DENVER -- The Padres made Ethan Salas the youngest catcher in the big leagues in 35 years, because they figured he could help them in their postseason push.

CHICAGO – Pete Crow-Armstrong has joked in the past that he has not put up the best numbers when the Wrigley Field crowd unites in chanting his initials. That perceived trend has not continued with the new chants that roar through the Friendly Confines these days. When Crow-Armstrong was in

PHOENIX -- Marlins manager Clayton McCullough knew before the game.

Each October, some reliever takes over the postseason. It’s not always the biggest name and star – though it can be – but sometimes, a lesser-known or even out-of-nowhere arm gets hot at exactly the right time in exactly the right games, and ends up pushing his team to greater

CINCINNATI -- The champagne was on ice, but one inning into the Dodgers' game on Wednesday night, so was left-hander Blake Snell. Snell exited his start against the Reds with left groin tightness after throwing just one inning in the Dodgers' 6-2 loss at Great American Ball Park. L.A. entered

PITTSBURGH -- Kudos to PNC Park’s visitors' clubhouse manager Kevin Conrad and his crew, because when the Brewers showed up for work on Wednesday, there were no hints of the big party that had taken place the night before. For the National League Central champs, it was back to business.

There is no slowing down Junior Caminero these days -- unless he's circling the bases. At the end of August, Caminero surged to the No. 2 spot in our latest MVP poll. In the three weeks since, the 24-year-old has closed the gap some more -- so much so that

ST. PETERSBURG -- Before putting on their white uniforms and gathering in the infield for their annual team photo on Wednesday afternoon, a handful of Rays sat on the couches inside the home clubhouse at Tropicana Field, keeping an eye on the early innings of the Yankees’ game against the

MINNEAPOLIS -- The first two games of this week’s series at Target Field couldn’t have gone much better for the Yankees. They won both handily, and on Monday Aaron Judge hit his first home run since returning from the IL on Sept. 8. But you can’t blame Yankees fans for

NEW YORK -- Could Pete Alonso's return to Queens have been any more impressive?

CLEVELAND -- Petey Halpin watched the drive off his bat sail deep to right field. As Progressive Field roared around him, the 24-year-old tossed his bat aside and stared at the Guardians’ third-base dugout before he began to hop-step backwards toward first base. That ball was long gone. The Guardians’

DENVER -- Hideo Nomo is remembered most for his unorthodox windup, which was dubbed “The Tornado” because of its whirling, twisting motion that generated tremendous torque and a devastating fastball/forkball combination that baffled opposing batters. But on a cold, wet evening in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains 30 years

WASHINGTON – The Phillies needed an encouraging outing from Zack Wheeler on Wednesday night not only to split this two-game series against the Nationals, but to feel better about the starting rotation for the stretch run of the postseason chase.

The 2026 postseason is approaching. As you keep an eye on the standings, here is everything you need to know about how the playoff field is shaping up, as well as info about potential tiebreakers and clinch scenarios for each contender.

• MLB's postseason format, explained

The final month of the regular season is here, and MLB.TV has you covered. With the playoff chase heating up, fans can purchase an MLB.TV Seasonal package at a new low price for the season at $29.99. The Single Team package is available for $24.99. Subscribe now through ESPN --

CHICAGO -- The Braves haven’t yet clinched the National League East title. But their comfortable division lead has enabled them to ensure Chris Sale will get an extended breather before his final regular-season start and then make his first postseason start with extra rest. Instead of pitching in this weekend’s

We live for breakouts here at MLB Pipeline. They’re proof of many things in baseball. For example, players aren’t robots and can improve their standing in the game, and when we say player development isn’t linear, it also means that unforeseen leaps in value are included. The sport’s beauty is

Jamie Mackay is best known as a power-hitting catcher. It’s the position she plays most regularly for the Los Angeles Queens in the Women’s Professional Baseball League, smashing five home runs during the regular season – third-most in the league. She’s a catcher at the University of South Carolina, too,

ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays manager Kevin Cash was praising the performance of Tampa Bay’s high-leverage relievers after the club’s 4-3 win over the A’s on Wednesday night when he and the assembled media standing outside the home clubhouse were distracted by an audible commotion in the distance.

ARLINGTON -- Gary Clark Jr.’s cover of the Beatles' song “Come Together” echoed over the speakers at Globe Life Field in the sixth inning on Wednesday night as the crowd of 26,364 fans rose with anticipation.

HOUSTON -- A season that began with high hopes in March, meandered through the dogs days of summer and has zipped along quickly to the brink of fall will come down to the final 10 regular-season games for the Astros.

TORONTO -- The Blue Jays salvaged one game from their series against the Tigers, but they’ve left themselves with some serious work to do. Wednesday afternoon’s 5-1 win at Rogers Centre leaves the Blue Jays (76-77) 1 1/2 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, now held by

CLEVELAND -- For the first time since July 3, the White Sox are not sitting atop the American League Central. Sean Newcomb allowed a three-run, go-ahead homer to Petey Halpin in the sixth inning as the Guardians moved into first place in the division by beating the White Sox 6-3

PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks returned from a 4-2 road trip last week feeling pretty good about themselves and their postseason chances.

ARLINGTON -- Despite getting an early two-run homer from Willson Contreras and taking advantage of a handful of Rangers miscues, the Red Sox couldn’t hold off Texas in a 7-3 loss on Wednesday at Globe Life Field. The loss, however, didn’t change Boston's position in the postseason race, as the