BUBBLE STYLE FORMAT COMING TO THE MLB POSTSEASON?

Earlier this week, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the MLB was thinking about holding its postseason in a bubble-style format. They have reportedly considered hosting it Southern California, the greater Chicago area, or the New York metropolitan area.

If these rumors are true, hosting the playoffs in the Northeast may not be the best course of action. Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon argued against hosting the playoffs in cities like New York and Philadelphia due to the cold weather.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman followed that up on Twitter by writing that the MLB is considering using only two cities. The choices include LA, San Diego, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Houston.

Passan also claimed that this bubble format was kicked around after the COVID outbreaks among the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins.

If these rumors are correct, then the Yankees would have to travel out of their native land for the playoffs.

If the MLB do proceed in the bubble, they will follow in the footsteps of the NBA and NHL. Since both of these league continued their seasons in the bubble, the number of COVID cases has significantly fallen.

So far, the MLB has had at least two outbreaks of the virus, but playing in the bubble would make a big difference by keeping everyone healthy.

--Anthony Orlando

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @landi52orlando

AARON JUDGE STILL LAMENTS LOSS TO ASTROS

With the 2020 season finally underway, Aaron Judge reflected on the Yankees' heartbreaking loss to the Astros during Game 6 of the last American League Championship Series. He and his teammates hope to return to baseball by achieving the victory they failed to win last year.

"It was a tough loss and I kind of just spoke to the team and I just said "Hey guys, don't forget this feeling. Don't forget this emptiness. You're mad. You're thinking about what we could have done different...As we get ready for the 2020 season, remember that you don't want this feeling again,"" Judge said to his teammates. "And then [I asked] "What can we do? What can we do differently to prepare the right way so that outcome doesn't happen again. You watch the film, you learn what you need to work on, focus on, and then you move forward.""

"And that's what we're going to try to do now is learn from our mistakes and move forward into this 2020 season and do what needs to [be done], kind of get past that, to that next step," said Judge.

Ever since their shattering loss, Judge and his teammates have been committed to improve themselves for the next season. Even though the world came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic, the Yankees continued to practice to make their comeback from such a haunting defeat.

"It was one of the most heartbreaking emotional times of my sports career," said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. "It was such a raw life moment and the closeness that existed with that team, the belief that "All the way to the end we're going to win," I felt like was how everyone felt. So the cruel ending of it all...I do remember Judgey in his way, in a strong way, saying that to us."

"I think that just added to the sting, to how real that moment was and and I always feel like falling down does add another log to their fire," said Boone. "That certainly was the case and I feel like in spring training and now in summer camp. I'm witnessing that fire burning, burning strongly with these guys."

We'll all see whether or not that fire will burn bright enough for the Yankees to win in their season opener against the Nationals tonight.

--Anthony Orlando

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @landi52orlando

AARON JUDGE RETURNS WITH AN OUTSTANDING DINGER

After his recent absence from the Yankees' intrasquad lineups, Aaron Judge made a stellar comeback in the first inning of the team's scrimmage at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday. Judge started off the game with a home run bounced off pitcher James Paxton towards center field. 

"Still not 100 percent, but good enough to play," said Judge. "I was out there to get some at-bats and see how it felt. All good."

Judge missed the last three intrasquad contests to get treatment for a stiff neck. Nevertheless, Judge returned by hitting Paxton's second pitch into the netting above Monument Park. 

"Sometimes you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed; that's all I've really got for that," Judge said about his neck. "The trainers have been helping me out. It's just a stiff neck. My biggest thing is I couldn't really turn my neck all the way to see the pitcher, and that's not where you want to be. So now I can see the pitcher and we're ready to roll."

This wasn't the first injury Judge faced this season, as he missed all of spring training 1.0 due to a fractured rib initially diagnosed as a shoulder problem. He then returned for spring training 2.0, with Judge claiming to be ready only to be taken off from Saturday's intrasquad game due to his stiff neck.

But now, Judge looks ready for the opening game against the Nationals on July 23. "Right now, it's about getting ready for Opening Day," Judge added. "If I didn't play a single Spring Training game but I'm ready to play for Opening Day, I'm going to be excited about that. I'm not really too worried about it. You break a bone in your ribs from diving, trying to make a play for your pitcher, get hit in the wrist by a pitcher -- it's just freak things. I'm going to keep playing this game hard, and that's all I know."

--Anthony Orlando

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @landi52orlando

YANKEE LEGEND SABATHIA TO HELP MAKE CLOTHING LINE HONORING BLACK PLAYERS

Former MLB pitcher CC Sabathia is working with the Roots of Fight apparel company to create a clothing line to honor former Black MLB players. He will serve as the clothing line's creative director, and he hopes it will raise awareness of baseball's history of Black players.

A portion of the revenue will go to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM), the estates of legendary Black players, and the Black Lives Matter movement. In a statement announcing the partnership between MLB Players Association (MLBPA) and the NLBM, this charitable donation will "preserve and celebrate the rich history of African American baseball and its significance in the social advancement of America at large."

The MLB meant to honor the NLBM this year before the pandemic hit, but the MLB did celebrate the museum's 100th anniversary last February. "It's near and dear to my heart, that museum," said Sabathia, "so I wanted to do something to commemorate the 100th year of the Negro Leagues and something for the museum to bring awareness to it and drive people to Kansas City to go check it out."

The clothing line will include hoodies, long-sleeved baseball t-shirts, and jackets. Jackie Robinson's name and likeness will also be there, and the items will cost up to $350.

Sabathia said he wants to raise awareness of the dwindling portion of Black players in the MLB, which was recently at a historic low. For instance, only 7.7% of the MLB were Black players in 2017, the lowest in history of the league going back to 1991, when 18% of MLB players were Black. MLBPA executive director Tony Clark called this the "exact opposite of growth and advancement."

At the same time, the MLB plans to fight the declining number of Black youths playing baseball with its Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program and its Youth Academy. "It's on us to step up and get these kids in the inner-city back playing," said Sabathia. "It's up to us to get these kids equipment, provide instructions, and get them playing."

Sabathia's motivation for these philanthropic endeavors harkens back to his childhood. "The reason why I started playing is because Dave Stewart looked like me," he said. "It was so many different examples of faces in the game that looked like me...and it's not that anymore. We're not represented well."

With the MLB planning to reopen later this month, it looks like the league could be reborn with this spike of racial awareness. While there have been delays with Opening Day being pushed back to July 23rd-24th, Sabathia advised that players should approach returning to the season "one day at a time."

"I think guys are just trying to make it work," Sabathia added. "Guys want to get out there and play and want to be as safe as possible, but they want to play baseball. We're baseball players; that's what we do in the summertime."

That's what we all want.

--Anthony Orlando

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @landi52orlando

LUKE VOIT JUST MIGHT BE THE YANKEES' LATEST ASSET

The Yankees may have found their best first baseman in Luke Voit now that's he's recovered from a severe injury. 

This discussion came after Pete Alonso broke the record for home runs made by a Major League rookie. 

Due to Alonso's success as a first baseman on the Mets, he has been compared to his Yankee counterpart, whose pre-injury performance has now made him a valuable asset. Voit was never considered an elite prospect early in his career, as he was a 22nd round draft pick. In contrast, Alonso was a first-round pick and was frequently part of the top-100 prospects list. 

However, Voit started his run with the Yankees by hitting .296/.396/.565 in his first 117 games. His progress came to a halt after Voit experienced great physical distress during the Yankees series in London last year. He was later diagnosed with a severe abdominal injury that wasn't recognized until the 2019 season had finished. 

While Alonso continued to perform spectacularly as Voit was recovering, the latter arguably surpassed his rival since joining the Yankees. Voit not only gave an outstanding performance in his first couple of months, but followed up his 2018 season with 140 wRC+ the next year before his injury. 

On the other hand, Alonso did improve since his time in the minor leagues, when a 2018 Baseball America scouting report called him an "uncoordinated, slow-bodied defender." He is still slightly below average in many aspects, but his improved performance keeps him on par with Voit. 

With the baseball season finally returning this summer, fans will see whether or not Voit will surpass Alonso once again now that he's recovered. Either way, this battle of first basemen will present an entertaining rivalry for those watching them play this season.

--Anthony Orlando

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @landi52orlando

MLB PLAYERS MAY LOSE OVER $2O MIL IF BASEBALL RETURNS

Well, it looks like baseball is finally returning this year, but not without a price. 

Nine MLB players will reportedly lose an ungodly amount of money if baseball resumes in 2020. As the league returns from its hiatus during quarantine, players and team owners are working out a new agreement for this season. 

Casey's thorn-in-his-side, Jon Heyman claims this deal would involve "prorated pay and include expanded playoffs." 

According to Darren Rovell, nine players would lose at least $20 million this year under their new contract. This new deal explains why some players like Mike Trout didn't want to play this season.  To some, it didn't seem like the 2020 season was going to happen at all. 

Commissioner Rob Manfred even said he wasn't confident the league would go through with it due to the enormous risk. His statement came after he said that baseball would "100 percent" happen this year just a few days prior.  It's obvious that the MLB is scrambling to figure out what they're doing, so it would no surprise that more contradictory news would come soon. 

It's no surprise, as the entire country is doing its best to have things return to normal after such a catastrophic pandemic. It's understandable why the MLB would make these pay cuts, as they must need the money to recover after months without business. However, it is reasonable why some players would rather not play at all, since they get to keep their money in a year where half the regular season has already passed. 

You win some; you lose some. While some players will lose a considerable amount of pay this year, we'll at least get to see baseball again, and with extended playoffs. For now, baseball looks set to continue this summer if things go as planned for the league. But if plans do change, let's at least hope they change for everyone's benefit.

--Anthony Orlando

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @landi52orlando

THE AMAZING BUZZ ABOUT AUSTIN WELLS

The 2020 MLB Draft finally opened, and the Yankees began by selecting catcher Austin Wells from the University of Arizona.

This choice marks the second time in three years that the Yankees used their first draft pick to select a catcher. According to MLB Pipeline, Wells was the league's No. 27 prospect with a batting average of .353 through 56 games in 2019, with five home runs and 60 RBIs. Though this last season was cut to only 15 games by COVID-19, Wells batted .375 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. Wells was also named the Cape Cod League Outstanding Pro Prospect in the same year.

"I think it's a good pick late in the first round," said MLB Pipeline draft expert Jonathan Mayo. "That is exactly what the Yankees are buying there and figure out the position when he gets to the pro game. It's the hit and the power tools that really stand out. He's always been able to hit."

Here's Arizona catcher Austin Wells' reaction to being selected 28th overall by the Yankees pic.twitter.com/fId6lgmuJ5

— Ryan Kelapire (@RKelapire) June 11, 2020

There has been some speculation about whether or not Wells will remain a catcher in the long run, since he's been playing multiple positions. The Athletics' Keith Law claims that as a catcher, Wells is "below-average there already and likely to be too big for the position anyway." On the other hand, Mayo of Pipeline claims that he's probably "another guy that you send out as a catcher and see what happens."

If the Yankees want to take advantage of his batting prowess, they'll figure out the best place to put him if he decides to leave behind home plate.

There have also been some worries that Wells's shortcomings in his game, such as his throwing and blocking, will drive him away from the catcher role. Damon Oppenheimer, director of amateur scouting for the Yankees, said that despite these shortcomings, the Yankees' catching coaches would better guide him that the previous coaches he's had in the past.

Mayo remains optimistic with Wells, saying, "there's some comfort level knowing that if you have to move him, he's going to be just fine in any of those spots. That left-handed power, though, should get him to the big leagues quickly."

We here at BYB are excited to see Wells as a pick for the Yanks. Even BYB Contributor Missy O'Rourke wrote about him when the pick happened. Read AUSTIN WELLS IS READY TO HIT DINGERS FOR THE YANKEES for more on that.

Ultimately, when it comes to Wells, there's a lot of great buzz surrounding him. As Damon Oppenheimer said "We are very happy to get Austin Wells today. We thought he was one of the top hit and power combinations in the draft. We love his desire and makeup... he can be an impact guy."

Absolutely true!

--Anthony Orlando
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @landi52orlando

AUSTIN WELLS IS READY TO HIT DINGERS FOR THE YANKEES

During the 2020 MLB Draft on Wednesday night, the Yankees drafted Austin Wells 28th overall. This actually is not the first time that the Yankees drafted Wells. He was originally picked in the 35th round in 2018, but Wells is thankful for the past two years to continue improving his skills.

In 2017, Wells hurt his elbow after emerging as a top prospect, and was not able to play in his senior year season at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. Despite the injury, the Yankees still drafted him. At the time, Wells decided it would be best to continue with his commitment to the University of Arizona and pass on signing a professional contract.

"So I’m super thankful … not thankful that (my injury) happened, but I’m thankful that I was able to go through this process because I feel so much more prepared to play baseball at the next level," said Wells.

Wells dominated in Arizona, putting up a .353/.462/.552 and becoming the first Wildcat to be named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Before the pandemic cut his sophomore season short, he was batting .375 with a .527 on-base percentage. In only one and a half seasons with the Wildcats, he finished with 99 hits, 7 home runs, and 74 RBIs. 

“God has an interesting path sometimes,” Austin’s father, Greg Wells, said via Tucson.com. “If you look at where Austin is at today versus where he would have been signing out of high school, he’s a better person, a better man, more educated.”

In a conference call with the New York media for the first time Wells, who is a catcher by trade, was addressing concerns scouts have had about his defense and the prospect of remaining behind the plate long-term. 

“I’m a catcher, and I want to be a catcher, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get to the big leagues,” Wells said. “So, if that’s at another position, I’ll just hit home runs at Yankee Stadium and play wherever they need me to, wherever my bat gets me to the big leagues the quickest.”

Besides potentially changing positions, one more obstacle Wells will have to face one more adjustment: shaving off his beard. However, he doesn't seem too worried about this and is willing to trade his beard for pinstripes.

In addition to Wells, the Yankees also drafted Trevor Hauver, a LF from Arizona State and Beck Way, a RHP from Northwest Florida State.

Exciting times for the Yankees farm system.  We will have more about Austin Wells from new BYB writer Anthony Orlando tomorrow.

--Missy O'Rourke
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @missy_orourke

MLB SLOW TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH

There's been chaos all across America ever since George Floyd was wrongfully murdered at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

Many people have gone to the streets or the Internet to voice their support in the fight against racism. But nine days after Floyd's death, the MLB finally broke their silence and issued a statement concerning this tragedy:

"We offer our condolences to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and all the families that have lost loved ones due to senseless killing and injustice. To be clear, our game has zero tolerance for racism and racial injustice. The reality that the Black community lives in fear or anxiety over racial discrimination, prejudice or violence is unacceptable. Addressing this issue requires action both within our sport and society. MLB is committed to engaging our communities to invoke change. We will take the necessary time, effort and collaboration to address symptoms of systematic racism, prejudice and injustice, but will be equally as focused on the root of the problem." 

It's somewhat reassuring to see the MLB supporting the protestors in their movement against racism. This action even got the ball rolling for more leagues to address the matter, as the NHL and NBA also made statements the next day. Although, what the league plans to do about racism and prejudice inside their communities was vague in their statement.

The MLB might not even know what they plan to do right now, as they're still reeling from having to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This knowledge will probably have to wait until the league reopens from quarantine.

Some people have criticized the league for taking too long to address the event, especially with their significant history fighting discrimination with Jackie Robinson.

However, it's understandable as they might have had to take their time to figure out how to address such a sensitive matter. What matters is that they joined in the conversation against racism instead of remaining silent...finally.

Nevertheless, critics argue that the MLB didn't mention the police, let alone condemn them, in their statement. Like how those in the Minneapolis police who are guilty must be held accountable, the MLB must address the source of the problem to make a real difference.

--Anthony Orlando
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @landi52orlando

A RECAP OF A NASTY PANDEMIC & BASEBALL, BUT HOPE MLB WILL RETURN

COVID-19 has halted nearly every aspect of American society, including major league baseball. Fortunately, the MLB plans to start the 2020 season on July 4, just in time to celebrate Independence Day. With this year's pandemic nearing its decline, let's look back at the history of baseball and the coronavirus.

Though MLB players began their spring training in early February, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the global threat level for COVID-19 to "very high" just a few weeks later. This level set the COVID threat equal to that in mainland China, where the virus originated. While the MLB intended to start this year's season on March 26, the league faced several pushbacks as the pandemic spread.

These delays started after U.S. states started banning large group gatherings in response to the pandemic. They also came after the NBA, NHL, and MLS suspended their leagues. Pretty soon, the MLB suspended their spring training camps, and major league players were given a chance to return home. However, the Yankees unanimously decided to stay at their spring training facility, hoping to prepare themselves to seize their opportunity at the World Series title. The delays only continued after a minor league player for the Yankees tested positive for the coronavirus in March, becoming the first MLB player diagnosed with COVID-19.

At the same time, the WHO confirmed the 1,000th case of the virus in the U.S. A few days later, another minor leaguer in the Yankees was diagnosed with coronavirus. After the Reds quarantined their players after an employee tested positive for the virus, the MLB considered skipping their 2020 draft. After the Red Sox announced one of their minor league players tested positive for COVID-19, the MLB pushed the Draft back to July.

And it's not just MLB, it's youth baseball, it's World Baseball. In fact, we haven't seen something this significant and destructive in world and baseball since the Spanish Flu in 1918.  It was then that the Spanish flu pandemic infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide. Ballplayers played in masks... but they played... eventually.

According to Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis, the MLB has lost roughly $75 million a day thanks to the coronavirus. As a result, the MLB has considered a half-season with extended playoffs, which adds up to 1,200 games across the country. While the MLB took precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, they not only failed to do so, they increased the risk of spreading the virus.

Based on reports from ESPN, the MLB only made "frequent," and not daily tests for the coronavirus and only quarantined individuals that tested positive. Despite their failings, the MLB has been motivated to reopen their league slowly but carefully. Even though the players are unable to play for the fans in live action, they are still connecting and communicating with them online in a variety of ways.

Players have provided tips for getting through the pandemic, the Dodgers hosted a Zoom party for about 15,000 people, and the MLB started airing live video game matchups on Twitch in an MLB The Show Players League.

If the MLB does manage to begin their season in July, it will be the breath of fresh air the country desperately needs to get through the Summer, despite the setbacks of minor league cuts and major leaguers needing to take a pay cut. The bottom line is baseball's return will be another massive step towards returning to normality.

--Anthony Orlando
BYB Contributor
Twitter: @landi52orlando