Ben Shelton stands one win from achieving the American dream after booking his place in Sunday’s US Open final against Alexander Zverev.

The 23-year-old from Florida beat compatriot Frances Tiafoe on a poignant day when New York remembered the September 11 terror attacks, 25 years on.

Eighth seed Shelton will bid to become the first man from the US to lift the trophy – or win any grand slam title for that matter – since Andy Roddick triumphed here in 2003.

He said: “First, ‘Foe’ is like a big brother to me. This is where we want to be, at the tail end of this tournament.

“I know what my goal is, what my job is. I’m going for it here. Let’s do this for the USA!

“One more thing. It’s a difficult day to be out here playing. My thoughts and prayers go to all the families who were impacted by 9/11.”

Tiafoe, known as ‘Big Foe’, played his part in the Big Apple, but ultimately came up short after four hard-fought sets.

He was the aggressor in the first set and the pressure told when he brought up break point at 4-4 and Shelton promptly double-faulted.

The gloves were off at the start of the second, Shelton breaking to love and Tiafoe hitting straight back to 15.

A 78mph backhand winner brought Shelton – showing no ill-effects from the 3.33am Wednesday morning finish when he knocked out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz – another break point to level the match.

A cross-court backhand winner secured Shelton a break in the third to put him ahead for the first time.

He struck again at the end of the fourth to wrap up an emotional 4-6 6-3 6-3 7-5 win and reach his first grand slam final.

Top seed Zverev, into a third successive major final after winning the French Open and finishing runner-up at Wimbledon, had said “hopefully I cannot make the American dream come true” after beating Karen Khachanov.

The German is going to face a partisan crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium, one that already made its feelings clear when he was given a time violation for his incessant bouncing of the ball before serving.

Khachanov, the Russian world number 50 who lost 6-3 7-6 (7) 7-6 (6) in just under three hours, said: “I mean, the way he bounces the ball, look, it annoys not only me, of course, a lot of players, because it takes so much time.

“You don’t know how to prepare for the serve. You are, like, ready, and then it’s another 12 bounces, you know, so you again do a split step. Every point is like that.

“At the end of the day, if it’s within the rules with the time between points, I cannot say anything against that. If he extends the time, then he gets a time violation, so it’s as simple as that.”

Zverev insisted it is not a deliberate ploy. He said: “I have no idea why. I’m not doing it on purpose.

“I saw a stat, like, I’d bounced it 12,000 times or something like that. That’s quite funny.”

Christian Pulisic has not appeared in any of the three AC Milan games this season, and on Friday coach Ruben Amorim shared at a Friday press conference that the star forward is “upset” about that. While Pulisic has been listed as a substitute in each of the three games, he did not appear in them.

The stated reason for the lack of playing time is recovery from a bone bruise and microfracture to his right tibia, which were revealed following the United States’ exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“He is angry because he has had zero minutes so far and I like that in my players,” said Amorim, per GOAL. “Don’t forget that he had an injury in the summer and then in the first training session he took a knock and had to stop.”

Amorim has led AC Milan to two wins and a draw in the season’s early going, without any minutes from Pulisic. (Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan via Getty Images)

Pulisic might not have to wait very long to finally appear in a game, however, as Amorim also shared that he is likely to play this weekend. “You will see him tomorrow, I don’t know whether from the start or during the game. I think he will play a few minutes.”

Amorim also revealed that just because Pulisic is a “name” does not mean that he gets to disrupt the current flow for AC Milan. “I will not take out those who are doing well just to put in a ‘name’: this is my way of managing the group and I will die with these principles,” Amorim told assembled media. “Pulisic is very important for me. After the international break there are eight weeks with three games a week: everyone will be tired because of how much they will play. Pulisic is important and he will play a lot of matches. But you have to understand the context and my history to understand why I make certain choices. But you will see Pulisic from this weekend onwards.”

Amorim took over as AC Milan’s coach before this season, replacing Massimiliano Allegri. The former player began his career managing in 2017, and is a two-time Primeira Liga manager of the year. Pulisic is in his fourth season with AC Milan, where he started in 32 and 29 games in his first two seasons, before playing in 30 games but starting just 18 in the 2025-2026 season.

WATERBURY – In his very first game as head coach of the Crosby football team, Quintin Tyson said his goal was to make people understand that the Bulldogs aren’t pushovers, and that if the team could show that then maybe it could steal a few victories along the way.

The Bulldogs accomplished both goals Friday night at Municipal Stadium’s Ray Snyder Sr. Field. They beat Waterbury Career Academy 21-0 for only Crosby’s second victory in the series that dates back 11 years when WCA began varsity football.

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“It is very simple. I am looking to have this team compete each week and just be a tough out,” Tyson said. “Every year I just want it to be known that Crosby isn’t a walkover. So if we can go into every game and compete at a high level, I believe that will give us a chance to win some football games people don’t expect us to win.”

The game was wrought with mistakes on both sides, but the Bulldogs made the big plays when they needed them behind a trio of young skill players who all rose to the occasion.

Wide receiver Iziah Weir scored two of the team’s three touchdowns on passes of nine yards and 28 yards from quarterback Raquim Chapman, a senior making his first start at quarterback.

“(Chapman is like) Family, I love him to death,” Weir said. “Even though this is his first year, he didn’t act like it at all. We needed it, and he stepped up for real.”

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He connected with Weir for the first score with just 1:06 left in the first half after Crosby took over at the WCA 30-yard line due to a poor snap on a punt attempt.

Ahzair Inabinett broke off a 24-yard run on the first play of the Bulldogs’ possession to put them in scoring range. Despite one of several delay of game penalties coming just after that, Weir and Chapman gave Crosby the lead on their first pass completion of the game on 4th-and-goal.

“It got us all riled up,” Weir said. “Everybody on the sidelines was cheering. The cheerleaders, the fans, all our teammates, everybody was cheering. That meant everything for us, because the momentum shifted to the second half. We needed that.”

Weir also clinched the win for Crosby with his 28-yard TD late in the fourth quarter. He finished with four catches for 60 yards.

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“It was very exciting,” Weir said. “Everybody wanted it, but I wanted it more. That last touchdown meant everything. I really wanted it and I came down with it.”

The best receiver and overall athlete in the game may well have been WCA’s Jaiden Rousseau, but as the only starter returning for the Spartan’s from last year’s team, he couldn’t make up for the team’s youthful mistakes. He had six catches for 46 yards, three rushes for 26 yards and probably had plays negated by penalties for just as many yards.

The other Crosby touchdown was scored by Ahzair Inabinett on a 2-yard run. The sophomore who played Pop Warner last year instead of high school football, ran for 100 yards on 15 carries to allow the Bulldogs to move the sticks just enough to control the game.

Tyson said he knew that Inabinett had the talent to make a difference on this team. The sophomore was confident, as well.

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“I felt like I came into the game prepared, me, my group and my family had been working for this moment, and I felt like today it showed,” Inabinett said. “It felt special, but it felt meant to be, because that is what I have been working for the whole preseason and since I have been playing youth. This was a show of my hard work and dedication.”

With an infusion of young skill players, Crosby beat WCA for the first time since 2017, its only other win in the series. Weir said he meant everything to get Tyson his first win, and the team was definitely locked in on that challenge.

“It meant everything: from the first snap to the last snap and pouring water on him, everybody wanted it,” Weir said. “It was everything to us.”

Player of the game

Iziah Weir, Crosby. The junior receiver scored two of the game’s touchdowns, including a spectacular 28-yard catch with 5:53 to play

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Quotable

“It was a tough day, because 3-4 years ago, my grandmother, Willa Mae Owens, passed on this day, and I spoke to the kids about this. For my family to be here and for us to get a win like this with everyone representing, I’m at a loss for words.” – Crosby coach Quintin Tyson on winning his first game as a varsity head coach.

Crosby 21, WCA 0

CROSBY 0 7 7 7 – 21
WCA 0 0 0 0 – 0

C – Iziah Weir 9 pass from Raquim Chapman (Gabriel Ferreira kick)
C – Ahzair Inabinett 2 run (Ferreira kick)
C – Weir 28 pass from Chapman (Ferreira kick)
Records: WCA, 0-1; Crosby, 1-0.

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This article originally published at Crosby football proves it’s not a pushover anymore, at least in season opening win over WCA.

When we surveyed people around the NFL on which player could be the next Drake Maye or Jaxon Smith-Njigba and make a sudden leap in 2026, one common answer emerged.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough was routinely mentioned by scouts and executives we spoke with as a rising star to watch this season. In fact, one NFL executive told us that there’s no young quarterback “better set up for success” than Shough, while a scout told us that he was the best rookie quarterback last season. 

There were also a pair of Chicago Bears standouts that people around the league have their eyes on this season as rising stars. So, let’s unpack what we’re hearing about potential breakout candidates this season. 

Ralph Vacchiano: Even the New Orleans Saints weren’t quite sure what they had in second-round quarterback Tyler Shough at the start of last season. But by the end of the year, it looked like they had found their quarterback of the future. He was also the best of the quarterback class of 2025, even though he made just nine starts.

And some around the NFL think he should be even better in Year 2 since the Saints have surrounded him with a stellar supporting cast.

“There is no young quarterback better set up for success than [Shough],” an NFL executive told me. “Kellen Moore is a brilliant offensive mind, for starters. And look what they surrounded him with. He already had [wide receiver Chris] Olave and [tight end Juwan] Johnson. And in the right hands, Travis Etienne is a terrific running back — way better than Alvin Kamara at this stage.

“In a bad division, they could surprise some people. And his numbers could pop.”

Tyler Shough enters his second season working with Saints head coach Kellen Moore (right). (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Things would have looked even better for Shough if it wasn’t for the hamstring injury suffered by rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, a player the executive told me “might be the best receiver in the draft.” He’s out at least the first four weeks of the season, and he could be sidelined until mid-October, according to some reports.

“That’s a blow for sure,” one NFC scout told me. “But I think there’s still enough there for Shough to grow. Look at what he did last year. He’s got a much better team around him now.”

Vacchiano: The Saints were 6-11 last year, but that was enough to finish just two games out of first place (and the playoffs). Shough completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. He showed off a little mobility too (186 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns).

“I don’t think there was a better rookie quarterback last year,” the scout told me. “Maybe [Giants quarterback Jaxson] Dart will be better because he’s a real true dual-threat quarterback. But Shough has the ability to be an outstanding passer. And he’s certainly in the right hands.”

And as Shough showed promise toward the end of last season, the executive I spoke with expects him to take a step forward in 2026 now that he’s spent a year in Moore’s offense. 

“He was good at everything. But mostly he was poised and efficient and really ran that offense well without a lot of mistakes,” the executive told me. “Moore will push him more this season, and I think he’s up to the task.”

Eric D. Williams: Shough was a pleasant surprise for the Saints in the second half of the 2025 season, and talent evaluators I spoke with expect him to take another jump in his development in 2026.

Shough, who was taken in the second round of last year’s draft and was the third quarterback taken behind Cam Ward and Dart, lost the training camp battle with Spencer Rattler before becoming the starting quarterback for the final games. As Shough went 5-4 as a starter, one talent evaluator I spoke with noted one area he grew in as his rookie season progressed. 

“Shough took a large leap last year in the last quarter of the season handling pocket pressure,” an NFL senior talent evaluator told me. “I think a full offseason with Kellen Moore will pay more dividends. A strong offensive line, nice receiving options and a proven offensive coach puts him in a great situation.”

A longtime NFL scout, meanwhile, noted that the 26-year-old’s seven years in college should help him even more in 2026. 

“He is an experienced college QB who is coupled with a good player caller in the head coach,” the scout told me. “He made a jump in the last part of the season, and I expect that to continue. The head coach will play to his strengths.”

Williams: During Shough’s final year in college, Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm got an up-close view of what his quarterback could do at the next level. In a collegiate career marred by injuries at Oregon and Texas Tech, Shough transferred to Louisville for his final college season, looking to reestablish himself as an NFL prospect. 

“For us, when we took him out of the portal, he wasn’t one of the hot names at all,” Brohm told me. “He was somebody who had been injured and kind of gone through some ups and downs – been a starter, been benched – whether it was due to injury or whatever. And I think he wanted one last chance to show what he was made of.

“It was a great fit. We wanted a guy who was hungry and wanted to make one year work. He wanted to prove he was durable. And when we researched it, when he got hurt a lot of times, it was because of designed runs. I told him we’re not going to do that; we’re going to run more of an NFL system here. We can work around that and get it to our running backs, and that’s what we did. He lasted all year.”

Jeff Brohm coached Tyler Shough in the quarterback’s lone season at Louisville, going 9-4 in 2024. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Louisville provided a dream scenario for Shough. He completed 63% of his passes for 3,195 yards, with 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions, leading the Cardinals to a 9-4 record.

“He was durable,” Brohm said. “He did a great job and played well in games. He was a good leader, had a good arm. He’s a natural leader and guys liked him. He was very approachable; he played hard and tough, and had grit. And when things didn’t go well, he didn’t point the finger at anybody. He just had a natural way to lead. He had really good qualities and intangibles that carried over to his talent and skill.”

Shough also helped his draft ascent at the combine, throwing the ball with zip during quarterback drills and running a 4.63-second, 40-yard time. Brohm said he wasn’t surprised by the success Shough had in his rookie season and expects him to have a solid NFL career.

“I had a feeling that whoever took him was going to really like what they got,” Brohm told me. “And I think that definitely showed through in the first year of his NFL career. He’s in a good system. It’s always great to start the year not as the starter, but as the backup. Which I thought was great because I knew maybe they wouldn’t perform well, and then when that happens midway through the year, everyone’s clamoring for him. And he stepped in and showed what he’s made of. So, I was very happy for him. He earned it and I think he’ll do great from here on.”

Vacchiano: Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson has had a knack over the years of turning his offensive players into dangerous weapons. And he has two more in the pipeline in Chicago that might be ready to break out.

An NFC scout told me that he thinks wide receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland are going to become “elite” players under Johnson’s guidance, and it could happen as early as this season — though that depends on how much Johnson features them in what could be a very diverse offensive attack.

“I actually think Burden is going to end up as their No. 1 receiver ahead of Rome Odunze,” the scout told me. “He’s got way better hands and is more reliable. Odunze is more explosive, probably, but at some point you lean on the guy who can make more plays. That’s Burden. He’s got great hands and strength.

“And Loveland is right there with him. Johnson loves to rely on his tight ends too, so he’ll have plenty of opportunities. And you saw down the stretch last year what he can do with them.”

Loveland, the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft, did go off late last season after a very slow start. He caught just 11 passes for 116 yards in the first six games before he had his breakout. He was truly elite in his final four games, though — including two in the playoffs — when he had 28 catches for 378 yards and two touchdowns.

Burden, meanwhile, put up only average numbers (47-652-2), but he also was only the target of 10.6% of Williams’ passes. Considering he caught 78.3% of the balls thrown his way, that target share surely will increase.

“I’m telling you, Johnson is going to lean on those two,” the scout said. “Let the defenses target Rome. Those are the two guys that will kill you.”
 

How Swift it is.

The Chicago Bears have signed running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year, $33.75 million extension, ESPN reported on Friday afternoon. The deal includes $27.5 million guaranteed, with the $11.25 million average annual value putting Swift 14th among NFL running backs.

Swift was entering the final season of a three-year, $24 million deal with the Bears.

Last season (2025), Swift rushed for 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry across 16 games, which were all career highs. He also reeled in 34 receptions for 299 yards and one touchdown.

Swift and the second-year Kyle Monangai form a lethal, one-two running back punch in head coach Ben Johnson’s offense. In what was his rookie season, Monangai rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry in 2025. In all, Chicago was third in the NFL with 144.5 rushing yards per contest last season.

Swift, a 2023 Pro Bowler with the Philadelphia Eagles, has rushed for 1,023.0 yards and 7.5 touchdowns per season with the Bears from 2024-25, while also tallying 342.5 receiving yards per season over that span.

The 27-year-old running back spent the first three seasons of his NFL career with the Detroit Lions (2020-22), who selected him with the No. 35 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Georgia, before being traded to the Eagles for the 2023 season.

Swift and the Bears open the 2026 regular season on the road against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET on FOX).

Former two-time world champion Regis Prograis has assessed the chances that his last opponent Conor Benn has at dethroning WBC belt-holder Ryan Garcia this weekend.

The pair will square off at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, with Garcia making a first defence of his world welterweight title.

He claimed his WBC strap by dethroning Mario Barrios with a unanimous decision victory in February, which followed his points defeat to Rolando Romero in May 2025.

But while Garcia received ample criticism for his performance against Romero, it did arrive after his year-long doping ban and may have therefore been a result of inactivity.

In any event, the 28-year-old has been made a sizable favourite against Benn, whose last welterweight outing came in April 2022.

‘The Destroyer’ then tested positive for clomifene later that year, while his latest assignment resulted in a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Prograis in April.

It was hardly the performance that most had anticipated, however, as Prograis – a shadow of his former self – managed to make Benn look one-dimensional and clumsy through large spells of their 150lb catchweight contest.

Now offering his prediction to The Spit Bucket Podcast, Prograis has highlighted Benn’s drop to 147lbs as a major disadvantage against Garcia.

“I think Ryan is better. And then the weight looks bad – Conor looks bad. Why couldn’t I have fought Conor Benn at 147[lbs]? That weight is killing him.

“I feel like Ryan is going to stop him. I thought [Benn] was going to be way stronger [in April]. I created this big monster in my head, but it really wasn’t there.”

Prograis admitted it was the pre-doping scandal Benn that seemed like a “monster”, only for him to appear far more human when they collided earlier this year.

Enyimba head coach Emmanuel Deutsch has spoken openly about reported distractions around the club, amid growing claims of a rift between the camp of chairman Kanu Nwankwo and officials of the Abia State Sports Ministry.

Deutsch expressed his unhappiness over what he described as selfish interests around the club, while calling on Enyimba supporters to stand against anything that could affect the team.

“If you see everything happening in the papers and on the internet, we can’t imagine the kind of power some people want,” Deutsch said.

“There’s a chairman there, you can cooperate with him and you work. Because the distractions affect the mentality of the players.”

The coach also defended Kanu’s commitment to the players, saying the former Super Eagles captain has continued to provide personal support to the team.

“But thank God the chairman is doing his best. He adds his own resources to make sure the players are well fed,” Deutsch said.

“He shows personal interest; those who lost their parents, he tries to boost their morale that he would take care of all those things. This is the kind of things we need, not selfish interests.

“Because there are people with selfish interest around the team but we are calm.”

Deutsch’s comments come at a time when reports of a possible change in Enyimba’s management have generated concern among supporters and football stakeholders in Abia.

Sources close to the club have alleged that Abia State Commissioner for Sports, Nwaobilor Ananaba, is pushing for changes to the current management structure, with Daniel Eke reportedly being considered for a major role in the running of the club.

There are also unconfirmed claims that any change in the management structure could affect the technical department, with Kabiru Dogo reportedly being considered as a possible replacement for Deutsch.

However, neither the Abia State Government nor Enyimba has officially confirmed plans to remove Kanu as chairman or replace the current technical crew.

The reported disagreement has raised questions over the relationship between Kanu’s camp and officials of the Sports Ministry.

Speaking further, Deutsch urged Abia people and Enyimba supporters to protect the club from distractions.

“I want all the Abia fans to understand this. You cannot succeed without discipline,” he said.

“I want Abians and Enyimba fans to stand up against those who want to distract the team because Enyimba is a very big team. I’m talking like this because I’m not happy.”

The coach also reminded supporters of Enyimba’s history in African football.

“Enyimba are double CAF Champions League champions. The people who made this happen had discipline,” he said.

“Now we want to rebuild the team, some people want to come to take over the team due to selfish interests. Enyimba fans should rise and demand an end to the distractions because Enyimba must succeed.”

Deutsch, however, insisted that the team remains focused on its immediate football duties.

“For now, we concentrate on tomorrow’s game,” he added.

The reported tension comes as Enyimba continue their campaign, with the club’s management and technical team expected to remain under close attention as the situation develops.

Big-serving Ben Shelton overpowered American compatriot Frances Tiafoe in four sets to reach the first Grand Slam final of his career at the US Open on Friday.

Eighth-seeded Shelton blasted 20 aces on his way to a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court that sends the 23-year-old into Sunday’s championship match against top-seeded Alexander Zverev of Germany.

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A pulsating all-American semi-final had seen both players vying to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time.

Shelton — who took down defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals — will now have the chance to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since 2003, when Andy Roddick triumphed at the US Open.

Tiafoe got off to a bright start, claiming the first set after breaking when Shelton uncharacteristically double-faulted to trail at 5-4.

Tiafoe held to love to clinch the first set but Shelton came flying out of the blocks to start the second.

An early break helped him into a 2-0 lead before Tiafoe responded with a break to level at 2-2.

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Yet with Tiafoe’s serve increasingly erratic, Shelton grabbed another break in the eighth game to go 5-3 up and then held to level.

The momentum was all with Shelton and Tiafoe had to fight off two break points before holding early in the third set.

However Shelton – who had one serve initially clocked at 158mph before it was later adjusted to 144mph — made no mistake in the fifth game with a break to go 3-2 up.

Tiafoe needed to hold to keep the set alive in the ninth game, and a furious arm-wrestle saw the 11th seed once again save three break and set points.

Shelton though earned his fourth break point after pouncing on Tiafoe’s second serve once more, scorching a backhand return down the line.

Shelton converted that when Tiafoe netted a forehand to find himself 2-1 down.

The fourth set went with serve until the 12th game, when Shelton grabbed the crucial break to seal victory.

rcw/bb

For the first time in three years, the Tampa Bay Rays are heading to the postseason. The Rays clinched a playoff berth with their 3-1 win over the Astros (box score) on Friday night. They punched their ticket in walk-off fashion, thanks to Junior Caminero’s 40th home run of the season: 

They are the first team to clinch a postseason berth this season. 

To be clear, the Rays have clinched only a spot in the postseason. They are assured of being no worse than the third wild card team. Tampa will now try to hold off the New York Yankees and win their first AL East title since 2021. The division title will almost certainly come with a Wild Card Series bye, so there is still a lot at stake the rest of the regular season.

The Rays are a top 10 team at preventing runs, though they’re only middle of the pack offensively. Depending on your metric of choice, Tampa is either one of the best defensive teams in baseball (defensive runs saved) or middle of the pack (outs above average). No team in baseball has outperformed its run differential more to date than these Rays.

This will be the Rays’ first postseason appearance since 2023, when they won 99 games but had to settle for second place in the AL East behind the 101-win Baltimore Orioles. The Rays were swept in two games at home by the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in the Wild Card Series that year. They have not won a postseason game since 2021.

The Rays have won two AL pennants (2008 and 2020) but are still searching for the franchise’s first World Series championship. Can they get over the hump this season? Here are three reasons the Rays are a threat to win this year’s World Series.

1. Junior Caminero is 1 of 1

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Depth wins divisions and stars win championships, and the Rays have a bona fide superstar in third baseman Junior Caminero. He is only the second player in baseball history with multiple 40-homer seasons through age 22, joining Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews, and Caminero gets to that power without excessive swing-and-miss. 

This is an impressive plate discipline trend for any young hitter, and especially one with this much power:

It takes more than one player to win in the postseason, but a star player performing like a star is a major advantage. The Rays know this well after watching Randy Arozarena carry them in 2020. The Blue Jays had Vladimir Guerrero Jr. last year; the Rangers had Corey Seager in 2023, and so on. They all authored “put his team on his back” kind of performances.

Caminero has developed a special blend of power and contact. You can be a great hitter with one of those two things, but the very best hitters have both. Bottom line: Few players in baseball have the potential to change the game with one swing in the way Caminero does. He’s a threat to flip the script every time he steps to the plate.

2. Their pitching staff can create matchup nightmares

Other than ace righty Drew Rasmussen, the Rays might not have traditional starters in the postseason. Shane McClanahan (who’s currently on the IL with forearm soreness) and Nick Martinez are candidates to work shorter starts, perhaps as short as one time through the lineup, and the 2026 version of Freddy Peralta warrants a short leash. It is a rotation built for excellence in short bursts, not length.

Tampa’s pitching staff, as it often does, boasts a variety of looks. Lefty Ian Seymour brings the funk from a low arm slot. Few pitchers in baseball can spin the ball like Griffin Jax. Tyler Wells is 6-foot-8 with one of the highest arm angles (and thus release points) in the game. Kevin Kelly’s near-sidearm slot eats up righties. Every pitcher the Rays use is different than the guy he replaced.

The variety and matchup ability is difficult to quantify, but the last few years tell us the Rays value it, believe it, and build their pitching staff around it. They are once again one of the best pitching and overall run-prevention teams in the game. Their ability to make hitters uncomfortable is almost unmatched, thanks to the different looks and angles they can throw at you.

3. The AL field is unimposing

There’s a real chance a team with a losing record wins the AL West and the third AL wild-card spot. Five of the seven best records in baseball belong to National League teams and the Rays are one of the two exceptions. The AL is mediocrity defined and, at least on paper, that creates a potentially easy — “easy” — path through the ALCS to the World Series.

To be sure, any team can beat any team in a short series, and the postseason format is likely to force the Rays to go through the Yankees or Red Sox in the ALDS. They might even have to go through both AL East rivals if they don’t win the division and get a bye. 

If there is such a thing as an “easy” path through October, though, this year’s American League provides it.