FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Minnesota Twins suffered a major setback during their first full-squad workout, an elbow injury that likely will sideline ace Pablo López for the entire season.
General manager Jeremy Zoll told reporters at the club’s spring training facility on Tuesday that López has a “significant tear” in his right ulnar collateral ligament. He was seeking a second medical opinion but expected to need Tommy John surgery, Zoll said. López ended his bullpen session early on Monday after experiencing soreness in his throwing elbow.
The team’s opening day starter in each of the last three years, López was grappling with a double disappointment with the probable loss of not only the upcoming major league season but the World Baseball Classic next month, when he was scheduled to pitch for his native Venezuela.
“I already feel I’m letting a lot of people down,” said López, who was limited to 75 2/3 innings last year because of injuries. “I’m letting myself down. I’m letting the Twins down. I’m letting my family down.”
López, who turns 30 on March 7, is making $21.75 million this season. He is signed through next year.
“We know injuries are part of the game. You’re always trying to get through spring training as healthy as possible,” Zoll said. “It’s definitely a blow, but we’re going to just do the best we can to push forward.”
López made his major league debut with the Miami Marlins in 2018 and spent five seasons with them before being traded to the Twins. López made the All-Star team in his first year with the Twins and helped the franchise end an all-time record 18-game postseason losing streak for North American professional sports, going 2-0 with an 0.71 ERA in two starts in the 2023 playoffs.
When López was in the Seattle Mariners organization, he had Tommy John surgery that kept him out of the 2014 minor league season.
“We’re not designed to throw things that hard for an extended time,” López told reporters at the Lee Health Sports Complex. “Having done it once, I can do it again. Doesn’t mean I want to, but I’m going to have to and I know I can.”
López missed about three months last season with a shoulder injury. As the Twins were slashing payroll, he was mentioned often as a prime trade candidate, but the front office opted to keep him and right-hander Joe Ryan at the front of what was expected to be a strong rotation.
Now the Twins are missing their most important piece, with Ryan, an All-Star in 2025, now the ace and right-hander Bailey Ober under pressure to bounce back and be a reliable No. 2 starter.
Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews and David Festa are all 25-year-old right-handers who have combined to make 98 starts over the past two seasons, with at least one or two of them likely to make the opening rotation. Taj Bradley and Mick Abel were acquired in the flurry of trades during the week leading up to the deadline last summer and also are firmly in the mix.
“In a lot of ways, we view this as a real opportunity for someone to step up and take advantage of that,” Zoll said. “We’ll pick up the pieces once we have a better handle on things.”
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 7: Jason Flores #4 of the Texas Longhorns poses for a portrait on Texas baseball media day on January 7, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
After a weekend sweep of the UC-Davis Aggies, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns are back at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday to host the Lamar Cardinals looking to extend their series winning streak to six games.
Led by longtime head coach Will Davis, now in his ninth season with the Cardinals, Lamar enters Tuesday’s game at 2-1 on the season following a home series win over Oakland on opening weekend, missing a chance at a sweep because a 3-2 loss in 10 innings on Sunday.
Shortstop AJ Taylor is off to a hot start for the Cardinals at the plate, hitting .444 with two doubles against Oakland while second baseman Beau Durbin and center fielder Tab Tracy came up clutch with five RBI apiece.
The Lamar pitching staff held Oakland to a .204 batting average, but behind the plate Texas State transfer catch Theo Kummer had some issues controlling the base paths, allowing the Golden Grizzlies to steal five bases without throwing a runner out. And despite the poor batting average, Oakland recorded the only two home runs of the series.
Senior right-hander Blayne Fritcher, a reliever at McNeese last year, will receive the start for Lamar.
For Texas, sophomore right-hander Jason Flores is set to make the sixth start of his career after going 4-2 with a 2.78 ERA while holding opponents to a .205 batting average last season. Schlossnagle praised Flores’ maturation during the offseason, which helped him win a stiff competition to open the season as the midweek starter.
Schlossnagle and pitching coach Max Weiner also want to get a look at a number of young arms out of the bullpen on Tuesday with freshmen right-handers Brett Crossland, Sam Cozart, and Brody Walls all expected to make their collegiate debuts after strong starting pitching to only use five relievers in the weekend sweep of UC-Davis.
The Longhorns want to get some players going at the plate, too, like junior catcher Carson Tinney, who was able to draw seven walks, but only had one hit in six at bats. While Schlossnagle appreciates Tinney’s ability to work deep in counts, he also wants the powerful Notre Dame transfer to be more aggressive attacking early strikes.
“He’s a good baseball player, and the hitting stuff is going to come around,” Schlossnagle said on Monday. “He’s going to constantly be earmarked as the guy that has to be pitched to in a certain way and pitched to carefully, which is why we need somebody around him to maybe even get some pitches to hit.”
In the weekend batting order, that player was junior first baseman Casey Borba, who has started the season 2-for-11 (.182) because he’s narrowly missed multiple home runs that were pulled foul and had another big swing that resulted in a ball hit well to center field that he just got under.
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 18: Zack Gelof #20 of the Athletics catches the ball during the game between the Athletics and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Thursday, September 18, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Natalie Reid/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Looking to give him more chances to play, the A’s are reportedly set to get second baseman Zack Gelof some time on the grass this spring in an effort to boost his versatility.
Which makes sense! Offseason acquisition Jeff McNeil looks like he’ll be getting the majority of the reps at second base (with an occasional appearance at third in the cards as well). That means unless Gelof is hoping for an injury, he’s not going to be lining up at his primary position anytime soon.
In the majors second base is the only position Gelof has played. He did begin his professional career as a third baseman so he has some experience there in the minor leagues. While the A’s are still unsettled at the hot corner he hasn’t gotten meaningful playing time at the position since ‘22.
Getting him some reps at the hot corner this spring seemed like a no-brainer entering camp but the A’s are apparently thinking bigger than that. With the recent departure of Max Schuemann the A’s don’t have a super-utility player on their roster. If the A’s can add some outfield (namely center field) to Gelof’s bag of tools that makes the Athletics’ roster all the more flexible. It’d also add another layer of security in case a younger guy like Colby Thomas, Carlos Cortes or Junior Perez isn’t ready for a part-time role.
Several players have made a successful conversion from the dirt to the grass in recent years, most recently the Padres’ Jackson Merrill (formerly a shortstop, now an elite center fielder) and our very own Tyler Soderstrom (once a catcher, then a first baseman, now a Gold Glove finalist in left field). The Diamondbacks are attempting a position switch with their own prized infield prospect as well, getting shortstop Jordan Lawler reps in center field this spring. Lawler and Merrill are fast guys but Gelof’s no slouch himself, swiping 25 bags just two years ago.
The transition that Gelof is going to attempt to make has been done in the past, and Gelof is enough of an athlete that he should be able to handle himself decently well as he gets used to an unfamiliar position. How well he hits will be the ultimate factor in how long he holds a roster spot but adding more positions other than second base can only help boost his value to the club this coming season.
So how do you guys think the Gelof-to-the-outfield experiment will work? Discuss and debate below in the comments!
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies covers as Addison Barger #47 of the Toronto Blue Jays runs to first base on a pick off attempt during the second inning of a spring training game at BayCare Ballpark on March 17, 2025 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Something vaguely resembling a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game will occur on Saturday. Until then, we’re in grainy cell phone video of batting practice land. I’ve actually never been to the Jays’ spring training home in in Dunedin (the Cactus League in and around Phoenix is much more accessible from here in Calgary), but I know a lot of our commenters have and I’m sure a few are planning to check it out this year.
Given that, I thought today I’d open things up for a bit of an advice thread. For those of you who’ve gone down to Florida, do you have any advice about where to stay, what to eat, where to sit in the stadium? And anybody considering going down this spring, what would help you to plan your trip? Let’s try to share some info and make sure anyone flying down this year has as much fun as possible.
Tim Neverett and Rick Monday call a Dodgers spring training game for SportsNet LA on February 20, 2025.
The Dodgers on Tuesday announced the broadcast schedule for spring training, with 29 of 31 exhibition games televised by SportsNet LA, plus an extra game that serves as a tuneup for the World Baseball Classic.
The only two Cactus League games not televised by SportsNet LA are on split-squad days. On Saturday, February 28, the Dodgers will televise their game against the Cubs at Camelback Ranch, while their game in Surprise against the Rangers won’t be televised. Same for Sunday, March 15, with the home game against the Rangers on TV locally, but their road game in Mesa against the Cubs not on SportsNet LA. That March 15 Dodgers-Cubs game will be televised by the Marquee Sports Network, which means that Cubs broadcast will be available to watch on MLBtv.
SportsNet LA will also televise the Dodgers’ exhibition game on Wednesday, March 4 against Team Mexico in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.
Tim Neverett and Rick Monday are back for the television call for the Dodgers games in Arizona. For the exhibition Freeway Series against the Angels from March 22-24 in Southern California, Stephen Nelson will call play-by-play for SportsNet LA.
Radio broadcast details have not yet been announced.
Sep 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
In 2025 the starting pitching was a bright spot for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with 2025 CY young winner Paul Skenes being the headliner and with young pitchers looking to make an impact, the starting pitching could be a force again in 2026.
Skenes is coming off a really strong 2025 season, finishing with a 10-10 record, a 1.97 ERA which led the league, 216 strikeouts, and a 0.95 WHIP over 32 starts (187.2 innings). He also set the franchise record for strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher. The Cy Young winner will be the face of Pittsburgh’s starting rotation and the clear top guy. The ace is going into his third season with the Buccos with a lot of people expecting him to continue his dominance and to continue to prove that he is one of if not the best pitcher in the league right now.
There is also Mitch Keller who is looking like he is going to be the second guy after Skenes in the rotation. Keller posted a 6-15 record, but that is deceiving. The right-handed pitcher had 4.19 ERA and 150 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.26. Those aren’t terrible stats for Keller, as he struggled with getting run support in his starts. Now those stats don’t match up to what he did in his breakout 2023 season, where he went 13-9 and had 210 strikeouts. Now Keller’s name has been thrown around in trade rumors, but nothing came from that, so expect him to be a big part of this team to start the season.
Another young pitcher who has a clear path to a rotation spot is Bubba Chandler. Chandler is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball right now. He had a 4.05 ERA with a 27.4% strikeout rate, 0.72 HR/9, and 12% walk rate at Triple-A Indianapolis last season. The Pirates called him up towards the end of last season but in a reliever role where he threw for 31.1 innings and had a 4.02 ERA with 31 strikeouts and 1 save. The young prospect is expected to be thrown into a starting role this year instead of a relief role, and he is expected to make a serious impact with Keller and Skenes.
Braxton Ashcraft will look to build upon a strong rookie season last year. The 26-year-old took the mound 26 times with eight starts and went 4-4 with a 2.71 ERA in 69.2 innings. Ashcraft will likely receive an extended workload and be the fourth or third guy in the starting rotation. Although the Pirates will need to be cautious given his injury history.
Right now it looks like the final spot in the rotation will go to either Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington, José Urquidy or Mike Clevinger. Barco is a top 100 prospect who made his debut at the end of the season, where he played 2 games, struck out 3 and got a win. Harrington also made his debut last season, but he struggled, allowing 15 runs and 18 hits in three games pitched, but is still considered a quality prospect with a lot of potential.
Urquidy recently agreed to a one-year deal. The veteran has had some injuries in the past but was a really solid pitcher early in his career, and him now being healthy should be a good pickup for Pittsburgh. Clevinger joined the club as a non-roster invitee with him being a younger player there is a lot of potential surrounding him as well.
Jared Jones is also expected to be back for Pittsburgh a little later in the season, as he is recovering for his injury. Jones missed the entire 2025 season but put up a solid number in 2024 with a 6-8 record. He also had a 4.14 ERA, with 132 Strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.19.
To start the season, I think the starting pitching rotation will be Skenes, Keller, Chandler, Ashcraft and Urquidy. Which is going to be a dangerous rotation and arguably the best rotation in the National League Central.
With a healthy Jared Jones, Pittsburgh is expected to have one of the top starting pitching rotations for the 2026 season. Overall, the starting rotation looks like it will once again be a huge strength of the team.
JUPITER, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Harry Ford #17 of the Washington Nationals is seen in the bullpen during Spring Training workout day at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday, February 12, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Lucas Casel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Yesterday, Fangraphs released their top 100 prospect rankings. It is always interesting to see their rankings because they are not afraid to go against the grain. Eric Longenhagen always does a great job over there. At least when it came to Nats prospects, there were not any massive surprises. Eli Willits was ranked as the 15th prospect, Jarlin Susana was 29th, Harry Ford was 74th and Travis Sykora was one of the next 10 at 109th.
I wanted to dive into his rankings and talk a bit about his writeups as well. Before I get started though, I wanted to mention that Longenhagen’s praise of number one prospect Konnor Griffin was unlike anything I have ever seen from him before. He said that Paul Skenes could be the Pirates second best player before too long and Griffin could leave a legacy like Mean Joe Greene in Pittsburgh if he sticks around. High praise from a publication that is usually on the conservative side when ranking prospects.
Back to the Nats, Eli Willits was unsurprisingly the team’s top prospect according to Fangraphs. He was the number one overall pick in the 2025 draft and had a very impressive pro debut as a 17 year old.
Longenhagen gave Willits 60 grades for his hit tool, his defense and his running. That is a very strong foundation to build on. Despite Willits not hitting for power in his pro debut, Fangraphs still projects him to have fringe average power. Longenhagen said it is easy to project that Willits will add strength to his frame. Based on the photos we have seen this spring, it looks like he has already done that.
However, Longenhagen also does not want Willits to get too big because his fluidity is a big part of his game. Interestingly, he said that Willits’ swing reminds him of Colt Emerson’s coming out of the draft. Now, Emerson is Fangraphs 11th ranked prospect and is the shortstop of the future for the Mariners. Willits is the highest ranked player from the 2025 class, and 32 spots ahead of Ethan Holliday.
Fangraphs and Longenhagen have been high on Jarlin Susana for years now. With that in mind, it is not surprising to see him rank 29th on their list. Logenhagen just can’t quit Susana’s off the charts stuff. Even with control questions and an injury that will keep him out until midseason, Susana is still in the top 30.
He has always gushed about Susana’s slider. In this write-up, he called it one of the nastiest pitches on the planet. Longenhagen compared it to Brad Lidge’s slider, only Susana’s is harder. He gave the pitch an 80 grade. Here is a look at that slider in action against a stacked Double-A Erie lineup.
13 STRIKEOUTS for Jarlin Susana in just 5.0 innings of work (2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB) 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/VH3viG25Xj
— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) August 20, 2025
While Fangraphs views the slider as Susana’s best pitch, let’s not forget that this guy sits at 100 MPH. He can even touch 104 MPH on the heater. Before Susana got hurt last year, the command was showing signs of improvement. If that is even average, Susana can be an ace.
As long as he is healthy, the worst case for Susana seems to be him becoming a lights out bullpen arm. The fastball-slider combination is reminiscent of Mason Miller. I would love for Susana to be a starter, but a dominant closer is not a bad contingency plan.
Harry Ford is the only prospect the Nats acquired this offseason in Fangraphs top 100, and he ranks 75th. The Nats picked him up from the Mariners in exchange for Jose A. Ferrer. Ford has been known for a long time, but was blocked in Seattle due to Cal Raleigh.
Longenhagen gave all five of Ford’s tools an average grade. However, he noted that Ford’s excellent plate discipline could allow his average power and hitting ability to play up. Some scouts are low on Ford’s defense, but Fangraphs projects it to become average.
They noted that Ford has slowly but steadily improved his defensive game over the years. His framing went from bad to mediocre. He has also gotten better controlling the running game over the years. Ford’s athletic ability has always made him very good at things like popping out of his stance for dribblers and other quick reaction plays. He also totally eliminated his passed ball problem.
Overall, Fangraphs views Ford as a solid prospect, but not an elite one. They think he is a very smart pickup for the Nats and has a good shot of being a quality starting catcher. However, the lack of a clear above average tool does worry them a bit.
While Travis Sykora is not in the top 100, Fangraphs did rank an additional 10 prospects and had him at 109th. If not for the Tommy John Surgery that will cost him this season, Sykora would have likely been a top 50 prospect. He is already on the road to recovery though and has started doing some light throwing this spring.
Longenhagen’s assessment of Sykora was pretty glowing. He mentioned that Sykora’s velocity was up from 2024 to 2025. That was probably due to him feeling better after his hip surgery in the 2024 offseason. He was averaging 96 MPH on his heater and could run it up to triple digits.
Fangraphs sees Sykora as a complete pitcher, not just a flamethrower. They project his slider and splitter to be plus pitches. Also, they gave his command an above average projection. Sykora’s funky release traits, feel for pitching and raw power just overwhelmed lower level hitters.
Longenhagen also described Sykora as an articulate kid who wants to know the ‘why’ not just the what. That mental game could help Sykora reach that top of the rotation upside once he gets back on the mound.
Based on the writeup, Sykora seems like a prospect you can fast-track once he gets back from injury, assuming the health checks out. He already has a coherent arsenal, top tier velocity and a feel for pitching. At the end, he noted this injury could be a blessing in disguise for the Nats because Sykora’s service time window will now line up perfectly with the Nats new contention window.
Gavin Fien did not make the list, which was not overly surprising to me. Longenhagen really values swing mechanics, and Fien does not have the cleanest looking swing. However, if Fien performs to start the year, he will force his way on to the list.
The Nats are a farm system on the rise, and I think Fangraphs is starting to realize that. Right now the Nats may only have three players in the top 100. However, I think there could be double the number next year.
Daytona Tortugas infielder Ricardo Cabrera gives a thumbs-up, as players arrive at Jackie Robinson Ballpark and get settled in the clubhouse, Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
Voting for the final spot in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings was neck and neck, with both Ricky Cabrera and Mason Neville, at times, leading the voting. But when the clock expired at the arbitrary time that I enforced, it was Cabrera who was six votes ahead for spot #20 on the list.
A quick glance at the back of Cabrera’s baseball card would make the casual observer wonder what the heck he’d done to earn that ranking. His 2025 season was a nightmare as he hit just .187/.276/.240 in 21 games with High-A Dayton before a knee injury ended his season. However, he’s not too far removed from a 2024 campaign that saw him rank among the Top 10 in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League in homers (11, 9th), doubles (22, t-4th), and hits (102, 3rd), and he did that while being both just 19 years old and swiping 19 bags, too.
April in Dayton in 2025 was also his first stint playing baseball in cold weather, the Venezuela native having spend his pro career prior to that in the Dominican Summer League, Arizona Complex League, and with Daytona down in Florida. In other words, he didn’t even stay healthy long enough for the weather to turn into a more friendly environment.
He’s got potential plus power and potential plus speed, or at least he did prior to the knee injury. The excuses, though, are probably going to need to stop in 2026 as his play will need to catch up with the immense talent that he possesses. If it does, though, there’s still a very real chance that Cabrera can evolve into a bat-first 3B with enough talent to get to the bigs.
He’s the #20 prospect in this year’s CPR, earning the final spot on the list.
This week, Jake, Gabe, and Scott talk to one of the last remaining beat writers left covering the St. Louis Cardinals. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat (@jmjones) is currently in Jupiter, Florida, obtaining minute-by-minute accounts of players as they prepare for the 2026 MLB season.
We cover topics like Jeff’s recent story about 6 Cardinals players getting engaged this offseason as a Valentine’s Day relevant topic, the Cardinals’ spring battles, and how Jeff sees certain areas of the roster shaking out, Chaim Bloom’s first offseason leading the Cardinals, and the current state of local news coverage and what the future might look like for coverage.
Next week, we will be joined by a pair of new guests: Nate Heininger and Ben Smorka of the “Talking About Birds” podcast. If you have never heard of or listened to their show, they are cousins who combine comedy and everyday topics with Cardinals baseball and even play fun games at the end of their episodes, usually involving some sort of trivia or cheesy idea Nate has concocted that is making Ben shake his head in frustration or disbelief. They’re a very Abbot and Costello-style comedy duo that also combines analytics and Cardinals baseball, and they will join us next week.
North Carolina Pitcher Folger Boaz (36) winds up for the pitch against Arizona in the Super Regionals held in Chapel Hill on June 7, 2025. The North Carolina Tarheels and the Arizona Wildcats met in game two of the NCAA Division 1 Super Regionals in Chapel Hill, N.C. on June 7, 2025. | Steven Worthy / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
For the third year running, Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels opened their season with a sweep at Boshamer Stadium, this one coming against Indiana. Each game was different from the rest, and we got a pretty good look at a lot of the guys, new and old, who are going to feature heavily for this team as the season continues.
The Friday game followed a pretty familiar script to UNC fans who watched a lot of last season. For four and a half innings, both starting pitchers stymied the opposing lineups. Jason DeCaro went 5.0 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and walking 3 while striking out 7. His counterpart, Tony Neubeck, threw 4 scoreless innings, with just one hit and 3 walks to 2 strikeouts. He was pulled after 62 pitches and UNC jumped on his replacement, Reagan Rivera. In the fifth, the Heels got 3 of the first 4 men on base via two singles and a walk before a Jake Schaffner sac fly opened the scoring and a Gavin Gallaher triple on the next at-bat brought in two more runs. Indiana scratched back with a two-run 6th against Caden Glauber, who came in to replace DeCaro. Glauber is a freshman that Forbes has been talking about as somebody who will contribute a lot of innings this year like Ryan Lynch and Walker McDuffie did last year, but he didn’t have as auspicious a debut as either. He showed some real stuff, running the fastball up to 96 with good movement, but struggled to throw strikes. He walked the bases full around two outs before giving up a 2-run single. After Walker McDuffie recorded the 3rd out of the inning, the Heels struck back, putting together a 6-spot in the bottom of the sixth that put the game away. It started by taking advantages of some Indiana mistakes before extra-base hits from Tyler Howe, Colin Hynek, and Jake Schaffner finished the job, making the score 9-2.
From there, the big story was Boston Flannery, who came in to begin the 7th. The highly-recruited Flannery had thrown just 6 innings the last two years and had struggled to throw strikes in all his previous appearances, but there had been talk out of the program that he had turned a corner and was ready to be a contributor. Indeed, he looked by far the best he ever has in Tar Heel blue. He finished with a line of 2.1 IP, 2 K, 2 BB, and 0 ER, though Indiana did get across two runs in the 9th thanks to an error in the field.
The other two games were played as a doubleheader on Saturday, and they were wildly different both from Friday’s game and from each other. The first started with a little more action than Friday’s, with Jake Schaffner leading off for UNC with a single, stealing second, and eventually coming around to score on an Erik Paulsen single. On the other side, Folger Boaz looked nigh unhittable for 2 innings before giving up an equalizing run in the 3rd via a hit batter and a double. He bounced back, though, and ended with a line of 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 hits, 6 K, 2 BB, and one hit batter. The Heels again took the lead in the 5th via an Erik Paulsen 3-run home run, the Heels’ first of the year, and again sealed it with a six-run 6th that featured runs coming in via HBP, walk, and fielding error. A Rom Kellis double and another error in the field for the Hoosiers in the 7th were enough to give UNC a run-rule victory, 12-2.
Indiana finally took a lead in the first inning of the second leg, getting a couple of singles off Ryan Lynch and manufacturing a run. It didn’t last very long, as the Heels got one back in the 2nd on a Tyler Howe single. That could have been a bigger inning, as the Heels had the bases loaded with one out, but failed to capitalize in what was a microcosm of the game for UNC. Lynch settled in and spun a pretty similar start to his fellow starters: 5 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 6 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, but his offense didn’t give him any run support, stranding runners nearly every inning. Glauber got another opportunity after Lynch and got out of the 6th quickly before getting in trouble again in the 7th with two 2-out walks. That high-leverage situation got us our first look at Matthew Matthijs since his season-ending injury last year, and he induced a ground ball that should have ended the inning if not for a throwing error from Schaffner. The Hoosiers made good on their lifeline with a 2-run single that gave them a 3-1 lead before Matthijs got out of the inning. He retired the next 6 batters he faced, giving his team a chance, and after a 1-2-3 8th, the Heels got the first 2 batters on in the 9th. Owen Hull nearly walked it off with a fly ball to center, but Boshamer Stadium just held it in, and Macon Winslow hit a soft fly ball to short, putting the pressure on pinch hitter Lee Sowers to bring his teammates home. What happened next, well…
After the way last season ended, I’m sure UNC fans are more than sympathetic to something like this. UNC tied the game on that error but couldn’t scratch the last run over, and the game went to extras. The Heels shut down the Hoosiers in the 10th and loaded the bases with 2 outs, but couldn’t get over the hump, then retired Indiana in short order again in the 11th. Macon Winslow came up to lead off the bottom of the inning and walked it off with a homer off the scoreboard, his first as a Tar Heel. The Heels finished the game having stranded 15 runners and batting 2/17 with runners in scoring position, but they did end up with the sweep. I suppose it’s good that they already had the series won, so that botched throw to first doesn’t end up meaning too much for either team in the bigger picture.
UNC plays two midweek games for each of their first three weeks of the schedule. This week, they’ll host Richmond on Tuesday and Longwood on Wednesday before their yearly home/neutral/away series against ECU this upcoming weekend. Kyle Percival, who did not throw against Indiana, will start Tuesday’s game, while Wednesday’s starter has not yet been announced.
Batting Leaders (among players with 2 PA/game and 75% of games played)
Batting Average: C/DH Colin Hynek, .500
On-Base Percentage: Hynek, .615
Slugging Percentage: Hynek, .800
Home Runs: C/DH Macon Winslow and 1B Erik Paulsen, 1
Runs Batted In: Paulsen, 5
Hits: Hynek and SS Jake Schaffner, 5
Runs: Winslow and 3B Cooper Nicholson, 4
Stolen Bases: Hynek and Schaffner, 1
Pitching Leaders (in the future, this will be among players with 1 IP/game; for now, I’ll set the line at 2 IP)
ERA: Jason DeCaro, Boston Flannery, and Matthew Matthijs, 0.00
Strikeouts: DeCaro, 7
Innings Pitched: DeCaro, Folger Boaz, and Ryan Lynch, 5.0
Wins: DeCaro and Boaz, 1
Saves: none
Batting Average Against: Matthijs and Flannery, .111
Jeff “Doc” Holliday at his first St. Louis Cardinals game in the early 1970’s. | Photo, Doc Holliday
Busch Stadium is one of the anchors of my childhood. My family was never able to be a part of any playoff or World Series games, but there are still several moments that have stuck with me for decades.
When you talk about Busch Stadium, you have to be specific about which one you’re talking about. Many refer to Busch Stadium I which really was Sportsman’s Park that was renamed in 1953 when Anheuser-Busch bought the park. Busch Stadium II opened in 1966 and was a multi-purpose stadium until it was demolished for the stadium the St. Louis Cardinals have now which is Busch Stadium III.
I’ll kick this off with the first game I ever attended which was in the early 1970’s in Busch Stadium II. The Cardinals were playing the Montreal Expos and the team had a signing session before the game with Al Hrabosky who was the Cardinals closer at the time. I was blown away when I walked up to the table where Al was sitting and he called me “Jeff” (my real first name) and then signed an autograph for me. I wondered how Al could have known my name and didn’t remember I was wearing my St. Louis Cardinals t-shirt at the time that had my name on it. Duh.
My other major Busch Stadium II memory was in 1998 when my friends and I were sitting on the first base side of the field seats when Mark McGwire was kicked out of the game during an August game against the Braves. That was the game when fans littered the field with food and anything not tied down in protest. Thanks again for that moment, rookie umpire Sam Holbrook. I was also in the left field stands a day before McGwire hit home run number 60 with a glove on my hand, but nothing to show for it.
The last St. Louis Cardinals game I attended was on Nolan Arenado Bobblehead Day in April of 2022 which was ironic since that was the game when Nolan chose to serve his suspension for his role in a bench-clearing brawl against the Mets. I don’t have any great memories of that day as we got smoked by the Arizona Diamondbacks although Miles Mikolas pitched a great game. The player that subbed for Nolan at third base that game was a guy I had never heard of previously – Brendan Donovan. I remember Donovan made an error that day, but Harrison Bader made an epic sliding catch in center.
What are your most memorable days at Busch Stadium? I can’t wait to hear your stories.
Today we look atthe Cubs young second baseman, who is in the utility infielder derby this spring.
23-year-old James Douglas Triantos has dealt with high expectations since he was drafted by the Cubs in the second round in 2021, and had some immediate success, hitting .327 in the Rookie League and following that up with a .272/.335/.386 campaign in A ball and moving up smoothly through the various minor leagues, ending up in Triple-A last year, where his numbers were a little down. Still, he boasts a lifetime .282/.341/.405 line for his MiLB career so far, with a good number of doubles accounting for his SLG. He’s going to be a 10-15 homer man in MLB if he plays full-time, but his power is probably going to project further.
He’s not likely to average .258 in Triple A this year. He’s a better player than that.
His glove is decent. Good but not great, for sure. Perfectly adequate. He can swipe some bags. He doesn’t make many errors. His tools are good enough that he has played a bit of LF/CF, a lot of third base, and a bit of shortstop.
He’s been a Top 100 prospect for a good bit, though he was off the list this year based on the substandard 2025 results. But writers seem to think he just needs time before he’s a major-league player.
He seems a likable young man with a good eye for a fastball. The Cubs put him on the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, so the organization clearly values the player. 2027 might be the year he breaks into The Show. 95 probably won’t be his number then.
Feb 17, 2026; Dunedin, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) talks with manager John Schneider (14) during spring training at Bobby Mattick Training Center at Englebert Complex. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
There isn’t a lot of news coming out of the Jays camp yet.
The first spring game is this Saturday, 1:00 Eastern, against the Phillies. We get a lot of games with the Phillies, as their spring home is about a 15-minute drive from Dunedin.
The big baseball news is that Tony Clark is resigning as the executive director MLB Players Association. There are allegations that he has been pocketing licensing money, which some people frown upon. The US Department of Justice is investigating him. The timing isn’t good as MLB and the Players are starting long negotiations for the next CBA (which sounds very likely to cost us some baseball in 2027).
John Schneider had a speech for his players at the start of camp:
Schneider told the press that Vlad will be more of a leader now that Bo is gone. That sounds silly to me. I guess you have to talk to the press a lot, and you are going to say some silly stuff. The good part is that the team has a number of good leaders on the team. I’d think that George Springer and Kevin Gausman are as much leaders as anyone on the team.
Shi Davidi tells us that the Jays were looking to add more strikeouts to their pitching staff and that Ponce and Cease will do that, as well as having Bieber for a full (ish) season. We were sixth in the majors in strikeouts last year, but adding Ponce, Cease, and having Yesavage for the season could push them to the top of the strikeout leaderboard
I like this quote:
“They’re funny, man, both of them,” Gausman said of Ponce and Cease. “They’re both weird and I think the best pitchers in the game are a little weird.”
If you want to see Kazuma Okamoto (who told reporters that he was very serious and very manly), Keegan Mathson posted some video:
It looked like Kazuma Okamoto took Cody Ponce deep to left field.
Some debate behind the screen. George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were lobbying for the home run. Okamoto called it foul. #BlueJayspic.twitter.com/4zSqh6L0Ws
Just a housekeeping note, I’m going to be on holiday mid-March to mid-April. We are going to Japan. I’m hoping to get to watch some baseball over there. Unlike last year, we should have internet service most of the time, but we could use an extra voice or two to help out Tom M keep this place going. If you would like to volunteer, send me an email.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Rob Refsnyder #30 of the Boston Red Sox is congratulated by teammates after he hit a three-run home run against the Athletics in the top of the first inning at Sutter Health Park on September 09, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Rob Refsnyder was one of the worst players in MLB from 2015-2021. He’s now a crucial member of the Mariners’ title run.
Refsnyder posted -1.0 fWAR in the seven years that followed his MLB debut in 2015. It wasn’t just one bad season but the slow accumulation of negative value across several years and teams. He was 31 years old with a career 71 wRC+ and no discernible skills when he signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox in 2022, his ninth organization in 10 years.
Then he got good:
From 2022 to 2025, Refsynder posted a 124 wRC+ in 936 plate appearances. Sure, he wasn’t a full-time player, averaging fewer than 250 plate appearances a season. But he found his niche as a short-side platoon option, with a 155 wRC+ against lefties, sixth best in MLB.
“I really don’t know why [it’s taken so long]. I mean, I’ve never stopped working along the way. I’ve always understood that I had to be objective and recognize when my swing wasn’t good, or that my results weren’t good. I’ve always known that I had to improve as a hitter.”
Just before Christmas, the Mariners gave Refsnyder his first real payday, a bit more than $6 million for one year; modest by the standards of free agency, but still a near doubling of his career earnings at the age of 35, now with his 11th organization.
He’s become crucial, too. One of the biggest concerns for the Mariners’ roster right now is the handedness of their lineup. They have six everyday players:
Three lefties: Josh Naylor, Brendan Donovan, J.P. Crawford
Two righties: Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena
One switch hitter: Cal Raleigh
Then they have three spots up for grabs. The top options are all lefties: Dom Canzone, Luke Raley, Cole Young and Colt Emerson each provide big upside with a variety of skillsets. The righty options are likely lesser: Victor Robles, Ryan Bliss, Leo Rivas and Andrew Knizner have more tenuous futures in MLB. Refsnyder provides necessary length against lefties while offering positional versatility, having played six positions throughout his career.
To be clear, the Mariners aren’t projected to be bad against lefties. Rodríguez, Raleigh, Arozarena and now Refsnyder are a competitive group on their own. Even with the handedness concerns, the Mariners are still projected 10th in MLB with a 106 wRC+ against lefties. That’s a bit worse than their projected 114 wRC+ against righties (second only to the Dodgers’ extraordinary mark of 121), but it’s still enough to make them one of the top lineups in MLB. That’s to say, Mariners’ weaknesses at this point are relatively minor; “handedness” is the type of thing only great teams get to worry about.
While Refsnyder doesn’t quite move the needle, he’s not really meant to. His inclusion on this roster is a sign the Mariners are serious about contending in 2026. He’s spent a decade desperate to get better anyway he can. It seems the Mariners are finally on board.
Baseball: World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers minority owner Magic Johnson talks to the media following victory vs Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Game 7. Toronto, Canada 11/1/2025CREDIT: Erick W. Rasco (Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164793 TK1)
Declarations from the uninformed aside, it was a bit of an ask for the agency working with Zero Emissions Transit, the non-profit running the Dodgers Gondola project, to kill the project.
The writing was on the wall when the vote on this project was placed on the Consent calendar at the Metro Board meeting. Consent calendars generally include noncontroversial items or those a governing body wants to vote on with little to no debate.
While the Los Angeles City Council voted 12-1 to urge L.A. Metro to terminate the project in the weeks before the meeting, there was uncertainty about whether Mayor Bass would approve or veto the resolution, given that she sits on the Metro Board. We finally have an answer as to what she did: nothing.
“The way the council feels is important to me,” Bass told The Times. “But, if a member from that district is passionate about a project, then the other members are in support of that.
“There is much more time for things to be worked out. I just did not feel that it was appropriate to stop it now.”
The backers of the Dodgers Gondola project must still obtain approval from various local and state agencies before the LA City Council has the final say. The project was projected to cost $500 million in 2023; it is an open question how much it will cost now. While the Bass Compromise of 2024 states that no public funds will be used for the project, the project’s financing plan has not yet been made public.
Accordingly, it seems increasingly likely that Metro will use its bus fleet rather than the Gondola during the rapidly approaching 2028 Olympic Games, given the near impossibility of obtaining all required approvals and completing construction in time.
As it stands, the project will limp on in the background as the 2026 Spring wears on until its next reckoning at a relevant agency.
Johnson’s September Remarks to LASEC
As an aside, it is time to address comments by Magic Johnson that largely went unnoticed by the Dodgers fanbase before the recent rounds of votes on the status of getting to and from Dodger Stadium. Specifically, Johnson was a speaker at the 11th Annual Dodgers All-Access Gala, hosted by the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission (LASEC).
Senior Editor of Dodger Blue Matt Borelli first reported Johnson’s comments back in September. Unfortunately, I could find no video of Johnson’s comments to the LASEC, so we will have to rely entirely on Mr. Borelli’s reporting:
Dodgers part-owner and Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson recently conceded that the Dodger Stadium parking lots will likely always be an issue.
“There’s so many memories about coming to this stadium,” Johnson began in response to a fan’s question at the 11th annual Dodgers All-Access event.
“Thank God that we kept this stadium. You go to a lot of new ballparks, but they don’t have what we have. It’s special. You know who you’re sitting next to. We’re never going to solve the parking thing, so let’s not talk about it. We can’t solve it.
“Every minute that we’re in the car, it’s worth it when we get here and watch this game. Now, we all have the same issue going home, so we ain’t going to solve that either. Don’t ask me about those two situations. They haven’t solved it since we’ve been here, we’re not going to solve it because we’re the owners now.
“But, what would you rather have? A competitive team winning the division every year, or going home early? Getting to the park earlier, easier. I think I’d rather have the team that’s won our division 11 out of 12 years. Two World Series, been to the World Series four times. I think I’d rather have that and I’ll deal with the other things.
“But when we go to other cities like New York and Atlanta, that traffic is bad too. Everybody thinks we’re the only ones that have bad traffic. Like I said, I’m going to take that as long as we’re winning.”
[emphasis added.]
For starters, even in the most charitable light, Johnson’s statement about the parking lots is wrong and borders on nonsensical. By that logic, Johnson’s statement, if hypothetically applied to other aspects of running Dodger Stadium, amounts to learned helplessness (and arguably negligence), which is unacceptable regardless of the circumstances.
While I vehemently disagree with what Johnson said, if forced to play Devil’s Advocate, I can see where he is coming from on a single point.
Dodger Stadium has certain traffic issues inherent to its location and construction. When you build a stadium on a hill next to a residential neighborhood, with various bottlenecks of traffic on the hill, with freeway layouts that would not even pass muster in the computer game SimCity in a major metropolitan area, traffic is a given.
However, simply saying you cannot solve it or saying fans and ownership should not talk about it, while implicitly supporting the Dodgers Gondola project by having a gondola car on stadium property for nearly three years now, is laughable.
In the above hypotheticals, ownership would likely be pilloried by the press and the fanbase, and rightfully so. Moreover, we have a concrete example to the contrary; ownership implemented subsequent remedial measures to prevent further falling concrete, and, by all accounts, even with how loud Dodger Stadium was during the 2025 postseason, there were no additional incidents.
Short of herculean and borderline impossible efforts by the City and County of Los Angeles, not to mention using multiple state and federal agencies, while Johnson does have a point about there being issues getting to and from Dodger Stadium, things can be done, provided there is buy-in from multiple stakeholders, including the citizen neighbors of Dodger Stadium.
If this series of essays has had a fault, it has been being too focused on why the Gondola Project is generally a bad idea and less on alternatives or conversations that the city and team should be having. While the City of Los Angeles waits for the Gondola Project to reemerge into the public sphere, the next series of essays on this topic shall focus on certain unsaid truths, alternatives like Dodger Stadium Express, and what could and should be done about what most would say is the worst part about being a Dodgers fan: getting to and from Dodger Stadium.
