2025 MLB Time Capsule: Ohtani’s Special Pillow, Baseball Pope, Misiorowski’s Charizard & Yankees’ Torpedo Bats

·1 hr 35 min·5 clips

Kyle Freeland broke down in tears, begging fans to 'keep believing in us' as the Rockies plummeted to a 6-31 record.

This episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast features hosts Jordan Schusterman and Jake Mintz selecting symbolic items to represent the 2025 MLB season in their annual time capsule exercise. The hosts, who cover baseball professionally, curate a list of objects that capture the year's most memorable stories and moments. They begin the capsule with items from the season-opening series in Tokyo, including the jerseys of fans involved in a controversial Shohei Ohtani home run call. Pete Crow-Armstrong's Takashi Murakami beanie, which he wore consistently throughout the season, represents the Chicago Cubs. A "torpedo bat" used by Anthony Volpe during the New York Yankees' early-season home run barrage is included to mark that brief craze. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s Canadian passport symbolizes his massive contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays. Kyle Freeland's tear-soaked hoodie from an emotional May press conference commemorates the Colorado Rockies' difficult season. A cell phone from a 2005 photo of the new "Baseball Pope," White Sox fan Pope Leo XIV, enters the capsule. Juan Soto's helmet from his first Subway Series at-bat, where he tipped it to booing Yankees fans, represents his tense move to the Mets. Tarik Skubal's coffee cup from his dominant morning complete game and a TrackMan unit from Ohtani's first live pitching session as a Dodger are also selected. Emmanuel Clase's personal phone, central to a gambling scandal involving pre-arranged pitches, is a key inclusion. A fan's welcome-back sign for Craig Kimbrel, who was designated for assignment less than a day after his Braves return, marks that bizarre transaction. Foam padding torn by Denzel Clarke's spectacular home run robbery and Garrett Crochet's pitch com from an epic duel with Aaron Judge are chosen. Rafael Devers' third-base glove, rendered obsolete after his shocking trade from Boston, is included. A hat from Shota Ogasawara's Andrew Chafin-themed costume, worn on the day the Nationals fired their manager and general manager, rounds out the initial selections. The hosts present these items chronologically, weaving a narrative that connects on-field events, player storylines, and offbeat incidents. A surprising claim suggests the league may have influenced a replay review to award Ohtani a home run in Tokyo for narrative purposes. The episode highlights how a pitcher's personal phone became evidence in a federal gambling case and the emotional weight of a franchise player's tearful plea during a historically bad start. It captures the absurdity of a team meeting its demise while dressed as a reliever and the cultural crossover of a papal election intersecting with baseball fandom. The tone is conversational, humorous, and deeply nostalgic, as the hosts reminisce with inside jokes and personal anecdotes from covering the season. This episode is ideal for dedicated MLB fans who enjoy a reflective, story-driven recap of the year's highs, lows, and oddities. Listeners seeking strictly analytical breakdowns or current news might find the format too leisurely or anecdotal.

As heard by us

A funny, specific year-end capsule of baseball's strangest markers.

Baseball Barbecast's annual time-capsule episode turns the 2025 MLB season into a sharp, playful roundup of the items that most defined it, and then lingers on what those picks reveal about the sport.

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You want a funny 2025 MLB time capsule buried with a grin.

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