baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
The Hall of Shame: Baseball's Most Despised Players
The National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York, which is known as the Birthplace of Baseball, celebrates and recognizes the contributions of baseball players and other figures. Nearly 400 individuals are inducted in the Hall and almost 300 of them are players. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, there will be a new member to the 2026 Class: Jeff Kent. The reaction to the news was mixed. While some were pleased that Kent will be inducted next year, others expressed their frustrations with the Baseball Hall of Fame for not selecting Barry Bonds. Other players who have missed out on being part of the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame Class were Gary Sheffield, the late Fernando Valenzuela, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Carlos Delgado, and Roger Clemens. This story will primarily be focused on Bonds and the latter player. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will not be eligible again for the committee ballot until 2031. My brutally honest opinions about both of these men aren't going be sugar-coated.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 2 months ago in Unbalanced
Red Sox Acquire Johan Oviedo in 5-Player Trade With Pirates. Content Warning. AI-Generated.
AI Generated Content ( ChatGpt ). Red Sox Acquire Johan Oviedo in 5-Player Blockbuster Deal With Pirates The Boston Red Sox made one of the most intriguing moves of the offseason by striking a five-player trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates centered around right-hander Johan Oviedo. For a Boston front office aiming to strengthen its rotation and accelerate its path back to playoff contention, Oviedo represents both immediate help and long-term upside. Meanwhile, the Pirates continue their trend of stockpiling young talent by acquiring two promising prospects, including one of Boston’s best outfielders in the minor-league system. The deal carries potential benefits for both sides and signals clear intentions about the direction each team hopes to take in 2026 and beyond.
By Enokenwa Ayuk Sako 2 months ago in Unbalanced
84 Hundreds to 100 Hundreds: How Realistic Is Virat Kohli’s Chances of Breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s All-Time Record?. AI-Generated.
Virat Kohli, widely regarded as one of the greatest modern-day batsmen, has been chasing one of cricket’s most coveted records for years: surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 100 international centuries. As of now, Kohli has amassed an astonishing 84 hundreds across formats, placing him tantalizingly close to the legendary Tendulkar’s benchmark. But the question on every cricket fan’s mind remains: how realistic is it for Kohli to reach 100 centuries, and what factors could influence this historic pursuit?
By Fiaz Ahmed Brohi2 months ago in Unbalanced
Wesley's Favorite Forgotten Texas Rangers Players: Part 2
Greetings, baseball nerds and fellow Rangers fans! Recently, I posted a story about my favorite Texas Rangers players that fans might have a recollection of in passing or vaguely, but no one talks about these days. If you would like to see my previous story about that, click the link down below and see if any of your favorites made the list. I'm back for a second part of this story. Just to note, I won't be highlighting players like Michael Young or Ian Kinsler on this list, since Rangers fans are fully aware of who they are. Alright, let's get this show on the road!
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 2 months ago in Unbalanced
A Token of Appreciation: Marcus Semien
The 2023 World Series and the Texas Rangers capturing their very first championship in franchise history is a moment fans will remember for years to come. From 2021 to 2025, three-time All-Star Marcus Semien has been a wonderful contributor to the Rangers and if you remember in Game 5 of the aforementioned World Series, he made a statement by hitting a two-run homer to put them in a great position to win a World Series title that had slipped through their fingers twice before. He's now a New York Met, but he'll always be a legend in Arlington. Now, I know the word legend gets thrown around so much. However, Semien is a true example of that. When a player wins a World Series title, they have earned that label, even though they haven't retired yet. Past Rangers players such as Michael Young and Josh Hamilton will forever be legends in Arlington. Ian Kinsler and Mike Napoli were fan favorites in Texas, but both of them retired as World Series champions, due to them playing for the Boston Red Sox. I'm not implying that a player has to win a World Series title to be called a legend. If a player spent a significant amount of time with a team, they deserve to be called a legend, with or without a championship. Ichiro: legend. David Wright: legend. Anthony Rizzo: legend. Derek Jeter: legend. Ryan Howard: legend. I could go on for hours, but you get the picture. The players that I just named have earned the right to have the Legend label attached to them for the rest of their lives.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 2 months ago in Unbalanced
Let's Make a Deal: MLB Offseason Edition
The offseason means one thing: teams making deals and acquiring the best players. Spring Training is nearly two months away, so baseball will return before you know it. Whether or not Pete Alonso will be in a different uniform for the 2026 MLB regular season is uncertain and speaking of the Mets, the following blockbuster trade that was recently made caught everyone by surprise. The New York Mets traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for three-time All-Star and World Series champion Marcus Semien. While many Rangers fans wished the second baseman well, others were disappointed. However, at the end of the day, a player being traded is business. It's nothing personal. In an Instagram post, Nimmo, 32, thanked Mets fans for welcoming him to the Big Apple.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 2 months ago in Unbalanced
The Legacy and Rise of the San Francisco 49ers: A Team Built on Excellence. AI-Generated.
The San Francisco 49ers stand as one of the most iconic franchises in the history of American football. From their early days in the All-America Football Conference to their modern battles in the NFL, the 49ers have created a legacy filled with legendary players, championship moments, and unforgettable seasons. While every team has highs and lows, what truly sets the 49ers apart is their culture of innovation, strong leadership, and consistent pursuit of excellence. For decades, they have been a symbol of passion, resilience, and championship-level football.
By Asad Ali2 months ago in Unbalanced
The One Texas Rangers Game You Probably Forgot About
Before the Boston Red Sox won their second World Series title in four years, the Texas Rangers gave baseball fans and the entire sports world something to talk about in 2007. The evening of August 22 of that year was a date that Rangers fans remember very well. I graduated from high school nearly two months before the following game that I'm about to discuss. On that aforementioned date, the Rangers played the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, which was part of a four-game series. Just to note that it was a game that was rescheduled from Monday, due to inclement weather and part of a doubleheader. The starting pitchers for that rescheduled game were Kason Gabbard (Texas) vs Daniel Cabrera (Baltimore). I'll give you some grace if you don't recall watching this game, but it was one of the best Rangers games I've ever watched on TV. Sure, the Rangers weren't having a good season, but this game in particular will forever be etched in the minds of die-hard Rangers fans. To avoid boring everyone and detailing every play-by-play in this story, I'll just detail bits and pieces of this historic game.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 2 months ago in Unbalanced
A Token of Appreciation: Cal Raleigh
The other day, the MLB End of the Year award winners were announced. Everyone was certain that Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was going to win American League MVP. However, for the third consecutive year, Aaron Judge took the honors. Yours truly recently gave his takes on how Major League Baseball was biased towards certain players. Fellow Vocal writer Adrian Holman shared his thoughts about this topic, and we both shared the same sentiments. So, let's compare the stats of both Raleigh and Judge:
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 2 months ago in Unbalanced
Tampa Bay Rays Retrospective
"I thought it was an all-encompassing type of suck" That quote from Rays closer Pete Fairbanks is from last season, but I think it fits well with how this season turned out. I had high hopes for this team. This team was considerably stronger on paper than last year which topped out at 82 wins. They were projected to win the same amount this year, and I thought that was straight up laughable. With multiple starting pitchers coming back from injury, new off-season additions, and young players poised to break out, I thought they'd cruise past those projections. Well, it didn't quite turn out that way. The Rays closed out their season with a 13-4 drubbing at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays to finish with a 77-85 record. If you told me the Rays would have a worse record in 2025 compared to 2024, I would've said you were crazy, but here we are.
By Daniel Kilkelly3 months ago in Unbalanced
The Biggest Joke in MLB History
Free agency is now underway, and the Winter Meetings are fast approaching. However, those aren't what the following story is about. Question: What do Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Tarik Skubal, and Paul Skenes all have in common? These men have won the NL MVP, AL MVP, AL Cy Young Award, and NL Cy Young Awards respectively consecutively, with Judge winning for the third year in a row. I thought at first that this was all satire, except for Kurtz, but alas, I was wrong. Nick Kurtz of the Athletics won AL Rookie of the Year, which the writers were correct on that one.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 3 months ago in Unbalanced
Cal Raleigh should have been AL MVP (Opinion)
Yesterday evening, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge won his second consecutive and his 3rd American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award overall. The voting was close this season with Judge receiving 17 of the 30 first-place votes and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (Big Dumper is the nickname) receiving the other 13 first-place votes.
By Adrian Holman3 months ago in Unbalanced
