Make no bones about it, cracking the Major Leagues on Opening Day is a big deal. But sometimes we get so wrapped up in that initial roster that we lose sight of the fact that early-season callups can be just as effective whenever they occur. We’ve already seen notable prospects

A little over a month ago, we polled a panel of MLB.com experts about the best hitters in baseball headed into the 2025 season. Now, though? We have actual 2025 results in the mix. That’s not to say that roughly three weeks' worth of games is going to completely change

MIAMI -- Pavin Smith has been on a heater at the plate lately for the D-backs. He accounted for one-third of the team’s runs in its 6-4, sweep-clinching victory over the Marlins on Thursday afternoon at loanDepot park, hitting his second home run of the series in the first inning

Ask the average baseball fan what they know about Mariners star catcher Cal Raleigh, and they might bring up his playoff-drought-ending walk-off homer from 2022. They might know he won a Platinum Glove last season, or if they're particularly plugged in, that he just hit his 100th career homer on

The Braves on Thursday called up outfielder Alex Verdugo from Triple-A Gwinnett as the team looks to generate more offense from a lineup that has struggled in the early going. Atlanta signed Verdugo to a one-year, $1.5 million big league contract late in Spring Training, then optioned him to Triple-A

PITTSBURGH -- Manager Dave Martinez and reliever Jorge López received suspensions following Wednesday’s game against the Pirates, in which benches cleared. Prior to Thursday's 1-0 loss to Pittsburgh at PNC Park, López received a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for “intentionally throwing at Andrew McCutchen.” López elected to appeal

DENVER – The Rockies replaced hitting coach Hensley Meulens with their former manager and long-ago hitting coach, Clint Hurdle, the club announced on Thursday. The move comes with the Rockies, under manager Bud Black, holding the Majors’ worst record at 3-15. Having gone quickly to prospects and inexperienced players, the

Not every veteran player comes in hot when they come to New York, and you can look that up, all the way back to when Tino Martinez struggled mightily in April 1996 after replacing Don Mattingly at first base for the Yankees. But then Martinez hit a grand slam at

MILWAUKEE -- Infield prospect Caleb Durbin was on his way to Milwaukee on Thursday as the Brewers moved to generate more production from third base.

PITTSBURGH -- Sometimes hard contact can result in an out. Those outs usually aren’t made after the ball lands in front of the left fielder, though.

PITTSBURGH -- Andrew Heaney was terrific on the day he reached 10 years of Major League service time, spinning 7 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball as the Pirates hung on to beat the Nationals at PNC Park, 1-0. Heaney leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball and his changeup, which got

This week, our MLB.com Power Rankings ended up in a pretty strange place: The top six teams in baseball were all from the National League. In this order: Dodgers, Padres, Phillies, Mets, Cubs and Giants. That’s particularly noteworthy because, as you may remember, there are only six teams that make

This story was excerpted from AJ Cassavell’s Padres Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BALTIMORE -- Everybody should have known a big hit was coming for Jackson Holliday on Wednesday night. It was Bark at the Park at Camden Yards, and Holliday’s 1-year-old bernedoodle, Coconut, was sitting with Holliday’s wife, Chloe, in the stands.

Wednesday was quite the day for former No. 1 overall Draft picks. Bryce Harper (No. 1 pick in 2010), Jackson Holliday (2022), Spencer Torkelson (2020), Mickey Moniak (2016) and Henry Davis (2021) each hit home runs. If that sounds like it’s rare, it’s because it is.

NEW YORK – There was plenty of discussion after Juan Soto remarked this week that things feel different without Aaron Judge lurking in the on-deck circle. But one piece of that commentary went without debate: The Yankees’ captain really may be, as the Mets’ star said, “the best hitter in

PITTSBURGH -- Benches cleared at PNC Park and Nationals reliever Jorge López was ejected after throwing a ball up and in at Andrew McCutchen in the seventh inning on Wednesday.

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres’ record-setting home winning streak came to an end on Tuesday night. By Wednesday afternoon, they’d already started a new one. San Diego won its series finale against the Cubs on Wednesday, 4-2, improving to 12-1 this season at Petco Park and 15-4 overall, the best

CINCINNATI -- The Reds placed first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with lower back inflammation. To replace him on the roster, third baseman Noelvi Marte was recalled from Triple-A Louisville. Encarnacion-Strand hit a two-run double in the seventh inning of Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the

TAMPA -- Jake Mangum got the ball. The wall got his batting gloves. With two outs in the ninth inning of the Rays’ 1-0 loss to the Red Sox on a windy Wednesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Mangum tracked a Carlos Narváez fly ball straight back to the

MIAMI -- The Marlins added another key bat to their lineup for the second time this week, reinstating third baseman Connor Norby from the 10-day injured list on Thursday, two days after outfielder Jesús Sánchez. In a corresponding roster move, Miami optioned infielder Graham Pauley to Triple-A Jacksonville. Norby, who

The White Sox feature six Top 100 Prospects, tied for the third-most in baseball, and five of them have a realistic chance to make their big league debuts this season. The first arrives today. Catcher Edgar Quero will start against the Athletics in hopes he can add some life to

LOS ANGELES -- Every now and then, Shohei Ohtani does something that makes Dodger Stadium look small. This time, it was a booming blast off Ohtani's bat on Wednesday night that landed up high in the Right Field Pavilion seats, a projected 448 feet away from home plate. It was

With a .450 batting average and five RBIs, Francisco Lindor helped carry Team Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. When the event returns next year, Lindor will reprise his leading role.

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. PHILADELPHIA -- Jordan Romano’s leg lift had gotten bigger and bigger over the years. But bigger isn’t always better. “It was getting too out