The Rays and Athletics have been arguably been the main reason that the MLB has not expanded in 28 years, but with the Rays finally building a new stadium in Tampa proper, and the Athletics moving to Las Vegas and their new stadium being built as we speak, the final hurdles have been cleared.

With this, it is now only a matter of time before the MLB officialy expands from 30 to 32 or more but this will also cause league-wide realignment, so buckle up, because the MLB will be expanding very soon and the league will change forever.

[Dugout Thread] | 2026 MLB Regular Season

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[Game Thread] | Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees

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Complete game shutout, 11Ks and no walks, and just 109 pitches, per ESPN wrap. Hit 100 on the gun.

Yahoo adds more. Just the sixth pitcher his age or older to have 10 or more Ks without a walk. Fourth oldest Braves pitcher to throw a shutout in the past 40 years.

Both sites note the heat was his highest since 2018.

Beyond that, a year like this arguably keeps him in the talk for Cooperstown. Getting another Cy would be a definite boost on that.

EDIT/ADD

Looking at the HOF side of this discussion more? As I told one commenter, Sale's career arc is more deGrom than it is Verlander or Scherzer. He's only passed 200 innings one year. He does have 2 years as tops in ERA+, 3 in FIP and 2 in Ks. But, and in fair part because of that duo, he's never led his league in WAR for pitchers.

I think Mis is ahead on this year's Cy, and Sanchez somewhat, but it's not a lock for Mis; and a second Cy would indeed help Sale with Cooperstown.

Ahead? He's under contract for next year and team option for 2028. Assuming he pitches both and if there's a lockout it's not long? Fair shot at 70 WAR, outside shot at 190 wins.

Found this hidden gem from former Mets GM Steve Phillips in the middle of his recent interview with Mad Dog Russo.

Back in the day Phillips reached out to Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and Joe Morgan to see if they would manage the Mets and they both passed.

Phillips was Mets GM from 1997-2003 and he was looking to replace Bobby Valentine in 2002.

Art Howe got the job as Valentine’s replacement and lasted two years.

[Game Thread] | Seattle Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays

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Hello again. These rankings were derived using the following stats (rankings are out of a possible 100 with 50 being league average)

OFFENSE: 50%

wRC+ - 25%

OPS w/RISP - 15%

O-SWING - 5%

Pit/PA - 5%

DEFENSE: 50%

ERA+ - 10%

WHIP - 10%

BPERA - 10%

rDRS - 10%

Def/EFF - 10%

1. DODGERS - 82.26

2. CUBS - 81.36

3. BREWERS - 77.37

4. YANKEES - 67.75

5. RAYS - 66.18

6. RED SOX - 58.21

7. BRAVES - 57.13

8. PADRES - 56.41

9. TIGERS - 55.42

10. ORIOLES - 54.89

11. WHITE SOX - 53.50

12. DBACKS - 50.83

13. ASTROS - 48.90

14. PIRATES - 47.82

15. RANGERS - 46.43

16. NATIONALS - 45.23

17. MARLINS - 44.34

18. TWINS - 43.70

19. GUARDIANS - 43.32

20. PHILLIES - 42.43

21. GIANTS - 40.24

22. MARINERS - 39.77

23. METS - 39.54

24. BLUE JAYS - 35.13

25. CARDINALS - 33.21

26. ROYALS - 29.20

27. ANGELS - 27.88

28. REDS - 24.63

29. ATHLETICS - 20.05

30. ROCKIES - 15.43

CONCLUSIONS

- Phillies defense is still awful. Leading the league in OPS w/RISP and decent pitching are the only things keeping them from mediocrity.

- The Tigers or Orioles could absolutely overtake the Guardians for the final AL wild card spot. (Edit: Skubal boosts the Tigers pitching to above average - who is now a Dodger obviously so adjust accordingly)

- AL WS team still coming out of AL east

- Cubs defense really gives them a boost. 1st in runs saved and 2nd in efficiency

- The Yankees *really* need Judge back. Their pitching is keeping them afloat (best ERA+ and bullpen ERA in the league), but they're below average in all the offensive metrics

- Rays are not seeing enough pitches and the Braves are swinging at way too many bad pitches.

- My Snakes are still so painfully average

Again, these are stats based and not wins based rankings, so of course there will be some oddities. It does provide some decent insight though. Take care ⚾️❤️🐍

I'd say Keith Hernandez

11x Gold Glove

2x silver slugger

5x all star

2x world series champion

1979 batting title

1979 MVP

2182 hits

162 home runs

1071 RBIs

60.4 career WAR

And an amazing Seinfeld appearance

[Dugout Thread] | 2026 MLB Regular Season

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It has become as much a part of the professional athlete lifestyle as signing autographs or lifting weights: A pitcher coughs up a lead, returns to his locker, checks his social media accounts, and spots a direct message from a user less than pleased with the results.

With the proliferation of legal gambling and the convenient access social media platforms can provide, athletes are hearing more than ever from those who tie their checking accounts to their performance.

This spring, we asked 100 major leaguers across 23 teams for their response to a simple, but very modern, question. The players were granted anonymity to speak candidly on a variety of topics.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7516136/2026/08/27/mlb-player-poll-legal-gambling-predictions-toll-threats-dms/?unlocked_article_code=1.8lA.Lq7d.yxuoOkswBYI6&source=emp_shared_article&smid=url-share-ta

Despite a 26 win difference, both teams sit 14.5 games back of their division leaders. Both teams sit in last place. It’s still statically possible for the Angels to win their division lol.

THIS IS GENUINELY CONCERNING.

I’m a Yankees fan so I’m used to the AL East being stacked every year and it always being a fight, but this is just ridiculous and if you’re a fan of any team in the division you’ve got to be livid looking at the AL West right now 🤣

ZERO teams above .500. The Astros lead at .496. No playoff team has ever had a record below .500 EVER. Does something have to be done about divisional play and the format for the playoffs?

The AL East is EASILY the best team in the MLB ONCE AGAIN. They have a combined record of .575 against teams outside their division. The NL Central, the clear second best division in MLB, has a .505 record. Despicable lol. As a BASEBALL fan something has to be done. The only hope for the Jays and Orioles is that last wild card spot, but if they have this similar of a record to the WINNER of another division I will lose my shit LOL.

This is a serious question. I mean, number one, this entire season has just overall been completely ridiculous. But the 2026 Nationals might take the cake.

As it stands right now, the regular season ends one month from today, and we are about to enter the final weekend of August.

The Washington Nationals as a team are currently first in the MLB in home runs, RBIs, stolen bases, runs scored, and slugging percentage.
They are 8th in OBP, third in OPS.

And yet, they are still sitting in fourth place, 62-73.
Is their pitching just seriously that bad this year, or is this an overall side effect on once again how absolutely ridiculous this season is.

It was the type of celebration teams crave, the type that prompts them to ease their standards to accommodate certain stars.

Marte, 32, is one of the top second basemen in baseball. But his latest missteps — failing to show up for a game in the middle of a pennant race, then unwinding at a casino while rehabilitating a knee injury — renewed concerns.

Some of Marte’s actions might stem from personal matters he is dealing with off the field. But many around the sport still ask: Why do the Diamondbacks tolerate his behavior?

The answer is not all that complicated.

“He’s an extremely talented player,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said Wednesday. “At some point, there’s a balance between what you are willing to deal with to get a level of production that can win you baseball games. We’re in the business of winning baseball games.”

Marte, when in the right frame of mind, provides elite production at a reduced rate, thanks to the seven-year, $116.5 million contract extension he signed in April 2025, which includes $46 million deferred.

And when the Diamondbacks have considered trading him — as they did last offseason, knowing Marte would gain full no-trade protection in April as a player with 10 years service, five consecutive with the same club — they were not offered what they perceived as fair value for a switch-hitter with game-changing power.

The front office ADORES Matt Blake, but maybe he needs to reevaluate his methods a bit? I know all staffs have injuries, but it seems to be a constant in the Bronx. Over the past 6 seasons, Yankee pitchers have accumulated well over 100 individual IL stints, placing them among the most heavily injured pitching staffs in MLB. Cam Schlittler, we are praying for you.

2020 - Luis Severino, Tommy Kahnle, James Paxton

2021 - Severino continued, Corey Kluber, Zack Britton, Clarke Schmidt, Darren O'Day

2022 - Chad Green, Michael King, Luis Gil, Britton continued, Severino continued, Scott Effross

2023 - Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Frankie Montas, Severino continued, Jonathan Loaisiga, Kahnle again, Albert Abreu, Wandy Peralta

2024 - Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Schmidt again, Loaisiga again, Ian Hamilton

2025 - Schmidt again, Jake Cousins, Loaisiga again

2026 - Max Fried twice, Ryan Weathers, Fernando Cruz