Tom Brew, Brady Farkas, Jack Ankony Named National Columnists on 'Fastball on SI'

The ''Fastball on SI'' baseball site is well read, and in 2025 we're taking the next big step, adding national baseball columns and opinion pieces. Tom Brew, Jack Ankony and Brady Farkas will be sharing their thoughts every day starting Thursday.

Chicago Cubs staff assistant Franklin Font (left) and second baseman Javier Baez (right) hoist the 2016 World Series trophy. / Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images

The ''Fastball on SI'' baseball site on the Sports Illustrated Network has been one of the most-read sites in the country since its launch in 2021, and now it's ready for another round of expansion.

This one is big. For the first time, we are adding national columnists to the site, with Tom Brew, Brady Farkas and Jack Ankony sharing their thoughts and opinions on all 30 teams, starting with Opening Day on Thursday.

Brew, Fastball's publisher, has been with the "On SI'' network since 2019. He first started covering baseball in 1980 for the Tampa Bay Times — then the St. Petersburg Times — covering the Philadelphia Phiillies and Toronto Blue Jays in spring training. He also coordinated coverage of the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2000s and was the Rays beat writer for ''On SI'' in 2022-23.

Brew, based in the Tampa Bay area, will focus on the 10 teams in the American League East and National League East.

Ankony has been with ''On SI'' since 2022, covering Indiana University basketball and football, but he's a baseball nut at heart. He has moved back home to Chicago and will be covering the Chicago White on a full-time basis, and will also write for ''Fastball on SI'' on the other AL Central teams, plus all five NL Central ballclubs.

Farkas, who has been the lead writer at ''Fastball on SI'' since 2023, is starting his third MLB season with the network. He also is the co-owner of the ''Seattle Mariners on SI'' site with Brew, and will write columns on the Mariners and other AL West teams, plus all five National League West teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are looking to repeat.

"I am very excited about adding columns to our long list of Fastball stories every day,'' Brew said. "We've got a great team, and now we'll be able to weigh in on all the important issues of the day with everyone around the league. We have some talented baseball writers on Fastball and we're excited to get back out to the ballpark and really cover the sport the way it should be.''

The three columnists will also be a part of the ''Payoff Pitch Podcast,'' every week, along with podcast host Brandon Brown. The shows will be available everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Watch the first 'Payoff Pitch Podcast'

Fastball columnists Tom Brew, Brady Farkas and Jack Ankony sat down for the first podcast of the season on Tuesday and broke down all six division races. They also made their picks on who's going to win division titles, pennants and the World Series.

You can watch the podcast here. We share it on our Fastball YouTube channel every week, along with other videos from around the country once the season starts. Hit the subscribe button. It's all free.