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Coming off a pair of 84 wRC+ seasons in 2024 and 2025, Luis Robert Jr. was traded by the White Sox to the Mets in late January. The oft-injured 28-year-old Cuban center fielder had been with Chicago since playing rookie ball in 2017.

At his very best in 2023, Robert was a force to be reckoned with. Known for excellent defense, he hit .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a 129 wRC+ that year, and most importantly, he made 595 plate appearances and played 145 games. Both of those playing time numbers are by far his single-season bests, and that relative durability saw him finish that season with 4.9 fWAR.

Over the past two years, however, Robert averaged just 105 games played. Combined with the aforementioned struggles at the plate, he was worth just 1.8 fWAR in total over that span.

The Mets have been playing things very slow with their players who’ve dealt with injuries in recent years thus far in spring training, and if you were hoping to get a glimpse of what Robert might look like, well, you’ll have to wait at least a couple more days. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has said that he hopes Robert will get into a major league spring training game after the team’s off day on Wednesday. And Opening Day is just two weeks from this Thursday.

As for projections, the systems published at FanGraphs have Robert at roughly league average with the bat heading into the season, and that would be an upgrade from what he’s done over the past two years. All of them see him playing somewhere between 117 and 131 games, and he’s projected to be roughly a two-to-three win player.

Having cycled through lots of defense-first center fielders over the past few seasons, the Mets have their most expensive question mark of a defense-first center fielder yet with Robert penciled in as their Opening Day starter at the position. If the team’s approach to easing him into the season with a shortened spring training keeps him on the field, Robert should provide stability, as his defense is enough to carry him and make him a valuable player.

Meet the Mets

The Mets blanked the Marlins 9-0 behind Zach Thornton’s three scoreless innings and Carson Benge’s three runs batted in.

With Juan Soto suiting up in the WBC, A.J. Ewing is seizing his moment at Mets’ camp this spring.

Soto did some dugout pushups after hitting balls to the warning track twice.

David Stearns spoke with the media and discussed Benge and the ‘difficult decision’ facing the Mets heading into Opening Day.

Benge and Ewing starting together this spring is giving the Mets a glimpse into their future.

Tim Britton highlighted some spring standouts on This Week in Mets.

The Mets optioned Nick Morabito and Jonathan Pintaro to Triple-A and reassigned Jack Wenninger to Minor League camp.

David Wright was present at Mets’ camp and said that he has every Hall of Fame ballot he’s survived framed in his house.

Wright also mentioned that Bo Bichette proactively reached out to The Captain to see if he would visit camp, and Wright said he’s excited to work with and mentor the team’s new third baseman.

Joel Sherman explained how Bichette is the key behind the Mets’ radically revamped defense.

Laura Albanese examined four under-the-radar Mets prospects who are having a big impact in spring training.

Albanese also argued that the Mets’ offseason moves, which were unpopular at the time, are starting to make sense.

Around the National League East

The Phillies and Jesús Luzardo agreed to a five-year, $135 million contract extension.

Braves’ left-hander Joey Wentz will miss the 2026 season after suffering a torn ACL.

Buster Olney explored the next steps for the Braves following the Jurickson Profar season-long suspension.

Around Major League Baseball

Team USA defeated Mexico 5-3 in a thrilling game behind big games from Paul Skenes and Aaron Judge.

Paul Skenes and Griffin Jax arranged for Air Force One cadets to watch yesterday’s USA-Mexico game.

Puerto Rico topped Cuba 4-1 and got to celebrate advancing to the quarterfinals in front of their home fans.

Korea advanced to the next round of the WBC by scoring exactly enough runs to break a three-way tie with Australia and Chinese Taipei based on number of runs scored and defensive outs collected.

The Dominican Republic thrashed Israel 10-1 to punch their ticket to the WBC quarterfinals, as Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a grand slam and punctuated it with a big bat flip.

Ronald Acuña Jr. played the role of hero for Venezuela, who beat Nicaragua 4-0 to remain undefeated.

Colombia escaped the WBC with a 4-3 win over Panama to avoid going winless in the tournament.

Similarly, Great Britain topped Brazil 8-1 to win their first (and only) in the tournament. Brazil ended the tournament without a victory.

Here are the updated WBC odds, with Team USA still favored over Japan and the Dominican Republic.

Team Australia thanked their fans following their WBC exit.

Paul Skenes wrote a letter to all the little leaguers ahead and talked about the honor of starting a WBC game for Team USA.

After pitching three innings in USA’s win over Great Britain, Tarik Skubal will depart the WBC to return to Tigers’ camp.

Fabian Ardaya shared the stories of American-born players representing their heritage in this year’s WBC.

Paolo Espino, who debuted in the first WBC in 2006 as a 19-year-old, left the mound yesterday (20 years later) after his final appearance for Team Panama.

ESPN shared updated World Series odds halfway through spring training.

Will Leitch looked at the top contenders for all of the major awards in each division.

There are still some intriguing position battles to keep an eye on this spring.

Jorge Castillo looked at what’s next for six make-or-break Yankees.

J.C. Escarra got a brand new tattoo to commemorate the beginning of his improbable story with the Yankees.

The Giants are bringing back Old Friend Joey Lucchesi on a minor league deal.

Kevin McGonigle, the Tigers’ top prospect and No. 2 prospect in MLB, continued his great spring with his first Grapefruit League home run.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

I previewed Nolan McLean’s 2026 season.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets made their spring training debut (an 8-0 loss to the Cardinals) on this date in 1962.

Randy Vasquez had his first misstep of Spring Training in the San Diego Padres 4-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday. He allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and had two strikeouts over four innings. That may not sound great, but when you consider how Texas was able to plate the runs, it makes the performance a little easier to understand for San Diego fans. A single, a stolen base and a two-out single scored the first run for the Rangers, but the second run came as a result of a two-out triple. Sometimes the batter puts the ball in the right spot to get the best result and that is what Brandon Nimmo did with a sharp ground ball down the right field line. Both runs allowed by Vasquez came in the second inning. He settled in for the remainder of his outing and kept Texas off the board. The Padres offense did not find much success against Rangers pitching. San Diego recorded four hits in the game and the one run the Padres scored crossed the plate as a result of an error.

San Diego plays the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. at 1:10 p.m. today.

Padres News:

• Reliever Bryan Hoeing is considering the possibly of having surgery to repair his injured elbow. Manager Craig Stammen said he expects a decision in the near future. If Hoeing decides to have surgery he may not be the only member of the San Diego roster on the injured list. Sung-Mun Song may also start the season on the IL due to him reaggravating his injured oblique. One positive injury note is that Jason Adam remains on track to be on the roster and in the bullpen on Opening Day.

• San Diego signed veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo to a minor league deal without an invitation to Spring Training, so he is working to improve and impress the Padres staff to make a case for him seeing some big-league at-bats in 2026.

• Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune issued his latest installment of the Padres roster review with his focus being Nick Castellanos. The slugger had a public exit from Philadelphia but seems to have settled in well with his new teammates and organization.

• The Padres outrighted reliever Daison Acosta to open a spot on the 40-man roster and sent catcher Ethan Salas to minor league camp. Acosta was placed on waivers this weekend and passed through unclaimed and will remain in the San Diego organization.

• Zack Littell ended his free agency and signed with the Washington Nationals this weekend. Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball makes a case for why Padres general manager A.J. Preller should have competed for his services.

Baseball News:

• The Philadelphia Phillies and left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo agreed to a five-year contract extension on Monday that will pay him $135 million.

• Detroit Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle hit his first home run of Spring Training and is making his case for remaining with the team to and possibly through Opening Day.

• New York Yankees prospect Spencer Jones, who has hit some prodigious home runs in spring camp, has been sent to Triple-A by the organization. The Yankees also announced that Max Fried will start Opening Day for the club.

WBC News:

• Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first WBC home run, and it came in the form of a grand slam as the Dominican Republic moved to 3-0 with a dominant outing against Israel.

• The US held off a late comeback attempt from Mexico to secure a win and remain undefeated in the tournament.

• Tarik Skubal will leave Team USA and return to Tigers camp in order to prepare for the upcoming season.

• Venezuela beat Nicaragua to setup a matchup with the Dominican Republic that will feature two undefeated teams.

• Puerto Rico beat Cuba and will continue on to the quarterfinals of the WBC.

With the bankruptcy and complete collapse of Main Street Sports, which had the local TV rights for nine MLB teams (and previously others who had left the group), the local TV landscape for baseball is changing again for 2026.

In past editions of this article, I’ve been able to cobble together what each team was scheduled to make from their local broadcast arrangements. But now, with many RSNs gone and the concept of “rights fees” fading away, that’s not really even possible anymore. In general, though, teams that have gone the streaming way have had their TV revenue cut, sometimes by as much as 25 percent.

Here’s what we do know.

• Major League Baseball will produce broadcasts for 15 of the 30 MLB teams this year via what the league is calling MLB Local Media.
• Twenty-one of the teams will have a local, in-market streaming option available.
• Some of the teams that left Main Street have gone out on their own, while others will be under a MLB umbrella.
• In general, team streaming options range from about $100 to $120 per season.
• Here’s more on how to watch games on various national platforms.
• And here’s more on how MLB is producing various local broadcasts.

By division, then, here’s how each MLB team will carry local broadcasts this year.

NL East

Braves: The Braves, one of the teams affected by the Main Street collapse, have created their own network called BravesVision, separate from the channels that will be operated by MLB. It will be available via streaming, and also in-market via cable and satellite. Here’s how that will all work.

Marlins: The Marlins were another team in the Main Street group. They have created their own network called Marlins.TV. As in the Atlanta market territory, they’ll be available on cable/satellite, though likely with an additional fee. Details here.

Mets: The Mets own SNY, their own regional sports network. More than 100 Mets games will be on this RSN, with others on WPIX-11, a local OTA channel in New York. More details here.

Nationals: The Nationals will stream on Nationals.TV, similar to the Braves and Marlins deals, and have cable/satellite access in the local market. More about Nats local TV here.

Phillies: Phillies games are on the regional sports network NBC Sports Philadelphia, with some on the OTA channel NBC-10. There’s also an in-market streaming option; more details here.

NL Central

Brewers: The Brewers were also part of the Main Street collapse. They have created Brewers.TV, a streaming option, as well as in-market cable/satellite access. More details here.

Cardinals: The Cardinals are another of the nine teams affected by the Main Street Sports issue. They will start Cardinals.TV for streaming, and have games available in-market via cable and satellite. More here.

Cubs: The Cubs will continue on Marquee Sports Network. Once the regular season begins, about 145 Cubs games will be on Marquee, with the rest on national channels Fox, ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Apple. Marquee offers in-market streaming; details here.

Pirates: The Pirates have started their own RSN, SportsNet Pittsburgh, which they are sharing with the Penguins. As with many other teams, local cable/satellite access is available, along with a streaming option. Details here.

Reds: The Reds have begun Reds.TV, a similar option to the other teams noted above. Streaming, satellite and cable are all available in the local market. Ten games will be on OTA broadcast channel WXIX Fox-19.More here.

NL West

Diamondbacks: The D-backs began local TV a year ago under the auspices of MLB and that will continue in 2026, with the usual streaming option as well as cable/satellite. They will also carry 11 games on OTA channel known as 12 News.

Dodgers:About 145 Dodgers games will be on their owned local RSN, SportsNet LA. This deal, of course, is how the Dodgers can blow away all the other teams’ budgets — they’re getting about $334 million a year from this channel.

Giants: Most Giants games will be on NBC Sports Bay Area, as they have been for years. They are also offering Giants.TV for in-market streaming. Details here.

Padres: The Padres were the very first team to go from a RSN to having games produced by MLB. That will continue this year with Padres.TV. The Padres will also show 10 games on local OTA channels.

Rockies: MLB is producing Rockies games again this year over Rockies.TV. Details here.

AL East

Blue Jays: The team is owned by Rogers Communications, the largest cable operator in Canada. They’ll have their usual selection of games on Rogers systems throughout Canada.

Orioles: With the Nationals’ departure from MASN, the O’s have this RSN to themselves. They’ll also have a streaming option.

Rays: The Rays are another team affected in the Main Street collapse. They’ll have Rays.TV produced by MLB, on local cable and satellite, with a streaming option. More here.

Red Sox: The Red Sox have an ownership interest in NESN, their regional sports network. Most Red Sox games will be carried on that channel. Here are details on NESN’s in-market streaming.

Yankees: Most Yankees games are on their owned YES Network, but beyond that… it’s complicated:

Under current blackout rules, in-market Yanks fans cannot use MLB.TV to stream regional broadcasts. The lucky ones with YES covered in their TV plans are in the clear, but those without YES need a separate direct-to-consumer service called Gotham Sports App. The costly subscription has been a contentious issue within the fan base, and Gotham recently announced slight price reductions. As it stands, users can either sign up for a specific Yankees pass or go for the full product, which includes MSG Network (NBA’s New York Knicks, NHL’s New York Rangers and others).

AL Central

Guardians: The Guardians have been produced by MLB Local Media for a couple of years and that will return in 2026, on regional cable/satellite, and via streaming. Details here.

Royals: As is the case for many teams, the Royals are produced by MLB Local Media and have cable/satellite and streaming options. More here, and also 10 games will be simulcast on a local OTA station, KCTV5.

Tigers: The Tigers, after the Main Street collapse, created Detroit SportsNet, which will also carry Red Wings games. The usual cable/satellite opportunity will exist in Michigan, as well as streaming. More details here.

Twins: The Twins switched to streaming last year and Twins.TV is back for 2026, as with many other teams, available on cable/satellite in the Twins market territory. Details here.

White Sox: The Sox co-own Chicago Sports Network (CHSN) with the Bulls and Blackhawks. They stream in-market via their own app.

AL West

Angels: The Angels always seem to like to do things differently. They were one of the nine teams affected by the Main Street collapse. But instead of going to streaming, the Angels simply bought their RSN, and so their games will continue to be on FanDuel Sports Network West. The team bought the name as well as the channel. The league will still run Angels.TV for in-market streaming.

Astros: The Astros have created their own RSN, Space City Home Network, in partnership with the NBA’s Rockets. There’s also a streaming option called SCHN+. Details here.

Athletics: A’s games are produced by NBC Sports California (which is a separate channel from the Giants’ NBC Sports Bay Area). There’s also a streaming option.

Mariners: Mariners.TV will carry the team’s games regionally on cable/satellite and via streaming. More here.

Rangers: The Rangers own their own channel, Rangers Sports Network. As with most teams, they have cable/satellite access and in-market streaming. More here.

As you can see, Commissioner Rob Manfred is getting close to his dream of having MLB Local Media control all teams’ TV rights, so he can sell local and national rights as one package. Given the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs and others having large RSN investments, though, that dream might wind up being deferred.

It’s no secret that the Orioles have a problem developing pitching under the Mike Elias regime. When Brandon Young debuted for the O’s last April, he became the first undrafted free agent to debut for the Baltimore since 2019. A month later, Kade Strowd became the first pitcher drafted by Elias to debut for the Orioles. There has yet to be a second.

That track record may start to turn around in 2026, however, and the biggest name to watch is soon-to-be 23-year-old Luis De León. I’ll be the first to admit that seeing De León rise to the status of Baltimore’s No.1 pitching prospect when MLB.com released the Orioles updated Top 30 prospect list last week. After all, Trey Gibson is the Orioles’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year and many prospect prognosticators spent ample time in 2025 hyping up 19-year-old right-hander Esteban Mejia.

However, after seeing the latest clips of De León to come out of Sarasota, it’s clear why the lanky lefty from the Dominican Republic has distinguished himself from all other Orioles pitching prospects. He’s only faced 10 batters so far this Spring, giving up one hit and striking out two. However, what’s popped off the screen in those ten plate appearances is the outrageous repertoire the young lefty possesses.

De León’s two go-to pitches are his sinker and slider. The sinker has become the primary weapon of choice for many top lefties across the league. Phillies All-Star hurler Cristopher Sánchez led all of baseball last year with 19 Run Value of his sinker, on his way to an 8.0 WAR season and a second-place finish in NL Cy Young voting. Orioles’ failed free agency target Framber Valdez also leaned heavily on his sinker during a strong 2025, while AL Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet uses his sinker as his go-to pitch in left-on-left matchups.

What distinguishes De León’s sinking fastball from the game’s top lefties is its sheer velocity. Sánchez and Valdez both sat around 94-95mph with their sinkers. Crochet’s sinker had a little more heat, sitting around 96mph and approaching triple digits on occasion. The Orioles’ young lefty can run his sinker up into the high 90s, putting him in elite company with some of the MLB’s top southpaws.

The Orioles’ top pitching prospect pairs that high-velocity sinker with a wipe-out slider that he’s comfortable throwing to both righties and lefties. Against the Braves on Saturday, 14 of his 29 pitches were sliders, with six to RHBs and eight to LHBs. Chris Sale is the gold standard for lefty sliders, and while De León has a slightly smaller frame than Sale, he has a similar low arm slot that helps create whip on his breaking ball.

The lefty rounds out a five-pitch mix with a four-seamer that also reaches the upper 90s, a mid 80’s changeup with some run that mirrors his sinker and a splitter in the low 80’s. The off-speed offerings are still playing catch-up with the fastballs and slider, but MLB.com’s write-up on De León notes that “all [five] can be plus pitches because De León throws everything with good arm speed and angle when his mechanics are clicking.”

A good changeup can give De León a strong plan of attack against right-handed batters. Reigning, two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal led baseball last year with 25 Run Value on changeups. It was also his primary pitch against RHBs, throwing 34% changes against righties.

De León uses his sinker to churn out ground balls, producing nearly two groundball outs for every flyout. The changeup then becomes a great out pitch he can tunnel off the sinker, keeping hitters off balance thanks to the 10+ mph difference between the two pitches. The shape of the pitches should give him a similar sinker/changeup combo to what we’d seen previously from Yennier Cano—but with a bigger speed difference that should make De Leon’s changeup more effective.

If he can hone his splitter as well, it’d give him an arsenal you just don’t see in left-handed starters. Of all lefty starters last year, only the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga prominently featured a splitter as part of his arsenal. And while Imanaga’s splitter also sits in the low 80’s, the Japanese southpaw’s average fastball velocity barely tops 90mph. A refined splitter would give the lefty a natural complement to his four-seamer, allowing him to attack the top of the zone with the heater before making hitters look foolish on a low splitter. Otherwise known as the Félix Bautista approach.

That’s not to say the soon-to-be 23-year-old doesn’t have flaws as a prospect. His control is still a work in progress, as is often the case with young pitchers with plus stuff and high strikeout numbers. The young lefty posted an 11 K/9 rate across three levels last season, including racking 24 Ks in 16 innings to end the season at Double-A. However, he also put up 4.2 BB/9, a number that would’ve been second-worst among qualified MLB starters last year. Those control concerns popped up again during his stint in the Arizona Fall League, where he struck out 22 batters in 16.1 innings but also walked 12.

Many, including De León himself, expect the lefty to reach the majors sometime this year. Given the number of major league-proven starters the front office brought in this offseason, it seems unlikely that the young Dominican will crack the rotation upon his arrival in Baltimore.

However, he has a chance to make a big impact in a multi-inning relief role—similar to what we’ve seen from other top left-handed prospects to begin their career. Both Sale and Crochet were relievers for their first two seasons with the White Sox before transitioning to starters in their third full season. Former Cy Young winner David Price debuted in the bullpen for the Rays, even closing some playoff games in their run to the 2008 World Series. If the Orioles find themselves in contention down the stretch, De León could be the secret weapon they need to get Baltimore back to October.

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland has a few observation from a Cactus League win for the Texas Rangers over the San Diego Padres yesterday.

Kennedi Landry writes about Andrew McCutchen making his spring debut with Texas where the former NL MVP smacked an RBI double.

Kevin Sherrington checks out what impact the new ABS challenge system can make on the Rangers as it goes into full effect for the first time this season.

Jeff Wilson has adjusted his Rangers Opening Day roster projection with McCutchen’s arrival necessitating changes.

Evan Grant writes about the reasoning behind new skipper Skip Schumaker moving Corey Seager down a spot in his anticipated everyday lineup.

Landry writes about Brandon Nimmo acclimating himself to playing for a new team and moving positions this spring.

Grant notes that Schumaker intends to allow Josh Smith and Evan Carter more leeway to bat against left-handed pitching rather than viewing them strictly as platoon options.

MLB dot com’s Will Leitch calls a Jacob deGrom Cy Young win the most likely award hardware chance for a Ranger in 2026.

Grant writes that former All-Star reliever Alexis Diaz is falling behind in the wide-open bullpen competition with some unpleasant outings so far this spring.

And, McFarland names 2024 first-round catcher prospect Malcolm Moore as Texas’ No. 15 best prospect on the DMN top 30 list.

Have a nice day!

Welcome to Pinstripe Alley’s coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! We previewed Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D in the linked articles. Since the first several days of the WBC feature a bevy of games, we’ll be recapping them in batches. Enjoy!

Pool B: USA (3-0) 5, Mexico (2-1) 3

While the United States jumped out to a big lead with Aaron Judge homering again, Mexico kept the game close, and USA faced their toughest test of the WBC slate thus so far.

After Paul Skenes and Manny Barreda each started the game with a couple zeroes, the US broke things open in the third. Shortly after a cannon of a throw from Judge caught a runner trying to advance to third, No. 99 got the party started with a two-run homer, his second of the tournament. Roman Anthony would go deep later in the inning, as the US put up a five spot to take control of the game. Meanwhile, Skenes ended up striking out seven, allowing just one hit in his four innings of work.

Following Skenes’ departure, things got a little close for comfort. Matthew Boyd came on for the fifth and allowed two runs, including a Jarren Duran home run. In the eighth, Durran homered off Boyd again, and Griffin Jax had to eventually come in to induce an inning-ending double play after Mexico put the tying run on.

In the ninth, Mexico again had a chance when Joey Meneses led off the inning with a single. Garrett Whitlock got the next three outs to seal the win, but it was a hairy one. Team USA hasn’t nailed down Pool B just yet, but they can secure the win by beating Italy today. The second spot should come from the winner of Mexico vs. Italy tomorrow.

Pool A: Puerto Rico (3-0) 4, Cuba (2-1) 1

Martín Maldonado of all people delivered the big hit for Puerto Rico, as they downed Cuba to remain unbeaten. That clinched a Pool A triumph for Puerto Rico, while Cuba will likely have to defeat Canada tomorrow to advance.

Yankee prospect Elmer Rodríguez started the game for Puerto Rico with a couple zeroes before Maldonado struck in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Maldonado—who has never been much of a hitter and in fact retired this past offseason to take a job in the Braves’ organization—snuck a ball past third baseman Yoán Moncada and down the line, into the corner. All three runners came around the score, giving Puerto Rico the lead, which they never relinquished.

Rodríguez ended up going three innings, allowing one hit and three walks, while also striking out three. PR opened up a 4-0 lead before Cuba got one run back, but that’s all they got as Puerto Rico’s bullpen made it through the game without much issue.

Pool D: Venezuela (4-0) 4, Nicaragua (0-4) 0

Ronald Acuña Jr. recorded three hits and two RBI as Venezuela downed Nicaragua to remain undefeated in the tournament, and set up a battle with the Dominican Republic tomorrow for the top spot in the pool.

Acuña was all over the place in this one, even in the runs he didn’t directly drive in. He led off the game with a walk, stole second, and then moved to third on the same play thanks to an error. That allowed him to score on a Jackson Chourio single, and Venezuela never trailed after that.

In terms of number of hits, Nicaragua actually outhit Venezuela, but they just didn’t do remotely enough with them. None of Nicaragua’s hits went for extra bases, and they went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six on base. When you have Acuña doing Acuña things on the other side, that was never going to get it done. They finished last in their pool and will have to play in the qualifiers for the next WBC.

As we enter the final days of pool play, here’s the action that’s on tap for today:

Japan vs. Czech Republic (Pool C)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Hiroto Takahashi vs. RHP Ondrej Satoria
Time: 6:00 am ET
TV: FS1
Location: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan

Israel vs. Netherlands (Pool D)
Pitching Matchup: LHP Ryjeteri Merite vs. RHP Carlos Lequerica
Time: 7:00 pm ET
TV: Fox App
Location: LoanDepot Park — Miami, FL

Canada vs. Puerto Rico (Pool A)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Jordan Balazovic vs. RHP José De León
Time: 7:00 pm ET
TV: Tubi
Location: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico

Italy vs. USA (Pool B)
Pitching Matchup: TBD vs. TBD
Time: 9:00 pm ET
TV: FS1
Location: Daikin Park — Houston, TX

When the Red Sox signed Masataka Yoshida on December 15, 2022 it was to mixed reactions. Xander Bogaerts had signed with the San Diego Padres a few days earlier, lost to free agency sorta-kinda because of the addition of Trevor Story. Kyle Schwarber the year before had been deemed “too expensive” when he signed with the Dave Dombrowski’s Philadelphia Phillies. And yet there were the Red Sox giving a five-year deal, $90 million contact to Yoshida, in addition to a posting fee. But there was also excitement. Yoshida was coming to the Red Sox from the Orix Buffaloes where he excelled.

In the 2022 season the outfielder hit .335/.447/.561 with 21 home runs. He drew 80 walks against just 41 strikeouts. Obviously, no one expected him to duplicate the line entirely. Maybe not hit for as much power. Maybe not quite the same strikeouts and walks – though his batting skill was main draw for Yoshida so possibly not as much change.

As the calendar would have it, spring 2023 was both his first Spring Training in the US and a WBC year. Almost before he’d joined the Sox, Yoshida was back playing with a Japanese team. And if you were excited about his potential — as Chaim Bloom surely was — Yoshida would exceed all rational thought. Through the tournament he hit an insane .409/.531/.727 with two home runs and a double. He walked four times against a single strikeout. He won the MVP as Japan took the crown.

Over three years in Boston Yoshida has not been an MVP but he’s definitely had his moments. In 2023, Yoshida played in 140 games and hit .289/.338/.445 with 15 home runs and 81 strikeouts compared to just 34 walks. That’s a solid year to build off.

He battled injuries in 2024 but despite playing in only 108 games he was still worth 1.4 bWAR. Was he adjusting? Maybe. Slashing .280/.349/.415 with 10 home runs and 52 strikeouts compared to 27 walks showed some of that. Alex Cora kept him out of the outfield, proffering DH duty, but if he wasn’t needed in the outfield why use a fielder you’re not sure is your best option?

“I don’t know why people are so surprised that he’s hitting. When he was healthy in ‘23 the first half of the season, he was one of the best hitters in the big leagues. He got banged up. We kind of covered it for a while there, and he had injections [for his right shoulder]. – Alex Cora

In 2025, Yoshida would miss the first half of the season recovering from shoulder surgery. The hope being that with a patched up arm maybe he’d be a better outfield option. Although it was never really clear if that was the plan.

All said and done this was a disappointing season for Masataka Yoshida at first glance. Slashing just .266/.307/.388. Though he did hit 4 home runs, steal 3 bases, and put up a 24: 10 K:BB. While it’s a small sample, his September, as the rest of the ream struggled to hit, was perhaps a sign that after injury and a long layoff, he was feeling better. Yoshida would hit .333/.351/.486 with 2 of his 4 homers. His K:BB was 5:3. That’s only 18 games but potentially his first truly healthy play since sometime in 2024. He’d roll straight into the Yankees series hitting .571/.571/.571. Fours hits in 7 plate appearances. He even drove in 2 critical runs. He struck out just once.

And he rolled into the World Baseball Classic in Spring 2026, healthy.

Through four games – all of which Japan won – Masa is 6 for 12 with two home runs. He’s playing with fun. He’s playing with style.

That’s a bat drop worthy of Roman Anthony.

What’s the future for Yoshida when he returns to Boston? He’s got the inside track as the DH. Unlike Triston Casas, he can’t easily be sent to the minors. He’s hitting for power again, which, yes, adjust this for competition, but he needed to show he’d found his power swing again. Did Craig Breslow and Alex Cora already know this? I don’t know, probably? They have tremendously more information than we do. But We’re all seeing it now.

This looks like 2023 Yoshida shining on the international stage, ready to take that experience back to Boston. Only this time he isn’t an American rookie – he’s a veteran. He’s the Macho Man. He’s Masa.

1914
The White Sox their World Tour vs. the New York Giants to final rest with a banquet in the Gold Room of the Congress Hotel. Pitcher Joe Benz had to skip the celebration — he was getting married that day! Manager Nixey Callahan also had to book out west right after the celebration — White Sox spring training had started out in Paso Robles, Calif., on February 26.

Jim Margalus provided South Side Sox coverage of this night, and the entire tour, back in 2014.

1959
Months after exercising his right to purchase a 54% (controlling) interest in the White Sox from Dorothy Comiskey, the courts cleared the sale and officially awarded the keys to Bill Veeck. Dorothy’s brother, Chuck, had held up the sale, taking his sister and Veeck to court over his supposed right of first refusal to purchase Dorothy’s shares. Chuck — who would eventually opt to remain on the payroll as an awkward “co-GM” with Greenberg — was said to have sped off in his Cadillac as Veeck arrived at the park for the first time, on this day, after purchase.

1963
Pete Rose made his career Spring Training debut in a game vs. the White Sox at Al Lopez Field in Tampa. Rose went 2-for-2 with a double in Cincinnati’s 1-0, 14-inning (!!) win. The second baseman entered the game in the ninth inning, doubled twice, and scored the only run of the game. He would end up the NL Rookie of the Year that season.

1983
George Kell, briefly a White Sox third baseman, was elected to the Hall of Fame via the Special Veterans Committee.

Kell had failed to reach even 37% in any of his 15 previous ballots for the Hall, and for good reason: He is one of the weaker players by WAR (37.6) in the Hall (50.0 is just about the basement for even the biggest of Big Hall fans).

By the time Kell was dealt to the White Sox during the 1954 season, his best days were past. In fact, Kell was essentially a replacement player (0.3) during that first season in Chicago, with his batting average falling short of .300 for the first time in eight seasons. A big part of his loss in value was the fact that the White Sox moved the ace third baseman to first base for half of his games that summer. However with a return to third base, Kell bounced back with a strong 1955, hitting .312 and putting up a 2.7 WAR. During the 1956 season, almost exactly two years to the date he was acquired, the White Sox shipped Kell to Baltimore, where he ended his career in 1957.

Longtime Dodgers manager Walter Alston was elected along with Kell.

1995
After two stints at White Sox Spring Training and a full season in Birmingham, Michael Jordan announced he was giving up baseball.

Part of the reason came as a result of his struggles with re-learning the game in his 30s. But the other, larger part (as he explained to author Bob Greene in the book Rebound, The Odyssey of Michael Jordan) was because he was being pressured by GM Ron Schueler to cross the MLBPA picket line. 

With replacement games set to start during the lockout of major-leaguers, Jordan was told that if he didn’t cross the line, he’d be banished from the main clubhouse. Jordan was furious, saying that he was promised by owner Jerry Reinsdorf he wouldn’t be forced to do that.

Jordan explained that under no circumstances would he ever cross a labor picket line regardless of sport. 

“I told them from the beginning that I didn’t want them to use me to make money in the Spring Training games,” Jordan told Greene. “We had an understanding. It was never supposed to even come up. I was disgusted that the promise wasn’t going to be honored.”

Jordan would return to the Bulls at the end of the 1994-95 season, and went on to win three more NBA championships (1996-98). 

It was another day of both positive and negative news for the Braves (which is now the norm.) On one hand, the Braves bats continued to look good in a win over the Twins while Ronald Acuna Jr. dominated for Venezuela in the WBC. However, the Braves once again received “worse case scenario” news in terms of a pitching injury. This time, it is a torn ACL that will keep Joey Wentz out for the 2026 season.

While Wentz was a depth piece and may not have even made the team to start the season, a starting staff that already was dealing with multiple signficant injuries really did not need another. As good as the offense has looked, the Braves lack of injury luck in their starting rotation is once again the biggest storyline of the Spring. And at some point, moves need to be made to insure pitching injuries do not once again put the season in doubt, and this time perhaps before it even starts.

Braves News

For the season positional previews, here is the Braves catching breakdown for the 2026 season.

Longtime Braves ace Julio Teheran announced his retirement from baseball on Monday.

MLB News

Team USA was able to get the win against a Mexico team that tried to rally late.

The Phillies and pitcher Jesus Luzardo agreed to a 5 year, $135M extension on Monday.

His name is no longer just Will Klein. It will now forever be linked with the moniker World Series Hero Will Klein.

In the marathon game that was Game 3 of the 2025 World Series, it was Klein that kept the Dodgers tied with the Toronto Blue Jays. He gave everything he had, going four innings and 72 pitches. It was the longest outing of his professional career, and Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning garnered Klein the win.

Now, Klein is in a battle to join the Dodgers bullpen this season. The relief pitcher has been with four organizations in the last two years, and would very much like to continue calling L.A. his home. From Sonja Chen of MLB.com:

“I think the Dodgers just really allow you to be who you are,” Klein said. “A lot of other teams are maybe like cookie-cutter in their programs or know what they want from guys, but here … you see a lot of different kinds of pitchers, and they let you do what you’re exceptional at.”

So far this spring, he has appeared in five games, going 5.0 innings, with seven strikeouts and a 1.80 era. But per usual, the Dodgers bullpen is full of guys who can make the Opening Day roster, and Klein just hopes he is one.

One guy who is new to the team but knows he has a spot is Kyle Tucker. He isn’t just new to the Dodgers, he’s new to parenthood. Kyle and his wife welcomed a baby boy last week.

Now Tucker is back in Dodgers camp and looking to work on his swing to be ready for the start of the season.

Unlike Freddie Freeman, Tucker does not have a set number of at bats he’d like to have to feel comfortable at the plate. Tucker had one hit in Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics but was out of the lineup on Monday. He is expected to be back in the lineup in Tuesday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“From what I’ve gathered of talking to him and his coaches before, he doesn’t need a lot to get ready,” Roberts said, per Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register. “It was good to see him get a hit (Sunday). … I still think we have plenty of time to get him ready to go.”

In addition to spring training, the baseball world is enjoying the World Baseball Classic. And while two of his fellow starting pitchers went to play for their country, Glasnow decided early in the offseason that he would stay in Dodgers camp to continue to progress on the strides he made last season, per Jack Harris of The California Post.

Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior remarked that it took the coaching staff a little while to understand all there was to Glasnow’s delivery, and how best to make it work for him. From Harris:

“I think it’s taken us a couple years to kind of understand the nuances of his delivery, and really matching his feel versus the output (of what he’s doing),” Prior said. “With a lot of guys, we’re trying to get things narrowed down to one or two things that we can really hit somebody between the eyes with. But I joke with him, like, ‘Hey man, you got 50.’”

They have homed in on a few specific tweaks, and Glasnow showed out in the playoffs, both starting and coming in in relief, allowing only a 1.69 era through the playoffs. Glasnow is now looking to carry that into the 2026 season. He starts Tuesday against the Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch.