Category: MLB

I’ve written a couple posts in spring training about the ABS challenge system and how teams are going to react to it. It seems like an element tailor-built for the Yankees; the team preaches control over the strike zone at the plate and was the first to really lean into pitch-framing almost two decades ago. Knowing the 17” that is home plate is doctrine for the organization, and it shouldn’t surprise us then how good the Yankees have been at challenging so far this spring.

Headed into play against the Cubs yesterday, Yankees hitters had challenged 48 calls, getting 24 (50 percent) correct. That’s more reviews and more wins than any other team, and the ninth-highest “win rate”. Perhaps most important for a team that has at times generated criticism for strikeouts, the Yankees have cut the sixth-most strikeouts because of their talent for overturning calls. On the defensive side, it’s more of the same — the most challenges, the most wins, but more at the league median rate of 59 percent win rate. Five pitchers have also issued challenges, with only two of them successful and just a single review per hurler.

There’s that old rule of thumb that a 75 percent success rate is the breakeven point for stolen bases, if you can’t be successful 75 percent of the time the gains of an extra 90 feet are undercut by how many outs you freely give out. However, the flip side of that rule is that if you’re stealing at a 90 percent rate or so, you’re probably not trying as often as you should — you’re leaving runs on the table by being too cautious.

It seems the Yankees have the same philosophy when it comes to challenging umpire’s calls. They’re OK with having some losses on the ledger as long as they also get the most wins. It’s interesting that the three potential catchers the club will carry on Opening Day (Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra, and Ben Rice) went a combined 15-for-23 in challenges this spring, a sterling 65 percent success rate. Many of the team’s missed challenges on defense came from camp invitees like Miguel Palma and Ali Sánchez. The guys making the calls at the MLB level seem to be pretty on point with what is and isn’t a strike.

This trend is echoed, perhaps unsurprisingly, by the hitting group. That 50 percent success rate mentioned above grows to 56 percent when we only include the players that will be in the dugout on Wednesday in San Francisco — also, I tend to think Aaron Judge will be very good at this kind of thing, and a long World Baseball Classic for him meant he only issued one failed challenge in Grapefruit League play. Just as with the catchers, the success in the review system seems to come mostly from the guys already good enough to be on an MLB roster.

That five pitchers got nominal challenges also should inform us of the April challenge policy. I remember seeing Fernando Cruz working in the back half of a game a couple weeks ago, challenge a ball that was clearly low and with the Yankees having a challenge in hand he seemed to ask for a review just to get some personal experience with the system. It doesn’t seem like the club is particularly interested in letting pitchers challenge much, trusting the much more stable catcher to evaluate.

It looks like the strategy for the start of the year is a very liberal approach to who can challenge calls at the plate or behind it, but not from the rubber, and that the team is not afraid of burning a challenge. Contrast this with the Tigers or Mets, who in spring were extremely controlled with who was allowed to ask for a review, and both clubs ended many games with a challenge still in hand.

If there’s one critique of the Yankees over the last ten years that I have, it’s that they don’t always seem to lean into the urgency of a skid or speedbump. 162 games is a long season, water needs time to find it’s level and all that, but I worry that that attitude is too pervasive within the organizational culture. They seem to be breaking from that philosophy in how they approach challenges — if you can overturn a call in the third inning, and that leads to an early advantage, do it rather than wait for a call in the eighth that may never come.

I’ve been waiting for the ABS system at the MLB level for a long time, and I tend to agree with the strategy the Yankees appear to be taking in how to use it. That approach may change as the season goes on, and I suspect umpiring will get even better than it is once they re-learn the strike zone, but for the first round of real baseball, the Yankees are getting it right when it comes to reviews.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

After five weeks and more than 30 exhibition games, we can officially call it a wrap on Orioles spring training for 2026. The Birds played their final tune-up game yesterday with a 2-0 shutout win at Nationals Park in which two of their projected starting pitchers, Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt, combined for seven scoreless innings. Baz racked up five strikeouts in five innings in his first game appearance since March 4, while Bassitt retired all six batters he faced to cap his excellent spring. Yennier Cano and Dietrich Enns, both of whom appear certain to make the Opening Day bullpen, worked a perfect inning apiece to finish the Orioles’ exhibition slate.

That’s it for the warm-up. Practice time is over. The next time the Orioles take the field will be in two days for their regular season opener against the Twins at Camden Yards. From here on out, the games all count. Hopefully that’ll be a good thing.

Even with Opening Day so tantalizingly close, the O’s still have a lot of work to do to whittle down their roster to 26. After releasing veteran infielder Thairo Estrada and reassigning Maverick Handley and Jhonkensy “Big Christmas” Noel to the minors yesterday, the Orioles still have 39 players hanging around. We know a few of them will be going on the injured list — including Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Andrew Kittredge, and Luís Vázquez — but there are some tougher decisions to be made as well. The bubble players have completed their auditions and now the O’s need to decide which ones will make the cut.

Of course, even those who don’t make the Opening Day roster will likely show up for the Birds at some point this year. It’s a 162-game season and the Orioles are going to need a lot of help to get through it. Ideally, it won’t require 70 players like last year.

Take a two-day breather, Orioles fans, and then settle in for the six-month (maybe seven-month?) marathon. On Thursday afternoon, it all begins.

Links

2026 Positional Power Rankings: Bullpen (No. 16-30)

The bad news is that FanGraphs ranks the Orioles’ bullpen in the bottom half of the league. The good news is that they’re #16. So I guess they’re the best of the worst?

Would Orioles send Cowser to minors? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

I hope it won’t come to that, but yeesh, Cowser looked bad in spring training. He did hit a nice Eutaw Street dinger in Sunday’s exhibition, though. Colton is so back!

Vázquez (broken thumb) among late injuries as O’s wrap spring – MLB.com

Jake Rill has more on the injury to Vázquez, who was hit by a pitch at the worst possible time when he was a strong candidate to make the roster. It probably clinches a spot for Jeremiah Jackson, though the lack of a defensive caddy for Coby Mayo makes me wince a little.

As RHP Zach Eflin’s arm slot dropped his ERA increased – Steve Melewski

It turns out that not having a bad back is helping Eflin become a better pitcher. Funny how that works!

Craig Albernaz and Blake Butera begin their major league managing careers with honest talk — and razzing – The Baltimore Banner

The Orioles’ and Nationals’ new managers are BFFs who have known each other for over a decade, and now they’ll be jockeying for mid-Atlantic bragging rights. I think Albernaz is going to win that battle, which is not to say I’m convinced the Orioles will be good.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Two former Orioles were born on this day, but you have to go way back to the early days of the franchise to find them. The late left-hander Dick Kryhoski (b. 1925, d. 2007) was a member of the inaugural 1954 Orioles, and the late righty Saul Rogovin (b. 1922, d. 1995) pitched 14 games the following year, 1955.

On this date in 2014, in an end-of-spring-training trade, the Orioles acquired infielder Steve Lombardozzi — who grew up in Maryland — from the Tigers for veteran shortstop Álex González. Lombardozzi was part of the Birds’ Opening Day roster for that fantastic 2014 season, but played just 20 games and was gone by May. González, a 15-year veteran, played only nine games for the Tigers before retiring, so it was a pretty pointless trade on both sides.

Anxious may be the best word to describe the vibe in Anaheim before the Angels fly to Houston ahead of Thursday afternoon’s season opener versus the Astros.

New manager Kurt Suzuki has infused enthusiasm into a club that has not finished above .500 since 2015 and has missed the playoffs for an MLB-worst 11 straight seasons. The Angels went 72-90 and finished last in the American League West, though they were nine games better than 2024 — when they set a franchise record for losses with 99. Time will tell if the Halos have enough talent to contend in a division the Seattle Mariners are heavily favored to win.

A special assistant for the Angels the last three seasons, Suzuki signed a one-year contract last October and is the team’s fifth full-time manager since Mike Scioscia stepped down in 2018 after compiling a franchise-record 1,650 victories over 19 seasons. Suzuki spent 16 seasons as a major league catcher, retiring in 2022.

“It’s been fun,” Suzuki said prior to Sunday’s Freeway Series game, a 13-5 loss to the Dodgers at Angel Stadium. “Obviously I’ve never managed before but just being out of the game just as recently as a few years ago I understand the situations of the game, the speed of the game and those type of things. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy by any means. It’s a lot of work, but I’m having a great time, we’re surrounded by great people and the guys have been awesome so it’s been all good.”

Read more:Angels release utilityman Chris Taylor, reliever Hunter Strickland

As a former player, Suzuki will trust his instincts.

“For me, it's attention to detail, it's fundamentals, it's just really being a baseball player,” he said. “Sometimes in this day and age of analytics and all that stuff you can kind of get lost in that sometimes. Not to say forget about it, but I think the more you can just play baseball how it's supposed to be played, move guys over, situational hitting, things you grew up doing, if we can kind of keep that style and play hard and all that, I like our chances.”

Franchise player Mike Trout, who has 404 career homers (all with the Angels), enters his 15th season healthy and eager to resume patrolling center field after missing 26 games with a left knee injury in 2025 and primarily serving as the designated hitter. He hit 26 homers. Moving to right field from center is Jo Adell (who blasted a team-best 37 homers last season) and Josh Lowe, acquired from Tampa Bay in January, is expected to be the starter in left field, replacing last season’s hit leader Taylor Ward, who got traded to Baltimore in November in exchange for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.

Jorge Soler, who homered twice Sunday, could see plenty of action in the outfield.

“It feels great but this is just an exhibition game,” Soler said after his four-RBI night. “We faced good pitchers throughout spring training. I just try to make adjustments and take good pitches.”

Said Suzuki: “Jorge’s had a great spring. For him to have some good at bats wasn’t shocking to me with the spring he’s had. I’m very excited for Jorge. He’s in a good spot mentally and physically.”

Read more:Shaikin: Angels should match Zach Neto's loyalty and give him a long-term deal

Returning at first base is Nolan Schanuel, who had 129 hits last year, while the departure of versatile infielder Luis Rengifo to Milwaukee in February left an opportunity at second base for veteran Adam Frazier, who signed a minor league deal with the Angels as camp opened and batted .300 in the Cactus League. Potential All-Star Zach Neto is back at shortstop while Yoan Moncada was brought back on a one-year, $4-million contract, to handle the hot corner.

“I like where we’re at,” said catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who last season batted .213 with 19 home runs and will be backed up by Travis D’Arnaud for the second year in a row. “He [Suzuki] has created a really awesome environment to come into every night and I appreciate his trust in us to get the work done. I’ve made a lot of changes to my swing in particular and I’ve just tried to maximize both sides of my game.”

Pitching depth is a big concern. At the top of the starting rotation will be right-hander Jose Soriano (who posted a 10-11 record last year with a 4.26 earned run average), followed by lefties Yusei Kikuchi (who had a team-high 174 strikeouts last year) and Reid Detmers. In the fourth and fifth spots initially will be righties Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson.

“We’re going with that,” Suzuki said. “Jack and Ryan both had great camps, they’ve been working their butts off. We feel they deserve it, they’ve earned it and we’re really excited for them.”

Rodriguez will begin the season on the injured list with what Suzuki called a dead arm issue.

“We’ll be careful with Grayson, we’ll work him back slowly, but play it cautious,” Suzuki added. “He hasn’t thrown a bullpen yet.”

Read more:Photos: Mike Trout and the Angels begin workouts at spring training in Arizona

After signing a one-year deal in December, right-hander Alek Manoah struggled in spring training but could be a reliever.

“He’s working his way through some things,” Suzuki said of the 28-year-old Manoah, who was an All-Star with Toronto in 2022. “Things change over the course of the year so we’ll see how he’s progressing. He’s a great teammate and he has the potential to be a great pitcher for us.”

Suzuki has not named a designated closer but among the relievers will be Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano (both signed one-year deals in the offseason; left-handers Chase Silseth and Brent Suter; and righties Sam Bachman, Kirby Yates, Ryan Zeferjahn and Walbert Urena.

“It’s something we’re talking through,” he said. “We have a few guys who’ve done it before at a high level that had some success closing games pitching at the back end of the bullpen. Right now, we’re still looking at our options and seeing how it’s going to play out. Is it easier to have one guy you can name as closer? Absolutely, but right now we’re seeing how it plays out… maybe matchups are better, maybe naming a closer is better. As we get into the season we’ll see.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Late last week, the Cardinals announced that Richard Fitts would begin the 2026 season with AAA Memphis, thus clarifying who the rotation will be to begin the year. Matthew Liberatore is privileged with the opportunity to start Opening Day against the Tampa Bay Rays, the club that selected him 17th overall in 2019, followed by Michael McGreevy, Dustin May, Kyle Leahy, and Andre Pallante rounds out the initial 5. Several factors shape the who, why, and when other options will filter into the mix. FanGraphs ZIPS projections, and projections in general, are not a perfect science and should be taken with a grain of salt. However, they do offer a direction or snapshot and can be useful in establishing an expectation.

I don’t want to mislead any fans into thinking the 2026 Cardinals are the 2025 Milwaukee Brewers, and the projections just flat got it wrong. But I do have more optimism that the Cardinals’ rotation will outperform its season projection. I went through and calculated the fWAR projections and ranked all 30 MLB Opening Day rotations to establish this baseline and, fingers crossed, the conclave of Cardinals starting pitchers will outperform the industry’s anticipation of season-long performance.

30th – Colorado Rockies – 5.4 fWAR

Kyle Freeland

Michael Lorenzen

Jose Quintana

Tomoyuki Sugano

Chase Dollander

It seems likely that it will be another long season in the Mile High City. Chase Dollander should offer Rockies fans some intrigue and upside, but figuring out pitching in Colorado is Paul Depodesta’s new challenge, and I’m intrigued to watch how he attacks that opportunity over the next couple of years.

29th – Chicago White Sox – 6.6 fWAR

Shane Smith

Anthony Kay

Davis Martin

Sean Burke

Erick Fedde

The Pale Hose features a rotation fronted by 2025 All-Star Shane Smith, who was the number 1 pick in the Rule 5 Draft in 2025. Anthony Kay is looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow rotation mate Erick Fedde in establishing himself after a stint playing overseas. Davis Martin and Sean Burke both feature some interesting stuff but are probably back-end starters/depth, and Fedde is looking to recapture the magic he found in Chicago in 2024. David Sandlin, Noah Schultz, and Hagen Smith are all options with interesting upside who could factor into their rotation at some point in 2026, but it’s another building year for the Sox.

28th – Washington Nationals – 6.7 fWAR

Cade Cavalli

Miles Mikolas

Foster Griffin

Jake Irvin

Zach Littell

Cavalli is looking to make good on his prospect hype from a couple of seasons ago. Old friend Miles Mikolas and Zach Littell look to provide veteran innings. Foster Griffin, like Kay, is trying his hand at a comeback from overseas. Jake Irvin is someone who could stick around a while for the future of their rotation with a big breaking ball. Maintaining his FB velo will be key to his continued development. As Paul Toboni takes over in Washington, this group will likely get better in future seasons, but for now, the club is going to bide its time for development to get them back to contention.

* 27th – St. Louis Cardinals – 7.0 fWAR *

Matthew Liberatore

Michael McGreevy

Dustin May

Kyle Leahy

Andre Pallante

Unsurprisingly, after an offseason that saw the Cardinals shed several veteran players, the Cardinals are not expected to be very competitive. However, if you believe that Liberatore can take another step, Dustin May returning to his normal self, Andre Pallante bouncing back, and Kyle Leahy being compared to guys like Michael King and Clarke Schmidt by Eno Sarris of The Athletic in a radio spot he did for 101 ESPN in St. Louis. Then you include the potential of guys like Richard Fitts, Quinn Matthews, Hunter Dobbins, and possibly Brycen Mautz making starts for the Cardinals in 2026, and you can see how there is potential to outperform this projection. The Cardinals aren’t where they want to be, but Chaim Bloom has the team positioned to take important steps forward in the coming seasons.

26th – San Diego Padres – 7.0 fWAR

Michael King

Nick Pivetta

Randy Vazquez

German Marquez

Walker Buehler

For a playoff team from a season ago, this feels like a concerning step back, as the team prepares to be sold away from the Seidler family. Michael King and Nick Pivetta are solid, dependable mid-rotation starters for a contending team, Vazquez has some interesting stuff, and Marquez and Buehler are looking to bounce back after moving on from other NL West clubs over the past couple of years. The return of Joe Musgrove at some point this season will help, and the club will have JP Sears and knuckleballer Matt Waldron waiting in the wings in AAA. This could be another rotation that looks very different by midseason.

25th – Arizona Diamondbacks – 8.1 fWAR

Zac Gallen

Ryne Nelson

Eduardo Rodriguez

Michael Soroka

Brandon Pfaadt

The D-backs have an electric offense highlighted by Corbin Carroll, Ketel Marte, and Geraldo Perdomo. Former Cardinal minor leaguer Zac Gallen headlines the Arizona rotation again after not getting the contract he thought he would get, being hurt by the presence of the QO. Ryne Nelson and Brandon Pfaadt are younger starters hoping to stabilize after inconsistencies plagued them in 2025. Eduardo Rodriguez had a strong WBC finale performance, and Michael Soroka will provide veteran stability and not a whole lot of depth at the top of their system. Everything will have to break right for Arizona to find itself in the playoff picture this season.

24th – Las Vegas/Sacramento Athletics – 8.2 fWAR

Luis Severino

Jeffrey Springs

Aaron Civale

Jacob Lopez

Luis Morales

This A’s group is one that I think can be sneaky competitive this year. The offense is scary and only going to get better with the eventual arrival of top prospect Leo De Vries. Luis Severino leads the A’s rotation once again after a strange 2025, where he was solid on the road, but Sutter Park is not meant to house big league players, and how the A’s try to maneuver that unique challenge will be interesting to watch in season 2 as they await their build to be completed in Las Vegas. Jeffrey Springs and Aaron Civale are solid mid-rotation starters who will provide solid floors. Jacob Lopez is a funky lefty who uses extreme angles to keep batters off balance. The real X factor for the rotation is Luis Morales, who I think has real 2-3 starter upside and the potential arrivals of Gage Jump and Braden Nett this group could sneak into the playoffs as a WC team.

23rd – Milwaukee Brewers – 8.2 fWAR

Jacob Misiorowski

Chad Patrick

Brandon Woodruff

Kyle Harrison

Brandon Sproat

This projection is probably wrong by ZIPS, and that feels like the only fair way to start this based on recent seasons. All 5 starters offer varying levels of upside, and the Brewers continue to stay ahead of the downward curve after moving on from Freddy Peralta this offseason. While I’m skeptical that they wind up being better than Pittsburgh or Chicago in the division this season, I am still cautiously hoping I’m not wrong about that. Of course they also have enviable depth with Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, and Shane Drohan, along with an injured Quinn Priester waiting in the wings at varying points of the season.

22nd – Los Angeles Angels – 8.3 fWAR

Jose Soriano

Yusei Kikuchi

Reid Detmers

Jack Kochanowicz

Ryan Johnson

This group of 5 offers some intrigue and upside. Soriano is a high-90s sinker guy who has the raw stuff to be a potential front-of-the-rotation starter, and Kikuchi is the veteran stability. Reid Detmers is jumping back into the rotation after finding his footing in the bullpen a season ago, much like Matthew Liberatore has done with St. Louis. Kochanowicz and Johnson are looking to establish themselves in the rotation and could raise the floor of the Angels should they do so. Grayson Rodriguez could further boost the upside of this group if he is able to find consistent health. Other options you could see pitched for LAA this year could include Sam Aldegheri, Caden Dana, and former Blue Jays All-Star Alek Manoah.

21st – Miami Marlins – 8.3 fWAR

Sandy Alcantara

Eury Perez

Max Meyer

Chris Paddack

Janson Junk

It’s hard to find a better trio of “stuff” from a top 3 in a big league rotation between Alcantara, Perez, and Meyer. Chris Paddack is a veteran back-end starter who should provide some solid innings, and Janson Junk outpitched Braxton Garrett for the final spot in their rotation. Top prospects Roby Snelling and Thomas White are poised to join the rotation at some point this season, which could push this group to even higher heights, and Peter Bendix and Co. are cooking with gas when it comes to their pitching pipeline.

20th – Cleveland Guardians – 8.7 fWAR

Tanner Bibee

Gavin Williams

Slade Cecconi

Joey Cantillo

Parker Messick

A classic Cleveland rotation that features young, productive arms that will almost certainly have them competing with the rest of a competitive AL Central. Bibee and Williams are strong foundational starters at the top of the Cleveland rotation. Slade Cecconi took a step forward last season after coming over from Arizona, and Cantillo and Messick are solid floor lefties who will give the Guardians a chance to win every night in 2026.

19th – New York Yankees – 8.9 fWAR

Max Fried

Cam Schlittler

Will Warren

Ryan Weathers

Luis Gil

This is a really solid 5-man rotation as is, but the Yankees expect to have Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt return at various points this season, which will almost certainly give them the top rotation in the AL East when October rolls around. That’s not even mentioning Elmer Rodriguez or Carlos Lagrange who have big big stuff who could debut in 2026. The Yankees from a depth and upside perspective are enviable on both fronts.

18th – Chicago Cubs – 9.0 fWAR

Matthew Boyd

Cade Horton

Shota Imanaga

Edward Cabrera

Jameson Taillon

The 2026 Chicago Cubs will feature a rotation that should give them a reasonable chance to win every night. Horton and Cabrera offer upside and stuff. Boyd and Taillon offer veteran floor and stability. The X factor is Imanaga. Last season, the league started to catch up to Imanaga, and after returning by accepting the QO this past offseason, it will be very interesting to watch how he, in particular, responds to struggles late last season. Beyond that the Cubs have Colin Rea, Javier Assad, and Ben Brown, who could make starts for them, and top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins is a name to keep an eye on as well.

17th – Minnesota Twins – 9.5 fWAR

Joe Ryan

Bailey Ober

Simeon Woods-Richardson

Taj Bradley

Mick Abel

Never a bad thing to start your rotation with Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Taj Bradley are guys who have had big league success and are looking to bounce back in 2026. Woods-Richardson and Abel are young arms with upside, looking to establish themselves. Pablo Lopez being out the entire season with TJ is a tough loss, but it shouldn’t automatically disqualify them in an open AL central. Their offense will be one to track as top prospect Walker Jenkins to go along with Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall, and Royce Lewis could make them a surprise in 2026 after selling their entire bullpen at the deadline in 2025. Zebby Matthews, David Festa, Connor Prielipp, and Kendry Rojas are all names to keep an eye on as guys who could make starts for them in 2026 as well.

16th – New York Mets – 9.5 fWAR

Freddy Peralta

David Peterson

Nolan McLean

Clay Holmes

Kodai Senga

A much-improved 5-man group from a season ago. After a disastrous collapse by the Mets in the 2nd half of last season, this group should avoid the same fate their comrades did a season ago. Freddy Peralta is a legit number 1 starter, and Nolan McLean looks to be the future number 1 in Queens. David Peterson and Clay Holmes are both solid mid-rotation options, and Kodai Senga is looking to bounce back. Behind the initial 5, you have Jonah Tong, Sean Manaea, and Tobias Myers. I expect the Mets to be in the thick of things the entire season. They’ll certainly have their hands full with the rest of the NL East sans Washington.

15th – San Francisco Giants – 9.8 fWAR

Logan Webb

Robbie Ray

Tyler Mahle

Adrian Houser

Landon Roupp

This is a veteran group assembled by POBO Buster Posey. Webb and Ray are proven top of the rotation arms, Mahle and Houser are solid mid-rotation offerings, and Landon Roupp won the 5th spot after Hayden Birdsong went down with TJ. There are some young depth options that will probably factor in at some point given Ray and Mahle’s injury history. Those names could include top prospect Carson Whisenhunt, Blade Tidwell, and Keaton Winn. The Giants should be competetive in the NL West but overcoming the behemoth that is the LA Dodgers is an exceptionally tall task.

14th – Toronto Blue Jays – 10.2 fWAR

Kevin Gausmann

Dylan Cease

Eric Lauer

Cody Ponce

Max Scherzer

This is a very top-heavy rotation with Guasmann and Cease forming an awesome 1-2 punch. Lauer and Ponce are more depth back-end guys who are forced into this spot due to injuries to Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, Bowden Francis, and Trey Yesavage. Max Scherzer, who is still effective in the twilight of his career, will probably ramp it up a notch in the 2nd half of the season, and as Yesavage and Bieber work their way back from injury, this is a group that I expect will have a stronger 2nd half than 1st. Top lefty prospect Rickey Tiedemann is also close and could debut this season as well.

13th – Baltimore Orioles – 10.5 fWAR

Trevor Rogers

Kyle Bradish

Shane Baz

Chris Bassitt

Zach Eflin

Rogers had an excellent 2nd half last season and put him back on the map after early career success with Miami. Bradish is back after injury and looking to form a strong trio at the top of the rotation with Rogers and newly acquired Shane Baz. Mike Elias was NOT messing around this offseason and brought in veteran righty Chris Bassitt and brought back Zach Eflin. The Orioles, after a 1-year disappointment, are looking to come back with a vengeance in 2026. Behind those 5 is experienced righty Dean Kremer and top prospect Cade Povich. With a much needed investment on the pitching side and doubled down investment on the offensive side I have every expectation we will see Baltimore back in the playoffs in 2026.

12th – Houston Astros – 10.5 fWAR

Hunter Brown

Christian Javier

Tatsuya Imai

Mike Burrows

Lance McCullers Jr.

I really like the trio of Brown, Imai, and Burrows to build around long-term in Houston. Christian Javier and LMJ are trying to return from injury and re-establish themselves, and we’ve seen that when those guys are healthy, they’re very effective mid to upper rotation options. With Ronel Blanco out for the majority of 2026 due to TJ, you’ll likely see Spencer Arrighetti, AJ Blubaugh, and Miguel Ullola work as the depth options behind the initial 5, with veteran JP France also in the mix as well. After letting Framber Valdez walk in FA, this is now Hunter Brown’s rotation to lead, and I think he is a sneaky dark horse pick for AL Cy Young.

11th – Cincinnati Reds – 10.9 fWAR

Andrew Abbott

Nick Lodolo

Brady Singer

Rhett Lowder

Chase Burns

The loss of Hunter Greene for half the season is a tough one for a Cincy team that is looking to compete in a wide-open NL Central. Though the 1-5 they’re going to roll with to open the season should still give Reds fans some hope. Lodolo, Lowder, and Burns are all top picks over the last several seasons, and Brady Singer and Andrew Abbott provide a strong floor for the rotation until Greene returns. Beyond that, Chase Petty is another name with some mid-rotation upside who could provide some depth. I don’t think the Reds’ offense is going to be all that good and im skeptical the bullpen repeats from a year ago. But their rotation is solid with a lot of upside.

10th – Atlanta Braves – 11.2 fWAR

Chris Sale

Reynaldo Lopez

Spencer Strider

Grant Holmes

Bryce Elder

Into the top 10 and kicking things off is the Atlanta Braves fronted by multi-time Cy Young Winner and future Hall of Famer Chris Sale. Reynaldo Lopez had an unbelievable 2024 and is looking to bounce back with good health in 2026. Speaking of health, “Quadzilla” Spencer Strider is back, and that should really excite Braves fans for what’s to come in 2026. Grant Holmes had a nice 2025 and is a guy who can really spin the baseball and should provide a solid back-of-the-rotation arm for the Braves. Bryce Elder rounds out the group, but he may not have a super long leash with top prospect JR Ritchie appearing to be very close to ready. Didier Fuentes is another name who impressed in Spring, and veterans Martin Perez and Carlos Carrasco will be a call away in AAA if the injury bug continues to persist.

9th – Kansas City Royals – 11.9 fWAR

Cole Ragans

Michael Wacha

Seth Lugo

Kris Bubic

Noah Cameron

The X factor at the top of the rotation is Cole Ragans and if healthy he changes the entire complexion of this rotation. Beyond that Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo are solid mid rotation guys, Kris Bubic broke out last year and found his way onto an All Star team, and Noah Cameron is a guy who avoids the barrell very well and should provide a solid floor at the back end of the rotation. 1-5 this is a group that should allow an exciting Kansas City team to reach the playoffs in 2026 and guys like Stephen Kolek, Luinder Avila, and Ben Kdurna could work their way in if injuries play a factor.

8th – Tampa Bay Rays – 12.2 fWAR

Drew Rasmussen

Ryan Pepiot

Shane McClanahan

Nick Martinez

Steven Matz

Drew Rasmussen is one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball and the Cardinals get him on Opening Day. Beyond that Ryan Pepiot and Shane McClanahan have the upside to pitch at the front of a rotation and Nick Martinez and Steven Matz are both versatile pitchers at the back of the rotation that if Joe Boyle, Brody Hopkins, or Joe Rock are ready to go at any point in the season those guys can bump to the bullpen and perform in those roles effectively as well. I think the Rays are gonna Ray this year and be one of those teams that nobody really expected, but will be right there at the end in the AL.

7th – Texas Rangers – 12.3 fWAR

Nathan Eovaldi

Jacob DeGrom

MacKenzie Gore

Jack Leiter

Jacob Latz

Eovaldi through Leiter is a really exciting 1-4, and the Rangers should be quite good in 2026 under new Manager Skip Schumaker. Latz is likely just a placeholder until Kumar Rocker or Jordan Montgomery are ready to take that 5 spot. This is where the real upper echelon of pitching rotations begins. Texas will be a disappointment if they are not a playoff team in 2026.

6th – Los Angeles Dodgers – 12.3 fWAR

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tyler Glasnow

Shohei Ohtani

Emmet Sheehan

Roki Sasaki

The eventual inclusion of Blake Snell probably puts them in the top 3 in baseball but with this being the “opening day” rotations this takes a tumble all the way to 6th. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto leads an exceptional group of Aces ahead of Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani. Sheehan and Sasaki are just an incredible flex for the Dodgers to be able to insert into the rotation. Beyond that a healthy return of Gavin Stone, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, and Landon Knack are all names that will likely see innings for the dodgers by way of how they approach pitching and getting through a full 162.

5th – Seattle Mariners – 12.4 fWAR

Logan Gilbert

Bryan Woo

Luis Castillo

George Kirby

Emerson Hancock

Again, with the caveat of injury to Bryce Miller, you’re probably talking about a top 3 rotation in baseball, and it should be an exciting season of baseball for fans in the Pacific Northwest, as the favorite for the AL West. Logan Gilbert should challenge Tarik Skubal for the Cy Young in 2026, and Bryan Woo, after a breakout 2026, is a very strong number 2. Luis Castillo is the veteran leader of the group and has been since coming over from Cincinnati, and is still an exceptional number 3 starter. George Kirby as the number 4 is good too. You could honestly arrange any of the 4 and feel good about Seattle’s chances any given night. Another opportunity for former top pick Emerson Hancock to show something while Miller is out. Randy Dobnak and Dane Dunning are veteran starters in AAA who will provide depth, and it won’t be too long before Ryan Sloan or Kade Anderson are making their way to Seattle in the coming seasons as well.

4th – Philadelphia Phillies – 12.6 fWAR

Christopher Sanchez

Aaron Nola

Jesus Luzardo

Taijuan Walker

Andrew Painter

With the potential to eventually swap out Taijuan Walker for Zach Wheeler theres no question this is one of the top pitching staffs in baseball. Sanchez is an emerging Ace and just signed an extension to be a Philly for the rest of his prime. Jesus Luzardo, the same deal. Big time stuff, will be a Philly for a long time. Aaron Nola is coming off a rough 2025, but a stable veteran with a ton of big league expirience he will find a way through for a playoff favorite roster. Andrew Painter is an X Factor. The current top pitching prospect for Philadelphia is going to light up radar guns and excite Philly fans for years to come.

3rd – Pittsburgh Pirates – 12.7 fWAR

Paul Skenes

Mitch Keller

Carmen Mlodzinski

Braxton Ashcraft

Bubba Chandler

Of course, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner fronts the top projected rotation in the NL on opening day. Along with steady mid-rotation starter Mitch Keller, the upside of Ashcraft and Chandler really raises the ceiling, and then to top it off, you include the return of Jared Jones at some point this season, and you’re talking about a really, really good group of 5 starters. The questions will be about health, and if the offensive additions will be enough to help them reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

2nd – Boston Red Sox – 15.8 fWAR

Garrett Crochet

Sonny Gray

Johan Oviedo

Ranger Saurez

Bryan Bello

Last year’s AL Cy Young runner up and one of the top choices for the award again, Garrett Crochet, leads an exceptional Boston rotation that now also features newcomers Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo, and Ranger Saurez. Bryan Bello rounds out the group and is one hell of a number 5 starter. Any rotation that excludes Connelly Early or Payton Tolle from starting the season with the group is almost unfair. Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Patrick Sandoval all work their way back from injury and could pitch important innings for the club as well. The Red Sox have a ridiculous amount of depth and upside that should make them one of the favorites in the AL.

1st – Detroit Tigers – 16.2 fWAR

Tarik Skubal

Framber Valdez

Jack Flaherty

Justin Verlander

Casey Mize

Back-to-back Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal leads the top projected starting rotation into 2026, and you add Framber Valdez a number 1 caliber in his own right to be Skubal’s number 2 along with Flaherty and Verlander as your 3-4 and Mize, a former number 1 overall pick with a 70 grade splitter, it’s genuinely an all in season for the Tigers and their actions sure seem to indicate as much. Top prospect Kevin McGonigle is projected to start the season with the “Motor City Kitties” as well, and I am very interested in watching what Detroit can do this year.

The Cardinals aren’t a top rotation in baseball, but they do have some interesting upside and the potential to overachieve. But, they don’t have the horses to contend with the big boys in baseball this year. That’s okay, for now, especially when you look at the stockpile of arms that are at the lower levels of the minors. The Cardinals would like to be among the top of this group in the next several years, and the work that the development staff and draft scouts are working towards is that very goal. This is just a snapshot of where things stand before opening day. But it sets expectations for the season and really allows Cardinals fans the chance to properly calibrate expectations, and if the team winds up beyond what we think with the optimism of whats to come can give you a window into what the Cardinals’ new brain trust is trying to sell you on. “Long-term vision” doesn’t lean into competing for the middle and sneaking in any longer. It’s about competing at the top, and if you’re a fan who has groaned for something new. Opening Day is the beginning of that.

-Thanks for reading

Phillies News:

• Could Wheeler be back in the majors sooner than we thought? Will pitch 3 innings with LHV on Saturday
• Still no timeline for Aidan Miller to return to baseball activities
• After suffering a cardiac event, Daniel Robert was released from the hospital

MLB News:

• Spencer Strider will begin the season on the IL with an oblique strain
• Opening Day power rankings from MLB and CBS
• MLB using big balls to promote the upcoming season
• More MLB.com predictions

As the Red Sox approach Opening Day, it’s time to look at the other American League playoff contenders. Next up, one of 2025’s most disappointing teams.

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What’s this team’s deal?

The 2023 Baltimore Orioles wown 101 games and took first place in the AL East. The 2024 edition of the club won 91 games and finished in second place in the division. The 2025 team won, uh, 75 games and finished in last place in the AL East.

Last year was supposed to be about building on their success and cementing the O’s as the class of the division while their young stars were cheap and under team control. Their drafting and development was supposed to make this an Orioles decade. But instead it ended abruptly and turned into a record scratch moment for President of Baseball Operations or POBO Mike Elias.

After firing manager Brandon Hyde during the season, POBO Elias didn’t want to follow the same path and tried to retool in Birdland. 2025 saw the team play poorly on both sides of the ball: 4.18 runs scored per game was the seventh worst in MLB and their pitchers allowed 4.86 runs per game, the sixth most. While the O’s biggest need has been pitching, the offense wasn’t really covering itself in glory either.

The additions:

Pete Alonso. The Polar Bear has hit at least 34 home runs in each season except 2020. He hit 53 as a rookie, 38 last year, and has two 40+ homer seasons on his resume. He’s here to mash.

Chris Bassitt. In 2024 the Orioles acquired Corbin Burnes to be their ace. That worked well. Letting him leave via free agency was certainly a choice that worked out in 2025 as he was injured, but they still needed someone at the top of that rotation. One year of Chris Bassitt isn’t that guy, but his 3.89 ERA / 4.13 FIP over three years in Toronto is a nice floor to have in a rotation that has been characterized by instability.

Ryan Helsley. The former St. Louis Cardinals closer spent the back half of 2025 pitching poorly for the New York Mets. He’ll help in the bullpen if he can return to form.

Zach Eflin. Retained after a year and a half in Baltimore but was technically a free agent. Eflin is coming off a down season and looks to bounce back to his 2024 post-trade time with the O’s.

The largest subtraction this season was the trade of Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. With Rodriguez suffering another arm injury and starting 2026 on the IL maybe trading him for a guy coming off a 36 homer season was the right call.

How good are they?

Right now FanGraphs projects the Orioles at 83.5 wins and 78.5 losses, recognizing that there are no 0.5s when the games are played. That’s fourth place in the AL East by their calculations behind the Yankees, Red Sox, and Jays.

Is that the most likely scenario though? It’s hard to say. So much forward progress simply came to a halt. Adley Rutschman fell off back-to-back All Star seasons to look relatively ordinary. Gunnar Henderson likewise took a step back, although he still had a good season with an OPS of almost .800 along with 17 homers and 30 steals. Jackson Holliday, who was hailed as the next big thing, underwhelmed for a second straight season. Any or all of these players could turn it around, which would make it more likely the O’s are good. And their pitching includes Trevor Rogers at the top of the rotation, coming off a 1.81/2.82 ERA/FIP season, having absolutely caught fire in Baltimore.

Those three teams above them are also expected to be good and the Rays haven’t been truly bad in a while. It might be hard for even a good Baltimore team to do much in 2026 and they’re still probably a pitcher short in the rotation.

Who’s their most likable player?

Is it already Pete Alonso? It might be. The guy loves to play baseball. From an opposing viewpoint that’s a big plus.

Who’s their least likable player?

Manny Machado. I kid. But, also it still is.

Gunnar Henderson probably claims the mantle for playing the hardest, or at least seeming to. In 40 games he’s hit .240/.362/.534 with 9 home runs against Boston. That’s talent but also a reason to dislike him.

Schedule against the Red Sox

As an AL East rival there will be a few matchups against the Orioles.

April 24-26 in Baltimore.

June 2-4 in Boston.

July 20-22 in Boston.

September 3-6 in Baltimore.

Season Prediction

Looking at the Orioles, you can see there’s a lot of potential. They’re almost oozing. But there has been some big regression since 2023 and a team that probably overachieved. FanGraphs has the top team in the East sitting on 86.6 wins and I think that’s where pre-season forecasting can have limits. I think in this case, though, it’s about right. This is a .500 team that could go nuts if they turn the clock back on the offense, but the pitching just isn’t there. That’s not to say this is a bad team. But it’s one that did surprisingly little considering that the two years after 2023 were steps in the wrong direction.

We’re a day away. In just over 24 hours, the Yankees will take the field in San Francisco for a special opening night matchup with the Giants. We know who the starting pitchers will be, as Max Fried will square off with Logan Webb.

And for the most part, we know what the Yankees’ roster as a whole will look like tomorrow. But there still is some intrigue, particularly with the team announcing over the weekend that they would begin the season with a four-man rotation, keeping Luis Gil to the side for now. Gil could still make the roster, allowing the Yankees to piggyback him with another starter, likely Ryan Weathers, or the team could opt to have him start the year with Triple-A. The right-hander would be eligible to return to the majors on April 9th in that scenario, two days before the Yankees project to need a fifth starter based on their early-season schedule.

With all that in mind, I’ve thrown together my projected Opening Day roster:

Catchers (2)
Austin Wells
J.C. Escarra

Infielders (6)
Ben Rice
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
José Caballero
Ryan McMahon
Paul Goldschmidt
Amed Rosario

Outfielders (4)
Cody Bellinger
Trent Grisham
Aaron Judge
Randal Grichuk

Designated Hitter (1)
Giancarlo Stanton

Starting Pitchers (4)
Max Fried
Cam Schlittler
Ryan Weathers
Will Warren

Bullpen (9)
David Bednar
Camilo Doval
Fernando Cruz
Tim Hill
Ryan Yarbrough
Paul Blackburn
Cade Winquest
Jake Bird
Brent Headrick

This is pure speculation, but my guess is the Yankees will use Gil’s remaining minor league option and let him keep his pitch count up with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It’s the cleaner option, rather than trying to find a way to keep Gil stretched out at around 80-90 pitches while pitching out of the bullpen. Gil can make a couple starts in Triple-A, then return to the bigs by April 11th to start on the road against the Rays.

Should Gil go down, the focus then shifts to who takes his place. In this projection, I have the Yankees loading up on back-end bullpen arms, breaking camp with all of Paul Blackburn, Cade Winquest, Brent Headrick, and Jake Bird. Of those four, Headrick seemed like the longest shot to make the team coming into spring training, but Gil going down would open up space for the lefty after a strong showing in camp, Headrick striking out 15 batters against one walk in seven innings.

What do you think? What’s your Opening Day roster projection for tomorrow? Let us know in the comments below.

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This morning on the site, check out Josh’s review of the Yankees’ strategy and success with the new ABS challenge system this spring. We’ll also get a fun entry in our Yankees Birthday series from Jonathan as he focuses on Ernie Shore, while Matt will preview the Yankees’ Opening Day foes, the San Francisco Giants, in the last entry in our overall 2026 MLB Preview. Later, Jeremy will discuss Finlete, in light of the reports that Yankees prospect Carlos Lagrange has promised a portion of his potential future MLB earnings to investors.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Chicago Cubs

Time: 3:05 p.m. EST

Video: N/A (audio available via WFAN 101.9 FM/660AM or MLB.tv)

Venue: Sloan Park, Mesa, AZ

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb has never done it in his career but it’s out of sheer and genuine respect that has him wanting to acknowledge the man Wednesday night in the season opener at Oracle Park.

So when New York Yankees great Aaron Judge steps to the plate in the first game of the 2026 MLB season (8:05 ET, Netflix), Webb plans to touch the bill of his cap, look into his eyes, and nod. It will let him know they will always be fierce competitors, but after being teammates for two weeks in the World Baseball Classic, he’ll forever have Webb’s ultimate respet.

“It’s kind of part of the game now where there’s a lot of tipping of the caps and stuff now, and it’s not necessarily my favorite thing," Webb tells USA TODAY Sports. “But for Aaron, I’ve got to do it, right?

“I mean, the guy was just the captain of our team. He’s captain of the Yankees. He does everything the right way. And he’s such a great person, a great family man, everything you’d ever want."

They nearly became teammates three years ago when Judge was a free agent, and the Giants offered him a nine-year, $360 million contract – $40 million more than the Yankees' initial offer. The Giants brought in Webb to help recruit, along with former Giants All-Star Rich Aurilia, who was Judge’s favorite player growing up in Northern California; and had messages from Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry. Judge’s parents, Patty and Wayne, even drove two hours from Linden, California to join the meeting and a late dinner. Despite the Giants’ offer to spend the night, they still drove back home in the late evening.

The Yankees wound up matching the Giants’ offer, and Judge stayed put, but when he saw Giants president Larry Baer before Team USA’s exhibition game against the Giants, he came over, gave Baer a warm embrace, and thanked him for showing such strong interest in him and the way they treated his parents.

“It was so amazing to meet his parents, you can see where Aaron has become the person he is," Webb said. “I remember when he signed with the Yankees, I text him, 'Congratulations’ right away.

“Really, this is where he’s supposed be, captain of the Yankees."

'Greatest humble superstar'

You don’t need a 50-person analytics team to let you know that Judge is the greatest hitter on the planet. He’s a three-time MVP, joining Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees to achieve the feat. He is the American League season-season home run king. He’s a seven-time All-Star. He’s a five-time Silver Slugger winner. He’s a batting champion. And he already is considered one of the greatest right-handed hitters in history

And yet, the most mind-boggling attribute about Judge?

“He’s even a better person than he is a player," says Sean Casey, Yankees former hitting coach who was the co-hitting coach for Team USA, “and that’s saying a whole lot since he’s the greatest player in the universe. The way he treats everybody, the security guards, the batboys, everybody that he comes across, it’s just unreal.

“I think a real leader is how you treat people when no one's looking, how you treat people when that can't really do anything for you. He's the best I've ever seen. The greatest humble superstar you’ll ever meet."

Judge was captain of the United States' WBC team, and despite the tears and heartache of losing the gold medal to Venezuela, the players, coaches and staff members say the one of the best parts of the experience was spending two weeks around Judge.

They had heard the stories about Judge’s kindness. They knew his reputation as being one of the game’s finest clubhouse leaders. But to see his interaction every day with teammates and staff members. To see Judge make everyone around him feel comfortable. To have him make everyone feel welcome.

Well, there’s a reason why the Yankees have the greatest recruiting tool in the world, knowing just how badly everyone wants to play with Judge.

“I had heard so much about him over the years that I was really curious to see what he’d be like," said Michael Young, the former seven-time All-Star infielder who was the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse leader. “It’s incredible. I mean, the back of his baseball card speaks for itself, but the person is off the charts.

“In terms of commanding a room, leading a team by both his actions, words, encouragement, positiveness and competitiveness, he’s the very best I've ever seen do it.

“And I don’t throw that around lightly."

It’s not as if Judge, 6-foot-7, 280 pounds, can arrive to the ballpark and go unnoticed. When he walks into the clubhouse door, people who want to talk to him. People want to see him. People want a piece of him. There are corporate sponsorships. Commercial shoots. Interview requests. Autograph sessions.

Still, despite all of the demands, he still makes connections with everyone he sees. He’ll make eye contact. He’ll give a fist-bump. He has a knack for making every single person he comes across feeling special.

“He’s the best leader I've ever been around on the baseball field, at any level," Yankee first baseman Paul Goldschmidt says. “I think he honestly cares about the team more than himself, and he lives that out. He just makes the people around him better.

“I mean, I've seen him strike out three times, and before he even takes the puts the bat back in the bat rack, he’ll tell the next guy, 'Hey, come on. You got this.’ He just leaves his own performance behind so quickly, and just sets the example for everyone. It becomes really contagious where he doesn't make it about himself."

There, of course, has been a great tradition of Yankee clubhouse leaders. Derek Jeter was a role model and captain winning four World Series from 1996-2000. He carried the torch until Brett Gardner and CC Sabathia took over. And now it belongs to Judge, who is beginning his 10^th full season in pinstripes.

Judge shines in WBC

Jeter, of course, won five World Series rings. Sabathia and Gardner won the 2009 World Series together. Now, they’d love to see Judge get that elusive championship, too. The Yankees have reached the postseason in all but one of Judge’s seasons, but have won just one pennant.

“We’d all love to see it happen for him," said Sabathia, the Hall of Fame pitcher. “You see the way guys follow him, and want to be around him. He felt that responsibility early on when I knew him, and he was like, “I'll take it on.’ It's been awesome to see him grow into that role, the Yankee way, and how to do things.

“Really, he reminds me a lot of Gardy, the way that he goes about his business. The willingness to play through anything. The toughness and just wanting to go out and win a ball game every single day. The guy is just so genuine, and he has never changed."

Former veteran reliever Adam Ottavino, who’s more than six years older than Judge, joined the Yankees in 2019, walked through the clubhouse door, and Judge immediately introduced himself.

“He's just like a naturally friendly guy, a very inclusive type of guy," Ottavino said. “I mean, I had just gotten to the team, and he's already introducing me to his parents. He’s just the type of guy that goes around and checks in with everybody every day.

“He's more of a lead-by-example guy, but when he speaks, it carries a lot of volume. He just always seems to know what to say. And it’s all natural. There's nothing at all manufactured there."

Really, just being around Judge during Yankees spring training camp and the WBC, said Yankees pitching great Andy Pettitte, his demeanor reminds him so much of Jeter.

“They’re not big rah-rah guys, and just go about their business,’’ Pettitte says, “but the humility this guy [Judge] shows is absolutely amazing. I mean, and he is the superstar of all superstars. That's what separates him... He’s just an unbelievable human being."

It was during the World Baseball Classic in Houston when Judge barely had time for batting practice. He was in the cage for maybe six or seven swings, and had to run to prepare for the game. Yet instead of rushing off, he stayed behind, picked up the baseballs scattered around the infield just like anyone else, and bumped fists with batting practice pitcher Ali Modami.

“What really jumped out at me," DeRosa said, “was how engaging he is with his teammates. He makes everybody feel like they're a part of it, whether it's a wink, whether it's a pat on the ass, or just an acknowledgement. He never once walked by me without saying or doing something.

“I mean, just an unbelievable person. Such a special human being with the amount of focus and attention that's on every him every move he makes, and handles it all with style and grace. He’s one-in-a-million today. He’s a special player with special gifts is a special person. He holds everybody accountable, and holds himself accountable.’’

When Judge was the first player announced on the USA team, DeRosa’s phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. Everyone wanted to be part of the team. Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber had one request when he signed up: “Can you make sure I’m part of his BP [batting practice] group?"

“That’s why if I’m a player, and I want to go somewhere as a free agent, I go to New York because of Aaron Judge," Casey said. “I’ve watched it. He can make a bench guy feel like he’s the best player on the team. He doesn’t big-league anybody. Some guys are prisoners of their own fame. I saw that around Ken Griffey Jr. They can’t live the same, but he does. It’s not like he can hide, but he fits in with everyone, and he’s as genuine as they come."

It’s Judge’s interactions with his teammates that had coaches like David Ross, the former Cubs manager and World Series champion, in awe of his demeanor. They heard the stories from Yankee manager Aaron Boone but to see it in person was something else.

“He knows he's one of the faces of baseball, if not the face of baseball,’’ said Ross, who was on the WBC coaching staff, “but he’s not afraid to be the first person to speak and own the room. He's just very cool and calm and he treats everybody with a ton of respect. Just watching the way he carries himself, way he interacts with players in batting cage, the pitchers in the locker room, speaking up after games, it’s special, man.

“His presence is intimidating, but his personality lets down every guard that you ever might have had."

Says Milwaukee Brewers All-Star second baseman Brice Turang: “He's the real deal, man. He’s such a great player, but even a better dude. There's always a smile on his face. He's always positive. He always wants the best for everybody. And he always wants to win."

Aaron Judge 'wouldn't have it any other way'

Judge, 33, realizes that once he gets to Oracle Park on Wednesday afternoon, all eyes will be on him again. There will be dozens of national TV cameras filming his arrival. Home run champion Barry Bonds will be on hand. The Netflix crew will be there to interview him. And then, of course, come all the actual baseball demands.

“I got to tell you the amount of people that ask him for something over the course of the day," said Jason Zillo, Yankees vice president of communications and media relations, “is staggering. Just in my little world, it's an insurmountable a number of people want time with him. ... The gift of patience for him is off the charts."

And yet, there’s always the smile.

“Just the fact that you have someone of that magnitude embracing the standard of playing for and being employed by the New York Yankees organization is unquantifiable," Zillo said. “You’ve got this direct lineage of clubhouse leaders through the years, and now it's landed squarely on Judge's plate. And he's like, 'Bring it on. I want this. I love this.’

“This is what it means to play for the Yankees and what it means to be a captain for the New York Yankees. It doesn't have to do with hitting 50 or 60 homers. It's just how we go about doing things.’’

It’s a different time than when Jeter broke in with the Yankees. Cell phones were a luxury. There were no camera phones. Players could leave the clubhouse, have dinner hit a Broadway show, and not a soul would know.

These days, players can’t stop to buy a bag of groceries without being filmed.

“Derek could go to dinner, he could go out and have drinks," Zillo said, “and it wouldn’t be chronicled and documented and thrown up on billboards. Aaron can't do that. None of these players can. You’ve got to have your head on a swivel now because everybody has the ability to capture content from the moment they walk out the front door until the moment they come home.’’

Still, Judge understands and embraces the responsibility. He doesn’t have the luxury of being a superstar in Kansas City, like Bobby Witt Jr. He can’t be Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles and only talk to media once or twice a week.

Privacy doesn’t exist when you’re the biggest star, in the biggest media market, playing for the New York Yankees.

“I love it," Judge said. “I really do. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just want to win. I want to be a World Series champion for the New York Yankees.

“That would mean everything."

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees' Aaron Judge is MLB's greatest hitter and teammate: Opening Day

Yesterday we kicked things off with the firsttwo installments of our top prospect series. Today we’re back with the next tier up

32. Yondrei Rojas, LHP, Age 23 (DOB: 11/22/2002), Grade 35, 2025: NR

Rojas has been in the system a long time, having singed as a Venezuelan International Free Agent back in 2021. He spent his first three years developing primarily as a starter, but struggled to get past A ball because of a tendency to get hit pretty hard. He shifted full time to relief in 2024, with initially limited success. His K rate spiked 10%, to 29%, but he developed a walk problem and posted a middling 4.36 ERA in his third tour of the level. Things seemed to click in 2025, though. He was bumped up to A+ Vancouver, where he punched out 36 batters in 23.2 innings while getting his walks back under control (just 6 in that span). That earned him a promotion to AA New Hampshire. His strikeouts ebbed at the higher level, dropping back to 22%, but he still generated a solid 12.5% swinging strike rate.

His raw stuff is good, with a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and touches 98, a slider that projects as plus, and a cutter and change that are usable extra options if not above average weapons. He’s a sneaky good athlete for a smaller guy without the prototypical pitcher’s build, with a loose delivery that allows some continued projection on his command. He profiles as a solid middle reliever with a fairly deep arsenal to compensate for no clear plus pitch, and having already had success in the mid minors means he could enter the big league bullpen depth mix soon.

31. Sam Shaw, 2B/OF, Age 21 (DOB: 2/26/2005), Grade 35, 2025: NR

The 2023 9th round pick hails from Victoria, B.C. He performed solidly at the complex after signing, but struggled with power production in his first full pro season in 2024. He was advanced to A ball this past season and flourished, posting a .253/.383/.418 line that was 29% better than the Florida State League average. That earned him a cup of coffee in Vancouver late in the season. He struggled in his 28 PA at the higher level, but the sample is too small to put much of a damper on a strong season.

Shaw’s calling card is his hit tool. He’s an impressively selective hitter, although it tips over into passivity sometimes, and his excellent 16% walk rate was counterbalanced by a too high 19% called strike percentage. When he does swing, his 83% contact rate was well above average. Raw power won’t be a significant part of his game, as his exit velocities maxed out at a low 107mph this year and his 5’10” frame doesn’t have obvious room for more muscle. That said, his swing is geared for pulled fly ball contact and because he has such strong hitting ability he managed a solid 43% hard hit rate in spite of his limited strength. He might manage to be a 15 home run type hitter in spite of his physical limitations if his knack for barreling the ball translates against better pitching.

His bat is going to have to carry him, as Shaw is a fringy defender at second with a notably weak arm. He’s also spent some time in the outfield, where his routes are good but his below average speed probably limits him to left field as a regular. His ceiling is probably something like a more contact oriented Davis Schneider. That’s a hard skillset to make work, but we’ve seen in happen and it’s something the Jays seem to think they know how to develop.

30. Connor Cooke, RHP, Age 26 (DOB: 11/2/1999), Grade 35, 2025: 20th

Cooke was a 10th round pick out of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette back in 2021. He pitched sparingly in his first two seasons as a Ragin’ Cajun before moving into the rotation and breaking out in his junior season, striking out 90 in 79 innings and posting a 2.82 ERA. The Blue Jays tried him briefly in the rotation again in 2022, but quickly moved him back to the bullpen. He dominated right away, striking ou t80 in 44.1 innings during the 2023 season and rocketing all the way to AAA. Unfortunately, things went sideways the following year, as his stuff backed up significantly and he lost the plate, posting a 30:28 K:BB ratio in 31.2 innings. Ultimately, that turned out to be the product of elbow problems, and he had Tommy John surgery in January of last year.

Cooke slides down the list this season mostly because it’s a little bit deeper than it was. We don’t really have any new information since last year, but he should be close to returning to action at this point. If he’s back to his 2023 self, he looks like a potential setup man. His drop and drive delivery gives his fastball a flat plane to the plate, allowing it to play as a solidly plus offering. His second weapon is a plus low-mid 80s slider with huge horizontal sweep, and he also features a change-up that flashes above average. Before his injury issues, his command was close to average.

29. Edward Duran, Age 21 (DOB: 5/29/2004), Grade 35, 2025: NR

The return in the Anthony Bass trade, Duran has spent three years slowly climbing the levels of the Jays system, reaching A+ in 2025. He’s a solid contact hitter, posting above average contact rates and showing decent feel for the strike zone. His raw strength is well below average without projection for more to come, and he hits about half his balls in play on the ground, so his power output is probably always going to be minimal. If everything translates, he could produce respectable OBPs that allow him to remain playable as a backup catcher.

The good news is that his glove is more than adequate for that role. He’s a plus receiver with good blocking skills, and although he needs to clean up his accuracy a bit he has a plus arm that should allow him to control the running game.

This is a straightforward profile. Duran doesn’t possess MLB regular upside, because he just doesn’t impact the ball enough, but he also doesn’t look likely to be an offensive black hole because of his on base ability, which will allow him to be a quality backup. It’s not a sexy profile, but this skill set turns into 10 year major league careers all the time

The San Francisco Giants played their penultimate game of the spring on Monday night, hosting Sultanes de Monterrey at Oracle Park, less than 48 hours before the start of the 2026 MLB season. You can’t draw many conclusions from such a contest, but the Giants did a lot of the things they hoped to do in a 10-2 victory. They looked mostly fresh, energetic, and focused. The biggest question mark on their roster — the bullpen — performed very well. The gameday operations appeared to go off without a hitch, which is half of the point of these home park exhibitions.

And they even got a little bit of excitement from a critical place.

While the performance can’t teach us too much, there was a little info to be gained before the game even started. We’ve officially reached the point of the preseason where the lineup card carries meaning. There’s some stuff to decode there.

For instance: Luis Arráez hit leadoff, despite facing a left-handed pitcher. There’s been a lot of speculation as to where Arráez would hit — personally, I’d opt for fifth or sixth — and the Giants haven’t tipped their hand. This is our first real data point, and it seems safe to assume that the team’s new second baseman will hit first with some regularity. Similarly, Jung Hoo Lee batted cleanup, which might seem unconventional. But we’re seeing more and more teams use contact hitters in the heart of the lineup, as the San Diego Padres did with Arráez on multiple occasions last year. Could we see Lee — the team’s second-best contact hitter, but a player shy on power — hold down the fourth spot in the lineup from time to time? It’s looking like the answer could be “yes.”

Also of note is that Rafael Devers was the designated hitter, while Casey Schmitt played first. Devers still hasn’t played the field since returning from a mild hamstring injury, and now it wouldn’t be surprising if that carries into the season.

And speaking of players not in the field, Harrison Bader was once again absent, as he deals with a hamstring injury of his own. Missing this game certainly casts some doubt on Bader’s availability for Wednesday’s opener, and possibly even brings into play the idea of him beginning the year on the Injured List. Jared Oliva started in center field in Bader’s place, as he continues to trend towards being the 2026 winner of theannual Christian Koss award for the non-roster invitee who doesn’t have a chance to make the team, they’re just there for Minor League depth, but wow, they sure are playing well, and huh, they sure are playing a lot, and wait a minute, maybe they do have an outside chance at making the roster even though that would be crazy oh, hey, yep, they made the opening day roster award. Working title. Let me know if you have any feedback. If Bader isn’t healthy by Wednesday, it would feel like Oliva’s spot on the roster is essentially a lock.

Tony Vitello opted for a bullpen game rather than getting a final start for Adrian Houser or Landen Roupp, which might signal that he plans to shorten the rotation in the first week of the season, and use one of those players as a ninth bullpen arm who needs to be available sooner rather than later. Or, more likely, it signals a desires to get some extra work for as many arms as possible.

Those lineup card observations are more than we learned during the actual game, but there were some takeaways from the action, as well.

Lefty Ryan Borucki, signed on Saturday to my deepest confusion, made his organizational debut in the second inning, and set down the side in order on a trio of ground balls, with some slick-handed help from his infield defense … which included himself.

If there’s a competition for left-handed spots in the bullpen, Borucki was in a three-way tie on Monday, as the other candidates (Erik Miller and Matt Gage), both pitched perfect innings as well. All three pounded the strike zone, with Borucki throwing 10 of 14 pitches for strikes, Miller throwing eight of 11, and Gage tossing nine of 13. But there may not be a competition, other than a healthy one. Earlier in the day, during the Giants Talk podcast, reporter Alex Pavlovic stated that the team has been trending towards three southpaw relievers, and the Borucki signing would seem to confirm that — neither he nor Gage have options, and there’s no way that Miller gets left off of the Opening Day roster. So it would seem that trio will all be standing on the chalk on Wednesday.

But who will join them? Spencer Bivens is a favorite but not a lock, and he tossed a scoreless first inning with a pair of strikeouts, though he also gave up a pair of hits. Tristan Beck hasn’t had a strong spring, but his sweeper was downright nasty as he handled a perfect third inning with a pair of strikeouts. Caleb Kilian needed just 10 pitches for a three-up, three-down fifth inning, though his velocity was a far cry from what we saw earlier this spring, as it topped out at 96.0 mph. The Giants need some electricity, and Kilian feels like a logical choice to make the roster as an NRI, especially with Gregory Santos already reassigned to Minor League camp. Although Santos made one last statement, reminding us all that he could be a serious addition to the bullpen at some point this year: he pitched a scoreless ninth with a hit and a strikeout, with eight of 11 pitches going for strikes, and hit 99.2 mph with his fastball.

Even Marques Johnson, who was not in camp this year, impressed in his opportunity, handling a perfect eighth inning on just nine pitches, while striking out two with a dynamic sweeper/cutter combo meal.

The lone pitching hiccup came from Carson Seymour, who gave up four singles and two runs in his inning of work. That said, it wasn’t like Seymour got lit up or lost control: he threw 19 of 25 pitches for strikes, while one of the hits he allowed was a doink at 68.3 mph, with two more in the 80s. He wasn’t helped by his defense either, which had a rare sloppy inning: Heliot Ramos sold out to try to make a play for his teammate, diving at a ball he probably shouldn’t have gone horizontal for … and then, in don’t-hurt-yourself-before-opening-day fashion, lightly jogged after the ball, letting a double turn into a triple. Later in the inning, Arráez committed a throwing error on a play where Schmitt surely felt he should have caught the ball.

On offense, there were exciting signs of life. Schmitt and Patrick Bailey lined back-to-back opposite-field singles to open the third inning, with the former scoring on a bunt single by Oliva (one of two infield hits he had on the day, though I’m not sure if either would have held up under the scrutiny of replay review). Jung Hoo Lee smoked a two-run double later in the inning, as the Giants started to take control of the game.

In the sixth inning, Willy Adames — who had a fairly miserable spring — crushed a leadoff home run (Ramos almost made it back-to-back shots, with a fly ball that fooled the broadcast booth, if not the atmosphere).

But the exciting hit of the day came in the eighth inning. As the Giants started to pull their regulars, Bryce Eldridge came up for his lone at-bat of the day. Eldridge was, to his disappointment, optioned last week, all but ensuring that he won’t make the Opening Day roster. He responded on Sunday in the organization’s intrasquad game when he donned a AAA Sacramento jersey and took Tyler Mahle deep for a booming home run, before later doubling. On Monday, against Sultanes, Eldridge went deep in a big league ballpark for the first time in his life (apologies, Athletics — Sutter Health Park doesn’t count).

With two on and one out, and a 3-1 count, the super-prospect took a cutter on the outer half of the plate, and launched it into the left field bleachers with astounding ease.

Lest you question Eldridge’s power potential, you don’t see a lot of opposite-field home runs hit that easily at Oracle Park. And especially not from the bats of 21-year olds.

It was certainly a statement from Eldridge to Vitello and Buster Posey. He has taken the assignment in stride, and said and done all the right things. But he wants to leave no doubt where he is going, and no doubt about the speed at which he’ll get there.

This game might have been about setting the team up for Opening Day, but it ended up being about the future.

A few other notes:

• Also homering was Tyler Fitzgerald, which was great to see. He had a really tough camp, but his speed, power, and versatility make him so intriguing. He’ll be fighting to work his way back to the roster (he was optioned already) and should get plenty of chances if he performs well in Sacramento.

• Solid days for the outfielders who are still in camp trying to earn a spot. In addition to Oliva’s 2-3 day, Luis Matos drew a walk in his only plate appearance, while Drew Gilbert singled. Will Brennan went 0-1, and Jerar Encarnación didn’t play.
• Matt Chapman made some fantastic defensive plays. He looks about as ready as ready can be.
• Kruk and Kuip had quite a cast of names join them for in-game interviews: Posey, Arráez, Logan Webb, and Sergio Romo. It was a lot of fun.
• The five hardest-hit balls of the day for the Giants: Ramos’ flyout (104.5 mph); Oliva’s infield single (103.9); Eldridge’s home run (103.8); Adames’ big fly (102.3); and a Schmitt single (101.4).
• The team’s final exhibition game is on Tuesday, again at Oracle Park, again against Sultanes, and again at 6:45 p.m. PT on NBC Bay Area. It will be interesting to see whether the Giants use a regular lineup again, or if they give their veterans a day off before Opening Day.

MESA, AZ — The Chicago Cubs officially made center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong the face of their team Monday night by finalizing a contract extension that will make the soon-to-be 24-year-old their longest-tenured player, two persons with direct knowledge of the deal told USA TODAY Sports.

The persons spoke on the condition of anonymity since the Cubs have not announced the contract.

Crow-Armstrong, who was scheduled to earn $894,000 this season, will now earn in excess of $100 million with his new deal, a person with direct knowledge of the contract said.

Crow-Armstrong, who turns 24 on Wednesday with one year and 170 days of major-league service, was not eligible for free agency until after the 2030 season.

The contract length is not yet known, but it will be at least six years and perhaps as long as nine years, tying him up to the franchise longer than any active Cubs player. San Diego Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill’s nine-year, $135 million extension last spring is the highest contract for a player with between one and two years of major-league service.

The Cubs' projected payroll has jumped to about $221 million.

The Cubs tried to lock up Crow-Armstrong a year ago with a $66 million offer, now is more than doubling that with his new deal. He will now be with the Cubs at least until 2031, eclipsing Alex Bregman, who signed a five-year, $175 million free agent contract this winter.

Crow-Armstrong, who earned an All-Star berth last summer, has emerged as one of the game’s brightest young stars, and perhaps the finest NL center fielder. He was on an MVP pace in the first half last season, hitting .265 with 25 home runs and 27 stolen bases, but tailed off during the second half, hitting just .216 with six homers and eight steals. He still wound up hitting 31 homers with 35 stolen bases, the first Cubs player to achieve the feat.

The Cubs believe he’s a superstar-in-waiting, which certainly deepens the pain for the New York Mets, who drafted him with their first pick in 2020, and then traded him a year later to the Cubs for shortstop Javier Baez and pitcher Trevor Williams. It will go down as one of the worst trades in Mets franchise history.

“The one thing with Pete that I always focus on,’’ Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations, told reporters at the end of last season, “is when he’s not hitting or struggling offensively, he’s a great player. And when he’s hitting, he’s a superstar.”

Now, he’s being paid like one.

Follow Bob Nightengale on Bluesky and X @Bnightengale.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong finalizing contract extension

The Dodgers were down early against the Angels on Monday, having to fight their way back from the first inning. A pair of home runs cut a six-run deficit in half, and the Dodgers tied the game late in the eighth inning, but the contest ultimately ended in a 7-7 tie .

Roki Sasaki was given the start as the Dodgers looked to see him improve in his final tuneup. Instead, Sasaki was erratic immediately, plunking Zach Neto on a 3-0 pitch to begin the game. Sasaki got a ground ball from Mike Trout, but an errant throw to second base from Miguel Rojas allowed him to reach. Sasaki then walked three consecutive hitters, with both Neto and Trout scoring, and the right-hander was pulled after throwing 30 pitches without recording a single out.

Ronan Kopp was called on for clean-up duty, managing to complete the first inning but not before allowing a two-run single from Josh Lowe to put the Angels up by four. All four runs were charged to Sasaki.

Sasaki went back out for the second inning, this time plunking Neto for the second time after being ahead 0-2 in the count. Sasaki subsequently allowed his fourth walk of the game to Mike Trout, but finally recorded an out with Nolan Schanuel reaching on a fielder’s choice. Jorge Soler grounded into a double play to give Sasaki a full inning of work.

Sasaki was able to settle in on the mound during the top of the third, as after walking his fifth batter, he struck out two consecutive hitters and faced just four men. The Dodgers were a swing away from tying the game in the bottom half, but Angels lefty Reid Detmers struck out Will Smith and got Freddie Freeman to ground out to end a bases-loaded threat.

Sasaki’s command couldn’t improve as he allowed a lead-off walk to begin the top of the fourth, after which Dave Roberts had seen enough. Over 2+ innings of work, Sasaki tossed 66 pitches (32 for strikes) and although he didn’t allow a hit, he was charged for five earned runs, while walking six and striking out two. Out of the 66 pitches he threw, his fastball and splitter counted for 56 of them, with his cutter and slider failing to land a single time in the plate. His fastball started at 99 miles per hour to start but dropped down to 95 during his final full inning, while his splitter was his most accurate pitch with a 63 percent (17 out of 27) strike percentage.

Sasaki now ends spring with a 15.58 ERA across 8 2/3 innings of work, having been charged for 15 earned runs on just nine hits, striking out 12 but walking 15. With opening day just three days away, the latest concern now for Sasaki is whether or not he’ll begin the regular season in the rotation. He is slated to start the first game against the Cleveland Guardians on Mar. 30.

Ben Casparius recorded a pair of outs in relief of Sasaki, both being sacrifice flies, and Tanner Scott got out of the jam.

Teoscar Hernández and Miguel Rojas each connected for home runs against Ryan Zeferjahn in the bottom of the fourth inning to put the Dodgers on the board and trim the deficit in half. For Hernández, he regained the team home run lead with his fifth of the spring while knocking home his 21st RBI.

Big swings from Teoscar and Miggy! pic.twitter.com/7YkKFbdL5r

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 24, 2026

The Dodgers cut the deficit to two runs after a bases-loaded walk from Dalton Rushing in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Angels got that run back on a Josh Lowe single against Will Klein, giving him his third RBI of the game and bringing the lead back to three. Rushing once again provided some late-game offense, drilling a two-run double against Jordan Romano in the bottom of the eighth inning. Alex Call made it a brand new ballgame by bringing home Rushing with an RBI double of his own, tying the game at seven.

Alex for the tie! pic.twitter.com/Sj8BKA9q1l

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 24, 2026

The Dodgers put the leadoff man on in the bottom of the ninth, but could not cash in and settled for a draw.

UP NEXT

Tuesday marks the final spring game of 2026 for the Dodgers, as they host the Angels for the finale of their exhibition series (5:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Shohei Ohtani makes his final spring tune-up, while the Angels have yet to announce their starter.

Sometimes you’re the bug, and sometimes you’re the windscreen. After a ten-run victory in the Cactus League finale yesterday, it was not a happy return to Chase Field for the D-backs. They were held to just two hits – both of them off the bat of Pavin Smith – as former Diamondback Slade Cecconi and three Cleveland relievers blanked Arizona. The home team did not have a single at-bat with a runner in scoring position all night, mustering three walks (to Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Jordan Lawlar) in addition to Smith’s pair of singles. Cecconi went four scoreless against us, allowing one hit.

Merrill Kelly got hit hard, lasting only two innings and giving up five earned runs. He was charged with four hits, two of which left the park, and two walks, with a single strikeout. Jonathan Loaisiga and Ryan Thompson were also tagged for a run in their inning of work. But there were scoreless frames for Isaiah Campbell, Kevin Ginkel, Paul Sewald, Gerardo Carrillo and Casey Anderson. Though of those five, only Ginkel and Sewald will be part of the Opening Day bullpen. Here’s what Merrill had to say after his outing tonight:

“Body and back and arm feel good, so that’s what matters to me right now.”

Merrill Kelly said his next outing will be Saturday at Salt River Fields. pic.twitter.com/DLstI05ADG

— Alex Weiner (@alexjweiner) March 24, 2026

The final warm-up is tomorrow afternoon at Chase Field, again versus these Guardians. Michael Soroka gets the start for Arizona, with a 12:40 pm first pitch. After that, it’ll be off to Los Angeles for the Diamondbacks!

Opening Day for the 2026 Major League Baseball season is quickly approaching. As the seasoned stars are gearing up for another season, prospects are finding out whether they made the cut or not.

Rosters were finalized Monday and the Texas Rangers let one of their players know he made the team in the best way possible.

Carter Baumler, a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher who stands 6-foot-2, was on the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning after throwing his seventh pitch of the game when the rookie got the news that he wasn't coming out of the game but instead that he'd be playing in future games as a member of the team.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker used a mound visit to inform Baumler that he made the Opening Day roster.

"I wasn't expecting it. I was like, 'why is he coming out here?' And he got on the mound and told me I made the team. So, yeah, pretty cool," Baumler said. "I mean, honestly, I thought I was like, getting taken out of the game. I didn't know what was going on. Obviously, whenever the manager comes out, like, you know, you're usually done. So, yeah, he just came up and told me, I made the team, and everybody just, you know, kind of said, congrats. And, I mean, what a special way, like, I caught me totally off guard, so it was pretty cool."

In eight spring training games, Baumler has registered a win with 132 pitches thrown in 9.1 innings. He has 10 strikeouts and allowed four hits and a run. According to MLB, 65% of his pitches are strikes.

Baumler was emotional following the news delivered by Schumaker. He was overwhelmed with joy to think about officially being a big leaguer.

"[I] went through a lot of hard times over the last, like, few years. [It's] pretty cool, pretty special," Baumler said. "You know, like a few years ago, I never would have expected this. You know, looking back, it's just I'm glad kept my head down and kept hammering away."

WHEN IS OPENING DAY 2026? Schedule, start date for every team

Who is Carter Baumler?

Baumler was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 31, 2002. He attended Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines.

He was originally selected in 2020 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles with 133rd overall pick in the fifth round, which came with a $1.5 million signing bonus.

He didn't see any action until 2022 after having Tommy John surgery in 2020 and 2021.

He bounced around the minor leagues playing for the GCL Orioles, Delmarva Shorebirds, FCL Orioles, Mesa Solar Sox, Aberdeen IronBirds and Chesapeake Baysox.

Baumler was drafted in the Rule 5 Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates in December and later traded to the Rangers for Jaiker Garcia and cash.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carter Baumler told midgame he made Rangers' roster by Skip Schumaker