Category: MLB

The Orioles’ Grapefruit League opener yesterday was a resounding success, at least if you’re a pitcher or Pete Alonso. The Birds’ newest slugger mashed a two-run homer in his O’s spring debut to provide all the offense in a 2-0 win over the Yankees. Trevor Rogers, Keegan Akin, Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, Jose Espada, and Trey Gibson combined on a three-hit shutout, with Gibson pitching the final three innings for the save. All of those guys except Gibson are either locks or strong candidates for the Opening Day roster, so it’s nice to see them all start well.

The O’s have a return engagement at Ed Smith Stadium today against the Pirates. Dean Kremer, who will soon be leaving the Orioles to pitch for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, takes the mound today. It’s strange to think that Kremer might have to compete for a rotation spot, but that may be the case, as he, Chris Bassitt, and Zach Eflin (if healthy) are three candidates for two openings behind Rogers, Kyle Bradish, and Shane Baz.

Today’s game marks the Orioles debuts for Taylor Ward and Blaze Alexander, while Dylan Beavers and Ryan Mountcastle will also be starting for the first time this spring. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson, the latter of whom will soon leave for the WBC as well, are the only Orioles from yesterday’s game who are starting again today. They’ll take on Pirates prospect Wilber Dotel. Former Orioles Ryan O’Hearn and Billy Cook are in the Pirates’ lineup this afternoon.

The game will be televised on MASN and on radio on 98 Rock.

Orioles lineup:

LF Taylor Ward
C Adley Rutschman
1B Ryan Mountcastle
2B Blaze Alexander
DH Gunnar Henderson
RF Dylan Beavers
CF Leody Taveras
3B Weston Wilson
SS Luis Vázquez

RHP Dean Kremer

Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees

Time/Place: 1:05 p.m., George M. Steinbrenner Field – Tampa, FL
SB Nation Site: Pinstripe Alley
Media: MLB.TV (free), Tigers Radio Network

Tigers pitching plan in Tampa:
Keider Montero
Jack Little
Cole Waites
Matt Seelinger
Ricky Vanasco
Drew Sommers
Burch Smith

— Chris McCosky (@cmccosky) February 21, 2026

Saturday notes…

• CUBS vs. RANGERS: The Cubs will also face the Rangers in a Spring Training game Tuesday, March 10 at Surprise Stadium. The teams will play a three-game regular season series in Arlington, Texas May 8-9-10.
• UPCOMING STARTERS: Colin Rea will start Sunday against the Giants at Scottsdale and Ben Brown will go against the Royals Monday at Surprise.

Here are today’s particulars.

Cubs lineup:

Another afternoon at @SloanParkMesa.

Watch the game live on Marquee Sports Network pic.twitter.com/K0RybPXS4K

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) February 21, 2026

Rangers lineup:

Rangers lineup for February 21, 2026 at Chicago-NL pic.twitter.com/JR7OAkdW2i

— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) February 21, 2026

Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Daniel Palencia, Hoby Milner, Luke Little, Jack Neely and Jeff Brigham.

Kumar Rocker will start for the Rangers. Other Rangers pitchers scheduled today: Cal Quantrill, Luis Curvelo, Carter Baumler and Patrick Murphy.

Today’s game will be on Marquee Sports Network. There will also be a radio broadcast on 670 The Score, as well as on the Rangers radio channel, Rangers 105.3.

MLB.com Gameday

Please note that during spring training, Gameday sometimes doesn’t go pitch-by-pitch as it does during the regular season — usually, it will update after each at-bat.

Here is the complete MLB.com live streaming page for today.

Please visit our SB Nation Rangers site Lone Star Ball. If you do go there to interact with Rangers fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.

As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.

These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Washington Nationals for the first Spring Training game of the 2026 seasons. You can listen to the game on KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM, WIJR AM 880 (En Espanol) or the Cardinals Radio Network. Matthew Liberatore is scheduled to make the first start of the Spring according to MLB.com. Shinnosuke Ogasawara will start the game for Washington. Let the games begin!

The Dodgers on Sunday take on the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex for their second game of the spring schedule.

Jackson Ferris gets the start on the mound on Sunday. The Branch Rickey Award in 2024 as the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year, Ferris struggled at times in Double-A Tulsa last season but rebounded down the stretch with a 1.95 ERA and three home runs allowed over his final 15 starts of 2025.

The original plan was for Shohei Ohtani to bat in each of the first two games this weekend, but on Saturday, manager Dave Roberts told reporters in Arizona that Ohtani will not be the designated hitter on Sunday, per David Vassegh.

Sunday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Padres
• Ballpark: Peoria Sports Complex
• Time: 12:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (simulcast), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Diamondbacks News

Lawlar Gets Center Field Nod
Once the team takes the field today, Jordan Lawlar will begin to make his case for or against all the faith that has been placed in him over the last few years.

Arenado Discusses Full Circle Home Run
Jake McCarthy was wearing Colorado purple and Nolan Arenado was wearing Arizona colours. McCarthy showed he still has wheels. Arenado showed he still has pop in his bat. The veteran third baseman reflects on swatting a dinger against the club that brought him up.

Arizona’s Top Prospect Getting a Taste
Arizona’s top prospect, Ryan Waldschmidt, is getting an opportunity to impress this spring. The slugging outfielder is unlikely to make the opening day roster, but this is an opportunity to put himself on the fast track to MLB promotion.

Diamondbacks Begin Spring with Win, Arenado Blast
More of this please.

Other Baseball News

Buster Olney’s Top-10 Second Baseman Right Now
It should come as no shock to Arizona fans that Ketel Marte ranks atop the list.

Twins Lose Ace, Pablo Lopez to Tommy John
If things weren’t bad enough in Minnesota, the Twins have now lost their ace for the entire 2026 season.

Bill Mazerowski Passes Away at 89
The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that 17-year Pirate, and Hall of Famer, Bill Mazerowski passed away yesterday. As one of the greatest Bucs of all-time, he will be missed.

If you aren’t already familiar with the name Dax Whitney, get familiar with him ASAP.

2027 MLB Draft 1.01 candidate – and if he was in the draft this year, he would very much challenge UCLA SS Roch Cholowsky for that slot. #MLB#NCAA#MiLBhttps://t.co/bx6KNPyTJR

— MLB Marathon (@MLBMarathon) February 21, 2026

The Dodgers open their Cactus League schedule on Saturday afternoon, hitting the road to face the Angels at Diablo Stadium in Tempe. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on the mound for Game 1, plus regulars Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernández, and Andy Pages occupying the top three lineup slots. Here are the active players making the trip to Tempe.

Lineup

Shohei Ohtani DH
Teoscar Hernández LF
Andy Pages CF
Dalton Rushing C (starting on his 25th birthday)
Santiago Espinal 3B
Hyeseong Kim 2B
Alex Freeland SS
Ryan Ward 1B
Zach Ehrhard RF

Yamamoto starting on the mound

Other pitchers

Paul Gervase is the other Dodgers 40-man pitcher on the trip, as are non-roster invitees Ryder Ryan, Wyatt Mills, Luke Fox, Antoine Kelly, and Adam Serwinowski.

From minor league camp, Nicolas Cruz (wearing uniform number 05), Cody Morse (06), Antonio Knowles (90), Christian Suarez (91), and Cam Day (93) made the trip

Other position players

Non-roster invitees who made the trip east are outfielders Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Kendall George, and James Tibbs III, plus infielders Keston Kiura, Nick Senzel, and Ryan Fitzgerald, and catchers Griffin Lockwood-Powell and Nelson Quiroz.

Infielder Sean McClain (wearing number 87) is also on the trip, from minor league camp.

The 2026 MLB season is finally upon us and, with it, one of the sport’s newest major rule changes since commissioner Rob Manfred took up the mantle in 2015. The ABS (automated ball-strike system) is here.

As with many rule changes, fans of the sport are divided over it, but it’s here to stay. Because of that, teams will have to spend Spring Training figuring out a strategy for how to use the rules to their advantage. How will the San Diego Padres utilize this system in their clubhouse?

San Diego’s strategy

New Padres manager Craig Stammen offered some thoughts this week on the introduction of the system into MLB. “I want… to use at least [the] first challenge not with two out and nobody on but save it for a key situation,” Stammen said. This has been the prevailing idea for ABS with the majority of MLB clubs. 

It’s worth wondering whether or not that philosophy will cause challenges to be hoarded by teams and end up unused (when they could have been in situations that may not have been deemed important enough to warrant it at the time). If teams go in without a strategy for utilizing the new system, they’ll get left behind, and San Diego cannot afford to lose ground on their opponents before the season even starts. 

Behind the dish

That’s what makes one particular position so fascinating to look at when it comes to this new system. The catcher has, by far, the best view of the strike zone, as well as (hopefully) the greatest comprehension of what is and is not in the zone. My guess is that catchers will be given far more leeway than other players when it comes to challenging these calls.

In yesterday’s opener to Spring Training, Padres catcher Luis Campusano challenged two called balls and got both challenges correct, turning them into strikes (one of which resulted in a strikeout of Seattle Mariners star catcher, Cal Raleigh). It will be interesting to see how much, if any, value is added to the catcher position because of this system.

It’s possible that this added value affects the catcher race between current starter Freddy Fermin, Campusano and minor-league pickup Blake Hunt. After only one game played, time will tell.

There “will be strategies we come up with as we go through Spring Training,” Stammen said. “We’ll need to see who is good at it and who is not… that will be part of it. There should be some revoking of people’s challenge opportunities.”

As Spring Training continues on, will we see some players challenge less because of their poor knowledge of the zone? Will others challenge more often because they have it down? One thing’s for sure: pitchers will not be challenging. 

What about the guy on the mound?

It’s an important and fair question. Why would pitchers not be trusted to challenge? A former pitcher himself, Stammen said “Pitchers are very trustworthy. However, they’re highly emotional while pitching. And they’re also the farthest away from the strike zone… [they] will have limited opportunities to challenge.” A lot of that makes sense. It’s likely that pitchers are liable to trust their stuff and still be wrong about the call. 

That being said, pitchers are probably going to want to challenge the call, but they will likely be stopped from doing so. The Padres would be wise to avoid this as well. It’s easy to get heated in the moment on what you think is a bad call when, in reality, it’s off the plate.

The takeaway

With all that still to be solved before spring wraps up, it’s certain now that – love it or hate it – ABS is here to stay for the ‘26 season (and likely beyond). It’s impossible to ignore that robust knowledge of the strike zone already added value to players, this rule change just makes it more tangible. 

Instead of simply being upset about a call batters know is bad, and being forced to protect by swinging at a bad pitch, the hitter can now take the at-bat into his own hands and change the outcome. It’s a wonderful merge of accurately calling games and maintaining the human component of the game we all love. 

Nothing’s set in stone for the Friars now, but it’s important a strategy is formed in the weeks leading up to Opening Day. Otherwise, they’ll find themselves floundering without a way to use this new aspect of the game to their advantage.

First Pitch (CT):12:05
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: TIBN/830 WCCO/102.9 The Wolf /Audacy App
Know Yo’ Foe: Over the Monster

Lineups

Twins

SP: Joe Ryan, Who is Perfect

1. Byron Buxton, CF
2. Luke Keaschall, 2B
3. Royce Lewis, 3B
4. Ryan Jeffers, C
5. Matt Wallner, RF
6. Austin Martin, LF
7. Brooks Lee, SS
8. Gio Urshela, DH
9. Eric Wagaman, 1B

Red Sox

SP: Payton Tolle (LHP)

1. Roman Anthony, RF
2. Cedanne Rafaela, CF
3. Wilyer Abreu, DH
4. Willson Contreras, 1B
5. Masataka Yoshida, LF
6. Connor Wong, C
7. Andruw Monasterio, 3B
8. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS
9. Brendan Rodgers, 2B

Elmer Rodríguez showed why he’s the Yankees’ top pitching prospect in yesterday’s Grapefruit League opener, and today is Carlos Lagrange’s first chance to impress as he also makes a case for some 2026 MLB playing time. Lagrange stands a dominant 6-foot-7 with a 70-grade fastball and above-average slider, and while he finished last year with Double-A Somerset, he has the tools to rise even quicker through the senior level of the minors, and FanGraphs projects him as eventually an MLB-caliber closing pitcher. At just 22, he certainly has time to make it stick in a rotation first.

Keider Montero has spent parts of two seasons in a swingman role for the Tigers, and while a decent 94 mph heater will get you onto a major league roster, an inability to command it properly probably means he’s going to be a reliever for the bulk of his career. This goes double in a rotation as deep as Detroit’s, but if Montero can unlock a little extra in his strikeout rate, he can carve himself a role as a dependable bullpen piece.

On the offensive side, Aaron Judge will make his spring debut in right field, and with another “home” game scheduled for Sunday, one wonders if he’s reached that Mariano Rivera status where he’s not even issued a road jersey in camp. The only other first-stringer in the lineup is Ryan McMahon, hitting and playing third, while Jasson Domínguez, who may start the year at Triple-A Scranton, is your leadoff hitter. Also note Spencer Jones playing center and hitting seventh.

How to watch

Location: George M Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL

First pitch: 1:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, Gotham Sports App, Tigers.tv

Radio broadcast: WXYT 97.1FM (Tigers broadcast)

Online stream: Gotham Sports App

For updates, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Spring Home Opener on the way 🌴#RepBXpic.twitter.com/q1Wh0mPdRz

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 21, 2026

we play baseball today

watch for free: https://t.co/ZEVtNMqSK6pic.twitter.com/u6g9grgXmY

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) February 21, 2026

Bill Mazeroski’s hit was so massive, it was bound to overshadow everything else he accomplished in his career.

That’s not the worst thing, at least when that hit is a solo home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates to beat the mighty New York Yankees in World Series Game 7. Mazeroski, who died this week, went on to a Hall of Fame career forged on his defensive wizardry at second base.

But that 1960 trip around the bases remains one of the biggest and most memorable blasts in baseball history, although there have been times a game-deciding hit or run driven in isn’t the most revered moment in a given Fall Classic.

With that, we take a look at the 11 homers, bloops, sacrifice flies and other oddities that ended a World Series – many of them long before Dennis Eckersley coined the term “walk-off”:

1. Bill Mazeroski, home run vs. Yankees, 1960 Game 7

Historical note: There was no salary cap in 1960, when the Pirates turned back the Yankee dynasty in a thrilling series that ended at Forbes Field. No, just the Steel City erupting when Mazeroski, as he told USA TODAY Sports years later, was “floating around the bases” after his homer against Bill Terry. It’d be 11 years before the Pirates reigned again in 1971.

2. Joe Carter, home run vs. Phillies, 1993 Game 6

Really tough to elevate a Game 6 Series winner over all the Game 7 dramas, but c’mon: A home run that flips the result of a game, stuns the Phillies into winter, with a Mitch Williams meltdown that many could anticipate coming, voiced legendarily by Blue Jays announcer Tom Cheek: “Touch ‘em all, Joe, you’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life!” A Game 7 winner is great, but getting the plug suddenly pulled on a winner-take-all-game is almost equally shocking.

3. Luis Gonzalez, single vs. Yankees, 2001 Game 7

It barely blooped and rolled into the grass of Bank One Ballpark, but with one defensive hack, Gonzalez toppled the mighty Mariano Rivera and ended the Yankee dynasty in stunning fashion.

An epic World Series looked for all the world like it’d end with the road team finally winning. But Rivera, who also blew Yankee playoff chances in 1997 and 2004, mishandled a bunt that changed the entire dynamic of the inning and forced the Yankees to play the infield in. Derek Jeter had no chance on the dying quail, and it’s kind of nice that exit velocity wasn’t around back then to besmirch the beauty of a perfectly placed bloop.

4. Earl McNeely, 12th-inning double vs. Giants, 1924 Game 7

Seems every fall we get a “longest game by time” or “longest game by innings.” Well, those records have to start somewhere and in 1924, the Washington Senators and New York Giants played on into the 12th, thanks largely to Walter Johnson’s four innings of shutout relief. Finally, McNeely rolled one down the third base line to score Muddy Ruel with the game-winner.

5. Billy Martin, single vs. Dodgers, 1953 Game 6

Bonus points here for the Yankees’ longtime torment of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who’d have to wait two more years to break through against their Bronx rivals. The Dodgers gamely tied Game 6 in the bottom of the ninth before Martin – better known as the mercurial manager – hit a single up the middle off Clem Labine to score Hank Bauer with the game-winner.

6. Edgar Renteria, 11th-inning single vs. Cleveland, 1997 Game 7

The grander drama seemed to occur two innings earlier, when Craig Counsell plated the tying run on a sacrifice fly off sketchy Cleveland closer Jose Mesa, denying the city its first World Series title since 1948.

No, once the Marlins tied it, a go-ahead hit had an air inevitability and the rookie Renteria delivered, right up the middle off Charles Nagy, plating Counsell with the championship run.

7. Gene Larkin, 10th-inning single vs. Braves, 1991 Game 7

An epic Game 6 and 7 in the Twin Cities culminated when Larkin’s pinch hit fly over a drawn-in Brian Hunter allowed Dan Gladden to trot home with the winning run.

The Metrodome fairly exploded, yet the ultimate moment couldn’t compare with the nine and a half scoreless innings Jack Morris and John Smoltz spun to precede it, nor the Kirby Puckett homer a night before to force Game 7. Still, a massive hit to end an epic game.

8. Goose Goslin, single vs. Cubs, 1935 Game 6

Hey, you don’t go 108 years without a World Series title without some heartbreak. This time, it was Goslin making up for the Tigers’ misery a year earlier against St. Louis with a single off Cubs starter Larry French to score fellow future Hall of Famer – and Mickey Mantle namesake – Mickey Cochrane with the Series-winner.

9. Bing Miller, double vs. Cubs, 1929 Game 5

Once again, not the most memorable hit, as that one would belong to Mule Haas (an ancestor of Moose Haas?), whose two-run homer with one out in the ninth ruined Cubs starter Pat Malone’s shutout. Miller made the Cubs pay for intentionally walking Jimmie Foxx (can’t blame ‘em for that).

10. Earle Combs, wild pitch vs. Pirates, 1927 Game 4

The lone Game 4 “walk-off” on the list, and it only sped up the utter certainty that was the ’27 Yankees. Sadly, Pirates pitcher Johnny Miljust properly walked Babe Ruth and struck out Lou Gehrig and Bob Meusel before uncorking the fateful pitch.

11. Larry Gardner, 10th-inning sacrifice fly vs. Giants, 1912 Game 8

Game 8? As the kids now say, that’s so fake. But ties due to darkness were a thing then. Sadly, the decisive rally was spurred by a pair of errors on the Giants, enabling the Red Sox to push across the winning runs after New York took the lead in the top of the 10th.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Mazeroski home run: Ranking every World Series walk-off in MLB history

*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.

Another right-handed pitcher! Gunnar Hoglund probably dropped farther than a lot of other fans wanted but he finally settles into his spot as the organization’s #16 prospect according to the fans. Surely most of that drop is due to the former first-rounder’s injury history but Hoglund does possess the “stuff” to be a solid mid-to-backend rotation starter. He won’t reach the heights that were expected of him when the A’s made him one of the return pieces for third baseman Matt Chapman but getting him healthy and providing innings would do wonders for the team’s rotation depth. We’ll certainly be seeing him in the big leagues this season, health permitting.

Taking Hoglund’s spot in the nominee list will be shortstop Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. A former third-rounder from 2024, the light-hitting middle infielder has drawn comparisons to current shortstop Jacob Wilson due to his penchant for not striking out. A contact-oriented hitter in the box, Kuroda-Grauer has a high floor and could easily be a utility option for the A’s down the line but we’re all hoping the organization can develop him into something more than that.

The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:

• Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
• In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
• If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.

Click on the link here to vote!

* * *

A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

1. Leo De Vries, SS
2. Jamie Arnold, LHP
3. Gage Jump, LHP
4. Wei-En Lin, LHP
5. Braden Nett, RHP
6. Henry Bolte, OF
7. Johenssy Colome, SS
8. Edgar Montero, SS
9. Steven Echavarria, RHP
10. Devin Taylor, OF
11. Mason Barnett, RHP
12. Tommy White, 3B
13. Henry Baez, RHP
14. Zane Taylor, RHP
15. Cole Miller, RHP
16. Gunnar Hoglund, RHP

The voting continues! A’s fans, are you ready to pick the team’s 17th-best prospect? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.

Nominees on the current ballot:

Kade Morris, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (AA/AAA): 4.38 ERA, 28 starts, 150 IP, 128 K, 48 BB, 16 HR, 4.71 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 40

Morris runs up his four-seam fastball to about 95-96 mph and also throws a sinker with good arm-side run in the 92-95 range. His mid-80s slider has developed into an above-average secondary offering. His mid-70s curveball provides a good variation of pitch speeds, though he is still working to make it a more consistent pitch, along with his improving upper-80s changeup.

Morris is athletic with his 6-foot-3 frame. His competitive drive stands out whenever he takes the mound. Discovering the right arm slot that allows for the most consistency is the next big step in his development. How that pans out as he moves through the system will likely determine his long-term role, though he profiles as a back-end starter given his overall pitch mix and solid control.

Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP

Expected level: Low-A | Age: 19

2025 stats (Rookie Affiliate): 188 PA, .258/.399/.384, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 36 BB, 47 K, 4 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades (hitter): Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Scouting grades (pitcher): Fastball: 55 | Slider: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

At the plate, Morii features a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he clubbed 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning. Having only been pitching with regularity for less than two years, Morii’s arm is relatively fresh as he enters the organization.

Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see a possibility of moving to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. While scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan on giving him every opportunity to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already building over his impressive physical traits and desire to become one of the next great players out of Japan.

Junior Perez, OF

Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 24

2025 stats (AA/AAA): 587 PA, .231/.348/.473, 29 doubles, 6 triples, 26 HR, 87 RBI, 87 BB, 165 K, 27 SB

Per Billy Owens, Athletics director of player personnel and assistant GM: “Perez is a live-bodied specimen with high-caliber tools. His range and athleticism stand out defensively. Offensively, he can be streaky, but he has displayed plus bat speed, patience and real power. Solid package. Development is not linear. Patience will be required to realize his significant potential.”

Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, SS

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (A+/AA): 549 PA, .296/.359/.372, 30 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HR, 47 RBI, 40 BB, 49 K, 27 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Kuroda-Grauer’s athletic size and hard-working mentality remind some in the A’s organization of a young Marcus Semien. While he may never have Semien-type power, his high-level ability to frequently make contact and rarely strike out is reminiscent of another more high-profile touted top prospect in Jacob Wilson. His advanced approach at the plate allows him to work counts and make good decisions with his simple swing. The power remains below-average, though the A’s believe he could grow into some extra pop with 15-homer potential as a ceiling.

There is a speed element to Kuroda-Grauer’s game, and while he may not be a burner, his 40 stolen bases in college show he can be a decent threat on the basepaths. Defensively, his arm is average, but his overall glovework and instincts give him the chance to stick as a shortstop with second base as a fallback. Between that and his excellent bat-to-ball skills, Kuroda-Grauer enters his first full professional season with a chance to quickly rise through the system.

Yunior Tur, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 26

2025 stats (A+/AA/AAA): 3.29 ERA, 26 starts (30 appearances), 125 2/3 IP, 130 K, 60 BB, 7 HR, 3.79 FIP

Per The Athletics’ Keith Law:

Tur is 26 but only signed with the A’s before the 2023 season after several seasons pitching in the Serie Nacional in Cuba. He started almost all of last year, going from High A to Triple A, although I think he’s a straight reliever. He comes straight over the top, sitting 96 with some ride along with a 55 splitter and a low-90s cutter that doesn’t miss many bats. The slider is fringy and he’s very north-south because of the arm slot. He could pitch in the big-league bullpen right now.

* * *

Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your vote!

The offseason is officially over and now it’s time to get rocking and rolling. While it’s not quite the same as Opening Day and never will be on that level, it’s still lovely to either turn on the TV or fire up the radio and hear the crack of the bat and baseballs hitting leather mitts as spring training opens up. It’s not Opening Day but baseball is here and that’s the main thing.

Speaking of “not quite the same as Opening Day,” that’s how you could describe this lineup for the Grapefruit League opener for the Atlanta Braves. Mike Yastrzemski figures to be the only player in this lineup who will be getting significant playing time at the big league level for Atlanta this season as the other guys like Jonah Heim, Brett Wisely, Luke Williams and Jorge Mateo figure to be somewhere between serving as bench options or plying their trade in Gwinnett for most of the season.

That also figures to be the case for starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco, who is getting the start and figures to be a very long shot to crack the starting rotation for the Braves this season. Still, everybody’s going to be going for it in an effort to impress Atlanta’s staff, so hopefully we’ll see some standout performances this afternoon.

Here are the lineups for both teams:

First game of spring on deck! pic.twitter.com/ESYFUl0YWq

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) February 21, 2026

Rays 2/21/26 Lineup

1. LF Jacob Melton
2. 3B Junior Caminero
3. SS Carson Williams
4. 1B Jonathan Aranda
5. 2B Richie Palacios
6. C Nick Fortes
7. CF Jonny Deluca
8. DH Dominic Keegan
9. RF Ryan Vilade

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. and the game will be streamed for free on Rays.TV and you can listen to the Braves feed on 680 The Fan/93.7 FM or the 680 The Fan App as well — also for free. It’s literal free baseball.

If you’re here for the first time or you’re a long-time lurker, now is as good of a time as any to join in on the fun of a game thread. It’s free and not only do you get to participate in the game thread, you also get a bunch of other perks that come along with having an account. Whether you’re new or you haven’t logged in since Nick Markakis was running around here, it’s the perfect time to get back in the swing of things. It also helps out the community here and the website as a whole, so everybody wins.

Baseball is back, which means it is time for game threads. Here at Federal Baseball, we do game threads for every regular season game and will do some for Spring Training as well. It is a space for you guys to follow the games and comment your thoughts. Last year, we got hundreds of comments on some of these.

It is also a place where you can get some information on the game and where to watch. So let’s get right into it. The Nats will have two games this afternoon, both at 1:05 PM EST. However, only the game against the Astros will be televised. 

That also happens to be the game where the Nats are fielding a stronger team. CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, Keibert Ruiz and Abimelec Ortiz are among the players featuring in that contest. Jake Eder will be on the mound in that game. In the other game, notable players include Harry Ford, Matt Mervis and prospect Sam Petersen. Shinnosuke Ogasawara is on the mound in that contest. 

wake up, we have LINEUPS 🙌

→ split squad vs. astros live (and free) on https://t.co/iUBDqlACVspic.twitter.com/Jty7ejUSwA

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 21, 2026

Now let’s get to the opposition. The Astros will not be playing most of their veteran stars like Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. However, some promising youngsters like Cam Smith and Brice Matthews will be playing in this contest. Colton Gordon will be on the mound for the Astros.

Baseball is here.

⚾️: 12:05 PM CST | 1:05 PM EST
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790#ChaseTheFight x @PalmBeachesFLpic.twitter.com/bbo8KXyp9f

— Houston Astros (@astros) February 21, 2026

The Cardinals will be fielding a strong lineup this afternoon. Starters like Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman will be playing. JJ Wetherholdt, their top prospect who should win a job out of camp, is also in the lineup. Matthew Liberatore, one of the Cardinals best pitchers will be on the mound.

FIRST LINEUP GRAPHIC OF 2026 🌴⚾️ pic.twitter.com/3Xru1J3G5L

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) February 21, 2026

Game Info:

Stadium: CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium

Time: 1:05 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: WSH Audio

Baseball is officially here and we have two contests. While the Astros game is the only one on TV, you will be able to follow both on Statcast or the MLB App. Even if there are not big expectations for the season, it is awesome to have baseball back in our lives. Follow along in the comments and let’s go Nats!