American rapper arrives to see game against Preston
Snoop Dogg joined Swansea ownership group last July
The Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg was greeted with twirling towels and a guard of honour on his first visit to the Welsh club. The American rapper, who is a minority owner of the Championship club alongside the television host Martha Stewart and Croatia international Luka Modric, made his first appearance at the Swansea.com Stadium for Tuesday’s clash with Preston.
Snoop Dogg joined the Swansea ownership group last July and made his way to south-west Wales after being at the Winter Olympics, where he served as Team USA’s honorary coach as well as a special correspondent for broadcaster NBC.
CORAL GABLES, FL - MAY 02: NC State outfielder Ty Head (14) runs to third base in the fifth inning as the Miami Hurricanes faced the NC State Wolfpack on May 2, 2025, at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It’s a busy week over at Doak Field as NC State (5-1) continues on as part of an 18-game homestand, welcoming the Richmond Spiders (5-3, RPI #242) on Tuesday at 3:00pm and the Akron Zips (3-4, RPI #304) on Wednesday at 3:00pm.
Six games into the year and the Wolfpack’s pitching has been impressive. JR RHP Heath Andrews was scheduled to start the year as State’s Sunday starter, but a weather cancelled season debut pushed him to start last week’s midweek win over Winthrop. His struggles in that outing coupled with JR LHP Cooper Consiglio’s excellent start in the series finale this past weekend against Princeton will keep Andrews (0-0, 8.10 ERA, 3.1 IP, 10.5 BB%, 10.5 K%) in that midweek role for the time being as he’ll get the start against the Spiders.
There is no announced starting pitcher for NC State’s game against Akron.
Half of Richmond’s games this year have been decided by two or fewer runs. After a season-opening home series win against Monmouth, the Spiders were stomped by UNC 10-0 last Tuesday, captured a 9-5 home win against James Madison on Wednesday, and then took two-of-three at home against Penn State this past weekend. Time will tell if that series win over the Nittany Lions is impressive or not; Penn State was projected to finish 5th in the 17-team Big Ten, but they also were destroyed by Air Force (3-15 loss) and Kansas State (5-24 loss) in Arizona to start the year.
The Spiders are hitting .256/.371/.397, 13 2B, 6 HR, 10.8 BB%, 22.0 K%, 11-19 SB on the year. Those stolen bases numbers tell you exactly how Mik Aoki wants his team to play: aggressively. That’s a bit of a new mentality, as the 2025 Richmond team only had 79 stolen bases combined (on 100 attempts), with 36 of those coming from a single player (Aaron Whitley) who has since graduated. That makes sense as this is a rebuilt lineup that lost 7 of their 8 regulars from last year. D3 transfer SR C Dylan Winebrenner (.433/.485/.933, 1 2B, 4 HR, 0.0 BB%, 6.1 K%, 1-4 SB) from Salisbury University is off to a fantastic start. He’s a big 6’4, 230 right-handed hitter with the requisites to be a power hitter, although he only had 16 career home runs heading into this year. SR C/2B Michael Elko (.259/.364/.333, 2 2B, 0 HR, 6.1 BB%, 18.2 K%, 0-2 SB), son of Texas A&M head football coach Mike Elko, is the top returning hitter from last year’s 33-19, RPI #140 squad.
On the mound, Saturday starter SO LHP Joey Giordano (2-0, 3.48 ERA, 10.1 IP, 9..5 BB%, 26.2 K%) has been a nice surprise. He had Tommy John Surgery as a senior in high school and wasn’t available until late last year, but showed promise in that brief showing (2-0, 3.78 ERA, 16.2 IP, 12.0 BB%, 17.3 K%), so him taking another step forward would be a very welcomed development for a Spiders staff that has a decent amount of returning experience, but is light on sure things. JR RHP Jackson Hinchliffe (1-0, 3.86 ERA, 7.0 IP, 3.1 BB%, 12.5 K%) will get the start on the mound against NC State. He started 12 games last year and did throw well against JMU last week in earning the win on a pitch count. He’s a contact oriented pitcher featuring a low-90’s four-seam fastball and high-80’s sinker, with a change-up, cutter, and a slurve to mix in.
The bullpen is going to be a work in progress throughout the year as four of their five top relievers are gone. Six-foot-seven grad transfer rSR RHP Justin Gay (0-1, 2 SV, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP, 0.0 BB%, 31.8 K%), a former JUCO player who spent the last two years at Florida Atlantic (although he didn’t pitch in 2025) is off to a strong start. Rice transfer rSR RHP Mauricio Rodriguez (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 26.7 BB%, 20.2 K%) is coming off an injury that cost him all of 2025; he could be a big piece to this bullpen if he can pound the zone and continue to miss bats like he did his last year at Rice (1-1, 8.07 ERA, 35.2 IP, 7.1 BB%, 29.5 K%).
Akron has a game at Western Carolina in Cullowhee on Tuesday afternoon, but enters today with a 3-4 record. Oddly, their losses have come via a pair of 6-8 defeats and a pair of 8-16 defeats. Weird. The Zips gave up multi-run late leads in both of those 6-8 losses (both to Presbyterian) and almost allowed another late lead to vanish in their third game against the Blue Hose, so it’s worth noting that the bullpen may be an issue.
That’s not a huge shock as five of the top six pitchers by innings pitched from 2025 are gone. Control has been a big issue for the pitching staff with a collective line entering Tuesday of 3-4, 1 SV, 6.87 ERA, 15.1 BB%, 18.7 K% and has given up 10 home runs. That 1.24 K/BB ratio isn’t a recipe for success.
The lineup is what Akron will have to ride to any success this season, and collectively they’re batting .266/.381/.437, 16 2B, 7 HR, 13.9 BB%, 22.9 K%, 25-26 SB. That strikeout rate is alarming given their level of competition, but those stolen base number is scary, especially when you realize that seven players have multiple stolen bags on the year. It’s also an experienced group, which will help. The lineup is incredibly top heavy with rJR 3B Brennan Morgan (.500/.625/.667, 4 2B, 0 HR, 18.8 BB%, 3.1 K%, 0-0 SB), rSO RF Brody Chrisman (.357/.387/.786, 3 2B, 3 HR, 6.5 BB%, 16.1 K%, 4-4 SB), SR CF Kelton Phillips (.345/.412/.379, 1 2B, 0 HR, 8.8 BB%, 20.6 K%, 7-8 SB), rSO DH Blake Bowen (.273/.515/.455, 1 2B, 1 HR, 33.3 BB%, 27.3 K%, 2-2 SB), SR 2B Henry Hayman (.316/.364/.632, 3 2B, 1 HR, 9.1 BB%, 18.2 K%, 0-0 SB), and rSR 1B Easton Amundson (.227/.419/.636, 1 2B, 2 HR, 19.4 BB%, 25.8 K%, 2-2 SB) basically being the entire offense. Getting production from the remaining one-third of the lineup will be crucial to creating big innings, which will be necessary to success given the pitching staff.
As Major League Baseball scrambles to accommodate the local distribution needs of more than a half-dozen clubs formerly affiliated with the Main Street Sports RSNs, the Atlanta Braves have elected to take matters into their own hands.
The NL East franchise on Tuesday announced the launch of BravesVision, a wholly-owned multimedia platform that will begin producing and distributing its games in time for the March 27 season opener against the Kansas City Royals.
Under the new BravesVision paradigm, the franchise will televise and stream more than 140 regular-season games to fans across its six-state footprint, a swath of the Southeast that includes Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
“This endeavor will bring the most vital link to our fanbase—our television broadcast—back under the control of our organization,” Braves president and CEO Derek Schiller said in a statement. In a nod to the team’s long run on the TBS Superstation, Schiller noted that BravesVision marks a return to form for “generations of Braves fans who were raised watching games on a network that shared ownership with the baseball team.”
Sales and marketing staffers are already being onboarded, and the Braves are working quickly to secure carriage deals with the likes of Charter, Comcast and DirecTV. The club is also said to be interested in pursuing alliances with virtual MVPDs such as Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV.
The Braves’ announcement comes about a year after the Texas Rangers’ split from their RSN, which served as the precursor for the launch the in-house Rangers Sports Network. The AL West franchise cut ties with its legacy RSN/Main Street precursor Diamond Sports Group in late 2024.
BravesVision also will be made available to in-market fans on a streaming basis via Braves.TV, a new direct-to-consumer platform hosted by MLB.TV—which was recently acquired by ESPN as part of its three-year, $1.65 billion renewal with the league.
In addition to the pay-TV offering, Gray Media will televise 15 free over-the-air games in 2026, reprising a similar deal struck between the stations group and the Braves a year ago. Atlanta will continue to be well-represented on the national TV dial; in April alone, the Braves are set to appear on Fox, NBC and TBS.
The Braves’ bid to strike out on their own was necessitated by the imminent collapse of the Main Street RSNs, which appear to be on a collision course with bankruptcy. Earlier this month, the nine MLB teams that remained under contract with Main Street formally dissolved their ties with the company; seven of those defectors—the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays—have already come in under MLB’s media umbrella, while the Los Angeles Angels are officially expected to join the rest of the pack before the new season gets underway.
Main Street still holds in-market rights to 13 NBA and seven NHL teams, but those legacy deals are all but certain to be voided by the time both leagues close out their respective 2025-26 campaigns. Among the pro sports franchises in the Braves’ footprint that may soon be looking for a new local media base are the Atlanta Hawks and Nashville Predators.
Barring a zero-hour infusion of cash, Main Street could begin winding down its operations in the spring. The company began issuing WARN [Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification] notices to its employees last week. A legal requirement designed to provide employees 60 days’ notice in advance of a mass layoff, WARN filings may also include information pertaining to the imminent closure of offices.
The WARN notice Main Street issued to its Atlanta offices indicates that 74 employees will be let go, with the facilities set to be shuttered on April 14. Similar alerts have been issued to staffers in Minneapolis, Detroit, Los Angeles and Milwaukee.
In November, the Braves disclosed that they’d generated $600.3 million in baseball revenue for the first three quarters of 2025, up 7% versus the year-ago period. Per the team’s 10-Q filing, games at Truist Park accounted for 60% of that total ($357.6 million), with broadcasting revenues coming in at $164.6 million, which marked a 14% improvement compared to the analogous nine-month period in 2024.
Feb 21, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Justin Crawford (80) singles during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
For a few moments on Saturday, Phillies fans forgot about the drama.
Justin Crawford, the left-handed-hitting rookie who everyone expects to be the everyday center fielder this year, walloped a ringing line drive double off the left-center field wall in his first plate appearance of spring training.
It was a beautiful sight.
Crawford’s penchant for hitting tons of ground balls has been well-documented, and despite finishing with an .863 OPS in 112 AAA starts a season ago, fans entered the spring tamping down expectations. To be honest, no one is expecting much from Crawford in his first season. He’ll likely hit out of the nine-hole in the order. The fear is Crawford’s ground ball swing will severely limit his productivity at the Major League level, dampening expectations for the 22-year-old before he’s played his first official big league game.
So seeing him rocket a deep fly ball to the opposite field off a left-handed pitcher with seven years of MLB experience had everyone feeling really good. That he followed that up with a single in a subsequent at-bat, and made a terrific sliding catch in center, only helped improve the vibes.
This off-season has been brutal. After re-signing Kyle Schwarber to an expensive free agent contract and grabbing Mitch Keller as a right-handed set-up man in the ‘pen, Dave Dombrowski’s winter of our discontent has permeated into the spring.
Sure, the Phillies won 96 games a year ago. Sure, they boat-raced the NL East by 13 games. It all feels hollow because they lost in four games to the Dodgers in the NLDS, another playoff series in which the same bats fell silent and the same relief pitchers gave up untimely hits in another early-round exit.
When you add in the failed pursuit of Bo Bichette in free agency, the Nick Castellanos drama and Bryce Harper’s anger at Dombrowski, it’s clear this team needs some things to go right down in Clearwater before the team breaks camp next month.
Crawford’s debut was a good start. Schwarber went deep in his first plate appearance of the spring. That was nice, too. As Phils fans, we need more.
We need Andrew Painter to look more like the young phenom who appeared to have a spot in the Phillies’ rotation earmarked ahead of the 2023 season before Tommy John surgery knocked him out for all of 2024 and caused him to be largely ineffective in 2025. A dominant Painter would do wonders for concerns about the sudden fragility of the starting rotation.
Speaking of that rotation, seeing Zack Wheeler up on the bump and throwing hard would be amazing. An effective Aaron Nola, looking to bounce back from a brutal 6.01 ERA in half a season, would be great, too. Castellanos’ replacement in right field, Adolis Garcia, could ease a lot of concerns by hitting a few meaningless bombs down in Florida. And hey, maybe someone pops up from out of the blue to make an impact, like right-handed outfielder Bryan de la Cruz or a minor league guy like Nick DeMartini. Maybe Aidan Miller, once his back heals, pushes for a big league spot sooner rather than later.
And wouldn’t it be nice to see the Phillies participating in the World Baseball Classic have some big moments? It could be quite the showcase for Harper, who one would believe is taking Dombrowski’s “elite” comments to heart by having a more impactful season that he did last year.
So, who will it be? Who will be the pleasant surprise the Phillies desperately need to change the narrative?
Feb 23, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter (30) catches a fly ball during the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Detroit Tigers vs. Atlanta Braves
Time/Place: 1:05 p.m., CoolToday Park – North Port, FL SB Nation Site: Battery Power Media: MLB.TV (free)
FORMER CUBS IN PADRES CAMP: Jason Adam, Jeremiah Estrada and Nick Castellanos. Yu Darvish is still officially with the Padres as of now, but is unlikely to play this year and might retire.
CUBS SPRING BATTING LEADERS: Hits (3): Jefferson Rojas, Brett Bateman, Pedro Ramirez. Doubles (1): Carson Kelly, Owen Miller, Ramirez. Home runs (1): Rojas, Seiya Suzuki. BA: .429, Bateman, Ramirez. OBP: .600, Bateman. SLG: .750, Rojas. OPS: 1.194, Rojas.
Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Daniel Palencia, Jacob Webb, Hoby Milner, Ethan Roberts, Jack Neely, Gavin Hollowell and Grant Kipp.
Marco Gonzales will start for the Padres. Other Padres pitchers scheduled today: Jackson Wolf, Ryan Och, Francis Peña, Ethan Routzahn, Bradgley Rodriguez and Ron Marinaccio.
No TV today. There will be a radio broadcast online via Padres Audio.
Please visit our SB Nation Padres site Gaslamp Ball. If you do go there to interact with Padres fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Andrew Vaughn #28 of the Milwaukee Brewers bats during the fourth inning of the spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on February 22, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cactus Crew still hasn’t been able to get their first win of spring training after losing a late lead against the Padres on Monday. Today they’ll be traveling again to face the not-Oakland-not-Las-Vegas-but-not-Sacramento Athletics.
Lefty Rob Zastryzny will get the start today for the Brewers. Righty Mason Barnett is the scheduled starter for the Athletics.
The lineup once again has a mix of some of the big-league regulars and some minor league fillers. Sal Frelick is leading off at DH followed by Brice Turang. Akil Baddoo, Blake Perkins, Tyler Black, and David Hamilton fill out the middle of the order while Reese McGuire, Luke Adams, and Greg Jones round out the bottom of the lineup. The Athletics will have a bunch of their starters in there, including Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson, who both were recently extended by the A’s.
After Zastryzny, the Brewers are expected to deploy fellow lefties Ángel Zerpa and Sammy Peralta, as well as right-handed prospect Coleman Crow, who was added to the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason.
First pitch in this one is slated for 2:05 p.m. CT and a radio broadcast is available on MLB.com.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 17: Will Warren #98 of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait during the New York Yankees Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last year, the Yankees were ousted by the Blue Jays in the ALDS, after having finished second behind them in the AL East on tiebreakers alone. You’d hope that this season they have some revenge on their minds when it comes to Toronto. They probably don’t need to go all out to show it today, considering this is a spring training game.
While these two teams may have some battles later this year, today’s Yankees-Blue Jays game is about continuing the prep to the 2026 regular season.
On the mound today, we’ll see the spring training debut of Will Warren. Last season, Warren showed flashes of being a very good pitcher, he just couldn’t string together consistency. His final memory of 2025 was a tough one at the hands of these Blue Jays, who homered four times off Warren in relief of Max Fried in ALDS Game 2. Especially with some Yankees’ starters still recovering from injury to start the season, the team will probably be relying on him again this season, so we’ll see if he can show any good signs today.
Despite this being a road spring training game, the Yankees are actually sending out quite the strong lineup. Eight of the nine in the lineup will probably make the Opening Day roster, led by Aaron Judge, who’s playing right and hitting second today.
Toronto’s lineup is not as star-studded, but will include a couple names you know. They’ll send pitching prospect Grant Rogers to the mound to face the Yankees’ lineup.
Here’s everything you need to know on how to catch today’s action!
How to watch
Location: TD Ballpark — Dunedin, FL
First pitch: 1:07 pm ET
TV broadcast: Sportsnet (Toronto broadcast), MLB Network (out of market only)
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 14: Andrew Abbott #41 and Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds pose for a photo with Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 and Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves during the All-Star Press Conference at Coca-Cola Roxy on Monday, July 14, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
What a week, and it’s only Tuesday! This Tuesday morning was a momentous one within Braves Country as the team made back-to-back huge announcements. The first was that the long-rumored Braves TV network is real and figures to be spectacular. BravesVision will, in fact, be ready to go for the 2026 regular season and beyond.
On top of that huge news, the Braves proceeded to announce that they’d come to an agreement with Chris Sale on a contract extension that guarantees that he’ll be around here for 2027 along with a club option for 2028. Sale will now be getting paid $27 million for 2027 and then potentially $30 million for the season after that if all goes well.
Between the fact that the Braves are now once again masters of their own domain when it coms to TV and streaming and also the fact that they just made Chris Sale the highest-paid player on the team for 2027 (and very likely for 2028 if all goes well over the next two seasons), it’s pretty clear that we’ve entered into a new era when it comes to the Atlanta Braves and their position in baseball. The Battery has clearly worked out very well for this ballclub, and now they’ll have a self-owned and operated TV product to sell to distributors.
It’s pretty clear that finances won’t be a major issue for this franchise going forward. Now granted, it won’t be like they’re the Dodgers or the Mets where they can just hand out a blank check to anybody they want. If that was the case then we would’ve seen either Chris Bassitt or Lucas Giolito wearing a Braves uniform by this time during spring training. However, it does mean that if they want to go after someone in free agency and it makes even a moderate amount of sense, it’s totally feasible that this team could go out and make some splashes in free agency.
With that being said, it also means that their resources for keeping any of their core players via contract extensions should be expanded going forward. I think y’all know where I’m going with this.
The Braves still have some time left between now and the season where they’ll ultimately have to make sure this gets done, as they have a club option on Ronald Acuña Jr.‘s contract for both 2027 and 2028. With that being said, I do feel like any time before that 2028 season would be a great time to strike while the iron is hot and make sure that this guy stays here for as long as both parties deem it possible. I also know that this would be a very tricky undertaking, what with Acuña’s injury concerns and also the fact that he’ll be in position to try to maximize his earnings after taking the extremely team-friendly contract extension that he’s currently on. It’s not going to be as simple as “He’ll give the Braves a hometown discount” or “The Braves’ll just give him what he wants” and that’s something that needs to be acknowledged in any speculation that’s going on.
With that being said, the (well-earned) contract extension for Chris Sale raised an eyebrow from me for one reason and one reason alone (well, aside from the fact that Sale will be knocking directly on the door of Age-40 once 2028 rolls around): They’re going to be paying him $27 million for 2027 and potentially $30 million for 2028. As our friends over at Braves Today pointed out, the Braves have usually used $22 million as a sort of ceiling when it comes to their contract dealings. That number didn’t come out of nowhere, either — the one thing that Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider all have in common is that they’ll be getting paid $22 million for 2027 and 2028.
So, the fact that the Braves have broken that ceiling by $5 million for 2027 and $8 million by 2028 seems to indicate that that “ceiling” may no longer exist. Between that and the fact that the team only has $59 million committed to payroll (outside of team options) for the 2029 season, it feels like they could be eying that year as the one where they could potentially start Acuña’s contract extension and begin paying him what should/would be a substantial pay raise from what he’s currently bringing in. So really, 2028 could be the actual make-or-break year when it comes to either making sure Acuña stays around for a long, long time or if they’ll have to wave farewell to him like the handful of other former Braves stars who made their name here and made their real money elsewhere.
While those decisions in the past were painful, they were understandable in their own ways. Well, maybe the Freddie Freeman situation was the only one where it was truly a debacle but every other decision ultimately came down to dollars and cents. Again, this is purely speculation on my end but I do feel like the timing of the Chris Sale contract extension announcement immediately after the BravesVision announcement felt like a statement of intent from the franchise.
We’re still a bit away from when this needs to be a super pressing issue for both the Braves and Ronald Acuña Jr. but for now at least, I feel like there’s more hope of both parties being able to make some serious headway on any potential contract extension now than there was before. It also feels like something that’s actually tangible especially if the TV network takes off like the Braves figure it could. If they’re essentially printing money from The Battery and any TV distribution deals then the money should be there. It all comes down to whether both parties want it to happen.
We’ll see what happens down the road — things could certainly get complicated if Acuña suffers another serious injury between now and serious contract talks or he has another monster season that causes tomorrow’s price to no longer be yesterday’s price. There’s no telling what the future holds but at least for now, Atlanta’s future with Acuña may not have as many financial hurdles as previously anticipated.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18: Jason Alexander #54 of the Houston Astros throws a bullpen session during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 18, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros will return from an off day Monday to take on the New York Mets in another Grapefruit League matchup. The Astros dropped their first two spring matchups, falling to the Nationals and the Cardinals. Right-hander Jason Alexander will make his spring debut for Houston in Tuesday’s matchup. Righty Jack Wenninger will get the start for the Mets.
Alexander is a 32-year old right-hander who saw action with the Athletics and Astros last season. The Astros claimed him off waivers in May from the Athletics and he went on to make 14 appearances for Houston where he posted a 3.66 ERA and a 4.65 FIP in 71.1 innings. He’s in camp competing for an Opening Day roster spot.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, February 24, 12:10 p.m. CST
Of note, Cam Smith will play centerfield today, with Joey Loperfido in right field. Shay Whitcomb will play 2B and Nick Allen will play 3B. 2B has been Whitcomb’s best position thus far, and Nick Allen has only played 5 career games at 3B. It would appear Astros giving Allen a look at 3B to see how well he can handle the position.
Everyone starting today at least has a realistic shot of being on the Opening Day roster except 1B CJ Alexander. Alexander is a 29-year old career minor leaguer with 25 MLB ABs. In seven minor league seasons, he is a .254 hitter with a .321 OBP and .776 OPS. Last season, he hit a combined .254 with a .335 OBP and .783 OPS across stints with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders (IL – NYY), Las Vegas Aviators (PCL – ATH) and Oklahoma City Comets (PCL – LAD).
Ryan Waldschmidt running in the outfield. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | John E. Moore III/Getty Images
What are the expectations?
FanGraph Depth Chart projections show two Diamondback outfielders with above average power: Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (proj-SLG>.404 and proj-HR/PA>.031). Because they are injured, their above-average power is not assumed. What is assumed is they will play on the outfield corners when they return from the injured list. The biggest question is who will play center field.
Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawlar are probably not ready to play full-time center field due to youth (each is 23 years old) and lack of experience in center field (Waldschmidt had 38 games at the AA level, and Lawlar had 3 games in the offseason).
On the other end of the age spectrum, this season may be the last chance for Jorge Barrosa and Alek Thomas to have a breakthrough performance.
Jorge Barrosa has good plate discipline but hits below his potential, especially last season. His defense at center field is above average (2 OAA last season).
In the last four seasons, Alek Thomas had below average batting except for 2024 (when he had only 103 PAs). His defense at center field was great in 2022 and 2023, then average and terrible in the last two seasons.
The expectation is that Tim Tawa’s most valuable role is as a utility player off the bench. Last season, he played 20 games at first base, 23 games at second base, 3 games at third base, 14 games at left field, 18 games at center field, and 3 games at right field.
The following table shows FanGraphs Depth Chart projections for these outfielders.
What could exceeding expectations look like?
Corbin Carroll. The foundation of exceeding expectations is that his defense continues to be exceptional (10 OAA last season).
Three projections predicted regression for Corbin Carroll’s batting. They each projected his homers and hits to drop (the one exception expected him to have 5 more hits than last season).
My 2026 Outlook was more optimistic. One reason was that Carroll, at 25 years old, was younger than the typical peak in batter performance, which occurs between age 27 and 29. My projection was 34 homers and 160 hits. See this player review.
Then Corbin Carroll broke his hamate bone. He may not be ready by opening day. Also, his injury could possibly lower his batting power for months after his return. If he exceeds his projection AND reaches my optimistic outlook, then he will have definitely have exceeded expectations. If he again wins a Silver Slugger (like he did last season), he will have been truly extraordinary.
Ryan Waldschmidt.
Among the six players, his batting projection is second best. Especially noteworthy is his projected on-base-percent. Despite an unorthodox swing, if his batting in the Majors reaches his high potential, that will be the foundation of exceeding expectations. Building on that foundation, if despite his very limited experience in center field, his defense in center field is at least average (and perhaps above average), that will be the capstone in his exceeding expectations.
“Along with assigning him a 50 FV, our prospect team wrote that the 23-year-old outfielder in the Arizona Diamondbacks system “does just about everything you want at the plate and he looks the part of a bat-first future regular in the box.” — David Laurila
Jordan Lawlar.
Last season, he injured his hamstring. In the last couple seasons, he played fewer games than most prospects, which raised doubts about his ceiling. Can he avoid injury? Avoiding injury will be a third of him exceeding expectations.
Last season in the Majors, in 28 games his batting was poor (OPS+ of 51). If his batting in the Majors reaches above average, that will be a third of him exceeding expectations.
He has near-zero playing time in center field. If he can quickly learn the new position if he can almost reach average defense, while showing progress, that will be a third of him exceeding expectations.
“I’ve heard Lawlar described as prospect bust, but I vehemently disagree with calling any player a bust based on a 108 game sample spread out over 2¼ seasons , especially a player with Jordan Lawlar’s prospect pedigree and strong track record in the Minor Leagues.” — C Wesley Baier
Jorge Barrosa. The foundation of exceeding expectations is that his defense continues to be great (2 OAA last season).
Last season, he made an adjustment to his swing. His FanGraphs projection for batting is the lowest of the outfielders that we are considering. If he gets his swing right, and his batting reaches league average, that would be the main part of exceeding expectations.
“In Reno, Barrosa is a borderline full-time starter with a high walk rate (11.8%) and a serviceable strikeout rate (20.8%). This sort of plate discipline and Barrosa’s acuity with the glove will almost certainly get him another look in the Majors in 2026.” — James Attwood
Alek Thomas.
He does not have a trend of improving every season. If Alex Thomas bats like he did in 2024, and if he defends center field like he did in 2022 and 2023, then he will have exceeded expectations.
“At this point, expecting Thomas to anchor center field for a competitive Diamondbacks club feels optimistic. His tools suggest upside, but four seasons of stasis on offense and regression on defense tell a different story.” — Jeff Irving
“While his [Thomas] OPS+ of 82 was a personal high, it still ranked Thomas 163rd of the 177 players to receive 450+ PA in 2025. With his defense also less impressive – there was no Gold Glove nomination for Thomas this season -he ended up basically at replacement level.” — Jim McLennan
Tim Tawa. If he can bat so far above average that the Diamondbacks need him as an everyday player, he will have exceeded the expectation that he is most valuable as a utility player off the bench.
Summary.
As an everyday outfielder, any of these six players could most exceed expectations.
Corbin Carroll seems the most likely to most exceed expectations. And I’d be thrilled if Ryan Waldschmidt was promoted this season and exceeded exectations. With good fortune, maybe two of these players could most exceed expectations.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Alex Freeland #76 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to first base for an out during the second inning of a spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch on February 23, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There are still four weeks of exhibition games to determine things, but thus far Hyeseong Kim has started at second base twice, and Alex Freeland starts there on Tuesday after a pair of starts at shortstop. If the Dodgers run a platoon at second with Edman out, Kim or the switch-hitting Freeland could take the bulk of at-bats against right-handed pitchers, with Miguel Rojas at the ready against lefties. Kim has the disadvantage of having a potential early runway of spring playing time cut short by his pending departure for the World Baseball Classic.
Non-roster invitees Santiago Espinal (started at third base twice so far this spring) and Ryan Fitzgerald (two games, one start at second so far; Tuesday is his second game and first start at third base) are also in the mix.
Again, this is way too early, but let’s take the pulse of where we are at right now. Who will win the second base job in Dodgers camp? We’ll check back later in spring
DUNEDIN, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Andrew Morris #78 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch during the first inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark on March 11, 2025 in Dunedin, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game 1: Twins vs Orioles
First Pitch (CT):12:05 TV: NA Radio: Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Camden Chat
What to watch: Arcia, Gray, and Kreidler are battling it out for the backup SS/utility role. All three are in action this afternoon.
Twins
Orioles
SP: Andrew Morris
SP: Albert Suarez
1. Byron Buxton, CF
1. Leody Taveras, CF
2. Kody Clemens, 2B
2. Samuel Basallo, C
3. Josh Bell, 1B
3. Jeremiah Jackson, 2B
4. Trevor Larnach, LF
4. Coby Mayo, 3B
5. Victor Caratini, C
5. Heston Kjerstad, DH
6. James Outman, RF
6. Luis Vazquez, SS
7. Gio Urshela, DH
7. Ryan Noda, 1B
8. Orlando Arcia, SS
8. Will Robertson, RF
9. Tristan Gray, 3B
9. Reed Trimble, LF
Game 2: Twins vs Rays
First Pitch (CT):12:05 TV: NA Radio: Rays – TB Audio Know Yo’ Foe:DRaysBay
What to watch: Culpepper’s path to immediate MLB impact will be positional versatility, like Brooks Lee showed in his debut in 2024. This is his first professional start at a non-SS position.
Spring training marches on, and I'm eyeing three games on Tuesday, February 24.
The St. Louis Cardinals moneyline headlines my MLB picks alongside a pair of totals from today's slate.
Spring Training predictions for February 24
Picks
/ Over 11
-105
Cardinals moneyline
+102
/ Under 10.5
-102
Pick #1: White Sox vs. Mariners - Over 11
-105 at DraftKings
George Kirby could still be an ace, but an uneven 2025 brought on by a delayed start due to injuries may linger a bit. At the very least, it may limit his exposure today.
With Anthony Kay on the bump for the Chicago White Sox in his return from overseas, I expect the Seattle Mariners' bats to come alive.
Given both scenarios, that has me eyeing the Over on a lofty total.
Pick #2: Cardinals moneyline
+102 at DraftKings
The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals may compete with the Rockies for the worst record in the National League during the regular season, but that doesn't mean squat in preseason.
The St. Louis youth movement will be on full display, and I like the Cardinals at slight plus money opposite right-hander Cade Cavalli, who has yet to live up to his prospect hype for a variety of reasons.
I'm interested to see if Jordan Walker can finally play up to his potential, and if J.J. Wetherholt is as polished as he's touted to be.
Pick #3: Guardians vs. Dodgers - Under 10.5
-102 at DraftKings
The Los Angeles Dodgers clearly have enough thump in the lineup to clear this total on their own, but I am bullish on Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams and the bullpen behind him this season.
Beyond Jose Ramirez, Cleveland's offense is still a shambles, and until it can prove otherwise, I'll happily fade it.
/
Over 11
Cardinals moneyline
/
Under 10.5