[sets thermostat to 55] All right, BPPers -- that's it for another year! Payouts just went out; congrats to MArbour and Bauer, and thanks to everyone for being here and making this the one spreadsheet I love.
If you need some TV recs now that baseball's over, head to the comments. Otherwise, I'll see you back here in 2027...whether there's a season or not, and let's hope it's a short lockout and you never have to find out what "Plan BPP" is ;).
May the next 102 fly by...
Congratulations, Brewers and fans! I'm so glad the outcome we all saw coming in May could actually happen, and I hope Bob Uecker is appreciating it somewhere.
The downside is that it's a wrap on the 2026 season...with all that that might imply about 2027, but for now, let's just enjoy a first-time WS winner, and some points/awards of our own.
Last BPP licks brought us...
Bauers 0
Chourio 1
Contreras 2
Mitchell 1
Turang 3
Yelich 0
Caminero 1
Diaz 0
Let's not bury the lede; Turang, something of a disappointment until this week, let MArbour ascend to the lead and another BPP win. The money, for real:
91 MArbour
89 Bauer
84 SDB
JArbour really did have a shot if the series had gone seven games, but had to settle for a four-way tie for fourth. Still, great comeback.
71 LoPorto 2, Wonsetler Head, JArbour, and Fell
Congratulations to our win and place slates (and to me, for breaking even for once?), and thanks to everyone for playing again in 2026. Kind of a weird one this year!
Full standings in a moment, but first let's talk pool M and LVPs. William Contreras was a lock for WS MVP and he's ours too with 30 TB. (For this series, Chourio takes it.) LVP is harder to assess; for the Classic, it's Jake Bauers, but overall the 2026 post was not a dinger-forward affair. So is it a guy everyone picked who did nothing and went out early (PCA)? Or is it a guy who had his chances and did shit-all?
Or maybe it's Junior Caminero, widely picked on the basis of his homering potential, who "only" got 20? ...I don't think it's him; this is Crew pitching we're talking about. Let's let PCA and the Boston picks share it. ("omg Boston was in the postseason, I completely forgot." Yeah, they did too.)
Hat tip to Chandler Simpson, who would not quit until the very last out, but our Shane Victorino Honorary Flyin' Hawaiian Trophy goes to Cooper Pratt. Well done, kid; sorry I kept calling you "Spencer Pratt" at the bar.
Final standings after the jump...
I don't think this series makes it back to Wisconsin, and I don't know what to think about the use of Megill last night...but it's nice that we get at least one more game.
The points are a bit thin, sorry to say; good for the Pratt kid, but these are the Victorini that try men's souls, eh what?
Bauers 0
Chourio 3
Contreras 0
Mitchell 0
Turang 0
Yelich 0
Caminero 1
Diaz 1
Quite cozy at the top now:
86 Bauer
84 MArbour
82 SDB
But that last full slate couldn't get much closer to the money:
69 (nice) LoPorto 2
68 Wonsetler Head
67 JArbour
66 Fell
low 60s: Reid Smart, Green, O'Reilly
50s: Quinn 2, Tormey
high 40s: Reid Dumb, Quinn 1, Stempelson, Izzo, Drake's Cakes, LoPorto 1
other 40s: Wonsetler Heart, Brady, Drake's Dis Track
30s: the AKs, the Binghams, Yuhan, Shotwell
The standings continue to look, well, weird -- picks that have been out for literal weeks now still have more points than Caminero, never mind Bauers or Turang -- but that's what makes it fun to do each year, at least for me.
And we get to do it at least one more day. The Miz heads to the mound tonight at 8* PM ET; the Rays are presumably teaching TBD a knuckleball today, we'll have to see who they send out there. Good luck to all!
*I thought this was a 7 PM scheduled start; they may have moved it thanks to the late finish, and they may move it again, so check local listings or MLB.com
Not quite sure what to say about last night's drubbing (all the points clattering into the jar make it hard to concentrate, y'all) except that 1) I was quite confident this series would come back to Milwaukee, and now am quite confident it will not; and 2) the Brewers are a great team, the best in baseball, but I don't think you can discount the "the 'relentless' 'narrative' gets in other teams' heads" factor. Met fans were feeling it from the Crew all season.
Said season's on the brink of ending; first, the (many, many) points!
Bauers 0
Chourio 5
Contreras 3
Mitchell 1
Turang 4 (!)
Yelich 2
Caminero 0
Diaz 3
That changes the look of the money --
84 Bauer
81 MArbour
77 SDB
-- and brings JArbour a lot closer to it:
68 LoPorto 2
67 Wonsetler Head
64 JArbour
That slate, while complete, would need at least a couple more games to climb over the Contreras pickers ahead of it (and for Yelich to crush in whatever time's remaining), but it's not outside the realm.
Every other slate pretty much is outside the realm, so here's a quick-and-dirty look at the rest of the field (since a full wrap-up is, lbr, not far in the future):
low 60s: Fell, Green, Reid Smart, O'Reilly
50s: Quinn 2
high 40s: Tormey, Reid Dumb, Stempelson, Izzo, Drake's Cakes
mid-to-low 40s: LoPorto 1, Quinn 1, Brady, Drake's Dis Track, Wonsetler Heart
mid-to-high 30s: AK 1, Bingham 1
low 30s: Yuhan, AK 2, Shotwell
20s: Bingham 2
Game 4 is tonight at 8 ET; the Rays are sending something called a Jax to the hill, while the Brewers haven't announced a starter as of this writing -- probably because they could send Vogie to the hill in Groucho glasses and get something done, but we'll see what happens. Good luck, check my math, and fingers crossed tonight's not a wrap on 2026 baseball...
Another close one; another one you couldn't really step away from without missing something; and another outcome that's...about right, for lack of a better term. The Crew isn't drop-kicking the Rays by any means, but they have more means. (And make fewer mistakes. Whole lotta Metsy "I got it I got it I got it oh shit where'd it go" out there with Tampa last night.)
I'd like the Rays to take enough games at home to send it back to Milwaukee next weekend, I'd like a seven-game WS (I always want that), but even if it's a sweep, it's going to have been a lot closer than it looked in the Macmillan, so to say.
"Only if you picked Frelick." Someone did, last year! Totally get the Met-killer pick logic.
Let's see how the points actually looked.
Caminero 1
Diaz 0
Bauers 1
Chourio 2
Contreras 2
Mitchell 1
Turang 2
Yelich 1
The difference-makers continue to be various combinations of Chourio, Diaz, and mid-lineup Brewers. Y'know, except when they're not.
Here's the money:
78 Bauer
69 (nice) SDB
68 MArbour
64 Wonsetler Head
62 LoPorto 2
60 Green
The complete slates in the lead pulling ever so slightly away from the others near the top, plus one more complete slate looking ever so slightly larger in the rearview; that's after the jump!
About what I expected from last night's game in terms of match-up and fun levels (and tiresome Smoltzing in the booth, most of which I avoided by going to the local and watching on mute). What I think is going to make Misiorowski an all-timer -- if he doesn't blow out an elbow -- is that he can keep it frosty if there's traffic on the bases. He seems to get that he can't "just" throw 103, he has to pitch as well.
To the points!
Caminero 2
Diaz 0
Bauers 1
Chourio 2
Contreras 2
Mitchell Turang LLP 0
Capt. Yeli 3
And the money:
74 Bauer
65 SDB
61 MArbour and Wonsetler Head
60 LoPorto 2
58 Green
56 Reid Smart
55 O'Reilly
Everyone else after the jump!
...Yes, "Devil Rays" -- let's embrace it, why not.
A very entertaining series overall, and hat tip to a Guardians team I thought might get swept without much pushback. And to Freddy Peralta; I guess I'm supposed to be bitter about his success in Tampa, but sometimes you know a Met is going to be better off literally anywhere else, and this was one of those times. Now, of course, I'm obliged to root for his old old team in the Classic, but we can get back to that conversation on Friday.
For now, the last points for Cleveland...and the last points for anyone until the weekend:
Mr. DeLauter 3
Kwan 1
Caminero 5
Diaz 4
The italicized picks depart from the updates, as you know; no slates knocked out here, since Cleveland was was lightly picked.
MVP of this series for the pool is close, but has to go to Diaz, who takes the pool's TB lead over from Rice and Contreras as of tonight. Honorable mention to Mr. DeLauter. Aranda in the running as a Victorino candidate.
LVP is Kwan, I guess. I'm always intrigued by the choice to pick him; he'll rack those couple points at a time as long as he's in, but if he doesn't stay in for the duration? ...Then again, fully a third of Caminero's points came tonight. These things can break a lot of ways, many of them bad.
Here's the money as we prepare emotionally for a baseball-free rest of the week:
69 Bauer
60 SDB
58 LoPorto 2
Realistically, it's down to the complete slates now -- and I'm not excluding JArbour here, since that slate has a "solo," Yelich. You really can't tell until it's said and done, but unless Contreras falls down a literal manhole...
Just off the pace,
57 MArbour and Wonsetler Head
55 Green
54 Reid Smart
53 O'Reilly
And everyone else after the jump:
Surprised this wasn't more lopsided a score than it was, although sometimes that's how it goes in the postseason -- a regular-season game would allow for a meltdown where an LCS game wouldn't.
A compelling one (albeit not as compelling as the booth sometimes seemed to think), and some points for everyone...
Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 2
Caminero 1
Diaz 4
Also compelling is a different look for the money:
60 Bauer
57 MArbour
54 LoPorto 2
53 O'Reilly
52 Wonsetler Head
51 SDB
50 Green
A quick-and-dirty on everyone else after the jump!
A fun one to watch in company (I think? I was just off a tasting tour so my memory of the game is pretty much vibes, heh). But did it make up for lost time in points? Let's have a look:
Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 1
Caminero 2
Diaz 6
Boom goes the etc.! That finishes off the zombie slates from our last update, and here's the money going into Game 5:
57 MArbour
55 Bauer
53 O'Reilly
Just off the pace, it's
51 Wonsetler Head
50 LoPorto 2
Everyone else -- including the Framptons that have come alive in the last week -- after the jump!
As you've no doubt seen, ALCS Game 4 got punted to tomorrow night same time, 8 ET. That's going to mean a 5 PM ET Game 5 on Sunday so that theoretical Game 6 can still happen Monday night, with no off day.
One thing at a time; we'll be back here tomorrow night for updates. Good luck!
I am weirdly relieved for Ohtani that he got to do A Thing for the Dodgers tonight. I am also relieved, sort of, that the Dodgers are out and we don't have to keep watching...whatever they were in the '26 post. Regular L.A. commentators/fans will have more informed takes here that you may feel free to post in the comments, but my sense generally is that this team was built with dynastic intent, but some age-30s seasons didn't go as hoped. ("Relatable." - Mets fans)
And also that this Brewers team is the shit, so take a big whiff. I hope Ueck is enjoying this from his front-row seat beyond the veil.
This is the baseball fan speaking. The pool-chief take is that this is not good for us...but not as catastrophically not-good as it would have been in years previous, if only because the Dodger picks were not performing the way they were in years previous.
"Your ambassadorship is approved; get to the point(s)." Fair enough; let's do that.
No shortage of them tonight, either.
Betts 0
Freeman 0
Hernandez, K 0
Hernandez, T 1
Muncy 1
Ohtani 4
Pages 3
Smith 2
Tucker 3
Italics = they're out, I'm sorry to say.
NLCS MVP Jack Bauer 2
Chourio 0
Contreras 2
Mitchell 4
Turang 0
Yelich 0
Our MVP here is not Bauers, but Contreras, strictly speaking -- Bauers and several others notched 8 TB; Contreras had 9. The LVP, to my shock, is Kiké, although he had competition (Freddie; Bax Buncy) and Captain Yeli did not exactly distinguish himself.
But that's a lot of points to wrap up the series...and to hold a bunch of slates for a week. The ones that didn't get busted, that is, and there were a bunch.
The money/standings as of tonight:
57 MArbour 2
53 O'Reilly
51 Bauer 2
50 Yuhan 2
A reminder: italicized slates also are out. If you're in the money, you'll be in the updates going forward; if you're not, your slate will fall out.
49 Wonsetler Head
47 Bauer 2 and Green
Everyone else after the jump...
I followed what little I could of the game via overheated MLB-app updates. You'd think, based on the sweaty all-capsing of those, that we'd have more points in play...but it's a quiet update on the AL side:
Mr. DeLauter 0
Kwan 0
Caminero 0
Diaz 2
The money remains unchanged...
51 O'Reilly and MArbour 2
50 Yuhan 2
47 Bauer 2 and Wonsetler Head
...but a few slates near the podium inched upwards.
43 Reid Dumb and Bauer 1
42 Stempelson and LoPorto 2
41 Green
39 JArbour
36 Izzo 1, Fell 1, and SDB David
I'll leave it there for now, since the night game is bound to change things -- possibly drastically! Good luck, all.
At the local earlier, a guy down the bar is all "so wait Ohtani is in the game?" Me: "Yeah, they're batting him sixth tonight, shrug emoji." Guy: "Wh...at difference does that make?"
Exactly, but at the same time, what would make a difference here? My previous wool-gathering notwithstanding, if it's not going to worsen any injuries to play him, I don't think it matters either way. Shohei looks bad; that's not the central issue. The issue is that the Brewers are better than the Dodgers.
A fair number of points on offer on both sides tonight, however -- and Ohtani did something.
Betts 1
Ohtani 1
Smith 2
Tucker 1
all other Dodgers 0
Bauers 4
Chourio 4
Contreras 1
Mitchell! 4
Turang 1
Yelich 0
Still crowded at the top, but in a different way! Here's the money:
51 O'Reilly and MArbour 2
50 Yuhan 2
47 Bauer 2 and Wonsetler Head
43 Reid Dumb
42 Stempelson
41 Green and Bauer 1
40 LoPorto 2
Everyone else after the jump...
The Guardians have to be pretty pleased going into the AL off day; they split on the road. The Rays also have to be pretty pleased with refurbished Met Freddy Peralta giving them six innings and keeping it frosty despite some traffic, something he couldn't seem to do in Flushing.
I feel a little bad for the ALCSers -- MLB coverage seemed way more interested in Ohtani than in this series, and I'm not exempting myself -- but hopefully that storyline does what it's going to do and lets everyone enjoy the Guards/Rays series for its own sake.
I think some BPP entrants are enjoying it pretty well...
Mr. DeLauter 2
Kwan 2
Caminero 2
Diaz 0
Diaz looks to be pressing a little. Maybe he sees how crowded the money's getting?
50 Yuhan 2 and O'Reilly
46 Bauer 2 and Wonsetler Head
42 Reid Dumb
41 Stempelson and MArbour 2
"Dang, you weren't kidding." ikr? Of course, it'll all have resettled itself in a different pattern 24 hours from now. Everyone else after the jump!
An unexpected barrage from the Guardian line-up led to this unexpected (to me anyway) Game 1 outcome. The Rays didn't seem to expect it either, although the booth making a big whoop of the fact that Tampa Bay hadn't been behind in the box score "the entire postseason" was maaaaybe not the insight they thought. Tampa's "postseason" prior to last night was three games, so this -- like the "one triple short of the cycle" foolishness -- is meaningless as commentary.
"...Yeah, speaking of which." I hear you. Points!
Mr. DeLauter! 7!
Kwan 1
Caminero 1
Diaz 3
Caminero was involved in an almost collision that looked pretty scary for both dudes; here's hoping that isn't a developing story later today. For now, the money:
50 Yuhan 2, O'Reilly
46 Bauer 2
44 Wonsetler Head
42 Reid Dumb
41 Stempelson and MArbour 2
Top of the pool standings is not so much a developing story, since the majority of the remaining picks come out of the NL. Decent amount of activity in the middle of the pack, though; have a look after the jump.
Not everyone feels this way -- many people feel resolutely the opposite -- but in the "my team's out of it, who cares" sense, I enjoy the Dodgers. (On the field. The visit to the White House...don't get me started.) It's always a good story and it's always a different story...usually.
This year, it feels off. Ohtani, whom I usually love watching because he's...him, looks not just hurt but ill. Some of their "not so fast" vibe is the same, but they mostly feel like they're trying to get the band back together and they don't know that you can't.
Not to get philosophical about a pretty straightforward situation -- aging juggernaut faces faster, hungrier team -- and you never know. But: you maybe know, this year.
Okay: points.
Betts 1
Tucker 2
all other Dodgers 0
Bauers 1
Chourio 0
Contreras 6
Mitchell 0
Turang 3
Yelich 2
Ugly night for a lot of slates...but gorgeous shuffling action for a lot of others, and here's the money after the first game:
50 Yuhan 2 and O'Reilly
46 Bauer 2
43 Wonsetler Head
42 Reid Dumb
41 Stempelson and MArbour 2
Fair number of points in the ALCS opener already in progress, so I'll save full standings for that update. Hold onto your butts!
A surprising number of points for a low-scoring game. I was sort of right about the Miz but didn't expect the Brewers to do much authoritative against Skubal; shows what I know.
Betts 1
Freeman 1
Kiké 0
Teo 2
Bax Buncy 1
Ohtani 1
Pages 1
Smith 1
Tucker 0
Bauers 1
Chourio 2
Contreras 0
Mitchell 0
Turang 4 (!)
Yeli 0
Weirdly, because there's now a tie for second, a zombie slate is now back in the standings...
50 Yuhan 2
44 O'Reilly and Bauer 2
39 Fell 2 and Reid Dumb
38 Stempelson
37 Wonsetler Head
Everyone else after the jump!
I had a feeling this would be the result, not just because the "line" had Cleveland winning but because starting in like Game 4, the Sox seemed to have gotten out over the canyon, looked down, and plummeted a la Wile E. Coyote. I watched a mostly hapless Met team all season; I know that look. It's a bad one.
No points for Sox pickers on their way out...
Meidroth 0
Montgomery 0
Murakami 0
Vargas 0
Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 1
Nobody but JoRam looked like much on the Guardian side either, to be fair, so I guess he's our best Victorino candidate. MVP was Meidroth; Kwan is chipping away, a base a night, but is still the LVP for this round.
And the italicized picks drop out. A Chicago win was better for the pool, broadly, but neither AL Central team was heavily picked, and only one slate is out. It wasn't a bad plan, Crase! See you next year (and/or in the comments), I hope.
With the LDSes finally all in the books, your full standings:
49 Yuhan 2
44 O'Reilly
42 Bauer 2
37 Wonsetler Head, Crase
34 Reid Dumb and Stempelson
33 Izzo 1
32 LoPorto 1
30 Green
Everyone else after the jump...
What a way to make etc. etc. ...It's been sort of amusing, albeit only sort of, to hear the booth trying to edit The Narrative on the fly as the Guardian bats get in gear. "This is what they've done all year when their backs are at the wall" this, "everyone knew Chicago didn't have the pitching for" that.
Not that any of that's incorrect, but what's also not incorrect is that that entire division was a mediocrity "all year"; "everyone" also "knew" the AL overall was an unpredictable mess from jump -- one or two very good teams, a couple streaky teams, whatever odds-proof foolishness was happening in the AL West on a given night, and...this.
Specific to this series, hey: it's more baseball, which is always good. I don't envy Ronnie and the gang having to "Ramirez, amirite" it for three hours a night because exactly no people thought the Sox wouldn't sweep; ya gotta say something. It's just...you know, sort of amusing.
"You know what else is amusing?" On it! Sorry!
Meidroth 2
Montgomery, C 2
Murakami 1
Vargas 4
Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 1
Not a ton of points, but a little something for every pick.
New look for the money:
49 Yuhan 2
44 O'Reilly
42 Bauer 2
37 Wonsetler Head and Crase
34 Reid Dumb and Stempelson
33 Izzo 1
32 LoPorto 1
30 Samantha Green
High to mid-20s: LoPorto 1, MArbour 2, and Brady
Low 20s: Reid Smart, Bauer 1, Quinn 2, AK 2, Cameron 1, Wonsetler Heart
Teens: almost everyone else
Tweens: Bingham 2, Drake's Dis Track, and Yuhan 1
Singles: Shotwell 1 and Bingham 1
Guards/Vargas pickers on the move, to an extent, though many of those slates' early-out picks or underperformers may have put them in too deep a hole to climb out of.
Something to contemplate with a night off; Game 5 of this ALDS is at 8 PM ET tomorrow on TBS, and then it's straight into the NLCS on Sunday at 8 PM on FOX. Questions/corrections, LMK, and good luck!
I want good things for the Brewers -- do it for Ueck! -- but this kind of makes me sad; this has been a fun Padres team to watch. The Crew heads to the NLCS, which I think they'll win in 6.
Last night's points:
Bauers 1
Chourio 1
Contreras 2
Mitchell 4
Turang 1
Yelich 1
Bogaerts Cronenworth France LLC 0
Merrill 1
Tatis 4
Not exactly an impressive showing from any of the picks in this series, was it? Tatis Jr. notching another four on his way out brought him even with Bogaerts for 10, but Contreras The Younger was the pool's most valuable with 12. Turang and Bauers, meanwhile...
But they're still in it and have a chance to help their pickers. A bunch of top-half slates hit hard but only two more down, Winklepleck and Fell 2. Let's look at the full standings, which in fact haven't changed much at the top...yet:
49 Yuhan 2
42 Bauer 2
40 O'Reilly
39 Fell 2
37 Wonsetler Head
34 Winklepleck, Reid Dumb, Stempelson
33 Izzo 1
32 LoPorto 1
30 Green
29 LoPorto 2
28 Crase
26 MArbour 2
24 Reid Smart, Brady
22 Bauer 2, Quinn 2
21 Cameron 1, Wonsetler Heart, AK 2
18 Cameron 2
17 JArbour
16 the SDBs, Tormey, AK 1, MArbour 1, DGB
15 Izzo 2, Fell 1
13 Quinn 1, Shotwell 2
12 Bingham 2, Drake's Cakes
11 Drake's Dis Track, Yuhan 1
9 Shotwell 1
5 Bingham 1
Slates in italics will not appear in future updates; thanks so much for playing, and we'll see you in the comments, I hope!
And it could get verrrrry interesting from here, depending on whether the White Sox prevail -- and even if they don't, there's still a handful of complete slates towards the back of the pack that could close the gap in the next week or ten days.
First, we need to lock the ALCS match-up; Guardians and White Sox go again at 8 PM on TBS. (All-NL slates can put your feet up until Sunday night.) Until then, good luck, eyeball the arithmetic, and I'll see you late-night.
A more painful than necessary exit for the Bronx Bombers; as noted yesterday, I thought they'd postpone the inevitable at least one more day, but it was not to be. Maybe if the asshats in the bleachers could keep their hands to themselves?
The points:
Caminero 1
Diaz 1
Bellinger 0
Chisholm 0
Garcia 1
Rice 1
Chisholm did nothing in actual October and has to be our LVP here, although nobody except Rice was much use in the LDS; Rice of course was great, most valuable pick by far. TB's Aranda bucking for a Victorino.
All four italicized picks will leave us; confidence in the Yanks was not high this year, so, while this is not great, it's not going to leave the pool in tatters. I'll wait 'til the next update for a complete survey of last night's pool carnage.
For now, here's the top half of the standings.
45 Yuhan 2
42 Bauer 2
38 O'Reilly
35 Wonsetler Head
34 Fell 2
33 Reid Dumb, Izzo 1
32 LoPorto 1
30 Winklepleck
29 Stempelson, Green
28 Crase
27 LoPorto 2
22 Brady
21 Cameron 1
20 Wonsetler Heart, Red Smart
19 Bauer 1
A few spots back is the first slate to go out, DGB. Stand by for the late-game update and full standings, including zombies, in a little while...
Do I think the Trolley-Dodgers have it in them to get to the Classic? Not really, but I feel like I said that last year, and they repeated with whatever magicks that required.
Do I care given they've dismissed the Barves? Not one bit! Hope all those former-Met coaches enjoy the golf course and whatever magicks those require!
Last points for this LDS, with eliminated picks in italics:
Baldwin 0
Harris 3
Olson 0
Betts, Freeman, and Kiké 0
Teo 1
Muncy 4
Ohtani 0
Pages 2
Smith 0
Tucker 1
LVP for this series is a tough call -- Smith, given expected playing time, is IMO excused, but Ohtani and Baldwin were both solid picks; the former looks like he's hurting, the latter did squat in this series, so let's go Baldwin.
MVP, with respect to Harris, is ol' Bax Buncy, though 2026's bar is...lower? different? Unlikely to see a Victorino off a Dodger team with nine total BPP picks.
No slates knocked out with this result, but the night, she is young (and mean), so here's where the money is halfway through tonight:
44 Yuhan 2
41 Bauer 2
37 O'Reilly
34 Fell 2
33 Wonsetler Head
32 Reid Dumb
It's the ninth in the Bronx rn, so eyeball my math and I'll see you when I see you!
Shows you what I know! Sox took their foot off the gas a little bit, I think, and Cleveland bats -- things that exist! -- surged to a win. Let's see what they did points-wise:
Meidroth 2
Montgomery 0
Murakami 0
Vargas 1
Mr. DeLauter 1
Kwan 1
Enough old BPP hands have gotten burned on Ramirez in the past that nobody went for him this year, and he's baaa-aaaaack.
It's tied in Atlanta still, and Rays/Yankees starts in about 15 minutes; until then, here's the money and environs:
44 Yuhan 2
39 Bauer 2
34 O'Reilly
33 Wonsetler Head
32 Reid Dumb
31 Fell 2
Good luck, see you back here in a bit!
I fell asleep before this seesaw ended, but was gratified to wake up to more baseball in the MIL/SD series. I still think this is the Brewers' in the end -- imagine if all those picks were hitting -- but that's why they play the games.
And they're playing all four later, probably for the last time in 2026, so let's housekeep this one real quick. Points!
Bauers 0
Chourio 0
Contreras, Wm 6
Mitchell 0
Turang! Finally! 1
Bogaerts 1
Cronenworth 5
France 0
Merrill 1
Tatis 0
Top of the money remained fairly stable; top half of the pool overall looks a bit different this morning:
44 Yuhan 2
39 Bauer 2
33 Wonsetler Head and O'Reilly
32 Reid Dumb
31 Fell 2
30 Izzo 1, LoPorto 1, and Winklepleck
Everyone/-thing else after the jump break.
Does this series seem joyless to anyone else? Not just because it's the Barves trying to take down a three-peat money juggernaut, either. It's just over-it vibes on the field from almost everyone. Even Ohtani looks kinda cranky.
But of course Freddie's powering through it, and Kiké, everyone's favorite longshot Victorino-block pick.
Tonight's points so far:
Baldwin 0
Harris II 1
Olson 1
Betts 2
Freeman 4
Hernandez, K 4
Teo Max Shohei LLC 0
Pages 2
Smith 1
Tucker 1
Pages and Smith notching their first postseason TB this evening, so that's something, and Freeman makes it interesting at the top:
44 Yuhan 2
39 Bauer 2
31 Reid Dumb
30 Izzo 1, Fell 2, LoPorto 1
And the rest of the usual suspects in the mid-20s.
Turang could really help a lot of people out -- starting with himself! -- by doing literally anything tonight, but we'll see how things look after the late game; look for that update tomorrow morning.
(Math not mathing? LMK!)
Not the pitching changes I'd have made as the Guards' manager, but that's why I do this and they do that, I suppose. Cleveland just seems...stuck, grinding uphill; I don't know.
Got some points, though, finally...
Meidroth 2
Montgomery, C 0
Murakami 1
Vargas 1
DeLauter 2
Kwan 1
The money looks the same --
32 Yuhan 2
29 Bauer 2, Fell 2
26 O'Reilly
-- but it's interesting near the podium --
25 Crase
24 Winklepleck
-- and thanks to Mr. DeLauter*, the last point-less slate is on the board, so no Gol-Dunn Sombrero this year, huzzah!
*I had a history teacher with a nearly identical last name back in the day; can't bring myself not to use the "Mr."
Thanks to this asinine stagger sked for the ALDSes, these teams don't go again until Wednesday night. Stand by for the Rays/Met-- er, Yankee score in a few minutes!
With a couple of exceptions, the Dodgers look flat. I hate the Barves and don't think they have a World Series run in them regardless, but I don't know if this Dodger team is the one to get rid of them.
In any event, what's wanted BPP-wise is a long series with a lot of points. What'd we get tonight?
Baldwin 0
Harris II 6
Olson 1
Betts 0
Freeman 5
Hernandezes 0
Muncy 4
Ohtani 1
Pages 0
Smith 0
Tucker 1
Money looks a little different after all, thanks to Harris II taking over the top TB slot from Ben Rice...
32 Yuhan 2
29 Bauer 2, Fell 2
25 O'Reilly
24 Winklepleck
Everyone else after the jump!
That's the kind of game you love this time of year -- always tense; life-giving/back-breaking result. And the Padres head home down 0-2.
The points, which were a bit sparse:
Bauers 0
Chourio 1
Contreras 0
Mitchell 1
Turang 0
Yelich 2
Bogaerts 0
Cronenworth 0
France 2
Merrill 1
Tatis 0
Turang really dragging down a bunch of slates here.
The money, with a couple of small shifts:
28 Bauer 2
27 Yuhan 2
24 Winklepleck
23 Fell 2
21 Crase
19 Izzo, Stempelson, O'Reilly, Wonsetler Heart
Doesn't seem like the night game's going to move the needle much, but I'll see you shortly with that result and tomorrow's schedule.
A somewhat unpleasant game to look at, strictly visually -- the combination of the odd lighting at the Brewers' park and those "iconic" Pads unis just felt nightmarish; trying to backseat-drive that home run that wasn't, forget it -- but a fun one in terms of gameplay. The folks who get paid to write about this stuff think this series is the closest contest on paper so we may get a full five of close games like this one.
No shortage of points, either...
Bauers 2
Chourio 4
Contreras the Younger 4
Mitchell 1
Turang 0
Yeli 1
Bogaerts 1
Cronenworth 0
France 1
Merrill 0
Tatis 1
...but the less said about Machado hogging all of them, the better, probably. ("No, say more." - Aaron)
Every slate is now nominally on the board. No huge changes to the leaderboard since last night, but here's the money currently:
28 Bauer 2
25 Yuhan 2
22 Fell 2 and Winklepleck
21 Crase
19 Izzo 1, Stempelson, O'Reilly
18 Wonsetler Heart
Everyone else after the jump...
Nice moment for Rasmussen, we all love a regular-season pitchers' duel...but a low-scoring game is annoying for the BPP, lbr.
Yankee picks: 0
Caminero: 0
Diaz, Y: 1
No substantive change to, well, much of anything, except a couple more slates got on the board -- but we should see some significant shuffling once SD/MIL goes final. I'll have that update and complete standings tomorrow morning.
Skubal wasn't completely untouchable on a scorching day at Chavez Ravine, but the Dodger line-up did what it does for a fairly routine win.
Baldwin 1
Harris 0
Olson 0
And [huge inhale]...
Betts 1
Freeman 1
Hernandez, K 0
Hernandez, T 5
Muncy 4
Ohtani 1
Pages 0
Smith 0
Tucker 5
It never fails; I'm like "surely THIS is the deranged one-off pick that blows up in Bauer's face" and then that slate leaps right over everybody. Every year! Anyway: welcome back, Kyle Tucker.
Here's the money halfway through today's schedule:
28 Bauer 2
23 Yuhan 2
21 Crase, Fell 2
19 Izzo 1, Winklepleck
18 Stempelson
17 LoPorto 1
And even more slates climb into the fray; the last five need the Brewers to take the field.
No score yet in Tampa in the middle of the second. Good luck, check my math, see you later tonight.
A subdued start at the plate for the AL Central champs; everything the Guardians tried to get going seemed to happen with two outs.
Sox still producing, though:
Meidroth 0
Montgomery 3
Murakami 5
Vargas 1
DeLauter 0
Kwan 0
A couple of slates join us thanks to Vargas, and the money looks a bit different after our first game:
22 Yuhan 2
21 Crase
20 Fell 2
Izzo 1, Winklepleck, Bauer 2, and Stempelson just off the pace, and plenty of point opportunities in the ATL/LAD game underway right now (which I think I'll leave on mute). See you around dinnertime ET...
That's a wrap on the WC round -- an uglier one than we usually see. A wide range of picks team-wise is interesting, and protects us from having to re-pick at the Classic, but the flip side is that you might have a bunch of slates staggering into divisional play...and losing PCA and Kyle Schwarber in the first round leaves us with a handful of "Mario Celeste"s going into the LDSes.
The points:
Baldwin 0
Harris 4
Olson 4
Harper 1
Schwarber 2
Stott 0
Italicized picks are out, of course. Harris II, a known Met-killer, is the pick MVP this round but the Schwarb wasn't far behind. Nobody really sucked, but Stott didn't do what we hoped. Albies making a case for the Victorino (usually he and Acuña get decent action if they're available; feels like nobody really believes it for Atlanta this year).
No games today, so here's a look at the money while we wait.
22 Yuhan 2
20 Fell 2
19 Winklepleck, Izzo 1
18 Bauer 2, Stempelson
17 LoPorto 1
Everyone else plus Saturday's sked after the jump...
I can't say I expected quite such a brisk dismissal of the North Side team, even from a scorching San Diego team. CHC picks were 0 for last night --
Bregman 0
PCA 0
-- and 0 for BPP 2026, aaaaand are out. Not great news for the pool broadly; PCA was a very popular pick.
In happier news,
Bogaerts 3
Cronenworth 0
France 3
Merrill 2
Tatis 0
Bogey's your MVP for this match-up. I would propose Machado as a future Shane Vic, but those are guys nobody would have thought to pick, versus Machado, who tends to burn us...except when he doesn't.
Here's a look at the money:
22 Yuhan 2
19 Winklepleck, Izzo 1
18 Bauer 2, Stempelson
Everyone else after the jump...
Off to Tampa for the Yankees, who were more or less untroubled by the Sox. The pool, less so -- one pick was felled by injury last night; Contreras excepted, the others did little to help -- but the players in italics below are out:
Abreu, W 0
Anthony 0
Contreras, Wi 5
Rafaela 0
Better news for the Bomber pickers:
Bellinger 5
Chisholm 2
Garcia 6
Rice 1
Here's where the money is as we wait to see whether the CHW/SD series is going to break the pool...
19 Yuhan 2 and Izzo 1
18 Stempelson and Bauer 2
14 Fell 2
13 Winklepleck, Reid Dumb, LoPorto 1, DGB
12 Crase, Green, Wonsetler Head
10 Izzo 2, Wonsetler Heart, O'Reilly
9 Brady
7 AK 2
6 Quinn 2, Reid Smart, Yuhan 1, Cameron 2
5 Drake's Dis Track
4 Bingham 2
3 LoPorto 2
2 Tormey, AK 1
1 Cameron 1, SDB Goliath
It seems like maybe a Gol-Dunn Sombrero is in play for this go-round? Lord, I hope not. Corrections, log 'em in the comments and I'll see you later/tomorrow for the CHI/SD wrap.
Despite a Harper biff that looked psychologically fatal (and a Phillie pulling up short and asking out of the game after running to first), the Phils hang on to force a decider tomorrow.
Lots of points on offer this afternoon, with Baldwin putting another handful of you on the board:
Harper 5
Schwarber 4
Stott 1
Baldwin 3
Harris 1
Olson 1
Very slight change to the money --
18 Yuhan 2
17 Stempelson
14 Fell 2
-- with Winklepleck and Izzo Reid Bauer LoPorto LLC just off the pace.
Houston's trying to climb back into it after an inning in the 5 o'clock game; I should be back in a couple hours with that update.
Me, every year I pick Machado: "...dammit."
Me, every year I don't pick Machado: "...DAMMIT!"
Plenty of points on offer from a game that seemed to get away from Cubs pitching almost immediately. Not exactly a plot twist given that so much Cubs pitching, uh, used to be Mets pitching?
Your points:
Bregman 0
PCA 0
Bogaerts 5
Cronenworth 1
France 2
Merrill 2
Tatis 5
An authoritative restructuring of the money thanks to the Pads; below, your standings after the first WC day...
18 Yuhan 2
17 Stempelson
13 Winklepleck
12 Izzo 1, Reid Dumb, Bauer 2
11 LoPorto 1, Green, Wonsetler Head
10 Fell 2
7 Crase, AK 2
5 Quinn 2, Reid Smart
4 Brady
3 O'Reilly, DGB
2 Yuhan 2, Tormey
1 Izzo 2, Wonsetler Heart, Bingham 2
Everyone else either picked Sox, picked byes, or just picked poorly (hi hello, it's me) and waiting to get on the board.
The schedule's exactly the same today -- Phils/Barves at 2, Pale Hose/'Stros at 5, Yanks/Red Hose at 8, Cubs/Dads at 10. My only prediction is that the Red Sox, who look overwhelmed, submit quietly, but I'm always rooting for more baseball; we'll see!
In the meantime, check my math, make sure I didn't let any other Shlobotniks through, and good luck!
Not the start Boston pickers were hoping for -- AND it looks like Anthony's hurt, again -- and it's probably not far from the end for Boston pickers, either...but boy howdy did Rice's pickers make out like bandits.
Abreu 1
All other Hose 0
Bellinger 1
Chisholm 0
Garcia 0
Rice 11
Huge pick for y'all, and before the final Day 1 update and its legion of Padre points comes to get you, the money is
12 Izzo 1, Reid Dumb, Stempelson, Bauer 2
11 LoPorto 1, Green, Wonsetler Head, Yuhan 2
7 Crase
See you momentarily with the late game, and full(-er) standings for Day 1.
(Before we start, a correction note: one slate had a "Merritt, C" listed as a CHW entry, which looked reasonable/I don't follow the AL Central so I failed to cross-check it. No such player exists, and the entry was intended to read "Meidroth, C" -- who DOES exist.
I've updated the spreadsheet; my apologies for the error; anything else like this pops up, LMK, otherwise on with the update!)
The points for the evening game, minus Phantom Merritt LLC:
Meidroth 2
Montgomery, C 4
Murakami 1
Vargas 0
Alvarez 1
That leapfrogs Crase into the lead, for now, but with Ben Rice homering minutes ago, standings will shuffle (probably a few times) before Day 1 is in the books.
Hell of a time for Duran to look mortal, eh what? Especially since nobody picked Riley this year...
Your points for the postseason opener:
Baldwin 0
Harris 3
Olson 0
Harper 0
Schwarber 1
Stott 1
Fell 2 and O'Reilly take the first lead of the post with 3 each; DGB has 2; Izzo 2, Wonsetler Heart, and Yuhan 1 each with 1.
Lotta baseball left to play today (and as of this writing, Houston ain't playing any of it); see you in a few hours!
And we're back! Most of the old heads back for the 21st (...!) Bunting's Postseason Pool; a couple of newer names too.
We've got 39 slates in play this year; that's $273 to first place, $78 to second, $39 to third. My eyes could well have glazed over after the midnight formula-set session, but I don't see any dupes here.
All the slates below*:
All postseason teams got at least one pick, although it's just Alvarez for Houston, but he got a fair bit of action. Widest range of picks for a single team is the defending champs, with nine different picks; everyone's trying to guess which Dodger's going to Victorino it in 2026 (including me).
Heaviest individual-pick action is on Caminero; PCA, Ohtani, Ben Rice, and Turang also very popular.
Curtains up on the drama at 2 ET with PHI/ATL, when we'll see if the general uneasiness with the Phils' backing into the playoffs reflected in the picks is warranted. Then it's Chisox/Astros at 5 ET, Bosox/Yanks at 8, and Cubs/Dads at 10. (This round is on the NBC/Peacock system; schedule here if you need it.)
Hold onto your butts/good luck!
Hey all -- we're back! Any questions, hit me up via email, but nothing's changed since last year. I already held my nose and picked ;) so if you want to do the same, feel free; if you want to see what messing with Texas looks like, that's fine.
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...Yeah, no. It's just been that kind of year? Anyway: helloooooo, welcome back to the 21st (!) BPP!
A week out from the official start of 2026 postseason play and we still don't have schedule/match-up lock...but you can start thinking about (or even sending!) your picks now if you like.
Deadline for picks and payment this year is Monday, September 28 at 10 PM ET.
I'll repost rules 'n' regs soon, but nothing has really changed since last year; scroll back to a previous September's posts if you need a refresher. It's still $10; I'm still at bunting at tomatonation dot com; you're still welcome to invite folks if you'd like.
