#Francisco Álvarez

After an All-Star break festooned with nostalgia, home runs, and bullpen dominance, the MLB schedule restarts Thursday, with some 70 games remaining for each team. So before the second half begins, let's dive into the top 10 story lines to monitor between now and October-because there's a whole lot of baseball left, and just as much drama on the…

Francisco Álvarez, MetsDarren Baker, NationalsCorbin Carroll, DiamondbacksDiego Cartaya, DodgersJackson Chourio, BrewersPete Crow-Armstrong, CubsHenry Davis, PiratesElly De La Cruz, RedsRobert Hassell III, PadresLogan O'Hoppe, PhilliesEzequiel Tovar, RockiesMiguel Vargas, DodgersDavid Villar, GiantsZac Veen, RockiesJordan Walker, Cardinals Masyn…

The 2022 MLB winter meetings will begin Sunday, and while the MLB talent changing teams in blockbuster trades can often steal the headlines, the prospects who go the other way in those deals often wind up being the bigger story. Workhorse right-hander Jeff Samardzija going from the Oakland Athletics to the Chicago White Sox during the 2014 winter…

On March 31, 2019, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Elvis Luciano became the first player born in the 2000s to reach the big leagues. In the years since, a wave of talented young players who weren't even born when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were chasing down Roger Maris during the 1998 season has descended on Major League Baseball. 2022 Rookie of…

It's time for the second (we hope) annual Unofficial Futures Game Batting Practice Home Run Derby Draft (UFGBPHRDD?)! Last year, Jim Callis and I drafted XMSirius All-Star Futures Game players and tracked how many home runs each hit during batting practice, somewhat formalizing what's been an unofficial hobby for years. Maybe someday the Futures…

NEW YORK -- All told, the Mets (100-61) spent 175 days of this season in first place, which is to say nearly every day but the one that matters most. Despite controlling the National League East nearly wire to wire -- key word: nearly -- the Mets will finish in second and settle for the NL's No. 4 seed. Their consolation prize is a Wild Card Series…