Rustin Dodd

Staff Writer, New York

Rustin Dodd is a features writer for The Athletic based in New York. He previously covered the Royals for The Athletic, which he joined in 2018 after 10 years at The Kansas City Star.

MLB Trade Grades: Who got the best of Dodgers-White Sox-Cardinals three-team deal?

The trade sent Erick Fedde to the Cardinals, Tommy Edman to the Dodgers, and Miguel Vargas to the White Sox, among others.

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MLB Trade Grades: What does Michael Lorenzen add for the Royals?

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What we got wrong: Revisiting our MLB trade grades from last year's deadline

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MLB All-30: As trade deadline looms, one player from each team who will be moved

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MLB All-30: With a week to go, one bold trade deadline prediction for each team

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Salvador Perez was willing to go to the Rangers at last year's deadline. He and the Royals are glad it didn't happen

The episode serves as a reminder of how sometimes the best moves are the ones a team doesn’t make.

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King of the eight-pitch club: Royals' Seth Lugo rides vast arsenal to All-Star success

How did the Mets miss the potential in Lugo, and what did the Royals see that made them commit to him?

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Pirates' Paul Skenes exits after seven no-hit innings, 11 strikeouts in Milwaukee

It was the latest dominant performance for Skenes, the former No. 1 pick who has taken the National League by storm in his rookie year.

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Statcast at 10: From MLB's secret project to inescapable part of modern baseball

Statcast is everywhere — produced and promoted by MLB — but not for everyone. It enthralls analytically inclined fans and irks others.

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MLB Power Rankings: Guardians on the move, Mariners slipping; Examining playoff odds

As we approach the midway point of the season, we look at all 30 teams' preseason playoff odds and where they stand now.

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Bo Goes into the Royals Hall of Fame: Jackson's legendary moments live on in Kansas City

On Saturday, the Royals will induct Jackson into their Hall of Fame. The highlights from his time in KC are plenty and worth remembering.

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Jurrangelo Cijntje is a switch-pitching unicorn — and the most intriguing player in the MLB Draft

“To be honest, I can’t really explain it to people,” Cijntje said earlier this month. “I think it’s something that was already in me.”

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MLB Power Rankings: Phillies, Yankees fight for first, Blue Jays wilt; Who's your team's MDP?

Who is the player that best encapsulates, explains, or defines his team's season as a whole? This week, we take a look at the league's MDPs.

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Say Hey: The Willie Mays song with the connection to Birmingham's Rickwood Field

Epic Records wasn't against making a Willie Mays record. But Mays had to make a cameo appearance.

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Around Bobby Witt Jr., Royals build a new culture and enter MLB's modern era

The Royals — the Royals! — are on track to match the greatest single-season turnaround of all time.

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MLB Power Rankings: Giants, Astros move on up; One big question for all 30 teams

We have entered the thick of the season and the sample sizes are large enough that we can start asking some big questions about these teams.

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MLB players hear the criticism from former pros. Here's which comments irritate them most

We asked more than 80 active MLB players: "What is the most irritating criticism you hear from former players?" They had plenty of thoughts.

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After MLB's reckoning on sports betting offenders, what can leagues do to enforce the rules?

As sports leagues get deeper into partnerships with betting operators, issues will continue to arise; what can be done to address them?

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City of Oakland to sell its share of Oakland Coliseum to developers: Reports

The city is expected to announce a tentative agreement Wednesday with the African American Sports & Entertainment Group.

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How Paul Skenes' time as an Air Force cadet foreshadowed what was to come

Skenes, who will debut for the Pirates on May 11, starred at LSU before going No. 1 in the draft. Before that, he was an Air Force cadet.

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MLB trade grades: Taking stock of the Padres-Marlins Luis Arraez deal

The Marlins sent the former batting champion and two-time All-Star to the Padres for four prospects. Who did well in the deal?

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Rockies set MLB record while trailing for 29 consecutive games as dismal beginning to season continues

Rockies have trailed in a record 29 straight games to begin a season on their way to a 7-22 record.

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Whitey Herzog, former Cardinals, Royals manager and Hall of Famer, dies at 92

Herzog's managerial prowess and executive handiwork helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 1982 (and appear in two others).

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MLB All-30: We select every team’s most improved player in 2023

These players made the leap in 2023, and even more could be coming from them next season.

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MLB All-30: With the season winding down, we choose every team’s MVP

For some clubs — like the Yankees, Giants and Royals — the team MVP is obvious. For others, it requires a closer look.

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