Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

How every World Series champion fared on Opening Day originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

An MLB season is a marathon, not a sprint. Still, it never hurts to get off to a fast start.

Opening Day marks the starting line for 30 teams on their 162-game race to the postseason. A win is obviously the goal, but a loss to start the season isn’t the end of the world. Just look at some of the teams that have lifted the Commissioner’s Trophy.

In the 123-year history of the World Series, a majority of champions have started their title runs with an Opening Day win. However, a handful of recent World Series winners have proven that an Opening Day defeat is more than surmountable.

Let’s look back through over a century of MLB history and see how eventual World Series champions fared on Opening Day.

How many World Series winners lost on Opening Day?

Forty-one of the 121 World Series winners lost their first game of the season.

It was not a common trend in MLB’s early days. Between 1903 and 1934, six teams lost on Opening Day and went on to win it all.

The impact of a team’s Opening Day result noticeably dropped at the turn of the century. Since 2000, eventual World Series winners are just 15-11 on Opening Day.

What is the worst start to the season for a World Series winner?

The Atlanta Braves made history in 2021 by becoming the first MLB team to start a season 0-4 and wind up winning the Fall Classic.

Five other teams in MLB history overcame 0-3 starts to a season on their way to a championship. Six more started 0-2.

The remaining 109 World Series champions either won on Opening Day or picked up a victory in the second game of the year. That includes the 1933 New York Giants, who remain the only World Series winners to tie their season opener.

How every World Series winner fared on Opening Day

Here is the Opening Day result for every World Series winner in MLB history:

• 1903 Boston Americans: Won 9-4 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1905 New York Giants: Won 10-1 vs. Boston Beaneaters
• 1906 Chicago White Sox: Won 5-3 vs. Detroit Tigers
• 1907 Chicago Cubs: Won 6-1 vs. St. Louis Cardinals
• 1908 Chicago Cubs: Won 6-5 vs. Cincinnati Reds
• 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates: Won 3-0 vs. Cincinnati Reds
• 1910 Philadelphia Athletics: Lost 3-0 vs. Washington Senators (won next game)
• 1911 Philadelphia Athletics: Lost 2-1 vs. New York Highlanders (started 0-3)
• 1912 Boston Red Sox: Won 5-3 vs. New York Highlanders
• 1913 Philadelphia Athletics: Won 10-9 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1914 Boston Braves: Lost 8-2 vs. Brooklyn Robins (started 0-3)
• 1915 Boston Red Sox: Lost 2-0 vs. Philadelphia Athletics (won next game)
• 1916 Boston Red Sox: Won 2-1 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1917 Chicago White Sox: Won 7-2 vs. St. Louis Browns
• 1918 Boston Red Sox: Won 7-1 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1919 Cincinnati Reds: Won 6-2 vs. St. Louis Cardinals
• 1920 Cleveland: Won 5-0 vs. St. Louis Browns
• 1921 New York Giants: Won 10-8 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
• 1922 New York Giants: Lost 4-3 vs. Brooklyn Robins (won next game)
• 1923 New York Yankees: Won 4-1 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1924 Washington Nationals: Won 4-0 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates: Lost 8-2 vs. Chicago Cubs (won next game)
• 1926 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 7-6 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1927 New York Yankees: Won 8-3 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1928 New York Yankees: Won 8-3 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1929 Philadelphia Athletics: Won 13-4 vs. Washington Senators
• 1930 Philadelphia Athletics: Won 6-2 vs. New York Yankees
• 1931 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 7-3 vs. Cincinnati Reds
• 1932 New York Yankees: Won 12-6 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1933 New York Giants: Tied 1-1 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
• 1934 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 7-1 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1935 Detroit Tigers: Lost 7-6 vs. Chicago White Sox (won next game)
• 1936 New York Yankees: Lost 1-0 vs. Washington Senators (started 0-2)
• 1937 New York Yankees: Lost 3-2 vs. Washington Senators (won next game)
• 1938 New York Yankees: Lost 8-4 vs. Boston Red Sox (won next game)
• 1939 New York Yankees: Won 2-0 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1940 Cincinnati Reds: Won 2-1 vs. Chicago Cubs
• 1941 New York Yankees: Won 3-0 vs. Washington Senators
• 1942 St. Louis Cardinals: Lost 5-4 vs. Chicago Cubs (won next game)
• 1943 New York Yankees: Won 5-4 vs. Washington Senators
• 1944 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 2-0 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1945 Detroit Tigers: Lost 7-1 vs. St. Louis Browns (won next game)
• 1946 St. Louis Cardinals: Lost 6-4 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (won next game)
• 1947 New York Yankees: Lost 6-1 vs. Philadelphia Athletics (won next game)
• 1948 Cleveland: Won 4-0 vs. St. Louis Browns
• 1949 New York Yankees: Won 3-2 vs. Washington Senators
• 1950 New York Yankees: Won 15-10 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1951 New York Yankees: Won 5-0 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1952 New York Yankees: Won 8-1 vs. Philadelphia Athletics
• 1953 New York Yankees: Lost 5-0 vs. Philadelphia Athletics (won next game)
• 1954 New York Giants: Won 4-3 vs. Brooklyn Dodgers
• 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers: Won 6-1 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1956 New York Yankees: Won 10-4 vs. Washington Senators
• 1957 Milwaukee Braves: Won 4-1 vs. Chicago Cubs
• 1958 New York Yankees: Won 3-0 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers: Lost 6-1 vs. Chicago Cubs (won next game)
• 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates: Lost 4-3 vs. Milwaukee Braves (won next game) 
• 1961 New York Yankees: Lost 6-0 vs. Minnesota Twins (won next game)
• 1962 New York Yankees: Won 7-6 vs. Baltimore Orioles
• 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 5-1 vs. Chicago Cubs
• 1964 St. Louis Cardinals: Lost 4-0 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (won next game)
• 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 6-1 vs. New York Mets
• 1966 Baltimore Orioles: Won 5-4 vs. Boston Red Sox
• 1967 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 6-0 vs. San Francisco Giants
• 1968 Detroit Tigers: Lost 7-3 vs. Boston Red Sox (won next game)
• 1969 New York Mets: Lost 11-10 vs. Montreal Expos (won next game)
• 1970 Baltimore Orioles: Won 8-2 vs. Cleveland
• 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates: Won 4-2 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
• 1972 Oakland Athletics: Won 4-3 vs. Minnesota Twins
• 1973 Oakland Athletics: Lost 8-3 vs. Minnesota Twins (started 0-3)
• 1974 Oakland Athletics: Won 7-2 vs. Texas Rangers
• 1975 Cincinnati Reds: Won 2-1 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1976 Cincinnati Reds: Won 11-5 vs. Houston Astros
• 1977 New York Yankees: Won 3-0 vs. Milwaukee Brewers
• 1978 New York Yankees: Lost 2-1 vs. Texas Rangers (won next game)
• 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates: Lost 3-2 vs. Montreal Expos (won next game)
• 1980 Philadelphia Phillies: Won 6-3 vs. Montreal Expos
• 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 2-0 vs. Houston Astros
• 1982 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 14-3 vs. Houston Astros
• 1983 Baltimore Orioles: Lost 7-2 vs. Kansas City Royals (won next game)
• 1984 Detroit Tigers: Won 8-1 vs. Minnesota Twins
• 1985 Kansas City Royals: Won 2-1 vs. Toronto Blue Jays
• 1986 New York Mets: Won 4-2 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 1987 Minnesota Twins: Won 5-4 vs. Oakland Athletics
• 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers: Lost 5-1 vs. San Francisco Giants (won next game)
• 1989 Oakland Athletics: Won 3-2 vs. Seattle Mariners
• 1990 Cincinnati Reds: Won 8-4 vs. Houston Astros
• 1991 Minnesota Twins: Lost 7-2 vs. Oakland Athletics (won next game)
• 1992 Toronto Blue Jays: Won 4-2 vs. Detroit Tigers
• 1993 Toronto Blue Jays: Lost 8-1 vs. Seattle Mariners (won next game)
• 1995 Atlanta Braves: Won 12-5 vs. San Francisco Giants
• 1996 New York Yankees: Won 7-1 vs. Cleveland
• 1997 Florida Marlins: Won 4-2 vs. Chicago Cubs
• 1998 New York Yankees: Lost 4-1 vs. Anaheim Angels (started 0-3)
• 1999 New York Yankees: Lost 5-3 vs. Oakland Athletics (won next game)
• 2000 New York Yankees: Won 3-2 vs. Anaheim Angels
• 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks: Won 3-2 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
• 2002 Anaheim Angels: Lost 6-0 vs. Cleveland (won next game)
• 2003 Florida Marlins: Lost 8-5 vs. Philadelphia Phillies (started 0-2)
• 2004 Boston Red Sox: Lost 7-2 vs. Baltimore Orioles (won next game)
• 2005 Chicago White Sox: Won 1-0 vs. Cleveland
• 2006 St. Louis Cardinals: Won 13-5 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
• 2007 Boston Red Sox: Lost 7-1 vs. Kansas City Royals (won next game)
• 2008 Philadelphia Phillies: Lost 11-6 vs. Washington Nationals (started 0-2)
• 2009 New York Yankees: Lost 10-5 vs. Baltimore Orioles (started 0-2)
• 2010 San Francisco Giants: Won 5-2 vs. Houston Astros 
• 2011 St. Louis Cardinals: Lost 5-3 vs. San Diego Padres (started 0-2)
• 2012 San Francisco Giants: Lost 5-4 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (started 0-3)
• 2013 Boston Red Sox: Won 8-2 vs. New York Yankees
• 2014 San Francisco Giants: Won 9-8 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
• 2015 Kansas City Royals: Won 10-1 vs. Chicago White Sox
• 2016 Chicago Cubs: Won 9-0 vs. Los Angeles Angels
• 2017 Houston Astros: Won 3-0 vs. Seattle Mariners
• 2018 Boston Red Sox: Lost 6-4 vs. Tampa Bay Rays (won next game)
• 2019 Washington Nationals: Lost 2-0 vs. New York Mets (started 0-2)
• 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 8-1 vs. San Francisco Giants
• 2021 Atlanta Braves: Lost 3-2 vs. Philadelphia Phillies (started 0-4)
• 2022 Houston Astros: Won 3-1 vs. Los Angeles Angels
• 2023 Texas Rangers: Won 11-7 vs. Philadelphia Phillies
• 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 5-2 vs. San Diego Padres
• 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers: Won 4-1 vs. Chicago Cubs

Five straight double-digit midweek wins to start the season have given way to back-to-back embarrassing losses for the No. 2 Texas Longhorns with the latest coming at Schroeder Park on Tuesday after head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s team took a seven-run lead before giving up nine unanswered in a 9-7 defeat by the Houston Cougars.

Command issues continued for Max Weiner’s pitching staff after moving freshman right-hander Sam Cozart to the weekend bullpen despite a solid start by sophomore right-hander Jason Flores, who allowed one hit over three scoreless innings, hitting two batters before departing after Texas took a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.

Freshman right-hander Brody Walls worked around a one-out double in his first inning, entering the game again after the Longhorns scored three runs in the fourth only to allow a one-out bunt single, hit the next batter with his first pitch, and then issue a four-pitch walk.

When redshirt junior Ethan Walker came out of the bullpen, the junior college transfer traded a run for an out, but couldn’t limit the damage when Houston standout Tre Broussard drove in two runs with a single to center field to make it 7-3.

A 1-2-3 sixth inning from Walker was the final scoreless inning for the Longhorn relievers as junior right-hander Hudson Hamilton gave up a solo home run to former Texas outfielder Easton Winfield on his second pitch to start the seventh inning. Winfield entered the game hitting .200.

On an 0-2 pitch to the next hitter, Hamilton gave up a double down the left-field line before managing a strikeout, but lost the strike zone in walking the next batter on four pitches.

With senior right-hander Max Grubbs into the game, the defense for the Longhorns misfired when a throwing error by junior catcher Andrew Ermis allowed an unearned run to score, although Grubbs was able to retire the final two batters of the inning.

The eighth inning went even more poorly for Texas. Graduate left-hander Cal Higgins replaced Grubbs to start the frame and induced a groundout to second base by the leadoff batter, then allowed the game-tying home run on the next pitch.

Winfield continued to torment his former team with an infield single that prompted Schlossnagle to call in junior right-hander Thomas Burns. In a sign of things to come, Burns struck out the first batter he faced on an 0-2 pitch that hit him, gave up a four-pitch walk, and allowed an 0-2 RBI single. After walking Broussard, Burns couldn’t find the strike zone at all on another four-pitch walk to hand the Cougars a two-run lead heading into the ninth inning.

The Texas batters went down 1-2-3 in the ninth to end a poor hitting performance that only featured three hits for the Longhorns, who were able to take advantage of 11 walks and three errors by the Cougars, but also stranded 10 base runners in going 2-for-12 (.167) with runners on base, 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position (.167), and 1-for-6 (.167) with the bases loaded, missing multiple opportunities to create a bigger, more secure lead.

But after the last several weeks, it’s not clear how big of a margin is actually secure with a bullpen that is suddenly in chaos as the back end has melted down with multiple poor appearances from two of the experienced, high-leverage arms — Higgins and Burns, who are both struggling to throw strikes and are giving up big hits when they do manage to find the zone.

The bottom line is that Texas has lost two straight midweek games to teams with extremely mediocre records in addition to blowing consecutive Friday night leads in conference play. So there’s mounting concern heading into the Red River Showdown that begins on Thursday against No. 8 Oklahoma in Austin, exacerbated by a shaky offense that doesn’t feature many options for Schlossnagle with the injury to sophomore outfielder Jonah Williams and the 2025 MLB Draft defections of Jack Moroknek and Kaleb Freeman.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: By all accounts, the AL East is going to be a dogfight yet again. The Yankees bring a lot of talent to that fight, with two-time defending MVP Aaron Judge and a top of the pitching rotation that rivals anyone in baseball. There are still real questions with the roster though, starting with presumptive leadoff hitter Trent Grisham and whether he can replicate his contract year last season. The back end of the rotation is also eyebrow-raising, especially until we know more about Gerrit Cole’s return.

MLB.com | Patrick Brown: Speaking of Cole, he made his second spring start in the Yankees’ final exhibition game yesterday. He was touched up by Alex Bregman for a solo home run, but struck out the other three hitters he faced in the first, and got two outs in the second inning for a total of 26 pitches. It’s unclear when exactly in the first half of the season Cole comes back, but we can at least be optimistic based on what we saw from him in camp.

New York Post | Andrew Crane ($): The Yankees are in a pretty good run of developing starting pitching, with Luis Gil winning Rookie of the Year two years ago, Cam Schlittler breaking out in 2025, and even Will Warren being seen as a competent part of the MLB rotation while tying for the AL lead in starts. There may be even more to come, with Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Lagrange both impressing in their own way while in spring training. There will certainly be opportunities in both the rotation and bullpen over the course of the long upcoming season, and continuing their strong starts to the year while at Triple-A Scranton will have them on the big-league roster sooner or later.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: As the dust settled on an 8-3 win over Chicago yesterday, the Yankees made a small trade with the Washington Nationals, sending non-roster invitee Zack Short to the Nats for cash considerations, joining fellow infielder Jorbit Vivas, who himself was just dealt to DC two days ago. Best of luck to Zack with his new org, if nothing else there should be plenty of opportunities for MLB playing time, as I think the Nationals are going to s t r u g g l e.

Also, another end-of-spring-training move saw reliever Osvaldo Bido claimed off waivers by Atlanta after pitching with the Yankees in camp. The news had already broke that he would not be in the 2026 bullpen (Cade Winquest, Jake Bird, and Brent Headrick got the final spots with Luis Gil headed to Triple-A), but it sounds like he’ll have a better chance at bullpen time elsewhere.

The Atlanta Braves reunited with right-hander Osvaldo Bido after claiming him off waivers from the New York Yankees. Though he has yet to formally suit up for Atlanta, 30-year-old Bido was previously claimed by the club in December and designated for assignment 10 days later. 

This spring, he’s appeared in seven games, recorded one win, and posted a 1.29 ERA.  With the Braves’ pitching staff dealing with multiple injuries, he could see action sooner rather than later.

In addition to this move, the Braves also placed southpaw Joey Wentz on the 60-day injured list with a torn ACL. 

More Braves News:

The Braves wrapped up spring training with a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, closing the door on a 21-7-2 record.

Brian Snitker will be inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame on April 25. 

The Braves and Spectrum reached an agreement that will broadcast BravesVision. 

John Gil and Garrett Baumann made MLB Pipeline’s All-Spring Breakout Team.

MLB News:

Cincinnati Reds starter Nick Lodolo will open the season on the injured list due to a blister on his index finger.  

The Miami Marlins agreed to a major league deal with outfielder Austin Slater. He will make $1M and is eligible for bonuses.

The Philadelphia Phillies and Cristopher Sanchez agreed to an extension that will keep him through 2032. The lefty is guaranteed $107M.

The Washington Nationals acquired infielder Zack Short from the New York Yankees in exchange for cash. 

Caleb Bonemer
6´1´´
195 pounds
Age: 20
2025 South Side Sox Top 100 Prospect ranking 17
2025 High Level Winston-Salem (High-A)
Age relative to high level -3.1
SSS rank among all shortstops in the system 1
Overall 2025 stats (Low-A/High-A) 107 G ⚾️ 12 HR ⚾️ 64 RBI ⚾️ .281/.401/.473 ⚾️ 29-of-37 (78.4%) SB ⚾️ 75 BB ⚾️ 101 K ⚾️ .938 FLD% ⚾️ 4.3 WAR

The White Sox drafted Caleb Bonemer in the second round in 2024. Drafted out of high school in Okemos, Mich., his selection might have been predestined: Not only was Bonemer an Area Code affiliate of the White Sox, but on the day Bonemer was born fellow infielder Tadahito Iguchi launched a three-run homer to help defeat Boston, 5-4, in Game 2 of the 2005 ALDS.

In both his junior and senior seasons, Bonemer earned the Gatorade Michigan Player of the Year award. Bonemer signed with the White Sox for $2,997,500 rather than attending the University of Virginia.

Bonemer made his pro debut in 2025, with a somewhat surprising/aggressive assignment to Kannapolis. The shortstop immediately laid to rest any concerns about rushing him, as he utterly destroyed Low-A pitching. After untold highlights and numerous citations from South Side Sox as minors Player of the Week, Bonemer packed his bags and headed up to Winston-Salem, where he would play more than three years young for the level. All Bonemer did then was up his slugging to an outrageous (.611) degree, mashing seven extra-base hits in 11 games.

Heading into 2026, Bonemer is a consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the eyes of most prognosticators, and reaching as high as No. 26 among MLB prospects according to Baseball Prospectus, No. 27 at Baseball America.

Expect Bonemer to start in Double-A Birmingham this season, and if you doubt his ability to club his way to Charlotte before season’s end, you just weren’t paying attention in 2025.

Full 2026 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox ProspectsStorystream

2026 Top 100 Prospects no longer in the system
15. Peyton Pallette, RHRP (lost to Cleveland in the Rule 5 draft)
31. Gage Ziehl, RHSP (traded to Boston on Feb. 1, 2026)
43. Ronny Hernandez, C (traded to Boston on Nov. 18, 2025)
51. Drew Dalquist, RHRP (declared free agency, signed Triple-A deal with San Diego Padres)
66. Andre Lipcius, 1B (declared free agency)
84. Caleb Freeman, RHRP (declared free agency, signed Triple-A deal with Toronto Blue Jays)
90. DJ Gladney, RF (declared free agency, signed Double-A deal with New York Yankees)
98. Luis Pineda, C (declared free agency)

The St. Louis Cardinals have shared a detailed schedule of what Opening Day will look like on Thursday. It will start with a pep rally starting late morning and won’t conclude until the Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays kick off the 2026 season in the afternoon.

Here’s the Opening Day schedule for the St. Louis Cardinals:

10:30am – 1pm – Pep Rally at the Busch II Infield at Ballpark Village

12 noon – Gates open at Busch Stadium

12 noon – 12:55pm – Cardinals batting practice

12:55pm – 1:50pm – Rays batting practice

2:30pm – Pregame ceremonies including the Budweiser Clydesdales

2:37pm – St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famers motorcade

2:49pm – St. Louis Cardinals 2026 team motorcade featuring players, manager and coaches

3:05pm – National Anthem

3:10pm – Ceremonial First Pitch by 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein, 2006 World Series Champion Gary Bennett, and 1996 National League Central Champions Brian Jordan & Tom Pagnozzi

3:15pm – First pitch of the 2026 season

Here are some other important things to note. The St. Louis Cardinals said that the following Hall of Fame players are expected to participate on Thursday includes Tony La Russa, Scott Rolen, Ted Simmons, Ozzie Smith,Vince Coleman, Al Hrabosky, Jason Isringhausen, Ray Lankford, Willie McGee, Mark McGwire, Édgar Renteria, & John Tudor. In total, the Cardinals expect 40 alumni to be a part of Opening Day.

The Dodgers failed to score a run in the final game of the Freeway Series against the Angels on Tuesday night, but Ohtani’s 11-strikeout performance provided reassurance that he is ready for regular season work out of the Dodgers rotation.

On the eve of MLB opening day, the Dodgers started the first frame strong with two strikeouts by Ohtani and a spinning throw from shortstop Mookie Betts to retire Nolan Schanuel.

Three straight strikeouts from Ohtani in the second inning stranded the first two runners who reached base against him with a single and a walk.

Ohtani mowed down eight of the first 11 batters he faced via the strikeout. I think he may be ready for the regular season.

Jack Kochanowicz was having a great game himself against the Dodgers offense. The right-hander struck out four through three scoreless innings.

Shohei reached double digits in strikeouts before the end of the fourth inning.

The Dodgers were hitless against Kochanowicz. Ohtani’s lead-off single in the bottom of the fourth against Nick Sandlin was the first base hit for the Dodgers on the night.

The Angels were the first to get on the board. Josh Lowe, Travis d’Arnaud, and Oswald Peraza hit three consecutive singles and drove in a run against Ohtani in the top of the fifth.

Ohtani allowed one run on four hits with 11 strikeouts and two walks on 86 pitches. Pitcher Ohani and hitter Ohtani both looked locked in.

Pitcher Ohtani struck out six straight Angels during one stretch of the game. This start felt quite different from his spring training debut on March 18 when Shohei Ohtani described his early outings as an “extension of a live BP (batting practice) situation.”

Ohtani looked season ready on the mound and at the plate, but the rest of Dave Roberts’ final spring game lineup for the didn’t convert a run all night.

Antoine Kelly took over for Ohtani and his two bases-loaded walks gave the Angels a 3-0 lead.

The Dodgers didn’t collect their second hit of the game until Max Muncy’s two-out double in the bottom half of the fifth. They stranded another two runners in the seventh.

Justin Wrobleski pitched three scoreless innings with five strikeouts in his final exhibition relief appearance.

The Cactus League champions wrap-up their spring schedule with a record of 20-9.

UP NEXT

Real baseball starts Thursday for the Dodgers when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks for the celebratory first series of the season. The opening game of the three-game series against the Snakes starts at 5:30 p.m. PT on NBC. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto takes on fellow right-hander Zac Gallen in the Dodgers home opener. 

Dave Roberts offered only the slightest of hedges on Tuesday afternoon.

As he’s done all spring, the Dodgers manager reiterated that the team will be cautious with Shohei Ohtani’s workload in his return to full-time two-way duties this year.

On occasion, the club could look to give the four-time MVP extra days off between pitching outings or shorten his leash if it appears he is tiring during a start.

However, with Ohtani now two years removed from his second career Tommy John surgery, the hope is that the 31-year-old right-hander will be able to go wire-to-wire as a pitcher this year.

And if he does, Roberts has no doubts he will be a Cy Young candidate.

“Oh, yeah,” Roberts said. “Because of just talent, ability, will. If he does that, he’ll be in the conversation, absolutely. I have no doubt.”

Roberts only had to wait a few hours to have his faith further confirmed.

In Ohtani’s last tune-up of the spring, the one-of-a-kind superstar once again looked superb.

Though Ohtani’s final line was four-plus innings and three runs allowed, it belied the dominance he displayed for most of the night.

Against the Angels’ likely Opening Day lineup, he struck out 11 batters and allowed only one hit before the fifth. Of the 35 swings the Angels took against him, 17 resulted in whiffs and only one netted a hard-hit ball of at least 95 mph.

All those K’s ballooned Ohtani’s pitch count, forcing him from the game at 86 pitches after three straight singles to lead off the fifth. Entering the night, Roberts said the goal was to get Ohtani into the sixth.

Still, when he walked off the rubber, the Angels had managed only one run against him, and a sparse Chavez Ravine crowd was giving him a standing ovation.

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“He’s ready to go,” Roberts said. “The intensity was there. The focus was there. And the execution and all that stuff was there.”

Ohtani will next take the rubber for his regular-season pitching debut next Tuesday against the Guardians.

It will be the start of what he hopes is his first complete season as a pitcher since joining the Dodgers –– and perhaps a run at the one piece of hardware he has yet to win in his decorated career.

Here are four other takeaways from the Dodgers’ spring finale:

Cactus champs: Even with a 3-0 loss to the Angels on Tuesday night, the Dodgers clinched the best spring record among Cactus League teams with a 20-9-2 mark –– not that it means much to the two-time defending World Series champions. “Not at all,” Roberts joked this week when asked if he cared about his team’s spring title. “Unless it’s a correlation to winning the World Series.”

Wrobo relief: Justin Wrobleski will start the season as a bulk reliever who will likely piggyback with Ohtani (or Roki Sasaki if he struggles to pitch deep into games). On Tuesday, he looked perfectly comfortable in the role, coming out of the bullpen to retire all 12 batters he faced over four perfect innings with five strikeouts. Wrobleski can also serve as the Dodgers’ sixth starter when needed.

Caught my eye: A big reason Santiago Espinal made the Opening Day roster was because of his strong and versatile defense. On Tuesday, he put it on display by making two impressive plays on ground balls: one at second base and another after later moving to third.

Up next: The Dodgers are off Wednesday before kicking off their 2026 campaign with Thursday’s Opening Day game against the Diamondbacks.

Good evening from all of us here at BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re all getting excited around here as the season is about to start. Come on in and sit with us for a while. We’ll waive the cover charge. We’ve got a patio set up in case you want to sit outside. We still have a few tables inside if you want. The hostess will seat you now. Come have a drink with us, but it’s bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you who should get the most time in right field until Seiya Suzuki returns from injury. Thirty-five percent of you would put Michael Conforto out there and 31 percent said Dylan Carlson. Another 20 percent said Kevin Alcántara should get a shot and just 13 percent said Matt Shaw.

On Tuesday nights/Wednesday mornings, I don’t normally do a movie essay. However, last night I posted our regular BCB After Dark just 20 minutes before the news on Pete Crow-Armstrong came out. So I think it may have gotten overlooked, so if you’d like to take a look at what I wrote about Man with a Movie Camera, I’d appreciate it. But in any case, it’s time to break for jazz, so if you skip that, we’ll catch you on the other end.

Last night we featured the Jazz Crusaders playing The Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.” So I heard from some of you—like you over in the corner—who said “The Rolling Stones were better.” OK. That may have been just the voices in my head, but the point still stands.

So tonight we’re featuring vocalist Lisa Fischer singing “Gimme Shelter” with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra in 2018. That’s the Georgia that has a Tbilisi in it, not the one with an Atlanta.

Fischer has toured extensively with the Stones and regularly sings the Merry Clayton part of this song live opposite Mick, so she knows this tune well.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.

Michael Busch is one of the best-hitting first basemen in the majors. Last year, he hit .272/.356/.554 with 30 home runs in 497 plate appearances. That’s pretty close to what Freddie Freeman did last year. Freeman put up a line of .295/.367/.502 with just 24 home runs over 627 plate appearances.

Except that I cheated there. Did you catch it? I compared Busch’s line against right-handed pitching to Freeman’s overall line. But the point is that against right-handers, Busch has more power and almost as much on-base skills as Freeman, whom I would argue is still the best first baseman in the National League. That’s true even if you look at just Freeman’s line against right-handers. (.299/.374/.500)

Cubs manager Craig Counsell didn’t give Busch much of a chance against left-handed pitching last year. He rarely started against lefties and most of the time faced left-handed middle relievers whom he only got one look at. Busch didn’t do too well when he did face a lefty, hitting just .207/.274/.368 with four home runs in 175 plate appearances.

Counsell has said that he expects Busch to start against left-handers this year. As some have mentioned, how is Busch supposed to get better against southpaws if he never faces them?

But the Cubs are clearly preparing for Plan B if Busch fails to get better against left-handers. They signed first baseman Tyler Austin over the winter in what looked to be a clear option against left-handers at first base. Unfortunately for the Cubs and for Austin, he’s going to miss at least half the season after knee surgery.

But there are other options for first base if Busch falters. Miguel Amaya has experience in the minor leagues at first base at least in the minor leagues. So does Moisés Ballesteros, although he’s also a left-handed hitter. Ian Happ has played a few games at first. And while neither Michael Conforto nor Dylan Carlson have any real experience at first, I’m sure they could learn to play there. First base is not that hard. Tell ‘em Wash.

So my question tonight is not whether Busch should be platooned. We can’t possibly know that until the Cubs give him a bigger opportunity to hit left-handers. But what I am asking you is how optimistic are you that he’ll be able to adjust and stay there all season. Do you think come August, will Busch still be starting regularly against lefties? Or will the Cubs be forced to look for other options because he just won’t improve enough to keep putting him out there.

By “everyday,” I don’t mean that Counsell might not give him a day off against Chris Sale. But I am meaning that he’ll get the strong majority of starts against lefties throughout the season.

Thanks for stopping by tonight. Please get home safely. We wouldn’t want you to miss Opening Day. Clean up around your table. Don’t forget anything. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

MESA, Ariz. — The time on the baseball calendar when the Yankees are truly judged is still seven months away.

But under mounting pressure and expectations with another season gone by without a trip to the Canyon of Heroes, the Yankees will once again take what they hope is their first step toward that Wednesday with Opening Day against the Giants.

Entering the franchise’s 17th season since it last won a championship, the Yankees feel as good about this roster — and the depth behind it, especially with significant pieces nearing returns from the injured list — as they have in years.

Of course, Aaron Boone felt that way about the group he took into the postseason last year and that October run only made it to Game 4 of the ALDS, when they took a final punch from the Blue Jays.

Now they begin again, searching for a different ending, with 162 games to play to buy their ticket back to the dance.

“October is a long way away,” Boone said Tuesday morning at Sloan Park before the Yankees wrapped up their spring schedule against the Cubs. “Obviously, we want to get there and play in it and be the last team, but there’s just so many things you got to go through as a team to give yourself a chance to be in that position. 

“It’s San Francisco Giants right now and opening on the West Coast and trying to get off to a good start in the overreaction week of the season, whether we start off good, bad [or] indifferent.”

There is pressure on Boone, entering his ninth season on the job, to finally have something to show for all the winning the Yankees have done in the regular season under his watch.

There is pressure on Aaron Judge, the back-to-back AL MVP who has accomplished just about everything in this game besides capturing the one thing that defines the Yankees’ greats: championships.

And there is pressure on Brian Cashman, entering his 29th season as general manager (and again the final year of his contract), to concoct the right mix of talent to add another World Series title to his resume. 

There is little they can do about those legacies right now. But at least entering the regular season, the Yankees have put themselves in a strong position to take another swing.

“Look, I caution that it’s only camp, but we’ve had a hell of a camp,” Boone said. “We’ve had a lot of the answers we were hoping to get, knock on wood a lot of really good health and a lot of guys that are on their way back, trending in a really good direction with their rehab. I feel like the young players that are going to be future cores of this, maybe sooner rather than later, really showed well. And I feel like we’re going to have competition brewing for opportunities throughout the year because of our depth right now. 

“But that’s camp, nobody cares about camp 10 days from now into the season and rolling. It’s about the 162 now and we’re excited to get after it.”

One of the ultimate wild cards that could change the fortunes of the Yankees’ season — and alter the run-it-back narrative that followed them throughout the offseason — took the mound again Tuesday at Sloan Park, taking the next step toward a potential May return.

Gerrit Cole, after that 26-pitch outing, was asked about his club entering the season and immediately reached for a bat in the bag next to him so he could knock on the wooden barrel.

“Remarkably healthy spring,” said Cole, who has looked sharp in his comeback from Tommy John surgery. “That’s really encouraging. I think the balance of the roster is good. I liked it last year. The depth of the roster is good, especially starting pitching, especially position player depth. I’m sure some of the length guys, the bridge guys bolstering the bullpen at some point. All-around looks really promising. 

“At the same time, every year, it’s so early, whatever’s on paper, you put yourself in a good position to have championship aspirations. That’s the blessing of playing for the Yankees, but at the end of the day, you got to play. You got to execute. So we’ll see where it takes us. But as far as what we can do right now, everybody’s healthy, everybody’s feeling good, and that’s a great place to start.”

Moving into the middle of the list we have three pitchers drafted early on the second day, along with a wild card you could not profile more differently..

28. Micah Bucknam, RHP, age 22 (DOB: 8/26/2003), grade: 35, 2025: college junior

A double Blue Jays’ draftee, Bucknam first went IN the 16th round out of high school in British Columbia before signing last summer as the 4th rounder out of Dallas Baptist. In between he didn’t pitch a whole lot, accumulating under 20 innings at Louisiana State in 2023-24. before transferring to DBU. Slotted into their rotation, he made 13 starts, most notably striking out 80 in 62.1 innings with less standout 4.62 ERA (and 5.78 RA/9).

But what made him an early pick was the promising assortment of pitches rather than the track record. That starts with a sharp mid-80s swing-and-miss slider, as well as a low-80s power curve. Both have plus potential, and he hits the mid-90s on his fastball. The drawback is its straightness, and resulting tendency to get hit. His change-up lags significantly behind as a work in progress.

There are some similarities here to Juaron Watts-Brown, their third rounder in 2023 traded away at the deadline this summer in terms of two plus breaking balls, a straight mid-90s fastball, big strikeout numbers with pedestrian run prevention results. JWB moved up as a starter with solid results, but ultimately didn’t really take developmental steps to project beyond a (significant) relief role. Bucknam might be a bit more tabula rosa, and it will bear watching to see if the Jays can get a little more out of him for a rotation future. If not, there’s a very viable fallback as a potentially higher end bullpen arm.

27. Spencer Miles, RHP, age 25 (DOB: 7/26/2000), grade: 35, 2025: Giants system

Plucked in December’s Rule 5 draft, Miles is down to the wire in terms of sticking with the Jays after an impressive Spring. Selected in 2022’s 4th round out of Missouri, a succession of injuries prevented him from pitching more than a handful of professional innings over the ensuing three years. A good run in the Arizona Fal League caught the Jays’ attention.

As we’ve seen this Spring, Miles hits the mid-90s with his fastball, with a couple breaking balls. Neither stood out as huge sign-and-miss weapons, but both were effective as he struck out 11 in 9.2 innings. If he sticks in the Jays organization, he profiles as a potential middle relief option, and maybe a little more if he can achieve the higher end velocity he’s touched and sharpen the secondaries.

26. Juan Caricote, C, age 17 (DOB: 11/5/2008), grade: 35, 2025: unsigned

And we’re into the pure lottery ticket portion of the program. Signed in January out of Venezuela, Caricote received a bonus just under $2-million as the centrepiece of the most recent international class. That he was Baseball America’s 17th rated IFA while being outside MLB.com’s top 50 speaks to the inherent variability of this demographic. Adding to that teenage catchers being the highest risk demographic in terms of defensive projection, and it makes for an extreme risk profile.

Obviously, a $2-million bonus indicates there’s plenty to like as well, but we’ll see how it looks when he actually gets into organized games. Realistically, the new information coming in over the next year will be too limited to fundamentally change the outlook, but in two years he could be an afterthought. A cautionary tale here is Juan Meza, a *checks notes* Venezuelan catcher signed for about $2-million in 2022. Debuting at#24 on that year’s list, four years later, he’s yet to get off the complex and has struggled to exceed the Arencibia line offensively.

25. T.J. Brock, RHP, age 26 (DOB: 8/10/1999), grade: 35, 2025: 19th

A pure short-relief profile, Brock spent his first two years in the Blue Jays system carving up lower level hitters to the tune of a 35%+ strikeout rate thanks to plus raw stuff in the form of two major league calibre pitches albeit with more rudimentary control. His fastball is pure gas, a straight four seamer that sits in the mid-90s touching a tick or two higher into the upper 90s. When it’s working, his slider is a hellacious wipeout weapon that piles up swing-and-misses. Not infrequently however, it doesn’t have the shape and gets hangy, with AA hitters had started to exploit at the end of 2023.

The upward trajectory has stalled out the last couple years. Brock missed most of the 2024 season, and in the few appearances he had mid-season in New Hampshire he didn’t look right. He still piled up the strikeouts, but it usually an involved struggle and his slider in particular seemed off, a couple times even looking more like a back-up change-up. He came back for a good run in the AFL and was a Fall-Star, but had Tommy John and missed 2025.

Accordingly the outlook is largely the same as last year, with a little more risk in seeing what Brock looks like when he’s back on the mound. Brock has the stuff where if it clicked he could be a high-leverage monster anchoring the back of the bullpen (think Jordan Romano). More likely, the control much less command is toward the minimum viability threshold where he’s a tantalizing but ultimately frustrating up/down guy (think Zach Pop).

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

We did it, everyone! Spring training is complete and the Rockies are on their way to Miami in preparation to face the Marlins on Opening Day.

I hope you followed along with our in-depth spring training coverage, and now I want to ask you this:

Let us know your thoughts!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Pete Crow-Armstrong is staying in the Windy City for the foreseeable future.

And with a much heavier wallet.

After it was revealed this week that the Cubs center fielder agreed to an extension, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed Tuesday evening that the deal is worth $115 million over six years.

The extension starts in 2027 and will run through 2032, allowing him to hit free agency before he turns 31 years old.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the terms of the contract, which does not include any club options.

The Cubs acquired Crow-Armstrong at the 2021 trade deadline in a swap with the Mets for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams, and four years later, Chicago finally started really reaping the rewards of the move.

Crow-Armstrong after a cup of coffee in 2023 an up-and-down full rookie season in 2024, came into his own in ’25 with a .247/.287/.481 slash line, mashing 31 homers with 95 RBIs as the Cubs reached the National League Division Series. The speedster also stole a career-best 35 bases and ranked in the 100th percentile in Outs Above Average, according to Baseball Savant.

The son of actors Ashley Crow (of “Little Big League” fame) and Matthew John Armstrong became an All-Star for the first time and won a Gold Glove in center field, cementing his place as a key cornerstone in the Cubs’ future.

He did, however, have stark season splits — an .847 OPS in the first half versus a .698 mark in the second.

Crow-Armstrong represented Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this year, and hit two home runs with six RBIs across six games.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer spoke highly of the 23-year-old outfielder after last season ended.

“It may be gradual. It may come all at once. But I have no question that he’ll continue to get better,” Hoyer said, according to The Athletic. The one thing with Pete that I always focus on is, when he’s not hitting or struggling offensively, he’s a great player. And when he’s hitting, he’s a superstar.”

The Cubs and Crow-Armstrong open their season on Thursday afternoon against the Nationals.

It has been one of, if not the most asked question of the off-season: “How can I watch the Atlanta Braves this year?”

If you are rising from a Winter hibernation, ready to join the land-of-the-baseball-living just in time for Opening Day, here’s the executive summary of what has happened with Braves’ broadcasts since that sunny Sunday in September when Charlie Morton started the final game of Atlanta’s 2025 regular season.

• Main Street Sports Group (MSSG) – the company behind the regional sports channel known to Braves fans as FanDuel Sports Network – has been unable to find a buyer and missed payments to teams impacting MLB, NBA and NHL franchises whose games are/were carried on the network.
• The MLB teams, including the Braves, whose broadcasts were carried by MSSG opted out of their broadcast agreement for 2026.
• The Braves were amongst several clubs to ultimately announce the would produce their own broadcasts.
• The Braves announced BravesVision as the name of its new broadcast, which will return most of the broadcasters and behind-the-scenes staff who worked Braves games last year. It will also include pre- and post-game shows as part of each broadcast.

Here is the meat-and-potatoes of the announcement, if you missed it, as Braves.tv is now the way that viewers in “Braves Country” can stream games in-market without blackouts. That means every game not carried by a national exclusive rights holder will be available. Up to 18 games per team can be optioned as an exclusive to networks like TBS, ESPN, NBC, FOX, Apple TV, etc, but other than those games, the rest will be on Braves.tv in-market.

Braves.tv/BravesVision In 2026

What areas are considered in-market for the Braves?

Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina and western North Carolina.

What about the other areas of the country?

Braves games are available on MLB.tv, as they have been, and are subject to blackouts based on the “local” blackout rules, same as last year.

Is Braves.tv a stand-alone site?

No, it is part of MLB.tv, which is now owned by ESPN.

I live in-market, can I just sign-up for the overall MLB.tv package and watch the Braves?

No, you have to add Braves.tv on top of the MLB.tv package, if you want to watch Braves game and other MLB teams via the service. If you just want the Braves, you can opt just for Braves.tv.

How much does Braves.tv cost?

It is $99.99 for the season or $19.99 per month.

Where can I watch the Braves without having to buy a streaming package?

That’s a great question – and one with still a considerable amount of unknowns. Here’s a breakdown of what is known as of March 26.

Will games be available over-the-air?

Yes. The Braves and Gray Media will broadcast select number of games (total number of games and schedule not available as of this writing) via Gray Media’s over-the-air channels in the Braves home market again this season. This does include Opening Day. A list of Gray Media television stations broadcasting Braves games is available here.

Will the Braves be carried on my local cable carrier or satellite provider?

Here’s a list provided by the Braves of all of the carriers and providers for BravesVision as of March 27:

• Xfinity (channel 1254)
• Spectrum
• DIRECTV (channel 645 on streaming and satellite; channel 1730 (HD) on U-verse)
• FuboTV
• Absolute Cable TV (channel 670, DMAs: Atlanta, GA / Macon, GA / Augusta, GA)
• Ben Lomand Connect (channels 41 (SD)/341 (HD), DMA: Nashville, TN)
• CDE Lightband (channel 99, DMA: Nashville, TN)
• CNSNext (channel 39, DMAs: Thomasville, GA)
• Comporium (channel 294, DMAs: Charlotte, NC / Columbia, SC / Greenville-Spartanburg, SC)
• Cox (channel 78, DMA: Macon, GA)
• Dalton Utilities (channel 34, DMA: Chattanooga, TN)
• Darien Telephone Company (channel 100, DMA: Savannah, GA)
• Elberton Utilities (channel 434, DMAs: Greenville, SC / Spartanburg, SC / Asheville, NC)
• EPB Fi TV (channel 328, DMA: Chattanooga, TN)
• ETC (channel 14, DMA: Atlanta, GA)
• FTC (channel 43, DMA: Columbia, SC)
• HomeTel (channel 16, DMA: Charleston, SC)
• HTC (Hartwell) (channel 131, DMAs: Greenville, SC / Spartanburg, SC / Asheville, NC)
• HTC (Horry) (channel 74, DMAs: Myrtle Beach, SC / Florence, SC)
• Jackson Energy Authority (channel 100, DMA: Jackson, TN)
• MonCre (channel 504, DMA: Montgomery, AL)
• Pine Belt Communications (channel 158, DMAs: Meridian, AL / Mobile, AL / Montgomery, AL)
• Pineland (channel 540, DMA: Savannah, GA)
• PRTC (channel 1078, DMA: Charleston, SC)
• Scottsboro Electric Power Board (channels 40(SD)/709(HD), DMA: Huntsville, AL)
• Southern FiberNet (channel 1612, DMA: Atlanta, GA)
• Suburban Cable (channel 15, DMA: Macon, GA)
• SVE Connect (channel 88, DMA: Chattanooga, TN)
• TDS Telecom (channels 610/1610/TDSTV+/242, DMAs: Charlotte, NC / Knoxville, TN / Nashville, TN)
• TDS Telecom (channels 610/1610/TDSTV+/243, Camden County, GA)
• Tullahoma Utilities Board (channel 40, DMA: Nashville, TN)
• Twin Lakes (channel 41, DMAs: Chattanooga, TN / Knoxville, TN / Nashville, TN)
• United Teleports (channels 36/1036, DMA: Nashville, TN)
• Watscon Cable (channel 29, DMA: Macon, GA)
• And more to come at a later date

Does this mean I can’t watch the Braves on my current provider this season?

The Braves are likely to work out an agreement with all the major carriers – but it means that as of this writing, no formal agreement is in place. It also isn’t yet known if an agreement with those providers could require and up-grade from a “base” package to get the BravesVision network.

What about YouTube TV, Roku, etc.?

That is still an unknown at this point, unfortunately. The Braves did announce an agreement with Fubu on Opening Day.

So the Braves will not be on FanDuel Sports Network this season?

No. Those channel are likely to end broadcasting after the conclusion of the NBA and NHL regular season, unless MSSG finds a buyer. Regardless, that will not impact the Braves in 2026.

I don’t have cable or satellite nor will I sign-up for Braves.tv. How can I watch or listen to the Braves?

The Braves Radio Network will continue to broadcast every game and the network of stations can be found here. Otherwise, you may be relegated to national broadcasts or over-the-air, if you are in-market.

Things aren’t as simple as they were with then-Braves owner Ted Turner put the Braves on TBS and made them available across-the-country. But, with BravesVision, a new generation of fans will be able to access the team via streaming without restrictions in-market for the first time, ever. Braves.tv is also offering a free, seven-day trial, which may be a requirement if you still have traditional cable or satellite and an agreement with your provider isn’t in place prior to Opening Day.

A reminder that Atlanta Braves game previews, game live threads and game recaps for all Braves games can be found on Battery Power throughout the season.

MESA, Ariz. — Gerrit Cole will return to the back fields of Tampa, and not long after, the minor league circuit.

But on Tuesday, he gave the Yankees one more reminder of the potential prize waiting for them as soon as mid-May, as long as the rest of his rehab from Tommy John surgery continues to go as smoothly as it has to date.

Cole made his second and final start of the spring, looking sharp once again as he built up to 26 pitches and 1 ²/₃ innings in an 8-3 win over the Cubs at Sloan Park.

“All in all, pretty good,” said Cole, who struck out three, averaged 96.3 mph on his fastball and topped out at 98. “I feel like the level of execution has been really strong. Recovery, for the most part, has been really strong. Just kind of plugging away. 

“Long way to go, but it’s a good body of work so far.”

For the umpteenth time this spring, Cole reiterated that he is sticking to a 14-to-18 month timeline for a return from surgery — “You can write it down, never fails, every single time,” he quipped — which could put him on a big league mound as early as mid-May.

Cole said the potential of going on the 60-day injured list — which would make him ineligible to return before May 24 — has not been brought to his attention, though the Yankees currently do not need to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Though it might seem like he is ahead of that timeline, Cole indicated he will be going through “a little bit of a download” in his workload for his next few outings.

He will throw in Tampa his next time out and then come to New York for the home opener April 3, after which the Yankees could begin thinking about starting his rehab assignment.

“I’m confident, but there’s a lot of pitching to go,” said Cole, who gave up a solo homer to former teammate Alex Bregman. “We’ll see what challenges come my way. But so far, so good. … I’m very pleased with how things have gone. Even last week, the command wasn’t that great, but we hammered that out this week, stayed disciplined in this game, no overthrowing, corrected some of those mistakes from last week. 

“The threshold of pitches, the threshold of velocity, we’ll hopefully start to increase a little bit.”

Ryan Weathers piggybacked Cole for his final tuneup of the spring, building up to 80 pitches across five innings of one-run ball. The lefty said he “needed” an outing like this after some ugly numbers his last few starts.

“I think just making quality pitches,” he said. “It felt good today to get the ball on the ground and it go to people, honestly. It was a little bit of a sigh of relief when the first two outs were ground balls finally right at somebody. I was just happy with how my body felt.”

Reliever Osvaldo Bido, one of the final cuts from big league camp, was claimed off waivers by the Braves on Tuesday. … The Yankees traded non-roster infielder Zack Short to the Nationals in exchange for cash considerations.