Sports
Despite Detroit Tigers Tremendous Turnaround, Don't Forget About Kansas City Royals
The Detroit Tigers rightfully enter October as the most intriguing team in this year’s postseason field.
Detroit went from having less than a one percent chance at the playoffs to clinching a wild-card spot in fewer than two months. The club also ended a nine-year postseason drought, which was tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the longest active stretch in the majors.
Set to visit either the Baltimore Orioles or the Houston Astros in the best-of-three wild-card, the Tigers will be an easy team to root for as they prowl toward their first American League pennant in 12 years and their first world championship in 40.
But Detroit’s incredible surge cast an even darker shadow on the most underappreciated team in this year’s playoffs, the Kansas City Royals.
Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has fittingly garnered tremendous attention amid his MVP-caliber campaign, but he and his teammates have quietly authored one of the best turnarounds in baseball history.
One year after going a franchise-worst-tying 56-106, Kansas City has stacked 85 wins entering Sunday’s regular-season finale. The Royals will visit either Houston or Baltimore in the wild-card round.
Kansas City’s 29-win increase (or 30, pending Sunday’s result) from last year to this season is the largest in the majors. It’s also the largest in franchise history in a full season, surpassing a 20-win jump from 1970 to 1971.
Still not impressed?
MLB research lists the Royals as just the second team to reach the playoffs in a full season following a campaign with at least 100 losses.
Of course, Witt has catalyzed his team’s turnaround, but plenty of other contributors have produced solid seasons that are too impressive to ignore.
Salvador Perez, the lone holdover from Kansas City’s World Series team in 2015, has clubbed 27 home runs with 104 RBIs while putting his pristine mitt to use at catcher and first base.
Vinnie Pasquantino racked up 97 RBIs in 131 games before a broken thumb he suffered on Aug. 29 sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. The slugging first baseman could return if the Royals make a deep playoff run.
Meanwhile, a pair of veteran starting pitchers have looked ageless with Kansas City after signing with the club last December.
Longtime reliever Seth Lugo, 34, has posted the majors’ 10th-lowest starter ERA (3.00) while throwing a career-high 206 2/3 innings in just his third season as a starter. Fellow right-hander Michael Wacha, 33, has logged 166 2/3 frames—the second most over his 12-year career—while pitching to a 3.35 ERA.
As for the younger arms, left-hander Cole Ragans has solidified himself as a budding star during his age-26 season, pairing his 3.14 ERA with 186 1/3 innings pitched.
And manager Matt Quatraro deserves a shoutout, too.
The 50-year-old has guided the Royals’ rise in just his second season as a skipper, keeping the club steady with his “Today” mantra that preaches focusing on the now instead of pondering the past or fretting over the future.
It’s OK if you haven’t been locked in on Kansas City’s turnaround this year. The Royals’ impressive campaign has been mostly concealed by the slew of other storylines within the AL Central, especially in recent weeks.
Detroit’s scintillating run has coincided with Minnesota’s stunning collapse. The Twins went from having a 95.8 percent shot at the postseason on Sept. 2 to dropping completely out of the race on Friday.
Minnesota’s 12-26 record since Aug. 17 is still 1 1/2 games better than the Chicago White Sox, who have perhaps generated the most attention among any team in baseball amid their record-setting 121-loss campaign.
And then there’s the Cleveland Guardians, who rebounded from last year’s third-place finish to capture the AL Central title and the No. 2 playoff seed under first-year manager Stephen Vogt.
Yeah, that’s a lot for one division. I don’t blame you for ignoring Kansas City’s sudden success.
Look, I can’t judge your fandom this October, and I won’t push you to root for a certain team if you’re still deciding. But at the very least, I ask that you appreciate how special the Royals’ season has been while it’s still around.
Sports
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
Jun 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early (71) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images The Boston Red Sox are trading rookie left-hander Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.
The Red Sox reportedly are seeking help at shortstop ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline and were looking at Mead’s teammate, All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Boston’s Trevor Story, out since May 14, has played only 41 games because of a sports hernia.
Early, 24, hasn’t pitched since June 30, going on the injured list July 1 due to left elbow inflammation. The starting pitcher is expected to return in August.
Boston selected Early in the fifth round of the 2023 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Early is 7-5 this season with a 3.44 ERA, 34 walks and 93 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings over 17 starts. He appeared in four games (all starts) last season and went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA over 19 1/3 innings.
Mead, a 25-year-old native of Australia, is batting .254 with a .352 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage after going 0-for-3 with two walks and one run after playing third base in Washington’s 5-3 home win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday. He has 17 home runs and 48 RBIs in 87 games.
Mead, who has played first, second and third base as well as designated hitter this season, is a career .244 hitter with 22 homers and 79 RBIs in 239 games for the Tampa Bay Rays (2023-25), Chicago White Sox (2025) and Nationals (2026).
He signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018 and was traded to the Rays in November 2019 for left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who was selected to his second All-Star Game this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Felipe Mora goes out with a brace as Timbers edge Real Salt Lake
Jul 25, 2026; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Timbers forward Felipe Mora (9) high-fives fans before a game against Real Salt Lake at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Felipe Mora, playing in what was announced as his final match with host Portland, scored twice in the second half as the Timbers defeated 10-man Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday night.
Goalkeeper James Pantemis made three saves for the Timbers (6-8-3, 21 points), who improved to 2-0-1 under interim head coach Jack Cassidy.
Juan Manuel Sanabria tallied for Salt Lake (8-6-2, 26 points) and Rafael Cabral made five saves.
RSL’s Victor Olatunji put the ball in the net from just inside the top of the penalty area in second-half stoppage time but was ruled offside.
Mora got the equalizer in the 56th minute off a corner kick from Ariel Lassiter on the right wing. Lassiter found Mora at the top of the 6-yard box and his header took one bounce off the turf and into the far upper corner of the net.
Mora scored again in the 67th minute off a left-wing corner from Kristoffer Velde. Mora’s glancing header from the top of the 6-yard box reached the far upper corner of the net.
Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy announced Friday this would be the final match for Mora, the third-leading goal scorer in franchise history with 48, but didn’t indicate where the native of Chile would be going.
Reports on Saturday indicated Mora, who scored the tying goal in second-half stoppage time in a 2-2 draw with visiting FC Dallas on Wednesday, would head back to Liga MX.
Mora came off for substitute Alexander Aravena in the 72nd minute to a raucous standing ovation from the crowd at Providence Park, with fans chanting his name for a couple of minutes.
RSL opened the scoring in the 18th minute, Sanabria played a nifty give-and-go with Morgan Guilavogui, getting the ball back at the top left of the penalty area. Sanabria dribbled toward the top of the 6-yard box before putting a low toe punch into the far side netting.
Guilavogui was ejected in the 31st minute for a foul on Jimer Fory after both players tumbled to the ground while battling for the ball along the sideline. Guilavogui seemed to kick Fory in the chest as he rolled over and was originally issued a yellow card by referee Elijio Arreguin, but a video review showed he made contact with Fory’s chin and it was upgraded to a red.
–Field Level Media
Sports
PK save in final minutes helps Galaxy earn tie vs. Earthquakes
Jul 25, 2026; Stanford, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfield Nick Fernandez (20) and LA Galaxy midfield Lucas Sanabria (8) battle for the ball during the first half at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images James Marcinkowski saved a penalty shot five minutes into extra time as the visiting Los Angeles Galaxy preserved a 1-1 tie against the San Jose Earthquakes in the latest installment of the California Clasico rivalry at Stanford, Calif.
Marcinkowski, who is in his second season with the Galaxy after five seasons with the Earthquakes, made a dive to his left to stop a shot from the spot by the Earthquakes’ Timo Werner. Marcinkowski finished with five saves.
Joseph Paintsil scored a goal in the first half for Los Angeles (5-7-6, 21 points), who earned a point for the first time in three matches since the World Cup break ended.
Reid Roberts scored a goal in the 62nd minute for the Earthquakes (10-4-3, 33 points), who were unable to convert the go-ahead goal late in the match after Ousseni Bouda earned a penalty on a foul from Marcinkowski.
Angus Gunn, who played for Scotland in the World Cup, made one save in his second match since joining San Jose during the break.
The Galaxy opened the scoring in the 13th minute when 19-year-old Harbor Miller took the ball up the right side and found Marco Reus in the middle of the field. Reus sent Paintsil forward on a breakaway and the forward slid home his fourth goal of the season.
The Earthquakes got even in the 62nd minute after the Galaxy nearly coughed up an own goal on a clearance header that clanked off the crossbar.
The rebound came to the feet of San Jose’s Benji Kikanovich, who fired a shot that was knocked down in the penalty area. Roberts cleaned up a loose ball on the goal line for his second tally of the season.
Paintsil nearly gave Los Angeles the lead in the 83rd minute before Gunn used his right hand to swat away a shot headed toward the upper right corner of the goal.
While the Galaxy were without defenders Jakob Glesnes (yellow-card accumulation) and Emiro Garces (red card on Wednesday), the Earthquakes were without forward Preston Judd (yellow-card accumulation).
–Field Level Media
Reports: Red Sox trading LHP Connelly Early for INF Curtis Mead
Felipe Mora goes out with a brace as Timbers edge Real Salt Lake
