Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney

Weight Class: Defining Questions and Players for the ALDS & NLDS

Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney

Show Notes

Paul “Hembo” Hembekides and Buster Olney discuss the fallout from the Philadelphia Phillies losing to the Atlanta Braves in the Wild Card, including who will manage the team in 2027, if their window is closed, and whether Trea Turner should change positions. Then, the guys answer defining questions and identify the defining players in all four NLDS and ALDS series.

0:00 Welcome

0:46 Paul “Hembo” Hembekides joins

2:38 Is the Phillies window closed?

5:04 Should Trea Turner be moved to the OF?

6:48 NLDS & ALDS defining players, questions

7:18 Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox

11:02 Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Atlanta Braves

15:25 Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees

19:23 Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Diego Padres

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Eduardo Pérez is wheeling his one-man clown car around Progressive Field when joining Buster Olney to discuss the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the ALCS. They discuss how Drew Rasmussen controlled the strike zone with three different fastballs, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda stepping up, Junior Caminero looking eager and overwhelmed, Taylor Walls’ defense, if baseball will be played in Cleveland again in 2026, whether the week off for the Milwaukee Brewers will help or hurt them before the World Series, and the conversations that will be had between Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Later, Buster answers your questions during Bleacher Tweets.

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David Schoenfield and Buster Olney convene following the Milwaukee Brewers’ 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers to take a 3-0 NLCS lead. They discuss Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell hitting back-to-back home runs off Blake Snell, Jackson Chourio’s first pitch jack, if Dave Roberts made the right move keeping Snell in the game, and whether the Dodgers are more banged up than we think. Then, Eric Hosmer stops by to talk about Shohei Ohtani avoiding the bench, the Guardians-Rays ALCS shifting to Cleveland and moving up first pitch due to weather, and the postseason grind as a player.

Oct 14, 2026

Jesse Rogers and Buster Olney are in the Tropicana Field press box following the Tampa Bay Rays’ 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians to tie the ALCS at 1-1. They get into Freddy Peralta throwing heat all night, José Ramírez’s critical defensive error, and if weather will impact ALCS Game 3 in Cleveland. Then, future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols stops by to talk about what he’s seeing in Shohei Ohtani during his postseason struggles, if this is the Brewers’ breakthrough year, and Junior Caminero.

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