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YANKEES-RED SOX POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

(MLB.COM)

Emotions can run high any time the Yankees and Red Sox get together. But a postseason matchup with a trip to the American League Division Series on the line? That’s pure theater.

Boston won nine of the 13 meetings between the rivals this season, but New York has won three of the last four, including two of three at Fenway Park from Sept. 12-14. This marks the sixth time in history that the Yankees and Red Sox have met in the postseason, the first coming in 1999 and the last in 2021, when Boston won a one-game Wild Card matchup on its home turf.

This best-of-three series will take place in the Bronx, where the fans are sure to be amped up as the Yankees take aim at a second straight AL pennant and their first World Series title since 2009. Get your popcorn ready.

Here’s how the Yankees and Red Sox match up position-by-position:

Catcher

Austin Wells will start Game 1 to catch Max Fried, though Ben Rice could see time behind the plate in the series, as well. Rice’s defensive metrics are not strong, but his bat more than makes up for it, as he hit 26 home runs with an .836 OPS while ranking between the 88th and 98th percentile in nine different Statcast categories this season. Wells slugged 21 homers of his own with a .711 OPS and is an elite framer, and while he struggled offensively in his first postseason a year ago, he should get the nod against Boston’s right-handed starters.

After being traded from the Yankees to the Red Sox last December, Carlos Narvaez had a strong first half, posting a .786 OPS with eight homers and 31 RBI in 73 games. His offense declined in the second half (.620 OPS in 45 games), but Narváez is an elite defender, ranking in the top 12 percent of the league in three key Statcast categories: blocks above average, caught stealing above average and framing.

Advantage: Red Sox

First base

When Rice isn’t behind the plate, he will likely share first-base duties with Paul Goldschmidt, who posted a .981 OPS against left-handers this season and a .618 OPS against righties. Goldschmidt has a wealth of playoff experience, putting up a .909 OPS with eight home runs in 23 games over six Octobers with the Cardinals and D-backs, though the 38-year-old struggled at the plate over the final month (.502 OPS in 24 games since Aug. 26).

Nathaniel Lowe was released by the Nationals on Aug. 16, signing with the Red Sox two days later. The move proved to be fruitful for the 30-year-old, whose bat was rejuvenated following his arrival in Boston; Lowe had a .790 OPS in 34 games with the Red Sox, a 135-point improvement from his first 119 with Washington. Lowe’s defense ranks near the bottom of the league (-5 outs above average), though neither Yankees first baseman is particularly strong with the glove, either.

Advantage: Yankees

Second base

New York has been a solid fit for Jazz Chisholm Jr., who put up the first 30-30 season of his career in 2025 while posting an .813 OPS in 130 games. Chisholm ranked in the 89th percentile at his position in outs above average (+5), settling in nicely after making a full-time return to second base. In 17 career games over three postseasons, Chisholm owns a meager .167 average (11-for-66) and a .524 OPS, but he hit .317 with four homers and a .965 OPS in 12 games this year against the Red Sox.

Romy Gonzalez had a breakout year in his age-28 season, reaching career highs in home runs (9), RBI (53), average (.305) and OPS (.826) in 96 games. He can play first, second and third base, and while he played more games at first this season, he has settled in as Boston’s everyday option at second. Gonzalez had an .856 OPS in 11 games against the Yankees this season.

Advantage: Yankees

Shortstop

Anthony Volpe’s season felt markedly worse than his first two years in the Majors, yet his numbers were in line with each of his first two campaigns, as he hit .212 with 19 home runs and a .663 OPS in 153 games. The 24-year-old was repeatedly hounded by the hometown fans, especially for his defense, which took a major step backwards (his -6 outs above average ranked in the 8th percentile). If there’s good news for Volpe, it’s that he’s shown he’s not afraid of the spotlight, posting an .815 OPS in 14 games last October.

Trevor Story had his best year since joining the Red Sox in 2022, hitting 25 home runs with a .741 OPS and 3.8 bWAR in 157 games, including an .847 OPS in 13 games against the Yankees. Story’s defense is suspect, as his -10 outs above average was the third-lowest mark in the AL this season. In two career postseasons, Story is 7-for-22 (.318) with an .863 OPS, but he hasn’t played into October since making back-to-back playoff appearances with the Rockies in 2017-18.

Advantage: Red Sox

Third base

Ryan McMahon’s numbers took a hit after he was traded to the Yankees, as he hit .208 with four home runs and a .641 OPS in 54 games for New York after going deep 16 times with a .717 OPS in 100 games with the Rockies. A deeper dive into his numbers shows some promising signs, namely his ranking in average exit velocity (95th percentile), hard-hit percentage (90th) and walk percentage (87th). He also owns an elite glove at the hot corner, ranking in the 91st percentile with +6 outs above average.

Injuries limited Alex Bregman to only 114 games this season, but he made his third All-Star team while hitting 18 home runs with an .822 OPS. Bregman remains an elite contact hitter who doesn’t strike out much, evidenced by his strong ranking in chase percentage (95th percentile), whiff percentage (92nd) and strikeout percentage (89th). Bregman, whose +4 outs above average placed him in the top 15 percent of the league, has a strong postseason history, playing into October in each of his first eight years in the Majors, winning World Series rings with the Astros in 2017 and 2022 while hitting 19 home runs with a .789 OPS in 99 career postseason games.

Advantage: Red Sox

Emotions can run high any time the Yankees and Red Sox get together. But a postseason matchup with a trip to the American League Division Series on the line? That’s pure theater.

AL Wild Card Game 1: Tuesday 6 p.m. ET on ESPN

Here’s how the Yankees and Red Sox match up position-by-position:

Catcher

Advantage: Red Sox

Carlos Narváez’s three-run homer (15)

Sep 24, 2025 · 0:28

Carlos Narváez’s three-run homer (15)

First base

Advantage: Yankees

Second base

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Advantage: Yankees

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-run homer (30)

Sep 19, 2025 · 0:29

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s two-run homer (30)

Shortstop

Advantage: Red Sox

Trevor Story’s double in the 8th

Sep 9, 2025 · 0:23

Trevor Story’s double in the 8th

Third base

Advantage: Red Sox

Alex Bregman’s fantastic barehanded play

Sep 20, 2025 · 0:16

Alex Bregman’s fantastic barehanded play

Left field

Cody Bellinger was very productive in his first season with the Yankees, slugging 29 home runs with 98 RBIs, an .814 OPS and 5.0 bWAR in 152 games while playing excellent defense (+6 outs above average). Bellinger appeared in the playoffs in each of his first six seasons and won a ring with the Dodgers in 2020, but he hasn’t played into October since 2022. In 69 career postseason games, Bellinger has nine homers and 33 RBIs, though his .661 OPS is more than 150 points below his regular-season mark.

Jarren Duran was unable to follow up his breakout 2024 season with a similar campaign, but the 29-year-old did hit 16 home runs with 84 RBIs, 24 stolen bases and a league-high 13 triples, showing he can still do damage in a variety of ways. Duran has a strong arm in left field, though his range (-2 outs above average) leaves something to be desired. This will be the first postseason of Duran’s five-year career.

Advantage: Yankees

Center field

Trent Grisham played a part-time role in his first season with the Yankees in 2024, but he busted out with a career year in 2025, belting 34 home runs with an .812 OPS in 143 games. Grisham commands the strike zone as well as anybody, ranking in the 99th percentile in chase percentage and the 96th in walk percentage. The 28-year-old has been to the postseason three times, the last coming in 2022 with San Diego, when he hit three homers in 12 games.

Ceddanne Rafaela showed some improvement at the plate in his sophomore season, decreasing his strikeout numbers while boosting his walks. But he was a below-average hitter overall (95 OPS+) and posted another sub-.300 on-base percentage. What Rafaela lacks in offense, he more than makes up for in the field, where his +22 outs above average led all Major League center fielders.

Advantage: Yankees

Right field

What more can we say about Aaron Judge? The reigning AL Most Valuable Player might earn his third MVP Award in four seasons after putting up one of the best all-around years we’ve ever seen. Judge hit 53 home runs with 114 RBIs, leading the AL in bWAR (9.7), runs scored (137), walks (124), batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging percentage (.688), OPS+ (215) and total bases (372). Judge was also a plus for the Yankees defensively in right field, though his elbow injury has forced him to be conservative in terms of throwing.

Rob Refsnyder should get the call against the Yankees’ two lefty starters, as he posted an impressive .959 OPS against southpaws this season. Refsnyder’s only postseason experience consists of three at-bats for the Yankees in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game, so he’ll finally have another crack at October. Wilyer Abreu is a much stronger defender, so he could find himself in games if the Red Sox are trying to protect a lead or if a right-hander is on the mound.

Advantage: Yankees

Designated hitter

When you consider that Giancarlo Stanton didn’t make his 2025 debut until June 16 and played in only 77 games, his stat line — 24 home runs, 66 RBIs and a .944 OPS — is even more impressive. The 35-year-old will be playing in his seventh postseason with the Yankees, and as good as Stanton has been during the regular season, his playoff numbers — 18 homers, 40 RBIs and a .993 OPS in 41 games — are even better.

Like Stanton, Masataka Yoshida’s season didn’t start on time, as he debuted on July 9. Yoshida hit four home runs with 26 RBIs and a .695 OPS in 55 games, though he’s been heating up in September, posting a .333/.351/.486 slash line in 20 games to finish his season, striking out only five times in 77 plate appearances.

Advantage: Yankees

Starting pitching

Max Fried certainly lived up to his massive contract during his first season with the Yankees, going 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA. Fried is no stranger to the postseason, having pitched for the Braves in seven straight Octobers from 2018-24 while winning a World Series ring in 2021. Carlos Rodón, who went 18-9 with a 3.09 ERA in his third season with the Yankees, is set for Game 2 as he tries to improve upon his mediocre performance last October. Rookie Cam Schlittler, who went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA in his first 14 big league starts, could get the ball in a decisive Game 3.

As good as Fried was for the Yankees this season, Garrett Crochet was even better for the Red Sox, going 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA while leading the AL in innings pitched (205 1/3) and the Majors in strikeouts (255). He’ll get the ball in Game 1 in an epic battle of left-handed aces, while righty Brayan Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA) will likely make his postseason debut in Game 2. Lucas Giolito is not on the roster due to an elbow issue, leaving Boston’s potential Game 3 starter yet to be determined.

Advantage: Red Sox

Bullpen

The Yankees’ bullpen has been a roller coaster this season, though the midseason additions of David Bednar and Camilo Doval added two quality arms to the group. Bednar and Luke Weaver are the two most reliable late-inning arms, with Devin Williams, Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill also in the mix for crucial outs.

Boston’s relief corps has been anchored all season by Aroldis Chapman, who may be having the best year of his career at 37 years old. Chapman posted a 1.17 ERA and 32 saves, while Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert have done a solid job forming the bridge to the All-Star closer.

Advantage: Red Sox

Prediction: Yankees in three

REDS-DODGERS POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

The reigning World Series champion Dodgers are back in the playoffs for a 13th straight season and ready to start their title defense. Their opponent in the first round? The upstart Reds, who are in the postseason for the first time since 2020 and didn’t clinch their playoff spot until the final day of the regular season.

The Dodgers are the No. 3 seed in the National League and will host the Reds, the No. 6 seed, in each game of the best-of-three Wild Card Series at Dodger Stadium. Game 1 is set for Tuesday at 9:08 p.m. ET/6:08 p.m. PT.

Los Angeles will once again be powered by its superstar trio of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts. But the Reds have a pair of exciting young stars in Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene leading the way. And even though the Dodgers are a juggernaut that just won their division for the 12th time in those last 13 years, and the Reds snuck into the playoffs on a tiebreaker over the Mets (and only after the Mets lost in Game 162), anything can happen in a three-game series.

So, who has the edge: the Dodgers or the Reds? Here’s how the two teams match up, position by position.

Catcher

If Will Smith plays, this is a big edge for the Dodgers. But Smith is a question mark for the Wild Card Series due to a hairline fracture in his right hand. The latest news is that Smith came out “fine” after taking swings in the batting cage on Sunday, but he’ll need to take live at-bats on Monday even to be considered for the Dodgers’ Wild Card Series roster. And if Smith doesn’t play, then the Dodgers are going into this series with Ben Rortvedt and his .152 batting average at catcher. The Reds’ duo of Tyler Stephenson (13 home runs) and Jose Trevino doesn’t stack up to Smith, but if Smith is out or not at full strength, Cincinnati will have the better backstop.

Advantage: Reds (unless Smith plays)

First base

For Cincinnati, Spencer Steer has some pop (21 home runs), and top prospect Sal Stewart is an interesting option who has gotten playing time at first base down the stretch. But neither one of those players is Freddie Freeman. Last year’s World Series MVP is at it again in 2025 (.294 average, 23 homers, 140 OPS+). Freeman will be one of the toughest outs for the Reds.

Advantage: Dodgers

Second base

Neither team has a huge standout at second base. Veteran Miguel Rojas has been solid enough for the Dodgers, and utility man Tommy Edman has proven he can impact a playoff series — he was last year’s NLCS MVP and great in the World Series, too — but he’s had career-worst offensive numbers this season. For the Reds, Matt McLain hasn’t been able to recapture his 2023 rookie performance after missing all of last year due to a shoulder injury, but he is at least a power-speed threat (15 home runs, 18 stolen bases in 2025) who’s also a valuable fielder.

Advantage: Reds

Third base

Max Muncy is expected to be ready to go for the Wild Card Series after missing the last four games of the regular season due to lower-body soreness, and that’s a key bat the Dodgers will have back in the lineup. The 35-year-old Muncy still has good pop (19 homers in 100 games this season) and great plate discipline. Ke’Bryan Hayes will have a tough time replicating Muncy’s production at the plate for the Reds, but he’s been the best defensive third baseman in baseball this year and one of the best fielders at any position. Hayes might make a game-changing web gem, but Muncy has been through two World Series title runs with the Dodgers and has had plenty of big swings over the years (13 career playoff home runs).

Advantage: Dodgers

Shortstop

This is the most notable position battle of the series: Mookie Betts vs. Elly De La Cruz. If we were breaking down this matchup at the All-Star break, it would’ve been a landslide for De La Cruz — he was looking like one of the most dynamic players in the game, while Betts was having his worst start to a season ever. But now, the script has flipped. Betts has looked like his old self over the last two months (.317 batting average, .892 OPS, nine home runs since Aug. 5), while De La Cruz has slumped (18 homers, 25 steals, .854 OPS in the first half compared to three homers, 12 steals and a .657 OPS in the second half). Plus, despite De La Cruz’s ability to make highlight-reel plays at short, Betts has been much more sure-handed, with De La Cruz leading the Majors with 26 errors. We’re excited to see what De La Cruz can do in his first career postseason, but Betts is playing better right now and he has the track record, including in October (.951 OPS, four home runs in last year’s playoffs).

Advantage: Dodgers

Left field

The Dodgers are relatively weak here, with Michael Conforto batting below the Mendoza Line in the regular season (.199 average) and Alex Call not the biggest impact player since coming over in a Trade Deadline deal with the Nationals (.717 OPS in 38 games with Los Angeles). The Reds have Austin Hays, who returned from back spasms for Game 162 and has been one of Cincinnati’s better hitters this year (15 home runs, 105 OPS+). That’s not earth-shattering production, but it’s more than what the Dodgers have been getting from their left fielders.

Advantage: Reds

Center field

Andy Pages has a lot of stars overshadowing him in L.A., but he’s had a really good year for the Dodgers, with 27 home runs, 14 stolen bases and a 114 OPS+ while playing some of the best outfield defense in the Majors. TJ Friedl (14 homers, 12 steals) is a solid hitter but lacks Pages’ all-around impact.

Advantage: Dodgers

Right field

Teoscar Hernández hasn’t put up quite the numbers this year that he did in his All-Star 2024 debut for the Dodgers, but he still smacked 25 home runs this season and had 89 RBIs. The Reds have a talented young right fielder in 23-year-old Noelvi Marte (14 home runs, 10 stolen bases in 90 games this season), but he’s not the proven slugger in the corner outfield that Teoscar is.

Advantage: Dodgers

Designated hitter

The Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani. The Reds don’t have Shohei Ohtani. Cincinnati could deploy former Dodger Gavin Lux or the resurgent Miguel Andujar (.318 batting average and .822 OPS this season, including a .359 average and .944 OPS in 34 games since joining the Reds). Either way, it’s not close to the MVP favorite Ohtani and his 55-homer bat.

Advantage: Dodgers

Starting pitching

The Reds’ rotation is a huge strength and would give them the edge against most teams. They have an electric flamethrowing ace in Hunter Greene (2.76 ERA, 132 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings) and two strong lefties behind him in Andrew Abbott (2.87 ERA, 149 K’s) and Nick Lodolo (3.30 ERA, 156 K’s). But they’re facing the Dodgers, and the Dodgers’ starting rotation is every bit as dominant. There’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who emerged as a Cy Young-caliber pitcher this year with a 2.49 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 30 starts. There’s Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young winner who was limited to 11 starts this season but has a 2.35 ERA and 10.6 K/9. And, waiting in the wings, there’s Ohtani, the two-way superstar who just posted a 2.87 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in 14 starts in his return to pitching. You couldn’t go wrong with either rotation in this series, but we’re leaning toward the champs.

Advantage: Dodgers

Bullpen

The bullpen battle here is a particularly interesting one. The Dodgers’ bullpen was extremely shaky down the stretch — but it also might be better than you think in October. Why? Because reinforcements are coming … from the starting rotation. Emmet Sheehan, Tyler Glasnow and a rejuvenated Roki Sasaki could all pitch out of the bullpen in the Wild Card Series, and that could make a big difference while veteran relievers like Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen look to right the ship. Now, will that Frankenstein Dodgers bullpen be able to outperform Cincinnati’s? The Reds’ bullpen doesn’t have as big names as the Dodgers, but their key relievers have gotten a lot of big outs down the stretch, from closer Emilio Pagán (32 saves, 2.88 ERA this season) to setup man Tony Santillan (2.44 ERA in an MLB-high 80 appearances) to, more recently, rookie phenom Chase Burns. This is a tough one, but we think the Los Angeles bullpen, thanks to the creativity it might display, could become a strength again this October, just as it was in 2024.

Advantage: Dodgers

Prediction

The Reds’ pitching might keep them in this series, but for a young team without playoff experience, it’s going to be a tall task to go into Dodger Stadium and take this series from the World Series champs. The Dodgers went 52-29 at home this year, the Reds went 38-43 on the road, and the Dodgers won five of their six games against the Reds, including a sweep in Los Angeles in August. Yes, anything can happen in a short series, but the Dodgers are the better team and their star power should carry them here. Ohtani, Betts, Freeman & Co. move on.

Dodgers in 2

TIGERS-GUARDIANS POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

It’s the Guardians vs. the Tigers this week, and why does that sound familiar?

Oh, maybe because these two American League Central rivals — set to face each other in the best-of-three Wild Card Series that begins Tuesday and takes place entirely at Progressive Field — faced each other last postseason in a Division Series that went the distance (and went to the Guards).

Or maybe it’s because they just played each other three times last week at Progressive Field. And three times the week before that at Comerica Park. All as part of the most stunning September surge/strife in MLB history, with the Guardians erasing a 10 1/2-game deficit as of Sept. 1 (not to mention the 15 1/2-game deficit they faced as late as July 8) to take the Central crown for the second straight season.

If familiarity breeds contempt, then this will be one contemptuous series.

Mostly, though, it should be an entertaining one, a fitting finish to the late-season struggle between these two squads.

Let’s take a look at these two teams, position by position, to see how they match up (again).

Catcher

In his first full season, the Tigers’ Dillon Dingler took over the starting job from Jake Rogers and gained a reputation as one of the best defensive catchers in MLB. He graded out exceptionally well in blocks, caught stealings and framing. And he did it while slashing a respectable .278/.327/.425 with 13 homers and 21 doubles.

While the Guardians’ Bo Naylor had a September surge that was a huge reason why they got here (to go with some big hits last October), his bat has still not reached its potential overall (80 OPS+ entering Sunday, or 20 percent below league average this season), and he is sometimes replaced by the light-hitting Austin Hedges for defensive purposes.

Advantage: Tigers

First base

Primary Guardians starter Kyle Manzardo had a productive first full season, with 27 homers, 19 doubles and a 109 OPS+ (entering Sunday). His numbers, including a sub-.200 average, aren’t strong against lefties, so C.J. Kayfus or Jhonkensy Noel could be options here against Tarik Skubal, though Manzardo did start and notch a double against Skubal the last time the Guardians faced him.

A big reason why the Tigers surged to the top of the AL earlier this season was Spencer Torkelson living up to his No. 1 overall pick pedigree after spending some time in the wilderness. As with the Tigers as a whole, his second half (.739 OPS) wasn’t quite as voluminous as the first (.826), but the threat of “Tork Bombs” in big moments are still strong.

Advantage: Tigers

Second base

After trading away one of the best defensive players in the game in Andrés Giménez in the offseason, the Guardians ultimately settled on Brayan Rocchio as the regular at the keystone by the end of the 2025 season. Rocchio spent time in the Minors this year after a rough start and his numbers both offensively (.630 OPS) and defensively (42nd percentile in fielding run value) aren’t impressive. But he has profiled better at second base than shortstop and has a good heartbeat in big moments, such as making a sensational game-ending defensive play in September, surprisingly churning out a .333 average and .906 OPS in the postseason last year or hitting the walk-off homer in their division clincher Sunday. So don’t write him off.

The Tigers made a wise move in bringing aboard Gleyber Torres, who had apparently overstayed his welcome in the Bronx but was a huge key at the top of the Yankees’ order in their run to the World Series last fall and then turned in a fine first year in Detroit in which his OPS+ was eight percent better than league average. He’s another Tiger who struggled in the second half, but he’s still a key player with recent postseason pedigree in a prominent lineup spot.

Advantage: Tigers

Shortstop

Whether it’s Javier Báez (who cooled after an All-Star first half), Zach McKinstry or Trey Sweeney, the Tigers really struggled to get consistent offensive production from this position in the second half. And it’s the same story all year for the Guardians, who have employed Gabriel Arias (77 OPS+ entering Sunday) as their primary shortstop this season.

The difference is that, unlike the Tigers’ options, the strong-armed and rangy Arias graded out as a real positive defensively (plus-4 outs above average), and that clean play could make a real difference in this short series.

Advantage: Guardians

Third base

It’s McKinstry, Colt Keith and Andy Ibáñez rotating here for the Tigers, and you don’t need us to tell you none of them are on the level of José Ramírez, because few third basemen in MLB history are.

The 5-foot-8 Ramírez is the Guardians’ homegrown human dynamo, and in averaging more than 30 homers, 30 doubles and 30 steals in his 30s, it’s increasingly clear he’s on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

Advantage: Guardians

Left field

The Tigers’ Riley Greene and the Guardians’ Steven Kwan were both All-Stars each of the last two seasons, but they do it in very different ways.

Greene’s .487 slugging percentage as a left fielder over the last two seasons is the sixth best in MLB among qualifiers and way more thump than the 5-foot-8, 170-pound Kwan (.397) has provided. And though Kwan rated slightly better in on-base percentage (.347) in that span, Greene (.330) has been right behind him. Given that dynamic, you can make a strong argument to go with Greene over Kwan for the length of the regular season.

But this is the postseason, where the little things are big things. Kwan is an elite left fielder with an 8.6 percent strikeout rate. Greene, on the other hand, was in the 31st percentile in fielding run value while striking out in more than 30 percent of his plate appearances.

Kwan, who hit .524 vs. the Tigers’ in last year’s ALDS, has the October edge.

Advantage: Guardians

Center field

Multiple injured list stints have sullied the season for Parker Meadows, who was so instrumental offensively in the club’s late-season surge last year but has slashed .215/.291/.330 this year. That said, since his return from a quadriceps strain in early September, the 25-year-old Meadows has provided more impact than he had earlier in the year.

In a year in which incumbent Lane Thomas battled injury, the Guardians have rotated multiple people (predominantly, Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martínez) in the center field spot with little to show for it. Their minus-2.9 Baseball-Reference WAR from the position entering Sunday is the worst in MLB.

Advantage: Tigers

Right field

Second-year, switch-hitting outfielder Wenceel Pérez has seized the regular starts here (while also seeing time in center) and provided essentially league-average offense (104 OPS+ entering Sunday) and a bit more power than anticipated (.430 SLG) to go with his good defense.

This is another position where the Guardians’ various options combined to produce one of the lowest bWAR marks (minus-3.7) in MLB. You could still make an argument to give them the edge, if only because rookies C.J. Kayfus, George Valera and Johnathan Rodríguez provided some late-season lift. But we’ll go with Pérez, with a side of the power-hitting Kerry Carpenter, over those smaller samples.

Advantage: Tigers

Designated hitter

One of the biggest strengths of the Tigers’ roster is the ability to utilize the righty-mashing Kerry Carpenter (.257/.300/.512 vs. right-handers) and the lefty-killing Jahmai Jones (.288/.393/.577 slash vs. southpaws) in a powerful platoon here. Carpenter’s game-winning homer in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Guardians last year nearly swung that series.

The Guards have the aforementioned Valera and Manzardo as their primary options here at the moment. What they don’t have is David Fry, who also rose to the occasion in the ALDS last year but was smoked in the face by a Skubal fastball in the last week of the regular season and is going to be out a while.

Advantage: Tigers

Starting pitching

The Guardians shifted to a six-man rotation late in the year, and the results from the extra day of recovery were stunning. Their starters went 19 straight games allowing two or fewer runs, one shy of an MLB record. Gavin Williams (3.06 ERA, 135 ERA+) and Tanner Bibee (4.24, 98) front the group, while Joey Cantillo (3.21, 129) and Slade Cecconi (4.30, 96) are options for a third game.

If this were a five- or seven-game series, you might lean toward the Guards’ group, given the depth and the run it was on late in the regular season.

But this is a best-of-three. Since this round was instituted full-time in 2022, we’ve had 12 Wild Card Series, and only two that went to a third game. The importance of Game 1 simply cannot be overstated, which means the value of having an established No. 1 like Skubal (AL-best 2.21 ERA, 187 ERA+), who is likely to claim his second straight Cy Young Award, cannot be overstated, either. Though the Guardians won games he started twice in September, they know they’ll have their hands full trying to best him three times in three weeks.

The Tigers have Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize rested and available behind Skubal. But the presence of an ace among aces in such a short series is enough on its own to give them the edge.

Advantage: Tigers

Relief pitching

The Guardians had a historically great bullpen last season, then experienced what can only be described as expected regression from that extreme outlier of a ‘pen performance. Losing elite closer Emmanuel Clase to non-disciplinary paid leave in late July felt like the final blow to the club’s chances of advancing. But with Cade Smith (2.93 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) easily sliding into the closer role and Hunter Gaddis (3.11, 1.19), Erik Sabrowski (1.84, 1.19), Matt Festa (4.12, 1.08) and Jakob Junis (2.97, 1.23) among those bridging an effective gap to him, the ‘pen has emerged as a strength again.

The Tigers have had trouble summoning the same “pitching chaos” magic that fueled them late last season, when a trail of young relievers stepped up in big moment after big moment. That’s not to suggest they don’t have weapons back there. Closer Will Vest is elite at inducing ground balls and limiting hard contact. Rookie righty Troy Melton (151 ERA+) has joined A.J. Hinch’s circle of trust, alongside mainstay lefty Tyler Holton (1.04 WHIP). Hinch is one of the better tacticians in the game, but it remains to be seen if the Tigers can get on the kind of roll with their relief crew that we saw last year.

Advantage: Guardians

Prediction

This was the most abnormal division battle in MLB history. The Guardians ultimately prevailed, and that was a testament to them playing a cleaner game and not racking up the K’s at the plate in the big moments. Those are traits that will serve them well as these two clubs match wits again in this best-of-three. They lack power but might be the team built better for the postseason.

With that said, I find myself drawn to the law of averages here. It’s hard to win three series in three weeks against a talented team. If the Guardians beat Skubal three times in a short span and wind up advancing, they will have definitely done it the hard way. But it says here that Skubal will set the tone for the Tigers in Game 1, and, despite the devastation of their late-season collapse, Detroit will summon what it takes to win this series. (It’s going to take them three games, though.)

PADRES-CUBS NLWC POSITION-BY-POSITION BREAKDOWN

For the first time since 1984, somehow, the Cubs and Padres are set to square off in the National League playoffs. It hasn’t been quite that long since they’ve seen each other this season, but it might feel like it; while the two clubs split their six games in 2025, their entire head-to-head slate was wrapped up by April 16.

Needless to say, there’s not a whole lot you can take away from games that happened more than five months ago, not that head-to-head matchups tell you a whole lot about what’s going to happen in a playoff series, anyway.

NL Wild Card Game 1: Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT/Noon PT on ABC

All we can do, then, is look at who’s here, who’s healthy, and who’s hot. Let’s see who has the edge, position by position.

Catcher

This is actually a lot closer than you’d think, because if you simply went by full-season Wins Above Replacement, you’d see “Cubs 7th, Padres 28th,” smile and move on. Big gap. Fair enough.

Of course, the Padres upgraded from Martín Maldonado (57 OPS+) to Freddy Fermin (76 OPS+) at the Deadline, and Carson Kelly hasn’t exactly kept up his “what if I hit like Barry Bonds” .360/.507/.840 (1.347 OPS) line from April. Since the Deadline, San Diego’s catchers have hit a little better than Chicago’s, but neither have been incredible. Chicago’s catchers are better on defense, even with Maldonado no longer in the picture for San Diego.

There’s not a ton of daylight here, because this isn’t a huge strength for either side. We like catcher defense, and Kelly has the highest offensive upside of any of the four likely backstops. Chicago gets the smallest of edges.

Advantage: Cubs

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First base

While Ryan O’Hearn has seen more time at first base lately for San Diego, that’s mostly because Xander Bogaerts’ absence has caused the infield to shift around, and with Bogaerts back in the lineup, it’s likely that Luis Arraez returns to first base. We all know where this is going: If you value making contact above all else, then Arraez is the best hitter alive. If you value what happens once that contact is made, then it’s not quite so rosy. It’s a personal, aesthetic choice. We can’t solve that right now.

Anyway: By Arraez’s own standards, this has been the weakest full season of his career. Not only does Michael Busch have 34 homers and a 150-ish-point OPS advantage over Arraez, he’s a rangier fielder, too. This isn’t a hard call here.

Advantage: Cubs

Second base

For Chicago, Nico Hoerner is having the same kind of season he has every single year, which is to say “slightly-above-average bat with 30-ish steals and elite-level defense.” It’s not flashy, but by at least one version of WAR, he’s been the most valuable overall second baseman in the game this year.

Meanwhile, Jake Cronenworth is having a pretty good season himself, rebounding from two just-OK seasons to post his best year since his All-Star 2022 season. But he’s surely not the defender that Hoerner is, and there’s not much of an argument that he’s a clearly superior hitter, either.

Advantage: Cubs

Shortstop

Assuming Bogaerts is at full strength after missing much of September with a foot injury, his presence resets the San Diego infield in a big way – they’re better off when the middle infield is not Arraez/Cronenworth, as it was for most of the time while he was unavailable. But Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson hit almost identically well in 2025, and they hit almost identically well in the second half, and how do you even try to split that apart?

Even the defense gets tricky, because while Swanson has the better reputation, and was better in 2024-’25, the 2025-only metrics say that Bogaerts took a big step forward. Given the reasonable question about whether Bogaerts is at 100% due to the foot, and Swanson’s long-time defensive excellence, and even the fact that Swanson’s underlying quality-of-contact in the second half was considerably better, we’ll lean Cubs here — but it’s about as close as it could be.

Advantage: Cubs

Third base

This one might be easier if we had any idea what to expect from Matt Shaw, who has had a very inconsistent rookie season, to say the least. At one point early in the season, he spent a month back in Triple-A. In June he was barely playable (.193/.247/.289); in August he slugged .547 with noticeably improved defense from earlier in the year. He got off to a brutally slow start in September (.170/.286/.191 through the 18th), but he’s been better in the final week.

It’s not that very likely future Hall of Famer Manny Machado hasn’t also had some major ups-and-downs, because he’s had a roller-coaster season himself. But overall, Machado had a superior year, and the track record is without question in his favor. Even with Shaw somewhat surprisingly holding a mild defensive edge, the difficulty in knowing what you’ll get from him at any given time tilts this toward the Padres — though by less than you’d think.

Advantage: Padres

Left field

One of the best moves any team made at the Deadline was San Diego’s acquisition of Ramón Laureano, who arrived with O’Hearn from Baltimore and solidified what had been one of the weakest left-field situations in the game. Unfortunately for the Padres, Laureano fractured a finger on Wednesday and will be unavailable for at least the Wild Card series. The obvious replacement is Gavin Sheets, who has had a generally solid season. However, with the Cubs likely to start multiple lefties in this series, it might end up being the inexperienced 29-year-old Bryce Johnson in the lineup at times.

The Cubs have no such concerns, because Ian Happ, like Hoerner, is having the exact same season he has every single year — which is to say, 20-something homers and offensive performance 20% above league average. They know what they have in left. San Diego, at the moment, does not.

Advantage: Cubs

Center field

It’s almost laughable how large a gap this would have been for the Cubs for much of the season, as Pete Crow-Armstrong put up the bulk of what would be a 30/30 season with elite defense — and was at least getting mentioned in early-season MVP talk. And then what happened, as they say. Well, what happened was one of the largest second-half dropoffs in recent memory, as a first-half .847 OPS has dropped to .634 in the second half, even leading to a break to “reset.”

On the other hand, Jackson Merrill hasn’t quite had the same impact as he did in his rookie season, thanks mostly to hamstring and ankle injuries as well as a concussion. But he’s been fantastic since his return, with a .961 OPS and seven homers in September; he actually has a Top 15 slugging percentage in MLB this month.

If that was just a hot streak from someone with no track record, we’d question it. (It’s not.) If Crow-Armstrong looked anything like he did in the first half, it wouldn’t matter either way. (He doesn’t.) Right now, as things stand, we’d take Merrill.

Advantage: Padres

Right field

This is more than a little tricky, because Kyle Tucker has missed almost all of September with a calf injury, and while he did end up returning to play DH in the final weekend, he didn’t pick up his glove, and it’s not clear he’s available to play the field at this point. That means the Cubs will likely play Seiya Suzuki in right; utilityman Willi Castro is also an option, though he’s done little since being acquired from Minnesota.

Suzuki is finishing off his fourth consecutive strong season, though it’s more complicated than that. While he got off to a fantastic start (.867 first-half OPS), he sputtered badly after that (.673 in the second half), and he’d been primarily the team’s DH for months before being pressed into regular outfield service in September. Since Fernando Tatis Jr. rates again as one of baseball’s best defensive right fielders and he outhit Suzuki by a ton in the second half, this isn’t a hard one — especially since Tatis’ weekend power display gives you confidence the illness that limited him in the final week won’t be a concern.

Advantage: Padres

Designated hitter

If you actually know who the Cubs will start here, you have an advantage over us. Presumably this will be Tucker … unless it’s Justin Turner … unless it’s Moisés Ballesteros … unless it’s Suzuki, because Tucker makes it back to right field. It’s not much clearer on the Padres side, though Laureano’s injury probably means this is Sheets (if Johnson is in left) or O’Hearn. That is itself a complication because they’re both lefty hitters, against some likely left-handed Cubs starters.

Long story short: If Tucker is healthy and if Tucker is here, he’s easily the best option of any of the players mentioned. It’s likely both sides do a fair bit of mix-and-matching here.

Advantage: Cubs

Starting rotation

It’s probably safe to say that for both clubs, this isn’t a particular strength, with a number of names who would be solid mid-rotation options on most contending teams, yet no one who you would view as A True Number One. It’s indisputable that the second-half Cubs rotation (3.48 ERA) has been better at run prevention than San Diego’s (4.28), but that matters less than you’d think now given that breakout rookie Cade Horton is going to miss the series due to injury.

That means that Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd are likely to start the first two games against Nick Pivetta and either Michael King or Dylan Cease. Pivetta is easily the best of these names this year — he might even get some love on the bottom end of Cy Young ballots — and while he’s not near the Skenes/Skubal tier of aces, he’s the best we’ll see here.

Ultimately, we’re going with the Padres simply because Horton, who was such a second-half phenomenon, is unavailable — and without him, we feel a lot less good about Imanaga, who led the Majors in homers allowed (and had a 6.51 September ERA), and Boyd, who took a massive step back in the second half. It’s a great example of October being about who you have now, not what regular season stats said you were.

Advantage: Padres

Bullpen

The Cubs bullpen, it’s important to note, has made a pretty massive in-season turnaround. As we detailed here recently, a group that was one of the weakest in the Majors at strikeout rate early on has transformed into one of the best — going from the fourth-weakest K% in the first half to the fourth-best in the second half. That’s a credit to Brad Keller, who has turned into a sneaky-excellent reliever, and a whole lot of turnover that’s brought in names like Andrew Kittredge and Taylor Rogers.

It’s been so good, in fact, that we might take them over nearly any other postseason relief group. Of course, the “nearly any other” is doing a lot of work here, because San Diego already had an elite bullpen, and then they went out and added Mason Miller, who has merely struck out fifty-four percent of the batters he’s faced as a Padre. It does, admittedly, hurt that the injured Jason Adam won’t be available, but it’s not like they’re short on elite stuff between Miller, Jeremiah Estrada, Robert Suarez, Kyle Hart, and Adrian Morejon anyway.

The Cubs bullpen is really good, better than you think. The Padres bullpen is exactly as good as you think. It’s elite.

Advantage: Padres

Prediction

The biggest strength of the second-half Cubs was the massive improvement of their bullpen, but the Padres have an even stronger set of relievers, which negates that. We actually like the Cubs roster top-to-bottom better, because there’s a real power edge there, and if this series were happening in July, we’d probably lean Chicago. But given the recent struggles of Suzuki, Imanaga and Crow-Armstrong, plus the uncertain health status of Tucker and the absence of Horton, the timing here isn’t the best for Chicago. Give us the team with Mason Miller, basically.

Padres in three

GIANTS FIRE VETERAN MANAGER BOB MELVIN AFTER TWO YEARS AS BUSTER POSEY SEEKS ‘DIFFERENT VOICE’

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey will search for a fresh managerial voice to guide the San Francisco Giants, someone with an “obsessive” work ethic and attention to detail.

Manager Bob Melvin was fired Monday after the club missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

Posey, San Francisco’s President of Baseball Operations, announced the decision. He had shown his confidence in Melvin by exercising the veteran manager’s contract option for the 2026 season on July 1.

“Just looking to find a different voice that can take us in a different direction,” Posey said.

Melvin said after Sunday’s 4-0 victory against Colorado to conclude his second season that he had received no assurances about managing in 2026.

“It is what it is,” he said, “we’ll see what the next day brings.”

The Giants finished 81-81 for one more victory than in Melvin’s first year. They haven’t reached the postseason since winning the NL West with a franchise-record 107 victories to edge the rival Dodgers by one game in 2021 under then-skipper Gabe Kapler.

Now, another change.

“It’s definitely not ideal but unfortunately we talked about it a lot what the standards are for the Giants and we have high standards,” Posey said. “And I hold myself to those same standards. I understand fully the position that I’m in now. My job and the team’s success is evaluated accordingly as well. You without a doubt hope that there can be consistency in these leadership positions. We’ve got to get back to a place where we’re getting in the playoffs, we’re making runs in playoffs. That’s what our fan base deserves, that’s what the city deserves.”

As Posey begins finalizing his list of candidates, one familiar name has come up as a possibility: the catcher’s former manager, Bruce Bochy. He has wrapped up his three-year contract with Texas but Posey noted, “I don’t know what his status is yet so I can’t speak on that.”

The 70-year-old Bochy managed the Giants for 13 seasons from 2007-2019, a run that featured every-other-year World Series titles in 2010, ‘12 and ’14.

Posey said there’s no timetable for making a hire — “I want to make sure we get it right” — nor suggested whether he would seek someone with prior managerial experience.

Players offered support for Melvin as the season ended.

“You know how I feel about BoMel, I loved him. He’s been my manager for I guess seven years,” said third baseman Matt Chapman, who also played for Melvin with Oakland. “I feel extremely grateful that I get to play for him and he’s the same guy every day. He’s been steady for us, he’s always honest with the players, he has our back. He’s done the best with what we’ve given him. The players, a lot of us didn’t play to probably our capabilities.”

The 63-year-old Melvin left the San Diego Padres to return home to the Bay Area and manage the Giants last year for the job he always dreamed of doing as a former catcher with the organization. This is his 22nd year as a major league manager.

Melvin has a 1,678-1,588 career regular-season managerial record. A three-time Manager of the Year who has won the award in both leagues, he has eight postseason appearances while guiding Arizona, Seattle, Oakland, San Diego and the Giants.

San Francisco finished 80-82 in Melvin’s first season last year after he replaced Kapler, who was fired with three days remaining in the 2023 season.

Melvin is a native of nearby Palo Alto, California. He attended the University of California-Berkeley and played for his hometown Giants from 1986-88.

This has been his dream job, one he thought about in each visit to Oracle Park as a visiting manager.

“It wasn’t enjoyable. I knew how much this job meant to Bob,” Posey said of their conversation.

The players certainly realized their skipper’s passion for being in a place that means so much to him.

While several Giants — including All-Star Logan Webb — said they don’t expect Posey to be satisfied with this disappointing year, that didn’t necessarily mean they expected a managerial change.

“He’s done a great job,” Webb said after Sunday’s start. “I know I said some things last time that I think got misconstrued. It had nothing to do with BoMel. He’s amazing at what he does. I think at the end of the day, it comes down to us being able to play better as players, and I think everyone in here will say the exact same thing. BoMel’s a great leader of men. It’s been amazing. I think BoMel is great.”

ROCKIES SIDESTEP WORST RECORD, SET OTHER DUBIOUS MARKS IN ONE OF WORST SEASONS IN MLB HISTORY

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies went down swinging in the ninth inning to end their unceremonious season, striking out three straight times Sunday in a loss where they didn’t score a run.

A fitting conclusion to a woeful, record-setting year.

By many metrics, this will go down as one of the most dreadful slogs in baseball history. Sure, they finished 43-119, which avoided becoming the worst team since baseball adopted a 162-game schedule in 1961, a mark that still belongs to the 2024 Chicago White Sox (41-121).

But that’s about all the infamy the Rockies could sidestep. Changes are sure to be forthcoming in an offseason directed by Walker Monfort, the son of owner Dick Monfort who was named executive vice president earlier this season. It could be a top-to-bottom overhaul after a third straight 100-loss season.

One of the most immediate decisions will be the future of interim manager Warren Schaeffer, who went 36-86 after taking over following the firing of Bud Black in May. General manager Bill Schmidt’s role may be in limbo, too. Schmidt became the fourth GM in franchise history in 2021 and has yet to see one of his teams make the postseason.

“The biggest thing, the most important thing, is that we learned we never want to be here again,” Schaeffer said. “That is blatantly obvious. If you gloss over that and say, ‘It’s going to be OK next year,’ that’s not good enough.

“For the men in that room, it’s the biggest lesson we can all learn — this isn’t good enough. We all need to get better. Everybody needs to get better moving forward.”

The numbers highlight the depth of the franchise’s on-field misery:

— Colorado’s 119 losses are the most in the NL since 120 by the 1962 New York Mets.

— The Rockies had a run differential of minus-424, the worst since 1900, surpassing the minus-349 of the 1932 Boston Red Sox. It’s also the most since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who were a minus-724, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

— Colorado was a majors-worst 18-63 on the road, which was a franchise record.

— The starting rotation finished with a 6.65 ERA, the highest mark since it became an official stat in both leagues in 1913.

“We had high hopes,” said starter and Denver native Kyle Freeland, whose 17 losses were the most in the majors this season. “Obviously, it flopped on us. We have to keep moving forward, continue to do the work.”

It didn’t help that slugger Kris Bryant was limited to 11 games this season as he dealt with a bothersome back. Bryant has played in only 170 games with Colorado because of injuries since signing a $182 million, seven-year contract before the 2022 season.

The Rockies received a breakout season from All-Star catcher in Hunter Goodman, who hit .278 with 31 homers and 91 RBIs. They have 2024 Gold Glove winners in Ezequiel Tovar and Brenton Doyle.

Colorado got a glimpse of some of its young prospects, too, like outfielders Zac Veen and Yanquiel Fernández, infielder Ryan Ritter and right-hander Chase Dollander all being called up.

The Rockies also drafted Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick this summer. His last name is well-known around the Mile High City thanks to his father, Matt, who helped ignite a magical late run in 2007 (nicknamed “Rocktober”) that paid off with the franchise’s only World Series appearance.

Since that time, they’ve had as many playoff appearances (three) as 100-loss seasons. Their 323 losses from 2023-25 is tied with Philadelphia (1940-42) for the fifth-most through a three-year span.

The Rockies finished 50 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West as they missed out on the postseason for a seventh straight year.

“We need to win differently in the West,” Schaeffer said. “These other teams are spending a bunch of money, and have all these huge names and power and OPS (on-base plus slugging) guys. We weren’t built like that this year. So we had to try win differently. It doesn’t mean we can’t win, but we just have to do it differently, commit to different things.”

Asked earlier this summer if a team sometimes needs to take a step back to go forward, Schmidt simply responded: “Sometimes you do. Sometimes you do.”

PIRATES TO KEEP DON KELLY AS MANAGER AFTER IMPROVEMENTS IN SECOND HALF

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are keeping Don Kelly as manager.

The club announced Monday that it had extended Kelly’s contract after the team recovered from a miserable opening six weeks of the season thanks in part to Kelly’s guidance.

Pittsburgh was 12-26 when it fired Derek Shelton on May 8 and promoted Kelly, who had served as the bench coach for five-plus seasons. While the Pirates never escaped last place in the NL Central following that nightmarish start, Pittsburgh did go 59-65 under Kelly, including a 32-33 mark after the All-Star break.

The 45-year-old Kelly is from Pittsburgh and played one of his nine big league seasons with the Pirates.

“Donnie is an elite communicator. He is deeply trusted by our players because he’s credible, consistent, and unafraid of tough conversations,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. “His background as both a scout and a coach gives him a rare perspective: patience when it’s needed, and an unwavering belief in players’ ability to improve. Above all, he values people and winning. His ability to adjust, lead, and do the hard work makes him the right leader.”

Kelly said late in the season that he hoped he’d be retained, and believes Pittsburgh is “not as far off as some might think” from contending. The Pirates do have a promising young group of pitchers, led by reigning NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes, fellow 23-year-old Bubba Chandler, as well as Braxton Ashcraft (25), Mike Burrows (25) and Jared Jones (25), who missed the entire season after having Tommy John surgery.

The Pirates head into the offseason in need of a serious upgrade to a lineup that was easily the worst in baseball. Pittsburgh ranked last in the majors in runs, home runs and OPS and 28th out of 30 teams in batting average.

The club found itself in a similar position a year ago and opted to focus on overhauling some of the coaching staff rather than investing in proven major league talent. While Spencer Horwitz was solid after being acquired in a trade with Cleveland last winter and Tommy Pham recovered from a miserable start, the Pirates were never in a position to threaten to contend during a season that began with everyone from owner Bob Nutting to Cherington to Shelton saying it was time to win.

Kelly can at least exhale knowing he has the job for the long term and it appears that Cherington will be back for a seventh season. The general manager has come under heavy criticism for the inability to find productive major league hitters, though during his tenure Pittsburgh has put together one of the deepest pools of pitching prospects in the majors.

AVERAGE TIME OF 9-INNING GAME UP 2 MINUTES TO 2:38 IN 3RD YEAR OF PITCH CLOCK

NEW YORK (AP) — The average time of a nine-inning major league baseball game increased by 2 minutes this season to 2:38 in the third year of the pitch clock.

MLB’s average fell from 3:04 in 2022 to 2:40 the following year when the clock was instituted and decreased to 2:36 in 2024, its lowest since 1984’s 2:35.

The average game time passed 3 hours for the first time in 2016. It reached a record 3:10 in 2021 before the introduction of the PitchCom electronic pitch-calling device helped bring it down to 3:04 in 2022.

Three nine-inning games lasted 3:30 or longer this year, down from 391 such games in 2021.

MANSOLINO IS A CANDIDATE, BUT HIS STATUS IS UNCERTAIN AS THE ORIOLES EYE THEIR NEXT MANAGER

BALTIMORE (AP) — Tony Mansolino remains in limbo as manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

Team president Mike Elias said Monday the Orioles would consider other options for their managerial position, but Mansolino — who was the interim manager for most of this season — would be a candidate. Both Mansolino and Elias took questions at a wrapup news conference after Baltimore sank to last place in the AL East following two straight postseason appearances.

Mansolino turned 43 on Sunday, when the Orioles finished their season with a 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees. He took over as interim manager when Brandon Hyde was fired on May 17 after a 15-28 start.

Baltimore went 60-59 under Mansolino to finish 75-87.

TWINS FIRE MANAGER ROCCO BALDELLI

After the team’s poorest showing in nearly a decade, the Minnesota Twins dismissed manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday.

Minnesota finished Baldelli’s seventh season at the helm with a record of 70-92 and finished fourth in the American League Central.

The Twins were 34-27 on June 4, but lost 10 of the next 12 games and plummeted to a 36-65 finish. They traded 10 players before the July 31 deadline, including All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa and closer Jhoan Duran.

The team had picked up Baldelli’s club option for 2026 during the summer, but Twins’ management felt it was time to change course.

“This game is ultimately measured by results, and over the past two seasons we did not reach the goals we set. I take personal responsibility for that,” Twins president, baseball and business operations Derek Falvey, said in a news release. “After discussions with ownership, we determined that this is the right moment for a change in voice and direction. This decision is not a reflection of Rocco’s effort or leadership. It reflects where we are as an organization and the belief that a different voice is needed to help us move forward.”

Baldelli, who turned 44 last Thursday, was a seven-year major league player with Tampa Bay (2003-04, 2006-08, 2010) and Boston (2009). He took over for Paul Molitor as manager in October 2018. He earned AL Manager of the Year honors in his initial campaign, leading the Twins to an 2019 AL Central title and 101-61 record. However, the New York Yankees eliminated Minnesota in three games in the AL Division Series.

They won the division in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and again in 2023. Minnesota snapped a string of six consecutive playoff series defeats as they knocked off Toronto in the 2023 AL wild-card series, but then fell, 3-1, to the Houston Astros in the ALDS.

Baldelli leaves the organization with the third-most wins in franchise history with a 527-505 (.511) ledger.

MLB ATTENDANCE RISES SLIGHTLY FOR 3RD STRAIGHT INCREASE, BUT AVERAGE DROPS WITH FEWER RAINOUTS

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s overall attendance increased for a third straight season for the first time since 2004-07, but the average dipped slightly because of fewer single-admission doubleheaders caused by weather postponements.

MLB drew 71.41 million fans for 2,423 gates in the regular season that ended Sunday for an average of 29,471. The total was up 0.1% from last year’s 71.35 million fans over 2,413 gates.

This year’s average of 29,471 was down 0.3% from last year’s 29,568, MLB said Monday.

Attendance was depressed by the moves of the Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays to minor league ballparks.

Playing at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, the A’s drew a major league-low home attendance of 768,464 for 81 games, an average of 9,487. That was down from a total of 922,286 and an average of 11,529 last year at the Oakland Coliseum.

The A’s are planning to have most home games in Sacramento through 2027 while a new stadium is being built in Las Vegas. They have scheduled a six-game homestand at the Triple-A Las Vegas Ballpark next June.

Tampa Bay played home games this season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees, because of damage caused last October by Hurricane Milton to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The Rays drew 786,750 for an average of 9,713, selling out 61 games. Last year, they drew 1,337,739 to the Trop, 28th and ahead of only the Miami Marlins and A’s.

They intend to return to the Trop next season.

Six teams topped 3 million, up from five last year but down from eight in 2023.

The reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers reached 4 million for the first time at 4,012,470 for an average of 49,537, up from 3,941,251.

The New York Mets had the biggest increase following the offseason signing of Juan Soto, rising 855,271 to 3,184,570 for their highest total since Citi Field opened in 2009.

After reaching the playoffs last year for the first time since 2014, Detroit increased 555,147 to 2,413,442 for its highest total at Comerica Park since 2016.

St. Louis dropped 628,108 to 2,250,007. The Cardinals haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, when they drew 3,320,551.

Falling out of contention early this year, Baltimore drew 1,803,655 to Camden Yards, a drop of 477,474.

RANGERS MANAGER BRUCE BOCHY WILL NOT RETURN IN 2026

Less than two years after leading the Texas Rangers to a World Series championship, Bruce Bochy exited his job as manager in a mutual decision on Monday.

The club offered him a job as a front office adviser, but it was unclear if Bochy will accept.

The 70-year-old former catcher is the sixth-winningest manager in major league history with a 2,252-2,266 record over 28 years. He spent three years as the Rangers’ manager, compiling a 249-237 regular-season record and a lone postseason appearance in 2023 that led to a World Series crown.

“Bruce Bochy is one of the greatest managers in baseball history and he will forever hold a place in the hearts of Ranger fans after bringing home the first World Series title in franchise history in 2023,” Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young said in a statement. “Boch brought class and respect to our club in his return to the dugout and we will always take pride in being part of his Hall of Fame career.

“We are grateful for everything he has given to the organization over the past few seasons and hopeful he can continue to impact the Rangers for many years to come.”

Bochy managed the Padres from 1995-2006, leading San Diego to the 1998 World Series. He was selected National League Manager of the Year in 1996.

Bochy then guided the Giants from 2007-2019, and he took San Francisco to World Series championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

He is one of just six managers to have earned four World Series rings as a manager, and the other five are all in the Hall of Fame. Casey Stengel and Joe McCarthy each won seven titles, Connie Mack won five, and Joe Torre and Walter Alston are alongside Bochy with four apiece.

As a player, Bochy had a nine-year major league career with the Houston Astros (1978-80), the New York Mets (1982) and the Padres (1983-87). He hit .239 with a .298 on-base percentage, a .388 slugging percentage, 26 homers and 93 RBIs in 358 games.

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