Baseball Connection

Awards Week is upon us. We'll find out about the Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young and MVP results this week. We know who some of the winners will be but a few question remain? Who will take home NL Rookie of the Year? A strong case can be made for either Braves teammate, Michael Harris or Spencer Strider. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Clayton Kershaw will return to LA on a one-year deal for 2023 worth approximately $20 million. It comes as no surprise. Kershaw is still effective when healthy but we can't expect him to be durable anymore. Justin Verlander declined his player option and has become a free agent. Houston should want him back. Winning gets expensive over time and the Braves are seeing that now. All this (and more) o...

The Braves have traded Jake Odorizzi to the Rangers in exchange for LHP Kolby Allard. Both teams are hoping for upside in each player. Aaron Judge & Paul Goldschmidt won the Hank Aaron Awards in the AL and NL, respectively. The Hank Aaron Award is given to the best offensive performer in each league. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Red Sox say want to bring Xander Bogaerts back but a reunion seems unlikely given Bogaerts' likely asking price. Correa, Swanson, and Turner are other elite shortstops on the market this winter. The Angels GM has said they won't trade Shohei Ohtani this offseason Who are the finalists for each major award? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Edwin Diaz has agreed to a five-year, $102 million deal with the Mets - the first nine-figure deal ever signed by a reliever. Diaz will be near-term fixture in the ninth inning at Citi Field. Bryce Harper has been dealing with a torn UCL in his elbow since May. The newly-added designated hitter rule allowed Harper was able to play the rest of the season for the Phillies. Carlos Rodon opted out of...

The Houston Astros have won the World Series. It's their second championship in the past six years and they can now silence all doubters who've levied criticism since the fallout of their cheating scandal. Jeremy Peña was named World Series MVP. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Astros take a 3-2 series lead back to Houston as they look to close things out in Game 6. Can the Phillies score enough runs off Framber Valdez, who has been dominant all year long? We take a look at the Gold Glove winners for 2022. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Cristian Javier led the way for the Astros as he tossed the first 6 innings of a combined no-hitter. Just one day after their impromptu home run derby, the Phillies bats went cold and the series is now tied 2-2. This was only the second no-hitter in World Series history. Why doesn't anyone talk about Cristian Javier's strong career? Under-the-radar signings like him have been key to the Astros' pi...

The Phillies tagged Lance McCullers Jr. for five home runs in Game 3 of the World Series. McCullers was tipping his pitches and the Phillies hitters keyed in on that immediately. Ranger Suarez threw 5 shutout innings as the Phillies beat the Astros 7-0.

Framber Valdez has been the Astros' most consistent starter all season long. You can expect him to throw a quality start or better each time out and he did just that in Game 2. Valdez threw 6.1 innings with 9 strikeouts and 1 earned run to help the Astros tie the World Series at one game apiece. The Series now heads back to Philadelphia for three straight.

The Phillies defeated the Astros 6-5 in Game 1 of the World Series. Houston was up 5-0 after three innings thanks to two Kyle Tucker homers. With Verlander on the mound, it looked like the Astros would cruise to victory. The Phillies had other ideas and immediately mounted a comeback. Strong bullpen work and a clutch homer from JT Realmuto put the Phillies on top.

The World Series is here. What are they top storylines to look out for ahead of Game 1? Can Justin Verlander shake his rough World Series reputation and get the Astros off to a strong start? The Phillies are underdogs, but their lineup has enough firepower to match Houston's. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Adam Wainwright is coming back for one last year. Wainwright signed a one-year deal to pitch for the Cardinals in 2023. He will play in a key role in their pitching rotation. Bruce Bochy is back in the MLB as he's agreed to terms with the Rangers as their new manager. Expect big moves from Texas this winter. Skip Schumaker will be the Marlins next manager. All this (and more) on today's episode.

For the 13th year in a row, the Yankees will be watching the World Series instead of playing in it. The current ownership group is fiscally conservative, and that just might be the problem. Fortunately, there is elite talent available on the market this winter. We discuss how the Yankees can buy their way back to the World Series.

The World Series will be played between the Phillies and Astros. This will be Philadelphia's first World Series appearance since they won it all in 2009. Bryce Harper took home NLCS MVP after delivering three game-winning hits in the series. The Astros swept the Yankees to punch a ticket to their fourth World Series in six years. Jeremy Peña won ALCS MVP.

The Astros shutout the Yankees to take a commanding 3-0 series lead in the ALCS. New York has struggled offensively this series. Their bats will have to come alive in Sunday's elimination game against Lance McCullers Jr. The Phillies lineup erupted as they erased an early deficit and beat the Padres with a barrage of home runs and doubles. Philadelphia has a 3-1 series lead. Can they close it out...

Jean Segura did it with both his bat and glove in the Phillies' 42 victory over the Padres. It took Segura 11 years to reach the postseason and he's clearly excited to be there. Gerrit Cole will take the ball for the Yankees in a pivotal Game 3 at home, but New York's offense will be crucial in turning this series around.

Framber Valdez and Alex Bregman lifted the Astros to a 3-2 victory in ALCS Game 2. How can the Yankees turn this series around? Because the Astros have such a potent offense, the Yankees will simply need to score more - lots of them. We also take a look head to NLCS Game 3.

Aaron and Austin Nola faced off in Game 2 of the NLCS. Austin's RBI single against his brother contributed to a big Padres win. The series heads to Philadelphia tied one game apiece. Best-of-seven series are great but MLB needs to adjust the format for better home field advantage. Justin Verlander and the Astros took down the Yankees in Game 1 of the ALCS. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Yankees beat the Guardians to advance to the American League Championship Series. Giancarlo Stanton & Aaron Judge hit homers to put the Yankees up for good in Game 5 of the ALDS. It will be a quick turnaround to Houston where the Astros await. Kyle Schwarber & Bryce Harper each homered to back Zach Wheeler's masterful outing in a Game 1 Phillies victory in the NLCS.

The ALDS finale will wait another day as the Guardians and Yankees were rained out in New York. The Yankees will throw Nestor Cortes on short rest. Who will pitch for the Guardians in this elimination game? The NLCS begins on Tuesday in San Diego. It'll include great storylines like the Nola brothers, former superstar teammates, and former superstar free agents all facing off.

It was an epic Saturday of playoff action with upsets all over. The Phillies defeated the defending World Series champs and there will be NLCS baseball in Philadelphia for the first time since 2010. They'll face the Padres, who upset the Dodgers in a wild comeback. The Guardians walked off on the Yankees and the Astros survived an 18-inning marathon in Seattle.

The Cleveland Guardians stole a game in New York as they silenced the Yankees bats. Aaron Judge looked rusty at the plate but they Yankees will need him to bounce back as this tied series shifts to Cleveland. The Phillies offense erupted against the Braves as Philadelphia enjoyed their first home playoff game since 2011. The Padres beat the Dodgers and are one game away from an epic upset. All thi...

The Astros have taken a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five ALDS matchup with the Mariners. The Padres stole a game on the road but they're biggest test will be at home in Game 3 where the pitching matchup isn't in their favor. Carlos Correa has opted out of his contract with the Twins. Correa will try free agency again in search of a long term deal. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Yordan Alvarez hit a walk-off 3-run home run to save the day for the Houston Astros. The Astros were down all game long after the Mariners ambushed Justin Verlander. The Phillies stayed hot and beat the Braves after jumping out to an early lead. The Yankees and Dodgers won their opening matchups as well. We dive into every Division Series opener on today's episode.