TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: Walker Buehler #10 of the San Diego Padres throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning of a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 10, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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German Marquez did not look good his last time on the mound and Marco Gonzales followed today with a tough showing when the San Diego Padres took on the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz. Both pitchers are vying for the fifth and final rotation spot, which could be two spots with the latest news about Joe Musgrove, who is having difficulties recovering from throwing with the intensity that comes from competing on an MLB field – even in Spring Training.
The remaining potential starters after Marquez and Gonzales are Walker Buehler, JP Sears, Matt Waldron and Triston McKenzie. Buehler appears to be the most consistent of the group, while Sears continues to struggle allowing home runs, Waldron just resumed throwing after hemorrhoid surgery and McKenzie, despite his most recent outing, has had trouble locating his pitches.
The Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball this week asked respondents to select who they thought would win the final spot in the rotation and the overwhelming majority said Buehler. He has been the most consistent of the group competing for the job and his track record, despite multiple arm surgeries, says he knows how to pitch in the big leagues and can be successful.
When Buehler came into MLB he was known as a fastball pitcher, who could reach the mid- to high-90s. Since the surgeries, his velocity has dropped to the low- to mid-90s as we have seen him touch 94 mph in his spring outings to this point. Buehler is having to learn how to use his pitch-mix to keep hitters off balance and get outs. With Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla as a resource, there is no reason to think Buehler cannot have success. He seems to be the front runner for the job, and the Friar Faithful expect him to be in the rotation on Opening Day.
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Mark Vientos is pictured during the Mets' Feb. 28 spring training game.
Observations from Mets spring training on Saturday:
Pache of cake
Cristian Pache, known for his glove in center, made a fine running catch in left-center to rob Jake Meyers of a hit.
Marked man
Mark Vientos went hitless and is 1-for-21 in Grapefruit League games.
Mark Vientos is pictured during the Mets’ Feb. 28 spring training game. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
He also struggled in the WBC, but manager Carlos Mendoza cited hard-hit balls as a reason for encouragement.
Caught my eye
Last year’s first-round pick, Mitch Voit, got his first Grapefruit League hit.
Filling in for the injured Jackson Cluff, the 38th overall selection started at second and singled.
The Naples, Fla., native made a name for himself at the University of Michigan last season when he imitated snorting a line of cocaine along the third base line after a triple.
“He looks like a hitter,” Mendoza said.
Sunday’s schedule
Zach Thornton will start for the Mets against Toronto at Clover Park at 1:10 p.m.
Cody Bellinger drilled a triple to the gap in right-center field off right-hander Jonathan Bowlan and is now batting .320 through nine exhibition games.
Brutal on basepaths
After drawing a walk and stealing second base with no outs in the second inning, Jazz Chisholm Jr. was promptly picked off by right-hander Bryse Wilson.
On the very next pitch, Jasson Domínguez was caught attempting to steal second base.
Caught my eye
Kervin Castro made his sixth appearance of the spring, throwing 1 ¹/₃ innings of relief Saturday, and has yet to give up an earned run.
Kervin Castro is pictured during the Yankees’ Feb. 16 spring training game. Charles Wenzelberg
The righty, who was added to the 40-man roster in November, has a chance to claim one of the last two bullpen spots.
“Kervin’s gotten my attention,” manager Aaron Boone said.
Sunday’s schedule
The Yankees have their first split-squad doubleheader of camp, with Luis Gil starting at home against the Tigers at 1:05 p.m. and Paul Blackburn starting the nightcap against the Orioles in Sarasota at 6:05 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 18: The 2026 MLB All-Star Game logo is seen on a banner during Philadelphia's 2026 All-Star Game Declaration on July 18, 2025, at Citizens Bank Park, in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Sitting here on March 14th before a single inning of regular season ball has been played — exactly four months out from the Midsummer Classic on July 14th — feels like the perfect time to make some bold predictions and dream some big dreams for the 2026 MLB All Star Game.
Let’s start with the regulars.
The 2025 rosters were loaded with every-year locks (like Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Freddie Freeman) as well as a handful of first timers (Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cal Raleigh, and Ryan O’Hearn).
Are there any surprise players you’re expecting to find their way into the game this year?
The Colorado Rockies will have at least one league-required team representative in July. In 2025, that honor went to Hunter Goodman, and it was well-earned. While the Rockies work to get back to a place where they’re sending more than one All Star, that could be a challenge in the near-future with how stacked the NL is and how little love the Rockies’ still-improving roster gets in the fan vote.
Will Goodman be a repeat All Star?
Will the Rockies be fun enough to send more than one player?
Which player(s) do you think will represent the Rockies in 2026?
Finally, outside of the game itself.
It’s been five years since Colorado was represented in the Home Run Derby, last sending Trevor Story in 2021. Maybe things will be different in 2026.
Will the Rockies flash enough power in the first half of the season to send someone to the slugfest?
Which Rockie might compete?
Look into your crystal ball to the All-Star Break, and give us your bold predictions!
Feb 18, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga (43) poses for a photo for MLB media day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-Imagn Images | Allan Henry-Imagn Images
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Our previous poll ended up a fairly one-horse race, with Ryne Nelson our chosen man for Opening Day starter. That… did not turn out to be the case. We’ll see if Torey Lovullo takes our advice any better when it comes to the role at the other end of the game. For we asked who you wanted to see close games out for the D-backs, in the absence (for now) of Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. They filled the role in 2025, before succumbing to the epidemic of elbow-itis which plagued baseball last year. There are certainly no shortage of possible candidates – albeit none you perhaps might want pitching to save your life.
This was reflect in results which weren’t exactly a ringing endorsement of any particular candidate. None of the five candidates (plus the long-serving veteran, “Other”) received even thirty percent of the vote. It was close at the top with the leading three all receiving between 20% and 26%. But just about everyone received a reasonable amount of support. I’d also like to thank Mrs. Jameson for showing up. Here are the full results.
It’s perhaps a little surprising, to see Loasiga – a non-roster invitee to spring training, who isn’t on the 40-man roster or a major-league contract – top of the heap. But, of course, neither of those are a prohibition on pitching in high-leverage situations and doing it well. We only have to look back to last spring, where Shelby Miller was in exactly the same situation, roster-wise. After Puk and Martinez went down, he ended up becoming the closer, and at the end of the year, led the Diamondbacks in saves. Of particular note, Miller came into the 2025 campaign with just three saves over 103 appearances out of the bullpen, since becoming a full-time reliever post-COVID.
I figured it might be worth putting together a little chart of the stats for the five contenders. So, below you will find for each man, their number of relief appearances at the MLB level, the saves recorded there, their career ERA+ (to indicate overall level of effectiveness), and the ERA+ they posted last year. Obviously, the amount of work involved in determining the last varies dramatically, from Ryan Thompson’s 41.1 innings, all the way down to Drey Jameson’s… three. So bear this in mind, especially with regard to Jameson, whose total experience in MLB is still only 68 innings, and half of that came as a starter. That may be a factor in why he ranked so badly in our poll.
I’d kinda forgotten how long Ginkel has been around. This will be his eighth season in the majors, which will actually tie the franchise record (Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen are also going to be in their eighth, matching the mark of Randy Johnson and Andrew Chafin). In relief appearances and saves, he ranks second among the candidates, though is obviously quite a distance behind Paul Sewald in both. The problem with Sewald is, he hasn’t actually been a very good pitcher, judging by ERA+. Experienced or not, he was below average both last year, and for his career as a whole. On the other hand, his velo is up this spring, for what that’s worth.
I’ve a feeling it’s going to be that crafty journeyman, A.N. Other who is going to end up taking the role, with Lovullo using the dreaded (by fans, at least) closer by committee. However, all of these pitchers are right-handers, which is going to limit the scope for the manager to play late-inning match-ups. They do have somewhat different approaches, to be fair. The advantage of such an approach is it might be less susceptible to the equally dreaded (by fans, at least) Lovullo loyalty, where he sticks with “his guy” beyond what feels rational. If there is no single “his guy”, then he should be willing to switch out at the drop of a blown save or two. We shall see.
MIAMI — It was two like two heavyweight boxers stepping into the ring, and without wasting any time, throwing haymakers, trying to knock each other out before the first round.
Venezuela leadoff Ronald Acuna Jr. walked up to the plate and on the second pitch of the game by Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamto, he drove a 96.5-mph into the right-field seats. He danced around the basepaths, pounding his chest, screaming into the night, and crossed home plate as his Venezuelan teammates went wild, celebrating on the field with him.
That giddiness lasted right up until Shohei Ohtani took his turn at the plate, leading off for Japan. The four-time MVP sent Ranger Suarez’s slider 427 feet away into right field. Ohtani, normally reserved, turned around, and motioned with his palms down, as if it to say, “calm down fellas." He strolled around the bases, pointing at his bench, and Team Japan, normally reserved, were on the field to enthusiastically greet him.
Well, that’s feels nice, doesn’t it? Winning. In what has been a sub-par season thus far, it was nice to get on the right side of things and see the Tigers put all facets of the game together before heading back into the doldrums of SEC play again.
“When you don’t have success,” Missouri head coach Larissa Anderson said post-game, “and we don’t win the game, it’s kind of hard to buy into that whole process, because you just get frustrated. And they stay true, and they continue to grind and found ways to be able to win.”
On Friday, True and Dylan were on hand for the Tigers’ 8-1 victory over Minnesota and 9-4 win over South Dakota. You can read their recap here, but here’s the basics across the two games.
Stefania Abruscato
5-7 | 1 Run | 5 RBI | 3 Doubles | 1 HBP
Sophie Smith
3-6 | 3 Runs | 4 RBI | 2 Doubles | 1 BB
Madison Uptegrove
3-7 | 1 Run | 2 RBI | 1 SB | 2B
Abby Carr
2-4 | 1 Run | 3 RBI | 1 HR 1.1 IP | 3 K | 21 NP
Sidney Forrester
1-6 | 2 BB | 1 RBI | 1 HR
Abby Hay
1-5 | 1 Run | 1 RBI | 2 BB
Addy Waits
1-5 | 2 Runs | 1 BB | 1 SB | 1 HBP
Kayley Lenger
1-4 | 2 Runs | 2 BB | 1 SB | 1 SAC
Marissa McCann
7 IP | 4 Hits | 1 ER| 2 BB | 6 SO | 97 Pitches | Complete Game
Cierra Harrison
4 IP | 3 BB | 3 SO | 1 WP | 66 Pitches
Game 1: Mizzou vs. South Dakota
McCann was sharp in this one, going 1-2-3 in the first inning with a pair of strikeouts. She added another one in the second, and three more in the third, with just one hit – a double – allowed. The fourth led to more zeroes across the board (just missing the strikeouts), and by the game’s shortened end, she’d amassed eight strikeouts to just one hit — the aforementioned double — and two walks in 76 pitches.
“She’s been dominant this whole weekend,” her catcher said. “Everything on my end, everything was spinning. Speed was there. She just looked insane. And she just kept her composure the whole time… It was awesome to see.”
Offensively, the Tigers struck early and often, amassing all their runs in the first three innings of the run rule-shortened contest. A rocket to center field by Stefania Abruscato gave the Tigers an early 2-0 lead after leadoff batter Addy Waits reached on a hit by pitch. A one out walk by Abby Hay was followed by a Sophie Smith RBI double to the center field gap to make it 3-0.
A healthy Abby Hay has been a godsend for this team, and she’s looking more and more like the Abby of freshman year every day. “It’s been awesome,” she said. “Just being back out there with my girls. It’s amazing, because it’s probably my favorite place on earth is being out there with them. So just being able to be healthy and experiencing all of the firsts for these young players is really fun.”
The Tigers tacked on three more in the second courtesy of an RBI single by Abruscato, which scored Claire Cahalan, along with a two-run shot by Sidney Forrester to make it 6-0, taking the South Dakota starter, Campbell German (0-5, 5.45 ERA) out of the game for Peyton Paulsen (2-5, 5.41 ERA).
Before Forrester’s home run, Abby mentioned reminding her to just take a deep breath, telling her “If you don’t believe in yourself, just know I do.”
“All that matters is that we believe in each other, and don’t worry about the fans, don’t worry about the crowd, just if we believe in each other, we’re gonna have each other’s backs. And she went up and hit that home run and I was at home when she got there. I’m like, ‘Told you.’”
Against Paulsen, the Tigers continued to have success, adding another run on a solo shot by Abby Carr in the third. After a Madison Uptegrove walk and Kayley Lenger single, a two-run Waits double made it 9-0. And that was all they’d need. Paulsen was pulled in the fourth in favor of Aubrey Lensmeyer after giving up back-to-back walks to Saniya Hill and Sophie Smith. She was able to effectively put a damper on the Mizzou offense, working three fly ball outs and leaving the Tigers with its first scoreless inning of the contest, which was also their last.
The Tigers eight hits in those five innings of play to go along with five walks and five extra base hits and only a single strikeout. Seven different Tigers had hits in this game, and three additional Tigers reached based via walk, making it 10 different team members reaching base successfully.
Much of the team’s success the first game came from the team’s many youngsters, who were overwhelmingly praised by their “elders” for their composure.
“Just their composure,” Abby said. “They just don’t let the moment get too bit, and they work one pitch at a time, and don’t work on getting ahead of themselves. And they’re really good at slowing the game down in key situations, and I think that’s what allowed them to have so much success.”
Fania added, “I’ve never seen a group of girls that they make an error or something and they get right back to it.”
Game 2: Mizzou vs. Iowa State
The later game started out much the same as the first, with an offensive parade in the first inning. Waits worked a leadoff walk and Abruscato followed that up with a bloop single before Hay laced a hard-hit grounder through the right side, loading the bases for Sophie Smith, who fouled out on a real heads-up play by the Cyclone’s first baseman that went into the dugout. Abby Carr then hit a bases-clearing double to make it 3-0. Madison Uptegrove followed with an RBI double of her own, making it 4-0 and leading to a swift Cyclone pitching change. Jaiden Ralston took over and secured the final out, but the damage was done.
Missouri starter Cierra Harrison worked a fast 1-2-3 inning in the first, before giving up a solo shot to Tatum Johnson in the top of the second to make it 4-1. She quickly disposed of the next three batters on strikeouts though, including 2025 Tiger Kadence Shepherd, who transferred to ISU in the offseason, unbeknownst to me. She ran into a bit of trouble in the third that ultimately led to her being replaced by Abby Carr with one out in the third. After giving up a leadoff walk, ISU took second on a sac bunt before a Jessie Clemons RBI double went off the left field wall to make it 4-2.
“We’re getting strong starting performances,” Anderson said. “I think Harrison was a little tired from last night. It was a little late [the game wasn’t over until around 11pm]. I didn’t see her recovery bounce back as much as we would like to, so we’re gonna have to focus on that a little bit more, on what her body looks like back-to-back days, but giving us a chance, that’s all they asked to do.”
She continued. “I think the difference in these last five games than previously is that we’re not giving up multiple hits in a row, and that’s what was happening early on, that it would be one hit led to three, which sometimes led to five, and now we’re able to — we might give up a hit, but then we’re immediately shutting down. Cierra Harrison gave up a home run and then struck out the next three, like that is absolutely huge to be able to let that go.”
Carr didn’t fare much better early on — she did settle in later — allowing a two-run shot to center by Reagan Bartholomew to even up the score 4-4 in the third. But the Tigers would respond.
In the fourth, Mizzou evened it up on an RBI double by Waits, which scored Kayley Lenger. They tacked on another in the fifth to make it 6-4, after a Carr RBI single brought in Danielle Blackstun, who was pinch-running for Hay, who got aboard with a walk.
The Cyclones issued a warning siren in the sixth, getting baserunners on second and third after a single and rare miscue by Waits at third base. Luckily, Carr was able to get out of it unscathed, striking out the side, her third, fourth, and fifth K of the day. A 1-2-3 inning closed it out the Tigers.
“[It was] an unbelievable pitching performance and overall performance by Abby Carr today on both sides of the ball,” Anderson said. “She doesn’t get rattled. She’s so calm in the box. She’s so calm on the mound. I mean, there’s been so many pressure situations that she’s been in as a pitcher, and her demeanor is exactly the same, and she doesn’t let the past result carry over. I mean, she gave up a home run, and then she continues to battle and came through offensively.”
Much of her success Anderson actually attributes to Carr’s time as a competitive swimmer, something I also understand very well. (Carr swam for Lafayette High School, and my quick research showed she was a sprinter, qualifying for state in 2022 in the 50 free and serving as the Lancers’ anchor on the 200 free relay.
“What you learn in those individual sports in the pool, like it’s you against the clock. So she has that self-awareness on how to prepare herself, how to get herself in that zone where you’re just competing against the game and not worrying about some of the outside things… You’re not worried about the pool; you’re really only worried about the clock, and how you can see how her competitiveness carries over to every aspect of the game.”
The Tigers amassed eight hits in Game 2, to go along with two walks. They did have four strikeouts in this one, all courtesy of Jaiden Ralston. Seven different Tigers recorded a hit in this one.
“It was a great weekend all the way around— defense, offense. We saw the ball extremely well and had quality at-bats all throughout the four games and five game winning streak. It feels nice,” Anderson said. “It’s really nice in that locker room right now.”
Here’s the statistical highlights from the final two games of the series.
Stefania Abruscato
3-4 | 3 Runs | 3 RBI | 1 HR
Sophie Smith
1-5 | 1 RBI | 1 BB | 1 Double
Madison Uptegrove
1-5 | 1 Run | 1 BB | 1 RBI | 1 Double
Abby Carr
3-5 | 2 Runs | 5 RBI | 1 HR | 1 Double 4.2 IP | 1 ER | 3 Hits | 5 SO | 78 Pitches
Sidney Forrester
1-6 | 1 Run | 2 RBI | 1 HR
Abby Hay
1-3 | 3 BB | 1 Run
Addy Waits
2-3 | 2 Runs | 3 RBI | 1 BB | 2 Doubles | 2 Sac
Kayley Lenger
2-6 | 2 Runs
Claire Cahalan
2-4 | 1 Run | 1 Sac
Marissa McCann
5 IP | 1 Hit | 2 BB | 8 SO | 76 Pitches | Complete Game
Cierra Harrison
2. 1 IP | 3 ER | 2 Hits | 1 BB | 3 SO | 35 Pitches
When asked about Fania’s performance over the weekend, Anderson praised her catcher on not trying to do too much. “You know, early on in the season,” she said, “she was very pull-conscious, and now she’s working the middle of the field a little bit more, which she’s creating more opportunities to hit the ball hard and stay in the zone a lot longer, and she’s worked very hard at it. She spends a lot of time in the cage and working with both of our hitting coaches. So it’s good to see that it paid off for her.”
Stefania credited assistant coaches Bella Norton and Jake Epstein for the assistance. “I’m just seeing the ball really well,” she said. “I struggled a bit [early on], but my teammates gave me confidence. They had no doubt that I was gonna get my groove, and just so happened to be this weekend.”
UP NEXT: The Tigers will head to Champaign for a double header at U of I before returning home to face a 25-1 Alabama team who just lost their first game on Saturday vs. #8/9 Arkansas for a series at the start of Spring Break.
When asked what this stretch will do for the team moving forward, Anderson said, “It builds our confidence. I mean, we’ve been winning small battles, and we’ve been talking about winning little battles, and now it’s time to win the war.”
Anderson’s players agreed. “It’s gives us a load of confidence just knowing that,” Abby Hay said. “We did a really good job in that game [against Iowa State], and our freshmen are doing absolutely amazing with runners on, like Abby Carr with four RBI, then comes in and shuts down the game. It’s just really good, and it’s fun to see, and it just gives us so much confidence going into Illinois and Bama this week.”
Saturday night was a big one for Mets first-round pick Mitch Voit.
Jackson Cluff was penciled in to get the start at second in the spring loss to the Astros, but the coaching staff was forced to pivot after he reported a sore neck.
Manager Carlos Mendoza didn’t want to play anyone for three straight days at this point in the spring, so he decided to give the young Voit the chance.
The 21-year-old had already appeared in two spring games, but this was his first start.
“It was definitely a huge honor,” he said. “I found out last night and texted my parents to make the drive over, I was excited and had a lot of fun out there.”
Voit played well too, as he logged eight innings in the field and picked up his first knock in three at-bats.
After grounding out his first time up, the youngster dug in for his second AB and worked a full count before lining the eighth pitch he saw back up the middle for a leadoff single.
He was retired in his final plate appearance, but left the big-league skipper impressed.
“He can hit,” Mendoza said. “I thought he put together some good at-bats there. I liked the takes, he was laying off some breaking balls in the dirt, he’s quick and short to the ball -- he definitely looks like a hitter.”
That certainly doesn’t come as a surprise to those who have seen Voit play.
The youngster struggled a bit after joining Low-A St. Lucie down the stretch, but he was a career .303 hitter with a .398 OBP and .962 OPS during his three years at Michigan.
With this experience under his belt, he’s hoping to bring that type of production into his first full season in the organization.
“I’m just taking everything day-by-day,” he said. “I’m taking spring training day-by-day, and when the regular season comes around I’m going to be the same person -- I've had a great time and I'm happy with how things are going."
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 11: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates in the dugout during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Cole Carter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today was a lot better for Bryce Elder as far as results during spring training are concerned. Elder had a successful ramp-up during against the Red Sox and bounced back from a rough outing during his last appearance as the Braves continued to get ready for regular season action.
For all the grief that we like to give Elder around here, he does have his moments where he looks like a perfectly fine and solid hurler and this was definitely one of those occurrences. Elder got through the first two innings of this one without giving up a run — he did give up a leadoff double to the newly-crowned Grapefruit League Stolen Base King Andruw Monasterio but he ended up getting wiped out after Drake Baldwin threw him out at second base on the stolen base attempt. That’s now five runners that Baldwin has caught stealing so far during spring training as it sure looks like he’s ready to start doing a lot of the same once the end of this month rolls around.
In fact, Baldwin added another one to his collection in the third inning to make it six runners caught stealing so far this spring as he wiped Braiden Ward off of the basepaths. Unfortunately, this was after Vinny Capra led off the third with a walk and then stole second base to get into scoring position. Capra made it to third on a fly ball out and then scored on a bang-bang play where Ozzie Albies’ throw home from a ground ball was unable to beat Capra to the plate.
That was the only real trouble that Elder found himself in during this game, as he retired the final six batters he saw in order and finished the night with five innings under his belt along with six strikeouts with only two walks, a hit and a run allowed. I think everybody was looking for improvement following his most recent outing before this one and Elder certainly delivered in that regard.
Meanwhile, the Braves were mostly befuddled by Brayan Bello, who got through five innings with seven strikeouts and no runs allowed. Atlanta did rack up four hits against Bello, with Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II all picking up singles against Bello. Harris made it into scoring position after he stole second in the second inning but outside of that, the Braves were unable to really string together any rallies against Bello.
Getting to see new Red Sox pitcher Tyler Uberstine must’ve been like walking into an oasis for the top of Atlanta’s order because they came out swinging against him. Although Ozzie Albies struck out to lead off the sixth on a foul tip, Drake Baldwin picked up his second hit of the game with a double and then Matt Olson delivered the loudest hit of the night by launching a bomb out to the Budweiser Bench in center field off of a changeup from Uberstine. The go-ahead shot was Olson’s fourth spring dinger and I think the obvious hope here is that the rhythm this lineup is in will hopefully carry into the regular season.
Most of the projected Opening Day roster players for the Braves got three plate appearances in this one before making their exit and then Walt Weiss went with organizational depth once Elder left the game, so the ride ended there if you’re interested in anybody that you’ll be regularly seeing from April and beyond here in 2026. Eli White did pick up a hit in the seventh inning before he promptly exited the game and Atlanta cashed it in for a run after Jim Jarvis picked up a single to move pinch-runner Ethan Workinger over to third and then Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. plated him with a sacrifice fly.
Atlanta did have a big inning in the eighth, though — Workinger added to his tally with two RBI, Jorge Mateo picked up an RBI after Red Sox outfielder Corey Rosier failed to corral in a line drive on a diving attempt, Jim Jarvis joined in on the fun with an RBI single of his own and then Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. joined the conga line to make it six-straight hits and seven-straight baserunners for the Braves. Once the smoke cleared and Red Sox pitcher Michael Sansone woke up from his nightmare, the Braves ended up plating seven in the bottom of the eighth.
The Braves ended up sauntering to another spring training win and while you may have quibbles with the fact that the lineup didn’t really do much against Boston’s starter, the same could be said of the Red Sox lineup’s fate against Bryce Elder in this one. Elder’s improvement was really nice to see and hopefully we’ll see that moving forward and we’ll also continue to see Atlanta’s regulars at least continue to pick up some hits like they did once Bello left the game.
Tomorrow’s game starts at 1:05 p.m. ET (I triple-checked this time) as the Braves will take on the Phillies in Clearwater.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan warms up during a World Baseball Classic workout day at loanDepot park on March 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his final start of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday night in Miami, trying to get Japan past Venezuela and into the semifinals. The winner of this game takes on Italy on Monday night.
Shohei Ohtani bats leadoff as the designated hitter, per usual, this time facing Ranger Suárez to start.
The Mets lost to the Houston Astros, 8-2, on Saturday night in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Here are the takeaways...
-- Freddy Peralta made the 45-minute trip down south to make his third start of the spring against the Astros and looked sharp as he has all camp with four innings of one-run ball. The lone run allowed by the right-hander came in the first inning after Yordan Alvarez singled home Taylor Trammell who walked to lead off the game before stealing second base.
From there it was smooth sailing for Peralta who ended the first inning by getting Carlos Correa to ground into a double play and then retired the next nine batters in a row. He finished with five strikeouts to one walk and threw 56 pitches (39 strikes), 11 more pitches than his previous outing on March 8 against the Yankees.
New York's Opening Day starter will likely have one more start this spring before gearing up for the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26 at Citi Field.
-- With most of the Mets' projected starters staying behind, the offense was hard to come by, particularly against Ryan Weiss who went the first 4.1 innings and outdueled Peralta by allowing no runs on two hits and a walk. A.J. Ewing got New York's first hit with a single in the fourth and finished 1-for-2 with a walk in the leadoff spot. The youngster raised his batting average to .381 and has been one of the more impressive players in Mets camp.
-- Speaking of impressive young players, Carson Benge also had a productive day at the plate, going 1-for-3 batting third. His single in the sixth came with runners on first and second but the runners were only able to move up a base. New York squandered the bases loaded and one out opportunity with two consecutive strikeouts.
-- Ben Rortvedt, who replaced Austin Barnes at catcher in the bottom of the sixth, had the best night for the Mets with his 2-for-2 performance. He scored both of New York's runs and had the Mets' only extra-base hit with his leadoff double in the ninth.
-- Cristian Pache, still vying for a spot on the Opening Day roster, also had a solid night at the plate by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. He's hitting .440 this spring and is an option to make the roster as the team's fourth outfielder.
-- Mitch Voit, New York's 2025 first-round pick, made his first start of spring training and got his first hit as well in the nine hole while playing second base.
-- Mark Vientos' rough spring continued with an 0-for-4 night. He's now batting .048.
-- The Mets allowed the Astros to steal three bases, including one of home in the seventh inning.
Game MVP: Yordan Alvarez
Alvarez finished 2-for-3 with a three-run home run.
Highlights
Four strikeouts through three innings for Freddy Peralta! 🔥
The Mets return home for a Sunday matinee against the Toronto Blue Jays as they continue their spring training schedule. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
PORT SAINT LUCIE, FLORIDA - MARCH 8: Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets pitches in the first inning during the game against the New York Yankees during a Spring Training game at Clover Park on March 8, 2026 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets fell to the Astros 8-2 at CACTI Park of The Palm Beaches. The loss dropped New York to 10-8 in Grapefruit League action, with one tie.
Freddy Peralta started for the Mets and was terrific, holding Houston to just one hit and one earned run over four innings of work. He walked one batter and struck out five. He allowed his lone run in the first inning on a Yordan Alvarez run-scoring single. With the outing, he lowered his spring ERA to 2.70.
Luis García pitched a scoreless fifth for the Mets to keep New York within a run.
The Mets trailed by one run until the sixth, when Alvarez hit a three-run home run against Saul Garcia, who allowed three earned runs on one hit and two walks. He also struck out two batters.
The Mets broke through in the seventh with a run on a Jose Ramos, which drove home Ben Rortvedt. The run cut the Astros’ lead to three runs.
Houston plated three more runs in the seventh against Jordan Gerber, who ended up pitching 1 1/3 innings for the Mets and surrendering three earned runs on three hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.
Colton Cosper took over for Gerber in the eighth and allowed an unearned run on two hits. He walked a batter and did not record a strikeout.
The Mets picked up a run in the ninth on a Cristian Pache single, which drove in Rortvedt.
Rortvedt and Pache each picked up two hits for the Mets. Seven other Mets collected a hit apiece.
Mets’ top prospects Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing each had a hit. Benge’s average now stands at .367 and his OPS is .839 on the spring, while Ewing raised his average to .381 and his OPS to 1.090.
Freddy Peralta was sharp again making his third spring outing Saturday.
The righty took the ball in the Mets’ meeting with the Astros and delivered four more high-quality innings of work.
Houston did make him pay for walking the first batter of the game.
Taylor Trammell stole second following the free pass, then scored on Yordan Alvarez’s single, but Peralta used a double play ball to help him get out of the inning.
He then retired the next nine batters he faced, picking up four strikeouts along the way.
Peralta closed his night with just the one run allowed, a pair of baserunners, five punchouts, and 11 whiffs in his second-to-last spring tune-up.
“I felt pretty good,” he said afterwards. “Everything is getting in the position I want it to be -- I can’t wait to start the regular season and to get some wins.”
The righty stretched out to 56 pitches, then went and threw another nine in the bullpen.
He plans on adding 20 more onto his count his next time out, then will be set for a full workload when he takes the Citi Field mound against the Pirates on Opening Day.
Peralta’s fastball velo (93.2) was down a couple of ticks from last season (94.8) and his last spring outing (94.2), but it’s nothing he’s concerned about.
“It’s normal,” he said. “I know myself, I know how I work. I know whenever I get to the season and I feel the intensity that’s when I am who I really am -- I know what to do during the spring, so I don’t worry about the velocity much.”
Dalton Rushing (right) has attempted the most challenges among the Dodgers’ catchers, going 2 for 6 on his attempts from behind the plate. AP
Overall, the team won just five of the 27 pitch calls they’d challenged entering play Saturday. Among hitters, their 15% success rate (2 for 11) is six points worse than any other team. Among pitchers and catchers, their 21% success rate (3 for 11) isn’t even half as good as the next closest club.
While the Dodgers have downplayed their concern over the early numbers, manager Dave Roberts said they are “going to do an organization forum on Tuesday to get our guys, our hitting coaches, our players to talk about some things, maybe some strategies.”
Roberts also acknowledged that, while many of the Dodgers’ failed challenges have been “borderline” misses, the team’s “idea of the strike zone individually, collectively just hasn’t been great.”
“I honestly don’t know the answer right now,” Roberts added, when asked about the root cause of such pronounced struggles.
With Opening Day less than two weeks away, the team will have to find some better answers quickly.
Granted, the Dodgers have approached the ABS system with a more exploratory mindset in camp. Strategy has not been a priority. Getting calibrated to the exact dimensions of the zone has.
“Even if we’re wrong, we need to use it just to figure out the tops and bottoms of the zone,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said earlier this spring. “A lot of us are still trying to learn it … Spring training is the time to figure it out, figure out your zone and see if you have a better idea of it [before the start of the season].”
Still, their grand total of five successful challenges this spring has felt somewhat jarring. Every other club has at least 12 overturned calls. The Yankees are setting the pace with 37.
“We’ve just got to get that education,” Roberts said. “We’ll be better. I’m certain of that.”
Individually, sample sizes have been minuscule for most of the players expected to be on the Dodgers’ MLB roster. Alex Call and Dalton Rushing are the only ones who have attempted more than one challenge, with Call 1 for 2 and Rushing 0 for 2. Rushing has attempted the most challenges among the team’s catchers, going 2 for 6 on his attempts from behind the plate.
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing received some redemption Saturday when he challenged a ball that ABS showed had clipped the corner of the strike zone. Diamond Images/Getty Images
Their biggest lesson so far: Just how fine the margins between a ball and a strike can be.
Earlier this week, Rushing challenged a called ball while catching that was upheld –– with the ABS system showing it missed the zone by less than 1/10th of an inch.
“I would’ve bet my whole life that baseball was touching the zone,” Rushing joked with SportsNet LA afterward. “But that’s what spring training is for.”
On Saturday, Rushing got redemption when he challenged a ball that ABS showed had clipped the corner of the strike zone. As a scoreboard graphic at Camelback Ranch confirmed the successful challenge, Rushing playfully gave thanks by looking toward the sky.
It also remains unclear just how pivotal the ABS system will be when real games start. Teams are only allowed two missed calls before they run out of challenges. Most nights, overturned balls and strikes figure to have only a marginal impact on the outcome of games.
Nonetheless, it is one area the two-time defending champions are focused on improving before Opening Day on March 26.
“At the end of the day, we want to get it right,” Roberts said.
For now, they have nowhere to go but up.
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MESA, AZ - MARCH 10: Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during the game between the Chicago White Sox and the Athletics at Hohokam Stadium on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Jacob Soriano/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The morning was good enough: I was able to sit down with catcher Shea Langeliers, OFer Henry Bolte, and pitching coach Scott Emerson for interviews I will post in the coming days. There is also a chance I might be able to catch up with Jacob Lopez and/or Denzel Clarke on Monday.
Then came the afternoon as the A’s managed 15 of the game’s 17 hits, 12 of its 13 runs, and scored in 6 of the 8 innings in which they batted. Langeliers has batted 3 times since our interview and he has yet to hit anything but a HR. I take only partial credit.
But perhaps more encouraging was some of the individual contributions. Here’s what the Eyeball Scout saw…
Jacob Lopez
Lopez got ahead 0-2 to the game’s first batter and then walked him. But then he found his mojo and for 4 hitless innings he was every bit the Jacob Lopez we saw last season. His breaking pitches were moving a ton and his fastball, sitting mostly at 90-91 MPH, got the usual high number of swings and misses. A healthy Lopez makes the A’s rotation so much better and based on today he appears to be just fine.
Leo De Vries
I get it: the hyperbole and optimism gets old. He is a talented young man and not some Norse god. But De Vries had 2 at bats today and both were impressive — and led to a 2-2 day with 2 RBI. His first PA he spit on a tough 2-2 off speed pitch just barely below the knees (it was so close I thought the Royals might challenge it) and then muscled a single into CF. His second PA showed amazingly quick wrists as he rifled a ball into the LF corner for a 2-run double.
Yes it’s only spring training, but it’s also a fact that De Vries is now batting .400/.442/.625 and the quality of the at bats is hard to ignore. At SS he made a slick play on a ball he had to charge and throw across his body; he also missed a throw trying to make a swipe tag on a stolen base. The latter was the classic “try to do too much” that reminds you that we are in fact watching a teenager, while the former suggests a true SS.
Tommy White
Yes he’s hitting the cover off the ball and had a nice opposite field poke through the hole among 2 RBI hits today. But what made an impression to the Eyeball Scout today came in the field with White at 3B. A ground ball was slapped near the bag at 3B with White off the line. He came over and in and in a “do or die” attempt he made a slick pickup off a tough second hop and then fired a strike across his body to 1B to get the out.
The questions around White have always been primarily whether he can stick at 3B. Well for at least one play he sure made me rethink my skepticism.
Colby Thomas
Thomas is another player who has raised my eyebrows as to whether he is “a keeper”. For all his flaws, and they are very much there, one thing that is evident is that he can really mash LHP. Today’s hit, off a lefty, was just scorched to LF, hit fairly close to the SS but by him in a blur. I believe the exact exit velocity was “Fosse wow”.
Wander Suero
I’ve seen Suero twice now, once on TV and once in person today. I don’t know that he’s any great reliever but I have to say I kind of like his stuff and think he could be in play for a meaningful call up during the season. His velocity isn’t anything special — today he was throwing mostly 90-91 MPH — but like Lopez his fastball seems to play up.
Perhaps his “Luis Tiant-lite” delivery and slight short-arm action helps to create deception. He also gets a fair bit of late movement on his pitches, some cutting away late. In these regards he reminds me a lot of Justin Sterner. Whether that’s a compliment or an insult is up to you, that’s just who comes to mind.
Other notes…Scott Barlow had an effective appearance (1.2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 4 K) but was throwing only 88-89 MPH and leaned heavily on his slider. He also threw 33 pitches and only 18 strikes. Cade Marlowe had a “grind it out” PA for a walk and roped a double into the RF corner and carries a .333 BA forward as he tries to penetrate the OF depth chart.
Lots to like today, and frankly not much to worry about. The A’s started the Cactus League slow at the plate and in the win column, but maybe they are peaking at the right time. We’ll see you from Goodyear on the morrow!
