A Bleak Winter, a Ray of Hope
For as long as America’s pastime seemed to provide a space for viewers to forget about societal ills, the modern MLB viewer is reminded of them more than ever. The game itself has grown even more corporate since we last opined on its state — most recently with five teams forming an official partnership with the infamous Kalshi prediction market.
The primary issue with this matter is not the partnership itself but rather what it represents for the future of baseball: that MLB will continue its pro-gambling crusade despite a mountain of evidence suggesting that it worsens the fan experience. It seems that MLB has decided to eschew the lessons learned from past controversies, such as the notorious Black Sox Scandal, in favor of a financially alluring new era where baseball has become weaponized against its own fans for profit.
It is quite fitting, then, that this corporatization coincides with a league that is dominated by a monopoly draped in Dodger blue. Detroit’s trade of two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal to Los Angeles, while undoubtedly enthralling from a baseball standpoint, was arguably overshadowed by the discourse surrounding the trade’s implications. Many sports journalists have argued that the trade was a result of leaguewide collusion in order to illustrate the need for a potential salary cap in the next MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Regardless of whether one subscribes to such a theory, it is evident that baseball itself is likely headed for a lockout — in short, players and owners won’t be able to agree on a new CBA, thus triggering a leaguewide shutdown until new terms can be agreed upon.
But gambling and a looming lockout aren’t the only issues facing MLB. As anti-billionaire scrutiny reaches all-time highs in America, Dodgers owner Mark Walter has become a poster boy for scandalous sports owners. Walter has been accused of funneling $21 billion from his Delaware Life Insurance company into other assets he owns, including multiple sports franchises.
Walter’s response to this investigation was to frantically sell his stakes in the Los Angeles Lakers and Chelsea F.C., with the Lakers being bought by an ownership group involving the infamous Kushner family. We at Hot Corner can only wonder if Mr. Walter sold off his PR team prior to making these moves.
While MLB has yet to issue a public statement regarding Walter’s investigation, potential ramifications could be brutal for the Dodgers if he’s found guilty. Dodgers fans had best hope that MLB’s disciplinary committee doesn’t take inspiration from the NBA, who decimated the LA Clippers’ asset pool following their own financial scandal.
Despite relations between MLB fans, players and owners being in a state of disrepair, this season has provided ample moments of elation for baseball diehards. Justin Verlander, one of the most lauded players of the modern era, finally returned to the Detroit Tigers for the swan song of his inimitable career. Verlander made his last career start quite the memorable one, striking out six batters across five innings before embracing his daughter, who walked him back to the dugout for the final time.
Verlander’s old teammate, Max Scherzer, also made his (ostensibly) final start in MLB, tossing a seven-inning, one-run gem while striking out seven batters. In a testament to his “Mad Max” persona, Scherzer even managed to stave off his own benching by barking at manager John Schneider, who quickly acquiesced. Scherzer hasn’t publicly indicated if this season will be his last, but frankly, we don’t believe he should. With Mad Max, you should never know what’s coming.
LA Dodgers: Goliath Stumbles (again)
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows on the diamond as the calendar flips to October — the hometown Dodgers are experiencing some mercuriality of their own. After winning a second consecutive World Series and crushing the dreams of parity-loving fans in 2025, the Dodgers wasted no time infuriating the baseball world in the ensuing offseason. The squad poached lauded closer Edwin Diaz from the Mets with a 3-year $69 million contract before promptly signing superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker to an unprecedented 4-year $240 million megadeal.
Unfortunately for LA, it may have been more auspicious if the two never reported to the team to begin with. Diaz’s debut season in Dodger Blue has seen him repeatedly implode on the mound to the tune of a nauseating 8.68 ERA (Earned Run Average). To be frank, Diaz’s two IL (Injured List) stints have been his best contributions to the team this season — at least they provide fans a reprieve from his cardiac-aggravating performances.
The grass hasn’t been much greener for Kyle Tucker, who’s currently mired in a career-worst slump. His paltry .233 batting average and 17 home runs are more befitting of a player making one tenth of his annual salary, and Tucker plays so poorly at home that you’d think he has stage fright. It was never believed that Tucker would fully justify his contract, but these are levels of money squandering that would make even George Steinbrenner grimace.
Thankfully, the Dodgers have been able to offset their disastrous offseason with standout contributions from its young stars, like outfield phenom Josue De Paula and a resurgent Roki Sasaki. Even so, the road to an illustrious three-peat will be anything but easy.
Boston Red Sox – Out of gas?
This season, the Boston Red Sox were dead on arrival. Their endless rollercoaster ride was finally due to go flying off the track. After an embarrassing two game rout at the hands of the Yankees Evil Empire, the Sox have failed to make it to a Division series for a fifth straight year. Fenway Park has not seen a playoff game since the magical run of 2021.
The Sox fell to the mighty swords of Yanks’ ace Cam Schlittler (who owns a 0.47 ERA against the Sox in six starts) and veteran lefty Max Fried. Getting diced by the likely American League Cy Young winner in Schlittler in Game 1 was all but guaranteed, and the Sox have historically struggled against Fried. As such, the Sox offense was a no-show in New York. Their bats pushed across a measly two runs in total. All-Star acquisition Willson Contreras was the only one who came to play. As the dust cleared from the massacre in the Bronx, the Sox were left outscored 18-2. Dejected players and fans tucked their tails between their legs and boarded the train back to Boston.
Fans who stopped watching in June after a historically awful start to the season would be bewildered trying to imagine the ‘26 Sox even making it to the playoffs. World Series-winning manager Alex Cora was fired in late April after a 10-17 start, and almost the entire coaching staff was shown the door with him. Worcester Red Sox manager Chad Tracy took the helm. Boston was still 14 games under .500 on June 24 looking for a team identity.
From June 25 to Aug. 7, the Sox went on a run never before seen in the history of their franchise. In that stretch, the team went 32-5, including a franchise record-tying 15 game winning streak. Role players such as Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, Nick Sogard and Mickey Gasper (who went on a hot streak in September that rivaled Babe Ruth) carried the offense for weeks at a time. The boys had each other’s backs, always playing for the moment. Just watch the reactions from the Red Sox dugout after Wilyer Abreu blasted his second homer of the day to take the lead in a July contest against the division rival Tampa Bay Rays. As the New England summer rolled on, the Sox couldn’t lose. Fans had plenty of reason to believe that anything was possible.
The great September struggle should have raised more warning signs than it did. Boston’s offense posted league worsts in several important offensive categories as colder fall weather caused a permanent chill in the Sox’ bats. A solid rotation of Sonny Gray (who posted a renaissance season at age 36), the eternally cheerful Payton Tolle, offseason acquisition Ranger Suarez, promising young starter Jake Bennett and both Brayan Bello and Patrick Sandoval carried the team through the summer in the absence of Garrett Crochet, who finished second in Cy Young voting last season. The Sox bullpen had been strong all season, anchored by the combination of Garrett Whitlock and future Hall of Fame closer Aroldis Chapman. When the Sox went to the Bronx, everything fell apart. The bullpen Chad Tracy relied on all summer finally succumbed.
Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer (CBO) Craig Breslow will have a lot to answer for this offseason. A logjam will have to be cleared in the outfield. Young star Roman Anthony’s injuries caused by swinging a baseball bat continue to pile up. Sonny Gray might retire. There are unknowns across the board. One thing is for certain: the Sox lineup is short an Alex Bregman or a Rafael Devers, who both departed in the last year. This lineup lacks the thump required to contend in a stacked AL East year over year, despite going all-in at the trade deadline for former All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman. The Sox haven’t won the Division since 2018. When will ownership start acting like a winning franchise again?
Chicago White Sox – Ordained by God?
The team that resembles another pair of Sox in Chicago has seen a one-season turnaround for the ages. The Chi-Sox lost 121 games during an unwatchable 2024. The following season, they still lost 102 games. It seemed that all hope had vanished. In 2026 however, they were not to be trifled with, winning a miraculous 84 games and making the postseason for the first time since 2021.
Hours before they were set to take on the Houston Astros in Game 1 of their Wild Card Series, a letter “of abundant blessings” arrived in the clubhouse. It was from the team’s most famous fan, Pope Leo XIV, who grew up a White Sox fan.
Two games later, the White Sox had easily disposed of a sorry Astros team, securing their first postseason series win since they last won a championship in 2005. Jewish owner Jerry Reinsdorf even joked that he might have to convert to Catholicism.
This new-look White Sox team features a mix of home grown talent, international signings, players acquired via trade and veterans looking for one last chance. Japanese star Munetaka Murakami was the jewel of the offseason, coming to Chicago on a deal that now seems like a bargain — two years for only $34 million dollars. He may have only hit just above .200, but the former Yakult Swallows slugger punched 35 homers en route to an All-Star nomination in just his first year in America. Miguel Vargas, who sulked for a full season after being traded away by the Dodgers, found another gear. He earned the first All-Star nomination of his career, blasting 38 homers and swiping 22 bags. Every player obtained in the Garrett Crochet trade has made an impact for Chicago. This team is on the up and up, and might only be rivaled by the Rays in terms of chances to make it to the World Series.
So what?
2026 featured a slew of breakouts from both leagues. Pete Crow-Armstrong solidified his case as the best center fielder in baseball, and is more than likely to finally dethrone Shohei Ohtani for the NL MVP award. Young phenom Jacob Misiorowski shocked the world by throwing 105 miles an hour all season while staying healthy, and should breeze to the first Cy Young of his career. Yordan Alvarez is nearly a lock to secure the AL MVP — putting up offensive numbers as a DH that David Ortiz would surely approve of. The Mets faceplanted this year with the second highest payroll in baseball and multiple albatross contracts despite AJ Ewing and Carson Benge posting great years as rookies.
Maybe only God (or the Pope) knows who’ll win it all in ‘26. A full-scale lockout is almost assured after the season is over, which would completely shut down communication between players and their teams. MLB keeps growing in popularity, yet fans are facing the harsh reality of having a shortened 2027 season, or no season at all. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) Executive Director Bruce Meyer are miles apart in negotiations. MLB owners continue to push for a salary cap, which no player in their right mind who wants to increase their salary year over year would agree to, as the sport becomes more profitable for owners. Minor Leaguers want better pay, and young players want a quicker path to free agency, which owners also directly oppose. Communication between players and their teams will be completely shut down in the case of a lockout. In an age when the game’s stars shine brighter and brighter every year, MLB owners and the MLBPA will have to ask themselves one thing: is it worth it?
Contact Ben Petteruti at petteruti@oxy.edu and Mac Ribner at ribner@oxy.edu
