OFF THE WALL
"DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME"
With only a handful of games remaining in the 2026 season, only 3 teams have officially claimed a playoff berths.
Several division races are still completely up for grabs. Tiebreakers may be needed to determine those races.
When 2 teams are deadlocked, the tiebreaker is the head-to-head records for the season. In the unlikely event that 3 teams are deadlocked, the first tie-breaker is the "in-division" records, then head-to-head.
In the Barrow / Hoyt, the top 3 teams are separated by just 1 game.
In the Chance / Dean, the top 3 teams are separated by 4 games.
In the Gehrig / Dahlgren, the top 3 teams are separated by 7 games.
In the Harris / Grove, the top 3 teams are separated by 7 games.
In the Chance / Dean, the top 3 teams are separated by 4 games.
In the McCarthy / Dickey, the top 3 teams are separated by 3 games.
In the Rickey / Faber, the top 3 teams are separated by 5 games.
And, in the Bostock / Wilson, the top 3 teams are all tied, with the 4th place team just 6 games behind.
LAST CALL
The final Free Agent List has been posted. It is the last chance to position your roster for the off-season and all it's activities.
Those teams that are out of the pennant chase should be taking this time to "cut-bait" on some players while adding those who might contribute in 2027.
This opportunity should not be overlooked as the 2027 season appears to be in jeopardy.
The foreboding clouds on the horizon are building as the current CBA expires at midnight on December 1.
However, the usual posturing between the players association and the 30 MLB owners is likely expanding to small market vs large market owners, further creating uncertainty.
It had been 32 years since the last major work stoppage cost the sport the only World Series in its history.
While baseball has its issues, hopefully both sides will understand the ramifications of another major disruption, and remember that without fans, there would be no business.