MLB Data

Before writing queries, consult references/api-reference.md for endpoints, ID conventions, and data shapes.

Setup

Before first use, check if the CLI is available:

bash
which sports-skills || pip install sports-skills

If pip install fails with a Python version error, the package requires Python 3.10+. Find a compatible Python:

bash
python3 --version  # check version
# If < 3.10, try: python3.12 -m pip install sports-skills
# On macOS with Homebrew: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.12 -m pip install sports-skills

No API keys required.

Quick Start

Prefer the CLI — it avoids Python import path issues:

bash
sports-skills mlb get_scoreboard
sports-skills mlb get_standings --season=2025
sports-skills mlb get_teams

CRITICAL: Before Any Query

CRITICAL: Before calling any data endpoint, verify:

• Season year is derived from the system prompt's currentDate — never hardcoded.
• If only a team name is provided, call get_teams to resolve the team ID before using team-specific commands.

Choosing the Season

Derive the active season from the system prompt's date — not just the calendar year.

• If the user specifies a season, use it as-is.
• If the user says "current", "this season", or doesn't specify: The MLB season runs late March/April through October. If the current month is January–March, the last completed season was the prior calendar year. From April onward, use the current calendar year.

Commands

| Command | Description | |---|---| | get_scoreboard | Live/recent MLB scores | | get_standings | Standings by league and division | | get_teams | All 30 MLB teams | | get_team_roster | Full roster for a team | | get_team_schedule | Schedule for a specific team | | get_game_summary | Detailed box score and scoring plays | | get_leaders | MLB statistical leaders | | get_news | MLB news articles | | get_play_by_play | Full play-by-play for a game | | get_win_probability | Win probability chart data | | get_schedule | Schedule for a specific date or season | | get_injuries | Injury reports across all teams | | get_transactions | Recent transactions | | get_depth_chart | Depth chart for a team | | get_team_stats | Team statistical profile | | get_player_stats | Player statistical profile | | find_mlb_player | Search MLB's player registry by name | | get_mlbstats_schedule | Games via the MLB Stats API — history to 1901, carries gamePk ids | | get_mlbstats_player_stats | Season/career/year-by-year splits by stat group via MLB Stats API | | get_mlbstats_play_by_play | Pitch-level PBP — velocity, spin, plate coords, exit velo, launch angle | | get_mlbstats_boxscore | Full box score with per-player batting/pitching via MLB Stats API | | get_mlbstats_standings | Standings by division via MLB Stats API | | get_mlbstats_leaders | League leaders for any stat category via MLB Stats API |

See references/api-reference.md for full parameter lists and return shapes.

Using ESPN and the MLB Stats API Together

The get_mlbstats_* commands read statsapi.mlb.com — MLB's own open API. It carries the analytics layer ESPN does not: per-pitch velocity/spin/location, exit velocity and launch angle on balls in play, career splits by stat group, and schedules back to 1901. The two sources use unrelated id systems:

• Game ids. MLB uses gamePk (e.g. 775296); ESPN uses event ids

(e.g. 401570367). No shared column — join on the game date plus teams.

• Team abbreviations. Two teams differ: ESPN ARI/CHW vs MLB AZ/CWS.

Every get_mlbstats_* team filter accepts either spelling, and rows carry both (team_abbreviation, team_abbreviation_espn).

• Player ids. MLB person ids (660271) and ESPN athlete ids are unrelated.

Resolve names with find_mlb_player; ASCII spellings match accented names ("acuna" finds "Ronald Acuña Jr.").

• Leaders come grouped. A category like homeRuns exists for hitting,

catching, and pitching (home runs allowed); rows are labelled with stat_group — pass stat_group= to get just one.

Responses include MLB's copyright notice, passed through from the API.

Examples

Example 1: Today's scores User says: "What are today's MLB scores?" Actions:

1. Call get_scoreboard()

Result: All live and recent MLB games with scores by inning and status

Example 2: Division standings User says: "Show me the AL East standings" Actions:

1. Derive season year from currentDate
2. Call get_standings(season=<derived_year>)
3. Filter results for American League East

Result: AL East standings with W-L, PCT, GB, run differential

Example 3: Team roster User says: "Who's on the Yankees roster?" Actions:

1. Call get_team_roster(team_id="10")

Result: Full Yankees roster with name, position, bats/throws, height, weight

Example 4: Game box score User says: "Show me the full box score for last night's Dodgers game" Actions:

1. Call get_scoreboard(date="<yesterday>") to find the event_id
2. Call get_game_summary(event_id=<id>) for full box score

Result: Complete box score with batting/pitching stats per player

Example 5: Injury report User says: "Who's on the IL for the Yankees?" Actions:

1. Call get_injuries()
2. Filter results for New York Yankees (team_id=10)

Result: Yankees IL list with player name, position, IL type, and injury detail

Example 6: Player statistics User says: "Show me Shohei Ohtani's stats" Actions:

1. Derive season year from currentDate
2. Call get_player_stats(player_id="39832", season_year=<derived_year>)

Result: Season stats by category (batting, pitching) with value, rank, and per-game averages

Commands that DO NOT exist — never call these

• ~~get_odds~~ / ~~get_betting_odds~~ — not available. For prediction market odds, use the polymarket or kalshi skill.
• ~~search_teams~~ — does not exist. Use get_teams instead.
• ~~get_box_score~~ — does not exist. Use get_game_summary instead.
• ~~get_player_ratings~~ — does not exist. Use get_player_stats instead.

If a command is not listed in the Commands table above, it does not exist.

Error Handling

When a command fails, do not surface raw errors to the user. Instead:

1. Catch silently and try alternatives
2. If team name given instead of ID, use get_teams to find the ID first
3. Only report failure with a clean message after exhausting alternatives

Troubleshooting

Error: sports-skills command not found Cause: Package not installed Solution: Run pip install sports-skills

Error: Team not found by ID Cause: Wrong or outdated ESPN team ID used Solution: Call get_teams to get the current list of all 30 MLB teams with their IDs

Error: No data returned for a future game Cause: ESPN only returns data for completed or in-progress games Solution: Use get_schedule to see upcoming game details; get_scoreboard only covers active/recent games

Error: Offseason — scoreboard returns 0 events Cause: No games scheduled during the offseason (November–March) Solution: Use get_standings or get_news instead; MLB offseason transactions are available via get_transactions