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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Lauren Theisen

Trey Mancini’s Fairy Tale Came At The Expense Of Josh Lowe’s Face

Mike Trout Is Mortal

It’s Just Cruel To Make Joey Gallo Face Edwin Díaz

Juan Soto is congratulated by Luis Garcia after hitting a triple

Juan Soto Plays For The Hot Stove Now

Staff Writer
Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19

Chris Thompson

Allow Me To Offer You This Bounty Of Humiliating Bloopers And Statistics Produced By The Boston Red Sox

David Roth

Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo do the Bash Brothers forearm thing during a July Mets win against the Cubs.

The Mets Look Like A Good Team

Baseball Is Better For Having Just A Little More Chaos

A cosplayer dressed as Dude Vader outside the San Diego Comic Con.

Podcasts

Hostile Vibes At Comic Con, With Justin Halpern

Kansas City Royals runner tagged out by Pittsburgh Pirates fielder

Interleague Play Is Getting Too Big For Its Own Good

Tom Ley

This All-Star Game Belonged To The Bullpen Hellions

<a href="https://twitter.com/robertfoconnell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robert O’Connell</a> is a writer from Kansas living in New York. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and elsewhere.

Robert O’Connell

Dan Uggla in the 2008 MLB All-Star Game, striking out.

No One Will Ever Have A Worse All-Star Game Than Dan Uggla

Julio Rodriguez bats at the Home Run Derby

Julio Rodríguez Stole The Show With Style

Kathryn Xu

Everyone But The Mets Kind Of Sucks At Winning Challenges

You Don’t Beat Everyone’s Ass Without Finding A Guy Like Matt Carpenter

Juan Soto greets his Nationals teammates with a smile on Opening Day, 2022.

Juan Soto Is For Sale

Mets shortstop Rey Ordonez leaps over a sliding Damon Berryhill in a 1997 MLB game.

Rays Week

There Isn’t Going To Be Another Rey Ordóñez

Ray Ratto

Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners exulting after a win, near the Rays Week badge.

When The Joy Of Suck Fades

The Best Time To Watch The Rays Is After Midnight

How Seattle Fell In Love With The Worst Hitter On A Doomed Expansion Team

Here Are The Rays That Made The MLB All-Star Game

Rays Swept By Lowly Reds

The Reinvention Of Miguel Cabrera

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 06: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on July 06, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Kyle Schwarber Is Mashing

MIAMI, FLORIDA - JULY 06: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates a strikeout during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on July 06, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)