Baseball Connection

With the season winding down, let's take some time to appreciate the strong rookie performances we've been seeing this year. Jonathan India is locked in on the NL Rookie of the Year award, but the AL race isn't as clear. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Most of this year's division leaders hold a commanding lead, so we're shifting more attention towards Wild Card races now. Luis Severino has been activated from the injured list. It's been almost 2 years since we last saw him pitch. Can he recapture his old form for the Yankees? Anthony Gose has been called up by the Indians - as a pitcher! Remember him? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis had a loud confrontation in the dugout. Machado appeared to be yelling at Tatis for dwelling too long on a called third strike. Padres manager, Jayce Tingler, backed Machado after the game. The Brewers became the latest team to punch a playoff ticket. Stop us if you've heard this before: the Rays are calling up a top prospect. Shane Baz will make his MLB debut on Monday. All this (and more) on today's episode.

When Brett Phillips breaks out the airplane, you can be sure a big moment just happened. Phillips' walk-off 3 run HR pulled the Rays closer to an AL East division title. The Cardinals laid low all summer, but they've snagged a wild card position thanks to consistent contributions from veterans and young players alike. Is Tyler O'Neill their next big name? All this (and more) on today's episode.

Bryce Harper has almost single-handedly kept the Phillies in the playoff hunt - or at least it seems so. Ryan Mountcastle has shown great power in his rookie year. He's a young piece the Orioles can build with moving forward. The home run race has gotten crowded. Will it be Salvy, Vlad, Ohtani, or someone else?

Starling Marte leads MLB in batting average, but he can't win a batting title this year. How is this possible? Marte qualifies on an MLB-wide basis but not on an AL or NL basis alone. We discuss the mechanics of this quirky rule.

A day after the Giants became the first team to clinch a playoff spot, the Dodgers did so too. Both teams are still hungry for the division crown. It seems like the Cardinals came out of nowhere, but they're in the playoff picture too. We have a tie atop the AL Wild Card race. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Ryan Braun has formally announced his retirement. Part of a stacked 2005 draft class, Braun quickly made his way to the big leagues and never looked back. He racked up a Rookie of the Year, 6 All-Star nods, 5 Silver Sluggers, and an MVP award. Braun's career did have a controversial episode. How will he be remembered?

Francisco Lindor blasted three home runs en route to the best game of his Mets tenure. Perhaps it was the best game of his entire career. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. his his eyes on the Triple Crown. Max Scherzer notched his 3rd career immaculate inning and his 3,000th career strikeout in a gem for the Dodgers. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Do we care about no-hitters anymore? Of course we do, but it's no surprise that this year's ninth no-hitter hasn't been met with as much excitement as some of the early ones. If you missed it, Byron Buxton is back. Javier Baez has resurrected his season since joining the Mets. It'll pay off handsomely this winter. All this (and more) on today's episode.