Category: MLB

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided some updates prior to Wednesday's game against Team Israel...

McLean good to go for sim game

Nolan McLean's vertigo-like symptoms are gone, and the right-hander is officially set to throw in a sim game on the backfields in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday. 

McLean is expected to throw about four innings and 50-55 pitches. 

If he's able to get through that without any issues, he'll likely join Team USA in the coming days and make his scheduled start in their pool play finale against Italy on March 10. 

The 24-year-old is also penciled in as USA's starter for the WBC Championship if they were to make it that far. 

McLean expects to make just two appearances of around 60 pitches during the tournament. 

Robert's next step

McLean won't be the only big-name Met partaking in that sim game on the backfields, as Luis Robert Jr. is officially set to play four innings in center, as well. 

This will be Robert's first game action as a Met this spring training. 

The 28-year-old has gotten plenty of swings in the cages and during live BP sessions, but the Mets are easing him in to game action in an effort to keep him healthy heading into the year. 

He'll be playing in these sim games on alternate days until he's ready to jump into Grapefruit League action. 

Minter's up and moving around

The Mets have been encouraged by how A.J. Minter has looked in his early bullpen sessions, and he's officially ready to take the next step in his spring training build-up. 

Minter is set to face hitters in live BP for the first time since undergoing season-ending lat surgery last May. 

The southpaw still remains without a timeline for a return, but best-case scenario, the team is hoping he'll be back in the mix around late April or early May.

Whenever he does return, it'll certainly be a huge boost for this group. 

Minter was spectacular before going down to injury last year, allowing just two runs and striking out 14 over his first 13 appearances in orange and blue. 

Morning, all!

Shawn McFarland continues his prospect countdown with left handed pitcher Dalton Pence at number 22 right handed pitcher Izack Tiger at number 21.

There has been a lot of turnover in the Ranger bullpen, but Chris Young says that the best bullpens in baseball have a lot of moving parts.

Evan Grant has his most recent roster projection as we move inexorably towards Opening Day.

Former Ranger prospect Jurickson Profar is facing a lengthy suspension after testing positive for PED’s a second time.

Skip Schumaker was impressed by Winston Santos’ grit after a comebacker fractured Santos’ left hand but he finished his simulated inning.

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

We’re back with another Brewers Reacts Survey as we’re now nearly two weeks into spring training! In this edition of the survey, we’re asking fans which position player they’d most like to see make the roster.

Now, before we look at the options, let’s quickly run down who should make the roster.

1. William Contreras (C)
2. Gary Sánchez (C)
3. Andrew Vaughn (1B)
4. Jake Bauers (1B)
5. Brice Turang (2B)
6. Joey Ortiz (SS)
7. Luis Rengifo (3B)
8. David Hamilton (UTIL)
9. Jackson Chourio (OF)
10. Sal Frelick (OF)
11. Garrett Mitchell (OF)
12. Christian Yelich (DH/OF)

Assuming all of those names are safe (barring the seemingly inevitable injury), that leaves one roster spot up in the air. There are probably five realistic candidates, but I didn’t include Jett Williams simply because he isn’t on the 40-man roster. That leaves us with the four candidates below.

1. Akil Baddoo (OF)
2. Tyler Black (1B/OF)
3. Brandon Lockridge (OF)
4. Blake Perkins (OF)

Baddoo, 27, was a second-round pick out of high school by the Twins in 2016 and made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2021. His best season was that rookie year, when he totaled 2.1 bWAR across 124 games, hitting .259/.330/.436 (112 OPS+) with 13 homers and 55 RBIs. Over the last four years, however, he played in 223 games and totaled just 0.7 bWAR, with 15 homers and 49 RBIs. He did have some success at Triple-A in 2025, though, hitting .281/.385/.483 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs across 103 games. It remains to be seen if he’s just a AAAA-type player, a la Keston Hiura. He’s had a strong start to his spring, hitting .455/.462/.818 with a homer, three RBIs, and three runs across four games.

Black, 25, was a supplemental pick (No. 33 overall) by the Crew in 2021 out of Wright State University. He rose through the minors at a pretty average pace, hitting Triple-A Nashville in 2024. Across 102 games with the Sounds that year, he hit .258/.374/.429 with 14 homers, 67 RBIs, and 20 steals. He took a slight step back in the minors in 2025, hitting .243/.369/.360 with just four homers, 34 RBIs, and 22 steals across 61 games at Triple-A. He’s had brief MLB cameos in each of the last two seasons, totaling 23 games with 57 at-bats, hitting .211/.357/.263 with three RBIs, five runs, and three steals. The main reason he’s on this list, though, is his hot start to spring training — across four games, Black hit .667/.692/1.250 with a homer, a triple, two doubles, eight RBIs, four runs, and three steals before departing for Team Canada during the World Baseball Classic.

Lockridge, who turns 29 next weekend, was a fifth-round pick by the Yankees out of Troy in 2018. He made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2024 and has appeared in 79 games between San Diego and Milwaukee the last two seasons, hitting .226/.268/.308 with a homer, 12 RBIs, 21 runs, and 12 steals. Not known for his power, Lockridge got out to a powerful start this spring, slugging a pair of homers in the Brewers’ first couple of games. Across four games this spring, he’s hitting .545/.643/1.182 with six hits, including those two homers, with two RBIs, six runs, and a steal.

Another veteran, Perkins, 29, was a second-round pick out of high school by the Nationals in 2015, though he didn’t catch on anywhere until finding a home with the Brewers. He made his MLB debut with Milwaukee in 2023, and across three seasons with the Brewers, he’s hit .232/.314/.339 with 13 homers, 82 RBIs, 107 runs, and 35 steals over 242 games while providing above-average defense. Perkins has also had a solid start to his spring, hitting .375/.500/.500 with three hits, including a double, to go with two RBIs and two runs scored over three games.

Given that all of these players have options remaining — Baddoo and Black each have one, Lockridge and Perkins each have two — the question is really where the Brewers see the most value for this team on opening day. Who do you think the Brewers should include as the 13th man when opening day rolls around later this month? Weigh in on our poll below, and stay tuned for results later in the week!

For the past two seasons, MLB has featured a “Spring Breakout” series during Spring Training where every team assembles a team of their best prospects from throughout their farm system. Then these teams of prospects each play one exhibition game against a squad from a rival team in the Cactus or Grapefruit League. These games have been a great way to showcase baseball’s next generation of talent. The games are all televised locally and some of them end up on the MLB Network or streaming platforms. All games are also streamed for free on MLB dot com.

This year, the Cubs will take on the Padres at Sloan Park at 8:05 p.m. CT on March 21. The game will be broadcast both on Marquee Sports Networkand the Padres sports channel as well as streaming for free. Tomorrow, March 5, the rosters for every Spring Breakout Series team will be announced on the MLB Network at 11 a.m. CT. Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds will host the hour-long announcement program.

But that’s just for this year. The bigger news is that in 2027 and 2028, the Spring Breakout series will become two single-elimination tournaments, with one team being crowned the winner of the Cactus League and one the winner of the Grapefruit League Spring Breakout tournament. These two tournaments will take place from March 19 through the 22nd at various Spring Training venues in Arizona and Florida.

On the one hand, this is a great idea to showcase the next generation of talent in baseball and give fans something to be invested in during a slow part of the Spring. It will even give fans of two teams a little bragging rights.

On the other hand, this is clearly insurance by MLB to have something to show next March to the fans if major leaguers are still locked out in a labor dispute. Prospects not on the 40-man roster will not be locked out, so they will still be playing in Spring Training and available for the tournament no matter what is going on with the major leaguers.

So this tournament can be two things at once. It’s both a great idea and an ominous omen about baseball next year.

In any case, let’s hope that it doesn’t come to that and that the Spring Breakout Tournaments in 2027 and 2028 just become an added attraction for baseball fans before the season starts in years that there is no World Baseball Classic.

Spring training is in full swing as the Detroit Tigers prepare for their 2026 campaign, locked and reloaded for another run to the playoffs, and hopefully, a World Series ring. Sure, the team is just 2-6 so far, but these games do not matter… yet.

A great deal of the optimism heading into the season rests on the shoulders of the pitching staff, which features the best left-handed pitcher in all of baseball, Tarik Skubal, along with a robust supporting cast that includes newly added Framber Valdez and a reunion with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. The bullpen also got a boost by bringing back Kyle Finnegan and adding Kenley Jansen, who ranks fourth all-time in saves.

Which brings us to today’s question: “Who will be the Tigers’ best pitcher not named Tarik Skubal this year?” While the aforementioned four players are certainly prime candidates, there are other options, such as Casey Mize, who still has some headroom for growth, or perhaps Jack Flaherty can rediscover his 2024 form; maybe Keider Montero finally makes the jump to the next level.

Or maybe it is none of the above.

So, Tigers fans, who do you think will be the standout hurler for the Ole English D in 2026? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Diamondbacks News

Alek Thomas, Jordan Lawlar Among Standouts in Diamondbacks’ Loss to Mexico
Alek Thomas played for the opposition in the tilt as Team Mexico downed the Diamondbacks 6-3 on Tuesday. Zac Gallen needed only 22 pitchers to clear two innings with only one hit allowed.

Diamondbacks’ Waldschmidt Making Push for Opening Day Roster
The slugging left fielder is trying to take advantage of the opportunity given to him thanks to the WBC and various team injuries.

Other Baseball News

Making Hasty Judgments About Mark DeRosa’s Lineup
No longer a managing rookie, Mark DeRosa returns as Team USA’s manager after finishing runner-up with the team in 2023.

Teammate Connections During WBC Pool Play
What potential teammate-on-teammate connections will WBC pool play bring?

Jurickson Profar Suspended for 162 Games
Atlanta’s Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games following a positive test for “exogenous testosterone and its metabolites.” This is Profar’s second failed PED test, which will also likely end his MLB career. Profar has also been scratched from the WBC roster.

Phillies’ Rojas to Appeal 80-Game PED Suspension
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is contesting a possible 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball following an alleged failed test for a performance-enhancing substance, according to multiple reports.

Scherzer’s Daughter Wrote Letter to Blue Jays Asking for a Reunion
The hand-written missive was featured by Scherzer’s spouse after the future Hall of Famer inked a one-year deal to return to Toronto.

Top-15 Relievers in Baseball Right Now
The Mariners, Brewers, and Padres stand out in this list, accounting for six of the fifteen arms featured.

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

Texas Rangers lineup for March 4, 2026 against the Brazil WBC team.

The WBC years means teams getting the occasional spring training matchups against the WBC squads from various countries. Today, Brazil is coming to Surprise to play the Texas Rangers. Not the whole country, to be clear. I don’t think the whole country would fit.

Offseason trade addition Brandon Nimmo is making his first appearance in a game for the Texas Rangers, and Jacob deGrom is making his first start of the spring.

The lineup:

Nimmo — RF

Carter — CF

Burger — 1B

Smith — 2B

Jansen — C

Canha — LF

Wade — 3B

Duran — SS

Zavala — DH

2:05 p.m. Central start time.

2025 was a bad year for the Colorado Rockies that included many mid-season shakeups.

On Mother’s Day, we saw long-time manager Bud Black and bench coach Mike Redmond relieved of their duties and Warren Schaeffer promoted to interim manager. (I remember the date because I was at Disneyland when the news broke.) It was something I’d advocated for before, but suddenly, we got to see how “The Schaeffer Way” would look in real time at the major league level. It was in less-than-ideal circumstances, but I do believe we saw Schaeffer take the sinking Titanic and turn it into Jack Sparrow’s dingy floating into Port Royal.

Entering 2026, Schaeffer has been given the reins full-time and is taking the opportunity to make this team his own after merely keeping them afloat in 2025.

So far, from everything we’ve seen, it’s been a marked departure from the Bud Black years. Every practice is detailed and scheduled, and there are opportunities for players and coaches to learn from each other — not just players learning from coaches. Batting cage time is also built into the schedule rather than being expected to happen on players’ own time, and they’re even starting the day later so players can get more sleep. It’s a very clear change from the previous regime, but we still have yet to see how this “Schaeffer Way” will translate over a 162-game season.

The Manager

If there are two words to describe Warren Schaeffer, they’re probably “communicator” and “relationship builder.” 

Throughout his tenure in the Rockies organization, Schaeffer has built a reputation on being an excellent communicator fosters relationships with everybody – players, coaches, media, you name it. And that’s one of the first things people notice about him.

“He remembers your kids’ names and your wife’s name,” said new hitting coach Brett Pill. “Obviously, that’s huge with Schaeff, and one of the reasons why I’m fired up to be on his staff.”

The players concur with the decision to give Schaeffer the full-time position. 

“First and foremost, bringing Schaeff back was huge for us,” said outfielder Mickey Moniak. “I think just what he brings to a clubhouse day in and day out and what he brings to this organization… I think he’s the right guy for the job and the right guy to lead us.”

And PBO Paul DePodesta stands by his decision to retain Schaeffer, despite a complete overhaul in just about every other area of the organization.

“One of the first orders of business when I came on was to hire a manager, but we had an interim one in place in Warren,” DePodesta told MLB Network on Saturday. “I dug as much as I could around the organization – people who were still with the organization, also people who had been there previously – and everyone raved about him! So I thought, ‘OK, this is a real candidate.’ 

“And then as I got to spend more and more hours within the first couple weeks on the job it just became obvious,” he continued. “He literally checked every box we were looking for. I mean, great passion, great relationships with the players, terrific work ethic, wanted to be a great partner with us. So for all of those reasons, I just thought he was the obvious pick.”

And that work ethic can be traced all the way back to Schaeffer’s time with the Double-A Tulsa Drillers.

“I played with him in Double-A,” said former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. “I was young at the time. I was a pain in the butt at that time. But we got along great because he loved that I worked. And he was a big worker, too. He took ground balls everyday. And the one thing about Schaeff – there were times where he wasn’t starting in those games, but he was still working every day and never complained. He showed up to work.”

Schaeffer may have hung up his spikes in 2013, but he turned to coaching and never looked back – climbing the ladder from Low-A Asheville all the way up to the majors. Much of that has to do with his communication and relationship building abilities.

And not only is Schaeffer a good communicator himself, but he has built a staff of good communicators and teachers who are ready to build up the Rockies from the studs. 

On Sunday, I asked Schaeffer to describe each member of his coaching staff in one word, and here’s what he had to say about them:

Dugout Coaches

Bench Coach, Jeff Pickler: “Prepared”

Assistant Bench Coach, Ron Gideon: “Wise”

Jeff Pickler, 50, joined the Rockies from the Cincinnati Reds after spending 2019-2024 in the same role. Prior to that, he spent time with the Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Dodgers, San DIego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks. He also spent one year as an assistant coach for the University of Arizona Wildcats. Most notably, he worked with GM Josh Byrnes during his time with the Diamondbacks, Padres and Dodgers. 

Ron Gideon has been with the Rockies since 1996. He spent time as a manager at every level except for Triple-A and MLB, but was promoted to a major league role in 2017. He became the first base coach before the 2019 season, and was moved to assistant bench coach this offseason. Gideon, 62, is the longest-tenured coach on the staff, as well as the oldest.

Hitting Coaches

Hitting Coach, Brett Pill: “Relentless”

Assistant Hitting Coach, Jordan Pacheco: “Smooth”

Brett Pill and Jordan Pacheco couldn’t be more different. 

Pacheco, 40, was drafted in the ninth round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Rockies and made his MLB debut with them four years later. He played 3.5 years in Colorado before being DFA’d in 2014 and being claimed by the Diamondbacks. He played 1.5 years in the desert before finishing his playing career in Cincinnati. He attempted multiple comebacks, but never made another MLB roster. However, he then returned to the Rockies in 2021 with – you guessed it – Warren Schaeffer.

“I’ve known [Pacheco] for a very, very long time,” Schaeffer said. “He’s one of my close friends, and he is great at what he does. There’s nobody more positive in a dugout than him, and hitting is so hard that you need a special person in there with positivity.

“And he’s able to teach everything. The players flock to him. That’s how you can tell good hitting coaches – if the players are around them and on TV you can see it on the camera in the dugout, the players are around ‘Checo’ all the time.”

Meanwhile, Pill, 41, came to the Rockies alongside Byrnes after spending four seasons with the Tulsa Drillers (now the Double-A Dodgers). He is brand new to the organization, but brings a lot of good ideas.

“He’s fantastic,” Schaeffer said. “He has a really, really solid background, He’s just been fantastic so far in there in terms of his preparation and what he’s working on with the guys.”

And Schaeffer noticed the important thing about having two coaches from very different backgrounds.

“Probably the most important thing of it all is [Pill] and Pacheco are already one,” he said. “Things get tricky when one guy’s saying one thing and one guy’s saying the other thing. But those two are rock solid with each other, and it’s gonna be a fun ride.”

(You can read more about Pill’s approach to the Rockies here.)

Pitching Coaches

Pitching Coach, Alon Leichman: “Unique”

Assistant Pitching Coach, Gabe Ribas: “Polished”

Bullpen Coach, Matt Buschmann: “Funny”

Alon Leichman, 36, certainly does have a unique reputation. The thing that follows him around is that he likes to call pitches from the dugout, which is something he did for the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds before he came to the Rockies. So far, the players have been gravitating to his presence.

“Today, I threw with Alon because he wanted to work on my sweeper and cutter,” said Zach Agnos on February 15. “So it was good, and he got to see it firsthand. We had a good talk, and he’s kind of building up some confidence in us, which is good too. He just kept being like, ‘You’re nasty, bro, you’re nasty. Trust [yourself].’ He’s like, ‘You’re nasty!’ So it’s cool to hear. It’s always nice to hear – I believe it – but it never hurts to hear.”

Agnos also mentioned working with the new coaches has been “the most fun [he’s] had playing catch.”

Ryan Feltner is also on board with pitches being called from the dugout.

“I think [Alon] has a lot of good information that he can go off of,” Feltner said on February 14. “And if he wants to call the pitches when I’m pitching, I would love that. I think for me, it clears up a lot of mental space. It’s just another thing that I don’t have to deal with, and I can just focus on pitching.”

After spending five years as the director of pitching with the Detroit Tigers, Ribas, 45, now joins the Rockies. Before Detroit, he also spent time with – you guessed it – the Dodgers. He worked extensively with their pitching development programs. 

Matt Buschmann, 41, has served in various player development and pitching coach roles with the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants. (I’ll have more on Buschmann later this week.)

Field Coaches

First Base/Outfield Coach, Doug Bernier: “Energetic”

Third Base Coach, Andy González: “Machine”

Bernier, 45, is another returner to Schaeffer’s staff. He previously served as a scout, as well as a Major League data and game-planning coordinator from 2020-2021 and in player development as defensive coordinator from 2022-2023. He oversaw infield and outfield instruction, and seems to be doing the same this year.

You can see Bernier in action here:

And here:

González, 44, also returns to the Rockies staff after serving as assistant hitting coach and interim third base coach in 2025.

Catching Coaches

Bullpen Catcher & Assistant to Baseball Operations, Kyle Cunningham: “Controversial”

Catching Coach & Bullpen Catcher, Chris Rabago: “Sneaky”

Cunningham, 31, and Rabago, 32, are both returning from the 2025 season. Rabago is designated as the catching instructor in 2026, while Cunningham will work more with game planning and advanced scouting like he did in 2025. 

Closing Thoughts

I could keep writing about each coach, and I’m still getting to know all of them (keep an eye out for more articles!). But from everything I’ve gathered in and around the Rockies clubhouse, the vibes really are immaculate. From the music in the hallways to the focus on the most basic of basics… Camp Schaeffer is in full swing and they’re really focusing on the entire human playing baseball.

As the old saying goes, “they don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care” and that rings true for this coaching staff. Warren Schaeffer built a culture of trust and learning as manager, and that has rippled down to every coach they hired. Hopefully that will translate to more wins on the field over the next few years, but so far, the returns are promising.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Happy Wednesday A’s fans.

Following a slow start to spring training, the Athletics have started to gain momentum as spring training enters its second week. The team’s offense has erupted, while its pitching has stabilized as players continue tinkering with their approaches in preparation for Opening Day later this month. Everyone from regulars to top prospects to even non-roster invitees has performed well over the past couple of days to help the team start a preseason winning streak.

Yesterday, Aaron Civale took the mound for the first time in an A’s uniform. He looked a little shaky against Brazil’s woeful World Baseball Classic (WBC) squad, but that is to be expected for a guy making his spring debut. As long as he keeps the A’s in the game and does not implode during his starts this season, then that signing will not be a negative investment. However, if he gets shelled every outing and the A’s once again get held back from playoff contention due to team-wide pitching struggles, then A’s fans and members of the media will point to this offseason saying the team should have acquired more pitching help.

While spring training continues for another couple of weeks, real baseball starts this week. The WBC, which has pulled players from every MLB camp to represent the 20 national teams competing in this year’s tournament, begins today with Chinese Taipei taking on Australia. A’s pitching prospects Chen Zhong-AoZhuang and Wei En Lin are on the Taipei squad, both hoping to pitch well for their country on the world stage. Lin is someone A’s officials and prospect evaluators think highly of, so a strong performance by the young left-hander in the WBC could further boost his stock.

The A’s also will be well-represented on Team Puerto Rico thanks to Darell Hernáiz and Carlos Cortes as well as Team Canada (Denzel Clarke) and Team Dominican Republic (Elvis Alvarado and Luis Severino). The A’s will be short-handed in camp for the next couple of weeks due to these players competing for their countries. However, that means more chances to impress for young players, some of whom like Henry Bolte and Leo De Vries have already flashed their promising skillsets in camp’s early going.

Who do you want to win the WBC? Out of all the A’s players participating, who is under the most pressure to play well and who are you most excited to watch?

A’s Coverage

• Athletics Community Prospect List: Kade Morris Rounds Out Top-20
• A’s have best ABS challenge success rates so far this spring
• Still Need To Put The “Fun” In Fundamentals
• A’s matchup with Padres a homecoming for No. 1 prospect De Vries
• Young, talented Athletics need veterans to show the way
• Athletics coaching staff enthusiastic about Bolte’s pathway to Majors
• Medina eager to get back on track after nearly 2-year absence
• A’s to follow casinos’ playbook on how to treat Las Vegas season ticket holders
• Price to Watch A’s Baseball in Las Vegas this year revealed
• Where Does Tommy White Fit in the A’s Mix at Third Base?
• Only a little polish needed before Jump could be ready for The Show
• Butler ramps up recovery efforts, eyes mid-Spring Training return
• Why are A’s using personal seat licenses for Las Vegas stadium?
• Circa Las Vegas bringing in A’s legend for baseball opening day festitivies
• A’s spending on $2B Vegas stadium passes $300m mark, is Fisher’s folly really happening?
• Bob Melvin opens up: A Giants firing, an A’s hiring, and what comes next
• Can The A’s Young Core Turn Defense Into a Strength?
• Pesky Drawback Of “Closer By Committee” (It Never Really Works)
• “Relievers Are Volatile”… But Why?
• Are The Final Two Rotation Spots Really Up For Grabs?

MLB News and Interest:

• World Baseball Classic preview: Top stars, predictions & more for every pool
• Braves’ Profar tests positive again, banned 162 games by MLB
• Reports: Phillies’ Rojas to fight possible 80-game drug ban
• Royals sign Starling Marte to a one-year, $1M deal
• Here are the new 2026 team Top 30 Prospects lists
• Mark DeRosa sets USA rotation for WBC with Logan Webb starting G1
• Tigers Announce Launch Of Detroit SportsNet
• Padres sign Verdugo to Minors deal, bolster outfield depth
• Is Salt Lake City emerging as a leader contender for MLB expansion?
• Ex-MLB pitcher from San Francisco sentenced for murder
• Fairbanks is Marlins’ new go-to for pop culture recs
• Way-too-early predications for 2026 All-Star Game starters
• Injuries: Lindor, Yanks, Twins, Kelly, Woodruff, Basallo
• U.S. denies visas for 8 in Cuba’s WBC delegation
• What does Scherzer’s return mean for Jays’ packed rotation?
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

How big of an impact will Leo De Vries have on the A’s this season?

The A’s are continuing to heavily promote Las Vegas in anticipation of their relocation in a couple of years. I wonder how A’s fans in Sacramento feel about this?

Now's the time!

Vegas Six-Game Ticket Packs are officially on sale: https://t.co/HqyurfXjGq 😄

Inventory is limited, grab yours before they are gone! pic.twitter.com/fYnxxbAXh3

— Athletics (@Athletics) March 3, 2026

A’s outfielder Carlos Cortes is making the most of the opportunity to play for Team Puerto Rico in the WBC. He may not have made the team if tournament insurance policies had not blocked multiple Puerto Rican players from joining this team.

Nick Morabito was drafted by the Mets in the qualified offer free agent compensation round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. At the time, he was considered a definite follow by regional scouts and evaluators, but his overall profile and post-draft evaluations made many question whether the Mets were wise in selecting him and signing him for a cool million dollars, nearly $125,000 over the MLB-assigned slot value for the 75th overall pick. Here we are, four years later, and Morabito is at the finish line, with an MLB debut in sight.

Splitting the season between the FCL Mets and the St. Lucie Mets in 2023, Morabito hit .306/.421/.407 in 57 games with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 21 stolen bases, and 34 walks to 49 strikeouts. Splitting the 2024 season between, the St. Lucie Mets and the Brooklyn Cyclones, he hit .312/.403/.398 with 17 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, 59 stolen bases, and 60 walks to 98 strikeouts. This past season, he spent the entire year with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies and hit .273/.348/.385 in 118 games with 27 doubles, 2 triples, 6 home runs, 49 stolen bases, and 47 walks to 115 strikeouts. Since turning pro, he is a cumulative .291/.381/.389 hitter who has averaged roughly 42 stolen bases a season. Why is Morabito not considered a significant prospect, why was he ranked the Mets’ 15th top prospect instead of 1-5?

The speedy outfielder does his damage in a way that would fit in with the Deadball Era. He can put a jolt into the ball, but almost everything is on the ground; in 2025, he posted a 53.9% groundball rate, and he averaged a 51.5% rate in the prior two seasons combined. Furthermore, he does not pull the ball nearly enough, posting a 42.9% pull rate, 21.9% up-the-middle rate, and a 35.2% opposite field rate and similar spray patterns in his prior two seasons. By and large, when Morabito makes contact, he is shooting groundballs ball back up the middle or slashing them to the opposite field. That might’ve been a viable strategy for Charlie “Piano Legs” Hickman or “Baby Doll” Jacobson or John “the Terrible Swede” Anderson or “Choke ‘em” Charlie Herzog, but in today’s day and age? Not so much. Further complicating matters are his increasing strikeout rate, declining contact rate, and a handful of other metrics.

Morabito has a high floor, at the very least, thanks to his defense and speed. While not elite per se, the outfielder plays a very good centerfield. His arm is fringe-average for the position, but his glove is sure and any mistakes that he makes reading the ball off the bat can be corrected with “brute speed”. And speaking of speed, as the late Terrence Gore highlighted, there will always be place on a team for a speedster when the time is right: Gore has more World Series championship rings than he does career WAR (0.1 rWAR/0.7 fWAR).

Morabito was placed on the 40-man roster this past November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, but barring showing up to spring training a completely different hitter, it is unlikely that the outfielder breaks camp with the Mets. Having appeared in 118 games in Double-A Binghamton last season, he likely starts 2026 assigned to the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. While coming north with the Mets out of spring training is unlikely, I would not rule out Morabito making his major league debut at some point during the year if the stars align in his favor.

Spring training is in full swing and the beginning of the World Baseball Classic will take place later this week. With it comes our first glimpses of the progress players have made during the course of the offseason, along with top prospects getting their chance to shine and make what they hope will be a lasting impression on those in upper management and fans alike.

The Braves have had several prospects stand out thus far into spring training. For a nice change of pace compared to recent years, there are actual positional prospects that are more than holding their own and standing out.

Let’s dive into some of the more noteworthy performances.

John Gil, IF/DH

If you simply look at the baseline numbers, Gil doesn’t stand out as much as other prospects in camp might. He’s currently carrying a .167 batting average and has struck out in 26.7% of his plate appearances in nine games.

However, the underlying metrics tell a much different story for the 20-year-old. In 15 plate appearances thus far, Gil has posted an OPS of 1.000 thanks to a pair of homers to his credit. He has also posted a wRC+ of 146 so far as well. Gil pulled both homers over the left field wall, but the real testament to how he has refined his approach came on the game-tying homer against the Twins on Sunday.

Gil managed to take a 1-0 fastball on the lower inner-third of the zone and pull his hands in enough to get a little loft on the ball and rifled it over the wall. In years past, that would have been a pitch he more than likely rolled over and grounded out to the left side, but not now. In fact, the homer reached an exit velocity of 110 MPH — an insanely hard-hit ball for Gil.

So far, Gil has only served as the designated hitter in the games he has appeared in. This is likely due to the fact he is more of a sure thing in the field than he is at the plate. The Braves know Gil can hold his own wherever he ends up defensively, whether it be shortstop, third base, second base or in the outfield. Other prospects like Alex Lodise, Tate Southisene and others are less cemented when it comes to their future defensive homes.

Sure, it’s still early in spring training and it’s a very small sample size. But there is plenty to like in Gil and he certainly has the potential to end up as Atlanta’s top prospects — and one of the top 100 in the entire sport — by the time next year’s spring training rolls around.

JR Ritchie, RHP

In a year where the Braves are already in desperate need of talented arms to step up, the savior might be found in JR Ritchie, who has done everything he can to solidify himself as one of the system’s top arms this spring.

So far, the 22-year-old has appeared in two games, tossing a total of four innings. While it may be a small number of appearances, Ritchie has performed excellently when he’s been on the mound. In addition to his six strikeouts, Ritchie has only given up one walk and one hit — a first pitch home run on a 94 miles per hour fastball.

Ritchie’s fastball, aside from the homer, has looked great as he has managed to run it up to 97 MPH. It’s his secondary offerings, though, that have really stood out for the righty.

This spring, Ritchie has really focused hard on throwing his changeup, curveball and his cutter more often. His changeup usage is up by more than ten percentage points, while his curveball is being used by more than 4% clip higher and his cutter is up by 3.6%. His velocity is also up across the board, with every pitch registering higher than it did in his 2025 campaign.

Like we mentioned with Gil and any other prospects, the sample size is simply too small to make any type of real determinations as to how effective these early starts are. Nonetheless, it’s an encouraging sign for a guy who Atlanta may have to call upon sooner rather than later.

Owen Murphy, RHP

Just like his Ritchie, Murphy has seen action in two games during spring training, tossing a combined four innings during that stretch.

Murphy has also struck out six batters while walking only one, and has given up a pair of hits — one of which was a home run.

His fastball has mostly sat in the 92-94 MPH range this spring, but Murphy has really prioritized his secondary offerings. Of his six strikeouts, half have come on breaking balls — including his curveball which posted a solid 19-inch vertical break on it. The one blemish for him so far is that his breaking balls have tended to live up in the zone a little higher than you would like, and veteran players who may not be in the everyday lineup at this point will eventually take advantage of that. But there is plenty of time for him to work and keep the ball down.

The main thing for Murphy is simple: remain healthy this spring and build off the strong start.

Best of the rest

Hayden Harris, LHP — 3 G, 3 IP, 7 K, 1 BB, 2 H

Garrett Baumann, RHP — 2 G, 1 GS, 4 IP, 5 K, 3 H, 2 ER

Alex Lodise, SS — 7 G, 1-8, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB

Good morning everyone!

The Mariners have gotten off to a rough start to Cactus League play, falling to the hapless Angels 7-6. Oh well, onto the next one

The World Baseball Classic kicks off for real today, with Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) taking on Australia at 7pm PT. Will you be tuning in? How much of this year’s tournament do you plan on consuming?

In Mariners news…

• Even though J.P. Crawford is back from a shoulder injury, the Mariners are closely monitoring the situation.
• Zac Hereth at Seattle Sports outlined three players who have impressed him at Mariners camp so far.
• Mariners hitting coach Kevin Seitzer weighed in on three M’s who have drawn his attention this spring.

Around the league…

• Atlanta outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games for his second positive test for PEDs. Profar faced his first suspension less than a year ago after testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin.
• Philles outfielder Johan Rojas also tested positive for PEDs, though he is appealing the ruling. If he loses his appeal, he will face an 80-game suspension for his first offense.
• Red Sox infielder Brendan Rodgers will likely require shoulder surgery, ending any hopes he had of mounting a comeback in 2026.
• The Texas Rangers find themselves in hot water after ownership chose to put up the controversial One Riot, One Ranger statue previously taken down in 2020.
• In what’s likely to be his final run as a baseball manager, Dusty Baker is taking on the task of leading Team Nicaragua despite having no connection to the country. Michael Clair has the story on what this job means to Dusty and to the players.
• Zach Crizer documented the evolution of the baseball slide, and applauded the rules being set up in such a way to encourage “weird” slides.
• If you’re a parent of a child, you’ve probably grown tired of having to hear “six-seven” all the time. Well, try being a baseball player forced to wear the number during spring training, as Sam Blum at The Athletic reports. ($)

One of the most fun things about covering the minor leagues and prospects is when a previously unheralded player suddenly puts it together and goes nuts. Eduardo Valencia wasn’t even a mention on most prospect rankings the past few years as injuries, struggles at the plate, and slow defensive development left him looking like an org catcher who would never amount to more. There were always flashes of power and some stretches of good production as he slowly grinded his way through A-ball and into the upper minors, but no one predicted the monster campaign Valencia put together in 2025.

Valencia was signed by the Tigers as an international free agent out of Valencia, Venezuela way back in 2018. He broke out of the rookie ball levels a little late, as a 21-year-old, and then battled injuries in 2022-2024, playing just 126 games over that span. He always walked a good amount and had the bat to ball skills to make plenty of good contact, but he didn’t hit many homers, and he struggled to develop behind the plate. The latter remains an issue that may limit his major league utility.

The big revelation was Valencia’s bat. Finally healthy and getting regular reps, he erupted for a combined 24 home runs and a 159 wRC+ evenly split between Double and Triple-A in 2025. Even better, he improved his strikeout and walk numbers upon advancing to the Toledo Mud Hens roster, and tapped into even more power at the higher level. He posted a 12.6 percent walk rate and a good 19.9 percent strikeout rate for the Hens, and looking through his Statcast numbers it’s hard to find a major weakness.

Valencia demolished fastballs all season long and handled better velocity well. Offspeed stuff gave him no trouble at all either. He hit left and right handed pitching well, showed off plus raw power, and really the only flaw was some modest struggles against good breaking stuff. That didn’t really show up until pitchers started spamming the softer stuff once it was clear that throwing him too many fastballs was a terrible idea. Valencia’s discipline and consistent hard contact started getting attention in Erie, but he just kept getting better in Toledo and poured it on with a finish that left many hoping for a call-up to try and jumpstart the sputtering Tigers’ offense in September.

There’s a lot to like in him as a hitter. Valencia is a well built individual with a lot of rotational power, and his adjustments toward quieter hands and a bigger leg kick helped him to get on time and drive the ball in the air a lot last year. He can juice it out to the opposite field as well, but he tends to line the ball to right field and pull it in the air, which is the preferred combination. He doesn’t chase much and while he’ll take his hacks early in counts and against mistakes, he can also shorten up to spray the ball once he’s deep in a count. If he can lay off more breaking balls and wait out pitchers trying to get him to chase, Valencia likely has a long career ahead of him as at least a solid power hitter. The issue remains finding his defensive home.

The Tigers started playing him more at first base last year once he jumped to Toledo. He wasn’t all that adept at picking throws out of the dirt and needs improvement there and in his footwork. He’s decidedly not fleet of foot, and needs plenty of reps at the position to improve both around the bag and just in terms of handling harder ground balls. Still as a catcher making the move to first base, it’s probable that he’ll eventually be roughly average at the position and he hasn’t really spent much time focusing on it yet.

Behind the plate, Valencia still lacks the framing, blocking, and pop times to play the position regularly at the major league level. He stands 6’1” but he’s quite stocky at this point, with below average speed and agility, which doesn’t bode real well for his ability to improve behind the dish. Gabe Alvarez, his manager in Toledo, preached some patience considering the injury history and lack of reps, and that carries some weight, but we’ll just have to see how he’s improved this spring after an offseason in which defense was a major focus for him.

On a club that highly values catchers for their defensive ability, it’s hard to imagine Valencia getting much catching work without some real improvements. He’s clearly put a ton of work into it already, and so the odds of a major transformation at age 26 are slim.

So, the Tigers have an intriguing bat-first power hitter, whose lack of a true defensive home may stall his major league debut a while longer. They added Valencia to the 40-man roster back in November, knowing there was no way he’d get through the Rule 5 draft. If he can continue refining his work at first base, it’s possible he could take some playing time from Spencer Torkelson, and if he continues to mash the Tigers will find a way to get him into the lineup one way or another. He could also make for an interesting trade chip this summer if the Tigers don’t really need him at first base and another team thinks they can get a little more out of him as a catcher at the major league level.

For now, Valencia is probably bound for Toledo to continue playing first base, working part-time as a catcher, and trying to improve his defensive profile overall. The combination of plate discipline, power, and contact ability is exciting, but the Tigers will probably let him simmer a while longer. Still, the bat was getting close to being undeniable last September, and he’s already homered and hit well in his few looks in Grapefruit League action so far this year. If he comes out raking this spring he’s going to force the Tigers’ hand, even if his optimal role is more of a DH and pinch-hitting specialist if the defense doesn’t improve.