MORE FROM Jared Wyllys

None

Looking up to MLB players and finding little things to imitate is something that still happens once players reach the big leagues.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

A new arm angle looks to be part of the metamorphosis into the second phase of James Shields’ career.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Joe Maddon's rotating lineups can sometimes cause fans and even analysts to chirp in protest, but there’s a method to this madness.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

It takes special talent to sustain attention-grabbing success across a span of time like Joey Votto has since his debut in 2007.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Even as the rest of the league has changed around him, Joe Mauer has been almost boringly good since his debut in 2004.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

More so than fans, MLB players understand when it's time to panic, relax and turn it on during a season. Just ask Clayton Kershaw, Jon Lester and others.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Like the men who play the game, each MLB player podcast has its own flair.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The challenge for so-called hybrid pitchers, those who serve as relievers and occasional starters, is both mental and physical.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game against the Astros on May 6, 1998, was remarkable on its own, but what’s often overlooked is that Wood’s dominance continued for the rest of the month, which was arguably the best of his 14-year career.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Though MLB players have always dealt with pressure, how they do continues to evolve.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Gerrit Cole was already good. Since being traded to the Astros in January, he's found a way to be even better.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

At only 28, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is already the battle-worn veteran presence on the Atlanta roster, and he’s become the quiet leader of an upstart Braves squad that finally appears ready to win again.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

For 162 games a year, the people behind each MLB team’s social media voice are there — in the pressbox, on the field, in the clubhouse, roaming among the fans, or maybe searching for a good signal — to talk baseball.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The road to October won’t necessarily be easier for the Angels this season, but thanks to several key additions they are better equipped to traverse it.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Phillies finished 31 games behind the Nationals in 2017 and 21 games from a wild-card spot, but thanks to an infusion of young talent on offense and a dramatically weakened division in the NL East, there’s a path for Philadelphia to claim a wild-card spot this October.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

In Los Angeles, Alex Verdugo might just squeeze his way into a crowded outfield, and in Cleveland, Francisco Mejia is going to catch some attention, even if he has to learn a new position to do it.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Yu Darvish’s otherwise sterling career should quiet worries over his 2017 World Series performance.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Nationals and Astros both made the postseason in 2017, but they finished in very different ways. These two teams already have the core roster elements necessary to make return trips, but they will also have to ride the success of the likes of Wilmer Difo and Chris Devenski, who both stepped into larger roles in 2017 and hope to keep those this year.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

General manager Rich Hahn, slugger Jose Abreu and others say a culture of camaraderie is important as the White Sox prepare to navigate the challenges of bringing up more of their cadre of blue-chip players.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

In Chicago, the Cubs have a relief pitcher in Dillon Maples who might light up the National League if he can improve his command. In Boston, the Red Sox have a third baseman in Rafael Devers who could help anchor the offense if they’re willing to overlook his suspect defense.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The deal Miami struck with Milwaukee brings a group of legit prospects and gives their beleaguered fanbase something, however small, to cheer.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Diamondbacks have a tough climb to surpass the Dodgers in their division, but they might have a surprise in Christian Walker if he can master a new position. In New York, meanwhile, Gleyber Torres has been a heralded prospect for several years, but this season he makes the leap to the majors.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

In Colorado, they have a speedy outfielder who is ready to take a full-time role. And in Minnesota, they have a young pitcher who already has important experience under his belt.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Brewers held the first-place spot in their division for almost all of the first half of the 2017 season, and to make a more serious run at the NL Central they’ll need prospects such as Lewis Brinson to make an impact. And the Angels made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason in signing Shohei Ohtani, who seems bound for success however they use him.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Cardinals need their pitching staff to be strong to return to the postseason after missing out the past two seasons, and in Alex Reyes they have a solid candidate to make that happen. Meanwhile, the Rays were part of a three-team deal a year ago that brought them Mallex Smith, a quality hitter and base runner who could lead off and play left field for them for years to come.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

It’s possible that the now-depleted Marlins might slightly redeem themselves after their sell-off, thanks to the Marcell Ozuna trade that yielded them a young pitcher filled with potential. And it’s possible that the Royals have an outfielder who could be a steady presence in their lineup for years to come.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The teams in the middle of the pack in baseball don’t have the luxury of recent success to celebrate or an active rebuild to pin hopes on, but both the Pirates and Mariners have young outfielders who could make their mark next season regardless.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Braves' Ozzie Albies has one of the higher ceilings of the young prospects going into 2018. Meanwhile, the Rangers' Willie Calhoun could be a staple of their outfield for several years to come.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Brandon Morrow last handled ninth-inning duties with regularity close to a decade ago, when he earned 16 saves between the 2008 and 2009 seasons in Seattle.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Sometimes, changing teams and getting a spot in the lineup every day is all a player needs to break out.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

For the Mets, they have who might be their first baseman of the future in Dominic Smith, and in Baltimore, Austin Hays could round out a quality outfield and provide an impact bat to go with Adam Jones and Manny Machado.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Reds are stuck at the bottom of a deep division, and the the Athletics often seem to be in a perpetual rebuild, never shy to sell off talent for prospects, but eventually they have to see results those exchanges.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Phillies and White Sox will need a few of their blue-chip prospects to shine in 2018, but the difference could come from a pair of slightly off-the-radar pieces.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Each week this offseason, we’ll look into the crystal ball and examine two players who could be next season’s surprise standouts.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Beneath the swagger, quirks and bat flips, Yasiel Puig is not the same player he was just a year ago.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

If Wednesday night was Jake Arrieta’s final start for the Chicago Cubs, it was a banger.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Deep playoff runs for three consecutive seasons have sapped the Cubs, and they’re showing that against the Dodgers.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Stephen Strasburg gave the Nationals a clutch outing in Game 4 of the NLDS, and he gave the Cubs fits.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

By the end of the sixth, the Cubs had committed four errors and squandered valuable scoring opportunities. But they overcame those obstacles for a 2-1 win and a 2-1 NLDS lead.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Baseball is full of quirky journeys, and Mike Freeman may have journeyed more than anyone.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

When players change uniforms, whether in season or during the offseason, it's not unusual for them to perform notably better with their new teams. There are several factors that contribute to this, but players who have made such moves are consistent in their belief that the switch made a difference.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

In sweeping the Cubs in Chicago for the first time since 2002, the Brewers sent a message that they plan to be the team on Lake Michigan that plays October baseball.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

An emphasis on defensive flexibility is creeping into MLB, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon, an early purveyor of the strategy, knows its value, as well as the importance of keeping his players ready to be flexible.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

It shouldn’t take a frightening car accident to change our perception of Sean Rodriguez.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The simplicity of Chase Utley's assessment of the National League’s best team subtly reflects both the plain strengths of the Dodgers and the perspective on his vocation that 15 years in the league has given him.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Despite struggles on the mound and being a part of a team with one of the worst records in baseball, White Sox pitcher Derek Holland knows the importance of a loose clubhouse.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

Leaving a team on the cusp of success isn’t always easy for players to accept, especially when they see their former team reach the summit and fulfill the hopes of decades without the glamor of being directly involved.

Jared Wyllys

•

None

The Rockies were a popular pick to make the playoffs heading into the season, and through the first two weeks of June, Colorado is fulfilling those preseason expectations.

Jared Wyllys

•
Newer Latest News