SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 21: Pitcher Tanner Gordon throws a strike during game two of the 2026 Colorado Rockies spring training at Salt River Field at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 21, 2026. The Colorado Rockies took on the Arizona Diamondbacks. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies’ offense continues to sizzle as they defeated the San Francisco Giants yesterday 11-3. The team is staying aggressive at the plate and on the bases, and pitching from the regulars hasn’t been too shabby either. Having defeated one National League West opponent, the boys in purple turn their sights on another as they take on the San Diego Padres.
Tanner Gordon makes his second start in spring training, having tossed a scoreless inning with three strikeouts his last time out. The Rockies are taking it slow with some of their pitchers, but Gordon should be primed to throw two innings depending on how things go. He has proven quite capable of throwing strikes, something the new coaching staff values, and is continuing his work on developing pitches. Look for him to mix in the new two-seam fastball he is working on. He’ll have the chance try it out against a Padres lineup full of regulars.
The Padres will send out Randy Vásquez for his second start in spring training as well. Vásquez tossed two scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his last time out, allowing just one hit while striking out one and walking one. Baseball Savant recorded Vásquez throwing seven different types of pitches last season, which could be beneficial for the Rockies to see up close and personal in spring training as they try to model that kind of pitcher. Vásquez made 28 appearances last year, including 26 starts, posting a 3.84 ERA over 133 2/3 innings. Walks have been a bit of an issue in his young career at the big league level.
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 10: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros celebrates on first base during the game between the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, September 10, 2025 in TorontoOntario, Canada. (Photo by Michael Chisholm/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The team has made no significant new investment into an offense that was 21st in MLB last season.
While there has been an obvious and understandable focus on pitching this offseason for the Houston Astros after being devastated by pitching injuries in 2025, it shouldn’t be ignored that this was not a good offensive team last season.
Injuries certainly played a part in that as well, as did underperformance from the expected norm from several players. So far, there seems to be a sense of expectation from the team and players that they will be healthier this season (because they can’t possibly be less healthy than last season, right?) and therefore more productive.
Jose Altuve expressed as much with Robert Flores and Cliff Floyd on MLB Network:
"We'll have Carlos [Correa] from day one, we'll have Yordan Alvarez healthy. We'll be good this year."
Is that enough to make this offense a legitimate threat again, or are there too many players who are slowing down or unproven to count on?
Last season Altuve pulled the ball more than ever. He also went up the middle less than ever. He played through a foot injury in September that hampered him as well. About 2 weeks ago, Chandler Rome of The Athletic spoke with Altuve, who said he found a flaw in his stance and intends to change it for this season and therefore he expects his production to return to previous levels.
Which Altuve performs this season is a big question for the Astros. Will he return to the high average, high on-base, high OPS player he was as recently as 2023, or is Father Time finally slowing down the Astros future Hall of Fame 2B and will he look more like the player who posted full season career lows in both average on on-base in 2025?
Jeremy Pena had a career year in 2025. Are those numbers going to be the new normal? Pena explained the changes he made that led to his breakout success:
Jeremy Peña put up career-high numbers in AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS in 2025!
The @astros shortstop discussed the team's motivation after missing the Postseason, adjustments that led to his offensive breakout and more.
Pena significantly outperformed his career metrics in AVG, OBP, SLG and OPS last season. Maintaining that improvement means he’s a perennial all-star. Regressing to the norm means he won’t be leading off very long and he will be back at the bottom of the order. It’s a big swing.
A healthy Yordan Alvarez is of course one of the biggest additions to the lineup. Alvarez played only 48 games last season, and 29 of those were essentially with a broken hand.
In the 19 games (18 starts) Yordan made when he returned from the hand fracture, he slashed .369/.462/.569. Those are numbers that make pitchers terrified.
A healthy Yordan is the one true elite bat in the lineup, a .300 hitter with a .400 OBP and a .950+ OPS. 30+ HR power and the ability to hit righties and lefties equally well, he’s a hitter with almost no weakness (other than injury).
Which Carlos Correa do the Astros get this season? Correa was clearly rejuvenated by returning to Houston last season, and he is both happy and excited to be back with Houston.
"I never thought it would be possible to come back. When we made it happen, we were very happy."
Correa played 144 games last season. He has played at least 135 games in 4 of the last 5 seasons. Correa has also had wild fluctuations in his performance.
In this snippet of Correa’s performance from baseballreference.com, Correa has put together some very strong seasons and a couple of clunkers as well. The production clearly ramped up last season once he returned to Houston, but expecting more than 18-20 HR from Correa may be expecting too much. If Correa can maintain the high average and on-base, and deliver doubles and clutch hits, that could be exactly what this offense – which has struggled in clutch situations the past couple of seasons – may need. It also fits in line with the Astros new focus on patience at the plate, drawing walks, and making opposing pitchers work.
Isaac Paredes is another interesting case. He was in the midst of arguably his best season before tearing his hamstring. He heroically tried to play through it at the end of the season to help the Astros in their playoff push, but it was plainly clear he was significantly compromised and his performance showed that.
Can Paredes match the career-high level of production he showed pre-injury last season? It’s a tall ask, because it’s a tall ask to expect any player to maintain a career-high level of performance. He’s also 27 years old, and it’s quite possible his best baseball is still to come.
How will Paredes fare early in the season returning from a very significant hamstring injury for which he did not have surgery? How will he handle playing multiple positions, including one that he hasn’t played in a long time? Paredes swing is practically designed for the Crawford Boxes, yet his home/road splits are not nearly what you’d expect:
Paredes was far more productive than I think people realize on the road last season. That bodes well for his ability to maintain his level of production. I am far more concerned with how well equipped he is to play physically following a significant injury and if the mental toll of constantly moving around the diamond (something new to him) has an adverse impact on his production.
Christian Walker came to Houston with people having high expectations. While he’s never been a high average or high on-base hitter, he has always been a strong power hitter and he was the winner of three straight Gold Gloves coming to the Astros. Then things went very sideways early on.
An oblique injury March 5 sidelined him for the rest of Spring Training, though he returned for Opening Day. Walker got off to a terrible start, but had a much better second half. However a further examination of that tells a somewhat different story.
As you can see from Walker’s splits on baseballreference.com, Walker performed much better in the second half than the first, giving hope for a 2026 resurgence.
However, when you break it down by month, Walker really only hit for any kind of average and on-base in July. While his power surged in August/September, his average and on-base were still below career norms in those months.
Walker turns 35 in a month. Is a rebound coming? It very well could be, but maybe it’s not as big a rebound as his gross second half numbers suggest and more closely related to his last two months of the season?
Will Yainer Diaz ever fulfill his offensive promise? Yainer has not shown any progression at the plate in terms of plate discipline. He still swings at everything, and while he doesn’t strike out a ton, the soft contact he makes rolling over pitches he should be laying off leads to a lot of easy groundball outs and a lot of double plays.
Yainer led the league in GIDP in 2024 with 22, and has bounced into 47 double plays in 3 seasons.
The power he displayed his rookie season hasn’t translated, mainly because he gives away too many AB swinging at pitches he should be laying off. His walk rate is atrocious, walking only 20 times in 567 PA last season. Diaz has 56 career walks in 1572 PA. That’s about 3.5% of his PA, just hideous.
The fact Yainer’s plate discipline has remained non-existent is very troubling for his production. It’s not just the batting average that’s dropped. His OPS has plummeted. With the Astros newfound focus on selectivity at the plate, Diaz is the one player who could most benefit from a change in approach. Simply being more selective in what he swings at could have a profound impact on his production, allowing him to square up more balls and generate more extra base hits.
Yainer could be a player with a nice uptick this season if he can embrace and execute the team’s new offensive philosophy and be more patient and selective. Or he can continue to be what he has become, which is a mediocre hitter whose power is the only saving grace in his offensive game – provided of course he hits the ball in the air.
Jake Meyers is also coming off a career year, at least for average and on-base. Meyers completely sacrificed any and all power for more contact, and with his speed it’s not necessarily a bad approach. He is also the most volatile player in the lineup as far as expected production.
With more thanks to our friends at baseballreference.com, Meyers produced at a rate he never approached in regards to average and on-base. His walk rate increased, he stole more bases (especially in regards to number of PA and number of SB), his hit rate exploded. Despite the total lack of any HR power, his SLG was still right in line with where it had been the previous two seasons, further underlying that for him, focusing more on contact was 100% the right move.
There are a couple of things that still should concern you about Meyers. This is the biggest one:
Those home/road splits are fantastically wild. Jake couldn’t hit at home to save his life last season, yet he was an absolute road warrior. His performance on the road last season is flabbergasting, considering his previous levels of production overall and his home production. Everything is better when he gets out of Houston. AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, walk rate, SB rate, K rate – it’s like he becomes a totally different player.
The second concern is sustainability. How much of last year was a super hot streak and how much was a real change?
Meyers didn’t start the season well, but hit about .330 for 9 weeks from May through the first week of July when he suffered a calf injury that cost him 2 months of the season. Upon returning, he was absolutely awful, but it cannot be ruled out he was still not 100% during those final 15 games.
If Meyers can take his new approach of forget the HRs, make contact, draw walks, steal bases and continue it even close to his May-July production, he is a weapon at the bottom of the order. A player with that offensive profile in the 9 spot gives the team the ‘double leadoff’ look when the lineup turns over, and gives Pena/Yordan/Altuve more opportunities to drive in runs.
Teams that have good offenses get production at the bottom of the order. There is no set in stone dynamic for how that production comes. It doesn’t have to be HRs. Keeping the lineup churning works too, and sometimes it works better.
There is entirely too much unknown with Cam Smith or Zach Cole, but if either player (hopefully both) can be league average, it’s a huge boost for the bottom of the lineup. Cole is likely more advanced on the power profile right now, but both could be 20 HR, 20 SB players with regular playing time and league average production. Those are very strong profiles at the bottom of the order for two guys likely to bat between 7-9 in the lineup.
So what does this team’s production look like over the course of the season? How many players match or exceed expectation, how many fall below?
To me, it’s more than just health. It’s the progression of several players (Diaz, Meyers, Smith, Cole) as much as the health of others (Alvarez, Altuve, Pena, Correa, Paredes) even though it’s the bigger names that have the health and it’s the younger, supporting names that need to make the most progression. They can’t have the big guys at the top surrounded by easy outs at the bottom.
Do you think being healthy is the single biggest key for the offense to get back into the top-10 in runs scored?
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Jeffrey Springs #59 of the Athletics pitches in the top of the first inning against the Houston Astros at Sutter Health Park on September 23, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletics nabbed their first win of the 2026 season yesterday in a 7-3 win over the Rangers. They scored more runs in the first few frames alone than they had in the previous four games combined, so maybe the bats are finally starting to wake up. Who’s ready for the second win now?
The A’s have left-hander Jeffrey Springs set to make his spring debut this afternoon, looking to get the 33-year-old ramped up for his second season in the Green & Gold. Springs bounced back from a horrid April to be one of the Athletics’ more consistent starters for the majority of the season and the club will be hoping he can skip that part and just get right into his groove from the get-go. That starts today.
The starting lineup this afternoon for our Athletics looks like this:
Shortstop Jacob Wilson is batting leadoff this afternoon, a spot he’ll hopefully see plenty of this coming season. There’s plenty of speculation that manager Mark Kotsay will make Nick Kurtz the leadoff man in 2026 but Wilson seems like much more of your prototypical leadoff guy.
We’ll also continue to see the third base battle play out this afternoon as Max Muncy and Darell Hernaiz are both in the lineup this afternoon, with Muncy at the hot corner and Hernaiz at second base. If position alignment is an indication of where the A’s are leaning then Muncy is looking like the option at third base to open the season. On the other hand, the team needs a backup at shortstop so Hernaiz might be playing himself into a job one way or another thanks to his versatility.
The Royals will be going with a left-hander in Bailey Falter to begin today’s game, though of course we can only expect to see him for so long before KC begins dipping into their other options.
Time for the second win of this spring. Let’s go A’s!
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Randal Grichuk’s quest to make the Yankees should begin Saturday.
The veteran outfielder, after agreeing to a minor league deal with the Yankees, arrived in Tampa on Thursday night and was undergoing a physical on Friday that, if it goes well, will allow Grichuk to start working out with the club Saturday.
The Yankees were in need of a fourth outfielder who could help them against left-handers, which Grichuk has done well for most of his career, giving him a chance to win a bench job.
Randal Grichuk, here with the Royals last season, will compete for a Yankees roster spot this spring. Getty Images
The 34-year-old right-handed batter is a career .268 hitter against lefties with a .819 OPS, and while those numbers took a dip last year, the Yankees are banking on his track record as a productive platoon hitter.
“He’s kind of settled into that role here now in the last few years – in ’23 and ’24, and even the first part of ’25, he was killing lefties,” manager Aaron Boone said Friday at Hammond Stadium. “I think he struggled a little bit when he got traded to Kansas City at the deadline last year. But we think he has a chance to be a factor for us. So, we’ll see. There’s no guarantees there. There’s competition for that last couple spots on the roster.
“We definitely want to see what Randal looks like and what he’s capable of, because at his best, I think there’s a real opportunity for a role there.”
If Grichuk shows enough to make the team, it could allow the Yankees to start him in left field against tough lefties, a scenario in which Cody Bellinger would shift to center field and Trent Grisham to the bench.
Before adding Grichuk, the Yankees’ top options to serve as a fourth outfielder were all left-handed hitters – or in Jasson Domínguez’s case, a switch-hitter who was much more productive from the left side.
Additionally, the Houston Astros won the sweepstakes for the heavily sought out Japanese sensation, Tatsuya Imai, a right-handed pitcher who has drawn comparisons to 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Imai joined the Astros on a three-year, $54 million deal.
Cincinnati Reds third baseman Sal Stewart (27) rounds the bases to third base in the ninth inning of a Cactus League game between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Cincinnati Reds continue their quest to play only in Goodyear Ballpark on Friday, as they’ll take the field at their home stadium for the fifth time through six Cactus League games played so far this spring.
When they do so, they’ll be up against a former teammate, too. Brent Suter will lead the charge for the Los Angeles Angels on the day, and with a lefty on the mound manager Terry Francona has tweaked his lineup to account for it.
Noelvi Marte, whose struggles against southpaws last season have been noted publicly by Francona already this spring, will bat leadoff to presumably give him the chance of maybe getting a pair of PA against southpaws out of his day. Of note also is that Sal Stewart will start at 2B on the day as his work all around the infield gets put further to the test, while Rece Hinds will spend at least part of the day manning CF.
Rhett Lowder will start for Cincinnati for the second time in this Cactus League campaign. He fired a pair of innings in his first outing, and I’d expect the Reds to ask him to get through 3.0 IP today (assuming he’s cruising along efficiently). Though with Julian Aguiar and Jose Franco both starters who are listed on the above roster for the day, there’s plenty of long relief available should that not be the case.
First pitch is once again slated for 3:05 PM ET, and – you guessed it – it’s not televised anywhere. To follow along with the action you’ll need to tune into 700 WLW’s coverage, or at least track down where said coverage is being streamed should you not have access to an old-timey AM radio.
Oct 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer (56) throws during the twelfth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Today’s game isn’t on TV. I planned my day around getting to sit and watch tonight’s game. And it isn’t on TV. I guess I’m going out to shovel snow. It was +9 yesterday. I wore a light sweater. Overnight it snowed, a lot. The joys of living in Calgary.
Today’s lineups:
Today’s Lineups
BLUE JAYS
RAYS
Nathan Lukes – CF
Yandy Diaz – 1B
Davis Schneider – 2B
Jonathan Aranda – DH
Addison Barger – RF
Jake Fraley – RF
Jesus Sanchez – LF
Junior Caminero – 3B
Eloy Jimenez – DH
Cedric Mullins – CF
Leo Jimenez – SS
Chandler Simpson – LF
C.J. Stubbs – C
Ben Williamson – SS
Ben Cowles – 3B
Richie Palacios – 2B
Riley Tirotta – 1B
Hunter Feduccia – C
Eric Lauer – LHP
Ryan Pepiot – RHP
The Sporting News tells us that Davis Schneider had the best ‘challenge success rate’ of any Triple-A player. He challenged 12 times and was right 10 times. Davis was robbed on calls a lot last year. He should be able to benefit from the challenge system. I wonder if ability to get challenges right will play into a) roster choices and b) lineup choices.
It will be interesting to see who is good at challenges and who isn’t. I would imagine that there will be some players who are told not to challenge, but then, I think, for some, the challenge will almost be a reflex. That was wide, hit the helmet.
Early projections suggest a proposed salary cap will be around $260-$280 million, along with a floor of $140-$160 million, per @JonHeymanpic.twitter.com/Zx7hioETsw
If $280 million was it, there are five teams who would be above the cap (if it was this season). Dodgers ($382 million), Mets ($369 million), Yankees ($330 million), Phillies ($311 million) and Blue Jays ($300 million).
If $140 million was the floor, 11 teams would be below it ($160 million would add two more teams). A’s at $131 million all the way to Marlins at $78 million. A lot of teams would have to go on spending sprees. I believe those 11 teams are the reason why it is going to be hard to get this cap. I don’t think the Marlins are going to want to double their payroll.
But I’m often wrong.
I don’t have any particular memories of Froemming. Share if you do.
Bruce Froemming, an enduring umpire with a career of colorful confrontations, dies at 86 https://t.co/HYJSOf7SLU
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Brandon Sproat (23) stretches during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Milwaukee Brewers, having won their last three games after starting the spring slate with a four-game losing streak, will look to move back to .500 on Friday afternoon, as they take on the Chicago White Sox for the second time in a week (and second of two times this spring).
The Brewers dropped the previous matchup, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon in a split-squad day for the Crew. Akil Baddoo crushed a solo homer in that one, while Andrew Vaughn picked up a pair of singles. Baddoo is not in today’s lineup, but Vaughn will bat sixth as the DH.
Jackson Chourio leads off in left field, followed by Brice Turang, William Contreras, and Sal Frelick in the cleanup spot. Jake Bauers bats fifth and starts at first, followed by Vaughn, Luis Rengifo, Garrett Mitchell, and Joey Ortiz. Freddy-Peralta-trade-acquisition Brandon Sproat gets the start in his spring debut.
Sproat is expected to be followed by righties Easton McGee and Abner Uribe, as well as lefties Drew Rom and Shane Drohan (who was acquired in the Caleb Durbin trade a few weeks ago). This will mark Drohan’s spring debut, while McGee, Uribe, and Rom have all made one prior appearance. Per Todd Rosiak, Sproat and Drohan are both expected to throw two innings today.
Brandon Sproat and Shane Drohan will each throw two innings today against the White Sox at AFFOP.
Easton McGee, Abner Uribe and Drew Rom also on the list from MLB camp.
Prospects in uniform include Josh Adamczewski and Marco Dinges.
Chicago’s expected starter is right-hander Sean Burke in a split-squad day for the Sox. Given that this is a road game for them, most of their lineup consists of role players — including former Brewer Oliver Dunn and Wisconsin native Jarred Kelenic — with a few prospects scattered in.
In other news, Jacob Misiorowski is set to make his spring debut on Tuesday, March 3 against Team Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic tune-up game. That game will be broadcast via an audio feed on the Brewers website.
Jacob Misiorowski makes his spring debut in front of fans on Tuesday, March 3 when the Brewers host Team Great Britain in a WBC tune-up game.
The New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta throws during spring training on the back fields of Clover Park on Feb. 11, 2026, in Port St. Lucie. | CRYSTAL VANDER WEIT/TCPALM / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Carlos Mendoza officially announced Freddy Peralta as the Mets’ Opening Day starter earlier today. The skipper said it was “pretty clear” Peralta would be pitching at the front of the team’s rotation when he was acquired this offseason, adding “he earned it”.
Peralta was arguably the centerpiece move for a Mets offseason that saw the team part with long-time fan favorites like Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Díaz and add Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., and Jorge Polanco, among others. The team traded top prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams to acquire Peralta, as well as Tobias Myers, in January. Peralta, who served as the Brewers’ ace last season, led all NL starters with 17 wins and posted a 2.70 ERA, a 3.64 FIP, and a 1.08 WHIP, with 204 strikeouts in 176 2/3 innings. Peralta was an All-Star and finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2025.
Peralta will become the fifth Mets pitcher to start on Opening Day over the last five season, following Clay Holmes, Jose Quintana, Max Scherzer, and Tylor Megill. Prior to that, Jacob deGrom started Opening Day from 2019-2021 for New York.
Peralta will presumably face Paul Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, when the Mets face the Pirates on March 26 at Citi Field to kick off the 2026 MLB season.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 27: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals catches a fly ball during a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at the Nationals Park on September 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One thing I have noticed this spring is that James Wood has been playing a lot of right field. Two of his three games this spring have been in right field. This is notable because Wood exclusively played left field last season. It is telling that the Nats new regime at least wants to get a look at Wood in right field.
Mark Zuckerman was on this right away, and pointed it out when he was playing there in his first game of the spring. He also talked about this in depth on the Nats Chat podcast with Al Galdi. They talked about why this may be happening, as well as what Wood’s eventual defensive home could be.
The #Nats are playing actual games in Florida and James Wood has seen action in RF.
I think this is notable because it could shake up the outfield dynamic. Right now the Nats have four outfielders for three spots with Wood, Daylen Lile, Dylan Crews and Jacob Young. Lile played both corner spots last year, while Crews played center field and right field. Young is only a center fielder, though I am sure he could play the other spots if you wanted. However, putting Young in a corner is a waste.
If Wood is in right field, that would likely shift Lile to left field, which I would like. Lile is a better fit for left field in my opinion. A few years ago, Lile underwent Tommy John Surgery and since coming back his arm strength has been fringy. He posted a -2 arm value last year.
While Lile’s all around defense was an issue, the arm is something that is tougher to fix. Lile made defense a focus this offseason, and came into camp with a point to prove on that side of the ball. He has elite athleticism, but his weak arm and poor reads made him a problem in the outfield. The reads should get better over time, but it is tough to project arm strength. That makes left field the most natural home for him.
If Wood is in right and Lile is in left, Dylan Crews and Jacob Young will be battling for the center field role. There will be times where both play because either Wood or Lile will be DH’ing. However, the Nats are going to want Wood and Lile to get as many reps as possible in the outfield. That would mean either Young or Crews could be on the outside looking in.
Crews has gotten off to a shaky start this spring and Young has not played yet due to a minor injury. In an ideal world, you would want Crews to live up to his pedigree and grab that job from Young. Crews has a much higher ceiling, but Young’s elite defense gives him a solid floor. My plan would be for the two to share time in center field, while Crews occasionally plays right field when either Lile or Wood is at DH.
Even with these four, the outfield is crowded, but there are other candidates to make the roster too. Joey Wiemer, Christian Franklin and Robert Hassell III are all on the 40-man roster right now, but appear to be on the outside looking in. The Nats could carry five outfielders, but even if they do, the fifth guy will not get much playing time.
There are a lot of mouths to feed in the outfield and moving Wood to right field creates another wrinkle. Heading into the season, I figured the plan would be to have Wood in left, Crews in center and Lile in right. My other option would be to have Lile and Wood rotate between left and DH while Jacob Young plays center and Dylan Crews plays right.
This creates a new dynamic, and I do not think that is a bad thing. Wood did not seem like a natural fit in left field. He also has a far better arm than Daylen Lile, which is good for the right field spot. Wood may not have an 80 grade cannon like some right fielders, but it is an above average arm. There were a few times last year where he made really nice throws for outfield assists.
Players swapping corner outfield spots is honestly pretty common. It seems like Juan Soto goes from right field to left field every other year. Jayson Werth was another player who played both right and left field pretty frequently. Usually right field is the more demanding position, but it really depends on the ballpark.
If Wood is more comfortable in right field, they should play him there. He did not look natural in left field. However, it is important to remember that Wood mostly played center field in the minors. He did not get exposed to the corners much until Triple-A, and when he did, he mostly played right field.
The outfield alignment is going to be something Blake Butera will have to juggle throughout the season. Having a DH spot makes things a bit easier, but you also do not want to make Lile or Wood a full time DH at such a young age. Hopefully three outfielders emerge and force their way onto the lineup card.
JUPITER, FL - MARCH 14: Quinn Matthews #68 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches during the game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Friday, March 14, 2025 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Jared Blais/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals prepare to do Spring Training battle with the New York Mets on Friday, February 27, 2026. According to MLB.com, Quinn Matthews will start the game for St. Louis while the New York Mets will have Freddy Peralta on the mound. Here are the lineups according to the Cardinals website:
FORMER CUBS IN GUARDIANS CAMP: Shawn Armstrong, Codi Heuer
ABOUT CUBS CAMP: The Cubs opened their training camp with 58 players in camp: 31 pitchers, six catchers, 13 infielders and eight outfielders. Included in that group were 18 non-roster players: eight pitchers, three catchers, four infielders and three outfielders. Currently, the Cubs have 63 players in camp. Both Christian Bethancourt and Moises Ballesteros have now reported to camp.
Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs. Other Cubs pitchers scheduled today: Daniel Palencia, Jacob Webb, Porter Hodge, Ethan Roberts, Ryan Rolison, Collin Snider and Gavin Hollowell.
Logan Allen will start for the Guardians. Other Guardians pitchers scheduled today: Hunter Gaddis, Parker Messick, Jake Miller and Jack Leftwich.
Please visit our SB Nation Guardians site Covering The Corner. If you do go there to interact with Guardians fans, please be respectful, abide by their individual site rules and serve as a good representation of Cub fans in general and BCB in particular.
As we have done in the past, we’ll have a first pitch thread at five minutes to game time and one overflow thread, 90 minutes after game time. For today, that will be 2 p.m. CT and 3:30 p.m. CT.
These threads will not post individually onto the front page; instead, you can find links to them in the box marked ”Chicago Cubs Game Threads” at the bottom of the front page. There will also be a StoryStream on the front page with all the game thread links, as well as the recap after the game is over. The pitcher photos and regular-season stats will return on Opening Day.
CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs out a hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a spring training baseball game at BayCare Ballpark on February 22, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When I get older, losing my bat speed/many seasons from now/will you still call me among the best/putting up a .900 OPS?
Those lyrics to the Beatles’ When I’m Sixty Four—very slightly modified from the original— must be ringing in Bryce Harper’s ears right now. Entering his age-33 season, he is no longer young. He’s not overwhelmingly old, either. But he is well into the years in which aging becomes a factor. The oft-asked question about his potential to return to elite status is really a question about aging; his talent, drive, and tenacity are certainly not in question. The sole consolation to the aging is that it is not personal, as none are spared from it. Perhaps a gentler way to put it would be that we do not walk that path alone. Harper can turn to the examples of other Phillies legends to see how they took the sharp turns and gradual declines of the aging curve. Someday in the future, another Phillies great will come along, and and further still in the future he will hit his thirties, and will look to the example of Harper to provide signs and portents of how his own travels through that decade of life will go. Whether that example will be encouraging or not is yet to be seen.
Richie Ashburn
The comparison here is going to be extremely inexact, given that modern conditioning regimens and medical treatments far outstrip what Whitey had available in his era. Still, Putt-Putt (forgive the injudicious use of nicknames, Ashburn’s are just too good to leave out) offers a somewhat encouraging example for Harper. In 1958, his age-31 season, Ashburn took home the Senior Circuit’s batting title with a .350 average (that also beat out anything the Junior Circuit’s bushers could produce). In 1959, at the age of 32, Ashburn’s production fell off a cliff. His batting average dropped to .266. He went from leading both leagues in triples with thirteen to producing only a pair. Perhaps the starkest way to present it is by rWAR: in 1958, he had a rWAR of 7. In 1959, he dropped beneath replacement value, with an -0.9. He went from elite to being far from it. He also, unfortunately, went from being a Phillie to not being one, arriving in his new ivy-strewn home of Wrigley Field via trade following that dismal ‘59 campaign.
But though he did leave Philadelphia, he did not leave the ranks of the productive pros. His first season in Cubbie blue, his age-33 campaign, saw him revitalize himself, boosting his OPS from .667 to .753. He lead the National League in walks, and both leagues in OBP. He concluded the campaign with 4.4 rWAR and, one must imagine, a jolt of confidence. Sadly, it would be something of a last hurrah: he had a -0.4 rWAR season with the Cubs in 1961, then concluded his career with a 2.1 rWAR effort for the newly-born Mets.
Mike Schmidt: Mike Schmidt’s decline came suddenly, shockingly, saddeningly. But it didn’t come in his age-33 season. It wouldn’t come for years afterward. Schmidt’s 1983 performance was indeed a downturn from his age-32 season, but not even the harshest Phillies fan could call a decline from 7.4 rWARto 6.9 all that worrying. The age-33 version of Michael Jack Schmidt lead both leagues in round trippers with 40, and in free passes with 128. If there was anything to complain about, it was his National League-leading 148 strikeouts. Those punchouts were probably cold comfort for the pitchers who he otherwise pummeled with four-baggers and tormented via the extraction of walks (128, more than anyone else in baseball that season). Schmidt would remain a top player, never dropping beneath 5 WAR until 1988, when a 1.9 rWAR season presaged the abbreviated campaign that would prompt his sudden retirement the following year.
Ryan Howard
The Big Piece’s age-33 campaign was a resurgence for the slugger, though not a terribly encouraging one in context. Howard’s age-32 season, 2012, was a major disappointment: hampered by injuries, he played in fewer than half of his team’s games, and posted career-lows in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage. In a bit of fearful symmetry, his rWAR was precisely the opposite of what it had been the year prior: 1.2 in 2011, and -1.2 in 2012. In 2013 Howard still struggled with injuries, managing just a few more games than he had the year prior. But he did recover his performance somewhat, with his batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage all jumping back up. He provided production above replacement value, if just barely. Unfortunately, it proved to be the last time he would do so. He struggled at the plate in the next three seasons and was a below-average hitter by OPS+, a major retreat from the ground upon which he had once stood.
Jimmy Rollins
Thirty is a big turning point in life, and, it would turn out, in Jimmy Rollins’ career. In 2009, his age-30 season, Rollins dropped from 5.5 rWAR the season prior to 1.8. His performance at the plate declined in all three slash line categories, and he stole 16 fewer bases. The next few seasons were much the same, and by the time he was 33 he was batting precisely .250, no longer flirting with .300 as he had in his younger days. He remained resilient, playing in no fewer than 138 games per season between 2011 and 2015, and he remained fast, putting up 30 stolen bases at 32 and 33. But his best days were firmly behind him.
Chase Utley
As the 2010 season reached its midpoint, Chase Utley, age 31, took the field for the All-Star Game introductions. It was his fifth appearance in the Midsummer Classic, and it wouldn’t be his last. But it would be his last for a while. Utley’s age-32 season saw his performance drop, with his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging all dropping. He still ended up an above-average hitter and player, though not to the same extent that he had been before. His age-33 season was marred by injury to the point where he only played half of it; it was to be hoped that his good, not great performance could be blamed on that. It was not to be. Utley was a solid player for the next few seasons before the decline worsened. He ended up retiring just before he turned 40. A good career, and a long one. But Harper, who has stated a desire to take the field at 40, is hoping his thirties will look more like Schmidt’s than Utley’s.
LAKELAND, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 25: Wenceel Pérez #46 of the Detroit Tigers bats during the second inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on February 25, 2026 in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
KANSAS CITY, MO - CIRCA 1986: George Brett #5 and Bo Jackson #16 of the Kansas City Royals circa 1986 Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images) | Sporting News via Getty Images
I didn’t care for baseball as a young child. I knew the Royals were in the World Series, but I was more enamored with the guy in the red uniform doing backflips when he ran on the field than I was with any Royals players. At school, we were asked to draw a picture of our favorite Royals player. I asked my teacher who played left field for the Royals, since that was the position I played in t-ball (reflecting my playing ability at the time). She told me Lonnie Smith. I didn’t know what he looked like, so I drew a white guy with curly blonde hair. Lonnie Smith is not a white guy with curly blonde hair
But in 1987, my next-door neighbor set up a small TV in his garage and we watched the American League Championship Series between the Twins and Tigers on that thing. The Tigers are my ancestral team – my dad grew up in Detroit (attending Al Kaline camp!), and I was born there before we moved to KC when I was a tot. So I was rooting for them and slowly getting hooked on baseball. That offseason, I read everything about baseball I could get my hands on, and when the next season rolled around, I was a rabid fan.
I am pretty certain I could name every player on the 1988 Royals from memory, from Bo Jackson and George Brett down to Rey Palacios and José de Jesús. It was a fun team to follow with Bo becoming a superstar, George still in his prime, recognizable vets like Willie Wilson and Frank White, exciting young players like Danny Tartabull and Kevin Seitzer, and a terrific pitching staff with Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, and quirky submarining closer Dan Quisenberry.
But they floundered around .500 much of the year and were overwhelmed by an emerging mini-dynasty in Oakland, the “Bash Brothers.” They won 84 games, finishing a distant third place, 19.5 games back.
Still, I had watched as many games as I could (it was like 30-40 games on TV back in those days, kids!) and listened to the rest on my radio, sometimes cradling it in bed for the late-night West Coast games, drifting off to sleep as Denny Matthews described Charlie Leibrandt’s battle against Claudell Washington. I read the Star sports section on a regular basis – Dick Kaegel, Gib Twyman, and Jonathan Rand in those days. I asked for Royals Starting Lineup figures for Christmas. I got a Bo Jackson poster in my room. I got my first Royals cap.
That was my first season following the Royals. What was yours? What was the team that got you hooked?
