With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, we've officially reached crunch time in the 2026 MLB season — for both contenders and non-contenders alike. And that's especially true for certain managers around the league who could well be coaching for their jobs over the remainder of the year. If Judge can't get right until 2027, that's a built-in excuse that Boone can use to hang around for at least one more year. But the Astros have now taken hold of the AL West thanks to Yordan Alvarez and a dynamite offense. Mark Kotsay, AthleticsThe goal: Find a reason to believe in 2027Really, this is just us trying to be nice.