Baseball Connection

If the season ended today, may people might be surprised to see Nestor Cortes take home the major hardware. Who else are the voters still bullish on? Cortes is the  Yankees ace and has truly earned his keep in that rotation. The Angels have finally snapped their losing streak, thanks to two-way effort from Ohtani. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Nationals are set to welcome Stephen Strasburg back to the rotation after a whole calendar year away. Strasburg peaked in 2019 when he led the NL in innings pitched and won World Series MVP, but the former #1 overall pick hasn't been healthy much since then. American League teams are going to different types of streaks, but it's still very early. The season is a marathon. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Mired in a 12-game losing streak, the Angels look to reverse their fortune and have fired manager Joe Maddon. The Angels got off to a hot start this year but have fallen in the wrong direction. They have the two best players in the world. What will it take for the Angels to win? From Justin Verlander to Alek Manoah, some starters have made a strong All-Star case already. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Yordan Alvarez and Brendan Rodgers took home Player of the Week honors in the AL and NL, respectively. Julio Rodriguez is now locked in as the Mariners CF and a middle-of-the-order threat. J-Rod leads MLB in stolen bases and is really starting to shine. Bryson Stott and Bryce Harper led the Phillies to yet another post-Girardi win. All this (and more) on today's episode.

It's not often we see pitchers look better in the MLB than Minors but Mackenzie Gore is doing just that. Gore is the frontrunner for NL Rookie of the Year and he's just getting started. Move over Dodgers, but the Yankees are the best team in baseball. Miguel Andujar was sent down to AAA but he's also requested a trade. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The Phillies have fired Joe Girardi. Philadelphia is off to a poor start this season and are looking for a change in direction. Girardi's mismanagement of the bullpen was a factor but the Phillies poor defense is the front office's fault. Tyler Anderson stretched his scoreless inning streak to 26. Joe Musgrove and Gerrit Cole flirted with history. The Astros extended Yordan Alvarez with a 6-year, $115 million deal. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Nestor Cortes and Jameson Taillon delivered brilliant outings to help the Yankees sweep a doubleheader against the Angels. The Yankees continue to show how combining good pitching with timely hitting is the name of the game. Looking strictly at stats, Sandy Alcantara is the best pitcher in the National League right now. Do the Marlins might have the best rotation in the league? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Jean Segura is out with a fractured finger for 10-12 weeks. This is the latest blow to a Phillies team that came into 2022 with big expectations. They might need to tap into the trade market to save their season. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo responded to speculation about trading Juan Soto. So isn't going anywhere but how can the Nats build around him. The clock is ticking. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Memorial Day Weekend is a milestone in the MLB season. It's when we typically take note of the division leaders and front offices start to define their strategy for the season. Are the Padres legit? We saw a 496-foot blast at Coors Field, which is the stadium's second longest since 2015. Framber Valdez tossed a complete game 2-hitter for Houston. All this (and more) on today's episode.

The latest Mets hero is rookie OF Nick Plummer. Plummer's game-tying home run in the 9th inning was his first career hit and set the stage for a walk-off victory in extras. Mackenzie Gore has settled into the big leagues nicely. Gore went seven scoreless innings in his latest start; he's the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. All this (and more) on today's episode.