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Boston Globe
a day ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Garrett Whitlock getting batters out one inning at a time in Red Sox bullpen
Whitlock had a career-best 1.96 ERA in 46 appearances as a rookie in 2021 (typically while covering more than three outs in a game). This year, he owns a 3.23 ERA in 37 appearances and of late has re-emerged as a go-to high-leverage option to set up closer Aroldis Chapman . Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up A primary perk of the new usage pattern, per Cora: Whitlock, in his first season back from major elbow surgery, is better able to recover physically from the lighter but more frequent workload. Advertisement 'We have made some adjustments with him,' Cora said. 'For him, being a one-inning guy, it is going to help him to recover.' Whitlock said: 'I still think it's too early to tell [with certainty], honestly. I don't know how long I've been doing it for, but so far I've been recovering and bouncing back good, so we'll just hope it keeps going that way.' Advertisement His last multi-inning appearance came on June 23, when he gave up four runs in 1⅔ innings against the Angels. Then, in need of a respite, he pitched just once over the next 10 days. Under the new pattern, Whitlock has been dominant. On Monday against the Phillies, he struck out Nick Castellanos , J.T. Realmuto , and Brandon Marsh — all swinging — on 13 pitches. That was an example of another benefit to the shifted schedule: pitching on consecutive days. He has done that on just four occasions this year, including twice in two weeks. And the small-sample results there have been striking: eight punchouts on 11 batters faced. 'Back-to-back, my body is still getting used to that one. Makes today feel a little sore and everything,' Whitlock said. 'I think throwing the one inning and being available the next day, it's been easy for me. Obviously, still getting used to it and coming back from surgery, so still just trying to focus on that.' An old favorite The Phillies' Kyle Schwarber watches his solo home run in the second inning leave the yard for his 33rd of the season. Emilee Chinn/Getty Cora spent time during batting practice catching up with Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber , who remains one of his favorites after playing 52 games (regular season and postseason) for the Sox in 2021. Schwarber also chatted with Chapman, his teammate on the World Series-winning 2016 Cubs, and others with whom he has connections. 'This is a guy who in a short period of time . . . touched everybody here,' Cora said. 'I hate to say it, but this [Philadelphia] is the perfect place for him, because he can handle this and more. Very proud of him. Talked to Dave [ Dombrowski ] about him when it was happening and we have talked a little bit the last few days. They're very happy with him. We'll see what the future holds.' Advertisement Schwarber, 32, is in the final months of a Count Cora among those curious about Schwarber's looming free agency. 'Very intrigued,' Cora said. 'Very intrigued.' Witherspoon, soon Kyson Witherspoon , the Red Sox' first-round draft pick, is due to visit Fenway Park on Friday for a news conference amid an ongoing introduction to his new organization. The righthanded pitcher signed with the Sox for a $5 million bonus on Sunday, a week after they selected him 15th overall out of the University of Oklahoma. Witherspoon, who turns 21 next month, is highly unlikely to make his professional debut this season, sources said. The Red Sox announced Tuesday the signings of four more draft picks: shortstops Henry Godbout (second-round compensation pick) and Mason White (fourth round), plus lefthanders Myles Patton (seventh) and Dylan Brown (eighth). Just one of their 21 draft choices remains unsigned: BYU righty Garrison Sumner , selected in the 20th (and last) round. Catching up on catcher's interference A day after the Red Sox lost on an iffy bases-loaded catcher's interference call — giving the Phillies a walkoff win in the 10th inning — Cora said he touched base with MLB executive Michael Hill about it. Hill handles on-field, rules-related topics. 'He agreed with me: It was a [expletive] way to end a great baseball game,' Cora said. 'That's the rule' . . . The Phillies put righthander Joe Ross on the injured list with back spasms and called up righthander Alan Rangel from Triple A Lehigh Valley . . . Cora on the Phillies, who haven't scored with their usual ease this season: 'It's a veteran team that around this time they start picking it up. Which is ironic because they're in first place [in the NL East]. No doubt they're going to be OK.' Advertisement Tim Healey can be reached at
Indianapolis Star
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Kyle Schwarber was Indiana baseball's last first-round MLB draft pick. That may change Sunday
BLOOMINGTON — Devin Taylor on Sunday could become the first IU baseball player in more than a decade picked in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. Taylor, who holds a slate of program records including the Hoosiers' all-time home run mark (54), won't wait long to hear his name called this weekend. He could be taken as early as the opening round. Not since the Cubs took Kyle Schwarber No. 4 overall in 2014 has a Hoosier heard his name called in the draft's first round, proper or compensatory. But Schwarber is not alone among program alumni to enter the professional game a first-rounder. Here's the company Taylor — widely considered among the best college hitters in the draft — might join Sunday. (draft picks listed chronologically) Round 1, Pick 1, Oakland Athletics, 1966 secondary draft Don Lohse is the answer to one of the MLB draft's great trivia questions: He was the first pick in the sport's first January draft. Beginning in 1966, baseball held a secondary draft for players not taken in the regular draft the previous June. The Athletics took Lohse with the first overall pick, and he spent five years playing in the minors. Lohse's Baseball Reference page suggests his playing career ended after the 1970 season, which he spent with Double-A Birmingham. A right-handed pitcher, Lohse finished his professional career with a 15-30 record, and a 4.56 ERA. Baseball discontinued the January draft in 1986. But Lohse's name is forever attached to another famous draft story because of it. It was in that 1966 secondary draft the Atlanta Braves selected Tom Seaver, No. 20 overall, last pick of the first round, before commissioner William Eckert voided his contract citing exhibition games Seaver's USC team had played the previous season. Because Seaver had already signed a professional contract, the NCAA ruled him ineligible to return and pitch in college, but Major League Baseball denied him entry via the draft until Seaver's father threatened legal action in the matter. Eckert eventually ruled that other teams could match the Braves' offer, and via a lottery the New York Mets won the rights to sign Seaver, who went on to win National League Rookie of the Year in 1967. He eventually became one of the most decorated pitchers of his era, winning three Cy Young Awards on the way to first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. From 2023: IU's Devin Taylor a program changer. 'It's like God made him to be a professional hitter.' Round 1, Pick 8, California Angels, 1966 draft Selected six spots after Reggie Jackson, Jim DeNeff went to the Angels listed as a shortstop, though he could play the field with more utility than that. His BBRef page also suggests he played third base, and in the outfield. Like Lohse, DeNeff never made it to the majors, though he did come closer. Across six minor-league seasons, he played for six different teams, including the 1970 Hawaii Islanders, managed by eventual World Series-winning Pittsburgh Pirates skipper Chuck Tanner. DeNeff spent his last two professional seasons in AAA, across stints with Toledo, Hawaii and Salt Lake City. According to BBRef his career ended following the 1971 season. Round 1, Pick 29, Chicago Cubs, 1993 draft Indiana went 27 years between first-round picks, before the Cubs used a compensatory slot to grab Kevin Orie in 1993. The West Chester, Pennsylvania, native rose quickly through Chicago's system, making his debut in 1997. That season, Orie finished as a finalist for rookie of the year, in a race that also included Livan Hernandez, Andruw Jones and Vladimir Guerrero. Southern Indiana native Scott Rolen won it. Orie would eventually spend parts of four seasons in the majors, splitting his time between Chicago and Florida (now Miami). He also spent time in the high minors with several teams including the Phillies, Yankees and Brewers, before formally retiring in 2006. Insider: IU baseball product set record as best pitcher in Korea, now seeks MLB World Series Round 1, Pick 26, Milwaukee Brewers, 2009 draft The first selection in one of the best drafts in program history, Eric Arnett at the time owned IU's single-season strikeout record when he was taken by Milwaukee in 2009. A long, hard-throwing right-hander from Ohio, the Brewers hoped Arnett might develop into a major league-caliber started. But a raft of injuries plagued his professional career, including rotator cuff problems and a torn ACL. Only once in five minor-league seasons did Arnett manage to throw more than 85 total innings, and he never advanced further than high Single-A ball. According to BBRef his career, spent entirely in Milwaukee's system, ended in 2013. Round 1, Pick 38, Chicago White Sox, 2009 draft The second of three first-rounders for IU that year, Josh Phegley was a compensatory pick to the White Sox. One of the most prolific hitters in program history, he'd helped lead IU to a Big Ten tournament title and its first NCAA regional appearance in more than a decade that spring, leading Chicago to grab him with a comp pick. Phegley reached the majors with Chicago four years later, eventually spending time with both the White Sox and Cubs, as well as Oakland. Across eight major-league seasons, Phegley appeared in 387 games with more than 1,200 plate appearances, 35 home runs, 162 runs batted in and a career .649 OPS. He retired after the 2020 season, and later spent time on former IU coach Tracy Smith's staff at Michigan. Round 1, Pick 46, Minnesota Twins, 2009 draft The last of those three first-round picks in 2009, Matt Bashore closely followed his battery mate off the board to the Twins. A left-handed Ohio native with a wicked curveball, Bashore served as the morning Saturday starter on that '09 regional team that eventually faced Sonny Gray in the NCAA tournament. Bashore's career would also be affected by injuries, namely a second Tommy John surgery required after suffering UCL damage in the minor leagues (he had also required Tommy John once in high school). In total, Bashore made just 29 total appearances in the minors, across stints in the Twins' and Yankees' farm systems. He has since retired from baseball and now works in physical therapy with an emphasis on orthopedic injuries, in Carmel. Round 1, Pick 4, Chicago Cubs, 2014 draft One of the best IU baseball players ever, Kyle Schwarber remains a program legend both for his exploits in college and his career since. A left-handed power hitter, Schwarber anchored the lineup that propelled Indiana to its only College World Series appearance, in 2013. He clubbed 40 home runs across three seasons in Bloomington, also leading the Hoosiers to their first national seed in the NCAA tournament, in 2014. Chasing Devin: More than Kyle Schwarber and the sleeveless slugger, Devin Taylor sets IU baseball HR record Schwarber moved rapidly through the Cubs' system before suffering a serious knee injury early in the 2016 season. He still managed to return in time to contribute to Chicago's historic World Series win that fall. He's since gone on to play for Washington, Boston and Philadelphia, where he's already hit 29 home runs this season. Schwarber's 313 career home runs are the most by any former IU player in major league history. Schwarber — a fan favorite in Bloomington who served as guest picker during ESPN's "College GameDay" visit in 2024 — stands alongside Ted Kluszewski as one of the two best players in program history.
Fox Sports
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Tigers Lineup
Major League Baseball 2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Tigers Lineup Published Jul. 11, 2025 2:11 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link Cue Seven Nation Army. Now that we're properly acquainted, time to talk about the Motor City Kitties. Detroit's been on a tear lately. But it's still too early to tell if these Tigers can live up to those previous Corktown squads. Manager: Sparky Anderson The Tigers' all-time winningest manager, with 1,331 victories, Anderson also has the edge over Jim Leyland in World Series titles: the 1984 championship was the Tigers' first since 1968, and was the result of one of the most dominant seasons in MLB history. Anderson was a star manager elsewhere, too: that '84 championship was his third, with the other two coming with the Big Red Machine Reds, making him the first-ever skipper with championships in both leagues. Anderson is one of just 12 managers with at least 2,000 career wins, and his 2,194 victories rank sixth all-time. (via Getty Images) Starting pitcher: Justin Verlander Justin Verlander is a throwback. It's not that pitchers are made of lesser stuff in the modern era than their old-school counterparts, so much as that, back in the day before reconstructive surgeries were both available and reliable, pitchers were ground down to a fine pulp whether their arms could handle it or not. Verlander, in another time, would look a lot like the Verlander of today: loads of innings and an ability to maintain velocity deep into outings while saving something for the end. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound right-hander is an all-time great by every definition, and Detroit's finest starter. ADVERTISEMENT (Photo by) Reliever/closer: Todd Jones The Tigers' all-time leader in saves, and it isn't close: Jones' 235 are 71 ahead of Mike Henneman, who himself has a comfortable lead over third place. While his career began in Houston in the NL, Jones was dealt to the Tigers along with three others in the trade that sent Jose Lima, Brad Ausmus and more to the Astros. He'd lead the AL in saves with 42 in 2000, and though he'd be traded the next summer, Jones rejoined Detroit as a free agent multiple times before calling it a career. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB via Getty Images) Catcher: Bill Freehan Bill Freehan spent the entirety of his 15-year career with the Tigers, and it was an excellent one. The backstop for the World Series-winning 1968 squad, Freehan finished second in the AL MVP race that year, thanks to hitting .263/.366/.454 with 65 walks and an AL-leading 24 hit by pitches — in '67, he finished third. Freehan had the occasional down year at the plate, but when he was at his best, there were few better: 11 All-Star selections in 15 years, five Gold Gloves and 200 career homers from a primary catcher is tough to beat. (via Getty Images) 1B: Hank Greenberg "What would [player's] career look like if not for World War II?" is a game you can play all day, but with Hank Greenberg the question is a loud one. In 1940, he hit 41 homers. In 1941, his season ended 19 games in, and he wouldn't return until midway through 1945. Greenberg would then lead the majors with 44 blasts in '46. Over 500 homers? Another shot at Babe Ruth's record of 61 homers? Greenberg did go deep 58 times in '38. All guesswork, but what he did accomplish on the field was worthy of Cooperstown as is. (Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) 2B: Lou Whitaker Lou Whitaker falling off of the Hall of Fame ballot is a well-documented travesty, but it should be said again if only to point out just how excellent he was. Whitaker excelled at second base for decades, despite that the position is regularly manned by players who can't do that since they were there for not being good enough to play shortstop. Whitaker, though, was as good at the plate in 1995 as he was in 1985, and he was Rookie of the Year back in 1978. A Gold Glove-winning, Silver Slugger with a 19-year career — a wonderful ballpayer. (Photo by Focus) 3B: George Kell George Kell played for five different teams in his 15-year career, but none for as long as the Tigers, and never as well as there, either. Of his 10 All-Star selections, six came in seasons with Detroit. It's where won the 1949 batting title, with an MLB-leading .343 average, and also where he hit .325/.391/.433 over the course of seven seasons. Kell ended up inducted into the Hall of Fame nearly three decades after his career ended, in 1983, by the Veteran's Committee, and in between — and for another decade-plus after — joined the Tigers' broadcast booth. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) SS: Alan Trammell Like his longtime double-play partner, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell did not make it to Cooperstown. At least, not at first. He was finally inducted in 2018 by the Modern Baseball Era Committee, but, again like with Whitaker, it never should have gotten to that point. He was part of the dominant 1984 championship team — as well as World Series MVP for batting .450/.500/.800 with two home runs — and key to that run of quality 80s Tigers clubs. While his bat slowed in the 90s, from 1980-1990, he hit .291/.359/.433 with multiple Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers. (Photo by Focus) OF: Ty Cobb Ty Cobb was one of the original all-time hit kings. The first ever to 4,000 hits — there are still just three — and MLB's all-time hit leader until Pete Rose passed him, Cobb's .366 career batting average still stands. In 22 years with Detroit, he won a record 11 batting titles — if not for Tris Speaker hitting .386 to his .370 in 1916, Cobb would have won 12 in a row — and batted over .400 twice. His was not an empty batting average, either: Cobb once slugged over .600 in the Deadball Era, and .512 for his entire career. (via Getty Images) OF: Harry Heilmann There have been nine player seasons with a .400 average in AL history: Harry Heilmann's 1923 was one of them. He hit .403/.481/.632 for the Tigers in his best year, but also won three other batting titles: in 1921 with a .394 average and MLB-leading 237 hits, in 1925 at .393, and a .398 batting average did the trick in 1927. In between, he still hit for a high average, and for his career, finished at .342. Normally that'd be enough for first in a franchise's history, but, the Tigers also had Ty Cobb. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) OF: Al Kaline Al Kaline is the franchise leader in homers (399), as well as first in games played (2,834). He's second in hits, as the organization's second 3,000-hit player after Ty Cobb, and led in walks with 1,277. He's also second behind Cobb in wins above replacement, with 93, which should be no surprise given how long he continued to mash. Kaline's career began in 1953, but in 1972, at 37, he still produced a .313/.374/.475 season. Cobb might own more offensive categories, but Kaline did win 10 Gold Gloves, making him the Tigers' most complete player. (via Getty Images) DH: Miguel Cabrera Miguel Cabrera got his start with the then-Florida Marlins, and won a World Series in his impressive rookie season as a 20-year-old. He made his true mark in Detroit, however, after the Marlins shipped Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis north in a blockbuster trade. Cabrera would spend the last 16 years of his career with the Tigers, where he'd win four batting titles, two MVP awards, make seven All-Star teams, surpass 500 career home runs, and win the first Triple Crown since 1967. He's not enshrined in Cooperstown yet, but only because he just retired after 2023. The Hall will call. (Photo by) Honorable Mentions: Hughie Jennings (manager) Jim Leyland (manager) Jack Morris (starting pitcher) Hal Newhouser (starting pitcher) Tommy Bridgers (starting pitcher) Mickey Lolich (starting pitcher) John Hiller (reliever/closer) Mike Henneman (reliever/closer) Willie Hernandez (reliever/closer) Aurelio Lopez (reliever/closer) Lance Parrish (catcher) Ivan Rodriguez (catcher) Mickey Cochrane (catcher) Norm Cash (1B) Ian Kinsler (2B) Charlie Gehringer (2B) Travis Fryman (3B) Donie Bush (SS) Carlos Guiillen (SS) Harvey Kuenn (SS) Willie Horton (OF) Bobby Veach (OF) Chet Lemon (OF) Kirk Gibson (OF) Sam Crawford (OF) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! share
Fox Sports
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 MLB All-Star Game: Building the Best Royals Lineup
Even with a crowned jumbotron in straight center, Kauffman Stadium isn't known for regal views. But hitting homers into water fountains does put you into rarified air. As such, the Kansas City Royals have had plenty of memorable players and moments – not to mention two World Series titles and one infamous pine-tarred bat. Manager: Ned Yost The Royals have won two World Series in 56 seasons; one of those was with Ned Yost. He was also at the helm for their losing 2014 appearance, but getting there is an accomplishment, especially in an organization that's made it to the World Series four times. Yost leads Kansas City in wins, and it isn't close even with the likes of Whitey Herzog and Dick Howser in their ranks. While he was under .500 for his career there, Yost's late, 100-loss seasons weren't exactly his fault. Go ahead, name a 2019 Royals player off the top of your head. Starting pitcher: Bret Saberhagen Kevin Appier pitched with the Royals for longer, and produced more pitcher wins above replacement, too, but Bret Saberhagen is the guy you'd hand the ball to with the game on the line. He won a pair of Cy Youngs in Royals' blue: first in 1985, the World Series-winning year — in which Saberhagen also threw two complete games in the Fall Classic while allowing a single run to earn MVP honors — and in '89, when Saberhagen led the majors in ERA (2.16), complete games (12), innings (261.1), K/BB (4.5), wins (23) and pitcher WAR (9.7). Reliever/closer: Dan Quisenberry Before the one-inning closer, there was Dan Quisenberry. Quiz eventually worked that way, too, but before that change, the mustachioed righty regularly threw well over 100 innings in relief per year, even coming in after the starter and finishing the game. He's the Royals' all-time leader in ERA (2.55) and second in saves, and all despite striking out just 3.1 batters per nine in Kansas City — a low rate even for the era. Quisenberry managed by never walking anyone or allowing homers: he allowed 139 walks in 920 innings (1.4 per nine) and just 52 long balls. Catcher: Salvador Perez One of the most incredible things about Salvador Perez's career is that, despite not being a huge power guy, he exploded for a record 48 dingers in 2021 — no primary catcher has ever hit more in a season, and that also led the majors that year. More incredible, however, is that Perez would still be deserving of this spot without that season: his exceptional defense earned five Gold Gloves, his bat five Silver Sluggers, he's made nine All-Star teams, and is still the Royals' backstop a decade after they won the World Series — where he was series MVP. 1B: Eric Hosmer Eric Hosmer's offensive numbers might not jump off of the page, but that's not how his era of Royals were built: they were balanced teams, strong defenders who could single you to your doom, and Hosmer was one of the more successful examples of that strategy. He hit .284/.342/.439 over seven years with the Royals — better than that in his and their peak years — while winning four Gold Gloves. That package deal is what made him valuable, and the Royals champions. His career tailed off after he left Kansas City, but 2015's flag flies forever. 2B: Frank White Defense-first was not an invention of the 2010s Royals. Frank White spent 18 years in Kansas City, and his offense was not his defining trait. White often hit well enough for the position's requirements, and fielded as well as anyone else, as his eight Gold Gloves — six of which were won in a row from 1977-1982 — and top-ranked defensive WAR (22) attest. Like with the 2010s Royals, having players like White around resulted in a championship: the Royals made the postseason seven times between 1976-1985, and won their first World Series in '85. White homered in it, by the way. 3B: George Brett George Brett spent 21 years with the Royals; it should not surprise you that he's all over the franchise leaderboards. He's first in WAR (88.6) games played (2,707), hits (3,154), total bases (5,044), singles (2,035), doubles (665), triples (137), home runs (317), RBIs (1,596), walks (1,096), times on base (4,283), extra-base hits (1,119), and even sacrifice flies (120). He's an all-time great not just for the Royals, but third base and MLB, as well: his .390 average in 1980 is the closest full-season figure to Ted Williams' .406 mark in 1941. SS: Bobby Witt Jr. Early? Maybe! But consider what Bobby Witt Jr. has already done so far: he finished second for the AL MVP in 2024 while winning the battle title, hitting .332/.389/.588 with 32 homers and 31 steals — that average led the majors, not just the AL, and he had 88 extra-base hits overall. Witt also won a Gold Glove, having turned his defense from a weight around his neck into a significant plus in short order: the sky's the limit for Witt Jr., who has all the makings of not just a Royals' great, but an MLB one, too. OF: Willie Wilson Willie Wilson was a key member of the Royals' late-70s and 1980s postseason squads, and 1982's batting title recipient — his .332 average led both leagues. From 1979 through 1985, Wilson peaked, batting a collective .305/.342/.400 while leading the majors in triples on three occasions, and with Gold Glove-caliber outfield defense for many of those years. His World Series performance in '85 was significant, too, with Wilson collecting 11 hits and a walk while driving in three and snagging a stolen base. Wilson is the Royals' all-time leader in steals, too, with 612, which also ranks 12th in MLB. OF: Alex Gordon The Royals love their lifers, and Alex Gordon managed to play all 14 years of his career with Kansas City. A third baseman who later moved to the outfield, Gordon peaked at the right time — between 2011 and 2015 — for the Royals. In that stretch, he hit .281/.359/.450 and produced the majority of his career wins above replacement — just in time for the Royals to make the World Series on two occasions, winning one. Even as his bat diminished, Gordon kept winning Gold Gloves: he'd take home eight in all, including in his final four seasons. OF: Carlos Beltran Carlos Beltran might end up in the Hall of Fame someday, and his start with the Royals would certainly play into that. He was a power/speed combination player back then, though, more speed than power at that point, and he already had the excellent batting eye that he'd become known for, too: Beltran hit .287/.352/.483 with 123 home runs and 164 steals for Kansas City before he was dealt to the Houston Astros in 2004. Beltran's stolen base success rate with Kansas City was 87.7%; he finished his career at 86.4%, the MLB record. DH: Hal McRae The designated hitter position was introduced to the American League in 1973, which just so happened to be the year that Hal McRae left the Reds and joined the Royals. While McRae would still don a glove on occasion, the bulk of his career from then on came as the DH: he'd play 1,426 games at the position, logging 5,917 of his remaining 7,362 plate appearances there. McRae batted .293/.356/.458 for Kansas City over 15 years, and still had something in the tank — a 118 OPS+ — as a 39-year-old for the 1985 championship team. Honorable Mentions: Whitey Herzog (manager) Kevin Appier (starting pitcher) Zack Greinke (starting pitcher) Dennis Leonard (starting pitcher) Paul Splittorff (starting pitcher) Jeff Montgomery (reliever/closer) Greg Holland (reliever/closer) John Mayberry (1B) Whit Merrifield (2B) Cookie Rojas (2B) Mike Moustakas (3B) Kevin Seitzer (3B) Joe Randa (3B) Freddie Patek (SS) Alcides Escobar (SS) Amos Otis (OF) Al Cowens (OF) Danny Tartabull (OF) Jermaine Dye (OF) David DeJesus (OF) Bo Jackson (OF) Mike Sweeney (DH) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? 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Fox Sports
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 MLB All-Star: Building the Best Orioles Lineup
The St. Louis Browns. The Milwaukee Brewers — no, really, just for one year. The team we know as the Baltimore Orioles has had a few identities in their 125-year history, but none for as long as their current one, which began in 1954. Baltimore is also where almost the entirety of the franchise's success has occurred: they made the World Series just once in their 52 seasons in St. Louis (and the one in Milwaukee). It should be no surprise that their all-time team has been built from their second act — which includes six World Series appearances, three championships, and multiple Hall of Famers. Manager: Earl Weaver The funny thing about the initial resistance to sabermetrics in MLB is that these ideas existed years before Bill James, before Baseball Prospectus, before Ivy League grads and bloggers began to join front offices across the league. Thank Earl Weaver for that: his philosophies on building a potent offense focused on plate discipline and power have been around for longer than some of the franchises that utilize them. Weaver managed the O's from 1968-82, has more than twice as many wins as the next-best manager, a World Series title and the best winning percentage (.596) of any full-season skipper. Starting pitcher: Jim Palmer Jim Palmer spent 20 seasons in Baltimore, but only because no one claimed him on waivers or in 1968's expansion draft while he suffered a mysterious arm injury. Good thing, too: Palmer led the majors in wins and pitcher WAR in 1975, won at least 20 games on eight occasions and remains first all-time for the Orioles with 268. Palmer wrapped his career with 20 more WAR than the next-best starter, Mike Mussina, and his 10-year peak featured a 2.52 ERA (139 ERA+) and four seasons of 300-plus innings. Palmer was on all three World Series-winning O's teams. Reliever/closer: Zack Britton There's more to Zack Britton's career than Buck Showalter leaving him to rot in the bullpen in a wild card game. He spent eight years with the Orioles, posting a 3.22 ERA, but that doesn't tell the whole story, either. Britton became Baltimore's closer in 2014, after three years as a below-average reliever, and everything clicked into place: from that point through 2018, he produced a 2.14 ERA and 139 saves, the second-most in franchise history. Gregg Olson never had a season like Britton's 2016, however: 47 saves with just four runs allowed, for an 0.54 ERA. Catcher: Rick Dempsey Home runs and walks were key to Earl Weaver's successful Orioles teams, but there was another element that tied it all together: defense. Rick Dempsey never won a Gold Glove, but modern statistics recognize his greatness behind the dish just as Weaver did. Dempsey compiled over 17 defensive WAR in his career, 79th-most in MLB history. While not known for his bat, he was rarely better at the plate than with Baltimore, which is also where his five most-valuable seasons out of 24 in MLB were played. Oh, and he hit a cool .308/.372/.564 across three World Series. 1B: Eddie Murray Eddie Murray is third in at-bats and plate appearances for the Orioles, fourth in hits (2,080), second in home runs (343), third in total bases (3,522) and RBIs (1,224) and sixth in walks (884) despite all those knocks. "Steady Eddie" played for the Orioles from age 21 in 1977 through 1988, hitting .294/.370/.498. The 1983 World Series-winning season was one of his best in Baltimore, at .306/.393/.549 with 33 homers and 111 RBIs — Murray finished second for the MVP, won a Gold Glove at first base, and was awarded the Silver Slugger. 2B: Brian Roberts Roberts began as a defensive specialist, but his bat improved, resulting in a monster 2005 with a .314/.387/.515 line, 70 extra-base hits and 27 steals. Roberts led the American League in doubles in 2004 (50) and MLB in 2009 (56), and in between led the AL in steals with 50 in 2007. While his skills faltered as he entered his mid-30s, Roberts' peak produced a .287/.361/.428 line worth over 29 WAR, and he ranks third all-time on the O's in steals (278), fourth in doubles (351), ninth in walks (581) and 10th in extra-base hits (478). 3B: Brooks Robinson Brooks Robinson was the quintessential Oriole, the first true, sustained star for the organization. "Mr. Oriole" spent 23 years with Baltimore: he debuted at 18 in 1955, and retired at 40. Robinson would win 16 Gold Gloves at third base; while it took time for his bat to get going, from 1960 through 1971, he hit .277/.331/.432, and won the 1964 MVP. Robinson twice led the AL in WAR, and neither of those were his best season: that would be 1968, in which he was worth a league-leading 4.5 wins on defense, the sixth-best mark ever. SS: Cal Ripken Jr. If anyone rivals Brooks Robinson as "Mr. Oriole," it's Cal Ripken Jr. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 1982 at 21, which was also the last time he missed a game until September 20, 1998, well after he'd surpassed Lou Gehrig's consecutive games streak of 2,130: Ripken pushed his own to 2,632. He did more than just show up to work, however: Ripken won the 1983 MVP, made 19 consecutive All-Star teams from '83 through 2001, and, at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, normalized the now-common idea of a taller shortstop with his elite play. Thanks, Earl Weaver. OF: Frank Robinson Not content with one star named Robinson, the Orioles added a second in 1966. All Frank Robinson did was win his second MVP award by securing the Triple Crown, making him the first player to be given those honors in both leagues. Robinson might have been at his best at the plate that year, but he was always great: across six seasons with the O's, he somehow produced 32 WAR while hitting .300/.401/.543 with 179 homers. With 586 career home runs, Robinson ranks 10th in MLB — the all-time great was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982. OF: Brady Anderson It took Brady Anderson four years to break through, but in 1992 he batted .271/.383/.449 with 21 homers and 53 steals, while earning the first of three All-Star nods. His peak was long, with Anderson being above-average at the plate — or far better — from 1992 through 2000, a stretch in which he hit .270/.378/.465 with 191 homers and 246 steals. While always a power-speed combo player once his bat came around, Anderson heavily leaned power in '96 with a surprise 50 homers. He's fourth in Orioles' history in extra-base hits (602) and second in steals (307). OF: Adam Jones The Orioles went through an extended stretch of fourth- and fifth-place finishes after their 90s resurgence came to a close. Adam Jones, acquired in a 2008 trade that it's impolite to ask Mariners fans about, was at the center of this renaissance and three postseason appearances. Jones would win four Gold Gloves with Baltimore to go with five All-Star appearances, three seasons with MVP votes, and a Silver Slugger. He finished fifth in Orioles' history in hits (1,781), extra-base hits (595) and home runs (263), and was elected to the team's Hall of Fame in 2025. DH: Boog Powell Boog Powell isn't here because he has one of the greatest baseball names ever, but because he paired that name with a bat deserving of it. The 1970 AL MVP was the Orioles' power-hitting first baseman in the years before Eddie Murray's arrival, and he kept that seat more than warm: Powell was, at one time, Baltimore's home run leader with 303, but now sits third behind Murray and Ripken Jr. — not bad company at all. In 33 postseason games, Powell went deep six times, and slugged .592 for his career in the ALCS thanks to four of those homers. Honorable mention: Buck Showalter (manager) Mike Mussina (starting pitcher) Dave McNally (starting pitcher) Gregg Olson (reliever/closer) Chris Hoiles (catcher) Rafael Palmeiro (1B) Chris Davis (1B) Roberto Alomar (2B) Bobby Grich (2B) Manny Machado (3B) Melvin Mora (3B) BJ Surhoff (OF) Paul Blair (OF) Don Buford (OF) Miguel Tejada (DH) Heinie Manush (DH) George Sisler (DH) Ken Williams (DH) Harold Baines (DH) Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? 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