Category: Baseball

Last season, the Washington Nationals bullpen was an utter disaster. They posted a 5.59 ERA as a unit, which was comfortably the worst in baseball. However, I do not see that happening again. In fact, I think the Nationals bullpen will surprise people in 2026. There may not be any star names, but I think the unit will be solid.

Don’t get it twisted, I do not expect the Nats to have an elite bullpen, but I do not think it will be among the worst in the league either. Honestly, I would expect the bullpen ERA to look something like the 4.14 mark the Nats posted in 2024. There will be some breakouts, as well as plenty of trial and error.

There is going to be a lot of churn in the Nats bullpen this year. It is part of Paul Toboni’s philosophy. We already got a taste of that with all the waiver claims this offseason. These waiver claims will continue into the season. If guys aren’t producing, they will be demoted or DFA’d, and replaced by pitchers the front office finds more interesting. The mixing and matching will continue until they find the right combination.

That means we are not going to see Colin Poche and Lucas Sims types get over a month of run despite clearly not having the goods. The fact the Nats do not have a ton of relievers on guaranteed big league contracts will also help them be more flexible. A lot of teams like to just churn through relievers, and the Nats are going to be one of those teams.

However, they will have a few guys who they rely on in high leverage spots. One of those pitchers is Clayton Beeter, who Mike DeBartolo picked up in the Amed Rosario trade. Beeter posted a 2.49 ERA in 24 appearances with the Nats last year. This spring, Beeter has bumped up his slider usage, which could help him out. His slider is an elite swing and miss weapon, which he will lean on this year.

I would not be surprised if the Nats have more of a closer by committee set up this season. However, if they were to have a set closer, Beeter would be my pick. While he has control issues, he has the swing and miss stuff to bail himself out. When batters do put the ball in play against him, they do not tend to make great contact either.

Another high leverage reliever for the Nats will be Cole Henry. The right hander had his moments as a rookie, but faded as the season went on. He posted a 4.27 ERA last year, but I think that will be improved upon this year. Henry has bumped up his cutter usage this spring. I like that a lot because it gives him a bridge pitch between his fastball and sweeper. That cutter makes his arsenal much more complete.

Those two were in the Nats bullpen last year, but I would expect them to take strides forward this year. Brad Lord and PJ Poulin are two more arms that should give the Nats more stability in the ‘pen. Beyond those guys, we should see a revolving door of arms. I am sure a couple of those pitchers they give chances to will blossom under this new pitching development program.

The pitchers I have named so far lack experience, but Paul Toboni did bring in a couple of veterans on minor league deals right before Spring Training. Cionel Perez and Drew Smith are both looking to re-establish themselves as bullpen mainstays. They have success on their resume’s, but Perez struggled in 2025 and Smith was injured the whole year. Both have looked sharp this spring.

If one or both of those guys recapture some of the magic they had a few years ago, that would provide a massive boost. It feels like Smith is getting sharper and sharper as he gets more innings under his belt. Perez has also thrown the ball well this spring.

Honestly, most of the Nationals pitchers have looked good this spring. Some of the usage tweaks the new regime has made seem to have positive early returns. It is still Spring Training, but I like what I am seeing.

I am calling my shot! If the Nats bullpen ERA is not at least a run lower than last year, I would be very surprised. A 4.59 bullpen ERA still wouldn’t be good, but after last year, I would take it. Like I said up top, I expect the bullpen ERA to look much closer to the 4.14 mark they posted in 2024. 

There are no massive names in this group, but there do not need to be. We just need less Colin Poche and Jorge Lopez type blow-ups. Based on what we have seen this spring, I expect that will happen. Even last Spring Training, you could see the cracks in the Nats bullpen showing. We have not seen that so far this spring. Instead, we have seen a plethora of arms who can get outs.

You never truly know until you get into the regular season, but I really think the Nats bullpen will be solid. The pitchers performing well will stay and the guys struggling will have a short leash. I expect the bullpen to be a pleasant surprise for Nats fans in 2026.

The World Baseball Classic has matured to the point where, like the World Cup and NCAA tournament, each edition is going to be remembered for a specific storyline.

In 2023, that storyline was the ascension of Shohei Ohtani to the level of Global Sports God. Over those two-and-a-half weeks we saw him definitively swipe the crown of “game’s best player” right off the head of his then-teammate, Mike Trout. We saw him hit a cultural Q-rating that no baseball player had approached in decades. And we reached a tipping point in the baseball GOAT debate wherein a critical mass of fans started saying “yup, it’s him.”

What will the storyline be for the 2026 tournament? Sadly, I think it’ll be last night’s atrocious strike call to end what had been a sublime baseball game.

Just an awful, inexcusable call. I’m sure someone in the comments will come up with something, but I can’t think of a single botched ball/strike call that was as impactful as that in recent baseball memory. The fact that Juan Soto was rung up with a similarly bad call at a similarly big moment earlier in the game only fuels the outrage. I have a feeling this is something we’re going to hear Dominican ballplayers and fans talk about for a long time. It’ll probably even be the main storyline heading into the next tournament.

But if there’s a second storyline this tournament will be remembered for — especially in the free and independent Republic of New England — it’ll be the outstanding play of the Boston Red Sox. We had Jarren Duran balling out for Mexico, Masataka Yoshida thriving in pool play,Wilyer Abreu hitting one of the most electric homers the tournament has ever seen, Brayan Bello carving up Israel, and Greg Weissert closing out one of the most notable upsets in tournament history.

And now we have Roman Anthony and Garrett Whitlock carrying Team USA into the finals.

Anthony — who has seven hits, four walks, two homers, seven RBI and an OPS of 1.014 thus far — hit this monster sockdolager that turned out to be the game winning hit:

Then Garrett Whitlock mowed down the heart of possibly the greatest lineup ever assembled to hold Anthony’s lead in the eighth (though, yes, this included that bad call against Juan Soto).

Team USA now awaits the outcome of tonight’s Venezuela-Italy game, while Anthony-induced giddiness has reached dangerous levels amongst Red Sox fans.

Talk about the WBC and whatever else you feel like and, as always, be good to one another.

In a week full of World Baseball Classic games, Guardians players have been finding success in Goodyear and in Houston.

Naylor’s Big Night

In Friday night’s WBC game between the United States and Canada, Guardians’ catcher Bo Naylor had a big night for his native Canada. Although his team lost and ultimately sent the U.S. to the semifinals, Naylor proved himself to fans all over the world. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Gabe Speier threw a two-out pitch to Naylor with a runner on base. He took that pitch deep into the seats at Daiken Field to cut the United States’ lead to 5-3. While his team wasn’t able to capitalize on that momentum and was ultimately eliminated from the WBC, Naylor made his name known on the biggest stage.

Halpin Helping Big

Cleveland’s 95th draft pick from 2020, Petey Halpin, has been making waves in Spring Training. The young centerfielder has had pretty consistent playing time this March, totalling 25 at bats so far. In that time, he’s hit .320/.433/.640 with eight hits and two home runs. He’s also continuing to show off his speed on the basepaths, claiming five stolen bases so far. He’s played just six Major League games during the regular season so far, but if he can get consistent playing time in 2026, he’ll definitely be a threat on the bases and at the plate.

Gaddis Nearing Return

As the start of the regular season inches closer, so does the return of setup man Hunter Gaddis. Gaddis was shut down early in Spring Training due to right forearm tightness. He received an MRI to assess the damage and found that there was no damage, however, the team had shut him down just to be safe. Since then, he’s been working towards a return with two bullpen sessions this week. While the timing of his return has yet to be fully determined, he’s been making good progress and has “been feeling really good” according to Manager Stephen Vogt.

Social Media Spotlight

This week’s social media spotlight highlights Matt Wilkinson who pitched for the Lake County Captains in 2025. He’s spent the last couple of weeks representing Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic, and he had a huge moment in Friday’s game against the U.S. He struck out the team’s heavy hitters, Cal Raleigh and Bryce Harper. The below video shows just how much spirit the young pitcher has.

Sometimes when we go over numbers things get missed. In this case, there were a few arms that got left out of the conversation and I would be remiss if I didn’t at least address them as camp is coming to a close. Some of the names are names you are familiar with, but they exist on the periphery of the conversation. Our numbers can help explain why that is.

There is one that came up late last season and actually looked pretty good. A third name is from one of the many non-roster invitees that has had major league time. As we do with most of the arms, we look at both major and minor league numbers when it suits us. There is a general rule in data analysis and that general rule is that we go with more data whenever possible. Nothing kills analysis quite like small sample sizes. All three of these arms have spent more time in the minors than at the big league level. As usual, before we get started let me remind everyone about our norms for the numbers we are using.

• Chase rate: This is the percentage of balls a player swings at outside of the zone. The league average normally lives around 30 percent, but we will be looking at three year intervals and we should notice trends more than where a player is in relationship to the league average.

• Hard hit percentage: This is simply the percentage of balls that a player hits hard. Hard hit balls become hits and extra base hits more often than softer contact. Typically 35 percent is around the league average in this category.

• BABIP: This is batting average on balls in play. Home runs are obviously excluded since they are not in play. The league average tends to hover around .300 but it will largely depend on hard hit percentages and breakdowns between groundballs, flyballs, and line drives.

• Contact percentage: This is the percentage of swings that turn into contact. Typically 75 percent is around league average.
• HR/FB percentage: This is the percentage of flyballs that result in home runs. Ten percent is typically around the league average.
• LOB%: It is pretty self-explanatory. It is the number of runners that get stranded on base. The league average tends to be around 70 percent. Of course, there is some debate as to whether pitchers control that or not.

J.P. France

It should be noted that 2023 and 2024 came at the big league level where 2025 came at AAA. That can help explain the dip in contact and hard hit rate. Otherwise, France is pretty average and maybe even below average when it comes to contact rates. 2023 was a magical year for him when everything came together. He had a higher than normal left on base percentage and lower than normal BABIP.

I suppose that luck could return in limited exposure. If you pitch him exclusively in the pen and don’t let the order turn around on him then you could coax above average results out of him. In all likelihood, he will be penciled into Sugar Land’s rotation and provide decent quality depth when and if some of the ML starters go to the injury list.

Jayden Murray

Let’s start with the good news. Murray is better than the AAA numbers he put up in 2023 and 2025. He pitched only three innings in 2024, so we did not include those numbers here. Ultimately, he has the look of an average AAA pitcher. Like most average pitchers, he is capable of short bursts of solid production and that happened late in the season in Houston. He had 11.2 innings and pitched to a 1.54 ERA. That came with a .3.78 xERA and 4.52 xFIP.

Those numbers are obviously much more in line with who he is. He is like most middle relievers pitching in the big leagues. There are going to be years when the ball bounces their way and they put up very good numbers. There are going to be years where it doesn’t. The Astros’ strategy seems to be to collect as many of those guys as possible with the hope of finding three or four guys (to go along with their two or three high leveraged relievers) to cobble together a solid pen.

Christian Roa

This is one of those calculated gambles that teams sometimes take. Roa seemed to find something last season. His chase rate went up and contact rates went down. His left on base percentage, BABI, and home run rate also improved dramatically. It could be fool’s gold and that is the risk. However, consider that Roa was brought in on a minor league contract. What’s the worst that can happen?

He has a 1.29 ERA in seven innings with seven strikeouts. So, maybe what he found last season has stuck with him. If we look at just the 2025 numbers we see that he is around the league average in contact rate, home run rate, and reasonably close in chase rate. He is just another guy that could potentially work out with good batted ball luck. The Astros have at least a half dozen of those guys and the expectation is that their pitching lab along with good batted ball luck could coax good performances out of half of them. Will Roa be one of those guys?

The San Diego Padres could not get much going against Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon Pfaadt in their game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Sunday. San Diego was unable to record a hit against the right-hander through five innings, but in the eighth and ninth innings, facing relievers, the Padres scored four runs and pulled even with the Diamondbacks and the game ended in a 4-4 tie.

Randy Vazquez started the game for San Diego, and he too had success controlling the Arizona lineup through his first three innings and he entered the bottom of the fourth with the game tied 0-0. Vasquez ran into trouble in the fourth when he hit the first batter, allowed a single to center field which was misplayed by Samad Taylor and resulted in a one-run lead for the Diamondbacks. Vasquez then allowed a single, a triple and a single and Arizona had a 4-0 lead in the fourth before an out was recorded. He did get a lineout following the consecutive hits and was replaced on the mound by Johan Moreno. A forceout on a ground ball and a runner caught stealing by Freddy Fermin ended the inning.

Vasquez returned for the fifth and put all three batters down in order. The rest of the Padres pitching staff shutout the Diamondbacks over the final five innings and San Diego rallied in the eighth for three runs to make the score 4-3 before tying the game in the ninth with a run.

Padres News:

• Nick Castellanos started his career on the dirt as a third baseman. He then spent several years on the grass as a right fielder. Since joining the Padres, he has said he will play anywhere the team needs him. That need may be at first base and Castellanos seems to be handling the transition as well as expected and could play a significant role for San Diego in 2026.
• There has been and still is an ongoing battle for the fifth spot in the San Diego rotation, but that may be decided after Spring Training once Griffin Canning is able to return to game-action. The free-agent pitcher is recovering from an Achilles injury and is expected to return early in the 2026 season. The addition of Canning and possibly reliever Jason Adam who is recovering from his quadriceps tendon injury could be a boost for Padres pitchers.

Baseball News:

• New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor made his return to Spring Training after Hamade surgery and had a successful day with plenty to build on with Opening Day just around the corner.
• New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil is looking to improve as an MLB pitcher and part of that for him is reaching the “next level of electricity” with his fastball.

WBC News:

• Mike Trout and then Los Angeles Angels teammate Shohei Ohtani provided one of the most memorable WBC moments in tournament history when the USA slugger faced the Japanese pitcher in the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic final. Trout is not participating in the 2026 tournament, but like most baseball fans, is still watching and is happy to see the success of the global event.
• Venezuela and Italy will face off today at 5 p.m. to determine who gets the opportunity to compete for the WBC title against the US, which defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in their semi-final on Sunday. Mason Miller closed out the game and earned the WBC save.

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland checks out what we’ve recently learned from camp as the Texas Rangers enter their final week in Arizona.

Evan Grant writes that Skip Schumaker has named Nathan Eovaldi as the Opening Day starter for Texas for their upcoming season opener in Philadelphia.

Kennedi Landry writes that 2023 World Series hero Eovaldi will be making his sixth career Opening Day start and will become the first starter to make three Opening Day starts in a row for Texas since Kevin Millwood started four consecutive openers a couple of decades ago.

Grant has a few observations from camp from yesterday where Marc Church made his spring debut and the bullpen battles continued.

Jeff Wilson writes that prospect Cam Cauley put himself on a trajectory to eventually contribute to the big league team with a head-turning spring.

Grant notes that despite his impressive spring, Cauley was among the players who were cut from big league camp yesterday.

In her weekly newsletter, Landry writes about how the late-spring signing of Jalen Beeks could impact how the Rangers construct their pitching staff.

Grant writes that the Rangers were needing to see something quickly from Andrew McCutchen, and the veteran former MVP has already delivered in his short time in Surprise.

As a standout for the Rangers this spring, Jim Bowden writes that Evan Carter could be due for a breakout year for Texas.

Landry tabs Rule 5 reliever Carter Baumler as a young player who has made a big impression for the Rangers so far this spring.

And, McFarland names 2025 prized international signee Elorky Rodriguez as the Rangers’ No. 9 prospect on the DMN’s top 30 list.

Have a nice day!

The ideal baseball lineup has players with high on-base percentages near the top of the order, setting the table for the sluggers in the middle. Optimizing a lineup like this can allow a team to score a few more runs per year. On a given day it may not make much of a difference, but over a 162-game season it could net your team an extra win or two. That’s nothing to sneeze at, and teams—especially those on the fringes of the playoff discussion—should be doing whatever they can to maximize runs.

This topic of lineup optimization has become a hot one as Orioles camp comes to a close. Manager Craig Albernaz was asked about it over the weekend, specifically who he planned to put in the leadoff spot on Opening Day. The skipper kept it vague with his answer.

“It all depends,” Albernaz said. “Depends on the hitter, depends on the pitcher, depends on the team we’re playing. Depends on a lot of different stuff.”

It also depends on who is healthy. That is what has really complicated things this spring. Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg are two guys that would probably top the list of consideration. But both will open the season on the IL instead.

MLB.com’s Jake Rill indicates that Albernaz won’t be committing to any one guy day in and day out. But he does seem to prefer either Gunnar Henderson or Taylor Ward in the role for now. While Henderson has been with Team USA, Ward has been getting a lot of at-bats in the top spot.

Ward does not scream “leadoff hitter” when you look at his recent numbers. He’s been a run producer that hits home runs. But he has experience in the role. The 763 plate appearances he has batting first are his most of any spot in the order, and the numbers have been good (.259/.326/.456, 32 homers). He’s also a patient hitter that doesn’t chase much and walks at a solid clip (11.3%). Putting him first and then, presumably, Henderson second, could benefit both. Pitchers may be more likely to give Ward pitches to hit, and it would also give Henderson traffic on the bases more often.

For whatever it’s worth, Ward does not seem to care when or where he hits.

“Really, it doesn’t matter to me. I mean, hit me ninth, eighth, I really don’t care,” Ward said. “I try to treat it like the same thing, just all the same. I like to keep it simple like that. So wherever Alby wants to put me, I’m good for it.”

The leadoff spot has also been Henderson’s most frequent role throughout his career. Over 789 plate appearances he owns a .276/.347/.533 line with 42 homers. Clearly, he is better than Ward, but putting Henderson first could be a waste of his slugging potential. He’s healthy this year and swinging the bat well for Team USA. If he is going to bounce back and return to the 37 home run form he had in 2024, it would be wise to have that happen with more runners on base. Moving him down a spot in the order makes sense.

But before we go and etch all of this in stone, let’s be clear that committing to any one lineup at this point in the year is foolish. So much is going to change throughout the summer. Players will get hurt. Hot streaks and cold streaks will pop up. A certain pitching matchup will present itself. Someone other than Ward or Henderson will lead off at some point. All of this could completely change Albernaz’s way of thinking.

Consider a few alternatives.

When healthy, Holliday and Westburg are going to be in the conversation. Holliday led off more than any other Orioles hitter in 2025. It didn’t go great (.236/.311/.366), but he is still young. You have to think the Orioles want him to eventually own the role if he can produce. Westburg has hit all over the lineup, usually settling into the second or fifth spots. But he can do a a job anywhere. He feels like the guy they will turn to if the lineup is in the midst of a bad run and needs some sort of spark.

Colton Cowser began the 2025 season as the Orioles’ leadoff hitter. At the time, he had a reputation for controlling the strike zone. His nightmarish campaign may have altered some perspectives, but it’s entirely possible he gets back to that point.

Dylan Beavers showed impressive plate discipline during his first taste of big league baseball. He walked 19 percent of the time and rarely chased pitches out of the strike zone. Putting a rookie atop a lineup with playoff aspirations right out of the gate might be a bit much, but Beavers could force the Orioles hand at some point.

And what about Adley Rutschman? His performance over the last season and a half suggests he should be in the bottom third of the order rather than the leadoff spot. But it wasn’t that long ago when he looked like the best hitting catcher in baseball. His 2023 season saw hime finish with a .374 on base percentage. If he could get back to that sort of production, he might be the team’s best option to hit first. He will need to prove that he’s actually back to that level before getting the distinction as everyday leadoff hitter.

The reality is that the Orioles do not have an “ideal” leadoff hitter on their roster. But they have plenty of competent big league players that they can cycle in and out to find advantageous matchups and put runners on base ahead of Henderson and Pete Alonso. That should be a recipe for success no matter who actually ends up in the top spot day to day.

For someone who’s never taken a big-league at-bat, there’s been an awful lot of talk about Spencer Jones. Taken by the Yankees in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt, the 6-foot-7 outfielder immediately drew the obligatory Aaron Judge comparisons that follow anyone with his physical profile. It didn’t hurt that he carried with him a prodigious power swing and an ability to play center field. Jones has risen steadily through the Yankees’ system during his four seasons as a pro, consistently showcasing a varied skill set to dream on. He was Baseball America’s No. 46 prospect entering the 2024 season and broke out in a major way last year between Double-A and Triple-A, swatting 35 homers.

And yet, his prospect stock has waned as his real-life performance has taken off. The reason is as simple as it is confounding: the man swings and misses too much.

2025 Stats (Double-A/Triple-A): 506 PA, .274/.362/.571, 35 HR, 80 RBI, 35.4 K%, 11.5 BB%, 153 wRC+

Last year, Ryan McMahon led all big-leaguers with a 32-percent strikeout rate. Jones’ 37-percent rate at Triple-A dwarfed that number and, while his overall offensive package was still highly productive due to his power, it’s difficult to project success for the prospect against MLB competition if he continues to demonstrate those kinds of contact issues. And 2025 was not an anomaly — the year prior, he had an even higher strikeout rate as he was punched out an astonishing 200 times.

To his credit, this offseason the 24-year-old tackled these concerns head-on, retooling his swing and modeling it after another lefty-hitting masher, Shohei Ohtani. “He’s a great reference of a really good mover with a great swing,” Jones said of the four-time MVP in what amounts to a bit of an understatement. “He’s one of those guys that I look at with some of the stuff he does, and I try to apply it in whichever way I can.”

Success followed in spring training, where he posted a 1.345 OPS while striking out at a more tenable 29-percent rate, albeit in a sample of just 28 plate appearances.

His fellow 6-foot-7 outfielder was impressed. “The minute he puts that foot down with that little toe-tap, he’s ready to hit,” Judge said of Jones’ new swing. “They might have gotten him with a lot of high heaters in the past, or even last season. I think that’s just going to help him.”

The Yankees reassigned Jones to minor-league camp last Monday. With the Yankees’ outfield set to feature Judge alongside lefties Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham, there would be limited opportunities for Jones and Jasson Domínguez, a switch-hitter who fared much better from the left side of the plate last season. Both are expected to start the year at Triple-A, with Domínguez, who appeared in 123 games with the Yankees last year and showcased strong lefty hitting and plus speed, the clear favorite as the next man up should the need arise. This is why, while FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projections expect Jones to make his Yankees debut this year, they only project him to get into five games.

Upon sending him out to minor-league camp, the prospect’s manager provided some advice. “As much as you can, don’t focus on things that right now might be out of your control a little bit,” Aaron Boone said. “Reality is, he’s coming off a really strong season. He continues to make really solid adjustments. He came in here this spring and has represented really well and has performed. You’ve seen the signs of him continuing to get better.”

It’s good advice. If Jones can demonstrate an ability to avoid the strikeout, his combination of power and outfield defense will be impossible to keep down at Triple-A for long, regardless of the other outfielders ahead of him on the depth chart. Given the team’s depth in the outfield, it’s possible that shot could come elsewhere, with Jones (and, for that matter, Domínguez) theorized throughout the offseason as potential trade bait to help out elsewhere on the roster.

This year will be a make-or-break campaign for Jones. If he can get his strikeout rate down, he’ll get some run to show he can fulfill the potential that made him a first-round pick and top-50 prospect. If not, Jones, who’ll turn 25 in May, will start to look like a former prospect whose time has passed.

See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

There was only one game, so let’s get right to it.

United States 2, Dominican Republic 1

I’ll admit, I was a little biased here. I wanted to see the United States come out and destroy the Dominican Death Star, hoping they would continue marching towards a WBC title. However, in my heart of hearts, I kind of thought there was no way it was going to happen. Even with Paul Skenes on the mound for at least four innings, my thought was that the Dominican lineup would eventually rise up against the bullpen of the United States and pound them into dust.

I was quite wrong.

A game fraught with tension, it got off to an unspectacular start as both starters, Skenes and Luis Severino, came out and handled the lineups. Skenes made one mistake to Junior Caminero that the Rays third baseman did not miss.

However, from there, Skenes shut the lineup down. He was helped by an outstanding throw from Aaron Judge to end an inning at third base.

Now, while Severino was great to start the game, eventually the adrenaline he was fueled by ran out and he started missing more often. Gunnar Henderson took one of those misses and hit a moonshot to left to tie the game at one.

Once Severino was removed in that inning and replaced with Gregory Soto, it looked as though the game would settle into a battle of the bullpens. Soto being Soto, however, he missed with a fastball to Roman Anthony and Anthony did not miss it.

The game continued like this, the United States up 2-1. Instead of the offense on display, it was the defense that sparkled in this game. In addition to his throw at third, Judge also had a diving catch to rob a hit off the bat of Juan Soto. The favor was returned in the sixth when Judge hit a drive to center that was robbed by Julio Rodriguez.

It was the seventh where the game was decided. David Bednar was brought into the game to start the inning and allowed two runners on, those two both getting into scoring position with two outs. Bednar, though, got Ketel Marte swinging to end the frame and kept the U.S. out in front. In the ninth, the Dominican lineup mustered some noise against Mason Miller, but the Padres closer was able to keep them in check, striking out Geraldo Perdomo to end the game.

Or did he?

I’ll expect to see ABS in the next round of the WBC.

The United States wins this round and moves on to the final while the Dominican Republic wonders what might have been.

Will they, or won’t they?

That’s a question many Non-Roster Invites will be asking themselves this week as teams begin trimming their rosters in preparation for the 2026 season.

Nicky Lopez is one of the NRIs invited to the Colorado Rockies spring training activities. A 31-year-old infielder from Naperville, Illinois, Lopez is veteran who has experience with a number of teams — including the 2024 Chicago White Sox.

Since making his MLB debut in 2019 with the Kansas City Royals, the lefty has earned 5.6 rWAR and a .245/.310/.621 slashline. Although Lopez can play second, third, and short, his defensive numbers have been streaky but slightly above average. That said, he was a second base Gold Glove finalist in 2024.

Now, Lopez is looking to make the Rockies team and help mentor young players.

Changing the team culture

Lopez signed with the Rockies in late November after speaking with Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta. At that time, DePodesta made clear that changing the Rockies culture was much on his mind.

“Their pitch to me was just ‘We need a veteran presence, and we’re trying to change a culture.’”

The job appealed to Lopez.

“That’s one thing I really do hang my hat on,” Lopez said.

“I’m a guy who likes to keep it light in the clubhouse and and a guy who can come in here and help change a culture, whether that’s keeping it light, picking up a teammate, always cheering for a teammate, and just being that player that a coach can count on at any position.”

He was looking for a team that would give him a chance.

“That’s all I really want, is just an opportunity to compete and try to win a spot on the team and help the team any way I can.”

A different kind of veteran experience

Actually, Lopez brings to a young Rockies team a very specialized form of experience in that he was part of the historically bad 2024 Chicago White Sox. It was a time Lopez looks back on as a learning experience.

“I learned so much about myself that year that,” he said.

“You try to find a positive in anything. And obviously everyone looks the record is like, ‘Man, that’s such a bad year.’ And in the in the midst of a bad year, selfishly, I got nominated for a Gold Glove, which means I was handling my business on the defensive end.”

But it was more than his on-field work. His clubhouse presence mattered, too.

“I think the young guys [in Chicago] can speak highly of me, just trying to get them to have fun at the clubhouse and have fun at the field, even though it was such a tough time.”

That said, Lopez’s career hasn’t been defined by his presence on losing teams, and he sees the highs and lows of his career as being valuable for a rebuilding club.

“One of the things I discussed with the front office and Schaeff is that I’ve been on 110, 115-win teams with the Atlanta Braves. I’ve been to the playoffs. I was in the Cubs clubhouse last year, and then I’ve also been on 120-loss team. So I know what both sides of it looks like, and I know what’s both sides of it feels like.”

In short, he’s been through a lot.

“There’s not many situations I haven’t really experienced in my in my career, which is something I think it can be very valuable to a young team like the Rockies, which is why in November, I signed here.”

Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros has appreciated Lopez’s willingness to share what he’s learned.

“We’ve been taking a lot of ground balls together. He’s obviously is one of the best defenders in the game. So picking his brains,” Karros said. “He was part of the White Sox when they had their tough year. So he kind of has seen what it’s like to be on a good team and what it’s like to be on a bad team. So he’s going to definitely offer some good insight on how to get us going in the right direction.”

Plus, for Lopez, signing with the Rockies represented a reset.

“Last year was a little bump in the road, both defensively and offensively in my career,” Lopez said. “But getting here kind of felt like a breath of fresh air, where I can just kind of do my thing and bounce around all over the diamond.”

Settling in at “Camp Schaeffer”

As a free agent, he had a number of teams to choose from and calls signing with the Rockies “kind of a no-brainer” in large part because of what he heard about manager Warren Schaeffer.

“A lot of these players rave about Schaeffer, so I was like, ‘You know what? This is a place I want to be, and it’s going to give me an opportunity to make a team and compete for one.’ And that’s all I all I can ask for right now in my career. So I’ve really enjoyed it so far.”

And he hasn’t been disappointed.

“I love him,” Lopez said of the Rockies new manager. “Great dude, great human being, first and foremost.”

Lopez is not alone in his praise of Schaeffer, echoing comments of other Rockies players.

“He’s a manager that a lot of guys would go to fight for, which is, I think, the ultimate compliment as a manager,” Lopez said.

Much of that stems from Schaeffer’s open communication.

“His door is always open, which is something, as a veteran, I really do appreciate,” Lopez said. “Being able to go in there and talk to him if I need to, ‘Hey, where am I at? Hey, what you know? What do you want to see more of me?’ Stuff like that is a good dialog with managers, [and] it’s something that you can’t really take for granted. So for him to be able to be open to that and be accessible to the players is huge.”

Infield versatility

Being an adaptable infielder has been a staple of Lopez’s career, starting when he played baseball at Creighton University. He’s comfortable at second, third, and shortstop.

For a Rockies team looking to build around players with “optionality,” Lopez’s background seems like a good fit.

“My whole minor league career up until I got to the big leagues, from 2016 to 2019, I was just at shortstop,” Lopez said. “And then I made my debut at second base,” a position he started learning in Triple-A while in the Kansas City Royals system. But the organization continued to develop his versatility.

“When I got to the made the majors, they were, like, ‘Hey, can you play third?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’ve done it, but I haven’t done it since, obviously, 2014.’ So you have that attitude where it’s like, ‘Yeah, I can do it,’ and just go and just sink your teeth into it.”

The key to his versatility however, is taking practice seriously — an approach embraced by Rockies Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle.

“When you treat practice like it’s a game, then in the game, everything’s just going to flow,” Lopez said. And so I take practice very seriously when it comes to defense.“

This season, Ryan Ritter has left the familiar confines of the dirt for the vastness of the outfield. Is there any chance Lopez might follow a similar path?

He’s not averse to the idea.

“I have a couple big league games in left,“ he laughed.

“We have some dogs out there right now in the outfield. So, but if it takes being a bench roll where these guys need a day off because it’s a long 162, and then, yeah, I’ll go out there and play defense and play in the outfield.”

He added, “And Schaeff knows that, too. I’ve talked to him already about it, and so it’s one of those things, if your name’s called, just go in and compete as best as you can.”

Now it’s a matter of seeing if he will be afforded that opportunity.

This week on the internet

Which Colorado Rockie is most likely to search himself on the internet? atRockies asked the question:

(Cole, if you’ve Googled yourself and found this article, we think you’re awesome.)

At age 71, Rockies owner Dick Monfort insists chances of team winning World Series in his lifetime are ‘Excellent!’ | Denver Gazette

Mark Kiszla had his yearly conversation with Rockies owner Dick Monfort.

Rockies Ezequiel Tovar shines in World Baseball Classic as Venezuela eliminates Japan | SI.com

Finally, Ezequiel Tovar has the world’s attention.

Handing out offseason grades for every NL Team | The Score

You’ll have to scroll to the bottom of this article to find the Rockies grade. (Before reading, take a wild guess at what it is.) Also, the Rockies are the only team that does not have a photo accompanying the assessment. Make of that what you will.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

As the Red Sox approach Opening Day, it’s time to start taking at look at the other American League playoff contenders. Next up, a team that may still be recovering from baseball heartbreak.

What’s this team’s deal?

The Toronto Blue Jays were inches away. Minutes away. One play or bounce away. They took the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 of the World Series and nearly had it won. But the Dodgers found a way. That’s baseball. But don’t think for a second that when the game was over the Jays were ready to take a step back. After missing out on free agents and being lost in the shuffle of the Yankees and Red Sox as powerhouses, Tampa Bay as a relentless underdog payroll wise, and the Baltimore Orioles with their young core of stud prospects, the Jays aren’t a flash in the pan. They want to be here to stay.

Being in the World Series last fall is a step in the right direction for the Jays’ ambitions. And it may or may not have paid off in their recruiting. The money was there for the infamous Shohei Ohtani plane flight but no signing actually happened. This year?

• Kazuma Okamoto, third base. Coming over from Japan, Okamoto signed a four-year deal to play in Toronto. In NPB the 29-year-old hit .277/.361/.521 over eleven seasons. If he’s close to that, watch out. For example, Alex Bregman, after his two big seasons and the COVID 2020 year has hit .264/.352/.447 from 2021-2025.
• Dylan Cease, starting pitcher. The 30-year-old signed to play for the Blue Jays a long time. Seven years. Cease finished second in AL Cy Young voting in 2022 and 4th in NL Cy Young voting in 2024. Chris Bassitt moved to the Orioles over the winter and that’s a nice upgrade.
• Cody Ponce, starting pitcher. Ponce is returning to North America after 3 years in Japan and one year in Korea. He shined in the KBO last year and the Jays’ think the changes are real. He’s in town for three seasons.
• Max Scherzer, a familiar starter, is back for one more year at 41 and showed some life in the World Series.
• Old friend Josh Winckowski signed a minor league deal with the club.

How good are they?

They’re good. Right now FanGraphs projects they Jays to finish with about 85 wins, one or two behind the Yankees, and essentially tied with the Red Sox. Will the AL East winner win more than 86 games? Almost certainly. That’s not what’s important here. The general feeling that the Jays are going to be in the fight for the top of the division.

Their rotation includes the two new members mentioned in the signings above, Max Scherzer, 2025 rookie sensation Trey Yesavage, and veteran stalwart Kevin Gausman. Plus Shane Bieber and José Berríos who are a little behind dealing with some injuries.

George Springer rediscovered himself in 2025 and hopes to continue playign like his younger self. Alejendro Kirk is one of the best catchers in the American League.

Addision Berger and Ernie Clement had breakouts in 2025 to help get the team to their first World Series in 30 years.

Oh, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Who’s their most likable player?

At least for Red Sox fans it’s going to be Vlad Jr.

‘Nuff said.

Who’s their least likeable player?

George Springer was part of the Astros cheating scandal. Max Scherzer is kind of a hothead on the mound, although seems to mostly yell at himself. Kevin Gausman has really owned the Red Sox at times. He’s unlikable for that.

Do people have strong feelings about any Jays players?

Schedule against the Red Sox

As an AL East opponent, the Sox will see a lot of the Blue Jays.

April 27-29 in Toronto.

June 16-18 in Boston.

July 24-26 in Boston.

August 10-13 in Toronto.

Season Prediction

The Blue Jays won 94 games last season and are arguably better this year. They also have a lot of places where there could be some regression in the lineup and maybe the rotation. Vlad also didn’t hit for tons of power so maybe that comes back to balance things out.

They’re going to win between 92-96 games because the Orioles should be better, although the Rays may be worse. The Jays are going to finish first or second again in the AL East assuming they’re about as healthy as they are right now. The question will be who in the AL East finishes third and if that is a playoff trip or not.

If you are a fan of the Braves and baseball in general, this weekend was we worth the wait. From WBC moments to multiple Braves pitching prospects looking highly impressive, it was a great reminder that baseball is here to stay for the next 6+ months. On Sunday for the Braves, JR Ritchie once again was spectacular. It remains to be seen whether or not it will translate into a Opening Day roster spot, but in terms in what he can control, Ritchie has made a strong case to make his MLB debut in the near future.

Braves News

Didier Fuentes discussed his own impressive outing from Friday, as it was a dream come true to pitch well vs. the Yankees.

Many hope the strides Michael Harris II has shown in plate discipline this Spring will carry over in the season.

MLB News

Paul Skenes and the USA bullpen were amazing in a 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic to make WBC finals.

It is looking promising that Francisco Lindor will be ready for Opening Day.

The final week of spring training is upon us, with the Dodgers having just five more Cactus League games in Arizona before coming home to Southern California (and seeing a presenting sponsor on the field???). A lot of things will be decided this week.

As of Monday morning, 51 players remain in big league camp, a number that will be trimmed nearly in half within the next 10 days.

Hyeseong Kim already returned from the World Baseball Classic and played on Sunday, battling for a roster spot and a share of second base duties at the start of the regular season.

Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Edwin Díaz will be back from the World Baseball Classic, perhaps as soon as Monday, so we’ll get to see them in games this week. Ohtani last played for the Dodgers on February 21, so it will be nice to see him back in the fold.

After pitching for Japan on Saturday Yamamoto could presumably start again for the Dodgers on Friday, which would presumably line him up for the opening day start, which would be his second in a row. The Dodgers have not yet announced their plans for Game 1.

There are still rotation spots up for grabs, with River Ryan, Emmet Sheehan, and Justin Wrobleski all in the mix. Depending on how things shake out, all three might make the opening day roster, perhaps in the bullpen.

Ryan is healthy and thriving this spring after missing all of last season. Same for Kyle Hurt, who could pitch his way into the bullpen after an impressive swing.

I’m sure I missed a few things, so I’ll throw the rest out to you: What are you looking forward to seeing in this final week of spring training camp in Arizona?

Meet the Mets

Hey, remember Francisco Lindor? He’s back, in leadoff form!

While Lindor won’t officially commit to being ready and in the lineup on Opening Day, he isn’t saying he won’t, either.

On Tuesday night as Team USA goes for the gold, Nolan McLean will be on the mound.

He may not get the attention or have the pedigree of McLean, Tong, and Scott, but Zach Thornton is having himself a nice Spring Training.

The Mets made another 11 cuts to their Spring Training roster, bringing the number on the big league side of things down to a very football-ish 53 players.

Around the National League East

Over at The Good Phight, more than half of the fans who responded think that 2026 is a season of winning or getting the heave-ho for Rob Thomson.

Is the Washington Nationals’ lack of offense this Spring just another thing to chalk up to the randomness of the month-long warm-up or an actual problem that they’ll have to face?

Around Major League Baseball

The United States took down the dominant Dominican Republic team in a 2-1 game and punched their ticked for a third consecutive trip to the World Baseball Classic finals.

Italy and Venezuela will collide tonight to determine who gains entry to the finals to battle it out with the Americans.

It seems likely that Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena will get into game action before the end of Spring Training, but nobody will know if he’s ready to play in the regular season until he tests out his finger on the field.

One out away from a perfect game, the Giants proceeded to lose the perfect game, the no-hitter, and the shutout all in a row.

They’ll still have to do some tests to make sure it isn’t anything structural, but Jose Ramirez is day-to-day for the time being with what the Guardians are describing as shoulder inflammation.

Just a week into his stint as a Texas Ranger, Andrew McCutchen is more motivated than ever before and winning people over with his performance out of the gate.

Designated by the Rangers at the start of the weekend, Alexis Diaz went unclaimed and has been assigned outright to Triple-A.

Venezuelan Francisco Cervelli will be managing for Team Italy against Team Venezuela. Weird.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Brian Salvatore took a look at what is going to be Clay Holmes’ second season with the New York Mets and as a member of a big league rotation.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1961, Shea Stadium was officially funded by the New York City government.

Good morning.

• We’re coming off a terrific World Baseball Classic semi-final between the US and Dominican Republic with a controversial end. We’ll have more on that game later this morning. Here are some takeaways from the Team USA win.
• Some of the best photos from the game.
• Players from the Dominican Republic explain how baseball is like a religion in their country. Michael Clair with the story.
• The DR was managed by Albert Pujols. Cody Stavenhagen looks at Pujols’ ambitions and chances of being an MLB manager. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Mike Trout couldn’t play in the WBC this time around, but he’s thrilled so many people are getting excited about it this year.
• Tarik Skubal is defending himself against criticism (The Athletic sub. req.) that he betrayed Team USA by leaving the team early. On the one hand, Skubal has to do what’s right for him and he shouldn’t be criticized for not making a second WBC start. On the other hand, I love that American fans are getting this passionate enough about the WBC that they’re willing to be jerks about the whole thing. OK, I’m not thrilled about the jerks part. Just the passion part.
• Matt Snyder believes this time, the US has really bought into the joy of the WBC.
• Matthew Trueblood argues that the WBC is a wonderful celebration of baseball culture from around the world, and that includes US culture.
• USA catcher Cal Raleigh refused another in-game fistbumb from a teammate, but this one with Team Canada’s Josh Naylor was pre-arranged. Sort of.
• However, Kathryn Xu argues that no one is having more fun that Team Italy. (free reg. req)
• Tyler Kepner writes about how the mostly-American Team Italy is firmly embracing Italian culture as the Cinderella underdogs. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Italy has been celebrating home runs with espresso. Rustin Dodd looks at how caffeine affects athletic performance. (The Athletic sub. req.) Italy is juicing!
• Johnny Flores Jr. has a preview of tonight’s Italy/Venezuela semifinal. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Venezuelan native Francisco Cervelli manages Team Italy. He says that when he’s wearing the uniform, he’s all Italian.
• Venezuelan manager Otto López says his objective is to bring joy to his home country.
• Jake Mintz writes that Japan was simply outplayed by Venezuela in the semifinals.
• Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata resigned after the loss.
• Bob Nightengale talks to Shohei Ohtani and asks how Ohtani is processing something he has little experience with: failure. I mean, he was on the Angels for six years, Bob.
• Jake Mintz has the story of Ohtani’s first ever international game, and 18-and-under loss to Canada. Team Canada, which included Josh Naylor and Cal Quantrill, were still impressed with him.
• Here’s what many of you want to know about Samurai Japan: Which players on Japan’s WBC team could be coming to MLB next? Jorge Castillo with the story.
• Union president Bruce Meyer has warned that a work stoppage in 2027 could affect MLB player participation in the 2028 Olympics.
• Meyer also said that if MLB players do play in the Olympics, MLB is considering exhibition games between major and minor leaguers to fill the time the league shuts down for the Games. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Katie Woo reports that the Dodgers have sold naming rights at Dodger Stadium to the Japanese company Uniqlo. (The Athletic sub. req.) It will still be Dodger Stadium, it’s just going to be something like “Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.” One, that’s a terrible name. Second, the Dodgers already have enough money and don’t need to do this.
• Kevin Acee reports that four bids have been submitted to buy the Padres.
• Jeff Passan has a short season preview of all 30 teams.
• Six darkhorse candidates to win MVP.
• Six darkhorse candidates to win the Cy Young.
• One player from each MLB team who has made the biggest impression in Spring Training.
• Giants pitcher Hayden Birdsong is getting a second opinion after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 right forearm strain and ulnar collateral ligament sprain. Obviously Tommy John surgery is a possibility.
• The Giants named Logan Webb as their Opening Day starter for the fifth-straight year. Only Juan Marichal, with six, has more consecutive Opening Day starts in Giants history.
• Here’s an interesting article with lots of quotes from Pete Crow-Armstrong in it. How difficult is it for outfielders to play in each MLB park?
• And finally turning to college baseball, Georgia beat Tennessee on Sunday thanks to this amazing walk-off home run robbery.