MLB News and Notes: Best from around the FanSided network
MLB power rankings, in-depth analysis, interviews with players and front office executives and other MLB news and notes from around the FanSided network.
Another week of baseball is in the books, and the baseball writers around the FanSided network put together another week’s worth of MLB news and notes, as well as in-depth analysis, longform columns, opinion pieces and more.
Here at FanSided, our Brad Berreman kicked off the week by naming the best player on every MLB team. John Buhler dove into what made baseball fun over the previous seven days.
Also, Joshua Sadlock ranked the top 30 ballparks of all-time, Brad Weiss explored whether or not Bryce Harper has what it takes to win the Triple Crown, Ynal Al-Ouri broke down Trea Turner hitting for the cycle, Sarabeth Pollock took a look at what is going on in the surprising the NL West, and Derek Helling searched for answers as to whether or not a new Miami Marlins ownership group can put the club in a better financial position.
In a wide ranking interview, Justin McGuire spoke with Rick Ankiel about Ankiel’s new book. The two discussed Ankiel’s struggles with the yips, pitching drunk, Ankiel’s move to the outfield, HGH use, and the St. Louis Cardinals.
And, the Oakland A’s are doing some great things for fans under the direction of new team president Dave Kaval. We spoke with Kaval about the #RootedInOakland campaign, the changes the club has made to the Coliseum, and the plans to build a new ballpark that he believes is the key to winning the franchise’s next World Series.
In-depth MLB content from around the FanSided network
Our team-specific sites are always packed with information ranging from day-to-day discussion of how each team is playing, banter related to transactions, analysis of managerial decisions, historical pieces, and other unique concepts our readers enjoy.
The crew at Cubbies Crib has its share of Chicagoland natives, but also representatives living in North Carolina, Nashville, Omaha and Denver. In a unique feature, each writer gives readers insight into what life is like for Cubs fans where they live.
Marlins fans were excited to hear that there will soon be a new ownership group in Miami, and have already begun to dream of what direction the franchise will take without Jeffrey Loria. Marlin Maniac’s Phil Kimmel speculated as to what the future may hold for the Fish.
The Phillies have been playing good baseball recently, notably sweeping Atlanta last weekend. John Town of That Ball’s Outta Here dove into four storylines from the series. Matt Veasey likes the direction the franchise has taken, as he wrote for Call to the Pen.
Given the number of impending free agents on the roster, many fans and observers expect the Kansas City Royals to tear down and rebuild their roster this summer. The club isn’t off to a good start, which has further advanced that theory. But, as Jackson Stone pointed out at Kings of Kauffman, there is still a path for KC to win the AL Central.
Where do current Red Sox players rank historically? BoSox Injection’s Robert Whitmer explored whether or not active Boston stars could challenge the hit, home run, RBI and strikeout records in Major League Baseball.
Braves fans are excited about the future of the franchise, and for good reason. Atlanta has built arguably the best farm system in baseball, and there are plenty of elite prospects that could make it to SunTrust Park soon. However, the Braves also have several under-the-radar minor league players worth learning about, and five specifically that could surprise this season, as Josh Brown pointed out for Tomahawk Take.
Like the team itself, St. Louis Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez has been inconsistent in 2017. Looking for answers, Trevor Hooth dove deep into Martinez’s mechanics for Redbird Rants.
Also, Anthony Perez ran down the surprises and disappointments of the young season in Los Angeles for Dodgers Way. Across town, Vincent Page looked into the future and outlined predictions for every Angels game this week for Halo Hangout.
Bill Pivetz of Fantasy Crackerjacks explored five starting pitchers worth a pick up on the waiver wire earlier this week.
Other MLB news and notes
At Rum Bunter, Marty Leap dove into the early BABIP (batting average on balls in play) numbers of Pirates pitchers, giving an explanation of what the stat means and explaining what problems Pittsburgh has faced thus far. Corey Crisan pleaded for patience from fans when analyzing Pirates rookie Josh Bell.
Similarly, as Sunit Bhakta pointed out for Dodgers Way, Dodgers fans should be reasonable with recently promoted starter Julio Urias.
Everyone has an opinion on the recent beef between the Red Sox and Orioles. Rick McNair of BoSox Injection believes Red Sox pitcher Matt Barnes should take his four-game suspension and be grateful.
The crew at Yanks Go Yard is always willing to give an opinion on current events. This week, Mike Calendrillo scoffed at the notion that the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is dead… it’s just different. And, now that Derek Jeter is in the mix to buy the Miami Marlins, Steve Contursi says it’s time Yankees fans say goodbye to the beloved shortstop.
A former Yankees fan, David Egbert of Rays Colored Glasses used his experience cheering for the stable New York franchise as the baseline for what the Tampa Bay Rays could be, calling for a consistent team, not simply a rotating collection of players.
How does the Tribe stack up in the American League? Duane Rohrbacher runs down reasons not to panic about Cleveland’s slow start in April, the top completion in the AL, and whether or not the Indians are the best team in the league for Wahoo’s on First.
Nate Palmer of Puckett’s Pond gave a thorough rundown of the Twins pitching staff during an unsuccessful 1-5 week. According to Ruben Ceniceros of South Side Showdown, the division rival White Sox have been fantastic on the mound thus far.
Mets fans are fed up with New York’s struggles at the plate. Darren Martino of Rising Apple believes the club should show hitting coach Kevin Long the door.
Injuries to Blue Jays stars Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki have opened the door for Ryan Goins to get more playing time, and the way Goins has played recently could boost his trade value, as Chris Henderson pointed out for Jays Journal.
Also at Jays Journal, Matt Graves interviewed former Blue Jays pitcher Steve Grilli, the father of current Toronto reliever Jason Grilli, who is one of 500 former big leagues that has yet to qualify for an MLB pension. On the other end of the spectrum, Jason Lee interviewed rising prospect Bradley Jones.
The Giants received terrible news last week that ace Madison Bumgarner injured his ribs and shoulder in a dirt biking accident. The situation brought back Jeff Kent and Jeremy Affeldt flashbacks for fans of the club, but as Michael Saltzman wrote for Around the Foghorn, Bumgarner handled the situation truthfully and with maturity. The situation with Bumgarner was also one of the reasons the club had no choice but to call up top hitting prospect Christian Arroyo, as Jake Mastroianni pointed out.
Nationals shortstop Trea Turner is one of the best young players in baseball. At District on Deck, Ron Juckett made the case that Turner should hit at the top of the order in Washington instead of Adam Eaton.
It’s been an exciting few weeks for Brewers fans, and Matthew Dewoskin of Reviewing the Brew took a look at some of the unexpectedly great players so far, including potential MVP candidate Eric Thames and dominant reliever Jacob Barnes.
The Astros have also been a lot of fun, thanks in large part to Dallas Keuchel’s resurgence. However, the starting rotation still has a few questions, according to Cody Poage of Climbing Tal’s Hill. Danny Cagen gave an early progress report on Houston’s newcomers.
At Rox Pile, Ben Macaluso explained that Mark Reynolds and Ian Desmond make each other better first basemen. Also, apple pie nachos sound amazing.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks has struggled early in 2017, and Jacob R. Misener explored what’s been missing – fastball velocity – for Cubbies Crib.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of the top-scoring teams in the Major Leagues through the first month of the season. Mark Brown of Venom Strikes took a look into the key players responsible.
The Cincinnati Reds have done some very interesting things with their bullpen in 2017. Blog Red Machine’s Nick Vorholt took a look at how former closer Drew Storen has been used thus far.
Finally, Rangers fans have something to cheer about after sweeping the Royals. Connelly Bock shared three takeaways from the four-game series for Nolan Writin’.
Mariners lefty James Paxton has pitched like a Cy Young candidate this season – except for one start in which he allowed five runs. William Stone of Sodo Mojo asked what happened in Paxton’s only blemish to date.
Did you know that Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler is the co-owner of a company that makes baseball bats? Kristen Bentley explored the brand’s message, its ties to Kinsler and more for Motor City Bengals.
NFL Draft? What NFL Draft? All eyes are on the Padres in San Diego, as Jonathan Goehring pointed out for Friars on Base.
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