Matt Whitener

Pursuing the Pennant: Astros, Dodgers prepare to cap a classic World Series

Only five games into the World Series, and we have already enjoyed four games that have outdone the best that many Fall Classic pairings have offered over their full lifespan.

The best MLB MVP races of all time

In the 86 years since first being awarded, the Most Valuable Player award has framed some of the most dynamic seasons in Major League Baseball history together.

Path to the 2017 World Series - Houston Astros

It was a tale of two halves for the Houston Astros, as they weaved their way toward the franchise's first turn as American League delegates in the World Series.

Path to the 2017 World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers followed up one of the most relentless regular season campaigns in history with an equally potent push through the postseason. And after dispatching the defending champs in the Chicago Cubs, Dodger Stadium is readying itself to host its first World Series in 29 years.

The all-time World Series team

Since 1904, the World Series has loomed as not only the pinnacle event in Major League Baseball, but a premiere event in American culture. It is home many of the most memorable moments sports history, (The Catch, Babe Ruth calling his shot....) as well as the confirmation point for many of the great icons in the game (the birth of Mr.

The most surprising players of the 2017 MLB season

Every summer, there is a player on each team who gives much more than expected. Whether it be a veteran roaring back to life, a big bounce back from an injury or simply a breakout campaign, there were no shortage of surprisingly strong performances this season.

Tale of the Tape: National League Championship Series

The tables have turned in the upcoming edition of the National League Championship Series. In a rematch of last year’s NLCS pairing, the parallels are stunningly consistent.

Tale of the tape: American League Championship Series

The American League Championship Series is set to be a collision of two teams riding the waves of very different types of momentum — both in the moment and throughout history.

Pursuing the Pennant: Dodgers, Astros reassert themselves

The anticipation headed into this year’s Major League Baseball postseason could not have been greater, and the "Game of Thrones" battle that has taken shape has not disappointed.

Who could be the breakout stars of the 2017 MLB pennant race?

A year ago, Andrew Miller announced himself on the national scene as he mowed through all-comers while carrying the Indians to the brink of a World Series win.

The most essential part of each MLB postseason team

With a pair of raucous Wild Card games in the books, it's time for the full MLB postseason series to begin. Whether it be a potent lineup, ace starting pitching, a lights-out relief corps or more, each team left standing will rely on some aspect of the roster to carry it through October.

The 20 most intriguing players in baseball for 2018

2017's MLB All-Rookie Team

While the exploits of Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger have long since ended any speculation regarding Rookie of the Year honors, it does not mean that it was an otherwise underwhelming year for rookies around the game.

The most disappointing player in 2017 for each MLB team

As Major League Baseball's regular-season slate prepares to come to an end, it represents a point that could not come soon enough for a handful of players around the game.

The 10 most memorable moments of the MLB season

Over the course of the six-month Major League Baseball regular season, some 4,860 games are played. As a result, there is no shortage of memorable moments produced along the way.

MLB teams with the most at stake this postseason

As the final week of the Major League Baseball regular season ends, the stakes are about to get much higher for the survivors of the first round of cuts from the regular season.

Getaway Day: Closing time on 2017 regular season

As the final week of the regular season prepares to take off, it also brings along with it the final getaway day of the year. At this time next week, a third of the game will see its year have come to close, while a select few will be preparing to ramp it up for a run at the World Series.

Top 2017 minor league prospect for every MLB franchise

With the MLB season winding down, it is a good time to take a new look at the top prospects for each franchise. While some are currently enjoying their first tastes of MLB action and others have made appearances earlier in the year, there are still many awaiting their first call to action as they put the wraps on impressive minor league campaigns.

Baseball's most underwhelming teams of 2017

In just under two weeks, the MLB regular season comes to close and postseason play will be about to get underway. By that time, only 10 teams will still be standing with a shot for their past six months of play to pay off at the highest level.

22 MLB records that will never be broken in our lifetimes

What are baseball's records least likely to be broken during your lifetime? Give or take a half-century or so, many of the game's most impressive marks have stood the test of time and seem to be out of reach.

Getaway Day: Time runs short as postseason nears

Earlier this year, the relative anonymity of the Cleveland Indians was something worth noting. But over the last week they did everything within their

September chill hits Astros, Dodgers at worst time

If based only on the run that the Cleveland Indians have embarked on over the better part of the last month, it may be easy to forget that baseball is a sport that does not often lend itself to playing at a breakneck speed.

The seven most important series left on the MLB schedule

While the 2018 Major League Baseball schedule was released yesterday, this season’s pennant race carries on at a breakneck pace and still has plenty of twists and turns to take before resolving itself on Oct.

Reeling Cubs prepare for their final stand on shaky ground

By Aug. 1, it seemed as if the Chicago Cubs finally put the frustrations that plagued them all season in the rearview mirror. After struggling to keep their head above the waters of .500 for most of the year, the defending World Series champions finally took back the spot that seemed to be rightfully theirs atop the National League Central.

Getaway Day: As season rounds third, a shift in both the NL and AL races

This time last week, the story that drove this very column were hot-streaks that the Cleveland Indians and Arizona Diamondbacks had embarked upon, winning at a rate that was reshaping expectations in both the National and American Leagues.