Category: MLB

We have a new World Baseball Classic champion to add to the list of winners of this now-prestigious tournament. It also just so happens that the current face of the Atlanta Braves helped to push the team and his country to the winner’s circle. Ronald Acuña Jr. and Venezuela completed their dark-horse run by taking down Team USA 3-2 in order to win the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Acuña contributed to the cause on Tuesday night with a hit and a walk over the course of three plate appearances. He didn’t score a run in this one but he finished the tournament with 10 runs scored along with seven hits, seven walks and two stolen bases. That’s good for a slash line of .269/.424/.538 with an OPS of .962 over the small sample size of tournament baseball.

Two of those seven hits were homers but there was no bigger hit for Venezuela in this tournament than the clutch RBI double from Eugenio Suárez that regained the lead for Venezuela after Bryce Harper hit a clutch homer of his own to tie the game up in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Simply put, this was an incredible game of baseball where both teams treated the situation with the magnitude that a winner-take-all game like this deserves. For Team USA, it’s a second-straight run to the Final that ends in disappointment despite the late-game heroics from Harper. For Ronald Acuña Jr. and Venezuela, it’s a defining win for the sport of baseball in that country and that team will surely go down in Venezuelan sports history for pulling off this great run to the title.

For Braves fans, it was certainly encouraging to see Ronald Acuña Jr. going at full-tilt throughout this entire competition and if that translates to the regular season then we should be in for plenty of fun once the season gets underway. Most importantly, Acuña got through this completely healthy and he looks like he’s firing on all cylinders. He was already a World Series champion but now he’s a World Baseball Classic champion — and this time, he was on the field to do something about it.

Congratulations to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Team Venezuela on a job well done throughout the tournament and congratulations to everybody involved in this year’s WBC for putting on an incredible show. Let’s do this again in three-to-four years, right?

Venezuela outlasted the United States in a pitching duel, with Eugenio Suárez providing the tournament-winning RBI double in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory Tuesday night in Miami to win the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Venezuela, which clinched a berth in the 2028 Summer Olympics by reaching the WBC semifinals, wins its first World Baseball Classic by winning six of its seven games.

Eduardo Rodriguez, the Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander, pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts, allowing only a single and walk. Team USA remained scoreless until Bryce Harper hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the eighth.

Team USA only scored two runs in each of its final two games. That got them to the precipice of winning the tournament thanks to strong pitching of their own, holding the mighty Dominican Republic lineup on Sunday to just one run. They only allowed three runs on Tuesday, two of them off New York Mets starter Nolan McLean.

Wilyer Abreu homered in the fifth for Venezuela. Cubs closer Daniel Palencia closed out the win for Venezuela with a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts.

Will Smith started for the second straight game at catcher for The United States, but was 0-for-3 with a strikeout in the title game.

Smith during the tournament played in four of seven games, including catching in both the semifinal and championship game. He had three hits in 13 at-bats, including a double, RBI, and two walks, hitting .231/.313/.308.

How all Dodgers did during the WBC

Shohei Ohtani homered in three of his four games, tying for most in the WBC along with Vinnie Pasquantino (Italy), Junior Caminero (Dominican Republic), and Jarren Duran (Mexico). Ohtani had six hits in 13 at-bats with a double and five walks, hitting .462/.611/1.231 with seven RBI and six runs scored.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched in two games and allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings, with seven strikeouts and four walks, with a 2.70 ERA. He won Japan’s tournament opener, and got a no-decision in the quarterfinal loss to Venezuela.

Edwin Díaz pitched a scoreless inning in each of his three appearances for Puerto Rico, including a save on March 9 against Cubs. Díaz struck out seven, walked one, hit a batter, and allowed one hit.

Hyeseong Kim hit a two-run home run during pool play for Korea, but that was his only hit in 12 at-bats during the tournament. He also walked twice, stole a base, scored two runs, and drove in three, hitting .083/.214/.333 in four games.

Minor league third baseman Jake Gelof had two hits in 11 at-bats in four games for Israel during pool play, with a double and walk, hitting .182/.250/.273 with three RBI and one run scored.

It had been a rough World Baseball Classic for Bryce Harper, but that all changed with one swing of the bat.

Team USA trailed Venezuela 2-0 with two outs and a runner on in the bottom of the eighth inning. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Venezuelan pitcher Andrés Machado left a changeup over the heart of the plate. Harper jumped on it, sending it a towering 432 feet to deep center field for a no-doubt home run to tie the game.

Harper looked towards the United States dugout, flipped his bat in the air and pointed at the flag on his sleeve as he rounded third.

BRYCE HARPER TIES THE GAME FOR TEAM USA! pic.twitter.com/zRVBaURBTm

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 18, 2026

It was a much-needed shot of life for the Americans, who had been silenced by Eduardo Rodriguez and Venezuela's trio of relievers — Eduard Bazardo, Angel Zerpa and José Buttó — to that point.

Aaron Judge struck out looking on the next at-bat, and Venezuela re-took the lead on an RBI double from Eugenio Suárez in the top of the ninth. Venezuela held on to win 3-2.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch Bryce Harper home run that tied WBC championship

The first pitch of the Dodgers’ 2026 season won’t capture the exuberance of the last pitch of 2025. But it will be meaningful in its own right, as the official first step of the team’s quest for a third straight championship.

How poetic that the same arm should deliver both pitches.

"It's an honor for me,” Dodgers opening day starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto said Tuesday through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “And then it's opening day at a Dodger Stadium home game, and that's very [much an] honor to me. I also feel the responsibility."

Yamamoto is scheduled to make one more Cactus League start, against the Padres on Friday, before taking the Dodger Stadium mound next Thursday when the Diamondbacks come to town. It will be the second opening-day start of Yamamoto's MLB career, and his first at home.

It will also mark the end of a whirlwind offseason and spring training for Yamamoto, who not only shouldered a demanding postseason workload, but also navigated an especially quick turnaround to pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

“It’s hard to put into words,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He is just very driven, he’s very disciplined in his work. That’s some of the things that allows him to compete at a high level. Where most people would feel that you win the World Series MVP, you don't have enough to pitch in the WBC. He wanted to pitch for his country, and now he’s really excited about the start of 2026.

“He is a very determined person. He really is. We’re just lucky he’s on our team.”

No one needs to be reminded that Yamamoto was a playoff hero last year, but let's really break down his efforts.

On Oct. 14, Yamamoto made his third start of the postseason and threw a complete game against the Brewers to put the Dodgers ahead 2-0 in the NL Championship Series.

Eleven days later, he tossed another nine innings to help the Dodgers even the series against the Blue Jays. And he wrapped up the World Series with appearances on back-to-back days, starting Game 6 and finishing Game 7.

Yamamoto threw 526 pitches in the postseason, 235 in the World Series alone, and he still touched nearly 97 mph in his final inning of work.

Read more:Hernández: Yoshinobu Yamamoto's remarkable World Series Game 7 became his playoff exclamation point

Most pitchers would need at least a full offseason to recover. When Blake Snell slow-played his offseason because of lingering shoulder discomfort after the World Series run, the decision made all the sense in the world.

Yamamoto, however, was already pitching in meaningful games by March 6.

In Yamamoto's first start of the WBC, he held Chinese Taipei hitless for 2 ⅔ innings. Then in the quarterfinal game against Venezuela last Saturday, he surrendered a leadoff homer to Ronald Acuña Jr. and a second-inning RBI double to Gleyber Torres before settling in for two scoreless innings. The eventual 8-5 loss eliminated Team Japan from the WBC.

“As Team Japan, the result was not what we were aiming for,” Yamamoto said. “But at a personal level, my condition was good.”

The season will be the true test for Yamamoto’s training methods, which have been infamous since before his transition from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, and are already spreading across the Dodgers' clubhouse. Look no further than shortstop Mookie Betts this week lauding the effects of throwing a javelin.

Read more:'There's endless possibilities.' Mookie Betts embraces Yoshinobu Yamamoto's training methods

If they continue to work, Yamamoto could be in the running for the Cy Young Award, after finishing third in National League voting last year.

“There's high competition, there are a lot of great pitchers out there,” Yamamoto said, “but I hope that I get there.”

Yamamoto’s offseason work, however, wasn’t simply geared toward getting to opening day or winning an individual award. He knows as well as anyone that this team has set a high bar with back-to-back championships.

“The same goal,” Yamamoto said of 2026, “winning a world championship with this team."

Now over four months removed from that final pitch of the 2025 World Series, one lesson has stuck with Yamamoto.

"I learned how difficult [it is] to get one win,” he said. “As a team, I want to be able to share that joy."

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

It’s Tuesday night at BCB After Dark: the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and join us. We’re waiving the cover charge. The dress code is casual. We still have a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you if you thought Ben Brown should spend more time (or more innings) as a starter or a reliever in 2026. By a vote of 59 percent to 41 percent, you thought that Brown should stick to the bullpen, at least this year.

On Tuesday nights I don’t generally write about movies. But I always have time for jazz, so let’s get to that now. You can skip ahead if you want.

We’re getting closer to International Jazz Day (April 30) and this is a performance from the 2018 International Jazz Day by pianist Robert Glasper. He’s got quite the elite side players with Ben Williamson on bass and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums.

This is “Stella By Starlight.”

Welcome back to everyone who skipped the music and movies.

The Cubs are counting on Jameson Taillon to be a rock at the back of the Cubs rotation this year. Taillon is in the final season of a four-year free agent contact that he signed before the 2023 season. So far, he’s been solid. Not great. Not bad. Solid. Everything you could hope for in a back-end starter. Taillon’s ERA last year was 3.68. Pretty good! His underlying numbers weren’t quite that good, but that was probably more because of the Cubs strong defense than luck. I was hoping for something similar out of Taillon in 2026.

But this spring, Taillon has not been good. He had a decent start in for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over 3.2 innings against Panama. That’s not bad! It was also against a second-rate Panamanian team.

Back in Mesa with the Cubs, Taillon has struggled. He’s made four starts and has gone 0-3 with a 22.18 ERA. Taillon’s made three starts before leaving for Team Canada. In the first one against the White Sox, he allowed four runs over 1.2 innings. In the second one against the Rockies, Taillon allowed three runs over two innings. Then against Cincinnati, Taillon got knocked around for six runs over 2.1 innings.

In his first game back from the World Baseball Classic, Taillon got shelled. He was rocked for ten runs on eight hits and four walks over just 3.1 innings. Like every other non-WBC game that Taillon has pitched this spring, he gave up two home runs.

So are we concerned about this? On the one hand, in the one game that Taillon pitched that counted, he was fine, albeit against a mediocre Panama team. It’s also just Spring Training, and the list of pitchers who had poor Spring Trainings and ended up having perfectly fine seasons is long. Most studies I’ve seen have said that except for some very specific exceptions (such as a power increase for hitters), Spring Training results don’t correlate at all to regular season results.

On the other hand, Taillon has look bad. Like really bad. And it’s not like Taillon is such an ace that we can just trust that he’ll bounce back once the starter’s gun sounds on the regular season. He’s not a pitcher with a ton of room for error. The home runs are especially concerning. Counting the WBC game, he’s allowed nine over four starts. That’s over just 15 innings.

So how concerned are you about Jameson Taillon heading into the season? I don’t think there’s any way that he doesn’t start the regular season as a member of the rotation, but how much leash should he have? Should the Cubs be sure that Colin Rea or Ben Brown’s April workload is such that they can make Taillon’s next start?

Thanks for stopping by tonight. We enjoyed having you stop in. Please get home safely. Don’t forget anything at your table or if you checked anything. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.

The Astros clobbered the Pirates earlier today 10-2, beating up on SP Mitch Keller. Keller has been a solid starter for the last 4 seasons.

Lance McCullers Jr. had another encouraging start, this time going 4 innings. He allowed 1 run on 3 hits, walking 3 and striking out 1, with a hit batter. He was clearly working on certain pitches at certain points in the game. He threw 31 of his 58 pitches for strikes.

Lance primarily worked 92-93 with fastball, but twice hit 94+, once at 94.1, and once at 94.4. He appeared at times to be focused on refining his cutter. McCullers looks to be in line to be a part of the starting rotation. While there has been some recent consternation of whether the Astros will employ a 5 or 6 man rotation, it would seem McCullers will be, at worst, the Astros 5th starter until he shows he cannot handle the job.

Joey Loperfido continued his strong spring, going 1×1 with 2 walks and 3 runs scored out of the leadoff spot. He also stole his 3rd base of spring. Loperfido played RF today. If we are to believe Astros GM Dana Brown that Spring Training performance matters, Loperfido should have played his way into being a starting outfielder, leapfrogging Zach Cole. Loperfido is batting .355 with a .958 OPS in Spring.

Cole, meanwhile, played CF and was 1×3 with a HR and 2 BB, He also struck out twice, which has been his Achilles heel all spring. Cole hit an 82 MPH sweeper on the inside black about belt high 412 ft to RF, the ball coming off the bat at 110.1 MPH. Despite the strikeouts, Cole’s exit velocities have been very high, and management believes he has had some bad luck on batted balls at very high exit velos this spring. Cole needed a game like today to keep his name in the conversation for making the Opening Day roster.

Cole’s second HR of spring came as the second of back-to-back home runs with Brice Matthews. Matthews first HR of spring was a 2-run shot to right. He drove a 2-2 sweeper that came in just under 82 mph on the outer third of the plate about belt high opposite field 345 ft at 94.4 MPH off the bat. Matthews was 1×3 with a pair of walks, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. He started the game at 2B, where he was a part of 3 double plays, and then shifted to LF.

While Matthews wasn’t expected to make the Opening Day roster, Jeremy Pena’s injury situation could potentially open a door for him. If Pena starts the season on the IL, there are certainly scenarios where Matthews could play 2B with Jose Altuve DHing, or Matthews could play either CF or RF with Yordan Alvarez DHing.

Shay Whitcomb also continues to make his case for an Opening Day spot. After a solid WBC that saw him launch 2 HR in his first WBC game, he started today at 3B and started an around-the-horn double play. He also went 2×3 with a run scored and 2 RBI, as well as his 2nd SB of spring. Whitcomb is batting .308 with a .785 OPS this spring, not including the WBC. While Whitcomb is a longshot to make the OD roster, he has played well enough to be in the mix and get himself in consideration for a call up later on.

Taylor Trammell has cooled off significantly in recent days. He finished today 0x3 with a walk. He struck out 3 times. His batting average has fallen to .250 while his OPS remains a strong .854. Astros have to beware of fools’ gold with Trammell, who has never hit at the MLB level in his career, but is a very good defender at all 3 outfield spots with a strong arm and good speed. He was a longshot to make the OD roster, got himself in the mix with strong early play, but is likely playing himself right back down to Triple-A. He is likely a minor league depth piece provided he stays in the organization.

Christian Vazquez made his first appearance of spring for the Astros Tuesday after joining the team following the WBC. Vazquez’ signing late in spring should be all the evidence needed that he has the inside track to being the backup catcher over Cesar Salazar. Team clearly is not comfortable with Salazar’s bat at the MLB level, so much so they signed a player who hasn’t hit a lick since the Astros acquired him at the deadline in 2022. However, Vazquez is respected league-wide for his defense, preparation and leadership. He went 1×3 with 2 walks, a run scored and an RBI.

Roddery Munoz and Christian Roa continue to make their pushes to be part of the bullpen. Munoz, a Rule V pick who must be returned to the Reds if he isn’t on the MLB roster all season, has rebounded from a rough start to spring to put himself squarely in the mix for a pen spot. He went 1.1 IP today of scoreless ball, he allowed 2 hits and struck out 1. He has been mowing guys down guys at the plate since his second appearance and now has 14K in 8.1 IP.

Roa went 1.2 IP scoreless and hitless, striking out 2. His only blemish was hitting a batter. He has a 1.04 ERA this spring.

J.P France will start Wednesday and Peter Lambert Thursday.

Tatsuya Imai threw a sim game today, and is looking for better results with some secondary pitches:

The Astros found out who they will face on the mound Opening Day against the Angels, and it won’t be former Astro Yusei Kikuchi:

Jose Soriano was 10-11 with a 4.26 ERA and 1.396 WHIP last season in LA. While he did allow a league-low 0.6 HR/9 rate, he only strikes out 8.1 batters per nine, and his walk rate was 4.2/9, which is quite high. He is entering his 4th MLB season at age 27. Soriano is a righthander, but he had reverse splits, performing better vs. lefties than righties. He allowed a .268 AVG and .715 OPS to righty hitters and only a .233 AVG and .666 OPS to lefties.

Observations for Yankees spring training on Tuesday.

In short order

Ryan McMahon started at shortstop for the fourth time this spring and looked fine.

It sounds like the Yankees are comfortable with him starting the season as their backup shortstop, giving them more flexibility in how they construct their bench. “I think he could handle that,” Aaron Boone said.

Up for a challenge

Jake Bird had an inning-ending Strike 3 turned into Ball 4 via the ABS challenge system, but the Yankees reliever rebounded by striking out the next batter, giving him three punch-outs in a scoreless inning.

Caught my eye

Yovanny Cruz continued to turn heads by throwing another scoreless inning of relief with two strikeouts and a sinker that averaged 100.3 mph. He was delayed earlier in camp by a shoulder issue, likely costing him a chance to break camp with the team, but is putting himself in the conversation to help at some point this season. “If he throws strikes, he can impact things,” Boone said.

Wednesday’s schedule

Fifty-three weeks removed from Tommy John surgery, Gerrit Cole will make his spring debut against the Red Sox at Steinbrenner Field, set to throw an inning as he continues his comeback.

It’s the most exciting time of the year. The grass is cut. The sun is shining. The bats are cracking. The gloves are popping. You can talk yourself into any prospect being the breakout star to come. You can convince yourself that (almost) any player is in the best shape of their life. Hope is in the air. More importantly, baseball is in the air.

It’s also, if we’re being honest, kind of the most boring time of the year. Baseball is back, but it’s not really back. The games are rarely televised, and when they are, they’re half-filled with players you won’t actually watch at any point during the regular season. Every bad performance feels like a warning sign, while every good performance smacks you over the head with aLooney Tunes anvil that reads, it’s just Spring Training, it doesn’t mean anything.

But that’s the case for everyone. For you, for me, for every San Francisco Giants fan, and every fan of the other 29 teams in the Majors. We’re all loving that baseball is back, but frustrated that it’s not more back. We’re all hanging on every pitch and every swing, while also wondering what — if anything — we can learn from those pitches and swings.

So let’s take a brief break from Giants baseball. After all, that’s what they’re doing today — taking their last off day until … uhh … the day after Opening Night. Let’s look at some players on other teams, and see how they’re doing this spring. After all, their fans are watching them just as closely as you’re watching Carson Whisenhunt and Parks Harber and Luis Arráez. Let’s see what they’re seeing.

Spencer Miles

5 games, 6.2 innings, 8 hits, 1 home run, 5 walks, 9 strikeouts, 4.05 ERA, 5.20 FIP

Let’s start with the old friend who might soon be a new friend. Miles was poached by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Rule 5 Draft, which means that, if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, he’ll be returned to the Giants in time for Minor League Opening Day (assuming he clears waivers).

Right now, it’s looking like that will happen. Miles sticking with Toronto was always a long shot: he’s basically never played above rookie ball, appearing in just two Low-A games in his draft year in 2022. The walks and the subsequent 1.95 WHIP paint the picture of someone who probably needs more Minor League seasoning — not really a shock, given that he’s pitched just 14.2 innings in his Minor League career. His fastball velocity also hasn’t been quite as strong as some might have expected after his Arizona Fall League showing a few months ago.

But the strikeouts offer a strong reminder as to what a tantalizing talent Miles is, and how good he can be if he stays healthy. Really, his Spring Training has been perfect for the Giants. He probably hasn’t pitched well enough to be rostered, especially for a team with World Series aspirations that made significant bullpen additions after the Rule 5 Draft … including the signing of Tyler Rogers. But he’s stayed healthy and pitched well … things that bode well for his (likely) future with the Giants.

Marco Luciano

14 games, 1-25, 5 walks, 10 strikeouts, .240 OPS, -21 wRC+

You’ve got to feel for Luciano. His 2025 was brutal — despite being the unanimous top prospect in the Giants organization for multiple years, he spent his final option year in AAA, never once getting called up to join a decidedly mediocre San Francisco squad. He started his offseason by getting unceremoniously waived early in the offseason, and not even because the Giants needed to clear a space to sign a player (though they did open up a space for the Rule 5 Draft). And then he entered the distinct cycle that unproven former top prospects who are out of options go through: his talent was intriguing enough that everyone wanted him, but far enough away that nobody wanted him on their Major League roster. So Luciano was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates and waived. And then he was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles and waived. And then he was claimed by the New York Yankees and waived. Finally, he cleared waivers, and was outrighted to New York’s AAA affiliate.

So far, his spring has been exceedingly ugly. After ending his 2025 in a 2-45 slump, Luciano started his spring by going 0-23 in his first 13 games, before mercifully picking up a hit — a 65-mph single — in his most recent game. All while running a 33.3% strikeout rate.

Something clearly happened to Luciano over the past few years. Perhaps it’s a confidence issue. Perhaps the back injury he suffered has messed up his swing. Likely it’s some combination of the two, and probably some other things as well. But it’s sad to see, and I’m certainly rooting for him to figure things out this year with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He’s been used strictly as a left fielder and designated hitter this spring.

Kyle Harrison

2 games, 7 innings, 8 hits, 2 home runs, 3 walks, 12 strikeouts, 9.00 ERA, 5.27 FIP

I’ll admit it: I was very sad when the Giants traded Harrison, even though the Rafael Devers trade was emphatically a win for the Giants. And I was quite happy when the Boston Red Sox turned around and traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason. The Brewers are where young pitchers go to maximize their potential, and if Harrison does that … well … the Giants won’t have any regrets, but they’ll certainly wish that Boston had asked for one of their other young starters instead.

Harrison was dynamic in his first outing, recording eight of his nine outs with strikes. He got roughed up in his second outing but, you know … it’s spring. He’s talked excitedly about the changes that the Brewers have made with him, and his fastball looks quite lively. The 12 strikeouts in seven innings is reminiscent of the top prospect who once tore through the Giants system while setting records with his strikeouts.

He’s got a great chance to break camp in Milwaukee’s rotation, and I can’t wait to see what he does with that opportunity.

Mason Black

6 games, 8 innings, 5 hits, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts, 0.00 ERA, 2.82 FIP

Black ended up with the Kansas City Royals after the Giants designated him for assignment early in the offseason. He’s working strictly as a reliever for the Giants’ 2014 World Series foe, and so far the results have been splendid. He’s yet to allow a run, and he’s ceding just a baserunner per inning. His stuff still isn’t quite dynamic enough to make the Giants regret letting him go, but he looks to have a decent shot at making Kansas City’s Opening Day roster as a part of the bullpen; and he still has an option year remaining, if not. I’m not going to put the cart in front of the horse, but if Black ends up having a quality year in the Majors, the Giants might have to think about re-evaluating what they’re doing with pitchers.

Kai-Wei Teng

4 games, 8.1 innings, 3 hits, 2 home runs, 6 walks, 6 strikeouts, 3.12 ERA, 7.74 FIP

I’ve made no attempts to hide my belief that Teng can be a very good MLB pitcher. It hasn’t really been on display for the Houston Astros, though, as he’s back to struggling with walks. The Astros are using Teng as a swing man — he pitched three innings his last time out — and he’ll certainly factor into their Major League plans at some point this year. But if his spring performance is any indication, he’ll probably work on some things in AAA before making his Houston debut.

And that’s your old friends update. There are other old friends of course — Mike Yastrzemski, notably, is hitting .429/.543/.964 for the Atlanta Braves — but it seemed best to keep our focus on the unproven youngsters that left the Giants this offseason.

Maybe one of them will come back. Hopefully all of them will do well.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — It was almost a year ago that torpedo bats caught the baseball world by storm, a 72-hour craze that generated some outrageous reactions along the way.

Except unlike the best of fads, the torpedo bats never actually went away, only the noise around them died down.

J.C. Escarra dabbled with one early last season, but did not see immediate results, so he went back to using his regular bat.

But with some help from the Yankees’ analytics department, the catcher has been using one again this spring — a heavier Aaron Judge model that they had turned into a torpedo bat, specifically designed to fit his swing — and strong results have followed.

The latest came on Tuesday, when Escarra collected a three-hit day, including crushing a 438-foot homer off Rays starter Ryan Pepiot in a 3-2 win at Charlotte Sports Park.

“I think it has to be the torpedo bats,” said Escarra, who also threw out a runner trying to steal second. “My boy Zac [Fieroh, the club’s manager of analytics and implementation in quantitative analysis] in the analytic hitting department, he’s doing a great job with my bats. I bought into the torpedo bats and maybe it’s that. Maybe it’s not, but I like to think so.

“This year, I said I’m going to live and die by this bat.”

The early returns have been encouraging, specifically in how hard Escarra is hitting the ball more consistently. His homer on Tuesday came off the bat at 108.4 mph, his second-highest exit velocity of the spring, behind only his first home run on Feb. 27 that came off the bat at 109.6 mph — both higher than his regular-season career-high of 107.1 mph. He came into Tuesday with an average exit velocity of 94.1 mph this spring, up from the 90.8 mph he averaged in his first season as a big leaguer.

That has only reinforced what Aaron Boone and the Yankees believe about Escarra, who is likely to make the club as its traditional backup catcher behind Austin Wells.

“J.C. is a really good player — I tell him this, too — he just hasn’t gotten a chance yet,” Boone said.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s a top-half-of-the-league catcher. … He can play, man.”

Last season, after winning over the fan base as the former Uber driver who made the team out of camp, Escarra hit .202 with two home runs and a .629 OPS in sporadic playing time — totaling 40 games and 98 plate appearances.

He was more impactful behind the plate, with above-average framing metrics, but was relegated to Triple-A by the second half of the season as Ben Rice took on more catching duties to keep his bat in the lineup.

It remains to be seen how much playing time Escarra will get this season with Rice now the starting first baseman but a crowded bench picture, though he is giving himself a chance to make a bigger impact with his bat — torpedo bat, to be specific.

“I found one that feels comfortable and they made it into how my swing works,” he said. “So I’m seeing it through. I like to think it gives me a little bit of an edge.

“It gives me the biggest barrel that I can use, so maybe that pitch I used to miss, now I’m foul-tipping it and giving me another chance to hit. Maybe I just missed it and then the next one I hit it a little better. It’s all about the small advantages it gives me. If it is proven that it helps me, then I’m going to see it through and keep using it.”

As for his defense, Escarra said getting better at throwing runners out has been a point of emphasis. He only caught one runner stealing on 20 attempts last season, and the Yankees overall had the 10th-lowest caught stealing percentage at 20.3 percent (26-for-128).

All of his work this spring is making sure he is ready to go when called upon.

“I know my role, and I’m going to try to be the best at my role,” Escarra said. “Whatever the team needs, I’m going to be ready for it.”

Nolan McLean likely would have been the Game 1 starter had the Mets made the playoffs last year. 

And while that didn’t come to fruition, he got the ball Tuesday night in a playoff-like atmosphere on a global stage. For the most part, he showed the tantalizing talent that has made him one of the best prospects in baseball. 

The United States hurler allowed two runs on four hits over 4 ²/₃ innings while striking out four in a 3-2 defeat in the World Baseball Classic championship game against Venezuela at loanDepot park in Miami. 

“I felt good out there, proud of the way I competed,” said McLean, who graded his start a seven out of 10. “Stuff felt great, filling up the zone, tried to control everything I could.” 

McLean, who averaged 95 mph on his fastball during his rookie campaign, was consistently hitting 98 and above against Venezuela. 

“I thought Nolan pitched his tail off. We were not prepared for him to go five [innings],” manager Mark DeRosa said after the loss. “We were thinking he’d give us three, he’d give us four, and we were going to go right to the bullpen and see where the game was at. 

“That’s a testament to him. He had unbelievable stuff tonight.” 

McLean got off to an inauspicious start when Ronald Acuña Jr. rocketed a 108.4 mph single on the first pitch of the ballgame. But the righty settled down, inducing a double play from Maikel Garcia before Luis Arraez hit a lazy fly ball to center. In all, the frame took him just five pitches. 

He started the second inning with dominant stuff, striking out the first two with filthy breaking pitches before working around a bloop single. 

Venezuela broke through in the third, thanks in part to McLean uncorking a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position. Garcia came through this time with a sacrifice fly, but McLean avoided further trouble. 

He finally had an easy fourth inning, his first clean frame of the night, but allowed a leadoff homer to Wilyer Abreu in the next inning. 

“I thought Mac threw the ball great,” Bryce Harper said. “He’s a special talent. He’s going to be a special talent for a long time.” 

McLean’s Venezuelan counterpart, Eduardo Rodriguez, proved to be even better, though, keeping the United States off balance and mostly off base. He yielded one hit and one walk with four strikeouts in the first 4¹/₃ innings. 

On the hook for most of the night, McLean was spared from taking the loss after Bryce Harper’s two-run homer tied the game briefly in the eighth inning.

One former Yankee is heading to the Bronx Bombers’ biggest rival.

Veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle has agreed to a minor league deal with the Red Sox, The Post’s Jon Heyman first reported.

The move comes days after Boston signed lefty reliever Danny Columbe to a big league deal. The contract for Kahnle should give the Red Sox more depth in the bullpen.

Thanks in large part to an All-Star season from Aroldis Chapman, the Red Sox ranked second in MLB — and tops in the American League — in reliever ERA (3.41) and ninth in WHIP (1.25).

Kahnle, 36, pitched last season with the Tigers, holding a 4.43 ERA and 1.302 WHIP across 66 appearances. He also saved nine games for Detroit, which made the playoffs as a wild-card entrant. He was mostly undone by an ugly July in which he carried a 19.64 ERA across 11 games.

Most of his innings, 195 2/3 to be exact, came over six seasons and two separate stints for the Yankees. He was first acquired by New York in a pre-trade deadline deal with the Rockies in 2017.

His best season in The Bronx came during his last in 2024, when he recorded a career-best 2.11 ERA over 42 2/3 innings.

Kahle didn’t allow a single earned run through his first eight playoff games in 2024 but allowed two without recording an out in Game 5 of the Fall Classic, taking the loss as the Dodgers took the series.

He’s known for wielding his changeup as his primary — and sometimes only — offering, and he deployed it at an 86 percent clip in 2025.

Kahnle also pitched two scoreless innings for Team Israel at this year’s World Baseball Classic.

Observations from Mets spring training on Tuesday.

All Right

Francisco Lindor continued to take strides in his comeback from left hamate bone surgery, taking swings in a game from the right-handed batter’s box and he “looked like a normal player,” Carlos Mendoza said.

Slow Play

Like Sean Manaea, Craig Kimbrel hasn’t seen his velocity come all the way back as he tries to make the bullpen. Perhaps it will happen in the regular season.

Mendoza said Kimbrel has looked good, but added the team will have “some tough decisions.” Kimbrel said he “absolutely” feels like he can help the team with his current stuff.

Caught My Eye

The new-look infield made its Grapefruit League debut, with Jorge Polanco at first, Marcus Semien at second, Bo Bichette at third and Lindor at shortstop.

They made it through the game against the Marlins seemingly without any issues.

Wednesday’s Schedule

The Mets are off and will pick up their Grapefruit League schedule Thursday against the Astros at 6:05 p.m. in West Palm Beach, Fla., with Kodai Senga starting.

Derek Jeter played in seven World Series and won five of them. He also competed with Team USA during the first two World Baseball Classic tournaments in 2006 and 2009.

As talk of the WBC atmosphere rivaling the World Series grows louder, the former Yankees captain, Fox analyst and Hall of Famer stuck to his trademark script.

“I think the people that say it’s bigger than the World Series never played in a World Series,” Jeter said Tuesday during FS1’s pregame coverage ahead of the championship game between Venezuela and Team USA.

“I think people are always trying to compare what’s bigger. … It’s completely different. When you retire, they ask, ‘How many championships did you win?’ for a reason. Playing in a World Series, going through a 162-game schedule plus the postseason, is difficult to do.”

Jeter’s remarks come on the heels of several high-profile major leaguers saying the possibility of winning the WBC and bringing glory to their country would mark the biggest accomplishment of their career.

Braves superstar and Venezuela standout Ronald Acuña Jr. said to ESPN his team’s victory over Italy to reach the 2026 WBC final was “No. 1 for me in my career.”

"When you retire, they ask 'how many championships did you win?' for a reason."@derekjeter weighs in on the attempts to compare the World Series and the World Baseball Classic. pic.twitter.com/z9HoU5Jfwq

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 17, 2026

Before the D.R. was eliminated, Mariners star Julio Rodriguez said, that compared to a possible World Series victory, “winning the World Baseball Classic would be top of the list.”

Most notably, Aaron Judge, who succeeded Jeter as Yankees captain, called the tournament atmosphere “bigger” than the World Series after leading his team to a 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic on Sunday.

“I’ll say, it’s been bigger,” Judge told reporters. “The World Series I was in versus the crowd here and the one we had against Mexico, it’s bigger and better than the World Series.

“The passion that these fans have representing their country, representing some of their favorite players, there’s nothing like it.”

Judge’s comments also puzzled Yankees announcer Michael Kay, who said he couldn’t “wrap my mind around” the sentiment.

Unlike Acuña and Rodriguez, Judge has World Series experience as he helped lead the Yankees to the 2024 Fall Classic, which the Dodgers won in five games. Acuna was injured when the Braves won it all in 2021.

Jeter acknowledged the pride players feel representing their country in the WBC, a tournament in which he hit a solid .347/.439/.429 across 14 total games.

But, after appearing in seven Fall Classics, Jeter said that it’s still a “completely different” baseball stage.

“Doesn’t take anything away from the WBC,” Jeter said. “It is an absolute honor, I’ve done it a couple of times, it’s an honor to wear the USA across your chest. How this tournament has grown over the last 20 years is impressive.”

“This really unites fans. I remember playing for the US, running into Boston and them telling me, ‘Hey, I hate the Yankees, but I’m going to enjoy rooting for you the next two weeks. So it doesn’t take anything away from the WBC [but] it’s completely different.”

JUPITER, Fla. — If all goes according to plan, Tobias Myers will be in the Mets bullpen, pitching multiple innings — as he did Tuesday against the Marlins.

His numbers weren’t great in a 5-5 tie at Roger Dean Stadium, but he’s been pleased with his adjustment to a new team and something of a new role.

As the Mets have noted since Myers’ arrival in a trade from Milwaukee, the right-hander is considered much more than a throw-in piece coming along with Freddy Peralta.

After Myers was stretched out a bit early in the spring, manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday they are having him throw around 40 pitches to adjust to a long relief spot in the pen.

He was sharp in his first inning of work Tuesday before his command failed him when he went back out for the seventh.

But Myers has felt good about his stuff this spring, as he explained recently in Port St. Lucie.

“I just like to compete,” Myers said. “I’m ready to flip the switch to the regular season.”

And he’s prepared to embrace the opportunity that he expects to have in Queens, which isn’t surprising considering the route he took to get here.

Many Mets fans recall Myers as an important piece of Milwaukee’s pitching staff when the teams faced off in the wild-card round in 2024.

It was Myers who started the decisive Game 3 and tossed five shutout innings before turning it over to the bullpen.

That’s when Devin Williams gave up Pete Alonso’s memorable home run that extended the Mets’ playoff run.

But even before that, Myers had already defied the odds to get to the majors.

As he noted, he was designated for assignment by three teams in 2022 alone, as Cleveland, San Francisco and the White Sox all let him go before he signed with the Brewers following that season. 

“I don’t think I knew how to deal with it then,” Myers said of the disappointment of not being able to stick with a team. “I think that’s why the trend kept going. But it definitely helped me, for sure, in the long run. I found out how to handle the business side of baseball at a young age and I think that was beneficial.”

And he’s brought that with him to the Mets, where the 27-year-old has impressed for much of the spring and could still end up starting at some point.

“If he goes to the bullpen, [it means] everyone is healthy in the rotation,” Mendoza said.

As the manager pointed out, the Mets already have six starters, and Myers said he’s OK with whatever the team wants him to do.

He went through that eventful 2022 and wasn’t especially effective with Double-A Biloxi in his first season in the Brewers organization.

Then he broke out in 2024 in Milwaukee before an oblique strain early last year got him sidetracked.

He’s appeared in just 49 games in the majors, yet the Mets have high expectations, and Myers said he’s ready to deliver, with the lessons from 2022 still fresh.

“To be DFA’d three times when you’re still starting your career really opens your eyes and makes you realize you need to go out there and get it,” Myers said. “I learned you’ve got to be good when called upon. You’ve got to commit and be available.”

And when you’re given the chance, pitch well.

“No team is going to let you struggle for a couple of years and just keep going,” he said. “It’s a tough business and you have to produce.”