On Sunday, March 8th I entered my first official salary cap draft of the 2025 fantasy baseball season – a $150 Online Auction Championship at the NFBC.
For those that are not familiar, it’s a 15-team format that utilizes 23 roster spots – 14 hitters (2 Catchers, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, Corner Infield, Middle Infield, 5 OF and Utility) and 9 pitchers. Each team is given $260 to spend during the salary cap draft and the entire 23-man starting roster must be filled out during the salary cap draft. There is then a seven-round reserve draft afterwards. In addition to competing for league prizes in this 15-team league, there is also an overall component in which this team will be competing against all other leagues for overall prizes as well.
Over the years in this space and in our draft guide I have already delved deeply into basic strategy for salary cap drafts, but for this article I wanted to give readers a deeper insight into my personal process for these types of drafts. In fact, I’m writing up this first section the day before the draft.
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Let me start out by saying that I’m not the type of drafter who has dollar values for every particular player that will be available in the draft and who goes into the draft simply looking for discounts and to accumulate as much “value” as I possibly can. I’m someone who believes strongly in getting my guys, and I’m willing to go down fighting with the players that I think are the best options on the board. Entering this draft, or any draft for that matter, I usually start with about 25% of the player pool crossed off my board and around another 25% that I’d only really be interested in at a steep discount.
Now historically, I skew slightly more towards pitching, usually devoting around 59% of my budget on the hitting side ($140) and 41% ($120) on the pitching side. That strategy hasn’t worked out well for me in recent years though and I wanted to try to mix things up in this one. For me personally, I’m usually better at identifying and finding viable pitching options in the middle and late rounds than I am finding impact hitters – especially power bats. So I asked myself, what if I devoted an unreasonable amount of my budget towards offense and absolutely dominated the power categories while competing in speed and batting average as well – and then just tried to make the pitching work?
The idea intrigued me. If you’re going to build a team that’s going to absolutely dominate in power, you’re going to want to have a few of the sluggers that are projected to lead the league in home runs. Your Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh types. So what if we went out and tried to get all three? Remember, this is a salary cap draft, not a standard snake draft. The whole player pool is available to you. You can try any wacky strategy that you want. So I dove in a bit deeper. Looking at average auction values over the past few weeks, I looked at the maximum bids that each of those players had gone for – and budgeted those into my pre-draft plan. For Ohtani, that was $53 ($48 AAV), for Judge it was $53 ($48 AAV) and for Raleigh it was $32 ($29 AAV). Assuming we would need to go to the max to get them, that would be $138 of our $260 on just three players, but it would be three players who would provide an unimaginable base in power while also delivering a smattering of speed, terrific counting stats and a strong batting average.
From there, I started to plan out what other players I would want to add to that strong offensive base. It’s no secret that Brice Turang has been a target of mine in every draft that I have done this year. Second base is an incredibly weak position overall and I think he’s going to have a monster five-category season. His contributions in batting average and stolen bases in particular would gel really well with that top three. His max mid over that same time frame was $24 (AAV $21), so let’s pencil that in.
Do you know who else would deliver five-category production with a major emphasis on batting average and stolen bases while filling another infield position? Trea Turner. His maximum bid during that stretch was $29 (AAV $26), so we’ll add that to the draft plan as well.
If we could get those five bats at those maximum bids, that would take us to $191 and leave us with just $69 to fill out the remaining nine spots on offense and our nine pitching spots. That’s not ideal, but we can also assume that we won’t need to get all five of those at their maximum bids. If we can get them closer to their combined AAV of $171, that would give us an extra $20 to play with and make the experiment much more intriguing.
Staying with the hypothetical for now though. There’s one other player on offense that’s kind of a must-have for me right now and that’s Kazuma Okamoto. I think he’s extremely undervalued in both standard snake and salary cap drafts. He also fills a shallow position that doesn’t have may other options that I like. He has gone for a max of $12, which likely prices him out for me unless I’m able to get him closer to his AAV of $7. We’ll budget $7 for now and adjust from there.
Budgeting $1 for every available spot around those six, we’re looking at devoting $206 of our $260 on offense, leaving just $54 on the pitching side, keeping in mind we’re hoping to gain back somewhere in the range of $15 based on discounts that we can secure those hitters for off of their maximum bids.
If we only have $54 to start with on the pitching side though, some sacrifices are obviously going to have to be made. The easy one is closers. We’re not going to be able to compete for the top options there and are going to have to go the speculative route. Trying to get two guys for $1-$3 each is probably the best case scenario there and then we’ll have to attack the category through FAAB throughout the season. It’s not the way that I like to build my teams normally, but we don’t really have an option if going with this extreme build on offense.
I would also still like an ace on my staff. It’s crazy to try to shop in the Tarik Skubal or Paul Skenes range, as the rest of the staff would be woefully underfunded if trying to do that. I’m a huge believer in Yoshinobu Yamamoto though and I still feel like he’s being discounted relative to the top of the pitching market. His maximum bid during this stretch has been $29 with an AAV of $26. I’d love to try to get him at or near that AAV, and may even extend to that max depending on whether or not we have landed any discounts before then. Let’s work with that $26 number though and go from there.
If we’re just going to have one ace at the top of the staff, we’re going to need at least two additional quality arms that we think can outperform industry projections and expectations and help to solidify this group. We can’t miss on these guys, because the rest of the staff behind them is going to be basically $1 arms. There are two names specifically that I’m very high on this year that I think fit in here perfectly. Drew Rasmussen and Trevor Rogers. Rasmussen has an AAV of $12 with a max of $15. Rogers has an AAV of $9 with a max of $15. We’re not going to be able to go to $15 for both of them, but could probably make it work if we can get them close to their AAV. We’re going to budget with that and adjust as necessary if we’re able to secure discounts on offense.
If the prices in the pitching market soar and we’re unable to get Rasmussen and/or Rogers, we’re going to have to fall back to other options in the same price range that we like but are not quite as high on. For me that’s Kevin Gausman, Michael King, MacKenzie Gore, Shota Imanaga, Tatsuya Imai and Robbie Ray. If I wind up with two from that group it’s fine, I just won’t like the staff as a whole as much as I would if getting Rasmussen or Rogers – or ideally both. We’re also going to budget $1 for Justin Verlander, as he’s a top target of mine and should be easy to secure at that price, as long as I wait for the right time. If someone clicks him to $2 and I need to go $3, that would be a disaster.
Adding in the AAV’s that we’re trying to get Rasmussen and Rogers at, we’re going to have to put the budget for the speculative closers at $1 to make it work – at least initially. We can add back there as well when/if we get any discounts. So here’s what the draft plan looks like heading into the draft:
C
$32
Cal Raleigh
C
$1
1B
$1
2B
$24
Brice Turang
3B
$7
Kazuma Okamoto
SS
$29
Trea Turner
CI
$1
MI
$1
OF
$53
Aaron Judge
OF
$1
OF
$1
OF
$1
OF
$1
UTIL
$53
Shohei Ohtani
$206
SP
$26
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
SP
$12
Drew Rasmussen
SP
$9
Trevor Rogers
SP
$1
SP
$1
SP
$1
SP
$1
Justin Verlander
RP
$2
Speculative Closer
RP
$1
Speculative Closer
$54
$260
Honestly, I’m very intrigued by the possibilities here. I genuinely feel like the bones of this team would be good enough to make it competitive overall with strong in-season FAAB work. Of course, this plan could fall apart very quickly, especially if we’re unable to get any of the arms that we’re looking for at the prices that we’re hoping to see – or if we get a lot of pushback on offense and have to go to the previous max or beyond to land those core five bats. Let’s see how it unfolds!
It actually took me a little bit of time to get into the action, as most of the first round of nominations were lesser players and didn’t factor into my draft plan at all. It wasn’t until near the end of the first round that Aaron Judge came up for nomination. I knew that he was an integral part of this plan and that I needed to get him at all costs – hoping to not go beyond the $53 that I had in the budget for him. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I clicked the bidding to $48 and heard crickets from the rest of the room. Starting off with a $5 discount gave me the confidence to think that this plan could actually work. I didn’t re-distribute that $5 initially but knew that I had it in my pocket.
A couple of picks later, Shohei Ohtani was nominated. We went into it the same way that we did for Judge, willing to go to $53 but hopeful that we would be able to get him for less. Imagine our shock and dismay when we only needed to go to $47 to get the job done. Two superstar hitters secured at a total of $11 less than we had budgeted. We were off and running.
Shortly after that, our expected ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto was nominated. We weren’t as confident about this one. The Dodgers’ right-hander had gone as high as $29 in recent salary cap drafts but we were hoping to keep it around his AAV of $27 instead. If we had to go to $28 or $29 – or even $30 – we would probably do so based on the savings that we got from Judge and Ohtani, but we’d really like to use those savings elsewhere if possible.
This wound up being the biggest surprise of the draft for me as once the bidding got to $24, everyone simply backed off. Perhaps they were waiting and saving their pitching budgets to fight for Skubal and Skenes. Either way, I couldn’t believe the way that the start of this draft had unfolded in my favor. Not only did I get my desired ace, but I did so at a significant discount.
The next player that was integral for the plan that came up for nomination was Cal Raleigh. Similar to our plan for Judge and Ohtani, we were prepared to go to the previous maximum ($32) to get him but hoping to land closer to his AAV. With that in mind, we were more than happy to secure his services for only $28. Operation crush the baseball was now in full effect.
The next name up that we were concerned with was Trea Turner. The plan had us getting him for $29, so anything around there would have been perfectly fine. Turner, like many players nominated in the first couple of rounds of this draft, got to his AAV that was listed on the site and the bidding stopped. He was ours for $26.
The final piece of the big five clicked into place on offense shortly after that when we nominated Brice Turang. Our budget was starting to dwindle and I wanted to have clarity on where to go at the second base position if I was unable to get Turang. I also had backup options at other positions – namely Freddie Freeman – that I was willing to pivot to if I couldn’t secure Turang. Either way, I needed to know so I didn’t let other contingency plans go by. We didn’t wind up with as steep of a discount on Turang, going $22 which was $1 above his AAV but still $2 below the $24 that we had targeted from his previous max.
Now came the waiting game. This part of the draft was absolutely brutal as we basically had to sit on our hands for the next hour and not compete on any players. We threw a couple of bids in here and there trying to get players at a discount, but we were basically sitting around and waiting for Drew Rasmussen and Trevor Rogers to come up without having to nominate them too early ourselves.
Finally, after nearly 100 players went off the board, Rasmussen was on the block. We knew from our draft plan that he had a previous max of $15 but were hoping to get him closer to his AAV of $12. So there was some frustration when we got to $14 and someone else clicked him up to $15. Not to worry though, as we were happy to tap into those earlier discounts that we secured to get the guy that we had targeted. Thankfully, $16 is all that it took. I don’t like the overpay, but in the end was thrilled to still get the player that I had targeted as my SP2.
The next player up for bid was Rogers. My initial assumption was that he was going to wind up going for a similar bid to Rasmussen after other managers in the league just missed out on the Rays’ right-hander. I was able to breathe a gigantic sigh of relief this time when the bidding stopped at $11. We had now secured each of the top five bats that we targeted and the three SP that we wanted to build this team around. Now all we had to do was fill out the rest with a limited budget.
The next name that we picked up much further down the road wound up being Justin Sterner. He’s someone that I had in mind going in as a potential closer option that could be had for $1 or $2. I didn’t nominate him, so I had to go to $2 but was overjoyed when the bidding stopped right there. At least had a shot at some cheap saves.
I made a play to try to get Robert Garcia, going as high as $6, but couldn’t bring myself to go to $8 and give up what little flexibility that I had in the draft at that point. The only other strong target that we had on offense was Kazuma Okamoto, with his AAV of $7 penciled into the draft plan. Once again we were able to secure an unexpected discount, getting him for just $5. That one got a fist pump.
At this point on offense we still needed to find a second catcher, first baseman, corner infielder, middle infielder and four outfielders. If you’re going to have a weakness somewhere on offense, those aren’t bad positions to need to fill in-season as options on the waiver wire are usually plentiful – especially if you’re streaming bats weekly.
I took a shot at some other bats. Adolis Garcia I went as high as $10 but couldn’t go to $12. Matt McLain I went up to $9 as a middle but couldn’t go to $11. Sal Stewart I went to $8 as a first base option before bowing out. Calen Durbin I also took the bidding to $8 before letting him go for $9.
I tried to get a few more options on the pitching side as well, going to $5 on both Tatsuya Imai and Carlos Rodon before painfully watching them land elsewhere as big discounts at $6.
It wasn’t pretty, but I picked up another speculative closer in Kirby Yates for $3. Not thrilled about it, but if he opens the season with the job it will be worth it. Otherwise, no harm, no foul. I filled my second catcher spot with a $2 Carson Kelly.
By this point, the talent pool was dwindling, and I actually had a decent amount of money remaining compared to the rest of the league. While there wasn’t a lot of talent left in the player pool, it meant that I could at least be competitive in securing what was there. I chose to do my shopping in the outfield, landing some discount power speed options in Ramon Laureano ($6), Jordan Beck ($6) and Mickey Moniak ($5). Not players that I necessarily targeted coming into the draft, but all were still on my board and I think can be solid and capable producers.
That didn’t leave much for the final four spots. We ended up settling on Kyle Manzardo ($2), Colt Keith ($1), Andres Gimenez ($2) and Jesus Sanchez ($1). On the pitching side, we added another speculative closer in Kevin Ginkel ($1), while adding to the rotation with Chad Patrick ($1), Connelly Early ($1) and as expected Justin Verlander ($1).
Here’s the full final team through the salary cap portion of the draft:
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Cal Raleigh
$28
$29
$1
C
Carson Kelly
$2
$1
($1)
1B
Kyle Manzardo
$2
$4
$2
2B
Brice Turang
$22
$21
($1)
SS
Trea Turner
$26
$26
$0
3B
Kazuma Okamoto
$5
$7
$2
CI
Colt Keith
$1
$2
$1
MI
Andres Gimenez
$2
$2
$0
OF1
Aaron Judge
$48
$48
$0
OF2
Ramon Laureano
$6
$7
$1
OF3
Jordan Beck
$5
$6
$1
OF4
Mickey Moniak
$5
$4
($1)
OF5
Jesus Sanchez
$1
$1
$0
UTIL
Shohei Ohtani
$47
$48
$1
76.92%
14
$200
$206
$6
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
$24
$26
$2
P2
Drew Rasmussen
$16
$12
($4)
P3
Trevor Rogers
$11
$9
($2)
P4
Chad Patrick
$1
$2
$1
P5
Connelly Early
$1
$2
$1
P6
Justin Verlander
$1
$1
$0
P7
Kirby Yates
$3
$2
($1)
P8
Justin Sterner
$2
$1
($1)
P9
Kevin Ginkel
$1
$1
$0
23.08%
9
$60
$56
($4)
Overall, we actually ended up with $2 of profit against AAV while devoting nearly 77% ($200) of our budget toward the hitting side. As far as executing a plan goes, this one wound up going about as smoothly as you can imagine in a salary cap draft. We were able to get all six of our pre-draft targets to build the offense around and were successful in getting all four starting pitchers that we targeted as well. If this team ends up failing, it will be because I targeted the wrong players – which is ultimately how I would prefer to be judged.
There are obviously holes to fill on the edges of the offense and we’re going to need to bolster the backend of the starting rotation while chasing saves all year, but I firmly believe that this team has the bones to compete – not just for league prizes, but to be a contender in the overall competition if things break right for us.
In the supplemental draft portion, here’s what we added to the mix:
SP – Jameson Taillon
SP – Tyler Mahle
2B/3B – Luis Rengifo
SP – Clay Holmes
SP – Nick Martinez
OF – Isaac Collins
SP – Payton Tolle
Basically wanted to add as many quality options to the mix for the rotation to try to maximize starts early in the season and see what shakes out. I also like the addition of Rengifo for flexibility considering how weak we are going in at both the corner and middle spots.
Here’s a quick look around the rest of the league and how their builds turned out:
Team 1
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Kyle Teel
$9
$9
$0
C
Edgar Quero
$1
$2
$1
1B
Sal Stewart
$9
$9
$0
2B
Ozzie Albies
$8
$9
$1
SS
Geraldo Perdomo
$16
$17
$1
3B
Matt Chapman
$11
$9
($2)
CI
Noelvi Marte
$11
$11
$0
MI
Kevin McGonigle
$2
$2
$0
OF1
Jackson Merrill
$20
$20
$0
OF2
Taylor Ward
$13
$11
($2)
OF3
Dylan Crews
$11
$10
($1)
OF4
Jac Caglianone
$9
$8
($1)
OF5
Colton Cowser
$2
$4
$2
UTIL
Jorge Polanco
$6
$7
$1
49.23%
14
$128
$128
$0
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Tarik Skubal
$41
$41
$0
P2
Paul Skenes
$38
$39
$1
P3
Jesus Luzardo
$21
$20
($1)
P4
Logan Henderson
$4
$3
($1)
P5
Hunter Greene
$2
$21
$19
P6
Rhett Lowder
$2
$3
$1
P7
Brady Singer
$1
$2
$1
P8
Daniel Palencia
$18
$17
($1)
P9
Robert Suarez
$5
$4
($1)
50.77%
9
$132
$150
$18
Team 1 went with nearly a 50/50 split between offense and pitching and started that $132 staff by taking the top two names on the board in Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes for a combined $79. Overall it looks like he did well against AAV, but that entire difference is coming from the pre-injury AAV on Hunter Greene. Remove that, and he’s actually -$1 in total. The pitching is going to have to carry the team, as the offense looks a bit light across the board – especially in the stolen base department.
Team 2
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Salvador Perez
$17
$16
($1)
C
Tyler Stephenson
$3
$4
$1
1B
Josh Bell
$1
$2
$1
2B
Marcus Semien
$4
$5
$1
SS
Xander Bogaerts
$6
$7
$1
3B
Josh Jung
$1
$1
$0
CI
Nolan Schanuel
$1
$1
$0
MI
Luisangel Acuna
$1
$2
$1
OF1
Julio Rodriguez
$37
$38
$1
OF2
Pete Crow-Armstrong
$24
$25
$1
OF3
Randy Arozarena
$17
$18
$1
OF4
Jakob Marsee
$11
$14
$3
OF5
Adolis Garcia
$11
$7
($4)
UTIL
Kyle Schwarber
$28
$27
($1)
62.31%
14
$162
$167
$5
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
George Kirby
$23
$21
($2)
P2
Logan Webb
$23
$23
$0
P3
Framber Valdez
$20
$19
($1)
P4
Jacob Misiorowski
$8
$9
$1
P5
Aaron Nola
$8
$6
($2)
P6
Chris Bassitt
$1
$2
$1
P7
Reynaldo Lopez
$1
$2
$1
P8
Grant Holmes
$1
$1
$0
P9
Kenley Jansen
$13
$13
$0
37.69%
9
$98
$96
($2)
Overall, Team 2 finished with $3 in surplus value against AAV while going with a 62.31%/37.69% split between offense and pitching. That’s a much more standard split than what we saw from myself and Team 1. I really like the top three starting pitchers that he chose to build his staff around, though I would’ve preferred to see him get a second closer to pair with Jansen. The offense obviously is build around a terrific outfield, but man does that infield need work overall. I feel like a couple of those spots are going to be a problem for him throughout the season. I think this team is solid enough that it could compete for league prizes.
Team 3
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Shea Langeliers
$23
$22
($1)
C
Ben Rice
$22
$21
($1)
1B
Nick Kurtz
$32
$28
($4)
2B
Brandon Lowe
$9
$6
($3)
SS
Konnor Griffin
$12
$10
($2)
3B
Jordan Westburg
$1
$1
$0
CI
Ryan O'Hearn
$6
$3
($3)
MI
Jacob Wilson
$7
$8
$1
OF1
Brent Rooker
$28
$27
($1)
OF2
Cody Bellinger
$19
$18
($1)
OF3
Tyler Soderstrom
$19
$17
($2)
OF4
Jurickson Profar
$1
$7
$6
OF5
Anthony Santander
$1
$1
$0
UTIL
Zack Gelof
$1
$0
($1)
70.43%
14
$181
$169
($12)
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Kevin Gausman
$16
$13
($3)
P2
Chase Burns
$15
$16
$1
P3
Sonny Gray
$12
$13
$1
P4
Jack Flaherty
$5
$6
$1
P5
Emilio Pagan
$15
$15
$0
P6
Trevor Megill
$8
$8
$0
P7
Paul Sewald
$3
$1
($2)
P8
Will Vest
$1
$2
$1
P9
Kyle Finnegan
$1
$1
$0
29.57%
9
$76
$75
($1)
While my strategy in this draft was a bit extreme and unconventional, somehow this team usurped what I did to be the most interesting squad in the draft. At first I wasn’t sure what was going on with the offense. I didn’t know if he was just a super fan of the Athletics, or if he was trying to take advantage of them playing in Sutter Health Park once again in 2026 – as he built his offense around Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson and Zack Gelof – taking most of them at a premium. I see that he then added three pirates (Konnor Griffin, Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn) and a pair of Yankees (Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger). He then filled out his offense with injured and/or suspended players in Jordan Westburg, Jurickson Profar and Anthony Santander. I don’t believe he timed out, so perhaps he just wasn’t prepared for the endgame? Either way, he wound up with -$12 against AAV on offense and will need his A’s stack to crush all season to have a shot there. On the pitching side, it’s confusing as well. Started out paying a premium for Kevin Gausman and then landed some solid arms and a pair of closers in Pagan and Megill (maybe). He then finished it with a $3 Paul Sewald and two setup arms from the Tigers in Will Vest and Kyle Finnegan. He also ended up leaving $3 on the table. Perhaps the plan all along was to speculate on saves late, but the rotation depth concerns me. I wouldn’t be surprised if this team winds up near the bottom of the standings.
Team 4
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
William Contreras
$22
$21
($1)
C
J.T. Realmuto
$7
$7
$0
1B
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
$32
$32
$0
2B
Bryson Stott
$7
$10
$3
SS
Gunnar Henderson
$34
$35
$1
3B
Alex Bregman
$12
$12
$0
CI
Andrew Vaughn
$2
$3
$1
MI
Zach McKinstry
$1
$1
$0
OF1
Wyatt Langford
$26
$24
($2)
OF2
Mike Trout
$10
$8
($2)
OF3
Steven Kwan
$9
$9
$0
OF4
Jake McCarthy
$2
$1
($1)
OF5
Dylan Beavers
$1
$1
$0
UTIL
Jordan Walker
$1
$2
$1
63.85%
14
$166
$166
$0
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Logan Gilbert
$26
$26
$0
P2
Michael King
$14
$12
($2)
P3
Cam Schlittler
$11
$9
($2)
P4
Kris Bubic
$6
$5
($1)
P5
Andrew Painter
$4
$2
($2)
P6
Mike Burrows
$4
$4
$0
P7
Ryan Weathers
$4
$4
$0
P8
Andres Munoz
$23
$23
$0
P9
Taylor Rogers
$2
$1
($1)
36.15%
9
$94
$86
($8)
This looks like a pretty standard build overall with a 63.85%/36.15% split between offense and pitching. The offense looks solid from top to bottom, and while there are players that I don’t typically target mixed in, there’s a nice balance to it. He had to overpay a bit on the pitching side, giving up $8 against AAV to build his staff, which hurt the overall quality in my opinion. He’s really going to need Cam Schlittler and Kris Bubic to stay healthy and produce strong seasons if he’s going to be competitive. He’ll also need to find a second closer if Taylor Rogers doesn’t win the Twins’ job. A fine squad, at a glance I’d expect him to finish somewhere near the middle of the pack.
Team 5
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
C
Austin Wells
$5
$5
$0
C
Victor Caratini
$1
$1
$0
1B
Matt Olson
$22
$22
$0
2B
Jose Altuve
$12
$12
$0
SS
Ezequiel Tovar
$7
$8
$1
3B
Maikel Garcia
$22
$22
$0
CI
Austin Riley
$20
$20
$0
MI
Josh Smith
$3
$1
($2)
OF1
Ronald Acuna Jr.
$43
$43
$0
OF2
Jarren Duran
$21
$19
($2)
OF3
Brenton Doyle
$10
$10
$0
OF4
Kerry Carpenter
$3
$5
$2
OF5
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
$1
$1
$0
UTIL
Marcell Ozuna
$4
$1
($3)
66.92%
14
$174
$170
($4)
Player
$$$
AAV
Delta
P1
Max Fried
$23
$23
$0
P2
Zack Wheeler
$11
$12
$1
P3
Edward Cabrera
$10
$8
($2)
P4
Ranger Suarez
$9
$8
($1)
P5
Robbie Ray
$8
$8
$0
P6
Bryce Elder
$1
$1
$0
P7
Michael Wacha
$1
$1
$0
P8
Ryan Walker
$13
$12
($1)
P9
Seranthony Dominguez
$10
$9
($1)
33.08%
9
$86
$82
($4)
Team 5 came out at $8 below AAV in terms of their total team value at the end of the draft while using a traditional 67/33 split between offense and pitching. As a whole, I like the five bats that he chose to build the offense around, with a stack of three big Braves’ bats leading the way (Acuna Jr., Olson and Riley). I’m concerned that there’s just not enough around them though. I like Zack Wheeler as much as the next person, but counting on him to be an SP2 out of the gate might be a stretch. I like that he strengthened his SP3-SP5 though to be able to pick up the slack if Wheeler misses more time than expected or shows significant rust upon his return. This is another team that feels like middle of the pack to me.
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields on March 22, 2024.
Hello friends, this is another #Laterecap (#Latercap? What do we like?) as your lovely blogueuse (thanks, Duolingo) is en route back to Seattle. Today was my last day in camp, and I’m sad to be leaving just as players are coming back from the WBC, but also so happy to have gotten to connect with many of the new faces brought in over the off-season and players I might not have talked to as much otherwise. Look for those stories over the coming weeks. For right now, I’m tucked up in the peacock blue-paneled Victorian-style library in the historic Grand Canyon Hotel in Williams, Arizona. Bless ample wifi, charming family-run historic hotels, and the ability to take a birds-eye view of today’s 7-4 loss in Mesa against the Cubs and put it in its proper size.
I was sad about leaving camp without seeing one final Emerson Hancock start, and very torn about disrupting my travel plans just to see it (which would have then led into sticking around for Kade Anderson’s start tomorrow, and so on…). Hancock has been sterling this spring, and with Bryce Miller questionable to start the season, the fifth starter job seems his for the taking. With the caveat that I was listening to this game while driving through the red rocks of Sedona and being shot full of positive energy from the vortex, today seemed like another notch in Hancock’s Bulldog-red belt. The sweeper continued to be a weapon, getting weak-contact outs, called strikes, and whiffs, including an inning-ending strikeout on the sweeper to Chas McCormick, and he was also able to use the changeup for outs.
The one tricky part is the fastball velocity: Hancock opened sitting around 95, ending the first on a strikeout looking to Ian Happ on 95.5 perfectly located. In the second, he undressed Dansby Swanson on three pitches, getting him swinging three times through the four-seamer. But as the outing went on, he dropped from 95-96 to 93-94 in his final inning of work, the fourth. That is the danger zone for Hancock, as we’ve noted in the past, and it means his secondaries have to be perfectly crisp in order to balance out that more hittable fastball. But, it is spring training, and this is an actual starter’s workload for Hancock rather than the piggyback situations he’s been pitching in behind Anderson, so some of this might be a mid-spring recalibration into a starter’s mindset.
(If you’re looking at Hancock’s line, take out one run from the third inning, which opened with a sun double to Michael Arroyo playing in a tough left field in Mesa. The other run definitely belongs to Hancock, who left a sweeper somewhere Ian Happ could get after it for a two-RBI double hit at 103 mph.)
The Mariners got their first – and only, for most of the game – run in the third after Leo Rivas singled and stole second, moved to third on a Brendan Donovan ground ball single, and scored on a Cole Young RBI groundout. Which is fine but man. Young had a four-seam fastball right in the heart of the plate, something he’s been really working on this spring, and you’d love to see him do more with it than hit a 100 mph groundout, although to be fair to Cole, he also had a hard-hit single in the first, torching an Eduwrd Cabrera changeup at 106.4 mph for another ground ball base hit.
Things got, as they often have this spring, out of hand after Hancock departed the game in the fifth. Casey Legumina gave up a run but not much else, and Alex Hoppe pitched a mostly-clean sixth, walking Dansby Swanson but since he’d just been hit in the leg by a comebacker from Happ (and still made the play!), we’ll let it slide. Plus, Hoppe then came out to strike out his next two hitters, getting Owen Ayers hacking after a cutter that was headed for the center of the Earth, Magic Schoolbus-style, and flummoxing Dylan Carlson on a slider for another swinging strike three. Look for a deeper dive on Hoppe, who I think is one of the most interesting arms in camp, in the coming weeks.
Unfortunately that was the end of the fun pitcher contingent, as lefty Josh Simpson really struggled, giving up three runs and leaving Peyton Alford a mess to clean up (Alford let in one of his inherited runners, making it 7-1. But hey, a scoreless Troy Taylor inning in the eighth! He did hit a batter but that’s all that happened so we’ll call this progress.
The Mariners did get some back as the kids made noise, with Colin Davis reminding everyone there’s more than one player named Davis in this camp. His three-run shot made the game a respectable 7-4, but unfortunately that’s as close as the Mariners could get.
Today en route from Phoenix to Williams I went through Sedona and the Grand Canyon, which resulted in a camera roll full of silly pictures where I’m trying to put myself into scale with first the enormous rock formations and later the massive chasm behind me. It’s an impossible task; they don’t call it the Just Fine Canyon. When I studied abroad in Rome, I had a professor tell us “Rome makes you feel small, which is your proper size.” The Grand Canyon also has this effect, watching people scrambling along the canyon rim like so many ants clinging to the edge of a picnic paper plate. Humbling spring training outings also can make you feel small, but like the ant, like the tourist in Rome or in the Grand Canyon, no less important, I think; just appropriately-sized, waiting for something else to come into frame.
Mar 3, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher DL Hall throws in the first inning at the American Family Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The pitching staff put together a strong performance on Thursday night. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t get anything going against the Guardians’ pitchers, and the Brewers lost their third straight game 1-0.
That one run was allowed by DL Hall in the first inning. He walked Chase DeLauter with one out, then threw a wild pitch that let DeLauter reach second. Kyle Manzardo singled to bring him in for the only run of the game.
The Brewers’ offense did have a few chances. Jett Williams hit a one-out double in the second, and a wild pitch by Slade Cecconi moved him to third. Unfortunately, two groundouts from Mike Boeve and Cooper Pratt stranded him there. In the next inning, Eddys Leonard singled with an out, then swapped places with Garrett Mitchell on a fielder’s choice. Mitchell stole second and got to third on a throwing error, but a Brandon Lockridge groundout stranded him there.
That was it for the Brewers’ offense. They got two more baserunners but neither made it past first base. In total, the offense was held to three hits and two walks.
Meanwhile, the pitching staff mostly matched the Guardians. The Brewers’ pitchers held the Guardians to one run, four hits, and two walks. Hall pitched two innings and allowed the one run on one hit, one walk, and two strikeouts. Easton McGee pitched two clean innings, allowing just one hit while striking out two. Jacob Waguespack had a clean fifth with a hit and two strikeouts. Drew Rom worked around a hit and a walk for a scoreless sixth and seventh inning. Peter Strzelecki finished the night with a 1-2-3 eighth inning, striking out one.
The Brewers are back home tomorrow for a Friday afternoon matchup against the Athletics. Kyle Harrison is scheduled to start against Gage Jump. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on the Brewers Radio Network.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: Bryce Jarvis #40 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on March 10, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Introduction
It’s easy to dismiss Spring Training statistics. There are legitimate excuses about pitchers experimenting with different grips, situations, or just not concentrating as hard as they might during the regular season. If you layer those reasons on top of the typically ridiculously small sample sizes, I can understand why fans might wave away both good or bad results from Spring Training. And while I sincerely doubt that Vance Honeycutt, the owner of a .171/.284/.275 slash line at High-A last year, is going to hit .625 at any level, Spring Training numbers are not completely meaningless either. For instance, Nick Kurtz hit an incredible .261/.452/.522 slash line last spring – including mashing a pair homers before his unanimous Rookie of the Year campaign with the Athletics. Baseball is as much about confidence and psychology as it as about physics and strength in my opinion. Even if the actual numbers don’t matter, the direction of those numbers absolutely matters when it comes to roster construction. So now that we’re almost exactly two weeks away from Opening Day, which D-Backs players have shown the most promise?
Jordan Lawlar – 1.174 OPS
Believe me, I know. I can hear the keyboards of the commenters clacking as I type this. The much-ballyhooed prospect has, to put it mildly, been a disappointment at the major league level to this point with a measly .165/.241/.237 slash line and a woeful 34% strikeout rate in 42 games. But he’s hit the ground running through the first half of Spring Training, posting a .323/.432/.742 slash line in ten games while demonstrating a more patient approach at the plate, collecting six walks to 10 strikeouts so far. He’s also been getting some very positive reviews from the coaching staff on his latest positional change to centerfield. There are certainly some caveats to those numbers – particularly on the opponent quality (as measured by the competitive level the opposing player competed in during the past season). Not including today’s game, Lawlar has faced off against an average of 7.7 opposing quality, which equates to somewhere around a AAA pitcher. We’ve also seen this song and dance before. Last spring, Lawlar put together a solid stint with a .294/.368/.529 slash line before posting another disappointing result with the big league club. But I’d argue this season is a different beast. He’s learning a new position, he isn’t worried about making the big league team out of camp, and he’s likely a more mature person than he’s been in the past. Given how important he could be to the team, I’ll always root for him to finally find some success.
Bryce Jarvis – 1.69 ERA
I wanted to make sure to highlight at least one pitcher finding some success in Spring Training, but it wasn’t an easy exercise. Most of the rotation members have only had a small handful of starts so far and several of the relievers have only entered a few games themselves. Additionally, pitchers are particularly prone to the small sample size problem as a single bad outing can flip your stats upside down. Even with those caveats though, it’s not a pretty picture on the pitching side. Ryne Nelson has struggled to a 5.63 ERA and already given up a pair of dingers in his three starts, Michael Soroka owns an unsightly 9.63 ERA and 2.727 WHIP in his first two starts, and Brandyn Garcia saw his scoreless streak come to an ignominious end this afternoon when he failed to record an out while allowing five earned runs – ballooning his ERA all the way to 11.25 for the spring. But Jarvis is one of the few that have managed to get into a decent amount of action – he currently leads the righty relief corps with 5.1 IP – and posted good results including the above ERA and a 0.938 WHIP. After breaking out in 2024 with a 3.19 ERA and 1.433 WHIP across 44 games, Jarvis looked like a shadow of himself last season, owning a 5.73 ERA and looking much more hittable than he had in the previous two campaigns. Now a non-roster invitee, he’ll need to prove that he deserves a bullpen slot and can return to the form that made him so successful previously – and he’s certainly done that in my opinion.
At least Lenyn Sosa brought a little energy to the group tonight. | (Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
The White Sox and Giants kept the game low-scoring and close all evening, which in turn made it harder for me to keep my eyes open. And all for nothing, as it ended in a tie. Here is the breakdown for a mostly uneventful game:
The first run Trevor McDonald has allowed this spring went to Lenyn Sosa, giving the Good Guys an early lead.
Jonathan Cannon stepped in for Ryan Borucki in the second, after Borucki had only fired off seven pitches. The Giants put Cannon to work with long at-bats, and he managed to give up a walk and a hit in the second.
Derek Hill interrupted what was likely a wonderful interview with Ryan Walker with a solo home run to further insult McDonald’s decent Spring Training run.
Cannon battled with his command and issued back-to-back walks in the third, but got Rafael Devers to ground into an inning-ending double play with the White Sox up 2–0. During the extended frame, Brooke Fletcher shared an update on Brooks Baldwin.
Will Venable told me Brooks Baldwin got imaging on his elbow and there’s some inflammation there. He’s still being evaluated and is day-to-day. They’re having several specialists to look at it to get more information. Will went on to say that it’s similar to what he felt last…
The Sox had some luck with a walk and a single after two quick outs in the fourth, but Tristan Peters ended the small rally with a ground out. Matt Chapman singled to center field to kick off the bottom of the inning, and with one out, Bryce Eldridge drew a walk. Jared Kelley came in with two on and two outs, only to immediately give up a hit to Will Brennan, cutting the lead in half and putting runners on the corners. Thankfully, Casey Schmitt was called out on strikes to prevent further damage.
Matt Gage replaced McDonald for the fifth. After two quick outs, Luisangel Acuña beat out a throw to first for a single, but Miguel Vargas struck out after losing a challenge to end the inning.
Cannon was back on the mound for the bottom of the fifth. With two strikes, Victor Bericoto opened with a knock, and with a White Sox blooper in center field, Harrison Bader singled. The Good Guys tried to make up for it with a double play, but Chapman drove in the second run for the Giants, making it 2-2. The RBI single chased Cannon out of the game again, with Eric Adler replacing him. While Willy Adames worked up a full count, pinch runner Christian Koss got picked off to end the inning.
Sosa continued his hot night with a two-out single, but was caught stealing for a quick top half of the sixth. Jedixson Paez stepped in to pitch for the Sox in the Giants’ half of the inning. The righthander secured back-to-back Ks working a battle leading to a full count with Daniel Susac, who picked up a walk in the fight. Paez bounced right back when Jerar Encarnacion flew out to right.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Peters managed a triple, Hill walked, and William Bergolla Jr. singled on a soft bunt to plate Peters. The Good Guys took the lead back, 3-2, right before Acuña promptly hit into a double play.
Darren Baker, the son of Dusty Baker, worked a full-count walk to open the ninth and quickly swiped second and third. Another Baker — Dru (no relation) — followed with a walk and stole second as well. Josh Breaux then drew a walk to load the bases with one out. Unfortunately, in the most White Sox fashion, Mario Camilletti bounced into a rally-killing double play to strand them all.
In the bottom of the frame, Eric Haase walked and was replaced by Jared Oliva, who promptly stole second and third. A sac fly from Jerar Encarnacion tied the game at 3-3. With two outs, Parks Harber was hit by a pitch, but McCray ended the game with a ground out.
No winners, no losers, just an anticlimactic tie. But just like Spring Training, this game is meaningless, and the points don’t matter.
After the New York Rangers’ 6-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night, Igor Shesterkin gave his first public sign of support toward the team’s retool.
Before Thursday night, all we heard from Shesterkin regarding Chris Drury’s letter emphasizing the Rangers’ plan to retool the roster was that he ‘didn't read the letter, because I don't speak English.’
It doesn't take reading a letter to understand the state the Rangers find themselves in, and Shesterkin clearly knows that the team’s focus is on the future as opposed to the present.
The Rangers are currently in the midst of a three-game winning streak and hold a 5-1-2 record since resuming play from the Olympic break.
This recent hot stretch has been spearheaded by the team’s younger players, including Gabe Perreault, Alexis Lafrenière, and Noah Laba, along with players Drury presumably considers to be his core, which is headlined by Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, and of course, Shesterkin himself.
Shesterkin acknowledged the future for the first time in the context that building a winning foundation now will help the Rangers going into next season.
“I think it’s pretty good for our confidence in the future of course,” Shesterkin said of the Rangers’ recent resurgence. “We love how Gabe play right now. Laffy has stepped up. It’s pretty good for us.”
The 30-year-old goaltender expressed his confidence in the Rangers’ youth, as he’s been impressed with the way they’ve been able to elevate their individual games as of late.
“I knew that they were amazing,” Shesterkin said about the younger players. “They just needed time for that. Right now, they are showing everything.”
From Mike Sullivan down to the players, everybody has been trying to avoid talking about the obvious reality that, at this point, making the playoffs is essentially impossible, and each game from here on out doesn't hold much meaning.
Despite the harsh reality of this season, you can’t deny that the Rangers have been playing a drastically improved brand of hockey coming out of the Olympic break, with Sullivan hoping to foster a winning attitude.
“We're going to just try to win the one game right in front of us and see where it takes us,” Sullivan said. “We're trying to build a team game. We're trying to build an identity with consistent play and attention to detail.
“I think the biggest thing is we're trying to build a team game, where everybody needs to understand what that looks like… I feel like we're gaining traction there with the way we're playing the game right now.”
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 27: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees works out during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 27, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CBS News | RotoWire: Yankees ace Gerrit Cole completed a 35-pitch live batting practice session on Thursday. Per the YES Network’s Jack Curry, the pitcher and the team will likely discuss the possibility of him pitching in a Grapefruit League game. He will throw again in six days, so there’s a chance he makes a spring appearance for the Yanks sometime in the next week or two. The right-hander continues to trend in the right direction and should be able to make his season debut in late April or early May, barring any setbacks, but if the team opts to utilize the 60-day IL then Cole will be set back until late May.
NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: The Yankees reassigned three rookies to minor league camp on Thursday. The highest-profile name was, of course, George Lombard Jr., who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the afternoon game against the Detroit Tigers to drop his Grapefruit League batting average to .185. There is an outside chance Lombard makes enough strides to see major league time this year, but he will have to earn it. He is ready for The Show defensively, but needs some more time to reach his offensive potential.
Earlier on Thursday, the Yankees announced the same fate for pitching prospects Ben Hess and Brendan Beck. The former left with a 1.80 ERA in five innings with six strikeouts, while the latter posted a 9.00 ERA in three Grapefruit League innings, but recently tossed four hitless frames for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic.
NY Post | Matt Ehalt: Aaron Judge keeps breaking records and making history even when he isn’t on the field. That’s right: according to Fanatics Collect, a 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Superfractor signed Judge card was sold for a record $5.2 million. It was, per reports, a unique piece for card collectors. It’s significantly more than the previous high for a modern-day card, a Mike Trout single-edition signed 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospect Superfractor.
The Atlanta Braves continued spring play on Thursday, losing 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Despite the score, it was a fantastic day for Grant Holmes, who got the start and turned in a lights-out performance. Holmes threw five hitless innings, striking out nine and walking just one Pirate.
This run continues a productive spring training for Holmes. While at camp, he’s logged 12.1 innings, each of them scoreless. He’s allowed just three hits and recorded 16 strikeouts.
If this version of Grant Holmes shows up in the regular season, he will be a nice piece in the Braves’ starting rotation.
Mar 12, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez against the Cincinnati Reds during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Dodgers didn’t have to worry about being in an another offensive onslaught in their second matchup of the spring against the Cincinnati Reds, as they struck early and kept their foot on the gas pedal in a 9-5 victory on Thursday.
The Dodgers pounced early against left-hander Nick Lodolo, as Andy Pages rocketed a one-out single in the bottom of the first inning, later scoring on an RBI double from Teoscar Hernández. Freddie Freeman’s ninth hit of the spring drove home Hernández for his ninth RBI of the spring with an opposite field single, and Santiago Espinal continued to torment his old team by smacking a two-run double down the left field line to cap off a four-run first inning. In two games against the Reds this spring, Espinal now has two home runs and eight RBI while boasting a .600 batting average (3-5).
Cole Irvin was given the start for the Dodgers, and although he received an abundance of run support, he struggled mightily with his command, allowing four free passes over two innings of work while tossing 57 pitches (29 for strikes). Irvin walked Rece Hinds with the bases loaded to put Cincinnati on the board, but managed to get two consecutive outs to keep the potential go-ahead run off base.
The Reds tacked on a pair of runs against Myles Caba in the top of the third inning, but Max Muncy got those two runs right back in the bottom half of the inning with a home run to right-center field that left the bat at 106.9 miles per hour.
Kyle Hurt struck out the side in a scoreless inning of work, before right-hander Paul Gervase retired all five hitters he faced. Alex Vesia came in for one batter in relief of Gervase, as he struck out Hinds to end the top of the sixth inning.
Although the Dodgers defense failed Tanner Scott in the top of the seventh inning which allowed a pair of runs to score, both runs were unearned and Scott still carries a 0.00 ERA this spring. Kyle Nevin added an insurance run with a home run to left field in the bottom half to bring the Dodger lead back to four.
Both Antoine Kelly and Antonio Knowles combined to record a scoreless eighth inning, leaving a pair of Reds on base. Knowles came back out for the ninth inning, closing out Thursday’s contest with a perfect 10-pitch frame.
UP NEXT
The Dodgers are back on the road to take on the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium on Friday (6:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Landon Knack makes his fourth start this spring for the Dodgers, while left-hander Kade Anderson gets the nod for Seattle.
Jorge Polanco of the New York Mets bats during the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Clover Park on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Observations from Mets spring training on Thursday:
Power surge
Jorge Polanco blasted his second homer in as many games, giving the Mets their only run in a 3-1 exhibition loss to the Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla.
Polanco has boosted his OPS to 1.300 this spring after a slow start.
Jorge Polanco hits during the Mets’ 3-1 spring training loss to the Cardinals on March 10, 2026 in Port St. Lucie. MLB Photos via Getty Images
Fumble
Brett Baty misplayed a ball in right field, turning a double into a triple. Baty is learning the position this spring as he increases his versatility following his displacement from third base.
Caught my eye
Tyrone Taylor had a strong throw from left field to nail Victor Scott II attempting to reach third base.
Tyrone Taylor catches a sacrifice fly hit by Andres Chaparro in the fourth inning of the Mets’ spring training win over the Nationals on Clover Field on Feb. 28, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Friday’s schedule
Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes are scheduled to face the Nationals at Clover Park.
It brought up memories of Domínguez’s first major league homer, which came off Verlander in Houston on Sept. 1, 2023.
Domínguez said he “of course” was thinking of that shot when he went up against Verlander again Thursday.
Jasson Dominguez belts a homer off Justin Verlander in the fourth inning of the Yankees’ spring training loss to the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium on March 12, 2026. Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Ben a long time
Ben Rice is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts and a walk in his past three games.
Defensively, however, he has looked fine so far at first base, which is the Yankees’ main concern for him this spring.
New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (22) prepares to take batting practice before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Caught my eye
Max Schuemann, looking to compete for a backup infielder spot, didn’t help his case when he was picked off first base by Kenley Jansen.
Friday’s schedule
Look for Cody Bellinger at first base, Ryan McMahon at shortstop and Ryan Weathers on the mound when the Yankees visit the Braves in North Port, Fla., at 1:05 p.m.
Dominican Republic center fielder Julio Rodriguez (44) returns to the dugout against the Netherlands during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park.
For Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, it’s country pride over everything else.
When speaking to reporters during a World Baseball Classic practice on Thursday, Rodriguez, who plays for the Dominican Republic, said that a tournament championship would just mean more to him.
“I love the Mariners,” Rodriguez said, according to Foul Territory. “They know I give my best for them every single time I step on the field, but winning the World Baseball Classic is at the top of the list.”
Center fielder Julio Rodriguez returns to the dugout during the Dominican Republic’s blowout win over the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park on March 8, 2026. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
This year is Rodriguez’s second appearance in the WBC, as he represented the D.R. ahead of his sophomore season in 2023, when the team did not advance from pool play.
“This is for my country, this is for my town, this is for the people in my neighborhood,” Rodriguez added. “It’s for everybody in the Dominican Republic.”
The D.R. went undefeated in pool play this time around, outscoring opponents 41-10 in four games, with some fiery performances in the opening round.
Rodriguez spoke on the intense atmosphere, saying Thursday’s win over Venezuela was the “most electric game” that he’s played in.
“The atmosphere was definitely the most electric game that I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “The way that the Dominican fans just showed up it was amazing. I’ve been in some crazy [MLB] playoff atmospheres, but the way that the Dominicans bring it is completely different.
Ketel Marte (right) celebrates with teammate Julio Rodriguez after hitting a home run during the third inning of the Dominican Republic’s win over Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic game on March 11, 2026, in Miami. AP
“I think that was the rowdiest game I have been a part of. Just the two Latin cultures clashing last night I think was amazing and the biggest part of it.”
Teammate Juan Soto echoed Rodriguez’s aspirations, saying that bringing home a title for the D.R. would be a “dream.”
“It’s a dream for me to come here and try to win it for the Dominican Republic,” he said.
The country has won the WBC once before, defeating Puerto Rico in 2013.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 11: A general view of loanDepot park during the national anthem of the Dominican Republic prior to the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool D game presented by Capital One between Team Dominican Republic and Team Venezuela on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Place your bets!
The pool stage of the World Baseball Classic is complete, the matchups are set, and we’re gearing up for what should be five days of incredible baseball starting Friday night with Team USA taking on Canada in Houston and the Dominican Republic facing Korea in Miami. The following night, Puerto Rico will face Italy and Japan will take on Venezuela.
There are eight teams remaining, which includes eight remaining Rockies:
Team Canada: Eduoard Julien, Antoine Jean
Team Italy: Michael Lorenzen
Team Dominican Republic: Juan Mejia
Team Puerto Rico: Willi Castro
Team Venezuela: Ezequiel Tovar, Antonio Senzatela
Team Japan: Tomoyuki Sugano
On Monday, we asked you who you thought was having the best WBC and which team you were rooting for. Tonight, we ask you a separate question: who do you think will win the whole thing?
Japan, USA and the Dominican Republic appear to be the favorites on paper, but anything can happen! (That’s baseball, and all that.)
Let us know your thoughts!
And in the meantime, see what the WBC means to some of the players:
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 5: Nick Castellanos #21 of the San Diego Padres swings and hits the ball during a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium on March 5, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Introduction
After reviewing the offseason of the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers the last two weeks, today we continue our NL West Offseason reviews with a look at the San Diego Padres.
2025 Season Overview/Recap
The Padres got off to a great start to begin the 2025 season, matching their best-19 game start in franchise history with a 15-4 record. The team experienced a roster makeover thanks to a busy trade deadline, trading for Ramon Laureano, Ryan O’Hearn, Nestor Cortes, Freddy Fermín, JP Sears, and probably the most impactful piece, All-Star closer Mason Miller. The Padres held a lead at top of the NL West on August 23, the latest they’ve held a lead in the division during a season since 2010, however, they finished in second place in the division behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second straight season. They did make the postseason as the fifth NL Wild Card seed though, but ultimately lost to the Chicago Cubs 2-1 in the Wild Card series, ending their season in disappointment. In spite of the disappointing end to their season, I still think it’s fair to call the Padres 2025 season a success.
UTIL Jose Iglesias, SP Dylan Cease (Blue Jays), 1B/2B Luis Arraez (Giants), RP Robert Suarez (Braves), 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn (Pirates)
Offseason Summary and Review
The Padres have one of the biggest subtractions of the offseason in the NL West with Dylan Cease leaving sunny San Diego for the exact opposite weather in Toronto, Canada. However, the Padres did manage to avoid also losing starting pitchers Michael King and Kyle Hart to free agency. While German Marquez and Walker Buehler are a big step down from Cease, they are very low risk additions, especially considering the market for free agent starting pitching. I really like the addition of German Marquez, who in theory should have a much easier time pitching at sea level in San Diego, especially compared to the challenge that is pitching at altitude in Denver’s Coors Fields. Walker Buehler probably won’t come close again to what he did when he was with the Dodgers, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he returned to form in 2026. Starting pitcher Griffin Canning, who ruptured his Achilles tendon playing for the Mets in 2025, might be one of the better under-the-radar signings of the offseason. While he’s still rehabbing that injury, he’ll likely provide a boost to the Padres rotation early into the 2026 season. While not a free agent signing, Joe Musgrove, who missed all of 2025 thanks to Tommy John surgery he had back in October of 2024, should provide a boost to the Padres rotation early in the season as well.
Before going into the details of the Sung-Mun Song, Nick Castellanos, or Miguel Andujar signings, it’s worth noting that they’re improvements just from the fact that the Padres won’t have to suffer through Jose Iglesias playing in 112 games games in 2026. Despite having a career high 2.5 fWAR and 136 wRC+ in 86 games for the Mets in 2024, Iglesias fell off hard in 2025, putting up an anemic 73 wRC+ and negative defensive value when not playing shortstop, leading to a -0.2 fWAR/-0.7 bWAR season.
Sung-Mun Song is coming off two excellent seasons in the Korean Baseball. In 2024 Song played in all but one of the Kiwoom Heroes games and hit .340/.409/.518, finishing with a career high 19 homeruns and 21 stolen bases, which works out to a 143 wRC+ or 43% better than league average. He’d follow that up with an arguably better 2025 season. He played in all 144 games, hit .315/.387/.530 with 26 homeruns and 25 stolen bases. In a season where offense was down in the KBO, that works out to a 151 wRC+ or 51% better than a league average hitter. The real concerns with Song are that prior to 2024 he had been a below average hitter in all but one of his prior seven seasons, in addition to having only one season where he had appeared in more than 105 games. So the big question for Song will he able to continue his offensive breakout in a more competitive league, while staying healthy for a full season? ZIPs and other projection systems are skeptical of Song succeeding in MLB, but he does at least project to be an average hitter.
Miguel Andujar is coming off his best season in MLB since 2018. While not anywhere close to his production that season, in 2025 he still managed to hit .318/.352/.470 with a 125 wRC+ in 98 games split between the Athletics and Reds. While I wouldn’t expect him to follow up with an equal or better 2026, he should at least give the Padres an offensive boost.
Adding Nick Castellanos is possibly the biggest surprise of the Padres offseason. Castellanos, who turned 34 a week ago, was DFA’d by the Phillies after a disappointing 2025 campaign in which he hit .250/.294/.400 with a 90 wRC+. Although Castellanos will be used as part of a platoon, the fact that his hitting against both left and right handers cratered in 2025 is a massive red flag entering the 2026 season. While Castellanos might have been a good fit for Petco earlier in his career, I don’t think the ballpark will do him any favors in 2026. All that said, taking a flier on Castellanos for league minimum is definitely worth the risk.
This is still a very talented roster, especially with the core of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, Xander Bogaerts, and Jake Cronenworth, which doesn’t even get into Jackson Merrill and flamethrowing closer Mason Miller, both of whom should only be getting better going forward. While there are some concerns with the lengthy deals the Padres inked over the last decade, that’s really a problem for next year.
On paper this looks like the NL West with the best chances of beating the likely division winner the Los Angeles Dodgers. I really love the moves they made to improve their pitching staff and lineup, especially the lower risk moves. My offseason grade for the San Diego Padres is an A.
PHOENIX –– Kiké Hernández has been to the MLB postseason 10 times, played in 103 playoff games and taken part in five World Series.
But what he experienced last week, while cheering on Team Puerto Rico from the dugout during two group stage games on his native island in the World Baseball Classic, might have rivaled anything he’s ever felt in his baseball career.
Kiké Hernández takes in the moment before Team Puerto Rico’s WBC game earlier in March. MLB Photos via Getty Images
“Getting the W and having a stadium of 18,000 people singing a pretty significant song for our island all together, it’s a moment that I’ll never forget,” he said. “I’m still bummed that I don’t get to be a part of it, but I still support my people. I’m still hoping that they can win.”
However, he got permission from the Dodgers to leave spring training last week to join Team Puerto Rico for the first two group stage games it hosted at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in the island’s capital of San Juan.
That meant, when Darell Hernáiz hit his epic walk-off home run in Puerto Rico’s extra-inning, come-from-behind win over Panama last Saturday, Hernández was there in the home plate celebration, pouring out of the dugout alongside his Puerto Rican teammates (including new Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz) in what instantly became one of the defining moments of WBC history.
“It’s not a walk-off homer in the World Series or anything like that,” he said. “But it’s still up there as one of those really cool moments that I’ll always remember.”
Afterward, Hernández also made headlines with postgame comments that went viral on social media, when he said in Spanish: “I’ve played in five World Series, and I don’t know if it’s because of what’s across my chest, but the Classic feels above that.”
On Thursday, Hernández expounded on that message, clarifying that the WBC often “feels bigger” than the World Series –– even if there is no apples-to-apples comparison for an MLB title.
“You don’t always choose who you play for (in MLB). Sometimes that’s not in your control,” he said. “But when you’re representing your country and playing along with your homies, sometimes you’re playing along with people that you grew up with. People back home are rooting for you.
“For us, coming from a little island, the things we can do for our island while the tournament is going on, it becomes a lot bigger than baseball, to where it not always feels that way when you’re playing for an organization in Major League Baseball.”
Kiké Hernández is not playing in the WBC this year for Team Puerto Rico. Getty Images
Hernández will rejoin Team Puerto Rico in Houston this weekend for its quarterfinal game Saturday against Team Italy –– joking that he texted Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman for permission immediately after last week’s walk-off win.
“He knows how much these games mean to me,” said Hernández, who still had his hair dyed white as part of Team Puerto Rico tradition. “It might have been an emotional text, but he was like, ‘After watching that game, it’s a pretty easy yes.’”
When asked if he would stay with Team Puerto Rico if it advances to the semifinal in Miami after that, Hernández then cracked a sly grin.
“I haven’t had that conversation yet with Andrew,” he said. “I only asked permission to go to Houston. So if we win again in Houston, he might get another text message asking if I can go along for the ride. But I haven’t decided that yet. We’re going to go one day at a time.”
Hernández’s rehab will factor into that equation. He said his progress is “starting to move along really rapidly” and that he has been able to take swings in the batting cage off a tee and against flipped balls from coaches.
Still, he wants to be there for as much of Puerto Rico’s WBC run as possible –– embracing his role as part cheerleader, part de facto coach on a team that has already surpassed expectations by reaching the knockout round despite missing most of its best MLB players because of insurance issues or injuries.
“I accepted the fact and came to peace with the fact that I couldn’t play,” he said. “Then you show up, you wear the uniform, you go out there for the anthem and you look around you can’t do it. It was really cool, but it was also really hard.
“I had to do a good job of hiding (that disappointment) and be there for the other guys that were there with less experience. It was tough being there (and not playing), but I’ll be there again in Houston, cheering them against Italy and providing whatever it is I need to provide as far as guidance or cheerleading. Whatever it is, I’ll be there. I’m all for it.”
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