One of the biggest college basketball names is hanging up his whistle and passing the torch to his son.

On Monday, Sept. 22 ― just 42 days ahead of the Auburn basketball season opener against Bethune-Cookman on Monday, Nov. 3 ― reports surfaced that Tigers coach Bruce Pearl is expected to retire ahead of the 2025-26 season college basketball season.

His son, Steven Pearl, will step in as the Auburn coach for the season, the program has announced. The university has signed him to a five-year contract.

“I’m incredibly grateful to (Auburn) president Dr. Roberts, athletics director John Cohen, and the entire Auburn leadership team for entrusting me with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Steven Pearl said. “In a sense, I’ve spent my lifetime preparing for this moment, learning from one of the best in BP, and building a foundation rooted in character, hard work, and team-first values.

‘We’re not starting over — we’re building forward, with the same principles that have made Auburn Basketball elite. I’m honored to lead this program, and I’m ready to rise to the moment.”

Added Auburn athletic director John Cohen:

“When I came to Auburn three years ago, Coach Bruce Pearl made it clear to me that he was nearing the end of his coaching days. It was obvious to me — even then — that we needed to create an internal national search to prepare for the time when Coach Pearl would be stepping down.

“Throughout our detailed process, it became obvious to me and our staff that Steven Pearl was clearly the best fit for Auburn. His expertise in coaching defense, his skills as an evaluator, recruiter, teacher and motivator, and his relationships with our student-athletes and staff were paramount.

Here’s what you need to know about Steven Pearl:

Who is Steven Pearl?

Steven Pearl has been on his father’s coaching staff since 2017, when he was hired as an assistant. He was promoted to associate head coach on Aug. 1, 2023, and now will take the reins over a national title contender from his father.

Steven Pearl served as the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the Tigers during their Final Four run during the 2024-25 college basketball season. According to his Auburn bio, his in-game duties include ‘opponent scouting, defensive strategies and adjustments.’

With Steven Pearl on Auburn’s staff, the Tigers have won five SEC championships and made six NCAA Tournament appearances over the last eight seasons, including Final Four runs in 2019 and 2025.

Steven picked up his first and only win as a head coach when he served as the acting head coach against North Alabama on Dec. 14, 2021. The Tigers defeated the Lions 70-44, with Bruce Pearl missing the game due to an NCAA-sanctioned suspension.

Over the last four seasons, Auburn’s defense has ranked second in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage (.299), third in field goal percentage (.396) and fourth in scoring defense (68.1 points per game), under Steven’s watch.

Before joining his father’s coaching staff, Steven served as a medical sales representative for Stryker Corp for three years.

How old is Steven Pearl?

Steven Pearl was born on Sept. 14, 1987, meaning he turned 38 years old this year. He will be the youngest head coach in the SEC, with Florida’s Todd Golden being 40.

Where did Steven Pearl play college basketball?

Steven played for his father at Tennessee from 2007-11. After redshirting as a freshman, he played 101 games for the Vols. He helped Tennessee to back-to-back SEC East championships in 2008 and 2009. He was part of the Tennessee teams that reached the Sweet 16 in 2007 and 2008 and the Elite Eight in 2010.

Over his four-year playing career with the Vols, Steven averaged 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per game over 101 career games, including one start.

Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl is reportedly retiring after 11 seasons with the Tigers.
Pearl’s son, Steven, who is currently the associate head coach, is expected to be his successor this season.
During his tenure, Pearl led Auburn to two Final Fours. His career record, including stops at Tennessee and Milwaukee, is 706-268.

Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl is stepping down as head coach and will be replaced by his son, Steven, the school announced Monday, Sept. 22.

Pearl, 65, coached the Tigers for 11 seasons and made two Final Four appearances. The 2024-25 team lost in the national semifinals to Florida and the 2018-19 squad lost to Virginia.

Pearl went 244-123 at Auburn and 706-268 overall across four stops as a head coach, including six seasons at Tennessee. He will move into an ambassador’s role with the school as special assistant to the athletics director.

“Eleven years ago, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to become the head basketball coach at Auburn, and it has been nothing short of amazing,” Pearl said in a statement. “With the Auburn Family’s unwavering support, we have built a program from the ground up and taken it to heights it had never reached before. Not only have we won championships, but we have built the best home-court advantage in college basketball, we’ve invested in this community and changed lives, and we’ve developed and graduated Auburn men. We built a program with the core tenants of faith, family and passion, and together, we made history. I hope we have made Auburn proud.

“I have been at this for almost 50 years and truthfully as hard as it is for me to say this, I have come to the realization that it’s time for me to step aside. Being the head coach at Auburn has been the privilege of my life. ‘

Steven Pearl played for his father with the Volunteers and joined the Auburn staff as an off-court assistant in 2014. He was named a full-time assistant in 2017 and was promoted to associate head coach in 2023. At 38 years old, Pearl will be the youngest head coach in the SEC.

‘When I came to Auburn three years ago, Coach Bruce Pearl made it clear to me that he was nearing the end of his coaching days. It was obvious to me – even then – that we needed to create an internal national search to prepare for the time when Coach Pearl would be stepping down,” Auburn athletics director John Cohen said in a statement.  “Throughout our detailed process, it became obvious to me and our staff that Steven Pearl was clearly the best fit for Auburn.’

Auburn becomes the latest Division I program to attempt a father-to-son coaching transition. Among the most notable such changes include Bryce Drew replacing Homer Drew at Valparaiso, Sean Sutton replacing Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State and Murray Bartow stepping for Gene Bartow at Alabama-Birmingham. Most recently, Matt McKillop replaced his father Bob as the head coach at Davidson in 2022.

This is also the second high-profile coaching departure on the cusp of the regular season in as many years, following former Virginia coach Tony Bennett’s decision to step down last October.

While he’s been among the most successful major-conference coaches of the 21st century, Pearl’s legacy is dotted with controversy. As an assistant coach at Iowa in the late 1980s, Pearl was involved in a recruiting scandal involving top prospect Deon Thomas.

After Thomas committed to rival Illinois, Pearl recorded a phone conversation between the pair that included references to recruiting enticements offered by the Illini and then handed over copies of the recording to the NCAA. While the NCAA did not pursue an investigation of Thomas’ recruitment, a parallel investigation revealed infractions that resulted in penalties and a postseason ban.

His tenure at Tennessee ended following an NCAA investigation into illegal recruiting practices. Pearl misled investigators and told others in his orbit to do the same, eventually leading to his firing and a three-year show-cause ban.

An outspoken supporter of the Republican party and President Donald Trump, Pearl has discussed running for the Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat vacated when current Senator Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach, announced in May that he would be running to become the next Governor of Alabama.

The Hoosiers recently defeated No. 8 Illinois by 53 points in a dominant performance.
Transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been a key part of Indiana’s success this season.
Despite their impressive win, Indiana remains ranked No. 12 in the coaches poll.

Now is not the time for Curt Cignetti to back away from Curt Cignetti. Not that he would, anyway.

If you think Indiana — and by Indiana, I mean, the straight-talking, hip-shooting Cignetti — was talented and ticked off last season, wait and see what the Hoosiers are delivering this time around with their firebrand coach. 

No more having to envision what could be, just soaking in what is. 

“They couldn’t stop us,” Cignetti said after Indiana’s 53-point win last weekend over No. 8 Illinois. 

And just so there was nothing left to doubt for those in the back of the room still unsure about the Hoosiers and their rise last season under Cignetti, he went full-on Cignetti. 

“And then we broke their will and pounded them,” he said. 

Any questions now, America?

The team that was easy to overanalyze and criticize in 2024 — because of a woefully weak schedule and no signature win — is back and better than ever in 2025. And heaven help us now that an elite coach and an historically insufferable fan base (think IU basketball) have found each other. 

The losingest program in the history of college football (seriously, Google it), is on its way to a second straight appearance in the College Football Playoff. Like it or not. 

But instead of ramping up the rhetoric, Cignetti is beginning to dial it back. Even with the blunt assessment of Illinois attempting to keep pace. 

He doesn’t want this to be about a CFP argument of worthiness, or whose schedule is tougher, or if bad wins mean more than good losses. Or any of the other useless banter that clouded the product on the field.

He wants this to be about ball. 

About rushing for 312 yards, and holding Illinois to two. Yes, two — on 20 carries.

About a blocked punt, and seven sacks. About another transfer portal quarterback — and if you thought Kurtis Rourke came out of nowhere last year with a big season, get a load of Fernando Mendoza.

Mendoza played well at California in 2024, and nearly led the Bears to a huge upset of Miami. After three cupcake games to begin this season (hey, Cig, you gotta upgrade that nonconference schedule), Mendoza attacked one of the Big Ten’s best defenses by completing 91% of his passes (21-of-23) with five touchdowns and no turnovers.

“We hit the field, it’s all business,” Cignetti said. “I know I stirred things up last year media-wise because I felt I had to. This place, the fan base was dead, and needed to set some expectations.”

He’s now officially done just that. Because this Hoosiers team is more complete and dangerous than last year’s group, and it’s not sneaking up on anyone. 

Two program-defining games remain, and if you don’t think the Hoosiers can win at Oregon (Oct. 11) or at Penn State (Nov. 8), take another look at the product — and stop obsessing over the name. 

This is different than last season, when a joke schedule with no resistance (other than the loss to Ohio State) made it easy to second-guess Indiana’s CFP bonafides. There’s no doubt now.

The Hoosiers just manhandled the most physical team in the Big Ten this side of Michigan, and took their foot off the gas midway through the second half. It looked like one of those routs of years past in Assembly Hall, when Bobby Knight’s teams would physically impose their will on anyone who dared step on the court. 

But Indiana is a football school now, everyone. A chuck it all over the park and run it down your throat football school. If this were anyone else in the Big Ten, there would be reverberations throughout the sport. 

Yet there’s Indiana, after the most impressive win of the first month of the season, hovering at No.12 in the US LBM coaches poll. Hell, even Cignetti’s own colleagues don’t believe in him. 

They had the Hoosiers lagging far behind Illinois last week, the same Illini that won 10 games last season and returned a loaded team. A team Cignetti watched on tape, and immediately saw the mismatch. 

“I thought our defensive line could whip their offensive line, and we did,” Cignetti said. 

Never change, Cig, never change. 

And enjoy the ride all the way back to the CFP. 

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

Former NFL coach and executive Bobby Grier has died at the age of 82.
He was instrumental in the Houston Texans drafting future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt.
Grier is also credited with being a significant part of the New England Patriots drafting quarterback Tom Brady.

The name Bobby Grier, the former NFL coach and executive who died at the age of 82, is not a name many will know. If you don’t, take two minutes out of your day to learn about him, because you should.

Grier, whose sons Chris and Mike serve as general manager of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, respectively, was not a self-promoter. He seemed, in fact, to hate media attention. Several times throughout my years covering the league, we’d cross paths, and so many of our conversations involved him praising others. In a league full of people always taking credit, he doled it out.

‘Bobby was the strong, silent type — a leader who could always get the best of you. I had the good fortune of watching him as a coach and later as a personnel guy,’ said former Patriots linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett, who also worked under Grier as a scout, to ESPN. ‘He inspired people to think bigger and do bigger things.’

What you have to understand about Grier is that to a number of Black coaches and executives, he was legendary. Yes, his credentials were unquestioned. Grier started his NFL career in 1981 as an assistant with the Patriots and then later moved into the team’s front office. He’d go on to work for the Houston Texans from 2000-2016, and then later the Dolphins.

But Grier was more than a resume. Along the way, I’ve heard some years ago, Grier became one of the people that Black personnel men went to for advice. Not just about football, but also about how to survive in a sport where Black team executives were rare. (CBS reported Grier was also the the first full-time Black assistant coach in Boston College history.)

For much of Grier’s career, he would be the only Black person in an NFL room. For many people of color, both in and outside of football, that was something they could relate to. I know I could.

As a front office executive, he definitely made mistakes (like all execs do), but his successes were stunning. When it was announced in 2016 that Grier was retiring from the Texans, one story noted how former Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said Grier was instrumental in picking defensive lineman J.J. Watt in the first round of the 2011 draft. Watt would go on to become one of the best pass rushers in the history of the NFL.

Grier has also been credited with being one of the key people who pushed for the team to draft quarterback Tom Brady.

‘He’ll never let me or anyone else know about it or talk about it, but just being around him and talking with my brother, I know that he’s pretty proud of that draft class and Tom in particular,’ Mike Grier told ESPN in 2011.

‘He did his homework, and for me personally, it’s something every time Tom does something and plays the way he does, it puts a smile on my face the way things ended for my dad there in New England. But I think he did a pretty good job. I’m very proud of him for what he did there.’

This is who Grier was, all of him. Just thought you should know.

He intentionally spells his name ‘Deion,’ inspired by the ‘E-I-E-I-O’ from the nursery rhyme ‘Old MacDonald.’
The discrepancy between his legal name and his common spelling sometimes causes issues at airport security.
Sanders’ children, Deiondra and Deion Jr., also use the ‘Deion’ spelling in their names.

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders reminded the world Monday everyone has been spelling his name wrong for the past several decades.

It’s Dion Sanders, not Deion Sanders, according to his birth certificate.

But he spells it the wrong way on purpose, too, and has been doing so since he learned a popular nursery rhyme as a kid called “Old MacDonald.”

The Pro Football Hall of Famer spoke about this when asked about it on Monday’s edition of the “New Heights” podcast with brothers Travis and Jason Kelce.

“We all learned this song,” said Sanders, 58. “If I say the first part, you’ve got to finish the second part. Old MacDonald had a farm…”

“E-I-E-I-O,” the Kelces sang in response.

“So it was D-E-I-O-N,” Sanders told them. “I got it from Old MacDonald.”

“What?” asked Travis Kelce, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. “Is it still that?”

“That’s the way I spell it,” Sanders said. “On my birth certificate it’s D-I-O-N. But I’ve always spelled it D-E-I-O-N.”

Why this gives Deion Sanders trouble at airports

Deion Sanders previously said on the Rich Eisen Show in 2017 this issue gives him trouble at airports sometimes because his driver’s license shows the correct legal spelling of his name, which doesn’t look right to some since he’s known as Deion, not Dion.

“Then I have to show credit cards to accompany that when I go through the airport,” Sanders said. He said sometimes security people will tell him to “go back to the front desk” because “this is not your name.”

“I just look at ‘em,” Sanders said in 2017.

Sanders doesn’t really answer to Deion or Dion these days anyway. Those who know him call him Coach Prime or “Prime,” not Deion.

His children also spell their names like their father. Deiondra is his oldest daughter. Deion Jr. is his oldest son. But Sanders’ middle son Shilo has a middle name with a certain spelling, according to public records.

It’s Dion, not Deion.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl’s announcement that he is retiring ahead of the 2025-26 season has re-ignited speculation that he is setting his sights on the U.S. Senate.

Pearl, 65, announced Monday, Sept. 22, that he is stepping down from the role he has held for the past 11 seasons. Pearl’s son, Steven, an associate head coach for Auburn, signed a five-year contract to become head coach.

But enough about basketball.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, announced in May his plans to run for governor of his home state. The former Auburn football coach capitalized on his profile to claim one of Alabama’s two Senate seats in 2021.

With Tuberville headed toward a 2026 gubernatorial run, the race to replace him in deeply conservative Alabama is heating up. A handful of Republicans have already announced their intention to run for Tuberville’s seat.

But what about Pearl?

Asked earlier in September whether he was considering a Senate run, Pearl said he ‘had considered’ and ‘thought a great deal about’ the possibility but was noncommittal.

A vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and an engaging and polished speaker, Pearl certainly fits the bill of a high-profile conservative who could follow Tuberville’s path from sports to politics.

On Monday, however, Pearl signaled his intention to remain with the university.

‘Many of you know that I thought and prayed about maybe running for United Staes Senate,’ Pearl said in a video announcing his retirement. ‘Maybe to be the next great Senator of Alabama. That would have required leaving Auburn. Instead, the university has given me the opportunity to stay here and be Auburn’s senator.’

What that exactly means will be revealed in the future, but it will keep Pearl off the ballots in Alabama, at least for now.

WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers was among the player announcements made by Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s professional league, on Monday, Sept. 22.

The news isn’t a surprise, as Bueckers signed a three-year deal with Unrivaled back in April. She also has invested in the league.

‘I mean, investments in women’s sports — I feel like the return on investment has been amazing,’ Bueckers said in April. ‘Even the first year [of Unrivaled], the numbers were shocking. They just blew it out of the water. And just to invest so much in women’s sports, it’s growing at an all-time high, and it’s just a great time to be in women’s sports.’

Bueckers, who led the UConn Huskies to their 12th national title in April, was selected No. 1 overall by the Dallas Wings. She averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals across 36 games this season. Bueckers set the single-game rookie scoring record with 44 points on 80.9% shooting.

Unrivaled, a women’s professional 3×3 league led by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, will begin its second season in January 2026 in Miami. The league is making player announcements six at a time from Monday, Sept. 22 through Wednesday, Oct. 1.

Monday player announcements, with two to come:

Alyssa Thomas, G, Phoenix Mercury
Rickea Jackson, F, Los Angeles Sparks
Satou Sabally, F, Phoenix Mercury
Paige Bueckers, G, Dallas Wings
Saniya Rivers, G, Connecticut Sun

The San Francisco 49ers can’t seem to shake persistent injuries amid the team’s 3-0 start. On Monday, the team learned of its mostly costly personnel loss yet.

Defensive end Nick Bosa suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Sunday’s 16-15 win against the Arizona Cardinals and will miss the rest of the season, according to multiple reports.

Bosa exited the game late in the first quarter after being knocked to the ground on a pass rush. He gave a thumbs down as he headed to the locker room and did not return to the game.

Bosa previously suffered a torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season. He returned the following year to earn his second of five career Pro Bowl berths, and he was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

The 49ers already have suffered significant injury hits to quarterback Brock Purdy, who missed his second consecutive start Sunday while dealing with shoulder and toe injuries, as well as tight end George Kittle, who landed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings also sat out Sunday due to shoulder and ankle injuries.

The start of September marks the beginning of the end for the MLB regular season. Many playoff races are still going on at that time, but there are always a few runaway trains that have practically locked up a playoff spot weeks prior. That was supposed to be the case for the New York Mets.

At the start of September, the team was 73-64, a far cry from when they started the year 45-24 with a solid lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East, but still a good record that had the team looking at a Wild Card berth. Well, now with just six games to play, the Mets are a mediocre 80-76, tied for the final Wild Card spot with the Cincinnati Reds.

Even worse, the Reds hold the tiebreaker over the Mets, meaning if the playoffs were to start today, the Mets would lose out on the postseason for the seventh time in the last nine years. That was not supposed to happen, especially after landing Juan Soto in the offseason.

Alas, here we are. Another cautionary tale about counting chickens before they hatch. It’s been a tough go for Mets fans, but there is still some hope that they can recover and reach the playoffs. At that point, who knows what could happen. Should they fail, though, this 2025 Mets squad could go down in history as one of the worst late-season collapses in MLB history. Here are some of the other infamous squads with that dishonorable tag.

Worst playoff collapses in MLB history

2011 Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox were in a heated duel with the New York Yankees for AL East dominance for most of this season. On September 1, the Red Sox held a 0.5-game lead over the Yankees. Even if the Yankees pulled ahead, though, the wild card was all but assured. The Tampa Bay Rays were nine games back as the biggest competitor for the spot.

Well, the Red Sox had seven games against the Rays remaining on their schedule. The Rays won six of those games. In fact, for the remainder of the year, the Red Sox didn’t win a single series, only ever splitting a two-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays on September 13 and 14.

Still, despite the abysmal play, when the final game of the regular season approached, the Red Sox had a path to the postseason if they could just beat the Baltimore Orioles, a team that came into the final game of the season with just 68 wins. The Orioles finished the year with 69.

The Red Sox gave it a good run, heading into the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead. However, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the bases empty, Chris Davis drilled a double off Jonathan Papelbon. That was followed up with a ground-rule double from Nolan Reimold to tie the game, and a single from Robert Andino to drive in the winning run.

Thankfully, the Tampa Bay Rays weren’t having much fun either. They needed to win to push Boston out of the playoff race, but trailed the New York Yankees 7-0 in the bottom of the eighth. Tampa would score eight straight runs to win. Boston fell short by one game.

2011 Atlanta Braves

The Red Sox weren’t the only organization wallowing in misery in 2011. The Atlanta Braves held a similar lead in the wild-card race heading into September. They may have trailed the Phillies by 7.5 games in the NL East, but they were 8.5 games up on the St. Louis Cardinals for the wild card berth.

Anyone who knows the 2011 season knows that the St. Louis Cardinals went on to win the World Series. However, it took a lot of luck. Particularly from the Atlanta Braves, who not only got swept by the Cardinals in September, but were also swept by the Phillies in the final three games of the season. The Phillies had already locked up the best record in baseball. They had nothing to play for, and the Braves couldn’t manage a single win.

All they needed was one to secure a playoff berth. Instead, they fell apart. Much like the Red Sox, the Braves even held a 3-2 lead heading into the ninth inning. But closer Craig Kimbrel blew the save, surrendering a sacrifice fly from Chase Utley to drive in the tying run. The Phillies would win in the 13th.

2010 San Diego Padres

In 2010, the San Diego Padres were on the verge of breaking a three-year playoff drought, sitting comfortably in the driver’s seat in the NL West with a 6.5 game lead over the second-place San Francisco Giants on August 25.

The Padres then proceeded to lose ten straight games, tied for the third-longest losing streak in franchise history and their longest in the 21st century. It was a massive shift in the standings that not only gave the Giants hope but also the division lead. As fate would have it, though, the Padres still weren’t out of it. With just three games left, and despite going just 12-13 in the 25 games between the massive losing streak and the final series of the season, the Padres still had an opportunity to reach the playoffs by sweeping the San Francisco Giants.

They were three games back with three to play, and the Padres put up a good fight, winning each of the first two games of the series. If the Padres could manage to win the final game, they would’ve set up a play-in game for the NL West title, and even if they lost that game, they would’ve been tied with the Atlanta Braves for the wild card, which would’ve prompted a play-in game for that final berth as well. It all rested on that last game.

The Padres got shut out.

The Giants, meanwhile, went on to win the World Series, their first of three within a five-year span. Oh, and even worse, that 90-win season remains their second-best in the 21st century (93 wins in 2024), and they couldn’t even secure a playoff spot.

2007 New York Mets

Unlike most teams on this list, the 2007 Mets’ downfall did not start at the beginning of September. In fact, on September 12, the team had a seven-game lead over the Phillies for first place in the NL East. They even boasted an NL-best 83-62 record.

With just 17 games to play, the Mets couldn’t possibly screw up their chances, right? They went 5-12, including a three-game sweep at the hands of the Phillies.

As is the case for most of the teams on this list, it all came down to the final game. If the Mets won, they would’ve been tied with the Phillies for first in their division. However, the Marlins crushed the Mets, 8-1. New York’s starter Tom Glavine pitched just 0.1 innings, allowing seven earned runs and all but sealing the Mets’ fate.

1995 California Angels

With just two months to play in the 1995 season, the Angels held an 11-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. The Angels then lost nine straight games at the end of August into early September.

With just three weeks to play in the 1995 season, the Angels held a six-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West. The Angels then lost nine straight games to drop three games back of the Mariners.

Shockingly, the Angels didn’t just roll over and die like most other teams on this list. They fought back, winning six of their last eight games, and actually forced a one-game playoff with Seattle for the AL West crown. Randy Johson threw a 125-pitch complete game, as the Mariners cruised to a 9-1 win.

1964 Philadelphia Phillies

Arguably the most infamous collapse of all time, the 1964 Phillies held a healthy 6.5-game lead with just 12 games to play on September 20. They lost their next ten straight.

Even worse is that 10 games were more than enough to put the Phillies away. Just seven games into the streak, the Cincinnati Reds had gone 8-0 during that same stretch, snatching first place away from the Phillies, but the losses kept piling up. The St. Louis Cardinals finished the stretch by sweeping the Phillies themselves, a massive move for the Cardinals, who wound up winning the pennant after Philadelphia recovered to beat Cincinnati in their final two games of the season.

When all was said and done, the Phillies finished the year tied with the Reds, but both teams fell one game short of the Cardinals.

Much of this debacle could be blamed on Phillies’ manager Gene Mauch, who panicked during the losing streak and tried to cover up their thin rotation by constantly throwing the team’s two best starters — Jim Bunning and Chris Short — on just two days rest. Obviously, that did not work out well.

2025 MLB Playoff picture

Here is the current MLB playoff picture as of Monday, September 22. The top-six teams in each league make the playoffs.

American League:

Toronto Blue Jays: 90-66 (clinched playoff berth)
Seattle Mariners: 87-69
Detroit Tigers: 85-71
New York Yankees: 88-68
Boston Red Sox: 85-71
Cleveland Guardians: 84-72
Houston Astros: 84-72

National League:

Milwaukee Brewers: 95-61 (clinched division)
Philadelphia Phillies: 92-64 (clinched division)
Los Angeles Dodgers: 88-68 (clinched playoff berth)
Chicago Cubs: 88-68 (clinched playoff berth)
San Diego Padres: 85-71
Cincinnati Reds: 80-76
New York Mets: 80-76