On the final Tuesday of the 2023 regular season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Gray exits with injury:
Rangers right-hander Jon Gray exited yesterday’s start against the Angels after six innings due to what the club termed as right wrist tightness. Per MLB.com, the team described the move as precautionary. Still, the injury surely raises some concerns for Rangers fans as they look ahead to the postseason. With Max Scherzer likely out until 2024, Texas will have to rely on either Gray or right-hander Dane Dunning to take the ball for their third game of the postseason behind lefty Jordan Montgomery and veteran Nathan Eovaldi. With Gray seemingly not at full health, the role could be handed to Dunning. The two arms have posted similar results throughout the year, with Dunning’s 3.88 ERA barely outclassing Gray’s 4.12 figure. Despite those solid season-long numbers, both hurlers have struggled badly recently with ERAs over 6.00 in their last seven starts.
2. NL Wild Card race tightens:
The race for the last two NL Wild Card spots is headed for a photo finish. The Diamondbacks and Cubs are currently tied with identical 82-74 records in the last two spots, with the Marlins (81-75) sitting one game out and the Reds (80-77) on the periphery of contention as well. The Cubs have the toughest schedule of the four teams remaining, drawing the Braves and Brewers for their final two series of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks figure to face the White Sox before a tough regular season finale against the Astros. The Reds and Marlins have easier roads ahead of them, with Cincinnati facing the Guardians and Cardinals while Miami opposes the Mets and Pirates.
With the standings so close even as the season comes down to the wire, it’s worth noting the tiebreaker situations facing the teams involved. All three of the Diamondbacks, Marlins, and Reds hold the season series record tiebreaker over the Cubs, while the Marlins hold the tiebreaker over Arizona and Cincinnati as well. The Reds also hold the tiebreaker over the DBacks, meaning that if all four teams finished with identical records, the Marlins and Reds would make the postseason while Arizona and Chicago would head home.
3. 2023-24 Offseason Outlook series begins:
As many teams outside of the playoff picture are looking ahead to the 2023-24 offseason, MLBTR’s Offseason Outlook series has returned. The annual offseason series kicked off yesterday with installments covering a two of the first organizations to be eliminated from postseason contention this year in the Rockies and Royals. In addition, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be hosting a Royals-centric live chat at 9:00am CT this morning in conjunction with last night’s installment. You can click here to submit a question in advance, or check back later to participate live once the chat begins.
Got a funny feeling the Fish are gonna sneak into the playoffs. Their stay there probably won’t go beyond Round 1, but it’s nice to see a team with a low payroll make the most of their assets.
I’m sure the Yankees, Mets and Padres, three uber payroll teams, would gladly trade places with them right now.
The Rays continue to succeed on the cheap. I read, heading into the season, their most expensive hitter under contract was Raimel Tapia at $7 million!
Moot point for teams with championship aspirations.
Gonna be the Phillies vs. the O’s in the WS this year with the Phillies, my Phillies, winning in five!
Backup — Agree on the fish, like their club, glad to see them still in it in the last week.
But, 2023 is 30 years since the Orioles and Phillies WS when the O’s won their most recent WS in 1983. It’s gonna a rematch ..the outcome will be the same too.
(Can’t wait for a Philli Baltimore series.. both fan bases gonna travel all over the 95 corridor flying flags.. great regional match up. Good luck, hope to see the Phillies rather than the Braves represent the NL)
That I-95 Series took place 40 years ago.
ChuckyNJ — …time flys huh.
I posted that 10 years ago, yeap-uhhh 🙂
My gray hair and achy back and I actually prefer O’s math.
For example, I would greatly prefer writing “I had just finished college 3 years ago when Piazza and Clemens made such a fuss in the Subway Series” to the (accurate-but-too-depressing) alternative.
The Cubs are gonna have to go 4-2 to get in.
ATL and MIL have nothing to play for. Both could alter their rotations to set up themselves up the playoffs.
Braves have a bye for the first round. After their finale on Oct 1 their next game will be Oct 7. No reason to adjust the rotation much given 5 full off days.
Atlanta is still playing for home field throughout the playoffs and they got smacked down in Wrigley earlier this year so I imagine they will be extremely motivated.
I think two games down is too much to overcome for the Reds. Even if they win out I don’t think it would be enough.
The only silver lining for the Cubs right now is that they hold a one game lead over the Marlins, the Mets have their Ace and one of the better pitchers going for them and the Pirates are playing well at the moment.
Apart from the Brewers having the pleasure of shutting the door on NLC rivals.
Wouldnt be at all a surprise if 2-3 teams finish tied
Brewers still need 1 more win to clinch the NL Central. A collapse by Milwaukee could see Chicago poach the division — and the Cubs visit American Family Field for the final weekend.
The Brewers will play at least Tuesday and Wednesday of next week—there is probably no chance the Cubs will see Burnes (he is scheduled Thursday any way) and Woodruff would be probably on a limited pitch count Friday so he is fully rested for his start on Wednesday.
Braves—no need to extra rest anybody with a whole week off. They just can’t afford another injury to the rotation.
everywhere I keep seeing everybody saying that my Philadelphia Phillies want to play the Diamondbacks in the first round. Diamondbacks have two very good starters in Zach gallen and Merrill Kelly. where is the Cubs only have one number one starter in Justin Steele.
the Phillies were 5-1 vs the cubs, while they were 4-3 vs the DiamondBacks. Arizona has been on alittle role lately while the cubs have been in a funk ( not counting a 3gm sweep of the rockies at home). with all that said I think the Phillies would be better off hosting the Cubs and a best of three Series in Philly then they would be facing the Diamondbacks
The Cubs will need the stars to align for them to make the playoffs thanks to their poorly timed slump and not having Candy, Alzolay and Fulmer but when they are firing on all cylinders, they are one of the best teams in the NL.
If they do make the playoffs, the Cubs will have 2 of Stroman, Wicks and Assad pitching out of the pen and a strong possibility of Alzolay being back at the end.
If by one of the best you mean somewhere between 4th and 8th, then i agree
But they are a long way behind the Braves Dodgers and Brewers
Braves and Dodgers, sure. Brewers not so much.
And rolled their eyes at Ross’s blunder.
Braves and Dodgers, yep. Brewers? They’re not that far behind.
Cubs have a nightmare schedule, so I doubt they make it.
D-Backs or Fish.
There was a report about 7-10days ago by Jeff Wilson on Rangers Today that Scherzer started throwing. I belive that id Texas wins the West, they should have Scherzer available as a reliever/opener at the very beginning. That would then make it Eovaldi, Montgomery (interchangeable with Eov), Scherzer, and Dunning. Even without Scherzer, Heaney could pitch. There is also a blowout starter you could use as a long man if you are down 15 or more (Martin Perez).
dallasnews.com/sports/rangers/2023/09/25/texas-ran…
Recent update
After Ross’s inappropriate comments about the Pirates. I hope the Cubs don’t get into the playoffs.
I totally get your point and I wish Ross hadn’t “gone there” at all, not to mention in such a public way. The Pirates have created a very solid core this year and I think they’ll make some noise in the NL Central next season.
My personal viewpoint differs slightly from yours in that I’m not going to hold the Cub players accountable for Ross’s public remarks. The players may not feel the same as Ross about the Pirates (since the Pirates clearly played well during that recent series). The Cub players may have in fact privately “tipped their caps.”