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Mike Petriello is an analyst for MLB.com and the host of the Statcast podcast. He has previously written for ESPN Insider and FanGraphs.
![]() | The game is changing, perhaps more quickly than ever. Forget comparing the sport to what it looked like in the 1960s or the '80s; the game has changed massively in just the last half-decade. Remember, just five years ago, we were all talking about the lack of power ,and no one was talking about launch angle or spin rate. Things are slightly different now.
More»MLB Tonight on strategy behind using an 'opener' |
![]() | The 2019 Dodgers are going to be good, and that's in large part thanks to the fact that they're projected to have the best run-prevention unit in baseball.
More»Buehler on 2019 season, his relationship with Kershaw |
![]() | The 2019 Mets may not have added Manny Machado or Bryce Harper -- yet -- but they may have done something just as important. They've continually imported talent to raise the floor and add depth, and that's a big deal.
More»Van Wagenen on Mets' plethora of infield options |
![]() | There have been dozens of moves so far this winter, including trades, free-agent signings, waiver claims and so on, and we'll be examining each of them right here.
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![]() | Who will be the 2019 versions of Max Muncy, Ryan Pressly, and Miles Mikolas? We have 11 names for you to watch in 2019.
More» Rosario collects three hits, steals a base |
![]() | Dating back to 2002, no hitter has had more of a home-field disadvantage. Simply leaving Miami might be a huge boost.
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![]() | You can be sure that every season, you're watching some all-time greats who will end up in Cooperstown someday. But who, and how many? This is our best guess at who might be enshrined among the legends in upstate New York.
More»MLB Tonight looks at the future for Mike Trout |
![]() | Marcell Ozuna's first year in St. Louis was something of a disappointment, though he showed signs of life in the second half. How much can the Cardinals count on him in 2019? Let's find out.
More» Ozuna laces 113.9 mph home run off Hader |
![]() | DJ LeMahieu is joining the Yankees, which leads to the obvious question: Can he still be a productive hitter outside of Coors Field? The answer is probably, but not in the way you might expect.
More»Feinsand breaks down LeMahieu joining the Yankees |
![]() | Jose Altuve is the only true superstar at second base, and he remains atop this year's Top 10 Right Now at the position, though there's a very interesting mix of young and old stars behind him.
More»Jose Altuve wins 5th career Silver Slugger Award |
![]() | Third base is an absolutely stacked position, but there's a few face atop the list headed into 2019: Alex Bregman, atop Mike Petriello's entry at the hot corner for the Top 10 Right Now series.
More» Bregman makes backhand, amazing throw |
![]() | Jackie Bradley Jr. sometimes gets lost in the array of stars the Red Sox have in their outfield, but he's an elite-level defender who is primed to take the next step into stardom in 2019.
More»WS champ Jackie Bradley Jr. joins Hot Stove |
![]() | The 2018 Philadelphia defense was poor, and the 2019 version will almost certainly be much improved. That's good news for Phillies pitchers, but which ones? It won't affect every pitcher in the same way.
More» Pivetta gets Story to ground into DP |
![]() | It's OK if you don't know about Taylor Rogers, but that's going to change in 2019. He had a very quiet breakout last year, and all signs point to great things this season for the Twins lefty.
More» Rogers escapes jam to earn 1st career save |
![]() | Let's head into 2019 by taking one last look back at 2018, and we'll do that by looking at 10 of the most exciting and interesting plays of the year.
More»Statcast looks at 2018's hardest outfield assists |
![]() | For all the damage that Yasmani Grandal did to himself with a poor showing in October, he remains a strong free-agent option in a weak catching market. Here's why he's still valuable, and which teams ought to be interested.
More»Grandal signs a 1-year deal with the Brewers |
![]() | Every winter around this time, we try to project a handful of starters who could reasonably be considered "breakout picks" for the upcoming season, and every year we have to start with the same issue: What is a breakout? How do we know that someone has or hasn't already broken out? Here's five of them who may be looking forward to brighter things in 2019.
More»Five pitchers poised for a breakout season in 2019 |
![]() | Which pitches were the most dominating in 2018? You won't be surprised to find Justin Verlander and Aroldis Chapman high on this list, but you might not have expected to see which pitches got them there.
More»Watch some of the Dodgers' nastiest pitches from 2018 |
![]() | Free agent reliever Adam Ottavino is coming off a fantastic 2018 season, one that followed a poor 2017 and a unique training regimen over the winter. As he considers his next move, he spent time with MLB.com discussing how he got to this point.
More»Ottavino talks about free agency, improvements in '18 |
![]() | Could Bryce Harper or Manny Machado sign with a team that wasn't in contention last year? It might seem that they wouldn't, but struggling clubs have a long history of signing big-ticket free agents.
More»White Sox open to signing big name free agents |