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:

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:

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:

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

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

Shaping Play-by-Play Results

get_mlbstats_play_by_play accepts sort_by, descending, limit and fields. fields is the quickest way to drop the per-pitch lists when you only need the at-bat outcomes:

sports-skills mlb get_mlbstats_play_by_play --game_pk=775296 --fields=event,rbi

• sort_by: one column to sort by. Numbers (and numeric strings) sort numerically; missing values always go last.
• descending: true (default) or false; only used with sort_by.
• limit: positive integer, applied after sorting.
• fields: comma-separated keep-list. inning, half, batter, pitcher and the sort_by column are always kept.
• An unknown sort_by/fields column returns an error listing the valid columns.
• With any of these set, the response adds total_rows (matching rows before limit) and returned_rows. With none set, output is unchanged. They are applied after the fetch, so they never change the upstream request or its replay entry.

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