Category: MLB

For almost a decade now, I have been following the baseball journey of Ronny Mauricio. I remember seeing Mauricio for the first time down at Segra Park in Columbia, South Carolina back in 2019 and immediately understood what all the hype and fuss was about; his skinny, athletic frame oozed potential, and the sound of the ball off his bat just sounded different. Fast forward a few years later, and I was one of Mauricio’s biggest skeptics, going very much against the grain along with the rest of the Amazin’ Avenue prospect team following a successful season in Triple-A as a 22-year-old. What happened? In short, the Ronny Mauricio of 2021 showed up in 2022 and 2023; as Lukas succinctly put it, he showed us that he is who we thought he was.

At some point during the 2023 season, likely during one of his many Minor League Player of the Week wins, I began looking at his numbers and saw some really problematic stuff. Obviously, we knew surface-level stuff, like that he struck out a bit more than we’d all like and didn’t walk as much as we’d want him to, but his time in Triple-A Syracuse gave us all kinds of Statcast tidbits that we didn’t have access to until then. He didn’t walk a lot, swung a lot, and posted an extremely low SEAGER score; he swung at more pitches both inside and out of the zone than average, and made less contact inside and outside the zone than average; he had a lot of difficulty against off-speed pitches and even more against breaking balls, curveballs in particular; his ground ball-to-fly ball ratio was extremely poor and his fly ball rate exacerbated even more by the high number of infield fly balls; he was exhibiting some noteworthy platoon splits. None of which meant necessarily that Mauricio was cooked as a prospect and that any kind of major league future was doomed, but there were numerous red flags under his surface-level stats. What gave me a lot of concern was less that those red flags existed, but rather, that nowhere over the course of his career did we see Ronny improving in any meaningful way on those flaws.

Mauricio came on extremely strong in his MLB debut at the end of 2023, but crashed back down to earth following that hot streak. Likewise, after missing all of 2024 due to a torn ACL, he started the 2025 season in Syracuse and put up excellent numbers, but once again hit a wall when he was called up the majors. Both seasons, those problematic red flags became more than just problematic, limiting his value at the plate.

Where the 25-year-old begins the season is most likely dependent on factors beyond his control. Francisco Lindor’s surgery to correct a hamate injury may or may not cost the All-Star some time at the beginning of the season. If he is unable to start the year on the active roster, Mauricio is one of a handful of shortstop options the Mets have to fill-in for the injured Lindor, perhaps the most appealing, as he is a young, homegrown player that has more potential upside than the Jackson Cluffs, Vidal Brujans, Christian Arroyos, and Grae Kessingers of the baseball world. If Lindor is fully healthy and ready to go when the season begins, it will likely be in Mauricio’s best interest to begin the year in Triple-A, so that he can get regular at-bats. At the same time, his bat from the left-side would be useful off the Mets’ bench, as he posted a .265/.336/.447 in 132 at-bats, good for a 121 wRC+. On one hand, being used irregularly in certain situations might not be the best use for Mauricio’s development as a baseball player. But then again, Mauricio has long showed us that this is who he is, so perhaps why not?

By our means of ranking prospects here on the site, RHP Christian Little is largely de facto roof of a tier of M’s prospects. Very little separated Little, Tyler Cleveland, Alex Hoppe, Jared Sundstrom, Mason Peters, and Charlie Beilenson, while Thursday’s prospect will have as much separation from Little as he from Beilenson at 19th. We’re unsure about this cohort, but there’s something there. What that something might be might be strongest in Little, a 6’4 former top prep prospect on a several-year hunt for consistency.

Little is a prospect archetype well-represented in some systems but scarcely in Seattle’s. The high-upside pitcher with a long lead line to work out his starting chops isn’t inherently a high-probability player to become a big league contributor, but Seattle’s recent success with fast-moving hurlers isn’t the only way. Like the majority of the pitchers outlined in this series thus far, Little has at least one plus pitch – in his case a fastball that ranges 93-95 usually with excellent bat-missing ride – and enough question marks to muddy his route up-farm.

The 6’4 22 year old has usually missed bats, and did that very thing in his first pro season, coming from LSU after a transfer from Vanderbilt to sign with Seattle for $200k in the 11th round of 2024. Little has come a long, long way since campus mechanically, where you can see a variety of jerky, high-effort motions that contributed to eye-popping walk rates in college, ultimately driving him down from a potential top-100 pick out of the bonus rounds.

By contrast, a year or two later, you can see a smoother, more controlled delivery from Little that also features a breaking ball more focused on sweep as his primary off-speed.

Little finished out his college career as a reliever for the Tigers, but he started in Low-A Modesto, earning a late-season promotion to High-A Everett after an excellent second-half carried by those improved mechanics and recovery from a bone spur that was noted for a dip in stuff in late June that cost him the month of July. The young man from St. Louis, MO mixes in a changeup and more 12-6 breaking ball as well still, offering four distinct planes of movement and a sinker that can at times have vicious late bite. He’s adjusted his hands pre-pitch to cue himself into consistency.

The strength of Seattle’s system has been its ability to convert their top picks into impact talent, along with a few huge hits on arms later in the top 10 rounds. But Little, who was a top-notch prep prospect and a member of Team USA’s 15U roster, is the type of player we’ve rarely seen converted into a big leaguer here in Seattle. The depth behind Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan (spoilers) quickly has question marks, and Little is fraught with them. His command remains a work in progress, and unless 1-2 of his off-speed pitches continue building consistency, he’ll struggle to retire more talented bats. But a SEC bat-misser with the build and coachability to make adjustments is the sort of player who can find his upper realms of promise, which would be another member of the M’s rotation depth in the next couple seasons. Nothing little about that.

1995
Spring Training got underway with a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals, in 10 innings. But there was something different about this opener. Perhaps it was the fact it was a game played with scabs “replacement players,” on both sides.

With a lockout in full force after a failed offseason of labor negotiations, the major news of the day being Michael Jordan leaving White Sox camp after being told he would have to cross the picket line in order to continue his quest to play for the White Sox one day. On the field, ex-MLBer Oil Can Boyd started the game, backed mostly by a host of unknowns, in front of 1,504 fans.

1998
It’s a belated but banner day for White Sox icons, as Larry Doby and George Davis are among four players selected for Hall of Fame enshrinement by the Veterans Committee.

Doby was better known for his play in Cleveland and the Newark Eagles, but provided 6.7 WAR in just 280 games for the White Sox over three seasons toward the end of his career. On the whole, Doby very broadly provided similar value as his career contemporary in the AL and Negro Leagues, Minnie Miñoso.

As a favorite of White Sox (and Cleveland) owner Bill Veeck, Doby also made history in 1978, when Veeck elevated the coach from staff to manager, replacing Bob Lemon at midseason. Doby became just the second Black manager in MLB history.

In a coincidence of timing, Doby’s honor came 39 years to the day he was traded from Cleveland to Detroit for Tito Francona. Later that season, Doby was flipped to the White Sox for the second time, and finished out his MLB playing days on the AL pennant-winners.

Davis was an even better player than Doby, starring in the 1890s-1900s as a shortstop for the New York Giants and White Sox. His 84.5 WAR qualifies him as 53rd-best player in baseball history, and the fifth-best shortstop. With the White Sox, Davis put up 33.1 WAR in just seven seasons, placing him ninth all-time among club hitters and the third-best shortstop. Before he moved to Chicago to play full-time, “Gorgeous George” was the subject of an intense fight between the White Sox and Giants, as Davis bolted New York in 1902 to sign with the upstart league at double the salary — then had misgivings and tried to return to the Giants.

Davis, by then 35 and a legend, was a platoon shortstop on Chicago’s first World Series winner, with an OPS of .846 and six RBIs in just three contests in 1906.

And also on this day, former White Sox and Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. The tumor was discovered when Brickhouse was getting dressed to attend colleague Harry Caray’s funeral. Brickhouse would die five months later.

The last few days have seen a handful of Dodgers outfield prospects make an impact in spring training games.

Mike Sirota injured his knee last July and finally got into a game on Saturday, and homered against the Rangers in Surprise. He’s is one of four Dodgers outfielders peppered throughout various top-100 prospect lists this year.

Josue De Paula and Zyhir Hope have been active all 10 days of Cactus League games this spring, with each one playing in nine games so far this spring. De Paula has seven hits in 17 at-bats with a double and four walks. Hope is 5-for-15 with two doubles and three walks, plus a few nice catches in left field.

Eduardo Quintero is the youngest of the group, entering his age-20 season, and just reached High-A Great Lakes for the last six weeks of 2025. That puts him behind the others in terms of reaching the majors, even if he might have the highest ceiling of the group.

Sirota turns 23 in June, but High-A is his highest level as well, having played only 35 games with the Loons before the injury, just three games fewer than Quintero, two years his junior. Sirota was a first-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2024 before getting sent to the Dodgers in the Gavin Lux trade. He didn’t play professionally with the Reds in 2024 and only played 59 games last year before getting hurt.

The two outfielders acquired in the Dustin May trade last year are the two oldest of the group, in their age-23 season, and both have been busy this spring. Zach Ehrhard leads the Dodgers with eight starts so far in Cactus League play, while James Tibbs III has started seven games and played in nine games, with the pair seeing time in right field, left field, first base, and designated hitter.

Tibbs has homered in each of the last two games, including a 458-foot shot Monday against the Rockies that’s the longest Dodgers home run this spring.

With extensive time in Double-A already, it wouldn’t be a surprise if both Tibbs and Ehrhard start the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, or at the very least should play there way up there soon enough.

Dodgers outfield prospects & highest levels to date

• Ehrhard, age 23 in 2026, 92 games in Double-A
• Tibbs, age 23, 66 games in Double-A
• Hope, age 21, 6 games in Double-A
• De Paula, age 21, 4 games in Double-A
• Sirota, age 23, 35 games in High-A
• Quintero, age 20, 38 games in High-A

Today’s question is which of these Dodgers outfield prospects will play in the majors first?

Big contract numbers do not shock baseball fans the way they once did.

A decade ago, a $300 million deal felt seismic. Today, Steve Cohen’s Mets have shown what happens when new money enters the sport, and the Dodgers have demonstrated how aggressive spending and deferred structures can be used as part of a fully operational Death Star. The financial ceiling keeps moving, labor issues loom, and what once felt extreme now feels routine.

That shifting reality brings us to Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Recently, Chisholm publicly stated he would seek a contract in the range of eight to ten years at roughly $35 million annually. The reactions ranged from jokes about Dr. Evil asking for $100 million to fans ready to print the contract themselves. Before debating years, injury history, or total value, the real question is more straightforward:

Would you want the Yankees to sign that deal today?

To answer that, we start with what Jazz has actually been since arriving in New York.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. in Pinstripes

Projecting Jazz based on his Miami seasons misses the point. The Yankees are evaluating a different version of the player than the one who left South Florida Since arriving in New York, Chisholm has produced at roughly a four-win pace over a full season while combining power, speed, and defensive versatility rarely found in a single roster spot.

Using a prorated 140-game pace based only on his statistics with the Yankees:

The context matters as much as the numbers.

Much of this production occurred while Jazz learned a brand-new defensive position at the MLB level, as the Yankees asked him to try third base for most late 2024 and early 2025 as they accomodated Gleyber Torres and (more questionably) DJ LeMahieu. The defensive results have varied across the diamond, but he has demonstrated he is a natural second baseman capable of handling multiple positions because of elite athleticism. Importantly, the offensive production remained stable throughout those adjustments and under the bright New York City lights.

In other words, the Yankees are evaluating a player who already produces like a long-term core piece. Across roughly a season and a third in pinstripes, Jazz has:

• learned a new position
• been an elite basestealer
• produced the fourth-ever 30/30 season for the Yankees

That profile places him squarely as a modern long-term extension candidate.

The next question is: Does Jazz’s production match his asking price?

The Yankees’ Current Price: Cody Bellinger

The Yankees themselves recently gave us the clearest comparison point.

Cody Bellinger signed a five-year, $162.5 million contract this winter, carrying a $32.5 million annual average value (AAV) along with full no-trade protection and opt-outs.

Here is Bellinger’s most recent season compared directly with Jazz’s:

The offensive production is nearly identical. Bellinger’s value leaned on durability and defensive stability, but the comparison establishes an important baseline, as the Yankees are already paying near Jazz’s asking price for similar recent production.

Jazz’s request does not introduce a new salary tier. It slides smoothly inside the one the Yankees themselves just validated.

The Current Market Rate: Alex Bregman

Alex Bregman provides league-wide context.

Here’s what the former Astro did with the Red Sox last year before cashing in on his new five-year deal with the Cubs:

His contract sits at $35 million annually, the exact annual value Chisholm referenced publicly.

Bregman represents the modern All-Star contract tier: highly productive players who are not necessarily generational superstars but serve as key foundational pieces for contenders.

Jazz’s ask lands directly within that band.

The Long-Term Blueprint: Francisco Lindor

The season and winter before the 2022 campaign reshaped long-term contracts and provides the clearest structural precedent for long-term deals signed around the last labor uncertainty cycle. The Mets were proactive and inked the Francisco Lindor deal in April after trading for him that offseason. At the time, with all record-setting contracts, reactions were mixed. Lindor was respected as elite, as he was hitting over 30 home runs and stealing over 20 bases a year with Cleveland before the COVID season. Additionally, he was a switch-hitting shortstop who was entering his prime but not universally viewed as a generational superstar.

Signed during his age-27 season, Lindor came to terms on a 10-year, $341 million deal, good for a $34.1 million AAV. This is what Lindor did last year, just before turning 32 in November.

Adjusted to today’s economic environment, Lindor’s deal equates to roughly $37.9 million annually over its remaining years.

Today, contracts like this feel normal. That evolution is the point.

The Real Questions

Strip away hindsight for a moment and put yourself in the front office chair:

• Using Cody Bellinger’s contract as the blueprint, would you pay Jazz a similar AAV plus inflation for three additional years?

• If the Astros could go back three years, would they sign Bregman to an eight-year, $264 million commitment?

• Would you have signed Lindor to his exact contract at the time, or at its inflation-adjusted value today for the remaining years?

• If you could sign your second baseman to an extension and remind the crosstown hedge fund manager that your second baseman statistically produces comparable value at a lower price point than his star shortstop, would you?

Bringing It Back to Jazz

Jazz publicly stating the high end of his range is simply sound negotiation. Players anchor high. Teams negotiate downward.

He also likely understands his place within the Yankees’ hierarchy. The organization will never value him the way it values Aaron Judge, and it should not. But the club should value him as it does Belli. Every era needs multiple complementary pieces, and sometimes the second or third name on the marquee matters just as much as the star attraction.

If the Yankees believe the version of Jazz Chisholm Jr. they have seen in pinstripes is real, waiting may only increase the cost. Players in their prime rarely become cheaper.

Another strong season, a rising market, or even a potential future labor standoff could push contracts into another inflationary cycle. Instead of gambling on what this season might bring, the Yankees could choose stability now. Extending Jazz during spring training would not be about projecting superstardom at this price point. He may not be willing to consider it so close to free agency in an otherwise-light class for hitters at this point. But if possible, it would be a safe play to secure known production alongside Aaron Judge and locking in a core piece during the competitive window already in place.

*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.

We’ve officially finished the top-20 prospects in the Athletics system. This was where we were planning to end this series but due to high demand and a few weeks left until Opening Day, we’re set to continue our CPL for at least around five rounds of voting. So get ready for a few more votes!

The player that rounds out the top-20 prospects in the system according to A’s fans is righty Kade Morris. The 23-year-old was the return piece the A’s received back in exchange for former All-Star Paul Blackburn. He just wrapped up his first full season in the Athletics’ system, first beginning at Double-A and pitching well there before a promotion to the final stop in the minors. His time with the Aviators went a bit tougher than his time in Midland but hopefully a full year at Triple-A can further his development. Like many of the names on our CPL Morris could be an option for the A’s as soon as this upcoming season.

We have our first reliever taking a spot among the nominees as right-hander Eduarniel Nunez gets the nod to replace Morris in the next round of voting. One of the return pieces the A’s got back from the Padres in exchange for Mason Miller and JP Sears, Nunez comes with a big fastball and wicked slider than should make him a force in the backend of the bullpen… if he can learn to harness his two-pitch repertoire. If he can manage to do that the A’s could have their future closer already on hand.

The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:

• Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
• In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
• If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.

Click on the link here to vote!

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A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

1. Leo De Vries, SS
2. Jamie Arnold, LHP
3. Gage Jump, LHP
4. Wei-En Lin, LHP
5. Braden Nett, RHP
6. Henry Bolte, OF
7. Johenssy Colome, SS
8. Edgar Montero, SS
9. Steven Echavarria, RHP
10. Devin Taylor, OF
11. Mason Barnett, RHP
12. Tommy White, 3B
13. Henry Baez, RHP
14. Zane Taylor, RHP
15. Cole Miller, RHP
16. Gunnar Hoglund, RHP
17. Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP
18. Junior Perez, OF
19. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, SS
20. Kade Morris, RHP

The voting continues! Time to vote for the 19th-best in the system everyone. Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.

Nominees on the current ballot:

Eduarniel Nunez, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A/Majors | Age: 26

2025 stats (AA/AAA): 2.51 ERA, 39 appearances, 46 2/3 IP, 71 K, 25 BB, 2 HR, 2.90 FIP

2025 stats (Majors): 7.11 ERA, 10 appearances, 12 2/3 IP, 11 K, 11 BB, 2 HR, 6.77 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 70 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Pitching exclusively out of the stretch, Núñez has the goal to blow both of his pitches past batters, starting with a 97-99 mph heater that has touched as high as 101.4 mph in front of Statcast this season. It’s pure velo over movement here, and Núñez gets minimal extension under six feet (allowing batters to see the fastball a little longer), but it’s still enough to make for an uncomfortable at-bat. The Dominican Republic native’s upper-80s slider is an even better pitch, getting good depth while still being thrown hard, and it’s posted whiff and chase rates above 40 percent in the Minors during Núñez’s time in the San Diego system. Plenty of left-handed hitters have been fooled by the breaking ball too, but without a quality changeup, Núñez has drastic handedness splits.

Núñez’s desire to show explosive stuff can lead to inconsistencies in his delivery, and while his control numbers were much-improved with the Padres, he’s still likely to have issues locating routinely in the Majors. But there’s no doubt his electric arsenal is a quality find for a big league bullpen.

A.J. Causey, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (A+/AA): 1.72 ERA, 48 appearances, 73 1/3 IP, 75 K, 18 BB, 0 HR, 2.28 FIP

Causey thrives with a fastball that hovers around 90 mph, but that’s because he has a funky sidearm delivery that helps him get crazy movement and deception with his arsenal. Causey excelled in his first full pro season, posting a 1.72 ERA across High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He’s a fast mover with a different look that could add to the Royals’ bullpen in the coming years.

Causey began the year with a sinker, changeup and sweeper, but he added a four-seam fastball this season to help him at the top of the zone. After years of working on adding a cutter, Causey finally found something that works with the four-seamer.

Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 25

2025 stats (AA): 4.08 ERA, 26 starts (28 appearances), 145 2/3 IP, 145 K, 35 BB, 22 HR, 4.19 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 550 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

Zhuang relies heavily on his four-seam fastball, which can touch 95 mph but normally hovers in the 90-93 range. He also throws a low-80s split-finger offering with good diving action. His arsenal is rounded out by a low-80s slider, a mid-70s curveball with good bend and a low-80s changeup.

Zhuang does have a history of injuries, which brings some real concern as to whether he can hold up as a starter despite having the necessary pitch mix for the role. He can command it well, as evidenced by his low walk numbers. For now, the A’s are enjoying watching the rise of the man many in the organization have nicknamed ‘Z-Man.’ He is firmly on their prospect radar, and his age could actually help him move up quickly if the success continues.

Gavin Turley, OF

Expected level: A+ | Age: 22

2025 stats (A): 125 PA, .243/.336/.430, 8 doubles, 0 triples, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 14 BB, 34 K, 0 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

In some ways, Turley is the same player he was post-high school, a veritable toolshed with some concerns about him using those tools consistently. He might have had as much raw power as anyone in his Draft class, with some scouts hanging a 70 on it. He can drive the ball for extra bases anywhere with prodigious home run pop thanks to outstanding bat speed, and he was showing more ability to hit the ball out the other way this spring. There has long been the question about whether he’ll hit enough to get to that power. He had a 36 percent miss rate in 2024 with the Beavers, leading to a 27.3 percent strikeout rate, and while he’s improved those rates this season, including his propensity to chase breaking stuff, the swing-and-miss is still a concern. He does draw a ton of walks to help offset that.

Turley has above-average speed, though he hasn’t used it to be a basestealing threat. His athleticism does help him in the outfield, where his easily plus arm is also an asset. He’s played more left field than anywhere else and he should fit nicely as a corner outfielder in pro ball.

Yunior Tur, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 26

2025 stats (A+/AA/AAA): 3.29 ERA, 26 starts (30 appearances), 125 2/3 IP, 130 K, 60 BB, 7 HR, 3.79 FIP

Per The Athletics’ Keith Law:

Tur is 26 but only signed with the A’s before the 2023 season after several seasons pitching in the Serie Nacional in Cuba. He started almost all of last year, going from High A to Triple A, although I think he’s a straight reliever. He comes straight over the top, sitting 96 with some ride along with a 55 splitter and a low-90s cutter that doesn’t miss many bats. The slider is fringy and he’s very north-south because of the arm slot. He could pitch in the big-league bullpen right now.

* * *

Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your

Today we look at the Cubs’new left-handed reliever.

Hoby Milner came to the Cubs as a free agent after spending a year as a Texas Ranger, where he had a little success, as he has had during a long career, previously with the Phillies, Rays, and Brewers. His ERA and peripherals weren’t so great, early in his career, but he seems to have righted the ship and has been dependable for years. Lifetime, he’s 13-9, 3.82 in 341 innings, in which he has logged 321 strikeouts, issued 94 bases on balls, and opponents have hit a rather high .252 against his offerings.

He throws a lot of ground balls. In 2025, his pitches resulted in 9 GIDP and he has 33 all-time. He’s a middle-reliever-type with a lot of holds on his baseball card. He’s likely to make the Opening Day roster and alternate with Caleb Thielbar.

Milner’s lifetime bWAR is 1.1 (2.8 fWAR). He signed a one-year, $3.75 million contract this past December. Milner is 35, 6’3”, 187. Projections have him throwing 60 innings with an ERA around 4.00 and three wins. He has four pitches, relying heavily on his sweeper and sinker, with a changeup and four-seamer worked into the mix.

His results the last few years have been pretty consistent, though nothing to write home about. But the Cubs love guys like Milner, ostensibly because the longtime vets deal with playoff pressure better than others, and have more predictable outcomes.

We’ll see. It’s always possible that a player at his age drops off. But Milner looks good to go right now. He’s got some good funk. We need the funk. Give us the funk.

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With the World Baseball Classic on the near horizon, teams are plugging lineup holes left and right.

These factors directly influence my MLB picks for Tuesday, March 3, which include the Cleveland Guardians among a trio of moneyline selections.

Spring Training predictions for March 3

Pick	Odds
SD moneyline	-105
CLE moneyline	-115
LAA moneyline	+115

Pick #1: Padres moneyline

Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. are off for the World Baseball Classic, but the San Diego Padres are still the superior team compared to the Chicago White Sox.

Nick Pivetta clears Sean Newcomb between the starters, and Jackson Merrill is still a better hitter than anyone in Chicago's lineup.

San Diego has the better bullpen, too, so I'll take the Friars as slight underdogs on a line that feels like an overcorrection.

Pick #2: Guardians moneyline

In the reverse sense, I actually buy into the Dodgers' absences being more of a problem. For one, Shohei Ohtani is with Team Japan, prepping for the World Baseball Classic. And while they aren't at the WBC, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Kyle Tucker are not scheduled to start this afternoon.

None of Los Angeles' top hitting prospects — namely Dalton Rushing, Mike Sirota, Zyhir Hope, or Josue De Paula — are in the lineup, either.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians are trotting out a lineup that could mirror a regular-season batting order, complete with Jose Ramirez in the three-hole. This line should move toward Cleveland.

Pick #3: Angels moneyline

Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo could be a legitimate ace, and he gives his team the eye-test edge vs. the Los Angeles Angels and starter George Klassen (his upside is intriguing, though).

But Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh are in the WBC, taking away Seattle's two biggest weapons. While the Angels are far from fearsome, especially sans Mike Trout, +115 offers enough cushion to elevate them above a shorthanded Mariners squad.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

It was another active offseason on the margins for the Mets. Let’s see how they did.

Bats

Mike Tauchman, signed to a minor league deal only days before camp opened, is far and away the best player we’ll cover here. He’s coming off a season with a .356 OBP, a 115 wRC+, platoon-neutral performance, and scratch defense in a corner despite being 35. There’s an argument that he’s a credible starter batting in the bottom half of the lineup, and is at worst a decent part time player who can pair with a right-handed option. If you’re wondering why Mike Yastrzemski got a two-year, $23M contract from the Braves and Tauchman received only a minor league deal, I can’t explain it to you; this acquisition is a legitimate coup.

Per Tauchman himself, it seems like there’s a decent chance he makes the team out of Spring Training. What that means for the rest of the roster is less clear. The Mets reportedly cleared out Carson Benge’s locker and moved him next to the other prospects in deference to Tauchman. Is that meant to be a message about Benge’s performance to date or is it just veteran hierarchy? We leave interpretation up to the reader. It’d obviously be ideal if Benge is good enough to take the job and run with it (and I’d still bet on that outcome frankly). Having Tauchman around as a fallback is great insurance, however, and he’ll also function as a very solid part time player when the time comes.

We’ll call out two other additions here in MJ Melendez and Vidal Brujan. Melendez was signed to a split deal in early February and seemed like an early favorite to make the roster until Tauchman came on board. He was at one point the heir apparent to Salvador Perez in Kansas City, but it quickly became clear that 1) Perez wasn’t going anywhere, 2) Melendez couldn’t actually catch and 3) that Melendez couldn’t actually hit either. He’s been a below average bat with poor corner outfield defense, but is only 27 and hits the ball hard. Maybe there’s something the Mets can fix here that the Royals (hardly a bastion of good development) couldn’t. Melendez does have options remaining as well, so he can be stashed in Triple-A.

Brujan (acquired for cash from the Twins) is another former top prospect who hasn’t worked out to date, but he has more demonstrable utility than Melendez at present. He doesn’t impact the ball with any authority and swings way too much, but his speed and defensive flexibility make him a potentially useful bench piece. Brujan appeared at third, short, second, and all three outfield spots last season. I’d bet on him holding onto a bench spot over someone like Ronny Mauricio to start the season, though he may quickly be squeezed out given his lack of options.

Others players:

• CF Ji Hwan Bae (waiver claim, PIT) – speedy utility type who has never hit; convicted of assaulting his girlfriend in South Korea in 2018, for which he was suspended 30 games
• 3B Jose Rojas (MiLB FA) – 32-year-old Quad-A corner infielder with a 152 wRC+ in the Yankees system in 2025
• SS Jackson Cluff (MiLB FA) – generic upper-minors SS depth
• CF Jose Ramos (MiLB FA) – former Dodger farmhand with decent damage but significant approach and contact problems
• CF Cristian Pache (MiLB FA) – former top prospect who has never hit but can still go get it in center field
• SS Christian Arroyo (MiLB FA) – generic upper minors IF depth
• IF Grae Kessinger (MiLB FA) – slightly more interesting upper minors IF depth; can play all four infield spots and has a penchant for pulled fly balls despite weak exits
• C Austin Barnes (MiLB FA) – 4th catcher type
• C Ben Rortvedt (waiver claim, LAD) – 4th catcher type

Arms

Craig Kimbrel (minor league deal worth $2.5M if he makes the majors) is certainly the most famous name we’ll discuss here. Now 37-years-old, the likely future Hall of Famer posted a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings last year despite a walk rate over 14% and a BABIP of .348. He also spent 39 innings in the minors. Kimbrel still got some decent stuff, though it’s a far cry from his peak form why he was nigh unhittable. That said, when a pitcher of Kimbrel’s reputation is languishing for two-thirds of the season on minor league busses, that’s a decent sign of where things are at. I wouldn’t expect him to make the team out of Spring Training given the bevy of other options available, but boy it’d sure be fun if he had one last run in the tank for a former division rival.

Though less famous than Kimbrel, Bryan Hudson is more likely to make a significant impact on the 2026 squad. He was a disaster for most of last season, no doubt, but his 4.2 inning stint down the stretch with the White Sox displayed a potential return to form in terms of velocity, stuff metrics, and location. Yes, a back strain robbed Hudson of the end of his season, but he was legitimately one of the best relievers in baseball in 2024. Getting him back to that form would be a serious boon to the Mets relief corps, and all he cost them was some cash.

I’ll also call out Mike Baumann here as another interesting arm, though you could argue for a longer discussion of several guys on the list below. He’s got a neat little knuckle curve and a decent fastball. Even more interesting, the Mets plucked him out of Japan despite a middling performance in 15 innings. That could give one the nagging suspicion that there’s something under the hood the team thinks they can maximize here. Will that work? Probably not, but you’ve got to plant your flag and speculate on a dude from time to time.

Others players:

• RHP Nick Burdi (MiLB FA) – upper minors relief depth with strong stuff grades on his fastball and sweeper per Rob Orr’s app
• LHP Anderson Severino (MiLB FA) – cousin of Luis Severino, signed after a standout season in the Mexican League and an even better Winter Ball performance for Tigres del Licey; may compete for a spot as the second lefty early on
• LHP Joe Jacques (MiLB FA) – 30-year-old reliever who spent time in Triple-A with the Mariners and Dodgers and had an ERA over 6 in 2025; has interesting damage suppression traits
• RHP Daniel Duarte (MiLB FA) – former semi-notable relief prospect who blew out his arm in late 2024; had a flat fasteball (good) and interesting slider prior to being hurt
• RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (MiLB FA) – formerly a very good reliever, hasn’t been healthy or effective since 2022
• RHP Kevin Hergert (MiLB FA) – reunion with an upper-minors depth guy
• RHP Jun-Seok Shim (MiLB FA) – was at one point a semi-notable prospect out of South Korea, but has never made it out of the complex while dealing with shoulder issues
• RHP Tyler Burch (MiLB FA) – two-year deal for pitcher coming off elbow surgery
• RHP Ofreidy Gomez (MiLB FA) – flame-throwing reliever with big DSL performance this winter

Conclusion

I planned to have a harsher curve for all grades this offseason, but especially for these sorts of minor moves. It’s very easy to convince yourself that all your low-cost gambles will work out, even when there’s little reason to do so. As of early February, when Melendez, Kimbrel, and Hudson were the most notable additions (all additions I like, to be clear), this was likely to be a B of some sort – solid, but unremarkable.

Tauchman changes that calculus. I think he’s one of the steals of the offseason. Yes, at 35 he might just stop being good at any moment, time comes for us all eventually and not always in steady, predictable ways. But he was legitimately very good last year and the Mets added him to serve as excellent insurance for their top outfield prospect AND a useful reserve outfielder AND a contributor at DH for nothing…well, less than what similar players received in free agency. That addition pushes this category of moves over the line for me; the minor moves receive an A.

The Athletics have been a franchise full of turmoil on and off the field for some time now. The 2025 campaign saw the organization play its home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, its first of at least three seasons after leaving Oakland in search of a new home in Las Vegas.

However, not only did the 2025 season bring the entire organization some new scenery, but it also brought a host of changes that carried over into the offseason as they added a few new faces that could help grow a supporting cast of characters hoping to put this franchise back on the map once again.

The Athletics

2025 record: 76-86 (4th, AL West)
2026 FanGraphs projection: 80-82 (4th, AL West)

Last season, the finish for the Athletics still wasn’t as high as fans of the team would have liked it to be. And, most importantly, they’ll be without a couple of players that were headliners for their roster after selling at the deadline, but there are some names around the roster that could elevate the stature of the A’s and put them in contention for the middle of the road in the AL West.

First, when it comes to what will be missing completely from the Athletics, the biggest loss is Mason Miller. Every baseball fan knows the kind of arm he brings out of the bullpen, and after pitching in 38 games for the A’s last season, he was traded to the Padres in July. His 1.0 fWAR was tied for fourth among all A’s pitchers last season despite only pitching about half the year in the team’s uniform, and losing a fastball that averages 101.2 on the gun is as detrimental as any loss a club can get — at least in the short-term.*

*Nineteen-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries was the best prospect moved at last year’s deadline and his stock has only inflated since then. He’s only played 21 games above A-ball, but stay tuned. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball Prospectus had him ranked as a top-five prospect in the game.

But with that loss — and the loss of another relief pitcher in Sean Newcomb, who was tied in fWAR with Miller after last season and has since moved to the White Sox — comes a few additions, albeit fewer than what baseball fans saw last season from the Athletics’ front office.

The most notable name of the new additions is Jeff McNeil, the former second baseman for the Mets. With a huge overhaul coming in Queens, including the movement of other players like Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Díaz, McNeil was just another casualty and was traded to the A’s for right-hander Yordan Rodriguez. But the A’s also added veteran starting pitcher Aaron Civale, utilityman Andy Ibañez, and reliever Scott Barlow.

The Athletics, though, added those pieces to support the real prizes in their lineup: Brent Rooker, who was still an excellent hitter in 2025 following an absolutely absurd 2024 season at the plate; Shea Langeliers, who was re-signed to a one-year contract after finishing second on the team in fWAR with 3.9 and a wRC+ of 132; and first baseman Nick Kurtz, the player who made the biggest storylines last year, including winning the AL Rookie of the Year award and a Silver Slugger. He was the first rookie in MLB history to hit four homers in one game, tying a big-league record for a player of any age.

One of the biggest questions for the A’s heading into 2026 is: Can Kurtz recreate his fantastic season from last year and help propel this offense to higher levels than might be projected for them? At 22 years old and a hulking 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Kurtz slashed .290/.383/.619 for an OPS of 1.002 and a wRC+ of 170 in 117 games played. In his 489 plate appearances, he smashed 36 home runs while being the designated hitter and first baseman when called upon. He even finished 12th in the AL MVP vote.

There are some names that could help the Athletics inch closer to where they desire to be. However, it’s going to take a more prominent offseason (and, as everyone knows, more spending) to put them back fully on the map. They have an OK group of hitters who are looking to help a somewhat unknown pitching staff meet or perform above expectations and maybe even climb back into the talk of .500 or above in an AL West division that is not easy to maneuver around.

More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.

We’ve heard from Bryce Harper a lot this off-season.

He’s been active on Instagram, talking about blood ozonation and wearing “Not Elite” T-shirts. He’s held court in Clearwater discussing Dave Dombrowski’s now-famous post-season comments, and he’s been on podcasts like “Bussin’ the Boys” and, on Monday, ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show.

After an off-season stewing over Dombrowski’s assessment of a 2025 campaign that was pretty good but, sorry Bryce, not elite, Harper appears eager to shove an entire off-season of frustration up everyone’s noses.

This is all for the good. Ever since Harper signed with the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season, the roster has been designed around one guiding principle.

The offense flows through him.

He is the superstar. He is the straw that stirs the drink. He is the MVP candidate, the future Hall of Famer, the anchor, the man who performs best in the game’s biggest moments.

Except, he wasn’t that last season. It was noticeable. Try to think back on the “big” Bryce Harper moments from 2025. One doesn’t leap to mind, does it?

Harper was a very good player last season, worth a little over 3 wins while missing 30+ games in the middle of the season with an injury. That’s fine production from your second or third-best player, but the Phillies have relied on Harper to be the face of the franchise and its best player.

Last year, that person was Kyle Schwarber.

It feels like, this year, Bryce Harper wants to re-take his place atop the Phillies’ food chain.

Harper, Schwarber and 13 of their teammates are preparing to play in this week’s World Baseball Classic, an Olympics-like tournament featuring the very best players in the world playing for their home countries. Over the next two weeks, baseball fans will be fortunate to watch some baseball that matters, games that will crackle with drama, intensity, and emotion.

What better way for Harper to begin his redemption arc than to have a monster World Baseball Classic?

Harper homered in his final spring at-bat with the Phillies before leaving for the WBC, and over the years has generally stepped up in situations like this. The Orlando Arcia Game in the 2023 NLDS, the entirety of the ‘22 postseason, grand slams and 9th inning bombs in the biggest moments, those are his calling cards. And now he has the opportunity to make everyone forget about a tumultuous off-season by owning the WBC.

On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, we discussed whether the World Baseball Classic is a litmus test for Harper’s 2026 season (FOLLOW the show on Spotify below!).

Of course, a red-hot WBC for Harper does not necessarily mean a hot start to the regular season with the Phillies. As was mentioned in the video, Trea Turner (who surprisingly wasn’t asked to play for Team USA this time around) had a WBC for the ages in 2023, his first season in Philadelphia.

Turner hit five home runs in that WBC. He then started his Phils career by hitting .235/.290/.368 over the first four months and 107 games until the standing ovation that turned around his season on August 4.

And to be fair to Harper, a subpar WBC would not necessarily mean we’re in for another non-elite campaign from him this year. These are, after all, exhibition games. In early March, players are normally still getting their bodies ready for the regular season and are nowhere near at the top of their game at this point.

Harper’s inclusion in the WBC could not have been more opportune. Perhaps getting him out of Clearwater, away from the humdrum monotony of spring training baseball, is just what he needs. Getting his competitive juices flowing now could be very good for his state of mind, an outlet for his frustrations. If that’s the case, pity the poor pitchers who will be trying to get him out, including some of his own teammates in Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and, yes, Aaron Nola, who is pitching for Team Italy.

While I’m sure they would be angry at themselves for giving up big hits to Harper over the next two weeks, somewhere inside they would secretly be happy to see their biggest star having a star turn at the WBC.

Bryce Harper does not need to have a monster World Baseball Classic in order for his 2026 season to be a bigger success, and if he struggles, it doesn’t necessarily portend disaster.

But it sure would be nice to see him rake.

The Royals made a move — and it could reshape the lineup.

In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco break down the Kansas City Royals’ signing of Starling Marte, analyzing how his bat fits into the lineup and what it means for roster construction moving forward. The hosts explore Marte’s versatility against both left- and right-handed pitching, the ripple effects for players like Nick Lofton and Tyler Tolbert, and why this addition could bring much-needed stability to the outfield.

Beyond roster mechanics, the conversation expands into broader MLB topics, including insights from a fan survey on betting’s growing presence in baseball and whether a salary cap system would improve competitive balance. The episode blends player evaluation, team-building philosophy, and league-wide economics — all while keeping the focus on how the Royals can position themselves for success this season.

As always, Jacob and Jeremy close with light-hearted movie and anime reviews, balancing sharp baseball analysis with personality and perspective.

Email Jacob directly at: jm17971047@gmail.com

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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– Jeremy Greco: @hokius.fromthehawkseye.com
– Jacob Milham: @jacobmilhkc.bsky.social

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A day ago, there was cause for concern and/or curiosity depending on your perspective of the Sacramento Athletics. Today, the same is true, but inverted in its perspective as we shift from the fearsome and frightening young position player core of the new A’s onto their highly suspect pitching staff.

In their first season in Sacramento, the pitcher-friendly-for-AAA confines proved hitter friendly for the grown-ups. Favorable-enough dimensions, along with a scorching, dry climate, made Sutter Health Park a nightmare for pitchers. Home runs flew freely, hits landed and skimmed swiftly, and while reliable dimensions kept triples in check and we’ll want a multi-year sample for precision, the stage was largely a launching pad.

That made sledding difficult for RHP Luis Severino and an A’s pitching staff built on the cheap that performed accordingly. A 4.71/4.66/4.58 ERA/FIP/xFIP led Sacramento to just 8.6 fWAR in 2026 as a pitching staff and 8.2 bWAR, good for 27th and 25th in MLB respectively. No club induced fewer groundballs than the Athletics, a move that eventually had some clarity thanks to Denzel Clarke’s amazing range, but largely seemed to serve them ill in a small, hitting-happy home. 

Few of these numbers moved in the ideal direction when bullpen ace RHP Mason Miller was traded at the deadline, and while the bullpen remains a relative strength, this club is still surprisingly upside-allergic in the rotation.

Notable Transactions

Out: LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP José Leclerc, LHP T.J. McFarland, RHP, Scott McGough
In: RHP Aaron Civale, RHP Mark Leiter Jr., RHP Scott Barlow, RHP Nick Anderson, RHP Brooks Kriske, RHP Wander Suero
Italics = Minor League Deals with Spring Training Invite

The Rotation

If those moves don’t rattle your bones, do not adjust your dial. Sacramento added just one starter to a rotation that was worst in the American League by fWAR at 5.9, ahead of only the near-historic Rockies. Their rotation was neither good nor diligent, mustering just 808.1 innings (25th in MLB) against the Mariners 882.1 IP (4th), more than eight entire games-worth shunted onto their bullpen. That was satisfactory in Sac-Town, as the club shipped off LHP JP Sears at the deadline along with Miller, working in a motley conveyer belt of ill-fated arms.

To his credit, RHP Luis Severino signed to be the ace of this collective and delivered a second-straight decent campaign. For the park he pitched in, an ERA and FIP beginning with 4 is only so damning. Behind him, however, Jeffrey Springs pitched like an hourly employee whose boss is conspiring to avoid having to give them health insurance, mustering just 158.1 innings in 30 starts and failing to reach the awards-qualifying threshold. Only 28 year old LHP Jacob Lopez, whose potential back half breakout was curtailed by a left elbow strain that’s still slowing his ramp up this spring, showed a serious stride in the right direction.

While adding Civale is a variation of stability, it’s surprising for an A’s club that would be well-served to figure out what they’ve got in reserve. Both Luis M’s have upper-90s heaters and at best a general sense of what direction it’s headed, making them uncomfortable at-bats but also uneven starters. Walk-heavy appearances seem on the docket for this group once again, which is incentivized to identify which of their younger hurlers can coalesce into a rotation mainstay. This is hardly an impossibility, but Sacramento has a decided lack of upside at the top of their rotation and very little floor on the back end, particularly in 2026.

The Bullpen

No major additions shouldn’t shock anyone with familiarity to the A’s organization, although bringing in Leiter and Barlow at least indicated an understanding that a path to contention runs through a standout pen for these A’s. Without Miller and Newcomb, however, an A’s bullpen that was dynamite down the stretch in 2026 will need to pull fresh rabbits from their Kelly green caps.

While much of the historical ‘pen is optionable, it’s likely the Athletics mix in some long relief work in earnest given what they’re working with in the rotation. Their 40-man roster contains a medley of early and mid-20s swingmen like Gunnar Hoglund, J.T. Ginn, Joey Estes, and Jack Perkins. Featured on the Chinese Taipei roster in the WBC this week, Sacramento may also see work from 25 year old righty Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, a durable righty who matches much of this cohort in their peculiar fit as a contact-focused, fly ball pitcher. They’ll need to see a repeat of the brilliant stretches Justin Sterner put together in 2025 for their pluckiness to push into playoff performance, but it’s less fantasy and merely an off-balance coin flip.

These Athletics aren’t too far off their spot a season ago on the hill, and it’s likely to be their Achilles heel. Still, the early half of the season is liable to feature plenty of fervent efforts to identify 1-2 rotation locks and another couple bullpen breakouts, in the way a franchise like the A’s is choosing to gamble on with a still-longshot playoff pathway. Plucky can mean you’ve got unexpected feistiness. It can also mean you’re just plucked.

Fans of the Kansas City Athletics endured many disappointments during the team’s thirteen-year stay at Municipal. Where do we start? The many, often lopsided trades to the Yankees? How about the fact that the team never had a winning record during its stay in Kansas City? Then, of course, there’s the move. The move was a tough pill to swallow, even though the city and the fans had their fill of Charlie O. Finley. Finley was a visionary, but he was also a world-class ass. I could write a chapter on the number of times he insulted the city and the fans.

What made the move really painful was that we could see the team was going to be good. Catfish, Rudi, Fingers, Jackson, Bando, Tenace, Blue, Campy, and Green. One thing Finley had done right was accumulate a deep pool of young talent.

And right on cue, they posted a winning record in their first year in Oakland. Then they won three World Series in a row. I couldn’t have been the only one who thought, “Those titles should have been ours.”

Despite that litany of tears, my first disappointment as a fan came when I was old enough to realize the team had traded away Roger Maris. Roger Maris! The guy who hit 61 home runs in a season! That Roger Maris? I was probably seven. Maybe eight. I remember thinking, who was the idiot who traded away Roger Maris?

That would have been Parke Carroll. Carroll probably wasn’t an idiot, but you can make the case that his loyalties still ran with the Yankees and not Kansas City. Carroll had been employed by the Yankee organization, most recently as the business manager of the Yankees’ Kansas City Blues farm team. The Athletics were owned at the time by Arnold Johnson. Prior to owning the Athletics, Johnson owned not only Yankee Stadium but also Blues Stadium, which he agreed to sell to the city. With that bit of housekeeping taken care of, Johnson moved the Philadelphia Athletics into a newly revamped and renamed Municipal Stadium. Johnson’s director of player personnel was George Selkirk, a former Yankee player who took over right field when Babe Ruth retired. Carroll, Selkirk, and Johnson all had heavy Yankee ties. With leadership like that, the Athletics never had a chance.

The Athletics somehow found some talent. At various times they had guys like Bob Cerv, Ralph Terry, Clete Boyer, Bobby Shantz, and Harry Simpson. All those guys ended up being traded to New York.

The most glaring trade had to be Maris. The Athletics had picked him up, along with Dick Tomanek and Preston Ward, in a June 1958 trade with Cleveland in which they gave up Woodie Held and Vic Power. It was a heavy price to pay, as Held was an adequate center fielder and Power was an excellent hitter. Power had been a two-time All-Star and picked up MVP votes in four seasons in Kansas City, but Maris was different. He had a gift.

Maris had been a football standout at Bishop Shanley High School in Fargo. He set a still-standing national record with four return touchdowns in one game. Maris was such an excellent football player that the University of Oklahoma wanted him. He didn’t even like baseball until he got into high school, whereupon he excelled.

The Indians signed him as a free agent, and he was named Rookie of the Year at his first minor league stop, playing for his hometown Fargo Twins. In four minor league seasons, Maris hit .303 with 78 home runs. The talent was there.

He made his major league debut with Cleveland in April of 1957, going 3 for 5. Two days later, he hit his first major league home run, a grand slam. He was just 22 years old.

Cleveland fans must have also felt our pain. They only had Maris for 167 games over parts of two seasons before they traded him to Kansas City.

Maris battled injuries during his time in Kansas City, including appendix surgery, which hurt his production when he tried to come back too soon.

He made his first All-Star team in 1959 when he hit .273 with 16 home runs and 72 RBI in just 122 games. It looked like the Athletics had their right fielder for the future.

In between injuries, Maris had some fantastic games for the Athletics. On August 3, 1958, in a game at Municipal Stadium against the Washington Senators, Maris went 4 for 5 with two home runs and five RBI. He ended just a single shy of hitting for the cycle and collected 13 total bases during a 12–0 Athletics rout.

On September 24, Maris made his former team pay during a 9–3 Kansas City win in Cleveland. Maris went 3 for 5 with two home runs, three RBI, and nine total bases.

On May 10, 1959, Maris clipped the Tigers for two home runs, scored four times, and drove in five in a 7–6 loss to Detroit.

Once he got healthy toward the end of the 1959 season, it was impossible to miss the talent.

The evil axis of Carroll, Johnson, and Selkirk thought otherwise. On December 11, 1959, the team shocked its fans by sending Maris, Kent Hadley, and shortstop Joe DeMaestri to New York in exchange for Marvelous Marv Throneberry, Norm Siebern, Hank Bauer, and a sore-armed Don Larsen. Maris was quoted in the Reading Eagle as saying, “Believe it or not, I had rather stayed with the Athletics, but I’ll do my best for the Yankees.”

Throneberry was immensely popular with the fans but could never unlock the power he displayed in the minors. Bauer was already 37 and in steep decline. Larsen was 30 and came to the Athletics with a career record of 55–57. His claim to fame was throwing the only perfect game in World Series history. The only thing that saved the trade was Siebern, who over four seasons slashed .289/.381/.463 with 78 home runs and 367 RBI. He made two All-Star teams and picked up some MVP votes. Siebern’s four Kansas City years were basically peak Eric Hosmer.

Maris hit his peak in New York. In 1960, he led the league in several offensive categories, including WAR (7.7), RBI (112), and slugging percentage. His sweet left-handed swing was custom-built for Yankee Stadium. That production earned him the league’s MVP award. Ouch.

Maris was even better in 1961, slashing .269/.372/.620 and leading the league in home runs (61), RBI (141), runs (132), and total bases (366). He won a second MVP award.

Maris broke Babe Ruth’s cherished 60-home run record and received numerous death threats for his trouble. Baseball fans can get nutty. Not “soccer-fan nutty”, but nutty enough.

If you want to know what kind of man Maris was, consider this. His 61st home run ball landed in the hands of 19-year-old Sal Durante. The young man was immediately surrounded by Stadium ushers. He told them he wanted to give the ball to Maris personally. After the game, Durante presented the ball to Maris, saying, “Here’s the ball, Roger.”

Maris then signed and dated the ball and gave it back to Durante, saying, “Keep it, kid. Put it up for auction. Somebody will pay you a lot of money for the ball.” Durante later sold the ball to a California restaurant owner for $5,000. The restaurateur then gave the ball back to Maris. Can you imagine that happening today? How much is that ball worth now?

Maris donated the ball to the Baseball Hall of Fame, where it still resides.

Maris played in New York for seven seasons, during which he hit a total of 203 home runs and won two World Series titles. But he never got over the abuse Yankee fans heaped on him for breaking the Babe’s cherished record. Despite playing in New York, the Maris family maintained their home base in Independence, Missouri. Roger really didn’t want to leave KC.

In December 1966, in a puzzling move, the Yankees traded Maris to St. Louis for utility infielder Charley Smith. The Yankees believed Maris was in decline, but the reality was that he’d had surgery to remove bone chips from his hand in 1965, then played most of the 1966 season with a broken bone in his hand. His batting average slumped, and his once prodigious power all but disappeared. Understandable. I’m not sure how the guy played, except on pure guts.

With his hand healed, Maris enjoyed a late-career revival for the Cardinals. At the ages of 32 and 33, his power had waned, but his defense was as good as ever. He played a pivotal role in the Cardinals’ 1967 World Series win, hitting .385 with a dinger and seven RBI. He nearly picked up another ring in 1968, a classic seven-game series that pitted the excellence of Bob Gibson against the immovable object of Mickey Lolich.

Maris retired after that 1968 season and owned and operated a Budweiser distributorship in Florida, something that Cardinals owner Gussie Busch had set him up with. Maris had a 10-year estrangement from the Yankees, which ended in 1978 when he returned for their Old-Timers’ Day.

In 1983, Maris was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He battled for two years before succumbing to the disease on December 14, 1985, at the very young age of 51.

Maris first came up for Hall of Fame consideration in 1974 but could never garner enough votes for induction. Despite his two MVP awards, the home run record, three World Series titles, and seven All-Star appearances, his overall body of work fell just a little short.

Analytics, invented long after Maris’ passing, show him with a little over 38 WAR, certainly a respectable total, but not enough to warrant Hall of Fame induction.

Despite that, Maris’ legacy lives on. The Yankees retired his No. 9 jersey and gave him a plaque in Monument Park. Can you believe the Yanks have 22 retired numbers? If they continue at this pace, they’ll have to start assigning letters.

The Postal Service issued a Roger Maris commemorative stamp in 1999. Barry Pepper played Maris in the acclaimed movie “61*.” In 2023, a Maris game-worn 1961 jersey sold for $1.59 million. His last game was almost 60 years ago, but people remember.

If you ever happen to be in Fargo, plan to make a stop at the West Acres Shopping Center. The mall is home to the outstanding Roger Maris Museum. Always a modest man, Maris first rejected the idea of a museum in his honor. He eventually relented on the condition that the museum would never charge admission.

Former teammate Moose Skowron said, “People just remember the 61 home runs. They forgot that Roger was an excellent base stealer and a superb right fielder. He was the best defensive right fielder in the majors. He was an all-around ballplayer, a humble guy, and a real team player. History never gave him his due.”

Yesterday I got to watch my first televised A’s game of 2026! Thank you MLB.TV’s free game of the day special as well as the fine commentators behind the mic for the San Diego Padres. I mean, imagine getting to watch your favorite team play a spring training game? Imagine getting to know your rising prospects with a little sneak peak of how the fan favorites are fairing? What a concept! Such a swing and miss for the green and gold, not going all in on something like this – – especially with the team being in the middle of a transition period. We should be trying to reach as many people as possible here. Plus the A’s have the best spring training uniforms BY FAR. No debate whatsoever. Now I’m sure there’s some broadcasting rights reason why Chris Caray isn’t on this ish day in and day out but I don’t care. Figure it out.

Side note: why is it every time they show footage of an A’s spring training game on these SB nation posts, it’s a highlight in favor of the other team? I swear, for the past week or so I have seen nothing but Edward Quero’s two run single on repeat! Now, initially I thought this was due to a limited sample size of 2026 baseball content, but they’ve already got Jase Bowen’s homer from yesterday up there above a post, despite their being plenty of great A’s clips to pick from now.

SB Nation, what are we doing? Give us a little Sody pop!

Did anyone see the announcement regarding the Spring Breakout Tournament they’ll be hosting next year? Finally! I’ve been saying this for years – – there is no reason for MLB not be incentivizing fans to watch spring training baseball. It’s a cash cow waiting to happen. Starting with the Spring Breakout Tournament is smart if they treat it like NBA’s summer league – – which is some of the most fun you’ll have watching anything NBA-related these days. What the Summer League does so well is capture the spirit of college basketball, all while slapping NBA team logos all over the whole operation. I see a similar thing happening here with the Spring Breakout, as you’ll get a bunch of ball players looking to get their licks in by whatever means possible, with most of them being probably fresh off the heels of a college career. All this spells success to me. Last year’s little showcase against the Padres was very fun to watch. Look at some of these players who were featured:

Nick Kurtz

Luis Morales

Gunnar Hoglund

Max Muncy

Denzel Clarke

All these dudes would be on the A’s by the end of the 2025 season. Not to mention Tommy “Tanks” White who hit an opposite field cranker in the third inning. Also playing for the Padres Spring Breakout club was our new shiny player of affection Leo De Vries (who went 2-4 against his former club today).

In retrospect, the whole thing feels like that show Freaks and Geeks where you look back at the cast and go “Damn, all these people were in this?” Giving these young players a tournament-style opportunity to make a name for themselves this early on is like the second season of Freaks and Geeks we never got. One and done is not enough! Let them run it back!

I really want to get into today’s exhibition against Team Brazil, but I’m also doing the game threads AND the recap. Consider this me getting loose in the pen in between innings, waiting to see if the starting pitcher is going to get through the inning or not.

Stay tuned. I’ll see you all in a couple of hours.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s have best ABS challenge success rates so far this spring
• A’s matchup with Padres a homecoming for No. 1 prospect De Vries
• Young, talented Athletics need veterans to show the way
• Athletics coaching staff enthusiastic about Bolte’s pathway to Majors
• A’s to follow casinos’ playbook on how to treat Las Vegas season ticket holders
• Where Does Tommy White Fit in the A’s Mix at Third Base?
• Only a little polish needed before Jump could be ready for The Show
• Butler ramps up recovery efforts, eyes mid-Spring Training return
• Why are A’s using personal seat licenses for Las Vegas stadium?
• Circa Las Vegas bringing in A’s legend for baseball opening day festitivies
• A’s spending on $2B Vegas stadium passes $300m mark, is Fisher’s folly really happening?
• Bob Melvin opens up: A Giants firing, an A’s hiring, and what comes next
• See you later, soda: A’s Perkins ditches sugar for science
• Can The A’s Young Core Turn Defense Into a Strength?
• Pesky Drawback Of “Closer By Committee” (It Never Really Works)
• “Relievers Are Volatile”… But Why?
• Are The Final Two Rotation Spots Really Up For Grabs?

MLB News and Interest:

• Mark DeRosa sets USA rotation for WBC with Logan Webb starting G1
• Tigers Announce Launch Of Detroit SportsNet
• Padres sign Verdugo to Minors deal, bolster outfield depth
• Here are the World Baseball Classic Power Rankings March 1st, 2026
• Is Salt Lake City emerging as a leader contender for MLB expansion?
• Ex-MLB pitcher from San Francisco sentenced for murder
• Fairbanks is Marlins’ new go-to for pop culture recs
• Way-too-early predications for 2026 All-Star Game starters
• Injuries: Lindor, Yanks, Twins, Kelly, Woodruff, Basallo
• U.S. denies visas for 8 in Cuba’s WBC delegation
• What does Scherzer’s return mean for Jays’ packed rotation?
• Comparing the industry’s 2026 Top 100 prospects lists
• CC Sabathia to have number retired by Yankees
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Cooking with GAS

People forget that 65% of West Sacramento’s population is Brazilian.

Really hope a lockout doesn’t spoil this amazing concept…

I have to admit this stadium design is kind’ve growing on me. I know! Hating everything Las Vegas A’s is en vogue but I can’t help it! The armadillo roof thing is quirky and I’m into it. The whole thing will without a doubt be one of a kind – – for better and for worse

Has there ever been a more reluctant A’s legend than Jed “Two Flaps” Lowrie??