baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
It's All Comes Down to This: The Race for the AL West Title
It's the final week of the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season. Some teams have already either clinched playoff berths or their divisions. One division that I've been updating everyone on since May is the American League West. In the 25 years I've been a Rangers fan, I've never seen a division race this tight before. So, here's where it all stands at the moment, as of September 20.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 25 days ago in Unbalanced
Mercy Victory Versus 10-4 George Doesn’t Divide the Good Feelings All Around
On Thursday July 9, CMDR took on 10-4 George at Onatru Farm Park. Last year's champs had the upper hand in the standings, and the home team didn’t take long to mark their territory. Taking a 3-0 first inning lead, the second place team still didn’t let a scoreless second slow their train.
By Rich Monetti27 days ago in Unbalanced
Japan’s Trash Talk Is Loud. The Scoreboard Is Louder.
Pre-Match Words, Points on the Table At the mixed zone of the Nagoya training hall, Sora Matsushima stood in front of the microphones. A reporter asked for his thoughts on the Chinese team. He paused, then said: "The Japanese team is very strong right now. I think even if we only play at 50 to 60 percent, we still have a chance to beat China."
By Jin27 days ago in Unbalanced
A Korean Athlete Took One Photo of a Bus Driver. It Exposed the Nagoya Asian Games.
The bus stopped on the side of the road. The driver did not hold the wheel. He looked down, both hands spreading a paper map across his lap. The map covered part of the steering wheel. The navigation screen was on. The route on it was empty.
By Jin27 days ago in Unbalanced
1970s Baseball Card Market Trends
The vintage baseball card market continues to captivate collectors, with cornerstone cards from the 1970s experiencing dynamic shifts over the past year. To capture these movements, we tracked pricing data across four quarterly checkpoints—from September 2025 to September 2026 —for ten of the most iconic rookie cards and early career cards of the decade.
By Rookie Card Prices28 days ago in Unbalanced
The American League West Has Been Disappointing in 2026
As the Postseason draws closer, many teams are fighting for playoff berths and/or division titles. In this case, the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are in a battle for the American League West crown. It's now a two-team show in this division, and we await to see which one will be the last team standing. I've been hyper fixated on the AL West since May, because it's usually a competitive division. Four of the five teams were engaged in a game of American League West musical chairs, with each becoming division leaders for a period of time. The other reason is because my team, the Rangers, are in that same division as the Astros. Let's learn a bit more about the American League West and I'll share my thoughts about each team.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard 30 days ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2026: Oh, Ho, Ho, It's Magic Numbers!
While the NFL celebrated the very first Sunday of the season, MLB's action brought the season down to the final two weeks. Now, it gets serious. Time starts to really run out for teams. For some, it's already over. For others, it's close to being over. On the positive side, teams are closing in on officially becoming October bound, whether it's as a Wild Card or as Division Champions.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a month ago in Unbalanced
MLB Pennant Race 2026: Something New Has Been Added
Well, folks, here we are in the month of September, which means time is really running out. Three weeks, 21 measly days are left in the regular season. Plenty of time for some, not enough for others, and out of time for so many. One team in particular: the Colorado Rockies. On September 7, the Rockies (again) became the first team to be eliminated from postseason contention, and we should see the now-Stan Kroenke owned Los Angeles Angels ousted in a matter of days.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a month ago in Unbalanced
Los Angeles Angels Fans Can Breathe a Sigh of Relief...Finally!
After years of extreme pressure from Angels fans, they finally got their wish as the news of longtime owner Arte Moreno came to his senses and decided to sell the team. The new owner is Stan Kroenke and was sold for a record $4 billion, which won't be approved until sometime in early 2027. The 79-year-old also owns four other professional sports teams, including the Los Angeles Rams. Moreno, who is 80, bought the Angels in 2003 from The Walt Disney Company for $180 million, which made him the first Mexican American owner of a major franchise. Let's learn some facts about this American League West team.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a month ago in Unbalanced
Stan Kroenke Agrees to Buy Los Angeles Angels, Ending Arte Moreno’s 23-Year Ownership Era
The Los Angeles Angels are preparing to enter a new era after billionaire sports owner Stan Kroenke reached an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in the Major League Baseball franchise from longtime owner Arte Moreno.
By parwinder singhabout a month ago in Unbalanced
American League West Check-In: The Final Stretch
Hello September! With the NFL regular season about to start and fall not too far behind, this month means only one thing. It's the final month of the 2026 Major League Baseball season. We've seen great moments such as high-scoring games and players hitting for their first career cycles. My last update on the American League West teams and how they fared so far was back in July. The teams in this division have underperformed and endured multiple losing streaks. We're going to check up on two of the teams in the division to see how well they've performed since the middle of July. This includes what their overall records are at the moment, their win-loss record since my last update, and where they are in the division and/or place in the Wild Card chase. I've started to focus on the AL West back in May, because covering the rest of the divisions in both leagues would've been time consuming.
By Mark Wesley Pritchard about a month ago in Unbalanced
