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Who would make a theoretical Nationals Hall of Fame?
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Eighteen seasons into their existence, the Nationals can only claim one former player who was inducted to the Hall of Fame. And while Ivan Rodriguez’s Cooperstown case was rock solid, few really remember the great catcher for the two seasons he spent in D.C. at the end of his career. It’ll be a while longer before any other former Nats are elected.
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Mullins on WBC: "It's a huge honor to be a part of this"
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Cedric Mullins will participate in the upcoming Orioles caravan, added to the list on Jan. 10, and report early to spring training in Sarasota before leaving camp to join Team USA at the World Baseball Classic. The Orioles aren’t done trying to make other moves to set their opening day roster, but Mullins is certain to roam center field and sit ato
Scott Rolen
My 2023 Hall of Fame ballot
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
Every Hall of Fame ballot is different. Some years, they’re stacked with qualified candidates, leading at times to a forced paring down of choices to adhere to the Hall’s longstanding rule against voting for more than 10 players. Some years, they’re lacking in obvious choices, which can lead to only a handful of votes and unfortunately no new induc
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Will a unit that was a real strength in 2022 be that again for Birds?
Steve Melewski
Orioles
It was a real strength of the much-improved 2022 Orioles – the Baltimore bullpen. Will it be a team strength again this year? It will likely need to be for the Orioles to keeping trending upward toward an American League playoff berth. In 2021, the O’s bullpen ERA of 5.70 ranked last in the majors. The final season bullpen ERA of 3.49 from last yea
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What to watch for in tonight's Hall of Fame announcement
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
It’s Hall of Fame election day, and while there aren’t any real significant Nationals ties this year – aside from Jayson Werth making the ballot for the first time – it’s still the biggest story around the baseball world for the next 24 hours. So, let’s take this opportunity to look ahead to what may transpire. The official announcement is schedule
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Lining up some possibilities for Orioles batting order
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
A week remains in the month of January and I’m already seeing mock lineups posted online. They’re built upon a foundation of past orders and current assumptions. I’ve done it with less. Cedric Mullins is leading off for the Orioles, and that’s the only certainty on the team. He did it in 141 games last season – the club went 73-68 – and he’ll be mi
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A look at how Joey Ortiz rose from struggling at Double-A to the top 100 list
Steve Melewski
Orioles
How does a player batting .206 with an OPS of .596 at the end of June last year at Double-A end up several months later ranked among Baseball America’s top 100 national prospects? For Orioles shortstop prospect Joey Ortiz, it took a lot of hard work, a few swing adjustments and belief in self. He went from a player that had left labrum surgery end
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Will improved middle infield have real impact on pitching?
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
As much as the Nationals pitching staff struggled last season, there was always an underlying question in the back of coaches and front office members’ minds: How much did bad defense contribute to those struggles? Statistically, the Nats pitching staff was the worst in the majors in 2022. So, too, was the team’s defense. Until mid-August, that is,
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How do Orioles handle first base at Triple-A Norfolk?
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The first order of business for the Orioles at spring training is finding 26 players to hop on the charter flight to Boston for opening day. Thirteen pitchers and 13 position players. No more questions about the composition of the rotation and bullpen, and which players join backup catcher James McCann and Ramón Urías or Adam Frazier on the bench.
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A good week for the farm and player development
Steve Melewski
Orioles
For a team looking to build an elite pipeline and support and grow its organization with quality home-grown talent, the last week or so have been good days for the Orioles. It began a week ago today, when the club announced an international signing class of 27 players, headed up by 16-year-old shortstop Luis Ayden Almeyda. He got a $2.3 million sig