
MLB trade grades: Report cards for every major deal
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Bradford Doolittle
CloseBradford Doolittle
ESPN Staff Writer
- MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com
- Former NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com
- Been with ESPN since 2013
-
David Schoenfield
CloseDavid Schoenfield
ESPN Senior Writer
- Covers MLB for ESPN.com
- Former deputy editor of Page 2
- Been with ESPN.com since 1995
Jul 31, 2025, 07:02 PM ET
It’s MLB trade season!
From the early deals that got things started to the last-minute rush of deadline day activity, this is your one-stop shop for grades and analysis breaking down the details for this year’s biggest trades.
ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield evaluate and grade the most significant moves below.
Rangers get:
RHP Merrill Kelly
Diamondbacks get:
LHP Kohl Drake
LHP Mitch Bratt
RHP David Hagaman
Rangers grade: B-
When the Rangers won the 2023 World Series, they started the season fast, hit the skids, held on to get into the AL bracket and then caught fire again in October. This year’s team is following a very different trajectory. For much of the season, the Texas offense was so mystifyingly bad that it undermined a strong pitching staff, especially the rotation. Not long ago, it seemed very unlikely Texas would be in position to add a player of Kelly’s caliber, but here we are.
Kelly will bump one of the Rangers’ young starters — Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter — from the core-five rotation, with Rocker the most likely choice and a candidate to become, for now, a leverage reliever. If Tyler Mahle can make it back from a rotator cuff issue, they’ll both get bumped. But this is a good problem to have for a team trying to keep pace in a clustered AL wild-card chase, and an AL West race that remains up for grabs.
Kelly’s salary in this last year before he hits free agency is just $7 million and the Rangers’ portion of that won’t get them to the first luxury tax threshold and might even leave some space for more additions — preferably for the bullpen. (This assumes of course that staying under the threshold is a goal.) Kelly is a consistent No. 2-type starter who has a better career road ERA than at home after toiling so much in the hitter-ish Chase Field.
It’s a right-now upgrade, but the prospect price is pretty steep here for a player on an expiring deal who adds to an area of existing strength. Hence the solid but not superlative grade, but it’s an odds booster for the Rangers.
Diamondbacks grade: B+
Diamondbacks baseball chief Mike Hazen doesn’t mess around when he decides to subtract. The Snakes are going to look very different coming out of the deadline, and their fans have to wonder what might have been if Arizona had enjoyed better injury luck.
Drake is the standout here, a 6-5 lefty with good stuff, a deep arsenal and above-average command, he has a chance to be at least a mid-rotation starter. Hagaman is raw and, at 22, remains in the low minors as he seeks to improve his control enough to allow his lively pitches to play.
If Drake doesn’t lead this pack, Bratt does. Another lefty, Bratt was a top-10 Rangers prospect at MLB Pipeline who is having a big season in the Double-A Texas League. Bratt, 21, is very young for that level, yet is 6-3 with a 3.18 ERA, 106 strikeouts and just 16 walks. He has given up 13 long balls. — Doolittle
Mets get:
CF Cedric Mullins
Orioles get:
RHP Anthony Nunez
RHP Raimon Gomez
RHP Chandler Marsh
Mets grade: B
Center field was an area of need for a Mets team that is all-in for a 2025 push. Mullins, a former All-Star and top-10 MVP finisher, has the pedigree of a first-division performer at that spot. And, let’s face it, the remaining options in center on the trade market were pretty limited.
Ideally, the Mets would have added a righty option in center, as their recent outfield mix of Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil consisted of all lefties, like Mullins, and righty-swinging Tyrone Taylor has had a poor season at the plate. But you have to choose from what the market yields, and Mullins is a proven guy. For what it’s worth, Mullins’ numbers against righty pitching this season are brutal. In that regard, he has the same odd platoon splits as McNeil.
The key to this deal might have been the Mets’ evaluation of where Mullins is at as a defender. The defensive rating systems differ tremendously on him in that regard, with assessment ranging from awful to above average. As it is, New York gets a quality player motivated by impending free agency, without giving up anyone it will miss.
Orioles grade: C+
All three hurlers Baltimore picked up from the Mets are righty relievers, with Nunez ranking the highest of the trio. A two-way player in college and a hitter after being drafted in the 29th round by the Padres in 2019, Nunez moved to the mound full time after signing with the Mets as a minor league free agent last season.
The switch has gone well. Nunez has a 1.80 ERA while striking out 13 batters per nine innings over the last two seasons. His success has continued all the way to his current level, Double-A, and he should be a big league relief option for the Orioles sooner than later.
It’s not the sexiest return for someone who contributed as much to the Orioles as Mullins. But he did himself and the O’s no favors with his replacement-level season to date as he approaches free agency. — Doolittle
Rays get:
RHP Griffin Jax
Twins get:
RHP Taj Bradley
Rays grade: C
It’s been a fairly stunning sequence between the Rays and Bradley. After Tampa Bay demoted the long-touted righty earlier this month, Bradley responded with seven no-hit scoreless innings in a Triple-A start on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Rays dealt Zack Littell to Cincinnati, seemingly opening the door to bring Bradley back into the big league rotation. Not so fast! Bradley’s next start will be for the Twins.
The Rays apparently became convinced that Bradley needed a change of scenery, and at the same time, they add one of the game’s most vicious relievers in Jax. It’s been a strange season for the 30-year-old righty, who sports a 4.50 ERA but a 2.00 FIP. Which is more telling? Given Jax’s 72 strikeouts in 46 innings, we’ll go with the latter. Both hurlers have multiple years of team control remaining.
The grade reflects the simple reality that I’m not sure how to process this. Generally, you don’t trade a talented 24-year-old starter for a talented 30-year-old short reliever. But the Rays generally know what they are doing.
Twins grade: B+
Getting Bradley means the Twins have locked down a deep core of rotation hurlers for the next few seasons, especially since rumors of a Joe Ryan trade didn’t come to fruition. Minnesota’s pitching program has been a good one, though of course so has Tampa Bay’s, but perhaps the Twins can unlock the potential that marked Bradley as a top prospect. With the Twins offloading everyone not nailed down over the past couple of days, the bullpen picture in particular now looks problematic with Jax joining Jhoan Duran and Louis Varland in the club of ex-Twins. — Doolittle
Red Sox get:
RHP Dustin May
Dodgers get:
OF James Tibbs III
OF Zach Ehrhard
Red Sox grade: C-
May was a key pitcher on the 2020 World Series championship team for the Dodgers, but pitched just 101 innings over the next four seasons before returning this year and posting a 4.85 ERA in 18 starts. As the ERA suggests, he hasn’t been too effective, with both a high home run rate and a high walk rate. He doesn’t throw as hard as he did back in 2020, and that shows up in how hard his sinker has been hit this season (.285 average and .633 slugging percentage).
May is heading into free agency, so this doesn’t even fit the idea of “let’s get him this season and maybe he’ll be better next year as he’s further removed from surgery.” He can join the rotation in place of Richard Fitts or even a mediocre Walker Buehler, or maybe he goes to the bullpen, where his fastball might play up a little better.
Dodgers grade: C+
Tibbs was the Giants’ first-round pick last year out of Florida State before going to the Red Sox in the Rafael Devers deal, but he hasn’t hit much at all after a promotion to Double-A (.205/.321/.268 in 29 games). Still, the Dodgers have had success before with guys like this — think of Max Muncy and Chris Taylor — so getting him for a pitcher they didn’t need is worth the roll of the dice even if it never pans out. — Schoenfield
Astros get:
SS Carlos Correa
Twins get:
LHP Matt Mikulski
Astros grade: B
Rumors of this possible trade started floating a couple of days ago, although it still feels like a George Foreman uppercut: Whammo! To facilitate the deal, the Twins will include $33 million to help cover the remaining $103 million or so owed Correa over the rest of 2025 and the next three seasons (he also has some complicated vesting options that run through 2032).
The Astros have been hemorrhaging players via injury, including both shortstop Jeremy Pena and third baseman Isaac Paredes, but have remarkably maintained their lead in the AL West even though half the lineup looks like it should be playing for Triple-A Sugar Land (which it was not so long ago). With Pena apparently set to return on Friday, that means Correa will take over at third base — where he has never played a professional inning.
What kind of player are the Astros getting? Correa turns 31 in September and has battled injuries for years and offensive inconsistency in recent seasons. He had a strong year at the plate in 2024 but was a below-average hitter in 2023 and so far in 2025. He still has plus bat speed and above-average contact rates, but he’s hitting more balls on the ground than ever, plus his walk rate has declined. His defensive metrics at shortstop have likewise declined, although he should make a smooth and quick transition to third base.
Bottom line: Baseball Reference values him at just 0.1 WAR in 2025, FanGraphs a little higher at 1.1. He’s one year removed from being a good player, but it seems fair to suggest he’s unlikely be an elite player again given his age and injury history. Of course, a return to Houston — where Correa still lives in the offseason — could serve as a rejuvenation of sorts, as he never seemed completely comfortable with the Twins. Still, even if the trade helps the Astros in 2025, there is long-term risk here, even with the Twins paying down some of the future salary.
Going back to last offseason with the Kyle Tucker trade and letting Alex Bregman go to now bringing Correa back, it’s hard to figure out the Astros’ philosophy, and no doubt this deal might have come from owner Jim Crane, a big fan of Correa’s. One thing is clear though: The Astros keep on winning.
Twins grade: C
Well, it’s officially a crushingly disappointing season in Minnesota, with the trades of Correa, Jhoan Duran and Harrison Bader. It’s hard to argue against the decision to trade away these guys given the Twins’ 51-57 record, but this feels like a setback season for an organization that has shown promise since winning 101 games in 2019 but never figured out how to get over the top (or spent a little extra money in trying to do so).
In one sense, however, this trade makes perfect sense: Correa is being paid a superstar salary, and he’s no longer a superstar. Given their self-imposed payroll cap, it might improve the Twins’ long-term chances, assuming they can properly reinvest that money in the right players. This trade is mostly about dumping the salary rather than what the Twins got in return. We could label this one incomplete until we see what the Twins do in the offseason. For now, we’ll give it a C, which sums up the Carlos Correa era in Minnesota that will end with just one playoff appearance in four seasons. — Schoenfield
Padres get:
1B/DH Ryan O’Hearn
OF Ramon Laureano
Orioles get:
RHP Boston Bateman
IF Cobb Hightower
IF/OF Victor Figueroa
RHP Tyson Neighbors
INF Brandon Butterworth
RHP Tanner Smith
Padres grade: A-
So I was a little down in my assessment of the Padres’ blockbuster with the Athletics, believing that move to be a precursor to San Diego paring payroll. Clearly, I don’t know AJ Preller at all, though I thought I did. The Padres are … all … the … way … in, with Preller patching up three lineup holes and adding dynamism to his roster on the same day.
Between his stints in Kansas City and Baltimore, O’Hearn was DFA’d several times, and entering his age-29 season, there was little to indicate he’d become a sought-after deadline target. But he found himself as an Oriole, producing all through his time in Baltimore, culminating this year with being selected as the AL’s All-Star DH. Now he has a chance to play a major role for a franchise doing everything it can to win its first-ever championship.
Meanwhile, Laureano has been even better than O’Hearn at the plate and slots into left field for San Diego, one of the weakest spots of any contending team. The Padres entered the day ranked 28th in left by wins above average, 29th at DH and dead last at catcher. They now have Laureano, O’Hearn and Freddy Fermin to upgrade those slots. Look out, Dodgers.
Orioles grade: B+
The Orioles are doing the right thing in shedding their expiring deals and adding prospects in bulk to replenish their system, especially on the pitching side. Meanwhile, in moving Ramon Urias, O’Hearn, Laureano and Cedric Mullins over the past couple of days, Baltimore can go young all around the diamond over the next two months and see what its rebuilding effort of a few years ago truly wrought.
Bateman headlines this return. A 6-8 lefty, MLB Pipeline grades him with an above-average fastball and a plus curve to go with average command. It’s a nice foundation to work from and, at 19, the second-round pick from 2024 is performing well at Low-A. — Doolittle
Astros get:
OF Jesus Sanchez
Marlins get:
SS Chase Jaworsky
RHP Ryan Gusto
OF Esmil Valencia
Astros grade: C-
More than anything, the addition of Sanchez means we aren’t likely to see much more, if any, of Jose Altuve playing left field. We’ll probably also see much less of Cooper Hummel and his career 55 OPS+. Sanchez is a second-division, platoon-level outfielder. He plays average defense on the corners, can play center in a pinch, and has decent secondary skills at the plate against righties. He doesn’t hit southpaws at all and was a bit overexposed during his time in Miami.
When Jeremy Pena returns to action, Mauricio Dubon might end up taking some of Sanchez’s time in left, especially against lefties, but that’s fine. Sanchez plugs a right-now gap for an injury-riddled team that has been flailing on offense.
Marlins grade: B
Ordinarily, I’d hammer on the Marlins for offloading a veteran regular, but as you’ve probably surmised, I’m not that sold on Sanchez as a contention-worthy regular. Jaworsky was one of the top 10 prospects in Houston, though it’s not a highly rated system. Gusto has been invaluable for the Astros in helping them work through rotation injuries. His 4.92 rookie season ERA is a bit misleading given his supporting numbers, and he’ll add to a deepening arsenal of Marlins rotation options.
It’s a sensible move for Miami, but it does merit mentioning: The Marlins might not be in the playoff race, but they have been building up momentum, and their pitching staff has been one of baseball’s hottest for more than two months. Let’s hope their deadline direction doesn’t stunt those positive developments. — Doolittle
Yankees get:
RHP David Bednar
Pirates get:
C Rafael Flores
C Edgleen Perez
OF Brian Sanchez
Yankees grade: B+
It’s no secret the Yankees desired bullpen help — usually a strength of the team, the pen ranks 21st in the majors with a 4.24 ERA, a figure that has ballooned to 6.29 in July. Closer Devin Williams has had a wildly inconsistent season after coming over from the Brewers, struggling in April, looking good for a couple of months, but now he has allowed runs in four of his past six appearances, including two home runs. Luke Weaver, who came out of nowhere last season to end up as the Yankees’ closer, hasn’t been quite as dominant either, mostly due to a high home run rate (seven in 40⅔ innings).
That suggests it’s possible Bednar even gets a crack at the closer role. After struggling out of the gate to begin the season, he has allowed just one earned run over his past 24 appearances. Bednar’s four-seamer averages 97, but it’s not necessarily a dominant pitch, as he gets most of his swing-and-miss off his curveball and a splitter that he uses effectively against lefties. While Bednar is 17-for-17 in save chances, he does have five losses, so, umm, don’t use him in a tie game?
As a bonus, Bednar also comes with another year of team control. Granted, pitching for Pittsburgh is a lot different than pitching in New York — ask Williams about the pressures of going from a small market to pitching for the Yankees, where the fans will turn on you after that first blown save — but Bednar gives Aaron Boone another late-game, high-leverage arm, no matter what role he settles into.
Pirates grade: C-
One thing the Yankees seem to do well is develop catching prospects and the Pirates got two of them in this deal. That sort of makes sense as Henry Davis, the former No. 1 pick, just hasn’t hit and Endy Rodriguez, once a top-50-ish prospect, has barely played the past two seasons. That has left journeyman Joey Bart (also once a top prospect) as the regular catcher in 2025. Trying to find a long-term solution is a good idea, although the Pirates could use help all over the diamond.
Perez was the Yankees’ No. 10 prospect, but he’s light years from the majors, a 19-year-old hitting .209 with no home runs in low-A ball. He has drawn a lot of walks, but as you might surmise, defense is his calling card. Still, unless something drastic happens with the bat, it’s hard to envision him as anything more than backup. Flores is a more offensive-minded backstop, hitting .287/.346/.496 in Double-A with 15 home runs in 335 at-bats. The analytics department will like his max exit velocity numbers (115 mph), but he’s a fringy defender who might end up as a first baseman, where the bat might not play.
Sanchez is a 20-year-old outfielder in low-A ball with some speed and not much power yet. Given some of the other returns for elite relievers, and factoring in that Bednar comes with another year of team control, it feels like a bit of a light return for the Pirates. — Schoenfield
Yankees get:
RHP Camilo Doval
Giants get:
C/3B Jesus Rodriguez
RHP Trystan Vrieling
IF Parks Harber
LHP Carlos De La Rosa
Yankees grade: B
Duval is a pure fireballer who has excelled in a closing role at times, but his job description has wavered, as does his command. He’s one of those maddening relievers who walks himself into trouble, then tries to strike his way out of it. But the arm is the real deal, and his end-of-the-day acquisition was the final piece of a completely overhauled Yankees bullpen. Now, in some order of preference, Aaron Boone can summon David Bednar, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Duval, Tim Hill and Jake Bird. The Yankees didn’t land the starter they needed, but maybe they won’t miss that pitcher now.
Giants grade: C+
The highest rated of these prospects are Rodriguez and Vrieling, but there’s no one above 18th or so in the Yankees organization. Rodriguez is the top ranked, and it seems like everyone wants to get their hands on a Yankees-developed catcher for their success in developing defensive backstops. Rodriguez is more a bat-first guy, though. Vrieling grades out as a potential league-average starter, but only if he can develop at least one standout offering. It feels more like a quantity over quality package, one that could have been meatier given Doval’s two additional seasons of team control. — Doolittle
Yankees get:
RHP Jake Bird
Rockies get:
2B Roc Riggio
LHP Ben Shields
Yankees grade: C
After earlier acquiring David Bednar, the Yankees add another bullpen option with herky-jerky-slinging Bird, who is under team control through 2028. He was one of the hottest relievers in baseball through early June when he had a 1.41 ERA, but he’s been beat up of late, with a 13.20 ERA over his past 17 appearances and a diminishing strikeout rate compared with early in the season. The Rockies worked him heavily those first two months, so the Yankees will hope that maybe less frequent usage will get him back on track. He also had little track record of success heading into the season, so there’s no guarantee he’s anything more than a low-leverage relief option.
Rockies grade: C
The Rockies get a couple long shot prospects in return. Riggio was a fourth-round pick from Oklahoma State in 2023 who is currently tearing up the minors with a .567 slugging percentage, including .542 in 40 games at Double-A. He generates surprising power from the left side despite his 5-9 frame, but there’s a lot of swing-and-miss here and he’s definitely limited to second base. Also: He has the right name for a Rockies player. Shields is old for a prospect at 26 and has battled some injuries in 2025, but he is equipped with a solid-average fastball and plus curveball and could be a late bloomer. No guarantees here, but a fair return for a marginal relief pitcher. — Schoenfield
Padres get:
RHP Mason Miller
LHP JP Sears
Athletics get:
SS Leo De Vries
RHP Braden Nett
RHP Henry Baez
RHP Eduarniel Nunez
Padres grade: B
Miller is no doubt a great talent, and Sears is a consistent source of innings. For now, the Padres’ staff looks positively loaded, but the key words in this sentence are “for now” — because this move was probably as much about payroll as talent. The Padres can prove me wrong by continuing to add, but this doesn’t feel like a typical “A.J. Preller going for it” situation.
Miller has been one of baseball’s most electric closers since being shifted to the back of the Athletics’ bullpen early last year. He might be the best reliever to move at the deadline, surpassing Ryan Helsley and Jhoan Duran, though we can debate that later. But from a pure roster need, this trade accomplishes nothing for the 2025 Padres. Worse, possible deals to come involving Robert Suarez and Dylan Cease could mean Preller’s deadline machinations prove to be a short-term net negative for a team with firm grip on a wild-card slot and the talent to go deep in the playoffs.
San Diego’s bullpen has been the best in baseball all season. Based on my rankings that rate relievers on game-by-game win probability results, the Padres have the top overall relief staff and four of the top nine individual relievers, including Suarez (No. 1), Adrian Morejon (3), Jason Adam (8) and Jeremiah Estrada (9). Miller ranks 30th, but after a slump earlier in the season, he has been hot of late.
Miller and Sears are both pre-arbitration and so don’t cost anything. If the Padres kept everyone intact, the staff would be a beast come October. And it might be anyway, but the savings that would come from moving Suarez and Cease might be enough to get San Diego under the second tax threshold. Even if that doesn’t happen, Cease is in a walk year for sure, and Suarez, who can opt out, likely is as well, as he looks to cash in on his strong season. So even if Preller deals that duo, he is still coming out ahead in terms of net controllable years.
But that doesn’t mean the Padres come out ahead in either short-term or future value. For this season, Miller plus Sears is likely a lesser combination than Suarez plus Cease. That’s rough if that’s how it turns out. And longer term, to make this deal, Preller has again pillaged his minor league system, giving up a truly elite talent in Leo De Vries (preseason No. 15 by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and current No. 3 by MLB Pipeline), just to start.
If the Padres don’t unload Cease and Suarez, this grade bumps up to a B on the strength of 2025 championship probability added. It doesn’t become an A, though, because De Vries is that strong of a prospect.
Update: As suggested, the fact that the Padres did not deal either Cease or Suarez — as the rumors and tea leaves suggested they might — changes the way this trade should be considered. Basically, the Padres have gone all-in and have done so with gusto. I still think dealing De Vries to add to a position of strength holds down the grade a bit, but it looks a lot better now than it did this morning. Payroll be damned — AJ Preller is going for it. (And we’ve raised the grade from a D- to a B.)
Athletics grade: A
I love Miller, but come on. I never wanted the Athletics to pigeonhole Miller as a short reliever, but they did, and it feels like he’s fixed there. (Though conversions, such as the Mets with Clay Holmes, have shown it’s never too late). Still, to land De Vries, just 18 and already at High-A, for a reliever is a coup. Exciting power potential, plus plate discipline, a strong arm — he’s the stuff that stars are made of. Shortly after news of this deal dropped, I received a text predicting that someday both the AL MVP (De Vries) and NL MVP (James Wood) will be prospects Preller traded. It could happen. The fans in Vegas are going to love him.
Meanwhile, the A’s add three pitching prospects. Baez and Nunez both rank in the 10 to 20 range in San Diego’s system, according to analysts, but Nett was their No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, behind De Vries and talented young catcher Ethan Salas, who at last check of my text messages remains a prospect in the San Diego system, but stay tuned.
Nett has a high-end fastball (up to 99 mph, per MLB Pipeline) to headline a five-pitch arsenal. He has struck out more than 10 batters per nine innings in the minors, albeit with ugly walk rates that underscore so-so grades for command. But those walk rates have improved each season, and he’s not far off from his big league debut. It’s an impressive haul for the A’s. — Doolittle
Padres get:
C Freddy Fermin
Royals get:
RHP Ryan Bergert
RHP Stephen Kolek
Padres grade: B
The Padres had the worst catching situation in baseball, at least at the big league level. They rank 30th in WAR at that spot for the season to date and are projected to rank 30th there in the rest-of-season forecast. So upgrading the position was both necessary and hard to do. San Diego did well in nabbing the underrated Fermin, a dynamic defensive backstop with an elite ability to control the running game.
He’s no great shakes on offense but does feature good contact ability to pair with his aggressive approach. It’s enough to make him better than what San Diego was working with. Fermin is in the final season of his pre-arbitration window and should move into a mostly everyday role for Mike Shildt over the rest of the season. Assuming Fermin is still around when Ethan Salas is ready for the majors, Fermin is an ideal No. 2 backstop.
Kolek and, especially, Bergert have pitched well, helping the Padres navigate through rotation injuries. That AJ Preller dealt them on the same day he acquired JP Sears from the A’s is particularly interesting because it leaves Preller once again with a clear five-man core rotation, at least until Michael King is healthy. If this means San Diego is going to hold onto Dylan Cease, it’s all the better.
Royals grade: B+
Fermin was the most popular Freddy/Freddie in Kansas City since Patek and has played a key role over the past two seasons. His ability to produce on both sides of the plate, especially defensively, has allowed the Royals to move Salvador Perez around to first base and DH more often. But the Royals can afford to part with Fermin thanks to the deepest set of catching prospects around, a group that includes 21-year-old Carter Jensen, who has clubbed eight homers and put up a .938 OPS over his first 22 games in Triple-A.
Meanwhile, injuries to Kris Bubic, Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen created a short-term need in the rotation. The Royals have had excellent luck in working with acquired veteran starters — especially former Padre Seth Lugo — and will attempt to do the same for Bergert and Kolek. It’s a win-win trade for two teams trying to plug holes for the stretch run. — Doolittle
Phillies get:
OF Harrison Bader
Twins get:
OF Hendry Mendez
RHP Geremy Villoria
Phillies grade: B-
This fits into the “logical but low-impact” department. The Phillies rank 22nd in OPS from center field (Brandon Marsh has been OK, but Johan Rojas hasn’t hit at all) and 26th in OPS from left field (mostly Max Kepler). Bader can slot into either position. He played mostly left field for the Twins with Byron Buxton in center, but he is probably a defensive upgrade over Marsh, so he could push Marsh over to left field. It’s not a perfect alignment since Marsh and Kepler both bat left-handed, but Bader gives the Phillies a much-needed right-handed bat and improves the overall depth.
The issue here is that Bader is having his best offensive season since 2021 — and the Statcast metrics don’t back up those numbers, with an expected batting average of .225 and expected slugging of .385, compared to actual figures of .258 and .439. It wouldn’t be surprising to see his production dip the rest of the season, more in line with what he’s done in recent years. He has always been better in a part-time role, so while he might get the opportunity to play on a regular basis, it’s possible Bader ends up back in a platoon role, with Kepler and Marsh getting the bulk of the at-bats against righties. Still, with a limited number of right-handed bats available, Bader is a nice get for Dave Dombrowski and a clear upgrade over Rojas.
Twins grade: C
Mendez is a 21-year-old left-handed hitter, the Phillies’ No. 8 prospect. He has good contact skills and is hitting .290 at Double-A Reading, but that’s a great hitter’s park — he is hitting just .259 on the road. He is also limited to a corner outfield position and hasn’t delivered much impact, so he looks like a tweener, lacking the defensive chops for center and the power for a corner position.
Villoria is — get this — a 16-year-old right-hander. He has pitched 14 innings in the Dominican Summer League and has fanned 19 batters. He could be anything, the very definition of a lottery ticket — hey, sometimes those players turn into Fernando Tatis Jr. or Junior Caminero. Check back in a few years on him. — Schoenfield
Blue Jays get:
RHP Shane Bieber
Guardians get:
RHP Khal Stephen
Blue Jays grade: B+
Over the past two seasons, Bieber has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 20-1 in the majors. Unfortunately, that’s been compiled over just two starts, two sparkling outings early in the 2024 season. This season, Bieber has a ratio of 21-1 in the minors. Unfortunately, that’s been compiled over just four outings.
Those small sample observations do a nifty job of illustrating both the risk and the reward of this deal for the Blue Jays, who gave up real prospect talent in Stephen. When he pitches, Bieber is one of the best, an almost impossible combination of command and the ability to work in the zone without damage. But the stress his vicious arsenal puts on his elbow has kept him from putting that ability on display.
Bieber’s last rehab outing was Tuesday, when he threw 57 pitches over four innings, striking out seven and (of course) walking none. He did give up a homer to a young guy named Jake Holton, who will surely cherish the memory. Bieber has been ramping up after experiencing elbow soreness earlier this season, delaying his return. Obviously, for this deal to become official, the Jays will have to be satisfied with Bieber’s medicals.
Bieber has a team option for 2026 ($16 million with a $4 million buyout), which justifies the inclusion of Stephen in the deal. If he pitches — not an insignificant “if” — he would play a major role in aiding Toronto’s effort to get back to the World Series for the first time since the early 1990s. The Jays still need to add to their bullpen, however, among other areas.
Guardians grade: C+
As ever, the Guardians spin things forward, cashing in on the remaining value of Bieber’s contract and shedding the risk attached to his injury history. I still don’t love it, as I’m weary of franchises like this that are well run for the most part but too often seem satisfied to tread water. Cleveland always seems to be on the cusp of breaking through, only to back off. The Guardians aren’t out of this year’s chase, yet this is very much a move for the future.
That’s what holds back this grade, not the return of Stephen, a second-round pick by Toronto last year. His numbers this season in the minors are eye-popping: 9-1, 2.06 ERA over 91⅔ innings and 99 strikeouts against just 18 walks. That’s stretched out across three levels, including his Double-A debut July 20. He has average-to-better grades on four pitches and his command, but no real elite offering. He works in the low-to-mid 90s, so he’s not a burner. And he’s not Shane Bieber. — Doolittle
Mariners get:
3B Eugenio Suarez
Diamondbacks get:
1B Tyler Locklear
RHP Juan Burgos
RHP Hunter Cranton
Mariners grade: A
Just a couple of days after acquiring Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks, the Mariners go back to their frequent trade partner and get the best power bat available at the deadline — and not just the best available, but one of the best sluggers in the game. Suarez is fifth in the majors with 36 home runs (and there’s a big gap to the next guy with 27), giving the Mariners MLB’s top home run duo now with Suarez and Cal Raleigh.
This hasn’t merely been a hot stretch for Suarez. Going back to last July when he made some adjustments (moving closer to the plate and opening up his stance), Suarez ranks fourth in the majors with 60 home runs and sixth in OPS, hitting .276/.336/.594 in 184 games.
Yes, his strikeout rate remains high at 26.8%, although that’s still lower than the 31% it was at during his first stint with the Mariners in 2022-23. There’s also some concern about his ability to catch up to good fastballs — he’s hitting .224 and slugging .408 against fastballs 95-plus mph — but the Mariners’ lineup now projects as one of the best in the game with the two trade additions (Seattle already ranks third in the majors in road OPS, although just 26th in home OPS).
Give Jerry Dipoto some credit here. He acquired Suarez and Naylor without giving up any of Seattle’s top 10 prospects — a group that includes seven or eight top-100 overall prospects — or rookie second baseman Cole Young, who was a top 100 guy before graduating to the majors earlier this season.
It will be interesting to see where Suarez plays. He’s a below-average third baseman, so he could get a lot of DH time — except when Raleigh plays there — as the Mariners could opt to keep slick-fielding rookie Ben Williamson at third base as much as possible. Something to monitor: If Suarez plays third, an infield of Suarez, J.P. Crawford and Jorge Polanco at second would feature three players with subpar range.
Still, Mariners fans should be happy here. While Dipoto has always been aggressive in making trades, ownership has never been aggressive in letting him bring on salary. That happened this time, and while the Astros hold a comfortable five-game lead in the AL West, Houston is vulnerable given all its injuries. The Mariners last made the playoffs in 2022 — but they fell one game short of the playoffs in 2024, one game short in 2023 and were still alive entering the final day in 2021. The hope now is Suarez and Naylor finally get them over that hump and have the M’s playing October baseball for just the second time since 2001.
Diamondbacks grade: C
Given Suarez’s impact power and the need of several playoff contenders at third base, this return feels a little low — especially given the arguably bigger returns for rental relievers Tyler Rogers and Ryan Helsley. But Mike Hazen saw his list of potential trade partners limited after the Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon, the Reds traded for Ke’Bryan Hayes and the Cubs and Tigers perhaps focused just on adding pitching. By waiting, the Diamondbacks might have received less than what they could have a few days ago.
That might be underselling Locklear though. A right-handed hitter who was drafted out of VCU in the second round in 2022, he fills both a need at first base with Naylor gone and is ready for the majors, hitting .316/.401/.542 at Triple-A Tacoma. He was slow out of the gate, with just three home runs at the end of May, but he’s popped 16 since then, including hitting a robust hitting .422 with nine home runs in July. Maybe he has figured something out.
He should get a run at first the rest of the season and projects as a potential league average-ish first baseman for the future. That’s not necessarily the sexiest of profiles, but the Diamondbacks get a little more certainty and proximity to the majors, which is sometimes the smarter approach rather than gambling on a player further away with more upside. The Diamondbacks also have a replacement ready for Suarez in top prospect Jordan Lawlar, who will finally get his own turn of extended playing time in the majors since he has been blocked by Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop.
Burgos could also be in the bullpen the rest of the season. He has a 0.87 ERA in the minors, allowing just 14 hits in 31 innings, and made four appearances with the Mariners. His fastball sits 96 and touches higher, although it didn’t miss a ton of bats in the minors (31 strikeouts). — Schoenfield
Red Sox get:
LHP Steven Matz
Cardinals get:
1B/3B Blaze Jordan
Red Sox grade: C+
It’s been a decade since Matz broke in as part of the vaunted Mets’ rotation in the mid-2010s, and he has made the full journey from starter to mostly bullpen work. The Cardinals have used Matz as a five-or-six-out reliever for the most part, and that kind of length will help bridge the middle innings for Boston. Unless, of course, the Red Sox want to stretch out Matz as a No. 5 starter or swing pitcher. In recent seasons, Matz’s numbers have been much better working out of the bullpen.
Matz has pretty extreme splits, and in a different era, he might have ended up as one of those onetime starters who morph into lefty specialists, a la Rick Honeycutt. But teams can’t do that anymore, and so Alex Cora will have to figure out how that profile might work when Matz faces righty fly ball hitters at Fenway Park. All in all, Matz is a versatile pitcher with still-identifiable strengths who deepens the Boston staff. He’s not really a needle mover, but it took only an unranked prospect to land him in advance of his looming free agency.
Cardinals grade: C+
This might have been a harsher grade a week ago, but St. Louis continues to be one of baseball’s coldest teams. Meanwhile, the Padres have gone on a pre-deadline spree, which makes the dwindling hopes for fringe wild-card chasers such as St. Louis, San Francisco and Miami that much fainter. Thus, it makes sense to get something for Matz.
Jordan qualifies as something. An unathletic corner infielder, the FanGraphs scouting report compares him to Ryon Healy. He has risen steadily one level at time after being drafted out of high school, and so has reached Triple-A at age 22. His strikeout rates suggest good bat-to-ball ability, but his power and walk numbers portend limited secondary skills for a player whose bat is going to have to carry him.
Still, he’s got a great name and could develop into a useful, lefty-mashing role player in the majors, the kind of performer the Cardinals have often gotten good mileage from in the past. — Doolittle
Astros get:
3B Ramon Urias
Orioles get:
RHP Twine Palmer
Astros grade: B-
The injury to Isaac Paredes left a thin and depleted Astros lineup even shorter, and with Paredes out for a while, Houston was in bad need of a stopgap. Enter Urias, a persistently league-average type performer who raises the rest-of-the-season floor for the Astros, whose offense has been ice-cold. While there were splashier names on the possible target list, Urias is a serviceable regular who didn’t cost much in terms of prospect return.
It’ll be interesting to see where Houston turns from here as it tries to piece things together with its AL West lead narrowing. The Astros need more offense and could use a rotation upgrade as well. But depending on where you look, it’s unclear how much room they have to work with under the first luxury tax threshold.
Orioles grade: B-
The Orioles have been turning the page on 2025’s disappointing roster. The bittersweet part of it for Baltimore fans is the offense has finally started to roll, but even if that keeps up, there’s probably not enough pitching left to sustain a miracle run. In the meantime, the departure of Urias opens up opportunities for both Jordan Westburg and Coby Mayo for the rest of the season, something that could be especially true if the Orioles deal Ryan O’Hearn.
Palmer is a flier. At 6-5, he was a 19th-round pick out of an Oklahoma community college last year. He has steadily added velocity over the past couple of years, and while his command is not great right now, he has missed bats and, at 20, is worth a shot. He is yet to enter anyone’s top 30 just yet, but FanGraph’s James Fegan notes that Palmer has a funky “Josh Collmenter arm slot” — basically the ball seems to appear from behind his head because of an extreme over-the-top delivery — so that’s interesting. — Doolittle
Reds get:
RHP Zack Littell
Rays get:
C Hunter Feduccia
RHP Brian Van Belle
Dodgers get:
LHP Adam Serwinowski
RHP Paul Gervase
C Ben Rortvedt
Reds grade: C-
The Reds made a pair of trades Wednesday for solid big league players who don’t really address the needs Cincinnati seemed to have as the deadline approaches. In the case of Ke’Bryan Hayes, at least we can point to a defensive upgrade and perhaps a boost to the overall run prevention. At first blush, it’s hard to see what exactly Littell upgrades for the Reds, and the fit between player and venue is a little concerning.
The Reds’ rotation has been one of the best in the majors this season, and they’ve reached that status despite the groin injury suffered by ace Hunter Greene in early June. Prospect Chase Burns has made six starts during Greene’s absence and as exciting as his stuff looks, he also looks like someone who needs a bit more seasoning. That might create a rotation need but Greene threw 50 pitches in a rehab outing at Triple-A on Tuesday and should be back in the majors soon.
I have questions.
— Are the Reds going to a six-man rotation? If so, why?
— Are they going to bump someone from the rotation for Littell? The most likely candidate would be Brady Singer, but it’s unclear that Littell is better. If he is, it is a marginal difference, especially since Littel is a pitcher leading the AL in homers allowed who is now moving to a homer haven of a ballpark.
— Are the Reds going to move someone from the rotation to boost the bullpen? Singer might work there, as would Nick Martinez. It might be better to just trade for a reliever.
Another possibility is that Cincinnati was trying to create extra depth for the rotation to use a starter in a deal of a middle-of-the-order bat. If that happens, then maybe the grade for this deal changes. It’s nothing against Littell, a solid No. 3 or No. 4 starter with a 4.92 FIP. Barring related moves to come, it just seems like an odd move for the Reds, who still haven’t addressed their top need: a middle-of-the-order bat.
Rays grade: B-
The Rays are never shy about moving players on expiring deals. After being one of baseball’s hottest teams for several weeks, the Rays have fallen hard over the past month. After dropping a tough extra-innings decision to the Yankees on Wednesday, Tampa Bay finds itself in a quagmire of .500 teams trying to climb back into the AL wild-card picture.
Losing Littell probably hurts a rotation that also just lost Taj Bradley, who was demoted after his struggles dragged on a little too long. Bradley could come back, of course, but he hasn’t had time to iron anything out just yet. It matters because whatever trades the Rays make, they aren’t out of the wild-card chase.
Van Belle profiles as a depth guy who doesn’t have a track record with a lot of swing and miss. He has worked as both a starter and a reliever in the minors since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2020, the year of the truncated draft. He commands his pitches and given the Rays targeted him, there is likely something in his arsenal they feel they can sharpen.
Feduccia has been around a while in the Dodgers’ system, where he’s been stuck behind higher-profile prospects. Now 28, he has just seven big league games on his ledger. The Rays must like his defense since they value that above all else in their catchers, and he is a lefty swinger who can pair in a quasi-platoon with newly acquired Nick Fortes if Tampa Bay things Feduccia is a right-now big leaguer and more appealing than Matt Thaiss.
Both prospects have the tools, and the Rays love to work with players with tools.
Dodgers grade: B+
It’s not a splashy trade for the Dodgers but more an opportunistic one as their depth at catcher enabled them to sweeten Cincinnati’s pot for Littell. Rortvedt is a depth, defense-first backstop who can take Feduccia’s place in Oklahoma City and be ready if someone gets hurt. Gervase is a 6-foot-10 combo righty who posted huge strikeout rates in the minors. His extension on the mound, as you might guess for someone of his size, ranks in the 99th percentile, per Statcast.
The plum of the deal is the lefty Serwinowski, who landed in Kiley McDaniel’s most recent set of team top 10 prospect lists. He is just 21 and has been pitching in High-A for the Reds. His numbers are rough, but his strikeout rates are promising for a starter, so the Dodgers will plug him into their machinery and see what happens.
Cubs get:
RHP Michael Soroka
Nationals get:
OF Christian Franklin
IF Ronny Cruz
Cubs grade: C
The Chicago Cubs are looking for pitching help, with a starting pitcher the priority, but Soroka can help in any role. The Washington Nationals used him exclusively as a starter — he’s 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts — but with solid peripherals, including an 87-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio (despite a league-leading 14 hit batters that eat into that), plus a .224 batting average allowed that is right in line with his expected average of .218.
He has done it despite an underwhelming arsenal that relies primarily on a four-seam fastball that batters have slugged .537 against, and a slurve that is essentially a new pitch for Soroka this year. He throws it 35% of the time and batters have hit just .124 against it. He mixes in a changeup against lefties and a two-seamer, but it’s four-seamer/slurve about 80% of the time. It’s back-end starter stuff and results, and he has made it through six innings just four times. Put him in front of the Cubs’ defense, however, and that ERA could decrease, which would make him an upgrade over Ben Brown and maybe Colin Rea.
The Cubs might still look for another starter, in which case Soroka is a nice depth piece for the pen. Working in relief for the White Sox last year, his middling fastball played up and he fanned 60 batters in just 36 innings, so he could be a more viable weapon in relief.
Nationals grade: B
Most of these prospects in these trades won’t pan out, but the Nationals at least got a couple semi-interesting position players for a rental back-end starter. Franklin is in Triple-A, hitting .265/.393/.427. He’s already 25, so there’s not likely any growth here and there was zero room for him on the Cubs, but the former University of Arkansas outfielder has some on-base skills and projects as a fourth outfielder.
Cruz moved to Florida from the Dominican Republic when he was 16 and the Cubs took him in the third round of the 2024 draft. He’s hitting .270/.314/.431 in rookie ball. He’ll spend most of the season at 18 and while he has shown raw power in batting practice from a 6-foot-2 frame, it hasn’t translated to game action yet with two home runs in 174 at-bats. The bat-to-ball skills have been a little better than expected (18% strikeout rate), so he has at least made himself somebody to keep an eye on. — Schoenfield
Mets get:
RHP Ryan Helsley
Cardinals get:
IF Jesus Baez
RHP Nate Dohm
RHP Frank Elissalt
Mets grade: B
Aside from closer Edwin Diaz, the New York Mets‘ bullpen has scuffled since the beginning of June with a 4.81 ERA, so it’s no surprise that David Stearns, president of baseball operations, has been aggressive in adding some much-needed depth, acquiring Tyler Rogers earlier Wednesday from the San Francisco Giants and later two-time All-Star Helsley (after also adding lefty Gregory Soto on Friday). The two right-handers are opposites in stuff, with the side-arming Rogers the softest thrower in the majors with his 83 mph sinker while Helsley lights up the radar gun with a fastball that averages 99.3 mph.
Despite that velocity, that pitch has been hit hard in 2025, as Helsley has allowed a .406 average against it — the reason he hasn’t been quite as dominant as in his All-Star seasons of 2022 and 2024. But his slider has always been his bread-and-butter pitch, and it’s still a wipeout offering as batters have hit .092 against it with a 45% whiff rate. After a rough patch in early June when he blew three consecutive save chances, he has looked better of late, giving up only one run over his past 11 appearances. If he’s your third righty out of the pen, that’s probably a good sign.
Though the high-leverage part of the pen is righty-heavy with Diaz, Rogers, Helsley, Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek, the Mets do have two lefties in Soto and Brooks Raley. The important thing to note is they will need all of these guys, as manager Carlos Mendoza has had one of the quickest hooks in the majors with his starters (the Mets are fifth in rotation ERA but 25th in innings pitched). That was part of the problem the past couple of months, as Mendoza rode his key guys too hard. With these additions, they’ve gone from a bullpen with a great closer and questionable depth to now one of the best pens in the majors. We’ve seen teams ride their bullpens to October success and Stearns has now put the Mets in position to do that.
Cardinals grade: A-
The St. Louis Cardinals were 8-15 in July entering Wednesday, no doubt changing their thinking from playoff contender to playoff pretender and leading to this trade. Baez is the headline prospect, No. 5 on Kiley McDaniel’s list of the top 10 prospects in a deep Mets system. The 20-year-old has played all over the infield — he’s probably headed to third base in the long run — and is hitting .244/.334/.406 in High-A.
He has plus bat speed and some high-end exit velocity readings, and despite being young for his league, he has kept his strikeout rate in check at just 16%. Though the numbers don’t necessarily jump out, his .740 OPS is well above the South Atlantic League average of .672. He’s hardly a sure thing, but the upside here makes Baez a nice return for a reliever with an expiring contract.
Dohm is the better of the two pitching prospects, a third-round pick last year out of Mississippi State who has a 2.87 ERA as a starter across two levels of A-ball. He has been handled carefully after his junior season in college was cut short because of a forearm strain, but he’s a fastball-heavy pitcher with a good slider. He was up to 99 mph as a reliever for the Bulldogs, so that could be his ultimate destination.
In the end, I think the Cardinals read the trade market correctly: The price for relievers has looked pretty high so far, and while they are only five games out of a wild-card spot, they’re trending in the wrong direction, with no real signs that they’ll snap out of it. — Schoenfield
Phillies get:
RHP Jhoan Duran
Twins get:
C Eduardo Tait
RHP Mick Abel
Phillies grade: A
Is this classic David Dombrowski, or what? The Philadelphia Phillies, despite holding one of baseball’s best records, have a saves leader in Jordan Romano who has only eight with a 6.81 ERA. They’ve mixed and matched in high-leverage spots, not only save situations, with Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering emerging as the most reliable performers. Take those two, slot them in behind Duran, and how much prettier does that postseason picture look?
Duran might end up as the most valuable reliever dealt at the deadline, trumping the New York Mets‘ deal earlier in the day for Tyler Rogers. Perhaps noticing this, the Mets almost immediately responded by also acquiring Ryan Helsley from the St. Louis Cardinals. Even if the “most valuable traded reliever” title is up for debate, Duran will definitely be in the mix.
He’s arguably a better fit for Philadelphia than Helsley would’ve been, anyway, because Duran makes about half the money in 2025 and the Phillies are paying the maximum penalty in luxury tax (110% on payroll added from here) that the CBA allows. Duran also has three more years of team control (arbitration seasons) after 2025. The Phillies have a new closer and it’s not just for the stretch run of this season.
In dealing Tait and Abel, president of baseball operations Dombrowski dealt two of his top-10 prospects (Nos. 4 and 5) but he didn’t deal Andrew Painter, whose name reportedly kept popping up on the Minnesota Twins‘ wish list. But dealing prospects is what Dombrowski does — along with winning pennants.
For the Phillies, it’s all about August, September and beyond. Their chances to navigate those crucial months just increased considerably.
Twins grade: B
Abel and Tait are excellent prospects that make the Twins’ system deeper and raise its ceiling. Abel, 23, has already played at the big league level and should help the Twins’ rotation from the outset. He’s a classic long (6-foot-5), hard-throwing righty with good extension who, so far, has been hit pretty hard on contact — but he’s just getting started.
Tait has generally been the higher ranked of the two and is one of the 10 best catching prospects. He’s also still a month shy of his 19th birthday, so unless the Twins put him on the really fast track, he’ll be climbing the ranks for a bit. His bat is exciting, with a good base of raw power and a better-than-average hit tool. Most analysts like his arm behind the plate but suggest he needs to learn the finer points of catching to stick at that crucial spot.
It’s a good return, and the value exchange is reasonable for both sides. But given the clamor that had to exist for a player with Duran’s stuff, closing experience and service-time level, it feels as if the Twins could have come out with more of a decided edge on the value standpoint. If they were going to trade Duran, they needed to be truly wowed and I’m not convinced this trade does that. Otherwise, I’d just as soon retain one of the game’s best relievers.
Clearly, the Twins’ evaluators buy into the considerable upside of Tait and the ongoing progress of Abel. If they’re right about that, this “B” can become an “A” easily enough. — Doolittle
Mets get:
RHP Tyler Rogers
Giants get:
OF Drew Gilbert
RHP Jose Butto
RHP Blade Tidwell
Mets grade: C+
Let’s get the important part out of the way first: Of the nine other identical twin combos in MLB history, none of the others was traded on the same day. So, the Rogers twins — who look so much alike as long as they aren’t on the mound — are the first, after Taylor was dealt from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh earlier in the day. That aspect of the grade gets an A+.
The rest of it I’m not so sure about, though Tyler Rogers is without a doubt a significant upgrade for the Mets’ bullpen, giving them a really nice trio at the back of the bullpen with closer Edwin Diaz and Reed Garrett. Deepening the high-leverage contingent was a must-do item for David Stearns at this deadline, so that box has been checked, though more would be nice.
All three in that trio are righties, but they have very different arm slots and pitch mixes, so they should complement each other well. In terms of performance, Rogers has been on point this season with a 1.80 ERA over 50 innings, with 38 whiffs and just four walks. On the other hand, Rogers is in a walk year, and that’s an awful lot of controllable talent to give up for two months and a postseason of a short reliever.
On the other other hand, if Rogers ends up pitching in late-October spots with a high championship-leverage index — and succeeds — Mets fans won’t sweat whatever the three young players headed for San Francisco end up doing. In the meantime, Stearns has freed up room on New York’s 40-man roster that he might need over the next 24 or so hours.
Giants grade: A-
The Giants aren’t out of the race, and while it’s easy to see dealing a key reliever as an act of white flag waving, the actuarial aspect of this deal was simply too good for Buster Posey to pass up. San Francisco’s playoff odds were at 12% in my system through Tuesday night, and while that’s not impossible, Posey is doing the right thing by (presumably) playing both sides of the fence. The Giants’ bullpen has been fantastic this season and is weakened by the loss of Rogers, but there’s still enough there to get back into the playoff chase if San Francisco snaps out of its extended slump.
Gilbert, the Mets’ No. 8 prospect, is the headliner: a good-defending outfielder with a strong enough arm that he can play anywhere in the grass. His offensive profile lacks a statistical standout, and as he will turn 25 in September, the Giants are likely going to push him along as quickly as they can.
Tidwell has good stuff, with a slider as his strong point, but his command has wavered during this development. It’s been better this year, and he made his first four big league appearances earlier this season. He has been a starter, but his fastball-slider combo gives him the flexibility to fill a key bullpen role if that’s the direction the Giants want to go.
Butto has the most big league experience of the three. He had been a combo-type hurler in the majors for the Mets until working exclusively in a medium-leverage role this season. He’ll likely fill Rogers’ role in the San Francisco bullpen for now, but with multiple controllable seasons left on his service-time clock, there’s a lot the Giants can do with him.
Rogers was terrific, but this haul was too good for Posey to refuse. — Doolittle
Yankees get:
OF Austin Slater
White Sox get:
RHP Gage Ziehl
Yankees grade: C+
The Yankees need outfield help. Slater is an outfielder, a veteran, with an easy-to-peg if limited set of strengths. The offense is short right now with Aaron Judge on the injured list, and while Slater is a Lilliputian to Judge’s Gulliver, he plays a decent corner outfield and hits lefty pitchers at an above-average rate, owning a .798 career OPS against southpaws and .859 this season. The recent pickup of Amed Rosario now looks like one that gives fellow recent pickup Ryan McMahon a platoon partner at third base, so Slater should have a steady role on the grass until Judge returns, and perhaps after as a platoon partner for Trent Grisham, with Judge playing some in center.
Eventually, we’ll find out whether losing Ziehl was too steep of a price to pay for adding a role player for two months and the postseason, but the Yankees are putting together a deep and balanced bench — provided their cornerstone players are healthy when October arrives. At the very least, Slater’s addition reduces the chances of the Yankees asking Giancarlo Stanton to figure out where his outfield glove has been stored.
White Sox grade: B
Ziehl hails from upstate New York, not far from the southern shore of Lake Ontario, and if he emerges as a big league pitcher, it looks as if he’ll do so just off the western shore of Lake Michigan now that he’s Chris Getz’s latest prospect acquisition for Chicago.
According to the prospect gurus, Ziehl relies on decent velocity with plus command and a plus sweeper-style slider as the foundation of his arsenal. A standout on the excellent Miami Hurricanes’ staff, Ziehl prospered in high-level competition as a collegian. This year marks his first taste of professional game action, and the results have been just so-so.
But the White Sox had very little use for Slater’s services except for this precise purpose: to add depth to the Chicago farm system via a trade deadline deal. Given Slater’s lack of everyday-player utility, this seems like a solid return. — Doolittle
Reds get:
3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
Pirates get:
SS Sammy Stafura
LHP Taylor Rogers
Reds grade: C-
The Reds have been one of the 57 teams mentioned as having interest in one-time Cincinnati third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who certainly would have been a more direct response to the Reds’ acute need for a middle-of-the-order bat. Hayes, whose sub-.300 slugging percentage stirs fond memories of 1970s-era shortstops, is not that.
He is, however, a Platinum Glove-level defender at the hot corner and, as they say, a run saved is as good as a run scored. Cincinnati has been playing Noelvi Marte at third base recently, and while Marte is having his best season at the plate, his defensive marks have been consistently below average and he has the positional versatility to rove around the field, as do most of the Reds’ other corner players.
Hayes doesn’t move around the field, but you don’t want him to. His value is as a defensive vacuum on the left side of the infield, one who will team with Elly De La Cruz to form one of the more dynamic infield duos around. The four years and $30 million Hayes has left on the extension he signed early in his career should be team-friendly, but he’s got to hit more than he has the past two campaigns amid ongoing back issues. For what it’s worth, Great American Ballpark is the only park other than PNC in which he’s hit more than two career homers. If the bat doesn’t pick up though, the Reds have likely acquired a long-term underwater contract.
Getting the Pirates to take on the remainder of Rogers’ expiring deal (the prorated remainder of his $12 million salary) likely sweetened the prospect return for Pittsburgh, while possibly freeing up the Reds’ payroll for further pursuits of that needed power bat.
Pirates grade: B
It sure seemed like the Pirates had developed their long-term third baseman when Hayes arrived and signed that extension, but the collapse of his bat ended that notion. Some teams might be able to carry a great-defending, poor-hitting corner player, but the Pirates need offense wherever they can get it. Getting out of their commitment to Hayes at least gives them a chance to find a more productive solution at his position.
Stafura, who just missed Cincinnati’s top 10 in Kiley McDaniel’s most recent prospect rankings could well be that guy. Or he might be the Pirates’ shortstop of the future, giving Pittsburgh the option of deploying elite prospect Konnor Griffin in center field.
Stafura is an athletic infielder with plus speed and an above-average defensive profile, good enough to stick at short according to most prospect analysts. His offensive profile is a little murky. He has exceptional plate discipline, but the question is whether he’ll make enough consistent contact in the majors to maintain the high OBPs he’s posted as a professional. Either way, he deepens Pittsburgh’s prospect base. — Doolittle
Brewers get:
C Danny Jansen (from Rays)
Rays get:
C Nick Fortes (from Marlins)
IF Jadher Areinamo (from Brewers)
Marlins get:
OF Matthew Etzel (from Rays)
Brewers grade: B
This might seem like a bizarre trade for the Brewers because they already have a solid catcher in William Contreras, but it looks like they are trying to cover all of their bases as they look toward a potential deep run in October. A question that a playoff-caliber team should consider: What happens if our starting catcher gets injured?
That’s pertinent for the Brewers because Contreras has played through a broken finger on his glove hand that he suffered in early May. That perhaps explains his lower offensive production this year, and he has struggled since the beginning of June, hitting just .229 with one home run in 44 games.
Jansen provides an upgrade over Eric Haase in the Brewers’ backup slot and could take some playing time from Contreras, who has started 87 of the Brewers’ 105 games. Jansen is a low-average hitter who can occasionally homer, hitting .204/.314/.389 with 11 home runs. It’s not a major move on paper, but it’s a smart one from one of the best front offices in the game.
Rays grade: C+
The Rays had big problems during the past couple of seasons with their catcher production, which led them to sign Jansen in the offseason to a one-year deal worth $8 million with a $12 million mutual option. The change from Jansen to Fortes makes sense from the Rays’ perspective: They were unlikely to pick up their half of that 2026 option, so with Fortes under team control through 2028, they at least have a semi-solution for the foreseeable future.
The only issue is that Fortes struggles at the plate, with a career line of .225/.277/.344, and he’s even worse if you look at his numbers since 2023. He is a good defensive catcher, ranking high in Statcast’s framing runs saved despite his limited playing time, so he at least provides a replacement.
Areinamo, who was traded for Jansen, was Milwaukee’s No. 24 prospect, via MLB.com. He’s a 21-year-old who has played all three infield positions at High-A, hitting .297/.355/.463 with 11 home runs. He’s undersized at 5-foot-8 with a strange bat whip as the pitcher delivers the pitch, but he has generated excellent contact rates and has performed in the low minors. He looks like a good sleeper prospect — and we know the Rays have thrived on acquiring those kinds of players (although they’ve made some mistakes as well, like trading Cristopher Sanchez to the Phillies).
Marlins grade: C
The Marlins deal from an organizational strength in trading Fortes. Rookies Agustin Ramirez and Liam Hicks have emerged as a solid backstop duo (with Ramirez getting a lot of DH time), plus they also have Joe Mack, one of their top prospects, in Triple-A.
Etzel was the Rays’ No. 28 prospect, via MLB.com, but the 23-year-old lefty-hitting outfielder has struggled in Double-A, hitting .230/.360/.347 with five home runs in 196 at-bats. He has been out since June 20 because of an injury. He was originally acquired last season from the Baltimore Orioles in the Zach Eflin trade. Etzel has plus speed and takes some walks, but he has played only the corner outfield in Double-A, so he looks like a tweener — not enough power for a corner position, not enough defense for center.
More proof that poor-hitting catchers have limited trade value, even if they’re excellent defensive catchers. — Schoenfield
Tigers get:
RHP Chris Paddack
RHP Randy Dobnak
Twins get:
C Enrique Jimenez
Tigers grade: D
The Detroit Tigers have been stumbling of late, going 2-12 since July 9 (and 21-25 since June 3 if you want to go back a bit further) — and it hasn’t been just a little stumble. They’ve been outscored 93-to-43 in this 14-game stretch, with the starting rotation posting a 5.59 ERA — and that’s including Tarik Skubal‘s numbers (although he did have one mediocre start in there).
The bullpen has been even worse, with a 7.93 ERA in this stretch and 5.03 since the beginning of June. Though it makes sense for the Tigers to acquire some pitching help, Paddack hardly projects as anything more than someone who might chew up a few extra innings beyond what they’ve been getting from their current back-end starters. He’s 3-9 with a 4.95 ERA for the Minnesota Twins, including a 5.40 ERA on the road, where his home run rate has spiked.
Paddack does throw strikes and has pitched at least five innings in 17 of 21 starts this season, but batters are hitting .266 with a .753 OPS off him. He’s a below-average starter, but probably a minor upgrade over Keider Montero, who has allowed 10 runs in 8⅓ innings over his past two starts and was sent down to the minors, or rookie Troy Melton, who made his first career start last week and got hammered by the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. Meanwhile, Dobnak is just a salary dump for the Twins — he wasn’t even on their 40-man roster and has a 7.12 ERA in Triple-A.
This is just one move for the Tigers. It’s not game changer. Look for them to add some bullpen help over the next few days.
Twins grade: C
Though this mostly seems like the Twins dumping a couple of million in salary between Paddack and Dobnak — don’t ever change, Twins — Jimenez is at least a real prospect, a 19-year-old catcher hitting .250/.339/.440 in the Florida Complex League. He was Detroit’s top international signing in 2023, out of Venezuela, and was ranked No. 14 on MLB.com’s prospect list for the Tigers and No. 17 on Baseball America’s. Jimenez is a switch-hitter, which is always fun to see from a catcher, but it’s also his second year in the FCL and his numbers have shown just minor improvement from 2024. Check back in three years. — Schoenfield
Yankees get:
3B Ryan McMahon
Rockies get:
LHP Griffin Herring
RHP Josh Grosz
Yankees grade: B
For Yankees fans who wanted Eugenio Suarez to fill the hole at third base, this looks like a big letdown considering McMahon is hitting .217/.314/.403 with 16 home runs — compared to Suarez’s 36 — and ranking second in the majors in strikeouts while playing half of his games at Coors Field. Away from Colorado, he has hit just .189 with five home runs. Consider the positives, however:
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He has signed through 2027, so he is a solution at third base for the next two years as well (he’ll make $16 million each of the next two seasons).
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He is an excellent defender, ranking in the 91st percentile in Statcast’s outs above average.
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He ranks in the 86th percentile in walk rate.
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He ranks in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity and 87th percentile in hard-hit rate.
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He might get the “leaving Coors Field” boost, where his road numbers adjust to playing his home games in a more normal environment.
That last one is important. The Yankees have experience with this: DJ LeMahieu hit .327 and .364 in his first two seasons with the Yankees after leaving the Rockies. Yes, the strikeouts are the big concern here with McMahon, and while he is not having his best season, at the minimum, he upgrades the defense and gives the Yankees a little more power. I suspect McMahon won’t hit .189 with the Yankees and could prove to be a sneaky good addition.
Rockies grade: C
While McMahon’s name had been on the rumor mill, it’s still a mild surprise the Rockies actually traded him. First, they rarely make trades of any sort, especially significant ones, and they especially rarely trade their homegrown players such as McMahon. So, at least good for them for doing something that probably makes sense.
Did they get much in return? Herring was a sixth-round pick last year from LSU, where he pitched in relief. The Yankees turned him into a starter, and Herring has mowed through two levels of Single-A with a 1.71 ERA and 10.3 K’s per nine. Primarily a fastball/sweeper guy at LSU, his changeup has proven a big weapon as right-handed batters are hitting just .159 against him.
A college pitcher from a high-profile program such as LSU dominating the low minors usually doesn’t tell us much, except in this case, Herring’s lack of experience and successful transition to a bigger workload is a huge positive. Herring didn’t crack Kiley McDaniel’s top 10 Yankees prospects in his July update but did make MLB.com’s list at No. 8.
Grosz has spent the entire 2025 season at high A, posting a 4.14 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 85 innings and holding batters to a .211 average. He has a high-spin fastball that sits in the mid-90s, but the secondary stuff needs improvement, and the command is a tick below average (35 walks).
The biggest issue is these are two pitchers who haven’t performed above Single-A and don’t necessarily have elite stuff. The stat lines look good, but the next step to Double-A will be a big test to see how Herring’s fastball plays against better competition and whether Grosz can improve his command. — Schoenfield
Mets get:
LHP Gregory Soto
Orioles get:
RHP Wellington Aracena, RHP Cameron Foster
Mets grade: C+
Through the end of May, the Mets’ bullpen ranked second in the majors with a 2.78 ERA. Since June 1, however, the Mets rank 27th with a 5.02 ERA, so Soto is a logical addition — and probably won’t be the last reliever the Mets acquire. Part of the problem is Mets’ starters haven’t pitched deep into games and manager Carlos Mendoza ran his top relievers except closer Edwin Diaz into the ground.
The Mets have also been without a reliable lefty with offseason signing A.J. Minter out for the year. They did just activate Brooks Raley, but Soto gives them another lefty option, no doubt thinking ahead to potential playoff matchups against the Phillies (Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber), Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman) or Cubs (Kyle Tucker, Michael Busch, Pete Crow-Armstrong). They’re going to need more than one lefty reliever.
Is Soto a good option though? He still has premium stuff with a 97 mph fastball and wipeout slider, and left-handed batters are hitting just .138 against him in 2025 (although two of the eight hits have been home runs). As always, however, throwing strikes is often an issue (4.5 walks per nine), and he has a large platoon split (right-handed batters have a .371 OBP against him). Soto is a good left-on-left on matchup, but his control means he isn’t always the most trustworthy, and the Orioles weren’t using him in a lot of high-leverage situations of late.
Orioles grade: B-
Let the exodus begin. With as many as 11 more potential free agents, the Orioles are going to be busy over the next week. A lot of those trades will look like this one: a couple of second-tier type prospects. Aracena (No. 19 on MLB.com’s Mets list, No. 28 on Baseball America) is a 6-foot-3, 20-year-old right-hander with a 2.38 ERA in low-A, including 84 strikeouts in 64 innings, featuring a fastball in the upper 90s that has topped out at 101. That’s the good news. The “Why did the Mets trade him?” news is that he has walked 35 batters. He has a cutter and a slider, but the profile here suggests he might end up as a reliever. Still, a decent return for a non-elite reliever such as Soto.
Foster is a 26-year-old reliever who crushed Double-A in repeating the level this season (1.01 ERA), although he struggled in his first two outings after a recent promotion to Triple-A (seven runs in 3.2 innings). Given all the trades the Orioles will make, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him pop up in the big league bullpen at some point this season. — Schoenfield
Mariners get:
1B Josh Naylor
Diamondbacks get:
LHP Brandyn Garcia
RHP Ashton Izzi
Mariners grade: B+
This is the first significant trade heading into the final week before the deadline, and it’s interesting in part because it signifies the Diamondbacks are going to be dealing — Naylor could be the first of a group that might include Eugenio Suarez, Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen, potentially spicing up the deadline with some intriguing names.
While third base was the Mariners’ biggest offensive need, Naylor gives them a well-rounded hitter who has been one of the top contact hitters in the majors this season, hitting .292/.360/.447 with 11 home runs and the 13th-lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters. Naylor has done most of his damage against right-handed pitchers, hitting .310/.390/.493 with nine of his 11 home runs. That’s an upgrade over incumbent Luke Raley, who has hit .248/.370/.397 against right-handers but is just 1-for-20 against southpaws, with light-hitting Donovan Solano serving as his platoon partner.
Naylor can play every day and fits somewhere in the middle of the lineup, which ranks in the bottom 10 in the majors in strikeout rate, so his contact ability will be a nice addition. It also improves Seattle’s bench as Raley can now fill in at right field (although Dominic Canzone has been hitting well) or DH, with Jorge Polanco perhaps getting some time at second base over Cole Young. Rookie third baseman Ben Williamson is an excellent defender but has just one home run in 256 at-bats. While Polanco has plenty of experience at third in his career, he hasn’t started there since April 4 as a shoulder issue has limited his throwing.
In other words: The Mariners could still seek an upgrade at third base. The Diamondbacks might wait until July 31 to deal Suarez, hoping that one of the several teams that need a third baseman will give in with a nice package of prospects. The Mariners didn’t give up any of their top 10 prospects here, so here’s guessing that Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and Arizona general manager Mike Hazen aren’t done exchanging text messages.
Diamondbacks grade: B
While Garcia and Izzi didn’t rank in Kiley McDaniel’s top 10 Mariners prospects, that’s not necessarily a knock on their potential: Seattle’s top 10 is loaded with top-100 overall prospects. Garcia was ranked No. 13 on MLB.com’s team list and Izzi No. 16.
Drafted in the 11th round out of Texas A&M in 2023, Garcia was a surprising success story as a starter in 2024, but the Mariners moved him to the bullpen this season, and he just made his MLB debut after posting a 3.51 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A with 42 strikeouts in 33⅔ innings. He throws a mid-90s sinker along with a sweeper and cutter, and held lefties to a .235 average and .255 slugging percentage. He can probably go straight to Arizona’s bullpen right now, with the idea that the Diamondbacks try him as a starter in 2026. He’s a nice sleeper prospect in a trade like this, with at least a floor as a reliever and maybe some upside as a back-end starter.
Izzi is a 21-year-old righty with a mid-90s fastball who was a fourth-round pick out of high school in 2022, but he has struggled at high-A Everett with a 5.51 ERA across 12 starts. His fastball/sweeper combo could eventually work as a reliever, although right-handed batters have hit him as hard as lefties. He’s a development prospect.
Nothing too flashy here, but there wasn’t going to be a huge market for Naylor, and he was competing with the likes of Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna in the 1B/DH class, so Arizona probably figured it had to strike first with Naylor, giving the team more time to discuss deals for their other pending free agents. — Schoenfield
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Sports
Marching bands! Big entrances! Sing-alongs! 36 of our favorite game-day traditions
Published
4 hours agoon
August 24, 2025By
admin
There’s nothing quite like the energy, emotion, pageantry and good ol’ fashioned fun that takes place every fall weekend at college football games.
There are time-honored traditions that date back many decades. There are century-old marching bands and pulsating techno hits. There are rampaging animals, covered wagons, antique cars and even storied rocks. There are quaint customs and there are controversies — it wouldn’t be college football without controversy, right?
With another season upon us, we’ve gathered a collection of our college football reporters’ favorite game-day traditions. We were looking for moments fans could count on and look forward to experiencing every time they go to the stadium, so we didn’t include celebrations of a win or rivalry moments that may happen only once every other year or so.
And by no means are we ranking these traditions or labeling these “better” than some that we surely left out. Every school has its own quirks and unique features that are near and dear to that team and its fans. But here’s a sampling of the wild, wacky, wonderful ways that college football strikes a special chord in the sports landscape.
Dramatic entrances
Osceola and Renegade planting the spear, Florida State: Since September 1978, Osceola has led his horse, Renegade, onto the field before kickoff of every Florida State home game and planted a spear at midfield in what has become one of the best-known college football entrances. Bill Durham, an FSU graduate, came up with the idea and got approval from the Seminole Tribe of Florida for the practice to begin. The Durham family continues to provide the Appaloosa horse that is used, and Osceola wears regalia that is authentic to the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Watching Osceola rear Renegade up on his hind legs to plant the flaming spear with 80,000 fans chanting is truly a sight to see. — Andrea Adelson
“Enter Sandman,” Virginia Tech: After installing the first videoboard at Lane Stadium in 2000, Virginia Tech decided it needed a new walkout song too. “Enter Sandman” by Metallica won out over “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sirius.” A few years later, the tradition truly took off after a marching band member started jumping up and down during the song as a way to warm up. Now, the entire stadium jumps as the opening bars begin to play, bursting into raucous approval when the team runs out of the tunnel and onto the field. Multiple times over the years, a seismograph detected notable activity during “Enter Sandman.” And in a full circle moment, Metallica was in concert at Lane Stadium in the spring of 2025 and played its iconic song. To no one’s surprise, seismic activity again was detected. — Adelson
The Smoke, Miami: Believe it or not, the Hurricanes have come out of their tunnel onto the field for all their home games through “the smoke” since the 1950s, when the program was struggling to both win games and draw fan support. According to the university, school transportation director Bob Nalette proposed using fire extinguishers to produce smoke for players to run through as a way to drum up fan interest. In his spare time, Nalette welded a pipe together to billow said fire extinguisher smoke. The entrance took on iconic status in the 1980s as the program rose to prominence. — Adelson
Touch the Banner, Michigan: The Wolverines pride themselves on being the winningest program in college football history, but their famous pregame tradition began with the team off to a 1-5 start in 1962. The M Club, run by former letterwinners from all of Michigan’s athletic teams, asked coach Bump Elliott if letterwinners could welcome the football team before home games. They soon displayed a giant banner that reads “GO BLUE M CLUB SUPPORTS YOU,” which Michigan players and coaches leap to touch as they run out of the tunnel while “The Victors” plays. — Adam Rittenberg
Rubbing Howard’s Rock and running down The Hill; Gathering at the Paw, Clemson: Clemson has two of the most well-known pregame and postgame traditions in college football: Rubbing Howard’s Rock before running down The Hill to enter the stadium, and allowing fans onto the field postgame, win or lose, to meet at the midfield paw. Howard’s Rock, originally from Death Valley, California, was placed at the top of The Hill on the east side of the stadium in 1966. But after former coach Frank Howard told the team before a game against Wake Forest in 1967 they could rub the rock if they gave “110-percent effort,” the tradition of rubbing the rock, then running down the hill, before every game began. Gathering at the Paw also began under Howard in 1942 when Memorial Stadium opened, as a way for fans and players to gather together. — Adelson
Touching tributes
Hawkeye Wave, Iowa: Not every cherished college football tradition goes back decades and decades. In 2017, those inside Kinnick Stadium — fans, players, coaches and officials — began “The Wave,” acknowledging the child patients inside University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which is just across the street. After the first quarter, everyone turns toward the hospital, where the patients and their families wave from the 12th floor windows. The tradition began after Krista Young suggested the idea on a Hawkeye fan Facebook page. A social media surge followed and The Wave began for the start of the 2017 season — Rittenberg
Spirit of Chucky Mullins, Ole Miss: Nearly 36 years after his death, Chucky Mullins remains an endearing figure at Ole Miss. He was paralyzed in a 1989 game against Vanderbilt while making a hit near the goal line on Commodores fullback Brad Gaines and died less than two years later after suffering a pulmonary embolism. As the Ole Miss team takes the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium before games, each player touches a bust of Mullins that sits midway between the tunnel and the field. On the platform where the bust sits is Mullins’ mantra: “Never quit.” — Chris Low
Mr. Two Bits; “Won’t Back Down,” Florida: The Gators have two traditions that are immediately recognizable. Since 1949, every home game has started with the “Two Bits” cheer, started and popularized by George Edmondson. He would wear a yellow shirt, blue-and-orange striped tie and whistle, and exhort the crowd to chant. “Two Bits. Four Bits. Six Bits. A Dollar. All for the Gators, stand up and holler!” Beginning in 2013, with Edmondson in his 90s, a celebrity “Mr. Two Bits” began to lead the pregame cheers. Then in 2017, a new tradition started after Gainesville native Tom Petty died. At the end of the third quarter, the crowd sings Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” in addition to the longstanding “We are the Boys.” — Adelson
Music that gets you moving
“Jump Around,” Wisconsin: No team has developed a wilder midgame tradition than Wisconsin’s “Jump Around,” the House of Pain song of the same name, played between the third and fourth quarters at Camp Randall Stadium. The song made its Badgers debut at the 1998 homecoming game against Purdue. Ryan Sondrup, an injured tight end for the Badgers who entered the athletics marketing department, was tasked with finding songs that could spark the crowd during games. He came back with “Jump Around,” which has sent Camp Randall shaking ever since. — Rittenberg
JUMP AROUND‼️ pic.twitter.com/7TqyN3OXyY
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 17, 2024
The Bounce House, UCF. After UCF scored its first touchdown at its new on-campus stadium on Sept. 17, 2007 — against Texas, no less — rollicking club hit “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation blared from the speakers. Spontaneously, the crowd started jumping wildly, causing the stadium to vibrate and “bounce.” Thus, the birth of not only a tradition but a stadium nickname. Now the song is played multiple times during games and serves as a way to get everyone fired up, with the crowd chanting along and cheering “U-C-F!” — Adelson
“Sweet Caroline,” Pitt. Back in 2008, former Pitt football player Justin Acierno was working at the school and tasked with improving the student fan experience during games. What would keep them interested? With the help of student organizations and athletic department employees, they came up with a plan: Play Neil Diamond’s 1969 classic “Sweet Caroline” at the end of the third quarter of football games. The plan worked. Acierno made sure some of the lyrics were more Pitt friendly — subbing in “Let’s Go Pitt” during the chorus. The sing-along first happened against Buffalo in Week 2 of the 2008 season, and the rest is history. — Adelson
“Sandstorm,” South Carolina: It’s certainly not unusual to hear the techno instrumental song “Sandstorm” by Finnish DJ Darude at a sporting event, but South Carolina has staked a special claim to it in the world of college football. The connection can be traced to Sept. 24, 2009, when the Gamecocks were hosting No. 4 Ole Miss. With time winding down and South Carolina leading 16-10, and the Rebels facing a key third down, the pulsating beat blasted throughout Williams-Brice Stadium, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. “A rave breaks out in Columbia,” ESPN announcer Chris Fowler said as fans and players jumped and gyrated. The Gamecocks got that stop, “Sandstorm” roared again, Ole Miss failed on fourth down, and the upset — and new tradition — were sealed. Now anywhere South Carolina folks gather, you can expect to hear the anthem, and Darude himself appeared at Willy B to perform it for a game against Kentucky in 2023. — Steve Richards
“Dixieland Delight,” Alabama: The Crimson Tide mark the beginning of the fourth quarter by playing “Dixieland Delight,” by the band Alabama, even though it’s written about a Saturday night in Tennessee. But that’s neither here nor there. It’s a beloved sing-along, the height of the form, but enterprising Tide fans also managed to insert a few of their own lyrics, including a four-letter greeting to their friends over in Auburn. (And LSU, and Tennessee too.) It became such a source of frustration that the university banned the playing of the song in 2014, then agreed to revisit it in 2018 with the #DixielandDelightDoneRight campaign, encouraging fans to say “BEAT” Auburn instead of the other word, with the stadium speakers attempting to drown out the ne’er-do-wells. Good luck with all that. — Dave Wilson
That’s dedication
Midnight Yell, Texas A&M: The Aggies love their traditions, and the SEC move and social media have exposed them to many new audiences, many of whom seem bewildered. But college football is about local customs, and watching a game at Kyle Field is one of the best environments in the sport because of the devotion of A&M fans. To wit, the Aggies routinely draw more fans the night before a game than many schools do on game day to “practice” the yells they’ll perform on game day, a tradition since 1931. — Wilson
Midnight Drummers’ Circle, Notre Dame: At midnight the night before Notre Dame football home games, fans will flock to the school’s Main Building (better known as the Golden Dome) to witness a performance by the drumline of the Band of the Fighting Irish that kicks off the game-day experience. The drummers’ circle is one of multiple Golden Dome concerts by the band during the lead-up to home games — the trumpet section also holds performances outside the Main Building at 4:10 on Fridays, and the whole band performs two hours before kickoff on game day on the Dome’s steps. — J.J. Post
Early mornings at the Tip Top Lounge, Iowa State: Cyclones fans have always showed up, even in the lean years before Matt Campbell built them into a consistent winner. The parking lots are filled with old school buses and rowdy fans, many of them powered from a pre-sunrise visit to a local watering hole known as the Tip Top Lounge. Originally started as a sandwich shop in 1950, it turned into a bar in 1962, and opens at 6 a.m. on game days, fueling fans with chili and Fireball shots, a breakfast of champions in Ames. — Wilson
Card stunts, Cal. Here is a bit of college football trivia. Cal students invented card stunts, the practice of handing out cards to a crowd to create a massive design, for The Big Game against Stanford in 1914. The practice continues today, directed by a rally committee that sets up the stunts and sorts cards to give to students for every home game. The cards drew national attention, and the ire of coach Justin Wilcox, last season during the game against San Diego State, when students kept throwing them onto the field. Officials whistled Cal for two 15-yard penalties as a result. Wilcox then took the mic of the referee and scolded fans, telling them to knock it off. — Adelson
Getting revved up
Ramblin’ Wreck, Georgia Tech. Described on the school’s website as a “one-of-a-kind mechanical mascot,” the 1930 Ford Model A Sport Coupe painted gold and white has led the Georgia Tech football team onto the field before every home game since Sept. 30, 1961. But why? In the 1940s and 1950s at Georgia Tech, it became a sort of “rite of passage” to own a shoddy, beat-up car — or “ramblin’ wreck” — kept alive thanks to the engineering ingenuity of its students. As a tribute to that spirit, the school looked for a pre-World War II Ford to serve as its mechanical mascot and found it in 1960. It took a year for the school to convince the owners to sell it, and the Wreck debuted that season against Rice. — Adelson
Sooner Schooner, Oklahoma: Every Oklahoma score at Owen Field is followed by a victory ride from the Sooner Schooner, a scaled-down version of the covered wagons used by pioneers to settle the land known as Oklahoma in 1889. The Schooner debuted in 1964 and became OU’s official mascot in 1980. Spirit squad members from the RUF/NEKS and RUF/NEK Lil’ Sis drive the Schooner, which is led by ponies appropriately named “Boomer” and “Sooner.” While there have been some notable crashes, its voyage around the field remains an integral part of game days in Norman. — Rittenberg
Vol Navy, Tennessee: It’s the most famous navy in college football. Each fall Saturday when Tennessee plays a home football game, boats of all sizes set sail for Neyland Stadium, which is located on the banks of the Tennessee River. As you wind your way down Neyland Drive en route to the games, the orange Tennessee flags waving from the procession of boats flap in the wind, on both the warmest and coldest of days. The boats, many decked out in orange, dock at marinas on the river’s banks, making for an easy walk to the stadium. Sometimes the parties on the boats are as entertaining as the games themselves, certainly the postgame parties when the Vols win. — Chris Low
Strike up the band
Script Ohio, dotting the i, Ohio State: Ohio State fans are very into their state. Chants of O-H! must be followed by I-O! The “I” in Ohio carries extra meaning, as some Buckeyes fans have shown even after death. Ohio State’s band has its own memorable spin on the state name, spelling out Ohio in script form at home games, and then inviting a senior sousaphone player to high-step and dot the i, before bowing to all four sides of Ohio Stadium. The Ohio State Marching Band, or The Best Damn Band in the Land, began doing script Ohio and dotting the i during the 1938 season, and it remains one of the most electric moments during Buckeyes home games. — Rittenberg
Stanford Band halftime show, Stanford: Very few things are off limits for the Stanford Band, known for its irreverent and sometimes controversial halftime performances. The shift away from a traditional band began in 1963, after its longtime director was dismissed. The band went on strike for the first two games of the football season. The new director leaned into the culture of the era, allowing students to play rock ‘n’ roll songs, “scatter” to get into place as opposed to traditional marching, and script humorous formations that often served as punchlines, social commentary or poked fun at opponents. The Stanford Band has drawn ire and/or been disciplined for, among other things, ridiculing UCLA, Catholicism (Notre Dame), Mormonism (BYU) and the spotted owl (Oregon). — Adelson
The MOB, Rice: The Stanford Band has a kindred spirit in Rice’s MOB (the Marching Owl Band), which is a small but mighty and scrappy group that, like Stanford, uses brainpower to take aim at opponents. In 1973, the MOB mocked two Texas A&M institutions: the Aggie Band’s military style (the MOB goose-stepped in imitation) and beloved mascot Reveille (forming a fire hydrant while playing “Oh Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone?”). Band members were cornered in a supply closet by angry Aggies and had to be rescued by a box truck backed up to its doors. In 2007, they were reprimanded by Conference USA for a halftime skit called “Todd Graham’s Inferno,” whereupon band members searched through the circles of hell for the coach who had just left Rice for Tulsa after one successful season. Wherever sacred cows are found, the MOB will look to make ground beef. — Wilson
Marching 100, Florida A&M: When you take a trip to the “highest of seven hills” for a football game, you can expect a spectacular performance by the world-renowned Marching 100. Halftime performances start with their signature “Slow One,” as each band member holds one leg up at a 90-degree angle and slowly switches legs. The 100 then quickens the pace, followed by the band filling the field as the show begins. The band was founded in 1892 by Dr. William P. Foster and has grown to be one of the world’s most recognizable marching bands. From Paris Fashion Week to multiple Super Bowls to two presidential inauguration parades, the 100 has been seen far and wide, but the ultimate experience happens at Bragg Stadium in Tallahassee. — Erika Leflouria
Sonic Boom of the South, Jackson State: As soon as you step foot inside Mississippi Veterans Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi, you can’t help but notice the rumbling from the bass drums, followed by the funky rhythm of The Temptations’ “Get Ready” from the Jackson State marching band to get fans’ pom-poms going. Fans arrive at the stadium ahead of time to witness the Sonic Boom take part in a Zero Quarter battle of the bands against the visiting unit, an HBCU pregame staple. Following the presentation of the colors, the band rocks the stadium with its trademark tune “We Came To Play” by Tower of Power. The Sonic Boom’s halftime performances are the main attraction, however, wowing fans with their signature “Tiger Run-On” and “JSU Rocks the House” fanfare. — Kalan Hooks
Animal planet
Ralphie’s Run, Colorado: Live animal mascots aren’t as common as they used to be in college football, but Colorado’s Ralphie remains an iconic presence before games at Folsom Field. Colorado selected Ralphie as its official mascot in 1966 and the next year, she began running around the field to lead the Buffaloes out of their tunnel. A group of Ralphie handlers make the U-shaped run with the bison, who ends up in a trailer near the visitors locker room. There have been six Ralphies, always female bison, which live on a ranch in an undisclosed location. — Rittenberg
Here Comes Bullet, Oklahoma State: Since 1988, Bullet, a black horse, has galloped onto the field following every Cowboys touchdown, carrying a spirit rider waving an Oklahoma State flag. The first of four horses who’ve since served as Bullet got plenty of work. In 1988, Barry Sanders won the Heisman Trophy while scoring an NCAA-record 44 touchdowns. — Jake Trotter
Flight of the Eagle, Auburn: In a tradition that goes back to the start of the 2000 season, an eagle with a 6½-foot wingspan majestically circles Jordan-Hare Stadium as the fans chant “Warrrrrrrrr” until it lands at midfield, then they finish with “Eagle!” There have been several eagles over the years performing the flight, and right now, there are two sharing the duties. And no, War Eagle is not the Auburn mascot. It’s the school’s battle cry that dates back to a Civil War veteran. — Low
Blaster the Burro, Colorado School of Mines: Since the 1990s, the Orediggers have brought out a live donkey to celebrate after every touchdown by the home team at Marv Kay Stadium. A member of the university’s Blue Key Honor Society will run alongside Blaster the Burro to the 50-yard line to celebrate the team’s score. Spoiler: There are two donkeys that carry the duty of Blaster; Winkie is the runner burro that you’ll see on game days, while Pepsi is the burro used for special university events. — Leflouria
Big fun at smaller schools
The Cannon, Toledo. Before each home game, at the end of each half and after every Toledo score, a Civil War-era model cannon is fired off. The tradition began in 1966, when a member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity saw a cannon fired at a Texas game and decided to take the idea to Toledo. According to the school, another member of the fraternity “bartered his cannon for fraternity dues.” That cannon was in use until it was replaced in 2010. To this day, members of Pi Kappa Phi are responsible for operating the cannon during games. — Adelson
Purple Haze, East Carolina: It doesn’t get the pub of some of the other grand entrances in college football, but being there live to see East Carolina’s players racing onto the field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium through a giant pirate skull amid clouds of purple smoke with Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” blaring on the jumbotron and a video of pirate ships waving ECU skull and crossbones flags and shooting off cannons on the high seas is about as cool as it gets. Jimi Hendrix and college football mixed together? That’s pure nirvana. — Low
Gone (sort of) but not forgotten
Red balloons, Nebraska: Since the 1960s, Husker fans would release red balloons after Nebraska’s first touchdown, turning the Lincoln sky into a sea of red. Due to a helium shortage, the school discontinued the tradition in 2022. But last season, Nebraska brought the balloon release back for its game against Colorado. Going forward, amid criticism for the impact the balloons have on the environment, Nebraska plans to hold the balloon release for select games only. — Trotter
Hand signs for Texas schools: At Texas, they Hook ‘Em with the index and pinky fingers. At Texas A&M, they Gig ‘Em with the thumb. SMU has two fingers up, the V for victory, which later became pony ears. Houston adds a middle finger to Texas’ sign to make a cougar paw — “unofficially, it indicates the students’ attitude toward UT,” Texas Monthly once wrote. At Texas Tech, they extend the thumb and index finger for Guns Up. TCU raises the first two fingers then bends the tips down, allegedly to look like the horns of the Horned Frog. Baylor fans make a bear claw to Sic ‘Em. Of the nine former Southwest Conference schools only Rice and Arkansas didn’t have hand signs. But the one they all had in common was turning Texas’ horns upside down. R.I.P. to the SWC. — Wilson
Playing with food
The State Fair of Texas and a Fletcher’s Corny Dog, Texas-Oklahoma: Texas and Oklahoma fans don’t share much affinity for each other, but they both agree that their annual rivalry game boasts the best setting in college football — the center of the State Fair of Texas. There’s a mutual respect for each other on the Midway that isn’t shared inside the stadium — fans in Baker Mayfield jerseys riding the 212-foot-tall Texas Star Ferris wheel with those in Colt McCoy’s threads. And it’s not game day without a Fletcher’s Corny Dog, who originated the battered and fried hot dog on a stick in 1942 and now sell more than half a million of them each year during the fair’s 24-day run. — Wilson
Tortilla toss, Texas Tech: Nobody seems to know for sure how and when it started, but since at least the late 1980s, Texas Tech students have been throwing tortillas onto the field after the opening kickoff. The university doesn’t endorse this tradition. But that hasn’t stopped the Red Raider faithful from slinging tortillas all around Jones Stadium. — Trotter
‘Greatest show in college sports’
White Out, Penn State: One of the best scenes in college football, for the biggest home night game of the season, is a White Out at Happy Valley. For the past two decades, Penn State fans dress in all white, creating a sea of white — and bedlam — throughout 106,572-seat Beaver Stadium. It’s an intimidating environment for the opposition and one of those experiences in college football that nobody can duplicate. Penn State has dubbed its White Out as the “greatest show in college sports.” This season’s is Sept. 27 against Oregon. — Low
The total package
Saturday night at Tiger Stadium, LSU: Where do you start when it comes to taking in an LSU football game? The tailgating, in particular the scrumptious food (jambalaya, gumbo and shrimp po’boys, all out of this world). And, yes, there are always beverage options available. The wardrobes and Mardi Gras beads are unlike anything else you’ll find in college football, and no trip to LSU is complete without visiting Mike the Tiger in his sprawling digs. And then there’s the Golden Band From Tigerland and those first four notes before breaking full bore into “Hold That Tiger.” It all adds up to college football pageantry at its finest. — Low
Sports
Overreactions or not? Breaking down the latest from AL’s top contenders
Published
7 hours agoon
August 24, 2025By
admin
-
David SchoenfieldAug 22, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- Covers MLB for ESPN.com
- Former deputy editor of Page 2
- Been with ESPN.com since 1995
A few days ago, we checked in on what to believe and what not to in the National League. Well, the American League is perhaps even more chaotic.
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are in the midst of a crucial four-game series at Yankee Stadium — with the final game on “Sunday Night Baseball” at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both teams will try to make a statement and inch closer to the Toronto Blue Jays at the top of the division while staying ahead in the wild-card race.
The Blue Jays had been hot — except they just lost a series to the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates. The Houston Astros were recently shut out three games in a row (and four out of five) but kept their slim hold on first place in the AL West because the Seattle Mariners went 2-7 on a recent road trip, including a brutal three-game wipeout in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers might be back on track, and the Kansas City Royals are suddenly surging.
Let’s check on the current states of overreaction in the AL and make some verdicts.
Overreaction: Judge! Bellinger! Stanton! The Yankees are back, baby!
Calm down there, tiger. The Yankees took two of three from Minnesota. They scored 24 runs in sweeping St. Louis, and then they bashed nine home runs in a win over Tampa Bay.
The middle of the order is leading the way. Aaron Judge is back off the injured list. Cody Bellinger has proven to be one of the most unheralded pickups of last offseason, on his way to his most home runs since his MVP season of 2019. The big shocker has been Giancarlo Stanton, though. He missed the first two-plus months of the season because of what was described as a double tennis elbow, as if he had spent the offseason working on his backhand slice, preparing for the French Open. In 46 games since returning in mid-June, he’s hitting .311/.389/..642, producing what is easily his highest OPS since his MVP season of 2017, and has been so hot that the Yankees played him a few games in right field to keep his bat in the lineup (allowing Judge to DH while working on returning to the field) even though Stanton is less mobile than the monuments in center field.
So, it has been a nice stretch after losing records in June and July. But there are still issues. Max Fried, who starts Friday night, is scuffling, with a 6.80 ERA over his past eight starts. He hasn’t had a quality start since June. The back of the bullpen is still sorting out things, as David Bednar has replaced Devin Williams as the closer (and blew the save Wednesday, although the Yankees won in extra innings), but Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, two other trade deadline acquisitions, haven’t made an impact. There could still be a terrific bullpen here, especially if Williams gets straightened out, but let’s hold off on declaring that.
And Judge still hasn’t played the outfield. Though manager Aaron Boone played Stanton in right field at Yankee Stadium, where there is less ground to cover, he hasn’t played Stanton in the field on the road, leaving him as a part-time player for now. Ryan McMahon, the team’s other big deadline move, has been getting on base but has one home run in 22 games with the Yankees.
VERDICT: OVERREACTION. You can make the argument that if everything was clicking for the Yankees, they have the most upside and deepest roster in the AL: a potential ace in Fried, a potential No. 2 in Carlos Rodon, a potential wipeout bullpen, the best hitter in the sport in Judge and power up and down the lineup. They haven’t played that well against the top teams in the AL, however, including a combined 4-13 record against the Red Sox and Blue Jays, and Fried’s current struggles are a big concern. Let’s not put the Yankees in the playoffs yet.
Overreaction: The Red Sox have to win this series against the Yankees
The likeliest scenario in a four-game series between two evenly matched teams is, of course, a split. That would leave the Red Sox where they started the series, one game behind the Yankees and in third place in the AL East, but potentially in a much tighter wild-card picture. Still, after winning their first five games in August, the Red Sox went 3-7 in their past 10 games entering the Yankees series, so that makes this series a little more pressure-packed even for a late-August Red Sox-Yankees showdown.
Most frustrating, the Red Sox lost two games in extra innings in that 3-7 stretch and also lost both games that Garrett Crochet started. He had one bad start against the Houston Astros, lasting four innings in his worst start of the season, and then the bullpen blew a 3-1 lead to the Miami Marlins as Greg Weissert and Steven Matz allowed ninth-inning home runs when Aroldis Chapman was unavailable to close. Chapman had pitched the previous games and had thrown only 14 pitches over the two outings, so it was a dubious decision by manager Alex Cora (Chapman had appeared in three consecutive games earlier in the season).
One key for the Red Sox down the stretch: How much will Cora push his top pitchers? Crochet is already past his innings total of 2024 and hasn’t pitched on four days’ rest since June 18, with rest periods of seven and nine days during that span. Chapman has had a dominant season but has pitched just 48 innings in 53 appearances and has rarely made even back-to-back outings. The Yankees series begins a stretch for Boston of 13 games in 13 days and 19 in 20, so Cora will have to make some decisions with his rotation.
VERDICT: OVERREACTION. Is there urgency to turn things around? Of course. Is this a do-or-die series? No, it’s still too early to make that claim, especially with the Red Sox still in a solid wild-card position (granted, chasing down the Blue Jays remains the ultimate goal). On the other hand, this eight-game road trip to New York and Baltimore looms large, given the Red Sox are just 28-34 on the road– and the Orioles have been playing better of late. A bad road trip could be disastrous. Check back next week.
Overreaction: The Blue Jays — not the Tigers — are now the best team in the AL
The Blue Jays have gone 48-26 since May 28 — the second-best record in the majors behind Milwaukee since that date. They have the highest OPS in the majors since then and only the Brewers are close to them in runs scored (Boston has scored the third-most runs and is 50 runs behind the Blue Jays since May 28). It hasn’t been just Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette either. George Springer and Addison Barger have mashed, Daulton Varsho has had a big August and role players such as Davis Schneider, Joey Loperfido, Ernie Clement and Tyler Heineman have been excellent. Toronto has a sneaky deep lineup.
Oh, and Max Scherzer has suddenly reeled off five straight quality starts.
On the other hand, the Tigers seem back on track after that stretch in July when they lost 11 of 12. They’ve won four series in a row, granted, three of those were against the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and diminished Minnesota Twins, but they also just swept the Astros, knocking around Framber Valdez in the series finale Wednesday and tossing shutouts in the other two wins. Charlie Morton has helped stabilize the rotation with three excellent starts in his four turns with the Tigers, and the bullpen — with added reinforcements from the trade deadline — has been much better in August after struggling in July. Kerry Carpenter has also been mashing since his return in late July.
VERDICT: OVERREACTION. If you’re buying Scherzer and Eric Lauer as frontline starters and all the surprising offensive performances, then it’s not unreasonable to suggest the Blue Jays are the team to beat. Some of those offensive numbers are skewed by that crazy series at Coors Field when they scored 45 runs in three games, however, and when considering the entire season, the Tigers still have the better run differential (as do the Yankees and Red Sox). The Jays’ bandwagon is gaining momentum, but the AL still feels like one big group of teams that will all finish 92-70.
Overreaction: The Astros can’t hit, and the Mariners can’t pitch
Does anyone want to win the AL West? It doesn’t seem like it (you can even throw in the Texas Rangers, who were tied with the Mariners on July 30 but have gone 6-13 since then in playing a difficult August schedule). The Astros are hitting just .226 in August with a .649 OPS. Carlos Correa has been their best hitter, so it’s hard to criticize that trade, but Jesus Sanchez has hit .150 with one RBI for Houston while rookie Cam Smith has fallen into a slump. Getting back Yordan Alvarez, who just began a rehab assignment, will be a big lift if he’s healthy.
As for the Mariners, they have their top five starters healthy for the first time, but this road trip exposed their secret: Their rotation is vastly overrated. The Mariners are 26th in rotation ERA on the road. Bryan Woo is the only starter of those five with an ERA under 5.00 on the road. Logan Gilbert has a 2.22 ERA at home and 6.00 on the road. Luis Castillo‘s road OPS is nearly 300 points higher than it is at home. They pitch well at home because T-Mobile Park is such a pitcher-friendly park. The Mariners still have two road trips remaining: a nine-game trip to Cleveland, Tampa and Atlanta, and then a six-game trip to Kansas City and Houston.
VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Both concerns are legitimate. The Astros’ offense hasn’t been terrible this season, but it rates as middle of the pack, and Correa is replacing the injured Isaac Paredes, so he’s not an upgrade. Seattle’s rotation struggles on the road — and lack of bullpen depth — are perhaps an even bigger concern. The season series is tied 5-5. FanGraphs projects a dead heat for the division title. The teams will meet once more in Houston during the second-to-last weekend of the regular season — and that series might decide the AL West.
Overreaction: The Royals will make the playoffs
As the Red Sox, Astros and Mariners have stumbled over the past 10 games, it opened the door for the Royals, who won five in a row and seven of eight to inch closer in the wild-card race (with Cleveland right there, as well). Bobby Witt Jr. is raking in August, Vinnie Pasquantino has been crushing home runs and, further proof of the unpredictability of the trade deadline, Mike Yastrzemski and Adam Frazier, two seemingly minor pickups, have been outstanding.
The Royals are doing this without Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic, but Noah Cameron continues to pitch well and fellow rookie Ryan Bergert, who came over in the Freddy Fermin trade, has delivered three good starts. Just like last year’s team, the Royals have that spark of optimism rising at the right time.
VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. We’ll learn more about the Royals with this weekend’s series in Detroit and then the rematch next weekend in Kansas City. Otherwise, however, their schedule is pretty soft the rest of the way, including a season-ending road trip to Anaheim and Sacramento against two teams that will be playing out the string. The vibes are good. The Royals will sneak in as a wild-card team.
Sports
Overreactions to the dog days of August: Brewers’ dominance, Mets’ struggles and more from the NL
Published
7 hours agoon
August 24, 2025By
admin
-
David SchoenfieldAug 19, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- Covers MLB for ESPN.com
- Former deputy editor of Page 2
- Been with ESPN.com since 1995
Whew. That was some weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers kept winning — until they finally lost. The New York Mets kept losing — until they finally won. The Los Angeles Dodgers made a big statement, the Philadelphia Phillies suffered a crushing injury, and the Chicago Cubs managed to win a series even though their bats remain cold.
What’s going on with these National League contenders? With fan bases in euphoria or despair, let’s make some verdicts on those current states of overreaction.
Overreaction: The Brewers are unquestionably MLB’s best team
“Unquestionably” is a loaded word, especially since we’re writing this right after the Brewers reeled off 14 consecutive victories and won a remarkable 29 of 33 games. They became just the 11th team this century to win at least 14 in a row, and you don’t fluke your way to a 14-game winning streak: Each of the previous 10 teams to win that many in a row made the playoffs, and four won 100 games. Baseball being baseball, however, none won the World Series.
The Brewers were just the sixth team this century to win 29 of 33. Cleveland won 30 of 33 in 2017, riding a 22-game winning streak that began in late August. That team, which finished with 102 wins but lost the wild-card series to the New York Yankees, resembled these Brewers as a small-market, scrappy underdog. The Dodgers in 2017 and 2022 and the A’s in 2001 and 2002 also won 29 of 33. None of these teams won the World Series, either.
For the season, the Brewers have five more wins than the Detroit Tigers while easily leading the majors in run differential at plus-168, with the Cubs a distant second at plus-110. Those figures seem to suggest the Brewers are clearly the best team, with a nice balance of starting pitching (No. 1 in ERA), relief pitching (No. 10 in ERA and No. 8 in win probability added), offense (No. 1 in runs scored), defense (No. 7 in defensive runs saved) and baserunning (No. 2 in stolen bases). None of their position players were All-Stars, but other than shortstop Joey Ortiz the Brewers roll out a lineup that usually features eight average-or-better hitters, with Christian Yelich heating up and Andrew Vaughn on a tear since he joined the club.
On the other hand, via Clay Davenport’s third-order wins and losses, which project a team’s winning percentage based on underlying statistics adjusted for quality of opponents, the Brewers are neck-and-neck with the Cubs, with both teams a few projected wins behind the Yankees. Essentially, the Brewers have scored more runs and allowed fewer than might otherwise be expected based on statistics. Indeed, the Brewers lead the majors with a .288 average with runners in scoring position while holding their opponents to the third-lowest average with runners in scoring position.
Those underlying stats, though, include the first four games of the season, when the Brewers went 0-4 and allowed 47 runs. Several of those relievers who got pounded early on are no longer in the bullpen, and ever since the Brewers sorted out their relief arms, the pen has been outstanding: It’s sixth in ERA and third in lowest OPS allowed since May 1.
Then factor in that the Brewers now have Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski in the rotation (although Misiorowski struggled in his last start following a two-week stint on the injured list). The Brewers are also the best baserunning team in the majors, which leads to a few extra runs above expectation.
VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. The Brewers look like the most well-rounded team in the majors, particularly if Yelich and Vaughn keep providing power in the middle of the order. They have played well against good teams: 6-0 against the Dodgers, 3-0 against the Phillies and Boston Red Sox, 4-2 against the New York Mets and 7-3 against the Cincinnati Reds. They’re 5-4 against the Cubs with four games left in the five-game series. None of this guarantees a World Series, but they’re on pace to win 100 games because they are the best team going right now.
Overreaction: Pete Crow-Armstrong‘s struggles are a big concern
On July 30, PCA went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs in a 10-3 victory for the Cubs over the Brewers. He was hitting .272/.309/.559, playing electrifying defense in center field, and was the leader in the NL MVP race with 5.7 fWAR, more than a win higher than Fernando Tatis Jr. and Shohei Ohtani. The Brewers had started to get hot, but the Cubs, after leading the NL Central most of the season, were just a game behind in the standings.
July 31 was an off day. Then the calendar flipped to August and Crow-Armstrong entered a slump that has featured no dying quails, no gorks, no ground balls with eyes. He’s 8-for-52 in August with no home runs, one RBI and two runs scored. The Cubs, averaging 5.3 runs per game through the end of July, are at just 2.75 runs per game in August and have seen the Brewers build a big lead in the division.
Crow-Armstrong’s slump isn’t necessarily a surprise. Analysts have been predicting regression for some time due to one obvious flaw in PCA’s game: He swings at everything. He has the fifth-highest chase rate among qualified batters, swinging at over 42% of pitches out of the strike zone. It seemed likely that it was only a matter of time before pitchers figured out how to exploit Crow-Armstrong’s aggressiveness.
Doubling down on the regression predictions, PCA has produced strong power numbers despite a below-average hard-hit rate (44th percentile) and average exit velocity (47th percentile). Although raw power isn’t always necessary to produce extra-base power — see Jose Altuve — those metrics were a red flag that PCA might have been overachieving.
VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. OK, here’s the odd thing: PCA’s chase rate has improved in August to just 28%, but that hasn’t translated to success. His hard-hit rate isn’t much lower than it was the rest of the season (although his average fly ball distance has dropped about 20 feet). His struggles against left-handers are real: After slugging .600 against them in April, he has hit .186 and slugged .390 against them since May 1. He’ll start hitting again at some point, but it’s reasonable to assume he’s not going to hit like he did from April through July.
It’s not all on PCA, however. Kyle Tucker has been just as bad in August (.148, no home runs, one RBI). Michael Busch is hitting .151. Seiya Suzuki has only one home run. Those four had carried the offense, and all are scuffling at once. For the Cubs to rebound, they need this entire group to get back on track. Put it this way: The Cubs have won just three of their past eight series — and those were against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox.
Overreaction: The Mets are doomed and will miss the playoffs
On July 27, the Mets completed a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants to improve to 62-44, holding a 1½-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East. According to FanGraphs, New York’s odds of winning the division stood at 55% and its chances of making the playoffs were nearly 97%. A few days later, the Mets reinforced the bullpen — the club’s biggest weakness — with Ryan Helsley and Tyler Rogers at the trade deadline (after already acquiring Gregory Soto).
It’s never that easy with the Mets though, is it? The San Diego Padres swept them. The Cleveland Guardians swept them. The Brewers swept them. Helsley lost three games and blew a lead in another outing. The rotation has a 6.22 ERA in August. The Mets lost 14 of 16 before finally taking the final two games against the Seattle Mariners this past weekend to temporarily ease the panic level from DEFCON 1 to DEFCON 2. The Phillies have a comfortable lead in the division and the Mets have dropped to the third wild-card position, just one game ahead of the Reds. The team with the highest payroll in the sport is in very real danger of missing the playoffs.
VERDICT: OVERREACTION. The bullpen issues are still a concern given Helsley’s struggles, and Rogers has fanned just one of the 42 batters he has faced since joining the Mets. Still, this team is loaded with talent, as reflected in FanGraphs’ playoffs odds, which gave the Mets an 86% chance of making the postseason entering Monday (with the Reds at 14%). One note, however: The Reds lead the season series 2 games to 1, which gives them the tiebreaker edge if the teams finish with the same record. A three-game set in Cincinnati in early September looms as one of the biggest series the rest of the season. Mets fans have certainly earned the right to brood over the team’s current state of play, but the team remains favored to at least squeak out a wild card.
Overreaction: Zack Wheeler’s absence is a big problem for the Phillies
The Phillies’ ace just went on the IL because of a blood clot near his right shoulder, with no timetable on a potential return. The injury is serious enough that his availability for the rest of the season is in jeopardy. Manager Rob Thomson said the team has enough rotation depth to battle on without Wheeler, but there are some other issues there as well:
• Ranger Suarez has a 5.86 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break.
• Aaron Nola was activated from the IL on Sunday to replace Wheeler for his first MLB start in three months and gave up six runs in 2⅓ innings, raising his season ERA to 6.92.
• Taijuan Walker has a 3.34 ERA but also a 4.73 FIP and probably isn’t someone you would feel comfortable starting in a playoff series.
• Even Jesus Luzardo has been inconsistent all season, with a 4.21 ERA.
Minus Wheeler, that arguably leaves Cristopher Sanchez as the team’s only sure-thing reliable starter at the moment. Though a trip to the playoffs certainly looks secure, all this opens the door for the Mets to make it a race for the division title.
VERDICT: NOT AN OVERREACTION. Making the playoffs is one thing, but it’s also about peaking at the right time, and given the scary nature of Wheeler’s injury, the Phillies might not end up peaking when they need to. Nola certainly can’t be counted on right now and Suarez has suddenly struggled a bit to miss bats. There’s time here for Nola and Suarez to fix things, and the bullpen has been strengthened with the additions of Jhoan Duran and David Robertson, but even with Wheeler, the Phillies are just 22-18 since the beginning of July. Indeed, their ultimate hopes might rest on an offense that has let them down the past two postseasons and hasn’t been great this season aside from Kyle Schwarber. If they don’t score runs, it won’t matter who is on the mound.
Overreaction: The Dodgers just buried the Padres with their three-game sweep
It was a statement series: The Dodgers, battled, bruised and slumping, had fallen a game behind the Padres in the NL West. But they swept the Padres at Dodger Stadium behind stellar outings from Clayton Kershaw and Blake Snell, and a clutch Mookie Betts home run to cap a rally from a 4-0 deficit. Still the kings of the NL West, right?
After all, the Dodgers are finally rolling out that dream rotation: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Snell and Kershaw are all healthy and at full strength for the first time this season. Only Roki Sasaki is missing. Yamamoto has been solid all season, Ohtani ramped up to 80 pitches in his last start, Glasnow has a 2.50 ERA since returning from the IL in July, Snell has reeled off back-to-back scoreless starts, and even Kershaw, while not racking up many strikeouts, has lowered his season ERA to 3.01. That group should carry the Dodgers to their 12th division title in the past 13 seasons.
VERDICT: OVERREACTION. Calm down. One great series does not mean the Dodgers are suddenly fixed or that the Padres will fade away. The Dodgers’ bullpen is still battling injuries, Betts still has a sub-.700 OPS and injuries have forced them to play Alex Freeland, Miguel Rojas and Buddy Kennedy in the infield. Check back after next weekend, when the Padres host the Dodgers for their final regular-season series of 2025.
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