Category: MLB

Randy Vasquez had his first misstep of Spring Training in the San Diego Padres 4-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday. He allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and had two strikeouts over four innings. That may not sound great, but when you consider how Texas was able to plate the runs, it makes the performance a little easier to understand for San Diego fans. A single, a stolen base and a two-out single scored the first run for the Rangers, but the second run came as a result of a two-out triple. Sometimes the batter puts the ball in the right spot to get the best result and that is what Brandon Nimmo did with a sharp ground ball down the right field line. Both runs allowed by Vasquez came in the second inning. He settled in for the remainder of his outing and kept Texas off the board. The Padres offense did not find much success against Rangers pitching. San Diego recorded four hits in the game and the one run the Padres scored crossed the plate as a result of an error.

San Diego plays the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. at 1:10 p.m. today.

Padres News:

• Reliever Bryan Hoeing is considering the possibly of having surgery to repair his injured elbow. Manager Craig Stammen said he expects a decision in the near future. If Hoeing decides to have surgery he may not be the only member of the San Diego roster on the injured list. Sung-Mun Song may also start the season on the IL due to him reaggravating his injured oblique. One positive injury note is that Jason Adam remains on track to be on the roster and in the bullpen on Opening Day.

• San Diego signed veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo to a minor league deal without an invitation to Spring Training, so he is working to improve and impress the Padres staff to make a case for him seeing some big-league at-bats in 2026.

• Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune issued his latest installment of the Padres roster review with his focus being Nick Castellanos. The slugger had a public exit from Philadelphia but seems to have settled in well with his new teammates and organization.

• The Padres outrighted reliever Daison Acosta to open a spot on the 40-man roster and sent catcher Ethan Salas to minor league camp. Acosta was placed on waivers this weekend and passed through unclaimed and will remain in the San Diego organization.

• Zack Littell ended his free agency and signed with the Washington Nationals this weekend. Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball makes a case for why Padres general manager A.J. Preller should have competed for his services.

Baseball News:

• The Philadelphia Phillies and left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo agreed to a five-year contract extension on Monday that will pay him $135 million.

• Detroit Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle hit his first home run of Spring Training and is making his case for remaining with the team to and possibly through Opening Day.

• New York Yankees prospect Spencer Jones, who has hit some prodigious home runs in spring camp, has been sent to Triple-A by the organization. The Yankees also announced that Max Fried will start Opening Day for the club.

WBC News:

• Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first WBC home run, and it came in the form of a grand slam as the Dominican Republic moved to 3-0 with a dominant outing against Israel.

• The US held off a late comeback attempt from Mexico to secure a win and remain undefeated in the tournament.

• Tarik Skubal will leave Team USA and return to Tigers camp in order to prepare for the upcoming season.

• Venezuela beat Nicaragua to setup a matchup with the Dominican Republic that will feature two undefeated teams.

• Puerto Rico beat Cuba and will continue on to the quarterfinals of the WBC.

Welcome to Pinstripe Alley’s coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! We previewed Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D in the linked articles. Since the first several days of the WBC feature a bevy of games, we’ll be recapping them in batches. Enjoy!

Pool B: USA (3-0) 5, Mexico (2-1) 3

While the United States jumped out to a big lead with Aaron Judge homering again, Mexico kept the game close, and USA faced their toughest test of the WBC slate thus so far.

After Paul Skenes and Manny Barreda each started the game with a couple zeroes, the US broke things open in the third. Shortly after a cannon of a throw from Judge caught a runner trying to advance to third, No. 99 got the party started with a two-run homer, his second of the tournament. Roman Anthony would go deep later in the inning, as the US put up a five spot to take control of the game. Meanwhile, Skenes ended up striking out seven, allowing just one hit in his four innings of work.

Following Skenes’ departure, things got a little close for comfort. Matthew Boyd came on for the fifth and allowed two runs, including a Jarren Duran home run. In the eighth, Durran homered off Boyd again, and Griffin Jax had to eventually come in to induce an inning-ending double play after Mexico put the tying run on.

In the ninth, Mexico again had a chance when Joey Meneses led off the inning with a single. Garrett Whitlock got the next three outs to seal the win, but it was a hairy one. Team USA hasn’t nailed down Pool B just yet, but they can secure the win by beating Italy today. The second spot should come from the winner of Mexico vs. Italy tomorrow.

Pool A: Puerto Rico (3-0) 4, Cuba (2-1) 1

Martín Maldonado of all people delivered the big hit for Puerto Rico, as they downed Cuba to remain unbeaten. That clinched a Pool A triumph for Puerto Rico, while Cuba will likely have to defeat Canada tomorrow to advance.

Yankee prospect Elmer Rodríguez started the game for Puerto Rico with a couple zeroes before Maldonado struck in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded and one out, Maldonado—who has never been much of a hitter and in fact retired this past offseason to take a job in the Braves’ organization—snuck a ball past third baseman Yoán Moncada and down the line, into the corner. All three runners came around the score, giving Puerto Rico the lead, which they never relinquished.

Rodríguez ended up going three innings, allowing one hit and three walks, while also striking out three. PR opened up a 4-0 lead before Cuba got one run back, but that’s all they got as Puerto Rico’s bullpen made it through the game without much issue.

Pool D: Venezuela (4-0) 4, Nicaragua (0-4) 0

Ronald Acuña Jr. recorded three hits and two RBI as Venezuela downed Nicaragua to remain undefeated in the tournament, and set up a battle with the Dominican Republic tomorrow for the top spot in the pool.

Acuña was all over the place in this one, even in the runs he didn’t directly drive in. He led off the game with a walk, stole second, and then moved to third on the same play thanks to an error. That allowed him to score on a Jackson Chourio single, and Venezuela never trailed after that.

In terms of number of hits, Nicaragua actually outhit Venezuela, but they just didn’t do remotely enough with them. None of Nicaragua’s hits went for extra bases, and they went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six on base. When you have Acuña doing Acuña things on the other side, that was never going to get it done. They finished last in their pool and will have to play in the qualifiers for the next WBC.

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As we enter the final days of pool play, here’s the action that’s on tap for today:

Japan vs. Czech Republic (Pool C)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Hiroto Takahashi vs. RHP Ondrej Satoria
Time: 6:00 am ET
TV: FS1
Location: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan

Israel vs. Netherlands (Pool D)
Pitching Matchup: LHP Ryjeteri Merite vs. RHP Carlos Lequerica
Time: 7:00 pm ET
TV: Fox App
Location: LoanDepot Park — Miami, FL

Canada vs. Puerto Rico (Pool A)
Pitching Matchup: RHP Jordan Balazovic vs. RHP José De León
Time: 7:00 pm ET
TV: Tubi
Location: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico

Italy vs. USA (Pool B)
Pitching Matchup: TBD vs. TBD
Time: 9:00 pm ET
TV: FS1
Location: Daikin Park — Houston, TX

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland has a few observation from a Cactus League win for the Texas Rangers over the San Diego Padres yesterday.

Kennedi Landry writes about Andrew McCutchen making his spring debut with Texas where the former NL MVP smacked an RBI double.

Kevin Sherrington checks out what impact the new ABS challenge system can make on the Rangers as it goes into full effect for the first time this season.

Jeff Wilson has adjusted his Rangers Opening Day roster projection with McCutchen’s arrival necessitating changes.

Evan Grant writes about the reasoning behind new skipper Skip Schumaker moving Corey Seager down a spot in his anticipated everyday lineup.

Landry writes about Brandon Nimmo acclimating himself to playing for a new team and moving positions this spring.

Grant notes that Schumaker intends to allow Josh Smith and Evan Carter more leeway to bat against left-handed pitching rather than viewing them strictly as platoon options.

MLB dot com’s Will Leitch calls a Jacob deGrom Cy Young win the most likely award hardware chance for a Ranger in 2026.

Grant writes that former All-Star reliever Alexis Diaz is falling behind in the wide-open bullpen competition with some unpleasant outings so far this spring.

And, McFarland names 2024 first-round catcher prospect Malcolm Moore as Texas’ No. 15 best prospect on the DMN top 30 list.

Have a nice day!

It’s no secret that the Orioles have a problem developing pitching under the Mike Elias regime. When Brandon Young debuted for the O’s last April, he became the first undrafted free agent to debut for the Baltimore since 2019. A month later, Kade Strowd became the first pitcher drafted by Elias to debut for the Orioles. There has yet to be a second.

That track record may start to turn around in 2026, however, and the biggest name to watch is soon-to-be 23-year-old Luis De León. I’ll be the first to admit that seeing De León rise to the status of Baltimore’s No.1 pitching prospect when MLB.com released the Orioles updated Top 30 prospect list last week. After all, Trey Gibson is the Orioles’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year and many prospect prognosticators spent ample time in 2025 hyping up 19-year-old right-hander Esteban Mejia.

However, after seeing the latest clips of De León to come out of Sarasota, it’s clear why the lanky lefty from the Dominican Republic has distinguished himself from all other Orioles pitching prospects. He’s only faced 10 batters so far this Spring, giving up one hit and striking out two. However, what’s popped off the screen in those ten plate appearances is the outrageous repertoire the young lefty possesses.

De León’s two go-to pitches are his sinker and slider. The sinker has become the primary weapon of choice for many top lefties across the league. Phillies All-Star hurler Cristopher Sánchez led all of baseball last year with 19 Run Value of his sinker, on his way to an 8.0 WAR season and a second-place finish in NL Cy Young voting. Orioles’ failed free agency target Framber Valdez also leaned heavily on his sinker during a strong 2025, while AL Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet uses his sinker as his go-to pitch in left-on-left matchups.

What distinguishes De León’s sinking fastball from the game’s top lefties is its sheer velocity. Sánchez and Valdez both sat around 94-95mph with their sinkers. Crochet’s sinker had a little more heat, sitting around 96mph and approaching triple digits on occasion. The Orioles’ young lefty can run his sinker up into the high 90s, putting him in elite company with some of the MLB’s top southpaws.

Orioles LHP prospect Luis De León averaged 97.1 mph on his fastball Saturday.

Here is the complete list of MLB left-handed starting pitchers in 2025 to average over 97 mph on their fastball:

1. Tarik Skubal, 97.6 mph https://t.co/y1yHvcruNI

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) March 9, 2026

The Orioles’ top pitching prospect pairs that high-velocity sinker with a wipe-out slider that he’s comfortable throwing to both righties and lefties. Against the Braves on Saturday, 14 of his 29 pitches were sliders, with six to RHBs and eight to LHBs. Chris Sale is the gold standard for lefty sliders, and while De León has a slightly smaller frame than Sale, he has a similar low arm slot that helps create whip on his breaking ball.

Luis De Leon begins the AFL Fall Stars game with a strikeout pic.twitter.com/8hTADLjuad

— The Verge- An Orioles MiLB Podcast (@TheVergePod) November 10, 2025

The lefty rounds out a five-pitch mix with a four-seamer that also reaches the upper 90s, a mid 80’s changeup with some run that mirrors his sinker and a splitter in the low 80’s. The off-speed offerings are still playing catch-up with the fastballs and slider, but MLB.com’s write-up on De León notes that “all [five] can be plus pitches because De León throws everything with good arm speed and angle when his mechanics are clicking.”

A good changeup can give De León a strong plan of attack against right-handed batters. Reigning, two-time AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal led baseball last year with 25 Run Value on changeups. It was also his primary pitch against RHBs, throwing 34% changes against righties.

De León uses his sinker to churn out ground balls, producing nearly two groundball outs for every flyout. The changeup then becomes a great out pitch he can tunnel off the sinker, keeping hitters off balance thanks to the 10+ mph difference between the two pitches. The shape of the pitches should give him a similar sinker/changeup combo to what we’d seen previously from Yennier Cano—but with a bigger speed difference that should make De Leon’s changeup more effective.

If he can hone his splitter as well, it’d give him an arsenal you just don’t see in left-handed starters. Of all lefty starters last year, only the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga prominently featured a splitter as part of his arsenal. And while Imanaga’s splitter also sits in the low 80’s, the Japanese southpaw’s average fastball velocity barely tops 90mph. A refined splitter would give the lefty a natural complement to his four-seamer, allowing him to attack the top of the zone with the heater before making hitters look foolish on a low splitter. Otherwise known as the Félix Bautista approach.

That’s not to say the soon-to-be 23-year-old doesn’t have flaws as a prospect. His control is still a work in progress, as is often the case with young pitchers with plus stuff and high strikeout numbers. The young lefty posted an 11 K/9 rate across three levels last season, including racking 24 Ks in 16 innings to end the season at Double-A. However, he also put up 4.2 BB/9, a number that would’ve been second-worst among qualified MLB starters last year. Those control concerns popped up again during his stint in the Arizona Fall League, where he struck out 22 batters in 16.1 innings but also walked 12.

Many, including De León himself, expect the lefty to reach the majors sometime this year. Given the number of major league-proven starters the front office brought in this offseason, it seems unlikely that the young Dominican will crack the rotation upon his arrival in Baltimore.

However, he has a chance to make a big impact in a multi-inning relief role—similar to what we’ve seen from other top left-handed prospects to begin their career. Both Sale and Crochet were relievers for their first two seasons with the White Sox before transitioning to starters in their third full season. Former Cy Young winner David Price debuted in the bullpen for the Rays, even closing some playoff games in their run to the 2008 World Series. If the Orioles find themselves in contention down the stretch, De León could be the secret weapon they need to get Baltimore back to October.

When the Red Sox signed Masataka Yoshida on December 15, 2022 it was to mixed reactions. Xander Bogaerts had signed with the San Diego Padres a few days earlier, lost to free agency sorta-kinda because of the addition of Trevor Story. Kyle Schwarber the year before had been deemed “too expensive” when he signed with the Dave Dombrowski’s Philadelphia Phillies. And yet there were the Red Sox giving a five-year deal, $90 million contact to Yoshida, in addition to a posting fee. But there was also excitement. Yoshida was coming to the Red Sox from the Orix Buffaloes where he excelled.

In the 2022 season the outfielder hit .335/.447/.561 with 21 home runs. He drew 80 walks against just 41 strikeouts. Obviously, no one expected him to duplicate the line entirely. Maybe not hit for as much power. Maybe not quite the same strikeouts and walks – though his batting skill was main draw for Yoshida so possibly not as much change.

As the calendar would have it, spring 2023 was both his first Spring Training in the US and a WBC year. Almost before he’d joined the Sox, Yoshida was back playing with a Japanese team. And if you were excited about his potential — as Chaim Bloom surely was — Yoshida would exceed all rational thought. Through the tournament he hit an insane .409/.531/.727 with two home runs and a double. He walked four times against a single strikeout. He won the MVP as Japan took the crown.

Over three years in Boston Yoshida has not been an MVP but he’s definitely had his moments. In 2023, Yoshida played in 140 games and hit .289/.338/.445 with 15 home runs and 81 strikeouts compared to just 34 walks. That’s a solid year to build off.

He battled injuries in 2024 but despite playing in only 108 games he was still worth 1.4 bWAR. Was he adjusting? Maybe. Slashing .280/.349/.415 with 10 home runs and 52 strikeouts compared to 27 walks showed some of that. Alex Cora kept him out of the outfield, proffering DH duty, but if he wasn’t needed in the outfield why use a fielder you’re not sure is your best option?

“I don’t know why people are so surprised that he’s hitting. When he was healthy in ‘23 the first half of the season, he was one of the best hitters in the big leagues. He got banged up. We kind of covered it for a while there, and he had injections [for his right shoulder]. – Alex Cora

In 2025, Yoshida would miss the first half of the season recovering from shoulder surgery. The hope being that with a patched up arm maybe he’d be a better outfield option. Although it was never really clear if that was the plan.

All said and done this was a disappointing season for Masataka Yoshida at first glance. Slashing just .266/.307/.388. Though he did hit 4 home runs, steal 3 bases, and put up a 24: 10 K:BB. While it’s a small sample, his September, as the rest of the ream struggled to hit, was perhaps a sign that after injury and a long layoff, he was feeling better. Yoshida would hit .333/.351/.486 with 2 of his 4 homers. His K:BB was 5:3. That’s only 18 games but potentially his first truly healthy play since sometime in 2024. He’d roll straight into the Yankees series hitting .571/.571/.571. Fours hits in 7 plate appearances. He even drove in 2 critical runs. He struck out just once.

And he rolled into the World Baseball Classic in Spring 2026, healthy.

Through four games – all of which Japan won – Masa is 6 for 12 with two home runs. He’s playing with fun. He’s playing with style.

That’s a bat drop worthy of Roman Anthony.

What’s the future for Yoshida when he returns to Boston? He’s got the inside track as the DH. Unlike Triston Casas, he can’t easily be sent to the minors. He’s hitting for power again, which, yes, adjust this for competition, but he needed to show he’d found his power swing again. Did Craig Breslow and Alex Cora already know this? I don’t know, probably? They have tremendously more information than we do. But We’re all seeing it now.

This looks like 2023 Yoshida shining on the international stage, ready to take that experience back to Boston. Only this time he isn’t an American rookie – he’s a veteran. He’s the Macho Man. He’s Masa.

1914
The White Sox their World Tour vs. the New York Giants to final rest with a banquet in the Gold Room of the Congress Hotel. Pitcher Joe Benz had to skip the celebration — he was getting married that day! Manager Nixey Callahan also had to book out west right after the celebration — White Sox spring training had started out in Paso Robles, Calif., on February 26.

Jim Margalus provided South Side Sox coverage of this night, and the entire tour, back in 2014.

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1959
Months after exercising his right to purchase a 54% (controlling) interest in the White Sox from Dorothy Comiskey, the courts cleared the sale and officially awarded the keys to Bill Veeck. Dorothy’s brother, Chuck, had held up the sale, taking his sister and Veeck to court over his supposed right of first refusal to purchase Dorothy’s shares. Chuck — who would eventually opt to remain on the payroll as an awkward “co-GM” with Greenberg — was said to have sped off in his Cadillac as Veeck arrived at the park for the first time, on this day, after purchase.

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1963
Pete Rose made his career Spring Training debut in a game vs. the White Sox at Al Lopez Field in Tampa. Rose went 2-for-2 with a double in Cincinnati’s 1-0, 14-inning (!!) win. The second baseman entered the game in the ninth inning, doubled twice, and scored the only run of the game. He would end up the NL Rookie of the Year that season.

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1983
George Kell, briefly a White Sox third baseman, was elected to the Hall of Fame via the Special Veterans Committee.

Kell had failed to reach even 37% in any of his 15 previous ballots for the Hall, and for good reason: He is one of the weaker players by WAR (37.6) in the Hall (50.0 is just about the basement for even the biggest of Big Hall fans).

By the time Kell was dealt to the White Sox during the 1954 season, his best days were past. In fact, Kell was essentially a replacement player (0.3) during that first season in Chicago, with his batting average falling short of .300 for the first time in eight seasons. A big part of his loss in value was the fact that the White Sox moved the ace third baseman to first base for half of his games that summer. However with a return to third base, Kell bounced back with a strong 1955, hitting .312 and putting up a 2.7 WAR. During the 1956 season, almost exactly two years to the date he was acquired, the White Sox shipped Kell to Baltimore, where he ended his career in 1957.

Longtime Dodgers manager Walter Alston was elected along with Kell.

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1995
After two stints at White Sox Spring Training and a full season in Birmingham, Michael Jordan announced he was giving up baseball.

Part of the reason came as a result of his struggles with re-learning the game in his 30s. But the other, larger part (as he explained to author Bob Greene in the book Rebound, The Odyssey of Michael Jordan) was because he was being pressured by GM Ron Schueler to cross the MLBPA picket line. 

With replacement games set to start during the lockout of major-leaguers, Jordan was told that if he didn’t cross the line, he’d be banished from the main clubhouse. Jordan was furious, saying that he was promised by owner Jerry Reinsdorf he wouldn’t be forced to do that.

Jordan explained that under no circumstances would he ever cross a labor picket line regardless of sport. 

“I told them from the beginning that I didn’t want them to use me to make money in the Spring Training games,” Jordan told Greene. “We had an understanding. It was never supposed to even come up. I was disgusted that the promise wasn’t going to be honored.”

Jordan would return to the Bulls at the end of the 1994-95 season, and went on to win three more NBA championships (1996-98). 

It was another day of both positive and negative news for the Braves (which is now the norm.) On one hand, the Braves bats continued to look good in a win over the Twins while Ronald Acuna Jr. dominated for Venezuela in the WBC. However, the Braves once again received “worse case scenario” news in terms of a pitching injury. This time, it is a torn ACL that will keep Joey Wentz out for the 2026 season.

While Wentz was a depth piece and may not have even made the team to start the season, a starting staff that already was dealing with multiple signficant injuries really did not need another. As good as the offense has looked, the Braves lack of injury luck in their starting rotation is once again the biggest storyline of the Spring. And at some point, moves need to be made to insure pitching injuries do not once again put the season in doubt, and this time perhaps before it even starts.

Braves News

For the season positional previews, here is the Braves catching breakdown for the 2026 season.

Longtime Braves ace Julio Teheran announced his retirement from baseball on Monday.

MLB News

Team USA was able to get the win against a Mexico team that tried to rally late.

The Phillies and pitcher Jesus Luzardo agreed to a 5 year, $135M extension on Monday.

His name is no longer just Will Klein. It will now forever be linked with the moniker World Series Hero Will Klein.

In the marathon game that was Game 3 of the 2025 World Series, it was Klein that kept the Dodgers tied with the Toronto Blue Jays. He gave everything he had, going four innings and 72 pitches. It was the longest outing of his professional career, and Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 18th inning garnered Klein the win.

Now, Klein is in a battle to join the Dodgers bullpen this season. The relief pitcher has been with four organizations in the last two years, and would very much like to continue calling L.A. his home. From Sonja Chen of MLB.com:

“I think the Dodgers just really allow you to be who you are,” Klein said. “A lot of other teams are maybe like cookie-cutter in their programs or know what they want from guys, but here … you see a lot of different kinds of pitchers, and they let you do what you’re exceptional at.”

So far this spring, he has appeared in five games, going 5.0 innings, with seven strikeouts and a 1.80 era. But per usual, the Dodgers bullpen is full of guys who can make the Opening Day roster, and Klein just hopes he is one.

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One guy who is new to the team but knows he has a spot is Kyle Tucker. He isn’t just new to the Dodgers, he’s new to parenthood. Kyle and his wife welcomed a baby boy last week.

Now Tucker is back in Dodgers camp and looking to work on his swing to be ready for the start of the season.

Unlike Freddie Freeman, Tucker does not have a set number of at bats he’d like to have to feel comfortable at the plate. Tucker had one hit in Sunday’s game against the Oakland Athletics but was out of the lineup on Monday. He is expected to be back in the lineup in Tuesday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“From what I’ve gathered of talking to him and his coaches before, he doesn’t need a lot to get ready,” Roberts said, per Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register. “It was good to see him get a hit (Sunday). … I still think we have plenty of time to get him ready to go.”

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In addition to spring training, the baseball world is enjoying the World Baseball Classic. And while two of his fellow starting pitchers went to play for their country, Glasnow decided early in the offseason that he would stay in Dodgers camp to continue to progress on the strides he made last season, per Jack Harris of The California Post.

Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior remarked that it took the coaching staff a little while to understand all there was to Glasnow’s delivery, and how best to make it work for him. From Harris:

“I think it’s taken us a couple years to kind of understand the nuances of his delivery, and really matching his feel versus the output (of what he’s doing),” Prior said. “With a lot of guys, we’re trying to get things narrowed down to one or two things that we can really hit somebody between the eyes with. But I joke with him, like, ‘Hey man, you got 50.’”

They have homed in on a few specific tweaks, and Glasnow showed out in the playoffs, both starting and coming in in relief, allowing only a 1.69 era through the playoffs. Glasnow is now looking to carry that into the 2026 season. He starts Tuesday against the Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch.

Results

• R1: Jack Morris Game 7 Shutout 1991
• R2: Kirby Puckett Game 6 Dominance 1991
• R3: First World Series championship 1987
• R4: AL Champions Metrodome welcome 1987
• R5: Game 163 wild victory 2009
• R6: Mudcat’s World Series must-win 1965
• R7: Harmon’s 500th homer 1971
• R8: Final day AL Central title 2006
• R9: Kirby Puckett’s Weekend for the Ages 1987
• R10: Breaking the Playoff Curse (TM) 2023
• R11: The Donnie & Hrbie Show 1987
• R12: Johan Santana in 17K 2007
• R13: Mauer’s Final Moment 2018
• R14: Dozier’s Comeback Capper 2015
• R15: Thome is my Homie 2010
• R16: A Killer Clout 1965
• R17: Radke-Santana-Lohse Trifecta 2004
• R18: More Kubel 2009
• R19: Span-tastic Comeback 2008

Unless or until the Minnesota Twins win another World Series—one I’m not a toddler or a kindergartener for—it is possible that September 25, 2008, will remain my Twins fandom zenith. Timing and circumstance matters a lot, and in late ‘08 I had just graduated college and reveling in the “summer after being done” (not quite realizing what the Great Recession was going to do to my immediate-future employment prospects). No, at the time all I cared about was the Twins beating the White Sox at the Metrodome—and Denard Span delivered…

The newbie: Sano-ing in Cleveland!

Jacque Jones jolts contraction outta here (2002)

• The 2001 offseason was undoubtedly the worst in Twins franchise history. After MLB Commissioner Bud Selig floated the contraction idea and Twins owner Carl Pohlad was more than willing to take the payout, it took a county judge to restore order. Jacque Jones restored between-the-white-lines order by homering in the first PA of the 2002 season! I wasn’t able to locate the audio, but Dick Bremer’s “And I hope it lands in Milwaukee!” call remains iconic.

Francisco Liriano out-duels Roger Clemens (2006)

• Francisco Liriano’s 2006 run was perhaps the greatest pitching stretch in franchise history. His signature moment that season was out-dueling Roger Clemens in Houston on June 22, 2006. With The Rocket (5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) in the midst of his home-state comeback, Liriano (8 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) outclassed the veteran in his own back yard. While by no means Frankie’s best single-game performance of ‘06, beating Kody’s Dad put him on the national stage.

No Way, Jose! (2024)

• On July 3, 2024, Jose Miranda singled in the eighth inning of a blowout loss to the Tigers. Ho hum. But then, something inexplicable happened: Miranda reached base the next twelve consecutive at-bats—13 if you count a HBP mixed in! In a sport where 0-fer slumps can sometimes last weeks, Jose managed to find his way on base—without the benefit of a BB—a baker’s dozen worth of times in a row.

Chili for 3 (1991)

• In the late-80s and early-90s, the Oakland Athletics controlled the AL West. The Twins looked to change that on August 16, 1991. Only a few games up on the A’s, MN found themselves down 4-2 in B9 against dominant closer Dennis Eckersley. Chili Davis led off and smacked a ball to RF, where chaos ensued: Jose Canseco played the sphere like a malfunctioning pinball machine, a fan hurled a roll of toilet paper onto the field, and Chili chugged into third base. A few batters later, the Twins tied the game, won it in extra innings, and never were less than 4 GA of the Bash Brothers the rest of the way to the pennant.

Sano Slams the Division Door (2019)

• The 2019 season was a magical one for the Twins. But somewhat forgotten in the 100+ wins & Bomba Squad of it all was Cleveland being a persistent pest all summer long. On September 14, Miguel Sano swatted them away on their own grounds. After taking the first game of a rain-induced doubleheader, the Twins & Guardians found themselves tied 5-5 in the 8th inning of game two. That is, until—with the bases juiced—Sano launched a sphere so far that not even the high walls of Progressive Field could contain it! My Mom and I were present on the shores of Lake Erie to see the Twins finally commandeer the Central crown.

Tyler O’Neill’s debut season in Baltimore was a disaster. The 30-year-old was placed on the IL three times for three different ailments. He had neck inflammation in April, a left shoulder impingement in May, and right wrist inflammation in August. That limited him to just 54 games and a .684 OPS. One season into his three-year, $49.5 million deal, it’s was looking like a bad investment by the Orioles front office.

But the team won’t be ready to move on after one poor campaign. O’Neill is back and expected to play a major role on a team looking for an offensive rebound. He has the potential to be a significant factor in whether or not that happens. The reason the Orioles were willing to pay him so much going into 2025 was his impressive showing with the Red Sox, where he had an .847 OPS with 31 home runs in just 113 games during the 2024 season.

Here’s the Orioles’ current outfield picture: Taylor Ward was brought in to start everyday in left field and provide reliable pop. Colton Cowser is penciled in as the center fielder day in and day out. O’Neill is expected to share right field with Dylan Beavers and likely get some at-bats as the team’s DH as well. Leody Taveras is looking like the “fourth outfielder” that can backup everywhere, but particularly in center. Heston Kjerstad is lurking in the background, likely bound for Norfolk to begin the year, where he can prove if he is past the health struggles he dealt with last summer.

O’Neill’s path to “everyday” at-bats is a bit muddier than it was a year ago, when he came in as the highly-paid key addition. There’s pressure on this team to win a lot of games and make a playoff run. If that includes O’Neill as the right fielder most days, then that is where he will be. If it means taking him out of the lineup more frequently to keep him fresh, then so be it.

Here is what two prominent projection systems expect for O’Neill in 2026:

• ZiPS: 349 PA, .238/.321/.456, 18 HR, 13 2B, 49 RBI
• BRef: 352 PA, .230/.316/.447, 17 HR, 14 2B, 41 RBI

The two projections are nearly identical. The 350-ish plate appearances they expect is particularly noteworthy. That would peg O’Neill at playing in 90 or so games. Looking at his career numbers, that feels like a fair estimate, basically baking in an IL stint or two.

More importantly, they do expect O’Neill to bounceback at the plate and produce right around his career average numbers (.242/.320/.463). That would be an acceptable outcome from the Orioles’ perspective. Getting around 20 home runs and a .770 OPS from a part-time outfielder probably means the offensive overall has taken a nice step forward.

And although the sample size for 2025 is small, there is evidence that O’Neill played better than his topline numbers suggest. According to Baseball Savant, his expected slugging percentage was .523, and his expected wOBA was .360. Both numbers would have been in the top 20% of MLB if he qualified. So maybe we aren’t too far away from an O’Neill breakout in Baltimore.

What do you think of these projections? Do you think O’Neill will stay healthy enough to make an impact in 2026? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Good morning, baseball fans!

I’m back from a few days off for my birthday, so let’s take a look at what the San Francisco Giants have on deck for this week.

Tuesday

The Giants will head to Goodyear Ballpark to take on the Cleveland Guardians at 1:05 p.m. PDT. Audio coverage will be available through the MLB Gameday app.

Wednesday

The Giants will head to Surprise, AZ to take on the Kansas City Royals at 1:05 p.m. PDT. Audio coverage will be available through the MLB Gameday app.

Thursday

The Giants will return to Scottsdale to take on the Chicago White Sox at 6:05 p.m. PDT. Mark this one on your calendars, as the game will have a television broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area.

Friday

Friday will be a split squad day against the Cincinnati Reds.

The road team will head back to Goodyear Ballpark to take on the Reds’ home team at 6:05 p.m. PDT. As of right now, there is no listing for radio or television coverage.

The home team will take on the Reds’ travel squad at 4:05 p.m. PDT. There are no listings for this game either. I would presume one of them, at least, will be on KNBR.

Saturday

The Giants will host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:05 p.m. PDT. This game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Bay Area, as well as MLB Network for out-of-market fans. Radio coverage will be available on KNBR.

Sunday

The Giants will wrap up the week with a home game against the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:05 p.m. PDT. Radio coverage will be available on KNBR.

*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.

• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Just how high will Cubs aim in pursuit of World Series title? “The Dodgers don’t listen to the narrative that the playoffs are a crapshoot.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Is the key to Shota Imanaga’s 2026 success really as simple as getting his velocity back? “Beyond the velocity, the pitch just wasn’t as effective as it was in his first season.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs reliever Porter Hodge will begin season on injured list with flexor tendon strain. “Flexor tendon strains can be a precursor to Tommy John surgery, although Craig Counsell said neither the injuries to Hodge nor Jordan Wicks (radial nerve irritation in left arm) are long term.” More from Reuters*.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Chicago Cubs camp notes: Scott Kingery looks to reestablish himself — and Justin Dean eager for big-league role. “… Kingery isn’t dwelling on the past.”
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball*): ABS will force Seiya Suzuki into a new set of adjustments. “Patient hitters will be disproportionately affected by the switch to the ABS challenge system in Major League Baseball this season.”

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. 

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

We’re back with another Brewers Reacts Survey with Opening Day now right around the corner! After asking about the last position player to make the roster last week, we’re discussing an Opening Day starter today.

With Freddy Peralta now with the New York Mets, the Brewers will have a new Opening Day arm for the first time since 2023, when Corbin Burnes got the start. Brandon Woodruff seems like the obvious choice, but his status is currently “up in the air” as he ramps up in his first healthy spring since that 2023 season.

So if Woodruff can’t go, who will it be? There are plenty of options.

Quinn Priester would be a contender, but he’s expected to miss the start of the season with right wrist discomfort. Logan Henderson, who missed a chunk of last season with a flexor strain, is also reportedly battling elbow soreness. That all but eliminates those two.

Jacob Misiorowski seems like the other “obvious choice,” as he has ace-type stuff when he’s on. But after a hot start that netted him an All-Star selection, he struggled a bit down the stretch, finishing with a 4.36 ERA and 3.62 FIP despite 87 strikeouts in just 66 innings.

Chad Patrick is another sophomore coming off a decent rookie season, as he joined the rotation early in the year after a myriad of injuries plagued Milwaukee’s pitching staff. He finished the year with 27 appearances (23 starts), totaling 119 2/3 innings with a 3.53 ERA, 3.53 FIP, and 127 strikeouts. He was also a solid relief piece in the postseason, totaling nine innings with two runs allowed and 11 strikeouts.

Other potential options include Aaron Ashby (who has been stretched a bit this spring), Robert Gasser, DL Hall, and Kyle Harrison. There are a few other young options beyond them that are unlikely to start, but I’ll still throw some more names out there — Shane Drohan, Carlos Rodriguez, and Brandon Sproat.

Who do you think will be the Brewers’ Opening Day starter? Will Woodruff be ready? Or will it be somebody else? Weigh in on our poll below, and stay tuned for results later in the week!

Max Scherzer seems like a cool dude. Maybe he’d like to pitch out of the bullpen? Huh, huh??

Phillies News:

• A fun story from the outstanding Alex Coffey, Jesus Luzardo has found a mentor in Max Scherzer($$)
• A look at projections for Justin Crawford for 2026
• Injury updates on Zack Wheeler, Aidan Miller and Orion Kerkering
• Jonathan Bowlan talking about living up to his father’s perfect game
• Talking ABS and trusting JT Realmuto
• Make or Break Year for Alec Bohm
• ICYMI, Ethan smacks some sense into the fanbase against the idea of Garrett Stubbs as the 26th roster guy

MLB News:

• Mock Draft season is upon us, see SI’s draft
• Giants signed Joey Lucchesi to a minor league deal
• CBS already putting out a trade deadline preview, because sure why not
• What shall the Braves ever do without Jurickson Profar (probably what they did for half of last season)

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

We’re just past the halfway point of the Orioles’ Grapefruit League schedule. The O’s played their 17th game yesterday — not including their exhibition against the Netherlands WBC team — and took a 7-2 loss to the Cardinals in Jupiter (the city, not the planet). Most of the Orioles’ regulars didn’t make the road trip, but Coby Mayo did, adding another hit to his already impressive spring tally. He also played an errorless third base. Granted, there was only one grounder hit in his direction — by former O’s third baseman Ramón Urías, coincidentally enough — but Mayo made the play successfully.

Meanwhile, a couple of Orioles are about to return to camp after brief stints in the World Baseball Classic. Dean Kremer pitched brilliantly for Team Israel with 4.2 scoreless innings on Sunday, but his club has been eliminated from advancing. He’ll be back with the Birds after Israel’s final game today.

So too will Enrique Bradfield Jr., whose eliminated Panama club wrapped up its pool play round yesterday. Panama’s quick exit is hardly the fault of Bradfield, who was a spark plug for the team. I attended the Panama-Canada WBC game in San Juan on Sunday and Bradfield was electrifying on the basepaths and in the outfield, twice reaching base on bunt singles — one of which was a drag bunt over the pitcher’s mound — and causing havoc with his speed. He made a couple of extremely impressive plays in center field, too, showing fantastic range to get to balls that many outfielders couldn’t touch. I’d sure be happy if Bradfield could bring that kind of energy and game-changing speed and defense to the Orioles, though he’ll need to test his mettle at Triple-A Norfolk first.

Two weeks from today, the Orioles will be finished with spring training and will be setting their sights on Opening Day. They have 14 games remaining — 12 in Florida, followed by home-and-home exhibitions against the Nationals in Baltimore and D.C. — to whittle down their camp roster to the season-opening 26-man. Considering there are currently 60 players remaining, the O’s still have plenty of decisions to make.

Links

Hits keep coming for Mayo, Gibson talks about today’s start, plus more notes in O’s 7-2 loss – School of Roch

I’m still of the opinion that Mayo’s defense at third base is going to be a disaster, so he’s sure going to need to mash at the plate to make up for it. It could actually happen, if his spring performance is any indication.

How is the Orioles’ bullpen shaping up? – Steve Melewski

Considering that Yennier Cano might be one of the Orioles’ main setup men, I’d say the answer is “not great.”

Perlozzo returns to Orioles’ dugout for a weekend; Adjusting from night to day – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Former O’s manager Sam Perlozzo served as a guest instructor for the Orioles this weekend. Bring in Dave Trembley next or we riot.

The youngest coach on O’s revamped staff (only 28) has made quick impact – MLB.com

If nothing else, the presence of a 28-year-old Orioles coach will serve as my daily reminder that I am very old.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 28th birthday to O’s catcher Maverick Handley, who made his MLB debut with 16 games last year and is currently a non-roster invite at camp. Former Orioles born on this day include outfielder Tike Redman (49) and reliever Mike Timlin (60).

On this date in 1966, the O’s traded 22-year-old outfielder Lou Piniella to Cleveland for Cam Carreon. Piniella had played only four games with the Orioles, getting one lone plate appearance, before the O’s sent him packing, and he went on to have an 18-year playing career followed by another 23 prolific seasons as a manager. Carreon, meanwhile, played just four games for the O’s after the trade.

And on this day in 2016, the Orioles signed designated hitter and former #2 overall pick Pedro Álvarez as a free agent. The slugging Álvarez had never really lived up to his lofty draft status with the Pirates, hitting a bunch of homers but contributing little else, and the same was true of his O’s career. He powered 22 dingers for the Birds in 2016 but posted just a 0.9 WAR in parts of three seasons in Baltimore.