Lesser-known relievers who could rule October

Plus: 20-year-old rook already making history

Thursday, September 17 View In Browser  These unheralded relievers could shape postseason   It's not always the big-name relief pitcher that can get hot in the postseason. Sometimes it's an obscure arm that emerges exactly at the right time in the right games to push his team deeper into October. TOP NEWS PCA adds 2 more blasts to season Cubs fans will 'tell their grandkids about' Salas youngest catcher in MLB history to hit 2 HRs in a game -- and they were his 1st! 'Glad it's not worse': Snell's early exit complicates Dodgers' plans Rays watch Yankees lose ... then pad AL East lead with 5th straight win Crew follows up clinch with MLB-best 95th win ... but there's 'work to do' Yankees to see how Judge (lower leg tightness) recovers after early exit MORE TOP NEWS PERSONALIZE STORIES STAFF PICKS Young sluggers atop Hitter Power Rankings Pete Crow-Armstrong is holding firm at No. 1, but the previously unranked Elly De La Cruz and surging AL MVP candidate Junior Caminero have garnered the attention of our voters. 1 breakout prospect from each team They could be someone who jumped from outside the Top 30 to a firm spot within those rankings, or it could be a previously ranked prospect who emerged even more into prominence. Queens take Game 1 of WPBL championship Jamie Mackay is best known as a power-hitting catcher, but it was her 5 2/3 innings of stellar relief that gave her offense plenty of time to rally and pull off an upset in the opener of the best-of-five series. ADD MLB AS YOUR PREFERRED SOURCE ON GOOGLE TOP PERFORMANCES Longest Home Run Ethan Salas   426 ft 2nd Inning   Watch   Hardest Base Hit  Oneil Cruz   113.1 mph 4th Inning   Watch   Fastest Strikeout Jhoan Duran   101.8 mph 9th Inning   Watch   Decisive Play Cardinals   46.4% WPA 9th Inning   Watch   Longest Home Run Ethan Salas   426 ft 2nd Inning   Watch   Hardest Base Hit  Oneil Cruz   113.1 mph 4th Inning   Watch   Fastest Strikeout Jhoan Duran   101.8 mph 9th Inning   Watch   Decisive Play Cardinals   46.4% WPA 9th Inning   Watch   Pete Crow-Armstrong 44 HRs tied w/ Banks for most in Cubs history at age 24 or younger Ethan Salas Youngest catcher with 2 HRs in a game (20y, 107d) Zebby Matthews 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 8 K's; 1st scoreless start since May 14 Alex Bregman 3-for-4, 4 RBIs, single shy of cycle Christian Encarnacion-Strand Career-high 3 extra-base hits (2 2Bs, HR) PLAY A SPORCLE BASEBALL QUIZ! MORE FREE GAMES AT MLB PLAY MUST-SEE PLAY John Peck can certainly pick it and then start an inning-ending double play.  MORE TOP PLAYS MLB NETWORK Thursday doubleheader action Superstars square off as Freddie Freeman and the Dodgers take on Elly De La Cruz and the Reds at 12:30 p.m. ET (or A’s vs. Rays at 1 p.m. ET) before the Twins take on the Angels at 9:30 p.m. MORE FROM MLB NETWORK SCOREBOARD CWS 3 CLE 6 SF 6 STL 5 NYY 4 MIN 5 DET 1 TOR 5 LAD 2 CIN 6 ATH 3 TB 4 MIL 5 PIT 4 PHI 3 WSH 0 BAL 7 NYM 1 ATL 4 CHC 8 BOS 3 TEX 7 KC 5 HOU 2 SD 9 COL 3 SEA 7 LAA 2 MIA 4 AZ 3 © 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.