Zack Meisel

CLEVELAND — It’s one thing to have two brothers both pursue professional baseball careers. It’s another for both to be first-round draft picks. And then wind up in the same organization. And reach the majors with the same team. And start in the same lineup, on the same infield. And hit a home run in the same inning and later deliver the game-tying and game-winning hits — all on National Siblings Day. Advertisement The story of Josh and , the spectacle of siblings thriving on the same big-league…

CLEVELAND — Two hours before the first pitch of his first home game in front of his new fan base, manager Stephen Vogt stood on the infield grass at Progressive Field, peered past the upper deck through solar-filtered glasses and mouthed the words to Len’s “Steal My Sunshine.” From dawn to pseudo-dusk to first pitch, Cleveland was the center of celestial attention on Monday, with downtown attracting visitors from across the globe to watch the sun, moon and Earth make once-in-many-generations ma…

OAKLAND — Tim Smith wants it known that he didn’t cry. There is no crying in baseball, he stresses, as he wipes away tears. Tim hadn’t seen his son in a year, not since the serious heart surgery and not since planted himself on the radar. Until Tim stood beside Cade on Wednesday, between the Opening Day logo and the first-base line at the Oakland Coliseum, a reunion felt elusive. Advertisement Cade couldn’t travel home to British Columbia. Tim couldn’t travel at all. Neither was certain he’d b…

OAKLAND, Calif. — This is where a backup became a legend, where an overachiever became a folk hero and the everyman had tens of thousands of diehards chanting his name. This is where Guardians manager Stephen Vogt blossomed as a catcher, a clubhouse leader, a fan favorite. It’s where he rescued his career before it ever truly launched, where he sprouted into an All-Star and where he and his family scripted an emotional final chapter to a career no one could have envisioned. This is where he coin…

Pitchers and catchers for the and were required to report to the teams’ complexes in Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 12 and 13, respectively. Officially, it’s a day to schedule a physical exam, stow equipment in a locker and complete a few rounds of jumping jacks. But by those dates, all but a few players for each club had long since arrived at camp and had blown past the early stages of calisthenics and casual games of catch. Hitters were taking hacks. Pitchers were throwing side sessions. Guardians…

The and shortstop have agreed to the longest, most lucrative contract in franchise history Monday, keeping the 23-year-old in Kansas City for the foreseeable future. It’s an 11-year, $288.7 million guaranteed contract, major-league sources told The Athletic ’s Ken Rosenthal, but it includes options that could raise the total figure to $377.7 million. Witt will be tethered to the Royals through 2030 and will then have annual opt-out clauses for the next four seasons. If Witt declines to opt out…

A much-ballyhooed class of 17 rookies spurred the to a division title in 2022. Last year, only eight players made their big-league debuts for Cleveland. Three of them proved pivotal: , and rescued the Guardians’ rotation. They’ll again be featured prominently in 2024. , , , and also broke into the majors last season. Advertisement How many rookies will debut for Cleveland in 2024? Here are 14 candidates. 14. , SS , and Rocchio will battle for the starting shortstop and utility infielder ro…

CLEVELAND — Befuddled birds will start chirping. Drivers trapped in a boundless traffic snarl will halt their honking. The temperature will plunge. Sluggers swatting batting practice tosses at Progressive Field will pause for a cosmic intermission. At 3:13 p.m. ET on April 8, the springtime sky above downtown Cleveland will host a total solar eclipse, as the moon’s shadow sweeps across the middle of the country and eclipse chasers scramble to locate the perfect spot to witness the spectacle. The…

HOUSTON — Doubt had crept into the clubhouse. A World Series hung in the balance. And then Michael Brantley spoke. Shoulder surgery sidelined him from the active roster, but many within the organization insisted he remain around the team during its 2022 postseason journey. Brantley brought the team together after a Game 3 loss dug Houston a 2-1 series deficit. He could not contribute on the field, but became irreplaceable off of it. Brantley addressed his teammates, reminding them how far they…

CLEVELAND — The Guardians needed a process, something to steer them toward whatever it was they were seeking, something to tell them what they wanted in their next manager. Eleven years ago, Terry Francona made the decision for them. When he conveyed interest in the club’s managerial opening, Cleveland’s front office didn’t put him on hold to wine and dine a dozen other candidates first. He filed a 17-page thesis. They shared dinner at Lola Bistro. By Oct. 6, three days after the end of the regu…