About Me

Hi, I am Michael McDermott, and I live in the Phoenix area. I’ve published more than 4,000 entries about the Arizona Diamondbacks and their farm system since 2015. In 10 years of covering baseball, Michael has published content for AZ Snake Pit (SB Nation), Arizona Diamondbacks On SI, Burn City Sports, FanSided, and Heavy Sports.

My time with Dbacks On SI led to getting some on-site coverage of the Diamondbacks. I covered more than 50 MLB and Spring Training games between the 2022 and 2024 seasons, and the Arizona Fall League from 2022 onward. While my time as a baseball reporter is likely over, given how tough the industry can be, I’m willing to share my experiences and insights to help readers understand how an MLB organization operates.

Mike’s Hardball Blueprint’s Mission Statement

Mike’s Hardball Blueprint aims to bring the “why” behind the action. We’ll dive into opinions and narratives, individual breakdowns, and prospect content. The goal is to help readers learn how an MLB organization operates at all levels. It’s important to understand why they make a move and how it fits in the grand puzzle of a team’s season.

Stay up-to-date

Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.

Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.

Join the crew

Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or support this work with a subscription.

To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.