MLB players

Justin Verlander has announced his retirement from Major League Baseball, closing out a career spanning nearly two decades. The three-time Cy Young Award winner and multiple World Series champion pitched for the Tigers, Astros and Mets, and finishes among the top strikeout pitchers in league history. Fans and fellow players have been flooding social media with tributes to one of his era's defining pitchers.

Average Major League Baseball game times are rising again, and ESPN reports that the introduction of the automated ball-strike system, known as robot umpires, is one contributing factor. The challenge system, in which players request reviews of calls, adds stoppages to games. The trend comes despite the pitch clock that had previously shortened games to record lows, prompting renewed debate about pace of play.

Luis Arraez will not be included on his team's roster for the National League Wild Card Series after an ankle injury hampered the slugger. The news, reported by MLB.com, comes just as the postseason begins, meaning his club must set its playoff lineup without one of its better hitters while Arraez recovers.

The ongoing Major League Baseball lockout has drawn private equity into the fray, with ownership and investment interests now shaping the league's labor standoff between players and team owners. The dispute centers on economics, and the growing financial role of outside investors is adding a new dimension to negotiations and to how the work stoppage is being discussed.

Major League Baseball has announced the nominees for the 2026 All-MLB Team, its annual fan-voted honor recognizing the best players at each position across the league. Voting details and finalists are now the focus of discussion among baseball fans, who are debating which players deserve spots on the first and second teams.

Major League Baseball is seeing average game times increase following the introduction of its automated ball-strike system, in which electronic umpires call balls and strikes. The rise runs counter to the league's recent push to speed up games through the pitch clock and other rule changes, prompting debate among fans, players and analysts about whether the technology is slowing play or altering pitcher behaviour.

The MLB postseason wild-card round is here, with previews and predictions circulating for four matchups: Red Sox-Yankees, Cubs-Padres, Phillies-Braves and White Sox-Astros. Coverage focuses on series picks, X-factors and key players who could decide each matchup, including renewed attention on the historic Boston-New York rivalry, as fans and analysts debate which teams will advance.

The MLB postseason begins Tuesday with the American and National League Wild Card Series, but several star players are dealing with injuries that could shape the outcomes. MLB.com takes a look at which key names are hurting, how serious the issues are, and what their availability or diminished production could mean for their teams' chances of advancing.

Average Major League Baseball game times have increased following the introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike system, which allows players to challenge umpire calls using robot umpires. The challenge process and reviews appear to be adding minutes back onto games, a reversal of the pace-of-play gains MLB achieved with earlier rules changes like the pitch clock.

The Boston Red Sox could give a little-known speedster his MLB debut during the playoffs, with the expectation that he would fill a single, specialised role: providing late-game speed, most likely as a pinch-runner. The possibility has drawn attention because playoff rosters often reward one-dimensional skills, and the player has yet to appear in a regular-season major league game.

Major League Baseball is showing how its Automated Ball-Strike system works in practice: a batter challenged a called second strike, and the call was overturned after the ABS review confirmed the pitch was outside the zone. The moment highlights how managers and players are adapting to the new challenge rules, with fans debating whether automated umpiring improves accuracy or slows the game.

USA Today columnist Bob Nightengale reports that 60 games is emerging as the key figure in negotiations between Major League Baseball and the players' union ahead of an imminent lockout. The number is being framed as a possible compromise point for the length of the season should the labor dispute delay the start of play.

As the MLB season reaches its final stretch, attention is on the wild card and division title races, with a particular focus on the Los Angeles Dodgers and other teams featuring Japanese players. Fans are tracking how Shohei Ohtani and fellow Japanese players' clubs are positioned heading into the postseason, and how the playoff picture is shaping up across the leagues.

Oakland Athletics player Zack Gelof has filed a lawsuit against the Detroit Tigers over an injury he suffered in July at Comerica Park. Details of the claim have not been fully laid out, but the suit names the club in connection with the incident at their home stadium. It is unusual for an active player to sue another team over an in-game injury, which is drawing attention to the case.

An automated ball-strike challenge in Major League Baseball has been resolved, with the original strike call confirmed by the ABS system. This marks continued use of the automated review technology, which players and managers can invoke to contest umpire calls at the plate. The league has been expanding use of the challenge system as it moves toward wider adoption.

With the MLB postseason's Wild Card Series underway, attention has turned to how injuries will affect several star players in both the American and National League brackets. MLB.com examines the key names whose health status could shape their teams' chances, leaving clubs and fans weighing lineups and rotations around uncertain contributors.

Major League Baseball appears headed toward a lockout as negotiations between owners and the players' union stall, with reporting suggesting 60 games has emerged as a key figure in talks over season length. The number echoes the shortened 2020 pandemic season and is being framed as a possible compromise point, though players have pushed back on shortened-season economics. Fans are watching closely as the collective bargaining agreement deadline approaches.

Japanese baseball media report continued concern over Shohei Ohtani's physical condition, with the Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly addressing his current status. The coverage quotes a club official saying his condition remains the key issue, suggesting lingering worry over a possible injury despite his ongoing two-way play in MLB.

Major League Baseball has launched the ballot for the 2026 All-MLB Team, the annual honor recognizing the top performances by players across the 2026 regular season. Fans can now submit their picks for the selected nominees at each position, with the resulting teams honoring the best hitters, pitchers and defenders from the year. Baseball fans are weighing in with their choices and debating which players deserve recognition.

The Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing their roster ahead of the MLB wild-card round, with The Athletic publishing a projection covering the infield, bullpen and the final spots up for grabs. The report reflects reporting on what the team is hearing internally as it decides which bench arms and relief pitchers to carry into the postseason.

Debate is growing over the MLB playoff system, with some calling it unfair because higher-seeded teams can be eliminated in a short series. The players' union has reportedly proposed a system modelled on NPB's format in Japan, where the top seed starts the series with a one-win advantage. Supporters say the change would reward regular-season performance; critics worry it distorts postseason competition.

The Philadelphia Phillies enter the final day of the MLB regular season needing a win on game 162 to avoid what would be a historic collapse. A franchise that spent much of the season among baseball's best has faltered down the stretch, and commentators note that the legacies of the team's core players and management are now at stake depending on the outcome.

The Seattle Mariners faced the Los Angeles Angels in an MLB game on September 26, 2026, drawing attention among Japanese baseball fans. Interest is high in Japan, partly due to Japanese players on both rosters, with fans searching for the final score and game results.

Major League Baseball's postseason is underway, with the Wild Card Series matchups now set. A breakdown of the matchups outlines the teams facing off, key players to watch, and what each club needs to do to advance. With October baseball beginning, fans are closely following the brackets and predictions for which teams will move on to the Division Series.

A first strike call was overturned after a challenge under MLB's automated ball-strike (ABS) system, which allows players to contest ball and strike rulings. The replay of the automated review confirmed the call on the field was wrong, flipping the pitch to a ball. It is an early example of how the new challenge system is changing game management and officiating debates.

A mental performance coach working in Major League Baseball has written about the gaps between formal training and the realities of the job. In a first-person account published by The New York Times, the coach describes what working with professional players has taught them that school never prepared them for, drawing attention to the growing role of mental skills work in elite baseball.

MLB is introducing the automated ball-strike challenge system for the 2026 season, allowing players to challenge umpire calls on balls and strikes. ESPN has launched a tracker ranking how teams and individual players fare with challenges across spring games and early action. Attention is focused on which catchers, pitchers and hitters are adapting best to the new strike-zone technology and how often challenges succeed.

The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres are set to meet in the MLB Wild Card Series, with previews laying out what fans should know before the best-of-three playoff matchup. Coverage is focused on pitching plans, key players and how each team got here, as both clubs look to advance in the postseason.

A Japanese-language roundup lists the Los Angeles Dodgers' ten highest-paid players, comparing their performance this season with contract value, total money and annual average salary for the 2026 edition. Interest follows the Dodgers' star-studded, big-spending roster and debate over whether their expensive lineup is delivering results on the field.

The Philadelphia Phillies have finalized their roster for the National League Wild Card Series as the MLB postseason begins. The club announced its active player list ahead of the playoff opener, setting its pitching staff and position players for the best-of-three series. Fans and baseball analysts are weighing the selections and what the choices mean for the team's chances of a deep October run.