Category: MLB

On Tuesday, Jacob Misiorowski is set to make his spring debut. With the departure of Freddy Peralta, he is arguably the highlight of the Brewers’ rotation now. Brandon Woodruff is still the longest-tenured Brewer, but Misiorowski is being pushed as one of the new faces of the franchise. As he enters his second season, here are a few questions for him in the upcoming year.

Can he build off his strong first season?

Misiorowski had one of the most hyped debuts that a Brewers pitcher has had in recent years. His career began with 11 no-hit innings, and he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of his season start. That helped earn him an All-Star selection after just five major league starts. While Misiorowski came back down to earth as the season went on (which may have been affected by a left tibia contusion that put him on the IL), his season ended strong, with a postseason run that put him right back in the spotlight.

That means the bar is set very high for him as season two begins. It also makes it harder to set reasonable goals for him. Early projections are overall positive. ZiPS has him projected for 26 appearances covering 116 2/3 innings, with a 3.86 ERA, 3.80 FIP, 10.93 K/9, and 3.93 BB/9. The number of innings would be a step back for him, and the strikeouts would dip slightly, but he would also see some improvement in the walk rate. This would align with his minor league development, where he has seen small drops in his strikeout rate accompanied by a reduced walk rate.

This is also where we would have to temper our expectations as fans. It may not be reasonable to expect another All-Star year for Misiorowski. He might not even end up as the best pitcher in the Brewers’ rotation. Would a season with small improvements to his stats be considered a success? It might be, since it would at least show continued growth from year to year. It just wouldn’t be as flashy as his debut in the league was last year. At the same time, it would be exciting to see him remain just as electric and establish himself as a premier pitcher in the league.

How will his jump in innings be handled?

Teams won’t set specific innings limits for pitchers, but this is an important question for Misiorowski as he continues to develop in the majors. He already saw a significant increase in his innings between 2024 and 2025. After pitching 97 1/3 innings in 2024, that workload increased to 141 1/3 innings between the regular season and postseason. That is a 45% increase. Most teams use 20% to 25% as a general rule of thumb for inning increases, but that is not a hard rule. It comes down to the individual pitcher and how they respond to the workload.

Misiorowski struggled after a short IL stint at the start of August, posting a 6.41 ERA and 4.00 FIP in his first six starts after his return. However, he rebounded in his final two starts and was included on the postseason roster. That’s where he really shone, allowing just two earned runs in three postseason starts, covering 12 innings.

It’s highly unlikely that the Brewers will increase his innings by 45% again in 2026. That would make him a 200-inning pitcher in his second season. In fact, most of the early projections only bump his innings up by a small amount. I mentioned ZiPS above, which has him pitching 116 2/3 innings in 2026. That would be a drop from the 129 1/3 innings he pitched between the majors and minors in 2025. Most of the other projections on FanGraphs put him between 134 and 139 innings, making 30 to 32 appearances.

It’s also interesting that many of these projections only have Misiorowski making 24-25 starts. A little of that could be from the Brewers using openers, which they likely will continue to do. It also could be a projection that Misiorowski spends part of the season in the bullpen, potentially as innings management. However, there’s nothing that says he can’t get a full season of starts. Quinn Priester, with 29 appearances last season (realistically, all starts despite using openers), pitched 157 1/3 innings. That’s likely near the top of what we would see Misiorowski pitch this season. Even if he pitched that much, it would still leave some space for postseason appearances, and some start manipulation during the season could give him a start off here and there.

The main question for Misiorowski is if that increased workload will affect him at all. While he has had an offseason to rest, it was still a major increase in innings. Is he fully rested and recovered from last season? Can he pitch a similar number of innings for another year?

How have other Brewers fared in their second seasons?

This question is not an easy one to answer, as other Brewers have taken different paths to establish themselves. Though the development staff has changed from year to year, the Brewers have put together a strong track record over the last several years, so it can still provide a reference point. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest names for the Brewers in the last several years:

• Brandon Woodruff: He got his first taste in the majors in August 2017. He made an impressive debut against the Rays on August 4, then made seven more starts to finish out the season. In 2018, he served in a bullpen role for most of the season, but also made a few starts as he bounced between the majors and Triple-A Colorado Springs. His regular season was strong enough for him to earn a postseason roster spot, where he made four appearances, two* of those starts (counting the decoy NLCS Game 5).
  • 2017: 43 IP, 8 games (all starts), 4.81 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 6.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9
  • 2018: 42 1/3 IP, 19 games (4 starts), 3.61 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 10.0 K/9, 3.0 BB/9
• Freddy Peralta: He made his debut in 2018, helping fill the Brewers’ rotation as he bounced between the major and minor leagues. In the majors, he started 14 games before finishing the season in the bullpen. He also made a postseason appearance, pitching three scoreless innings. He spent most of 2019 in the bullpen after some early struggles in the rotation. While his ERA and FIP increased, his strikeout and walk rates both saw improvements.
  • 2018: 78.1 IP, 16 games (14 starts), 4.25 ERA, 3.72 FIP, 11.0 K/9, 4.6 BB/9
  • 2019: 85 IP, 39 games (8 starts), 5.29 ERA, 4.18 FIP, 12.2 K/9, 3.9 BB/9
• Corbin Burnes: While the above two pitchers saw growth between seasons one and two, Burnes was the opposite. His career began out of the bullpen, and he started strong. After a 2.61 ERA out of the bullpen, he earned a spot on the postseason roster as well, where he allowed just two runs in six postseason appearances over nine innings. However, season two was a disaster. He started the season in the rotation but was quickly removed after recording a 10.70 ERA in four starts. A return to the bullpen helped, but not enough, and he went back to the minors at the end of July. Thankfully, the Brewers did not give up on him, and he began to show more improvement in his third season.
  • 2018: 38 IP, 30 games (no starts), 2.61 ERA, 3.79 FIP, 8.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9
  • 2019: 49 IP, 32 games (4 starts), 8.82 ERA, 6.09 FIP, 12.9 K/9, 3.7 BB/9
• Aaron Ashby: Ashby made his debut in June 2021, making a spot start before returning in August. He initially pitched as a starter, but shifted to the bullpen to finish out the season. He made the opening day roster in 2022 and initially shifted between the bullpen and rotation. He eventually settled into the rotation and finished out the year there. Though the results didn’t look the best, the Brewers had enough confidence in him that they signed him to a five-year, $20.5-million extension after his second season. Unfortunately, he lost all of 2023 and some of 2024 due to a shoulder injury.
  • 2021: 31 2/3 IP, 13 games (4 starts), 4.55 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 11.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9
  • 2022: 107 1/3 IP, 27 games (19 starts), 4.44 ERA, 4.06 FIP, 10.6 K/9, 3.9 BB/9

How will Misiorowski perform in year two? Looking at the Brewers’ track record, he’s likely due for some more growth. Tuesday will be the start of his second season. Let’s see another good story for the Brewers.

If you’re ready to analyze performance and results, so am I. The first 10 games of Spring Training are a really bad barometer for that, and moreso an exercise in futility. So, until we can really dig into the fun stuff, I figured it would be a good time to share some thoughts on how I see the NL Central shaking out over the regular season. With Manager Oliver Marmol signed to a brand new 2-year contract extension, it would be a good time to point out that the Cardinals have won 11 more games than their expected Win-Loss total over the last 2 seasons. I expect that this trend will continue in the 2026 season. Will it be enough to keep them respectable, relevant, and interesting? We’ll see!

5th – St. Louis Cardinals

Let me be clear, I don’t think this is a 100-loss team, but they might lose 90. If they wound up 72-90, would anyone really be shocked at that outcome? Neither would I; that’s not to say this season can’t still be filled with a lot of interesting storylines and more interesting development from young players to provide a clearer picture for 2027 and beyond. If this were not to be the case, as I outlined in my article last week, several big question marks would have to be answered in the affirmative for them to really propel themselves beyond the cellar of the 2026 NL Central.

I’m intrigued by the rotation and the number of MLB-ready arms there are that can step in and throw meaningful innings for this team. I’m eager to see what type of steps forward Ivan Herrera, Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Victor Scott take. I think JJ Wetherholt is going to solidify the 2nd base position and will hold it down in St. Louis for the next decade plus. I think that any of O’Brien, Romero, or Svanson can lock down games for the Cardinals at the back end of games based on matchups. There is a 90th percentile outcome where they contend for a Wild Card spot, seeing as how it’s never been easier for a team to make the postseason thanks to the expanded format.

The reduction of proven production from this roster in Brendan Donovan, Willson Contreras, Sony Gray, Nolan Arenado, and others lowers the floor of this team to a place where Cardinals fans 30 years old and younger just simply aren’t accustomed to and that leaves open the greater possibility that the floor could fall out from under them and go sideways while not knowing how to get it back on the rails.

4th – Cincinnati Reds

Manager Terry Francona’s squad did just enough to sneak past the drowning New York Mets last season to get into the playoffs and earn the honor of preparing the Dodgers for the actual contenders in the National League. Led by one of the most exciting players in baseball, Elly De La Cruz, the Reds front office did very little in the way of adding to their team in a way that moves the needle. A full season of top prospects, Sal Stewart and Chase Burns, will likely raise their floor a bit, and the additions of Eugenio Suarez, JJ Bleday, and Dane Meyers to the offense are all that Nick Krall and Co. really accomplished. They also brought back closer Emilio Pagan and added relievers Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson to a somewhat underrated group, including Tony Santillian and Graham Ashcraft. Unclear if they will all be able to repeat the strides they made last season.

Between Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, and Chase Burns thats one of the better starting rotations in the NL. Health is the biggest question mark I have with that group, and I will bet against them all making it through 2026 unscathed. They have a little depth behind those 5 in Chase Petty and Rhett Lowder. Ultimately, I just think the Reds don’t have enough offensively and in the bullpen to get them to the playoffs in what I think will be a very competitive NL Central.

3rd – Milwaukee Brewers

Speaking of teams that were run over by the World Champion Dodgers, the Milwaukee Brewers land in 3rd place for me. Back-to-back NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy leads a scrappy Brewers team that plays the game the right way and always seems to outperform expectations. Which would seemingly make this spot in the division an absurd prediction and one bound to be proven wrong.

However, the loss of Freddy Peralta is one that will not only impact their performance on the field but also the culture they had cultivated in Milwaukee. Brandon Woodruff is back after accepting the QO, and rookie All-Star flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski had some up and down moments in the 2nd half of the season as MLB teams were able to adjust after seeing a little bit more of him. Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, and Brandon Sproat round out the back half of the rotation and should provide some level of consistency in the rotation.

Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe at the back end of games bring big-time gas on the mound, and the rest of the ragtag group of no-name relievers that Milwaukee always features will somehow find a way to be better than expected. If that duo can remain healthy at the back end of games, I expect Milwaukee will have one of the better bullpens statistically speaking.

An offense led by All-Star Christian Yelich, up-and-coming outfielder Jackson Chourio, Catcher William Contreras, platinum glove-winning 2nd baseman Brice Turang, and breakout primed first basemen Andrew Vaughn, Milwaukee will be a multi-faceted attack offensively capable of scoring runs and winning in a variety of ways. Even after the departures of Caleb Durbin and Issac Collins, the offense still figures to be one that will give the opposition fits all summer long.

2nd – Pittsburgh Pirates

No longer interm Manager Don Kelly leads a group that had one of the most productive and interesting offseasons in recent memory. With the additions of All-Star 2B Brandon Lowe, All-Star 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn, and former All-Star DH Marcell Ozuna, OF Jhostnyxon Garcia, and OF Jake Mangum, the Pirates were able to address their biggest deficiency, and that was scoring runs. You include the possibility of Phenom top prospect Konnor Griffin in that group, and you don’t have to squint to see their offense being substantially improved.

Adding to the group of Bryan Reynolds, Oneill Cruz, and Spencer Horwitz from 2025, the Pirates will also feature a bench with defensive capabilities to help the pitching staff lock down games late between Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo, and the aforementioned Jake Mangum and Jhostnyxon Garcia.

A pitching staff anchored by generational talent and reigning Cy Young award winner Paul Skenes, the rest of the league will also have to contend with Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, the return of Jared Jones, and Braxton Ashcraft. Top prospects Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington will be waiting in the wings if and when anyone from the rotation blows a tire and needs a spell on the IL.

The bullpen will be a formidable group led by breakout reliever Dennis Santana and veteran lefty flame thrower Gregory Soto. The Pirates also acquired lefty fireballer Mason Montgomery (whom I wrote the Cardinals should have acquired at the beginning of the offseason). I think this bullpen is one of the more underrated heading into the 2026 season, and I won’t be surprised if they wind up being a big part of why they have success in 2026.

1st – Chicago Cubs

I hate it. It’s gross. I want to pour gasoline on myself and light a match. The Chicago Cubs made a very smart decision by bringing in Alex Bregman. He has the experience, the leadership, the slow heartbeat in big moments, the proven track record; he’s everything Chicago needed last postseason. Craig Counsell enters his 3rd season at the helm of the Chicago Cubs, and nationally they’re considered the near consensus favorite to win the division.

Will MLB teams continue to exploit PCA’s offensive shortcomings? Can Carson Kelly repeat his breakout season? Those will be interesting questions to follow. The Cubs are exceptional on both sides of the ball with the best up the middle defense in baseball between Swanson, Hoerner, and the aforementioned PCA. They’ve got strong corner presences in Alex Bregman, Michael Busch, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki. They added Michael Conforto on a minor league deal this spring, and he is someone who had the largest disparity between wOBA and xwOBA last season. Moises Ballesteros is a gifted young offensive catcher who profiles more as a DH long-term, who should add to the gross amount of offensive depth they boast.

The rotation I’m a little more skeptical of. Their position group should be propped up by a really strong defense behind it. All-Star Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, newly acquired Edward Cabrera, Jameson Taillon, and Rookie sensation Cade Horton are a capable group who will be helped by the midseason return of Justin Steele. The rotation depth behind those 6 includes Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, Jaxon Wiggins, Javier Assad, and Colin Rea.

The Bullpen includes Phil Maton coming off a stellar 2025, underrated reliever Hunter Harvey, lefty Caleb Thielbar, submarine lefty Hoby Milner, and fire baller Daniel Palencia shutting the door at the end of games. A stacked group of relievers that all offer unique looks and pitch shapes that should surely give opposing teams fits to get into any type of rhythm late in games.

The rotation is my biggest question mark, but they have so much depth behind them, and the presence of the defense should prop up most lackluster performances that that group may have. It’s hard to find any true deficiencies on paper. The Cubs should stack up against any NL contender once postseason play rolls around, and it will be miserable and envious to watch it from afar all season long.

Our focus this season will understandably be to overanalyze every Cardinals decision, but I wanted to zoom the lens out to the NL Central and how I am forecasting the 2026 season. I think the 2026 will be highly contested, and I think that it will offer more twists and turns than most fans are expecting. I’m extremely anxious to see it play out, even if that means the Cardinals wind up being fodder in a majority of the contests. Still, we’re a little over 3 weeks away from getting this started again, and I’m ready to watch it all unfold with you all for another season! Let me know what you’re thinking and what order you see the division finishing in. Might be fun to look back on at season’s end to see how close (or not) some of us were.

-thanks for reading

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

The Orioles, after their first day off, are back in action this afternoon for an exhibition game against Team Netherlands, tuning up for the World Baseball Classic. The Netherlands roster includes notable current and former big leaguers Xander Bogaerts, Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Didi Gregorius, along with former O’s catcher Chadwick Tromp and former Orioles minor leaguer (and brother of Jonathan) Sharlon Schoop. Sadly, this game, which sounds like the most interesting of the Orioles’ entire spring, won’t be televised anywhere.

In other news, MLB.com became the latest major prospect publication to unveil its ranking of the top 30 Orioles prospects. Like all the other lists published so far, Samuel Basallo is at the top, and like almost all of the others, Dylan Beavers and Nate George are right behind him. Among other prospects, Enrique Bradfield Jr. has slipped in the Orioles’ ranking, dropping from fourth place on MLB’s list last season to 10th this year, but his speed remains tantalizing enough to earn the maximum 80 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale. This just in: he’s fast.

What strikes me about this top-30 list is just how much pitching is on it. While there are only three pitchers ranked in the top 10 (Luis De León at #4, Trey Gibson #5, and Esteban Mejia #8), it’s extremely pitcher heavy after that, with hurlers ranking at every spot from #11 to #17. That’s an interesting change from the recent past. In previous seasons, even when the Orioles regularly had one of the best farm systems in baseball, position players far outweighed pitchers in their rankings. In MLB’s list two years ago, the O’s didn’t have any pitchers ranked among their top eight. In both 2023 and 2024, they had only three pitchers among their top 15 prospects.

It’s no secret that the Orioles haven’t been great at developing pitching in the Mike Elias era, but things could be starting to change. Last year’s trade-deadline selloff infused the organization with young pitching talent, including Boston Bateman (#11), Juaron Watts-Brown (#16), and Tyson Neighbors (#17). A pair of 2025-drafted pitchers also show up on this list in Joseph Dzierwa (#14) and JT Quinn (#21).

The Orioles, of course, still have to nurture and develop these young arms into capable big league-ready pitchers, which is no easy feat. Just witness the rocky arrivals of their previous two top pitching prospects, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott. Not all of these pitching prospects are going to amount to something. But the Orioles have got more pitching depth than they’ve had in years, so the odds are that some of these guys will break through even if others falter.

Dare we say it? The Orioles might finally be ready to grow the arms.

Links

Orioles reliever Rico Garcia’s Puerto Rican pride leads him to World Baseball Classic – The Baltimore Banner

I’ll be rooting for Rico in the WBC. And I’ll be rooting especially for him not to get hurt.

Why wouldn’t Orioles be interested in Danny Coulombe? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

The fact that Danny Coulombe is still unsigned less than a month before Opening Day is a surprise to me. I’m not the only one, apparently.

It’s been a mixed bag in spring so far for Coby Mayo, but lately trending up – Steve Melewski

I’m still of the opinion that the Coby Mayo at third base experiment will be a disaster, but there’s no turning back now. I don’t think another third baseman is going to materialize out of thin air, so good luck to Coby.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Six former Orioles were born on this day, and if you’ve heard of more than two of them, you’re a true Orioles sicko. They include 2019 one-gamer José Rondón (32), 2020 three-gamer Dilson Herrera (also 32), 1998 nine-gamer Bobby Muñoz (58), and the late righty Francisco de la Rosa (b. 1966, d. 2011), who pitched two games in 1991. Two birthday boys with more extensive Orioles experience are former closer Jorge Julio (47) and the late righty Jesse Jefferson (b. 1949, d. 2011).

March 3 has historically been a slow day for Orioles news. The only transaction the O’s have ever made on this date was in 2018, when they signed infielder Danny Valencia to a minor league deal. The veteran had played for the Orioles five years earlier and posted an .888 OPS in part-time duty, but his return engagement to Baltimore didn’t turn out as well. Valencia OPSed .723 in 78 games for the historically terrible 2018 Orioles before they released him in mid-August.

Phillies News:

• The Dominican Republic Team will be without Johan Rojas for the WBC, undetermined what it means for his Phillies season yet
• Media is a-buzz with Andrew Painter Mania after two scoreless innings on Sunday
• We hear from Painter himself on his command and focus for this season ($$)
• ICYMI: Ethan took his second look at what the Phillies Opening Day roster might look like
• Speaking of starting pitchers, the calls intensify to lock up Jesus Luzardo before the season begins
• MLB.com’s preseason Top 30 Phillies prospects for 2026

MLB News:

• WBC power rankings from MLB.com. Japan seems to be gaining momentum.
• MLB news breaker, Jeff Passan, won’t be going anywhere
• Yes, state taxes have a big factor still on free agency and contracts. Ask Merrill Kelly.
• If you enjoy videogame baseball, MLB The Show is adding a ton of new legends in this year’s version
• MLB.com’s preseason Top 30 prospects for NL East and AL East

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a surprising 9-2 in this year’s Spring Training Grapefruit League following yesterday’s 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. They are currently on a five-game win streak and have the best record in all of Spring Training. And while it’s ceratinly way early, and the real games haven’t even started yet, the Bucs looks like they’ve made a dent in one of their longstanding problems — scoring runs.

The Pirates have 65 runs scored over their 11 games, or almost 6 per contest, which is good enough for third-best in the Grapefruit League. Their +31 run differential is good enough for the second best in the Grapefruit and in all of Spring Training.

The lack of power in last season’s Bucs lineup was stark, but at the moment in Spring Training, they have 13 team dingers, which is tied for ninth across the Majors, including 3 homers from top prospect Konnor Griffin, 2 from Yordany De Los Santos, and single dingers from Oneil Cruz, Ryan O’Hearn, Endy Rodriguez, and Jhostynxon Garcia, as well as a few from a couple guys unlikely to be playing in the Majors this year.

In addition, the Bucs are hitting .274 across all Spring Training games, a number I’m pretty sure we’re all happy with after a 2025 in which they hit a dreadful .231, which was third-worst in the Majors. Nick Gonzales, along with Cruz and Garcia, are all hitting .538 across 5 and 6 games respectively this Spring to help lead the Bucs in the average department.

When you combine some above-average hitting with one of the league’s best pitching staffs, this is the result. The Bucs are second in all of Spring Training in ERA, third in team WHIP, fifth in strikeouts and second in opposing team batting average. I don’t think any of us are surprised there. But we’ve all been wondering how good the Bucs could be with even some decent hitting, and we’re getting a glimpse of that this Spring.

Yes, it’s super early, and the real games haven’t even started yet, but if the Buccos can translate their Spring Training hitting into similar success in the regular season, they have every chance to be back in the MLB headlines for all of the right reasons.

The World Baseball Classic is back, and with it comes major-league star power battling for national pride.

Nearly 200 Major League Baseball players will take part in this year's WBC, the worldwide tournament that started in 2006. Japan has won three of the five tournaments, including 2023 when Shohei Ohtani struck out then-Angels-teammate Mike Trout to secure victory over the United States.

The WBC begins Wednesday, March 4 with Taiwan taking on Australia in the first pool play matchup. The United States kicks off its tournament in Houston on Friday, March 6 against Brazil.

Rosters at this year's WBC are littered with some of baseball's biggest stars. Czechia is the only team of the 20 that are competing to not have an MLB-rostered player on its squad.

Here is a team-by-team look at the MLB players competing:

Australia

• Max Durrington (Athletics)
• Travis Bazzana (Guardians)
• Kailen Hamson (Orioles)
• Mitch Neunborn (Phillies)
• Blake Townsend (Rangers)
• Kai Wynyard (Rangers)
• Curtis Mead (White Sox)

Brazil

• Lucas Ramirez (Angels)
• Pedro Da Costa Lemos (Mariners)
• Gabriel Barbosa (Phillies)
• Pietro Albanez (Pirates)
• Daniel Missaki (Rangers)

Canada

• Denzel Clarke (Athletics)
• Adam Macko (Blue Jays)
• Jameson Taillon (Cubs)
• Indigo Diaz (D‑backs)
• Michael Soroka (D‑backs)
• Bo Naylor (Guardians)
• Matt Wilkinson (Guardians)
• Josh Naylor (Mariners)
• Owen Caissie (Marlins)
• Liam Hicks (Marlins)
• Otto Lopez (Marlins)
• Jared Young (Mets)
• Micah Ashman (Orioles)
• Tyler O’Neill (Orioles)
• Carter Loewen (Padres)
• Cal Quantrill (Rangers)
• Antoine Jean (Rockies)
• Edouard Julien (Rockies)
• Eric Cerantola (Royals)
• Abraham Toro (Royals)

Colombia

• Gustavo Campero (Angels)
• Brayan Buelvas (Athletics)
• Reiver Sanmartin (Giants)
• Dayan Frias (Guardians)
• Michael Arroyo (Mariners)
• Guillo Zuñiga (Mariners)
• Sean Linan (Nationals)
• Austin Bergner (Rangers)
• Nabil Crismatt (Rangers)
• Tayron Guerrero (Red Sox)
• David Lorduy (Reds)
• Jorge Alfaro (Royals)
• Gio Urshela (Twins)

Cuba

• Yoán Moncada (Angels)
• Francis Texido (Angels)
• Yariel Rodríguez (Blue Jays)
• Yiddi Cappe (Marlins)
• Daviel Hurtado (Mets)
• Naykel Cruz (Orioles)
• Emmanuel Chapman (Pirates)
• Alexander Vargas (Reds)
• Omar Hernández (Royals)

Dominican Republic

• Jeremy Peña (Astros)
• Elvis Alvarado (Athletics)
• Luis Severino (Athletics)
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays)
• Abner Uribe (Brewers)
• Ketel Marte (D‑backs)
• Geraldo Perdomo (D‑backs)
• Carlos Santana (D‑backs)
• Joel Peguero (Giants)
• Jose Ramirez (Guardians — expected to miss first round)
• Luis Castillo (Mariners)
• Julio Rodríguez (Mariners)
• Sandy Alcantara (Marlins)
• Agustín Ramírez (Marlins)
• Huascar Brazobán (Mets)
• Juan Soto (Mets)
• Yaramil Hiraldo (Orioles)
• Manny Machado (Padres)
• Wandy Peralta (Padres)
• Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres)
• Johan Rojas (Phillies)
• Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies)
• Oneil Cruz (Pirates)
• Yohan Ramirez (Pirates)
• Dennis Santana (Pirates)
• Gregory Soto (Pirates)
• Junior Caminero (Rays)
• Edwin Uceta (Rays)
• Brayan Bello (Red Sox)
• Juan Mejia (Rockies)
• Carlos Estévez (Royals)
• Seranthony Domínguez (White Sox)
• Yerry De Los Santos (Yankees)
• Camilo Doval (Yankees)
• Amed Rosario (Yankees)
• Austin Wells (Yankees)

Great Britain

• Najer Victor (Angels)
• Willis Cresswell (Blue Jays)
• Miles Langhorne (Brewers)
• Jack Seppings (Brewers)
• Matt Koperniak (Cardinals)
• BJ Murray (Cubs)
• Kristian Robinson (D‑backs)
• Antonio Knowles (Dodgers)
• Tristan Beck (Giants)
• Ian Lewis (Marlins)
• Michael Petersen (Marlins)
• Harry Ford (Nationals)
• Ryan Long (Orioles)
• Gary Gill Hill (Rays)
• Owen Wild (Rays)
• Jack Anderson (Red Sox)
• Nate Eaton (Red Sox)
• Ivan Johnson (Reds)
• Brendan Beck (Yankees)
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Yankees)

Israel

• RJ Schreck (Blue Jays)
• C.J. Stubbs (Blue Jays)
• Zach Levenson (Cardinals)
• Noah Mendlinger (Cardinals)
• Jake Gelof (Dodgers)
• Harrison Bader (Giants)
• Ryan Prager (Guardians)
• Charlie Beilenson (Mariners)
• Josh Blum (Mets)
• Jordan Geber (Mets)
• Benjamin Simon (Mets)
• Robert Stock (Mets)
• Matt Mervis (Nationals)
• Dean Kremer (Orioles)
• Josh Mallitz (Padres)
• Max Lazar (Phillies)
• Garrett Stubbs (Phillies)
• Spencer Horwitz (Pirates)
• Cole Carrigg (Rockies)
• Troy Johnston (Rockies)
• Eli Morgan (Royals)
• Matt Bowman (Twins)
• Carlos Lequerica (Tigers)
• Harrison Cohen (Yankees)

Italy

• Sam Aldegheri (Angels)
• Camden Minacci (Angels)
• Zach Dezenzo (Astros)
• Andrew Fischer (Brewers)
• Gordon Graceffo (Cardinals)
• Thomas Saggese (Cardinals)
• Dylan DeLucia (Guardians)
• Matt Festa (Guardians)
• Dominic Canzone (Mariners)
• Miles Mastrobuoni (Mariners)
• Jakob Marsee (Marlins)
• Joe Jacques (Mets)
• Nick Morabito (Mets)
• Alek Jacob (Padres)
• Ron Marinaccio (Padres)
• Aaron Nola (Phillies)
• Dante Nori (Phillies)
• Alessandro Ercolani (Pirates)
• Joe La Sorsa (Pirates)
• Kyle Nicolas (Pirates)
• Michael Lorenzen (Rockies)
• Jac Caglianone (Royals)
• Vinnie Pasquantino (Royals)
• Dan Altavilla (Twins)
• Sam Antonacci (White Sox)
• Kyle Teel (White Sox)
• Greg Weissert (Red Sox)

Japan

• Yusei Kikuchi (Angels)
• Tatsuya Imai (Astros)
• Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays)
• Seiya Suzuki (Cubs)
• Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers)
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers)
• Shinnosuke Ogasawara (Nationals)
• Yuki Matsui (Padres)
• Masataka Yoshida (Red Sox)
• Munetaka Murakami (White Sox)

Korea

• Shay Whitcomb (Astros)
• Riley O’Brien (Cardinals)
• Hyeseong Kim (Dodgers)
• Jung Hoo Lee (Giants)
• Dane Dunning (Mariners)
• Woo‑Suk Go (Tigers)
• Jahmai Jones (Tigers)

Mexico

• Samy Natera Jr. (Angels)
• Joey Meneses (Athletics)
• Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays)
• Javier Assad (Cubs)
• Alek Thomas (D‑backs)
• Randy Arozarena (Mariners)
• Andrés Muñoz (Mariners)
• Jared Serna (Marlins)
• Alex Carrillo (Mets)
• Daniel Duarte (Mets)
• Omar Cruz (Padres)
• Victor Lizarraga (Padres)
• Alan Rangel (Phillies)
• Taijuan Walker (Phillies)
• Nick Gonzales (Pirates)
• Robert Garcia (Rangers)
• Alejandro Osuna (Rangers)
• Jonathan Aranda (Rays)
• Jarren Duran (Red Sox)
• Irvin Machuca (Reds)
• Brennan Bernardino (Rockies)
• Victor Vodnik (Rockies)
• Nestor German (Orioles)

Netherlands

• Ozzie Albies (Braves)
• Jurickson Profar (Braves)
• Chadwick Tromp (Braves)
• Druw Jones (D‑backs)
• Jaitoine Kelly (D‑backs)
• Shawndrick Oduber (Dodgers)
• Dayson Croes (Giants)
• Dylan Wilson (Mariners)
• Jamdrick Cornelia (Mets)
• Xander Bogaerts (Padres)
• Jaydenn Estanista (Phillies)
• Antwone Kelly (Pirates)
• Ryjeteri Merite (Reds)
• Ceddanne Rafaela (Red Sox)
• Brandon Herbold (Royals)
• Kenley Jansen (Tigers)

Nicaragua

• Ismael Munguia (Blue Jays)
• Stiven Cruz (Brewers)
• Carlos Rodriguez (Brewers)
• Freddy Zamora (Brewers)
• Mark Vientos (Mets)
• Oscar Rayo (Royals)
• Duque Hebbert (Tigers)

Panama

• James Gonzalez (Athletics)
• Leo Jiménez (Blue Jays)
• Javy Guerra (Braves)
• Leo Bernal (Cardinals)
• Iván Herrera (Cardinals)
• Miguel Amaya (Cubs)
• Christian Bethancourt (Cubs)
• Erian Rodriguez (Cubs)
• Logan Allen (Guardians)
• Abdiel Mendoza (Mariners)
• Jose Ramos (Mets)
• Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Orioles)
• Edmundo Sosa (Phillies)
• Miguel Cienfuegos (Padres)
• José Caballero (Yankees)

Puerto Rico

• Matthew Lugo (Angels)
• Carlos Cortes (Athletics)
• Darell Hernaiz (Athletics)
• José Berríos (Blue Jays)
• Bryan Torres (Cardinals)
• Yacksel Ríos (Cubs)
• Nolan Arenado (D‑backs)
• Edwin Díaz (Dodgers)
• Heliot Ramos (Giants)
• Jose Espada (Orioles)
• Rico Garcia (Orioles)
• Luis Vázquez (Orioles)
• Alexis Díaz (Rangers)
• Ricardo Velez (Rangers)
• Jovani Morán (Red Sox)
• Eduardo Rivera (Red Sox)
• Edwin Arroyo (Reds)
• Willi Castro (Rockies)
• Seth Lugo (Royals)
• Luis Quinones (Twins)
• Fernando Cruz (Yankees)
• Elmer Rodríguez (Yankees)

Taiwan

• Wei‑En Lin (Athletics)
• Tzu‑Chen Sha (Athletics)
• Chen Zhong‑Ao Zhuang (Athletics)
• Jonathon Long (Cubs)
• Yu‑Min Lin (D‑backs)
• Stuart Fairchild (Guardians)
• Po‑Yu Chen (Pirates)
• Hao Yu Lee (Tigers)

United States

• Ernie Clement (Blue Jays)
• Jeff Hoffman (Blue Jays)
• Tyler Rogers (Blue Jays)
• Brice Turang (Brewers)
• Matthew Boyd (Cubs)
• Alex Bregman (Cubs)
• Pete Crow‑Armstrong (Cubs)
• Corbin Carroll (D‑backs — injured)
• Will Smith (Dodgers)
• Logan Webb (Giants)
• Cal Raleigh (Mariners)
• Gabe Speier (Mariners)
• Clay Holmes (Mets)
• Nolan McLean (Mets)
• Gunnar Henderson (Orioles)
• Bryce Harper (Phillies)
• Brad Keller (Phillies)
• Kyle Schwarber (Phillies)
• Paul Skenes (Pirates)
• Garrett Cleavinger (Rays)
• Griffin Jax (Rays)
• Roman Anthony (Red Sox)
• Garrett Whitlock (Red Sox)
• Michael Wacha (Royals)
• Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals)
• Matt Strahm (Royals)
• Tarik Skubal (Tigers)
• Will Vest (Tigers)
• Byron Buxton (Twins)
• Joe Ryan (Twins — injured)
• David Bednar (Yankees)
• Tim Hill (Yankees)
• Aaron Judge (Yankees)
• Mason Miller (Padres)
• Ryan Yarbrough (Yankees)

Venezuela

• Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves)
• Andrés Giménez (Blue Jays)
• Jackson Chourio (Brewers)
• William Contreras (Brewers)
• Angel Zerpa (Brewers)
• Daniel Palencia (Cubs)
• Eduardo Rodríguez (D‑backs)
• Luis Arraez (Giants)
• José Buttó (Giants)
• Eduard Bazardo (Mariners)
• Jhonathan Díaz (Mariners)
• Javier Sanoja (Marlins)
• Carlos Guzman (Mets)
• Christian Suarez (Dodgers)
• José Alvarado (Phillies)
• Jesús Luzardo (Phillies)
• Oddanier Mosqueda (Pirates)
• Yoendrys Gómez (Rays)
• Wilyer Abreu (Red Sox)
• Willson Contreras (Red Sox)
• Ranger Suárez (Red Sox)
• Eugenio Suárez (Reds)
• Antonio Senzatela (Rockies)
• Ezequiel Tovar (Rockies)
• Luinder Avila (Royals)
• Maikel Garcia (Royals)
• Salvador Perez (Royals)
• Enmanuel De Jesus (Tigers)
• Keider Montero (Tigers)
• Gleyber Torres (Tigers)
• Pablo López (Twins — injured)
• Eduardo Salazar (Twins)

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB players in WBC 2026: Team by team roster breakdown

The leadup to the World Baseball Classic is nearly at its apex, with group play beginning later this week. The Yankees, for their part as a team, will play an exhibition game later today against the Panama team that will be participating in Pool A. But more notably for some of their individual players, they’ll have a total of ten participants from their 40-man roster in the tournament headlined by their captain, Aaron Judge, captaining the US team.

The Yankees’ overall representation in the games is spread across several countries: The US leads with four Yanks starring Judge and featuring closer David Bednar, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough; the Dominican Republic has three players shedding their pinstripes for a bit including catcher Austin Wells, infielder Amed Rosario, and reliever Camilo Doval; Great Britain got Jazz Chisholm Jr. aboard (with prospect Brendan Beck on their pitching staff); Panama carries shortstop José Caballero; and Puerto Rico has reliever Fernando Cruz on their team.

There’s only so many games to be played in a tournament like the World Baseball Classic, so even though some of those names are heavyweights on the Yankees’ roster there may be others who steal the spotlight for their country over the next couple of weeks. Judge is obviously the superstar among the listed candidates and the US team is expected to go far and compete for the title, but will teams give him anything to crush? Perhaps they’ll pitch around him and deal with some of the other bats protecting him in the lineup. Chisholm is another strong candidate on paper, but will Great Britain go far enough to give him a chance to stand out? Perhaps Fernando Cruz ends up tossing some of the most crucial innings late in games to close out wins for Puerto Rico that push them towards the championship game. Who would you pick to end up being the most impactful Yankee in the WBC?

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We’ll lead off today with more WBC coverage, as Jake previews the Pool B rosters that the US team will compete with. Josh is up next with a look at Cam Schlittler’s upcoming season now that all eyes will be on him following his magnificent postseason run, and one of our new writers Jonathan debuts with a birthday post to one of the oldest Yankees there is in Willie Keeler. Finally, Jeff continues our MLB team previews with a look at the Athletics as they try to build back up to average.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Panama

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field

MESA, Arizona — Tuesday notes…

• FORMER CUBS ON THE ITALY ROSTER: Jon Berti and Miles Mastrobuoni. Alex Maestri, a former Cubs prospect who was actually born in Italy, is one of two pitching coaches for the team (Dave Righetti is the other one).
• CUBS 40-MAN PLAYERS ON WBC ROSTERS: Alex Bregman, Matthew Boyd, Pete Crow-Armstrong (USA); Javier Assad (Mexico); Miguel Amaya (Panama); Daniel Palencia (Venezuela); Seiya Suzuki (Japan); Jameson Taillon (Canada).
• OTHER WBC EXHIBITIONS: There are 14 other exhibition games today between WBC teams and MLB squads. Here’s the complete schedule.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Italy lineup:

Cade Horton will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: zzzz

some other guy will start for Italy. Other Italy pitchers scheduled today: zzzz.

No TV or radio today.

MLB.com Gameday

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

Here’s the complete Italy roster, and here’s a link to all the WBC team rosters.

As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.

These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

On Monday, the Braves were able to earn another Spring Training victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was a game where the starting pitching depth of the Braves was on full display, as Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, and Owen Murphy all threw multiple innings. While it is likely unwise to expect big things from any of these three arms this season, they are a part of the “next man up” group for the Braves if injury again impacts the rotation. Each had a solid effort today, a trend that will hopefully continue.

Braves News

MLB Pipeline named their top 30 Braves prospects, with many notable young arms head lining the list.

A closer look at the 2025 financials for the Braves.

Matt Powers looks at some the best college prospects for the 2026 draft and how their early season production is going in college baseball.

MLB News

MLB Announced a new tournament style setup for the Spring Breakout Games (roster only contains club’s top prospects) starting in 2027.

MLB.com | Jim Callis: MLB Pipeline has released its list of the Yankees’ top 30 prospects for 2026 and George Lombard Jr. retains his spot as their No. 1 prospect. The shortstop drafted 26th overall in the 2023 MLB Draft reached Double-A as a 20 year old in 2025 and has impressed this spring, going 2-for-8 with five walks and five RBI in five games of Grapefruit League play. He is not expected to graduate to the majors in 2026 as he continues to adjust to professional pitching, though GM Brian Cashman called his defense “MLB-ready.”

MLB.com | Maria Guardado: Ahead of Team USA’s opening game of the World Baseball Classic against Brazil on Friday, team captain Aaron Judge addressed his teammates in a clubhouse speech. He had not planned to make a speech until reigning Cy Young winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes reached out over the winter and suggested that he prepare some words for when the team convened ahead of the tournament. Judge’s speech focused on sacrificing for each other over the next couple of weeks, the team also taking inspiration from the performances of the athletes of Team USA in the recently completed Winter Olympics. Judge called being named team captain an honor, though made sure to distinguish that being “captain of the Yankees is No. 1 still in [his] heart.”

Fox News | Scott Thompson: Last week, the Yankees announced that they would be retiring the No. 52 worn by first ballot Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, also announcing a ceremony to dedicate a plaque in Monument Park in September. Sabathia reflected on the honor, calling it “more of a shock than going into the Hall of Fame.” He mentioned the Yankees greats that he would be joining, how he never thought he would be mentioned alongside the likes of Whitey Ford and Ron Guidry when he first joined the team in 2008. He ended by hailing the fans as the part that meant the most to him during his Yankees tenure and the accountability to which they hold every player.

The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal ($): Max Fried has worked his way to becoming one of the best starting pitchers in MLB, and he chronicles the journey of developing the killer mentality that got him to this point. Early in his career, he had to shake the label of being ‘soft’ when mistakes or missed execution would fluster him for the rest of his start. He hit a career rock bottom as a 22 year old when he went 2-11 with a 5.92 ERA at Double-A in 2017 and even wondered whether he would last in the sport or would have to start making plans to go to college. But then the Braves unexpectedly called him up to the majors in the second half of 2017, and Fried pitched to a 3.81 ERA in nine appearances, a moment which Fried called the turning point in his career. Fried said the rude awakening of those struggles in the minors forced him to take ownership of his life and career.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: The Yankees had been searching for a right-handed bat to provide additional depth in the outfield all offseason, and now that they have signed Randal Grichuk to a minor league deal with an invitation to camp, Jaffe analyzes what the former Yankee killer could bring to their lineup. Grichuk’s presence gives the Yankees options with how they want to handle Jasson Domínguez, who Brian Cashman conceded would be “in his best interest to be getting everyday reps,” after he struggled batting against lefties and defensively in left field. Grichuk traditionally mashes lefties, with a career 118 WRC+, though 2025 was the first year he was actually worse against lefties than righties. All the same, he could serve as the short side of a platoon with Trent Grisham — much better against righties than lefties — with Grisham in center and Bellinger in left with a righty on the mound and Bellinger in center and Grichuk in left against southpaws.

The last time Adam Fox spoke, he created a ton of uncertainty around his Rangers future.  

Fox didn’t exactly commit to sticking in the Big Apple through another retool -- saying that he is simply focused on this season right now, and it’s a “conversation for when we’re done playing.”

While it doesn’t seem like much, the NY-native seemingly said more with what he didn’t say. 

Asked if he wanted to add to those comments following Monday's loss to the Blue Jackets, Fox said “kind of the same.”

“We’re just trying to focus on games, myself included,” he said. “There’s a lot going on with the deadline and everything, but I think all anyone can do right now is take it day-by-day, try to bring a good effort and good attitude and take it from there.”

According to Vince Mercogliano of the Athletic, Fox has met with Chris Drury several times in recent weeks, and he wants to see how the GM handles things over the next few months before making a decision to stick around. 

Mercogliano notes that that doesn’t necessarily mean the All-Star blueliner isn’t willing to wait out the retooling period, but he wants evidence that the front office will turn things around. 

Fox has a full no-trade clause through next season, then it turns to 16-team list for the final two years of his contract. 

The Guardians lost 1-3 to the Rangers today, but there were some positive takeaways. First and foremost, Slade Cecconi looked solid despite giving up two runs in 2.2 IP. He recorded four strikeouts to just one walk. It’s worth noting that he threw a ton of cutters today, and that was a pitch we didn’t see all that much from him last season. That will be something to keep an eye on.

Angel Martinez continues to prove that he is a very viable hitter against left handed pitching, as he went 2-2 with a HR and 108 mph double against LHP Austin Gomber. I really wish he would just scrap switch hitting and try to hit as a right handed hitter full time to see it went. He is up to a .385 average and a 1.500 OPS this spring.

Outside of that there wasn’t much offense today for the Guardians, as most of the regulars had a day off. The Guardians play the Dodgers tomorrow at 3:05 pm ET and it will be televised.

The World Baseball Classic starts this week, and the Colorado Rockies have 11 players representing various countries:

The Rockies will face off against Team USA in an exhibition game at Salt River Fields on Wednesday, and Kyle Freeland will face his former team.

So the question tonight is this: which team are you rooting for in the WBC? Who do you think could make some noise?

Let us know in the comments!

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Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

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Wins turned losses

As the calendar flipped to the first full month of the college baseball season, the Huskies ushered March in harshly, letting a series win — and not inconceivably, a sweep — fall through their fingertips this weekend.

UConn led late in all three games, held UNC Wilmington to just five runs through the first 28 innings of the weekend but secured just one win on Friday before blowing eighth-inning leads on both Saturday and Sunday to lose 2-1 and 7-2, respectively.

It was the kind of weekend that made Jim Penders say: “I don’t have any answers.”

Let’s recap…

Reigning Big East Pitcher of the Week Charlie West took the ball to start UConn’s lone win. He battled control issues as he walked six but limited the damage to two earned runs across four-plus innings thanks to nine strikeouts.

“(West) doesn’t get rattled, he kept competing,” Penders said postgame. “He didn’t have his command today, obviously, a lot of freebies from the mound. But he stayed in there, he kept battling. You want him out there because he has such a calm demeanor.”

Los Medanos transfer Chase Taylor followed up a solid weekend in Arizona with his first multi-RBI performance at the Division I level. The junior brought Chris Polemeni home with a bases-loaded walk in the second before doubling in the fourth, his first extra base hit of the season, to even the score at two runs apiece.

The score remained until the ninth when the Huskies plated three to jump out front. Nater Wachter recorded an RBI single, Bryce Detwiler scored on a wild pitch and Jackson Marshall pushed another across with a walk, giving UConn the lead and a pair of insurance runs heading to the ninth. Charlie Hale recorded the win, pitching 4 1/3 strong in relief of West, allowing just three baserunners and striking out four.

The Huskies late-inning heroics dried up by Saturday, however, as the Seahawks tied the series with a 2-1 walk off victory in the 12th.

The Huskies led 1-0 entering the eighth inning on the shoulders of Cayden Suchy, who twirled seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits. The lone RBI came courtesy of a Chris Cancel double, but the lead disappeared in Paxton Meyer’s first inning in relief. The righty allowed a single, a sac bunt to advance a runner, and a game-tying double.

Meyers settled in, retiring 11 hitters in a row until the fateful 12th inning. In three outings since allowing four earned in one inning to Kansas State, the Brown transfer has thrown 8 1/3 innings, allowing just the aforementioned earned run.

UConn served up the win on a gold platter in the 12th, botching a bunt play to all a walk-off. With a pair on, UNCW pinch hitter Brady Thompson laid a sacrifice bunt down in front of the pitcher’s mound. Third baseman Maddix Dalena charged in to field the ball, but checked to see if there was a potential play at third base. A rushed throw to first sailed into the outfield and Seahawks’ shortstop Kevin Jones trotted all the way around from second to score the winning run with ease.

From the seventh inning on, UConn managed a base runner in all but the 11th. Three times they were caught stealing, stranding all others in a disappearing act from the offense.

“The bats were abysmal,” Penders said. “Aside from Chris Polemeni, Chris Cancel… we didn’t do anything offensively.”

“Seemed like we saved our worst at-bats for whenever anybody was on second base,” he continued.

Sundaysaw the Huskies again blow a late-inning lead, allowing a six-run eighth-inning explosion as the Seahawks ripped away a 7-2 win and the series victory.

Despite the lopsided final score, UConn needed just six outs to lock down a would-be 2-1 win. A fourth inning home run from Will Tyrrell gave the Seahawks a 1-0 advantage, though Nater Wachter stole it back in the sixth with an opposite-field two-run home run, his second of the season.

A second-straight solid start for Oliver Pudvar also helped UConn’s cause. The left-hander went five innings as he fanned seven and allowed just one run to keep the Huskies within striking distance. Greg Shaw III gave UConn a pair of scoreless innings before turning the ball over to closer Sean Finn, who was quickly jumped by the Seahawks’ offense.

Finn lasted just 2/3 of an inning, completely losing sight of the strike zone as he allowed a slew of base runners, including four straight walks to end his day. Garret Garbinski came on, inheriting bases loaded, and allowed a barrage singles to blow the game open. Between the two UConn pitchers, seven straight Seahawks reached base in the deciding inning. Finn penciled four earned to his ledger before Garbinski recorded a strike out to put a bandaid on the lost frame.

An Anthony Belasario double was moot in the ninth as the Huskies never threatened a comeback, giving the win and the series away in one fell swoop. A 4-7 record hangs over UConn’s heads as it prepares to host its first home game of the season Wednesday.

“We had our best swings in the ninth inning after it was out of reach,” Penders said. “You can’t play this game afraid. I hope our hitters can take a lesson from our starting pitchers all weekend. See the confidence that they had… the anxiety is all over (the hitters’) faces. It’s oozing out of their bodies, and that’s gotta change. We don’t have a drill for that. We don’t have a pill for that. Twenty percent of the season is gone. There’s got to be a sense of urgency.”

Ouch.

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Takeaways

The UConn lineup has been streaky and this weekend was without a doubt its worst of the young season. The Huskies swatted just .121 on the weekend while striking out 37 times. They were outscored by the Seahawks in the aggregate, 11-8.

Where UConn did find consistency was the defensive side of the ball. Save for the debilitating Dalena error in game two — a big exception — the Huskies played a clean weekend of defensive baseball. Dalena’s blunder was UConn’s lone error on the weekend and the team turned four double plays, including three on Sunday night.

While the Huskies struggled with batted balls, UConn earned 18 free passes, with 13 coming on walks and 5 on hit batsmen. It isn’t enough to make up for the high strikeout totals in each contest, but it does demonstrate some semblance of plate discipline.

Playing good fundamental baseball is laudable, but it doesn’t win ballgames.

Still, the Huskies are going to need more out of their role players in games where their bigger bats, such as Evan Menzel and Jackson Marshall, can’t get it done. On the weekend, Menzel and Dalena both went hitless across a combined 25 at bats, while Marshall recorded a singular hit in 12 at bats. The two left eight runners on base over the three-game set.

The injuries are hard to ignore. Tyler Minick, Connor Lane — Jim Penders confirmed he took a ball off the face during batting practice that will sideline him for the time being — and Rob Rispoli were all absent from the lineup this weekend. Perhaps their return could inject some life into a floundering offense.

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Weekend Winners

Chris Polemeni and Chris Cancel

Polemeni finds himself on the list for the second-straight week and did plenty to earn that honor. Hitting .625 this weekend, the outfielder gave the Huskies five hits, including a three-knock performance on Sunday.

The redshirt junior could not sit still on base. He went an aggressive 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts, wreaking havoc on the base paths for the Huskies and scoring four of UConn’s 8 runs. A slight knock for his lone caught stealing in the seventh inning of Saturday’s loss when an insurance run could have prevented the 12th-inning meltdown.

“Chris Polemeni had an awesome weekend. Really proud of him,” Penders said. “Chris Cancel, a guy who didn’t have a single at-bat coming into the weekend, he looked like he wanted to be out there… both Chris’ had nice weekends.”

Cayden Suchy

Suchy once again shined against the Seahawks. With seven shutout innings, it was his first scoreless appearance of the season and his longest. He also threw nine less pitches than in his 6 2/3 inning start against Arizona. Not only are the results improving, but he is becoming more efficient in achieving them.

The sophomore also posted a career-high 12 strikeouts against just one walk. Suchy has pitched well enough to be considered an early season Big East Pitcher of the Year candidate.

Nater Wachter

Wachter had his best weekend as a Husky. The outfielder posted a pair of multi-hit games and provided three RBI over the course of the weekend.

The junior notched a pair of clutch hits, driving in the go-ahead run in Game 1 and homering in the middle innings of Game 3 to give the Huskies their only lead of the day.

Charlie Hale

Hale was exceptional once again in relief on Friday. After West departed, Hale picked up the final 4 ⅔ innings and allowed just one hit and a pair of walks in his second scoreless outing of the season and second win.

Over four appearances and one start, the right hander has now worked to a minuscule 1.23 ERA.

“Hale did an awesome job. He loves to compete and he’s fun to watch,” Penders said. “He doesn’t light up the radar gun (but) it doesn’t matter. He’s gonna take on the hitter and throw a lot of strikes and kind of calm the waters a bit.”

Oliver Pudvar

Pudvar has picked up steam with each start. What stuck out for Pudvar in this one was his seven strikeouts. After punching out just three in each of his first two starts, the lefty showed renewed swing-and-miss potential for the first time this season while also keeping the walk total low. It seems the lefty is back to business, having struck out 73 last season, good for the second-best total.

The redshirt junior walked just one in the outing after allowing no free passes in his second start. That combination of limiting contact and emphasizing control could be dangerous if he shows that he can demonstrate it consistently. Pudvar can shine in a late-weekend starting role after he was relied upon so heavily last season to be an ace.

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Huskies in the Pros

In the absence of any RPI or Bracketology updates, we will use this space this week to highlight a few former UConn ballplayers continuing their careers throughout different levels of professional ball.

George Springer

The greatest position player in UConn baseball history is still getting it done late in his illustrious MLB career. Springer had a monstrous season last year at age 35, hitting .309 with 32 homers as the Blue Jays advanced as far as Game 7 of the World Series. Entering the final season of a six-year, $160 million contract he signed prior to the 2021 season, Springer has appeared in just two games of spring training as he ramps up for the new year.

Ben Casparius

On the other side of the World Series was Ben Casparius, who appeared in 46 games for the Dodgers last year, recording over 75 innings with an ERA a touch over 4.50. In two innings thus far this spring, he’s allowed one home run, his lone baserunner. The two-time World Series champ should be a mainstay in Los Angeles’ bullpen as it eyes its third-straight title.

P.J. Poulin

Poulin made his MLB debut last year and appeared in 28 games for the Nationals in the second half. The southpaw recorded a 3.65 ERA, striking out 27 and walking 13 in 24 2/3 innings. His spring is off to a good start as he hopes to remain a fixture of Washington’s bullpen in 2026, pitching three scoreless innings.

Anthony Kay

After two seasons in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars, Kay returned stateside to join the White Sox on a two-year, $12 million deal, signed in December. The lefty last appeared in the MLB in 2023 with the Mets and aims to slot in at the back of Chicago’s rotation. In two starts this spring, Kay had pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two earned with four strikeouts and four walks apiece.

Ryan Daniels

The Twins plucked Daniels from UConn in the MLB draft and quickly sent the 2025 Big East Player of the Year to Single-A ball. He played just two games for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, failing to record a hit in nine plate appearances. Daniels landed on the injury report multiple times before retiring in December of 2025, according to MILB.com’s Mighty Mussels transaction report.

Ian Cooke

Cooke joined the MLB Draft League following his final season in Storrs, looking to boost his stock after going undrafted in 2025. The righty appeared in 14 games for the Frederick Keys, going 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA across 19 innings, striking out 33. The 2026 MLB Draft League season is set to get underway in June.

Brady Afthim

The Reds took Afthim in the 13th round of last summer’s draft, assigning him to rookie ball with the ACL Reds in August. Less than a month later, he was promoted to Class A’s Daytona Tortugas of the FSL. The closer had just a quick cup of coffee, two innings pitched, before the season’s end, but he is still listed as active on MiLB.com, presumably in Reds minor league camp ahead of the 2026 season.

Sam Biller

Biller signed with the Mets as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 season. He played six games with the Single-A affiliate St. Lucie Mets, recording 4 hits in 17 at-bats (.235 AVG) with one double, one RBI and three walks. Biller was released by the Mets last month.

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On Deck

The Huskies take the field at Elliot Stadium for the first time since May 17, when they hosted former Black Bear turned UConn infielder Evan Menzel and Maine in a 5-1 win. New Haven, playing their first season as a Division I program, will make the short trip before the Huskies head to Virginia for three with Old Dominion.

Wednesday: vs. New Haven, Storrs, CT, 7 p.m. (UCONN+)

Friday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)

Saturday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)

Sunday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)

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