now, Parkview standout outfielder Malachi Washington is an LSU commit who has played in the 44 Classic the past two years.
“It’s a lot bigger,” Washington said about playing at Truist Park. “It’s huge. [There’s] a lot more grass to cover. It feels like [being a] pro almost. It feels like being in the big leagues. When you stand in right field you feel like Ronald Acuña. In center field you feel like Michael Harris. It’s really cool seeing the backdrop knowing you’re on an MLB field. It’s amazing.”
There were multiple MLB alumni coaches involved in the 44 Classic. Gerald Perry, Terry Harper and Jerome Walton were on-site coaching in partnership with the Marquis Grissom Baseball Association. Washington and his teammates were given the opportunity to learn from former MLB players.
“Getting experience from veteran guys who have played in the league and who know so much about the game, you can always learn more,” Washington said. “It’s great to get out here and just learn, every day, something new about baseball.”
“[There are] a lot of guys from my high school,” Washington said. “Joseph Mendez, CJ Woolcock. Ellis Appling, Emani Ford, all those guys go to my high school. Santos Wade [who is home schooled], just a bunch of great guys and a bunch of good names. It just makes us closer. It’s sick, all of us getting invited to such a prestigious and awesome event. It means a lot.”
“It means the world, having Matt Olson being talked about every day at our high school [and] Jeff Francoeur, names like that,” Washington said. “It’s really surreal getting to play on the same field they get to play on and hit home runs on. I was fortunate enough to be here for the whole [2025] All-Star Weekend. I got invited to the [MLB High School] Home Run Derby. I have played here a couple of times.”
“It started with Hank,” McMichael said. “We’re trying to continue his dream of seeing a lot of opportunity and access for kids who are in Atlanta and the Southeast who are able to play this game at a high level. It’s not just about playing the game, it’s about being in the game. There’s plenty of opportunities to be in the game of baseball. There are multiple who have come through The RBI program who are now working for us. We’re really excited about that.”

The New York Mets entered their final home game on September 21 with an 80–75 record, clinging to the final National League Wild Card spot. The pressure was so intense after losing 11 of their last 15 games that a loss would drop them into a tie with the Cincinnati Reds, who held the tiebreaker. And across the field, the Washington Nationals had nothing to lose with a dismal 63-92 record. Their only job was to play spoiler.
The stage was set for a classic matchup, and for the Mets, one swing—or non-swing—became the flashpoint.
It happened in the bottom of the sixth inning after Francisco Lindor blasted a solo homer, cutting Washington’s lead to 3-2. So, when Mark Vientos stepped up to the plate with two runners on and two outs, the Mets had a chance to seize control. Then, on a 2-2 count, Vientos tried to check his swing at an 80.8 mph curveball from Nationals reliever Mitchell Parker. And home plate umpire John Tumpane pointed to first base for confirmation. First base umpire Chris Conroy, the crew chief, raised his fist. Strike three.
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And the rally was dead. Vientos reacted instantly, slamming his bat onto home plate. But before the bat even settled, Tumpane ejected the 25-year-old slugger. That moment proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
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Parker slammed the door, sealing a devastating 3-2 victory and a series win. For the rest of the game, Parker allowed only two hits. Though manager Carlos Mendoza didn’t comment on that particular incident, he mentioned, “We have to keep going, there’s six more games to go.” But the fact is: the team is 17 games under .500 since June 13. Even Vientos, whose batting average sat at a lowly .235 even after hitting 17 homers, also kept his silence.
Though the players and umpires moved on, the incident lit a firestorm of debate among fans.
The fans in New York weren’t happy
Many fans felt the quick ejection was a massive overreach of power. They wrote, “This umpire should be removed from the job. He might of went, but again not ejection worthy. There’s a problem in this game with these b—- umpires. @MLB you are trash. Nobody is there to see them.” That frustration doesn’t come out of nowhere. With 40 career ejections, Tumpane has a reputation, and fans remember his infamous 2022 game, where he called three balks on Miami Marlins pitcher Richard Bleier.
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But the anger didn’t stop at accountability—it boiled over into violent hyperbole. As one fan commented, “Should’ve went to 1st and beat him(umpire) to death with it.” In baseball’s early days, umpires were often physically attacked by players and mobs. While fans today aren’t serious about violence, when recourse feels nonexistent, their words echo baseball’s brutal past as another fan who just repeated the same emotion.
“Can we go back to assaulting umpires.”
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Other fans see a pattern of incompetence that is protected by the league. “F— god awful umps are the cancer to baseball.” By late September, MLB umps had issued 162 ejections on the season, and Tumpane himself has had games where he has missed more than 10 calls in a single game. And the crew chief, Chris Conroy, was once flagged for missing 24 calls in a game.
And then again, the final comment came as a call for technology. “Can we please get automated umps so we don’t have to deal with these retards on their periods when they make bad calls and players react in a Pennant race?” In spring training, MLB tested an Automated Ball-Strike System, and so many of the challenges flipped the wrong calls. And hence came another day of echoed feeling that if the human element is the problem, then remove it.
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Now, considering the Mets’ loss dropped them into a dangerous position in their pennant race, MLB should utilize technology in this high-stakes situation that offers an objective solution when human error becomes too costly.

Just a few months ago, MLB was rocked by the betting scandal that involved the suspension of a few players. And while the league is still trying to get over that hangover, a new scandal is brewing. If the latest reports are to be considered, this time, fans are directly targeted. Even though MLB acknowledged the problem, they’re still at the primary stage of understanding how it’s happening and who the culprit is.
“Bad actors are stealing, reselling fan tickets swiped from MLB’s Ballpark app, MLB acknowledges.” The Athletic cited MLB about how fans are getting scammed with their valid tickets to enter the ballparks.
We heard the first signs of trouble popped up in the Red Sox camp.
Reportedly, a few fans showed up to Fenway recently only to find that the tickets they bought through the MLB Ballpark app had vanished. Not just that, they have been resold without their consent! Nancy Morrisroe, a season ticket holder of the Red Sox, shared that her ticket on the Ballpark App vanished once she went to Fenway Park. “There is no recall button; it shows I forwarded them to you,” Morrisroe referred to another.
As it went to the authorities, MLB admitted they’d gotten multiple reports of this happening. They’re aware that fans are arriving at games to learn their seats are already gone. While there have been big data breach reports tied to other major platforms, MLB says there’s no sign its own systems were compromised. Still, the league issued an apology to fans for the mess.
MLB even shared a few directives asking fans to change their existing passwords and to step up their authentication step in the Ballpark App. However, fans are eager to know how MLB is investigating the case and who the main culprits are.
But this is not the first time that MLB has faced a scam.
MLB has a history of ticketing scams
This recent scam just added to MLB’s long list of similar incidents. Let’s rewind to Game 2 of the 2018 World Series between the Dodgers and Red Sox.
One fan, who had dropped $650 on his ticket, showed up at Fenway only to be shocked when it wouldn’t scan. The reason? He’d posted a picture of his ticket on Instagram to show off that he was headed to the game. That was enough for the hackers to spot it, grab the info, and use it to create a duplicate ticket that got them through the gates.
While the fan eventually got in, it was only after shelling out another $450 for a replacement seat.
Undoubtedly, it’s a tough lesson for fans. A reminder that while MLB can work on improving security, fans also have to be careful with their tickets. Unless one doesn’t mind spending an extra $500!
But this time, the scam is more organized and on a large scale. And it doesn’t target a single fan. So, we could expect a stricter, full-proof, and effective action from MLB commissioner Rob Manfred that might include an overhaul of the existing ticketing process. What do you think?

The Seattle Mariners made short work of the Houston Astros this weekend with the series sweep propelling the team forward in the MLB playoff picture. Following the recent Mariners-Astros series ending on September 21, 2025, Seattle sits as the No. 2 seed in the AL standings.
As a reminder, the top three seeds in each league go to the division winners. For example, the New York Yankees have a better record than the Mariners, but Seattle would get a higher seed as the Toronto Blue Jays are the division leaders.
Here is a look at the the AL playoff standings, seeding and potential postseason matchups following the Mariners’ win against the Astros on September 21 .
MLB Playoff Picture: AL Postseason Picture
The teams listed in bold would make the MLB playoffs if the postseason started today. Toronto has already clinched a playoff berth.
Team W L GB 1. Blue Jays* 90 66 – 2. Mariners 87 69 3.5 3. Tigers 85 71 5 4. Yankees 88 68 2 5. Red Sox 85 70 4.5 6. Guardians 84 72 5.5 7. Astros 84 72 6 8. Rangers 79 77 11 9. Royals 78 78 12
Mariners Playoff Opponent: Seattle Projected to Have Bye Then Face Winner of Astros-Tigers Series
If the MLB playoffs started today, the Mariners would have a bye as the No. 2 seed. The top two teams in each league avoid the wild card round.
Seattle and Toronto would advance to the ALDS to await the wild card winners. The current playoff picture has the Mariners playing the winner of No. 6 Astros versus No. 3 Tigers series.
Projected AL Playoff Matchups as of September 21
Here’s a look at what the AL playoff matchups would be if the postseason started on September 21.
AL Wild Card matchups:
No. 6 Houston Astros vs. No. 3 Detroit Tigers
No. 5 Boston Red Sox vs. No. 4 New York Yankees
The Mariners would face the winner of the Astros-Tigers series, while the Blue Jays battle the winner of the rivalry clash between the Red Sox and Yankees.
Cal Raleigh Hit 58th Home Run Against Astros
Seattle found themselves in a bit of a slump before their recent slump. Fast forward to a few weeks later and the Mariners still have a chance to chase down the Blue Jays to be the top team in the American League standings.
Cal Raleigh hit his 58th home run of the season against the Astros on September 21. During the Mariners’ previous slump, Raleigh spoke about what needed to change.
“Nobody is going to give it to us,” Raleigh said on September 3, per MLB.com. “We’ve got to go take it. We can’t sit around and just expect teams to hand it to us and that it’s going to be easy, because it’s not.
“… If you’re expecting it to be easy, expecting it to be handed to you, it’s going to be a harsh reality.”

In one of the biggest games of one of the biggest series of the season, the Seattle Mariners picked up one of their most important wins in years. The Mariners used a seven-run second inning Sunday night to complete the three-game sweep of the Houston Astros at Daikin Park (SEA 7, HOU 3), and take control of the AL West. Seattle is three games up with six to play.
Here are the AL West standings:
Mariners: 87-69
Astros: 84-72 (3 GB)
Rangers: 79-77 (already eliminated)
Athletics: 73-83 (already eliminated)
Angels: 70-86 (already eliminated)
The Mariners won the season series 8-5 and thus have the tiebreaker. That three-game lead is really a four-game lead. Seattle’s magic number to clinch the AL West is three. Any combination of Mariners wins and Astros losses totaling three the rest of the way gives the Mariners their first division title since their historic 116-win season in 2001.
Shortstop J.P. Crawford provided the big blow Sunday with a second-inning grand slam against righty Jason Alexander. Catcher and MVP candidate Cal Raleigh followed with a two-run home run later in the inning. It was his 58th of the season, extending his single-season record for a catcher, a switch-hitter, and a Mariner.
The Mariners will now head home to finish the regular season against the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers. In addition to the AL West title, they’ll also look to secure a Wild Card Series bye. The ongoing collapse of the Detroit Tigers has given Seattle a two-game lead for a bye, plus the Mariners have the tiebreaker. It’s really a three-game lead.
As for the Astros, there’s no sugarcoating it. Getting swept at home was a disaster. The AL West race is not over, but it might as well be, and the Astros are no longer in postseason position. Here are the wild card standings:
Yankees: 88-68 (+3 ½ GB)
Red Sox: 85-70 (1 GB)
Guardians: 84-72
—————————————-
Astros: 84-72
The Guardians won the season series 4-2 over the Astros, so they have the tiebreaker, and are in the third wild card spot with the Astros on the outside looking in. The Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets are in the same situation in the National League. Identical records, but the Reds won the season series, so they currently sit in the third wild card spot.
The Astros will go on the road to visit the A’s and Angels the final week. Because Cleveland holds the tiebreaker, the Astros do not control their own destiny. They need help to reach the postseason, especially with Yordan Alvarez (ankle) and Josh Hader (shoulder) on the injured list and not expected back during the regular season.
Houston had a four-game lead in the AL West as recently as Sept. 3. Factor in the tiebreaker, and it’s an eight-game swing in the standings in 18 days. The Astros were in first place from June 3 to Sept. 10.

While the Phillies and Brewers have clinched their respective divisions, things have not been settled in both the West divisions, the AL East and the AL Central. The final Wild Card spots, too, are still up for grab in each league. In fact, entering Monday, the Blue Jays are the only AL team that has clinched a playoff spot. Meanwhile, there are several intriguing individual storylines, including a slugger vying for a 60-homer season.
The Guardians could very well pull off one of the biggest late-season comebacks in MLB history. A whopping 15 1/2 games back of the Tigers in the AL Central as late as July 8, the Guardians are, stunningly, one game behind them entering the final week. Cleveland has won 15 of its last 17 games and nearly erased the 10 1/2-game deficit in the AL Central it had entering September.
As luck will have it, the Guardians and Tigers will face off in a three-game series in Cleveland starting on Tuesday. If the Guardians win just one of those games, they will hold the vital tiebreaker advantage over the Tigers, meaning Cleveland would win the division if the two clubs ended the season with the same record.
The battles for the western divisions have been consistently close for months, but we’ve gained more clarity after this past week. The Astros and Mariners have been neck-and-neck for weeks but after Seattle’s sweep of Houston over the weekend, the Mariners have a commanding three-game lead in the AL West and secured the tiebreaker advantage by winning the season series.
The Dodgers, too, are in good shape entering the week. With a three-game lead over San Diego and the tiebreaker advantage, the Dodgers are destined to win the NL West yet again. Barring a miracle, though, the Dodgers will not have a first-round bye in the Wild Card round, as the Brewers already clinched one of the top two NL spots, and Los Angeles is four games behind Philadelphia for the second seed.
Through the end of July, the Mets were seriously vying for the NL East division and were battling for the No. 1 seed in the National League. It’s been downhill since then, with the Mets going 18-29 since the beginning of August, tied for the fourth-worst record in the Majors. After the Mets lost on Sunday and the Reds won, Cincinnati has possession of the third NL Wild Card spot. Both clubs have an 80-76 record, but the Reds took the season series and therefore hold the tiebreaker advantage.
The D-backs, too, are in the mix for that final NL Wild Card spot. After winning on Sunday, Arizona is one game behind the Reds and Mets. The D-backs, however, lost the season series against the Reds and split the season series against the Mets, meaning a tie between Arizona and New York would come down to intradivision record.
It’s been a historic season for Cal Raleigh, who has crushed 58 home runs, the most by a switch-hitter in MLB history, the most in Mariners franchise history and the most by a primary catcher. Next on the list is getting to 60 home runs, a milestone reached only nine times by six different hitters. Raleigh is already firmly in the AL MVP race with Aaron Judge, but reaching 60 homers could be a deciding factor. Raleigh will need to hit two home runs in the final six games, hardly an insurmountable goal for him considering what he’s done this season.
The Brewers won the NL Central and have secured one of the top two spots in the National League, giving them a first-round bye in the Wild Card Series. The Phillies won the NL East and will likely join the Brewers shortly with a first-round bye. The Dodgers will likely take the NL West and the third NL spot, while the Cubs are poised to secure the top NL Wild Card spot.
Beyond those clubs, there’s still plenty to be determined. Entering Monday, the Blue Jays are the only AL team that has secured a postseason spot, so we could see plenty of shuffling between teams this week. That includes the extremely close races for divisions and Wild Card spots.
Raleigh (58 home runs), Kyle Schwarber (53) and Shohei Ohtani (53) have all cleared 50 home runs in 2025. Aaron Judge (49 home runs) is on the cusp of joining those three, while Eugenio Suárez (47) is three homers away. The most players to hit 50-plus home runs in a season is four, which was done in 1998 (Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr. and Greg Vaughn) and 2001 (Barry Bonds, Sosa, Alex Rodriguez and Luis Gonzalez).
If Judge hits one more home run, the 2025 season will be in a three-way tie for the most 50-homer players in one season. And if Suárez can also hit three more, the ‘25 season would stand alone with five 50-homer players, the most in a single season in MLB history.
Soto became a first-time member of the 30-30 club, with his 42 home runs and 35 stolen bases. Lindor is nearly there, too, with 28 home runs and 31 stolen bases. If Lindor gets to 30 homers, he and Soto would become the third pair of teammates to hit 30 homers and steal 30 bases in a season, joining Ellis Burks and Dante Bichette (1996 Rockies) and Howard Johnson and Darryl Strawberry (1987 Mets).
What a year it’s been for Devers. The longtime Red Sox third baseman and franchise cornerstone was traded to the Giants in a blockbuster move in mid-June and has had another ho-hum Devers season, posting an .841 OPS with 31 home runs between the two teams. After playing in 73 games with the Red Sox, Devers has played in 84 games with the Giants, giving him 157 total games. If he plays in San Francisco’s final six games, Devers will become the first player to play in more than 162 games in a season since Justin Mourneau for the Twins in 2008.
With 141 runs scored entering the final week, Ohtani is vying for a level of run-scoring that few players have ever reached. If Ohtani manages to score nine runs in the Dodgers’ final six games, he’d be the first player with 150 runs scored since Jeff Bagwell had 152 for the 2000 Astros. Before Bagwell, you have to go all the way back to Ted Williams in 1949. A 140-run season is impressive in its own right, but 150 runs is incredibly rare.

With baseball’s regular season down to six games, four of the six divisions still haven’t been decided and there are seven playoff spots up for grabs, five in the American League.
Sunday was eventful with the AL East-leading Blue Jays clinching at least a wild card and the Brewers wrapping up a threepeat in the NL Central.
Also, the AL Central-leading Tigers’ shocking collapse continued, the surging Reds passed the slumping Mets for the last NL wild-card spot and the first-place Mariners swept the second-place Astros on the road to go three games up in the AL West.
Here is what occurred on Sunday:
In Baltimore, Ben Rice hit a tie-breaking grand slam in a six-run 10th inning in a 7-1 Yankees win over the Orioles. By taking three of four in their final road series, the Yankees hiked their lead over the Red Sox to three games for the first AL wild card and stayed two games behind the Blue Jays in the AL East.
In New York, the Mets dropped out of playoff with a 3-2 loss to the Nationals in their home finale. The Mets have loss 11 of 15 and are 35-52 since winning on June 12 to build a 5 ½-game NL East lead over the Phillies, who won the division going away last week.
In Detroit, the Tigers stayed a game up on the Guardians in the AL Central despite losing 6-2 to the Braves. On its final homestand, Detroit was 0-6 and outscored 36-14. Next up are six road games to finish the season, the first three in Cleveland.
In Kansas City, the Blue Jays beat the Blue Jays 8-5 to become the first AL club to clinch a playoff spot. They’re next goal is holding off the Yankees to win the AL East crown. Toronto has a two-game lead and owns the tiebreaker.
In Minneapolis, the Guardians’ 10-game losing streak ended with a 6-2 loss to the Twins, but they maintained their last AL wild-card spot over the Astros (on a tiebreaker) and stayed a game behind the Tigers heading in this showdown series, which begins Tuesday night in Cleveland.
In Houston, J.P. Crawford hit a grand slam in a seven-run second inning and the AL West-leading Mariners held on for a 7-3 win over the second-place Astros, who started the weekend tied for first but now are three games back and also out of a wild-card spot on a tiebreaker with the Reds.
In Tampa, the Rays scored three first-inning runs in a 7-3 win over the Red Sox, who stayed a game ahead of the Guardians and Astros for the second AL wild card.
In Chicago, Fernando Tatis Jr. homered and the Padres inched closer to clinching a playoff spot with a 3-2 win over the White Sox. San Diego holds the second NL wild-card spot and is five games ahead of the Reds and Mets, who are tied for the third.
In St. Louis, the Brewers lost to the Cardinals 5-1, but still clinched their third consecutive NL Central title with the second-place Cubs losing to the Reds. The Brewers also maintained their three-game edge over the Phillies for top seed in the NL playoffs.
In Cincinnati, the Reds extended their winning streak to five with a 1-0 win over the Cubs that has them ahead of the Mets by a game for the last NL wild-card spot. Gavin Lux drove in the only run of the game with a two-out double in the third inning.
In Los Angeles, the Giants wiped out a 1-0 deficit in a three-run seventh and beat the Dodgers 3-1 to avoid a four-game sweep and get to three games out of the last NL wild-card spot. The Dodgers, who already have clinched a playoff spot, had their NL West lead over the Padres cut to three games.
In Phoenix, Corbin Carroll capped a five-run second with a three-run homer and Eduardo Rodriguez pitched six scoreless innings for the Diamondbacks, who slayed the Phillies 9-2 to get to with a game of the last NL wild-card spot. Arizona trails both the Reds and Mets.
Here’s a look at magic numbers plus the remaining schedules and tiebreakers for the contenders through Sunday, Sept. 21 along with playoff matchups if the postseason began on Monday, Sept. 22:
AL EAST
TORONTO BLUE JAYS (90-66)
Standings: First in AL East. Lead second-place Yankees by 2 games.
Tiebreakers: Blue Jays won season series with Yankees 8-5; Blue Jays won season series with Mariners 4-2; Blue Jays trail season series with Astros 3-1. Blue Jays won season series with Tigers 4-3; Blue Jays split season series with Guardians 3-3.
Magic number to clinch AL East: 4
Magic number to clinch playoffs: Clinched Sept. 21.
Games remaining: 6 (6 home, 0 road).
Blue Jays schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Red Sox, 7:07 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Red Sox, 7:07 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: Red Sox, 7:07 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Rays, 7:07 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Rays, 3:07 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Rays, 3:07 p.m., EST
NEW YORK YANKEES (88-68)
Standings: Second in AL East. Trail first-place Blue Jays by 2 games. First in AL wild-card standings. Lead Guardians and Astros by 4 games for third wild card.
Tiebreakers: Yankees lost season series with Blue Jays 8-5; Yankees lost season series with Red Sox 9-4; Yankees tied season series with Astros 3-3; Yankees won season series with Mariners 5-1; Yankees lost season series with Tigers 4-2; Yankees tied season series with Guardians 3-3, but lose tiebreaker on division record.
Magic number to clinch playoffs: 4
Games remaining: 6 (6 home, 0 road).
Yankees schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: White Sox, 7:05 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: White Sox, 7:05 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: White Sox, 7:05 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Orioles, 7:05 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Orioles, 1:05 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Orioles, 3:05 p.m., EST
BOSTON RED SOX (85-71)
Standings: Third in AL East. Trail first-place Blue Jays by 5 games. Second in AL wild-card standings. Lead Guardians and Astros by 1 game for 3rd AL wild card.
Tiebreakers: Red Sox won season series with Yankees 9-4; Red Sox tied season series with Mariners 3-3; Red Sox won season series with Astros 4-2; Red Sox won season series with Guardians 4-2.
Magic number to clinch playoffs: 6
Games remaining: 6 (3 home, 3 road).
Red Sox schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Tigers, 7:10 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Tigers, 4:10 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Tigers, 3:05 p.m., EST
AL CENTRAL
DETROIT TIGERS (85-71)
Standings: First in AL Central. Lead second-place Guardians by 1 game.
Tiebreakers: Tigers trail season series with Guardians 6-4; Tigers lost season series with Mariners 4-2; Tigers lost season series with Blue Jays 4-3; Tigers won season series with Yankees 4-2; Tigers won season series with Astros 4-2.
Magic number to clinch AL Central: 6
Magic number to clinch playoffs: 6
Remaining games: 6 (0 home, 6 road).
Tigers schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: at Guardians, 6:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: at Guardians, 6:40 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: at Guardians, 6:40 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: at Red Sox, 4:10 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: at Red Sox, 3:05 p.m., EST
CLEVELAND GUARDIANS (84-72)
Standings: Second in AL Central. Trail first-place Tigers by 1 game. Tied with Astros for third AL wild card. Guardians hold tiebreaker.
Tiebreakers: Guardians lead season series with Tigers 6-4; Guardians lost season series with Mariners 4-2; Guardians won season series with Astros 4-2; Guardians lost season series with Red Sox 4-2.
Magic number to clinch playoffs: 6
Remaining games: 6 (6 home, 0 road).
Guardians schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Tigers, 6:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Tigers, 6:40 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: Tigers, 6:40 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Rangers, 7:10 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Rangers, 6:10 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Rangers, 3:10 p.m., EST
AL WEST
SEATTLE MARINERS (87-69)
Standings: First in AL West. Lead Astros by 3 games.
Tiebreakers: Mariners won season series with Astros 8-5; Mariners won season series with Tigers 4-2; Mariners won season series with Guardians 4-2.
Magic number to clinch AL West: 3
Magic number to clinch playoffs: 3
Remaining games: 6 (6 home, 0 road).
Mariners schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Rockies, 9:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Rockies, 9:40 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: Rockies, 9:40 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Dodgers, 9:40 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Dodgers, 9:40 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Dodgers, 3:10 p.m., EST
HOUSTON ASTROS (84-72)
Standings: Second in AL West. Trail first-place Mariners by 3 games. Tied with Guardians for third AL wild card. Guardians have tiebreaker.
Tiebreakers: Astros lost season series with Mariners 8-5; Astros lost season series with Red Sox 4-2; Astros lost season series with Guardians 4-2; Astros lost season series with Tigers 4-2.
Magic number for playoffs elimination: 6
Remaining games: 6 (0 home, 6 road).
Astros schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: at Athletics, 10:05 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: at Athletics, 10:05 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: at Athletics, 3:35 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: at Angels, 9:38 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: at Angels, 9:38 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: at Angels, 3:07 p.m., EST
NL EAST
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (92-64)
Standings: First in NL East. Lead second-place Mets by 12 games.
Tiebreakers: Phillies won season series with Dodgers 4-2; Phillies lost season series with Brewers 4-2.
Magic number to clinch NL East: Clinched Sept. 15.
Remaining games: 6 (6 home, 0 road).
Phillies schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Marlins, 6:45 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Marlins, 6:45 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: Marlins, 6:05 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Twins, 7:45 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Twins, 7:05 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Twins, 3:05 p.m., EST
NEW YORK METS (80-76)
Standings: Second in NL East. Trail first-place Phillies by 12 games. Tied with Reds for third NL wild-card standings. Reds have tiebreaker.
Tiebreakers: Mets won season series with Giants 4-2; Mets lost season series with Reds 4-2; Mets tied season series with Diamondbacks 3-3.
Magic number for playoffs elimination: 6
Remaining games: 6 (0 home, 6 road).
Mets schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: at Cubs, 7:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: at Cubs, 8:05 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: at Cubs, 7:40 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: at Marlins, 7:10 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: at Marlins, 4:10 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: at Marlins, 3:10 p.m., EST
NL CENTRAL
MILWAUKEE BREWERS (95-61)
Standings: First in NL Central. Lead second-place Cubs by 7 games.
Tiebreakers: Brewers won season series with Phillies 4-2.
Magic number to clinch NL Central: Clinched Sept. 21.
Remaining games: 6 (3 home, 3 road).
Brewers schedule:
Monday, Sept. 22: at Padres, 9:40 p.m., EST
Tuesday, Sept. 23: at Padres, 9:10 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: at Padres, 4:10 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Reds, 8:10 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Reds, 7:10 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Reds, 3:10 p.m., EST
CHICAGO CUBS (88-68)
Standings: Second in NL Central. Trail first-place Brewers by 7 games. First in NL wild-card standings. Lead Reds and Mets by 8 games for third NL wild card.
Tiebreakers: Cubs tied season series with Padres 3-3.
Magic number to clinch playoffs: Clinched Sept. 16.
Remaining games: 6 (6 home, 0 road).
Cubs schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Mets, 7:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Mets, 8:05 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: Mets, 7:40 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Cardinals, 2:20 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Cardinals, 2:20 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Cardinals, 3:20 p.m., EST
CINCINNATI REDS (80-76)
Standings: Third in NL Central. Trail first-place Brewers by 15 games. Tied with Mets for third in NL wild-card standings.
Tiebreakers: Reds won season series with Mets 4-2; Reds tied season series with Giants 3-3; Reds won season series with Diamondbacks 4-2.
Magic number to clinch playoffs: 6
Remaining games: 6 (3 home, 3 road).
Reds schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Pirates, 6:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Pirates, 6:40 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: Pirates, 12:40 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: at Brewers, 8:10 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: at Brewers, 7:10 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: at Brewers, 3:10 p.m., EST
NL WEST
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (88-68)
Standings: First in NL West. Lead second-place Padres by 3 games.
Tiebreakers: Dodgers won season series with Padres 9-4; Dodgers lost season series with Phillies 4-2; Dodgers lost season series with Brewers 6-0.
Magic number to clinch NL West: 3
Magic number to clinch playoffs: Clinched Sept. 19.
Remaining games: 6 (0 home, 6 road).
Dodgers schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: at Diamondbacks, 3:40 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: at Mariners, 9:40 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: at Mariners, 9:40 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: at Mariners, 3:10 p.m., EST
SAN DIEGO PADRES (85-71)
Standings: Second in NL West. Trail first-place Dodgers by 3 games. Second in NL wild-card standings. Lead Reds and Mets by 5 games for third NL wild card.
Tiebreakers: Padres lost season series with Dodgers 9-4; Padres won season series with Mets 4-2.
Magic number to clinch playoffs: 2
Remaining games: 6 (6 home, 0 road).
Padres schedule:
Monday, Sept. 22: Brewers, 9:40 p.m., EST
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Brewers, 9:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Brewers, 4:10 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Diamondbacks, 8:40 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Diamondbacks, 3:10 p.m., EST
ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (79-77)
Standings: Third in NL West. Trail first-place Dodgers by 9 games. Fifth in NL wild-card standings. Trail Reds and Mets by 1 game for third NL wild card.
Tiebreakers: Diamondbacks tied season series with Mets 3-3; Diamondbacks won season series with Giants 7-6; Diamondbacks lost season series with Reds 4-2.
Magic number for playoffs elimination: 6
Remaining games: 6 (3 home, 3 road).
Diamondbacks schedule:
Tuesday, Sept. 23: Dodgers, 9:40 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 24: Dodgers, 9:40 p.m., EST
Thursday, Sept. 25: Dodgers, 3:40 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: at Padres, 9:40 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: at Padres, 8:40 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: at Padres, 3:10 p.m., EST
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (77-79)
Standings: Fourth in NL West. Trail first-place Dodgers by 11 games. Sixth in NL wild-card standings. Trail Reds and Mets by 3.5 games for third NL wild card.
Tiebreakers: Giants lost season series with Diamondbacks 7-6; Giants tied season series with Reds 3-3; Giants lost season series with Mets 4-
Magic number for playoffs elimination: 4
Remaining games: 6 (6 home, 0 road).
Giants schedule:
Monday, Sept. 23: Cardinals, 9:45 p.m., EST
Tuesday, Sept. 24: Cardinals, 9:45 p.m., EST
Wednesday, Sept. 25: Cardinals, 9:45 p.m., EST
Friday, Sept. 26: Rockies, 10:15 p.m., EST
Saturday, Sept. 27: Rockies, 4:05 p.m., EST
Sunday, Sept. 28: Rockies, 3:05 p.m., EST
POSTSEASON MATCHUPS
AL WILD CARD SERIES (best-of-3)
Blue Jays (1), Mariners (2), byes
Guardians (6) at Tigers (3)
Red Sox (5) at Yankees (4)
NL WILD CARD SERIES (best-of-3)
Brewers (1), Phillies (2), byes
Reds (6) at Dodgers (3)
Padres (5) at Cubs (4)

HOUSTON — Seattle’s Cal Raleigh hit his MLB-leading 58th home run on Sunday night, a two-run shot in the second inning against the Houston Astros.
The Mariners were up 5-0 after a grand slam by J.P. Crawford in the second when Raleigh, who was batting left-handed, connected off Jason Alexander for his home run to right field to extend the lead.
The shot comes a night after he passed Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise’s single-season home run record with his 57th homer. Griffey hit 56 in both 1997 and 1998.
Raleigh has also surpassed Mickey Mantle’s MLB record of 54 home runs by a switch-hitter that had stood since 1961. He has also set the MLB record for homers by a catcher this season, eclipsing the 48 hit by Salvador Perez in 2021.
Raleigh is five home runs ahead of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, who are tied for second place with 53 each.

The Milwaukee Brewers may have lost Sunday’s game to the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 in St. Louis, but they won an even bigger prize: the National League Central.
Milwaukee clinched its third straight division title after the second-place Chicago Cubs lost 1-0 to the Cincinnati Reds. The Brewers’ divisional triumph came despite them being unable to do much against the Cardinals. Joey Ortiz had two hits, including a triple, while Jackson Chourio drove in Milwaukee’s only run of the game with a sacrifice fly.
Robert Gasser (0-1) served as the Brewers’ opener, allowing two runs on two walks and a hit over three innings. Erick Fedde struggled versus his former team, giving up three runs off three walks and a hit during his four frames.
Jose Fermin led the charge for the Cardinals with three RBIs, while Ivan Herrera hit a two-run homer to help St. Louis take two of three games from Milwaukee. Matthew Liberatore (8-12) excelled over five innings of work, giving up just one run on five hits.
Blue Jays 8, Royals 5
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Andres Gimenez each had two RBIs, four relievers held Kansas City to one run and Toronto clinched its fourth postseason berth in six seasons with a road victory.
Guerrero and Gimenez joined George Springer and Ernie Clement with two hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who broke out to snap a four-game skid in which they totaled three runs. Brendon Little, Seranthony Dominguez (4-4), Eric Lauer and Jeff Hoffman (32nd save) helped keep the Royals from sweeping this three-game set.
Salvador Perez recorded career RBI No. 1,012 to match Hal McRae for second on the all-time list for Kansas City, which finished 43-38 at home. Michael Wacha (9-13) allowed a trio of runs in both the second and fifth innings, allowing six earned runs on eight hits over five innings.
Reds 1, Cubs 0
Gavin Lux hit an RBI double in the third inning and four Cincinnati pitchers combined on a six-hitter as the host Reds swept Chicago and moved into a tie for the final NL wild-card spot.
Cincinnati won its fifth straight and is tied with the New York Mets, five games behind San Diego for the No. 2 wild card. for the NL’s third and final wild-card spot. Andrew Abbott threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing five hits while striking out two and walking one. Nick Martinez (11-13) threw 2 1/3 perfect frames in relief.
Jameson Taillon (10-7) pitched seven quality innings for the Cubs, allowing a run on five hits while striking out four and walking none. Chicago has dropped four straight since clinching a postseason berth on Wednesday.
Twins 6, Guardians 2
Brooks Lee blasted a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning and Royce Lewis added a pinch-hit three-run homer in the seventh to help Minnesota end Cleveland’s 10-game winning streak with a win in Minneapolis.
Kody Clemens contributed two hits, an RBI and run scored for the Twins, who ended a five-game skid. Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson allowed two runs and three hits over five innings, striking out three and walking two.
Steven Kwan swatted a leadoff homer for the Guardians, but they collected just three singles the rest of the way, missing an opportunity to move into a tie for first in the American League Central after trailing the Detroit Tigers by 15 1/2 games in early July.
Yankees 7, Orioles 1 (10)
Ben Rice hit a grand slam before an out was recorded in the 10th inning as New York pulled out a victory against host Baltimore.
The Yankees had five hits and scored six runs in the 10th, most notably Rice’s 24th homer of the season. He went 4-for-5 with five RBIs, accounting for nearly half of the team’s 10 hits. New York won three of four games in the series as it stayed in the AL East race, two games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.
Samuel Basallo homered for the Orioles, whose offense let down starter Kyle Bradish. He worked six innings, allowing one run on two hits. Kade Strowd (0-1), who began the 10th on the mound, took the loss. David Bednar (6-5) was the winning pitcher after throwing a scoreless ninth, improving to 4-0 since joining the Yankees this summer.
Pirates 11, Athletics 0
Joey Bart hit a three-run home run and Jared Triolo added a two-run shot as each finished with four hits in host Pittsburgh’s blowout win in its home finale.
Carmen Mlodzinski (5-8) pitched three innings for the win after Mike Burrows opened the game by giving up five hits with three strikeouts over four innings. The Pirates recorded their MLB-best 19th shutout of the season and their second straight following a five-game losing streak.
Brent Rooker had two hits for the Athletics, who were held scoreless in the final 22 innings of the series. Starter Mitch Spence (3-6) seven runs (six earned) on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings to take the loss.
Padres 3, White Sox 2
Michael King pitched five-plus scoreless innings and San Diego held on to win in Chicago as the Padres reduced their magic number to two to clinch a playoff berth.
San Diego took two of three from the White Sox, who have lost eight of their last nine and played their final home game of the season.
Padres reliever Mason Miller inherited bases loaded with one in the seventh and walked in a pair of runs. But he got Lenyn Sosa to ground out to end the inning. King (5-3) allowed four hits, walked four and struck out four.
Braves 6, Tigers 2
Ha-Seong Kim homered and drove in two runs and streaking Atlanta handed host Detroit its sixth straight loss.
Ronald Acuna Jr. and Drake Baldwin each had two hits, a run scored and an RBI for the Braves in their eighth consecutive win. Spencer Strider (7-13) tossed five scoreless innings.
The Tigers didn’t get on the scoreboard until the ninth inning, squandering numerous prime scoring chances in the opening frames. Detroit stranded 13 runners on base, handing Casey Mize (14-6) the loss after he gave up three runs and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Nationals 3, Mets 2
Jacob Young made two incredible catches in center field and Nasim Nunez hit a two-run homer to cap a three-run second inning as visiting Washington complicated New York’s playoff chase.
Young took away extra bases from Brett Baty in the fifth inning and stole a game-tying homer from Francisco Alvarez in the ninth. Jake Irvin (9-13) earned his first win since July 27 after allowing just two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Mets now sit in a tie with the Cincinnati Reds for the final NL wild-card spot after suffering their 15th loss in 23 games. Sean Manaea (2-4) took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in three-plus innings. Francisco Lindor hit a solo homer for New York in the sixth.
Rockies 3, Angels 1
Blaine Crim homered, Kyle Freeland pitched six strong innings, and Colorado beat Los Angeles in Denver to wrap up its home schedule.
The Rockies (43-113) passed the 1962 New York Mets, whose 42 wins are the fewest in the National League in the modern era. Colorado finished the season 25-56 at Coors Field, its worst home record in franchise history. Freeland (5-16) allowed one run on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
Mike Trout doubled, one of seven hits for Los Angeles. Rookie right-hander Cade Dana (0-3) allowed two runs on three hits, struck out five and walked three in a season-high six innings.
Giants 3, Dodgers 1
Patrick Bailey started a three-run rally in the eighth inning with an RBI double, rookie Trevor McDonald gave up one run over six-plus innings of his first career start and San Francisco avoided a four-game sweep with a victory over host Los Angeles.
Willy Adames had a bases-loaded walk in the eighth and Matt Chapman added an RBI groundout. McDonald gave up one run on six hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Spencer Bivens (4-3) did not give up a run over one inning for the Giants and right-hander Ryan Walker recorded the last two outs for his 16th save.
Right-hander Emmet Sheehan tied a career high with 10 strikeouts for the Dodgers, while Michael Conforto had an RBI single. Sheehan gave up just one hit with no walks over seven innings in the team’s regular-season home finale. Right-hander Blake Treinen (1-7) allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning.
Diamondbacks 9, Phillies 2
Corbin Carroll became the first Arizona player to achieve a 30-home run, 30-stolen base season and Eduardo Rodriguez pitched six scoreless innings as the D-backs moved closer to a playoff berth with a victory over Philadelphia in Phoenix.
Carroll stole his 30th base of the campaign in the sixth inning and hit a three-run shot, his 31st of the year, in the second frame. Jorge Barrosa notched his first career home run, Ketel Marte recorded two RBIs and Eduardo Rodriguez (9-8) pitched six scoreless innings to pull Arizona within one game of both the New York Mets and the Cincinnati Reds for the last NL wild-card spot.
Nick Castellanos singled in a run to open the scoring for the Phillies in the eighth inning, while Weston Wilson drove in another with a two-out, bases-loaded walk. Ranger Suarez (12-7) made his shortest appearance since his season debut May 4, pitching just four innings and giving up six runs on eight hits.
Marlins 4, Rangers 2
Otto Lopez had three hits and an RBI as Miami used a balanced offensive attack and shutdown relief to beat reeling Texas in the finale of a three-game interleague series in Arlington, Texas.
The victory was the sixth straight and the 10th in 11 games for the Marlins and finalized their second consecutive series sweep. Miami outhit the Rangers 11-5, with Graham Pauley adding a triple and a single and eight players producing hits. The Marlins did not draw a walk.
Lake Bachar (8-2) earned the win with two innings in relief of starter Eury Perez, who threw four shutout innings. Texas starter Merrill Kelly (12-9) took the loss as the Rangers fell for the seventh straight game.
Mariners 7, Astros 3
J.P. Crawford hit a grand slam and Cal Raleigh smashed his major league-leading 58th homer to help Seattle inch closer to a postseason berth with a win in Houston.
Logan Gilbert (6-6) supported the Mariners’ offense from the mound with six innings of one-run ball. Seattle is now three games up on the Astros for the AL West crown after sweeping the three-contest series and winning 14 of its last 15 games.
Houston starter Jason Alexander (4-2) failed to make it out of the second inning after surrendering seven runs on seven hits and a walk. Zach Cole hit his third home run of the season in place of Jeremy Pena, who was a late scratch due to oblique soreness. Jose Altuve also chipped in for the Astros with a double and an RBI single.
Rays 7, Red Sox 3
Christopher Morel drove in four runs, Brandon Lowe clubbed his 30th homer of the campaign and Tampa Bay drubbed Boston in the Rays’ home finale.
Morel went 2-for-4 and knocked in the first two runs with a double and two more with an eighth-inning single as Tampa Bay broke an eight-game losing streak against the Red Sox. Rays leadoff batter Chandler Simpson went 2-for-4 with a run and recorded his 43rd stolen base, while Junior Caminero had two hits, two runs and a walk. Garrett Cleavinger (2-6) tossed a perfect sixth.
Boston’s Alex Bregman and Romy Gonzalez each had two hits, an RBI and two walks. Masataka Yoshida added two hits. Starting pitcher Connelly Early (1-1), who made his major league debut on Sept. 9, suffered his first career loss by yielding three runs (two earned) on three hits in four innings. The lefty fanned four and walked two.

Friday night celebration in Phoenix turned into something more. After a major win over the Diamondbacks, a Phillies star who had just hit his 250th career home run fielded questions in the clubhouse that hinted at tension, not triumph. What started as a normal postgame interview quickly became awkward when Nick Castellanos was asked if he was “unhappy” in Philadelphia.
The incident unfolded after the Phillies’ 8-2 win over the D-Backs. Castellanos, who signed a five-year, $100 million deal, faced reporters who shifted focus. Instead of his historic home run, there were questions about his future and satisfaction with the team. When one reporter boldly stated, “So, it sounds like you’re unhappy,” the situation reached a breaking point that would spark widespread criticism. That interview received widespread criticism across social media.
When GenZ reporter Kait tweeted, “Just listened to the interview with Casty yesterday ‘it sounds like you’re unhappy’ why are you putting words in his mouth? Nick handled it like a pro, I don’t think I would’ve been as nice,” she struck a nerve. Jess Castellanos, the wife of Nick, responded directly.
“Fact. And FYI for everyone the reporters all apologized to him because it was wrong.” This revelation confirmed what many suspected – the questioning had crossed a line serious enough to warrant apologies from the media members involved.
Yet, undeniably, Nick Castellanos handled everything “like a pro.” To the “unhappy” question, he responded to the Phillies Nation, “That would be creating a narrative.” Still, the interviewers pressed it further and asked, “OK, are you unhappy?” The slugger’s response?
“That’s … I’m here, we won a baseball game. I hit my 250th [home run]. I have a good relationship with the guys in this clubhouse.” He handled the aggressive questioning with remarkable restraint, deflecting attempts to create controversy while staying focused on team goals. However, initially, on Friday, Jess Castellanos fired back with a fierce defence that went viral.
“I know everyone wants to find a problem with Nick or bate him into a problem, but it’s time to get over it. Focus on the postseason and winning baseball games and stop crying about the pieces you have to get the job done and root for them to do well instead.” Her message amplified the conversation around whether media coverage has unfairly targeted the veteran slugger.
Support came from unexpected corners, including MLB analyst Ben Verlander, who didn’t mince words about the interview’s tone.
“I can’t stop thinking about how disrespectful this is. Just a brutal line of questioning,” Verlander posted. He praised Castellanos’ character, noting, “He’s thoughtful. He cares. He’s passionate. He hit his 250th career HR last night and the questions he was getting were about his playing time. No other way to view these interviews than disrespectful.”
What’s more is that the conversation wasn’t limited to the “unhappy” question.
In the same interview on Friday, another exchange created a bigger fuss around the front office. While much of the attention focused on Castellanos’ satisfaction with his role, his comments about communication with management also drew notice. That later led to a Saturday meeting between the player and the Phillies manager.
Castellanos’ manager acts fast after communication comments
Nick Castellanos is getting less playing time in 2025 since his offensive numbers went down (.254 AVG, .706 OPS) and his defensive numbers got worse—he is among the bottom of the outfielders with -11 Defensive Runs Saved and –12 Outs Above Average. And since the trade deadline, players like Max Kepler and Harrison Bader have played better defense and offense.
So, when reporters started asking about Castellanos’ shorter playing time, a new part of the narrative came out.
Castellanos was direct when asked about his role in the clubhouse. “Uh, I don’t really talk to Rob [Thomson] all that often, so that’s just … I play whenever he tells me to play. And then I sit whenever he tells me to sit.” It continued, and his response grew more pointed. “Uh, communication over the years has been questionable, at least in my experience. But also, I grew up communicating with somebody like my father, which is very blunt, direct and consistent.”
Thomson scheduled a meeting with his veteran outfielder on Saturday morning after those comments made headlines.
“I thought it was really productive. I’m not going to get into specifics of what we talked about, but I thought it was good,” the skipper told reporters afterwards. He even acknowledged the difficulty of Castellanos’ situation. “As I’ve said all along, it’s a tough thing for a guy that’s played every day throughout the minor leagues, every day in his big league career, to take this type of role.”
The Phillies manager addressed the communication concerns head-on. “As far as the communication part of it, if – not only Nick, but if anybody else in that clubhouse doesn’t think that I’m communicating enough with them, I’m probably not. I’ve got to do a better job. It’s just being accountable.” He noted that “there’s two ways of communicating, and that door is always open,” while confirming Castellanos would be in Sunday’s lineup against left-handed pitching.