Foul Ball Area

We're counting down the days to the end of the 2024 regular season, and several teams across Major League Baseball have clinched their postseason spot. The Brewers were the first team to do so, winning the NL Central and proving nearly everybody wrong. A few more teams followed suit later in the week, setting up the first pieces of the playoff picture. 

Shohei Ohtani cemented his MVP front-runner status with a historic night, going 6-for-6 and becoming the first player to have a 50/50 season. What other stat chases are we watching as the season winds down?

We're back this week with another episode of Foul Ball Area and we've got a couple of interesting topics to discuss. As the season winds down, some teams that are contending for the postseason are struggling. Which of these World Series hopefuls should be the most worried as the playoff field becomes more clear?

Plus, we've seen plenty of exciting moments in the 2024 season, but which player stands out as the most exciting player in MLB? Is it Aaron Judge with his unreal power or Shohei Ohtani with the potential for a historic 50/50 season? Or another player altogether stealing the show?

Aaron Judge is putting up phenomenal numbers for the Yankees this season, leaving us with two questions: how many home runs will he hit and is he better this year than he was in 2022? Trey thinks he'll slow down and get some rest towards the end of the regular season, but Matt is hoping for a new AL record by the end of September. Plus, Juan Soto is having a remarkable season as well and would be in the MVP conversation if Aaron Judge wasn't doing what he's doing. 

And, two once proud organizations are struggling this year, with the White Sox the first team to 100 losses and the Cardinals practically giving away tickets. What's next for these teams?

We're back this week after a short summer break, and we're breaking down everything you need to know in the baseball world! Aaron Judge became the fastest player to reach the 300 home run mark this week, hitting the milestone in a 10-2 win over the White Sox. Judge reached 300 homers in 955 career games, shattering the previous record of 1,087 games, set by Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner. He also reached the mark 400 at bats quicker than Babe Ruth. Where will Judge end up on the all-time home run list by the time he retires?

Plus, the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds are playing a game at Bristol Motor Speedway next season in what promises to be one of the most unique atmospheres in MLB history. And, Virginia's own Will Wagner - son of Billy Wagner - shines in his MLB debut. 

The 2024 All-Star Game has passed and it was another exciting weekend for baseball fans. The underdog Teoscar Hernandez won the Home Run Derby on Monday, which came down to the final swing against Bobby Witt Jr. Rookie phenom pitcher Paul Skenes faced Aaron Judge in the All-Star Game on Tuesday in a matchup that we were all looking forward to. And so much more happened over the last week that we break down on today's episode. 

Plus, with the All-Star Game over, it's time to look forward to the upcoming trade deadline and which players could be on the move this year. 

The College World Series came to a close on Monday with the Tennessee Volunteers winning their first title in program history. UT beat Texas A&M in three games to win the title, and the loss upset A&M's coach so much he left the team to take the head coach job at Texas. This week's coaching drama is sure to add another spark to the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry this fall on the football field.

The first round of All-Star votes were released this week, and two players already have starting spots. Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper received the most votes in their respective leagues, giving them each a starting spot on the roster for the 2024 All-Star Game. Who else is in the running to start this year's midsummer classic?

Plus, if you could immortalize one baseball announcer using AI, who would you choose?

The baseball world lost a legend this week when Willie Mays passed away at 93 years old. The Hall of Famer is one of the greatest players of all time and is arguably the best player in MLB history. He won two MVPs, was a 24-time All-Star and crushed 660 home runs during his illustrious career. We take some time to reflect on his legacy on today's episode. 

Mays was honored Thursday night when the San Francisco Giants took on the St. Louis Cardinals at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Rickwood is the oldest professional ballpark in the United States and was the longtime home of the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues. Thursday's game was a perfect time to reflect on the contributions that Negro Leagues players made to the game of baseball.

Plus, in the Yankees are still playing very good baseball, and they just got their ace back as Gerrit Cole returned from injury this week. 

The NCAA Super Regionals are here and we've got one team from the Commonwealth looking to make it to Omaha. The Virginia Cavaliers host Kansas State this weekend in Charlottesville after making it out of their regional last weekend. VCU and JMU each fought hard, but both teams came up just short of making it to the second weekend. 

Plus, the Yankees and Braves each had players of the month in May, but one team is looking a lot better than the other right now. How will the season continue to unfold for each of our favorite teams?

We've reached Memorial Day Weekend, which means we're about two months into the MLB season. This gives us plenty of evidence to see how teams really look this season and how we can expect the division races to shake out. Which teams are contenders and pretenders at this point? Which players have a legitimate shot at winning individual awards?

Plus, conference tournaments are well underway in NCAA baseball. Which teams from the Commonwealth still have a chance to make a run in the national tournament?

We're about a month into the 2024 MLB season, and there are some surprising temas at the top of their divisions and in the Wild Card spots. Can teams like the Reds, Mariners and Tigers hold onto their playoff hopes through an entire season, or are they just having luck at the beginning of the year? Will the Braves and Yankees run their respective divisions after their hot starts, or are they due for a falloff at some point in the year? Plus, Elly De La Cruz is playing like an MVP candidate, and a quick update on Virginia Tech and UVA baseball.