MLB Editorials Articles - Page 222

In a world where dreams do come true and anything goes, a picture-perfect roster comprised of major league baseball players from the National League could be brought together to make for an absolutely unstoppable franchise. Formidable to all other MLB teams, this team is exactly what an All-Star game roster would look like, without favoritism […]

The National League East was projected to be one of the best and most hotly-contested divisions in baseball this year. And so far–sorry Marlins fans–the division has not disappointed. Three teams–the Phillies, Mets and Braves–sat atop the East at 7-4 before the start of play on Thursday, with the Nationals lagging just one game behind. […]

Thew New York Yankees reported to Spring Training looking like a legitimate World Series contender. Yet it took just a few short weeks for that status to be seriously challenged. The Yankees have had a litany of injuries that have affected the shape of their starting rotation as well as their lineups, and entered the […]

Recently signed to a super club-friendly deal that covers the next five seasons for only $50 million, Blake Snell and the Tampa Bay Rays are built for each other. Effervescently invested and adapted to MLB play, both Snell and the Rays are a match that will excite baseball fans for many years to come. For […]

The Milwaukee Brewers currently sit atop the National League Central with an 11-6 record as of Tuesday. They also have the worst run differential (-3) in the division. Could this really be happening again? Despite a depleted bullpen that has lost Corey Knebel for the season and is still without last year’s star closer, Jeremy […]

The 2019 MLB season has already provided fans with an abundance of surprises. From the worrisome starts of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs to the struggles of aces like Chris Sale and Aaron Nola to the continued red-hot play of Christian Yelich, there have been a number of notable storylines thus far. Yet […]

Last season, the Milwaukee Brewers stunned the baseball world by winning the National League Central and making a run all the way to the NLCS, coming within just one game of a World Series appearance. One of the most notable reasons for Milwaukee’s success was the dominance of their bullpen unit, which ranked fourth in […]

With the onslaught of offensive outputs and high-scoring games dominating the league last season, the MLB is hoping that pitching staffs can overcome their obvious disadvantage and bring the game back down to a feasible level that sees more teams having to be more tactical and technical in their game management. While sending players up […]

Normally, this conversation is not dominated by one name, but the race for the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2019 seems to be that way. The Toronto Blue Jays, sporting one of the league’s best farm systems due to high-level talent in Triple-A, are looking to bring that award north of the […]

Things have not been too peachy on the North Side of Chicago during the early goings of the 2019 MLB season. While the reigning National League Central champion Milwaukee Brewers have jumped out to an 8-2 start, the Chicago Cubs dropped to 2-7 after losing two of three in Milwaukee this weekend. After an offseason […]

The youth movement that has progressively taken over the sport of baseball is at it again in the 2019 season, as more top prospects, late bloomers, and interesting youngins are all vying to take home the honors of being the best rookie in their respective league. This article will focus on those prospects that are […]

The 2019 MLB season has already been filled with surprises. The Seattle Mariners–the preeminent “sellers” of this past offseason–have the best record in the bigs. The Red Sox, Yankees and Astros all have losing records. The Chicago Cubs lead the majors in batting average and on-base percentage, and yet have stumbled out of the gate […]

Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale commanded headlines for all the right reasons over the past few months. From a profanity-laced dugout tirade that propelled the Red Sox to a win in Game 4 of the World Series to getting the final out in Game 5 and subsequently signing a five-year extension with the club, […]

After a long and grueling winter, baseball finally returned with a bang with MLB’s Opening Week. Bryce Harper and Manny Machado made their debuts for their respective teams, Lorenzo Cain robbed a homer to beat the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day, and there were some tremendous pitching performances. There have also been plenty of […]

Typically, the MLB trade deadline is a critical juncture for teams looking to add one or two final pieces to complete their World Series puzzle or make a final push for the playoffs. Oftentimes, this can mean superstars on expiring deals (think Manny Machado) or young stars that have struggled, but still have value (Chris […]

With all the money that teams are throwing around to lock up their MLB stars while they are less expensive, there are many players who are starting to look like solid candidates to receive their first big contracts or their next contract extension. While teams rely on arbitration to keep player salaries low enough so […]

There has been plenty to talk about in MLB circles as of late. From the numerous extensions handed to star players around the league to ongoing discussions between the league offices and the MLBPA, the past few months have provided plenty of storylines. However, one of the more neglected trends has been the unfortunate amount […]

Sometimes a person is forced to eat crow. That was my first thought when I heard the news that future Hall of Fame outfielder Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels had agreed to a 12-year, nearly $430 million deal. Two weeks ago, I laid out the case for trading Trout before the 2019 trade […]

When Bryce Harper was drafted by the Washington Nationals with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, he was thought to be the savior of the organization. The Nats had not had a single winning season since they came to Washington, D.C. from Montreal in 2005. But Harper–who had been one […]

After months of toiling away at your favorite MLB writers’ Twitter accounts for free agency updates, reading about the growing tensions between the league offices and the MLBPA, and– wait, they aren’t really changing the distance between the mound and the plate are they??? (no, not yet)– hearing about some crazy propositions for changing the game and […]

In 2018, the National League Central division had its fair share of tough battles down the road, as the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs battled back and forth for the right to win the divisional crown. With 162 games not being enough, a tiebreaker was needed to solve the tie. The Brewers, after going down […]

If the 2018-19 MLB offseason has made anything clear, it is that star players are getting paid. Despite a lengthy process, both Manny Machado and Bryce Harper ended up with record-breaking deals in free agency. Even more notably, stars such as Nolan Arenado, Mike Trout, Chris Sale, Paul Goldschmidt Justin Verlander and Alex Bregman got big […]

With the constant stream of money being funneled to players recently in the MLB, big-time contracts are being handed out to any players who have been on the level of what a superstar is. Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, Mike Trout, Blake Snell, and Paul Goldschmidt have all been forced into a new tax […]

So much for a quiet MLB offseason. While the first few months of the winter felt fairly quiet, the signings of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper appear to have created a butterfly effect on the rest of the league. The Los Angeles Angels–feeling the pressure of retaining the best player in baseball–awarded Mike Trout with […]

In a 162-game season MLB, there is always room for shock and awe in Major League Baseball. And then there are teams like the Baltimore Orioles, who will field one of the most anonymous teams in baseball history this season. Yet even on non-contenders, compelling players and storylines are sure to emerge. Prospects like Vladimir […]

The baseball community was certainly surprised that the free agency period dragged on so long for both Manny Machado. But perhaps more shocking was that the San Diego Padres–a team that has not made the playoffs in over a decade–were the team to sign Machado to a franchise-altering mega deal. Machado not only makes the […]

CLUTCH Summary: Mostly known for his stint with the Seattle Mariners, Ichiro Suzuki will head to Cooperstown to be in the Hall of Fame without a doubt. Arguably the greatest hitter in the history of MLB, no one rivaled his ability to get infield hits.  In era dominated by steroids and home runs, Ichiro Suzuki […]

In a time that members of a starting rotation do not necessarily toe the rubber first in a game, the MLB is facing an identity crisis of sorts… but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Historically, pitchers have been known for their durability, as starters used to throw 200 pitches in a game and […]

Expectations are always hard to follow through on, especially in professional sports. Injuries, flashes in the pan, players not developing on expected timelines, all of these aspects ring true in some shape during a typical MLB season. In 2019, the league has seen offense overtake and dominant the gameplay, as players are using advanced stats […]

Spring Training is the time of year that all MLB fans look forward to as the unofficial official start to spring. While teams must travel to warm areas of the country to avoid the cold weather taking over the vast majority of the states, the scent of spring and the sound of bats cracking can […]

Coming into the 2019 MLB season, there is a definitive pecking order in terms of who is expected to compete for divisional crowns and beyond, and who is expected to compete for the first overall selection in the 2020 draft. Certain regulars, like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Houston […]

Having run support to back up a sterling performance on the mound is key to any pitcher’s success, regardless of they start or come in out of the bullpen. While the New York Mets enjoyed a resurgent season from their starting rotation, their offense decided not to join the party, making Jacob deGrom and company […]

Starting pitchers, or all pitchers for that matter, across the MLB are facing a bit of a crisis over the course of the past few seasons. Hitters are becoming more powerful, increasing their bat speed and launch angles through analytics to boost their averages and home runs totals. But pitching is in good hands, as […]

After posting a record season, that included both good and bad records, Jacob deGrom is looking to continue his success on the round as a member of the upstart New York Mets. Headlining their rotation for yet another season, deGrom will team up with longtime teammate Noah Syndergaard to hopefully help lead this team back […]

When Manny Machado and Bryce Harper reached record-breaking deals with the San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively, the attention of the baseball world turned to Mike Trout. The Los Angeles Angels centerfielder is unquestionably the best player in the game, but has been to the postseason just once in his tenure with the club. […]

After missing the vast majority of 2018 with a triceps strain and a stress reaction on his pitching elbow, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish is out to actually attempt to validate his contract in 2019. Signed to a six-year, $126 million contract with an opt-out clause after this season, Darvish has a ton of […]

Bryce Harper has dominated all of the headlines in Philadelphia as of late, but the Phillies’ newest superstar is hardly their most important player heading into 2019. No, that distinction belongs to Jake Arrieta. The 33-year-old Arrieta was Philly’s marquee free agent signing last winter, agreeing to a three-year, $75 million deal after failing to […]

For eight seasons, Paul Goldschmidt was like a gunslinger stranded in the desert. Despite being one of the best players in the game and ranking fourth in total fWAR from 2012-18, Goldschmidt was one of the lone bright spots on an Arizona Diamondbacks team that made the playoffs just once during his tenure. Goldy was […]

Over the last four seasons, no team in baseball has won more games (387) than the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs made three consecutive NLCS appearances from 2015-17, winning their first World Series championship in 108 years in 2016. And yet, the past two seasons have ended in disappointment. Chicago led the MLB in run differential […]