International winter leagues are wrapping up.
Anne Rogers rounds up Kansas City’s international amateur class:
Marchán is one of the top catchers in Venezuela this year and has skills on both sides of the ball. He even runs plus as a catcher; he clocked in at 6.4 seconds in the 60-yard dash. His arm is strong, and he’s a mature hitter who makes consistent contact.
That’s a well-rounded package for a 17-year-old.
“He’s really athletic,” Francisco said. “… He can really throw. He’s smart. And he has a chance to hit. And he has a very lean, athletic body. We’re just really happy about the signing of this kid.”
2025 could be a breakout year for Vinnie Pasquantino, writes Caleb Moody at Just Baseball:
As I’ve alluded to already, there are aspects of Pasquantino’s approach at the plate that he could certainly improve to unlock some untapped offensive potential. While Pasquantino avoids whiffing at pitches to an elite degree, he finds himself chasing pitches at a high clip, as his 30.7% chase rate in 2024 ranked in just the 32nd percentile of MLB hitters. Because he chased so much, his walk rate inevitably suffered, as a 7.2% clip placed him in just the 38th percentile of the league.
With the Australian Baseball League wrapping up regular season play this past weekend, this will be the final offseason Royals update. Brisbane Bandits won their first three games of the series against Canberra Calvary, but they dropped the finale to end their season. I cannot find the box score for that final game.
- Hyungchan Um made three starts at catcher this week, going 3-9 with a double, a homer, and four walks. He hit .288/.351/.561 in 155 plate appearances. His .912 OPS was the tenth-highest in the ABL this season and his 10 homers were the second most in the league.
- Brennon McNair started three games as the DH, going 3-12 with a double and a walk. He batted .248/.350/.540 in 161 plate appearances. He was 15th in the league with an OPS of .890, while his 11 homers were the most of any player. Nobody else had more than eight, so it’s pretty cool to see the two Royals at the top of that leaderboard.
How should players that are just short of being Hall of Fame quality be recognized?
Roki Sasaki said in his introductory press conference that the presence of Ohtani and Yamamoto did not influence his decision to sign with the Dodgers.
My best friend is and grew up as a Yankees fan. She’s always hated Mariano Rivera. I couldn’t understand why at first, but the more I learn about the guy, the more I get it.
Cleveland is signing right-handed pitcher Paul Sewald to a one-year deal.
Old friend Richard Lovelady is heading to Toronto on a minor league deal.
Two-time All-Star Tim Anderson is heading to the Angels on a minor league deal.
A New England Patriots podcast revealed that the NFL has prohibited teams from having official accounts on Bluesky.
Is it time for the Philadelphia 76ers to punt on this season?
An American is among the men’s finalists at the Australian Open, but Ben Shelton will face a daunting challenge in upsetting world #1 Jannik Sinner.
Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to the finals, looking to capture her third consecutive Australian Open title. She will face the winner of Madison Keys- Iga Świątek, which will likely wrap up around the time this rumblings is posted.
A surprising symbiotic relationship has developed between solar power facilities and livestock.
Netflix is once again raising their prices.
Your song of the day is Rock This Town by Stray Cats.