Here's why J.D. Martinez is a surprisingly good fit at Citi Field
New Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez is “the smartest hitter ever,” according to Mets reliever Jake Diekman, who was also teammates with Martinez in Boston in 2022. That's a reputation the slugger has long since earned.
That's why our eyebrows rose when we saw Martinez explain to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo...
J.D. Martinez
15 Spring Training stat lines that really do matter
One of the hardest mysteries to solve every March is which Spring Training stat lines are going to translate to the regular season. But we're going to do our best anyway.
With Opening Day just a few days away, let's try to figure out which players' strong springs are going...
Gunnar Henderson
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Wyatt Langford
Jung Hoo Lee
Oneil Cruz
Luis Arraez
Daulton Varsho
Jackson Holliday
Spencer Strider
Tarik Skubal
Edwin Diaz
Shota Imanaga
Hunter Brown
Mason Miller
Garrett Crochet
1 fact about every team to make you sound smart
It’s almost Opening Day, with the excitement and promise of a new season radiating throughout the sport and beyond. It’s time to consume baseball in every form possible, including, of course, talking baseball. Whether it’s water-cooler chats, Slacks from the home office, family dinners or group chats, you’re going to...
Giants' latest addition is the king of missing bats
A version of this story first appeared on MLB.com in February....
Blake Snell
Baez's towering blast (455 feet!) sets Spring Breakout mark
JUPITER, Fla. -- Dedicated to the development of their top young stars, the Cardinals were one of just two MLB franchises to commit to playing two Spring Breakout games, and they were one of just five clubs to make all top 10 players available for the inaugural event showcasing the...
Joshua Baez
8 ways to appreciate the gap between the Majors and Minors
Since reliable pitch tracking came online in 2008, we have more than 11 million tracked regular season and postseason pitches in Major League play. It’s a dataset that revolutionized the game, but what we haven’t had nearly so reliably is the same information for the Minor Leagues. We know prospects...
What Statcast said about Ragans' start, Garcia's homer
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In the regular season, opening Statcast for data on the games we’re watching is a daily occurrence.
In the Cactus League, not so much.
There’s only one ballpark fitted with data tracking equipment: Salt River Fields. So when the Royals traveled east Tuesday and didn’t have their...
Cole Ragans
Maikel Garcia
Breaking down exactly what to expect from Mookie at shortstop
For the second time this offseason, superstar outfielder Mookie Betts is making a possibly unprecedented position change.
In December, the Dodgers stated that the six-time Gold Glove Award winner would be making a permanent move from right field to second base – a switch that we thought, at the time,...
Mookie Betts
4 Spring Training stats that matter for Texas
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Only one Cactus League stadium -- Salt River Fields -- has Statcast technology, so it’s hard to tell exactly how well some guys are doing throughout Spring Training.
- Dodgers 7, Rangers 1
The Rangers have played two games at Salt River Fields this spring, a 6-6...
Marc Church
Adolis Garcia
Evan Carter
Jack Leiter
Replacing a Cy winner? This reliever-turned-starter is ready for it
Michael King quickly realized during his 2020 rookie season with the Yankees that he wasn't ready to be a big league starter. “I basically only had a sinker. … So I felt like I got exposed once I got to the big leagues,” King told MLB.com. But a lot has...
Michael King