Coming down the pike: New baseball books

Now that the season is over, it’s time to look ahead to see what reading material will carry us over to “pitchers and catchers.”

As with previous lists like this, I have omitted anything that falls into the general category of “romance novels.” Also, no books about trivia or designed for younger readers.

In last week’s “Baseball Best-Seller” entry, I asked how long it would be before books hailing the World Series winner hit the market. Turns out, not long at all. Then I found The Seventh Game: Triumph, Heartbreak, and History in the 2025 World Series which apparently was available the day after the Series ended. Note that this one was printed “independently,” i.e., self-published. I tend to stay away from such books because quality control is often lacking in terms of content, fact-checking, proofreading, and copy-editing, but given the interest in quick turnarounds following the postseason, I thought to include this one.

So with those out of the way, here are some titles I’m really looking forward to. You can find the entire list of 2025-26 Baseball Titles here, but the caveat is that it’s an ever-evolving roster, so you might find additional titles whenever you look at book sites.

Note that as usual McFarland and the University of Nebraska Press lead the way with topics that can only be described as eclectic, such as Grooming the Diamond: Baseball Groundskeepers from the 19th Century to Today. (I still think McFarland’s prices are a bit high for paperbacks.)

As has been the case for many years, there are several titles — four, to be exact — that consider Jackie Robinson’s role in American history and culture. A few prominent figures are releasing their memoirs, including Dave Winfield, Roger McDowell, and Dusty Baker. Also there are the obligatory annual books about teams from large markets like New York, Chicago, and Boston. Curiously, very little in the way of fantasy and stats, but I guess that will come later.

I will probably end up reading most of these, but what am I most looking forward to in the coming months?

• An updated edition of Diamond Classics II: The Best Baseball Books Since 1989 by Mike Shannon, editor of Spitball Magazine.
• Joe Posnanski and Michael Schur — two of my favorite creative types who also co-host a podcast — share their thoughts in Big Fan: Two Friends, 81,589 Miles, and the Wild, Wonderful Sports We Love .
• Steve Gietschier’s Warm Summers and Cold Winters: How Baseball Survived the Korean War (because this was a topic I started to write about more than 20 years ago).
• 7 Swings at 7: Mickey Mantle – Legend and Victim of American Culture, simply because the title intrigues me.
• Segregation Games: Boston, Busing, and the Making of Red Sox Nation, because it’s one of those that transcends sports.
• A long-overdue America’s Classic Ballparks – Revised Edition: Celebrating Parks Past and Present.
• Metropolitans: New York Baseball, Class Struggle, and the People’s Team because, you know, Mets.
• Unhittable: How Technology, Mavericks, and Innovators Engineered Baseball’s New Era of Pitching Dominance. Waiting for the “companion” book about hitting.
• The Heyday of Willie, Duke, and Mickey: New York City Baseball’s Golden Age Amid Integration. I wonder if they named it this because they couldn’t used the more “standard” description, “Willie, Mickey, and the Duke?”
• Tasty Baseball Collectibles: Cards, Stamps, Stickers and More from Food and Beverage Companies, 1950-1999, because I’m getting back into the collectibles.