1+ hour, 26+ min ago (459+ words) Fifteen-year veteran left-handed starting pitcher Cole Hamels leads the list of twelve first-time candidates on the ballot. Hamels was a four-time All-Star, plus the NLCS and World Series MVP in 2008 for the Phillies. He had a win-loss record of 163-122, a lifetime ERA of 3.43, 2,698 innings pitched, and 2,560 strikeouts. By today's standards, that is a significant accomplishment. So here is the question: are those stats good enough to get him in on the first ballot? Are we comparing players on the ballot now to former ballplayers from their era? Or do we take it back 20, 30, or 40 years of stats? It is impossible to compare Hamels to Bob Gibson, Dizzy Dean, and Sandy Koufax. The game has changed too much over the years. Consider this: Gibson pitched for 17 years, finishing with a record of 251 wins and 174 losses as well as a lifetime ERA…...

20+ hour, 3+ min ago (482+ words) The 2025-26 MLB free agent class is fascinating despite lackingAaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, the three superstar MLB free agents of the past three winters. It's deep in sluggers and late-game relievers, with a helping of starting pitchers and third basemen. It feels hard to predict where players will land, and that should make this a fun offseason. The domino effect of one or two surprise signings -- such asKyle Schwarber not returning to the Philadelphia Phillies or Pete Alonso not returning to the New York Mets -- will create chaos. As always, a lot of money will be spent -- not all of it wisely. Last year's top-10 domestic free agents did pretty well, historically speaking, going from a combined 34.2 WAR in 2024 to 28.2 in 2025 to retain 82% of their value. In 2023-24, that figure was just 57% and in 2022-23, just 54%. Let's dig into the…...

20+ hour, 3+ min ago (482+ words) The 2025-26 MLB free agent class is fascinating despite lackingAaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, the three superstar MLB free agents of the past three winters. It's deep in sluggers and late-game relievers, with a helping of starting pitchers and third basemen. It feels hard to predict where players will land, and that should make this a fun offseason. The domino effect of one or two surprise signings -- such asKyle Schwarber not returning to the Philadelphia Phillies or Pete Alonso not returning to the New York Mets -- will create chaos. As always, a lot of money will be spent -- not all of it wisely. Last year's top-10 domestic free agents did pretty well, historically speaking, going from a combined 34.2 WAR in 2024 to 28.2 in 2025 to retain 82% of their value. In 2023-24, that figure was just 57% and in 2022-23, just 54%. Let's dig into the…...

20+ hour, 37+ min ago (843+ words) The 2025-26 MLB free agent class is fascinating despite lacking Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto, the three superstar MLB free agents of the past three winters. It's deep in sluggers and late-game relievers, with a helping of starting pitchers and third basemen. It feels hard to predict where players will land, and that should make this a fun offseason. The domino effect of one or two surprise signings -- such as Kyle Schwarber not returning to the Philadelphia Phillies or Pete Alonso not returning to the New York Mets -- will create chaos. As always, a lot of money will be spent -- not all of it wisely. Last year's top-10 domestic free agents did pretty well, historically speaking, going from a combined 34.2 WAR in 2024 to 28.2 in 2025 to retain 82% of their value. In 2023-24, that figure was just 57% and in 2022-23, just 54%. Let's dig…...

23+ hour, 49+ min ago (471+ words) The Toronto Blue Jays lived every MLB club's dream this season. They made it all the way to the World Series. Granted, because they didn't walk away with the championship, the experience will leave a bitter taste in their mouths. Now, the organization has a whole winter to beef up its team to take another run at a title and unseat the Los Angeles Dodgers. That's why the latest prediction for the Blue Jays makes a bit of sense. One analyst has made a bold prediction that the Blue Jays will sign free agent Justin Verlander. When the silly season hits for the MLB yearly cycle, a lot of rumors and speculation hit the internet. The winter leading into the 2026 regular season is no different. MLB.com scribe Anthony Castrovince has released a list of bold predictions. The one that…...

1+ day, 7+ hour ago (424+ words) The Red Sox farm system looks drastically different than it did a year ago. The strength of the system is now the pitchers, the first time in more than a decade that the Red Sox can make such a claim. With contributions from homegrown hurlers such as Hunter Dobbins, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early, 2025 offered evidence that the Sox can develop pitchers and graduate arms to the big leagues in a way that appears repeatable, a game-changer. Meanwhile, half of the players in the top 10 (including three of the four position players) were teenagers during the 2025 season with little to no experience in the upper levels of the minors. With those shifting demographics comes much greater volatility. This year marked my 13th season ranking the Red Sox" top prospects for Baseball America. Here"s a look at the players I ranked…...

1+ day, 10+ hour ago (434+ words) Nov 23, 2025 | 10:03 PM EST "He's won the Cy Young two years in a row. He's everything right about baseball. He's got great makeup and great competitiveness. He's great in the clubhouse. He's a great teammate. He's an animal on the mound. We need him. He'll help us with the community. He helps us with charities. He's everything we want a Tiger to be." Well, trading Skubal this winter will make no sense. This was by far the least popular choice among 11 industry insiders on the ESPN panel. One rival executive even summed it up perfectly. " MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 23, 2025 He said, "The whole reason you do all this is to start a season with a potential contender that has an ace. You can't throw that away before the season starts. How long will it take to get here…...

1+ day, 14+ hour ago (163+ words) Luke Cavallin makes 40 saves for Maine, which had goals from five players. You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. With a The Portland Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. - Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Luke Cavallin made a season-high 40 saves as the Maine Mariners defeated the Norfolk Admirals 5-1 to snap a four-game losing streak Sunday in an ECHL game at the Cross Insurance Arena. Owen Gallatin scored his first professional goal for Maine (8-4-2-1), while Lynden McCallum, Jacob Hudson, Tristan Thompson and Brooklyn Kalmikov also scored. Marko Reifenberger scored for Norfolk (5-7-2-0). The Mariners have earned points in…...

1+ day, 14+ hour ago (163+ words) Luke Cavallin makes 40 saves for Maine, which had goals from five players. You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. With a The Portland Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month. It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. To get one, go to the subscriptions page. - Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Luke Cavallin made a season-high 40 saves as the Maine Mariners defeated the Norfolk Admirals 5-1 to snap a four-game losing streak Sunday in an ECHL game at the Cross Insurance Arena. Owen Gallatin scored his first professional goal for Maine (8-4-2-1), while Lynden McCallum, Jacob Hudson, Tristan Thompson and Brooklyn Kalmikov also scored. Marko Reifenberger scored for Norfolk (5-7-2-0). The Mariners have earned points in…...

1+ day, 15+ hour ago (943+ words) One thing that the Toboni regime has clearly emphasized is that the players on the roster have another gear to reach. Toboni has said that both in his words and his actions. By tendering contracts to all 7 of the Nats arbitration eligible players, Toboni is betting on internal improvement. Here are three players that could be helped by his new development infrastructure. I am going to stay away from the team's star players, so no James Wood, CJ Abrams or even Daylen Lile. They have all shown they can be highly productive. I believe the new player development will help, but this is more about true breakouts. There are three names that fit the bill for me. The first one is a player who broke through in 2025, but has another level to reach. That is reliever Cole Henry. After finally…...