How 4 playoff contenders fixed their infield defense
For as much emphasis as we put on strikeouts in today’s game -- and for good reason, because the seven best strikeout rate pitching staffs would all be playoff teams right now -- the truth is that approximately two-thirds of all plate appearances end with a ball in play. More...
Here is how Nola is pitching like an ace again
Perhaps the most important factor keeping the Phillies in the thick of the National League Wild Card race amid a roller-coaster season has been Aaron Nola’s return to form.
Despite a lack of consistency over his first seven Major League seasons, Nola offered reasons to believe he could bounce back...
Aaron Nola
Rutschman already looking like an all-around star
A great catcher is hard to find. Adley Rutschman is really starting to play like one.
Can the Orioles rookie go from No. 1 Draft pick to No. 1 prospect to the No. 1 Major League catcher? Absolutely. And judging from what he's doing right now, you might not have...
Adley Rutschman
The bullpen version of deGrom is making K history
Imagine having Jacob deGrom in your rotation and in your bullpen. That's basically what the Mets have right now with Edwin Díaz.
Díaz not only has 23 saves and a 1.51 ERA for the first-place Mets, he has 84 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings. That's an 18.1 K/9. If the...
Edwin Diaz
Every team's hardest-hit home run
Baseball has always been a simple game. You throw the ball hard. You hit the ball hard. And sometimes, the ball is hit with such force that you can’t help but ask yourself, “Just how hard was that thing hit?!”
Thanks to Statcast, we now know the exit velocity of...
Pros and cons for 6 top trade candidates
Tick tock. The clock is winding down toward Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET Trade Deadline, and decision time is nigh.
Teams can spend weeks or longer doing their due diligence on a potential target before the Deadline, but the decision of whether to actually go through with a trade or not...
How Michael Harris’ arrival has sparked the Braves
The Braves enter Thursday with a 98.7% chance to make the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. They have a 6 1/2-game lead over the first team out in the Wild Card race, holding the top spot.
But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing to get to this point for Atlanta. Exactly...
Michael Harris
'Julioooo!' Why J-Rod is must-see TV
The J-Rod Show has fully arrived. Rookie Julio Rodríguez took the national stage during All-Star Week in Los Angeles, finishing runner-up in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby and providing fun mic’d up moments from the outfield, and to say he succeeded would be an understatement.
If fans didn’t know before,...
Julio Rodriguez
9 options for a power bat at the Deadline
So you’re a contender, or at least you think you might be one. You’re looking ahead to the postseason and how your lineup might square up against the best pitching in the land. You’re wondering if you need a power bat, and the answer is: Yes, you do need a...
Murphy's monstrous homer lifts A's to shutout win
OAKLAND -- The A's have awaited the return of ace starter Frankie Montas for most of July. With the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline approaching, surely many of the other 29 teams in baseball have, too.
Montas made his first start since leaving his July 3 outing in Seattle with right...
Frankie Montas
Sean Murphy
