Catch It Daddy!

⚾️ In Today’s Issue

🔗 My Dugout Favs

• John Oliver wants to rename a Minor League Baseball team (MLB.com)

• The best bat flips of 2025 (MLB.com)

• 'Martian' becomes youngest Yankee with a 3-HR game (MLB.Com)

• The new pope was at the 2005 World Series (MLB.Com)

• Adley meets Bradley: 4-year-old superfan, viral on TikTok, introduced to hero Rutschman (MLB.Com)

⭐️ Top Pick of the Week: New Balance 3000 V6 Molded Cleats

These cleats are everywhere this season—and for good reason.

Built with New Balance’s Fresh Foam X midsole, they deliver next-level comfort and arch support that flat-footed players—and their parents—can’t stop raving about.

🔍 Key Features

• Ultra-cushioned Fresh Foam X midsole

• TPU molded cleats—ideal traction on turf or dirt

• Lightweight synthetic or mesh upper (climate-specific)

🗣️ What They’re Saying
Parents call them the most comfortable cleats their kids have worn—even on long tournament days.
Coaches love the quick break-in.
Players say they feel “game-ready” right out of the box.

They’re especially praised for players with wide feet or common youth conditions like Sever’s Disease—a leading cause of heel pain.

A few parents noted minor sizing quirks, but overall feedback? Overwhelmingly positive.

✅ Bottom Line
If your child needs cleats that are supportive, breathable, and built for performance, the 3000 V6 is your go-to.
Especially for flat or wide-footed players, this is the most versatile cleat in youth baseball today.

👉Read more

🤖 This Week in Baseball & AI

⚾️ Swing Smarter: Should Your Kid Be Using a Smart Bat?

Once, all a kid needed was a bat, a ball, and a backyard. Now? We’ve entered the age of swing sensors, bat speed tracking, and app-powered hitting sessions.

🛠️ What’s a Smart Bat?
A smart bat uses a built-in sensor or clip-on tracker to capture swing metrics:

• Bat speed (power potential)

• Attack angle (line drives vs. grounders)

• Time to contact (reaction speed)

🧠 Why It Matters
You’re not just guessing anymore. Patterns emerge. Now it’s:

👉 “Let’s add 2 MPH to your bat speed.”
👉 “Let’s fix that attack angle.”

⚾ Who Should Use One?
Great for:

• Players 10+ with consistent swings

• Kids who respond to feedback

• Coaches who want trackable progress

🥇 Top Smart Bats for 2025

1. Blast Motion Sensor – Pro-level tracking, easy setup ✅

2. Diamond Kinetics SwingTracker – Deep data, great for teams ✅

3. Marucci CATX Smart Bat – USSSA game-legal, built-in sensor ✅

⚠️ But beginners? Focus on mechanics first.

Final Thought:
Smart bats are some of the most exciting tools in youth baseball—but they’re only as powerful as the mindset behind them.

Used with purpose, they can sharpen swings, build confidence, and make practice something players actually look forward to. But they’re not a shortcut.

They don’t replace hustle. They don’t replace coaching. And they definitely don’t replace love for the game.

So if your player is ready—mentally and mechanically—a smart bat can be a game-changing companion.

Just remember: it’s not about chasing numbers. It’s about training with intent, learning with curiosity, and keeping baseball fun every step of the way.
👉 Read full article →

⚠️ Harrowing Moment: Astros Prospect Survives Freak Accident

This wasn’t a close call—it was a miracle.

During spring training, Astros outfielder Nehomar Ochoa Jr. was driving with his girlfriend when a 7-pound tow hook flew off a truck, smashed through his windshield, and lodged in his skull.

Doctors said if it had hit just two inches over, he’d be dead. The truck driver fled. Ochoa’s girlfriend rushed him to the hospital. Surgeons removed the hook.

His words after surviving what sounds like a Final Destination plot.

“I’m just glad to be alive, really.”

No spin. No drama. Just raw truth—and a reminder that everything can change in a split second.
👉 Read the full story →

😲 OMG! The Ultimate No-Look Catch!

Peekaboo meets Web Gem 👀🧤

This one? You gotta see it to believe it.

During a Yankees-Rays game, a dad hoisted his daughter onto his shoulders—just as a foul ball came screaming his way.

One problem?

She covered his eyes with both hands.

He didn’t flinch.

💥 One hand locked on her ankles. The other, glove in hand, shot skyward.

Glove. Ball. Caught. No-look. No fear.

The crowd roared. The daughter giggled.

Straight to the family trophy case. Honestly, that ball should be headed to Cooperstown.

💣 Scoreboard? What Scoreboard?

Franklin Arias didn’t just leave his mark—he blew a hole through it.

In just his third game with High-A Greenville, the Red Sox prospect unleashed a line drive that punched straight through the 8-hole on Fluor Field’s manual scoreboard.

No bounce. No ricochet. Just raw exit velo and shattered tradition.

Next at-bat? He launched a home run. Because of course he did.

📺 Watch the madness here

⚾ Cubs or Sox? A Holy Tug-of-War

This one’s bigger than a pennant race.

The Vatican just named Pope Leo XIV—the first American-born pope—and he’s from Chicago.

Wrigley Field jumped in first, flashing a marquee message: “He’s a Cubs fan!”
But then came the twist—his brother told reporters: “He was always a Sox fan.”

The White Sox fired back with a scoreboard shoutout and a custom hat and jersey shipped straight to the Vatican.

And just like that, the Cubs-Sox rivalry went global.

A pope divided. A city split. And the baseball world holding its breath...

Will a papal 7th-inning stretch settle it?