MLB Watchability Index: Which teams are the most fun to watch this season?
-
David Schoenfield, ESPN Senior Writer
Welcome to the 2024 MLB Watchability Index! As ESPN NBA writer Zach Lowe would say — and we’re stealing this idea from his annual League Pass rankings — these are NOT power rankings, but a watchability rating. Imagine you’re sitting at home on a Saturday evening and you want to watch a baseball game, but perhaps your favorite team has already played. Which teams do you most want to watch? This is that list.
We’ve created a super complex formula to score teams in seven different categories, creating a possible maximum score of 50. These categories fit into the general idea of: “What makes baseball exciting?”
First, the 10-point categories (on a scale of 1-10 points maximum):
Star power: This is based off our annual MLB Rank of the top 100 players of the season, with points rewarded on how many players a team had in the top 100 and how high they ranked.
Youth: We love young players — especially promising, young players. I looked at each team’s projected FanGraphs WAR from players in their first or second seasons in the majors.
Baserunning: The new rules helped bring speed back into the game last season with more stolen bases, creating a more exciting — and watchable — version of baseball. I used FanGraphs’ team baserunning metric (which factors in stolen bases and running the bases) from last season, making some adjustments for major roster changes or additions.
And then there are the 5-point categories (on a scale of 1-5 points maximum):
4-and 5-star catches: The Baseball Savant site lists catch probability for outfielders, including the number of 4-star plays (catch probability of 26-50%) and 5-star plays (probability of 0-25%). Even 4-star catches are pretty rare. Ronald Acuna Jr., for example, had no 4-star catches last season. I looked at last year’s totals and again made estimated adjustments as necessary.
425-plus foot home runs: Long home runs are extra fun, so I looked at last year’s totals as a baseline. The league leader was somebody who signed a very large contract in the offseason.
Minutia: Ballpark, uniforms, mascots, unintentional comedy, etc. It’s more pleasing to watch a game from Wrigley than, say, Tropicana Field.
Bonus section: Anything else I want to add for a team at my whim, up to a maximum of five points.
Let’s dive right into it, starting with the lowest-scoring teams — i.e. the least watchable — to the highest-scoring teams that you should drop everything to sit down and watch. (The point total is next to each team’s name.)
Star power: 1 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 4.5 | Catches: 1 | 425+: 1 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 1, for the hope of seeing James Wood and Dylan Crews later in the season
This is a team trying to play Jesse Winker in left field and 32-year-old Eddie Rosario in center field — and you can guess how that’s going to work out. The youth score is surprisingly low and maybe a little unfair, but FanGraphs isn’t projecting much playing time or value for Wood or Crews and guys like Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore have been up long enough that they’re now in the unofficial post-youth phase of their careers. The Presidents Race is fun, though. Go Teddy!
Star power: 2 | Youth: 1 | Baserunning: 2 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 1
Bonus: 1, for the new “campfire milkshake” concession item
I’m pretty sure Luis Robert Jr. accounts for most of these points, from 4-star catches to speed on the bases to long home runs. The White Sox have done a nice job improving what was a weak farm system just a couple of years ago, but only Colson Montgomery is likely to make much of a contribution this season, so this rebuild is filled with older players. Unfortunately, “veteran leadership” does not score well in watchability.
Star power: 3 | Youth: 2.5 | Baserunning: 1 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 0.5, for all the times announcers will call Luis Arraez a “professional hitter”
The Marlins were crushed with pitching injuries in spring training, including Eury Perez, who accounted for a chunk of the above points with both star power (No. 67 in MLB Rank) and youth. That won’t help their viewing attractiveness, and neither do indoor games with empty seats. The Marlins are also not a young team — and not a fast one either, with the likes of Josh Bell, Jake Burger and Arraez clogging up the bases. There could also be some unintentional comedy with the infield defense. However, I do like their City Connect jerseys.
Star power: 1 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 1 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 2: +1 for Brenton Doyle‘s arm, +1 for the occasional Coors Field football score
I ran this list by a former Rockies fan who has been disillusioned by the team’s failures in recent years and his comment: “Too high.” Perhaps he is looking at Doyle’s batting average and not his defense! I mean, that’s understandable as Doyle’s 52 OPS+ was the seventh lowest since 1920 for an outfielder with at least 400 plate appearances. He won a Gold Glove as a rookie last season and simultaneously possesses perhaps the best range of any center fielder and the best throwing arm. I mean, we should probably subtract a point for his offense and maybe another point for the Rockies playing Charlie Blackmon in right field, but the point is Doyle is a human highlight film in center field.
Note as well: How were the Rockies the worst baserunning team in the majors a year ago? Playing in the large expanse of Coors Field should make it easy to go from first to third on base hits at will. But not for this team.
Star power: 1 | Youth: 6 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 1
Bonus: 2: +1 for fans protesting terrible ownership, +1 for those sweet Kelly green jerseys
OK, the A’s rank high in the youth category because they have a lot of it — somebody has to play and it sure isn’t going to be veterans making more than the league minimum (the A’s joined the Rockies and Nationals as the only teams with no players in our top 100). They had potential in the baserunning category, but they just sent speedster Esteury Ruiz down to the minors. Because, you know, why give the fans somebody exciting to watch?
Star power: 2 | Youth: 5 | Baserunning: 2.5 | Catches: 1 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 3: +1 for Mike Trout being Mike Trout, +1 for the inevitable showdown between manager Ron Washington and Anthony Rendon, +1 for Reid Detmers‘ curveball
Look, the Angels weren’t all that interesting even when they had Shohei Ohtani, so they sure aren’t going to be more interesting without him. I’ve always enjoyed watching games from Anaheim (and they do always draw well) and, hey, Trout just hit a 473-foot home run on Monday. This might be underrating the potential for the Angels’ season to go completely haywire, however — in a good or bad way, I have no idea. After all, Washington called a team meeting after two games as the team began the season with 11-3 and 13-4 losses. (And it worked: The Angels won their next two games.)
Star power: 2 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 2: +1 for Jhoan Duran‘s fastball velocity, +1 for Edouard Julien being French-Canadian (he spoke no English when he started in college Auburn)
This is our first reminder that this index is different — and should be different — from our weekly Power Rankings: The Twins, after all, are favored to repeat as American League Central champions. They scored low in all three of the 10-point categories, however, as their only two players in the top 100 were Pablo Lopez at No. 55 and Carlos Correa at No. 78. Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton certainly have top-100 potential, but the injury risk bothered our voters and Lewis has unfortunately already landed on the injured list. They do have one of the best uniform sets in the majors, though.
Star power: 4 | Youth: 1 | Baserunning: 1.5 | Catches: 5 | 425+: 1.5 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 3: +1 for Davis Schneider‘s mustache + goggles combo, +1 for play-by-play announcer Dan Shulman, +1 for Kevin Gausman‘s splitter
With Kevin Kiermaier and Daulton Varsho in the outfield, it’s no surprise that the Blue Jays rank best in the 4-star and 5-star catch category, but they had just three players in the top 100 (Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Gausman) and don’t appear to have much potential impact youth unless pitcher Ricky Tiedemann gets called up. They also fared poorly in FanGraphs’ baserunning metric and outside of Guerrero, they don’t hit many big blasts. Indeed, looking at this lineup and considering the offense was middle of the pack last season, the Jays might struggle to score runs.
Star power: 3 | Youth: 4.5 | Baserunning: 4 | Catches: 1 | 425+: 1.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 1.5: +1 for Logan Webb‘s sinker, +0.5 for the beer shower given to Jung Hoo Lee after his first home run
The Giants’ offseason additions make them a lot more intriguing than they were a season ago: reigning National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell, center fielder Lee, Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman and DH Jorge Soler. Snell and Chapman cracked the top 100 alongside Webb (runner-up to Snell) and the early returns on Lee have been positive — we’ll see if he can improve the team’s lackluster catch rating. Rookie Kyle Harrison has a chance to give the Giants one of the best pitching trios in the league. They also rate well in minutia: great ballpark, great announcers, classic uniforms.
Star power: 3.5 | Youth: 3.5 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 3.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 1.5: +1 for Masyn Winn‘s arm, +0.5 for players going wild when manager Oli Marmol got a two-year extension and the ensuing uproar every time a bullpen decision backfires
The Cardinals are sort of in no-man’s-land right now: They have a couple of declining superstars in Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt (44th and 47th in our top 100) and some intriguing young players in Jordan Walker and Winn, but nobody clearly in their prime. If only they could combine Walker’s offensive potential with Winn’s defense. The Cardinals don’t fare very well in baserunning or fantastic catches — and Tommy Edman, the best in both categories, is currently out with a wrist issue. Victor Scott II is a speedster who made the Opening Day roster after stealing 94 bases in the minors, but he’s probably around only until Edman or Lars Nootbaar return.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 5.5 | Catches: 4 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 2.5: +1 for knowing Bobby Witt Jr. will be a Royal for the long term, +1 for Cole Ragans‘ changeup and potential to be the best KC starter since Kevin Appier, +0.5 for Salvador Perez
The Royals have been awful since 2018 — three 100-loss seasons since then, including 106 in 2023. That means the rebuild hasn’t just been slow, it hasn’t made any progress. Believing they can contend in a weak AL Central, the Royals went out and signed some veteran starters. Still, it’s a big leap from 56 wins to 86. Anyway, Witt is worth the price of admission all by himself, Ragans might be a potential ace and Kyle Isbel apparently makes a lot of great plays in the outfield. Plus, the fountains at Kauffman Stadium are a pleasant backdrop for viewing any Royals game.
Star power: 6 | Youth: 2.5 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 3.5: +1 for George Kirby‘s control, +1 for Julio Rodriguez‘s energy, +1 for every reference to Cal Raleigh‘s nickname (“The Big Dumper”), +0.5 for the yellow metal trident used for home run celebrations (all fun and games until Julio pokes his eye out)
The Mariners have J-Rod and a strong starting rotation — Luis Castillo, Kirby and Logan Gilbert, ranked 39th, 40th and 62nd in our top 100 — so they get a solid star power figure. But outside of Rodriguez, they don’t do much on the bases or in the field (there’s a strong likelihood they’ll get no 4- or 5-star catches from their corner outfielders). T-Mobile Park also suppresses offense in general, so you’ll see a lot of low-scoring games when the Mariners are at home. Still, there’s nothing like seeing the cameras showing Mount Rainier on a sunny afternoon and the Mariners’ Sunday cream jerseys are among my favorites (the black pants on their City Connect uniforms are an abomination, however).
Star power: 2 | Youth: 5.5 | Baserunning: 5 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 1.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 3: +1 for when Tarik Skubal wins the Cy Young Award, +1 for stealing Jason Benetti from the White Sox, +1 for the pizza spear home run celebration (all fun and games until Spencer Torkelson pokes his eye out)
The Tigers are sneakily interesting, especially if Torkelson and Riley Greene can build upon their 2023 seasons. Colt Keith and Parker Meadows give them two high-profile rookies and if Meadows is as advertised in center field, that catch score could improve. Maybe we’ll even see top prospect Jackson Jobe join the rotation or bullpen later in the season. Here’s a question: Is Javier Baez a negative or positive viewing experience at this point in his career? He’s still astonishing at times on defense, but he’s probably the most frustrating batter to watch in the majors: low batting average, terrible OBP and he doesn’t hit for any power anymore.
Star power: 9 | Youth: 1 | Baserunning: 2.5 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 3 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 4: +1 for Ronel Blanco maybe throwing another no-hitter, +1 for Jose Altuve still doing Jose Altuve stuff, +0.5 for the ridiculous movement on Framber Valdez‘s pitches (maybe too much, he walked six in his first start), +0.5 for annoying home runs hit into the Crawford Boxes, +0.5 for the fear you feel every time Yordan Alvarez steps into the box, +0.5 for living legend Justin Verlander
Look, there’s no denying the Astros’ star power: They tied with the Braves for the most players in the top 100 at eight, with Alvarez (No. 8), Altuve (No. 26) and Kyle Tucker (No. 28) each cracking the top 30. Tucker is a potential 30-30 threat (he stole 30 bases and hit 29 home runs last season), but they’re pretty station-to-station on the bases. Of course, we’ll now see if Blanco is the real deal after his no-hitter against the Blue Jays and I’m curious to see if Hunter Brown breaks out. Plus, we’ll get Verlander back at some point. Subjectively, I’d probably put the Astros higher, but this is where our highly scientific system puts them.
Star power: 3.5 | Youth: 8 | Baserunning: 7 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 1 | Minutia: 2 |
Bonus: 3: +1 for the Naylor brothers, +1 for Andres Gimenez‘s range at second, +1 for Shane Bieber looking healthy again after striking out 11 on Opening Day (even if it was against the A’s)
With second-year starters Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen and Gavin Williams, plus sophomore catcher Bo Naylor, the Guardians fare very well in the youth category, and they also run the bases well, with four players stealing at least 20 bases last season (although Myles Straw‘s bat has him back in the minors). The lack of power means they have to win with pitching, defense and speed — a formula that worked in 2022, but not as well in 2023. If Bieber can regain his Cy Young-level form and rookie Brayan Rocchio can provide some offense at shortstop, they have a chance.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 4.5 | Baserunning: 10 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 1
Bonus: 4: +1 for Randy Arozarena‘s celebrations, +1 for Zach Eflin‘s immaculate strike-throwing ability, +0.5 for Pete Fairbanks‘ fastball, +0.5 for Jose Caballero‘s confidence, +0.5 for their ability to turn every no-name reliever into a good pitcher, +0.5 for Yandy Diaz‘s biceps
The Rays’ athleticism certainly shows up on the bases, where they’re annually one of the best and most aggressive teams. Oddly, it didn’t show up as much in outfield defense, where Arozarena had just one 4-star catch (no 5-star ones) and Josh Lowe had none of either (Jose Siri is outstanding in center, however) last season. Arozarena and Diaz were the only two Rays to crack the top 100 list, although Eflin, Lowe and Isaac Paredes could all get there and Brandon Lowe has been there in the past. The big negative: Watching games from the Trop is like watching a game played in some 16th-century dungeon in a cold, moldy English castle.
Star power: 6.5 | Youth: 3.5 | Baserunning: 1.5 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 4: +1 for the Juan Soto Shuffle, +1 for large human Aaron Judge playing center field, +1 for Marcus Stroman‘s six-pitch repertoire and succeeding as a 5-foot-7 pitcher, +0.5 for the potential of Carlos Rodon‘s slider, +0.5 for the hot start
Wait, the Yankees, the crown jewel franchise of the majors, rank only in the middle of the pack? Pinstripes! Yankee Stadium! John Sterling! A fearsome one-two punch in Judge and Soto and homers galore from the likes of Judge, Soto and Giancarlo Stanton certainly means the Yankees should rank higher, right? While Judge (No. 2), Soto (No. 3) and Gerrit Cole (No. 7) all ranked in the top 10, the only other Yankees player in the top 100 was Anthony Volpe at 95. I also discounted the point total a bit since Cole is out at least a couple of months. Of course, the best thing about the Yankees in 2024: If they return to the top of the division after missing the playoffs in 2024, that’s a great story, especially if Judge and Soto tear up the league; if they miss the playoffs again, that’s also a great story.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 7 | Baserunning: 8.5 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 3
Bonus: 4: +1 for Elly De La Cruz‘s arm, +1 for the possibility De La Cruz will hit a pitch that bounces over the fence, +1 for the hope of seeing De La Cruz going home to third on a triple, +1 for Hunter Greene‘s potential (and blazing fastball)
De La Cruz is a great example of how one off-the-charts rip-roaring ball of dynamite can make an otherwise pedestrian team (other than their overall youth) must-watch viewing. But you know what’s not exciting? Strikeouts, which he has a lot of. At this point, De La Cruz is more hype and potential than actual production (although he did come in at No. 72 in our top 100). Losing Matt McLain to shoulder surgery is a big loss for the Reds, and their ultimate success will depend on their young rotation. If the pitching improves and De La Cruz hits, this Reds team will climb higher on this list.
Star power: 7.5 | Youth: 3 | Baserunning: 6 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 3: +1 for Dylan Cease‘s slider, +1 for Ha-Seong Kim‘s defense, +1 for watching games from San Diego and wishing you were there
The Padres have lost Soto, Snell and Josh Hader yet still have Fernando Tatis Jr. (No. 14), Manny Machado (25), Cease (57), Xander Bogaerts (58) and Kim (83) in the top 100, with Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove having top-100 ability at their best. It feels like everyone ignored Tatis last season — which is understandable following the missed season and PED suspension, but he’s still one of the more exciting all-around players in the game. He won the Platinum Glove as the best overall defender in the NL in 2023 after a full-time move to right field, earned due to a combination of range and a strong throwing arm. He stole 29 bases and hit 25 home runs. He’s off to a good start this year and I think the offense improves. I’m also a big fan of the Padres embracing their history and going all-in on brown for their uniforms.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 7.5 | Baserunning: 6 | Catches: 5 | 425+: 1.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 3: +1 for Jackson Chourio hype, +1 for Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker, +0.5 for Abner Uribe‘s fastball, +0.5 for Devin Williams‘ changeup (would get more points, but he’s out for a couple of months)
This surprised me a bit as the Brewers are lacking in star power after trading away Corbin Burnes (they had three players in the top 100, but Willy Adames was the highest at No. 86), but they have young, exciting players all over the field, starting with Chourio, Kiley McDaniel’s No. 2 prospect heading into the season. The outfield defense will be spectacular with Chourio, Sal Frelick, Blake Perkins and Joey Wiemer and the double-play combo of Adames and rookie Joey Ortiz will also be stellar. Rhys Hoskins has already given them a little edge on the field as well. Bonus points for an enthusiastic fan base, Bernie Brewer and the sausage races.
Star power: 2 | Youth: 6 | Baserunning: 5.5 | Catches: 4 | 425+: 3.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 4.5: +1 for Oneil Cruz doing all the same things we said about Elly De La Cruz, +1 for Andrew McCutchen, +1 for Jared Jones‘ slider, +1 for Ke’Bryan Hayes‘ defense, +0.5 for the hot start that gives hopes and dreams to Pirates fans
This is not an overreaction to Pittsburgh’s hot start. Nope. THIS IS A SCIENTIFIC SURVEY. I don’t know if the Pirates are going to be good, but they’re going to be more fun than they’ve been in the past. The return of Cruz is a huge part of that, of course, but they’ve added an excellent fly ball chaser in center fielder Michael A. Taylor while Jones’ debut start with 10 strikeouts and the pending arrival of Paul Skenes and his 100-mph heater helps the youth score. Mix in a great ballpark, classic jerseys and the Roberto Clemente Bridge and I’ll be watching more Pirates games than I have in years (assuming they keep winning).
Star power: 5 | Youth: 3 | Baserunning: 7 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 3.5 | Minutia: 5
Bonus: 3.5: +1 for the Mets’ broadcast booth, +1 for Edwin Diaz and Timmy Trumpet, +1 for Mr. Met, +0.5 for Brandon Nimmo‘s smile
Whoa, the Mets over the Yankees? How can that be possible? The Mets are awful! (So far.) Well, yes, you’re overlooking the unintentional comedy factor here — the Mets will apparently be the Mets, even with a new manager and new president of baseball operations. We’re not even a week into the season and the Mets have already: (1) Instigated a benches-clearing incident and intentionally thrown at a batter; (2) Lost a game in extra innings with two bad fielding plays; (3) Scored eight runs in four games; (4) Stressed that they’re not in panic mode. Tell that to Mets fans.
Star power: 3 | Youth: 8 | Baserunning: 6 | Catches: 3.5 | 425+: 2.5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 3: +1 for Brayan Bello‘s changeup, +1 for Triston Casas‘ upside (1.034 OPS in the second half), +0.5 for Tyler O’Neill‘s physique, +0.5 for Greg Weissert‘s sweeper
It’s the new-look Red Sox: faster, better defense and a whole lot more entertaining. The Red Sox have been mediocre and uninteresting the past two seasons, but with rookie Ceddanne Rafaela in center, flanked by Jarren Duran and O’Neill, they’ve dramatically upgraded their outfield defense and their overall team speed. Throw in a couple big bashers in Rafael Devers and Casas (the only two Red Sox in the top 100) and this should be a fun offense to watch. Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford also looked outstanding in their first starts as new pitching coach Andrew Bailey may already be improving the staff. Red Sox fans are understandably cranky after the team didn’t spend much this offseason, but I think they’ll grow to like this team — it has a chance to surprise.
Star power: 9 | Youth: 1 | Baserunning: 5 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 5: +1 for Trea Turner‘s slides, +1 for Bryce Harper‘s designer cleats, +1 for Zack Wheeler‘s fastball, +1 for Brandon Marsh‘s and Matt Strahm‘s hair, +1 for the best set of uniforms in the majors (yes, that’s technically part of the minutia category, but they’re getting a bonus point anyway)
Subjectively, I might’ve ranked the Phillies first: They have star power, they have personality, they’re good, their fans are loud and into the game, Marsh and Johan Rojas give them two plus outfielders and Harper is always a guy you can’t take your eyes off. Alas, since this is an established team of veterans, they score at the bottom of the youth scale and that hurts their overall ranking. They’re also lacking a bit on the bases, even with Turner’s electric speed and slides, and surprisingly, they didn’t earn a full “5” in the 425-plus foot home run category — they only ranked eighth in the majors in that department last season.
Star power: 4.5 | Youth: 6 | Baserunning: 10 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 1 | Minutia: 5
Bonus: 3: +1 for Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner turning two, +1 for “Go Cubs Go,” +0.5 for Justin Steele’s slider, +0.5 for stealing manager Craig Counsell from the Brewers
The Cubs have a lot of items in their favor: They were tied with the Rays as the best baserunning team in the majors last season (Hoerner led the way with 43 steals, but they were efficient and opportunistic up and down the lineup), they get to include Shota Imanaga in the “youth” category alongside Jordan Wicks, and they had a solid four players in the top 100 (and that didn’t include Seiya Suzuki, who I think will crack that list next season after a big 2024). And, of course, the Cubs have Wrigley Field. Baseball perfection on a summer afternoon.
Star power: 8 | Youth: 9 | Baserunning: 3 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 5: +1 for when Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer return, +1 for manager Bruce Bochy, +1 for Evan Carter‘s plate discipline, +1 for Marcus Semien never taking a day off, +0.5 for Adolis Garcia‘s arms, +0.5 for Corey Seager‘s ability to crush the first pitch
The Rangers win the World Series and now add Carter for a full season plus fellow super rookie Wyatt Langford. What a turnaround for this franchise in such a short time. If they do manage to get a healthy deGrom and Scherzer back in the second half, maybe they can become the first team to repeat since the 2000 Yankees. The dynamic offense is going to score a ton of runs. The only negatives here are a lack of action on the bases — although Carter and Langford will add more speed — and the antiseptic nature of watching a game from Globe Life Field. The jersey set is pretty bland other than the throwback baby blues.
Star power: 6 | Youth: 10 | Baserunning: 7.5 | Catches: 4 | 425+: 3 | Minutia: 2
Bonus: 3: +1 for Gabriel Moreno‘s arm, +1 for Zac Gallen‘s ability to change speeds, +0.5 for Eugenio Suarez‘s infectious personality, +0.5 for Corbin Carroll‘s swagger
OK, there’s a lot of Carroll in this ranking: He was No. 10 in the top 100, he still qualifies as a part of the “youth” category, he’s the best baserunner in the game and he was the only outfielder with four 4-star catches last season. He even hit a respectable five home runs of 425-plus feet. He’s not a one-man “SportsCenter” highlight, however: The Diamondbacks have four other players in the top 100 (Gallen, Ketel Marte, Moreno and Merrill Kelly) and have other young players to watch, including Moreno and second-year righty Brandon Pfaadt. If only they’d figure out the uniforms.
Star power: 10 | Youth: 2 | Baserunning: 8 | Catches: 3 | 425+: 5 | Minutia: 4
Bonus: 5: +1 for Spencer Strider‘s mustache, +1 for Strider’s new curveball, +1 for Ronald Acuna Jr.’s flair, +1 for Matt Olson‘s swing, +1 for Charlie Morton still going strong
No shock here as the Braves are overloaded with top-echelon talent and are likely on their way to a third straight 100-win season, which the Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz Braves did from 1997 to 1999. If you like offense, the Braves are your team. If you like speed, the Braves have it with Acuna and Michael Harris II and were a top-five baserunning team in 2023. If you like defense, the Braves are solid across the board. If you like pitching, the Braves have even more of it than last season, and Strider would top many lists as the No. 1 must-see starter in the game. Last season, they staked their claim as one of the best single-season lineups. If they do it again — and top it off with a World Series title — they go down as maybe the best ever.
Star power: 6 | Youth: 10 | Baserunning: 9 | Catches: 2 | 425+: 2 | Minutia: 5
Bonus: 5: +1 for Gunnar Henderson making The Leap (he will), +1 for Corbin Burnes‘ cutter, +1 for Kyle Bradish‘s slider/curveball combo, +1 for Adley Rutschman‘s leadership, +1 for being so good they didn’t even need Jackson Holliday to start the season
It’s not just that the Orioles are young and good and got even better in adding an ace in Burnes, but they play such a clean, efficient brand of baseball. They run the bases, they execute on defense and they don’t just rely on home runs to score runs (which is harder to do anyway with the deeper left field at Camden Yards). They still have Henderson and Grayson Rodriguez as sophomores and no-doubters to improve, and then they’ll be adding Holliday, Coby Mayo and Heston Kjerstad during the season as needed. They play in one of the best parks in the majors, have a timeless set of uniforms and have a fan base that is going to fill the park this season.
Star power: 10 | Youth: 6.5 | Baserunning: 6 | Catches: 4 | 425+: 4 | Minutia: 5
Bonus: 5: +1 for Mookie Betts playing shortstop, +1 for Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s splitter, +1 for Tyler Glasnow‘s curveball, +1 for Freddie Freeman‘s doubles, +1 for Shohei Ohtani
You probably knew this was coming even if you’re on the side of Dodger Hater. The only negative for Dodgers fans — aside from Max Muncy‘s defense — might be that they’re going to be leading a lot of games 7-2 in the sixth inning. Here’s one surprising thing about the Dodgers: They didn’t hit many 425-plus foot home runs last season. Betts and Freeman only hit three apiece. They found a way to fix that by adding Ohtani, who topped the majors with 21 such blasts (and he brings speed on the bases). Teoscar Hernandez also brings power and the occasional 4-star catch (even though overall he’s not a great defender). On top of that, you get Dodger Stadium with that perfect “Dodgers” script and the sun shining bright.
-
Adam Rittenberg
AROUND MIDDAY SATURDAY, Jackson Arnold will hop off a bus and walk into Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
He will know his way around but won’t take the familiar route toward the home locker room. Nor will he put on the crimson and white Oklahoma jersey. Instead, he will suit up for Auburn and begin final preparations for a game brimming with emotion and nostalgia.
Arnold, ESPN’s No. 2 recruit in the 2023 class, was supposed to be the next great quarterback at Oklahoma, which has produced three Heisman Trophy winners, a Heisman runner-up and a series of all-league and All-America selections since 2015. But a rough 2024 season led him and the Sooners to part ways. He entered the transfer portal and found a new team. And, like many transfers, Arnold will now line up against his former team.
“He’s very mature and he doesn’t give any credit to any noise or talk,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “He’s a pro. We all understand people might cheer for him, boo him, whatever it is. I think he’s mentally strong.”
Arnold’s situation has become a weekly occurrence around college football, even in the young 2025 season. Last week, Duke quarterback Darian Mensah returned to New Orleans and faced Tulane, the team he helped to a 9-2 start last season before landing an NIL deal with the Blue Devils that could pay him $8 million over two seasons.
When Kansas State and Arizona met last Friday in Tucson, safety Gunner Maldonado and wide receiver Tre Spivey were suiting up for different sets of Wildcats. Maldonado is in his first season at Kansas State after four with Arizona, and Spivey is in his first with Arizona after two with Kansas State.
Earl Little Jr. transferred from Alabama after the 2023 season, slogged through a 2-10 campaign with Florida State last fall and then opened this season on Aug. 30 against his former team, recording a team-high nine tackles as the Seminoles stunned the Crimson Tide.
Transfer reunions are now baked into this era of college football, requiring a delicate yet intentional approach from all those involved as they try to not only get through the games but come out with wins.
“This is not new,” Duke coach Manny Diaz told ESPN before the Tulane game. “There have been guys through the years we’ve had that have faced a former team, and certainly in pro sports, this happens all the time. If you deny the emotional part, then you know you’re doing yourself a disservice, but once you recognize that the emotions are what they are, then it’s still just a game.”
WHEN A TRANSFER reunion looms, coaches and players are constantly taking the emotional temperature. Florida State’s Little had to hear about the Alabama game throughout the offseason.
“I had people coming for my neck every day, talking about the big game or what I was going to do and everything, but I didn’t listen to the outside noise,” he said.
Arnold, who didn’t meet with reporters this week, had a similar response when asked about Oklahoma following Auburn’s win against South Alabama. He said he’s not on social media, joking that “there’s no noise for me.”
The emotional component is heightened for these games and cannot be ignored. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian kept an eye on defensive lineman Hero Kanu in the leadup to the season opener at Ohio State, the team Kanu played for in 2024.
“I try to get a pretty good sense of the feel for our players throughout the summer, throughout fall camp,” Sarkisian said. “Then, I try to monitor the player that [game] week, and if I feel like they’re getting out of character, I address it. If I feel like they’re practicing well, they’re being themselves, I don’t address it. Sometimes you can make something out of nothing when you start to do things like that.
“With Hero, I thought he was in a great place going into the game, and I thought he played well in the game. I never addressed it with him one time.”
Freeze didn’t play college football, but he has been through an experience similar to what Arnold will go through this week. As Liberty‘s coach in 2021, he returned to Ole Miss, where he coached from 2012 until being fired shortly before the 2017 season.
“That whole week, it was a challenge for me not to think about some of that,” Freeze said. “I know the same will be true for Jackson. … My advice to him is to just keep the focus on our team. That was my advice to myself. It’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s about our team preparing to go in to play.”
Little focused on keeping “a calm mind” when he arrived at Doak Campbell Stadium for the opener against Alabama. When Florida State’s defensive backs began warmups, he ran into some former Alabama teammates and others from the program whom he knew from his time there.
They briefly exchanged greetings.
“No bad blood at all, it was all good vibes,” Little said.
Weeks after Stanford fired coach Troy Taylor, wide receiver Tiger Bachmeier and his younger brother, Bear, an incoming freshman quarterback, entered the transfer portal. As BYU came into focus as their likely destination, the Bachmeier brothers immediately noticed that the team would be hosting Stanford in Week 2.
As soon as BYU finished its season-opening win against Portland State, Tiger Bachmeier sensed what was coming.
“You start to get a bit of anxiousness, not nervousness or nastiness,” he said. “You can’t really explain it. There’s something eerie and weird about the feeling.”
Although Bear Bachmeier would end up starting for BYU, he had been at Stanford for only a few months. Tiger, meanwhile, had started 13 games for the Cardinal and earned his computer science degree there in 2½ years.
“You build lasting relationships, and then when you pull the plug on that, it’s definitely an emotional thing,” Tiger Bachmeier said. “It was more detached for Bear.”
Arizona coach Brent Brennan said it’s important to recognize that transfers have a range of experiences with their former teams and those they left behind. When reunion games come around, his message is the same: Regardless of how things went before, the focus must remain on the current team and its mission.
Like other coaches, Brennan doesn’t amplify the situation, but he doesn’t ignore it, either.
“It might be a simple one-off conversation at the beginning of the week and then a reminder somewhere late in the week,” Brennan said. “You’re trying to keep them locked into the team and what the team needs from them on that day, and just trying to help them navigate any of the emotions they might have, and not letting that become either a distraction for your team or detrimental to their own play.”
COACHES ARE TASKED with getting every player ready to perform on game days. They’re also trying to gain every advantage possible, including potential intel on the opponent.
“I would say there probably is [information gathering],” Florida coach Billy Napier said, while adding, “not that you would talk about it [publicly].”
Last week, Arkansas faced an Ole Miss team that added three Razorbacks transfers in the offseason: offensive lineman Patrick Kutas, cornerback Jaylon Braxton and tight end Luke Hasz. Offensive lineman Kavion Broussard, meanwhile, came to Arkansas from Ole Miss and has seen action this season.
The transactions could have impacted both teams in their preparation, especially since Arkansas and Ole Miss have the same head coaches and primary coordinators from 2024.
“I’m sure that there’s conversations going on about calls and teaching and how we did things here, maybe,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said before the team’s 41-35 loss at Ole Miss. “… It’s not just Ole Miss, it’s anybody that transfers, where they could possibly help their team win a game. So we certainly understand that and are aware of that.”
When coaches get information, they also must assess how much, if at all, to adjust their plans.
“There’s a fine line in there, and sometimes you can start to outsmart yourself,” Sarkisian said. “Every team you play knows that they have a player that is a former player on your team. And then, OK, what do we need to change? What do we need to adjust? Sometimes you can get that information and then a coach can outsmart you. … I just think you have to be careful when it comes to trying to get information for former players from a school, assuming they know that player and they can outfox us.”
How Oklahoma coach Brent Venables defends Arnold will be a major subplot to Saturday’s game. On Tuesday, Venables applauded Arnold’s early success with Auburn after a 2024 season in which he eclipsed 200 passing yards just once.
Venables said he sees “the same guy … with a healthy football team around him,” referring to the surge of injuries that hit Oklahoma’s wide receiver group and other areas of the offense last fall. The coach also downplayed the potential advantage he will have in scheming against his former quarterback.
“Guys can change from one year to the next,” Venables said. “There’s a lot that you don’t know, because you’re not with them for the last eight months. … Jackson’s one of the most talented players in all of college football. He’s can throw, he’s got a big arm, he can run, he’s got a great capacity intellectually and great leadership skills, he’s been a winner his whole life. So I don’t think there’s any kind of advantage whatsoever.
“He saw our defense every single day in practice, so there’s going to be a familiarity to that.”
4:04
Auburn’s path to upset Oklahoma hinges on the run game
SEC Now’s Gene Chizik and Matt Stinchcomb explain why the No. 22 Tigers’ ground attack is the key to knocking off the No. 11 Sooners.
BEFORE BYU HOSTED Stanford, Tiger Bachmeier’s Cougars teammates quizzed him about some of Stanford’s players. Bachmeier, who describes himself as “pretty positive on everyone,” tried to highlight their best qualities.
“I enjoyed telling funny stories about the guys and the memories, character traits versus how he sets blocks,” Bachmeier said. “I don’t know if that’s what they were looking for. Some of those guys are my best friends.”
After leaving for BYU in the spring, Bachmeier stayed in contact with several Stanford players. The correspondence dwindled during training camp. When game week arrived, they simply wished each other good luck and asked if they should take pictures before or after the game.
One Stanford player suggested a pregame prayer. Before a game last year at Stanford Stadium, Bachmeier had met his brother Hank, a quarterback at Wake Forest, in the tunnel and they prayed together. But the group prayer was harder to coordinate.
“That was a really, really weird atmosphere during pregame because you’re trying to stay focused and you see your friends who you haven’t seen for five months,” Tiger Bachmeier said. “You want to say, ‘What’s up?'”
After the game, Bachmeier got a chance to see wide receiver Myles Libman, safety Charlie Eckhardt and offensive lineman Fisher Anderson — and take pictures.
“We all kind of ran up to each other and gave each other hugs for five straight minutes,” Bachmeier said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Little was hoping to see his Alabama friends after the opener, but Florida State fans had other ideas after the Seminoles’ 31-17 win.
“The field got rushed pretty quickly, so I unfortunately couldn’t go and holler at some of my old teammates,” Little said. “All the fans were jumping on me. I couldn’t say anything to those guys.”
He reached out to a few, but “they were mad at me,” Little joked, adding that the Alabama players did offer their congratulations.
“We missed each other,” Little said. “When it was time to step on the football field, it’s war. But at the end of the day, I’m still cool with those guys and have much respect for them.”
Arnold undoubtedly will be tracked before, during and after Saturday’s game, as many want to see how he interacts with Venables and others from his time at Oklahoma. But players and coaches who have been through transfer reunions say the trickiest part is the hours and minutes before kickoff.
“There’s no one way that it goes down,” Diaz said. “What I’ve found, more than anything is, once the game begins, the game becomes about the game, and everybody just sort of moves on.”
It’s official. Three teams have clinched playoff spots, meaning there are nine left to fill with 11 days remaining in the 2025 regular season.
For the second consecutive year, the Brewers clinched the season’s first postseason spot. They were followed by the Phillies, who first clinched a berth and won the National League East title for the second straight year the following night, and then the Cubs.
Now, we wait to see who’s next.
It’s just a matter of time before additional clubs lock up berths — such as the Blue Jays and Dodgers — but others still have a lot to play for. In the past week, we’ve seen the Mariners go on a run that has vaulted them back into first place in the division, while the Mets suffered a losing streak that almost dropped them out of the playoff picture entirely.
Some of these playoff races will go down to the final days of the season. Get ready for some exciting baseball!
Our expert panel has ranked every team 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 Buster Olney, Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.
Week 24 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings
Record: 93-59
Previous ranking: 1
The Brewers were the first team to clinch a postseason slot this season, but they have no time to rest on their laurels. Topping the remaining to-do list is the quest to hold off the Phillies for the NL’s top seed, which could be key if the teams meet in the NLCS given how dominant they’ve both been at home. If Milwaukee does that, it’ll also tick off its other major remaining items: breaking the franchise mark for wins in a season (96, set in 2011 and tied in 2018) and clinching the NL Central title over the pesky Cubs. — Doolittle
Record: 91-62
Previous ranking: 2
The Phillies clinched their second straight NL East title with a 10-inning win at Dodger Stadium on Monday. Kyle Schwarber hit his 53rd home run and Harrison Bader stole third base in the 10th, setting up the go-ahead sacrifice fly. That led to a raucous postgame celebration. Bryce Harper drank apple juice while his teammates had some stronger refreshments. Then they rallied for another dramatic win on Tuesday as backup catcher Rafael Marchan hit a two-out, three-run home run in the ninth following an intentional walk to Bryson Stott. The Phillies look ready for October. — Schoenfield
Record: 89-63
Previous ranking: 5
Toronto’s chances of winning the American League East stand at an overwhelming 95.6%, per FanGraphs, leaving manager John Schneider to deliberate over how to arrange his playoff rotation. Kevin Gausman seems to be the most logical choice to start in Game 1, and after that, Schneider has a wealth of options: Shane Bieber, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Eric Lauer and now rookie Trey Yesavage, who was dominant in his MLB debut on Monday. Other teams should be jealous of the Jays’ depth. — Olney
Record: 85-67
Previous ranking: 3
It’s easy to focus on what Shohei Ohtani is doing in the regular season and what role he might fill in the playoffs. But the Dodgers have the serious business of winning the NL West again to still take care of. The stakes are huge. Barring collapses elsewhere in the circuit, the winner of the West is going to be a 3-seed and the second-place team is going to be No. 5. Thus the Dodgers will either get to host the struggling Mets (probably), or they’ll find themselves playing the first round at Wrigley Field against a hungry Cubs team that has been playing well. — Doolittle
Record: 88-64
Previous ranking: 7
The Cubs aren’t out of the NL Central race just yet, but even if that pursuit comes up short, they are in solid position to be the league’s top wild card — and secured a playoff berth Wednesday with a win over Pittsburgh. The offense has been ticking up a little over the past couple of weeks, though the improvement hasn’t included first-half standout Pete Crow-Armstrong. He has been better than he was in August, but given his .446 OPS that month, the bar was low. Overall, his second-half OPS sits at .625. When the Cubs were roiling the scoreboard earlier this season, it was PCA leading the charge. North Siders would feel a lot better about the coming postseason if he is able to heat up over the last few days of the season. — Doolittle
Record: 85-67
Previous ranking: 4
The Tigers’ rotation struggles behind Tarik Skubal have been a little surprising, given the veterans on the roster. But that doesn’t mean manager A.J. Hinch will be without weapons in the playoffs. “You know how A.J. is — he’s going to mix and match from game to game,” said one evaluator. And the Tigers have developed or acquired a lot of bullpen options, including Troy Melton, Jose Urquidy (who pitched 1⅓ innings Sunday) and, they hope, Kyle Finnegan and Paul Sewald, who are working their way back from injury and are expected back soon. — Olney
Record: 85-67
Previous ranking: 6
Jose Caballero had started six consecutive games at shortstop for the Yankees before Anthony Volpe started Tuesday’s game, notching two hits. It appears there is effectively an open competition at the position: Whoever plays better will play. With Volpe eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, and with prospect George Lombard climbing (and thriving) through the farm system, it’s unclear who the Yankees’ shortstop will be in 2026. — Olney
Record: 83-69
Previous ranking: 12
You may have heard that Cal Raleigh is having quite the season. He hit his 55th and 56th home runs in the same game Tuesday, passing Mickey Mantle for the most home runs in a season by a switch-hitter and tying Ken Griffey Jr.’s club record with No. 56. Suddenly, Aaron Judge’s AL record of 62 home runs is back in play if Raleigh can mount a furious finish.
Oh, and the win in Kansas City, which has been a house of horrors for Seattle in recent seasons, was also the Mariners’ 10th in a row. Dominic Canzone went 5-for-5 with three home runs in the same game, becoming the fourth player in 2025 to reach those totals and just the 45th player to do it in the majors since 1901. (No player has done it twice.) The only other Mariner to do it was Mickey Brantley in 1987. (Mike Cameron didn’t have five hits in his four-homer game.) — Schoenfield
Record: 83-69
Previous ranking: 9
Will the Padres’ vaunted bullpen hold up over the stretch run and into the playoffs? Their rotation has been hit or miss for a month now, which only increases the load for a stacked bullpen fortified by the trade deadline acquisition of Mason Miller. Miller has been phenomenal as a Padre and it’s a good thing, since Jason Adam went down with an injury, Jeremiah Estrada has had a rough month in the gopher ball department and Adrian Morejon has struggled in September. Can the unit that so many viewed as the Padres’ October trump card regain its menace? — Doolittle
Record: 83-69
Previous ranking: 8
When the Red Sox took the first three games of a four-game series against the Yankees in late August, New York manager Aaron Boone was asked how Boston had improved during the season. “Roman Anthony is pretty good,” he replied, noting the difference the lefty-hitting rookie made. Since Anthony has been out of the lineup with an oblique injury, Boston is now feeling his absence in a significant way. In 35 games before he got hurt, he had a .326 average, and the Red Sox were 22-13. Since his injury, the Red Sox have gone 5-7, averaging less than 4.0 runs per game. — Olney
Record: 84-69
Previous ranking: 10
Just when you thought the injury list couldn’t get any longer for the Astros, Yordan Alvarez sprained his ankle while scoring a run in Monday’s win over the Rangers and will miss significant time. Alvarez had returned three weeks ago after missing 100 games with a broken bone in his hand. Rookie Zach Cole, playing just his fourth MLB game, replaced Alvarez in the lineup and hit the go-ahead home run, then added an RBI single. The Astros beat the Rangers again Tuesday as they held on for a 6-5 win after leading 6-0. Houston’s crucial week of AL West action will continue when the Mariners come to town for the battle for first place. — Schoenfield
Record: 79-74
Previous ranking: 13
The Rangers got to within two games of first place in the division after winning the first two games against the Mets over the weekend to extend their winning streak to six in a row. It looked like the seventh consecutive win was in reach after the Rangers scored twice to force extra innings in Sunday’s game, but they couldn’t score in the top of the 10th and rookie Luis Curvelo served up the walk-off home run to Pete Alonso. Two losses to the Astros followed and the Rangers fell behind Cleveland in the wild-card standings. They might have to go 6-0 on this upcoming homestand against the Marlins and Twins to even have a chance at the postseason. — Schoenfield
Record: 78-74
Previous ranking: 11
The wild, topsy-turvy, frustrating, unpredictable year continues for the Mets as they desperately try to hang on to the final wild card. They lost eight in a row before Pete Alonso perhaps rescued the season with his 10th-inning walk-off home run to beat the Rangers on Sunday. An eight-run outburst against Padres starter Michael King followed in New York’s next game. If the Mets are to hang on, the rookie starting pitcher trio of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat will play a huge role. McLean continues to take over as the rotation ace while Sproat’s second career start was a beauty — six scoreless innings against the Rangers. — Schoenfield
Record: 80-71
Previous ranking: 15
You really can’t apply logic to what’s going on with the Guardians these days, but here’s what’s left on the table for them as they try to press Boston for the last wild-card berth in the AL: four games in a weekend series in Minnesota, including a doubleheader Saturday, followed by six home games next week against the Tigers and Rangers. Keep in mind that Detroit is likely to be focused on preparing its rotation for the postseason, so Cleveland won’t see a full dose of Tarik Skubal, in all likelihood. — Olney
Record: 77-76
Previous ranking: 19
Arizona’s playoff odds dropped precariously close to zero near the end of August. Given the Diamondbacks’ deadline-related activity, which included trading a corner infield combo (Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez) who combined for 47 homers and 146 RBIs before being dealt, that was no surprise. What’s happened since is Arizona has climbed back to the outer perimeter of the wild-card race. How? The sagging Mets, a red-hot offense and the amazing Geraldo Perdomo, for whom you can make a solid case as the NL’s No. 2 pick on the MVP ballot behind Shohei Ohtani. — Doolittle
Record: 76-76
Previous ranking: 14
A tough series at Arizona probably sapped the Giants’ second-wind playoff chase, though all is not yet technically lost. But even if the postseason is out, Giants fans can focus on powerhouse Bryce Eldridge, summoned in mid-September for his big league debut. Eldridge began the season at Double-A and later moved up to Triple-A, where his results were a mixed bag. But the Giants had a need at first base and so took a chance that Eldridge — listed at 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds — is ready to make some McCovey Cove splashes at age 20. — Doolittle
Record: 76-76
Previous ranking: 17
For now, Reds fans can continue to fixate on the wild-card standings. That’s more to the largesse of the Mets — who stubbornly refuse to put a hammerlock on the NL’s 6-seed — than anything Cincinnati has done. But the standings are what they are, and if the Reds catch fire, they might yet play some October baseball in Terry Francona’s first season managing the club. Their remaining schedule is tough, though: four home games against the Cubs, a possible breather against Pittsburgh, then three games in Milwaukee, owner of baseball’s best record. — Doolittle
Record: 76-76
Previous ranking: 16
Though their chances of making the playoffs are all but zero, the Royals are still playing meaningful baseball, which is surprising given the volume of injuries they have sustained with their rotation this year. But here they are. Meanwhile, Salvador Perez has reached a couple of major benchmarks, mashing his 300th career homer (he’s now at 302) and notching his 1,000th career RBI (now 1,008). As former teammate Eric Hosmer wrote on Twitter: “HOFer on and off [the field]. If you disagree meet me in the octagon.” — Olney
Record: 74-78
Previous ranking: 18
Barring a binge of wins down the stretch, the Rays are not going to reach the playoffs this year, but they have a superstar in the making in third baseman Junior Caminero, who will likely get some top-10 MVP votes. Since the All-Star break, Caminero has clubbed 21 homers with 48 RBIs and an 0.919 OPS in 55 games. — Olney
Record: 74-79
Previous ranking: 20
To be frank, the Cardinals haven’t given their fans many reasons to remain engaged until the end of the season. Their playoff chances are spent and, as they play out the string, the September call-ups don’t involve elite prospects. Maybe the focus will be on the rumor mill with an eye toward what will happen when this ho-hum campaign finally draws to a close. We know that baseball operations chief John Mozeliak will be handing the baton to Chaim Bloom. What other changes may be in store? — Doolittle
Record: 71-81
Previous ranking: 23
What more can Nick Kurtz do in his rookie season? How about blasting a titanic 493-foot grand slam Saturday that soared over the batter’s eye in center field at Sutter Health Park. It was the longest home run in the majors this season, the longest by an A’s hitter in the Statcast era (since 2015) and the longest grand slam in the Statcast era. Kurtz has slowed down a bit in September, but his OPS continues to hover just above 1.000, trailing only Aaron Judge and neck and neck with Shohei Ohtani. — Schoenfield
Record: 72-80
Previous ranking: 21
Baltimore was eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday, a quiet ending to a season that began with such lofty expectations, following seasons of 101 and 91 wins in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The Orioles’ greatest challenge this winter will be to build a pitching staff behind Trevor Rogers with the likes of Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and perhaps Grayson Rodriguez. They have a number of arbitration-eligible players, but not a single starter or reliever under contract for 2026, 2027 or beyond. Money talks. — Olney
Record: 70-83
Previous ranking: 22
Matt Olson homered in four straight games and has been red-hot in September, hitting well over .300 with an OPS over 1.200. He quietly has had a terrific season, leading the NL in doubles (tied with Freddie Freeman), and he has a chance to get to both 100 runs and 100 RBIs for the third time in his career. His 6.2 WAR is fourth among NL position players. No, it’s not 2023, when he led the NL in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage, but he has a good case as the best first baseman in the majors in 2025. — Schoenfield
Record: 72-80
Previous ranking: 24
One thing to look forward to in 2026: Sandy Alcantara has looked much more like the pitcher he was before his Tommy John surgery, with a 3.09 ERA over his past 10 starts and 2.48 over his past six. While his 5.53 season ERA is still high, his OPS allowed is 0.712, not much higher than it was in 2023 (0.693). No, those aren’t anything close to his Cy Young numbers of 2022, but hopefully he can provide a stabilizing force next season to a rotation that has struggled overall with injuries and inconsistency and ranks 28th in ERA. — Schoenfield
Record: 66-86
Previous ranking: 26
By season’s end, Byron Buxton is likely to surpass career highs in plate appearances, hits, home runs and RBIs, among other categories. For years, he has been viewed through the prism of potential — what he might accomplish if not for the many injuries he has incurred in his career. Buxton has mostly stayed on the field this year and has likely set himself up for some top-10 votes on the AL MVP ballot. — Olney
Record: 69-83
Previous ranking: 25
The Angels’ woes continue as Seattle’s four-game sweep put them into last place behind the A’s. While they won’t reach last year’s franchise record 99 losses, they’ve locked in a 10th straight losing season. On the bright side, Jo Adell continues to mash home runs and is up to 36 on the season, although his overall value remains just 1.5 WAR due to a low OBP and subpar defensive metrics. (It hasn’t helped that the Angels have played him regularly in center field, a position he shouldn’t be playing.) Still, it’s been a nice season for the former top prospect, who entered 2025 with a career OPS+ of 79 spread across five seasons. — Schoenfield
Record: 65-88
Previous ranking: 27
Can Paul Skenes get his ERA back under 2.00 before the end of the season? His last outing (three runs and seven hits allowed over 3⅔ innings) was his poorest of the season, raising his ERA to 2.03. Pirates manager Don Kelly said that the outing would be Skenes’ last home start, and it’s up in the air whether he’ll get one or two more turns since Kelly has been using a six-man rotation. Let’s hope it’s two because Skenes Day is really all Pirates fans have to look forward to at this point. If he gets back under 2.00, he would become just the fifth pitcher to finish with a 1-something ERA over at least 100 innings in each of his first two seasons. — Doolittle
Record: 57-96
Previous ranking: 29
It’s possible — but unlikely — that the White Sox will avoid 100 losses; they would have to win six of their final 10 games in order to make that happen. Either way, it’s been a season of laying foundational pieces, none more important than shortstop Colson Montgomery, who hit 18 homers in his first 61 games in the majors (and counting). One of the challenges for the 23-year-old lefty-hitting shortstop is going to be performing better against left-handed pitching — he’s 11-for-62 (.177) against lefties with four walks. — Olney
Record: 62-91
Previous ranking: 28
The Nationals are going to need a complete overhaul in the offseason as they inch closer to 100 losses. Even James Wood and MacKenzie Gore have struggled in the second half. With 209 strikeouts, Wood has a shot to break Mark Reynolds’ MLB record of 223 set in 2009. The rotation ERA has increased from 4.77 in the first half to 5.92 in the second as Jake Irvin and Mitchell Parker have seen their season ERAs creep closer to 6.00. Parker has an 8.26 ERA since the beginning of August and has allowed at least one home run in nine consecutive starts. Irvin has a 7.78 ERA since late June. They shouldn’t be in the rotation, but the Nationals don’t have any other options. — Schoenfield
Record: 41-111
Previous ranking: 30
What should Rockies fans watch the rest of the way? The one-word answer: Broncos. But that’s too easy. So here’s this: One thing that is remarkable about this team is that it has drawn nearly 30,000 fans per game this season. That works out to around 55,000 per win in the overall standings. During their first two seasons in MLB, playing at Mile High Stadium, the expansion Rockies drew around 63,000 fans per win. If the Rockies can lose out while drawing an average of 45,000 fans during their remaining home games, they can just eke over the 60,000 fans-per-win mark for the first time since those expansion years. Then we can all rejoice. — Doolittle
A number of teams are starting to shift their focus to October as the final month of the 2025 MLB regular season continues.
The Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs have both clinched postseason berths, with the Brewers gunning for the NL Central title. The Philadelphia Phillies have also locked up their division title, and the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays are pretty much playoff locks with leads in their divisions, as well.
Beyond division races, there are many storylines to watch as the regular season comes to an end and playoffs begin: Where do current playoff matchups stand? What games should you be paying attention to each day leading up to October? Who will be the next team to clinch a postseason berth? And what does the playoff schedule look like?
We have everything you need to know as the regular season hits the homestretch.
Key links: Full MLB standings | Wild-card standings
Who’s in?
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers clinched the season’s first playoff spot for a second consecutive year on Saturday with a Mets’ loss to Texas.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies clinched a spot in October on Sunday with the Giants’ loss to the Dodgers. On Monday with a win over the Dodgers, they clinched the NL East title for the second straight year.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs clinched their spot in the postseason on Wednesday with a win over the Pirates. It’s their first playoff appearance in a full-length season since 2018.
Who can clinch a playoff spot next?
The Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers have the chance to clinch their playoff spots this week. The Tigers, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres all have at least a 99% chance of making the postseason, as well.
What are this October’s MLB playoff matchups as it stands now?
American League
Wild-card round: (6) Red Sox at (3) Astros, (5) Mariners at (4) Yankees
ALDS: Red Sox/Astros vs. (2) Tigers, Mariners/Yankees vs. (1) Blue Jays
National League
Wild-card round: (6) Mets at (3) Dodgers, (5) Padres at (4) Cubs
NLDS: Mets/Dodgers vs. (2) Phillies, Padres/Cubs vs. (1) Brewers
Breaking down the AL race
The Blue Jays and Tigers enter the homestretch battling for the AL’s No. 1 seed, with Detroit all but a lock for the AL Central crown. While Toronto sits atop the AL East, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are duking it out for wild-card seeding. And the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners are attempting to separate themselves from each other in a two-team AL West race. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Guardians remain within striking distance for the final wild-card spot.
And what about when these teams get to the postseason? Here’s what their chances are for every round:
Breaking down the NL race
The Brewers were the first MLB team to seal its spot in October, and the Phillies — who then sealed an NL East title — clinched next. A group of contenders have separated themselves atop the NL standings with the New York Mets clinging to a lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds for the final playoff spot, and there is plenty of intrigue in the NL West as the Dodgers attempt to fend off the Padres for the division crown.
And what about when these teams get to the postseason? Here’s what their chances are for every round:
Game of the day
Looking for something to watch today? Here’s the baseball game with the biggest playoff implications:
Playoff schedule
Wild-card series
Best of three, all games at better seed’s stadium
Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 30
Game 2: Wednesday, Oct. 1
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 2*
Division series
Best of five
ALDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Sunday, Oct. 5
Game 3: Tuesday, Oct. 7
Game 4: Wednesday, Oct. 8*
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 10*
NLDS
Game 1: Saturday, Oct. 4
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 6
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 8
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 9*
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 11*
League championship series
Best of seven
ALCS
Game 1: Sunday, Oct. 12
Game 2: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 15
Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 5: Friday, Oct. 17*
Game 6: Sunday, Oct. 19*
Game 7: Monday, Oct. 20*
NLCS
Game 1: Monday, Oct. 13
Game 2: Tuesday, Oct. 14
Game 3: Thursday, Oct. 16
Game 4: Friday, Oct. 17
Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 18*
Game 6: Monday, Oct. 20*
Game 7: Tuesday, Oct. 21*
World Series
Best of seven
Game 1: Friday, Oct. 24
Game 2: Saturday, Oct. 25
Game 3: Monday, Oct. 27
Game 4: Tuesday, Oct. 28
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29*
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31*
Game 7: Saturday, Nov. 1*
* If necessary
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment12 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024