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One-hundred and sixty-one games later, it all comes down to this.

After a drama-filled week of heartbreaking eliminations and champagne-popping celebrations, there is still plenty to be decided on Sunday, the final day of the 2025 MLB regular season.

In the National League, two teams remain jockeying for one final playoff spot. Over in the American League, the AL Central and AL East divisions have yet to crown a champion, and there is playoff seeding up for grabs throughout the bracket.

Here's a breakdown of everything each team is playing for on the final day of the 2025 regular season:

American LeagueToronto Blue Jays (93-68)

What's at stake: AL East title; No. 1 seed
The skinny: Toronto owns the tiebreaker over the Yankees, so the Blue Jays will be crowned AL East champs on Sunday (and secure the No. 1 seed in the AL) with either a win over the Rays or a New York loss to the Orioles. If Sunday doesn't go their way, the Blue Jays will be the top wild-card team in the AL as the No. 4 seed.

Seattle Mariners (90-71)

What's at stake: Nothing.
The skinny: Seattle clinched its first division title since 2001 earlier this week, so there's nothing to play for on Sunday. The Mariners will be the No. 2 seed in the AL no matter what happens. It is worth watching to see if Cal Raleigh—sitting with 60 homers on the year—tries to chase Aaron Judge's AL record of 62 homers on the final day of the regular season.

Cleveland Guardians (87-74)

What's at stake: AL Central title
The skinny: The Guardians clinched a postseason berth Saturday in the ultimate "Guards Ball" way—on a walk-off hit by pitch in the ninth inning. Cleveland, which owns the tiebreaker over the Tigers, can claim its third AL Central title in the last four years on Sunday with either a win over the Rangers or a Detroit loss to the Red Sox. If Cleveland loses out on the division title, the Guardians would be locked into the final wild-card spot (No. 6 seed) because they lost the tiebreaker to Boston.

New York Yankees (93-69)

What's at stake: AL East title; No. 1 seed
The skinny: New York will be chasing a division title and a chance for home-field advantage and a first-round bye on the final day of the regular season. To do so, the Yankees will need to beat the Orioles combined with the Blue Jays falling to the Rays.

Boston Red Sox (88-73)

What's at stake: Wild-card seeding
The skinny: Boston, already having clinched a wild-card spot earlier this week, is postseason bound. But the Red Sox could either grab the No. 5 or No. 6 seed based on Sunday's results. The Red Sox own the tiebreaker over the Guardians but would lose the tiebreaker to Detroit. If Boston loses to the Tigers on Sunday and the Guardians beat the Rangers, the Red Sox would slide to the No. 6 seed. If any other scenario happens, the Red Sox will be the No. 5 seed in the AL.

Detroit Tigers (87-74)

What's at stake: AL Central title
The skinny: Take a sigh of relief, Detroit. The Tigers were on the brink of a historic collapse all week before clinching a postseason berth on Saturday. They could win the AL Central on Sunday with a win over the Red Sox combined with the Guardians losing to Texas. If Detroit beats the Red Sox and the Guardians take down the Rangers, the Tigers would be the No. 5 seed. If the Tigers lose on Sunday, they'll claim the No. 6 seed and final wild-card spot in the AL.

National LeagueMilwaukee Brewers (96-65)

What's at stake: Nada.
The skinny: Fire up the tailgate grill and relax, Brewers fans. For the first time since 1982, Milwaukee will finish the season with the best record in the big leagues, meaning the Brewers will have home-field advantage at American Family Field through the World Series. Milwaukee can play spoiler on Sunday, however, if they'd like to send the division rival Reds packing.

Philadelphia Phillies (95-66)

What's at stake: Not a thing.
The skinny: The Phillies had a chance at the NL's top seed before losing to the lowly Twins on Saturday night. That loss locked Philadelphia into the No. 2 seed, which also comes with a first-round bye. We'll see you in the NLDS, Phillie Phanatic.

Los Angeles Dodgers (92-69)

What's at stake: Nothing.
The skinny: Like the Brewers and Phillies, the Dodgers don't have anything to play for on Sunday. The NL West champs will be the No. 3 seed in the postseason and will be preparing to host a wild-card round at Dodger Stadium. There is some interesting baseball to watch for Dodgers fans on Sunday, however, to see if either the Reds or Mets will claim the final wild-card spot for a chance to play Los Angeles.

Chicago Cubs (91-70)

What's at stake: Nothing.
The skinny: The Cubs clinched the top NL wild-card spot on Saturday, so they'll host the Padres in the best-of-three first round of the playoffs at Wrigley Field. Aside from the postseason tilt in 2020 that had no fans in attendance, the last playoff game hosted at the "Friendly Confines" was the Cubs' 2-1 loss to the Rockies in the 2018 wild-card game. Should be fun.

San Diego Padres (89-72)

What's at stake: Nothing.
The skinny: As mentioned above, the Padres will be catching a flight to Chicago to open up the wild-card round at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.

Cincinnati Reds (83-78)

What's at stake: Playoff spot.
The skinny: The Reds control their own destiny. A win over the rival Brewers, and Cincinnati is heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. It's that simple. If they lose to the Brewers, the Reds will still get in if the Mets lose to the Marlins. But if the Reds lose to Milwaukee and the Mets beat Miami, Cincinnati will be packing its bags for Cancún.

New York Mets (83-78)

What's at stake: Playoff spot.
The skinny: Missing the playoffs would be a disaster for Steve Cohen's $341 million payroll. But that has a decent chance of happening Sunday. The only way the Mets get into the playoffs is with a win over the Marlins combined with the Reds losing to the Brewers. Gulp.

All the numbers from the PBKS vs KKR game, which set new records for low totals in the IPL

Sampath Bandarupalli15-Apr-20256:18

Pressure or complacency – why did KKR collapse?

111 – The total Punjab Kings (PBKS) successfully defended against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Tuesday, the lowest in the IPL (excluding shortened matches). The previous lowest was 116 for 9 by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) in Durban during the 2009 edition.In the previous fixture between these two teams in IPL 2024, PBKS chased down 262 at Eden Gardens, which was the highest successful chase in the IPL.5 – IPL matches where both teams were bowled out, including the PBKS-KKR game. Two of the four other games also featured KKR, but they won those.ESPNcricinfo Ltd95 – KKR’s total in the chase is their joint-third-lowest in the IPL, and the first time they have been bowled out for under 100 since 2009. It is also the third-lowest total in the IPL by any team against PBKS and the lowest since 2017.95 – KKR’s total is the joint-lowest by any team in the IPL to feature a half-century stand. Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi added 55 for the third wicket. In 2009, KKR were bowled out for 95 against Mumbai Indians (MI) despite a 54-run stand between Brad Hodge and Sourav Ganguly for the third wicket.97.94 – KKR’s win probability as per ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster at the end of the ninth over of the chase, when the strategic time out was taken. They needed 41 runs in eleven overs with seven wickets in hand at that stage. They lost all those, adding only 24 more.8 – Four-plus wicket hauls for Yuzvendra Chahal in the IPL, the joint-highest in the IPL alongside Sunil Narine.Three of those eight hauls by Chahal have come against KKR, including a five-for. Narine has three four-plus wicket hauls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).Yuzvendra Chahal returned to form in grand style•Getty Images2-12 – PBKS’ win-loss record at home across IPL 2023 and 2024. They have won two of their three home games so far this season.36 – Wickets for Narine in the IPL against PBKS, the most by any bowler against an opponent, going past Umesh Yadav’s tally of 35, also against PBKS.15.3 – Overs PBKS batted on Tuesday, the fewest by any team in the IPL after electing to bat first (excluding shortened matches). The previous fewest was 17.2 overs by Pune Warriors against MI in 2011.KKR were also bowled out in 15.1 overs, making it only the third men’s T20 where both teams were all out in 16 or fewer overs.

A Manchester City star on £150,000-a-week is in a protective boot and set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

Pep Guardiola celebrates 1,000th game as manager in Man City win over Liverpool

Prior to the international break, Pep Guardiola took charge of his 1,000th game as a manager as his City side defeated Premier League rivals Liverpool 3-0.

Jeremy Doku was the star of the show on the pitch at the Etihad, rounding off his performance with a goal in the second half after first half strikes from Erling Haaland and Nico Gonzalez.

Talking after the win at the Etihad, Guardiola reflected on his managerial career, which began at Barcelona B in 2007.

“I think my period at Barcelona B is the foundation for many things. To realise that I was able to do it and learn a lot.

“I will never forget the guys in that first season. For me, it has been so special to make 1,000 games in front of my family and especially against Liverpool. I have a huge respect for that club.”

Over the last 18 years, Guardiola has won 716 games in charge and looks set to lead City in another title battle with league leaders Arsenal.

Wins

716

Draws

156

Losses

128

Trophies

40

Goals scored

2,445

Goals conceded

813

However, he will have to do that for large parts of the season without one of his trusted midfielders.

Injury update on Man City’s Mateo Kovacic

According to reports relayed by Sport Witness, Mateo Kovacic underwent successful surgery last Friday on ‘calcifications’ that had grown in his heel.

The midfielder, who has made just one Premier League appearance all season following Achilles surgery in the summer, is now set to travel down to London next week to have stitches removed.

Now in a protective boot, a rehabilitation programme usually lasts four months, so Kovacic, on £150,000-a-week, will hopefully return by March as he looks to get minutes before the World Cup with Croatia.

De Zerbi in frame to become Man City manager as Guardiola exit timeline revealed

Pep Guardiola is the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, but his time at the Etihad Stadium could be coming to an end.

ByDominic Lund Nov 12, 2025

Between now and March, Man City currently have 22 games scheduled in all competitions plus the FA Cup third round tie that has yet to be drawn.

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic is hoping to have Kovacic recovered in time for the World Cup next summer, recently saying: “I hope Kovacic won’t miss the World Cup. He has similar problems to those he had four or five months ago.

”We believe he’ll be with us at the World Cup. I’d like him to be back in March. It must be tough for him. The injury and the surgery are taking a psychological toll on him. I hope Kovacic gets through it all.”

Man City leading race for Rodrygo with Real Madrid future now in major doubt

Jude Bellingham's generosity has shone through with the Real Madrid star prepared to give a youth player 'his armour' following a cruel injury blow. Bruno Iglesias recently suffered a serious shoulder injury for the second time in his young career. The 22-year-old slipped and fell awkwardly in training as the Castilla star was preparing for an emotional return to Salamanca.

Getty Images SportBellingham prepared to help Iglesias

Iglesias had been set for a start under manager Alvaro Arbeloa but injury struck again in front of family and friends. It's the second time the youngster has endured a shoulder injury leaving the Castilla player with a decision to make.

Iglesias must now decide whether to play with a shoulder brace and endure the pain or undergo surgery that would rule him out until March. However, with less than a year left on his current deal, and the option to extend tied to first-team promotion, the Spaniard is eager to keep playing.

And in a huge show of generosity, Bellingham has offered to lend Iglesias the same shoulder brace he used in order to manage his own shoulder injury. The England international played in excess of 100 games with the brace itself before opting for surgery following the Club World Cup.

The 22-year-old played all six Real Madrid matches at the summer competition in the US before their resounding semi-final exit at the hands of Champions League winners PSG, after which he made the decision to go under the knife. Bellingham missed the opening few weeks of the season but has since slotted back into the Real Madrid starting seamlessly.

"I've been waiting for a while and my patience is running out. I want to feel free now; it's exhausting playing with the sling," Bellingham said about playing in the shoulder brace.

Advertisement'There were a lot of days alone' in Bellingham's recovery

Earlier this month, Bellingham opened up on his shoulder surgery and has confirmed he is now back to full fitness, stating: "It felt quick, but there were a lot of days alone, working hard, and honestly, pretty boring. I'm back earlier than people expected it was never going to be three or four months, I was always confident I’d return sooner.

"Once I was back with the team and doing contact, I flew through the last few weeks. On the pitch, I feel confident. I had to do gym sessions on a mat, learning how to fall and roll again, making sure I wasn’t putting my shoulder in positions where it might pop out.

"The chances are less than 1%, but it was about feeling no pain. It’s boring stuff you’re basically learning to fall again like a kid. It means a lot to hear people say they miss watching you, teammates miss playing with you, staff miss coaching you even the fans being up in the stand, seeing yourself on the big screen, hearing the claps it’s humbling to know so many people are supporting you.

"It’s easy to get dragged into negativity when you’re injured, especially when you can’t remind people what you do. That support was exactly the reminder I needed of how loved I am in Madrid, which is all that really matters."

Getty Images SportReal Madrid seek to return to winning ways at Elche

Bellingham will now hope to help Real Madrid return to winning ways having failed to win their last two competitive games. Xabi Alonso could only watch on as his Real Madrid side fell to a 1-0 loss at Liverpool in the Champions League earlier this month.

Los Blancos then followed up that defeat with a 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano and they'll hope to reclaim top spot in La Liga when they take on Elche on Sunday. Real Madrid dropped to second in the table as rivals and defending champions Barcelona secured a 4-0 win over Athletic Club in their first game at Spotify Camp Nou in over 900 days on Saturday afternoon.

Elche are unbeaten at home in La Liga this season, winning three and drawing three of their opening six games in front of their fans as Real Madrid seek to get their season back on track ahead of their Champions League game against Olympiacos next week.

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Real Madrid's no.5 looking to rediscover debut season form

Bellingham, meanwhile, made an impressive return to first team action following his full recovery from surgery, coming in clutch in narrow wins over Juventus and Barcelona in the Champions League and La Liga, respectively.

The Real Madrid no.5 will now hope to put in performances similar to his debut season in Spain, where he inspired the Spanish giants to the league and Champions League double. 

A late-career promotion has provided a fresh challenge for Chandimal, while also giving a boost to new star on the block, Kamindu Mendis

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Dec-2024Thirteen years and more than 80 Tests into his international career, Dinesh Chandimal is in the throes of something brand new, in the same country he had debuted in.At his best, Chandimal is a free spirit – the kind of batter who goes out looking for run-scoring opportunities, then throws his entire body behind the aggressive shots.The lofted hits down the ground struck so vigorously his helmet shifts on his head, the back arched as he spanks a ball through the covers, the big slog sweeps in which he almost loses his balance – these are all hallmarks of his greatest innings.Related

South Africa and Sri Lanka look to keep their WTC final hopes alive

SL show up with the bat, but there's no forgiving 42 all out

Chandimal rises to the occasion with a 'bit of luck'

Kamindu adds another banger to his growing list of hits

But now there is need for him to be a different sort of player entirely. The rocket-fuelled arrival of Kamindu Mendis means someone had to move up the order to No. 3. Chandimal was thriving at No. 5, a position in which he averages 50.29 and from where he had scored seven of his 15 centuries, and a double-century.But Sri Lanka needed Kamindu to move up, and Chandimal made way.”When the selectors and coach asked me to move up to No. 3, it was a new thing for me as well, because I’d only ever batted one innings at No. 3,” Chandimal told ESPNcricinfo. “I told them to give me a day to think about it. So I thought, well, I’m nearing the end of my career, and we need to groom youngsters. No. 3 is a big challenge, and that you face the new ball and fresh bowlers.”Batting No. 3 is notoriously difficult in a place such as South Africa. The first Test of this series was a case in point: Sri Lanka were guilty of playing too many aggressive strokes in their nosedive to 42 all out. “Batting at No. 3, you have to leave a lot of balls, and your forward defence has to be solid. Those are the things to tighten, and those are the biggest challenges for me.”Beyond this, on this particular tour, Sri Lanka are facing an exceptionally tall seam attack. Marco Jansen is a little taller than two metres. Kagiso Rabada stands a shade higher than 1.9 metres. Sri Lanka were perhaps guilty of not leaving as many balls on length as they could have, but they are also dealing with unusual trajectories.

“They gave me a lot of confidence that as long as they’re around, they will back me, whether or not the runs were coming at No. 3. It’s when there’s trust inside the team like that, that we are able to take decisions without being afraid”Dinesh Chandimal on the team management

“In Sri Lanka, we don’t have fast bowlers like that – with this kind of height,” Chandimal said. “So there’s no way to train against those kinds of release points. They get a foot or a foot-and-a-half of extra bounce. That is why it’s tough for us to judge.”It’s on length that you have to leave the ball, often. With a normal bowler, the ball has to pitch a little shorter for us to be able to leave on length. But with these bowlers, even if they pitch a couple of feet fuller than that, you can probably leave it based on length. If we get better at judging that length, we will be able to handle these bowlers much better.”Of Sri Lanka’s batters in Durban, Chandimal was the best at negotiating that bounce. Though he was out for a duck to a spectacular inseaming delivery from Jansen in the first innings, Chandimal was Sri Lanka’s best batter in the second dig. Arriving at the crease in the fifth over, he struck 83 off 174 deliveries.”When you play here, it’s not good to be tentative,” Chandimal said. “If you play a forward defence, you have to commit to it. If you play a shot you have to commit. And if you leave it, it’s the same. It’s that tentativeness that can get you.Dinesh Chandimal, who scored 83, was Sri Lanka’s best batter in the second innings in Durban•Associated Press”In the second innings, I just had it in my mind to be positive with every shot. If you’re in that mindset, you’re in a better place to pounce on the loose balls when they come also.”Part of that commitment will have flowed down from the management. When they asked him to bat No. 3, Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya, the selectors, and captain Dhananjaya de Silva had assured him they would not abandon him if the experiment went badly.”They gave me a lot of confidence that as long as they’re around, they will back me, whether or not the runs were coming at No. 3,” Chandimal said. “It’s when there’s trust inside the team like that, that we are able to take decisions without being afraid.”In any case, If there is some spice in the Gqeberha pitch, as there is likely to be, Sri Lanka will be desperate for more such innings from their new No. 3. “There are some things you have to do for the team and for the future of Sri Lankan cricket, rather than thinking of yourself. I think I’ve always thought about Sri Lankan cricket first. I won’t complain about batting at No. 3. I’ll just take it as a challenge.”

Super-agent Jorge Mendes has dismissed the "noise" surrounding the young Spanish talent Lamine Yamal, urging for support for the 18-year-old Barcelona star. His comments come as Yamal himself refutes "lies" about his pubalgia injury after a stunning display in the Champions League, though Hansi Flick confirms the issue is still being actively managed.

Mendes defends Yamal

Mendes has publicly addressed the intense speculation and "noise" surrounding Yamal, following weeks of discussion about the 18-year-old's fitness and conduct. Mendes, who represents five players at Barcelona including Yamal, Alejandro Balde and Ansu Fati, broke his silence to defend the teenager from the mounting pressure. The agent's comments arrive in the wake of Yamal's scintillating performance in the Champions League, but also amid a backdrop of ongoing concerns over a persistent pubalgia injury.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMendes addresses 'noise' and ongoing pubalgia concerns

Speaking directly on the recent debate surrounding Yamal, Mendes sought to normalise the situation and called for the player to be supported, not scrutinised.

“I don't understand all the noise surrounding Lamine Yamal. We've all been 18 and young," Mendes told . "As president [Joan] Laporta said, what we have to do is support him and help him as much as possible because he's a great asset to the club."

The Portuguese agent, whose Gestifute agency manages Yamal, acknowledged the unique burden on the young forward, who now wears the number 10 shirt for Barcelona once worn by the likes of Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.

"Lamine is the player everyone is talking about worldwide; there's a consensus that he's a great player for both the present and the future," Mendes continued. "Having everyone watching you is also a great responsibility and a lot of pressure. He's handling it very well, and we have to continue helping him, and one way to do that is to focus exclusively on his work.”

Mendes also confirmed the reports of a physical issue but insisted it is being handled correctly by the player and the club.

“Lamine knows perfectly well what he has to do both on and off the field, and that's what he's doing: concentrating on working quietly and not talking much," he added. "He has some physical issues that he's addressing with the club to resolve them in the best way possible while he plays, and that's the most important thing, that he recovers well and can contribute as much as possible to the team."

Yamal hits back at 'lies' after Brugge heroics

Mendes's comments about letting the football do the talking were emphatically underlined by Yamal's performance in midweek. The agent noted: "The best thing Lamine does is let his play on the field do the talking; he does it like no one else, as we saw in the Brugge match."

In that chaotic 3-3 Champions League draw against Club Brugge on Wednesday, Yamal was Barcelona's standout performer. He dragged his side back into the game three times, scoring a sensational solo goal and creating the third, which resulted in a Christos Tzolis own goal.

After the match, Yamal himself confronted the recent rumours about his fitness. The forward missed seven games for club and country earlier this season with the pubalgia problem.

"I am good," Yamal told reporters. "I try not to read things. A lot has been said about my injury and that I was sad. It was all lies. I wanted to work hard to get back to this level, which is when I feel the best and have the most fun."

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Flick confirms injury is still being 'managed'

Despite Yamal's declaration and his agent's supportive words, Flick provided a more cautious assessment. The German coach confirmed that the pubalgia, a notoriously difficult groin-related injury, remains a daily concern.

"I am happy that Lamine is back on this level, but how I said also, we don't know what is tomorrow; we don't know what is next Sunday," Flick said in his post-game press conference in Belgium.

"The important thing is that he manages this situation he has now because it's not easy. He has to be focused on what he has to do, how he has to train and also the treatment. If he manages that the right way, hopefully it goes away, but it's not easy to say when with the situation."

Wolves now see Rob Edwards as a leading choice to replace Vitor Pereira as manager, having failed to bring Gary O’Neil back to the club.

Pereira was relieved of his duties over the weekend, following a dreadful start to the season that sees Wanderers sit bottom of the Premier League table, with Jeff Shi confirming the decision.

“Vitor and his team worked tirelessly for Wolves and helped guide us through a challenging period last season, for which we are grateful. Unfortunately, the start to this season has been a disappointment and, despite our strong desire to give the head coach time and matches to find an improvement, we have reached a point where we must make a change. We thank Vitor and his staff for their efforts and wish them the very best for the future.”

O’Neil had emerged as a front-runner to replace Pereira, but the former Wolves manager has now reportedly decided against a return to Molineux, feeling it isn’t the right time.

Meanwhile, former Wanderers striker Robbie Keane is another name who has been thrown into the mix, and now a key update has emerged regarding Middlesbrough manager Edwards taking charge.

Edwards speaks out about taking Wolves job

Speaking to BBC Radio Tees, Edwards didn’t rule out taking over as Wolves manager, but admitted his focus is on his current club at the moment.

“I can understand it with my links to the club but my full focus is on this job here, which is a brilliant job, and trying to turn things around for a really big game against Leicester. It’s hard for me to comment on speculation and anything other than Middlesbrough. We’ve done a decent job so far, and all I care about is trying to win tomorrow.”

Journalist Ben Jacobs has added that Edwards is high on Wolves’ wishlist after O’Neil’s snub and has a release clause in his Boro contract, with the Old Gold looking to ‘try and line up a replacement for Pereira before the Chelsea game’.

Edwards is an impressive young manager who already knows Wolves well, not only spending four years there as a player, but also having a brief spell in interim charge back in 2016.

The 42-year-old famously guided Luton Town into the Premier League from the Championship, which was a special achievement, and he has been hailed by journalist Mark Ogden for his “ultra-positive” approach.

Middlesbrough

14

1.79

Luton Town

103

1.18

Watford

11

1.27

Forest Green

53

1.75

England Under-16s

1

0.00

Wolves Under-23s

34

1.76

Telford United

42

1.26

While Edwards will clearly be focusing on guiding Middlesbrough into the top flight, the lure of Wolves could be great for him, both in terms of returning to the club and also getting another Premier League job.

He is still a relatively young manager, so there is some risk in Wanderers appointing him, at a time when a more experienced head who knows how to get out of trouble arguably makes more sense.

Better than O'Neil: Wolves looking to hire "insanely talented" English boss

Wolves are reportedly keen on a manager who would be a better option than Gary O’Neil.

ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2025

But if those high up at the club feel that the 3-4-2-1-playing Edwards is the right man to get Wolves out of this current mess, they need to be trusted, with age only a number and the Englishman already impressing so much in his managerial career.

Robbie Keane in talks with Wolves as Steven Gerrard gives clarity on future

ATLANTA — Sometime around the late innings Tuesday night, the home bullpen door at Truist Field will swing open and out will come running a baseball fairy tale waiting to be told. You will know it is Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers by his Ichabod Crane figure, his aw-shucks, Missouri-bred Tom Sawyer smile and his holy spit fastball. Midsummer evening in Georgia suddenly will feel hotter, batters will shake their heads in wonder and jaws will drop.

Misiorowski is that special. He is 23 years old and looks even younger. He is as thin as a paper clip and aglow with so much joy and so wide a grin he can’t stop using the word “cool.”

Just five starts under the belt around his slim waist, he also is at the center of the biggest and most wrong-headed controversy at this All-Star Game. The gripe, largely fostered by the Philadelphia Phillies and assorted media, was that Misiorowski did not “deserve” his selection. Never mind that pitchers left and right couldn’t be bothered to pitch in the All-Star Game and that the honor meant so much to Misiorowski that he cried when he was told of his selection.

And then there is this: Misiorowski throws the meanest fastball in baseball, a 99.3 mph rocket with an absurd, gravity-defying 2,599 rpm spin, a wickedly low release point and so much extension he lets go of the ball a foot closer to home plate than the average pitcher. And he’s been historically great in his brief but captivating time on the MLB stage.

Misiorowski is exactly what the All-Star Game is: a showcase of the best talent in baseball, not a WAR calculating exercise. He is a sensation (without the mound-scaping and talking-to-the-ball soliloquies) in the manner of Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, who the All-Star Game with just 11 starts. With the way the world moves, five starts in 2025 is darn close to the exposure of 11 starts in 1976.

If you don’t want Misiorowski, you don’t want entertainment. And you don’t want baseball fairy tales.

Just two years ago on this date Misiorowski was pitching in front of 4,175 people in Peoria for the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Five years ago, after COVID wiped out his senior season at Grain Valley High and no team drafted the skinny righthander, he decided he’d rather pitch for the Crowder College Roughriders, a community college in Missouri with an enrollment of 3,800, than accept an offer from Oklahoma State.

“Well, I just think that’s what I needed,” he explains. “I think I needed a small town to just get my feet wet and get acclimated to collegiate ball.”

I asked him to give me the scouting report on his 18-year-old self. “I was really, really skinny. Really lanky.”

What does that mean, weight-wise? “Like 170, 165.”

Same height? Six-feet-seven? “Yeah. Pretty close.”

He continues with the scouting report: “He’s going to throw a lot of fastballs. He doesn’t always know where it’s going to go. He knows, be ready to get hit. So, it’s, yeah, I think that’s the biggest threat: it’s just, ‘Don't get hit.’”

He made 15 starts for Crowder in 2022, then decided to transfer to LSU, where he would have joined Paul Skenes. But the Brewers drafted him in the second round—after 62 players were picked—and gave him $2.3 million, mid-first round money, to sign. Misiorowski needed to gain weight (he has put on about 25 to 30 pounds) and iron out his mechanics. He was a strikeout machine in the minors (12.3 strikeouts per nine) but lacked command (5.4 walks per nine). But counterintuitively, he commands the baseball much better in the big leagues with four pitches than he did in the minors. He has an old school explanation for that.

“Adrenaline,” he says. “I think that's the biggest thing. You know, I think it was just one of those things that happens when you settle down, like you learn to be where your feet are and have fun.”

As thin as your chances of hitting his fastball, Misiorowski has been an optical wonder. No one throws the ball this fast this close to the plate with this much spin. In each of his four wins he has beaten an All-Star: Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Skenes and Clayton Kershaw, who wasn’t even sure of the kid’s name when Misiorowski dominated the Dodgers like few pitchers have ever done. Misiorowski joined Dwight Gooden (19 years old in 1984) and Louis Drucke (21 in 1910) as the youngest pitchers to beat the Dodgers with as many as 12 strikeouts and no more than one walk.

“Yeah, speechless,” he says. “It’s one of the things you dream about, basically. It’s the Dodgers, so it's really cool to perform the way I did.”

Those “undeserving” five starts are historically great, with winning four times with 33 strikeouts and a 2.81 ERA. Only five other pitchers started like that through five starts, beginning with Noodles Hahn in 1901 through Jesse Hahn in 2014 and with Cy Blanton (1934–35), Bo Belinsky (1964) and Yu Darvish (2012) in between.

Misiorowski meets all the history and all the success with a wide-eyed grin. You half expect him to offer you the chance to paint a picket fence.

“I mean, it’s really cool,” he says. “No way I imagined this. Not a chance.”

Still, Misiorowski was a long shot to make the team. Eight pitchers originally were named to the team, including Zack Wheeler of the Phillies. Wheeler bowed out, especially after learning that Skenes was starting instead of him. Pitchers who pitched Sunday, such as Cristopher Sanchez of the Phillies, were out. MLB asked Ranger Suárez to pitch in the All-Star Game. He declined. According to one source, MLB went through 13 more pitchers—21 in all—before they finally landed on a willing, able and, yes, deserving Misiorowski. You could pick a relief pitcher having a good season, such as Emilio Pagán, or you could pick an honest to goodness sensation.

Ask what he loves most about pitching and he says, “Just competing against the guy in the box. I think that's the coolest part. You get to face the guys that are, you know, in The Show. You’re like, ‘Holy cow, this is that dude!’ And now you’re like, ‘Okay, now I’ve got to beat this guy. Let’s go!’” 

Misiorowski’s combination of talent and youth is as refreshing as the answer he gave to what he expected from pitching in the All-Star Game: “Nothing. I’m just trying to make it through and have fun.” 

Tuesday night will mark the official introduction of Jacob Misiorowski of Blue Springs, Mo.—about 200 miles from Hannibal, Mo.—to the national baseball stage. Such are the moments that make the All-Star Game the grand showcase of talent that it is designed to be. And if adrenaline is his secret to command, what will the adrenaline be like coursing through his whippet of a body in that moment under the lights?

“Through the roof,” he says. “More than any other game.”

There is a scene in when Tom attempts to convince Huckleberry Finn to accept the ways in which the Widow Douglas wants to teach him manners and civility. Mark Twain used the Widow Douglas as a proxy for the confining ways of proper society, analogous to staying within the lines of a coloring book or, as All-Star Games go, inviting only the “deserved” who have paid their dues in full.

“Well, everybody does it that way, Huck.”

“Tom,” Huck replies, “I am not everybody.”

His match-winning 92 trumps centuries by James Bracey, Ben Charlesworth

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025Hampshire 315 for 5 (Middleton 92, Gubbins 76, Orr 52, Albert 52) beat Gloucestershire 313 for 7 (Bracey 104, Charlesworth 104, Barker 3-52) by five wickets Fletcha Middleton scored a match-winning half-century as Hampshire beat Gloucestershire by five wickets at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium to secure a quarter-final berth in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.The Winchester-born batter top-scored with 92 from 95 balls, struck six fours and two sixes and staged a crucial third-wicket partnership of 115 with Toby Albert, who made 52, as the visitors reached a victory target of 314 with eight balls to spare.The country’s leading scorer in the 50-over competition this season with 658 at an average of 131.6, captain Nick Gubbins made 76 from 60 deliveries, accrued 12 fours and staged a superb opening stand of 112 in 11.2 overs with Ali Orr, who contributed a quickfire 52 from 35 balls to set up Hampshire’s successful run chase.Put in to bat on a flat track, Gloucestershire posted 313 for 7 in a match reduced by rain to 49 overs a side, James Bracey and Ben Charlesworth both scoring 104. Bracey’s innings spanned 85 balls, included 12 fours and three sixes and took his tally for the campaign to 572 at an average of 71.5.He dominated stands of 81 and 118 with Ollie Price and Charlesworth for the second and third wickets respectively. Charlesworth proved equally destructive, facing 83 deliveries, with eight fours and four sixes and staging an alliance of 90 for the fourth wicket with Jack Taylor.But Hampshire withstood the pressure and Keith Barker, making his first appearance since completing a 12-month ban for a drug offence, returned figures of 3 for 52 from 10 overs to prevent Gloucestershire from posting a really big total.Victory secured Hampshire a second-place finish behind Worcestershire in Group A and a home quarter-final tie against Warwickshire on Thursday, while Gloucestershire will face a West Country showdown against Somerset at Taunton on the same day.Hampshire won the toss, elected to bowl and put Gloucestershire under pressure with the new ball, Eddie Jack producing a brilliant delivery to bowl Cameron Bancroft in the first over. Price was then fortunate to survive on nought, slicing Barker to point where Middleton spilled a straightforward chance.Bracey and Price overcame a testing examination and a short break for rain to post a 50 partnership from 58 balls. Acceleration followed when Bracey twice cut Jack for four and then pulled him for six as Gloucestershire posted 52 for 1 in the powerplay.Price succumbed to an ugly dismissal, bowled by a high full toss from slow left armer Andrew Neal, initially standing his ground in the expectation of no-ball being called before departing for a 31-ball 36.But there was no stopping the indomitable Bracey, who went to his fourth 50 in eight innings from 47 balls. He found an able ally in Charlesworth and these two put Hampshire spinners Felix Organ and Neal under sustained pressure during the middle overs, raising 50 from 41 balls in just 21 minutes as Gloucestershire advanced to 141 for 2 after 25 overs.Bracey’s second 50 occupied just 35 balls, the 28-year-old going to his fifth List-A hundred from 82 deliveries. Warming to his task, Charlesworth plundered 18 off an over from teenager Manny Lumsden to push the rate above six an over for the first time and the 100 partnership arrived via 86 balls as the third wicket pair put the visitors under the pump.Hampshire desperately needed a breakthrough and the returning Barker obliged, persuading Bracey to hit to Ben Mayes at deep mid-wicket in the 33rd over.Charlesworth picked up the pace thereafter, scoring a run-a-ball half century. In dominant form, the left hander went to his first List-A hundred in fine style, hoisting Barker high over midwicket for six to eclipse his previous highest score of 99 not out, made against Hampshire at Bristol in 2021.Having dominated an aggressive stand of 90 for the fourth wicket with Jack Taylor, Charlesworth hit Barker to long-off with the score 290 for 4 in the 45th.Despite not being at his fluent best, Taylor raised 38 from 42 balls. But he was bowled by Neal, after which the home side managed a mearge 17 runs off the last 20 deliveries as Hampshire seamers Jack and Lumsden kept things tight at the death.A lingering impression that Gloucestershire might have fallen short began to take hold when Hampshire openers Gubbins and Orr staged a chanceless 50 partnership in just 5.2 overs, new ball spearhead Josh Shaw going for 39 in three overs as the visitors seized the initiative. The pair raised 97 from the powerplay, registering 13 fours and two sixes between them and forcing the home side to resort to spin after only seven overs.Gubbins and Orr both went to 50 from 31 balls as Gloucestershire’s bowlers continued to allow them to cut and pull with impunity. Progress was smooth until Orr, attempting to sweep Price, top-edged to Shaw at short third and departing for 52. Middleton arrived at the crease with a further 202 required at 5.4 an over.Gloucestershire hardly helped their cause by missing an opportunity to dismiss Gubbins on 59, Graeme van Buuren putting down a sharp chance off his own bowling to allow the competition’s top scorer a life. The home side’s disappointment was compounded when Middleton hit the ground running, scoring at a run a ball and lifting Price effortlessly over long-on for six as the second-wicket partnership realised 48 in quick time.When Gubbins attempted to reverse sweep van Buuren, offered a catch behind and departed for 76 with the score 160 for 2 in the 21st, Hampshire still needed 154 to win and Gloucestershire supporters were afforded a glimmer of hope. But Middleton helped settle any nerves, posting a chanceless half-century from 54 balls as Hampshire advanced to 183 for 2 at halfway.Gloucestershire lacked a cutting edge with the ball and Middleton and Albert were able to move comfortably through the gears in a partnership which served to ease Hampshire’s path. With victory within sight, Albert opened his shoulders, pulling Jack Taylor for six to bring up an assured 50. He was dismissed lbw by Matt Taylor soon afterwards, while Middleton was brilliantly caught by Tommy Boorman on the deep backward point boundary off the bowling of Shaw as Gloucestershire refused to lie down.Ben Brown was then bowled by Matt Taylor with 23 still needed from 24 balls, but Mayes and Organ remained calm under pressure to see the job through.