The World Series — our annual signifier of another season smoked to its filter — is always a culmination of the sport’s beauty. Teams get rewarded for playing a winning brand of baseball all throughout October, managers are vindicated in all of the micro-decisions that got them there, and front offices can comfortably rest their heads at night knowing their systems and philosophies weren’t totally off base.
But more visible than all that — and the thing that gives the sport its humanity among so many numbers, figures, and entropy beyond the players’ control — is the heartwarming sight of a veteran finally getting a chance for his Ray Bourque moment. For the Tampa Bay Rays, who stand just four wins away from the franchise’s first title, that man is quite literally impossible to overlook. The circumference of his arms threatens a solar eclipse every time he raises them. His physical composition is probably best described in terms used to measure quartzite. He is Yandy Díaz, the 35-year-old igneous rock at the top of the Tampa Bay lineup, who, despite having all the hulking characteristics of a home run-mashing slugger, is also the best pure hitter in this World Series.
Díaz, who has hit safely in all but one of the Rays’ nine postseason games, is above average at nearly every element of hitting. He rarely swings and misses, which leads to very few strikeouts. In turn, he squares the ball at an 85th-percentile clip, and can do that while peppering it to right field. When he puts the ball in play, 29.9% of the time it’s going to the opposite field, a skill he shares with teammates Chandler Simpson and Jonathan Aranda, who are also among the five most frequent opposite-field hitters in the American League. Díaz is not going to take many walks — 8.2 BB%, good for the 37th percentile — but hitting .293 still helps him post a .359 on-base percentage, placing him in the top 20 of qualified AL batters. Read the rest of this entry »
Luke Holman has been one of the top pitchers in the hitter-friendly Arizona Fall League. Across three starts with the Peoria Desert Dogs, the 23-year-old right-hander in the Cincinnati Reds organization has surrendered just one run over nine innings. Moreover, he has fanned 15 batters and allowed just four hits and a lone walk. He was especially sharp on Monday. Facing a Scottsdale Scorpions lineup that included high-profile prospects Zyhir Hope, Bryce Rainer, and Nathan Flewelling, Holman breezed through four scoreless frames on 52 pitches.
Eric Longenhagen referenced the recent outing when I asked him for a snapshot of what he has seen from the Reading, Pennsylvania native, whom the Reds drafted 71st overall in 2024 out of Louisiana State University.
“He looks good,” our lead prospect analyst told me. “Glove-side command of 92-94, plus curveball in the 78-82 mph range. Attacks lefties in on their hands with fastballs and mid-80s cutter/sliders, then drops curveballs below the zone. He stretched out to four innings in his most recent start. Looks like a potential no. 4/5 to me. I want to see how he attacks second/third time through when asked to go six innings, and how his arm strength trends as he gets traction in a full-season routine.”
The erstwhile LSU Tiger, whose rotation-mates at the SEC powerhouse included Kade Anderson and Gage Jump, hasn’t had much of an opportunity to establish a routine. Holman began his professional career with a pair of effective outings in April 2025, only to have his elbow give out; Tommy John surgery cost him the remainder of the campaign. He also missed almost the entirety of this past season due to injury. Read the rest of this entry »
Nathan Ray Seebeck, David Banks, Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Monday, I published the first half of my ballot for this year’s Fielding Bible Awards, which will be announced at 3 PM ET tomorrow. Today, I’m going to cover my votes for the three outfield positions and pitcher, as well as the best multi-positional defenders, defensive player of the year, and defensive team of the year.
If you’re curious about the methodology I used to help guide my voting, you can read about it in Monday’s article, but here’s a quick refresher: I used a weighted blend of DRS, FRV, and DRP (the three flagship public defensive metrics), with the weights based on how well each metric did on reliability and consistency. That gave me an initial rough order at each position. From there, I used my own insights gleaned from both statistical and video deep dives on individual players, as well as the copious amounts of baseball I watched this year, to assemble my final rankings. I deferred to the defensive metrics when the gaps were big, but for close calls, I leaned heavily on my own judgment.
That’s a fair number of words, and there will be a lot more as I go through each of these positions, so let’s get right to it, starting with left field.
Last year, Bellinger played all over the outfield. This year, he mostly played in left, and he was pretty spectacular. He’s one of the best outfield defenders in the sport, and now that he’s playing full-time at a relatively weak position, he stood out from the pack here. He does it all: great anticipation and route-running, good speed, and a terrific throwing arm. With Steven Kwan now in center, Bellinger is the class of the position, and I didn’t seriously consider anyone else for my first place vote. Read the rest of this entry »
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley tease their next playoff livestream and discuss “Chalktober,” the end of the ALCS, Chandler Simpson’s (and Ben’s) calves, Ben’s quickly defused feud with FanGraphs, and hirings/non-firings. Then (1:00:53) they bring back fan-favorite (and host-favorite) guest Adrian Chiles—BBC host, Guardian columnist, and Effectively Wild UK correspondent—to talk about his beloved Rays’ run to the World Series, how he’s followed their exploits despite a several-hour time difference, his musings about the excitement/misery of playoff baseball, and more.
Runs are hard to come by during the postseason, in part because of the outsized impact of cooler weather and overpowering relief pitching. So far this fall, no pitcher has done a better job of keeping runs off the board than Aaron Ashby. Working in a multi-inning role that recalls a bygone era of bullpen firemen, the 28-year-old lefty has delivered 12 1/3 scoreless innings for the Brewers thus far while playing a central role in both their Division Series win over the Padres and their Championship Series victory over the Dodgers — so much so that he assembled a reasonable NLCS MVP case, though the award went to Jake Bauers instead.
Ashby has pitched in six of Milwaukee’s eight playoff games, coincidentally Games 1, 2, and 4 of both aforementioned series. He’s thrown more innings than any other Brewer this postseason; by comparison, starters Robert Gasser and Logan Henderson have each totaled nine, and Jacob Misiorowski eight. Four of Ashby’s six outings have been hitless, and all but one has lasted at least 1 2/3 innings, a luxury afforded by the October schedule’s extra days off and his own efficiency and stamina.
“The way this guy loves to play, loves to throw every day. He keeps on wanting the ball,” said pitching coordinator Jim Henderson of Ashby in the wake of the NLCS clincher. “He’s trained himself for it. Every single day he plays catch, he gives it a full effort. He doesn’t save bullets. He creates them.” Read the rest of this entry »
As an evaluator, what have you been able to take from the sustained player acquisition and development successes of the Rays and Brewers?
Brendan Gawlowski
Two of the prime examples of how holistic player evaluation is the right path forward. Both with great front offices, scouting staffs, and dev operations. Hand in glove operations.
Charles Bengal Tiger
I need a long-term young dynasty catcher. Who's most likely to have a solid MLB career out of Leo Bernal, Vahn Lackey, or Nathan Flewelling?
Brendan Gawlowski
Lackey but I like all three.
Charles Bengal Tiger
How has Charles Davalan looked at 2B?
Brendan Gawlowski
Promising but needs reps. Athleticism and range to do it…
Jeremy Bowers
Hi Brendan! Thanks for doing these. Every year, it's interesting to see evals and rankings update over the offseason even though there doesn't appear to be a lot of new information added. What's happening there? How do you approach an offseason where you have little new additional info.
Brendan Gawlowski
I'm not sure I understand your question. We've got a year of new info to work with. Sometimes that changes the forecast, often it doesn't, but either way it's worth reviewing the year and checking in.
jdbolick
Has your opinion of Kade Anderson changed after seeing his four seam with the MLB ball?
Brendan Gawlowski
I wish we'd been a little cooler on him on the midseason update. His FB grade will go down.
Jeremy Bowers
Re: evals over the offseason — apologies, mostly thinking about how you might approach looking at a player or an org given just new perspective but not necessarily any new looks.
Brendan Gawlowski
Lot of video/data analysis. Even a guy who looks fairly similar might have added a pitch, and it's good to go in and take a glance at how that looks on video.
bdolven
What do you think Jared Grimdlinger’s path looks like? Definitely not going to pitch? How quickly do you figure he’ll be expected to move?
Brendan Gawlowski
LAA sources say they're going to try the two-way path. Harder to go quickly that way but fun/exciting nonetheless.
Domingo Ayala
I went through old scouting reports on other sites and saw Profar had present 70 grade SS defense. Was that a misread or did Profar change over time?
Brendan Gawlowski
There were some injuries in there but the 70 might've been a little hot. I was a neophyte back then though.
Charles Bengal Tiger
Who will be the next good homegrown starting pitcher for the Dodgers?
Brendan Gawlowski
Zazueta is the leader in the clubhouse.
Domingo Ayala
Years ago when Moniak was selected first overall, I read a report that when he showed up to camp in the spring he already looked less athletic. Do you recall your first look at him that Spring?
Brendan Gawlowski
Didn't have one, but given that he's still playing a little center in big league games ten years after he was drafted, don't think athleticism was necessarily the prroblem there.
mbushskbum
I attended the AFL triple header in Goodyear Saturday and then Glendale at Salt River yesterday. Dax Kilby looked awesome yesterday. His speed was impressive as was how hard he hit his triple and ground rule double. How do you measure speed for your evals? I notice that FGs has Kilby as a 55 spd while MLB and BA have him at a 60. Curious what you look at to grade it.
Brendan Gawlowski
Home to first time is the anchor and I might throttle up or down a half grade depending on how playable it seems to be. Good example of a tool that's easier to see in all its glory when you're in the park. You get a better look at first step on defense or on the bases, and some video feeds make it tricky to get an accurate run time, too.
Brendan Gawlowski
Amusingly, I know of a scout who once got into a ton of trouble for putting 60 run times on 30 runners because he was doing it on video and didn't know that all the camera angles weren't synced up.
kingkash7788
How much has Nimmala risen in the last week and a bit?
Brendan Gawlowski
Holding steady.
Brendan Gawlowski
Maybe a tick down, I'm not ready to move him off of SS yet but I can see it going that way a little more every time I watch him.
mbushskbum
Have you seen Nathan Flewelling? How would you rate his catcher D in particular his framing. How to do you grade framing when watching players?
Brendan Gawlowski
Framing, for me, is easier on video; there's just so much else going on in the park, I have a hard time getting a good feel for it unless I'm really paying attention to just that at the expense of other stuff. But I'm looking for mobility, low stance, strong wrist, limited head movement. If most of the physical stuff looks good but the technique isn't there yet, that's fine, we can project there.
Brendan Gawlowski
Flewelling himself does a lot of that well, he's low to the ground and can funnel balls toward the plate from all directions.
George
Hey Brendan! In your Pitcher AFL notes you wrote that Susana had split his breaking ball into two shapes in your October 10th look. The shapes were pretty blended in his AAA looks. Did you hear anything about how that transpired in the AFL and whether it was an explicitly intentional change?
Brendan Gawlowski
There was enough velo separation between his slowest and fastest ones that I figured it was two pitches; he may have just been adding/subtracting. Regardless, I like that he's able to mix it up a little bit.
war2d2
Brendan! Right now is generally when my friends and I start our generalized plans for our annual spring training trip. What’s your general feeling for if there will be any games in late-February next year? Minor leaguers will still be under contract, right? If that doesn’t happen we’re also considering Cape Cod, or putting it off until October for the AFL. What’s your general feel for which one would be more enjoyable for a bunch of depressed middle-aged nerds?
Brendan Gawlowski
Really tough year to make plans, unfortunately. My crystal ball isn't any better than anybody else's. Maybe it's the hopeless optimist in me, but if I had to guess, I suspect we're looking at a similar deal to what we had in 2022, maybe with a few missed games, maybe not.
Brendan Gawlowski
As for your situation specifically, if you have the flexibility to make plans just a few weeks in advance, you might actually get a pretty good deal on hotels and attendance at big league games will be pretty light, which is a positive in my book.
Brendan Gawlowski
Alternatively, if you're cool with just going to the backfields, plan away.
Wright Abbot
Most of the Orioles players in the Fall League seem to be doing well. Anything caught your attention in particular?
Brendan Gawlowski
Pleasantly surprised by Honeycutt, I guess. More in a 40-ish sort of way than huge impact, but he didn't look overmatched at the plate.
Petey Bienel
Did Cayden Wallace show enough this season to restore the 40 status he had when he was in the KC system?
Brendan Gawlowski
That feels about right off the cuff, would need to dive into the defense to say for sure. He's reached the AA power grade he's had here for a while. Approach is not good though.
Charles Bengal Tiger
What position will Ace Reese eventually play?
Brendan Gawlowski
1B/LF.
Alex Remington
I saw the Mets just decided to hire more scouts. This is *maybe* more of a rant than a question, but why did so many teams decide to cut their scouting staffs in recent years, and is there any chance that this particular World Series matchup induces more teams to think about beefing back up in their scouting department?
Brendan Gawlowski
A combination of things. Some people think that the data is robust enough that you don't need scouts. Some leaders don't like that scouts come from a different perspective and have a different view on players. Some scouts don't do themselves any favors.
StuShea
If you're the White Sox, do you hold Colson Montgomery for another year? Can he improve?
Brendan Gawlowski
Yes, numbers tanked right when he got hurt. I buy that he was playing through something in the second half .
mbushskbum
I have never visited the backfields, can you give a brief or not suggestion of how to do that?
Brendan Gawlowski
Each splits its minor leaguers into four or five teams. Those teams play games on the backfields which are usually but not always (Athletics, Giants, Reds/Guardos kind of) very close to the stadium. There are usually but not always two games going on simultaneously (A/A+ teams or AA/AAA teams). There are a few fans but not many, more scouts/family/autograph hounds than anything else. It's a good time.
Ceiling of a no. 3, he'll likely be a 45 this winter, maybe 45+. Could reach the desert next year, take your pick on a 27 or 28 ETA.
Brendan Gawlowski
I should admit, of all the things I grade/project here, the ETA is the thing I spend the least time on. It's hard enough to project on the tools, and the timeline is often not dictated by talent and performance alone anyway.
apeloton
If you’re the Sox, do you feel like you have a Story/Arias situation? If so, what do you do about it this winter?
Brendan Gawlowski
Good problem to have. Cynically, it gives you an excuse to delay the clock on Arias. In the unlikely event that Story is both good and healthy at short, great, if not you have the guy you really want there anyway just about ready to go.
Honkus Wagner
has Walcott’s gotten enough work at SS in the AFL to quell any concerns about his defense there? will be interesting to see how Texas manages Jung and Seager going into next year
Brendan Gawlowski
I'd shift the framing. It's less a concern to quell than a case where Walcott is going to have to continually prove that he can play short throughout his career.
Pirates Hurdles
Hi Brendan, do you have any intel on why Derek Curiel didnt see any MiLB time this year? Coming from LSU I would have thought straight to A or A+ was in the plan. I guess the approach worked well enough with Murf Gray, but seems odd to me.
Brendan Gawlowski
Fairly typical for first round picks to not go out to A ball at the end of the year. Some do, some don't, wouldn't read too much into it.
swood
With the benefit of hindsight, who were some guys you were way too high on this year, and why were you too high?
Brendan Gawlowski
There are obviously a lot of guys who didn't reach their projection, but there were always reasons for putting them where I/we did. I think the ones that bug me the most are the ones where data led me astray. Putting too much weight on metal bat exit velos, over-grading a fastball due to shape generated with a minor league ball, things like that.
Brendan Gawlowski
If the question is more like "why were you too high on Dylan Beavers?" I think you can generally follow the trail of thought from the writeup.
maximus74
do you expect an over correction to the rabbit ball used in the minors from this year?
Brendan Gawlowski
I don't really know what to expect. My guess is it will shift back toward where it was before but who knows. The league isn't great at making consistent baseballs.
Anonymous Member #46
Is there anything worth reading into from the 2026 draft class at all yet?
Brendan Gawlowski
Bits and pieces. Couple scouts told me they think Ace Reece looked more hitterish than they expected, which is interesting. But more things like that than a "it really looks like Team X screwed that one up" so far.
InsertWittyNameHere
Klaw said Aidan Miller looked good during the AFL, did you get a look at him too?
Brendan Gawlowski
I didn't, sorry, kept missing him. Pretty sure Eric has got him a couple times though, better question for him.
ryancorrigan10
If you had the 1.01 draft pick in a dynasty league this winter, who would you take with that pick?
Brendan Gawlowski
Not a fantasy guy but PCA/Witt/Elly/Caminero seem most appealing depending on your risk tolerance and positional scarcity needs.
dan norman lear
Who is the starting OF on Opening Day 2027, whenever that may be, for the Colorado Rockies?
Brendan Gawlowski
Carrigg.
beanbong
with how relievers are used in the postseason now (essentially every game for some), does that affect FV for pitchers projected to be late-inning relievers? Cade Smith ran out of gas but threw more innings than all the Cleveland staff except for Messick/Williams
Brendan Gawlowski
It's an interesting question. All projections are tricky, relievers moreso than just about anyone else. The very best relief prospects don't reliably turn into dominant closers. And on the other side of the coin, how could you project Cade Smith to halve his walk rate the second he got to the big leagues?
Brendan Gawlowski
Practically speaking, I'm finding that I'm projecting more and more guys who are starting in the minors into relief roles, and leaving their FV's higher than I perhaps would have a few years ago.
higginsford
Are you glued to Peacock for this absurd day game tipoff for the NBA's opening day?
Brendan Gawlowski
No. Bad opinion incoming but… I don't think basketball works.
padsfan96
Anyone from the back end of the top 100 list poised to take a leap on next year's list based on their 2nd half?
Brendan Gawlowski
I imagine 5-10 will. Kilby for sure. Luis Hernandez wouldn't surprise me. Maybe a guy like Michael Arroyo, now that he's played a little bit in the big leagues, and played well. I'll be pushing to knock him ahead of Celesten at the very least.
beanbong
Piggybacking on the reliever question, the recent Jaffe article highlights Ashby and points out that he could've won NLCS MVP. If you're starting a 7 game playoff series, would you rather have the lights-out fireman reliever or the 4.00 FIP #3 starter? I'd want the reliever, as I'm sure most would, but on opening day, would the answer be the same? Does (or should) that play a role in projecting players, or are we now introducing another tricky variable into an already tricky art?
Brendan Gawlowski
To complicate things further: I'm not so sure that the no. 3 starter couldn't just be the fireman reliever.
jaysfan39
Any thoughts on Jake Cook's first season in pro ball,?
Brendan Gawlowski
It was okay. Speed played a little better on the bases than it did in college, which is a good sign. Arrow flat or slightly down.
JMKUHNER
RE: Rockies OF… that's a LOT of ground for Cole Carigg to cover by himself…
Brendan Gawlowski
ah jeez, I read that as CF. I assume they'll run it back with McCarthy and Moniak in the corners… Boring answer, I know.
triplesandtea
Who in your mind was a "can't miss" prospect when you wrote them up (for either us or PIT) who ended up missing? Why did they miss? If for injury, can you also think of an example that wasn't an injury miss?
Brendan Gawlowski
I don't think anybody is "can't" miss but I had a big grade on Tovar, and if you'd have told me at the end of his 3.5 win 2024 season that, two years later, his walk/strikeout numbers will go in the right direction AND he'd have a 55 wRC+ I'd have been floored.
Brendan Gawlowski
Answer there is that the approach got exploited in a big, big way.
apeloton
What’s the updated super bull case for kilby? Well rounded regular kinda guy, or might there be another gear even on top of that?
Brendan Gawlowski
The super bullish case is that he can hit .300 with a little power and play above average defense at short.
Brendan Gawlowski
It's quite a ceiling.
Domingo Ayala
Wait, why doesn't basketball work? I'm not a fan either but can you explain?
Brendan Gawlowski
Block/charge/no call is just a vibe.
John Church
Since higher draft picks produce the most value on average, do amateur scouting departments focus most of their resources on the top two rounds (say, top 75) or so some teams try to focus on building greater org depth and look to hit on later rd picks as well?
Brendan Gawlowski
Kind of both. The big picks get a lot of attention. Multiple decision makers will go personally see and talk to the seven-figure guys. But there are still plenty of people around pouring their heart and soul into looking for diamonds in the rough.
JMKUHNER
Does that make Veen or Condon attractive trade pieces? Challenge trade to a pitching rich team possibly (do pitching rich teams even exist given the number of pitchers used by teams per year these days…)
Brendan Gawlowski
It's worth giving Veen another look but the swing and miss is really scary there. The way the Rockies have developed Condon is different enough from my eval of him that I feel the need to dig deeper to figure out what the heck is going on.
maximus74
had zero idea that the NBA was trying out day games for opening "night" guess I'm not playing fantasy basketball this year
Brendan Gawlowski
I didn't either From a distance, the league seems like it's in kind of a weird place. I think it's true in all sports but maybe in basketball especially, a lot of the energy seems to come from stuff not happening on the court.
maximus74
Do you think draft pick trading will make it into this CBA?
Brendan Gawlowski
I'd be pleasantly surprised.
adamakbani99
Updated views on Tai Peete? Don't want to overreact to a small sample but between AA/AFL he's been great against better competition and has shown better swing decisions recently. Is a 45 FV fair now?
Brendan Gawlowski
I would not go crazy on AFL production. I'm encouraged that he's continuing to make things work as he's facing better pitching but my feelings on him haven't changed much. He's the kind of player I'd project as a regular as a scout, but one that teams have to value lower than that because he's so risk/reward.
Anonymous Member #46
If pick trading made its way into the CBA, what teams do you think would be most poised to take advantage? Who would be most aggressive in acquiring picks, and who would be aggressive in trading them away?
Brendan Gawlowski
The Rays would find a way to have 40 picks in the first ten rounds.
JMKUHNER
Ah, the vibe, just like a check swing (nothing defines "offering at the pitch" other than the umpires vibes)
Brendan Gawlowski
There's some of this in all sports. Pass interference, penalties in soccer, the strike zone at times in baseball history, etc. "Can I legally go to the hoop?" seems more fundamentally problematic to me but… Like I said, it's a bad opinion. We all have 'em.
ToastMalone
I saw Teruaki Sato was posted., but I didn’t see him on The Board. Any guess where he’ll slot in?
Brendan Gawlowski
Sneak peak at Ben's list… He's in 50 FV territory there.
dan norman lear
Rank the Ethans"
Brendan Gawlowski
Salas, Holliday, Pecko, Conrad, Roberts… I'm running out of Ethans, please send help.
triplesandtea
Maybe a better question for an article but what's something you think rookie scouts often overstate/understate relative to veteran scouts? What about something veterans more often miss than rookies?
Brendan Gawlowski
You get better at projecting the longer you do it. You start to get a feel for how certain bodies and traits will age. For veterans, as the game changes, there's a risk that you either don't adapt or just get really frustrated with how modern baseball is played, and that can seep into the evaluations a little bit.
Honkus Wagner
Caceras, A Gomez, Frias, Renteria…you get one to start a team with, who are you taking?
Brendan Gawlowski
Leaning Gomez, caveat that I need to give Renteria a longer look. Caceres feels a little out of place here.
dan norman lear
Sometimes we just have prospects, whom, no matter what we read about them, are skeptical they are ever going to be more than prospects. My recent one has been Tink Hence. Currently, it is Jamie Arnold. Do you have a prospect you are just skeptical of, regardless of hopeful promise.
Brendan Gawlowski
It's interesting you mentioned Hence, I had a very similar feeling to what you were describing. As a general matter, I tend to be skeptical of the corner guys with light power but good minor league swing data.
Brendan Gawlowski
Think I'll shut it down here today. Thanks as always for the questions, we'll do it again next week.
A couple years ago, I wrote an article about Amed Rosario. Rosario was just coming off the best season of his career, a 3.1-WAR 2022 campaign in which he’d posted a 104 wRC+ and manned shortstop for the Guardians. He’d led the majors with nine triples, but I was interested in another category where he’d not only led the league but also left everyone else in his dust. Statcast credited Rosario with 369 competitive runs. That was nearly 70 more than any other player in 2022, and it’s still the highest single-season total ever recorded.
As there’s no reason for you to remember what a competitive run is, let’s start with a refresher. In order for Statcast to do a good job of measuring a player’s average sprint speed, it needs to pick the right plays, when they’ll be running hard and reaching their maximum speed. If you hit a routine groundout to the shortstop and run down the baseline at a businesslike 80%, that’s not really a reflection of your top speed. You’re not running competitively. Statcast only assesses sprint speed on plays where a batter is running to first after a “topped” or “weakly hit” ball, or plays where they run two or more bases (except when they score from second on an extra-base hit). Those are competitive runs, and I’m going to quote from my old article to explain why I think they’re worth writing about:
I don’t know about you, but I think this is incredibly fun. Competitive runs is an incidental statistic. It’s just scaffolding for another stat, but there’s one person who plays baseball like competitive runs is his own personal pinball machine. The other reason I love it is that even though competitive runs exists only to serve a higher master, it’s still a descriptive stat in its own right. A player’s competitive runs total tells you plenty about the way they play the game.
In order to lead the league in competitive runs, you need to put the ball in play a lot, which means no striking out and, to a lesser extent, limited walking. You need to hit the ball weakly and on the ground, but you also need to reach base a lot so that you can make all those first-to-thirds and second-to-homes. Your offensive game needs to revolve around speed and ground-based contact. I’ve left out one other prerequisite, but already, it’s starting to sound like I’m describing one player in particular, right?
Caleb Bonemer produced a plethora of power in 2026. Splitting the season between High-A Winston Salem and Double-A Birmingham, the 21-year-old (as of earlier this month) slugger slammed 37 round-trippers while logging a .251/.380/.550 slash line over 595 plate appearances. His home run total was tops in the Chicago White Sox organization, as was his 139 wRC+.
Bonemer has continued to punish pitchers in the Arizona Fall League — his desert ledger includes four doubles, a triple, and a pair of dingers among his 11 hits in 39 at-bats — but his right-handed stroke isn’t why he is suiting up for the Glendale Desert Dogs. Positioned almost exclusively on the left side of the infield since being selected in the second round of the 2024 draft out of an Okemos, Michigan high school, Bonemer is being given a look in the outfield. I asked him about the move off of the diamond on AFL Media Day.
“I’m getting a lot of questions about that,” replied Bonemer, whose positional tryout has since comprised six games in center field, two in left field, and one in right field, this after playing just nine professional games on the grass previously. “The White Sox told me they want to see what I can do out there. I haven’t really played the outfield, so they want me to get more reps, more games under my belt.”
Regardless of where he ultimately ends up playing, his ability to belt baseballs is what has him bound for Chicago’s South Side. Currently ranked 95th on The Board and second in the White Sox system as a 50-FV prospect, Bonemer has been described by James Fegan as a hitter who produces high-end exit velocities, with an affinity for elevating balls to the pull side.
After a dominant run through the American League East this year, the Tampa Bay Rays have punched their ticket to the World Series. Down 2-1 in the ALCS, they reeled off two straight wins in Cleveland over the weekend to take a 3-2 lead back home. And with a chance to put the series away, following a wild weekend of rain, rescheduling, and bullpen games as far as the eye could see, the Rays rose to the occasion, jumping all over the Guardians early and tacking on late to cruise to a 7-3 Game 6 win on Monday night. It was a comprehensive victory for the top seed in the American League, and it showed off their ability to do whatever is needed to win, whether it’s one-upping the opposition at their own game or putting a contest to bed with late-inning power.
Cleveland is a club that needs to make the most out of every opportunity to outscore its opponents. The team’s much-ballyhooed “Guards Ball” style depends a lot on a dominant pitching staff and a little on turning balls in play into baserunners, pressure, and eventually runs. But time and again on Monday, the Rays were the Guardians’ match when it came to the small plays that can flip the game – and they showed off an extra gear when push came to shove. Time and time again, they turned the Guardians away in big moments and extended the lead when they got their own chances.
One sequence was emblematic of the night: In the top of the fourth inning, the Guardians staged an all-too-rare rally against Freddy Peralta. Jo Adell led off the inning with a roped line drive double. Nathaniel Lowe battled back from 0-2 to draw a walk. After a fly out, Patrick Bailey came up and chopped a grounder over Peralta’s head. It was the kind of ball that could rattle around and lead to chaos. But Taylor Walls was having absolutely none of it. He rampaged across second, waved Richie Palacios out of the way, and snared the ball at a full sprint, headed directly toward Lowe, who panicked and slammed on the brakes, but to no avail. Walls ran him down, brushed a tag as Lowe fell out of the basepath, and fired to first to complete a double play. What might have been a big inning instead ended without a run scoring. Read the rest of this entry »
Welcome to our Open Game Thread for the ALCS game today. Only Members can participate, and unlike our usual staff Q&A chats, your messages will be posted immediately.
Our Member community is made up of thousands of incredibly knowledgable baseball fans, and we think this is a great way to follow a game with like-minded baseball enthusiasts. We might even have some FanGraphs Staff drop in and join the fun. Please be courteous to your fellow Members, or you may find your chat privileges revoked.
Jefferson Leachedited
Over/under for how many innings from bibee? He hasn't pitched in a week, vogt must be mad
Sean Dolinar
I’m hearing under 1 and 2 from my FanGraphs coworkers.
lzfreak
I'm pulling for Cleveland tonight only because I love game 7s and them winning gives us a better chance at that
Nick Smith
Games 7 *are* fun!
Sean Dolinar
Good evening everyone!
Davy Andrews
Hello everyone. Steven Kwan is letting the beard grow and I am proud of him.
NicklePickers
Armstong pitching. Is Nominative Determinism the new Moneyball?
BryanB
Kwan. On. Fire.
Davy Andrews
So somebody on this broadcast seems to have read my article.
lzfreak
That article was excellent
Davy Andrews
Thank you!
Davy Andrews
If I'd had a little more time, I was going to do some fun graphics. You'd see a picture of José Ramírez or whoever with a big thumbs up, and then in huge letters at the bottom of the picture, it'd say "87.2 mph."
Asa
They really ought to give credit
Nick Smith
I think the mindset is that if it's on the internet, it's there to use.
BryanB
Is it just me or are there a lot of Guard fans there?
Nick Smith
👍⚾️👍
Matt Martell
Noted FanGraphs reader Ron Darling
Jon Becker
Hello from Raleigh, everyone!
Jon Becker
North Carolina, not Cal
BryanB
I like how the motion sickness medicine ad makes me slightly sick
Davy Andrews
Hey guys! What's in Raleigh, Jon?
Sean Dolinar
Open source coding conference
Brian547
Greetings everyone… lets give this maybe one last go… I promise to be nice to Vogt for at least… awe who am I kidding. Glad to be here, GO GUARDS!
lzfreak
At this rate Armstrong going 9
Nick Smith
At this rate, he'll have a Maddux.
Brian547
It is very Maddux that he caught that himself!
Nick Smith
The universe is telling us something.
BryanB
New Balance nerfing Ohtani
BryanB
Who makes those pitch coms? Yugo?
Brian547
Old joke… You go…because it doesn't.
asf123
“Huh??” said everyone under 40 😆.
Alan Sherman
coding chat returns!
asf123
Can Joey tillo, or can he not illo…or maybe both??
Ben
Hey I hope everyone is having a great night 🙂 excited to watch some ALCS baseball
bosoxforlife
Can anybody help me? I am trying to come up with anyone who went from the outhouse to the penthouse as dramatically as Fastball Freddie did after his trade from the Mets.
Brian547
I can do the opposite with Casey Blake in CLE… (Bauer both ways?)
Asa
Who at MLB thought "Baseball is Something Else" would be a compelling slogan?
BryanB
Well the other option was “Baseball: we like strikes”
Davy Andrews
Alright everybody, best joke of the night has been achieved before we're out of the second inning.
Asa
Seriously, baseball is kinda cool would have been better
Asa
Baseball is baseball would have been better
BryanB
Maybe they had “Just…baseball” and then Sydney ruined it?
dalewilson13edited
I would like Szym to calculate how much money Kyle Snyder has increased the estimate for Freddy’s next contract.
moomin
Bailey having a rough series with challenges
Brian547
After Hedgie was the single best in the preseason… the entire CLE team has been awful at it.
Asa
He's had trouble with ABS all season, which is a little surprising considering his framing skills
BryanB
I would like to institute a three challenge rule with my wife.
lzfreak
I wonder if Simpson practices making the ball bounce up high like that
Ben
Most players train to lift the ball… what if he intentionally tries to top it as much as possible
lzfreak
Post-ground launch angle
Ben
lol he's going for yards after contact
Nick Smith
I would love a player who made his living off the Baltimore chop.
BryanB
Let the Simpson worship begin!
Nick Smith
Could he BE any more safe?!?
Brian547
Check that glove for pine tar… I legit dont know if this is legal…
Jack Dorfman
Glad I logged on in time for the Friends reference
BryanB
Thank you Mesa.
Brian547
Words never spoken in CLE after 97…
Dan Szymborski
I wish there was a food called a Baltimore chip
BryanB
Now there is!
Dan Szymborski
chop
Jon Becker
Not sure I agree with Matt Festa as potentially the third reliever used in an elimination game
Asa
Yes it is very odd considering his reluctance to use him in close games in July
dloveteach
… and then the walk. Yi
asf123
Not fit to protect a six-run lead for an inning, but here…sure, why not?
Dan Szymborski
A Festavus for the rest of us
lzfreak
Does the Trop have the most foul territory now that the Coliseum isn't a thing?
Jon Becker
Also by “not sure” I mean “I do not agree.” Your report card will suffer, Vogt
Brian547
I'm doing my best here!
Asa
I like the pronounced turf splash when the ball plunks down in the outfield
BryanB
Yes bartender, I’ll have a Turf Splash with my Baltimore Chips
Hazmat Corntail
It the combo is called The Something Else
Asa
Well done, Sir
moomin
This may not be ideal for Cleveland
Asa
I think we're gonna need a bigger boat
lzfreak
Does this count as small ball? Multiple steals
Nick Smith
Or a bigger bullpen.
Brian547
I know Bibee was not great down the stretch but it is honestly hard to understand why he didnt start this game.
Asa
As a long (lifelong) suffering Cleveland fan, I'm ok with either of the other remaining teams winning this WS this year. The affinity I feel for lower budget teams is sorta like Larry David shouting "Prius!" at the other priuses on the road
Dan Szymborski
I need the Rays to win this game before Cascade Platinum Plus infests my brain permanently in another game
Davy Andrews
That commercial drives me crazy.
Davy Andrews
Imagine being a dishwasher repair guy and just going from house to house saying, "Yeah, nothing for me to repair. You owe me $300 for the visit, though."
Dan Szymborski
I keep hearing "double dong power" and giggle because I"m a child
BryanB
Channel your disappointment at Vogt, Herrin. Yes, yes, let the evil flow through you.
Davy Andrews
Also, we tried those pods. The plastic didn't dissolve all the way and they made my dishwasher leak all over the floor.
BryanB
That’s a feature. It’s called Expanded Water Radius.
Sean Dolinar
They work great in mine.
Asa
So yesterday Vogt empties the tank completely when losing 3-0 but today he goes to Festa.
Davy Andrews
I am so perplexed.
moomin
I am both bemused *AND* amused
BryanB
lol check the ball it him in the arm
Davy Andrews
BryanB, you're on fire tonight. Can you help me punch up articles?
BryanB
Happy to. I have advanced dad joke skills.
Asa
After Pat Murphy facial expression analysis and the thumbs up and down article I have no notes
Asa
I'm vexed. I'm terribly vexed. Nothing against Festa. Seems like a cool guy and all. Something about espresso during the wbc?
Dan Szymborski
YOu can always come back and win three straight in this best-of-9 series
Nick Smith
Found Dusty Baker's burner account.
dloveteach
Strategy: HBP takes fewer pitches than BB.
Brian547
Boy I sure am GLAD the CLE season comes down to a guy not good enough to protect a 6 RUN LEAD!!
Asa
He wouldn't even use Festa to protect a 6 run lead against the Reds in the dog days of summer.
pmaguran
Man, the sooner this bullpen game crap goes away the better. I don’t know what possesses a manager to think nine innings of tired pitchers who the other team is seen three or four times apiece makes any sense. Use your starters. If they don’t have it, pivot to a bullpen game,
BryanB
Can we add that to the negotiations? Verlanders rules.
Brian547
Just fire Vogt!
Hazmat Corntail
Has anyone done an article about bullpen games in the playoffs and if it ever works?
lzfreak
It definitely can work but it depends on your personnel. You eventually need pitchers you can trust in innings that matter so you need to consider that if you're managing
Hazmat Corntail
…especially in higher leverage games?
Brian547
The individual games where teams bullpen have been split 14-14… the team that bullpens more has won 12-11 in series.
Brian547
Since 2024 it is 10-4 for the most bullpeny team
Brian547
or so my very quick AI search tells me
Sean Dolinar
You probably need to look at counter factual pitchers instead of just looking at outcomes. Though, that doesn’t seem to be bad for the bullpen team. If I understand it right.
Asaedited
Is a counter factual pitcher… Fallacious?
Asa
That one skipped 3x off the lake
Asa
Sometimes it sounds like Franceour is talking to himself
BryanB
Wow huge
bosoxforlife
Finally a good challenge at the right time.
pmaguran
What a great challenge
jdbolick
Hicks has been pretty good with challenges in the playoffs.
Matt Martell
This is remarkable considering he was quite bad during the regular season, successful on just 49 of 87 challenges initiated as a catcher
drplantwrench
guardians ran out of steam and now are getting BABIP'd, its really over
Asaedited
There were some babip goings-on yesterday too.
drplantwrench
i missed yesterday (daughters birthday)
Brian547
My intuition is that the luck cannot be as bad as it seems when watching. But then something like that keeps happening and it really may be.
cowdisciple
Hoist'd on their own petard.
Asa
Excused absences are permitted
pmaguranedited
Guess what, Steven…Cantillo could have just started this game and giving you multiple innings. And then you wouldn’t have had a bunch of other pitchers pitching in unusual spots.
Brian547
Magic 8 ball said NO.
drplantwrench
chandler simpson might be my favorite non star in the playoffs
BryanB
Oh WOW
Nick Smith
Nice!
Dan Szymborski
CHANDLER
SadaharuWhoa
The essential Chandler move
Dan Szymborski
He was 3 the first season of ZiPS 🙁
Nick Smith
Time is a predator.
lzfreak
What were his projections that year?
BryanB
Ground ball, CMON
Brian547
Ya I think we can just flat say that CLE got out coached in this entire series.
Asa
I generally like Vogt but I think he gets too cute at times. On the other hand I give him credit for getting this far with so little
Brian547
I think its a despite him thing.
bosoxforlife
Vogt is a very good manager. 25 teams would hire him in a New York minute if he became available.
Brian547
Good they can have him
Asa
I tend to agree with you. I just think there is only so much blood you can squeeze from a stone
Brian547
FESTA as the BULLPEN ACE!!!!
Asa
Ha — it's so weird that he wouldn't have trusted Festa in a meaningless game in midsummer but here he was today.
Dan Szymborski
potty training?
asf123
Already maxed on power.
Asa
I like Cantillo but Bibee would have been my choice to start today. Has decent history in playoffs if memory serves — at least before his relief appearance this year
bosoxforlife
The return of the bunt as an offensive weapon has added so much to the game this season
Nick Smith
I'm as much an analytics guy as anyone, but bunt hits are so much fun!
Asa
That inning could have had a very crooked number.
rustydude
Lineup churn he's though. #9 and then top of the order up next inning
bosoxforlife
If a manager can get a team this far with Jo Adell as your cleanup hitter you have to be good.
Brian547edited
HE IS THE ONE HITTING ADELL CLEANUP!!!!!!!!!!!
Asa
I mean it speaks volumes that the lineup improved so much when the likes of Adell and Lowe joined.
Asa
Adell is all he has! Who's better? Manzardo?
Brian547
almost literally yes
lzfreak
I hope they don't go with "small market disrupters" as the narrative if it's Rays Brewers. These teams had the best record in their leagues this year! They're just good teams!
Asa
"Baseball is something else"
bosoxforlife
No one else to use!
lzfreak
Oh man I wanted to see them challenge Mesa again
Brian547
More horribly coached actions… DONT RUN INTO THE OUT!!!
Nick Smith
Slick as hell double play!
Brian547
Its not a double play if the runner stops
lzfreak
It might still be. Go to first for the force then get Lowe into a rundown. Lowe isn't fast enough to start, stop, start again and be obviously safe at second
Brian547
So what… make them work for the out instead of gifting it
bosoxforlife
I am afraid that wasting that 1st & 2nd with no outs was the Guardians last chance.
rustydude
If this score holds, every playoff series will have been won by the team with the better record.
rustydude
Which might be a good omen for the Brewers
lzfreak
They gotta stop walking Walls
jacob2
Tired: walking Walls
Wired: walling Walks
Davy Andrews
Man, walking Taylor Walls twice is really inexcusable.
Davy Andrews
What he said.
moomin
Taylor Walls legacy game at this rate
lzfreak
Some are calling him "The Petey Halpin of Game 6"
Asa
This is the problem with Cantillo
Brian547
WHY IN THE WORLD IS CANTILLO PITCHING TO DIAZ HERE!!!
Brian547edited
oh good get Espino up now…why be prepared or anything?
Dan Szymborski
You want to keep your best relievers saved just in case you need to hold a deficit at six!
Dan Szymborski
I wish the lady in that commercial just did better brushing her teeth so that she didn't have to be ambushed
Dan Szymborski
The correct pitcher IS in there now at least
Brian547
The magic 8 ball is right once out of 10 times
Asa
I have a bad feeling about this
lzfreak
Caminero sure does hit it to the deepest part of the park a lot
lzfreak
I think he heard me
Dan Szymborski
I could take the Cascade commercial if after the guy says "Well now we know" if the dishwasher guy said "Knowing is half the battle!"
Phil
I have switched to Rays radio–was listening to Cleveland so far (my TV seems to have died). I love Tom Hamilton and his vowel(s), but it was getting depressing.
Brian547
Hot take… Hamilton is mostly just an old curmudgeon anymore… He was legit great once… that time ended about 5 years ago.
Brian547
same applies to Wilbon on PTI
Asa
I love Hamilton but he can get a little bit get off my lawn at times
Asa
Summer would not be summer without Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez opining on subjects like the true purpose of Area 51
Dan Szymborski
Honestly, I'd be very wary of a product that shows teeth whiteness change in one day
Dan Szymborski
Ron Darling's always fun because I imagine it's James Woods
Asa
Ooh good one
Phil
I appreciate someone who can be invested in his team without being a jerk about it. As a Sox fan, I am very done with Will Flemming, who is invested but struggles with the not being a jerk part.
bosoxforlife
I used to work in the garden and listen to Joe Castiglione. I just can't get into Will Flemming and seldom listen on the radio any more.
Phil
I had only Castiglione for 7 years–couldn't afford cable in grad school. His is the voice of baseball in my head.
Brian547
Its weird like that, I only had a few years of Herb Score… Im not THAT old… and he is the voice in my head.
Brian547
Given how this is going its time for Vogt to pull Espino for Bibee
Dan Szymborski
I used to get really mad about broadcasters when I was younger, but I kinda got over it. Because like Nickleback, they're not really FOR me.
David
Also like Nickelback, we're not sure who they are for
jacob2
I was raised on Hawk Harrelson so all the other broadcasters just seem weird to me
Dan Szymborski
And if you're hanging out here, and paying to read our site, you're not really the target audience for them either
Dan Szymborski
Broadcasters are there for some dude who watches 8 games a year and flips on it becuase it's the ALCS and he needs someone to explain why theres' a guy named Petey
lzfreak
I admittedly was also confused about Petey into this series
David
As I've aged, I've realized I'm not the target audience for much of anything besides Fangraphs
jacob2
I was the target audience for the skateboarding Ray
jacob2
Well, I’d like to see ol Freddy Peralta wriggle his way out of THIS jam!
*Peralta wriggles his way out of the jam easily *
Ah! Well. Nevertheless,
jordanm1031
Is BA saying DeLauter's name correct? I was under the assumption that it was De-La-uter
moomin
in the end, are we not all of the uter
Brian547
Chicago accent … DA law tr… is how I say it.
Davy Andrews
Dan, I cut a joke about those Knowing is half the battle PSAs from my article today.
Matt Martell
I'm both proud and ashamed to admit my first concert was Nickelback when I was in 7th grade. I don't really listen to Nickelback anymore, but I had fun and perhaps against my better judgment, l like that one album, "All The Right Reasons."
Matt Martell
But also if I never heard a Nickelback song again, I would be content
Davy Andrewsedited
Matt, buddy, they publish these transcripts.
Dan Szymborski
Davey, the Fensler Films GI Joe videos was the hit of 2004 nerdy online people
Davy Andrews
Oh my God, I'd completely forgotten about those.
Dan Szymborski
were
asf123
Peralta departs, having pitched more innings than any Cleveland pitcher has gotten outs.
Asa
Should you find yourself rowing home from Troy, take Nereus
Nick Smith
So, Nereus is apparently for counteracting the wrath of Posidon. Who knew?
Dan Szymborski
I feel like Tanner Bibee is on the roster as some sort of punishment, like he has there and sit watching and SEE how little they trust him to pitch
Asa
I had exactly the same thought
Sonny L
He knows what he did
Brian547
Just have to wait for the robot clone to be done like Festa…
Brian547
Why not pinch hit Genoa here?
Dan Szymborski
"SEE TANNER, LOOK WE'RE EVEN LETTING J-RAM PITCH BEFORE YOU"
lzfreak
Have we addressed that Tampa Bay has played multiple ALCS games wearing "Devil Rays" uniforms? What happened to dropping devil from the name? It's one thing for throwback jerseys but this seems like a concerted effort to reestablish devil in the name.
David
It's a luck thing – apparently liked their record in them
Asa
It's in the fine print of their Fasutian bargain
Dan Szymborski
They're pulling out all the theological stops for the ALCS
asf123
They went down to the crossroads, and he said “You can have viable starting pitchers…but I’m taking the naming rights back.”
jacob2
Society realized that gradients are cool
Davy Andrews
I wrote a song in 2020 about how you can't just sell your soul to the devil and then get it back by buying new uniforms. Looks like I was right.
Nick Smith
I started some weird pandemic hobbies too. I get it.
David
White Sox had the Pope, the Rays? Well…
Asa
Beat me to this. Quick on the draw
Sonny L
They saw how far the White Sox got and decided they wanted more
lzfreak
I like that they're just the Rays because I can imagine it's just a bunch of guys named Ray
jacob2
Like the Cleveland Naps
Asa
The original Ray is in New York
jacob2
or the Charlotte Bobcats
lzfreak
The Jays?
Brian547
RAY… when someone asks you if you are a DEVIL, you say YES!
Sonny L
🎶These are the Rays I know I know 🎶
Dan Szymborski
If the Rays get the WS and get Brewers to an elimination game, they should choose then to whip out the never-before-seen red-and-black Tampa Bay Devils unis full of death imagery
Dan Szymborski
"Nate Lowe, standing and smiling"
jabrwcky
Not watching TV all year and then watching commercials during the playoffs is an Interdimensional Cable fever dream and also makes me feel bad about humanity
Nick Smith
Ads represent us at our worst
lzfreak
The founding fathers really screwed up putting election season during the mlb postseason. I hate that I watch way more network tv when political ads are most frequent.
Brian547
Believe me its worse in Ohio
lzfreak
I live in Utah and I even get the Ohio and Texas ads! Like why guys
Dan Szymborski
but you'll have clean dishes and teeth
Dan Szymborski
and you'll know just what to ask your doctor about if you have motion sickness and want to go on a boat chase
David
I'm watching via HBO because I don't really have TV, and there are no ads! It's been lovely, and made me glad the Brewers swept because Fox definitely does have ads.
Brian547
This should be HBO's entire pitch to get more subs
Nick Smithedited
Forgot about HBO! I've been watching via Sling like a chump!
Asa
What is a self driving network
Brian547
I dont know but can it bring me my bag of Chipotle that is twice my volume?
Dan Szymborski
The graphic in the Crest commercials suggests that sparkly toothpaste goes right into your bloodstream
Davy Andrews
Is that not how it works? I might be doing it wrong.
jacob2
Only if you have gingivitis
Brian547
Good use of the RH PH there Vogt… you genius!
Davy Andrews
There's a buffet right behind the Rays bullpen. Do you think the relievers ever ask for a snack?
Jon Becker
They're not saying boo, they're saying BOOOOOOOOOOOS
jacob2
Cam Booser, reliever who throws it exactly where he wants it. What universe is this?
Jon Becker
(I think they're just cheering)
Phil
Booser has been so impressive. The Rays' Ashby.
Brian547edited
New plan guys… lets get Baker's fingers greasy on fried food. We are going to need about 8 walks to win this as one will surely get caught stealing.
jtrichey
Who are the red-bearded Rays pitchers. They all look the same. Rasmussen, Baker, Booser, and I think at least one more. ?Kelly? It's kind of crazy
lzfreak
It's the new moneyball
asf123
Buck Showalter does *not* approve.
lzfreak
Cade Smith has spent a lot of time pitching from behind lately
Jon Becker
Extremely nitpicking complaint: Darling has been saying "bulks pitcher" instead of "bulk pitcher" all postseason and it's driving me up a wall
asf123
Yale does *not* approve.
moomin
they're the ones who give up RsBI
Jon Becker
That looked like a screwball
jacob2
bang!
rustydude
Wow, what a way to cap this series
Asa
Is exhausted Cade Smith > Tanner Bibee?
Brian547
Nope
jtrichey
Hmmm, has Cade Smith pitched enough now?
Benny The Jet
That feels like the one that does it
jacob2
Junior has just been camping on the high inside stuff all series
cashgod27
HE POINTED AT RANDY AND DID THE RANDY POSE!!!
Davy Andrews
I love that he pointed to Randy and hit the Randy pose. What a move.
moomin
loved that sound off the foul pole
Asa
I feel bad for Cade. He did every they asked this year and he just ran outta gas
jacob2
Junior with a little LiDom flavor on his way to 1B lol
Sonny L
Big Papi meandered so Caminero could amble
Sonny L
Pallacio with the thermawrap on in the dugout. Stars, they’re just like us
Dan Szymborski
Looking like the Guardians might need to Chase DeLaudanum
Phil
Could they bring Randy back? Would he come back for the $2.25 an hour plus tips that they'll offer him?
Brian547
Look I am happy for Jr. but I just wish he still played for CLE… im not sure about this Myers guy
rustydude
No income tax on the tips
Sonny L
330’ off the label is big time bat speed
Brian547
The robot version of Megan Fox is not an improvement.
Asa
Like tears in rain
rustydude
There's a non robot version of Megan Fox?
Dan Szymborski
I like how Scotch-Brite makes sure you know that they're America's number one scour pad since that's really important to viewers
Dan Szymborski
I DUNNO IF I CAN TRUST THE NUMBER TWO SCOURING PAD
Asa
You and I are not seeing the same ads
Dan Szymborski
Are the tru tv/tbs stream commercials very different than broadcast?
Brian547
apparently as we are both in Ohio? and I also did not get the scotchbrite add
Asa
Has the tree fallen in the forest?
Asa
I'm in California watching on tbs streaming
Brian547
thought Dan was
Dan Szymborski
Am I referencing things nobody knows WTF I'm talking about?
Dan Szymborski
I'm on the stream
Davidedited
The internet has ruined a shared culture! /s
Dan Szymborski
how long have been referencing commercials that only I am seeing?
Sonny L
Guardsball!
asf123edited
If it’s any consolation, I share your skepticism of second-place scouring pads as a principle, even absent any context.
Dan Szymborski
October 19, 2026: Dan discovers that people are just listening to him and politely smiling and moving on
David
I mean, I genuinely have enjoyed it, and I'm not seeing ANY ads!
Davy Andrews
I haven't seen the scouring pad ads.
Asa
Neither have I. But I HAVE seen the bizarre Jay Leno car contest ads with the cello player. I doubt that plays outside of California but it is WEIRD
John Church
Listening to the game on MLB AtBat app, and what I’m getting is that the ads that no one likes are more entertaining than the game.
Asa
You getting the Byrna ads?
Brian547
Like it probably just feels this way but it really really feels like every margin play has gone for the rays
Phil
I'm not convinced of the necessity of scouring pads. I just buy sponges with the coarse part on the back, and I have survived so far.
Asa
My wife bought the non stick pots. I was skeptical but I will never go back
Phil
I got a big set of Le Creuset as a graduation present 22 years ago. Enamel still intact.
Brian547
Fielder positioning just slightly wrong, HR hits foul poll, Popup just stays in
jacob2
I'm getting ads for America's vices and AT&T
David
HBO Max coverage is presented without ads by PayDay, the candy bar, so I'm going with that was a reasonably cheap ad buy…
David
Peanuts, one might say
Davy Andrews
My goodness.
jtrichey
What about the lying Sherrod Brown ads?
lzfreak
I've been getting those all month
Sonny L
The Pepsi ad with the 90s song about a crys*l bender gets me every time.
Brian547
My current ad is telling me that my financial planner will definitely cheat at basketball
jacob2
Thrivent reminds me of Vivint, who bamboozled me into an expensive home security system that I had to promptly remove and refund once I came to my senses
jacob2
is walking the bases loaded bad
David
I did it lots in high school, and I'm still alive
Brian547
7 more to go
jacob2
my specialty was HBPing them loaded. More efficient
Sonny L
Patrick Bailey. Do it
Benny The Jet
Patrick Bailey could become the Aaron Boone of Marco Scutaros right here
cowdisciple
Homer Bailey, World Series Hero?!
Brian547
Do it for Buster!!
Sonny L
Ohhhh goodness Patty that’s two of em
Sonny L
Bailey will replay that 3-1 cookie in his mind for a long time
lzfreak
This could be the beginning of an epic collapse
moomin
suddenly looking great for my offhand prediction yesterday of 6-5
Brian547
6
jacob2
Ian Seymour… please
Asa
Very interesting
David
This is what happens when you don't look where you're throwing
Phil
This is the scenario I was dreading when they put in the 3-batter rule.
Nick Smith
They need to stop doing that.
Brian547
5
lzfreak
Should've seen less, not Seymour
cowdisciple
Nothing to see here. It's just the northern lights.
Matt Martell
That's textbook intentionally getting hit by Martínez. He turned away from the pitch while leaning into it. Well done
David
A Sam Antonacci special
bosoxforlife
Indeed, a beautiful example of taking one for the team.
Brian547
you guys bought fries for Kelly too, Right?
Phil
Who is this pinch runner? I swear I've never heard his name before.
Dan Szymborski
One offseason, I'd for MLB to tell umpires "Hey, you know that HBP rule that you've been ignoring 100% of the time about making an effort to avoid getting hit? Can we try enforcing that?"
Phil
Back in the day I feel like there were a couple of umpires who had the guts to call it. I haven't seen it in a long time.
jacob2
Rocchio one of the preeminent wielders of dark magic in my experience
David
Spoken like a true White Sox fan
Eddy
Dark as in he swings as if he’s in the dark? Crazy strike three swing
moomin
welp
MyBloodyBallantine
Counterpoint: why should a batter have to make an effort to avoid getting hit?
jtrichey
They should not have to avoid getting hit, just avoid intentionally sticking something in the way to get hit, IMO.
David
Just 5 walks short
bosoxforlife
Rocchio didn't have his magic wand with him this time.
asf123
Jeez. Maybe shorten up the swing just a *smidge* there, Rocchio?
Dan Szymborski
That was really damn scary for the Rays
Asa
That was probably the final scare
David
They will get top of the lineup leading off the 9th, too
Asa
Against Baker though. And he hasn't been Cade Smith'd (ie hasn't pitched in 9 consecutive games)
Dan Szymborski
Kelly could have thrown a beach ball and Rocchio would miss it there
Brian547
almost like you should save the PH for when it matters
Asa
He was swinging for the Keys
asf123
In fairness, it’s his job to do big damage as the no. 9 hitter.
jacob2
I think the turn away from the pitcher but not actually get further from the ball move is a-okay (morally and aesthetically, not with respect to the rules that I won't claim expertise on). Actually leaning into it is a no-no in my book
Davy Andrews
I was taught that move too, and I appreciate it. But if I were king, I'd still say it should count as leaning into it. Because it is.
cowdisciple
Rocchio has looked, uh, not great at the plate.
jacob2
I have been wondering, if a batter is HBP by a ball in the zone but the ump allows the HBP, if the pitching team can ABS challenge
Davy Andrews
That's a great question!
Dan Szymborski
A dog vet named Dr. Lobos? That sound suspicious
Asa
Tell me this was an ad
Dan Szymborski
They should be able to challenge anything. Ask ABS if ketchup should ever be on a hot dog
Brian547
Call confirmed. Yes
Dan Szymborski
I'm against ABS now
jacob2
was JRam subtly grooving to that music or was it just camera shake
asf123
Was just typing, “do you stick with Kelly to start the ninth given Baker’s velo loss?” Apparently the answer is no.
lzfreak
Oh they walked Walls again
jacob2edited
clearly afraid of the mighty bat of Walls in this series
jacob2
Yandy!
Phil
Welp.
bosoxforlife
The final nail!!
Davy Andrews
That was mostly Walls.
cowdiscipleedited
To be fair, if you walk Walls three times you deserve that.
Nick Smith
Gotta get to Diaz, right?
lzfreak
That one feels like the dagger
Dan Szymborski
Well, that's a quick way to get the runs back
Benny The Jet
TOD 10:55 PM
jacob2
if you talk big stuff you better do big stuff!
Dan Szymborski
OK, NOW bring out the chase de laudanum
jacob2
"he's not only a good hitter, he's also comically muscular"
lzfreak
I like to imagine that Yandy is pronounced "y and y"
asf123
Or “Why, Andy?”
comradeyurika
Depeche Mode misheard lyrics
jacob2
I say it exactly how John Travolta says "Sandy?!" in Grease the first time he sees Olivia Newton-John after their time apart
Brian547
Guys im not the oldest one in the chat anymore!!
Brian547
I need more walks 🙁
Dan Szymborski
Yandy! sounds like a birth control that has obnoxious commercials
Phil
Which only you can see.
MyBloodyBallantine
Too bad for CLE there wasn’t a 5 batter rule
Dan Szymborski
I love when they find a different camera angle that provides no useful information or visual
Sonny L
I’ll watch any angle of 112 to the back of the bleachers
Brian547edited
Also… Im happy for Yandy I just wish he still played for CLE.. I am not sure about this BAUERS! guy…seriously this is a postseason of ex CLE players making CLE feel bad.
lzfreak
Lotta layers to this one
Antonio Bananas
How do they get topical bumper music ready so quickly?
jacob2
the AL Central sends its failed 1B to Milwaukee and weird things happen
asf123
Not at all sure Yandy should be jumping on guys for bear hugs. Seems like a great way to lose Martinez (?) for the WS with ruptured discs or something.
drplantwrench
*stares in kendrys morales*
Phil
In 2013 David Ortiz had this thing where he would pick up Koji Uehara and carry him around after every playoff save. I was terrified one or both of them was going to get hurt.
bosoxforlife
I loved that team!
BryanB
Man what a game
bosoxforlife
Since I'm 84, I doubt if you ever were.
Dan Szymborski
whew I'm a mere 48
lzfreak
The AL central has once again been mercifully dispatched
comradeyurika
We're getting a new champion
Benny The Jet
Now what do I do for the next 3 days?
BryanB
Right?
moomin
OOTP?
Dan Szymborski
Did he just make a Hurricane Milton joke?
Dan Szymborski
I get some extra time to write my NLCS Dave Roberts report card
Phil
That's the one I've been looking forward to.
Phil
Glad you're the one writing it!
Brian547
I expect carnage in the Vogt one!
war2d2
Welp. The one WS matchup possible where I dislike both teams. Baseball ends a little early for me this year.
Sonny Ledited
Will the FG team flet us know if there’s a Jeff Sullivan sighting in the celebration?
Dan Szymborski
how can one dislike the brewers AND rays. That's pop on toast!
war2d2
I mean, look at my flair. It’s more about loyalties (though I have always unreasonably hated TB’s uniform situation).
BryanB
We’re in for quite a World Series I think
bosoxforlife
Looking forward to more exhilarating chat on Saturday night but lasting through this upcoming 4 day fast will be tough.
BryanBedited
I think we should spend the next four days inventing a new stat that perfectly predicts the score in each game. Aaaaand go!
Sonny L
World Series is chalk. Payroll be damned both #1 seeds won the pennant
Asa
Enjoy the rest of the postseason folks. It's been fun.
Philedited
Amazing that the rays have won two pennants this decade while spending no money at all.
Dan Szymborski
I like the Rays green jerseys
BryanB
How does the Rays farm compare to the Brews?
Brian547
Beer>Skate
bosoxforlife
I think the Rays have oranges and the Brewers have barley and hops.
Sponsor Us on Patreon
Give a Gift Subscription
Effectively Wild Subreddit
Effectively Wild Wiki
Apple Podcasts Feed
Spotify Feed
YouTube Playlist
Facebook Group
Bluesky Account
Twitter Account
Get Our Merch!
