Here are three things to keep an eye on headed into the final weekend of the regular season:
1. Playoff races still up for grabs:
Eight teams (the Blue Jays, Yankees, Mariners, Phillies, Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Padres) have punched their tickets to October already. That leaves four spots up for grabs headed into the final weekend of the regular season. Here’s a quick overview of the teams still fighting for a spot, with playoff odds courtesy of FanGraphs:
- The Red Sox have a 98.7% chance to make playoffs with a magic number of one. Their final regular season series is against the Tigers and is expected to feature starts from Kyle Harrison (3.58 ERA in ten appearances), Connelly Early (1.88 ERA in three starts), and an unnamed third starter.
- The Guardians have an 88.6% chance to make the playoffs with a magic number of two. Their final regular season series is against the Rangers and is expected to feature starts from Slade Cecconi (4.15 ERA in 22 starts) and two unnamed starters.
- The Tigers have an 84.1% chance to make the playoffs with a magic number of two. Their final regular season series is against the Red Sox and is expected to feature starts from Casey Mize (3.91 ERA in 27 starts) and two unnamed starters.
- The Mets have a 77.8% chance to make the playoffs with a magic number of three. Their final regular season series is against the Marlins and will feature starts from Brandon Sproat (3.94 ERA in three starts) and two unnamed starters.
- The Astros have a 28.6% chance to make the playoffs and sit one game back of a playoff spot. Their final regular season series is against the Angels and will feature starts from Jason Alexander (4.83 ERA in 17 appearances) and two unnamed starters.
- The Reds have a 20.2% chance to make the playoffs and sit one game back of a playoff spot. Their final regular season series is against the Brewers and will feature starts from Zack Littell (3.86 ERA in 31 starts), Andrew Abbott (2.80 ERA in 28 starts), and Brady Singer (3.95 ERA in 31 starts).
- The Diamondbacks have a 2% chance to make the playoffs and sit two games back of a playoff spot. Their final regular season series is against the Padres and will feature starts from Zac Gallen (4.70 ERA in 32 starts), Eduardo Rodriguez (4.91 ERA in 28 starts), and Brandon Pfaadt (5.00 ERA in 32 starts).
2. Morton to suit up for Braves one last time:
It’s been a rough year for veteran right-hander Charlie Morton, who posted a 5.89 ERA in 32 appearances with the Orioles and Tigers and recently signed on with the Braves after being designated for assignment and released by Detroit. Morton has hinted at retirement repeatedly over the years, and some have suggested that his latest deal is an opportunity to retire as a member of the club that originally drafted him back in 2002 and the club with which he won a World Series in 2021. Morton has a 3.87 ERA with Atlanta across 124 starts, and his 125th start of his Braves career is scheduled for the club’s final game of the regular season against the Pirates on Sunday. He’ll pitch opposite Johan Oviedo, who has a 3.57 ERA in eight starts this year for Pittsburgh.
3. Will Manoah get claimed?
The Blue Jays made the decision to cut ties with right-hander Alek Manoah earlier this week, and now that he’s been designated for assignment, he’s available to the league’s other 29 clubs for nothing but the remainder of his salary. Of course, a claiming club would have to be willing to pay him his arbitration-level salary for the 2026 season as well. Manoah’s 2025 salary was $2.2MM, and he figures to make the same amount for 2026 if tendered a contract.
The upside Manoah offers is obvious, as he finished third in AL Cy Young voting during the 2022 season off the back of a 2.24 ERA in 196 1/3 innings of work. He struggled badly in 2023 with a 5.87 ERA and 6.01 FIP in 19 starts, however, and he’s made just five starts since then due to Tommy John surgery. Manoah is still just 27 years old and will hardly break the bank, making him one of the more intriguing late-season waiver possibilities in recent memory.
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