This is the September edition of The Lineup, a newsletter recapping many of the most important developments in the world of sports.
Aaron Judge’s Return and Yankees Playoff Push
As seems to often be the case around this team of year, the Yankees are real contenders to make it back to the World Series. But come October, they’ll need to compete with the Rays, who they’ve been chasing in the division race all season, and the Red Sox, who are right on their heels.
It will be a challenge shutting down the Rays, who lead baseball with a .261 team batting average. The Red Sox also sit in the top-10 at .248.
But, what’s the best way to combat good hitting? Good pitching.
Other teams would love to have two aces, especially in a playoff series, and that’s exactly what the Yankees have. Cam Schlittler has a 1.95 ERA, near the best in baseball, while Max Fried has a 2.73 ERA. While the bullpen has been unreliable, relief pitching isn’t as important with that level of starting pitching and an offense that just regained Aaron Judge, who returned to the team after suffering a rib fracture in May.
As the team gears up for the playoffs, critics point to the Yankee captain’s playoff struggles and disregard him as a playoff hitter, especially coming off an injury. But even if his playoff struggles do continue, his return allows for a better lineup. Judge’s return secured Spencer Jones an everyday lineup spot, especially with Trent Grisham’s injury. Jones has been a huge part of the Yankees’ success lately, with an OPS of .783. With Judge in the lineup, the outfield in the playoffs will likely be Bellinger, Jones and Judge. Starting pitching and a powerful lineup gives them a real chance to represent the American League come late October, and perhaps earn the elusive 28th ring.
By Lucas Ozburn
NYCFC Post World Cup Struggles
NYCFC entered the September window with momentum going against them.
After showing much promise before the summer’s World Cup break, where they picked up points in nine of their first 15 games, NYCFC looked poised for a playoff push. After the World Cup, however, they saw a massive shift in form—until defeating Salt Lake on Saturday, the Boys in Blue had been riding a six-match winless streak. Their inability to win has only increased frustration in the dressing room, as the playoff race continues to tighten as the MLS enters the final stretch of the regular season.
These struggles come despite NYCFC bringing in summer reinforcements. Attacking players like Benie Traore came from FC Basel, and Brazilian striker Luighi was signed on loan from Palmeiras. They also recalled former academy product James Sands from his loan with German side FC St. Pauli.
The biggest news of the summer was the retention of star forward Nicholas Fernandez at the club after he attracted huge attention from multiple clubs. Reports suggest that Sporting Kansas City, which is run by former NYCFC sporting director David Lee, offered up to $25 million for the Argentine, however personal terms were never agreed on and the transfer never happened.
The brunt of the pressure will now fall on Fernandez to find some much-needed momentum and turn the season around, as he is the leading contributor for NYCFC with 15 goals and seven assists, but just him alone won’t be enough to lead them across the playoff hurdle.
As standings become even more important with playoff seeding on the line, NYCFC can’t afford to drop points. The summer additions need to start producing, and the club needs results.
By Mouhamadou Diallo
U.S. Open Finishes With a Flurry
The US Open proved to be a dramatic finish to the 2026 tennis season. The Women’s Draw saw the top two players in the WTA rankings square off in the final, with Elena Rybakina taking the win in three competitive sets as well as the world number one ranking.
The drought for American men continues for another year as Ben Shelton was dispatched by Alexander Zverev in four sets. No American man has won the home slam since Andy Roddick did in 2003. This year looked to be a good opportunity for an American to take it, but Zverev proved to be too much in the tournament. The current world No. 1 has had a career season, winning his first Grand Slam at the French Open and has now claimed No. 2. In doing so, he became the 31st man to win multiple Grand Slams, joining an elite club.
On the losing side of the Men’s Final, Ben Shelton made his first Grand Slam final in an impressive run. The world No. 8 escaped a duel with Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. The match went five thrilling sets and demonstrated what the young American can do at his best— more Grand Slam finals await him.
One of the biggest stories of this US Open occurred off the court. A number of players expressed frustration with the influencers invited to attend the matches. Many of them were completely disregarding the expected etiquette with flash recording and talking throughout points. It became enough of an issue that Wimbledon, another Grand Slam, announced they will not allow these influencers to attend future tournaments.
By Chris Dodway
Western Michigan Loses to Michigan After Controversial Decision
Entering week one of the college football season, the Western Michigan Broncos traveled two hours to face their instate rivals, the No. 16 Michigan Wolverines. With Michigan favored by 27.5 points, if the Broncos kept the game close by any margin, it would be a win for them. They kept it close but lost in the most heartbreaking way possible, 13-12.
Leading 9-7 with two minutes left and a chance for the upset of the year in the first game of the season, Western Michigan kicked a field goal to increase their lead to five with 35 seconds remaining. With seven seconds left, the Wolverines had the ball at Western Michigan’s 47-yard line. Referees ruled Michigan’s hail mary attempt incomplete with no time remaining. The game was over, and the Broncos did it. Both the television broadcast and the stadium scoreboard read triple zeros.
However, Big Ten replay officials intervened. They determined that one second remained, using the synchronized stadium-clock camera, giving Michigan an extra play. On the final play, sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood heaved the ball to the end zone, and sophomore tight end JJ Buchanan caught it for a game-winning touchdown for the Wolverines. An unforgettable upset turned into a game many say was rigged.
After the game, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) launched an appeal to the NCAA, claiming the officials failed to follow established timing protocols. The NCAA quickly denied the appeal.
By James Giunco
National League Playoff Race
With October approaching, the National League playoff race is beginning to heat up. There is still plenty to be decided and some key matchups to look out for.
The Milwaukee Brewers have been one of the NL’s best teams this season, battling the Los Angeles Dodgers for the league’s top seed. Young star Jackson Chourio has helped lead the way for Milwaukee, while the Dodgers have plenty of star power with Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in the lineup. The Atlanta Braves are also in the mix, with Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson looking to lead another run into October as they lead the East.
While those teams battle for the top, the Wild Card race could bring even more drama. Bryce Harper and the Philadelphia Phillies currently sit in playoff position alongside the Chicago Cubs. Behind them, the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks are battling for the last ticket to the postseason.
The race between San Diego and Arizona could go right down to the last weekend. San Diego hosts Arizona from Sept. 25-27, and if the standings remain tight, those three games could have a lot riding on them.
The NL Wild Card Series begins Sept. 29, followed by the Division Series on Oct. 3.
There is still time for the playoff picture to shift. With stars like Ohtani, Harper and Acuña preparing for October and San Diego and Arizona fighting to get there, the NL still has plenty left to settle.
By Andrew Muller
American League Playoff Race
Each of the American League divisions remain up for grabs.
In the American League East, the Yankees (88-63) find themselves second in the AL East behind the Rays (91-59). New York is now facing a potential rematch of last year’s AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox. Sitting 4.5 games in front of the Red Sox, the Yankees currently hold the top AL Wild Card spot. The Rays have already clinched their playoff spot and own the best record in the American League. Tampa Bay leads New York by 3.5 games, but the race for the division is not over yet. To round up a four-game series in a seven game homestand, New York will host Rays in the Bronx from Sept. 22-24. The Yankees must sweep all four games to win the tiebreaker.
In the Central, the Guardians (77-75) yet again find themselves right in the playoff mix. Despite playing just .500 ball over their last 10 games, the struggling White Sox (77-74) now sit just a half-game ahead of Cleveland in the division. Chicago has led the division for much of the year, but with the Guardians right on their tail, the White Sox could soon be playing for a wild card spot. Luckily for them, an underwhelming American League leaves that as an option.
In the West another underwhelming playoff race is shaping up. The Astros (76-75) are back over .500 after being swept by the Rays just last weekend with the Rangers (75-76) just one game behind despite a sub .500 record. Neither team is playing particularly well of late as they push for the division crown, the always powerful Yordan Alvarez could tip the scale in the Astros’ favor.
By James McTague
UFC 331: Pantoja’s Return
Alexandre Pantoja left the octagon on Dec. 6 with a broken arm and a broken spirit. The reigning UFC flyweight champion lost his belt just 26 seconds into the fight after Joshua Van caught his kick, causing Pantoja to post incorrectly and snap his elbow. Under UFC rules, the injury was recorded as a loss.
Van, Pantoja’s opponent and No. 1-ranked flyweight contender at the time, celebrated becoming the second-youngest UFC champion ever. Many fans felt the MMA community was robbed of what was expected to be an amazing fight.
This Saturday, Pantoja will have a chance to take back what he feels is rightfully his. The 36-year-old is no stranger to championship fights. Prior to losing to Van, he was riding an eight-fight win streak that included four title defenses against the best flyweights in the world. He also holds the UFC records for most wins, submissions and finishes in the flyweight division. Pantoja will undoubtedly enter UFC 331 hungry to prove he is still the most feared man at 125 pounds.
In the other corner will be Van, the current champion. He is no fraud. In May, Van defended his belt against then-No. 3-ranked flyweight Tatsuro Taira by fifth-round knockout in a bloody duel. He also holds a statement win over Brandon Royval in the fight that won the award for UFC Fight of the Year in 2025. Van has quickly established himself as a legitimate threat at flyweight.
This Saturday, the two best flyweights in the world will duel in Los Angeles. Either Pantoja will emerge victorious and remind everyone at 125 who the real champ has always been, or Van will capture the biggest win of his career and solidify himself as the new king of the division.
By Jonas Haro
NFC Week 1 Recap
The Los Angeles Rams opened the season with a loss to the division rival 49ers in the first ever NFL game hosted in Australia. Reigning MVP Matthew Stafford threw for only 155 yards with an interception and no touchdowns. The whole team looked a step behind the 49ers, which notably came after the Rams arrived in Los Angeles just the day before the game; the 49ers came a week earlier. Mike Evans, in his first game wearing a uniform other than that of the Buccaneers, looked like his old self with six receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Los Angeles’ Myles Garrett didn’t perform as expected as he failed to record a single tackle before being placed on IR shortly after the game.
The Rams will try to bounce back next week against the New York Giants, who ended Sunday with an upset win over the Cowboys in the first game of the Jim Harbaugh era. The Giants’ defense controlled the game and kept Dallas wideouts George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb to 72 receiving yards combined. Both Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo performed well in their returns from injury, but no one performed better than quarterback Jaxson Dart and tight end Isaiah Likely. Those two proved to have instant chemistry, with Likely catching all eight of his targets and racking up a pair of touchdowns. Dart threw for three touchdowns on 23-for-29 passing.
But one NFC quarterback outplayed everyone: Caleb Williams. He led Chicago to a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers. Williams had 334 scrimmage yards and four total touchdowns—maybe the Madden curse isn’t real after all. Staying in the division, the Vikings got a comeback win over Green Bay led by Justin Jefferson’s 92 yards and two touchdowns. He had instant chemistry with Carson Wentz, who came in after Kyler Murray left with a concussion in the first quarter.
By Max Moughan
AFC Week 1 Recap
Week one of the season featured several high scoring affairs in the AFC.
The Bills and Texans faced off as Bills quarterback Josh Allen finished with four total touchdowns including two in the air and two on the ground. He also threw for 334 yards with zero turnovers in a game that was decided on the final play; on third and goal, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud fumbled, giving Buffalo a 36-31 victory.
Meanwhile, the Ravens opened the post-John Harbaugh era with a visit to the Colts. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry combined for 488 yards and five touchdowns while Zay Flowers posted a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown before suffering a hamstring injury. The Ravens won convincingly, 41-23.
Despite only two catches and 12 yards for superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals started the season with a 33-27 win over the Buccaneers. Joe Burrow had a solid game, throwing for 254 yards with both an interception and touchdown. Cincinnati got a little help from a lack of ball security on the part of Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield; he lost three fumbles in the contest.
Elsewhere in the AFC, the Jets took care of business against the Titans in head coach Robert Saleh’s first game in Tennessee while the Patriots struggled mightily in a season-opening loss to the Seahawks—Drake Maye threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter. The Steelers, Cardinals, Jaguars and Raiders all began their seasons 1-0 as well.
By Kellen Powers
Challenge Week at Wrigley Field
On Sept. 6, Wrigley Field hosted Kentucky, Penn State, Nebraska and Missouri’s Division I volleyball teams for Big Ten-SEC Challenge Week. Previously, Nebraska played in Memorial Stadium, breaking attendance records in September 2023, but Sept. 6 was another memorable night for college volleyball. 43,000 fans attended, making it the second-largest crowd in NCAA Division I volleyball history.
The first match was between Penn State and Kentucky. Kentucky had a strong start, winning the first two sets 25-23 and 25-21, before Penn State was able to pull a set from the Wildcats, taking the third set 25-23. Kentucky fought back for control and won the match 3-1. Senior outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye was a strong part of Kentucky’s offense with 21 kills and a hitting percentage of .319, while junior outside hitter Morgan Gaerete added 15 kills at .344. Alongside DeLeye and Gaerete, junior outside hitter Aisa Thigpen had 12 kills with a hitting percentage of .250. Kentucky had a season high of 60 kills in a game.
The second match between Nebraska and Missouri had to be cancelled during the first set with Nebraska leading 11-7. High humidity caused moisture to build up in the court, making it too slippery to play on. Players and staff got down to clean the court, but officials made the call to end the game due to dangerous conditions. During the delay, the players had a dance battle to keep the audience entertained. Nebraska’s senior middle blocker, Andi Jackson, grabbed the microphone and sang Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You Been Gone” with the Missouri team joining her.
By Chloe Alonso
Premier League Matchday Four Recap
Manchester City and Arsenal entered the fourth matchday tied at the top of the Premier League table with nine points each. Arsenal remained up top through Bruno Guimarães’ first Arsenal goal alongside Bukayo Saka’s penalty after Sunderland’s Reinildo Mandava was shown red in a developing theme of the weekend.
Meanwhile, Liverpool and Fulham shared the points in a scoreless affair as Liverpool’s expensive stars continue to elicit doubt on their price tags. Ipswich Town got back in the win column after edging Crystal Palace 3-2, taking advantage of center back Axel Disasi’s sending-off.
Brentford drew its third straight thanks to Kevin Schade’s brace, matching Bournemouth’s two goals. Spurs and Everton were also deadlocked at nil-nil despite both posting double-digit shots; Spurs are still winless and sit 17th in the table.
Igor Jesus’ late winner lifted Forest above Aston Villa at Villa Park to cap off Forest’s onslaught of 21 shots while Hull City’s impressive start continued as they battled to a 2-2 draw with Chelsea; Mohamed Belloumi bagged both goals for Hull, while Morgan Rogers and João Pedro rescued the Blues from defeat.
On Sunday, Brighton climbed to fourth, scoring five unanswered on 10-man Coventry, the final side remaining without a point.
Ejections continued to affect this weekend’s play when Phil Foden saw red early in the highly anticipated Manchester Derby. City were the only team this week to rescue points after going down a man as superstar Erling Haaland swooped into the back post, making sure Manchester stayed blue.
Arsenal sit atop the table only by goal difference, with City a goal behind; Villa, Fulham and Spurs sit around the relegation zone, and Haaland holds the sole lead of the golden boot race. The question of the week: can Hull keep up their surprising form, or will the demands of the top flight catch up with them?
By Armando Vinas
Edited by Center Field Staff
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
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