Long live the robots. The robots are here to stay. After trial runs in both Triple-A and spring training, the Automated Ball Strike Challenge System [ABS] has made its way to the big leagues in 2026. Starting on Opening Day 2026, players have been able to turn to ABS to issue a final judgment on close ball/strike calls. ABS is the first system to take away unilateral ball/strike decision-making...
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I come from Italian heritage, so it’s sacrilege that I haven’t incorporated food into my baseball analysis. That changes here. I’ve begun to think of an-bat as one of my favorite pastimes: cooking a homegrown meal. The similarities are plentiful. Pasta, seasonings, and a choice of meat are exchanged for fastballs, curveballs, and sweepers. The aroma of sauce rolling through the kitchen is...
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After 150 years of baseball, a simple question still remains: what pitch should come next? It’s a really difficult question to answer. Simply put, a pitch is not defined by a singular characteristic. What good is a 102 mph fastball if it consistently hits the backstop? 102 mph can be a telling datapoint in a vacuum, but it clearly doesn’t tell the entire story. Take a moment to think about Mets’...
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The Mets have historically won on the backs of their pitchers. Seaver, Koosman, Matlack, Gooden, Darling, the list goes on. In 2025, the narrative has shifted. Juan Soto and Pete Alonso have anchored the club, producing a combined 6.7 fWAR throughout the season. Despite both sluggers teeing off like there’s no tomorrow, they’re each taking different approaches to succeed. Alonso is the archetype...
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There’s something strange about meeting your hero. You turn and he’s there. The man who defined your childhood. The one you cheered on for years, no decades, as he emerged as the humblest superstar your franchise ever produced. The one you cheered on, in person, in his last professional game. As he exits the field one last time, you feel tears drip down your cheeks, as tears stream...
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