2026 MLB Thread

[wadesworld]

https://x.com/baseballquotes1/status/2045504585607823796?s=46

This checks out.

And the Cubs have to play home games in that same field when there's bad weather in Chicago.  So congrats?

I've never heard of an enclosed building taking water damage before you shared this.

[CreightonWarrior]

https://x.com/marcusleshock/status/2046774320119091268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2046774320119091268%7Ctwgr%5E4c4426e1a8361655cc546e6922b779b7720f5da4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fmlb%2Fcubs%2Fwrigley-field-rat-running-wild-spooks-phillies-dugout

This checks out.

I can't load twitter at work (don't report me Keefe!) but I assume this is a picture of Steve Bartman?

[WhiteTrash]

The absence of a salary cap in MLB is so scary that the San Diego Padres just sold for a record $3.9 billion.

No salary cap but a Competitive Balance Tax. 

Total Tax Paid: Total assessments for 2025 exceeded $400 million.

[GB Warrior]

https://x.com/baseballquotes1/status/2045504585607823796?s=46

This checks out.

Stadium not built for consecutive 100 year flooding, got it

[TallTitan34]

https://x.com/marcusleshock/status/2046774320119091268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2046774320119091268%7Ctwgr%5E4c4426e1a8361655cc546e6922b779b7720f5da4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fmlb%2Fcubs%2Fwrigley-field-rat-running-wild-spooks-phillies-dugout

This checks out.

100 year old building in major city has a rat in it, got it

[Dish]

It's not even that Murakami is on fire, but his homers are bombs. It's amazing he signed with the Sox.

[GB Warrior]

100 year old building in major city has a rat in it, got it

But enough about the Ricketts

[Skatastrophy]

Depaul head coach did an admittedly excellent job with the national anthem today.

[MU82]

Mariners with a nice road sweep of the Fightin' Yadis.

[Uncle Rico]

PCA with the catch of the year

https://bsky.app/profile/chadmoriyama.bsky.social/post/3mkefbmvygc23

[wadesworld]

PCA with the catch of the year

https://bsky.app/profile/chadmoriyama.bsky.social/post/3mkefbmvygc23

*MVPete

[MU82]

PCA with the catch of the year

https://bsky.app/profile/chadmoriyama.bsky.social/post/3mkefbmvygc23

That's two flyballs that I've seen PCA turn into doubles this season; he didn't get charged with errors on either, so they don't go against his fielding stats. Not saying he's anything but a very good outfielder, but the hype is way overboard. He hasn't hit much since last July, either.

[MU82]

Crazy day for ABS yesterday.

The Mets thought they had a bases-loaded walk but the ball was challenged and changed to an inning-ending strikeout. It was as close as they came to scoring in a loss to Colorado.

Mariners pinch-hitter Rob Refsnyder was called out in the ninth inning on a pitch several inches out of the strike zone. But he challenged the call, which was overturned, and then hit a game-winning home run at St. Louis.

There have been complaints, but the ABS system, by and large, seems to be doing its job.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I just saw retired New York Yankee first baseman, Tino Martinez, in the LaGuardia Delta lounge.

[The Sultan]

ABS has been great. I think it shows that umps by and large do a very good job, and there is no need to have "robot umps," but its nice to have a challenge in place during high leverage situations.

Manfred gets a lot of grief, but the rules instituted during his tenure has made the game 100% more watchable.

[GB Warrior]

ABS has been great. I think it shows that umps by and large do a very good job, and there is no need to have "robot umps," but its nice to have a challenge in place during high leverage situations.

Manfred gets a lot of grief, but the rules instituted during his tenure has made the game 100% more watchable.

Manfred hates baseball, which is good because all of his additions have improved it. Now figure out how we can all actually watch the sport.

[GB Warrior]

PCA with the catch of the year

https://bsky.app/profile/chadmoriyama.bsky.social/post/3mkefbmvygc23

I'm not going to die on the hill of 'PCA is bad at defense', because he's most certainly not.

That said, his spacial judgement on flyballs over his head is sub-zero, and it results in everything looking a lot harder than it should. As such, normies think that they're looking at the second coming of Willie Mays.

[MU82]

ABS has been great. I think it shows that umps by and large do a very good job, and there is no need to have "robot umps," but its nice to have a challenge in place during high leverage situations.

Manfred gets a lot of grief, but the rules instituted during his tenure has made the game 100% more watchable.

Yup. MLB umps are pretty damn good. Most of the reversed calls have been on pitches less than an inch out of the zone.

Every once in a while, a pitch that misses by several inches gets called a strike. Those are the rare exceptions, and they're always surprising. Glad the ABS system exists to reverse those.

[MU82]

Mason Miller's scoreless streak finally came to an end last night. But it might still be intact if the third-base umpire didn't blow a call that let the Cubs' leadoff batter reach on a pretty obvious foul ball.

Unfortunately, MLB replay rules don't allow challenges on such plays. You can challenge a ball/strike call that might be 1 centimeter off, but you can't challenge whether a batted ball is fair or foul. Dopey.

EDIT: I was wrong about the ball being foul, as the link in Sultan's post showed. Wasn't the first time, won't be the last time!

[The Sultan]

Mason Miller's scoreless streak finally came to an end last night. But it might still be intact if the third-base umpire didn't blow a call that let the Cubs' leadoff batter reach on a pretty obvious foul ball.

Unfortunately, MLB replay rules don't allow challenges on such plays. You can challenge a ball/strike call that might be 1 centimeter off, but you can't challenge whether a batted ball is fair or foul. Dopey.

As I understand it, if any part of the ball is over the plane of the baseline, and is touched by a player, it is a fair ball. So, while you can see dirt in that picture, the ball may still be fair since a portion of it was over the base line.

https://www.closecallsports.com/2023/07/why-was-this-ball-called-fair-in-new.html?m=1#google_vignette

[MU82]

As I understand it, if any part of the ball is over the plane of the baseline, and is touched by a player, it is a fair ball. So, while you can see dirt in that picture, the ball may still be fair since a portion of it was over the base line.

https://www.closecallsports.com/2023/07/why-was-this-ball-called-fair-in-new.html?m=1#google_vignette

Thanks for that explainer. While I still think replay should be available for these kinds of plays, it looks like the ball on this particular play was, indeed, fair. Mea culpa.

[The Sultan]

Thanks for that explainer. While I still think replay should be available for these kinds of plays, it looks like the ball on this particular play was, indeed, fair. Mea culpa.

The problem is that there isn't a camera angle better than where the ump stands to make that call.

[Shaka Shart]

PCA with a low and outside breaking ball on 0-2

[wadesworld]

PCA with a low and outside breaking ball on 0-2

Lol kind of looks like him.

[Shaka Shart]

Lol kind of looks like him.

Well yeah it's a picture of him