Payton Tolle held court at the Red Sox Fenway Fest this weekend, and it's easy to see why he's quickly becoming a fan favorite in Boston. Tolle, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the club's No. 2 prospect and No. 28 overall, had a story about everything -- including the time

Be yourself, unless you feel like being something else. This is now an established Minor League Baseball promotional strategy, as teams across the country regularly assume alternate identities in lieu of their day-to-day primary identities. These alternate identities often have a local connection, with teams celebrating their region's culinary specialties,

Call it a Schwar-photobomb. Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, a proud alumnus of Indiana University, took some time before Friday night’s Peach Bowl to take a selfie with some Hoosier fans. The slugger served as Indiana’s honorary captain before IU faced the Oregon Ducks in Atlanta. Wearing his 2016 World

When the Nationals traded Jose A. Ferrer to the Mariners for Harry Ford on Dec. 6, 2025, the teams exchanged more than a pitcher-catcher combo. They also swapped a pair of saxophone players. “I saw he plays saxophone,” Ford said with a smile following the trade. “We haven’t talked to

Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.

You already know David Ortiz's favorite catchphrase: "Daaaa Yankees lose." But on Wednesday night, it was Big Papi doing some losing of his own. The Hall of Famer and Red Sox icon was revealed as a contestant on the premiere of a new season of "The Masked Singer" on FOX,

Jan. 7 is National Bobblehead Day, the greatest holiday of the year. Nod if you agree. Minor League Baseball teams are passionate proponents of the bobblehead, packing their promo calendars with spring-loaded giveaways. These bobbleheads celebrate local heroes, famous alumni and emerging stars, ranging from the poignant to the ridiculous.

Crooked Numbers is a monthly column dedicated to Minor League Baseball on-field oddities and absurdities. Throughout the season it highlighted over 50 examples of bizarre plays and head-scratching stats, exemplifying the truism that "you never know what you'll see when you go to a baseball game." Now, for your reading

Twelve players are on the 2026 Baseball Writers' Association of America's Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Every member of that dozen secured their spot on the ballot by putting up huge numbers, winning awards, making All-Star teams and/or being at their best in the postseason over an

Every season is another chance for MLB’s talented players to show us all that they can accomplish. Entering the year, it’s always fun to anticipate which career milestones might be reached or surpassed in the upcoming round of 162 games. But over the course of the season, there are also

Hartson Bodfish checked the thermometer again, tapping it with his right hand. It couldn't be this cold, could it? But the numbers stayed true. The arrows didn't move. It was minus-50 degrees Celsius. Negative 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Fifty below zero. No matter how you put it, it was bone-chillingly, not-fit-for-human-being-living

HOUSTON -- Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt was sitting quietly at his locker at old Busch Stadium in St. Louis before one of the biggest starts in his career -- Game 6 of the 2005 National League Championship Series against the Cardinals. The weight of the world was on his shoulders.

The game of baseball has been around for 150 some-odd years -- longer than football or basketball, longer than many countries have existed. It infiltrates every part of our culture: books, music and, most notably, movies. And sometimes, even when a movie isn't about baseball, baseball still slips into the

There are 120 Minor League Baseball teams, and they each play approximately 70 home games a year. In the interest of not doing math, let's just say this results in a lot of gameday promotions over the course of the season. Theme nights, giveaways, celebrity appearances and more are a

A version of this story originally ran in December 2020.

This year brought top prospect showcases, awe-inspiring events and furry friends. Minor League Baseball is something else. Here are 12 of the most memorable moments from the 2025 MiLB season.

The 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame writers' ballot includes 12 first-time candidates. While they all won't end up enshrined in Cooperstown, and while it's possible that none of them will ever be inducted, each of them had at least one season in which they performed at a Hall of Fame

Tony Vitello might be first. But he’s also fate. When the Giants made Vitello the first college head coach to go directly to managing an MLB team earlier this offseason, people understandably described it as a shocking, sea-changing move. And people are justifiably curious to see whether Vitello, who won

It's hard to know what viewers might consider a genuine spoiler for a mystery movie as meticulously crafted as "Wake Up Dead Man," the third and latest installment in director Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" series. The murder mystery franchise features intricately plotted puzzles rife with red herrings, locked rooms and

Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.

The Veeck family is at it again. Before the Frontier League's 2026 season kicks off, the Joliet Slammers are going to play an exhibition at their namesake slammer -- the Old Joliet Prison. The team has announced "The Big House Ballgame" will take place on April 30, giving fans a

Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.

Francisco Lindor is known for his eye for fashion. So on the latest episode of his “Café Con Lindor” content series, the Mets shortstop brought on a guest renowned in the fashion world: KidSuper, the founder of the eponymous Brooklyn clothing brand.

By 1931, the Marin County court system was sick of dealing with Tony Freitas. Sure, the young pitcher for the Pacific Coast League's Sacramento Senators was becoming a star. He went 19-6 with a 3.24 ERA for the Senators at just 22 years old the year prior. He had already

Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.