{"id":242223,"date":"2025-10-26T22:38:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T22:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/242223\/"},"modified":"2025-10-26T22:38:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T22:38:51","slug":"stock-watch-judging-2025-mlb-trade-deadline-a-month-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/242223\/","title":{"rendered":"Stock Watch: Judging 2025 MLB trade deadline, a month later"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/doolittle_bradford.png&#038;h=80&#038;w=80&#038;scale=crop.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Bradford DoolittleSep 3, 2025, 07:00 AM ET<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"icon-font-after icon-close-solid-after\" href=\"#\">Close<\/a>MLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com<br \/>\nFormer NBA writer and analyst for ESPN.com<br \/>\nBeen with ESPN since 2013<\/p>\n<p>The last Stock Watch of the regular season is here. Before the next one, we&#8217;ll know who the 2025 World Series champion is, and will be knee-deep in another Hot Stove season.<\/p>\n<p>With the <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"4750d73d-d92e-b390-758c-2c7b44a810db\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/team\/_\/name\/mil\/milwaukee-brewers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Milwaukee Brewers<\/a> topping the watch for the second month in a row, let&#8217;s use that surprising fact to make a couple of observations about this year&#8217;s competition:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Payroll matters but it&#8217;s still no excuse. The likely playoff bracket looks loaded with big markets and big spenders, but teams like the Brewers and <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"11a5df00-0945-35a5-66fe-a3a107975558\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/team\/_\/name\/kc\/kansas-city-royals\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kansas City Royals<\/a> kind of take away the excuses of everyone who bemoans baseball&#8217;s economic disparity. Not that we shouldn&#8217;t seek to even the field, but in the meantime, teams should still be trying to win.<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 There&#8217;s a solid chance we might see a champion we&#8217;ve never seen before. There are just five remaining teams with a goose egg in the World Series championship column. One of them is the Brewers, whose odds for ending that drought are the highest in baseball. Two others are the <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"4dec648c-3eb9-055c-aebc-2711f30975a0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/team\/_\/name\/sd\/san-diego-padres\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">San Diego Padres<\/a> and <a data-clubhouse-guid=\"56d60582-088f-6848-5180-1fb04440cf87\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/team\/_\/name\/sea\/seattle-mariners\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Seattle Mariners<\/a>, both likely playoff teams. Taken together, these three clubs have around a 28% shot at this year&#8217;s title. In other words, there&#8217;s better than a 1-in-4 chance that some long-suffering fan base will get to have a parade in a couple of months.<\/p>\n<p>With the MLB trade deadline more than a month old, let&#8217;s take a look at the most recent fortunes of all 30 teams, with an eye on how their moves (or non-moves) have worked (or not worked) so far.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"imageLoaded\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/greyline.png\" width=\"100%\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761518318_532_mil.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 98.7 (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/45898881\/2025-mlb-trade-deadline-stock-watch-guide-all-30-teams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Last:<\/a> 95.9, 1st)<br \/>In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.2%)<br \/>Champions: 18.3% (Last:11.3%)<\/p>\n<p>How the Brewers built a $115 million power<img decoding=\"async\" data-lazyload=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/r1537103_4_608x342_16-9.jpg\" class=\"round lazyload\"\/><\/p>\n<p>As small-market Milwaukee rolls along with MLB&#8217;s best record, everyone wants to know the Brew Crew&#8217;s secret formula. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/46070566\/mlb-2025-milwaukee-brewers-national-league-best-team-100-wins-low-payroll-powerhouse\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jesse Rogers \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Milwaukee was quiet at the deadline and hasn&#8217;t gotten much from its additions. Backup catcher <a data-player-guid=\"52f9f4dd-3d17-6b25-0ed9-d3a59b92b689\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/35004\/danny-jansen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Danny Jansen<\/a> hasn&#8217;t hit since arriving, while reliever <a data-player-guid=\"9370f6b5-aeb1-9ec5-5511-b71287710187\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/30738\/shelby-miller\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shelby Miller<\/a> has been so-so in a mid-leverage role. Yet Milwaukee has baseball&#8217;s best record and run differential since deadline day. Sometimes you don&#8217;t mess with a good thing. Should the injury to closer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/40080\/trevor-megill\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Trevor Megill<\/a> linger, you might argue Milwaukee should have been more aggressive in pursuit of a back-end reliever. First, we ought to wait for the Brewers&#8217; bullpen to actually struggle, because Milwaukee always has an answer when it comes to filling roster holes.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761518320_499_phi.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 93.8 (Last: 92.7, 5th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 96.8%)<br \/>Champions: 10.6% (Last: 7.8%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Dave Dombrowski went with quality over quantity at the deadline and it has paid off. <a data-player-guid=\"f8d7ba51-b248-d3b9-b18a-47fbcd596987\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/35062\/harrison-bader\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Harrison Bader<\/a> has mashed while playing mostly every day in center field. <a data-player-guid=\"0090bfcb-e1df-5247-83fd-ce29fbff5787\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41109\/jhoan-duran\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jhoan Duran<\/a> hasn&#8217;t been perfect, but he has been everything the Phillies could have hoped for, while changing the dynamic of the bullpen, now and looking ahead to October. It took Duran a month to move into a tie for the Phillies&#8217; saves lead, a period during which he didn&#8217;t allow a walk or a homer. The additions continue even after the stinging loss of <a data-player-guid=\"150fa88b-caca-cd7c-3ea9-353c2a361244\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/31267\/zack-wheeler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zack Wheeler<\/a>. Conceding nothing, Dombrowski also signed <a data-player-guid=\"4f3a9a2c-768f-e9fe-0ae2-175d62644ea4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/39251\/walker-buehler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Walker Buehler<\/a> on Sunday after Buehler was released by the Red Sox.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761518320_818_chc.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 93.3 (Last: 95.8, 2nd)<br \/>In the playoffs: 99.9% (Last: 99.4%)<br \/>Champions: 7.2% (Last: 13.6%)<\/p>\n<p>How we ranked the teams<\/p>\n<p>This Stock Watch uses projections based on blended 2025 forecasts from my model, FanGraphs, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN Bet over\/unders. These were used to create a baseline win expectation, which was then used as the basis for 10,000 simulations of the rest of the 2025 schedule, yielding our win forecasts and postseason probabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Chicago&#8217;s quiet deadline rankled pundits, and the reaction hasn&#8217;t softened given the struggles of the few additions the Cubs did make, and the ongoing distance between them and the Brewers in the National League Central. The Cubs might want to stop trading for infielders at the deadline. Last year, they picked up <a data-player-guid=\"519a39a3-6af2-5f0a-91b9-06a5424ed036\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/39706\/isaac-paredes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Isaac Paredes<\/a>, who flailed as a Cub, then moved on and went back to his typical self this year with the Astros. This time, <a data-player-guid=\"4fe68af2-4aff-4439-602a-221472bf65f1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/34230\/willi-castro\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Willi Castro<\/a> has gone from an above-average hitter with Minnesota to borderline unplayable with the Cubs, at least at the dish, as part of Chicago&#8217;s overall offensive slide.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761518320_363_lad.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 92.9 (Last: 95.8, 2nd)<br \/>In the playoffs: 99.9% (Last: 99.4%)<br \/>Champions: 10.6% (Last: 15.4%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Los Angeles&#8217; deadline approach was more similar to a team straddling the add\/subtract fence than what the Dodgers actually are: a talent-laden, mega-rich defending champ angling for a repeat. <a data-player-guid=\"93074885-2f5c-b5a4-3f09-cb6afcb22ba6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/38994\/alex-call\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alex Call<\/a> has helped as an extra outfielder who plays against lefties, but reliever <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/35997\/brock-stewart\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brock Stewart<\/a> has struggled. Mostly the Dodgers have leaned on improved pitching health over the past month. Their revived hurlers have kept the Dodgers in the elite tier. Over the remainder of the season, if L.A. can match its first-half hitting with its second-half pitching, the Dodgers will hit the postseason as the behemoth we always thought they were.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/det.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 92.9 (Last: 93.3, 4th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 100.0% (Last: 99.2%)<br \/>Champions: 11.3% (Last: 11.3%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Tigers went heavy on pitching at the deadline with a particular focus on positive regression candidates. It has worked for the bullpen, where <a data-player-guid=\"67d0d6bd-ce78-edfd-be8c-55bb92a28841\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/36543\/kyle-finnegan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Finnegan<\/a> in particular has looked like a different pitcher than he was for Washington. The returns on starters <a data-player-guid=\"405dc7c8-eef7-78a8-54ae-3bb505bf9a2a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/29155\/charlie-morton\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Charlie Morton<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"32d65a8c-01d7-2321-ef7c-2d9455b866fb\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/35999\/chris-paddack\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chris Paddack<\/a> have been mixed. Detroit has played middling ball over the past month, largely due to an offense that has fallen off a bit and went unaddressed in the trade market. The Tigers are fine in the American League Central race, but find themselves in a tight battle for a No. 1 seed with Toronto.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761518321_942_tor.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 91.7 (Last: 90.7, 6th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 99.4% (Last: 92.9%)<br \/>Champions: 7.7% (Last: 5.3%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: A leaky bullpen has kept the Blue Jays from keeping their AL East rivals at bay, and, as we enter the final month, Toronto could end up with a No. 1 seed or could be a road team in the wild-card round. The deadline impact has been mixed. <a data-player-guid=\"4e1e8371-962e-59e6-d57b-459a68b39390\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/40912\/shane-bieber\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Shane Bieber<\/a> looks like Shane Bieber, an undeniable boost. But on a relief staff that features a closer (<a data-player-guid=\"9ee76eaf-6161-cfe8-0c5a-6544c83ad2d1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/33841\/jeff-hoffman\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jeff Hoffman<\/a>) with 29 saves and a below-replacement bWAR, the additions of <a data-player-guid=\"a55bef66-0210-1110-0b03-a9a7117fdb6c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/37793\/seranthony-dominguez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Seranthony Dominguez<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"bfefe680-2ff8-3cff-b94c-78998580944c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4917888\/louis-varland\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Louis Varland<\/a> have yet to pay off. If Toronto&#8217;s bullpen picks up the pace, this is a complete team.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/sd.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 90.6 (Last: 90.2, 7th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 99.4% (Last: 89.0%)<br \/>Champions: 4.0% (Last: 4.5%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Padres overtook the Dodgers a couple of times in August, only to slip back behind their nemesis. A.J. Preller&#8217;s deadline haul <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/45868652\/2025-mlb-trade-deadline-san-diego-padres-aj-preller\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">has accomplished its primary objective<\/a>, which was to shore up roster holes and raise San Diego&#8217;s floor. The exception to that description &#8212; the addition of <a data-player-guid=\"a612c014-c389-3057-849d-d820a0d7c361\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4730225\/mason-miller\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mason Miller<\/a> to an already strong bullpen &#8212; looks very much like a ceiling raiser. The only quibble might be in the rotation, where those the Padres dealt (<a data-player-guid=\"62764f26-a40d-3272-b76a-97dfe1671dd8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/5196249\/ryan-bergert\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ryan Bergert<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/5190073\/stephen-kolek\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Stephen Kolek<\/a>) have together outpitched those Preller acquired (<a data-player-guid=\"5b49724f-bc41-d69f-8e17-1d9a8a456439\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/36480\/nestor-cortes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nestor Cortes<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/39818\/jp-sears\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">JP Sears<\/a>). But <a data-player-guid=\"8c304721-4d4d-94b9-6bc8-f1d3e48db7e8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41928\/freddy-fermin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Freddy Fermin<\/a>, acquired for Bergert and Kolek, stabilized the catcher position.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/nyy.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 90.5 (Last: 88.8, 11th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 98.9% (Last: 87.2%)<br \/>Champions: 10.6% (Last: 8.0%)<\/p>\n<p>A new world in Big Apple baseball<img decoding=\"async\" data-lazyload=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/r1513112_608x342_16-9.jpg\" class=\"round lazyload\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The inside story of Steve Cohen, Hal Steinbrenner and the battle for New York hardball supremacy. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/45618193\/mlb-2025-new-york-yankees-mets-subway-series-hal-steinbrenner-steve-cohen\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jorge Castillo \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Yankees&#8217; trajectory changed sharply over the second half of August, a month they exited as one of baseball&#8217;s hottest teams. Behind a reinvigorated offense and a steady rotation, New York is back in contention for the AL East crown, a No. 1 seed, the whole pinstriped ball of wax. But the deadline-infused bullpen needs to pull it together consistently, or Yankees fans will enter October in an even more heightened state of anxiety than usual. If not for the solid work done so far by ex-Pirate <a data-player-guid=\"b8160712-4442-6280-b6ef-67bdf15250c7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/38303\/david-bednar\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">David Bednar<\/a>, New York&#8217;s work bolstering the relief group might look even worse.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/bos.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 89.7 (Last: 88.9, 10th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 97.9% (Last: 87.6%)<br \/>Champions: 6.7% (Last: 5.5%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Boston&#8217;s pitching staff additions of <a data-player-guid=\"e167e471-1f34-1937-90a1-cc2d460c62d2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/33106\/steven-matz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Steven Matz<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"256be255-c61e-cd29-77a8-ccad1362e970\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/40937\/dustin-may\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dustin May<\/a> didn&#8217;t exactly scream &#8220;&#8216;all-in!&#8221; for a team that by the end of July had positioned itself for a playoff run. May and earlier in-season addition <a data-player-guid=\"6abe580d-fa73-137a-ce4d-7641337a1b2a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/37909\/jordan-hicks\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jordan Hicks<\/a> haven&#8217;t had an impact, but Matz has been lights out in a surging bullpen. Boston continues to play well, and the promotion of rotation prospect <a data-player-guid=\"0a254bed-412b-3653-96b7-23147847c9fc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4966140\/payton-tolle\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Payton Tolle<\/a> is a jolt of energy for that unit. The Red Sox needed a power bat, but those were in short supply. The bottom line is that Boston hasn&#8217;t lost any ground since we last convened.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/hou.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 88.1 (Last: 89.5, 9th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 85.3% (Last: 88.0%)<br \/>Champions: 3.6% (Last: 6.1%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Whatever you thought about Houston&#8217;s attempt to bolster its offense at the deadline with the additions of <a data-player-guid=\"62868d49-9586-ee9d-19b4-66fb91f26733\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/32653\/carlos-correa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carlos Correa<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"202e93d5-3993-2290-523b-813a4dbdb919\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/39957\/jesus-sanchez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jesus Sanchez<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"afc03628-d387-687e-45ba-514be69ad79a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/40610\/ramon-urias\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ramon Urias<\/a>, it hasn&#8217;t had the desired effect. Houston had a losing August (13-15) while ranking 26th in net runs per game. Only the Guardians scored fewer runs. Each member of the incoming trio has performed close to projection, so you can&#8217;t blame them, and it&#8217;s likely that without them, things would be worse. Still, the Astros enter the stretch run in a more precarious position than they&#8217;ve been in a long time.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/nym.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 86.7 (Last: 90.1, 8th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 88.2% (Last: 89.4%)<br \/>Champions: 5.2% (Last: 4.5%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Mets enter September with one of baseball&#8217;s hottest offenses. They also have one of MLB&#8217;s coldest pitching staffs. Thus, we&#8217;ve seen many games like New York&#8217;s 10-8 win over Detroit on Labor Day. The Mets got five quality starts in August. That isn&#8217;t great, but if the bullpen is rolling &#8230; well, it&#8217;s not. The relievers went 2-for-7 in save opportunities. Deadline pickups <a data-player-guid=\"c68033e3-02a5-a966-e3a0-79aff414eceb\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/39804\/gregory-soto\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gregory Soto<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"68e66e14-871b-209d-179a-d6cf21a8514e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/34026\/tyler-rogers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tyler Rogers<\/a> have been fine, but the splash was supposed to come from <a data-player-guid=\"bc5eecf7-de95-a55a-a7a2-fe0a978f3654\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/39909\/ryan-helsley\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ryan Helsley<\/a>, whose August ERA (9.31) was more like a belly flop. There&#8217;s a month to get this right before the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1761518323_648_sea.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 86.5 (Last: 86.8, 12th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 74.1% (Last: 70.4%)<br \/>Champions: 2.6% (Last: 3.4%)<\/p>\n<p>Cal Raleigh sets new catcher HR record<img decoding=\"async\" data-lazyload=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/r1536231_608x342_16-9.jpg\" class=\"round lazyload\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Mariners slugger made long ball history with his 49th blast of 2025. Here&#8217;s how his year stacks up with other shocking breakouts. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/46065880\/mlb-2025-cal-raleigh-catcher-home-run-record-seattle-mariners-historic-power-seasons\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">David Schoenfield \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The process &#8212; acquiring Arizona&#8217;s corner infield of <a data-player-guid=\"04a30dc3-3637-3fbf-5ca8-0faf7a706e3a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/35066\/josh-naylor\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Josh Naylor<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"1a1ec65f-a81f-8ce9-9f38-7275b93a2474\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/32367\/eugenio-suarez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Eugenio Suarez<\/a> &#8212; was deservedly lauded. The early results are mixed. At first base, Seattle&#8217;s OPS before Naylor&#8217;s Mariners debut was 0.708, mostly <a data-player-guid=\"f78d235d-34cd-7500-fd1f-c7519ca543ea\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/34287\/rowdy-tellez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Rowdy Tellez<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"0e3926dd-74a1-8339-9e75-81685a6988d5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/29703\/donovan-solano\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Donovan Solano<\/a>. Since then, it&#8217;s 0.761. Good! At third base, the OPS was 0.664 before Suarez. It&#8217;s 0.659 since. Meh! Seattle has treaded water since the deadline splash, ranking 18th in runs, despite a huge month from <a data-player-guid=\"b4376163-318a-7510-fe79-bbb7ee9acf0d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41044\/julio-rodriguez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Julio Rodriguez<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"6c27dcb5-a741-d526-b5ac-f3988e288a70\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41292\/cal-raleigh\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Cal Raleigh<\/a>&#8216;s homer-fest. The Mariners need their big guns to get hot at the same time, because nothing, not even a playoff slot, is assured.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/tex.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 83.6 (Last: 84.1, 13th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 28.7% (Last: 43.2%)<br \/>Champions: 1.1% (Last: 2.1%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Despite lackluster offense, Texas targeted pitching before the deadline, coming away with relievers <a data-player-guid=\"ed89c47b-6773-e82d-4936-c0d294a3fab7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/33638\/danny-coulombe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Danny Coulombe<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"728b4857-3912-5c59-dd29-7f9a2c2fe816\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/36161\/phil-maton\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Phil Maton<\/a>. The big prize was starter <a data-player-guid=\"015860e5-bef1-87ae-e3c9-9ca7806418c2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/32968\/merrill-kelly\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Merrill Kelly<\/a>, who seemed like a luxury addition until the injury to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/31174\/nathan-eovaldi\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nathan Eovaldi<\/a>. The Rangers have leaned on Kelly and he has responded. That hasn&#8217;t been the case for the relievers, and for most of August, the Texas bullpen prevented the club from really catching fire. Texas heated up lately, but now faces most if not all of September without Eovaldi, <a data-player-guid=\"59762d60-3786-97e0-32e3-f0863d9045d6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/32691\/corey-seager\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Corey Seager<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"7e94f7f5-8502-7d28-e783-61e674f58107\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/32146\/marcus-semien\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marcus Semien<\/a>. Manager Bruce Bochy will need to be in Hall of Fame form.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/kc.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 82.5 (Last: 80.9, 16th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 11.3% (Last: 12.5%)<br \/>Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.1%)<\/p>\n<p>Location, location, location<img decoding=\"async\" data-lazyload=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/r1537851_2_608x342_16-9.jpg\" class=\"round lazyload\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Where will your team&#8217;s next ballpark be? What the Royals&#8217; search can teach us about the future of MLB stadiums. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/46030983\/mlb-ballparks-future-stadiums-kansas-city-royals-downtown-suburbs-village-model\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bradford Doolittle \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Royals continue to undermine excuses from less aggressive clubs in baseball&#8217;s lower economic tiers. The threshold isn&#8217;t that high. Just try. Kansas City&#8217;s offense for most of the season was a hodgepodge of negative regression performers down from 2024, and glaring, gaping holes. The Royals, seven games under .500 near the end of June, added anyway, raising their floor with the likes of <a data-player-guid=\"102d6c2a-c658-9426-7a65-0317c278191c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/33546\/adam-frazier\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Adam Frazier<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"0539da59-da05-7a59-036d-d9aa8b0dc5cc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/31399\/randal-grichuk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Randal Grichuk<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"3da1a8bb-b1b5-baea-9da7-ad7fc5ffab4e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/33341\/mike-yastrzemski\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Yastrzemski<\/a>. They also bolstered an injury-plagued rotation with Bergert and Kolek. End result: The Royals have plenty to play for during the stretch run. A playoff return remains in play.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cin.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 81.6 (Last: 82.3, 14th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 6.8% (Last: 12.3%)<br \/>Champions: 0.2% (Last: 0.4%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Reds&#8217; acquisition of starter <a data-player-guid=\"30389f3e-57f7-724d-6470-51b870edda33\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/36052\/zack-littell\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Zack Littell<\/a> struck me as odd and, frankly, it still does. He has been pretty good. But Cincinnati has plenty of &#8220;pretty good&#8221; when it comes to the rotation. The Reds have candidates for much better than that behind the pretty good. Anyway, the pickups for the lineup have been chef&#8217;s kiss good. <a data-player-guid=\"382f57ce-ccb3-ee3f-36ff-5f415bae6136\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/33743\/miguel-andujar\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Miguel Andujar<\/a> has hit like peak-level <a data-player-guid=\"ec0cb8e0-61c0-be2b-be0c-8972eb4ef70d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/5544\/miguel-cabrera\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Miguel Cabrera<\/a>. <a data-player-guid=\"9bc31ab9-6e54-8b62-8a44-28e06b260e1a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/35020\/kebryan-hayes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ke&#8217;Bryan Hayes<\/a> has flashed his elite defense and paired it with a level of offense that adds up to a really good player. If the Reds don&#8217;t make the playoffs, it won&#8217;t be because of deadline deficiencies.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/sf.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 81.6 (Last: 81.8, 15th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 4.8% (Last: 9.4%)<br \/>Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.2%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Giants went into soft unload mode around the deadline. They weren&#8217;t playing well, and while their probabilities made the playoffs possible, the trajectory wasn&#8217;t good. A month later, the Giants&#8217; position hasn&#8217;t changed &#8212; they&#8217;re still a fringe playoff candidate &#8212; but some of their pickups have already contributed. <a data-player-guid=\"b7c47e04-8013-3306-aea2-1da9c19b0a65\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4905900\/jose-butto\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jose Butto<\/a> has been very good out of the bullpen, and <a data-player-guid=\"177cfa50-4bbd-3425-9e28-e4573d58deb0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4619467\/drew-gilbert\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Drew Gilbert<\/a>, while swinging at everything, has flashed some pop and is getting acclimated to the majors. The Giants are offering a glimpse of what they&#8217;ll be next season, and have given their fans reasons to watch the stretch run with interest.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/tb.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 80.8 (Last: 80.3, 17th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 3.6% (Last: 10.2%)<br \/>Champions: 0.1% (Last: 0.4%)<\/p>\n<p>All of ESPN. All in one place.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/plus.espn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"imageLoaded\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/r1531432_1296x729_16-9.jpg\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. <a href=\"https:\/\/plus.espn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Sign Up Now<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Once again, the Rays&#8217; deadline was about setting themselves up for the next season while not totally raising the white flag on the current one. As you can see from the unchanged win projection, things have chugged along on the same track, though staying the course has come with dwindling playoff odds. The new catchers &#8212; <a data-player-guid=\"c01a5a5e-a141-e506-0787-9d278ee6c015\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41801\/hunter-feduccia\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hunter Feduccia<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"45a9554e-3c5e-fb6c-100b-be5af17f7ab0\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41674\/nick-fortes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nick Fortes<\/a> &#8212; have together hit less than a pre-universal-DH pitcher. But the various departures have created openings for Feduccia, <a data-player-guid=\"8847ea43-f11c-3ffc-a24c-a67da0fb9bc9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4872692\/carson-williams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carson Williams<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"6fd427d8-630d-f3fc-e127-95c9ea9efcad\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41252\/everson-pereira\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Everson Pereira<\/a>, and that&#8217;s the general idea. A miracle wild-card berth is not, as yet, totally out of the question.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cle.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 79.4 (Last: 79.3, 19th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.9% (Last: 6.5%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Having Bieber around for Cleveland&#8217;s long shot postseason bid would be nice, but the judgment on the deal with Toronto is years off and pending the development of prospect Khal Stephen. Besides, Cleveland&#8217;s problem isn&#8217;t pitching. Despite finishing .500 in August, the Guardians enjoyed a clean sweep in the major hitting categories, finishing last in runs, average, OBP and slugging. Between the putrid attack and the losses of pitchers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/5101355\/luis-ortiz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luis L. Ortiz<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"33727959-f665-abd8-6eb7-f30a26b8db65\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41743\/emmanuel-clase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Emmanuel Clase<\/a> to indefinite leave, it&#8217;s amazing that Cleveland&#8217;s hopes remain slightly alive. That&#8217;s the beauty of this year&#8217;s AL. It&#8217;s hard to play yourself out of contention.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ari.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 78.9 (Last: 77.3, 21st)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.5% (Last: 0.9%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: You can argue whether the Twins or the Diamondbacks traded more right-now value at the deadline but it&#8217;s one of the two. For Arizona, the losses of Kelly, Naylor, Suarez, Miller and Grichuk have &#8230; helped? It&#8217;s hard to claim that Arizona has played better because of those departures, but the Snakes have played better. The Diamondbacks went 17-12 in August and were in the top 10 in both run scoring and run prevention. Suarez replacement <a data-player-guid=\"223121b4-3a9f-f234-18f2-d633835d7353\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41345\/blaze-alexander\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Blaze Alexander<\/a> has taken off on offense, while on the pitching side, the bullpen has gotten hot thanks to the work of off-the-radar types.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/stl.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 78.1 (Last: 79.4, 18th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.4% (Last: 2.6%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Cardinals followed a standard route last month, dealing free agents-to-be and forgoing short-term additions. The approach adheres to St. Louis&#8217; plan to treat the 2025 season as a minor nuisance, no matter if the team on the field clings to fringe contention. The losses of those dealt, even closer Helsley, given how he has performed in New York, haven&#8217;t had any effect on the short-term performance. The Cardinals continue to plug along in the middle as they were, waiting for next season. In some ways, it might have been easier for their fans if the Cardinals had just politely bottomed out.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/mia.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 75.8 (Last: 78.1, 20th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.6%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Marlins played it casual at the deadline rather than kicking the can down the road by dealing <a data-player-guid=\"c5b4a3d3-4a7f-24f0-c1cb-0bcc9a0b967f\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/35241\/sandy-alcantara\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sandy Alcantara<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/40944\/edward-cabrera\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Edward Cabrera<\/a>, for now anyway. So the rest of the season is about getting better and creating opportunity for young players like outfielder <a data-player-guid=\"d7480cad-f3cc-3579-a5e6-5706d5d4e0c7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4866735\/jakob-marsee\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jakob Marsee<\/a>, who put up a huge August in the relative vacuum of a standard Marlins season. Unfortunately, one of the aspirants won&#8217;t be deadline pickup <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/5131986\/ryan-gusto\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ryan Gusto<\/a>, who was torched over three Marlins starts before going down with a shoulder impingement. Hopefully in September we&#8217;ll see more prospects like <a data-player-guid=\"89a56da4-698f-3622-a24b-7da7b691217c\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4917849\/victor-mesa-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Victor Mesa Jr<\/a>. and Andrew Pintar.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/laa.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 75.4 (Last: 76.0, 23rd)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.1%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Angels&#8217; soft add around the deadline has actually worked, to a degree, in that bullpen additions <a data-player-guid=\"0b450360-1c7a-963f-3462-2a3dde766607\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/32810\/andrew-chafin\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Andrew Chafin<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"47090f62-0646-1b00-65e3-ca9e7c1827df\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/33089\/luis-garcia\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luis Garcia<\/a> have been airtight. Thus a bottom-five bullpen has been middle of the pack since the end of July. But a 6.35 rotation ERA and an 0.665 OPS by the offense in August have rendered that development moot. The early returns on ex-Yankee <a data-player-guid=\"f81662c0-606d-3f03-a79c-fde5e26b5eee\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/42479\/oswald-peraza\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Oswald Peraza<\/a> haven&#8217;t been good, as not only has he struggled to keep his OPS over 0.500, but he gave up eight runs on the mound during a mop-up appearance. The Angels&#8217; season appears headed nowhere.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ath.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 74.2 (Last: 69.5, 27th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Inside the rise of the home run robbery<img decoding=\"async\" data-lazyload=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/mlb_home-run-robbers_16x9_608x342.jpg\" class=\"round lazyload\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Nothing brings a crowd to its feet like a homer being taken away. Here&#8217;s what&#8217;s powering the rise in outfielder thievery. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/46070520\/mlb-2025-rise-home-run-robbery\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jeff Passan \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The A&#8217;s went 3-24 between May 6 and June 4, a month that sunk what looked like a possible wild-card candidacy. You don&#8217;t get to erase bad months from the record, but it&#8217;s worth considering that outside of that plunge, the Athletics are 10 games over .500. The splash at the deadline &#8212; trading Miller and getting elite prospect Leo De Vries in return &#8212; was a long-term play. Despite the short-term hit, the A&#8217;s had the fifth-best net runs per game figure in the majors during August and their relievers posted the best ERA in baseball. The Athletics are getting good.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/atl.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 74.1 (Last: 72.4, 24th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>MLB ballpark model of the future<img decoding=\"async\" data-lazyload=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756652953_613_r1501565_608x342_16-9.jpg\" class=\"round lazyload\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Battery Atlanta &#8212; home of the 2025 All-Star Game &#8212; is an enticing blueprint. But creating a neighborhood is a hard act to follow. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/story\/_\/id\/45392359\/2025-mlb-ballpark-village-truist-park-battery-atlanta-future-business-cities-build\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bradford Doolittle \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Braves had a winning month after the deadline, but it did little to mitigate a titanically disappointing season in Cobb County. The injuries have continued, as have some pretty crucial underperformances, like that of starter <a data-player-guid=\"fe783a66-6c4d-3706-afae-cc30e5651f97\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4307825\/spencer-strider\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Spencer Strider<\/a>. <a data-player-guid=\"d4ab5289-1c86-305e-9a6e-6fba89cc1683\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/42470\/michael-harris-ii\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Harris II<\/a> has been hot as a firecracker since the break, which has been encouraging, but this season has mostly been one of Atlanta becoming a frequent stop on the DFA merry-go-round. The only note you might offer about the deadline is that pending free agents <a data-player-guid=\"6636819d-5734-3a88-f323-65691e35e7cc\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/33618\/raisel-iglesias\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Raisel Iglesias<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"28193728-5246-4960-c537-f57ba948441e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/31668\/marcell-ozuna\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marcell Ozuna<\/a> should have been moved. It&#8217;s been a rough season.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/min.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 73.8 (Last: 76.1, 22nd)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 1.3%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Unsurprisingly, the Twins have floundered since their aggressive offloading approach to the deadline. With this season lost, Minnesota&#8217;s short-term focus is on the young players it picked up during the flurry of activity. The initial results for <a data-player-guid=\"6ebded6f-beba-43ae-d38e-7d54c673f223\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41802\/james-outman\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">James Outman<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"1da72886-510e-363a-a02e-f5aa7af38f55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4424368\/alan-roden\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alan Roden<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4718970\/mick-abel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Mick Abel<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"9d8e32cb-7050-32a4-87e8-262d63431708\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/42480\/taj-bradley\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Taj Bradley<\/a> have been subpar across the board, but it&#8217;s early days and that list just represents those who have reached the majors. In any event, when you look at the exploits of ex-Twins like <a data-player-guid=\"f8d7ba51-b248-d3b9-b18a-47fbcd596987\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/35062\/harrison-bader\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Harrison Bader<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"0090bfcb-e1df-5247-83fd-ce29fbff5787\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/41109\/jhoan-duran\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jhoan Duran<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"62868d49-9586-ee9d-19b4-66fb91f26733\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/32653\/carlos-correa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Carlos Correa<\/a> on their new teams, you can&#8217;t say Minnesota hasn&#8217;t impacted the pennant races.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/bal.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 72.3 (Last: 72.3, 25th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.1%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Orioles turned the page on a disappointing season at the deadline and added depth to their system in the process. The on-field results haven&#8217;t improved since the reshuffling, though the rotation had a nice run of outings. It&#8217;s all about next season. The Orioles&#8217; August was a mixed bag in that regard. On the downside, <a data-player-guid=\"39d9e9c1-5b64-322f-af99-704a126b7ca8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4683371\/coby-mayo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Coby Mayo<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"af43ed94-dd6e-3926-8b7d-537e8198ec14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/5080633\/jackson-holliday\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jackson Holliday<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"86480ee6-05d1-3134-b4fa-6a56cf2494d3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4416990\/colton-cowser\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Colton Cowser<\/a> struggled last month. <a data-player-guid=\"c3360e52-4767-37c3-87ee-9099493f6bf6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4917646\/samuel-basallo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Samuel Basallo<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"2cd02d27-fbe5-390d-87bb-943e30d7946b\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4959037\/dylan-beavers\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Beavers<\/a> reached the majors, with Beavers in particular getting off to a good start. The Orioles won&#8217;t return to the postseason, but they can enter the offseason with positive momentum.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/pit.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 71.6 (Last: 69.9, 26th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Editor&#8217;s Picks<\/p>\n<p>2 Related<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: With the Pirates&#8217; focus, as ever, on the distant horizon, the remainder of Pittsburgh&#8217;s post-deadline roster has stayed competitive. The rotation remains the unit to watch, and August was not without interest for that group. <a data-player-guid=\"cdfd69c1-1b9b-30fe-acf4-aad457b0850e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4719507\/paul-skenes\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Paul Skenes<\/a> continues to build a Cy Young case, but for once, he&#8217;s not the biggest reason for excitement. That would be <a data-player-guid=\"40e4e2e7-bd05-3be2-9fc0-c1842ddeb94a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4683325\/bubba-chandler\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bubba Chandler<\/a>, technically a reliever for now, who has looked terrific over a pair of bulk outings. After eight scoreless frames to start his career, Chandler has a lifetime ERA even better than Skenes&#8217;. Hey, in Pittsburgh you get your kicks where you can.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/was.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 64.5 (Last: 64.5, 28th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The Nationals&#8217; never-ending rebuild feels stalled, perhaps even more so after another deadline of dealing veteran talent. Whether or not Washington got fair return in its deals is almost beside the point. When will it end? If the young foundational players were picking up momentum, it might feel different. But <a data-player-guid=\"1ebff8b7-22e4-3143-a261-cd7493285b3d\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/42402\/cj-abrams\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CJ Abrams<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"05e514e4-4e08-31e8-a7bc-7aa82497d299\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4918256\/james-wood\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">James Wood<\/a>, <a data-player-guid=\"2c31fcf0-ee40-364b-b2a7-b04462856af6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4719511\/dylan-crews\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Dylan Crews<\/a> and <a data-player-guid=\"bf87c641-3f55-323e-bfad-b4284888506e\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4872681\/brady-house\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Brady House<\/a> are among those who have lagged since the All-Star break. If ever there was a franchise in need of a spark, it&#8217;s this one right now. The offense has been brutal, but the pitching, especially the rotation, has been even worse. Sigh.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/chw.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 59.6 (Last: 62.1, 29th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: The White Sox were playing pretty well at the time of the deadline, but the month since has not been kind. Still, the record is neither here nor there, it&#8217;s more about individual performances right now. And through that prism, there is plenty to like about Chicago&#8217;s direction. <a data-player-guid=\"990912cd-c60e-38f7-9ccb-8c2900094cbb\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4743772\/kyle-teel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kyle Teel<\/a> has been a well-rounded force at the plate. <a data-player-guid=\"6db99332-c2e8-3eec-aa42-171f22456ee6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4872685\/colson-montgomery\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Colson Montgomery<\/a> has displayed explosive power. There&#8217;s more, but you get the idea. The downer is the possible season-ending injury to <a data-player-guid=\"9d68c1cb-341c-5bb8-ba62-3a6f20d44262\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/39631\/luis-robert-jr\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Luis Robert Jr<\/a>., whose combined slash over the past two seasons is .223\/.288\/.372. Maybe this is just what he is now.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/col.png&#038;h=60&#038;w=60.png\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Win average: 45.9 (Last: 44.3, 30th)<br \/>In the playoffs: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<br \/>Champions: 0.0% (Last: 0.0%)<\/p>\n<p>Deadline aftermath: Colorado continues to lose games at a prodigious pace, but it&#8217;s a less frantic pace than earlier this season. Progress? Maybe not. During August, the Colorado rotation posted an ERA of 6.54 and allowed a .309\/.381\/.514 slash line. Before you start adjusting the rotation numbers for Coors Field, don&#8217;t bother. Those were the road numbers. The overall numbers can&#8217;t be published without a parental warning. One quest remains: <a data-player-guid=\"5a773ef5-dc0a-34c9-b5f7-f88608ed5406\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/mlb\/player\/_\/id\/4416591\/hunter-goodman\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hunter Goodman<\/a>&#8216;s 2.7 bWAR places him third in Colorado history among primary catchers. The record is Chris Iannetta&#8217;s 3.2 in 2008. Setting any kind of positive record amid this mess would be something.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Bradford DoolittleSep 3, 2025, 07:00 AM ET CloseMLB writer and analyst for ESPN.com Former NBA writer and analyst&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":242224,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[49,48,462,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-242223","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mlb","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-mlb","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242223"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242223\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/242224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}