Category: MLB

MESA, Arizona — Cubs pitchers struck out 14 Rangers hitters Saturday afternoon on another gorgeous day at Sloan Park.

For whatever that’s worth. A few Cubs regulars and a bunch of minor leaguers couldn’t put together much offense, though, and so the Cubs lost their second straight Spring Training game, 3-2 to Texas.

Matthew Boyd put together what I thought was a decent outing, though he didn’t finish the second inning after throwing 36 pitches (25 strikes). He was the victim of a fly ball that Pete Crow-Armstrong lost in the sun and then dropped, generously called a double for Tyler Wade, who then scored on a single by Sam Haggerty to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the second. Boyd did strike out four, so that’s a good start to his spring season.

Here’s Boyd’s fourth K [VIDEO].

The Cubs tied the game up in the bottom of the second. Pedro Ramirez walked, stole second and scored on a single by Jefferson Rojas.

Rojas also made an offline throw in the fourth that pulled Jonathon Long off first base, and Long left with an injury [VIDEO].

It was reported after the game that Long left with a left elbow strain. As you can see in the clip that when he goes down he’s holding his arm after colliding with Mark Canha. It’s a tough blow if Long misses time in Spring Training. It’s unlikely he would have made the Opening Day roster anyway, but this obviously sets him back.

That play helped lead to a two-run inning off Hoby Milner. Otherwise the Cubs bullpen did a pretty good job, including Luke Little, who didn’t walk anyone (progress!), though he did hit a batter, and Jack Neely, who issued a walk but struck out three.

The Cubs scored another run in the fourth. Triantos led off with a single and went to third on a single by Ramirez. Rojas grounded out, scoring Triantos to make it 3-2.

That was it for scoring, and after the fifth it was all minor leaguers finishing things up.

Of note, there were five ABS challenges in this game, three of which resulted in a call being overturned. The last of these was a strike-three call which would have ended the game. Hayden Cantrelle challenged and got it overturned — by seven-tenths of an inch [VIDEO].

That is exactly the sort of situation ABS challenges are designed for — close game, bottom of the ninth, the hitter thinks he’s got a chance at another pitch instead of the game being over.

Which is what Cantrelle got — and then he struck out swinging on the next pitch to actually end the game.

But at least that call was changed to the correct one.

Attendance watch: 12,073 paid to see this Saturday afternoon contest, bringing the season total for two dates to 26,492, or 13,246 per date. The next Sloan Park game will be Tuesday vs. the Padres.

The Cubs travel to Scottsdale to face the Giants Sunday afternoon. Colin Rea will go for the Cubs and Robbie Ray will go for the Giants. There will be a TV broadcast Sunday via Giants TV and there’s also a radio broadcast with the Giants announcers on their flagship station KNBR 104.5.

Jose Miranda agreed to a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres in December of 2025. He did not receive much attention in the months following his signing and kind of got lost in the roster discussion following the frenzy of moves made by the Padres on and after Valentine’s Day. The Padres, manager Craig Stammen and the Friar Faithful are very aware of Miranda after his first two Spring Training games with the organization, the second of which netted Stammen his first managerial win.

Miranda went 3-for-3 with a walk, two singles and a double with four RBI and a run scored to help the Padres get a 10-3 win over the Kansas City Royals at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz. on Saturday. The production by Miranda on Saturday followed a 2-for-3 performance in a 7-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Friday. His two hits against the Mariners were a two-run home run and a double.

Jose Miranda doubles to drive in a run, making it 6-3 Padres in the top of the 8th. pic.twitter.com/UxwjUwaObY

— ⚾️ Shawn (@Shawnimack) February 21, 2026

With limited bench spots available on the San Diego roster, players like Miranda who are battling for a spot cannot afford to have a poor performance. He seems to understand that and is looking to make the most of his opportunity with the Padres.

San Diego catcher Freddy Fermin also had a productive game against Kansas City in his first action of the spring. Fermin drove in the first run of the game in his second at-bat with a double to left in the top of the fifth inning. That followed his first at-bat when he connected on a well struck fly ball to center field that was knocked down by the wind for a flyout. Fermin also showed what he can do behind the plate throwing out Bobby Witt Jr. at second base on a pitch in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth inning. He also used the ABS challenge system successfully, getting a ball overturned to a strike.

It's time for the Ferminator 🫡 pic.twitter.com/peNVb29KwX

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) February 21, 2026

Other notable offensive moments for Padres hitters against the Royals was a double by Bryce Johnson in the top of the first inning, a triple by Mason McCoy in the top of the second, a double by Ramon Laureano in the top of the third, a solo home run by Nick Solak in the top of the eighth and a double by Samad Taylor in the same inning. Taylor finished 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored in the game. San Diego racked up 18 hits in the contest.

Matt Waldron, who is in competition for one of the final rotation spots for the Padres, started the game against the Royals and delivered two scoreless innings, allowing one walk and just one hit. Waldron faced Royals starters Jonathan India, Witt Jr., Vinny Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, Kyle Isbel, Dairon Blanco and John Rave. Blanco was the only player to record a hit against the San Diego starter.

Matt Waldron discusses his two scoreless innings against the Royals today, his knuckleball usage, being out of options this Spring, and more. pic.twitter.com/T8yMwcfPPV

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) February 21, 2026

The Padres return to the Peoria Sports Complex to host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday at 12:10 p.m.

There was quite a bit of action between today’s two split-squad games, so I’ll try to walk you all through the highlights. The Guardians won both games, against the Reds and Brewers, respectively, to start 2-0 in the Spring.

The addition of the ABS Challenge System to Spring Training games has brought Statcast to every Spring Training game, so we’ll have more concrete stats from every game.

The Reds game featured a few notable Guardians’ pitchers: Logan Allen, Doug Nikhazy, and Colin Holderman.

Allen was decent, and his velocity was up across the board. His CSW% (Called Strikes + Whiffs) was 25%, which is below average. Usage-wise, he dropped the usage on his sinker and picked up the usages on his cutter and changeup. That’s all.

Holderman gave up a loud homer. Velocity was about the same as it was last year. Did a decent enough job of missing bats (outside of the homer).

Nikhazy pitched 2 scoreless innings, and notably, Nikhazy’s sliders were 4 mph faster than they were last year. (unless Statcast was misclassifying those pitches).

On the offensive side, neither Kwan nor Jose got on base. Naylor and Arias had back-to-back doubles to start the scoring. (Naylor’s double was 101 off the bat). Fry went 1/3 with a 96mph RBI double to left. Carter Kieboom (lol) whacked a center-cut fastball to drive in the game’s winning runs. We saw a little of Khalil Watson, Ralphy Velazquez, and Juan Brito, too. Only Watson got on base, however. Singled and walked. Not much to talk about in Ralphy’s performance, but Brito’s highlighted an issue I know many scouts have had with him — his arm. There were a few plays with the potential to turn two, and it seemed like he just wasn’t getting much zip on the ball on his throw to first. Something to monitor throughout Spring Training as we’ve seen the Guardians toy around with Brito both at 1B and in RF.

We got to see a very funky righty reliever in Cam Shuelke. He pitches from a Tyler Rogers-esque arm angle, and threw a 68 mph slider! He was very effective, though, striking out the only batter he faced with the bases loaded.

The Brewers game was much more exciting, and was unfortunately not the game being televised. The starting lineup featured Cantillo on the mound, and DeLauter, Manzardo, Valera, Halpin, and Bazzana. DeLauter went 2/3, with his out coming off a 107mph lineout to the pitcher. Aram Leighton was at the game, and captured videos from all of DeLauter’s 3 BBE’s. You can watch them here. We also got to see Genao, Chourio, Ingle, and Alfonsin Rosario. Ingle clobbered a 3-run homer in his only at-bat. Genao walked, Chourio went 0/2, and Rosario went 0/1.

Cantillo’s velocity was up, though he seemed to be a bit all over the place in the 1st. They took him out and brought him back in for the 2nd, and he gave up a moonshot to Brandon Lockridge. Connor Brogdon came in in the 3rd and struck out 2 Brewers.

It’s all still here.

The Mariners played their second game of Spring Training on Saturday, the first of 33 consecutive Saturday games in 2026. There was noticeably less excitement around the blogosphere for this matchup, the novelty of the new season already faded, laying bare the sloppy, non-competitive play of February baseball. But it was nice to feel routine settling in. We’ve got a long way to go.

Like most Spring Training games, I watched this one with good intentions early, but my interest slowly faded as more recognizable faces left and the play got worse. I’m writing this sentence right now in the eighth inning against a muted TV, my eyes flicking up to see Rhylan Thomas lose a ball in the sun for a triple. (My latest peek sees him make a great catch sliding into the wall in left center to end the inning; it appears the Giants scored four times since my last glance.)

Anyways, the Mariners lost to the Giants 10-5 on Saturday. Here are some notes.

Emerson Hancock

Emerson Hancock made his first start of 2026. This is something of a make or break Spring Training for him. He now has 31 starts in MLB over the last three years with a 5.38 FIP, and there isn’t much to root for in the peripherals.  While the team thought it best move him to the bullpen at the end of last season, they’ve given him another shot as a starter at the outset of 2026. Unlike the last two seasons, however, he’s not a lock for the sixth starter job out of camp. His future in the rotation could very well hang on his performance in his first few outings.

How’d he look on Saturday? Eh, pretty good. He came out pumping 96-97 on his fastballs and picked up five whiffs in the first inning alone. His velocity dipped slightly in the second, and his command was spotty, but he ended the day with four strikeouts and nine whiffs. 

The outing was encouraging for a first look in 2026. But we’ve seen Hancock ramp up the velocity for an inning or two in the past. To take the next step, he’ll need to show he can be effective deeper into games; he didn’t quite get through his two scheduled innings Saturday.

Colt Emerson and Cole Young

Colt Emerson—the other Emerson—got into his second straight game. He’s battling for spot on the Opening Day infield. He got the start at third base and batted ninth. He struck out in both of his opportunities. 

Battling for the same infield spot is Cole Young, who delivered two pretty solid at bats, drawing a pair of walks on eight pitches each. As I detailed in his 40 in 40, Young’s power-patience combo is an exciting premise for his future at the plate. But as I highlighted in the same post, his defense is still somewhat troubling. Right on cue, he didn’t take charge on a pop up in the second inning and let it fall for an infield double. Two runs scored on the play, and two more runs scored on the next play.

Miles Mastrobuoni

Miles Mastrobuoni is also fighting for a spot on the end of the Mariners’ Opening Day bench. He’s making a strong case right out the gate. After going 1-for-2 with a double on Friday, he walloped a grand slam off Hayden Birdsong in the bottom of the first. He followed that up with a hustle double on a line drive into the left center gap in the third. That’s three extra base hits in four plate appearances to start 2026 for Mastrobuoni.

Andrés Muñoz, Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo

Andrés Muñoz pitched the third. He gave up a pair of leadoff doubles and also got a pair of strikeouts. I don’t have much to say about his outing, other than, hey, good to see him again. That’s roughly my assessment for Gabe Speier and Eduard Bazardo, who also pitched in the game.

After a long, eventful winter, the Milwaukee Brewers were back in action on Saturday afternoon in Phoenix, as they hosted the Cleveland Guardians. While the results don’t matter much (besides for the coveted Cactus League Cup), the Brewers did go down 9-6 in this one.

Garrett Stallings worked around a pair of singles to begin the afternoon, as Reese McGuire threw out a runner on the basepaths before Stallings induced two flyouts.

The Brewer offense hit the ground running in the bottom of the inning, as Brice Turang singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a Jackson Chourio single. With runners at the corners, Akil Baddoo cashed Turang in with a sac fly to make it 1-0 early. Joey Ortiz followed with a strikeout, and Tyler Black grounded out to end the inning.

Top of the order cashing in immediately

Turang and Chourio singles lead to a Baddoo sac fly for our first run of spring pic.twitter.com/8pXx63cFhQ

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) February 21, 2026

Blake Holub followed Stallings on the mound, working around a leadoff single for a scoreless second.

Brandon Lockridge tacked on another run for Milwaukee to lead off the second, slugging the first homer of spring on a no-doubt 440-foot bomb out to left. One batter later, David Hamilton struck out on the first Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge of the spring, as catcher Austin Hedges got what was called ball three overturned to strike three.

How about a 440-FT BOMB from Brandon Lockridge for our first spring HR pic.twitter.com/av0tboVeqH

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) February 21, 2026

In the third, Will Childers worked around another single for the Guardians, keeping the lead at 2-0. The top of Milwaukee’s lineup went down in order in the bottom of the inning, as Turang and Baddoo both struck out.

Cleveland finally put together a strong offensive inning against Jaron DeBerry in the fourth, picking up three walks paired with a throwing error (by DeBerry), a passed ball, and a double to make it 3-2 before all was said and done.

Milwaukee’s offense had a response in the bottom of the frame, as Black and Lockridge hit back-to-back one-out singles before executing a double steal to put runners at second and third. Hamilton followed with a two-run double, putting the Brewers back ahead at 4-3. Also of note: Jackson Chourio’s brother, Jaison, entered at the beginning of the inning, replacing Chase DeLauter in center.

How about a knock and some speed from David Hamilton?

An easy 28.0 ft/sec without hitting the afterburners pic.twitter.com/GKK6a1RciG

— Dominic Cotroneo (@Dom_Cotroneo) February 21, 2026

In the fifth, we got to see Jett Williams for the first time this spring, as he replaced Turang at second. Tyson Hardin also entered on the mound and, after a walk to begin the inning, picked up a pair of outs on a strikeout and a flyout. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get that third out quickly, as he allowed a single to George Valera before Nolan Jones slugged a 421-foot three-run homer to right-center field to give the Guardians a 6-4 lead.

The Guardians swapped out most of the rest of their lineup in the bottom of the fifth, and despite loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk, Milwaukee was unable to produce any runs.

Milwaukee then put in a few more prospects defensively in the sixth, as Josh Adamczewski replaced Baddoo in left, top prospect Jesús Made replaced Ortiz at short, and Luke Adams replaced Black at first.

Brett Wichrowski also took over the mound, recording a strikeout and a flyout before walking a pair and giving up a three-run homer to catcher Cooper Ingle, stretching Cleveland’s lead to 9-4. The inning wouldn’t end there, though, as Wichrowski gave up two more singles before finally getting a flyout to end the frame.

The Brewers went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, and after a few more substitutions (Luis Peña replaced Hamilton, Matthew Wood replaced McGuire, and Greg Jones replaced Lara), Edwin Jimenez worked a perfect seventh for Milwaukee.

In the bottom of the inning, Williams gave one a ride out to center, but Jaison Chourio was able to run it down. Brock Wilken, entering for Jackson Chourio, worked a walk and moved up on a passed ball but was stranded there.

Jordyn Adams replaced Lockridge in center in the eighth, and Manuel Rodriguez worked a perfect inning. Against Zane Morehouse in the bottom of the inning, Luke Adams walked and Peña singled to put two runners on with one out. Wood flew out, advancing Adams to third, and Peña then stole second before Jones hit a two-run single to cut the deficit to 9-6 through eight frames.

Mark Manfredi worked around a walk in the ninth for a scoreless inning, and it came down to Xavier Martinez on the mound for Cleveland. The Brewers were able to draw a pair of walks to put the tying run at the plate, but they weren’t able to cash in as Martinez closed out the game.

In a 15-run, 20-hit game, there were 19 pitchers (10 for Milwaukee, nine for Cleveland) and 36 position players (18 for each side).

Jackson Chourio, who had a huge spring in 2025 (.469/.509/.714 with a homer, nine doubles, eight RBIs, and 13 runs over 17 games), got off to another hot start, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles this afternoon. Lockridge scored two runs on a pair of hits, including a homer.

On the mound, the Stallings, Holub, Childers, Broca, Jimenez, Rodriguez, and Manfredi all worked scoreless innings, though as a staff, Milwaukee allowed nine runs (eight hits) on 10 hits and eight walks.

The Crew is back in action with a split-squad day tomorrow afternoon. The road squad faces off against the White Sox at 2:05 p.m. CT on Brewers TV, while the Brewers will host the Royals at 2:10 p.m. on 94.5 ESPN Radio and across the Brewers Radio Network.

The Astros opened their spring training schedule with a 2-1 loss to the Nationals on Saturday afternoon in West Palm Beach. While no veterans were in action, Joe Espada’s lineup was littered with guys fighting to make the Opening Day roster, making the first half of the game somewhat interesting. Here are some notes and thoughts from the game’s first five innings.

• Zach Cole has talked about wanting to be more patient at the plate, and he took that to another level on Saturday. Cole offered at just one of the 14 pitches he saw against the Nationals, working two walks and striking out, but he wasn’t given much to swing at. Nine pitches he saw were out of the zone, per Baseball Savant, and he didn’t offer at any them. of the four strikes he took, three were borderline. 

• While he wasn’t aggressive at the plate, Cole was aggressive on the basepaths. He stole three bases, and he was thrown out trying to advance to third on a fly ball to right field. His jumps weren’t great, but overall, it was a good first day for Cole, who appears to have a leg up on the Opening Day left field job.

• Brice Matthews made a nice play at second base and did not swing at a pitch outside the strike zone in three plate appearances

• Joey Loperfido’s three-pitch strikeout on all fastballs in the second inning was rough, even though it came against a lefty. Things did get better when he worked walks in his next two plate appearances. 

• César Salazar had two hits and made hard contact on a third ball while throwing out a runner trying to steal second by a mile. That’s a perfect way to start spring for a player trying to win the backup catcher job.

• Colton Gordon is probably a little further down the list of candidates for one of those final rotation spots, but a 1-2-3 first inning against the Nationals’ regulars is a good start to the spring. Only four of his 11 pitches were in the strike zone, but he did generate some chase — something that eluded him last season — including a 1-2 fastball above the zone to Dylan Crews that resulted in his lone strikeout of the day.

• AJ Blubaugh is in the same boat as Gordon, and while he didn’t allow a run in his inning of work, he had trouble locating his pitches. Blubaugh threw nine four-seam fastballs, but only two were in the zone, and most of his misses were well above the zone. In total, only six of his 18 pitches were in the strike zone. One of those misses was a well-executed changeup that Abimelec Ortiz was able to lay off.

• Peter Lambert worked around a couple of hits to put up a zero in the third inning. A second-round pick in 2015, the 28-year old is back in the States after spending last season in Japan and is likely ticketed for Sugar Land’s rotation to start the year. Lambert’s fastball velocity was up Saturday from where it was when he pitched for the Rockies two years ago, and all six breaking balls he threw were in the zone. There’s been a long list of pitchers who have gotten better in recent years after leaving the Rockies’ bubble, so Lambert is someone to watch over the next couple of months.

• Miguel Ullola’s one inning of work was underwhelming to say the least. His fastball averaged just 93.5 MPH and he couldn’t throw it for a strike, and his slider had absolutely no bite. Making matters worse, Ullola only threw 9 of his 26 pitches in the strike zone, and he did not generate a swing on any of the 17 pitches that missed. 

The New York Yankees and their fans were greeted by all the glory of the senses in the team's Grapefruit League opener at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field. 

The crack of the bat − from two Aaron Judge home runs and a monster shot from prospect Spencer Jones. The feel of the Hillsborough County sunshine on an 83-degree day. 

And the smell of, well, raw sewage. 

A pair of sewer lines broke outside the main entrance to George M. Steinbrenner Field, causing fans to tip-toe around what a security guard reportedly referred to as "the poo-poo water." 

Underground, the scene was much worse. 

The Yankees clubhouse was inundated with sewage, manager Aaron Boone telling reporters: "It's not great. It's all over the place." 

Apparently, two sewer lines broke outside the main GMS Field entrance just before today’s game.
Things got progressively worse.
“It’s not great…it’s all over the place,” Aaron Boone said of areas of the Yankee clubhouse.
Hoping for a quick cleanup before tomorrow’s game v NYM pic.twitter.com/5L23TM6frH

— Pete Caldera (@pcaldera) February 21, 2026

The sewage reportedly had not reached the portion of the clubhouse housing the players' lockers. Yet the mess forced Yankees players to conduct interviews in a hallway − where the funk was still palpable.

Not exactly the way you want to begin Grapefruit League play. 

It's an unfortunate turn for a field that saw multi-million dollar renovations the past couple years, both for the Yankees and to accommodate the Tampa Bay Rays during their one regular season campaign there last year as they relocated due to hurricane damage. 

In better news for the Yankees, they defeated the Detroit Tigers 20-2. In less optimal news, the New York Mets are due in town come morning − leaving a quick turnaround time to fix the glitch. 

And hopefully eradicate the stench. 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees sewage issue at Steinbrenner Field: 'It's all over the place'

Following the Mets' 2-1 loss in their spring training opener to the Marlins on Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza spoke to the media to give insight on the game and what's to come down the line.

A.J. Ewing Impresses

The Mets are in the market for an everyday right fielder and they hope someone takes the job this spring.

One potential option is youngster A.J. Ewing.

The No. 6 prospect on Joe DeMayo's list in the Mets system made his 2026 spring debut on Saturday. Taking over for Juan Soto in the middle of the game, and playing center field, Ewing showed off a little bit of everything he can provide the Mets at the plate and in the field. 

At the plate, he went 0-for-1 with a strikeout, but pushed across the team's only run with a sacrifice fly.

In the field, Ewing made some impressive reads to run down flyballs but the biggest play was gunning down the Marlins' Colby Shade trying to advance to third base on an errant throw on a stolen base attempt at second.

"There’s a lot to like, man," Mendoza said after the game. "He looks like a hitter at the plate and the defense. Made a couple of good plays, great jumps. The reads off the bat, but just his ability to give you a really good at-bat from the left side. The speed is obviously there. I’ve been pretty encouraged by what I’ve seen so far. And today was a perfect example of that." 

A.J. Ewing throws out Colby Shade trying to get to third base 💪 pic.twitter.com/XvVJBmsktw

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 21, 2026

Carson Benge spring 2026 debut set

Speaking of outfielders. There's no bigger hype around a Mets player than there is for Carson Benge this spring.

The lefty swinging youngster has a real shot at winning the right field job this spring and fans will get their first look at Benge's ability this spring very soon.

Mendoza confirmed after Saturday's game that Benge will be one of the notable positional players heading to Tampa to take on the Yankees in Sunday's matchup. The others are Mark Vientos and Luis Torrens.

Benge comes into camp this season after a solid 2025 in the minors. He mashed Double-A pitching, slashing .317/.407/.571 with eight home runs before getting promoted to Triple-A. There, Benge saw his production drop as he adjusted to that level of pitching. He wound up hitting .178 with an OPS of just .583. He did hit three home runs and drive in 13 runs in 24 games with Syracuse. 

In addition, Mendoza confirmed that the position player group that played in Saturday's game will be the same in Monday's game.

Working with new coaching staff 

Aside from some core players like Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso no longer with the team, the Mets had a major coaching shakeup for the 2026 season.

Saturday was the first game against another team where this cast of coaches worked together. Mendoza was asked about how it after the game, and the Mets skipper made sure to get as much work in with them as he could.

"It’s always good to start that process going," Mendoza said. "Send [pitching coach Justin] Willard out for a mound visit. The sign system that we’re going to have with the base coaches. Interactions with Kai [Correa] as the bench coach, controlling the run game with [catching coach J.P. Arencibia].  It’s always good. There’s only so much you can do with zoom calls and meetings. There was a lot of good back-and-forth today." 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto had one very good inning and one bumpy frame in his 2026 spring training debut on Saturday against the Angels in Tempe. But the news from the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener is that Yamamoto will make one more start in Arizona before leaving to join Team Japan in preparation for the World Baseball Classic.

Yamamoto is slated to pitch for Japan for a second straight WBC, with camp opening in Tokyo next weekend. The Dodgers right-hander told reporters after his start on Saturday that he’ll pitch once more for the Dodgers before departing for Japan.

#Dodgers Yoshinobu Yamamoto said Dave Roberts told him "Good luck in the WBC" when he pulled him from today's game. Yamamoto was surprised — he said he's pitching again in Cactus League on Friday. Roberts had told us it would be one and done for Yamamoto in Cactus League

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) February 21, 2026

Yamamoto said he’s pitching one More spring game next Friday before he leaves for WBC. #Dodgers

— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) February 21, 2026

Friday, February 27 has the Dodgers in Scottsdale to play the San Francisco Giants.

As for the game on Saturday in Tempe against the Angels, it was a tale of two innings for Yamamoto.

After a perfect first inning with two strikeouts, the Dodgers scored six runs in the top of the second. Yamamoto was less sharp in the bottom of the second, giving up a double and two singles. Including an error by Teoscar Hernández in left, two runs were charged to Yamamoto’s ledger, one earned. Yamamoto was pulled with two outs in the frame, at 30 total pitches on his day, right in the expected range.

Given that Yamamoto was first out of the gate for the Dodgers, and with opening day not until March 26, there’s room for him to make at least five starts this spring, counting his work in the World Baseball Classic, to build up toward the regular season.

This was a much more interesting, and entertaining, baseball game than yesterday’s Grapefruit League kickoff. The Yankees saw one of their top pitching prospects strut his stuff, the top position player prospect hit a bomb, and the Captain look awfully locked in in during his first taste of spring ball. A proper thumping came in the eighth inning, where a bunch of Yankee farmhands all got their A-swings off at once. Overall, New York brushed the Detroit Tigers aside on Saturday afternoon, with 20-3 your final score.

From a stuff perspective, it’s easy to see why people are so excited about Curtis Lagrange. He deals easy 99 with repeatable mechanics, with a changeup and slider that both look big-league ready when they’re really working. He notched a 50-percent whiff rate with the change, but interestingly flipped his main secondary offering. Twenty-six percent of his pitches were changeups the first time through, and 19 percent sliders, only to up slider usage to 32 percent the second time. I feel like the Yankees want more data on the secondary stuff and that will be a conscious approach the rest of Lagrange’s spring.

If there’s one thing for Lagrange to work on, it’s command in the zone, not surprising for a player who ended last year in Double-A. He was hit hard more than once, giving up a pair of singles in the first at more than 100 mph exit velo, a bomb of a home run to Corey Julks that came on a hanging changeup, and another long fly ball to the track off the bat of old friend Gleyber Torres. The stuff was very impressive, and now the next step is sanding down some of those rough edges in the zone.

Carlos Lagrange is Disgusting. 🤮

3 Pitch Sequence:
101.8 mph ⛽️
83.2 mph Slider (with 20 inches Horizontal Break)
102.4 mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/np5X73715m

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 21, 2026

While we’re talking about prospects, have you heard of Spencer Jones?

Perhaps nobody in the entire Yankee system needs to impress in camp the way Jones does. The outfield at the MLB level is crowded, but the 24 year old is kind of in a make-or-break season. To start spring with a home run that loud is a really good sign, and hopefully Jones can keep it up. With Aaron Judge 10 days away from joining Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, there should be plenty of spring reps for Spencer to show off.

Oh, speaking of Aaron Judge:

On an intellectual level, I don’t care at all about Judge’s spring. I want him to be completely healthy for Opening Day, at which point I fully expect him to be at worst one of the three best players in the game. But then I watch him hit a bomb to deep center field and I start to drool a little bit and hope that Aaron Boone lets Judge face some kid getting his first taste of camp.

Oh, and then the Captain came up again in the fourth:

Spring stats don’t matter but he is likely the finest hitter you’ll ever see.

The Tigers clawed a run back in the seventh, with Yankee reliever Drake Fellows loading the bases on two walks and an infield single. A passed ball clunked off catcher Payton Henry’s glove, allowing the third Detroit run of the game. Fortunately, a man named Tyler Hardman got the run back:

Now up 13-3, Tigers manager AJ Hinch opted to bring Woo-Suk Go into the game, and immediately paid for the decision. Rodrick Arias, himself trying to recover some prospect sheen, promptly told a 93-mph fastball to go away:

Yankees prospect Rodrick Arias with a Grand Slam

17-3 Yankees pic.twitter.com/4yo4lH3eAf

— Matthew Nethercott (@bymnethercott) February 21, 2026

Another three-run home run came off the bat of Jackson Castillo, pushing the Yanks to a nice, even 20.

George Lombard Jr. looked solid at shortstop and worked two walks, the latter coming with the bases loaded and driving in a run, to round up a pretty good day for the org’s top prospects. The Yankees will welcome the crosstown — at least, normally crosstown — Mets to Steinbrenner Field tomorrow afternoon in more Grapefruit League play, with Luis Gil getting his first start of the spring.

Box Score

Baseball is back and the Washington Nationals have come out on top not once, but twice. The team had a split squad double header today, where half the group went to Jupiter to face the Cardinals, while the rest of the team stayed in West Palm Beach to play the Astros. Both teams won, with the Nats edging the Astros 2-1 and beating the Cardinals 6-2.

It was an impressive start to the Paul Toboni and Blake Butera era. The pitching was mostly solid and the boys were able to get enough timely hits to get the job done. There are still things to clean up, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but they were good enough to win today. Also, these mistakes are only natural in the first games of Spring Training.

The Astros game was the one that was televised, so I was following that much more closely. It was a hotly contested game, where the Nats were let off the hook a few times by the Astros inability to hit with runners in scoring position. While there were some defensive miscues, there was also some brilliance. In the top of the 1st inning, prospect Andrew Pinckney made an outstanding throw to gun down a runner.

andrew pinckney mid-season form 🎯💪 pic.twitter.com/OIYsd93Zls

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 21, 2026

We were able to see the whole package with Pinckney today. As we saw, Pinckney’s arm is a major asset. Baseball America gave his arm a rare 80 grade. They noted that out of the 22 Triple-A outfield throws that were at least 100 mph, Pinckney made 8 of them. After seeing the rocket he unleashed today, that is easy to believe.

His skillset at the plate was also on display. In his first at bat, Pinckney looked overmatched and struck out. Those ugly strikeouts will always be a part of his game, it is all about limiting them. However, in his second plate appearance, he hit a 114 MPH rocket for a double in the gap. Pinckney has a 4th outfielder skillset. He has big power, elite speed, good defense and an elite arm, but has whiff concerns. 

Speaking of elite power, we saw that from Jorgelys Mota this afternoon. His home run gave the Nats a lead they never relinquished. The 20 year old got all of that ball as well, hitting it 434 feet and 115 MPH. Power has never been an issue for Mota, his big concerns come from his hit tool and propensity to chase. Maybe the new development team can unlock his potential and help him get to the next level.

jorgelys mota going from @FXBGNats to crushing spring home runs 💪 pic.twitter.com/BN93FM7rUF

— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) February 21, 2026

Mota has not fully broken out yet, and has holes in his game, but Baseball America still has him as the Nats 25th ranked prospect. He showed why he was put on the top 30 with his monster blast today. Mota is an intimidating presence in the box and is likely to start this season at High-A.

While the young guys were the story, another player who looked good was CJ Abrams. He went 1 for 2 with a walk today. His hit was a double he ripped down the line. Abrams looked very composed in the box and was seeing pitches well. His bases loaded walk also drove in a run. 

On the mound, it was a mixed bag. While the Nats only allowed one run, they did walk 11 batters. However, I thought PJ Poulin and Paxton Schultz looked sharp. Jake Eder also had his moments, but was inconsistent.

The winning pitcher Seth Shuman got bailed out by his defense right away. Minor league free agent signing Leandro Pineda robbed a home run with a fantastic catch. I can’t say I had heard of him until today, but it was a good way to make a first impression.

oh HELLO leandro pineda 😳 pic.twitter.com/0hHUIk2J1s

— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) February 21, 2026

Holden Powell survived three walks to close the door, and the Nats got their 2-1 win. It was not their only curly W of the day though. Over in Jupiter, the Nats defeated the Cardinals 6-2.

Maxwell Romero’s three run homer was the decider in that one. Harry Ford also had a solid first game in the organization, with a walk and an RBI base hit. The other piece of the Jose A. Ferrer package Isaac Lyon also fired two scoreless innings. Marquis Grissom Jr. was also sharp in his two innings of work.

Overall, you can’t ask for a much better first day of Spring Training contests. The Nats got two wins and some of the young guys impressed. Hopefully the Nats can build on that and have a strong spring. Who knows, maybe they can surprise people this season, you never know. The boys are back in action tomorrow at 1:10 against the Marlins.

135 days since they were eliminated by the once and future World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the beta version of the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies took the field for the first time in a 3-0 Spring Training-opening loss to the 2025 World Series runner-up Toronto Blue Jays.

Aside from a couple costly pitches from some borderline bullpen contributors and an overall weak showing at the plate, there were some positive takeaways in addition to the obvious “nobody got hurt” that goes for every Spring Training exhibition.

One of the team’s biggest question marks heading into the season is whether Justin Crawford is ready to not only make the leap to the majors but to be a starting centerfielder and lineup contributor on a roster with playoff aspirations. The left-handed hitting Crawford led off the game against Blue Jays’ lefty, Eric Lauer, with an encouraging six-pitch at-bat that resulted in a hard-hit fly ball double to left-center. A pitch earlier, Crawford also hit a fly ball down the right field line that ended up just foul but had home run distance.

Wasting no time! Our first hit of the spring comes courtesy of Justin Crawford pic.twitter.com/EHLKCRl5kd

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 21, 2026

Crawford got his second hit of the spring in the fifth inning, a two-out line single up the middle, and displayed his speed in the field by running in to snag a hard liner off the bat of Vlad Guerrero, Jr. to end the third inning.

The only blemish on Crawford’s day was his pitch clock violation strikeout in the top of the third, but even that came at the end of a five-pitch at bat.

Most of the team’s major offensive contributors were held out of today’s game and the ones the weren’t didn’t have much to write home about in their first spring action. Adolis Garcia, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp and Rafael Marchan each got three plate appearances in, going a collective 0 for 10 with a walk each from Sosa and Kemp.

Non-roster invitee, Bryse Wilson, got the start on the mound and faced what appears will be Toronto’s entire opening day lineup. Wilson went two scoreless innings, albeit with three hits and a walk allowed and benefitted from a pair of double plays. The 28 year old Wilson has 163 major league appearances, 57 of which were starts, so he could be getting a look as a spot starter/long reliever at the end of the bullpen.

Zach McCambley pitched a scoreless third inning and allowed one walk with a strikeout. McCambley is a 26 year old right-handed reliever who the Phillies selected in the Rule 5 Draft, so he will need to make quite the impression to break camp with the team and must stay on the roster all season or be forfeit back to the Marlins.

Max Lazar pitched a scoreless fourth before Seth Johnson came on in the fifth and surrendered the first run of the afternoon, a solo shot to Daulton Varsho. Nolan Hoffman pitched the sixth, allowing four hits including a two-run homer by Sean Keys, though he did record three strikeouts.

After wholesale substitutions in the sixth inning, second baseman, Liover Peguero drew a leadoff walk and left fielder, Pedro Leon, reached on a fielders choice, getting all the way around to third via a steal and a wild pitch. Leon would fail to make it home as Carson DeMartini struck out to end the frame. DeMartini also collected an error in the previous frame on a dropped foul ball, though it didn’t end up costing his team any runs. Leon reached base again in the bottom of the ninth and took second courtesy of defensive indifference.

Andrew Walling pitched a one-hit bottom of the seventh, allowing a leadoff single to Rafael Lantigua, who was with the Phillies last spring and spent the 2025 season in Lehigh Valley. Walling is one of the few left-handed options currently in the organization, along with Kyle Backhus, Tim Mayza or Genesis Cabrera, that the Phillies could turn to if something were to happen to Jose Alvarado or Tanner Banks.

Catcher, Paul McIntosh, led off the top of the eighth inning with a double. McIntosh is likely battling it out with veterans Rene Pinto and Mark Kolozsvary for a spot in the Iron Pigs’ catching tandem alongside Garrett Stubbs.

Andrew Baker pitched the bottom of the eighth, allowing back-to-back two-out walks before getting a little luck from the wind that kept a deep fly ball in the park which was snared by center fielder, Dante Nori, at the warning track. Baker fell off the Phillies’ Top 30 Prospects list this season but projects to end up in Reading or Lehigh Valley to begin the season. Nori (Phillies #13 ranked prospect according to FanGraphs) will play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic and is projected to start in centerfield for the Reading Phils to begin the season.

A couple of free agent bench candidates also saw some action as Dylan Moore started at second base and Bryan De La Cruz was the designated hitter. Moore was hitless in two ABs while De La Cruz got a single in the second inning.

Look for more members of the 26 man roster to make their debut in Clearwater tomorrow as the Phils host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05pm.

The never-ending quest for depth continues, and on Saturday the Dodgers claimed outfielder Jack Suwinski off waivers from the Pirates.

Suwinski was designated for assignment on Monday when the Pirates signed free agent designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, ending a four-year stint in Pittsburgh for Suwinski. Acquired from the Padres in the Adam Frazier deal at the 2021 trade deadline, Suwinski hit 45 home runs with a combined 106 wRC+ in 2022-23, but was below replacement level in each of the last two seasons, hitting just .169/.271/.297 with a 59 wRC+ in 455 plate appearances in 2024-25.

Suwinski with the Pirates spend a little over half his time in center field, and also mixed in time in left field and right field. By Outs Above Average, Suwinsnki in his career is plus-2 in center, minus-3 in right, and minus-6 in left.

Chalk this one up to picking up a player because he became available, with over four weeks to figure out how to use him. The Dodgers before Suwinski had 17 position players on the 40-man roster, but both Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández won’t be ready for opening day. There’s an open battle in camp for second base, as well as multiple bench spots.

The only other center fielders besides starter Andy Pages on the 40-man roster are Michael Siani, who has an option year remaining, and Hyeseong Kim, who has options but is really an infielder by trade and is in the running to play second base. Suwinski is out of options, having used option years in 2022, 2024, and 2025 with the Pirates.

With two years, 170 days of major league service time, Suwinski was a Super Two this offseason, among the top 22 percent among players with between two and three years of service. He avoided an arbitration hearing in November with a one-year, $1.25 million deal in November.

Kiké Hernández was placed on the 60-day injured list to make room on the roster for Suwinski. Hernández is coming off left elbow surgery in November.

Aaron Judge launched two long home runs and Spencer Jones hit one, too, as the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers, 20-3, in their second game of Grapefruit League play on Saturday in Tampa.

New York made up for being shut out in Friday's Grapefruit League opener and finished the day with 18 hits and 11 walks.

Here are the takeaways...

- Judge, getting his first action of the spring, lined out to center in the first inning, before he tattooed a cutter at the knees 420 feet to center (104.5 mph off the bat) for a two-run home run in the third off veteran right-hander Burch Smith.

Judge added another two-run shot in the fourth, taking an up-and-in fastball from long-time minor leaguer Ricky Vanasco and keeping it fair down the left field line. The 92 mph heater went out in a hurry, 106.1 mph off the bat, and 395 feet just inside the foul pole.

- Jones, sporting a bit of a Shohei Ohtani-type toe tap, launched a monster home run with one out in the second. The big lefty took a Keider Montero up-and-in fastball 408 feet (111.7 mph off the bat) for a very Ohtani-like no-doubt homer. He went down swinging on a changeup off the plate to end the third inning, his next time up.

Jones used the Yanks' first challenge as a batter of the spring in the fifth, but the low strike was correctly called as it did clip the bottom of the zone. He went down swinging on the next pitch, chasing a slider outside the zone.

- Carlos Lagrange got the start for the Yanks and allowed a bullet, one-out single to Kevin McGonigle, the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, in the first and nearly got his head taken off by a liner up the middle off Gleyber Torres' bat. The big Yankee youngster burned in the two fastballs at 100.5 mph and 98.2 mph, but they went for hits at 104.5 mph and 101.7 mph.

The Tigers got on the board after catcher Ali Sánchez couldn’t block a third strike in the dirt, and his throw to third went right past Ryan McMahon, scoring McGonigle. The No. 3 prospect in the NY system finished the inning with a second strikeout, showing off a very live arm.

Lagrange had the changeup working, but he left one up and over the plate to Corey Julks, and he tagged it 387 feet to left field for a solo home run to leadoff the third. After walking the next batter, the right-hander got the next two before issuing a two-out walk, and Aaron Boone was out of the dugout. His final line: 2.2 innings, two runs (one earned) on three hits, two walks, two strikeouts on 53 pitches (32 strikes).

"What I've been pleased with in just his first couple of life outings, and now obviously here, just filling up the strike zone for the most part. That's the next step for him," Boone said on the YES broadcast about Lagrange. "You see all of the stuff, the big fastball, really good changeup – although he gave up the homer on the changeup that he hung today – and then the sweeper. I like that he was in the zone for the most part with all of it."

On the day, Lagrange threw 19 fastballs (99.8 mph average), 11 changeups, his second-best pitch and one highly thought of (91.5 mph average), and 13 sliders, a pitch that was working well to upset the Tigers' timing with five called strikes.

"He's been excellent all camp so far," Boone said of the 6-foot-7 starter. "Really, really good kid, really good makeup. Kinda has developed into a leader coming up through the minor leagues."

- McMahon took a two-strike 97 mph fastball the other way for a ground-rule double into the corner in left with one down in the first inning. The Yanks have encouraged McMahon to have a narrower, less open stance, and it looked pretty good in his first time up. He finished the day 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

- Paul Goldschmidt, with runners on second and third and one out in the first, took a 3-2 fastball at the top of the zone and smacked it into left field to put the Yanks up 2-1. The veteran hit one right on the screws (108.3 mph) for a lineout to left his second time up. He reached on an infield single on another hard-hit ball (107.5 mph) in the fourth to finish the game 2-for-3 with two batted in.

- Jasson Dominguez, who walked his first time up, made a nice play to start the second when he got a good jump on a sharply hit liner to left to record the out. He reached second on a ‘double’ to start the fourth when Julks in left field lost a pop fly while battling a bright sunny sky. He added a sacrifice fly to center in the fourth.

- George Lombard Jr. got a RBI chance in his first at-bat with two on and two in scoring position in the fifth, and the Yanks’ top prospect bounced out to short. 

- Out of the bullpen, David Bednar worked around a one-out walk with a double play ball, needing just 10 pitches for a clean fourth, and Fernando Cruz used six pitches in a 1-2-3 fifth.

- Sanchez got involved with the ABS challenge system in the third inning. He lost on his first attempt when the ball was indeed outside (by 0.8 inches) and was successful on his second with a strike that caught the bottom of the zone. At the plate, the catcher went 1-for-2 on the day with a strikeout.

- The game blew open in the eighth inning after the Tigers' pitchers just lost the plot with four walks and a Roderick Arias grand slam before a few singles and a Jackson Castillo three-run shot in the nine-run inning. 

Highlights

Paul Goldschmidt rips a two-run single 💪 pic.twitter.com/agiuVFKEIk

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 21, 2026

111.7 MPH off the bat from Spencer Jones on this home run 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9TbvVRHWz9

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 21, 2026

ALL RISE.

A 420-foot home run for Aaron Judge! 👨‍⚖️ pic.twitter.com/IW30BmxGlO

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 21, 2026

AARON JUDGE HOMERS AGAIN! 💣 pic.twitter.com/wImikHQKJh

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 21, 2026

What's next

The Yankees host the Mets in Tampa on Sunday with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. 

Luis Gil is set to start for the Bronx-based club, with Justin Hagenman getting the ball for the boys from Queens.

As Mets pitchers lined up along the third baseline to take their turns in one of those mundane spring training drills Saturday morning, an outfielder whose presence was not required sidled into the queue.

Within seconds, Freddy Peralta’s laugh rang out over the voices of coaches and infielders navigating rundowns. A coach or two wandered over to get in on the joke. New center fielder Luis Robert Jr. wandered over and seemed to catch some flack. A few minutes later, Juan Sotoemerged from the huddle that had suddenly formed around him, his attempt to feign solemnity disrupted by a smile he could not hide.

The moment is one of many like it in the early weeks of Soto’s second spring training as a Met and emblematic of his presence so far: the 27-year-old looks less like a player trying to determine his role in the clubhouse and more like a superstar who understands it perfectly.

Impromptu gatherings seem to coalesce around him, whether in the back corner of the clubhouse with Spanish-speaking relievers or behind home plate during live batting practice, where he and Carlos Beltran descended on Robert Jr. because both noticed something with his hands as he was loading.

“We’re just talking a bunch of crap all day. We’re usually not talking that much about hitting,” Soto said. “Definitely when things come up like that, and Beltran is trying to explain something, I try to be there just to be there for him and also listen for myself.”

Soto is now a relative old-timer on a new-look Mets roster devoid of many players who used to mold its personality. This year, Soto and Francisco Lindor will anchor a core built around newcomers Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco, all of whom earned teammates’ respect elsewhere and are known as less vocal, lead-by-example types.

And while the dynamic between Lindor and Soto last season was reportedly uncomfortable, it has not been on display much at all in the early days of camp. Lindor, like most injured veterans, is maintaining a low profile in the clubhouse as his left hand heals from surgery. Soto spends most of his time with the outfielders anyway. At the moment, there seems to be plenty of room for comfortable coexistence.

At the very least, Soto said his offseason was more comfortable than the last one, and a few teammates have noticed he has a slightly different look: Soto arrived looking visibly more muscular in his arms and shoulders, prompting his former Yankee teammate, Luke Weaver, to ask, “Are you getting bigger, or am I getting smaller?”

Soto said he did not make a concerted effort to add muscle this winter and that he tried to do the same things he has done in years past. But this winter, he was able to do them better.

“I feel like last year’s offseason was kind of tough. I was going through a lot of ups and downs. Traveling a lot. Moving everywhere. Getting phone calls. Stopping workouts in the middle. It just wasn’t my best workouts,” Soto said. “This year, I could work a little harder and have a little more fun with it.”

The slugger will spend spring training refamiliarizing himself with left field, where he will play regularly for both the Mets and the Dominican Republic in next month’s World Baseball Classic. Several defensive metrics suggested Soto had the second-worst defensive season last year in right field, and he has been open about his desire to improve defensively. He played four innings in left field Saturday and successfully fielded a base hit.

Of course, comfort comes easily in spring training, when a few innings comprise a full day’s work and losses end in laughs. But Soto seems at ease in his routine, comfortable with his teammates, and eager to help Robert Jr. unlock his full potential. And after an offseason filled with discussion about the emotional state of stars in the Mets clubhouse, comfortable seems like a reasonable place to start.