MLB and the MLBPA held their first bargaining session on May 12 as both parties began working toward the next labor agreement. The CBA expires on Dec. 1. Competitive balance will be a focus during discussions, if not the primary issue. Here’s what you need to know about the state

The White Sox are one of the best turnaround stories in baseball through the first quarter of the season. In fact, they could be one of the greatest improvement cases of all time. Through play on Tuesday, they are enjoying the third-best win percentage improvement in the Majors (+.152). But

Justin Verlander is one of the few pitchers to have performed during the entire pitch-tracking era of Major League Baseball. He broke into the big leagues in 2005, which is well before Statcast debuted in 2015, and even before Pitchf/x began in '08. He once cruised. Earlier in his career,

Austin Hedges gave one of the more candid, and humorous, self-assessments in recent memory a few years back while with the Rangers. "I've kind of been in an offensive slump my whole career," Hedges quipped. But when the career .186 hitter stepped into the right-handed batter's box for his first

When the Red Sox won just two of their first nine games this year, it marked their worst start to a season since Ted Williams was flying F4U Corsairs with the U.S. Marine Corps. This early disappointment in Boston is amplified as this is a team with expectations, a club

During the Mariners’ opening series against the Guardians, television analyst and former MLB pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith noticed something telling about the new challenge system: hitters hesitated. They often seemingly wanted to tap their helmets and challenge a borderline call, but they mostly held back. They had good reason to pause.

The World Baseball Classic began as something of an experiment 20 years ago. Many thought it would fizzle and quickly become forgotten. Early on it was difficult for the event to garner attention, and to have clubs and players buy in. Now, though, the decision to stick with it is

In the winter leading into the Blue Jays' incredible 2025 turnaround, which came up an inch shy of a World Series title, the Jays tried to get better externally. The club added Anthony Santander to address its slumping run production. They traded for Andrés Giménez's glove but also hoped his

When MLB Pipeline's No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin launched not one, but two home runs over the replica Green Monster and out of JetBlue Park on Tuesday, social media servers seemed at risk of overheating. Enthusiasm was already elevated for the 19-year-old Pirates shortstop, and performances like that will continue

No team underwent a more extreme lineup makeover this winter than the Pittsburgh Pirates. After having no qualified hitter post at least a league-average, 100 wRC+ mark last season, the Pirates are now projected to field six for the upcoming season, according to Steamer projections. Those forecasted above-average bats include

The most expensive type of player to acquire on the open market is often a starting pitcher. MLB teams averaged $33.8 million spent on starting rotations last season, the most of any position type, according to Spotrac. Starting pitchers generally have the highest average annual salaries in free agency. To

There were few more bifurcated seasons in 2025 than that of Pete Crow-Armstrong. In the first half of the year, he posted a sensational .847 OPS and 131 wRC+ (31% above league average), compiling 25 homers and 27 steals in 31 attempts before the All-Star break. Add in his elite

Fernando Tatis Jr. is an excellent Major League player. No one is doubting that. Entering his age-27 season, Tatis owns a career 137 wRC+, 5.4 fWAR per 600 plate appearances, two Gold Gloves and a pair of Silver Sluggers. Few players in MLB history possess such a resume through their

There are a number of positive trends for Major League Baseball as we approach a new season. MLB's attendance improved for a fourth consecutive full season in 2025. That trend coincides with rules changes – notably the addition of the pitch clock – designed to quicken the game's pace, and

Framber Valdez is the last of the top free-agent arms available. The market for Valdez developed slower than some expected, perhaps due to his age and mileage, the qualifying offer attached to him and a controversial interaction with his catcher toward the end of last season. But with other top

Just a few years ago, there was a debate about whether Blue Jays teammates Bo Bichette or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was the better long-term investment for a club. They were both eligible to become free agents this offseason as under-30 stars. There's less debate now. Toronto chose to sign Guerrero

George Springer authored one of the great comeback stories of the 2025 season. Entering the campaign, he was projected to be a drag on the Toronto Blue Jays. He was entering his age-35 season, coming off consecutive years of decline, which were the worst two full seasons of his career.

Major League Baseball has changed a lot since new Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta left the Mets at the end of the 2015 season to spend a decade with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. If you've been living on a remote island -- or in the NFL -- you've

Players like Kyle Tucker are rarely available in free agency. He's a five-tool, prime-age talent, who will not turn 29 until the new year. He's also one of the most consistent players in the game. These are his Wins Above Replacement (WAR) totals since 2021, per FanGraphs: 4.9, 4.9, 4.9,

This article was originally published on Nov. 20, before Kyle Schwarber agreed to a five-year, $150 million free-agent deal to return to the Phillies. More >

A few years ago, Greg Maddux said on the podcast of his contemporary, David Cone, that he thought he was going to be a Yankee. But when he left his visit to New York in early December of 1992 without a contract, he made a phone call that changed baseball

There is perhaps no better way to improve a ballclub during the offseason than by signing a quality starting pitcher. The baseball world was reminded of that again with Yoshinobu Yamamoto's heroics in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series. Even with innings totals trending down, the starting pitcher