NEWS: Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is looking to put 2025 failure behind him
Few players get to make a milestone home run cause for a double celebration, but Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor made the most of his walk-off blast against the St. Louis Cardinals a couple of weeks into the 2025 season. The upper-deck dinger on April 18 not only gave the Mets a dramatic 5-4 win, it was Lindor’s 250th career homer — not a small accomplishment for a shortstop. Only five other players at his position have reached that number, and it’s a pretty impressive list that includes Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez, Ernie Banks, Miguel Tejada, and Derek Jeter. For Lindor,
ICON: Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols capped his Hall of Fame-worthy career with a dream final season. While his return to the Cardinals in 2022 ended with St. Louis losing the NL Wild Card series to the Phillies, Pujols had a remarkable resurgence in the last half of the year to climax a brilliant 22-year career — highlighted by his becoming only the fourth member of the 700 home run club. The Dominican-born superstar known as “The Machine” cemented his legacy as one of the greatest hitters ever when he bashed his 703rd home run — the final one of his career — on
HALL OF FAME: Edgar Martinez, 2019
EDGAR MARTINEZ Designated Hitter Born: January 2, 1963 in New York City, raised in Puerto Rico Bats: Right / Throws: Right Hall of Fame Induction: 2019 Team: Seattle Mariners 1987-2004 MLB debut: September 12, 1987, for the Seattle Mariners Last MLB appearance: Oct. 3, 2004, for the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame plaque: "One of the game's best pure batsmen, defined designated hitter position with a precise batting eye and ability to consistently drive the ball to all fields. Became the third right-handed batter in history with as many as seven consecutive seasons with a .300 average, .400 on-base percentage,
NEWS: Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman turns back the clock in Wild Card Game 1
Aroldis Chapman’s performance in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card series between the Yankees and the Red Sox in the Bronx this week was a remarkable sight to behold. The Boston closer, enjoying one of the best seasons of his long and well-traveled career, somehow wriggled out of a no-out, based-loaded hole in the bottom of the ninth inning with a vintage display of triple-digit heat. With the Red Sox up 3-1, what looked like another classic choke and comeback in the long and bitter history between the AL East rivals instead turned into a tough loss for
NEWS: Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz named AL Player of the Week
Yandy Diaz of the Tampa Bay Rays has won the American League Player of the Week award after a torrid seven-game stretch in which he hit nearly .600. The 34-year-old first baseman was 13-for-22 — good for a .591 clip —with a homer, two doubles, nine walks, five runs scored and four RBI from September 15 to 21. Diaz had an astounding on-base percentage of .710 during that span due to five multi-hit games and working at least one walk per game, reaching base 22 times in 31 plate appearances. The Saugua La Grande, Cuba native, who has played for
HALL OF FAME: Juan Marichal, 1983
JUAN MARICHAL Pitcher Born: October 20, 1937, Laguna Verde, Dominican Republic Hall of Fame induction: 1983 MLB debut: July 19, 1960 Last game: April 16, 1975 Teams: San Francisco Giants (1960-1973); Boston Red Sox (1974); Los Angeles Dodgers (1975) Hall of Fame plaque: During 16-year career won 243 games, lost 142. His .631 winning percentage is best by right-handed pitcher in 20th century. Won 20 or more games six years, 1963–69. Pitched no-hitter June 15, 1963 against Colt .45s. Had one-hitters against Phillies, 1962; Mets, 1964; and Reds, 1965. His high leg kick and blinding fastball were his trademarks. Career:
NEWS: Rafael Devers named co-NL Player of the Week
Boston’s favorite whipping boy rode a hot stretch at the plate last week that helped place the San Francisco Giants back in the playoff hunt. Slugger Rafael Devers went 11-for 27 over the last week of August, good for a .478 average, with 10 RBI and five home runs to win the National League’s Co-Player of the Week honors along with the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber. Devers, who basically forced a trade to the Giants two weeks before the July 31 deadline after wearing out his welcome in Boston, where the homegrown star refused to switch positions from third to first
Carlos Baerga, Francisco Lindor, Edwin Diaz are 2025 ‘Puerto Rico’s Day at the Ballpark’ honorees at Citi Field
Carlos Baerga had plenty of accomplishments over a 14-year MLB career in which he was considered one of the best second baseman of the 1990s — and he’ll be the first to proudly list his accolades if you ask him That includes several seasons as a .300 hitter with home run pop good enough to bat third on the 1995 AL pennant-winning team featuring a modern-day Murderer’s Row lineup of Hall of Famers Jim Thome, Eddie Murray and Dave Winfield, plus Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton and shortstop Omar Vizquel. But Baerga, now 56, is immensely proud of his
