CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 27: A view of an Apple TV microphone during the ninth inning between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 27, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Apple TV on Wednesday announced its schedule of ‘Friday Night Baseball’ games for the first half of the 2026 season, through the end of June. Included are three Dodgers games, two at Dodger Stadium and all in California.
The Dodgers’ first game on Apple TV in 2026 comes April 24 against the Chicago Cubs at home. The Saturday game of that weekend series is also exclusively on national television, on Fox.
Other Dodgers games on Apple TV in the first half of the season are May 29 against the Philadelphia Phillies at home, and June 26 against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in San Diego.
The broadcast teams for Apple TV’s slate of Friday games include Wayne Randazzo, Alex Faust, and Rich Waltz on play-by-play, Dontrelle Willis and Ryan Spilborghs as analysts, plus Heidi Watney and Tricia Whitaker as field reporters.
Willis has called games for Apple TV since 2023, in addition to his broadcast role for the Dodgers. In addition to his role as studio analyst on SportsNet LA, Willis in 2026 will also call some Dodgers games on the network, as he did in 2022-23.
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As Spring Training progresses for the 2026 Atlanta Braves, it is becoming clearer by the day that for Atlanta to once again be a true contender, their offense must be among the best in the league. And while the likely loss of Jurickson Profar for the season is a setback, nearly every other offensive regular has been highly productive over the past few weeks.
Among the top performers are Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, and Mike Yastrzemski, i.e., the projected starting outfield. On paper, this group has the potential to be one of the better outfields in the game, especially offensively. However, due to the loss of Profar, they are also one big injury away from having to shuffle their way through “next man up” options with the hope something works (which has been a less than ideal strategy from the past two years.) Ideally, both availability and playing to the best of their abilities will be defining characteristics of the 2026 Braves outfield.
Right Field
Perhaps the easiest truth about the Braves is that a healthy Ronald Acuña Jr. is the biggest singular factor in them returning to contention. If you need any proof of why that is, simply watch the highlight reel of Acuña from Monday night’s Venezuela vs Nicaragua World Baseball Classic game. You also can relive how electric Acuña was at the plate upon immediately returning from a second ACL tear.
Acuña is healthy, locked in, and having fun — that version of Acuña is one the five best singular sources of offensive production in baseball. This is likely a big reason as to why Acuña will once again be leading off for the Braves in 2026.
Most 2026 projections agree with this sentiment, as Acuña is routinely among the top five position players in baseball in terms of wRC+. The average of all the projections at Fangraphs have Acuña right at 150 wRC+. While that is certainly encouraging, nearly every projection source also points to a bit of regression in terms of Acuña’s power and speed compared to the pre-second knee surgery version of himself. Acuña posted a .228 ISO in 2025, and is projected to produce a similar power output in 2026. Furthermore, nearly every projection source has him around 25 stolen bases, clearly indicating the sense that Acuña will run significantly less than he has in the past.
ZiPS itself is right in line with these predictions, suggesting 27 home runs, 24 steals, and a 156 wRC+ for Acuña this season. Perhaps the most eye-opening prediction from ZiPS is those numbers coming in just 119 games, which suggests Acuña could be viewed as having heightened injury risk compared to his peers. Without a doubt, if Acuña is healthy for a full season, there is a very, very good chance that he exceeds these offensive numbers. However, following multiple significant leg surgeries over past few years, a few injury scares have a chance to occur this season.
In the case that Acuña were to need a day off or be sidelined for a bit of time, Yastrzemski, Eli White, and Mauricio Dubon are all options to man right field. This is notable, because to keep Acuña fresh and improve the chances he remains healthy throughout the season, days off will likely be needed. Ensuring Acuña. is available for the full season and hopefully a playoff run should be a top priority for the Braves, because any time he is on the field, he has the ability so single-handedly deliver a victory for Atlanta.
Center Field
If the availability of Ronald Acuña Jr. is the biggest factor in the Braves returning the contention, the consistent ability of Michael Harris II to play to his potential may be the biggest X-factor. In the first half of 2025, Harris had the second-worst wRC+ (47) among qualified hitters. In the first six weeks of the second half of 2025, he had the seventh-best wRC+ (164) among qualified hitters. The true version of Harris is neither of these outcomes, which makes his whole self a bit of a mystery. However, the exciting thing is that the realistic version of Harris is some sort of middle ground from 2025, which easily is a 3-4 WAR player with clear All-Star potential.
Another way of putting this: Harris has been extremely streaky throughout his career, with the variance in outcomes getting larger by the year. Perhaps the biggest reason for the streakiness is his inability to take walks, which only got worse as the team actively tried to walk last year. For Harris II to gain more consistency, he must put together longer stretches of productive at bats, with a bit of an OBP floor.
Fortunately, early indications are that Harris focused on that exact part of his game in the offseason. While three walks in 21 PAs may not seem to be that significant, it certainly is a welcome improvement. Harris is also putting the ball in play with a 92.6 average exit velocity, an improvement of over 2 MPH compared to the past three years. Harris has obviously made some adjustments to get better and more consistent results, and the projections like his chances of doing just that.
While most of the projections see Harris still walking under five percent of the time, they do feel his quality of contact will return the levels of his first two seasons in the majors. Harris produced a .249 average, .160 ISO, and 83 wRC+ last year, which resulted in 2 fWAR. ZiPS has Harris at a .275 average, .179 ISO, 109 wRC+, and 3.8 fWAR. That type of leap in production for Harris would be a welcome development for many, and would he a huge boost to the offense overall.
Of course, a big source of value for Harris is his stellar defense, which is expected to remain in place for years to come. But one area where Harris could significantly outproduce his projections is stolen bases. None of the projections see Harris stealing 20 bases, despite the fact he has produced that exact amount of steals in three of his four seasons. If he can improve his ability to get on base, he will find himself having plenty of conversations with new first base coach Antoan Richardson. With how well Richardson helped the Mets improve their running game last year, Harris being on base more often could easily lead to 25-30 steals.
One positive from Harris last year is that he played in 160 games, an increase from earlier in his career. Harris remaining healthy is also critical for the Braves outfield and defense as a whole. While White, Dubon, and Yastrzemski could man centerfield for a short time, the Braves are at their best when one of baseball’s best defenders is manning center field. And if Harris can prove the projections to be true, he and Ronald Acuña Jr. could turn into one of the best outfield duos in baseball.
Left Field
Since 2022, the Braves have the second-worst overall fWAR (1.7) and wRC+ (87) among MLB teams in terms of production from the left field position. Due to injuries and other factors, several below-replacement players have manned the position for the Braves. The hope was that this year would be different with Profar and Yastrzemski serving as the main two options for that position. But now without Profar, the Braves badly need Yastrzemski to deliver a big year.
One thing Yastrezemski has proven to be over his career is consistent. He has produced between 1.5-2.5 fWAR each year of his career, including 2.4 fWAR last year. His wRC+ marks over the past five years are 106, 99, 111, 106, and another 106 last year. He combines good power and plate discipline, though his power did regress a bit last year. However, the projections seem to suggest his power should bounce back a bit while he maintains an above-average walk rate. For instance, ZiPS has Yastrzemski at 2.0 fWAR, which comes with 16 home runs, a nearly 11 percent walk rate and a 108 wRC+. In other words, Yaz is expected to maintain his career norms when it comes to offensive production.
Along with a bit of regression in power, a few other areas of slight decline compared to 2025 may be his defense and strikeout rate (19.5 percent in 2025 was a career low). However, he could be subbed out for a better defender late in games and he will mainly be used against right-handed pitching. A big number to follow for Yastrzemski will be his wRC+ vs righties. If he can produce around or above 120 wRC+ vs right-handers, he will be doing exactly what the Braves need him to do.
The guy who could replace Yastrzemski late in games will also be his likely platoon partner vs left-handed pitching, which is Eli White, pending a late addition by the Braves. From a counting stats perspective, White had a career year with the Braves (if only every game could be in Tennessee). However, in terms of quality, White showed why he is likely most valuable as a bench player. He produced an 84 wRC+ overall, including a 100 wRC+ vs. left-handers. Most projection systems have him around a 85 wRC+ for 2026. ZiPS has him with eight homers, an 85 wRC+, and 1.1 fWAR. His above-average defense remains a good source of his value.
While the Braves should be confident Yastrzemski will be a valuable addition against right-handed pitching, they should remain focused on finding a another outfielder over the next few weeks. The new addition would essentially be replacing Profar on the roster, but the hope is also the new outfielder would have more offensive upside than White, especially against left-handed pitching. Internally, the Braves also hope to get Ha-Seong Kim back in early to mid May, which would allow Mauricio Dubón to potentially platoon with Yastrzemski. Outfield depth once again is a need for the Braves, and their best value will likely come from an external addition over the next few weeks.
Organizational Outfield Depth
A big reason why the Braves should continue looking for outfield help before season the starts is because they do not have any reliable options on the minors that could provide depth at the MLB level during the 2026 season. While some of the more intriguing positional prospects in Atlanta’s system are outfielders, they are still a few years away from making an impact. As a result, White, Dubon, Jorge Mateo, and perhaps Spring Training options such as Dominic Smith or Ben Gamel are your current outfield depth for the big league Braves. That group is not exactly inspiring, especially if another injury were to occur. As a result, outside of pitching, another outfield bat remains a clear need for the Braves.
If the Braves outfield can remain healthy and consistent, they can be one of the better offensive outfields in baseball. This especially needs to be true vs. right-handed pitching for the Braves to return to contention. However, as the past few years have shown, it is far from a guarantee that health will be in the Braves favor. As a result, Alex Anthopoulos will likely continue to search for depth over time. But once again, if health can remain in a good spot, the Braves projected starters play a big role in their offensive success overall.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 17: Austin Wells #28 of the New York Yankees poses for a photo during New York Yankees Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
They say that the World Baseball Classic can be a blessing for a hitter. An earlier ramp-up and encounters with high-level pitching weeks before the beginning of the regular season has may positively affect hitter performance, with a study by RotoWire finding that, on average, hitters who played in the WBC played better in April and May than hitters who didn’t.
That’s an important note for a Yankees team that sent a few hitters to the WBC, including catcher Austin Wells, who is representing his mother’s side of the family as the starting backstop for the Dominican Republic. He crushed a home run in the team’s blowout win over the Netherlands, and the early ramp-up could be big for the young catcher who is entering a crucial season.
Wells emerged on the scene in September 2023 as that year’s depressing edition of the Yankees wound down its season. He showed good potential with the bat, as expected, but also looked surprisingly comfortable behind the plate. It may be hard to imagine right now, but we have to remember that Wells was considered a great bat in the minors who might not be able to stick behind the plate.
Tanner Swanson worked his magic, though, and defense became Wells’ strength. He had a strong rookie year in 2024 that saw him finish third in Rookie of the Year voting, even with a brutal September slump. Heading into 2025, the hype around Wells was palpable, so much so that he went deep as the team’s leadoff hitter on Opening Day.
But his offense just wasn’t the same in 2025. His plate discipline regressed, and his on-base percentage dropped from .322 to .275. His already sub-standard numbers against offspeed and breaking pitches got even worse, as he often looked lost against sliders and sweepers. His framing remained elite, but with ABS coming in 2026, he could see that framing value start to be chipped away.
The one positive of his offensive profile in 2025? Wells cut down his groundball rate, generated a better pulled fly ball rate, and got more barrels. The downside, however, of looking to lift the ball is getting under it, which he also did considerably more.
For Wells, the path to getting back to being the offensive catcher he was billed to be in the minor leagues is plate discipline. His strikeout rate spiked from 21 percent to 26.3 percent in 2025, while his walk rate collapsed. His 2024 percentiles are where he wants to get back to, where he was in the 89th percentile in walk rate and 70th percentile in chase rate. Both were below average in 2025.
He’s never going to be a perfectly well-rounded hitter, so it’s hard to ask him to abandon his approach of looking to hit the ball in the air to the pull side when he’s a lefty at Yankee Stadium, but if it’s leading to the hole in his swing, it might need to be considered. It should not, however, affect his swing decisions.
Defensively, Wells will continue to be one of the league’s best, but the question will be how much ABS will impact his framing impact. With the limit on challenges, he should be fine, but he also needs to be able to steal calls for his pitchers when umpires miss calls. He’s been a mixed bag in a small sample in spring training in that regard.
Still, his defensive impact makes him, at worst, a league-average catcher. His bat, while underwhelming, was average among backstops in 2025, and he’s shown he has enough thump to be better. As a result, he’s not at risk of losing his job. JC Escarra is a fine, defense-first backup, and Ben Rice is likely the team’s everyday first baseman. If Wells struggles, he could lose reps, but he’ll almost certainly catch a majority of games in 2025 barring injury.
Ultimately, there’s a path to Wells getting back on track to being one of the best young catchers in baseball, and in the ultimate irony for those who’ve followed his career since he was drafted out of Arizona in 2020, it’s his bat that’s the swing factor.
ARLINGTON, TX - JULY 27: A detail shot of Texas Rangers batting equipment during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Sunday, July 27, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Karen Hastings/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rangers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
As Rangers fans, we all dislike the rest of the teams in the American League West. It is simply inherent in the nature of our being.
Our question today is, what one team in the American League West do you dislike more than any other? Its a difficult question, I know, but nobody said being a Rangers fan was easy…
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 06: Bryce Harper #24 of Team United States walks to first base in the seventh inning against Team Brazil during a 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game at Daikin Park on March 06, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You might not have noticed, but one of the major narratives of the Phillies’ off season was whether or not Bryce Harper is still an elite player. After Dave Dombrowski (correctly, but curiously) said that Harper’s 2025 season was not up to his previous standard, that set off a lot of people talking, including Harper himself.
If you’re sick of the “Is Harper elite?” discussion already, I have some bad news for you: It’s not going away. My prediction is that every single home run that Harper hits this season will prompt many “Elite” or “Still looks elite to me” posts on social media.
Harper has suggested that one of the causes for his non-elite season was the lack of adequate protection in the Phillies’ lineup. Harper saw a lot of balls out of the strike zone in 2025, and he swung at far too many of them. It’s not hard to infer that Harper feels he could take more of those pitches if he had more faith in the hitters behind him in the lineup.
Protection is not a problem for Harper in the WBC. He’s been batting second in the Team USA lineup right in front of Aaron Judge. And immediately behind Judge is Kyle Schwarber, which means that Harper has 109 home runs worth of power backing him up in the lineup.
Despite that prime spot in the lineup, through four games, Harper is just 3-15 with no walks, no extra base hits, and five strikeouts. He wasn’t in the starting lineup on Tuesday (largely because the manager is an idiot) and then popped up in a pinch-hitting appearance.
Obviously, it would be ridiculous to make any judgements based on 15 at bats in the month of March. Harper could very well go on to have a great season, and all of this elite/not elite talk will seem silly.
But if he doesn’t have a great season, it will likely be on him more than a lack of protection. For one thing, Harper needs to regain the ability to catch up with fastballs.
Harper looks like he’s struggling with the fastball again in the WBC.
His numbers against that pitch have been trending down over the last couple of seasons.
His AVG against four-seamers since becoming a Phillie:
He also needs to stop chasing pitches. Maybe Alec Bohm isn’t the 20+ home run threat he’d prefer behind him, but Bohm has been a quality hitter the past two seasons, so Harper needs to have more faith in him. (Ironically, if anyone should have been complaining after the NLDS, it was Bohm. With Harper going 3-15 in front of him, and the players behind producing little, Bohm was walked six times in the series.)
If Harper keeps getting himself out by chasing pitches out of the strike zone, then it’s not helping anyone. And it might also have a detrimental effect on the hitters behind him who might additional pressure to come through after Harper did not.
I don’t have numbers to back this up, but the Phillies’ offense often feels momentum-based: When things are going well in a game, they continue to go well, but if they struggle early, it seems to snowball. We all remember those stretches when the Phillies strand countless base runners and struggle to score runs. And then, they’ll have a game where one guy comes through in a big spot, and the whole team seems to relax, resulting in a double-digit outburst.
Hopefully, Harper can fix what ails him when it comes to chasing balls and hitting fastballs. Because while Team USA can overcome a down performance by Harper, the Phillies likely can not.
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: Caleb Thielbar #24 of the Chicago Cubs participates in Spring Training workouts at Sloan Park on February 16, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
39-year-old Caleb Thielbar defied Father Time to be effective for the Cubs in 2025 and is returning, hoping for more of the same. At some point he’s bound to run out of gas, but maybe not yet.
He was 3-4, 2.64 last year, but hasn’t had that kind of result in the spring so far. Even so, he’s probably headed to Chicago and will occupy his short/middle relief slot once again.
Thielbar brings some funk, and has a long track record amassed during eight years as a Twin and one as a Cub. After two years of passable results in 2013-4, he spent most of 2015 and all of 2016-2019 in the Twins’ minor-league system until his curveball got him back to The Show. He spent four good years in Minnesota, had a subpar 2024, and packed his bags.
In nine years, he has a 5.6 bWAR (5.5 fWAR). He’s probably not going to hurt you, and he’ll put up 50 or 60 innings’ worth of relief, say projections. At this point, he throws fastball, slider, curve, eschewing the sinker and knuckle-curve he deployed earlier in his career. That curve is a weapon, and he throws it at different speeds to further foil hitters. At top end, it’s almost 80 mph, and he unleashes it as a quasi-eephus pitch periodically. His fastball tops out at about 92 mph.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: Relief pitcher Kumar Rocker #80 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning of the spring training game at Surprise Stadium on March 10, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning, all!
Josh Sborz has had decent results so far this spring, but his fastball is still down 4 mph from before his injury plagued 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
Andrew McCutchen has hit the ground running after spending most of the spring unsigned, collecting two doubles in four at bats over two games.
Jacob deGrom and Kumar Rocker pitched yesterday, with deGrom expressing frustration with his mechanics and Kumar Rocker still not throwing many changeups despite the team prioritizing incorporating it more into Rocker’s repertoire.
Cameron Cauley, the Rangers’ number 13 prospect and 2021 3rd round pick, has been getting noticed in his first big league camp and has survived several rounds of roster cuts.
Coincidentally, Shawn McFarland profiled Cauley yesterday in his ongoing prospect countdown and identified him as someone who could make major league contributions this season.
Kennedi Landry’s latest roster projection looks a lot different than what we’ve been used to the last few years.
PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 15: Manager Fredi Gonzalez #33 of the Atlanta Braves jokingly uses a television camera before the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 15, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves announced in late-February that their TV network BravesVision was coming our way. This came long with a future promise to announce what the future of their streaming options would be and as it turns out, it’s a familiar one if you’ve been following baseball in recent years.
Via press release, the Braves have revealed that Braves.TV will be their new streaming home with the price point being either $19.99 monthly or $99.99 for an entire season. Here’s more information from the press release:
Fans can stream Braves.TV at home and on-the-go across web, mobile, and connected devices, making Braves games easier to access than ever before. Supported platforms include iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation, Xbox, and Samsung, LG, and Android smart TVs.
Braves.TV subscriptions are now available for $99.99 for the 2026 season, bringing every moment of this season’s action to fans for less than 70 cents a game. Monthly subscriptions will be available ahead of Opening Day for $19.99 per month. A-List and Premium Members will receive an email with details on how to redeem a 30% discount on a season subscription.
The most important part of all of this is that the team announced that there will be no local blackouts, either. Those days are officially in the past and you’re now free to watch the team any way you want no matter where you live at — for a fee, of course.
If you visit Braves.TV right now, you’ll be greeted with the various subscription options on offer instead of the placeholder page that was there before, so this is live and running now. If you’re interested, the monthly option will be available starting on March 23 (right in the shadow of Opening Day) while every other option appears to be available right now.
So as of right now, you have the option to watch the Braves on traditional TV platforms via BravesVision or you can watch from basically any other streaming platform out there via Braves.TV. You could also just listen to the team on the radio for free if you so choose! They even provided a nifty FAQ in case you’re confused about anything. Like Captain Planet once (kinda) said, “The power (to watch the Atlanta Braves) is yours.”
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 16, 2025: Luke Dickerson #16 of the Washington Nationals throws to first base during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Mets at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 16, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Washington Nationals were playing the Marlins in Jupiter yesterday, but that was not where I wanted to be. I learned that the Nats prospects were playing in some backfield games against the Astros prospects. This allowed me to see some players I had never seen before.
There were four games going on, two on the Astros side of the facility and two on the Nats side. The more experienced prospects were playing on the Astros side, so that is where I started. Luis Perales and Sean Linan were throwing for the Nats in those two games.
Both of them looked fairly sharp. As the higher ranked prospect that was closer to the big leagues, I was paying more attention to Perales. He threw two innings and was mostly solid. Perales gave up one monster home run, but was good besides that. Here is a video I took of him fielding a ground ball.
Perales was mostly in the zone, which was good to see for a guy with control questions. He was getting hit harder than you would expect for a guy with his stuff, so the quality of the strikes still needs to improve. However, he has such amazing stuff. Perales threw a 100 MPH fastball with almost 20 inches of carry to get a strikeout. That is really rare stuff because fastballs that hard do not tend to have that kind of movement.
The contrast between Perales and Sean Linan was also fun to see. Linan is a very different type of pitcher. He is reliant on a very unique changeup that can totally befuddle hitters. Linan had mixed results, but it was good to see him throw the ball.
The whole scene on that side felt very professional. Nats and Astros coaches were all around the complex and locked in on the games. There were also some Astros players watching the games. One cool thing I saw was Astros prospect AJ Blubaugh interacting with his family after he threw a pair of scoreless innings in the game.
When I went to the other side of the field, things felt more laid back. These games were mostly filled with the team’s younger prospects. I saw the likes of Eli Willits, Gavin Fien, Coy James, Ronny Cruz and Luke Dickerson among others.
There was one game with a lot of the younger Dominican prospects. In that crowd were a bunch of middle aged men wearing Dominican Republic hats. I figured they were the parents of some of the players, but I was not sure. They looked like they were having a blast watching the game.
One player that stood out yet again was Ronny Cruz. I wrote about him after he hit a home run in a Spring Training game the other day. He was playing in one of the games and ripped a single between the shortstop and third baseman. Then, the youngster stole a base. I am going to be watching him very closely this spring.
The Nats were aggressive on the basepaths in all the games I saw. I got a video of prospect Angel Feliz stealing a base while Luke Dickerson was hitting. Feliz is not known for his speed, but he got a great jump and swiped the bag.
Interestingly, the games with mostly younger players had some big league players getting work in as well. Miles Mikolas was throwing to Riley Adams in one of the games. This must be a replacement for Mikolas’ between-start bullpen. He shut down the young Astros hitters.
After his outing was over, I saw him chatting with his wife and playing with his three young kids. That was a really cool thing to see, and humanized a guy who I have been watching perform in the big leagues for nearly a decade. At that moment, he was just a dad and a husband.
Overall, seeing the backfields was a really cool experience. It was a hot afternoon, but this was worth sweating over. While fans mostly just see the Spring Training games, there is so much other stuff that goes on during the spring. I got to see some of that yesterday, and it was a fun experience.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene is expected to miss the first four months of the season after needing surgery on his right elbow, the team announced.
Cincinnati says Greene has bone chips and loose bodies in his elbow, confirmed by an MRI after he left spring training with elbow stiffness.
"I felt no discomfort a few days later, and as I started my offseason throwing program, I felt great," Greene said on social media. "However, the pain returned as I got close to the start of camp and as I began throwing harder and manipulating pitches more. The irritation in my elbow is affecting my ability to finish and execute pitches without a sharp stabbing pain. I simply need to have the bone spurs removed.
"All I want to do is play the game I love and compete with my brothers as we take on the 2026 season. But it's important that this procedure take place now instead of trying to pitch through it, not be sharp on the mound and risk further injury. Trust me, nobody is more frustrated than I am."
In 19 starts last season, Greene went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA as the Reds broke a five-year playoff drought by earning a wild-card spot.
The injury is a big loss for Cincinnati, as the 26-year-old Greene has been one of the game's fireballers, averaging nearly 100 mph on his four-seam fastball velocity. He had 296 pitches that clocked in at 100 mph or higher in 2025.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: Aaron Civale #45 of the Athletics pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during of a spring training game at Las Vegas Ballpark on March 08, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Athletics defeated the Angels 7-4. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Wednesday A’s fans!
While spring training games rarely serve as predictors for how a team will play in the regular season, they can indicate certain things about every team’s roster. Through 18 spring training games, the general consensus around the Athletics is that the team’s offense will once again drive its success, due to a largely inexperienced and inconsistent pitching staff.
A’s pitchers have gotten off to a rough start in the Cactus League as the team’s 6.09 ERA is 24th out of all 30 MLB teams. Yet, the fact that the Mariners’ ERA of 6.91 is the worst out of all American League teams illustrates the meaningless nature of spring training games as they often feature a parade of minor league pitchers who will not come close to sniffing an MLB mound this year. Unlike the A’s, the Mariners have little reason to be worried as their pitching staff, especially their starting rotation, is one of the best in the league.
For the A’s to make a legit playoff push, their multiple young starting pitchers and relievers must step up and pitch better once the real games begin. Only Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and Aaron Civale have pitched full seasons as starting pitchers. Civale, the A’s lone starting pitching import this offseason, pitched so horribly last season that he found himself on the move three times, spending time with the Milwaukee Brewers and both Chicago teams. In the past, pitchers like Scott Kazmir reinvented themselves with the A’s, taking advantage of the pitchers park that was the Oakland Coliseum. Sutter Health Park is the opposite, meaning the onus will be on Civale to prove the A’s were right to invest some of their limited financial resources on him.
The A’s have won their past four spring games, all high-scoring affairs. Yesterday’s 11-7 victory against the Chicago White Sox could prove to be a microcosm of many A’s games this season in which their starting pitcher struggles, but the team’s high-powered offense scores enough runs to erase an early deficit and win the game.
This spring, everyone on offense has been contributing for the A’s from projected starters to top prospects. With the team’s lineup pretty much set for the next few years thanks to multiple young players agreeing to contract extensions, that will leave some hitters on the outside looking in.
Tommy White, who has significantly boosted his stock this spring, and Colby Thomas seem like two obvious trade candidates who may not have a path to everyday playing time with the A’s unless White locks down third base.
Given how hard it is for the A’s to attract free-agent pitchers, should they put some of these talented young hitters on the trade block to lure needed pitching help? If so, which pitchers from other teams do you want the A’s to target?
Right-hander Joey Estes made his spring debut yesterday. Given his delayed start, he may begin the season in Triple-A, but could factor into the A’s pitching plans at some point.
Joey Estes in his spring debut vs CWS
2.2 IP 2 H 0 R 1 BB | 0 K
Estes generated 2 whiffs (43 pitches) and picked up the win. He's in the mix for a rotation spot but has catching up to do.#Athleticspic.twitter.com/HGZWfGETGN
Outfield prospect Henry Bolte is making a big impression in A’s camp. While he is likely to start the year at Triple-A Las Vegas, his power-speed combination could earn the Bay Area native his MLB debut sometime this summer.
Mar 4, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Mickey Moniak (22) celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo home run against the United States in the fourth inning at Salt River Fields. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies enter the 2026 season searching for consistency across much of its lineup.
For the Rockies last season, most positions were a revolving door. Swapping out struggling players, testing out prospects, and dealing with player injuries all contributed to the overall lack of stability. As the organization continues to evaluate young talent and reshape the roster, several positions remain in flux.
One of the most volatile in 2025 was Designated Hitter, but that could potentially be the most solvable in 2026. Additionally, a mix of new players and up-and-comers lends some promise to the team’s bench.
Colorado’s DH Usage in 2025
Last year, 10 different players started at least five games at DH and another 12 started four or fewer, with most serving as a short-term solution for one or two games. Around the division, teams took a range of approaches to their DH role, but most relied more heavily on a single player or two than the Rockies did:
The Los Angeles Dodgers, blessed with a generational two-way talent, are an obvious outlier here. They started Shohei Ohtani at DH for 158 games and (obviously) didn’t need much else.
The San Diego Padres used Gavin Sheets as their go-to DH (64 games). Luis Arráez pitched in 29 games, and a slew of 15 others (including Manny Machado, Yuli Gurriel, and Xander Bogaerts) took fewer than 20 games at the position.
The San Francisco Giants primarily went with a tandem at DH, starting Wilmer Flores for 84 games and Rafael Devers for 60 games. They swapped in just over a dozen other starters, but none of them exceeded 10 games.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were closest to the Rockies in DH usage, mixing in 15 starters over the course of the year, with nine of them starting five or more games.Even so, their rotation was anchored by two players: Pavin Smith (48 games) and Randal Grichuk (42 games), whereas the Rockies didn’t have a single player start over 40 games at the position.
The Rockies used Hunter Goodman the most (39 games), followed by Tyler Freeman (28 games), Yanquiel Fernández (26 games), and Kyle Farmer (24 games). Between the high number of different starters and the fact that not one of those starters exceeded 40 games, the Rox lacked reliability at the position. And not only did they not have a common starter, the starters that they did use were inefficient. The Rockies were dead last in DH Positional fWAR in 2025, and were one of just two teams with negative fWAR there.
Absent the emergence of a stellar hitter, it’s likely that the Rockies will still use a rotational DH setup moving forward. But one small metric that could help with both reliability and efficiency is finding someone to start at DH for at least 40 but ideally 50 or 60 games. Enter Mickey Moniak…
Hey, Mickey!
Moniak started 72 games in right field in 2025 on top of 15 at DH. His hitting was the best of his career and served as a solid contribution to the team. He was third on the team in hits and batting average, first in triples, and second in home runs and RBI.
Defensively, he left something to be desired. He was below the league fielding percentage at all outfield positions and posted a negative defensive rWAR. While he could still offer some spot starts in the outfield, he is projected to be the team’s primary DH starter, where a shift in emphasis to batting could be a natural fit.
That option looks even more promising given Moniak’s spring. Across 15 at-bats, Moniak is hitting .333 with two homers, three RBI, and a 1.324 OPS, even with a rough stretch of outings as of late. His offensive stability could provide a solid floor for the Rockies offense.
The DH Platoon
Hunter Goodman was the most productive DH by rWAR (3.6), contributing 39 games there on top of 104 as Catcher. With that level of production as a batter, he could pop in for more DH appearances when he’s not behind the plate and when Moniak shifts from DH to the field in 2026.
Looking across the rest of the outfield, Jordan Beck or Brenton Doyle are prime candidates to take a few games at DH, while Moniak offers them a break from the field. Neither had much experience there in 2025, with Beck taking seven games (0.9 rWAR) and Doyle taking just four (0.1 rWAR). Their DH experience notwithstanding, both have power that could spark the offense.
Freeman is another likely fit to finish top five in DH opportunities. As noted above, he took the third most games at the position last year. Given the versatility he offers generally, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take another 20-plus games at the position.
Building the Bench
Speaking of versatility, the Rockies will rely on a few key pieces and surprise gems to contribute depth across the board. Colorado heads into the season with a mix of outfield options, some new infield contributors, and prospects to evaluate all around. With that comes a recipe for a handful of folks to provide relief off the bench throughout the year at a number of positions.
First and foremost may, again, be Freeman. He proved to be a valuable contributor in many areas, playing primarily in right field but demonstrating his natural ability as an infielder, finding himself at second and third base over the course of the year. A true utility player, Freeman provides valuable bench production in the infield, outfield, and DH.
With a scorching hot camp, T.J. Rumfield is going to make for some very competitive roster decisions. Acquired in a trade from the Yankees, the prospect is pushing to make the major league roster sooner rather than later. Edouard Julien, another offseason acquisition, is projected to be the starter at first base for now, but Rumfield could push that or at the very least earn a spot on the 40-man roster as a solid bench piece.
Another piece of the first base and utility puzzle is Blaine Crim. Crim took a stretch of games in 2025, but begins 2026 on the 60-day IL for an oblique strain.
Ryan Ritter will be another mainstay off the bench for the Rockies. After posting a strong rookie season, Ritter is seeing the ball well in camp. In 30 at-bats, he’s batted .400 with 12 hits, six RBI, and three drawn walks. He’s had a share of strikeouts that he’ll look to clean up, but comes into the season looking strong. He covered shortstop during Tovar’s injury, so he can fill in there as needed, as well as covering second base.
Another offseason pickup that adds some flexibility is Willi Castro. Few positions are off limits for Castro who played everything but catcher and first base in 2025. While he’ll look to start at second, the ability to place him anywhere in the infield or outfield frees up a ton of player mobility across the rest of the roster, giving other bench guys a chance to slot in.
Prospect Pipeline
As was the case in 2025, we should see a handful of MLB debuts this year, as well as appearances from players who worked between the majors and minors. Some exciting prospects could take the leap and blossom into bench roles or steal a spot in the starting lineup:
Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP) is one of the most intriguing prospects heading into the regular season. After bulking up in the offseason and flashing both power and improvements in consistency in spring training, He’ll likely find his way into the outfield platoon as 2026 wears on.
WIth the Julien and Rumfield competition at first base, Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) also waits in the wings. Throughout spring, he’s slotted into the outfield as well, so he’ll look to mix in across the roster throughout the season.
Roc Riggio (No. 14 PuRP) will likely spend the majority of the season in the minors, but could look to make a push into the infield rotation by the end of the season.
Closing Thoughts
The 2026 season will be one of evaluation for the Rockies, with the hope that stability will emerge as long-term options are identified across the field. In the meantime, the DH spot represents one of the clearest opportunities for the organization to create some structure within an otherwise fluid lineup.
If Moniak can claim the bulk of starts at DH while showing the offensive growth he demonstrated in 2025, it would give Colorado a reliable baseline at the position. From there, supplementing his starts in the outfield with DH appearances from Freeman, Beck, or Doyle when matchups or rest days call for it could help the Rockies climb from the bottom of the barrel in DH efficiency.
As for the bench, Colorado will continue with experimentation, but hopefully the sort that is aligned with a new guiding direction from leadership. Even if there is fluidity across bench support, the hope is that it will lead to the identification of long-term solutions. Ideally, that process will strike a balance between giving younger players and pipeline prospects playing time, while leaning on versatile vets that can keep the roster functional on a day-to-day basis.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 7: Manager Mark Deosa of the United States stands for the national anthem before a World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Great Britain and the United States at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
The baseball world is looking at Team USA manager Mark DeRosa with a raised eyebrow right now. His club lost to Italy on Tuesday night, 8-6, in their final game of pool play. Italy now leads Pool B with a 3-0 record, USA is second at 3-1, and Mexico is in third at 2-1. Italy and Mexico will play each other tonight at 7 p.m. ET with a berth in the knockout rounds on the line. Team USA needs some help if they are going to advance.
The top two teams advance from each pool. If Italy beats Mexico, then Italy would advance as the winners of the pool, and USA would advance as the runner up, regardless of the score. If Mexico wins, it all comes down to the tiebreaker, which is a calculation of number of runs allowed divided by number of outs recorded. You can read the exact tiebreaker rules on the WBC website. But in short, USA is going to be rooting for an Italy win outright OR a relatively high-scoring game in which Mexico plates at least five runs.
Appearing on MLB Network, DeRosa said “It’s weird. We want to win this game even though our ticket’s punched to the quarterfinals.”
Obviously, that was not true. What’s worse, it doesn’t sound like DeRosa was alone in his interpretation because he went on to say that “there’s some guys dragging today” due to the team’s prolonged celebration after beating Mexico on Monday. Clearly, the entire team thought that beating Mexico clinched them a spot in the next round, and they did not take Italy seriously.
It makes the entire team look incompetent, and it’s a stain on the World Baseball Classic as a whole. It will be made even worse if Mexico pulls off an entirely possible win over Italy while scoring four or fewer runs.
On the Orioles front, they lost 7-6 to the Astros. but Coby Mayo had himself a day! The third baseman went 4-for-4 with a home run and five RBI. He is going to be the team’s Opening Day third baseman, and it is well deserved. The pitching side of things was not as enjoyable, but none of the pitchers used are expected to part of the big league picture to begin 2026, so let’s not fret.
The O’s will host the Pirates today. First pitch is at 1 p.m. ET.
Orioles 1st base coach Jason Bourgeois on his experience: ‘I can relate’ | Baltimore Baseball We have a whole new coaching staff to get to know this year, well almost. Some of the old guard remained in place as Albernaz stepped in, but many others are fresh. That includes Bourgeois, who is hoping to connect with players that are standing right where he did a decade or so earlier.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Frank Mata turns 42 today. He pitched in 15 games for the 2010 Orioles, his only big league experience.
Rich Hill is 46 years old. The journeyman southpaw played for 14 different teams during his career. That included 14 games with the O’s way back in 2009.
Steve Reed is 61 today. A longtime reliever in MLB, Reed wrapped up his 14-season career in 2005 as a member of the Orioles bullpen.
Phil Bradley turns 67. He spent parts of two seasons with the Orioles from 1989-90, accumulating 3.6 bWAR and a 116 OPS+ in that time. The Orioles dealt him to the White Sox at the 1990 trade deadline in exchange for Ron Kittle
This day in O’s history
1991 – Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer, attempting to make a comeback as a non-roster player in Orioles camp, gives up five hits and two runs over two innings against the Red Sox. The very next day he retires for the second time (he had originally retired in 1984), citing a hamstring injury.
Oct 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) reacts after the tenth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
At this point in two weeks, the Grapefruit League of 2026 will be but a memory. We usually wish these games are over as soon as possible, looking forward to the regular season commencing as quickly as possible, but the lingering question is hovering over baseball. Will these be the last spring training games we see for a while?
Free of charge for the discerning reader.Happy birthday, Rich Hill* and other stories.
Today in baseball history:
1901 – The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that Baltimore OriolesmanagerJohn McGraw has signed a Cherokee Indian named “Tokohama” to play second base. In reality, Tokohama isn’t a Native American; he is an African-American whose actual name is Charlie Grant, who McGraw is trying to pass off as an Indian, but the ruse does not work. Baseball’s color line will prevent Grant from ever playing a game for the Orioles.
1957 – New York Representative Emanuel Celler, whose committee investigated baseball, calls Ford Frick a “czar” who wishes to “gag” officials; Frick had cautioned Major League Baseball owners about commenting on the recent Supreme Court decision on professional American football coming under antitrust rules.
1974 – CommissionerBowie Kuhn orders the Atlanta Braves to play Hank Aaron in at least two of the team’s season-opening three games in Cincinnati. The Braves had planned to bench Aaron on the road in order to increase his chances of hitting his record-breaking 715thhome run at home.
2018 – One of the few remaining first-rung free agents left unsigned, P Jake Arrieta, inks a three-year deal with the Phillies worth $75 million. Alex Cobb is now the last pitcher still looking for a team.
2021 – Major League Baseball announces that it will be testing out some potential rules changes when the minor league season gets under way. In Triple-A, the games will be played with bases 18 inches in length, instead of the usual 15, and made of a material that performs better in wet conditions, both in order to limit injuries; in Double-A, there will be limits on defensive shifts, forcing all infielders to be placed within the infield dirt boundary when play starts; in High-A, pitchers will be required to step off the mound to attempt a pick-off throw; in Low-A, they will be limited to two such throws per plate appearance, and there will also be either a 15-second pitch clock or a robot umpire to call balls and strikes, depending on the league. The objective is for some of these rule change to make their way to the major leagues if they prove successful, which will happen within two years (except for the robot umpire).
1669 – Mt Etna in Sicily erupts in its largest recorded eruption, killing 15,000.
1779 – US Army Corps of Engineers established (first time).
1824 – US War Department creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
1918 – US Army mess cook Private Albert Gitchell of Fort Riley, Kansas becomes the first documented case of Spanish flu; start of worldwide pandemic killing 50-100 million.
1941 – Bronko Nagurski beats Ray Steele in Minn, to become wrestling champ.
1958 – American B-47 accidentally drops unarmed nuclear bomb 15,000 ft on a family home in Mars Bluff, South Carolina; creates crater 75 ft across.
2020 – COVID-19 declared a pandemic by the head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, with 121,564 cases worldwide and 4,373 deaths.
