baseball

Justin Verlander, the three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series champion, is retiring from Major League Baseball after a 20-year career with the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and New York Mets. Fans and fellow players are paying tribute to one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, following a season in which he returned to the Giants at age 42.

The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs are facing off in a rare neutral-site series, moved to Florida because of messy weather in Boston. The unusual arrangement has drawn attention from baseball fans, since regular-season MLB games are almost never played at neutral venues. Coverage from CBS Sports highlights the novelty of a big-market matchup shifting south mid-series.

Shohei Ohtani was back in the starting lineup as the Los Angeles Dodgers faced the San Diego Padres on September 24, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound as starting pitcher. Japanese baseball fans are following the game closely through live commentary coverage, with strong interest in both Ohtani's return to the lineup and Yamamoto's performance in a key National League West matchup.

The Trump administration is considering building a baseball park in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Major League Baseball reportedly contacted the administration about hosting a game in a national park, and an agency official has scouted Grand Teton as a possible location. The idea is drawing attention because of concerns over developing infrastructure on protected federal land.

MLB.com has published the projected field for the 2026 Major League Baseball postseason, laying out which teams would qualify if the season ended with current standings. Fans are reacting to the projected matchups and weighing which contenders look strongest heading into the October picture.

Major League Baseball's regular season reaches its final day, with playoff seeding, division titles, and wild card spots still to be decided across multiple races. Fans and analysts are weighing which teams will clinch berths and how the outcomes will shape the postseason bracket heading into October.

Justin Verlander, one of Major League Baseball's legendary pitchers, has brought his 22-year playing career to a close, according to reports circulating in Japanese baseball circles. Fans are sending messages of gratitude and congratulations to the veteran for his long run at the top of the sport.

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are meeting in a late-September series drawing heavy attention. Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy are out of the Dodgers lineup, a notable absence with the season winding down. Coverage also highlights Kyle Tucker and the Dodgers facing the Giants on September 26, and notes Los Angeles made baseball history against San Francisco dating back to 1958.

The Houston Astros have won the American League West, securing the division title for the eighth time in the past ten seasons. The clinch sends Houston back to the MLB postseason, reinforcing their status as one of baseball's most consistent franchises of the past decade. Coverage is highlighting the franchise's sustained run of division crowns as attention turns to the playoff picture.

Justin Verlander has retired from baseball, closing a career that placed him among the greatest pitchers of his era. His retirement leaves one last question between him and fellow ace Max Scherzer, whose careers have long been linked by their strikeout totals and legacies. Fans and commentators are reflecting on the careers of both pitchers and their place in baseball history.

The Philadelphia Phillies are making their fourth attempt to clinch a National League wild card spot, sending Aaron Nola to the mound on just two days' rest. The unusual short turnaround underlines how badly the team wants to close out the playoff berth. Fans in Philadelphia and across baseball are following the game closely as the club tries to avoid another missed chance.

An AL West team is on course to reach the MLB playoffs without a winning record, something that has never happened in a full season. The Athletic reports the division's overall weakness makes it possible for a sub-.500 club to still claim a postseason berth, sparking debate about the format.

The Seattle Mariners are set to dismiss manager Dan Wilson following a season that fell short of expectations, according to a report by The Athletic. Wilson, a former Mariners catcher who took over as manager in 2024, is expected to be let go as the club moves to reset its leadership after missing its goals. The report, attributed to a source, is drawing attention across the baseball world as fans and analysts await official confirmation from the team.

The Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins are facing off, drawing attention from baseball fans across the United States. Beyond the matchup itself, few details are available about the game's outcome or standout performances. Fans are following the National League East divisional contest as both teams compete for position in the standings.

The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks are taking on the Orix Buffaloes in a Nippon Professional Baseball game scheduled for September 27, with live broadcasts planned across television and online streaming. Sports outlets in Japan are publishing viewing guides for the fixture as fans search for how to watch the 2026 season matchup between the Pacific League rivals.

A new report says Major League Baseball and the Trump administration are discussing holding a professional baseball game in a national park. Details such as which park, teams or date are not yet known, and neither MLB nor the White House has confirmed the plan. The idea would follow earlier efforts to stage sporting events at iconic federal sites.

Major League Baseball's postseason field is now finalized, and this year's bracket carries a fresh look. With the regular season wrapped up, fans and commentators are weighing in on the new mix of teams reaching the playoffs and what the matchups could deliver.

MLB has announced the game times for the upcoming Wild Card Series, giving fans the full schedule for the opening round of the postseason. The announcement allows supporters to plan for the first playoff matchups of the year, with broadcast windows now confirmed ahead of the games.

The 2026 MLB playoffs are underway, with ESPN publishing a full rundown of the postseason schedule, the playoff bracket and current standings. Fans are tracking which teams have clinched spots, the wildcard rounds, and how the road to the World Series is shaping up as October baseball gets into swing.

Major League Baseball is showing how its Automated Ball-Strike system works in practice: a batter challenged a called second strike, and the call was overturned after the ABS review confirmed the pitch was outside the zone. The moment highlights how managers and players are adapting to the new challenge rules, with fans debating whether automated umpiring improves accuracy or slows the game.

ESPN reports that Major League Baseball and the White House are in discussions about holding a game at a national park. The talks point to a possible special-event ballgame staged on national park grounds, a format that would echo past outdoor games played at unconventional venues. No date, park, or teams involved have been announced, and details of the discussions remain limited.

Houston beat the Athletics 9-0 to clinch the AL West title, with the win lifting the Astros to an 81-81 record while Oakland fell to 64-98. Fans and sports accounts are sharing the final score and the division-clinching result, capping a season in which Houston reached .500 yet still took the division crown.

The San Diego Padres have clinched the No. 4 seed in the National League playoffs and will host the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series. Securing home-field advantage for the opening round is a significant milestone for San Diego, while the Cubs head to Petco Park as the visiting side for the best-of-three postseason matchup.

MLB.com has laid out the current Major League Baseball playoff picture, covering the postseason bracket, standings and the tiebreaker procedures that could decide division titles and wild card spots. The rundown comes with the season entering its decisive stretch, when every remaining game can shift seeding and determine which clubs play in October.

Major League Baseball has approached the Trump administration about the possibility of staging a regular-season game at a national park, according to The New York Times. The talks suggest the league is exploring high-profile outdoor venues as a way to showcase the sport, though no park, team or date has been confirmed and details of the discussions remain scarce.

Umpires confirmed a strike two call after a manager challenged it under Major League Baseball's automated ball-strike system, with review showing the pitch caught the zone. The ruling allowed play to continue without the call being overturned. It is another example of the ABS challenge process being used in games, a system MLB has been introducing to reduce missed ball-strike calls and add accountability to home plate officiating.