Tag: mlb

Giants Drop Game Two – Reds Tie Up Series With 3-2 Win

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San Francisco Giants starter Justin Verlander delivers against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati on Sat Mar 29, 2025 (AP News photo0

By Barbara Mason

After winning game one of their series with the Cincinnati Reds, the San Francisco Giants dropped game two Saturday afternoon 3-2. The Giants will go into game three looking to win the series. San Francisco led through the first four innings of this game but the Reds tied it all up in the bottom of the fifth and took the lead in the sixth inning hanging onto the 3-2 lead for the eventual win.

Game recap: Neither team scored in the opening inning but San Francisco took the lead in the top of the second inning 1-0. Again it was Wilmer Flores hitting a home run, his second of the young season, taking up where he left off in game one, this shot a solo. The Reds had runners at first and third in the bottom of the inning with two outs but came up empty.

The Giants added to their lead in the third inning off a Jung Hoo Lee single driving Heliot Ramos home for a 2-0 tally. The native of Nagoya, Japan Lee is entering his second season with the Giants. He is off to a great start for the Giants scoring two runs in the first game of this series. The Reds kept pace with San Francisco scoring one run in the bottom of the third but still trailing 2-1. Matt McLain hit Cincinnati’s first long ball of the game, a solo home run.

The Reds tied up this game in the bottom of the fifth inning 2-2. Elly De La Cruz singled Matt McClain home for the tie. Spencer Bivens in his first season with San Francisco relieved Justin Verlander to start the sixth inning giving up a Christian Encarnacion-Strand home run and the Reds took a 3-2 lead into the seventh inning. The Giants Justin Verlander went five innings allowing six hits, two earned runs and five strikeouts.

The Reds Nick Lodolo had a pretty good outing going six innings allowing five hits and two earned runs. Tony Santillan relieved him in the seventh inning only allowing one hit in the inning. The right-hander Randy Rodriguez took the mound for San Francisco in the bottom of the seventh inning sending the game into the eighth, pitching a nice inning with two strikeouts and and a foul out; three up and three out for the Reds.

The Giants had a couple of hits in the the eighth but but couldn’t move the scoreboard continuing to trail 3-2. The Reds were unable to add to their lead in the bottom of the eighth sending San Francisco into the ninth inning with one last chance left to either tie or take the lead.

The Reds Emilio Pagan took the mound in the ninth inning looking to finish off the Giants and tie up the series one apiece. He executed beautifully dismissing the Giants three up and three down and that was the ballgame. Both teams displayed a great pitching effort but it was the Reds that came away with the win.

Game notes: After winning their season opener Thursday beating the Reds 6-4, the Giants (1-1) played game two of the series on Saturday afternoon and lost in a close one 3-2 to the Reds. The Giants fought from behind in game one of the series on the strength of a Wilmer Flores three run homer with two outs in the ninth inning giving them a 6-3 lead. The Reds had one run in the ninth but could not overcome the San Francisco lead.

Saturday the Giants were looking for a win in game two of their series as they sent right-hander Justin Verlander to the mound making his debut as a San Francisco Giant in his career 527th start. The Reds had lefty Nick Lodolo took the mound as the Reds evened up the series at one apiece.

Giants Fans will have to wait a few more games before they can welcome the team back home for their season opener next Friday night Apr 4th against the Seattle Mariners celebrating 25 years at Oracle Park this season.

Cincinnati had evened up the series at one game apiece with game three scheduled for Sunday morning first pitch at 10:40 PST. The probable pitcher for San Francisco will be lefty Robbie Ray with the Reds Nick Martinez taking the mound for game three.

A’s Bounce Back Big, Thump Mariners 7-0 at T-Mobile Park

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Sacramento A’s 22 year old hitter Max Muncy slugs a solo home run for his MLB hit against the Seattle Mariners at T Mobile Field in Seattle in the top of the eighth inning on Fri Mar 28, 2025 (AP News photo)

By Mauricio Segura

If last night’s deflating opener had Sacramento A’s fans reaching for comfort food, Friday night’s thrilling redemption must have them reaching for confetti. The Athletics emphatically silenced the Seattle Mariners in a 7-0 shutout, energized by a mix of veteran savvy and youthful exuberance, giving fans plenty to celebrate in their 125th franchise season.

Starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs was a magician on the mound, dazzling Mariners hitters across six dominant innings. With a potent combination of pinpoint control and deceptive velocity, Springs allowed only three hits while striking out nine, a reassuring performance after yesterday’s bullpen struggles.

But Friday night belonged to the Athletics’ bats, particularly Brent Rooker, who rebounded spectacularly from an opening night strikeout nightmare. After striking out four times last night, tying a dubious A’s Opening Day record held previously by Jack Cust and Eddie Joost, Rooker emerged as tonight’s comeback hero. He belted a towering two-run homer to center field in the fifth inning off Mariners’ ace Luis Castillo, giving Oakland a decisive 2-0 lead.

Joining the slugfest, Max Muncy, the Athletics’ promising young second baseman, notched his first major league hit in style: a majestic home run to left-center field in the eighth. This feat undoubtedly etched a cherished memory for the 22-year-old rookie, who is the youngest position player in an A’s opening lineup since Eric Chavez in 2000.

Adding to the youth movement, Tyler Soderstrom showed again why he’s viewed as the cornerstone of the Athletics’ future. After making history on Opening Day with his two-homer night, a first for an Athletic since Khris Davis in 2017, he delivered again tonight. His sizzling double in the seventh scored JJ Bleday, stretching the lead to 5-0.

The Athletics’ depth shone brightly as pinch-hitter Luis Urías sent a ninth-inning solo shot screaming into the left-center seats. Urías, signed just this offseason, provided a firm exclamation point on the A’s offensive statement.

Defensively, JJ Bleday sparkled, notably throwing out Mitch Garver at the plate in a pivotal fifth-inning moment, preventing Seattle from scoring. Moments later, Bleday further frustrated Mariners fans with a sliding catch on a sharply hit line drive from J.P. Crawford, ending the inning and preserving the shutout.

Despite the tough loss, Seattle did show flashes of defensive moments. Outfielder Victor Robles made a spectacular diving catch to rob Gio Urshela of a hit, providing one of the Mariners’ few defensive highlights.

Starting pitcher Luis Castillo battled hard, striking out five over five innings, but ultimately allowed two critical runs that set the tone. Mariners hitters seemed perpetually a step behind, mustering a mere scattering of hits and striking out a total of 13 times, their frustration palpable amid the electric atmosphere at T-Mobile Park.

The win snaps the Athletics’ troubling seven-game losing streak against the Mariners on Opening Day, a streak dating back to 2018. It also marks a sweet turn of fortune after yesterday’s tough 4-2 loss, offering fans hope that maybe, just maybe, this season’s squad has the spark to rewrite some recent history.

As the A’s celebrate Friday night’s victory, attention turns to Saturday’s matchup. The Athletics’ Osvaldo Bido, coming off a solid 2024 campaign, will face off against Seattle’s Bryce Miller, promising more drama at T-Mobile Park.

– Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of publications as well as his own, Golden Bay Times, and is honored to provide A’s away coverage to Sports Radio Service for the 2025 season.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2025 A’s Sharing the Park with Replacement Grass

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Fans pack Sutter Health Park during an exhibition game between the San Francisco Giants and the Sacramento River Cats on Sunday, March 23, 2025, in West Sacramento. Photo by JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS Sacramento Bee

2025 A’s Sharing the Park with Replacement Grass

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury PI-González

Fifty-six years ago, the Oakland A’s were the talk of the Bay Area as a recently arrived Major League franchise from Kansas City, roughly ten years after the Giants relocated from New York to San Francisco.  And just like that, the Bay Area started the rivalry of the A’s vs San Francisco Giants, the very cool Bay Bridge Series, and the very historic 1989 World Series, which was interrupted by an earthquake and was won 11 days later by the Oakland As in a sweep. Something that has been engraved in my brain forever. But Sacramento ended that story.

Fifty-six years ago (1969), the last time a Major League team played an entire season in a minor league ballpark, the Seattle Pilots and Montreal Expos, respectively. Sicks Stadium is in Seattle, and Jarry Park is in Montreal. Years later, the Seattle Mariners became the Expos, and the Expos became the Washington Nationals.

The ATH (also known as the Athletics) will play at Sutter Health Park close to the Sacramento River, within walking distance of the park, with the Sacramento River patch on the sleeves of A’s players. The A’s will have to share this park with the Rivercats, the AAA team of the San Francisco Giants.

The groundskeepers will have the most challenging job, and they will have replacement grass on standby. Sacramento gets an average of 18 inches of rain annually, with April being the last month with the possibility of precipitation. After that, and during summer, it is as dry as any place in California, with temperatures averaging between 80-100 Fahrenheit.

The A’s story has many angles, turns, and everything that fascinates some people and irates others. The Rivercats and the A’s will have to share the same field this season, and probably the rest of the A’s temporary stay in Sacramento, for three years total. The biggest challenge of two baseball teams sharing a field for an entire season would be the potential for scheduling conflicts, logistical issues, and the strain on the field itself, leading to potential damage and uneven playing conditions.

Beginning this season, the City of Sacramento listed a population of approximately 530,000, which is last among all cities hosting Major League Baseball. This is less than the current population of Milwaukee, which, with 562,000, is now the next-to-last.

The A’s opened their season today in Seattle.

What is the national media saying about the A’s?

New York Post sports journalist Jeff Passan, which is a national baseball writer, recently said on the A’s,  “The Oakland A’s were “killed by greed”  John Fisher, the owner, did not have to move the team, it was a choice, not a necessity”   Something that has been said by many during this whole ordeal of relocation, especially here in the Bay Area.

Did you know?  In1953, four cities in the United States had two major league teams. Chicago, (Cubs and White Sox), Boston (Red Sox and Braves), Philadelphia, (Phillies and Athletics), and St Louis (Cardinals and Browns)

Hasta la Vista Baby!’

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame

San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips: How Giants size up going into opener today in Cincinnati

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb seen here pitching against the Athletics on Wed Jul 31, 2024 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Webb will be the starting pitcher against the Cincinnati Reds on Thu Mar 30, 2025 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati for opening day. (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips:

#1 The Giants open up today in Cincinnati and they’ll be starting pitcher Logan Webb. Webb was 13-10 last season and was healthy can he continue to win games and stay healthy?

#2 Robbie Ray looked good against the Detroit Tigers when he pitched on Monday night going five innings, four hits and two earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts. He’s back from taking a chunk of time off last season. He had his pitches working for him on Monday and he could be a force on that starting rotation.

#3 Justin Verlander had himself an impressive spring training going 2-0 ERA 3.43 Verlander in spring training has struck out 19 batters this spring. Some doubted he had it anymore but he’s showing that at age 42 he has the stamina to pitch at a high level. Will that translate into the regular season?

#4 Morris with an infield of  Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Tyler Fitzgerald, LaMonte Wade Jr., Wilmer Flores, Casey Schmitt, Christian Koss can that part of the Giants line up help them to be a potential playoff type team?

#5 With MIke Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Jon Miller and Dave Flemming signing a deal that runs through 2026 to broadcast Giant games does that strengthen KNBR the Giants flagship station’s chances to continue to carry Giants broadcasts?

Morris Phillips does the San Francisco Giants weekly podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants conclude pre season with 4-3 win over Tigers at Oracle Park

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San Francisco Giants catcher Sam Huff (left) congratulates relief pitcher Ryan Walker (right) after the Giants conclude a pre season two game sweep over the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Tue Mar 25, 2025 (San Francisco Giants X photo)

Detroit (12-15). 010 001 010. 3. 8. 0

San Francisco (21-6). 002 000 020. 4. 6 0

Attendance: 20,049

Time: 2:07

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO–The San Francisco Giants used five pitchers to squeeze out a 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers this lovely Sunday evening to close out an encouraging spring training with a record of 21-6). Right handed starter Jordan Hicks lasted five adequate innings, in which he allowed a couple of runs, both earned, on three hits, one of them a 409 foot solo shot to Justin-Henry Malloy that gave the visitors a short-lived lead.

Hicks also struck out one batter and walked another. The win went to Randy Rodríguez, who hurled a scoreless top of the seventh, in which he issued a walk and achieved a strikeout. Ryan Walker earned the save, shutting Detroit out in the ninth in spite of a two out triple by Ryan Kreidler.

Joel Peguero and Camilo Doval hurled a frame apiece. The former allowed a hit and nothing else. The latter gave up one run on three hits, although he did strike out one Tiger.

The Giants scored on Tyler Fitzgerald’s 375′ round tripper that plated Yastraemski in the bottom of the third. The home team picked up two more runs in the home seventh after Fitzgerald walked, stole second, and scored on Grant McGray’s single to center. Christian Koss then brought McGray home with the Giants’ final tally.

Jackson Jobe started for the Tigers. He allowed two runs, both earned on three hits, including Fitzgerald’s dinger, and two walks. The loss went to Casey Mize, who followed Jobe for three episodes and yielded two runs, earned, on three hits and one base on balls. Kenta Maeda contributed two K’s in pitching a perfect ninth.

The Giants leave tomorrow for Cincinnati, where they will open the season on Thursday.

They will return for the home opener, against Seattle on Friday, April 4, at 1:45.

MLB podcast Michael Duca Tue Mar 25, 2025: How playing MLB games will work in minor league parks; Moniak’s release by Angels comes as a surprise; plus more news

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Los Angeles Angels Mickey Moniak heads home after hitting a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning of a spring training game Wed Mar 5, 2025 in Tempe AZ. Moniak was released by the Angels on Mon Mar 24, 2025. (AP News photo)

MLB podcast with Michael Duca:

#1 Michael the Sacramento A’s are about to play an entire season in a minor league park that seats 14,014 fans including adding them on the outfield grass behind the fence. Do you see this concept working at Sutter Health Park. Will the amenities be acceptable for fans and players.

#2 81 games is a long season if you consider working in a tiny work space such as the players, fans, employees will have to at George M Steinbrenner Park for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Sacramento A’s at Sutter Health Park. In the course of that amount of games will there be a point where it’s workable or not workable for those involved?

#3 The Los Angeles Angels released outfielder Mickey Moniak on Tuesday. The moved shocked many who have followed Moniak who hit .219, 14 home runs last year. In two and half seasons with the Angels Moniak hit .242 with 100 RBIs and had an OPs of .709. Moniak was going to share the outfield duties with Jo Adell. His release comes two days before the regular season.

#4 Michael Duca ESPN with us on the podcast and like ESPN wrote about the New York Yankees they got to carry it like a battlescar can the Yankees really bounce back after their fifth inning World Series nightmare?

#5 Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts who lost 18 pounds couldn’t keep solid food down is reportedly on the mend and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had him in the line up for today’s exhibition game after being out of action since the beginning of spring training.

Join Michael Duca for the MLB podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

MLB podcast Stephen Ruderman: Raleigh signs 6 yr $105 million deal with M’s; Ex-Yank Gardner’s son cause of death still a mystery; plus more news

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Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh signed a six year $105 million extension on Mon Mar 24, 2025 and is considered one of the best catchers in Major League Baseball (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Stephen Ruderman:

#1 The Seattle catcher signed Cal Raleigh to a six year $105 million extension deal. Raleigh last season hit .220 hit 34 home runs, 100 RBIs, and had 120 hits. Raleigh called the “Big Dumper” is considered one of the best catchers in baseball.

#2 Miller Gardner 14 the son of former New York Yankee Brett Gardner who passed on Mar 21st cause of death was not asphyxiation. Miller with other family members fell ill during a family vacation. Brett said that Miller passed away in his sleep peacefully.

#3  Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker will both be on the opening day roster as the two first round draft picks will take the last two spots on the pitching rotation for the Texas Rangers. The Rangers rotation are Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, Jon Gray, Tyler Mahle, Rocker and Leiter. The Rangers also have been picked as a favorite to win the American League pennant.

#4 Arizona Diamondbacks have announced that left hander Jordan Montgomery will go under Tommy John next week. Montgomery 32 said that he knew his season was over due to the elbow injury and ironically it happened just two days before the regular season. Montgomery was 8-7, with a 6.23 ERA in 25 games and had 21 starts last season for Arizona.

#5 Stephen, Heliot Ramos looks like he could very well be the San Francisco Giants lead off hitter taking a spring training batting average of .308, with 12 hits, two home runs, and eight RBIs into Tuesday. Ramos belted a home run on Monday night against the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Join Stpehen Ruderman for the MLB podcasts at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Dodgers Roberts encouraged by Mookie’s progress; Yanks Yarbrough signs for 1 yr $2 million deal; plus more MLB

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Mookie Betts walks around in the Los Angeles Dodgers dugout and has been out of the line up since losing 18 pounds and having trouble keeping down solid food. Manager Dave Roberts says that Betts should be back in the line up on Tue Mar 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he feels “really encouraged” by Mookie Betts recovery. Betts had been ill and couldn’t keep solid down and lost 18 pounds. Betts went through a full workout at Dodger Stadium on Monday and is expected to be back in the line up on Tuesday.

#2 New York Yankees signed left hander Ryan Yarbrough to a $2 million one year deal with a $250,000 in contract bonuses the Yankees announced on Monday. Yarbrough 33 pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays in spring training and opted out of his contract Sunday after learning that he would not be on the opening day roster.

#3 Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez will not open the season and will be on the injured list as Suarez is recovering from a lower back injury. Suarez could be ready to pitch sometime in April according to Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

#4 At the Sacramento A’s and San Francisco Giants Triple A team the Sacramento River Cats ballpark Sutter Health Park the grounds crew will have replacement grass on standby in the event the grass starts to brown or deteriorate. The A’s and River Cats are considering the amount of games being played on the shared field they will need the sod on standby.

#5 The Phillies left hand pitcher Matt Strahm did not pitch in the final Grapefruit League game on Monday due to a finger injury while packing. Strahm tore a fingernail on his left middle finger while preparing for a trip to the Phillies spring training home in Clearwater Florida.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

Orange & Black @ Orange & Black Giants score 3 runs in 5th to defeat Tigers 6-4 at Oracle Park

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San Francisco Giants Heliot Ramos is thrilled after hitting a home run against San Diego Padres on Sun Sep 15, 2024 at Oracle Park in San Francisco. On Mon Mar 24, 2025 Ramos was three for four with a home run, three hits and three RBIs against the Detroit Tigers at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

Detroit (12-14) 000 200 000 2 5 0

San Francisco (20-6) 100 031 01x 6 11 0

Time: 2:17

Attendance: 24,144

By Lewis Rubman

Monday, March 25, 2025

SAN FRANCISCO–The players have broken camp, and your San Francisco Giants are ready to wrap up spring training with a couple of games against their transbay rivals, the Oakland Athletics. No, wait a minute! There’s something wrong here. It’s the Detroit Tigers your Giants are facing. Not even ex-Athletic A.J. Hinch at the helm can change that. Some things never change, though.

There’s always the fear of injury. The Giants, fearing a recurrence of the back injury that stole their exciting center fielder, 이정후, AKA Lee,Jung Hoo, from them half-way through last year’s letdown season. anxiously await his full recovery from his latest setback.

In the 17 Cactus League games Lee had appeared in, Lee hit .300 with an OPS of .967. No one wants a repeat of Blake Snell’s 2024 on again, off again recovery saga. Lee returned to action in Sunday’s game against the River Cats in Sacramento and went one for two, with a run scored and another driven in over five innings. He went 0 for 3 Monday night.

Matt Chapman seems to have recovered his groove at bat, but his fielding, which can be elegant, has suffered a noticeable decline this spring.. Last year, he, like many of his teammates, committed a lot of hidden errors, including late or poorthrows that prevented double plays and so were unchargeable.

This spring, they’re more visible. Chappy’s five errors in 15 games are a concern. He alleviated some of that this evening with a beautiful backhand grab on Manuel Baez’s scorcher down the third base line and a hard, accurate throw to first to retire the Tigers’ shortstop in the top of the fifth..

For what it’s worth, however, San Francisco, having defeated Detroit, 6-4, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate, can feek It was one of those games in which by the sixth or seventh inning inning you spend more time and attention trying to keep track of the substitutions than on the action on the field, so don’t expect much detail from the report.

San Francisco used five hurlers, starting with Robbie Ray, who went five frames and allowed two runs, both earned, one four hits, which included a pair of solo home runs in the fourth, He struck out four and gave up one free pass, gaining the win.

Ray was followed by Lou Trivino, Spencer Blevnins, Tyler Rogers, and Eric Miller, each of whom pitched an inning. Blevens gave up a single in the seventh. The only other Giant reliever to suffer any damage was Miller, who yielded two runs, both earned, on two hits, and a walk.

The Tigers used nine pitchers over eight innings. Tyler Horton, the first of the lot got tagged with the loss,

Ramos went 3 for 4, with three RBIs, and a homer for the hosts. The other Giant with a multi-hit game was Patrick Bailey, at 2 for 4, with two RBIs.

The two teams, both clad in orange and black, will continue to confuse the crowd Tuesday, at 5:05PM PDT. The Giants will then fly to Cincinnati to open the season on Wednesday, returning for their home opener on April 4 at 1:35 in the afternoon.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: 2025 MLB Predictions

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A ten year old boy/fan is thrilled to have caught Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Otani’s home run ball at the Tokyo Dome on opening day against the Chicago Cubs on Wed Mar 19, 2025 and showed the baseball to the media. Author Amaury Pi Gonzalez predicts the Dodgers will return to the World Series this season and face the Texas Rangers (AP News photo)

2025 Major League Baseball Season Predictions

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

It is the time of the year to look into my crystal ball and see how teams will do this year.

American League (East)

1-Baltimore

2-Boston

3-New York

4-Toronto

5-Tampa Bay

The Baltimore Orioles are back in force this season. The bullpen is healthier; they lost Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander to free agency, but they still have a young, dynamic lineup and are the best team in this division.

Boston Red Sox is always in the mix and one of the best organizations in baseball. They added Alex Bregman for third base and Walker Buehler, a very good pitcher. They have a shot at a wild card.

The Yankees lost their #1 ace starter, Gerrit Cole, to Tommy John surgery. Even if they were healthy, their rotation would not be the best. Without Cole, they cannot win that division; their best hope is a Wild Card. Their lineup suffered as they lost Juan Soto, but they still can score enough runs to be competitive.

Toronto Blue Jays. I don’t feel them this year. Their last shot to win big with Vladimir Guerreo Jr. and Dante Bichette, who will be free agents after the season. They are good for fourth. Any of the seven Canadian NHL teams have a better shot at winning the Stanley Cup than the Blue Jays winning the World Series.

Tampa Bay Rays will play in a new stadium provisionally while they repair Tropicana Field. It is not because they will play at Hal Steinbrenner Jr ballpark for this year, but the simple fact remains is that they do not have it.

American League (Central)

1-Kansas City

2-Detroit

3-Cleveland

4-Minnesota

5-Chicago

Kansas City Royals should win this division, still with the leadership of catcher Salvador Pérez

Detroit could be in the mix; it’s a young team with lots of potential.

Cleveland and Minnesota will fight to be wild cars, and Chicago will start rebuilding early again. If you like trades, go to Chicago.

American League (West)

1-Texas

2-Seattle

3-Houston

4-Athletics aka ATH

5-Los Angeles

Texas Rangers are loaded and ready to shoot for the top; with Hall of Fame manager Bruce Botchy, they have enough offense, good enough to pitch a great defense, all the components of winning this division, and maybe…maybe a trip to the World Series.

Seattle Mariners are picked just about every year to win, but, nada. This year they “could”finally win it, butt they are not betterr than the Rangers.

Houston Astros and José Alrtuve in left field, without Alex Bregnam anymore at third base. Well, third is a good palce fdor them.

Athletics, aka ATH (now in Sacramento for how many years…? could win this division if they did not have to play the Rangers, Mariners, and Astros, or if they played the Angels every day, they might win it. It is a new city, a new park, and a great attitude from many young and talented players, with an outstanding manager in Mark Kotsay. I like to see the A’s win the Division or a wild card and then play the postseason at Oracle Park(If the Giants do not make it) because there is no way MLB will let the A’s play a postseason in a 14,000-seat park. But this season (again), they ended in fourth place.

Los Angeles Angels, another last-place finish. I’m sorry for one of the true gentlemen of the game, Mike Trout, whom I covered and broadcasted many of his hits as a rookie and then fMVP seasons and who is trying to ride what could be a Hall of Fame career. With only one Trout in this lake, they will not fish much in 2025. Oh, and I’m sorry for a great man and Manager, Ron Washington; he doesn’t deserve this punishment.

National League (East)

1-Atlanta

2-Philadelphia

3-New York

4-Washington

5-Miami

Atlanta Braves, With Ronald Acuña Jr back this year and Matt Olson, Austin Riley, and Michael Harris, have enough powder to get into lots of rallies, and the pitching is still top-notch. They are the team to beat. And for another year, a treat for winning the league.

Philadelphia Phillies, with their great, passionate fans, could win or at least go down to the wire with the Braves, but second place is a safe bet.

New York Mets. Drama in Queens is always on the air. They talk about a pennant but fall short. The NY media creates bogus trade rumors. What else is new?

Washington Nationals should be happy not finishing last. They won their World Series a few years ago, so they should keep enjoying that.

Miami was my second city when I was a teenager. Bienvenidos a Miami, but I’m sorry—they are still a last-place club. Keep the nightclubs in South Beach going!

National League (Central)

1-Chicago Cubs is the best team in this division. Like Sinatra used to say:”My Kind of Town”.

2-Cincinnati Reds (I pick them to surprise everybody, including themselves….if they could only have pitching, this is an inspiring young and fast team

3-Milwaukee Brewers. The days when they were on top are coming to an end. Keep the Beer production.

4-St Louis Cardinals. They always seem to have a lot of Cards and have won 11 World Series, only second to the Yankees. This 2025…close, but no cigar!

5-Pittsburgh Pirates. Last place, in Spanish, also, último lugar.

National League West

1-Los Angeles is the Best team in this Division and League, probably in baseball. They are going for it again, with lots of influence in Japan, as they are already undefeated there.

2-Arizona. If the Dodgers collapse, which will probably be the biggest earthquake of all, the Diamondbacks will win this race

3-San Diego. A lot has to be said about an afternoon game at their beautiful park in San Diego; their fans are restless and looking to put it all together. Maybe?

4-San Francisco Giants. They are now under the Buster Posey Government. They made some interesting off-season changes and could win 82 games. Wild Card?

5-Colorado Rockies. No comment. But the Rocky Mountains are spectacular.

World Series? Texas Rangers vs Los Angeles Dodgers.

You might agree or disagree with me, and that would be normal after all this is America. But remember, at the end, it is only baseball!

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.