Andy McCullough

New York

Senior Writer at The Athletic

Senior writer, @TheAthletic. THE LAST OF HIS KIND, a biography of Clayton Kershaw, comes out May 7 for @HachetteUS.

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Articles

For now, call it a draw?

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Andy McCullough

NEW YORK - At times last season, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman would look up from his crouch and notice hitters wielding bats shaped like a torpedo. "As a catcher," Rutschman's former teammate Corbin Burnes said, "you can see it right away." The look of the bat is distinct to the trained eye. The potential effectiveness of the bat took more time to reach critical mass.
Lidea Feed

3 weeks ago | feed.ilidea.com | Tim Britton |Johnny Flores Jr |Andy McCullough

By Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Andy McCulloughEvery week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results, with the average rankings of our panel in parentheses. The first weekend of the baseball season offered its usual cornucopia of familiar sights and unexpected delights.
Rangers, Yankees on the rise; Dodgers are right where you think they are

3 weeks ago | obnews.co | Tim Britton |Johnny Flores Jr |Andy McCullough

By Tim Britton, Johnny Flores Jr. and Andy McCulloughEvery week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results, with the average rankings of our panel in parentheses. The first weekend of the baseball season offered its usual cornucopia of familiar sights and unexpected delights.
MLB Power Rankings: Rangers, Yankees on the rise; Dodgers are right where you think they are

3 weeks ago | newspub.live | Tim Britton |Johnny Flores Jr |Andy McCullough

With the calendar about to flip over to April, we’re down to three weeks left in the regular season. And that means we don’t have many of these columns left. The finish line is in sight. It’s safe to assume the last few weeks will be dedicated to breaking down the various playoff races, unless every bubble team in the East just voluntarily folds their franchise to avoid landing a spot it’s clear nobody wants.
Midcareer Relievers Find New Success in Starting Roles

3 weeks ago | miamiherald.com | Andy McCullough

The bullpen affords its residents room for contemplation. Disconnected from the rest of the ballclub, confined to the furthest reaches of the ballpark, relievers confront gaping maws of time that must be filled, be it through scouting reports or jokes or gossip. Or, in some cases, elegies for paths not taken.
Why more relievers are having success converting to starting

4 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Andy McCullough

The bullpen affords its residents room for contemplation. Disconnected from the rest of the ball club, confined to the furthest corners of the ballpark, relievers confront gaping maws of time that must be filled, be it through scouting reports or jokes or gossip. Or, in some cases, elegies for paths not taken. "Throughout my career when I was in the bullpen," Kansas City Royals pitcher Seth Lugo said one day this spring, "I did meet a lot of guys who said, 'I wish I would have held on to it.
MLB insiders rank starting pitchers: Who’s ‘just a guy’ and who’s No. 1?

1 month ago | pressnewsagency.org | Andy McCullough |Will Sammon |Sahadev Sharma

Editor’s Note: This article is part of our Rankings & Tiers series, an evaluation across sport about the key players, front offices, teams, franchises and much more. By Andy McCullough, Will Sammon and Sahadev SharmaThe email from the New York Yankees arrived just past 6 p.m. a little more than a week before the first game of the 2025 MLB season. The subject line was short but sinister, a harbinger of bad tidings for both the team and the sport writ large at the start of the year.
MLB insiders rank starting pitchers, from 'just a guy' to No. 1

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Andy McCullough |Will Sammon |Sahadev Sharma

Editor's Note: This article is part of our Rankings & Tiers series, an evaluation across sport about the key players, front offices, teams, franchises and much more. By Andy McCullough, Will Sammon and Sahadev Sharma The email from the New York Yankees arrived just past 6 p.m. a little more than a week before the first game of the 2025 MLB season. The subject line was short but sinister, a harbinger of bad tidings for both the team and the sport writ large at the start of the year.
MLB Preseason Power Rankings: Where is your favorite team starting the 2025 season?

1 month ago | pressnewsagency.org | Grant Brisbee |Andy McCullough |Stephen J. Nesbitt

By Grant Brisbee, Andy McCullough and Stephen J. NesbittEvery week, we ask a selected group of our baseball writers — local and national — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results. It’s been 139 days since the New York Yankees fumbled Game 5 of the World Series and the Los Angeles Dodgers were crowned champions. Offseason transactions transformed the look of several contenders. The Dodgers loaded up for a title defense. The Yankees lost a superstar and an ace.
Marlins minor-league affiliate's ad for practice squad pulled after MLB raises concerns

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Andy McCullough |Sam Blum

The Miami Marlins have pulled a recent advertisement calling for former collegiate and professional players to join the organization's "practice squad" after Major League Baseball voiced concerns. MLB officials contacted the Marlins about the practice squad, which could have run afoul of baseball's roster rules and labor practices, according to people briefed on the situation. The Marlins agreed to scuttle the proposed initiative.