College football’s rise of the small-school coaches
-
Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
IN MAY 2021, a few weeks after being hired at Kansas, Lance Leipold approached the school’s administration about moving practices to the morning.
He was told it could be done, but not until early 2022. Too many class conflicts for the fall. That wouldn’t work. Leipold needed morning practices immediately, noting the benefits for players’ sleep and daily activity structure. So he went back, over and over, asking for a list of impacted players. The list never came, but Leipold kept pushing, not delegating to anyone else. He thought the passion of the message “gets watered down” if it didn’t come from him.
The group of players with conflicts dwindled to seven and eventually to one, an engineering major who would miss a portion of one practice.
Kansas practiced in the morning that fall and has ever since.
“If I take the first answer, ‘No, we can’t do it,’ because it’s going to take a lot of extra work, I don’t think this program is where it’s at today,” Leipold told ESPN. “I’ve learned the hard way that what I think is really important, one and two on my priority list, might be seven and eight on the [administration’s]. So I need to say: ‘It’s worth fighting for.'”
The hard way for Leipold and his coaching peers stemmed from life in college football’s lower divisions, where coaches must fight for what they want. Coaches including Leipold, Kansas State‘s Chris Klieman and Alabama‘s Kalen DeBoer have brought that approach — and a championship pedigree — from smaller schools to the highest level of college football. They also have helped shift the hiring patterns in a sport that had often ignored those on the fringes.
The last coaching carousel included Houston hiring Willie Fritz, who spent more than 30 years in small colleges and high schools before getting his first FBS job as Georgia Southern‘s coach. Northwestern‘s David Braun, promoted from defensive coordinator to interim head coach in July 2023, won Big Ten Coach of the Year in his first season working for an FBS program. Bob Chesney, who built his reputation at smaller New England schools including Assumption and Holy Cross, was a candidate for Syracuse‘s recent vacancy and ultimately landed at James Madison, which had hit big with similar hires such as Curt Cignetti and Mike Houston.
“They mowed the field and they painted the lines, they drove the buses, there was no entitlement,” said Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen, who hired Fritz at Tulane, worked with Klieman at Northern Iowa and has known Leipold for years. “They did it without resources. It was: How do you get the most out of what you have, instead of, how do you buy the most?”
Leipold won six Division III national titles in seven years at Wisconsin-Whitewater, his alma mater, before getting his first opportunity to lead an FBS program at Buffalo. He then revived Kansas, the nation’s worst major conference program, which hosts UNLV on Friday (7 ET, ESPN).
Klieman led North Dakota State to four FCS national titles in five years, and he has Kansas State poised to contend for its second Big 12 title in three seasons. After spending most of his career in the FCS, especially at Northern Iowa, his alma mater, Klieman is 41-24 at No. 14 Kansas State entering Friday’s showdown against No. 20 Arizona.
DeBoer became the NAIA’s version of Nick Saban at his alma mater, University of Sioux Falls, which won three national titles in four years. Just a decade after securing his first FBS job — as Eastern Michigan‘s offensive coordinator — and after four years as an FBS head coach, he actually replaced Saban at Alabama, which visits Wisconsin on Saturday.
Why are more coaches with small-school backgrounds getting major conference opportunities? Because they’re groomed to handle supersized roles.
THE JOB DESCRIPTION for FBS head coaches gets longer by the day.
Recruiting and schematics are priorities, but they also manage assistant coaches and massive staffs, especially in the personnel area with the transfer portal becoming such an integral part of the sport. They pour time into name, image and likeness, interfacing with stakeholders both within the university and on the outside. They also prepare for an expanding playoff system and the expectations that come with it.
Those who come up through major conference programs or the NFL, while only handling a unit or a position group and recruiting, could be overwhelmed by all the areas head coaches oversee. Coaches who start with less, meanwhile, are often qualified to handle more.
“There’s so many hats you wear, so you understand how important every role is to the program, from equipment to sports information to your graduate assistants,” DeBoer told ESPN. “We had someone who was part time in equipment; that meant I still had to do some equipment as a head coach. As a small-college coordinator my first five years, I didn’t have any graduate assistants, so you’re doing a lot of the film cut-ups and breakdowns. When you get to this point, you have a greater appreciation for the journey, and also the people that are in those roles.”
Fritz’s tasks over years at spots like Willis High School in Texas, to Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, to University of Central Missouri, included academic advising and scheduling, 14 years as a strength coach, several years of taping ankles, driving the team bus to certain games and even producing media guides.
“Sometimes guys, all they know is the football part of it,” said Fritz, who won two junior college national championships at Blinn College and conference titles in four leagues, including the AAC with Tulane in 2022. “Probably for myself and the guys [with similar backgrounds], they probably see the big picture a little bit clearer.”
A more hands-on approach shapes the style in which Fritz, DeBoer and others lead major conference programs. Fritz describes himself as “not a big-time micromanager,” but said there are nonnegotiables in his program around academics, athletic training and strength and conditioning that he must handle.
“You just learn that you’re above nothing, so you have your hands on everything,” said Braun, who coordinated defenses and team travel in NAIA and Division II. “It’s human nature where there can be a sense of entitlement, a lack of gratitude. I’m not saying that’s the case for people that had opportunities to start at a young age at a high level, but there’s a certain understanding, when you’ve come up through the ranks.”
Leipold once had an assistant who played and coached for major conference programs. When Leipold expressed concern about a sloppy warmup, the coach said the strength coach should handle it. When a player in the coach’s room had an off-field issue, the coach deferred to an academic advisor.
“Well, s—, [when] you’re at Whitewater, you don’t have those people. You’re that guy,” Leipold said. “You’re the travel guy, you’re the academic guy. What you do is have more holistic accountability. When you get more resources, it should supplement and add, not take workload off of people.”
KLIEMAN WILL NEVER tell Kansas State’s strength coach or his nutritionist how to do their jobs. As defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman put it, “He lets the experts in the building be experts in their field.” When they make recommendations, Klieman will implement them, rather than “kind of halfway listen and then go do what he wants to do,” Klanderman said.
The result is a staff who truly feels appreciated.
“I don’t have all the answers, and I need help and I want their input,” Klieman said. “I would hope every one of the staff members or players would say, ‘Yeah, he gives us a voice.’ That is so important in our profession right now.”
Kansas State offensive coordinator Conor Riley, who, like Klanderman, came with Klieman North Dakota State, said Klieman’s “relatability” is his superpower. There have been fewer silos in the programs where Klieman has worked — none in some cases — so he knows and, more importantly, wants to know what everyone in the program is doing.
Riley also sees benefits in recruiting with how Klieman studies prospects and does projections.
“You’re forced to not just take that low-hanging fruit, but really have to dig about a young person, find out about a high-school-aged kid, not seeing where he’s at right now but saying, ‘Where’s he going to be in two to three years?'” Riley said. “That’s what you’ve had to do for the lion’s share of your career, so why can’t you translate it to a higher level of college football?”
Kansas director of sports performance Matt Gildersleeve, who worked with Leipold at Buffalo, said Leipold’s background allows him to evaluate the program through a “lens of creativity.” He doesn’t let staff members get comfortable, constantly challenging them to adjust in ways that can help the players.
“He’s a true players’ coach,” Kansas running back Devin Neal said. “When you start at a lower level like that, there’s always more to work towards. Not saying he would be any different if he would have started out as a Power 5 or [FBS] coach, but it gives you a different outlook when you don’t have as many resources.”
Coaches with small college backgrounds also are set up to tackle new challenges, including NIL and the expanded CFP. Those leading programs without a full complement of scholarships must decide how the money is divided up, much like NIL.
The 12-team CFP will require teams to play as many as 17 games to win a national title, although major conference champions will only need 16. DeBoer’s last Sioux Falls team went 15-0, while Leipold had three 15-0 teams at Wisconsin-Whitewater and Klieman’s first championship team at North Dakota State finished 15-1.
“You play 15, 16 games a year; you just get exposed to an awful lot,” Klieman said. “That’s what we’re starting to evolve to in Power 4, with the new playoff. That’s the norm in FCS.”
THERE’S A BIT of Clark Kent in coaches like Klieman, DeBoer, Leipold and Fritz. They’re friendly, unassuming and, at times, self-deprecating. They present more as standard dads than seven-figure earners, reflecting the sensibilities from their Midwestern roots in Iowa, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Kansas.
“They’re not in it for the celebrity,” Dannen said.
They also all have another trait simmering beneath the surface.
“Chris and Lance, in particular, you’re talking about some highly competitive guys,” DeBoer said. “They come across as real nice people and all that, but behind the scenes, I know what they’re all about. They’re relentless and they don’t want to lose.”
Kansas State linebacker Austin Moore said of Klieman, “He gets a little different on game days. His voice changes a little bit, you can see it in his eyes, and it gets everyone fired up.”
Competitiveness among college coaches isn’t confined to those who come from smaller schools. As Dannen noted, the profession is packed with “double -[Type]-A personalities.” But the coaches’ backgrounds can augment their drive to succeed.
“You wake up in the morning as a small college coach and that to-do list is overwhelming sometimes,” DeBoer said. “But you know it has to be done to reach the goals that you have, the games you want to win, the championships you want to go be a part of. So there’s got to be a competitiveness that helps drive you to do all the little jobs that are going to allow you to get there.”
Dannen calls Fritz the most competitive person he has ever been around, but Fritz has been molded and amplified by his experiences. At Central Missouri or Blinn College, the talent gaps with competition are often negligible. He found “those little details, those edges,” Dannen said, that made the difference and ultimately led to championships.
Others with similar backgrounds look at personnel the same way.
“Guys that have coached at lower levels, you never make the excuse that, ‘We’re not talented enough,” Braun said. “You just find a way to tap into the talent that you have.”
When Leipold won his first national title at Wisconsin-Whitewater, he was so motivated to win another that he didn’t enjoy the title as much as he should have. He became immersed in maintaining success. A move into the FBS enhanced Leipold’s drive, which is shared by those with similar experiences.
At the annual coaches’ convention, Leipold and DeBoer would talk about their similar paths.
“From those small conversations we used to have, we want to prove we can do it at this level,” Leipold said. “Because there’s enough people that don’t think guys like us could ever have come this far. And there’s responsibility. I don’t want to let people down.
“Sometimes, you get so competitive that you’ve got to learn to balance things a bit.”
Leipold is still working on the last part, but he and those like him have remained more grounded than most. The night before DeBoer was set to lead Washington against Michigan in the CFP national championship game, he received a text from Riley, wishing him well and adding that there was no need to respond.
Five minutes later, DeBoer texted back, thanking Riley for reaching out.
“Knowing Kalen and Coach Leipold and Coach Klieman, there’s a tremendous amount of competitiveness, and there is a lot of fire and there is a lot of passion,” Riley said. “But they’re down-to-earth people as well.”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS featured small-school coaches rising into prominent roles before. Before Notre Dame and now LSU, Brian Kelly spent the first 20 years of his career at Assumption College, a Division II program, and then Grand Valley State, which he led to consecutive Division II national titles, before securing his first FBS job at Central Michigan.
Chip Kelly worked entirely in FCS or Division III, mostly at New Hampshire, his alma mater, before earning his first FBS job as Oregon‘s offensive coordinator in 2007. He soon became Ducks head coach and went 46-7 with three AP top-four finishes, making significant impacts in scheme, sports science and other areas.
There are lesser-known but equally significant examples, such as Chris Creighton, who came to Eastern Michigan in late 2011 with no FBS experience, having moved up from NAIA (Ottawa) to Division III (Wabash) to Drake (FCS). Eastern Michigan had made only one bowl appearance before, back in 1987, and had won two games or fewer in four of the five previous seasons. After just three wins in his first two years, Creighton has led EMU to six bowl appearances.
The recent surge of hires could carry more significance, though, especially with DeBoer’s rise to one of the highest-profile programs in the sport.
“That journey, when you can enjoy it and keep the focus on the right things, this is kind of where, step by step, you get to,” DeBoer said. “There’s got to be some breaks along the way. There were opportunities that came to you and you did well, and that led to other opportunities. It’s probably more than just one big win. It’s probably multiple championships, especially when I think about the guys that you’ve mentioned. But they’ve taken advantage of that.”
Leipold senses that opportunities for successful small-school coaches to move up faster have increased. Some of the steps that used to be required — Group of 5 coordinator, Group of 5 coach, Power 4 coordinator — can now be skipped. Craig Bohl, Klieman’s predecessor at North Dakota State and the winner of three FCS national titles, went to Wyoming and, despite a steady run there, never moved up to a Power 4.
Klieman went straight from NDSU to K-State, and has proved he can win there. Stanford’s Troy Taylor had been an assistant at several FBS programs, but vaulted straight from Sacramento State to his current role.
“Guys like Chris and Lance and others who have shown they can do it have maybe allowed some of the decision-makers in all this to realize they can look a lot of different places for the right people in these roles,” Braun said.
The next few hiring cycles will show whether the next group of small-school risers gets an opportunity. Names to watch include South Dakota State‘s Jimmy Rogers, Idaho‘s Jason Eck, Mercer‘s Mike Jacobs, Northern Arizona‘s Brian Wright, Kutztown’s Jim Clements and Yale’s Tony Reno.
Leipold remembers his introduction at Buffalo, where Danny White, the athletic director at the time, said schools have a choice: Hire major conference assistants and live with the growing pains as they learn how to be head coaches, or hire those who have run programs before and teach them the finer points of the FBS.
The personality of each school, and often the administrators making the hires, will shape coaching searches and hires.
“My concern is if you’ve been an associate AD at Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, whatever, what are you going to gravitate to? Are you going to look at Chris Creighton from Wabash?” Leipold said. “If you look at good coaches who run good programs, they should [consider those] at Division II, Division III. I sure hope they have a chance.”
Leipold’s concern is that NIL will be used against small-school coaches because they aren’t as involved, but Dannen anticipates controls on revenue-sharing and distribution will make most power conference schools look more alike.
“Maybe more times going forward than even in recent history, you just need to be a ball coach,” Dannen said.
Welcome to September! Five months into Major League Baseball’s 2025 season, a number of things seem to be settled — from a few divisions to some award races — but plenty of intrigue remains entering the homestretch.
Which of the current contenders will reach the playoffs? How will the closer division races play out? Which teams will secure first-round byes? And how many games will the Colorado Rockies lose?!
To discuss what the final month of the regular season might bring, we asked 16 ESPN baseball experts some of the game’s biggest questions, covering September and beyond, and to explain their answers. We also asked them to make bold predictions about what will happen over the final stretch.
Let’s get into it.
Which team will finish with the best record in baseball?
Milwaukee Brewers: 14
Detroit Tigers: 1
Los Angeles Dodgers: 1
What makes the Brewers the favorite to secure the majors’ best record? Besides the buffer the Brewers have built as we enter the final month of the regular season, there’s just nothing to suggest a falloff. They are on track to win about 100 games and their run differential supports that pace. The remaining schedule is friendly. And Milwaukee’s production has come from every position and category. It’s just a really complete team. — Bradford Doolittle
How many of the current 12 teams projected for the playoffs will be in the postseason field?
All 12: 15
11: 1
You have the Royals ousting the Mariners from the playoff field. Why do you think that will happen? The Kansas City Royals will make the playoffs. Crazy? Not so. They’ve played great in July and August. Vinnie Pasquantino is mashing home runs, Bobby Witt Jr. is red hot and the players they added at the trade deadline have chipped in to make this a good offense. The Royals also have a pretty easy schedule the rest of the way. But which team can they catch?
It might hinge on a three-game series at home against Seattle in mid-September. The Mariners have a recent history of falling just short of the postseason — including last year, when the Royals clinched a wild-card spot with 86 wins and the Mariners won 85 (the Mariners blew an 8-0 lead against Kansas City in June, which loomed large at the end of the season). Seattle has struggled on the road, so the aforementioned series can catapult the Royals back into the postseason. — David Schoenfield
Who will be the No. 1 seed in the AL: Toronto or Detroit?
Detroit Tigers: 14
Toronto Blue Jays: 2
The Tigers were the overwhelming choice. Why did you take them? For me, this was mostly a schedule play. The top seed, based on the standings, is likely to be the Tigers or the Blue Jays, with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners all within plausible striking distance. Toronto doesn’t have an easy series left. Detroit’s schedule isn’t nearly as rigorous. In a race this close, with teams this close in talent and production, little things like schedule luck often determine the outcome. — Jeff Passan
You were one of two voters to pick the Blue Jays. Why do you think they top Detroit? The Tigers are a wonderful story, but not so much since the All-Star break, as they have played .500 ball, struggled to score runs and their ERA is among the bottom 10 in baseball. The Blue Jays are peaking at the right time, scoring plenty of runs, and Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber make the rotation formidable. Frankly, all three AL East contenders are better than the current Tigers, and it should show in the final standings. — Eric Karabell
Assuming the Brewers get one, who will get the second bye in the NL?
Los Angeles Dodgers: 9
Philadelphia Phillies: 5
San Diego Padres: 2
Despite dealing with star players slumping and a mountain of injuries this season, the Dodgers are still the slight favorites for the No. 2 seed in a stacked NL. Explain why. Because those are the very reasons why the Dodgers firmly believe their best baseball is still ahead of them. Their bullpen will soon be as close to whole as it has been all season. The same can be said about the lineup. The rotation already is, and the four-man group they’ll put together in October will be scary if the starters remain healthy.
That’s a big “if,” considering the pitching ailments that have plagued them the last couple years. But at the end of the day, the Dodgers possess the most depth and talent in the sport. They feel as if they’re on the verge of truly showcasing it. — Alden Gonzalez
The Phillies also received a fair number of votes. What makes them your pick? The Phillies seem to be flying under the radar for a team that has spent most of the season on a 95-win pace. Maybe it’s the Zack Wheeler injury, maybe it’s their struggles against the New York Mets — or maybe it’s just that this is about what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Philly over the past few seasons.
But there is plenty to like here over the final month and into October as well. Even without Wheeler, the Phillies have the best Game 1 starter of any NL contender in Cristopher Sanchez. Kyle Schwarber has a real shot at Ryan Howard’s franchise home run record (58). They acquired the best reliever to move at the deadline in Jhoan Duran and filled their biggest hole by trading for outfielder Harrison Bader. Oh, and they currently hold that second spot in the NL — with a 1 1/2 game cushion over the Dodgers. — Dan Mullen
Will the Dodgers or Padres win the NL West?
Los Angeles Dodgers: 13
San Diego Padres: 3
The Dodgers were our voters’ overwhelming favorite to win the division. Why — and how — do you think San Diego can overtake L.A.? More than any other team, I think the Dodgers look at their seasons from 30,000 feet, rather than succumbing to the concerns of the moment. They demonstrate this every year with their handling of pitching injuries — they essentially rest veteran starters through long stretches of the season, rather than push them in May and June, in order to do what they can to ensure that the players will be relatively fresh in October. This is why we’ve seen such a deliberate ramp-up with Shohei Ohtani.
That’s why I think the Padres will wind up winning the division. They bolstered their bullpen with Mason Miller at the trade deadline, and since then, it feels like they’ve been playing a series of Game 7s. And, let’s face it, San Diego is all-in in trying to win right now, with its top-heavy roster and the likes of Dylan Cease and Michael King headed for free agency in the fall. The Dodgers, on the other hand, won’t go to the whip in September in the same way. No matter how their own division plays out, they’ll make the playoffs and have a shot to repeat as World Series winners, while it feels as if San Diego is going to go all-out down the stretch to win the NL West.
Different pressures, different styles, different context. — Buster Olney
Who will win the AL West?
Houston Astros: 8
Seattle Mariners: 8
Make the case for the Astros: Picking Houston to win the West isn’t going out on much of a limb: They’re currently in first place, just got slugger Yordan Alvarez back from injury and simply have more pedigree than Seattle. The Mariners have a slightly easier schedule the rest of the way but their road woes are for real — and will likely prevent them from going on an extended run. Picking against the Astros would be the headline-scratching move. They’re the division champ once again. — Jesse Rogers
Make the case for the Mariners: The Mariners aren’t playing their best baseball, but they are healthy and within striking distance of the Astros for the division entering September. Their starting rotation is elite. The bullpen and offense should be better. Meanwhile, the Astros have recently gotten Yordan Alvarez back from injury, but they’re without Josh Hader and Isaac Paredes, among others. The division could come down to the three-game series between the two rivals in late September. — Jorge Castillo
How many games will the Rockies lose?
119: 1
118: 3
117: 1
116: 3
115: 3
114: 3
113: 1
112: 1
We got quite the breadth of answers to this question, but you were one of three to say 118 losses — our second-highest loss total. Why is that your prediction? The Rockies aren’t far removed from being on a modern record-setting pace for losses, and they’ve been especially awful against the current 12 teams in the playoff field: 9-50 (.153). They play 13 of their final 24 against that group, at a time when they’re increasingly leaning on younger and less experienced players. Their September isn’t going to be pretty. — Tristan Cockcroft
Make one bold prediction about the final stretch
Tim Kurkjian: Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh will finish the season with 60 home runs.
Matt Marrone: With most of the playoff field set — other than last-minute jockeying for seeds — all eyes will be on the Mariners over the final days of the season, as Raleigh sets a new AL home run record.
Kiley McDaniel: Between hitting and pitching, Shohei Ohtani catches Raleigh in total WAR.
Passan: Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz will finish in the top five of AL MVP voting.
Karabell: The Phillies call up top pitching prospect Andrew Painter on Sept. 7 and he goes 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA.
Mullen: Nolan McLean will be the NL’s best pitcher not named Paul Skenes over the final month and take the mound in October — as the Mets’ Game 1 playoff starter.
Paul Hembekides: Boston’s Garrett Crochet will overtake Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and win the AL Cy Young Award.
Schoenfield: The Red Sox will catch the Blue Jays and win the AL East.
Gonzalez: Actually, the Yankees will win the AL East.
Cockcroft: Not only do the Yankees overtake Toronto for the division title, but they also grab a first-round bye, even if they can’t quite catch the Tigers for the No. 1 seed.
Olney: The Yankees have such a soft schedule in the final weeks that they wind up with the second-best record in the AL … but because Toronto holds on to win the division, New York is the No. 4 seed and faces Boston in the wild-card round.
Tim Keown: The Padres, with the easiest remaining schedule in baseball, will go 7-0 against the Colorado Rockies in September to win the NL West and take the second first-round bye spot.
Castillo: The Mets will overtake the Phillies and win the NL East.
Doolittle: If we started the playoffs tomorrow, the bracket would look exactly the same as it will after we’ve played out the season.
Voters: Dan Mullen, Liz Finny, Paul Hembekides, Jeff Passan, Eric Karabell, Alden Gonzalez, David Schoenfield, Tim Kurkjian, Kiley McDaniel, Tim Keown, Jorge Castillo, Matt Marrone, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Tristan Cockcroft, Buster Olney
-
Bradford Doolittle
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.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment11 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024