Tonight’s 6 p.m. ET MLB Trade Deadline is rapidly approaching, but the biggest blockbuster is already in the books: Ace pitcher Tarik Skubal is heading to the LA Dodgers, a move that will have an immediate impact on the playoff race…and perhaps lasting consequences on the future of the league.

The Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) makes its long-awaited debut in front of a sold out crowd tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET, airing on ESPN Select in the U.S. and on YouTube for those outside the States. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the historic first pitch.

From Patti LaBelle’s high notes to star-studded swings, MLB All-Star Week played all the hits in Philadelphia. Here’s the latest from the extra sparkly diamond before regular-season action resumes tomorrow.

There’s nothing more American than baseball (cards), right? That’s the idea behind sports authentication platform The Realest’s new partnership with the Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL). Together, they will launch and develop the first officially licensed trading card program for an active pro women’s baseball league in the U.S..

From Play Ball Weekend to The GIST to a music-meets-MiLB capsule collection, MLB is executing one of the most cohesive brand expansion strategies in professional sports. Here’s what it actually means.

The league’s new partnership with The Gist is about recognizing an audience that was already there.

The Gist has officially announced a new content partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), aimed at increasing engagement among female and younger fans through inclusive and accessible coverage.

ICYMI, The GIST launched our official MLB partnership this week with a striking data point: It’s the most-attended sports league by women fans. Women are feeling increasingly welcomed by America’s pastime — partially because stadiums across MLB are more inclusive than ever, thanks to additional accommodations and partnerships with companies like Aunt Flow. This week, we spoke with Aunt Flow founder and CEO Claire Coder about the company’s partnership with MLB teams and how the league is considering women fans and their families with improved infrastructure, including access to free period care. About damn time.

A season that spans 162 games from March to September provides plenty of opportunity for pondering. The introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS, more on that below) is undoubtedly the biggest shakeup of the season, but first, here are the other major storylines we’re following before first pitch.