Category: MLB

Diane. It’s February 24th, 12:10 pm, mountain time. My investigation, in all it’s twists, turns, detours, and non-sequiturs has led me to the Peoria Sports Complex in the northwest corner of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Along the way, I stopped at the Whataburger just across the New River. And I have to say, it lived up to its name. What. A. Burger!

The purpose of my visit to Peoria is to investigate the Seattle Mariners. They’ve created quite a stir up in the Northwest, nearly earning a trip to the World Series! Can you believe it? But — as I’m sure you know, Diane —they didn’t quite make it, losing in heartbreaking fashion. So heartbreaking, in fact, that one is forced to wonder if nefarious spirits might not be at work. Bob, we have learned, feeds off of pain, and that loss caused enough of that.

The big name in this game is a fella they call George Kirby. No relation to the little pink guy, but I may have to look into that. Remind me to ask him, Diane. He had a tough 2025 campaign, and is looking to get his moxy back. From what I can see, he reminds me of myself after that incident in Pittsburgh. He’s on the mound now, battling his way through the Chicago White Stockings.

Oh man would you look at that, he got the first two batters out but he beaned the third guy up, the left fielder Austin Hays. George may be a little rattled by that. Everything I’ve seen tells me he has a strong preference to work within the strike zone. And to make matters worth Lenyn Sosa just hit a double to score Hays. Not a good start for Mr. Kirby. Ah, well, he did get a strikeout to end the inning. That should help.

Diane, it looks like George’s fellow Mariners have his back. Good to see comraderie among teammates. The Mariners actually loaded the bases up before getting a run on a double play off the bat of one Joshua Naylor. It’s not a pretty way to do it but the game is tied nonetheless. But in the meantime, I’m hungry. I’m going to find some concessions.

Diane, I’ve acquired a box of stadium popcorn. The texture is somewhat papery and it could use a little more butter flavoring, but regardless, it’s the perfect snack for a day like today. Since I left you, Diane, the White Sox took the lead once again on a two-run home run by Tanner Murray. George Kirby had been removed from the game. It a was poor soul by the name of Stefan Raeth that threw the errant pitch. A shame, but now I’m going to find a soda to wash down this popcorn.

While I was in line for my drink I had a tremendous revelation. A mariner is a sailor, one who lives on the seas. Yet they take their practice every year in the middle of the desert. One wonders if it is merely an irony or something that is emblematic of human nature. Perhaps by building strength and endurance in the arid heat, they are more prepared for baseball in the humid cold of the Northwest. We shall see.

Oh, I forgot to mention. That catcher fellow Sheriff Truman likes so much, Caleb Raleigh, hit a two-run home run.

Diane I’ve retaken my seat in between the two halves of the fourth inning. A series of miscues and misfortunes has returned the lead to Chicago, this time by a margin of 6-3. Spring Training has a way of bringing out the silliness inherent in baseball, as players shake of the rust. Perhaps the baseball gods themselves are more like to intervene, as they too have been desperate for the game all winter. If you asked me before this investigation, I would have said that I don’t believe in gods of any kind. But after what I’ve seen, I’m not so sure anymore.

Diane, the Mariners are fighting back. Those two kids that are playing today, Arroyo and Emerson, reached base and were subsequently doubled home by that star Julio Rodriguez I was telling you about the other day. That brought the score back within a single run.

Chicago stretched the lead back to 3-runs on a lackluster inning by trade acquisition Alex Hoppe. But the Mariners simply loaded the bases again and let Colt Emerson single in two runs with a rocket to right field. Boy that kid may be the real deal. The Mariners then tied the game on a play so captivatingly nonsensical that I am at a loss of words on how to describe it. Miles Mastrobuoni hit the ball to first base and Dominic Canzone attempted to score from third, only to be caught in a rundown. While he was returning to third base the White Sox catcher attempted to throw the baseball back to the third baseman. He failed, sending the ball sailing into left field. Canzone scored and the other two runners moved up to third and second. However they too failed to score.

Diane, I’m speaking to you now from the bottom of the 6th inning. For the first time today the Seattle Mariners are leading the baseball game. They took the lead off of a Spencer Packard single — remind me to ask if he has any relation to Catharine Packard and the sawmill — a wild pitch, a ground out by Lazaro Montes, and a solid single by Dominic Canzone. We’ll see if they can keep it.

It seems they could not. Nico Tellache pitched the 7th for Seattle, inheriting a runner on first. His second pitch went for a single, and a double steal moved those runners up to d and third. It was one of the greatest heists I’ve ever seen in all my time at the Bureau, Diane. It was a simple matter for Oliver Dunn to hit a double and score both runners. He eventually scored on a single, giving Chicago a two run lead. I feel for young Tellache. He did his best in a stressful situation. Hopefully he showed enough determination to his coaches for a second chance. We could all use one of those.

Diane, the Mariners are clawing back. Rhylan Thomas hit a ball all the way to the berm in right field and cut the Chicago lead in half. He could have tied it if it weren’t for Cal Raleigh getting thrown out attempting to steal second after a single. But that’s just the way the cookie crumbles. That’s a good idea. I’m going to try and rustle up a cookie.

Diane, I’ve been unable to find a physical cookie to eat. This disappointment has been compounded by the fact that the proverbial cookie of the baseball game continued to crumble until the very end. The Mariners were unable to score again and the Chicago team took the win. I can’t help but feel this has been some sort of distraction. A red herring, if you will, and you know that that is a fish I do not particularly care for. I’d love to stay and do some more digging, but I really should get back up to Sheriff Truman.

It is a long drive, however. Right now what I need a donut. And a damn good cup of coffee.

The Brewers and Athletics both entered Tuesday’s game seeking their first Cactus League win but it was the Brewers who were able to get it in very convincing fashion.

Tyler Black was the star of the show today, getting things started by following a single from Blake Perkins with a two run homer down the right field line in the 2nd inning.

Black then plated three more Brewers in the third inning by ripping a bases loaded, two out single to right-center. That’s right, a three run single. The count was full so the runners were off with the pitch and they just didn’t stop. Quickly, Black was 2-for-2 with 5 RBIs

Tyler Black has FIVE RBI today.

It’s the third inning. https://t.co/d7qPYWwXf5pic.twitter.com/d8zPMYDNyK

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) February 24, 2026

That’s a great day already, but Black wasn’t done. When he came up again in the 5th inning, Black ripped a 2-0 fastball from Scott Barlow to right for a double to score Akil Baddoo. Black was 3-for-3 with 6 RBIs and finished a triple shy of the cycle. It’s only a spring training game, but for a player like Tyler Black who dealt with a hamate injury last year and faces a tough roster picture, it’s the kind of game he needs to get back on the Crew’s radar.

The Brewers finished with 10 runs but very easily could have had more if it wasn’t for the weird stadium design at Hohokam in Mesa. For whatever reason, the batter’s eye in centerfield is in play. The yellow line runs to the top of it so you have to hit it over for a home run to dead center. In the 5th, David Hamilton crushed a ball 425 feet to center, but it hit high off the batter’s eye and went for a double. Then in the 7th, Akil Baddoo hit one 434 feet to center and it still hit off the top of the batter’s eye and went for only a double. Two hits that went 425+ feet and no home runs to show for it.

Also, in the 9th inning, after the line change, #2 prospect Luis Pena ripped a double to left off the bat at 103.4 MPH. The Brewers added two runs in that 9th inning.

On the pitching side, it was domination from a laundry list of pitchers, starting with Rob Zastryzny and followed by Angel Zerpa, Sammy Peralta, and Coleman Crow from the 40 man roster. Crow was especially impressive, spinning 3,300 RPM curveballs with 20 inches of horizontal break. He also showcased a 3,000 RPM cutter with 21 inches of run.

Everyone covered one inning and they scattered five hits in the shutout. After Crow was Blake Holub, Will Childers, Mark Manfredi, Jack Seppings, and Miles Langhorne.

The now 1-4 Cactus Crew will look to make it two wins in a row tomorrow when they take on the San Francisco Giants at American Family Fields of Phoenix. That game will be available on the Brewers Radio Network.

Today, the Colorado Rockies defeated the Los Angeles Angels, 7-5.

For more details, go here.

Yes, we would be getting taco’s if this were doing the regular season, and the Rockies now have a 3-2 record.

Please take a moment to appreciate this Charlie Condon bomb:

I feel compelled to share this:

Here are manager Warren’s Schaeffer’s thoughts:

Turns out, Seth Halvorsen was working on a new pitch.

Now to today’s starting pitcher, Chase Dollander:

And, finally, here’s Charlie Condon:

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MESA, Arizona — The Cubs defeated the Padres 6-5 on a very warm February afternoon at Sloan Park, thanks to some timely hitting by Cubs catcher Carson Kelly.

Shōta Imanaga made his first start of the spring and it was a good one. He allowed three hits, one of which was an infield grounder and another a bloop to left, and struck out one. Here’s the pitch sequencing on the strikeout, and you can see Imanaga’s velocity was up several ticks from late last year:

This appears to support the theory that Shōta was never fully recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered last May, through the end of the season. He probably couldn’t get any power out of his legs late last year, thus all the home runs. If he can throw 93-94 this year, that’s significant.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first. Michael Busch led off with a double, took third on a ground out, and scored on a single by Carson Kelly. Two more Cubs runs crossed the plate in the second. B.J. Murray and Justin Dean singled and Scott Kingery was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Busch then was also hit, forcing in a run. A sac fly by Matt Shaw scord the second run.

The Cubs maintained the 3-0 lead until the fourth, when Jacob Webb was touched up for a pair of runs. He walked two after retiring the first two Padres on routine fly balls. A double by former Cub Nick Castellanos plated the two runs.

Kelly homered with one out in the fifth:

As you can see, that was a well-placed high fastball (well-placed for the hitter, that is), and Kelly hit it a long way [VIDEO].

After that Dylan Carlson walked, and one out later James Triantos also walked. Murray doubled in both runners. There doesn’t seem to be any place for Murray with the Cubs, but he will be leaving soon to play for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. Perhaps the Cubs can trade him to a team that will give him a chance.

After Webb’s rough inning, Ethan Roberts, Hoby Milner and Gavin Hollowell all threw scoreless frames. Hollowell struck out all three Padres minor leaguers he faced.

In the top of the eighth with a Padres runner on first, a ground ball was hit to third. The throw to first was late, and the runner on first headed to third but was thrown out. The umpires immediately ruled obstruction — and made an announcement to that effect. That’s a good thing and I hope announcements on unusual plays like that are made during regular season games. It’s a big help. The runner on third scored on a ground out, and in case you were wondering, since there were no further hits in the inning, that run was unearned off Jeff Brigham.

Minor leaguer Grant Kipp threw the ninth and was touched up for a single and two-run homer, making it a one-run game, but after the homer Kipp induced two ground balls to short to end things.

The game felt slow — and no wonder, as there were 299 pitches thrown, more than the MLB average of about 250, and there was no bottom of the ninth.

Attendance watch: Not surprisingly for a Tuesday in February, the crowd at Sloan Park was under 10,000, just 9,411. That makes the season total so far for three dates 35,903, or 11,968 per date.

We still have not seen Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner or Dansby Swanson in a game. I’m assuming we will see them all on Wednesday. Also, Cade Horton and Edward Cabrera have yet to start, and I’d guess we will see one of them on Friday.

The Cubs will host the Rockies Wednesday afternoon at Sloan Park. Jameson Taillon will start for the Cubs and old friend José Quintana goes for the Rockies. Game time is again 2:05 p.m. CT. No TV or radio Wednesday.

Busy day, eh? I hope y’all are having a good evening out there. No random clip tonight, the floor is now yours.

Michael Toglia smashed a grounder down the 1B line to plate Leo Balcazar in the Bottom of the 9th inning in Goodyear Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon, and doing so pushed the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

It marked the first win of Cactus League play for the Reds, who now sit 1-2 after a day off on Monday.

Here’s how things shook down:

The Good

Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suarez went back to back in the Bottom of the 5th inning, with each’s homer being their respective first of the spring.

Elly’s traveled 432 feet through the thin Arizona air.

First homer of spring for Elly:

⚡️432 feet
⚡️107.9 MPH EV pic.twitter.com/ZX4KDTZgGI

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) February 24, 2026

No data from the Reds on Geno’s blast, but it sure sounded good.

Sure missed saying this…SÁCALAAA pic.twitter.com/1PSFmZydgS

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) February 24, 2026

Sal Stewart and Edwin Arroyo helped level the score in the Bottom of the 9th, as each singled (sandwiched around Balcazar’s single) with the latter scoring Sal from 3B. I have very high hopes for this trio this season.

Also, the Cincinnati bullpen looked a far cry better than their disastrous performance on Sunday, with the crew cobbling together five consecutive scoreless frames to finish the game, with the likes of Pierce Johnson and Sam Moll firing scoreless frames.

The Bad

Let’s preface it with this – Brandon Williamson returned to a mound in a competitive game, and that’s way more good than bad. If anything, I pulled him out for this section to highlight what went well for him despite the fact that he was tagged for a pair of ER on 3 hits in 2.0 IP.

He didn’t walk anyone, which kicks tail. He also struck out 4 in his pair of frames, and the stuff that’s reportedly looked so good early in camp definitely had its perks.

Williamson wasn’t bad, truly. The only thing that was ‘bad’ was that Jac Caglianone tagged him for a 460 foot moonshot, and that kinda stings.

Oh gosh. 😳

Cags crushes his first homer of spring 460'! pic.twitter.com/l87ZRFQwqa

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 24, 2026

The Ugly

Only that it ended, really. I suppose Andrew Abbott, who allowed 2 ER on a dinger in his second frame of the day, would’ve liked to have been a bit better, though he did look excellent in the Top of the 1st in his first inning of the season.

What’s Next

Nick Lodolo will start tomorrow as the Reds hit the road for Camelback Ranch to face the Chicago White Sox. First pitch is once again set for 3:05 PM ET, and it once again won’t be televised anywhere.

You’ll be able to follow along the Reds radio feed via 700 WLW, however.

Record: 2-3. Change on 2025: +1. 5-inning record: 1-4.

That was satisfactory – and it didn’t look like it would be initially. Michael Soroka, in his debut for Arizona, pitched his team into a deficit before he recorded an out, opening up by allowing a triple and RBI single. But he gave up just a walk thereafter, getting through two innings while allowing the one run, with three strikeouts. The middle innings were solid, with scoreless frames from Brandyn Garcia, Andrew Hoffmann, Philip Abner and Isiaiah Campbell. Texas did chip away down the stretch, getting single runs off Taylor Rashi, Bryce Jarvis and John Curtiss, but all of them avoided giving up a crooked number, to close out the win. Three ABS challenges, but in a win for home-plate umpire Sean Sparling, all three were confirmed!

Meanwhile, a three-run fifth inning saw Arizona take the lead for good. A Jorge Barrosa single was followed by A.J. Vukovich’s first home-run of spring, and Ketel Marte following him in going deep later in the inning. Two more runs followed in the seventh, on an Alek Thomas triple and Ben McLaughlin single. Both those men had two hits on the day, as did Carlos Santana and LuJames Groover, although nobody on the team drew a walk this afternoon. Small sample size, plus the usual meaningless nature of spring training – but Alek is 4-for-7 with three extra-base hits, and has also walked more than he has struck out. Given he has changed his swing, perhaps this is meaningful.

We’ll get to see tomorrow. No, we’ll really get to see, with the game against the Dodgers being available for free on a dbacks.com live-stream. That will be our first chance to see Zac Gallen, with Dylan Ray and Drew Jameson among those scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen. 1:10 pm start at Salt River Fields for that.

I had to listen to the game on the radio for a little bit today, and no, the Cleveland broadcasters aren’t bitter. In the 10 minutes I was listening, they mentioned the Dodgers’ $414M payroll three times. It is six times the payroll of the Guardians. The Dodgers have ONE BILLION DOLLARS in deferred monies. They also spent some time opining about how when you play baseball at Harvard, you DO have to go to class, and you CAN’T play for seven years. The disgust was seeping through the airwaves. They obviously rolled in on the bitter bus.

On the field, the Dodgers looked like a team that has six times the payroll of their opponents across the field. They beat the Guardians 11-3, with Cleveland’s runs all coming off a three-run homer given up by Edgardo Henriquez in the second inning.

The Dodgers are a perfect 4-0 so far this spring, allowing only six runs total, while scoring 34.

What was important in this game was the return of Gavin Stone to the mound – and boy, did he look good.

Stone has not seen a Major League mound since August 2024, when he was sidelined needing shoulder reconstruction surgery. While he pitched only one inning, his 15 pitches were dominate. His changeup looked nasty, and he struck out two of the three batters he faced, setting them down in order.

“That’s my bread and butter, so if I don’t have that I’m screwed”, Stone told reporters after the game. “Seeing the results today was really uplifting”.

SportsnetLA’s Kirsten Watson had a nice interview with Stone after his outing.

"Perseverance, trust in the process, relying on Jesus, and my family." – Gavin Stone talks with @kirsten_watson after his return to the mound… and maybe starting a band?🎸⚾️🔥 pic.twitter.com/1P0ED7omkp

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) February 24, 2026

I am here for a Dodgers band. I feel like maybe Kike’ Hernandez would be a good lead singer.

Justin Wrobleski got the win, and including Wrobleski, the remaining seven Dodger pitchers that appeared in the game combined to allow only four more hits for the rest of the game.

Freddie Freeman also appeared in his first game this spring. He popped out his first at bat and then roped a patented Freeman double in his next at bat, scoring two.

Max Muncy and Mookie Betts remain the only two regular starters that haven’t appeared in a Spring Training game so far but should do so by the end of the week. Roki Sasaki will make his first start tomorrow, and Tyler Glasnow will start on Thursday. The Dodgers will be at Salt River Fields against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, and home against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday although they will be the away team.

The term most associated with the top prospect in baseball regarding his chances to make the big league club out of spring training is to leave “no doubt.”

On Tuesday afternoon in Fort Myers, Konnor Griffin left no doubt on two baseballs.

In fact, they left the entire ballpark.

Facing All-Star left-hander Ranger Suarez and the Boston Red Sox in the second inning of his third spring training game, Griffin smashed a two-run home run over the left field wall.

The ball traveled 374 feet and left the bat at a 104.8 mph exit velocity. 

Konnor Griffin today:

Home run – 374 feet, 104.8 mph
Home run – 440 feet, 111 mph

The best prospect in MLB and it's not close.pic.twitter.com/fiABMiG4jX

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) February 24, 2026

If you thought that was fun to watch, you’d better have been seated for his second.

Facing veteran right-handed reliever Seth Martinez in the fourth, Griffin hit a tape-measure shot to left center field. 

That's ✌️ today! pic.twitter.com/VarLMbSajj

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) February 24, 2026

The measurements? 440 feet and 111 mph exit velocity for the consensus best player in the minor leagues.

Griffin hit an RBI groundout to third base in his third time up, finishing the day with two home runs and four RBIs. He also committed one error at short.

Only 19 years old, Griffin played his first full season in 2025 after being selected No. 9 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Griffin was the first high school player taken and rapidly rose up the charts by mid-season.

In 122 games between three different levels, Griffin slashed .333/.415/.527 with a .942 OPS. He combined for 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, and a whopping 65 stolen bases.

Griffin won’t turn 20 until April 24. Despite moving up from Single-A, to High-A and finally Double-A, Griffin hit .325 or better in all three leagues. 

In 21 games with Double-A Altoona, Griffin recorded a .337 average and .960 OPS, increasing his OPS total each level. During that span, Griffin hit five home runs and drove in 22.

He didn’t play a single game of pro ball after being drafted in 2024, bursting onto the scene as a star that prospect analyst Keith Law called “Willie Mays at shortstop.”

The pressure and expectations on Griffin to be a key solution to the Pirates’ offensive woes are immense.

Ben Cherington and Don Kelly may refrain from making Griffin a member of the Opening Day roster if they don’t feel he’s ready or for a number of other reasons, but Griffin is already doing his part to ensure that one of the best prospects this century leaves “no doubt.”

It’s game 4 of the St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training schedule as they take on the Washington Nationals with a start time of 5:05pm central. According to MLB.com, Andre Pallante will get the start for the Cardinals while the Nationals will send Cade Cavalli to the mound.

For the first time since he grounded out to end the 11th inning in Game 7 of the World Series, Freddie Freeman stepped into the batter’s box in the first inning Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians at Camelback Ranch. Freeman was met with cheers by the thousands of Dodgers fans in attendance.

After popping out to third in his first at-bat, Freeman laced a double to left-center to drive in two runs in the third inning before he was lifted from the Dodgers’ 11-3 victory.

Freeman, who last season battled the lingering effects of a right ankle injury he suffered late in the 2024 season, said having a more typical offseason was crucial to regaining his fitness.

“It’s been in a good spot since I started hitting this offseason,” Freeman said of his swing. “Nice to be able to hit a ball to left-center already, that’s a good sign. ... I hadn’t swung a bat till a day before FanFest last year. A normal offseason definitely helps.”

While still an All-Star and a recipient of MVP votes, Freeman has had a slight decline in production over the last two seasons compared to his first two with the Dodgers. Freeman posted on-base percentages of .407 and .410, while raking a league-leading 47 and 59 doubles, respectively, in 2022 and 2023. His OBP dropped to .378 in 2024 and .367 in 2025.

Five-run rally for the lead! pic.twitter.com/c02Qf0nBiE

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 24, 2026

But for Freeman, it is his contact numbers that have been a thorn in his side all offseason.

His .295 batting average was the third-best in the National League last season but still was not good enough for Freeman, a career .300 hitter.

“There wasn’t a 3 at the start of my batting average last year, and that irks me,” Freeman said last week. “That’s my goal always, to hit .300. I like hits. I’m a hitter. Three at the front of a batting average means a lot to me. I know batting average and those kinds of things don’t mean a lot to a lot of people these days, but it does to me. If you hit .300, it means you’re on base a lot, and you’re scoring runs for your team, so that’s the goal, .300 again.”

Freeman landed on the injured list at the start of last April after he aggravated his surgically repaired right ankle, causing him to miss nine games and setting the tone for a season in which he never felt quite right.

Read more:'Pretty healthy' Kyle Tucker content to fit in among Dodgers' galaxy of stars

“I was taping my ankle till about August,” Freeman said. “It was never really in a good spot last year. There was a lot of treatment, and I think I played all right for that, and we won again, so I’m really looking forward this year.”

One area Freeman thinks he can improve is his defense. A former Gold Glover, Freeman rated as a below-average fielder in both the defensive runs saved (minus-7) and outs above average (minus-6) metrics.

“I didn’t like the way I played defense last year and I thought it was just because I wasn’t mobile enough,” Freeman said. “So, that’s a big, big goal of mine, to play better at first this year, get to more balls, be able to cover more things. So, that’s going to be a key for me.”

Manager Dave Roberts is optimistic about what his veteran first baseman can do, even at age 36.

“I think he takes such good care of himself,” Roberts said. “I think that age is an easy one to point to, but I really believe that he’s been dinged up for two years.

“Right now, today, it’s as good as I’ve seen his swing over the course of a week sample, [better] than I have [seen] in two years. So, he’s in a good spot physically, mechanically. So, if we can keep him healthy, I just don’t see why he can’t have the year that he expects, and with that, with everything that he went through the last couple years, he was still very productive.”

Freeman said last week he hopes to play four more years, through his 20th season as a big leaguer.

Read more:Stephen Nelson is now part of Dodgers fans' memories. Here's how he keeps it in perspective

“In that fourth year, I turn 40,” Freeman said. “Four is just a number that’s floated. Is it less? Is it more? I don’t know, but that’s kind of just where I’m at. I feel good right now, so that was just floated because that would be an even 20 years, I’ll be 40. I got a family that I would like to go home to. I do love this game; I love playing it, but for me, if I can do four, that would be 20 years. I think that’s enough.”

Etc.

After major shoulder surgery in 2024 that forced him to miss all of last season, right-hander Gavin Stone made his return to the mound a smooth one, pitching a scoreless first inning and striking out two against the Guardians.

“It was awesome,” said Stone, who last pitched for the Dodgers on Aug. 31, 2024. “Definitely a lot of hard work over the previous year. Rehab was a grind, but it’s good to be back out there.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Spring training is one of the best times of the year for baseball fans, the return of their sport after three agonizing months of waiting. It’s also a time for the Yankees coaching staff to get their first in-person look at the mechanics and adjustments their players have been working on over the winter. After a week of watching players at the spring training complex in Tampa, we’ve spotted four players who have made discernible adjustments over the offseason. We’ll be keeping our eye on Gerrit Cole, Spencer Jones, Luis Gil, and José Caballero in the month leading to Opening Day to see how these developments progress.

Gerrit Cole

You don’t need me to tell you how exciting it is to have the Yankees ace back healthy and in camp. Cole showed up ready to participate in live BPs, his fastball touching 97 mph in his latest session. It’s uncertain whether he will pitch in any of the Grapefruit League games, but by his account he is tracking right on schedule with his Tommy John rehab with his sights set on a May return.

Cole arrived in camp with by far the most noticeable mechanical adjustment of anyone on the team, going with an arms-over-the-head windup like the kind we’ve seen from Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Max Scherzer, and many other. Below are Cole’s windup mechanics before his surgery, followed by a video of his new windup this spring.

Gerrit Cole back on the mound pic.twitter.com/nJBYxal4JB

— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) February 13, 2026

When asked about why he chose to switch to this windup, Cole didn’t give much away, simply saying that “it feels good.” It’s hard to say whether this new windup has anything to do with injury prevention given the coincidental timing of Cole making this adjustment on the heels of Tommy John rehab. Personally, I’ve always liked this kind of windup because I feel it keeps your upper body vertically aligned over your center of mass before making your move down the mound. This helps prevent disconnection between your lower and upper halves during the force generation phase of delivery — you can imagine that if your arm lags behind your base as you step toward the batter, you have to generate all the velocity with your arm rather than efficiently transferring it from the ground via the lower half.

Spencer Jones

Spencer Jones made positive strides in the minors last year, slashing .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs, 80 RBIs, 29 stolen bases, and a 153 wRC+ in 116 games between Double-A and Triple-A. However, he still struck out in over 35-percent of his plate appearances, and more concerningly, struggled to make contact on pitches in the zone, his 28-percent zone whiff rate among the highest in Triple-A. In his first spring AB, there was a noticeable difference in his batting stance relative to last season. Below is a swing from last season, followed by his first swing of the Grapefruit League — a 408-foot solo home run off the Tigers’ Keider Montero.

Jones went from a left-handed mirror of Aaron Judge’s front foot hover in 2025 to a toe-tap and load that looks eerily similar to Shohei Ohtani’s pre-swing mechanics. Indeed, the Yankees’ fourth-ranked prospect cited Ohtani as the inspiration behind this mechanical adjustment.

“He’s a great reference of a really good mover with a great swing. He’s one of those guys that I look at with some of the stuff he does, and I try to apply it in whichever way I can.”

After witnessing the results of this adjustment, Judge offered praise for Jones in the post-game press conference.

“The minute he puts that foot down with that little toe-tap, he’s ready to hit. They might have gotten him with a lot of high heaters in the past, or even last season. I think that’s just going to help him. He doesn’t have a big leg kick and doesn’t have to worry about trying to get that down. I liked the results I saw in that first at-bat. That quickness, that readiness, it’s really going to be a game-changer for him.”

I love this adjustment for Jones, especially as a batter who struggles to catch up to fastballs in the zone as Judge noted. Getting that front foot down earlier gives Jones valuable milliseconds more to react to the incoming pitch while also eliminating unwanted head movement after the pitch has left the hand. Jones has so much raw strength that he doesn’t need an exaggerated leg kick to generate power, it’s all about getting into a good hitting position earlier. I will definitely be monitoring Jones’ timing against heaters in his upcoming spring appearances.

Luis Gil

Luis Gil was something of an enigma in 2025. He missed the first four months to a lat strain, and though his top level stats appeared decent — 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA in eleven starts — Gil regressed in several concerning areas. His fastball velocity was about a tick-and-a-half below his 2024 Rookie of the Year campaign, and he lost a whopping ten points off his strikeout rate while placing in the first percentile in chase rate.

His fastball velo is still down in his first spring training reps, something which Gil acknowledged following his Grapefruit League start against the Mets. What caught my eye, however, was the reduced velocity of his slider and changeup — both about two-and-a-half mph slower on Sunday than last season — and this is something that I think can work in Gil’s favor in 2026.

I’ve always been a big proponent of creating velocity separation between one’s fastball and one’s secondary pitches. Players looking to cheat to the fastball will be even earlier against the soft stuff, while a hitter sitting on offspeed has less time to react to the fastball when there is a wider gap in velo. Gil worked with a roughly 5-6 mph gap between heater and secondaries in 2025 and now that has been increased to a roughly 7-9 mph gap. I feel this can allow his diminished fastball to play up which in turn should increase opportunities for chase out of the zone.

Obviously, the command issues remain a massive problem for Gil — he needs to rein in the walks and needs to find a consistent release for his slider. However, this adjustment from Gil should raise what had become an alarmingly low floor in 2025. It gives him a way to fool hitters with velocity when he’s finding it difficult to fool hitters with movement or location, which should help mitigate the strikeout, chase, hard-hit, and fly ball issues that cropped up last season.

With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.

Today we are looking at relief pitcher Caleb Boushley.

Caleb Boushley ended up with the unenviable role of the Rangers’ up-and-down long man and general “guy we call up when we need a body who can got multiple innings” pitcher in 2025.

Well, I say unenviable, but Boushley appears to have accumulated about 10 days worth of service time in his major league career (which consisted of six innings over three games the prior two seasons) before 2025. He now has 143 days of service time, which is more, by a lot.

The Rangers purchased Boushley’s contract on April 8, optioning Gerson Garabito to make room for him on the active roster.

Garabito, incidentally, ended up requesting his release from the Rangers later in the 2025 season so he could go pitch for Samsung in the KBO. Boushley, who became a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, will be spending the 2026 season in the KBO, though with KT Wiz. I hope the team’s slogan is, “Nobody beats the Wiz!”

Boushley was optioned to AAA Round Rock towards the end of April. The Rangers ended up recalling him five more times over the course of the season, and optioning him four more times. The last time the Rangers dropped him from the active roster, they designated him for assignment. He was claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays, for whom he did not pitch in the majors. The Rays designated him for assignment after the World Series.

Boushley was not good during his time with the Rangers. He threw 43 innings over 25 appearances, and really, you’d have expected him to pitch more often, given how much time he spent on the active roster, but then, the Rangers didn’t generally use him unless no one else was available or the game was so lopsided there was no point in using someone else.

Boushley put up a 6.02 ERA in those 25 games. He had an ERA of at least 5 in every month except May, when he put up a 4.38 ERA. He had a 5.04 ERA in the first half and an 8.31 ERA in the second half.

He did have significant home/road splits, putting up a 3.31 ERA at home and a 7.67 ERA on the road. If you’ve been paying attention to these write-ups and our discussions about how the Shed played, you will not be surprised to learn that Boushley was not a ground ball pitcher in 2025. He allowed a .234/.300/.281 slash line at home, with just 3 doubles and 0 home runs allowed, and a .345/.398/.558 slash line on the road, with 9 doubles and 5 homers allowed.

There was a guy named Bob Ferguson who had a 14 year career in the 1800s. His nickname was Death to Flying Things. That’s probably what we should be calling the Shed.

You may note that I said that Boushley was not a ground ball pitcher last year. I did not say he was a fly ball pitcher. That is because Boushley was, well, not a fly ball pitcher in 2025, either. He was a line drive pitcher. According to Statcast, 33.8% of the balls put in play against him were line drives. That’s not good.

Fangraphs, for what it is worth, has his line drive rate at 25.9%. There were 402 pitchers in MLB last year who threw at least 40 innings. Only nine of them had a higher line drive rate than Boushley. And five of those nine had line drive rates of either 26.0% or 26.1%. The worst line drive rate in the league was 27.6%, from AJ Smith-Shawver.

Not surprisingly, despite having a great defense behind him, Boushley had a ridiculous BABIP — .374, to be exact, tied with Mark Leiter, Jr., for second worst in baseball, behind Mason Montgomery.

Boushley put up a 5.94 xERA on the year, right in line with his 6.02 ERA. Not good. One isn’t surprised to see a -1.0 bWAR for him when you go to the B-R page.

However…Boushley was better than replacement level according to Fangraphs. Not a ton better — he has a 0.2 fWAR — but still, its positive.

This is because Fangraphs uses a FIP-based method for determining pitcher value, and Boushley put up a 3.85 FIP in 2025, along with a 3.95 xFIP. FIP is based on the assumption that pitchers do not have control over what happens when a ball is put into play but isn’t a home run, and thus is calculated based on home runs, walks, HBPs, and strikeouts. Whether a ball in play is a hit or an out is chalked up to the defense behind the pitcher and the overall randomness involved in small sample sizes.

In most cases, that works well enough. But there are some pitchers for whom that isn’t applicable. Sometimes a pitcher is giving up a high BABIP not because of randomness or defense but because he’s giving up rockets. And those edge cases don’t tend to affect the overall reliability of FIP because pitchers like that don’t stick around long enough to skew the numbers.

As is the case with Caleb Boushley, who will spend the 2026 season in Korea, getting paid.

Previously:

Gerson Garabito

Tyler Mahle

Kyle Higashioka

Adolis Garcia

Luis Curvelo

Alejandro Osuna

Blaine Crim

Jake Burger

Jacob Webb

Nick Ahmed

Jon Gray

Carl Edwards Jr.

Josh Jung

Leody Taveras

Dustin Harris

Marc Church

Luke Jackson

Danny Coulombe

Wyatt Langford

Dylan Moore

Michael Helman

Evan Carter

Cole Winn

Rowdy Tellez

Dane Dunning

Marcus Semien

Billy McKinney

Jose Corniell

Jonah Heim

Cody Freeman

Sam Haggerty

Jacob deGrom

Merrill Kelly

Hader is still throwing off flat ground as he recovers from a sprained shoulder capsule and biceps tendinitis.

This is not worst case scenario, but the back of the Astros bullpen just took another step closer to it.

Closer Josh Hader is still only throwing off flat ground, and is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic:

Josh Hader and Enyel De Los Santos are tracking to be out on Opening Day.@Chandler_Rome has his thoughts on what the Astros bullpen will look like without them. pic.twitter.com/Fi5iQoDf1u

— Crush City Territory (@CrushCityShow) February 24, 2026

Losing Hader for any extended stretch of time would be a major blow to the Astros pen.

Without Hader in the mix, Bryan Abreu would ascend to closing duties. Lefties Bennett Sousa, Bryan King and Steven Okert are all but guaranteed spots save for injury or disaster. That would leave three bullpen spots available, as the team will utilize a 6-man rotation, leaving them with a shortened 7-man bullpen.

Candidates for those spots include A.J. Blubaugh, Kai-Wei Teng, Jason Alexander, Ryan Weiss, J.P. France and Lance McCullers Jr. Some of those arms are competing for a starting rotation spot but if they do not win a starting role, could be options in the pen. Those who don’t win a spot on the Opening Day roster will be depth at Triple-A Sugar Land should injury or the need for a fresh arm arise.

Other arms that are competing for a pen spot include Jayden Murray and Sam Carlson. Roddery Munoz, the Astros pick in the 2026 Rule V draft, had a very poor first outing this spring and is facing a serious climb to be in consideration for a roster spot.

Enyel De Los Santos is not throwing and also unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, as Rome reported in the clip above.

Nate Pearson, who was promised a chance to compete to start but has relief experience and could also be a candidate for the pen, may also not be ready for the start of the season:

Nate Pearson has a goal of pitching in a spring training game, but that may not happen.@Chandler_Rome believes Pearson may start the year on the IL to keep ramping up until he's ready. pic.twitter.com/U3xFfhaKo0

— Crush City Territory (@CrushCityShow) February 24, 2026

As previously addressed here at TCB from Nov 25, 2025:

https://www.crawfishboxes.com/houston-astros-analysis-commentary/71050/do-the-astros-need-a-backup-plan-for-josh-hader

An extended absence by Hader could be disastrous for the Astros. Hader’s injury last year seemed to be the final straw of an injury-riddled campaign for the team. Houston had managed to overcome a plethora of injuries to that point in August, but after Hader’s injury, the wheels began to come off as they no longer had a dominant 1-2 punch to close out games in the back of the pen and the bridge getting to Abreu in the closer role was too often shaky.

Rome reports the Astros are high on Teng and think he offers promise.

Blubaugh could find himself in a high leverage role with his power stuff, and little other options. With the Astros not having pulled a deal for another leverage arm, that leverage arm could very well be Blubaugh.

Rome lists Weiss as a bullpen candidate, but I believe he currently has an inside track to being the 6th starter with his strong season in the KBO last year and his shown durability. There would be no innings restriction concerns with Weiss.

How would you structure the Astros pen with Hader, Pearson, De Los Santos all out?

4:30pm CT SECN+.

After a three game sweep over Niles Crane’s ex-wife, Marist, the Dores welcome The Purple Aces for some mid-week action.

On the Mound

Tuesday @ 4:30pm SECN+

Vanderbilt #46 Fr. RHP Tyler “The Minstrel” Baird (0-1; 5.79 ERA)

vs. Evansville #29 Jr. RHP Kellen “The Monroe-vian” Roberts (0-0; 0.00 ERA)

The Lineup

Dores vs. Aces coming up at 4:30. pic.twitter.com/tntrTrJTim

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) February 24, 2026

See you in the comments.