Major League Baseball has announced that Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, the two Cleveland Guardians pitchers at the center of a pitch-fixing scandal, have been placed on unpaid leave.
The players have been on paid leave since July.
Key Takeaways
MLB has placed Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz on unpaid leave.
Both players were previously on paid leave and face federal charges tied to alleged pitch fixing.
Prosecutors allege the pitchers accepted bribes to influence bets, with the trial set to begin at some point later this year.
“As the legal proceedings involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz continue to move forward, MLB and the MLBPA have agreed that both players will remain on non-disciplinary leave from the Club without pay until further notice,” MLB said in a statement released Friday.
Clase, 28, and Ortiz, 27, did not pitch the second half of last season and were indicted on federal charges in early November. Trial is set for May 5, but is anticipated to be delayed until the fall.
“This agreement is not an admission of any wrongdoing by Clase or Ortiz,” read the statement. “MLB has been closely monitoring the matter since alerting federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and will have no further comment until its investigation has been completed.”
The accusations
The pitchers were charged with manipulating performances in multiple games, with Clase accused of fixing at least 48 MLB games over two seasons, which included postseason games, a February ESPN report unveiled.
Both are accused of having received thousands of dollars in bribes to help a pair of anonymous gamblers in the Dominican Republic win nearly $500,000 in bets, with the bets centering around microbetting lines on factors such as pitch velocity or whether they would be a strike.
Ortiz, through his attorney, claims to have played a much smaller part in comparison to Clase, with the hopes that his case would be viewed separately given the “markedly different levels of culpability.”
“With 26 months of alleged criminal conduct by Mr. Clase – including suspect pitches during 48 games, dozens of communications with (a bettor), cash transfers and coordination of illegal wagers, (Ortiz could receive an unfair trial).”
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: Ronald Acuña Jr. #21 of Team Venezuela celebrates with a gold medal following the 3-2 victory against Team United States at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We got a night game again and seven days from now, we’ll be gearing up to see the Atlanta Braves playing in a game that actually counts. As far as tonight goes, there’s still a few more tune-ups to go before we can get rocking and rolling again.
Ronald Acuña Jr. is officially back in the lineup after his title-winning excursion into the World Baseball Classic. Naturally he’ll be hitting leadoff and the lineup following him resembles something extremely close to what we’ll likely see on Opening Day at Truist Park.
Here is that lineup for the Braves, by the way. Bryce Elder was initially scheduled to start this one but now José Suarez is listed as the starter. I’m sure we’ll learn more later about whether or not Elder will be coming in later of if he got his work done on the back fields:
First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET and you’ll be able to catch it on Braves Vision, so this might be a good time to go sign up for Braves.TV if you haven’t already. Even if you haven’t, the game will also be on Gray TV so check your local listings. If all else fails (or you just want the old-school option) then tune in to 103.7 FM in the Atlanta area for the radio feed.
The Mets made three roster moves following Friday afternoon's Grapefruit League game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Right-hander Austin Warren was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, and righties Kevin Herget and Robert Stock have been reassigned to minor league camp.
Warren, 30, was claimed off waivers before last year and appeared in five games with the Mets last season, allowing one run on five hits over 9.1 innings with nine strikeouts and four walks. He is on the 40-man roster.
Herget, 34, made six appearances with the Mets last season, allowing five runs (four earned) in 12 innings. He re-signed on a minor-league deal in December.
Stock, 36, pitched in 19 games (15 starts) last year for Triple-A Worcester (Boston Red Sox organization) and carried a 3.92 ERA for his 85 innings of work. Like Herget, he is in his second stint with the Mets and signed a minor league deal late last year.
With those moves, the Mets are down to 39 players at big league camp.
New York has three games left to play in spring training, including a split-squad game on Saturday.
After breaking camp, the Mets will open the regular season in Queens against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, March 26.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Nick Allen #2 of the Atlanta Braves throws to first to turn a double play in the first inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on September 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road against the Atlanta Braves, where they will try and pick up another win in Spring Training.
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Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tink Hence (30) delivers a pitch during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Introduction
This short article finishes my effort to articulate some of the observations I made during my visit to Spring Training, 2026. I saved what I think is the best for last.
Sidebar: Where I work out, one of the guys that runs the place is an avid Cardinal fan. So I have someone to talk ball with each day. He keeps MiLB.tv on one of the screens in the weight room and for whatever reason, they’ve been playing Memphis 2025 games the last few weeks. So, I’ve had opportunity to watch, pitch-by-pitch, last year’s Memphis rotation. Weiss. Taylor. Bedell. Cornwall. Et. al. Oh, my! What a struggle they encountered. This article is written in that context.
Short Topic of the Day
The pitching, particularly of the starting variety.
Each spring, I work to get a look at the key pitchers in the organization as they ply their trade. My first hope is just that they are throwing free and easy. And participating in activities such as PFP. Health is such a key determinant. I don’t worry a lot about command or velocity unless it is way off norms. It’s too early to expect sharpness, and particularly on the MiLB side, pretty much all pitchers struggle with command. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be MiLB. Someone would remove the “i”.
In past years in camp, it could be hard to track down pitchers because it seemed so hit-and-miss without knowing who was going to throw, or where or when. Who I saw was pretty random. Be there all the time and hope was the strategy for getting good coverage. Plus, over the years, the Cardinals have progressively made it more difficult for fans to access and watch the areas pitchers work in. I intend to follow up on why, but I suspect there are multiple reasons behind this. Particularly early in the spring, there aren’t many fans to accommodate, and I did wonder if some of them were scouts for other teams. Why give them a free look?
This year brought some improvement as the press credentials improved my access but also allowed me insight into who, what and where of scheduling, so I could target and time my visits to different camp locations. They run a tight ship, so you could pretty well count on if someone was scheduled to pitch at 12:12p, they were going to pitch right around 12:12p. Much better than random visits and hoping to get a look. Information is key!
For the most part, the news was good in that it was mostly lacking in negative surprises. Pitchers on the recovery trail were as expected. Dobbins appears to be farthest along. Hjerpe and Roby have a way to go, timewise. Hjerpe is throwing. A good sign. I don’t expect Roby to pitch competitively this year. AFL, maybe. Dutkanych IV was a surprise in the rehab group. Henderson showing up with a sore forearm was disappointing. I’ve tended to suspect forearm strains can be pre-cursors to UCL injuries, but we will see. Let’s hope not for his sake. Most everyone else was good to go.
What I really noticed was the overall quality of the pitching organizationally. To me, pitching depth has been a concern as far back as 2020, maybe even longer. Even the playoff seasons of 2021 and 2022 required infusions of pitching at the deadline and my recollection is that need was obvious at the outset of those seasons.
As I watched the games and/or walked through the MLB bullpen area and watched, I could see seven or even more guys who can legitimately compete for a rotation spot at the MLB level right now. Not just “guys” or “arms” to fill a spot but actually guys we as fans would actually like to see throw. May, Liberatore, McGreevy, Pallante, Fitts, Leahy and I will include Dobbins. Although he may not be ready day 1, he is far enough along where you can see the stuff. The knee is his limitation right now, not the arm.
Then as I walk the backfields, I can see a AAA rotation that incorporates last year’s stellar AA rotation plus Mathews, who looked sharper. This should be a vast improvement over last year’s AAA rotation. These are the backstop guys, the depth for the MLB rotation. But with quite a bit more upside than was present in prior years. While none are guaranteed success, it has the feel of a group that will have an answer when the MLB rotation inevitably needs a boost as the season progresses.
Then, that AA rotation? Wow. Just wow! Cinjtje. Lin. Doyle. Likely with Rincon and Saladin filling it out, but there are some other guys that might have something to say about that. There is some serious juice here. I’m not projecting success or failure for any individual pitcher here either, but I don’t think it takes much squinting to see some potential quality.
Down below? Guys like Franklin, Sequera and Fajardo (and some others) begin to reveal just how deep this system is, across all timelines. Side note: Don’t sleep on Sequera. He might be my pick to break-out this year. To say nothing of the rehabbing pitchers that have their own pedigree – Holiday, Graham, Dutkanych IV, Findlay. That is seven guys High-A or below that are worthy prospects, not just organizational filler. There are others, too. I just haven’t seen them yet.
My personal measuring stick of how far this system has come? I watched Tink Hence work off a major league mound in a game (a great thing all by itself) and realized that this kid, with his stuff, is part of a much larger group and no longer “the one” that MUST succeed. I’m a big fan of his, in case you can’t tell. I hope we see him in StL this season.
I got a look at the Spring Breakout Roster. It has 20 prospect pitchers. I could see 16-18 of those guys pitching in the MLB. Some years, I have trouble seeing half that many making it that far. This is a deep group, covering a range of potential upside. Not just a bunch of back-end starters.
Oli asked (rhetorically, it turned out) “What is the strength of this team?”. He answered his own question with “Pitching”. I couldn’t disagree. If you are rebuilding a house, getting a strong foundation seems like a really good place to start. I’m no pitching guru, but I walked away impressed. Seriously. And I’m not easy to impress.
Since someone is bound to ask, I’ll get to the one prospect that gave me some pause. Liam Doyle. I’m still trying to gather my thoughts on this one. It seems apparent that there are some development needs there. I need to see more.
I have trouble separating my own limited observations from what/how I see the Cardinals handling him. To me, their actions say a lot. Eighty some guys in the organization got MLB numbers, he did not. You will notice that of the many pitchers that have gotten on the MLB mound in Spring Training games, he is not one of them. I don’t believe he has had an MLB bullpen, either. None of this screams fast track. All of it seems to reflect decisions made before camp, so it’s not like he showed up out of shape or anything like that. As I look at his peers, that puts him behind a number of them. Enough that him being in the rotation at the start of 2027 (much less being ROY) seems … optimistic. At least until we see more.
Probably the greatest intrigue that remains (at the time of writing this) is whether the Cardinals go with some form of six-man rotation. It’s not clear they’ve decided, but so far I’d say health and Fitts’ performance has begun swinging the decision. The way it maps out, his schedule aligns with split-squad days on the 9th, 14th and 19th (Prospect Day, if they want to have someone pitch on a backfield that day), so they could carry him on the MLB roster right up to the end of camp and get him starts. The big club won’t really need said 6th starter until April 15. As things play out right now (no guarantee), that day would be a May start and that is where they may want to insert a sixth starter (Fitts). My guess is he makes a start on March 19, stays in Jupiter and throws a back-field game around the 25th, then opens for Memphis around March 1, which looks like it would put him on schedule to start April 15, either with StL or Memphis (assuming a 6-man rotation in Memphis). Weather, health and/or performance could all conspire to foil that plan.
It’s hard to discern if they will really go with a full-on six-man rotation. It seems more likely that they roll with a modified six-man rotation, like last year. In this case, it wouldn’t shock me if Fitts joins the rotation, but ultimately Leahy is the guy that rotates back and forth between the rotation and bullpen, both as a way to manage his innings and a belief that he is probably best equipped to do this.
One thing is for certain, we will see. In this area, it is a land of opportunity and should be fun to watch unfold.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 04: An overview of the field and stadium during the 2025 MLB Home Opener for the Atlanta Braves who play the Miami Marlins on Friday, April 4, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
We’ve got some more news pertaining to Opening Day (which is officially a week away from today — excited yet?). Earlier today, we got word that Chris Sale would be the Opening Day starter for the Atlanta Braves in 2026 and now there’s a bit more clarity as to where you can watch the Braves take on the Royals — on TV, at least.
The Braves have announced that the season opener on March 28 will be simulcast on Gray TV affiliates across the Southeast. Here’s some more information from the press release, including some information on what will be happening in the stadium as part of the pregame festivities:
First pitch at Truist Park is set for 7:15 p.m. ET. Viewers can watch on BravesVision and on Gray Media’s network of local television stations throughout Braves Country. Fans can find local over-the-air channel listings at bravesongray.com.
BravesVision, the multimedia platform owned and operated by the Atlanta Braves, will serve as the team’s official local television home for the 2026 season. Fans across the organization’s six-state territory will have multiple options to watch Braves games without blackouts, including through video service providers and streaming on Braves.TV. For more information on how to watch, visit braves.com/watch.
The home opener will feature pregame festivities celebrating 60 years of Braves baseball in Atlanta. At 4 p.m., fans can take part in the Braves Walk as the team circles The Battery Atlanta, starting on the first-base side and ending at the Chop House Gate before heading inside for batting practice. The pregame ceremony will include a tribute video, appearances by franchise legends, and a ceremonial first pitch.
There’s still no concrete word on what the cable television situation will be for the Braves so I don’t have any information for you when it comes to which number you need to punch into your remote in order to find the Braves. The only thing we know for certain is that if you get Braves.TV, you’ll be good and if you live in an area that has a Gray TV affiliate then you’re good as well.
We’ll have more information on the TV situation as it comes in but for now, that’s what we know.
Mar 19, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. scores a run during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Blue Jays 2 Twins 1
The Jays got a bunch of hits (10) but only 2 runs, so they are in mid-season form. And they got good pitching. They loaded the bases in the first, with the help of a couple of errors, with no outs but managed not to score. I did say mid-season form.
Max Scherzer still hasn’t given up a run this spring, going 5 innings, allowing 2 hits, 2 walks with 3 strikeouts. With all the injuries to starting pitchers, at the top of the season, I’m glad they signed him. He got the win.
Other pitchers:
Joe Mantiply: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 k. 3.00 ERA on the spring.
Chase Lee: 1.2 innings, 1 hit. 0.00 ERA on the spring.
Lazaro Estrada: 1.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned, 1 k. 4.76 ERA. He got the save.
Hitters, starters:
Myles Straw: 1 for 4, k. .206.
Nathan Lukes: 2 for 3, .333.
Jesús Sánchez: 1 for 3. .244. He hit a deep fly that was just foul in the first. He tried to lobby the umpires into thinking it was right over the foul pole.
Davis Schneider: 2 for 4. .139.
Tyler Heineman: 1 for 3, RBI. .300. Hit into a double play in the first to end the inning.
Leo Jiménez: 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts. .217. I would have liked him to hit better this spring, since he’s on the bubble for a roster spot.
Sean Keys: 0 for 2, walk. .195.
Arjun Nimmala: 1 for 3, k. .250.
Josh Kasevich: 2 for 3, RBI. .306. He’s had a very nice spring.
Others:
Carter Cunningham: 0 for 1, k. .206. The great thing about spring training is there are always names you haven’t heard.
RJ Schreck: 0 for 1. .143.
Rafael Lantigua: 0 for 1. .355.
C.J. Stubbs: Walk. .273.
Charles McAdoo: 0 for 1. .194. He started spring really great.
Josh Rivera: 0 for 1. .211.
Jace Bohrofen: 0 for 1.
Je’Von Ward: 0 for 1.
Tomorrow the Jays play the Pirates in Bradenton, Florida and there is a spring breakout game, Jays Prospects vs. Phillies Prospects. And then Sunday is the last spring game.
We don’t have any pictures from today’s game yet, so I’m cheating, using one from yesterday’s game.
Feb 28, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Tobias Myers (32) pitches in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
The Mets mounted a late rally but fell short, dropping their game to the Cardinals by a 4-3 score on Friday afternoon at Clover Park. The Mets were blanked through seven, managing just two hits, before scoring three in the eighth. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome an early four-run deficit.
Tobias Myers got the nod and pitched two innings of one-run ball. He allowed a solo home run to Ramón Urías in the first inning but did not allow any other hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Luke Weaver pitched a scoreless third inning, working around a two-out single while striking out one to keep his spring ERA at 0.00.
Speaking of spotless ERAs, Brooks Raley pitched a scoreless fourth to keep his ERA at zero on the spring. He navigated two hits while striking out one.
Earlier today, the Mets optioned Austin Warren to the minors which, as Anthony DiComo pointed out, “further strengthening left-hander Bryan Hudson’s position for that final bullpen spot”. Hudson did himself no favors today, allowing three earned runs on one hit and two walks in the fifth inning. The big blow was a Iván Herrera two-run home run, which led to Carlos Mendoza removing Hudson from the game (he would then go back to Hudson to start the inning, removing him after he recorded the first out of that inning).
On offense, the Mets managed just two hits in the first seven innings—a Vidal Bruján fifth-inning single and a Carson Benge sixth-inning single. The Mets finally broke through in the eighth against Gerson Moreno. Cristian Pache walked to lead off, followed by an Antonio Jimenez walk. Tyrone Taylor was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, and Ben Rortvedt drove home the team’s first run on a sac fly. After a Corey Collins walk, St. Louis substituted Austin Love into the game to pitch, and he allowed a two-run double to D’Andre Smith. That would be New York’s final hit of the game.
Benge continued his strong spring with a hit and a walk as he started in right field for the Mets. His average now stands at .412 and his OPS at .987 for the spring. Joel Sherman, for what it’s worth, says that Benge has made the club, but the Mets have not officially announced it yet.
Mark Vientos took another 0-fer as he went hitless in three at-bats while serving as the DH.
Jul 24, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers first round draft pick Malcolm Moore throws out the first pitch before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
A group of Texas Rangers prospects take on a group of Kansas City Royals prospects in this year’s Spring Breakout contest where the Rangers farmhands will be the home team at Surprise Stadium.
Here’s a look at which prospects Texas has available today, including their MLB Pipeline rankings:
PITCHERS (8) Ismael Agreda, RHP, No. 28 Wilian Bormie, RHP, NR Gavin Collyer, RHP, No. 30 Aidan Curry, RHP, NR Joey Danielson, RHP, NR Eric Loomis, RHP, NR Dalton Pence, LHP, No. 12 Josh Trentadue, LHP, No. 23
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 12: Jordan Lawlar #10 of the Arizona Diamondbacks signs autographs before a Spring Training game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 12, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’re now less than a week from Opening Day, and things are certainly coming into focus. While spring training statistics are basically useless in terms of predictive value, when has that ever stopped anyone from looking at them and drawing conclusions? So, based on the Cactus League results so far, here are three players – a hitter, a starting pitcher and a reliever – whose stock seems to have risen as a result of their performance, and three others about whom there might be reason for concern.
Three up
Jordan Lawlar
There are a few candidates here: Alek Thomas, Jorge Barrosa and Jose Fernandez all have an OPS over 1.000. Lawlar is right there with them, his triple-slash being .293/.420/.610 for a 1.030 OPS. But he was also having to learn a whole new position, playing the outfield for almost the first time in his professional career. He has done well: he committed his first error the other day, but a couple of hitters later, made a highlight reel play. Lawlar has played so well, it leaves Torey Lovullo with a tricky decision: should he or Thomas play CF? “They’re running balls down out there. They’re going out there and playing solid defense. Who gets to start in center or left, I haven’t figured that out.”
Of the two dozen D-backs’ pitchers to have thrown at least five innings this spring, there is only one who has yet to allow an earned run: Morillo. Across 7.1 innings, he has eight strikeouts, compared to only two walks, and so far has held opposing hitters to a .167 average. It’s numbers which compare very well, in a similar sample size, to more established relievers like Ryan Thompson or Jonathan Loaisiga. It’s easy to forget Morillo appeared 42 times for Arizona last year, a number surpassed only by Thompson and Jalen Beeks, with an ERA+ of 104. He may end up squeezed out of the Opening Day roster for “veteran presence.” However, I predict it won’t be long before he’s on the bus up from Reno.
Three down
Corbin Carroll
Spring had barely started, when Carroll had to go on the back burner, after fracturing the hamate bone in his hand while swinging. This was initially expected to rule him out for Opening Day, but he set a near-record pace for recovery, returning to the line-up less than four weeks after surgery. The concern is whether the surgery might have a lingering impact, particularly on his power. Although the data doesn’t support that, he has got off to a slow start since his return. Carroll is 2-for-12 with no walks and four strikeouts. While he did hit his first home-run on Wednesday against the Cubs, his OPS to date is only .583. Hopefully, it’s just a case of lingering winter rust being knocked off.
Merrill Kelly
As with Carroll, the issue here is probably as much a health concern as anything. He is no longer feeling any problems with his back, the area which forced him into a late spring start and out of Opening Day. However, Merrill still thinks he will need to start the year on the Injured List. He has made two starts so far, and the results haven’t been good: 11 hits across 4.1 innings with just one strikeout. Though it is true Kelly will be behind opposing hitters in terms of workload, so that may be responsible. The bottom line is, a healthy and effective Merrill is almost essential for the Diamondbacks to have a chance this year. We haven’t enjoyed that so far this pre-season.
Kade Strowd
There are several candidates here. Kevin Ginkel and Brandyn Garcia also have spring ERAs in double digits, rocking chances for an Opening Day spot. But neither were traded this winter for a fan favorite. Strowd came from the Orioles for Blaze Alexander, and expectations were he would be able to contribute immediately to the beleaguered D-backs bullpen. Stroud has been missing some bats, with nine strikeouts over 7.2 innings. But he has also been missing the strikezone, issuing five walks. Add in eleven hits, including two home-runs, and you’re looking at an ugly 10.57 ERA. He has begun to fall off roster projections. Blaze, meanwhile, is expected to start for Baltimore on Opening Day.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 17: Aaron Judge #99 of Team USA looks on during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team USA at loanDepot Park on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
LocalBlueWhaleRuinsEverything asks:Judge is getting pretty well-flamed online for his poor performance in the WBC. How seriously should we take those stats compared to, say, his post-season performances?
Even less serious than the postseason narrative, which is to say not that much. Judge’s overall performance in the WBC was more than adequate, posting an .845 OPS with two homers and five RBI in seven games played — and those are the numbers after he went 0-for in the finale. That’s the equivalent of a single drawn out round of postseason play in the Championship Series or World Series, and that performance wouldn’t be enough to draw the blame for anyone except for a player of Judge’s status (and for that matter, it’s a better line than Judge posted in the ALCS or World Series in 2024).
Judge’s overall postseason track record is certainly less than his regular season excellence, but even there it’s not as bad as it’s made out to be: a career .822 OPS with 17 homers and 41 RBI in 65 games. There have been highs — his most recent performance in 2025 was dominant, his first taste of October was more than fine in 2017, and the Yankees’ short stay in the 2018 playoffs could in no way be blamed on Judge and his 1.447 OPS in the ALDS. But there have certainly been lows, most notably that 2024 run up until the infamous Game 5 against the Dodgers and a rather dreadful 2022 performance that saw them get bounced by their nemesis in Houston.
All of this to say, that Judge’s overall numbers are far from the narrative that he’s a playoff choker. Did he have a good game in the championship against Venezuela? No, far from it — but the US superteam at large was getting shut down by Eduardo Rodriguez for 4.1 innings, and that man’s run an ERA north of five for the last two seasons. The US lineup in general never got going in this tournament outside of their initial blowouts against Brazil and Great Britain, and Judge was one of the few bats alive enough to beat Mexico and force that three-way tie atop their group. There hasn’t been an extended run where Judge has stayed on a heater like he has for some of these individual series or matches, and if he gets one then I think the narrative would be broken, but until then any singular big game flop will be enough to bring out the hecklers.
The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks:Who makes money off the WBC? I have to assume players and MLB make some money, I’m curious how it’s distributed.
The tournament drew a massive pot of cash this year, reportedly offering a $37 million prize pool to the participants when all was said and done thanks in large part to a $100 million broadcasting rights deal that Netflix struck to cover the games in Japan. That pool is then divided up to each competing team with a starting payout of $750,000 and scaling up for each round that teams advanced through. Once a team’s placement has been finalized, their payout is then evenly split between their team federation (which pays for the coaches and staff) and the players on the team, with Venezuela getting the biggest cut for winning it all at a $6.75 million payout.
As for the overall profit generated from the tournament, The Athletic reports that there’s a one-third split going to MLB, one third to the player’s union, and a third split to a trio of other organizations: the World Baseball Softball Organization, the KBO, and the NPB.
OLDY MOLDY asks:Will there be inning limits on Schlittler?
I doubt it, for a couple of reasons. First, Schlittler ended up throwing a combined 149.2 regular season innings last season split between the minors and the majors, a 29-inning increase in workload from his 2024 setting himself up nicely to push towards the 170-180 inning range for 2026. That’s probably about how much the Yankees would love for Schlittler to handle this year, so no real need to manage his innings on a day-to-day basis. On top of that, Schlitter’s slow start to spring while handling his sore back puts him in the position to potentially get skipped over a couple times while the team only needs four starters in the opening weeks of the season, further reducing the need to worry about his season-long workload.
The Mets lost to the Cardinals, 4-3, on Friday as their spring training slate continued.
Here are the takeaways...
-Carson Benge drew a walk his first time up and poked a single to the left side in the sixth inning. He is hitting .412 with a .987 OPS in Grapefruit League play.
The Mets haven't yet announced the plan for Benge when camp breaks, but it will be shocking if he isn't the starting right fielder on Opening Day.
-Bo Bichette got the start at shortstop in order to stay sharp at the position in the event the Mets don't carry a backup at the position. At the plate, Bichette went 0-for-2.
- Tobias Myers was solid, allowing one run (on an opposite-field home run) while walking one and striking out two in 2.0 innings. He is expected to open the season in the bullpen.
- Luke Weaver worked around a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning.
- Brooks Raley danced around two hits to escape his inning unscathed.
- Bryan Hudson, perhaps the favorite for the final spot in the bullpen, struggled. He allowed three runs on one hit while walking two in 1.0 inning. His ERA this spring is 16.20
- Mark Vientos' cold spring at the plate continued, as he went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
MESA, AZ - NOVEMBER 09: Blake Mitchell #8 of the Kansas City Royals hits a double in the second inning during the 2025 Arizona Fall League Fall Stars game between the American League Fall Stars and the National League Fall Stars at Sloan Park on Sunday, November 9, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
At 3 PM Kansas City time, the Royals and Rangers prospects will kick off a Spring Breakout game, meant to highlight what the two farm systems have to offer. The rosters have been set, but here is the starting lineup for that game:
For many Royals fans, this will be the first opportunity to see last year’s first-round draft picks Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond in action, playing the positions they’re projected to play when they reach the bigs. Lefty pitcher Justin Lamkin was a Competitive Balance Round B pick, so he was taken early in that draft as well. Everyone in that lineup is a top-30 prospect for the Royals, with the lone exception of Carson Roccaforte, who has nonetheless excelled in the minors. It’s available to watch for free at Royals TV and it should be a lot of fun.
In the evening, a lot of Kansas City’s regulars will be in lineup for the penultimate Cactus League game against the Giants:
The only guy missing from a lineup that seems like it could be very similar to the one we will spend most of the year watching is Carter Jensen, who caught last night, and so gets tonight off. Luca Tresh, the Royals’ Spring Training home run leader, will start at catcher and bat ninth. Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, this game won’t be televised and it won’t be on the radio either, but you can listen to it online at royals.com or with your MLB app.
It’s good to see Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, and Maikel Garcia back in the lineup after their adventures in the WBC. Here’s hoping they play some more palatable spring ball than we were able to get without them.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 25: Hunter Brown #58 of the Houston Astros throws a pitch during a spring training game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium on February 25, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (10-12-3) host the Miami Marlins (8-12-3) in Grapefruit League play.
RHP Hunter Brown (0-0) will make his fourth start in an official Spring game tonight as he takes on Marlins RHP Eury Perez (0-1).
BROTHER BROWN: In his three previous official Spring starts, RHP Hunter Brown has allowed one run and just two hits in 8.2 innings of work for a 1.04 ERA. Earlier in Spring Training, Astros Manager Joe Espada announced that Brown will be the Astros Opening Day starter on March 26 vs. LAA.
Brown was a 2025 All-Star and finished third in the AL in Cy Young voting after turning in the best season of his career with a 12-9 record and a 2.43 ERA (50ER/185.1IP). Among AL starters, he ranked first in opponent SLG (.318) and second in ERA (2.43). He was named the AL Pitcher of the Month for June after going 1-0 with a 1.19 ERA (4ER/30.1IP) in five starts.
TONIGHT’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: LHP Bryan King, RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP Christian Roa, RHP Enyel De Los Santos, RHP Logan VanWey, RHP Amicar Chirinos, RHP Alex Santos.
VS. THE FISH: Tonight is the sixth and final matchup between the Astros and Marlins this Spring. HOU is 4-1 thus far vs. MIA.
The Astros prospects also defeated MIA in yesterday’s Breakout Game, 7-6.
In the regular season, MIA will vist the Astros for a three-game series at Daikin Park, July 20-22.
PITCHING IN: The Astros have posted a 3.33 Team ERA (80ER/216.1IP) this Spring, which ranks second in the Majors.
TRIUMPHANT RETURN: Astros bench coach Omar Lopez rejoined the club yesterday afternoon, fresh off of managing Team Venezuela to its first WBC championship.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Friday, March 20, 5:05 p.m. CST
Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 17: Brad Keller #40 of the United States takes the field during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Championship game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team USA at loanDepot Park on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Good Phight will be previewing the 2026 season by going over each position on the field. We’ll talk about the players that will occupy them, the players behind them, their strengths and weaknesses and give a few takes about how we think the season will shake out.
Had I told you that the Phillies have a right hander that is pretty important to the whole bullpen operation, the first one you’d think of is Jhoan Duran and you’d be right. He is the one that makes everyone else’s job a little easier, gives each pitcher something of a more defined role that many relievers crave.
Yet the other right hander that is going to play a rather large role in determining how well this bullpen functions is Brad Keller.
Signed this offseason to a sizeable contract after only relieving consistently for a single season, Keller parlayed a huge 2025 season into a two-year security blanket for the Phillies. Basing it off of last year, it was a well deserved contract at a not crazy number. His 2.10 ERA was 15th best among 147 qualified relievers last year. After the All-Star break, Keller allowed one earned run. One! There is a good argument to be made that after that All-Star Game, he was the best relief pitcher in the game.
Yet it was just one season in which he was dominant. The World Baseball Classic appearances he had didn’t exactly inspire confidence that the signing was a wise one. Making snap judgements on these handful of games is foolhardy, of course, so the work he has done in the past will have to be our guide.
Can he continue to show the form he had in the second half of 2025?
His arrival and expected performance means everyone in the bullpen outside of Duran will have a different role. No longer will it be Jose Alvarado needed for the 8th inning. He can instead be deployed in high leverage situations that come up earlier in the game if need be. The team won’t be as dependent on Orion Kerkering to get back to the confident self after his disastrous end of season outing in Los Angeles. Everyone has a better, more suited role in the bullpen now that they theoretically have a dominant arm to pair with Duran at the end of games.
It’s all part of the front office’s plan to have a better bullpen as a whole unit. Last year’s version really never took off until Jhoan Duran came to settle things down. Of course, they had to trade yet even more prospects for him, so acquiring more relief arms this offseason both of the free agent and trade variety has allowed them to stockpile some depth that they previously may not have had. Having to rely on Jose Ruiz last year for actual important innings at any point was simply asking for disaster and they very nearly found it had they not had an excellent starting pitching staff to take the bulk of innings. This year, that rotation depth is a little thinner, the questions about them a little louder, thus making bullpen strengthening a priority. Keller (plus full seasons from Duran and Alvarado) gives them that strength. On paper, this is a good group to have.
They just have to prove it on the field, led by Keller and the questions about his ability to repeat 2025.
