Legend of Old Breg
You ever drink Bailey’s out of a shoe? You ever go 4-4, with 2 HR, 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI and a BB despite looking like a Mike Tyson opponent after a foul ball left you with multiple facial fractures? Well Alex Bregman accomplished the latter on Sunday, leading the Cubs to a 6-2 victory over the Red Sox in Game 162, which was played at Tampa Bay’s stadium due to the storm’s that ravished the Northeast this weekend. It was impressive just to see Bregman out on the field after it looked like he would be sidelined well into the playoffs with his gruesome injury. And yet, the three-time All-Star showed up and showed out, with his two HRs giving him 28 on the season, the most the 32-year old has hit since his career-best 2019 season when he hit 41 and finished second in MVP voting. Sunday’s performance capped what was an impressive final month for Bregman, who hit .310/.397/.726 with 12 HRs, 30 RBI and a 13/13 BB/K ratio over his last 30 games. A healthy and locked in Bregman will be huge for the Cubs as they head out to San Diego to face a red-hot Padres team in what could be a very entertaining Wild Card series.
Let’s see how the other hitters did on Sunday:
Jonny DeLuca (TB): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca did everything in his power to keep the Phillies out of the playoffs, but his two HRs weren’t enough as the Rays fell 7-3. DeLuca had himself a mini-breakout season in 2026, finishing with a career-high 11 HRs and 17 stolen bases while hitting .266/.300/.429. The Rays earned themselves the top spot in the American League and now await the winner of the Yankees/Red Sox matchup.
Andrés Chaparro (WAS): 3-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
While the Nationals ultimately finished eight games under .500, there was a lot to be excited about in 2026 for Washington, including the second half emergence power-hitting first baseman Andrés Chaparro. Chaparro ripped a pair of HRs in the team’s 6-4 win over the Mets on Sunday to finish with 13 in just 198 at-bats at the MLB level. Maybe more impressive were Chaparro’s plate discipline improvements, as he pushed his BB% from 6.8% in 2025 to 11.0% in 2026, while bringing down his K% from 30.1 to 23.2.
Christian Walker (HOU): 2-3, HR, 3 R, RBI, 2 BB.
Needing a win to clinch the AL West crown, the Houston Astros stepped up and cruised to a 9-0 victory in Sacramento, thanks in part to a big day at the plate from Christian Walker. The 35-year old smacked his 29th HR (100.1 mph, 386 ft) of the season and reached base four times in the win and the Astros now get to host the upstart Chicago White Sox in the Wild Card round.
Daniel Schneemann (CLE): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, SB.
Daniel Schneemann hit his seventh HR and stole his seventh base of the season on Sunday, however Cleveland fell to the Royals 3-2. Despite the loss, the unheralded Guardians weaseled their way into the second seed in the American League and now get to rest as they await the winner of the Astros/White Sox series.
Vinnie Pasquantino (KC): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
2026 was a bit of a lost season for Royals slugger Vinnie Pasquantino, but he did his best over the final few weeks to make up for it. On Sunday, he crushed two solo HRs to power the Kansas City win and Pasquantino hit .302/.351/.698 with six HRs over his last 15 games.
Royce Lewis (MIN): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, SB.
Ah the enigma that is Royce Lewis. At one point the young infielder looked like one of the game’s future superstars, but injuries and subpar performance have dimmed his once bright potential. We got to see his talent on full display on Sunday though, as he hit his 15th HR of the year and stole his 16th base. The career-high in steals is particularly interesting, as he has frequently been hampered by hamstring injuries in his young career. Its possible a change of scenery could unlock the Royce that we thought we’d see after he hit .309/.372/.548 with 15 HRs in 58 games in 2023, but we’ll see what the offseason holds as Lewis looks to 2027.
Jared Serna (MIA): 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI, BB.
The Marlins’ Jared Serna didn’t have a particularly impactful day at the plate, but when you don’t record an out over a full game you have my attention. The 24-year old’s two-run double in the sixth gave Miami a 4-1 lead, which proved to be the difference as they defeated the Braves 5-3. Serna does have an interesting power/speed profile as he hit 12 HRs with 14 stolen bases in 294 at-bats at AAA, but it did come with a .221 batting average.
Leo Bernal (STL): 1-2, HR, R, 3 RBI, 2 BB.
The switch-hitting Leo Bernal is part of the incredible young catching depth in the Cardinals system and he showed off his power on Sunday, blasting a three-run HR (104.7 mph, 397 ft) in the Cardinals loss to Milwaukee. The homer was Bernal’s fifth in 95 at-bats at the MLB level and he added another 16 in 374 at-bats in AAA this season.
Jackson Chourio (MIL): 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Jackson Chourio had himself a nice playoff tuneup on Sunday with three singles, including an RBI knock in the first to get the Brewers rolling early. Injuries once again robbed Chourio of a full season, but the 22-year old budding superstar still finished with a very impressive .291/.351/.487 line to go with 25 HRs and 23 stolen bases.
