📚 5 Best Sports Books of 2025—So Far 📚
Caitlin From Downtown. Iron Mike. The Earl of Baltimore. Rafa. I mean, dayum.
BY THE HALFWAY point of any given calendar year, I’d generally have read between 20-25 books, about half of which tend to be of the sports variety.
Here in 2025, however, what with all the friggin’ writing I’ve been doing, I’ve only had time to devour 12 titles, well below the Mendoza Line. That said, five of those tomes fell into the sports bucket.
Which begs the question, does the below quintet—which, BTW, is sorted in alphabetical order by author, so as not to hurt anybody’s feelings—constitute a legit “best of” list?
Yes. Yes, it does.
Right now, you’re probably asking, But isn’t that a super-small sample size, Alan?
Yep. But my Substack, my rules.
That said, all five of these puppies are excellent reads, and will likely turn up in the final version of this article, which’ll drop six-ish months from now.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have about 38 more sports books to plow through before December…
On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports
Christine Brennan
Elevator Pitch: Elite women’s sports expert delivers the first major look at the Indiana Fever mega-super-duperstar.
The Critics Say: “Long one of America's most accomplished and respected sportswriters, Christine Brennan has covered just about every sport. As part of that impressive body of work, she has consistently brought insightful attention to women's sports. So she brings to the Caitlin Clark Moment deep knowledge and perspective about the history that led to it. Caitlin Clark’s story is already one of the biggest and most compelling in sports. On these pages, it’s a story well told.” -Bob Costas
Alan Says: Is it too early for a Caitlin Clark book? On one hand, absolutely; after all, as of this writing, the charismatic sharpshooter has played a grand total of just 49 professional basketball games. On the other hand, her impact on the WNBA—and on women’s sports as a whole—more than merits this 272-page study.
Brennan gave us something that’s both informative and readable, which isn’t always a thing in your typical sports/culture combo platter.
The Warrior: Rafael Nadal and His Kingdom of Clay
Christopher Clarey
Elevator Pitch: A deep dive into the clay court studliness of one of the most beloved tennis players of his, or any era.
The Critics Say: “Though the narrative focuses on Nadal, Roland-Garros’s clay courts become a character in their own right as Clarey provides rich background on the event’s history... It’s a meticulous recap of one of tennis’s great achievements.”-Publishers Weekly
Alan Says: If you don’t love Rafa, you have no sports soul. As borne out by this sweet, engrossing look at how, when, and why Nadal has dominated a single tennis surface for over two decades, Clarey has palpable (and justified) adoration for the iconic clay wizard.
1978: Baseball and America In the Disco Era
David Krell
![1978: Baseball and America in the Disco Era [Book]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UfXo!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F366e344e-29ba-48a8-805a-c338248a3db3_1707x2560.jpeg "1978: Baseball and America in the Disco Era [Book]")
Elevator Pitch: Reggie Jackson meets Richie Cunningham in a horsehide/pop culture melange.
The Critics Say: “From the death of Hall of Fame manager Joe McCarthy in January through the rise of Herman Wouk’s epic novel War and Remembrance, Krell has fashioned a rollicking good tale, interweaving analysis of the movies and television shows people were watching with fascinating details of a memorable season that saw the Yankees and Dodgers win their leagues’ pennants and face off in the World Series.” -Steven Gietschier, author of Baseball: The Turbulent Midcentury Years
Alan Says: NBA basketball defined the 1990s, NFL football dominated the ‘80s, and Major League Baseball owned the ‘70s, something Krell proves here over and over again. Like, Aaron Judge is all fine and good, but for true New York Yankees fun, I’ll take George Steinbrenner any day of the week.
Krell gets bonus points for seamlessly weaving Mork from Ork into his narrative.
Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson
Mark Kriegel
Elevator Pitch: You wanted the definite Tyson bio, you’ve got the definitive Tyson bio.
The Critics Say: “Themes of race, power, and wealth are prevalent in Tyson’s life, especially when others, realizing his potential, began making decisions on his behalf. Love him or hate him, Tyson's story is interesting, and Kriegel highlights the man behind his public persona. An obvious choice for Tyson fans and readers interested in boxing, who will appreciate Kriegel's focus on the sport’s history and the fighters who influenced it.” -Booklist
Alan Says: I’m sure that Iron Mike will do some crazy shit between now and his death, but there’s plenty of crazy shit in the ridiculously well-reported 400-plus-page doorstop to keep us satisfied until Kriegel cranks out the update.
Props to the bestselling author for delivering the unvarnished truth rather than a fawning hagiography.
Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals, and Cooperstown: A Baseball Memoir
Bill Madden
Elevator Pitch: Veteran sports scribe takes you inside the press box and his heart.
The Critics Say: “Bill peels back the the layers of the Hall of Fame from an insider’s perspective. Now we less fortunate fans are the beneficiaries of his phenomenal access.” -Bob Ryan, Boston Globe
Alan Says: Even if you’re not Madden fan (I am), there’s plenty to enjoy here, the most notable takeaway being that the New York Daily News stalwart straight-up loves baseball.
The snark factor is limited, the insight is there, and warmth and fuzziness drips from most every page—exactly what you’d want from a sports journalist memoir.