Welcome to the final Weekend Links of the 2025 MLB season. One way or the other, the World Series will conclude this weekend; possibly tonight.
What a post season it has been across the board. 3 of the first 4 series went to deciding Game 3’s. Seattle and Detroit played an epic Game 5 in the Division round that would be the highlight of most postseasons. A nail biter Game 7 between Seattle and Toronto was also great.
However, those were all outdone by an 18 inning masterpiece in the World Series this week. As a pure fan of the game, this has to be among the greatest games I’ve ever witnessed and will ever see.
Freddie Freeman walked it off with a solo shot in the bottom of the 18th inning. At this point, I’m pretty sure he’s on his way to the Hall of Fame when he’s done playing. Future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer started the game for Toronto and fellow lock Clayton Kershaw pitched in relief. Add in the fact Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Vladdy Jr. are all having tremendous careers and we may have seen 6 HOF’ers in this game.
There is no shortage of star power in this Series. In fact, we saw one of the game’s biggest stars take the game’s biggest star deep.
My favorite part about this World Series is the Blue Jays winning 3 games to the Dodgers 2. Your rooting interests may vary but my second favorite team is whoever is playing our neighbor to the north.
Hopefully, the Blue Jays wrap this game up tonight but it will be difficult. Yamamoto is just dealing right now. And this isn’t his first rodeo in a Game 6.
As great as the Fall Classic is, it isn’t the only baseball being played. Out in Phoenix the Arizona Fall League is in full swing and an Angel is doing some serious damage. Per the team site three Angels prospects are on fire, but really one guy is carrying most of the freight.
Raudi “Roddy” Rodriguez (yes, I’m proud of that one) is slashing a ridiculous 471/.571/.706Â with a homer, 3 doubles, and a triple across 11 games. Small sample size beware, but the 22 year old had a breakout season in A ball this year and just might have unlocked a little something. He’s getting a lot of love on social media and should be on his way to AA next season.
There’s been more digital ink spent on Raudi in the comments than by the staff so I’ve tasked new intern Landon with writing an in depth piece on him this week. Let’s see what the kid has and what we learn about our newly christened prospect.
I have articles from each of them posting this weekend, so check back in for fresh reading material.
Baseball is such a great distraction from life, but real life is happening. There’s nothing more real than the Tyler Skaggs wrongful death trial. This week Eric Kay’s ex wife testified that she had voiced concerns about Kay’s drug use to Tim Mead among other things. She also stated she knew players on team planes were trading pills like candy but somehow didn’t actually see the exchanges.
In following the trial, it is like watching a drama or reading a novel in which every character looks like a bad person. I can’t say I fully believe a single one of them, but I can definitely tell many are hurt and angry. Absolutely nobody will come out of this thing as a winner, now matter how much cash does or does not change hands.
There’s more investigation news but it isn’t the Angels. At least not yet, anyway. The Feds are investigating Players Way, a for profit company owned by MLBPA. In an in depth piece on ESPN, it is revealed MLBPA has sunk at least $3.9 million into this thing with sources saying the figure is a cool $10 million. So far it has generated a few hundred grand in revenue.
That’s not good math. The WNBA doesn’t even have math that bad. Somebody is getting rich here, and it isn’t the union.
Could be worse, though, could be basketball. This is completely unrelated, but a cool read on the guy at the center of the rigged poker and NBA bets scandal. Let’s call that the long form reading for the weekend.
All this talk about great World Series games has made me a bit nostalgic. So I’ll leave you with a video of the absolute greatest game of my lifetime and wish you a happy weekend.
Enjoy your weekend and link what I missed. It will be a busy weekend for my family and I will see my childhood friends. When you are from a small town you meet your friends early in life. Many of us can’t remember when we met as our parents were friends. It is a unique bond and I appreciate it.
Now that it’s over. Predictions for 2026. Of course we all predict the headline, “Rendon wins Comeback Player of the Year”, that’s a given. But what else?
Glad to hear that Johnny Washington will not be returning as the Hitting Coach.
This news was a long time coming.
Geez.
Is he the coach who told hitters to swing at the first pitch, because that might be the best pitch they’ll get during the at-bat?
This philosophy helps opposing pitchers go 1-2 more innings than they typically do.
Good hitters can hit 2nd-best and 3rd best pitches.
It’s the 0.200 hitters on the Angels rosters who need to be in the minors.
And then there is Trout, who is at 0-1 to start EVERY at bat.
Thanks for the video link. It’s frightening how much we forget over an ever lengthening period of time. Then again, it was 23 years ago.
Erstad, Salmon, Anderson, Glaus = Total studs
Guys like Figgins, Eckstein, Adam Kennedy & Benji Molina were excellent complimentary pieces.
Troy Percival might have struggled against Albert Belle for whatever reason but, he was nails in his prime.
My 2 cents worth; Mike Maddux is not the pitcher his brother was, but he is one of the best pitching coaches of all time with the respect of every player he has coached. My question is why is he coming here, really? Fangraphs is more in tune with WAR pitching than BR, the other way around with hitting. Jeff it is a pleasure to read you on Fridays. I still believe Schanny has a big season in ’26, I’m more concerned with Trout playing in 135-140 games in ’26. More concerned about 2 additional SP. And who is going to play 3b.
While I like, Maddox, pitching really wasn’t the problem this last season. I see it as basically the same as having Enright.
Would have rather had the former Ranger manager.
uhhhh what?
Pitching ranks last year:
ERA: 28th in MLB
Hits allowed: 5th most
HR allowed: 2nd most
Walks: most
K’s: 25th in MLB
WHIP: 28th in MLB
Avg: 28th in mlb
Not saying the offense was spectacular by any means, but when your pitching in that bad, it doesn’t really matter what your offense does.
Relief pitching was definitely terrible but starters were better. They generated 9 WAR as a group.
Per Fangraphs the starters generated 6 WAR. At any rate, at the bottom of most categories. Second to last in AL in WAR if I recall.
Your last sentence says it all. As much as I would like to make lots of changes to the line up, If all we did this winter is add 2 legitimate SPs and nothing else, we would be a better team than last year.
Thank you for all of the great write-ups this year.
Let’s go “whoever plays the Doyers!”
Too bad we don’t have a movable/expendable piece to trade for Pages in 2026. We’d overpay or be jilted.
Pages seems like a small risk if cheaply acquired, but Arte will probably never trade with the Dodgers again.
Like the Halos have to worry about Pages’ Post-season performance, am I right?
We don’t need him. If we had him, we would just turn him every game.
Maddux, wow. Maybe we will have some competent turd polishing going on.
Indeed.
if Suzuki keeps making decisions like these, when is the parade?
Cactus League Champions 2026!
Another important decision. Who will be the hitting coach
Maybe maddux can convince Tim hyers to come to the Angels
Maybe Kevin long
my money is on Eric Chavez
Maddox seems like a step in the right direction. Now we just need more actual pitchers for him to coach! Baby steps and all
And perhaps a competent hitting coach.
I like this pickup. It’s at least an indication that Suzuki will surround himself with experience.
Well, let’s not get greedy pal!
 😉 
Offseason is for greed and regular season is for pain and crying haha
….I know brudda!
Wow Mike Maddox. How much war is he worth lol
While maybe not all due to him, the Rangers had the best starting staff in the AL. Best in BABIP, ERA, and WAR.
Word has it that Perry will dress up as a REAL GM 😂😂😂
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fjm1S8Y1qYs
(Jared Porter)
This got a genuine laugh out loud.
Well done.
Look! 2002heaven has dressed up as a real member of the community today with a real post!
Imposter syndrome
Welcome aboard Mike Maddux.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/mike-maddux-leaves-rangers-staff-joins-angels-pitching-coach.html
Well, many of us pined for him to coach our hurlers-We shall see.
Appears Suzuki and Maddux never were on the same team but welcome a change. I was looking to see what relationship had existed so the choice was strictly out of respect in Mike’s abilities. So often new managers pick cronies.
Hopefully they will be on the same page.
He is a great pick up for the Halos. Leaving Texas to come here for a one year deal is puzzling.
Never in my wildest dreams could I even imagine this.
Well, maybe in your wildest!
Stop trying to make Fetch (Hope) happen!
Just one more win.
I’d give anything for a Win!
Just one Win.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mWxtTeVlbnQ
How about a 1B who can hit for power.
Shirley you jest!
Don’t call him Shirley.
Surely
I would like FA Naylor but Schanny aint going anywhere.
I’ll take 3 starters with 3.80 ERA over 1B. Combine those with Kiluchi and Soriano and we would have slightly above AL starting pitching. At least double the WAR of the staff.