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Reacting to Battles LIVE (SBX Kickback Finals)🔴View the full article

(Photo Credit: Dread) ComingSoon is excited to host a The Jester 2 giveaway for the horror movie sequel. Winners will receive The Jester 2 poster signed by director Colin Krawchuk and a digital code for the film. The slasher movie from Epic Pictures’ Dread will be available on video-on-demand starting October 17. “On Halloween night, teen magician Max finds herself locked in a brutal showdown with the Jester, a nightmarish and supernatural trickster with real dark magic and a killer act. As illusions turn lethal and every escape is a trap, Max must pull off the ultimate trick: staying alive. On this deadly night, the only escape… is to beat the devil at its own game,” reads the official synopsis. Check out The Jester 2 trailer below: The Jester 2 is written and directed by Colin Krawchuk (The Jester). Starring Michael Sheffield (The Jester), Kaitlyn Trentham (Murder Made Me Famous, Within The Woods), Jessica Ambuehl (Becoming, The Dream Motel), and Dingani Beza (23 Minutes to Sunrise, Marshall’s Miracle). Produced by Patrick Ewald, Cole Payne, and Jake Heineke. How to enter our The Jester 2 giveaway: To enter our The Jester 2 giveaway, you can either retweet the giveaway’s Twitter post or comment on our corresponding Facebook post. Winners will receive a signed poster along with a digital code for the film, and must be in the U.S. to be eligible. The giveaway lasts until October 19. Good luck to all who enter! The post The Jester 2 Giveaway: Signed Poster & Digital Code for Horror Movie appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures Actor and producer Channing Tatum stars in Roofman, a film inspired by the story of Jeffrey Manchester, a real-life convicted spree robber. He portrays Manchester and recently spoke about the rare opportunity he got to sit down with the former U.S. Army Reserve soldier as part of his preparation for the role. Channing Tatum on what real Jeffrey Manchester said to him The Magic Mike star, playing Jeffrey Manchester in Roofman, got to speak with the real-life inspiration behind his character. Jeffrey Manchester is currently in prison for his crimes. Along with director Derek Cianfrance, Channing Tatum visited him while preparing to portray him on screen. Recently, the 45-year-old actor told Entertainment Weekly about the conversations he had with Manchester. Tatum mentioned, “Man, we talked about so much,” recalling those discussions. “I think in the beginning, I obviously had lists and lists of questions about the whys and the hows, and did this really happen? Did that really happen?” He then elaborated on how Manchester told him one of the most heartbreaking things. It helped him learn who the latter is as a human. The Blink Twice actor shared, “He’s made some bad decisions, and he’s very, very aware of that and having to pay the price for that. But I asked him, when he gets out, what are you going to do? And it really just punched me in the gut, man. He’s like, ‘I don’t know if they’ll ever let me, because I’m a felon, but I would love to adopt, and I would love to have a second chance of being a father and not screwing it up this time.” “He really knows. He’s like, ‘The thing that I cheated [my kids] out of is just my actual presence in their life. And I just didn’t understand before this, I had to be taught a lesson, and you can’t take those decisions back.’ He’s dealing with those consequences in that reality, and it’s a hard thing to swallow,” Tatum further revealed. Empathizing with the real Roofman, Channing Tatum also expressed how he wished that Jeffrey Manchester got to see the movie. “But, I hope they give him a second chance to at least see the movie and then hopefully it gives a little perspective on him, and why he did what he did, and maybe it shaves some time off his sentence, but who knows?” he stated. The post Roofman’s Channing Tatum Recalls ‘Heartbreaking’ Conversation With Real Jeffrey Manchester appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: Marvel Entertainment (via YouTube) Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II recently shared details about the powers of his character Simon Williams, AKA Wonder Man, in Marvel’s upcoming series. A trailer of Wonder Man was recently shown at the New York Comic-Con, featuring Abdul-Mateen, accompanied by Ben Kingsley. The release date of the show was recently postponed by a month from December 2025 to January 2026. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on what Wonder Man’s super power is in MCU The Aquaman star had a conversation at the NYCC recently. There, he talked about the powers of his character, Simon Williams, in Wonder Man. While Yahya Abdul-Mateen II didn’t reveal much, he hinted that Williams’ acting skills are his main power. He told Rotten Tomatoes, “I think Simon is, well, Simon is trying to figure out what his powers, you know. Simon has a superpower. Simon would say that his superpower is his craft.” Abdul Mateen added that fans will “get to see how well he manages” being a superhero and an actor in the upcoming series. Furthermore, Marvel Head of TV and Streaming, Brad Winderbaum, sat with Entertainment Weekly and spoke about Wonder Man. Apart from it being a meta show, he also stated, “It’s one of my favorite things. It’s very different than anything the studio’s produced. In terms of how meta it is, without getting into details, it is a show that takes place within the MCU, but it’s a story about Hollywood. And it’s a story about not just Hollywood, I would say it’s a story about acting and the journey of an actor in Hollywood.” Winderbaum also shared his views on Wonder Man being compared to the hit Apple TV+ series The Studio. He stated, “It is very different than The Studio, actually. It’s different tonally. It’s very sincere, and it’s very focused on acting as a craft. The Studio is really more about the big Hollywood system and the machine and the craziness that ensues. This is really a very intimate portrait of one actor trying to live his dreams while the world and the need to make money intervenes.” Originally reported by Ishita Verma on SuperHeroHype. The post Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Reveals Wonder Man’s Super Power in MCU Series appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

(Photo Credit: Netflix) Netflix has finally announced the release date for Bridgerton Season 4, the next chapter of Shonda Rhimes’ popular romance drama series. The upcoming season will now center around the love story between Luke Thompson’s Benedict Bridgerton and Yerin Ha’s Sophie Baek. In addition, the streamer has also shared a new teaser trailer, featuring a glimpse of Benedict and Sophie’s long-awaited first meeting. “The new installment turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down. That is, until an enthralling woman captures Benedict’s attention at Violet Bridgerton’s masquerade ball. While Benedict knows his love interest as only the Lady in Silver, she’s actually Sophie, a resourceful maid with her own secrets and dreams,” reads the logline. Check out the Bridgerton Season 4 teaser trailer below (watch more trailers): When are the release dates for Bridgerton Season 4 Part 1 & Part 2? Bridgerton Season 4 will be divided into two parts, with Part 1 now scheduled to premiere on January 29, 2026. As for Part 2, it will be dropping on February 26, 2026. Season 4 will be based on the novel An Offer from a Gentleman, the third book in Julia Quinn’s bestselling Bridgerton series. Besides Ha, the next installment will also introduce new cast members Katie Leung (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) as Lady Araminta Gun, Michelle Mao (A Big Bold Beautiful Journey) as Rosamund Li, and Isabella Wei (The Crow) as Posy Li. The next installment will also feature returning cast members Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton, Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown, Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs. Varley, Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling, Hannah Dodd as Francesca Stirling, Victor Alli as Lord John Stirling, Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Bridgerton, Daniel Francis as Lord Marcus Anderson, Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton, Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton, Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich, Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton, Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton, Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton, Polly Walker as Portia Featherington and more. Bridgerton is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, showrunner Jess Brownell, Betsy Beers, Tom Verica, and Chris Van Dusen. Ahead of Season 4’s premiere, it has already been confirmed that the show has been renewed for two more seasons. Seasons 5 and 6 would most likely tell the love stories of Eloise Bridgerton and Francesca Bridgerton, since they are, respectively, the fifth and sixth oldest children of the Bridgerton siblings. The post Bridgerton Season 4 Teaser Trailer Sets Release Dates for Part 1 & Part 2 appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures Glen Powell has sparked buzz among fans after revealing his interest in joining the upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 live-action film. The 36-year-old actor admitted he has become a fan of the game and would be interested in being part of the movie adaptation. This prompted a lighthearted reaction from Charlie Cox. Glen Powell is interested in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 movie role The Top Gun: Maverick star has sparked fan excitement after revealing that he is interested in joining a potential movie adaptation of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. In a recent interview with IGN, Glen Powell was asked if he plays video games. He responded enthusiastically, saying, “Yeah. Expedition 33.” Powell added, “You know, it’s one that I’ve become a fan of. And uhm, if there’s an Expedition 33 movie, I’d be very interested.” When pressed about which character he would want to play, The Running Man actor playfully dodged the question. He added with a laugh, “I am not gonna say much more than that.” Powell’s comments have already fueled speculation among fans. Charlie Cox doesn’t think he’ll beat Powell for Clair Obscur movie role The Daredevil: Born Again star has also shared a lighthearted response to Glen Powell’s expressed interest in the upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 movie. During the New York Comic Con red carpet, Charlie Cox laughed off the news, joking, “Oh, there goes my part then! Great! He’s gonna play Gustav and not me.” His playful remark quickly drew attention from fans. The English actor then followed up by asking, “Is he a gamer? Has he played it?” When the reporter confirmed that Powell had played the game, Cox responded with, “Oh, cool,” keeping the exchange lighthearted. Earlier this year, news broke that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developed by Sandfall Interactive, is being adapted into a live-action film. The project is in development with Story Kitchen and will be published by Kepler Interactive. Interestingly, Charlie Cox has voiced the character of Gustave in the video game. Originally reported by Disheeta Maheshwari on SuperHeroHype. The post Charlie Cox & Glen Powell React to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Movie Possibility appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

The Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl is an annual event put together by Georgia educators with a goal of getting young people excited about reading. School and public libraries host events throughout Georgia at the local, regional, and state level that encourage young readers to answer questions about the books they’ve read. It is entirely optional, with young people electing whether or not to participate. Titles included in the Reading Bowl come from the Georgia Peach Book Award nominees. These titles are selected annually through a process that has school and public librarians read widely across recently-published titles to select 20 finalists. Students then have the opportunity to read and rate those books, allowing them the power to select the Georgia Peach Book Award Winner and the Georgia Peach Book Award Honorable Mentions. The Helen Ruffian Reading Bowl helps facilitate the process by encouraging teens to read from this list of finalists. But there’s something different about this year’s Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. Instead of encouraging a wide range of diverse reading, the Bowl has removed eight of the 20 titles for readers at the high school level. The decision came after “receiving numerous reconsideration requests about some of the books nominated for the 2025-2026 Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers.” The steering committee elected to remove eight books from the list, not only narrowing the breadth of titles being discussed by teens across the state, but also narrowing the number of books they will be reading in anticipation of voting for the Georgia Peach Book Awards. Here’s the original list of Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl titles for High Schoolers, available via the Wayback Machine: The current list of books, available via the Reading Bowl’s website, looks quite different: The eight books banned from the Reading Bowl competition are: Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo Crashing into You by Rocky Callen Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo Songlight by Moira Buffini Thirsty by Jas Hammonds This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed Wander in the Dark by Jumata Emill When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson All of these books are published for the young adult audience, meaning that the Bowl’s steering committee elected to remove books that are appropriate for the teens involved in this competition. Seven of the eight banned books are written by female-identifying writers, while at least five are written by writers from demographically marginalized backgrounds. Among the titles banned from the competition? Samira Ahmed’s book about the reality of book banning, written in response to the widespread censorship happening across America since early 2021. Other titles removed from the competition include themes commonly targeted by book banners both nationwide and in Georgia, including books about mental health (“social emotional learning”), the realities of life as a marginalized person (“diversity, equity, and inclusion”), and sexual assault (categorized under “comprehensive sexuality education” or “gender ideology,” in book banner parlance). Not Like Other Girls was the winner of the 2025 William C. Morris YA Debut Award, an honor bestowed by librarians through the American Library Association annually. The removal of these books based on “numerous reconsideration complaints” raises several questions. Who submitted the complaints and what authority do they have to have their opinion on the books available to teens across the state for an optional Reading Bowl? Why would the steering committee capitulate to those requests? Why were those books a problem at all? Questions used in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl are created by a committee of educators and retired educators who are appointed by the program’s steering committee. If there was concern about the content of the questions, that was (and is!) entirely within the scope of the committee’s oversight. Not to mention that many of the remaining books themselves contain topics that have become favorites among book banners. What rubric was used by the committee to remove some and not others? Teens engaged in the Reading Bowl–electing to spend their free time reading books and answering questions about them–now not only see that their reading choices are being undermined through the program, but will also now wonder how long until those attacks make their way more broadly onto the Georgia Peach Book Awards, which utilize their input. This isn’t the first brush with book censorship that the Reading Bowl has had. In 2023, Cobb County’s Reading Bowl was canceled, “out of an abundance of caution, and in light of recent events.” That caution came due to the district’s book banning and fear that the titles included in the program–again, titles selected by state library workers–would come under fire. Book censorship has become more common in Georgia since 2021. At least three public school districts had documented banned books in the 2024-2025 school year, including Cobb County, Colombia County, and Marietta County. This resulted in 43 books being banned. As of writing, there has been no widespread coverage of the removal of these eight books from the optional Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl program. Readers are encouraged to contact the program’s steering committee to find out why the titles were removed and to request they be returned. Students throughout the state have begun to push back on the decision as well. Wheeler High School students launched a petition, demanding more information about the decisions that went on behind the scenes to get these books pulled from the Reading Bowl. You can share the below image to spread the word and sign the petition here. View the full article

http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/USATSI_27247331.jpgJovanny Hernandez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images The matchup for the National League Championship Series is set, and it will feature the team with the best record in baseball and the team everyone thought would have the best record in baseball. The battle between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers will be a clash of styles. It’s big market versus small market. Superstars versus Average Joes. But make no mistake, even though Los Angeles has the name recognition (and all the money and resources in the world), Milwaukee’s scrappy roster is one of the most talented in baseball; the Brew Crew’s 6-0 record against the Dodgers during the regular season is evidence of that. The Brewers’ win over the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS was their first postseason series victory since 2018, when they reached the NLCS only to lose to the Dodgers in seven games. This is their fourth appearance in the Championship Series, and they’re playing for a chance to advance to the World Series for just the second time in franchise history. As for the Dodgers, they’re the defending champions; this will be their eighth NLCS appearance in the last 13 years, making this well-trod ground for them. NLCS Preview: Dodgers vs. Brewers Overview Dodgers Brewers Edge Batting (wRC+) 113 (1st in NL) 107 (6th in NL) Dodgers Fielding (FRV) -1 (9th) 30 (2nd) Brewers Starting Pitching (FIP-) 90 (2nd) 98 (7th) Dodgers Bullpen (FIP-) 95 (7th) 90 (2nd) Brewers The Brewers and Dodgers took very different paths to their success this season, and both have some key questions to answer in the NLCS. Here are the storylines to watch for. Will the Brewers have enough pitching? Want another example of these two ballclubs’ contrasting styles? Look no further than their respective pitching staffs. Due to a number of spring injuries, the Brewers started the season with a patchwork starting rotation, but that group quickly stabilized thanks to the emergence of Quinn Priester and Chad Patrick, the return of Brandon Woodruff, and the debut of Jacob Misiorowski. Injuries struck again towards the end of the regular season; Woodruff was sidelined with a lat strain in September and veteran Jose Quintana returned from a calf strain just in time for the NLDS. With Quintana limited and Woodruff left off the roster, Milwaukee entered the postseason with a lot fewer options to fill out their rotation. Freddy Peralta was effectively the only pitcher who made a traditional start during the NLDS; he took two turns against the Cubs, allowing five runs in 9 2/3 innings while striking out 15. Priester was lined up to make a traditional start in Game 3, but he allowed four runs in the first inning and was pulled after recording just two outs. Like the Tigers last year, the Brewers have embraced a strategy of pitching chaos due to a lack of starting options. They used 10 different relievers during the last round, with Misiorowski and Quintana providing bulk innings in the games Peralta didn’t start. Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill were utilized as openers in front of Misiorowski, and Brewers manager Pat Murphy dug deep into his bullpen to line up the right matchups in critical situations. Combined, the Brewers relief corps threw 30 innings against the Cubs, the most of any team in that round, and put up a 1.20 ERA, the lowest of the eight teams in the Division Series: Brewers Postseason Relief Pitching Player G IP K% BB% ERA FIP xERA Chad Patrick 4 4.2 42.9% 0.0% 0.00 0.56 1.52 Aaron Ashby 3 3 20.0% 13.3% 0.00 4.14 3.34 Jared Koenig 3 2.2 9.1% 0.0% 3.38 7.26 5.39 Nick Mears 3 1.2 42.9% 14.3% 0.00 1.34 2.19 Jacob Misiorowski 2 7 25.9% 7.4% 1.29 3.85 1.29 Abner Uribe 2 3 30.0% 10.0% 0.00 2.14 0.00 Trevor Megill 2 1 20.0% 20.0% 0.00 4.14 4.07 Jose Quintana 1 3 16.7% 8.3% 0.00 2.80 2.69 Grant Anderson 1 2 33.3% 0.0% 0.00 1.14 0.70 Robert Gasser 1 2 0.0% 8.3% 9.00 17.64 50.19 In the best-of-seven NLCS, that strategy will be stretched to its limit. The off day between Games 1 and 2 in the NLDS allowed the Brewers to be aggressive with their bullpen usage, but they won’t have that same luxury against the Dodgers. The most immediate question is who will start Game 1. Peralta last pitched on Thursday, which means he’d be lined up to start Game 2 on normal rest. Both Priester and Quintana would be on four days rest after appearing in Game 3 last Wednesday, which means one of those two will likely take the mound to start the series against the Dodgers. The other option would be to run with a full bullpen game in Game 1 and hope that Peralta can provide length in Game 2 before the travel day affords some rest ahead of the three-game set in Los Angeles. Misiorowski should be rested enough to make a bulk relief appearance in Game 3, which would also set him up to be used in a potential Game 7 if it comes to that. For the Dodgers, the rotation plan is a lot more straightforward. They’ve got four phenomenal starters in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Shohei Ohtani, and they leaned on them heavily during the NLDS. Those four guys threw a combined 22 innings against the Phillies while posting a 2.45 ERA and a 2.54 FIP. Los Angeles will go with Snell to start Game 1 and Yamamoto in Game 2, which would give him his regular five days of rest before a potential start in Game 6. Ohtani throws a little wrinkle in things for Games 3 and 4, as well as for a potential Game 7. As of Sunday night, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the Dodgers had committed to pitching Ohtani “at some point” in the NLCS, though they had not yet announced whether he’d get the ball in Game 3 or Game 4 back in Los Angeles. During the first two rounds, the Dodgers scheduled Ohtani’s starts for games before an off day, so he would have a day to recover before DHing. Manager Dave Roberts said the team isn’t going to be doing that for the NLCS, and that Ohtani would be in the lineup as the DH the game after he pitches, no matter what. All but two of Ohtani’s 15 starts this season, including Game 1 of the NLDS against the Phillies, have come on six or more days of rest, and none since the end of June, when he was only throwing one or two innings while coming back from elbow reconstruction surgery. The starter for Game 7 becomes a little murkier if Ohtani pitches in Game 3; typically, that would line him up to start the final game, but he’d be pitching on just four days of rest, something he hasn’t done this year. Game 7 would be an all-hands-on-deck situation anyway, so it’s possible Ohtani and Glasnow could combine to cover most of the innings in that winner-take-all game. If that’s the plan, then it would make more sense to have Ohtani start Game 3 because it would give him an extra day to recover than if he were to start Game 4 and still be needed for Game 7. Can the Dodgers’ bullpen contain the Brewers’ offense? Beyond the starting unit’s quality, the big reason the Dodgers relied so heavily on their rotation during the first two rounds of the playoffs is because their bullpen has really struggled over the last month. In September, Dodgers relievers posted a 4.90 ERA, and that has jumped to a 5.75 ERA in October. Roberts has trusted just four relievers in high-leverage situations during the previous two rounds of the playoffs: Dodgers Postseason Relief Pitching Player G IP K% BB% ERA FIP xERA Alex Vesia 5 3 21.4% 21.4% 6.00 4.14 7.18 Roki Sasaki 4 5.1 29.4% 0.0% 0.00 1.26 1.74 Blake Treinen 4 2.1 18.2% 0.0% 7.71 1.42 3.38 Emmet Sheehan 3 3.1 11.1% 11.1% 10.80 3.74 6.90 Of those four pitchers, just one has avoided allowing a run so far in October: Roki Sasaki. After a rough start to his MLB career, including a 4.72 ERA as a starter followed by a shoulder injury that sidelined him for four months, Sasaki has been a revelation in relief. His fastball has looked sharp, averaging nearly 100 mph, and he’s simplified his approach by featuring his unhittable splitter nearly half the time while ditching his slider completely. Tanner Scott was removed from the NLDS roster due to injury, so Los Angeles won’t have him as a late-inning option in this series either. Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, and Emmet Sheehan will once again be called on to form a bridge from the Dodgers’ starters to Sasaki, which is where things could get fraught. The Brewers’ offense excels at putting pressure on the opposing defense. They had the fifth-lowest strikeout rate in baseball this year, and they were one of the most aggressive teams on the basepaths during the regular season. They put the ball in play, force their opponents to play flawless defense, and are quick to take advantage of any mistakes in the field. During the regular season, they put up a 107 wRC+, their best mark of this window of contention that opened back in 2018. Their .145 ISO ranked just 25th overall, but it jumped up to .159 during the second half of the season, and it’s up to .175 in the postseason. They also have a knack for clutch hitting: 14 of the 22 runs they scored against the Cubs came with two outs, and they had 10 two-out, two-strike hits, including four home runs, in the NLDS. The Dodgers aren’t an especially strong defensive team, breaking even with 0 FRV, 17th in baseball. Of particular interest this October is Will Smith. Normally able to put a damper on opposing teams’ run game, the hairline fracture in Smith’s right hand clearly affected his ability to throw in the NLDS; the Phillies stole four bases while he was behind the plate. The lingering effects of that injury were enough to keep him out of the starting lineup during the first two games against the Phillies, and if his hand is still bothering him, I’d expect the Brewers to try and put the game in motion as soon as they get runners on base. The other factor that the Brewers use to their advantage is a deep bench that’s filled with players who can turn a late-inning at-bat into a favorable matchup. But while there will be some chess moves to make with the bottom half of the lineup, they’re confident in the production from Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras at the top; that quartet combined for 21 hits, four home runs, and 11 RBI during the NLDS. That said, the other eight players who had a plate appearance during that series collected 19 hits, three home runs, and 10 RBI. One thing to monitor is the state of Chourio’s right hamstring; during Game 1 of the NLDS, he re-aggravated an injury that kept him on the IL for all of August. It wasn’t a serious enough to keep him out of the lineup in any other game during the series, but his ability to run full speed was clearly compromised. Will Shohei Ohtani break out of his slump? For the Dodgers, the biggest concern for their offense is the sudden silence of Shohei Ohtani’s bat. The superstar had three hits and two home runs in the Wild Card Series against the Cincinnati Reds, but the Phillies’ cavalcade of left-handed pitchers held him to just a single hit in 20 plate appearances while striking him out nine times in the NLDS. Ohtani won’t have to worry about as many left-handed pitchers while facing the Brewers, though I’m sure he’ll see plenty of Ashby and Jared Koenig in high-leverage situations. Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, and Tommy Edman picked up the slack for the Dodgers against Philadelphia, combining for four hits apiece, two home runs, and six RBI; postseason hero Enrique Hernández chipped in with three hits and three RBI of his own. Including their series win over the Reds, the team has a 108 wRC+ in the postseason so far, with 31 runs in six games. Even with one of their best bats mired in a slump, the Dodgers’ lineup has so many other incredible hitters that they can still pound an opposing team without skipping a beat. They had the second best wRC+ in baseball during the regular season, with a lineup that features a trio of former MVPs and a strong supporting cast. Although Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy didn’t slump as hard as Ohtani against the Phillies, I’m sure they will be glad to see fewer left-handed pitchers in this series. And even though Smith might not be 100%, his return lengthened the lineup by pushing Ben Rortvedt to the bench. Ohtani is still a critical piece of the offense — Roberts went so far as to say that the team won’t win the World Series without better production from him — but there are so many other ways the Dodgers can beat you. The Projection ZiPS Projection – NLCS Team Win in Four Win in Five Win in Six Win in Seven Victory Brewers 5.1% 9.3% 14.4% 16.6% 45.3% Dodgers 7.6% 16.1% 16.6% 14.4% 54.7% On paper, it would seem like the Dodgers’ star power and extensive postseason experience would give them the upper hand over the Brewers. Still, the Brew Crew is a lot more than the sum of their parts, which will make this series a fascinating battle between two very different ballclubs. Source View the full article

As a whole, the NBA wants to have the best product possible for its fans. That includes all aspects of the game, even the referees. In the 2025-26 preseason, the league is testing new gear for its officials. NBA insider Marc Stein reported that some refs have been seen wearing earpieces during the preseason. This […] The post NBA referees are testing wearing earpieces to ensure enhanced communication appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

(Photo Credit: Paramount) Paramount Pictures has shared a brand new trailer for The Running Man, the latest film adaptation of Stephen King‘s 1982 dystopian thriller novel. This won’t be the first time that the novel was adapted for the big screen, as Arnold Schwarzenegger previously led the 1987 version. The survival action-thriller is now scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 14. “In a near-future society, The Running Man is the top-rated show on television — a deadly competition where contestants, known as Runners, must survive 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with every move broadcast to a bloodthirsty public and each day bringing a greater cash reward,” reads the official synopsis. “Desperate to save his sick daughter, working-class Ben Richards is convinced by the show’s charming but ruthless producer, Dan Killian, to enter the game as a last resort. But Ben’s defiance, instincts, and grit turn him into an unexpected fan favorite—and a threat to the entire system. As ratings skyrocket, so does the danger, and Ben must outwit not just the Hunters but a nation addicted to watching him fall.” Check out The Running Man trailer below (watch more trailers): What is seen in the new The Running Man trailer? The video introduces Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell as Ben Richards, who’s forced to join a survival game show for the sake of his family. To win the coveted prize of $1 billion, he must stay alive for 30 days, while assassins will try to kill him. The trailer offers a preview of some of the movie’s action-packed, thrilling sequences, highlighting Ben’s efforts in fending off his hunters. It also teases how he’ll become a symbol for the working-class public, who will be rooting for his success against the powerful goons. The Running Man is directed by Edgar Wright, who co-wrote the screenplay with Michael Bacall. The movie also stars William H. Macy, Lee Pace, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, Jayme Lawson, Sean Hayes, Katy O’Brian, Colman Domingo, and Josh Brolin. It is produced by Wright, Simon Kinberg, and Nira Park, with George Linder, James Biddle, Rachael Prior, Audrey Chon, Pete Chiappetta, Anthony Tittanegro, and Andrew Lary serving as executive producers. Originally reported by Maggie Dela Paz at SuperHeroHype. The post The Running Man Trailer Previews Glen Powell’s Action Movie Remake appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today: 1. ALCS Game 2: After a solo homer by George Springer in the first inning, Bryce Miller and the Mariners’ bullpen managed to shut down a Blue Jays offense that throttled the Yankees in the division series to take Game 1 of the ALCS 3-1. Seattle will look to build on that lead later today with right-hander Logan Gilbert (3.44 ERA) on the mound, while the Blue Jays will turn to rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage (3.21 ERA) as they look to tie up the series before it heads to Seattle for Game 3. Yesavage is coming off a dominant performance against New York where he struck out 11 in 5 1/3 hitless innings, but Gilbert had a strong showing in the ALDS himself. He struck out seven Tigers across six innings of one-run ball in his lone start in the series before pitching two scoreless innings of relief in Seattle’s marathon Game 5 win over Detroit. The teams are set to face off at 5:03pm local time this evening in Toronto. 2. NLCS Game 1: Just over three hours later, at 7:08pm local time in Milwaukee, the Brewers and Dodgers will kick off Game 1 of the NLCS. Left-hander Blake Snell (2.35 ERA) is slated to take the mound for L.A. He’s already come up with wins for the Dodgers against both the Reds and Phillies this October, combining for 13 innings of two-run ball with 18 strikeouts. Milwaukee, meanwhile, has not announced a starter but plans to go with an opener for the start of the game, with either Quinn Priester (3.32 ERA) or Jose Quintana (3.96 ERA) to follow as a bulk arm. Quintana was the far more effective of the two in the NLDS, as he threw three scoreless frames against Chicago while Priester surrendered four runs and recorded just two outs in his lone appearance. 3. Lukes day-to-day: Turning back to the ALCS, Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes exited yesterday’s game after fouling a ball off of his knee. He was eventually diagnosed as a right knee contusion after x-rays came back negative. It’s a good sign for his availability at some point later in the series, but manager John Schneider told reporters yesterday that it wouldn’t be known if Lukes was available for today’s game. Lukes will be evaluated by the Jays’ medical staff when he arrives at the park today. If he’s unavailable, Davis Schneider or Myles Straw would likely step into the starting lineup in his place. View the full article

Image credit: HBO Max The ending of Peacemaker Season 2 not only introduced the Salvation planet to the DCU but also hinted at bigger things to come in James Gunn’s revamped universe. As such, many fans have been wondering how this newly discovered dimension will fit into upcoming DCU projects, especially Man of Tomorrow, as well as which characters will help shape the franchise’s main storyline. While Gunn has chosen to keep most plot details under wraps, he has revealed four characters that will be pivotal to his upcoming slate of films. James Gunn confirms three more DC characters for Salvation after Peacemaker In a recent discussion with Comic Book Resources, the DC Studios co-CEO confirmed that Superman, Lex Luthor, and Rick Flag Sr. will play significant roles in the DCU’s Salvation storyline. In a separate social media interaction, Gunn also highlighted Peacemaker’s involvement in the arc. Talking about his near-future plans for the DCU, Gunn stated, “There’s a bigger story being told that involves, say, Salvation. And so that story – it involves Rick Flag. It involves Lex and Superman. There are those movies that I’m going to be directing. That’s the plan right now, at least.” Meanwhile, he also confirmed the role of John Cena’s Peacemaker in the Salvation arc while answering a fan query on Threads. While replying to a question about Chris Smith’s DCU future, Gunn simply noted, “ofc. He’s instrumental.” In the concluding moments of Peacemaker Season 2, Cena’s titular anti-hero ends up getting stranded on planet Salvation at Rick Flag Sr.’s behest. Notably, in the pages of DC Comics, planet Salvation serves as a glorified prison for a horde of menacing supervillains. Explaining how Rick Flag Sr. leaving Peacemaker on Salvation helps set up upcoming DCU projects, including 2027’s Man of Tomorrow, on Threads, Gunn posted, “Where Chris is at the end, what is happening between the government and the metahumans, Rick and Lex’s new partnership, and all of their decision to do what they did is all a part of the future, MoT, and more.” As such, fans can expect to see more of Superman, Lex Luthor, Peacemaker, and Rick Flag Sr. in the next two years. The Supergirl movie starring Milly Alcock is the next theatrical entry in Gunn’s DCU and will come out on June 26, 2026. Meanwhile, Man of Tomorrow is currently on track to premiere on July 9, 2027. Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype. The post 4 Characters Crucial for DCU’s Salvation Story Confirmed appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

Winners of the 2025 Harvey Awards, presented to the best of the best in comics creation, were announced on Friday, October 10, at New York Comic Con. The Harvey Awards were founded in 1998 and named after writer and artist Harvey Kurtzman. Nominees are judged by a host of comics publishing professionals, including publishers, retailers, librarians, and educators. There are seven Harvey Award categories. This year, six creators were also inducted into the Harvey Kurtzman Hall of Fame. Here are the winners and inductees. Book of the Year: Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath Digital Book of the Year: Sarah’s Scribbles by Sarah Anderson Best Children’s Book: The Cartoonists Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud Best Young Adult Book: Raised by Ghosts by Briana Loewinsohn Best Manga: Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahama; translated by Stephen Kohler Best International Book: Blacksad: They All Fall Down Part 2 by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido; translated by Diana Schutz and Brandon Kander Best Adaptation from a Comic Book/Graphic Novel: Superman directed by James Gunn. Based on Superman, created by Jerry Siegel & Joe Schuster The six creators inducted in the Hall of Fame include: ElfQuest creators Wendy and Richard Pini Mutts creator Patrick McDonnell Writer and artist John Byrne Award-winning writer Peter David One of the first female cartoonists for The New Yorker, Barbara Shermund Catch up with the full list of this year’s Harvey Award Nominees and learn more about the award at The Harvey Awards website. Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books. View the full article

There is a lot going on in the world of BIPOC literature. For starters, Solange has started an online library for rare Black literature, a groundbreaking Asian American children’s book author has passed away, and a Black lesbian bookstore opened in Brooklyn. Must-Read BIPOC Lit Stories Ocean Vuong, the Influential Poet and Novelist TIME has named Ocean Vuong in their TIME100 Next List as one of “The World’s Most Influential Rising Stars.” What they had to say about Vuong: “In an age of declining reading, the popularity of Vuong’s poetry and novels—including his most recent, The Emperor of Gladness, which was an immediate best seller this spring—is a heartening reminder that there are still dedicated readers.” “…Not only that—these readers can be fans. Vuong is one of the few writers who have transcended the purely literary world into the realm of actual celebrity, buoyed by the power of his writing and the insight, sensitivity, and openness that it exhibits.” Solange Has Launched an Online Library for Black Lit The Saint Heron library is a digital space that contains archived works from Black writers and poets. It is meant to be “a literary center dedicated to students, artists, creatives and general book/literature enthusiasts interested in exploring and studying the breadth of artistic expression.” Check it out here. I swear, Solange is out here living the life I would if I had the money and influence (and talent) she did. Writer and poet Taqwa Ahmed al-Wawi Writes on life in Gaza for the Last Two Years Taqwa Ahmed al-Wawi speaks of the friends she’s lost and the many times she has had to move, carrying only one bag with a few clothes and losing more and more loved ones along the way. “I left with a single bag containing a few clothes. Every corner, every wall, every object carried a piece of my soul. I wished for a bag that could hold all the walls, all the memories, every vestige of my home.” Pioneering Author and Journalist Ken Mochizuki, Who Wrote Children’s Books About the Incarceration of Japanese Americans, Has Died The Asian American Journalists Association has published an article honoring the life and legacy of Ken Mochizuki, whose career spanned from acting on the show M*A*S*H to writing and publishing a groundbreaking children’s book—titled Baseball Saved Us—about a Japanese American boy who lived in an incarceration camp during WWII. He passed away of esophageal cancer on September 20th. He was 71. Speaking of Asian American Literature, a UC Berkeley Assistant Professor Has Published a Database That Has 1,900 works of Asian American Lit While UC Berkeley ethnic studies department assistant professor Long Le-Khac’s new database has Asian American literature that spans from 1971 to 2023, it also asks an important question: “What counts as ‘Asian American literature?’” Latine History Month Ends Tomorrow, But There Are Still So Many Latine Romances to Read! (A List of Recs by Romance Writer Mia Sosa) Among the Latine romances Mia Sosa recommends are, firstly, her latest, When Javi Dumped Mari, as well as Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria and Ms. V’s Hot Girl Summer by A.H. Cunningham. Book Fairs, Festivals, and Exhibits The 2025 International Black Writers Festival This year marked the fourth iteration of the International Black Writers Festival, which was held at Howard University and ran from September 30th to October 2nd. Black Arts Movement Exhibit There’s a photography exhibit on the Black Arts Movement, which birthed books like John A. Williams’s The Man Who Cried I Am and The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Here’s what it looks like. Activist Dolores Huerta Spoke at the 3rd Annual Latino Book Festival in Sacramento, CA The festival took place at Valley High School and had live music, books by Latino authors, and lowriders. In other words, a time was had. Philly’s 6th Annual Latin American Book Fair Philadelphia’s first Latin American Book Fair was in 2019. In 2025, the weekend-long event brought in hundreds of people who came to connect with authors, artists, and book lovers. Rafael Pabón Ortega, author of Surviving a la Bori, said, “These fairs are an act of resistance and cultural reaffirmation.” Censorship Books by Women Banned in Afghanistan Universities A good chunk of the more than 600 books that have been banned from Afghanistan’s male-only universities were written by women. Asian Authored Books Are Being Banned More and More As Book Bans Continue A lot of book censorship these past few years has focused on Black history and LGBTQ+ identities, but we are always getting reminded that the purpose of the bans is to uphold white supremacy, which holds no space for anyone who exists outside of it. Adaptations 20 Black Books That Are Being Optioned, and How You Can Help I can’t tell you how many book adaptations I’ve actually been excited about that I end up never hearing about again. Black Fiction University on Substack has a solution to that, though. In their latest post, they explain the adaptation process, show us how we the readers/viewers can help, and give a few specific books that have been optioned for adaptation for us to support, which include S.A. Cosby’s Southern Noir thrillers (like All the Sinners Bleed and King of Ashes), Kayvion Lewis’s Thieves’ Gambit (which would be such a fun Ocean’s Elevensy vibe), and Kennedy Ryan’s bestselling Skyland romance series (Before I Let Go and This Could Be Us). Bookstores The People’s Bookstore Is a New Pop-Up That Focuses on BIPOC Lit It’s run by mother-daughter duo Murphy-Washington and her freshman daughter, Breya Jackson, and will feature titles that highlight the history of Black and Indigenous communities. Murphy-Washington said, “Because Black and Indigenous communities were not only feeling the brunt of the attacks on culturally diverse literature, but have also historically had to fight for access to knowledge, I wanted to center literature that spoke to that struggle. I wanted to focus not only on the trials our communities have to overcome, but the triumphs and innovation that are born out of our resistance.” The People’s Bookstore had its first event on September 6th at Beautywood Books in Arkansas. A Bookstore/Wine Bar for Black Lesbians Opens in Brooklyn Not only did Tiffany Dockery use her 401(k) to open a bookstore and wine bar specifically for Black lesbians, she did so in the gentrified neighborhood of Bed-Stuy, which has seen droves and droves of Black residents because of high rents and a lack of housing for the last 15 years. A portrait of Dockery’s grandmother, Gladys, hangs in the bookstore, which Dockery hopes will fortify the spirit of the community. Novel Spotlight The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai has been nominated for the Booker Prize. It follows two Indian families that become intertwined through the years, over continents, and through love and loss. NPR’s review of the 700-page tome calls it “a terrific, tangled love story.” View the full article

Jim Paxson, a University of Dayton alumnus and former NBA All-Star, has joined the university’s athletic department as senior advisor for basketball operations, the school announced Friday. Jim Paxson Returns To Dayton After Incredible College Career Paxson, a 1979 graduate of Dayton, is one of the most accomplished players in Flyer history. A three-time team […] The post Ex-NBA Star Jim Paxson Joins Dayton as Senior Advisor for Basketball Operations appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

Over the last three seasons, Lauri Markkanen has been the top dog in Utah. Ahead of 2022-23, the Jazz and Cavaliers were involved in a massive trade. Donovan Mitchell was sent to Cleveland. In that deal, the Jazz acquired three future first-round draft picks, Collin Sexton, and Lauri Markkanen. Last season, Markkanen’s production took a […] The post One NBA insider believes the Jazz will not have Lauri Markkanen on the roster in 2026-27 appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

Today’s book recommendation is a nonfiction book that I loved so much that as soon as I finished reading it, I was tempted to read it again. Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the creepy and the spoopy, the whimsical and the outrageous. I used to love horror films but about 20 years ago, I stopped being able to handle them and finally had to come to terms with the fact that I became a scaredy cat. This book is for those of us who are chickens yet still love horror enough to read the Wikipedia synopses and maybe even look at some still images now and then, just to feel like we’re included. Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Films You’re Too Scared to Watch by Emily C. Hughes The introduction in this book is titled “Why Horror Matters,” and honestly, it could almost work as a standalone essay. What makes horror a big deal and why do people like feeling scared? It’s a very important framing that, as any good introduction does, sets up the tone and context of the rest of the book. In the meat of the book, Hughes talks about 25 horror films that are important in the genre, in filmmaking, and in American culture. Before diving into specific films, there is a short and necessary section on horror before the 1960s because she starts with the 1960 classic Psycho. The films are divided into three sections by pairs of decades: the 1960s and 1970s, the 1980s and 1990s, and the 2000s and 2010s. Each film is written about in the same format. A single sentence gives you the jist of the film, a reason why you should watch it, and a reason why you should avoid it. Hughes then goes into detail of what happens in each film in a way that is engaging, often funny, not-at-all terrifying, and doesn’t leave you on a cliffhanger (unless the film does that itself). She highlights horror tropes when they come up, which I enjoyed. After the synopsis is my favorite part: why this particular film matters. She talks about the historical context of the film, because that almost always colors the art that is made. Was this during or after a war? What was going on in the news? What was happening in civil rights and what was popular in culture? Each chapter is closed with some fun facts about the making of the film and some recommended books if you don’t think you can bring yourself to watch the movie. This was a fantastic read that is very close to convincing me I should give reading horror a try. That’s it for now, book-lovers! Patricia Find me on Book Riot, the All the Books podcast, Bluesky, and Instagram. Find more books by subscribing to Book Riot Newsletters. View the full article

Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images Elliot Page recently discussed what it was like working with Christopher Nolan again on the filmmaker’s upcoming epic The Odyssey. The two previously worked together on the 2010 sci-fi action heist feature Inception in one of the film’s most prominent supporting roles. The Odyssey star Elliot Page on collaborating with Christopher Nolan again Page made an appearance at the X-Men: Days of Future Past panel at the 2025 New York Comic Con and reflected on reuniting with director Christopher Nolan after roughly 15 years. “I loved working with him on Inception and loved being a part of that movie,” Page said. “I was just completely jazzed and excited, and [I] basically went and met with Chris and talked about the part, then sat in a room and read the script. It was such a joy to come back.” (via Variety) Page, who transitioned in 2020, underscored what made The Odyssey a “more enjoyable” experience. “To come back now, as you can imagine, being more comfortable in yourself makes these sorts of projects more enjoyable,” Page elaborated. “To get to have a Chris Nolan experience again now meant so much to me selfishly.” Besides directing, Nolan developed the screenplay for the movie as an adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic of the same name. Page’s character in the movie remains under wraps. However, it has been revealed that the film’s cast also includes Matt Damon as Odysseus and Tom Holland as Telemachus, alongside Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, and Himesh Patel. According to the official logline, the movie follows Odysseus as he “embarks on a long and perilous journey home following the Trojan War, chronicling his encounters with mythical beings such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and the witch-goddess Circe.” The production for The Odyssey took place between early and mid-2025 and spanned across multiple continents. The movie debuts in theaters in IMAX and other formats on July 17, 2026. The post The Odyssey’s Elliot Page on Returning for New Christopher Nolan Movie Post-Transition appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

http://blogs.fangraphs.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/USATSI_27271649.jpgWendell Cruz-Imagn Images NEW YORK — About 45 minutes after the “best team” that Aaron Boone has ever managed was eliminated from the playoffs, several of its members sat in the clubhouse drinking a few small beers. The mood was wistful, the somber finality of it all floating through the very same air that less than a week earlier had reeked of celebratory champagne. They had just lost the American League Division Series to the Blue Jays in four games, and for the most part, it wasn’t all that close. Despite an all-time great postseason performance from Aaron Judge following yet another all-time great regular season from him, New York was thoroughly outplayed by Toronto. Boasting the most annoying opposing lineup in baseball, the Jays peppered pitchers with their all-fields approach and their refusal to swing and miss. Theirs was a Boomer’s more-than-platonic ideal of an offense – they had the lowest strikeout rate (17.8%) and the highest batting average (.265) in the majors this season — but it wasn’t a true throwback. The Blue Jays weren’t dependent on the long ball, but they were more than capable of hitting home runs, as we all saw during the ALDS. As a team, Toronto slashed .338/.373/.601 for a 168 wRC+ across the four games. Yankees pitchers struck out 23.7% of the hitters they faced during the regular season but just 14.9% of the Blue Jays who batted in the series. “They beat us this series,” Boone said. “Simple as that.” Yet even as the Yankees accepted their fate, that they had played their last baseball game of the season, they were still trying to understand how it all went wrong. Hadn’t they addressed their shortcomings from a year ago, when they lost to the Dodgers in the World Series? They lengthened their lineup, improved their baserunning, and enhanced their rotation during the offseason, and then ahead of the trade deadline, they made more moves designed to shore up their defense and bolster their bullpen. Some of those deals didn’t pan out, but many of them did. “I feel like we were a complete team up and down the lineup, just a great offensive team, guys that can put the ball in play, hit it out of the park,” Judge said. “Just tough at-bats one through nine. Starting rotation we had going into it, those first three especially, it’s a lethal combo we had up there. I liked our chances. I liked our chances all year. It was a special group.” He had good reason to believe. This was the most complete Yankees roster since at least his rookie season in 2017, the last year before Boone became manager. These Yankees had the best offense in the majors (119 wRC+); they scored the most runs (849), ran the highest OPS (.787) by 19 points, and accumulated the most WAR from their position players (34.2). Their starting pitchers ranked second in the American League in ERA (3.61), third in FIP (3.92), and fourth in WAR (13.5). They still produced negative value on the bases, but their -4.7 BsR was so much better than last year’s -17.2, which was the worst in the majors by three runs. Why was that not enough? What were they still missing? And how can they fill in their remaining roster holes to ensure that next year doesn’t end in failure? These are the questions the players fielded in the home clubhouse for over an hour. They couldn’t quite answer them. “It’s tough to say right now,” Judge said. “Once I review the season, kind of go through it, I might have a better answer for you.” “That’s the thing. Didn’t feel like anything was missing,” outfielder Cody Bellinger said. “Got beat in a five-game series. They played well, played really well, and continued to put pressure on us. That’s the thing, I don’t feel like it was missing anything.” “I mean, I’m sure there’ll be a lot of sleepless nights thinking, tracking back and stuff like that,” shortstop Anthony Volpe said. “But I mean, right now I don’t have anything.” There is nowhere in professional sports where the glory of the past hangs over the present more than Yankee Stadium, mainly because no professional sports franchise has experienced more glory in the past. The ghosts of Monument Park that Judge said kept his game-tying home run fair in Game 3 are also responsible for the enormous expectations placed upon this team every year. “World Series or bust” isn’t a rallying cry — it’s a job requirement. And for the last 16 years, it’s been one failure after another. To understand why they are currently enduring a stretch that is tied for their longest run of failure in the history of the franchise, the Yankees need to look beyond their Division Series loss. It’s true that the Blue Jays were so locked in at the plate that even if the Yankees had played clean defense, hit with runners in scoring position, and executed some of their pitches better, Toronto probably still would have won. But it’s also true that the series exposed several flaws that the Yankees need to fix this offseason. Their most glaring weakness moving forward is Volpe. The 24-year-old shortstop took major steps back in his development this season. He’s not progressing at the plate, and his defense has deteriorated. Some of his struggles may have been tied to the partially torn labrum in his left shoulder that he played through for most of the season, but it would be foolish to cite the injury as a reason to ignore all of the evidence in front of us. After three consecutive years of an on-base percentage below .300 and a wRC+ between 83 and 87, the Yankees can no longer expect Volpe to turn into an offensive force. Among the 229 players who’ve made at least 1,000 plate appearances since the start of the 2023 season, Volpe ranks 206th with an 85 wRC+. Yes, he had a solid postseason last year, and yes, he hit a home run in this year’s Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, but he also recorded just one hit during the Division Series and finished on an 0-for-13 slide with 11 strikeouts. And the thing is, you don’t need numbers to recognize that Volpe has been overmatched more often than not so far during his career. His swing is too long, and it still appears that he has no idea what type of hitter he should be. Now, he hits for enough power and runs the bases well enough that you can tolerate his low OBP and high strikeout rate so long as he is playing strong defense. At the start of the postseason, Esteban Rivera broke down Volpe’s fielding, and explained why the shoulder injury might have been responsible for his defensive decline; it wouldn’t be surprising if Volpe returns to form next season. Yet at the same time, it’s fair to wonder if Volpe’s 2024 season, when he put up 3.5 WAR with a combination of excellent defense and not-as-terrible offense, represents his ceiling. The Yankees would surely take a 3.5-WAR season from their shortstop moving forward, but there’s no guarantee that Volpe will do that again. And if his actual ability is closer to what we saw from him in 2023 and 2025, rather than what he did last season, the Yankees risk getting near replacement-level production from one of the most important positions on the field. The problem is, the Yankees don’t have many other options at shortstop. Deadline acquisition José Caballero is a capable shortstop, but the Yankees like him better as a utilityman and pinch-runner. George Lombard Jr., their top prospect who came in at no. 15 on our updated Top 100 list, is a shortstop, but he’s probably still at least another year away from reaching the majors. Bo Bichette is the only pending free agent who’d represent an upgrade over Volpe at the position. They could get creative and try to swing a trade, but because it’s so hard to find a quality shortstop, the teams that have one aren’t likely to give theirs away. Maybe the new Nationals regime would consider trading CJ Abrams, but otherwise, I don’t expect a shortstop to be available in trade. Really, the Yankees had their chance to add a shortstop from outside the organization over the last four offseasons, but they put their faith in Volpe, and now that window has closed. They’ve stuck by him, and now they’re likely stuck with him. The Yankees’ defense as a whole also regressed this season. Some of that is because they didn’t get the boost from Volpe that they did in 2024. However, they also saw a decline at catcher. Austin Wells still did the bulk of the catching, but the Yankees traded away backup Jose Trevino, an excellent defensive backstop, and covered his innings with Ben Rice and J.C. Escarra. It wasn’t all bad; the Yankees received negative value at third base over the first four months of the season, but they traded for elite gloveman Ryan McMahon to handle the hot corner. New York also greatly benefited from having Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base over Gleyber Torres, and from having Aaron Judge back in right field over Juan Soto. Speaking of Soto, the Yankees don’t have to worry about a player of his caliber departing in free agency this winter, but they do have a handful of key contributors who are set to hit the open market come November, including three of the players they brought in to re-create Soto in the aggregate: Paul Goldschmidt, Devin Williams, and Bellinger, who, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, plans to opt out of the final year of his contract and try to secure a lucrative long-term deal. The Yankees want Bellinger back, and he has said he would like to return. He is coming off his best season since 2019, when he won the NL MVP award, but his 4.9 WAR this year likely represents a new norm rather than a second spike leading to another precipitous regression. As Davy Andrews wrote last month, Bellinger’s 2025 performance was a continuation of his evolution over the last three seasons. He’s not quite a superstar, but he’s a reliable four- to five-win player who plays all three outfield positions in addition to first base. Bellinger is going to cost a lot of money, probably signing for an average annual value somewhere above the $25 million option he turned down for five or so years, though I think $30 million would be excessive unless he signs a shorter-term deal. ZiPS would offer him a five-year, $128.6 million contract, though considering the limited outfield options in free agency, I’d expect him to sign for somewhere in the $130 million to $135 million range, which would put him between $26-27 million per year. Center fielder Trent Grisham, the other player the Yankees received from the Padres in their trade for Soto in December 2023, is also a pending free agent, and his future in pinstripes feels less likely. He’s coming off a career-best season in which he slashed .235/.348/.464 with 34 home runs, a 129 wRC+, and 3.2 WAR. That offensive performance corresponds with his 87th percentile ZiPS projection entering this season, and now ZiPS, which has always been high on Grisham, projects him for a similar .228/.336/.452 line with 26 home runs, a 130 OPS+, and 3.3 WAR. But Grisham’s defensive metrics are concerning. A two-time Gold Glove winner, Grisham was one of the worst defensive center fielders in baseball this season. Defensive metrics are notoriously noisy from year-to-year, but Grisham’s slide could be tied to his declining sprint speed. In 2022, when he won his second Gold Glove and was worth 13 OAA, 10 FRV, and 10 DRS, he registered a sprint speed of 28.8 feet per second. His speed dropped by more than two feet per second this season as his defense cratered (-2 OAA, -3 FRV, -11 DRS). I’d be concerned about giving Grisham a long-term contract given his limited track record and his diminishing defense and speed, but he could make for a decent fallback option if Bellinger signs elsewhere. Interestingly, ZiPS would offer Grisham and Bellinger similar contracts, with Grisham’s coming in slightly lower at five years and $125.2 million. Given his superior defense and positional versatility, I think the Yankees would rather have Bellinger, even if he costs a bit more. For as good as the Yankees lineup was this season, the lack of thump during the ALDS made clear that, after losing Soto to free agency, it was missing a second offensive force to go along with Judge, especially because Giancarlo Stanton never really got going. With that fresh in our minds, there will probably be some buzz this offseason about whether the Yankees should sign right fielder Kyle Tucker, perhaps as an alternative to Bellinger. Tucker is an MVP-caliber talent when healthy. He hits for power, gets on base, runs the bases well, and plays strong defense. What he does not do is play center field. He hasn’t played another outfield position since 2021, when he logged 28 innings in center. That’s not to say he couldn’t do it, just that he hasn’t, and it probably wouldn’t make sense to run him out there. The Yankees could move him to left, with either Bellinger or Grisham in center if they re-sign. The team also has Jasson Domínguez and prospect Spencer Jones as options in the outfield if it doesn’t bring back its two free agent outfielders, though each player comes with limitations. There’s also the possibility of moving Judge, who turns 34 in April, back to center, but the Yankees shouldn’t consider that a viable option. Judge is coming off a season in which he dealt with a right elbow injury that limited him to DH duties for a stretch in August and affected his throwing even after returning to right. He said after Game 5 that he didn’t know what type of procedure, if any, he’d need this offseason, but even if his arm is back to normal in time for Opening Day, center field is a more physically demanding position and his defensive metrics are much worse there. Tucker is a year and a half younger than Bellinger, and at his best is a better player, so he’s presumably going to sign for a good bit more than what Bellinger ends up getting. ZiPS sees Tucker as being worth a six-year, $170 million contract. That’s less than what I’d expect his market to be, so I asked Dan Szymborski to run a contract value based on Tucker hitting his 75th-percentile projection as a Yankee, which bumped his value up to eight years and $273 million, or an AAV of $34.125 million. That seems more representative of where his market will be. The Yankees are set to have a few of their larger long-term deals come off the books in the course of whatever contract Tucker ends up signing; they surely can afford to sign him, but adding both him and Bellinger might be too expensive. Right now, RosterResource projects the Yankees to finish this year with a luxury tax payroll just under $295.7 million, which would place them well above the third threshold, and as they’ve had to pay the tax for three-plus years now, their overall tax penalty is looking to be about $38.7 million. According to Jon Becker, next year the Yankees have a projected luxury tax payroll of about $261 million — excluding Bellinger but including reliever Tim Hill, who has a $2 million club option — which is well above the first tax line of $244 million and only $3 million shy of the second; they’ll almost certainly go above that. The third threshold is $284 million, and the fourth and final one is $304 million, so they’d have quite a bit of room before bumping up against those, but the money adds up quickly. Let’s say they sign Bellinger for $27 million per year, and then add Tucker for $30 million annually. Their payroll would climb to $318 million. I doubt Hal Steinbrenner would want to go that high, especially because that does not include whatever hefty tax penalties they would owe. I think the most likely scenario would be the Yankees’ re-signing Bellinger to play center and using Domínguez as their everyday left fielder. Domínguez lost playing time as the season wore on because of the emergence of Grisham as an everyday player, and because of some awful defensive metrics in left field. However, it is worth mentioning that this was the first time Domínguez was getting extensive reps in left, a notoriously difficult position to play at Yankee Stadium, and that it was his first full year back from Tommy John surgery. He won’t turn 23 until February, and his tools remain tantalizing. Of course, any talk of tantalizing tools and the Yankees must include Jones. He’s a 6-foot-7 outfielder with 70-grade raw power and a frightening amount of swing-and-miss in his game. Sound familiar? That was also the prospect profile of Judge, except Jones is running much higher strikeout rates in the minors than Judge ever did, which is ultimately what concerns our lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen. When I asked Eric about Jones recently, he said Jones has “too much swing-and-miss to count on him for a long-term role. Nobody has a contact rate that low and actually succeeds for a prolonged stretch. A Franchy Cordero type. I wouldn’t consider him a solution if Grisham and Belli leave.” Eric does not see Domínguez as a viable option in center field, which limits what the Yankees can do this offseason, especially if they fail to re-sign Bellinger or Grisham. After those two, the best free agent center fielder is Cedric Mullins. The defensive metrics are mixed on him, with OAA favoring him and DRS down on him considerably, and his offense has settled in right around league average since his career year in 2021. Otherwise, as at shortstop, their best external fallback options would have to come via trade. The good news is that there are more outfielders to go around. Some of the center fielders who could possibly be available include Luis Robert Jr., Brenton Doyle, Jacob Young, Alek Thomas, and Chas McCormick. The Yankees got lit up by the Blue Jays in the ALDS, but their pitching is actually in pretty good shape heading into 2026. Although Max Fried faltered in Game 2, he had an excellent first season with the Yankees after they signed him to an eight-year, $218 million contract, the largest deal ever for a left-handed pitcher. Behind him is Carlos Rodón, who has added to his repertoire and become a more complete pitcher after a rough first season in New York in 2023. Cam Schlittler looks like an emerging ace whose development is still in progress. His fastball velocity sat in the low-to-mid-90s prior to 2025, but after working on his mechanics to become more efficient at Double- and Triple-A during the early months of this season, his velocity shot up into the upper-90s and held there. He didn’t hit 100 mph until his major league debut on July 9. The Yankees also have Luis Gil, the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year who missed the first four months of the season with a lat strain, and Will Warren, who entered 2025 as our 73rd-ranked prospect. Despite an inconsistent rookie year, Warren finished 9-8 with a 4.44 ERA, a 4.07 ERA, and 2.1 WAR in 33 starts (162 1/3 innings). And then there’s Gerrit Cole, who had Tommy John surgery on March 11 and missed the entire season. He’s currently on schedule to be back in mid-to-late May, though the state of the rotation should allow the Yankees to be cautious with his rehab. Cole is now 35, and it might be too much to expect him to return to ace form coming off a major surgery. At the same time, it would probably be unrealistic to think he’d be completely washed up. Penciling him in as a strong mid-rotation arm beginning in the early summer seems reasonable. The bullpen was the Yankees’ weak link throughout the season, but I don’t think they have too much work to do here. Relief pitching is inherently volatile, and some of their bullpen woes could work themselves out on their own. Williams had a dreadful start to his time with the Yankees, earning him the reputation of a pitcher who can’t handle the pressures of playing in New York. Fair or not, it probably means the Yankees won’t be bringing him back for another year. Luke Weaver regressed significantly after earning the closer role down the stretch in 2024. He’s also a pending free agent; the Yankees won’t pay top dollar to retain him, but if his price falls, they could re-sign him and see if they can get him right. Offseason addition Fernando Cruz was a mostly dependable high-leverage arm when he was healthy. Camilo Doval struggled with his command after the Yankees traded for him at the deadline. Fellow deadline acquisition Jake Bird pitched so poorly that the Yankees optioned him to Triple-A. David Bednar, the third reliever they brought in at the deadline, slid into the closer’s role nicely and provided stability to the bullpen over the final two months. All four of those pitchers are under club control for at least one more year. There will definitely be some turnover in the bullpen, because there is always turnover in the bullpen, but I think this should be a lower priority for the Yankees than signing a center fielder and adding another impact bat. The Yankees are one of the better teams at targeting reclamation projects and relatively no-name relievers and developing them into capable mid-to-high-leverage arms. I’d trust the track record here. Ultimately, despite the disappointing finish, the Yankees aren’t that far off. They can do more to improve their roster — they should add an impact bat, sort out center field and shortstop, patch up the bullpen, and continue to develop guys — but they weren’t wrong in their belief that they were talented enough to win it all. Sometimes you just get beat. Another Yankees season has ended in failure. As it did last year. And the year before that. And so it goes, and goes, and goes. Indeed, for 16 years, it’s been one failure after another for the Yankees. But that doesn’t mean this trend has to continue. That’s why you endure all that failure and believe that next time things will be different. At some point, with enough talent and hard work and more than a little bit of luck, that faith is bound to be rewarded with a season that ends in success. “I’m confident we’ll break through, and I have been every year, and I believe in so many of the people in that room,” Boone said. “That hasn’t changed. The fire hasn’t changed. It’s hard to win the World Series. Been chasing it all my life.” Source View the full article

Today’s Featured Book Deals $1.99The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer MathieuGet This Deal $1.99Food Person by Adam RobertsGet This Deal $1.99Flights by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer CroftGet This Deal $1.99There There by Tommy OrangeGet This Deal $2.99The Round House by Louise ErdrichGet This Deal $2.99The Partner Track by Helen WanGet This Deal $2.99Fan Service by Rosie DananGet This Deal $2.99Into the Drowning Deep by Mira GrantGet This Deal In Case You Missed Yesterday’s Most Popular Book Deals $2.99Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble by Alexis HallGet This Deal $2.99The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine by Rashid KhalidiGet This Deal $1.99You’re the Problem, It’s You by Emma R. AlbanGet This Deal $2.99Alter Ego by Alex SeguraGet This Deal View the full article

‘Tis the season for spooky reading gear. There is never a bad time to love books. There is never a bad time to love creepy things. But right as the air is crisping and the leaves are changing and the sun is setting earlier? Right as Halloween approaches, and the veil is thinning, and the costumes are sprouting up? It’s time to get cozy with a book and a spooky-themed blanket. Or coffee mug. Or a pair of socks. And they can’t keep you warm, but you can never have too many stickers. The popularity of a bookish aesthetic is scattered all across Etsy, and themed reading gear is delightfully endless. No matter your niche interest or genre of choice, you can find something to celebrate it. But spooky reading gear is particularly abundant, no matter the time of year. People love ghosts, and hauntings, and skeletons, and they want them with a book in hand. Whether you’re looking for a haunted Victorian vibe or a super-cute ghost sipping Pumpkin Spice, you can pick your level of horror and still have many options. So browse away and treat yourself to something as scary as your towering TBR pile. Boo(k)! Image by Myla Creates via Etsy The only thing cuter than a bescarfed ghost reading is seeing the scene in a Polaroid frame. Cozy Day Ghost Sticker, $4 Image by Book Lovers Collective via Etsy If I could buy “How To Be Cute And Spooky,” I would, but until that masterpiece is written, I will settle for this adorable sticker. Here For the Boooks Sticker, $4 Image by Lilylane NZ via Etsy I don’t often see many custom badge reels in my bookish goodies treasure hunting, and I loved this fall-themed version. Skeleton Reading Badge Reel, $24+ Image by Paper Haunt via Etsy Spooky, scary skeletons prop up dusty books in this macabre washi tape that comes in black and white. Skull and Books Washi Tape, $7+ Image by Cozy Starlight Shop via Etsy I absolutely love collecting baseball caps with decidedly un-sporty themes, and this sweet little ghostie reading hat would fit perfectly in my rotation. Ghost Reading Cap, $50 Image by Rosa Tee Store via Etsy Some would argue that the pinnacle of a cozy fall reading session is an excellent blanket. This may be that blanket. Ghost Reading Woven Blanket, $79+ Image by Colorful Nostalgia via Etsy Love tarot? Love ghosts? Love bookmarks? We’ve got you. Ghost Tarot Card Bookmarks, $3 Image by Oh So Latina via Etsy This frosted mug is begging for an iced pumpkin chai latte with a dollop of whipped cream. Read and sip away! Cute Ghost Reading Frosted Cup, $20 Image by Balloon Dog Boutique US via Etsy Look at how happy these bones are! Books keep the magic going even after life ends. Skeleton Reading Teardrop Earrings, $12 Image by JKSN & Co. via Etsy Want to identify other reading cuties in the wild? They will show themselves when they nod in recognition of this sweatshirt that advertises the truest jumpscare: all the books you said you’d read one day. Haunted By My TBR Sweatshirt, $40+ Hopefully, you’ve found something to announce your love of books and Halloween-y goodness. Looking for more spooky reading gear? Check out this article full of bookish goodies for lovers of dark academia. Happy shopping, and happy reading! View the full article

(Photo Credit: Freestyle Digital Media) ComingSoon is debuting an exclusive trailer for Year One, a coming-of-age drama about a college freshman who’s struggling to find her place in her new environment. Freestyle Digital Media has officially acquired the distribution rights to the movie, which will be led by Avatar: The Last Airbender star Elizabeth Yu. “In the film, Ruby’s freshman year of college does not go as planned. Despite her best efforts, she struggles to make friends other than her complicated roommate, Selene. But Selene bears problems of her own when her severe anxiety and inability to care for herself seep into Ruby’s everyday life,” reads the official synopsis. “Soon, Ruby finds herself in a downward spiral, marked by dreams and the appearance of a glamorous alter ego, who begins to live the life that Ruby thinks she is expected to have.” Check out the exclusive Year One trailer below (watch more trailers): When is the release date for Year One? Year One will be available to rent or own on North American digital HD internet, DVD, cable, and satellite platforms, starting on November 4, 2025. The cast also includes Emma Raimi as Selene, Maya Schnake as Margot, Taylor Kinkead as Becca, Billy Chengary as Sam, Tatsumi Romano as Brianna, and Ryder McDaniel as Garth. The movie is written and directed by Lauren Loesberg, who is also serving as an executive producer. This marks the feature-length directorial debut of Loesberg. It is produced by Imani Davis, Dasha Gordon, and Julia Relova. Before its release, the film premiered in competition at the 2024 Bentonville Film Festival. “Year One is a deeply personal story inspired by my own experience with mental health in college,” Loesberg said in a statement. “While I was struggling alone at the time, it quickly became clear how common and prevalent it is among young adults, especially within our American university culture. I hope that this film can change the conversation around mental health, destigmatize seeking help, and serve as a reminder that sometimes in order to help others, you need to put yourself first.” The post Avatar: The Last Airbender’s Elizabeth Yu Stars in Year One Trailer, Release Date Set | Exclusive appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

There have reportedly been “no serious discussions” about a contract extension between the Chicago Bulls and swingman Dalen Terry, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Dalen Terry Could Become Restricted Free Agent With Bulls This means Terry could play out the 2025-26 season and go through restricted free agency in 2026. The 23-year-old […] The post Bulls’ Dalen Terry Not Expected To Sign Contract Extension appeared first on Basketball Insiders | NBA Rumors And Basketball News. View the full article

Photo Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Sarah Michelle Gellar paid a heartfelt tribute to her former co-star, Michelle Trachtenberg. Trachtenberg was found dead in her apartment in February 2025. However, Gellar posted this emotional message on October 11, which would’ve marked the late actress’ 40th birthday. Sarah Michelle Gellar remembers ‘little sister’ Michelle Trachtenberg on 40th birthday On October 11, Sarah Michelle Gellar, known for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, took to her Instagram account to post an emotional tribute in honor of the late actress Michelle Trachtenberg. In the post, Gellar uploaded a small clip of her character, Buffy Summers, and Trachtenberg’s, Dawn Summers, hugging each other. In the background, the video played Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa’s song, “See You Again.” The video was also accompanied by a message. The caption read, “When you turned 16, it was hard not to still see you as the little girl I met on All My Children. When you turned 21, I had to teach myself to not see you as the little sister anymore. I can’t imagine what 40 would have been like. This I know… it would be filled with love. Happy birthday @michelletrachtenberg” The post has since gone viral and garnered sincere responses from fans and co-stars, all adding to the tribute. This comes months after Trachtenberg was found dead in her New York City apartment on February 26, 2025. Following weeks of laboratory tests, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the City of New York revealed that the actress had died due to complications of diabetes mellitus. Michelle Trachtenberg’s Dawn Summers first appeared on Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2000 as Buffy’s younger sister. She continued to play the role until the show ended in 2003. Outside of the show, Trachtenberg has also been part of movies like Euro Trip, Gossip Girl, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Ice Princess, and 17 Again, among many others. The post Sarah Michelle Gellar Pays Tribute to Late Buffy Co-star Michelle Trachtenberg on 40th Birthday appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. View the full article

From Batman to Judge Dredd, and from page to screen, Jock’s work is instantly recognisable – this book collects sketches, layouts, and unlettered artwork from the highly influential artist, in-demand film poster artist, and one of the most respected comic creators working in the medium. This stunning hardcover coffee table book illustrates his processes across sequential and concept art, including his character designs for the 2012 movie, DREDD. From his earliest work to his latest 2000 AD covers, this book showcases the artistic evolution of one of the modern masters of comic art. If you ever have wanted to learn more about comics and their creators, you’ve come to the right place. More and more books are being published focusing on the history of comics, history of curators, and academic analyses of what comics means. Comic books and their history have become more accepted as an area in recent years with some universities and schools offering minors and majors in the topic. That’s pretty amazing considering people had been proclaiming the end of the comic book industry in the 1970s! My only caveat was that it was hard to find a lot of comics about non-English countries that were written by the people from those countries or their diaspora. This may be a question of whether those books exist in those countries in those languages but have not been translated into English; I just don’t know. So here’s a list of books that look behind the scenes in the world of comics. Some explore the art and the design behind them while others look more critically at the history of the medium and their creators. All-Negro Comics: America’s First Black Comic Book by Chris Robinson and Orrin C. Evans and others (Image Comics, November 4, 2025) I am particularly fond of comics that reprint and refresh our memories about comic books in the 20th century. This one book reprints 1947 All-Negro Comics #1, which is described as the “first comic book anthology of original Black characters created by Black talent,” led by Orrin C. Evans. In addition to the reprint, the book includes essays about the importance of the comic book and its creators. It also includes current Black comic book writers/artists creating new stories with the characters from the original comic. It’s a great way to honor the importance of the comic and help connect today’s readers to the book. All access members continue below to find out about more books that go behind the scenes of comics This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.View the full article