Baseball Connection Baseball Connection

Top pitching prospect Paul Skenes made his highly anticipated MLB debut on Saturday for the Pirates. Pitching in front of the home crowd, Skenes showed his high-octane fastball right away. This was billed as the most anticipated pitching debut since Stephen Strasburg in 2010. The circumstances were similar, but Skenes isn't bringing a unique repertoire like Strasburg did back then. Jordan Westburg has quietly had an elite season for the Orioles. Westburg's walk-off single capped a 4-5 day at the plate. The Braves were one out away from completed a combined no-hitter. All this (and more) on today's episode

There's almost nothing on the baseball field Shohei Ohtani can't do. Ohtani is strictly a DH this year. He leads the league in several offensive categories, and he's stealing bases too. Walker Buehler returned to MLB action for the first time since Tommy John Surgery in 2022 (for the second time in his career). Colton Cowser & Mason Miller lead the Rookie of the Year race in the American League, while Shoto Imanaga leads it in the National League. All this (and more) on today's episode.

As the season's first full month nears completion, we take a peek at the standings for the first time. The Houston Astros find themselves at the bottom of the AL West. It's not time to panic yet. Tarik Skubal has been baseball's best pitcher since last September. The Tigers lefty tossed another gem and has fully earned "ace" status. The Guardians and Braves met over the weekend in a battle of baseball's top two teams. The Twins have won seven straight. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Elly De La Cruz has an elite blend of power and speed. Things get exciting when he puts them all together like he did on Monday night. De La Cruz hit a 450-foot blast off the batter's eye in center field, then followed it up with an inside-the-park home run. The Padres were down 0-8 until they charged back in the late innings. Fernando Tatis Jr's 2-run homer was the decisive blow. Shohei Ohtani has been on a tear in the last 5 games and Mike Trout's power stroke is locked in. Trout is tied for the MLB lead with 5 HRs. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Eury Perez & Shane Bieber are slated to undergo Tommy John Surgery. Both pitchers were facing a year full of promise, which all goes out the window. Spencer Strider exited his Friday start after showing decreased velocity and mentioning elbow pain. Are pitcher injuries up this year? Does the pitch clock have anything to do with it? Giants starter Jordan Hicks has made a smooth transition from the bullpen this year. Ryan McMahon blasted a walk-off grand slam. All this (and more) on today's episode.

Ronel Blanco is the author of this season's first no-hitter. The Astros' fifth starter looked like an ace on Monday night against the Blue Jays. Blanco has been a reliever for most of his career, but he's certainly earned his keep in the starting rotation for now. Mike Trout is hitting moonshots in Miami. Shota Imanaga was sharp in his MLB debut, carrying a no-hit bid into the sixth inning. The Pirates have won 5 straight games. All this (and more) on today's episode.