PIRATES ARE THE 2026 CHAMPS!

Detroit took games 3 and 5, but the Pirates had Paul Skenes in game 6 and he turned in 8 shutout innings and Zack Ehrhard’s 3-run double in the fifth was all the offense that was needed…Ehrhard was the 8th-place hitter…and isn’t that baseball for ya? Sometimes its Francisco Cabrera, sometimes it’s guys like Ehrhard, and anyone can be there at the right time to have a huge moment…in an ASFBL curiosity, I have a “Jon Waldram” who played a single season in 2009 with the Pirates, then a 16-year hiatus, and then a return in 2024…and while I normally try to write up both players, Jonathan and Frank and eerily similar…both entered (or re-entered) the league in 2025…both have had positive WOR numbers for each of the past two years…Jonathan had 91 wins this year but otherwise both of them had wins in the 80s…this year Pittsburgh was +9, and Detroit was +8…Detroit won their division but Pittsburgh had the better regular season record…in a league where some guys have been playing for 34 years, having both owners in the championship series be guys who are both in what is functionally their second year, and the first playoff appearance for both guys, is just astounding…add to that the Clayton/Eric Cardinal effort, and there is some serious new blood in the league….big congrats to our new champ Jonathan Waldram and the runner-up Frank Glazer; fantastic season, guys, and I’m excited to see what you’ve got in your future!

…and that’s a wrap on 2026! Thanks to everyone for playing! Here’s hoping we have some labor peace and things start on time this year, and if not we’ll be sending a league-wide email to come up with a plan for 2027. Thanks again, everyone!

LCS round, 2026

Pirates over Brewers in 7; congrats to CHRIS ZEWISKE

Milwaukee went up 2-0 before the teams split the next two, meaning that the Pirates had to sweep out to advance…Pittsburgh won game five on a 2-1 cardiac test and took game six by a 6-2 mark…the Pirates got three runs in the first inning of game 7, but chipped away to get two runs back and knocked Skenes out after 4 and 2/3rds, but then both bullpens took over and the score never changed…the 7-game series had three 1-run games…Chris Zewiske now has 4,000 ASFBL games under his belt and the 9th-most wins all-time…after one season with the Padres in 2001 he’s been leading the Brewers for 25 years, and what a quarter-century it’s been…this is his sixth straight playoff appearance and he won it all in 2002….his playoff streak is six straight but he’s been there 9 of the past 10 years…what I love the most is that Chris did NOT make the playoffs any year between 2002 and 2016, and starting in 2017 he’s made the playoffs 9 of 10 years…that’s not giving up…the 99 wins he put up with the year’s Brew Crew is a personal best…he finished +14 WOR in his first season with Milwaukee back in 2002, matched the mark in 2013, and put up +15 in 2015…you are a staple of the ASFBL NL Central, Chris, you are doing a great job with your hometown team, and it’s been great having you in the league! See you next spring!

Tigers over Yankees; congrats to MARK YEE

The series went 6 games, and after a really tight game three that the Tigers won 2-0, the bats took off and the winning team scored 7 or more runs for each of the last three contests…the Yankees won game 5 with 7 runs but the Tigers scored a combined 19 runs in games four and six, with DCS hero Spencer Torkelson hitting the lone homer…after closing out the 7-game DCS series, Skubal sealed the LCS round with 7 innings in game 6 and Hunter Gassis closing it out…Mark Yee has the 4th most ASFBL wins all-time, and is one of only two current players who were part of the inaugural 1992 campaign…Rich Wynne joined in 1993 and Leo in 1994…between 1992 and 2010 he bounced around, managing one team in every division other than the AL central, and has settled in as the Yankees stalwart since 2014…this is his 7th playoff appearance with the team, and he’s had winning records in eleven of those twelve years…Mark won the league championship in 1996, also with the Yankees, and this is his second LCS finish since…I am living my best baseball card life vicariously through Mark’s Facebook page, and a life goal is to play a round of bowling at the Hollywood Star Lanes with Mark and Adam Symonds…I’m gonna finish with the low score if that ever happens…you are part of ASFBL history, Mark, and it’s wonderful to see you have such a great season (and move the Yankees one round farther than the actual club)…see you next spring!

World series matchup

Pittsburgh has the home field advantage by virtue of a better regular season record…the last ASFBL game was played on 10/26 so the series starts on ASFBL 10/28…I’ll ask Frank and Jonathan to enter their lineups by tomorrow, and we’ll run the games as soon as we hear from both of them, but I’m hoping to finish this up by Sunday…no matter what, history is going to be made, since both Jonathan and Frank joined the league in 2025 and neither have won the world series before…

Divisional Championship Round, 2026

Welcome to the playoffs, where the smallest random things (like a ball hitting an overhead cable and being caught for an out) can change the outcome of the most important games…you put your best team on the field, hope the baseball gods smile on you, and rub your best karma object for good luck…congrats to all who made it this far!

Pirates over Dodgers; Congrats to RICK WYNNE

The Dodgers took game one but couldn’t get the pitching and hitting together on the same day after that, although the series saw some really great games, with Skenes out-dueling Ohtani in game 4 in a contest that ended when the Pirates scored in the bottom of the 10th without getting a hit…this keeps Jonathan Waldram’s season going…there just aren’t enough good things to say about Rick Wynne…he’s got the all-time highest win total by 500 games over Leo, and the best lifetime win percentage at 62.8%…he’s had 100 wins or more twenty one times, including this season, and this season was his 12th consecutive playoff appearance…he finished in the top WOR spot 3 of his first 6 seasons and repeated the feat in 2008…if this league is still going in 50 years they’ll call the championship trophy the Rick Wynne award, and he’s been as instrumental in making this league what it is as anyone…and more than anything else, he is just a top-notch human being with a kindness, cleverness, and positivity that are hard to come by…if you need something to do in the offseason, check out his classic rock playlists on facebook…great having another campaign, and congrats on going 33 consecutive years in positive-WOR territory, truly an awesome feat.

Milwaukee Sweeps; Congrats to ERIC MORRIS and CLAYTON ENGELBY

The Brewers are just good, and they flexed their pitching muscles in this series holding the Cards to just 5 runs in 4 games…to their credit the Cards were never shut out, and themselves kept the Brewer bats at bay, never allowing more than 3 runs for any of the final 3 games…in a fantasy-imitating-life moment, Jackson Chourio provided the key hit in game four with a 2-run homer…Eric and Clayton set ASFBL history this year by becoming the first co-owned team in league history to make the playoffs and one of only two co-run teams I can remember…making a first-year playoff appearance is rare in this league, and finishing +9 WOR is downright impressive…Eric can place his virtual ASFBL trophy next to his 2008 National Debate Coach of the Year award among his lifetime achievements :)…Clayton was on staff with Eric and Missouri State and, if internet searches are turning up the right guy, is an accomplished chess player…it’s great having you guys in the league, your attention to analytics and detail is impressive, and I hope to see you both back next year!

Yankees over Toronto; congrats to JIM CASEY

The Jays took game 2 but the Yankees rolled in 5 games, breaking open a tight series with 8 runs in the decisive game…Altuve, Shewmake, Alvarez, Goldschmidt, and Bellinger all had 2 hits and Schlittler allowed only one run in 6 innings to close the series..I honestly did not know until this moment that there are two “Ls” in Schlittler…Jim Casey is 6th in lifetime wins and owns a 55% lifetime win percentage…although we don’t track the number anywhere across seasons, there is no doubt that he is also the all-time trades leaders since he wins the mark in the league every year by a wide margin…if you’re in the league, new or returning, in any time zone, Jim has reached out to you with a credible trade offer and made you feel part of the league almost immediately…the league started in 1992 with a half-season, had it’s first full run in 1993, and Jim joined by 1995…he took the first place WOR title by 2000 and made the playoffs for each of the last 10 years, including a World Series appearance last year…the Jays are his 6th team in the ASFBL and he’s put them +12 WOR in the last 2 seasons…you are part of the backbone of the ASFBL Jim, and I love having you in the league…congrats on another great year and we’ll see you next spring!

Mariners push Tigers to the limit as Detroit advances; congrats to PAT WALSH

In an outcome any MLB west team would have loved, the Mariners gave the Tigers all they could handle…Seattle took game one before the Tiger bats put up 11 runs in game two…the Mariners bounced back in game 3 to take the series lead which the Tigers immediately evened up in game 4…Detroit took the edge by winning game 5 before Seattle put up 10 more in game 6 to force a decisive game 7, where an un-traded Tarik Skubal pitched a complete-game shutout…Pat comes from the Walsh family dynasty and crossed the 1,000 game threshold this season…Pat has been in the league since 2020 — an eventful year for all of us), and has been getting the hang of the league quickly…Managing Detroit and San Francisco, Pat hadn’t quite cracked the 80-win mark for four seasons and then hit a stride, scoring a winning season with Seattle in 2024, making the LCS in 2025, and taking a division title while finishing in third place league-wide with a +11 WOR, which is also a a personal best…Pat is also an umpire, and frequently posts in defense of umpires against social media criticism…great having you in the league, Pat, and thanks for being so cool about me blowing it on the first try at this post…looking forward to playing with you again next year!

Some really cool stuff about Ben Leckie that’s just good to know

Ben comes from the Leckie family dynasty and crossed the 1000-win threshold this season, now posting a lifetime 53.5% win percentage over 13 seasons…he won it all in 2023 with the Rays and is back in the playoffs after back-to-back top-10 WOR finishes in 2024 and 2025…he took the league WOR titel in both 2021 and 2017 (only his 4th year in the league) and made the playoffs five of his first six years…he’s finished with double-digit positive WOR numbers six times…you’ve been a force since you joined the league, Ben, and I hope to see you next spring!

LCS matchups

National League: #1 Pirates host #2 Brewers.

American League: #1 Yankees #3 Detroit.

Please set your lineups by Thursday night and email Jon and Leo when you’re ready…we can then run the games Friday morning. You can ignore the lineup deadlines on the team pages; they are just set to make the pitching page work. We’ll run the games Friday but the first date on the ASFBL schedule is 10/18. Good luck to our final four!

Wildcard Round 2026

Tigers sweep; congrats to BEN BROCKREIDE

Game one was a nailbiter with Texas taking the lead, but when Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer in the third the Tiger pitching locked down and the un-traded Tarik Skubal allowed nothing after the first inning and Hunter Gaddis getting the save…after that the Tiger bats put up 15 runs in 18 innings to seal the deal…Ben entered the league in 2018 and has finished in positive WOR territory every year, finishing in the top-10 WOR spots every year since 2019….His +23 tied him for first WOR in 2024, the same year he wont the World Series…this year’s +4 keeps the streaks going and moving into the wildcard round with a team that was only .500 is quite an accomplishment…when I google the last name, the only hits I get are for the famed philosopher named Wayne Brockreide and Ben’s performance in the ASFBL…Ben made 10 trades this year, all after July 14, and ended up with a team that was 4th in the ASFBL in steals….great having you in the league, Ben, and we’re looking forward to seeing what you do with Texas next year!

Cardinals sweep; congrats to DANNY WILDES

The Braves held the Cardinals to 5 runs or fewer in all 3 games but couldn’t must more than 3 of their own…the Cardinals got a homer and a triple from leadoff hitter Trey Paige in the final game, and that led an offense that produced enough to put the club in front of Atlanta, despite the Braves out-hitting the Cards 8-6…Danny has been in the league since 2006 and been a force with the Braves since taking over that club in 2015…this is his 8th playoff appearance in the past 9 season, having made the LCS in 2023 and the getting to the World Series in 2021…he had back-to-back 106 win seasons in 2022 and 2023 and set a person best with a +10 WOR in 2015…his prior campaigns where with the Phillies and Pirates, who, ironically, played each other in this year’s wild card round, and he worked withe Padres for the first 3 seasons…he’s made the playoffs with all four teams…great having you back, Danny, and I’m hoping my Mets can give your Braves more of a challenge next year!

Toronto over Boston; congrats to JOHN MACDONALD

Having taken game 2 to force the series forward, the Bosox came up short in game 4 when the Jays lost the lead in the top of the 5th but tied it up in the bottom of the inning and then scored the decisive run in the bottom of the 8th, before Yenier Cano and Jack Eder combined for the save…the Bosox got the winning run to the plate against Cano but Eder stranded them both in the last 2/3rds of an inning to get the save and seal the series…Johnny Mac has more than 3000 ASFL games to his credit and a lifetime winning percentage…he entered the league before the turn of century back in 1999 and has skippered the Phils, Rockies, Pirates, Rays, Royals, Diamondbacks, Astros, and Jays…he won the league in in 2001, took 5 years off, and returned to win it all again in 2006…this Bosox run got him back into the playoffs for the first time since 2023, also with Toronto…John is a guy who knows his fantasy sports, made his first trade in April and then two more at the deadline, and rode the Bosox roller coaster along with the real team…It’s been great knowing you these 3 decades, Johnny Mac, and it will be fun to see which team you land with next year!

Pirates edge Phils in nail-biting series; congrats to ADAM SYMONDS

The Pirates’ incredible year looked with it would end with an easy walk to the second playoff round, but after going down two games Symonds’ team did what the actual Phillies couldn’t and won the next two to force a win-or-go-home game…which was itself an extra-inning game…Philly went down 3-1 before tying the game up in the 5th and going ahead in the 6th…Pittsburgh tied it up in the bottom of the 9th when ghost runner Ezequiel Duran scored off of Jhoan Duran…as Don Mattingly might have said, at least you had your best guy out there…I mean, can you do better than an extra-inning elimination game?…seriously props to Adam, who has the 12th-wins all-time in the ASFBL, and he’s gonna pass two more guys next year…he won it all in 2024, has another World Championship to his name from 2015, and just made his third playoff appearance in the last 4 years…he made 5 early trades this year, finishing his dealing by June 16, and finished with his fifth straight winning season…Adam is a top notch debate coach, a brilliant scholar, a good friend, and a heckuva Dad…he’s one of the most A+ human beings you’ll ever meet, and I love that this league is a chance for me to stay in touch with him….best luck with everything, Adam, and we’ll see you next year!

DCS MATCHUPS

National League: #1 Dodgers host #4 Pirates, and #2 Brewers host #3 Cardinals.

American League: #1 Yankees host #4 Jays, #2 Mariners host #3 Detroit. Games start on

Please set your lineups by Sunday night and email Jon and Leo when you’re ready…we can then run the games Monday morning. You can ignore the lineup deadlines on the team pages; they are just set to make the pitching page work. We’ll run the games Monday but the first date on the ASFBL schedule is 10/8

Good luck to our final =8!

Newsletter for games through 9-27-26; end of the regular season! Let the playoffs begin!

The playoff races

The Yankees, Seattle, and Detroit all held their spots to take the divisions…Detroit held on when Cleveland faltered (poor Steve Skrovan traded for Dylan Cease, but he got shut down by the Jays once Toronto was eliminated and he lost his ace for the final week), and Seattle held off the hard-charging Rangers and Astros…while the actual AL West managed to, ahem, underperform, EVERY ASFBL team finished with better records than their MLB counterparts…the Yankees would have needed a complete reversal of physics to lose their spot, but nonetheless Mark Yee had them finish a very respectable 4-2, finishing a half game ahead of the actual Yankees, who played only 161 games this year…Boston had the best wildcard spot coming in and with a 4-2 week cruised into the top spot…Toronto stubbed its toe with a 1-5 record, but managed to seal the deal for the AL East, which has looked like it would take at least playoffs for the past month…but the big news is that Ben Brockreide was able to finish ahead of Houston, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland, all of whom finished within 2 games of the Rangers…Texas took a pair of series 2-1 against the Mets and Twins…Josh Clark’s Astros went 5-1 on the road against division-leading Seattle and the WOR-leading Athletics, but came up 1 game short…Ben Leckie’s Rays pushed it to the limit, but ended up with a .500 week…Ben Leckie actually SWEPT the Phillies, and Ben Brockreide can thank Mark Yee, who’s Yankees swept a home series to give the Rangers the lane to make the playoffs.

In the National League, there was no drama at the top of the divisions as the Braves, Brewers, and Dodgers cruised into the playoffs…the Braves needed to fend off the Phillies, but the Phils had a rough go and the Braves had a winning record, putting Danny Wildes back in the playoffs…the drama in the west was whether Rick Wynne’s lifetime even-or-better-WOR streak would stay alive, and his 4-2 week put him a game up on the actual Dodgers to take the spot…Pittsburgh finished only 2-4 on the week but was +9 WOR and Jonathan Waldram’s excellent season will keep going for at least one more week…Philly didn’t go in the way that they wanted to but the team was strong overall and Adam Symonds will return to the playoffs, presumably with a bunch of players who are now set to adjust upward…which brings us to the final playoff spot, where the Mets and Cardinals are in a dead tie…the Cardinals seized the final spot by virtue of winning the seasonal series 4-2 (including a home sweep), and our two-headed monster of Clayton Engleby and Eric Morris, both rookie owners, will make it into the playoffs. That mattered because the Mets had the next 2 tiebreakers…great first season, guys! It was fun competing with you all year!

Great season, everyone! I had a blast, as always, and the playoff season just seems magic to me. Good luck to our 12 survivors, and I’m sure the rest of us will have fun watching the playoff drama unfold…

Playoff rules and bracket

Make sure you check out the playoffs section of the rules page. Highlights: We freeze the stats, including overuse totals, although stats still accumulate. There is a 2-day schedule break, which will allow a little more pitcher time off. The wildcard round is 5 games and all others are 7. You can use a 3-man rotation without penalty.

The top 3 divisional champs are seeded 1-3, then the top 3 wildcard teams. In the American League, that means the Yankees (#1) and Mariners (#2) get byes. Detroit (#3) host the Rangers (#6), and Boston (#4) hosts Toronto (#5). In the National League, the Dodgers (#1) and Brewers (#2) get the byes, Atlanta (#3) hosts the Cardinals (#6), and Pittsburgh (#4) hosts Philly (#5).

Give me a day to post the playoff schedules, and lineups and rotations will be due on Friday night. The games will run Saturday morning. If this creates a hardship let Leo and I know, and we can make arrangements.

Feats and Failures

• Minnesota and San Francisco played14.5 innings on9/21/2026
• Gavin Williams (Athletics) struck out 12 batters (on 9/22/2026 against Anaheim)
• Lucas Spence (Houston) hit 3 homers (on 9/22/2026 against Seattle)
• Zack Gelof (Athletics) stole 3 bases (on 9/23/2026 against Anaheim)
• Ty France (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 9/23/2026 against Los Angeles)
• Oneil Cruz (Pittsburgh) stole 3 bases (on 9/24/2026 against St. Louis)
• Bobby Witt Jr. (Arizona) kicked 3 errors (on 9/24/2026 against Colorado)
• Munetaka Murakami (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 9/25/2026 against Colorado)
• Zachary Veen (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 9/25/2026 against Chicago (CWS))
• Tyler Glasnow (Los Angeles) struck out 12 batters (on 9/25/2026 against San Francisco)
• Drew Cavanaugh (San Francisco) struck out 4 times (on 9/25/2026 against Los Angeles)
• Patrick Clohisy (Atlanta) hit 6 RBI (on 9/27/2026 against Miami)

Newsletter for games through 9-20-26

Commentary

ONE WEEK TO GO! HERE ARE THE RACES! And Oh My God, both wildcard races have straight-up ties for the final wildcard spot…Four teams are chasing the last NL wildcard spot, with the Mets and Cardinals in a dead tie, the Diamondbacks one game back, and the Cubs three back. Mets finish against the Rangers and Nationals, and the Cardinals have the Pirates and Brewers…the Pirates, Brewers, and Rangers are all fighting for a divisional title (though the Pirates would need a near-perfect week), making the Nationals the spoiler in the group…of all those teams, Clayton Engleby’s Cardinals had the best week last week at 5-1…Philly and Atlanta will both make the playoffs, but the Braves are only 3 up on the Phils for the NL East…if Adam can grab 6 wins next week (like Leo’s Padres did this week) and Danny’s Braves hit .500, we could go to tiebreakers…the Pirates need the Brewers to lose them all while they themselves streak, but didn’t Michael Jordan say “never say never?”…it’s time to congratulate Rick Wynne on locking up the NL West and the best ASFBL record…the real race here is against the actual Dodgers…Rick has NEVER, in 3 decades, finished below .500 WOR, and he’s 1 game up on the actual Dodgers…In the AL, it’s the Guardians and Rangers who are tied at 5 back, with the Rays and Astros 1 and 2 behind them, respectively….to make it even crazier, the Guardians are 1 game out of the AL central…Guardians draw Boston and Kansas City, and the Rangers have the Mets and Twins…Kansas City is set as a dangerous spoiler, sitting +5 WOR and with a threatening 24-17 record in 1-4 games…ditto Tim Walsh’s Twins, who are playing just to determine the wildcard results but have a winning record in the 1-run affairs…in that mix is Detroit, who is in the precarious position of leading the division by a single game, meaning they could either be divisional champs or out of the playoffs depending on how they walk the tightrope this week…Detroit draws Washington and Pittsburgh, which means that Paul Block’s Nationals could determine the last playoff spot in both leagues…the Detroit/Pittsburgh finale could also bump either team in or out…TLDR: Pay attention to your pitching matchups this week…Jeanine Congalton played 13 ASFBL seasons and was a diehard Cub fan….she passed away last August…we held her memorial last weekend, more than 200 people attended, we encouraged all to wear baseball jerseys, and put up a full-size “Wrigley Field” placard at the lectern…we closed the ceremony by singing “Take Me Out To the Ballgame,” and it seemed the perfect sendoff…her thoughts on the Mets are memorialized here, if you’re interested in seeing the images…

Feats and Failures

• Tarik Skubal (Detroit) struck out 11 batters (on 9/14/2026 against Toronto)
• Jose Altuve (New York (NYY)) had 5 hits (on 9/14/2026 against Minnesota)
• Paul Goldschmidt (New York (NYY)) had 5 hits (on 9/14/2026 against Minnesota)
• Logan Gilbert (Seattle) struck out 11 batters (on 9/14/2026 against Anaheim)
• Eugenio Suárez (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 9/15/2026 against Los Angeles)
• Kala’i Rosario (Minnesota) hit 3 homers (on 9/16/2026 against New York (NYY))
• Dillon Dingler (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 9/16/2026 against Toronto)
• Rafael Flores Jr. (Pittsburgh) had 5 hits (on 9/16/2026 against Milwaukee)
• Michael Harris II (Atlanta) had 5 hits (on 9/16/2026 against Chicago (CC))
• Zachary Veen (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 9/16/2026 against San Diego)
• Jo Adell (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 9/16/2026 against Seattle)
• Jakob Marsee (Miami) hit for the cycle! (on 9/16/2026 against Arizona)
• Colson Montgomery (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 9/17/2026 against Cincinnati)
• Zachary Veen (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 9/17/2026 against San Diego)
• Francisco Alvarez (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 9/17/2026 against Philadelphia)
• Dylan Cease (Cleveland) struck out 11 batters (on 9/18/2026 against Athletics)
• Zack Gelof (Athletics) struck out 4 times (on 9/18/2026 against Cleveland)
• Yohandy Morales (Washington) struck out 4 times (on 9/18/2026 against St. Louis)
• Niko Kavadas (Anaheim) hit 7 RBI (on 9/18/2026 against Minnesota)
• Zack Wheeler (Los Angeles) struck out 11 batters (on 9/18/2026 against San Francisco)
• Jordan Lawlar (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 9/19/2026 against New York (NYY))
• Dillon Dingler (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 9/20/2026 against Chicago (CWS))
• Ezequiel Tovar (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 9/20/2026 against Seattle)

Newsletter for games through 9-13-26

Commentary

Let’s start with the races…we have three way tie for the last AL wildcard spot, with Texas, Tampa, and Cleveland locked at identical 77-73 records and all 3 games behind Boston. Houston is only 2 games behind the three-headed monster. Detroit is all of a half game in front of Cleveland (both teams went 4-2 this week), so whoever finishes second will still have a fight to end up in the wild card race. If Tampa holds on, that will be four teams from the AL East who make the playoffs. Toronto still has an outside shot to catch the Yankees, but both teams seem in relatively safe playoff territory…Seattle is four games up on Texas, and depending on how hot the Rangers get in the last 3 weeks the division isn’t quite a done deal yet. Congrats to the Athletics, who put up a 4-2 week, and the Angels, who hit .500, both playing competitive ball in a season that’s been a challenge…two of those Athletic wins were against the first-place Mariners…this is a statement on the actual clubs and a compliment to our players, but it’s worth noticing that the entire AL West is even-or-better in the WOR standings…every single owner made their team better…HATS OFF to Jonathan Waldram, who has the Pirates at +11 WOR, only 4 back of the mighty Brewers (second best ASFBL record), and holding on to the top spot in the NL…right now the Diamondbacks are holding the last NL wildcard spot, with the Mets 1.5 behind them…both the Cardinals (3 back) and Cubs (4 back are within striking distance)…Arizona had the better week over the last 7 days, picking up a game in the wildcard race…the Pirates swept a crucial series against the Cubs this week…lifetime Oriole fan Mark Chen and lifetime Mets guy Jon Bruschke were both watching the Met-Oriole game, and like everyone in the stadium we both cheered for Alonso’s 8th-run, game-tying homer…to complicate emotions a little further, Alonso this year is a fantasy Met…Colby Perkins is a +3 WOR with the Angels this year, which is more than could be expected, and I am happy to report there have been no digital chants of “sell the team” in Colby’s direction…

Feats and Failures

• Jesús Luzardo (Philadelphia) struck out 12 batters (on 9/7/2026 against Atlanta)
• Sean Murphy (Atlanta) struck out 4 times (on 9/7/2026 against Philadelphia)
• Henry Bolte (Athletics) stole 3 bases (on 9/7/2026 against Toronto)
• Grant Taylor (Toronto) struck out 11 batters (on 9/9/2026 against Athletics)
• Gabriel Arias (Cleveland) struck out 4 times (on 9/9/2026 against Baltimore)
• Zachary Veen (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 9/10/2026 against New York (NYY))
• James Wood (Washington) struck out 4 times (on 9/11/2026 against Anaheim)
• Reid Detmers (Anaheim) struck out 16 batters (on 9/11/2026 against Washington)
• Andrés Giménez (Toronto) struck out 4 times (on 9/11/2026 against Baltimore)
• Garrett Mitchell (Milwaukee) hit 6 RBI (on 9/11/2026 against Cincinnati)
• Andrick Nava (Milwaukee) hit 7 RBI (on 9/11/2026 against Cincinnati)
• Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 9/12/2026 against Toronto)
• Michael King (San Diego) struck out 11 batters (on 9/12/2026 against San Francisco)
• Drew Cavanaugh (San Francisco) struck out 4 times (on 9/12/2026 against San Diego)
• Eury Pérez (Miami) struck out 11 batters (on 9/12/2026 against Los Angeles)
• Jesús Luzardo (Philadelphia) struck out 11 batters (on 9/12/2026 against Atlanta)
• Cam Schlittler (New York (NYY)) struck out 11 batters (on 9/13/2026 against New York (NYM))
• Nathaniel Lowe (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 9/13/2026 against Milwaukee)
• Luke Keaschall (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 9/13/2026 against Cleveland)
• Dylan Cease (Cleveland) struck out 11 batters (on 9/13/2026 against Minnesota)
• Randy Arozarena (Seattle) had 5 hits (on 9/13/2026 against Athletics)

Newsletter for games through 9-6-26

Commentary

WILDCARD races…in the NL, Pennsylvania holds the top two spots with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh sitting at least 4 games ahead of Arizona, making the real competition for the last spot…The Mets are half a game back, the Cubs are 1 game back, and the Cardinals are 3 back….for comparison, the Astros picked up 5 games on Texas in the AL West this week…and to bury the lead a little bit, the Cardinals went 6-0 this week, so there’s no doubt they could snatch the last spot…Mets and Cubs were fighting for 3-3 and 4-3 records, but they both gained ground as Arizona struggled at 1-5…the spoilers that the Mets and Cubs can thank is the Astros, who swept their series against the DBacks en route to a perfect week…and while Philly holds the top spot, they are only a game back of the Braves, so they could easily snag the division title and push Atlanta into the wildcard group…in the AL, the Blue Jays have the first wildcard spot, and are 4 up on both the Bosox and the Rangers, who in turn are 1 game in from of Tampa Bay and the 2 up on the Guardians…the Astros just ran a perfect 7-0 week to make their games playoff-relevant, and they need to pick up 4 games to force their way into the last spot…but this week wasn’t a fluke, and they are 19-11 over the last 30, so there’s every reason to think they’ll finish strong…John Weertz keeps weaving magic with Sacramento, put up a 5-2 week, and is +7 WOR on the season…

Other items of note: Every single NL East team has a winning record over the last 30 games…the Yankees were the only divisional leader to really improve their lot last week, but the 5-1 record Mark Yee put up gained 2 games on Toronto…as has been the trend the past several years, the second place team in the AL central is closer to first in their division than they are to the last wildcard spot; this week Cleveland picked up 2 games and moved to within a half game of Detroit in the tightest of all possible races…Seattle inched a tick in front of Texas by picking up a game this week…I try not to spoil the feats and failures section here, but I can’t help but notice Muncy and Machado each had 4 strikeout games while competing against each other on Sept 1…wind advisory in Philadelphia…

Feats and Failures

• Payton Tolle (Boston) struck out 11 batters (on 8/31/2026 against Seattle)
• Joe Ryan (Minnesota) struck out 11 batters (on 8/31/2026 against Detroit)
• Gavin Williams (Athletics) struck out 11 batters (on 8/31/2026 against Texas)
• Ezequiel Duran (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 9/1/2026 against San Francisco)
• David Hamilton (Milwaukee) stole 3 bases (on 9/1/2026 against Chicago (CC))
• Manny Machado (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 9/1/2026 against Philadelphia)
• Max Muncy (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 9/1/2026 against Arizona)
• Adam Frazier (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 9/2/2026 against Cincinnati)
• Michael King (San Diego) struck out 11 batters (on 9/2/2026 against Cincinnati)
• Jimmy Crooks (St. Louis) struck out 4 times (on 9/2/2026 against Los Angeles)
• Bryce Eldridge (San Francisco) hit 7 RBI (on 9/3/2026 against Pittsburgh)
• Rafael Flores Jr. (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 9/3/2026 against San Francisco)
• Spencer Miles (Kansas City) struck out 11 batters (on 9/3/2026 against Miami)
• Teoscar Hernández (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 9/3/2026 against St. Louis)
• Chris Sale (Atlanta) struck out 12 batters (on 9/4/2026 against Philadelphia)
• Nolan McLean (New York (NYM)) struck out 12 batters (on 9/5/2026 against San Francisco)
• Drew Rasmussen (Tampa Bay) struck out 11 batters (on 9/5/2026 against Texas)
• Sal Stewart (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 9/6/2026 against Milwaukee)
• Brett Bateman (Chicago (CC)) stole 3 bases (on 9/6/2026 against Miami)
• Zack Gelof (Athletics) struck out 4 times (on 9/6/2026 against Seattle)
• Coby Mayo (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 9/6/2026 against Washington)

Newsletter for games through 8-23-26

COMMENTARY

We are in pennant race mode, so I’ll dive right in: Adam Symonds‘ Phillies went 5-1 to move within a game and a half of the Braves, in a race mirroring real life which gives Danny Wildes a shorter deck to draw from as the actual Brave performances mean the weekly stats are dropping…as an assist, nobody else in the division had a winning record…Chris Zewiske‘s Brewers aren’t doing quite as well as the actual team, but considering the actual team has the best record in baseball that’s not too surprising…the amazing Pirate club is +9 WOR but the Brewers picked up ground this week with a 5-1 mark…they are 6.5 back, which is doable with a few good weeks…the Brewers have the better mark over the last 30 games, 21-9 to the 17-13 for Pittsburgh…the question for the Dodgers was whether they could keep up their historical pace, and as the actual team skidded the ASFBL version took on a little water, and was actually below .500 over the last 30 games…this week, however, the Dodgers matched their other first-place compatriots with a 5-1 mark and picked up 4 games to move 14 ahead…the best ASFBL race is in the AL East, where the Jays moved to within a game of the Yankees while the Bosox started a charge with the best record inthe division, and the dark horse Rays also had a winning week…bad news for the actual Yankee DL is also bad news for Mark Yee, although he’s kept his club just ahead of the real one while staying out of the trade market this year…in fact, the AL East race is truly a difference in philosophies…the Yankees haven’t made any trades, and Jim Casey’s Jays have made about 397 trades (it seems like)…Jays have the better WOR, Yanks are up by 1 in the division…Steven Skrovan and I had to scratch our annual Angels-Guardians game this year due to disabled list concerns, although we are both day-to-day, and Steve evidently used the extra time to channel ASFBL karma and put up the only 6-0 week in the league this week…that launched him to within 4.5 games of Detroit and put him in plus-WOR territory…Kansas City and Minnesota each had winning weeks…everyone vying for the top of the AL West had a winning week, with Texas nudging out Seattle and Houston…kudos to John Weerts Athletics, who are are respectable +6 WOR for a team where any respect is unusual and welcome…Rays are 2 games behind Texas for the final wildcard spot, and the Mets and Cubs sit 3.5 back of Pittsburgh…since the Dodgers proved this week that you can flip 4 games in the standings in only 7 days, that probably means that this will come down to the wire…if you are having a bad week, take solace in the fact that you’re doing better than Esmerlyn Valdez…if I read the feats and failures correctly, he’s struck out in 12 straight at-bats…too much more of that and the Mets will trade for him…

FEATS AND FAILURES

• Eury Pérez (Miami) struck out 13 batters (on 8/17/2026 against Philadelphia)
• Max Muncy (Philadelphia) hit 3 homers (on 8/18/2026 against Miami)
• Max Muncy (Philadelphia) hit 6 RBI (on 8/18/2026 against Miami)
• Oneil Cruz (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 8/18/2026 against Detroit)
• Tarik Skubal (Detroit) struck out 15 batters (on 8/18/2026 against Pittsburgh)
• Eli White (Atlanta) struck out 5 times (on 8/18/2026 against Minnesota)
• Mauricio Dubón (Atlanta) had 5 hits (on 8/18/2026 against Minnesota)
• Corey Seager (Texas) hit 3 homers (on 8/18/2026 against Washington)
• Drew Cavanaugh (San Francisco) struck out 4 times (on 8/19/2026 against Cleveland)
• Corey Seager (Texas) had 5 hits (on 8/19/2026 against Washington)
• Yainer Diaz (Houston) hit 6 RBI (on 8/19/2026 against Anaheim)
• Rafael Devers (San Francisco) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2026 against Boston)
• Zachary Veen (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2026 against Cleveland)
• Esmerlyn Valdez (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 8/21/2026 against Los Angeles)
• Luis Lara (Milwaukee) hit 6 RBI (on 8/22/2026 against Atlanta)
• Brett Squires (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 8/22/2026 against Detroit)
• Taj Bradley (Minnesota) struck out 11 batters (on 8/22/2026 against San Diego)
• Esmerlyn Valdez (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 8/22/2026 against Los Angeles)
• Esmerlyn Valdez (Pittsburgh) struck out 4 times (on 8/23/2026 against Los Angeles)

Newsletter for games through 8-16-26

COMMENTARY

Last night the MLB Brewers beat the Mariners 22-0, which tied a major-league record for the largest shutout victory of all time…I would have thought in the ASFBL the largest score would have gone to a visiting team, since they get all 27 outs, and a home team that’s way ahead gets only 24…but the largest road total in the ASFBL this year goes to the Athletics, who scores 19 runs against the Astros on June 6…the Astros put up 8 of their own in that game…ASFBL high this year is 20 runs, held by both the Chisox and the Diamondbacks, although neither was in a shutout…biggest offensive outburst this year was the 17-14 win by the Giants over the Nationals…NL honors this week go to the Phillies and the Cubs, who were each 5-1, and are each in a playoff race…both teams are fighting out the final wildcard spot, and the Phils are 2 games up on the Cubs…Mets are the next team out and lost a game to both teams…Brewers held steady at 5-2 and are 8-2 over the last 10 games…that’s a league best…Hail to the spoilers! Best AL records went to the last-place Orioles and Chisox, who were each 4-2, and each had the only winning week in their division…Mariners picked up a half game on Texas this week…apologies to Tigers owner Frank Glazer, who’s name I mangled in the last newsletter…he’s still holding the top spot in the AL central…Kansas City is the only AL central team to have a winning record over the last 30 games…Schwarber has an ASFBL league-leading 45 homers, but Yordan Alvarez got to 100 RBI for the Yankees last week…he leads the league with a monstrous 153 hits…Arraez leads MLB with the same number…Nasim Nunez of the Nats leads both MLB (40) and ASFBL (49) in stolen bases…and all leagues in best alliteration…Corbin Carroll leads all MLB with 15 triples, and nobody else has more than 7…in the ASFBL Brice Turang leads with 10, and Carroll and Xavier Edwards each have 9….it’s more opportunity-based, but Ardolis Chapman (Bos) leads the ASFBL with 42 saves; MLB high is Bryan Baker (TB)…that might be Bryan Baker of the Bay for the alliteration-minded…I’m not saying I’m old, by Baker is 31 years old and was born 2 years after the first ASFBL season…the ASFBL is still younger than Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander….although both were in little league when the ASFBL had it’s first run…and on that note, the Little League World series starts today…we should have some of these players in the ASFBL by 2034…

Feats and Failures

• Iván Herrera (St. Louis) struck out 4 times (on 8/10/2026 against Philadelphia)
• Chris Sale (Atlanta) struck out 12 batters (on 8/11/2026 against New York (NYM))
• Victor Mesa Jr. (Tampa Bay) struck out 4 times (on 8/11/2026 against Athletics)
• Nico Hoerner (Chicago (CC)) stole 3 bases (on 8/12/2026 against Washington)
• Cal Conley (Texas) struck out 4 times (on 8/12/2026 against Anaheim)
• Michael Busch (Chicago (CC)) hit 7 RBI (on 8/13/2026 against Washington)
• Landen Roupp (San Francisco) struck out 11 batters (on 8/14/2026 against Colorado)
• Coby Mayo (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 8/15/2026 against Milwaukee)
• Jacob Misiorowski (Milwaukee) struck out 17 batters (on 8/15/2026 against Los Angeles)
• Isaac Collins (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 8/15/2026 against Anaheim)
• Jo Adell (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 8/15/2026 against Kansas City)