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We’ve reached the division round of the American League playoff marathon and one division reigns supreme — the AL Central. Much maligned in recent years and home to the worst team in MLB history, the AL Central is nonetheless the only division in the American League guaranteed to have at least one representative in the Championship Series. And if the Royals have another upset up their sleeves, it will be an all-AL Central showdown for the pennant.

But first, we have the Royals-Yankees and Tigers–Guardians — just as we all predicted in March — to determine who will battle for the AL crown. Our crystal ball was decidedly foggy in the wild-card round. Will we find our sight for the ALDS?

Note: Playoff seed in brackets.

Kansas City Royals (5) vs. New York Yankees (1)

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Yankees vs. Royals ALDS preview: Predictions, pitching matchups and more

Grant Brisbee (Kansas City): I would like to be a jerk and go with the traditional favorite, and I also appreciate a good underdog story. My only rooting interest here, though, is measured by the height of the flames on social media when either team is eliminated. The Royals’ flames would get knee-high, at best. The Yankees’ flames would reach space. No contest.

Stephen Nesbitt (New York): It’s hard to knock the Royals after they just swept the Orioles on the road. But in the battle of AL MVP candidates, Aaron Judge vs. Bobby Witt Jr., I still favor the Yanks. The Royals certainly have the rotation and the superstar to pull off an upset, though. The Yankees won five of seven games against Kansas City in the regular season.

Neither lineup is what you would call deep, but the Yankees’ combination of Judge and Juan Soto is unrivaled. If Gerrit Cole in Game 1 looks like he did in late September, the Yanks will be just fine.

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Jen McCaffrey (Kansas City): The Yankees have a superior offense, but pitching-wise the Royals are right there with them. The overall stats favor New York, but I’m picking the Royals. We’ve already seen the numbers don’t always matter in the postseason.

Kaitlyn McGrath (New York): The Yankees had eight more wins than the Royals in the regular season, and they didn’t get to play the Chicago White Sox 13 times. With Juan Soto and Aaron Judge atop the lineup, the Yankees are built for the postseason, where home runs can be the difference between a win and a loss.

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C. Trent Rosecrans (Kansas City): Bobby Witt Jr. will be the difference on both sides of the ball — offense and defense. It’s time for one of the game’s brightest young stars to get the stage he deserves and there’s no better place to do it than Yankee Stadium.

Andy McCullough (New York): The Royals did an admirable job shutting down the Orioles’ offense. But Aaron Judge and Juan Soto offer a far greater challenge. The power of the Yankees should carry the series.

Sahadev Sharma (Kansas City): I like KC’s starters enough that I think they can pull off the upset.

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Eno Sarris (New York): The Royals will lose because they can’t score.

Andrew Baggarly (Kansas City): The Yankees can’t trust their bullpen. That seems suboptimal. But mostly, I’m just here in case there’s another pine tar incident.

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Katie Woo (Kansas City): The Royals don’t make the postseason all that often, but when they do, they hardly ever lose.

Melissa Lockard (New York): The Royals’ rotation is impressive, but the Yankees have a strong top three of their own and a lineup that is capable of doing more damage. That said, if it turns into a battle of bullpens, the Royals are in good position to capitalize. Yankees by a whisker.

Colt Keith (right) makes the throw over a sliding Brayan Rocchio. (Jason Miller / Getty Images)

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Guardians vs. Tigers ALDS preview: Predictions, pitching matchups and more

Andrew Baggarly (Cleveland): Like a fussy Michelin-starred restaurant, the Tigers and Guardians serve you a deconstructed pitching plan and then step out of the kitchen to soak up applause for their creativity. Presumptive AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal is the only Tigers pitcher to exceed 115 innings this season. The Guardians have just two (Ben Lively and Tanner Bibee).

Cleveland has no counter for Skubal, who might be the only dude in the series who will make a conventional start — and who already punched the Tigers through a best-of-3 series. But the Guardians staff has more quantity of quality to cover innings. And their lineup can beat you with power as well as with speed and bat control.

Sahadev Sharma (Cleveland): Tigers have the best starter, but they’re going to run out of pitching eventually.

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Stephen Nesbitt (Detroit): There comes a time each postseason when a prognosticator must decide whether to pick with their brain — listening to that ball-knowing frontal cortex — or commit to the bit. I’ve only ever chosen the latter. Bit is in my last name! Tigers in four, baby. Tarik Skubal will take the ball twice, and in between, pitching chaos will rain down upon Cleveland.

A.J. Hinch will keep turning to platoon bats and pitchers with fake names, these hairy and anonymous dudes hitting game-winners and hurling 100 mph heaters. You cannot make sense of the Gritty Tigs. You can only marvel.

Eno Sarris (Cleveland): The bullpen! Oh and all that contact the Guardians can make.

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Katie Woo (Detroit): Weird things happen in the postseason, which explains why Detroit’s “pitching chaos” has worked. The Tigers can line up their rotation so Tarik Skubal can pitch in Game 2 and Game 5, if necessary. In the meantime, they’ve proven to be able to fill in the gaps.

The Guardians have the best bullpen on the AL side of the bracket and every Cleveland pitcher will be available and well rested. But if we’ve learned anything from the Tigers these past two months, it’s that we can’t count them out.

C. Trent Rosecrans (Cleveland): The Guardians have been one of baseball’s best teams all year. They aren’t flashy, but they just do everything right and that’s what’s going to lead them to the ALCS.

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Tanner Bibee has a fiery competitive streak. The Guardians are counting on it in Game 1

Andy McCullough (Detroit): The Guardians won the regular-season series between these two clubs. Guess what? The regular season is over.

Grant Brisbee (Cleveland): I don’t want to be a jerk, and I appreciate a good underdog story, but the Guardians are a better team, and their biggest weakness (starting pitching) seems less glaring against a team that finished the season with the fourth-worst OPS+ in the American League.

Jen McCaffrey (Detroit): Both teams are neck and neck pitching-wise and the postseason is all about pitching. Cleveland should have the edge here, but it’s too hard to pick against the Tigers at this point.

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Kaitlyn McGrath (Cleveland): As magical as the Tigers’ run has been, I don’t think it will last over a longer series, especially given the state of their starting pitching behind Skubal. The Guardians didn’t have to scramble to make the postseason, and while they don’t necessarily win sexy, their bullpen is elite and that’s an X-factor at this time of the year.

(Top photo of Bobby Witt Jr. tagging out Aaron Judge: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)

The Wild Card Round has ended and the stage is set for the National League Division Series, which features not one but two storied rivalries — Mets–Phillies and Dodgers–Padres. If the regular season match-ups are any indication, the Phillies and Mets battle could be a slugfest. The two teams almost split the regular-season head-to-head, though the Phillies have the slight edge, 7-6. The Padres may have finished five games behind the Dodgers in the NL West standings, but they hold the regular-season advantage over the No. 1 seed, 8-5.

As everyone knows, the postseason is a different animal. Anything can happen. Here, our experts tried their best to predict an outcome.

Note: Playoff seed in brackets.

New York Mets (6) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (2)

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Phillies vs. Mets NLDS preview: Predictions, pitching matchups and more

Stephen J. Nesbitt (Philadelphia): The argument for the Mets is entirely ~vibes~ based, which actually makes it incredibly difficult not to pick them. I want to write about Mets magic. Badly. I have seen miracles. But the Phillies are stinkin’ good. They have not played great ball in the second half, but they remain the most well-rounded team in the tournament. This core has been here before. They’re used to the spotlight on these chilly October nights. And they have some absolute dogs in the pitching staff, from Zack Wheeler on back to Orion Kerkering, Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez in the Philly ‘pen.

Andy McCullough (Philadelphia): It’s hard to pick against the Mets, but someone has to do it.

Andrew Baggarly (New York): I picked the Phillies to win the World Series. So if I am concerned with being consistent and intellectually honest, then I obviously have to pick them to win this round. I also can’t get that catchy “OMG” song out of my head.

Zack Meisel (Philadelphia): It’s the Phillies’ moment. They’ll leave the Mets grimacing. (Get it? Sorry.)

Sahadev Sharma (Philadelphia): Mets magic ends, Phils are deeper in every area.

Jen McCaffrey (Philadelphia): It’s hard to bet against the Mets at this point but the Phillies are too deep on all fronts. This series feels destined for a Game 5.

Patrick Mooney (Philadelphia): This feels like a bonus round for the Mets.

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Sam Blum (New York): Two years ago it was the Phillies. Last year, it was the Diamondbacks. This postseason format seems to encourage a Cinderella run. The Mets look like that team this year.

Eno Sarris (Philadelphia): The Phillies should be better in every phase of the game, but damn those Mets vibes are strong.

Katie Woo (New York): Nearly every available stat leads me to pick Philadelphia. Their rotation is better than New York’s, as is their bullpen. Citizens Bank Park is one the most intimidating visiting venues in sports. And yet, the Mets keep winning in ways that defy logic and reason. Why stop now?

Keith Law (Philadelphia): No disrespect to Grimace, but the Phillies are the stronger team in just about every aspect, and they bring much better starting pitching than the Brewers had.

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Kaitlyn McGrath (Philadelphia): I picked the Phillies to win the World Series, so I have to ride or die with them. The Mets have momentum, but the Phillies are the deeper team and I think their layoff will prove to be an advantage over a Mets team that’s played a lot of baseball lately.

C. Trent Rosecrans (Philadelphia): It almost feels as if Zack Wheeler gives the Phillies a one-game lead to start the series and that’s always tough to overcome.

Melissa Lockard (Philadelphia): The Mets have a magical feel but the Phillies were built for the postseason. Third time should be the charm for this core.

Noah Furtado (New York): Mets magic, continued.

The Dodgers may be the No. 1 seed, but they’re not the majority of our experts’ pick. (Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)

San Diego Padres (4) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1)

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Dodgers vs. Padres NLDS preview: Predictions, pitching matchups and more

Stephen J. Nesbitt (San Diego): The Dodgers rotation is suspect. There, I said it! Deeply suspect! I happen to think starting pitching matters in October, and I still find that category to undeniably lean in San Diego’s direction, even with Joe Musgrove injured. Listen, this is going to be a super fun series. Both lineups are potent. The bullpens can lock down leads. (And they’ll be asked to do heavy lifting.) But the Padres played the Dodgers well this season, going 8-5 head-to-head, and I think they stay hot in this series.

Andy McCullough (Los Angeles): The Padres may have the more complete team, but the Dodgers have star power. Specifically: Shohei Ohtani.

Andrew Baggarly (San Diego): Padres in 4. (For entertainment purposes only and intended for users 18 years or older.)

Zack Meisel (San Diego): A short series and a bunch of off-days is a perfect setup for a loaded Padres pen.

Sahadev Sharma (San Diego): A little concerned about Musgrove, but still like the Dads to take this.

Jen McCaffrey (Los Angeles): The Dodgers have been beat up all year and still found ways to win.

Patrick Mooney (San Diego): San Diego’s bullpen and timely hitting should frustrate an opponent that will be feeling all the pressure.

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Sam Blum (San Diego): The Dodgers might be the best team in baseball during the regular season, but their pitching situation is far from postseason-ready. This could be another quick playoff exit in Los Angeles.

Eno Sarris (San Diego): The Padres can bang with the Dodgers bats, and have a better pitching staff.

Katie Woo (San Diego): The Dodgers-Padres rivalry is real. Facing the three-headed dragon of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman is daunting, but these Padres don’t scare. Pitching matters here too, and the Padres have the upper hand, even with Joe Musgrove injured. Dylan Cease is a legit ace and Michael King is a budding star. Jack Flaherty has helped bulk up the Dodgers rotation, but starting pitching has been the biggest concern for Los Angeles all season. They’ve done a nice job patching up their rotation in the regular season, but flaws get exposed quickly in October.

Keith Law (San Diego): The Dodgers were the better team over the course of the regular season, but they’re not bringing the healthier roster into this series, and I’m not confident in any of their starting pitchers. Meanwhile, the Padres at least get to begin the series with Cease and Darvish, and may be able to skate around the loss of Joe Musgrove in a 5-game set.

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Kaitlyn McGrath (San Diego): I’m choosing the Padres for vibes only. They actually topped the Dodgers 8-5 in season series. They cruised through their Wild Card Series win over the Braves and they look like a team ready to do something special this postseason.

C. Trent Rosecrans (San Diego): The biggest question is how the Dodgers will cover their innings. It’ll be difficult and the Padres have the bats to take advantage of that uncertainty.

Melissa Lockard (San Diego): The Padres may be short Joe Musgrove, but their pitching is still healthier than the Dodgers and the lineup is clicking.

Noah Furtado (Los Angeles): I think this one will go all five games. Both teams are comparably talented, though the Padres probably have the more complete roster. But I’m taking the Dodgers in Game 5 at Dodger Stadium.

(Top photo: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)

The unofficial quarter mark of the 2024 season brings a pair of 4-0 teams traveling wildly different paths, a renewed rivalry between two of the league’s banner franchises, the year’s first London excursion, trade speculation and more.

Our NFL writers Mike Sando, Zak Keefer and Jeff Howe discuss some of Week 5’s best storylines and what they’re watching for Sunday.

The Bills are coming off a humbling road loss at Baltimore. The Texans bounced back against the Jaguars last week but had to overcome penalties and also needed C.J. Stroud’s late heroics. What do you make of this matchup between 3-1 teams?

Sando: I’ve liked the Bills more than I’ve liked the Texans this season and tend to favor them here. Buffalo isn’t the first good team to lose big against Baltimore.

Keefer: The Bills certainly aren’t the first contender to get embarrassed by Lamar Jackson and the Ravens (see: the Lions and 49ers last season). I’m willing to overlook this one. The Texans’ issues are concerning. On top of getting routed in Minnesota in a game Stroud and the offense couldn’t get anything going, last week’s narrow victory over a winless Jaguars team wasn’t all that reassuring. One major problem: offensive penalties. The Texans lead the league with 26 accepted penalties so far — the line false-started three times in a row against the Vikings — and overall, the team has committed 40 penalties in just four games. That’s how teams lose games in this league, no matter how talented the roster. DeMeco Ryans needs to get this cleaned up, and fast.

Howe: We anticipated the Texans taking a step forward this season. Part of that happens by continuing to do what you did well a season ago, and that’s winning close games. So while the Texans don’t have a marquee blowout win on their resume yet, their three victories are by a combined 12 points. They won six of their last seven one-possession games last season, so that’s a plus. It’ll be nice to see how they handle such a big test, too. The Texans got blown out by the Vikings in their only meeting with a team that currently has a winning record, and they weren’t overly tested during the 2023 regular season. If the Texans win, this will be a game they can hold onto as they push into January, knowing they can take down an AFC elite. With the Bills, they probably got a little too far ahead of themselves after that Monday night beatdown of the Jaguars. I’d expect them to return to form against Houston.

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The Chiefs, who meet the Saints on Monday night, are taking everyone’s best shot but still winning. How much does wide receiver Rashee Rice’s injury impact them? What do you make of the defending champion’s season so far?

Sando: Rice was a high-volume, low-air-yards producer, but not really a game-changing force in this offense as constructed. The Chiefs’ depth suffers, but I don’t necessarily see them becoming less productive through this injury alone.

Keefer: I certainly think this makes things harder for an offense that’s still sputtering a bit. The Chiefs may be 4-0, but they’re 4-0 by the skin of their teeth, winning each by one score or less, and scoring fewer points in each successive week. A bit like the Patriots in the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady heyday, Kansas City seems to be using the early part of the season to figure things out, especially on offense, confident that it’ll iron out the issues by the time January rolls around. Travis Kelce, when he’s not blanketed by double teams, is still a game-changing weapon, and Xavier Worthy — who so far is the fastest player in the league, per Next Gen Stats, averaging a maximum speed of 15.85 mph — gives them a target who can stress safeties deep. Taking the Saints in this one, though.

Howe: On paper, Rice might be the Chiefs’ most indispensable offensive player without the Mahomes surname. It’s a huge blow. But will it matter? Mahomes and the Chiefs have proved more than capable of turning it on just long enough to handle whatever adversity they encounter, whether it’s self-inflicted or from an opponent. They’re worse on paper without Rice. They’ll need others to play above expectations. Their margin of error has shrunk. We’ve heard it all before, and the Chiefs keep getting through it. Things could get choppy in the short term, though.

The Jets and Vikings meet in London. Where is Sam Darnold on your quarter-mark MVP poll? What is the biggest concern for the Jets right now coming off an ugly home loss to the Broncos?

Sando: I don’t think Darnold is making standout plays to carry his team to victory, so I haven’t seen him as an MVP candidate to this point. But if he somehow stayed on pace for 44-plus touchdown passes and the Vikings kept winning, we’d have to reassess, for sure. As for the Jets, keeping Aaron Rodgers healthy could be the biggest concern. Rodgers took some big hits against Denver and could take more against the Vikings.

Keefer: Darnold’s a nice story but the MVP chatter seems premature. Josh Allen is more deserving, and by the end of the season, it wouldn’t surprise me if Lamar Jackson made a strong case to go back-to-back. He looked that good Sunday night. As for the Jets, I feel like the first month of the season hints at what’s to come: a rocky season where week-to-week consistency is hard to find. The Jets’ two wins are over two of the worst teams in the league — the Titans and Patriots — while their losses were both ugly and concerning; they were routed by the 49ers in Week 1, then couldn’t beat a Broncos team at home in Week 4 that was starting a rookie passer who threw for 60 yards. Now they have a 40-year-old quarterback in Rodgers with a sore knee who’s prepping to play overseas against a blitz-heavy defense. I don’t think it gets any better for the Jets on Sunday.

Howe: Allen and Jackson were the two best quarterbacks in September, so I’d start with them and then filter a tier down for Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff and maybe two or three others who have quickly exceeded expectations. With the Jets, I’m curious about their offensive identity. Rodgers has been good against two bad teams and mediocre against two decent-to-good ones. The offensive line wasn’t good enough against the Broncos, either for the pass or run game. And it seems like there’s always some type of distraction, including this week with the cadence story. I feel like a broken record praising Brian Flores’ defense, but the Jets have a lot to overcome to take down the Vikings in London.

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The Colts and Jaguars meet in an AFC South clash. Would you start Joe Flacco this week, even if Anthony Richardson is healthy? Would you fire Doug Pederson if Jacksonville loses again?

Sando: I’d start Richardson if healthy and then reassess over a longer period of time. Regarding Pederson, a strong organization would stay the course through a rough start unless the coach had lost all credibility internally. This has not been a strong organization under owner Shad Khan. He seems to operate more like a fan than a seasoned executive. We need to see how the team competes on the field before saying one more defeat should lead to wholesale changes. I would need to see a non-competitive effort before going down that road.

Keefer: Richardson needs to play. He’s still only eight starts into his NFL career and showed some promise early in Sunday’s win over the Steelers. He was more accurate from the pocket, ridding his game of the early season mistakes that buried the Colts in different spots in September. This season is all about reps for Richardson; as long as he’s healthy, he needs to be on the field, so in January this organization has a better sense if he’s the future or not. As for Jacksonville, moving on from Pederson isn’t the move, even if it loses Sunday to Indianapolis. Remember: The Jags started 8-3 a year ago and were in the running for the AFC’s top seed until Trevor Lawrence got hurt. He’s struggled since, but overreacting wouldn’t serve the young quarterback well. What Pederson might want to do is take over play-calling duties again.

Howe: Richardson and the offense were off to a nice start before he injured his hip. If Shane Steichen believes that group was on the verge of turning the corner, with or without Flacco, it shouldn’t even be up for debate that Richardson should be on the field. But what if Steichen still has doubts, namely that Jonathan Taylor’s early involvement helped the offense? In that case, with Taylor’s ankle injury, Steichen might think it’s necessary to give Flacco a shot to keep the Colts in the playoff mix. That’s when the decision gets much tougher. As for the Jaguars, they’re in a bad way, but firing Pederson right now wouldn’t help Lawrence whatsoever. Priority No. 1, short of a miraculous playoff push, is to get Lawrence into the best place possible for 2025. We’ll see in January if Khan believes Pederson should be part of that equation, but cutting ties beforehand — unless it’s absolutely necessary for locker room purposes — would be overeager.

The Cowboys and Steelers take center stage Sunday night. Dallas is dealing with key defensive injuries to Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. Justin Fields will start again for a Steelers team coming off a deflating loss. What intrigues you about this matchup?

Sando: I’m intrigued to see how Fields fares against a depleted Dallas defense as Russell Wilson gets healthier. It’s a fun storyline to follow simply because reporting around the Steelers was so strong heading into the season about Wilson being the clear favorite to start.

Keefer: I think Sunday night’s game could swerve the Cowboys’ season in the wrong direction. Beyond their defensive liabilities, Dallas’ offense has had a very uneven four-game start, and now it’ll see one of the league’s most punishing defenses. Pittsburgh ranks first in third-down conversion rate (21.9 percent) and defensive points allowed (8.7 per game). And Brandin Cooks won’t play. A loss would leave the Cowboys at 2-3 heading into games against the Lions and 49ers, the two teams that met for the NFC championship last winter.

Howe: Teams can run on the Cowboys, and the Steelers won’t apologize for running all game and letting Fields be opportunistic through the air. I’m also curious about the Steelers defense. It allowed a league-low 26 points through three games but couldn’t stop Flacco and the Colts despite several chances. If the Colts exposed something, I’m interested to see if the Cowboys will follow suit.

(Photo of Josh Allen: G Fiume / Getty Images)

Underdog (uhn-der-dawg): noun

1. A predicted loser in a struggle or contest
2. A victim of injustice of persecution

CLEVELAND — When Will Vest went home for the birth of his second child in late August, the Detroit Tigers’ playoff odds were 2.9 percent.

While he was away on the paternity list, Vest texted a group of his hometown friends: “Hey, don’t count us out.”

The Tigers went on to sweep of the White Sox in Chicago. By the time Vest returned on Aug. 29, the Tigers were on a six-game winning streak. The odds spiked all the way to … 3.8 percent.

“So every day,” Vest said, “I would send in that group text what percentage we were at. And, you know, they were kind of laughing at it.”

As August turned to September and as a fun story turned to a serious playoff hunt, the numbers slowly inched upward: 9.8 percent on Sept. 10, 26.9 percent on Sept. 20.

“Once we got to like the middle of September,” Vest said, “it started like getting up there to like 20, 30, whatever, they were just like, ‘Holy crap.’”

In their final series of the season, the Tigers triumphed over the White Sox to seal their improbable spot in the playoffs. After Vest entered the locker room that night, one of the first things he did was grab his phone. He sent another text: 100 percent.

“That was a cool text to send,” Vest said.

Friday in Cleveland, in advance of the American League Division Series, Vest and several of his Tigers teammates wore navy T-shirts with their wild graph of playoff odds commemorated proudly. In the top right corner read a single word: Gritty.

Will Vest modeling the latest Gritty Tigs attire 📈 pic.twitter.com/mhG5xEQJeG

— Rachel Hopmayer (@rachelhopmayer) October 4, 2024

Vest, for anyone who might be wondering, is a hard-throwing right-handed relief pitcher. Once selected in the Rule 5 draft by the Seattle Mariners in 2021 but returned to the Tigers after a difficult first half, Vest has slowly morphed into a key piece of a bullpen that finished the season with the fifth-best ERA in baseball.

Yet like so many of his teammates, he is unknown on the national stage, perhaps still anonymous even to local fans just now hopping back on the Tigers’ bandwagon.

Now that the Tigers are one of the final eight teams competing for a World Series trophy, many might be wondering: Who are these guys? And how did they get here?

For those just now joining the chase, or for a national audience bewildered by seeing the Olde English D in the playoffs, or for anyone who just needs help knowing the difference between Brenan Hanifee and Brant Hurter, here is your 2024 Detroit Tigers dictionary.

Actual stars

 Riley Greene (RYE-lee green): LF

1. First-time All-Star in third major-league season.
2. Team leader in most offensive categories.
3. No. 3 or 4 hitter depending on the matchup and who else is in the lineup.
4. Most lit player in two champagne celebrations.

Riley Greene grabbed Tigers owner Chris Ilitch and took him into a champagne bath.

“I’ve always dreamed of doing that,” he said. pic.twitter.com/VCraRgVMqT

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) September 28, 2024

A.J. Hinch (ā jay hinch): Manager

1. Fourth-year Tigers manager, but this is his first with a winning record.
2. Previously spent five years as Houston Astros manager (2015-19), two years as Arizona Diamondbacks (2009-10), and seven seasons as a major-league catcher (1998-2004).
3. Won 2017 World Series with Astros only to be suspended in 2020 for his role in that team’s sign-stealing scandal. Joined Tigers immediately after his suspension ended.

Tarik Skubal (TARE-ick skoo-bul): SP

1. Ninth-round pick from a small town who, at 27 years old, has become arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball.
2. Triple Crown winner, likely Cy Young Award winner, Game 2 ALDS starter after starting Game 1 in the Wild Card Series.
3. Lefty with a fastball that can touch triple digits, a nasty slider and one of the best changeups in the game.

Household names (well, at least if that household is in Detroit)

Kerry Carpenter (KER-ee KAHR-puhn-ter): RF/DH

1. Former 19th-round pick with a great backstory who quietly averaged 30 homers per 162 games in three big-league seasons.
2. Missed two-and-a-half months with a back injury but returned in August. His .932 OPS would have been eighth-best in the majors if he had enough at-bats to qualify.
3. Works with the same offseason hitting coach as Aaron Judge.

Jackson Jobe (Jax-on Jo-be): RHP

Jackson Jobe once caddied for his father at Augusta National. (Lon Horwedel / Imagn Images)

1. Ranked as The Athletic’s No. 10 overall prospect and son of pro golfer Brandt Jobe.
2. Called up on Sept. 24 and made two relief appearances.
3. Surrendered two runs, one earned, in his lone Wild Card Series appearance.

Colt Keith (kohlt keeth): 2B

1. Ranked 36th on Keith Law’s preseason top-100 prospects list. Signed a pre-debut extension in January that guarantees him $28.6 million. Made his big-league debut on Opening Day.
2. Lefty hitter with modest reverse splits and a slightly below-average 97 wRC+.
3. After a brutal first month, hit .285 from May 6 to the end of the season.

Reese Olson (rees OLE-son): RHP

1. Had a 1.92 ERA over his first 10 starts.
2. Second-best starting pitcher after Tarik Skubal. Missed about six weeks with a second-half shoulder injury, now working more as a bulk reliever.
3. A silent assassin.

Jake Rogers (jeyk ROJ-ers): C

1. Everyday catcher known primarily for his defense.
2. The heartbeat of the team.
3. Known best for the mustache.

This guy is straight out of an 80s baseball movie and I love it pic.twitter.com/IFLMDXxGlN

— Clem (@TheClemReport) October 1, 2024

Matt Vierling (mat VEER-ling): INF/OF

1. Has starts at four different positions.
2. Bats anywhere from 1 to 4 in the lineup.
3. Often changes positions mid-game to maximize the team’s defense in the late innings.
4. Acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies in January of 2023, and this was his best full season at the plate. He is the lone Tiger on the postseason roster with previous playoff experience.

Late-season call-ups

Brant Hurter (Brant HURT-er): LHP

1. 6-foot-6 lefty sinkerballer.
2. 2.58 ERA in his first 45 1/3 MLB innings.
3. Known best for his speech after winning the Double-A Eastern League title last season.

Brant Hurter provided one of the best sound bites for @tigersMLreport following the title win by Erie. pic.twitter.com/7ifFS4aIL8

— Rogelio Castillo (@rogcastbaseball) August 4, 2024

Jace Jung (JAY-ce young): 3B

1. Younger brother of Texas Rangers’ third baseman Josh Jung; was drafted 12th overall in 2022.
2. Converted from second base to third base in the second half of last season.
3. Holds his bat at a funky angle.

Ty Madden (Ty MAD-en): RHP

1. 32nd overall pick in 2021.
2. Had a 6.98 ERA in Triple A this season.
3. Called up because of increased strikeouts and decreased walks.

Parker Meadows (PAHR-ker med-ohs): CF

The “baby giraffe” is listed at 6-foot-5, but at times seems even taller. (Junfu Han / Imagn Images)

1. Rookie was demoted in May and injured in July. Returned to the lineup on August 3.
2. One of the game’s best players since his return to the everyday lineup. His 2.1 fWAR ranks 13th in the majors the past two months.
3. Speed and defense are his strengths, though he’s hit well lately.
4. Long and lanky, they call him a baby giraffe.

Trey Sweeney (trey SWEE-nee): SS

1. Made his major-league debut on Aug. 16 and has been the everyday shortstop ever since. (Veteran shortstop Javier Báez, the team’s highest-paid player, has been on the IL since mid-August but was having a brutal season even when healthy.)
2. One of two prospects acquired in the trade deadline deal that sent No. 2 starter Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Once-touted prospects

Spencer Torkelson (SPEN-ser TOWR-kuhl-suhn): 1B

1. No. 1 overall draft pick in 2020.
2. In his third major-league season but was demoted in June with a .597 OPS.
3. Recalled Aug. 1 and had a .781 OPS in the last two months of the regular season.

Casey Mize (KAY-see My-ze): RHP

1. No. 1 overall pick in 2018.
2. Had Tommy John surgery and a back procedure in 2022. Missed 60 days this season with a hamstring injury.
3. Now working out of the bullpen after a 4.36 ERA over parts of four MLB seasons.

Key role players

Beau Brieske (bo briss-KEY): RHP

1. Unheralded late-round draft pick who opened this season in Triple A but has become a versatile and vital piece of the mix-and-match pitching staff.
2. Started 12 games and finished 12 games in the regular season. Got the save in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series and pitched long relief in Game 2.
3. A chief representative of “pitching chaos.”

See also: Sean Guenther and Brenan Hanifee (neither was highly touted as a prospect, both spent much of this season in the minors and became important relievers down the stretch and into the postseason).

Jason Foley (JAY-son FOLE-ey): RHP

Jason Foley: Impressive sinker, more impressive ’90s music taste. (Junfu Han / Imagn Images)

1. Undrafted free agent from Sacred Heart University.
2. The team’s top ninth-inning option. Used his power sinker to help record 28 saves.
3. Comes out of the bullpen to “What is Love” by Haddaway.

Tyler Holton (TIE-ler HOLT-un): LHP

1. Former Arizona Diamondback claimed off waivers before the 2023 season.
2. Versatile reliever who earned seven wins, eight saves and threw 95 1/3 innings.
3. Over the past two seasons, has a better ERA (2.15) than any other MLB pitcher who has thrown more than 150 innings.
4. Also has a notable mullet.

The Tigers bullpen is just every type of guy at any given bar in the Midwest pic.twitter.com/jFLfenP2FK

— Matt Coggins (@MattCoggins) April 22, 2024

Andy Ibáñez (an-dee ee-BAHN-yez): INF

1. Right-handed platoon bat with an .802 OPS against lefties. Primarily a second baseman but can play any of the corners.
2. Hit just .174 in the second half but was so trusted that he batted cleanup in the Wild Card Series opener.
3. Always has a bat in his hand.

See also: Justyn-Henry Malloy (midseason call-up who gets regular starts at DH and in the outfield against lefties), Dillon Dingler (backup catcher called up after the team traded Carson Kelly at the deadline).

Wenceel Pérez (WIN-cehl PEH-rez): RF

1. Switch hitter who made his big-league debut in April and became an outfield regular against righties.
2. Converted from infield in spring training and became a surprise contributor.

See also: Zach McKinstry (left-handed bench bat who can play anywhere).

(Top photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS — Becky Hammon has said all season that she has been waiting for the game when all of her Las Vegas guards click on all cylinders.

In 2023, the three-headed monster of Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum was an unstoppable unit most nights, culminating in a WNBA Finals series when the perimeter trio convincingly outplayed its New York Liberty counterparts, even without Gray in the closeout win.

Fast forward a season, and Las Vegas has been mixing and matching. Despite the addition of Tiffany Hayes to an already talented guard group, the Aces have been lucky to get two of their quartet to pop off in any given game. If Young is scoring well, that often portends an off night for Plum, as was the case in Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals series against the Liberty when she notched 17 points and 6 points, respectively. Plum was on her A-game in the series opener with 24 points, but then Gray stumbled to four points and one assist in the loss.

“We’ve had two on a night have good nights,” Hammon said. “A’ja (Wilson has) been ridiculous, is ridiculous, she will continue to be ridiculous. But then after that, it’s all those other little pieces.”

On Friday, Hammon was finally dealt her long-awaited hand with four Aces delivering peak performances. Five players scored double digits in Friday night’s 95-81 Aces’ victory to stave off elimination and ensure Game 4 on Sunday to keep their three-peat championship quest alive.

Aces NOT done yet ♠️

After facing elimination for the first time since 2021, the Las Vegas Aces force a Game 4 against the Liberty in the Semi-Finals! Jackie Young led the charge with 24 points 🔥

Final Score: 95-81#WelcometotheW | #WNBAPlayoffs presented by @Google pic.twitter.com/fDGNmr66M1

— WNBA (@WNBA) October 5, 2024

“Everything was just on point really with everybody,” Hammon said. “I thought that was probably our most complete game of the season. It’s the game I’ve been waiting for and believing in.”

The effort for the Las Vegas guard group started on defense. Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu had been the best perimeter player in the series, dicing up the Aces’ pick-and-roll coverages and scoring at will from all levels in addition to setting up her teammates for open shots.

Hammon said after Game 2 that she wanted to get to a C-plus effort defending Ionescu because the defense hadn’t even been average in the first two games at Barclays Center. What that meant was simplifying the scheme and making it exceedingly clear what the principles were on Ionescu and which Liberty players to help off of.

Ionescu broke free of the defense on a couple occasions in the first quarter to get to her floater, but she wasn’t able to convert. Once the Aces tightened up coverages, Ionescu was repeatedly trapped far from the basket, unable to turn the corner or find outlets in the half court. She had as many assists as turnovers (five) and submitted the lowest-scoring playoff output of her career with four points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Hammon’s grade Friday? A-plus, no notes.

“She’s been playing great, so of course, they want to make it hard for her,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “They put her in action down the other end, they were being really aggressive in the pick-and-rolls this time. She wasn’t able to get downhill. It was more of a hard hedge and very active with their hands getting deflections.”

Without Ionescu running the show, the Liberty devolved into isolation basketball, a style of play incongruous with the movement and screening that defined them during the regular season, when they had the league’s best record.

Meanwhile, the Aces’ defense propelled them into the offensive rhythm that was lacking earlier in the series.

“We always say our defense drives our offense,” Hayes said. “We know that we thrive on the defensive end, and even though we’re a little bit smaller, we got some dogs out there, and we’re able to get a lot done.”

New York’s starting perimeter trio of Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton combined for 21 points. Young exceeded that on her own with 24. Plum added 20, Gray chipped in 10, and Hayes provided 11 off the bench.

Their collective might was on full display during a game-defining 16-0 run in the third quarter, as the Aces extended a four-point lead to 20. Plum got things started with a drive to the hoop off the dribble, then found Gray for the next score in early offense on a trailing 3-pointer. Gray followed that with a beautiful lob over the top to Wilson as Breanna Stewart fronted her in the post to push the lead to double digits.

Then it was Hayes’ turn. She faked left and drove to her weak hand, leaving Nyara Sabally in the dust. Plum had a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound, hit a technical free throw, and then added another 3-pointer off a drive-and-kick from Hayes. Fourteen points and three assists came from the guard group, while the Liberty missed nine shots and committed seven turnovers in that stretch.

“I think our attention to detail defensively was super sharp,” Gray said. “They’re a good team but you want to make them take tough looks, and it was the same with Sabrina. We were just attentive to detail coming off the pick-and-roll, making sure she’s not comfortable. And it all starts in the defensive end so we can flow into our offense a little bit better.”

The Aces know that their advantage has to come in the backcourt, given the Liberty have two frontcourt MVPs in Stewart and Jonquel Jones. Wilson’s excellence is consistent, but the perimeter has been the separating factor during the last two title runs.

Wilson was confident that the desperation of the situation would bring out the best in her teammates. “One thing I know for sure is that sometimes when our backs are against the wall, that’s when we really break loose and shine the brightest,” she said.

A 14-point victory that was more lopsided than the margin would suggest, validating Wilson’s belief. The Aces finally executed defensively and set the tone. Their pace was infectious on offense, involving their guard quartet for the first time this season, enabling Las Vegas to play at least one more game and remain in pursuit of a three-peat.

“We’re the Aces,” Hammon said. “We’re not going to fold.”

(Photo, from left, of Chelsea Gray, Jonquel Jones and Kelsey Plum: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)

Something happened in Luxembourg on Friday that will either bring an end to football’s transfer system as we know it, make the stars even richer, jeopardise player development and ruin hundreds of clubs across Europe, or it will make FIFA rewrite a couple of sentences in its rulebook.

As sliding-door moments go, that’s a stark choice: jump on board and take a trip to oblivion, or get the next train to where you went yesterday and every day for the last 20 years.

The agent of change in this analogy is the European Court of Justice ruling (ECJ) that some of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players — the set of rules that have defined the transfer system since 2001 — are against European Union (EU) law.

The EU’s highest court was asked to look at the regulations by an appeal court in Belgium that has been trying to settle a row between former player Lassana Diarra, in one corner, and FIFA and the Belgian football federation, in the other.

That dispute has dragged on since 2015 but the Belgian court can now apply the ECJ’s guidance to the matter, which should result in some long-awaited compensation for Diarra and a redrafting of at least one article of FIFA’s rules.

But is that it? FIFA thinks so but The Athletic has heard from many others who say, no, that train has left the station and nobody knows where it is going.

So, let’s dive through the closing doors and see where we get to. But, before we do, let’s make sure everyone knows where we started.

What on earth are we talking about?

Good starting point.

After stints with Chelsea, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Real Madrid, Diarra moved to big-spending Anzhi Makhachkala in 2012. His time in Dagestan ended abruptly when the club ran out of money a year later but he had played well in the Russian league and Lokomotiv Moscow signed him to a four-year deal.

Sadly, after a bright start, the France midfielder fell out with his manager, who dropped him and demanded Diarra take a pay cut. The player declined and the situation deteriorated. By the summer of 2014, he had been sacked for breach of contract and Lokomotiv pursued him via FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber for damages.

Using a rule of thumb developed over the previous decade, FIFA decided Diarra owed his former employer €10.5million (£8.8m, $11.5m) and banned him for 15 months for breaking his contract “without just cause”, its catch-all phrase for messy divorces. Diarra appealed against the verdict but it was confirmed in 2016 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), albeit with a slightly reduced financial hit.

Diarra (left) playing for Lokomotiv in 2013 (Sergey Rasulov Jr/Epsilon/Getty Images)

In the meantime, Diarra was offered a job by Belgian side Charleroi in 2015. They got cold feet when they realised that article 17 of FIFA’s transfer regulations — “the consequence of terminating a contract without just cause” — made them “jointly and severally liable” for any compensation owed to Lokomotiv and at risk of sporting sanctions, namely a transfer embargo.

Stuck on the sidelines, Diarra decided to sue FIFA and its local representative, the Belgian FA, for €6million in lost earnings.

Once his ban had expired in 2016, his football career resumed with a move to Marseille, and he would eventually retire in 2019 after stints with Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi and Paris Saint-Germain. His row with the football authorities continued, though, and, with the support of the French players’ union and FIFPRO, the global players’ union, he took it all the way to Luxembourg City, where he won, on Friday morning.

All caught up?

Erm… no — what has he won?

Ah, well, it depends on who you believe.

According to his lawyers, Jean-Louis Dupont and Martin Hissel, Diarra has won “a total victory” but not just for him.

“All professional players have been affected by these illegal rules (in force since 2001!) and can therefore now seek compensation for their losses,” they said.

“We are convinced that this ‘price to pay’ for violating EU law will — at last — force FIFA to submit to the EU rule of law and speed up the modernisation of governance.”

As a heads-up, Dupont has considerable experience in this area and we will return to him shortly.

FIFPRO, unsurprisingly, agrees. In a statement issued immediately after the decision was published, the union described it as a “major ruling on the regulation of the labour market in football (and, more generally, in sport) which will change the landscape of professional football”.

Later on Friday, it published a longer statement that expanded on its belief that this was both a big W for Diarra personally but also a class action victory for all players.

“It is clear the ECJ has ruled unequivocally that central parts of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players are incompatible with European Union law,” it said.

“In particular, the ECJ has stated that the calculation of compensation to be paid by a player who terminates a contract ‘without just cause’ — and the liability for the player’s new club to be jointly liable for such compensation — cannot be justified.”

Diarra at PSG in 2018 (Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images for ICC)

It continued by saying these clauses of article 17 of the regulations “are the foundation of the current transfer system and have discouraged numerous players from terminating their contract unilaterally and pursuing new employment”. Furthermore, it said, the ECJ agreed with the union that players’ careers can be short and “this abusive system” can make them shorter.

It leapt on the more memorable sections of what is a bone-dry, 43-page judgment (currently only available in French and Polish), by pointing out that the court’s judges think the criteria FIFA used for calculating Diarra’s fine, and other sanctions in cases like his, are “sometimes imprecise or discretionary, sometimes lacking any objective link with the employment relationship in question and sometimes disproportionate”.

It then suggested that the only way to remedy this, and the other problems the court highlighted, is for FIFA to talk it through properly with the unions and their members.

“We commend Lassana Diarra for pursuing this challenge which has been so demanding,” it continues.

“FIFPRO is proud to have been able to support him. Lassana Diarra — like Jean-Marc Bosman before him — has ensured that thousands of players worldwide will profit from a new system…”

Hold on… Bosman? 

Yes, Bosman, another midfielder who did not quite live up to his early promise as a player but confounded all expectations as a labour-rights revolutionary and begetter of new worlds.

In case you are hazy on the details, Bosman found himself in a similar spot to Diarra in 1990 when he was out of favour at RFC Liege. The difference, however, is that he was out of contract and simply wanted to take up a new one just over the French border in Dunkerque. Liege said words to the effect of “OK, but only if they pay us half a million”, as was the custom back then.

Five years later, Bosman was finished as a player but not before he had claimed football’s most famous ECJ ruling — one that meant players were free agents once their contracts had expired, massively increasing their attractiveness to new employers, and bringing down European football’s long-standing restrictions on the number of foreign players clubs could field.

Dupont was his lawyer and that is partly why agents, union officials and some legal experts have been previewing Diarra as “the next Bosman” ever since one of the ECJ’s advocate generals — senior lawyers who help the judges make their decisions — published his non-binding opinion on the case earlier this year. The judges do not have to follow that guidance, but this time they did, almost verbatim.

So, that is why my phone started buzzing with contrasting predictions of what Diarra’s win would mean for the game long before anyone had got past the preamble of the ruling.

OK, what might happen next, then?

To answer this, it is perhaps useful to go back to Bosman. When that bombshell ruling was delivered, clubs said the world would end, as the players now had all the power, which meant there was no point having academies, as the brightest talents would leave for nothing, and fans could forget getting attached to anyone, as the best players would swap teams every year.

The verdict came too late to help Bosman. But when the likes of Sol Campbell and Steve McManaman ran down their contracts at Tottenham and Liverpool respectively, in order to secure moves to new clubs, on much higher wages, it looked like the doom-mongers were onto something.

But six years after Bosman, the clubs, aided by FIFA and European football’s governing body UEFA, managed to persuade the European Commission that too much freedom of movement was bad for football and what that industry really needed was contractual “stability”.

The result was the first iteration of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP). The authorities called it a compromise between the clubs’ need to retain some control of their most valuable assets and every other EU citizen’s right to quit one job and take another, anywhere in the single market. The unions called it “an ambush”.

The case of Bosman (centre) changed the transfer system (STF/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2006, however, the pendulum swung towards the players again when a Scottish defender called Andy Webster decided to use a provision in the rules — the right for a player to buy out their contract after a prescribed protected period — to force a move from Hearts to Wigan.

As he was over 28, his protected period was three years and he was in the final year of a five-year deal, so he was OK to move. Unfortunately, nobody had settled on a formula for deciding how much he should pay his old club.

Hearts reckoned Webster, an international, was worth £5million but his lawyers offered them £250,000, a sum equal to what he was owed in wages for the last year of his deal.

Like Diarra, they took it to FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC), which decided Hearts were owed £625,000, a sum based on his future earnings and the club’s legal costs. He appealed against that verdict at CAS and it reduced the compensation by £150,000 but backed the gist of the ruling.

For a year, it looked like Webster had become “the new Bosman” but, in 2007, the pendulum swung back towards “stability” when Brazilian midfielder Matuzalem tried to engineer “a Webster” out of Shakhtar Donetsk to Real Zaragoza.

After the usual visits to the DRC and CAS, football had a new, more club-friendly precedent for deciding the compensation jilted parties were owed by these unilateral contract-breakers, a sum based on the player’s remaining wages and his unamortised transfer fee.

Confused? Don’t worry, it was a bigger number and therefore a larger deterrent.

So, the pendulum is about to swing again?

Again, it depends on who you ask.

For FIFA, this is a great big nothingburger.

Its immediate response to the news from the ECJ was to jump on the sentences in the ruling that supported its right to have rules that breach EU rules on freedom of movement and competition because professional sport is not like journalism, law and other humdrum jobs. It has “specificity” and should therefore be exempted from certain principles, providing they are for a “legitimate objective”, such as “ensuring the regularity of interclub football competitions”.

Therefore, FIFA noted, the court still agrees football can justify rules aimed “at maintaining a certain degree of stability in the player rosters of professional football clubs”.

Phew, that should save most of the rulebook, then, right?

“The ruling only puts in question two paragraphs of two articles of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players, which the national court is now invited to consider,” a FIFA spokesperson said, referring specifically to two of Diarra’s main objections: the joint liability of the new club in a dispute like his, and the withholding of the International Transfer Certificate, which players need for a cross-border deal, until compensation has been paid.

FIFA’s chief legal and compliance officer Emilio Garcia Silvero doubled down on this “Am I bothered?” take with a later statement that said: “Today’s decision does not change the core principles of the transfer system at all.”

And he might be right. After all, it is now up to the Belgian court to apply the ECJ ruling to the Diarra case, which could clarify things slightly and certainly provide some time for the dust to settle.

(Kirill Kudryavstev/AFP via Getty Images)

It is also possible to read the ECJ ruling and imagine a scenario in which FIFA places all liability for breaching contracts “without just cause” on the player but puts in place a less onerous and more transparent formula for working out how much compensation should be paid.

And if FIFA wanted to increase its chances of gaining union support, it could also broaden the list of reasons why a player might have cause to break a contract. At present, it thinks the only justifications for a player to breach are not getting paid for months on end or the outbreak of war.

But there are plenty of people who have now read the ruling and do not believe FIFA is going to get away with a few tweaks.

As mentioned, FIFPRO and its member players’ associations are convinced the entire transfer regime is up for grabs and FIFA will now have to enter into the types of collective bargaining agreements that are central to professional sport in North America.

As David Terrier, the president of FIFPRO Europe, puts it: “The regulation of a labour market is either through national laws or collective agreements between social partners.”

Ian Giles, head of antitrust and competition for Europe, Middle East and Africa at global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, is on the same page as the unions when it comes to the potential ramifications of the ruling.

“The decision essentially says the current system is too restrictive and so will have to change,” he explained.

“In terms of free movement, the ECJ recognises there may be a justification on public interest grounds to maintain the stability of playing squads, but considers the current rules go beyond what is necessary.

“It’s a similar story regarding the competition law rules. The ECJ has deemed the relevant transfer rules to amount to a ‘by object’ restriction — a serious restriction similar to a ‘no-poach’ agreement. Concerns about labour market restrictions, including ‘no-poach’ agreements, are a particular area of focus for competition authorities globally.

“Under competition law, it’s possible for otherwise restrictive agreements to be exempt — and therefore not problematic — if they lead to certain overriding benefits, but it’s generally difficult for ‘by object’ restrictions to meet the specific requirements for exemption.”

Giles’ point about the ECJ saying article 17 of the regulations is a “by object” restriction has been noted by other experts, as it means the court is effectively saying it is a restriction, end of story, and there can be no justification for it, no matter how noble the objective.

In terms of what this might mean for the industry, Giles can only speculate like the rest of us.

“It’s entirely possible this means players will feel they can now break contracts and sign on with new clubs, without the selling club being able to hold them or demand significant transfer fees,” he said.

“This will likely result in reduced transfer fees and more economic power for players, but over time things will have to stabilise to allow clubs to remain economically viable. Smaller clubs who rely on transfer fees for talent they have developed may well be the losers in this context.

“The key question now for FIFA will be how they how can adapt its transfer rules so that they are less restrictive and therefore compatible with EU law, while seeking to maintain the stability of playing squads. It will also be interesting to see whether more players start to breach their contracts in the meantime, emboldened by the ECJ’s judgment.

“Something else to keep an eye on is whether we could see other players bring damages claims, alleging they’ve suffered harm as a result of FIFA’s transfer rules, with damages claims for breaches of competition law generally on the rise in the UK and Europe.”

Right, has anyone else chipped in?

Yes! Not that they have shed much light on where we are heading, although they have confirmed where loyalties lie.

European Leagues, the organisation that represents the interests of domestic leagues across the continent, took a player-friendly stance by saying the decision confirmed that “FIFA must comply with national laws, European Union laws or national collective bargaining”.

It added that it stood for contractual stability but only when it is “safeguarded by national laws and collective bargaining agreements negotiated and agreed by professional leagues and players’ unions at domestic level”.

The European Club Association (ECA), however, adopted an “if ain’t broke (for us), why fix it” approach.

“Whilst the judgement raises certain concerns, the ECA observes that the provisions analysed by (the court) relate to specific aspects of the FIFA RSTP, with the football player transfer system being built on the back of the entire regulatory framework set out in the (regulations) which, by and large, remains valid,” it said.

“More importantly, the ECJ did recognise the legitimacy of rules aiming at protecting the integrity and stability of competitions and the stability of squads, and rules which aim to support such legitimate objectives, including among others, the existence of registration windows, the principle that compensation is payable by anyone who breaches an employment contract and the imposition of sporting sanctions on parties that breach those contracts.”

As a champion of clubs large and small, the ECA noted that the transfer system “affords medium and smaller-sized clubs the means to continue to compete at high levels of football, especially those who are able to develop and train players successfully”.

Whether that is actually true or not is the subject of a much bigger and long-running debate. But it is certainly an attractive idea and sometimes that can be enough.

What do football’s transfer movers think?

My colleague Dan Sheldon spoke to Rafaela Pimenta, a football agent who represents Erling Haaland, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and other top stars. She told The Athletic: “If you talk to agents, they are over-excited because, finally, the players are going to get heard. How many times are we still going to see them crying after having their careers destroyed because they are being denied a transfer?”

She made it clear, though, that the focus now should be on conversations between football’s various stakeholders to define what the new rules should be.

Pimenta is a significant figure within the game (Andrea Staccioli/Insidefoto/LightRocket via Getty Images)

“For players, this can be a landmark and I hope players will use it wisely,” she said. “This is not an excuse for them to do whatever they want, it is a reason to stand up for their rights.

“I think what the challenge here is to make sure their voices are used responsibly. And by that I mean let’s talk and have this discussion, let’s lead the process and understand what clubs need, what players need and what is the compromise.

“If there is no balance and one side, either the players or the clubs have all the power, then it will go wrong again.

“I understand clubs need to have assets, but they need to understand that players are human beings and sometimes things don’t go according to plan and they cannot become the asset that stays there parked on a corner.”

That is probably enough excitement for one day. We shall back with more analysis when the pendulum swings again.

(Top photo: Getty Images)

Consider it a high-stakes game of telephone.

You may have noticed the uptick of college football quarterbacks cupping their helmets to muffle the sounds of the loudest stadiums in the country. That’s because coach-to-player helmet communication arrived this season for all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision programs.

Thirty years after the NFL debuted the technology, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved the use of helmet communication (as well as sideline tablets) for FBS teams in April, following a trial period in last season’s bowl games.

Here’s how it works.

Who has access to helmet communication, and how does it work?

One player on the field for each team — one on offense and one on defense — can have helmet communication. On offense, that player is typically the quarterback.

The designated player is identified by a green dot on the back of his helmet, just like the NFL. If more than one green dot per team is detected on the field by the officials, the team will be penalized with a 5-yard equipment violation penalty, automatically initiating a conference review, per the NCAA.

The conference review would examine whether teams intentionally allowed a second green-dot helmet in the game at the same time. The review would occur in the days following the game and any additional discipline would be up to the conference, an NCAA source with knowledge of the review process said.

On the sideline, each team is limited to three coach-to-player caller radios and belt packs. Presumably, teams allocate those to the head coach, offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.

Coach-to-player helmet communication shuts off at the 15-second mark on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever happens first, and remains off throughout the down. When the play clock is reset to 25 or 40 seconds, the communications are restored. (The play clock is set to 25 seconds after a penalty, charged team timeout, media timeout or injury timeout for an offensive player and to 40 seconds after a play ends or after an injury timeout for a defensive player.)

The cutoff operator is hired, assigned and managed by each conference.

On free-kick plays, the coach-to-player communication is not in effect.

Each team can use a maximum of 23 regular headsets within the team area, coaches’ box or coaches’ booth. Any team personnel can wear one, and two additional headsets are used by technicians to monitor the system and address any technical issues.

Is coach-to-player helmet communication mandatory?

USC coach Lincoln Riley reviews a tablet on the sideline against LSU on Sept. 1 at Allegiant Stadium. (Photo: Ric Tapia / Getty Images)

No. The technology is optional, as is using tablets to view in-game video — including broadcast feeds, All-22 sideline and end zone angles.

A team can use helmet communication even if its opponent does not. If a team opts not to use or fully rely on the technology, a coach can communicate with the QB through the traditional methods of sideline signs and hand signals.

If one team’s communication stops working, however, the opposing team must also cease use of its helmet comms.

What happens when an FBS team plays an FCS team?

Helmet communication is not permitted at the Football Championship Subdivision level, but FCS teams can use the technology when playing an FBS opponent.

North Dakota State did so when it opened its season against Colorado in Week 1. Bison offensive coordinator Jake Landry said in August the single-game adjustment would still be “a learning curve” for the team, which fell to the Buffaloes 31-26.

“How much is too much information?” Landry said, according to 247Sports. “How much do you want to know? What little tidbits can we provide?”

Important ones, according to Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.

This offseason, Georgia’s QB1 said he “loves” that offensive coordinator Mike Bobo can talk into his ear “because there’s maybe like a little cue that he might say for a play, like look out for this coverage or look out for this, if they do this, do this — just like little things.”

Advantages vs. disadvantages

Michigan staffers on the sideline of last year’s championship game. College teams have long used signs — some unorthodox — to communicate plays to the team on the field. (Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)

A coach can do more than tell his QB which play to run. Helmet comms can also be used for bigger-picture reminders of time, down and situation and when it’s time to take a risk or play it safe.

Another big advantage is what it could help minimize — sign stealing.

Using electronic equipment to record, or “steal,” opponents’ signs is not legal in college football. The NCAA also prohibits off-campus, in-person scouting of future opponents during the same season. An alleged scheme at Michigan concerning the latter led to an NCAA investigation this past year.

But on-field, in-person sign stealing is allowed. Former Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy estimated “80 percent” of college football teams steal signs, “which is legal,” he said in January.

GO DEEPER

‘That’s as big as it gets’: How much does knowing an opponent’s signals matter?

Teams haven’t stopped using sideline signals. But move some of that communication to the helmet, and you can take away — or at least, reduce — the interception of it, right?

“Sign-stealing happens every game,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said in March. “There’s nothing wrong with teams looking over trying to steal our signs. There’s nothing wrong with us trying to look at their signs. That’s why you should have mics in the helmets.”

Coach Rhule touches on sign stealing and if he noticed it when they played vs. #Michigan 👀 pic.twitter.com/NsZQDtXNY3

— 247Huskers (@247Huskers) October 23, 2023

The enemy of coach-to-player helmet communication is, ironically, noise. College games “just have a tendency” to be louder than NFL games, said Rhule, who coached the Carolina Panthers from 2020 to 2022.

“In general, how loud (the fans) can be in a stadium really impacts the game,” Rhule told reporters following Nebraska’s Week 1 win over UTEP.  “It’s not just, ‘It’s third down, let’s try to make them jump offsides’ anymore, it’s ‘Make it really hard for them to hear the play calls and the checks,’ because it was hard for us at times.”

While helmet communication is helpful, it is imperfect. Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said the team is preparing for alternate solutions as it heads to a hostile road environment in Georgia on Saturday. The Tigers played their first five games of the season at home.

“We’re making it loud at practice for them to have difficult time communicating and see how they handle that,” Freeze said, according to AL.com. “Having alternative plans of how we are going to do play calling, or whatever it takes to try to make sure our kids at least have a good understanding of what’s fixing to go on.”

Required reading

(Photo: James Black / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It is only October, so the 2025 NFL Draft’s first-round picture is still very much in flux as scouts make campus visits all over the country.

Aside from some of the quarterbacks, most of the players on my initial top-50 board have played up to expectations and will be in the mix to be drafted in Round 1. But for this week’s draft watch, I wanted to introduce three non-quarterback prospects who have buzz among NFL scouts as potential risers, even if they aren’t as talked about much nationally.

GO DEEPER

2025 NFL mock draft: Could Travis Hunter go No. 1? Who’s the top QB?

Cameron Williams, RT, Texas

For those who watched Texas’ win at Michigan, you might know Williams as the right tackle who kept getting penalized (four flags in that game). The Michigan game was Williams’ third career start, and his first on the road, so youthful mistakes were expected. But the main takeaways from his overall film are his smooth movement skills and powerful grip strength, especially for a player with his size (6-foot-5, 335 pounds) and length.

Williams was (hilariously) flagged for holding on this play, which negated a Quinn Ewers’ touchdown pass. Clearly, it was a clean rep for the right tackle and illustrated his ability to control the edge.

Though still raw, Williams is smooth and strong in his kick slide to protect the edge (only two pressures allowed this season), and his range is impressive when Texas asks him to get out in space. Most have Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. penciled-in as a first-rounder, but some scouts believe Williams’ raw traits ultimately could make him the higher draft pick.

Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

A transfer from Michigan State (Oregon opened the NIL checkbook), Harmon has disruptive qualities with his initial quickness and strong swipe moves to gain access to gaps.

A redshirt junior from Detroit, Harmon put himself on the NFL radar the past two seasons in East Lansing and has taken another jump in his development this season. He leads the Ducks in pressures (18) and is second in tackles (13) this season. Scouts are eager to see Harmon — and the entire defensive line — against Ohio State in a few weeks.

Josh Simmons, LT, Ohio State

Ohio State remade its offensive line last season, and that included bringing in Simmons, a young and promising tackle from San Diego State. He was very up and down in his first season in Columbus but has shown tremendous progress this season as a redshirt junior.

When betting on offensive line traits, give me the nimble blockers with flexible body control and strong finishing traits — which is a tidy way to sum up Simmons’ skill set. If he continues to play at this level the rest of the season, we might be adding another Buckeye to the first round.

Three must-see NFL prospects this weekend

1. Nate Noel, RB, Missouri (at Texas A&M, Noon ET, ABC)

A transfer from Appalachian State, Noel (6.6 yards per carry) is filling the shoes of Cody Schrader. He has rushed for a combined 318 yards over the last two games but faces a tougher test against the Aggies, who have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher this season. Although undersized at just 184 pounds, Noel reads his blocks well and knows where to attack with concise cuts. He is looking to cement himself as a Day 3 draft pick.

2. Yahya Black, DT, Iowa (at Ohio State, 3:30 p.m., CBS)

If Iowa is going to pull the upset in Columbus, it will need to win in the trenches. An imposing lineman at 6-5 1/2 and 333 pounds with 35-inch arms, Black is still searching for his first sack of 2024, but he has been disruptive against the run, controlling the point of attack and finding the football. He is competing for a spot on Day 2 of draft weekend.

3. Jalen Royals, WR, Utah State (at Boise State, 7 p.m., FS2)

Obviously, the main attraction in this matchup is Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who is separating himself as RB1 in this draft class. But when Utah State has the ball, watch for the No. 1 jersey, because Royals is a playmaker with draftable talent. His size is ordinary (5-11 1/2, 193 pounds), but he is an explosive athlete with the terrific ball skills needed to create big plays — Royals led the FBS in 2023 with seven catches of 50-plus yards.

Stats of the Week

• This is your weekly reminder that Jeanty is one of the best prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. A month into the season, he leads all of college football in rushing yards (845), yards per rush (10.3), rushing touchdowns (13) and forced missed tackles (43).

What Jeanty did to the Washington State defense last weekend was remarkable.

Ashton Jeanty made Washington State’s defense look like a JV squad. I’ve never seen more forced missed tackles on a RB tape.

Just watch these 5 clips. #RB1 pic.twitter.com/kVZGdYLBeR

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 29, 2024

• Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris (6-2, 208) is a good-sized athlete with strong ball skills, but he has also flexed run-after-catch skills this season. In 12 games last season, he ranked 74th in the country with 360 yards after the catch; in five games in 2024, Harris leads the FBS with 403 yards after catch (just two other FBS players are above 300 YAC yards). Harris was one of the Rebels’ bright spots in last Saturday’s loss to Kentucky, producing a career-best 121 yards after the catch.

• Alabama lost multiple key pieces in the secondary this offseason, but it made an important addition with USC transfer cornerback Domani Jackson. The former five-star recruit collected his first interception against Georgia’s Carson Beck last weekend and has been a shut-down cover man this season, allowing only 16.7 percent catches (12 targets, two catches for 18 yards). Jackson is a true junior and will have an NFL decision to make after the season.

Prospect trending up …

A prospect creating buzz among NFL scouts is Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, who leads the FBS with 8.0 sacks. Although undersized (6-2 3/8 and 241 pounds), he has cat-like quickness at the snap to shoot gaps and dip underneath blocks. And he also has surprising arm length (34 5/8-inches), which helps him set the edge and show up in the run game. Ezeiruaku was unstoppable against Western Kentucky last weekend, finishing with 14 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and one forced fumble.

Considered a late-round possibility by scouts entering the season, Ezeiruaku is making a push to be considered in the top-100 picks.

GO DEEPER

The Athletic 134: Alabama is inevitable and back atop an all-SEC top four

Prospect trending down …

One of the reasons quarterback Carson Beck returned to Georgia for his senior season was because of the bad taste left in his mouth by an SEC title game loss to Alabama. Instead of avenging that loss Saturday, though, he had the worst performance of his career.

Yes, Beck helped fuel a second-half comeback in Tuscaloosa, but he was responsible for four turnovers and struggled to impress NFL scouts in attendance. While the body of work is what matters the most, how quarterbacks perform in the biggest games on the schedule are weighted a tad more. Beck has plenty of pivotal games left in front of him to change the narrative, but he played more like a third-rounder than a first-rounder against the Tide.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Bucky Irving topped 1,000 yards rushing each of his final two seasons at Oregon. (Brandon Sloter / Image Of Sport / Getty Images)

Rookie Revisited

The success of the Buccaneers’ offense has been based more on the passing game than the rush attack. But Bucky Irving has been a productive complementary back and currently leads all rookies in rushing yards (203), as Tampa adds more to his plate each game.

Here is the summary from his scouting report in my 2024 NFL Draft guide:

A two-year starter at Oregon, Irving was the lead back in offensive coordinator Will Stein’s zone-read, balanced run attack. After leaving Minnesota following one season for more offensive touches, he surpassed 1,000 yards rushing in each of his two seasons in Eugene and led all FBS running backs in catches (56) in 2023. With his vision, darting quickness and wiggle in the hole, Irving routinely finds yards that aren’t blocked for him. Although he will have a tougher time churning out yards after contact in the NFL, his body balance and low center of gravity are assets — especially out in space. Overall, Irving is undersized and underpowered, but he has pass-catching skills and instinctive run qualities to quickly sort and make sharp directional cuts to daylight. He projects as an NFL complementary back who can be a productive changeup in a committee.

(Top photo of Cameron Williams: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

ATLANTA — KhaDarel Hodge’s left thigh pad has the silhouette of a guitar on it. His right thigh pad reads “Rock Out” in script letters. They are the remnants of a touchdown celebration he developed when he played in Cleveland, one of many stops in a long and mostly anonymous football career.

Hodge mimics breaking a guitar, taking another one out of its case and playing air guitar. Thursday night would have been the perfect time to do it. Unfortunately, the Atlanta Falcons wide receiver “blacked out,” he said.

Hodge, a reserve wide receiver on the field only because Drake London suffered an injury on the previous play, caught a 45-yard touchdown pass in overtime to give the Falcons a walk-off 36-30 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I blacked out. I came back to, and the next thing I know I’m on the ground,” Hodge said. “Hopefully, I’ll get in the end zone again, and I won’t black out, and I’ll actually do the celebration.”

Hodge’s touchdown gave the Falcons (3-2) their unlikeliest win in a season that is already full of them. Atlanta’s decisive scores in its three wins have all come within the final 36 seconds of regulation or overtime. Thursday was the second time this season that the Falcons have won a game in which they had less than a 5 percent win probability at one point, according to Next Gen Stats. They had no such wins between 2016 and 2023.

KHADAREL HODGE CALLED GAME#TNFonPrime | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/vtKobQt7gc

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 4, 2024

So maybe it was fitting that this victory was sealed by Hodge, who was born in D’Lo, Miss., played collegiately at Alcorn State, Hinds Community College and Prairie View A&M and has made four stops in the NFL, hanging on to a job mostly because of his special teams prowess.

“Red, we call him Red, he’s just made plays all camp, shows up on special teams all the time,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said. “When you’re coming from Prairie View, you’ve got to have some serious tape to get noticed out of college, so it didn’t really surprise me because I thought, ‘That’s probably how he got in this league and probably why he’s stayed in this league.’ I’m so grateful we didn’t have to trot our red zone offense out there on the 3-yard line. He just ended it.”

Hodge’s catch pushed Cousins past 500 passing yards in a game for the first time in his 13-year career. Cousins finished 42 of 58 for 509 yards and four touchdowns, setting not just his own personal yardage mark but also the Falcons’ franchise record of 503 yards, established by Matt Ryan in 2016. As if the game needed any more storylines, Ryan was in the building Thursday because he was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime.

“I just wanted Matt to be able to have a special night,” Cousins said.

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Even with Cousins’ historic night, Hodge got all the attention in the locker room after the game. Teammates Zach Harrison and Ruke Orhorhoro were repeatedly watching clips of his play and shouting while Hodge was surrounded by media members nearby. At 12:15 a.m., Hodge’s cellphone had 160 text messages, and they were still rolling in.

It was Hodge’s second touchdown in five days. He recovered a muffed punt for a touchdown in the Falcons’ Week 4 win over the New Orleans Saints. He had one touchdown in his previous six seasons.

“These last two weeks for me have been wild and just a blessing. I pray for times like these every night,” Hodge said. “I just pray to get in the end zone some type of way. To get in it on special teams and then come back and get it like this, I’m just so grateful, and I thank God for it.”

Talk your talk, Hodge! 🗣️🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/skmKwNAWN5

— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2024

Darnell Mooney ribbed Hodge after the game because he was in tears on the field after his catch.

“I’m probably going to have a hard time in the meeting room,” Hodge said. “I was trying to hold back the tears, but they came out. The people close to me know what I have been through and the opportunities I pray for. The guys in the locker room will tell you it’s well deserved because I put in so much work.”

“He’s been working his ass off,” Falcons safety Richie Grant said. “If any guy deserves to have that moment, it’s him. Last one off the field every single day.”

Hodge hit 19.7 mph on his way to the end zone, the second-fastest speed of his career, according to Next Gen Stats, which calculated the play as the sixth-most-improbable touchdown in the NFL this season.

KhaDarel Hodge reached a top speed of 19.70 MPH on his game-winning TD reception in overtime, his 2nd-fastest speed as a ball carrier in his career.

Hodge’s touchdown was the 6th-most improbable touchdown reception of the season (0.03% probability).#TBvsATL | @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/NMXzEP0aod

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 4, 2024

“Once I seen them high knees start going, I threw my hands in the air and started screaming,” said London, who had 12 catches for 154 yards. “I think he surprised some folks.”

“That’s special, man,” punt returner Avery Williams said. “He deserves it completely. It’s just nice to see something like that happen to a guy like him who’s dedicated. He’s extremely detailed. He’s a great teammate.”

Hodge, who joined the league as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018, had 57 catches for 864 yards and one touchdown in 97 games before Thursday night. He led the Falcons in special teams tackles in 2022 and leads again this year.

“They are going to have to kick me out of (the NFL),” he said. “I am going to work hard every day. To have this type of moment, it shows, ‘Just keep steady, keep going, no matter what is going on.’ Adversity is going to strike. Sometimes you’re going to feel like you’re out of it, but you just have to keep working, keep praying.”

Hodge was one of seven Falcons to catch a pass against Tampa Bay (3-2) as Atlanta gained 550 yards, its highest total since 2016. Cousins passed for 253 yards in the first half and 256 yards in the second half and overtime, becoming the first player in NFL history to top 250 yards before and after halftime in a single game, according to OptaSTATS.

Not bad considering he thought the game was over when he threw an interception to linebacker Lavonte David on fourth-and-15 at the Atlanta 28-yard line with 1:52 left in the game and the Falcons trailing 30-27.

“I walked off the field thinking, ‘There it is; we weren’t able to do it,’ but the defense stepped up,” Cousins said.

After Atlanta’s defense forced a three-and-out, Cousins and the Falcons went 46 yards in 1:14 seconds to set up Younghoe Koo’s score-tying 52-yard field goal as time expired. The Falcons won the overtime coin toss and scored on their first possession.

“I have been in some crazy games and been on the losing end of a lot of them, so to have one like this, overtime, walk-off, at home, on a Thursday night, against a great football team in the division, it’s a great performance, and it shows a lot of character and resilience,” Cousins said. “It was a big night, one I’ll never forget.”

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

If Aaron Judge is the New York Yankees’ Superman, the Kansas City Royals may believe that they have his kryptonite in Michael Wacha, their Game 1 starter in the American League Division Series.

Judge has just one hit (a single) in 18 career at-bats (.056) vs. Wacha, a righty veteran. It’s Judge’s lowest career batting average vs. any pitcher he’s faced at least that many times.

Over that span, Judge has nabbed three walks but has also recorded 11 strikeouts. His only hit against Wacha came last season when Wacha was pitching for the San Diego Padres in a game at Yankee Stadium. Judge crushed a 114.1 mph line drive to left field in a 2-1 count on a 91-mph fastball left dangling over the heart of the plate.

What’s the deal with Wacha getting the better of Judge to date?

The Yankees don’t see it as that big of a problem.

“I’ll chalk this up to small sample and I’ll take Aaron Judge against just about anyone on any day,” manager Aaron Boone said.

“He’s a good pitcher, right?” hitting coach James Rowson said. “He can mix it up. He’s got experience.”

Aaron Boone on the Royals. pic.twitter.com/eu8GC3Wot8

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 3, 2024

If the Yankees hope to reach their first World Series since 2009, they’re going to need a lot of help from Judge, who will likely run away with this year’s American League MVP award. He led the league in home runs (58), RBI (144), walks (133), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701) and OPS (1.159). And he did it all while playing out of position in center field and leading a Yankees clubhouse in his second season as team captain.

Meanwhile, Wacha, 33, had another strong season. In 29 starts, he went 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA.

He didn’t face Judge this season, but Wacha surely knows he’s had Judge’s number.

“Probably luck,” Wacha said, laughing, according to a report from The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner in 2022. “I know he’s hit some balls hard off of me. He doesn’t have much to show for that.”

Wacha wasn’t wrong.

Of Judge’s 10 batted balls against Wacha, three of them have gone for more than 100 mph, including a 118.6 mph grounder that resulted in a double play. Judge has an average exit velocity of 94.5 mph against Wacha, just below his career average of 95.7 mph.

Wacha’s attack features one of the best changeups in the game. This season, it’s accounted for 32.2 percent of his pitches — more than any of the other five pitches he throws. Opponents had just a .169 average and a 34.1 percent whiff rate against his changeup. Judge, conversely, faced changeups 10.5 percent of the time and he had only a .229 average against them.(he still slugged .625 against the pitch).

Michael Wacha, Filthy 83mph Changeup. 😷 pic.twitter.com/lOP7rI39zR

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 24, 2024

Boone had high praise for Wacha.

“(He’s) a tough customer,” the manager said. “He’s always pitched us tough. We know we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Judge homered in five consecutive games before ending his regular season with a five-strikeout game against rookie Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game No. 161.

“I see him in a great spot,” Rowson said. “Anybody is going to have some tough days in this game, but I think this season speaks for itself. I think what he’s able to do this year is something that we haven’t seen from a right-handed hitter maybe in the history of the game in terms of what he’s been able to do. So I love where he’s at.”

And Rowson said he thinks Judge won’t take his past against Wacha into Saturday.

“I look at this matchup coming up like — it’s a different game,” the hitting coach said. “Now, it’s just one game at a time. There’s something to having a track record. Then there’s a statement of presence (and) staying in the moment that’s coming to us. I know that Judgey is going to be in the moment.”

(Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)