What is the story about?
Good
morning, foLLks, and happy Saturday!
The Mariners lost a heartbreaker in Sacramento last night, pushing their elimination number into single digits. The less said about it, the better (but still give Nick Vitalis-Troupe’s recap a read!).
In Mariners news:
- Adam Jude at the Seattle Times profiled Cole Young’s breakout year in the field, and contends that he is making a push for a Gold Glove.
Around the league:
- Byron Buxton is scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery this coming Friday, unsurprisingly ending his season. Twins manager Derek Shelton said that while his timeline to return will clear up post-surgery, Buxton should be on track to start the 2027 season healthy.
- The Blue Jays called up outfielder Rudy Martin Jr., who has played professional ball – including stints in Mexico and indy ball – since being drafted in the now-defunct 25th round in 2014 by the Royals. Martin made his big league debut last night, pinch-running for George Springer in Toronto’s 7-4 loss to the Orioles.
- Michael Baumann at FanGraphs took a look at Peter Lambert’s breakout season as he leads the Astros pitching staff in fWAR – a surprise for even Lambert.
- The Rays and the Brewers became the first two teams to punch their playoff tickets in 2026, with Tampa Bay winning on a dramatic walkoff home run from Junior Caminero – his 40th of the season – and Milwaukee delivering a 20-0 beatdown against the Reds.
- David Laurila at FanGraphs asked nine starting pitchers – including our own Logan Gilbert – for their takes on whether the decline in starter innings the last several years has had an adverse effect on the game.
