Feb 24, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; San Diego Padres center fielder Bryce Johnson (29) hits a single against the Chicago Cubs in the third inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Bryce Johnson - Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
San Diego Padres at Cincinnati Reds, February 26, 2026, 12:05 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
TOLEDO, OH - JULY 27: Omaha Storm Chasers shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) runs off of the field at the end of an inning during a Triple-A Minor League Baseball regular season game between the Omaha Storm Chasers and the Toledo Mud Hens on July 27, 2021 at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Prospects are fun because you can dream big on them, but oftentimes they’ll break your heart. The bust rate is high because (1) it’s very difficult to project how an 18-year-old kid will play when he’s 24 years old; and (2) playing in the big leagues is very, very difficult!
A lot of fans try to play amateur scout at home, and sometimes we can do a decent job of finding that diamond in the rough. But other times we are just as wrong as the pros, many times even more off in our evaluations.
I love a good curve, and Dan Reichert had one of the prettiest curves I’ve ever seen. He came up for the Royals in 1999 at a time in which they were no longer producing good pitching talent and were starved for an arm that could help them prevent runs. I thought he was the next Bret Saberhagen. Reichert showed flashes of brilliance, but he had trouble throwing strikes and trouble keeping his body in shape, and lasted just five seasons in the big leagues with a career 5.55 ERA.
On the flip side, I had a lot of doubts about the 2019 draft. The Royals had the #2 pick, and while I knew scouts were raving about this skinny shortstop from a Texas high school, I really liked Cal slugger Andrew Vaughn. And if the Royals were going to go for a high-upside high school shortstop, why not Georgia prep infielder CJ Abrams? The Royals took that Texas kid – Bobby Witt Jr. – and the rest is history. I guess the scouts knew what they were talking about.
What prospects were you dead wrong about? Someone you thought would be a star that failed to live up to expectations? Or someone you thought would never be much more than a bench player who turned into a stud?
Feb 20, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Aaron Ashby poses for a portrait during photo day at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Brewers have put together a modest two-game winning streak after yesterday’s 13-12 thriller against the Giants. They will try to extend that to three games this afternoon as they travel to Surprise to face the Rangers.
Aaron Ashby will pitch first this afternoon and is making his first appearance of the spring. The Brewers have five other pitchers who are expected to pitch this afternoon. Grant Anderson will also make his first spring appearance today. DL Hall, Tate Kuehner, Craig Yoho, and Jacob Waguespack are also expected to pitch, each making their second spring appearance.
With the Brewers playing on the road this afternoon, the lineup is filled mostly with bench players and minor league players. Brandon Lockridge is batting leadoff, followed by Tyler Black, who is coming off of a six-RBI day on Tuesday. Gary Sánchez is batting third as the designated hitter, with David Hamilton behind him batting fourth. Eddys Leonard and Luis Lara are fifth and sixth in today’s lineup. Filling out the final three spots are Jeferson Quero, Cooper Pratt, and Dylan O’Rae.
First pitch is set for 2:05 p.m. CT. This game will just have an audio webcast available on the Brewers website.
It won’t change the impact it has on him at the plate, but life at home is not without its challenges for Giancarlo Stanton either.
The Yankees slugger relayed to NJ.com the daily struggles that comes with two painful tennis elbows that he battles on a daily basis on and off the field.
“I can’t open a bottle,” Stanton said. “I can’t open a bag of chips … a bag of anything. That’s the way it is.”
Giancarlo Stanton has 18 career postseason homers, ranking 10th all time. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Stanton missed the first 70 games of last season due to tennis elbow in both of his arms. He and the Yankees opted to not undergo surgery in the offseason, with Stanton saying that an operation wouldn’t fix the issue.
It continues to plague Stanton, and the Yankees have decided to start slow in spring training as a result.
He’s yet to play in any of the Yankees’ first six spring training games. He and Yankees manager Aaron Boone are targeting sometime around March 3 to return to the lineup, when they face Panama’s WBC team.
That would give Stanton about two weeks of game action, on top of hitting in the cages and facing live pitchers during batting practice, to prepare for Opening Day on March 25.
Stanton’s status for the season has not changed, and he fully expects to be ready for a full season even with Boone planning days of rest.
“We did that last year. There were days he was playing where it was tough for him, but he wanted in there,” Boone said. “There are other days he wanted to be in there and I’d say, ‘We have to stay disciplined to this because you’re so critical to us.’”
Giancarlo Stanton has yet to play in a spring training game this year. Getty Images
He’s played more than 115 games only once since 2018, his first season in pinstripes.
Last year, though, Stanton got the most out of his 77 games. He slashed .273/.350/.594 with a .944 OPS, the highest mark since his 2017 MVP year. He also smashed 24 homers.
Usually plugged in at designated hitter, he also spent time in the outfield while Aaron Judge worked back from a flexor strain injury.
In his seven seasons in the Bronx, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have formed a formidable duo atop the Yankees’ lineup. Getty Images
“The key is get in the box. My last year overall numbers were low,” Stanton said. “I want a full season.”
A full season of Stanton’s power would do wonders for the Yankees, still looking for their first championship since 2009. Usually a key contributor in October, he’ll have to do so while fighting through pain.
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws a pitch during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals continue their Spring Training schedule with a matchup against the Houston Astros starting at 12:05pm Central. According to MLB.com, Matthew Liberatore will take the mound for St. Louis for his 2nd start of the Spring. The Astros starter was to be determined according to the last update I’ve seen.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 11: Dean Kremer #64 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches live during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 11, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles are 3-2-1 through their first six Grapefruit League games. They had a tie with the Tigers on the road back on Sunday. The two teams – with very different lineups, because it’s early in spring training and this one is in Sarasota instead – will be back at it again today.
This game is going to be televised on MASN, although the announcers will be back in Baltimore instead of where the game is happening. There is no local radio broadcast, although if you’re limited to audio only, you might be able to find a Tigers audio feed.
Orioles lineup
Gunnar Henderson – SS
Tyler O’Neill – RF
Pete Alonso – 1B
Samuel Basallo – C
Taylor Ward – DH
Heston Kjerstad – LF
Coby Mayo – 3B
Leody Taveras – CF
Jeremiah Jackson – 2B
Dean Kremer is the starting pitcher for the game, though he’ll probably cap out at three innings. Other pitchers expected to get into the game are Trey Gibson and Jackson Kowar.
With one month to go until Opening Day, how close do you think this lineup is to the lineup that we’ll see on Opening Day? I think we’ve got six of the nine starting players, assuming there aren’t any injuries that happen over the next month. Taveras is a likely backup player. As things stand now, I think it’s a longshot for Kjerstad or Jackson to get in there, but either one could surprise me over the course of camp and force Mike Elias to make a different choice.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez, center, talks to pitching coach Chris Fetter, right, and assistant pitching coach Juan Nieves, left, during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Fla. on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
FORMER CUBS IN ANGELS CAMP: Drew Pomeranz, Jorge Soler, Jeimer Candelario, Nick Madrigal, Trey Mancini
CUBS CAMP NOTE: Christian Bethancourt, whose arrival from Panama was delayed by visa issues, is now in camp.
LOOKING AHEAD: Edward Cabrera will make his first start of the spring Friday at Sloan Park against the Guardians, and Colin Rea will take the mound against the Dodgers Saturday in Glendale.
Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Riley Martin, Jaxon Wiggins, Corbin Martin and Connor Noland.
José Soriano will start for the Angels. Other Angels pitchers scheduled today: Sam Aldigheri, Mitch Farris, Jayvien Sandridge, Tayler Saucedo, Chase Silseth and Jose Gonzalez.
No TV today. There will be a radio broadcast via the Angels flagship station KLAA 830.
Please visit the Angels site Crashing The Pearly Gates. If you do go there to interact with Angels 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 2:05 p.m. CT and 3:40 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.
Munetaka Murakami looks to hit his first Glendale homer of the spring before heading off to represent Team Japan in the WBC | (Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
The high-octane offense that has defined the South Siders for most of this spring is packing its bags and heading across the complex today for a showdown at Camelback Ranch. The White Sox enter Thursday’s action still pacing the league in several hitting categories, proving that their aggressive, contact-first approach wasn’t just a weekend fluke. They’ve traded patience for production, and while it’s a complete 180 from the stagnant offenses of years past, today they’ll have their work cut out for them as they face a star-studded Dodgers squad.
This afternoon, we’ll get a glimpse of the “dual-threat” dynamic behind the plate. Both Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero are penciled into the lineup today, a configuration that manager Will Venable will often have to juggle with throughout the 2026 season. While Quero has been the statistical darling of the spring with that gaudy .667 average, he’s still going to have to answer questions about his glove. Seeing how he and Teel split the defensive and DH duties this spring will be a major subplot as the roster begins to take its final shape.
The youth movement doesn’t stop with the catchers, as Braden Montgomery finally gets his first start of Cactus League play. The switch-hitting outfielder has been an intriguing prospect since coming over in the Garrett Crochet swap. After a few late-inning spring cameos, today we’ll see how he fits into the outfield puzzle.
Munetaka Murakami, who is likely making his final appearance in a Sox uniform for a few weeks, gets one more afternoon in the desert sun. The Japanese superstar will soon head off for the World Baseball Classic, and fans are hoping for at least one Glendale moonshot before he represents his home country.
On the mound, the Good Guys turn to lefty Sean Newcomb. The veteran, who is effectively auditioning for a permanent rotation spot, will need to be sharp against a Dodgers lineup that rarely lets any pitcher off the hook. The former Round 1 pick (No. 15) of the Los Angeles Angels made the Red Sox big league squad out of camp on a minor league deal last season, only to be DFA’d and traded to the Athletics for cash in May despite a decent start. He reinvented himself with the A’s, turning in an impressive 1.75 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP over 51 1/3 innings out of the pen. Now, he’s looking to prove that late-season dominance was no fluke.
Los Angeles counters with Tyler Glasnow, who was highly effective when available last season, posting a 3.19 ERA and a 4-3 record despite being limited to 90 1/3 innings due to shoulder inflammation. He’s looking to prove he’s past the health hurdles and side soreness that cropped up late in their 2025 World Series run.
Here is how the managers line up their teams this afternoon.
Once again, it’s not easy if you want to catch the action today. You’ll need an MLB.TV (out of market) or SNLA+ subscription to tune into the Dodgers’ broadcast at 2:05 p.m. CST. Let’s cross our fingers and see if the “Good Guys” can fire up the bats and bring another win.
Sarasota, FL: New York Yankees' Elmer Rodriguez throwing in the top of the 4th inning against the Baltimore Orioles in a pre-season game during Spring Training at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida on February 20, 2026. (Photo by J. Conrad Williams, Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Almost a full week into Spring Training, the biggest story coming out of the Yankees’ camp has been starting pitching. Each of the first six games of the Grapefruit League schedule have seen impressive performances from a starter—from Elmer Rodríguez posting three scoreless frames on the first game of the spring last Friday to Ryan Weathers lighting up radar guns last night. This afternoon, Rodríguez will get his second turn with the ball and try to keep the good times on the bump rolling against the Braves.
Don’t forget: Elmer is on the roster for Team Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. It’s not entirely clear how big of a role he’ll play for manager Yadier Molina’s squad, but his confidence must be very high after his first spring start, in which he faced an Opening Day-caliber Orioles lineup and shut them down over three innings. The Atlanta lineup he’ll face today is … not quite that, as it doesn’t seem like manager Walt Weiss brought a single likely starter on the road to Tampa. The only player on the Braves’ projected Opening Day bench is utilityman Brett Wiseley. Shout-out to long-ago Baby Bomber Ben Gamel though, still getting after it as an NRI and batting cleanup.
If we make comparisons to last year’s rookie starters, Elmer is closer in terms of profile to Will Warren, as opposed to fellow hotshot prospect Carlos Lagrange with his more Cam Schlittler-esque wipeout stuff. Rodríguez has already shown a knack for sequencing, allowing him to stay a few steps ahead of his opponents and allowing his stuff to play up. Still, it’s not like he can’t throw hard: his sinker reached 97 mph last Friday.
The Braves will send veteran and recent Yankee Carlos Carrasco to the hill today. Carrasco struggled in eight appearances with the Bombers last year, pitching to a 5.91 ERA before being cut loose. He joined Atlanta later in the year and was hit even harder, surrendering 15 runs in three games. Still, while he hasn’t registered a positive WAR figure since 2022, that’s not really the point with Carrasco. He’s a highly experienced, well-regarded clubhouse figure who clearly still has the competitive fire. The soon-to-be 39-year old righty pitched well in his first spring start, with two scoreless frames against the Rays.
Cookie will face a plethora of his former Yankee teammates this afternoon. The first eight lineup spots are essentially the full regular season order. Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger, all playing in the outfield, will get us started. Jazz Chisholm Jr. will man the keystone, Paul Goldschmidt anchors first, and Austin Wells will don the tools of ignorance. Ryan McMahon and José Caballero are your left-side infielders with former A’s power bat Seth Brown pulling up the rear at DH.
How to watch
Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL
First pitch: 1:05 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES Network, Gray TV (ATL), MLB Network (out-of-market)
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 19: Simeon Woods Richardson #24 of the Minnesota Twins poses for a photo during Spring Training photo days at Lee Health Sports Complex on February 19, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):12:05 TV: Twins.TV Radio: NA Know Yo’ Foe: Bucs Dugout
What to watch: The backup SS/utility battle continues. Orlando Arcia gets his first start at 2B while Tristan Gray sees his first action at short.
Feb 19, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Tyler Cleveland (79) during spring training photo day in Peoria, AZ. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
After a dominant 2025 season across two separate levels, Tyler Cleveland joins our Mariner prospect ranks at #15 this season. Given a boost thanks to recent departures from the system, Cleveland represents the last of the true relief types on our list and carries some of the highest floor of any prospect in the back half of these rankings, though naturally comes with a somewhat limited ceiling. A consistent performer through pure funk, Cleveland should be one of the more interesting arms to monitor in Tacoma’s bullpen this season.
Tyler Cleveland throws a scoreless 8th inning. AquaSox 3 outs from the first half Northwest League title. 8-3 Frogs. pic.twitter.com/TId6cU44mr
Destroying both High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas last season, the 26 year old submariner out of Central Arkansas worked to a season ERA of 0.87 over 51.2 IP, an obviously outstanding mark that is perhaps buoyed slightly due to his advanced age considering his level. Though his strikeout numbers aren’t out of this world, his 25.5% K% and 8.7% walk rate reflect a more than capable pitcher, especially given his submarine, soft-contact oriented approach on the mound.
The arsenal metrics don’t jump off the page, but everything with Cleveland requires context given how unique he is in his operation. Primarily using a three-pitch mix, the sinker typically tops out around 90 mph (I’ve seen the stadium scoreboard clock it as low as 86 at times), but the pitch gets good two-plane run and pairs well with his slow, sweeping slider that gets massive break gloveside. His final offering, a changeup, mirrors the fastball movement profile well and serves as a more than acceptable third offering he can use against lefties.
Cleveland is clearly not the flashiest prospect in the system and is likely limited to a middle-relief ceiling if everything works for him at the major league level, but it’s impossible to argue with his production as a professional thus far. In an age of 100 mph fastballs and sliders in the mid 90’s, perhaps Tyler Cleveland can be the change of pace the Mariner bullpen needs. Should he break through and debut in the big leagues this season, he’ll likely throw the best (only?) 87 mph heater you’ll see all season.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 14, 2025: Carlos Carrasco #59 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 14, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
It’s Spring Training Game Thread time again. Double wooooo.
It’s kind of weird that Carlos Carrasco is “starting” again, but I guess we’ve had enough games now, and every other actual rotation-member other than Spencer Strider has made their 2026 Grapefruit League debut. The Braves are clearly not sending any of their regulars on the 90-minute bus ride to Tampa.
This game is broadcast everywhere. That’s kind of wild to think about: remember when Spring Training games were essentially not televised? It wasn’t even that long ago.
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 17: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers poses for a photo during the Texas Rangers photo day at Surprise Stadium on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers split squad lineup for February 26, 2026 against the Athletics:
Hey, we have a split squad lineup for today! Cal Quantrill is getting the start.
For years, Salvador Perez has been the Royals’ mainstay behind the plate. If he’s been healthy, he wants to catch, and catch he has.
But the past several years have seen an aging, albeit still productive Perez shift more to first base and designated hitter. Last year, he appeared in 92 games behind the plate with a combined 68 appearances coming elsewhere. The year before that: 91 games catching, 49 at first, 24 with a DH appearance. Perez hasn’t caught more than 100 games in a season since 2021.
Thankfully, the Royals have allocated resources to succeeding Perez, and the first true step occurred last year when Carter Jensen reached the Majors.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro on MLB's No. 18 prospect Carter Jensen:
“He's a rat. He's going to do everything in his power to be as good as he can be… you've gotta think sky is the limit [for him].”
Jensen, a 2021 third-round pick out of Park Hill High School, collected 69 plate appearances in 20 games at the end of 2025. He performed so well that I believe the Royals accelerated their plan in supplanting Perez as the full-time catcher. Not only did Jensen prove his worth defensively and build a rapport with the pitching staff, but he also slashed .300/.391/.550 with half of his hits being worth extra bases.
Incredibly, doubled up Perez in bWAR—0.8 to 0.4.
Jensen, a left-handed hitter, is not the only highly rated catching prospect in the Royals system. Sure, he’s the first to reach the Majors, but the organization has another two catchers in the wings who could, one way or another, help the Royals down the line.
First, let’s take a look at the prospect rankings. Max wrote an article some weeks ago breaking down where the current prospects land for the Royals in the big Top 100 lists. Jensen made all three of the big lists—No. 1o according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, No. 11 according to Baseball America, and No. 18 according to MLB Pipeline.
Next is Blake Mitchell, the Royals’ former first-round pick from 2023. Mitchell, like Jensen, bats left and throws right. He did not make Baseball America’s Top 100 but landed at No. 75 with MLB Pipeline (down from No. 48 a year ago) and No. 57 according to Law. Law concluded his report on Mitchell by writing that “[h]e still projects as an everyday catcher who might hit .230 or so with 20 homers and plus defense, which is a regular for almost every team in baseball.”
MLB Pipeline ranks Jensen as the game’s No. 2 overall catching prospect with Mitchell at No. 10.
But wait, there’s a third catcher raising eyebrows in the farm system. Ramon Ramirez, signed out of Valenzuela, is the youngest of the group, and while he didn’t make any of the Top 100 lists, he’s still worth a concentrated eye. Law ranks him as the Royals’ #9 prospect, noting that the young man has power but also seems to lack focus.
Baseball America ranks Ramirez as the team’s No. 8 prospect. They note that he signed with the Royals as an outfielder and also missed a chunk of time last season due to left-hand inflammation. Still, “[h]is body looked firmer in 2025, increasing his chances of staying behind the plate.”
The Royals find themselves with three stellar catching prospects and only one catching position.
Jensen is already in Kansas City and seems to have the upper hand when it comes to locking down the position for the next five to seven years. Mitchell has a chance to bounce back this year and prove the organization’s faith in him when they drafted him so high three years ago. And Ramirez, with seemingly the lowest skill level of the trio, could still make it as a dependable backup catcher who can also play the outfield.
Now, I’m not here to advocate for the Royals to trade a certain one of these young men. But with all of this in mind, the Royals should definitely cash in on one of these three chips.
Spring Training trades are not unheard of, but I think we’re more looking at a deal occurring around the trade deadline, once the Royals figure out which position needs tinkering. Of course, there’s nothing from stopping the team from making a trade before then. Perhaps I’m overestimating things, but in a trade for one of these three battery mates, the Royals should be able to land a player under team control instead of settling for a rental.
While the Royals’ farm system is on the rise, it still isn’t in the top half of the league. Despite that, the Royals have managed to develop three catchers who could, in the near future, start for a Major League club. With the big league roster still needing work, trading one of Jensen, Mitchell, or Ramirez could help shore up things.
