First pitch against the Detroit Tigers is at 1:05 at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium and the Tigers will be providing radio coverage.
GDT: Anyone ever been to Detroit?
Which Dodgers relievers are on your radar?
In the previous seven days, the Dodgers have sent a total of 23 players to minor league camp, including a dozen after Sunday’s game. All but two players from the two rounds of cuts have been non-roster invitees to camp, none of them unexpected.
What those cuts have done is thin the herd a bit, leaving only four non-roster pitchers still in big league camp. Cole Irvin is the veteran starting pitcher of the group, back from pitching in Korea and already built up to three innings this spring. He could potentially be an early option if the Dodgers feel the need for someone to fill bulk innings. After all, we know they will use a ton of starters.
Chris Campos is also still around. He’s been a starter since the Dodgers drafted him in the seventh round in 2022, other than the times he’s been used in bulk relief (11 of his 13 appearances out of the bullpen the last two seasons lasted at least three innings). So far this spring he’s pitched exactly one inning in each of his three Cactus League appearances, and he’s done well, with three scoreless innings, no walks, and five strikeouts among his 12 batters faced.
Whether Campos will pitch in relief going forward or him sticking around a little longer in camp is a reward for his earlier appearances remains to be seen. But the other two non-roster pitchers remaining in camp are more traditional relievers.
Ryder Ryan is River’s older brother by four years. He’s allowed two runs in seven innings this spring with five strikeouts. His first three appearances were one inning apiece, and he’s pitched two innings in each of his last two times out.
Left-hander Antoine Kelly has gotten results this spring, allowing only two walks and no hits in his five scoreless innings, with seven strikeouts among his 17 batters faced. A second-round pick of the Brewers in 2019, Kelly hasn’t yet reached the majors, spending time in the Brewers, Rangers, and Rockies’ system over the last seven years. But he’s touching 99 mph this spring to go with a slider. Whether the Dodgers found a harder-throwing Anthony Banda remains to be seen, but Kelly has pitched his way onto the radar this spring.
There are other relief pitchers on the 40-man roster. Ronan Kopp, just added to the 40-man roster in November, was optioned on Sunday. Kyle Hurt is back from injury, Paul Gervase at 6’10 is literally hard to miss, Will Klein could parlay his World Series heroics into a spot in the bullpen, among the group.
For today’s question let’s ignore the expected arms in the back end of the bullpen for a moment. Which under-the-radar Dodgers reliever are you most looking forward to watching this season?
AL West Preview – Rangers Position Players, finding Nimmo
Years ago, it was this exercise that sent me down a road of becoming mildly Rangers-pilled. This year, there is no such risk.
If you are looking at the lineup and notable off-season moves and feeling lightly confused by the seeming absence of any clear strategy, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Led by beloved former Mariners legend Chris Young, Texas seems to have locked in on starting pitching and are employing the pop quiz style of light panic when it comes to their offense. Is this the baseball equivalent of the phenomenon where research has shown we are attracted to people who have similar features as us? Fortunately for Seattle, Jerry Dipoto does not seem to suffer as mightily from that affliction (although the bullpen has, of course, long been a strength). The Rangers have done little to refute the rumors that their 2033 World Series title was anything more than a fluke.
Notable Transactions
Out: OF Adolis García, 2B Marcus Semien, C Jonah Heim, UTIL Dylan Moore, 1B Rowdy Tellez, 1B/2B Donovan Solano
In: OF Brandon Nimmo, C Danny Jansen, OF Mark Canha, OF Andrew McCutchen, 1B Nick Pratto, UTIL Tyler Wade, INF Andrew Velazquez, INF Jonah Bride
Italics = Minor League Deals with Spring Training Invite
Texas caused a stir early on in the off-season when they traded infield staple and prized free agent star Marcus Semien to the Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. It was a challenge trade to be sure but it remains to be seen what exactly either team was challenging. Their only other big league position player acquisition was Danny Jansen, who will slot into the distinctly sloping protrusion that was left by finally giving up on Jonah Heim. Danny, I’d sage the backstop if I were you. Finally free from the Lone Star State are a trio of ex-Mariners of mixed repute, and once-beloved slugger Adolís García. Two of those four are headed to the greener-ish (?) fields of Philadelphia, which doesn’t mean anything at all for this piece but damn am I excited to watch García absolutely molly-wop a baseball through the night air at Citizens Bank Park.
Old, and I do mean old, friends (or foes), Mark Canha and Andrew McCutchen are competing for play time in the outfield and/or at DH alongside a smattering of 30-something infielders looking for their feel-good storyline.
The Lineup
| Order/Role | Player | Age | Position | Bats | PA | wRC+ | Fld | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Nimmo | 33 | RF | L | 630 | 110 | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| 2 | Wyatt Langford | 24 | LF | R | 644 | 125 | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| 3 | Corey Seager | 32 | SS | L | 560 | 129 | 0.6 | 4.2 |
| 4 | Joc Pederson | 34 | DH | L | 434 | 118 | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| 5 | Jake Burger | 30 | 1B | R | 588 | 104 | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| 6 | Evan Carter | 23 | CF | L | 476 | 105 | -1.1 | 1.9 |
| 7 | Josh Jung | 28 | 3B | R | 560 | 95 | 0.4 | 1.7 |
| 8 | Josh Smith | 28 | 2B | L | 504 | 101 | -5.0 | 1.4 |
| 9 | Danny Jansen | 31 | C | R | 352 | 100 | -5.6 | 1.3 |
| BN | Kyle Higashioka | 36 | C | R | 283 | 86 | 2.0 | 1.2 |
| BN | Ezequiel Duran | 27 | UTIL | R | 280 | 87 | -2.5 | 0.4 |
| BN | Sam Haggerty | 32 | UTIL | S | 259 | 92 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| BN | Michael Helman | 30 | UTIL | R | 175 | 77 | 0.6 | 0.3 |
Thank goodness for Kyle’s brother, right? The new dad and late-August appendectomy patient will anchor the offense alongside homegrown outfielder and former first round pick Wyatt Langford in his third season in the bigs. Nimmo’s bat is a much-welcomed addition to the lineup and Evan Carter is looking to return to his historic 2023 postseason form. Everyone else in this lineup is projected to be under 2 fWAR (and we’re generously rounding up for Carter’s 1.9), and if you went “Hey wait, doesn’t that guy have some nagging injury issues?” about literally any of the names in this paragraph, yes. Yes they do.
Jake Burger is hard-pressed to have a season worse than last year, so I could see him returning to mildly competent form. Similarly, if The Joshes can stay healthy and/or avoid whatever noxious vat of goo Smith fell into in the second half of last season, it wouldn’t shock me to see them both outperform their projections. That said, all of these if-festooned fellas still ultimately really only add up to a decent team at best. And as you’ll see later on this week, there are no reinforcements coming from the minors to Dave the day. But, depending on how you feel about their pitching, decent could be enough to be competitive. I would be surprised if they surpassed that, but these Rangers have certainly surprised before.
MLB’s draft rules should shield it from NBA style tanking
OKLAHOMA CITY—Coming to you live this morning (as I write this, that is) from The 405, Oklahoma City, home of the reigning NBA champion Thunder.
I’m here with my wife, who’s here for a continuing education course in her field of study. I spent most of the day yesterday by myself, but at night, she and I walked 12 minutes to Paycom Center to watch the hobbled Thunder face the maimed Golden State Warriors.
It turned into quite the game!
There’s a reason for that. Even though both squads are banged up—no Steph Curry for GSW, no Chet Holmgren for OKC—both are in the thick of the playoff race. For the Thunder, they’re shooting for the No. 1 seed in the West, but are only up a few games on the surging San Antonio Spurs.
Things are much more dire for the Warriors, though. Without Curry and Jimmy Butler (out for the year), they’re just trying to reach the Play-In Tournament for a shot at facing either the Thunder or Spurs in the first round. Last night’s loss drops them to 32-31, only a game up on the Clippers for the No. 8 seed, with the Blazers not that far behind.
The Warriors don’t want to have to win two play-in games to make the playoffs, which means they need to finish No. 7 or No. 8.
And so, both teams came to play.
This is in stark contrast to many other NBA games this time of the season. While the Play-In tournament expanded the playoffs, theoretically, from eight teams per conference to 10 teams per conference, tanking—losing for a higher draft pick—runs rampant. This is also despite the changing of odds for landing that first pick. It’s an issue that’s plagued the league for years but has only increased this season due to a strong upcoming draft class.
Now, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has vowed to make even more changes to combat tanking. Fans await with bated breath.
But they could just look at how Major League Baseball works its draft.
Really, baseball has done such a good job with its recent draft changes that tanking makes little to no sense. This is a rare dubya for Rob Manfred (though one does wonder if this was his doing or someone else’s).
I often look for ways that MLB could borrow from other leagues (i.e., the NFL, NHL, and NBA) to improve its draft, but in this regard, the NBA might take a page out of MLB’s book.
For example, one particular issue promoting tanking in the NBA is trading draft picks with protections on them. (This also occurs in the NHL.) For example, Team A trades to Team B a draft pick that is top-four protected, meaning that Team B gets that pick only if it falls anywhere from picks #5-32. If Team A then starts to have a bad year a shot at the playoffs—or title—look grim, or there’s an especially deep draft class on the horizon, Team A might pivot to tanking to try to land within the top four spots and keep its draft pick.
One idea floating around is eliminating such draft pick protections, at least in the range of something like picks No. 5 through No. 14, which are the last picks of the draft lottery. Another option would be to eliminate draft pick protections entirely, though I don’t think that will happen.
MLB, of course, does not have this problem, because except for specific instances, draft picks cannot be traded. I used to hate this rule as I think that a GM or team President or Baseball Czar (did that title fade with La Russa?) should have handy every tool in the box, including trading draft picks. But watching the NBA deal with something like a dozen teams basically trying to lose their games in the 4-6 weeks of the season shows that MLB has it right with the strict limitations on trading draft picks.
The NBA could also learn from MLB’s handling of teams drafting in the lottery. Sure, the lottery is different between the two leagues—four teams in the NBA to six in the MLB—but it could be adapted.
In the MLB, a team cannot receive a lottery pick in more than two consecutive years. This is why the woebegone Colorado Rockies will pick 10th in the upcoming draft despite finishing with the worst record in baseball in 2025—they’d drafted in the lottery in both 2024 and 2025. They weren’t tanking their way to 43 wins. They just sucked.
The NBA could grow its lottery to, say, six teams, and add a clause that a team can’t pick X number of consecutive years in the lottery—could even be two consecutive years. That would dissuade teams such as the Kings, Wizards, Pelicans, Jazz, etc. from continually employing a destitute roster.
Obviously, I don’t know the answer(s) to fix the NBA’s tanking woes, but I’m confident in saying that it could look to the MLB for help. Before MLB instituted the draft lottery, tanking for the top pick was rare. Now, it essentially never happens. Major League Baseball got it right on its first attempt in implementing the lottery.
Mr. Silver, take a look at America’s pastime to solve your league’s tanking woes. You’ll be glad you did.
Red Sox Spring Training Game Thread: Garett Crochet takes on the Phillies
Is it on TV?
No! It is not! And you better get used to that, because NESN isn’t showing the game tomorrow or Friday this week either and the Sox are off on Wednesday. I will never in my life understand this. Even if it’s “too expensive” to do a full broadcast, why not just stick a camera behind home plate and stream the feed on NESN360? I would watch it and I promise I’m not alone.
What’s the lineup?
What should we watch listen for?
It’s really too bad we won’t see this one, because only one of Crochet’s first three starts has been broadcast. It would be nice to get a look at how the Sox’ resident Cy Young contender is looking. Otherwise, this lineup has plenty of young guys with something to prove. This would’ve been a nice game to catch on New England’s first warm day of 2026.
Spring Training Game Thread: Twins vs Braves
First Pitch (CT):12:05
TV: MLB.TV/ATL Video (via Braves)
Radio:Braves – ESPN 103.7/WIFN 1340
Know Yo’ Foe: Battery Power
What to watch: Zebby Matthews is on the mound in his fight to keep the 5th rotation spot. Mick Abel has had a flawless Spring, but it’s Zebby’s spot to lose.
Lineups
| Twins | Braves |
| SP: Zebby Matthews | SP: Carlos Carrasco |
| 1. Austin Martin, CF | 1. Jorge Mateo, 2B |
| 2. Royce Lewis, 3B | 2. Drake Baldwin, DH |
| 3. Luke Keaschall, LF | 3. Matt Olson, 1B |
| 4. Josh Bell, DH | 4. Austin Riley, 3B |
| 5. Trevor Larnach, RF | 5. Mike Yastrzemski, LF |
| 6. Eric Wagaman, 1B | 6. Eli White, RF |
| 7. Tristan Gray, SS | 7. Michael Harris II, CF |
| 8. Orlando Arcia, 2B | 8. Jonah Heim, C |
| 9. Alex Jackson, C | 9. Mauricio Dubon, SS |
Astros vs. Cardinals 3/9/2026 Spring Training Game Thread
The Houston Astros (4-8-3) host the St. Louis Cardinals (8-5-1) in Grapefruit League play.
RHP Cristian Javier will get the start for the Astros opposite RHP Richard Fitts for the Cardinals.
TODAY’S STARTER: RHP Cristian Javier is set to make his second start of the Spring and his first Grapefruit League start this year. He tossed 2.0 innings in his Spring debut last Tuesday in an exhibition vs. Team Venezuela.
In his return from Tommy John surgery in 2025, Javier made eight starts, going 2-4 with a 4.62 ERA (19ER/37IP), 34 strikeouts and a .230 opponent average. In his career, Javier has held opponents to a .203 (397×1956) batting average. Among AL pitchers to toss 525.0-plus innings between the 2020-25 seasons, Javier ranks first in the AL in that category.
He’s also helped author several notable moments in his career, starting a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series, as well as a combined no-hitter in June of that season at Yankee Stadium.
TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Peter Lambert, RHP Anthony Maldonado, RHP Ryan Weiss, RHP Amos Willingham.
ASTROS IN WBC: IF Zach Dezenzo started at right field in Team Italy’s 7-4 win over Team Great Britain yesterday at Daikin Park, going 1×3 with a double, two runs scored and a walk.
IF Shay Whitcomb got off to a fantastic start for Team Korea in their opener last Thursday vs Team Czechia, going 2×4 with two home runs and three RBI in an 11-4 win.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Monday, March 9, 12:05 p.m. CST
Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL.
TV: none
Streaming: HOU video livestream (astros.com)
Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2
World Baseball Classic 2026: Pool Play Day No. 6 thread
Game No. 1: Dominican Republic (República Dominicana) at Israel (מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל)
Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA
First Pitch: 10:00 AM MDT
TV: FS1
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 2: Colombia (República de Colombia) at Panama (República de Panamá)
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico
First Pitch: 10:00 AM MDT
TV: FS2
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 3: Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil) at Great Britain
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA
First Pitch: 11:00 AM MDT
TV: Tubi
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 4: Cuba (República de Cuba) at Puerto Rico
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico
First Pitch: 5:00 PM MDT
TV: FS1
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 5: Venezuela (República Bolivariana de Venezuela) Nicaragua (República de Nicaragua)
Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA
First Pitch: 5:00 PM MDT
TV: FS2
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 6: Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos) at United States
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA
First Pitch: 6:00 PM MDT
TV: Fox
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 7: Czechia (Česká) at Japan (日本)
Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan
First Pitch: 4:00 AM MDT (March 10th, 2026)
TV: FS1
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
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WBC Wrap: Panama takes down Canada; Mexico, DR win big
After a day of terrific baseball, we only got one close game Sunday and that one was a minor upset.
Coming up today
We have three WBC Games late this morning and early this afternoon. Please use this as a discussion thread for those three games.
11 a.m. Central: Dominican Republic vs Israel at Miami. Pitching matchup, Bello vs. Prager. TV: FS1
11 a.m. Central: Colombia vs. Panama at San Juan. Pitching matchup, Almeida vs. Espino. TV: FS2
12 noon Central: Brazil vs. Great Britain at Houston. Pitching matchup, TBD vs. TBD. TV: Tubi
Pool A (San Juan):
Cuba hit two home runs in the first inning and they never looked back, beating Colombia 7-4.
Colombia actually broke out to a 1-0 lead with an unearned run off of Cuba starter and Diamondbacks prospect Denny Larrondo. The run scored on a sacrifice fly by former Athletics infielder Jordan Diaz.
But Cuba roared back in the bottom of the first. Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder Ariel Martínez went oppo taco with two men on to go up 3-1. [VIDEO]
Two batters later, former Dodger Erisbel Arruebarrena snuck a home run down the left field line to make it 4-1. [VIDEO]
Colombia cut the lead to 4-2 with another sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth. But Cuba struck back with three in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by this hit by Marlins minor leaguer Yiddi Cappe that left fielder Harold Ramírez misplayed into a two-run triple [VIDEO].
Colombia threatened to get back in the game in the top of the seventh. The pushed across one run on a Gio Urshela single and then scored a second run when former Mariners minor leaguer Tito Polo was hit by a pitch. But Cuba summoned former A’s minor leaguer Luis Romero from the bullpen with the bases loaded and two outs. He got an easy grounder back to the mound and flipped the ball to first base to end the threat.
Cuba is now 2-0 in pool play. Colombia is 0-3 and has been eliminated from any chance to advance to the single-elimination rounds.
Panama won for the first time in three tries in the 2026 WBC with a 4-3 win over Canada.
The Cubs’ Jameson Taillon got the start in this game and pitched well, allowing just one run on two hits over 3.2 innings. The one run he allowed came in the fourth inning after he left the game with a man on first and two outs. Reliever Antoine Jean let that runner in. Taillon walked two and struck out three.
Here are some Taillon highlights [VIDEO].
Abraham Toro, who is with the Royals this year, gave Canada a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the second inning. [VIDEO]
After Panama tied the game in the top of the fourth, Canada retook the lead on three consecutive singles by Bo Naylor, Owen Caissie and A’s outfielder Denzel Clarke.
James Paxton, who retired after the 2024 season, came back to pitch for Canada one last time in the sixth inning. Unfortunately, his defense let him down. An error by Canadian first baseman Josh Naylor opened up a two-out, three-run rally. Panama veteran Rubén Tejada, who last played in the majors for the Mets in 2019, hit a two-run single to give Panama the lead [VIDEO].
Enrique Banfield Jr. then bunted for a hit, scoring Miguel Amaya [VIDEO].
Marlins teammates Owen Caissie and Otto Lopez teamed up to make this incredible play to keep Panama from scoring another run in the top of the eighth.
Caissie almost tied the game with a deep drive to center field in the bottom of the eighth, but he hit it to the deepest part of the park and it ended up as an RBI double [VIDEO]
There was a one-hour rain delay at the start of this game and a 23-minute rain delay in the top of the ninth. When the game resumed, former Pirates pitcher Dario Agrazal came in to get the save. Josh Naylor singled with one out and stole second when Tyler O’Neill struck out. But with the tying run on second base, former Cub Jared Young struck out to end the game.
Miguel Amaya was 1 for 4 and scored on that Banfield bunt. Christian Bethancourt was briefly down injured after sliding into third base in sixth. But he eventually stayed in the game. He was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Pool B (Houston):
Italy improved to 2-0 in pool play with a comfortable 7-4 win over Great Britain.
Great Britain jumped on Italy starter and Guardians minor leaguer Dylan DeLucia in the top of the first. Nate Eaton led off the top of the first with a double and the second batter, Jazz Chisholm Jr., singled. Both runners would score on wild pitches by DeLucia.
But Italy would tie the game up in the third with back-to-back home runs by Brewers minor leaguer Andrew Fischer and Diamondbacks farmhand JJ D’Orazio.
The home run by JJ D’Orazio [VIDEO]
Italy took the lead after scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth off of Nick Wells, who played in the independent Atlantic League last year. The first one came on an RBI single by Fischer. Then former Cub Miles Mastrobuoni doubled Fischer home. [VIDEO]
Phillies outfielder Dante Nori drove in the third run of the inning on an infield single.
Italy’s final two runs came in the fifth inning on a “Little League home run” (a triple and an error) off the bat of White Sox infielder Sam Antonacci. [VIDEO]
Great Britain got two runs back in the top of the eighth on an RBI single by Chisholm, who later scored on a wild pitch. But that was it for scoring in the game.
Cubs farmhand BJ Murray went 0 for 3 with a walk for Great Britain.
Mexico 16 Brazil 0 (6 innings)
Mexico turned in the biggest blowout of the tournament when they put up 16 runs against Brazil, who managed just three hits over six innings before it was called on the mercy rule.
Blue Jays farmhand Eric Pardinho got the start for Brazil and he got rocked for eight runs over three innings. Four of those runs came in the first inning.
The second run of the first inning came on this double by Alejandro Kirk. [VIDEO]
Mexico tacked on another run when Jarren Duran led off the second inning with a home run. [VIDEO]
Mexico scored six more runs in the fourth inning. Kirk hit a three-run home run in the sixth. [VIDEO]
Meanwhile, Mexico starter Taijuan Walker did not allow a hit over 3.1 innings, striking out three. [VIDEO]
Pool C (Tokyo)
Korea’s win by five runs gave them a spot in the quarterfinals because of a three-way tiebreaker:
As it turned out, Korea needed every one of its runs on Monday. Because the win created a three-way tie in Pool C among Korea, Australia and Chinese Taipei, the run quotient tiebreaker went into effect, awarding Korea a trip to the quarterfinals based on its number of runs scored and defensive outs collected. In other words, had Korea won by fewer than five runs in nine innings, Australia would’ve advanced despite the loss.
Tough loss for Australia, as Korea scored a run in the ninth inning for that five-run win. Otherwise Australia would have headed to the quarterfinals. Korea will play the winner of Pool D on Friday.
For Korea, Bo Gyeong Moon had four RBI and this two-run homer:
Here’s the sacrifice fly that gave Korea their final, tie-breaking run [VIDEO].
Pool D (Miami)
Dominican Republic 12, Netherlands 1 (7 innings)
The Dominican Republic had no problem with the Netherlands, winning 12-1 in a game that ended early on the mercy rule. Technically this game ended on a walk-off home run by Juan Soto.
Arij Fransen, who pitched in the Reds minor league system last year and is currently a free agent, started for the Netherlands and promptly gave up two runs. The first came off of an RBI single by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the second one was the result of an error by shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
The Netherlands only run came in the second inning on a home run by Didi Gregorius. [VIDEO]
Luis Severino started for the Dominicans and got the win, allowing just one run on three hits over four innings. Severino struck out five and walked no one.
Guerrero extended the Dominican lead to 4-1 with a two-run home run in the third [VIDEO]
The game turned into a rout when the Dominicans scored six runs in the fifth inning, most of which came off of Netherlands reliever Wendell Floranus, who pitched in the Orioles system from 2012 to 2015 and has been in the Mexican League ever since. Junior Caminero and Austin Wells each hit two-run home runs for the DR in the fifth.
Here’s every run scored in the fifth inning by the Dominican Republic [VIDEO]
Finally, we have that technical walk-off home run by Juan Soto [VIDEO], as the blast increased the Dominican lead to 11 runs, which brought about the mercy rule.
Five pitchers combined to complete a two-hit shutout as Israel won for the first time in this tournament, 5-0 over Nicaragua.
Dean Kremer made the start for Israel and allowed just two hits over 4.1 innings. He struck out four and walked one.
Here are Kremer’s four strikeouts [VIDEO].
Israel took a 1-0 lead when Cardinals farmhand Noah Mendlinger singled home Rockies prospect Cole Carrigg. They took a commanding lead in the fifth when the scored four runs on singles by Harrison Bader, Cardinals minor leaguer Zach Levenson and Carrigg.
Three Positives From Goodyear, Arizona
Spring Training is in full swing, and regardless of their 8-8 record, the Guardians have still given us plenty to be positive about.
Guards Making Waves in WBC
Numerous Guardians players are taking a break from Spring Training to represent their countries in the World Baseball Classic. Top prospect Travis Bazzana made headlines in Team Australia’s first game by hitting a home run to secure a 3-0 win over Chinese Taipei. Stuart Fairchild has also had a few big moments for Chinese Taipei including a grand slam in a 14-0 victory over Czechia. Pitcher Logan Allen had a successful outing for Panama in Friday’s game against Cuba when he struck out five hitters in three innings. The WBC will continue until the championship game on March 17th.
Hoskins Heating Up
After a slow start to Spring, new addition Rhys Hoskins has begun to see some success at the plate. In Saturday’s game versus San Diego, Hoskins had two hits including his first home run of the year and four RBIs. He was the biggest contributor in the Guards’ 7-1 win over the Padres. He is currently hitting .200/.294/.400, and if he’s able to build on this success, he’ll be a key contributor heading into the regular season.
Velazquez Making Waves
Cleveland’s No. 4 prospect Ralphy Velazquez has been proving himself in Spring Training. The 20 year old is hitting .385/.429/.538 with five hits and three RBIs. He split 2025 between Single-A Lake County and Double-A Akron and was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. He’s also shown his speed on the basepaths and has been a good defender at first base. While there’s no guarantee he’ll see the big leagues this year, he is proving that he’d deserve it.
Social Media Spotlight
This week’s social media spotlight comes from the World Baseball Classic. During Sunday night’s game between Panama and Canada, current Guardians pitcher Logan Allen and former Guardians pitcher Logan Allen found themselves in an anthem standoff. Shockingly, Logan Allen pulled off the win.
2025 Season in Review: Patrick Corbin
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at starting pitcher Patrick Corbin.
The Texas Rangers looked around in the middle of spring training, 2025, and said, we need a cheap replacement level starting pitcher who will take the ball every fifth day and not get knocked out early. So they went out and signed Patrick Corbin, or more or less accomplished that.
I am pretty sure I described the Corbin signing, at the time, as weird. I got it, though. The Rangers didn’t want to cycle guys who weren’t ready through the rotation, didn’t want to have to deal with a spot in the rotation that regularly recorded just 8 outs and messed up the bullpen for the next few days. They wanted someone with a certain baseline level of replacement level competence.
And for what they wanted, Patrick Corbin fit the bill. He had been bad the previous four seasons with Washington, though there was a very mild improvement in 2023-24, when he put up a 5.41 ERA and 77 ERA+, compared to a 6.05 ERA and 66 ERA+ from 2021-22. But he had taken the ball every time out — he was one of just three pitchers to start at least 200 games from 2018 through 2024 — and that reliability had value for the Rangers, given the state of their rotation. And Texas would be putting a quality defense behind Corbin, and he added a cutter in the second half of 2024 that, it was thought, could result in an improvement in 2025.
The Rangers wanted a pitcher who would make 30 starts and avoid disaster outings, and paid Patrick Corbin $1 million plus incentives with that in mind.
Viewed through that lens, the Patrick Corbin signing was more or less a success. Corbin made 30 starts and a relief appearance. He threw 155.1 innings. He generally avoided disaster outings, at least until August, where he had a stretch of four starts where he allowed 17 runs and made it into the fifth just once.
Corbin’s K rate of 19.8% was the highest it had been since 2020. His walk rate was more or less in line with what it has always been. His home run rate was the lowest it had been since 2019. And yes, the Shed and its pitcher-friendly ways in 2025 contributed significantly to that — Corbin allowed 15 home runs in 80 innings on the road, compared to 6 homers in 75 innings at home. His home/road ERA splits — 3.36 ERA at home, 5.38 ERA on the road — can largely be explained by that.
Was Patrick Corbin good in 2025? I guess it depends on your point of view and what you look at.
Corbin was definitely better than he was the previous four years. His 4.40 ERA and 4.75 xERA were both the best he had put up since 2019 — his last empirically good season, and a very good season 2019 was for Corbin — and his 4.25 FIP was only beat out since 2019 by his 4.17 FIP in 2020. His ERA+ of 83 and ERA- of 109 were his best marks since 2020.
Notably, Corbin stopped being rocked quite so bad when hitters made contact off of him. Corbin has always been susceptible to loud contact — even in his two really good seasons, 2018 and 2019, he allowed an xwOBA on contact of .386, almost 20 points higher than what the league allows as a whole on contact. That got much worse beginning in 2020, when he began a stretch of five straight seasons where he allowed at least a .400 xwOBA on contact, which is very bad.
That loud contact resulted in a divergence between his ERA and FIP. From 2021-24, Corbin had a 5.71 ERA but a 4.99 FIP. While the theory behind FIP being more reliable than ERA is that pitchers have minimal control over what happens to balls in play, and whether they are hits or outs, as we discussed with Caleb Boushley, that’s not necessarily the case. With Patrick Corbin, his xERA over that span ran from 5.47 to 6.29, which would seem to indicate that it wasn’t bad defense causing all those runs to score.
From 2020 through 2024, Corbin was generally in the bottom 15% in hard hit rate in baseball, which is what I think one would expect, given the discussion above. In 2024 he was in the 3rd percentile, with a hard hit rate of 46.7%. In 2025 that dropped to 40.4%, putting him right in the middle of the pack in hard hit rate. Corbin hadn’t allowed a slugging percentage of less than .481 in the previous four seasons. The combination of the lower hard hit rate, the Shed, and the strong Rangers defense resulted in Corbin allowing a slugging percentage of .430 in 2025.
So Patrick Corbin was better in 2025 than in prior years. That doesn’t mean he was good, though. fWAR would disagree — it reflects a 1.9 fWAR in 2025, as well as a 1.7 fWAR in 2024. B-R has Corbin at below replacement level each of those years. I think B-R is probably closer to correct.
With the 30 starts he logged in 2025, Corbin now has 233 starts since the start of the 2018 season, one behind Jose Berrios, five more than Luis Castillo, eight more than Aaron Nola, ten more than Charlie Morton. Kyle Gibson is still 12th on the list, with 201 starts over that stretch, despite making just four starts in 2025.
At this point, though, Corbin may be stuck on 233 for a while. He is currently unsigned, and with Opening Day just a few weeks away, it would seem like he may not have a job in 2026. On the other hand, the Rangers didn’t sign him in 2025 until March 18, so he could still get a call from a team with a hole in their rotation who needs someone who take the ball every fifth day and not blow up.
Previously:
Yankees Birthday of the Day: Aaron Boone
Where were you when Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball drifted toward Aaron Boone, almost like a butterfly dancing in the wind?
Every Yankees fan remembers that October night in 2003. The stage was set after New York completed its comeback to force extra innings. Wakefield’s pitch floated the way only his knuckleball could. The crack of the bat was followed by a moment of silence, a split second of hope, immediately followed by the chaos only pure joy can produce. When the ball sailed off Boone’s bat and into the left-field seats, Yankee Stadium erupted. A player who had only been a Yankee for a few months became part of franchise history and the sport’s greatest rivalry forever. Fast-forward 23 years later, and the now-manager of the team celebrates his birthday today.
Aaron John Boone
Born: March 9, 1973 (La Mesa, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 2003 (player); 2018–present (manager)
The stitches of a baseball might actually be the strands that hold Boone’s DNA together. His grandfather Ray Boone was a two-time All-Star infielder. His father, Bob Boone, was a four-time All-Star catcher who played 19 seasons in the major leagues and later managed six seasons with the Royals and Reds. His brother Bret Boone became a three-time All-Star second baseman. The Boone family is one of the rare multi-generation baseball lineages in the sport, and Aaron entered the major leagues with expectations that came with the name.
Aaron Boone’s place in Yankees history as a player comes almost entirely from one moment. But what a moment it was.
When the Yankees acquired Boone from the Cincinnati Reds at the 2003 trade deadline for left-handed pitcher Brandon Claussen and Charlie Manning, the move looked more like a practical roster adjustment than a franchise-altering decision. New York needed help at third base after injuries and inconsistency at the position spelled the end of Robin Ventura’s tenure at the position, and Boone arrived as a solid defender who was enjoying one of his better seasons at the plate.
No one could have predicted how quickly his name would become permanent in Yankees history.
That October, the Yankees met the Boston Red Sox in the 2003 American League Championship Series, one of the most intense rivalries the sport has ever seen. After six exhausting games, the series reached a decisive Game 7 in the Bronx. The game stretched deep into extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th, Boone stepped to the plate to lead off the inning against Wakefield. He hadn’t even started the game, as he was mired in a miserable 5-for-31 slump that postseason and manager Joe Torre instead elected to go with Game 7 starter Pedro Martinez’s nemesis, Enrique Wilson. But Boone entered as a pinch-runner late and now he had his chance.
The first-pitch knuckleball floated toward the plate. Boone swung.
The ball carried into the left-field seats, ending the game instantly and sending the Yankees to the World Series. Few postseason home runs in baseball history have produced a louder reaction. The Yankees’ bench flooded the field as Boone rounded the bases, and the moment immediately joined the short list of iconic plays in franchise history.
Many fans hoped Boone’s home run would become the defining image of that era of the Yankees–Red Sox rivalry. Instead, it became a dramatic chapter in the rivalry’s larger story. The Yankees fell to the Marlins in that year’s World Series, and the following season Boston completed the comeback from a 3–0 deficit to win the 2004 ALCS and then went on to end of the Curse of the Bambino.
Wildly enough, Boone’s Yankees playing career ended almost as quickly as it began. During the following offseason, he suffered a knee injury while playing basketball, which violated the terms of his contract and allowed the Yankees to release him before the 2004 season began.
Boone’s injury triggered one of the most consequential roster moves in Yankees history. Suddenly without a starting third baseman, New York pivoted and acquired Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers in February 2004. Rodriguez moved from shortstop to third base to accommodate Derek Jeter, and the deal reshaped the Yankees roster for the next decade. In a strange twist of baseball history, Boone’s brief Yankees career indirectly opened the door for one of the most famous trades the franchise ever made.
At the time, it seemed like Boone’s place in Yankees history would be limited to that single October swing, a fun memory of days gone by. Years later, his story with the organization took a second chapter.
In December 2017, the Yankees hired Boone out of the ESPN broadcast booth as manager, replacing longtime skipper Joe Girardi. Despite having no previous managerial experience, the former postseason hero suddenly found himself responsible for guiding the next generation of Yankees baseball.
Under Boone over the last eight seasons, the Yankees have posted a 697–497 regular season record and a 25–27 postseason record. The stat Yankees fans care most about, though, is the one with a zero beside it: World Series titles. Entering 2026, Boone is still searching for his first championship in pinstripes as either a player or manager after coming up short in his first nine. They’ve only made it to the Fall Classic once, in 2024, and thanks to Freddie Freeman, Boone’s decision to use a rusty and somewhat-limited Nestor Cortes in extra innings of the opener will linger in fans’ minds for quite some time.
Boone’s tenure has been defined by both success and scrutiny, as managing in the Bronx always brings expectations. However, since it is his birthday, we will allow Boone’s connection to Yankees history for today to rest solely on that swing in October 2003. In a franchise built on moments, legends, and championships, very few players manage to create the moment every kid dreams about in the backyard. Aaron Boone did it.
Happy birthday, Aaron “Bleepin” Boone.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
2026 Atlanta Braves Positional Preview: Catchers
We kick off this year’s preview of the Atlanta Braves positional groups with possibly the strongest collection of catchers on a National League roster in the 2026, with one large question mark – health.
Atlanta’s catching group features the reigning 2025 National League Rookie of the Year, a two different backstops who have an All-Star appearance and Gold Glove award on their resume as well as a deeper-down-the-depth-chart 13-year big league veteran and six-year veteran – both of whom are well-respected within the Braves organization.
Drake Baldwin
This time last year, Drake Baldwin appeared set to make his the Opening Day roster and his big league debut after a rib injury knocked presumed starting catcher Sean Murphy off the active roster.
Murphy’s injury opened the door for Baldwin to prove he belonged in big leagues. Despite a slow offensive start that was buoyed by positive underlying metrics, Baldwin more than held his own behind the plate while bringing an outstanding offensive profile to the Braves lineup.
Not only did Baldwin win the 2025 NL ROY award, but his inclusion on the roster and qualifying roster-time equirements allowed the Braves to gain an extra first round draft choice in the 2026 amateur draft.
For the season, Baldwin posted a 125 wRC+ at the place behind a .274/.341/.469 slash line that included 19 home runs and 80 RBI in 124 games. He struck out in only 15.2-percent of his plate appearances while walking 8.5-percent of the time.
Offensively, he excelled, with most of his batted-ball metrics placing him in the top 18-percent of the league. His Baseball Savant page in littered with bright red – a good thing, for those unfamiliar – with his bat speed, average exit velocity and hard hit-percentages amongst his best overall offensive traits.
Defensively, he caught 85 games – including 79 starts – logging 759.2 inning behind the plate. He excelled in blocking pitches but was middle of the road in framing and pop time. Although he allowed a league-high 88 stolen bases, that is as indicative of his pitchers inability to hold base runners as it was his inability to throw them out.
His ZIPs projection for 2026 sees him repeating his 2025 season – and if he does – that Braves will benefit from having one of the best young catchers in the game.
Given the 162-game suspension handed down to outfielder/designated hitter Jurickson Profar for his second failed PED test earlier this month, Baldwin is likely to factor in at designated hitter even more than he was penciled in to prior to Profar’s suspension.
If Murphy is able to successfully return from his hip injury by early May, Baldwin could log more time at DH than behind the plate by season’s end, with Murphy acting as the de facto starting catcher with Baldwin splitting time between DH and catcher. That would be no means be a slight to Baldwin, as Murphy is the superior defensive player, but Baldwin would still likley catch at least 75 games this season. If Murphy is delayed in his return, Baldwin could easily catch 100 games in 2026.
Baldwin, who will turn 25 the day after the Braves open their regular season, may slide into the second spot in the Braves’ lineup, hitting behind outfielder Ronald Acuńa, Jr. and ahead of first baseman Matt Olson. If he does, expect him to see action in at least 140 games, while being in consideration for an All-Star appearance if he is able to replicate his 2025 offensive success.
Jonah Heim
With Sean Murphy’s regular season likely to be delayed for at least six weeks due to his continued recovery from the hip surgery that prematurely ended his 2025 campaign, Atlanta signed former Texas Rangers starting catcher and 2023 American League All-Star and Gold Glove winner Jonah Heim to a one-year, $1.5M deal to be Baldwin’s back-up.
Heim, who is a switch hitter, struggled offensively and defensively in 2025 but did see action in 124 games. It was the second-consecutive year of declining production after back-to-back strong performances in 2022 and 2023.
Now 31, Heim is reunited with Braves hitting coach Tim Hyers – who served in the same roll with the Rangers prior to joining Atlanta in 2025. If Hyers can unlock Heim’s offensive he will be a perfectly acceptable back-up who had hit double-digit home runs each season going back to 2021. He was a 4.0 fWAR player in 2023 and posted 2.7 fWAR in 2022, providing some optimism that a he could have a bit of a bounce-back in 2026.
If Heim struggles in 2026 – he’s been a negative fWAR player the past two years – he could be jettisoned from the roster when Murphy returns, but if he proves a capable back-up, Atlanta could potentially keep three catchers on the 26-man roster due to the likelihood that one of Atlanta’s backstops is likely to see significant time at designated hitter. That would allow Heim to effectively serve as the team’s alternate back-up catcher.
Sean Murphy
When news broke late last season that Sean Murphy was having surgery for a hip issue that he’d been dealing with for quite a while, it was the latest in a checkered injury history the former Oakland Athletics catcher has had since the trade that brought him to Atlanta.
When he’s been on the field, Murphy’s been a quality starting catcher – even elite at times – but he’s only played in more than 100 games once since joining the Braves in 2023 due to various health issues.
In 2025, despite playing in only 94 games, Murphy slugged 16 home runs and produced 2.0 fWAR, but he did so while seeing his batting average dip below .200 for the second consecutive year. He struggled with making contract with pitches outside the strike zone, doing so a career-worst 37-percent of the time after averaging around 50-percent in every other season of his career. That led to a career-worst 31.4-percent strikeout percentage.
Despite the dip in production, he still had a 97 wRC+ in 2025 thanks to continuing to walk more than 10-percent of the time and a .409 slugging percentage.
Even while battling his hip issues, he was still among the best defensive catchers in the game – ranging from above average to elite in all metrics. An ace at blocking, framing and controlling the run game, a healthy Murphy would be a boon for the 2026 Braves for his defensive value alone.
If his offensive returns to pre-2024 levels, Murphy and Baldwin could see a lot of games with both of their names in the starting line-up, as both the right-handed hitting Murphy and left-handed swinging Baldwin don’t suffer from significant platoon splits.
Chadwick Tromp
Chadwick Tromp came into the 2025 season as the presumed back-up to Murphy but ended-up playing caddie to Baldwin until Murphy’s returned forced the out-of-options Tromp off the Braves roster.
Tromp, who’d seen limited action with Atlanta in each season going back to 2022, bounced around the league for the remainder of the 2025 season but returned to the Braves organization on a minor league deal this off-season. He’ll likely head to Gwinnett to provide organizational depth while likely to be the Stripers starting catcher.
Tromp, who will turn 31 before the start of the regular season, is a quintessential third-catcher and could see time in Atlanta should an injury occur.
Sandy León
Sandy León, who will turn 37 later this week, returns to the Braves organization for his third season. He saw his first big league action since 2023 last season, but the 13-year veteran has played a pivotal role him Baldwin’s development and will be leaned on to help the organization’s pitchers at Triple-A while serving as a back-up.
Like Tromp, he returned on a minor league contract this off-season and could be an option to see time in Atlanta should an injury occur.
Jair Camargo
Atlanta added Jair Camargo – who got five games of big league experience with the Minnesota Twins in 2024 – as another minor league catching option who is likely get regular playing time in the upper minors. Camargo has been in the big league camp, but is merely organizational depth at this point.
Kyle Farmer
Kyle Farmer, the nine-year big league veteran who signed a minor league contract with Atlanta prior to the beginning of Spring Training, is battling for the last spot on Atlanta’s big league roster as a back-up infielder who has more than 300 games of experience at shortstop.
Why is Farmer listed here? Because in 2019, Farmer started nine games at catcher for the Cincinnati Reds and appeared behind the plate 15 times. He also caught three games with the Dodgers across the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Although he hasn’t appeared behind the plate since 2019, should Farmer make Atlanta’s roster, he could be a factor as the team’s third catcher should Heim struggle and lose his roster spot when Murphy returns.
Farmer, 35, wouldn’t be any more than an emergency catching option, but the fact that he does have big league experience at the position is an asset as he tries to make the team in Spring Training.
One additional note is that early in Spring Training, Atlanta had infielder Nacho Alvarez, Jr. working with catchers. Alvarez, Jr. has already been optioned to Triple-A, but it will be worth keeping an eye on reports from Triple-A to see if the Braves have him work with León to learn the position.
Alvarez, Jr. won’t turn 23 until later this year, and adding the versatility of being a viable emergency catcher would be a huge asset in the profile of a player who could have a long-term role as a big league utility player.
Astros Prospects Spring Training Standouts
Baseball season is back, and spring training is in full swing. With that, there has been opportunities for prospects to play with the Major League club and show what they can do. While it’s still early, below are a few prospects that have stood out so far in Spring Training.
Hitter – Walker Janek
Janek was the Astros first round pick in 2024, and seen as a plus defender. In 2025 the 23-year-old hit .263 with 21 doubles, 2 triples and 12 home runs over 92 games for High-A Asheville. He also added a surprising 30 stolen bases. Even more important though, he threw out 31% of base stealers, a really strong number for a catcher.
So far this spring he has played in six games and is 4-for-9 with a double, home run, 4 runs batted in and 3 walks. He has also added four stolen bases. His first professional season was solid, though a little underwhelming for a first round pick. Getting off to a nice start in 2026 would be huge for Janek.
Hitter – Brice Matthews
Matthews was the Astros first-round pick in 2023, and Dana Brown’s first first-round selection. Matthews is a great athlete though he does have some swing and missing in his game. Matthews backed up the scouting reports in 2025, hitting .283 with 10 home runs and 25 stolen bases over 73 games at Triple-A, earning a call-up to Houston.
Matthews came into Spring Training with a chance to seize a spot on the big league roster as an outfielder, or maybe a utility type player. So far this spring he has performed well hitting 6-for-22 with two doubles, 7 runs batted in and four stolen bases. We know the potential is there, he just has to translate it on the field.
Pitcher – AJ Blubaugh
Blubaugh was a 7th round pick back in the 2022 draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Blubaugh was up and down a bit in 2025 but when he got a chance with the Astros, he showed off posting a 1.69 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 32 innings. The 2025 season showed that Blubaugh belongs with the big league club and should get some good long looks this season.
So far this spring training, Blubaugh has been strong. The right-hander has pitched in three games totaling 5.2 innings. He has allowed 1 run while striking out 3, and running his fastball up to 97 MPH. While his role for 2026 isn’t clear yet, I think it is clear that he needs to be on the Opening Day roster either in the rotation or the bullpen.
Pitcher – Hudson Leach
Leach was signed as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 draft. He was dominant at times in 2025, but his command would get away from him and he ended up with a 5.54 ERA overall, though he had a 3.51 FIP. He did finish with 63 strikeouts in 39 innings, including some run in Triple-A. The Astros sent Leach to the Arizona Fall League where he struck out 13 in 6.2 innings allowing 3 runs showing off a high 90s fastball.
So far this spring, Leach has pitched in three games and tossed three scoreless innings while racking up three strikeouts. His cutter has been great, including generating 3 whiffs on 4 thrown in his last outing. As mentioned before, he has a big league fastball that he’s ran up to 97.1 MPH. He is a dark horse candidate to be in the pen this year.
Aaron Judge, Kyle Schwarber relishing in WBC experience with Team USA
Scottsdale, Arizona — The World Baseball Classic is in full swing, and Team USA is looking to return to the top of the podium after finishing second to Japan in 2023.
The lineup is a formidable one, featuring MLB All-Stars such as Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt and Kyle Schwarber, among others. However, they are also facing other teams filled with MLB’s top players, so it could prove to be a tough challenge as the tournament goes on.
But that’s not deterring the excitement they have to play in the tournament.
“The biggest thing is just this is a once-in-a-lifetime (experience), getting the chance to be surrounded by the greatness we have in this room,” said Judge after the team’s exhibition game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
“MVPs, Cy Young winners, World Series champs, All-Stars… the list goes on and on. It’s going to be a cool experience, getting to play for your country and also learn a thing or two and just kind of pick guys’ brains, see what makes guys tick, and hopefully you can add something to your game and help you out.”
Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw agrees.
“I think being on this team was a bucket list thing for me from the beginning, so to get to do that was really great and really fun,” he added. “Obviously, I thought I was never going to throw a baseball again, so to get to do it with Team USA across your chest and come back to that dugout… that team is really special.”
The WBC started with exhibitions on March 2 and runs through March 17, which doesn’t give players a lot of time to get to know each other and build camaraderie. But the players have wasted no time and are jumping on the opportunity to meet teammates they might not play with otherwise.
“An All-Star game is fun to get to know guys, but here, I think the difference is that we’re bonding,” said Judge.
“We’re really diving into each other, trying to get to know each other, having each other’s backs. We’re rooting for each other. Guys are hitting homers that are usually on opposing teams and jumping out of the dugout. It’s pretty cool. It’s amazing to see, and I’m looking forward to (this tournament).”
Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt points to the size of the US as a factor.
“It’s a challenge to get thrown together, honestly, especially for [Team] USA with how spread out the United States is,” he said.
“Not a lot of us are going to play winter ball and stuff like that, where some of these other countries have that in the offseason. So there’s just being very intentional about having conversations with players in the locker room and not just leaving when the game ends or when you come out of the game and just doing your own thing. It does take time, and you can see everyone doing it. Everyone wants to play well and get to know each other, and just try to speed up that process as much as possible.”
Philadelphia Phillie Kyle Schwarber can already see things coming together
“Luckily, we all kind of have a really good idea of who everyone is,” he said, “and I feel like the coaching staff has done a really good job of putting a lot of these guys in the room here that are great dudes. And we’ve been having team dinners and getting to know each other, and team meetings and things like that. No one’s afraid of conversation here, and I think that’s the best thing to have.”
Goldschmidt has played in three Classics – the only player on Team USA to do so. And he has seen significant changes since he first donned the uniform in 2017.
“In my first year, there were definitely some of the best of the best players that didn’t want to play,” he said.
“Those of us that were there kind of wanted to prove how great this team could be, and we were able to win. And then I think more guys last time wanted to do it, and we saw the ending there against Japan. Even though we came up short, just how much fun everyone was having and how great the event [was] brought more media coverage on TV. So this time around, it feels like almost everyone wants to be a part of it.”
And Goldschmidt played a part in recruiting some players to play for their countries in the WBC.
“I went back [after 2017] and was just telling everyone on my team, everyone that got to first base that would listen, like, ‘You need to play for your country’ and of course the US guys need to go play for Team USA because it was great,” he said.
“It was so much fun. The competition was great. We were basically playing an All-Star Game every night, and it definitely prepares you for the season. So I think all of those things really helped. And the same thing in 2023, and I just felt the momentum growing as well. Hopefully we can play well and keep it going where it grows even more.”
Kershaw has also paid attention to how the WBC has evolved, which is why playing for Team USA was a “bucket list item.”
“Every guy from Mookie [Betts] to Will Smith and even [Austin Barnes] when he played for Mexico – they all told me that it’s something you have to do and just the environment that’s created with it,” he said. “And now you see some of these teams… I mean, they’re pretty stacked with the [Dominican Republic] and Japan and those groups. So it’s going to be a playoff environment. It’s what everybody has told me, and [this] group is certainly motivated to win, which is really fun.”
For Schwarber, this year is about taking care of unfinished business.
“There’s a new team, new faces, new everything but we still have the same three letters across our chest where we didn’t get the job done three years ago and we want to fix that,” he said.
“Everyone’s got the right mindsets here. Everyone’s looking forward to getting in this tournament and making a deep run and making it all the way and wearing a gold medal. So it’s a step at a time, a game at a time, and there’s no looking ahead and no looking behind. We’ve just got to be able to do what we do, take care of business, and go from there.”
Team USA is 2-0 in Pool Play so far, and will take on Mexico Monday at 8pm ET.