Netflix isn’t all that complicated to use (unless something breaks, that is). You log in, scroll through the selections, and pick something to watch. Of course, like all services, there’s more than meets the eye here. Netflix has a handful of hidden features and settings under its sleeve, including a rather iconic secret code system—at least, it’s iconic for those in the know.
Netflix’s secret codes
One of Netflix’s best secret features is its hidden codes, and that’s really just because they’re fun. Unbeknownst to many subscribers, the company uses a system of codes to denote different categories of content. Each broad category has its own code, but within each of those categories exists a number of hyper-specific categories with their own codes.
For example, Netflix’s “Action & Adventure” genre has a code of 1365, but within that category there are subcategories, including “Hijacking movies” (20541), “Spy action & adventure” (10702), and “Comic book and superhero movies” (10118). According to Netflix, there are over 36,000 of these codes (and, as such, corresponding categories) and counting. Seeing as your app likely doesn’t return nearly 36,000 categories when you browse, that’s a lot of different ways to sort Netflix content that you’re missing out on. But where do you find these codes?
Netflix-Codes.com used to be the go-to database for these codes, and it still appears at the top of a Google search, but the site is clearly missing most of those 36,000 codes. You’ll find more of those codes on the site What’s on Netflix, but even its list is only dated to 2023. Still, there are over 4,100 codes here to try. Maybe someday Netflix will put together a dedicated database of all its codes and categories, but until then, we work with what we’ve got.
Once you have a code you want to use, you’ll need to go back to Netflix. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to browse with Netflix codes in the app on a smartphone or tablet. These codes only work when watching Netflix from a desktop browser. You can simply enter your code of choice into Netflix’s search bar, or go there directly from the following link, replacing the (xx) with your code of choice: https://netflix.com/browse/genre/xx.
Search for specific content types
Similarly, you can utilize the search function in the app or site to find content types rather than just titles. For example, maybe you only want to see things that are available on 4K. Search for 4K, and you’re golden. The same goes for Netflix originals: A search for “Netflix” will filter results only for the content Netflix owns. Get creative with your search queries and see what results pop up.
Save and share clips
If you’ve ever tried to take a screenshot of a Netflix show, you’ll know it’s folly. If you attempt it, you’ll only end up with a black image, since Netflix blocks any screen recording tool from capturing the playback window.
But Netflix does let you save and share clips of your favorite shows and movies—if you play by their rules. If you have an ad-free account, you can start up a show or movie on your mobile app, then tap the screen and choose “Moments.” Tap “Save,” then tap the “Share” button to send the clip to another user. Or, head to the My Netflix tab to watch it again.
Turn off previews
Maybe it’s just me, but I cannot stand streaming services that play a preview for a show or movie when I have that piece of content selected. I’d be fine if the preview was an option, like under a dedicated “Preview” button, but to autoplay previews every time I stop scrolling on Netflix is a huge pain. Luckily, you can turn these off.
To do so, log into your account in a web browser, click “Manage Profiles,” then choose the profile you want to adjust settings for. Click “Playback Settings,” then uncheck the box next to “Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices.”
Skip the intro from your keyboard
If you watch Netflix on your computer, you probably use your keyboard to control playback. The space bar starts and stops the video, the esc key takes you out of full screen, and the F key puts you back in full screen. You might also know that the left and right arrows can skip back and forward 10 seconds, the up and down arrows can adjust the volume, and the M key mutes the video.
But what you might not know is you can also skip the intro to a show from your keyboard. All it takes it a press of the S key when the “Skip Intro” option appears—though I am a firm believer in watching the intro.
Manage your watch history
The things you watch on your account are your business, but Netflix likes to make it everyone else’s—at least those who can access your account. Luckily, you can hide items from your watch history at any time, whether you watched someone you’d rather people not know about, or you notice other people have watched things you don’t want appearing in your history.
Head back to your profile settings in a web browser, then click “Viewing activity.” Here, you’ll find a complete list of everything that has ever been watched on your Netflix account. You can hide individual items by clicking on the “no” symbol, or click the “Hide all” button to conceal all at once.
While you’re here, you can click “Rating” to manage the ratings you’ve doled out over the years. You can see what you rated each item, and switch the rating to something else: either a thumbs down, thumbs up, or double thumbs up.
Lock your profile behind a PIN
Want to keep other people on your account from watching things on your profile? You can lock your profile behind a four-digit PIN. Just head back to your profile settings in a web browser and choose “Profile Lock.” Here, click “Create a Profile Lock,” enter the account password, then follow the on-screen instructions to set up your PIN.
Want to quickly upload a video to Discord but don’t have a paid account? Handbrake just added a new feature to quickly convert short videos to fit under the maximum upload size.
Discord limits free users—that is, anyone who doesn’t pay for Nitro or Nitro Basic—to 10 MB uploads for all files. This can make uploading even the shortest video impossible, because they tend to be a little bigger than that. But the free and open source video conversion application Handbrake, which is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, recently added a preset specifically for Discord users. With it you can convert short videos so they’re under 10MB. Note that you will need the most recent version of Handbrake—1.10.0 as of this writing—in order to see the presets.
Credit: Justin Pot
To get started, install Handbrake and point it toward the video you want to convert. There are presents for videos that are up to 30 seconds, one minute, or one minute 30 seconds (anything longer would be too compressed to be worth updating). Choose the preset that best fits the video you want to convert, then click the Start button. The application will get to work creating a video you can upload to Discord.
After that, you should have a file under 10MB in your Downloads folder (assuming you didn’t set a different folder for the output). You can play it to make sure the quality works for you, then drag it over to Discord.
Credit: Justin Pot
I found this a pretty quick way to upload a video to Discord without shelling out for Nitro. Sure, there are other workarounds—you could upload the video to Dropbox or YouTube and share the link—but this is just as fast and doesn’t require relying on a third-party service. It’s also a touch more private, because there isn’t a link people can copy to quickly share the video. If you’re a Discord regular, keep this trick in mind.
The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of internal storage, a generous amount compared to its predecessor, which started at only 32GB. However, if you want more storage so you can load some bigger games, you might’ve noticed the Switch 2 won’t accept your old SD cards. The new console only uses SD Express cards.
That means if you have data from an older Switch on an SD card, you won’t be able to just plug it into the Switch 2 and get playing. Doing so will give you an error like the one above. Instead, if you want to migrate data on your old card to your new console, your best bet is to follow the data transfer process for setting up your new Switch 2.
Unfortunately, this also means you’ll need a new SD Express card for the Switch 2. If you’re not familiar with this particular type of card or why it matters, let’s break it down.
What are SD Express cards?
At a glance, SD Express cards might look identical to any other microSD card you’ve seen before, but they have very different capabilities. Typical microSD cards have a pretty wide range of speeds, and classifying them can be complicated. But the short version is that while extremely fast SD cards often have read/write speeds as high as 300MB/s, they are usually much lower. For example, the Nintendo-branded micro SD card I used in my Switch OLED only reads at speeds around 90MB/s.
SD Express cards—marked by an EX on the card—on the other hand, use PCIe and NVMe interfaces similar to the kind that you see on solid state hard drives. That means they can theoretically reach speeds up to 985MB/s, and in practice, they get pretty darn close. The Lexar Play PRO card, for example, reads at up to 900MB/s speeds, and can write at 600MB/s. That extra speed can come at a higher cost, with 256GB microSD Express cards starting around $60.
Faster speeds provide two main benefits: quicker downloads, and shorter load times. Downloading a new game to your console can involve any number of bottlenecks, from your internet speed, to the load on download servers, and, of course, your storage’s speed. Using faster SD cards means it can potentially take less time to download a new game.
Once the game is downloaded, though, load times are the real winner. If you regularly sit through every loading screen tip twice, you know that waiting for your game to load data after a fast travel or entering a new map is a huge annoyance. For games saved to your SD card, faster speeds means less time waiting.
Why does the Switch 2 need SD Express cards?
It might be tempting to ask why Nintendo is forcing this upgrade, but put it into context with other consoles, it’s frankly a surprise that it’s taken this long. For the Xbox Series X, for example, dedicated storage cards are little more than proprietary dress up on top of a regular SSD. For the PS5? You can literally just slot in an actual M.2 SSD.
Even on comparable handheld platforms like the Steam Deck, the standard for expanding storage has been to use internal SSD expansions, which often require complex DIY upgrades. Doable for the average tech-savvy Lifehacker reader, sure, but perhaps a too-high demand for the general population.
SD Express cards are, at least for now, probably the best compromise between the increasingly insufficient speeds of traditional microSD cards, and committing to complex SSD storage options. And even SD Express cards could feel too slow in a few years: In speed comparisons, they’re already a bit slower than the Switch 2’s internal storage (though, surprisingly, faster than official cartridges).
ARight now, there are only so many options for SD Express cards on the market, and the highest capacities come with pretty eye-watering price tags. I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that if you just dropped $500 on a Switch 2 bundle, you’re probably not super hyped to drop $220 on a 1TB SD Express card. Fortunately, there are a few good options at more reasonable price points.
The 256GB Lexar Play PRO microSD Express cardstarts at $60 and is one of the most affordable options around. It cites a 900MB/s read and 600MB/s write speed, which is among the fastest I’ve seen so far. Lexar also offers 512GB and 1TB variants, though they’re more expensive and sometimes out of stock.
The 256GB SanDisk microSD Express card starts around $68, and boasts 880MB/s read speeds, and 650MB/s write speeds. In practice, that’s probably not going to feel too different from the Lexar card. It’s a touch more expensive, but it might be easier to find in stock.
The Nintendo-branded Samsung microSD Express cardcomes with Nintendo’s official seal of approval, but no listed speeds. It’s still likely to be faster than typical SD cards, but without specs, we can’t say how much faster. If Nintendo’s official seal of approval is reassuring, though, this one also starts at $60.
Over time, there are likely to be more options, and prices for SD Express cards will (hopefully) fall. For now, it’s more expensive to add storage to your new Switch 2 than it was for the old model. But at least that storage will be much faster. And with 256GB already built-in, you might not even need it.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided some updates prior to Tuesday’s game against the Twins…
Aaron Judge update, Stanton back-to-back in OF
As SNY’s Andy Martino reported Monday, the Yankees still don’t have an exact date for Judge’s return to the outfield, but Boone said it’s possible he could be back out there during this weekend’s series with the Cardinals.
“Throwing program is going well, he seems to be improving each time, so we’ll see,” he said.
Judge hasn’t played the field since July 25 due to a flexor strain in his elbow.
He was able to be activated from the IL this week, but has been limited to DH duties.
With that being the case, the team has been forced to run the oft-injured Giancarlo Stanton out in right field for the first time since 2023.
Stanton has moved around pretty well in his first few opportunities out there, and now Boone is turning to him in back-to-back games for the first time to keep both big bats in the lineup.
“I was tempted to do it Sunday after the Saturday game,” the skipper said. “He ended up getting a few innings at the end, but he’s responded well to it physically and we want to keep his bat in there too.”
Ben Rice back behind the plate with Wells struggling
With Rice swinging a hot bat and Austin Wells struggling mightily, Boone decided to turn to the lefty slugger at catcher for the second consecutive game on Tuesday.
It’s not just his offense that’s caught the team’s eye; they’ve also liked what they’ve seen defensively despite his limited big-league experience at the position.
“He’s done a really good job,” Boone said. “He hasn’t done it a lot at this level, so there’s still some things to learn, but we’ve been really pleased with how well he’s handled it. Him now from two months ago is a lot different — he’s gaining confidence and just playing really well.”
Jul 22, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) celebrates with catcher Austin Well (28) after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning at Rogers Centre / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Boone hasn’t spoken with Wells about his playing time, but he does expect him to play a big role for this team down the stretch.
Wells is slashing a lowly .130/.186/.204 over his last 16 games.
After sitting out the last two, he is expected to be back behind the plate for Wednesday’s series finale.
“We all get consumed with the now and what’s happening,” he said. “This is just a couple of days in the long stretch of the season, part of it is, we have other guys who are really pushing for more playing time. But Austin is going to be fine and will continue to play a big part for us.”
Loáisiga close to a return
The Yanks could have a bit of a bullpen crunch real soon.
Loáisiga appears to be closing in on a return after throwing a side session Tuesday.
“He should be in play anytime starting soon because he wasn’t down long,” Boone said. “We’ll decide if we want to get him live, in a game, and how long it’ll be, but he should be pretty close to coming back.”
Loáisiga has been sidelined for about a week with mid-back tightness.
Fernando Cruz and Ryan Yarbrough are also close to being back with the club.
The whirlwind of activity at the trade deadline plus the three series since then have given us increased clarity on how teams view themselves and how they stack up against one another.
Of course, that doesn’t make the rest of the regular season any more predictable — last year’s Tigers offer a humbling reminder that there are surely more twists and turns in store — but with October fast approaching, the possibilities and expectations for every club become clearer with each passing day.
With less than seven weeks remaining until the MLB postseason, our latest power rankings survey the major-league landscape by offering a realistic goal for each club to pursue from now until the end of the regular season.
Secure the best record in baseball. It has been a special summer in Milwaukee, and now it’s time for the Brewers to parlay their regular-season magic into a deep postseason push, something they’ve failed to accomplish in their five playoff appearances since they took the Dodgers to NLCS Game 7 in 2018. And just once have the Brewers finished with the best record in baseball: 1982, the last and only time they reached the World Series. With a clear path to repeating that feat in 2025, perhaps this season ends with not just a Fall Classic appearance but also the franchise’s first World Series title. Milwaukee has an awfully long way to go to get to that point, but this season feels like it could be the one in which it all comes together for the Brew Crew.
2. Philadelphia Phillies (69-49)
Enter October with momentum. Last year’s Phillies notably sputtered in the second half and weren’t an especially threatening club by the time they squared off with the rival Mets in October; that showed in their discouraging NLDS performance. This year’s club appears far more focused on maintaining a level of excellence throughout 162 games, and the deadline reinforcements headlined by elite closer Jhoan Duran should only aid in those efforts. This squad has all the ingredients to be a championship club — now the Phillies just have to go out and do it.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (68-51)
Figure out who their 13 best pitchers are. For the Dodgers, holding off the Padres to claim another NL West title and/or winning enough games to avoid the wild-card round will not be easy and will certainly influence the club’s chances to make another deep postseason run. That said, arguably even more important for L.A.’s October outlook is identifying which pitchers will be healthy and/or effective enough to be trusted in crunch time. Even with Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Shohei Ohtani returning to the rotation in recent weeks, this staff faces questions, especially in the bullpen. That a unit that looked overloaded on paper entering the season still has a lot to sort through at this stage is an ominous, if fascinating, storyline to monitor in the coming weeks.
4. Toronto Blue Jays (69-50)
Win the AL East for the first time in a decade. A franchise that faced enormous existential questions during spring training, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. approaching free agency, has since extended its star slugger for the long haul and taken full advantage of its divisional rivals’ uneven play to emerge as one of the best teams in the American League. Now it’s on Toronto to capitalize on this unexpected opportunity and claim the AL East crown — and perhaps the AL’s best record — to ensure a raucous home-field advantage north of the border in October.
5. Chicago Cubs (67-50)
Restore juggernaut status as an offense. After an underwhelming trade deadline that featured just one addition to the rotation who is already injured (Mike Soroka), the Cubs’ starting pitching is facing some difficult questions regarding the workload management of key arms Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton. But this club’s calling card remains its offensive firepower, which has been notably inconsistent of late. Regardless of the exact construction of the pitching staff, Chicago’s best chance of success come October is still rooted in its ability to overwhelm opponents with offense, the way this team often did in the first few months of the season. That superpower needs to return down the stretch for the Cubs to be taken seriously.
6. Detroit Tigers (69-51)
Secure a top-two seed in the American League. A massive lead atop the AL Central built in the first half has shrunk to a more modest gap, but Detroit still has an excellent chance to claim its first division crown since 2014. With a pitching staff that looks to be thinner than the “Tarik Skubal and Pitching Chaos” strategy that thrived down the stretch a year ago, this is a team that would seriously benefit from avoiding the wild-card round and gaining a bye to ensure its top arms are rested and ready to roll in October.
7. Houston Astros (67-52)
Reclaim full-blown villain status with Carlos Correa back in the fold. The Astros’ reacquisition of Correa has made them look far more intimidating and far more familiar as the league’s ultimate heel, which Houston should embrace in its pursuit of another AL West title. Josh Hader’s shoulder ailment is the latest in an avalanche of injuries that have threatened to derail the latest chapter of this dynastic run, but Houston remains in position to assert itself as one of the most feared ballclubs in baseball.
8. San Diego Padres (67-52)
Chase down the Dodgers at long last. They’ve had mixed results in the postseason against the “dragon up the freeway” in recent years, but the Padres have yet to topple the Dodgers in the regular-season standings during this era. With L.A. failing to live up to the astronomical hype entering the season and San Diego loading up at the deadline in classic AJ Preller fashion, this season presents as good a chance as ever for the Padres to claim the NL West crown.
Can Christian Yelich and the Brewers secure baseball’s best record? Can Julio Rodríguez and the Mariners win the AL West for the first time in more than 20 years? (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)
9. Seattle Mariners (66-53)
Win the AL West for the first time since 2001. Cal Raleigh’s magical, MVP-caliber season just keeps on rolling. The additions of Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor have made an already-strong lineup look like one of baseball’s best offensive units. The pitching is healthier than it has been all season. Although the Mariners likely should’ve added at least one more reliever at the trade deadline, Andres Muñoz and Matt Brash give manager Dan Wilson two elite bullpen options. The Astros are navigating a litany of injuries, making them as vulnerable as they’ve been in years. As Ichiro said during his powerful speech at his number retirement ceremony, the time is now; the Mariners must seize the moment and ride their recent surge of momentum to a long-awaited division title.
10. Boston Red Sox (65-55)
Finish with a better record than the Yankees and return to the postseason. Missing the playoffs would make this the first time in more than three decades that the Red Sox failed to reach October in four straight seasons, which highlights the stakes for a franchise that had fallen into a shocking pit of mediocrity in recent seasons. At this stage, a return to the postseason looks likely, but the Red Sox can’t get too comfortable. Seven more games against the Yankees offer the chance for Boston to devastate its biggest rivals or falter and risk supreme embarrassment when the lights are brightest. For as drama-filled as Boston’s season has already been, it feels like anything is possible.
11. New York Yankees (63-56)
Take advantage of the schedule and secure a wild card without having to sweat during the final week. For as bad as the vibes have been in recent weeks, the Yankees can take solace in this: No American League team has an easier slate the rest of the way than New York, including seven games left against both the White Sox and the Orioles. That fact doesn’t magically fix some of the more glaring on-field issues the Yankees have demonstrated recently, but there is undeniably some margin for error. There’s still a version of this team that could look like a formidable opponent come October; the Yanks have seven weeks to rediscover it.
12. New York Mets (63-55)
Find stability on the mound and some mojo on the road. After a marvelous start to the season, the Mets’ run prevention efforts have regressed to a troubling degree, leaving them in a precarious position in the NL postseason picture. Their bats have also cooled off recently, but I’m more confident about the lineup heating back up than I am the pitching staff rediscovering its stout form. A more concerning, big-picture trend has been New York’s struggles on the road; no team currently in playoff position has a worse record away from home than the Mets’ 25-34 mark. A pivotal three-city trip, featuring stops in Detroit, Cincinnati and Philadelphia, looms next month and could determine this team’s fate. If the Mets’ road woes continue, that stretch could prove especially costly.
13. Texas Rangers (61-59)
Score more runs. There’s no need to overcomplicate this one. The Rangers’ lineup, despite featuring plenty of recognizable names with stellar reputations, has continued to underwhelm to a staggering degree while the pitching staff has outpaced expectations at every turn. Even an average run-production operation would likely have Texas in playoff position, and the rotation would make the Rangers a daunting postseason team, but they are running out of time to produce a worthwhile lineup.
14. Cincinnati Reds (62-58)
Play up to the competition. The Reds have admirably hung around in the NL playoff picture, but their toughest test lies ahead: Cincinnati has baseball’s most difficult remaining schedule, with showdowns still to come against every current NL playoff team, plus three interleague contests against Toronto. For the Reds to stay relevant deep into September, they’ll need to prove themselves against the league’s best. Catch them on the right night, and Cincinnati looks up to the task, but navigating the upcoming gauntlet is a lot to ask of a young team that hasn’t proven much of anything in recent years.
15. Cleveland Guardians (61-56)
Flush the unpleasant midseason vibes and finish strong. The Guardians have exhibited an impressive amount of resilience following a 10-game losing streak and having two key pitchers placed on the restricted list due to an ongoing gambling investigation. It wasn’t long ago when this felt like a doomed season in Cleveland, yet here the team stands with the opportunity to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and the foundation of a healthy and successful franchise remains intact. Whether the Guardians can rally into a surprise playoff spot remains to be seen, but their current positioning is already something of an achievement considering the context.
16. St. Louis Cardinals (61-59)
Play spoiler for the division rivals. The schedule provides a golden opportunity for St. Louis to be an absolute headache for three of its NL Central foes in September. Four of the Cardinals’ final five series are against divisional opponents, including six games against the Brewers, three against Cincinnati and three to finish the regular season at Wrigley Field. Perhaps a window opens up for a late playoff push of their own — the Cardinals aren’t that far back — but at the very least, this team will have the chance to make its rivals’ lives difficult down the stretch.
17. San Francisco Giants (59-60)
Finish multiple games above .500. Since their shocking 107-win campaign in 2021, the Giants have been almost magnetically tethered to a .500 record, winning 81, 79 and 80 games the past three seasons. This year, they are tracking toward another maddeningly middling final record, but there’s enough talent here for San Francisco to finish stronger than that. Besides, even if the Giants aren’t quite good enough to return to October, it would be horribly disappointing — and fairly brutal optics — if the first year of Buster Posey’s tenure overseeing his beloved franchise yielded the exact same mediocre result. Is 85 wins too much to ask? We’ll see.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks (57-62)
Give the new bats as many plate appearances as possible. It’s no secret that the Snakes face a ton of difficult questions on the mound, but those concerns can’t be fixed right now. A more realistic short-term goal is to find out what they have in their less-experienced young hitters such as Tyler Locklear, Adrian Del Castillo, Blaze Alexander and, hopefully, Jordan Lawlar once he returns from injury. These are talented hitters who could play key supporting roles in 2026 on another elite Arizona offense, which should remain the team’s calling card no matter what happens on the mound.
19. Tampa Bay Rays (58-62)
Become road warriors. The Rays are in the midst of a nearly unprecedented, four-city road trip on the West Coast, a partial byproduct of a schedule that frontloaded their home games to avoid the hotter and rainier conditions of late summer at their temporary outdoor home of George M. Steinbrenner Field. Two loss-filled trips in July already cost the Rays mightily in the standings; if they want to hang around in the AL wild-card race, they must find a way to win more games as the away team because there are three more multi-city jaunts on their schedule after this lengthy West Coast journey.
20. Miami Marlins (57-61)
Have more fun than everyone else. A rough weekend in Atlanta soured the vibes but let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture here. This team was widely expected and projected to be one of the three worst squads in the league, along with the White Sox and Rockies, yet here the Marlins are in mid-August with a respectable record and a wealth of positive developments up and down the roster. What looked to be a franchise in the earliest stages of a deep and painful rebuild suddenly has a legitimately positive outlook for the not-so-distant future — and you can tell from watching Miami. The Fish continuing to embrace their youthful exuberance down the stretch should only fuel the optimism entering 2026.
21. Minnesota Twins (56-62)
Let the kids play. The Twins’ dramatic roster overhaul at the deadline cleared the way for some new characters to prove themselves down the stretch. Whether it’s rookie infielder Luke Keaschall in the lineup or the two talented young hurlers acquired at the deadline in Mick Abel and Taj Bradley, it’s important for Minnesota to let the young players find their footing now so as to better prepare them to make a real impact in 2026.
22. Kansas City Royals (59-60)
Get to know the new guys. Kansas City has welcomed multiple fresh faces into the fold this summer, whether it be homegrown rookies (Jac Caglianone, Noah Cameron) or trade acquisitions (Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek, Bailey Falter). Finding out what the team has in those players feels more important for the long haul than whether the cast of veteran deadline additions (Randal Grichuk, Mike Yastrzemski, Adam Frazier) can fuel a last-gasp playoff push.
23. Los Angeles Angels (57-62)
Finish with a winning record. Asking this team to end baseball’s longest postseason drought feels like quite the stretch, so there’s no need to get greedy here. This year’s Halos remain severely flawed but are clearly much more competent and talented than the Anaheim clubs that averaged 92 losses over the past three seasons. October feels like a far-off fantasy, but the 2025 Angels should surpass .500 for the first time since 2015.
24. Atlanta Braves (51-67)
Finish with dignity — but don’t win too many games. A small silver lining amid this nightmare of a season for Atlanta: The Braves are extremely likely to find themselves in premium position in December’s draft lottery, especially with three other subpar teams ineligible for the lottery (Rockies, Nationals and Angels) due to the limits on being in the lottery multiple years in a row. Getting a top pick is small consolation for how sideways this Braves season has gone, but it’s not nothing and could be a nice opportunity to add a premier talent to a farm system that sorely lacks star power.
25. Athletics (53-68)
Clarify roles for the young pitchers. After the team assembled an enviable group of impact bats, it’s now time to figure out which pitchers will make up the staff of the next good A’s team. Some strong drafts and a series of trades have produced intriguing young arms in the majors or upper-minors, but it’s not readily apparent who deserves the chance to compete for a rotation spot and who should be transitioned to the bullpen. These last few weeks of 2025, as well as spring training next year, will be a great time to start crystalizing those roles.
26. Baltimore Orioles (53-65)
Find more arms to believe in entering 2026. The Orioles still boast an impressive collection of hitters to build around but harbor more questions than ever on the mound. Baltimore desperately needs to uncover and nurture some more arms that can be dependable contributors to a competent pitching staff if the franchise wants to get back to being competitive in 2026. The resurgence of Trevor Rogers is an encouraging development, but that’s merely a start; there’s a ton of work to be done here.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates (51-69)
Find someone, anyone who can be a good major-league hitter. The Pirates have done quite well in amassing competent major-league arms, and that goes well beyond a generational ace in Paul Skenes. But Pittsburgh’s offense lags so far behind that this collection of talented pitchers is already in danger of being completely wasted, and the lack of consistent run production is the chief reason Pittsburgh has plummeted backward in a year that was supposed to feature progress toward contending. Guys such as Spencer Horwitz and Nick Gonzales look like modest building blocks, but many more will be needed to form a legitimate lineup.
28. Washington Nationals (47-71)
Figure out what and who needs to stay and go. The Nationals’ midseason firing of manager Davey Martinez and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo was a dramatic first step toward altering the direction of a franchise seemingly stuck in the mud, but it was also only the beginning. Regardless of the team’s record from now until the end of September, this is a critical evaluation period for interim GM Mike DeBartolo and the entire front office to better understand what internal processes and which members of the coaching and player development staff are worth investing in moving forward and what needs to be overhauled. It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, but it’s crucial for the next chapter of Nationals baseball.
29. Chicago White Sox (43-76)
Identify more members of the 2026 Opening Day roster. The White Sox are still quite bad, but a key difference between this year’s team and last year’s abject disaster is the uptick in playing time for young players who could be part of the next good Sox team: Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel and Grant Taylor all stand out as exciting building blocks. If Chicago can find a couple more such pieces by the end of this season to feel good about, that would go a long way toward providing some semblance of optimism entering 2026, even if the rebuild is still very much in progress.
30. Colorado Rockies (30-88)
Don’t lose 122 games. Improved play over the past month has made it far more plausible that the Rockies will avoid the ultimate infamy of losing more games than the 2024 White Sox, but it’s by no means a sure thing. The Rockies must go 12-32 the rest of the way to reach the 42-win mark that Chicago could not. And with one of baseball’s toughest remaining schedules, including seven more contests against both the Dodgers and the Padres, Colorado is going to have to earn it. Bold prediction: They’ll get it done.
The whirlwind of activity at the trade deadline plus the three series since then have given us increased clarity on how teams view themselves and how they stack up against one another.
Of course, that doesn’t make the rest of the regular season any more predictable — last year’s Tigers offer a humbling reminder that there are surely more twists and turns in store — but with October fast approaching, the possibilities and expectations for every club become clearer with each passing day.
With less than seven weeks remaining until the MLB postseason, our latest power rankings survey the major-league landscape by offering a realistic goal for each club to pursue from now until the end of the regular season.
Secure the best record in baseball. It has been a special summer in Milwaukee, and now it’s time for the Brewers to parlay their regular-season magic into a deep postseason push, something they’ve failed to accomplish in their five playoff appearances since they took the Dodgers to NLCS Game 7 in 2018. And just once have the Brewers finished with the best record in baseball: 1982, the last and only time they reached the World Series. With a clear path to repeating that feat in 2025, perhaps this season ends with not just a Fall Classic appearance but also the franchise’s first World Series title. Milwaukee has an awfully long way to go to get to that point, but this season feels like it could be the one in which it all comes together for the Brew Crew.
2. Philadelphia Phillies (69-49)
Enter October with momentum. Last year’s Phillies notably sputtered in the second half and weren’t an especially threatening club by the time they squared off with the rival Mets in October; that showed in their discouraging NLDS performance. This year’s club appears far more focused on maintaining a level of excellence throughout 162 games, and the deadline reinforcements headlined by elite closer Jhoan Duran should only aid in those efforts. This squad has all the ingredients to be a championship club — now the Phillies just have to go out and do it.
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (68-51)
Figure out who their 13 best pitchers are. For the Dodgers, holding off the Padres to claim another NL West title and/or winning enough games to avoid the wild-card round will not be easy and will certainly influence the club’s chances to make another deep postseason run. That said, arguably even more important for L.A.’s October outlook is identifying which pitchers will be healthy and/or effective enough to be trusted in crunch time. Even with Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Shohei Ohtani returning to the rotation in recent weeks, this staff faces questions, especially in the bullpen. That a unit that looked overloaded on paper entering the season still has a lot to sort through at this stage is an ominous, if fascinating, storyline to monitor in the coming weeks.
4. Toronto Blue Jays (69-50)
Win the AL East for the first time in a decade. A franchise that faced enormous existential questions during spring training, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. approaching free agency, has since extended its star slugger for the long haul and taken full advantage of its divisional rivals’ uneven play to emerge as one of the best teams in the American League. Now it’s on Toronto to capitalize on this unexpected opportunity and claim the AL East crown — and perhaps the AL’s best record — to ensure a raucous home-field advantage north of the border in October.
5. Chicago Cubs (67-50)
Restore juggernaut status as an offense. After an underwhelming trade deadline that featured just one addition to the rotation who is already injured (Mike Soroka), the Cubs’ starting pitching is facing some difficult questions regarding the workload management of key arms Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton. But this club’s calling card remains its offensive firepower, which has been notably inconsistent of late. Regardless of the exact construction of the pitching staff, Chicago’s best chance of success come October is still rooted in its ability to overwhelm opponents with offense, the way this team often did in the first few months of the season. That superpower needs to return down the stretch for the Cubs to be taken seriously.
6. Detroit Tigers (69-51)
Secure a top-two seed in the American League. A massive lead atop the AL Central built in the first half has shrunk to a more modest gap, but Detroit still has an excellent chance to claim its first division crown since 2014. With a pitching staff that looks to be thinner than the “Tarik Skubal and Pitching Chaos” strategy that thrived down the stretch a year ago, this is a team that would seriously benefit from avoiding the wild-card round and gaining a bye to ensure its top arms are rested and ready to roll in October.
7. Houston Astros (67-52)
Reclaim full-blown villain status with Carlos Correa back in the fold. The Astros’ reacquisition of Correa has made them look far more intimidating and far more familiar as the league’s ultimate heel, which Houston should embrace in its pursuit of another AL West title. Josh Hader’s shoulder ailment is the latest in an avalanche of injuries that have threatened to derail the latest chapter of this dynastic run, but Houston remains in position to assert itself as one of the most feared ballclubs in baseball.
8. San Diego Padres (67-52)
Chase down the Dodgers at long last. They’ve had mixed results in the postseason against the “dragon up the freeway” in recent years, but the Padres have yet to topple the Dodgers in the regular-season standings during this era. With L.A. failing to live up to the astronomical hype entering the season and San Diego loading up at the deadline in classic AJ Preller fashion, this season presents as good a chance as ever for the Padres to claim the NL West crown.
Can Christian Yelich and the Brewers secure baseball’s best record? Can Julio Rodríguez and the Mariners win the AL West for the first time in more than 20 years? (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports)
9. Seattle Mariners (66-53)
Win the AL West for the first time since 2001. Cal Raleigh’s magical, MVP-caliber season just keeps on rolling. The additions of Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor have made an already-strong lineup look like one of baseball’s best offensive units. The pitching is healthier than it has been all season. Although the Mariners likely should’ve added at least one more reliever at the trade deadline, Andres Muñoz and Matt Brash give manager Dan Wilson two elite bullpen options. The Astros are navigating a litany of injuries, making them as vulnerable as they’ve been in years. As Ichiro said during his powerful speech at his number retirement ceremony, the time is now; the Mariners must seize the moment and ride their recent surge of momentum to a long-awaited division title.
10. Boston Red Sox (65-55)
Finish with a better record than the Yankees and return to the postseason. Missing the playoffs would make this the first time in more than three decades that the Red Sox failed to reach October in four straight seasons, which highlights the stakes for a franchise that had fallen into a shocking pit of mediocrity in recent seasons. At this stage, a return to the postseason looks likely, but the Red Sox can’t get too comfortable. Seven more games against the Yankees offer the chance for Boston to devastate its biggest rivals or falter and risk supreme embarrassment when the lights are brightest. For as drama-filled as Boston’s season has already been, it feels like anything is possible.
11. New York Yankees (63-56)
Take advantage of the schedule and secure a wild card without having to sweat during the final week. For as bad as the vibes have been in recent weeks, the Yankees can take solace in this: No American League team has an easier slate the rest of the way than New York, including seven games left against both the White Sox and the Orioles. That fact doesn’t magically fix some of the more glaring on-field issues the Yankees have demonstrated recently, but there is undeniably some margin for error. There’s still a version of this team that could look like a formidable opponent come October; the Yanks have seven weeks to rediscover it.
12. New York Mets (63-55)
Find stability on the mound and some mojo on the road. After a marvelous start to the season, the Mets’ run prevention efforts have regressed to a troubling degree, leaving them in a precarious position in the NL postseason picture. Their bats have also cooled off recently, but I’m more confident about the lineup heating back up than I am the pitching staff rediscovering its stout form. A more concerning, big-picture trend has been New York’s struggles on the road; no team currently in playoff position has a worse record away from home than the Mets’ 25-34 mark. A pivotal three-city trip, featuring stops in Detroit, Cincinnati and Philadelphia, looms next month and could determine this team’s fate. If the Mets’ road woes continue, that stretch could prove especially costly.
13. Texas Rangers (61-59)
Score more runs. There’s no need to overcomplicate this one. The Rangers’ lineup, despite featuring plenty of recognizable names with stellar reputations, has continued to underwhelm to a staggering degree while the pitching staff has outpaced expectations at every turn. Even an average run-production operation would likely have Texas in playoff position, and the rotation would make the Rangers a daunting postseason team, but they are running out of time to produce a worthwhile lineup.
14. Cincinnati Reds (62-58)
Play up to the competition. The Reds have admirably hung around in the NL playoff picture, but their toughest test lies ahead: Cincinnati has baseball’s most difficult remaining schedule, with showdowns still to come against every current NL playoff team, plus three interleague contests against Toronto. For the Reds to stay relevant deep into September, they’ll need to prove themselves against the league’s best. Catch them on the right night, and Cincinnati looks up to the task, but navigating the upcoming gauntlet is a lot to ask of a young team that hasn’t proven much of anything in recent years.
15. Cleveland Guardians (61-56)
Flush the unpleasant midseason vibes and finish strong. The Guardians have exhibited an impressive amount of resilience following a 10-game losing streak and having two key pitchers placed on the restricted list due to an ongoing gambling investigation. It wasn’t long ago when this felt like a doomed season in Cleveland, yet here the team stands with the opportunity to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and the foundation of a healthy and successful franchise remains intact. Whether the Guardians can rally into a surprise playoff spot remains to be seen, but their current positioning is already something of an achievement considering the context.
16. St. Louis Cardinals (61-59)
Play spoiler for the division rivals. The schedule provides a golden opportunity for St. Louis to be an absolute headache for three of its NL Central foes in September. Four of the Cardinals’ final five series are against divisional opponents, including six games against the Brewers, three against Cincinnati and three to finish the regular season at Wrigley Field. Perhaps a window opens up for a late playoff push of their own — the Cardinals aren’t that far back — but at the very least, this team will have the chance to make its rivals’ lives difficult down the stretch.
17. San Francisco Giants (59-60)
Finish multiple games above .500. Since their shocking 107-win campaign in 2021, the Giants have been almost magnetically tethered to a .500 record, winning 81, 79 and 80 games the past three seasons. This year, they are tracking toward another maddeningly middling final record, but there’s enough talent here for San Francisco to finish stronger than that. Besides, even if the Giants aren’t quite good enough to return to October, it would be horribly disappointing — and fairly brutal optics — if the first year of Buster Posey’s tenure overseeing his beloved franchise yielded the exact same mediocre result. Is 85 wins too much to ask? We’ll see.
18. Arizona Diamondbacks (57-62)
Give the new bats as many plate appearances as possible. It’s no secret that the Snakes face a ton of difficult questions on the mound, but those concerns can’t be fixed right now. A more realistic short-term goal is to find out what they have in their less-experienced young hitters such as Tyler Locklear, Adrian Del Castillo, Blaze Alexander and, hopefully, Jordan Lawlar once he returns from injury. These are talented hitters who could play key supporting roles in 2026 on another elite Arizona offense, which should remain the team’s calling card no matter what happens on the mound.
19. Tampa Bay Rays (58-62)
Become road warriors. The Rays are in the midst of a nearly unprecedented, four-city road trip on the West Coast, a partial byproduct of a schedule that frontloaded their home games to avoid the hotter and rainier conditions of late summer at their temporary outdoor home of George M. Steinbrenner Field. Two loss-filled trips in July already cost the Rays mightily in the standings; if they want to hang around in the AL wild-card race, they must find a way to win more games as the away team because there are three more multi-city jaunts on their schedule after this lengthy West Coast journey.
20. Miami Marlins (57-61)
Have more fun than everyone else. A rough weekend in Atlanta soured the vibes but let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture here. This team was widely expected and projected to be one of the three worst squads in the league, along with the White Sox and Rockies, yet here the Marlins are in mid-August with a respectable record and a wealth of positive developments up and down the roster. What looked to be a franchise in the earliest stages of a deep and painful rebuild suddenly has a legitimately positive outlook for the not-so-distant future — and you can tell from watching Miami. The Fish continuing to embrace their youthful exuberance down the stretch should only fuel the optimism entering 2026.
21. Minnesota Twins (56-62)
Let the kids play. The Twins’ dramatic roster overhaul at the deadline cleared the way for some new characters to prove themselves down the stretch. Whether it’s rookie infielder Luke Keaschall in the lineup or the two talented young hurlers acquired at the deadline in Mick Abel and Taj Bradley, it’s important for Minnesota to let the young players find their footing now so as to better prepare them to make a real impact in 2026.
22. Kansas City Royals (59-60)
Get to know the new guys. Kansas City has welcomed multiple fresh faces into the fold this summer, whether it be homegrown rookies (Jac Caglianone, Noah Cameron) or trade acquisitions (Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek, Bailey Falter). Finding out what the team has in those players feels more important for the long haul than whether the cast of veteran deadline additions (Randal Grichuk, Mike Yastrzemski, Adam Frazier) can fuel a last-gasp playoff push.
23. Los Angeles Angels (57-62)
Finish with a winning record. Asking this team to end baseball’s longest postseason drought feels like quite the stretch, so there’s no need to get greedy here. This year’s Halos remain severely flawed but are clearly much more competent and talented than the Anaheim clubs that averaged 92 losses over the past three seasons. October feels like a far-off fantasy, but the 2025 Angels should surpass .500 for the first time since 2015.
24. Atlanta Braves (51-67)
Finish with dignity — but don’t win too many games. A small silver lining amid this nightmare of a season for Atlanta: The Braves are extremely likely to find themselves in premium position in December’s draft lottery, especially with three other subpar teams ineligible for the lottery (Rockies, Nationals and Angels) due to the limits on being in the lottery multiple years in a row. Getting a top pick is small consolation for how sideways this Braves season has gone, but it’s not nothing and could be a nice opportunity to add a premier talent to a farm system that sorely lacks star power.
25. Athletics (53-68)
Clarify roles for the young pitchers. After the team assembled an enviable group of impact bats, it’s now time to figure out which pitchers will make up the staff of the next good A’s team. Some strong drafts and a series of trades have produced intriguing young arms in the majors or upper-minors, but it’s not readily apparent who deserves the chance to compete for a rotation spot and who should be transitioned to the bullpen. These last few weeks of 2025, as well as spring training next year, will be a great time to start crystalizing those roles.
26. Baltimore Orioles (53-65)
Find more arms to believe in entering 2026. The Orioles still boast an impressive collection of hitters to build around but harbor more questions than ever on the mound. Baltimore desperately needs to uncover and nurture some more arms that can be dependable contributors to a competent pitching staff if the franchise wants to get back to being competitive in 2026. The resurgence of Trevor Rogers is an encouraging development, but that’s merely a start; there’s a ton of work to be done here.
27. Pittsburgh Pirates (51-69)
Find someone, anyone who can be a good major-league hitter. The Pirates have done quite well in amassing competent major-league arms, and that goes well beyond a generational ace in Paul Skenes. But Pittsburgh’s offense lags so far behind that this collection of talented pitchers is already in danger of being completely wasted, and the lack of consistent run production is the chief reason Pittsburgh has plummeted backward in a year that was supposed to feature progress toward contending. Guys such as Spencer Horwitz and Nick Gonzales look like modest building blocks, but many more will be needed to form a legitimate lineup.
28. Washington Nationals (47-71)
Figure out what and who needs to stay and go. The Nationals’ midseason firing of manager Davey Martinez and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo was a dramatic first step toward altering the direction of a franchise seemingly stuck in the mud, but it was also only the beginning. Regardless of the team’s record from now until the end of September, this is a critical evaluation period for interim GM Mike DeBartolo and the entire front office to better understand what internal processes and which members of the coaching and player development staff are worth investing in moving forward and what needs to be overhauled. It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, but it’s crucial for the next chapter of Nationals baseball.
29. Chicago White Sox (43-76)
Identify more members of the 2026 Opening Day roster. The White Sox are still quite bad, but a key difference between this year’s team and last year’s abject disaster is the uptick in playing time for young players who could be part of the next good Sox team: Colson Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel and Grant Taylor all stand out as exciting building blocks. If Chicago can find a couple more such pieces by the end of this season to feel good about, that would go a long way toward providing some semblance of optimism entering 2026, even if the rebuild is still very much in progress.
30. Colorado Rockies (30-88)
Don’t lose 122 games. Improved play over the past month has made it far more plausible that the Rockies will avoid the ultimate infamy of losing more games than the 2024 White Sox, but it’s by no means a sure thing. The Rockies must go 12-32 the rest of the way to reach the 42-win mark that Chicago could not. And with one of baseball’s toughest remaining schedules, including seven more contests against both the Dodgers and the Padres, Colorado is going to have to earn it. Bold prediction: They’ll get it done.
That said, it’s time to gaze into the future — what about next summer, the free agent class of 2026?
It’s not setting up to be the deepest class (free agency is not how star players generally switch teams in the apron era), and who is in this group could certainly change between now and next July, but here are the names to look ahead to in free agency a year from now.
Next season? That’s when things get interesting. What might happen depends in large part on how LeBron feels and how this season plays out in Los Angeles — is he still healthy and playing at a high enough level to have contenders willing to make a bold move to land him? Does he stay in L.A. with his family? LeBron isn’t going to finish out his career just anywhere, but if he wants to go to the Knicks or return to the Cavaliers, is he willing to sign on at a very steep discount to make that possible? Could a sign-and-trade be worked out that would also benefit the Lakers?
There are far more questions than answers right now, but that’s not going to stop the storylines — LeBron James’ free agency will be a big story during this season and could be the story of the summer of 2026.
Players likely to sign extensions
These are players who, as of now, could be free agents but likely will not be next summer.
Kevin Durant: Durant is entering the final year of his contract, but he and the Houston Rockets are expected to work out a two-year extension (the longest he can sign because of the over-38 rule). The question becomes, how much of a haircut on his salary is KD willing to take to help out Houston? The conventional wisdom was always that he would take a little less to be on a team he wanted to be part of, but how much less? What is his market now as an elite but aging scorer, one who is still one of the biggest draws in the league? Whatever the number, the expectation is that a deal will get done and KD will stay in Houston beyond just this season.
Trae Young (player option): The Hawks want to kick Young extension talks down the road, likely to next summer, but neither side is looking to part ways. Eventually, an extension, maybe a shorter one (two years?), will be reached, but until then, the possibility of Young opting out of his $48.9 million and becoming a free agent is on the table (and something the Hawks want to avoid).
John Collins: This may be the most interesting of this group. Collins moves to the Clippers this season, joining a veteran team — Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Ivica Zubac — that could highlight his skill set and make him even more valuable. Collins averaged 19 points and 8.2 rebounds a game last season when healthy, shooting 39.9% from beyond the arc. There are a lot of teams that could use a stretch four like him and there will be demand if he has a strong season.
Dyson Daniels: The Hawks’ Most Improved Player and All-Defensive wing is headed to restricted free agency next summer if he does not sign an extension before this season starts. Reportedly, both Daniels and Atlanta want to get a deal done, so an extension likely will come together. But if the Hawks low-ball him, Daniels could choose restricted free agency next year and other teams would have interest in trying to poach him.
Likely unrestricted free agents
Kristaps Porzingis: His future with the Hawks — and how much demand there will be for him around the league — will rest on how healthy he looks this season and how he meshes with Trae Young. That said, 7-foot rim protectors who can shoot the 3 always have a market and there will be teams calling KP next summer.
Norman Powell: He was traded to Miami for the final year of his contract, making $20.5 million. He is coming off a season where he made a leap (in year 10!) and averaged 21.8 points a game while shooting 41.8% from beyond the arc. At age 32, the Clippers were hesitant to give Powell the longer extension that he wanted, which helped lead to the trade, but is Miami going to feel any differently (Miami is also trying to keep its books clean to make a big swing at a superstar down the line)? While the Heat and Powell may work out an extension, his hitting free agency seems a very real possibility.
Anfernee Simons: Simons was traded to a Celtics team that liked his ability to score, averaging 19.3 points and 4.8 assists per game last season. He can get a bucket from anywhere on the court, and Boston needs that next to Jaylen Brown. However, the Celtics are not done dealing and may try to move Simons at the deadline, and even if they don’t, he may not be in their long-term plans once Jayson Tatum returns. How this season goes for Simons will determine where his salary goes from the $27 million he is making this season, but he very well could be a free agent.
Coby White: White signed a three-year, $36 million contract coming off shoulder surgery, a deal he has completely outplayed. He is expecting to get paid next summer, reportedly he is looking for something in the $30+ million a year range, and even if the final number falls short of that, expect a big pay increase for the young guard. The Bulls might try to lock him up, depending on what happens with restricted free agent Josh Giddey, but one way or another, White is going to get paid.
Khris Middleton: How much does the former All-Star and Olympian still have in the tank? The Wizards are holding on to the veteran forward and will be looking to trade him during the season, but if a deal doesn’t come together, look for a midseason buyout. All of that points to him being a free agent next summer, right before his age 35 season. He’s going to have to show he’s got enough left to get a contender to pick him up.
CJ McCollum: I feel like I could just copy and paste a lot of what was written above about Middleton: McCollum is on the Wizards, and they will be looking to trade him all season long, if not, they could buy him out. How much does McCollum have left in the tank entering his age 34 season? When healthy last season he averaged 21.1 points and 4.1 assists a game, do that again and there will be some free agent interest in him.
Veterans with player options
Austin Reaves: Reaves will be a free agent. There is zero chance he is picking up his $14.9 million player option, even if he plans to stay with the Lakers. Reaves reportedly wants to be paid in the Tyler Herro range of $30 million a year (and Herro is a good comp in a lot of ways). If Reaves shows this season that he can be a high-level scorer next to Luka Doncic and can step up his game in the playoffs, the Lakers gladly will pay that much to keep him (and Reaves will want to stay). However, if he struggles again in the playoffs, the Lakers — who will have a lot of cap space — may question whether that is the best way to spend their money.
James Harden: This summer, Harden signed a two-year contract with the Clippers that gives him a $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season, and the smart bet is he will pick that up. The Clippers are working to keep their books clean for the summer of 2027 (not so coincidentally, when Giannis Antetokounmpo might be a free agent) and are not likely to offer the aging Harden (35) another extension. Is there a $40+ million market for Harden beyond the Clippers? If not, he’ll grab the bag on the table.
Draymond Green: Still the anchor of the Warriors’ defense, Green has a $27.7 million player option for 2026-27. Golden State is still all-in on trying to win another ring with Stephen Curry, and with that, it’s tough to see Green walking away (or being traded). But it’s hanging out there, and it’s something to watch. There would be teams interested in his defense and leadership.
Zach LaVine: LaVine’s future is heavily dependent on where he is playing after next February’s trade deadline — Sacramento is open to trading the wing who averaged 23.3 points a game last season. LaVine has a $48.9 million player option, if he’s traded his new team may want to work out an extension. If not, does LaVine grab that bag, or possibly go into free agency next summer, open to taking a little haircut off that number per year for the sake of getting three or four years of security? There are more questions than answers with LaVine at this point. Things will be a lot clearer after the trade deadline.
Bradley Beal: Beal has a player option at the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.6 million for the 2026-27 season. The Clippers plan to keep their books wide open for the summer of 2027 and to remain flexible; they are not going to offer an extension that gives Beal a big raise. What Beal does next summer will depend on how this season goes. Does he want to stay with the Clippers at this number, or will he have stayed healthy and played his way into a raise? He can hit the free agent market if he wants.
Fred VanVleet: VanVleet signed a two-year, $50 million contract this summer to stay with the Rockets, and with that has a $25 million player option for 2026-27. He very likely picks that up, but he could choose free agency if he wishes.
Veterans with team options
Lu Dort & Isaiah Hartenstein: We’re lumping these two together because they’re part of the same equation in Oklahoma City: At what point do quality role players such as Dort and Hartenstein get let go because the team is headed deep into the luxury tax? The Thunder are projected to be about $24 million over the second apron in 2026-27 (when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren all will be making more than $40 million a season). The stockpile of draft picks the Thunder have gives them the ammunition to make moves (or draft players) to step into the roles of guys such as Hartenstein and Dort. At some point, the Thunder will likely trim salaries around their stars. Does this start with Hartenstein ($28.5 million team option) and/or Dort ($18.2 million) next summer?
Brook Lopez: The Clippers will likely pick up the $9.2 million team option for Lopez a year from now. However, depending on how this season goes, it is possible that Los Angeles does not bring back the floor-spacing veteran center.
Bogdan Bogdanovic: The veteran guard has a $16 million team option for next season. If the Clippers don’t trade him, they likely pick up the option, especially if the plan is to head into next season with a roster similar to this year’s. If he is traded, it could be to a team looking to make him a free agent to save money.
If you’re new to Spotify, you might notice something weird: Music might just sound a bit more quiet than it should. Maybe it’s a problem every now and then, or maybe it’s an issue for most songs. Either way, it’s annoying. Spotify should sound loud enough, especially when you feel you’ve turned up the volume as much as you can.
As with many tech problems, there are a few things that could be wrong here. While all streaming services have their pros and cons, Spotify isn’t necessarily known as the “quiet one.” If you’re struggling with the volume of your Spotify playback, one of the following adjustments might be the fix.
These steps make some assumptions, namely that the only volume issue rests with Spotify. If all audio playback on your device is too quiet, you might be dealing with another type of issue entirely, such as debris in your audio source, a blown speaker, or a general Bluetooth issue.
Volume normalization
Volume normalization, sometimes called “audio normalization,” is a Spotify setting meant to help when listening to playlists with songs of various volumes. In theory, if you have one song that’s soft followed by one that’s loud, this setting would balance the volume of both, to make the overall volume around the same.
In practice, however, this can make songs that are normally one volume lower than they should be. If you find that some, but not all, of your songs are playing quieter than they should, this could be the culprit. In fact, I’d wager this setting is behind most Spotify users’ issues with audio playback.
To see, you can disable the setting by tapping your profile picture, then heading to Settings and privacy > Playback > Enable Audio Normalization. You can toggle this setting off completely, but if you do keep it on, there are also three distinct settings that might be affecting your playback:
Loud: This option is meant for when using Spotify in loud rooms or areas. As such, you might not notice as much dampening, but it might be worth trying to see if it can boost the volume of quieter songs.
Normal: The default option. This probably reduces volume in a noticeable way.
Quiet: This option is meant for quiet rooms and areas. It likely has the biggest impact on volume levels.
Adjust ‘Heaphone Accommodations’ (Apple only)
If your issues are while using Spotify with an Apple device like a Mac or iPhone, especially while using headphones, “Headphone Accommodations” could be to blame. This setting lets you customize the audio experience for both Apple and Beats headphones, but if your settings aren’t quite right, you could be limiting the volume of your music.
To check, head to Settings > Accessibility > Audio & Visual > Headphone Accommodations (iOS) or System Settings > Accessibility > Audio > Headphone Accommodations (macOS). If the setting is enabled, you can try disabling it to see if that helps boost the volume of your playback. Alternatively, you can use the slider to boost soft sounds to “Moderate” or “Strong” levels.
Check your audio levels
It might sound obvious, but if your audio levels aren’t high enough, your music playback is going to be quieter than you’d like.
If you’re using the Spotify mobile app, this might not apply, but when using Spotify on your computer, this is absolutely a consideration. That’s because you’re not only dealing with the audio levels of your computer, you’re also dealing with the app-specific audio levels.
Check the volume bar in the bottom right corner of the app: Make sure it’s set to 100% if you find your volume to be too low. If you’re using connected speakers with their own independent volume settings too, make sure to boost those as well.
