Harper tops Soto for second career MVP award
Harper tops Soto for second career MVP award
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Bryce Harper won the second National League Most Valuable Player award of his career tonight, beating out Juan Soto for the honor in a battle of former Nationals teammates turned division rivals. Harper received 17 first-place votes and 348 total points in balloting conducted before the start of the postseason by 30 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (two from each NL city). Soto received six first-place votes and 274 total points to finish second. Padres shortstop...
More gains for minor league players, plus other notes
More gains for minor league players, plus other notes
Steve Melewski
Orioles
As the second year of play since the restructuring of the minor leagues is set to begin in 2022, there will be a first coming for the players. The big league teams will be responsible for housing the minor league players and covering utilities. Major League Baseball issued a press release on Thursday announcing these plans. One big headache and expense is now off the plates of the minor leaguers. Coupled with the modest salary increases that began in 2021, the players are making some financial...
Trying to come up with a few answers to Orioles questions
Trying to come up with a few answers to Orioles questions
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
My mailbag hasn't reached a level that tempts me to empty it, your questions scattered all over the floor, but I don't mind a light sifting this morning. Extremely light. Like, Engelb Vielma light. Here are four questions that I'm tackling, being careful to not lead with my helmet: Julio Iglesias is a free agent after winding up with the Red Sox after the Orioles traded him to the Angels. Does Mike Elias bring him back? You meant José and won't lose points or my respect. The Orioles need...
Updating Orioles in the Arizona Fall League (and notes)
Updating Orioles in the Arizona Fall League (and notes)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Mesa Solar Sox will represent the East Division in Saturday's Arizona Fall League championship game. The team that includes Orioles minor leaguers on its roster. Rings can be won in November, even for an organization that's rebuilding. They do receive rings, right? Anyway, the AFL season began with eight Orioles representatives on Mesa's roster, including catcher Ramon Rodriguez, who was listed as being on the taxi squad. There have been three subtractions, though outfielder Yusniel Diaz...
Can Soto topple Harper for NL MVP honors tonight?
Can Soto topple Harper for NL MVP honors tonight?
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Wednesday night, we saw a former Nationals star come up short in a bid to win another major end-of-season award. Tonight, we could see either a different former Nationals star or a current one win the biggest award of all. The National League MVP will be announced around 6:25 p.m., and the names of the two frontrunners are as familiar as they get around here: Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. (Fernando Tatis Jr. also was named a finalist, but the Padres shortstop is widely expected to finish third...
Can new hitting coaches help O's lagging OBP stats?
Can new hitting coaches help O's lagging OBP stats?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
The Orioles seemingly always rank near the bottom of the American League in on-base percentage. It's an important stat and this year in the American League the average team OBP was .316. The Orioles ranked 12th among the 15 clubs in the AL at .304. Since they won the AL East in 2014, the Orioles have ranked 12th or lower in the league in team OBP five times in eight seasons. Their best mark was when they were eighth in 2020. When it comes to walk rate (the percentage of times a hitter walks...
Scherzer finishes third to Burnes, Wheeler in close Cy Young race
Scherzer finishes third to Burnes, Wheeler in close Cy Young race
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Max Scherzer came up short in his quest to win the fourth Cy Young Award of his career, finishing third in a close three-way race for the 2021 National League honor, which went to the Brewers' Corbin Burnes. Burnes, with 12 first-place votes and 151 total points, narrowly beat out the Phillies' Zack Wheeler (12 first-place votes, 141 total points) and Scherzer (six first-place votes, 113 total points) in a down-to-the-wire race between three NL right-handers who each had compelling cases to...
"Orioles Classics" #TBT: No turkeys in this feast of Birds baseball
"Orioles Classics" #TBT: No turkeys in this feast of Birds baseball
Doug Miller
Orioles
It might have been George Will. Or maybe it was Casey Stengel. I get those two mixed up all the time. Anyhow, whoever it was that first said it, the great truism goes something like this: "There are just two seasons: baseball season and the void." And so it is we find ourselves staring across the vast emptiness between here and the spring. During this pause, we here at MASNsports.com will every Thursday give you a little taste of the coming week's "Orioles Classics" offerings, full game...
How would we view another Cy Young for Scherzer?
How would we view another Cy Young for Scherzer?
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
We're used to paying attention to Cy Young Award announcements around here, because the Nationals have seemed to always have at least one serious contender for the honor each year, most notably the man who won it twice while pitching for Washington. Tonight, Max Scherzer will find himself in a familiar position, watching along with the rest of us as the 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner is named around 6:45 p.m. He's seeking to become only the fifth pitcher in history to win the...
Will a 100 mph fastball get this pitcher on the 40-man roster?
Will a 100 mph fastball get this pitcher on the 40-man roster?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
When it comes to some of the best bullpens in baseball, they seem to be filled with flame-throwing pitchers that can throws fastballs in the high 90s and maybe even touch 100 mph. Of course, velocity is not everything, but it sure has some importance, and teams keep rolling out those throwing some serious heat in the middle to late innings. As the Orioles decide which players to add to their 40-man roster this week, and thus protect those players from being taken in the December Rule 5 draft,...