Mar 14, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Kyle Tucker against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
On the surface, Kyle Tucker has struggled at the plate when only accounting for his batting average (.200, 3-15), but he has demonstrated great patience at the plate.
Tucker has only appeared in eight games so far this spring, as he missed a generous amount of time to tend to his wife for the birth of their newborn son. He demonstrated his “dad strength” on Friday by launching his first home run in a Dodgers uniform, but his value hasn’t come from his bat; it’s from his vision.
Tucker has walked six times compared to only two strikeouts. Combine those free passes with a hit by pitch, and Tucker has reached base in nearly half of his 22 plate appearances, good for a .455 on-base percentage. And that is exactly what Dave Roberts expects out of Tucker; to get on base at a consistent rate and set the table for the rest of the star hitters to follow, writes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
“For me, I just see him as a guy if he gets on base, however he gets on base, that’s the biggest – that’s something we’re looking for and something we’re counting on,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the role he envisions for Kyle Tucker. “Having Mookie (Betts) and Freddie (Freeman) behind him and Will (Smith) – if he’s a guy who gets on base at a high, high clip, then everything else will kind of fall into place.”
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Although Kiké Hernández was unable to participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic for Team Puerto Rico, he remarked on participating in the tournament is more significant than playing in the World Series, per Jack Vita of the Los Angeles Times.
“I said it feels bigger,” Hernández said. “I didn’t say it’s bigger. Atmosphere, crowd, you’re representing your country. You’re not representing a city. You don’t always choose who you play for. Sometimes that’s out of your control and you know, when you’re representing your country, you’re playing along with your homies. Sometimes you’re playing along with people that you grew up with. Your people back home are rooting for you, at times.”
Sonja Chen of MLB.com breaks down what to expect from the Dodgers as they enter their final week of Cactus League play, with one subject in particular to monitor being the competition for the starting second base job to begin the season. Chen notes that it’s a two-horse race between Hyeseong Kim and Alex Freeland, with the former clearly leading the way.
Kim went 6-for-13 (.462) in four Cactus League games, but he was only 1-for-12 with a home run in the Classic. Freeland has shown some impressive plate discipline, but perhaps a tad too much. He’s drawn 10 walks but hit only 4-for-31 (.129) in 14 games. As Roberts sees it, the competition “hasn’t changed a whole lot” since Kim left.
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Thanks very much to those of you who said kind things. You are appreciated. I’m staying off the boards for now, or I’d say so directly.
Another game with no TV. Jonathon Long legitimized the lineup. Carson Kelly manned first base. Moises Ballesteros was behind the dish. Ah, Spring Training.
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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Tanner Gordon #29 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch to the San Diego Padres in the first inning of a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 27, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Scottsdale, Ariz. — Tanner Gordon is in his third spring training with the Colorado Rockies and is in the mix for the fifth starter spot alongside Chase Dollander, Ryan Feltner and Antonio Senzatela. Gordon had a remarkable 2025 campaign and is looking to build on that in 2026.
“[There’s] a lot of good energy around the clubhouse and good energy in the hallways,” Gordon said. “Obviously, with a new regime, there’s always going to be a new taste to everything. So it’s been good. [The] energy levels are really high.”
Like many other pitchers, Gordon is working on some new pitches. A few weeks ago, he mentioned he was working on a two-seam fastball.
“It’s going (well),” he said. “I try to throw it in catch play as much as I can. It’s a one-seamer, technically, but it still moves the same way as a two-seamer. I’m just trying to mess with it as much as I possibly can.”
Gordon is also working to refine the pitches already in his arsenal, namely, “the slider, the cutter, mixing up a different changeup grip, so it almost has two different shapes.”
Since this has been something new pitching coach Alon Leichman has preached this spring, it’s not surprising that Gordon is also expanding his pitch mix. And so far, Gordon is liking the new staff and what they bring to the table.
“I think they’re great,” he said. “I think they bring a lot of knowledge to us, and definitely different viewpoints from what we’ve had in the past.
“And they’re able to relay more advanced things and make it easy for us to understand,” he continued. “Nobody wants to be out on the field thinking about a million things or be thinking about some super complex idea. So they simplify things and just make it easy for us (so) we can just go out there and play.”
Leichman has also passed along a new philosophy for the pitching staff.
“He just wants us to fill up the strike zone as much as we possibly can,” Gordon said. “3-2 strikes, and then go for the kill when we have two strikes, so it takes a lot of thinking off our plate.
“As a starter, you go through the lineup a few times,” he continued, “so you kind of have to start having to pitch the second and third time through, but just be on the attack the whole time. And I’ve thought of it that way, but it wasn’t my whole philosophy going into it.”
While the players are exploring expanded arsenals, Leichman has also experimented with calling pitches from the dugout. Some pitchers, like Ryan Feltner, are all for it. Gordon isn’t quite sure yet, but acknowledged, “What he’s said makes sense.”
“He has the scouting report right in front of him. He can look at it in real time and call what he wants,” he said.
“Then there’s also the game aspect of you being in the game and feeling out what you want to throw,” Gordon continued. “And there are probably going to be some times where, say, he calls a pitch and I don’t feel like that’s the right pitch for me. I don’t feel comfortable throwing that pitch. I want to throw this pitch. Then I’ll just call it off and throw the pitch I want to throw. And that’s what a lot of the guys talk about, too. I’m not leaning to one side of it.”
Gordon is also leaning on the veteran pitchers for support on and off the field.
“I worked out with [Kyle] Freeland all offseason here in Scottsdale,” he said. “And then when [Michael] Lorenzen came in, he’s super easy to talk to. He’s an open book. He’s helped me a ton, not even with baseball but also off the field – what he does for recovery, all that kind of stuff, and his mindset on that.”
But most of all, he’s finishing up camp with the goal to “remain consistent and control what [he] can control.”
“Obviously, there’s a bunch of new starters that we signed,” he said. “So keep the blinders on and have fun, enjoy spring training but also know that I have a job to do and we as a whole organization have a job to do moving forward.”
What storylines are you watching closest in the final weeks of spring training? Who do you think will be on the Opening Day roster? Let us know in the comments!
MIAMI — They started to trudge of the clubhouse at 1:23 a.m. Sunday, their heads down, eyes glazed, mostly staring straight ahead.
The large contingent of reporters, perhaps 100 in all, waited behind a rope in the mixed zone in the corridor of loanDepot Park, and at 1:31 a.m., Shohei Ohtani came out of the door and stopped to talk.
It was a strange sensation for Ohtani, a feeling he knew that was inevitable, but he wasn’t prepared for it right now.
The pain was raw.
For the first time in years, after winning two World Series titles and two MVPs with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani finally lost.
Japan, the three-time and defending WBC champion, who had won 11 consecutive games since 2017, was eliminated.
Ohtani, the game's biggest global star, was left answering questions while he could hear Venezuela still celebrating down the hall.
“All I can say is that it’s really frustrating," Ohtani said. “It was the kind of game where we had chances to win. It wasn’t like we were completely overwhelmed from start to finish. I think there were definitely moments where we had opportunities to win. …
“We showed what we do well, but in the end, they overpowered us."
Ohtani once again had a phenomenal showing, hitting .462 with three homers and seven RBI in 13 at-bats, producing a .611 on-base percentage and 1.231 slugging percentage, with his only two strikeouts coming Saturday.
He was the one who responded immediately to Ronald Acuńa Jr.’s leadoff homer off Yoshinobu Yamamoto with a homer of his own in the first inning. Yet, unlike the 2023 WBC when he clinched Japan’s title by striking out Angels teammate Mike Trout, he ended this game by hitting a lazy pop-up to shortstop Ezequiel Tovar.
Japan’s WBC reign expired and there will be a new champion, with the USA, Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Italy still alive in the tournament.
Ohtani, wearing a gray suit with headphones around his neck, clutching a baseball glove behind his back, talked about that empty feeling.
“Of course it was a wonderful experience," he said, “but if you don’t win it all, then in a sense it’s a failure. That’s probably what the result comes down to.
“Everyone was working only toward winning the championship: the manager, the staff, the people behind the scenes. Everyone was aiming for that. So, it’s very disappointing for it to end like this."
Maybe it would have been different if he could have pitched in the WBC. Japan’s bullpen couldn’t stop Venezuela, turning a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning into an 7-5 deficit one inning later.
“We didn’t have an option for Ohtani to pitch from the middle of the game," Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata said, “so I don't think I would have known what would have happened. But, of course, I would have wanted him to play.
“But I didn't have a choice.’’
The Dodgers and Ohtani decided before the WBC that he would be strictly used as a DH and not pitch. It wasn’t worth the risk while preparing for his first full season as a pitcher since undergoing elbow surgery in 2023.
So Ibata was left uncomfortably answering questions about why he pulled Yoshinobu Yamamto before 80 pitches, Japan’s bullpen struggles, its inability to score in 6 ⅓ innings against Venezuela’s bullpen, and how it was possible to cough up a 5-2 lead.
“After we scored five,’’ Ohtani said, “I thought they showed a lot of grit on the mound. They were excellent."
The victory not only vaulted Venezuela into the WBC semifinals for the first time, but allowed them to qualify for the 2028 Olympics.
“My country right now is celebrating,’’ Venezuela manager Omar Lopez said. “It's extremely happy. It's on the streets. They're drinking right now, and that makes me happier than anybody else in this world, because this is the only thing that I can do. This is the only thing that I can do for my country.
"That's the only thing that I'm going to take back home. And 20 years from now, I'll remember I made my country happy at least for one or two days. That's all I need."
Who knows, maybe the two teams will meet again at the 2028 Olympics at Dodger Stadium, where Japan can have a little payback.
“In international competition, of course you want another chance,’’ Ohtani said, “whether you call it revenge or a new challenge. I don’t know in what form I myself will be able to play next time, but when that opportunity comes, I want to focus on it again."
Ohtani knows there are plenty of great players still on their way from Japan, and by the time the Olympics rolls around, they could return to being that super power.
“Even with many young players on the roster," he said, “I got the sense that the overall level – both pitching and hitting – is continuing to rise. I feel that every year.
“There are a lot of players I’m excited about for the future. And with new players coming in as well, I’d be happy if the overall level of baseball continues to improve."
Japanese officials cut off further questions. It was time to leave. The bus was waiting to take the team back to the hotel, where they had planned to stay until after the championship game Tuesday night, and not be packing their bags to leave town Sunday.
Ohtani will head back to Arizona to rejoin his Dodgers teammates, likely start in at least one spring training game, and then be ready for the 2026 season. There’s the World Series flag ceremony on Opening Day March 26 at Dodger Stadium, a ring ceremony March 27, and he could be making his season debut that weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He says he’ll look ahead, knowing there’s nothing he can do about the past.
He’s got another World Series championship to win, and a long grueling season ahead to erase the sting of the WBC.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Ronald Acuña Jr. #21 of Team Venezuela rounds the bases after his home run against Team Venezuela in the first inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park on March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well the pitching has been an injury mess this spring, but it must be said that in general, pretty much everyone who has stayed healthy on the pitching and hitting side have performed at or above expectation so far. If this team’s offense can really get going again and the bullpen is elite as it has the chance to be, the lack of starting pitching depth to start the season won’t hurt as badly, particularly if Chris Sale and Spencer Strider are healthy and humming. That’s a lot of ifs, but this team does still have significant talent.
SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory! Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness Feed all week long and we’ll have both on hand! (All times ET)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is introduced before a WBC Pool C game between Czechia and Japan at the Tokyo Dome on March 10. (Toru Hanai / Getty Images)
Wait, what? That’s me whenever I see a list of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball that doesn’t include the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the top three — or not until No. 7, like MLB Network’s did.
It’s hard to believe there are professional ball-watchers who want us to believe there are a handful of pitchers better than the Dodgers’ righty who's steadily filling the fingers on his hand with championship rings.
Respectfully, the Philadelphia Phillies’ Zack Wheeler and Atlanta Braves’ Chris Sale are great. So are the Philadelphia Phillies’ Christopher Sánchez and Boston Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet.
But they’re not greater than Yamamoto.
I’m not saying criminally underrating someone like Yamamoto should be prosecutable, I’m just wondering why anyone would?
“It could have something to do with him not throwing 100 like some other guys,” Dodgers pitcher Ben Casparius said. “But just in terms of pure pitching and what he’s able to do and where he’s able to locate certain pitches and how he’s able to read the hitters?”
“In our eyes, I would for sure say Yamamoto is very underrated,” catcher Dalton Rushing said. “I think what goes into your role as a player is your willingness to win, whatever you'll do to win. I don’t have to go back to the World Series and bring anything up, everyone watched those games, everyone saw what he did.”
Maybe it was a power outage at some folks’ homes during the World Series? Or a subtle form of protest against the Dodgers, champions of capitalism? Maybe Yamamoto’s unassuming everyman act is just that good?
We’ve all marveled at Shohei Ohtani’s Superman quick change, how he’ll go from dynamite pitcher to fearsome hitter in a few bats of an eye. But the truly superheroic character on the Dodgers’ roster is their 5-foot-10, 176-pound ace, Yamamoto.
His Clark Kent-esque transformation, from unimposing nice guy — “the nicest guy in the entire world,” Casparius said — to smirking menace whenever the day needs saving is the stuff of comic book legends.
In last season’s World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays that went the distance and beyond, Yamamoto earned MVP and three of the Dodgers’ four wins.
He had a 1.02 ERA. Got the Dodgers squared away with nine innings of one-run baseball in Game 2. Staved off elimination in Game 6, giving up just one run in six innings. And closed the deal in Game 7 when he pitched 2 ⅔ innings of scoreless relief in the Dodgers’ 5-4, 11-inning victory.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is all smiles as he's hugged by a teammate following the Game 7 win over the Blue Jays in the World Series. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Oh, and of course Yamamoto was warming in the bullpen when Freddie Freeman hit his walk-off home run to end the 18-inning Game 3 epic at Dodger Stadium.
And Yamamoto showed up for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He tossed 2 ⅔ scoreless innings in one pool-play start and was scheduled to start again against Venezuela on Saturday evening in Japan’s first knockout round game.
“Part of being a gamer and being a great competitor in big moments is the preparation,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And when you prepare the right way, that eliminates a lot of doubt and fear. And that, for me, that’s the core of who Yoshinobu is.”
Hyper-competitive and exceptionally nimble, Yamamoto is also super strong — in body and mind.
Bruce Wayne had Alfred Pennyworth; Yamamoto has Yada Sensei, personal trainer Osamu Yada, a 60-something Japanese judo therapist whose unique training regimen has helped turn his star pupil into a world-beater.
So while the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes and Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal are baseball’s kings of the hill, if you had to pick one arm to decide the fate of the universe, whose would it be?
Cue the Yoshinobu Yamamoto anthem.
“He's probably the best pitcher I've ever seen live,” Casparius said. “He’s definitely the guy I'm taking in a must-win game.”
Said pitcher River Ryan: “Yoshi, he is just a natural freak athlete” with a “routine that’s incredible to watch.”
And it isn’t merely the pitcher’s willingness to go to bat for his team and country, all the metrics make his case, too.
Last season, Yamamoto had the fourth-best ERA in the big leagues (2.49) and gave up two or fewer runs in 20 of his 30 starts. He was also tied for first in barrel rate (5.7%), fifth in strikeout rate (29.4%) and seventh in FIP (2.94).
Pick a category, and it paints the picture almost as well as Yamamoto does corners.
I’m not asking people to put some respect on Yamamoto’s name, I’m asking them to put mad respect on it.
“I would say yes, I don't think he's fully appreciated for what he's done,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “Not just yet. He will.”
Eventually even people around Clark Kent have to catch on: This guy might not walk around like he’s a superhero, but he is one.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches live during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 16, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello, friends.
There are now 11 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. Another eight exhibition games remain to be played in Florida, plus the home-and-home with the Nationals next Sunday and Monday. That includes a 6:05 game against the Yankees here tonight, the first night game of the spring schedule so far. The game will be broadcast on MASN as well as on the flagship radio stations of 98 Rock and WBAL 1090AM in Baltimore.
In yesterday’s game, the Orioles dropped an 8-6 result to the Pirates, with a late three-run home run surrendered by Yaramil Hiraldo making a big difference in the game. On the plus side for the Orioles, Adley Rutschman hit his second homer of spring training in the game and Dylan Beavers hit his first. The team is 8-11 in Grapefruit League action with two ties. We are at the point where I would like to start seeing some better results from the players who are definitely going to be on the Opening Day roster. Many players have been delivering through the spring schedule, so there’s not too much reason to panic… well, sorta.
I remain curious about when some more things will be revealed about the contours of the roster, particularly how pitchers will line up in the remainder of the rotation. When will Craig Albernaz make the decision public about whether the team goes with a five- or six-man rotation? Maybe he never will! Maybe we’ll just know from the roster cuts that they make. If Zach Eflin gets put on the injured list so that he can keep building up innings to start the season, then we’ll know. If Dean Kremer gets optioned to the minors, we’ll know that too.
In a typical season, the final, substantial cuts are made before the team heads north from Florida. That could be different this year since there is the presence of the two exhibitions in the District and in Baltimore. The team might hold off until after that game. And it is always possible to have a waiver claim or trade throwing off everyone’s predicted roster between the end of the exhibition games and the roster being set on Opening Day.
Mike Elias has been a big fan of this kind of move in his tenure as Orioles GM. We’ll see what the run-up to the 2026 season brings.
Nothing of particular note is recorded for this day in Orioles history. This is not likely to change today unless there’s really bad news.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2025 outfielder Greg Allen, 2008 infielder Freddie Bynum, 1993 infielder Mike Pagliarulo, and Maryland-born Baseball Hall of Famer/1993-95 and 1997-2000 designated hitter Harold Baines. Today is Baines’s 67th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: 7th president Andrew Jackson (1767), musician Sly Stone (1943), Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi (1967), and actress Eva Longoria (1975).
On this day in history…
In 44 BC, famously on the Ides of March, the Roman emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated by several senators.
In 1820 AD, the state of Maine was admitted to the union, becoming the 20th of the United States.
In 1848, a revolution began in Hungary, providing short-lived independence from the Habsburgs to the Hungarians. Ultimately, however, the Russian Empire came to the aid of Austria and the Hungarian revolution was stamped out about 18 months later.
In 1917, a later Russian emperor, Nicholas II, abdicated the throne, bringing an end to the Russian monarchy.
A random Orioles trivia question
I received a random book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask a question each time it’s my turn in this space until I run out of questions or forget. Though the book has multiple choice answers, I’m not giving you those because that would make it too easy. Here’s today’s question:
Who did the Orioles trade to the Cubs for Sammy Sosa?
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on March 15. Have a safe Sunday.
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Aug 15, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) pitches against Washington Nationals outfielder Robert Hassell III (57) during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Another spring victory, which is great, but we’re here for the showdown tonight in Miami.
United States vs. Dominican Republic, Paul Skenes vs. possibly the best lineup ever assembled. If you’re not excited by this matchup, I’m know sure you have a pulse.
SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory! Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness Feed all week long and we’ll have both on hand! (All times ET)
Ohtani began the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo for Team Japan with a double on the first pitch he saw and then, one inning later, a grand slam … of course he did.
It continued with an espresso shot ...
The hitters of lovable Team Italy celebrated home runs with shots of Italian espresso in a dugout dripping with cheek kisses and caffeine.
After hitting three homers against Mexico, Italy’s Vinnie Pasquantino told Fox that he was, “beaned up.”
Truly, this blip of a tournament has been beaned up, a glorious 10 days of deafening cheers and eye-blacked tears, fans dressed like discount popes and bald eagles, TV ratings through the roof, baseball at its October best … in the middle of spring training?
Italy's Jac Caglianone takes a shot of espresso as he celebrates with teammate Vinnie Pasquantino after hitting a solo home run against the U.S. during the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday in Houston. (Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images)
What a thing! What a treat!
All hail the WBC, 20 years old and all grown up, its sixth incarnation stealing the stage in a sweet spot during NBA doldrums and before March Madness.
Have you watched any of it? Have you been energized by all of it? It’s been like two weeks of All-Star games, only the players are serious. It’s been like when baseball was part of the Olympics, only the players are all truly the best in the world.
In the middle of the most boring part of the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues, it’s like a Superhero League. Two weeks before opening day, it’s like the final week of a pennant race.
It’s competitive, and it’s crazy, and Friday’s quarterfinals were filled with both.
There was giant Vladimir Guerrero Jr. going airborne to score a run for the Dominican Republic against Korea, and then leaping up and pumping his fist as if he had just won the World Series.
There was Juan Soto flying home to score an inning later, his head-first dive celebrated by Soto doing a swim move in the dugout.
Then there was Team USA’s David Bednar, screaming along with the chanting crowd as he worked out of a seventh-inning jam in a win over Canada.
In a tournament filled with equal parts emotion and edginess, Team USA now plays the Dominican Republic Sunday in Miami in a semifinal that could be the most-watched game of this season before the season starts.
Paul Skenes versus a lineup so deep Julio Rodriguez bats seventh? A team led by Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper versus a team featuring Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr?
Dominican Republic's Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dives past South Korea catcher Park Dong-won to score on a double by Junior Caminero during the World Baseball Classic on Friday in Miami. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)
“I expect it to be one of the best games of all time,” said Team USA Manager Mark DeRosa.
No, the WBC isn’t as big as the World Series. One notable player said it’s even bigger.
“The Classic kind of feels above the World Series,” Kiké Hernández told reporters earlier this spring. “Maybe it’s because of what we have on the chest,”
Hernández, who didn’t play for his home country Puerto Rico because he is recovering from elbow surgery, nonetheless showed up in San Juan for the pool-play games.
He was so excited when Puerto Rico beat Panama on a walk-off home run, he texted Dodgers baseball president Andrew Friedman and asked if he could accompany the team to Houston for the knockout round. Friedman of course said yes.
Before this spring, I had watched exactly one WBC at-bat. The entire deal felt cheesy and contrived. American players didn’t appear to care. American players would rather lounge through the final days of spring training in occasional games and on countless golf courses
Other countries loved it. Other countries caused a ruckus. The fan experience was highlighted by a memorable and deafening 2009 final at Dodger Stadium featured a Japan victory over South Korea in a game that many observers said was the loudest they ever attended.
Not me. Didn’t care. I pretty much ignored the whole thing until stumbling upon that one at-bat, the final out in the 2023 title game, that stunning dramatic strikeout of Mike Trout by then-Angel teammate Ohtani to give Japan the title.
Ohtani threw his cap and glove in a rare show of emotion, setting off a wild and sincere celebration as my ignorant self finally realized, "Hey, this is a thing."
Three years later, the American players have agreed, stacking the roster with stars like Judge and Harper, kids like Pete Crow-Armstrong, vets like Kyle Schwarber and Big Dumpers named Cal Raleigh, all transforming this occasional baseball oddity into must-see TV.
You know how one can tell it’s real American baseball? The team spent its first week mired in social media drama and a second-guessing controversy.
American right fielder Aaron Judge celebrates his team's win over Canada during a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game on Friday in Houston. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
Tarik Skubal, the game’s best pitcher, found himself defending his patriotism after leaving the tournament early to better prepare for his opening day start with the Detroit Tigers.
First, he admitted he was surprised at how bad he felt about abandoning Team USA. That seemed to be a theme in a clubhouse that has been stunned at how much this matters.
“I totally misread how I would feel,” he said.
Then, he seemed genuinely hurt that people think he is turning his back on the flag.
“It’s just not fair,” he told the Athletic, later adding, “If they know me, though, and they know me on a personal level and they know what my peers think of me, I don't think it's fair to say those things."
Also finding himself in hot water was USA manager Mark DeRosa, who nearly allowed his team to be eliminated in pool play because he didn’t know the rules.
When Team USA played Italy on Tuesday night, DeRosa rested most of his starters, nearly used retired Clayton Kershaw and basically managed the game as if he thought they didn’t need to win to guarantee advancement to the next round.
Guess what? They needed to win. But they didn’t win, losing 8-6 in a shocking upset. So they were forced to sweat out the Italy-Mexico game on Wednesday, where another Italian upset allowed them to back into the quarterfinals.
DeRosa claimed he knew the rules all along, which he clearly did not.
Before the game against Italy, in an interview on the MLB Network, he said, “Our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.”
After the game, DeRosa claimed he just, “misspoke”
And then Thursday he told the media, “I was well aware that we had to win the game.”
The 16-year journeyman clearly messed up, and then tried to cover up, and here’s guessing even if Team USA wins this tournament, he won’t be managing them in the 2028 Olympics or in any future WBC events.
Meanwhile, one American player had a dissenting view about the status of this tournament, Harper offering a tired argument.
“Obviously, the WBC has been great, but it’s not the Olympics, right?” he told reporters. “That’s no disrespect to the WBC or anything, but everybody knows that when the Olympics are on, everybody’s watching. It doesn’t matter what sport it is; it could be the most random sport, and it’s got all the fans watching it.”
Wrong. Here’s guessing more fans will be watching Sunday night in a matchup for the ages. Then, imagine if Team USA wins and plays Japan on Tuesday night for the championship?
With the sport headed toward a seemingly inevitable work stoppage this winter, this could be the sweet beginnings of a long farewell. Soak it in. Enjoy the buzz. Get all beaned up. March madness indeed.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 14: Wilyer Abreu #16 of team Venezuela hits a home run during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Japan at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After the Dominican Republic and the US both punched their tickets to the WBC semifinals on Friday night, Saturday saw the following matchups: Puerto Rico vs. Italy, and Venezuela vs. Japan. Here’s how the games played out.
Quarterfinals Game 3: Italy 8, Puerto Rico 6
Even though Puerto Rico’s 2026 WBC campaign was marred by insurance issues before it had even started, they nevertheless earned their spot in the quarterfinals with an impressive 3-1 record in a very competitive Pool A. Their spunk was on full display Friday night against Italy as they nearly overcame a six-run deficit. However, their comeback attempt fell just short, and it’s hard not to wonder how things might have played out differently if Francisco Lindor and/or Carlos Correa had been in the lineup.
It’s also important to give credit where credit is due. Italy’s lineup put up a hitting clinic, generating constant traffic on the bases by drawing walks and capitalizing on seemingly every RISP situation. Meanwhile, manager Francisco Cervelli’s proactive managing paid dividends, as the bullpen shut the Puerto Ricans down in the middle innings after an early hook for starter Sam Aldegheri. Although it got dicey towards the end, a gutsy performance from erstwhile Yankee Greg Weissert got Team Italy over the finish line.
Puerto Rico drew first blood with a Willi Castro leadoff homer, nearly tearing off the roof of Daikin Park. Seriously, the hype generated from these WBC crowds is nothing short of spine-tingling.
However, Italy came right back and then some in the bottom of the first. After Sam Antonacci and Jakob Marsee reached via walks, Vinnie Pasquantino continued his recent tear with an RBI single to knot things at 1-1.
Dominic Canzone and Jac Caglianone chipped in with singles of their own, each driving in a run. With two men on base, an Andrew Fischer walk loaded the bases for Best Name in the WBC contender J.J. D’Orazio, who lifted a sacrifice fly to right to make the score 4-1 Italy.
It seemed like it might be smooth sailing for Italy, but starter Sam Aldegheri could not deliver. After starting off the top of the second by getting Emmanuel Rivera to pop out, the Angels prospect allowed back-to-back walks to Heliot Ramos and Eddie Rosario before hitting Matthew Lugo to load the bases. Cervelli called on Alek Jacob to put out the fire, but his very first pitch connected with Martín Maldonado’s thigh, netting Puerto Rico their second run of the game. However, Jacob then retired Willi Castro and Darell Hernaiz to preserve Italy’s lead.
The score would stay 4-2 Italy until the bottom of the fourth. Despite starting the inning with two strikeouts from Thomas Saggese and Jakob Marsee, Italy refused to let the frame end. Pasquantino, Canzone, and Caglianone drew three straight walks to fill up the bases, setting the stage for Andrew Fischer. The Brewers’ 2025 first-round pick drove a ball to right field which looked like a bases-clearing double off the wall, but before it could fulfill its destiny, an overzealous fan in the bleachers reached down and snagged it.
Friends, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, just keep your hands to yourself. It’s the best thing to do for everyone involved.
The umpires ruled that two runs were to score, potentially costing Team Italy a run and souring the vibes of what should have been an exciting moment. Fortunately for them (and for the aforementioned fan), J.J. D’Orazio washed the bad feeling away like a refreshing digestivo, hammering an automatic double to right field to make it 8-2 Italy.
The score would remain unchanged for the next three innings, thanks largely to a heroic relief performance from Italy right-hander Dylan DeLucia. Having entered the game in the third, DeLucia blanked Puerto Rico for four, count ‘em, four innings, allowing just two hits and walking no one while striking out three. He was relieved by Dan Altavilla in the seventh, who pitched around a leadoff walk and a Pasquantino error to post a scoreless frame.
Matt Festa came on for the eighth inning, seeking to continue the trend; however, Puerto Rico greeted him with a gutsy rally. Carlos Cortes led off with a single, and Emmanuel Rivera and Heliot Ramos each drew walks, loading the bases. Having failed to record a single out, Festa exited the game, and Joe La Sorsa was summoned to defuse the situation. La Sorsa managed to induce a groundball from Eddie Rosario, which scored a run but also allowed Italy to get a force out to second base. But he then proceeded to plunk Bryan Torres and throw a wild pitch to Christian Vázquez, allowing Puerto Rico’s fourth run of the game and putting runners on second and third.
Vázquez proceeded to poke a grounder into right field, continuing Puerto Rico’s unlikely comeback and sending their faithful into a frenzy.
However, that would be it for Puerto Rico’s rally. Greg Weissert entered the game for Italy and stemmed the tide, escaping the frame with a two-run lead. With the score now 8-6 Italy, Edwin Díaz came on for Puerto Rico to ensure that the game stayed within reach. Although a HBP to Sam Antonacci and a walk to Pasquantino made things dicey, ultimately Díaz was up to the task, striking out Canzone to end the frame.
Weissert stayed on for the ninth, and although Cortes led off the inning with a single, Weissert retired the next three batters in order to seal the deal for Italy. The teammate-kissing, espresso-swigging squad’s magical run continues, and I’m excited to see what they can pull off next.
In what was arguably the most evenly matched showdown of the quarterfinals, Venezuela flexed their muscles en route to a 8-5 victory over the defending champions Japan, overcoming a shaky start from Ranger Suarez to make their way into the semifinals and clearing the path for a tremendous final.
Many predicted this game to be one of the best games of the tournament, and it wasted no time in living up to its promise. On just the second pitch of the night, the always electric Ronald Acuña Jr. tattooed an uncharacteristic meatball from 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, sending it into the right-field stands for Venezuela’s first run. You’ll want to hear the crowd reaction for this one:
However, not to be outdone, Shohei Ohtani responded in typical fashion, stroking a 2-1 hanging slider from Ranger Suarez 427 feet to right field to even the score.
If you’re not following the WBC, you’re missing out on some pretty compelling baseball, folks.
Venezuela continued to showcase their dangerous lineup in the second, earning a 2-1 lead via consecutive doubles from Ezequiel Tovar and Gleyber Torres. Wilyer Abreu kept the line going with a walk, but Yamamoto dug deep and denied Venezuela any further damage, retiring the next three batters to end the inning.
Yamamoto clearly did not have his best stuff or his usual pristine command, but he battled hard, working around a leadoff double from Maikel Garcia to post a scoreless top of the third. Japan’s lineup would reward him handsomely in their half of the inning. After Sosuke Genda led off with a walk, manager Hirokazu Ibata made sabermetricians around the globe wince by electing to have Kenya Wakatsuki lay down a sacrifice bunt, which he successfully did. With first base now open, Puerto Rico skipper Yadier Molina had Suarez intentionally walk Ohtani, choosing to roll the dice with Teruaki Sato instead.
Sato, who led the Central League in homers and RBI last year with the Hanshin Tigers, showed exactly why he’s one of the most feared hitters in NPB, scorching a grounder down the right-field line for a double, scoring Genda. Japan had evened the score yet again, 2-2.
Enter Shota Morishita, fellow Hanshin Tiger, who started the game on the bench but came in to replace Seiya Suzuki, who injured his knee on a stolen base attempt in the third. Morishita nearly dropped to one knee swinging at a 2-2 changeup in the bottom of the zone, but he managed to get the barrel on it, sending it flying into the left field stands for a three-run dinger. Just like that, it was 5-2, Japan.
It seemed like a crushing blow for Venezuela, but they did not take it sitting down. Although Yamamoto set them down in order in the fourth, they would not let Japan’s bullpen enjoy the same success. Chihiro Sumida entered in the fifth and promptly walked the normally free-swinging Jackson Chourio on five pitches. Acuña struck out, but Maikel Garcia cashed in, clobbering a two-run homer to left field to make it 5-4 Japan.
Venezuela would deliver another haymaker in the sixth. Facing Hiromi Itoh, recipient of the 2025 Eiji Sawamura Award (Japan’s Cy Young), Tovar and Torres began the frame with back-to-back singles. Abreu then unloaded on a 91-mph middle-middle meatball, parking it into the second deck in right field. Venezuela had turned the game on its head, now leading 7-5 on the strength of the Red Sox outfielder.
On the other side of the ball, Venezuela’s bullpen, considered by many to be their weakest link, stifled the Japanese offense. From the fourth inning onward, relievers Emmanuel De Jesus, José Buttó, Angel Zerpa, Andrés Machado, and Daniel Palencia were unhittable, holding Japan to just three knocks and a walk, while striking out a combined eight batters. Slowly but surely, they recorded out after out, denying the Japanese fans any hope of a comeback. By the time that Venezuela was gifted an eighth run due to a botched pickoff attempt from Atsuki Taneichi in the top of the eighth, the game felt all but over.
In the previous WBC, Team Japan’s run ended with Ohtani on the mound, throwing a perfect 3-2 sweeper to induce a championship-clinching whiff from Mike Trout. As fate would have it, Ohtani was the last batter up for the 2026 squad. However, as great as he is, Ohtani can’t score three runs all by himself. Palencia gave him the pitch he wanted—a 2-1 fastball middle-in, right in his wheelhouse—but he just got under the Cubs closer’s offering, and the resulting pop fly was secured by Ezequiel Tovar.
Venezuela faced a tall task in facing Japan, but they passed the test with flying colors, led by an absolutely electric offensive performance and clutch pitching from their bullpen. If they keep this up, I really can’t see why they shouldn’t win the whole darn thing. Though Japan’s loss certainly stings, I’ll be following this Venezuela squad with great interest for the rest of the WBC.
Next up tonight? Paul Skenes and Team USA against old friend Luis Severino and the Dominican Republic, both with loaded lineups behind them and a WBC Championship Game appearance on the line. Buckle up for 8pm ET on FS1.
Mar 14, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Venezuela left fielder Wilyer Abreu (16) rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against Japan in the sixth inning during a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
In a WBC littered with big home runs from Red Sox players, Wilyer Abreu now owns the most dramatic moment of the entire tournament.
After falling behind Team Japan 5-2 in the third inning and nearly burying themselves even further in the fourth, Venezuela began to fight their way back into the game in the fifth and sixth. The rally culminated when Wilyer Abreu came to the plate and did this:
Willyer Abreu’s most iconic moment of his life so far. This guy is such a stud. Such an underrated hitter.
I was fortunate enough to be in the stands for this game, and let me tell you, my ears are still ringing from the decibels reached. There was dancing, chanting, hugging, screaming, and singing, but most of all, there was pure unadulterated joy.
Here’s one last look at that infectious joy from the players side of things:
In addition to the enormous ramifications of taking down Team Japan and now finding themselves just one win away from the WBC final, there’s also Red Sox ramifications. Most notably, Abreu looks awesome, and continues to underscore why he’s a guy you can trust at the plate with the game on the line.
What an awesome night for him, the sport of baseball, the WBC, and the entire country of Venezuela!
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 13: Austin Wells #28 of Team Dominican Republic speaks to media after the 2026 World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals game presented by Capital One between Team Korea and Team Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on Friday, March 13, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Our World Baseball Classic Final Four is set. Team USA will square off tonight at 8pm ET on FS1 with the Dominican Republic in a dynamic matchup of Paul Skenes vs. the formidable Dominican lineup to see who will advance to the WBC Championship Game In tomorrow’s game, Italy will try to continue their dream run all the way to a finals berth, but will have to pull off another big upset against a dangerous Venezuela club that knocked out Shohei Ohtani and defending champion Japan last night in a thriller.
Today on the site, Kento will discuss how we got to this point in the WBC by recapping yesterday’s action. Estevão will preview the Reds—who really did make the playoffs last year, we promise—Nick will celebrate an awesome 1980s Yankee’s birthday, and John will run the weekly social media spotlight. Then we have some doubleheader action! Estevão and Peter will have you covered with separate game threads and recaps.
Today’s Matchup
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Video: YES Network, Gotham Sports App, Detroit SportsNet
Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL
New York Yankees @ Baltimore Orioles
Time: 6:05 p.m. EST
Video: MASN, MLB.tv
Venue: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, FL
Questions/Prompts:
1. Who’s winning tonight: the Dominican Republic or Team USA? Who gets the biggest hit?
2. Did you watch any college basketball conference tournament play this weekend, or have you mostly stuck to baseball?
To prepare for its quarterfinal game Friday, Team USA brought in guest speaker Robert J. O’Neill, a former SEAL Team Six member who was part of the unit that killed Osama bin Laden.
Among the Team Dominican Republic celebratory props is a dumbbell that is wrapped with plantains, which is often lifted following home runs that turn ballparks into nightclubs.
One team is serious. One team is, well, silly. One team is singularly focused on winning. One team wants to win but is determined to have fun along the way.
Aaron Judge grounds out during the fifth inning of Team USA’s quarterfinal win over Team Canada at Daikin Park on March 13, 2026 in Houston. Getty Images
It will be a clash not just of stars but of cultures when the Americans and Dominicans face off Sunday night in Florida for a World Baseball Classic semifinal.
“I know the fans definitely love [the Dominican flair], but I try not to look at what other teams are doing, what other people are doing,” Aaron Judge, captain of Team USA and the Yankees and a superstar who plays with more professionalism than joy, told reporters Friday night. “I’ll focus on what we got here. We got a special group of guys that love to play this game. They’re excited to be in this room. I know how they’re all honored to be in this room. They’re not taking it for granted.
“So it’s exciting seeing what the D.R. is doing, and it’s been fun watching those games and seeing what’s going on. I think everybody in [the clubhouse] is excited to get there and be a part of it.”
“There” is Miami, which is located in the United States but merely technically. South Florida might not pay much attention to the Marlins or MLB, but it does love baseball and the Dominican Republic. A country on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with a population the size of Ohio and the physical size of West Virginia routinely produces many of the best baseball players in the world.
The Americans, who played their group-stage and quarterfinal games with the fans in their corner in Houston, will be entering enemy territory.
“I expect to be the away team, for sure, but that’s what we’re looking forward to,” Pete Crow-Armstrong told Fox Sports after knocking off Canada. “We want the electricity, the energy in the crowd. That’s why we’re throwing Mr. Skenes out there.”
Juan Soto celebrates with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the second inning of the Dominican Republic’s quarterfinal win over Korea in the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park on March 13, 2026 in Miami. Getty Images
Paul Skenes might be the greatest pitcher in the world, a 6-foot-6 specimen with a triple-digit fastball and calling-card splinker — the velocity of a sinker with the drop of a splitter — that helped him become the NL Cy Young Award winner last season. Like Judge and like much of Team USA, he performs more as a surgeon than celebrity. Formerly a two-way star at the Air Force Academy, Skenes operates with discipline and a calmness.
The hitters he will face do not.
Against Venezuela, Juan Soto admired a home run that just kept traveling, turned to his dugout and beat his chest before beginning his trot, which finished at home plate, where his team greeted him. Fernando Tatis Jr. did not quite finish his follow-through on his swing, launching his bat down the third-base line immediately after launching the pitch. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remained at home plate until the ball cleared the left-field wall, then spiked his bat to the dirt and began gesturing to the dugout long before he broke out into a jog. Ketel Marte knew his shot would land in the seats upon impact, twirling his bat and pumping up his teammates rather than running or watching the trajectory.
Cal Raleigh reacts after during the sixth inning of the United States’ win over Canada at Daikin Park on March 13, 2026 in Houston. Getty Images
The styles are poles apart. The talent level is similar.
Each roster features nine — nine! — players who received MVP votes last season. Team USA has the AL MVP (Judge) and runner-up (Raleigh). Team D.R. has No. 3 and No. 4 (Soto and Geraldo Perdomo) in the NL. (Perdomo, by the way, batted ninth in the quarterfinal game.)
The American lineup has yet to unleash its power and potential, but maybe a familiar opponent in Luis Severino, the Dominican starter, will help the group click.
The Dominican lineup has played five games and scored 51 runs, a total that would be higher if not for the tournament’s mercy rules.
The matchup — the United Staids against Plátano Power — will be fascinating.
But as he continues his buildup from elbow surgery and experiments with a newfound range of motion in his left arm, he is finding that his velocity is ticking up when he stops trying to throw as hard.
“I backed off and threw harder,” Rodón said. “I was like, ‘OK, that makes no sense.’ But it made it easier to command. It’s just little ins and outs of pitching, trying to find the stroke again, knowing how much effort in this pitch and the line of this pitch. It takes a little time.”
Carlos Rodón is pictured during the Yankees’ Feb. 13 workout during spring training. Charles Wenzelberg
Rodón said he got up to 95 mph in the live session on a backfield, but was mainly sitting 93-94 mph.
The Yankees are hoping that one of the benefits of the surgery, which shaved down a bone spur and removed loose bodies in his left elbow, will be an uptick in velocity after Rodón lost some last season while pitching through it.
His four-seam fastball averaged 94.1 mph in 2025 — still effective enough to put together his best year as a Yankee but down from 95.6 mph in 2024 and the lowest it had been since 2020.
While Rodón still has plenty of buildup to go before he could join the Yankees in late April or early May, there is some curiosity as to where he ends up velocity-wise once he is pitching in real games.
“I’m just trying to tick up a little [before] I get there so I can close the gap of a big discrepancy in velocity,” Rodón said. “So just slowly building to get the velocity up so when I get in a game, it’s a lot more natural than just going from 90 mph to 98 mph. We’ll see what it does.”
Of course, the increased velocity would be of little use if Rodón cannot properly command it, which remains a work in progress that he hopes to straighten out the more he faces hitters.
But he should have a chance to do that every five days now as his buildup kicks into gear.
“Excited where he’s at,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s really probably not that far behind. He’s responded well to everything. We haven’t rushed anything with him. There were a lot of bullpens in there as he was kind of working through the kinks and stuff like that before we got him to lives. But he’s trending in a good way.”
Jake Bird, fighting for a bullpen spot, came into Saturday’s game with one out and a man on first in the sixth inning and promptly walked the first batter he faced on four pitches. But he rebounded to get out of the jam and toss 1 ¹/₃ scoreless innings. … Ben Rice delivered a left-on-left ground-rule double against Phillies reliever Kyle Backhus.
The Yankees made another round of cuts Saturday morning, reassigning RHP Michael Arias, LHP Kyle Carr, RHP Dylan Coleman and RHP Dom Hamel to minor league camp.
The new Mets ace is set to start Opening Day and looked crisp Saturday over four innings, allowing just one run against the Astros.
He has one more outing remaining before the regular season begins.
The right-hander’s swing-and-miss stuff was evident in an 8-2 loss to Houston at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
And even if his velocity was a tick down from normal — about 1 mph down on most of his pitches, Peralta was unconcerned.
Freddy Peralta throws a pitch during the Mets’ Feb. 27 spring training game. Getty Images
“Everything is getting where I want it to be,’’ Peralta said. “I don’t check my speed. I know myself. I know how I work when I get into the season and the intensity of the game is when I am who I really am. I know what to do.”
That’s true, he said, whether he’s pitching every five or six days, as the Mets could use a six-man rotation.
Manager Carlos Mendoza previously stated Peralta would be the one starter not impacted by that schedule but said that could change, depending on the team’s needs.
Peralta added Saturday he would be fine with pitching with added rest, as long as it was communicated early.
“It’s no problem,” Peralta said. “I’ve been in that situation before — for years. I know I can manage.”
Peralta is passing that veteran attitude and pitching IQ on to the other Mets starters, including Christian Scott.
The 26-year-old, returning from Tommy John surgery, made his second appearance of the spring Tuesday as he works back into major league form.
With the rotation likely filled by Peralta, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea and David Peterson, Scott is trying to pick up as much as he can from Peralta while they’re in camp together.
He’s not alone in that attempt, as Peralta came from the Brewers highly respected, as well as successful and willing to impart his wisdom.
And Scott believes he’s uniquely qualified to be a student of Peralta’s.
“I want to pick his brain throughout the season for whatever I can learn,’’ Scott said.
“I know he strikes out a lot of guys,” Scott said. “That’s his calling card. For me, as a pitcher, that’s what I strive to do: Strike out guys at a high level. I watch outings and his delivery is a little more funky than other guys, but to be able to go out there and do it and make every start every year and be able to stay healthy, it’s mind-blowing. I’m trying to be the same way.”
Christian Scott throws a pitch during the Mets’ Feb. 21 workout in spring training. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Scott has only nine major league starts to his name, but struck out eight batters in six innings in his second start with the Mets in 2024.
Peralta, as Scott noted, has shown an ability to be productive and dependable.
Over the previous three seasons, the 29-year-old has made at least 30 starts, had 200-plus strikeouts and made a pair of All-Star teams.
And Scott knows it’s not simply because of talent, which is why he’s kept a close eye on Peralta all spring, even between starts, to see what he can learn.
“The first thing is that he’s the same guy every day at the field,” Scott said. “You know what you’re gonna get from him. I feel that’s underrated, especially over the course of the season. I’ve already seen how high the highs can be and how low the lows are. He’s been through it all for a bunch of seasons and been an All-Star. It’s cool to be able to see a guy like that, who stays consistent on a day-to-day basis.”
And Scott is also getting to know the work it takes to make that possible.
“His catch-play with his throwing program is very consistent,’’ Scott said. “It’s like he hits the glove with every single throw, every time he’s out there. I’ll go by and say ‘That’s beautiful’ and he laughs, but mine isn’t as good.”
