The Colorado Rockies began their 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field, playing the displaced Tampa Bay Rays at the Yankees’ spring training facility in Tampa, Florida. The Rockies and Rays were tied 2-2 when Colorado’s Victor Vodnik came on to pitch in the bottom of the ninth. He threw one 97 mph fastball — which Rays outfielder Kameron Misner, a 27-year-old rookie, deposited into the right-field bleachers for a winning home run.

It was Misner’s first home run in the majors, making him the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off home run on Opening Day for his first career home run.

Let’s just say that game set an early tone for a season that quickly spiraled into a long list of ugly losses, with displays of baseball that might make a Little League coach hide in shame. For two months, the Rockies played like the worst team in major league history, or at least the worst team since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders — a team so bad it ended up playing most of its games on the road before folding at season’s end.

“I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t been difficult,” starting pitcher Kyle Freeland told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “We have a ton of young guys and we’re trying to pull in the same direction to get us back on track to where we want to go, but it’s been a very difficult year. This second half has felt like we can breathe a little bit more. We’ve played better baseball but we’re kind of hot and cold, really.”

The Rockies started 9-50, at which point it seemed certain they would shatter the modern record of 121 losses, set just last season by the Chicago White Sox. To their credit, the Rockies have played better since the All-Star break and will avoid that fate of history. But in one regard, they’ve still been worse than the White Sox: They just lost their 100th game and have been outscored by 362 runs. Meanwhile, the White Sox were outscored by 306 runs all last season.

Babe Ruth called baseball “the best game in the world.” But he never watched these Rockies play. They have lost games in every way imaginable — and some in ways you couldn’t imagine if you tried. Let’s look back on how they got to 100 losses.

---

Loss No. 5: The “traditional” loss

We begin the Rockies’ woes with the Philadelphia Phillies sweeping them in the second series of the season by scores of 6-1, 5-1 and 3-1 to drop the Rockies to 1-5.

Taijuan Walker started the final game for the Phillies, coming off a 2024 season in which he had been so bad that his mother once cried in the stands as her son was booed. She flew in from Arizona to watch this game and texted her son that she was crying again — with joy, after Walker pitched six scoreless innings in the 3-1 victory.

The Rockies were hitting .203 as a team with a .553 OPS after this initial road trip. On Reddit, Rockies fans were already suffering. “I am not normally this cynical,” wrote one fan. “But man, this team …” Another wrote: “Hunter Goodman and Kyle Freeland are the only ones allowed to fly back home. Everyone else can take the bus.”

How bad would the Rockies’ offense become in 2025? Colorado has been shut out or scored only one run in 35 games — already a franchise record. A majority of those games have come on the road, where the Rockies are hitting just .208 with a .266 on-base percentage.

---

Loss No. 6: The “extra innings” loss

The home opener. Over 48,000 fans packed Coors Field on a frigid, 37-degree Friday afternoon that featured snow flurries during the game. The players were dressed as if they were on Shackleton’s voyage to the South Pole.

It was a weird game. The Athletics Athletics made three replay challenges and were successful each time. In the fourth inning, Kyle Farmer was doubled off second base on a fairly routine pop fly to center field. On a double in the sixth, the A’s held Tyler Soderstrom at third base, but Ezequiel Tovar tossed the ball in over the third baseman’s head, allowing Soderstrom to scamper home. In the eighth, Farmer appeared to tie the score with an inside-the-park home run after the ball was lodged under the outfield fence, but the A’s won the challenge and it was ruled a ground-rule double (the Rockies managed to tie it anyway).

The A’s won 6-3 with three runs in the 11th inning. The Rockies haven’t been good enough to play many extra-inning games, but you won’t be surprised to know they are 1-5 when they do. You also won’t be surprised to know the Rockies’ bullpen hasn’t been good. They will lose many games in the late innings. To be fair, they will also lose many games in the early innings.

---

Loss No. 9: The “Bad News Bears in the field” loss

This was a 17-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. Antonio Senzatela, who has spent his nine-year career with the Rockies and is 4-15 with a 7.12 ERA in 2025, gave up nine runs, while the Brewers scored five or more runs in three separate innings for the first time in franchise history. But it was the fielding — or lack thereof — that distinguished this game. The Rockies made four errors. There was no snow to blame: It was 71 degrees at game time.

Error No. 1: On a base hit to center field, Brenton Doyle overruns the ball, allowing the batter to reach second.

Error No. 2: Tovar bobbles a grounder and can’t get the force out at second.

Error No. 3: Jackson Chourio hits a slow tapper back to pitcher Seth Halvorsen, who chucks the throw five feet over the first baseman’s head.

Error No. 4: On a base hit to center field, Mickey Moniak bobbles the ball, allowing the runners to move up a base.

All careless errors.

“Uncharacteristic for us,” manager Bud Black said at the time. “We’re used to really clean defensive games. That’s part of what we pride ourselves in. Tonight was not that night, for sure. You play 162 games during the course of a season. We’re not going to have many games like that — if any, really.”

The Rockies would have more games like this. Only the Boston Red Sox have made more defensive errors this season.

---

Loss No. 12: The “you can’t win if you can’t score” loss

So, it turns out that Phillies series was nothing. The Rockies hit the road in San Diego and lost 8-0 (with three hits and 15 strikeouts), 2-0 (four hits, nine strikeouts) and 6-0 (two hits, eight strikeouts). Yes, that’s nine hits across three consecutive shutouts. The Rockies fell to 3-12 and became only the third team since 1901 to, over three games, score zero runs, have fewer than 10 hits and strike out at least 30 times.

When Black was asked if anything could be done to right the offense, he said, “No, this is our group.”

---

Loss No. 15: The “starting pitcher forgets to show up” loss

The Los Angeles Dodgers knocked out German Marquez in the first inning with a seven-run outburst, holding on for an 8-7 victory as the Rockies struck out 16 times — four times each by Ryan McMahon and Braxton Fulford. Marquez, a former All-Star, is now 3-12 with a 6.14 ERA and .314 batting average allowed.

Marquez isn’t the only Rockies starter to struggle in the first inning. The team’s first-inning ERA in 2025: 7.96, which puts them on track for the worst first-inning ERA in the wild-card era (the Rangers had a 7.89 ERA in 2000). Opponents are hitting .340/.395/.571 in the first inning against the Rockies — essentially what Matt Holliday hit for the Rockies in 2007, when he finished second in MVP voting. That means the Rockies are turning what is an average hitter against them in the first inning into an MVP-caliber slugger.

---

Loss No. 18: The heartbreaking “only the Rockies can lose this way” loss

This one was a gut punch, as delivered by George Foreman in his prime. Trailing the Kansas City Royals 2-0 with two outs and nobody on in the top of the ninth, Royals closer Carlos Estevez walked three batters in a row and then Jacob Stallings cleared the bases with a three-run double, putting the Rockies up 3-2. But the Royals tied it in the bottom of the ninth, sending it to extra innings.

Moniak was the designated runner in the 10th inning and moved to third base on a sacrifice. Then, Royals catcher Freddy Fermin picked him off with a well-timed laser beam of a throw when Moniak wasn’t even that far off the base.

Freddy Fermin and Maikel Garcia combined for a nasty pickoff in a clutch spot! pic.twitter.com/E6i6BwYioB

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 23, 2025

The Royals won in 11 innings on a wild pitch, two intentional walks to load the bases and Fermin’s walk-off single.

At this point, we’re not even through the end of April yet.

---

Loss No. 27: The “three walks followed by a grand slam” loss

Leading the San Francisco Giants 3-1 in the sixth inning, Colorado’s Bradley Blalock walked two batters followed by Jake Bird walking a third before Matt Chapman cleared the bases with a grand slam. The Giants won 6-3, dropping the Rockies to 6-27.

The Rockies have not given up the most grand slams this season. But their pitchers have faced the most bases-loaded situations of any staff in the majors.

---

Loss No. 33: The “how to get your manager fired” loss

The San Diego Padres pummeled the Rockies 21-0 at Coors Field, bashing out 24 hits as Blalock gave up 12 runs to start the game. A large contingent of Padres fans were in attendance and did the wave in the sixth inning, rubbing salt into the bleeding wound. It could have been worse: Backup catcher Stallings gave up only one run in pitching two innings. It was the biggest shutout victory in Padres history and only one run short of the largest shutout in MLB since 1900 (Cleveland had a 22-0 shutout over the Yankees in 2004 and the Pirates beat the Cubs 22-0 in 1975). Stephen Kolek became the first visiting pitcher with a shutout at Coors Field since Clayton Kershaw in 2013.

As the headline on the Purple Row site read: “Padres 21, Rockies 0: They only lost by three touchdowns…”

The unfortunate folks managing the Rockies’ social media — now that’s a tough job — had this reaction:

pic.twitter.com/Tj64IJyhzz

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) May 11, 2025

To top it off, this was the final game in an incredible stretch of terrible pitching: The Rockies gave up 10-plus runs in four consecutive games and 72 runs over a six-game stretch (16 of those runs were unearned).

Before the game, general manager Bill Schmidt had addressed the state of the club, saying, “I feel for the fans, I feel for the people around here. I know we are better than we have played, but we are not good right now. We have to battle through it and get to the other side.”

Said Black: “It’s a tough loss, but it’s just one game.”

He was fired the next day.

---

Loss No. 43: The “10-run inning” loss

Tied 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning, the Yankees scored 10 runs on their way to a 13-1 victory. The rally: single, double, walk, E1, intentional walk, sac fly, single, sac fly, single, wild pitch, double, walk, single, double, strikeout.

---

Loss Nos. 53, 54, 55, 56: The “bullpen blues” losses

No. 53: The Rockies served up a season-high six home runs, four of those by the bullpen, in a 13-5 loss to the New York Mets.

No. 54: Zach Agnos and Vodnik gave up four runs in the ninth in a 6-5 loss to the Giants. Agnos gave up a home run and then walked three batters. The tying hit came with two outs on Wilmer Flores‘ swinging bunt down the third-base line that had an exit velocity of 49 mph. Even when the Rockies make a good pitch and get a good result, it turns into a bad result.

No. 55: The Rockies gave up seven runs in the final two innings in a 10-7 loss to the Giants. The go-ahead run in the eighth inning came on a safety squeeze in which the Giants’ baserunner was initially called out at home, only to have the call overturned on replay.

No. 56: A day after the Rockies beat the Giants 8-7, the Atlanta Braves rallied from a 4-1 deficit to win 12-4 with 11 runs from the sixth through eighth innings — all off the Rockies’ bullpen. The Rockies committed four errors (two on one play by first baseman Keston Hiura), threw two wild pitches and grounded into four double plays.

In this loss, Bird gave up a three-run home run in the sixth that tied the score.

“The bullpen has been really good, other than three of the past four games,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game. “‘Birdman’ always gets the job done. That was an abnormality. Tomorrow, I expect ‘Birdman’ to get the job done, because that’s what he does.”

Alas, that was not the case. Bird would have a 12.21 ERA over his next 16 appearances before he was traded to the Yankees.

The next day, the Rockies lost 4-1 to the Braves, striking out 19 times, a franchise record for Atlanta. The loss dropped the Rockies to 13-57, the worst record through 70 games in the modern era (since 1901). They were on pace for a record of 30-132 and had been outscored 441 runs to 229 (for a run differential of minus-212), or just over three runs per game, which is a stunning level of — there’s no other word here — incompetence. They had played nearly half a season and were on pace to be outscored by 490 total runs. The worst run differential in a full season since 1901: minus-345 runs, by the 1932 Red Sox (in a 154-game season). The 2023 A’s have the worst in a 162-game season, at minus-344 runs.

It’s not hyperbole to suggest that, for 70 games, no team in 125 years played worse than the 2025 Rockies.

They have fared better since that point in the season, at least in the win-loss department, but that run differential sits at minus-362 runs. Unless they miraculously outscore their opponents in the final month, they’re destined to make their own dubious history for worst run differential in the modern era, even if they won’t set the modern record for losses.

Indeed, the Rockies still managed to find special ways to lose games as the season continued.

---

Loss No. 58: The “walk-off home run” loss

The Rockies scored a run in the top of the 11th to take a one-run lead against the Washington Nationals. James Wood then did this:

JAMES WOOD
GAME OVER
WALK-OFF HOMER 😤 pic.twitter.com/wb5SDPFQB3

— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2025

---

Loss No. 60: The “really bad baserunning” loss

The key moment in a 5-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks came in the seventh inning when it was already 5-3. Colorado’s Moniak doubled and Sam Hilliard walked with nobody out. The Diamondbacks brought in reliever Ryan Thompson — who promptly picked off Moniak at second base. Remember, Moniak was the runner picked off third base in extra innings earlier in the season.

The Rockies, along with poor hitting, pitching and fielding, are not a good baserunning team. They are tied for the MLB lead in getting picked off. They have the worst stolen-base percentage in the majors. The baserunning metric at Fangraphs identifies the Rockies as the worst baserunning team in the majors at nine runs below average.

---

Loss No. 62: The “lose a pop fly in the rain” loss

The Dodgers and Rockies were tied 0-0 in the sixth inning in a rare pitching duel at Coors Field, with Rockies rookie Chase Dollander on his way to the best start of his career — amid what had been a trying season for the 23-year-old right-hander. With two outs and two on, and a steady downpour of rain descending from the tears of the baseball gods, Dollander induced a pop fly from Max Muncy. Second baseman Thairo Estrada called for it. The ball landed 10 feet away, nearly plunking first baseman Michael Toglia in the head. In a season of bad plays, this might be the worst, rain or not. Two runs scored. The Rockies lost 8-1.

---

Loss No. 63: The “yes, this actually happened this way” loss

On the other hand, maybe the worst play of the season was in Colorado’s next loss. Trailing the Dodgers 3-1 with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Tyler Freeman was on first base when Estrada lined out to left-center field. The one thing Freeman absolutely cannot do in that situation: get doubled off first base for the game’s final out. He wasn’t even the tying run. Well … he got doubled off first base.

---

Loss No. 66: The “failed pickoff that leads to an impossible grand slam on an impossible pitch” loss

Tied 1-1 with the Houston Astros in the third inning, Dollander has Mauricio Dubon picked off at second — except he throws it away for an error. A few batters later, Victor Caratini belts a grand slam on a pitch so high out of the strike zone, it had just a 3.8% likelihood of being called a strike. The Rockies lose 6-5.

---

Loss No. 77: The “just an old-fashioned blowout” loss

The Baltimore Orioles won 18-0 at Camden Yards, belting out 18 hits and scoring nine runs in the seventh inning while recording the largest shutout in franchise history. That makes it two teams to record their largest shutout in franchise history against the Rockies in 2025. Along the way, the Orioles became the first team to have 12 different players record both a hit and a run scored in the same game. Only one of the 18 runs came off a position player. Oh, and the Rockies had only two hits.

Selected comments from Reddit about this game:

“Yeah, but take away their seventh inning, we only lose by nine.”

“Well, it wasn’t 21-0.”

“Good news is the Dodgers lost too, so we didn’t lose any ground.”

---

Loss Nos. 82, 83, 84: The “yes, it can get worse” losses

A three-game home series in early August against the Toronto Blue Jays turned into a series of historic proportions … at least if you’re into the macabre.

No. 82: Lost 15-1, giving up 25 hits

No. 83: Lost 10-4, giving up 14 hits

No. 84: Lost 20-1, giving up 24 hits

The final tally, you ask? That would be 45 runs, 63 hits and a .453 average allowed over the three games. The Blue Jays set modern records for runs and hits in a three-game series.

“We’ve got to make better pitches,” Schaeffer explained.

---

There have been more losses since, of course. Tanner Gordon gave up 10 runs in a start, a game in which he and Ryan Rolison gave up nine straight hits with two outs. The Rockies scored one run in three games in getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates — but, hey, Paul Skenes started one of those games. The blowouts have piled up, the shutout losses have piled up and the calls for owner Dick Monfort to sell the team have increased in volume.

But along the way, there have been those games that remind us baseball fans that, even in a season of complete misery, one of the worst baseball teams of all time can create joy.

There was a 14-12 win in Arizona, when the Rockies hit five home runs to rally from an 11-6 deficit. There was the walk-off win against the Giants on June 12, when Colorado scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, with Orlando Arcia driving in the winning run. There was Hunter Goodman’s pinch-hit, two-run home run in the top of the ninth that gave the Rockies a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 13. Three days after that, Colorado scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth to beat the Diamondbacks. Two days after that, there was the walk-off win over the Dodgers when Tovar doubled and rookie Warming Bernabel singled him in.

Maybe no game better encapsulates how the magic of baseball can persevere even for MLB’s worst teams than the matchup between the Rockies and Pirates on Aug. 1 — a game of absolute no consequence, two terrible teams in the dog days of summer playing out the string. It was a perfect 84-degree night at Coors Field and 36,000 fans showed up to enjoy the atmosphere, food and scenery at one of the best ballparks in the majors. They saw one of the wildest, most exciting games — maybe the most exciting — of the entire major league season.

The Pirates scored nine runs in the top of the first inning. The Rockies chipped away. The Pirates tacked on three runs in the fourth and three in the fifth. The Rockies scored four in the bottom of the fifth to make it 15-10. The Pirates added another run in the sixth but left the bases loaded. Yanquiel Fernandez hit a two-run homer in the eighth for the Rockies to make it 16-12. Dugan Darnell pitched two scoreless innings for the Rockies in his major league debut.

In the bottom of the ninth, Goodman homered with one out. There was a walk, Bernabel tripled down the left-field line and Estrada singled him home. Brenton Doyle stepped in with the Rockies down 16-15. He got just enough of an 0-1 slider:

(good)Nightmare Fuel 😈#Rockies x @denvermattress pic.twitter.com/nfFwgr9xKG

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 2, 2025

“I’ve never seen anything like this.”

That’s for sure.

HOUSTON — Astros starter Framber Valdez said he apologized to catcher Cesar Salazar after hitting him in the chest with a pitch Tuesday night, but the left-hander insisted it wasn’t intentional.

Valdez appeared to shake off Salazar on a 1-0 pitch with the bases loaded and Trent Grisham of the New York Yankees at the plate in the fifth inning. Salazar then urged Valdez to step off the mound, but he proceeded with the pitch, which Grisham launched to deep left field to give New York a 6-0 lead in an eventual 7-1 win.

On the second pitch to the next batter, Valdez hit Salazar in the chest with a 93 mph pitch, raising questions about whether he was upset about what happened in the Grisham at-bat and if it was intended.

Valdez said it was not.

“What happened with us, we just got crossed up,” Valdez said in Spanish through an interpreter. “I called for that pitch, I threw it and we got crossed up. We went down to the dugout and I excused myself with him and I said sorry to him and I take full responsibility for that.”

Valdez was then asked directly if he did it on purpose.

“No,” he said. “It was not intentional.”

Valdez and Salazar were talking when reporters entered the clubhouse after the game, and Valdez said they had sorted things out.

“We were able to talk through it,” he said. “We spoke after the game … at his locker and everything’s good between us. It’s just stuff that happens in baseball. But yeah, we talked through it and we’re good.”

Salazar also was asked about what happened on the pitch where he was hit.

“The stadium was loud,” he said. “I thought I pressed the button, but I pressed the wrong button. I was expecting another pitch, but it wasn’t it.”

Salazar said Valdez didn’t hit him on purpose.

“No, me and Framber we actually have a really good relationship,” he said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

The last Stock Watch of the regular season is here. Before the next one, we’ll know who the 2025 World Series champion is, and will be knee-deep in another Hot Stove season.

With the Milwaukee Brewers topping the watch for the second month in a row, let’s use that surprising fact to make a couple of observations about this year’s competition:

• Payroll matters but it’s still no excuse. The likely playoff bracket looks loaded with big markets and big spenders, but teams like the Brewers and Kansas City Royals kind of take away the excuses of everyone who bemoans baseball’s economic disparity. Not that we shouldn’t seek to even the field, but in the meantime, teams should still be trying to win.

• There’s a solid chance we might see a champion we’ve never seen before. There are just five remaining teams with a goose egg in the World Series championship column. One of them is the Brewers, whose odds for ending that drought are the highest in baseball. Two others are the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners, both likely playoff teams. Taken together, these three clubs have around a 28% shot at this year’s title. In other words, there’s better than a 1-in-4 chance that some long-suffering fan base will get to have a parade in a couple of months.

With the MLB trade deadline more than a month old, let’s take a look at the most recent fortunes of all 30 teams, with an eye on how their moves (or non-moves) have worked (or not worked) so far.

Win average: 98.7 (Last: 95.9, 1st)
In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.2%)
Champions: 18.3% (Last:11.3%)

Deadline aftermath: Milwaukee was quiet at the deadline and hasn’t gotten much from its additions. Backup catcher Danny Jansen hasn’t hit since arriving, while reliever Shelby Miller has been so-so in a mid-leverage role. Yet Milwaukee has baseball’s best record and run differential since deadline day. Sometimes you don’t mess with a good thing. Should the injury to closer Trevor Megill linger, you might argue Milwaukee should have been more aggressive in pursuit of a back-end reliever. First, we ought to wait for the Brewers’ bullpen to actually struggle, because Milwaukee always has an answer when it comes to filling roster holes.

---

Win average: 93.8 (Last: 92.7, 5th)
In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 96.8%)
Champions: 10.6% (Last: 7.8%)

Deadline aftermath: Dave Dombrowski went with quality over quantity at the deadline and it has paid off. Harrison Bader has mashed while playing mostly every day in center field. Jhoan Duran hasn’t been perfect, but he has been everything the Phillies could have hoped for, while changing the dynamic of the bullpen, now and looking ahead to October. It took Duran a month to move into a tie for the Phillies’ saves lead, a period during which he didn’t allow a walk or a homer. The additions continue even after the stinging loss of Zack Wheeler. Conceding nothing, Dombrowski also signed Walker Buehler on Sunday after Buehler was released by the Red Sox.

---

Win average: 93.3 (Last: 95.8, 2nd)
In the playoffs: 99.9% (Last: 99.4%)
Champions: 7.2% (Last: 13.6%)

Deadline aftermath: Chicago’s quiet deadline rankled pundits, and the reaction hasn’t softened given the struggles of the few additions the Cubs did make, and the ongoing distance between them and the Brewers in the National League Central. The Cubs might want to stop trading for infielders at the deadline. Last year, they picked up Isaac Paredes, who flailed as a Cub, then moved on and went back to his typical self this year with the Astros. This time, Willi Castro has gone from an above-average hitter with Minnesota to borderline unplayable with the Cubs, at least at the dish, as part of Chicago’s overall offensive slide.

---

Win average: 92.9 (Last: 95.8, 2nd)
In the playoffs: 99.9% (Last: 99.4%)
Champions: 10.6% (Last: 15.4%)

Deadline aftermath: Los Angeles’ deadline approach was more similar to a team straddling the add/subtract fence than what the Dodgers actually are: a talent-laden, mega-rich defending champ angling for a repeat. Alex Call has helped as an extra outfielder who plays against lefties, but reliever Brock Stewart has struggled. Mostly the Dodgers have leaned on improved pitching health over the past month. Their revived hurlers have kept the Dodgers in the elite tier. Over the remainder of the season, if L.A. can match its first-half hitting with its second-half pitching, the Dodgers will hit the postseason as the behemoth we always thought they were.

---

Win average: 92.9 (Last: 93.3, 4th)
In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.2%)
Champions: 11.3% (Last: 11.3%)

Deadline aftermath: The Tigers went heavy on pitching at the deadline with a particular focus on positive regression candidates. It has worked for the bullpen, where Kyle Finnegan in particular has looked like a different pitcher than he was for Washington. The returns on starters Charlie Morton and Chris Paddack have been mixed. Detroit has played middling ball over the past month, largely due to an offense that has fallen off a bit and went unaddressed in the trade market. The Tigers are fine in the American League Central race, but find themselves in a tight battle for a No. 1 seed with Toronto.

---

Win average: 91.7 (Last: 90.7, 6th)
In the playoffs: 99.4% (Last: 92.9%)
Champions: 7.7% (Last: 5.3%)

Deadline aftermath: A leaky bullpen has kept the Blue Jays from keeping their AL East rivals at bay, and, as we enter the final month, Toronto could end up with a No. 1 seed or could be a road team in the wild-card round. The deadline impact has been mixed. Shane Bieber looks like Shane Bieber, an undeniable boost. But on a relief staff that features a closer (Jeff Hoffman) with 29 saves and a below-replacement bWAR, the additions of Seranthony Dominguez and Louis Varland have yet to pay off. If Toronto’s bullpen picks up the pace, this is a complete team.

---

Win average: 90.6 (Last: 90.2, 7th)
In the playoffs: 99.4% (Last: 89.0%)
Champions: 4.0% (Last: 4.5%)

Deadline aftermath: The Padres overtook the Dodgers a couple of times in August, only to slip back behind their nemesis. A.J. Preller’s deadline haul has accomplished its primary objective, which was to shore up roster holes and raise San Diego’s floor. The exception to that description — the addition of Mason Miller to an already strong bullpen — looks very much like a ceiling raiser. The only quibble might be in the rotation, where those the Padres dealt (Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek) have together outpitched those Preller acquired (Nestor Cortes, JP Sears). But Freddy Fermin, acquired for Bergert and Kolek, stabilized the catcher position.

---

Win average: 90.5 (Last: 88.8, 11th)
In the playoffs: 98.9% (Last: 87.2%)
Champions: 10.6% (Last: 8.0%)

Deadline aftermath: The Yankees’ trajectory changed sharply over the second half of August, a month they exited as one of baseball’s hottest teams. Behind a reinvigorated offense and a steady rotation, New York is back in contention for the AL East crown, a No. 1 seed, the whole pinstriped ball of wax. But the deadline-infused bullpen needs to pull it together consistently, or Yankees fans will enter October in an even more heightened state of anxiety than usual. If not for the solid work done so far by ex-Pirate David Bednar, New York’s work bolstering the relief group might look even worse.

---

Win average: 89.7 (Last: 88.9, 10th)
In the playoffs: 97.9% (Last: 87.6%)
Champions: 6.7% (Last: 5.5%)

Deadline aftermath: Boston’s pitching staff additions of Steven Matz and Dustin May didn’t exactly scream “‘all-in!” for a team that by the end of July had positioned itself for a playoff run. May and earlier in-season addition Jordan Hicks haven’t had an impact, but Matz has been lights out in a surging bullpen. Boston continues to play well, and the promotion of rotation prospect Payton Tolle is a jolt of energy for that unit. The Red Sox needed a power bat, but those were in short supply. The bottom line is that Boston hasn’t lost any ground since we last convened.

---

Win average: 88.1 (Last: 89.5, 9th)
In the playoffs: 85.3% (Last: 88.0%)
Champions: 3.6% (Last: 6.1%)

Deadline aftermath: Whatever you thought about Houston’s attempt to bolster its offense at the deadline with the additions of Carlos Correa, Jesus Sanchez and Ramon Urias, it hasn’t had the desired effect. Houston had a losing August (13-15) while ranking 26th in net runs per game. Only the Guardians scored fewer runs. Each member of the incoming trio has performed close to projection, so you can’t blame them, and it’s likely that without them, things would be worse. Still, the Astros enter the stretch run in a more precarious position than they’ve been in a long time.

---

Win average: 86.7 (Last: 90.1, 8th)
In the playoffs: 88.2% (Last: 89.4%)
Champions: 5.2% (Last: 4.5%)

Deadline aftermath: The Mets enter September with one of baseball’s hottest offenses. They also have one of MLB’s coldest pitching staffs. Thus, we’ve seen many games like New York’s 10-8 win over Detroit on Labor Day. The Mets got five quality starts in August. That isn’t great, but if the bullpen is rolling … well, it’s not. The relievers went 2-for-7 in save opportunities. Deadline pickups Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers have been fine, but the splash was supposed to come from Ryan Helsley, whose August ERA (9.31) was more like a belly flop. There’s a month to get this right before the playoffs.

---

Win average: 86.5 (Last: 86.8, 12th)
In the playoffs: 74.1% (Last: 70.4%)
Champions: 2.6% (Last: 3.4%)

Deadline aftermath: The process — acquiring Arizona’s corner infield of Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez — was deservedly lauded. The early results are mixed. At first base, Seattle’s OPS before Naylor’s Mariners debut was 0.708, mostly Rowdy Tellez and Donovan Solano. Since then, it’s 0.761. Good! At third base, the OPS was 0.664 before Suarez. It’s 0.659 since. Meh! Seattle has treaded water since the deadline splash, ranking 18th in runs, despite a huge month from Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh‘s homer-fest. The Mariners need their big guns to get hot at the same time, because nothing, not even a playoff slot, is assured.

---

Win average: 83.6 (Last: 84.1, 13th)
In the playoffs: 28.7% (Last: 43.2%)
Champions: 1.1% (Last: 2.1%)

Deadline aftermath: Despite lackluster offense, Texas targeted pitching before the deadline, coming away with relievers Danny Coulombe and Phil Maton. The big prize was starter Merrill Kelly, who seemed like a luxury addition until the injury to Nathan Eovaldi. The Rangers have leaned on Kelly and he has responded. That hasn’t been the case for the relievers, and for most of August, the Texas bullpen prevented the club from really catching fire. Texas heated up lately, but now faces most if not all of September without Eovaldi, Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Manager Bruce Bochy will need to be in Hall of Fame form.

---

Win average: 82.5 (Last: 80.9, 16th)
In the playoffs: 11.3% (Last: 12.5%)
Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.1%)

Deadline aftermath: The Royals continue to undermine excuses from less aggressive clubs in baseball’s lower economic tiers. The threshold isn’t that high. Just try. Kansas City’s offense for most of the season was a hodgepodge of negative regression performers down from 2024, and glaring, gaping holes. The Royals, seven games under .500 near the end of June, added anyway, raising their floor with the likes of Adam Frazier, Randal Grichuk and Mike Yastrzemski. They also bolstered an injury-plagued rotation with Bergert and Kolek. End result: The Royals have plenty to play for during the stretch run. A playoff return remains in play.

---

Win average: 81.6 (Last: 82.3, 14th)
In the playoffs: 6.8% (Last: 12.3%)
Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.4%)

Deadline aftermath: The Reds’ acquisition of starter Zack Littell struck me as odd and, frankly, it still does. He has been pretty good. But Cincinnati has plenty of “pretty good” when it comes to the rotation. The Reds have candidates for much better than that behind the pretty good. Anyway, the pickups for the lineup have been chef’s kiss good. Miguel Andujar has hit like peak-level Miguel Cabrera. Ke’Bryan Hayes has flashed his elite defense and paired it with a level of offense that adds up to a really good player. If the Reds don’t make the playoffs, it won’t be because of deadline deficiencies.

---

Win average: 81.6 (Last: 81.8, 15th)
In the playoffs: 4.8% (Last: 9.4%)
Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.2%)

Deadline aftermath: The Giants went into soft unload mode around the deadline. They weren’t playing well, and while their probabilities made the playoffs possible, the trajectory wasn’t good. A month later, the Giants’ position hasn’t changed — they’re still a fringe playoff candidate — but some of their pickups have already contributed. Jose Butto has been very good out of the bullpen, and Drew Gilbert, while swinging at everything, has flashed some pop and is getting acclimated to the majors. The Giants are offering a glimpse of what they’ll be next season, and have given their fans reasons to watch the stretch run with interest.

---

Win average: 80.8 (Last: 80.3, 17th)
In the playoffs: 3.6% (Last: 10.2%)
Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.4%)

Deadline aftermath: Once again, the Rays’ deadline was about setting themselves up for the next season while not totally raising the white flag on the current one. As you can see from the unchanged win projection, things have chugged along on the same track, though staying the course has come with dwindling playoff odds. The new catchers — Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes — have together hit less than a pre-universal-DH pitcher. But the various departures have created openings for Feduccia, Carson Williams and Everson Pereira, and that’s the general idea. A miracle wild-card berth is not, as yet, totally out of the question.

---

Win average: 79.4 (Last: 79.3, 19th)
In the playoffs: 0.9% (Last: 6.5%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)

Deadline aftermath: Having Bieber around for Cleveland’s long shot postseason bid would be nice, but the judgment on the deal with Toronto is years off and pending the development of prospect Khal Stephen. Besides, Cleveland’s problem isn’t pitching. Despite finishing .500 in August, the Guardians enjoyed a clean sweep in the major hitting categories, finishing last in runs, average, OBP and slugging. Between the putrid attack and the losses of pitchers Luis L. Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase to indefinite leave, it’s amazing that Cleveland’s hopes remain slightly alive. That’s the beauty of this year’s AL. It’s hard to play yourself out of contention.

---

Win average: 78.9 (Last: 77.3, 21st)
In the playoffs: 0.5% (Last: 0.9%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: You can argue whether the Twins or the Diamondbacks traded more right-now value at the deadline but it’s one of the two. For Arizona, the losses of Kelly, Naylor, Suarez, Miller and Grichuk have … helped? It’s hard to claim that Arizona has played better because of those departures, but the Snakes have played better. The Diamondbacks went 17-12 in August and were in the top 10 in both run scoring and run prevention. Suarez replacement Blaze Alexander has taken off on offense, while on the pitching side, the bullpen has gotten hot thanks to the work of off-the-radar types.

---

Win average: 78.1 (Last: 79.4, 18th)
In the playoffs: 0.4% (Last: 2.6%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)

Deadline aftermath: The Cardinals followed a standard route last month, dealing free agents-to-be and forgoing short-term additions. The approach adheres to St. Louis’ plan to treat the 2025 season as a minor nuisance, no matter if the team on the field clings to fringe contention. The losses of those dealt, even closer Helsley, given how he has performed in New York, haven’t had any effect on the short-term performance. The Cardinals continue to plug along in the middle as they were, waiting for next season. In some ways, it might have been easier for their fans if the Cardinals had just politely bottomed out.

---

Win average: 75.8 (Last: 78.1, 20th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.6%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: The Marlins played it casual at the deadline rather than kicking the can down the road by dealing Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, for now anyway. So the rest of the season is about getting better and creating opportunity for young players like outfielder Jakob Marsee, who put up a huge August in the relative vacuum of a standard Marlins season. Unfortunately, one of the aspirants won’t be deadline pickup Ryan Gusto, who was torched over three Marlins starts before going down with a shoulder impingement. Hopefully in September we’ll see more prospects like Victor Mesa Jr. and Andrew Pintar.

---

Win average: 75.4 (Last: 76.0, 23rd)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.1%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: The Angels’ soft add around the deadline has actually worked, to a degree, in that bullpen additions Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia have been airtight. Thus a bottom-five bullpen has been middle of the pack since the end of July. But a 6.35 rotation ERA and an 0.665 OPS by the offense in August have rendered that development moot. The early returns on ex-Yankee Oswald Peraza haven’t been good, as not only has he struggled to keep his OPS over 0.500, but he gave up eight runs on the mound during a mop-up appearance. The Angels’ season appears headed nowhere.

---

Win average: 74.2 (Last: 69.5, 27th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: The A’s went 3-24 between May 6 and June 4, a month that sunk what looked like a possible wild-card candidacy. You don’t get to erase bad months from the record, but it’s worth considering that outside of that plunge, the Athletics are 10 games over .500. The splash at the deadline — trading Miller and getting elite prospect Leo De Vries in return — was a long-term play. Despite the short-term hit, the A’s had the fifth-best net runs per game figure in the majors during August and their relievers posted the best ERA in baseball. The Athletics are getting good.

---

Win average: 74.1 (Last: 72.4, 24th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: The Braves had a winning month after the deadline, but it did little to mitigate a titanically disappointing season in Cobb County. The injuries have continued, as have some pretty crucial underperformances, like that of starter Spencer Strider. Michael Harris II has been hot as a firecracker since the break, which has been encouraging, but this season has mostly been one of Atlanta becoming a frequent stop on the DFA merry-go-round. The only note you might offer about the deadline is that pending free agents Raisel Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna should have been moved. It’s been a rough season.

---

Win average: 73.8 (Last: 76.1, 22nd)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.3%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: Unsurprisingly, the Twins have floundered since their aggressive offloading approach to the deadline. With this season lost, Minnesota’s short-term focus is on the young players it picked up during the flurry of activity. The initial results for James Outman, Alan Roden, Mick Abel and Taj Bradley have been subpar across the board, but it’s early days and that list just represents those who have reached the majors. In any event, when you look at the exploits of ex-Twins like Harrison Bader, Jhoan Duran and Carlos Correa on their new teams, you can’t say Minnesota hasn’t impacted the pennant races.

---

Win average: 72.3 (Last: 72.3, 25th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: The Orioles turned the page on a disappointing season at the deadline and added depth to their system in the process. The on-field results haven’t improved since the reshuffling, though the rotation had a nice run of outings. It’s all about next season. The Orioles’ August was a mixed bag in that regard. On the downside, Coby Mayo, Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser struggled last month. Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers reached the majors, with Beavers in particular getting off to a good start. The Orioles won’t return to the postseason, but they can enter the offseason with positive momentum.

---

Win average: 71.6 (Last: 69.9, 26th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: With the Pirates’ focus, as ever, on the distant horizon, the remainder of Pittsburgh’s post-deadline roster has stayed competitive. The rotation remains the unit to watch, and August was not without interest for that group. Paul Skenes continues to build a Cy Young case, but for once, he’s not the biggest reason for excitement. That would be Bubba Chandler, technically a reliever for now, who has looked terrific over a pair of bulk outings. After eight scoreless frames to start his career, Chandler has a lifetime ERA even better than Skenes’. Hey, in Pittsburgh you get your kicks where you can.

---

Win average: 64.5 (Last: 64.5, 28th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: The Nationals’ never-ending rebuild feels stalled, perhaps even more so after another deadline of dealing veteran talent. Whether or not Washington got fair return in its deals is almost beside the point. When will it end? If the young foundational players were picking up momentum, it might feel different. But CJ Abrams, James Wood, Dylan Crews and Brady House are among those who have lagged since the All-Star break. If ever there was a franchise in need of a spark, it’s this one right now. The offense has been brutal, but the pitching, especially the rotation, has been even worse. Sigh.

---

Win average: 59.6 (Last: 62.1, 29th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: The White Sox were playing pretty well at the time of the deadline, but the month since has not been kind. Still, the record is neither here nor there, it’s more about individual performances right now. And through that prism, there is plenty to like about Chicago’s direction. Kyle Teel has been a well-rounded force at the plate. Colson Montgomery has displayed explosive power. There’s more, but you get the idea. The downer is the possible season-ending injury to Luis Robert Jr., whose combined slash over the past two seasons is .223/.288/.372. Maybe this is just what he is now.

---

Win average: 45.9 (Last: 44.3, 30th)
In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)
Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)

Deadline aftermath: Colorado continues to lose games at a prodigious pace, but it’s a less frantic pace than earlier this season. Progress? Maybe not. During August, the Colorado rotation posted an ERA of 6.54 and allowed a .309/.381/.514 slash line. Before you start adjusting the rotation numbers for Coors Field, don’t bother. Those were the road numbers. The overall numbers can’t be published without a parental warning. One quest remains: Hunter Goodman‘s 2.7 bWAR places him third in Colorado history among primary catchers. The record is Chris Iannetta’s 3.2 in 2008. Setting any kind of positive record amid this mess would be something.