The Yankees finished last year with a 94-68 record, tied with the Blue Jays for the best record in the AL East and the American League as a whole. An 18-7 record in September and an eight-game win streak to close the season put a bunch of pressure on the Blue Jays to keep winning. Unfortunately for the Yankees, though, a 5-8 record against the Jays swung the tiebreaker in Toronto's favour.
Eighty years ago this April, Jackie Robinson became the first Black player since the 19th century to compete in the International League, one of baseball's top minor leagues. It was his stepping stone toward the groundbreaking moment a year later when Robinson took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers, shattering long-established racial barriers in Major League Baseball.
Police are looking for two men in connection with a shooting on Boston Road in the Morrisania section of the Bronx on Monday evening. Authorities said the incident occurred in front of 1272 Boston Road at about 5:05 p.m., when one individual handed a firearm to another, who then fired multiple shots, striking an unoccupied vehicle. The two men fled north on Boston Road. No injuries were reported.
Prosecutors say the crash happened at about 3:21 a.m. on August 18, 2023, as Croswell headed south on Court Street at roughly 60 miles per hour. They allege he ran three consecutive steady red lights before entering the intersection of Court Street and Atlantic Avenue at an estimated 62 miles per hour and T-boning a westbound car that had the right of way, killing front-seat passenger 21-year-old Shanti Joyner.
29 out of 30 teams have already had their pitchers and catchers officially report for camp, and today the 30th and final team will have its first workout: the reigning World Series champion Dodgers. It's a slightly different look in camp for L.A. than previous years. Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is not present following his retirement while star closer and outfielder Kyle Tucker will be suiting up in Dodger blue for the first time.
During the regular season of the Dodgers' defense of their World Series title, Ohtani hit .282 with 55 home runs and 102 RBIs, adding 146 runs and 20 stolen bases. In the playoffs, Ohtani continued to make an impact at the plate, adding eight home runs - including three in one game, during which he also threw 10 strikeouts from the mound - 14 RBIs and 13 runs.
In one of the biggest pieces of surprising news from this offseason, Toronto Blue Jays long-time commentator Buck Martinez announced he would be stepping away from the broadcast booth. The statement was shared via social media and immediately, thoughts and well wishes poured in from fans, players and other media personalities. Traded to the Blue Jays in 1981, the veteran catcher thought that it was going to be one last quick stop in the majors before retirement.
"The timetable is more just kind of as I progress. So, it's kind of hard to to say exactly when I'll be ready to, you know, hop back in a Major League game again," Edman said at DodgerFest Saturday. "As of right now, this past week, I just took dry swings for the first time and then started my throwing progression again."
The possible implementation of a salary cap is one of the biggest issues dividing Major League Baseball and the Players Association (MLBPA) as collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations are set to begin in the spring. The league believes a salary cap is necessary to improve competitive balance, while the players remain strongly against one, as it would limit their potential earnings. As it currently stands, MLB is the only major North American professional sports league without a salary cap.
I am outraged by the despicable, cowardly attacks against Muslim New Yorkers. This violence is unacceptable, and we know that all too often visibly Muslim, hijab-wearing women and girls bear the brunt of it.
"The Yankees also checked in on reliever Michael Kopech and starter Nick Martinez, among others," Heyman writes. Kopech became a free agent at the end of the 2025 season and has gained interest from other teams throughout the offseason. The San Francisco Giants have also reportedly "been in touch" with Kopech. When Did Michael Kopech Join the Dodgers? Kopech joined the Dodgers at the 2024 trade deadline, when L.A. acquired the reliever in a three-team trade with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.
It's not the same roster, Cashman said (h/t MLB.com). I disagree [that] it's the same team running it back Not afraid to run with the quality and talented roster of players that we do have. I think we've been consistent with that throughout the entire winter. I've been openly willing to challenge anybody that [says] we don't have a championship-caliber roster and team.
The Yankees announced that they have claimed right-hander Dom Hamel off waivers from the Rangers. They also designated left-hander Jayvien Sandridge and outfielder Marco Luciano for assignment. The two DFAs open roster spots for Hamel and for Cody Bellinger, whose five-year deal was made official yesterday. Texas designated Hamel for assignment a week ago when they signed Jakob Junis. More to come.
There were a lot of New York Yankees fans who complained about receiving a wild card spot after tying the Toronto Blue Jays atop the American League with a 94-68 record in 2025, but both teams had a chance to prove their worth when they met in the ALDS. Of course, the Blue Jays hammered the Bronx Bombers in the series, winning 3-1 while outscoring the Yankees by a final margin of 34-19.
The Cardinals' Winter Warmup fan event is this weekend, and newly-minted president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom took questions directly from fans as part of the festivities. As noted by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, one of those questions was about former Cardinals (and current free agent) Harrison Bader's availability on the market. In his response to that question, Bloom suggested that the same has "room" for a right-handed outfielder on the roster before acknowledging that Bader is a possibility to fill that void. Bloom declined to discuss Bader's asking price, or any other specifics of contract talks.
Blackburn landed with the Yankees after getting released by the Mets in August. He made eight appearances with the club, recording a 5.28 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning. Blackburn had been a starter for the majority of his career, but worked strictly as a reliever with the Yankees. The now 32-year-old had a miserable debut with the team, allowing seven earned runs in 3 1/3 innings to begin his time in the Bronx.
