TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 28: George Lombard Jr. of the New York Yankees poses for a photo during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 28, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Jim Callis: MLB Pipeline has released its list of the Yankees’ top 30 prospects for 2026 and George Lombard Jr. retains his spot as their No. 1 prospect. The shortstop drafted 26th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft reached Double-A as a 20 year old in 2025 and has impressed this spring, going 2-for-8 with five walks and five RBI in five games of Grapefruit League play. He is not expected to graduate to the majors in 2026 as he continues to adjust to professional pitching, though GM Brian Cashman called his defense “MLB-ready.”
MLB.com | Maria Guardado: Ahead of Team USA’s opening game of the World Baseball Classic against Brazil on Friday, team captain Aaron Judge addressed his teammates in a clubhouse speech. He had not planned to make a speech until reigning Cy Young winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes reached out over the winter and suggested that he prepare some words for when the team convened ahead of the tournament. Judge’s speech focused on sacrificing for each other over the next couple of weeks, the team also taking inspiration from the performances of the athletes of Team USA in the recently completed Winter Olympics. Judge called being named team captain an honor, though made sure to distinguish that being “captain of the Yankees is No. 1 still in [his] heart.”
Fox News | Scott Thompson: Last week, the Yankees announced that they would be retiring the No. 52 worn by first ballot Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, also announcing a ceremony to dedicate a plaque in Monument Park in September. Sabathia reflected on the honor, calling it “more of a shock than going into the Hall of Fame.” He mentioned the Yankees greats that he would be joining, how he never thought he would be mentioned alongside the likes of Whitey Ford and Ron Guidry when he first joined the team in 2008. He ended by hailing the fans as the part that meant the most to him during his Yankees tenure and the accountability to which they hold every player.
The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal ($): Max Fried has worked his way to becoming one of the best starting pitchers in MLB, and he chronicles the journey of developing the killer mentality that got him to this point. Early in his career, he had to shake the label of being ‘soft’ when mistakes or missed execution would fluster him for the rest of his start. He hit a career rock bottom as a 22 year old when he went 2-11 with a 5.92 ERA at Double-A in 2017 and even wondered whether he would last in the sport or would have to start making plans to go to college. But then the Braves unexpectedly called him up to the majors in the second half of 2017, and Fried pitched to a 3.81 ERA in nine appearances, a moment which Fried called the turning point in his career. Fried said the rude awakening of those struggles in the minors forced him to take ownership of his life and career.
FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: The Yankees had been searching for a right-handed bat to provide additional depth in the outfield all offseason, and now that they have signed Randal Grichuk to a minor league deal with an invitation to camp, Jaffe analyzes what the former Yankee killer could bring to their lineup. Grichuk’s presence gives the Yankees options with how they want to handle Jasson Domínguez, who Brian Cashman conceded would be “in his best interest to be getting everyday reps,” after he struggled batting against lefties and defensively in left field. Grichuk traditionally mashes lefties, with a career 118 WRC+, though 2025 was the first year he was actually worse against lefties than righties. All the same, he could serve as the short side of a platoon with Trent Grisham — much better against righties than lefties — with Grisham in center and Bellinger in left with a righty on the mound and Bellinger in center and Grichuk in left against southpaws.
Even if things haven't quite gone as planned at the NHL level for Pittsburgh Penguins' forward prospect Ville Koivunen this season, he is still making some noise at the AHL level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins.
And, in the month of February, he did his best to make sure he won't be forgotten if Pittsburgh needs another call-up or two.
On Monday, Koivunen was named AHL Player of the Month for the month of February after registering six goals and 16 points in 11 AHL games, which was the highest mark in February by any AHL player. The 22-year-old right wing has 11 goals and 32 points in 27 total AHL games this season.
He currently holds a six-game scoring streak, and he is second on WBS's team in points behind center Tristan Broz, who was injured in Saturday's game against the Cleveland Monsters.
Koivunen was dealt to Pittsburgh in the spring of 2024 as part of the deal that sent Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes, and he's had a few short stints at the NHL level since. In 35 NHL games between this season and last season, he has two goals and 12 points.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Star freshman Cameron Boozer scored 26 points and top-ranked Duke shot 55.2% to beat N.C. State 93-64 on Monday night, securing the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title.
The Blue Devils (28-2, 16-1) clinched the No. 1 seed for next week’s ACC Tournament with a weekend rout of No. 13 Virginia. Duke followed that by overwhelming the Wolfpack, both by hitting from outside against N.C. State’s zone and then getting into the paint area that has become a trademark strength.
Boozer finished 8 for 10 from the field and 9 for 11 from the foul line while grabbing nine rebounds — along with accumulating multiple long, thick scratches wrapping around his right shoulder amid physical second-half play.
Dame Sarr added 14 of his 16 points before halftime for Duke, which made 11 of 28 3-pointers.
The Blue Devils ran off a 9-0 burst to push to a double-digit lead late in the first half, followed by getting opposite corner 3s — Sarr from the right side, then Nik Khamenia from the left — for a 47-30 halftime lead.
Duke made its last five shots before halftime, then hit its first five out of the break to eliminate any lingering doubt, including a 3-pointer from Isaiah Evans that made it 56-32 at the 17:32 mark.
Darrion Williams had 17 points for the Wolfpack (19-11, 10-7), who continued a late-season slide in coach Will Wade’s debut season. N.C. State shot 35.4% and made 7 of 29 3s en route to a fifth loss in six games, a run that includes a 41-point defeat at then-No. 24 Louisville and last week’s 29-point loss at Virginia.
NO. 2 ARIZONA 73, NO. 6 IOWA STATE 57
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Jaden Bradley scored 17 points, Motiejus Krivas added 13 and Arizona clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with a win over No. 6 Iowa State.
The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2) secured at least a share of the conference crown by using big runs in each half to beat No. 14 Kansas 84-61 on Saturday.
Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give Tommy Lloyd his 140th victory, most in NCAA history in a coach’s first five seasons.
Coming off their first home loss of the season, the Cyclones (24-6, 11-6) labored against Arizona’s physical defense, shooting 29% from the floor, including 7 of 30 from 3-point range.
Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points, but leading scorer Milan Momcilovic was held to five on 2-of-8 shooting. The nation’s best 3-point shooter at 51%, he went 1 for 5 from the beyond the arc.
Jan 30, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) moves the puck against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The Edmonton Oilers are fortifying their defense ahead of the NHL trade deadline as they look to make another deep run in the playoffs.
The back-to-back Western Conference champions on Monday acquired dependable defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2028 second-round pick. Chicago is retaining half of Murphy’s $4.4 million salary as part of the deal finalized 93 hours before the deadline Friday.
The Oilers rank 26th out of the league’s 32 teams in goals against this season, including a couple of losses since the Olympic break ended that can be chalked up to shoddy defensive play. They got beat 6-5 by Anaheim on Wednesday and 5-4 by San Jose on Saturday, defeats to rivals in the Pacific Division that have threatened Edmonton’s precarious place in the standings.
Murphy, who turns 33 on March 26, is a reliable defender who should slot in on the blue line on the third pair. He’s averaging 16 1/2 minutes of ice time through 60 games with the Blackhawks this season, his 13th overall and 12th full one since making his debut in 2013.
He leads Chicago with 87 blocked shots.
Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has a long history with Murphy. He was GM of the Blackhawks when they acquired Murphy from Arizona in 2017, and Bowman also signed Murphy’s current $17.6 million, four-year contract that expires on June 30.
Edmonton is coming off losing the Stanley Cup Final to Florida in consecutive years, with keeping the puck out of the net a considerable reason for each defeat. Bowman in December made a goaltending swap with Pittsburgh, sending Stuart Skinner to the Penguins for Tristan Jarry as part of a four-player trade that also involved a 2029 second-round pick.
Jarry’s .864 save percentage with the Oilers ranks 44th out of 49 goalies who have appeared in at least 10 games since the move on Dec, 12, which also included Brett Kulak being sent to Pittsburgh. The Oilers acquired Spencer Stastney that same day, and getting Murphy is the latest step in piecing together a more solid defense.
To make room for Murphy, the Oilers sent forward Andrew Mangiapane and defenseman Alec Regula to Bakersfield of the American Hockey League after they cleared waivers. Mattias Janmark went on long-term injured reserve.
Edmonton was not the only contender in the West to add Monday. The Minnesota Wild claimed forward Robby Fabbri off waivers from St. Louis, and they almost certainly are not done.
“We’ve got room to do some things,” GM Bill Guerin said Sunday, pointing to the center position and faceoffs in particular as an area he’d like to shore up. “If I have a chance to make the team better, I will. It’s just got to make sense. Whatever the ask is, whatever we feel like is a good price for whatever we’re getting, we’ll do it.”
It's been almost three months since the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Stuart Skinner from the Edmonton Oilers in the Tristan Jarry trade.
The Penguins traded Jarry and forward Sam Poulin to the Oilers on Dec. 12 in exchange for Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. They then flipped Kulak to the Colorado Avalanche for Sam Girard and a 2028 second-round pick last Tuesday.
Dubas is never afraid of making deals, and he figures to be pretty active again this week since the NHL's trade deadline is this Friday. He's in charge of a team that finds itself in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.
The Penguins have surpassed everyone's expectations this year and are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season. However, Skinner has been in trade rumors over the last week and is No. 6 on Frank Seravalli's trade target board.
Skinner is a pending UFA, so it's only natural that the Penguins will at least listen to offers on him. He's been good since coming over from the Oilers and went through a stretch where he won eight of nine starts before losing his last two. During Skinner's hot streak, he had a .912 save percentage or better in seven of those games.
To take it a step further, over the last 10 games, Skinner ranks sixth among all goaltenders in goals saved above expected with six.
There's a legit argument to be made that Skinner could be the best available goaltender at the deadline, but the Penguins shouldn't move him unless they get an offer they can't refuse. It would have to be at least a second-round pick, plus something else in return, whether it's a veteran goaltender or a player at another position.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) defends the net in the second period against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Otherwise, the Penguins should keep him and roll with him and Silovs for the stretch run and potentially into the playoffs. Skinner has extensive playoff experience that can pay dividends for the Penguins. He recently started for the Oilers in two straight Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers, and you can never have enough goaltending during this time of the season.
I know that Sergei Murashov is lighting up Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and everyone is excited about his future (myself included), but it would be asking a lot to rely on him and Silovs for the most crucial stretch of the season. They're both still rookies at the end of the day, and Murashov has only played in four NHL games.
He should cook a little more in WBS and help his team try to win a Calder Cup before he's on the team full-time next season. There's no need to rush him for the sake of it.
Overall, there are teams that need goaltending before the deadline (hello, Vegas and Carolina), but unless the Penguins are getting a dream return, they should roll with Skinner and Silovs the rest of the way.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the game 1:04 into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the New York Rangers 5-4 Monday night after squandering a four-goal lead.
Columbus built a 4-0 advantage through the first two periods before the Rangers staged a furious comeback, scoring four unanswered goals, including Gabe Perreault’s tying goal with 4:46 remaining in the third __ to force OT.
Marchenko also added an assist for Columbus, which snapped a two-game skid . Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathiew Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Charlie Coyle had two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
After falling behind four goals after two periods, the Rangers rallied in the third, scoring twice in a 24-second span in the first minute. New York, which had a 16-7 edge in shots in the period, scored two more goals in just over a two-minute span later in the third and managed to force overtime before falling short.
Perreault finished with two goals, and Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen also scored for New York, which dropped to 7-16-5 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were coming off a 3-2, shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.
RED WINGS 4, PREDATORS 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond each scored a goal and added an assist and Cam Talbot made 18 saves in relief of John Gibson to lead Detroit to a victory over Nashville.
Gibson did not return for the second period because of an upper-body injury. He stopped 10 of the 11 shots he faced. Emmitt Finnie and Albert Johansson also scored for the Red Wings, who have two of three.
Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored and Juuse Saros made 27 saves for the Predators, who are 1-2-2 in their past five.
FLYERS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2, SO
TORONTO (AP) — Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras scored in a shootout and Philadelphia extended their winning streak to three games with a win over the Toronto.
William Nylander scored on the Maple Leafs’ first shootout attempt, but Auston Matthews and Max Domi failed to convert as Toronto’s losing streak reached four games.
Noah Cates converted a pass from Bobby Brink with 5:18 remaining in regulation time to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. The Maple Leafs tied the game when Nylander slammed in a feed from John Tavares on the power play with 2:30 left.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube adjusted his lines, with the most notable move being the pairing of Matthews, the team captain, alongside Nylander.
Toronto’s Dakota Joshua opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first period, knocking in a pass from Matias Maccelli. It was Joshua’s first goal since returning last week after missing two months with a lacerated kidney.
Flyers center Christian Dvorak tied the game three minutes later on the power play, sweeping in a loose puck in front of the net.
Toronto outshot the Flyers 31-25, and Anthony Stolarz finished with 23 saves. Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar made 29 stop
TORONTO (AP) — Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras scored in a shootout and the Philadelphia Flyers extended their winning streak to three games with a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.
William Nylander scored on the Maple Leafs’ first shootout attempt, but Auston Matthews and Max Domi failed to convert as Toronto's losing streak reached four games.
Noah Cates converted a pass from Bobby Brink with 5:18 remaining in regulation time to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. The Maple Leafs tied the game when Nylander slammed in a feed from John Tavares on the power play with 2:30 left.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube adjusted his lines, with the most notable move being the pairing of Matthews, the team captain, alongside Nylander.
Toronto’s Dakota Joshua opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first period, knocking in a pass from Matias Maccelli. It was Joshua’s first goal since returning last week after missing two months with a lacerated kidney.
Flyers center Christian Dvorak tied the game three minutes later on the power play, sweeping in a loose puck in front of the net.
Toronto outshot the Flyers 31-25, and Anthony Stolarz finished with 23 saves. Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar made 29 stops.
Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale had a chance to end the game in overtime, but his shot off the rush hit the outside of the near post with 30 seconds remaining.
Flyers' leading scorer Travis Konecny missed the game with a lower-body injury. He was a game-time decision.
Matthews has gone eight games without a goal, his longest drought of the season. A member of the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Italy, Matthews was without a goal in four games before the break and has gone four more since his return.
At long last, the NHL trade deadline is just four days away, which also means the league's most chaotic and exciting time during the regular season has finally arrived.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins figure to be one of the most interesting teams ahead of the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Mar. 6.
Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has done a masterful job so far this season, as his offseason signings, trade pickups, and draft prospects - as well as some in-season acquisitions - have led to Pittsburgh being a top-six team in the NHL. They currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division and are fifth in the league in goal differential at plus-30.
In other words, the Penguins may just be contenders, but they could be even more so once that deadline passes. Dubas has a careful line to walk between continuing to prioritize the long-term and putting his chips on the table for a run this season with a legitimately good hockey team.
Here are six Penguins' storylines to keep an eye on during trade deadline week.
When thinking about where the Penguins' goaltending situation was just a few months ago, no one could have imagined they'd be making a legitimate playoff push with two goaltenders playing lights-out.
But, that's what has happened. Skinner was brought to Pittsburgh as part of the Tristan Jarry trade in mid-December, and he has been more than serviceable since. Aside from a few outlier bad performances that skew his numbers down a bit - overall, he is 8-4-2 with an .890 save percentage with the Penguins - the 27-year-old has proven to be just as valuable, if not more valuable, as Jarry was in a Penguins' uniform this season.
Second shutout of the season, .981 save percentage, and 2-0-0 over the week? That’s our kind of Arty party 🎊
Congrats to Arturs Silovs on being named @NHL Second Star of the Week!
However, with Arturs Silovs beginning to pull away from Skinner a bit in terms of performance - Silovs has a whopping .936 save percentage over his last nine appearances and has a track record of performing well in high-stakes situations - Skinner, who is on an expiring contract, could end up being the backup down the stretch.
It's certainly a risk rolling with two young, inexperienced goaltenders as opposed to having a veteran with ample playoff experience, so Dubas and the Penguins may have a tough decision ahead of them.
With Crosby out, will the Penguins target a depth center?
This will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow, as Crosby is expected to miss approximately three more weeks with a lower-body injury, and his team has the NHL's most difficult schedule for the remainder of the season.
So far, scoring hasn't proven to be much of an issue for the Penguins without Crosby. However, faceoffs certainly have been, as they have won just 52 of 159 total draws (32.7 percent) in their three games back from the Olympic break Crosbyless.
We'll circle back to this, but it will be interesting to see how the Penguins approach this situation. They do have two capable younger centers in Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander - barring their health - who should be able to help offset at least some of it. But depth never hurts, especially when that depth serves to improve the team overall. And the best bet at acquiring the best depth is in the trade market.
So, it will be interesting to monitor whether or not the center depth on the roster - especially without Evgeni Malkin manning the middle - looks like it could use a boost in the two games the Penguins have remaining prior to the deadline.
Will Evgeni Malkin sign before the trade deadline?
It was reported by Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now on Saturday that Malkin would meet with Dubas early this week, which follows Malkin saying in a postgame interview after a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers that they wouldn't meet until the offseason.
Of course, no one in their right mind actually believes that Malkin is going to be anywhere but Pittsburgh for the remainder of the season. However, it sure would bring some peace of mind to Penguins' faithful if Dubas and the team show priority to their 39-year-old future hall-of-famer, who is having his best season in several years with 13 goals and 47 points in 44 games.
Malkin has also developed ridiculous chemistry with winger Egor Chinakhov, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December and has 10 goals in 21 games since - more than anyone else on the Penguins since his arrival and half of which have primary assists credited to Malkin.
Many feel Malkin has earned another season with the Penguins, and folks will be anxious to hear about how that meeting with Dubas goes down.
Something they could still use? A young blueliner with higher upside, whether that's on the left or right side. Harrison Brunicke, a right-side d-man, has to play out the rest of his WHL season before becoming a young depth option for the Penguins again, and that won't be until April.
Of course, the Penguins have some options in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) should someone go down, including Dumba, Owen Pickering, Alex Alexeyev, and Finn Harding. But if they want a young defenseman who can make an impact on the NHL roster now, they're likely not within the organization already.
Heading into this season, a priority outlined by Dubas was improvement on the left side. Well, Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea have both been good for the Penguins this season, and whoever has been in that other slot has been good enough. Still, it will be interesting to see if Dubas targets a younger blueliner with promise along the lines of Braeden Schneider (Rangers) or Pavel Mintyukov (Anaheim Ducks), if available.
Given the Penguins' place in the standings - and the fact that they already have more high-value draft capital (and more draft capital, period) than any other team in hockey - it's unlikely that Dubas is going to sell big at the deadline, even if he could receive fairly significant value in return for some of his better assets.
That said, it doesn't mean a "max value hockey trade" won't happen.
Names like Skinner's and Anthony Mantha's have popped up and have the attention of other teams, but in order for those guys to be moved, value would have to come the other way - simliar to the Kulak trade and the Jarry trade, where a guy playing the same position was part of the return along with draft capital (or a prospect).
However, Dubas needs to tread carefully here. Messing with the chemistry of a locker room on a team with a high degree of belief is a tricky thing, and sometimes, these kinds of moves backfire.
Obviously, "going big" - like selling - typically requires one or more pieces on your NHL roster or a high-value prospect going the other way in addition to high-value draft capital, which the Penguins do have. The discourse on trading their first-round pick this season comes with mixed response, as the 2026 draft is deep, but the Penguins, at this point, will probably draft late in the first round and have two second-round picks.
But even if they were willing to give up their first-rounder and more to acquire an impact player, is this year's trade deadline the time to do it?
It's absolutely reasonable to think that Dubas will wait until the summer to go big, given the direction he is taking the team in the foreseeable future as well as the fact that he has already made a pretty big move with the Chinakhov acquisition.
But, never say never. Dubas keeps his cards close to the vest, and given how good this Penguins' team is, he might just shoot higher than everyone expects.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the game 1:04 into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the New York Rangers 5-4 Monday night after squandering a four-goal lead.
Columbus built a 4-0 advantage through the first two periods before the Rangers staged a furious comeback by scoring four unanswered goals, including Gabe Perreault's tying goal with 4:46 left in the third, to force OT.
Marchenko also added an assist for Columbus, which snapped a two-game skid . Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathiew Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Charlie Coyle had two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
After falling behind four goals after two periods, the Rangers rallied in the third, scoring twice in a 24-second span in the first minute. New York, which had a 16-7 edge in shots in the period, scored two more goals in just over a two-minute span later in the third and managed to force overtime before falling short.
Perreault finished with two goals, and Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen also scored for New York, which dropped to 7-16-5 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were coming off a 3-2, shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.
Fantilli opened the scoring with a goal in his third straight game, netting his 16th on a tip-in shot at 5:50 of the first. Marchenko, who assisted on Fantilli's score, made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 15:32.
The Rangers had an apparent power-play goal by J.T. Miller disallowed early in the second when the officials ruled there was goaltender interference. Moments later, the Blue Jackets got a short-handed goal by Monahan. Olivier added a score at 11:54 of the middle period.
New York stormed back in the third on goals by Gavrikov 30 seconds into the period, and Perreault 24 seconds later. Borgen scored at 12:52, and Perreault added his second at 15:14.
Feb 26, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Angel Martinez (1) reacts after hitting a single against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The Guardians lost 1-3 to the Rangers today, but there were some positive takeaways. First and foremost, Slade Cecconi looked solid despite giving up two runs in 2.2 IP. He recorded four strikeouts to just one walk. It’s worth noting that he threw a ton of cutters today, and that was a pitch we didn’t see all that much from him last season. That will be something to keep an eye on.
Angel Martinez continues to prove that he is a very viable hitter against left handed pitching, as he went 2-2 with a HR and 108 mph double against LHP Austin Gomber. I really wish he would just scrap switch hitting and try to hit as a right handed hitter full time to see it went. He is up to a .385 average and a 1.500 OPS this spring.
Outside of that there wasn’t much offense today for the Guardians, as most of the regulars had a day off. The Guardians play the Dodgers tomorrow at 3:05 pm ET and it will be televised.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 02: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of Team Venezuela poses for a photo during the Team Venezuela photo day at Cacti Park at the Palm Beaches on Monday, March 2, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Liles/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The World Baseball Classic starts this week, and the Colorado Rockies have 11 players representing various countries:
The Rockies will face off against Team USA in an exhibition game at Salt River Fields on Wednesday, and Kyle Freeland will face his former team.
So the question tonight is this: which team are you rooting for in the WBC? Who do you think could make some noise?
South Australia’s hopes of qualifying for the Sheffield Shield final has received a timely boost, with Australian superstar Travis Head confirming his availability for this week’s crucial clash against New South Wales in Adelaide.
The Chicago Blackhawks officially made their first notable move of trade deadline week, as they dealt defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers. This was after the right-shot defenseman was the subject of trade rumors for quite some time.
Yet, there is certainly a chance that the Blackhawks might not be done yet, as they have multiple other trade candidates to watch. Due to this, let's look at four Blackhawks who could be on the move next.
Jason Dickinson
Jason Dickinson is another veteran pending UFA who has a chance of being dealt by the deadline. With the Blackhawks having several promising young forwards in their system, it would make sense if they at least listened to offers on Dickinson. He could get them a decent return when noting that he is a solid veteran two-way center.
Ilya Mikheyev
Ilya Mikheyev is the pending UFA that the Blackhawks should be working hardest to sign to a contract extension. He has been a great addition to their roster since his arrival, as he has been a fantastic penalty-killer and has chipped in offensively. Yet, if the Blackhawks can't come to terms with him on an extension by the deadline, he could be a valuable trade chip for them to move.
Nick Foligno
If Nick Foligno lets the Blackhawks know that he wants to play for a contender, the veteran forward could end up being moved. At 38 years old, he likely will not have too many more chances to try to win the Stanley Cup, so it would be understandable if he wanted to play for a top team. However, if he wants to finish the year in Chicago, the Blackhawks won't be moving him.
Matt Grzelcyk
Grzelcyk is another pending UFA who could generate some interest from contenders. The Massachusetts native could be a nice addition to a playoff team's bottom pairing. He also has a lot of playoff experience due to his time with the Boston Bruins, so that adds to his appeal.
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Wins turned losses
As the calendar flipped to the first full month of the college baseball season, the Huskies ushered March in harshly, letting a series win — and not inconceivably, a sweep — fall through their fingertips this weekend.
UConn led late in all three games, held UNC Wilmington to just five runs through the first 28 innings of the weekend but secured just one win on Friday before blowing eighth-inning leads on both Saturday and Sunday to lose 2-1 and 7-2, respectively.
It was the kind of weekend that made Jim Penders say: “I don’t have any answers.”
Photo: UConn Athletics
Let’s recap…
Reigning Big East Pitcher of the Week Charlie West took the ball to start UConn’s lone win. He battled control issues as he walked six but limited the damage to two earned runs across four-plus innings thanks to nine strikeouts.
“(West) doesn’t get rattled, he kept competing,” Penders said postgame. “He didn’t have his command today, obviously, a lot of freebies from the mound. But he stayed in there, he kept battling. You want him out there because he has such a calm demeanor.”
Los Medanos transfer Chase Taylor followed up a solid weekend in Arizona with his first multi-RBI performance at the Division I level. The junior brought Chris Polemeni home with a bases-loaded walk in the second before doubling in the fourth, his first extra base hit of the season, to even the score at two runs apiece.
The score remained until the ninth when the Huskies plated three to jump out front. Nater Wachter recorded an RBI single, Bryce Detwiler scored on a wild pitch and Jackson Marshall pushed another across with a walk, giving UConn the lead and a pair of insurance runs heading to the ninth. Charlie Hale recorded the win, pitching 4 1/3 strong in relief of West, allowing just three baserunners and striking out four.
The Huskies late-inning heroics dried up by Saturday, however, as the Seahawks tied the series with a 2-1 walk off victory in the 12th.
The Huskies led 1-0 entering the eighth inning on the shoulders of Cayden Suchy, who twirled seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits. The lone RBI came courtesy of a Chris Cancel double, but the lead disappeared in Paxton Meyer’s first inning in relief. The righty allowed a single, a sac bunt to advance a runner, and a game-tying double.
Meyers settled in, retiring 11 hitters in a row until the fateful 12th inning. In three outings since allowing four earned in one inning to Kansas State, the Brown transfer has thrown 8 1/3 innings, allowing just the aforementioned earned run.
UConn served up the win on a gold platter in the 12th, botching a bunt play to all a walk-off. With a pair on, UNCW pinch hitter Brady Thompson laid a sacrifice bunt down in front of the pitcher’s mound. Third baseman Maddix Dalena charged in to field the ball, but checked to see if there was a potential play at third base. A rushed throw to first sailed into the outfield and Seahawks’ shortstop Kevin Jones trotted all the way around from second to score the winning run with ease.
From the seventh inning on, UConn managed a base runner in all but the 11th. Three times they were caught stealing, stranding all others in a disappearing act from the offense.
“The bats were abysmal,” Penders said. “Aside from Chris Polemeni, Chris Cancel… we didn’t do anything offensively.”
“Seemed like we saved our worst at-bats for whenever anybody was on second base,” he continued.
Sundaysaw the Huskies again blow a late-inning lead, allowing a six-run eighth-inning explosion as the Seahawks ripped away a 7-2 win and the series victory.
Despite the lopsided final score, UConn needed just six outs to lock down a would-be 2-1 win. A fourth inning home run from Will Tyrrell gave the Seahawks a 1-0 advantage, though Nater Wachter stole it back in the sixth with an opposite-field two-run home run, his second of the season.
A second-straight solid start for Oliver Pudvar also helped UConn’s cause. The left-hander went five innings as he fanned seven and allowed just one run to keep the Huskies within striking distance. Greg Shaw III gave UConn a pair of scoreless innings before turning the ball over to closer Sean Finn, who was quickly jumped by the Seahawks’ offense.
Finn lasted just 2/3 of an inning, completely losing sight of the strike zone as he allowed a slew of base runners, including four straight walks to end his day. Garret Garbinski came on, inheriting bases loaded, and allowed a barrage singles to blow the game open. Between the two UConn pitchers, seven straight Seahawks reached base in the deciding inning. Finn penciled four earned to his ledger before Garbinski recorded a strike out to put a bandaid on the lost frame.
An Anthony Belasario double was moot in the ninth as the Huskies never threatened a comeback, giving the win and the series away in one fell swoop. A 4-7 record hangs over UConn’s heads as it prepares to host its first home game of the season Wednesday.
“We had our best swings in the ninth inning after it was out of reach,” Penders said. “You can’t play this game afraid. I hope our hitters can take a lesson from our starting pitchers all weekend. See the confidence that they had… the anxiety is all over (the hitters’) faces. It’s oozing out of their bodies, and that’s gotta change. We don’t have a drill for that. We don’t have a pill for that. Twenty percent of the season is gone. There’s got to be a sense of urgency.”
Ouch.
Photo: UConn Athletics
Takeaways
The UConn lineup has been streaky and this weekend was without a doubt its worst of the young season. The Huskies swatted just .121 on the weekend while striking out 37 times. They were outscored by the Seahawks in the aggregate, 11-8.
Where UConn did find consistency was the defensive side of the ball. Save for the debilitating Dalena error in game two — a big exception — the Huskies played a clean weekend of defensive baseball. Dalena’s blunder was UConn’s lone error on the weekend and the team turned four double plays, including three on Sunday night.
While the Huskies struggled with batted balls, UConn earned 18 free passes, with 13 coming on walks and 5 on hit batsmen. It isn’t enough to make up for the high strikeout totals in each contest, but it does demonstrate some semblance of plate discipline.
Playing good fundamental baseball is laudable, but it doesn’t win ballgames.
Still, the Huskies are going to need more out of their role players in games where their bigger bats, such as Evan Menzel and Jackson Marshall, can’t get it done. On the weekend, Menzel and Dalena both went hitless across a combined 25 at bats, while Marshall recorded a singular hit in 12 at bats. The two left eight runners on base over the three-game set.
The injuries are hard to ignore. Tyler Minick, Connor Lane — Jim Penders confirmed he took a ball off the face during batting practice that will sideline him for the time being — and Rob Rispoli were all absent from the lineup this weekend. Perhaps their return could inject some life into a floundering offense.
Weekend Winners
Chris Polemeni and Chris Cancel
Polemeni finds himself on the list for the second-straight week and did plenty to earn that honor. Hitting .625 this weekend, the outfielder gave the Huskies five hits, including a three-knock performance on Sunday.
The redshirt junior could not sit still on base. He went an aggressive 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts, wreaking havoc on the base paths for the Huskies and scoring four of UConn’s 8 runs. A slight knock for his lone caught stealing in the seventh inning of Saturday’s loss when an insurance run could have prevented the 12th-inning meltdown.
“Chris Polemeni had an awesome weekend. Really proud of him,” Penders said. “Chris Cancel, a guy who didn’t have a single at-bat coming into the weekend, he looked like he wanted to be out there… both Chris’ had nice weekends.”
Cayden Suchy
Suchy once again shined against the Seahawks. With seven shutout innings, it was his first scoreless appearance of the season and his longest. He also threw nine less pitches than in his 6 2/3 inning start against Arizona. Not only are the results improving, but he is becoming more efficient in achieving them.
The sophomore also posted a career-high 12 strikeouts against just one walk. Suchy has pitched well enough to be considered an early season Big East Pitcher of the Year candidate.
Nater Wachter
Wachter had his best weekend as a Husky. The outfielder posted a pair of multi-hit games and provided three RBI over the course of the weekend.
The junior notched a pair of clutch hits, driving in the go-ahead run in Game 1 and homering in the middle innings of Game 3 to give the Huskies their only lead of the day.
Charlie Hale
Hale was exceptional once again in relief on Friday. After West departed, Hale picked up the final 4 ⅔ innings and allowed just one hit and a pair of walks in his second scoreless outing of the season and second win.
Over four appearances and one start, the right hander has now worked to a minuscule 1.23 ERA.
“Hale did an awesome job. He loves to compete and he’s fun to watch,” Penders said. “He doesn’t light up the radar gun (but) it doesn’t matter. He’s gonna take on the hitter and throw a lot of strikes and kind of calm the waters a bit.”
Oliver Pudvar
Pudvar has picked up steam with each start. What stuck out for Pudvar in this one was his seven strikeouts. After punching out just three in each of his first two starts, the lefty showed renewed swing-and-miss potential for the first time this season while also keeping the walk total low. It seems the lefty is back to business, having struck out 73 last season, good for the second-best total.
The redshirt junior walked just one in the outing after allowing no free passes in his second start. That combination of limiting contact and emphasizing control could be dangerous if he shows that he can demonstrate it consistently. Pudvar can shine in a late-weekend starting role after he was relied upon so heavily last season to be an ace.
Huskies in the Pros
In the absence of any RPI or Bracketology updates, we will use this space this week to highlight a few former UConn ballplayers continuing their careers throughout different levels of professional ball.
George Springer
The greatest position player in UConn baseball history is still getting it done late in his illustrious MLB career. Springer had a monstrous season last year at age 35, hitting .309 with 32 homers as the Blue Jays advanced as far as Game 7 of the World Series. Entering the final season of a six-year, $160 million contract he signed prior to the 2021 season, Springer has appeared in just two games of spring training as he ramps up for the new year.
Ben Casparius
On the other side of the World Series was Ben Casparius, who appeared in 46 games for the Dodgers last year, recording over 75 innings with an ERA a touch over 4.50. In two innings thus far this spring, he’s allowed one home run, his lone baserunner. The two-time World Series champ should be a mainstay in Los Angeles’ bullpen as it eyes its third-straight title.
P.J. Poulin
Poulin made his MLB debut last year and appeared in 28 games for the Nationals in the second half. The southpaw recorded a 3.65 ERA, striking out 27 and walking 13 in 24 2/3 innings. His spring is off to a good start as he hopes to remain a fixture of Washington’s bullpen in 2026, pitching three scoreless innings.
Anthony Kay
After two seasons in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars, Kay returned stateside to join the White Sox on a two-year, $12 million deal, signed in December. The lefty last appeared in the MLB in 2023 with the Mets and aims to slot in at the back of Chicago’s rotation. In two starts this spring, Kay had pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two earned with four strikeouts and four walks apiece.
Ryan Daniels
The Twins plucked Daniels from UConn in the MLB draft and quickly sent the 2025 Big East Player of the Year to Single-A ball. He played just two games for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, failing to record a hit in nine plate appearances. Daniels landed on the injury report multiple times before retiring in December of 2025, according to MILB.com’s Mighty Mussels transaction report.
Ian Cooke
Cooke joined the MLB Draft League following his final season in Storrs, looking to boost his stock after going undrafted in 2025. The righty appeared in 14 games for the Frederick Keys, going 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA across 19 innings, striking out 33. The 2026 MLB Draft League season is set to get underway in June.
Brady Afthim
The Reds took Afthim in the 13th round of last summer’s draft, assigning him to rookie ball with the ACL Reds in August. Less than a month later, he was promoted to Class A’s Daytona Tortugas of the FSL. The closer had just a quick cup of coffee, two innings pitched, before the season’s end, but he is still listed as active on MiLB.com, presumably in Reds minor league camp ahead of the 2026 season.
Sam Biller
Biller signed with the Mets as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 season. He played six games with the Single-A affiliate St. Lucie Mets, recording 4 hits in 17 at-bats (.235 AVG) with one double, one RBI and three walks. Biller was released by the Mets last month.
On Deck
The Huskies take the field at Elliot Stadium for the first time since May 17, when they hosted former Black Bear turned UConn infielder Evan Menzel and Maine in a 5-1 win. New Haven, playing their first season as a Division I program, will make the short trip before the Huskies head to Virginia for three with Old Dominion.
Wednesday: vs. New Haven, Storrs, CT, 7 p.m. (UCONN+)
Friday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
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Team USA manager Mark DeRosa has set his rotation for the World Baseball Classic.
It won’t be either of the reigning Cy Young award winners taking the ball in the pool play opener on Friday night in Houston against Team Brazil, rather Giants ace Logan Webb.
Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes will then go back-to-back in Games 2 and 3, respectively.
Mets young right-hander Nolan McLean is currently penciled in to follow them as the starter in the pool play finale against the Italians, but it remains to be seen if he will be ready.
McLean was expected to join the club in Arizona for Monday’s team workout session, but he instead remains with the Mets as he fights through an illness, per NY Post's Joel Sherman.
DeRosa still doesn’t know if he’ll have to readjust things ahead of the March 10th meeting.
“We’ll reassess that day-to-day,” he told reporters including ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
If USA is able to advance past pool play, Skenes, Webb, and McLean have already said they'll make two appearances.
Skubal, on the other hand, is only expected to pitch once.
It also remains to be seen exactly how Clay Holmes will be used as well, as the Mets stretched him out to four-ups and 60 pitches in his second start of the spring on Sunday.
