Category: MLB

The 2026 World Baseball Classic has technically already begun as you read this, as Australia beat Chinese Taipei in the opener, 3-0. However, Pool C is the only member of the quartet actually underway, so we have time to look ahead at the final batch of clubs, Pool D.

As Matt discussed yesterday, Pool C has a case as the Group of Death in this year’s WBC, but Pool D is at least the Group of Great Pain. Two baseball titans are expected to top the group, but all five teams feature real MLB talent. One shutdown relief performance or a ball that gets into the gap could flip the round-robin on its head. These games come in Miami, so three-and-a-half teams with majority Caribbean/Latin representation makes sense, and while Tokyo may be slightly louder for Japan and Chinese Taipei, the crowds for the Dominican Republic and Venezuela will absolutely make themselves known in an electric atmosphere.

Dominican Republic

The D.R. returns a lineup that is as good or better than any other nation in this tournament. I mean, just look at what they rolled out for a tune-up game against the poor Tigers:

The Dominican Republic lineup is LOADED 🤩 pic.twitter.com/iBOruWKyrJ

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 3, 2026

Now, the appearance of Austin Wells here is a little like that “what’s a polar bear doing in Texas” meme, but the Yankee catcher qualifies under the WBC’s eligibility, and he’s looked strong in spring training so far, making him a perfect eighth hitter for a lineup with this much talent. It’s also worth noting that Geraldo Perdomo had a seven (!) win season last year, better than any other hitter on this team, and he’s batting ninth. The great weakness of Team Canada, my squad, is the pitching staff, so I’m quite glad the Canucks don’t have to face this group of hitters until at least the knockouts if at all.

The D.R.’s pitching doesn’t quite stand up to the power of the offense, but it’s certainly not lacking in talent on its own. Cristopher Sánchez, Sandy Alcantara, Brayan Bello, and Luis Severino form the backbone of the rotation, with Yankee Camilo Doval, former farmhand Albert Abreu, and Seranthony Domínguez expected to take big roles in the bullpen. This is a very, very good team.

It’s also a team that, for all the star power it boasts, has something to prove. The Dominican Republic didn’t even make it out of the group stage in the 2023 tournament, going 2-2 with big losses to Venezuela and Puerto Rico. For a nation as baseball-mad as the D.R., this squad may be coming in with the most domestic pressure to perform, and new manager Albert Pujols — yes, him — will need to get a team full of big names on the same page to avenge that ’23 disappointment and match ’13 Robinson Canó-led D.R. squad as WBC champions.

Venezuela

The winners of that abovementioned group in 2023, Venezuela swept their way into the knockout stages before finally being eliminated by Trea Turner’s grand slam in the quarterfinals.

They come into this tournament ranked fifth in the world, and like the D.R., will boast a lineup that could put up serious numbers across a 162-game MLB season. Ronald Acuña Jr is The Man, even on a squad that boasts a widely-recognized leader like Salvador Perez, but Eugenio Suárez, Jackson Chourio, old friend Gleyber Torres, and the Contreras brothers round out what should be a dynamite offense. New Red Sox starter Ranger Suárez and veteran Eduardo Rodríguez highlight the pitching staff, which will unfortunately be missing the talents of the injured Pablo López.

The marquee matchup of this pool will be Venezuela against the D.R., and whoever comes out on top will be in the driver’s seat atop the group table. A longtime baseball powerhouse, the Venezuelans have only fared better than fifth once (a third-place finish in 2009), and this is the best team of the field that has never hoisted the WBC trophy.

The Netherlands

We get a little example of the vestiges of colonialism, with many of the Kingdom’s best players coming from the Antilles, most prominently Aruba and Curaçao. Newly-minted Hall of Famer Andruw Jones, who is one of those Caribbean-born representatives, played for the side in 2006 and 2013, before being named a bench coach for the next two tournaments, and finally getting the top job as manager for this run. Andruw’s son Druw Jones, the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, will look to carry on Dad’s legacy in his first taste of WBC action.

The nation has had legitimate success at the WBC, with two memorable upset wins over the D.R. in 2009 and more meaningfully, a pair of fourth-place finishes in ’13 and ’17. But they were unable to escape the group stage in ’23, as Italy beat them in the Pool A finale behind Matt Harvey (yes, really) to send ’em home. Kenley Jansen and Xander Boegarts, two stalwarts of the WBC, will lead the team’s pitching and lineup respectively, and Ceddanne Rafaela brings his excellent outfield defense to the center field slot. The infield is rounded out by Ozzie Albies and old friend Didi Gregorius, still kicking around at age-36. Jurickson Profar was supposed to be involved as well, but, uh, that isn’t happening.

Israel

Appearing in its third WBC and featuring a roster of primarily American players with Jewish heritage, Israel didn’t fare as well in 2023 as it did in its first WBC in 2017, with an opening round sweep against Netherlands, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei. They only mustered a single win last time around, going 1-3 and failing to advance out of the group stages.

Former Yankees Harrison Bader, Tommy Kahnle, and Matt Bowman are on Israel’s roster for 2026, and Triple-A arm Harrison Cohen is also expected to be in the mix. Orioles starter Dean Kremer will lead the rotation. As he is in New York, Brad Ausmus was the bench coach during the last WBC under Ian Kinsler, but like Jones, he’s now running the show. Best-forgotten 2013 Yank/old nemesis Kevin Youkilis is the hitting coach, and long-ago Yankees catcher Jerry Narron is on the staff as well.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is sort of the little brother of the quartet of Latin/Caribbean teams here, with a winless debut tournament in 2023 but sweeping its way through the qualifying process a year ago. That qualification was capped with a stunning win over #2 ranked Chinese Taipei in the final. The team does feature some very real pitching talent, but the lineup is likely to be a little thin — although adding the Mets’ Mark Vientos will help with some of the thump.

Maybe the feel-good story of the tournament will be Dusty Baker, who may have the best case to be considered the current Mr. Baseball, and who will take over managerial duties for the very young underdog squad. A win for Nicaragua would represent a huge step forward in baseball development for the small nation, and I’d be lying if I said I’m not rooting for it.

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Find more Pinstripe Alley WBC pool previews here: Pool A, Pool B, Pool C.

President Donald Trump said baseball is "not as hot" right now as it used to be and that the sport does "things wrong."

Musing on sports while welcoming Lionel Messi and MLS champion Inter Miami to the White House on Thursday, March 5, Trump mentioned that when "baseball was hot as a pistol," he used to sit with late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and watch games.

Trump joked that watching three-hour games with Steinbrenner was the hardest thing he ever had to do. "(Steinbrenner) liked me, I liked him and we both liked nobody else," Trump said.

Trump didn't elaborate on what baseball is doing "wrong," but has previously railed against MLB as "woke."

In the diatribe about Steinbrenner, Trump shouted out his "friend" Alex Rodriguez, who was in attendance at the event. Rodriguez, who won a World Series title with the Yankees, was one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history but hasn't been voted into the Hall of Fame due to his ties to performance-enhancing drugs.

Though Trump boasts in 2026 about his friendship with Rodriguez – and hosted him in the Oval Office before Thursday's event – the president used to excoriate the former MLB star on Twitter before entering the political arena.

Trump called Rodriguez a "druggie" and regularly advocated for the Yankees to terminate his contract. Trump even said that "it was only drugs" that made him a great player.

A-Rod is just not making it. We want to give him a chance but it was only drugs that made him great.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 15, 2012

Druggie @AROD is now scheming to sue the @Yankees. He will go down as the biggest sports embarrassment of all time.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2013

The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says MLB is 'not as hot', flips tune on 'druggie' Alex Rodriguez

Today, the Atlanta Braves have released their full 40-man Spring Breakout roster. It’s filled with their top prospects who will compete against the Yankees on March 21. This is just a preliminary roster pool, as only 27 of those 40 players will actually make the final roster.

Below you will find a list of the 40 players to make the roster, as well as a guess at the 27 players who will actually participate in the game – assuming they stay healthy. The number next to them is their ranking on the Battery Power Top 30 list that was updated this winter.

40-man Player Pool

PITCHERS (21)
Blane Abeyta, RHP, NR
Ethan Bagwell, RHP, No. 25
Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Honorable Mention
Lucas Braun, RHP, No. 19
Garrett Baumann, RHP, No. 12
Blake Burkhalter, RHP, No. 18
Cam Caminiti, LHP, No. 1
Didier Fuentes, RHP, No. 3
Isaac Gallegos, RHP, NR
Drue Hackenberg, RHP, No. 30
Hayden Harris, LHP, No. 28
Herick Hernandez, LHP, No. 20
Jhancarlos Lara, RHP, No. 11
Briggs McKenzie, LHP, No. 7
Ian Mejia, RHP, NR
Rolddy Munoz, RHP, NR
Owen Murphy, RHP, No. 4
Raudy Reyes, RHP, No. 23
JR Ritchie, RHP, No. 2
Luke Sinnard, RHP, No. 8
Luis Vargas, RHP, NR

CATCHERS (3)
Archer Brookman, C, NR
Colin Burgess, C, NR
Manuel Dos Passos, C, NR

INFIELDERS (9)
Lizandro Espinoza, UTIL, NR
John Gil, SS, No. 9
Jim Jarvis, SS, NR
Alex Lodise, SS, No. 10
David McCabe, 1B/3B, Honorable Mention
Cody Miller, SS, No. 16
Jose Perdomo, SS, No. 21
Tate Southisene, SS/OF, No. 6
Dixon Williams, 2B, No. 26

OUTFIELDERS (7)
Owen Carey, OF, No. 17
Patrick Clohisy, OF, NR
Isaiah Drake, OF, No. 15
Conor Essenburg, OF, No. 14
Luis Guanipa, OF, No. 13
Eric Hartman, OF, No. 24
Diego Tornes, OF, No. 5

Predictions

I predict the Braves will take 11 pitchers, 2 catchers, 7 infielders, and 6 outfielders to this game, with 1 wildcard spot open.

With the pitchers I think it can be safely assumed that Cam Caminiti, Didier Fuentes, Owen Murphy, and Jhancarlos Lara will all be heading to the game. JR Ritchie is only outside that group as the Braves could decide to hold him back as they consider him for a big league spot after his strong start to the spring. I also believe that Luke Sinnard, Lucas Braun, and Hayden Harris are likely, with Herick Hernandez being close to that group as another lefty option to go with Caminiti and Harris. That is eight or nine guys out of the 11, and we haven’t even gotten into talented prospects like Briggs McKenzie, Raudy Reyes, Garrett Bauman, Landon Beidelschies, or Ethan Bagwell, or more experienced arms like Blake Burkhalter, Rolddy Munoz, Ian Mejia, or Drue Hackenberg

I will pick Caminiti, Fuentes, Murphy, Lara, Sinnard, Braun, Harris, and Hernandez for the first eight slots, leaving Ritchie off the team in favor of keeping him with the big league squad. Beidelschies is the next pick, giving the team a fourth lefty. Hackenberg gets a slot here as the Braves hope he can put a forgettable 2025 season behind him. With the final spot going to young fireballer Raudy Reyes, just to give him a chance to throw gas in this game.

Catcher is going to be the toughest spot to pick as none of the names in the pool are significant prospects. I am going to go with Archer Brookman for one of the spots, as the Braves just added him via the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft this winter, so they may want to give him a look. With the other spot, young Manuel Dos Passos is the pick over Colin Burgess, as Dos Passos is the most intriguing prospect in this pool.

With the infield I believe two things are fairly safe bets. Based on how he has been used this spring plus his late promotion to Double-A last year, John Gil will be a lock if healthy. I also think David McCabe is going to go because of the need for a first baseman. The three recently drafted shortstops in Tate Southisene, Cody Miller, and Alex Lodise will all be strongly considered, as will also recently drafted second baseman Dixon Williams. But you can make an argument for former top international signee Jose Perdomo, who is finally healthy and in camp in the best shape we have seen since signing. Though minor league veterans like Lizandro Espinoza and Jim Jarvis would add a little experience to the team.

Two of these guys will need to be left out, and unfortunately I believe one of the more intriguing prospects will be in that group, as I can’t picture the Braves leaving off both Jarvis and Espinoza for their experience, versatility, and being the most advanced. I will leave Jarvis off in favor of Espinoza, and also Perdomo due to his struggles to this point in his career. That makes the group of infielders Gil, McCabe, Southisene, Lodise, Miller, Williams, and Espinoza.

The outfield is most likely to bring top prospect Diego Tornes and the most advanced player of the bunch, Patrick Clohisy. That means one Top 30 prospect will need to be squeezed out here. Top prospect Conor Essenburg seems like the most likely to get the squeeze due to his not playing in a professional game that counts yet, and I chose him over Luis Guanipa as the player not to make the cut. That means the outfield would be Tornes, Clohisy, Isaiah Drake, Owen Carey, Eric Hartman, and Luis Guanipa for the six spots. That is going to be an impressive group of young players to watch.

With the wildcard spot it would be a tough decision. On the hitting side there are prospects Perdomo and Essenburg, versatile veteran Jarvis, and a third catcher in Burgess. If they decided to go with a 12th pitcher there are prospects like top draft pick McKenzie, young prospects like Baumann and Bagwell, more experienced options like Burkhalter, Mejia, and Munoz. I am going to take Baumann over Jarvis with this pick, as he is a highly regarded prospect getting ready for his first taste of the upper minors.

Predicted Roster

PITCHERS (12)
Landon Beidelschies, LHP, Honorable Mention
Lucas Braun, RHP, No. 19
Garrett Baumann, RHP, No. 12
Cam Caminiti, LHP, No. 1
Didier Fuentes, RHP, No. 3
Drue Hackenberg, RHP, No. 30
Hayden Harris, LHP, No. 28
Herick Hernandez, LHP, No. 20
Jhancarlos Lara, RHP, No. 11
Owen Murphy, RHP, No. 4
Raudy Reyes, RHP, No. 23
Luke Sinnard, RHP, No. 8

CATCHERS (2)
Archer Brookman, C, NR
Manuel Dos Passos, C, NR

INFIELDERS (7)
Lizandro Espinoza, UTIL, NR
John Gil, SS, No. 9
Alex Lodise, SS, No. 10
David McCabe, 1B/3B, Honorable Mention
Cody Miller, SS, No. 16
Tate Southisene, SS/OF, No. 6
Dixon Williams, 2B, No. 26

OUTFIELDERS (6)
Owen Carey, OF, No. 17
Patrick Clohisy, OF, NR
Isaiah Drake, OF, No. 15
Luis Guanipa, OF, No. 13
Eric Hartman, OF, No. 24
Diego Tornes, OF, No. 5

Much of the baseball world is gearing up for the World Baseball Classic, but there’s another fun preseason date on coming up on the calendar: MLB’s Spring Breakout. Now in its third year, the Spring Breakout games feature rosters that consist only of each team’s prospects, who get a chance to showcase their abilities against some of the other top young talents in the sport.

The Yankees just announced their roster for this year’s iteration, which will take place against the Braves on March 21st at George M. Steinbrenner Field:

Yankees roster for the spring breakout game on March 21, obviously subject to change pic.twitter.com/ywGBknWSyZ

— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) March 5, 2026

The roster sports just about every notable prospect in the Yankees’ system, as every player above rookie ball on their Top 30 list from MLB Pipeline (with the exception of Rule 5 draftee Cade Winquest) appears on the squad.

The biggest prospects to watch will be some of the players fans have already gotten to know over the past year, such as George Lombard Jr., Elmer Rodríguez, and Carlos Lagrange. It was Lagrange, in fact, who broke out at last season’s Spring Breakout, overcoming first-inning jitters to retire 11 in a row at one point while showing off his 100-mph heater. Lagrange entered the game ranked just 19th on the Yankees’ prospect list, but is now one of the club’s most exciting farmhands.

There are plenty of candidates on this roster who could do something similar to Lagrange last year, announcing their presence on a big stage before going on to have a huge year. Right-handers Ben Hess and Bryce Cunningham, the Yankees’ first two picks in the 2024 draft, should see the field, and could rise up prospects lists fast this year if they can refine their games. Henry Lalane is tantalizing as possibly the left-handed version of Lagrange, the 6-foot-7 lefty still able to touch the upper 90’s after dealing with shoulder issues. Then there’s Chase Hampton, once the Yankees’ top pitching prospect who’s just now getting a shot to re-establish himself after Tommy John surgery.

Elsewhere, it’ll just be cool to potentially see Lombard and Dax Kilby, a pair of top shortstop prospects, share an infield, and dream on the possibility of the two teaming up on the infield dirt in the Bronx someday. That’s the sort of daydreaming MLB was going for in putting together the Spring Breakout, and they’ve largely been successful in creating an event that lets fans get a good look at a number of players who will soon be heading to their minor-league homes for the duration of the season.

Texas Rangers lineup for March 5, 2026 against the Kansas City Royals.

We have the Battle of Surprise today, with the Rangers and Royals facing off. MacKenzie Gore is pitching for the Rangers.

The lineup:

Haggerty — LF

Langford — CF

Seager — SS

Burger — 1B

Higashioka — C

Smith — 2B

Bride — 3B

Zavala — RF

Herrera — DH

Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami has already made his mark at the World Baseball Classic, hitting a game-tying home run against Team USA in the WBC championship in 2023. He's returning to Team Japan in 2026, ahead of his MLB debut.

Murakami signed a two-year contract with the Chicago White Sox in the offseason after a record-breaking run in the Nippon Professional Baseball, the top league in Japan. He hit an NPB-record 56 home runs for a Japanese-born player in 2022 and hit 36 home runs as a 19-year-old in the league.

WBC POWER RANKINGS: Which teams have best odds to win?

Murakami has been a hyped future MLB addition for years, with numerous teams awaiting him being posted by the NPB. His value has taken a hit recently, though, due to his swing-and-miss concerns.

Murakami's power is elite, but he struck out more than 28% of the time in each of his last three seasons. It'll be interesting to see how he transitions to the major leagues, as he has the potential to be among the best power hitters in the sport, especially if he can keep the strikeouts from ballooning out of control.

Here's everything to know of Murakami, one of Japan's top stars:

Munetaka Murakami contract

Murakami singed a two-year deal worth $34 million total with the White Sox during the offseason. Murakami, still 26 years old, opted for the short-term deal to prove himself before potentially testing free agency again after the 2027 season.

Signing Murakami cost the White Sox $40.575 million total, as they paid his former team, the Yakult Swallows, a $6.575 million transfer fee for his services.

He signed on Sunday, Dec. 21, a day before the deadline for him to sign with an MLB team. The market for his services was lower than what many projected a few years ago, due to his swing-and-miss tendencies and defensive concerns.

Still, hitting cures all wounds. And if Murakami can settle to MLB pitching, he'll be due a huge deal in 2027.

Munetaka Murakami stats

Here's a look at Murakami's year-by-year slash lines in NPB, where he played eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows:

• 2018: 18 home runs with 72 RBIs in 377 at-bats (.281 BA/.383 OBP/.485 SLG)
• 2019: 36 home runs with 95 RBIs in 511 at-bats (.231/.332/.481)
• 2020: 28 home runs with 86 RBIs in 424 at-bats (.307/.427/.585)
• 2021: 39 home runs with 112 RBIs in 500 at-bats (.278/.408/.566)
• 2022: 56 home runs with 134 RBIs in 487 at-bats (.318/.458/.710)
• 2023: 31 home runs with 84 RBIs in 496 at-bats (.256/.375/.500)
• 2024: 33 home runs with 86 RBIs in 500 at-bats (.244/.379/.472)
• 2025: 24 home runs with 52 RBIs in 220 at-bats (.286/.392/.659)

Munetaka Murakami age

Murakami is 26 years old, which is much younger than when most NPB players are available to MLB teams. Murakami was a year short of the required nine years of professional experience to gain international free agency, meaning he had to request to be posted by NPB.

He'll still be 27 years old when he becomes a free agent again in 2027.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet Team Japan star Munetaka Murakami turned White Sox slugger

What more can you ask for? A nice sunny day in CoolToday Park, a solid pitching performance from the Atlanta Braves’ two aces, and oh yeah…an appearance from Chipper Jones and Dale Murphy to speak with the team’s hitters before today’s game.

In an interview with Jones from MLB Braves insider Mark Bowman, he explained how he wanted to make the discussion more interactive for the players when discussing strategies and answering questions about the approaches they took during their playing days.

“It’s one thing for us to stand up and give our testimony, but we don’t actually talk about what the players want to hear,” Jones remarked in the interview.

Chipper Jones talks about joining Dale Murphy to talk to Braves hitters before today’s game pic.twitter.com/cX63U6yFMn

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 5, 2026

He also explained that the main idea was to adopt a universal approach when taking pitches and to always have a plan set up before they go up to bat.

A great way to start the day before taking on the Blue Jays.

Starting with pitching, Chris Sale went through three innings, giving up five hits and one earned run before retiring his outing with two strikeouts and tagging in Spencer Strider (2.1 IP/ 2 ER/ 2 H/ 1 BB/ 4 K) in the top of the fourth.

Making his presence known to start with a 1-2-3 inning once he entered, fans were impressed with Strider’s 95-96 mph ranged fastball and 41.7% whiff rated slider that appeared to reach its target consistently.

Though giving up a two-run double in the fifth from Blue Jays’ Addison Barger, the “stuff” was there and gained talk amongst Braves Country to encourage a height in their expectations on what’s to come from the ace.

Getting relieved and then returning shortly after in the sixth, he reached 48 pitches before getting relieved by Blyne Enlow.

Moving over to offense, a sac-fly from Austin Riley first put the Braves on the board to tie (1-1) with their opponent. Also noting the two-run homer (his first of the spring) from Dominic Smith to bring Eli White in and take the lead (3-1) early in the game.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth that the team would see the lead again after an RBI double from
Mauricio Andre Dubón and, soon after, a two-run single from Drake Baldwin (6-3).

Minor league outfielder Tristin English would later go on to extend their lead with a three-run double to secure the win (9-5).

Tomorrow, we’ll be seeing Reynaldo López return as he takes on the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers.

The Mets dropped their exhibition road game against the Nationals this afternoon by a 7-4 score, as Mets relieer Anderson Severino had a rough go of it, surrendering four runs in just two-thirds of an inning to give Washington the lead in what he previously been a tie game.

• Jorge Polanco made his spring training debut at first base and made two plate appearances before being replaced by Jacob Reimer, who took over at third while 2024 Mets draftee Corey Collins took over at first. It was an uneventful day in the field for Polanco, which is good news for now. Three weeks to the day from Opening Day, he’s gotten his first in-game action at the position.
• Bo Bichette went 2-for-3 with a run batted in and a run scored.
• Brett Baty went deep with a two-run home run off Nationals starter Miles Mikolas in the top of the first.
• Justin Hagenman went three innings, struck out four, and didn’t walk anybody. But he gave up a two-run home run along the way.
• Of the other five pitchers who appeared for the Mets, only Austin Warren surrendered a run.
• Mike Tauchman went 1-for-1 with a double and a walk as he continues to look like a player who will break camp with the Mets.

After 11 excellent seasons playing professionally in Japan, Kazuma Okamoto is about to get a far broader exposure to global baseball fans.

Okamoto will make his second appearance for Japan’s World Baseball Classic squad, expected to start on the infield three years after he drove in seven runs in seven games of their 2023 run to the championship.

This time, though, far more eyes will be trained upon him now that he’s a member of the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays.

Fair or not, there’s a greater scrutiny for international players once a major league team and salary figure have been assigned. And as Okamoto’s arrival unfolds this March, here’s a closer look at him:

Kazuma Okamoto contract

Okamoto signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Blue Jays Jan. 4, one day before his posting window to join a major league team expired. He received a $5 million signing bonus and $6 million this season, before earning $16 million the final three years of the deal.

Relative to superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the market for Japanese talent wasn’t red-hot this year. Yet Okamoto did secure a far larger guarantee than the two-year, $34 million commitment infielder Munetaka Murakami received from the Chicago White Sox, and similar to the three-year, $54 million pact pitcher Tatsuya Imai struck with Houston.

Kazuma Okamoto statistics

Okamoto turns 30 in June and has already produced a distinguished career in the NPB. He debuted with the Yomiuri Giants in 2015, when he was 19 years old, and hit 248 homers over 11 seasons. His best all-around season came in 2023, when he hit 41 homers and produced a .958 OPS for Yomiuri, banging out 140 hits in 140 games. He led the NPB in home runs three times and is a six-time All-Star.

Okamoto, a right-handed hitter, had a career .355 OBP and .882 OPS in the NPB.

Kazuma Okamoto scouting report

While his Grapefruit League spring sample is small and should be properly contextualized, five of Okamoto’s seven batted balls have exceeded 95 mph exit velocity, including a 103.4 mph homer hit off New York Mets starter Clay Holmes that traveled 431 feet. He also hit a 104.9 mph double off Marlins lefty Thomas White before departing Florida to join Japan at the WBC.

At 6 feet and 212 pounds, Okamoto brings a physical presence to the batter’s box, combining broad shoulders and quick hands. Like many hitters, he punishes fastballs and may face an initial adjustment period against the more exotic offerings of polished major league pitchers.

Still, his on-base skills and general discipline at the plate should travel well and he’s young and athletic enough to adeptly handle defensive duties at third.

What’s Kazuma Okamoto’s role with the Blue Jays?

Okamoto will be the Blue Jays’ starting third baseman, essentially replacing Bo Bichette, the All-Star who accepted a $42 million annual salary with the Mets. Okamoto’s presence will likely bump Ernie Clement to second base – paired across from shortstop Andrés Giménez – and Addison Barger into right field.

The Okamoto-Bichette swap will certainly affect the Blue Jays’ lineup composition, as Bichette largely batted leadoff or occasionally cleanup. Okamoto’s right-handed bat enables the Jays to keep a right-left-right cadence one through nine in most lineups, as he figures to bat seventh, sandwiched between left fielder Jesus Sanchez and Giménez.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kazuma Okamoto WBC for Japan: Blue Jays slugger's stats, contract info

All good things must come to an end, and a nine-game winning streak in Grapefruit League/exhibition play only really registers so much as “good.” The Yankees lost a fake baseball game for the first time since February 22nd, and they did so with a starting pitcher who will probably not be a starter for them in 2026 unless there’s an emergency. The Twins won this one before the rains came in Tampa to cut it short at 15-0 in the seventh.

We’ll get the offense out of the way in a hurry. There were two measly Yankees hits, with the top four names in the lineup—Trent Grisham, Jasson Domínguez, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton—combining to go 1-for-7 with a single (Domínguez) and a walk (Bellinger). The lone other knock came on a Ryan McMahon double. Spencer Jones worked a walk in his only plate appearance, entering in center upon Grisham’s expected departure. Taj Bradley quieted the Yankees lineup through four, and the wonderfully-named duo of Kody Funderburk and Eric Orze did the same for their final two frames.

Paul Blackburn got the ball for the Yankees this afternoon and worked a perfect first before running into trouble in the second. Matt Wallner worked a leadoff walk, erstwhile Dodgers up-and-comer James Outman singled him to third, and after Wallner was retired at home on a comebacker to Blackburn from former Baby Bomber Eric Wagaman, second baseman Tristan Gray did damage with a double. Outman crossed home plate and Minnesota was on the board, 1-0. Blackburn fanned Ryan Kreidler (career OPS+ of 11) and Noah Cardenas (39 career games above Double-A, none in the majors) to strand a pair in scoring position.

Blackburn was victimized again in the third by one of the few true threats in the Twins’ lineup. Luke Keaschall had a 128 OPS+ in 49 games for Minnesota last year, enough to earn down-ballot Rookie of the Year support despite the limited sample. He continued to show his potential on Thursday by smacking a 395-foot solo shot on a fat sweeper that might as well have been on a tee:

Blackburn then walked Trevor Larnach and at 56 pitches, that was the end of his day. Three of his seven outs were K’s, and he might well indeed be a useful reliever for the 2026 Yankees. It’s just advisable to keep him away from the rotation.

Two other Yankees competing for bullpen spots didn’t have their most inspiring days either. Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest entered in the fourth and quickly put Gray on second with a walk and a wild pitch. That was his own doing, but he had some bad luck when Kreidler reached on a 65.7-mph infield single that third baseman Zack Short deflected and after nearly getting out of the first-and-third/no-out jam, Keaschall hit a slow roller to the left side that not even Ozzie Smith could’ve made a play on at shortstop. A run was going to score regardless, but McMahon—filling in at the six to see if he can moonlight as a backup to José Caballero with Anthony Volpe out—made the poor decision to throw it to first anyway. A second run scored and it was 4-0.

One can charitably give Winquest a pass for that inning, bumpy start notwithstanding. The only charity that could be offered to Rockies trade acquisition Angel Chivilli is that this is spring training and he could’ve been just been working on something in a meaningless game that didn’t really pan out. It’s just unfortunate for him since he’s trying to win one of the last spots in the bullpen and is probably best served refining his solid stuff at Triple-A to start 2026. Wallner started it in the fifth against Chivilli with a sharp hit to left that maybe still should’ve been a single but turned into a sure double because Domínguez didn’t get to it fast enough. Outman then obliterated a fastball for a two-run homer.

Chivilli sandwiched a strikeout of Gray between an infield hit from Wagaman and a walk to Kreidler before Cardenas ended his day with an RBI single to left. Minor leaguer Cole Zaffiro didn’t help his line, as another Keaschall hit made it 9-0, Twins, and a five-run day for Chivilli. Under spring training re-entry rules, he was able to return in the sixth for a little more work. Although he allowed a second-pitch double to Triple-A outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez, he at least departed on a high note by striking out a more well-regarded current prospect, Emmanuel Rodriguez.

The scoreboard got truly silly in the sixth, as the Twins tallied six runs against Michael Arias, who will not be sniffing the Opening Day roster. The inning only ended on an out at the plate following a Gonzalez double. It was downright silly. Only the rain provided an end to the madness, as two outs into the seventh, the tarp came on and never left. At least 2025 fourth-round pick Pico Kohn got to have a nice pitching moment for the Yanks in his debut outing.

LHP Pico Kohn struck out both batters he faced in his professional debut 👏 pic.twitter.com/LyqxwDpy3i

— NYYPlayerDev (@NYYPlayerDev) March 5, 2026

The Yankees will be back at it again tomorrow night under the lights at George M. Steinbrenner Field. They’ll host their 2025 regular season tenant Rays, with Cam Schlittler taking the mound against fellow righty Joe Boyle for the first time this spring after back inflammation delayed the playoff hero’s start to Grapefruit League play. Utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera says that he’ll be ready for his first game action as well following recovery from his gruesome injury early last year in Seattle. First pitch is at 6:35pm ET on YES.

Box Score

The Mets lost to the Nationals, 7-4, on Thursday as their spring training slate continued.

---

Here are the takeaways...

- Brett Baty, who got the start in right field, smoked a two-run, opposite-field homer in the first inning off Nats starter Miles Mikolas.

- Bo Bichette continued to excel at the plate. He roped an RBI single to center field his first time up and slapped a single past the second baseman in his third at-bat. 

- Jorge Polanco started at first base as he continued to get acclimated to his new position. His day in the field was smooth and relatively uneventful.

Polanco reached base twice, drawing a walk and stroking a single to right field. 

- Mike Tauchman continued to impress at the plate as he fights for a spot on the roster. His three plate appearances resulted in a single, hit-by-pitch, and walk.

Tauchman is ostensibly in competition with not just Carson Benge for the right field job, but also with MJ Melendez, Tyrone Taylor, and Baty. However, it feels likely that the job will go to Benge, Tauchman, or perhaps Melendez.

Taylor is guaranteed a spot on the roster if healthy, and is a better fit in a reserve role. As far as Baty, he can get regular at-bats by alternating between designated hitter and first base. 

- Justin Hagenman got the start and was solid, allowing two runs on three hits while walking none and striking out four in 3.0 innings. Hagenman is likely to begin the regular season with Triple-A Syracuse.

Highlights

Bo Bichette brings home Mike Tauchman with the opening run of the game!

(via @Nationals) pic.twitter.com/yDxy4ZBD3L

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 5, 2026

Brett Baty goes the other way for a two-run blast! 💪

(via @Nationals) pic.twitter.com/nOuwUqSbyX

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 5, 2026

What's next

The Mets travel to face the Marlins on Friday at 7:10 p.m.

Sean Manaea makes his first start of the spring for New York

Both the Houston Astros and the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic squad were dealt a significant blow when imaging revealed shortstop Jeremy Peña suffered a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger, the Astros announced March 5.

The injury will knock Peña out of the WBC and land him on the 10-day injured list to begin the regular season. The Astros announced Peña will be reevaluated in two weeks; they open the season March 26 at home against the Los Angeles Angels.

Jeremy Peña stats

Though Peña's finger should heal in time for the vast majority of the regular season, it's nonetheless a tough break for a player coming off a career season in which he produced 5.6 WAR and career highs in batting average (.304), on-base percentage (.363) and slugging (.477, with an .840 OPS).

All that came across 125 games, keeping his homer total down to 17. Yet at 27, it's clear Peña is reaching the zenith of his potential. He was already an elite defender who deftly replaced Carlos Correa and clutched up in the 2022 postseason as the Astros won the World Series championship.

Who replaces Jeremy Peña with Astros, Dominican Republic?

Given the timing that's naturally a far more pressing concern for manager Albert Pujols' WBC squad. Fortunately, that team is just about as loaded as Team USA's star-studded team. Pujols can simply slide Geraldo Perdomo - a 7-win player who finished fourth in NL MVP voting last season - into the shortstop spot.

While it certainly thins the Dominicans' depth, they still have Junior Caminero, Manny Machado and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at the corner infield spots, with Perdomo and Ketel Marte up the middle and Amed Rosario available anywhere off the bench.

As for the Astros, Correa will slide back to his old position and, at least for now, the quandary of where Isaac Paredes will play has been solved. He'll man third base in Correa's stead, though the Astros will still have little room at the inn - or infield - once Peña returns.

Jeremy Peña contract

Peña is entering his fifth season and will make $9.475 million in his second year of arbitration eligibility. He can become a free agent after the 2027 season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jeremy Pena injury update: Astros shortstop knocked out of WBC

The Yankees fell to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon by a score of 15-0 in a rain-shortened game.

Here are the takeaways...

-- While Giancarlo Stanton played in the exhibition match against Panama earlier this week, he made his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday, serving as the DH and batting cleanup.

Stanton went 0-for-2 with a punchout.

-- No Aaron Judge in the lineup for the Yankees, as the captain is currently with Team USA. The Yankees shifted Cody Bellinger to right field, a luxury that they can also deploy during the regular season to give Judge a break, when needed.

Bellinger went 0-for-1 with a walk.

-- Paul Blackburn started on the mound, allowing a run in the second inning on a walk, single, and double. Blackburn did help his own cause by making a barehanded play to nab a runner trying to score from third in that inning. He allowed a solo shot to Luke Keaschall in the third, and was then pulled after a walk. Blackburn threw 56 pitches, allowing two earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

The Yankees are stretching Blackburn out to be a multi-inning reliever and a spot starter, and with news that Cam Schlittler is going to start the regular season on a pitch limit, having someone like Blackburn piggyback with him could certainly be on the table.

-- Aaron Boone had Ryan McMahonstarting at shortstop, something that the club has been tinkering with this spring. With Anthony Volpe set to miss the start of the season as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery, Jose Caballero will likely be the starter for New York, but the team has been taking a look at McMahon there as well. 

The veteran had a moment to forget in the fourth. With runners on second and third and two away, McMahon made a nice stop deep in the hole, but his throw to first got away, allowing a pair of runs to score on the error. He did bounce back by lining a double into left-center later in the game.

-- The rain started to come down in the bottom of the sixth, and after a brief delay, the game was called. The Yankees allowed 15 runs on 16 hits, and had just two hits themselves.

What's next

The Yankees host the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at 6:35 p.m., which Schlittler set to make his spring debut.

Last night in the World Baseball Classic, Travis Bazzana gave Guardians’ fans a glimpse of what is possible for him as the team’s future second baseman.

You may be tempted to dismiss Bazzana’s 2-4 with a home run performance because it came against Chinese Taipei and not a major league team, but don’t be so quick to rain on parades. Consider the context: opening night of WBC play, Bazzana leading off for an underdog and playing in front of the biggest crowd of his career – 40K+ – in a stadium in which the vast majority of fans were cheering against Bazzana’s team.

In the first inning, Bazzana put up a four-pitch at-bat and got jammed on a curveball on the inside of the plate. In the third, Bazzana put up an EIGHT pitch at-bat and rapped a 102.8 mph single to right field. Bazzana got this first hit of Hsu Jo-Hsi, the best pitcher on the Chinese Taipei team who put up a 2.05 ERA in the Chinese Professional Baseball league last season and features a fastball that comes in 94-98 mph and a sharp slider.

Here it is, folks! 🇦🇺

Travis Bazzana has his first hit of the #WorldBaseballClassicpic.twitter.com/W7c91Xa7Fl

— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) March 5, 2026

Po-Yu Chen was the next victim for Bazzana, who has 500 or so innings of minor league experience and put up an FIP around 4.5 last season from Double-A to Triple-A. Those numbers aren’t great, but Chen got Bazzana in the fifth on a curveball that Bazzana swung over on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, grounding out. Second time Chen saw Bazzana, though, he threw a well-located (seemingly!) 94 mph fastball on the inside of the plate first pitch and Bazzana was ready for it:

BAZZANA BOMBS HAVE MADE IT TO THE WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC💥

His solo homer gives Team Australia some insurance! pic.twitter.com/VxYgnFxTFp

— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) March 5, 2026

The aftermath of this bash was a reminder of why Bazzana was such a special player to watch in college as he turned to his dugout flexing and yelling to fire them up. He is a tremendous competitor who isn’t afraid to wear his emotions on his sleeve. It was hard not to imagine him doing the same thing in Cleveland someday, after getting a look at a pitcher the first time, then dialing in for success in a second chance as is his pattern.

Bazzana also looked good defensively, including a sparkling play where he dove in the hole to stop a sharp grounder and got up to retire the runner.

I realize that we are probably going to get Gabriel Arias at short and Brayan Rocchio at second for a month or so, and then Rocchio will swap to short while Juan Brito gets a chance at second. But, if there was ever a time for the Guardians to explore buying out the arbitration years of a player who has yet to debut and trying to add a couple years of free agency on to it, I would say it is Travis Bazzana. Is he a “can’t miss” prospect? He would seem to have the solid floor of a decent defender who will get on base and slug a solid number of homers, but there are certainly still questions about his passivity at the plate and ability to get to his power, consistently. Because of that risk, it is a chance for the Guardians to offer Bazzana some security and gain themselves a chance at having the peak years of a potential all-star on a team friendly deal. If that deal could be reached, then Bazzana’s service time would no longer be a concern and the team could simply start him at second base to begin the season. I’d love for the Guardians to consider this option.

I realize some Guardians’ fans are feeling a certain way after seeing Nick Kurtz dominate in his rookie season last year and realizing that, in hindsight, every team in MLB would have drafted Konnor Griffin first if they could have a do-over. But, this mindset is sure to eliminate joy from your life, if indulged. Bazzana put up a 137 wRC+ last season, despite two oblique injuries. Bazzana is a great kid who is unfailingly fun to watch. His draft choice still has a good chance of being a ridiculously good one for the Guardians and their fans, regardless of what Kurtz, Griffin, JJ Wetherholt, Chase Burns and Charlie Condon do.

With that aside, I hope last night was a reminder to Guardians’ fans of another reason to look forward to the season ahead – if healthy, Travis Bazzana WILL debut on the Guardians this year and he is going to be must-watch TV. Get your Australian-themed banners, flags, cheers and merch ready, folks. It won’t be long until the Bazzmanian Devil is stalking pitchers in the big leagues.

Travis Bazzana and Robbie Perkins take us through Team Australia's huge win in #WorldBaseballClassic Pool C! pic.twitter.com/CocP8990yp

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 5, 2026

#WorldBaseballClassic emotion from Travis Bazzana https://t.co/qrH7ytnpbQpic.twitter.com/jpPpvnDdU5

— MLB (@MLB) March 5, 2026

Today the Rockies announced their 2026 Spring Breakout roster. Since it began in the 2024 season, Spring Breakout is meant to pit the top prospects, regardless of level, against those of another organization.

This year the Rockies top prospects will be facing off against those of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, March 21st at 5:00 PM MST. The Rockies roster for the game will be:

Left-Handed Pitchers

• Konnor Eaton (no. 28 PuRP)
• Welinton Herrera (no. 17 PuRP)
• Griffin Herring (no. 10 PuRP)
• Antoine Jean
• Carson Palmquist (no. 19 PuRP)
• Ben Shields
• Sean Sullivan (no. 8 PuRP)

Right-Handed Pitchers

• Brody Brecht (no. 3 PuRP)
• McCade Brown (no. 18 PuRP)
• Jackson Cox (no. 16 PuRP)
• Cade Denton
• Marcos Herrera
• Yujanyer Herrera (no. 22 PuRP)
• Gabriel Hughes (no. 12 PuRP)
• Riley Kelly (no. 27 PuRP)
• JB Middleton (no. 7 PuRP)
• RJ Petit (no. 23 PuRP)
• Fidel Ulloa

Catchers

• Braynt Betancourt
• Matt Klein
• Cole Messina (no. 26 PuRP)

Outfielders

• Cristian Arguelles
• Max Belyeu (no. 15 PuRP)
• Robert Calaz (no. 6 PuRP)
• Cole Carrigg (no. 4 PuRP)
• Jared Thomas (no. 5 PuRP)
• Sterlin Thompson (no.13 PuRP)
• Zac Veen (no. 9 PuRP)

Infielders

• Ashley Andujar (no. 20 PuRP)
• Sebastian Blanco
• Roldy Brito (no. 11 PuRP)
• Charlie Condon (no. 1 PuRP)
• Wilder Dalis (no. 24 PuRP)
• Ethan Hedges (no. 29 PuRP)
• Kelvin Hidalgo
• Ethan Holliday (no. 2 PuRP)
• Aidan Longwell
• Andy Perez
• Roc Riggio (no. 14 PuRP)
• Braylen Wimmer

The only players that made this years pre-season PuRP’s list that are not present on the roster are: RHP Jordy Vargas (no. 21 PuRP), LHP Michael Prosecky (no. 25 PuRP), and RHP Oscar Pujols (no. 30 PuRP).

Who are you most excited to watch? Let us know in the comments!

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