HOUSTON — So, what did you do during your spring break in high school?
Joseph Contreras, the 17-year-old son of former All-Star pitcher Jose Contreras, just spent Friday night dazzling the baseball world for Team Brazil against USA, pitching so well that he can brag about it to his buddies at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia.
Contreras, stepping on the same mound where his father won the 2005 World Series championship with the Chicago White Sox in Houston, faced the greatest hitters in the world and excelled.
He came into the game in the second inning, and retired Byron Buxton on a fly ball to right field, and then ran into trouble by giving up a double off the left-field wall to Brice Turang, and then issued back-to-back walks to Bobby Witt Jr and Bryce Harper to load the bases.
Next up, Aaron Judge, who just clobbered a home run in the first inning.
Gulp.
Contreras threw a 97-mph fastball past Judge for strike one. He missed with a 80-mph changeup. And came back with a 94.4-mph sinker that Judge hit to third baseman Leonardo Reginatto, who started an inning-ending double play.
Contreras danced to the dugout, his teammates all stood to congratulate him, and the professional scouts in the stands scribbled frantically.
Expect everything.
17-year-old high school senior Joseph Contreras gets Aaron Judge to hit into a bases-loaded double play to end the ending 😮 pic.twitter.com/R0qH0kODQr
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026
If this kid was projected to be a second-round draft pick before the WBC, his stock just soared.
He may be committed to Vanderbilt, but after this night, well, they better come up with a whole lot more NIL money to make sure they get him.
“Can you imagine how much his stock will rise if he pitches well?’’ said FOX announcer A.J. Pierznyski, who introduced himself to Contreras, telling him that he used to catch his father.
The youngster struggled a bit in his second inning by giving up a single to Kyle Schwarber, who eventually scored on Contreras' second wild pitch of the frame, and issued a walk to Cal Raleigh, knocking him out of the game. But the impression was made.
The kid just had a memory he’ll cherish forever.
And, oh, how his high school teammates can’t wait to hear all about that magical evening deep in the heart of Texas.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Tommy Troy #98 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws to first base after fielding a ground ball during the seventh inning of the spring training game against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We finish off the infielders in this batch, which includes a pair of prospects listed in the recent MLB Pipeline update, the man with the coolest nickname in the system, and a veteran who has played more seasons for the D-backs than Tony Womack or Geraldo Perdomo.
Ivan Melendez (85)
We start with the nickname guy, though I can never remember: is is ‘Hispanic Titanic’ or ‘Titanic Hispanic’? Either would seem to work. Melendez reached Triple-A this year, being promoted to Reno at the start of August. His OBP and SLG there were just a couple of points different from the figures in Double-A Amarillo. Though as we should all be aware by now, both locations are very hitter-friendly. The team seems to have given up on him as a possible third-baseman: all his playing time in 2025 was at first or as a designated hitter. Mind you, as a RHB the team could use him to platoon at either position with Pavin Smith long-term.
Cristofer Torin (97)
Coincidentally, as I started on this para, Torin doubled in the game against the Cubs. The middle-infielder was ranked #15 on MLB Pipeline’s list. They like his defense but say “the ball doesn’t come off the bat loud enough”, and conclude “Torin’s lack of impact will be his biggest separator between being a regular on the dirt and a contact-heavy middle-infield option off the bench.” He got a cup of coffee at Amarillo in September, hitting in all eight games he played there. But he went homerless over his first 64 games at High-A Hillsboro, so you can see why Pipeline are skeptical. However, he is still aged only twenty, so early days yet.
Tommy Troy (98)
Also on the Pipeline list, but considerably higher at #4, is our first-round pick (#12 overall) in the 2023 draft – pictured top. He is coming off a strong 2025 campaign, with a slash of .289/.382/.451, including 15 homers, between AA and AAA. That saw him play largely at second-base, having seen more time at shortstop previously. However, last year he also got experience in center field for the first time, and didn’t embarrass himself, with one error over 168 innings there. Though if Jordan Lawlar ends up sticking there, Troy could end up being even more blocked there, than he is by Ketel Marte at second-base. But if he hits, the team will find somewhere for him to play.
Ildemaro Vargas (6)
It will be eleven years ago in May that Vargas first joined the D-backs organization, after being released by the Cardinals – with whom he spent close to seven years before that. This winter was the fourth time Ildemaro has signed as a free-agent with Arizona. That’s in addition to being bought by the team from the Twins in August 2020, and from the Pirates in June 2021. Vargas appeared 38 times for Arizona last year, and would probably have had more, save for fracturing his own foot with a foul ball in June. I would certainly not bet against him making 2026 the seventh season in which he appears for the Diamondbacks.
The Atlanta Braves took on the Twins in an evening spring training game today with a lineup full of players fighting for final roster spots while some of their stars battle it out in the WBC. Reynaldo López was on the mound looking to continue his success and hopefully stretch out a little bit.
Reynaldo López has looked solid so far this spring. Over 5.0 innings and two appearances, he had yet to give up a run in the spring. He had never gone over 3.0 innings though, so it was a question mark of when he was able to add some more length to his starts since he is coming off a major injury.
Well, it was mostly good news this evening on the Reynaldo López front. He was able to stretch it out for 4.0 innings in his outing this evening. He did finally give up his first run, raising his spring ERA to 1.00. He did struggle a bit outside of runs giving up four hits, and two walks, but struck out three. Another good sign is that all four of his hits given up were singles. It should also be noted that his first walk was when Josh Bell won an ABS challenge.
Reynaldo López himself did claim that he struggled to command his fastball. However, if this was a rough outing in his eyes, he likely was just trying to prove to himself that he can be better. We will take this type of outing gladly.
Reynaldo López threw four innings and 62 pitches tonight against the Twins, gave up one run, walked a pair and gave up four hits. Called it a "tough outing" in which he said he struggled to command the fastball.
Martín Pérez came in to get some work as well and looked solid by his standards for his first 2.0 innings. It makes sense that he would give it his all since there is a real chance that he may win a spot in the rotation with the Braves possibly running a 6-man rotation to start the year. He did appear to struggle in his third inning of work though, loading the bases. He was close to giving up a run, but was aided by an outfield assist on a play at home. All-in-all in his third inning of work he gave up a single, a double to old friend Orlando Arcia, a HBP, and a walk but came out it without surrendering a run. The odds of him getting out of that inning with no runs in the future is slim. His full outing was 3.0 innings surrendering zero runs on two hits, one HBP, and one walk. His first two innings were great, but his third was not.
Hayden Harris has only pitched 3.0 innings thus far this spring but got the ball tonight for the eighth inning. He did not start strong, giving up a double to the first hitter he faced. However, he seemed to calm down at least a little bit by following that up with a strikeout and a grounder to SS. He then gave up a walk though, putting runners on the corners with two outs. He was able to finish the job with a strikeout on a 91.7 MPH fastball. In case anyone is wondering, his average fastball last season was 91.9 MPH, so we are not seeing a velocity drop.
The Braves’ offense got the job done, but it was led by a lineup that only had few guys that will likely make the roster. Kyle Farmer got the start at 3B and continued his hot spring getting another hit. He is an interesting player to watch because he has been a below replacement level player the last two seasons, but has easily been one of the better players this spring with the bat. José Azocar has also made a strong case this spring as well and continued tonight by picking up a single and double to raise his spring OPS to .921.
Another player this spring that we should keep an eye on is Jonah Heim since he likely will be the backup catcher while Sean Murphy recovers. Heim has struggled this spring, but did have two hits tonight raising his average to .188 and OPS to .472.
The Braves’ offense was able to muster up four runs from their “starting” lineup before the subs came in, and that was enough to win.
The Braves will be back at North Port, Fl. tomorrow and will face the Baltimore at 1:05 ET. The Braves have not announced yet who will be on the mound, but expect to see more regulars in the lineup.
The 3rd annual MLB Spring Breakout showcases the top prospects in baseball, including the San Diego Padres top players in their minor league system. Ninety-one of the top 100 prospects have been named to be included in the rosters for the 16 games that will be played between March 19-22.
This will be the last year that the present format will be in place. Beginning next season, and including 2028, the format will change to a single-elimination style tournament with two teams crowned champions. The Cactus League will have a champion from their 15 teams and the Grapefruit League will have a champion from their 15 teams. The new format doesn’t begin this year in order to not compete with the WBC.
The top 100 prospects in MLB include No. 4 Leo DeVries, traded by the Padres to the Athletics in exchange for Mason Miller and JP Sears. The A’s also received ranked prospects Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Nuñez, all of whom are currently on the A’s roster for the game.
MLB No. 1 prospect, SS Konnor Griffin, and No. 2 prospect, SS Kevin McGonigle, will play against each other when the Pittsburgh Pirates (Griffin) match up with the Detroit Tigers (McGonigle) on March 20 at 4:35 p.m. PT on MLB Network.
The No. 3 MLB prospect, SS/2B Jesus Made, will play for the Milwaukee Brewers against the No. 4 prospect, SS Leo DeVries for the A’s on March 22 at 1:05 p.m. PT on MLB Network. Eight of the 16 games will be broadcast live on MLBN while the other games are carried on their respective team networks or on MLB.TV.
San Diego Padres
The Friars play their breakout game on March 21 versus the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Ariz. at 6:05 p.m. PT on Padres.TV and broadcast on 97.3 FM The Fan, their flagship radio station. MLB.com released its new top 30 prospects for the Padres this past week. Lefty starting pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft is now ranked as the top prospect in the system. Although he has only pitched 1.2 innings of professional baseball, Schoolcraft has huge upside and is being ranked solely on that assessment.
Catcher Ethan Salas, the No. 2 Padres prospect, is still admired for his defensive attributes but is no longer considered a balanced player with his offense not showing well in his limited time above low-A ball. After missing most of the past season, Salas will have to prove himself as a hitter to regain his position as a top prospect in MLB.
The rosters for the teams are including the full top 30 prospects for each team and additional players added per the organization’s desire to have the largest pool of players to choose from. On March 18, the rosters will be trimmed to 23-27 players per team and that will be the final roster for the games.
The Padres have all 30 of their top prospects as well as players recently brought over from the Dominican Summer League to begin their training on US soil and be assigned to a US team. International players to note include SS/2B Jhoan De La Cruz, who helped lead his DSL team to the championship last season. Taiwanese righty Lan-Hong Su and RHP Jeferson Villabona were added from the international ranks. SS Dylan Grego, who was drafted in 2025 and both of the newly drafted catchers, Ty Harvey and Truitt Madonna, are on the original list.
The Cubs top rated prospect, MLB No. 55 catcher Moises Ballesteros, headlines their roster and RHP Jaxon Wiggins, the No. 58 MLB prospect, will likely start the game for the Cubs. The Padres have multiple pitchers who could start but Schoolcraft is the only one ranked on MLB Pipeline and he sits at No. 88.
There will be an updated Padres roster and a game preview after the final rosters are announced.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 1: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a warm up toss prior to a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Camelback Ranch on March 1, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers play their first night game of the spring as they host the Kansas City Royals at Camelback Ranch. Ryder Ryan makes his second start against right-hander Mitch Spence.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 3: Isaac Collins #1 of the Kansas City Royals runs up the line on a ground out during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Cuba at Surprise Stadium on March 3, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The World Baseball Classic is in full swing; I’m watching Mexico try to finish off Great Britain as I write this. But there are still players left behind in Spring Training who are still competing for jobs and Mitch Spence is one of those.
The Royals traded for the righty just as Spring Training was getting underway, and after spending most of the last two seasons with the Athletics, he appears to be on the outside looking in at the Royals’ big league roster. He’s only made one appearance so far this spring, a two-inning start against Milwaukee back on March 1. In that game, he struck out two, walked none, gave up zero hits, and hit a batter. So, a pretty good start for him. He’ll try to build on that tonight.
Here’s the starting lineup for the Royals:
Collins and Massey are the only guys starting tonight who currently project to make it to the Royals’ opening day roster, and neither as starters. Starling Marte still won’t make it onto the field, sadly. Maybe tomorrow!
Here are all the pitchers on tonight’s roster who could appear after Spence:
Nick Mears (RHP)
Hector Neris (RHP)
Steven Cruz (RHP)
Ben Sears (RHP)
Beck Way (RHP)
Auguto Mendieta (RHP)
Daniel Lynch IV (LHP)
Lucas Erceg (RHP)
Henry Williams (RHP)
The game will be broadcast on local radio at 96.5 FM, though you could also watch the Dodgers’ TV broadcast on MLB TV if you are subscribed and not in either market, so that’s how I’ll probably be enjoying the game.
Mar 6, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros (12) challenges the strike call against the Athletics in the third inning at Hohokam Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Today, this Colorado Rockies soundly defeated The Athletics 11-6.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27, 2026: Alex Freeland #76 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to first base during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Dodgers host the Kansas City Royals at Camelback Ranch on Friday in their first night game this spring, with a 5:05 p.m. PT start. This is the second of two consecutive night games at Camelback Ranch, with the Colorado Rockies coming over on Saturday.
Lineup
Miguel Rojas 3B Freddie Freeman 1B Mookie Betts SS Teoscar Hernández LF Dalton Rushing C Alex Freeland 2B Nick Senzel DH James Tibbs III RF Michael Siani CF
Ryder Ryan starts first in what will be a bullpen game for the Dodgers.
Other pitchers
Tanner Scott, Will Klein, Edgardo Henriquez, and Ronan Kopp are slated to pitch Friday, as are non-roster invitees Antoine Kelly and Wyatt Mills.
PEORIA, AZ - FEBRUARY 28: Jake Cronenworth #9 of the San Diego Padres celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex on Saturday, February 28, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Julia Jacome/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Chicago Cubs at San Diego Padres, March 6, 2026, 5:10 p.m. PST
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 06: Shohei Ohtani #16 of Team Japan celebrates after hits a grand slam in the second inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Japan and Chinese Taipei at Tokyo Dome on March 06, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to Pinstripe Alley’s coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! We previewed Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D in the linked articles. Since the first several days of the WBC feature a bevy of games, we’ll be recapping them in batches. Enjoy!
Friday marked the first full slate of World Baseball Classic action after a few appetizers in Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday. The early batch of games lacked any major upsets, but just because the games went to chalk doesn’t mean they weren’t full of exciting moments and intriguing storylines. Let’s take a gander at the first four contests in a jam-packed day of around-the-globe baseball.
Pool C: Japan (1-0) 13, Chinese Taipei (0-2) 0
The defending WBC champs entered the fray on Saturday night in Tokyo with a mighty roar in their home ballpark against poor Chinese Taipei, a squad already fighting an uphill battle with the loss of their captain Chieh-Hsien Chen in their tournament-opening loss to Australia. Who else would light the fire in the second inning but the biggest star in the sport? Shohei Ohtani strode to the plate with the bases loaded against Hao-Chun Cheng and did what baseball superheroes do: he hit a grand slam to right field.
That blast was the first blow in what would become a 10-run inning for Samurai Japan. Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida, new MLB addition Murataka Murakami, and the rest of the lineup added on before Ohtani came right back up and smacked a single to plate that 10th and final run. He almost hit for the cycle in just a few innings before departing early with the game well in hand. I’m not sure Yoshinobu Yamamoto needed quite that much run support, but he did his job, pitching around three walks to log 2.2 scoreless innings in his first taste of competitive ball since his 2025 playoff masterclass.
Japan added three more runs i the third to polish off the blowout victory, which ended in a shutout thanks in part to a close call in the fifth. With Hiroya Miyagi pitching, the Guardians’ Stuart Fairchild clubbed a high drive down the left-field line which easily reached the seats, but was ruled foul. The call on the field stood after review. This one’s about as close as it gets; I’m sure the umpires were relieved they didn’t have to make this decision in a close game.
The first Classic game to take place in Puerto Rico since 2013 was a tight, well-pitched affair between two Latin American rivals. Cuba, a tournament semifinalist in 2023, faced off against José Caballero and Panama, the team that recently played against the Yankees in a pre-tournament scrimmage. The Cubans struck first in the second on a line-drive homer to right from Yoelkis Guibert to break the seal. Then in the third, the Angels’ Yoán Moncada took Cleveland’s Logan Allen deep to left for a two-run homer, extending Cuba’s lead to 3-0.
Cuba’s pitching staff, led by 2025 Pacific League MVP Livan Moinelo and Toronto’s Yariel Rodríguez, held the Panama offense at arm’s length. Former Braves infielder Johan Camargo finally managed to get his squad off the schneid in the seventh inning, but a costly baserunning mistake from the Phillies’ Edmundo Sosa an inning later defanged a potential rally. In the ninth, Yomiuri Giants star closer Raidel Martinez retired the side in order to seal the victory. As a Yankees-related postscript: no hits, one walk, and a few slick plays at shortstop for Caballero in the loss.
Pool D: Venezuela (1-0) 6, Netherlands (0-1) 2
Team Venezuela returned to Miami, the site of their greatest heroics from the last WBC, to host old friend Didi Gregorius and the Dutch contingent in the first game of Pool D, which has a case as the “Pool of the Death.” Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. got the party started for Venezula with a leadoff double, and then a Luis Arraez single past a drawn-in infield gave them an early 1-0 lead.
The Netherlands responded quickly to tie the score thanks to a two-out RBI hustle double by D-backs prospect Druw Jones off Ranger Suarez—making his father (and manager) proud. But the Venezuelans would not allow the tie to hold for long. Who better than a Miami Marlin to tee off in his home ballpark? While Javier Sanoja is not a household name, he put himself squarely on the radar with this go-ahead homer.
That 2-1 scoreline held up until the fifth inning, when the Dutch pitching staff—and defense—faltered. Venezuela got the first two men aboard before Maikel Garcia laid down a sacrifice bunt … and easily raced to an uncovered first base. Arráez made them pay with a bases-loaded walk, then a Willson Contreras two-run single rubbed salt in the wound. Wilyer Abreu kept the Venezuelan drum circle going with one last RBI of his own, and the big inning allowed their staff to keep the beat all the way to victory. A Jones sac fly in the sixth marked the only tally afterward.
Pool B: Mexico (1-0) 8, Great Britain (0-1) 2
This game has a misleading final score; it’s a classic case of an underdog team pushing a superior opponent to the limit before the wheels fall off at the very end. Mexico could not feel comfortable with a narrow 1-0 lead bestowed by a homer from Nacho Alvarez Jr., and indeed that lead vanished in the sixth thanks to the Nationals’ Harry Ford—who had his coming out party in the previous Classic, when he was still a Mariners prospect. This solo shot tied the game and put everyone on upset watch.
But Panama was not the only team to suffer from self-inflicted wounds today. Later in the inning, the Brits got two aboard with two out for third baseman Ivan Johnson, who smacked a single to left. But an overaggressive send from their third base coach gave Seattle’s Randy Arozarena just the opportunity he needed to announce his return to the international stage. He easily cut down Matt Koperniak attempting to score from second and kept Great Britain at bay.
At last in the eighth, the sun set on the British empire. A strong outing from delightfully-named Rays prospect Gary Gill Hill quickly went sour, giving the heart of the Mexican order a big opportunity. Fellow Ray Jonathan Aranda greeted new pitcher Tristan Beck with an opposite field three-run home run into the Crawford Boxes to untie the score for good.
Mexico put the finishing touches on a surprisingly tough victory in the ninth thanks to run-scoring hits from Alek Thomas, Joey Ortiz, and—of course—Arozarena. Here’s Yankee-related postscript number two: Jazz Chisholm Jr. was another Bomber who suffered defeat in his tournament debut. Jazz went 0-for-5 as the leadoff man for Team GB. He’ll look for a better performance against Aaron Judge and Team USA tomorrow night.
Here are the games that still lie ahead tonight. We’ll have the recap for this quartet in the morning!
Puerto Rico vs. Colombia (Pool A) Pitching matchup: RHP Seth Lugo vs. LHP Jose Quintana Time: 6:00 p.m. ET TV: FS1 Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR
Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic (Pool D) Pitching matchup: RHP Ronald Medrano vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez Time: 7:00 p.m. ET TV: FS2 Venue: loanDepot park, Miami, FL
United States vs. Brazil (Pool B) Pitching matchup: RHP Logan Webb vs. RHP Bo Takahashi Time: 8:00 p.m. ET TV: Fox Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Chinese Taipei vs. Czech Republic (Pool C) Pitching matchup: RHP Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang vs. LHP Jan Novak Time: 10:00 p.m. ET TV: FS2 Venue: Tokyo Dome, Japan
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 1: Eliezer Alfonzo (L) #64 and Landon Knack #96 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walk from the bullpen to the dugout prior to a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Camelback Ranch on March 1, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are under the lights for a second straight night at Camelback Ranch, hosting the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.
Landon Knack makes his third start of spring, and is expected to be backed by Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Jack Dreyer, and Ben Casparius, all of whom pitched often in the bullpen last season.
SDSU catcher Anthony Marnell IV celebrating with his team after hitting a home run against Washington (Courtesy of SDSU Athletics)
As the programs of the Mountain West continue to run through the non-conference portion of the season, we here at Mountain West Connection want to highlight a marquee matchup each weekend until conference play. This week, we will discuss San Diego State’s upcoming series against Saint Mary’s
The Rundown
The Aztecs have had a good season one month in, and it has not been an easy road for them. Just in the last week, San Diego State took on then No. 1 UCLA in a one-game pit stop, Washington in a four-game road set and Long Beach State back home for one match. SDSU went 4-2 in that span, beating the best team in the nation 4-3, splitting the series against the Huskies while losing in run total 16-21 and bouncing back against the Dirt Bags in a 13-10 slug fest.
While San Diego State was climbing the hill of power four teams, Saint Marys had a weekend date with SDSU conference rival San Jose State. The Gaels, who entered last weekend 4-3, took the series against the Spartans in a dominant, 3-1 fashion. Saint Mary’s only lost the third game of the series, getting skunked 8-0 while winning the other three games by a combined 20 runs. They then went back home to take on the UC Davis Aggies, beating the future Mountain West member 7-2.
Both teams are on winning streaks and carrying a lot of momentum heading into Tony Gwynn Stadium, both trying to build up their resumes a bit more before conference play kicks off next week for SDSU and in two weeks for Saint Marys. It should definitely be a good weekend for baseball fans in San Diego.
Saint Marys (8-4) vs San Diego State (8-5)
Location: Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
Dates/Times:
Friday, March 6: 6:00 p.m. PST
Saturday, March 7: 5:00 p.m. PST
Sunday, March 8: 1:00 p.m. PST
Broadcast: Mountain West Network
History: San Diego State is 4-8 against the Saint Mary’s Gaels, with the last series being in 2025 when the Aztecs got swept by the Gaels in three straight games from Feb. 28, 2025-March 2, 2025.
Three key questions to the series
1. Can the Jabin Trosky show continue to put up bangers?
SDSU infielder Jabin Trosky has been tearing it up through the first month of the season, Toting a .377 batting average and a .930 OPS, the redshirt junior who transferred in from Oregon State has mounted 20 hits (most on team), five doubles (second most), a triple and 11 runs (third most) with 27 total bases (best on team). Trosky also has the second most stolen bases, successfully making it three times. When you factor everything, it is no wonder that Trosky made the Brooks Wallace Award (best college shortstop) watch list.
Trosky will have to bring it this weekend, as the Saint Mary’s pitching staff will not make it easy for him or the rest of the Aztecs’ lineup (which will be discussed shortly). However, if the redshirt junior can catch fire and energize the San Diego State bench, there will be some highlights added to his film reel.
2. Will San Diego State be able to rain on the Saint Mary’s fireworks show?
The Gaels have not won two-thirds of their games because of flukes. Saint Mary’s has had a great showing at the plate so far, with seven players boasting a .350+ batting average (two with .400 or better) and five with a 1.000 or better OPS. Saint Mary’s junior outfielder Tanner Griffith poses the biggest threat to the Aztecs’ pitching rotation, as he is going into this weekend’s series with a .515 batting average and a 1.491 OPS. His batting average is currently one of the best in the nation, sitting behind Miami outfielder Derek Williams (.535) and Iowa infielder Gable Mitchell (.521) in third place.
San Diego State does have great pitching, with two great options in Drew Talavs (2.81 ERA, 16 IP) and Rohan Lettow (2.70 ERA, 16.2 IP) and Alec Belardes (5.51 ERA, 16.1 IP) as starters and multiple relief pitchers sitting below the 3.00 ERA mark (four of them have an ERA below 1.00). However, there are also multiple pitchers in the bullpen that are currently above 4.00 ERA, so the disparity is there. If the Aztecs are able to calm the extremes and pitch solid, there will be no problems. But if the Gaels are able to get to the pitching staff, SDSU will have a hard time keeping up.
3. Will the Aztecs get through the tough pitching onslaught from the Gaels?
It is safe to say that Saint Mary’s has been able to get the most out of their pitchers this year. The program has a team ERA of 4.17, with three starters staying below a 4.00 ERA while pitching at least 12 innings each. Graduate student Jake Hilton has been the ace of the troop, standing atop the Gaels’ starting pitching staff with a 1.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 14 strikeouts. The bullpen has also rocked so far, as three of the four relief pitchers with at least seven innings pitched boast an ERA at 4.50 or lower.
Saint Mary’s performance has kept their opponents in check, as the combined opposing team batting average is at a .246. San Diego State’s team batting average is .262 at the time of writing, so they are not far off from the Gaels’ opposing average. There is work needed to be done to even the playing field, but if the Aztecs can rally behind its leaders and take care of business at the plate despite the uphill climb, they can win this weekend’s series.
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Jesús Made, left, talks with outfielder Luis Lara during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Milwaukee picked up its second straight spring win today behind strong showings from several of their top prospects. Jesús Made, Mike Boeve, Luis Lara, and Eric Bitonti all had RBIs as the Brewers defeated the Diamondbacks, 6-2.
Arizona got on the board in the first inning against Brewers starter Chad Patrick. Jacob Amaya hit a leadoff single, immediately followed by an Oscar Mercado double. That put runners on second and third with no outs, but Patrick bore down, striking out Jordan Lawlar for the first out. LuJames Groover grounded out to second for the second out, but merely putting the ball in play was enough to score Amaya for the first run of the game. Patrick then struck out Aramis Garcia to end the inning, but Arizona took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
Milwaukee quickly tied the game up in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Jake Bauers failed to reach, but Brandon Lockridge singled and stole second to put a runner in scoring position for Christian Yelich, who struck out swinging. Akil Baddoo, however, did not, lacing a single into centerfield to score Lockridge from second.
The first batter that Patrick faced in the top of the second was Manuel Peña. With a 2-1 count, Patrick threw Peña a fastball up in the zone, and Peña sent it 433 feet over the fence to give the Diamondbacks the lead once again. Patrick would end up going three innings, allowing those two earned runs and five hits while striking out five.
Neither team would score again until the bottom of the sixth, when David Hamilton reached on a one-out single. Lara, Milwaukee’s No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline, smoked a double into right field to score Hamilton and tie the game. The next batter up was Made, who hit a hard ground ball that got by Diamondbacks second baseman Demetrio Crisantes, scoring Lara from second to give the Brewers a lead they would never relinquish.
The Brewers tacked on another two runs in the bottom of the seventh courtesy of an Akil Baddoo walk that preceded a two-out home run off the bat of prospect Mike Boeve. Milwaukee’s minor leaguers would add on another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Made, leading off the inning, beat out a ground ball to Adrian Rodriguez at shortstop and took second on a throwing error. After Brady Ebel struck out, Eric Bitonti smoked a line drive that deflected off of first baseman Modeifi Marte’s glove and bounced into right field for a single. Made scored from second for the Brewers’ sixth and final run of the game.
As someone who follows the Brewers’ minor league system, it was really fun to see so many of the Brewers’ top prospects show up today. Made, Lara, Bitonti, and Boeve are all ranked as top 30 Brewers prospects by MLB Pipeline, and their efforts were the reason that the Brewers won this game. Milwaukee’s pitching staff also did a great job of shutting down the Diamondbacks’ offense. Patrick was the only pitcher to allow a run — Jared Koenig, Peter Strzelecki, Brian Fitzpatrick, Will Childers, Mark Manfredi, and Blake Holub all put together scoreless outings in relief of Patrick.
The Brewers will attempt to win their third straight contest against the Los Angeles Angels tomorrow. First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners bats during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on February 23, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Amidst the first full day of Western Hemisphere-oriented World Baseball Classic games, spring training took the back seat, if not a full day off broadcasting. Despite no TV broadcast, Seattle was able to benefit from a handful of its young and less-seasoned players taking turns in the limelight. The 5-1 win for the Mariners featured three shutout innings from LHP Kade Anderson and a pair of home runs by 2B Cole Young, along with another strong day at the dish for Spring Training standout OF Brennen Davis.
The main draw (for me, at least) in Friday afternoon’s tilt was another chance to hone in on Anderson. Seattle’s top pick a year ago looked sharp in his spring debut last Friday, and shone again this afternoon. Sometimes the box score lies, but between the broadcast, Gameday, and Kate sending video and feedback from the Surprise Stadium press box, Anderson looked and sounded sharp against a lineup full of big leaguers.
Facing Nimmo twice, and the rest of the lineup once, Anderson worked around a two-strike double from Ezequiel Duran to an otherwise tidy outing. Barrels were dodged like he was playing Donkey Kong, and Anderson said after the game it was a valuable experience to work through high-quality hitters when his stuff felt a step less potent than it had a week ago.
When you play at this level, there’s so many good hitters that you don’t even realize who’s up. It’s they’re all good. So when you really have that mindset, it really it helps you understand doesn’t matter who’s in the box, this is my plan.
Anderson’s command was, aside from the curve he’d have rather buried to Duran, solid. Our friends at Pitcher List have made the most of the universal Statcast data now broadcast out of every Spring Training park, showcasing Anderson’s efforts Friday afternoon. On a slider-heavy day, Anderson was highly effective and once again encouraging that his medley of options and strong command help him perform against top notch competition.
Though I think this undersells what Anderson was doing today, it’s an interesting visual for what does and does not make the southpaw effective. Namely, despite velocity and stuff that remains page-bound, hitters don’t seem to pick him up nor barrel him up often. With Bryce Miller still in a slightly hazy space in terms of his ramp-up time, Anderson will continue seeing chances against the first line of opposing batters.
Apres Kade, déluge non, a blessed mercy following Thursday’s slobberknocker. A solo shot to Evan Carter was the only thing of consequence yielded by Emerson Hancock, while he in recompense scoured the souls of four Rangers hitters, engaging his sweeper to great effect and looking as sharp as he’s been in three innings of his own.
The pitching staff as a whole was sharp, albeit with Casey Legumina, Cole Wilcox, and Robinson Ortiz all racking zeroes against the more zero-ish batch of Rangers substitutes they were matched against. 28 runs allowed over the last two days for the M’s pitching staff feels a little better than 27 over the previous one.
Speaking of runs a-loud, listen to these back-to-back:
Young’s power hasn’t been central to his appeal as a prospect, although the titanic blast he sent last year reminded what he’s capable of at full bore. These max effort swings do seem a bit more geared towards damage, but it’s worth noting his second big fly today would’ve been a nearer thing in Seattle than in the Arizona elevation and heat. Young denied that he’s making any specific emphasis towards power this spring beyond trying to match the barrel to the ball when asked postgame, but acknowledged he’ll use “different types of swings” situationally and depending on the count.
Young’s hotter performance is unsurprising, even as he chuckled about another slow start at the plate this spring to mirror some of his challenges in 2025 upon his call-up.
It’s nice to come into the spring and, you know, fail the last year, fail a lot the last year, and just, you know, work on those failures this offseason and come back this year. Just, you know, being aware of what I need to do.
Those failures may have been challenging for Young, but he’s attempting to use them as context for his efforts this spring, where he’s the frontrunner for the Opening Day second base role so long as he continues hitting like he’s done most of his career.
Davis, by contrast, has little guaranteed. Still, he would’ve needed to Polo Grounds or old Tiger Stadium to contain his blast. The scorched 117 mph tater went nearly 440 feet to left center, and he tacked on another hit that got him driven in by Patrick Wisdom in the 5th. He was one of several players noted by manager Dan Wilson postgame for strong plate appearances, as well as a shoutout to the ongoing strengths of Cole Wilcox on display in the bullpen. The route to the bigs is still challenging for Davis without injuries, but it’s hard to see more that the righty could do on the field in a spring environment to give the club something to consider.
The M’s will be back in action Saturday, with Logan Gilbert on the hill in Peoria, hosting the Chicago White Sox on video through Mariners.TV at 12:10 PM PT.
Port St. Lucie, Fla.: New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea throws during spring training workout, at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Feb. 14, 2026. (Photo by Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Mets lineup
Marcus Semien – 2B
Carson Benge – RF
Francisco Alvarez – C
Ryan Clifford – 1B
Tyrone Taylor – CF
A.J. Ewing – LF
Austin Barnes – DH
Christian Arroyo – 3B
Vidal Bruján – SS
SP: Sean Manaea ( LHP)
Marlins Lineup
Xavier Edwrds – 2B
Heriberto Hernández – LF
Connor Norby – 3B
Christopher Morel – 1B
Maximo Acosta – SS
Kemp Alderman – RF
Brian Navarreto – C
Deyvison De Los Santos – DH
Andrew Pintar – CF
SP: Max Meyer (RHP)
Broadcast Info
First pitch: 7:10 PM EST Radio: Marlins – MIA Audio
