Another week, another change at the top of our MLB Power Rankings. While the powerhouses ruling baseball have separated from the pack early this season, the battle for our No. 1 spot remains an intense one between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers — with some surging teams making their own cases for big jumps on the list. […]

Baseball is serious business for Charlie Blackmon. Smiles flashed in the midst of a game are as rare as diamonds. But Blackmon flashed his pearly whites, if only for a moment, on Tuesday night at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. The veteran outfielder delivered a pinch-hit, three-run homer over the right-field wall and into McCovey Cove in the sixth inning, lifting […]

ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016. The Los Angeles Angels, in the midst of a 12-game losing streak that has tarnished their remarkable start to the season, fired Joe Maddon as manager on Tuesday. Phil Nevin has been named interim manager, the team […]

Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com. Anthony Rizzo shook his head, a slight smile on his face, as he stood next to his locker in the New York Yankees’ clubhouse. He’d been asked for his opinion on … the infield shift. “Looking at the shift doesn’t bother me,” he said. “But hitting into it […]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A number of Tampa Bay Rays players decided not to wear rainbow-colored logos on their uniforms as part of the team’s annual “Pride Night” on Saturday that recognized the LGBTQ community. Rays manager Kevin Cash addressed it after Sunday’s game, saying he doesn’t think it’ll negatively impact the clubhouse because discussions among the players over the […]

There’s no denying that several stars have been attracted to the sidelines of notable arenas, whether it’s to participate in a pregame tradition or otherwise. Last week, some celebrities made waves in the crowds at several high-profile events. For instance, LeBron James enjoyed the Champions League final, DJ Khaled and Aaron Donald enjoyed playoff basketball and Madonna was ringside for […]

Get the mayor of the City and County of Broomfield out to All-City Stadium, and give every player a key. The city’s two powerhouse public high schools, Broomfield and Legacy, turned in an instant classic in the Class 5A state title game on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles walked away with their first 5A crown, and sixth overall, in a 7-6 […]

Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com. CHICAGO — The Cubs have called up their top pitching prospect, righty Caleb Kilian, to start Game 2 of their doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday evening. Kilian, 25, will make his major league debut after being acquired by the team from the San Francisco Giants […]

Baseball sanity returned to Coors Field on Friday night. The Rockies still lost. The Braves beat them, 3-1, in 10 innings. Adam Duvall scored on Carlos Estevez’s second wild pitch of the inning, and Matt Olson’s two-run, bases-loaded single to left scored two more. The Rockies went relatively quietly in the bottom of the frame against Kenley Jansen. Yonathan Daza […]

And then there were three. In Class 5A state tournament action at All-City Stadium on Friday, Cherokee Trail beat Broomfield 12-8 and Legacy beat Chaparral 4-3. That sets up Cherokee Trail and Legacy to play in the semifinals on Saturday at 11 a.m., with the winner to face Broomfield in the championship at 1:30 p.m. “Everybody’s got a loss, and […]