Christopher Elwell

Journalist currently serving as the Website and Media Creator for the University of New Haven Chargers hockey team.

Blog

Pinstripe Alley •

Is it Burnes/Cease or bust for 2024?

Yamamoto is now a Dodger, which doesn't come as a surprise. Cashman did everything he could, offering $300 million to a pitcher who has yet to pitch on American soil. But, in the end, Yamamoto had his sights set on Los Angeles to play with Ohtani, and who could blame him?

After acquiring Glasnow from Tampa Bay and signing Yamamoto to a lucrative 12-year deal, the Dodgers rotation quickly became one with depth and star power at the top. They have fully embraced the "World Series or bust" motto
Pinstripe Alley •

Comparing Bernie Williams to other HOF ballotees

On every Hall of Fame ballot, voters face the decision that ultimately decides whether a player's career is worthy of being enshrined in Cooperstown. There will always be players that people believe did enough to achieve Hall of Fame status, but for some reason, the writers did not share that same belief, leading to their falling off the ballot.

The 2024 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot features some of the greatest players from the late 1990s to the 2010s. Players making their first appearance on the
Pinstripe Alley •

Top free agent predictions

After the first big free agent signing of the offseason saw Aaron Nola re-sign with Philadelphia on a lucrative 7-year deal worth $172 million, some of the brightest stars around the league are still without a team going into 2024. The offseason has just begun, but in the coming weeks the hot stove will heat up as teams look to address their needs before the season.

Am I supposed to believe he doesn’t end up somewhere that he’s not wearing Dodger blue? Ohtani wants to win, and the other side of
Pinstripe Alley •

What will a return package for Juan Soto look like?

Now that free agency before the 2024 MLB season is open, rumors and signings will change the balance of power around the league. At the beginning of the offseason, it is hard to say how and where players will end up, but rumors have already started swirling around one of the best players in baseball.

The San Diego Padres entered the 2023 season with a $256 million payroll, the third highest in MLB. After finishing with a disappointing 82-80 record, general manager AJ Preller and the team plan t
Pinstripe Alley •

Why Yoshinobu Yamamoto should not be priority for the Yankees

With what looked to be a season of high promise for the Yankees, it took a dramatic turn, resulting in what will be the first time missing the postseason since 2016. Expectations were through the roof for the 2023 season, but a combination of injuries and poor play turned this season into a massive disappointment.

Everything that could have gone wrong for the Yankees did, and sadly ended up wasting another year of Judge’s prime and what looks to be Cole’s first Cy Young award-winning season.
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

The History of Baseball Lifestyle

Since the company’s origin in 2013, co-owner Josh Shapiro has had one thing in mind for Baseball Lifestyle 101: grow the game of baseball. Starting as an Instagram page that served as a platform to post baseball highlights and interact with fans, he turned it into something that he never could have imagined.

Once Shapiro’s account reached 5,000 followers, he wanted to show some appreciation to his followers and have shirts made. After talking with his former strength and conditioning coach and
Pinstripe Alley •

The youth movement is finally here!

This weekend might have been one of the best series for the Yankees in the last ten years.

After years of keeping young talent in the minors, we finally got a taste of what a young and upcoming Yankee team could look like. A potential young core with Dominguez and Pereira running around the outfield, Volpe and Peraza up the middle, and Wells behind the plate gives them options as they use the rest of this season to develop.

It was not the season anyone was expecting, but the light at the end o
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

What Does Rob Manfred’s Extension Mean For Major League Baseball?

2023 has marked the start of a new era for Major League Baseball with the addition of the pitch clock. Baseball has been seen as a sport that is dying in terms of popularity due to games being drawn out and not enough action taking place, and while it may look like the same game that has been played for more than 150 years, the changes that have been made in recent history are moves that had to be made to keep a high interest in the sport.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has been one of the biggest dr
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

Who Could Be The Top Players Moved At The Trade Deadline?

As MLB’s trade deadline approaches, teams have until August 1 to decide whether they will make a run at the postseason or ship off their top players to contenders. The 2023 trade deadline could end up being one of the most impactful in history, as there could potentially be franchise players and some of the brightest stars in the league calling a new stadium home.

Teams in the middle of a playoff push will be looking to add players in positions of need to their rosters. While it may not always
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

Is Paul Skenes The Greatest College Pitcher Ever?

Draft picks in Major League Baseball are almost never a guarantee that a star player will soar through an organization and make an impact from the moment they are drafted. Every player has a chance to reach the majors, but with all of the levels of the minors to get through and the quality of talent, most are unable to reach the highest level and prove to be an asset in the big leagues.

Generational talents are hard to come by, especially on the mound. When a pitcher draws comparisons to some o
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

Are Umpires Forcing Robot Umpires Into Major League Baseball?

Major League Baseball has put themselves into an unprecedented situation that could drastically alter the look of a baseball game forever. As MLB continues to experiment with the Automated ball-strike system (ABS) in the minor leagues, the question will continue to be a critical topic of conversation: when will we see the ABS in the majors?

Commissioner Rob Manfred has said the system will not be implemented to MLB in 2024. Despite experimenting in Triple-A, Manfred said there are some issues t
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

Could There Ever Be Another .400 Hitter?

MLB’s history is full of records and milestones that were once thought to never be reached again. Once in every generation there comes a player who catches everyone’s attention across the league in the early months of the season at a historic pace to match one of the most impressive feats in all of baseball: a .400 batting average.

Could 2023 be the year that snaps the 82-year streak without a .400 hitter? Boston’s Ted Williams was the last hitter to reach the threshold in 1941, finishing the s
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

Why Do Pitchers Continue To Use Foreign Substances?

Pitchers have been subject to one of the more recent rule changes implemented by MLB, no longer permitting them to use foreign substances to doctor baseballs. The league has strictly followed this policy, ejecting the pitcher from the game and handing down an automatic 10-game suspension in which the team cannot fill their roster spot during the suspension.

MLB’s crackdown on foreign substances started on June 21, 2021, ending the time where pitchers were allowed to use sticky products to get a
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

How Big Could Shohei Ohtani’s Free-Agent Contract Be?

Free agent contracts have reached unimaginable totals in MLB over the past five seasons, with superstars around the league continuing to set records for the length and value of their deals. Teams have realized the importance of locking up their franchise players under long-term deals, satisfying both the team and the player as the value of signing a star grows.

Nine of the 10 largest contracts in terms of overall money signed for have been agreed upon since 2019, setting records for the highest
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

How Can Low Payroll Teams Still Be Successful?

Baseball was once known to be a pay-to-win sport, where teams in the biggest markets who could spend top dollar on the best players in the sport would end up winning the World Series every year. With the number of record-setting contracts that players have signed in just the past 5 years, teams have dished out these massive deals to players who they think are deserving and can help bring a title to their franchise.

Only 2 players who have signed one of the 15 largest contracts in MLB history ha
Baseball Lifestyle 101 •

What Should Be Considered Sign Stealing?

Sign-stealing has been a part of Major League Baseball since its beginning, and has evolved into something that has changed how the game is played. With the introduction of PitchCom, pitchers now have the option to wear the electronic device that relays pitch signals to the catcher.

In recent seasons, stealing signs has been a major cause of controversy. Perhaps it may never reach the level of the 2017 Houston Astros again, but teams are still concerned about allowing their opponent to know wha