Category: Baseball

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Happy birthday to Arodys Vizcaino*, and a mighty host of others.

Today in baseball history, in 1984 – Ryne Sandberg wins the National League MVP Award, becoming the first Chicago Cubs player to do so since Ernie Banks in 1959. Sandberg hit .314 with 19 home runs and 32 stolen bases and led the NL in runs (114) and triples (19), and other stories as well.

Today in baseball history:

• 1958 – Mayor Robert Wagner of New York announces preliminary plans for a third major league. Chairman William Shea, of what will become the Continental League, says it is apparent that the National League is going to ignore New York City.
• 1968 – St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson edges Pete Rose to win the National League MVP Award.
• 1974 – Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey is selected National League MVP, after he hit for a .312 average with 21 home runs and 111 RBI.
• 1979 – For the first time in major league history, two players share the Most Valuable Player Award. The National League co-winners are Willie Stargell, the spiritual leader of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who hit .281 with 32 home runs, and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Keith Hernandez, who led the NL in runs (116), doubles (48) and batting average (.344).
• 1989 – After 16 years with the same team, outfielder Jim Rice is released by the Boston Red Sox. Rice retires from the game with 382 home runs and a .298 average. He will eventually be elected to the Hall of Fame in 2009.
• 1990 – Oakland Athletics pitcher Bob Welch is named the 1990 American League Cy Young Award winner. His 27 wins were the most in the major leagues since Steve Carlton in 1972.
• 1995 – Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux wins the National League Cy Young Award for an unprecedented fourth straight time. Maddux had a remarkable 19-2 record with a 1.63 ERA, the second year his ERA is below 1.80.
• 1995 – Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin is named National League MVP.
• 1996 – San Diego Padres third baseman Ken Caminiti becomes the fourth unanimous winner of the National League MVP Award. Caminiti set team records for home runs (40), RBI (130) and slugging percentage (.621), while leading the Padres to the NL Westdivision title for the first time since 1984.
• 1997 – Larry Walker of the Colorado Rockies is named National League MVP, becoming the first Canadian in either league to win the honor. Walker, who hit .366 with 49 home runs and 130 RBI, caps off a big week for Canada. Earlier in the week, pitchers Roger Clemens of the Toronto Blue Jays and Pedro Martinez of the Montreal Expos each won the Cy Young Award.
• 2000 – Pedro Martinez of the Boston Red Sox becomes the first pitcher to win the American League Cy Young Award unanimously in consecutive years. Martinez, who posted an 18-6 mark with a 1.74 ERA, has copped the “top pitcher” honor three of the last four seasons.
• 2001 – Pitcher Randy Johnson, who posted a 21-6 record with a 2.49 ERA and 372 strikeouts, wins his fourth Cy Young Award, his third straight as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Previously, Johnson also won the honor in 1995 with Seattle, and is the second pitcher to win three consecutive Cy Young awards, joining Greg Maddux who won four in a row from 1992–1995.
• 2007 – CC Sabathia wins the 2007 American League Cy Young Award, beating out Josh Beckett. Sabathia is the first African-American Cy Young Award winner since Dwight Gooden in 1985 and the first African-American winner in the American League since Vida Blue in 1971.
• 2008 – Cliff Lee wins the 2008 American League Cy Young Award, taking 24 of 28 first-place votes. Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA for the Cleveland Indians. He led the league in ERA and wins. Lee is the second straight Indians left-hander to win the award, following CC Sabathia in 2007.
• 2013 – Max Scherzer of the Detroit Tigers, the only 20-game winner in the majors last season, wins the 2013 American League Cy Young Award, while Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is the National League winner after leading the circuit in both ERA and strikeouts.
• 2014 – OF Mike Trout of the Angels is the unanimous winner of the 2014 American League Most Valuable Player Award, while P Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers adds the 2014 National League Most Valuable Player Award to the Cy Young Award he collected a day earlier.
• 2017 – Hall of FamerBobby Doerr passes away in Junction City, OR at the age of 99. He was the Oldest Living MLB Player and also the last surviving player to have played in the 1930s.
• 2017 – OF Aaron Judge, who led the AL in home runs, is the unanimous winner of the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year Award, while 1B Cody Bellinger is also a unanimous winner in the National League.
• 2023 – Both winners of the Rookie of the Year Award this year are unanimous selections. Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles wins the award in the American League and Corbin Carroll wins it in the National League, the first player from the Arizona Diamondbacks to be so honored.
• 2025 – There are a lot of familiar faces in the awards given out by Major League Baseball today: both winners of the MVP Award are repeat winners from last year, with Shohei Ohtani winning by unanimous vote in the NL and Aaron Judge doing so in the AL, albeit in a close race with second-place finisher Cal Raleigh. Both MVPs are also the repeat winners of the Hank Aaron Award. The winners of the MLB Reliever of the Year Award are also previous winners, with Edwin Diaz winning the NL’s Trevor Hoffman Award and Aroldis Chapman winning the AL’s Mariano Rivera Award, each having done so on one previous occasion, with Diaz also having been a winner in the AL.

Cubs Birthdays:Arodys Vizcaíno*, Wade Miley, Steve Bilko, Bob Garbark, Johnny Kling. Also notable: Buck O’Neil HOF.

Today in history:

• 1789 – In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, Benjamin Franklin writes “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
• 1980 – US spacecraft Voyager 1 sends back first close-up pictures of Saturn during its fly-by.
• 1982 – Vietnam Veterans Memorial opens in Washington, D.C., featuring the names of over 58,000 US soldiers killed or missing in the Vietnam War.
• 1992 – Riddick Bowe wins the undisputed world heavyweight boxing crown with a unanimous points decision over Evander Holyfield in Las Vegas; first of their three meetings.
• 2001 – Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira‘s fifth studio album and first English language album, “Laundry Service”, is released.
• 2002 – Eminem releases the single ‘Lose Yourself’ from the soundtrack of “8 Mile,” the first rap song to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
• 2015 – Terror attacks in Paris at bars, restaurants, the national football stadium and Bataclan music venue leave 130 dead. Isis claim responsibility.
• 2020 – Kylie Minogue becomes the first woman to top the UK album chart over five consecutive decades with “Disco”

*pictured.

Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. The offseason has been quiet thus far, with only a few under-the-radar signings across the league, but it seems like a foregone conclusion that things will pick up in the next couple of weeks leading into the lockout on December 1. As requested, these weekly threads will now begin with a question to get the conversation rolling. This week’s question: Which player(s) would you most like to see the Brewers add in free agency? Feel free to also weigh in on our MVBrewers #3 voting at The Feed post below.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread:

Stay strong, triskaidekaphobes.

On to the links.

Phillies news

Three Phillies received MVP votes.

The Phillies are interested in Teruaki Sato.

Take your kid to work day is pretty exciting when you’re an NBA coach and your kid is a top MLB prospect.

Could the Phillies trade Brandon Marsh?

MLB news

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Yordan Alvarez took home unanimous MVP awards.

Evan Phillips has signed a three-year deal with Atlanta.

Could the D-backs trade Ketel Marte?

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

In case you’ve forgotten, Pete Alonso is really, really good. and O’s fans are lucky to get to watch him. Last night, the Orioles’ best player continued to rake in the honors, finishing an impressive fifth place in the AL Most Valuable Player vote.

Alonso didn’t receive any first-place votes — and neither did anyone aside from the unanimous winner, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez — but the O’s first baseman was well represented in the final tally. Alonso appeared on 28 of the 30 ballots, which run 10 players deep. Alonso got a pair of third-place votes, and 13 votes as a top-five finisher. The only voters to leave him out of their top 10 entirely were Dave Skretta of the Associated Press and The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. Prepare the angry emails!

Additionally, Alonso was named as the first baseman for the All-MLB First Team. To be clear, it’s not an actual team — they’re not setting out on a barnstorming tour of America or anything like that — but it’s the league’s recognition of the best regular-season player at every position this year. Alonso was a slam-dunk selection as the MLB leader among first basemen in home runs (40), RBIs (113), runs (100), and fWAR (5.0).

Alonso’s latest honors are just another reminder that, as Stacey wrote, the Polar Bear was the best thing about the 2026 Orioles. Not only did he provide superb on-field production — arguably the best since his rookie season in 2019 — but he was a respected clubhouse leader and an immediate fan favorite. Alonso has jelled so perfectly with the Baltimore community that it’s like he’s been here all his life.

The O’s made a huge splash last offseason when they signed Alonso to a team-record five-year, $155 million contract, and Year 1 was a resounding success. I only wish the Orioles had built a better team around him.

Links

Banner learning new role as Orioles’ general manager; Alonso, Cowser earn honors – BaltimoreBaseball.com

I like everything I’ve read so far about the Orioles’ new GM. But if Jared Banner turns out to be a Mike Elias clone, my opinion is subject to change.

The Orioles are floating the idea of some infielders trying the outfield. How might it work? – The Baltimore Banner

It probably won’t. My wild and crazy idea is that the Orioles should acquire some, you know, actual outfielders.

Jon Meoli: With a lockout looming, the Orioles need to be early movers in their offseason work – The Baltimore Banner

Bonus Banner content (the publication, not the new GM). Jon Meoli wants the Orioles to be aggressive and start making moves right now. I would appreciate that, too, if for no other reason than to give us some O’s content to chew on while we’re waiting out a months-long lockout.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 29th birthday to Trevor Rogers. The left-hander transformed from an iffy 2024 trade acquisition into a bright spot in the Birds’ rotation the past two years, winning Most Valuable Oriole honors for his sensational 2025 campaign. Rogers is set to get a big payday in free agency this offseason, and I hope it comes from the Orioles.

Other players in O’s history born on Nov. 13 include lefty Wade Miley (40), third baseman Josh Bell (40), righty Pat Hentgen (58), and outfielder Larry Harlow (75).

On this day in 2023, Gunnar Henderson was unanimously voted AL Rookie of the Year, becoming the first Oriole to win the award in 34 years. Henderson batted .255/.325/.489 with 28 homers, 82 RBIs, and 100 runs, posting a 6.1 WAR. And I’m sure Gunnar has only gotten better since then, right? …Right?

Soon enough, if it hasn’t started by the time you read this, individual transactions for teams should have started up, perhaps even skyrocketed. I started writing this the day after the World Series ended, and I see even that first day that a few transactions have occurred. No time to like now to get started! I will try to keep up with Cardinal transactions as they occur, before this article posts.

As the Cardinals get involved in those transactions, the focus of discussion will inevitably narrow to the characteristics and potential of the player(s) involved, so very detailed. I wanted to take advantage of this interlude to take a high-level look at the pipeline, without getting into the merits of any individual player. The way I’m going to do this is to bucket players into various position groups and into various timeline brackets. The focus will be on the position groups and time brackets, not so much in trying to differentiate potential among individual prospects. My intent is to get a high level look at where the overall system (and roster) is stronger and where it is weaker, both now and into the future. Likewise, I didn’t spend copious amounts of time on the current iteration of the MLB roster. We know the weaknesses (and strengths). But which ones have solutions coming?

I had a little bit of a methodology here, which I will describe, and then talk through the groupings I formed up.

First, I separated players into position and pitching groups. I subdivided the MLB roster into position players, bench, starters and bullpen. I sub-divided MiLB players into just position players and pitcher. For the most part, only regulars in MiLB progress to MLB and almost all MLB pitchers come from the starter group. There are exceptions (Gastelum, for one), but few enough where a separate group doesn’t seem necessary.

Then I added in some timeline elements that hopefully mostly self-explanatory. I did try and avoid specific time forecasts, but one could look at each column and roughly estimate a season where a player in that column might begin to impact the MLB roster. Timing is so inexact, I took a different route in labelling the columns. They are as follows,

• MLB – these are the players that by and large finished the season on the active 26-man roster (with some expected pruning yet to be announced).
• MLB ready – these are the players that are not on the MLB active roster but have a realistic potential for doing so as soon as Opening Day and will more than likely see MLB time in 2027. To try and be consistent, my first screen for this was a player has to be on the 40-man roster and not on the 26-man, with one exception (Cijntje). The player has to be at AAA as well. Let’s face it, the Cardinals don’t call up players from AA, and don’t view AA players as MLB ready. Not every org thinks this of every player, but it is a good screen to apply here.
• Near-ready – these are the players that appear near MLB readiness, but realistically won’t make the Opening Day roster because they have more boxes to check at AAA. Right now, the main composition of this group are the many players likely to move up to AAA from AA that are not on the 40-man roster.
• Distant – this next group of players are guys who are identifiable as potential impact players, but are not near-ready. As you might suspect, these would be the guys expected to open at High-A or make it up to AA next season. This group has no chance of joining the MLB roster in 2027 and we can hope that they are at least near-ready by 2028. Some are further away, but their star burns bright enough to see.
• I also had a Hospital ward – this group of players are the ones that would be in one of the upper groups if not for injury. I removed this grouping to reduce the size of the graphic. So as not to forget players like Henderson or Dobbins, who may (or may not) re-enter this pipeline at some future date.

I included only upper-tier prospects in the groups. Players not ranked on a prospect list or players below 40 FV on Fangraphs didn’t get grouped. There will certainly be an MLB-caliber player in there, but not many and likely not super impactful, and not enough to really change the overall picture. Some will want to argue this. But, but, what about Ortiz? He looks like a hitter and could fit in the 1B/DH group! Well, Deniel Ortiz has finally made it onto someone’s prospect list (BA has him at 27), but he carries a 35 FV. The potential of this one player impacting the major league roster is quite low. This isn’t a projection on Ortiz himself. I don’t know enough him individually. But right now, he doesn’t appear to make that group of incoming players materially stronger in a way that can be counted on. I left guys like this off. From 30,000 feet, we can’t see them until their star burns brighter. It may.

So, I plunked each chosen player into a position group and a timeline and came up with this distribution:

The groupings allow me to look at the system at a higher level without getting into frenzied debates about whether player X has more potential than player Y or what position the player should end up in. Here, we will look at the depth of the group, not the individual components so much.

I embellished the original groupings a bit, adding arrows to show the general flow of talent through the pipeline, which is roughly right-to-left. Once in MLB, bench players usually come from the stock of position players who can’t quite make the everyday circuit. Think about it. How often do teams promote from MiLB to the bench to improve the talent level of the team?

I added some color. MLB roster players are red if I view this as a roster spot that really just needs an upgrade. Yellow colored names are guys we don’t quite yet know what they are. These are the runway guys. On the non-MLB side, I color coded the groups based on perceived strength (and quantity). I also added prospect counts in each group, to keep the focus on the group, not the individuals.

Notice the position player side of the pipeline. It narrows from right to left. I’d kind of generally expect this. 10 Low-A prospects might be 4 by the time they get 2-3 years down the road. Peculiarly, the pitching pipeline has a more uniform shape, with pitching prospects pretty equally distributed. Just at a high level, I’d think this side of the pipeline is healthier because of that.

Some things that jump out immediately:

1. Notice the shortage of MLB-ready position players. I colored coded this grouping red, indicating this is (at a high level) probably the biggest area of deficit in the Cardinals system. If the MLB roster had no immediate needs, this wouldn’t be a huge problem, but the MLB roster has obvious deficits (3b, CF) and some potential deficits if the more unknowns struggle (Baez, Bernal). Jimmy Crooks isn’t going to fill all of these deficits (or perhaps any of them). With the known problems and the potential for injury or under-performance lurking, this gap is … concerning.
2. Worsening this look is the Near Ready group has but 4 players. An unusual amount of good fortune will have to pass over this group if they, as a group, are going to impact the MLB roster positively at some future date. The math tells us the likelihood is more like that only 1 or 2 will ascend in an impactful way.
3. When you look at the position players in the Distant comets group, the group itself starts to look stronger and more foundationally sound. We do have to remember that the attrition rate in this group is higher, though. And a ways away.
4. On the pitching side, the Cardinals come in with a solid if unspectacular rotation and a very weak bullpen. When you look at the MLB-ready pitching group, you see another 8 names (assuming Fitts is healthy). This group is colored code green as more of a strength.
5. We can see 5 more names in the Near Ready pitcher group. Not all of these guys will contribute in 2027, but it sure looks like the Cardinals could go ten deep in starters without going outside the organization. While I can see where they might want to bring in a veteran from the outside, this looks like a deep group.
6. As you look at the reliever group, the MLB talent level leaves a bit to be desired. Over time, it is pretty easy to imagine that a number of the MLB ready or Near Ready starters will either 1) push an existing starter to the bullpen or 2) end up a reliever themselves. When one thinks about the average MLB team in the average season rolls out 30 arms on MLB mounds, 12 (MLB) + 8 (MLB ready and near ready) doesn’t seem like quite enough quantity. While there is strength in the depth of the MLB Ready and Near Ready pitchers, there probably isn’t the numbers needed to both improve the rotation and improve the bullpen, unless everyone remains healthy and everyone progresses. Even with guys this close, I would call that unlikely. Some of this math probably helps inform the acquisition of Lopez and potentially others to come.

The challenge

If the MLB-ready position group is the biggest challenge, even more perplexing is how to fix it. Waiting doesn’t seem like a grand strategy. Inaction usually isn’t. Money to fill the MLB positional gaps with free agents would alleviate pressure on the AAA team, but non-performance or injury could strike at any time and expose this gap even with heavy spending.

As discussed widely, there are some potential redundancies at starting pitcher and catcher that could be dealt to fill some of these holes with trades. The match-ups don’t seem that great in the market, but it only takes one.

The longer-term option would be to take the MLB players closest to free agency (Burleson, Pallante) and deal them to acquire near-ready MLB talent. This would be unpopular with the fanbase, who are growing restive and perhaps a bit tired of the perceived slow pace of the rebuild. Plus, acquiring near-MLB ready talent is no guarantee they become impactful, which would submarine the whole affair. High risk, for sure. Even with the keen talent evaluation skills of this management group.

This bifurcated off-season should be fascinating to watch unfold.

For the first time since November 2023, someone other than Aaron Judge won the AL MVP award last night, with Yordan Alvarez taking home his first MVP. The last full-season AL MVP to go to someone other than Judge or Shohei Ohtani was Mike Trout in 2019. The junior circuit has been to an extent defined for the last decade by the exploits of those three greats, Judge, Ohtani, and Trout, though Alvarez’s breakthrough probably represents more of a career peak for the DH than it does a passing of the torch.

It’ll be a relatively quiet day on the site as we ease into another offseason weekend. In the morning, you can catch Josh’s discussion of Luis Garcia’s Jr.‘s fine, if lackluster, debut with the Yankees, as well as Matt’s appreciation of Mel Stottlemyre, who would’ve turned 85 today.

Questions/Prompts:

1. If the Yankees were to deal from their starting pitching surplus this winter, who would you most expect them to shop, and who would you be most OK with them shopping?

2. Which of last night’s MVP award winners has the best shot at going back-to-back next year? And which of the Cy Young Award winners?

Astros' Yordan Alvarez and Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong win 2026 MLB MVP awards originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Major League Baseball has crowned two first-time MVP winners in 2026.

Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs were named the AL and NL Most Valuable Players on Thursday.

The 29-year-old Alvarez and 24-year-old Crow-Armstrong were the runaway winners, taking home the awards unanimously.

Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals finished behind Alvarez in the AL voting. Crow-Armstrong ended Shohei Ohtani’s streak of three straight MVPs, with the Los Angeles Dodgers star finishing second and Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang in third.

This year marks a changing of the guard after years of dominance by Ohtani and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. They were the MVPs in both 2024 and 2025, and at least one of them had been an MVP every year from 2021-25. Both players battled injuries throughout this season, with Judge playing just 66 games and Ohtani hitting his fewest home runs (30) since 2020.

Alvarez, the 2019 Rookie of the Year, had a standout season to carry the Astros to the AL West title, despite going just 81-81. He set a career-high with 42 home runs and 106 RBIs, and he led MLB in walks (109), batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.432), slugging (.601) and OPS (1.033).

After battling injuries in 2025, Alvarez played 158 games in 2026 while making his fourth All-Star appearance (and second start at DH). He hit three grand slams in June alone, becoming the 11th player in MLB history to pull off that feat.

Alvarez previously finished third in MVP voting in 2022, and this is his third top-10 finish. He joins teammate Jose Altuve (2017) and Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell (1994) as just the third Astro to win the award.

Crow-Armstrong’s MVP campaign came in his third season, and his victory was emphatic. He led the NL in runs (119), home runs (45), slugging (.570), OPS (.943) and WAR (9.8) while playing all 162 games.

In addition to his prowess at the dish, Crow-Armstrong won the Gold Glove in center field and stole 41 bases. He was just the seventh player in MLB history to achieve a 40-40 season (40 home runs, 40 stolen bases).

Crow-Armstrong is the ninth Cub to win MVP, joining Gabby Harnett (1935), Phil Cavarretta (1945), Hank Sauer (1952), Ernie Banks (1958 and 1959), Ryne Sandberg (1984), Andre Dawson (1987), Sammy Sosa (1998) and Kris Bryant (2016).

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: The Yankees are seeking upgrades in several spots this offseason, and McDonald provides a useful overview of the latest rumblings of what they might do. Perhaps the most eye-catching name mentioned is Corey Seager, who Jon Heyman claims that the Yankees have talked to the Rangers about. Color me skeptical for a variety of reasons: Seager has full no-trade protection, and as an oft-injured middle infielder on the wrong side of 30, I’m not sure he’s worth taking on the remainder of his contract, or shelling out prospect capital to get the Rangers to eat some of it. Elsewhere, the Yankees have been connected to Luis Arraez and Brandon Lowe at second base, and Carson Kelly at catcher. Of course, the CBA negotiations cast a pall of uncertainty over everything, and it’s possible that the Yankees will stay put until a deal is within sight.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: The narrative around how Anthony Volpe turned his season around following his second minor-league stint in 2026 is a bit overblown – he had a 95 wRC+ from September 10 onwards, which is above his career average but still nothing to write home about – but it was nice to see him hit for a respectable average and regain his mojo defensively over the stretch run. Apparently, a talk with Scott Boras might have been the catalyst for Volpe’s bounceback. Volpe reportedly reached out to Boras sometime this year to collect feedback about his game. Although it’s not clear what advice was given, there’s reason to believe Boras knows what he’s talking about; before he became the game’s premier agent, Boras was a second baseman in the St. Louis Cardinals’ system. Evidently, Volpe must have appreciated the feedback, as he dropped his former agency, WME Sports, to sign with Boras Corp. just before the playoffs. One can only hope that Boras’ Volpe-whispering powers will lead to an even better 2027 campaign from the embattled infielder.

MLB.com | Jim Callis: Finally, another story from the AFL; after stalling as a catching prospect, 24-year-old Antonio Gomez is now trying to make it as a flamethrowing reliever. The Yankees signed Gomez out of Venezuela in 2018 based on his arm strength, but while his defense progressed throughout the minors, his bat couldn’t keep up. In 2025, the Yankees approached him about giving pitching a chance, and while the results haven’t quite been there yet, the raw stuff is impressive – triple digits on his heater, with a mid-90s cutter, an upper-90s sinker, and a mid-80s slider. I have a soft spot for prospects with unusual development paths, so I’ll be rooting for Gomez to harness his stuff.

San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller was voted the National League Reliever of the Year for 2026. He received all 30 first-place votes from the members of the BBWAA. This is the first time the award has been given out. He also won the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award, which is voted on by the relievers in baseball. That honor was also announced on Wednesday.

Miller led all NL relievers with a 1.67 ERA in 66 appearances and 70 innings pitched. He also had the highest strikeout rate among NL relievers at 47.3%. Miller set new highs for workload in his first full season with the Padres and had one of the most dominant starts to a season ever seen in baseball. He didn’t allow a run until his tenth appearance, and it was unearned. His first earned run didn’t occur until his 14th appearance. During that stretch, he had a 61% strikeout rate.

Miller was somewhat less effective at the end of the season and in the playoffs, probably due to the unprecedented workload. He expressed a desire to be better going forward, stating, “I saw my consistency falter toward the end of the year… just find a way to be even more consistent and put together a complete season.”

Miller overcame significant obstacles during his remarkable season. He missed time with a family illness and bereavement, as well as leaving to attend the birth of his first child during the playoffs.

Padres named to All-MLB First Team 

Padres closer Mason Miller and RF/2B Fernando Tatis Jr. were named to the All-MLB First Team on Wednesday. Major League Baseball presents the All-MLB First Team as part of their MLB Awards in Las Vegas. The award recognizes the best player at every position, including five starting pitchers and two relievers.

Miller and Louis Varland of the Toronto Blue Jays were the two relievers honored.

Tatis was named for his work in the outfield, along with Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs and Jackson Chourio of the Brewers.

HOUSTON, TX – Tonight on MLB Network, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) named DH/LF Yordan Alvarez the 2026 American League Most Valuable Player. Alvarez won the award over the Rays 3B Junior Caminero and the Royals SS Bobby Witt Jr. in the voting.

Alvarez, 29, won his first career MVP award and became the third player in franchise history to earn the honor, joining 2B Jose Altuve in 2017 and 1B Jeff Bagwell in 1994. Alvarez batted .316 (179×567) with 105 runs, 34 doubles, one triple, 42 home runs, 106 RBI, 109 walks and a 1.033 OPS in 158 games. He led the AL in batting average, OPS, slugging percentage (.601), on-base percentage (.432), total bases (341), walks (109), intentional walks (33), wRC+ (181), OPS+ (190) and extra-base hits (77), while also ranking tied for second in home runs, second in RBI, second in hits, fourth in doubles and fourth in runs scored. Additionally, Alvarez was the only player in the Majors this season to post an OPS over 1.000.

Alvarez won the American League and Major League batting titles, becoming the third player in franchise history to win a batting title, joining 1B Yuli Gurriel (2021) and 2B Jose Altuve (2014, 2016-17). He also became just the third player since 1970 to win the AL batting title while hitting 40-or-more home runs, joining NYY OF Aaron Judge (2025) and DET 1B Miguel Cabrera (2012-13). Alvarez set the Astros franchise record with 33 intentional walks, which was just three shy of the all-time AL record, set by Judge in 2025 (36).

This season, Alvarez won three AL Player of the Week honors along with two AL Player of the Month honors. He was also selected to his fourth career All-Star Game, and it was the second time that he was voted as a starter (also, 2024).

Last night, Alvarez received the AL Hank Aaron Award, the AL Comeback Player of the Year, the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award and was an All-MLB First Team selection.

Evan Phillips is on the move. The 32-year-old right-handed relief pitcher signed a three-year, $35 million deal with the Atlanta Braves on the Thursday, Nov. 12, putting an end to his six-year run with the Los Angeles Dodgers that began when they claimed him off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays in August 2021.

In that time, Phillips became one of manager Dave Roberts' most trusted high-leverage arms, posting a 2.37 ERA over 224 innings pitched with 256 strikeouts compared to just 58 walks and a 0.95 WHIP. Phillips finished in the top 10 in the NL in saves in both 2023 and 2024.

His best work, however, came in October.

He has not allowed a run over 18⅓ innings in 17 career postseason outings with 24 strikeouts and was a key member of the "Dawgs" bullpen that carried the Dodgers to the 2024 World Series. Phillips missed most of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery that May, but returned to form in July, posting a 1.08 WHIP with a 3.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 26 innings in 31 appearances.

Phillips' fastball looked better than ever in 2026, averaging a career-high 96.9 mph and topping out at triple digits for the first time in his career. His sweeper, however, is where he does the most damage, drawing a 39.5% strikeout rate and a 34.3% whiff rate while holding batters to just .059 against it.

Evan Phillips, K'ing the Side in the 7th pic.twitter.com/f9SNROIBj2

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 12, 2026

But more than any stat that can be quantified, the Dodgers are losing a clubhouse leader in Phillips, and they could soon lose even more than that considering Alex Vesia's robust free-agent market. There are free agents out there for the Dodgers to pursue, though top-end names such as Adrian Morejon and Raisel Iglesias seem unlikely. Brusdar Graterol hasn't pitched in a game since 2024, but he could be a candidate to return.

The Dodgers do have other high-leverage arms already in-house that they trust as well. Jack Dreyer and Edgardo Henriquez, in particular, could both be in line for more responsibilities.

Though losing Phillips is a blow to LA's pen, they do have other avenues to explore at the position.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How big of a loss is Evan Phillips for the Los Angeles Dodgers?

LAS VEGAS — They dined, rolled the dice, pulled the slots, and did a whole lot of talking before departing Thursday from the Major League Baseball General Manager meetings at the Aria Resort & Casino.

GMs and executives said they talked to every single team and dozens of agents, but the only major move was Atlanta signing veteran free-agent reliever Evan Phillips to a three-year, $35 million contract.

While the Milwaukee Brewers have become the gold standard, as Erik Neander, Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations said on his way out of town, the World Series championship serves as a subtle reminder that minor moves, or even gambling by trading away proven veterans for prospects, can pay massive dividends.

Executives have no idea whether there will be a salary cap, a modified economic system or the status quo, but they know they need to be ready to act, and can’t afford to just sit back and wait.

There will be a flurry of signings beginning Thanksgiving weekend right up until 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1, and potential trades waiting for those who miss out on their desired free agents.

“In terms of evaluating players, talking to agents and individual players,’’ A.J. Preller, Padres president of baseball operations said, “we’ve been doing what we do every offseason. It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen, or what the exact system is going to be, but if we see something that makes sense, wer’e going to be prepared to act on it.’’

Here’s what we’re hearing as the executives traveled home dreaming of Tarik Skubal anchoring their rotation for what could be an awfully long winter:

MLB rumors from GM Meetings

– The New York Mets are downplaying their chances of signing Skubal to everyone who’ll listen, but their rivals believe that they could be the Los Angeles Dodgers' stiffest competition for his services. The Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays joining the Mets with scheduled meetings with Skubal before Thanksgiving.

– Skubal and agent Scott Boras is making it clear to teams they have no interest in a short-term deal, and yes, you better come in with an offer exceeding $325 million if you want a seat at the high-stakes table.

– The Toronto Blue Jays, who signed Dylan Cease to a six-year, $210 million contract last winter, are poised to be in the running for Skubal, and if they don’t land him, will pivot to the likes of Michael King, Trevor Rogers and Sonny Gray and Tyler Mahle. And yes, if Kevin Gausman and Max Scherzer want to return, they’ll talk to them too.

“If you saw Scherzer’s last game," Boras said, “you’ll understand he’s far from Max’d out."

– The Milwaukee Brewers are telling teams that All-Star catcher William Contreras is staying put, and that they’d love to sign him to a contract extension. They are listening to offers, however, for closer Trevor Megill.

– The San Francisco Giants will not trade ace Logan Webb, no matter how many teams continue to ask for the ace. The Giants want to add starters, but subtract, and are interested in seeking at least two free-agent starters, but that the Skubal’s price-tag is too high for their liking.

– Alex Anthopoulos, Atlanta president of baseball operations, made it loud and clear that Ronald Acuña Jr. is staying put, saying there have been zero conversations about trading him, and there will be none.

– The Phillies may not be interested in bringing him back, but infielder Alec Bohm has become a big attraction with the Yankees and Mets, meeting with each team in Las Vegas. Bohm hit .248 with 15 homers and 88 RBIs, and had a terrific second half hitting .298 with 41 RBIs.

– The Padres, with the new ownership of Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano declaring they're "all in" are interested in virtually every single starting pitcher in hopes of remaking their rotation.

“I think the biggest thing with Kwanza and Jose is they got a taste of it," Preller said of last season, “seeing a team go back to the playoffs, playing a super competitive series in the Division Series. They have an appetite to put a really good team on the field, understanding that it takes resources and it takes people to do that.’’

– Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato is the position player everyone wants, and he’s the top position player choice for the Phillies, Yankees, Mets and Padres. He likely will wind up playing the outfield, scouts insist.

– Rival teams say they would be stunned if the Boston Red Sox don’t trade Jarren Duran this winter after hitting a career-low .207 with a .266 on-base percentage and .361 slugging percentage. If they move Duran, it could put them in line for free-agent outfielder Randy Arozarena.

“He’s a model of consistency and he’s done it in a market where right-handed hitters go to die," Boras said of Arozarena. “He’s 20-20 every year, multiple All-Star teams… This rose has no thorns, and all the teams, frankly, they’re feeling really Randy."

– The Chicago Cubs, who have five free-agent starters, would love to bring back Clay Holmes and David Peterson.

– The Phillies informed several agents they don’t believe prized infield prospect Aidan Miller will be ready to be an everyday player at the outset of next season, and will need more time in the minor leagues.

– The Minnesota Twins told agents that they plan to spend money this winter, and that includes bringing back free-agent catcher Ryan Jeffers, who plans to reject their $23.15 million qualifying offer.

“We have made it clear that we’d love to have him back,’’ GM Jeremy Zoll said.

– The Tampa Bay Rays plan to keep ace Drew Rasmussen, who’s one year away from free agency, but could trade Shane McClanahan or Ryan Pepiot to fit in the return of free agent starter Nick Martinez.

– Free agent left fielder Ian Happ, the four-time Gold Glove winner with the Chicago Cubs, is drawing serious interest from the Seattle Mariners, who badly want to improve their defense.

“The left side of our infield, the left side of our outfield," Jerry Dipoto, Mariners president of baseball operations said, “are both areas of need. ... A priority for us is to get better offensively, but the max priority is to button up our defense.’’

– Teams have inquired about veteran infielder Ernie Clement from the Blue Jays and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, while free-agent shortstop J.P. Crawford is drawing interest with the Mariners having no interest in bringing him back.

– Teams may be reticent trading for a player with only one year remaining on the contract considering that the pending lockout could shorten the 2027 season, but then again, if you win a World Series title, it still counts the same.

“I’m not saying it’s not in the back of people’s minds,’’ Dave Dombrowski, Phillies president of baseball operations, “but I think everybody feels at some point you’re going to have a season. So even if you have a shortened season, if you got a guy that helps you win a championship, you’re happy with it.’’

– The Padres are considering returning Fernando Tatis Jr. to the infield if they land a free-agent outfielder, moving him to second base. While he has been a Gold Glove outfielder, he had a .769 OPS playing in right field last season but a .974 OPS at second base.

– While the Seattle Mariners are expected to trade one of their starting pitchers for position player help, such as George Kirby or Emerson Hancock, Dipoto declared at the GM meetings that prized pitching prospect Ryan Sloan is off limits.

– Veteran reliever Jonathan Loaisiga was left having to sign a minor-league contract last spring with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but after his stellar season, yielding a 2.42 ERA in 67 innings, he now may receive a multi-year big-league deal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What I'm hearing on Tarik Skubal and the biggest MLB rumors at GM Meetings

The Yankees are looking to take a page out of the Dodgers’ book.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, former Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates is among the candidates for the Yankees’ vacant hitting coach job.

Last Friday, the Dodgers had an unexpected coaching staff shakeup when Bates and the Dodgers parted ways after they couldn’t come to terms on a multiyear contract extension.

Bates had been in the Dodgers’ organization for 12 years, spending his first four as a minor-league hitting coach and then his final eight (2019-2026) as an assistant hitting coach. He eventually was co-hitting coach with Robert Van Scoyoc.

Bates won three World Series with Los Angeles and played a key role in the club’s back-to-back World Series championships in 2024 and 2025.

Last season, the Dodgers’ lineup finished as the third best in MLB, having a .257 batting average, 204 home runs, 756 RBIs and 801 runs.

New York’s hitting coach opening came after James Rowson, who had an expiring contract, left to join the San Francisco Giants coaching staff on Wednesday.

During Rowson’s tenure, he helped the Yankees reach the World Series in 2024, but they were eliminated in the ALDS the last two years.

Last season, the Yankees’ lineup was tough to figure out. They finished in the bottom five for team average (.235) but also finished second in home runs (223), tied for 10th in RBIs (706) and ninth in runs (739).

Yankees assistant hitting coaches Casey Dykes and Jake Hirst’s futures with the club remain unclear, according to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.

Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros and Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs have been named the A.L. and N.L. Most Valuable Players, respectively. Each was a unanimous winner.

Finishing in second place in the American League was Junior Caminero of the Rays, who got 27 second place votes and three third place votes. Bobby Witt, Jr., narrowly edged out Cam Schlittler for third place, while Pete Alonso finished in fifth place.

Ezequiel Duran of the Texas Rangers appeared on two ballots — Sam Blum had him in 10th place on his ballot, and Evan Grant put him 9th.

As far as the more idiosyncratic votes go, Dillon Dingler of the Tigers appeared on two ballots, but one of those, by Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, had him fifth. Judge was one of two voters who omitted Schlittler altogether. Munetaka Murakami appeared on one ballot, and was sixth on that ballot. That ballot, by Paul Hoynes, was the other ballot that didn’t include Schlittler.

The complete A.L. results can be found here.

On the National League side, Shohei Ohtani finished in second place, getting 26 second place votes, two third place votes and two fourth place votes. Brice Turant, Elly de la Cruz and Jacob Misiorowski rounded out the top five.

Kyle Schwarber finished 11th, appearing on just 10 ballots, but did get a second place vote, from Ricke Cerrone of Baseball Digest. He also was the lone voter to have the Braves’ Ozzie Albies on his ballot — he put Albies sixth, Alec Burleson 9th, and Brandon Lowe 10th. Andy Pages and Jordan Walker each appeared on one ballot apiece, and on each they got a 6th place vote. Sal Stewart got one seventh place vote. Matt Olson got exactly one vote in every spot on the ballot except first and second, where he didn’t get any votes, and 9th, where he got three votes.

The full National League results can be found here.

On Thursday evening, the BBWAA announced the two MVP’s. It comes as no surprise that Yordan Álvarez took home the American League crown while Pete Crow-Armstrong took it home for the National League. Both awards were unanimous.

That said, Gabriel Moreno — fresh off his All-MLB First Team selection yesterday and Gold Glove win a few weeks ago — finished sixth in the NL race. He received three third place votes, beating out Fernando Tatís of the San Diego Padres and finishing just behind NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the only Diamondback to earn votes.

Here are the full results:

Here are the full NL MVP voting results: pic.twitter.com/Y1APtA8JvB

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) November 13, 2026

Across a career-high 130 games in 2026, Moreno slashed .311/.388/.488 with 33 doubles, one triple and 16 home runs. He also plated 83 runs and scored 72 times. He struck out 14.6% of the time and walked 11.1% — all good for a wRC+ of 141 and 6.7 rWAR. He also won the batting title with that .311 average, and is awaiting the results of the Silver Slugger race.

The Diamondbacks have never had an MVP in their 28-year history, but have gotten close a number of times:

• Geraldo Perdomo — fourth in 2025
• Ketel Marte — fourth in 2019; third in 2024
• Corbin Carroll — fifth in 2023 (also won Rookie of the Year)
• Paul Goldschmidt — second in 2013; second in 2015; sixth in 2017
• Luis Gonzalez — third in 2001
• Matt Williams — third in 1999

This marks the fourth-straight season that the Diamondbacks have had a Top 6 MVP finisher.

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