All Aranda The World
The Tampa Bay Rays continue to defy expectations as they dominated Houston 14-4 on Sunday, completing the three-game sweep and clinching a spot in the postseason. The sweep gave the Rays a Major League-best 15 on the season and kept their division lead on the Yankees at four games. While the entire lineup was buzzing against the Astros pitching staff, first baseman Jonathan Aranda was the hero of the day, going 2-4, with 2 HRs, 2 R, 3 RBI and a BB.
Aranda enjoyed a mini breakout in 2025, hitting .316/.393/.489 with 14 HRs, although injuries limited him to just 106 games. The 28-year old also benefitted from a bit of good luck with an astronomical .409 BABIP. While the BABIP has predictably come down to a more reasonable .340, Aranda has improved his BB% and K% and has set career-highs with 21 HR and 89 RBI while hitting .278/.362/.438, thanks to a clean bill of health in 2026. Just as Tampa Bay has cemented themselves as a World Series contender, Aranda has solidified himself as an above-average offensive first baseman and a key piece of the Rays offense.
Let’s see how the other hitters did on Sunday:
Riley Greene (DET): 2-4, HR, R, 3 RBI.
Riley Greene gave the Tigers the lead with a two-run HR (101.7 mph, 365 ft) in the bottom of the first inning and Detroit cruised to an 8-1 victory over the Rockies. Greene has been excellent since returning from the IL and is hitting .333/.397/667 with four HRs in his last 15 games.
J.T. Realmuto (PHI): 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI.
J.T. Realmuto’s second inning HR gave the Phillies a 2-1 lead and he added an RBI single in the team’s seven-run eighth inning as Philly took down Atlanta 9-4. The 35-year old has seen his offensive numbers drop off significantly over the past few seasons but he still provides a valuable veteran presence behind the dish as the Phillies look towards the postseason once again.
George Springer (TOR): 2-5, HR, 2B, R, 4 RBI.
The reigning AL Champs sit just one game out of the last Wild Card spot thanks to a big day from George Springer on Sunday. The 36-year old Springer hit a solo HR (99.7 mph, 375 ft) in the fifth and added a three-run double in the eighth as the Blue Jays routed the Orioles 8-1.
Victor Mesa Jr. (TB): 3-5, 3B, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI.
Rays OF Victor Mesa Jr. continued his strong rookie campaign, falling just a HR short of the cycle on Sunday in Tampa Bay’s dominant win. The 25-year old has been particularly effective over the past week, hitting an incredible .545/.615/1.182 with three HRs and twice as many walks as strikeouts over his last seven games.
Steven Kwan (CLE): 3-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Steven Kwan led off the game with his third HR (96.5 mph, 357 ft) of the season and got on base three more times in the Guardians 9-2 win over Minnesota. The 29-year old has been a tough out over the last month, hitting .311/.401/.395 with 18 walks to just 12 strikeouts.
Travis Bazzana (CLE): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB.
The ups and downs of a long baseball season can often be tough on a rookie and Travis Bazzana has experienced his fair share of that in 2026. Despite making the All-Star team, Bazzana struggled mightily at the plate between June and August and started to find himself in the lineup less often. The 24-year old has perservered and after hitting his 12th HR and stealing his 19th base on Sunday, he is now hitting .387/.513/.742 with 3 HRs in the month of September.
Caleb Durbin (BOS): 1-1, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, 2 HBP, SB.
It was quite the eventful day for Caleb Durbin on Sunday as he opened the scoring for Boston with a solo HR (102 mph, 372 ft) in the second inning and added a walk, a stolen base and was hit by a pitch twice in the Red Sox 4-1 win over Kansas City. After a brutal first half, Durbin has helped spark the Red Sox resurgence with a .283/.387/.374 line in the second half.
Randy Arozarena (SEA): 3-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Randy Arozarena did everything he could for the Mariners in Sacramento on Sunday. The veteran outfielder tied the game with a two-run HR in the third, put Seattle up 5-2 with an RBI single in the fourth, and gave the team a 7-6 lead with a solo HR in the eighth. It wasn’t enough however as the bullpen faltered late and Seattle fell to the Athletics 8-7.
Zack Gelof (ATH): 2-3, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB.
Zack Gelof was a dynamic presence at the plate for the A’s on Sunday, hitting a solo HR (106.4 mph, 405 ft) in the first and getting on base four times as the A’s pulled out an 8-7 victory. The 26-year old utility man has enjoyed a nice bounceback season in Sacramento, hitting .252/.319/.461 with a career-high 18 HRs and 14 stolen bases.
Lawrence Butler (ATH): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, HBP.
Lawrence Butler was the hero in the Athletics victory on Sunday, going back-to-back with Gelof in the first inning and hitting a walk-off two-run HR off Andrés Muñoz in the ninth to steal a win. Over the past month, Butler has looked much more like the breakout star that earned a seven-year, $65.5 million extension in March 2025, hitting .297/.383/.550 with eight HRs in his last 30 games.
Corey Seager (TEX): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
Corey Seager knocked out three hits, including his 18th HR of the season, and three RBI as the Rangers held on late for a 7-6 win over Arizona in a 2023 World Series rematch. Seager has four HRs in his last seven games as Texas sits just a game back of the division leading Astros and two games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.
