2026 MLB Preview

I’m a little late getting to this thanks to a very busy schedule.  Here’s some quick predictions:

American League

East

Toronto Blue Jays

            Last year’s AL winner lost Bichette but make some other moves to improve a bit.  The class of a very good division.

Baltimore Orioles

            Last year was a disappointment, until you realize that after the worst possible start they actually had a very good second half.  Still love the young offense, and they are working to improve the pitching.

Boston Red Sox

            Not as high on them as some people are (a few have picked them to win it all), but their starting rotation is formidable.

New York Yankees

            Yes, they won the division last year, but that was thanks to huge seasons by Judge and Chisholm.  They stood pat while the other teams above them tried to improve.

Tampa Bay Rays

            Another off season of dumping almost everyone on their roster.

 

Central

 

Detroit Tigers

            Like almost everyone else, I believe in Hinch and this team.  They are actually going for it in what is probably Skubal’s last season with the team.

Kansas City Royals

            A very good core of young hitters and a solid rotation.

Cleveland Indians

            Where is there any offense outside Jose Ramirez?  Yes, the pitching is great, but you still need to score runs to win.

Chicago White Sox

            Most are picking them to finish last again, but I think they made a couple of good moves and will be slightly better than the team that just doesn’t care about winning.

Minnesota Twins

            Not believing in this team again.  The ownership doesn’t care.  Buxton is a lock to be gone before the end of the season.

 

West

 

Seattle Mariners

            Now the class of the division until proven differently.

Sacramento? Athletics

            They have a really good young offense.  I love Jacob Wilson and Kurtz and the others.  Until they get into a real stadium, however, the question will always be the pitching.

Houston Astros

            They surprised me greatly last year, just missing the playoffs despite the most injured times in MLB history.  The problem remains the same, do they have enough offense?  Will Yordan finally have a healthy season?

Texas Rangers

            Some people have bought into their rotation, but there’s too much injury risk to think they can do it again.

Los Angeles Angels

            They still haven’t had a 100 loss season.  Is it this year?

 

National League

East

Philadelphia Phillies

            This division is not as good as many people think.  I have too many questions about the other teams that I have the Phillies winning by default.

Atlanta Braves

Injuries, injuries, injuries.

New York Mets

            I love the addition of Bichette, but this is still the Mets.

Miami Marlins

            Some good pieces, but not enough to compete.

Washington Nationals

            Speaking of competing, they will compete for worst record in baseball.

 

Central

 

Milwaukee Brewers

            They lost Peralta, but until they lose, I’m going to pick them.

Chicago Cubs

            Throwing a good amount of money around, but I still don’t think they are a complete team.  Bregman will help as a leader, however.

Pittsburgh Pirates

            Last year they disappointed (at least me).  This year, I like that they finally tried to improve their offense.  The biggest problem will be defense, with many guys out of position.

Cincinnati Reds

            I’m not a believer, especially with Hunter Greene out.

St. Louis Cardinals

            Nope.

 

West

Los Angeles Dodgers

            Booooooooo (copied from last year)

San Diego Padres

            Year-by-year a frustrating team.

Arizona Diamondbacks

            They have just enough to possibly finish second, or fourth.

San Francisco Giants

            The definition of “mid”.

Colorado Rockies

            Will they ever be competitive again?

 

Playoffs: 

AL:

            Blue Jays

            Tigers

            Mariners

            Orioles

            Royals

            Red Sox

NL:

            Phillies

            Brewers

            Dodgers

            Cubs

            Pirates

            Braves

 

World Series: Blue Jays over Dodgers

            Righting the wrong of last year.

 

(trying to pick some fun winners rather than boring)

AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr. (I’m going to pick him until he wins one)

AL Cy Young: Hunter Brown

AL ROY: Kevin McGonigle

 

NL MVP: Fernando Tatis Jr.

NL Cy Young: Jacob Misiorowski

NL ROY: Bubba Chandler

52 in 25: #48 - The Wingmen

I actually finished this a few days ago but haven’t had the time to write anything.  Next was a sort-of sequel to the previously read The Cloudbuster Nine.  I read Adam Lazarus’ The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams.

            Space.  Baseball.  Military History.  You would think that I had read this already (published 2023) or at least knew about their friendship.  Somehow, as far as I can remember, I had no idea about their connection until I heard about his book shortly after it was published.  I’m still kind of baffled by that.  I finally got around to reading it.

            The author does a great job of setting up the story, detailing the lives of Ted Williams and John Glenn, two of the most famous men of their time.  And, of course, he also goes into length about how the two of them got to be wingmen in the Korean War.  And then he has a number of chapters on their post-war lives, highlighting their interactions of the years.  Probably my biggest problem is how quickly the war goes by (in the book, not in real life).  There are some good chapters on the nature of the war and their role in it, and in particular about Ted’s crash, but it almost seems like an afterthought for their lives.  I do have some sympathy, however, if that is simply from lack of more information.  I know this problem from personal experience.

            Overall, it is an interesting, though not essential, read for anyone interested in baseball or military history.  One credit I will give to the author is that before I read this, I loved Ted Williams and didn’t care for John Glenn.  After reading, I have a better appreciation for Glenn and see more of the deficiencies of Teddy Ballgame (though I am still immensely intrigued by his life and personality).

52 in 25: #38 - The Cloudbuster Nine

Next was a book I had been looking forward to for some time.  It’s a mixture of two of my favorite subjects (which you can probably guess by what I’ve read this year): World War II and baseball.  It was Anne R. Keene’s The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team that Helped Win World War II.

The Cloudbuster Nine was the clever name of a baseball team made up of Navy pilots going through intensive training in North Carolina during WWII.  At various points, it included Ted Williams, his friend and teammate Johnny Pesky, and Johnny Sain, among other baseball players.  They traveled to different parts of the country to play charity games, as well as part of an actual league of teams from the Carolinas.  All the while, they were also going through perhaps the most difficult training yet composed for pilots.

 

All of that sounds fascinating, and like there’s a lot to uncover.  And there is.  Unfortunately, in my mind at least, the author does not spend enough time talking about either the baseball or the training.  It is somewhat glossed over.  I certainly don’t see how, as the title says, this team “helped win WWII,” outside of the training that saved lives.  For much of this book, the author focuses on her dad, who was a batboy for the team, and his disappointment later in life for failing to reach the Majors.  In that way, it’s kind of depressing.

 

It's not a bad book.  But, for me, it doesn’t really deliver on either the war side or the baseball side.  It’s a “human interest” story, but not the human (Ted Williams) who is teased to be the focus of the story.

52 in 25: #36 - Rickey

I really wanted to love Howard Bryant’s Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original.  Rickey Henderson was a favorite player.  I loved watching him.  His combination of speed, eye, and power is unmatched.  He was the greatest leadoff hitter of all time.  But this biography was disappointing.

 

I should have expected, given the author, the overwhelming focus on race.  And, sure, it was important to Rickey’s life.  But it didn’t have to be the main thread of this biography.  Essentially everything came down to race.  Now, of course I know that by saying that I am a racist.  Whatever.

 

Another big problem was how little of his actual on-field exploits were covered.  Worst example: one section ends in 1995, the next section picks up in 2001 and quickly moves to his retirement.  It was jarring. The intervening years were some of the most important to me, when he was a Padre and I was watching him all the time.  Now, yes, he went back and covered some of that time, but that was another problem I had.  It was maybe overall linear, but not really.  One paragraph to the next might be in the 2000s, then the 1990s, then back to the 1970s.  Stop jumping around!  I’m lost!

 

It's not a bad book.  I’ve definitely read better baseball biographies.  Again, that’s my biggest problem.  If you want to convince me that he is one of the all-time greats (I know he is), then maybe talk a little bit more about on-field Rickey and less about the city of Oakland.  The context is interesting, but it gets tedious.  And that’s part of the reason why it took me so long to read this, because I needed to supplement it with something interesting (Congo).

52 in 25: #29 - Public Bonehead, Private Hero

Next up, returning to baseball with Public Bonehead, Private Hero: The Real Legacy of Baseball’s Fred Merkle by Mike Cameron (not the former baseball player).

At one point in time, Fred Merkle was the most (in)famous player in baseball history, though today only hardcore fans know his story.  The pennant race in 1908 is one of the closest in baseball history (American League too, but that’s not part of this story).  On September 23, two of the leaders, the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs, met in an important match.  Merkle was a 19-year-old rookie, though many regarded him as an extremely intelligent player.  He had played in about 40 games that season, but this would be only his second start of the season.

The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth.  With one out, Art Devlin singled.  Moose McCormick followed with a ground ball, but the Cubs were only able to get the force out at second.  Merkle was up next, and he his a sharp single to the right-field line.  McCormick stopped at third.  In most other situations, Merkle could have easily had a double, but, being smart, he knew his run didn’t matter so he stayed at first to not risk making the third out.  Al Bridwell came up next, and hit a single into center field.  Giants win the game!  The fans storm the field (much more common in those days)!  Except…

In those days, it was common practice that in this case, with a clear game-winning hit, the winning run would touch home and the other runners would make their way to the clubhouse.  By the rules, however, the run does not count until all other runners have safely reached their next base to avoid a force out.  Again, this was not enforced at that time until about a week earlier when the Cubs attempted to catch another team.  That time the out was not called, but the league sent a warning to the umpires and a few clubs that the rule would be enforced going forward.  The Cubs knew this, the Giants didn’t, so Merkle didn’t.  As mentioned, he did wanted dozens of others had done up to that point.  The Cubs ran down the ball, stepped on second, and though the umpires said the game was over, the Cubs appealed to the league president, and the game was officially ruled a “tie” to be made up later.

Again, this is a difficult situation to understand if you’re not a baseball fan.  At the time, however, newspapers all over started calling Merkle a “bonehead,” and so fans followed suit.  To make matters worse, the game was replayed at the end of the season, October 8.  The Giants and Cubs were tied for first (the Pirates were just a half-game back, but it was too late for them).  The Cubs won the makeup 4-2, and went on to win the World Series.  Again, the newspapers blamed it all on Merkle.

To his credit, Merkle hung on, including through a disastrous 1909 campaign, to play 16 seasons and play in 5 World Series (though not winning one).  The “Bonehead” epitaph stayed with him throughout, even if players and coaches knew he was one of the smartest players in the game.

The book itself is interesting, I just wish there was more about Merkle himself.  Maybe the author used all that was available.  The final chapter he basically presents him as a saint, a heroic figure, but with little evidence to back that up outside of “he was unfairly branded a loser but he forged on.”

Finally, just a little background on why I read this book.  My first assignment as a priest was in Watertown, WI.  Somehow I noticed a baseball field there named after him.  Knowing his story already, I had to search it out, and came to this book.  He is honored there because he was born there, the son of a Lutheran school teacher, but they moved away only 15 months after he was born (interestingly, about as long as I lasted there).  So while he’s “from” Watertown, he certainly would not have considered it home.  And, I promise this is my final note, my parents gave me the book on my 1 year anniversary as a priest.  Mom and Dad, it only took me 4 years to read it!

52 in 25: #18-25 - Retreat Reading!

That's not a typo.  I kept saying, don’t worry, I know I’m falling behind, but I have my retreat coming up.  I think I did a bit of reading this week.  I’ll just throw it in one big update.

 

18. I finished this just before the beginning of my retreat, so need to start with this.  I stayed with science fiction, but went back to a classic that I have never read (again, this year I’m trying to read some classics that I’ve missed).  And so, I read H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.  I’ve never seen the 1953 movie, but of course I’ve seen Speilberg’s movie from 2005, so I had a little idea of what to expect.  It’s very different, however, being set when it was written (1897).  The technology is wildly primitive (to what we have today).  I can appreciate it for being important, “ground-breaking,” etc.  That being said, I still think the finale, with the martians just…dying, no big climactic battle, is a bit underwhelming.  Plus, the narrator is pretty weak, just always reacting (sometimes poorly) and not be proactive in any way.

 

19. Next, this is a book that I have been reading for a bit, a few pages at a time, and finally completed.  John Rosengren’s Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes.  The baseball stuff is pretty good, he’s an incredibly interesting character.  As is his involvement in WWII.  The unfortunate thing is that his personal life was something to be desired (a “playboy,” married twice).  I also thought the author spent too much time on the social/cultural topics of the time, though I understand why he did it, just that it was rather tiresome.  It was a big “meh” for me.

 

20. I may have said this before, but much of my WWII interest before I visited Pearl Harbor was in the European theatre.  That isn’t completely true, however, because in grad school I wrote a number of papers on the nuclear bomb, so I am fairly familiar with that side of it.  One story that I was not very familiar with, however, was the sinking of the Indianapolis.  I knew it, like most people, mostly from Jaws.  So, I had to read Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic’s Indianapolis.  This was a fascinating history, tragic, maddening at times.  It was heartbreaking, and at times I got a bit emotional.  I also have to say that at first I was disappointed that so much of the book was focused on the after-effects, the court martial and exoneration of Captain McVay, but in the end I that it was worthwhile.  A thoroughly interesting, page-turning historical work.

 

21. Yes, I also did some religious reading on my retreat.  I’ll start with James F. Day’s book Saint Michael the Archangel.  It’s short, but a good overview of the importance of St. Michael, devotion to him, and why he is loved.  It also made me want to make a pilgrimage of “The Sword of St. Michael.”

 

22. Next up was Jeremiah Johnston’s Body of Proof: The 7 Best Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection of Jesus-and Why It Matters Today.  During Holy Week I watched an interview with Dr. Johnston about the Shroud of Turin, and it was so good I wanted to read this to get more information.  Unfortunately, it was a bit of a bait-and-switch.  The Shroud is not even mentioned in this book!  Yep, it’s not one of the “7 Best Reasons to Believe in the Resurrection.”  He’s Baptist, so it’s more of a Biblical “proof” of the Resurrection.  The problem is that, while of course I believe in the Resurrection, I felt that a number of his reasons were quite flimsy, even bad.  Just as an example, he claims that Christianity changed society all over the world.  First of all, yes it did, but is that proof?  Second, he claims that Christianity led to amazing technological developments.  As a (former) historian of technology, this claim is a stretch at best, blatantly wrong at worst.  I guess he didn’t realize that much of the technological advancements (even some that he mentions) actually came from China, India, or other points East?  I give this book a “hard pass.”  One of the more disappointing books I’ve read recently.

 

23. The main “theme” of my retreat was St. Peter.  I felt God was calling me to get to know him a bit better.  So, I’ll start with Scripture.  I read two commentaries on Peter’s letters, but since they are part of larger compilations, I will say they add up to one book for me.  The more substantial was the volume on Peter’s letters and Jude from the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series (this by Daniel Keating).  I also read through St. Bede’s commentaries on the letters (it’s his feast day tomorrow, after all).  These commentaries were incredible (as to be expected), and really helped me to enter into St. Peter’s letters.  Excellent!

 

24. I also read a fairly short but deep work by Georges Chevrot, originally published in French in 1937, Simon Peter: Lessons from the First Pope.  Unfortunately, I found out this is abridged, but I don’t know of another version in English.  It’s basically 24 chapters based around each time Jesus speaks to Peter in the Gospels, with a reflection on what it tells us about Jesus, Peter, and us.  I loved this, especially on retreat as an entry into contemplation.  Highly recommended.

 

25. Finally, I also read Tim Gray’s Peter: Keys to Following Jesus.  Again, this was great for more contemplation on Peter in Scripture, but beyond the Gospels to the Acts and even Sacred Tradition.  I have to say that, between all of these, I have a better appreciation for our first pope, and what it means to be a shepherd for the Church.  I also think I have some great homily material, especially for Lent and Holy Week.  Just one example that really stood out to me.  Jesus renames Simon as “Peter Bar-Jonah” (son of Jonah), but we already know his father was John.  So Jesus not only gives him a new “first” name, but a new heritage as well.  And who is Jonah?  Jesus is the new Jonah!  So Jesus is calling him His son!  Excellent insight to reflect on.

 

So there you go, 8 books, and another on the way (about a third through).

2025 MLB Season Preview

 I didn’t do this last year, but here’s a quick take on this year’s season:

 

American League

 

East

 

Boston Red Sox

            Ok, I’m on the bandwagon like a lot of people, I think they did a lot to upgrade this offseason.

Baltimore Orioles

            Still love their young offense, but they need some more starting pitching to win the division.

Toronto Blue Jays

            Perhaps a reach, but I think Bichette has a big bounce-back year, Vlad has a huge contract year, and they get enough pitching to finish around 85 wins.

New York Yankees

            Massive question marks in their rotation, and I do not believe in Bellinger backing up Judge (who will probably get hurt this year).

Tampa Bay Rays

            Not a lot to like this year, though there rarely ever is and they still are usually successful.  This is the best division in baseball and someone has to finish last.

 

Central

 

Minnesota Twins

            I keep believing in this team, and they keep underperforming.  One of these years they will actually play up to potential.  Maybe this year?  (So I actually wrote that in 2023 and just decided the sentiment still applies.

Kansas City Royals

            Ok, the offense has a lot of questions after Witt and maybe Pasquantino, but that pitching is for real.

Cleveland team

            I will never believe in this team, outside of Jose Ramirez.

Detroit Tigers

            A good team, but they got lucky/hot at the right time last season and that won’t happen again.  Still, they should battle for a playoff spot.

Chicago White Sox

            LOL

 

West

 

Oakland…I mean Sacramento? Athletics

            They are one of those teams that are becoming a hot sleeper pick, and I’m on board.  I think that offense will be massive in a AAA ballpark, and they’ll have just enough pitching to get past the rest.

Seattle Mariners

            The opposite of the A’s, excellent pitching and ZERO offense.

Texas Rangers

            I really missed on their World Series win two years ago, and I’m down on them again because of the number of injuries they tend to have.

Houston Astros

            The dynasty is over.  My Astros should have good pitching, but they will struggle to score runs unless Cam Smith is the real deal and McCormick/Meyers have big bounce-back seasons.

Los Angeles Angels

            They should lose 100 for the first time in franchise history.

 

National League

 

East

 

Atlanta Braves

They have to be better than last year, but I am concerned with Acuna coming back from a second knee injury.

Philadelphia Phillies

            I’ve seen a lot of people picking them as the second-best team in baseball and even winning the World Series, but I don’t see it.  They’re good, strong, but also aging quickly.

New York Mets

            Yes, they “won” the offseason with Soto, but I don’t think they have a well-rounded team.

Washington Nationals

            A young, up-and-coming team who could threaten in the next couple of years.

Miami Marlins

            I’m not exactly the first to say they have a chance to be worse than the White Sox last year.  They need to move or fold.

 

Central

 

Milwaukee Brewers

            Plug-and-play team at its best.  I love the young guns and, while the pitching isn’t as strong in past seasons, it’s still good enough to win the division.

Pittsburgh Pirates

            Yep, I am much higher on them then most people, and this is a bit of wishful thinking, but that rotation is so good (the best in baseball?) and they have to add a bat at some point.  Watch out for Skenes/Jones/Keller if they make the playoffs.

Chicago Cubs

            I will never pick them to be successful, even if they did steal half the Astros.

Cincinnati Reds

            They have a good amount of “talent,” but they’re not as good as a lot of people think.  Elly de la Cruz is incredibly overrated.

St. Louis Cardinals

            Blow it up.  They’re bad.

 

West

 

Los Angeles Dodgers

            Booooooooo

Arizona Diamondbacks

            Please make a push to knock LA off.

San Diego Padres

            Too much turmoil in the front office to really push for the division.

San Francisco Giants

            I love Verlander, but I think he’s done, and I’m just not that thrilled with them.

Colorado Rockies

            What a joke of a team. (Again, a copy from 2023)

 

Playoffs:

 

AL:

            Red Sox

            Twins

            Athletics

            Orioles

            Mariners

            Royals

 

NL:

            Braves

            Brewers

            Dodgers

            Phillies

            Diamondbacks

            Pirates

 

World Series: Red Sox over Brewers

            I don’t really know, maybe the Brewers will actually have a successful postseason?

 

AL MVP: Bobby Witt Jr.

AL Cy Young: Cole Ragans

AL ROY: Cam Smith

 

NL MVP: Ketel Marte

NL Cy Young: Paul Skenes

NL ROY: Dylan Crews (I’ll just follow everyone else)