On Thursday, as the World Series champion Dodgers gathered at the White House for a Rose Garden celebration hosted by President Donald Trump, one of the team’s biggest names was notably absent — and insists his reason has nothing to do with politics.

Eight-time All-Star Mookie Betts told reporters earlier this month he’d likely skip the trip, opting instead to spend a rare off day at home following the birth of his third child. “I’m not trying to make this a whole big deal,” Betts said. “We just had a baby. You don’t get many days off… I just want to hang out with the fam.”

The scheduling lined up conveniently: rather than visiting during a road series against the Nationals or Orioles as teams typically do, the Dodgers used a gap between series against the Phillies and Mets to make the Washington trip, giving Betts a built-in reason to stay behind.

Betts went out of his way to preempt the inevitable speculation about his motives. “If I do [go], people are gonna hate me. If I don’t, people are gonna hate me,” he said, adding that his choice reflected putting his own family first rather than trying to satisfy everyone else. He acknowledged the optics regardless: “People are gonna try to drag me into politics, just because I am who I am. That’s just the cards I’m dealt.”

This marks the second time in Betts’s career he’s passed on a White House visit during a Trump presidency. He also stayed home after Boston’s 2018 championship, a decision he later said he regretted, telling reporters afterward that skipping “made it about me.”

He did attend during President Joe Biden‘s term with the 2020 Dodgers, and again last year following Los Angeles’s most recent title.

He isn’t the only notable absence this time around. Utility man Kiké Hernández is also sitting out, though for a different reason — he’s currently on a rehab assignment recovering from a left oblique strain. Asked whether he’d have gone if healthy, Hernández didn’t hesitate: “Probably not.” He described last year’s visit as “kind of a lose-lose situation” for him, a comment that stood in some tension with team president Stan Kasten‘s earlier claim that every player wanted to make the trip.

Manager Dave Roberts, for his part, has framed the visit as a nonpartisan tradition honoring the team’s on-field success rather than a political statement, even as the club navigates a growing list of players choosing to opt out.

No Los Angeles Dodger has received more press in the past couple of weeks than star shortstop Mookie Betts, although not for the reasons you might hope. Betts has been forced to miss much of spring training with an unknown illness, reportedly losing about 18 pounds in two weeks as he was unable to keep solid food down.

“I’m practicing all day and my body’s just kind of eating itself and so it’s hard to not fuel it,” Betts said. “And so every time, literally, every time I fuel my body, I throw it up.”

>Dodgers’ All-Star Mookie Betts Suffers Fractured Hand

Monday finally brought good news for Dodgers fans on that front: general manager Dave Roberts announced that Betts was able to hold down solid foods again, and that he was expected to play in L.A.’s final spring training game on Tuesday. Roberts added that he was “really encouraged” by Betts’ progress, which included a full workout at Dodger Stadium on Monday.

“He tried solid food, kept it down, got through his workout, and he’s going to go home and eat some more solid food,” said Roberts.

Betts, an eight-time All-Star and four-time MLB First Teamer, will likely be back for the Dodgers’ home opener on Thursday. His skill set will be integral as the Dodgers, who are early favorites to win the 2025 World Series, look to repeat.

Los Angeles Dodgers SS Mookie Betts crumpled to the dirt after being nailed with a 97 MPH fastball that smashed his left hand in the seventh inning of the series finale with the Kansas City Royals. Betts immediately left the game.

A day later, Dave Roberts announced that the Dodger lead-off hitter would miss six to eight weeks with a fractured hand suffered the day before. The manager announced that Shoei Ohtani would fill his role at the top of the order while Kike Hernandez and Miguel Rojas should take over the duties in short.

The most expensive team in the MLB has $600 million sitting on the injured list. Before the game on Sunday, Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto went on the IL for 15 days with a strained rotator cuff, and it remains to be seen if he needs more time to heal.

Betts had been playing at an MVP level before his injury. The former Boston Red sock left Sunday’s game with a .304 BA, .405 OBP and an OPS of .892 while walking more times than he struck out, with a ratio of 47 to 34. Cruely, the only time a pitch has hit him all season was the fastball that landed him on the injured list.

While the two stars in blue take time to heal, the Dodgers positioned themselves well to handle the blow. They are second in the National League with a 46-29 record, four games back of the Philadelphia Phillies. Roberts’ team leads the NL West by nine games, and no other team in their division is currently over .500.

Betts has been one of the best players in baseball since he joined the MLB and is in the third season of a 12-year $365 million deal. Betts has become a fixture in the Majors with an MVP and two World Series titles to his name before his age – 31– this season.

When the Red Sox decided to build around Rafael Devers, they expected this.

After years of trading away young talent, cycling through aging veterans, and revamping the farm system, the Red Sox front office decided to pay one man: Devers. Entering the first season of a 10-year $313,350,000 deal, Boston needed its young slugger to carry the lineup.

Six home runs in six games should do the trick.

The 3B broke a franchise record Monday as he went opposite field for a 382-foot two-run bomb in the fourth inning en route to a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting six home runs in six consecutive games. Devers started his streak last Thursday against the same team he broke it against before homering three straight times over the weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dominican infielder did not break this record with fluky hits or windy days; four of his six long balls traveled over 400 feet as the ball looked like a grapefruit.

Devers finds himself in this position partly from his new approach to the plate. He struggled to lay off high fastballs when he first broke into the league and swung at too many pitches. However, he matured his at-bats, is second on the team in walks with 21 on the year, and leads the team in on-base percentage amongst the starters.

Unfortunately for the Red Sox, the home runs were the only thing going right. The Red Sox dropped two of three against the Rays last week before losing the first two games of their series against the Cardinals and falling below .500 for the first time since the season’s first week. The Red Sox won their last two games and sit at 25-24, a half-game back of the third wild card spot with over a quarter of the season played.

Devers’ home run total doubled during his scorching run at the plate, as he smashed ten long bombs on the year so far, one behind Tyler O’Neil on the roster along with 23 RBIs.

They couldn’t hold on to Mookie Betts or J.D. Martinez or Xander Boegarts or Andrew Benintendi. But after signing second baseman Rafael Devers to an 11-year, $331 million extension, the Red Sox finally managed to regain some semblance of direction as they try to rebuild their fledgling franchise.

For many, as the last key contributor from the 2018 Red Sox team that won the World Series, Devers was an artifact from an era when Boston was building something spectacular. With a stellar roster that was among the league’s leaders in offensive and defensive categories, the 2018 Red Sox were one of the best teams of the decade.

But instead of persisting as mainstay A.L. contenders, like the Astros and Yankees, the Red Sox have been inconsistent while slowly losing talented players to other franchises.

https://twitter.com/358baseball/status/1605232153658200064?s=61&t=R1KyehJY59grr3TA6WjU2g

An improbable run to the ALCS in 2021 is the only time they’ve made the playoffs since 2018. After the 2019 season, Betts left for Los Angeles, a massive blow. Benintendi departed for Kansas City the following year. Both players have made significant contributions since leaving Boston’s organization.

This off-season was another extremely important one for the Red Sox with multiple key players entering free agency. But losing Boegarts and Martinez to other teams was merely a continuation of a trend — the pillars from 2018 kept falling. Devers was the last man standing and the team went to great lengths to secure him.

Signing the young second baseman with plenty of upside is an obvious sign that the Red Sox are still interested in fielding a successful team in the near future. But much of the volatile turnover in recent seasons remains unaccounted for, and there are still plenty of questions the team will have to answer after a 78-84 2022 season.

Now a bitter reminder of a potential dynasty’s glory days, Devers could lead the way to a fresh start in seasons to come. The organization is still a long way off from redefining Red Sox baseball, but signing Devers is a sensible step to that end.

On Wednesday night, superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a 14-year, $340 million contract extension with the San Diego Padres. This signing secured one of the largest contracts in American sports for Tatis, and it keeps him in San Diego, where he established himself as a star-caliber player.

The Padres acquired Tatis via trade with the Chicago White Sox when he was in the minor leagues in 2016 for aging starter James Shields. In 2019, Tatis exhibited so much talent in spring training that the Padres started him at shortstop on opening day. He has been in the big leagues ever since.

Within the mega contract, Tatis will receive a full no-trade clause, allowing him veto power over any potential deals that could arise. The $340 million deal marks the largest contract given to a player before reaching arbitration — nearly $200 million more than Mike Trout‘s contract extension.

Trout’s second contract extension set a domestic sports record with $426.5 million guaranteed, and Mookie Betts’ contract came in second with $392 million. Following them, Tatis received the third-largest contract in baseball history, and he did so at age 22. Trout and Betts were each 27 years old when they signed their respective monster contracts.

Tatis will join third basemen Manny Machado as the only members of the Padres making more than $300 million. Both Machado and Tatis are represented by agent Dan Lozano. Machado’s agreement with San Diego before the 2019 season gave the organization what they needed to face their rivals: the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Padres came to life during the 2020 abbreviated season, with Tatis playing a big role following his rookie season, which ended due to injury. In fact, Tatis was the best player for the first half of the season, and his talent and personality brought along much-deserved stardom.

In 2020, Tatis finished fourth in MVP voting. He also slashed .277/.366/.571 with 17 home runs and 45 RBIs in 59 games. Expect Tatis to only improve as he enters the prime years of his career. At just 22 years old, the future is looking very bright for Tatis and the Padres.

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Recently acquired star outfielder Mookie Betts inked a 12-year $365 million extension with the LA Dodgers on Wednesday. Betts having been traded to the Dodgers by the Boston Red Sox in February for what felt like pennies on the dollar had a highly publicized contract dispute with Boston before they eventually moved on from him. Many people saw this as a baffling move with Betts having won the AL MVP for the 2018 season and suspected that Boston only moved him in order to cut corners on their player salary bill despite not being afraid of a big salary bill in the past.

Betts joins other players such as Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Manny Machado in getting above the $300 million range with deals that last over a decade. In a conference call from Dodgers Stadium, Betts said, “I just love being here. I love everything about here. I’m here to win some rings and bring championships back to L.A. That’s all I’m focused on.”

Fellow $300 million club-member Mike Trout commented on Betts’ extension. “I’m excited for him,” said Trout. “We kind of went through the same situation. I was laughing because of the physical he probably had to take — because mine lasted about 10 hours. Being so close to him now, it’s pretty cool to have him out here. Southern California is great.”

This seems to come at an ideal time for the Dodgers. With fan attendance likely going to be nil in the next year, the idea of paying a star over $30 million a season may be a more painful trigger to pull in the future and getting a top-tier, young talent like Betts inked up for the near and far future never is a bad idea. It will be interesting to see how these contracts age even though we won’t get the answer to that until many years down the line. The Phillies had a lackluster year with Harper on the books last year, and the Angels failed to make the playoffs last year again despite Trout being widely considered the best player in baseball.  The Dodgers may view this as the move that will catapult them from losing in the World Series two of the last three years to finally claiming that elusive championship but only time will tell if this contract, and others like it, look like a good call in six years or a total albatross.

With the 2020 MLB season starting on Thursday the league kicked things off with two games between the New York and Yankees and the Washington Nationals followed by a west coast matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. It was no surprise to observe that several players on every team were spotted kneeling during the national anthem showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement. The Giants – who had several players take a knee during the national anthem before preseason games earlier this week – were joined in kneeling by the Dodgers most notably newly acquired and extended star outfielder Mookie Betts.

With the season entering full swing, it is expected that there will be many more forms of protest that will be observed from most, if not all, teams. This has been echoed around other sports leagues with the NBA painting Black Lives Matter on their courts in Orlando and letting players replace the names on the back of their jerseys with messages promoting racial equality and bringing light to police brutality. It will be interesting to see where these protests lead in terms of inciting societal change and how they progress or change over time. The coordinated protests across these leagues have made a powerful statement by America’s African American community, and it will be interesting to see how other leagues like the NFL will follow this example when it eventually restarts.

In case you forgot, the Boston Red Sox traded star outfielder Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers a few months ago. Betts, who is a free agent after this upcoming MLB season, could have already been locked up long-term, but he declined a 10-year, $300 million deal from the Red Sox last offseason. 

Betts, however, while speaking with reporters earlier this week said that he had no regrets in turning down the Red Sox’s offer. “I don’t regret turning down that,” he said. “Once I make a decision, I make a decision. I’m not going back and questioning myself. I don’t worry about that. The market will be what the market is. We’ll just cross that bridge when we get there. But for right now, it’s just the safety and health that I’m worried about.”

It is expected that the salary cap going forward will be significantly lower than originally projected due to the loss in revenue from the coronavirus pandemic. Betts had been seeking a contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 million. If he were to get that number, he would be the second highest paid player in baseball behind Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who has a $430 million deal. 

Given that he will be a free agent this offseason, it is unlikely that the 28-year old Betts will sit out the 2020 season. Last season for the Red Sox, Betts hit .295, had 176 total hits, 29 home runs, 80 RBIs, and a MLB best 135 total runs scored.

While the Dodgers were working out a trade for Redsox’ right fielder Mookie Betts, the team was also trying to get a deal done that would’ve sent multiple players including Joc Pederson to the Angels. The deal for Peterson was delayed because the trade involving Betts had to be worked out first, according to The Athletic.

The deal for Betts has gone through and the Dodgers will also receive pitcher David Price in exchange for outfielder Alex Verdugo, shortstop Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong. The Red Sox have also agreed to pay half of Price’s $96 million remaining salary, according to ESPN.

Angels’ owner Arte Moreno got impatient and retracted the deal involving Pederson, and the Dodgers didn’t feel any urgency to get the deal done after the Betts trade worked out. Pederson, 27, hit .249 with 36 homeruns and 74 RBIs in 2019 and had one all-star appearance for the Dodgers in 2015.

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Angel’s general manager Billy Eppler released a statement Monday regarding the team’s decision. “There are a lot of components in deals that need to be satisfied before you get to a point where you are calling players and informing them,” Eppler said. “We weren’t able to get to that point. And in fairness to our players and players with other organizations, we won’t comment further than that.”

A huge three-team deal has hit the MLB and is set to be ready to go pending medical reviews. The Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins reached a blockbuster deal sending players from all three teams around the league, setting up shop in new cities, with new teams, donning new uniforms.

Former MVP Mookie Betts and left-hander David Price will depart Boston for Los Angeles for a package that includes outfielder Alex Verdugo. Minnesota will receive former Dodger starter Kenta Maeda and pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol will be sent to Boston.

The biggest news from this mega-deal is Betts, who was a hot commodity entering free agency. As bidding began to heat up between the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, Boston sought a deal with Los Angeles.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

The 27-year old Betts is coming off a great season where he finished eighth in the American League MVP voting. He was the MVP in 2018 when Boston won the World Series.

The Dodgers came out winners in this deal, as Betts now joins a lineup including National League MVP Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Max Muncy and Gavin Lux.

Watching top free agents like Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg sign elsewhere, the Dodgers stayed pretty quiet for most of the winter, signing only one-year free agency deals.

Los Angeles, who hasn’t won a World Series since 1988, lost in back-to-back World Series against the Houston Astros and Boston. Both teams are now under investigation for using technology to steal signs and both managers have been fired.

The Dodgers’ World Series odds went from 7-1 to 4-1 with news of the trade and their projected win total is now 100 from the previous 99.

Aside from the multiple players yawing and slurping down coffee after their nearly six-hour game Tuesday night, you also might see Max Kepler walking around the dugout wearing a Superman cap this morning. If so, don’t think anything of it, as the right-fielder certainly earned it last night after his clutch hitting, which led the Twins to a  4-3 victory after playing 17 frames against the Boston Red Sox.

During what in any game other than this one can be considered its later stages, the Red Sox and Twins both traded leads until reaching the eight inning. Once finding his team down a run, Kepler utilized his “super powers” for the first time, ripping an RBI single that would tie the game and eventually force extra innings. Mookie Betts responded five innings later, rocking a 380–foot home run. With a Red Sox bullpen performing admirably thus far, most fans departed the stadium believing their Twins to be out of gas. Kepler soon alerted the Minnesota fans and the Red Sox that his tank still held some high-octane power stirring around, as he lifted a 391–foot game–tying home run shortly after.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota bullpen crowd continued to shrink as each inning warranted a fresh arm hoping to keep a victory within reach. Once the game approached its 16th inning, pitcher Zach Littell sat unaccompanied, and even noted his loneliness amidst a day in which the bullpen phone racked up a heavy bill as he stated, “It kept shrinking and shrinking and then it’s just me. I was like, ‘It’s kind of boring out here. Nobody’s here to talk to, just hanging out.” Copying his predecessors, Littell shut the door on the Red Sox once finally hearing his name called, pitching two scoreless innings.

After Littell’s efforts, the bat found itself resting upon Kepler’s shoulder once more, this time with the bases loaded. As expected, Kepler came through once more, ripping a single down the right-field line, scoring Luis Arraez, and delivering a win for the hometown Twins. Kepler’s hit concluded the longest game ever played at Target Field, a game which the Twins longed to win deeply amid their recent losses at the Red Sox’s hands. These losses notably played out the way in which they did due to self–inflicted errors from the Twins, such as costly base running mistakes and embarrassing outfield collisions. An extra–innings victory applied a band–aid to the aggravating past losses, as catcher Mitch Garver illustrated the importance regarding an extra–innings win as he stated, “That would be so hard to go that far and use all the pitchers that you did, grind out at bats and then lose. It feels great to be on top. I’ve been on the losing side of those before.”

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

On the spectrum’s other end, the Red Sox walked away defeated after passing the ball off to nine total pitchers throughout the contest. Chances to end the game with a score favoring the Sox slipped away often, as the team went just 1–13 with runners in scoring position. With that, the Red Sox saw their six game winning streak snapped, and they dropped to 40–35.

Both clubs will look to refill their energy tanks today, as the Twins and Kepler will take on the Red Sox once more for a series finale game. After yesterday’s grueling affair, both sides most likely will play Wednesday surely hoping the game’s run total obeys father time during this outing.

Before Thursday night, things looked like they couldn’t get any worse for the Boston Red Sox. Just a few months removed from their ninth World Series Championship, the team had floundered out to a 3-9 start, reminiscent of their infamous “chicken and beer clubhouse” year. In fact, they went one and five in their last six games.

Things didn’t look any better in their second time at home this season. In the top of the third inning, postseason hero Nathan Eovaldi got rocked for five runs. Luckily, Boston swung back with three runs courtesy of a pair of doubles and a single but that often isn’t enough when the team’s strength is supposed to be its rotation. And five earned runs didn’t justify Eovaldi’s new four year,  $67.5 million deal.

By the bottom of the seventh inning, Boston had produced two more runs and tied up the game. Of course, Freddy Galvis took a 1-0 changeup in the eighth inning and sent it 434 feet to right to break the tie for Toronto. That seems to be how Boston’s season is going so far. Luckily for Sox fans, that changed in the ninth.

Down a run and with one out, Mookie Betts worked the count for a walk. Mitch Moreland came up next, found himself in a 2-2 count, and shot a double out to center field, sending Betts home to tie up the game.

Toronto closer Ken Giles intentionally walked slugger J.D. Martinez. The reliever went to take on Xander Bogaerts and found that he’d lost his control, walking him as well. With the winning run now at third base, in the form of a pinch runner, Rafael Devers took a 2-1 pitch and sent a chopper over the head of second baseman Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Boston will hope that the game winner wasn’t just odd luck as they kick off a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.

Who says athletes can’t be generous?

Mookie Betts Delivers Food To Homeless people in boston

Hours after Wednesday night’s 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts, 26, matched his All-Star on-field performance with an off-field gesture that was just as incredible.

With temperatures dipping into the 30s overnight, Betts reportedly provided hot trays of food to the city’s homeless who were sitting outside the Boston Public Library.

Former Red Sox infielder and host of Boston sports radio WEEI, Lou Merloni, tweeted a photo Thursday night of Betts’ Good Samaritan gesture.

The Red Sox have been thriving behind Bett’s leadership and it’s no surprise that he’s considered to be the perennial American League MVP favorite for Boston.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

In Game 1, Betts singled and walked in five trips to the plate, stole a base, and scored a pair of runs. He went 3-for-4 in Game 2, with a double and another run score.

“He’s a huge star. He’s done a great job of taking on that responsibility,” Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello said after Game 2. “Because as great as it is to get that attention, that’s a big responsibility he has to carry, and one that myself and other guys don’t have to carry. He’s done an unbelievable job with it.”

After Betts worked out at second base for Games 1 and 2, Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed to reporters at Dodger Stadium on Thursday that he’ll be moving the All-Star to another base for Game 3.

“No, he’s not playing second base,” Cora told a reporter when asked if Betts was going to play at second for Game 3. “Well, he’s not starting at second base.”

Betts and the Red Sox will enter Dodger Stadium Friday night with the goal of obtaining a three-game lead over Los Angeles.

The first pitch of Game 3 will air Friday night on Fox at 8:09 p.m. EST.

The with the MLB All-Star game in the rearview mirror, the pro baseball season has officially hit its halfway point. While there are still a little over two months for players to prove why they deserve awards come October, it’s always fun to examine who would take home the hardware if the season were to end today. That being the case, let’s talk about our midseason award winners and how the race could look by the time the postseason comes around.

american league mvp: josé ramírez, third baseman, cleveland indians

2018 stats: .304 BA, 30 HR, 72 RBI, 70 R, 20 SB, .404 OBP, .637 SLG, 7.0 WAR

For the first couple of months of the 2018 season, it seemed as though LA Angels center fielder Mike Trout would run away with his third MVP award, but José Ramírez has been unbelievable for just about all of 2018 so far. They’re still neck-and-neck at this point, but I’m going to give the slight edge to Ramírez, who leads all of baseball in home runs and is second only to Boston’s JD Martinez RBIs among American League players. Ramírez’s Indians are also first in the AL Central, while the Angels are stewing at an even 50-50, although that’s only good for fourth place in a fantastic AL West, another reason as to why I’m giving him the midseason AL MVP.It’ll be a tight race for the remainder of the year and Trout could easily come out on top, but Ramírez has my vote so far.

Runner-up: Mike Trout, Center Fielder, Los Angeles Angels

Third Place: Mookie Betts, Right Fielder, Boston Red Sox

national league mvp: nolan arenado, third baseman, colorado rockies

2018 stats: .310 BA, 25 HR, 72 RBI, 66 R, 2 SB, .394 OBP, .592 SLG, 4.0 WAR

After finishing as a Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner, and in the top 8 in MVP votes every year since 2015, 2018 seems to finally be Nolan Arenado’s year to bring home the MVP. Not only is he on pace to maintain his status as one of the most statistically dominant, but his Rockies could very well have their best final record of Arenado’s tenure with the team by the end of the season. They sit in third place in a very strong NL West and only a game and a half out of the second Wild Card spot, so we could very well see them in the postseason. Sure, this is in part due to the National League being extremely weak this year, but you can’t deny Arenado’s prowess both at the plate and in the hot corner.

Runner-up: Max Scherzer, Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals

Third Place: Jacob deGrom, Starting Pitcher, New York Mets

american league cy young: chris sale, starting pitcher, boston red sox

2018 stats: 11-4, 2.13 ERA, 0.894 WHIP, 197 SO, 135.0 IP, 6.0 WAR

Another year, another season of dominance from Chris Sale. Since 2012, Sale has never finished lower than sixth in AL Cy Young voting, and 2018 could very well be his best season yet. He’s on pace to have a career best in both ERA and WHIP, both of which are currently good for second place in all of baseball. The Red Sox also have the best record among all Major League teams, which only helps Sale’s shot at garnering his first ever Cy Young.

Runner-up: Justin Verlander, Starting Pitcher, Houston Astros

Third Place: Luis Severino, Starting Pitcher, New York Yankees

National league cy young: max scherzer, Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals

2018 stats: 13-5, 2.43 ERA, 0.924 WHIP, 189 SO, 140.2 IP, 5.7 WAR

It has been a crazy tight NL Cy Young race between Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom over the first half of the 2018 season. Both pitchers have been absolutely lights out, so much so that they are both making solid cases for MVP honors as well as the NL Cy Young, but I have to give the slightest of edges to Scherzer as of right now for one main reason: the huge discrepancy between their two records. Scherzer’s 13-5 is far superior to deGrom’s 5-4, although this is obviously largely due to the Nationals being a way better team than the Mets. Nonetheless, Cy Young voters take records into account, and while I don’t think it should play as big a role as it does, it has to put Scherzer over deGrom despite the latter’s superior 1.68 ERA. Come season’s end, Scherzer may actually just run away with the NL Cy Young, given the high probability of deGrom being traded to an AL team, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment.

Runner-up: Jacob deGrom, Starting Pitcher, New York Mets

Third Place: Aaron Nola, Starting Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

American League Rookie of the year: shohei ohtani, starting pitcher/designated hitter, los angeles angels

2018 batting stats: .282 BA, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 24, R, 2 SB, .363 OBP, .513 SLG, 2.3 WAR

2018 pitching stats: 4-1, 3.10 ERA, 1.135 WHIP, 61 SO, 49.1 IP, 2.3 WAR

Separately, the two stat lines above aren’t necessarily numbers which indicate an Rookie of the Year winner, but they’re something pretty special when you put them together. During the past offseason, Ohtani was one of the most hyped up prospects I’ve ever seen, and while he certainly hasn’t been the “Japanese Babe Ruth” so far, he has been mostly capable of living up to those lofty expectations. He’s been excellent both on the mound as well as at the plate, with his midseason RotY chances only being hurt due to the fact that he missed most of June with an elbow injury. However, given the fact that Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres is the most probable runner-up at this point despite having made his Major League debut toward the end of April, it sort of balances out.

Runner-up: Gleyber Torres, Second Baseman, New York Yankees

Third Place: Miguel Andújar, Third Baseman, New York Yankees

National league rookie of the year: Juan Soto, left fielder, washington nationals

2018 stats: .311 BA, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 34 R, 2 SB, .422 OBP, .546 SLG, 1.2 WAR

The NL Rookie of the Year race is a tough one to judge, as both Juan Soto and Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson go back and forth in terms of who leads specific statistical categories, but they have vastly different WARs. Anderson has a WAR of 2.7, which is obviously far superior to Soto’s 1.2. However, I’m making the case for Soto despite this, considering that he debuted in the Majors on May 20, while Anderson started out the 2018 season on the Marlins roster. Over the past two months, Soto has been by far the best rookie in the National League and I believe he’ll finish 2018 with the NL RotY in tow. I mean, on June 29, he became the first teenager in MLB history to record a 4-hit game, in which he also hit  a pair of home runs. It’s a toss up due to Soto’s dominance and Anderson’s longevity, but I have to give the edge to Soto considering how incredible he has been.

Runner-up: Brian Anderson, Third Baseman, Miami Marlins

Third Place: Seranthony Dominguez, Relief Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

The Boston Red Sox continued their strong start to the season on Tuesday by thrashing the New York Yankees 14-1 at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

Red Sox vs. Yankees Game Score

Mookie Betts recorded four hits, including one grand slam to help give the Red Sox a ninth consecutive victory. This is Boston’s longest win streak since an 11-game victory run in September 2016.

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Bett’s five scoring runs were a career best. The Red Sox’ (9-1) 14 runs were the most they had against the Bombers since a 14-1 win in August 2009.

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First-year Yankees manager Aaron Boone said brutal losses like Tuesday’s are bound to occasionally happen but also said it was important the team didn’t lose its morale over this.

“You’re going to get it handed to you every now and then,’’ Boone said. “There will be weeks when it doesn’t go our way. There’s no excuses. No sulking. We’ll continue to fight the fight, and know that eventually we’ll get it going.

“When you take your lumps, you’ve still got to continue to fight.’’

The Yankees (5-6) have now lost two straight games and four of their last five after losing a series against the Baltimore Orioles.

Chris Sale pitched six dominant innings for his first victory this season. The left-hander held the Yanks to one run and no walks while striking out six.

New York ace Luis Severino, meanwhile, didn’t fare nearly as well. He lasted only five innings, during which he gave up eight hits and five runs.

The Bombers’ lone score was a solo shot that Aaron Judge launched deep into the bleachers in center-field to cut the Red Sox’ lead to 5-1.

First-year Red Sox manager Alex Cora is now the fourth coach in the modern era to lead a team to a 9-1 season start. Mets rookie manager Mickey Callaway achieved this mark just minutes earlier on Tuesday after his team defeated the Miami Marlins.

The Yankees have suffered a string of injuries less than two weeks into their season. Aaron Hicks is on the disabled list with a strain of his rib muscle. Gary Sanchez sat out both games against Baltimore over the weekend with right hamstring soreness.

Brandon Drury (blurred vision, migraines) and Jacoby Ellsbury (hip) are also on the disabled list. General manager Brian Cashman did not offer many specifics on the many injuries.

The Red Sox and Yankees will face off again in Boston on Wednesday night at 7:10pm EST for the second game of the three-game series. David Price will start for Boston against Masahiro Tanaka. 

Rick Porcello held an astounding Baltimore lineup to two runs over nine innings, and Mookie Betts hit his eighth homer in seven games at Camden Yards on Monday night to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-2 victory over the Orioles.

Rick Porcello, Mookie Betts Push Red Sox’s AL East Lead To 4 With 5-2 Over Orioles

With the series-opening win, the Red Sox have now increased their lead in the American League East to a season-high four games over the Orioles, who are tied with the Blue Jays for the two AL Wild Cards. The magic number for the Sox 86-64 to clinch the division is now at nine, with 12 games remaining.

“It’s huge,” said Betts. “Anytime you can come into somebody else’s place and win, that’s huge, but obviously, we have three more left and they’re a really good ball-club. We’re pretty good too, so it’s going to be a good series.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter realized early in the game that his team was in trouble against Porcello, Boston’s right-handed starter who has now positioned himself as a strong Cy Young Award contender.

“Hitters at this level try to box out a pitch that you can’t throw over and you can’t get where you want to get it,” Showalter said. “It cuts down what you’ve got to be ready for. We didn’t get to a point where we could box a pitch out.”

Porcello (21-4, 3.08 ERA)  pitched his third complete game of the season on Monday. He threw 89 pitche and allowed four hits while striking out seven without a walk.

David Ortiz also smacked his 35th homer for Boston as part of a three-run fifth inning.

Mark Trumbo doubled in Baltimore’s first run in the fourth inning, with Adam Jones firing a solo homer off Porcello in the eighth. Orioles rookie starter Dylan Bundy gave up five runs over five innings in the loss.

“Up to this point right now, this is the biggest series of the year for us,” said Porcello. “So you know we’ve got to beat these guys up front and we have three more games left. It’s a good way to start it.”

Ortiz’s 35 homers are the most by a player age 40 or older, surpassing the previous record held by Darrell Evans in 1987. If Ortiz goes deep one more time before the end of the regular season, the 40-year-old Dominican designated hitter will break Dave Kingman’s record in 1986 for most in a final season.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Porcello’s latest strong outing was his efficiency. He threw 10 pitches or fewer in six of his nine innings and didn’t throw more than 14 pitches in any inning. It was the 11th consecutive start Porcello has gone seven innings or more while allowing three earned runs or fewer.

The right-hander’s performance drew praise from Red Sox manager John Farrell. 

“Rick Porcello was outstanding,” said Farrell. “He threw a high number of first-pitch strikes. He was able to induce ground balls. He elevated at appropriate times. He had four pitches working for strikes tonight. He was in complete command for this one.”

Betts smacked a two-run shot to left field to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the third, his eighth homer at Oriole Park this season. The eight homers by Betts in Baltimore are the most by a Red Sox player in a visiting park since Jimmie Foxx hit that many in 1939 in St. Louis against the Browns.

Manny Machado was hit by Porcello’s pitch in the fourth inning, and seemed very angered by this. The Orioles third baseman glared at Porcello before taking his base, with the Boston starter talking back about the unintentional nature of the pitch. Machado went on to score on Trumbo’s double.

“We were just walking to first base, just talking. Talking like human beings. Nothing much was said,” Machado said. “We all know he doesn’t want to hit me there in that situation. I know who we’ve got behind me. I’m not dumb. We’ve got Trumbo, [Chris] Davis, guys who with one swing of the bat can drive in a couple runs. There’s nothing much to it honestly.”

“It’s September baseball,” said Porcello. “Obviously emotions are running high. Nobody wants to get hit by a pitch, that’s why I completely understand. I wouldn’t like it if I was up there and I got hit.

“At the same time, there’s absolutely no reason why I would hit him right there, especially with Mark Trumbo standing on deck. I mean, he’s hitting missiles all over the ballpark off me. So I don’t want to face him in a 2-0 game, especially when I got a perfect game going.”

The two teams will face off again for the second game of their four-game series at Camden Yards on Tuesday night. Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will start for the Red Sox, seeking his first win since July 16. Righty Kevin Gausman will take the mound for the Orioles. Gausman held Boston scoreless over eight innings in his last start. The 25-year-old has been terrific lately, posting a 2.06 ERA since Aug. 3.

BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 19: Starting pitcher Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox throws to a Baltimore Orioles batter in the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 19, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Mookie Betts homered to lead off the ninth inning, Craig Kimbrel earned his 18th save in his return from the disabled list and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Seattle Mariners 2-1 at Safeco Field on Monday night.

Mookie Betts Homers, Craig Kimbrel Saves In Return From DL To Lead Red Sox To 2-1 Win Over Mariners

Kimbrel made his first appearance since undergoing surgery on July 11 to repair a medial meniscus tear in his left knee. He allowed a walk, and Kyle Seager reached on a third-strike wild pitch, but Kimbrel got two other strikeouts to end the game.

“As much as we talked before the game about Kimbrel and giving him a little breathing room, that one-run margin wasn’t a heck of a lot,” said Rex Sox manager John Farrell. “He was very good. It looked like he hadn’t missed any time.”

“That’s my job,” Kimbrel said. “I like save situations. It worked out nice.”

Bett’s solo homer to left field against Seattle closer Steve Cishek (2-6), his 22nd, gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth. The Red Sox (58-46, 2nd in AL East) now trail the Orioles by one game in the American League East.

Mariners starter James Paxton held Boston to a run and four hits over eight innings. Aaron Hill homered off Paxton in the eighth to tie the game 1-1. It was the second straight ninth-inning comeback for the Red Sox, who overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Angels 5-3 with five two-out runs in their final at-bat Sunday.

When Hill stepped to the plate with one out in the eighth, he had only one extra-base hit since joining the Red Sox on July 8. But he made his second one a biggie, lacing that game-tying shot over the wall in left. The blast went a projected distance of 382 feet, according to Statcast.

“You have to play 27 outs to beat us,” Betts said. “We’re starting to see that more and more now.”

Junichi Tazawa (2-1) got the win with a scoreless eighth after lefty Eduardo Rodriguez held Seattle to a run and three hits over 6 1/3 innings. Rodriguez also walked two and struck out six.

Rodriguez held the Mariners to three base-runners in the first six innings, and only one of his first 19 outs even left the infield.

Paxton retired the first seven batters until Sandy Leon’s one-out single in the third. Hanley Ramirez singled in the fifth and Betts was the first player to reach second with a two-out double in the sixth. All failed to advance. Paxton also walked none and struck out six.

Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts became the first leadoff hitter in franchise history to hit three home runs in a single game on Tuesday night in the Red Sox’s 6-2 road victory against the Baltimore Orioles.

Red Sox OF Mookie Betts Ties MLB Record With Five HR In Two Games

Betts also went deep in his first two at-bats in the Red Sox’s 13-9 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday, thus becoming the first player ever to hit a homer in each of the first two innings of consecutive games.

It was his third leadoff homer of the season and the fifth of his career. Betts scored on the second pitch of the game off right-hander Mike Wright, sending the fastball flying to right-center field.

The 23-year-old also tied a major league record with five homers in a span of seven at-bats. The last player to achieve this feat was Josh Hamilton, who did it with the Texas Rangers on May 7-10, 2012.

“I didn’t know that. Tying is pretty cool,” Betts said. “[Hamilton] is pretty good. To tie someone like that is pretty special.”

Betts also added that he doesn’t view himself as a power hitter, despite scoring 14 homers, behind David Ortiz for the team lead.

“I see myself as a gap-to-gap doubles hitter,” Betts said. “They’re just going over the fence right now.”

Betts admitted he surprised himself by hitting the first opposite-field homer of his career on Tuesday night.

“He’s swinging the bat great,” said second baseman Dustin Pedroia. “He’s been a force all year for us. He’s been fun to watch. Hopefully he continues to do what he’s doing because it’s pretty exciting.”

The youngster is only the third Red Sox player with five homers in a two-game span, the two others being Nomar Garciaparra (July 21-23, 2002) and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski (May 19-20, 1976). Betts is also the second-youngest player ever to accomplish this feat, trailing only Bryce Harper, who did it May 6-8, 2015 at age 22 with the Washington Nationals.

“You rarely see it,” Boston manager John Farrell said of power surges like Betts’. “Sometimes you never see it in a career. We’re blessed to be able to watch Mookie every night from our dugout.”

The Red Sox (32-21, first in AL East) will visit the Orioles (29-22, second in AL East) again on Thursday night.

PHOTO: BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 31: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 31, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)