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Background Blaze Alexander was drafted by the Diamondbacks in the 2018 draft with the 339th overall pick, out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Blaze’s biggest setback in his minor league career was the pandemic, but he’d work his way up through the Diamondbacks farm system and reach AAA by 2022. He’d then spend the […]
Happy (almost) new year! I hope your 2025 was better than the Colorado Rockies’ season… Entering a new year, it’s always fun to look back at everything that happened at Purple Row. Today, you can re-read our 10 most-read articles from 2025. Tomorrow, we’ll present our staff favorites. The articles below are posted counting down […]
This year brought another winning season, giving the Royals back-to-back-winning seasons for the first time since 2014-15. But the team fell short of a playoff spot, a disappointing result that reflects the raised expectations. From another excellent season from Bobby Witt Jr., to outstanding starting pitching, to a terrible offensive outfield, to Maikel Garcia breaking […]
Next up in our look back at the A’s players in 2025, we turn back to the bullpen, remembering our time with Michael Kelly. What role will he play in the A’s pen in 2026? How was he acquired? The San Diego Padres selected Michael Kelly in the first round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft with […]
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been busy this offseason, acquiring several veteran hitters to join the team. While the Pirates will look different on the field next season, there is still a need to bring on a few more pieces to the puzzle. Bleacher Report writer Joel Reuter believes the Pirates need to add a shortstop […]
2025 was not a year many of us probably want to remember, and that is doubly true for Minnesota Twins fans. We entered the year with hesitant hopes for an AL Central crown and a playoff berth, but we left the season wanting to punt ownership towards the nearest supernova. Seeing as many of us […]
From Tokyo to Toronto, this season belonged to Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In my view, both as a journalist and as a traveling correspondent, Yamamoto was the best pitcher in MLB in 2025, with no disrespect to either Cy Young winner. He was the Dodgers’ Rock of Gibraltar. He threw the first pitch of the season in […]
The Syracuse Orange (9-4, 0-0) close out 2025 in the ACC opener against the Clemson Tigers (10-3, 0-0). Tip-off is 2:00 from the JMA Dome and will be broadcast on ESPN2/WatchESPN. Here’s what we’re watching for in this one: Kevin: A New Year’s Surprise A lot of people will be eager to see Donnie Freeman’s […]
A year in the life of a baseball team can feel like an eternity. There are times when things happen that I take a mental note of as something that we should remember, for posterity’s sake, only to forget that it happened the very next day. You call it the perils of being a parent, […]
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Fans of Major League Baseball would expect to see a three-time batting champion as one of […]
2025 was not a year particularly kind to Tylor Megill when it comes to the game of baseball. His season, on the surface, was fine but unspectacular. He ended the year with a 3.95 ERA over 14 starts (68.1 innings), striking out a ton of batters (29.2% strikeout rate), but also walking far too many […]
Is Gabe Speier a lefty? Yes. Is he a reliever? Yes. Is he good? Yes. And yet, to describe him as a good lefty reliever is a disservice. There’s something about describing someone as a lefty reliever that feels caveated. It always reads as implying that a pitcher is only good “for a lefty” or […]
2025 was not exactly a banner year for the Washington Nationals, but that does not mean there were not any fun moments. As the year comes to a close, I wanted to highlight six of the coolest things that happened on the field for the Nats this year. We discussed how important 2025 was off […]
Over these last two seasons, the Kansas City Royals pitching staff has been the strength of the team. More specifically, you can point to the starting rotation, but the bullpen has been a mostly solid unit over the last two seasons as well. With all the injuries last season to the starters, Cole Ragans, Seth […]
Greetings friends! Welcome to the final day of 2025. As we reflect one last time on the year that was and look forward to everything to come in 2026, let’s check in on what is happening around the league. In Mariners news… Around the league…
Morning everyone and happy last day of 2025! The A’s have certainly been at work behind the scenes in the first couple months of the offseason. We haven’t heard of the team in any direct links to any rumors, which isn’t itself surprising but is also how the A’s like to operate. A’s fans were […]
The final review of the 2025 season will be looking at each position in the Astros farm system. Next up is the third base position. BEST OF THE BUNCH Shay Whitcomb Whitcomb has been a constant producer in the Astros system for the last few years and 2025 was no different. He played in 107 […]
2025, as a season, was a season that can be qualified as a mixed bag for Luisangel Acuña, in the most generous of terms. Acuña, who was acquired from the Texas Rangers for Max Scherzer during the Great Sell-off of 2023, was a divisive prospect at the time, despite his clear Top 100 stature by […]
For Craig Breslow: Make a decisive long-term decision that may or may not come back to haunt you I want to see Craig Breslow plant a flag somewhere in 2026. Nearly every move that he has made in his two-year tenure has been risk-averse, as seen in the short duration contracts he chases: Trade for […]
It was reported that the San Diego Padres signed left-handed pitcher D.J. Snelten to a minor league contract, but the team has not officially announced the signing. The addition of Snelten would give the Padres another left-handed option in the bullpen that can reach triple-digits on the radar gun. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball looks […]
The calendar is about to flip from 2025 to 2026, which means it is time to make our New Year’s resolutions. The practice dates back to 2,000 B.C.E., when the Babylonians celebrated with a 12-day springtime festival called Akitu. However, it was the ancient Romans who first observed Jan. 1, celebrating by giving offerings to […]
Look around the Astros fansphere and you will see no other topic of conversation that has resonated as much as the conversation over the starting rotation. I pointed out earlier in a separate commentary that the Astros seem to be more focused on pitching than hitting as an organization. That is their default setting. It […]
Andrew Heaney made a brief stop with the Dodgers in 2025 before hitting free agency. The veteran left-hander announced his retirement on his social media pages on December 28. Andrew Heaney’s second (or third, depending on your point of view) stint with the Dodgers was extremely brief, signing a minor league deal for the final […]
Lots of things didn’t go the Orioles’ way this year. One of them: their skipper. On May 17, the front office pulled the plug on manager Brandon Hyde, opting to take their chances with longtime infield coach Tony Mansolino in his stead. Though Mansolino appeared well-liked in the role, after the season ended, in late […]
It’s officially the last day of 2025, and what a year it has been! The Tigers managed to exceed all expectations AND disappoint their fanbase with a late season slump. They made it to the postseason and advanced further than anyone thought they might given their September performance. There’s a lot to look forward to […]