About The Dugout News
The Dugout News is an independent website about baseball. We write evergreen explainers for fans who want to understand the game better: how the rules work, what each position does, what modern stats actually measure, how Major League Baseball is organized and where the sport’s great stories come from.
What we cover
- Rules Explained – the rulebook in plain English, from the strike zone and the infield fly rule to the pitch clock and replay review.
- Positions & Strategy – what players do on the field, pitch types, baserunning, lineup decisions and the gear players use.
- Stats & Sabermetrics – box scores, traditional numbers and advanced metrics such as WAR, wRC+, FIP and Statcast data.
- History & Legends – the franchises, ballparks, players and moments that shaped the game.
- MLB Guide – how the season, postseason, draft, minor leagues, contracts and awards work, and how to follow the sport.
We focus on explanations that stay useful season after season rather than daily scores, trade rumors or injury news.
Who writes here
Articles on The Dugout News are published under the name Mason Hale. Mason Hale is a pen name used by a small independent editorial team of baseball fans. We use a shared byline because our articles are researched, written and edited collaboratively. We do not claim professional credentials, insider access or affiliations with any team or league.
How we work
Every article is based on official sources such as the Official Baseball Rules and MLB.com, along with established references like Baseball-Reference, FanGraphs and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Sources are listed at the end of each article. You can read more about our process in our editorial policy.
Independence
The Dugout News is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Major League Baseball, any MLB club, Minor League Baseball or any players’ association. Team names and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used only to identify the subjects we write about.
Get in touch
Spotted an error or have a topic you would like us to explain? Visit our contact page or write to [email protected].