Worldwide Sports News

MLB is cracking down on artificial intelligence. 

According to a report by The Athletic on Thursday, the league “has effectively outlawed the growing practice of using league-provided dugout iPads to access generative artificial intelligence, which some teams had increasingly leaned upon to help shape in-game strategy.” 

The Athletic obtained a commissioner’s office memo saying teams were pushing boundaries of technology guidelines by installing custom apps that expanded the use of iPads “beyond their originally intended purpose.” 

The memo stated teams were using iPads for recommendations on substitutions, pitch-calling and other in-game decisions usually made by players and coaches. 

People with knowledge of the technology spoke on the issue candidly and told The Athletic that as much as a third of the league used dugout iPads for one of the aforementioned purposes. 

The commissioner’s memo was issued June 11, giving teams a month to adjust their strategy and decision-making before the ban was put in place Wednesday for the second half of the season. 

The decision to crack down on iPads has caused frustration by certain front-office members tasked with innovation, with one high-ranking official saying, “It’s caused quite the stir.”

While the tech ban didn’t come with punishment, the growing trend of iPad use became urgent enough for the league to make a mid-season decision to halt the growth of the apps. 

“Gotta stop the cheating before there’s cheating now,” one front office executive told The Athletic. 

Even though league iPads have been around since 2016, their usage became more tightly-regulated in 2021 after sign-stealing scandals. 

“For the first time, we’re going to be allowing players to view live in-game video via an iPad in the dugout or bullpen during the game,” former league executive Chris Marinak said before the 2021 season. “The iPads are issued by MLB and fully controlled so that the players can only use the app that we’ve put on the device.

“They can’t access the internet for browsing or social media or any other kind of functions. The iPads are completely locked down and monitored with the software that we have on there.”

Though in-game video is still available, it’s only around on a delay, typically once an inning ends. 

Teams and players have pushed for loosened restrictions on iPad use over time, and Jack Lambert, the director of baseball operations at Driveline Baseball, said he thinks pitch-calling is a benefit of the iPads. 

“With someone live-scoring the game, teams could chart pitch type and location to get dynamically updating game plans,” Lambert said. “Those plans could determine if their approach at the plate should change as they face the lineup a second (or) third time in the game, and could also be applied to live pitch-calling.”

The NL Wild Card Race.

At the All-Star break, the Diamondbacks are fighting the Cardinals and the Pirates over which team will be in best position to contend with the Marlins for the third Wild Card position in the NL.  The following table shows the games back for each team and how many games the Diamondbacks have remaining against each team.

My conclusion is the Diamondbacks could be masters of their own future.  Instead of counting on the other teams to collapse, they can pass three teams to obtain the third Wild Card slot into the playoffs.  The required results follow:

• Pirates:  D-backs win at least 2 of 3 games.
• Cardinals:  D-backs win at least 3 of 4 games.
• Marlins: D-backs win all three games.

If the Diamondbacks play well against these three teams, they have a very real chance to reach the playoffs.

This idea includes the assumption “if other [remaining] games are equal [in wins and losses].” One reason that assumption is reasonable is that the Diamondback play some weak teams: 6 games against the Rockies, 3 games against the A’s, and 3 games against the Royals. Another supporting reason is that this season, the Diamondbacks were the first team to sweep the Dodgers.

The latest series against the Cardinals showed promise.

The Diamondbacks won the last away series 2 wins to 1 loss.  Their loss was a 1-run game.  Because their only loss was a 1-run game, and because this series is a home series instead of an away series, I am optimistic that the Diamondbacks will again win the series.  A sweep or a series win would keep the Diamondbacks on a path to the Wild-Card berth. 

The Pirates series could impact whether the Diamondbacks are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

The series will be played before the 3 August trade deadline. At that time, if the Diamondbacks have won the Cardinal series and won the Pirates series, it could possibly be a two-team race (Diamondbacks and Marlins) for the third NL wild-card berth. That situation would likely be enough to support the Diamondbacks buying at the trade deadline.

Let’s compare the teams.

Offense. This season, the Cardinals averaged more runs scored per game (4.52 vs 4.33 runs per game).  These stats are little changed from when these team last played (4.55 vs 4.28 runs per game).

Runners Left On Base.  This season, the Diamondbacks left fewer runners on base per game (6.54 vs 6.82).

Defense. This season, the Diamondbacks had the better defense (33 vs 18 OAA, 28 vs 11 DRS)

Bullpens. This season, the Cardinals had more shutdown performances by the bullpen (100 vs 91). This season, the Diamondbacks bullpen is the best it’s been in years.

Starting Pitching.  Each team has a thin rotation, with no room for injuries.

• The Diamondbacks have 6 injured starting pitchers (Soroka, Nelson, Burnes, Walston, Gallen, and Mena).
• The Cardinals have six injured starting pitchers on their AAA roster per Roster Resource.

“Cardinals: The Cardinals are the sport’s most interesting bubble team. They’ve managed to stay in contention despite a paper-thin rotation.”  Steve Adams, MLBTR, 9 July

Pitching Matchups.

Although none of the pitchers have been announced, perhaps the matchups will be as follows.

Friday, 6:40 PM MST.

Merrill Kelly vs Andre Pallente. In July, Kelly had the better ERA (2.25 ERA vs 5.06 ERA), and Kelly had more quality starts (1 QS vs 0 QS).

This matchup is advantage Diamondbacks.

Saturday, 1:10 PM MST.

Mitch Bratt vs Matthew Liberatore.  In July, Liberatore had the better ERA (2.45 ERA vs 9.00 ERA), and Liberatore had more quality starts (1 QS vs 0 QS).  However, my expectation is that Bratt will only pitch 3 innings, with one or two runs allowed, which is a lot like a bullpen game. The Diamondbacks have significant chances to win this game.

This matchup is slight advantage Cardinals.

Sunday, 1;10 PM MST.

Eduardo Rodriguez vs Michael McGreevy.  These are excellent starting pitchers. In July, McGreevy had the better ERA (2.19 ERA vs 3.00 ERA).  In July, each pitcher had two quality starts.  It’s likely the bullpen will decide this game. 

This matchup is equal.

NEW YORK – Trevor Bauer. Andruw Jones. Jason Schmidt. Scott Kazmir.

If something doesn’t change, Kyle Tucker’s name will be alongside theirs on the list of the worst free-agent additions in Dodgers’ history.

When the Dodgers return from the All-Star break on Friday to open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium, they will do so with an 11 ½-game advantage in the National League West. With the most substantial division lead in baseball, they should be able to cruise into the postseason, very likely as one of the two NL teams with a bye in the wild-card round.

No such margin for error exists for Tucker individually, the 29-year-old right fielder batting .244 with seven home runs and 47 runs batted in.

As much as the Dodgers are willing to invest in their roster, making Tucker the most expensive No. 6 or 7 hitter to ever play the game couldn’t be what Andrew Friedman envisioned when he signed him to a four-year, $240-million contract over the winter.

Tucker hasn’t accepted his fate as an all-time bust, with manager Dave Roberts revealing the four-time All-Star has worked overtime with the team’s hitting coaches.

“I’ve tried basically everything,” Tucker said last month.

This feeling is why the Dodgers won’t be the hare in the race against the tortoise. As comfortably positioned as the team might be, Tucker has something to prove.

In that regard, he’s not alone on this team.

The Dodgers have underperformers who are determined to return to the levels at which they’re used to being. They have older players who want to show they will remain useful beyond this season. They have players returning from injuries who know the time they missed won’t be held against them if they perform in October. 

So, don’t be concerned about them falling into a slumber. They might not have the Arizona Diamondbacks or San Diego Padres breathing down their necks, but they have very real incentives to continue playing hard over the final 10 weeks of the regular season.

Dodgers Issues Beyond Kyle Tucker

After various injuries limited his offensive production over the previous season and a half, Mookie Betts reported to spring training saying he believed he would once again be a MVP-caliber hitter. 

Another injury set him back, an oblique strain sidelining him for five weeks early this season. He slumped upon his return, only to finally start looking like his old self last month. 

Teoscar Hernández’s situation is similar. Like Betts, Hernández reported to spring training with an improved physique. And like Betts, he went down early in the season with an injury, in his case a hamstring strain that cost him about a month.

With his numbers down across the board, Hernández has practical reasons to want to salvage his season. His contract expires after next season.

Freddie Freeman is also under contract for just one more season after this one. He was an All-Star this year, but he will also be 37 in September.

Freeman has been open about wanting to finish his career with the Dodgers and said there’s one thing he could do to make sure that happens: Continue hitting.

In the coming weeks, closer Edwin Diaz is expected to return from the injured list. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Will Smith should follow, in some order.

A $69-million offseason addition, Diaz saved only four games before he underwent a procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow. He is on a minor league rehabilitation assignment.

Snell, who started only one game before he underwent his own elbow operation, is also expected to start pitching in the minors in the coming days. Glasnow, who has been sidelined for more than two months with back problems, has finally resumed mound work.

Smith, the team’s All-Star catcher, has missed more than a month with a lingering neck problem.

The return of each player will break up the monotony of a long season, providing the team with a sense of renewal.

And it’s not as if these Dodgers are short on motivation.

Considering what hasn’t worked out for them up to this point, their major-league-best 61-36 record is more a reflection of their consistent professionalism rather than their overwhelming talent.

They have won as many games as they have because they don’t beat themselves.

Even after piling up errors in the week leading up to the All-Star break, the Dodgers lead baseball in fielding percentage and defensive efficiency. Their pitchers have the third-lowest walk rate in the National League.

“Something that we’ve been really good at is not giving away games because of our defense,” Roberts said.

If winning the World Series in each of the last two years didn’t make them complacent, 3 ½ months of steady but unspectacular play won’t either.

They have something to play for as a group. They also have something at stake as individuals.

As most of his teammates enjoyed a break to gear up for the second half, Aaron Judge was trying to find out how much of it he will be able to play in.

The most significant item on the Yankees’ docket this week was not Cody Bellinger winning All-Star Game MVP, Ben Rice showing off his swing in the Home Run Derby or even a 2024 World Series rematch against the Dodgers that begins on Friday in The Bronx.

It was Judge going through a round of imaging on his right rib — nearly six weeks after doctors discovered a stress fracture — to help determine if and when he will return to the Yankees in the second half. The organization was not expecting to find a fully healed rib, but it was holding its breath nonetheless as it hoped to at least see enough improvement to allow the back-to-back AL MVP to begin mixing in some upper-body exercises after being shut down from them during his time on the injured list.

“Hopefully we get some positive news there and we can start moving forward,” manager Aaron Boone said on the final day of the first half. “But I try not to think too much about it until we hear. It’s going to be what it is.”

The results, though, could have a major impact in determining the Yankees’ fate this season. If enough healing has occurred, perhaps Judge could be back at some point in late August. If not, well, then the clock starts ticking a bit louder on the Yankees’ hope and expectation to get Judge back on the field this season.

But either way, the Yankees are not going to rush Judge back too soon.

“We don’t want to, because the schedule is what it is, put him in the position where we’re putting him in jeopardy, where somehow it gets worse,” GM Brian Cashman said last week. “Because the downside of that would be a real problem, in my opinion, from what I understand.”

The Yankees also know that even in a best-case scenario, it is likely still going to be at least another month before they get Judge back, meaning they will have to do better than their 18-19 record since he last played. They began 12-8 without him, then entered a 2-11 tailspin in which they were terrible at just about every facet of the game, before recovering to win four straight games heading into the break.

They should get some help in the coming weeks with the potential return of Max Fried (who could begin a rehab assignment Friday night) and Carlos Rodón (there was hope he might throw a bullpen session during the break) to strengthen the rotation. Their bullpen and perhaps the lineup (especially at catcher) could get reinforcements by the Aug. 3 trade deadline. And maybe they get Giancarlo Stanton back at some point in the second half, though they still don’t seem to have much of an idea about when that could happen after a second calf strain delayed his return.

That said, had you told the Yankees before the season that in the first half they would miss Judge for 37 games, Stanton for 70 games, Fried for 52 games, Rodón for 52 games and Gerrit Cole for 51 games before the All-Star break, and they would still be 54-42 — three games back of the Rays for first place in the AL East — they likely would have signed up for that.

But the goal is not just to survive extended injury absences from most of their stars and highest-paid players. The goal is to win in October, and for that to happen, the Yankees will first need to get good news from Judge’s reimaging this week.

“The way I look at it is, we’ve given ourselves a chance to realize all our hopes and dreams,” Boone said. “We’re set up to go take it. It’s a long way to go still. For whatever’s gone on in the first however many games we’ve played now, we’ve given ourselves a chance. Our goal is to play for and win a championship. That’s still there for the taking. It’s going to be a long road, tough road, but hopefully one we’re up to the challenge.”

MLB has released the 2027 regular season schedule for all 30 teams, which means the Seattle Mariners should have all their games slated for their next campaign. The 2027 season will begin on Thursday, March 25th for the M’s, hosting the Boston Red Sox in the earliest stateside Opening Day in MLB history. Seattle has the luxury of hosting a whopping seven games in March, with a full homestand against Red Sox and Texas Rangers to open the season.

As is Seattle’s usual lot as a responsible city and organization, they’ll be forced to compensate for the less thoughtful and capable locales elsewhere. Seattle will be at home 16 times through April 16th (20% of their total home games), making for a spring sure to feature chilly, low-scoring affairs that can nonetheless be safely held thanks to T-Mobile Park’s retractable roof.

Other points of note include an early-season showdown with the Dodgers in May, a jam-packed June with just two days off between May 28th and July 5th, and a home-heavy July-August that Seattle will need to capitalize on before a road-laden month of September that sees Seattle finish away from home and conclude the regular season’s homestands with the Toronto Blue Jays.

If you abide by the old Brooklyn Dodgers adage ‘Wait Til Next Year’, or are looking to plan your next baseball bucket list destination on your quest to visit all 30 major league stadiums, today is for you. Earlier today, Major League Baseball officially released their regular season schedule for 2027 as the Mets prepared for to begin their second half schedule. The Mets will kick things off on the road in Miami against the Marlins on Thursday, March 2d, and play six games away from home before celebrating their home opener at Citi Field against the Giants on Friday, April 2.

Other games and series of note:

• The Mets will host the cross-town rival Yankees over Memorial Day weekend and will head to the Bronx for the Yankee Stadium-hosted portion of the Subway Series immediately after the All-Star break
• The Mets end April and begin May with a six-game road trip against the division rival Braves and Phillies.
• Brandon Nimmo will make his long-awaited return as a visiting player when the Rangers travel to Citi Field on April 23 (the Mets play the Rangers in Texas this season).
• The team’s longest road trip of the year is a ten-game swing that takes them through St. Louis, Arizona, and Los Angeles (NL) in late June and early July, concluding with a four-game set against the Dodgers around July 4.
• The Mets have two nine-game homestands next year: One in June (Padres, Nationals, and Brewers), and one in August (Nationals, Braves, and Cardinals)
• The Mets will play what will likely be their final series in Sacramento in April, as the Athletics are set to move into their Las Vegas home in 2028.
• The Mets head to Fenway Park for three with the Red Sox in July.
• Interleague matchups at Citi Field include the Angels, Blue Jays, Rays, Yankees, White Sox, and Mariners
• The Mets finish the year with a six-game homestand against the Pirates and Cubs, with the final game happening on September 26.

The big question, of course, is whether there will actually be baseball games come March, or at all in 2027. With the labor dispute almost certainly leading to the owners locking out the players, it remains to be seen whether this will spill over into the regular season. With the owners lobbying hard for a salary cap, which appears to be a non-starter for the players, losing games is a real possibility, which would bring us the first non-162 game MLB schedule since 2020.

The current Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to officially expire on December 1. The last work stoppage in 2021-2022 lasted 99 days (December 2 2021 until March 10 2022) and ended with the season being pushed back by a week, although they were able to salvage a full 162-game schedule thanks to double headers and a slight extension of the original schedule.