2026 Misc MLB News Thread

[HarryDoyle]

This guy, man.

 

[Jopal78]

I’m not as down on Dustin May as others, but the 2nd best pitcher traded at the deadline has to be Tyler Mahle. 
 

7 GS, 43 IP. 1.25 ERA, 0.92 WHIP 6:1 KK:BB
 

And he has been nails against the Brewers and Phillies across multiple starts (Sub 1.00 ERA).

[young guns]

I just noticed 4th place washington is eliminated however 5th place new York has not been.  New York is .001 percent behind Washington in the standings due to playing 2 fewer games at this point and has 1 less loss and 1 less win.

[Playing Catch]

On 9/12/2026 at 9:02 AM, gregmag said:

I have to say, as a Brewers fan who has put up with living among Cardinals fans for almost 20 years now, that I’m very happy the Cardinals  have become a different kind of team. Mármol likes to provoke conflict, and that’s annoying. But the whole “Cardinal way“ thing seems to have receded into humility. The present team is young and hungry. I can’t think of any of their players who irritate me, although they’re young and have plenty of time to ingratiate themselves. Seeing how they reacted to this made me happy for the team, their fans, and the rest of us.

I will now forever think of you as, "Gregmagnanimous"

[TURBO]

On 9/13/2026 at 7:41 AM, HarryDoyle said:

This guy, man.

 

An absolute douche I could NEVER EVER cheer for, EVER!

[markedman5]

Won’t see him next week and who knows about the playoffs 

 

[Just Some Guy]

13 minutes ago, markedman5 said:

Won’t see him next week and who knows about the playoffs 

 

 

Whoa, that IS big.  If the Phillies were down to 2 quality starters, both having pitched in the WC round, maybe taking them on in an NLDS wouldn't be so bad.

[Zad Fnark]

I don't know... Miz carved their line-up like a turkey last time.

[formerlybis]

On 9/12/2026 at 6:32 AM, formerlybis said:

Just checked the AL playoff picture for the first time in a while. The Guardians and White Sox are in volatile spots - only a half game separates them for the Central crown, and the winner could get the 2-seed and the first round bye (Astros are currently the 3-seed, also a half game behind Chicago). The loser between those two would be the 6 seed, but possibly out altogether because the pursuers for that spot are only 2 or 3 back right now. 

It’s possible that the AL East gets 4 teams in, with all having better records than the 2-seed.

With the win today, Guardians take the AL Central lead by a half-game, but the White Sox own the tiebreaker.

Too much else to list - the AL is going down to the wire with a bunch of .500-y clubs...

 

[Just Some Guy]

5 hours ago, formerlybis said:

With the win today, Guardians take the AL Central lead by a half-game, but the White Sox own the tiebreaker.

Too much else to list - the AL is going down to the wire with a bunch of .500-y clubs...

 

Get this:  right now, the Cleveland Guardians (78-75) would get the 2 seed and the bye and be guaranteed a near .500 opponent in the ALDS.  (3 vs 6 would be Astros/Rangers vs White Sox).  Basically, they won't have to beat anybody to get to the ALCS. 

Meanwhile, the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox will be beating up on each other for the other spot in the ALCS.

[formerlybis]

10 hours ago, Just Some Guy said:

Get this:  right now, the Cleveland Guardians (78-75) would get the 2 seed and the bye and be guaranteed a near .500 opponent in the ALDS.  (3 vs 6 would be Astros/Rangers vs White Sox).  Basically, they won't have to beat anybody to get to the ALCS. 

Meanwhile, the Rays, Yankees and Red Sox will be beating up on each other for the other spot in the ALCS.

Yep - there's 6 teams battling for 3 spots, and they will be the #2, #3, and #6 seeds, so it is true and locked in that the best 3 teams will be facing each other (the #1, #4, and #5 slots).

One of the 6 teams I'm counting in this is Baltimore, who is next up for the Brewers. They would have to hop over three teams, but the current 3rd WC White Sox magic number on them is a not-so-sure-thing 8 with 9 to play and the Blue Jays and Rangers are head-to-head this weekend - it will take some help, but it's not that unrealistic if they can somehow get at least a couple from the Crew.

[wiguy94]

The playoff races are pretty lame this year. The NL feels like the 6 playoff teams are already locked in and all that's left is a battle between us and LA for the 1 seed and then a battle between Chicago, Philly, and San Diego for 4-5-6 seeding. There's a bit more action in the AL but it's hardly exciting watching a bunch of .500 teams fight for playoff spots because none of these teams look like they belong in the playoffs.

[da swedish german]

wow....I don't think i've ever seen a player taken off the field on a stretcher like this

prayers to young and mclean too

 

[Baldkin]

17 hours ago, da swedish german said:

wow....I don't think i've ever seen a player taken off the field on a stretcher like this

prayers to young and mclean too

 

Happened to Giancarlo Stanton at Miller Park 12 years ago when Mike Fiers hit him in the face. 

[HarryDoyle]

I just saw there's a three way tie for the first wild card spot in the NL. Padres are red hot and may snag it. The Cubs might end up as the #6 seed.

[HarryDoyle]

Awwwww!

 

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

16 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

I just saw there's a three way tie for the first wild card spot in the NL. Padres are red hot and may snag it. The Cubs might end up as the #6 seed.

It's a strange spot for the Cubs. How much do they care about home field in the WC? How much do they care about Braves or Phillies/Padres? 

Right now, they are in Cincy. Then, they go back to Chicago for three, after an off day Monday. Then, they fly to Boston (who will have nothing at all to play for). Their choices from there are a) go to Philly, b) go San Diego, or c) go back to Chicago.

It seems a lot better to try to get games back at Wrigley, but there's only one day off before the WC, and we know how careful they have to be with their bullpen arms. 

It's just a tough strategic situation, trying to get the best seed and the most preferable travel schedule while also preserving your arms. The good news for them is that their offense can make the pitching choices mostly moot by putting up an 8-spot.

The good news for the Brewers is that three teams are going to have to make tough choices in both the last series two series of the season and in the WC round, with the potential of getting an opponent that's had to not only expend a lot of on-field energy, but also travel quite a bit, potentially even to the west coast and back from the east coast.

I don't know what I'm HOPING for, exactly, but I think there are more good scenarios than bad ones from a Brewers perspective, and I think it's easiest (and most habitual) to just root for the Cubs to lose.

[Thurston Fluff]

This is a bit out of left field but it's something that's always bothered me. All-Stars shouldn't be selected solely by the season they've had that year. While it's not a career accomplishment award it's also not a best first half of a season award. 

I bring this up now because I just read this blurb in the USA Today. 

Quote

 

No one has had a worse second half than Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh.

He was voted to start the All-Star team in July, but ever since he’s been one of the worst hitters in the sport, producing a .490 OPS since July 1, the lowest among all 155 qualified hitters. He has just one home run since July 21, one extra-base hit in the last 29 days, and has produced just 50 total bases since July 1.

It’s the lowest second half OPS by a Phillies player since Steve Jeltz (.368) in 1988, according to The Athletic.

 

 

[wiguy94]

1 minute ago, Thurston Fluff said:

This is a bit out of left field but it's something that's always bothered me. All-Stars shouldn't be selected solely by the season they've had that year. While it's not a career accomplishment award it's also not a best first half of a season award. 

I bring this up now because I just read this blurb in the USA Today. 

 

Riley O'Brien made the ASG over Trevor Megill as well. 

Megill - 2.76 ERA, 2.72 xERA, 1.89 FIP, 28 saves

O'Brien - 4.14 ERA, 4.95 xERA, 3.96 FIP, 37 saves

I think it's one of the reasons why you should take into consideration underlying stats for the ASG because a lot of guys can have flukey half seasons and make the ASG. Now just because you had good underlying stats doesn't mean you will continue it in the second half but I think someone with good underlying stats is more likely to carry over success to the second half than a guy playing way above his underlying stats.

[Just Some Guy]

Oddly, 5 of the 6 teams in the NL playoffs will be repeats from last year:  Brewers, Dodgers, Cubs, Phillies and Padres, with the Braves reclaiming their spot from the Reds.

[Just Some Guy]

On 9/20/2026 at 10:08 AM, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

I don't know what I'm HOPING for, exactly, but I think there are more good scenarios than bad ones from a Brewers perspective, and I think it's easiest (and most habitual) to just root for the Cubs to lose.

Living in Chicago, I'm bombarded with Cubs news every day (could I have used the word 'zeitgeist' there?), and I'm not sure most Brewers fans realize how (comparatively) weak a playoff opponent the Cubs would make.  

In the last month, the Cubs are only 12-16.  They've got no closer, a terrible bullpen and inconsistent starters -- they've got nothing resembling an ace.  When the starter's pitch count gets high, Counsell's hosed.  A few weeks ago he was going with middle relievers, but that didn't work.  Lately he's stuck with his starters; that hasn't worked either.  

True, the Cubs' offense is excellent, but if the options are facing the Phillies (Wheeler / Sanchez / maybe Luzardo), the red-hot Padres with the only bullpen in baseball better than ours, or a Cubs team backing into the playoffs, my thinking is we could do a lot worse than the Cubs.

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

1 hour ago, Just Some Guy said:

Living in Chicago, I'm bombarded with Cubs news every day (could I have used the word 'zeitgeist' there?), and I'm not sure most Brewers fans realize how (comparatively) weak a playoff opponent the Cubs would make.  

In the last month, the Cubs are only 12-16.  They've got no closer, a terrible bullpen and inconsistent starters -- they've got nothing resembling an ace.  When the starter's pitch count gets high, Counsell's hosed.  A few weeks ago he was going with middle relievers, but that didn't work.  Lately he's stuck with his starters; that hasn't worked either.  

True, the Cubs' offense is excellent, but if the options are facing the Phillies (Sale / Sanchez / maybe Luzardo), the red-hot Padres with the only bullpen in baseball better than ours, or a Cubs team backing into the playoffs, my thinking is we could do a lot worse than the Cubs.

I get it, but three things:

1) Steele looks like he's getting close to coming back, which helps them on the pitching side.

2) There's a serious downside to losing in the playoffs to a division rival you've completely owned for the last decade.

3) Run differential has the Cubs as way better than both the Phils and Padres. The Phillies have looked bad lately too. I just think the Phillies and Padres are worse than the Cubs. It might be true that they're also worse matchups for the Brewers (who really knows in baseball?), but the Pythagorean numbers are just not close. All things being equal, I'd rather play the worse team over 162. And, given the emotional downside of losing to the Cubs, all things are not equal (at least not for me).

 

[Frisbee Slider]

The team looked entirely depleted after the five game series against the Cubs last postseason 

[Just Some Guy]

3 hours ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

I get it, but three things:

1) Steele looks like he's getting close to coming back, which helps them on the pitching side.

2) There's a serious downside to losing in the playoffs to a division rival you've completely owned for the last decade.

3) Run differential has the Cubs as way better than both the Phils and Padres. The Phillies have looked bad lately too. I just think the Phillies and Padres are worse than the Cubs. It might be true that they're also worse matchups for the Brewers (who really knows in baseball?), but the Pythagorean numbers are just not close. All things being equal, I'd rather play the worse team over 162. And, given the emotional downside of losing to the Cubs, all things are not equal (at least not for me).

 

Good points.  On #3, the Cubs do have a habit of winning blowout games, including that 17-3 game against us, but those are definitely solid points.  I'm still hoping for the Cubs, though!

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

57 minutes ago, Just Some Guy said:

Good points.  On #3, the Cubs do have a habit of winning blowout games, including that 17-3 game against us, but those are definitely solid points.  I'm still hoping for the Cubs, though!

Yeah, I could see the argument that the Cubs (because of great offense, bad bullpen), are set up to have a run differential that outstrips their actual record and maybe makes them look scarier than they are.

I just think the spread is so big (they are like +100 on both the Pads and Phils) that they'd have to be a serious historical outlier, or else what is run differential useful for at all? I'm actually not even sure what the conventional wisdom is re: run differential, but I tend to be on the "way more signal than noise" side of things.

But it's also true that my preferred avoidance of the Cubs is totally skewed by an irrational fear of losing to them, so [shrugs]. To each their own! 

Let's just beat everyone!!