Category: MLB

Recap disclaimer – this may be more a random observations list than a specific blow-by-blow of the game. Spring training results are unimportant, right? It’s the process, after all.

Game Summary

With the weather starting out hot and humid, and turning soggy, the St. Louis Cardinals bang out 10 runs on 18 hits, Prieto, Crooks, Walker, Wetherholt and Winn collecting 2 hits each. Prieto leads the fireworks with a 2-run HR. Final score 10-2.

Pre-Game Notes

From my wanderings around the back fields and looking at the daily schedule:

• The venue remains unchanged. Roger Dean Stadium. Cardinals are visitors today.
• McGreevy to start, followed by Svanson, Graceffo, Rajcic, Stanek, Naughton.
• MiLB guys expected to see action are: Gurevitch, Jesus Baez, McGee, Weingartner, Cho on the player side; Saladin, Watson, Burns, Picone on the pitching side.
• Representative line-up today: Winn, Scott, Burleson, Wetherholt, Walker, Crooks, Prieto, Baez, Torres
• Eury Perez for the Marlins.

Manager’s Corner (pre-game)

• Talked about the approach for filling in for Nootbaar in LF.
  • It was brought up that eight games in, no one guy has played more than twice.
  • Discussed Torres a bit … getting more comfortable being in the group. His versatility is “real”. Takes a professional AB.
  • There is no certainty with Nootbaar – not a solid timeline yet that might guide a decision.
  • Prioritizing someone who can take a good AB and defend the baseball. Won’t hurt if he hits RH.
  • Burleson is the first baseman.
• Talked about Dobbins
  • Still progressing, will be under controlled “sim” conditions to allow him to not do things like cover first quite yet.
• Talked about the group of guys being prepped for starting
  • Still plenty of innings left to get all the guys work
  • May will start in Bradenton on Thursday
• Talked about getting offense
  • Looking for corner guys to provide thump, preferably. If not, the D better be solid.
  • Sees pitching as the strength of the team.
  • Acknowledged that the guys in competition have VERY different profiles
  • Thinks Winn is “spot on” with his approach to improving offensively
• Planning an execution game today between the two MLB groups
  • Noot picks the teams

Game Observations

• McGreevy mostly workmanlike. Appeared to be trying to work a cutter in to the LH hitters. Saladin came in to get one batter in the 2nd when McG’s pitch count got a bit hit (38). McG came back out for the 3rd, but Watson finished, getting the last batter to ground out.
• The Cardinals put up a six-spot against Perez in the second, featuring a 2-run oppo HR by Prieto. Walker and Crooks with RBI singles. Crooks has been stinging the ball. Wetherholt with a 2-run bloop out of the four-hole. Cards up 6-1 after 3.
• Storm clouds gathering. Literally.
• In 4th Winn got on for the third time (2 hits, 1 BB) and Wetherholt drives him in with a solid single. Cards up 7-1 after 4.
• Anyone notice the ABS dashboard on Statcast? Our HP umpire is 0-5 (I believe) today on challenges, halfway through the game. All borderline pitches.
• Stanek carries the 4th with 2k. Svanson gives up a solo HR in a showery 5th. Graceffo followed in the sixth with a steady, light rain falling. He got a K with 98 at the bottom of the zone and another on a curveball. I’ve seen him twice nice and he seems sharper.
• McGee singles in Mendoze to put Cardinals up 8-2. Packy Naughton gets a scoreless inning in, 1 K. Rajcic gets the 8th (and 9th) and comes through cleanly, except for a couple of wet balls making the backstop on the fly.
• Umpire streak on ABS ends in the bottom of the ninth of a 10-2 rain-soaked game. Call upheld. That is karma right there. Who challenges there?

Manager’s Corner – post-game

• <<will update this after Oli is done >>

The Mets fell behind early in today’s game against the Nationals at Clover Park, and despite late attempts to comeback, they ultimately fell to the Nationals 3-2.

• Tobias Myers started for the Mets after looking solid in his first spring training appearance earlier this week. He looked strong once again today, as he tossed three innings of one-run ball while striking out four and walking one. His only blemish came in his final inning of work, as he surrendered two one-out hits (a single and double, respectively) and then allowed one of the runs to score on an RBI groundout. Still, it was overall another promising appearance, as Myers continues to look like he will be a solid piece for the Mets’ pitching staff this year.
• After Myers departed, Craig Kimbrel and Adbert Alzolay—both of whom are attempting to make the major league bullpen—surrendered runs to make it 3-0 Nationals. Kimbrel pitched the fourth inning and gave up a double to Brady House, who would go on to score on a sacrifice fly, and the veteran closer also walked two in his inning of work. Alzolay, on the other hand, also gave up a double to House to lead off the sixth, and he followed that with a wild pitch to move him to third. A groundball fielder’s choice force out at home gave him a chance to get out of the frame unscathed, but a stolen base and a single from Warming Bernabel instead gave Washington their third run of the afternoon.
• Luis García, Nick Burdi, Austin Warren, and Joey Gerber also pitched in the game, and they all tossed scoreless innings.
• Some notable tidbits from the starting position players in today’s game: Brett Baty started at first base and had no noticeable blemishes there, and Michael Tauchman continued his solid spring by hitting a double. Still, the majority of the bats were held quiet by the Nationals pitching staff in the first six innings of the game.
• The Amazins finally broke through for their first run in the seventh, when Mark Vientos followed a Jared Young walk with an RBI double against Paxton Schultz. They followed that with another run in the eighth against former Met Dicky Lovelady, as Ji Hwan Bae and Antonio Jimenez led off the frame with singles and Nick Morabito subsequently drove in a run with a one-out double. In both cases, however, the bats failed to add on additional runs.
• The Mets went on to load the bases in the ninth on two walks and an error by second baseman Cayden Wallace, and they had the chance to win the game with two outs. But Jacob Reimer instead flew out on the first pitch he saw, and the game concluded.

The Mets will be at home once again tomorrow afternoon. They face off against the Astros at 1:10 PM on SNY, with Clay Holmes taking the mound.

There was sort of a “last day of school” feeling to today’s spring training game against the Blue Jays. The Jays sent the B-team, with split squad action facing the Yankees and Phillies, while a number of Yanks are set to leave the team and join their World Baseball Classic sides as that tournament kicks off late next week. That, plus good outings from our starters made for a brisk Grapefruit League showdown, with the Yankees winning 5-1.

Paul Blackburn is auditioning for one of the swingy bullpen roles, and his stock certainly improved today. It wasn’t exactly the Opening Day lineup for the Blue Jays, but it took Blackburn just 40 pitches to work through four scoreless innings. He leaned heavily on his sinker for five groundouts, although I think Statcast was a little clunky today and pitch movement data is hard to interpret. Still, it’s only spring but today was quite a good showing for a guy that really needs to impress after 2025.

We flew through the first half of the game, with Blackburn’s strong start bettered by José Berríos spinning four no-hit innings. It wouldn’t be until Ryan Jennings took over in the fifth that the Yankees finally broke through:

Like many on the field today, it’s likely José Caballero’s last appearance before traveling to join Panama for the World Baseball Classic, but a solid RBI double was a good way for the presumptive Opening Day starter was a good way to wrap up this phase of camp. Cabby would come around to score on a throwing error a couple batters later, making the score 2-0.

Fernando Cruz nearly gave it all back in the sixth though, allowing a double and pair of walks to load the bases. I’m sure this outing wasn’t quite what the brain trust of the WBC was hoping for, as Cruz will suit up for Puerto Rico starting this week. At least he got a double play to work his way out of danger.

After getting out of trouble, the Yankees continued to club the pitching depth of the Blue Jay system:

Austin Wells will suit up for the Dominican Republic after today, but perhaps more important is getting his offensive game more in line with his 2024 self than 2025. Lots of Yankees have gotten their A-swings off in Grapefruit League play this spring, but few lengthen the lineup as much as Wells can, so good stuff to see.

Speaking of A-swings, someone named Kenedy Corona did this in the seventh:

The Yankees were 2-for-3 on ABS challenges by my count, with the only loss being a frankly obvious ball that Cruz requested a review on. I tend to think that Cruz was simply testing the system out for himself before the games count for real, but if it was an honest challenge, maybe we don’t let him request reviews in the regular season.

The Blue Jays managed a run in the ninth on a play neither I nor play-by-play man Justin Shackil quite understood. Nicholas Torres, playing right field for New York, seemed to lose the ball in the Florida sun and missed a catch he should have made, and good hustle from Jays’ baserunner Carlos Mendoza — no, the other one — meant his club was not going to be shut out.

The Yankees hit the road tomorrow, a quick jaunt to Clearwater to take on the Phillies. Will Warren, who’s shown some flashes of a step forward so far this spring, will get the ball with a 1:05pm Eastern first pitch.

Box Score

Spencer Strider’s spring training debut in 2026 was certainly an intriguing one, as Strider was clearly looking to accomplish his own set of goals in this one that may not have aligned with what the public speculation may be concerning his own profile as a pitcher at the moment.

As I mentioned in the game thread, all eyes were on starting pitcher Spencer Strider as he made his spring training debut in this one. Strider went three-up and three-down in the first inning before running into a little bit of trouble in the second inning when he gave up his only run of the day on a sacrifice fly from Coby Mayo. That cam after Adley Rutschman smacked a 93-mph heater from Strider that was high and in the zone for a double, so there’s that.

Strider also picked up a pair of strikeouts along the way and aside from giving up two hits and a run, that was his only blemish on the day. Strider spoke with the media while the game was still going on and he seemed like he was fine with how things went on the day. It was also interesting to see that he did hear all of the speculation about the radar guns being turned off for his live BP sessions and the sarcasm he displayed near the end of this clip from Braves beat writer Mark Bowman of MLB.com suggests that he’s likely not too worried about it.

Strider on today’s start. He obviously wasn’t happy with the insinuation the radar gun was purposely turned off for one of his recent live BP sessions pic.twitter.com/GsKj5pAlNj

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) February 28, 2026

Following Strider’s two innings of work, Martin Pérez got the ball and pitched two innings where he only had to deal with one baserunner over the pair of innings that he tossed. Unfortunately, that one baserunner made it all the way around on a round-tripper after Adley Rutschman capped off a solid day at the plate with a solo homer.

That was as good as it got at the plate for the Orioles, though, as Braves pitchers proceeded to clamp down on Baltimore from that point forward. José Suarez added two more clean innings to his spring resume as he attepts to figure out a way to make the starting rotation for Opening Day. Javy Guerra continued to gear up for the World Baseball Classic as he tossed a scoreless inning and his performance was part of the Braves sitting down 11 Orioles batters in a row. Any day where you keep another team’s squad quiet like that over the course of a spring training game is a nice day.

Meanwhile at the plate, Chadwick Tromp certainly had a productive day swinging the bat, which Team Netherlands will surely be happy to see as he gets ready for the WBC, himself. He picked up an RBI single against Orioles starter Kyle Bradish and then later on in the game, Tromp took part in one of those moments that you tend to only see during spring training.

It all took place in the eighth inning, which is when John Gil won a seven-pitch battle against Chayce McDermott by hitting a dinger that put the Braves in the lead. Gil has reportedly been turning some heads so far this spring during camp and this was his first real flourish during a game, so that was encouraging to see. There wasn’t even time to really celebrate Gil’s dinger before Cal Conley took McDermott’s very next pitch and sent it deep for another home run. Conley likely wasn’t even done getting and giving high-fives of his own before Tromp proceeded to take the first pitch he saw from McDermott and crush it for a home run. Yep, that was back-to-back-to-back homers on three straight pitches. Welcome to spring training, folks.

Kyle Farmer contributed two hits of his own as Brett Wisely and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. each added hits of their own and Alex Lodise delivered an RBI double in the top of the ninth as the Braves proceeded to rack up a dozen hits in this one.

All in all, there was more to like instead of dislike in this one. Spencer Strider’s velocity was certainly the topic of the day and while it might be understandable to worry about the fact that he’s throwing 93 at this point, it’s also still February. On top of that, he seemed more focused on location and command rather than emptying the tank while trying to light up the radar gun. If he’s still throwing like this near the end of camp then that could be cause for concern but for now, it’s simply something to keep an eye on going forward. Again, the sarcasm was telling about whether or not this is something to really worry about.

Aside from that, it was nice to see the Braves look productive for the most part during another spring training game. If you’re the type who cares about the race for the Grapefruit League pennant, the Braves are doing alright at 5-2 at the moment. There will surely be some more peaks and valleys as spring progresses but for now, the Braves look like they’re making some steady progress towards Opening Day as the calendar changes from February to March.

Today the Texas Rangers will take on the team that ruined baseball (affectionate), the Los Angeles Dodgers, in a Cactus League baseball game in Arizona.

RHP Jack Leiter will make the start for Texas opposite LHP Jackson Ferris for Los Angeles.

You can listen to the game via 105.3 The Fan or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Surprise Stadium is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.

Go Rangers!

Tempe Diablo is certainly one of the most picturesque of the Cactus League parks, with a wonderful backdrop of the Twin Buttes. Or is that Twin Butte? Google is indecisive on the matter. But it’s certainly iconic, and rather better than the 101 freeway which runs behind the fence at Salt River Fields. The D-backs have won two in a row, and three of the last four, to pull their spring record back even at 4-4. Pitching-wise, last night’s one run conceded was a huge improvement, considering they had averaged eight runs per game allowed to that point. Hopefully this will continue today, as we see one of our top pitching prospects on the mound:

Bratt on the bump. pic.twitter.com/5tyQDovOZT

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) February 28, 2026

If you are wondering why we haven’t seen Brandon Pfaadt make an appearance in the Cactus League to date, he had “a little bit of a side ache” which started over the winter, and the team are being cautious. Torey Lovullo said that “stopped his offseason progression. It was all offseason… Everything was good, but I think we just put him on pause for about a week just to let him rest. He’s going to be available and built up just fine, so he’s going to throw one, maybe two innings depending on how that first inning goes, but everything’s right exactly where we want it to be with Brandon.” Mind you, I remember there being “minimal” concern about Merrill Kelly too…

No TV for this one, but you can tune in on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM or online, with Chris Garagiola & Brandon Webb bringing you the game.

Involved in their first split-squad day of the year, the reigning champs will play simultaneous games against the Cubs and Rangers, with Justin Wrobleski facing Chicago and prospect Jackson Ferris pitching against Texas.

Today’s #DodgersST split-squad lineup vs. Cubs: pic.twitter.com/teezVJAE9H

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 28, 2026

Today’s #DodgersST split-squad lineup at Rangers: pic.twitter.com/r90LUHyVAL

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 28, 2026

Saturday Game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Cubs
• Stadium: Camelback Ranch, Glendale
• Time: 12:05 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570

Saturday Game info

• Teams: Dodgers @ Rangers
• Stadium: Surprise Stadium, Surprise
• Time: 12:05 p.m. PT
• TV: no broadcast
• Radio: 105.3 The Fan

It’s a tense battle of division rivals today as the White Sox make the long trek to famed Goodyear, Ariz., apt home for the Guardians since Cleveland is only a José Ramírez homer from the base of Goodyear in Akron.

Well, OK, it’s not really a tense battle, it’s as meaningless as all spring games, but we can pretend.

Shane Smith, who gave up three runs in less than two innings in his first Cactus League start, will be leading the parade of Sox pitchers, and Tanner Bibee will have the 76 Trombones roll (they led the big parade, remember?) for the Guardians.

Bibee will face a Chicago lineup that’s a tad low on firepower, with both Munetaka Murakami of to Team Japan and Colson Montgomery sitting this one out, as well as both Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero.

Smith, on the other hand, will have to take on both Ramírez and Steven Kwan.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Central, with temps expected to go over 90° during the afternoon. According to the Sox schedule, the game will be on CHSN, only on the web, but you’ll be spared John Schriffin because it will be the Guardians broadcast.

Spring Training is now more than a week old. Are we sick of it yet? Probably not, but we’re getting there. Fortunately, we’ve got the WBC starting up next week, so that should be fun. In the meantime, we do have a little bit of bonus excitement for Royals fans in Scottsdale, Arizona. Presumptive number two starter Seth Lugo will get the start today and he will be followed by ace Cole Ragans, who is making his spring debut. And for even more excitement, it is the first game that will be aired on Royals TV, for free! Out-of-market viewers can also watch on MLB Network or MLB.TV.

Here is the lineup:

Bobby Witt Jr. leads off again. During yesterday’s broadcast they mentioned this was primarily because he is expected to do it during the WBC. So don’t get your hopes up too high that he’ll do it during the regular season, but hey, if he does it in the WBC and it goes well…

We also get more Jac Caglianone, after he mashed a 120.2 MPH exit velocity double yesterday. Kevin Newman continues to get a ton of playing time as he starts at third. And Brandon Drury will look to overcome a slow start to his spring and show off some positional diversity by playing at first today.

Here are the pitchers being rostered for today after Lugo and Ragans:

• Eli Morgan
• Mason Black
• Christian Chamberlain
• Andrew Pérez
• Frank Mozzicato
• Caden Monke
• Helcris Olivárez

Monke, Pérez, and Chamberlain will probably only pitch in an “emergency’. I’m excited to see if Olivárez and Black can continue their strong springs; Mozzicato has a chance to make an impression on the coaching staff after doing anything but that in the minors so far.

Regardless, let’s watch our first Royals baseball of the spring!

*Why on earth do we have a photo from photo day where we can’t see the player’s face, but we can see the sponsor patch on his arm? WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?

Behind a dominant start from senior right-hander Ruger Riojas, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns remained undefeated and notched their first ranked victory of the 2026 season with an 8-1 victory over the No. 9 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers on Friday night at Daikin Park in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic.

Riojas struck out a career-high 11 batters with the help of his overpowering fastball that reached 98 miles per hour, holding the Chanitcleers scoreless on one hit and one walk over five innings. In keeping with the early-season preferences of head coach Jim Schlossnagle and pitching coach Max Weiner, Riojas departed after throwing 71 pitches.

how bout ELEVEN strikeouts ‼️#HookEm | @RugerRiojas_19pic.twitter.com/7PGwq6vXPQ

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 28, 2026

Through three starts, Riojas is now 3-0 on the season with a 1.13 ERA having allowed just two earned runs over 16 innings pitched with 30 strikeouts. Against Coastal Carolina, he threw six different pitches with his four-seam fastball and his sinker grading out at his best pitches even though he got an 84.6 percent whiff rate on his changeup, the pitch he threw most frequently.

Texas RHP Ruger Riojas has been diabolical this season.

16 IP, 2 ER, 3 BB, 30 K, .127 BAA on the year.

A look at his stuff vs Coastal Carolina last night. pic.twitter.com/zbAetSwTT6

— OTV- College/Draft Notes (@OTV_DraftNotes) February 28, 2026

In relief, senior right-hander Max Grubbs allowed one runs on two hits in 1.2 innings, giving up the only extra-base hit of the night for Coastal Carolina. Redshirt junior left-hander Ethan Walker struck out the batter he faced to end the seventh inning before freshman right-hander Brett Crossland and junior right-hander Hudson Hamilton each pitched around a walk in their inning of action.

Four home runs among the 12 hits by the Longhorns paced Texas at the plate, led by a 3-for-4 performance by junior center fielder Aiden Robbins, who led off the scoring in the third inning with a mammoth 466-foot, two-run home run that hit the train tracks in left field.

sorry for denting the train, @astros 🚂#HookEm | @AidenRobbins43pic.twitter.com/kpDJeJHuzB

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 28, 2026

Redshirt senior third baseman Temo Becerra, who arrived at Texas with three home runs in 430 at bats at Stanford, left the field twice, driving in three runs.

into the Crawford Boxes 🚀#HookEm | @becerra_temopic.twitter.com/H4es2N96sq

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 28, 2026

who ordered seconds?!? 💣#HookEm | @becerra_temopic.twitter.com/QYJbmBKz7N

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 28, 2026

Junior designated hitter Ashton Larson also hit his first home run in burnt orange and white, an opposite-field shot into the Crawford Boxes.

we’re goin’ back to back 💣#HookEm | @Ashton_Larson11pic.twitter.com/AaGyQqcsLW

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 28, 2026

Texas also added runs on an RBI double by sophomore shortstop Adrian Rodriguez and a sacrifice fly by Robbins.

On Saturday, Schlossnagle’s team tries to remain undefeated with a matchup against former Big 12 rival Baylor. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central on Astros.com and the Houston Astros YouTube channel. The Bears also notched a ranked win on Friday, upsetting the No. 11 Rebels, 6-5, in 10 innings.

We have another spring exhibition game this afternoon as the A’s play host to the San Francisco Giants. The A’s are just 1-5 so far this spring but what better time to get back into the win column than against these guys?

Right-hander Luis Morales will be getting the ball for today’s start. Though it should be short, this is his second appearance as the team ramps him up for a long season. All signs indicate he’ll break camp in the rotation but how they manage his workload for six months is the real story. He’s already made it into a spring game reaching 17 pitches so the club will be looking to ramp that number up today.

The A’s lineup this afternoon shakes out like this:

Today's lineup 👇 pic.twitter.com/8NcCNBCnNW

— Athletics (@Athletics) February 28, 2026

Jacob Wilson back atop the lineup, with Nick Kurtz behind him. A small change and one that might not stick but at least Kotsay is hearing all the criticism of having his power hitter bat leadoff. Lots of regulars in today’s lineup but we’ll also see Leo De Vries get the start at shortstop, his long-term home with the big league team. Sneak peak of the future?

The Giants have veteran Tyler Mahle on the mound today for his first appearance this spring. It’s his first outing of 2026 so we can’t expect to see him for too long. Here’s how their lineup looks this afternoon:

Béisbol en Mesa

⌚️: 12:05 p.m. PT
📻: @KNBRpic.twitter.com/xP9prn0yyD

— SF Gigantes (@SFGigantes) February 28, 2026

Though it’s meaningless, we want a win! Let’s go A’s!

The 6-2 Colorado Rockies will look to keep their hot spring going against the Kansas City Royals this afternoon. Zac Veen hit a 447-foot walk-off homer to right center field to seal the 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres yesterday and extend their win streak to five games, but today’s outfield will feature Jake McCarthy in right field, Jordan Beck in left and Cole Carrigg in center.

“The reason for that today, if I’m being candid, is because Beck has not played left field yet,” Warren Schaeffer said before the game, “so he needs to be proficient in both this season. If that duo (Beck and McCarthy) is in there, it’s probably most likely going to to be McCarthy in left and Beck in right, but it’s about reps here in spring training and getting that in.”

Right-hander Michael Lorenzen is taking the ball for the Rockies today in his second Cactus League start and first against his old team. In his last outing, Lorenzen pitched one inning and allowed just one hit on nine pitches with a strikeout.

Lorenzen will face his former teammate, Royals’ veteran right-hander Seth Lugo, also making his second Cactus League start. In his outing against the Chicago Cubs, Lugo pitched two innings and allowed two hits on 27 pitches with one strikeout.

Now, if there’s another walk-off today, you will be able to watch it (for free) on television! Here’s how:

First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.tv; MLB Network

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)

Lineups:

Back in Scottsdale taking on the Rockies.

A broadcast of today's game will be available in the Kansas City area on MLB Network. pic.twitter.com/Mi4jg7oPAQ

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) February 28, 2026

Watch today's game for FREE on https://t.co/DQSFgj6oQO 🙌 pic.twitter.com/iWoLpC1eiB

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) February 28, 2026

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Seattle Mariners at San Diego Padres, February 28, 2026, 12:10 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Peoria Sports Complex – Peoria, AZ

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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Saturday starters. pic.twitter.com/O5XZuBwi8S

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) February 28, 2026

Making his Spring Training debut… Kade Anderson! #TridentsUp

📺 FREE on https://t.co/o2PoeYA9BK
📻 @SeattleSportspic.twitter.com/XU8r6C6NHR

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) February 28, 2026

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• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
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GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

Today’s Cactus League game features the Mariners facing off against their Peoria sister squad Padres for the second time this Spring. The headline is that Kade Anderson, the third overall pick of the 2025 Draft, starts for Seattle. These will be his first pitches in game action since joining the organization. Anderson throws from the left side and features a delightfuly traditional fastball-slider-curveball-changeup arsenal. He was sitting 94-95 for LSU last year during their championship run, and the Mariners have reportedly focused on bulking him up, so I’ll be watching the velo especially closely today. Anderson will be followed by Emerson Hancock, Randy Dobnak, Jhonathan Díaz, and Blas Castaño.

In the lineup, while some guys have taken off for the WBC already, we’ll see Cal Raleigh and birthday boy Randy Arozarena in what’ll probably be their last games with the Mariners for a few weeks. Colt Emerson also gets another start.

San Diego’s lineup features another entry on the Nick Castellanos Redemption Tour and will start JP Sears, who I’ll always think of as what the Mariners gave up for Nick Rumbelow in one of the most baffling trades of the Dipoto Era. He’ll be followed by Jeremiah Estrada, Alek Jacob, Bradgley Rodriguez, old friend Ty Adcock, Kyle Hart, and—don’t tune out as the minor league subs come in—Mason Miller.

Injury Update

Game Info

Game time: 12:10 PT

Watch: Mariners.TV, Mariners.com

Listen: Seattle Sports 710 AM

Bo Naylor's 2025 season resembled that of many hit TV shows — it ended with some positive momentum, a cliff-hanger and several months of a break before anyone will see if it actually all paid off.

For the Guardians catcher, most of last year was a struggle at the plate, like a "Game of Thrones" season that spends several episodes slowly setting up a few battles. The season finale, though — in Naylor's case, the final 20-ish games in September — were worth the wait for the Guardians, who needed his bat to help capture a division crown and a playoff spot down the stretch.

Naylor posted a 75 wRC+ in the first half of last season, meaning he was 25 percent below average as a hitter. And considering his rough start to the year, it looked like he'd be lucky to even get to that figure.

In the second half, though, he posted a 98 wRC+. It still wasn't where he wants to be, but he was certainly a more productive member of the lineup. In September, Naylor finally caught fire with a 136 wRC+ and an .872 OPS over his last 19 games as the Guardians caught and passed the Detroit Tigers in the standings.

Bo Naylor stats

He had a hard-hit percentage of 25.7 in the first half of the year. That rose to 36.4 percent in the second half, and it rose further to 38.5 percent specifically in September.

"I think the best way to know yourself is to go through a major league season and face major league pitching for a full six months, and that'll tell you more about yourself than anything else," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "In Bo's case, him getting more simple [with his swing] was absolutely something that needed to happen.

"I mean, we don't get to the playoffs without Bo Naylor at the plate last year."

The attribution for his character arc at the plate throughout 2025 was the adjustment from a leg kick to a toe tap, which acts as a timing mechanism with his swing. The larger leg kick was also adding unwanted movement. Once the toe tap really took hold, everything else fell into place.

"[It got rid of] any wasted movements, anything that isn't going to serve my swing," Naylor said. "[It was] making sure everything is quiet and only going to help serve the purpose. .. Mentality-wise, everything was solid, it was just a matter of having what my body was trying to do be on the same page."

Bo Naylor 2026 outlook

With the Guardians hoping that positive momentum can survive the winter and make it to Opening Day, Naylor represents a potentially major piece as the 2026 lineups searches for more production. Cleveland's 2025 lineup finished 28th in runs. Teams don't often finish last in their own league in scoring and win their division.

Naylor is one of three Guardians catchers on the roster, along with David Fry and Austin Hedges. Fry will often be in the lineup against left-handed pitchers, either at catcher or at first base, though the recent signing of Rhys Hoskins could drastically cut into all of that. Barring another slow stretch from Naylor and/or Fry, Hedges could also see his at-bats sliced significantly, potentially pushing him even more into a late-inning defensive option.

It had been years since Cleveland catchers have held their own at the plate, though that all changed once the calendar turned to September. It leaves Naylor as one of the most notable Guardians players to watch in 2026 after the team's quiet offseason left much of the needed improvement to internal options.

Naylor spent the winter further cleaning up his swing, simplifying his bat path through the strike zone. Once Opening Day rolls around, the Guardians will see if the September gains bloom in the spring.

"I think Bo's just scratching the surface of the hitter he can be," Vogt said. "Everybody develops at a different clip. … Now that he's simplified both his lower and upper half, I think he's putting himself in a position to have a breakout year." 


This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians' Bo Naylor could have 'breakout' 2026 MLB season for cleveland