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Sep 7, 2023, 07:00 AM ET

There are four power rankings left to go in the 2023 season, and while certain teams — such as the Braves — have cemented their position in the standings and on our list, many clubs remain in flux.

That is especially true for the four teams vying for the final wild-card spot in the National League — the Diamondbacks, Reds, Marlins and Giants. They’ve continued to move around and swap places in the wild-card standings, as all four are within a couple games of each other — and all boast negative run differentials.

Which of them has the advantage — and who will secure a postseason berth?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers and Alden Gonzalez to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 22 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings

Record: 90-48

Previous ranking: 1

The Braves took three of four from the Dodgers with Ronald Acuna Jr. making an MVP statement in his head-to-head matchup against Mookie Betts by homering in each of the first three games — all Atlanta victories. His home run on Saturday was a 121.2-mph blast to center field, the hardest-hit home run of 2023 and only the fourth homer of the Statcast era clocked at 120 mph. The others came from Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Acuna became the first player ever with 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases, leads the NL in runs, stolen bases and total bases and is tied for first in hits and on-base percentage. — Schoenfield

Record: 88-51

Previous ranking: 3

As the Orioles prepare for a possible — or even likely — postseason without star closer Felix Bautista, they’ve been collecting and probing different bullpen configurations. Hard-throwing lefty D.L. Hall, developed as a starter, was used in back-to-back outings and had a save opportunity against the Angels, which he failed to convert. His plus-stuff plays up in the role and his initial strikeout rates have been dominant. Alas, the command has not been.

Meanwhile, Shintaro Fujinami came out of the bullpen throwing triple digits and earned the save against the Angels after the Orioles went ahead in extra innings. Baltimore also reacquired Jorge Lopez, and while Yennier Cano is the Bautista replacement — and a good one — his ascension to the ninth inning scrambles a high-leverage picture that manager Brandon Hyde will have to sort out over the next few weeks while trying to nail down the American League East crown. It’s a challenge. — Doolittle

Record: 84-54

Previous ranking: 2

This is an issue that carries importance far beyond sports, but we’ll stick to the baseball portion for the purpose of these Power Rankings: The Dodgers probably won’t see Julio Urias again this season, in the wake of him being arrested on felony domestic violence charges Sunday night. They’ve already lost Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin for the year, and Clayton Kershaw is pitching through shoulder woes, which resulted in diminished velocity during his Tuesday start from Miami. The Dodgers are cruising toward their 10th division title in 11 years and might still reach 100 wins for the third straight season. But they have a major starting-pitching problem heading into October. And Walker Buehler won’t be stretched out enough to help much. — Gonzalez

Record: 85-55

Previous ranking: 4

Reports emerged last week that the red-hot Rays were going with Taylor Walls as their primary shortstop for the rest of the campaign, with Osleivis Basabe moving into more of a utility role. Walls has more of a big league track record than Basabe, and at the very least, Tampa Bay can count on elite defense from Walls.

Over his first 134 games as a big league shortstop, Walls posted plus-23 defensive runs saved, which is a Gold Glove trajectory. His offense lags well behind his glove, but he does have strengths. Namely, he walks (65 free passes per 162 games in his career) and steals bases (20 thefts per 162 games). Still, he’s a career sub-.200 hitter and any offense he generates will have to be viewed as gravy. Luckily, with the Rays’ offense rolling as it has, they can afford to go all-in with Walls’ glove at shortstop and with Basabe still around, they can pinch hit for Walls in a key spot. — Doolittle

Record: 80-61

Previous ranking: 6

The Astros began their crucial series at Texas by clubbing the Rangers into submission, scoring 27 runs over two games. While we’ve become accustomed to this sort of offensive outburst by the Astros over the years, this barrage was notable not just because it came in a big series against a rival, but because it happened on the road and on the heels of a home sweep at the hands of the Yankees. This continues a head-scratching, season-long trend of Houston hitting much better away from Minute Maid Park. Houston had scored nearly 100 more runs away from home, along with road-home splits of 113-78 home runs and .794-.734 OPS. That probably doesn’t mean that the Astros should angle to play on the road as much as possible in October, but it is a trend worth noting. — Doolittle

Record: 78-61

Previous ranking: 5

The 10-game road trip to New York, Cincinnati and Tampa Bay started off disastrously with series losses to the Mets and Reds. Suddenly, the pitching staff is looking fatigued. Bryan Woo‘s velocity was way down in his start against the Reds and given his large platoon splits (lefties have hammered him), the Mariners may need to consider an opener in his next game (they don’t really have any good other starting options). Woo is way past his season high in innings in either college or last year in the minors. Bryce Miller‘s strikeout rate has plummeted over the past month. Closer Andres Munoz was AL Reliever of the Month in August but has struggling in September. Justin Topa blew a 6-3 lead on Tuesday. Can the staff make it through September without collapsing? — Schoenfield

Record: 76-63

Previous ranking: 7

Nathan Eovaldi‘s return from injury was nothing short of a disaster. He lasted just 1⅓ innings Tuesday against the Astros, giving up four runs on five hits including two home runs. The formerly dominant Dane Dunning didn’t fare much better in relief as the Rangers are suddenly in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Their pitching staff needs to right the ship after a brutal week — they ranked last in ERA over the past seven days and will need Eovaldi to lock in as soon as possible. The Blue Jays, Mariners and Red Sox all remain on their schedule — including Seattle seven times before the end of the season. Those head-to-head matchups will likely determine the Rangers’ fate in October, which seemed like a lock for most of the season. That’s no longer the case. — Rogers

Record: 77-63

Previous ranking: 10

The Blue Jays’ position group is beat up right now. Bo Bichette, Matt Chapman and Danny Jansen have all landed on the injured list, while Brandon Belt is dealing with a balky back. The timing isn’t good, but on the field Toronto has been able to tread water. Because of that and a concurrent collapse by the Rangers, the Blue Jays managed to move back into playoff position the day after Labor Day. We highlighted the boost provided by Davis Schneider last week, but the Blue Jays have gotten key production from another unsung replacement since then. This time, it’s Spencer Horwitz, a 25-year-old lefty hitting DH/first baseman. Over his first seven games, Horwitz homered, drove in four runs and posted a .961 OPS. — Doolittle

Record: 77-62

Previous ranking: 9

Brandon Woodruff appears to be all the way back and ready for October. He threw seven shutout innings Tuesday in the Brewers’ win over Pittsburgh. In five of his six starts since coming back from his injury, Woodruff has given up two or fewer runs. He has 25 strikeouts in his past three outings alone, further proof his stuff is rounding into form. His fastball velocity is already in the top 20% in the league and it’s still climbing. Milwaukee’s playoff hopes rely on him, along with Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes, as the team’s offense has been inconsistent. — Rogers

Record: 77-62

Previous ranking: 8

Trea Turner headed off on paternity leave riding a 15-game hitting streak during which he hit .358, slugged 10 home runs and scored 19 runs. Going back to that standing ovation he received in early August, Turner has hit .362/.395/.767 with 12 home runs in 28 games. That pushed his OPS+ over league average to 106 and while that’s still well below the 139 mark he posted from 2020 to 2022, he has at least rescued his season from those miserable first four months. A hot Turner heading into the postseason bodes well for another deep run for the Phillies. — Schoenfield

Record: 76-64

Previous ranking: 11

Justin Steele‘s Cy Young bid took another step forward as he pitched a gem on Labor Day, shutting out the Giants over eight innings. He’s 16-3 with a 2.55 ERA, doing it mostly with a four-seam fastball and slider. His ability to work both sides of the plate and change the eye level for opposing hitters has been nothing short of fantastic. Steele’s 2023 resume doesn’t feature the strikeout totals Spencer Strider is putting up, but he has kept the ball in the park much better. Steele leads the league in home runs per nine innings (0.7) as well as ERA+ (177). That could give him the edge over Strider and Blake Snell. — Rogers

Record: 73-67

Previous ranking: 13

Since we’ve pointed out so many times this season that the Twins have failed to put a hammerlock on an AL Central division that has been begging for someone to take control, we probably ought to highlight that the Twins now appear to have put a hammerlock on the AL Central. This has happened mostly because of an offensive outburst in two series apiece against Texas and Cleveland. Over an 11-game stretch beginning Aug. 24, the Twins averaged 6.9 runs per game, second-best in the majors during that span. Tuesday’s 8-3 win over Cleveland pushed the Twins’ lead over the Guardians to seven games, their biggest margin of the season. Minnesota finally looks like a lock for an October invite. — Doolittle

Record: 72-68

Previous ranking: 15

Boston’s tepid approach to the trade deadline has not done much to inspire a fast finish. The Red Sox have hovered around .500 with their post-deadline play as their postseason chances have collapsed from around one-in-five to about one-in-50. The pitching has been a mess even though the performance of rookie Brayan Bello has held up and Chris Sale has flashed dominance at times. James Paxton and Kutter Crawford have fallen off. And that’s just the rotation. The bullpen ERA since the deadline is one of the worst in the majors. Patience in the Red Sox’s ongoing passive approach is surely growing thin. — Doolittle

Record: 72-68

Previous ranking: 12

The D-backs have an important stretch coming up, with nine of their next 13 games coming against either the Cubs or the Giants, two teams joining them amid the crowded NL wild-card field. But the D-backs need to worry about getting right themselves. They followed a disappointing 8-16 month of July with a 12-15 August and have split their first six games of September. Since the All-Star break, they rank 21st in the majors in runs per game and 26th in ERA. That’s a pretty long stretch of time to be below average. But all that matters is the next 3½ weeks. — Gonzalez

Record: 73-69

Previous ranking: 16

The additions of Harrison Bader and Hunter Renfroe provided immediate dividends as Renfroe walked off the Cubs over the weekend. Cincinnati could have also used the pitchers who were placed on waivers, but Cleveland grabbed them instead. That left the Reds with one chance to make the postseason: by slugging their way there. But as good as their young hitters have been this season, they’ve slumped in the second half. Cincinnati ranks in the bottom five of the majors in OPS since the All-Star break. Its on-base percentage has hovered around .300 during that time frame. After playing the Mariners this week, the Reds have a light schedule the rest of the way. If the offense picks up, they still have a shot at the postseason. — Rogers

Record: 72-67

Previous ranking: 17

The Marlins looked dead in the wild-card race until they swept four games from the Nationals. The offense, which had scored just 17 runs in the previous 10 games, burst out with 31 against Washington while hitting .321 with eight home runs. Luis Arraez went 10-for-18, Bryan De La Cruz had a four-hit game, Jesus Sanchez had seven hits and Jazz Chisholm Jr. had six. They did it without Jorge Soler, who missed the entire series before returning in Tuesday’s win over the Dodgers. Of the four teams battling for the final wild-card spot, the Marlins have the toughest remaining schedule, including the upcoming road trip to Philadelphia and Milwaukee. — Schoenfield

Record: 70-70

Previous ranking: 14

Logan Webb produced another quality start against the Cubs on Monday, getting charged with three earned runs in 6⅔ innings. But the Giants’ offense didn’t produce much of anything in support of him, and so he was tagged with the loss. It was an all-too-familiar scenario. Webb has the lowest run-support average in the major leagues, and the Giants’ recent struggles on offense are costing them a prime opportunity to gain ground in a crowded wild-card field. From Aug. 5 through Monday’s game, the Giants navigated a 28-game stretch in which they slashed a paltry .219/.293/.327 as a team, accumulating only 20 home runs. — Gonzalez

Record: 70-69

Previous ranking: 19

When all is said and done, the Yankees aren’t going to get credit for much of anything based on their 2023 performance. But you can at least say this much: Those on the field as the season reached the Labor Day turn have not thrown in the towel. With the Yankees promoting a gaggle of young players for the remainder of the season, the result has been one that sometimes happens with clubs that go through an in-season teardown: The youth, energy and motivation of the replacements makes the team better. The Yankees looked dispirited a week ago but after they swept the Astros on the road and Jasson Dominguez made a strong early impression, New York’s string of .500 seasons might yet remain intact. — Doolittle

Record: 66-75

Previous ranking: 18

In the wake of Shohei Ohtani‘s torn UCL — not to mention the possibility of Julio Urias facing his second domestic violence-related suspension by the league — Snell stands as the most coveted starting pitcher in the upcoming free agent class. And he has picked a perfect time to be at his best. Snell is 12-9 with a major league-leading 2.50 ERA heading into his 29th start of the season Friday, striking out 201 batters in 155 innings. Nobody has issued more walks or served up more wild pitches than Snell, but nobody has allowed a lower opponents’ slugging percentage, either. The Padres are running out of time to make a final playoff push — especially with Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish on the IL — but Snell is trending toward his second Cy Young. — Gonzalez

Record: 67-73

Previous ranking: 20

Probably needing a sweep of the three-game series against the Twins to have a chance at the AL Central title, Cleveland lost the opener 20-6. Backup catcher David Fry ended up pitching the final four innings, giving up 10 hits, 7 runs and 3 home runs. He became the first true position player to pitch four innings in a game since Jose Oquendo of the Cardinals on May 14, 1988. Tuesday didn’t go much better, as Trevor Stephan gave up five runs in the eighth inning in an 8-3 loss — dropping the Guardians seven games behind the Twins. — Schoenfield

Record: 64-76

Previous ranking: 22

Shohei Ohtani’s agent, Nez Balelo of CAA, addressed the media from his field-level suite at Angel Stadium on Monday afternoon, emphasizing that Ohtani plans to continue to be a two-way player. Meanwhile, Ohtani himself took a rare opportunity for outdoor batting practice and wound up tweaking his right oblique, prompting him to be a late scratch from Monday’s lineup and also sit out Tuesday’s game. Before then, Ohtani had played in every game since May 2.

But Angels manager Phil Nevin said Ohtani avoided a strain and isn’t expected to go on the IL. He will keep playing, at least until he decides the next course of action for his UCL tear. The Angels are out of contention and the AL MVP award has basically been locked up, but Ohtani doesn’t want to stop. “This guy loves the game,” Balelo said. — Gonzalez

Record: 64-75

Previous ranking: 23

The Mets called up top prospect Ronny Mauricio and he went 6-for-15 (.400) in his first four games. His first career hit Friday was a 117-mph double to right field. With Francisco Lindor entrenched at shortstop, Mauricio started at second base all four games, although manager Buck Showalter said he would use Mauricio at different positions (he also played some left field at Syracuse). Tuesday’s lineup featured rookies Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Mauricio all starting together for the first time — and they all had hits in an 11-5 victory over the Nationals. — Schoenfield

Record: 63-76

Previous ranking: 24

The Tigers placed Riley Greene on the IL because of inflammation in his elbow, an injury suffered on a highlight reel catch that, if it proves to be the last we see of Greene in 2023, is a pretty nice exclamation point on a fine second season for the 22-year-old. In almost the exact same number of plate appearances as his rookie season, he has upped his OPS+ from 97 to 116 while improving in all three slash categories. His homer rate more than doubled even as his line drive rate improved markedly. Simply put, Greene hit the ball harder more often. He still has work to do to polish off his strike zone indicators, but any doubt that may have existed about whether he is a cornerstone player for the Tigers has been erased. — Doolittle

Record: 63-77

Previous ranking: 21

CJ Abrams‘ season has sort of flown under the radar, in part because he got off to a slow start, but his power is starting to develop — he’s up to 15 home runs and 40 stolen bases (and has been caught just three times). There is still room for growth, especially in his swing decisions that lead to a high chase rate and low walk rate. He has also struggled big time against lefties, hitting just .173 with a .255 OBP, but that isn’t necessarily unusual for a young left-handed hitter (especially given his lack of experience in the minors). It looks like the bat will eventually play with continued maturity. We’ll also see if he stays at shortstop long-term. Statcast metrics aren’t a fan of his range, putting him near the bottom of all shortstops, although DRS has him above average. — Schoenfield

Record: 65-75

Previous ranking: 25

It has been a lost season for Oneil Cruz, but if he can get back onto the field for even a few games after recovering from ankle surgery, it could set him up for 2024. Cruz has been a missing element for Pittsburgh all year as his replacements haven’t exactly gone off. Pittsburgh ranks 14th in the NL in WAR at shortstop as just one of two teams with a negative rating. If healthy, the 2024 left-side pairing of Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes could be an offensive and defensive force for the Pirates. That’s the potential bright spot. Their pitching staff still needs work. — Rogers

Record: 61-78

Previous ranking: 26

The Cardinals might be playing out the string, but Jordan Walker is still getting after it. He went 12-for-19 in his last five games with four home runs. Walker has had his share of ups and downs, but his rookie numbers are going to look pretty good. He has an OPS over 1.100 since mid-August, and he’s one reason St. Louis doesn’t need a full-on rebuild. If the Cardinals focus all their efforts on the mound this offseason, there’s a chance they could be back in the playoff race in 2024. They aren’t far off from being good again, but that’s only if they address the starting staff in a major way. — Rogers

Record: 54-86

Previous ranking: 27

Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse for the White Sox, they did. A home sweep to the Tigers was bad enough but a Labor Day beatdown at the hands of the lowly Royals was really embarrassing. Manager Pedro Grifol seems to be safe, but some may question why considering the disaster this season has been. His benching of newcomer Korey Lee — after the rookie couldn’t track a popup he hit — was puzzling. It feels like Grifol wants a do-over first impression, but those only come once. Meanwhile, Jesse Scholtens‘ bid for a rotation spot in 2024 took a hit after he gave up nine hits in 3⅔ innings to Kansas City on Monday. — Rogers

Record: 51-88

Previous ranking: 28

Kris Bryant told reporters recently that he’s hopeful he’ll return from his fractured left index finger by the start of the Rockies’ homestand next week, which features matchups against his two former teams, the Cubs and Giants. The Rockies have long been out of contention, of course, and are still trending toward their first 100-loss season in franchise history. But getting back before the end of the year will no doubt be beneficial for Bryant. By Monday, he will have played in only 107 of the Rockies’ 304 games since signing a seven-year, $182 million contract in March of 2022. He’s slashing only .251/.338/.379 in 65 games this season. — Gonzalez

Record: 44-97

Previous ranking: 29

As Cole Ragans continues to roll along, Zack Greinke does not. The future Hall of Famer dropped to 1-14 with a 5.34 ERA. He hasn’t reached 80 pitches in any of his past seven starts, as manager Matt Quatraro gives him shorter and shorter hooks. Only 12 other pitchers have won just one game with at least 14 losses — and four of those did it in the 1800s. It has happened two other times this century, however, as Homer Bailey went 1-14 with the Reds in 2018 and Adam Bernero went 1-14 with the Rockies and Tigers in 2003. — Schoenfield

Record: 43-97

Previous ranking: 30

Amid a year of extreme disappointment — both on the field of play and, of course, beyond it — a rookie second baseman has provided a glimmer of hope for the team’s future, wherever it might reside. Zack Gelof, the team’s second-round pick in 2021, slashed .275/.335/.533 with 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases through his first 200 plate appearances in the major leagues. He’s the only member of the A’s with both double-digit home runs and steals, even though he has been up only since the middle of July. The sample size is still relatively small, but Gelof has shown to be a more advanced hitter than many anticipated. — Gonzalez

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eBay gloves, cursing pitchers and unhittable splits: The magic chemistry of the Blue Jays

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October 24, 2025

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eBay gloves, cursing pitchers and unhittable splits: The magic chemistry of the Blue Jays

In the 15 days in October we spent with the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, you learn a lot about the team. Here is a sampling:

  • The game glove that infielder Ernie Clement uses was purchased a few months ago on eBay. “Mine was getting worn, so this one looked good on eBay, so bought it,” he said. “I have to wear a glove underneath my glove because this glove is so old, it has no padding in it.” Even with a glove purchased on eBay, Clement is a terrific defender. He is an AL Gold Glove finalist at third base and as a utility player. He personifies the flexibility of the Blue Jays, an elite defensive team that moves several players around the infield, and has others who play infield or outfield equally well. Clement can really throw on the run, and his transfer on the double play from second base is lightning fast. He has 18 hits and only two strikeouts in 42 at-bats in this postseason in which he has shined as a damn good player. His aggressive hitting approach comes from Coach Pitch when he was 6 years old. “We got three pitches per at-bat,” he said. “My dad would say, ‘You’d better swing.”’ Clement also happens to look exactly like a young Aaron Boone. “I’ve heard that,” Clement said, smiling. Boone said, laughing, “So have I. I’ll have to meet him someday and tell him that this [his face] is what he has to look forward to someday.”

  • Reliever Louis Varland will pitch whenever you give him the ball. His preference would be to pitch every day. He pitched in 10 of the 11 postseason games for the Blue Jays. He started as an opener against the Yankees in Game 4 of the AL Division Series one day after pitching in relief. “He would have pitched nine innings if I would’ve let him,” manager John Schneider said. That competitive nature comes from his time as a high school wrestler in Minnesota. Varland wrestled as a freshman at 106 pounds and 160 pounds as a senior. His junior and senior year in baseball, he played at 185 pouonds — he would lose 25 pounds to make weight for wrestling, then gain it back for baseball. “I would lose 20 pounds in a week,” he said. “I did it the unhealthy way. We’ll just leave it at that.”

  • Infielder Andres Gimenez is “the best defensive player I’ve ever seen at any position,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who coached Gimenez in Cleveland in 2024. “He is incredible.” Clement, a brilliant defender himself, said Gimenez “is the best I’ve ever seen. He makes plays no one else can make.” Gimenez is the best defensive second baseman in baseball, but after the injury in early September to Bo Bichette, Gimenez moved to shortstop where he has been tremendous. During infield practice, Gimenez takes ground balls from his knees, and uses a miniature glove, each of which trains him to focus his eyes on the ball. He has great feet in part because he played soccer growing up in Venezuela, a la Omar Vizquel. Gimenez loves soccer. “It is my hobby, I watch it all the time,” he said. Gimenez hit cleanup on Opening Day 2025 — and made 18 other starts there — for the Blue Jays. He also started 34 games out of the No. 9 spot in the order during the regular season as well as all 11 games the Blue Jays have played in October. He is one of seven players in major league history to start at least 15 games out of the cleanup spot and 15 out of the No. 9 spot in a season. And during his postseason, he became one of seven players in history to hit home runs in back-to-back games out of the No. 9 spot in a postseason game.

  • Pitcher Max Scherzer remains an extreme competitor at age 41. “He found out that I played basketball,” said Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt, who was a great high school basketball player. “So Max told me, ‘We’re playing one-on-one. And we’re playing full court.”’ Bassitt laughed and said, “Max, I’m not playing full court one-on-one with you.” Scherzer started the critical Game 4 of the ALCS against the Mariners, becoming the first pitcher to start a postseason game for six different franchises. He hadn’t pitched since Sept. 24. No one had any idea what he was going to give them, so, of course, he gave a sturdy 5⅔ innings. Schneider went to the mound to check on Scherzer in the fifth inning. “I’m f—ing good!” Scherzer barked at Schneider. “Let’s f—ing go!” Schneider said with a smile, “I was scared,” then added, “you should have seen the conversation we had between [the fourth and fifth innings]. I asked him if he was OK. He said, ‘What, are you f—ing kidding? Get the f— out of here!” The next day, Schneider’s comments were relayed to Scherzer. He smiled, half-embarrassed, half-proud, and said, “I just can’t help it.”

  • Addison Barger swings the bat as hard as any player in the game, and his plan is to do so on every pitch. He takes relentless batting practice every day. His nickname is “Bam Bam,” but it comes from the name of his mother’s dog, not how hard he hits a baseball. He plays third base and right field — more Toronto defensive flexibility. “He has the best throwing arm of any third baseman I’ve ever seen,” Clement said. In an 8-2 victory in Game 4 in Seattle, Barger’s tremendous throw from right field cut down Josh Naylor at third base for a crucial third out in the sixth inning. “He threw 98-99 [mph] in high school,” Schneider said. When I asked Barger if he could throw 98-99 mph today if he were asked to close on the mound, he laughed and said, “I’d throw 100.”

  • Catcher Alejandro Kirk, at 5-foot-8, 240 pounds, looks less like an athlete than anyone on the field, the catching equivalent of Bartolo Colon. But “he has tremendous bat-to-ball skills,” Schneider said. “And the first time I saw him catch, I saw that he had elite hands. And he never gets too excited. And he never gets pissed off.” Kirk blocks balls in the dirt as well as any catcher in the game, and is exceptionally adept at catching pitches down. Kirk hit two home runs on the final day of the season when the Blue Jays clinched the AL East title, then became the first player in major league history to follow two homers in the season finale with two home runs in the first playoff game. Kirk is immensely popular in Toronto. “Everyone just loves him here,” Clement said. “When he stole his first base of the season, I was at the plate. I had to step out of the box because the cheering was so loud from the fans.”

  • Ace Kevin Gausman has one of the best split-fingered fastballs of any pitcher in the game, but the grip on that pitch can occasionally cause a blister so Gausman usually doesn’t throw his split during his bullpen sessions between starts. “That’s rare,” Bassitt said. “But he is so comfortable with the grip, he doesn’t need to practice it.” Gausman pitched in relief in the clinching Game 7 against the Mariners. “I can get loose in a hurry,” he said before the game. “I grew up in Colorado. It was cold. To get warm, and to get loose quickly, I would put hot stuff all over my body. It really worked, but when you I started to sweat, whoa.”

  • First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., one of the best hitters in the game, went to a new level in the postseason, going 19-for-43 with six homers, 13 RBIs and only three strikeouts. “He has power, and he’s a pest at the plate,” Blue Jays outfielder Myles Straw said. “Not many hitters are both. He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever played with. Bottom of the ninth, need a hit, I take Vladdy every time.” Guerrero was a wrecking ball against the Yankees in the division series, and equally destructive against the Mariners in the ALCS. “He has a long swing, but he can cover anything,” Gausman said. “Not many hitters can do that.” Clement was asked to explain how anyone can hit with such power, and also put the ball in play as often as Guerrero. “There is no explaining him,” Clement said. “He is on a different level.” Guerrero is also a very good defensive first baseman, he has already won a Gold Glove, and is a Gold Glove finalist this season. He also runs so much better than people think, which he showed when he scored from second on a single in the ALCS. There is a perception that Guerrero is a heavy-set, unathletic first baseman. “Nothing could be further from the truth,” Clement said. Guerrero, the son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., is an instinctive player “with a really high baseball IQ,” Schneider said. “He had that when he was 18 years old.” Indeed. In Game 6 against Seattle, he got a great read on a ball in the dirt, advanced to third, then scored on a throw in the dirt by Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. On the key throw by Barger in Game 4 of the ALCS, the throw could have gone home or to third. Guerrero was aggressively signaling Barger to throw it to third. Guerrero gets those instincts, that feel for the game, from his father: They are the other father-son combination to each have a four-hit game in the postseason.

  • Pitcher Trey Yesavage, age 22, made three major league starts, then started Game 2 against the Yankees, becoming the seventh pitcher in history to start a postseason game having thrown 14 innings or less in his regular-season career. Of course, against the Yankees, he pitched 5⅓ innings, gave up no hits, walked one and struck out 11 — he is the first pitcher to strike out 10 in the first four innings of his first postseason start. He showed incredible poise, and has a presence on the mound like that of Gaylord Perry. Schneider never saw Yesavage in spring training. He was so far from playing in the major leagues, he was always throwing on a back field. “As he was moving up, I saw him on film and video,” Schneider said. “But when he got here, he looked different.” Film and video can tell you only so much about a player. Yesavage’s slider is thrown from directly over the top and that steep angle makes it very hard to pick up, a la Juan Guzman. “I have never seen a slider like that,” Kirk said. Backup catcher Tyler Heineman said, “Neither have I.” Yesavage also dominated the Yankees with his split, which also baffled the Mariners in Game 6. There is a rule in baseball that you don’t speak to that day’s starting pitcher on the day of the game. Yet there was Yesavage, before Game 6 against Seattle, talking to ESPN’s Karl Ravech about football. Yesavage went out and threw well for 5⅔ innings in an elimination game.

  • Utility man Davis Schneider is an above-average defensive second baseman and an above-average defensive corner outfielder. He doesn’t look like a baseball player with his mustache and thick glasses. But he is the personification of a baseball player. He hits every day with Barger, his buddy, and he swings almost as hard as Barger does. “He was almost released three times in the minor leagues,” Schneider said. “But he kept on fighting. He just figured it out.” He’s not the only Blue Jay player who figured it out.

  • Schneider is superstitious. Before Game 6, he walked to the ballpark. “I either drive or walk,” he said. “I walked yesterday. We won. So I walked again today.” When asked if he ran into any fans on the street, he said, “Yeah, a few. They all said, ‘Good luck.”’ Then Schneider smiled and said, “Last year, when we weren’t very good, I drove to the ballpark all the time.” Buck Martinez, a former major league catcher and former Blue Jays manager who has broadcast Blue Jays games for 15 years, said that Schneider reminds him “of Bobby Cox in 1985,” the year that the Blue Jays started to win.

  • Straw, like Clement, is considered a “glue guy.” Straw appreciated the compliment, but said, “We have 10 of those guys on this team.” Schneider said, “This is the tightest group I’ve ever been around.”

  • Designated hitter George Springer‘s three-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the ALCS, was one of the three biggest home runs in club history. Springer struggled terribly last year at the plate but worked with former Astros teammate Michael Brantley, a dear friend and a great hitting instructor, in the offseason. Springer, who hit sixth on Opening Day, raised his OPS .285 points in 2025, by far the biggest increase in the major leagues. He became an elite player again, he returned to the leadoff spot and probably will finish in the top five in AL MVP voting this year. “He is 36 years old, but he acts and plays like he is 20,” Schneider said. When told that the Blue Jays’ defense was exceptional this season, Springer laughed and said, “Well, that’s because they got the old guy off the field and let the young bucks roam around the outfield.”

  • The Blue Jays win because of an elite defense, good starting pitching and an offense that led the major leagues in batting with a .265 average. They changed their offense approach this season: use your “A” swing every time, or don’t swing. “Sell out,” Schneider said. “Or don’t swing.” In the postseason, the Blue Jays hit .296; the rest of the playoff teams hit a combined .218. They put the ball in play better than any team in the major leagues. “The major league batting average on balls in play is .300, that’s all you need to know,” Bassitt said. “In the game today, striking out is OK. Not here. For us, it’s not OK to strike out.” In the postseason, the Blue Jays struck out 65 times compared to 108 by their opponent. They struck out every 6.1 at-bats. All other teams in the postseason averaged a strikeout every 3.4 at-bats. The Blue Jays scored 71 runs and struck out 65 times. The last team to score more runs than they had strikeouts in 11 postseason games was the 2007 Red Sox, who won the World Series. And that’s why the Blue Jays have a fighting chance against the mighty Dodgers.

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    Jays’ Bichette, Dodgers’ Kershaw on WS rosters

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    October 24, 2025

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    Jays' Bichette, Dodgers' Kershaw on WS rosters

    • Jorge CastilloOct 24, 2025, 11:43 AM ET

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        ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

    TORONTO — Bo Bichette, who has not played since spraining his left knee in early September, was added to the Toronto Blue Jays‘ roster for the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

    The Blue Jays also included first baseman Ty France on their roster for the first time this postseason. Outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-handed reliever Yariel Rodriguez, who were on the American League Championship Series roster, were not included.

    The question is how limited is Bichette.

    A two-time All-Star shortstop, Bichette has not played in a game since injuring his knee in a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells on Sept. 6. He attempted to return in time for the AL Championship Series but could not run the bases without significant pain the day before the Blue Jays had to submit their roster.

    Bichette worked out at second base and faced live pitching Wednesday and Thursday. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Bichette could play second base, shortstop or serve as the team’s designated hitter. If he is the DH, George Springer would likely move to right field.

    A free agent this winter, Bichette had a rebound season after posting a .598 OPS in 81 games in an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. The homegrown star, 27, finished second in the majors with a .311 batting average and hit 18 home runs with 94 RBI and an .840 OPS.

    Without him, the Blue Jays have played Andres Gimenez, their regular second baseman, at shortstop in the postseason with Isiah Kiner-Falefa getting most of the starts at second base.

    Los Angeles added right-handers Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein while dropping lefty Alex Vesia and righty Ben Casparius. The Dodgers said Thursday that Vesia was not with the team in Toronto because of a family matter.

    Former closer Tanner Scott was not added. The left-hander was dropped from the National League Division Series roster following surgery on Oct. 8 to remove of an abscess from an infection on his lower body.

    Clayton Kershaw, who was left off the Dodgers’ wild-card series roster and did not pitch in the NL Championship Series, is on the World Series roster. Kershaw has said he plans to retire after this season.

    Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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    Thamel: Five questions that will define a wild CFB coaching carousel

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    October 24, 2025

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    Thamel: Five questions that will define a wild CFB coaching carousel

    On Oct. 20 of last year, college football’s first two firings unfolded with little fanfare — East Carolina let go of Mike Houston and Southern Miss dismissed Will Hall.

    By that date in 2025, there already were 11 programs — including seven major conference teams — that dismissed their coach.

    Those seven openings far outpace the final statistics from 2024, when just three coaches were fired for performance — Purdue’s Ryan Walters, UNC’s Mack Brown and West Virginia’s Neal Brown.

    Since this season started, there have been six firings at major conference schools — UCLA, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Penn State and Florida. (Stanford’s firing of Troy Taylor came after off-field tumult this offseason.)

    So, how did we get to the point where there are 11 open jobs on the 2025 calendar — including UAB, Oregon State, Kent State and Colorado State — before the first open job in 2024?

    There’s a confluence of factors that range from the slow power conference cycle in 2024 to the professionalization of college programs demanding instant results. (One industry source said jokingly that Curt Cignetti’s instant success at Indiana ruined the expectation curve for all coaches.)

    How crazy will this cycle get? One industry source summed it up this way: “There’s not enough good coaches to fill all of these spots. It’s never a good year to be in the market, but especially not this year.”

    We dove into the numbers and asked industry sources how they see it playing out, as the busiest and most expensive coaching carousel in the sport’s history looms.

    Could this be the busiest coaching carousel ever?

    In short, yes. Especially with the early flurry of Power 5 jobs.

    Comparisons are tricky because of conference realignment and variables like season-long interim coaches. But the most major conference jobs open in a recent season happened in the 2021-22 cycle, when there were 14, per ESPN Research. That cycle included USC (Lincoln Riley), LSU (Brian Kelly), Notre Dame (Marcus Freeman), Florida (Billy Napier), Miami (Mario Cristobal), Oklahoma (Brent Venables) and Oregon (Dan Lanning).

    This year is shaping up to rival that, as in the modern era, this is the earliest we’ve seen seven power conference jobs open.

    Also on the radar are Auburn, Florida State and Wisconsin, with the latter two schools issuing statements about the futures of their coaches this week.

    There are also eyes on Deion Sanders’ health at Colorado, Kyle Whittingham’s potential retirement at Utah and Bill Belichick’s struggles at UNC. Kentucky is 0-4 in the SEC under Mark Stoops, but the Wildcats would owe him nearly $38 million within 60 days of firing him.

    And there are still six weeks left in the season. The legacy of Franklin’s firing at Penn State is that nearly every coach is a three-game losing streak from his job being in trouble. So, don’t be surprised if another school or two finds its situation untenable as the losses pile up. And never rule out a surprise retirement or two, as we’ve seen veteran coaches monitor the landscape and head off to their beach houses in recent years in college football and basketball.

    Combine current openings with potential ones and the inevitable dominoes of hiring away sitting coaches from other power conference jobs, and it’s clear that the recent benchmark of 14 power jobs from the 2021-22 cycle and 2015-16 cycle will be threatened. (That number is 15 in 2021-22 if you count SMU, which has since moved to the ACC, and 16 in 2015-16 if you count UCF and BYU. College sports never makes these things easy.)

    From a pure numbers standpoint, we’re likely amid a historic three-year run. The NCAA keeps annual tabs on new coaches in the FBS, and the past two cycles have been the first time in college football history, per the NCAA, that at least 30 new coaches have arrived in back-to-back years.

    There were 32 to start the 2024 season, and there were 30 to start this season. The only other time in the FBS era there have been more than 30 is 2013, when there were 31 new coaches, good for a record 25.2% turnover.

    That 30-coach benchmark appears likely to be eclipsed again. Even with a handful of duplicate jobs those years, it means somewhere over 60% of the sport is destined to turn over in three years.

    How large will buyouts loom?

    For decades, coaches were the largest talent expense for a program. And because of the competition to hire and retain them, it became standard practice for schools to offer lengthy guaranteed salaries.

    And that has led to piles of dead money being paid to coaches. An ESPN study found $533.6 million in dead money in athletic departments for coaches over an 11-year period from Jan. 1, 2010, to Jan. 31, 2021. There’s already more than $100 million in buyout money owed this year, although many contracts are subject to offset and mitigation. (If Franklin gets a job for $25 million over five years, for example, that would be subtracted from the $49 million he’s owed through the 2031 season.)

    But there are also a few more big figures potentially looming — Mike Norvell’s $58 million with Florida State, Freeze’s $15 million with Auburn and Luke Fickell’s more than $25 million with Wisconsin. Those will factor into decision-making at those schools.

    As another industry source adds: “Look at the candidate pool. If it’s close and you think you might have the right guy, you don’t go in.”

    What became apparent through calls this week is that the fervor over coaches is unlikely to translate to changed behavior in contracts. Restraint and discipline don’t often coincide with desperation.

    Could a coach who makes the playoff jump to a new job?

    Technically, sure. But in reality, that would be a hire that redefines awkward. ESPN spoke to a half a dozen sources about this, and the answers vary. With the transfer portal not opening until Jan. 2, there’s certainly a chance that a school could wait out a playoff coach.

    But two looming factors would be difficult to overcome, even if there’s a proverbial “deal in the drawer” that a coach has agreed to in advance.

    The first is that the coach would put his current team’s title hopes at risk, as his team would be suspicious if a major job remained open and he dodged answers about it. (Not to mention, didn’t sign a new deal with his current school.)

    The second is simple — what happens if a coach wins a few games? A coach could play in the first round Dec. 19 or Dec. 20, lose the game and leave a day or two after to set up his roster in time for next year. But a win or two could extend his season into mid-January, and any athletic director who waits a month and doesn’t have a coach in place for the start of the portal would get squeamish.

    “The tough part will be, if you have that search open, how do you keep it quiet?” an industry source said. “You’re going to have to keep a process going. The only way I see it happening is that school would have to keep a search going all that time.”

    The portal might officially open Jan. 2, but most deals will be done long before. Even with a strong general manager at a program, the ambiguity would undercut the first year’s roster tremendously.

    Essentially, the coach and school would have to announce that he’s leaving. The coach would then coach out the playoff, with the idea that the players are all free agents at the end of every season. It would be awkward and heavily criticized, but that might be the only option.

    So, if a program wants a coach projected to reach the playoff — think Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin, USF’s Alex Golesh or Georgia Tech’s Brent Key — there would be some hard conversations.

    Who are the big names who could move?

    Kiffin and Nebraska coach Matt Rhule will be the biggest names looming over the carousel, as they are the speculative favorites for the jobs at Florida (Kiffin) and Penn State (Rhule).

    There are three former power conference coaches who could factor into the major jobs this year — former Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, former Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson and former Florida State/Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher. The opportunity to go early and avoid the dangerous game of musical chairs may make those coaches attractive.

    There are plenty of sitting power conference coaches who’ll generate interest and could move.

    In the ACC, SMU’s Rhett Lashlee, Georgia Tech’s Key ($4 million buyout), Louisville’s Jeff Brohm ($1 million) and Cal’s Justin Wilcox ($1 million to leave after regular season) all have been bandied about.

    In the Big Ten, Rhule, Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck and Washington’s Jedd Fisch are being discussed. (Rhule’s buyout is $5 million, Fleck’s is $5.5 million and Fisch’s is $10 million.)

    In the SEC, Missouri’s Eliah Drinkwitz’s buyout drops from $5 million to $4 million after Dec. 1. Clark Lea has Vanderbilt 6-1, and the Commodores are the toast of the country this year. South Carolina’s Shane Beamer ($5 million buyout) will remain a name at Virginia Tech until that job is filled.

    In the Big 12, the buzziest names are Iowa State’s Matt Campbell ($2 million buyout), ASU’s Kenny Dillingham ($4 million) and BYU’s Kalani Sitake (unknown).

    Any of those would create further ripples.

    How did we get here?

    Well, everything changed. So, it makes sense that the coaching cycle would, too. There will be PhD projects and books written about the past handful of years in college athletics.

    If you consider the entire player procurement and payment model being overhauled, it makes sense that there’s constant turnover on the landscape.

    And with bigger investments by schools come more urgency for results. And acquisition mistakes are magnified because they come with an actual price tag.

    “I think in the last three or four years, because of NIL, I just think it’s changed so much,” an industry veteran said. “If you’re going to lead a bunch of 18-to-23-year-olds, the relationship part is so different now that money is involved. Coaching and getting the most out of kids is so different because of the financial implications.”

    Combine that with bosses stressed over money and boosters having more sway because they are footing the NIL bills, and the coaching market is haywire. Another industry source joked that “every school’s Cody Campbell” now has bigger sway in hires, referencing the ubiquitous Texas Tech booster.

    With investment and uncertainty on parallel tracks, it only makes sense that volatility follows.

    Marisa Dowling contributed to this report.

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