6:12 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Major League Baseball is opening October by blasting the game’s so-called “unwritten rules.” MLB released an advertisement ahead of Tuesday’s postseason opener denouncing the anti-bat flip attitudes of many baseball traditionalists. “Don’t stop and stare. Don’t flip your bat. Respect the jersey,” says a narrator at the

7:00 AM ET It sure felt like the playoffs began Monday, but setting the pair of Game 163s aside, the postseason officially starts Tuesday with the National League wild-card game (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). Welcome to October, when it takes talent and some postseason magic to win it all. We break down every roster to

The New York Yankees didn’t win the division, but it was the most wins for the franchise since the 2009 World Series championship and their first back-to-back playoff appearances since 2011-12. With 267 home runs, they set a single-season record — even as Gary Sanchez struggled and Aaron Judge spent nearly two months on the

8:01 AM ET This year’s rankings might have the illusion of consistency, because the Astros were No. 1 on Opening Day, and 26 weeks later, they’re No. 1. But in between, all three of our top teams took turns at the top spot. Before the Astros came back to win the last three weeks in

11:44 PM ET With a double dose of tiebreaking action on tap on ESPN on Monday, the postseason picture hasn’t come entirely into focus just yet. But as we head into the high-stakes of Game No. 163 for four teams and the full playoff picture beyond, we asked our ESPN analysts what they expect to

11:14 PM ET First off, thank the baseball gods. Second, call in sick, skip class, take an extra long lunch break. Just find an excuse to get away from your regular Monday obligations. We have two tiebreaker games for the first time in MLB history. These will be the 11th and 12th one-game tiebreakers, and

4:02 PM ET BOSTON — A lifelong baseball fan, Andrew Lastrapes had been waiting quite a while to scratch a trip to Fenway Park off his bucket list. But little did the 32-year-old Atlanta man know two months ago when he bought tickets to Saturday’s Yankees–Red Sox game that his first trip to the ballpark

11:58 PM ET Associated Press NEW YORK — Much like the last few years of his truncated career, David Wright‘s finale was no fairytale at the plate. Adoration, appreciation, respect. Those were the tokens he took home. Wright left to a long standing ovation before a sellout crowd at Citi Field in his farewell game

1:07 AM ET Is there anything more magnificent in baseball than when a hitter gets locked in and finds that zone where the sweet spot of the bat connects with the sphere of cushioned cork, winding fabric, cowhide and 108 stitches of yarn time after time after time? “Captain America” came back from injuries to

4:44 PM ET Associated Press BOSTON — Giancarlo Stanton has been plunked plenty of times. But by his own home run ball? Gleyber Torres’ two-run shot vs. the Red Sox on Saturday was the Yankees’ 265th home run of the season, setting the MLB single-season record. The New York Yankees star homered over the Green