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.

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