{"id":901755,"date":"2026-09-19T14:16:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T14:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/901755\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T14:16:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T14:16:28","slug":"seven-mlb-players-and-managers-facing-pressure-down-the-stretch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/901755\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven MLB Players and Managers Facing Pressure Down the Stretch"},"content":{"rendered":"

The stretch run<\/a> of the MLB regular season is well upon us, with just over a week left before playoff baseball begins. Races are coming down to the wire and pressure is building across the league.<\/p>\n

For some players and managers, the final weeks of the season could define how their years are remembered. Some are trying to lift their teams to the postseason, while others are fighting to solidify their roles in October. Jobs could be on the line.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With only a short time left to change how their seasons end, the following seven MLB figures are under the most pressure and have the most at stake down the stretch.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: All stats are updated through Thursday\u2019s games.<\/p>\n

Gerrit Cole, Yankees SP<\/p>\n

The Yankees remain one of the favorites in the American League and that\u2019s largely due to their elite pitching staff. New York leads MLB in ERA (3.19) by a wide margin, and the starting rotation also tops the competition with a 3.26 ERA. Gerrit Cole was once the ace of the staff, but there are questions as to where he\u2019ll fit in October given his shaky performances of late<\/a> and how good the rest of the rotation has been.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After missing all of 2025, Cole returned from Tommy John surgery on May 22 and has endured an up-and-down season. Entering Friday\u2019s matchup against the Diamondbacks, he\u2019s 8\u20139 with a 3.67 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in 115 \u2153 innings. The concerning part is that in his last two starts, against the Padres and Mets, he\u2019s allowed seven home runs in 11 \u2153 innings. His September ERA has ballooned to 6.48 in three starts as a result.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cam Schlittler has been the best pitcher in the American League this season and should be the Yankees\u2019 Game 1 starter in the postseason. Veteran Max Fried isn\u2019t far behind and has his own argument to make given his track record and 2.63 ERA this season. Carlos Rod\u00f3n (6\u20133, 2.95 ERA) could slot in above Cole at No. 3, given their recent performances, which may leave Cole off the Yankees\u2019 roster for a three-game wild-card series.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After Friday\u2019s start against Arizona, Cole has just one start left in the regular season. He\u2019ll be under tremendous pressure to prove he deserves a guaranteed start in the postseason.<\/p>\n

\"Manny<\/p>\n

Padres third baseman Manny Machado\u2019s bat has woken up late in the season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Manny Machado, Padres 3B<\/p>\n

Machado is the de facto captain of the Padres and, along with Fernando Tatis Jr., is the face of the franchise. With San Diego holding a four-game lead over the Diamondbacks for the NL\u2019s final wild-card spot entering the season\u2019s penultimate weekend, if the team misses the playoffs he\u2019ll shoulder a large percentage of the blame, given his status and how poorly he was hitting early in the year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through June 30, Machado was having his worst professional season. He was slashing .189\/.274\/.399 with 16 home runs, 46 RBIs and a wRC+ of 86. It was a brutal showing for a guy counting $31.8 million against the luxury tax payroll. In the 61 games since, he\u2019s slashed .257\/.349\/.427 with 12 homers, 39 RBIs and a wRC+ of 119, just a couple of points below his career average. <\/p>\n

He\u2019s looking more like himself at the right time but, fair or not, he has garnered a reputation for not coming through in big games. Machado owns a career .682 postseason OPS and was 1-for-10 with three strikeouts in San Diego\u2019s brief postseason appearance last year. He needs to reverse that trend and get hot down the stretch.<\/p>\n

\"Don<\/p>\n

Will Don Mattingly be back as the Phillies\u2019 manager next season? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Don Mattingly, Phillies manager<\/p>\n

Mattingly took over as the interim manager of the Phillies on April 28 after the team started the year 9\u201319. Since then, Philadelphia has gone 74\u201349 in one of the more stark turnarounds we\u2019ve seen in recent years. There’s still more work to be done, though. <\/p>\n

The Phillies are regarded as owning one of baseball\u2019s strongest home-field advantages in the playoffs, and enter the weekend tied with the Cubs for the top wild-card spot and the right to host a wild-card series. Playing well enough down the stretch to outpace Chicago\u2014and San Diego, who lurk just behind both teams\u2014would do wonders for Philadelphia\u2019s chance at advancing to the NLDS.<\/p>\n

Rumors persist that the Phillies will move to hire Alex Cora as their manager this offseason, but Mattingly could force the team\u2019s hand with a strong finish. If the franchise is set on Cora, Mattingly needs to change their mind. Limping to the line is not the way to do that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Vladmir<\/p>\n

Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has endured the worst season of his career. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays 1B<\/p>\n

The Blue Jays are somehow still in contention for the AL\u2019s final wild-card spot despite a litany of injuries and their star player enduring the worst season of his careerf. After a remarkable postseason in 2025, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been playing like the Monstars sapped his power. With his team fighting for a playoff spot, the spotlight will be on the 27-year-old over the next few weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through 138 games, Guerrero is slashing .262\/.334\/.360 with just nine home runs, 56 RBIs and a career-low wRC+ of 97. His slugging percentage is a career low by more than 70 points, his on-base percentage is almost 50 points lower than his 2025 mark and his OPS (.694) is nearly 100 points lower than his career worst mark. It took him until Sept. 13, Toronto\u2019s 75th home game, to hit his first home run at Rogers Centre this season. For reference, he hit home runs in each of the Blue Jays\u2019 first two home games in the playoffs last year.<\/p>\n

Toronto entered the season with World Series aspirations after falling short in seven games to the Dodgers last year. The team loaded up this offseason, expecting a big year. It has been a flop and, as their $500 million man, Guerrero is simultaneously the face of the franchise and the poster child for that failure<\/a>. He has a few weeks to turn things around.<\/p>\n

\"Joe<\/p>\n

Astros manager Joe Espada could be managing for his job over the next few weeks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Joe Espada, Astros manager<\/p>\n

Espada was the bench coach on Houston\u2019s 2022 World Series-winning squad and was promoted to manager when Dusty Baker retired following the \u201923 campaign. The results have not been great during his three seasons in charge.<\/p>\n

The Astros won the AL West in 2024 with an 88\u201373 (.547) record. But they were swept by the Tigers in the wild-card series. In \u201925, Houston missed the playoffs after going 87\u201375 due to losing a tiebreaker to Detroit. Astros owner Jim Crane feels that his team should be competing for titles on an annual basis, yet Espada\u2019s teams have fell far short of those goals, and this year has been no different.<\/p>\n

Houston has languished at or below .500 for most of the season yet somehow entered Friday with a one-game lead in the AL West<\/a>. Missing the postseason for a second straight year would put Espada\u2019s job in serious jeopardy. In fact, even if they make it, there\u2019s a decent chance he\u2019s gone without a deep run in the wake of GM Dana Brown\u2019s firing last month.<\/p>\n

\"Jose<\/p>\n

Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez hasn\u2019t been the same hitter since midseason hand surgery. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00edrez, Guardians 3B<\/p>\n

Like Guerrero, Ram\u00edrez is enduring one of the worst seasons of his career and, so far, the final month has not been kind to him. With the Guardians in a tight battle for both the AL Central and the wild card<\/a>, Ram\u00edrez\u2019s bat will be key if they hope to not only reach the postseason but do damage once they\u2019re there.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 117 games, Ram\u00edrez is slashing .230\/.319\/.364 with a 90 wRC+, all of those being his worst numbers since 2015. He only has 11 home runs, and his isolated power has dropped from .258 in 2024 to .134 this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Since undergoing surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in June, the\u00a033-year-old has hit like a shell of himself. In 45 games since his return on July 22, Ram\u00edrez has posted a .567 OPS, and his slump has only deepened in September (.140 batting average, .345 OPS). <\/p>\n

The cornerstone of Cleveland\u2019s franchise is rounding third base of his prime years. We don\u2019t know how many more shots he\u2019ll get at a World Series.<\/p>\n

\"Dan<\/p>\n

The Mariners have fallen far short of expectations in 2026, potentially putting manager Dan Wilson\u2019s job on the line. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Dan Wilson, Mariners manager<\/p>\n

Like Espada and Mattingly, Wilson may be managing for his job the rest of the season.<\/p>\n

After reaching the 2025 ALCS, Seattle returned much of the same roster but has seen very different results. Wilson has also given his critics plenty of ammo with his questionable bullpen management, which dates before this year. Mariners fans are still smarting after Wilson called on Eduardo Bazardo instead of closer Andr\u00e9s Mu\u00f1oz in a key moment of Game 7 of the ALCS, only for Bazardo to blow the lead. Following that, Seattle simply hasn\u2019t played good baseball<\/a> this year. The defense has been putrid as the Mariners rank dead last in Outs Above Average at -51.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A lot of Seattle\u2019s issues simply come from key guys not playing up to their potential. Cal Raleigh<\/a> is the biggest culprit, but Julio Rodr\u00edguez and Josh Naylor should also shoulder some of the blame. The Mariners are virtually assured of missing the playoffs\u2014and have already clinched a losing record\u2014but it is possible Wilson gets another year even if that happens. A strong finish would go a long way to securing that spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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