Category: MLB

Dodger baseball is officially back in session, and it began on Saturday with a thunderous 15-2 victory over the Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

Getting the nod for the cactus opener was the reigning World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who tossed 29 pitches over 1 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) while striking out three and allowing zero walks. For added benefit, his offense supplied him with a nine-run cushion entering his final frame of work.

The Dodgers’ six-run second inning gave Yamamoto a wide gap between innings, where he allowed the Angels’ only offense of the day. He remarked that he still felt great on the mound and is feeling well ahead of his next cactus start, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“I was already feeling good,” Yamamoto said. “And then somehow I was able to carry that to today’s game, especially the first inning. I think I was great, but due to the gap between innings, that affected me a little bit.”

Unbeknownst to Yamamoto, Dave Roberts assumed that he would be a one-and-done before joining Team Japan for the World Baseball Classic.

“Oh, is he?” a visibly surprised Roberts said before letting out a big laugh after Saturday’s 15-2 rout of the Angels. “I was in between, but then I was like, I didn’t want to miss him for sure. So that’s good that he confirmed that, that’s great.”

Links

With an open runway to assume the starting second base job at the beginning of the regular season, Hyeseong Kim made quite the impression on Saturday, going 2-3 with a pair of singles and three RBI. Kim spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA about his performance on Saturday, noting that he spent time this offseason working on his lower body movements.

“I spent a lot of time practicing my lower body movements, and luckily I was able to get some good results today.”

Hyeseong Kim (2-3, 3 RBI, R) discusses playing for Team Korea in the WBC, his strong start to Spring Training, his comfortability in year 2 and his skin care routine. @kirsten_watsonpic.twitter.com/wVOERvprCy

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) February 21, 2026

The Dodgers had a 50 percent success rate in using the new Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system, but don’t expect them to use it with high frequency. Anthony Solorzano of the Los Angeles Times writes about how the Dodgers will implement the ABS system, noting that they will take a more conservative approach when challenging balls and strikes.

“It’s good that we’re practicing in spring, but we’re having conversations about leverage and how to use it to our advantage.”

The Cubs were at it again at Sloan Park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. A mite cool for locals but clear and sunny. Just ask PCA how sunny. Sources say they’re still adding less-well-known players.

“Everyone’s replaceable in this game,” Taillon said after giving up three runs in two innings in the Chicago Cubs’ spring training opener Friday afternoon. “Your track record now doesn’t matter as much as it did back in the day. So it’s kind of, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ I understand that. You’re only as valuable as your next start. I’m always looking for an edge and to keep up.” — Sharma{$}.

Matt Shaw looked decent out in right. Maybe this experiment will work.

The Cubs scored twice as many runs as against the Sox, but the Rangers scored three. With any luck they’ll score a bit today against the . Game time is 1:05 local.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cade’s day? Ranking the Cubs’ Opening Day candidates. “The Opening Day starter is more of a ceremonial assignment than anything else.“ More Horton from the AP.
• Jason Ross (North Side Baseball*): Shōta Imanaga’s perilous journey from overrated to underrated. “Have Cubs fans been too quick to give up on him?“
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): How Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon keeps reinventing himself to stay ahead of aging curve. “Every athlete looks for ways to battle Father Time.“
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki blasts home run in first spring-training game, asks for sun to be moved. ‘‘I loved him,’’ Suzuki said of his Team Japan teammate (Murakami). ‘‘But after the [fly ball], I hate him, and I’m not going to support him.’’
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Chicago Cubs notes from camp: Kevin Alcántara puts injury behind him — and a lockout ‘all but guaranteed’. “I need to be focused for whatever opportunity I have to do my job,” Alcántara said.
• Manny Randhawa (MLB.com*): Broadway Joe was nearly Wrigley Joe. “He could even drive a ball over the Forbes Field wall.“

Food For Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on unimpeachable sources.

RIP Bill Mazeroski

The New York Yankees enter the 2026 season with a plethora of choices to pick for their leadoff spot. That said, one might be tempted to claim this team doesn’t have a prototypical leadoff hitter, but to do so, one would have to determine what makes a prototypical leadoff hitter these days. In 2026, the best leadoff hitters get on base by any means necessary, and any lineup aspiring to be one of the more productive offenses in the game has quite a few of those. At this point, flat-out good hitters dominate the top spot; guys like Kyle Schwarber, Shohei Ohtani, and Ronald Acuña Jr have become signature leadoff guys, though no one would’ve batted an eye to see them hit second, or even third or fourth.

The Yankees have number of good hitters, which means they have a number of options to bat first. Joshua Diemert wrote recently about the merits of Ben Rice as a potential option in the number one spot in the Yankee lineup —he made great points that align with some of what I’ll say today, trying to make a case for Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Our focus is that most of the other alternatives, Rice and Trent Grisham, specifically, are coming off two productive seasons that deviate quite a bit from the expectations surrounding them. As much as the underlying data supports them carrying on, at least to some extent, the less pressure on them to repeat, the better. Neither has a long track record of elite hitting, and allowing them to continue to prove themselves lower in the order could prove beneficial.

The qualifying offer was always a likely outcome for Grisham’s return—as much as the Yankees needed him back, it would be very difficult to justify a long-term deal off one season from a hitter with a below league-average batting line in each of the prior three campaigns. Rice is coming off a breakout season, but only a year before, he managed to play himself out of a starting role on a team that had no other suitable options for his position. Rice’s 9.4% walk rate last year is pretty good, but it’s not necessarily the anchor to justify a spot leading off on its own.

Someone playing devil’s advocate could argue that many of the concerns voiced above regarding choosing Rice or Grisham for that spot also ring true with Chisholm. But for all the ups and downs in his career, Jazz had already established himself at a productive level before joining the Yankees, and with the projection of a walk rate similar to Rice, his speed is best utilized in the leadoff spot. Since joining New York, Chisholm has a success rate in stolen absences of roughly 83 percent, swiping 49 bags on 59 attempts. Who is more likely to suffer more with the threat of Jazz running and Aaron Judge up at the plate? Judge and Chisholm themselves, or the pitcher? I would posit that there’s a decent chance that, leading off, Chisholm’s already stellar steal success rate would improve even further if he was taking leads off first base while pitchers were concerned with dealing with the best hitter

Chisholm got on base just as much as Rice a year ago, and I think it’s a pretty fair to claim that at this time, he is better suited for the pressure of hitting in front of Judge—a pressure that can turn into a gift if he performs, as no one is likelier to see more pitches to hit than the player hitting in front of the reigning back-to-back AL MVP. Maybe Chisholm won’t win MVP, like he’s said he hopes to, but he’s a great choice to hit at the top of the Yankee lineup nonetheless.

The Red Sox are entering 2026 coming off a lot of highs. Some lows, but a lot of really exciting performances, including by many, many outfielders. Like those playing center field. With one player in particular expected to claim the vast majority of the playing time.

The Starter: Ceddanne “Nuf Cedd” Rafaela

Ok, this isn’t quite true. But Ceddanne Rafaela is not only the best center fielder on the Red Sox but in all of baseball. Gold Glove defense, walkoff hits. Playing with intensity. He does it all.

In 2025 he had his breakout — with some qualifiers. At the plate he hit .249./295/.414 with 16 home runs and 20 stolen bases overall. Of course the season looked pretty different depending on when you were tuning in. Over the first half the triple slash was .271/.314/.483. In the second half it fell to .218/.268/.319. It was, in a word, brutal. Alex Bregman disappeared, first base turned into a zero, Roman Anthony got hurt, and Nuf Cedd fell into a slump or regressed to the mean. Probably more of the former but maybe some of the latter. His batting average on balls in play went from .303 to .271.

One thing in his favor is, as Yoda said, there was another. Pete Crow-Armstrong on the Chicago Cubs put up a .247/5.287/.481 line with 31 homers and 35 steals. His first half (.265/.302/.544) vs second half (.216/.262/.372) also showed a tale of two seasons. Similar hitters in some regards. They swing. They chase. They can hit the ball well when they make contact. And no one is giving up on PCA.

It might turn out that Rafaela isn’t as a good a player as his National League counterpart. But when he gives the team a hot stretch with the bat while catching everything in site, you can live with a little less thump during a slump. Preferably we won’t see quite as much of a drop-off as in 2025, though.

The Bench: Jarren Duran

Wait that can’t be right. No, that’s right.

Jarren Duran went from an 8.7 bWAR season in 2024 to “just” 4.7 in 2025 while still putting up a .256/.332/.442 line. He still hit 41 doubles (against 48), 16 home runs (21), and stole 24 bases (34). Oh, and he also hit 13 triples (14), leading the league for the second straight year.

Duran spent most of 2025 in left field but is likely to open 2026 in the left field and DH mix. With an embarrassment of riches in the outfield including Rafaela, Roman Anthony, and Wilyer Abreu, Duran is on the one team where he doesn’t immediately have a defensive home. On almost any other team in baseball he’d be in center field. And because of his difficulties facing left-handed pitching (.277/.363/.488 against righties, .211/.260/.340 against lefties) he’s not really set up for a platoon either. With Alex Cora explicitly saying his Gold Glovers, Rafaela and Abreu, will be in the outfield, that leaves Duran in Rio limbo.

Minor League Depth

With both Jarren Duran and Roman Anthony available and the prospects who might have taken over gone, we’re looking at Nate Eaton, maybe? As recently as 2023 Isiah Kiner-Falefa played 40 games in center. Somehow one of the most important positions on the defensive spectrum is stacked with talent in Boston.

FanGraphs Projections

FGDC, the FanGraphs Depth Charts projections put Nuf Cedd at .261/.303/.428 with 18 homers. Yes, famously no Red Sox are projected for more than 20 home runs in 2026. Duran is projected for .259/.326/.441 with 16 homers. With those two at the top of the center field heap, Alex Cora will have an easy time making his lineups.

Divisional Ranking

First. Rafaela is the best in the division, the American League, and MLB. If Jarren Duran or Roman Anthony are playing in center you’re probably still looking at the second-best in the division. Assuming no trades or major injuries, this position is one of if not the biggest strengths in Boston.

For me this is an easy question. Anyone who has a vested interest in the Tampa Bay Rays success knows there’s one team whose presence looms over the franchise, and soon the new owners will seek to undo decades of damage when they build a stadium that shadows over big brother.

Yes, I’m talking about the Yankees.

Nearing 30 years of Rays existence, there is no good reason for the Yankees to still be a 25% market share in the region. Local fans should be local fans! Or at least the next generation should be. The problem, so to speak, is that the Yankees are great neighbors to the place they call home — Tampa.

Charity events, taxes, good relationship with the Bucs… it’s enough to make me sick. We got one blissful year of the Rays wiping their marketing off Dale Mabry, and I can’t wait for that to be permanent.

God only knows how the Yankees and Rays could co-exist once the new stadium is built, and I hope they don’t. Send ‘em to Disney or Miami or Orlando, but Tampa is ours.

Another Phillies game on TV today? In this economy?

Listen, in between shifts of the United States-Canada gold medal match, check in on some of the news surrounding the Phillies today.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• John Middleton sat down for an interview that was pretty revealing. He talked about the offseason and the current payroll ($).
• Speaking of notes, in this section of notes, Jhoan Duran reveals that he has a secret pitch he’s been working on ($).
• The ABS is coming this season and the Phillies are doing their best to get prepared for it.

MLB news:

• The Twins are holding their breath right now as Joe Ryan was scratched from his start and is undergoing an MRI on his back.
• Bill Mazeroski, hero of the 1960 World Series for the Pirates, passed away at the age of 89.
• Jordan Westburg is going to miss quite a bit of time with a partially torn UCL. Dude is just never healthy anymore.

One night ago under the lights, it was heartbreak for Maryland baseball following a ninth-inning disaster. Less than 24 hours later, the hard times continued, as they were steamrolled by Louisiana, 9-1. 

“We just lost today… that’s just baseball sometimes, you know, I told the guys we didn’t do a good job necessarily, taking something away from the starter,” said Swope. “And sometimes you got to give him credit. He was good today … I like the way we finished. The last three innings kind of built it up, kept fighting. [And] that’s who we got to be.”

It was an afternoon of near perfection for the Ragin’ Cajuns, who won their first series of 2026. Left-handed starter Andrew Herrmann dominated with a six and one-third inning performance of two hits, one run, three walks and seven strikeouts on 116 pitches. 

Saturday was the lefty graduate’s best start of the season. He rebounded from a week ago, when he walked five batters and gave up two runs against Missouri State. 

The Terps only found offense from sophomore catcher Rylen Stockton, who delivered his second long ball of the season in the seventh inning. The newcomer is now up to a .389 average through six games. Outside of Stockton and his 2-for-4 day at the plate, the Terps combined to record three hits. 

Louisiana has won three games in a row, and its offense was hot in contrast to the Terps on Saturday — with 11 hits, nine RBIs, eight walks and just three batters retired on strikes. 

Terps freshman starter Nic Morlang made his second start. He kept things clean with scoreless pitching until the fourth inning. He surrendered six hits, four earned runs and two walks in 55 pitches. The next phase in the young pitcher’s game to develop is getting over the hump down the stretch in outings. 

“I wasn’t necessarily discouraged by the effort or anything like that. I thought Nic did a good job. Just kind of let things compound in that [fourth] inning,” Swope said. “We talked about trying to limit all that stuff. So I think today is more just a case that we [as a team] lost.”

Last week, in his debut against UNC Wilmington, Morlang’s momentum stalled in the third inning. This week, it was the fourth frame. Morlang, who is 0-2 to start the year, was only able to record one punch out in three innings of work against Louisiana. The Terps then had to rely on a struggling bullpen. 

On Friday, Swope tried to stretch reliever Cristofer Cespedes to four innings of relief work. He had built himself to four strikeouts, but then came an implosion of six earned runs and four free passes given from the bullpen. 

One Saturday ago, Maryland had to use five relief arms. This time around, appearances weren’t erratic, but in the blowout, the staff gave up four runs and six walks. One standout was freshman left-handed reliever Case Gibbs, who went an inning and ⅔, allowing one hit and two strikeouts. 

In the series finale, Maryland’s Sunday pitching plans and lineup will have to step up — the Terps will look to avoid a sweep for the first time since playing Illinois in April 2025. 

“I just told them we got to do whatever we can to salvage the series. Good teams sweep and they don’t get swept,” Swope added. “So it’s just one of those things, we got to come out and get a win.”

Three things to know

1. New adversity. After a 3-1 start, the Terps find themselves 0-2 in Louisiana. On Sunday, they will look to salvage a series after facing their first tall task in their non-conference schedule. 

2. Pitching troubles. Outside of right-hander Lance Williams, Maryland’s pitching staff has struggled. They have given up 10 total runs and walks across Friday and Saturday. 

3. Bud Coombs’ return. Freshman Bud Coombs returned Saturday in a substitution opportunity for the Terps. This came one week after he left Maryland’s Feb. 14 doubleheader against UNC Wilmington with an ankle injury. 

The Yankees hosted their spring home opener yesterday afternoon, and it was a fun one. Spencer Jones hit a mammoth home run, Aaron Judge already looked like he was in GOAT-mode with two dingers, and pitching prospect Carlos Langrage showcased some filthy stuff in an impressive start, a day after fellow prospect Elmer Rodríguez looked solid against the Orioles.

We should absolutely not overreact to the outings of Lagrange and Rodríguez to start spring, with the two young pitchers flashing over the course of just a couple innings. Yet just because we shouldn’t suddenly heap huge expectations on them doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun. If you had to choose now, which Yankees pitching prospect do you think will make the biggest impact in 2026?

We saw just last year how a young, hard-throwing prospect could rise quickly and make his mark, as Cam Schlittler dominated the upper minors and became a vital part of the Yankee pitching staff by the end of the season. There’s no guarantee that the Yankees will see a young starter do the same this year, but they certainly have some plausible candidates. Rodríguez hinted at improved command in his first start, and he’s coming off one of the most impressive seasons of any minor league pitcher in 2025, posting a 2.58 ERA in 150 innings with 176 strikeouts.

Lagrange, for his part, is a positively tantalizing talent. The righty wrings easy 100-mph gas out of his 6-foot-7 frame, and though bouts of poor control kept him from matching the run-prevention numbers Rodríguez posted in 2025, Lagrange still managed to run one of the highest strikeout rates in the minors, fanning 168 batters in 120 innings.

Rodríguez and Lagrange are the obvious prospect candidates to make their presence known in the bigs this year, but the Yankees do have at least a couple more dark horses elsewhere in the system. Ben Hess, their first-round pick in 2024, showed well in Double-A last season, and could be a pick to click if the Yankees’ pitching development can squeeze a bit more velo out of Hess’ fastball. There’s also Chase Hampton, perhaps the team’s best pitching prospect before going down with Tommy John surgery last year. It’s a long shot Hampton puts it all back together in his first season after injury, but who knows?

What do you think? Do you think there’s a prospect that has particularly good odds of doing a Schlittler impression this year? Or will the Yankees ultimately lean on their veteran starters all season?

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On the site today, Matt profiles a fascinating figure in Ryne Duren, who was supposedly the inspiration for the Charlie Sheen’s character in Major League. Also, John spins around Yankees social media, highlighting a whole lot of shenanigans as the Yankees reported to camp. And we’ve got baseball, with the Yankees hosting their crosstown rivals down in Tampa.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees vs. New York Mets

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Video: MLB.tv

Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL

Observations from Mets’ spring training on Saturday:

Good sign

Francisco Alvarez, whose early part of the 2025 season was marred by a fractured hamate bone, homered on a back field in a live batting practice session Saturday morning.

The catcher is trying to regain the form he showed in the second half of last year, when he had a .921 OPS following his return to the majors on July 21 after a rough first half.

Two bad

The Mets had some familiar faces in the top half of the lineup, but the team managed just a pair of hits against Miami.

Their first hit didn’t come until Austin Barnes’ single in the bottom of the fifth.

Caught my eye

Ronny Mauricio, who got the start at shortstop, also stole second as he looks to carve out a role for himself on the roster with Francisco Lindor out with a fractured hamate bone.

Sunday’s schedule

Who’s ready for the Subway Series?

Probably no one, but the Mets will travel to face the Yankees at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.

Justin Hagenman is expected to make the start.

— Dan Martin

Justin Crawford shows ‘fire,' impresses in exhibition opener originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Justin Crawford giggled.

“I’ve got to hit the weight room a little more,” he told reporters on Saturday.

There wasn’t much to nitpick in Crawford’s first Spring Training outing in 2026. He collected two hits against the Blue Jays in Dunedin and showed why the Phillies feel comfortable giving him a real opportunity.

Crawford has spent plenty of his pro career at or near the top of the order, so batting leadoff in his first Grapefruit League action wasn’t new. What stood out was how composed it looked.

That’s part of the profile the 22-year-old has built, and not just from bloodlines. Yes, he’s the son of Carl Crawford. But Justin’s approach has stayed consistent: play fast, make contact, pressure the defense.

That showed up quickly against Toronto left-hander Eric Lauer, a seven-year big leaguer. Crawford worked the count, then on the sixth pitch drove a high fastball into the left-center gap. It banged off the middle of the wall and he cruised into second with a double that left the bat at 104 mph.

It was also a swing he felt good about right away.

“Definitely,” Crawford said when asked if he liked the swing and result. “That definitely feels good getting the first one, the first at-bat like that. So it’s kind of nice to be able to get that early and then just trying to hopefully build off of that.”

The left-on-left piece is what keeps his ceiling interesting.

In 2025, Crawford slashed .376/.411/.518 against left-handed pitching in Triple-A. When a left-handed hitter can handle same-side matchups, put the ball in play, and run, it changes how teams have to defend you.

Crawford talked last week on Phillies Talk about keeping things simple and trusting what got him here.

“Once I get out into the game, just go out there and just play,” Crawford said. “Whatever happens, whatever happens — just play hard and play fast, and I feel like good things happen off of that.”

Part of playing for the Phillies’ No. 3 prospect — per MLB Pipeline — is being a pest. That’s something this lineup could use more of, especially at the end. A tough out.

If Crawford’s bat can stick toward the bottom of the order, it creates more chances for Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper — in no particular order — to hit with traffic. That’s a real way to change the feel of an offense without making a splashy addition.

And if the Phillies ever need a spark at the top, don’t rule out Crawford working his way into that conversation, too. In a situation where the club wants to keep alternating left-right, that’s a path as well.

Crawford also shared one small mechanical note from his offseason, saying he tweaked his setup late last season and stayed with it through the winter.

“I made some adjustments at the end of the year… playing with my hands, got them a little bit closer to around my ear now,” Crawford said postgame. “It just feels like it’s quicker to kind of get to the ball from there.”

Defense is the other side of it. Center field is one of the hardest spots to step into right away, and it hasn’t been the loudest part of Crawford’s profile. But the tools are obvious, and the instincts showed on his sliding grab in center against Addison Barger in the fourth inning.

He also addressed the outfield dynamic, with Brandon Marsh to one side and Adolis García to the other.

“They made it very clear to kind of get me comfortable and to kind of be like, ‘Yo, go take charge out there,’” Crawford said on Phillies Talk. “There’s no such thing as over-talking.”

The Phillies have also liked what they’ve seen from Crawford’s routine and consistency. He said Saturday that a strong support system helps keep him grounded as the attention ramps up.

“Thankfully, I have a pretty good support system with my mom, my dad, my hitting coach, Mike Esler,” Crawford said. “They kind of help me stay in the moment… take it day by day, pitch by pitch, and kind of just controlling what you can control.”

There’s also an element clubs tend to value when young players arrive: how you go about it. Hustle, effort, and not playing scared. Crawford’s first game checked those boxes.

Philadelphia can be a tough place to grow up at the big league level. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm are recent examples who stuck, but the list isn’t long. The key with a homegrown talent like Crawford is patience.

Rob Thomson has already said he’ll get the chances to play. If there are growing pains, the club will have to live through them.

It’s one Spring Training game. But the early signs matched his reputation — and the attitude did, too.

“Try to light some fire,” Crawford said on Phillies Talk. “Just do anything I can to cause havoc for the defense… any way I can to get on base, to score for our team.”

Saturday looked just like that.

TAMPA — Perhaps the next game Spencer Jones plays at Steinbrenner Field, traffic will be temporarily halted on Dale Mabry Highway when the Yankees slugger comes up to bat.

That way, the cars driving by beyond the right-field fence will be shielded from baseballs flying their way.

Jones had a spring debut Saturday typical of his tantalizing potential, clobbering a mammoth home run that cleared everything in right field and left the entire stadium before striking out in his next two at-bats.

The 6-foot-7, lefty slugger has been tinkering with his mechanics once again early in camp but found the right move for his homer that was estimated to travel 408 feet, which seemed incredibly light.

“Just trying to get some good feels with the hands, get those going and use that as a trigger,” Jones said during the 20-3 win over the Tigers.

On the YES broadcast, David Cone described Jones’ swing as “almost [Shohei] Ohtani-like,” pointing to the toe tap that he was using, which Jones later indicated is something he has looked at.

“[Ohtani] is a great reference of a really good mover with a great swing,” Jones said. “He’s one of those guys that I look at some of the stuff he does and try to apply it in whichever way I can.”

Jones has also leaned on Aaron Judge, his fellow 6-foot-7 Yankee, for advice on how to make the most of his big frame.

The two spent time in big league camp talking about it last spring and have done so again this year, with Jones coming off a strong year in which he clubbed 35 home runs but struck out 179 times in 506 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.

“I think the biggest thing that I’ve noticed swing-wise is he’s just ready to hit,” said Judge, who also crushed two homers. “The minute he puts that foot down with the little toe-tap, he’s ready to hit. Maybe they might have got him with a lot of high heaters in the past or even last season. I think that’s just going to help him. He doesn’t have a big leg kick, he doesn’t have to worry about getting that down.

“That quickness, that readiness is really going to be a game-changer for him.”

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Carlos Lagrange made his anticipated Grapefruit League debut and flashed his triple-digit fastball while giving up two runs (one earned) across 2 ²/₃ innings. The top pitching prospect scattered three hits and walked a pair while striking out two, both on his changeup.

“It’s a little bit of a dream coming true right there,” Lagrange said of wearing pinstripes and pitching in his first game in major league spring training.

The 6-foot-7, 22-year-old Lagrange has continued to impress Yankees officials and teammates with not only his stuff but his demeanor as well.

“Carlos’ potential, man, is to be a frontline starter for the New York Yankees,” Judge said.

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Cam Schlittler threw a bullpen session Saturday that simulated two innings, which could be the final hurdle before he gets back to facing hitters, which he has not done since being slowed with mid-back inflammation at the start of camp.

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Russell Wilson made a cameo in the Yankees clubhouse Saturday morning, walking through and shaking hands with players, some of whom were caught off guard to see the Giants quarterback.

Introduction

One of the many reasons for the disappointing D-Backs’ 2025 season? Their dismayingly ugly defense. It felt like a constant refrain throughout the season’s broadcasts when either Steve Berthiaume or Bob Brenly would remark on how defensive errors or miscues drive a manager like Torey Lovullo crazy. That ugliness caught my eye early and never really seemed to be resolved throughout the season. Frustratingly, none of Torey’s mental anguish or pleading seemed to make much of a difference. I don’t want to overstate the problem. It’s not as if their defense was terrible – depending on your preferred metric, they were anywhere from 11th in the majors by FanGraph’s defensive rating to 24th by Baseball Reference’s defensive runs saved. But those rankings are both significant steps backwards compared to the previous year when the D-Backs were first by the latter and seventh by the former en route to an 89-73 record. Obviously, it wasn’t the only factor in their slippage between the two seasons, but now that Spring Training is upon us, the team’s defense will be under intense scrutiny – especially since none of the projected rotation members are likely to be strikeout artists and will instead depend on a stalwart defense to keep runs off the board. So what improvements can be made to make sure that comes to pass?

Roster Improvement

There was always going to be at least some defensive regression by swapping Josh Naylor for Christian Walker at first base. While Naylor isn’t bad in the field – he clocked in at 13th in the league with 1 outs above average (OAA) in 2024 – he’s nowhere near the 13 OAA that Walker produced that year. Ironically, Walker took significant steps back both offensively and defensively last year – enough that he and Naylor were on par with one another for defensive value. Now that Naylor’s found his new home in Seattle (with his distractingly cute dog), the D-Backs needed another first baseman alongside Pavin Smith – enter Carlos Santana. While Santana’s most significant offensive contributions are likely behind him in his improbably long-lasting career, he and his 8 OAA represent significant improvements defensively over Naylor – and don’t forget (like I did) that he’s just two years removed from a Gold Glove-caliber season at the cold corner. On the diagonal side of the diamond, Nolan Arenado has long been a defensive wizard at the hot corner even as his contributions at the plate continue to decline with age. Contrastingly, Eugenio Suarez has been a minus-defender at third base for most of his career – including leading the league in errors in two separate seasons. That’s perfectly fine when he’s hitting four home runs in a game, but becomes less acceptable when he posts a measly .189/.255/.428 slash line. It’s a deliberate choice by the front office to trade offense for defense while banking on the combination of Geraldo Perdomo, Ketel Marte, and Corbin Carroll to pick up the offensive slack. That’s an understandable and perhaps worthwhile exchange, but it’s a bet predicated on that aforementioned trio maintaining their respective offensive ceilings – a bet that may be in danger already given Carroll’s hamate injury.

Individual Improvement

While the roster changes above should, on paper at least, improve the team’s defense, they alone likely still won’t allow the team to reach the heights they hit during that 2023-24 stretch. For that to happen, they’ll likely need some growth from some of their existing players – particularly the younger ones that are still looking to fully establish themselves. In my mind, this dynamic particularly applies to Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno. Last season was undoubtedly Perdomo’s unexpected (for me at least) breakout from solid major leaguer to legitimate star. And while he was good in the field, checking in at 16th for defensive WAR among shortstops last year and accumulating 5 OAA, there might still be room for improvement as he continues to gain confidence and additional comfort at the position. There probably isn’t as much room for improvement for Moreno who has been an absolute beast defensively since coming over from the Blue Jays in the 2022-23 offseason. For the young Venezuelan, it has more to do with his durability and ability to stay on the field as he’s played in 100 or more games just once – back in his inaugural season with the team. Obviously, catching is an inherently difficult and physically taxing position and the number of catchers who exceed that threshold isn’t incredibly long, but it is important. Sadly, Moreno has been absolutely snakebitten (pun intended) with injuries, losing time due to shoulder inflammation (three weeks), a thumb sprain (ten days), an adductor strain (six weeks), and last year’s finger fracture that ultimately cost him two-plus months of playing time. When he’s on the field, he can be a dynamic game changer with his bat and his arm cutting down baserunners – it’s just the first part that has been a struggle.

Well we officially have Braves baseball back in our lives, as Spring Training kicked off Saturday. Mike Yastrzemski had a nice debut, with a homer and a single, while bullpen candidates Hayden Harris, James Karinchak, and Dylan Dodd showed out nicely in one inning of work each.

We’ll be treated to a Chris Sale start today at 1:05 PM ET against the Twins, who are starting Taj Bradley.

Braves News

The Braves started their 2026 Spring Training games with a good performance from one of their top offseason additions.

MLB News

The Twins sparked a short-lived trade rumor, scratching Joe Ryan just before his first Spring Training start for what turned out to be back tightness.

Braves legend and likely future Hall of Famer Freddie Freeman has expressed his intent to play four more seasons, all for the Dodgers, with two years remaining on his current contract.

Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski passed away at the age of 89 on Friday.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Aaron Judge and Spencer Jones both went deep on Saturday as the Yankees steamrolled the Detroit Tigers 20-3. Jones’ homer was no cheapy, leaving the bat at 111.7 mph and traveling an official 408 feet (though the outfielder chided that metric as conservative). Judge expressed optimism about Jones’ reworked swing. “He doesn’t have a big leg kick and doesn’t have to worry about trying to get that down,” the Yankees captain said. “I liked the results I saw in that first at-bat. That quickness, that readiness, it’s really going to be a game-changer for him.”

For his part, Judge homered twice, quickly rounding into form as he prepares for the World Baseball Classic. “(With) the WBC, you don’t want to get exposed,” he said after the game in reference to his goal of ramping up quickly this spring. “You’re playing for your country. You’ve got to be ready to go.”

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: ($) A sewage leak engulfed George M. Steinbrenner Field Saturday as the Yankees put a hurting on the Tigers. The unwelcome visitor intruded on the team’s clubhouse as well as its team store, public concourse, and decorative pond. In addition to an unfortunate odor, the leak provided some all-time quotes. “It’s not great. It’s all over the place,” said manager Aaron Boone, adding circumspectly, “Life gets you sometimes.” But it was the team’s official spokesperson who delivered the doozy of the day via a quietly philosophical thought: “It’s spring training for the toilets, too.”

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Gerrit Cole looked sharp Friday in his first action against live hitters since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. Facing Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, and Jasson Domínguez, the 2023 Cy Young Award winner threw 20 pitches, topping out at 96 mph. “Everything felt good. I had a good bit of fun,” he said Saturday. “It was the first day where I was unregulated. The mindset was performance. It’s nice when you get to that point and your objective is to go execute and not think about anything else. It was rewarding and refreshing.” Cole also used a new over-the-head windup that he’s toying with carrying into the season.

The Yankees are also looking to get third baseman Ryan McMahon some action at shortstop so he’s available there to boost their flexibility during the season. “I’m a ballplayer,” the veteran, who made two appearances at short in 2020, said nonchalantly about the new position. “I’m a ballplayer. I think I can go out there and catch the ball, and we’ll see how it looks.”

PORT ST. LUCIE — Bo Bichette was back in a game for the first time since his Blue Jays lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Dodgers to end last season.

The goal with his new team is to get back to October and after years of coming up short in Toronto, Bichette believes he brings some successful postseasons to Queens.

“I learned it’s not too complicated,’’ Bichette said of winning in the playoffs. “It’s about having a group of more than 26 guys on the same page come together every day. You have conversations about what it looks like and what you want the identity of the team to be. It comes down to having the entire locker room here to win.”

That, he hopes, is already happening, but they will also need David Stearns’ plan of having four middle infielders often manning the entire infield come together.

The Great Infield Experiment began on Saturday, with Bichette at third base for their Grapefruit League opener against Miami at Clover Park, which they lost 2-1.

And naturally, Bichette was tested with a grounder down the line in his first game at his new position.

The former shortstop backhanded Connor Norby’s ground ball before his long throw tailed a bit as Jose Rojas tried to corral the ball at first.

The play was ruled an error by Rojas, who could have made the play — but after he exited the game, Bichette said, “The throw could have been better, for sure.”

Asked if it was a more difficult throw than the one he was accustomed to from hole at short, Bichette said, “I don’t know if it’s tougher. It’s different.”

Carlos Mendoza said Bichette was “fine” in his debut at third, adding he’s liked what he’s seen from his arm during camp.

He’ll be tested throughout the spring, as Bichette will get plenty of reps at third, as he breaks in there, with Jorge Polanco at first.

Polanco didn’t play Saturday, while Marcus Semien made his Mets spring debut at second, with Francisco Lindor out, recovering from hand surgery.

“Playing third was fun,” Bichette said of his debut. “I’m learning something new.”

Among the realizations: “I noticed right away the viewpoint is different [than shortstop]. You can’t really look at the hitter. You look at the contact point. There’s definitely a lot of stuff I can learn in the game.”

There will be plays throughout the spring — and into the regular season — that Bichette has never seen before, with Polanco experiencing similar challenges at first base.

But the Mets are confident the ex-middle infielders are up to the challenge of moving to the corners, with their bats helping make up for whatever learning curves they go through defensively.

And they’ve talked extensively about what both veteran players bring to the roster in terms of experience and culture.

For Bichette, he’s confident having seen it finally gel last season in Toronto helps translate to similar results with the Mets.

“It’s about the process,’’ Bichette said of what he figured out in Toronto, along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. “The organization was kind of put in Vlad’s and my hands at a really young age and we went through a lot of ups and downs. We had some really good times and not so good times that shaped us to get to the point that it was just really about winning. It’s not that we didn’t think it was about that from the beginning, but we had to get to the point where it really was the main focus and the only thing we cared about. We had to set that culture.”

It will be a different challenge with the Mets.

“I think I can bring who I am and how I play on the field and what matters to me,’’ Bichette said. “Hopefully that turns into conversations about winning — and that’s already happening.”