MLB

8:27 PM ET Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn. — While Major League Baseball and the affiliated minor leagues are shut down, an independent circuit is set to open on July 3 with some fans in the seats. The American Association said Friday its six teams will play in three hubs due to the coronavirus, at

10:35 AM ET The Minnesota Twins smashed a record 307 home runs in 2019 and, judging by their first-round selection in the 2020 amateur draft, it sure seems they would like to ensure a similar brand of high-scoring baseball in future years. The Twins welcomed North Carolina first baseman Aaron Sabato to the organization with

1:31 AM ET MLB InsidersESPN With the 2020 MLB draft, whittled to five rounds and held under unique circumstances because of the coronavirus pandemic, in the books, we asked three of our MLB experts — Alden Gonzalez, Dan Mullen and David Schoenfield — to break down the winners and losers, and extol the virtues of

9:00 AM ET I was told that the 2020 MLB draft would be wild, and I was lulled into a false sense of security by last year’s chalky top of the draft. We had true mayhem on Day 1, and I’ll use the favorite/head-scratcher format to break it down, although there wasn’t a truly “what

7:00 AM ET The first night of the 2020 MLB draft is in the books, but there are still several big names left on draft boards whom some expected to be long gone by Day 2. Among them are prep stars expecting bigger money to lure them away from their college commitments and college players

2:03 AM ET It was an unusual MLB draft, for sure, staged remotely in the midst of contentious negotiations over an uncertain return. But it was a real, live sporting event, one typically defined by hope for a brighter future, so — we’ll take it! Yes, it felt a little off. No, it wasn’t what

From the first round Wednesday night to the second through fifth rounds that follow Thursday night, the 2020 MLB draft is here and we’ve got everything you need for all 160 picks. The Detroit Tigers have the No. 1 overall pick, followed by the Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals. It’s a college-heavy

7:00 AM ET I’ve been on the phone almost nonstop for the past few days after mostly being on and off the phone for the past few weeks. I’ve noticed that most conversations until about dinnertime Tuesday started with hope, then began fizzling about 10 minutes in when both sides realized nobody knew anything yet.

7:00 AM ET There is no baseball on the horizon, but there will be a baseball draft this week, though not in its usual form. You can watch the first round starting at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday on ESPN, with ESPN2 airing the next four rounds starting at 5 p.m. ET Thursday. Here are some

8:00 PM ET Jeff PassanESPN Close ESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports” The Major League Baseball Players Association has made a proposal to MLB for a season of 89 games with a full prorated share of salary and expanded playoffs, sources familiar with the

7:00 AM ET Maybe the most remarkable aspect of the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 was that everyone expected Roger Maris’ record to fall. Mark McGwire hit 58 the previous season and Ken Griffey Jr. 56, putting Maris’ mark of 61 in obvious jeopardy. Sports Illustrated put McGwire on the cover of its baseball

7:00 AM ET TrackMan Baseball has provided ESPN with tons of data to use on the broadcast of the Major League Baseball draft on Wednesday and Thursday, so you’ll see it peppered throughout both visually and verbally. I wanted to take a chance to include lots of those notes you’ll see and hear and also

7:50 PM ET The morning before he became the only baseball player to kneel for the national anthem, then-Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell called outfielder Delino DeShields, then a member of the Texas Rangers, to tell him about his plans. After President Donald Trump had called kneeling NFL players “sons of bitches” in 2017, Maxwell

1:45 PM ET Major League Baseball made an updated proposal for the 2020 MLB season to its players’ union on Monday, moving to have a 76-game season with players getting 75% of their prorated salaries that includes eliminating draft pick compensation for free agents for a year, a $200 million postseason pool for the players

7:00 AM ET Nick Gonzales secured a .502 on-base percentage through a 128-game collegiate career that has undoubtedly reached its conclusion. He once belted five home runs over the course of one doubleheader. And when the coronavirus pandemic shut down American sports for the foreseeable future, he was riding an 82-game on-base streak that will

8:17 AM ET You love baseball. Tim Kurkjian loves baseball. So while we await its return, every day we’ll provide you with a story or two tied to this date in baseball history. ON THIS DATE IN 2010, the Nationals selected Bryce Harper with the overall No. 1 pick in the draft. This was essentially

9:00 AM ET This is the how baseball’s destructive standoff needs to end: The owners, with greater wealth and with the lasting stewardship of the game, need to emerge from their bargaining bunker and extend themselves into the middle ground with an offer of a significant concession. Maybe a season of 81 games — a

7:00 AM ET The 2020 MLB draft is right around the corner, and that means your team could be selecting its next superstar in the coming days. Since baseball draft prospects are often not household names when selected, we found the current MLB star who is the best big league comparison for five top prospects