A new arm angle looks to be part of the metamorphosis into the second phase of James Shields’ career.
Jared Wyllys
Joe Maddon's rotating lineups can sometimes cause fans and even analysts to chirp in protest, but there’s a method to this madness.
It takes special talent to sustain attention-grabbing success across a span of time like Joey Votto has since his debut in 2007.
Even as the rest of the league has changed around him, Joe Mauer has been almost boringly good since his debut in 2004.
More so than fans, MLB players understand when it's time to panic, relax and turn it on during a season. Just ask Clayton Kershaw, Jon Lester and others.
Like the men who play the game, each MLB player podcast has its own flair.
The challenge for so-called hybrid pitchers, those who serve as relievers and occasional starters, is both mental and physical.
Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game against the Astros on May 6, 1998, was remarkable on its own, but what’s often overlooked is that Wood’s dominance continued for the rest of the month, which was arguably the best of his 14-year career.
Though MLB players have always dealt with pressure, how they do continues to evolve.
Gerrit Cole was already good. Since being traded to the Astros in January, he's found a way to be even better.
At only 28, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is already the battle-worn veteran presence on the Atlanta roster, and he’s become the quiet leader of an upstart Braves squad that finally appears ready to win again.
For 162 games a year, the people behind each MLB team’s social media voice are there — in the pressbox, on the field, in the clubhouse, roaming among the fans, or maybe searching for a good signal — to talk baseball.
The road to October won’t necessarily be easier for the Angels this season, but thanks to several key additions they are better equipped to traverse it.
The Phillies finished 31 games behind the Nationals in 2017 and 21 games from a wild-card spot, but thanks to an infusion of young talent on offense and a dramatically weakened division in the NL East, there’s a path for Philadelphia to claim a wild-card spot this October.
In Los Angeles, Alex Verdugo might just squeeze his way into a crowded outfield, and in Cleveland, Francisco Mejia is going to catch some attention, even if he has to learn a new position to do it.
Yu Darvish’s otherwise sterling career should quiet worries over his 2017 World Series performance.
The Nationals and Astros both made the postseason in 2017, but they finished in very different ways. These two teams already have the core roster elements necessary to make return trips, but they will also have to ride the success of the likes of Wilmer Difo and Chris Devenski, who both stepped into larger roles in 2017 and hope to keep those this year.
General manager Rich Hahn, slugger Jose Abreu and others say a culture of camaraderie is important as the White Sox prepare to navigate the challenges of bringing up more of their cadre of blue-chip players.
In Chicago, the Cubs have a relief pitcher in Dillon Maples who might light up the National League if he can improve his command. In Boston, the Red Sox have a third baseman in Rafael Devers who could help anchor the offense if they’re willing to overlook his suspect defense.
The deal Miami struck with Milwaukee brings a group of legit prospects and gives their beleaguered fanbase something, however small, to cheer.
The Diamondbacks have a tough climb to surpass the Dodgers in their division, but they might have a surprise in Christian Walker if he can master a new position. In New York, meanwhile, Gleyber Torres has been a heralded prospect for several years, but this season he makes the leap to the majors.
In Colorado, they have a speedy outfielder who is ready to take a full-time role. And in Minnesota, they have a young pitcher who already has important experience under his belt.
The Brewers held the first-place spot in their division for almost all of the first half of the 2017 season, and to make a more serious run at the NL Central they’ll need prospects such as Lewis Brinson to make an impact. And the Angels made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason in signing Shohei Ohtani, who seems bound for success however they use him.
The Cardinals need their pitching staff to be strong to return to the postseason after missing out the past two seasons, and in Alex Reyes they have a solid candidate to make that happen. Meanwhile, the Rays were part of a three-team deal a year ago that brought them Mallex Smith, a quality hitter and base runner who could lead off and play left field for them for years to come.
It’s possible that the now-depleted Marlins might slightly redeem themselves after their sell-off, thanks to the Marcell Ozuna trade that yielded them a young pitcher filled with potential. And it’s possible that the Royals have an outfielder who could be a steady presence in their lineup for years to come.
The teams in the middle of the pack in baseball don’t have the luxury of recent success to celebrate or an active rebuild to pin hopes on, but both the Pirates and Mariners have young outfielders who could make their mark next season regardless.
The Braves' Ozzie Albies has one of the higher ceilings of the young prospects going into 2018. Meanwhile, the Rangers' Willie Calhoun could be a staple of their outfield for several years to come.
Brandon Morrow last handled ninth-inning duties with regularity close to a decade ago, when he earned 16 saves between the 2008 and 2009 seasons in Seattle.
Sometimes, changing teams and getting a spot in the lineup every day is all a player needs to break out.
For the Mets, they have who might be their first baseman of the future in Dominic Smith, and in Baltimore, Austin Hays could round out a quality outfield and provide an impact bat to go with Adam Jones and Manny Machado.
The Reds are stuck at the bottom of a deep division, and the the Athletics often seem to be in a perpetual rebuild, never shy to sell off talent for prospects, but eventually they have to see results those exchanges.
The Phillies and White Sox will need a few of their blue-chip prospects to shine in 2018, but the difference could come from a pair of slightly off-the-radar pieces.
Each week this offseason, we’ll look into the crystal ball and examine two players who could be next season’s surprise standouts.
Beneath the swagger, quirks and bat flips, Yasiel Puig is not the same player he was just a year ago.
If Wednesday night was Jake Arrieta’s final start for the Chicago Cubs, it was a banger.
Deep playoff runs for three consecutive seasons have sapped the Cubs, and they’re showing that against the Dodgers.
Stephen Strasburg gave the Nationals a clutch outing in Game 4 of the NLDS, and he gave the Cubs fits.
By the end of the sixth, the Cubs had committed four errors and squandered valuable scoring opportunities. But they overcame those obstacles for a 2-1 win and a 2-1 NLDS lead.
Baseball is full of quirky journeys, and Mike Freeman may have journeyed more than anyone.
When players change uniforms, whether in season or during the offseason, it's not unusual for them to perform notably better with their new teams. There are several factors that contribute to this, but players who have made such moves are consistent in their belief that the switch made a difference.
In sweeping the Cubs in Chicago for the first time since 2002, the Brewers sent a message that they plan to be the team on Lake Michigan that plays October baseball.
An emphasis on defensive flexibility is creeping into MLB, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon, an early purveyor of the strategy, knows its value, as well as the importance of keeping his players ready to be flexible.
It shouldn’t take a frightening car accident to change our perception of Sean Rodriguez.
The simplicity of Chase Utley's assessment of the National League’s best team subtly reflects both the plain strengths of the Dodgers and the perspective on his vocation that 15 years in the league has given him.
Despite struggles on the mound and being a part of a team with one of the worst records in baseball, White Sox pitcher Derek Holland knows the importance of a loose clubhouse.
Leaving a team on the cusp of success isn’t always easy for players to accept, especially when they see their former team reach the summit and fulfill the hopes of decades without the glamor of being directly involved.
