Baseball Connection

Shane Bieber might be the next front-line ace in the American League. Bieber's stuff was filthy while recording 14 strikeouts against the Royals on Opening Day. Velocity might be king nowadays, but don't tell Kyle Hendricks. Hendricks threw a 3-hit shutout against the Brewers without touching 90 mph. Matt Olson's walk-off grand slam capped a tremendous Opening Day.

There will be an expanded playoff format this year. There will be 16 teams in the playoffs, instead of 10. In a season that is bound to be full of surprises, it makes sense to try this new format now. Opening Night did not disappoint and baseball is officially back. All this (and more) on today's episode.

On the eve of Opening Night, Mookie Betts signed a 12-year $365 million extension with the LA Dodgers. Mookie is the second-best player in baseball, and he's being paid like it. Did the Red Sox make a mistake by trading Mookie - a home-grown superstar on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory? All this (and much more) on today's episode.

Matt Adams welcomed himself back to Atlanta with a walkoff home run in an exhibition game. Adams is vying for a roster spot, and he should provide the Braves with great left-handed pop. Both the Tigers and Marlins hit back-to-back-to-back home runs... but still lost. All this (and more) on today's episode.

As the Blue Jays continue to explore their options for a home ballpark this year, the Pirates have offered to let them use PNC Park. Yoan Moncada and Aaron Judge look sharp and ready to go for their ballclubs. In joining the fight against injustice, some Giants players took a knee during the national anthem. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Shohei Ohtani will only pitch on Sundays this year. He looked good in his final tuneup yesterday, and he'll take the ball against Oakland next week. Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge are both healthy. Can it stay that way? Collin McHugh has opted out of the season because his arm hasn't recovered well from an injury. All this (and more) on today's episode.

There will be no Major League Baseball in Toronto this year. The Canadian federal government denied approval for the Blue Jays to play at home, due to concerns over COVID-19 transmission from cross-border travel. The Blue Jays will have to find an alternate site pretty quickly since their home opener is in just 10 days. The two main sites being considered are Buffalo, NY and Dunedin, FL. All this on today's episode.

Domingo German posted a Spanish message on his Instagram page saying he's "left baseball". We don't know exactly what he means by that. German is currently serving an 81-game suspension for a domestic violence incident. Braves camp is busy. The Yasiel Puig deal has been called off due to his positive test for COVID-19. However, Freddie Freeman and Touki Toussaint are back in camp. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Who is the active leader in batting average? Joey Votto might be the active leader in on-base-percentage, but Mike Trout is very close behind. Justin Verlander leads multiple pitching categories. Can you name them? Let's take a look at the active statistical leaders in major categories. All this on today's episode.

A strong bullpen is usually a key feature of a championship-caliber team. You'll need a good closer to hold down the ninth inning as well as a few late-inning set-up men. Which teams have the best bullpens heading into 2020? All this on today's episode.