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I heard a great description of Matt Harvey's curveball the other day from a longtime evaluator, and it really would apply to Clayton Kershaw's curveball as well: Even when a hitter is looking for it, even when he plans to swing at it, even when he kn...

Blog | May 15, 2013

Justin Upton is not going to hit 135 homers, Matt Harvey is not going to win every game, and Clayton Kershaw is going to allow a run (probably). But there are small sample sizes from the first nine days of the 2013 season that are worth believing in....

Blog | April 09, 2013

Buster Olney looks at what we've learned through the first week of the season.

Blog | Conversation | April 09, 2013

LOS ANGELES -- The first time Clayton Kershaw threw a slider with intent to do damage, about four years ago, A.J. Ellis was asked to catch him in the bullpen. Kershaw did what Kershaw always does, which is to develop a plan and carry it out. This is ...

Blog | April 02, 2013

Clayton Kershaw's slider has allowed him to take his game to the next level, writes Buster Olney.

Blog | Conversation | April 02, 2013

The American League Most Valuable Player debate last summer illuminated the significant difference between the way folks in front offices evaluate players and how uniformed personnel view them. For managers, coaches and players, Miguel Cabrera was a ...

Blog | March 28, 2013

With ESPN unveiling the top 10 of the BBTN 500, Buster Olney polled 21 MLB execs to pick their top 10 players for 2013.

Blog | Conversation | March 28, 2013

The deal Felix Hernandez will soon finalize with the Mariners is a lot like the contracts agreed to by Troy Tulowitzki and Ryan Howard. It amounts to lots of money tacked on to the back end of another deal. There will be a lot of ways that accountant...

Blog | February 08, 2013

Buster Olney breaks down the deal that will keep Felix Hernandez in Seattle for a long time to come. While it was a big win for a Seattle team that needs King Felix around to stay competitive and grow, questions emerged about the timing.

Blog | Conversation | February 08, 2013

Kyle Lohse still doesn't have a home, and there could be a few more trades of starting pitchers. But there is enough information available to rank the 10 best rotations for 2013. 1. Detroit Tigers The rotation of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, D...

Blog | Conversation | December 31, 2012

Buster Olney examines the Los Angeles Dodgers' hitting woes and explains why Clayton Kershaw isn't having a down year.

Blog | Conversation | July 01, 2012

Clayton Kershaw was dominant in his latest exhibition outing, and he seems poised for another overpowering year after ascending in his level of dominance last year. Kershaw, who turns 24 in four days, reduced hitters' OPS against him from .6...

Blog | March 15, 2012

Buster Olney writes that if you were picking the best pitcher in baseball right now -- not based on track record or anything other than current ability -- it'd be hard to pass up Justin Verlander. But other arms would have a say in the debate.

Blog | Conversation | March 15, 2012

There are loud baseball headlines these days. RED SOX FLIRTING WITH GREATEST SEPTEMBER COLLAPSE EVER. MARIANO RIVERA SETS SAVES RECORD. CLAYTON KERSHAW DOMINATES, AGAIN. Buried somewhere deep below all of that conversation, there is a team finding a...

Blog | September 21, 2011

Buster Olney writes that the Texas Rangers are quietly putting it all together and could be a major force in the AL this postseason.

Blog | Conversation | September 21, 2011

Buster Olney checks in with 10 significant storylines involving MLB's non-contending teams. Included are Clayton Kershaw's dominance and the play of Starlin Castro.

Blog | Conversation | August 27, 2011