Category: MLB

It’s been speculated that Albert Pujols could manage in the MLB — but some people in the game believe he should already have a gig in the big leagues.

Pujols, who is the Dominican Republic’s skipper in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, was in the mix for multiple MLB managing jobs this offseason, but they ultimately fell through.

Given Pujols’ stellar playing career, questions have arisen if he could translate that greatness to the managerial level.

Longtime skipper Dusty Baker said he thinks that the transition would be easy for the 11-time All-Star.

“It shouldn’t be someday. He should be managing right now,” Baker, who managed Nicaragua in the WBC, told The Athletic this week. “There are a lot of guys that are managing that don’t have the experience on the field of Albert Pujols. I didn’t have much experience either. I coached for a while, and then I had experience in the fall league.

“There are a lot of guys in the game that don’t have the experience that Albert Pujols has, that don’t have the knowledge that Albert Pujols has or don’t have the respect from the players.”

Juan Soto, who is playing under Pujols during this year’s tournament, told reporters that the former first baseman is a pleasure to have in the clubhouse, saying that he “understands how we feel.”

“It’s truly incredible having a legend like Albert in the clubhouse, leading every single one of us as our manager,” Juan Soto told reporters in Spanish, according to ESPN. “He’s been in our shoes and truly understands how we feel, how the pieces move on the field, every swing we take, every decision we make.

“He’s right there with us through it all, and that makes it something truly special and beautiful.”

During the offseason, Pujols was in talks about managerial openings with the Angels — whom he spent 10 seasons playing for — along with the Padres and Orioles.

Each team went in a different direction, however, and Pujols admits that he still doesn’t “know everything” when it comes to managing a club.

“I had managers such as Tony La Russa, Dave Roberts, Joe Maddon, Oli Marmol, Hall of Famers,” Pujols said, according to The Athletic. “You learn a lot from them. … This is something that I have been developing, and I have the chance to go to the stadium and learn something new every day.

“I don’t think that, just because I have been here for 23 years, I know everything. Every time I come to the stadium, I have this open mindset to learn, and I will learn with every play and go back to the hotel thinking, ‘Well, I could have done this a different way.’”

Observations from Mets spring training on Friday:

Steady Benge

Carson Benge went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the Mets’ split squad 8-3 victory over the Nationals in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Benge, who is attempting to win the starting right field job, owns an .858 OPS this spring.

Hudson plunge

Lefty reliever Bryan Hudson allowed two earned runs, two hits and one walk against the Nationals over two-thirds of an inning.

Hudson is competing for a bullpen spot.

Caught my eye

Clay Holmes induced eight groundouts over five innings in his relief appearance against the Marlins in Port St. Lucie.

Saturday’s schedule

Freddy Peralta is scheduled to face the Astros in West Palm Beach.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: Having missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Gerrit Cole is on the comeback trail. The Athletic got a chance to shadow him as he worked out as part of his ongoing rehab, getting a look into the mad man — I say with affection — that is Gerrit Cole.

FanGraphs | Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski: Spring training is always a time not only for players to get ready for their upcoming season, but also for us as fans to get a glimpse of the future. Here’s another look at some of that future with another set of Yankees’ prospect rankings, this time from FanGraphs.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: With their tall frames and nasty repertoires, Yankees’ prospect Carlos Lagrange gets a decent amount of comparisons to former Yankees’ relief ace Dellin Betances. However, Betances himself thinks Lagrange could be even better, and that he could do something that Betances couldn’t quite: stick as a major league starter.

ESPN | Jeff Passan: We’re entering the final weeks of spring training, which means plenty of people are starting to look ahead to the start to the action that counts. Here is a preview of 2026 for all 30 MLB teams from Jeff Passan, featuring some possible breakout stars, including one for the Yankees mentioned right above.

PORT ST. LUCIE — A.J. Minter departed the mound at Nationals Park last April 26 knowing something was wrong, but also fairly certain he hadn’t injured himself too badly.

Even after the adrenaline subsided in the clubhouse and the initial burst of pain kicked in, the Mets reliever was thinking in terms of when he might be returning to the mound.

“I didn’t think it was going to be a season-ending injury,” Minter said this week.

Minter had completely torn a lat muscle from the bone and needed surgery.

His season was finished after only 13 appearances with his new team following his arrival on a two-year contract worth $22 million.

And so, for a second straight spring training the veteran lefty is rehabbing.

Last year it was the labrum in his hip, following surgery in 2024 with the Braves.

Minter, 32, has also undergone Tommy John and thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in his career.

“But this by far has been the easiest rehab process,” Minter said. “I’ve had it all, but this has been about getting the shoulder strong again.”

Minter threw a third live batting practice session this spring Friday.

He’s hopeful of maybe pitching in a Grapefruit League game before the Mets break camp, but regardless won’t pitch for the team for at least the season’s first month.

It’s a potential May addition to which manager Carlos Mendoza can look forward after the team struggled to compensate for Minter’s absence last season.

Brooks Raley, who returned at midseason following Tommy John surgery rehab, bolstered the lefty relief in the second half, but for two months the Mets shuffled a group that included Genesis Cabrera, Jose Castillo and Richard Lovelady before acquiring Gregory Soto from Baltimore before the trade deadline. Soto pitched to underwhelming results and wasn’t re-signed.

“Some of the guys that were there did their part, but [Minter’s absence] was a big blow for us,” Mendoza said. “We felt it while Minter was down.”

The Mets fell one victory short of the playoffs, a fact that torments Minter, who wonders if he could have provided a needed boost.

“I felt like I let the team down,” Minter said. “I knew they were counting on me, and it was definitely hard to watch them. I stayed in New York all year and just wanted to be around the guys, new team, new organization, just continue to build that bond with everyone. I felt it was my job to come in and help this team win, so when you can’t do that it’s frustrating.

“But I worked super hard this offseason and my goal is to come in here and continue to do the same. I can’t help the team if I am hurt, so the first job is just to feel healthy and stay healthy.”

Minter said his fastball is topping out in the 92-93 mph range, slightly below where he wants it.

But he also recognizes where he is in the calendar compared to his teammates.

“Of course, I want to throw harder than that, but I would say I’m a month behind everyone,” Minter said. “If you told me I was throwing 92-93, showing up to spring training … I’m competitive, I want the velocity, but I think we’re in a good spot.”

Raley has returned to give the Mets one dependable lefty reliever.

Beyond that it’s unclear if the team will carry a secondary option to begin the season.

The primary candidate for that spot is Bryan Hudson, who was acquired in a trade with the White Sox for cash considerations just before the start of camp.

“I wouldn’t put it as we’re looking for a second lefty,” Mendoza said, noting that both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver have strong crossover numbers. “I think it’s whatever we feel is going to be best by the time we break camp here.”

Mark DeRosa, at least for now, is off the hook.

An elimination that would have been humiliating has been avoided. If Team USA did not play like a juggernaut, it at least played well enough to advance without any external help this time. 

All the Americans needed to get back on track was a matchup with a nation that shares a land border and has recently doubled as a punching bag. 

The United States — a country that boasts 29 major league clubs — faced off against Canada — a country that has one — and survived a scare from its northern neighbors, 5-3, in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals Friday night in Houston. 

“The crowd really got into it. … It was absolutely electric,” Yankees reliever David Bednar told Fox Sports after escaping a seventh-inning jam, the back of the USA bullpen proving to be the difference. 

It’s a clean sweep for the U.S., whose men’s and women’s hockey teams beat Canada in the gold medal games at the Winter Olympics last month. The Los Angeles Dodgers, too, triumphed over the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series last year. In the WBC, the Americans have won five straight times against the Canadians, including a 12-1 beatdown in 2023. 

Team USA moves on to what arguably is the showdown of the tournament: a semifinal Sunday against the Dominican Republic, which knocked off South Korea in its quarterfinal that ended in a mercy rule-inducing homer from the Yankees’ Austin Wells.

The Dominican lineup owns the muscle and star power to keep up with the Americans, an onslaught of Fernando Tatis Jr., Ketel Marte, Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Junior Caminero and Julio Rodríguez, just to name a few. 

Awaiting on the mound will be Paul Skenes, first of the Air Force Academy and now the best arm the Americans have to throw. 

The game will take place in the international melting pot that is Miami, which will be far more fired up than during Marlins games. 

“I expect it to be, like, one of the greatest games of all time,” DeRosa told reporters of a matchup that will pit a businesslike Team USA club against a bat-flipping group of Dominican players. 

“It’s fun. It’s exciting,” Aaron Judge (1-for-3 with a double and walk) told reporters of the flashier Dominican style of play. “I know the fans definitely love it. But I try not to look at what other teams are doing, what other people are doing. I focus on what we got here. We got a special group of guys that love to play this game.” 

As a reminder: This stage is single elimination, so another Game 7 awaits. A loss to the Dominican Republic would be disappointing, sure, but not shameful or mortifying. The Americans had earlier flirted with both. 

Just about forgotten now is the heated debate around DeRosa, who claimed he misspoke in stating that his club already had clinched a spot in the knockout stage prior to its fourth game in group play. Team USA then fielded a lineup without several of its best players and lost to Italy, requiring (and then receiving) some help to advance. 

Friday, the Americans received yet another gift. A country known for its politeness delivered with a, well, favour that cracked the game open. 

In the third inning of a game Team USA led by one, Bryce Harper, Judge and Kyle Schwarber reached to load the bases with two outs. Alex Bregman hit a ground ball to the left side that a diving Abraham Toro stabbed. A good throw would have cut down Bregman, ended the frame and kept the contest close, but the Royals infielder airmailed the throw to give the Americans a three-run cushion. 

That cushion ballooned to five runs, but Canada scored three times (including a two-run homer from Guardians standout Bo Naylor in the sixth) and put the tying run in scoring position without an out against Bednar in the seventh. 

The gutsy Yankees reliever, though, bore down. He went down, 3-1, to Josh Naylor before fighting back and inducing a pop-up. He used a big-time curveball to punch out Tyler O’Neill then a splitter to escape against Owen Caissie. Bednar hopped and smacked his right hand into his glove as he walked to the dugout after throwing 26 of the most pressurized pitches you can throw on March 13. 

Former Yankees prospect and current Red Sox weapon Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth and Mason Miller was dominant for the ninth in a game the Americans survived because of their defense — which did not make the mistake that the Canadians did — and their pitching and not a lineup that has yet to be overwhelming. 

“I don’t think this entire time in Houston has been all that pretty,” Pete Crow-Armstrong told Fox Sports. “But I think we know what we have in this clubhouse. … I think it’s just most important that when it’s not always the easiest or the cleanest, we’re still getting the job done, some way, somehow. 

“We’re looking to really wake up one of these days soon.”

The United States advanced to the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic with a 5-3 win over Canada at Daikin Park in Houston on Friday night.

Will Smith, who has been splitting catching duties with Cal Raleigh, did not play on Friday. Clayton Kershaw did not pitch in any of the first five games of the tournament, and he’s expected to be replaced on Team USA’s roster in favor of Jeff Hoffman for the next round.

The earlier game Friday was a blowout, with the Dominican Republic shutting out Korea 10-0.

Former Dodgers pitcher Hyun-jin Ryu got through the first inning unscathed, but it was mostly landmines for him in the second inning, with two walks, three hits, and three runs to end his start after only five outs. The Dominican Republic followed with a four-run third inning, then Austin Wells ended things with a three-run home run in the seventh inning, providing the requisite 10-run lead that late in the game to invoke the mercy rule.

Hyeseong Kim, who missed the last game of pool play in Tokyo after injuring his left hand on a slide into second base, was back in the lineup Friday for Korea, but he struck out in both at-bats. Now, he’ll be back to the Dodgers soon to resume his battle for an opening day roster spot.

Team USA will take on the Dominican Republic in the first WBC semifinal, on Sunday night at loanDepot Park in Miami.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be on the mound and Shohei Ohtani in the lineup as designated hitter for Japan in their quarterfinal matchup with Venezuela on Saturday night. Ohtani won’t pitch in the WBC, but he continues to build up toward the regular season, including pitching four simulated innings on Thursday in Miami.

Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior talked with Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register about Ohtani’s pitching progression:

“We get Trackman reports. We know how many pitches he’s thrown, we know the velocity, we have a general idea of the movements. We get some cellphone videos and stuff from Will Ireton (who is working with Team Japan during the tournament) and Possum (Yosuke Nakajima, a Dodgers trainer), who was in Tokyo as well.

“We’ve been able to track what’s going on and talk with Will to see how he’s responding. That’s kind of how we’re staying in touch.”

Friday scores

• Dominican Republic 10, Korea 0 (7 innings)
• United States 5, Canada 3

Saturday schedule

• Italy vs. Puerto Rico, 12 p.m. PT (FS1)
• Japan vs. Venezuela, 6 p.m. (Fox)

Offensive struggles were the story for Tennessee over the last week, but over the last couple of games, the Volunteer bats have delivered. Coming off of a 20-2 explosion against Tennessee Tech, the Vols delivered again this evening in Athens to open SEC play.

Taking on No. 6 Georgia, Henry Ford got things rolling in the top of the 3rd with a 2-run single back up the middle. Teagan Kuhns was rolling along until the 5th, where trouble struck. A solo shot from Ryan Black got the Bulldogs on the board, but Georgia wasn’t done. A string of hits would end up scoring three more runs, ending Kuhns’ night on the mound and giving the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead.

Tennessee would put two on in the next inning, and Manny Marin delivered a key hit to tie things up. It was a 2-run double, which ended up chasing Georgia starter Joey Volchko.

Tied at 4-4, the Tennessee bats came alive.

It was Henry Ford — then Stone Lawless — then Manny Marin — each hitting solo shots to build the Tennessee lead out to 7-4 in the 7th and 8th innings.

Brandon Arvidson took over on the mound for Tennessee and shut things down for the rest of the night. Following Kuhns, Arvidson went 4.1 innings, giving up just two hits and striking out four. Following Tennessee’s three solo homers, Arvidson would be credited with the victory — his first of the season.

Tennessee moves to 14-4 on the season and now just a win away this weekend from clinching their first SEC series. It would be quite the statement weekend for Josh Elander’s group, doing this against a top ten team on the road. We’ll see if this offense can keep that momentum going on Saturday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. ET.

Austin Wells called game for the Dominican Republic on Friday.

In the seventh inning of a quarterfinal matchup against Korea, the Yankees backstop blasted a three-run homer down the right field line, putting the D.R. up 10-0 and thus enacting the tournament’s 10-run mercy rule.

With Friday’s win, the D.R. advances to the semifinals, making its first appearance there since 2013, where it wound up winning its first and only WBC championship.

“Trying to win today and be able to move to the next round was the goal,” Wells told reporters after the win. “Being able to help out today and be part of it was a lot of fun. Definitely a special moment.”

The game was lopsided from the start, with the D.R. quickly notching seven runs across the second and third innings.

They were also to keep Korea’s hitters at bay, giving up just two hits and a walk through the seven-inning game.

Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sanchez started the game for the Dominican Republic, striking out eight through five innings of work.

Albert Abreu finished the game, throwing two perfect innings while striking out three.

Wells’ blast gave the D.R. its 14th home run of the tournament, tying a WBC record previously held by Mexico from the 2009 competition.

Manager Albert Pujols said that this year’s team has unmatched energy, and it’s something unique to the culture of the country.

“I just don’t think you can,” Pujols said Friday when asked how the energy could be replicated in the MLB, according to The Athletic. “That’s in our blood, that’s in our DNA. That’s how we play baseball.

“That responsibility that we have wearing this jersey, especially representing our country — the culture, the attitude, the way the guys go about it — I mean, you’re born with that, and sometimes, you know, that’s even harder to teach.”

Outfielder Julio Rodriguez has also opened up on his country pride, saying that winning for the Dominican Republic would mean more to him than taking home a World Series title with the Mariners.

“I love the Mariners,” Rodriguez said, according to Foul Territory. “They know I give my best for them every single time I step on the field, but winning the World Baseball Classic is at the top of the list.”

“This is for my country, this is for my town, this is for the people in my neighborhood,” he added. “It’s for everybody in the Dominican Republic.”

The Dominican Republic is slated to face Team USA-Canada in the semifinal round on Sunday.

On Monday, we asked which Rockie you thought was having the best WBC and who you were rooting for to win. Last night, we asked who you think will win the whole thing. Today, I present you the results from Monday’s poll:

The majority of fans believe that INF Willi Castro. Castro has gone 3-f0r-10 with a double and two RBI in four games for Team Puerto Rico. He has also drawn four walks and struck out twice with a stolen base.

Ezequiel Tovar went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in three games for Team Venezuela. He drew one walk, struck out twice, and stole a base. Juan Mejia has allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings for Team Dominican Republic.

Beyond individual players, Purple Rowers are overwhelmingly rooting for Team USA.

Unfortunately, Team Venezuela and Team Mexico have been eliminated, but we can still root for the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico!

What are your thoughts on these results? Do you agree? Have your answers changed since Monday? Let us know in the comments!

Brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

The split squads were in effect today, with the Mets hosting the Marlins at Clover Park and the team traveling to the CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches to take on the Nationals.

Home Game: Marlins 1, Mets 0

• Kodai Senga looked excellent over three innings of work, striking out five and allowing no hits or walks. His velocity was hitting 98 and his ghost fork was diving, both wonderful signs for the oft-injured righty.
• Devin Williams pitched a scoreless fourth inning, working himself out of trouble after striking out the first two batters he faced. Back to back singles put men on the corners, but he was able to induce a weak ground out to end the frame.
• Bo Bichette came to bat thrice, striking out once and grounding into two double plays. Woof.
• The sole run crossed the plate in the seventh, when Christopher Morel singled in Connor Norby. This would be the only run charged to Clay Holmes, who looked excellent in five innings of work, allowing two hits, no walks, and six strikeouts in his first post-WBC appearance.

Away Game: Mets 8, Nationals 3

• The Mets jumped on the board in the top of the first when Ronny Mauricio doubled in Brett Baty, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.
• Carl Edwards Jr. started for the away Mets, and looked really good in his four innings of work, striking out four and allowing just one baserunner on a walk to Nasim Nuñez.
• The Mets extended their lead by a run when Carson Benge drove in A.J. Ewing with the second run in the fifth.
• Bryan Hudson entered the game in the bottom of the fifth, giving up a single to Dylan Crews, a walk to José Tena, and a double to Nuñez on the first three batters to face him, leading to a run. A sacrifice fly by Yohandy Morales tied the game.
• Joe Jacques gave up a third run on a Crews sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
• The Mets retook the lead in the eighth when Nick Roselli cleared the bases on a three-run double, putting the Mets up 5-3.
• A flurry of Met prospects that you probably haven’t heard of (Ronald Hernandez! Diego Mosquera! Nick Lorusso!) added on in the top of the ninth, putting the Mets up 8-3.

The Mets play away tomorrow against the Astros at 6:05pm.

NORTH PORT, Fla. — With less than two weeks left until it’s being used for real, Aaron Boone remains unimpressed with the automated ball-strike system (ABS).

“I don’t like it,” the manager said before the Yankees’ 7-6 spring training loss to the Braves Friday at CoolToday Park. “I don’t want it. I think the umpires are trained really well now and graded really fairly. I’ve seen the [strike] zone get more consistent umpire-to-umpire.”

But his real issue is the impact it could have on the flow of the game.

“It’s a whole new component,” Boone said. “A guy strikes out a guy to end the sixth inning in a big spot and he’s going off the field and it’s overturned. Now he’s back in the fire. Hopefully that serves us well, but that’s now part of the game. Is that a great thing? I don’t know.”

And it’s not about the concept of letting umpires make mistakes behind the plate, it’s the way in which the challenge system may impact calls in games.

“There’s a human element of ‘This team is out of challenges and [the umpire] got one wrong,’ ” Boone said.

Now that it’s here, though, Boone believes the Yankees will have success with the system.

“I continue to think it will be good for entertainment and I think there’s entertainment value to it,” the manager said. “I think we’re going to be good at it. I expect us to be good at it.”

Boone said the Yankees are “going to be prepared correctly for it. I think our guys, offensively speaking — kind of our identity [and] DNA — is controlling the strike zone. Hopefully that serves us well in this environment.”

And Boone added he’s not totally against it — and acknowledged he may come around at some point.

“I might grow to like it,” Boone said. “I was skeptical about some of the rule changes a couple years ago. … [And] I’m not dead-set that I hate it. It’s fine. I don’t think I love it.”

He’d also rather they just go totally to an automated system instead of relying on a challenge system.

“I’m kind of one way or the other,” Boone said. “Then there’s no consternation. You want it or you don’t.”

Boone said with Ryan Weathers expected to be in the five-man rotation to open the regular season, veterans Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough likely would pitch out of the bullpen in the early going.

Boone also added the Yankees could go with a four-man rotation for the first few weeks, given extra built-in off days in March and April.

“Those are things we’ll work through over the next weeks,” Boone said.

A day after top prospect George Lombard Jr. was reassigned to minor league camp, Boone praised the young infielder who has stood out each of the last two springs.

“Obviously, we think very highly of him and he continues to confirm those notions,” Boone said. “The way he goes about it, he’s as professional as it gets: Great routine, his love of the game, how he works.”

Boone’s message to Lombard and Spencer Jones, in particular, was: “Be where your feet are. The bottom line is to keep getting better. Go play. … Some things are out of your control. Handle your end of business.”

The Dodgers take on the Mariners Friday night at Peoria Stadium. Landon Knack makes his fourth spring start for the Dodgers. Cade Anderson takes the ball for Seattle.

FRIDAY GAME INFO

• Teams: Dodgers at Mariners
• Ballpark: Peoria Stadium
• Time: 6:10 p.m. PST
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: KIRO 710 AM (Mariners broadcast)

The Kade Anderson Revolution will be televised. Tonight’s match-up against the Dodgers will be broadcast on SNLA, and it’s an evening game, so you might even get to watch it. Of course, it’s up against the WBC Quarterfinals, so maybe your attention will be divided.

The Mariners are mostly going with the B-Squad for tonight’s game, but I know my fellow Brock Rodden enjoyers will be excited about that. The headline is Kade Anderson’s third start of his pro career, and he’ll face a significant early test against the top of the Dodgers’ lineup. Our best understanding of who’ll follow Anderson is Dobnak, Ortiz, Ferrer, Vargas, and Zuñiga, but that’s not 100%

As for LA, I can’t say I’m super familiar with Landon Knack, but he’s already got two rings. His most prominent outings came in the 2024 postseason, where included four innings of Game 4 of the World Series. Here’s a fun fact: his first MLB strikeout came against Nick Senzel, who will man the keystone for Knack tonight.

Today’s game information:

Game time: 6:10 PT

TV: SNLA and MLB tv

Radio: Old Reliable

The WBC Quarterfinals start tonight, including Team USA facing off against Team Canada. But if you can tear your eyes away from that, you can see the debut of Eric Hosmer on the Royals TV broadcast in Surprise, Arizona. It should be a good time. Here’s the lineup:

Speaking of team USA in the WBC, Michael Wacha will make his first appearance in Royals Spring Training since returning home from a successful relief appearance in pool play last week. This game will also allow us to get our first look at the newest Royal, Starling Marte, in right field, and watch Carter Jensen take a turn behind the plate while Salvy waits to try to lead Venezuela against Japan tomorrow.

After Wacha, the Royals plan to send Noah Cameron, Helcris Olivárez, and Shane Panzini to the mound. Beck Way and Chase Jesse will be in the bullpen, too, just in case. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Noah Cameron’s velocities and to see if Helcris Olivárez can continue to push for a bullpen spot.

One of the most exciting parts of baseball is a game going into extra innings. In MLB games, extra innings can go on-and-on like an Erykah Badu song.

For a lengthy, six-month MLB season, extra innings are cool. An uncanny experience for baseball fans, especially those that witness the extended game live at a ballpark. MLB officially instituted the "ghost runner" for the 2023 regular season, but the rule placing a free runner on second base to start extra innings had been used since the 2020 COVID season.

The World Baseball Classic also adopted the rule, but it it will be used all the way through the tournament, whereas MLB reverts to traditional extra-inning rules in the postseason.