LA first team to throw three Japanese-born starters in a row
LOS ANGELES -- In the storied history of Major League Baseball, no starting rotation had ever looked quite like the one the Los Angeles Dodgers sent to the mound this week. When Yoshinobu Yamamoto took the ball for Wednesday’s series finale against the Cleveland Guardians, he completed a sequence that,
Skenes' execution, drive, competitiveness -- and joy -- on display in bounceback start
CINCINNATI -- To Paul Skenes, rebounding from his shortest career outing was about one thing -- and one thing only -- execution. To his manager, it was all about the drive and competitiveness of his right-handed ace. All three were on full display Wednesday, as Skenes threw five strong innings
Schlittler deals another scoreless start as Yankees seal 5-1 road trip
SEATTLE -- Cam Schlittler pitched what was celebrated as “the game of his life” in the American League Wild Card Series last October, announcing his presence on the postseason stage with a gritty performance that sent the Red Sox home. That designation may have been premature. The more Schlittler pitches
'25 struggles behind him, Alcantara follows opening gem with a Maddux
MIAMI – Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara couldn’t ignore the narrative around him during a trying 2025. How could he not in the 21st century, with talking heads on TVs inside the clubhouse and doom scrolling of social media posts? So Alcantara decided to change his mentality in his second season
We can say with certainty, no MLB game has ever ended like this before
BALTIMORE -- With two outs in the top of the ninth inning at Camden Yards on Wednesday, a 1-2 fastball from Orioles right-hander Albert Suárez landed near the upper-outside corner of the strike zone. The Rangers’ Evan Carter didn’t swing, allowing it to be called a ball. However, Baltimore had
Denzel Clarke is back, and already making your jaw drop
A’s center fielder Denzel Clarke said, “Not today,” to Drake Baldwin’s bid for a third hit and a fifth RBI during Wednesday's series finale against the Braves.
Ohtani looks to extend a ridiculous two-way streak
MLB’s longest active scoreless pitching streak reached 22 2/3 innings on Tuesday. Its longest active on-base streak hit 36 games. Both belong to the same person. It’s a convergence only one player is capable of: Shohei Ohtani, of course. Tuesday marked the return of the two-way Ohtani show, as the
Skubal goes seven strong innings in his backyard, but Tigers can't provide support
PHOENIX -- A good portion of Kingman, Ariz., showed up for local hero Tarik Skubal’s homecoming. So did Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll, and he wasn’t nearly as hospitable.
Gallen outduels Skubal as D-backs blank Tigers to cap sweep
PHOENIX -- This is why the D-backs re-signed Zac Gallen.
Crawford's walk-off caps unforgettable week ... and wild Phillies comeback
PHILADELPHIA -- Justin Crawford flung his helmet into the air. He had just laced a walk-off single to right field in the 10th inning of Wednesday’s 6-5 victory over the Nationals at Citizens Bank Park, capping a remarkable week that he never could have imagined. But he ran with it,
Correa's clutch HR off Crochet helps Astros sweep Sox to snag 5th straight win
HOUSTON -- With the way the Astros have been swinging the bats in the first week of the season, they really didn’t need a rallying cry to break out the lumber again Wednesday afternoon. Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet gave them one, anyway.
Boyd baffles Angels -- and his own teammates -- in 10-K gem
CHICAGO – The Cubs’ series against the Angels opened with perfect baseball weather and ended with the polar opposite, pun slightly intended. After both teams enjoyed the summer-like warmth of Monday’s opener, Wednesday’s game-time temp came in at 39 degrees. Add in the 21 mph gusts that kept every flag
ESPN is the New Home of MLB.TV. Learn More
Opening Day marks a new era for the longstanding relationship between MLB and ESPN. Though ESPN is no longer the home for “Sunday Night Baseball” (now on NBC) or the Home Run Derby (now on Netflix), the sports broadcasting network is actually bringing fans more baseball than ever.
Stout 'pen sets up Winn's 1st career walk-off RBI in extras for series win
ST. LOUIS -- Though Opening Weekend presented intrigue surrounding manager Oliver Marmol’s platonic ideal for how the back end of the Cardinals’ bullpen might function, the mid-week series against the Mets at Busch Stadium has probably reflected a more anticipated version of the blueprint. The Rays series created an order
Despite battling illness, Sale stellar in second impressive start to open 2026
ATLANTA -- The Athletics proved to be smooth sailing for starter Chris Sale in the Braves' 5-1 series finale win at Truist Park on Wednesday, as a solo homer was the only offense they mustered against him.
Cease has a new hobby -- and you won't be able to take your eyes off it
TORONTO -- John Schneider’s work to support the local art community has begun with an installation in his office to showcase an up-and-coming painter … Dylan Cease. When reporters walked into Schneider’s office Tuesday afternoon, there was a new painting on the right wall that was impossible to look away
Not his first rodeo! How Cutch gave his new team a new celebration
This story was excerpted from Kennedi Landry’s Rangers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Here's every team's 2026 Draft bonus pool and all pick values
The White Sox have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 Draft, which comes with an assigned value of $11,350,600, the largest since the bonus-pool era began in 2012. Yet it's the Pirates who possess the largest overall pool at $19,130,700, another record. MLB informed the teams of the
Brewers 'cause some havoc' as usual, make Rays pay for mistakes
MILWAUKEE – The Brewers racked up strikeouts on the mound, ran wild on the bases and flexed some power while winning five of six games on their opening homestand. But sometimes, you just take what the other team gives you.
Errors frustrate Chapman, Giants in series finale loss
SAN DIEGO -- Third baseman Matt Chapman admitted that his emotions got the better of him in the Giants’ 7-1 loss to the Padres on Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park. After first baseman Casey Schmitt missed two throws from third and cost San Francisco a pair of unearned runs, Chapman
Pivetta, Padres bounce back to end homestand on a high note
SAN DIEGO -- There are no must-win games on April 1. The season is long, and the Padres could very well have survived a 1-5 homestand to start the year. Good teams go through 1-5 stretches all the time. But, well, you’d rather go 2-4, wouldn’t you? Especially if it
Peralta's early trust in changeup fuels vintage 7-K start against Cards
ST. LOUIS -- After an hour-plus rain delay pushed back first pitch on Wednesday afternoon, Freddy Peralta gave the Mets the type of outing they needed from the front of their rotation. Peralta was sharp through 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks to go
Royals closer Estévez placed on IL after taking comebacker off foot
KANSAS CITY -- The Royals placed Carlos Estévez on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a bruised left foot, a move the Royals hope will not only help their closer heal physically but get right with the mechanical and velocity issues that have led to a bumpy start to
Buttó exits with right elbow tightness, adding to Giants' pitching concerns
SAN DIEGO -- The Giants’ bullpen depth took a hit after right-hander José Buttó was forced to depart the club’s 7-1 loss to the Padres on Wednesday with right elbow/forearm tightness. Buttó entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Giants down, 3-1, but he allowed