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

What a silly, precisely Spring Training baseball game. In celebration of the Mariners’ six-run seventh inning, we’re going to play six degrees of Kevin Bacon but with a Mariners twist (duh). I bandied about six degrees of Jerry Dipoto (yawn), six degrees of Jack Zduriencik (grim and boring) and six degrees of Alex Mayer (compelling, but not enough publicly available information). Ultimately, I settled on six degrees of Diego Seguí, because that seemed challenging but also a nice tie-in to the Mariners 50th celebration this season (the only player to have played for both the Mariners and the Pilots). A few additional parameters for my own sanity:

1. The connections must be through individual players, not just teams or geographic entities.
2. The connections can be statistical though, not just teammates.
3. When possible, try not to take the easy road.
4. Not every Mariner who played in tonight’s game needs to be included.

Randy Dobnak: First MLB strikeout was Roberto Pérez in 2019; Pérez didn’t allow a passed ball in 118 games at catcher – only three catchers played more games without a passed ball: Bill Dickey, Johnny Bench and Al Todd; Johnny Bench helped lead the Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 World Series title thanks, in part, to securing a crucial Game 5 win, wherein Bench scored on a Dave Concepción sacrifice fly given up by Diego Seguí.

Randy Arozarena: Was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Tampa Bay Rays alongside José Martínez; Martínez was the 2016 Serie del Caribe MVP; the Dominican League hosted the tournament that year and dedicated it to Hall of Famer Juan Marichal, who threw out the first pitch; Marichal was teammates on the 1974 Red Sox with Diego Seguí.

Mitch Garver: Played for the University of New Mexico alongside D.J. Peterson, where the two shared Mountain West Conference Player of the Year honors in 2012; when Peterson was hit in the face by a pitch while playing for the Clinton LumberKings in 2013, Alvin Davis, then a roving minor league instructor for the Mariners, accompanied him to the hospital; Davis, of course, was the 1984 Rookie of the Year, where he played alongside such luminaries as Larry Milbourne; Milbourne, whom the Mariners traded for twice, despite him being objectively quite bad at baseball, played on the 1977 Mariners with Diego Seguí.

Brock Rodden: Helped the 2023 Modesto Nuts, led by manager Zach Vincej, to the California League Championship; Vincej played just one game for the Seattle Mariners in 2018, when he went 2 for 4 at third base while Kyle Seager was on the paternity list for the birth of his third child; Seager made his big league debut for the Mariners in 2011, where he was coached by hitting coach Chris Chambliss; Chambliss, famously a Yankee, was scouted heavily – and drafted unsuccessfully twice over – by Cincinnati Reds scout Al Zarilla; Zarilla was in Tucson, Arizona in 1958 where he scouted and successfully convinced the Athletics to sign Diego Seguí.

Box Office Bonanza

The game was not televised (to my knowledge), but I understand some of you may be interested in the actual baseball game played tonight, not just my newest method of entertaining myself. Here are the key notes best I can discern:

• Good job Garver, Arozarena and Rodden on having two hits apiece tonight! You won the baseball game, and also the honor of being featured in this weird recap.
• Bad job Cal Raleigh for contributing 4 of the team’s 15 strikeouts (good thing it doesn’t matter, and that he also hit a very far double).
• Okay job, pitchers! Dobnak got the start (and the bonus weird recap glory) and allowed four hits over 3.2 innings, with no walks and two Ks. Jason Ruffcorn and Reese Lumpkin (absolutely and for sure a real human person (can you tell I haven’t watched much Spring Training?)) turned in scoreless innings, and Dane Dunning gave up a double, threw a wild pitch and allowed the runner to score on a clunky groundout, but otherwise remained solid over three innings. They get only an “okay” from me, because though a six hit, four run, one walk, seven strikeouts game is objectively solid, it is also quite boring when none of it matters. Sorry.

Game 1

The White Sox split their doubleheader on Thursday, and in Game 1, the Good Guys did just enough to walk away with a 4-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite a bit of an early wobble and a whole lot of frustration against a familiar face, they held on for the W.

Davis Martin’s outing started rough. The righthander got tagged in the first inning, giving up two runs on two hits and two walks before things threatened to spiral. Enter Jairo Iriarte, who came on with two outs to bail out Martin, though not without a little extra drama, issuing a walk before punching out Kristian Robinson to close the door on the inning.

Because Spring Training rules allow, Martin trotted back out for the second and looked much more like himself. He worked around a one-out walk and then cruised through the third and fourth innings with minimal fuss, allowing just one additional free pass. His final line: 4 2/3 innings, two hits, two runs, four walks, and three strikeouts. The outing lands squarely in the “not great, not terrible” bucket. Even if the command wasn’t exactly crisp, it was a good sign that he was able to regroup.

From there, the bullpen did its job and then some. Ryan Borucki kept things quiet in the sixth, Brandon Eisert danced around a couple of singles in the seventh, and Lucas Sims worked through traffic in the eighth without incident. Chase Plymell brought a little flair to the finish, striking out the side.

For the Friars, former South Side righty Michael Soroka looked like he had a personal vendetta. He absolutely carved through the Sox lineup, allowing just one hit and one walk over five dominant innings while racking up eight strikeouts. Whether it was revenge, motivation, or just one of those days, Chicago’s bats had no answers early. (I’m not saying Soroka read the game thread, but I’m also not not saying it.)

Eventually, though, the tide turned as the Good Guys finally broke through in the sixth against Brandyn Garcia. Andrew Benintendi got things started with a one-out double, and Colson Montgomery followed with a grounder that should’ve ended the threat, except that old friend Jacob Amaya had other ideas, misplaying it just enough to let Montgomery reach and Benintendi score.

Then came the avalanche-by-walk. Munetaka Murakami and Edgar Quero drew back-to-back free passes to load the bases and chase Garcia. With Ryan Thompson now on the mound and the count sitting at 2-2, Chase Meidroth delivered the big swing of the evening, ripping a line drive single to left that brought home Monty and Mune. Just like that, Chicago flipped a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

The Sox tacked on an insurance run in the eighth when Austin Hays hit a two-bagger, and then Meidroth doubled him home, and suddenly the margin felt a bit more comfortable at 4-2.

It certainly wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing game early on, but the boys showed some resilience by surviving the early mess, breaking through late, and letting the bullpen lock it down.

Game 2

This one was fun, until it wasn’t. The White Sox jumped out early but couldn’t hold anything resembling momentum, eventually getting steamrolled 13-6 in a game that went from promising to unraveling to full-on tire fire.

Things actually started pretty great. Everson Pereira led the first off with a single, and after two quick outs, LaMonte Wade Jr. absolutely demolished a homer to right.

Derek Hill followed with a base hit, swiped second, and came around to score when Sam Antonacci lined a single. Just like that, Sox up 3-0 before the Padres even picked up a bat. You take that 10 times out of 10.

Then came the first “wait, what?” moment of the night.

Jonathan Cannon was originally slated to start, but instead, Adisyn Coffey took the ball with zero explanation on the broadcast. Coffey promptly gave the lead right back, getting tagged for three runs in the first, highlighted by a two-run shot from old friend Gavin Sheets. Sheets finished the night 3-for-5, because of course he did. Revenge game? Revenge game.

The Sox nudged back ahead in the second thanks to a little chaos. Ramón Laureano completely whiffed on what should’ve been a routine fly ball, gifting Pereira a double. Tristan Peters had walked to start the inning and moved to third, then Miguel Vargas brought him home with a sac fly. Sox back on top, 4-3.

For a brief moment, things stabilized. Tyler Schweitzer worked around a leadoff walk to Fernando Tatis Jr. in the third, striking out Jackson Merrill before Manny Machado bounced into a double play.

And then the fourth inning happened.

Ben Peoples came on and got absolutely ambushed: five singles, a walk, and an error from Derek Hill all piled up into a mess that turned a Sox lead into a 6-4 deficit in a hurry. Peoples recorded just one out before being pulled, and while Frankeli Arias managed to finish the frame, the damage was already done.

To their credit, the Sox didn’t fold immediately. In the fifth, Curtis Mead and Wade went back-to-back with two outs, each launching a solo shot to knot things up at 6-6. Tie game, new life, maybe something brewing.

Also happening in that same inning was the Padres broadcast somehow asking Manny Machado if playing in the World Baseball Classic gets “funner and funner,” which… sure. Spring Training for everyone, I guess.

The game drifted into a lull after that, with both teams trading quiet innings. The Sox had a golden opportunity in the eighth, loading the bases, but, in keeping with the theme, couldn’t cash in. Runners in scoring position remained an unsolved puzzle for the South Siders as they went 1-for-6 on the night.

Next up: the meltdown.

Eric Adler took the mound in the bottom of the eighth and immediately lost the plot. He walked the bases loaded, and then Jake Cronenworth cleared them with a double to blow the game open at 9-6. Adler exited without recording an out, and things somehow got worse. Luke Bell entered and gave up a ground-rule double, then Ty France put the exclamation point on the disaster with a two-run homer. Seven runs, just like that, and any hope of a comeback was long gone.

Then, the Sox went quietly in the ninth, and that was that.

A tale of two games in one day: one where the Sox bent but didn’t break, and one where they absolutely shattered. Spring training, baby.

Record: 12-13-1. Change on 2025: -1. 5-inning Record: 9-15-2.

The Diamondbacks’ five-game unbeaten streak came to an end tonight at Camelback Ranch. But it wasn’t without merit. In particular, an excellent outing by starting pitcher Michael Soroka, who was almost untouchable in his first start back from the World Baseball Classic. He went five scoreless innings, allowing just one single and a walk, while striking out eight. However, he didn’t get the win, being undone by a three-run sixth off Brandyn Garcia and Ryan Thompson. To be fair, all three runs were unearned, due to a error by 2B Jacob Amaya. But Garcia still retired only two of six batters faced. Jonathan Loasiga was charged with the sole earned run in the eighth.

Arizona got all their productive offense out of the way early, scoring both runs in the top of the first. Pavin Smith opened the scoring with an RBI single. He stole second and was walked in later in the frame. Jorge Barrosa and Amaya each had two of the Diamondbacks’ six hits, as well as a walk. Gabriel Moreno drew three walks, and also stole a base himself. Remember that tomorrow will see another evening game – this one was changed from the original day game due to the expected high temperatures. It therefore gets under way at Salt River Fields at 6:10 pm, with Zac Gallen the scheduled starter for the D-backs.

Every year, the Purple Row staff makes predictions for the upcoming Colorado Rockies season. We predict the 162-game record; division and league winners; and MVP, CY Young and Rookie of the Year winners.

For a third year in a row, we’d like you to join us in the fun! You can view your predictions from last year here.

We will still post our own staff predictions, and in a separate post, we will share predictions from you — our valued community members!

Please fill out this survey by Monday, March 23 at 11:59pm MT.

As an update for this year, we have made some questions optional (namely about the AL awards), but please answer to the best of your ability! If you don’t have an answer, feel free to put “N/A” or “I don’t know.”

Now, as James Dalton says in that cinematic masterpiece Roadhouse, “Be polite!” We’ll share the most interesting answers on Opening Day!

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

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: As we wrote yesterday afternoon, the Yankees made the “difficult decision” to option top pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange. The 22-year-old fireballer has been the standout pitcher across all of spring training, posting a 0.66 ERA in 13.2 innings with 13 strikeouts thanks to a fastball that averages triple digits and has topped out at 103 mph. Lagrange — the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline — might justifiably feel disappointed with the decision despite just 16 appearance above A-ball, but he’s certainly opened the major league coaching staff’s eyes with his performances this spring, Aaron Boone not ruling out an opportunity for Lagrange to impact the big league club this season, whether that be in the rotation or out of the bullpen:

“He’s definitely got everyone’s attention. I love where he’s at. I would not be surprised if he is impacting us early, middle, later part of the season … I can just tell you, we’re all very excited about his continued development and what we think he could mean to our team at some point.”

ESPN: The World Baseball classic was a resounding success, setting broadcast and attendance records as Venezuela beat Team USA to secure their first ever WBC crown. However, with MLB teams restricting the availability of several big name players in the final, calls have been made to adapt it into a midseason tournament. Six nations are already slated to participate in Olympics baseball in Los Angeles in 2028, those games taking place during an extended All-Star break, and the WBC could follow that model in the future. Commissioner Rob Manfred is said to be pondering whether to continue to stage the WBC every three years or make it ever four years, his decision impacted by the possibility of a short turnaround from the Olympics in July 2028 to the WBC in spring training 2029.

San Francisco Chronicle | Susan Slusser: Opening Day at Oracle Park is just five days away, with Netflix carrying the exclusive broadcast of the Yankees against the Giants. It’s the streaming service’s first foray into live baseball, and they’ve just announced that they’ve landed Barry Bonds as an analyst for the pregame and postgame shows alongside anchor Elle Duncan and fellow former big leaguers Albert Pujols and Anthony Rizzo. The all-time home run king has been reticent to speak publicly since his retirement, so several around the industry are viewing this as a major coup.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Max Fried will be the Yankees’ Opening Day starter and feels encouraged with where he’s at. He gave up three runs on five hits in five innings against the Orioles in his final spring tune-up, and maintains that he’s actually glad to have struggled in the outing than have it be a walk in the park. He received valuable feedback about which of his pitches and locations were working vs. those that need to be tweaked. This will be the fourth time Fried has been named Opening Day starter, the previous three occasions coming with the Braves.

MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: Paul DeJong has an upward mobility clause that would allow him to opt out of his minor league contract with the Yankees, but the veteran shortstop declared that he will not exercise that option and is happy to try to win a roster spot. DeJong has an opportunity to force himself into the shortstop conversation with Anthony Volpe recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and major league incumbent deputies José Caballero and Oswaldo Cabrera better suited for utility roles. DeJong is a one-time All-Star and has a 30-home-run season to his name, but was replacement level last season with the Nationals and is batting .194 with a 94 wRC+ in 12 Grapefruit League appearances.

The A’s dropped the night contest against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, blowing a late lead in front of an A’s Spring Training record-breaking 10,876 crowd to secure the loss with one week exactly to go until Opening Day. Good thing these games still don’t count quite yet, but dropping a game where we went with our starting lineup and our starting pitcher struck out 11 isn’t a great sign.

A’s, Mariners trade early zeros

Right-hander Aaron Civale was on the mound for the A’s in what was his final tune-up start before the start of the regular season. The Mariners meanwhile countered with minor league acquisition Randy Dobnak, who is likely ticketed for Triple-A thanks to a stacked Seattle starting rotation.

Both righties traded zeros for the game’s first three innings. The A’s didn’t manage anything against Dobnak during that time while Civale escaped a small jam in the second before striking out the side in the bottom of the third.

A’s attack first

Now going through the second time through the lineup the advantage shifted to the Athletics. Back-to-back doubles from Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers put the A’s on the board to kick off the scoring and the A’s weren’t done there. An RBI knock off the bat of Brent Rooker brought in the second run of the frame for the Athletics and they scored their third thanks to a passed ball by the Seattle catcher. That would be all the damage the A’s would do for the inning but that would be enough… for now.

The A’s did have a slight scare in the fifth when left fielder Tyler Soderstrom was hit in the knee by a changeup during his at-bat, but it seems the A’s dodged a major bullet just a week before camp breaks as he stayed in the game to run the bases (but was later pulled out on defense for Carlos Cortes).

Seattle strikes back

Civale, now given a bit of a lead to work with, retired the next six batters he faced, going on cruise control for the rest of his night. He’d end his day after six full shutout frames and reaching 81 pitches. He also racked up an impressive 11 punchouts to go with zero free passes. By the looks of things from tonight, the righty looks ready and a full-go for the regular season. There’s been some pessimism about Civale taking a spot away from someone young and exciting like Gage Jump, but could he surprise fans this coming year?

Time for the bullpen to hold things together for three more innings. Mark Kotsay decided to turn to another right-handed pitcher in JT Ginn. The righty began his camp with two scoreless appearances but had gotten knocked around in his previous two entering tonight. In this matchup against the Mariners it was the latter Ginn that we got.

Seattle was all over him from the start. He didn’t do himself any favors plunking the first batter he faced but he was going to get lit up tonight anyway. Two outs, five hits, and another plunked batter later it was 6-3 Seattle. In the blink of an eye the 3-run lead had flipped and became a 3-run deficit. Ginn would not be able to finish the inning, getting chased by the back-breaking bases-clearing double off the bat of Cal Raleigh. Fellow righty Brooks Kriske mopped things up for Ginn and got the A’s out of the frame.

The A’s were now shell-shocked. And they weren’t able to snap themselves out of it in time. They managed to push across a small-ball run in the bottom of the eighth but not much else. Elvis Alvarado and Jack Perkins did their job not letting the lead expand but it was too much for the lineup to overcome. The A’s brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth but couldn’t get the big hit to keep this game going as they dropped their 15th game of spring.

Well, not a great way to end an evening spring game but still some major positives to dwell on. Civale looked on fire out there and solidified his spot as the #3 in the rotation. Lawrence Butler went 1-for-2 with a walk as he continues his hurried prep for the season. Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers will give pitchers problems at the top of the batting order.

We do it all again tomorrow with another night cap, this time against the Chicago Cubs. They’ll be set to send right-handed vet Jameson Taillon to the bump for them in what’ll be his final tune up before camp breaks. Meanwhile the A’s have yet to announce who they’ll send to start tomorrow’s game. Any guesses?

Juan Soto returned to the Mets lineup on Thursday after two weeks playing for the Dominican Republic at this year's World Baseball Classic, and the slugger was thrilled with his experience.

Although Soto and Team DR fell to the USA in the semifinals, Soto called it "one of the best experiences" he's ever had after he was pulled in the Mets' 6-2 win over the Astros. But it was more than just an experience for Soto, in fact, the Mets superstar credits the tournament for how he feels just a week out from the team's Opening Day. 

"I feel really good right now," Soto said. "My body, everything feels good. I feel like my swing is in a good spot to start the season. I cannot be more prepared.”

Before the WBC, Soto was 2-for-12 with just one extra-base hit in five spring games. Soto upped that production during the tournament, going 6-for-23 (.261) in the team's six games to go along with two bombs, four RBI, five walks and a stolen base. 

And although he went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored on Thursday, Soto looks back fondly on his time with his countrymen and recommends it to others, if not for the competition, but for the knowledge that's dropped from teammates and coaches.

"It’s an experience that I recommend to anyone who has a chance to play," Soto said. "When you leave for those two weeks, it’s incredible. It helps my game. We had David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Albert Pujols, Placido Polanco, [Fernando] Tatis Sr. - we have guys that played this game for so long and they gave us so much advice that can help me with my game. I cannot ask for more."

In his first season with the Mets, Soto had one of the best of his career. He slashed .263/.396/.525 with an OPS of .921 to go with his career-high 43 homers and 105 RBI. He also smashed his previous career-high in stolen bases, swiping 38 bags a year ago. Now, heading into year two in Flushing, Soto hopes to produce even more for the Mets and get them back into the postseason.

The Mets and ace right-hander Freddy Peralta are "highly unlikely" to reach a long-term contract extension before the 2026 MLB season starts, according to a report Thursday by the New York Post's Jon Heyman, who cited "people familiar with the discussions."

Peralta, 29, previously told Heyman that he was seeking a new deal for seven or eight years. The Mets "generally oppose deals of that length" and "are believed more comfortable with something in the range of four years, or perhaps five," according to Thursday's report.

The Mets acquired Peralta and right-hander Tobias Myers in a Jan. 21 trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for top prospectsJett Williams and Brandon Sproat.

Through three spring training starts, Peralta is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He has allowed three runs on four hits while striking out 12 and walking two in 10 innings.

"What I can say is that everything has been amazing, talking from the bottom to the top, people in the front office, everyone," Peralta said in February, via SNY's Chelsea Janes. "They’ve been very easy for me, easy to work with, and I’m just happy because I feel they have my back."

Peralta, a two-time All-Star, went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 176.2 IP last season with the Brewers. He is set to make his Mets debut as New York's Opening Day starter for next Thursday's 1:15 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

TAMPA — Time for Giancarlo Stanton to fast forward to the regular season.

Opening Day is now less than a week away, but the Yankees veteran DH has spent the past two days smoking the ball like he is ready to roll in games that count.

“If we can just bottle this up and move it north …” manager Aaron Boone said with a grin after a 5-4 win over the Orioles at Steinbrenner Field. “He looks great, feels great, obviously.”

Between Wednesday and Thursday, Stanton put six balls in play.

Five of them registered at exit velocities over 100 mph, and if the wind hadn’t been blowing in on both brisk days, Boone is convinced Stanton would have more to show for it than only one of them leaving the yard.

“Probably with the weather switch, he’s probably got five homers the last couple games,” Boone said.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

Stanton finally got one out Thursday, his fourth home run of the spring, on a ball hit 100.1 mph down the right-field line.

He also flew out on balls hit at 110.5 mph and 104.8 mph (a sacrifice fly) after flying out on Wednesday on balls hit at 112.4 mph and 104.1 mph.

Max Fried made his final tuneup before starting Opening Day against the Giants on Wednesday, giving up three runs and walking four across five innings while throwing 81 pitches.

The left-hander acknowledged he was “not sharp,” but said he liked being able to work through jams in his last chance before the games are real.

“I know who I am and I know the kind of pitcher I am, but the more I can try to push myself, it’s only going to help in the end,” Fried said.

Carlos Rodón threw two innings and 35 pitches of live batting practice Thursday afternoon, continuing his buildup from elbow surgery with the hope that he could be back at some point in April.

“Physically, fine,” he said. “Just working to get a feel of things, third live [batting practice]. Obviously I would like everything to be crisp, but it’s hard to do that when you got to build up and come back from surgery. So it’s coming. I try not to get frustrated myself.”

Rodón is expected to pitch in a minor league exhibition next week when the Yankees are out west to start the season.

Aaron Judge is expected to start at DH on Friday night against the Orioles, his first game back since playing in the WBC.

Paul Goldschmidt, who only got three plate appearances for Team USA, took live at-bats against Rodón on a back field, and an hour later was in the starting lineup against the Orioles, going 1-for-3.

Cody Bellinger was initially expected to play on the road Thursday against the Blue Jays, but instead he stayed back after getting hit on the right arm in Wednesday’s game.

He is said to be fine, and looked no worse for wear while taking at-bats off Rodón on the back field.

The Yankees optioned reliever Angel Chivilli to Triple-A, eliminating another name from the bullpen competition.

Chivilli, acquired from the Rockies this winter, remains a work in progress after posting a 12.91 ERA in eight appearances this spring.

Observations from Mets spring training Thursday:

Senga shines

Kodai Senga fired four scoreless innings in the Mets’ 6-2 exhibition victory over the Astros in West Palm Beach, Fla.

The right-hander allowed three hits, struck out four, and walked one, finishing the Grapefruit League run with a 1.86 ERA.

Ache and pain

Francisco Alvarez left the game early with back tightness.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Alvarez was removed for precautionary reasons, but would have continued playing if this were the regular season.

Alvarez will be evaluated Friday.

Caught my eye

Francisco Lindor played seven innings at shortstop and received five plate appearances in his third game since returning from rehab of hamate bone surgery in his left hand.

Friday’s schedule

The Cardinals will be at Clover Park to face the Mets.

Observations from Yankees spring training Thursday:

Oswaldo that ends well

Oswaldo Cabrera picked up his first hit of spring, roping a double to the opposite field in the eighth inning.

The utilityman, who had a delayed start to game action after breaking his ankle last May, started the spring 0-for-10 as he worked to find his rhythm.

Load of bull’

It was a rough day for a few bullpen hopefuls, as Cade Winquest and Kervin Castro each gave up a pair of runs in a split-squad loss to the Blue Jays.

Caught my eye

Back from the WBC, Paul Goldschmidt is trying to make up for the lack of at-bats he got over the last two and a half weeks.

The veteran first baseman, who only started one of USA’s seven games in the tournament, took at-bats against Carlos Rodón in live batting practice Thursday and then played in the game against the Orioles, going 1-for-3.

Friday’s schedule

Luis Gil makes his final start of the spring when the Yankees host the Orioles at 6:35 p.m. at Steinbrenner Field.

Thursday night saw Kodai Senga make his third start in spring training, and while he wasn't as dominant as his last outing, the Mets right-hander's appearance against the Astros may be more impressive. 

Senga pitched four scoreless innings against Houston, but it was how he got through those frames that is notable. He allowed three hits and one walk, but he scattered them all. He overcame varying location issues with the fastball and ground through to blank an Astros team that was using most of their projected Opening Day lineup.

"Everything seems to be working," manager Carlos Mendoza said after the team's 6-2 win. "Slider, sweeper. Fastball command came and went, but overall, the secondaries were sharp today."

After an injury-marred 2025, Senga entered spring after an offseason of questions and trade rumors. But the former Rookie of the Year contender has shown, albeit in a limited sample size, that he is working towards that form again. And the biggest thing that Senga has preached throughout camp this year is that he's healthy -- and it's been a big difference not just physically, but mentally.

"As long as I'm healthy and I'm able to pitch my pitches and pitch to my ability, I think the results come along with that," Senga said through an interpreter. "I'm striving for that and that's what I'm here to do. I came from Japan to the States to do that. Things aren’t always going to go my way, but if that happens, I’ll grind out there and hopefully the results come."

On Thursday, Senga's fastball hit 97.3 mph. He's hit 99 mph this spring, which is encouraging for Senga and his team. When the fastball is working, Senga's patented ghost fork and other secondary pitches are more effective.

“That’s our ace. If he stays healthy, he’s going to help the team to go all the way," Juan Soto said. "Definitely, he has the stuff to do it. He just got to keep himself in the game.”

"Compared to the previous years, I feel like I am performing at a higher level," Senga said. "So just gotta keep it up for the season."

And Senga's skipper feels the same way. Mendoza echoed Senga's sentiments regarding a new mindset but is also impressed with how early in the season that he's put it together compared to previous seasons.

When he was asked whether his right-hander was close to "peak" Senga, Mendoza did not hesitate to answer.

"I think he’s close," Mendoza said. "Watching him this early, throwing the ball the way he’s been throwing the ball, that’s probably something we saw the second, third week of April last year. It took him a while coming out of spring training. But to see him this early, seems like everything is working for him. Not only the velo, but the movement on all his pitches. He’s pretty close."

Last season, Senga held a 1.26 ERA (four earned runs in 28.2 IP) after five April starts. And while this spring hasn't been that dominant, it's looking similar.

After allowing two runs in 2.2 innings in his spring debut, Senga has followed up with seven scoreless innings in his next two starts. He's also struck out nine batters in that span. 

Senga is scheduled to make one more start before the regular season begins. If he can return to that peak form from a year ago, the Mets' rotation will be one to fear.

Kodai Senga's four strikeouts today vs. the Astros pic.twitter.com/QMzUb5PyGc

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) March 19, 2026

Despite a bevvy of encouraging performances, the Mets’ prospects were defeated by the Rays’ prospects 2-0 in the 2026 Spring Breakout. The outcome is not what you want and the objective viewing experience was a bit dull (it was a sleepy, drizzly affair). But that’s not the point of this event really, it’s all about the prospects we get to see.

Jack Wenninger got the start for the Mets and looked quite good. His splitter was his clear best offering, befuddling hitters and inducing several truly ugly swings. His fastball was at times excellent as well, touching 97 and featuring 20” of vertical break in several instances. Those high-end traits didn’t manifest consistently – the velocity wavered and the shape fluctuated a bit – but the potential is there. The slider is the clear third offering but isn’t a bad pitch by any means. All-in-all, Wenninger racked up six strikeouts in 3.2 innings while allowing only one run, mixing in a slick defensive play to boot.

Jonathan Santucci wasn’t quite as impressive as Wenninger, but looked quite good in his own right. He struck out five in his 3.2 innings of work and allowed only a single run which scored on an error. Like Wenninger, he flashed 20” of IVB on his fastball a couple times. He also mixed in his two breaking ball shapes, but struggled badly when trying to throw his changeup. This is about what I’d expect a back-end starting prospect with frustratingly good stuff to look like. We’ll see if he can learn to harness the raw ingredients a bit more effectively this season.

It’s a lot harder to have any strong takeaways from one-game worth of plate appearances, but several Mets hitters did fun things with the chances they had. Elian Peña ripped a 100 MPH single (thought it was to the opposite field) and worked a walk in his third plate appearance of the day. Randy Guzman had four hard-hit balls, one of which went for an opposite field double and another which missed being a grand slam by about ten feet. Eli Serrano had the hardest batted ball of the day, a 105.4 MPH single. Jacob Reimer and A.J. Ewing had quieter games but each had a single as well.

So yes, despite the score, there was a lot of exciting stuff here. You can look forward to more from these names and others throughout the 2026 season.

Mets prospects flashed their potential in Thursday's Spring Breakout game on SNY against the Tampa Bay Rays. While the Metswon their Grapefruit League matchup against the Houston Astros, 6-2, New York's rising stars faced Tampa Bay's youngsters at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla., but fell, 2-0.

Takeaways

1. Jack Wenninger showed why he is the No. 8 overall prospect -- and top pitcher behind Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong -- in Joe DeMayo's top 30 for the 2026 season. The 24-year-old right-hander threw 42 strikes on 65 pitches, including 12 swings and misses, while touching 97.1 mph on his fastball. Wenninger fanned six, walked one and allowed one run on two hits in 3.2 IP. He showcased his full arsenal, hitting 95 mph into the fourth inning while mixing in a nasty changeup and devastating sweeper. From striking out the side in the first inning to retiring five straight through the third and fourth, Wenninger's outing should keep the Mets excited.
2. Not to be overlooked, Jonathan Santucci was impressive in his own right. The left-hander got the ball to start the fifth inning and did not disappoint, allowing one run (unearned) on one hit while striking out five and walking two in 3.2 IP. He pounded the zone, throwing 35 strikes on 50 pitches with a fastball that hit 95-96 mph. DeMayo's No. 9 overall prospect and top southpaw had a 1-2-3 fifth inning on an economical 10 pitches before mixing in a devious slider that was some of the electric stuff that led to those four strikeouts.
3. DeMayo's No. 3 overall prospect,A.J. Ewing, was aggressive out of the gate in the first inning when he Jose Urbina's second-pitch fastball back up the middle for a leadoff single. A third-inning strikeout swinging and fifth-inning flyout to right field followed, ending Ewing's 1-for-3 evening, but he ultimately flashed before Yonatan Henriquez replaced the 22-year-old center fielder in the sixth.
4. Third baseman Jacob Reimer, DeMayo's No. 5 overall prospect, followed Ewing -- picking up Elian Peña's flyout to center field -- with a one-out single up the middle to put runners on first and second base. Reimer's 1-for-3 effort included a third-inning lineout to shortstop and fifth-inning flyout to left field before his night ended with Antonio Jimenez replacing him in the sixth.

Who's the MVP?

Wenninger, who made the most of his start, put the Mets' team of prospects in a position to win.

Highlights

Jack Wenninger opens up the Spring Breakout game with a strikeout! pic.twitter.com/fTdoMVTQze

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 19, 2026

Jack Wenninger strikes out the side in the first! pic.twitter.com/bk3zk1Ob8i

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 19, 2026

A.J. Ewing with a leadoff single! pic.twitter.com/ynEhHyn6bM

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 19, 2026

Jacob Reimer knocks one up the middle pic.twitter.com/l5heuKcFXL

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 19, 2026

Jack Wenninger snags the liner! pic.twitter.com/K9xOwlx6df

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 19, 2026

Elian Peña rips a single! pic.twitter.com/YmsFatEmFT

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 20, 2026

What's next

The Mets host the St. Louis Cardinals Friday at 1:10 p.m. on SNY.

The Mets defeated the Astros by a score of 6-2 tonight in West Palm Beach.

• Kodai Senga started for the Mets and went four scoreless innings, allowing just one walk and three hits against four strikeouts. He threw 41 of his 63 pitches for strikes. His swiftest fastball clocked in at 97.1 MPH.
• The Mets ran out essentially their Opening Day lineup and scored early and often against the Astros. Marcus Semien drove in the first and sixth runs of the evening on sacrifice flies. Luis Robert Jr. played two on a pair of doubles, and Brett Baty drove in a run on a double of his own. This, along with a bases loaded walk, led to six runs in the first five innings.
• Bo Bichette went 2-2 with a walk in three plate appearances. Jorge Polanco went 1-2 with two walks.
• In the ‘holding our breath’ department, Francisco Alvarez left the game in top of the fourth inning and was replaced by Jose Aular. It is unknown at this time as to why Alvarez was pulled from the game. Aular walked in his first two at-bats.
• Luis García pitched the fifth for the Mets and ran into a little trouble, allowing a run to score on a throwing error, a walk, and a single.
• Craig Kimbrel faced two batters in the sixth, striking out both. When he returned for the seventh, he struck out the first batter to face him, but then gave up a triple to Nick Allen. Although he was pulled from the game in favor of Brett Banks, Allen scored and the run was charged to Kimbrel.
• Austin Warren and Dicky Lovelady each tossed an inning of scoreless ball.

The Mets play the Cardinals tomorrow at 1:10pm at Clover Park. The game will air on SNY.