Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez has come around for the Guardians in must-win situations in each of the last two games of the American League Division Series against the division-rival Chicago White Sox. In the 9-5 win in Chicago on Thursday night, Ramirez went 2-for-5 at the plate with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored out of the two-hole. The 34-year-old All-Star hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the fifth inning off White Sox right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks to give the Guardians a 3-2 lead. The home run was J-Ram's 43rd career postseason hit, which tied Jim Thome for third in Cleveland franchise history. The Dominican had a down year during the 2026 regular season, primarily due to a broken hamate bone in his hand. He finished with a .235/.320/.368 slash line with a .688 OPS, 12 home runs, 53 RBI, 37 stolen bases, and 71 runs scored across his 473 at-bats. It was the first time that the perennial All-Star hit under 20 home runs since the COVID-shortened season in 2020. If Ramirez continues to heat up and the Guards come back to win the ALDS from down two games to none, the Tampa Bay Rays will have a lot to deal with in the ALCS.

New York Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. expressed a desire to return to New York in free agency, saying that he had "great times as a Yankee." The 28-year-old profiles as one of the top position players in the upcoming free agent market, even after a down year in which he hit .231/.312/.399 with 19 home runs, 55 RBI, 69 runs scored, and 41 stolen bases across 532 plate appearances. Chisholm Jr. carries significant upside, as he logged a 30-30 season with 80 RBI across 531 plate appearances with the Yankees in 2025. However, he made a few notable defensive blunders in Game 2 of the Yankees' three-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series and was not in New York's starting lineup for the deciding Game 3. The lefty-swinging Chisholm Jr. has also been a significantly worse hitter against same-handed pitching in his career, posting a .227286/.376 slash line with a 29% strikeout rate across 814 plate appearances against lefties. If the Yankees decide to move on from Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe could be poised to take over as the team's everyday second baseman in 2027.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Tyler Mahle said, "It'd be crazy not to want to play here," when asked about a potential return to Atlanta during the upcoming offseason, per Jesus Cano of The Athletic. The 32-year-old is set to hit free agency this winter. Mahle began the 2026 season with the San Francisco Giants and struggled, recording a 3-9 record with a 4.38 ERA and 1.39 WHIP across 94 2/3 innings (18 starts). However, the veteran right-hander completely turned his season around after a midseason trade to Atlanta, logging a 1.99 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with 48 strikeouts across 54 1/3 innings (nine starts). Mahle pitched well in his two postseason starts for the Braves as well, allowing just two hits and two earned runs across 13 1/3 innings. Given his strong close to the season, Mahle may be able to secure a multi-year deal in free agency.

New York Yankees impending free-agent first baseman/designated hitter Paul Goldschmidt has expressed a desire to keep playing at age 39 in 2027, according to Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. It is unclear if the Yankees will make an effort to re-sign the former MVP and seven-time All-Star in the offseason. Goldy had a nice bounce-back campaign in 2026 in his 16th year in the big leagues after he hit just 10 homers and drove in 45 runs in 146 games in 2025 in his first year in pinstripes. In 105 regular-season games across 380 plate appearances this year, Goldschmidt hit .252/.313/.452 with a .765 OPS, 18 home runs, 52 RBI, and 44 runs scored for the Yankees. He went hitless in eight plate appearances with two walks and a run scored in four postseason games for New York this year. Goldschmidt is obviously no longer in his prime and is no longer an everyday player, but he should still attract interest across the league for his ability to hit lefties. In 183 plate appearances against southpaws in 2026, he hit .299 (47-for-157) with 11 of his 18 home runs and 24 RBI.