Thursday, September 24
Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games. Today’s edition is brought to you by David Adler. We have PCA joining the 40-40 club, the Cubs and White Sox clinching and more.
PCA just put the bow on his surefire MVP season — and he helped the Cubs clinch a playoff berth while doing it.
With his 40th stolen base of the season today at Wrigley Field, Pete Crow-Armstrong became the seventh member of the 40-40 club. And with the Cubs’ win over the Marlins, they’re headed to the postseason.
There’s been a flurry of new 40-40 club members recently — PCA this season, Shohei Ohtani in 2024 and Ronald Acuña Jr. in 2023 — but that’s just the brand of superstar in baseball these days.
The best of the best are electric players who can do it all, and we’ve been treated to some truly ridiculous seasons as a result.
PCA didn’t just go 40-40, he’s also having one of the best defensive seasons in center field we’ve ever seen. Ohtani didn’t just join the 40-40 club, he created the 50-50 club. Acuña didn’t stop at 40 steals, he racked up 73, making him the only 40-70 player in history.
Anyway, here’s your updated 40-40 club as of today:
- Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs, 2026 — 45 HR, 40 SB
- Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers, 2024 — 54 HR, 59 SB
- Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves, 2023 — 41 HR, 73 SB
- Alfonso Soriano, Nationals, 2006 — 46 HR, 41 SB
- Alex Rodriguez, Mariners, 1998 — 42 HR, 46 SB
- Barry Bonds, Giants, 1996 — 42 HR, 40 SB
- Jose Canseco, A’s, 1988 — 42 HR, 40 SB
MAKING SENSE OF THE AL PLAYOFF PICTURE
Two of the three American League division titles are still up for grabs. Four teams are fighting for them. Someone has to step up and take them. Right??
The Guardians and White Sox are battling for the AL Central title. The Astros and Rangers are battling for the AL West title. But with only a few days left in the regular season, none of those teams have been able to seize control of the race.
Cleveland (82-76) leads Chicago (82-77) by just a half-game in the Central after the White Sox won today — which actually clinched a postseason berth for the Sox. Chicago also holds the tiebreaker over Cleveland for the division if it comes down to that.
There could be an extra benefit to winning the Central, too, because that division winner will likely get the No. 2 seed in the AL — and a bye straight into the Division Series.
Meanwhile, Houston and Texas entered the day tied atop the West … even though both teams had a losing record at 78-80. No division winner has ever done that. (The Rangers won today to take a half-game lead, for now.)
Actually, because the best the Astros and Rangers can do now is finish 82-80, the 2026 AL West winner is guaranteed to at least be tied for the worst record of any division winner ever. The 2005 Padres, who went 82-80 to win the NL West, hold that mark.
Oh, and then after all that gets sorted out, whichever two teams don’t win those divisions will also be battling for the third and final AL Wild Card spot. After their win today, the White Sox hold a 3 1/2-game lead over the Astros for that spot.
But with all the flipping and flopping that could still happen in both the Central and the West, who knows which team you’ll see occupying that Wild Card berth at the end of the season.
It’s basically four teams for three playoff spots. So there’s going to be A LOT going on over the final weekend. We’re keeping tabs on all the latest developments in the AL playoff picture right here.
DON’T COUNT JUDGE OUT JUST YET
Apparently, Aaron Judge never got the memo that Aaron Judge was likely going to miss the Wild Card Series.
A day after Aaron Boone said the Yankees were planning on not having Judge for the first round of the playoffs, Judge himself said: Not so fast.
The reigning MVP said he intends to be ready for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday at Yankee Stadium, and is all but guaranteed to be against the Red Sox.
Now, we’ll wait and see what actually happens, because Judge’s right calf strain isn’t just going to disappear. But we don’t want to doubt the superstar slugger when he says he’s going to be out there slugging in October.
Getting a player like Judge back is the type of thing that can swing a playoff series. And he isn’t the only star around the league who could be returning just in time for the postseason.
That list includes players like:
Shohei Ohtani — Ohtani rapped a base hit in his return from right knee and biceps issuesyesterday. If the Dodgers want to three-peat, they need their MVP.
Garrett Crochet — The Red Sox rehabbing ace is up to 96 mph as he gets ready to pitch out of the bullpen in the postseason.
Alex Bregman — The Cubs third baseman is ramping up his bid to return from the gnarly facial fractures he suffered when he got hit by a foul ball in the on-deck circle.
Jesús Luzardo — The All-Star lefty’s return to the mound is still TBD, but Luzardo and the Phillies are hopeful he’ll be ready to pitch in the postseason.
Blake Snell — The two-time Cy Young winner is expected to return from left groin tightness to make one more regular-season start, with an eye toward joining the Dodgers’ postseason rotation.
Giancarlo Stanton — This one’s a real wild card. Big G is apparently “knocking on the door” of a return to the Yankees lineup, and he has a history of clutch postseason home runs.
See more important injury updates here >>
BIGGEST GAMES OF THE NIGHT
Of the five teams that could’ve clinched a playoff spot yesterday … zero did. But that’s already changed today — and there are plenty more clinch scenarios on the table.
First of all, both Chicago teams already clinched their playoff spots today. Now watch out for these games later tonight.
Brewers at Phillies (6:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
The Brewers can clinch the No. 1 seed in the National League, which would give them home-field advantage through the NLCS, if they win today and the Dodgers lose to the Padres. The Phillies can clinch a playoff spotwith a win and a loss by either the D-backs or Padres.
Guardians at Red Sox (6:45 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
The Guardians can clinch an AL postseason berth with a win over the Sox. They’d also clinch if either the Rangers lose to the Mets (that game is live right now) or the Astros lose to the A’s.
Astros at A’s (9:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
It’s not a potential clincher, but every game is huge for the Astros as their playoff hopes come down to the wire. They still control their own destiny as they own the AL West tiebreaker over the Rangers.
Padres at Dodgers (10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network Showcase / MLB.TV)
The Padres can clinch an NL Wild Card spot if they beat the Dodgers or the D-backs lose to the Rockies. On the flip side, the Dodgers clinch a first-round bye if they win this game, or if the Braves lose to the Reds.
ONE LAST SENDOFF FOR JV
On Saturday, Justin Verlander will make the final start of his storied Major League career.
It will be one last chance to pitch in front of the home crowd in Detroit, where Verlander began his career 21 years ago, made seven All-Star teams, and won a Rookie of the Year Award, Cy Young and MVP.
“I don’t think there is preparation for what I’m going to feel emotionally,” Verlander said. “I think I remember the first time coming back here [as an Astro in 2017], the tribute video that they played when I was walking between the bullpen and the dugout, and that got me a little emotional. But I was able to settle that down and go pitch. So I think maybe that’s like the only other experience I think that I’ll have to lean on with something like this.”
The Tigers will be celebrating their franchise icon all weekend. Here’s what they have in store for JV.
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