Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:
1. Giolito’s 2026 option:
As the Red Sox gear up for the playoffs, veteran right-hander Lucas Giolito is going to be a key part of their October rotation. His turnaround has also made it all but certain that he’ll be a free agent this winter. Giolito is now just four innings shy of reaching 140 frames on the season, at which point his $14MM club option will convert into a $19MM mutual option. Given his impressive 3.31 ERA in 24 starts for Boston this year, Giolito is a virtual lock to decline his end of that option and head back to the open market. He’ll be one of the more prominent arms in a free agent class that also features Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Ranger Suarez, Michael King and Brandon Woodruff.
2. Raleigh surpasses Mantle, goes for more history:
Cal Raleigh’s sensational 2025 season continued last night when he slugged two more home runs against the Royals in Kansas City. That puts him at 56 total long balls on the year, breaking the legendary Mickey Mantle’s record for the most home runs by a switch-hitter in a single season. Mantle had previously owned the all-time mark with 54 round-trippers. Next on the list of milestones Raleigh hopes to reach is the Mariners’ franchise record for home runs, which he currently shares with Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. Griffey hit 56 homers in back-to-back seasons in 1997 and ’98, but if Raleigh can launch just one more ball over the fence before the end of the year, he’ll take sole possession of the record. He’ll look to do just that against Royals southpaw Cole Ragans in his return from the injured list tonight.
3. Cubs go for the clinch:
National League Rookie of the Year contender Cade Horton outdueled NL Cy Young favorite Paul Skenes yesterday to give the Cubs a 4-1 win over the Pirates and push Chicago to 87 wins on the season. That victory dropped the Cubs’ magic number down to one. Any Cubs win or Diamondbacks loss would guarantee that Chicago will still be playing in October. The Cubs will be wrapping up their series against Pittsburgh with Matthew Boyd (3.05 ERA) on the mound opposite Johan Oviedo (2.81 ERA in six starts). The D-backs will wrap up a three-game set against the visiting Giants when they send righty Brandon Pfaadt (5.31 ERA) to the mound against future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander (3.94 ERA).
Mantle hit 54 in 1961, his highest for one season.
Who’s that?
I think he mistyped, 55 homers by Cal breaks Mickey’s 54.
Or they just made a mistake.
Either way, you are correct. Mantle hit 54 in 1961, his best HR season, while chasing Maris for the record.
Cubs looking very good for that top wild card slot, too. Their magic number is 3 to guarantee no worse than WC2, and they’ve got a 5 loss cushion with the Padres (though it might really be a 4-loss cushion with the WC seeding tie-breakers) and the Padres with a much more difficult remaining schedule. Plus, Padres vs Mets for two more, so Cubs will see their situational WC-position magic number drop no matter what.
Haven’t been many seasons in my Cubs lifetime this stress-free monitoring things as the post-season approaches.
How dare you
63 alltime record is (shockingly) very possible
I have a new shirt and motion the Red Sox can use in conjunction with their turbulence theme… the shirt will show yoke of air craft with two big words underneath PULL UP!!! After a hit etc the player can mimic pulling back on YOKE!!! We’re beyond turbulence NOW!!!!!bleep bleep PULL UP!!!!!!
I bet the Sox go after Max Scherzer to replace Giolito. $25 million for a corpse that can’t get out of bed and throw a baseball more than 20 times a season seems up their alley.
“Oh if he wasn’t 58 years old and threw 8 mph harder, he really would have been something!” -Craig Breslow after the 2026 Season
58??? He was 57 in 2013 ALCS…..LOL….
No horse in the Breslow criticism, but by not prospect hugging, they go from being irrelevant this season to eyeing WC spot. That’s what an ace like Crochet brought for his starts and helping the BP be less taxed. Look at what the tanking genius in Balt did by contrast-lowball offers and a bleep show rotation that hurt them day in/day out right away.
I think Raleigh has surpassed Judge for AL MVP. As mostly a catcher what he is doing is incredible. The prolific power hitter also posseses a platinum glove.
Think about this: if you reduce Raleigh’s OPS by .180 points, then he is a league average player. If you reduce Judge’s by .180 points, he’s Cal Raleigh.
Think about this too. Cal Raleigh played MOST of the year at CATCHER which is more grueling than Judge.
I think Raleigh is a lock. Can’t ignore the catcher narrative for voters and the voter fatigue for Judge.
FPG and every Sox fan including myself.
If Eugenio Suarez had been obtained by the Sox and was performing as he is with Seattle ( .156 b.a. 35% k rate ) what would we be saying. The prospect(s) it would have cost us .. Tolle/ Early ,and or J.Garcia,Arias. Sometimes the best trades are the ones someone else makes. In 42 games with Seattle, Suarez has been brutal.
Agreed, but that will all be forgotten if he shines in the playoffs.
Almost no RS fans remember the bad ones. Last year, for 6 months, all I heard was ‘why didn’t we sign more pitching?’. Until someone pointed out that Montgomery and Snell were 13-10 with a 4.76 last. And a total of 17 wins in two years combined.
Every team has fans like that, but RS fans have the worst memories of all sports fans.
Not likely we re-sign Giolito if he is looking for a 3-4 year deal. Barring trade for Joe Ryan, 2026 rotation will be Crochet, Bello, Early, Tolle and Crawford or Sandoval. Harrison, Dobbins, Fitts, Criswell, Drohan as depth. Perales as the wild card.
They’ll add at least one established arm to the mix. I’d love to see them trade with the Twins for either Ryan or Lopez, or perhaps make a run at Bieber in free agency.
Not sure I understand all the Breslow criticism. I mean he’s kept all the prospects in house and added some excellent pieces. Sure he’s whiffed on a couple of guys but FA is always a crap shoot and that’s why it should be avoided if possible. You usually end up paying more for less but the Red Sox still seem to have a bright future. I mean that is still the best division in baseball and who saw the Orioles tank and Toronto running away with it. I know I didn’t. I’d give Breslow a couple more years before asking for his head.
The best pitcher in all of baseball is Sk….
Skubalenes!
Skubaleneshorton!
Giancarlo Stanton hit more than 40 one time. Barry Bonds hit more than 50 one time.