The importance of a good bullpen, and especially a reliable closer who can slam the door in the ninth inning, is often magnified during the stretch run and into October when the pressure ramps up to another level.

The whirlwind of activity at the trade deadline plus the three series since then have given us increased clarity on how teams view themselves and how they stack up against one another. Of course, that doesn’t make the rest of the regular season any more predictable — last year’s Tigers offer a humbling reminder that there are surely more twists

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs on his solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Wally Skalij) NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball dropped its plan to start the World Series early if both League Championship Series are short,

Major League Baseball announced that the World Series will start on Oct. 24, dropping its plan to start the World Series early if both League Championship Series are short. MLB last year said Game 1 would move up from Oct.