Italy took an early lead, but Venezuela rallied with a three-run seventh inning to end Italy’s magical run in the World Baseball Classic.
Italy actually broke out to an early lead when Tigers pitcher Keider Montero struggled to throw strikes. Astros outfielder Zach Dezenzo singled with one out and then Montero walked Jac Caglianone, Brewers minor leaguer Andrew Fischer and the Angels’ J.J. D’Orazio in a row, forcing in the first run of the game. Phillies minor leaguer Dante Nori grounded into a fielder’s choice to make it 2-0 Italy in the second.
Italy manager Francisco Cervelli’s strategy in this game was to get through as much of the game as possible by piggybacking his two best pitchers, Nola and Michael Lorenzen. The strategy looked brilliant as Nola allowed just one run on four hits over four innings. Lorenzen kept the Venezuelans from scoring in the fifth and sixth innings, allowing just one walk. But Lorenzen walked Gleyber Torres to lead off the seventh, That looked like no big deal as he then struck out Wilyer Abreu and William Contreras.
It’s the first ever trip to the World Baseball Classic finals for Team Venezuela. Team Italy has nothing to be ashamed of, putting on a near-miraculous run and electrifying a country that was discovering baseball for the first time in some cases. Even their only loss was a narrow one to a very good Venezuela team.
Tonight’s final between Venezuela and USA is at 7 p.m. CT at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Nolan McLean is scheduled to start for the Americans and Eduardo Rodríguez is penciled in for Venezuela. We will, of course, have a game thread here this evening for the title game.
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 18: A general view as Cade Povich #37 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 18, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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After an offseason of surprising and occasionally quite exciting moves, and a spring training season that began with injury news that shook up the infield, we’re finally down to the wire and heading towards the regular season. The Orioles who are going to try to make this year a better one than last year are assembled and in nine days we’re going to start to find out how this season is going to go.
This week’s survey is a simple one: How many wins do you think the Orioles will get this year?
The options below start with 75 or fewer, signifying that someone thinks this year will go as badly as last year did or even worse than that, and then go in bands of several wins from there. Vote for the one you’re feeling right now. As usual, we’ll have to hope the optimists are the ones that end up being right.
If you’ve voted for a low number, what are you afraid is going to hold this team back? If you’ve voted for a high number, how do you think they’re going to overcome last year’s problems? If you’re somewhere in the middle, what would make you feel better about the season early on? Let us know in the comments below.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 14: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 and Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres celebrate a three run double from Jurickson Profar #10, to take a 6-3 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, during the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is no doubting that the Dodgers have made themselves the juggernaut of the NL West and indeed all of baseball, winning back-to-back World Series and signing one of if not the top free agent every winter. The Rockies meanwhile don’t look close to shaking the label of worst team in baseball any time soon. The intriguing question for the division, therefore, is how the other three teams will place by the end of the season. For the first time in what feels like a long time, it looks like the Padres may finally be displaced from their perch as the perennial runners-up to the Dodgers, and appear at risk of missing the playoffs altogether.
They’ve got an incredibly top-heavy lineup — Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill, and Xander Bogaerts are expected to put up over 16 wins between them and should carry the rest of the offense on most nights. However, they have a billion dollars tied up in Tatis, Machado, and Bogaerts. While that’s not the worst trio to have that kind of money invested into, Machado and Bogaerts are both 33 while Tatis is excellent yet not exactly the slugger he was pre-PED suspension. Furthermore, Merrill has to prove he can bounce back from a disappointing sophomore campaign and once again establish a ceiling as a perennial future All-Star.
If anything should happen to that quartet, be it injury, regression, or failure to rebound, production will drop off precipitously. No other hitter on the roster is expected to reach a 110 wRC+ while Merrill is the only projected starter under the age of 30. That being said, I don’t expect the offense to be the unit that holds the Padres down.
That distinction belongs to the starting pitchers. There is a scary amount of injury risk in the rotation. Michael King re-signed for three years and $75 million after missing most of the season to a nerve injury in his throwing shoulder. Nick Pivetta is coming off a career-high in innings and has several major injuries in his pitching arm’s past. Joe Musgrove is expected to start the season in IL after suffering a setback in his Tommy John rehab. Yu Darvish’s status is at the very least “unlikely to pitch” after conflicting reports of his retirement over the winter. King’s fellow former Yankee Randy Vásquez has been healthy but is downright allergic to strikeouts. Germán Márquez, Griffin Canning, and Walker Buehler were all brought in on one year prove-it deals, all three having undergone major surgery in the last two years. There is a very real possibility that none of the players mentioned hits 100 innings in 2026.
The saving grace is that the Padres should continue to have the No. 1 bullpen in MLB. Led by flame-throwing closer Mason Miller, almost every late inning San Diego lead is safe. Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon were both terrific in 2025 and project to be the same in 2026 while Jason Adam could be ready for Opening Day after his excellent 2025 was cut short by a torn quad.
All this being said, the biggest Padres story as Opening Day looms does not take place on the field but instead in the highest offices of the organization. Following former owner Peter Seidler’s untimely passing from non-Hodgkin lymphoma after the 2023 season, his brother and widow became embroiled in a toxic lawsuit over control of the team. His widow eventually dropped the bulk of her claims, but it created a pall over a team that should have been solely focused on its championship window. Seidler’s sons are now in the process of fielding bids for a team sale, with final bids expected to come in April as many around the industry predict that the franchise will top the record $2.4 billion that Steven Cohen paid to buy the Mets.
Thus, San Diego appears to be in somewhat of a no-man’s land as they await the finalization of the sale and the accompanying changes to the front office. They have one of the oldest rosters in baseball and shouldn’t expect any help to come from the minors given their status as the worst farm system in MLB, with only Kruz Schoolcraft cracking MLB Pipeline’s top-100 list at 88th overall. Given all this uncertainty about the short and long-term trajectory of the franchise, it’s understandable that the Padres were conservative when it came to external additions, preferring one-year deals near the league minimum for veteran players. Canning and Márquez joined the fold one one-year pacts and Buehler on a minor league deal with a spring invite while Nick Castellanos was claimed off waivers from the Phillies, San Diego only on the hook for the minimum portion of his salary. Even regarding King’s three-year deal, it has opt-outs, so if he fully gets back to his 2024 form, he’s probably out the door for a better dealafter 2026.
For Padres fans accustomed to their recent success, they could be in for a rude awakening in 2026. FanGraphs Depth Charts pegs them for a fourth-place finish with a losing record of 80-82 and just 22.3-percent playoff odds while PECOTA believes they will finish third at 81-81 with 30.6-percent playoff odds. It’s not that the teams around them have gotten better — though the Giants have made several marquee additions to the offense over the last two years — so much as the Padres being injury-riddled and a year older. It’ll be a three-way dogfight for second in the division, and even then that’s no guarantee of clinching a Wild Card.
More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.
CORAL GABLES, FL - MAY 02: Miami right-handed pitcher Griffin Hugus (13) pitches in the fifth inning as the Miami Hurricanes faced the NC State Wolfpack on May 2, 2025, at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park in Coral Gables, Florida. (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A lot has changed for Griffin Hugus since joining the Seattle Mariners organization.
Drafted in the third round for slightly under slot value, the University of Miami product checked every box of a “Seattle Mariner starting pitcher”. With an athletic 6’2 frame and a full arsenal of offerings at his disposal, Hugus paired intriguing underlying traits with good command and high-spin breakers, a profile the Mariners absolutely love to get into their development program. The heater, though typically in the low 90’s, has a good cut-ride shape and plays well at the top of the zone, and his cutter/sweeper/curveball combination all possess good movement and look like potential above-average offerings at the next level. His fifth offering, a changeup, still needs some fine tuning, but that isn’t necessarily atypical for a young pitcher. A clean operation down the mound and a burgeoning arsenal had Hugus on the rise, and the Mariners capitalized. If he was capable of adding the tick or two of velocity many scouts thought he could, Hugus would elevate his profile and look like a massive steal as a money-saving third rounder.
Video not from today, but Griffin Hugus threw the ball well again (5.2 IP, 3 R, 0 BB, 7 K). I've got 55s on both the FB and SL (both generate whiffs), CH has flashed AA, CB is average 4th pitch. Tunnels everything well. Easy delivery. T3 round type for me.pic.twitter.com/fnqtrlOOF4
In an amazingly short amount of time, he did just that. With reports out of “gas camp” this winter indicating he was arguably the stuffiest pitcher present, the indication was he’d found some extra juice after beginning professional-grade strength training and instruction. Hugus had taken the leap the Mariners expected of him, positioning him beautifully for his debut season and prompting us to rank him rather aggressively prior to his debut season.
That debut, unfortunately, doesn’t look like it will be happening in 2026.
Our own Kate Preusser got word that Hugus appears to be heading toward Tommy John surgery, and though it isn’t yet a certainty, he’s expected to miss significant time regardless. It’s obviously a brutal blow for any young pitcher, but I have all the faith in the world that Hugus is in good hands with his recovery. Whenever he’s back healthy and ready to throw again, Hugus is sure to be an interesting arm for the Mariners development gurus to help maximize. Until then, however, all we can do is wish him a speedy recovery.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: A closeup view of the St. Patrick's Day hat worn by Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies prior to a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at BayCare Ballpark on March 17, 2025 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Is there anything that goes together quite like the Phillies and St. Patrick’s Day? After all, “Phillie” kind of sounds like an Irish term, and the team mascot is green for some reason. The Phillies used to wear green uniforms on the holiday, but due to Nike’s rules limiting the number of uniforms, that tradition has come to an end.
But that shouldn’t stop us from celebrating the holiday! Thus, I’ll discuss a few notable players named Patrick in Phillies history.
Paddy Greene
We’ll start off with the player with perhaps the most Irish sounding name ever. I mean, Paddy Greene sounds like the name of a leprechaun mascot.
As far as I can tell, Greene was the first Patrick in Phillies history although he didn’t last very long with the team. He played 19 games for the 1902 Phillies, batted just .169 and after the season, he left to go to the Yankees.
Pat Corrales
Pat Corrales was not Irish. In fact, he was the first Mexican American manager in MLB history. Despite that distinction, he isn’t fondly remembered by most Phillies fans, since he had the unfortunate task of replacing Dallas Green, who at the time was the only man to manage the Phillies to a World Series title.
After Green left for the Cubs after the 1981 season, the Phillies turned to Corrales, and the team missed the playoffs after an 89-win season. (Remember, it used to be much harder to make the playoffs when only division winners qualified.) In July 1983, the Phillies were in first place, (but only a game above .500) and several of the team veterans (and this was the Wheeze Kids, so there were a lot of veterans) were grumbling about Corrales’ managerial style.
General Manager Paul Owens decided to fire Corrales and handle managerial duties, eventually leading the Phillies to the NL Pennant.
July 18th OTD 1983 Despite being in 1st place tie in NL East, Philadelphia Phillies (43-42) fire manager Pat Corrales, replacing him with GM Paul Owens, eventually getting to World Series (losing to Baltimore)#Phillies
Pat Combs is a cautionary tale for anyone who gets too excited about a pitching prospect. The Phillies’ first round pick of the 1988 draft, Combs blazed through the minor leagues and went 4-0 in six starts as a September callup in 1989. It looked like the Phillies had a future ace on their hands.
Combs followed up that showing with a mediocre season in 1990, and then injuries, and a lack of control (6.0 BB/9 in 1991) caused his career to quickly flame out. Perhaps his greatest acheivement was sparking one of the best brawls in Phillies history:
WEEKEND REWIND: 1990 … On August 9, @Phillies starter Pat Combs hit Dwight Gooden, leading Gooden to charge the mound, starting a bench-and-bullpen clearing brawl. When it was over, seven players were ejected: Gooden, Strawberry, and Teufel for the Mets; and Combs, Daulton,… pic.twitter.com/JgI4l3cNNE
After four bad starts in 1992, Combs’ major league was over.
Pat Burrell
Now here’s a guy who probably enjoyed St. Patrick’s Day. “Pat the Bat” was the top overall pick in the 1998 draft and joined the big-league team in 2001. He looked like the next big thing in 2002 when he hit 37 home runs and put up a .920 ERA. But he never built upon that early success and settled in as just a pretty good player (although reportedly an amazing partier).
He would probably be held in higher regard in modern times when he could have been a designated hitter, and we wouldn’t have had to watch him attempt to catch up to balls in left field. I thought he actually took decent routes to balls and had a good arm; he was just horrifically slow. And while he never developed into the massive power hitter that people expected, he always had a high on-base percentage.
Pat Burrell shared a lot of fantastic stories about his Phillies career, including the time he lead his teammates down Broad Street after winning the 2008 World Series. Listen to the entire conversation wherever you get your podcasts. pic.twitter.com/775lE3iSlJ
Unlike Pat Burrell, Pat Neshek made an All-Star team as a Phillie, although it was very much a token selection for a dreadful Phillies team in 2017. Still, Neshek was a very solid reliever who the Phillies traded for three minor leaguers – most notably the immortal J.D. Hammer.
The Phillies liked Neshek well enough that they brought him back as a free agent the following season. He was paired with another bearded reliever in Tommy Hunter, and it was difficult to tell them apart except for the fact that Neshek was generally effective, while Hunter often stood on the mound looking scared for a few seconds before surrendering another base hit. (I couldn’t stand Tommy Hunter.)
“Irish” Mike Ryan
While he wasn’t named Patrick, I couldn’t possibly have a Phillies St. Patrick’s Day post without mentioning the famous “Irish” Mike Ryan. Ryan spent six years with the Phillies as a catcher, known for strong defense and little offense. He then spent 15 years on the Phillies’ coaching staff, mostly as the bullpen coach and batting practice pitcher.
😍OTD 1967: C Mike Ryan is acquired from the Red Sox for LHP Dick Ellsworth and C Gene Oliver. “Irish” wound up as Phils bullpen coach for 16 seasons, second only to John Vukovich (17) as the longest tenured coach in franchise history. #philliespic.twitter.com/EoUkSNQSL5
Ryan lived up to the stereotype of the “fiery” Irishman, as whenever there was a scuffle between Phillies and an opponent, Ryan would usually be involved. You might have noticed him in that brawl with the Mets from above.
If you choose to celebrate with a green-colored beverage or three, please make sure to do so responsibly. And have a good St. Patrick’s Day!
After two weeks of incredible baseball, the World Baseball Classic comes down to one game, with the United States taking on Venezuela at LoanDepot Park in Miami on Tuesday, March 17.
Venezuela, which is making its first-ever appearance in the championship game, is led by Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. and three-time batting champion Luis Arraez.
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ty Johnson (#82) warms up in the bullpen. The Baltimore Orioles hosted the Tampa Bay Rays in a Grapefruit League spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. | Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 12: Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews (3) breaks his bat after hitting the ball during a MLB spring training game against the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 12, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
One of the bigger storylines in the Nats fanbase is whether Dylan Crews should make the team. Even a month ago, that would have sounded a bit crazy, considering Crews seemed to have a starting job locked up. I still think he will make the team and play a lot, but his leash is getting tighter.
This spring has been a real struggle for Crews. He is 3/28 with 10 strikeouts so far. Frankly, this looks a lot like it did when he was struggling last year. The former number 2 pick looks like he is second guessing himself and caught in between at the plate. That has led to ugly results and even uglier at bats.
This begs the question, should Dylan Crews start the season at Triple-A? I do not think it will happen, but it is not an idea I would be opposed to. Crews never truly mastered the Triple-A or Double-A levels. After he got promoted from A ball in 2023, he hit a wall in Double-A, posting a .595 OPS in 20 games. Most attributed that to Crews being tired after a long college season and a pro debut.
In 2024, he got better in Double-A, but did not truly dominate the level. He hit .274 and posted a .789 OPS. Not bad, but you would like to see more from a guy who was one of the best college hitters of the 21st century. The Nats saw enough to promote him to AAA though. Like in Double-A, Crews was solid but not spectacular. He hit .265 and posted a .795 OPS. Crews did not exactly take the league by storm.
However, that was enough for him to get called up to the big leagues at the end of 2024. Crews showed flashes, but his .218 average and .641 OPS were not great. Despite that, he was given a spot in the starting lineup heading into 2025. Crews struggled mightily out of the gate and just as he was heating up, he got hurt. It was a disappointing year, but he showed some flashes and the hope was that the new regime could help him take the next step.
This spring, Crews has looked as lost as ever. It has led a lot of Nats fans to re-examine his path and wonder if some time in AAA might not be the worst thing. The fact he never truly dominated in the high minors should have been a bit more of a red flag to Nats fans. However, his college pedigree was so good that most of us chose to ignore his deficiencies.
Paul Toboni and Blake Butera have stressed that this is a fresh start for everyone. Most have assumed that would be a positive for Crews, but it is a double edged sword. If he is not performing, this new regime should be willing to send him down. They were not the ones who picked him second overall, so they do not have the same level of attachment to him. I think that should mean he is not a lock to make the team.
However, I would still be surprised if he is not on the Opening Day roster. The new regime seems to want to try to fix him at the MLB level. However, given the fact he did not dominate AAA when he was there, some time in the minors would not hurt.
Wanting Crews to start the season in the minors is not a Spring Training overreaction, it is a justified reading of the situation. I can see the case for keeping him in the big leagues too, but do not let anyone call you crazy for thinking Dylan Crews could use more time in AAA.
Since he reached the upper minors, Crews has not been the same guy that took college baseball by storm. I still do not really know what happened here. Crews was supposed to be one of the safest draft prospects in some time. Now, his career is at a serious crossroads.
Dylan Crews being a bust (which I’m by no means suggesting is what I think will happen) would absolutely blow my mind. How can a player as good as he was in college just never reach anything near those levels again, not even really in the minor leagues either. https://t.co/DUNryi9prt
It has been three years since his junior season at LSU now. We have seen his college teammate Paul Skenes take the league by storm, but Crews has not taken the next step. At the time of the draft, Crews and Skenes were seen as similar levels of prospect. It is crazy to see how both of their careers have gone so far.
In 2009, the Nats took a premier pitching prospect first, while the Mariners took a polished college bat second. Of course, the Nats got Stephen Strasburg and the Mariners got Dustin Ackley. Crews still has time to avoid being a Dustin Ackley style flop, but the trajectory is concerning for the 24 year old.
The fact he never dominated the minors might be even scarier than his big league struggles. You cannot fall back on Crews dominating AAA as a reason to keep him in the big leagues because he never did. At this point, we are really clinging on to his performances at LSU. Those were so dominant that you should keep some faith in him, but it is getting scary.
Of course, these Spring Training games do not count, but I do not love what I am seeing. Paul Toboni is going to have a real choice to make here. Is it better for Dylan Crews to stay in the big leagues and learn from a new big league staff, or should he get the opportunity to truly dominate AAA and gain some confidence.
I think they will choose the former option, but Crews will be on a tighter leash. If he looks like he does this spring once the real games start, a trip to Rochester will be imminent. The story of Crews’ career so far is one step forward, two steps back. Whenever it feels like he is getting momentum, he either gets hurt or starts struggling again. Dylan Crews’ pro career has not gone how just about anyone has expected. I am officially worried.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JUNE 07: Cincinnati Reds mascot Mr. Redlegs leans on the dugout wall prior to a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park on June 07, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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The 2025 season was something of a success for the Cincinnati Reds, at least by the modern standards set by the franchise and its current ownership group.
The club managed to coax future Hall of Fame manager Terry Francona out of his temporary hiatus and into their dugout. The team on the field put together the most cromulent set of starting pitchers since their 2012 NL Central title. As the race for the final playoff spot in the National League intensified, they managed to get the job done, sneaking into the postseason with a final regular season record of 83-79.
Their faint championship hopes faded immediately at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, eventual World Series champs, but the reality is that 2025 featured more good news than bad. Still, they finished a distant 3rd in their own division.
The Milwaukee Brewers paced all of Major League Baseball with their 97 regular season victories, and the Chicago Cubs surged into the playoffs with 92. The Reds, who made the playoffs slightly ahead of the New York Mets, finished 14 games back of their division leaders, while the Mets finished only 13 games back in their own NL Central.
Cincinnati, to its credit, went out and signed slugger Eugenio Suárez over the winter to bolster their offense, and they are banking on improvements across the board from their emerging corps of position players. Hunter Greene is once again sidelined for quite awhile, though, and it’s not as if the Brewers and Cubs haven’t made their own moves to get better this winter, too. The Pittsburgh Pirates, too, are even looming after an offseason of spending that’s unprecedented for that club.
That begs the question – just how high in the NL Central standings can the Reds finish in 2026? Have they done enough to climb the ladder to the top, or is the ladder simply not tall enough?
Let us know where you think the Reds can finish this season!
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 04: T.J. Rumfield #64 of the Colorado Rockies fields a ground ball out against Team United States during the third inning of the MLB exhibition game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 04, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the last 13 years, the Colorado Rockies have played a comical game of musical chairs at first base. Since Hall of Famer Todd Helton retired in 2013, 38 players made a start at first base. Much like the quarterback carousel for the Denver Broncos, the team has struggled to find a permanent or even long-term solution at the cold corner.
2025 proved no different.
Michael Toglia entered last season as the de facto starter at first after a breakout 2024 campaign. However, his severe regression led to him losing his starting position and being sent to Triple-A in the middle of the season, and he was eventually non-tendered in the offseason. Warming Bernabel had replaced him during the season, but his hot start went ice cold, and he was also released during the offseason.
Plenty of speculation revolved around what the Rockies would do at first base, and new President of Baseball Operations, Paul DePodesta, even signaled that they were talking to free agents. However, as spring training began, the Rockies left first base fairly unsettled, creating one of the more notable battles in spring training, and throwing off the normal format for this entry in our State of the Position series.
The experienced contenders
This category of players in camp includes those who have already stepped on a major league field.
After the releases of Toglia and Bernabel, the incumbent spot entering the offseason fell to Blaine Crim, who was claimed on waivers by the Rockies near the end of the 2025 season. The 28-year-old impressed in his brief 15 games to close out the season, slashing .241/.295/.556 with five home runs and 12 RBI in 61 plate appearances. However, strikeouts proved troublesome in the small sample size, as he recorded 22 strikeouts against just five walks. Still, manager Warren Schaeffer liked what he saw, and Crim appeared to have a simple path to filling in at first base as a stopgap until someone else was ready. However, an oblique strain early in spring training has sidelined him for a few weeks now, and it’s looking increasingly likely that he may lose his spot. He recently resumed taking batting practice and will have to hit the gas if he can make it into games before camp breaks.
Before the Rockies even had a new head of the front office, the team claimed Troy Johntson off of waivers once the offseason officially started, a move we can only say was made by “The Council.” Much like Crim, Johnston is also 28 and just made his debut last season after a successful minor league career. He got a little more run with the Miami Marlins, slashing .277/.331/.420 with four home runs and 13 RBI over 44 games. In 121 plate appearances, he drew just eight walks, but also struck out 26 times. Thus far in spring training with the Rockies, the left-handed-hitting Johnston is slashing .325/.404/.425 with two doubles and a triple while drawing five walks against six strikeouts in 47 plate appearances. While more attention is being directed toward a pair of prospects in camp, Johnston has quietly gone about his business and presents an intriguing option for the Rockies, especially since he can also play both corner outfield positions.
Finally, the Rockies acquired left-handed-hitting Edouard Julien in a trade with the Minnesota Twins. While second base has always been his main position, Julien picked up first base out of necessity for the Twins and himself. Since his stellar rookie season in 2023, Julien has struggled to find an offensive rhythm at the big league level and now finds himself out of minor league options and hoping for a fresh start in Colorado. He hasn’t done much with the bat thus far in five games with the Rockies, batting .133/.235/.133 with five strikeouts and two walks in 16 plate appearances. He also went 3-for-19 in five games with Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, but did draw four walks against eight strikeouts. He was viewed as the starting first baseman when he was acquired, but as camp has unfolded, it’s unclear what his role on this team could actually be.
The talk of Rockies camp in spring training has revolved around the performances of two young prospects looking to break through in 2026.
One of the more surprising moves was when the Rockies traded reliever Angel Chivilli to the New York Yankees for first baseman T.J. Rumfield. Blocked by Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt in New York, Rumfield has put together a compelling case to be the Rockies’ starting first baseman come Opening Day. Displaying elite contact, plate discipline, glove work, and a knack for power, Rumfield has checked plenty of boxes in spring training. In 16 games, he is slashing .333/.432/.667 with four home runs and 10 RBI. Additionally, in 44 plate appearances, he has five walks while striking out just one time. Yes, Rumfield has struck out fewer times in 16 games than Luis Arráez has in five games in the WBC (2). With nothing much left to prove in the minors, Rumfield has not given the Rockies much of a reason to deny him a spot.
Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) has also impressed in his first big league camp with the Rockies. The third overall pick of the 2024 draft has had a difficult start to his professional career after injuries hampered him. However, once he returned in 2025, Condon slowly began to find his rhythm at the plate that continued into a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League. In 18 games of Cactus League action, Condon is batting .371/.439/.714 with three home runs and nine RBI while also striking out eight times to four walks. It was said he would have every opportunity to win a job, and while it may be in his best interest to get more seasoning in Triple-A, Condon has risen to the challenge. He has also embraced the directive to develop defensively at first base while also honing his skills in the outfield. There is no doubt he will make his debut in 2026 if everything goes according to plan, it’s just a matter of when.
The Rockies were interested in bringing in an experienced bat to play first base and that may still be the case in some format. Particularly, a right-handed hitting veteran could be used to complement and mentor someone like T.J. Rumfield in a part-time role. A move of some kind can’t be ruled out before the end of spring training. Additionally, the idea of Tyler Freeman picking up a first base glove has been floated around to expand his versatility. Should that happen, it would be akin to Orlando Arcia starting at first base last season — it’s weird, but it would be fine if needed.
The farm candidates
First base continues to be one of the thinner positions in the organization.
Zach Kokoska projects to start the year in Triple-A after spending the last two years in Double-A Hartford. The left-handed-hitting product from Kansas State University has a knack for the long ball since being drafted in 2021, but has struggled with strikeouts in 181 games in Hartford while slashing .204/.297/.428. Perhaps the accession to Albuquerque will help him elevate the average and take advantage of his home run capabilities.
Aidan Longwell remains one of the more legit first base prospects in teh organization. He turned in a strong campaign with High-A Spokane in 2025, belting 15 home runs and driving in 80 runs while slashing .274/.345/.465 in 121 games. Longwell is an overlooked prospect who has been consistently good since being drafted in 2023. He’s likely to start the year in Double-A.
Beyond that, the lower levels of the minors don’t have many dedicated options at first base, despite a number of players being able to fill the position. However, perhaps the most intriguing player to keep an eye on is Tanner Thach, whom the Rockies drafted in the eighth round last summer. He briefly made his professional debut in an 18-game stint with the Low-A Fresno Grizzlies, where he slashed .279/.375/.397 with two home runs and 15 RBI. After a quality collegiate career at UNC Wilmington, Thach will now get a chance to show what he can do in his first full season.
Closing thoughts
The Rockies hoped to raise the floor of competition at several positions in spring training, and that’s what has happened at first base. It seemed like a foregone conclusion early that Crim and Johnston would hold the fort until Condon was ready, but the addition of Rumfield has made it an even more compelling race.
Despite the uncertainty of the position, first base has an air of excitement around it because of the options in camp. The Rockies wouldn’t necessarily be faulted for picking any of the currently healthy options to make the Opening Day roster, and that’s a good problem to have. They also need someone to solidify the position, kind of like C.J. Cron did from 2021 to 2023, until the permanent answer presents itself.
Otherwise, we’ll be repeating this conversation next year.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 14: Salvador Perez #13, Eugenio Suárez #7 and Eduardo Rodriguez #52 of Team Venezuela celebrate with teammates after winning the 2026 World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Japan at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The last Arizona Diamondbacks player left standing in the World Baseball Classic will be in the spotlight during the championship game, as Eduardo Rodriguez will start on the mound for Venezuela against the United States on Tuesday.
“[He was] so good that we had to send him back out there for another inning of work,” said Lovullo. “We felt like the pitch count was fine, the workload was very manageable, and he just did exactly what he did in that final inning for the first four.”
But most importantly of all, Pfaadt’s sweeper was, once again, a weapon. He threw the pitch 10 times, got nine swings, and collected four whiffs. Three of his six strikeouts came on that sweeper.
“A fantastic day for him, filled up the zone, ton of execution, a lot of swing-and-miss,” Lovullo continued. “Secondary stuff was good. So we’re very pleased with where he’s at.”
The next month is going to be perhaps the most difficult of Arizona Diamondbacks ace Corbin Burnes’ recovery from Tommy John surgery.
On Monday, Burnes went through his second bullpen session since having surgery last summer, throwing to a catcher set up a few feet closer than usual to manage his intensity.
Burnes said he typically throws three or four bullpens and then it’s time to get in a game each spring. This time, he’s going to have to trust the process and stick with bullpen work while his team begins the regular season without him.
Urías appeared in 96 games in 2025 with the Athletics, batting .230 with eight home runs, 25 RBIs and a .653 OPS. The 28-year-old has built a reputation for his defensive versatility across the infield throughout his MLB career.
That flexibility could prove valuable as Arizona looks for someone to fill a role similar to Blaze Alexander’s style of play. Alexander was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for pitching depth, leaving a question about who could emerge as the club’s next utility player.
Outside, it was one of those relentless South Florida rains. But still, the hundreds of Venezuelan baseball fans who remained long after the last pitch of the World Baseball Classic semifinals had been thrown were in ecstasy. Thoroughly soaked but swept up in the moment, they sang, danced, chanted and cheered. And in the distance, you could hear drums beating, mouths whistling and car horns blaring.
You don’t truly know how much the World Baseball Classic means until you see what it means. And here, in the downpour outside loanDepot park, as Monday night gave way to Tuesday morning — the day Venezuela would meet Team USA in the finale of this terrific tournament — it was evident that it meant a lot.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters at spring training Monday that Yamamoto will start the March 26 opener at home against Arizona.
Yamamoto was the first and last pitcher used by the Dodgers last season, when he got the final eight outs in their 11-inning World Series Game 7 clincher at Toronto. He also won both of his World Series starts, a complete game in Game 2 and then threw 96 pitches over six innings in Game 6, a night before throwing 34 pitches to close out the series.
Games played in the Pacific Coast League will use the ABS Challenge system and follow the same rules that have been adopted at the Major League level for the 2026 season (i.e., each team will start the game with two challenges, successful challenges will be retained, teams will receive an extra challenge if they have no challenges remaining in extra innings, etc.). Consistent with past seasons, MLB will monitor gameplay to determine if there is a desire to test changes at a later point in the season. Beginning on May 5, 2026, the batter, pitcher, or catcher may also appeal the umpire’s decision regarding whether the batter swung at a pitch (“Check-Swing Challenge”). A swing will be considered to have occurred if the maximum angle between the bat head and the bat handle exceeds 45 degrees. This rule was tested in the Florida State League and Arizona Fall League in 2025. In the FSL, the strikeout rate was over 3% lower when Check-Swing Challenge was used, having a positive impact on balls in play and encouraging more extensive testing at higher levels. Under this format, each team will continue to start the game with 2 challenges. Challenges may be used on either ball/strike calls or swing/no-swing calls, but not both on the same pitch.
A Padres club already thin on rotation depth delivered some rough news for fans Monday, as manager Craig Stammen revealed that righty Joe Musgrove is expected to open the season on the injured list (video link via 97.3 The Fan). Musgrove hasn’t thrown in more than a week. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports that he didn’t recover as well as hoped following an exhibition start against Great Britain’s World Baseball Classic club.
It’s an ominous update, though it’s worth noting that Stammen didn’t suggest there had been a setback of any note. Musgrove hasn’t pitched since the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery that cost him the entirety of the 2025 campaign.
SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 17: Justin Foscue #56 of the Texas Rangers poses for a photo during the Texas Rangers photo day at Surprise Stadium on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Texas Rangers optioned reliever Marc Church and infielder Justin Foscue to AAA Round Rock, the team announced yesterday.
Church made the Opening Day roster in 2025 but struggled with his command, was sent down, and then spent most of the season dealing with injuries, including a torn teres major muscle* that ended his season. Church was still working his way back from that injury when spring training began, and made his first spring appearance on Sunday against the Dodgers. A player can’t be optioned if they are injured, so Church couldn’t be optioned until he was healthy — otherwise, he’d have to start the season on the major league injured list.
* You may remember this as the same injury that cost Jose Leclerc and Corey Kluber most of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Foscue was slowed by a hamstring strain early in camp, and also returned to action on Sunday. At the start of camp, there was some thought that Foscue could potentially earn a spot on the Opening Day roster in a platoon DH/bench role. The combination of the injury, which sidelined him for a good amount of time, and the addition of Andrew McCutchen ended those hopes.
The Rangers still have 30 of the 40 man roster members in camp. Assuming McCutchen — who is on a minor league deal, and thus not on the 40 man roster currently — makes the team, at least five players on the 40 man roster who are still in camp will not make the Opening Day roster. Among guys who don’t have a roster spot locked up, Jacob Latz and Kumar Rocker are fighting for the fifth starter spot, and Luis Curvelo is still in the mix for a bullpen spot, as is Latz, should he not make the rotation. Alejandro Osuna and Michael Helman are still in camp, though would seem to be headed to AAA unless someone gets hurt. Cody Freeman, who is sidelined with a stress fracture in his back, most likely will start the year on the major league injured list.
As the Mets shook up their roster over the course of the offseason, the biggest names added to the bullpen were Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. But in late January, the Mets inked 39-year-old right-handed reliever Luis García to a modest one-year deal, and he remains a very likely candidate to make the team’s Opening Day roster.
García’s big league career began in 2013 with the Phillies, and he remained in Philadelphia through the end of the 2018 season. Since then, he’s pitched for the Angles, Rangers, and Padres, had a second stint with the Angels, pitched for the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Nationals, and ended the 2025 season with a third stint with the Angels.
In total, García has a 4.07 ERA and a 3.92 FIP in 583.1 innings in his major league career. And over the past two seasons, during which he’s pitched for the final four aforementioned clubs, he has a 4.17 ERA and a 3.68 FIP. Perhaps the Mets were particularly high on his 2025 season, which saw him end the year with a 3.42 ERA and a 3.28 FIP, both of which were his best marks since his very good 2021 and 2022 seasons.
García is not a strikeout machine, having put up 20 percent strikeout rates in each of the past two seasons and peaked at just 26.3 percent in 2022. His walk rate was atypically high last year at 11.2 percent, at least compared to the standard he’d established over the four seasons that preceded that one with a 7.0 percent walk rate. He offset the potential damage that those walks could’ve done by limiting home runs to just 0.33 per nine innings pitched. He’s given up 0.82 per nine in his career and combined to give up 1.06 per nine in 2023 and 2024.
A three-pitch pitcher, García didn’t make any drastic alterations to his pitch usage last year. He threw his sinker a plurality of the time rather than the majority, continuing an overall trend that’s seen him throw the pitch slightly less often over the past few years. He upped his usage of his slider and splitter a bit, and the most notable distinction in that data is that he threw the splitter more often last year than he had in any other season, albeit by a relatively small margin.
Last year, García still threw pretty hard, averaging just shy of 97 miles per hour on his fastball, which put him in the 87th percentile according to Statcast. The rest of his metrics there aren’t super encouraging, but he did remain pretty good at inducing ground balls. Should he continue to do that, the Mets’ infield defense will go a long way in determining his effectiveness, especially if the K rate doesn’t improve from last year.
As for projections, there are no real surprises in the ones published at FanGraphs. Every system sees García finishing the 2026 season with a regular major league reliever workload, an ERA in the high threes or low fours, and a FIP that pretty much lines up with it. Given his long major league track record, options haven’t been on the table for years, which means the Mets will have to expose him to waivers if they want to choose to cut him at any point this season. Based on the events of the past couple of years, though, he’d almost certainly get claimed on waivers by another team. If he starts the season strong, expect him to stick around.
Surprise, AZ - February 21: Matt Waldron #61 of the San Diego Padres throws during a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals on February 21, 2026 in Surprise, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
With six games remaining in the San Diego Padres spring schedule, and a roster deadline coming quickly, tough decisions are around the corner.
The announcement by manager Craig Stammen that Joe Musgrove will start the season on the IL should have come as no surprise to anyone who has noticed his absence since his first start on March 4. His following bullpen resulted in being placed on a “hold” and he hasn’t pitched since.
Walker Buehler, in camp on a minor league deal, made a strong start on March 10 where he featured his off-speed pitches and only threw eight fastballs among his 68 pitches and 3.2 innings in a win versus the Los Angeles Angels.
Ya, it was Buehler's day ON today.
Seven punchies, five scoreless, mixed a ton of different pitches. Could he crack the Padres rotation?? pic.twitter.com/hfuzrP8PUp
Although results are not to be trusted in spring, his improvement over the past weeks shows that learning to pitch using all his pitches is progressing well. With the loss of Musgrove for the start of the season, Buehler should have a job. The deadline for adding him to the roster is March 21, his first opt-out opportunity.
The rest of the competitors
Germán Márquez has had very inconsistent results since he joined the Padres on a major league contract. If his struggles continue (12.15 ERA in 6.2 IP) there could be a different pitcher filling the fifth rotation spot. No matter how they start the season, the Padres will have to name a fifth starter within the first couple of weeks. Using an opener or a bullpen start is a short-term fix. They have two off-days within the first eight games so they can take a little time to figure out their approach, possibly using a four-man rotation and carrying nine pitchers in the bullpen.
It seems obvious that neither Tristan McKenzie nor Marco Gonzales have been effective enough to seriously contend for that spot. Lefty JP Sears has had moments during his appearances but has also shown command issues and has not been consistent. His velocity is up on his fastball, but he appears to need more time to master the strike zone.
Matt Waldron is ready to pitch again after recovering from his surgery but will need time to build up to a starter length and perform well. His velocity has also increased on his fastball in his limited look before his surgery, but he is out of options and will have to make the team or be put on waivers before he could be sent to the minors after the IL.
Handling the injured
Besides Musgrove and Waldron, several other Padres are dealing with injury issues, and their status complicates the final roster decisions.
Super-utility Sung-Mun Song has not appeared in a game since aggravating his oblique but has been hitting off a tee and is on a progression toward a slow return.
Yuki Matsui has also not appeared in a game and threw a bullpen on March 14. Jason Adam has had field drills and sim games, next is his Cactus League debut and there will be an assessment after that. He is still aiming for Opening Day.
Bryan Hoeing is having flexor tendon surgery and will be on the 60-day IL for the season. He will join Griffin Canning and Jhony Brito, who will miss at least a couple months.
Infielder Will Wagner has an oblique strain and catcher Blake Hunt is also sidelined with an oblique injury.
If Song isn’t available, both Ty France and Jose Miranda have had great spring performances and could be named to the roster. France has a March 21 opt-out as his first opportunity to have a job here or elsewhere.
Yu Darvish visit
Yu Darvish flew from Tokyo to Miami with a stop in Peoria, Ariz. to visit the Peoria Sports Complex last week. With the elimination of Japan from the WBC, Darvish should be back in Arizona with the Padres soon.
Bullpen decisions
At this point the performances of David Morgan, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada and Kyle Hart would dictate that they are all on the roster for the start of the season. Hart, Estrada and Morgan haven’t allowed a run and the others all have low ERAs. Adding Wandy Peralta, who should be back from the WBC in a day or so, allows for one or two more pitchers for the bullpen.
Assuming Matsui is not ready, the last spot(s) will belong to Mason Miller and maybe one other pitcher. If there are eight to start, then that is the bullpen and Logan Gillaspie does not make the roster despite an impressive performance and no minor league options.
Luis Campusano
The backup catcher, who has not had a good offensive spring showing, got a vote of confidence from manager Craig Stammen when asked about the catcher’s status.
“What we’re most concerned about with Campy is what he’s doing behind the plate, and he’s done really well behind the plate,” Stammen said. “… There’s always competition for everything. Every time you take an at-bat, every time you step behind the dish, anytime you’re on base, you’re competing. With Campy, we’re very satisfied with who he is and what he’s done this spring with our pitching staff, and he’s got a pretty strong hold on that second spot.”
Campusano will have more time to improve his offensive performance as he has been concentrating on his defense and working with the pitchers. His Triple-A performance from last season will buy him time with his manager.
Opening Day
It still looks like Nick Pivetta will be the starter on March 26 against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park. Stammen is not willing to discuss it, but Pivetta should have another start on March 19 and then could throw limited innings, a sim game or live BP on the March 22 or March 23 to get ready for Opening Day.
Should they decide to go with Michael King instead, he is due to start March 18, and they could maneuver him in the same way to get ready for the big day. Either would be a good choice and one would likely follow the other with Randy Vasquez pitching the third game of the season.
Minor League camp in full swing
The Padres have reassigned many of their non-roster invitees and non-competitive roster players to the minor league training camp. Last week, outfielder Tirso Ornelas, catcher Blake Hunt (oblique injury), pitcher Garrett Hawkins and catcher Anthony Vilar were all sent down. There are 54 players in major league camp.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Ronald Acuña Jr. #21 of Team Venezuela rounds the bases after his home run during the first inning against Team Japan during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park on March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Tuesday! The Mariners are back in action today against the Colorado Rockies at 1:10 PM, with the starting pitcher yet to be announced.
In some non-baseball news, it’s time for March Madness! One of my personal favorite times of the year. If you think you have what it takes to beat both staff writers and commenters, or if you’re just in it for the love of the game, sign up for our Lookout Landing March Madness bracket pool. Updates of bracket standings will be posted in the Moose Tracks as the tournament goes on, and who knows, there might even be some fun prizes involved for the winner. Brackets officially lock on Thursday morning, good luck to all!
Lookout Landing is collecting your preseason predictions to include in our annual predicitions article. Fill out the form here.
In the World Baseball Classic…
An electric seventh-inning rally from Venezuela started by Ronald Acuña Jr. propelled them to a 4-2 win over Italy in the WBC semifinals. They will matchup against Team USA in an exciting final tonight at 5 PM.
SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory! Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness Feed all week long and we’ll have both on hand! (All times ET)
