‘We flew under the radar … that’s not happening’: How to return as a surprise World Series winner — or loser
-
Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
Last month in Arizona, 38 miles apart, the two managers who shared the World Series stage last autumn returned to work after very different offseasons.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy spent his winter basking in the glow of his fourth career championship, the first in franchise history for the Rangers.
“You get a deeper appreciation for something like this after you step back from the game,” Bochy said on a recent sunny day at Rangers camp in Surprise, Arizona. “You take them all in, in different ways. I just enjoyed having all my family there, including my grandkids.”
Across the valley, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo needed time to process his team’s loss in last year’s Fall Classic, but he arrived at camp able to put what his club accomplished in perspective.
“My wife and I sat down at the dinner table about three weeks after the season,” Lovullo said. “She said to me, ‘Do you know what kind of an accomplishment that was? … It’s time for you to understand what you guys did and how proud you should be.’
“I started to focus on that.”
But even as his mindset shifted, he couldn’t escape reminders of what happened in those five games in late October and early November.
“I was watching Kyle Shanahan walk off the field after losing the Super Bowl and he looked so sad,” Lovullo said of the San Francisco 49ers head coach. “He looked like he was ready to cry. I was like, ‘I’ve been there, buddy.'”
Bochy knows his team hasn’t fully moved on yet, either, as the celebration of the past postseason will linger into the regular season when the Rangers are honored for their title on opening weekend.
“I say it’s the gift that keeps on giving,” Bochy said. “We’re seeing it here with the fans. It won’t be long before we get the rings. It’ll be cool to see people get their first rings. That makes it even more special.”
If there is one thing in common between the winner and loser of the World Series — especially in this matchup, featuring two clubs that weren’t expected to be there — it’s that the motivation to return has only deepened. For Arizona, it’s about getting a taste of something that slipped through the team’s fingers; the Rangers crave another chance at the feeling they experienced.
Both clubs are united in a belief in themselves in 2024, despite two dramatically different offseasons.
‘We enjoyed our time, but it’s time to move on’
When a contender doesn’t add an impact player to its roster, the front office usually draws a fair share of criticism from fans waiting to see their team in the hot stove headlines and players who notice holes upon arriving at spring training. The exception to that rule seems to be when the team is the reigning world champion.
The Rangers declared early this winter that they wouldn’t be spending like previous offseasons. Uncertainty with local television right fees created a necessity to be “financially prudent,” according to Rangers GM Chris Young.
As a result, Texas is running it back with nearly the same group that lifted the World Series trophy, minus free agent Jordan Montgomery, who remains unsigned. The Rangers did address the bullpen that threatened to undo them during the postseason, adding relievers Kirby Yates and David Robertson. They still believe they’re good enough to become the first repeat champions since the Yankees did so from 1998 to 2000.
“Jordan was great for us,” second baseman Marcus Semien said. “Wish the best for him. If it’s here, that’s great. We have enough to compete, though. We have this nice blend of veterans and young players. Plus those coming back from injury eventually.”
Among those reinforcements the Rangers hope to have back midyear are Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. If all goes according to plan, adding those two pitchers for a pennant race could feel bigger than any offseason move.
But the Rangers aren’t waiting for that star infusion to give them a lift. They’re using spring training to focus on doing the mundane things well every single day — – especially considering the thrill of October baseball has long worn off.
“It’s great to have veteran guys for that,” outfielder Travis Jankowski said. “The common consensus is the hardest thing to do [after a deep playoff run] is get back into playing in April. You go from playing the most adrenaline-ridden atmosphere to going back to normal games. It’s realizing that we’re not going to have the adrenaline boost right away.”
Having been through this three other times in his managerial career, Bochy also knows that his team will need to bring its A-game. “I don’t think you can pace yourself,” he said. “April is a big month. We have 12-13 in our division and 17 consecutive games. We need to be ready. I love the attitude from these guys so far.”
Besides — they’ll now have their opponent’s full attention in every city they visit this season. Last year, road games were no problem for the Rangers — they went 11-0 in the postseason on the road — but every team will be even more enthusiastic about beating them this year.
“You hear ‘we’re going to be the hunted,'” Bochy said. “I’m going to tell you right now, our attitude is we’re still doing the hunting.”
“It’s exciting,” Semien added. “When you go into another park that has energy, it brings out the best in us. That can help us. We flew under the radar last year. That’s not happening anymore.”
For World Series MVP Corey Seager, it’s a whole new ballgame.
“We enjoyed our time, but it’s time to move on and turn the page,” he said.
‘Our goal is to be the best version of the Diamondbacks that we can be’
Early this spring at Diamondbacks camp, owner Ken Kendrick and team president Derrick Hall were chatting in the team’s executive office when closer Paul Sewald stuck his head in the room. The two execs had just addressed the team for the first time since losing in the World Series, and Sewald wanted to have a word.
“He said ‘Ken, Derrick, sorry to interrupt,'” said Hall, sitting in the same office this week. “Then Sewald says, ‘Thank you so much for spending more money and making our team even better.’ He walked out and I looked at Ken and was like, ‘When is the last time a player has come up here and said thank you for investing into the team?'”
“The answer is never,” Kendrick said with a laugh.
Times have changed for Arizona — seemingly overnight. Just a couple years removed from a 110-loss season, the Diamondbacks stunned the National League by reaching the Fall Classic.
Kendrick and Hall had already begun discussing how to spend the extra revenue earned during their surprising playoff run. Before Game 2 in Arlington, Texas, the two huddled near the visitor’s dugout, admiring some of the ground level suites at four-year-old Globe Life Field while talking through the best ways to spend money on overdue needed improvements at Chase Field.
But future suite upgrades and improved ballpark amenities weren’t what had D-backs players and coaches buzzing as spring training began. The front office also spent the winter investing its newfound revenue back into the payroll, increasing it to an all-time high of about $180 million for 2024.
“He said it from the first day I was hired,” Lovullo said of Kendrick. ‘”Just so you know, every penny that I earn with this ballclub, I’m going to reinvest.’
“He held serve on that. When we have good years, good things happen.”
Seemingly every time Lovullo checked his phone, there was another dose of good news being delivered by GM Mike Hazen.
The team had entered the offseason looking to improve its starting rotation while upgrading the lineup at third base and designated hitter. So when Joc Pederson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Eugenio Suarez and Randal Grichuk were all acquired — and breakout outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was re-signed — everyone in the organization took notice.
That included Sewald, who was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in July and had experienced something very different with his former team when the Mariners traded closer Kendall Graveman to Houston while in the thick of a pennant race in 2021 — and actually did the same by moving Sewald to Arizona despite being just 3½ games out of a playoff spot at the time.
“I was disappointed how things went with my previous employer when I thought we were at a position that we were so close to getting to that group of teams that could make a real run at it,” Sewald said. “I felt like we got let down. To have the team I’m on now, we pretty much did what we could do to improve the team. That’s all you can ask for. Our 26-man roster is even better than last year.”
That sentiment was echoed throughout the team’s spring clubhouse as newcomers met holdovers.
“It’s exciting,” first baseman Christian Walker said. “It’s cool to feel the dynamic of the team both stay the same but also evolve a little bit. This last year was speed, speed, speed and now we added some thump back into the lineup. It’s cool to see how it can grow and change and get better.”
Like Texas, the Diamondbacks want to hit the ground running heading into the new season. They know they barely made it to the postseason last year, earning the National League’s last wild-card spot on the final weekend. And then there’s the challenge of the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, who were one of the few teams to outspend Arizona this offseason. Can they be taken down again?
“Our goal isn’t to beat the Dodgers anyway. Our goal is to be the best version of the Diamondbacks that we can be,” Sewald said. “And on October 1, let’s see if we get another series to play.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike