Baseball Connection

Mookie Betts has been the hottest player in baseball over the past month. He's quietly put up great numbers ever since he got to LA. That's just what we've come to expect of the former MVP. Why did Tommy Pham slap Giants Joc Pederson during a pregame altercation? The Royals and Mariners are embracing a youth movement and it's paying off so far. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tormented pitchers last year to the tune of 48 HRs and a second place finish in MVP voting. He's been slowed down this season so far because pitchers have figured out how to pitch to him. What exactly is Vlad's weakness and how can he make the necessary adjustment? All this on today's episode.

Joc Pederson hit 3 HRs and drove in 8 runs to help the Giants end their losing streak. Joc is a Bay Area native but there's good reason why he's never struggled to find jobs around the league. William Contreras is settling in nicely for the Braves. He might not catch every night but his bat has proven too good to hold out of the lineup. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Aaron Judge widened his MLB-lead in the HR category with two more blasts on Monday night. Judge is the early frontrunner for AL MVP. Great timing for him with free agency pending. Will the Twins just run away with their division? Julio Rodriguez has been great this month and flashed his power for the first time at home. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Tim Anderson was greeted with boos in each of his at-bats at Yankee Stadium but he ended up getting the last laugh. Anderson belted a back-breaking 3-run HR to cap his night in the Bronx. The Phillies walked off the Dodgers thanks to Roman Quinn's speed. The Twins are good and it's really that simple. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Adley Rutschman, baseball's top prospect, has been promoted to the MLB. The former number 1 overall pick made his debut on Saturday and gave the Orioles a taste of his potential. A switch-hitting catcher with a strong bat and glove, Rustchman has a rare set of tools. Josh Donaldson set off an incident on the field when he chirped at Tim Anderson. What exactly happened? Mike Trout scored his 1000th...

Max Scherzer has suffered an oblique strain and will miss 6-8 weeks. He joins Jacob deGrom and Tylor Megill on the sideline. They've been great so far but the Mets now face their toughest test of the season so far. Trevor Story broke out for Boston in a big way with 3 HRs, a stolen bases and 7 RBIs. The Cardinals promoted two of their top prospects and they happen to be childhood friends. All this...

Royce Lewis impressed in his first few weeks of big league action but the Twins have sent him back down to AAA with Carlos Correa returning from injury. Can we expect Lewis to be make in the MLB soon? Shohei Ohtani had his triple digit velocity again in his latest start. The Yankees are off to their best start since 1998 and nobody is stopping them. All this (and more) on today's episode.

It had been six years since a Cubs rookie (Willson Contreras) homered in his first MLB at-bat. Christopher Morel predicted he'd do the same and made good on his promise. The Astros teed off in Boston as they blasted 5 home runs in the second inning en route to a blowout victory. Six pitchers still have a 0.00 ERA. Who are they? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Scott Boras suggests that Michael Conforto might make a late-season comeback as a hitter-only. Is it even worth it and would any team sign him? The Marlins have a steady cop of young arms and there seems to be another one on the way. Johnny Cueto is back in the big leagues and made a strong impression in his White Sox debut. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Pirates won their game against the Reds without securing a hit. It doesn't happen often but sometimes patience is all it takes. Rookie RHP Hunter Greene threw 7.2 no-hit innings for Cincinnati with an MLB-high 118 pitches. The Cardinals blew out the Giants and Albert Pujols made his pitching debut. Nestor Cortes now leads the American League in ERA. All this (and more) on today's episode.

As the weather heats up, so are some hitters. Bryce Harper is showing why he's the reigning NL MVP. Are we seeing the rebirth of Christian Yelich? Seven teams are currently on pace for 100 wins, including a few surprises. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Can anyone stop the Yankees or Mets? It's always a nice bonus when a catcher has a good bat. The Reds know this: they have Tyler Stephenson who now has the equivalent of one full season under his belt. Kumar Rocker (2021 #10 overall pick) will pitch in an independent league in the coming months as he prepares to re-enter the MLB Draft. The Mariners demoted Jarred Kelenic ahead of this weekend's ma...

Robinson Cano's career isn't over after all. Cano is poised to sign an MLB deal with the Padres. San Diego could use some extra depth at the moment and Cano is a cheap, low-risk option. Bryce Harper has a partially torn UCL. He'll be shut down from throwing for at least four weeks but he'll DH in the meantime. The universal DH has come to the rescue. All this on today's episode.

Prior to Tuesday night, rumors swirled about Angels rookie LHP Reid Detmers being sent down to the Minors for further seasoning. Those rumors have been squashed since Detmers delivered a no-hitter against Tampa Bay. It was a wild night in Anaheim. Aaron Judge hit a walk-off HR for the Yankees as his monster year continues. Justin Verlander flirted with a no-hitter in yet another vintage outing. Al...

Josh Naylor had a night for the ages in Chicago. Naylor had 8 RBIs including an 8th inning RBI double, 9th inning grand slam, and 11th inning 3-run HR. Opposing pitchers should take note. Nestor Cortes has been the Yankees best starter this season. In his latest act, Cortes carried a no-hitter into the 8th inning. Kyle Hendricks took the Padres to school, helping end the Cubs' losing streak. All t...

Mother's Day celebrations were on display across the league. A handful of teams topped it off with walk-of victories. Gleyber Torres' HR was his seventh career walk-off hit. Jorge Alfaro made his mom's prediction come through with a pinch-hit blast. Don't look now, but the Angels are on top of the AL West. Ohtani & Rendon delivered the latest heroics. All this (and more) on today's episode.

You may not have guessed the Twins would have one of MLB's best pitching staffs this year, but here they are. Sonny Gray returned an led a shutout effort for Twins pitchers. Jhoan Duran is a budding new closer they will lean on. Miami called up hometown prospect 3B Joe Dunand, who homered in his first MLB at-bat. Dunand is A-Rod's nephew. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Mets are having a magical season. There's no other way to put it. They entered the ninth inning of Thursday's contest with a 0.2% win probability. One 7-run rally later, the Mets clinched the victory. The Twins have promoted 2017 No. 1 overall draft pick, Royce Lewis. Lewis will temporarily take over at shortstop for the injured Carlos Correa. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina have been at it for a very long time. With their win on Wednesday, they tied the record for the most wins by a pitcher/catcher combination. Zac Gallen was traded from the Marlins to the Diamondbacks after a strong rookie year. Miami got Jazz Chisholm in exchange. Both players faced off this week. Which team got the best of the trade? All this (and more) on today's...

Dusty Baker secured his 2,000th managerial win as the Astros defeated the Mariners. Baker is Cooperstown-bound, along with the handful of other managers who have accomplished this feat. The Yankees just won't lose and Aaron Judge won't stop mashing. Joc Pederson has a very specific role and he's great at it. Why are the Giants are a great team for him to play for? All this (and more) on today's ep...

Who would've guessed Eric Hosmer would lead MLB in average through three weeks? Or that the Twins would own the American League's best team ERA after losing some key arms the past year? We go through all the surprises atop the leaderboards.

Robinson Cano has been designated for assignment by the New York Mets. They will most likely have to release him because no team will want to take on his huge contract. Has Cano played his final MLB game? Logan Gilbert and Julio Rodriguez showed why the Mariners' youth movement is so exciting. Aaron Judge hit two more homers as the Yankees extended their win streak to nine. All this (and more) on...

Clayton Kershaw now sits alone atop the Dodgers strikeout list. No other Dodgers pitcher has amassed as many career strikeouts. The Marlins just finished one of their best Aprils in franchise history and are riding strong pitching this year. They have a seven game win streak. George Springer already loves hitting against his former team. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The New York Mets continue to impress. They threw a combined no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. With strong play on all sides of the ball from both new and incumbent players, something special is happening with this team. Madison Bumgarner continues to deal quietly for the D-Backs. The Marlins have won six straight games. Trevor Bauer has been suspended 324 games. All this (and more) on...