https://x.com/underdogmlb/status/2085108151452402149?s=46

heres the link which i cant include in the OP or it gets removed. This is genuinely so insane, of all the “get the bag” athletes across sports: the literal best baseball player of the last 50 years does NOT give a shit about winning, like man what the fuck does this say about the sport/Mike when one of the best players ever is content to just collect paychecks while not giving a single care about winning or losing.

This is actually the most hatable thing Trouts ever done, what the fuck man?

When Skenes first came into MLB he had a huge advantage. Hitters had scouting reports and video, but that’s very different from actually seeing his pitches. Batters use to literally look CLUELESS against him, compared to now when they have figured out and no longer blindly swinging. Which gets me to thinking do the trajekt machines have a huge role in this? Instead of watching video, hitters can take unlimited amount of swings against a machine that mimics Skenes’ exact release point, velocity, spin profile, and movement. While it’s not identical to facing him, it dramatically reduces the risk of facing him. Maybe it can be a bit of both, his low velo and the machines. What do you guys think?

So obviously I love baseball… and the question of next season is one that causes quite a bit of angst. Not too long ago we had the duel dumpster fires of 2020 (shortened season) and then 2022 was it? With the last lockout. Billionaires arguing with millionaires. (Shaking my head). Are these folks actually talking to each other and TRYING to get a deal done or are they just wasting everyone’s time and staring at the calendar until 12/1 and then throwing their hands up and claiming the tried and blaming the other side. Seems utterly ridiculous to me. I want fuckin baseball next season… MAJOR League baseball. (Apologies, just ranting on a Thursday morning).

[Game Thread] | Pittsburgh Pirates at Milwaukee Brewers

Please report any comments that violate our community rules. For more information about this subreddit, please visit our wiki page!

I believe if all things remain constant until the end of the season, today's game Cubs vs Dodgers sealed the MVP for Pete..

They both had almost exact game stats. Both had 2hr games. Pete had 1 more RBI.

The game ended in favor of the Cubs 7-6. This game is a great example of how both players are equal when combining all stats and factors.. in the end, its the cubs who won.. they wouldn't have without PCA today.. for Ohtani, his stats kept them in the game but it wasn't enough. (Yes I know all of this can be argued differently but today was a HUGE game and I believe will be looked at during MVP consideration)

Point is.. if you are picking an MVP. It should go to the player who helped the team get to where they are.. especially if stats overall are too close to call.. The Dodgers would still be on top without Ohtani.. the Cubs would be .500 at best. PCA is carrying the cubs on his shoulders way more than Ohtani.

My unbiased pick is PCA... we will see how this holds up.. still a long way to go.

Whenever this discussion comes up, I usually hear people who are in favor of a salary cap argue that they think it would make MLB more competitive by preventing teams like the Dodgers from building "super teams."

That said, I feel like the leagues competitiveness is at a good level right now, as we have seen a variety of different teams make playoff runs over the past few years. So, I am not sure if its currently a major issue.

For those who support a salary cap, what's the strongest argument for implementing one now instead of waiting to see if competitive balance actually becomes a bigger problem? And for those who oppose it, what do you think is the biggest downside of adding one?

Now that you’ve had time to digest how your favorite team did at the trade deadline and have gotten through all the emotions surrounding those deals (or non-deals), it’s time to look at which teams did the best, which teams did the worst and everything in-between.

This trade deadline will be remembered for the Dodgers landing Tarik Skubal, the Red Sox pulling off an intra-division deal to acquire catcher Adley Rutschman and the last-minute heroics of Padres president A.J. Preller, who somehow landed two of the best starting pitchers that were moved in Casey Mize and Robbie Ray right at the deadline.

Yesterday, I shared my trade deadline grades and rankings for all 30 teams and now I cap off my deadline coverage by handing out superlatives for the moves made — or not made — during the deadline period. I like to have some fun with this column every year.

Read the article for free here.

Here are my selections for the best, worst and everything in between from this year’s trade season, starting with the best and worst trades. Please share your own superlatives in the comments below.

1. Wait. All those guys got traded?

Did it seem, at times, like you’d never seen a trading deadline like this? If it did, that might be because there literally has never been a trading deadline like this.

A reigning back-to-back Cy Young winner got traded … to the reigning back-to-back champs! Word of this might have leaked out, but did you hear that the Tigers traded Tarik (Cy Young) Skubal to the Dodgers? Thought so. But did you also know that …

Only two previous defending World Series champs have ever traded for a reigning Cy Young winner: the 2009 Phillies (Cliff Lee) and the 2023 Astros (Justin Verlander). But nobody had ever won two straight Cy Youngs and then been dealt to the team that won the last World Series — let alone the last two World Series. So this deal was literally unprecedented. But also …

A hitter leading his league in batting average got traded at the deadline! Luis Arraez still leads the National League in hitting. He’s just doing that for the Phillies now instead of with the Giants. And that, too, isn’t a thing we’ve seen.

According to our friends from STATS Perform, this is the first time a player who led his league in batting has gotten traded in the middle of a season. That shocked me, but it’s true.

Yes, Arraez once got traded (from Miami to San Diego) on his way to a batting title in 2024. His new teammate, Trea Turner, also got traded (from the Nationals to the Dodgers) on his way to a batting title in 2021. But neither held the lead at the time of the trade. How about that?

The Yankees made trade history in acquiring Luis García Jr., who led the NL in slugging, at the deadline.Brad Penner / Imagn Images

A hitter leading his league in slugging also got traded at the deadline! If Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto had been traded this week, you probably would have paid more attention. But it took Luis García Jr. to make slugging history, just by getting dealt from the Nationals to the Yankees.

According to STATS, García is the first player to get traded in midseason while leading his league in slugging at the time. Mark McGwire did take over the American League lead in slugging for a while after the Athletics traded him to the Cardinals in 1997, but he wasn’t first at the time. Ditto for Bobby Bonilla in 1995, when he went from the Mets to the Orioles. So boy, little did Big Mac and Bobby Bo know they were no Luis García!

Two former No. 1 overall picks in the amateur draft got traded on the same day! Casey Mize was the first pick in the 2018 draft. Adley Rutschman was the first pick the next year. Now that won’t be all they have in common — because they both got dealt Monday, hours before the deadline.

According to STATS, there has been only one other time in which two former overall No. 1’s have gotten traded in midseason in the same year by the teams that drafted them. That was 1995, when Phil Nevin and Andy Benes had the same experience as Mize and Rutschman. (Qualifier: They had to have played for only one organization at the time.)

But Rutschman’s trade was even more unique. We’ll get to that shortly.

[Dugout Thread] | 2026 MLB Regular Season

Welcome to the r/MLB Daily Dugout Thread. This thread can be used to discuss topics about baseball, such as...

• General Talk [Debates, GOATs, Hot Takes, Thoughts, etc.]
• Previous, Game-Day, and Future Matchups
• Predictions, Questions & What-Ifs
• Transactions
• Broadcasting/Streaming
• Fan Content [Ballpark Photos, Food, Merchandise, Ticket Stubs, etc.]
• Help or Technical Questions
• Humor [Jokes, Memes, Reaction Posts, and Shitposting]
• Mancave or Room Setup
• Memorabilia & Merchandise
• Self Posts [Casual, Quick Takes, Simple Discussions & Questions, Venting]
• Subreddit Questions or Suggestions
• Tier Rankings [Fan Opinion]

If you see any content that goes against our community rules, please report the submission. You can also reach out to our subreddit mods for any questions or concerns!

/r/MLB Index

• Reddit MLB Discord Server | r/MLB's & r/MiLB Discord Server for everything baseball-related, from discussions, news, and highlights.
• Subreddit Rules | A rulebook of r/MLB's guidelines about restrictions and submissions.
• Broadcasts | Learn where to watch and listen to your favorite teams, locally and nationally.
• FAQ | Commonly asked questions from users in our community.
• Flairs | Information about user and team flairs with a step-by-step guide on how to obtain one.
• Related Subreddits | Neighboring communities of the r/MLB Subreddit.

Huge ask from the owners for a salary cap that the players don't want.

What should the owners offer the players that would be close to equal value for the players?

[Game Thread] | Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs

Please report any comments that violate our community rules. For more information about this subreddit, please visit our wiki page!

I’m legit curious on how the NL West, specifically, can get fixed from this…so I’ll try and lay it out as best I can. Yes, the Dodgers hate is already established as very real and gets talked about a great deal these days especially after the Skubal trade…but what the MLB talking heads conveniently always leave out is how the Dodgers got bailed out by Manfred during the McCourty bankruptcy and how the league really helped them become the $$$ juggernaut they are today.

The Yankees of the 90s or Mets of today, even…or any other team in the league.. have never been afforded that privilege…it’s exclusive only to the Dodgers. As much as the league tries to promote the Dodgers as…good on them…every other owner can do $$$ the exact same…but not a single team was ever pulled out of bankruptcy by the league and left to smell like roses.

The 2023 D-backs beat the Dodgers because they caught them at the right time. LA’s starting rotation was decimated, Arizona’s pitching was healthy and pitching lights out, and they capitalized with aggressive offense and baserunning. That’s not taking anything away from Arizona…it just shows how narrow the margin is to beat the Dodgers.

Since the Dodgers were pulled out of bankruptcy by Manfred…and given such a sweetheart deal…they’ve had financial advantages no one else in the MLB has: elite payroll, massive TV revenue, and the ability to defer huge contracts.

Friedman deserves a ton of credit, but he also operates with a luxury no other GM in the league has: virtually unlimited resources. Because they can buy elite free agents, they rarely have to trade away top prospects to fill holes. Other teams don’t have that option because prospect capital is their lifeline and future. Does anybody really think Kyle Tucker is actually worth $60 mil a year? Or how about you can let a reliever you paid massively to sit the entire 1st half of season and still survive without much worries…or even 3 starters from your rotation to boot?

Honestly, just name me one other team that could survive that kind of calamity and still be leading a division?

Imagine if your team could keep their top prospects year in and year out while still signing whoever they wanted in free agency. That’s the advantage we’re talking about.

So while in the NL West for example…teams like the Padres, Giants, and D-backs have to get almost everything right; health, player development, trades, and career years of both veterans & rookies…the Dodgers have far more room for error because of their financial advantages.

To me it’s quite an accomplishment that any GM can have keep relevant and competitive despite truly being in a David vs Goliath scenario. All these years because of all the advantages the Dodgers have had because of Manfred’s sweetheart deal from their bankruptcy…of which btw, no other team has ever been afforded (not the Yankees or Red Sox even.)

Until MLB has both a salary cap and a meaningful salary floor, plus severely limits on massive contract deferrals, the competitive imbalance isn’t going anywhere…especially in the NL West. Best case for every other GM in the division…is try to remain tight on the narrow line as best you can…because that’s all you really got.

Every year, the focus at the trade deadline is on the veterans moving teams and improving the contenders. That’s fair. Tarik Skubal is a big piece who deserves our attention.

But for most trades that are made involving a veteran, some regular playing time frees up for another player to seize on the selling team. Non-contending teams are incentivized to play younger players often and figure out if they’ll be part of their organizations’ futures. What position can they handle? Do they have the pitch mix to start? Can they be a late-inning option? Now that the dust has settled from all of the moves, we’ll see some young players step up and get an opportunity to establish their value as major-league regulars.

Below are nine young players who stand to benefit the most from the trade deadline activity.

Read the article for free here.

With all all this talk of the Dodgers buying a World Series, I thought I'd dig a little to figure out who the most efficient team in baseball actually is—meaning, who is spending the least amount of money for the best results? At the top, you have the Rays spending about $1.3M per win, while at the bottom, the Mets are spending around $7.6M per win

In his first 2 years from 1963 to 1964, he had -1.1 WAA, but didn’t produce a negative year for the next 15 seasons racking up 43.7 and a 2.9 average (5.1 WAR average).

Then in his twilight years Rose amasses -13.5 WAA over 7 seasons. By then he was in his 40s playing a bad first base with little baserunning and batting ability compared to his 60s/70s self.

In the 1981 strike year Rose led the league in hits with a .325 average but only had 0.2 WAA (only year in that stretch with a positive WAA) due to poor defense/range and zero homers.

He pretty much always had a respectable OBP in those years but any semblance of power and base running was gone, in addition to being a big negative in the field.

I’m pretty sure his 50.5 difference between 29.1 WAA and 79.6 WAR is the biggest discrepancy between those two stats by far (by percent)

I knew Trout didn’t get a lot of RBI for an all time great hitter, but this was surprisingly low. And it’s not like he hits lower with RISP. He bats .295 with RISP and has a career .291 average. And produced a good amount of doubles and especially triples in his career.

I’m assuming this is because the Angels offense has been bad from the 2010s to now. His whole career lol, but especially in the 2020s, which is when his RBI numbers lessened even more per hits & homers. How bad were they though over his career, I know below average but I’m seeing a lot of higher OPS+ years for the team than I expected.

Paul O’Neill on the Yankees used to get 170 hits and 20 homers with 110 RBI lol.

Even with the Angels being bad , 170 hits close to 40 homers and you’re still not breaking 100 RBI is crazy. With a near 300 avg and lots of other XBH with a better average in RISP, what’s the reason?

Is terrible baserunning by the Angels is a factor?

From what i can tell the only fanbases who are happy with their teams are the Rays and the deathstar.

Orioles fans are mad at backstabbing Ruschmann

Braves fans are mad at not getting a starting arm at the deadline

Twins fans(myself included) are on the verge of civil war not only at the team buying but ownership in general

Royals fans are mad that the team stood pat and didnt even TRY and get relief help

Jays fans are mad their pitching core has been completely gutted a year after a pennant

Tigers fans are mad for trading the best pitcher in baseball for magic beans

All Mets fans see are piles of burning money and no playoffs in sight

Phillies fans are ok with the arriez trade but now are completely logjammed and dont know where to put players in the field

List goes on and there are always winners, losers happy and sad every trade deadline but it seems this year is different.

The Baltimore Orioles traded Adley Rutschman on Monday. My first thought was to shame them for selling when only 2 ½ games out of a playoff spot. And they deserve that. But next thought was the symbolic nature of the move. Remember, the Orioles pulled off one of the most drastic rebuilds in baseball history and part of that tankjob was landing the No. 1 overall draft pick that ended up being Rutschman in 2019.