Category: MLB

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not hesitate when asked about his expectations for Mookie Betts.

“He will be in the MVP conversation this year,” Roberts said this week. “But again, I think, speaking for Mookie, his main goal is to help us win a championship. So, I think whatever falls out from there, I think that will happen. I just want him to focus on just being healthy, helping us win, and then whatever happens outside of that, will happen.”

Coming off a season that got off on the wrong foot with a stomach virus that caused him to lose 20 pounds and then saw him set career lows for batting average (.258), on-base percentage (.326) and OPS (.732), Betts is eager to move forward. And with a more typical spring training timeline this year — unlike the previous two years when season-opening games in South Korea and Japan sped up preparations — Betts can ease into his seventh season with the Dodgers.

Read more:Healthy, slimmer Teoscar Hernández 'out to prove something' this season with Dodgers

“I haven’t had a regular spring maybe since I’ve been a Dodger,” said Betts, who also won't be participating in the World Baseball Classic as he did in 2023. “I just know that, being 33 now, I don’t have to hurry up and get here, and be ready to play from day one. So, I can just kind of embrace that. Not everybody’s blessed to have that, so being that I am one of the ones that’s blessed with that, I’ll see what I can make of it.”

One thing that's not in question for Betts heading into the season: his shortstop play. Despite the nearly unprecedented shift from the outfield to the infield, Betts played 148 games at short last season and was a Gold Glove Award finalist. The work he put in to learn a new position raised questions about whether that was a root cause of his hitting struggles, a point he granted some credence to late last season.

Betts did pick up the pace late in the season, batting .317 and nearly doubling his home run total from 11 to 20 over his final 47 games. But he slumped in the NLCS and World Series, batting a combined .136 and was eventually dropped from second to third in the batting order for Game 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays, then fourth for Games 6 and 7.

Roberts said this week that he intends to slot Betts third in the batting order this season, with Shohei Ohtani still in the leadoff spot. (He added that Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and newcomer Kyle Tucker are all in play for the second and fourth spots in the order.)

“I like [Betts] in the number three in the sense that there’s an on-base component, there’s a ‘get hits’ component, there’s a drive-in-runs component, and you’re more of a Swiss Army knife in the lineup," Roberts said. "So, I’m not beholden to it, but I like him in the three-hole right now.”

And as a result, Roberts feels bullish about Betts this season.

“I think he had a great offseason,” Roberts said. “He’s in a good headspace. The body’s good, and I think for me, it’s just getting back to being who he is. I just think that last year was an outlier offensive season, and I’m not too concerned about Mookie at all.”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto to start Cactus League opener

Roberts announced Thursday that World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start the Dodgers' first spring training game Saturday against the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. He did not share how many pitches or innings Yamamoto expects to throw, but he did state that it will likely be Yamamoto’s only Cactus League start before departing to play for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

Roberts also revealed what players may start Saturday’s Cactus League opener.

“I would expect Will Smith to be in there,” Roberts said. “I expect [Teoscar Hernández] in there, and probably Andy [Pages]. I think that’s safe, and then we’ll go from there.”

Roberts plans to hold other veteran players until next week.

Read more:Where River Ryan and Gavin Stone figure in the Dodgers' crowded pitching plans

“Guys like Mookie and Muncy, I’m going to start those guys a little bit later than this weekend and see where we go,” Roberts said. “Once they get going, then we’ll stagger and give them the ample time in-between. I’ve got to appreciate that it’s a longer spring. So, if they’re going to be here for six weeks, then I don’t want to kind of come in too hot, I want to pace them out a little bit.”

Freeman said Thursday that he will not play in the Dodgers’ first three spring training games.

“I feel good, I’m ready to go, but we are going to slow-play it a little bit,” Freeman said. “I won’t play until I think Tuesday, so the fourth game, and then I’ll get going.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The UNC-ECU baseball series that’s been happening for several years now is one of the best nonconference traditions in college baseball — two historically notable programs that are geographically close enough that they can pull off a weekend series where each team hosts one with a third game being played at a venue as cool as Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The two teams come into the weekend having started the season in kind of opposite ways: the #10 Heels swept their opening weekend series and stayed unbeaten in two midweek contests, while the Pirates lost an opening-weekend series to Xavier and then split their midweek games — a loss to Campbell before a bit of a get-right win against NJIT on Wednesday. Still, this series nearly always delivers some really good, fun baseball, and often tells us UNC fans a lot more about what we’ve got to look forward to. Last year’s ECU series featured Jake Knapp’s first action back from injury — while his 3-inning start with 2 runs allowed didn’t really foreshadow his eventual National Pitcher of the Year campaign, there was at least something there.

Leading up to this weekend, the Heels continued their display of pitching dominance in their two midweek contests. Kyle Percival, back from an injury that ended his season early last year, started Tuesday’s game against Richmond and tossed 4 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and one walk while striking out 2. A couple of those outs were on pretty loud contact, but Percival mostly missed barrels pretty effectively and used his pitch mix well — it’s a good early sign for UNC to have another reliable lefty in the bullpen, which for all of last year’s pitching success was something that the staff sometimes missed having. He got good run support, too — a pair of RBI doubles from Gavin Gallaher and Macon Winslow in the first, then a pair of 3-run homers from Winslow and Jake Schaffner in the second made it a 8-0 ballgame early. A Gallaher sac fly in the 3rd took the score to 9-0 before the offense slowed down, but that was enough for Scott Forbes to throw a couple of freshmen for an inning each in a low-stakes situation. Both of them, Talan Holiday and Jackson rose, threw scoreless innings while relying heavily on off-speed stuff, differing a little from the rest of their righty teammates who are more power-oriented. Camron Seagraves finished the shutout with a clean inning of his own in his first action of the season, and the game ended after Rom Kellis hit a pinch-hit double and was advanced home by a fly ball and a wild pitch to trigger the 10-run rule.

Wednesday’s game against Longwood looked like it might go similarly after a four-run first inning that featured two-RBI singles from Colin Hynek and Michael Maginnis, but the Lancers’ pen really locked in after the first and shut down the UNC lineup from innings 2-6. They had some legit stuff, with some of their arms reaching well into the mid-90s, and while UNC made a lot of good contact, they couldn’t seem to find grass. Boston Flannery started this game after his positive appearance last Friday, but functioned more as an opener than a starter. He threw two innings and continued to look pretty good — he did walk 3 batters, but struck out 5 and allowed just one hit. One run did score on a throwing error from the catcher, but Flannery still looked a lot more comfortable and effective than he ever had before as a Tar Heel. Cam Padgett pitched scoreless frames in innings 3 and 4, helped by an awesome throw by Tyler Howe from right field to 3rd base to deny an advancing runner, but Longwood was able to scratch one across in the fifth and make it a 4-2 game. Walker McDuffie once again suffused a high-leverage situation with a strikeout and pitched a 1-2-3 sixth before giving ground to freshman Caden Glauber, who allowed one run to score early in his outing before striking out 4 of the next 6 batters he faced. The Heels were able to match that run in the 7th, maintaining a 2-run stiff-arm, before Matthew Matthijs earned the save with a lockdown 9th that sealed a somewhat surprisingly hard-fought 5-3 victory.

The preseason expectation that the Heels would have one of the best top-to-bottom pitching staffs in the country appears to be holding true. The Heels have thrown 13 arms across 43 innings with nobody having pitched more than 5, and boast a 1.47 ERA and a .179 opponent batting average. They’ve walked a few more batters than you’d like with a 50:26 K:BB ratio, but are pitching well enough for that not to have translated yet into real damage — and we still haven’t seen a couple of guys who have been talked about as contributors, namely Olin Johnson and Amos Rich. Offensively, things are still being worked out, with the at-bats looking good (after 5 games, their mark of more walks than strikeouts holds) but the team average at just .279. Their on-base percentage is a healthy .429, but the relative lack of hits has bitten them in RISP and bases-loaded situations where they haven’t really been able to produce crooked numbers. Especially seeing the amount of good contact against Longwood that didn’t get rewarded, I tend to think that’s more variance than an actual sign of the kind of offense we’re going to see, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless.

As far as ECU goes, the headliner is Ethan Norby, ranked the #3 pitcher in the country by D1Baseball. As a sophomore starter last year, he pitched 90 innings with an ERA of 3.80, striking out 119 and walking just 22 while shining in ECU’s biggest games, like a regional upset win over Florida. The Friday duel between him and Jason DeCaro promises to be an exciting one, even though Norby didn’t have a fantastic first appearance this year — he lasted just 3.2 innings against Xavier, allowing 4 hits and 2 earned runs. This Pirates team returns the bulk of a squad that got hot down the stretch last year and nearly won the Conway Regional last year as a 3-seed, so there’s definitely talent there. Names to look out for in the batter’s box include Braden Burress and Austin Irby. Right fielder Jack Herring has also been raking to start the season, but the Pirates have not gotten a lot of production from the back half of the lineup. Out of the pen, look for Sean Jenkins, the power righty who’s struck out 10 in 5.2 innings with no runs allowed.

The season hasn’t started the way they wanted, but this ECU team is still a talented group with high expectations led by a coach in Cliff Godwin who knows what he’s doing. This weekend promises to be fun and, like I said, a good litmus test for the Tar Heels. Game 1, in Greenville, will start at 5:00 PM Friday the 20th of February and be televised on ESPN+. Game 2 on Saturday will be played at the DBAP starting at 2:00 PM but will not be available on television or streaming, as far as I can tell, and Game 3 in Chapel Hill will start at 1:00 PM on Sunday the 22nd.

Batting Leaders

(among players with 2 PA/game and 75% of games played)

• Batting Average: SS Jake Schaffner, .421
• On-Base Percentage: C/DH Macon Winslow, .522
• Slugging Percentage: Schaffner, .789
• Home Runs: Winslow, 2
• Runs Batted In: C/DH Colin Hynek, 7
• Hits: Schaffner, 8
• Walks: CF Owen Hull, 8
• Runs: Schaffner and Winslow, 6
• Stolen Bases: Schaffner, Hynek, and Hull, 1

Pitching Leaders

(in the future, this will be among players with 1 IP/game; for now, I’ll set the line at 3 IP)

• ERA: Jason DeCaro, Boston Flannery, Kyle Percival, and Matthew Matthijs, 0.00
• Strikeouts: DeCaro and Flannery, 7
• Innings Pitched: DeCaro, Folger Boaz, and Ryan Lynch, 5.0
• Wins: DeCaro, Boaz, and Percival, 1
• Saves: Matthijs, 1
• Batting Average Against: Matthijs, .083

There was a time, in the history of baseball and its Hall of Fame, in which certain numbers almost brought automatic inclusion into the game’s most exclusive clubs. Things like 3,000 hits, 300 wins, and of course, 500 home runs provided a clear pathway to Cooperstown. For the 2026 season, the Yankees have a couple of players who could make significant headway with regard specifically to that 500 home run mark. Both Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have put themselves in good position to reach the number before the end of their careers, and in turn, to reach Cooperstown.

The two Yankee sluggers, assuming all goes well, will present very different cases to Hall voters when their day comes. We’ll start with Judge, who at this point has the much easier path to enshrinement, and perhaps to the 500 home run mark.

As unfortunate as it is to consider, Aaron Judge is not exactly a spring chicken. 2026 will be his age-34 season, and his 11th in the Major Leagues. On the bright side, that is about the only thing holding back the three-time MVP from hitting host of huge milestones. Since turning 30, Judge has done things on a baseball field that can only be compared to names like Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds. At this point in his career, number 99 has four different seasons with 50 or more homers (including one with 62), and has posted an OPS+ of at least 210 in three of the last four seasons. It has been said time and again, but it is impossible to argue that we are seeing an all-time great at the peak of his powers.

With regards to his reaching of 500 homers, the path is fairly straight forward. Judge has six years remaining on the contract he signed with New York prior to the 2023 season, and for the argument’s sake, we’ll assume that brings him to the end of his playing career. With 368 career homers already in the bag, Judge would need to average 22 home runs per season for the remainder of the deal. That is easier said than done, but Judge benefits greatly from the fact that he could easily knock out more than two thirds of the 132 homers he needs to join the exclusive club in the next two seasons. In fact, he’s averaged well over 50 over the last four years, and nearly 60 per 162 games in that stretch. No matter how the final few years of the contract look for Judge, he can easily do much of the needed damage in the next two or three seasons.

As far as his Hall of Fame case stands, the rest would just be gravy at that point, as his case is already nearly settled after his first decade in the league.

The case becomes a little bit blurrier when it comes to his teammate Giancarlo Stanton. For the full-time designated hitter, the greatest enemy is simply getting enough games to reach the all-important 500 mark. This has been a theme for much of his career, as he’s averaged around 28 homers per season during his career, but that number jumps all the way to 43 on a per-162-game basis.

This issue has become even more pressing since joining the Yankees in 2018, as he’s topped 140 games just one time, and has topped out at 114 over the last four seasons. It appeared, for a stretch, that he would also be battling greatly diminished performance for the final stretch of his career. He hit below his standards back in 2022, before posting his first ever below-average offensive season in ‘23. He was slightly better in 2024, though he still played in just 114 games, and left plenty of room for reasonable doubt.

Last season, however, Stanton provided some hope. It was actually a concerning year on one front, considering that he played in just 77 games, but it was positive in another: he can still rack up dingers with the very best of ‘em. In an abbreviated 281 plate appearance season, Stanton found the time to pummel 24 homers, and it wasn’t just the long ball either. The 158 OPS+ he posted in 2025 was his best mark since winning MVP with the Marlins back in 2017.

Despite the continued injury trouble, 2025 was the best that we’ve seen of Giancarlo Stanton in pinstripes. And although remaining on the field will always be the chief concern, his renaissance certainly rejuvenated his chase for 500 homers and possible enshrinement.

Stanton has two years remaining on his enormous 13-year deal, which brings him through his age-37 season. The most realistic route to 500 homers is that he continues doing what he has been — playing in 100-110 games and hitting 20-25 home runs (he needs 47). Those aren’t exactly sky-high expectations, and they are certainly within reach for Stanton. Even if he doesn’t reach 500 under this contract, it feels reasonable to think he’d latch on somewhere after in an effort to chip away at the milestone.

Assuming he does eventually get there, his Hall case will be far more consideration-worthy than Judge’s. Even if things go well, it would be pretty unlikely for him to finish above 50 fWAR, and with much of his career coming as a designated hitter, the 500 home run selling point may be a bit harder to convince voters with.

Stanton has been a terrific hitter for his entire career regardless of the finish, but if he does reach that former auto-enshrinement number, things could get interesting once his name comes up on Hall of Fame ballots.

Had the deal not occurred in the early stages of the winter, with the club still reeling from their ALCS exit, Cole Wilcox’s acquisition from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash considerations would’ve delivered a classic Jerry Dipoto quote. Something in the milieu of having had their eyes on Wilcox since his draft day, seeing him as one of the most talented arms available, yadda ft. yadda.

Instead, as I wrote upon his acquisition, Wilcox appears more as tertiary decor for the M’s bullpen pile; 40-man bunting that will remain past Opening Day but is unlikely to be in Seattle for the season’s debut. In the linked blurb, I outlined Wilcox’s growth mechanically from his starting days into a higher-effort, bullpen role. Once a notable feature of the Blake Snell trade that sent that ace from Tampa Bay to San Diego, Wilcox’s post-Tommy John trajectory is a reminder that the big leaguers we see recovering fully from the knife are those who’ve been more fortunate.

Wilcox’s velocity and efficacy has never recovered fully from his 2021 time on the surgeon’s table. His halting performance and health in 2023 and 2024 demonstrated a very different ceiling than his draft day promise, where as Emerson Hancock’s former rotation-mate he secured an ample $3.3 million signing bonus to leave campus early as the 80th pick overall. Now, he’ll be in the bullpen, or even possibly the rotation once again with Hancock, helping the Tacoma Rainiers compete for a Pacific Coast League title while filling a swingman role in the aftermath of Logan Evans taking his turn on the TJ roulette.

This isn’t conclusive for Wilcox. The 26 year old showed promise a season ago, sitting around 96 mph with his sinker as a reliever and making his big league debut with the Rays for a single frame. After an age 25 season with just two appearances in the majors, Eduard Bazardo burst onto the scene with… three more seasons riding the AAA-MLB shuttle between three organizations, throwing 133.1 minor league innings and just 60.0 in the majors. At age 29, Bazardo came into camp last year as a contender for the final spot in the bullpen. It would be, for the first time in his career, a year fully spent as a big leaguer, solidifying himself as a sinker-slider mainstay for the M’s. 40 in 40s are a snapshot, a moment only somewhat more predictive than one we might’ve taken in Chattanooga, TN in 1999 when Wilcox came into this world.

Keep slingin’ it, Cole. This year might be yours. Or maybe it’s just four away.

Earlier today, the Mets announced their 2026 promotional schedule for all home games through June.

The Mets will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1986 team all season long with some unique giveaways. If you’d like to rock a replica ring from the ‘86 squad, you have to be one of the first 15,000 fans in the ballpark on Saturday, March 28. If clothing is more your style, the team will distribute a 1986 World Champions retro t-shirt on Tuesday, May 26, and a 1986 Retro Jersey on Saturday, July 12. It’s worth noting that the jersey will be given out in a game against the Red Sox, whom the Mets famously defeated to earn their second, and most recent, championship. The Mets will also give out four bobbleheads to celebrate iconic moments from the 1986 team, but these games require a special ticket in order to procure the promo. These are: a Gary Carter bobblehead (Thursday, April 9), a Jesse Orosco bobblehead (Friday, April 24), a Mookie Wilson bobblehead (Tuesday, May 12), and a Ray Knight bobblehead (Sunday, August 2)

Beyond celebrating the 1986 team, the club also has a number of cool bobbleheads that could be yours if you don’t value your time enough and can wait in line two hours before gates to guarantee the promo (side note and opinion of this writer, but all promotions at sporting events should be available to all fans; you purchase a ticket, you get the promo. End rant). The Mets have two unique Juan Soto bobbleheads: One highlighting his 40/30 season on Saturday, April 11, and one baseball card bobblehead on Thursday, June 25. The Mets also have a Mr. Met Unisphere Light Up bobblehead on Saturday, April 25, and a Hello Kitty Bobblehead on June 13 that is sure to be very in-demand. Those promos go to the first 18,000 fans through the gate.

The Mets didn’t forget all you kids out there, because they lined up some child-friendly promos. The first 5,000 kids 12 and under at the Sunday, March 29 game on Opening Weekend will get a 5-borough race kids puzzle, which seems to suggest the popular race is returning in 2026. There is also a Crayola “Color Your Own Mrs. Met” Bobblehead on Sunday, June 14, which also goes to the first 5,000 kids at the game.

All fans in attendance to Opening Day will get a magnetic schedule (I suppose the Mets heard my pleas in one specific instance). Beyond that, probably the most unique and creative giveaway is the “Bobby Valentine Disguise” promo, which goes to the first 15,000 fans at the Friday, May 29 game against the Marlins. There’s also a soccer jersey (Thursday, June 11), a Mets purse (Monday, June 22), a Mets chain necklace (Tuesday, June 23), a Marcus Semien replica jersey (Wednesday, June 24), and a Pride Night sleeveless jersey (Friday, June 26).

Which promo are you most excited for?

One of the biggest non-player questions St. Louis Cardinals fans have as the 2026 season is about to begin is what will Yadier Molina’s real role be with the team. We’re starting to get answers and it appears his impact with the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals team will be greater than the past which could be a crucial part of the team’s ongoing rebuild.

It was nearly a month ago that I shared the news that the St. Louis Cardinals had hired Yadier Molina as a Special Assistant to President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom. This was the same title Yadi received in December of 2023 when then POBO John Mozeliak brought him back into the organization, but his visibility then was scarce. There are signs that this new era of Yadi will be different as he just told KMOV in St. Louis that he would be in the dugout for 2 or 3 series in St. Louis this year and then he would head to the minor leagues to help the young catchers in their development. I have not heard him specify exactly how much time he’ll spend with the minor league catchers.

There is no doubt that Yadier Molina imparting his knowledge into young Cardinals catching prospects like Rainiel Rodriguez could be the key to the team developing the next leader behind the plate. The newest MLB prospect rankings said that Rodriguez has thrown out at least 30% of the base stealing attempts against him and you’d have to believe that Yadi can help him increase that number. Pitch framing is another skill set that Rainiel needs to improve.

From what I’ve heard Yadi say during his time at Spring Training over the past week is he believes the St. Louis Cardinals have the talent they need even if they don’t have the recognizable names. He said his goal is nothing less than helping the Cardinals win the World Series again. Most believe that’s nothing but a daydream for the 2026 season, but Molina’s influence on all of the young Cardinals will be a key element in helping the organization bring back the winning mindset that is required for a future playoff-contending St. Louis club.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Brusdar Graterol pitch in an actual game. And it’s going to be a little while longer too, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Wednesday at Camelback Ranch that the Dodgers reliever won’t be ready to open the regular season.

Graterol is coming off shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum from November 2024, and did not pitch in the majors or minors in 2025. There was excitement during the offseason that he’d be ready to go for a full spring training this year, but things took a turn for the worse once Graterol wasn’t getting the expected results while throwing in camp.

“With Brusdar, he’s shown that we can count on him in the biggest of spots. We just gotta get him up to the velocity. It’s an intentionally slow build up,” Roberts said Wednesday. “He’s not going to start the season [active].”

Other Dodgers who won’t be ready to start the season are Evan Phillips, who is already on the 60-day injured list after Tommy John surgery last June; Brock Stewart, who had shoulder surgery in October; Tommy Edman, who had right ankle surgery in November; and Kiké Hernández, after left elbow surgery in November. There will almost certainly be others.

We’ve talked before about how opening day is just one of 186 days on the regular season schedule, and on a Dodgers team with postseason aspirations they basically plan for seven months instead of six. Last year, for instance, the Dodgers tied their franchise record with 40 pitchers used, but only four were active for the entire regular season — Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, and Jack Dreyer.

But it still has to be disheartening for Graterol, who also had shoulder trouble and a hamstring injury in 2024 that limited him to only 10 games between the regular season and postseason that year, only pitching a combined 9 2/3 innings over the last two seasons.

Graterol with his five years, 167 days of major league service time will be a free agent after this season. But he enters his launch season with 190 2/3 career innings. Weirdly, that almost exactly matches Dustin May (191 2/3) heading into last season with similar service time. May though was a starter and after two Tommy John surgeries was able to pitch 132 1/3 innings in 2025, more than any two of his previous seasons combined heading into the open market.

Phillips will also be a free agent at the end of the season, and will have less of a runway into free agency, as he’s not expected back before the All-Star break. He has a little more bulk stats under his belt at this point with 252 innings and 46 saves (45 of them with the Dodgers).

Graterol will still have time to put together his 2026 season, even if the build-up to get there is methodical.

The number one reason the Athletics suffered a fourth straight losing season last year was run prevention. Both the starting rotation and bullpen struggled, particularly at home in Sacramento. But it wasn’t solely the pitchers’ fault. The A’s finished 2025 with -34 defensive runs saved — the fifth-worst mark in MLB — and committed 88 errors, tied for eighth most in the league.

The team’s young core group of hitters took a major step forward offensively last season, cementing the team’s lineup as one of the most exciting to watch this year. Nevertheless, if the A’s want to return to the playoffs for the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, the team must display vastly improved defense to complement its offensive excellence. 

In the first couple months of last season, it felt like a circus every time former A’s outfielder JJ Bleday (-19 DRS, -30 career) tried to catch a fly ball or line drive in center field. The year before, Bleday was serviceable playing that tough position, yet last year he regressed in all facets of the game. 

Eventually, the A’s had enough of his mishaps and replaced him with top prospect Denzel Clarke, who proceeded to make highlight-reel catches and home run robberies nearly every game he played. Lawrence Butler also showed he can play that position if needed, although he is better suited to right field due to his strong but often inaccurate arm. Tyler Soderstrom has left field locked down for the next several years following his seamless transition last season from first base to left field. Soderstrom became a Gold Glove finalist, a miraculous achievement given that he had never played outfield before in his professional career.

The numbers made it clear that the A’s defensive shortcomings weren’t confined to one position group. The infield additionally contributed to the struggles, as several young regulars continued learning the nuances of their positions.

First baseman Nick Kurtz and shortstop Jacob Wilson finished first and second in the American League Rookie of the Year race because of their offensive performances. Nevertheless, both need to improve defensively. Kurtz trained this offseason on improving his defense, specifically catching pop-ups, while Wilson has room to get better if he can improve his range to convert more balls put in play into outs. Jeff McNeil will be at least average at second base and then the A’s third baseman will be decided in spring training. If the A’s want to prioritize defense, Brett Harris is the best option, whereas Max Muncy is the most dynamic offensive player in the mix.

Will Kurtz or Wilson have a better defensive season this year? Do you think the A’s move Wilson off shortstop when Leo De Vries is ready? If so, is he a better fit at second base or third base? Finally, what teamwide defensive strategies should the A’s employ this season to gain an edge?

We’ve reached the end of our 50 Most Notable Yankees’ Free Agent Signings, and today we’ll wrap up with the most recent within the paramters. Okay, maybe you could argue that the re-signing of Cody Bellinger earlier this winter is technically the most recent biggest one. That one was a touch too recent to show up on our list, and also bringing a non-All-Star back like that is a little different than the big splash the Yankees made when they signed Max Fried last winter.

It’s also one that has worked out swimmingly so far.

Max Fried
Signing Date: December 17, 2024
Contract: Eight years, $218 million

At the start of the 2024-25 offseason, the Yankees’ main focus was on brining back Juan Soto. In addition to hitting the home run that sent the Yankees to the 2024 World Series, Soto had an unbelievable season and his combination with Aaron Judge had the potential to be an all-time great one if he stayed in the Bronx.

Unfortunately, we know how that story went. The Mets seemingly weren’t going to be denied in their pursuit of Soto, and they beat the Yankees to the punch. That being said, even without Soto, the Yankees had a roster that had just won the AL pennant. They were still in a, hopefully, “contending” window and needed somewhere to pivot. They decided to do so with one of the best pitchers on the market.

The Los Angeles-area born Max Fried had been a first-round draft pick of the Padres — seventh overall — in 2012 after starring at Harvard-Westlake School alongside fellow future standouts Jack Flaherty and Lucas Giolito. However, San Diego would not be where Fried would make his name. Having worked his way into the top 100 prospect lists, Fried was part of a multi-player deal in 2014 that sent him to the Braves, with Justin Upton the headliner going to the Padres. It was a savvy move that would have major ramifications for Atlanta in just a few years.

The trade went down as Fried was still recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he missed the entire 2015 season. After returning for 2016, Fried got the call-up to the majors in August 2017, debuting out of the bullpen. Fried ended up appearing in nine games — four starts — in 2017, posting a 3.81 ERA in 26 innings. While he returned to the minors for much of the following season, he was again pretty solid when getting his cup of coffee in the bigs in 2018.

Fried got a chance to start 2019 in the majors, albeit in the bullpen. However, he quickly ended up in the rotation and made 30 starts in his first full major-league season that year. The 2020 season was, of course, COVID-shortened, but it was Fried’s breakout campaign, as he posted a 2.25 ERA over his 11 starts, finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting.

The next two years saw Fried fully get on the map. In 2021, he was, by several measures, the Braves’ best starter as they won the 2021 World Series crown. He was the winning pitcher in the series-clinching Game 6 victory, shutting the Astros out for six innings.

In 2022, Fried posted arguably his best year, putting up a career best total in both WARs, recording a 2.48 ERA and a second place Cy Young finish. His 2023 was limited to just 77.2 innings due to injury, but both that year and 2024, he was still very good. That led him to being one of the marquee free agents on the 2024-25 market, and on the short list for the best pitcher available.

The Yankees have a history of employing very good left-handed pitchers, which may have prompted them to pivot to Fried as their big acquisition post-Soto. While they had already met with him while still pursuing Soto, they moved quickly after losing the outfielder, inking Fried to an eight-year deal less than a week after Soto went to Queens. The $218 million deal was the largest ever signed by a left-handed pitcher.

One year into that contract, and it’s hard to have any big complaints. Fried’s debut season in the Bronx saw him post a 2.86 ERA along with a league-leading 19 wins. He got off to a ridiculous start, winning AL Pitcher of the Month for April, and ended up winning that same honor during the season’s home stretch in September. Fried earned All-MLB First Team honors, finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting, and nabbed his fourth career Gold Glove.

Beyond that, with the absence of Gerrit Cole, Fried had to step up as the de facto Yankees’ ace. He was the man who took the mound in Game 1 of the Yankees’ Wild Card Series clash against Boston and threw 6.1 shutout innings. His start against the Blue Jays in the ALDS didn’t go well, but on the whole, Fried came up big in his first year in pinstripes — especially given the increased pressure caused by Cole’s absence.

Fried will be under contract through his age-38 season in 2032. Fingers crossed that he has more greatness ahead this coming season!

Edtior’s note: As Matt wrote at the top, since this series and its selection process began before Cody Bellinger was re-signed a month ago, the Max Fried signing from December 2024 will mark the end of our “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series. Thank you for following along in this walk down Yankees history! If you missed any of the contracts we discussed, check out the full rundown here.

We stand on the eve of spring training. Tomorrow sees the 2026 incarnation of the Arizona Diamondbacks take the field for the first time – albeit in an empty and meaningless contest against their complexmates from Colorado. With the team now apparently close to maxed out on payroll – and, as we’ll see later today, closer to the luxury tax bracket than ever before – it feels largely like the roster we currently have is going to be the one we will have in Dodger Stadium five weeks from today. But if there was something else you got to do, what would it be?

You’re the GM: What’s one trade, signing or extension you’d make right now?

There are certainly ways in which the team could potentially be improved. Indeed, almost every area, be it infield, outfield, rotation or bullpen has a question-mark over some aspect. But if you had to pick a single (and plausible – no trading Carlos Santana for Aaron Judge!) move to improve the team for Opening Day, what would you do? Bear in mind there’s basically no salary room available, so any trade is probably going to be like-for-like. But perhaps you would rather look long term, and sign someone already on the roster to an extension? If so, who would that be and why?

The Royals have had a full squad working out all week and tomorrow they’ll begin their first exhibition matchups. Spring training performances can be difficult to judge. Many players are working on new pitches, new swings, and with new teammates. The thin, dry air of Arizona is not like the environment players will play in when the season begins in March in the cold spring air of the Midwest.

And yet, players can still impress coaches, teammates, and fans with their spring performance. Maybe they can dazzle everyone enough to make the team, or at least make an impression to be called up at some point to get their opportunity.

Who are you rooting for in Royals spring training to do well? Here’s a reminder of who’s in camp.

*-denotes non-roster invitee

Catchers (9): Jorge Alfaro*, Canyon Brown*, Omar Hernandez*, Carter Jensen, Elih Marrero*, Blake Mitchell*, Salvador Pérez, Ramon Ramirez*, Luca Tresh*

Infielders (13): Brandon Drury*, Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, Connor Kaiser*, Michael Massey, Kevin Newman*, Vinnie Pasquantino, Josh Rojas*, Tyler Tolbert, Abraham Toro*, Daniel Vazquez*, Peyton Wilson*, Bobby Witt Jr.

Outfielders (11): Dairon Blanco, Jac Caglianone, Gavin Cross*, Isaac Collins, Kyle Isbel, Nick Loftin, Kameron Misner, John Rave, Carson Roccaforte*, Lane Thomas, Drew Waters

Pitchers (34): Luinder Avila, Ryan Bergert, Mason Black, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, Eric Cerantola, Dennis Colleran*, Steven Cruz, Jose Cuas*, Lucas Erceg, Carlos Estévez, Bailey Falter, Stephen Kolek, Ben Kudrna, Alex Lange, Seth Lugo, Daniel Lynch IV, Chazz Martinez*, James McArthur, John Means*, Nick Mears, Eli Morgan*, Frank Mozzicato*, Héctor Neris*, Helcris Olivárez*, Shane Panzini*, Hunter Patteson*, Cole Ragans, Aaron Sanchez*, John Schreiber, Mitch Spence, Matt Strahm, Michael Wacha, Steven Zobac

Injured List (1): Alec Marsh

The Detroit Tigers were teasing new alternate jerseys all week on their social media accounts. On Thursday they finally introduced a new navy blue road jersey with orange script, and the bright orange road jerseys with the Olde English D for Friday night home games.

The Tigers spent 18 months researching the idea and conducting fan surveys and focus group testing on many different concepts to come up with the final designs. 28 other clubs have been wearing alternate home/road jerseys for specific games, on top of the City Connect unis that will still be used as well. These all on top of the classic home whites, and road grey, for five different options.

Many of us have clamored for an alternate that resembled the Tigers classic road greys from the ‘68 season, and we’ll have to wait on that. Personally, I’m a fan of the simple navy blue and white spring training uniforms as well. But they wanted something with more color and pop, and they got it.

Staff opinion is mixed, but then we don’t have many jersey hounds. Everyone likes that the orange home alternate jerseys still have the Olde English D front and center, at least. As noted the electric blue City Connects will still be in the rotation as well for select Monday home games. We didn’t have images of the alternates in our Getty or USA Today photo tools just yet, but they have been released on the Tigers site and to all the social media accounts.

What’s your opinion on the new alternates?

Teoscar Hernández was a driving force in the Dodgers lineup in his first year in Los Angeles, in 2024, but last year struggled mightily.

After starting the All-Star Game, winning a Silver Slugger Award, and leading all National League outfielders in home runs (33) and RBI (99) with a 132 wRC+ in his first year with the Dodgers, Hernández in 2025 hit 25 home runs and 102 wRC+.

He missed two weeks in May with a groin strain, and the difference in his numbers before and after the injury were stark:

• .315/.333/.600, 155 wRC+, eight home runs in 33 games prior
• .223/.268/.404, 84 wRC+, 17 home runs in 101 games after

Hernández spoke to reporters Tuesday at Camelback Ranch, and talked about losing 12 pounds this offseason after workouts with a group of players, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., his old Blue Jays teammate. Hernández admitted the groin injury took a toll, from Dylan Hernández at The California Post:

“I never recovered 100 percent,” he said, adding that he believed his condition affected him both on offense and defense. 

Following the World Series, Hernández said he did nothing for two months.

“I knew my body needed rest,” he said. 

Hernández played in only 134 games last year after playing in 154 games in his first year with the Dodgers and 160 games in 2023 with the Mariners. Since becoming a regular in 2018 with Toronto, Hernández has played in 86.3 percent of games, averaging 140 games and 134 starts per 162 games over the last eight seasons.

Now, Hernández enters his age-33 season.

Teoscar Hernández 2026 projections

• ZiPS: .266/.318/.485, 28 HR, 121 wRC+
• THE BAT: .263/.314/.469, 25 HR, 116 wRC+
• OOPSY: .258/.313/.472, 29 HR, 116 wRC+
• Steamer: .255/.310/.461, 26 HR, 112 wRC+
• Marcel: .254/.307/.448, 23 HR
• PECOTA: .246/.299/.432, 24 HR, 98 DRC+

He’s playing left field this year now that Kyle Tucker has signed, but let’s throw this out to the group. What do you expect from Teoscar Hernández in 2026? Let us know his batting line, home runs, games played, or any other thing that comes to mind.

For a second straight day, Tennessee Volunteers baseball was the hottest topic in the San Francisco Giants dugout, where reporters asked former Vols coach Tony Vitello to clarify his comments regarding his departure from UT.

"I didn’t say anything surprising that I know of. I was just stating the facts," Vitello said during a media availability on Feb. 17 at spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona. "If somebody tweets out or says something that’s not true about you and affects your life significantly – not just a deal where your feelings are hurt, but has a significant impact on my family … the (Tennessee) team was my family – then I’m not going to be happy about it."

News of Vitello's departure for San Francisco first dropped on Oct. 18, which was rebutted at the time by Vitello, who told Knox News "nothing is done." The hiring was announced Oct. 22.

Tony Vitello was asked about yesterday's comments.

Said no one from the Giants addressed it with him & was just stating facts. He talked about the "change the course of history" comment and how that nothing would've changed b/t him and Posey.

(Apologies for some bad audio) pic.twitter.com/JwegaaooZk

— Matt Lively (@mattblively) February 17, 2026

On Feb. 16, Vitello expressed frustration that he felt reporters at national outlets, as well as the Bay Area, jumped the gun in reporting that he was leaving Tennessee. He doubled down when asked to clarify his remarks the next day.

Either Vitello won't let it go or Giants reporters have accurately sensed a raw nerve, or both.

"It’s just like I would want our (Giants) players to defend themselves. That’s what I would do. But it’s kind of hard to defend yourself if it’s an anonymous tip," Vitello said, referring to October reports of his hiring that cited unnamed sources.

"... I think the facts of the case were what I just said. Anyone else would react the exact same way. And it has no real impact on the opportunity that was presented and it wouldn’t have changed what (Giants president of baseball operations) Buster (Posey) and I agreed to do."