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Texas Rangers lineup for March 4, 2026 against the Brazil WBC team.
The WBC years means teams getting the occasional spring training matchups against the WBC squads from various countries. Today, Brazil is coming to Surprise to play the Texas Rangers. Not the whole country, to be clear. I don’t think the whole country would fit.
Offseason trade addition Brandon Nimmo is making his first appearance in a game for the Texas Rangers, and Jacob deGrom is making his first start of the spring.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Carter — CF
Burger — 1B
Smith — 2B
Jansen — C
Canha — LF
Wade — 3B
Duran — SS
Zavala — DH
2:05 p.m. Central start time.
Happy Wednesday A’s fans.
Following a slow start to spring training, the Athletics have started to gain momentum as spring training enters its second week. The team’s offense has erupted, while its pitching has stabilized as players continue tinkering with their approaches in preparation for Opening Day later this month. Everyone from regulars to top prospects to even non-roster invitees has performed well over the past couple of days to help the team start a preseason winning streak.
Yesterday, Aaron Civale took the mound for the first time in an A’s uniform. He looked a little shaky against Brazil’s woeful World Baseball Classic (WBC) squad, but that is to be expected for a guy making his spring debut. As long as he keeps the A’s in the game and does not implode during his starts this season, then that signing will not be a negative investment. However, if he gets shelled every outing and the A’s once again get held back from playoff contention due to team-wide pitching struggles, then A’s fans and members of the media will point to this offseason saying the team should have acquired more pitching help.
While spring training continues for another couple of weeks, real baseball starts this week. The WBC, which has pulled players from every MLB camp to represent the 20 national teams competing in this year’s tournament, begins today with Chinese Taipei taking on Australia. A’s pitching prospects Chen Zhong-AoZhuang and Wei En Lin are on the Taipei squad, both hoping to pitch well for their country on the world stage. Lin is someone A’s officials and prospect evaluators think highly of, so a strong performance by the young left-hander in the WBC could further boost his stock.
The A’s also will be well-represented on Team Puerto Rico thanks to Darell Hernáiz and Carlos Cortes as well as Team Canada (Denzel Clarke) and Team Dominican Republic (Elvis Alvarado and Luis Severino). The A’s will be short-handed in camp for the next couple of weeks due to these players competing for their countries. However, that means more chances to impress for young players, some of whom like Henry Bolte and Leo De Vries have already flashed their promising skillsets in camp’s early going.
Who do you want to win the WBC? Out of all the A’s players participating, who is under the most pressure to play well and who are you most excited to watch?
How big of an impact will Leo De Vries have on the A’s this season?
The A’s are continuing to heavily promote Las Vegas in anticipation of their relocation in a couple of years. I wonder how A’s fans in Sacramento feel about this?
A’s outfielder Carlos Cortes is making the most of the opportunity to play for Team Puerto Rico in the WBC. He may not have made the team if tournament insurance policies had not blocked multiple Puerto Rican players from joining this team.
Nick Morabito was drafted by the Mets in the qualified offer free agent compensation round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. At the time, he was considered a definite follow by regional scouts and evaluators, but his overall profile and post-draft evaluations made many question whether the Mets were wise in selecting him and signing him for a cool million dollars, nearly $125,000 over the MLB-assigned slot value for the 75th overall pick. Here we are, four years later, and Morabito is at the finish line, with an MLB debut in sight.
Splitting the season between the FCL Mets and the St. Lucie Mets in 2023, Morabito hit .306/.421/.407 in 57 games with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 21 stolen bases, and 34 walks to 49 strikeouts. Splitting the 2024 season between, the St. Lucie Mets and the Brooklyn Cyclones, he hit .312/.403/.398 with 17 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, 59 stolen bases, and 60 walks to 98 strikeouts. This past season, he spent the entire year with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and hit .273/.348/.385 in 118 games with 27 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, 49 stolen bases, and 47 walks to 115 strikeouts. Since turning pro, he is a cumulative .291/.381/.389 hitter who has averaged roughly 42 stolen bases a season. Why is Morabito not considered a significant prospect, why was he ranked the Mets’ 15th top prospect instead of 1-5?
The speedy outfielder does his damage in a way that would fit in with the Deadball Era. He can put a jolt into the ball, but almost everything is on the ground; in 2025, he posted a 53.9% groundball rate, and he averaged a 51.5% rate in the prior two seasons combined. Furthermore, he does not pull the ball nearly enough, posting a 42.9% pull rate, 21.9% up-the-middle rate, and a 35.2% opposite field rate and similar spray patterns in his prior two seasons. By and large, when Morabito makes contact, he is shooting groundballs ball back up the middle or slashing them to the opposite field. That might’ve been a viable strategy for Charlie “Piano Legs” Hickman or “Baby Doll” Jacobson or John “the Terrible Swede” Anderson or “Choke ‘em” Charlie Herzog, but in today’s day and age? Not so much. Further complicating matters are his increasing strikeout rate, declining contact rate, and a handful of other metrics.
Morabito has a high floor, at the very least, thanks to his defense and speed. While not elite per se, the outfielder plays a very good centerfield. His arm is fringe-average for the position, but his glove is sure and any mistakes that he makes reading the ball off the bat can be corrected with “brute speed”. And speaking of speed, as the late Terrence Gore highlighted, there will always be place on a team for a speedster when the time is right: Gore has more World Series championship rings than he does career WAR (0.1 rWAR/0.7 fWAR).
Morabito was placed on the 40-man roster this past November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, but barring showing up to spring training a completely different hitter, it is unlikely that the outfielder breaks camp with the Mets. Having appeared in 118 games in Double-A Binghamton last season, he likely starts 2026 assigned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. While coming north with the Mets out of spring training is unlikely, I would not rule out Morabito making his major league debut at some point during the year if the stars align in his favor.
Spring training is in full swing and the beginning of the World Baseball Classic will take place later this week. With it comes our first glimpses of the progress players have made during the course of the offseason, along with top prospects getting their chance to shine and make what they hope will be a lasting impression on those in upper management and fans alike.
The Braves have had several prospects stand out thus far into spring training. For a nice change of pace compared to recent years, there are actual positional prospects that are more than holding their own and standing out.
Let’s dive into some of the more noteworthy performances.
If you simply look at the baseline numbers, Gil doesn’t stand out as much as other prospects in camp might. He’s currently carrying a .167 batting average and has struck out in 26.7% of his plate appearances in nine games.
However, the underlying metrics tell a much different story for the 20-year-old. In 15 plate appearances thus far, Gil has posted an OPS of 1.000 thanks to a pair of homers to his credit. He has also posted a wRC+ of 146 so far as well. Gil pulled both homers over the left field wall, but the real testament to how he has refined his approach came on the game-tying homer against the Twins on Sunday.
Gil managed to take a 1-0 fastball on the lower inner-third of the zone and pull his hands in enough to get a little loft on the ball and rifled it over the wall. In years past, that would have been a pitch he more than likely rolled over and grounded out to the left side, but not now. In fact, the homer reached an exit velocity of 110 MPH — an insanely hard-hit ball for Gil.
So far, Gil has only served as the designated hitter in the games he has appeared in. This is likely due to the fact he is more of a sure thing in the field than he is at the plate. The Braves know Gil can hold his own wherever he ends up defensively, whether it be shortstop, third base, second base or in the outfield. Other prospects like Alex Lodise, Tate Southisene and others are less cemented when it comes to their future defensive homes.
Sure, it’s still early in spring training and it’s a very small sample size. But there is plenty to like in Gil and he certainly has the potential to end up as Atlanta’s top prospects — and one of the top 100 in the entire sport — by the time next year’s spring training rolls around.
In a year where the Braves are already in desperate need of talented arms to step up, the savior might be found in JR Ritchie, who has done everything he can to solidify himself as one of the system’s top arms this spring.
So far, the 22-year-old has appeared in two games, tossing a total of four innings. While it may be a small number of appearances, Ritchie has performed excellently when he’s been on the mound. In addition to his six strikeouts, Ritchie has only given up one walk and one hit — a first pitch home run on a 94 miles per hour fastball.
Ritchie’s fastball, aside from the homer, has looked great as he has managed to run it up to 97 MPH. It’s his secondary offerings, though, that have really stood out for the righty.
This spring, Ritchie has really focused hard on throwing his changeup, curveball and his cutter more often. His changeup usage is up by more than ten percentage points, while his curveball is being used by more than 4% clip higher and his cutter is up by 3.6%. His velocity is also up across the board, with every pitch registering higher than it did in his 2025 campaign.
Like we mentioned with Gil and any other prospects, the sample size is simply too small to make any type of real determinations as to how effective these early starts are. Nonetheless, it’s an encouraging sign for a guy who Atlanta may have to call upon sooner rather than later.
Just like his Ritchie, Murphy has seen action in two games during spring training, tossing a combined four innings during that stretch.
Murphy has also struck out six batters while walking only one, and has given up a pair of hits — one of which was a home run.
His fastball has mostly sat in the 92-94 MPH range this spring, but Murphy has really prioritized his secondary offerings. Of his six strikeouts, half have come on breaking balls — including his curveball which posted a solid 19-inch vertical break on it. The one blemish for him so far is that his breaking balls have tended to live up in the zone a little higher than you would like, and veteran players who may not be in the everyday lineup at this point will eventually take advantage of that. But there is plenty of time for him to work and keep the ball down.
The main thing for Murphy is simple: remain healthy this spring and build off the strong start.
Hayden Harris, LHP — 3 G, 3 IP, 7 K, 1 BB, 2 H
Garrett Baumann, RHP — 2 G, 1 GS, 4 IP, 5 K, 3 H, 2 ER
Alex Lodise, SS — 7 G, 1-8, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB
Good morning everyone!
The Mariners have gotten off to a rough start to Cactus League play, falling to the hapless Angels 7-6. Oh well, onto the next one
The World Baseball Classic kicks off for real today, with Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) taking on Australia at 7pm PT. Will you be tuning in? How much of this year’s tournament do you plan on consuming?
One of the most fun things about covering the minor leagues and prospects is when a previously unheralded player suddenly puts it together and goes nuts. Eduardo Valencia wasn’t even a mention on most prospect rankings the past few years as injuries, struggles at the plate, and slow defensive development left him looking like an org catcher who would never amount to more. There were always flashes of power and some stretches of good production as he slowly grinded his way through A-ball and into the upper minors, but no one predicted the monster campaign Valencia put together in 2025.
Valencia was signed by the Tigers as an international free agent out of Valencia, Venezuela way back in 2018. He broke out of the rookie ball levels a little late, as a 21-year-old, and then battled injuries in 2022-2024, playing just 126 games over that span. He always walked a good amount and had the bat to ball skills to make plenty of good contact, but he didn’t hit many homers, and he struggled to develop behind the plate. The latter remains an issue that may limit his major league utility.
The big revelation was Valencia’s bat. Finally healthy and getting regular reps, he erupted for a combined 24 home runs and a 159 wRC+ evenly split between Double and Triple-A in 2025. Even better, he improved his strikeout and walk numbers upon advancing to the Toledo Mud Hens roster, and tapped into even more power at the higher level. He posted a 12.6 percent walk rate and a good 19.9 percent strikeout rate for the Hens, and looking through his Statcast numbers it’s hard to find a major weakness.
Valencia demolished fastballs all season long and handled better velocity well. Offspeed stuff gave him no trouble at all either. He hit left and right handed pitching well, showed off plus raw power, and really the only flaw was some modest struggles against good breaking stuff. That didn’t really show up until pitchers started spamming the softer stuff once it was clear that throwing him too many fastballs was a terrible idea. Valencia’s discipline and consistent hard contact started getting attention in Erie, but he just kept getting better in Toledo and poured it on with a finish that left many hoping for a call-up to try and jumpstart the sputtering Tigers’ offense in September.
There’s a lot to like in him as a hitter. Valencia is a well built individual with a lot of rotational power, and his adjustments toward quieter hands and a bigger leg kick helped him to get on time and drive the ball in the air a lot last year. He can juice it out to the opposite field as well, but he tends to line the ball to right field and pull it in the air, which is the preferred combination. He doesn’t chase much and while he’ll take his hacks early in counts and against mistakes, he can also shorten up to spray the ball once he’s deep in a count. If he can lay off more breaking balls and wait out pitchers trying to get him to chase, Valencia likely has a long career ahead of him as at least a solid power hitter. The issue remains finding his defensive home.
The Tigers started playing him more at first base last year once he jumped to Toledo. He wasn’t all that adept at picking throws out of the dirt and needs improvement there and in his footwork. He’s decidedly not fleet of foot, and needs plenty of reps at the position to improve both around the bag and just in terms of handling harder ground balls. Still as a catcher making the move to first base, it’s probable that he’ll eventually be roughly average at the position and he hasn’t really spent much time focusing on it yet.
Behind the plate, Valencia still lacks the framing, blocking, and pop times to play the position regularly at the major league level. He stands 6’1” but he’s quite stocky at this point, with below average speed and agility, which doesn’t bode real well for his ability to improve behind the dish. Gabe Alvarez, his manager in Toledo, preached some patience considering the injury history and lack of reps, and that carries some weight, but we’ll just have to see how he’s improved this spring after an offseason in which defense was a major focus for him.
On a club that highly values catchers for their defensive ability, it’s hard to imagine Valencia getting much catching work without some real improvements. He’s clearly put a ton of work into it already, and so the odds of a major transformation at age 26 are slim.
So, the Tigers have an intriguing bat-first power hitter, whose lack of a true defensive home may stall his major league debut a while longer. They added Valencia to the 40-man roster back in November, knowing there was no way he’d get through the Rule 5 draft. If he can continue refining his work at first base, it’s possible he could take some playing time from Spencer Torkelson, and if he continues to mash the Tigers will find a way to get him into the lineup one way or another. He could also make for an interesting trade chip this summer if the Tigers don’t really need him at first base and another team thinks they can get a little more out of him as a catcher at the major league level.
For now, Valencia is probably bound for Toledo to continue playing first base, working part-time as a catcher, and trying to improve his defensive profile overall. The combination of plate discipline, power, and contact ability is exciting, but the Tigers will probably let him simmer a while longer. Still, the bat was getting close to being undeniable last September, and he’s already homered and hit well in his few looks in Grapefruit League action so far this year. If he comes out raking this spring he’s going to force the Tigers’ hand, even if his optimal role is more of a DH and pinch-hitting specialist if the defense doesn’t improve.
Big contract numbers do not shock baseball fans the way they once did.
A decade ago, a $300 million deal felt seismic. Today, Steve Cohen’s Mets have shown what happens when new money enters the sport, and the Dodgers have demonstrated how aggressive spending and deferred structures can be used as part of a fully operational Death Star. The financial ceiling keeps moving, labor issues loom, and what once felt extreme now feels routine.
That shifting reality brings us to Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Recently, Chisholm publicly stated he would seek a contract in the range of eight to ten years at roughly $35 million annually. The reactions ranged from jokes about Dr. Evil asking for $100 million to fans ready to print the contract themselves. Before debating years, injury history, or total value, the real question is more straightforward:
Would you want the Yankees to sign that deal today?
To answer that, we start with what Jazz has actually been since arriving in New York.
Projecting Jazz based on his Miami seasons misses the point. The Yankees are evaluating a different version of the player than the one who left South Florida Since arriving in New York, Chisholm has produced at roughly a four-win pace over a full season while combining power, speed, and defensive versatility rarely found in a single roster spot.
Using a prorated 140-game pace based only on his statistics with the Yankees:
| Player | OBP | OPS | HR | SB | fWAR |
| Chisholm | .330 | .813 | 33 | 39 | 4.5 |
The context matters as much as the numbers.
Much of this production occurred while Jazz learned a brand-new defensive position at the MLB level, as the Yankees asked him to try third base for most late 2024 and early 2025 as they accomodated Gleyber Torres and (more questionably) DJ LeMahieu. The defensive results have varied across the diamond, but he has demonstrated he is a natural second baseman capable of handling multiple positions because of elite athleticism. Importantly, the offensive production remained stable throughout those adjustments and under the bright New York City lights.
In other words, the Yankees are evaluating a player who already produces like a long-term core piece. Across roughly a season and a third in pinstripes, Jazz has:
That profile places him squarely as a modern long-term extension candidate.
The next question is: Does Jazz’s production match his asking price?
The Yankees themselves recently gave us the clearest comparison point.
Cody Bellinger signed a five-year, $162.5 million contract this winter, carrying a $32.5 million annual average value (AAV) along with full no-trade protection and opt-outs.
Here is Bellinger’s most recent season compared directly with Jazz’s:
| Player | Games | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | fWAR |
| Bellinger | 152 | .272 | .334 | .480 | .813 | 29 | 13 | 5.1 |
| Chisholm | 130 | .242 | .332 | .481 | .813 | 31 | 31 | 4.2 |
The offensive production is nearly identical. Bellinger’s value leaned on durability and defensive stability, but the comparison establishes an important baseline, as the Yankees are already paying near Jazz’s asking price for similar recent production.
Jazz’s request does not introduce a new salary tier. It slides smoothly inside the one the Yankees themselves just validated.
Alex Bregman provides league-wide context.
Here’s what the former Astro did with the Red Sox last year before cashing in on his new five-year deal with the Cubs:
| Player | Games | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | fWAR |
| Bregman | 114 | .273 | .360 | .462 | .821 | 18 | 1 | 3.5 |
| Chisholm | 130 | .242 | .332 | .481 | .813 | 31 | 31 | 4.2 |
His contract sits at $35 million annually, the exact annual value Chisholm referenced publicly.
Bregman represents the modern All-Star contract tier: highly productive players who are not necessarily generational superstars but serve as key foundational pieces for contenders.
Jazz’s ask lands directly within that band.
The season and winter before the 2022 campaign reshaped long-term contracts and provides the clearest structural precedent for long-term deals signed around the last labor uncertainty cycle. The Mets were proactive and inked the Francisco Lindor deal in April after trading for him that offseason. At the time, with all record-setting contracts, reactions were mixed. Lindor was respected as elite, as he was hitting over 30 home runs and stealing over 20 bases a year with Cleveland before the COVID season. Additionally, he was a switch-hitting shortstop who was entering his prime but not universally viewed as a generational superstar.
Signed during his age-27 season, Lindor came to terms on a 10-year, $341 million deal, good for a $34.1 million AAV. This is what Lindor did last year, just before turning 32 in November.
| Player | Games | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | HR | SB | fWAR |
| Lindor | 160 | .267 | .346 | .466 | .811 | 31 | 31 | 5.9 |
| Chisholm | 130 | .242 | .332 | .481 | .813 | 31 | 31 | 4.2 |
Adjusted to today’s economic environment, Lindor’s deal equates to roughly $37.9 million annually over its remaining years.
Today, contracts like this feel normal. That evolution is the point.
Strip away hindsight for a moment and put yourself in the front office chair:
• Using Cody Bellinger’s contract as the blueprint, would you pay Jazz a similar AAV plus inflation for three additional years?
• If the Astros could go back three years, would they sign Bregman to an eight-year, $264 million commitment?
• Would you have signed Lindor to his exact contract at the time, or at its inflation-adjusted value today for the remaining years?
• If you could sign your second baseman to an extension and remind the crosstown hedge fund manager that your second baseman statistically produces comparable value at a lower price point than his star shortstop, would you?
Jazz publicly stating the high end of his range is simply sound negotiation. Players anchor high. Teams negotiate downward.
He also likely understands his place within the Yankees’ hierarchy. The organization will never value him the way it values Aaron Judge, and it should not. But the club should value him as it does Belli. Every era needs multiple complementary pieces, and sometimes the second or third name on the marquee matters just as much as the star attraction.
If the Yankees believe the version of Jazz Chisholm Jr. they have seen in pinstripes is real, waiting may only increase the cost. Players in their prime rarely become cheaper.
Another strong season, a rising market, or even a potential future labor standoff could push contracts into another inflationary cycle. Instead of gambling on what this season might bring, the Yankees could choose stability now. Extending Jazz during spring training would not be about projecting superstardom at this price point. He may not be willing to consider it so close to free agency in an otherwise-light class for hitters at this point. But if possible, it would be a safe play to secure known production alongside Aaron Judge and locking in a core piece during the competitive window already in place.
2025 was a bad year for the Colorado Rockies that included many mid-season shakeups.
On Mother’s Day, we saw long-time manager Bud Black and bench coach Mike Redmond relieved of their duties and Warren Schaeffer promoted to interim manager. (I remember the date because I was at Disneyland when the news broke.) It was something I’d advocated for before, but suddenly, we got to see how “The Schaeffer Way” would look in real time at the major league level. It was in less-than-ideal circumstances, but I do believe we saw Schaeffer take the sinking Titanic and turn it into Jack Sparrow’s dingy floating into Port Royal.
Entering 2026, Schaeffer has been given the reins full-time and is taking the opportunity to make this team his own after merely keeping them afloat in 2025.
So far, from everything we’ve seen, it’s been a marked departure from the Bud Black years. Every practice is detailed and scheduled, and there are opportunities for players and coaches to learn from each other — not just players learning from coaches. Batting cage time is also built into the schedule rather than being expected to happen on players’ own time, and they’re even starting the day later so players can get more sleep. It’s a very clear change from the previous regime, but we still have yet to see how this “Schaeffer Way” will translate over a 162-game season.
If there are two words to describe Warren Schaeffer, they’re probably “communicator” and “relationship builder.”
Throughout his tenure in the Rockies organization, Schaeffer has built a reputation on being an excellent communicator fosters relationships with everybody – players, coaches, media, you name it. And that’s one of the first things people notice about him.
“He remembers your kids’ names and your wife’s name,” said new hitting coach Brett Pill. “Obviously, that’s huge with Schaeff, and one of the reasons why I’m fired up to be on his staff.”
The players concur with the decision to give Schaeffer the full-time position.
“First and foremost, bringing Schaeff back was huge for us,” said outfielder Mickey Moniak. “I think just what he brings to a clubhouse day in and day out and what he brings to this organization… I think he’s the right guy for the job and the right guy to lead us.”
And PBO Paul DePodesta stands by his decision to retain Schaeffer, despite a complete overhaul in just about every other area of the organization.
“One of the first orders of business when I came on was to hire a manager, but we had an interim one in place in Warren,” DePodesta told MLB Network on Saturday. “I dug as much as I could around the organization – people who were still with the organization, also people who had been there previously – and everyone raved about him! So I thought, ‘OK, this is a real candidate.’
“And then as I got to spend more and more hours within the first couple weeks on the job it just became obvious,” he continued. “He literally checked every box we were looking for. I mean, great passion, great relationships with the players, terrific work ethic, wanted to be a great partner with us. So for all of those reasons, I just thought he was the obvious pick.”
And that work ethic can be traced all the way back to Schaeffer’s time with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers.
“I played with him in Double-A,” said former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. “I was young at the time. I was a pain in the butt at that time. But we got along great because he loved that I worked. And he was a big worker, too. He took ground balls everyday. And the one thing about Schaeff – there were times where he wasn’t starting in those games, but he was still working every day and never complained. He showed up to work.”
Schaeffer may have hung up his spikes in 2013, but he turned to coaching and never looked back – climbing the ladder from Low-A Asheville all the way up to the majors. Much of that has to do with his communication and relationship building abilities.
And not only is Schaeffer a good communicator himself, but he has built a staff of good communicators and teachers who are ready to build up the Rockies from the studs.
On Sunday, I asked Schaeffer to describe each member of his coaching staff in one word, and here’s what he had to say about them:
Bench Coach, Jeff Pickler: “Prepared”
Assistant Bench Coach, Ron Gideon: “Wise”
Jeff Pickler, 50, joined the Rockies from the Cincinnati Reds after spending 2019-2024 in the same role. Prior to that, he spent time with the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, San DIego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. He also spent one year as an assistant coach for the University of Arizona Wildcats. Most notably, he worked with GM Josh Byrnes during his time with the Diamondbacks, Padres and Dodgers.
Ron Gideon has been with the Rockies since 1996. He spent time as a manager at every level except for Triple-A and MLB, but was promoted to a major league role in 2017. He became the first base coach before the 2019 season, and was moved to assistant bench coach this offseason. Gideon, 62, is the longest-tenured coach on the staff, as well as the oldest.
Hitting Coach, Brett Pill: “Relentless”
Assistant Hitting Coach, Jordan Pacheco: “Smooth”
Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco couldn’t be more different.
Pacheco, 40, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Rockies and made his MLB debut with them four years later. He played 3.5 years in Colorado before being DFA’d in 2014 and being claimed by the Diamondbacks. He played 1.5 years in the desert before finishing his playing career in Cincinnati. He attempted multiple comebacks, but never made another MLB roster. However, he then returned to the Rockies in 2021 with – you guessed it – Warren Schaeffer.
“I’ve known [Pacheco] for a very, very long time,” Schaeffer said. “He’s one of my close friends, and he is great at what he does. There’s nobody more positive in a dugout than him, and hitting is so hard that you need a special person in there with positivity.
“And he’s able to teach everything. The players flock to him. That’s how you can tell good hitting coaches – if the players are around them and on TV you can see it on the camera in the dugout, the players are around ‘Checo’ all the time.”
Meanwhile, Pill, 41, came to the Rockies alongside Byrnes after spending four seasons with the Tulsa Drillers (now the Double-A Dodgers). He is brand new to the organization, but brings a lot of good ideas.
“He’s fantastic,” Schaeffer said. “He has a really, really solid background, He’s just been fantastic so far in there in terms of his preparation and what he’s working on with the guys.”
And Schaeffer noticed the important thing about having two coaches from very different backgrounds.
“Probably the most important thing of it all is [Pill] and Pacheco are already one,” he said. “Things get tricky when one guy’s saying one thing and one guy’s saying the other thing. But those two are rock solid with each other, and it’s gonna be a fun ride.”
(You can read more about Pill’s approach to the Rockies here.)
Pitching Coach, Alon Leichman: “Unique”
Assistant Pitching Coach, Gabe Ribas: “Polished”
Bullpen Coach, Matt Buschmann: “Funny”
Alon Leichman, 36, certainly does have a unique reputation. The thing that follows him around is that he likes to call pitches from the dugout, which is something he did for the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds before he came to the Rockies. So far, the players have been gravitating to his presence.
“Today, I threw with Alon because he wanted to work on my sweeper and cutter,” said Zach Agnos on February 15. “So it was good, and he got to see it firsthand. We had a good talk, and he’s kind of building up some confidence in us, which is good too. He just kept being like, ‘You’re nasty, bro, you’re nasty. Trust [yourself].’ He’s like, ‘You’re nasty!’ So it’s cool to hear. It’s always nice to hear – I believe it – but it never hurts to hear.”
Agnos also mentioned working with the new coaches has been “the most fun [he’s] had playing catch.”
Ryan Feltner is also on board with pitches being called from the dugout.
“I think [Alon] has a lot of good information that he can go off of,” Feltner said on February 14. “And if he wants to call the pitches when I’m pitching, I would love that. I think for me, it clears up a lot of mental space. It’s just another thing that I don’t have to deal with, and I can just focus on pitching.”
After spending five years as the director of pitching with the Detroit Tigers, Ribas, 45, now joins the Rockies. Before Detroit, he also spent time with – you guessed it – the Dodgers. He worked extensively with their pitching development programs.
Matt Buschmann, 41, has served in various player development and pitching coach roles with the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants. (I’ll have more on Buschmann later this week.)
First Base/Outfield Coach, Doug Bernier: “Energetic”
Third Base Coach, Andy González: “Machine”
Bernier, 45, is another returner to Schaeffer’s staff. He previously served as a scout, as well as a Major League data and game-planning coordinator from 2020-2021 and in player development as defensive coordinator from 2022-2023. He oversaw infield and outfield instruction, and seems to be doing the same this year.
You can see Bernier in action here:
And here:
González, 44, also returns to the Rockies staff after serving as assistant hitting coach and interim third base coach in 2025.
Bullpen Catcher & Assistant to Baseball Operations, Kyle Cunningham: “Controversial”
Catching Coach & Bullpen Catcher, Chris Rabago: “Sneaky”
Cunningham, 31, and Rabago, 32, are both returning from the 2025 season. Rabago is designated as the catching instructor in 2026, while Cunningham will work more with game planning and advanced scouting like he did in 2025.
I could keep writing about each coach, and I’m still getting to know all of them (keep an eye out for more articles!). But from everything I’ve gathered in and around the Rockies clubhouse, the vibes really are immaculate. From the music in the hallways to the focus on the most basic of basics… Camp Schaeffer is in full swing and they’re really focusing on the entire human playing baseball.
As the old saying goes, “they don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care” and that rings true for this coaching staff. Warren Schaeffer built a culture of trust and learning as manager, and that has rippled down to every coach they hired. Hopefully that will translate to more wins on the field over the next few years, but so far, the returns are promising.
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As the World Baseball Classic nears, the American team received a pep talk from arguably the greatest Team USA athlete in history: swimmer Michael Phelps.
Phelps reportedly spoke at a team dinner Monday night before attending Tuesday's exhibition win over the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale, Arizona, near Phelps' home in Paradise Valley.
“He was intense,” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said, according to MLB.com. “I thought it was an awesome speech. Just kind of his mindset. Second place is not going to get it done. That was kind of his message to the guys. Kind of feeding off each other and coming together as a team.”
This World Baseball Classic, which runs from Thursday through the March 17 final in Miami, has Olympic ramifications.
The top two finishing teams from North and South America qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, not including the U.S., which has an automatic spot as host nation.
The Classic could also be a preview of the Olympic competition. It's possible that big leaguers could take part in the Games for the first time in 2028 should MLB owners and players come to an agreement.
Last month, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said, "I feel pretty good about the idea (that) we’ll get there.”
Baseball is not guaranteed to be on the Olympic program after 2028, so Los Angeles could be the only opportunity for any players to experience what Phelps did 23 times in his career.
"It's the one thing I miss the most about being retired, right, not being able to stand on top of the medal podium with a gold medal around your neck while listening to your national anthem," Phelps told Fox Sports. "For me, when I was able to wear the stars and stripes, it was a massive honor. I know these guys are going to represent us well and go out there, have some fun, number one, but get the W, too."
Last week, I wrote about the two Twins players whose MLB careers lasted one game. (And thanks to BH-Baseball for sharing, in a comment below the article, about Senators one-game, one-legged pitcher Bert Shepard.) If this were earlier in the offseason, I’d make this a series (and I still might, just next offseason); as it is, there’s another short-tenured player who came to mind that I’d like to recollect.
Through a middling 2022 season, the Twins got minimal offense from the catching position, with Gary Sánchez their primary backstop. On July 15, looking for help at that spot, they called up Caleb Hamilton from St. Paul. A 27-year-old career minor leaguer, Hamilton had been a 23rd-round pick of the Twins six years before; now, wearing #90 (yes, that’s the main reason I remember him), he debuted for the big club… and didn’t hit at all. Before being optioned back to the Saints on August 3, Hamilton appeared in just three games with Minnesota, coming to the plate six times without a hit, including four strikeouts.
But his time in the majors had yet to finish. The Twins brought him back up on August 23, and he remained with the team for the rest of the season, appearing in 19 more games, largely as a late-inning replacement. However, he started four games, and it is the third of those we come to.
The warm, sunny afternoon of September 25 saw the Los Angeles Angels taking on the Twins in the finale of a three-game series at Target Field. Hamilton batted ninth, catching for Dylan Bundy, and as soon as I mention Bundy, you know the game didn’t go well. Bundy lasted 3.1 innings and gave up five runs, including a homer to Mike Trout; Ronny Henriquez followed Bundy and kept the Angels’ tally at five, but the Twins, who had tacked on two early runs, could not narrow the deficit.
Until the bottom of the eighth.
With José Quijada on the hill for the visitors, Hamilton was due up as the third batter of the inning. Quijada struck out Jermaine Palacios and Jake Cave, but on the first pitch to Hamilton…
Unfortunately, neither the game nor Hamilton’s career would feature further highlights.
Trevor Megill took the mound for Minnesota in the ninth and gave up five runs, turning a close game into a blowout 10-3 loss. And Hamilton made five more appearances for the Twins in ‘22 without a hit; he was waived and claimed by the Red Sox, for whom he appeared in four games the next season. After going hitless with Boston, Hamilton was granted free agency after 2023. He signed with the Angels the following season but never made the majors, and his playing career ended after ‘24. Hamilton did join the High-A (NYY) Hudson Valley Renegades as a defensive coach for ‘25, but the Renegades’ website no longer lists him as a coach this season, and I could not determine where or if he is coaching.
His home run on September 25, 2022, was the only hit of his career. But he made the most of that one hit, giving himself, his teammates, and everyone in attendance a moment to remember in an otherwise forgettable Twins season.
Welcome back to A Pod of Their Own, an all-women led Home Run Applesauce podcast where we talk all things Mets, social justice issues in baseball, and normalize female voices in the sports podcasting space.
This week, we begin by discussing some notes out of Mets camp, including Ryan Lambert’s unhinged energy (complimentary), Nolan McLean and Freddy Peralta’s strong starts, the battle for the right field job, and more.
Next, we choose our Dudes for 2026—underrated players who we think may make a big contribution to the Mets this season.
In the second half of the show, we talk about the upcoming World Baseball Classic, David Rubenstein’s private equity firm’s shady dealings, Arte Moreno’s notion that fans don’t care about winning, and the Rangers making some questionable decor choices at Globe Life Field.
Finally, we wrap things up with Walk-off Wins, where each of us talks about what’s making us happy this week, baseball-related or otherwise.
You can listen or subscribe to all of our wonderful Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts. You can also support our work by subscribing to our Patreon, which will get you bonus episodes, access to our Discord server, livestream experiences, an exclusive monthly playlist, and more!
You can follow A Pod of Their Own on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky (@apodoftheirown) and you can follow Home Run Applesauce on Twitter and Instagram (@HRApplesauce). You can also follow our co-hosts on Twitter and Bluesky: Allison McCague (@PetitePhD), Maggie Wiggin (@maggie162), and LindaSurovich (@LindaSurovich). You can also email the show at aa.apodoftheirown@gmail.com.
Look for A Pod of Their Own in your feeds every week and don’t forget: there’s no crying in podcasting!
Fans of the San Diego Padres got their first glimpse of what Nick Castellanos could be if he breaks camp as a part of the big-league roster. Castellanos went 2-for-3 in San Diego’s 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday and that included a double and a two-run home run off the bat of Castellanos. He was signed with the expectation that he would provide slug on offense and compete for time at first base and designated hitter. Castellanos is not a refined first baseman by any means, but he has not looked lost at the position as he tries to get used to having his feet back in the dirt after years in the outfield. If he can do what he did against the White Sox and continue to improve defensively, he could be this year’s Gavin Sheets for the Padres.
Padres News:
Baseball News:
The Cleveland Guardians never look great when the season starts and somehow, they manage to win. The Detroit Tigers have loaded up on pitching to try to squeeze a postseason year out of Tarik Skubal’s walk year. The White Sox are better. The Royals stood (mostly) pat. And the Twins, yikes.
Key departures: Luis Robert Jr., Dominic Fletcher, Michael A. Taylor, Martin Perez, Cam Booser, Mike Tauchman, Bryan Hudson, Miguel Castro
Key arrivals: Anthony Kay, Oliver Dunn, Jarred Kelenic, Drew Romo, Tyson Miller, Luisangel Acuña, Jordan Hicks, Seranthony Dominguez, Austin Hays, Erick Fedde
The White Sox were a much better team in every way in 2025 compared to their disastrous 121-loss season in 2024. They won 20 more games — that’s good! They inaugurated a new manager, Will Venable, who is widely respected around the game.
This year they’ve finally moved on from Luis Robert Jr., who had a couple of disappointing years after looking like a true superstar early in this decade.
They signed Japanese star Munetaka Murakami, who’s already had a positive impact on the team. Colson Montgomery, a top prospect who struggled in the minors, hit 21 home runs in just 71 games. Kyle Teel looks like the real deal behind the plate.
The rotation is still a bit iffy. They acquired Jordan Hicks, who could start or relieve, and former Phillie Seranthony Dominguez will close.
They’re probably not a contender — yet — but they could easily improve another 10-15 wins this year.
At Wrigley Field: Aug. 17-18-19
At Rate Field: May 15-16-17
SB Nation White Sox site:South Side Sox
Key departures: Jakob Junis, Will Brennan, Sam Hentges, Jhonkensy Noel
Key arrivals: Colin Holderman, Shawn Armstrong, Codi Heuer, Carter Kieboom, Ben Lively, Rhys Hoskins
Every year, people say the Guardians will fade or fall off and every year, they go on a run and make the postseason.
This year should be no different. The Guards have a solid, if unspectacular, rotation and good bullpen. They signed homegrown superstar José Ramirez to a contract that will have him retire in Cleveland, likely on his way to Cooperstown. Ramirez is one of the most underappreciated superstars in today’s game — if he were playing in New York or Los Angeles he’d have already had tons of media attention.
Another unappreciated Guardian is outfielder Steven Kwan, whose numbers are solid if unspectacular, but who seems to always find ways to beat you.
And they might have made a really good under-the-radar signing in Rhys Hoskins.
At Cleveland: April 3-4-5 (includes the Guardians’ home opener on April 3)
SB Nation Guardians site:Covering The Corner
Key departures: Tommy Kahnle, Rafael Montero, Chris Paddack, Paul Sewald, Randy Dobnak, Kevin Newman, Alex Lange, Justyn-Henry Malloy
Key arrivals: Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, Scott Effross, Kenley Jansen, Phil Bickford, Austin Slater, Colin Poche
The Tigers lost their arbitration hearing with Tarik Skubal, all but assuring that this is Skubal’s last year in Detroit — that, and their signing of Framber Valdez to a three-year deal for $115 million.
Other than the signing of Justin Verlander, which should give feel-good vibes if not performance, the Tigers basically are running back the same team that ran out to a huge division lead last year — they had a 14-game lead on July 8 — before blowing it and finishing second to the Guardians, who they dispatched in a wild card series before they lost to the Mariners in a division series.
Now read that again. The Tigers were 59-34 after defeating the Rays on July 8 and had that 14-game lead. They went 28-41 after that — the only teams worse were the Rays, Angels, Twins and Rockies. Yikes.
Detroit will have to guard against that sort of slippage again.
At Wrigley Field: July 20-21-22
SB Nation Tigers site:Bless You Boys
Key departures: Adam Frazier, Hunter Harvey, Mike Yastrzemski, Randal Grichuk, Kyle Wright, MJ Melendez, Angel Zerpa, Jonathan Bowlan
Key arrivals: Mason Black, Alex Lange, Isaac Collins, Nick Mears, Kevin Newman, Abraham Toro, Matt Strahm, Jorge Alfaro, Hector Neris, Aaron Sanchez, Eli Morgan, Elias Diaz
The Royals made the postseason in 2024 on a 30-game improvement from 2023. They took a bit of a step back last year, but still finished over .500, barely, at 82-80.
They are running back most of the same guys this year. They have a solid rotation and decent bullpen, and two young hitters — Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino — who should continue to improve.
Of course, the offense is anchored by superstar Bobby Witt Jr., whose very good year in 2025 was just a smidge below his spectacular 2024. This is his age-26 season and I’d expect another good-to-great year.
Salvador Perez returns for his 15th year in a Royals uniform. Since the retirement of George Brett, Perez has become the face of the franchise. He doesn’t catch that much anymore — just 89 games started behind the plate last year — but even solid production for the next couple years could get him Hall of Fame consideration.
At Kansas City: Aug. 7-8-9
SB Nation Royals site:Royals Review
Key departures: Jonah Bride, Genesis Cabrera, Thomas Hatch, Jose Miranda, Ryan Fitzgerald, Edouard Julien
Key arrivals: Josh Bell, Victor Caratini, Taylor Rogers, Jackson Kowar, Eduardo Salazar, Gio Urshela, Liam Hendriks, Julian Merryweather, Andrew Chafin
The Twins insist they’re competing this year.
Not with this roster they’re not. They had arguably a bigger selloff last summer than the Cubs did in 2021. And the results showed on the field — the Twins were 39-66 after June 1. Only the Rockies were worse, and not much worse (34-70).
To what was left, the Twins added… well, you can see above, a few retreads and miscellaneous waiver-wire guys. Their payroll ranks 24th of the 30 teams.
The Twins franchise has lost 100 games in a season just twice since 1955 — 102 losses in 1982 and 103 in 2016.
It says here that the 2026 Twins should join that list.
At Wrigley Field: July 17-18-19
SB Nation Twins site:Twinkie Town
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Orioles fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Plan A for the Orioles infield went out the window as soon as Jackson Holliday suffered a broken hamate bone. The backup plan for the infield followed not long after once Jordan Westburg’s sore oblique turned into “he has a partially torn UCL.” With two expected starters likely out for at least the first month of the season, in Westburg’s case potentially the whole season, we know that the team is going to have to get creative.
One part of that looks like it is going to be Coby Mayo taking a lot of the playing time at third base. This is the experiment the Orioles are running here in spring training and it sure seems to be a “get him as much practice as possible for the regular season” kind of thing rather than “we’re still not sure if we want to do this.” In about three weeks, we’re going to start getting an idea of whether this is an acceptable experiment for the Orioles chances of fielding as winning a team as they possibly can.
How do you feel about the potential for Mayo as a regular third baseman for at least April?
In the scouting world, there have always been doubts about whether Mayo could handle third base at the MLB level, because it’s tough for 6’5” guys to react on the hot corner. It is something of a desperate plan that’s brought the Orioles to this point for 2026… well, that and the fact that Mayo’s next most-likely home of first base was filled up by the long-term, big-money signing of Pete Alonso.