One year ago, the Hall of Fame conversation centered on three players: the near-unanimous Ichiro Suzuki, clear first-ballot choice CC Sabathia, and long-deferred Billy Wagner. The 2026 cycle is another matter. We’ve arrived at a page in the Cooperstown story without an obvious main character. Welcome to the “Comfort Plus”

Hideo Nomo. Ichiro Suzuki. Hideki Matsui. Daisuke Matsuzaka. Yu Darvish. Shohei Ohtani. Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Roki Sasaki. Every name represents a chapter in the unfolding history of Japanese stars who have captivated Major League Baseball fans during Hot Stove seasons past. In the winter of 2025-26, we will witness something new.

This story originally ran previously, before Seth Hernandez was drafted with the No. 6 pick by the Pirates, Billy Carlson was drafted with the No. 10 pick by the White Sox and Brady Ebel was drafted with the No. 32 pick by the Brewers.

Pat Murphy and I sat at his kitchen table one night in February. We talked a little about baseball and a lot about life, which is common in conversations with the 2024 National League Manager of the Year. Murphy had welcomed our MLB Network feature crew into his world for

TOKYO -- Move over, Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. It’s time for a new chapter in the baseball rivalry between Japan and the United States, 611 days after the unforgettable conclusion to the 2023 World Baseball Classic. The global powerhouses meet Thursday at the Tokyo Dome (7 p.m. local, 5

In impact of talent from top leagues in Japan and Korea, the 2023-2024 offseason was one for the ages in Major League Baseball. Ten months before he dominated the Yankees in the World Series, Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers. Shota Imanaga was a National

MILWAUKEE -- The sudsy clubhouse celebration lasted well into the night, and a late breakfast was to be expected. A table was reserved at Blue’s Egg, a popular spot three miles from American Family Field, where the Brewers had reveled in a walk-off victory and second consecutive National League Central

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Unlike the World Baseball Classic, rosters for the upcoming WBSC Premier12 must be selected among players who are not on Major League 40-man rosters. Aside from that significant difference, USA Baseball officials are preparing for November’s Premier12 with a process that resembles the lead-in to last year’s

DETROIT -- Snow flurries fell upon Comerica Park for a few minutes on Friday afternoon, reminding the bundled-up sold-out crowd of 44,711 that the Tigers’ sunny forecast remains preliminary. But if you’re looking for signs that Detroit is ready for its first postseason in a decade, the indications are there.

The Blue Jays have signed Eduardo Escobar, Daniel Vogelbach, and Joey Votto to Minor League contracts since pitchers and catchers reported. The moves have blurred the team’s roster projections, but Davis Schneider can see a route to reprising his 2023 star turn. After all, Spring Training reminds Schneider of the

Jack Flaherty set a standard in 2019 and has chased it ever since. In that season with the Cardinals, Flaherty finished fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting. He was widely viewed as one of the top young pitchers in baseball. Then came several years of injuries, inconsistencies, and

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- After an abrupt exit from last year’s postseason, Kevin Kiermaier thought he’d played his final game in center field for the Toronto Blue Jays. Kiermaier, who debuted with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013, had spent his entire career with teams that play on artificial turf. At

TAMPA, Fla. -- Free agents decide on destinations for any number of reasons. Opportunity to win, family considerations, and money -- in no particular order -- are among the most common. In a recent conversation at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Yankees starter Marcus Stroman revealed one factor rarely discussed among

By next Thursday, all 30 teams’ pitchers and catchers will have reported to Spring Training, and we are less than six weeks away from the season-opening Seoul Series between the Dodgers and Padres in South Korea. But while the clock is very much ticking on the offseason, a number of

Over 17 seasons in the Major Leagues, Todd Helton played 2,247 games for the Rockies — and zero for all of the other 29 franchises. He is the franchise leader in games, hits, runs, home runs and RBIs. Helton also established standards in more subjective ways. That is part of

The Houston Astros squeezed into a joyful huddle on the dais, newly crowned as 2022 World Series champions, and the Commissioner’s Trophy very quickly made its way into Michael Brantley’s hands. His teammates made certain of that. The smiles around Brantley told the story: After 1,430 Major League games, he

Adrián Beltré is a Hall of Famer. He was the easiest choice on the ballot I marked and mailed last month. I expect at least 75 percent of my baseball writing colleagues will concur, and Beltré will be among the new class of baseball immortals unveiled Jan. 23, live on

With the Winter Meetings set to begin on Sunday, we asked insiders Mark Feinsand and Jon Paul Morosi to address some of the key Hot Stove questions on every fan’s mind right now. 1. Which team will be the most active at the Winter Meetings? Feinsand: It feels like a

Shohei Ohtani’s ultimate free-agent destination remains the biggest mystery of the offseason. As we wait for a resolution, we asked our experts -- Mark Feinsand and Jon Paul Morosi -- to weigh in on some key questions on the minds of many fans that relate to the two-time MVP’s free

Now that the Rangers have claimed their first World Series title, we’ve entered one of the most fascinating offseasons ever -- on both sides of the Pacific. And while Shohei Ohtani is a major storyline, he isn’t the only one. Industry experts say this winter features one of the strongest

PHILADELPHIA -- Once Brady and Brett Pfaadt learned their brother, Brandon, would start Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, they knew they had to drive from their homes in Louisville, Ky., to be there in person. The only decision left was where they’d stop for meals along the

Adam Jones was honored last weekend at Camden Yards, after he officially retired as a member of the Orioles. Jones earned five All-Star selections and won gold in the World Baseball Classic during his 11 years in Baltimore. Jones, 38, also has unique insights on the international game from the

Shōta Imanaga began 2023 by starting the World Baseball Classic gold medal game against Team USA. He could end the year with a move to Major League Baseball. Imanaga’s Nippon Professional Baseball club, the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, will post him for MLB clubs after the ’23 season, sources told MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Korean baseball star Jung Hoo Lee is still expected to sign with a Major League Baseball club this winter, despite a fractured left ankle that could end his season with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League. The Heroes announced in January that Lee would be posted

When Eduardo Rodriguez takes the mound for the Tigers on Wednesday, talent evaluators throughout the sport will watch closely. Rodriguez is making his third MLB start since missing more than a month due to a pulley rupture in his left index finger. The 30-year-old left-hander is one of the top