Locke'd In Baseball

Three years removed from a World Series title and two straight playoff misses. Skip Schumaker replaces Bruce Bochy, Marcus Semien and Adolis García are gone, and the Rangers open the season at Philadelphia against García.The rotation led all of MLB in ERA last year and somehow got deeper with MacKenzie Gore slotting in behind deGrom and Eovaldi, but both aces are being slow-rolled this spring after injury-shortened 2025 seasons. Sebastian Walcott needs season-ending elbow surgery. The offense needs Evan Carter, Josh Jung, and Jake Burger to all bounce back at once. We break down the Kumar Rocker fifth-starter battle, Josh Smith's shot at the everyday second base job, the Alexis Díaz vs. Cole Winn closer competition, and whether this team is still a contender or running out of time in a wide-open AL West.🔒 Locked In Baseball — New episodes every week📲 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok: @lockedinbaseballmedia🎧 Available on all podcast platforms#MLB #Rangers #Texas #deGrom #Eovaldi #MacKenzieGore #EvanCarter #KumarRocker #Baseball #MLBPreview #SpringTraining #LockedInBaseball

The Reds made the postseason last year and have eyes of getting back there. Eugenio Suárez returns to Cincinnati after a 49-homer season to give Elly De La Cruz real lineup protection for the first time. Matt McLain needs a bounce-back year after struggling offensively coming off shoulder surgery. Sal Stewart and Ke'Bryan Hayes round out an infield with upside everywhere. The rotation of Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, and Brady Singer has legitimate top-of-the-league potential, and then there's a wide-open fifth starter battle between Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns, and Brandon Williamson that could shape the entire season. We break down the outfield questions, whether this bullpen can hold up, and if this is finally the year Cincinnati puts it all together in the NL Central.🔒 Locked In Baseball — New episodes every week📲 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok: @lockedinbaseballmedia🎧 Available on all podcast platforms#MLB #Reds #Cincinnati #EllyDeLaCruz #HunterGreene #EugenioSuarez #Baseball #MLBPreview #SpringTraining #LockedInBaseball

The Royals made the playoffs in 2024 for the first time in nine years — then went backwards at 82-80. Bobby Witt Jr. is still the best player in the AL Central, but did J.J. Picollo do enough around him? Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas help, but the impact bat never came.We break down Carter Jensen's expanded role, whether Jac Caglianone can stick in right, the pitching depth behind Ragans, Lugo, and Wacha, and our win total predictions for a team that could be a playoff contender or stuck in no-man's-land.🔒 Locked In Baseball — New episodes every week📲 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok: @lockedinbaseballmedia🎧 Available on all podcast platforms#MLB #Royals #KansasCity #BobbyWittJr #CarterJensen #Baseball #MLBPreview #SpringTraining #LockedInBaseball

The San Francisco Giants might be the most fascinating team in baseball this year. A storied franchise hands the keys to Tony Vitello, one of the most successful and polarizing college baseball coaches ever, and bets that his intensity and player development chops can translate to the big leagues. We break down what this means for the roster, the clubhouse culture, and whether San Francisco's mix of young talent and veteran pieces can compete in a loaded NL West. Plus, key roster battles, prospects to watch, and what success actually looks like for the Giants in Year 1 of the Vitello era.🔒 Locked In Baseball — New episodes every week📲 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok: @lockedinbaseballmedia🎧 Available on all podcast platforms#MLB #SFGiants #Giants #TonyVitello #Baseball #MLBPreview #SpringTraining #LockedInBaseball

Back-to-back AL Central titles, but the Guardians barely did anything this offseason and the offense ranked 28th in runs per game last year. Emmanuel Clase is gone. Rhys Hoskins was a late add for right-handed thump. And beyond Steven Kwan and José Ramírez, there's a lot of question marks with the linup. Chase DeLauter is the prospect everyone's watching, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy. Travis Bazzana is lurking but has had his health issues as well.We break down the crowded outfield competition, the six-starters-for-five-spots rotation battle between Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo, Parker Messick, and Slade Cecconi, and whether Cleveland's "trust the pitching and let the kids figure it out" strategy can hold up for a third straight year.#mlb #baseball #cleveland #guardians

Arizona is trying to compete in the NL West, but the injury list is brutal. Corbin Burnes is recovering from Tommy John and won't return until around the All-Star break. Corbin Carroll broke his hamate bone in live BP. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is out until at least May with a torn ACL. Co-closers A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez are both recovering from elbow surgery. We break down how Arizona plans to hold it together: Nolan Arenado's addition at third, Jordan Lawlar's move to center field and whether he can finally hit MLB pitching, the wide-open bullpen with Kevin Ginkel and Jonathan Loáisiga competing for high-leverage roles, and top prospect Ryan Waldschmidt's dark-horse case for the Opening Day roster. Plus — is this team built to survive until reinforcements arrive, or will the NL West bury them before Burnes ever takes the mound?#mlb #baseball

We could NOT agree on this team. New ownership, a roster overhaul, and a return to Tropicana Field after a year playing outdoors at Steinbrenner Field - the Rays are either a sleeper or the AL East cellar dweller. We go back and forth on whether Shane McClanahan can actually be an ace again after missing two seasons, Junior Caminero's alarming home/road splits and what moving back to one of baseball's more pitcher-friendly parks means for his 45-homer follow-up, plus our win total predictions where we landed on opposite sides.#mlb #baseball #rays #tampabay

Three straight years of rising win totals, and now the A's have arguably the most dangerous young lineup in baseball. Nick Kurtz is coming off a Rookie of the Year season with 36 homers, Jacob Wilson hit .311 as a rookie, and Brent Rooker played all 162 games. The offense isn't the question, the pitching is. Every projected starter comes with a question mark, the bullpen is near the bottom of the league, and the next wave of arms led by Luis Morales and Gage Jump still has to prove it. We break down the third base battle, Zack Gelof's uncertain roster path, whether Jeff McNeil can lengthen this lineup, and if the A's have enough pitching to turn a dark horse buzz into an actual playoff run in Sacramento.#mlb #baseball

Can Paul Skenes win a second straight Cy Young? An... MVP?! Konnor Griffin is the best prospect since Mike Trout and he might make the Opening Day roster at 19. The Pirates added Brandon Lowe, Marcell Ozuna, and Ryan O'Hearn to an offense that was dead last in runs a year ago. We break down Pittsburgh's top tier rotation, the Griffin timeline, whether Oneil Cruz can tap into his 40-homer ceiling, and the big question hanging over everything: can this window stay open long enough before Skenes hits free agency?#mlb #baseball #pittsburgh #pirates

Total organizational chaos in Minnesota. The Twins fired Rocco Baldelli after a 70-92 season, then parted ways with Derek Falvey just two weeks before spring training. Derek Shelton is the new manager, Jeremy Zoll is running baseball ops, and nobody seems aligned on whether this team is competing or rebuilding. Oh, and Pablo López and Joe Ryan are already hurt - so the rotation that was supposed to be the strength is now a massive question mark before a single game has been played.We break down what's left of this roster, the unsettled bullpen, and whether the No. 2 ranked farm system, headlined by Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Kaelen Culpepper, can accelerate the timeline. Plus our win total predictions and whether Byron Buxton finishes the season in a Twins uniform.#mlb #baseball #minnesota #twins

Miami finished 79-83 last year, a 15-win improvement, and wasn't eliminated from a Wild Card spot until the final days of the season. Now the Marlins are saying they plan to compete. Are they serious? We break down the case for Miami: Sandy Alcantara's late-season comeback, Eury Pérez headlining one of the deepest pitching staffs in camp, and a rotation battle featuring Paddack, Max Meyer, and Braxton Garrett all fighting for spots. Plus, can Agustín Ramírez hold off Joe Mack behind the plate? And what does the arrival of Owen Caissie mean for an outfield that's been quietly stockpiling talent under Peter Bendix? The rebuild framing might be wrong, this team is quietly interesting.#mlb #baseball

For the first time in a generation, the Cardinals aren't competing, they're tearing it down. Chaim Bloom dealt both Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan this offseason, and more than half the pitchers in camp weren't even in the org a year ago.We break down what a Cardinals rebuild actually looks like: top-5 prospect JJ Wetherholt's arrival, a wide-open rotation battle, and an outfield trio of Nootbaar, Victor Scott II, and Jordan Walker that's all on trial. The rebuild is real. The question is how fast it goes.#mlb #baseball

High-risk, high-reward. The Angels hired Kurt Suzuki as manager despite zero prior coaching experience and built their roster around bounce-back bets across the board. Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah are both coming off full seasons missed to injury. Can Mike Trout stay healthy? We break down the reclamation project rotation, the wide-open closer battle, the Christian Moore vs. Vaughn Grissom competition at second base, and make our predictions for the 2026 Angels.#mlb #baseball

New front office. New manager. New everything. Blake Butera is the youngest MLB manager in over 50 years, the entire coaching staff has been overhauled, and the young core of James Wood, CJ Abrams, and Dylan now has to prove themselves to a regime that didn't draft them. We break down the first base battle, Josiah Gray's comeback from Tommy John, James Wood's rebound from a bad second half and why this spring is a prove-it moment for Washington's rebuild.#mlb #baseball

The rebuild is real and it might be working faster than anyone expected. Munetaka Murakami headlines a busy offseason, Colson Montgomery is embracing the face-of-the-franchise role, and a loaded prospect pipeline led by Braden Montgomery, Noah Schultz, and Hagen Smith is knocking on the door. We break down the outfield logjam, a wide-open rotation battle, and when this thing could actually become competitive. #mlb #chicago #whitesox

119 losses. The worst starter ERA since 1913. So the Rockies blew it all up: new front office, new coaching staff, and a brand new pitching philosophy. In this episode, we break down Colorado's bold pitching experiment, the crowded outfield battle, Chase Dollander's breakout potential, and why this rebuild might be the most fascinating story in baseball this spring. Plus: should the Rockies just move their fences as far back as possible? Can you actually build a winner in Colorado?#mlb #baseball #colorado #rockies

In today’s episode, we dive into our preview of the upcoming World Baseball Classic. We break down every roster and coaching staff, analyze how each team is shaping up heading into the tournament, and highlight the biggest strengths, weaknesses, and X-factors to watch. From powerhouse favorites to potential sleeper nations, we discuss what could define this year’s WBC and of course, make our official predictions for who takes home the title.If you’re getting ready for the WBC, this is your complete preview covering the players, storylines, and bold takes you need before first pitch.#mlb #baseball #wbc

We break down the winners and losers from the 2025-26 MLB offseason , looking at which teams made the smartest moves and which clubs fell behind as the hot stove cools off.Then we dive into the latest MLB news and rumors, including Framber Valdez signing with the Detroit Tigers, Tarik Skubal winning his arbitration case, Brendan Donovan being traded to the Seattle Mariners, Eugenio Suárez signing with the Cincinnati Reds, and more.We also discuss ongoing RSN issues around MLB and what they mean for teams, players, and fans heading into the 2026 season.

Today’s episode opens with some frustrating World Baseball Classic news that honestly makes no sense.Several stars won’t be participating due to insurance issues, including Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, José Berríos, and José Altuve, completely gutting Team Puerto Rico and taking a serious hit at the credibility of the tournament. Why does MLB always seem to shoot itself in the foot? Are we just headed for another predictable USA vs. Japan final?From there, we run through the rest of the WBC landscape: Yoshinobu Yamamoto committing, Shohei Ohtani deciding not to pitch, commitments for Team Dominican Republic, and what it all means for the tournament’s competitiveness.Then we dive into MLB news and notes from the week, including a busy stretch for the Giants, a Yankees trade, another Athletics extension, more moves from the White Sox, and everything else you might’ve missed.We also react to MLB’s newly released Top 100 Players and Prospect lists before wrapping up with the stunning front office news that Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey and the team are mutually parting ways.

MLB wasted absolutely no time this week, and we break down one of the most active stretches of the offseason so far.We start in Queens, where the Mets had a huge week swinging two major trades to land Luis Robert Jr. and Freddy Peralta. Do we like the moves? Did they give up too much prospect capital? And what do these moves mean for the NL East and the broader National League landscape?Then we head across town to the Bronx, where the Yankees re-signed Cody Bellinger, a move they pretty much had to make. But is this just a necessary box-check, or the start of something bigger? What’s next for the Yankees… or is this the offseason?From there, we dive into one of the week’s biggest deals: the Nationals sending MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers in exchange for five prospects. Did Texas pay the right price for a frontline arm, and where does this leave Washington in their rebuild?We wrap things up with some quick pitches, including José Ramírez’s reported extension in Cleveland, Kyle Tucker almost becoming a Blue Jay, the White Sox’s active(ish) offseason, San Francisco’s offseason of “almosts,” plus thoughts on Max Scherzer, Yu Darvish, and more.#mlb #baseball