2025 Top 300: From Bobby Witt Jr. and Shohei Othani to Kristian Campbell and Walker Buehler
Here's the initial version of this year's top 300 for 5x5 mixed leagues. We'll be keeping this updated through Opening Day and beyond, and all of this year's draft guide materials will be presented on the site free of charge. Expect much more in the way of content in the coming days.
Top 300
Player
Team
Pos
Rk
1
Bobby Witt Jr.
Royals
SS
1
2
Shohei Ohtani
Dodgers
DH
1
3
Aaron Judge
Yankees
OF
1
4
Elly De La Cruz
Reds
SS
2
5
Fernando Tatis Jr.
Padres
OF
2
6
Gunnar Henderson
Orioles
SS
3
7
Julio Rodriguez
Mariners
OF
3
8
Corbin Carroll
Diamondbacks
OF
4
9
Jose Ramirez
Guardians
3B
1
10
Juan Soto
Mets
OF
5
11
Yordan Alvarez
Astros
OF
6
12
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Blue Jays
1B
1
13
Paul Skenes
Pirates
SP
1
14
Jackson Chourio
Brewers
OF
7
15
Kyle Tucker
Cubs
OF
8
16
Tarik Skubal
Tigers
SP
2
17
Francisco Lindor
Mets
SS
4
18
Jackson Merrill
Padres
OF
9
19
Austin Riley
Braves
3B
2
20
Jarren Duran
Red Sox
OF
10
21
Mookie Betts
Dodgers
SS
5
22
Freddie Freeman
Dodgers
1B
2
23
Logan Gilbert
Mariners
SP
3
24
Ronald Acuna Jr.
Braves
OF
11
25
Oneil Cruz
Pirates
SS
6
26
Trea Turner
Phillies
SS
7
27
Zack Wheeler
Phillies
SP
4
28
Wyatt Langford
Rangers
OF
12
29
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Yankees
3B
3
30
Michael Harris II
Braves
OF
13
31
Manny Machado
Padres
3B
4
32
Matt Olson
Braves
1B
3
33
Jacob deGrom
Rangers
SP
5
34
James Wood
Nationals
OF
14
35
Bryce Harper
Phillies
1B
4
36
George Kirby
Mariners
SP
6
37
CJ Abrams
Nationals
SS
8
38
Pete Alonso
Mets
1B
5
39
Lawrence Butler
Athletics
OF
15
40
Marcell Ozuna
Braves
DH
2
41
Ketel Marte
Diamondbacks
2B
1
42
Emmanuel Clase
Guardians
RP
1
43
Teoscar Hernandez
Dodgers
OF
16
44
Rafael Devers
Red Sox
3B
5
45
Blake Snell
Dodgers
SP
7
46
Brenton Doyle
Rockies
OF
17
47
William Contreras
Brewers
C
1
48
Jose Altuve
Astros
2B
2
49
Luis Robert Jr.
White Sox
OF
18
50
Dylan Cease
Padres
SP
8
51
Corey Seager
Rangers
SS
9
52
Brent Rooker
Athletics
DH
3
53
Garrett Crochet
Red Sox
SP
9
54
Bo Bichette
Blue Jays
SS
10
55
Kyle Schwarber
Phillies
DH
4
56
Dylan Crews
Nationals
OF
19
57
Framber Valdez
Astros
SP
10
58
Joe Ryan
Twins
SP
11
59
Josh Lowe
Rays
OF
20
60
Ian Happ
Cubs
OF
21
61
Junior Caminero
Rays
3B
6
62
Tanner Bibee
Guardians
SP
12
63
Corbin Burnes
Diamondbacks
SP
13
64
Jasson Dominguez
Yankees
OF
22
65
Josh Hader
Astros
RP
2
66
Anthony Volpe
Yankees
SS
11
67
Christian Walker
Astros
1B
6
68
Mark Vientos
Mets
3B
7
69
Mike Trout
Angels
OF
23
70
Gerrit Cole
Yankees
SP
14
71
Josh Naylor
Diamondbacks
1B
7
72
Willson Contreras
Cardinals
C
2
73
Mason Miller
Athletics
RP
3
74
Chris Sale
Braves
SP
15
75
Cody Bellinger
Yankees
1B
8
76
Raisel Iglesias
Braves
RP
4
77
Isaac Paredes
Astros
3B
8
78
Max Fried
Yankees
SP
16
79
Ezequiel Tovar
Rockies
SS
12
80
Edwin Diaz
Mets
RP
5
81
Seiya Suzuki
Cubs
OF
24
82
Cole Ragans
Royals
SP
17
83
Alec Bohm
Phillies
3B
9
84
Michael King
Padres
SP
18
85
Devin Williams
Yankees
RP
6
86
Bryan Reynolds
Pirates
OF
25
87
Marcus Semien
Rangers
2B
3
88
Spencer Strider
Braves
SP
19
89
Matt McLain
Reds
2B
4
90
Jordan Westburg
Orioles
2B
5
91
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Dodgers
SP
20
92
Ryan Helsley
Cardinals
RP
7
93
Bryce Miller
Mariners
SP
21
94
Triston Casas
Red Sox
1B
9
95
Spencer Steer
Reds
1B
10
96
Jeff Hoffman
Blue Jays
RP
8
97
Tyler Glasnow
Dodgers
SP
22
98
Christopher Morel
Rays
2B
6
99
Michael Toglia
Rockies
1B
11
100
Justin Steele
Cubs
SP
23
101
Willy Adames
Giants
SS
13
102
Jhoan Duran
Twins
RP
9
103
Spencer Schwellenbach
Braves
SP
24
104
Xavier Edwards
Marlins
SS
14
105
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Cubs
OF
26
106
Felix Bautista
Orioles
RP
10
107
Shota Imanaga
Cubs
SP
25
108
Adley Rutschman
Orioles
C
3
109
Ozzie Albies
Braves
2B
7
110
Logan Webb
Giants
SP
26
111
Riley Greene
Tigers
OF
27
112
Zach Neto
Angels
SS
15
113
Bailey Ober
Twins
SP
27
114
Salvador Perez
Royals
C
4
115
Jonathan India
Royals
2B
8
116
Robert Suarez
Padres
RP
11
117
Masyn Winn
Cardinals
SS
16
118
Grayson Rodriguez
Orioles
SP
28
119
Ryan Walker
Giants
RP
12
120
Vinnie Pasquantino
Royals
1B
12
121
Bryan Woo
Mariners
SP
29
122
Royce Lewis
Twins
3B
10
123
Pablo Lopez
Twins
SP
30
124
Matt Chapman
Giants
3B
11
125
Tanner Scott
Dodgers
RP
13
126
Maikel Garcia
Royals
2B
9
127
Adolis Garcia
Rangers
OF
28
128
Yainer Diaz
Astros
C
5
129
Carlos Rodon
Yankees
SP
31
130
Luis Garcia Jr.
Nationals
2B
10
131
Andres Munoz
Mariners
RP
14
132
Hunter Brown
Astros
SP
32
133
Brice Turang
Brewers
2B
11
134
Nick Castellanos
Phillies
OF
29
135
Sonny Gray
Cardinals
SP
33
136
Trevor Megill
Brewers
RP
15
137
Steven Kwan
Guardians
OF
30
138
Anthony Santander
Blue Jays
OF
31
139
Zac Gallen
Diamondbacks
SP
34
140
Nolan Jones
Rockies
OF
32
141
Garrett Mitchell
Brewers
OF
33
142
Nico Hoerner
Cubs
2B
12
143
Kevin Gausman
Blue Jays
SP
35
144
David Bednar
Pirates
RP
16
145
Yandy Diaz
Rays
1B
13
146
Tommy Edman
Dodgers
SS
17
147
Jared Jones
Pirates
SP
36
148
Tyler O'Neill
Orioles
OF
34
149
Jeremy Pena
Astros
SS
18
150
Alex Bregman
3B
12
151
Kodai Senga
Mets
SP
37
152
Jorge Soler
Angels
OF
35
153
Paul Goldschmidt
Yankees
1B
14
154
Freddy Peralta
Brewers
SP
38
155
Randy Arozarena
Mariners
OF
36
156
Cal Raleigh
Mariners
C
6
157
Cristopher Sanchez
Phillies
SP
39
158
Kenley Jansen
RP
17
159
Christian Encarnacion-Strand
Reds
1B
15
160
Aaron Nola
Phillies
SP
40
161
Josh Jung
Rangers
3B
13
162
Christian Yelich
Brewers
OF
37
163
Drew Rasmussen
Rays
SP
41
165
Parker Meadows
Tigers
OF
38
165
Liam Hendriks
Red Sox
RP
18
166
Brandon Nimmo
Mets
OF
39
167
Brandon Pfaadt
Diamondbacks
SP
42
168
Luis Arraez
Padres
2B
13
169
Colton Cowser
Orioles
OF
40
170
Hunter Greene
Reds
SP
43
171
Trevor Story
Red Sox
SS
19
172
Justin Martinez
Diamondbacks
RP
19
173
Sandy Alcantara
Marlins
SP
44
174
Jake Burger
Rangers
3B
14
175
Roki Sasaki
Dodgers
SP
45
176
Ryan Pressly
Cubs
RP
20
177
Evan Carter
Rangers
OF
41
178
Andres Gimenez
Blue Jays
2B
14
179
Brandon Woodruff
Brewers
SP
46
180
Jung Hoo Lee
Giants
OF
42
181
Xander Bogaerts
Padres
SS
20
182
Luis Castillo
Mariners
SP
47
183
Brandon Lowe
Rays
2B
15
184
Kerry Carpenter
Tigers
OF
43
185
Zach Eflin
Orioles
SP
48
186
Tyler Soderstrom
Athletics
1B
16
187
Ceddanne Rafaela
Red Sox
SS
21
188
Ryan Mountcastle
Orioles
1B
17
189
Reynaldo Lopez
Braves
SP
49
190
Byron Buxton
Twins
OF
44
191
Shohei Ohtani
Dodgers
SP
50
192
Colt Keith
Tigers
2B
16
193
Nolan Arenado
Cardinals
3B
15
194
Jackson Holliday
Orioles
2B
17
195
Shane McClanahan
Rays
SP
51
196
A.J. Puk
Diamondbacks
RP
21
197
Brendan Donovan
Cardinals
2B
18
198
Jack Flaherty
Tigers
SP
52
199
Gleyber Torres
Tigers
2B
19
200
Shea Langeliers
Athletics
C
7
201
Ben Joyce
Angels
RP
22
202
Sean Manaea
Mets
SP
53
203
Ryan McMahon
Rockies
3B
16
204
Max Scherzer
Blue Jays
SP
54
205
Bryson Stott
Phillies
2B
20
206
Joc Pederson
Rangers
DH
5
207
Carlos Estevez
Royals
RP
23
208
Michael Busch
Cubs
1B
18
209
Jo Adell
Angels
OF
45
210
Nathan Eovaldi
Rangers
SP
55
211
Lars Nootbaar
Cardinals
OF
46
212
Jesus Sanchez
Marlins
OF
47
213
Gavin Lux
Reds
2B
21
214
Beau Brieske
Tigers
RP
24
215
Reese Olson
Tigers
SP
56
216
Luis Rengifo
Angels
2B
22
217
Will Smith
Dodgers
C
8
218
Zack Gelof
Athletics
2B
23
219
Yusei Kikuchi
Angels
SP
57
220
Jurickson Profar
Braves
OF
48
221
Alexis Diaz
Reds
RP
25
222
Thairo Estrada
Rockies
2B
24
223
Bowden Francis
Blue Jays
SP
58
224
Victor Robles
Mariners
OF
49
225
Jake McCarthy
Diamondbacks
OF
50
226
Nick Lodolo
Reds
SP
59
227
Max Muncy
Dodgers
3B
17
228
Matt Shaw
Cubs
3B
18
229
J.T. Realmuto
Phillies
C
9
230
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Diamondbacks
OF
51
231
Nestor Cortes
Brewers
SP
60
232
Cedric Mullins
Orioles
OF
52
233
Andrew Vaughn
White Sox
1B
19
234
Edwin Uceta
Rays
RP
26
235
Luis Gil
Yankees
SP
61
236
Brandon Marsh
Phillies
OF
53
237
Carlos Correa
Twins
SS
22
238
Matthew Boyd
Cubs
SP
62
239
Griffin Jax
Twins
RP
27
240
Jordan Walker
Cardinals
OF
54
241
Taylor Ward
Angels
OF
55
242
Pete Fairbanks
Rays
RP
28
243
Giancarlo Stanton
Yankees
DH
6
244
Jeffrey Springs
Athletics
SP
63
245
Eugenio Suarez
Diamondbacks
3B
19
246
Logan O'Hoppe
Angels
C
10
247
Yu Darvish
Padres
SP
64
248
Dansby Swanson
Cubs
SS
23
249
Cade Smith
Guardians
RP
29
250
George Springer
Blue Jays
OF
56
251
Jesus Luzardo
Phillies
SP
65
252
Jeimer Candelario
Reds
3B
20
253
Heliot Ramos
Giants
OF
57
254
Jordan Romano
Phillies
RP
30
255
Nathaniel Lowe
Nationals
1B
20
256
Ranger Suarez
Phillies
SP
66
257
Masataka Yoshida
Red Sox
DH
7
258
TJ Friedl
Reds
OF
58
259
Orion Kerkering
Phillies
RP
31
260
Wilyer Abreu
Red Sox
OF
59
261
Pavin Smith
Diamondbacks
1B
21
262
Clay Holmes
Mets
SP
67
263
Willi Castro
Twins
SS
24
264
Kirby Yates
Dodgers
RP
32
265
Matt Wallner
Twins
OF
60
266
Robbie Ray
Giants
SP
68
267
Tyler Fitzgerald
Giants
SS
25
268
Gabriel Moreno
Diamondbacks
C
11
269
Chris Bassitt
Blue Jays
SP
69
270
Jonathan Aranda
Rays
1B
23
271
Seth Lugo
Royals
SP
70
272
JJ Bleday
Athletics
OF
61
273
Rhys Hoskins
Brewers
1B
24
274
Ryan Pepiot
Rays
SP
71
275
Michael Massey
Royals
2B
25
276
Jason Adam
Padres
RP
33
277
Shane Baz
Rays
SP
72
278
Joey Ortiz
Brewers
3B
21
279
Michael Conforto
Dodgers
OF
62
280
Camilo Doval
Giants
RP
34
281
Lenyn Sosa
White Sox
2B
26
282
J.D. Martinez
DH
8
283
Aaron Civale
Brewers
SP
73
284
Josh Bell
Nationals
1B
25
285
Lane Thomas
Guardians
OF
63
286
Craig Kimbrel
RP
35
287
Nick Pivetta
SP
74
288
Hyeseong Kim
Dodgers
2B
27
289
Chris Martin
Rangers
RP
36
290
Alec Burleson
Cardinals
OF
64
291
Tyler Stephenson
Reds
C
12
292
Taj Bradley
Rays
SP
75
293
Nolan Schanuel
Angels
1B
26
294
Jacob Young
Nationals
OF
65
295
Brayan Bello
Red Sox
SP
76
296
Ivan Herrera
Cardinals
C
13
297
Kyle Finnegan
RP
37
298
Kristian Campbell
Red Sox
2B
28
299
Jake Cronenworth
Padres
2B
29
300
Walker Buehler
Red Sox
SP
77
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Blue Jays Reporter Opens Up About Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Shohei Ohtani in New Book
Blue Jays Reporter Opens Up About Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Shohei Ohtani in New Book originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Blue Jays aren't the MLB's most successful franchise, but there have been plenty of highlights in their 49-year history. The 1992 and '93 World Series wins, Joe Carter and José Bautista's bat flips, and the current era with superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have all entrenched the organization in the baseball pantheon. Advertisement However, the team has also partially been defined by failure, such as when it missed the playoffs in Guerrero's near-MVP season in 2021 and striking out in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes two years later. Toronto fans have experienced their fair share of pain, but Blue Jays beat reporter Keegan Matheson wrote a book that will take the old ones down memory lane and give the young ones perspective. The book, titled "The Franchise: Toronto Blue Jays," and releasing on Tuesday, covers everything from the franchise's inception to the current decade. It's branded as "A Curated History of the Jays," reading less like a history textbook and more like a mixture of the most iconic and never-before-told stories from different periods. Matheson, who has covered the team since 2017, spoke to Athlon Sports about the book, his thoughts on the 2025 Blue Jays, and more. Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr (27)Brad Penner-Imagn Images Josh Valdez: Why should Blue Jays fans be excited about your book, and what makes it different? Advertisement Keegan Matheson: I think this book, and I only really came to understand this as I wrote it, but it's a book about why people give a damn about this team. Whether it's growing up with a team or coming back from that for a lot of years, it's a book about the people and the moments that make this team matter to people. You know, whether you love them on any given night or you're angry that they lost 1-0, people deep down still love this team, and this team still matters to people in a really intimate and meaningful way. And it's even the same for me. Even though this job has made them mean something different to me, the Blue Jays have been a huge part of my life. So I hope that it connects with people in that regard and really gets the moments they care about. But the other thing I tried to do with this book was to not bore people. I think the keyword in the title is "Curated." It's the curated history of the Blue Jays. If this were just a history book, it would be 20 books long, and it would read like a school textbook, and it would be boring, because there are 50 years of history, and you can get into a million different things over 50 years of a Major League Baseball team. But I was able to be picky and be selective with the stories I wanted to tell. And the stories I included are ones that I was interested in, that I wanted to write about, that I wanted to talk to people about. So I hope that keeps people interested in where the team has I hope some of them are more fun than what I write on most nights. There are a lot of nights during the season when I'm writing that the Blue Jays lost 2-1, and the starting pitcher had a bad fastball, and that story is interesting for about 10 minutes. I told a few stories that are a little more engaging for people, they can last a little longer. It was really, really fun to write, but also part of writing this was recognizing that it's not every single story ever told. This book is part of, you know, all of the stories that have been told, but if I try to tell every single story, I don't think anyone would like this book. So I was able to be selective and try to get to what people would be really interested in. Advertisement Josh Valdez: What was the criterion for what made them good stories for you to include? Keegan Matheson: In one regard, I wanted some of these stories to be fresh. Now, there's always going to have to be a chapter for Joe Carter's home run. There will always have to be a chapter about Bautista's bat flip and those great teams of the mid-80s. And I've written those a hundred times, and I wrote it for a 101st time in this book, I hope more interesting than before, but those stories always matter. They're always going to matter. But I wanted to include some new stories as well, because, again, I really do see this book as just adding to the stories that have been told about the Blue Jays. This is not the first book written about this team, and it won't be the last. But I hope to add some things that haven't been written about before. That can be in terms of players' lives around this city, the experience of playing in Toronto, and playing in Canada. Some of these chapters focus on the COVID years. When I was on the road with the team, some of what they went through and some of my experience being on the road and what I had to do to cover the team in the U.S. and Dunedin and Buffalo, the chapters on Shohei Ohtani and that pursuit that I was there for and had some stories I've been saving about. So some of these stories are old stories from a new angle, but some of them, I hope, are brand new stories for people, and I wanted to balance that out, because there is such a rich history with this team, but it's still being created, too. There's still new stuff to add, and I think that's what makes a team like the Blue Jays exciting. They're no longer the new kids, we're coming up on half a century here. They're no longer the new team up in Canada, but I still think that new interesting things are happening, even if they aren't playoff wins, as much as people would love for me to have a chapter there about a new World Series, maybe one day. But I still think a lot of great stories are happening around this team, so I wanted to include some new stuff as well. Advertisement Josh Valdez: Can you get more specific on what about this organization merits writing this kind of book about? What gives the Blue Jays a unique edge in comparison to some other teams? Keegan Matheson: I think a fun part of the book for me was going back to a lot of years before I was covering the team, and even before I was alive. Going back to how this team was formed, playing at Exhibition Stadium. "The X" is...a lot of people remember it as a bit of a dump, and a lot of the players would agree with that, but there is this sense of pride where it's just like kind of their beat up first apartment, like that apartment you have in college that you still kind of love because it was yours. But moving from there to the Skydome to being that team in Canada, along with the [Montreal] Expos back then. And the idea of going from the new kid on the block to a team that actually belonged, I think, really interests me. Part of that was infrastructure. It was moving from a pretty terrible stadium. You know, [former Blue Jays president] Paul Beeston always says it wasn't just the worst stadium of baseball, it was the worst stadium in all of sports, and he was probably right. But moving into Skydome, which was like playing in space at the time. I don't appreciate it as much now as I should, but at the time, it was just an unbelievable marvel. And then winning the World Series and becoming a legitimate team. We still see that in other sports, I guess like the NHL is a better example, of expansion teams lately. Getting into the league is one part, but you need to win to be a legitimate team. Like that's how you get established. So that's fascinated me, but also the experience of players coming up to this team and coming up to play in Canada. I really loved talking to Buck Martinez about that. And the day that he first got traded to the Blue Jays in 1981, and his quotes are in the book, and they're probably a little more colorful than mine, but his reaction was just like "The Blue Jays are the best you can do? You're trading me to Toronto. Really?" And that was a lot of players' reactions. Like, "Are you kidding that you're sending me to Canada to play for that crappy Blue Jays team?" But then they got good, and everything changed. And how everything changed really fascinated me. Advertisement Those great teams of the 80s, Dave Steve, those great lineups, George Bell, kind of changed the perception around the team. I think they made people take the team seriously, because they were not taken seriously whatsoever when you're playing at a football stadium that's crowned in the middle, it was a bit of a mess early on. So I think that was a really fun part for me. Josh Valdez: Do you think learning about the history will help younger fans realize that it used to be a lot worse than it is right now? Keegan Matheson: Yeah, I think it matters in both directions, honestly. Like I was alive for '92 and '93, but I wasn't old enough to remember, and I won't pretend that I was. So a lot of this book for me was talking to players in that era, coaches, broadcasters, to understand it. And I think that's really important for younger fans, too, because there are a lot of fans, younger generation, if you're 25 and under, maybe 30 and under, where Bautista's bat flip was your moment. And that's really cool, but there have been a lot of other cool moments with this team. And in baseball, in particular, I think the history of a franchise really matters because you understand where they've come from. You understand the history and the lore that goes behind these players, uniforms, and these stadiums. I think that's what makes it so cool. It's what makes the Blue Jays matter, because they have one. They did go back to back. Joe Carter did hit that home run. They did have that incredible era where they were the hottest ticket in the country, and the entire baseball world was chasing the Blue Jays, and they couldn't catch them. And that's what makes it important right now, both the Blue Jays are losing because they need to get back to that, or even when the Blue Jays were winning in 2015 and 2016, they were still chasing that. And for younger fans who really got into the Blue Jays in '15 and '16 with Bautista, [Edwin] Encarnacion, [Josh] Donaldson, and all of those guys. Advertisement However fun that was for you, multiply that by 10,000. That's what it would have been in the early 90s for people, and there's an entire generation now of fans who don't remember that. Even if you're 40 years old, you would have been, what, nine, 10 years old around then, your memory's probably not the clearest. So a lot of Blue Jays fans, probably half of Blue Jays fans, don't really remember the World Series years. But I think learning about them and knowing about where the teams come from, back through Roy Halladay, back through Joe Carter, back through Dave Steve. It helps frame everything that happens today. Because when we talk about Vladdy being a great Blue Jay, well, who's he up against? Who does he need to be better than? I think stuff like that makes everybody a baseball fan, and it's something that I nerd out about anyway. I'm really interested in the history of the team, where they've come from. I'm happy to be covering the Blue Jays from the fancy Rogers Centre press box and not the Exhibition Stadium press box. It's probably a bit better spread in the one I cover them in. It's been fun to learn about that. Josh Valdez: You mentioned Vlad just now. Do you cover him and this era a decent amount in the book? Or is it more focused on past years? Keegan Matheson: Yeah, it's pretty evenly balanced in terms of time. Now, I start at Exhibition Stadium and how Skydome was built, which I really love writing, but I also include two chapters on Vladdy. The first chapter on Vladdy is about his prospect years, and it's just about his prospect years, because I think that's a big example of something that I had on my mind throughout this whole book. And it's the reason that I included the Shohei Ohtani chapter as well, because, yeah, it's over. He plays for the [Los Angeles] Dodgers, sorry. But I think that was an interesting enough story that I wanted to kind of cut it out and have it exist all by itself just to document it. So like that exists, and I can look back on it. Advertisement Vladdy's prospect years were the same. I don't think I'll ever see anything like Vladdy as a prospect. I really, I don't know if I covered this game 40 more years, I might not see another prospect like Vladdy. And it's one of the only times I can remember where the hitter was controlling what was happening in it at bat. It was unbelievable. So to talk to people, and even talking to John Schneider, who was his manager back then, he just sits and shakes his head. He's like, "Man, I'll never see anything like that. It only comes around every 20, 30 years." So I wanted there to be a Vladdy chapter that was just about that, so that I can kind of frame that in history, and it's always there. The next Vladdy chapter was about his 2021 season, in which he nearly won the MVP, and when that team almost made the playoffs I think that's a great tragedy of the era, that that team did not make the playoffs with Marcus Semiem and Teoscar Hernandez in that lineup. But that frames kind of the best of Vladdy at this point. And that was really fun to write and document. Charlie Montoyo, his teammates speaking about what a superstar looks like. Like one of the best seasons we've ever seen in Toronto. Now, going into present day, the book was obviously written well ahead of Vlady's extension, maybe that's a chapter we can add if we go to paperback eventually. But my big fear was that he would get traded or something and blow the whole book up. I keep thinking of Tim McMahon, the NBA reporter, whom I really respect. He wrote the Luka [Doncic] book, and boom, Luka gets traded. I lost sleep over something major happening like that, thankfully not. But yeah, two Vlad chapters that were really fun to write, and hopefully it gives me reason to write a third or a fourth or another book someday. Josh Valdez: Has the book changed your perspective on this season or just the present day? Do you feel like you're not as stressed anymore about stuff that could change or outdate the book now that Vlad's contract is locked in? Advertisement Keegan Matheson: Yeah, I do, and that was a big anxiety point for me because things can change very quickly. You know, one swing, one game, one parade changes everything. And I'm really happy with where it's landed, And because this window is still kind of open, I struggled with that a couple of times, like, should I write the story on this era of Blue Jays baseball, under Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins? We're still in it right now. And while it has not been good yet, they have not won a postseason game since 2016. I started covering the team in 2017. So, all I have covered are teams that don't show up in the postseason. But all they have to do is do that once. And whether I think that's going to happen or not, probably doesn't even matter at this point. The moment you break through, when the Blue Jays get hot and go on a run this year, next year, the year after, the last 10 years immediately don't matter anymore. Because when you have a moment like that, like '92 and '93, even like '15 and '16, those [latter two] teams didn't even go to the World Series, and I think they're forever going to be held up by a lot of people as a couple of the great Jays teams that really mean something to people, because they got them back into baseball, or they reminded them of how much they loved the team. All you've got to do is have a moment like that, and it can change everything. So I'm I'm happy with where it landed honestly, I don't even mean this as a marketing play. I genuinely mean that it changed this whole job for me, because it changed how I approached stories every day, it changed how I understand this team. It made me much happier doing this job. And it made me realize that, yeah, probably tomorrow or the next day, I might have to write a story about how somebody's curveball didn't work and it got hit a few times. That's fine, but that's factory work. By the next day, that story's not going to matter, but it made much more interested in the bigger stories around this team and the stories that have a little likes to them. And it reaffirmed for me, I guess, that those stories do matter, because when you have a moment like Joe Carter, that lasts forever. When you have a career like Dave Steve did, that lasts forever. Like Roy Halladay, like José Bautista with that one home run. I'll be 70 years old talking about the bat flip. It reminded me that those can come around anytime, even though it's been a rough decade for the Blue Jays, if just one of those moments come around, you forget about everything else. Advertisement Josh Valdez: And what do the Jays have to do, in your opinion, to finally get back to the mountaintop? Keegan Matheson: They need to develop some sort of identity. I keep going back to that 2021 team, which was one of the best lineups we will ever see in Toronto, period. They had Semien having an all-time season. Vladdy was playing MVP-caliber baseball. There's not always going to be Shohei Otani to win it in front of him. He was playing like an MVP, and you had a lineup that was threatening from top to bottom, because it had power. And the Blue Jays have gotten away from that. Right now, they're a team that is stuck in a lot of 2-1, 3-2 games. And when you're playing that type of baseball, you need to be perfect. because one mistake can send it sideways. When you're playing a game like they played in 2021, and I'd argue even like '15 or '16, you can make five mistakes. You can completely screw up, but if someone hits a three-run home run, guess what I'm writing about, the three run home run and a win. So I think they need to get back to more of an identity, and identity is usually based on offense, which hasn't been there lately. So you can not only get out to lead, but chase teams down if they get a lead on you, and I don't see that lately. That's why we've seen three trips to the postseason go 0-2, 0-2, and 0-2. And each one has come with an extra layer of heartbreak. There was the José Berrios decisoin in Minnesota. There was the meltdown against the [Seattle] Mariners at home. Like they haven't just been losses, they've been tough losses. Those stick with you. But in order for them to shake that off, I think they need more life offensively. And since 2021, the reason I bring that up is that it seems like they've pivoted away from that. Like, it kind of spooked them a little bit, but I think that's the way. Because the 2021 team, I really believe this, and I'll tell you a lot of players and coaches really believe this, that if they had have gotten into the postseason that year, they were going on a run. Like, I think they could have been a World Series team, period. And they just, just missed. Advertisement Josh Valdez: Lastly, who's a Blue Jays player, either that's in the book or not, that you feel like is underappreciated in the fan base? Keegan Matheson: Oh, great question. I think of a couple of answers here, but I don't think that Dave Steve gets enough attention or respect from newer Blue Jays fans. And Blue Jays fans who were around in the 70s, 80s, 90s, they will talk your ear off about Dave Steve because they watched him pitch. But I think that anyone around my age, even 40 and under, I don't hear enough about Dave Steve. There's a couple of reasons for that, and one is that Dave Steve has not kept himself present or public-facing, and I write about that in the chapter. That's okay, that's his choice. If I had to deal with reporters for 20 years, I would probably ride off into the sunset and hide in a log cabin myself. Totally his choice, and that's okay. But a lot of former players who we see them more on TV or doing radio appearances, they kind of stay in the public consciousness. But with Steve, talking to his catchers and other players, like I talked to Buck Martinez, talked to Ernie Witt about him, Pat Borders about him, the three men who caught him the most. And Buck Martinez, the first thing out of his mouth, he said "Best right-handed pitcher the Blue Jays ever had." And it's the team that had Roy Halliday for a decade. People talked about Dave Steve in ways that surprised me and ways that were really fascinating to hear. Now, yes, he would blame his infielers for every error, and he had evil eyes. He would stare two laser beams through your chest if he screwed up behind him, absolutely. But I think he was not just a dominant pitcher, but a fascinating character as well. Advertisement A lot of this book was around reading old archival newspaper coverage or archival magazines, Sports Illustrated, other weeklies and monthlies. And it was a big lesson for me that players were a lot more open back in the day. And I understand why, but some interviews and conversation with Steve I would read just really opened my eyes to a guy who was kind of battling with the spotlight, and he knew that spotlight was there because he was great. But greatness and the attention that comes with it is not always comfortable for people. I see someone on the other side of this, like Joe Carter, who is at events, and he has embraced it. He'll talk to every single person like it's the first time he's ever talked about that home run. Not everyone's that way. So hearing old teammates talk about Dave Steve, even old hitters who faced him, I think, made me appreciate just how great he was. He did deserve, and he still deserves a much larger conversation about the Hall of Fame. Whether he's worthy or not is still very much up for debate, but even if he's just closer than he's been, that's still something that deserves to be talked about, because he fell off that ballot, and I don't think that we have the proper conversation about him. Because Steve was a more modern pitcher than the 80s would suggest. Like, he's a guy who you could drop in today, and he'd have success. You know, Buck Martinez said he was throwing a sweeper before it was a sweeper. Like he had that incredible, incredible slider, and he represents the generational divide among Blue Jays fans for me, because fans who were around to watch him pitch will go on and on about Dave Steve, and they really should. But younger fans, I think they're just not exposed to as many Dave Steve highlights. They don't see him on TV, they don't hear as much about him. And that's something I hope can be a little more alive in the minds of the Blue Jays fans, because it's really too bad Steve pitched in the era that, you know, you didn't have three teams getting a free pass into the playoffs with the Wild Card. I wish there were more opportunities for him and those great 80s teams, that would have changed everything. But still, someone who I think deserves, even a guy who's considered one of the greatest Blue Jays of all time, I still think he deserves a much larger place in the Jays' history conversation. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Stunning Paul Goldschmidt Video Turns Heads Before Yankees-Guardians
Stunning Paul Goldschmidt Video Turns Heads Before Yankees-Guardians originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The main question for the Yankees, with their hot start, is what will happen once designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton returns to the lineup after suffering from 'tennis elbow' in both arms, mostly thanks to a new batting stance in 2024. Advertisement With Paul Goldschmidt holding it down at first base and Ben Rice continuing to mash at the plate, the unfortunate reality seemed that to get Stanton in the lineup, Rice would have to sit and Goldschmidt would hold it down at first base. A video at Wednesday's batting practice, taken by Bryan Hoch, suggests the Yankees are trying to find a loophole to that problem. Goldschmidt was seen taking reps at second base, a shocking turn that not many Yankee fans saw coming. It could be nothing. Photos of Rafael Devers taking reps at first base have gone viral recently despite his public insistence on not wanting to play there. Advertisement However, the timing does feel eerie, with Stanton announced to be returning to New York to await next steps after a workout in Tampa Wednesday. The Yankees are no stranger to asking players to do crazy things. When they traded for Jazz Chisholm Jr last summer, they asked him to slide to the hot corner despite him playing second base and outfield his whole career. Goldschmidt would be the same way: in 1,987 games across 15 big league seasons, Goldschmidt has not ever made a start at second base. 1,919 of those games he's started at first base, and he's been a designated hitter in 68 games. The other rumor that spread around the Yankees was that they would see if Rice, who is lanky and quick, could succeed at third base which would allow Chisholm Jr to go to his natural position of second base. Advertisement If Goldy does end up going to second, that would keep Chisholm Jr as the everyday third baseman, and probably zap any rumors of the Yankees pursuing a second baseman like Nico Hoerner or Brandon Lowe at the deadline. This story could be nothing, or it could be something very interesting to watch over the coming weeks. Related: Yankees' Aaron Boone Announces Giancarlo Stanton News Before Guardians Game Related: Yankees Must Trade For $81 Million All-Star After Luke Weaver Injury This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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Details Emerge on Giancarlo Stanton's Massive Gift to Aaron Judge
Details Emerge on Giancarlo Stanton's Massive Gift to Aaron Judge originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For months, Yankee fans have been fascinated by a star-studded gavel necklace worn by Yankees captain Aaron Judge all season in a nod to his All Rise Foundation. Advertisement Seen up close whenever the captain would celebrate a home run or on-field moment with the Yankees, bling like that would be hard to hide for someone always in the spotlight. Judge, being ever humble, refused to comment on the necklace, only saying that it was a gift. A new report by the New York Post added some fascinating context towards who got Judge the gift, and how much it cost. New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.© Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The Post reached out to AJ Machado, the jeweler in Miami who crafted the necklace. Machado confirmed that Judge was given the gift by veteran Giancarlo Stanton, who dropped $20,000 on the charm. The sparkling necklace is set in 14-carat white gold with more than 12 carats in VVS-graded diamonds, along with three brands of amethysts. Advertisement According to Machado, Stanton requested something not too small and not too big, asking for something that Judge could wear during games. The chain also has some unique personal details, including an inscription of the name and birth date of Judge's first daughter Nora, who he and wife Samantha welcomed into the world in late January. Also inscripted is 'Sam' short for his wife Samantha, '2x', a nod to Judge's two MVP awards, and the names of his two dogs, Gus and Penny. Stanton has come to Machado often - more specifically during his time with the Marlins from 2010-2017, and teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr has also been a frequent client. Advertisement Related: Yankees' Aaron Boone Announces Giancarlo Stanton News Before Guardians Game Related: Stunning Paul Goldschmidt Video Turns Heads Before Yankees-Guardians This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
