Guardians sit 73-70, three games back of Seattle for the AL Wild Card, shifting focus to the offseason. Cleveland targets Cedric Mullins to anchor the lineup around Jose Ramirez and Kyle Manzardo, hoping for a rebound in power and on-base skills. Bleacher Report envisions Mullins as the 6th hitter in a 2026 Opening Day setup that also features Travis Bazzana and Steven Kwan atop Ramirez and Manzardo, creating a deeper, more dynamic order. Mullins’ 2025 power streaks and speed could pay off if his bat returns, but the cost must match the upside.

Beside Mullins, the Guardians anticipate a youth infusion with Bazzana in the mix, while Manzardo and Kwan form a formidable top four that should drive offense. The bottom of the order will decide Cleveland’s fate, as Mullins must provide enough pop and consistency to validate a signing. In short, Cleveland bets on offense to finally translate Ramirez’s peak years into a playoff chase.

Toronto owns a sizable AL East edge as the Jays head to Yankee Stadium for a pivotal weekend series. A win would push their lead to 4 1/2 games with about three weeks remaining and lock in the tiebreaker from the yearlong set with New York. Toronto has gone 7-3 against both the Yankees and Red Sox, so offense could swing the outcome. The Jays counter with Gausman, Scherzer and Bassitt while the Yankees’ lineup will counter with Schlittler, Gil and Fried. Varsho provides a key spark as Schneider urges calm and a focus on taking a series, not the moment. The Jays’ remaining schedule is tougher, so extra cushion now matters.

Luis Gil leads Week 23 waiver pickups for shallow leagues, offering a safe path to wins and a lower ERA for the Yankees as he works back into form with five-inning starts.

Jonah Tong of the Mets brings high strikeout upside in a six-man rotation, while Jack Leiter and Emmet Sheehan provide solid mid-rotation streaming upside behind strong teams. Kyle Bradish’s return and Braxton Ashcraft’s progression add mixed-risk, high-reward options for varied rosters.

The Cubs edged the Rockies 4-3 at Coors Field, extending their series dominance to six straight wins and 12 of 14 overall. Chicago leaned on timely hitting and bullpen steadiness after McCade Brown’s taxing start, while Colorado fought to the end but couldn’t sustain its offense in the late innings.

Key moments: Happ’s RBI double and Kyle Tucker’s early run-scoring hit helped the Cubs grab a lead that held through the finale as Bernabel snapped a 0-for-26 skid with a two-out single. Moniak’s triple and a late sac fly padded Chicago’s cushion; the Rockies stranded 11 and lacked a rally after the sixth.

Fantasy takeaway: chase Cubs hitters who produced multi-hit nights and monitor Brown’s next turn at altitude; Rockies’ spark plugs—Moniak, Fernández, Montes, Freeman, Goodman—remain streaming options in the right matchups.