CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 30: Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates a strikeout during the sixth inning in Game One of the American League Wildcard Series against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field on September 30, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Today, let’s talk about the Guardians’ young rotation.
From July to the end of the season, Gavin Williams had a 2.48 ERA and a 3.80 xFIP with a 9.68/3.49 K/BB/9.
From July to the end of the season, Joey Cantillo had a 2.96 ERA and a 3.78 xFIP with a 9.67/3.76 K/BB/9.
From August 15th to the end of the season, Tanner Bibee had a 3.35 ERA and a 3.91 xFIP with a 7.49/2.17 K/BB/9.
In September, Slade Cecconi had a 3.90 ERA and a 3.75 xFIP with a 7.80/1.80 K/BB/9.
Parker Messick had a 2.72 ERA with a 3.15 xFIP and a 8.62/1.36 K/BB/9.
Logan Allen also pitched.
Overall in 2025, the Guardians’ starters ranked 10th in ERA at 3.86. From July to the end of the season, they were 6th with a 3.69 ERA.
Where will they find themselves at the end of 2026? Look into your crystal orbs and let us know!
Sep 25, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung (6) stretches on the field before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Lenyn Sosa looks to have more time perfecting his bubble-blowing on the bench in 2026.
With Spring Training about to spring up, several sites have predicted a probable White Sox starting lineup for 2026, from the major sports outfits to blogs like our own. On none of them (at least none I’ve seen) is the Sox leading homer-hitter of 2025 anywhere to be seen. Well, anywhere except as a possible sub.
Whither indeed, Lenyn Sosa?
Such an omission would have been expected in any prior year, since until 2025 Sosa compensated for terrible fielding by not hitting a lick, either. Back then, it would have been no surprise if he was just dumped altogether. But this past season he not only led the Sox in dingers with 22 but he even hit .264, nearly 20 points higher than the MLB average and his own career level.
Those batting improvements, incidentally, came at the expense of right-handed pitchers. Prior to 2025, Sosa’s splits were a typical .637 OPS vs. righties and .732 vs. lefties. Last year, though, he hit southpaws about the same (.740) but took a big jump up to a .723 OPS vs. northpaws.
So why is he probably the odd man out in the infield with the addition of Munetaka Murakami to play first, given Lenyn played a lot more at second — 99 games to 42? Horrible defense is the primary reason, which is a quandary.
Way back in 2020, when Sosa was the No. 30 ranked prospect in the White Sox system according to MLB, the scouting report on his D said his “instincts should help him make plays and his hands are very reliable.” Huh?
You get the feeling whoever wrote that report had never seen Sosa play. Watch him a few times and you’ll inevitably come to the conclusion you’ve never seen a professional infielder, major or minor, with less in the way of baseball instincts. Heck, he seldom seems to know where to be or what to do. Hope that scout got a nice retirement package on his way to the home.
Murakami has a reputation as a lousy defender himself (so much for Chris Getz’s vow for improved defense). But if it turns out Murakami really can hit pitches faster than 92 mph, his potentially amazing offense will more than atone for any lapses while in the field.
Sosa has no such upside.
BUT IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT DEFENSE
Definitely not. Otherwise Sosa would be written into the DH slot ahead of whichever catcher isn’t behind the plate and such fellow fielding embarrassments as Andrew Benintendi. No, there’s also the small matter of getting on base.
In previous seasons, Lenyn was hard-pressed hit the ball very often, but in 2025 he did better at that — especially at taking balls off the plate outside to right field. The problem is accepting called balls at all.
Last season, Sosa drew 18 walks in 544 plate appearances. Yep, fewer than one every 30 trips to the plate, second-worst in all of MLB to Michael Harris of Atlanta (who had the compensation of being an excellent center fielder and stealing a bunch of bases when he did get on.) That rate wasn’t an anomaly, either, but right in line with Lenyn’s 36 career walks in 1,122 trips to the plate.
Much of that was because of poor plate discipline, but not all. His 40.9% chase rate in 2025 was bad, in the worst 3% of all MLB batters, but not as amazingly bad as the next-to-worst-of-all walk rate. And Sosa only struck out 23.3% of the time, so he was hitting some of those balls he chased.
GOTTA HAVE HIM IN THE CLUTCH, THOUGH, RIGHT?
Well, er, uh, no.
Baseball-Reference has a category to measure clutch hitting, and it shows Sosa has been clutch-ing. In the “Late & Close” line, he has career slash of .156/.193/.225 and even fewer walks than in other situations, four in 184 times up. That would indicate you not only don’t want Sosa as a pinch-hitter, you want to pinch-hit for him when the going is tough.
Contrast that godawful .419 OPS to a hefty .799 when the Sox are ahead. Lenyn thrives on non-adversity.
Now, in fairness, in late and close situations you’re more likely to face the other team’s best relievers. But still …
WHAT NOW?
Sosa is out of options, so parking him in Charlotte to wait for injuries may not work. Some team who sees the HR numbers from 2025 might want to gamble a waiver claim.
MLB Trade Rumors included a paragraph on Sosa as part of a longer piece on the Sox Thursday, and quoted Getz as saying, “There’s a little redundancy with the right-handed corner bats.” Apparently Getz, observant as always, hasn’t noticed Murakami hits lefty. Still, that’s not much of a plug for Sosa, and MLBTR doubts he has much trade value.
Thus, it looks like a lot of bench time. And that time could get even longer if the Rangers and Mets were right that Luisangel Acuña is as bad as an outfielder as he is excellent as an infielder and he moves in to second base ahead of Chase Meidroth, who himself is fun to watch there but very inconsistent.
SO?
So Sosa, so-so. But probably not “so-long.” At least so far.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 12: Kyle Farmer #6 of the Colorado Rockies is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a home run against the San Diego Padres during the fourth inning at Petco Park on September 12, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Earlier this week, the Atlanta Braves announced 24 non-roster invites to spring training. On Friday, that number increased, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported that Kyle Farmer will also be at camp as a non-roster invite.
The Braves added Marist and UGA product Kyle Farmer to their list of NRIs . Seems to be a good fit for an Opening Day roster spot. Dubon will move from SS to LF on nights when Yaz is pinch hit for against LHPs. Mateo and Farmer would be backup INF options
Farmer spent 2025 with the Colorado Rockies, where he hit .227 and spent time all around the infield. He’s not the flashiest name in camp, but he is someone to keep an eye on this spring.
More Braves News: The television saga continues, as it was reported that the Braves are looking into connecting with the Hawks.
The New York Yankees re-signed 1B Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year deal. The financials have not been reported, but his contract is expected to be around $5M.
Los Angeles, CA - January 31: Los Angeles Dodgers fans take photos of Shohei Ohtani while he speaks the press during Dodgerfest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Here are a few more Dodgers-related stories for your Saturday morning.
Baseball historian Adam Darowski is part of the design team at Sports Reference. On Wednesday he offered this historical nugget about a 1940s Dodgers target for integration before Jackie Robinson — Silvio Garcia. Darowski also chronicled Garcia’s nearly three-decade playing career that included both playing shortstop and pitching.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 27: A view of the San Francisco Giants Clubhouse Store before a MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs on August 27, 2025 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
As we approach Spring Training and the beginning of the season, we’re going to be doing some questions for y’all about your thoughts about the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general!
Today, we have less of a question and more of a prompt: What grievances do you have with the team going into the 2026 season?
That’s right, it’s a vent-thread. The people have grievances and we want to hear them. Anything from the on-field performance expectations and ownership priorities, down to sections of the ballpark that have cruddy views and food you want to see at Oracle Park.
As a semi-professional airer of grievances, I get the opportunity to complain on a near-daily basis and force you all to hear about it. So now it’s your turn!
What grievances do you have with the team going into the 2026 season?
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 25: A general view of Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 25, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Alright, we did it! Baseball starts on Thursday!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been eagerly awaiting the start of spring training to see how the 2026 Rockies will shape up. But in the meantime, it’s been an incredibly busy week on Purple Row, and here’s what our staff (and a few guests) had to say:
Which storylines are you most interested in watching during spring training? Who do you think is a sleeper to make the Opening Day roster? Let us know in the comments!
CANADA - AUGUST 05: Ruffled feathers. Jays Damaso Garcia; above; and Cliff Johnson ruffled each others feathers last night. Garcia suggested big Cliff move his butt out of the batting cage and plop it on the dogout bench; where it belonged. but johnson didn't warm to the advice. So; push came to shove. (Photo by David Cooper/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
February 7th is a day that doesn’t have much history for birthdays with the Yankees’ organization. In fact, only three players born on that day have ever worn the pinstripes: combining for, essentially, one full season of MLB at-bats between them.
There’s Frank Leja, who had seven combined at-bats with the Yankees from 1954-55 due to “bonus baby” rules at the time holding him back from the minors, beginning and ending his tenure with the team before his 20th birthday. He only managed a small stint with the Los Angeles Angels in 1962, long afterwards. The other player is another player who debuted exceptionally early with the Yankees, but one whose story is (hopefully) not close to complete in former super prospect Jasson Domínguez.
But while Domínguez has the most at-bats of the three, the third player is someone who managed to thrive outside the Bronx, where he got limited at-bats early before putting together an admirable career. That man is the late Dámaso García.
Dámaso Domingo García Born: February 7, 1957 (Moca, Dominican Republic) Died: April 15, 2020 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) Yankees Tenure: 1978-79
García’s path to baseball is an interesting story in it of itself. He started out playing soccer, captaining not only his university team in the Dominican Republic at age 17, but also the national team at the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games in 1974. The host nation went just 1-3 in the group stage, being eliminated, but García scored the opening goal of the tournament against Bermuda.
Soccer had been part of García’s life since he was seven, but he would have a different calling. Epy Guerrero, a scout for the Yankees at the time, was able to get García to join the organization in 1975 despite limited baseball experience. His bat was understandably inconsistent in the minors given his relative inexperience—he would hit for a good average but post-OPS’s below .700 up the ladder—but he made his way to the majors in 1978 after hitting .268 with 22 stolen bases for Triple-A Tacoma. García debuted for the eventual World Series champions on June 24th as an eighth-inning defensive replacement.
#OTD 50 years ago, the New York Yankees signed infielder Damaso Garcia as an amateur free agent.
When mainstay Willie Randolph went down with an injury, García was promoted and presented with an opportunity to show the big-league club what he was about. For the next three weeks, the 21-year-old got a majority of reps at second base, usually being pulled late in games for a pinch-hitter. García struggled, slashing just .195/.227/.195 in 44 plate appearances before being demoted in mid-July and spending the rest of ’78 in Tacoma as the Yankees went back-to-back in the World Series.
Back in Triple-A to start the ’79 campaign (but in Columbus this time!), García played just 34 games and struggled, not making it back to the majors until September due to Randolph’s stranglehold on second base. He was again unimpressive, hitting .263 but with no walks and one extra base hit in 38 plate appearances in 11 games. The signs were there that he was soon to be traded, as he was primarily used at shortstop instead of his natural position.
— Harry Harish sports and more memories (@HarryHaris48861) April 4, 2024
The trade finally did come in the offseason, as the Yankees sent García along with old playoff hero Chris Chambliss and lefty Paul Mirabella to the Toronto Blue Jays on November 1st in exchange for a package of Rick Cerone, Tom Underwood, and Ted Wilborn. Cerone was the man who the Yankees really had their eye on in this trade since they believed that he could help fortify the catching position as they tried shake off the shock of losing Thurman Munson to tragedy. Cerone would get down-ballot MVP votes in an AL East-winning season in 1980, but his bat fell off a cliff after that. Underwood would be a solid starting pitcher for the Yanks for a year and a half, and Wilborn barely played in pinstripes.
Despite García’s impending breakout, the Yankees really had nowhere for him to play. Randolph would be a mainstay for another decade at second base, Bucky Dent would last through ’82 and was a folk hero at shortstop, and Graig Nettles, while in his mid-30s, continued to give the Yankees good at-bats at third base for another few seasons. If García played, say, left field or first base, maybe they would have regretted it more.
García became a full-time starter in Toronto in 1980, coming fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .278 with an 81 OPS+. A broken wrist and a bout with the flu derailed his ’81 campaign, but he returned in ’82 to get down-ballot MVP votes and his first and only Silver Slugger, hitting .310 with 54 stolen bases, accruing a career-high 4.6 rWAR. García once again eclipsed the .300 mark in ’82, but didn’t earn any accolades.
García’s reputation as a great bat-to-ball second baseman finally earned him the All-Star nods in ’84 and ’85 that had eluded him, despite posting worse statistical seasons than he did in ’82 and ’83. He finally got his crack at the postseason in 1985, when the Blue Jays won 99 games and their first AL East crown by two games over García’s old Yankees.
The Jays took a 3-1 series lead on the Kansas City Royals, but saw their World Series hopes go up in flames with three consecutive defeats to the eventual World Series champions. García’s lone RBI in the series came in a 6-2 defeat in Game 7, but he notched a pair of doubles in Game 3 and one in Game 4 in what was an acceptable performance for him in his one and only playoff appearance.
After being Toronto’s leadoff hitter for a half-decade, García was moved down the lineup card in 1986 in what would be a season of drama for the now-29-year-old, who burned his jersey in mid-May due to a brutal slump and got into clubhouse altercations by August, torching his relationship with the franchise he broke out with. He was traded to Atlanta in the offseason, but missed all of 1987 with a knee injury.
García returned in 1988, but was a shell of himself. His career was over by ’89, playing out the string with the Braves and Montreal Expos. He tried to cling to what was left of his career by joining the Yankees for spring training in of 1990, but was cut before Opening Day.
After García retired, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1991 that was supposed to take his life within six months, limiting his motor skills. He defied the odds and recovered in time to throw out the first pitch at a playoff game for the Blue Jays in ’92—prior to Toronto’s eagerly-awaited maiden voyage in the Fall Classic—before slipping away into retirement. García was certainly touched by the moment.
“I couldn’t believe it,” the 35-year-old García told the Toronto Star when he was asked to throw out the first pitch. “I can’t describe the feeling. I thought it was a joke at first. It’s such a nice honor.”
Sadly, García did pass away from cancer just a few years ago, in April 2020. He was 63. We send our best to his friends and family on this more happy anniversary and hope they take comfort in the memories he provided all those years.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Vince Velasquez is the latest MiLB signing for our Cubs, it has been reported. This is in addition to Owen Miller, who has officially adorned the dotted line. The Cubs are filling up around the edges.
I used to love Javy Báez. I still do, but I used to, too. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has filled Boston’s infield hole and so it is more likely that Matt Shaw will remain with the Cubs, at least for now.
Former Cub Michael Hermosillo has joined the Dodgers as a coach, sources reveal. Ryan Brasier is rumored to be heading to Texas. Zac Gallen is said by many to still be on the table. Others say it’s just his agent operating.
And so it goes.
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31, 2025: Mike Elias Executive vice president and General Manager for the Baltimore Orioles talks with Jim Palmer prior to a game against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park on March 31, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
Spring training starts in just a few days, and there is work to be done on the Orioles roster. They need bullpen improvements. They might still be in search of a starting pitcher. And odds are that Mike Elias makes a few more waiver claims because why not.
The trio of Zac Gallen, Justin Verlander, and Lucas Giolito are the guys that most people in the fanbase are holding out hope for at this point. Gallen has the most upside, but perhaps the most risk as well. He will certainly be the most expensive, including a draft pick. Verlander and Giolito have less of a chance to raise the ceiling for the Orioles, but they would solidify things, and that has value.
What’s unclear is how another signing will impact the Orioles in-season maneuvering. If the Orioles are in the playoff mix, we should expect Elias to make some trade deadline additions. Since they haven’t added a “frontline” starter in the offseason, that would likely be their top priority come July. Those sorts of players are expensive, both in terms of prospects and salary. The front office will want to leave some space to add.
According to the latest report from MLB Trade Rumors, the Orioles are at a luxury tax number of $189 million. That is $10 million higher than where they ended the 2025 season, but that was after they had sold off a bunch of players. And it’s not as if they are anywhere close to the luxury tax penalties. Those don’t kick in until $244 million. David Rubenstein said at Pete Alonso’s introductory press conference in December that there was no firm budget for assembling the roster. So, in theory, there is plenty of room to spend.
At the moment, there is no one to spend that money on that makes sense and will make the 2026 Orioles better. That will need to wait until the summer at the earliest.
Unless the Orioles are cooking up another player extension? But even that wouldn’t really impact the 2026 luxury tax number anyway. We can dream.
Cardinals Claim Bryan Ramos | MLB Trade Rumors It seems the Orioles wanted to get at least one of Wilson or Ramos through waivers to keep them in the organization. It worked with Wilson. Right now he seems ticketed for Triple-A Norfolk. Ramos will head to St. Louis for now, but he could always end up back with the Orioles. We know Elias keeps a close eye on the waiver wire.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Scott Feldman turns 43 today. He, along with Steve Clevenger, was the return the Orioles got from the Cubs when trading away Jake Arrieta (and Pedro Strop). Feldman had a 4.27 ERA over 15 starts for the Orioles in 2013. Arrieta was…better.
Jon Leicester celebrates his 47th birthday. He pitched in 10 games for the 2007 Orioles.
Dave Borkowski turns 49. He had a 17-game stint with the Orioles during the 2004 campaign.
Benny Ayala is 75. His stay with the Orioles went from 1979 through ‘84. During that time he appeared in two World Series, including a key pinch-hit single in Game 3 of the ‘83 Series.
The late Al Smith (b. 1928, d. 2002) was born on this day. He spent one season in Baltimore, 1963. He posted a 111 OPS+ with 10 home runs that year.
This day in O’s history
2012 – The KBO files a protest against the Orioles for their signing of 17-year-old pitcher Seong-min Kim. The protest alleges that the O’s failed to inform the KBO of its negotiations with Kim, which they are required to do. In the days to come, MLB will void Kim’s contract to maintain a positive relationship with Korea and the KBO.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 22: General view of Dodger Stadium for the final game of the 2017 World Baseball Classic between Puerto Rico and the United States March 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The sixth iteration of the World Baseball Classic will begin soon, continuing one HELL of a sports stretch over the next few weeks. I mean, we’ve got the Olympics, Super Bowl, and Grapefruit League action–the holy trinity, if you ask me–coming right up.
WBC rosters were released Thursday night, exactly a month before the action starts on March 5. Luckily for us, the Red Sox will be sending a healthy delegation to represent a total of 13 of the 20 teams competing in the international competition. 14 players across the Sox’s major and minor league levels will be playing in the WBC; that’s an increase over the 11 players we sent for the 2023 tourney, so I guess that’s cool.
If you’re looking for a guide to point to where your rooting interest should lie — with regards to the Red Sox — then look no further.
United States: Garrett Whitlock
Just one player in Boston’s system will be representing the Stars and Stripes in 2026, but it’s one of our better players. Whitlock earned his way onto Team USA on the back of a 183 ERA+ in 2025. The runners-up in the previous tourney will hope that execution will carry over to give the Americans their second WBC title.
Mexico: Jarren Duran
The speedy outfielder will once again represent our neighbors to the south. Mexico acted as a sort of Cinderella last time around; they nearly knocked off the eventual champions in the semifinals back in 2023. No official word on whether or not Duran will be bringing the sombrero back into the dugout next month.
Venezuela: Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras, and Ranger Suárez
Venezuela boasts the most amount of Boston-based talent in the 2026 WBC, as a trio of Sox will represent their home country. It’ll be fun to watch new additions Contreras and Suárez in action, while I’m hoping that Wilyer will be able to display some power to get me excited for the upcoming MLB season.
Dominican Republic: Brayan Bello
After a (generally speaking) solid 2025 campaign, the 26-year-old righty got the nod from one of the tournament’s favorites. La República Dominicana certainly has the offensive firepower to hang with the best of the best, but Bello could play a very important role in their title chase; will he be able to elevate his game and get off to the best start possible in 2026 after a frustrating end to the previous season?
Japan: Masataka Yoshida
The Macho Man himself is back with the defending champs. We were getting our first taste of Yoshida back in the last WBC in 2023, after he inked his deal with the Sox in December of 2022. Since then, things haven’t been………….consistent, let’s leave it at that. Regardless, he’ll have a chance to help Samurai Japan win their second straight WBC championship and fourth overall.
Netherlands: Ceddanne Rafaela
The Dutch are the quintessential “Hey, they could make a big run” WBC team. Maybe the Netherlands seems like an unassuming baseball nation, but all of the islands that make up the lion’s share of the team (Xander Bogaerts’ home of Aruba and Ceddy’s home of Curaçao, for example) have some incredible players. Perhaps the best center fielder in the world will be representing Holland in 2026 — maybe we can call him “The Flying Dutchman” for this tourney?
Italy: Greg Weissert
G-Reg knows a thing or two about this thing of ours. After posting a sub-3.00 ERA across 67 (don’t laugh) innings, Weissert will be one of the key components of the Italians’ bullpen. Gli Azzurri has some legit names (Vinnie Pasquantino, Aaron Nola if he ever decides to snap out of whatever funk he’s in, etc.). They could be a dark horse.
Puerto Rico: Jovani Morán
While he only pitched in four innings for the Red Sox in 2025, Morán still qualifies for the list as he’ll be representing the home island of manager Alex Cora. He hasn’t had a ton of run in the majors, but he can initiate more than his fair share of swing-and-misses. If we see more of him in 2026, maybe the WBC will offer a glimmer into our future. I dunno, wishful thinking.
Great Britain: Nate Eaton and Jack Anderson
Nate Eaton could end up being more of a pivotal player for the Sox in 2026 than we currently foresee; he’s shaping up to be a top backup option for our current crop of outfielders, and injuries are to be expected across 162+ games. Before that, though, he’s going to be playing for the Union Jack. Right-handed pitcher Jack Anderson of the AAA WooSox will be as well. In 75.1 innings in Portland last year, the fourth round pick in the 2024 minor league Rule 5 draft had a 3.58 ERA. That’s neat, I guess!
Colombia: Tayron Guerrero
35-year-old Tayron Guerrero hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2019, but he gets a shout-out here because he signed a minor league deal with us last month and he will be playing for Colombia. Cool!
Chinese Taipei: Tsung-Che Cheng
A late addition to this article, as he was just claimed by the Red Sox from the Washington Nationals on Friday! The latest member of Boston’s 40-man roster will be playing for Chinese Tapei on the heels of a .209/.307/.271 campaign across nearly 400 plate appearance while playing for Pittsburgh’s AAA club in Indianapolis. Stay tuned for his “Meet The New Guy” article on OTM.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 05: The New York Mets World Series Championship banners are seen during a game against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on July 05, 2025 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Yankees 12-6. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
What would a successful 2026 season look like for the Mets?
Mar 8, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; the Philadelphia Phillies Phanatic entertains fans during a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Super Bo—
I mean “Big Game” is tomorrow, which means as an Eagles fan, I can only say they are reigning champs for something like 40 more hours.
Which is fine because I am ready for baseball season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts signals for a three-peat during the World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium. (Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)
I just read Bill Shaikin's excellent column contrasting the Dodgers' option to visit the White House with Jackie Robinson's legendary civil rights stands throughout his life.
As a lifetime Dodger fan who has tried to stay as apolitical as possible, I would be absolutely ashamed of my Dodgers if they were to attend this photo op. I was ashamed last year, too. But nowhere near as much as this year.
Please don't go.
Eric Monson Temecula
Just to let Dave Roberts know, there is something bigger than baseball. On the wall in my den are my father’s medals: a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star from when the United States sent my father, Marcelo Villanueva, and others like him, to fight Adolf Hitler.
When our freedoms are being taken away, it’s not OK if you go to the White House and visit the man who is taking them away. Which means my father fought for nothing. You should be ashamed of yourself. You don’t deserve to wear the same uniform Jackie Robinson did.
Ed Villanueva Chino Hills
I agree with Bill Shaikin that for the world champion Dodgers to visit the fascist friendly White House would be an implicit contradiction of Jackie Robinson’s legacy. Most of the players probably don’t care, but you wish a manager like Dave Roberts (in L.A.!) were as smart and sensible as Steve Kerr. Apparently he is not.
Sean Mitchell Dallas
I couldn’t disagree more with Bill Shaikin and his stance that the Dodgers should decline the opportunity to visit the White House. In a world of increasing stresses and dangers, sports is, or should be, a reprieve from the news reported on the front pages. After 9/11, for example, we celebrated the return of baseball as a valued respite from the tragedies we were dealing with. Allow baseball to continue to be this respite, Bill, and stop trying to drag sports into the fray.
Steve Kaye Oro Valley, Ariz.
Bad look, Dave. It doesn’t help to invoke Jackie Robinson, then in the next breath, “I am (just) a baseball manager.”
Can’t have it both ways. Shaikin is right. Decline.
Joel Soffer Long Beach
If Roberts feels he needs to go, he should. But the rest of the team should not. Dodger management should support them. Roberts conveniently thinks that going is not a political statement. It is. Roberts’ going supports Trump. The man who raised him and served this country did not do so to see it under the thumb of a corrupt man who attacks all that it has stood for. Today we are all politically identified by the choices we make. There’s no avoiding it.
Eric Nelson Encinitas
Bill Shaikin nailed it when he talked about and quoted Jackie Robinson and compared him to Dave Roberts' spineless decision to take the Dodgers to the White House. It's "only" sports? A team of this renown, in a city terrorized by ICE, in a state directly harmed by Trump? Thank you, Mr. Shaikin, for calling Roberts out.
Ellen Butler Long Beach
Thank you, Dave Roberts, for making the decision to go to the White House and celebrate our Dodgers' victory in the World Series. It’s a thing called respect for the office of the president no matter what political party is involved. I don’t care about the L.A. Times sports writers' politics, so keep your political opinions out of the Sports pages.
Lance Oedekerk Upland
No defense for Lakers
With the return of Austin Reaves, the Lakers are back to their three scoring leaders, who can't play defense, which doesn't bode well for the Lakers' playoff chances.
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood
By trading for Luke Kennard, who is an excellent shooter but inadequate defender, it seems as though the Lakers will disregard defense in the hopes of outscoring opponents. What's the Lakers' next move, rehiring Mike D'Antoni?
Richard Raffalow Valley Glen
Curses! Clippers fans say
The Bill Plaschke curse is alive and well as described last week. The other one in L.A. is the Clipper curse. With the trade of James Harden to Cleveland for Darius Garland, the curse will be Harden finally winning an NBA championship and Garland continuing to be injury prone and not playing comparable to his past.
Wayne Muramatsu Cerritos
We pause this 17-4 sprint by the Clippers, who are passing teams and headed for playoff contention, for this message from Steve Ballmer and Lawrence Frank: “This is fool's gold. We’re trading away our top players. The season is officially over.”
These trades would have been available at season’s end, maybe even with a better return not under the gun of the trade deadline. Instead, the best of James Harden, Ivica Zubac and a finally healthy Kawhi Leonard has been flushed. Unless there is more to the Leonard story indicating an impending punishment from the NBA, this is an absolute disservice to Clippers fans this year and in immediate years to come.
Robert Goldstone Corona del Mar
High scores for this pair
Your piece on Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner was heartwarming and most enjoyable. My favorite part of their story is simply that, through everything, they’re still good friends.
Anthony Moretti Lomita
Speaking of curses
Since Bill Plaschke is picking the Patriots, I'll select the Seahawks and Sam Darnold to win Super Bowl LX.
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood
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DYERSVILLE, IA - AUGUST 11: An aerial view of the Field of Dreams movie set field at sunrise at Field of Dreams on Thursday, August 11, 2022 in Dyersville, Iowa. (Photo by Quinn Harris/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Baseball season is, finally, just around the corner. It’s also Saturday, a perfect time to fire up some baseball movies to get you ready for spring training.
I am, in addition to my life as a musician and my baseball fandom, a Movie Guy. I teach classes about movies, I have a crippling physical media addiction, and I spend too much time on Letterboxd. Naturally, I am a big fan of baseball movies, as they represent an intersection of my biggest interests.
So I’m here today to give you my personal top five baseball movies. You aren’t going to agree with it, in all likelihood; I batted around some options with friends before writing this and they all vehemently disagreed about something, whether it was something I included or, more often, an omission. Head to the comment section to tell me how you feel, but also, it’s my list — it can’t be wrong!
We’ll get to some honorable and not-so-honorable mentions at the end. Starting at No. 5:
5. A League of Their Own (1992, directed by Penny Marshall)
In anticipation of a possible shutdown of Major League Baseball due to World War II, a women’s baseball league is launched; we follow the Rockford Peaches, with their star catcher Dottie (Geena Davis) and her little sister Kit (Lori Petty), who pitches. Their manager is a drunken ex-MLB star, Jimmy Dugan (played by Tom Hanks and loosely based on Jimmie Foxx).
This is a wonderful film with a lot of baseball, and for large sections it’s very funny; Jon Lovitz has a hilarious brief appearance as a scout, and there’s nice comedic rapport between Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell, two of Dottie and Kit’s teammates. (They’re good, honest!) It has its moments of drama, as well, and thankfully avoids a contrived romance between Dottie (who is married) and Jimmy, despite the studio trying to shoehorn one in (which can be found in a deleted scene that would’ve been a disastrous inclusion).
Dottie is a legitimately fascinating character, someone who is extremely closed off to the point of harming the people around her and who doesn’t really believe women should be playing baseball, but she’s smack in the middle of a film with legitimate feminist credentials.
4. Major League (1989, directed by David S. Ward)
One of the more popular baseball films of all time, this is a story with a somewhat convoluted MacGuffin about a team owner wanting to move the Cleveland Indians to a warmer climate and thus bringing in players who will be terrible, thus tanking attendance and giving her a platform on which to move the team. Of course, this band of misfits — including the aging Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger), the recently incarcerated Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn (Charlie Sheen), the athletic but not exactly talented Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes), a formerly good pretty boy, Roger Dorn, who’s afraid to get dirty (Corbin Bernsen), and a powerful hitter with a serious hole in his swing, Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) — comes together and wildly outperforms expectations.
For Brewer fans, this one is especially notable: while it ostensibly takes place in Cleveland, it was filmed in County Stadium and features Bob Uecker in what was arguably his most legendary on-screen appearance as the team’s very funny play-by-play announcer, Harry Doyle. That’s not all, though: Pete Vuckovich, who won the 1982 Cy Young while pitching for the Brewers, plays the film’s “villain,” Haywood, the big slugger for the Yankees. (Former Dodger catcher Steve Yeager also appears as Duke Temple, an assistant coach.)
The off-the-field stuff in this is kind of lame (there’s a love story between Jake and his ex-wife, played by Rene Russo, and some drama including Wild Thing and Dorn’s wife) but there’s a lot of baseball, a lot of big stars, and Uecker’s important role. I’m also just a huge fan of some of the crowd banter; I still say “too high” about once every other game during the season.
3. Field of Dreams (1989, directed by Phil Alden Robinson)
This would top the list for a lot of people, a fantasy drama about a Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner), an Iowa farmer who builds a baseball field in the middle of a cornfield because he thinks it will allow the long-deceased Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) to come back and play. Amy Madigan also stars as Ray’s wife, James Earl Jones is here as a reclusive ex-writer that’s sort of a cross between James Baldwin and J.D. Salinger, and the legendary Burt Lancaster makes his final feature film appearance before his death in 1994.
There are certainly some nits that can be picked with this film (check out Nick Offerman’s hilarious rant, courtesy of the PosCast), but it also contains an undeniable magic (both literally and figuratively, you might say). It also made a lot of people aware of the story of Shoeless Joe and the Black Sox, even if it’s not completely accurate, and the ending will forever be a moment for dads and sons everywhere.
A missed opportunity: when all the old ballplayers come back at the end (we hear the names Mel Ott, Gil Hodges, and Smoky Joe Wood), it would’ve been a cool twist if some Negro Leagues players were included. Imagine Joe Jackson and Mel Ott playing against Oscar Charleston and Josh Gibson!
This film holds a pretty firm place in American pop culture. You can still visit the field, which is in northeast Iowa (not a long drive from many places in Wisconsin), and they’re now staging major league games there every now and then — in 2026, the Phillies and Twins will play a game there in mid-August.
2. Moneyball (2011, directed by Bennett Miller)
Who would’ve thought that a book about obscure baseball stats and economics would make for a compelling film?
This is arguably the highest-quality movie on this list. It’s beautiful to look at, has an excellent score by Mychael Danna, and has two Oscar-nominated acting performances, from Brad Pitt as Athletics general manager Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as his top assistant, a fictional character that seems to be based mostly on the real-life Paul DePodesta, who was just hired as the GM of the Colorado Rockies. Some call it the best performance of Pitt’s career.
There are other stars here: Robin Wright plays Beane’s ex-wife, a young Chris Pratt plays the catcher-turned-first baseman Scott Hatteberg, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who won an Oscar playing Truman Capote in Miller’s earlier film Capote, plays A’s manager Art Howe.
As for picking nits, the common baseball-related complaint about this movie is that there is nary a mention of the three-headed monster that led the early-2000s A’s rotation, Tim Hudson, Barry Zito, and Mark Mulder, nor the 2002 American League MVP, Miguel Tejada. An uninformed viewer might be led to believe that Hatteberg, 36-year-old David Justice, and middle reliever Chad Bradford were solely responsible for the 103 games that team won.
But honestly if the exclusion of Hudson, Zito, Mulder, and Tejada is ruining this movie for you, you’re a curmudgeon.
1. Bull Durham (1988, directed by Ron Shelton)
Bull Durham is simultaneously a hilarious baseball movie, a romantic comedy, and a moving and rather profound meditation on how we deal with the changing seasons of life. On the surface, it’s a story about a love triangle between a local woman (Susan Sarandon) and two players on opposite ends of their minor league careers: Costner again as Crash Davis, who has had a long and successful minor league career but couldn’t quite make it in the big leagues, and Tim Robbins as a young, stupid, and talented pitcher — this is where the “million-dollar arm and ten-cent head” line comes from.
Ron Shelton, who played minor league baseball, was the writer and director, and the fact that he spent time in the minor leagues is obvious. You will not find a place with funnier or more real-feeling banter between players, and the way it discusses and depicts baseball is intelligent and accurate. The film features a couple of legendary baseball scenes: nothing dramatic, just things like the meeting on the mound (“we’re dealing with a lot of s***!”).
But it’s in the way it seamlessly shifts from a hilarious sports rom-com to an introspective look at a very relatable feeling: well, that’s over, now what? I don’t think I would’ve appreciated this aspect of the film as much when I was younger, but as a guy in his late 30s, I identify deeply with the way Crash must come face-to-face with the end of his playing career and face the next phase of his life.
But even without that, it’s a great romantic comedy and in my opinion the funniest of all baseball movies. One of my favorite movies ever made, of any genre.
Honorable Mentions
The hardest cut for me is The Sandlot, the best of all the 1990s baseball movies for kids. That list also includes Rookie of the Year, Little Big League, and Angels in the Outfield, but The Sandlot is a far superior film. I didn’t see Rookie of the Year until I was an adult, and while there are certain entertaining and/or funny aspects, the baseball is ludicrous and the climactic play is a blatant rule violation. Little Big League is automatically excluded because it stars Pete Crow-Armstrong’s mom. (It does benefit from the inclusion of a large number of real players, including Ken Griffey Jr., Iván Rodríguez, Randy Johnson, Rafael Palmeiro, Tim Raines, and more.) I haven’t seen Angels in the Outfieldsince I was a little kid. I don’t remember liking it.
The Sandlot, though, is pure childhood magic, a mix of the sort of To Kill A Mockingbird-style vignettes of kids in summertime with the fun central story of a kid who doesn’t know ball learning ball. The movie itself knows ball, too, which makes it all the more enjoyable, and it has one of the most memorable ensemble casts in kids’ movie history. Also, an incredible Ray Charles needle drop.
Eight Men Out is another movie from the late 1980s about the Black Sox, this one based on the Eliot Asinof book of the same name that covers the 1919 scandal (a book which, it must be said, has been accused of massaging the truth). The film sort of centers around Buck Weaver (played by John Cusack), who is painted as a mostly innocent participant, and gives a pretty sympathetic view to most of the players involved. It’s good.
Not included because I don’t think it really counts as a baseball movie is another late-80s film, the wonderful The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad. You will see this on lists of baseball movies and it does spend a tremendous amount of time at the ballpark, as the film’s whole climax centers around an elaborate scheme where a brainwashed Reggie Jackson is supposed to assassinate the queen of England. A childhood favorite and one of the great 1980s comedies, just not a real baseball movie.
Speaking of non-baseball movies that feature a lot of baseball, check out Blake Edwards’ Experiment in Terror, a 1962 Hitchcock-esque thriller starring Lee Remick and Glenn Ford. This film also features a climax at a ballpark — in this case Candlestick Park in San Francisco, where the climactic events occur during a Giants/Dodgers game, and we see game action that includes Hall-of-Famer Don Drysdale, star outfielder and unibrow owner Wally Moon, and John Roseboro, the catcher most famous for being the guy Juan Marichal hit with a baseball bat. Anyway, it’s good, and Edwards — who sandwiched this movie in between two major hits, Breakfast at Tiffany’s the year before and The Pink Panther the year after — knew how to make movies.
Those of you looking for something from classic Hollywood might consider checking out 1942’s The Pride of the Yankees, the film made to lionize Lou Gehrig, released just a year after his death. Gary Cooper plays Gehrig, and Babe Ruth appears as himself (alongside a few other Yankees), and it was nominated for a whole bunch of Oscars including Best Actor for Cooper and Best Picture. For some time, Cooper’s version of the “luckiest man” speech was more well-known than the actual Gehrig one, of which we have actual footage (though not of the whole speech). Gehrig delivers it better, in my opinion.
A lesser-known, excellent film that is more a movie about guys who happen to play baseball than it is a baseball movie is 1973’s Bang the Drum Slowly, a drama about a pitcher and catcher for a fictional version of the Yankees who are trying to hide the fact that the catcher is severely ill. The most notable aspect of the film is that the catcher is played by a relatively unknown young actor named Robert De Niro. Six weeks after Bang the Drum Slowly was released in 1973, Mean Streets came out, which kicked off one of the most successful decades in the history of Hollywood, as De Niro would star in The Godfather: Part II, Taxi Driver, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, and The King of Comedy all within the next nine years.
While it doesn’t fit with the rest because it’s not a traditional narrative film, I’m going to give a shoutout to Ken Burns’ Baseball, the 1994 documentary (that had a postscript added in 2010) that does what it does better than any other doc about baseball out there. The number of legendary players included, balanced with (mostly) good journalists and writers, paints a comprehensive picture of baseball from its earliest days to the present. It’s also how the incomparable Buck O’Neil was introduced to much of America, which is possibly its greatest legacy.
Others
First, I will confess a major blind spot in my baseball-movie-watching history: I’ve never seen The Bad News Bears, neither the original 1976 version nor its 2005 remake. I understand that this movie has a loyal following, and it does seem like something I’d like. I tried to watch it this week, but it wasn’t streaming anywhere and I didn’t have enough time to order it. I promise I will get to it!
Some of you are going to yell at me, but I’m going to say it anyway: The Natural is a completely bonkers movie. This film not only asks us to accept 48-year-old Robert Redford as a 19-year-old boy, but it also includes a serial killer who preys on famous athletes, a gambling plot clearly inspired by the Black Sox, a weird love triangle that includes a long-lost son, and a Major League-esque race to win the pennant in order to stick it to an evil owner. There’s also the absurdity that Redford’s Roy Hobbs is given his chance when the guy blocking him from getting into games in the outfield crashes into the fence and dies. It’s basically Eight Men Out, Major League, and The Rookie combined into a single movie, with an added dash of ludicrousness.
I’ll give a quick shout to 2001’s Hardball, a movie where Keanu Reeves plays a degenerate gambler who, in order to pay off his debts, must coach an inner-city baseball team. It’s melodramatic but it’s pretty good, and it features 14-year-old Michael B. Jordan, right before he showed everyone why he’d eventually be a star on HBO’s The Wire.
The Jackie Robinson story was adequately told in 2013’s 42, a not bad but somewhat forgettable film starring the late Chadwick Boseman as Robinson and Harrison Ford as the Dodgers’ GM, Branch Rickey.
Lastly, I’ll mention Mr. 3000, a movie I have never seen. As far as I know it’s the only major film to ever feature the Milwaukee Brewers prominently. Harrison says he loves it but it isn’t good. You can all let me know in the comments.
FWIW, a national SB Nation Reacts survey produced the following results:
