Around The Big Leagues

One third of the 2023 season is in the books as the Atlanta Braves hit the road to close out the month of May. It all starts with the highly anticipated return of Michael Soroka in Oakland. Grant McAuley discusses the week that was for the Braves. You'll hear from Atlanta hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, who discusses the progress at the plate for several members of the club. Braves reliever A.J. Minter shares what he is working on in order to get his season on track. And Matt Olson reveals why he believes both he and the Braves have yet to truly play their best baseball of the season as well as what it's like to witness Ronald Acuña Jr.'s nightly exploits firsthand. Special guests include Scott Braun, the longtime host at MLB Network, who discusses his new venture - Foul Territory - connecting players past and present with the fans in a new and exciting way. Travis Sawchik of The Score joins the show to discuss the potential connection between baseball new rules and a rise in certain types of pitching injuries

After an up and down road trip, the Atlanta Braves embarked on their longest homestand of 2023 with an exciting series win over the Seattle Mariners. Grant McAuley discusses the continued injury challenges for the Atlanta pitching staff, the drawbacks of too many bullpen games, and some internal options that could help ease the burden for the starting rotation. Alex Anthopoulos provides some insight on the challenges of pulling off a trade this time of year. Meanwhile, the Braves continue to get elite production from Ronald Acuña Jr. to lead the way offensively, but several other hitters are trying to get back on track. Hear from Atlanta third baseman Austin Riley on the process he's going through to turn things around at the plate. Also on the show, special guest Michael Clair of MLB.com joins to give us the history of the baseball cap, an inside look at the evolution of the game's headwear. Dayn Perry of CBS Sports stops by to chat about the St. Louis Cardinals and their challenging start to the season.

The Atlanta Braves find themselves battling injury and inconsistency after a rough stop in Toronto over the weekend and the loss of two pillars of the starting rotation. Grant McAuley sizes up the impact of Max Fried and Kyle Wright's lengthy absence in the Atlanta rotation, what the Braves can do to fill those voids, how some of the key hitters in the starting lineup are trending, and just how difficult the upcoming schedule could be after a hot start to the season. We'll also dive into life with MLB's new rules. How have the Braves adjusted to the pitch clock, pace of play, bigger bases and the differences to the game? Hear from Charlie Morton and Kirby Yates on how Atlanta pitchers are feeling about the changes. Also on the show, special guest Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic joins to discuss MLB's efforts to add the Negro Leagues statistics to the official baseball register. After announcing their intention to do so in 2020, those efforts appear to have reached an impasse. Find out what's next for th

With another good road trip and a successful weekend series, the Atlanta Braves continued their best start in 25 years this week. Grant McAuley dives into the major stories an headlines for the week that was in Atlanta Braves baseball, including the latest string of injuries and comebacks facing the club, encouraging signs for the Atlanta offense, questions for the starting rotation, a couple of big returns that could bolster the roster in very important ways. We'll also take a drive down memory lane for a baseball card chat. Ryan Fagan of The Sports News joins to discuss an upcoming documentary on renowned artist Dick Perez, the man who created the iconic Diamond King cards for Donruss. Neil Solandz of the Tampa Bay Rays joins the show as well, to give you an inside look on just how this team has taken the baseball world by storm and gotten off to the hottest start in MLB. All of that and a trip around the big leagues! Make sure to connect with From The Diamond on social media. Hear the show live every

The Atlanta Braves are wrapping up April in first place as they aim to conclude a rainy series against the New York Mets. Grant McAuley discusses the ups and downs from Atlanta's most recent homestand, which included being swept by the Houston Astros and a near-sweep of the Miami Marlins, some key Braves players are making their way back as the club gets healthy, and the suddenly full-strength and impressive work of the starting rotation. Braves broadcaster Brandon Gaudin of Bally Sports joins the show to discuss his first regular season month, the thrill of joining the storied Braves broadcast booth, growing up a Braves fan and much more. And ESPN's Jeff Passan joins Grant McAuley to take a look around the big leagues and size up some of the top stories in April. What's with all the early injuries across MLB? Are the new rules working? Are the Pittsburgh Pirates for real? And just how impressive if Spencer Strider. All of that and more is discussed in the visit with Jeff Passan. Make sure to connect with

The Atlanta Braves got off to their best start in a decade, but ran into trouble against the Houston Astros over the weekend. Grant McAuley recaps another busy week of Braves baseball, as the club got some positive updates on the injury front for some key players, while the rotation has started to take shape with the return of Max Fried and emergence of Bryce Elder. You will also hear from one of Atlanta's pleasant surprises in April as Grant chats with outfielder Sam Hilliard. Meanwhile, the baseball world is watching greatness on display from Shohei Ohtani, but what is his future for 2023 and beyond? Longtime voice of the Angels, Victor Rojas, who hosts the Angels Win podcast joins the show to talk about how the Angels may approach the impending free agency of Ohtani and the future of Mike Trout. The big news story for MLB was of course the announcement the Oakland Athletics may be moving to Las Vegas. Kyle Glaser of Baseball America joins the show to share how this deal got done and what the next steps

The Atlanta Braves continued to win baseball games despite a long list of injured players. Now they could be getting some of those key players back, fueling a fast start with some notable reinforcements. Grant McAuley breaks down the week that was for the red-hot Braves, how they've gotten some big contributions from several places, how the injury of Orlando Arcia provided Vaughn Grissom with an early opportunity, the return of Kyle Wright and Max Fried, and the seemingly eternal debate about Marcell Ozuna's place in the lineup and the Atlanta roster. Could that be reaching a critical mass given his latest struggles? Plus, Eno Sarris of The Athletic joins to break down the strengths of the Braves rotation and Melanie Newman of MASN & MLB Network joins to discuss the AL East battle, baseball's pace of play, and the potential for MLB to expand for the first time in 25 years. All of that and a look around the big leagues on this edition of From The Diamond. Hear the show live every Sunday on 92-9 The Game in

The Atlanta Braves handled business on the road to start the season, but had a buzzkill series against the San Diego Padres over the weekend. Grant McAuley discusses the mounting injuries for Atlanta, which included three more players landing on the injured list in the past week. While the return of Kyle Wright could be a boost to the pitching staff, Atlanta is hoping to have Max Fried, Raisel Iglesias and Collin McHugh back sooner than later as well. While the lineup is loaded in the top three spots, how will Brian Snitker and the Braves navigate in the near-term without Michael Harris II and Travis d'Arnaud? How long will Atlanta stick with Marcell Ozuna? Can Eddie Rosario bounce back and help solve the left field production issues? Those questions and more are discussed. You'll also hear the inside story of the creation of Atlanta's City Connect uniforms. I caught up with Braves VP and Creative Director Insung Kim to get the scoop on the thought process behind those and the future of Braves uniforms. I

The Atlanta Braves opened the 2023 season with a series win, but lost Max Fried to a hamstring injury. How will the rotation adjust to life without their ace for at least a couple of weeks? Grant McAuley discusses the major stories for the Braves after their series victory in Washington. This is includes the Fried injury, some big moments for the offense, the major league debut of Jared Shuster, and why roster depth could be the key to the season for Atlanta. You'll also hear from several members of Atlanta's Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers club. Grant caught up with Vaughn Grissom, Braden Shewmake and Ian Anderson, a trio with different stories but each man very much hoping to get the call to big leagues and contribute in 2023. All of that and a look around the big leagues on this edition of From The Diamond. Hear the show live every Sunday on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and connect with the show at FromTheDiamond.com.

Opening Day is nearly upon us and the Atlanta Braves will be in search of their sixth consecutive National League East crown. They'll have some serious competition in 2023, however. Grant McAuley sizes up a series of major roster decisions Atlanta is making in advance of the regular season and we conclude of NL East preview series with the two biggest Braves rivals. John Kincade of 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia joins to discuss the Phillies. Jack Oliver of Jomboy Media and Shea Station provides a look at the New York Mets. Both teams spent a lot of money in the winter to unseat Atlanta on their way to even bigger things, but which club will be left standing after 162? All of that and a look around the big leagues on this edition of From The Diamond. Hear the show live every Sunday on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and connect with the show at FromTheDiamond.com.

With Spring Training winding down, the Atlanta Braves have a couple of interesting positional battles yet to be decided. Who will win the final spot in the rotation? Where will they turn at shortstop? Grant McAuley discusses those big Braves topics as well taking a look at a positive update for Michael Soroka, the season outlook for Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies. There are World Baseball Classic stories to discuss, MLB rules that will be getting reinforced - yes, that's the phrase - and much more! Jake Mintz of Cespedes Family BBQ and Fox Sports joins the show to share the legend of Shlomo Lipitz. It's a story that has to be heard to believed. Mark Zuckerman of MASN also joins the show to preview the Washington Nationals.

With Opening Day just a couple of weeks away, the Atlanta Braves continue preparations for the 2023 season. Grant McAuley continues to preview the roster and the big decisions for Atlanta by month's end. On this edition of the show, the roster preview features a look at Austin Riley and Matt Olson as well as an update on Kyle Wright's status for the start of the season. Meanwhile, the World Baseball Classic is in full swing. Shawn Spradling joins the show to discuss what makes this the biggest WBC yet. Be sure to subscribe to WBC Central for more of Shawn's coverage. We also begin a series of previews to get to know the NL East. Peter Pratt of "Locked On Marlins" will give us some insight on Miami. He provides daily episodes that are available wherever you get your podcasts. All of that and much more on this edition of From The Diamond. Hear the show live every Sunday on 92-9 The Game in Atlanta. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and connect with the show at FromTheDiamond.com.

With Spring Training in full swing, Grant McAuley is back this week to focus on some of the key areas for the Atlanta Braves Grant McAuley breaks down the big stories from Braves Spring Training, including Atlanta's first run in with the new MLB pitch clock rules, a play that ended their first game of the spring. Hear from Max Fried and Kyle Wright as they prepare for another big season as well as catchers Travis d'Arnaud and Sean Murphy as they get set for 2023. Carlos Collazo of Baseball America stops by to break down the Braves top prospects for 2023, an area the organization seems to find value from even when not ranked among baseball's best. D.J. Short of Rotoworld joins the show to discuss fantasy baseball, some strategy to keep in mind, and what Braves you should have on your watch list for this year's draft. We'll also preview the World Baseball Classic and hear from Team USA manager Mark DeRosa, who joined Grant McAuley and Cory McCartney on Battery Power recently to discuss his first opportunit

The Atlanta Braves got the Grapefruit League season started in memorable and bizarre fashion over the weekend. Grant McAuley breaks down the big stories from Braves Spring Training, including Atlanta's first run in with the new MLB pitch clock rules, a play that ended their first game of the spring. Hear from Mike Soroka and Ian Anderson as they compete for the fifth starter's spot as well as Brian Snitker, A.J. Minter and Matt Olson from Braves camp. Nick Green of Bally Sports South joins to discuss Vaughn Grissom's opportunity to win the starting shortstop job this spring and what it will take for the young infielder to lay claim to a full-time job. Catch a new episode of From The Diamond on 92-9 The Game on Sundays from 5-7pm ET. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves are hard at work down in sunny Florida as Spring Training is officially off and running. Grant McAuley continues the Braves Player Preview Series with a look at two of the most dynamic players member of the club and in the entire National League when they're playing up to expectations. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies enter a new season looking to put injuries completely behind them. Will Acuña reestablish himself as an MVP candidate? Can Albies bounce back after what became a bit of a lost season? How much will the Braves benefit if both men are back to their pre-2022 production levels? Should we expect to see both men running more with some of MLB's rules changes likely to affect stolen base numbers? From The Diamond will return to 92-9 The Game on Sunday, February 26 from 5-7pm ET. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves report to Spring Training on February 15, and begin preparations for another NL East title defense. Grant McAuley continues the Braves Player Preview Series by taking a look at the catching duo of Travis d'Arnaud and newcomer Sean Murphy. With two capable backstops, Atlanta figures to get the kind of production it enjoyed from the position in 2022. We'll take a look back at each man's 2022 season and check out the projections for 2023. You'll also hear from both d'Arnaud and Murphy as they look to adjust to MLB's new rules for both pace of game and potential base stealing threats. From The Diamond will return to 92-9 The Game on Sunday, February 26 from 5-7pm ET. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and FromTheDiamond.com.

The Atlanta Braves report to spring training in less than two weeks, marking the start of their drive toward October baseball. Grant McAuley gets the Braves Player Preview Series started with a pair of slugging infielders, Matt Olson and Austin Riley. Those two combined for 72 home runs in 2022 as the Braves won the NL East for the fifth straight season. What will 2023 have in store for each? What do they think of the current club, the departure of Dansby Swanson, banning the shift, the big moves for the Mets and Phillies? Find out on this episode of From The Diamond! From The Diamond will return to 92-9 The Game on Sunday, February 26. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

The Atlanta Braves held their first Fan Fest in three years and the event did not disappoint. Members of the 2023 Braves were excited to talk about the upcoming season with Spring Training approaching. Grant McAuley and Cory McCartney discuss their takeaways from Fan Fest after visiting with nearly a dozen members of the club. You'll also hear Grant McAuley's interview with infield instructor extraordinaire Ron Washington and Atlanta's shortstop to-be Vaughn Grissom. Despite falling short, several Braves took strides toward gaining election to the Hall of Fame this week as well. The guys discuss the improved chances for Andruw Jones and Billy Wagner. From The Diamond will return to 92-9 The Game on Sunday, February 26. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Spring Training grows closer, but the Braves still have a handful of questions to answer before Opening Day. Grant McAuley and Cory McCartney discuss the left field and shortstop battles, the effect of Adam Duvall's departure, where they'll look for more production in left and DH, and what those needs could mean for shortstop hopeful Vaughn Grissom. Where does he factor into all of this? It was also a big week on the international front as the Braves signed a new crop of prospects. Garrett Spain of Battery Power joins to discuss the new class headlined by outfielder Luis Guanipa. Special guest Jayson Stark joins the show to shed some light on the reinstatement of embattled former Braves GM John Coppolella, whose lifetime banishment from baseball ended after five years. What went into that decision? How did Coppolella change MLB's mind? Jayson had all of that in his recent feature for The Athletic. All of that on this week's From The Diamond. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find more at FromTh

With the departure of Luke Jackson, the Atlanta Braves bid farewell to another member of their vaunted "Night Shift" bullpen of 2021. Grant McAuley and Cory McCartney react to Jackson's deal with the San Francisco Giants and reflect on his time and contributions to the Night Shift and the World Series championship. They also discuss what, if anything, is going on at shortstop for the Brave as Spring Training approaches, compare and contract Austin Riley and Rafael Devers' big money deals, and how Boston's infield needs might impact any last minute shopping Atlanta might have in mind. And, of course, they'll discuss the conclusion of the Carlos Correa saga. In under a month, he agreed to sign with three teams and garnered over $900 million worth of offers, but he ends up right back where he started after re-signing with the Minnesota Twins. What does that means for Correa? What does it mean for the Mets? All of that on this week's From The Diamond. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and find more at F