The latest Major League Baseball economic proposal sent yesterday to the MLB Players Association assures that the 2020 season won't start before July 10. And it heightens suspicions that we're facing a 50-game schedule that, in the immortal words of heavyweight boxer Clubber Lang in "Rocky III," is going to produce a paper champion. As first reported by ESPN's Karl Ravech, ownership is now seeking a 76-game season, concluding on Sept. 27, that pays players 75 percent of their prorated...

Looking ahead to the coming week's "Orioles Classics," I couldn't help but think of Jim Mora's most famous moment. Mora, then head coach of the Indianapolis (grr!) Colts, spoke with reporters following a 2001 loss that dropped the team to 4-6. One of those reporters asked Mora about the Colts' chances at making the National Football League playoffs that season, triggering the coach's now legendary reaction. "Playoffs? Don't talk about ... playoffs?" Mora screeched incredulously, his...

With two days remaining before the start of the First-Year Player Draft, the Orioles have reduced the number of possibilities with the second overall selection but aren't ready to pinpoint their preference. Speaking to the media today on a Zoom call, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said the Orioles are "actively discussing" five players and probably won't make a final decision until the day of the draft. It's a fairly typical stance for a team positioned in such a high...

There's no way around it. We miss baseball. We miss everything about a trip to South Capitol Street to see the Nationals play. The way the warm June breezes buffet the upper deck. The taste of a Ben's Chili Bowl half smoke when you bite into it. The taste of a cold, refreshing Budweiser. The roar of the crowd. We don't know when baseball will return, but until the owners and players can come to some sort of agreement, MASN has plenty of "Nationals Classics" to help you get your diamond...

Sean Doolittle, Adam Eaton and Yan Gomes. All three players are prime examples of where the Nationals needed top-flight major league talent to compete for a title, but did not necessarily have that guy in their system at the time. All three made significant contributions on their road to winning the 2019 World Series. In the middle of 2019, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo brought in relievers Roenis Elías and Hunter Strickland through trade. Rizzo sent minor league left-handers Taylor...

It's almost impossible to refer to any game or any player in baseball history as unique. Over the last century and a half, this great sport has seen pretty much everything that can happen, happen. Yes, there have been countless remarkable, memorable, even historic moments and players. But in nearly every case, they can be compared to something or someone else. Rarely do we get to witness something and say with 100 percent conviction: "Wow, we've never seen anything like that before!" If you...

While pointing out that the Orioles could go underslot with their No. 2 draft pick to go over at No. 30 and/or No. 39, The Athletic's Keith Law still has the club taking Vanderbilt's Austin Martin with its first pick. The draft begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night with coverage on both ESPN and MLB Network. That night, the first round features picks No. 1 through No. 29 and then the competitive balance round with selections Nos. 30 through 37. So the O's will have two picks Wednesday. Draft...

The Nationals are wrapping up a homestand this afternoon, with the fourth and final game of their series against the Mets on tap, a marquee pitching matchup between Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom set for this warm afternoon on South Capitol Street. This is an important stretch of the season to date for the Nats, who through 64 games find themselves in the driver's seat of a competitive race in the National League East. They're in first place at 39-25, with the Braves trying to catch them at...

Over the years, there have certainly not been many players signed after the First-Year Player Draft. Not when it was 40 rounds - or before that, 50 rounds. All the good talent was long since scooped up. But this year is very different. The draft is just five rounds. There will be 160 players drafted, or 13 percent of the 1,217 taken in 2019. Some real good talent will be available that won't be taken. But teams will have only a max bonus of $20,000 to offer. Will players that would have...

The No. 23-rated prospect in the MLBPipeline.com top 200 is a familiar name to the Nationals. The club drafted right-hander Cole Wilcox out of high school in the 37th round in 2018. Wilcox comes at you with a fastball that can reach 100 mph and has the potential to get to 102 mph. University of Georgia baseball coach Scott Stricklin said that fastball has been the lethal pitch that has got everyone talking about Wilcox. "Obviously, he is very talented," Stricklin said. "He is a big, strong...