With the MLB season entering its final stretch, the standings remain crowded—but does that mean baseball has compelling playoff races or simply too many mediocre teams still in contention?

In Episode 722 of Almost Cooperstown, Mark and Gordon Kolier examine the American and National League playoff pictures, the teams building momentum and the supposed contenders beginning to fade. The expanded postseason keeps more fan bases interested deep into August, but it can also create a path to October for teams that have barely played winning baseball.

Which clubs are legitimate World Series threats? Which teams are hanging around only because the playoff field has grown? And how much should one strong postseason run erase five months of ordinary regular-season baseball?

The discussion also covers the continuing uncertainty surrounding MLB’s next collective bargaining agreement, the owners’ interest in greater payroll controls and whether baseball can avoid another damaging work stoppage before the 2027 season.

Plus, Mark and Gordon consider late-season injuries, pitching concerns, surprising performances and the players and teams worth watching as September approaches.

Almost Cooperstown is a weekly baseball podcast featuring a father and son talking—and frequently arguing—about Major League Baseball, baseball history and the players who belong in Cooperstown.

The 2026 Mets have been a mess—but are they actually better positioned for 2027 than their record suggests?

Mark and Gordon, two Mets fans who have suffered through the season firsthand, look at what went wrong, why a brutal 12-game losing streak essentially destroyed the season, and why the emergence of young players may give Mets fans legitimate reasons for optimism next year.

Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing could be part of a young outfield alongside Juan Soto. Nolan McLean and Christian Scott are emerging as potential rotation anchors. Kodai Senga may have found a new role in the bullpen. And despite plenty of questionable decisions, the Mets may finally be developing enough young talent that free-agent signings can become luxuries rather than necessities.

Before getting to the Mets, there’s plenty happening around baseball.

The American League wild-card race has become a dogfight, with Toronto making an unexpected charge and several teams packed together in the standings. Cal Raleigh’s dramatic offensive decline is hurting Seattle, while the entire AL West continues to struggle.

We also remember Tommy John, who passed away this week. John finished with 288 career wins—the most ever by a pitcher outside the Hall of Fame other than Roger Clemens—and his death immediately renews the debate over whether Cooperstown has waited far too long.

There’s also a remarkable MLB debut: Cardinals rookie Joshua Baez homered on the first pitch he saw, then homered again—and again—becoming the first player in Major League history to hit three home runs in his first game.

Plus: Paul Skenes’ declining fastball velocity, what 100-mph pitching may be doing to starting pitchers, the sale of the Dodgers, the competitive advantages created by baseball’s revenue structure, Hunter Greene’s injury, and whether Cincinnati should rethink its direction.

It’s another week where today’s baseball collides with history, statistics and plenty of opinion on Almost Cooperstown.

Almost Cooperstown is a weekly baseball podcast featuring thoughtful conversations about the Baseball Hall of Fame, baseball history, current MLB topics, player comparisons, statistics and the stories that connect today's game with its rich history.

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music.

Visit AlmostCooperstown.com for original baseball articles, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow Almost Cooperstown on YouTube.

With roughly 40 games remaining in the 2026 MLB regular season, the postseason picture is beginning to take shape—but there’s still plenty of time for everything to change.

The Boston Red Sox have come roaring back into the American League race after a remarkable stretch of winning baseball. Would you rather be a Red Sox fan right now—or a Dodgers fan? Los Angeles has suddenly hit a rough patch, but is this really cause for concern, or is a veteran championship team simply waiting for October?

We look around baseball at the contenders, pretenders and teams hanging onto the edges of the playoff race. The Rays continue to prove us wrong, the Yankees are waiting for reinforcements, and with only about a quarter of the season remaining, one terrible week could effectively end a team's postseason hopes.

We also discuss Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. and the pressure that comes with playing shortstop in New York; the remarkable extra-inning Red Sox-White Sox game that produced scoring in five consecutive innings; and why games like that make a pretty good argument for MLB's regular-season extra-inning rule.

Then there's Tommy John. With news about John's health prompting renewed discussion of his Hall of Fame candidacy, we debate a fascinating question: Is his 288-win, 26-year pitching career worthy of Cooperstown on its own—or are people inevitably giving him extra credit because the revolutionary surgery bears his name?

Plus, Jacob Wilson sets a Major League record for consecutive errorless games by a shortstop, Matt Olson reaches 900 consecutive games played, and we consider whether Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,632-game streak may be the most unbreakable record in baseball.

Finally, there's actually a reason for optimism about MLB's looming labor confrontation. Every owner lockout in MLB history has ended before costing baseball a regular-season game. Could history—and the enormous amount of money now at stake—make a 2027 work stoppage less likely than many fans fear?

We finish with Craig Kimbrel joining his 12th MLB franchise and a Chicago Cubs defense that isn't merely good—it has a chance to rank among the best defensive teams we've ever seen.

It's another week of baseball history colliding with the game we're watching right now on Almost Cooperstown.

Almost Cooperstown is a weekly baseball podcast featuring thoughtful conversations about the Baseball Hall of Fame, baseball history, current MLB topics, player comparisons, statistics and the stories that connect today's game with its rich history.

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music.

Visit AlmostCooperstown.com for original baseball articles, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow Almost Cooperstown on YouTube.

Episode 719 - With the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline complete, Mark and Gordon break down every major move and ask the biggest question in baseball:

Did any contender actually improve enough to beat the Dodgers?

The discussion begins with the hypothetical blockbuster acquisition of Tarik Skubal, leading into a broader conversation about the Dodgers' financial advantage, deferred contracts, and whether Major League Baseball is moving closer to a salary cap and salary floor during the next collective bargaining negotiations.

The hosts evaluate which organizations improved their World Series chances the most, why the Yankees, Phillies, Cubs and Red Sox may have positioned themselves best, and why several contenders chose much smaller moves despite an aggressive deadline.

Topics include:

• Dodgers' overwhelming World Series outlook
• The Tarik Skubal domino effect
• Deferred contracts and MLB economics
• Whether a salary cap is becoming inevitable
• Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs and Phillies deadline grades
• Padres' aggressive strategy
• Brewers' quiet deadline
• Cardinals, Blue Jays and Mets choosing clear organizational directions
• American League playoff race
• National League contenders
• Aaron Judge's injury impact
• Spencer Strider's uncertain return
• Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes and many other notable moves

The episode also highlights the exciting launch of the Women's Professional Baseball League, discussing why women's professional baseball deserves far greater attention and how today's players are building upon the legacy of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

Almost Cooperstown is a weekly baseball podcast featuring thoughtful conversations about the Baseball Hall of Fame, baseball history, current MLB topics, player comparisons, statistics and the stories that connect today's game with its rich history.

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music.

Visit AlmostCooperstown.com for original baseball articles, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow Almost Cooperstown on YouTube.

Carlos Beltrán, Jeff Kent and Andruw Jones are the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In Episode 718 of Almost Cooperstown, Mark and Gordon discuss the 2026 Hall of Fame class, what each player accomplished during his career, and why each ultimately earned a plaque in Cooperstown.

The conversation examines Beltrán's remarkable combination of power, speed and defense, Jeff Kent's legacy as one of baseball's greatest offensive second basemen, and Andruw Jones' extraordinary defensive brilliance in center field. The episode also explores what this Hall of Fame class may say about the evolving standards used to evaluate baseball's greatest players.

The discussion then turns to the 2026 Major League Baseball season with the trade deadline approaching. Which teams should be buyers? Which clubs should become sellers? Which players could be on the move, and which potential trades could have the greatest impact on the postseason races during the final third of the season?

Almost Cooperstown is a weekly baseball podcast featuring thoughtful conversations about the Baseball Hall of Fame, baseball history, current MLB topics, player comparisons, statistics and the stories that connect today's game with its rich history.

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music.

Visit AlmostCooperstown.com for original baseball articles, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and follow Almost Cooperstown on YouTube.

We didn't watch the ASG or the Home Run Derby. And we're ok with that. In this episode we look at the teams that have surprised positively and negatively. Only 60 games to go and yet we talk about this being the beginning of the 2nd half of the season. The All-Star Game is too late in the season now.

Olympic Baseball is like Olympic Soccer. World Cup soccer is way cooler and World Baseball Classic is way cooler than Olympic baseball. Could that change?

If your team stinks like the Mets and Rockies, how do you still be a fan with two and a half months to go?

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com. You can also follow us on X @markkolier or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel. And please tell your friends to check us out!

One of our stories of the week is that #redsox Willson Contreras did something last week that only 35 players have done in MLB history. He got tossed from back to back games vs. #Nationals. Another is about the baseball flying further in June than it has since good 'ol 2019.

All-Star game rosters are in. Big yawn? Dodgers and Rays are hot, Yankees and Mets are not.

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com. You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel. And please tell your friends to check us out!

College baseball may become even more important if MLB owners get their way. Changing draft rules is a big part of the first offer from the owners. The players (MLBPA) laughed it off as they should have. We talk about what it means and what it will lead to.

Bunting is back in 2026. Well at least since the universal DH era began.

Will Tarik Skubal be a Detroit #Tigers pitcher after the trade deadline?

Thanks again to Mercury Maid for the Intro & Outro music. Check them out on Spotify or Apple Music!

Please subscribe to our podcast and thanks for listening! If you can give us 4 or 5 star rating that means a lot. And if you have a suggestion for an episode please drop us a line via email at Almostcooperstown@gmail.com. You can also follow us on X @almostcoop or visit the Almost Cooperstown Facebook page or YouTube channel. And please tell your friends to check us out!