Under-the-radar players lifting contenders

Plus: The enduring legacy of Tommy John

Monday, August 17 View In Browser  TOP NEWS Debate brewing between Top 2 in Power Rankings   The top teams did not change this week. However, the Brewers, after winning 3 of 4 in L.A., are primed to flip the script. Tommy John, whose surgery blazed a trail for countless players, dies at 83 Facing the ace they tried to trade for, Brewers get the last laugh vs. Dodgers Sweet redemption for Rice, who hits go-ahead blast after error in 9th Painter prevails after rocky start as Phils rally for first sweep since June White Sox showing they're the team to beat in AL Central with sweep of Tigers Olson's go-ahead moonshot fuels Braves to series finale victory Orioles take sole possession of 3rd Wild Card with 3rd straight win vs. AL-best Rays Ranking every MLB farm system, 1-30 Tigers look to renew playoff push tonight vs. Pirates (7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN) Chapman triggers his vesting option for '27 MORE TOP NEWS ADD MLB AS YOUR PREFERRED SOURCE ON GOOGLE PERSONALIZE STORIES TOP PERFORMANCES Longest Home Run Ryan Vilade   441 ft 4th Inning   Watch   Hardest Base Hit  Andrew Vaughn   111.6 mph 5th Inning   Watch   Fastest Strikeout Andrés Muñoz   101.8 mph 9th Inning   Watch   Decisive Play Phillies   32.7% WPA 8th Inning   Watch   Longest Home Run Ryan Vilade   441 ft 4th Inning   Watch   Hardest Base Hit  Andrew Vaughn   111.6 mph 5th Inning   Watch   Fastest Strikeout Andrés Muñoz   101.8 mph 9th Inning   Watch   Decisive Play Phillies   32.7% WPA 8th Inning   Watch   Noah Cameron 1st one-hit shutout by Royals pitcher since 8/30/09 (Greinke) Alec Burleson HR in consecutive games; 1.221 OPS in August Jake Bauers 2nd career 4-hit game, 1st since 2019 Abimelec Ortiz 5 HR in 1st 14 MLB games are tied for most in Nats history (Meneses) Gabriel Moreno 9th HR; hitting .395 during 10-game hit streak PLAY A SPORCLE BASEBALL QUIZ! MORE FREE GAMES AT MLB PLAY MUST-SEE PLAY Heeeeere's Jonny! The Rays got out of a fifth-inning bind thanks to Jonny DeLuca. MORE TOP PLAYS STAFF PICKS Every contender needs one of these guys These 10 players may not be household names, but they've performed like legitimate stars for much of the season, giving their respective clubs a boost toward postseason contention. How Tommy John changed baseball history When Tommy John walked off the mound with excruciating elbow pain on July 17, 1974, he thought his career was over. No one could have known that the events to follow would change baseball forever. He owes his teammate a new pair of kicks The cleats Joshua Báez wore during his record-setting three-homer debut are headed to Cooperstown. There's just one catch: They weren't even his. 5 series to watch this week There are plenty of fascinating matchups this week, including the Crosstown Classic in Chicago and a meeting between division leaders in Milwaukee. The epic saga of baseball's longest game The first pitch arrived at 8:02 p.m., but no one was prepared for what was to come over the next eight hours in a Triple-A game between Rochester and Pawtucket on April 18, 1981.   MORE STORIES SCOREBOARD BAL 10 TB 2 BOS 3 PIT 8 AZ 3 ATL 5 NYY 4 TOR 3 WSH 3 NYM 4 SD 5 CLE 0 CWS 7 DET 5 MIA 7 CIN 1 PHI 7 MIN 5 STL 11 CHC 4 COL 13 SF 7 TEX 2 ATH 5 KC 3 LAA 0 MIL 6 LAD 2 SEA 3 HOU 2 © 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners. Please review our Privacy Policy. You (geoffgould.gr8iphone@blogger.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com. Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe  or log in and manage your email subscriptions. Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.