La Velle E. Neal III's 3-2 pitch

The 3-2 pitch

Three observations …

• Is Bryce Harper worth a $400 million contract? He was batting .213 as recently as July 11 before turning it on. His 34 homers are the second most in his career and his OPS is pushing .900. But he was at his worst when the Nationals needed him the most. How much will that factor during free agency?

• Not saying he should win, but Oakland's Khris Davis should get MVP votes. He's hit 40-plus homers and driven in 100-plus runs in three straight season, including a career high 45 homers and 119 RBI this season. He doesn't seem to get a lot of attention.

• Hawk Harrelson? "He gone." Good luck in retirement after an entertaining career. The nicknames — Big Hurt, One Dawg, Black Jack, Little Hurt — are too many to count.

… and two predictions

• Jacob deGrom of the Mets, who takes a 1.77 ERA into his final start Wednesday, will hold off Washington's Max Scherzer and win the NL Cy Young Award, even if he only wins nine games.