Latest news with #Sports+
New York Post
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
The Aaron Judge-Shohei Othani race to be baseball's best player has a clear leader
LOS ANGELES — This is undeniably a special time in baseball, with two of its greatest players ever — Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani — providing daily thrills. Access the Yankees beat like never before Don't miss Greg Joyce's text messages from The Bronx and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Yankees. Sign Up Now It's extra special when they are doing it in the same game, and even better when they are demonstrating their specialness nearly simultaneously. Judge and Ohtani signaled from the start Friday — moments after the iconic opener, 'It's time for Dodger baseball!' — on one of those perfect L.A. nights that this mano-a-mano matchup just might be something to behold. Judge took a cookie from Tony Gonsolin 446 feet out to their own version of the center-field black to give the Yankees (and Judge) the early lead.
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Injury-riddled Dodgers facing a much different Yankees test this time around
Access the Yankees beat like never before Don't miss Greg Joyce's text messages from The Bronx and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Yankees. Sign Up Now LOS ANGELES — When last we saw these two marquee, mega-market teams match up, a talented but depleted Dodgers team authored a 4-1 World Series beatdown best recalled for L.A. ingenuity, a hobbled Freddie Freeman's home run heroics and, of course, all those Yankee faux pas predicted in a prescient, pre-Series Dodgers scouting report. Now, seven months later, the Yankees, having shored up defensive deficiencies, ride another hot streak — they've won nine of 10 — into baseball's most beautiful venue. And the champion Dodgers enter even more talented (on paper) but much more depleted and a lot less self-assured for the rematch. Advertisement Looking at the upcoming schedule facing his Dodgers, aptly nicknamed Dodgers manager Dave 'Doc' Roberts, who seems to run an infirmary as much as the sport's starriest clubhouse, admitted they need to lower near-term expectations. They felt a lot better last October facing the two New York teams than they do starting Friday. 'I'm just thinking about holding serve,' Roberts told The Post a few days before the Yankees and Mets were due to visit. 'With the teams we play, if we can just hold serve, come July and beyond, when we get to full health, we can take off from there.'
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Brett Baty overhauled his swing — and its paying off for Mets
Access the Mets beat like never before Don't miss Mike Puma's text messages from Queens and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now The offseason was in its infancy when Brett Baty decided it was time to go back to work. The Mets had been knocked out of the postseason by the Dodgers, and Baty was back home in Texas in October, which was 'really early for a pro hitter to start thinking about hitting,' said Aaron Capista, who would become his personal hitting coach. Baty was coming off another disappointing season, the high-ceilinged prospect losing his everyday third base job in May and spending most of his June and all of his July, August and September with Triple-A Syracuse. Despite unique ability and excellent minor league numbers, he owned a .607 OPS across his first 169 major league games. After the Mets' NLCS defeat, Baty's agent, Ryan Ware — who had heard about Capista and received strong endorsements — connected Baty to the Austin-based hitting coach. The two had a meeting, hit it off and wasted no time.
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
What Jared Young found in Korea that sparked his Mets chance
Access the Mets beat like never before Don't miss Mike Puma's text messages from Queens and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now Jared Young's baseball career reached a crossroads last summer, nudging him toward the road — or in this case, ocean — less traveled. Then a player for the Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate in Memphis, Tenn., the utilityman was told by the organization that a major league job wasn't forthcoming. Young needed to decide between staying the final two months of the season or heading to Seoul, South Korea, where he had an offer to play for the Doosan Bears of the KBO. Young took the Korean offer. It's a decision he credits for revitalizing his career. 'I had an opportunity in Korea, and I thought going there and playing well instead of playing more in the minors would springboard me a little better, so I made the decision,' Young told Sports+ this week.
New York Post
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Post
How the Yankees' Mark Leiter Jr. — and his father — tapped into ‘crisper' stuff
Access the Yankees beat like never before Don't miss Greg Joyce's text messages from The Bronx and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Yankees. Sign Up Now LOS ANGELES — The last time the Yankees were at Dodger Stadium, Mark Leiter Jr. had just recently been added to their playoff roster. He was left off the ALDS and initial ALCS rosters because of his struggles down the stretch before being an injury replacement for Ian Hamilton against the Guardians in the ALCS. Leiter suddenly emerged as an unexpected and important weapon out of the bullpen during the Yankees' Game 4 and 5 wins in Cleveland, then made four scoreless appearances in the World Series in which he inherited a combined five runners and stranded them all. Turns out it was just a preview of things to come this season.
