The 2026 Major League Baseball season is rapidly drawing to a close, and there are multiple compelling storylines to follow.
Impressively, the American League is potentially set to make the wrong kind of history with several teams under .500 in postseason position. For once, there's a legitimate competition for National League MVP, with Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong giving now-annual winner Shohei Ohtani a run for his money.
Speaking of Ohtani, his team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, have recovered from a lengthy losing streak to put themselves in position to secure a first round bye. As baseball's new villains, the Dodgers' fate in October will be the most talked about storyline. Win a third straight championship and fans, incorrectly, will complain about competitive balance in baseball. Lose in the NLDS or NLCS? They'll be "chokers" that deserve eternal scorn.
WITH ONE MONTH LEFT, AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAMS ARE HEADING TOWARDS AN EMBARRASSING, HISTORIC LOW
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani rounds third base after hitting a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn., on June 22, 2026. (Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images)
And that outcome might determine the likelihood of a 2027 season too. Not for any legitimate reason, but because the league's billionaire owners are committed to using misguided fan sentiment to push for their ultimate dream: increasing profits and reducing the percentage of revenue that goes to players through a salary cap. With the Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire at the end of the year, there's a possibility, if not likelihood, that the owners lock the players out on December 1.
During Sunday night's Little League Classic game between the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, commissioner Rob Manfred joined the broadcast and wasn't exactly reassuring when talking about the possibility that the lockout could drag on well into the 2027 season.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HAS A HUGE PROBLEM BREWING FOR THE 2026-2027 OFFSEASON
"We're meeting regularly, which is good," Manfred said during the ESPN broadcast. "Every week, we've had days where we've met with the players. It's early, but we've got a lot of work to do, and we're at it."
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Sounds good, right? Meetings are happening. Conversations are happening. Maybe there's hope. Well, about that.
"Look, our goal is to make a deal. We want to make a deal. We want to play baseball next year. We're planning on playing baseball next year," Manfred said.
"We want," is not "we will." "We're planning" is also not "we will."
WORLD SERIES CHAMPION JOHN SMOLTZ WARNS MLB 'CANNOT AFFORD' A WORK STOPPAGE WITH CBA SET TO EXPIRE
It was a tough start to the MLB Draft for Commissioner Rob Manfred when he butchered first-overall pick Roch Cholowsky's name. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Obviously, the two sides are engaged in active negotiations, and as such, Manfred may not want to weaken his bargaining position by giving too much away. He's also smart enough to know the position baseball is in right now, with attendance and ratings growing and the Dodgers giving the other 29 fanbases a compelling foil.
But it's still a bit disconcerting to hear "want" and "planning" when the future popularity of the sport is at stake. Baseball can't afford a lengthy work stoppage or, God forbid, the cancellation of the 2027 season. Young, exciting players like Crow-Armstrong, Bobby Witt Jr., Konnor Griffin, Paul Skenes, Jacob Misiorowski, Junior Caminero, Jordan Walker, Gunnar Henderson, J.J. Wetherholt and Kevin McGonigle are helping the league build momentum.
Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates walks off the field after the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on July 19, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Diamond Images/Getty Images)
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Losing out on a year of development, growth, and excitement is simply not an option. Hopefully Manfred realizes that, public comments aside.
Ian Miller is a writer at OutKick.
