MLB Articles - Page 930

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 […]

Since 1994, the Cleveland Indians have won the American League Central regular season divisional crown ten times, leading all AL Central teams by a decent margin. This means that in 24 years, the Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox have combined — COMBINED — to win 14 divisional titles between themselves, a testament […]

Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade is wrapping up a retirement tour for the ages. He has been recognized by many around the game on each stop he makes in his final season. The dozens of gifts and acknowledgments Wade has received show the unanimous respect and love the NBA feels for Wade. But the gift […]

In a league that is dominated by superstars and up-and-coming prospects looking to make an impression on the game, the game of baseball is spoiled rotten with its talent. Through drafting, signing, scouting, and analytics, franchises are able to make the most out of what they have while staying within their means, financially. Not every […]

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 […]

The Philadelphia Phillies made the biggest splash of the 2018-19 offseason when they signed Bryce Harper to the largest free agent contract in the history of professional sports. And yet, there is another former MVP on the Phillies roster that will actually be more important to Philadelphia’s success this season. Indeed, Andrew McCutchen–who was one […]

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, […]

As impossible as it seems, reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich is continuing the torrid pace that he set during the second half of the 2018 season. Through April 3, Yelich already had four homers (all of which coming in the first four games of the season, matching an MLB record) and was slugging 1.000 […]

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 […]

The Chicago Cubs have gotten off to a sluggish start in 2018 and fans are beginning to get worried. Even though it’s early in the season, the pitching staff has given them cause for concern. Thankfully, the piece of news that came out this afternoon is nothing but good news. According to a report from […]

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 […]

Just about nobody expected the New York Mets to win their first title in franchise history in 1969. On Aug. 13, the Mets were in third place in the NL East, 10 games back of the Chicago Cubs. Less than a month later, they had stormed back into the pennant race, riding a tremendous pitching […]

The Atlanta Braves have extended their young superstar and the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year, Ronald Acuna. The extension is officially for eight years and $100 million, but also includes two club options that could bring the deal to 10 years and $124 million, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN: BREAKING: Outfielder Ronald […]

Even with the all of the money that has been thrown around these past few weeks by MLB teams to lock up their players, there still are certain major leaguers who are not being paid what they deserve, due to their potential and their production so far. Mostly early in their careers, franchises are still […]

Apparently, LeBron James has had enough of the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has had enough of basketball in general. In a move that rivals Michael Jordan taking a year off to play minor league baseball for the Chicago White Sox, James has reached an agreement to sign with the Cleveland Indians: “I have decided […]

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 […]

In the MLB, the word ‘overpaid’ brings up some not-so-good memories for certain fan bases. Alex Rodriguez for both the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees, Chris Davis for the Baltimore Orioles, Bobby Bonilla and the New York Mets, and Jason Heyward and the Chicago Cubs. While these players are all currently or have been […]

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 […]

Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout joined forces with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck for a hilarious ad for BodyArmor, the official sports drink of the NCAA. The ad is slated to air on Thursday on CBS when No. 4 seed Florida State takes on top-seeded Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 for the West […]

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 […]

The Chicago Cubs have reached a four-year extension with starter Kyle Hendricks, according to multiple sources: Kyle Hendricks has just agreed to a four-year extension with a club option for a fifth season. pic.twitter.com/YW7j8deGwv — The Pedro Gomez Foundation (@PGFoundation_) March 26, 2019 Correction: Deal is four years, $55.5M. Option is a vesting option, not […]

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 […]

The Boston Red Sox have agreed to a five-year extension with left-handed ace Chris Sale: That’s our ace. #SaleDay pic.twitter.com/Ri3P4UGlCW — Red Sox (@RedSox) March 23, 2019 Ace Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a five-year contract extension in the $150 million range, pending a physical, league sources tell ESPN. […]

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 […]

CLUTCH Summary: A pioneer in baseball, Ichiro Suzuki was not only one of the best Seattle Mariners players ever, but is a sure fire Hall of Fame talent. So popular internationally, Ichiro was known on a first name basis as if he were Oprah.  There will unlikely ever be another player as talented, with as […]

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 […]

The list of star players signing big extensions continued on Thursday afternoon, as St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt agreed to a five-year, $130 million contract to stay with his new team: #STLCards close on an extension with 1B Paul Goldschmidt, sources tell The Athletic. Deal will be for at least five years and at […]

The Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a five-year, $50 million extension with AL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN: BREAKING: Reigning AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a five-year, $50 million contract extension, league sources tell ESPN. The deal […]

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 […]

Following 18-plus seasons in the MLB and 3,089 hits, Ichiro Suzuki officially announced his retirement at the conclusion of the Seattle Mariners’ two-game set with the Oakland A’s in Japan: #Baseball: #IchiroSuzuki to announce his retirement: source#イチロー #MLBhttps://t.co/LhK0nfkxGq — Kyodo News | Japan (@kyodo_english) March 21, 2019 BREAKING: Ichiro Suzuki has told the Mariners he […]