I will probably get back to 21st Century Trivia soon!

Question 1:
Which Pirates shortstop put together a ridiculous 1908 season, hitting .354 with 201 hits, 39 doubles, 19 triples, 109 RBI, and 53 stolen bases, while also leading the National League in slugging percentage?

Question 2:
Which Philadelphia Athletics left-hander went 31-4 with a 2.06 ERA in 1931, completed 27 of his 30 starts, won the pitching Triple Crown, and captured the American League MVP Award?

Question 3:
Which Tigers Hall of Famer hit .337 with 200 hits, 40 home runs and 183 RBI in 1937, yet did not win the American League MVP Award that season?

Question 4:
Which Orioles third baseman hit .429 with two home runs and six RBI in the 1970 World Series, but may have been even more memorable for the defensive clinic he put on against Cincinnati?

Question 5:
Which Twins superstar produced 9.7 bWAR in 1977, batting .388 with 239 hits, 16 triples, 128 runs and 100 RBI while winning the American League MVP despite Minnesota missing the postseason?

Question 6:
Which 39-year-old Pirates slugger became the first player in MLB history to win a regular-season MVP, LCS MVP and World Series MVP in the same season in 1979?

Question 7:
Which Red Sox third baseman hit .368 with 240 hits and 42 doubles in 1985, produced 9.1 bWAR, led the majors in batting average and hits — and somehow finished only fourth in AL MVP voting?

Question 8:
Which Twins Hall of Famer hit .429 with two home runs in the 1991 ALCS to win series MVP, then made a leaping catch and hit an 11th-inning walk-off homer in Game 6 of the World Series?

Question 9:
Which White Sox slugger hit .353 with 38 home runs, 101 RBI, 106 runs and 109 walks in only 113 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season, earning his second consecutive AL MVP Award?

Question 10:
Which Dodgers catcher became the first player ever to record at least 200 hits while catching 100 or more games in a season in 1997, batting .362 with 40 home runs and 124 RBI — but finished second in NL MVP voting?

STOP

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ANSWER KEY

1: Honus Wagner — Wagner’s 1908 season was remarkable even by Deadball Era standards. He hit .354/.415/.542, collected 201 hits, drove in 109 runs and stole 53 bases. He led the NL in batting average, RBI, stolen bases and slugging percentage. MLB.com

2: Lefty Grove — Grove went 31-4 with a 2.06 ERA and 175 strikeouts, completing 27 of 30 starts. He led the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts for the pitching Triple Crown and won the only MVP Award of his career. MLB.com

3: Hank Greenberg — Greenberg hit .337 with 40 home runs, 200 hits and 183 RBI for Detroit in 1937. The RBI total led baseball and remains one of the largest single-season totals in MLB history. Charlie Gehringer won the MVP that year. MLB.com

4: Brooks Robinson — Robinson hit .429 with two homers and six RBI as Baltimore defeated Cincinnati in five games. His defense at third became the defining image of the Series, and Robinson was named World Series MVP. Baseball Hall of Fame

5: Rod Carew — Carew hit .388, led the AL with 239 hits, 128 runs and 16 triples, and produced 9.7 bWAR, the highest mark in baseball that season. Minnesota did not reach the postseason, but Carew still won the AL MVP. Baseball Hall of Fame

6: Willie Stargell — Stargell shared the 1979 NL MVP with Keith Hernandez, then won both NLCS MVP and World Series MVP as Pittsburgh won the championship. At age 39, he became the first player to win all three honors in one season. Baseball Hall of Fame

7: Wade Boggs — Boggs hit a career-best .368 with 240 hits, the most by any major leaguer in 55 years at the time. Baseball-Reference credits him with 9.1 bWAR, yet he finished fourth in the AL MVP voting behind Don Mattingly, George Brett and Rickey Henderson. Baseball Hall of Fame

8: Kirby Puckett — Puckett hit .429 with two homers and five RBI in the 1991 ALCS, earning MVP honors. He followed it with one of the most famous individual World Series performances ever, robbing Ron Gant with a leaping catch and later homering in the 11th inning of Game 6 to force Game 7. MLB.com

9: Frank Thomas — The Big Hurt was hitting .353 with 38 homers, 101 RBI, 106 runs and 109 walks when the 1994 strike ended the season after 113 games. He won his second straight AL MVP Award after also taking the honor in 1993. MLB.com

10: Mike Piazza — Piazza hit .362 with 201 hits, 40 homers and 124 RBI in 1997 and became the first player to collect 200 hits in a season while catching at least 100 games. Despite that, he finished runner-up for NL MVP to Larry Walker. Baseball Hall of Fame

Thank you all for reading! Let us know how many you got correct in the comments below.

This is probably the difficulty level we were looking for. Wagner, Grove, Greenberg, Brooks Robinson, Carew, Stargell, Boggs, Puckett, Frank Thomas and Piazza are all legitimate baseball-history names, but there are fewer giveaway clues than in Part IV.

If you went 10-for-10 on Part V, that’s a legitimately impressive score.

Stay tuned for 20th Century MLB Trivia Part VI.

Question 1:

Which New York Giants ace threw three complete-game shutouts in just six days during the 1905 World Series, allowing only 13 hits and one walk across 27 innings?

Question 2:

Which Philadelphia Athletics slugger won the 1933 American League Triple Crown by hitting .356 with 48 home runs and 163 RBI, and also hit for the cycle with nine RBI in a game that August?

Question 3:

Which Yankees catcher hit .322 with 28 home runs and 124 RBI in 1950 while striking out only 12 times in 656 plate appearances?

Question 4:

Which superstar was traded from Cincinnati to Baltimore after the 1965 season, then immediately won the 1966 AL Triple Crown by hitting .316 with 49 home runs and 122 RBI — becoming the first player to win MVP Awards in both leagues?

Question 5:

Which Red Sox legend won the 1967 Triple Crown and, with Boston fighting for the pennant, went 20-for-37 with three home runs and 14 RBI over his final 37 at-bats?

Question 6:

Which Phillies left-hander went 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA and 310 strikeouts in 1972 for a team that won only 59 games all season?

Question 7:

Which Red Sox ace went 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 238 strikeouts in 1986, won both the AL Cy Young and MVP Awards, and became the first pitcher to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning MLB game?

Question 8:

Which Hall of Fame shortstop hit .303 with 40 doubles, 43 stolen bases and 75 RBI in 1987 despite hitting zero home runs, then finished second in NL MVP voting?

Question 9:

Which Pirates superstar hit .301 with 33 home runs, 114 RBI and 52 stolen bases in 1990, produced 9.7 bWAR, and won the first MVP Award of his career?

Question 10:

Which Cardinals slugger hit 70 home runs in 1998, walked 162 times, posted a .470 OBP and 1.222 OPS — but still finished second in NL MVP voting?

HOLD UP. Before heading to the answers, make sure to subscribe below! Next weeks questions are not going to be as easy.

ANSWER KEY

1: Christy Mathewson — Mathewson’s 1905 World Series is still difficult to comprehend. He threw three complete-game shutouts in six days, allowing only 13 hits and one walk over 27 scoreless innings as the Giants defeated Philadelphia. Baseball Hall of Fame

2: Jimmie Foxx — Foxx won the 1933 Triple Crown with a .356 average, 48 homers and 163 RBI. During that same season, he went 4-for-5 with a cycle and nine RBI against Cleveland, which was then an American League single-game record. MLB.com

3: Yogi Berra — In 1950, Berra batted .322 with 28 homers and 124 RBI, yet struck out just 12 times in 656 plate appearances. For comparison, he hit more than twice as many home runs as he had strikeouts. He finished third in AL MVP voting that season. Baseball Reference

4: Frank Robinson — After Cincinnati traded him to Baltimore, Robinson responded by hitting .316 with 49 homers and 122 RBI, sweeping the Triple Crown categories and unanimously winning the AL MVP. Combined with his 1961 NL MVP in Cincinnati, Robinson became the first — and remains the only — player to win the MVP in both leagues. Baseball Hall of Fame

5: Carl Yastrzemski — Yaz hit .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBI to capture the Triple Crown and lead Boston’s “Impossible Dream” team from ninth place the year before to the American League pennant. Over his final 37 at-bats, Yastrzemski collected 20 hits with three homers and 14 RBI. Baseball Hall of Fame

6: Steve Carlton — Carlton won 27 of Philadelphia’s 59 games, meaning he personally earned the victory in 45.8% of all Phillies wins that season. He also led the NL in wins, ERA and strikeouts to capture the pitching Triple Crown and his first Cy Young Award. Baseball Hall of Fame

7: Roger Clemens — Clemens went 24-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 238 strikeouts in 1986 and won both the Cy Young and MVP. Earlier that season, on April 29, he struck out 20 Mariners to break the existing nine-inning strikeout record of 19. Baseball Reference

8: Ozzie Smith — The Wizard had arguably his best offensive season in 1987, batting .303 with 182 hits, 40 doubles, 75 RBI, 43 steals and zero homers while continuing to provide elite defense. Smith finished second to Andre Dawson in the NL MVP voting and received nine first-place votes. MLB.com

9: Barry Bonds — Before the San Francisco version of Bonds, there was the all-around Pittsburgh monster. Bonds hit .301/.406/.565 with 33 homers, 114 RBI and 52 stolen bases in 1990. His 9.7 bWAR helped earn him his first NL MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. MLB.com

10: Mark McGwire — McGwire famously finished 1998 with 70 home runs, but the rest of the numbers were equally ridiculous: 147 RBI, 162 walks, a .470 OBP, .752 slugging percentage and 1.222 OPS. Despite winning the historic home run race, he finished second in MVP voting to Sammy Sosa. MLB.com

Thank you all for reading! Let us know how many you got correct in the comments below.

I like the mix on this one: Mathewson, Foxx, Yogi, Frank Robinson, Yaz, Carlton, Clemens, Ozzie, Bonds and McGwire. There really aren’t any “who the hell is that guy?” answers, but the clues should still make people work.

If you went 10-for-10, you know your baseball history.

Stay tuned for 20th Century MLB Trivia Part V.

Before I get into the breakdown of every game from all four MLB Wild Card series, please allow me a brief moment to politely air my grievances to whoever decided to schedule the Wild Card in the way they did:

What are we doing here? In theory, the scheduling of two, possibly three, straight days of nothing but baseball starting at 2:00 EST and not ending until well past midnight sounds appealing; however, in practice it leads to a brutal viewing experience for the average baseball fan. Listen, I am a devout Yankee fan. I, as a devout Yankee fan who lives on the East Coast, benefit greatly from this ludicrous Wild Card schedule. I get to watch Ben Rice send a ball into orbit in primetime, on national TV, from my couch, on a 75” OLED screen. Unfortunately, Phillies fans must illegally stream Brandon Marsh swing at three straight Tyler Mahle splitters in the dirt from the screen of their cracked iPhone 7 while on their lunch break from working as a cashier at WAWA (sidenote: I’ve only been to Philadelphia one time in my life [to watch the Knicks boot Embiid and the Sixers from the 2024 NBA Playoffs on their home court], but I assume that my above-referenced scenario is not dissimilar to how most Philly fans watched at least Game 1 of the Wild Card).

Having two bitter divisional rivals play Game 1, Game 2, and potentially Game 3 of their best-of-three series at 2:00 PM local time on weekdays is malpractice on behalf of Major League Baseball. Not only does this scheduling place an undue burden on fans of both ball clubs, but it also has an effect on the actual game that is being played. The difference in atmosphere between an evening game and a day game is vast, and it is simply unacceptable that teams would be forced to play day games exclusively while other teams, competing in games of equal stakes, play night games exclusively.

Additionally, the Astros and White Sox playing all of their games at 4:00 PM local time is also pretty insane, albeit not as egregious as the Philly and Atlanta situation.

Finally, before I move on and restrain myself (unsuccessfully) from discussing the times that these games are being played, let me just say: I understand fully why the games are played at these specific times. From a logistics standpoint, it makes sense. However, just because the schedule logistically makes sense doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good. It’s like when you say you dislike a twist in a particular movie and some idiot says, “No, it’s not bad, you just don’t understand it.” No, I understand it. Just because you understand it or it makes sense does not mean it is inherently good. Rant over.

Day One (Tuesday, September 29th)

Phillies at Braves (2:00 PM EST)

Postseason baseball officially commenced at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Braves hosted the Philadelphia Phillies for Game 1 of their Best of 3 series. Each team opted for a left-handed pitcher to start Game 1 of the series. For Atlanta, 37-year-old Chris Sale, coming off his 3rd straight season as an All-Star for the Braves, took the hill, while Philly opted to start Jesus Luzardo, an All-Star in his own right despite being widely considered the Phillies’ “number two” behind Christopher Sanchez.

Despite the reputation of each starting pitcher, both offenses quickly scored. A Kyle Schwarber walk was followed up by an RBI double from Alec Bohm two batters later, resulting in a 1-0 Phillies advantage after the first. That lead didn’t last long, however, as Ozzie Albies scored on a Mike Yazstremski single in the bottom of the second to even up the scoring.

Both pitchers seemingly found their groove after the first two innings, however. Luzardo was pulled after the 5th with an impressive stat line of 6 Ks, 3 Hs, and 1 ER. Sale was equally impressive. He started the 7th inning with a one-run lead after Ozzie Albies ripped a triple the inning prior, scoring Michael Harris. Sale then struck out Derek Hill (Sale’s 9th K of the afternoon) but immediately hit the next batter he faced and followed that up by surrendering a single to Bryan De La Cruz before being taken out of the game. Didier Fuentes replaced Sale out of the bullpen and, after forcing a flyout from Justin Crawford, let up a costly 2-run triple to Jt Realmuto after Acuna poorly played the ball off the wall.

After taking the lead, Philly elected to bring in their star closer, Jhoan Duran, in the 7th inning to protect their newfound lead. Duran did that successfully. After Dylan Lee quickly dispelled the heart of the Phillies’ order in the top of the 8th inning, the Phillies decided to let their star pitcher pitch one more inning. Duran quickly forced two outs from Olson and Dubon on just three pitches. With two outs, Michael Harris worked an infield single, which was followed up by a hit-by-pitch, which put the winning run on base and brought Matt Olson to the plate. Olson jumped on the first pitch he saw and took a 99 MPH Duran heater 485 feet to right-center field to give Atlanta a 5-3 lead. A lead that Atlanta would not relinquish.

Final Score: ATL 5 PHI 3

Game Grade: A

White Sox at Astros (5:00 PM EST)

How do you follow up on the undeniably phenomenal matchup between the Phillies and Braves? Short answer: you don’t. Both teams opted to make game 1 of this series a “bullpen game,” and boy did it feel like one.

The White Sox pounced on the Astros’ first victim, AJ Blubaugh, and took advantage of poor defense from the Astros, taking an early 1-0 lead on behalf of a Munetaka Murakami sac fly that scored Sam Antonacci. Blaubaugh then walked the next batter he faced and was promptly pulled from the game after only 0.2 IP and 5 batters faced. His replacement, Bryan King, struck out the next batter to stop the bleeding.

From there on, things only got worse for Houston. King let up a pair of singles to start the top of the 2nd inning before hitting Colson Montgomery to load the bases. He then allowed another pair of singles before being pulled from the game himself. Houston then tried Miguel Ullola out, a pitcher who only registered 16.2 IP the entire 2026 regular season. Ullola was able to get out of the jam, retiring the next three batters without giving up a run, but the Astros were now down 3-0 in only the second inning.

The rest of the game was more of the same. Ullola was probably the Astros’ most effective of the eight pitchers they used, as he ate up 3 innings of work before giving up a 432 ft bomb of a solo HR to Colson Montgomery.

The Astros finally got on the board in the 5th inning thanks to a two-run HR from pinch-hitter Nelson Velazquez. It unfortunately wasn’t enough for Houston, though, as Chicago was still up 5-2 at that point, and we were able to tack on an insurance run in the 7th as a result of a wild pitch. The White Sox eventually won 6-3.

The real standouts for the Sox were their pitchers, specifically their “starter,” Hagen Smith (3.0 IP, 2 Hs, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 ER), and closer, Grant Taylor (2.1 IP, 2 Hs, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 0 ER). I feel this game said more about Houston than Chicago, however. Houston’s pitching and defense were atrocious, and—obviously— their offense didn’t look much better. As a whole, they looked uninspired and outmatched against a relatively pedestrian White Sox squad.

Final Score: CHW 6 HOU 3

Game Grade: C

Red Sox at Yankees (8:00 PM EST)

We did it, folks. We have arrived at the main event. Yankees, Red Sox, postseason baseball, primetime on national television. Need I say more? When has a “Yankees vs. Red Sox postseason clash” ever disappointed? Well, if it never did before, it sure has now. Again, to reiterate, I am a very passionate Yankees fan, so I will try to be as unbiased as possible.

Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice dropped their proverbial nuts on the entire city of Boston. Schlittler, who absolutely dominated Boston last year in the AL Wild Card, struck out 10 batters and only surrendered a pair of hits and a single walk in his 6.1 innings of work. Also, in a rare managerial win for Aaron Boone, Schlittler pitched well past his usual pitch limit, reaching 117 pitches thrown, the highest of his young career.

The other half of the “nut dropping” would be Ben Rice. The AL MVP candidate has already earned his pinstripes, as he went 4 for 5 with two home runs against New York’s bitterest rival. Rice excelled against every pitcher thrown his way. He ripped a double to center in the first off Boston’s starter Payton Tolle, hit a 423 ft HR off Erik Miller when the Sox took out Tolle (more on that later), knocked an RBI single to right off Alec Gamboa in the 7th, and finally, last but not least, Rice hit a 408 ft grand slam to center field off Bryan Bello to extend the Yankees’ lead to 9-0 in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Rice and Schlittler weren’t the only positives for New York, however. Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells (yes, you read that correctly) were excellent for the Yanks. Volpe went 1-for-3 and played an excellent second base while Wells went 2-for-3 and knocked Lombard in twice. Speaking of Lombard, the young shortstop played outstanding in his first career postseason appearance. The 21-year-old went 3-for-4 against Boston’s pitching and played a solid shortstop.

Now, what can be said about Boston? They looked lifeless offensively. Schlittler absolutely shut down Boston’s hitters, and by the time he was out of the game and they had a full inning to face Paul Blackburn, they were down four runs, and it was already the 7th inning. The real turning point in the game for Boston came in the 5th inning. With two outs and Payton Tolle pitching very well, Boston elected to remove him from the game in favor of Erik Miller rather than allow their starter to face Ben Rice a third time. On the third pitch he saw, Rice hit an HR, and the momentum officially swung in New York’s favor. It felt, at that moment, as if the game (and maybe the series) was over.

Final Score: NYY 9 BOS 0

Game Grade: D+

Cubs at Padres (10:00 PM EST)

I’m not going to sugarcoat this. Tuesday’s nightcap was a stinker.

At the top of the first inning, the Padres’ starter, Michael King, struck out the odds-on favorite to win NL MVP, Pete Crow-Armstrong, on three pitches. He needed only an additional eight pitches to strike out Alex Bregman and retire Michael Busch and end the top half of the first inning. In the bottom of the first inning, San Diego’s lead-off hitter, Fernando Tatis Jr., swung at the first pitch he saw from the Cubs’ starter, Matthew Boyd, and hit the ball 405 ft to center field for a home run. Two batters later, Manny Machado hit the second ball he saw from Boyd 391 ft to left-center field, just a few yards to the left of where Tatis landed.

That paragraph pretty much sums up the entirety of Game 1 of the Padres vs. Cubs NL Wild Card series. Michael King was dominant, Tatis and Machado lived up to both their reputations and contracts, and the Cubs were absolutely lost.

King was essentially perfect on the hill for San Diego. No, for real, essentially perfect. King had a no-hitter for more than half of the game. King walked three batters, and Seya Suzaki got on base as a result of an errant throw from Xander Bogaerts, but King didn’t allow a single hit until the top of the 7th inning when Nico Hoerner etched out an infield single. King then struck out the last two batters of the inning, ending his night. Those strikeouts were his seventh and eighth of the evening.

Tatis and Machado had nearly identical stat lines. Both players went 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run. Tatis (3 R) and Machado (2) scored five of San Diego’s 8 runs. Xander Bogaerts also had a big day, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th inning. From the jump, San Diego’s offense was absolutely dominant.

As for the Cubs, there isn’t much to say. They were flat-out bad. They only managed to register three hits the entire game, and two of those came in the top of the ninth against Joe Musgrove when the Cubs were staring down the barrel of an eight-run deficit. The pitching wasn’t much better either. Matt Boyd, who experienced moderate success as a postseason starter the prior two years, was outclassed by the Padres’ offense, and his replacements weren’t any more successful. The Padres scored 4 runs off Boyd in his 4 IP and another 4 runs off the bullpen in 4 combined IP. How can you not be romantic about baseball?

Final Score: SDP 8 CHC 0

Game Grade: D+

Day Two (Wednesday, September 30th)

Phillies at Braves (2:00 PM EST)

The Braves and Phillies once again started off the action with a matchup in the blistering afternoon heat of Atlanta. Down 1-0 in the series, Philly entrusted the starting pitching role to their left-handed ace, Christopher Sanchez, while the Braves started 32-year-old journeyman Tyler Mahle.

This affair started eerily similar to Tuesday’s, as both teams scored a run early before an extended scoring drought. In the top of the 1st, Trea Turner hit a lead-off double and later scored courtesy of a Bryce Harper single to give the away team a 1-0 lead early. Atlanta answered quickly after a seven-pitch lead-off walk from Acuna turned into the game-tying run after Tuesday’s hero, Matt Olson, hit an RBI single to the right.

Both starters settled in over the course of the next 5-6 innings, with Tyler Mahle performing exceptionally well. Mahle, through 7.0 IP, struck out 6 batters and didn’t allow a run after the first inning. Sanchez, on the other hand, wasn’t as steady. The lefty ace allowed 6 hits and 5 walks in his 6.2 IP. Additionally, as his pitch count reached triple digits in the bottom of the 7th, he began to falter. With one out and a runner on first and second, Sanchez let up a costly RBI double to Braves DH Drake Baldwin. Sanchez and the Phillies then opted to intentionally walk Ozzie Albies to load the bases for Matt Olson. Once again, Olson delivered a fly ball to center that was caught by Justin Crawford but was deep enough to score Ha-Seong Kim and double the Braves’ lead.

Now, in the top of the eighth inning, down 3-1 and facing a potential early exit from the 2026 postseason, Kyle Schwarber stepped up to the plate. Tyler Mahle had exited the game after seven solid innings, and Atlanta decided to hand the ball to Dylan Lee. Schwarber quickly went down 0-2 in the count before working the count full on the subsequent three pitches. On the 7th pitch of the at-bat, Lee hung a slider, and Schwarber made him pay. The ball was 447 feet to right field, and the game was now 3-2 Atlanta. The very next batter, Bryce Harper, needed to see only 3 pitches to tie the game. 418 ft to right-center field. The score was now tied 3-3 entering the bottom of the eighth inning. Brand new game.

Andrew Painter came into the game and was tasked with preserving the score of the game. After initially walking the first batter he faced, Austin Riley, and scaring every man and woman in the greater Philadelphia area, he forced Michael Harris to ground into a double play. Sean Murphy popped out a pitch later. In the 9th, both teams had a baserunner but couldn’t capitalize, and the game entered extras tied 3-3.

In the top of the 10th, Atlanta brought in Didier Fuentes to face the heart of Philly’s order. Fuentes made quick work of both Schwarber and Harper; however, when facing Alec Bohm, Fuentes’ third pitch of the at-bat got a little too much plate, and Bohm made him pay. A 357 ft solo homer to the right gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead. Stott and De La Cruz singled out, but Fuentes was able to retire Hill, ending the top half of the 10th.

As the camera panned around Truist Park, many Braves fans had resorted to the rally cap, hoping their superstitious act would cause Atlanta to score a run against Painter, who was now coming out for his third inning in relief, and tie, or potentially win, the ball game. Their superstitions seemed to work as Atlanta had two runners on when pinch hitter Dom Smith came to the plate. With two outs, the speedy Dubon on second and the equally quick Harris on first, a single would tie the game, and anything more would win it for the home team. The first two pitches were swung on and missed. The third was called a ball, but an ABS challenge from Realmuto overturned the call. Game over. The Phillies stayed alive.

This is everything you want in playoff baseball. The suspense, the home runs, the extra innings. Game two of this series was the baseball embodiment of the “Martin Scorsese ‘Absolute Cinema’ meme.” What time did the game end, you wonder? You didn’t ask? Well, I’ll tell you anyway: 5:16 PM. Yes, I actually noted this when it happened because I’m, in fact, a crazy person. It was when the scoreboard flashed “final.” Most people were likely still on their way home from work or school when this game was concluding. I know I promised to stop talking about these games’ start times, but c’mon, the far and away most exciting series thus far has been played at 2:00 PM EST!

Final Score: PHI 4 ATL 3

Game Grade: A+

White Sox at Astros (5:00 PM EST)

So I, like I’m sure many of you, actually missed the first inning of this game because I was watching the end of the Phillies vs. Braves game. I am done talking about these start times, but please let the record show that I was displeased with missing the first inning and first runs of this game.

The Astros decided to actually start an actual starting pitcher this game after expending a total of eight pitchers the day before in the abject failure that was Houston’s “bullpen game” Game 1. Unfortunately for Houston, their Game 2 starter didn’t last any longer than their Game 1 starter did. The White Sox pounced on Hunter Brown early, and after surrendering 5 hits, 1 walk, and 4 runs (only 3 of which were earned), Houston yanked their starter, only two outs into the game.

Houston’s offense was certainly more alive today and wasted no time getting on the board. Jeremy Pena did his best Fernando Tatis Jr. impression and hit a lead-off home run off Chicago’s starter, Sean Burke, to cut Houston’s deficit to three. The following inning, with the score still 4-1, Cam Smith hit a solo home run off Burke to cut Chicago’s lead to two. Two innings later, Jose Altuve hit a solo home run of his own, again off Burke, to cut the lead in half. We finally have a ballgame in Houston. Have the Astros woken up? Could they win this game and force a Game 3? No.

Any hope that Houston compiled up to the fifth inning evaporated in the top half of the sixth when Chase Meidroth hit a three-run home run off Bryan Abreu to effectively end the series. Houston didn’t record a single hit after that home run in the 6th. While their offense and MVP hopeful Yordan Alveraz did not look incredible by any means, the team’s downfall was undoubtedly their pitching. Everyone knew Houston’s pitching was a weak point for the team, but they made the White Sox look like the ’27 Yankees. In essence, Houston, even with home-field advantage, was completely outclassed by this White Sox team.

Final Score: CHW 7 HOU 3

Game Grade: B

Red Sox at Yankees (8:00 PM EST)

I’m not sure if this is due to the start time of the previous two games today, but the Yankees vs. Red Sox matchup had more of that intangible playoff feel compared to the Astros vs. White Sox and Phillies vs. Braves games earlier in the day. The atmosphere in the Bronx was evident to every viewer and fan at home. Anytime something positive happened for the Yankees, the energy was palpable. Every time the Red Sox fought back, the whole stadium went quiet, and the silence was deafening. This is postseason baseball.

The first third of the game was relatively uneventful. Both starters, Sonny Gray and Max Fried, struck out 3 batters, and the game was scoreless entering the 4th. The first “big moment” of the evening came in the bottom of the fourth inning when Luis Garcia Jr. led off the inning with a solo home run to get the home team on the board. An inning later, Trent Grisham and Ben Rice both singled, forcing the Red Sox to take out Sonny Gray with two outs in the inning. Gray’s replacement, Erik Miller, immediately allowed an RBI single to Cody Bellinger. Heading into the 6th inning, the Yankees led 2-0, and all the momentum was on their side.

At the top of the 6th, Max Fried’s pitch count was approaching 100, and it was evident that this inning would be his last. With two outs, Wilson Contreras took a fastball outside the other way and took full advantage of the short porch in right field. As Contreras rounded the bases, he took his time. I mean, he really took his time. Max Fried and the entire Yankees squad were visibly upset by Contreras’ home run trot. Two pitches later, Wilyer Abreu flew out to center.

This is where things get really interesting. With the momentum fully in their hands, Boston decided to gamble. They decided to bring Garrett Crochet into the game to pitch the bottom of the 6th inning. Garrett Crotchet had not thrown a pitch in the MLB since April 25th. In 2025, Crochet was practically unhittable in 2025, and clearly the Red Sox coaching staff felt he was physically ready to pitch after missing 5 months with his injury, but inserting a traditional starter mid-postseason game was a questionable decision. How did this gamble pay off for Boston? Poorly, very poorly. Crochet struck out the first batter he faced, Spencer Jones; however, strike three was a wild pitch, and Jones safely made it to first. Jones proceeded to steal 2nd and even made it to third after an errant throw by Contreras. George Lombard then drove Jones in via a single to center. Jazz Chisholm then singled, followed by a bunt for a hit by Trent Grisham to load the bases. With the score 3-1, the bases loaded, and no outs recorded in the inning, the Sox pulled Crochet. Garrett Whitlock replaced Crochet and didn’t fare much better. Austin Wells hit a sac fly to the left that scored Lombard. Ryan McMahon grounded out third, but Chisholm scored and extended the lead to four. The Red Sox intentionally walked Ben Rice to bring up Cody Bellinger with two outs and the game still fully in reach. The second pitch that Bellinger saw was a changeup right in the middle of the zone. Everyone in the stadium knew it was gone the second he made contact. That was it. Game over.

It was only the 6th inning of the game, and the series, for that matter, was effectively over. A seven-run deficit is not impossible to overcome, but this one really felt impossible to overcome. Life had been zapped from the Red Sox’s spirit the second Cody Bellinger made contact with that ball in the 6th.

The Yankees weren’t perfect this series, but they were as dominant as any Yankees squad has looked the past few postseasons. It feels as if all of the Yankees’ hitters have gotten hot at the same time. Now they will add a (hopefully) healthy enough Aaron Judge to an offense that just thoroughly dismantled the Red Sox when they face another divisional rival in the Rays this weekend.

Final Score: NYY 9 BOS 2

Game Grade: B+

Cubs at Padres (10:00 PM EST)

Unlike Game 1, the second game of the series wasn’t essentially over in the first inning. Also, the Cubs were able to score infinitely more runs (1) this time compared to their effort on Tuesday.

The Padres were able to strike first, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the second after a lead-off double from Ty France, base hits from Jackson Merrill and Xander Boegarts, and a sac fly from Ethan Salas.

Unlike Tuesday night, the Cubs answered back this time scoring in the top of the 4th inning. Seiya Suzuki knocked out a single, and Ian Happ followed by working a walk. Nico Hoerner capitalized, ripping a single to center, which scored Suzuki, the Cubs’ first run of the series (surely there will be more of that). That hit knocked Pivetta out of the game, and the Padres turned to their world-class bullpen to finish out the remaining 5 ⅔ innings. Bradgley Rodriguez entered the game for San Diego and quickly, but not prettily, got out of the bases-loaded jam. The Cubs had hope.

That hope was short-lived; however, in the very next inning, the Padres struck back. Xander Bogaerts continued his excellent postseason by hitting an out double to center that forced the Cubs to take Gausman out of the game. The first man out of the bullpen for Chicago was Daniel Palencia, who, after striking out Ethan Salas, gave up a 394 ft home run to pinch hitter Gavin Sheets. A bomb that thoroughly energized the home crowd and zapped the life from the visitors. Two batters later, Tatis almost virtually ended the game with a two-run shot but came up just a few feet short of the fence in center. The Padres, leading 4-1 after four innings, felt certainly like not only the better team but also the team that would come away victorious.

That score, 4-1, would remain for the following innings as the game became a battle of bullpens. The Cubs’ best shot at an equalizer came in the top of the eighth inning. Adrian Morejon was on his second full inning of work and had surrendered a single to Tyrone Taylor. Seiya Suzuki, one of the only Cubs players to record a hit this postseason and the only Cub to score a run this postseason, came to bat against Morejon. Suzuki got on top of a 99 MPH sinker and grounded into a double play. The inning was over, and the home crowd in San Diego erupted.

San Diego’s home field advantage was on full display this game. I truly believe the home crowd had a profound, negative impact on the Cubs’ offense this series. The team felt soulless, and I refuse to believe that they would have struggled as much as they did if this series had been played at Wrigley Field.

A three-run lead entering the ninth inning has never felt safer than it did for the Padres Wednesday evening. As soon as they cut the lights at Petco Park and the opening guitar riff began blasting over the PA system, it felt as if the Cubs were officially without hope. A team destined to be eliminated. Mason Miller, the best closer in the MLB, had entered the game. After a hard-fought, seven-pitch at-bat, Miller struck out Ian Happ on a 103 MPH fastball to record the first out of the 9th. Nico Hoerner, the Cubs’ most productive batter this postseason, came to the plate and looked absolutely helpless against Miller before somehow pulling a ball to left field against the shifted defense for a one-out double. That brought up Michael Conforto, who fought valiantly before chasing a disgusting slider in the dirt, striking out. Carson Kelly went first pitch and grounded out meekly to Xander Bogaerts, who easily retired Kelly to end the Cubs’ season.

A soft groundball to shortstop is actually a pretty apt metaphor for the Cubs’ performance this series. Their offense looked outmatched when facing San Diego’s elite bullpen. Also, it didn’t help that Chicago’s biggest stars, PCA and Bregman, were total non-factors offensively in both games.

The Padres were clearly the better team and may have been even underrated entering this postseason. Their offense looks solid, although they did disappear in the second half of Game 2, and their bullpen is likely the best in the league and a frightening sight for opposing teams. The gap between California’s best baseball teams might be smaller than initially believed.

Final Score: SDP 4 CHC 1

Game Grade: A-

Day Three (Thursday, October 1st)

Phillies at Braves (8:00 PM EST)

October baseball—is there anything better in the world? Don’t answer that, please. Moving on, my prayers have been answered! The Phillies and Braves are finally playing a primetime baseball game this postseason. The far and away most—well, arguably only—enticing, electrifying, and highly competitive Wild Card series this year has finally escaped the deep, depressing pit that is the 2:00 PM EST start time. Thankfully, there is no other major sporting event happening simultaneously to this game.

Luckily, the Thursday Night Football matchup of the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers was destined to be a frustrating sight for most NFL patrons without a rooting interest in either side. All eyes (alright, at least more than Games 1 & 2) were on Game 3 of the NL Wild Card.

For the first time all series, it felt as if the Braves truly had a home field advantage. From the top of the first inning, the crowd was booming in a way that they hadn’t been in Games 1 and 2. Maybe it was the start time. Maybe it was the heightened stakes of Game 3 being a “winner-take-all” game. Regardless, this series finally had an atmosphere that matched the exhilarating game being played.

With Zach Wheeler on short rest, the Phillies were forced to start their clear-cut “number four” starter: Aaron Nola. The 33-year-old veteran, making his 12th career postseason start for Philly, struggled early, allowing back-to-back walks to Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson in the 1st inning. Things didn’t get better for Nola (even after a nice chat with catcher JT Realmuto) as the very next batter, Michael Harris, squeaked out a 387 ft home run to right field to give the Braves an early 3-0 lead. Two innings later, Ozzie Albies crushed a no-doubt two-run homer to right off Zach Wheeler to extend the Braves’ lead.

The Braves’ opener, Ray Kerr, pitched an effective 3 ⅓ innings in his first career postseason start before being replaced by Grant Holmes. The Phillies offense was pretty dull the first half of the game, only managing a mere two hits through the first 5 innings. The top of the 6th was more fruitful for Philly as they knocked Holmes out of the game and scored their first run of the game, courtesy of an Alec Bohm groundout, but Robert Suarez was able to stop the bleeding before the Phillies could really cut into Atlanta’s lead.

From that point forward, Philadelphia struggled to get any sort of rally going as they started to run out of gas against the Braves bullpen. The pitchers in relief for Philly were able to keep the lead at only four through the 6⅔ innings until Matt Olson effectively signed the 2026 Phillies’ death warrant with a two-run shot in the bottom of the 7th.

The Phils tacked on another run after a Derek Hill lead-off triple in the 8th; however, the situation remained bleak for the visitors as Chris Sale trotted out of the bullpen with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to face Bryce Harper. Sale only needed four pitches to strike out Harper and bring the Phillies down to their last three outs of their season.

Sale took care of business in the 9th, and the Braves had won the game and the series. The Braves offense was the real leading factor in why they ultimately won the series. While Philly experienced sudden bursts of offensive productivity from their key contributors, all of Atlanta’s batters seemed very confident at bat—especially when facing the Phillies’ subpar relief pitchers.

Atlanta looked very good, especially offensively, in this series; however, nothing short of great will result in an NLDS victory over the defending World Series for the Braves.

Final Score: ATL 6 PHI 2

Game Grade: B

Thank you for reading, everyone! Make sure to stay tuned for more content this postseason and beyond!

Question 1:
Which 22-year-old Yankees star led the American League with 46 home runs, 151 runs scored, and 418 total bases in 1937, drove in 167 runs, and still finished second in the AL MVP voting to Charlie Gehringer?

Question 2:
Which Brooklyn Dodgers legend won the 1949 National League MVP after batting .342, leading the league with 37 stolen bases and driving in a career-high 124 runs?

Question 3:
Which Giants superstar hit a career-high 52 home runs in 1965, led the National League in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and total bases, won his ninth Gold Glove, and captured his second MVP Award — 11 years after his first?

Question 4:
Which Pirates Hall of Famer batted .414 in the 1971 World Series, recorded a hit in all seven games and homered in Game 7 on his way to winning World Series MVP?

Question 5:
Which Mets ace posted career bests with a 1.76 ERA and 289 strikeouts in 1971, yet finished only second in the National League Cy Young voting?

Question 6:
Which pitcher struck out 383 batters in 1973, threw two no-hitters that season and went 21-16 with a 2.87 ERA — but still finished runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award?

Question 7:
Which Phillies third baseman hit 48 home runs in 1980, became a unanimous National League MVP, and then hit .381 with two homers and seven RBI to win World Series MVP?

Question 8:
Which Hall of Fame shortstop produced an incredible 11.5 bWAR in 1991, hitting .323 with 210 hits, 34 home runs and 114 RBI while playing for a team that lost 95 games — and still won the American League MVP Award?

Question 9:
Which Padres legend was batting .394 through 110 games in 1994, struck out only 19 times all season, and had his pursuit of .400 cut short by the players’ strike?

Question 10:
Which future Hall of Fame left-hander joined Arizona in 1999 and immediately led the majors with 271⅔ innings, 12 complete games and 364 strikeouts, posting a 2.48 ERA and winning the first of four consecutive Cy Young Awards?

STOP RIGHT THERE. Before going down to the answers, make sure to subscribe !

ANSWER KEY

1: Joe DiMaggio — DiMaggio was only 22 in 1937 and produced one of the monster seasons of his career: .346, 46 homers, 167 RBI, 151 runs and 418 total bases. Baseball-Reference credits him with 8.4 bWAR, tops among AL position players, yet Charlie Gehringer won the MVP after batting .371.

2: Jackie Robinson — Robinson hit .342, led the NL with 37 stolen bases and set a career high with 124 RBI in 1949. He received 12 of 24 first-place votes to capture his only MVP Award.

3: Willie Mays — Mays blasted a career-best 52 homers in 1965 while leading the league in OBP (.398), slugging (.645), OPS (1.043) and total bases (360). The award was his second MVP, coming 11 seasons after his first in 1954.

4: Roberto Clemente — Clemente hit safely in every game of the 1971 World Series, batted .414, and homered off Mike Cuellar in Game 7 to give Pittsburgh a lead it never surrendered. He was named World Series MVP.

5: Tom Seaver — Seaver went 20-10 with a 1.76 ERA and 289 strikeouts in 1971, both career bests. Despite that season, he finished second in Cy Young voting behind Cubs ace Fergie Jenkins.

6: Nolan Ryan — Ryan’s 383 strikeouts remain the Live Ball Era single-season record. He also threw two no-hitters, went 21-16 and posted a 2.87 ERA, but Baltimore’s Jim Palmer beat him for the Cy Young.

7: Mike Schmidt — Schmidt’s 48 home runs established a then-record for a third baseman. He received all 24 first-place MVP votes, then batted .381 with two homers and seven RBI as Philadelphia won its first World Series championship.

8: Cal Ripken Jr. — Ripken’s 1991 season was absurd: .323/.374/.566, 210 hits, 46 doubles, 34 homers, 114 RBI and 11.5 bWAR. Baltimore went just 67-95, but Ripken still won his second AL MVP.

9: Tony Gwynn — Gwynn finished the strike-shortened season at .394, the highest MLB batting average since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. He had 165 hits in 419 at-bats and struck out only 19 times in 475 plate appearances.

10: Randy Johnson — In his first season with Arizona, Johnson went 17-9 with a 2.48 ERA, struck out 364 batters and led MLB with 271⅔ innings and 12 complete games. He won the NL Cy Young, beginning a run of four straight Cy Young Awards from 1999 through 2002.

Thank you all for reading! Let us know how many you got correct in the comments below.

This one feels closer to what we want for the series: DiMaggio, Jackie, Mays, Clemente, Seaver, Ryan, Schmidt, Ripken, Gwynn and Randy Johnson. Big names, but you still have to know more than the obvious career highlights to get all 10.

If you went 10-for-10, you know your baseball history.

Stay tuned for 20th Century MLB Trivia Part IV.

Without further ado, welcome to the inaugural “Greg’s MLB Awards (that do not exist and will never exist and do not make much sense, but just try to follow along and have fun).” The title is still a work in progress.

The “2026 Fernando Tatis Jr. ‘I Think I Got My Swagger Back’” Award:

Winner: Fernando Tatis Jr.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has had a bizarre 2026 MLB season. Through his first 50 games, the former three-time All-Star was slashing .240/.316/.279 and had, remarkably, not hit a single HR. In fact, it took Tatis until May 30th to hit his first HR of the 2026 regular season. Over the next two months, Tatis experienced a marginal increase in productivity leading up to the July All-Star break, but the real leap was yet to come. Despite his slow start and only hitting 5 HRs prior to the All-Star break, Tatis is currently slashing .289/.358/.470 with a 131 OPS+. Tatis has also managed to accumulate 25 HRs and 38 SBs. I won’t dive too deep into Tatis’ remarkable second-half turnaround, as I already have an article on this exact subject that you can read right here on the Skippers View. I debated who the namesake of this award should be, with 1964 Lou Brock and 2008 Manny Ramirez making strong cases; however, those players were traded mid-season and didn’t truly encapsulate a player’s ability to hit for power, seeing such a drastic change in productivity over the course of a single season.

The “David Ortiz ‘Yeah, Listen, uh... We F*cked Up’ Letting This Guy Go” Award:

Winner: Pete Alonso

Now, this is not a perfect 1:1 comparison. David Ortiz had put together six fairly mediocre seasons in Minnesota when the Twins released him to free agency in December of 2002. By contrast, when the Mets let Pete Alonso walk in free agency this past off-season, the 30-year-old homegrown first baseman had already proven his talent by hitting 264 HRs throughout six full seasons (and one shortened 50-game season in 2020), making five All-Star teams, and gifting Mets fans one of the most unforgettable postseason moments of the decade.

Alonso has had an incredible first season as a Baltimore Oriole, leading the AL in both HRs and RBIs with 41 and 110, respectively. Alonso looks to be worth every penny of the $33.5 million annual salary that the O’s will be paying him over the course of the next 4 seasons. And David Stearns has to explain to Uncle Steavie why he let one of the best hitters in baseball walk in free agency in order to sign Bo Bichette and Marcus Semien.

The “John Smoltz ‘How Am I The 3rd Best Pitcher on my Team?’” Award:

Winner: Zach Wheeler

The Phillies still, as of writing this blog, have not clinched a spot in the 2026 postseason despite having three of the best starting pitchers in all of baseball. Zach Wheeler has accumulated 5.5 bWAR so far this season, which has him tied for the 8th best in all of Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, a 5.5 bWAR is only the third highest on his own team. Wheeler has been incredible in 2026, but Christopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo have been sensational. Sanchez leads all pitchers in the MLB in bWAR (7.6) and wins (18). Sanchez has also put up a 154 ERA+ while striking out 221 batters throughout his 200.0 innings pitched. Luzardo has been just as impressive in his own right, putting up the 3rd-best bWAR (6.3) amongst all starting pitchers in the MLB while also striking out 221 batters and putting up a 157 ERA+. When compared to his teammates, Wheeler’s 188 Ks, 147 ERA+, and 3.33 FIP just don’t hit the same. Not unlike John Smoltz in the late 90s for the Braves, Wheeler is likely an “ace” on many MLB teams, but currently, he’s easily the 3rd best starter on his own team.

Thank you for reading, everyone! If you enjoyed this blog, please let me know, and I’ll work on a part two! Make sure to subscribe to the Skippers View and follow us on X.

Someone had mentioned that the questions last week were too easy. I would say these are slightly harder. We will be posting every week, so gradually getting more difficult!

Question 1:

Which Washington Senators ace went 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA in 1913 and produced 15.1 bWAR, the highest single-season total by a pitcher in the modern era?

Question 2:

Which Cardinals second baseman won the 1925 National League MVP after hitting .403 with 39 home runs and 143 RBI?

Question 3:

Which Red Sox legend hit .406 in 1941, posted a .553 on-base percentage and produced 10.4 bWAR—yet still finished second in AL MVP voting?

Question 4:

Which Yankees superstar won the 1956 Triple Crown by hitting .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBI, then received every first-place vote for AL MVP?

Question 5:

Which Hall of Fame pitcher went 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA, 268 strikeouts, and 13 shutouts in 1968, winning both the National League Cy Young and MVP Awards?

Question 6:

Which member of the Big Red Machine hit .327/.466/.508 with 17 home runs and 67 stolen bases in 1975, producing roughly 11 WAR while winning the National League MVP?

Question 7:

Which 20-year-old Mets ace went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA and 268 strikeouts in 1985, winning the pitching Triple Crown and producing 12.2 bWAR?

Question 8:

Which Dodgers pitcher finished the 1988 regular season with 59 consecutive scoreless innings, then went on to win the Cy Young Award, NLCS MVP and World Series MVP in the same year?

Question 9:

Which Oakland superstar hit .325 with 28 home runs and 65 stolen bases in 1990, winning the American League MVP over 51-home-run slugger Cecil Fielder?

Question 10:

Which Braves ace went 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA in 1995, walked only 23 batters in 209⅔ innings, and became the first pitcher to win four consecutive Cy Young Awards?

Before heading straight to the answers, make sure to subscribe so you can see our weekly trivia!

ANSWER KEY

1: Walter Johnson — Johnson’s 1913 season remains staggering more than a century later: 36-7, 1.14 ERA and 15.1 WAR. The Baseball Hall of Fame notes that his 15.1 WAR is the highest single-season mark by a pitcher in the modern era.

2: Rogers Hornsby — Hornsby hit .403/.489/.756, blasted 39 homers and drove in 143 runs in 1925 while producing 10.2 bWAR. He won the first of his two NL MVP Awards.

3: Ted Williams — Williams became the last major leaguer to hit .400, finishing at .406 with 37 homers and a .553 OBP. Despite producing 10.4 bWAR, Williams finished second in MVP voting to Joe DiMaggio, whose 56-game hitting streak helped carry the Yankees to the pennant.

4: Mickey Mantle — Mantle’s 1956 season produced the Triple Crown: .353, 52 home runs and 130 RBI. He also posted a .464 OBP and .705 slugging percentage and was the unanimous AL MVP.

5: Bob Gibson — Gibson dominated the “Year of the Pitcher,” going 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA, 268 strikeouts and 13 shutouts. He won both the Cy Young and NL MVP, and MLB lowered the pitching mound beginning the following season amid historically dominant pitching.

6: Joe Morgan — Morgan was the engine of Cincinnati’s championship team, batting .327 with a .466 OBP, 17 homers and 67 steals. He won the NL MVP and helped the Reds defeat Boston in the World Series.

7: Dwight Gooden — At only 20 years old, Gooden went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA, 268 strikeouts, 16 complete games and eight shutouts. His 12.2 bWAR led the league, and he unanimously won the NL Cy Young Award.

8: Orel Hershiser — Hershiser finished 1988 by throwing an MLB-record 59 consecutive scoreless innings. He then helped carry Los Angeles to the championship, winning the NLCS MVP and World Series MVP after already capturing the NL Cy Young.

9: Rickey Henderson — Rickey hit .325/.439/.577, tied his career high with 28 home runs, stole 65 bases and scored 119 runs. He edged Cecil Fielder for the 1990 AL MVP despite Fielder leading MLB with 51 homers and 132 RBI.

10: Greg Maddux — Maddux went 19-2 with a 1.63 ERA and allowed only 23 walks in 209⅔ innings. The performance earned him his unprecedented fourth consecutive Cy Young Award, and it was his second straight unanimous win.

Enjoy.

Question 1:

Which Hall of Fame outfielder had one of the most dominant seasons of the Deadball Era in 1911, batting .420 with 248 hits, 47 doubles, 24 triples, and 83 stolen bases while winning the American League’s Chalmers Award?

Question 2:

Which Yankees legend set the MLB single-season record with 457 total bases in 1921, while also hitting 59 home runs and scoring 177 runs?

Question 3:

Which Hall of Fame first baseman won the 1934 American League Triple Crown by hitting .363 with 49 home runs and 166 RBI — yet somehow finished only fifth in MVP voting?

Question 4:

Which Cardinals legend nearly won the Triple Crown in 1948, leading the National League in batting average, hits, doubles, triples, runs, RBI, total bases and slugging percentage — but finishing one home run short of the league lead?

Question 5:

Which future home run king hit 44 home runs and stole 31 bases in 1963, becoming only the third player in MLB history at the time to join the 30-30 club?

Question 6:

Which Dodgers ace struck out a then-record 382 batters during the 1965 regular season, then finished the year by throwing a complete-game shutout in Game 7 of the World Series?

Question 7:

Which Yankees superstar earned the nickname “Mr. October” after hitting three home runs on three consecutive pitches from three different Dodgers pitchers in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series?

Question 8:

Which Royals Hall of Famer hit .390 in 1980, produced 9.4 bWAR despite playing only 117 games, and won the American League MVP Award?

Question 9:

Which Mariners superstar became a unanimous American League MVP in 1997 after hitting 56 home runs with 147 RBI?

Question 10:

Which Red Sox ace produced 11.7 bWAR in 2000 while posting a 1.74 ERA, a microscopic 0.737 WHIP, and a 291 ERA+?

Before you run to the bottom for the answers, make sure you subscribe below! We send out weekly trivia every week.

ANSWER KEY

1: Ty Cobb — Cobb’s 1911 season was absurd even by his standards. He hit .420 with 248 hits, 47 doubles, 24 triples, 127 RBI and 83 stolen bases while producing 10.5 bWAR. He unanimously won the Chalmers Award, the predecessor to the modern MVP.

2: Babe Ruth — Ruth amassed 457 total bases in 1921, a Major League single-season record that still stands. He also led baseball with 59 home runs and 177 runs scored.

3: Lou Gehrig — Gehrig won the 1934 Triple Crown by batting .363 with 49 home runs and 166 RBI. Somehow, he finished fifth in MVP voting while Detroit catcher Mickey Cochrane won the award.

4: Stan Musial — Musial’s 1948 season was one of the greatest offensive performances ever. He hit .376 and led the NL in virtually every major offensive category, but his 39 home runs left him one behind Ralph Kiner and Johnny Mize. He still easily won his third NL MVP Award.

5: Hank Aaron — Aaron hit 44 home runs and stole 31 bases in 1963, becoming just the third member of the 30-30 club. He also led the NL in homers and RBI and missed the batting title — and therefore the Triple Crown — by only seven points.

6: Sandy Koufax — Koufax struck out 382 hitters in 1965, breaking the modern-era single-season record at the time. He then struck out 10 Twins while throwing a complete-game shutout in Game 7 of the World Series to give Los Angeles the championship.

7: Reggie Jackson — Jackson homered in three consecutive at-bats in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, hitting the first pitch he saw from three different Dodgers pitchers. The performance clinched the Yankees’ championship and permanently cemented his “Mr. October” reputation.

8: George Brett — Brett hit .390/.454/.664 in only 117 games in 1980. He produced 9.4 bWAR and received 17 first-place votes to win his only American League MVP Award.

9: Ken Griffey Jr. — Griffey hit 56 home runs, drove in 147 runs and scored 125 times for Seattle in 1997. He received every first-place vote to become the unanimous AL MVP.

10: Pedro Martínez — Pedro’s 2000 season may be one of the best pitching seasons ever. He went 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA, 0.737 WHIP, 291 ERA+ and 11.7 bWAR, striking out 284 batters against only 32 walks. He won his second consecutive AL Cy Young Award.

Thank you all for reading! Let us know how many you got correct in the comments below.

This week we jumped out of the 21st century and went back through baseball history, but we kept the names recognizable: Cobb, Ruth, Gehrig, Musial, Aaron, Koufax, Reggie, Brett, Griffey and Pedro.

If you went 10-for-10, you know your baseball history.

Sticking with the 21st century for now. Next week we will dive into the 20th century…… Maybe, I don’t know, we will see.

Question 1:

Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001 and won the National League MVP Award. Which Cubs superstar finished second in the voting after hitting 64 home runs with 160 RBI?

Question 2:

Which Hall of Fame outfielder produced 9.2 bWAR in 2004 for a team that lost 99 games, hit .372, and set the Major League single-season record with 262 hits?

Question 3:

During Boston’s historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the 2004 ALCS, which Red Sox slugger delivered walk-off hits in both Game 4 and Game 5?

Question 4:

Which future Hall of Fame pitcher was traded to Milwaukee during the 2008 season, then volunteered to make each of his final three regular-season starts on only three days’ rest as the Brewers chased their first postseason appearance in 26 years?

Question 5:

Which Cardinals superstar led all National League players with 9.7 bWAR in 2009, hit 47 home runs, drew 44 intentional walks, and became the first unanimous NL MVP since Barry Bonds in 2002?

Question 6:

After missing most of the previous season with a devastating leg injury, which catcher returned in 2012 to win the NL batting title, NL MVP Award, Comeback Player of the Year, and the World Series?

Question 7:

Which pitcher allowed only one earned run in 21 innings during the 2014 World Series, then threw five scoreless innings of relief on two days’ rest to finish Game 7?

Question 8:

Which 22-year-old superstar hit .330/.460/.649 with 42 home runs in 2015 and became the youngest unanimous MVP winner in MLB history?

Question 9:

Which pitcher somehow finished the 2018 season with only a 10-9 record despite a 1.70 ERA and 269 strikeouts, then overwhelmingly won the National League Cy Young Award?

Question 10:

Which shortstop became only the fourth player in MLB history to win multiple World Series MVP Awards when he won the honor with Texas in 2023, three years after winning it with the Dodgers?

Before you go straight to the answers, consider subscribing!

ANSWER KEY

1: Sammy Sosa — Sosa’s 2001 season gets overshadowed by Bonds, but it was ridiculous in its own right: 64 homers and 160 RBIs

2: Ichiro Suzuki — Ichiro hit .372 with an MLB-record 262 hits, produced 9.2 bWAR, and still finished only seventh in the AL MVP voting because Seattle went 63-99.

3: David Ortiz — Ortiz hit a two-run walk-off homer in the 12th inning of Game 4, then ended Game 5 with a walk-off single in the 14th inning. Boston eventually completed the only comeback from a 3-0 series deficit in MLB postseason history.

4: CC Sabathia — After being traded to Milwaukee, Sabathia essentially put the Brewers on his back. He made his final three starts on three days’ rest, including a complete-game victory in the regular-season finale that helped Milwaukee clinch its first playoff berth since 1982.

5: Albert Pujols — Pujols posted 9.7 bWAR, led MLB with 47 home runs, 124 runs and a .658 slugging percentage, and received every first-place vote for his third NL MVP Award.

6: Buster Posey — Posey returned from his 2011 injury to hit .336 with 24 homers and 103 RBI, becoming the first catcher in 70 years to win the NL batting title. He also won MVP and Comeback Player of the Year while helping San Francisco win the World Series.

7: Madison Bumgarner — Bumgarner’s 2014 World Series remains one of the greatest pitching performances ever: 21 innings, one earned run, a 0.43 ERA, and five scoreless relief innings in Game 7 to close out Kansas City.

8: Bryce Harper — Harper hit 42 home runs with 124 walks and a 1.109 OPS in 2015. At 22, he received all 30 first-place votes and became the youngest unanimous MVP in Major League history.

9: Jacob deGrom — deGrom went just 10-9 despite a 1.70 ERA, largely because of historically poor run support. He struck out 269 hitters and received 29 of 30 first-place votes for the NL Cy Young Award.

10: Corey Seager — Seager won World Series MVP with the Dodgers in 2020 and again with the Rangers in 2023. That made him just the fourth multiple-time winner, joining Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Reggie Jackson.

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Unfortunately for Tatis, the Padres, and their fans, things have not exactly gone to plan since that incredible 2021 season. A fractured bone in his left wrist kept him off the field for much of 2022 until a PED suspension in August permanently ended his 2022 season and caused him to miss the beginning of the 2023 season.

From 2023 to 2025, Tatis continued to perform well in San Diego; however, his HR and SLG percentages declined significantly. In nearly 400 games from 2023 to 2025, Tatis averaged a pedestrian 23.7 HRs per season. Furthermore, his SLG percentage dropped from .611 during the 2021 season to a combined .459 during the following three seasons.

Regardless of the significant power dip, Tatis was still a valuable player, all things considered, for San Diego. He was voted to the NL All-Star in 2024 and 2025; he won a pair of Gold Gloves in 2023 and 2025 and produced 13.9 bWAR over the course of the three seasons following his injury and suspension.

Many (including myself, who spent a 2nd-round draft pick selecting Tatis in my fantasy baseball draft) baseball analysts and fans hoped that Tatis’ power could return during the 2026 MLB season, especially after an impressive 6 games played and 26 plate appearances for the Dominican Republic National Team during the 2026 World Baseball Classic (.400/.539/.700 and 2 HRs).

Unfortunately, Tatis’ impressive WBC run did not translate to an impressive start to the 2026 MLB season.

Through his first 50 games played in 2026, Tatis did not hit a single home run. Furthermore, only 6 of his 44 hits during that timeframe were extra-base hits. His .238/.319/.276 slash line was cause for concern, as it seemed the former superstar was continuing to regress rather than improve.

On 5/30, during Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 56th game of the season, he finally hit his first HR of 2026. During June, Tatis knocked four more homers to bring his season total to 5 as the All-Star Break approached. Tatis was slashing .277/.340/.374 after coming back to life during June and July; however, his power numbers were still uncharacteristically low, and for only the second time in his MLB career, Tatis was not named an All-Star.

This is purely speculation, so do not quote me or take this as fact in any way, but it seems like Tatis may have taken that All-Star snub personally. He came out of the gates hitting very well following the break. In the 5 games following the All-Star break, Tatis hit 3 HRs and knocked in 9 runs.

Fernando Tatis Jr. finished out July hitting well and increased his batting average and SLG percentage to .286 and .403, respectively. His slugging percentage jumped nearly 30 points in two weeks.

His excellent hitting has continued into August as well, where he now has 15 total HRs (10 of which have come prior to the break), and his SLG percentage has jumped up to .434 as of August 20th.

So what exactly happened? The answer is simpler than you might imagine: his luck changed.

According to FanGraphs, during the 1st half of 2026, Tatis’ SLG (.374) was about 50 points lower than his xSLG (.420). During the 2nd half, in only about 30 games played, the difference between his SLG (.624) and his xSLG (.650) was only about 25 points. The disparity between Tatis’ SLG and xSLG was most apparent during the first two months of the season. During the months of March and April, Tatis’ xSLG was .407; however, his SLG percentage was a mere .287. The gap shrank during May and June, when the difference was only 49 points (.353 SLG compared to .402 xSLG) and 18 points (.509 SLG and .527 xSLG), respectively, until SLG percentage finally surpassed its expected value during the month of July (.466 SLG compared to .430 xSLG).

Furthermore, while his HardHit percentage hasn’t altered much, staying around 52% (despite a significant decrease during the month of May, where it was a mere 37%), Tatis’ Barrel % in the 2nd half has increased to 16.1% from 10.7% during the first 95 games of the 2026 season.

Tatis has hit the ball hard all season; however, he began barreling the ball up more following the All-Star break and has been experiencing more luck than he was during the first 3 months of the season.

What exactly does this case study show us? Two things, in my opinion. First, Fernando Tatis Jr. is still capable of being an elite power hitter (10 HRs in 30 games since the All-Star break). Second, baseball is weird, and sometimes certain players are luckier than others, and that luck can drastically affect how we view and evaluate individual players.

Moving on, when I saw that all the trivia blogs drive thousands of views to our website, I had to tie Greg up (simmer down, ladies, he’s my cousin) and make sure we got another one of these bad boys out. Happy to report that these will now be weekly on our website.

-Dean Ciriaco

Hey everyone, I wanted to write my first blog in a while about the Yankees, but Dean explicitly told me to write another trivia blog. So, well, here is Part III of 21st Century MLB Trivia. Apparently, I will be doing this for the rest of my life, per Dean.

Question 1:

During the Seattle Mariners’ historic 116-win season in 2001, which outfielder hit 25 home runs while also stealing 34 bases?

Question 2:

Chris Carpenter won the 2005 National League Cy Young Award. Which 23-year-old Marlins pitcher finished second in the voting despite leading the NL with 22 wins?

Question 3:

Hanley Ramirez won the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year Award, with Ryan Zimmerman finishing second. Which other Marlins rookie finished third?

Question 4:

The 2009 Angels won 97 games and reached the ALCS. Which third baseman led the team with 7.7 bWAR despite hitting just five home runs?

Question 5:

The 2010 Giants won the World Series despite not having a single player reach 30 home runs. Which player led the team with 26?

Question 6:

Which Orioles closer recorded 51 saves in 2012 and 50 more in 2013, becoming just the second reliever in MLB history to record back-to-back 50-save seasons?

Question 7:

The Kansas City Royals swept the Baltimore Orioles in the 2014 ALCS. Which Royals outfielder hit .533 in the series and was named ALCS MVP?

Question 8:

Max Scherzer won the 2016 NL Cy Young Award, but two Cubs starting pitchers finished directly behind him in second and third place. Who were they?

Question 9:

Which 25-year-old third baseman led the 2018 Oakland Athletics in bWAR, won a Gold Glove, and finished seventh in AL MVP voting?

Question 10:

The 2021 San Francisco Giants shocked baseball by winning 107 games. Which veteran first baseman led the team with 29 home runs despite playing only 97 games?

Editor’s Note: I know you are scrolling to the bottom for answers, but before you do, make sure to subscribe. We will be putting out weekly trivia.

Let us know what era of baseball you want to see!

ANSWER KEY

1: Mike Cameron — Cameron hit 25 home runs and stole 34 bases for the 116-win Mariners.

2: Dontrelle Willis — Willis went 22-10 and finished runner-up to Chris Carpenter in the 2005 NL Cy Young voting.

3: Dan Uggla — Uggla finished third behind Hanley Ramirez and Ryan Zimmerman in the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year vote.

4: Chone Figgins — Figgins produced 7.7 bWAR, stole 42 bases, hit only five home runs, and finished 10th in AL MVP voting.

5: Aubrey Huff — Huff led the eventual World Series champions with 26 home runs.

6: Jim Johnson — Johnson saved 51 games in 2012 and 50 in 2013, giving him consecutive 50-save seasons.

7: Lorenzo Cain — Cain hit .533 in Kansas City’s four-game ALCS sweep and earned series MVP honors.

8: Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks — Lester finished second and Hendricks third behind Scherzer in the 2016 NL Cy Young voting.

9: Matt Chapman — Chapman was Oakland’s defensive superstar at third base, won a Gold Glove and finished seventh in AL MVP voting.

10: Brandon Belt — Belt hit a career-high 29 home runs in only 97 games to lead the 107-win Giants.

The Home Run Derby is about as American as Apple Pie. For the past 40+ years, some of Major League Baseball’s best sluggers have gathered before the All-Star Game to hit absolute bombs in an effort to crown the best home run hitter of that season. The Home Run Derby has produced many iconic moments and even more iconic winners. Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Bonds, David Ortiz, and Prince Fielder are just a few of the legendary players to win the coveted Home Run Derby trophy.

Unfortunately, not all champions are created equally, and while there really hasn’t been a “bad” player who has won the derby, there certainly have been some winners whose career statistics do not come close to the pedigree of Bonds or Junior.

I tasked myself with the difficult challenge of ranking all 28 unique (non-active) Home Run Derby Champions based on their overall career achievements and statistics.

Important note: these rankings are subjective and based on my opinion.

28. Wally Joyner (1986 Co-Champion)

The former California Angels first baseman was the co-champion of just the second Home Run Derby in MLB history. Ironically, 1986 was Joyner’s rookie season and also his first and only All-Star appearance. Ranking him last speaks more to the strength of the Derby’s winners than it does to Joyner’s career. Across 16 seasons, he collected more than 2,000 hits, hit 204 home runs, posted a .289 career batting average, and was a dependable middle-of-the-order hitter for over a decade.

27. Todd Frazier (2015 Champion)

“The Toddfather” enjoyed one of the best peaks of any power hitter during the mid-2010s. From 2012 through 2016, Frazier averaged 28 home runs per season, earned three consecutive All-Star selections, won a Gold Glove, and accumulated more than 17 WAR. His career tailed off after age 30, preventing him from building the longevity needed to climb this list, but his unforgettable hometown victory at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park remains one of the most memorable Home Run Derby performances ever.

26. Ruben Sierra (1989 Co-Champion)

Ruben Sierra often gets overlooked when discussing the stars of the late 1980s and early 1990s, but he quietly put together an impressive 20-year career. A four-time All-Star and Silver Slugger winner, Sierra finished with 306 home runs, over 2,100 hits, and nearly 1,300 RBIs. He was one of the American League’s premier run producers during his peak with the Rangers, even finishing second in AL MVP voting in 1989. While he lacks the accolades of many players ahead of him, Sierra’s longevity and consistent production keep him comfortably ahead of the bottom two.

25. Yoenis Cespedes (2014 & 2015 Champion)

Few players embodied raw power quite like Yoenis Céspedes. His back-to-back Home Run Derby victories remain one of the event’s most entertaining stretches, and at his peak, he was among baseball’s most exciting hitters. However, injuries significantly shortened what appeared to be a potentially great career. Despite finishing with only 165 career home runs across eight MLB seasons, Cespedes was a two-time All-Star, Gold Glove winner, and key contributor to the Mets’ 2015 National League pennant. His spectacular peak earns him a spot above the bottom tier, but his lack of longevity prevents him from climbing much higher.

24. Garrett Anderson (2003 Champion)

One of the most underrated hitters of the 2000s, Garrett Anderson spent 15 seasons with the Angels and became one of the franchise’s all-time greats. A three-time All-Star, Anderson amassed more than 2,500 hits, 287 home runs, and over 1,300 RBIs while playing a major role on the Angels’ 2002 World Series championship team. His consistency and longevity make him one of the stronger players in the bottom half of this ranking, even if he never reached true superstar status.

23. Tino Martinez (1997 Champion)

Tino Martinez will forever be remembered as the first baseman who helped bridge the Yankees from the Don Mattingly era into their late-1990s dynasty. Although he was never considered one of the game’s elite individual stars, Martinez compiled an outstanding career that included 339 home runs, over 1,200 RBIs, two All-Star appearances, and four World Series championships. His postseason résumé is among the best on this list, but compared to the players ranked above him, he falls a bit short in terms of individual accolades

22. Eric Davis (1989 Co-Champion)

At his peak, Eric Davis looked destined for Cooperstown. A dynamic five-tool player, Davis combined elite power, speed, and defense in a way few players of his era could match. Unfortunately, injuries prevented him from ever putting together the sustained dominance many expected. Even so, Davis finished his 17-year career with 282 home runs, 349 stolen bases, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger Awards, and nearly 37 bWAR.

21. Ryan Howard (2006 Champion)

Few players have ever reached the heights Ryan Howard did during his prime. From 2006 through 2009, Howard averaged nearly 50 home runs and 143 RBIs per season while winning National League Rookie of the Year, MVP, and helping lead the Phillies to the 2008 World Series title. His production fell dramatically after injuries, particularly a torn Achilles tendon in 2011, shortened his peak. Despite finishing with 382 career home runs, Howard’s relatively short period of elite play keeps him toward the bottom half of this ranking.

20. Darryl Strawberry (1986 Co-Champion)

Darryl Strawberry possessed Hall of Fame talent and, for much of the 1980s, played like one of baseball’s biggest stars. An eight-time All-Star, four-time World Series champion, and National League Rookie of the Year, Strawberry blasted 335 career home runs despite numerous injuries and off-field struggles that shortened his career. His combination of power and postseason success places him ahead of several players with longer careers.

19. Justin Morneau (2008 Champion)

Justin Morneau was one of the American League’s premier hitters during the mid-2000s. The Canadian slugger won the 2006 AL MVP Award, made four All-Star teams, won two Silver Sluggers, and finished with 247 home runs and a .281 career batting average. A series of concussions, unfortunately, derailed what appeared to be a Hall of Fame trajectory, but Morneau still enjoyed an outstanding 14-year career.

18. Jason Giambi (2002 Champion)

Jason Giambi was one of baseball’s most feared hitters during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The 2000 AL MVP reached base at an elite rate throughout his career, finishing with 440 home runs, over 2,000 hits, and a .399 career on-base percentage. While PED allegations have clouded his legacy and likely kept him out of Hall of Fame consideration, Giambi’s offensive production alone earns him a solid middle-of-the-pack ranking.

17. Miguel Tejada (2004 Champion)

Miguel Tejada built one of the most consistent careers of any infielder in recent history. The six-time All-Star won the 2002 American League MVP Award, collected over 2,400 hits, hit 307 home runs, drove in more than 1,300 runs, and played in an incredible 1,152 consecutive games. While PED ties have also impacted his legacy, Tejada remains one of the best offensive shortstops of his generation.

16. Luis Gonzalez (2001 Champion)

Luis Gonzalez enjoyed one of the finest late-career breakouts in baseball history. Best remembered for his walk-off single that won Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, Gonzalez finished with 354 home runs, over 2,500 hits, five All-Star selections, and five Gold Gloves. Although much of his production came after age 30, his longevity and postseason heroics give him the edge over those ranked below him.

15. Dave Parker (1985 Champion)

Nicknamed “The Cobra,” Dave Parker was one of baseball’s most complete players during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The seven-time All-Star won the 1978 National League MVP, captured three Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers, and finished with 339 home runs and over 2,700 hits. Parker also won two World Series championships and was finally elected to the Hall of Fame by the Classic Baseball Era Committee after his playing career.

14. Juan Gonzalez (1993 Champion)

Few hitters were more intimidating during the 1990s than Juan Gonzalez. The Rangers slugger won two American League MVP Awards, led the league in RBIs three times, and blasted 434 career home runs despite playing only 17 seasons. Injuries shortened what could have been an even greater career, and his PED-era reputation has complicated his legacy, but his offensive peak remains among the best on this list.

13. Prince Fielder (2009 & 2012 Champion)

Like his father, Cecil, Prince Fielder became one of baseball’s premier power hitters. The six-time All-Star hit 319 home runs, drove in over 1,000 runs, won three Silver Sluggers, and twice claimed the Home Run Derby crown. A neck injury forced Fielder to retire at just 32 years old, cutting short what appeared to be a path toward 500 career home runs.

12. Bobby Abreu (2005 Champion)

Bobby Abreu may be one of the most underrated players of his generation. The two-time All-Star combined power, speed, patience, and durability to produce over 2,400 hits, 288 home runs, 400 stolen bases, and nearly 60 bWAR. While he never won an MVP or reached the Hall of Fame, Abreu’s all-around game and remarkable consistency make him one of the strongest resumes outside the top ten.

11. Robinson Cano (2011 Champion)

At his peak, Robinson Cano was regarded as the best second baseman in baseball. An eight-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger, two-time Gold Glove winner, and 2009 World Series champion, Cano produced over 2,600 hits and 335 home runs. However, two PED suspensions significantly damaged what otherwise looked like a certain Hall of Fame career.

10. Ryne Sandberg (1990 Champion)

One of the greatest second basemen in baseball history, Ryne Sandberg, revolutionized the position with his combination of power and defense. The 1984 National League MVP won nine Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers, made ten All-Star teams, and finished with over 2,300 hits and 282 home runs. His Hall of Fame induction cemented his status as one of the all-time great infielders.

9. Andre Dawson (1987 Champion)

“The Hawk” was one of baseball’s premier five-tool stars throughout the 1980s. Dawson won the 1987 National League MVP, earned eight Gold Gloves, eight All-Star selections, and hit 438 career home runs while collecting over 2,700 hits. His combination of power, speed, and defense eventually earned him a well-deserved place in Cooperstown.

8. Mark McGwire (1992 Champion)

Mark McGwire forever changed baseball during the historic 1998 home run chase. One of the greatest pure power hitters ever, McGwire slugged 583 home runs while posting an astonishing .588 career slugging percentage. However, his admitted steroid use has complicated his legacy and prevented him from being elected to the Hall of Fame during his tenure on the ballot. Even so, few players in MLB history have matched his ability to hit baseballs farther or more frequently.

7. Frank Thomas (1995 Champion)

“The Big Hurt” was one of the most dangerous offensive players the game has ever seen. A two-time American League MVP and first-ballot Hall of Famer, Thomas finished with 521 home runs, over 2,400 hits, a .301 batting average, and an incredible .419 career on-base percentage. His combination of power, patience, and consistency made him one of the defining hitters of the 1990s.

6. Vladimir Guerrero (2007 Champion)

Vladimir Guerrero was one of the most electrifying all-around players that baseball has ever seen. Famous for crushing pitches well outside the strike zone, Guerrero collected 2,590 hits, 449 home runs, a career .318 batting average, and won the 2004 American League MVP Award. A nine-time All-Star and Hall of Famer, “Vladdy” combined tremendous power with one of the strongest throwing arms in baseball history.

5. Sammy Sosa (2000 Champion)

Sammy Sosa is responsible for one of the greatest power-hitting stretches in MLB history, becoming the only player ever to hit 60 or more home runs three times. The 1998 National League MVP finished his career with 609 home runs, over 1,600 RBIs, and seven All-Star appearances. While PED allegations have overshadowed his accomplishments, Sosa’s offensive production remains among the greatest ever.

4. David Ortiz (2010 Champion)

Few players have delivered in the biggest moments quite like David Ortiz. “Big Papi” hit 541 career home runs, made ten All-Star teams, won three World Series championships, and was named MVP of the 2013 World Series after carrying Boston through one of the most emotional seasons in franchise history. A first-ballot Hall of Famer, Ortiz is regarded almost universally as the greatest designated hitter in baseball history.

3. Cal Ripken Jr. (1991 Champion)

“The Iron Man” redefined durability while becoming one of the greatest shortstops ever to play the game. Ripken’s record streak of 2,632 consecutive games played may never be broken. Add in two AL MVP Awards, over 3,100 hits, 431 home runs, 19 All-Star selections, two Gold Gloves, and first-ballot Hall of Fame induction, and it’s easy to see why he ranks among baseball’s all-time legends.

2. Ken Griffey Jr. (1994, 1998, 1999 Champion)

No player is more synonymous with the Home Run Derby than Ken Griffey Jr. Junior’s signature backwards hat and sweet lefty swing resulted in an MLB record 3 Home Run Derby victories. Beyond the Derby, “The Kid” became one of baseball’s most beloved superstars, finishing with 630 home runs, ten Gold Gloves, an MVP Award, and 13 All-Star selections. Widely considered one of the greatest center fielders ever, Griffey was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 with what was then the highest voting percentage in history.

1. Barry Bonds (1996 Champion)

No Home Run Derby champion can match the career accomplishments of Barry Bonds. The seven-time National League MVP remains MLB’s all-time home run king with 762 career home runs while also holding the single-season record with 73. Bonds won eight Gold Gloves, 12 Silver Sluggers, 14 All-Star selections, and finished with an astonishing 162.8 bWAR—the highest of any position player since Babe Ruth. Although his legacy remains deeply intertwined with performance-enhancing drug allegations, his statistical résumé is unparalleled, making him the clear choice for the top spot on this list and virtually any list ranking the greatest players in MLB history.

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Mets (27-35) [+550 to make playoffs]

To say the first half of the 2026 regular season has been a disappointment for the New York Mets would be a wild understatement. Despite having the highest payroll in Major League Baseball, the Mets are last in the NL East and are 15 games behind the Braves for the lead in the division. The two new additions to their infield, Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette, have struggled mightily in NY thus far combining for a -1.1 WAR in 62 games played. Furthermore, the pitching has been mediocre overall and has proven to be lacking the necessary depth to compete at a high level. With that being said, the Mets are not totally out of it. If the Mets get hot and work their way back to .500 by the time the All-Star and the Trade Deadline roll around, they can contend for a playoff spot. As of now, the Mets are currently only 6 game out of a wild card spot. If some of their hitters return to their average and they add some pitching at the trade deadline, the Mets could easily make the playoffs. Given the current price of them to make the playoffs (+550), this is a no brainer for me.

Blue Jays (29-33) [+120 to make playoffs]

The price on this bet is admittedly not as attractive as the previous, but getting the defending American League champions at “plus money” is great value regardless. The Jays have dropped their last four games which has led to the odds dropping. Toronto is a talented, well rounded team that, in my opinion, can easily win the AL Pennant again this year. The Jays pitching core of Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman, and Dylan Cease have been performing well thus far and the hitters have been around average. The Jays could look to add a bat come the trade deadline to boost their offense or potentially a relief pitcher, but even as they are constructed now, I’d be surprised if the Blue Jays did not make the postseason this year

Guardians (36-27) [+800 to be #1 seed]

Let’s get one thing out of the way: I do not believe that the Cleveland Guardians are the best team in the American League. Furthermore, at the beginning of the season I would not have selected them as the team to finish first in the American League. However, given their record and performance as of late, I think their odds to be the #1 seed in the American League is disrespectful. The Guardians have the most wins in the American League as of June 4th and their hitters, especially Jose Ramirez, have been performing below expectations. Gavin Williams and Patrick Messick have been a legit 1-2 punch on the mound for Cleveland posting an impressive 4.9 combined WAR and thus far. In my opinion, like the other teams mentioned in this article, Cleveland’s hitting will return to average making them a serious threat to finish the 2026 regular season with the most wins in the American League.

A little backstory for those unfamiliar with Abrams’ career path: CJ Abrams was a first-round pick for the San Diego Padres in 2019 and quickly became one of the organization’s top-ranked prospects. He made his MLB debut in 2021 for the Padres; however, he only played 46 games for the team before being shipped off to Washington, D.C. alongside James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, Luke Voit, and Jarlin Susana in exchange for Juan Soto.

Abrams’ rookie season in San Diego and DC was mediocre at best (75 OPS+ and 0.1 WAR in 90 games played), but the young shortstop progressed significantly in his following three seasons in the MLB. Abrams played 433 games between 2023 and 2025 and averaged 19 HRs, 36 SBs, a 105 OPS+, and a 3.4 WAR each season, and even earned himself an All-Star nod in 2024. While these numbers may not be extraordinary, they clearly indicate a trend of progression in overall production.

In 2026, the now 25-year-old shortstop has been arguably the best-performing infielder in all of Major League Baseball. Abrams’ impressive stats (.367/.458/.717, 6 HRs, 4 SBs, 231 OPS+, and 1.1 WAR) will likely lead to his second career all-star appearance.

Abrams is familiar with strong starts, as his 2024 All-Star season began similarly to this season. That year, Abrams was one of the best-performing shortstops in baseball through the first couple of months of the season, putting up an impressive stat line (.297/.377/.634, 7 HRs, 6 SBs) through his first 25 games played before regressing in the second half of the season and ending the season with a much more pedestrian stat line (.246/.314/.433, 20 HRs, 31 SBs).

The Nationals, currently 8-10 and 3rd in the NL East, do not have serious playoff hopes this season; however, if Cj Abrams continues this level of performance throughout the majority of the 2026 regular season, it would be a pleasant sight for Nationals fans who haven’t experienced any success since winning the World Series in 2019.

Thank you for reading! Make sure to stay tuned for more articles coming soon!

Andy Pettitte’s age-25 season in 1997 is his best overall season; however, he received no accolades for this season. He did not win Cy Young, MVP, or Golden Glove, nor did he make the AL All-Star team. This got me thinking: “What is the best season in modern MLB history to not win any accolades?” For this article in particular, I decided to focus exclusively on pitchers, as Andy Pettitte was the inspiration for this exercise.

My criteria for this list are quite simple:

Timeframe: 1960-Present (Modern Baseball)

bWar >= 8.4 (Top 250 season for a pitcher in MLB History)

NOTE: 8+ bWAR is “MVP Quality” according to Baseball Reference

The player did not make an All-Star team or win any single-season award (MVP, Cy Young, GG, SS) for their performance in the selected season.

Andy Pettitte, 1997, New York Yankees, 8.4 bWAR

240.1 IP, 18-7, 2.88 ERA, 166 SO, 2.96 FIP, 1.240 WHIP, 156 ERA+

The above stat line did not result in a single accolade in 1997 for Andy Pettitte, and, even with revisionist history, I’m not sure he should have won any. The only egregious error award-wise for Pettitte’s 97’ season was the All-Star game. While Pettitte’s stats were not out of this world, by the time of the All-Star game (9-5, 3.10 ERA, 91 SO), he was clearly one of the best pitchers in the American League and deserving of a slot on the team.

Looking at the season-long awards, Cy Young and MVP, Pettitte unfortunately ran into a juggernaut in Roger Clemens. The Rocket’s 97’ season is possibly the best single-season pitching performance of the past 4 decades. While Pettitte’s 8.4 bWAR has him tied for the 250th best single season for pitchers since 1876, Clemens’ 11.4 bWAR (tied for the 10th highest since 1901) dwarfs this accomplishment. In other years, Pettitte may have taken home some hardware, but unfortunately, he had no shot against the Rocket.

Fortunately for Pettitte, his trophy case is pretty full. By the time of his retirement in 2012, Pettitte had 3 All-Star appearances, 5 World Series rings, and an ALCS MVP award to his name; none of those awards were for the 250th-best pitching season of all time, however.

Kevin Appier, 1993, Kansas City Royals, 9.3 bWAR

238.2 IP, 18-8, 2.56 ERA, 186 SO, 2.90 FIP, 1.106 WHIP, 179 ERA+

Kevin Appier, in 1992 and 1993, had a combined WAR of 17.3, ERA of 2.52, strikeout total of 336, and zero accolades. Appier failed to make the AL All-Star team in neither 92’ nor 93’ despite being clearly deserving of a spot in both seasons.

Unlike Pettitte in 97’, Appier is well within his rights to have a grievance with the AL Cy Young voters. Appier lost the 1993 AL Cy Young award to Jack McDowell of the Chicago White Sox. This one is pretty obvious in my opinion. The only claims McDowell has over Appier are his 22 wins to Appier’s 18 and McDowell’s 4 shutouts to Appier’s 0; however, Appier has the advantage in every other category. In fact, Appier led the entire American League in 5 separate categories (WAR, ERA, ERA+, FIP, HR/9). McDowell didn’t even have the second-best season in 93’ as Randy Johnson (6.6 WAR, 3.24 ERA, 308 SOs) was clearly the only competitor to Appier.

Two seasons later, Kevin Appier was finally awarded a spot on the AL All-Star team; his first and last appearance on an All-Star team. Kevin Appier had the 163rd-best season for a pitcher in MLB history in 1993, but he won zero accolades for it.

Dick Ellsworth, 1963, Chicago Cubs, 10.2 bWAR

290.2 IP, 22-10, 2.11 ERA, 185 SO, 2.63 FIP, 1.025, 167 ERA+

Dick Ellsworth’s 1963 season might be the single best example of a “one-season wonder” in the history of modern baseball. Ellsworth was an average at best pitcher during his 13-year MLB career from 1958 to 1971. However, for one season in 1963, Dick Ellsworth was one of the best pitchers of all time. In fact, Dick Ellsworth’s 10.2 bWAR in 1963 (the 45th highest of any pitcher since the 19th century ended and tied for the 100th highest of any pitcher in MLB history) was greater than his combined WAR in his other 12 MLB seasons.

Despite his incredible performance throughout the 1963 season, Ellsworth did not receive a single accolade. He was not selected as one of 7 pitchers to make the NL All-Star team, despite having a sub-2 ERA by the time of the game. He did not win the NL MVP. He did not win the MLB CY Young award. He won no awards for one of the best pitching seasons in MLB history. Who exactly stood in his way? A 6’2” Jewish man from Brooklyn, New York: Sandy Koufax.

Koufax had an incredible 1963 season, posting a 10.7 bWAR (29th-highest for a pitcher since 1901) and taking home the NL MVP award, as well as the MLB Cy Young award unanimously. Ellsworth was great, but Koufax (25-5, 1.88 ERA, 306 SO, 0.875 WHIP) was just simply better.

Ellsworth made the All-Star team the very next season in 1964; however, for his 1963 season, Dick Ellsworth received no accolades.

I find this phenomenon (which I am coining a “Pettitte Season”) of a player receiving no accolades for an all-time great season absolutely fascinating. If you feel the same way, let me know of some more examples in the comments. I will be working on a version for hitters as well, so make sure to look out for that coming soon.

Jordan Lawler, SS/OF, 23, Arizona Diamondbacks

Lawler, a former 1st-round pick for the Dbacks, was touted as a five-tool shortstop when he was drafted at just 18 years old. Five years later, Lawler is expected to play his first full season in Arizona; however, the Diamondbacks have indicated that he will likely spend most of his time in the outfield due to their crowded infield consisting of Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, and Nolan Arenado.

Lawler, in 55 PAs, had a .333 batting average and hit 4 HRs while sporting an impressive 1.067 OPS. The Diamondbacks have high expectations for the young hitter after he batted. 313 (AVG), hit 11 HRs, and stole 20 bases in AAA last season.

Sal Stewart, 1B/3B, 22, Cincinnati Reds

Stewart, a former 1st round pick in 2022, was impressive in limited appearances for the Reds in 2025. He only appeared in 18 games but managed to knock 14 hits, 5 of which left the park. Furthermore, he was called upon in the postseason when Cincy took on the defending World Series champion Dodgers in the NL Wild Card Round. Stewart had only 5 PAs, but he made the most of his time, knocking 2 hits, batting in 4 runs, stealing a base, and earning a walk.

Stewart continued to show signs of excellence in Spring Training this past month. In 18 games, the 22-year-old held a .333 BA, knocked 3 HRs, stole 4 bases, and produced a 1.067 OPS. Sal Stewart is a popular breakout candidate, as he is expected to be the Red’s primary 1B or DH.

Leo De Vries, SS, 19, Athletics

You probably have heard the name “Leo De Vries” before, whether it be from his inclusion in the massive trade that sent Mason Miller to San Diego, his naming being amongst the top 10 in practically every “Top Prospect” list for 2026, or his amazing cards in the past two MLB The Show games.

De Vries, at only 19 years old, had a remarkable spring training. Appearing in 18 games, the SS had a batting average of .426 and an OPS of 1.183, while hitting 3 HRs, knocking in 12 runs, and stealing 3 bases.

De Vries will most likely not make his major league debut in 2026 for the Athletics; however, he is an important name to watch in the minor leagues, as he is without a doubt one of, if not the, most exciting young prospect in all of Major League Baseball.

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However, I have unwavering dedication to the field of video game journalism and felt the need, nay, the obligation, to dive into RTTS and give the people my full, unbiased opinion on my experience playing the game mode.

Was that believable? I was damn near ready to run through a brick wall just writing all that. Realistically, the MLB The Show servers were acting up (like they always do during the Early Access portion of the game’s cycle), so I decided to play some RTTS since the mode isn’t dependent on an online connection.

From entering the game mode, you will notice a menu selection screen that is pretty much identical to what we have all seen in previous installments. After selecting your position, allocating skill points, and customizing your character, you are prompted to either select your college and MLB team of choice or let fate decide. Then, the “fun” starts as you are thrown into your first high school game.

I was really hoping one of my biggest issues with MLB The Show 25’s Road to The Show would be fixed, and while it was partially addressed, I was still disappointed with the experience as a whole. The game’s story has you believe that you are a generational talent from a local high school about to attend one of the premier college baseball programs in the country, yet your attributes do not reflect that narrative whatsoever. For immersion purposes, I wanted to be leagues ahead talent-wise of my peers when I’m playing the high school games; however, MLB The Show has me strutting onto the field with 45 overall contact and 43 overall power attributes. Now, pitchers do behave more like high schools throwing a limited array of pitches at much slower velocities, which is a nice change, but it’s simply not enough to save the experience for me, personally.

As you progress in your career, you play a few college games, then get drafted, and play a year or two in the minors before finally making it to the bigs; a very similar trajectory to last year. Now, I am not asking SDS to blow me away with a complex story line full of M. Night Shyamalan-esque twists and turns, but I am asking them to just pay a tad of attention to detail within the game mode. Fans who are paying between $70 and $100 to play this game should not feel like they are playing last year’s game except there are a handful of new colleges I can attend for the 15 minutes RTTS lets you play college ball.

You might have noticed that I haven’t touched on gameplay yet, and that’s because, yep, you guessed it, gameplay is the same as it has been the last few years. Again, I am not asking SDS to overhaul core gameplay mechanics every time they release a new game. However, I am asking them to address key gameplay glitches that have plagued the game for over 10 years.

Every year I create a third baseman in RTTS. Every year I hope that SDS has fixed a couple of weird gameplay mechanics that render fielding near unplayable (in my personal opinion). Every single year I am disappointed, and I end up traversing the menu to turn off fielding appearances. At this point, it is simply unacceptable.

In conclusion, if you were excited to dive into RTTS after SDS promised a new, fresh experience, I would temper expectations. There is still fun to be had in the mode; however, key flaws that fans have complained about for years have yet to be addressed, which proves the theory that SDS does not care about the RTTS game mode since it lacks microtransactions and brings home significantly less money than Diamond Dynasty.

I know this article is a little different than the review I posted last year, but I really felt like a straight-up gameplay review would have been redundant. I hope you enjoyed reading the article, and if you disagree, make sure to let me know in the comments below. See you guys next time!

In this blog, I wanted to go through \ all of the confirmed new “Legend Players” that have been added to the game, as well as every “Legend Player” that was playable in MLB The Show 25, but has been removed from MLB The Show 26.

Removed Legends:

Tony Clark

Preston Wilson

Jordan Zimmerman

Jason Kipnis

Ryan Ludwick

Joe Nathan

Mike Lowell

Jason Bay

Fernando Valenzuela

Tim Raines

Brandon Webb

Reggie Sanders

Prince Fielder

Matt Holliday

It is important to note that these are only the confirmed players who will not be returning, and it is possible that this list is significantly longer in actuality. It has been heavily rumored that Frank Thomas and Rickey Henderson (among others) have been removed from the game since they do not have any Diamond Dynasty cards on launch day.

Added Legends:

Andruw Jones

Albert Pujols

Dustin Pedroia

Grady Nettles

Roy Campanella

Jeremy Burnitz

Felix Hernandez

Phil Rizzuto

Red Schoendienst

Jeff Conine

Dave Roberts

Fred Lynn

Overall, I think the new additions are solid, but a little top-heavy. It’ll certainly be fun to play with Pujols and King Felix for the first time in years, but losing Rickey Henderson and Frank Thomas, among others, definitely stings for loyal fans of this series.

Thank you for reading, and make sure to stay tuned for more MLB The Show 26 content coming soon!

Spencer Jones - OF

Whether it be from an overzealous Jasson Dominguez/Trent Grisham hater pleading with the front office to promote the 24-year-old lefty to the big leagues, or from the countless trade rumors he has been involved in over the past few years, every Yankees fan knows the name Spencer Jones by now.

Jones has been impressive in Spring Training the past two years, putting up a 1.305 and .927 OPS in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Now, in 2026, he has been doing more of the same as he has already hit 4 HRs in just over 20 at-bats while sporting an impressive 1.392 OPS.

Spencer Jones split time between the Yankees’ AA (Somerset) and AAA (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) affiliates in 2025, putting up similar stats in each league (.274 BA, 16 HRs, .984 OPS in AA and .274 BA, 19 HRs, and .897 OPS in AAA).

Despite the crowded outfield in the Bronx, Jones is expected to make his long-awaited MLB debut this summer and, if his Spring Training performance is any indication, he could be a valuable bench piece for the Yanks in 2026.

Carlos Lagrange - SP

As one of the few highly-touted prospects to survive the trade deadline over the past few seasons, Carlos Lagrange has performed quite well in his first Spring Training for the Yankees. The consensus Top 100 prospect in the MLB has pitched 5.2 innings, striking out 6 batters and only surrendering a single earned run courtesy of a solo home run.

The 6’7” flamethrower split time between A+ and AA ball and actually performed considerably better against the better competition, putting up a 3.22 ERA in 15 starts compared to a 4.10 ERA in 8 starts in A+.

At only 22 years old, Lagrange is unlikely to pitch in the major leagues for another couple of seasons; however, he is a key name to keep an eye on in the Yankees’ minor league system. The Yankees have done a solid job developing homegrown pitchers as of late (Luis Gil, Will Warren, Cam Schlittler), and hopefully that trend continues with Lagrange.

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5. New York Yankees

Trent Grisham, OF, L

Aaron Judge, OF, R

Cody Bellinger, OF, L

Ben Rice, 1B, L

Giancarlo Stanton, DH, R

Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B, L

Ryan McMahon, 3B, L

Jose Caballero, SS, R

Austin Wells, C, L

While this might not be the best lineup the Yankees have ever put together, it is still without a doubt potent. The reigning MVP is doing a lot of heavy lifting, making this squad a top five lineup, but regardless, the sheer potential for HRs is enough to give the Bronx Bombers a nod.

4. Seattle Mariners

Brendan Donovan, 3B, L

Cal Raleigh, C, S

Julio Rodriguez, OF, R

Josh Naylor, 1B, L

Randy Arozarena, OF, R

Dominic Canzone, DH, L

J.P. Crawford, SS, L

Victor Robles, RF, R

Cole Young, 2B, L

This Mariners lineup is very similar to the one they had in the back end of the season in 2025 (Brendan Donovan notably replacing Eugenio Suarez at 3B), which is a pleasant sight for Seattle fans considering the 2025 Mariners finished top five in the MLB in OPS+. This lineup is a balanced attack of right- and left-handed hitters right in the prime of their careers (most players in the projected lineup are between 28 and 31 years old).

3. New York Mets

Francisco Lindor, SS, S

Juan Soto, LF, L

Bo Bichette, 3B, R

Jorge Polanco, 1B, S

Marcus Semien, 2B, R

Brett Baty, DH, L

Francisco Alvarez, C, R

Luis Robert Jr., OF, R

Carson Benge, OF, L

It is hard to deny the star power that the Mets will be deploying this season; however, it is equally as hard to deny their potential holes. Lindor, Soto, and Bichette are a very solid top three; however, the hitters in the middle of the lineup, such as Baty and Alvarez, worry me. Ultimately, I think this team will be very good in 2026, but I am not nearly as optimistic as some Mets fans are.

2. Atlanta Braves

Ronald Acuna Jr., OF, R

Drake Baldwin, C, L

Matt Olson, 1B, L

Jurickson Profar, DH, S

Austin Riley, 3B, R

Ozzie Albies, 2B, S

Mike Yastrzemski, OF, L

Michael Harris II, L

Maurico Dubon, SS, R

This Braves lineup is really stacked, in my opinion. While the Mets might be slightly better in the top half of the order, the Braves are as well-rounded as they come. Dubon is certainly a weak spot, but Ha-Seong Kim is expected to fill his spot once he becomes healthy.

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani, DH, L

Kyle Tucker, OF, L

Mookie Betts, SS, R

Freddie Freeman, 1B, L

Will Smith, C, R

Max Muncy, 3B, L

Teoscar Hernandez, OF, R

Andy Pages, OF, R

Hyeseong Kim, 2B, L

Was there really any doubt in your mind who would round out this list at number one? Anytime there is a team that has fans’ diapers full complaining that the sport of baseball itself is being “ruined” by how talented one club’s roster is, then that team is typically going to be number one on most power ranking lists. Enough said.

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Eleven New Colleges Added to RTTS

MLB The Show 25 allowed users to play for one of eight officially licensed colleges (LSU, Tennessee, UCLA, Cal State Fullerton, South Carolina, TCU, Texas, and Vanderbilt) in the game’s Road to the Show game mode. The addition of college gameplay in the MLB The Show series is something that fans of the series have been asking for over the past two decades. Unfortunately, MLB The Show 25’s introduction of college ball left much to be desired. As previously mentioned, users could only choose from an array of eight schools, and furthermore, the actual college portion of RTTS was limited. SDS seems to be addressing at least part of the issue that plagued MLB The Show 25 by adding eleven new schools, four of which were revealed to be Michigan, Stanford, Florida, and Arkansas.

Upgraded Front Office in Franchise Mode

In a similar vein to RTTS, MLB The Show 26 seeks to introduce a feature that MLB The Show 25 half-heartedly introduced. While The Show 25 introduced new menus for the offseason, The Show 26 promises to deliver a much-needed “New Trade Hub” and “Modernized Lineups and Rotations” system. Despite this claim, the footage of the trade hub shown in the trailer looks awfully familiar for fans of franchise mode. Hopefully SDS sticks to its word, and franchise mode is an improved experience compared to previous entries in the series.

New Player Card/Attribute Design

This isn’t exactly game-breaking news; however, it is definitely worth noting. MLB The Show has abandoned its traditional “vertical bar graph” method of displaying player attributes in favor of a series of horizontal bar graphs. I know, truly innovative stuff coming from SDS HQ. However, one thing of note that can be observed from the trailer showing off this new display is a significant tweak to the fielding/reaction attribute. Reaction time as an attribute is now separated into four attributes, denoted by direction. Each player will now have a left, right, backward, and forward reaction attribute instead of one all-encompassing reaction stat. In addition, catchers will have a new “pop-time” attribute. These both seem to be part of the “Ratings Overhaul” that MLB The Show 26 is promising to deliver.

“Bear Down Pitching”

This introduction seems to be the biggest “actual gameplay” change that is highlighted in the first gameplay trailer for The Show 26. Unfortunately, the trailer didn’t really dive deep into what exactly “Bear Down Pitching” is, but hopefully pitching gets a major overhaul. Many fans have complained about the varying skill gaps in pitching over the last few MLB The Show games, so hopefully SDS found the sweet spot, but for now, we just have to wait and see.

World Baseball Classic

WBC will once again be present in MLB The Show 26. The implementation of WBC federations and players will be exclusive to the Diamond Dynasty game mode, and it is safe to assume that the content will be similar, if not identical, to what we saw in MLB The Show 23. What the trailer did tell us is that all 20 WBC federations will be present, and a new stadium in the Tokyo Dome will be introduced.

New Legends

The trailer concluded by revealing two new Legend players that will be present in, at the very least, the Diamond Dynasty mode of MLB The Show 26. The players revealed were Félix Hernández and Albert Pujols. Not much else was revealed in the trailer except for the fact that these two individuals will be present in Diamond Dynasty. Personally, I predict that either or both of these players will be Live Series Collection Rewards when the game fully releases.

MLB The Show 26 officially releases on March 16th (early access is available on March 12th at 9 PM). Stay tuned for more articles about MLB The Show coming soon!