One day into the offseason, the Boston Red Sox have already made a move. On Thursday afternoon, they traded away speedy outfielder Nate Eaton to the Athletics in exchange for Nicaraguan-born right-handed pitcher Jareth Rayo. 

Eaton, who turns 30 in December, played in 65 games over the past two seasons for the Red Sox, hitting .244 with two home runs, 10 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. 

He provided defensive versatility and much-needed depth when he was recalled from Worcester after  Ceddane Rafela was placed on the injured list on September 6th with a right quadriceps strain. 

Eaton also earned a spot on the American League Wild-Card roster against the Yankees, where he went 1-for-2 with a double. 

He spent most of his 2026 season in Triple-A Worcester, where he batted .253/.338/.410 in 84 games, with 16 doubles, nine home runs, and 44 RBIs.

After sending away two top pitching prospects in the Adley Rutschman deal, Boston addressed an immediate need by getting a young pitching prospect in return for Eaton. 

In return, the Red Sox receive Rayo, a 6-foot-3 right-hander who signed with the Athletics out of Nicaragua in the last international signing period. 

The young right-hander, who turns 19 on Nov. 16, spent the 2026 season in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 1-1 record and a 5.50 ERA over 36 innings. 

Rayo gives Boston another pitching prospect to develop, as he is still years away from impacting the major league roster. 

Boston's taking a chance on a young pitching prospect, but it was a good way to unload a player with an uncertain future with the team. 

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After signing with the San Diego Padres on a three-year deal last off-season, Michael King has reportedly opted out of his contract and will be searching for a new home this offseason.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that King would be one of the top free-agent pitchers on the market if he opted out, meaning that he could be due for a big payday, 

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Thursday that King had declined the two years and $58 million left in his deal with San Diego, becoming a free agent after collecting a $5 million buyout. 

The Padres had originally acquired King in the blockbuster trade that sent superstar Juan Soto to the Yankees. 

King had a fantastic 2026 season with San Diego, finishing 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA and 159 strikeouts. 

Losing King will be a tremendous blow to the Padres’ chances of being competitive in an elite National League and to their ability to contend in their division against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

It's over! They did it! The Milwaukee Brewers have won a World Series championship for the first time in franchise history! Move over 1982; the 2026 Brewers say “anything is possible!” 

It's been a wild ride for Milwaukee, as their hearts were broken in last year's NLCS when the Los Angeles Dodgers crushed their World Series aspirations by sweeping them. That pain must've been the catalyst for their performance this season because they were the best team all season (record-wise, finishing 103-59) and showed it in the playoffs. 

They took down the San Diego Padres in four games during the NLDS, advancing to the NLCS to take on the Dodgers for a second straight year. Any pain from last season's series loss showed up again this season as the Brewers exacted revenge on the Dodgers and swept them. 

Then they ended up where they belonged, in the World Series, facing off against the Tampa Bay Rays. Milwaukee wasted no time taking the first three games of the series. A run decided Games 1-2, while Game 3 was a massacre of the Rays as the Brewers put up 10 runs and won 10-1. Things got a little scary when the Rays fought tooth and nail to enjoy an extra-innings walk-off in Game 4. But the Brewers weren't rattled. They know what a great team they are. Also, they had their young ace, Jacob Misiorowski, on the mound for Game 5.

*He’ll get the job done*

That is exactly what Misiorowski did as he pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits, one walk, and striking out two. Then, like they've done all postseason, Milwaukee's bullpen slammed the door shut for any possible attempt at a Tampa Bay comeback. 

Cooper Pratt came up huge tonight, driving in two runs with an RBI single and a sac-fly. 

David Hamilton made it 2-0 Brewers with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning.

Willson Contreras came through with an RBI double that made it 3-0 in the sixth. 

Pratt’s sac fly gave Milwaukee a 4-0 lead in the same inning, 

Tampa Bay would make a desperate last-ditch attempt at a comeback when a Chandler Simpson 2-out RBI double made it 4-1. Still, all-star closer Trevor Megill was able to get Richie Palacios to ground out to end Game 5 and secure Milwaukee's first-ever World Series title. 

Wisconsin will celebrate throughout the night, as they deserve to. They waited long enough to see their Brewers bring home a championship, and now it has finally happened. Enjoy this, Brewers fans; your team was the best in baseball all season long, and they proved it in the postseason. 

Milwaukee, this is for you! 

Recap

Game 4 showed the baseball world what playoff baseball is all about, delivering an all-time classic. It took 12 innings to determine a winner, as both teams traded blows and refused to quit. 

Left Fielder Chandler Simpson broke the scoreless tie when he hit an RBI double to give the Rays a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Tropicana Field…

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After two drama-filled endings to Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, the Tampa Bay Rays found themselves in a 0-2 hole. With the next three games in Tampa, the Rays should be able to ride the energy their fans bring and use it to punch back and tie the series. If they want to accomplish that, they’ll have to win the next three games and force a Game 7, because last night they got embarrassed. 

Recap

Robert Gasser has been phenomenal for the Brew Crew in the 2026 postseason: in three games, he’s 1-0, with a 0.60 ERA, has given up three walks, and has struck out nine batters. So it wasn't surprising that Gasser continued his pitching excellence last night. First baseman Yandy Díaz would get things started for Tampa with a leadoff single in the first. However, Gasser wasn’t interested in dealing with a lot of base runners, as he would go on to retire the next 15 batters in a row! He pitched six quality innings, allowing one hit, no runs, one walk, and striking out three batters. 

 It was a tremendous performance that allowed Milwaukee to reset their bullpen and rest their high-leverage guys. 

The Brewers did what the Brewers do; they hit the ball. Ending up with a total of 16 hits and 10 runs, they forced their will upon Tampa Bay. 

The scoring began when the captain Christian Yelich came up to bat with two runners on base, lining an RBI single, giving his team a 1-0 lead.

William Contreras would follow up with a run-scoring single of his own, extending the lead to 2-0. 

If there was any hope that the Rays would come back to tie the game or take the lead, that was quickly shattered as everything unraveled for Tampa in the fifth frame.

With two outs in the inning, the hitting machine that is the Milwaukee Brewers would score eight more runs on six consecutive hits- three singles and three doubles- until mercifully Jake Bauers flew out to end the inning. What should’ve been a highly competitive game turned into a laugher as the Brewers took a 10-0 lead. 

Jackson Chourio -who is having a fantastic postseason, hitting .286/.308/. 429- came up big with four hits and an RBI last night for the Brew Crew.

Facing a 10-0 deficit, desperately needing to win Game 3 at home to avoid going down 0-3 in the World Series, surely the Rays would show some life and throw a few haymakers of their own, right? Well, they didn’t get shut out! They scraped a run off a Díaz RBI double in the bottom half of the ninth inning. That was the only run they scored in all of Game 3.

Final score: Brewers 10, Rays 1.

The Milwaukee Brewers are one win away from winning their first-ever World Series Championship. It’s time to clinch it, finish the sweep, and make Wisconsin proud. Their fans have waited long enough for a World Series parade. It’s time to bring it home. Brewers fans, you deserve this. May the Brew Crew finish it off. 

Rant

In sports, sometimes teams have to tip their caps to their opponents as they are simply the better team. That’s usually after a hard-fought battle, where the two teams left everything they had out on the field. The Tampa Bay Rays didn’t do that. At least it didn’t seem that way. It looked as if they were still on the flight back to Tampa because they didn’t show up last night. They were run over by the freight train that is the Milwaukee Brewers and had no ounce of life in them, not even to dare fight back. 

It seems that after two draining defeats in Milwaukee, the Rays have no energy in them. If they keep playing like they did last night, they need to lie down and go to sleep. It’s not like the franchise has never won a World Series.

However, if they want to rise and shine, then they need to get their act straight. It’s the World Series; it’s winner-take-all. Your franchise has never won a championship in its history. Your franchise has been to the Fall Classic twice before 2026 and failed to secure the title both times. 

It’s time to put up or shut up for the Tampa. 

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Game 2 was the epitome of what makes playoff baseball phenomenal. It showed that life can punch you and knock you down, but with enough persistence, resilience, and courage, you can get up, punch back, and be victorious, which is exactly what the Brewers did.

Recap

The Tampa Bay Rays came out swinging, showing their frustration about how Game 1 ended when they sucker-punched Milwaukee in the mouth and put up four runs in a hurry. Rookie pitcher Logan Henderson looked a bit rattled to start Game 2. After Yandy Díaz reached second base on a throwing error by Cooper Pratt, Chandler Simpson would hit a run-scoring single to get Tampa on the board 1-0. Junior Caminero would get into the action, hitting an RBI single of his own to bring in Simpson, making it 2-0 Rays. 

 Liam Hicks -who was acquired from the Miami Marlins on the August 3rd trade deadline- launched a statement two-run homer, swinging all of the energy and momentum Tampa’s way, giving them a 4-0 lead in the first inning. 

Thirty-four- that is the number of regular-season comeback wins these Brewers had, so they were no strangers to resilience in the face of adversity; in fact, they embodied it. So finding themselves down 4-0 in Game 2 of the World Series was another day at the office for these guys. 

William Contreras is hitting .395/.477/.658/1.135 with 15 hits, three home runs, and seven RBIs in the 2026 postseason, so it made perfect sense he would get Milwaukee on the board with a run-scoring single, cutting the deficit to three runs. 

Garrett Mitchell -who hasn’t had much success lately-, followed Contreras with an RBI single of his own, cutting Tampa’s lead to two runs. 

It was a given that the Brew Crew would find a way to tie this game as first baseman Jonathon Aranda booted an easy ground ball hit by David Hamilton, Bill Buckner style, allowing the run to score from third. The Rays were desperately clinging to a one-run lead now, at 4-3.

The Massachusetts native Sal Frelick would come up with one of the biggest hits of the game as he launched a game-tying homer in the sixth inning, as the Brewers came back from being down four runs to tie the game. 

Of course they did. 

The final blow came in the form of a Pratt run-scoring line to right field, scoring Brice Turang from third, giving Milwaukee a 5-4 lead, the final score. 

Bullpen

Due to Henderson’s short start -he only lasted three innings-, Milwaukee used five relievers to help close out Game 2. Abner Uribe -who pitched in Game 1- would toss an inning and a third, did not allow a run to score, walked one and struck out one batter, and took 26 pitches to get through four batters.

Aaron Ashby, who also pitched in Game 1, pitched 1.2 innings, struck out three batters, and closed it out to secure the Game 2 win. 

Fortunately for Milwaukee, they will have a travel day to fly to Florida, allowing their bullpen arms to rest. 

The Comeback Kings always find a way to win, no matter what the score is. Now the Brewers head to Tampa Bay with a 2-0 series lead and two games to win their first World Series in franchise history. 

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What an intense finish to Game 1 of the World Series. The Tampa Bay Rays were oh so close to tying the game and potentially taking the lead in the ninth when they had the bases loaded with one out. Fortunately for the Brewers, All-Star closer Trevor Megill was able to get Liam Hicks to ground into a double play, ending the game and securing the win for Milwaukee. 

However, that is not the complete story of Game 1 of the World Series. Here’s how the Brewers put themselves in position to win.

Recap

Potential CY Young Award winner Jacob Misirowski got the start. He faced some challenges, giving up two hits in the first inning, with Junior Caminero stepping up to the plate. Caminero would line into a double play, ending the inning. Misiorowski escaped an early jam.

He would settle in, retiring his next six batters in order, before allowing Jonathon Aranda to walk in the top half of the fourth inning. Caminero was at the plate again and hit a wicked double to center field, putting runners on second and third with one out. Hicks was due up next and grounded out to first base, allowing Aranda to score from first, giving the Rays their first run of the game. Once again, the Rays threatened, but Misiorowski limited the damage and got out of the inning. 

The Brewers ace would last five innings, tossing 78 pitches, allowing four hits, one run, one walk, and striking out three. 

It was time for the bullpen to come in and shut down the Rays. 

Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby would combine for three innings pitched, allowing one hit, no runs, no walks, and striking out five batters and setting up the perfect bridge to bring in Megill in the ninth. Exactly what the Brewers were looking for. 

Megill would face trouble in the final frame, allowing a run to score and the bases to be loaded, but ultimately he was able to get out of the jam and pick up his fifth postseason save. 

Timely hitting played a major role in the Brewers’ victory as captain Christian Yelich got the scoring started early when he lined an RBI triple, giving Milwaukee a quick 1-0 lead in the first frame.

William Contreras, who has a knack for coming up with hits in clutch moments, brought in Yelich with a run-scoring single, extending the lead to 2-0. 

The final dagger would come in the seventh inning when Jackson Chourio would an implant insurance run with an RBI single, scoring Cooper Pratt from third, giving Milwaukee a 3-1 lead. As it turns out that run was huge for the Brewers as the Rays almost made a late comeback. 

It felt like everything went Milwaukee's way in Game 1, as momentum and luck are on their side, will that carry into Game 2? The Brewers may have a tough time scoring as they face Drew Rasmussen who is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in the 2026 postseason. 

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The Tampa Bay Rays will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series, where a first-time champion is guaranteed since neither franchise has ever hoisted championship gold. So, if the stakes weren't high enough as they are, this would add more to the series. One team will win it all; the other will be sent home, hanging their heads in sheer disappointment. Who wins it?  How do these two teams match up?

Let's find out.

Pitching 

If you want to have a successful season and make a deep playoff run, you’ll need a quality pitching rotation and a lights-out bullpen to get you there. Luckily for these two teams, that’s exactly what they have. But who has the edge? 

Milwaukee's rotation features one of the best pitchers in the game, and his name is Jacob Misiorowski. If you want high velocity and a crap ton of strikeouts, then he’s your guy. He finished a potential CY Young Award-winning season going 16-5 with a 1.80 ERA, 252 strikeouts, 12.98 K/9, 2.27 BB/9, 0.72 HR/9, and a 2.17 FIP. Absolutely disgusting numbers! He will get the start for Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Friday night.

Tampa Bay’s rotation also features one of the better pitchers in baseball, that being right-hander Drew Rasmussen. In another potential Cy Young Award-winning season, Rasmussen put up some ridiculous numbers. He went 16-5, with a 2.67 ERA, 174 strikeouts, 9.10 K/9, 1.67 BB/9, 0.73 HR/9, and a 2.81 FIP. He has played a big role in Tampa Bay's success this season, to say the least. 

But how does their pitching as a whole match up? 

Tampa Bay's rotation is one of the best in baseball, posting a record of 61-43 (2nd in MLB), with a  3.51 ERA (3rd in MLB), 3.79 FIP (7th in MLB), 8.12 K/9 (20th in MLB), 2.10 BB/9 (1st in MLB), 1.18 HR/9 (14th in MLB), and a 14.4 WAR (7th in MLB). 

Meanwhile, Milwaukee's starting rotation posted similar numbers. They finished with a record of 55-36 (6th in MLB), a 3.61 ERA (5th in MLB), 3.73 FIP (4th in MLB), 10.13 K/9 (1st in MLB), 2.89 BB/9 (7th in MLB), 1.21 HR/9 (16th in MLB), and a 15.6 WAR (4th in MLB). 

The Brewers carry a lights-out bullpen that has dominated the 2026 playoffs and has been a huge part of Milwaukee's success. The bullpen holds a 7-1 record, with a 1.33 ERA, 38 strikeouts, 14 walks, 8.41 K/9, 3.10 BB/9, and a 0.44 HR/9. 

Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, and Trevor Megil have been key contributors in the bullpen, having not allowed a single run to score, while Hall has three wins for the Brewers out of the pen.

The Rays also have a fantastic bullpen that is posting similar numbers. They carry a 2-1 record with a 3.60 ERA, 32 strikeouts, nine walks, 9.60 K/9, 2.70 BB/9, and a 0.60 HR/9 in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay's bullpen is led by their phenomenal closer Bryan Baker, who has been virtually unhittable in this postseason. He’s allowed one hit, 12.1 innings, has five saves, and has yet to give up an earned run. He's as close to a sure thing as you can get. 

Pledge

Offense 

Both teams are pretty evenly matched when it comes to the pitching side of things, but how do the offenses match up? 

The Brewers offense is hitting .250/.343/.396/.739, with 10 home runs, six doubles, 32 RBIs, and a 105 wRC+ in eight games this postseason. 

Once again, Tampa Bay is posting similar numbers. They are hitting .232/.293/.356/.650, with 13 doubles, seven home runs, 32 RBIs, and an 82 wRC+.

While the numbers might be similar, it’s clear that the Brewers have a slight advantage over the Rays in the hitting department. 

X-Factors

William Contreras has come up big for Milwaukee in this year's postseason. Hitting a go-ahead home run in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, followed by a 35.77-second trot around the bases, the longest home run trot in MLB playoff history. He’s hitting at a fantastic clip: .367/.457/.700/1.157, with 11 hits, three home runs, five RBIs, and one double. 

If he can continue producing like that, it’ll make things a bit easier for the Brewers.

One of the game's better young players, Jackson Chourio is a centerpiece of the Milwaukee offense; despite a huge walk-off hit in Game 2 of the NLDS against San Diego, he has been struggling. Chourio is hitting .171/.242/.379/.622, with six hits, two home runs, and seven RBIs. The Brewers will need better production from him to help clinch their first World Series title. 

Jake Bauers has a chance to make his former team pay for trading him away for the current Rays first baseman. It’s poetic that the two players will be squaring off against each other to decide who's holding championship gold. 

Bauers has been tremendous for the Brewers in the postseason; his slash line is .269/.441/.423/.864, while also tallying seven hits, one double, one home run, and six RBIs.

The 22-year-old phenom Junior Caminero is the centerpiece of the Rays offense and has shown exactly why he is in the playoffs. Caminero is slashing .273/.351/.455/.806, with nine hits, three doubles, one home run, four RBIs, and a 127 wRC+.

Yandy Diaz, who has been called the most complete hitter in the World Series by Fangraphs, is a staple of Tampa Bay's lineup. He can hit for power, get on base, and he is difficult to strike out. He’s been tearing the cover off the ball in the playoffs, hitting .308/.341/.564/.906, with 12 hits, four doubles, two home runs, four RBIs, and a 151 wRC+.

Chandler Simpson is a problem when he gets on base, having stolen 46 bases in the regular season, leading the American League. That has continued into the playoffs, with three stolen bases so far. While speed kills, if you don’t get on base, it becomes a non-factor. Simpson should look to improve, as he's hitting .240/.259/.360/.848. The Rays will need his speed to create chaos against the Brewers great pitching. 

The World Series is set up to be an instant classic. With both teams nearly evenly matched and having never won a World Series, it should create plenty of drama and entertainment.

Prediction: The Milwaukee Brewers win in six games. 

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Can you believe it? The Milwaukee Brewers are one win away from clinching a World Series berth. It would be their first trip to the Fall Classic since 1982, when they lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Los Angeles Dodgers were the favorites to win the NLCS and move on to their third consecutive World Series with a chance to three-peat as champions. That was until the Brewers sucker-punched them, going up  2-0 in the series and carrying all of the energy and momentum heading into L.A.

Maybe being on the road would cool down the red-hot Brewers? Surely the Dodgers would wake up and punch back in their own house, right? L.A. can't possibly go down 0-3 and be on the verge of getting swept, can they? 

It is possible; in fact, that is exactly what is going on, as Milwaukee went on to win six-to-two off a strong bullpen performance and a couple of key homers.

Jackson Chourio didn't waste any time, hitting a leadoff homer on the first pitch from Blake Snell, keeping the momentum with Milwaukee and giving them a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning. 

However, after that, Snell settled in and struck out the next three batters; he then retired 11 batters in a row, keeping it a one-run game and giving his team a chance to come back.

The Dodgers had chances to score but failed to cash in on any of them, having left five men on base up until the sixth inning. The Brewers would make a call to the bullpen and bring in sensational reliever Adner Uribe, who struck out four Dodgers batters in his 3.1 innings of work in the series.

Being down one-nothing and getting into the late innings of the game, L.A. needed to put runs on the board urgently. Luckily for them, Uribe didn't have his best stuff. Giving up walks to both Teoscar Hernández,  Kyle Tucker, and Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith stepped up to the plate with a golden bases-loaded opportunity, and he delivered. He smoked a ball to deep left-center field that bounced high off the wall, which allowed two runners to score, as Smith would find himself standing on second having hit a two-run double and giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

L.A. had finally punched back. Dodger Stadium was rocking. Momentum had swung the Dodgers way.

That was until Milwaukee punched back in the seventh frame. Jake Bauers hit a solo homer to start things off, followed by a Garrett Mitchell solo home run; they went back-to-back and gave the Brewers a 4-2 lead.

L.A. would only get one more hit after the seventh inning as DL Hall and Trevor Megill came in and shut them down offensively, striking out four combined batters. 

When it rains it pours as in the eighth, with runners on base, reliever Justin Wrobleski would throw a wild pitch, allowing a runner to score, making it five to two for the Brewers. And finally, in the ninth, the final nail in the coffin came as a Joey Ortiz RBI single, extending Milwaukee's lead to 6-2 which ended up as the final score, 

The Milwaukee Brewers have taken a 3-0 series lead over the Dodgers. If Los Angeles wants to come back and win this series they are going have to tap into the 2004 Boston Red Sox energy and say “don’t let us win today”.

Can they do it? 

We’ll find out.

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The NLCS is off to an electric start, with two closely contested games where timely hitting, lockdown pitching, and smart managerial decisions have been vital to their teams’ success. The Milwaukee Brewers are the beneficiaries of these three categories as they find themselves with a two-game series lead over the reigning World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Revenge

The Brewers suffered a painful end to their season last year, getting swept by the Dodgers, who ultimately won their second consecutive World Series title. One could say this current Milwaukee team is using that heart-wrenching loss as fuel to take down the same team that put the final nail in the coffin of their 2025 season. 

Over 84,000 passionate fans showed up at American Family Field to watch with hopeful anticipation that their Brewers would take down the mighty juggernaut from L.A. In the first two games of their series. 

Game 1 started with a pitcher's duel as two of the best at their craft, Tarik Skubak and Jacob Misiorowski, went toe to toe. Skubal threw 81 pitches in five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out seven. His counterpart, Misiorowski, lasted only 4 ⅓ innings, throwing 94 pitches and allowing 1 run on five hits, three walks, and five strikeouts. Not exactly the pitching duel that was anticipated, as if both starters could've lasted longer if they were more efficient.

An Andy Pages RBI single opened up the scoring, giving the Dodgers an early one-run lead in the second inning. Brice Turang would answer later on in the fourth when he hit a solo shot over the left field wall, tying the game at one apiece. Then Brewer Ball took over in the bottom half of the fifth, where a walk by Garrett Mitchell, a sac-bunt from Cooper Pratt, advanced the runner to second, followed by a Luis Lara RBI single; the Brewers had a two-to-one lead, and it was the final score in Game 

1.

Game 2 was more of a heavyweight fight: whenever the Dodgers punched Milwaukee in the mouth, they'd punch back and then some. It started with a Teoscar Henándex sac-fly to give L.A. an early one-run lead. Catcher William Contreras -who would be the MVP of this game- would answer immediately with an RBI single, tying the score at one apiece. 

Later on in the bottom half of the fifth, with Milwaukee down a run, Contreras would come through for them again, hitting a solo homer to tie the game at four. Then, once again, the hero of the night came through with an RBI single in the sixth to put the Brewers up five to four. Contreras had done it again. 

Milwaukee looked for insurance runs, as a one-run lead against the Dodgers was scary because at any moment they could put up a crooked number and the Brewers would suddenly find themselves down. Brice Turang and Jake Bauers’ RBI singles gave the Brew Crew a seven-to-four lead in the eighth inning, securing their win. 

The Milwaukee bullpen threw five perfect innings to hold down the potent Dodgers offense. They struck out seven batters. If this trend continues, the Brewers will be on their way to the World Series for the first time since 1982. 

As the series moves to L.A., the question is: can Milwaukee keep its momentum and clinch the Championship Series at Dodger Stadium? 

The MLB playoffs are the most exciting times of the entire baseball season. It’s where predictions blow up in people’s faces, surprise teams upset the favorite, and things don’t go according to plan. Three teams have clinched their way into the League Championship Series, while one spot remains. Let’s see how these teams got there and who will be the final team to advance.

Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers just took one step closer toward a World Series three-peat by eliminating the Atlanta Braves with a 4-1 win on Wednesday in Game 4 of the NL Division Series.

For the Dodgers, it was a story of great pitching and timely hitting that ultimately pulled them ahead in the series and led to the victory. Performances from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who tossed seven innings, allowing four hits, one run, one walk, while striking out 10 batters in his outing on Tuesday evening, helped give L.A. a 2-1 series lead over the Braves, heading into Game 4.

It had been an injury-riddled season for Tyler Glasnow, who suffered lower back spasms on May 6th, landed on the 10-day IL, and was later moved to the 60-day IL on June 6th, costing him 3.5 months of action. 

It was fitting that on August 25th, Glasnow was activated from the injured list and started against the Braves that evening. He would pitch five innings, allowing six hits, three runs, no walks, and striking out seven batters. It was a great warm-up for his next start against Atlanta in the playoffs. 

Fast forward to Wednesday, October 7th, Glasnow would help the Dodgers clinch their NLCS berth by pitching 4.2 innings, allowing one hit, one run, five walks, while striking out five batters. It wasn’t his best outing, but it was good enough.

Now they prepare to take on Milwaukee in the championship series, hoping to advance to the World Series once again. 

The Dodgers have faced the Brewers seven times this season, losing four and outscoring them 27-25. 

Shohei Ohtani is batting .154/.267/.514/.893  and has been held to two hits in 13 at-bats this postseason. If the Dodgers are going to advance to and win the World Series, they’ll need Ohtani to start producing like he normally does. 

Freddie Freeman has been one of the most productive players in this year's playoffs, with a .267 batting average, four hits, two home runs, and two RBIs in 15 at-bats. 

The future Hall of Famer hits the Brewers well; in 90 career games facing them, he’s hit .252/.359/.454/.813, with 19 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, and 46 RBIs—something to keep an eye on for this upcoming series. 

Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers are headed to a second consecutive championship series after eliminating the San Diego Padres from playoff contention on October 7th, following a 3-1 victory. The series was closely contested, with the Brewers outscoring the Padres 10-8. 

Next stop is L.A. for the Brewers as they get ready to take on the Dodgers in the best-of-seven NLCS, hoping to exact revenge for being eliminated by them last season. 

Jacob Misiorowski is the potential Game 1 starter as he would most likely face off against Tarik Skubal in what could be the pitching matchup of the season. Misiorowski pitched just once in the NLDS, while Skubal pitched six innings and allowed one run against the Braves in Game 1 of their series. Both pitchers should be well rested.

Misiorowski is 2-0 with an ERA of 1.50 in 2 career appearances against the Dodgers. 

Jackson Churuo has played in 20 games against the Dodgers in his career; he is hitting .293/.326/.402/.728 with 24 hits, six doubles, one home run, and five RBIs. 

It’s going to be an electric series to watch. Who wins it this time? Do the Brewers get their revenge and advance to the World Series for the second time in team history? 

Or do the Dodgers, just like last year, break their hearts and advance to their third consecutive World Series with a chance to three-peat? 

Prediction: Brewers in six.

Rays

The best team in the American League advanced to the ALCS after convincingly sweeping the New York Yankees. Rays pitching held New York to just five runs in the ALDS, with ace Drew Rasmussen tossing eight shutout innings, in which he struck out 10 batters and allowed only one hit in Game 1. It was a masterclass in pitching. 

 Freddy Peralta pitched a solid 4.2 innings, allowing three hits, one run, one walk, and striking out three batters in his performance in Game 2. 

Ian Seymour pitched three innings in relief, giving up one hit, one run, one walk, and striking out four batters, keeping the Yankees from rallying.

Seymour earned the win in the series-clinching Game 3, pitching 1.1 innings out of the bullpen, allowing one hit, no walks, no runs, and striking out two. 

Now Tampa Bay awaits its next opponent as the Cleveland Guardians and the Chicago White Sox face a winner-take-all Game 5 in Cleveland on Saturday, October 10th. 

Kevin Cash, Rays manager, is keeping his cards close to his chest, as he is unwilling to announce the team's pitching plan. 

The ALCS begins Monday, October 12th. 

Guardians/White Sox

It has been a heck of an ALDS with these two teams involved. The Guardians, who were on the verge of being swept, ignited their slumping offense and have scored 18 runs in their last two games, winning both and forcing a Game 5 back in Cleveland. 

Gavin Williams, who pitched an inning of relief in Game 4, will get the start for the pivotal Game 5. 

The White Sox will send out Sean Burke in hopes of avoiding a disastrous collapse and advancing to their first ALCS since 2005, when they won it all after a convincing sweep of the Houston Astros. 

If the White Sox plan to advance, they'll need better production from their big three.

Miguel Vargas is hitting .211/.484/.368/.833 with four hits and one home run in his first six career playoff games.

Munetaka Murakami has been struggling as well, hitting .217/.296/.348/.644 with five hits, one home run and five RBIs in his 6 career postseason games.

Colson Montgomery has been struggling as he has struck out nine times this series, five times through the first three games, and struck out a team-high four times in Game 4. 

Chicago cannot afford for their offense to get cold because the Guardians offense has exploded onto the scene, with Jose Ramirez having five RBIs, including a home run in his last two games. 

Jo Adell is heating up as he also has five RBIs, including a triple and a home run in his last two games.

With Game Five being in Cleveland and momentum flowing toward the Guardians, it’ll be tough for the White Sox to win. 

Prediction. The White Sox win Game 5 and advance to the ALCS.

Two of the best teams go face to face for a 5-game division series as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves square off in the NLDS. 

Pitching Probables

Dodgers:

Game 1, Saturday, October 3rd.

After acquiring him in a blockbuster trade with the Detroit Tigers on August 1st, it was a no-brainer that Tarik Skubal would be the Game 1 starter for the Dodgers.  

Skubal, who dealt with loose bodies in his left elbow that put him on the shelf for a little over a month, had himself another fantastic season, finishing it with a 12-7 record and a 2.72 ERA.

Skubal in 6 career postseason appearances is 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA. 

Game 2, Sunday, October 4th.

Featuring one of the deepest rotations in baseball, the Dodgers will send right-handed pitcher Blake Snell to the mound for Game 2 on Sunday. Snell was sidelined with an elbow injury for most of the season and made his return on August 11th. He has made 9 starts this season and finished with a 4-1 record and a 1.90 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched.

Snell is 7-5 in 18 postseason appearances, with a 3.27 ERA and 1 save. 

Game 3, Tuesday, October 6th

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will get the ball for Game 3 in Atlanta. 

The right-hander finished the season 14-9 with a 2.53 ERA in 28 starts. 

In 10 career postseason appearances, Yamamoto has a 7-1 record, a 2.25 ERA, and 48 strikeouts. Tuesday will mark his 11th appearance in the playoffs. 

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Braves

Game 1.

It will be a bullpen day for the Atlanta Braves as they have announced that left-handed reliever Dylan Dodd will get the start in Game 1 of the NLDS. 

Dodd has pitched 49.2 innings this season, going 4-1 with a 2.54 ERA, 53 strikeouts, 7 walks, and 7 home runs allowed. 

Games 2-3.

The Braves have yet to officially announce who will take the mound for games 2 or 3, with manager Walt Weiss looking to take a day-to-day approach. Veteran left-hander Chris Sale is an option to start Game 2 on Sunday. The lefty last pitched on Thursday, October 1st where came out of the bullpen to close out the 9th and secure the wild-card series win for Atlanta. 

Sale had a phenomenal year, going 14-9 with a ridiculous 2.16 ERA and 200 strikeouts in 162.2 innings pitched this season.

Grant Holmes is a viable option to get the start for Game 3, as his last outing was on October 1st, when he threw 2 innings out of the bullpen, giving up a run, two hits, one walk, and striking out one. 

What To Look Out For:

The Braves went 5-1 this season against the Dodgers, outscoring them 26-15 over those 6 regular-season games. 

Atlanta is slashing .250 AVG (9th in MLB), .416 SLG (8th in MLB), and .730 OPS (11th in MLB) against right-handed pitching this season. 

The Dodgers are one of the best hitting teams when facing left-handed pitching, as they are slashing .251 AVG (6th in MLB), .330 OBP (5th in MLB), .426 SLG (5th in MLB), 67 HR (3rd in MLB), and have scored 232 runs (6th in MLB). 

This magical season continues for the Chicago White Sox as they got revenge on the Houston Astros for eliminating them in the 2021 ALDS by sweeping them in the Wild-Card series this year. Now, the South Side prepares to take on their division rival, the Cleveland Guardians, in a best of 5 series with the opportunity to advance to the American League Championship Series, one step closer to the World Series. 

 Series Overview:

The White Sox and Guardians met in 13 games this season, with the South Side winning 7-6. It was a close series as Chicago barely outscored Cleveland 58-57. 

The White Sox offense hit .237/.325/.409/.734 against the Guardians this season. 

Cleveland’s offense put up similar numbers, hitting .233/.322/.368/.690 against the White Sox this season.

The Guardians relied on their pitching to get them into the playoffs, as rookie sensation Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA), Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76 ERA), and Joey Cantillo (11-9, 3.62 ERA) led the way in their starting rotation. 

Cleveland has a filthy bullpen, led by one of the game's premier closers, Cade Smith, who finished the season with 41 saves, 102 Ks, and a 1.95 ERA out of the bullpen. 

Hunter Gaddis is another weapon, finishing with a 2.98 ERA, 57 Ks, and a 1.28 WHIP.

To combat this, the White Sox have quite a few dangerous hitters that can change the momentum of a game in the blink of an eye.

Miguel Vargas, visibly upset and disappointed after his unexpected trade from the World Series-contending Los Angeles Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox, who were well on their way to another 100+ loss season in 2024, found his joy and enthusiasm for the sport of baseball in 2026. 

He had a monster of a season hitting .250/.363/.474/.837, with 31 doubles, 33 home runs, and 93 RBIs. Vargas was also selected to his first All-Star game this season. It’s been a special season for him. 

Colson Montgomery, the power-hitting shortstop, is another bat you need to watch, as he had a career year, finishing with 24 doubles, 31 home runs, and 87 RBIs. However, he struggled at times, finishing with a .197 batting average and 227 strikeouts. 

 Mr. “I AM JAPANESE” himself, Munetaka Murakami, signed a 2-year, $ 34 million deal with the White Sox on December 21st, 2025. A deal that benefited Chicago greatly, as Murakami had a fantastic season.  He would blast 35 home runs, 16 doubles, and drive in 77 runs. 

Pitching Probables:

Game 1:  

Hagen Smith is set to take the mound for the White Sox on Saturday. He looked great against the Astros on Tuesday when he pitched 3 innings, allowing 2 hits, no runs, no walks, and striking out one batter. 

Parker Messick will be going for Cleveland, having faced the Chicago 5 times in his career with a 3-2 record and a 2.56 ERA against them.

Messick will be the first rookie pitcher to pitch in a postseason game for the Guardians since 2016.

Game 2:

The White Sox haven’t announced who will pitch for Game 2 or 3 yet. 

Davis Martin could get the call to start Game 2.

Anthony Kay, who pitched on Wednesday, is an option to start Game 3.

Cleveland will send out right-hander Gavin Williams for Game 2 on Monday, October 5th. 

They also don’t have anyone set to start Game 3. 

Prediction:

This will be the most electrifying series to watch, with Progressive Field and The Rate rocking. White Sox win the series in 5

After celebrating an overpowering Wild Card Series sweep over the lifeless Boston Red Sox, the Yankees booked flights to Tampa Bay as they prepare to take on the division-winning Rays for a clash of titans in the ALDS beginning on Saturday, October 3rd, at 6:30 p.m. EST

Season Series:

The Rays will have their work cut out for them, as the Yankees proved to be a tough opponent in the regular season. Tampa Bay finished 7-6 in 13 games against New York, with 8 decided by 2 runs or fewer. As a team, the Rays hit .247/.297/.336/.633, with 15 doubles and 6 home runs versus the Bronx Bombers. 

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Probable Starters:

Yankees

Pitching has been the backbone of this Yankees team, and that carried over into the Wild Card series, where they absolutely destroyed the Boston Red Sox.

Game 1:

It was announced that Gerrit Cole will take the mound for the Yankees to open the divisional round on Saturday, as he wasn’t used in the AL Wild Card series. Cole was 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA vs. Tampa Bay this season.  He was also struggling with giving up the long ball in September. 

However, he is 11-6 with a 2.77 ERA in 22 postseason appearances, which the Yankees look to bank on.

Game 2:

Cam Schlittler, the frontrunner for the AL Cy Young Award, finished the season 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA. He carried that dominance into the postseason, shutting down a lifeless Red Sox offense. 

Schlittler gets the ball for Game 2 and is 1-1 with a 2.81 ERA against the Rays this year. 

Game 3: 

TBA. There is a case to be made for Rodón as the Game 3 starter, as he finished the season strong at 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his last 5 starts, including tossing eight scoreless innings vs. Tampa on Sept. 22nd. 

Rays

After finishing fourth in the AL East with a 77-85 record last season, the Rays found their winning ways and captured the division title, finishing 98-64 and earning a first-round bye. They announced that Drew Rasmussen would start Game 1 on Saturday evening; however, their rotation beyond that has not been set. 

Game 1:

Drew Rasmussen has been phenomenal for Tampa Bay all season long, going 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA and 174 strikeouts in172 innings pitched. It’s no wonder he is starting Game 1, as he's become the Ace of the staff. 

Game 2:

TBA

Game 3:

TBA

Aaron Judge:

Jeff Passan is reporting that Aaron Judge’s status for the ALDS is still up in the air and is unlikely to be decided on before the series begins on Saturday. 

The Yankees have played most of the season without Judge after he was sidelined for three months with a broken rib. 

EMBARRASSING is the word to describe this series for the Red Sox. For the second straight year, their season ended in New York. Here’s what happened.

Dejavu 

It didn't matter how well Payton Tolle and Sonny Gray pitched for Boston in this series, because the Red Sox couldn't score any runs. Yes, they did score 2 runs, but that was when they were down 2-0, and then 8-1, via home runs from Willson Contreras and Nick Sogard. It was like Chris Paul hitting a huge 3-pointer to cut the lead to 42 with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter. IT DIDN'T MATTER

The most frustrating part of this whole series was how the Red Sox offense looked overmatched by Yankees pitching. Cam Schlittler owns the Sox, as his career numbers are ridiculous when facing Boston: he's 2-0, with a 0.00 ERA, 22 strikeouts, 0.56 WHIP, 13.81 K/9, and 0.63 BB/9  in 2 postseason starts against them. Video game numbers. So it was no surprise when he absolutely dominated the Sox in Game 1, shutting them out and striking out 10 batters in 6.2 innings. 

Max Fried had a 2-6 record and a 5.31 ERA before Game 2 of the wild card series, but it finally looked like things were lining up for the Red Sox, and maybe, just maybe, they could take advantage of it. *You already know how this goes*. The Red Sox not only didn't do that, but they scored 1 run against Fried, and it came from a Contreras home run. In fact, he was the only player with multiple hits off of him. Absolutely horrendous. 

Just like last season, the Red Sox offense wasn't good enough. No Roman Anthony last year; this year he went 0-for-2, with 2 Ks before aggravating his hand injury during an at-bat in Game 1, and was pinch-hit for by Andruw Monasterio in the sixth inning.

Losing Anthony hurt, but the Red Sox have other players who can get on base and drive in runs. Let's see how they did in the series. 

Ceddane Rafaela: 0-for-7, 0 RBI

Wilyer Abreu: 1-for-6, 2 Ks, 0 RBI

Trevor Story: 1-for-5, 2 Ks, 0 RBI

Adley Rutschman: 1-for-7, 3 Ks, 0 RBI

Yeah, not gonna get it done. 

*But the pitching will keep them in the game, and they'll squeeze out a run late and win the game*

Nope. 

Payton Tolle was solid in his first career postseason outing, lasting 4.2 innings, giving up a run before being pulled out of the game and replaced by Erik Miller. 

Killer would then immediately give up a solo shot to Ben Rice to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the 5th. 

Alec Gamboa made his Red Sox playoff debut, and the intensity of the postseason was too much for him; he did not look like himself and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and 1 walk.

Wyatt Olds came in after and didn't fare much better; he gave up 3 runs on 3 hits in his 1.1 innings of work, leaving runners in scoring position for the next guy to deal with, which was Brayan Bello. 

Bello would relieve Olds of his duties in the eighth inning. If things weren’t already stressful for Bello, walking Paul Goldschmidt to load the bases up for Rice just made things worse. And as Rice loves to hit home runs (he finished with 41 in the regular season), he smashed an enormous grand slam, siphoning all the momentum (if they had any) that Boston had and gave the Yankees an insurmountable 9-0 lead. 

*Pain*

Sonny Gray would take the mound for Game 2 and was cool as ice. Heading into the 5th, he had held the Yankees to one run, which came off a Luis Garcia Jr. solo homer in the fourth. Gray struck out 5 batters by the fifth inning, but he ran into trouble, allowing runners to get on base as Cody Berlinger stepped up to the plate with 2 outs. 

You would think that Chad Tracy would trust his starter to get out of the jam, and not make the same boneheaded mistake of taking Gray out and replacing him with Miller, the same pitcher who gave up a home run the night before, right? 

Nope. 

Tracy would make that exact move, and guess what happened next? Berllimger hits a single to right field, bringing in another run and giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. 

Then Garret Crochet would come into the game, having not pitched since April 25th. Recipe for success, right? 

It was a disaster. Crochet would allow 4 more runs to score, extending New York’s lead to 6-1. Then, like trying to slap a Band-Aid on a burst pipe, Tracy brought in Garrett Whitlock. That didn’t go well either, as he would cough up another 3 runs to the relentless Yankees, thus making it 9-2. Game over.

The New York Yankees dog-walked the Red Sox; they absolutely dominated them. 

Boston's season ended the same way it did in 2025: outclassed, outperformed, and flat-out embarrassed by the Yankees. 

Is this painful to read?

Was it painful to experience? 

If you’re a Sox fan, then yes, it was.

If you’re a Yankees fan, then kudos to your team. You have a great team there in the Bronx. A team that could go all the way; it would be nice, since they haven’t won since 2009. 

At a press conference a day before Game 1 of the Wild Card series, Payton Tolle said it would be a slobberknocker between the Red Sox and Yankees. Unfortunately, he used the wrong wrestling term, as it was more of a squash match because the Yankees absolutely handled Boston. 

Schlittler Owns The Sox

Stop if you've heard this one before: Cam Schlittler dominates the Red Sox. His career numbers (including postseason) against Boston are ridiculous, video game-type numbers. In 6 starts against the Red Sox, Schlittler has allowed 2 earned runs, posted a 0.47 ERA, and recorded 49 Ks. Absolute dominance. He did it once again as last 

 he went 6.1 IP, allowing 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, and struck out 10. Boston's bats really didn't stand a chance against him. 

First Playoff Start

Payton Tolle wasn’t at his best last night as his fastball hung around 93-94 MPH, and he found himself in a couple of jams but ultimately was able to get out of them. His final line was 4.2 IP, allowing 5 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, while striking out 4 batters. Overall, it was a solid outing from Tolle. 

No Punch

The Red Sox offense had a chance to make a statement last night. It was going to be extremely difficult going up against Schlitler, but the opportunity was there to at least score first and set the tone. However, the usual transpired as the offense, or lack thereof, was weak and stagnant, 

Willson Contreras, who's been dealing with a hand injury, surely looked like he wasn’t at 100%. He would go 0-for-4 with 3 Ks.

Roman Anthony not only went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, but he also left the game in the 6th inning after feeling wrist discomfort. There has been no update on his status as of today. 

Adley Rutschman was one of two batters to actually get a hit off of Schlitler as he forced a 10-pitch at-bat that led to a single. That would be Rutschman's only hit of the night, as he would strike out twice in his last 3 at bats,

Wilyer Abreu was the only other Red Sox hitter to record a hit off the Yankees Ace, as he too hit a single.

The Red Sox were held to three hits and didn't have a runner in scoring position until Trevor Story hit a double off Paul Blackburn in the top of the 8th.

All The Wrong Moves.

It was Chad Tracy’s first time managing an MLB playoff game, and he would like a mulligan, as everything that could’ve gone wrong did. 

Tolle had gotten the first two outs in the bottom half of the 5th when Tracy made the call to the bullpen for Erik Miller. Miller would then immediately give up a solo shot to Ben Rice, extending the Yankees lead to 2-0.

Trouble brewed in the 7th when Tracy once again called for lefty reliever Alec Gamboa, but the move didn't work. Gamboa would give up back-to-back singles and then a walk to Paul Goldschmidt, loading the bases with nobody out. Rice would head to the plate and line a single to right field, allowing Spencer Jones to score, making it 3-0 New York.

Then, if things could get any worse, they did. Wyatt Olds had the 8th inning, and almost immediately the Yankees had the bases loaded again, with one out. Brayan Bello came into the game to hopefully stop the bleeding. Then the man of the hour, the slugger who has torched the Sox all game long, you know who it is, Mr. Rice stepped up to the plate and crushed a grand slam, giving New York a 9-0 lead and putting the final nail in the coffin for Boston's hope of making a comeback in Game 1.

Game 2

Sonny Gray takes the mound on Wednesday night as he faces Max Fried.

Gray is 3-3 with an ERA of 3.67 and has 60 Ks in 10 appearances against the Yankees in his career. 

Fried is 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 53 strikeouts against Boston in his career, another touch pitcher the Red Sox have to deal with

Buy Me A Coffee!

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time. The regular season has come and gone, the playoffs are set, and we have ourselves quite the matchup: the Red Sox and Yankees in the Wild Card series for a second straight year. It doesn’t get much better than this. Here’s everything you need to know heading into the series.

Playoff Rotation:

Earlier Monday afternoon, manager Chad Tracy announced his Wild Card series rotation.

Payton Tolle, who started the season in Triple-A Worcester, got called up on April 23rd, and he never looked back. He finished his rookie season 9-6, with a 3.03 ERA, often looking like the future Ace of the staff; the 23-year-old will take the mound for Game 1.

After being traded to the Boston Red Sox on November 25th, Sonny Gray has had a phenomenal season in Boston. He won a league-best 18 games while posting a fantastic 2.72 ERA; Gray has been everything the Red Sox hoped for and more, which is why he gets the ball for Game 2.

Ranger Suarez signed with the Red Sox on January 21st 2025, as the big splash of free agency for Boston. Suarez has been a dependable pitcher throughout his career, but when it comes to the postseason, he’s a different animal. In 11 playoff games, Suarez is 4-1, with a 1.48 ERA, 44 Ks, 13 BB, and a 0.63 HR/9, absolutely dominant. He will get the start for Game 3 if it’s necessary.

Injury updates

When Chad Tracy was asked about the status of Willson Contreras, he said, “he’s in a good spot. We got him some live at-bats on Saturday and were able to start him in the game Sunday (vs. Cubs). The plan was two at-bats; he felt good after the second one.”

Tracy also said the plan is for Contreras to start at first base if they feel he’s ready.

Tyron Guerrero was placed in the 15-day IL on September 27th, 2026 (retroactive to September 24th) with a right shoulder lat strain. He will most likely miss the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Mickey Gasper landed in the 10-day IL with a right biceps injury suffered while swinging during an at-bat against the Cubs on Friday, September 25th, 2026.

Eli White will miss the rest of the season after getting Lisfranc foot surgery in his right foot. He suffered the injury by jamming his foot into the metal garage door in center field while attempting to make a catch on September 8th 2026.

Matchups

Game 1: Payton Tolle vs Cam Schilitter, Tuesday, September 29th, 8:00 p.m. EST

Game 2: Sonny Gray vs Max Fried, Wednesday, September 30th 8.00 p.m. EST

Game 3 (if necessary ): Ranger Suarez vs. Gerrit Cole, Thursday, October 1st, 8:.00 p.m. EST

Previous Matchup

The last time these two teams met was in a series in late August, when the Red Sox were just 1.5 games back of the Yankees and threatening to catapult ahead in the standings.

The Bronx Bombers had no trouble handling the Sox, taking 3-out-of-four games from Boston while outscoring them 26-9, pushing them back to 4.5 games behind, a deficit that the Red Sox weren’t able to overcome, as they finished second in the wild card standings.

Predictions

Game 1 will be a pitcher’s duel, with neither team scoring a run until the late innings. The game will go to extra innings, and the Red Sox will win off of a clutch Roman Anthony 2-run homer in the 10th.

There will be no Game 3, as Boston will complete a 2-game sweep of the Yankees, shutting out 52,000 people from New York.

Whatever does happen, it’s going to be a fun series. The Red Sox have a chance to get revenge for their season ending in New York last year.

The postseason officially begins Tuesday, September 29th. It’s going to be a roller coaster ride. So fasten your seatbelts and get your popcorn ready!

Baseball is at its best when the Red Sox and Yankees face off in the high-drama, tension-filled postseason. The heated rivalry writes another chapter in its historic book as both teams square off on Tuesday, September 29th, in the Wild Card series.

These two teams have faced each other in the playoffs 6 times: 1999, 2003, 2004, 2018, 2021, and 2025, with the series tied 3-3. We’ve had lots of memorable moments over the years and are set to create new ones this year.

Can the Red Sox take down the dreaded Yankees, completing a magical season turnaround? They were once 15.5 games behind the first-place Yankees on July 24th. Will they give New York a taste of their medicine after what transpired in 1978?

1978

The pressure was on in New York, as on July 19th the beloved Yankees were 14 games behind the first-place Red Sox. Boston had too much talent, sending 7 players to the All-Star Game: Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Jerry Remy, Dwight Evans, and Rick Burleson. Jim Rice won American League MVP, finishing the season with .315, 46 home runs, and 139 RBIs.

Dennis Eckersley, Louis Tiant, and Bob Stanley led the Red Sox pitching staff that season. Eckersley finished the season with a team-best 20 wins and a 2.99 ERA; Tiant finished 13-8 with a 3.58 ERA; and Bob Stanley, serving as a hybrid starter-reliever, went 15-2, posted 10 saves, and had a team-best 2.60 ERA.

To make matters worse for the Yankees, their manager, Billy Martin, resigned on July 24th after making controversial remarks about owner George Steinbrenner and outfielder Reggie Jackson. Bob Lemon was named the new manager on July 25th.

Hope was still alive for the Yankees as they found themselves 6.5 games back (77-55) of the first-place Red Sox (84-49) on September 1st. A lot had to go right for New York to make the playoffs: Boston had to collapse and lose most of their September games, while the Yankees had to keep winning. Highly unlikely, right?

Unfortunately for Boston, the answer was no.

Pledge

The Red Sox lost 15 of their last 29 games in September, which allowed the Yankees, who went on a magical run (35-15) to close out the season, to climb all the way back and tie them for the division lead, holding a record 99-63 and forcing a playoff between the two teams to determine who makes it into the postseason.

Boston suffered injuries to key players, including Rick Burleson, who strained his left ankle ligaments, and Yaz, who dealt with a lower back injury. Pitching depth, or lack thereof, also hindered the Red Sox in the second half of the season as starters began to wear down. The Yankees took full advantage, sweeping the Red Sox in a 4-game series in September and outscoring them 42-9, erasing Boston’s 4-game lead and ending the regular season tied.

Bucky F***ING DENT

October 2nd, 1978, game 163, Red Sox vs. Yankees, biggest game of the regular season. Since the Wild Card didn’t exist, as it wouldn’t for another 15 years, this was a winner-take-all battle between the two best teams in the American League.

Yazstremski got the Sox on the board quickly as he hit a solo home run off Ron Guidry, giving the Sox a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Jim Rice would give Boston a 2-0 lead in the sixth via an RBI single.

Batting 9th, Bucky Dent stepped up to the plate with two runners on in the seventh inning. Dent was hitting .148 over the last 3 weeks and showed virtually no power. Then, on one fateful pitch from Red Sox pitcher Mike Torres, Aden launched a 3-run homer that just barely cleared the wall, giving the Yankees a 3-2 lead.

New York extended its lead to 5-2, until a late rally by Boston cut it to 5-4.

The Red Sox were threatening in the bottom of the ninth with two runners on, two outs, and Yazstremski up at the plate.

Yankees closer Goose Gosage got Yazstremski to pop up to third baseman Greg Nettles, ending the game and punching the Yankees ticket into the postseason.

Boston’s season ended heartbreakingly.

2026

Buy Me A Coffee!

48 years later, the Red Sox found themselves 15.5 games behind the first-place Yankees on June 24th.

It looked like another lost season for Boston, as they were one of the worst offensive clubs in all of baseball for the first half of the season, failing to overcome deficits of 2 runs or more. It was pathetic; it got so bad that when you were watching a game and saw the Sox down by 2-3 runs, you could turn it off because you knew they would lose.

The Red Sox were exhausting and unwatchable. It truly felt like fans would have to wait until next year to hopefully root for a contending team.

Suddenly, Boston caught fire as they swept the Yankees in a 4-game series at Fenway, won 15 games in a row, and went on a 28-game run from June 24th to August 3rd, reviving their lifeless team and cutting the 15.5-game deficit to 1.5 by August 25th.

It was time for a crucial 4-game series in the Bronx where Boston had a chance to erase the deficit and overtake the Yankees in the standings.

However, things did not go well for the Red Sox as they dropped 3-out-of-4 to New York, extending the Yankees’ lead to 4 games and giving them the tiebreaker (7-6), which almost guaranteed home-field advantage in the Wild Card series.

The Red Sox would finish the season 87-75, 6 games back of the 93-68 Bronx Bombers. The Wild Card series will run through New York yet again.

Can Boston get revenge for what happened in last season’s A.L. Wild Card series?

Will they be able to avenge the 1978 team? Or will the hated Yankees come out on top once again, crushing the Red Sox’s dreams of a deep playoff run?

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We have reached the final series of the regular season. This rollercoaster ride of a season is coming to a close. Who would’ve thought that the Red Sox were hosting Alex Bregman and the Cubs to close out the season?

The last time these two teams met was for a three-game series from July 18-20, when Chicago outscored Boston 11-7 and took 2 of 3. The Sox had Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello starting in the first two games of the series, both taking the loss. Boston ultimately won the last game as the War Pig Garrett Crochet shut down the red-hot Cubs offense by going six innings and allowing only a single run. 

A familiar face returns to Fenway

Old friend Alex Bregman provided a spark off the bench when he hit a pinch-hit 3-run homer to give the Sox a 5-1 lead in the 8th. Little did Bregman know that he would sign a lucrative contract to join the Cubs in Chicago later that fall. 

Bregman is making his return to Fenway and won’t be playing after he suffered a gruesome injury when he was hit in the face by a foul ball, suffering multiple fractures in his cheek and a black eye. He will not require surgery. 

Bregman struggled for the first half of the season, posting a slash line of .241/.336/.359/.696, with 15 doubles, 9 home runs, and 41 RBI in 94 games. 

However, Bregman got hot, and in his last 59 games he hit .296/.378/.600/.978, 17 doubles, 17 home runs, and 48 RBI.

Unfortunately, he suffered the injury late in the season. Hopefully, he can play in the postseason, as he is a big part of the Cubs offense. 

PCA FOR MVP

Pete Crow-Armstrong, if you don’t know the name then you have been living under a rock or you don’t like baseball. Either is fine but you are missing out. Crow-Armstrong is having a tremendous season hitting .280/.373/.575/.949, 31 doubles, 45 home runs, 40 stolen bases. This man is having a 40-40 season, is the favorite to the National League MVP, and has a team that is a serious threat to make a deep playoff run. Man, life’s good for PCA.

He joins the 40-40 club as the seventh player in Major League history to have at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season, while also being the first player in Cubs history to it.  

Talk about a historic season. 

How do we get this guy in Boston?

The Stumbling Red Sox

It’s concerning to watch Boston stumble into the playoffs as their offense has been on of the worst in the Majors in the month of September. Their offensive rankings are as follows, .221 BA (29th MLB), .294 OBP (27th), .362 SLG (28th), .656 OPS (29th),

63 Runs (30th). Not pretty. 

To make matters worse, WIllson Contreras, who has been dealing with a hand injury after being hit in by a pitch on his right hand, has had trouble swinging a bat without feeling pain. 

His availability for the postseason is up in the air, if he is unable to play it would be a detrimental loss for the Red Sox as Contreras is huge part of their offense. 

Injuries have piled up recently for Boston as outfielder Eli White underwent season ending foot surgery after landing on the 10-day injured list with a right foot ligament injury. 

Star centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela has been dealing with a hamstring injury, but was able to play in Thursday nights game against the Guardians. 

Boston’s focus should be on resting guys and preparing to face the Cam Schlitler and the Yankees for game one of the wild card series on Tuesday, September 29th.

Hey everyone, welcome back to Diamond In The Rough! In this week's edition, we will dive into the best prospect in the Red Sox organization, along with another player who deserves some love too.

Franklin Arias:

The cream of the crop, Franklin Arias has dominated his time through rookie ball all the way up to Triple-A. He is the best shortstop prospect the Red Sox have had since Xander Bogaerts, maybe even the legend Nomar Garciaparra. 

Arias began his professional baseball career with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox in 2023. From there he would be promoted to the Florida Complex League and eventually to the Single-A affiliate Salem Ridge Yaks. That is where he showed off his elite contact ability as Arias slashed .355/.471/.584/1.055, 16 doubles, 6 home runs, and 28 RBI,in 51 games at the complex league. Such a performance earned him the FCL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP), and recognition as the top prospect in the Florida Complex League for 2024.

Arias shocked scouts with his offensive upside in the Florida Complex League, as Arias would continue showing off his skills in Salem. In 19 games for the Salem Ridge Yaks, Arias slashed .346/.407/.397/.894 and was quickly promoted to Double-A Portland. 

Playing in only 10 games with Portland in 2025, Arias hit two doubles, two home runs, and drove in eight runs. It wasn’t until the 2026 season that he began to pop off for the SeaDogs. 

Arias experienced a power surge as he slashed .318/.407/.587/.993, with 17 doubles, 19 home runs, and 52 RBI, quickly earning national media attention and having Red Sox fans demanding that he be promoted to Triple-A Worcester.

Fans would get their wish as on July 24th, 2026 Arias was finally promoted to Triple-A. Now fans in Worcester would get to enjoy watching him play as in 42 games with the WooSox, Arias hit .331/.388/.506/.894, 11 doubles, 6 home runs, and 39 RBIs.

It’s no secret that Arias is the best prospect in the Red Sox organization, he’s the shortstop of the future and he may get a call to the Major Leagues soon. He’s dominated every level of professional baseball, that he has played in, and could be ready to contribute to the 2027 Red Sox, if there is a season. 

Brooks Brannon:

If you enjoy researching Red Sox prospects then you probably know who Brooks Brannon is. If not, then allow him to be introduced. 

Brannon, a catcher, was drafted in the 9th round (279th overall) of the 2022 MLB draft out of Randleman High School. He 

He was enrolled at North Carolina at the time and had to make a choice to continue on to College or take the opportunity to go pro. 

Ultimately the decision was made to go pro as Brannon was ecstatic about the Red Sox drafting him. “It felt like a dream come true” He said, “Excited isn’t even the word. It was ecstasy.”

Brannon led national high school players with 20 home runs and 91 RBIs, showing his power potential, while breaking the single-season record (which was previously 72), at Randleman High School. Brannon showed signs of being a great baseball player.

Before being promoted to Greenville on April 2nd 2025, Brannon played in 54 games for the Salem Ridge Yaks, slashing .251/.326/.396/.722, with8 doubles, 6 home runs, and 24 RBI.

He put up similar numbers for the Greenville Drive, as he hit 5 home runs, 8 doubles, 31 RBIs, while slashing .270/.313/.398/.711.

You may be wondering where his power went, since it hadn’t really shown up for Brannon yet. However, that would change for the 2026 season. 

In 93 games for the Portland SeaDogs this year, as he transitioned from catcher to exclusively being a first baseman/DH, Brannon’s power showed up as he would slash .280/.355/.560/.915, with 28 doubles, 22 home runs, and 79 RBIs. 

That’s more like it. 

Thank you for reading Diamond In The Rough! I hope you enjoyed it! Tune in next week for volume 4! I appreciate you all.