Category: MLB

The term “old friend alert” usually applies to players who have taken the field in a major-league game for the Royals. Over a thousand athletes have worn a Kansas City uniform in the big leagues, but is that the only standard for being considered a “former Royal”?

Here are some players who didn’t play in a regular-season game for Kansas City. Should they be considered former Royals?

Players who were in the Royals farm system, but never appeared in a game with them

Thousands of players have been part of the Royals organization, but never appeared in a big league game for them. Many are guys you’ve never heard of. Charles “Pickles” Smith. Lance Jennings. Nick Van Stratten.

Some were high draft picks that busted. Rex Goodson. Juan LeBron. Chris Lubanski.

It includes guys who went on to fame elsewhere, like Cecil Fielder. That’s right, the two-time home run champ became an All-Star with the Tigers, but he began his career as an 18-year-old hitting .322 with 20 home runs in 69 games in Butte, Montana, for the Royals. But the Royals wanted to get veteran outfielder Leon Roberts from the Blue Jays, so they traded the rotund first baseman. In fairness, he didn’t really pan out with the Jays either, and it wasn’t until he returned to MLB after a stint in Japan that he became a star.

Other Royals farmhands who had solid careers elsewhere include Greg Minton, Ken Phelps, Greg Hibbard, Jon Lieber, Fernando Cruz, and Rookie of the Year Wil Myers.

Then there were those MLB veterans that the Royals signed to play in the minors, but who never appeared with the big league squad. Players like Todd Van Poppel, Erik Hanson, Benny Agbayani, Chris Truby, Pat Mahomes, Xavier Nady, Casey Kotchman, Travis Snider, Clay Buchholz, Kyle Lohse, Dallas Keuchel, Bobby Dalbec, and Nick Gordon.

And then there are those players that the Royals signed, but who couldn’t stay healthy enough to ever appear in a game with them. Former 20-game winner Kyle Wright was acquired by the Royals with the hopes he could join the rotation. But he suffered setbacks in his rehab and never appeared in a big league game with the Royals, signing with the Cubs this offseason. Is he an “old friend”?

Players who were in spring training with the Royals but didn’t make the team

Then there are the players that the Royals signed to a deal and invited to spring training, but never made a roster out of camp. Lee Smith announced his retirement in 1997 after 478 career saves. But he kept in shape that winter, and the Royals invited him to spring training the next year. “My wife told me to see about playing some ball. She was about tired of me. She had to cook every day. She said, ‘Go do something with yourself,” joked Smith.

Smith pitched well enough to be considered for the Opening Day roster, but the Royals had some pitchers out of options and asked the future Hall of Famer if he would go to Omaha for 30 days. He passed. “That’s kind of a weak act for somebody with 18 years in the big leagues to be waiting for somebody to screw up,” he reasoned.

Lee Smith pitched for eight different MLB teams in his career, and his bust in Cooperstown has a Cubs cap. But is he a former Royals pitcher?

Players that were acquired, but left the organization before ever playing a game with the Royals

Then there were those players who were Royals only on paper, never to adorn the blue jersey. Hoyt Wilhelm, another Hall of Fame reliever, was selected by the Royals in the expansion draft before their inaugural season. But he was immediately traded to the Angels for Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepke. Is he a former Royal?

The Royals signed pitcher Jeff Shaw to a minor league deal after the 1992 season, after he had a decent showing in Triple-A in the Indians organization. But a month later, he was shipped to the Expos in a four-player trade for pitcher Mark Gardner. Five years later, he led the National League in saves and became an All-Star closer. Do we consider him a former Royals pitcher?

So what exactly qualifies someone as a “former Royal”? Is it only players who appeared in a regular-season game for Kansas City? Or does time in the farm system count? Is it anyone that has ever been acquired by the team? Baseball transactions can be messy, and players pass through organizations in all sorts of ways. So where do you draw the line? Who counts as a former Royal?

Much of the Red Sox’s offense has been in flux over the last 12 months: Rafael Devers was traded, Alex Bregman walked, Wilson Contreras and Caleb Durbin were acquired, while the infield platoon was refreshed. The combination of moves sounds awful for offensive pop, it but does offer more stability defensively. Meanwhile, he team decided to stick to what they know at the catcher position. Let’s evaluate!

The Starter: Carlos Narvaez

There’s a lot to like about Carlos Narvaez, who finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting. But before recognizing Narvaez as a potential fantastic defensive catcher in due time, I must put my Scrooge hat on — because it wouldn’t be one of my articles if I didn’t — and state that he has some work to do at the plate. But I’ll also remain optimistic and state that he can probably do that work.

Narv slashed .241/.306/.419 last year for an OPS of .726, which ranked 18th in baseball amongst catchers, and his Savant page looks like a Frozen movie. But his career is still in his infancy, with still under 500 career plate appearances. The catcher bell curve was more steady than usual, meaning Narvaez was within striking distance from being an average catcher at the plate. Whether this is more noticeable on a team that doesn’t have the same offensive pop remains to be seen, but I’m willing to wait.

In retaining Carlos Narvaez as a starting catcher, the Red Sox have something that only a few teams in baseball can claim: a Gold Glove finalist behind the dish. Folks may want to point to Carlos Narvaez ending a game with a walk-off interference for just the second time in league history (and some of the folks may be in the room with us right now) as proof that he’s got some flaws as a defensive catcher. But, even though the Red Sox led the Major Leagues last year with nine catcher’s interference calls, the proof to the contrary is in the pudding.

As I referenced when Narvaez was nominated for the award that Detroit’s Dillon Dingler definitely dutifully (okay, sorry, got carried away with the alliteration) eventually won, the 27-year-old Narvaez was ranked in the 85th percentile in framing. All of these pitches below were called strikes, which is huge when an inning starts getting a little hairy. Here’s a visual on some of those pitches. Good framing keeps pitchers confident, controlled and, best case scenario, well rested. Now the ABS challenging system may put all this to rest, but remember that teams also need to be diligent with when they call for challenges, and managers may ask to be more strategic and only challenge defensively. For now, framing and taking away strikes is a huge strength of Narvaez’s.

Narvaez also led all catchers with 32 runners caught stealing, and his 90th percentile pop time proves his arm and reflexes are speedy. In time, Narvaez. may just become one of the most reputable defensive catchers in the game. And the best part of all is that he cost the Red Sox nothing and is likely ours to enjoy for at least five years.

The Backup: Connor Wong

The last remaining piece of the Mookie Betts trade, Connor Wong looked like he had it all in 2023 and 2024. He was quick, had power, and looked like a pretty good defensive catcher. The first two of those took a huge step backward last season, resulting in Narvaez taking his starting job. It took until the summer for Wong to record his second RBI of the season. His OPS was just .500 and he batted below the Mendoza line for the first time.

Even Wong’s defensive prowess dipped, as he dropped to 26th in catcher framing. But there was a curious anecdote about Aroldis Chapman’s world-renowned fastball that perhaps sparked some faith in Wong’s ability as a collaborative catcher. Wong reportedly told Chapman he can try to actually locate and place his fastball, resulting in him having a career year at 37 years of age. Remember, again, that Chapman’s fastball has topped out at nearly 106 miles per hour, that Chapman ha been in the Cy Young conversation at times, and that he could end his career with over 400 career saves. Here’s what Narvaez had to say about it:

“It’s kind of crazy, bro,” Narváez said. “Because I mean, when you ask a catcher, you want to call a fastball away, fastball in, fastball up and in, especially with the PitchCom. So, now, I mean he’s been in the league for a while and he’s just saying like ‘Okay, I’m actually locating my fastball now. In when I want it and away when I want it.’ It’s like ‘Okay, I didn’t know why you didn’t before but let’s do it.’ He’s pitching with conviction now and every pitch has an intent. It was a big adjustment for him, bro.”

The Red Sox brought Wong back on a 1-year, 1.375 million dollar deal without going to arbitration. He’s under team control for three more seasons, but if Wong isn’t producing either offensively or defensively it’ll be easy to say goodbye one day, though it will be a departure where that meme of Wolverine holding a picture with the words “2024 Connor Wong” comes to mind.

I’d also be remiss to not acknowledge the other options in the room, but these aren’t real options in my mind, nor should they be in anyone’s. Willson Contreras has almost 1000 career games logged behind the dish, but at this stage of his career, especially seeing as he was acquired in a trade for capital, he needs to preserve his health for the potential of this team. Anthony Seigler has also caught in his career (although just once in the Majors) but this is another break-glass-in-case-of-real-emergency option. There’s also old friend Christian Vazquez still in free agency, but his best years are well behind him.

The Minor League Depth

This team has notably been incredibly astute with depth signings this offseason. Matt Thaiss is probably most teams’ backup backup catcher in terms of experience, as he has 305 games in the bigs including 60 games in 2025 where he batted .218/.349/.288. Bbut as you can see, there’s no power to speak of and he’ll almost certainly be heading to Polar Park as the team has already assigned him to AAA. Nate Baez was brought in on a minor league deal. So, too, was another old friend (and native New Englander) in Mickey Gasper, who returns to the organization with his first Major League hit – and home run! – in tow from his time with the Twins. Jason Delay is another depth signing with Major League experience albeit with no seasons over replacement level yet (but he can slug!). Ronald Rosario sent one out of the park in the Northeastern game but hasn’t progressed past Double-A yet, and my own personal favorite WooSox player (if Nick Sogard stays on the Major League roster), Nate Hickey, hit 17 home runs in Worcester last season but, realistically, will be more of a first baseman, as he spends much more time there. Password’s little brother Johanfran remains in the organization following a promotion in 2025 and shares the power tool. And, finally, Brooks Brannon might surge up to Worcester as he’s been promoted once in each of the last four seasons and certainly looks viable at the plate.

Fangraphs Projections

Around the AL East

Throughout the Blue Jays’ run to nearly dethroning the Dodgers as World Series champions, it was evident that Alejandro Kirk is one of the best catchers in baseball. The Yankees’ Austin Wells, like Narvaez, is an excellent pitch framer in his own right with more Major League experience and a solidified starting spot. Adley Ruschmann had a down year but he remains the Orioles’ starter, with Samuel Basallo waiting in the wings, complete with long-term deal in hand. I’d probably slot Narvaez and Wong fourth. The Rays remain the only team I’d put definitively under Narvaez, marching out a tandem of Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes; that position will likely be a pain point for Tampa as the season grows long.

Ultimately, I feel great with Narvaez being the catcher of the present and the future, and we can at least pencil him in as part of the the next generation of winning in this organization.

Hello, friends.

There are now three weeks remaining until Orioles Opening Day. Between now and March 23 are more exhibition games that will hopefully help the team set a successful roster. They travel to play the Rays today, a game that will not be televised by either team and will only have a radio broadcast from the Rays side. Those are not my favorite spring training games.

Yesterday’s contest saw the Orioles lose to the Astros, 4-2. There was some sloppiness, including two runs that scored on the same strikeout – yeah, really – Pete Alonso getting thrown out by a mile trying to score, and Colton Cowser getting picked off first base. Reliever Keegan Akin gave up another run. The results aren’t there for him so far this spring. There is time to turn it around, but it seems like there’s some reliever every year who stinks in spring training and that’s just who he is this year. Akin would only be following in Cionel Pérez’s footsteps if he ended up that way.

One guy who IS getting the results is Vance Honeycutt. Oh yeah, he did it again. The outfield prospect whose 2025 season made him look like a complete bust hit another homer yesterday, which makes it four home runs in four at-bats. If you haven’t seen the video yet, trust me and watch this:

Holy mackerel. This latest blast from Honeycutt came off of a Triple-A pitcher for the Astros named Miguel Ullola. That’s not quite as impressive as hitting a homer off an MLB-experienced pitcher – which Honeycutt has done before, just to be clear – but it’s still a tougher pitcher than he was facing last year in High-A. It’s early yet to proclaim there’s something real going on here. He’s going to have to do this in real games, at multiple levels, before he can overcome last year’s track record. But, you know, maybe?

Not all news was good in Orioles camp yesterday. Manager Craig Albernaz revealed before Wednesday’s game that reliever Andrew Kittredge, who the Orioles went out of their way to re-acquire back in November, is suffering from shoulder inflammation. Kittredge is “a low probability for Opening Day,” and Albernaz also said “we don’t want to put any timetable on him,” which probably means a while. A bullpen that is light on proven names gets even thinner. Time will tell us if “sign only Ryan Helsley to improve the relief corps” was a good offseason strategy.

Helsley pitched a scoreless inning yesterday. So did Dietrich Enns, another expected Opening Day reliever. Tyler Wells struck out three batters over two scoreless innings. He’s yet to allow a run this spring. People have wanted Wells in the Orioles bullpen for a few years now and it might be happening this year at last, out of necessity but hopefully also because of performance.

Orioles stuff you might have missed

Vance Honeycutt’s stunning home run streak gives hope for a slow-starting career (The Baltimore Banner)
The general sports columnists, too, have taken note of Honeycutt’s fascinating little spring accomplishment. He’s the only guy in all of spring training with four homers!

Kittredge’s shoulder injury, Wells’s role out of bullpen, Bautista’s progress after surgery (School of Roch)
It would be pretty funny, in a morbid way, if the Orioles traded Kittredge away at the right time only to trade for him again at the wrong time. At least they’ve still got prospect Wilfri De La Cruz out of the deal.

Do the Orioles have enough in the back end of their bullpen? (Steve on Baseball)
Steve Melewski observes there isn’t much of a backup plan if Helsley comes out of the gate looking as bad as he did with the Mets to close out last season.

Jackson Holliday to begin hitting with surgically repaired hand (The Baltimore Sun)
A solid incremental update, although not one that’s going to change the picture that he’s going to miss some time in the regular season.

Guest coaches Ben McDonald and Scott McGregor share their wisdom (Baltimore Baseball)
Albernaz said of these two and other guest coaches, “They’re great mental skills coaches.” McDonald is apparently a lot more excited about Orioles minor league pitchers than he was four or five years ago.

Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries

Today in 1996, the Veterans Committee selected Earl Weaver for the Baseball Hall of Fame. His legend needs no elaboration in Birdland.

There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2012-13 three-gamer L.J. Hoes, 2002-07 pitcher Érik Bédard, 1993-98 outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds, and 2000-01 pitcher José Mercedes. Today is Mercedes’s 55th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: cartographer Gerardus Mercator (1512), magician Penn Jillette (1955), voice actor Yuri Lowenthal (1971), and singer-songwriter Madison Beer (1999).

On this day in history…

In 1770, British soldiers opened fire on a crowd of colonists in Boston, Massachusetts, killing five people. Though several years passed before ongoing open hostilities, this event proved a key rallying cry in the drive for independence for the North American colonies.

In 1872, engineer George Westinghouse received a patent for his air brake, the principle of which still forms the core of brakes on trains to this day.

In 1946, once and future British prime minister Winston Churchill gave a speech at Westminster College in Missouri where he coined the now-famous phrase “Iron Curtain” regarding the wall separating Soviet-controlled countries from the rest of the world.

In 1953, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who had been in power for more than 30 years, died days after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.

A random Orioles trivia question

I received a little book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask a question in this space each time it’s my turn until I run out of questions or forget. I’ve been skipping stupid or incredibly easy questions, so we’re already on #56. In the book, they’re multiple choice answers, but that would be too easy here, wouldn’t it? Here’s today’s question:

How many members of the 500 home run club played for the Orioles during their careers?

Manny Machado, sitting on 369 home runs heading into his age 33 season, might well add one more to the tally before he’s done. He sure doesn’t count yet, though. If you were wondering, our recently signed Polar Bear Pete Alonso has 264 home runs. If he averages at least 35 home runs per year with the Orioles, he might get on the list before his career is done too.

**

And that’s the way it is in Birdland on March 5. Have a safe Thursday.

The World Baseball Classic officially got underway last night with the first game in the Tokyo Dome that featured Chinese Taipei and Australia. There are a couple of lower-level Phillies prospects on Team Australia, but most of the names you would recognize won’t start official WBC play until tomorrow. Meanwhile, we still have plenty of meaningless spring training games to satiate your appetite!

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Jhoan Duran made his spring debut yesterday and he feels “fantastic.” ($)
• Bryce Harper has a plan for this season: controlling the zone.
• What does Johan Rojas’ suspension mean for the Phillies outfield?
• Dylan Moore, whose stock has risen in the wake of Rojas’ pending suspension, is embracing the uncertainty that comes with fighting for a roster spot.

MLB news:

• Hunter Greene is set to have an MRI on his elbow after feeling some stiffness that forced him to leave Reds camp and head to Cincinnati to consult with team doctors.
• A big ol’preview of everything you need to know as pool play starts at the WBC.
• Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts breaks down the insanity that was Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. ($)
• How will the exit of Tony Clark affect the MLBPA’s plan ahead of the upcoming CBA negotiations? ($)

It’s perhaps the ultimate rite of spring – poring over prospect ratings, getting too excited over a rookie’s chance to impact their Major League Baseball squad, going nuts over absurdly small samples of fake baseball in Grapefruit and Cactus league exhibitions.

Well, maybe this is the year to revel in it a bit.

Four top prospects have done little to dispel that they may not only be big league-ready, but poised to break through even before the most starry-eyed prospect-head could’ve imagined.

Yes, three weeks remain before Opening Day, plenty of time for twentysomethings to get schooled by superior pitching and steady veterans look more alluring to a manager. Noted.

Let’s take a minute to hone in on four uber prospects who have made the industry take notice with their early performances in camp:

Konnor Griffin, SS, Pirates

Might as well start with the aircraft carrier. Griffin is a teenager, at least until April 24, the game’s top prospect and a dude who has no idea how to tamp down the hype surrounding his name.

Thankfully, the dude finally mixed in a single in an exhibition against Colombia, ending his spring streak of every hit being a gargantuan home run. Alas, those tape-measure shots did little to dull the roar that emerged from a .333/.415/.527 first professional season that started at low A and concluded at Class AA.

Teams competing in the World Baseball Classic have a most delicate task: Carve out a legacy in less than two weeks.

Yet despite the microwaved format that’s inverse to how we typically watch the sport and assess greatness, the five championship teams all managed to both showcase their talents, conserve their resources and suppress some pretty elite competition to hoist the trophy at tournament’s end.

The WBC has changed almost as much as the sport itself in two decades. Ranking the best of the best is certainly a dicey proposition, as several mini-eras have emerged in the game during that span.

Still, some squads shined a bit brighter. With that, ranking the five WBC champions as the 2026 edition gets under way March 5:

The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the middle of Spring Training, but they have a couple of players who are playing in the World Baseball Classic, including two bullpen guys who will be suiting up for the Dominican Republic.    

Right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana and left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto showed up against the Detroit Tigers in an exhibition match at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo on March 3.

Soto entered the game in the third inning where he struggled early. He walked first baseman Spencer Torkelson and allowed a single to Tigers third baseman Colt Kieth.

 After the struggle, the lefty was able to get out of the inning without allowing a run. He got center fielder Max Clark to ground out, then he struck out second baseman Zack McKinstry and designated hitter Thayron Lizano to end the inning. 

Santana then came in the fourth inning where he struck out catcher Jake Rodgers on an 85 mph slider. 

Santana just threw 18 pitches after allowing an unearned run from the bat of Riley Greene. Even though it was a short outing for the righty, he looked solid against a Tigers team that made the playoffs last season. 

Santana and Soto are two of the Pirates best bullpen arms and they are going to be important pieces to one of the better pitching staffs in all of baseball going into the 2026 season.

Santana was picked off of waivers from the Yankees in 2024. He has quickly improved with the team and had a strong year in 2025. He became the full time closer after the Bucs traded David Bender to the Yankees at the trade deadline. 

He finished with a 4-5 record in 70 appearances, a 2.18 ERA over 70.1 innings pitched, 13 holds, 16 saves in 19 opportunities, 60 strikeouts to 17 walks, a .179 opposing batting average and a 0.87 WHIP.

The Pirates signed Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million deal, which was made official on Dec. 15, giving them an important piece of their bullpen. Soto is coming off of a 2025 season where he had a 3.96 ERA over 45 appearances and 36.1 innings pitched with the Baltimore Orioles, before they traded him to the New York Mets at the deadline. 

I am excited to see what Santana and Soto will do for the Pirates this season. Pittsburgh’s starting rotation should be great which will put pressure on the bullpen to do its job as well.  

I will obviously be rooting for team USA and pitcher Paul Skenes during the World baseball classic but I will also keep a close eye and see what two of our top bullpen guys are doing for team Dominican Republic.  

Shohei Ohtani will once again be one of the top players in the World Baseball Classic with Team Japan.

The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar designated hitter/pitcher helped Japan to its first World Baseball Classic title in more than a decade at the 2023 World Baseball Classic when he struck out then-Los Angeles Angels teammate Mike Trout to clinch that victory over Team USA inside LoanDepot Park in Miami.

The Ohtani-Trout matchup remains one of the more cinematic and talked-about moments in baseball history three years later.

REQUIRED READING: Can Shohei Ohtani win Cy Young Award? He expects to be in conversation

But as the 2026 World Baseball Classic begins, that matchup won't be seeing a Round 2 in the international tournament, as Trout was not named to the United States' roster after serving as its captain because of insurance issues.

Ohtani also is not expected to step on the mound for Japan, whose rotation will be headlined by his Dodgers teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, at the World Baseball Classic.

Japan starts its title-defending run on Friday, March 6 against Chinese Taipei bright and early at 5 a.m. ET over in Japan at the Tokyo Dome in Pool C play.

Here's what to know on whether Ohtani is pitching for Japan in the WBC:

There’s nothing like the early days of spring to get the imagination going. Pitchers show up with new pitches, hitters show up with improved swings and approaches, everyone is in the best shape of their lives, and hope springs, well, eternal.

Among those bright spring training traditions is letting one’s optimism run wild when it comes to prospects. Prospects are unproven, untested, but that they’re untested means we haven’t yet seen them fail, making it that much easier to dream. George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ consensus top prospect, certainly gave us a reason to dream yesterday:

That’s a 20-year-old shortstop, facing perhaps the second- or third-best pitcher on the planet, taking a 97-mph fastball in a 1-2 count way out to left field. Lord knows we can’t jump to conclusions based on spring training, much less one swing in spring training, but if there was ever a swing to get excited about, it’s that one.

We won’t know what Lombard will ultimately become for many years, but after seeing him do that against Garrett Crochet, it’s not hard to ask: will he play a major role for the Yankees this year? The smart money probably says no. He’s still only 20, and he’s coming off a minor-league season that was fine more than anything, posting a .748 OPS across two levels, albeit while flashing big tools and playing largely against players much older than him. The Yankees also have José  Caballero, Ryan McMahon, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. lined up to start on the infield dirt, with Anthony Volpe likely to reclaim a starting job once he’s healthy.

Yet is it crazy to wonder if there’s any way Lombard could force himself into the conversation? Caballero and McMahon both project as average-ish players. If one of them played slightly below that standard, and Lombard was tearing up the high minors in the first half of the season, could he enter the picture? And then there’s the matter of Volpe, who was basically the worst regular starter in baseball for a good chunk of 2025. Better health could and should help him regress in a positive manner this year, but we’ve all grown weary of Volpe struggling for infuriatingly long periods. If he does it again, will the Yankees resist in challenging their top prospect, much as they did with Volpe himself three years ago?

Most 20-year-old prospects don’t end up playing a prominent roles for their big-league clubs. But we’re at spring training, and it’s time to dream big. Do you think Lombard will make an impact as soon as this year?

It’ll be another loaded day on the site today, starting off with Kevin’s recap of the official opener of the WBC, which took place late last night between Chinese Taipei and Australia. Josh will also finish off our preview coverage of the WBC with an overview of Pool D, while Jeff will continue our general 2026 MLB Preview with a look at the St. Louis Cardinals. Also, Michael brings us our latest player preview by analyzing Giancarlo Stanton, and Peter profiles Doug Bird as part of our Yankee Birthday series.

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Video: YES, Gotham Sports App, Twins.tv

Venue: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, FL

USA's ice hockey teams restored some national pride as both won gold at the Winter Olympics.

Now their men's baseball team aims to follow suit at this month's World Baseball Classic.

The sport may be known as 'America's Pastime' but the USA are not the reigning champions.

In fact, Japan have won three of the previous five editions, beating the US on their own turf in a thrilling finale in 2023.

But the US have named a star-studded roster and sought help from the nation's most decorated Olympian, with Great Britain among the teams standing in their way.

What is the WBC?

The World Baseball Classic was first staged in 2006 as an invitational event before replacing the Baseball World Cup - held for the 39th and final time in 2011 - as the sport's official world championship.

Each tournament has been held in multiple countries, with 16 teams competing in the first four editions before expanding to 20 for the fifth staging in 2023.

Japan won the first two tournaments before the Dominican Republic triumphed in 2013, followed by the USA in 2017.

Then came an epic ending three years ago, as two of Major League Baseball's best players went head-to-head in the final at-bat with the title of world champions on the line.

Japan's Shohei Ohtani faced his then Los Angeles Angels team-mate Mike Trout and struck out the US captain to clinch a 3-2 victory.

As in 2023, there are three host nations, with 20 teams having qualified. They are spread across four pools and will play a round-robin format, with the top two teams from each pool qualifying for the quarter-finals.

All Pool C games take place in Tokyo, Japan, including Thursday's opener between Chinese Taipei and Australia, while all Pool A games will be played in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Houston and Miami will host Pools B and D, respectively, and share the quarter-finals. Miami's LoanDepot Park will then stage the semi-finals and final from 15-17 March.

How USA are trying to channel Olympic spirit

In the early editions of the WBC, America's top players were reluctant to take part, preferring to focus on spring training or recovering from injury. Even now, some players are unable to play because of insurance issues.

But the perception of the tournament began to change in 2017. Watching the USA triumph convinced Trout to make himself available for 2023, and other MLB stars decided to take up one of the few opportunities they have to represent their country.

The unique circumstances of that 2023 finale also helped to build the WBC's prestige, and this year the tournament will boast the highest calibre of players it has ever had.

This will be the first WBC to feature the holders of MLB's four most prestigious awards - Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.

Three-time Most Valuable Player Judge, 33, will make his Classic debut as captain of a US roster that includes Bryce Harper and Cal Raleigh.

Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps spoke to the team on Monday and the 23-time Olympic champion stepped into the dugout during Tuesday's exhibition game against the San Francisco Giants.

"He was intense, I thought it was an awesome speech," said Team USA manager Mark DeRosa.

"There's nothing better than winning gold for USA - it's pretty much what it centered around," added Skenes, the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher. "We've got to keep that moving."

Which other stars will play?

Most of the other 30-man rosters feature mainly minor league players with a smattering of stars. Of the 600 players in total, about half are affiliated with MLB teams, with 190 currently on MLB rosters.

They include a record 78 players who have been named to an All-Star team, with 36 selected last year. The US have the most, but the Dominican Republic and Venezuela have at least 12 All Stars.

Juan Soto plays for the New York Mets on the most lucrative contract in world sport - worth a staggering $765m (£600m) - and he will lead the 2013 champions while Ronald Acuna Jr stars for Venezuela.

Czechia are the only team without an MLB-affiliated player but again have Ondrej Satoria, the electrician who struck out four-time MVP Ohtani in 2023.

Ohtani will not pitch as the two-way superstar continues his recovery from elbow surgery and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to release team-mate Yoshinobu Yamamoto because they "understand how important the WBC is to everyone in Japan".

The 27-year-old pitcher, who was series MVP as he and Ohtani helped the Dodgers win last year's World Series, added: "I'm in good shape, so I can play in the WBC and be ready for the Dodgers' opening game."

Nolan Arenado has switched allegiance from Team USA to Puerto Rico, who will feature pitcher Edwin Diaz, while Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran will play for Mexico, and Australia will be led by Travis Bazzana, the first overall pick of the 2024 MLB draft.

And with baseball returning to the Olympics, the two highest-ranked teams from the Americas will qualify for LA 2028, besides the hosts USA.

Who are the GB stars to watch?

Great Britain made their WBC debut in 2023, winning one of their four games to finish fourth in their pool and secure an automatic place in this year's edition.

Their current roster features 11 of those players while Jazz Chisholm Jr of the New York Yankees will represent Britain for the first time in 10 years.

The 28-year-old is the only All Star on the British roster after injury prevented the Bahamas-born infielder from taking part in 2023.

He will be co-captain with catcher Harry Ford, who was traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Washington Nationals in December and hit two home runs during GB's 2023 campaign.

They are two of 20 GB players currently affiliated with an MLB team, while eight have MLB experience.

GB are in Pool B so will be based in Houston and begin their campaign on Friday against Mexico before facing the USA, Italy and Brazil.

US pitcher Tarik Skubal is set to make his only start of the tournament against GB on Saturday, while GB's best chance of victory will come in their final pool game on Monday against Brazil, the lowest-ranked team in their group.

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It probably was not the exact start Joe Musgrove had in mind for his return to the mound in the San Diego Padres’ 2-2 tie with Great Britain at the Peoria Sports Complex on Wednesday, but it was positive. He got one out in the first inning, allowed a run and was taken out with the bases loaded and one out. Reliever Johan Moreno came into the game and recorded back-to-back strikeouts of Trayce Thompson and Nick Ward to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

Musgrove returned to the mound to start the second inning and recorded a strikeout and a flyout against the first two batters. He then allowed a single to Nate Eaton, who advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Musgrove then got Jazz Chisholm to pop out to end the inning, stranding Eaton in scoring position.

Musgrove returned to start the third inning and recorded a groundout before allowing a single to BJ Murray. Musgrove followed that with a strikeout of Matt Koperniak for the second out of the inning, which ended Musgrove’s day on the mound.

Musgrove threw a total of 60 pitches with 36 of those pitches going for strikes. His final stat line was two innings pitched with one run allowed on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Musgrove left the outing with his fastest pitching topping 95 mph and used an array of fastballs and off-speed pitches.

The most important part of the outing was that Musgrove walked off the mound healthy and officially kicked off his return to the MLB mound, which is expected to occur sometime during the season-opening series against the Detroit Tigers on March 26-28 at Petco Park.

It never feels good to have someone tell you that “almost isn’t good enough,” or that “close doesn’t cut it.” Growing up in the south, the phrase I always heard was “close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” People use these sayings whenever some who failed to reach a goal says that it’s okay because they were “close.” And often, they’re right. If you were “close” to making that big sale or if you “almost” didn’t crash your forklift the end result is still a disaster. Hell, the Mariners were close to making the World Series last year, and we all remember how that turned out.

But often, especially for the small stuff, close does count, so long as you do your best. Today, I almost did all my laundry. I’ll finish tomorrow. I’m close to finishing the book I’m reading, but I see how it’s going to end. Tonight the Mariners were, for a while at least, close to winning a Spring Training game. Maybe they’ll win the next one.

The Mariners almost had some productive at-bats against Robbie Ray in the first inning. Cole Young led off the game and worked a six pitch at-bat by fouling everything off before whiffing on pitch 6. J.P. Crawford watched from the on deck circle and wanted in on the fun, working a 7-pitch AB that ended in a groundout. Brennen Davis got bored and grounded out on the first pitch. Almost some productive outs.

The Giants almost put a rally together in their half of the first, with Matt Chapman and Will Brennan hitting back-to-back one out singles, but Mariners pitcher Cooper Criswell neutralized the threat by inducing a double play from Casey Schmitt. The Mariners were also close to putting a rally together in the second, but likewise stranded runners on first and second.

In the top of the third Jonny Farmelo hit a leadoff triple, and almost didn’t score with Cole Young and J.P. Crawford making back-to-back outs, but was able to scamper home on J.P.‘s groundball. After a few quiet innings it looked like the Mariners were close to carrying their slim lead into the “every starter leaves the game” portion of a Spring Training game. Alas, close did not count.

Carlos Vargas replaced Criswell on the bump in the bottom of the fourth, and sadly wasted no time in getting hit all up and down the field. Brennan, Schmitt, and Matos led off the inning with a trio of singles to load up the bases and put all of the pressure on Vargas’ shoulders. That pressure may have gotten to him, as he found it impossible to find the zone and issued a free pass to Grant McCray. From a pitcher’s perspective, a no-out bases loaded walk is very close to the worst possible outcome. You’re in the same situation and you just gave them a run for free. The worst possible outcome is of course a grand slam — hey what’s this video of Jake Holton doing here?

After that back-breaker, the Giants really wanted to get another rally going. Christian Koss almost even got a hit to speed that along. But just almost, thanks to Cole Young.

Afterwards, the Giants went into full Spring Training mode and pulled half their starters from the game. The Mariners clawed back a couple of runs on a Cole Young single and a J.P. Crawford sac fly, but couldn’t keep the line moving long enough. And honestly? They didn’t even come close.

The Giants secondary squad contended with Jose A. Ferrer on the mound in the bottom of the 5th, and had no trouble extending their lead back to five runs, with the capper being a two-RBI double by Bryce Eldridge. Even though the Mariners were able to get another run back in the sixth, the game still wasn’t nearly close enough. In a close game when the offense is clicking, singles can turn into doubles and doubles can turn into homers. But when you’re down by a grand slam or more, everyone is sad. And no one plays good baseball when they’re sad.

[Speaking of sad, Jake had to end the recap here, because he is in Texas and did not realize this game would end at midnight his time. I am here to tell you things did not get better, tonight. The Mariners will try again tomorrow, in a home game back in Peoria at the normal 12 PM PT start time. -KP]

Well in the aftermath of Jurickson Profar’s suspension, the Braves are down a (presumably) productive bat, but up $18 million dollars when you include luxury tax savings. That Mike Yastrzemski signing looks even more important now and Eli White is really not a bad platoon partner for him. That said, for a team that wanted to add a quality starting pitcher but was unable to and suffered a couple brutal pitching injuries right at the beginning of Spring Training, the Profar news really is an instance of “when it rains, it pours”. The team said they had money leftover before, but they certainly have more now. It will be really tough to add impact players in March, but they’ve almost got to be at least making calls on the trade market for another bat, a starting pitcher, or both. We’ll see if the front office can pull a rabbit out of a hat and bolster a roster that still has significant talent, but has already been substantially depleted before the season has even started.

Braves News

The Braves cut Rolddy Munoz, Owen Murphy, and Garrett Baumann from major league camp, as they have begun whittling down the roster.

Brady wrote up some prospect performances of note so far in Spring, including JR Ritchie and John Gil.

The Braves crushed Columbia in a lopsided Spring contest that at least made just about everyone on the Braves’ side look good.

MLB News

Reds’ star Hunter Greene is undergoing an MRI after experiencing elbow stiffness.

The Pirates and Reds made an intra-divisional depth trade, swapping members of their 40-man rosters.

ESPN ranked their top 100 players in baseball, featuring a handful of Braves.

MLB.com | Ian Browne: George Lombard Jr.’s strong spring continued Wednesday as he took Red Sox ace Garret Crochet deep to lead off a Grapefruit League game. The Yankees’ top prospect pulled the ball 392 feet and it exited his bat at 104.2 mph. Crochet was “just trying to push it up in the zone instead of just throwing it up in the zone,” the 2025 AL Cy Young runner-up said after the game of the pitch that led to the long ball. “But that was a good swing, because it was still a good bullet by me.”

Lombard has flashed the leather at shortstop throughout camp, though he’s not expected to be in play for an Opening Day roster spot.

SNY | John Flanigan: Cam Schlittler has gotten the go-ahead to make his spring debut Friday against the Rays, easing concerns about his back. The starting pitcher was delayed earlier in camp due to back inflammation. Given his later start, it’s expected that he might only get stretched out to 65-80 pitches to start the season. Still, with fellow starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt expected to begin the season on the IL, the Yankees will take all the Schlittler they can get.

MLB.com | Alfred Santasiere III: In light of Schlittler’s scheduled return, what better time for a profile on the young right-hander? The sophomore touches on adjustments to big-league competition, evolving his pitch mix, and closing out the season strong. But the lion’s share of the Q&A provides a remarkably in-depth, sometimes inning-by-inning, breakdown of his instantly legendary performance in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against his hometown Red Sox.

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: ($) After the Dodgers’ repeat title last year, their blockbuster offseason acquisitions of Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz intensified backlash from many around the game decrying the lack of parity in today’s game. Don’t count the Yankees’ biggest stars among the detractors of LA’s approach. “They’re trying to get the best product on the field and finding a way to maximize whatever they can to get the best players,” says Aaron Judge, adding (perhaps pointedly), “I wish a lot of teams found a way to do that.”

“They’re maximizing their efficiency,” ace Gerrit Cole said in typically analytical fashion. “They are getting contracts that are making them better quality. It’s within the rules.”

Giancarlo Stanton lauded the Dodgers for creating “good buzz for baseball.”

Lastly, a couple Yankees went deep in World Baseball Classic exhibition play yesterday, with Aaron Judge launching a 453-foot moonshot for Team USA off the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland …

… Paul Goldschmidt joining the Team USA slugfest by homering off John Brebbia …

… and Jazz Chisholm Jr. belting a bomb of his own for Great Britain against Padres righty Eli Villalobos:

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Yankees have a new secret weapon against Garrett Crochet.

In the Grapefruit League, at least.

George Lombard Jr. took the Red Sox ace deep to lead off Wednesday’s exhibition, then drilled a single off him in his second at-bat for two of the three hits Crochet allowed.

“It’s always good getting to face the elite guys in the league,” Lombard said. “I was excited for it. Looking for something to hit, not trying to do too much with it and put a good swing on it.”


Lombard has already turned in a standout spring defensively, making highlight-reel plays at shortstop, third base and second base.

But he has also flashed his offensive potential with plenty of hard-hit balls like Wednesday, with his OPS now up to 1.196 through six games.

Crochet, the big lefty who most recently shut down the Yankees in a dominant start in Game 1 of the AL wild-card series last October, threw a 97 mph fastball at the top of the zone on a 1-2 count to Lombard to lead off the game.

The top prospect had no trouble catching up to it, clobbering it over everything (including the Green Monster replica) in left field for a 392-foot homer that came off the bat at 104.2 mph.

Then in the third inning, Lombard roped a 108.5 mph bullet that got past shortstop Trevor Story for a single.

Leadoff blast for Lombard @georgelombardjr leaves the stadiumpic.twitter.com/kLMwP1gHIn

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 4, 2026

“He’s been great,” manager Aaron Boone said. “You see what he’s capable of. The thing he does pretty well already, as a young hitter, is control the strike zone and has real pop. Obviously a no-doubter there to start things off. He’s just continuing to develop as a hitter.”

Luis Gil looked the sharpest he has all spring in his third start, striking out six and walking two across three-plus scoreless innings.

More significant than the results, Gil’s fastball velocity continued to tick up, averaging 95.7 mph (up from his 2025 average of 95.3) and maxing out at 97.9 mph on a strikeout of Trevor Story to end the third inning.

“It feels great, to know that the velo is there when you need it,” Gil said through an interpreter. “It also shows how the body is progressing and getting into shape to be able to execute pitches like that. Routine is very important and I feel like I’ve been building slowly to that.”


Boone acknowledged that Gil’s “progression has been slow” this spring, but told the righty he keeps getting better.

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“I want to see more, because I know what he’s capable of,” Boone said. “Keep working him back to that early ’24 form where he was dominant. I feel like he’s moving in that direction but he’s got to keep doing that.”

Cam Schlittler is scheduled to make his spring debut Friday night against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field after being delayed by mid-back/left lat inflammation.

The Yankees slowed Schlittler’s buildup earlier in camp to let the back issue settle down, but the right-hander has since faced hitters twice and then threw a bullpen session Wednesday morning that cleared him for Friday’s start.

If the rest of his spring goes well, Schlittler should be built up to around 65-80 pitches by the time the regular season begins, Boone said.

Aaron Judge blasted a 453-foot home run in Team USA’s exhibition against the Rockies on Wednesday, taking lefty Kyle Freeland deep on a tape-measure shot that came off the bat at 115.9 mph.

Oswaldo Cabrera is also “trending” toward making his spring debut on Friday, Boone said, as the Yankees ease the utility player back into action coming off a broken ankle last May.