NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 04: Atlanta Braves pitcher Bryce Elder (55) throws a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Minnesota Twins on March 4, 2025, at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s Spring Training Game Thread time. Wooooo.
It’s the very “fun” matchup of Paul Skenes and Bryce Elder, but really, it’s an early Grapefruit League tuneup for both arms.
This game is one of the Spring Training games broadcast on Gray TV, and should be available via MLB.tv as well, regardless of where you are.
The Braves will start the regulars in a home game, as is their wont. The Pirates have kind of a half-and-half lineup as some of their starters are making the trip to North Port. The Braves will get their first look at Marcell Ozuna wearing Pittsburgh’s colors this afternoon.
The wheels of infamy were set in motion on this day, 109 years ago, with the acquisition of Chick Gandil from Cleveland. | (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
1903 Though under contract to the White Sox, shortstop George Davis made it known he intended to go to court in order to break it and return to the New York Giants (“May ask courts for release; Davis has novel idea for jumping contract with White Stockings despite peace” read one headline, with the “peace” referring to the battle for players between the new American and established National League.)
Davis’ decision kicks off a tug-of-war over the superstar that lasted more than eight months. He would in fact report to New York, who paid him but flouted his White Sox contract in only four instances (games on June 26-27, June 30, and July 1 before a court injunction took him off of the field for the Giants).
Only when New York formally waived any rights to Davis, in November, did the shortstop re-join the White Sox to resume his Hall of Fame career.
1917 In an ill-fated move that would stain two pennants and one title over the next three seasons, the White Sox purchased Chick Gandil from Cleveland for $3,500 (close to $100,000 in today’s dollars). Gandil was the ringleader of two scandals involving baseball bribery: the Black Sox in 1919, as well as the lesser-known (and unpunished) payoff of the Detroit Tigers late in 1917 to help ensure the pennant.
Ironic in the Gandil saga (he, of course, was banished form the game along with seven teammates for throwing the 1919 World Series) is that he was a terrible player by the time he came back to the White Sox for a second tour. (Gandil made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 1910.) After strong seasons from 1913-15 with Washington (13.5 WAR, 116 OPS+), his 1916 in Cleveland was poor for a full-time player (1.2 WAR in 602 PAs). With the White Sox, he was even worse, with just 3.6 WAR over 1,562 PAs — not much better than a replacement player.
1946 The White Sox create what is regarded as the first media guide, handed out to beat writers.
Now, clearly there were programs and even media guides published before 1946, even by the White Sox themselves. However, those were often (always?) Spring Training and/or player rosters-only. The guide, written by Marsh Samuel and running 17 pages, actually just triggers a deeper, more interesting story … that the White Sox were once forerunners of the metrics revolution!
According to researcher Alan Kornspan at Cleveland State, beginning in 1946 and following in the footsteps of some other innovative figures (Branch Rickey, for one), Samuel began tracking advanced statistics, likely of his own creation but resembling some of what we see in the metrics world today. Cleveland owner Bill Veeck got wind of what Samuel was doing — and hired him away! At that point, Sox successor Ward Stevens took the reins and continued the work, which was still merely siloed in the PR department — not player evaluation.
However, once Frank Lane was hired as GM — at this time, no one wanted the White Sox GM job, as the team was in hock and possessed a woeful roster — he added Earl Flora as both publicity director but also statistician.
Lane’s pet stat, tracked as a child rooting for the Cincinnati Reds, was RBI with RISP. Under Lane’s direction, Flora started tracking reach percentage (i.e. on-base percentage), base runs (both bases advanced by runners, as well as bases a batter’s hit moved runners) and GWRBI. In fact, Lane felt so strongly that RBIs were an overblown stat that he created his own offshoot: OBR (Opportunities to Bat in Runs), the percentage of time batters drove in RISP.
Without extending this too long, Flora returned to sports editing, to be replaced by future White Sox GM Ed Short, a tireless worker who drove statistical analysis on the South Side to new heights.
But that is a story best continued on another Day in White Sox History.
1997 After a one-season spurt with the White Sox, 34-year-old free agent outfielder Danny Tartabull signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for $2 million. Tartabull had been acquired before the 1996 season to add some punch to an already-formidable White Sox lineup, and punch he did: 27 homers, 101 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .487. However, Tartabull’s defense was so poor in right field as to earn him just 0.6 WAR on the season, so with Albert Belle signed for left field and Dave Martinez coming off of a 4.8 WAR season as a supersub ready to step into right, Tartabull was not re-signed.
And that turned out to be a solid move, because a broken foot limited Tartabull to just three games in 1997, and he never saw the majors after that. Thus the final home run of Tartabull’s 262-dinger career came in a White Sox uniform, at the Metrodome, on Sept. 27, 1996.
Mar 9, 2025; Peoria, Arizona, USA; A general view of the fans in attendance during the early inning of a spring training game between the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images
Hatfields and McCoys. Dominos and Pizza Hut. Coke vs. Pepsi. None of these rivalries hold a candle to the red-hot intensity that awaits in The Battle of Camelback Ranch, as the Dodgers face the White Sox, their spring co-tenants, on Thursday afternoon.
It’s the first of two meetings this spring between the two teams who have called Camelback Ranch home since 2009, with another encounter on the docket for Saturday, March 14. On Thursday, the Dodgers are the home team.
Tyler Glasnow is on the mound for the Dodgers, making his first spring start. Left-hander Sean Newcomb starts for Chicago.
A fly ball fall between Oklahoma City infielder Alex Freeland (5) and Oklahoma City infielder Hyeseong Kim (6) during the home opener Minor League baseball game between the Oklahoma City Comets and the El Paso Chihuahuas at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Dodgers are back on the road Wednesday to play the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. Here are the active players for the fifth game of the Dodgers’ spring, including Roki Sasaki making his first Cactus League start this year.
Lineup
Hyeseong Kim CF Santiago Espinal 3B Dalton Rushing C Alex Freeland 2B Ryan Ward 1B Nick Senzel DH James Tibbs III RF Zach Ehrhard LF Noah Miller SS
Kim starts in center field after two starts this spring at second base. Freeland makes his second start at second base to go with his other two starts at shortstop.
Other pitchers
Edwin Díaz will make his 2026 Cactus League debut on Wednesday, and River Ryan will see his first game action in 563 days after Tommy John surgery in 2024.
Will Klein and Ronan Kopp will each make their second appearances this spring, as will non-roster invitees Chris Campos and Garrett McDaniels.
Other active pitchers on Wednesday are Waytt Crowell (wearing uniform number 01), and Joseilyn Gonzalez (04), Christian Suarez (90), Payton Martin (91), and Cody Morse (93) up from minor league camp.
Other position players
Mike Siani is the other active player from the 40-man roster.
The daily active player group of non-roster invitees Ryan Fitzgerald, Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Kendall George, and Chris Newell are all making the trip, as are catchers Griffin Lockwood-Powell, Nelson Quiroz, and Eliézer Alfonzo.
Up from the minor league side on Wednesday are outfielder Damon Keith (06) plus infielders Sean McClain (44), Jake Gelof (05), and Logan Wagner (96).
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas, who is second on the team with 33 points, will take a temporary leave of absence because of a personal matter.
Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced the leave of absence on Wednesday.
Thomas is expected to return to the team on Friday.
In 42 games, Thomas has 11 goals and 22 assists. He was placed on injured reserve on Jan. 16 with a lower body injury and has not returned. He made his last appearance in a game on Jan. 10 against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Feb 18, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jonah Tong (21) throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
Mets lineup
Carson Benge – RF
Juan Soto – LF
Francisco Alvarez – DH
Mark Vientos – 1B
Hayden Senger – C
Christian Arroyo – 3B
Vidal Brujan – SS
Cristian Pache – CF
Grae Kessinger – 2B
Jonah Tong – RHP
Cardinals lineup
JJ Wetherholt – SS
Jose Fermin – 2B
Nolan Gorman – 3B
Nelson Velazquez – RF
Leonardo Bernal – C
Nathan Church – CF
Joshua Baez – DH
Blaze Jordan – 1B
Chase Davis – LF
Richard Fitts – RHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 1:10 PM EST TV: PIX11 Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road against the Atlanta Braves, where they will try and pick up another win.
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Feb 19, 2026; PortCharlotte, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Brody Hopkins (88) poses for a photo during media day at Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The Tampa Bay Rays top overall prospect will make his spring debut this afternoon, getting the start against the Baltimore Orioles.
There isn’t any radio coverage today, but the Orioles are broadcasting the game so it can be seen on MLB.tv.
That's all sharpshooting Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel needed to get to 200 3-pointers made — he set a new NBA record for fastest to 200 3s, besting former record holder Duncan Robinson by 11 games.
200 THREES FOR KON KNUEPPEL
He got there in just 58 games... the fastest player to reach that mark in NBA history! pic.twitter.com/TV7CZYNXlo
Knueppel has made an NBA-leading 201 3-pointers this season and needs just six more to pass Sacramento's Keegan Murray for the most threes made by a rookie.
Knueppel is averaging 19.3 points and 3.5 made 3-pointers a game while shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc. What really has him neck-and-neck with Dallas Cooper Flagg for Rookie of the Year is that Knueppel has shown off more playmaking and offensive diversity than was expected, as is the fact that he's doing this for a hot Hornets team that appears headed to the play-in in the East.
Who would have thought just two years ago that a Pistons vs. Thunder game would be getting flexed onto ESPN because both teams are number 1 in the Conference. Obviously, that isn’t a huge surprise for the reigning NBA Champs, but the Pistons lost 28 games in a row just 2 years ago, they aren’t supposed to be here this fast.
Monday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs lived up to the hype, but the Pistons ultimately fell as their offense sputtered in the 2nd half. With how reliant they are on inside shooting, facing off against a game-wrecker like Victor Wembanyama is not a good matchup. The Spurs might be the worst matchup for the Pistons for that reason alone.
This isn’t to downplay the Thunder at all, they have the best record in the West for a reason and also sport the number 1 defense in the NBA, just in front of the Pistons. They have length, they are physical, and play just like the Pistons, so this game could get ugly.
Game Vitals
Where: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI When: Wednesday, February 25 at 7:30 pm EST Watch: ESPN or Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Detroit (-7.5)
Analysis
You might be looking at those odds and be in shock, but there is a pretty good reason for it. The Thunder will be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Ajay Mitchell. That does not mean that this will be an easy game. Just like the Pistons, the Thunder are a very deep team and their defensive infrastructure is still in place no matter who is on the court.
It goes without saying how important SGA and Jalen Williams are to the Thunder, but missing Ajay Mitchell is a very underrated loss. He has been a key player off the bench during his breakout season after going in the 2nd round last year. Just another example of the rich getting richer.
With those 3 players out, the Thunder will be forced to rely on Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace to provide more offense. Both players are capable of providing more on offense, but there is a reason why they are complements to SGA and Jalen Williams to a lesser extent.
One player who has really stepped up in the absence of SGA is Isaiah Joe, who scored 22 points on 6-11 shooting from beyond the arc last night against the Raptors. He also had the exact same shooting line in a win against the Cavaliers on Sunday. He is a lethal shooter who can take over a game if left open, so the Pistons will need to adjust their defensive gameplan so they are not leaving him open like they did for the Spurs shooters on Monday.
The easy explanation for that is that the San Antonio Spurs have Victor Wembanyama, who is such a threat on both ends of the court that you have to change everything about how you play in order to stop him. For the Pistons, that meant putting extra pressure on him and leaving shooters open and letting your half court offense get completely stifled by his rim pressence.
Luckily, the Thunder don’t have anybody like Wemby. Chet Homgren is close, especially on defense, but he doesn’t have the same length and can be put in check a little bit with physicality. He also is not as skilled on offense, but can still make you pay if you don’t guard him. Whether he is able to step up offensively is a key factor in this game, as he is coming off a 7-point performance against the Raptors last night.
I would not be surprised to see some Paul Reed and Jalen Duren minutes to counter the Holmgren-Hartenstein frontcourt. This would have been a great matchup to unleash the Isaiah Stewart-Jalen Duren frontcourt, but Stewart is still out with his suspension. Tobias Harris should be able to handle Holmgren for some of the game, but is at a severe size disadvantage.
Another reason for the offensive struggles for the Pistons against the Spurs on Monday, and Cade Cunningham in particular, was the constant ball pressure by Stephon Castle. He was able to stay in front of him and had the strength to match his physicality. Castle is near the top of the list of defenders in the league capable of givng Cade Cunningham trouble.
Cason Wallace is at that level on defense with being able to pressure the ball and stay on his man, but he doesn’t quite have the size that Stephon Castle has, so the Thunder may opt to have Lu Dort guard Cade so he cannot get into rhythm offensively by outmuscling a smaller guard.
There is a reason these two teams are the top two teams in the league defensively, both are very physical and great at playing passing lanes to generate turnovers. With SGA being out, the Pistons are at least on an even playing field offensively, so this could be a very ugly game that ends with double digit scores for both teams.
With how tough the Pistons schedule is this week and next week, facing the Thunder while missing three key players is the perfect time to face them, so the Pistons need to take advantage of it. Don’t let the odds fool you, the Pistons have a great shot at winning, but the Thunder are where they are for a reason and it will not be easy.
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 24: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns handles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on February 24, 2026 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When the Phoenix Suns moved Kevin Durant to Houston last summer, the financial backbone of that deal centered on Jalen Green. The deal could not have happened without his $33.6 million price tag. At the same time, Phoenix brought in a young, explosive, athletic guard, along with Dillon Brooks and future draft capital. Green was the most fascinating piece of the return. He arrived with upside, volatility, and the kind of ceiling that still invites conversation about what he can become.
Green’s time in Houston did not close the way anyone with the Rockets hoped for or envisioned. He spent a season as the primary scoring option, averaging 21.0 points on 42/35/81 shooting splits. The postseason told a different story. Over seven games, he averaged 13.3 points on 37/30/67. Houston supported him the way teams typically do with young talent, and eventually pivoted, sending him to Phoenix as part of their push to acquire Durant and accelerate their timeline.
He is one of the most intriguing players on the Suns roster. Maybe the most. Jalen Green fits cleanly into the “new place, new opportunity, different results” narrative. A change of scenery can matter, and Phoenix represents that chance. At the same time, this opportunity carries real weight. This is not a Ryan Dunn conversation. This is not a late first round pick on a rookie scale deal. Green was the second overall pick in 2021. And he has two years left, totaling $72.3 million.
That reality turns this season into a meaningful evaluation. The Suns need to understand who he is, what he can be, and how he fits into their long-term picture. That was always the plan, even before the season tipped. Injuries disrupted the timeline. A hamstring issue cost him 48 games in what was supposed to be a defining year for both player and organization. Now the questions sharpen. Following this season, do the Suns continue to give him runway, space to grow, room to fail, and the opportunity to respond? Or do they begin gauging his value on the open market and make decisions with the broader future in mind?
Injuries continue to shape the evaluation of Jalen Green, and they are muddying the picture in real time. During his first extended stretch of health this season, he is not playing in the role the Suns actually need to study. With Devin Booker sidelined and without Dillon Brooks enforcing, Green has slid into the primary option role. We already know what that version looks like. Houston gave him plenty of runway in that role, and the results are well documented.
Even in this limited sample, and within a role he is not built to sustain, familiar tendencies are creeping back in. Inefficiency. Inaccuracy. Three-point attempts that stall possessions and tilt momentum the wrong way.
In the last 3 games, Jalen Green is 17-of-60 from the field (29.3%) and 4-of-26 from three-point range (15.4%). pic.twitter.com/ItIFS6jGsp
If you look at the last three games, the numbers are rough. He is shooting 28.3% from the field on 20.0 attempts per game. From three, he is at 15.4%, with four makes on 26 attempts, one of those being the game-winner against Orlando. You can acknowledge the rust, given how much time he spent in street clothes earlier this season, but it still grabs your attention. Not as a conclusion, more as a note being written in pencil.
This is not the moment to pass judgment. It is part of the evaluation, not the verdict.
There is still a long runway ahead for Jalen Green, and more opportunity for him to settle into a defined role once that role actually exists again. We have seen him operate as a number one in Houston, but this environment is different. With injuries piling up, he is pressing, trying to ignite the offense on his own. At times, that urge turns into forcing the issue, and you can feel it possession to possession.
Jalen Green is the kind of player you want to root for. The personality pops. The athleticism is undeniable. The upside is obvious. If it all ever clicks, the deal looks like a steal for Phoenix. Having someone with that kind of quick twitch, someone who can get to the rim whenever he wants and do it with real explosion, is not something this franchise has had in a long time. Gerald Green is probably the closest comparison, and even he had a ceiling. That is the concern here. Jalen Green likely has one too, and given the contract and the investment, the window to understand what that ceiling is feels smaller.
The hope is that this stretch ends up as a blip. That the rust fades. That efficiency starts to follow. Because when he is right, you can feel how much gravity he carries. He is a microwave scorer who can tilt a game in a hurry and shoulder an offense for stretches. That version exists. It becomes harder to access without Devin Booker on the floor, when defenses can load up and treat Green as the primary every possession. Still, recognizing those coverages and navigating them is part of growth.
Right now, with the roster thinned and the responsibility shifted, Green is being asked to carry real weight. So far, that load has been heavy. The hope is that as health returns and roles settle, things begin to look different.
This is the uncomfortable middle of the evaluation, where inefficiency is loud, and answers are still quiet. The shooting has been rough, the decision-making uneven, and the burden heavier than the role he is ultimately meant to carry. All of that is real, and it deserves to be acknowledged. It is also not a reason to panic.
This stretch is information, not a conclusion. Green is playing through rust, injuries around him have distorted the ecosystem, and the context matters. The Suns are not searching for perfection right now. They are collecting data, watching habits, and learning how he responds when things are hard. That process takes time, and patience is still the most valuable currency they have.
The NHL returns to action tonight, and we’ve got a marquee matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning to kick things off.
Matthew Knies has been a thorn in the Lightning's side, which is why he's the subject of our Maple Leafs vs. Lightning predictions and NHL picks for Wednesday, February 25.
Maple Leafs vs Lightning prediction
Maple Leafs vs Lightning best bet: Matthew Knies anytime goal (+300)
Knies has scored 10 goals in 10 career games against the Lightning, including at least one goal in six of his last nine, which includes a hat-trick performance on April 9 of last season.
He’s also scored four goals in the five meetings against Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has struggled against the Leafs recently.
The perennial Vezina candidate has a 3.62 GAA and an .874 SV% over his last 10 meetings against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs vs Lightning same-game parlay
This matchup typically yields high-scoring games, which is why I’ll add Over 5.5 to my SGP. The total has gone Over the number in five of the last six meetings. Plus, with three weeks off, it could get sloppy, which often leads to higher-scoring games.
Auston Matthews returns to the Leafs a winner. I believe he’ll parlay his Olympic success into a shooting bonanza tonight and go Over his 3.5 shot total. He averages 5.4 shots per game in his last 10 meetings against Tampa.
Maple Leafs vs Lightning SGP
Knies to score
Matthews Over 3.5 shots
Over 5.5
Maple Leafs vs Lightning odds
Moneyline: Maple Leafs +185 | Lightning -225
Puck Line: Maple Leafs +1.5 (-135) | Lightning -1.5 (+115)
Over/Under: Over 6 | Under 6
Maple Leafs vs Lightning trend
The Maple Leafs are 8-2 on the moneyline in the last ten meetings between these two clubs. Find more NHL betting trends for Maple Leafs vs. Lightning.
How to watch Maple Leafs vs Lightning
Location
Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, FL
Date
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Puck drop
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
TNT, HBO Max
Maple Leafs vs Lightning latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
In the responses to our last question, it seemed that people were generally expecting there to be a lockout at the end of this season, when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires. The duration and impact of that lockout is considerably less certain. But to follow up on that, today I wanted to get your opinions on what the impact of that lockout might be – in particular, with regard to the Diamondbacks.
What would a lockout do to this team? Which players or plans get derailed the most?
There are a whole number of levels at which you can look at this. Obviously, there will be a loss of revenue, and while the players may be on strike, that does not mean that all expenditure goes down to zero for the D-backs. On the roster level, it’ll potentially be a year lost for players under contract. But also a year gained for player development (albeit without formal competition, young prospects will still get older and stronger, and can gain experience outside of minor-league settings). Let’s presume the entire 2027 season is lost. Where will the team sit at the end of that year?
CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 22: The Philly Phanatic performs prior to the spring training baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on February 22, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Feb 20, 2026; Surprise, Arizona, USA; Former Kansas City Royals Mike Moustakas and Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker (55) exchange line up cards prior to the game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
After months of waiting, the Kansas City Royals are back on the field. Granted, it’s for Spring Training games, but still–you can watch professional baseball players in actual games against other teams. The Royals last played a game on September 28, 2025, so it’s been almost five months since diehard Kansas City baseball fans were able to watch their team.
We all know that baseball is a marathon, which is part of its charm. The National Football League plays 17 regular season games a year. The National Basketball Association plays 82 regular season games a year, with the National Hockey League moving to 84 games a year soon. Major League Baseball? MLB blows them out of the water with 162 regular season games a year.
Nick Kappel, the Royals’ director of media relations, posted this, which really puts into perspective what is about to play out over the coming months:
Good morning, Kansas City!
Starting today, the @Royals will play 194 games over the next 220 days.
The Royals played their first game a few days ago on February 20. Their last scheduled game is on September 27. That means that, outside the four-day All-Star break, Kansas City will have played a baseball game in nine out of every 10 days for over seven consecutive months.
Don’t get me wrong–I’m glad the Royals are back to playing baseball. I prefer when it’s baseball season to when it’s not baseball season. But at the same time, I wonder if MLB’s total number of regular season games has surpassed the point of diminishing returns, and that a return to the 154-game regular season is the way to go.
From 1904 through 1960, MLB had a 154-game season except for a few outlier seasons like immediately following World War I. The league only shifted to 162 games coinciding with the American League’s 1961 expansion. So many legendary MLB players played all of or most of their careers before the 162-game season, from Babe Ruth to Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, and Stan Musial.
The argument for a 154-game season is that it maintains baseball’s unique cadence while eliminating the “filler” that happens in a 162-game season, and we can think of this on two core axes.
The first axis here is simply player quality. You want your best players to play all your games, but a 162-game season is grueling and very few players play in the whole thing. Last year, only 6 hitters played in 162 games, and only 22 starting pitchers made 32 or more starts. Every time one of the clear best players in the league doesn’t play, they are replaced by a less talented and less exciting player. Meanwhile, there were 51 hitters who played in 154 games, and 54 starting pitchers who made 30 or more starts–all of whom would have played every possible game in a shorter season.
The other axis here is game quality. There are some games that are just not attractive for fans or teams alike, and those games are early-season weekday games. That’s when the weather is the most questionable, when school is in full swing, and when teams haven’t built up excitement in the product. I took a look at the five least-attended home games for each of the AL Central teams last year, and the results are just about what you’d expect for those 25 games:
19 were April games
5 of the non-April games happened when teams were 9+ games behind first place
24 were Monday-Thursday games
0 were Saturday/Sunday games
You can’t just cut eight Monday-Thursday games in April and call it a day. But you can do some of that, and also cut weekday games throughout the year to provide more off days.
While it seems unlikely that the union or the owners would want to cut 120 games off the books, it can be balanced in two ways. First, increase the divisional series to seven games to get multiple high-revenue playoff games on the books. Second, timing it alongside an expansion from 30 to 32 teams would increase the total games played from 2,430 to 2,464.
Baseball will never get to a truly short season, and it shouldn’t. However, cutting just a few games from the calendar could have a knockdown effect that gives everyone a breather and just might result in a better product.
