Feb 25, 2026; North Port, Florida, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bryce Elder (55) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring training at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
It’s time for another Bryce Elder spring training start, as the Atlanta Braves continue to make their way through the Grapefruit League. For those keeping track at home, the Braves are actually sitting on top of the Grapefruit League standings, which is surely the greatest achievement that this team has accomplished in quite some time, right?
Anyways, this is also a road game for the Braves against the Rays, which means that we’re going to continue seeing a lineup full of guys doing their hardest to make the roster. For what it’s worth, their performances have definitely been pretty solid so far and I’d imagine that it’s going to be pretty tough for the decision-makers to pare this roster down as we get closer and closer to Opening Day. Either way, it’s been encouraging to see how the organizational depth has looked so far and hopefully we’ll see some more solid performances today.
Here’s the lineup for Atlanta:
#Braves lineup on the road in Port Charlotte versus the Rays
2B Luke Williams 1B Dom Smith SS Jorge Mateo RF Ben Gamel 3B Kyle Farmer LF DaShawn Keirsey Jr C Sandy León DH Aaron Schunk CF José Azocar
Bryce Elder gets the ball at 1:05 PM ET on Braves Radio Network – no TV today
— Lindsay Crosby, big baseball guy (@CrosbyBaseball) March 8, 2026
1. Taylor Walls (SS) (S) 2. Jake Fraley (RF) (L) 3. Ben Williamson (3B) (R) 4. Hunter Feduccia (DH) (L) 5. Nick Fortes (C) (R) 6. Jonny DeLuca (CF) (R) 7. Edward Olivares (LF) (R) 8. Ryan Vilade (2B) (R)…
— MLB Daily Lineups (@DailyMLBLineups) March 8, 2026
Today’s game appears to be Radio Only, so if you’re in the Atlanta area then it’s time to tune in to 680 The Fan/93.7 FM. The 680 The Fan app is also available as well, so there’s that. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets throws a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mets Lineup
Marcus Semien – 2B
Jorge Polanco – 1B
Bo Bichette – 3B
Francisco Alvarez – C
Brett Baty – DH
Tyrone Taylor – RF
Carson Benge – CF
Vidal Brujan – SS
A.J. Ewing – LF
Freddy Peralta – RHP
Yankees Lineup
Jasson Dominguez – LF
J.C. Escarra – DH
George Lombard – 3B
Spencer Jones – CF
Seth Brown – 1B
Zack Short – 2B
Duke Ellis – RF
Braden Shewmake – SS
Ali Sanchez – C
Ryan Weathers – LHP
Broadcast info
First pitch: 1:10 PM EDT TV: WPIX, MLBN (out-of-market only)
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SURPRISE, AZ - MARCH 02: Rhys Hoskins #8 of the Cleveland Guardians bats during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on Monday, March 2, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Zach Gardner/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Another rushed day for me, but Rhys Hoskins homered yesterday and that was good.
Stuart Fairchild also homered again for Taiwan. Travis Bazzana went 0 for 4 but didn’t strikeout vs. Japan.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Alan Rangel (57) throws the ball from the mound during a MLB spring training game against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 23, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Phillies followed up Friday’s 14 run outburst by getting shut out on Saturday. Chances are, their offensive output on Sunday will fall somewhere in between when they travel to Fort Myers to take on the Minnesota Twins.
Alan Rangel will get the ball for the Phillies. The righthander is vying to be considered for rotation depth, but early returns in Grapefruit League play haven’t been good, and he enters a game with a 9.64 ERA in three appearances.
The Twins’ first pitcher will be Simeon Woods Richardson, a righthander with a career 4.04 ERA
Game time is 1:05 PM and will be televised locally by NBCSP.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Danny Jansen #9 of the Texas Rangers looks on during a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for March 8, 2026 against the Anaheim Angels.
We creep ever closer to Opening Day, one spring training game at a time…
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 04: Pitcher Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers throws against Team Brazil during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic exhibition game at Surprise Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Three years ago, the Texas Rangers stood atop the baseball world, as the won a Wild Card spot and took down the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, and Arizona Diamondbacks en route to their first World Series championship in franchise history. Since then, it has become clear that, while they were not quite the flash-in-the-pan that the 2013 Boston Red Sox were, the 2023 Rangers ought to be considered evidence for the fact that, once you punch your ticket to the postseason, anything can happen. It stands as their only playoff appearance since 2016, but what an appearance it was.
Although they haven’t been quite as bad as the 68-win team they were in 2021 and 2022, the Rangers have been the definition of mediocre since their championship, winning just 78 games in 2024 and 81 in 2025. Because of this, they decided to part ways with future Hall of Fame manager Bruce Bochy, replacing him with Skip Schumaker, and retooling this winter. But, for 2026, will they be any better?
2025 record: 81-81 (3th, AL West) 2026 FanGraphs projection: 81-81 (5th, AL West)
The Rangers lineup will certainly look quite different than it did last season. Gone is playoff hero Adolis García, who was non-tendered in November and subsequently signed in Philadelphia. Gone is 2023 AL MVP finalist Marcus Semien, flipped to the Mets in the first blockbuster deal of the winter. Gone is 2023 Gold Glove catcher Jonah Heim, whose lackluster bat and mediocre defense over the last two seasons has turned him from an All-Star catcher into Sean Murphy’s backup in Atlanta. In are Brandon Nimmo (acquired in the Semien trade), Danny Jansen (signed to a two-year deal this past December), and Andrew McCutchen (signed as a non-roster invite this past week, although projected to make the team by FanGraphs).
These moves make the Rangers lineup different, but aside from Nimmo — projected by FanGraphs to have a 110 wRC+ this year — Texas in essence returns the same run producers as last year. Shortstop Corey Seager and left fielder Wyatt Langford look to be main drivers once more, Jake Burger and Joc Pederson are expected to be competent but unspectacular stopgaps, and Evan Carter and Josh Jung are kind of just there, albeit with lingering high expectations.
In truth, much like the 2024 Yankees with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, the 2026 Rangers offense will carry them as far as Seager and Langford can. Fortunately for the Rangers, much like the 2024 Yankees, the real strength of their team is not their lineup, but the depth of their pitching staff. So long as they’re healthy, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi give them one of the best 1-2 punches in baseball, while new trade acquisition MacKenzie Gore has been a breakout candidate in each of the last few seasons. Jack Leiter hasn’t quite lived up to his pre-draft hype, but looks to be at least competent middle-of-the-rotation depth serving at the bottom of the rotation. And, sometime this summer, 2023 World Series hero and former Yankee Jordan Montgomery expects to return to the mound, as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Because of this strong starting rotation, the Texas Rangers project as a dangerous opponent in a short postseason series. But will their so-so offense hit well enough, and their rather old and injury prone rotation stay healthy enough, to get them there in an AL West that boasts two true contenders in the Mariners and Astros, but no true runaway favorites? Only time will tell.
More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.
We got our first ever walk-off home run in WBC history yesterday. Then we got our second ever walk-off home run a few hours later. Finally, we had our first real upset in Tokyo.
But Canada got that run back in the bottom of the third when former Red Sox minor leaguer Río Gómez walked Abraham Toro with the bases loaded. Gómez is a former Red Sox farmhand who pitched in Taiwan last year.
Panama’s upset efforts were spoiled after Athletics infielder Darell Hernaiz hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 10th.
Panamanian starter Ariel Jurado hadn’t pitched in the majors since throwing for the Mets in 2020 and has pitched in KBO since 2023. But he befuddled an all-current major league Puerto Rico lineup for five scoreless innings. Jurado allowed three hits. He struck out four and walked no one.
Panama broke through with two runs in the top of the fifth inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by the Cubs’ Christian Bethancourt and 36-year-old Luis Castillo, an international veteran who hasn’t played in the US since reaching Double-A with the Tigers in 2013. Both doubles came off former Cubs reliever Jorge López.
Puerto Rico cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth on a Nolan Arenado sacrifice fly.
The score stayed 2-1 until the bottom of the ninth. Former Nationals reliever Alberto Baldonado got the last out of the eighth inning and came out for the ninth. After retiring the first batter, he walked Eddie Rosario and gave up a single to Mártin Maldonado. Panama was one out away from the upset when Baldonado retired Christian Vázquez on a fly to right. But then Maldonado walked both Matthew Lugo and Willi Castro to force in a run and send the game to extras.
In the bottom of the 10th, Puerto Rico had runners on the corners and no outs. They tied the game on a double play ball by Cortes. That brought up Hernaiz, who hit the second walk-off of the day. [VIDEO]
Italy made its debut in the 2026 WBC with an easy 8-0 win over Brazil.
The game was scoreless through five innings and Brazilian starter Enzo Sawayama (who pitches in the Japanese minors) and Italian starter Sam Aldegheri of the Angels traded zeros. But Italy broke through against the Brazilian bullpen when Astros infielder Zach Dezenzo hit an RBI single and then Jac Caglianone doubled in another run. Dazenzo got thrown out at the plate. [VIDEO]
Skubal was pretty good after than, allowing just two hits and striking out five over three innings.
The Great Britain starter, former Phillies farmhand Tyler Viza kept Team USA off the board for three innings. Viza pitched two years in Taiwan and two in Mexico since his last minor league game in 2022.
The game was pretty much over after that. Team USA scored four more runs and three of them came on sacrifice flies. Two were hit by Alex Bregman and one was by Will Smith. The other run came on an RBI single by Aaron Judge.
Bregman was 1 for 3 with a double and two sacrifice flies. Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1 for 4 with a double and a walk.
Chinese Taipei starter and NPB pitcher Ruei-Yang Gu Lin held Korea scoreless through four innings. But after Gu Lin allowed the first two batters of the fifth inning to reach via a walk and a single, he was pulled from the game. One of the runners he let on came around to score on a double play, which tied the game at 1-1.
In the top of the sixth inning, Chinese Taipei went back on top 2-1 on a solo home run by Tsung-Che Chen [VIDEO] who made his major league debut with the Pirates last year but is with Boston now.
The struggle between these two teams wasn’t over, as Korea tied the game back up in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Do Yeong Kim [VIDEO]. The 22-year-old Kim plays for Kia and is considered by some to be the top MLB prospect in KBO.
The game went to extra innings and Chinese Taipei got the automatic runner home from second with two sacrifice bunts. Korea tried to tie the game in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice bunt which put a runner on third. But a ground ball to first by Hyeseong Kim wasn’t enough as Taiwan threw the runner out at the plate. After Do Yeong Kim flew out, Chinese Taipei completed the upset.
Chinese Taipei finishes pool play at 2-2. They still have a chance to advance to single-elimination play if Australia loses to both Japan and Korea and they get some help on tiebreakers.
The game was a scoreless tie for five innings, then the Australians pushed across a run in the top of the sixth on a throwing error by Japan’s catcher Kenya Wakatsuki after Australia’s Aaron Whitefield had stolen third base.
In the bottom of the seventh, Masataka Yoshida gave Japan the lead with a two-run homer. They extended their lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Teruaki Sato. Shohei Ohtani was the next hitter. Australia intentionally walked him, loading the bases.
That run turned out to be very, very important because Australia’s Alex Hall and Rixon Wingrove both hit solo homers in the ninth to make it a one-run game. But Japan’s Taisei Ota got Robbie Perkins to ground out to preserve a 4-3 win.
Japan’s victory clinched a spot for them in the quarterfinals. Australia can also advance if they defeat Korea on Monday.
Ozzie Albies hit the first ever walk-off home run in WBC history, as Nicaragua suffered heartbreak after being just one strike away from their first ever tournament win.
Starter Erasmo Ramírez gave Nicaragua five solid innings, giving up just one run on five hits. That one run came in the third inning when Ramírez hit Albies with the bases loaded.
Nicaragua tied the game 1-1 in the fifth inning when Rays reliever Kevin Kelly walked former Royal Cheslor Cuthbert with the bases loaded.
It looked like Nicaragua was headed to their first WBC win ever. Manager Dusty Baker summoned Ángel Orbando, who had a short career in the Yankees minor leagues in 2018 and 2019, to get the save in the ninth. Orbando struck out Drew Jones and got a fly out from Ray-Patrick Didder. Next, Orbando had Ceddanne Rafaela down 0-2 before Rafaela stuck out his bat and blooped a fastball outside of the zone into short right-center for a single. That kept the Netherlands alive.
Luis Arraez homered twice and Eugenio Suárez once as Venezuela had little difficulty disposing of Israel, 11-3.
Venezuela jumped all over Mets pitcher Ben Simon for four runs in the top of the first inning and they never looked back. Luis Arraez had an RBI double, Salvador Perez singled him home and then Suárez hit a two-run home run. [VIDEO]
Diamondbacks pitcher Michael Soroka (34) pitches against the Rangers during a spring training game in Surprise on Feb. 24, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Torey Lovullo Had Blunt Message on Poor Pitching after Loss to Giants
“We’ve got to start honing in on the pitching side of things, and we’re wanting to see guys commanding the baseball, commanding their secondary stuff, attacking the zone, filling up the zone,” Lovullo said. “It’s one of our first pillars, filling up the zone with strikes. I know that Drake is starting a game and still finding his way, what his strengths are. I want him to stick to his strengths, and I want him to pitch to his strengths, and go out there and dominate the zone, dominate the zone glove side.”
Sewald puts work in, sees ‘gigantic difference’ in velocity “I’m never going to be a hard thrower, but 92 versus 90 is a gigantic difference. I had been one of the best pitchers in baseball when I averaged 92.”
Ryan Thompson is focused on his faith, leadership in Diamondbacks’ clubhouse “One of the questions that I’ve found to be really fruitful is asking God, ‘What do you want me to know and what do you want me to do?’ Then you walk into the clubhouse and you’re just available. Your eyes are open, your ears are open, your hearts are open and you’re just feeling revelation all the time, like I need to talk to this guy today. I don’t know why. I’m going to go talk to this guy today and then see what’s going on.” https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/ryan-thompson-faith/3613815/
Other countries like Japan only produce 19% of goods that are shipped internationally. Most manufactured toys are made from materials such as traditional plastics to wooden toys.
Almost 50 pigs played Babe.
If you’ve seen the 1995 film Babe, you may think you’ve been emotionally invested in one pig. However, it actually took 48 different pigs to portray the lead character!
Since the end of WWI, over 1,000 people have died from leftover unexploded bombs. During the Great War, an estimated 200 pounds of explosives were fired per square foot of territory on the Western front. However, not all of these shells exploded. Since 1919, over 1,000 civilians and ordnance collectors have died from explosions caused by these in France and Belgium.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Jacob Latz #67 of the Texas Rangers participates in a fielding drill prior to a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 07: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of Team Venezuela slides safely into home to score a run in the sixth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool D game presented by Capital One between Team Israel and Team Venezuela at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Game No. 1: Colombia (República de Colombia) at Cuba (República de Cuba)
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico
First Pitch: 10:00 AM MDT
TV: FS2
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 2: The Netherlands (Nederland) at Dominican Republic (República Dominicana)
Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA
First Pitch: 10:00 AM MDT
TV: Fox
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 3: Great Britain at Italy (Repubblica Italiana)
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA
First Pitch: 11:00 AM MDT
TV: Tubi
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 4: Nicaragua (República de Nicaragua) at Israel (מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל)
Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA
First Pitch: 5:00 PM MDT
TV: Tubi
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 5: Panama (República de Panamá) at Canada
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico
First Pitch: 5:00 PM MDT
TV: FS2
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 6: Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil) at Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos)
Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA
First Pitch: 6:00 PM MDT
TV: FS1
Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM
Lineups:
Game No. 7: Korea (대한민국) at Australia (ɐı̣ןɐɹʇsnⱯ)
Mar 7, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) walks in from the outfield to start the game against West against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Meet the Mets
Despite allowing two solo homers, Kodai Senga had a really good outing in his spring debut yesterday. “Really good signs,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Senga’s performance. “We saw it from the very beginning when we’re watching live BPs on the backfield. It’s not something that I’ve seen the two years that I’ve been here. On the first day 94-95 [mph], and then Day One, when he’s playing in a real game, and you see 97-98 and just how sharp he was. He’s healthy, and we can see it now.”
Senga has also shown an upbeat demeanor this spring that is indicative of how good he feels.
Robert Stock, who experienced shoulder discomfort after throwing for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, has thoracic outlet syndrome and will need surgery. He hopes to be back by the end of the season, but was told he has the “bad” kind of TOS in which the artery is compressed.
Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel is pulling out all of the stops and tinkering with his repertoire to try to make the Mets.
Around the National League East
Charlie Wright of MLB Trade Rumors checked in on the battle for the final spot on the Phillies’ roster.
Federal Baseball remarked upon the fact that Cionel Perez and (former Met) Drew Smith were late additions to the Nationals’ bullpen picture, but yet among the more impressive arms so far this spring.
Around Major League Baseball
Yesterday was a World Baseball Classic day for the ages. There had never been a walk-off home run in the history of the tournament, but yesterday there were two in one day. First, Ozzie Albies’ walk-off three-run shot helped the Netherlands stun Nicaragua and then Puerto Rico narrowly avoided an upset at the hands of Panama in extras thanks to Darell Hernaiz’s no-doubt walk-off homer.
Most of the other games yesterday were not as tight, but still filled with exciting moments. After falling behind early and being held scoreless for the first four frames, a huge fifth inning helped propel Team USA to a 9-1 win over Great Britain.
Italy was also dominant yesterday, slugging their way to a decisive 8-0 victory over Brazil.
Canada defeated Colombia 8-2 thanks to an Owen Caissie homer and a strong performance by Michael Soroka.
Earlier this morning, Japan, who had already advanced to the knockout stage with their thrilling victory over Korea yesterday, came from behind to beat Australia and secure the top seed out of Pool C.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 07: Washington Nationals pitcher Josiah Gray (40) throws the ball from the mound during a MLB spring training game against the New York Yankees at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 7, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Washington Nationals have made sweeping changes in the last year. After nearly two decades with the organization, Mike Rizzo was let go in July and the Nationals decided to go in a new direction. That new direction led by Paul Toboni aims to be on the cutting edge, which is a stark contrast to the old school nature of the previous regime.
Fans and people like myself have been speculating all offseason about who will benefit the most from these changes. After a couple weeks of Spring Training, I think the pitching staff will be the biggest beneficiaries in the short term. The hitting development could be a longer term process.
This makes sense because it is easier to make changes as a pitcher. With all the technology out there, it is easy to learn a new pitch or make a mechanical tweak. Those minor changes can transform a pitcher overnight. For example, Cade Cavalli has already added multiple new pitches and looks better against right handed hitters so far. It is tougher for a hitter to make those overnight changes.
Cade Cavalli's stuff is exploding into elite territory. He added a sweeper; calls it a "turbo slurve." One-seam sinker as well. Has added 25 pounds since last year.
Former 1st-rounder using tech like spin axis balls and pulse bands for the first time. Chance for big break out. https://t.co/vcmcW5MSSJ
The Nats are going to need to see these changes produce quick results because the pitching staff was a disaster in 2025. Their 5.35 staff ERA was the second worst in baseball, only behind the Rockies. The Nats also traded away their de facto ace MacKenzie Gore this offseason. Despite that, I think the Nats will see major improvements.
One of the big reasons for that is an overhaul in pitch usage. The Nats have made it clear this spring that they will be cutting fastball usage. In Spring Training, the Nats are throwing fewer fastballs than just about anyone. This comes after a season where the Nats were near the top of the league in fastball usage.
Lowest combined four-seam and sinker usage through the first couple games of Spring Training…
I think this change will pay off in a big way. Nats pitchers were simply throwing their fastballs way too much. It would be understandable if the Nats pitching staff was full of guys with elite heaters, but that was not the case. A lot of Nats pitchers with mediocre fastballs were throwing the pitch at a very high rate.
That led to a lot of loud contact and inflated ERA’s. This spring Nats pitchers have held hitters to a .175 average and have 132 strikeouts in 123 innings. Obviously, that is not sustainable, but I do think Nats pitchers are not giving in as much. One side effect of this is an inflated walk rate, which I think could be an issue for the Nats. However, I think the benefits of this new approach will outweigh the potential downsides.
Nats pitchers have been raving about the new technology and the work that new pitching coach Simon Mathews has put in. In their interviews, Nationals pitchers have been wide-eyed talking about things like horizontal movement or seam shift effects. It is a very different tune from previous years.
Nats reliever Cole Henry gets into the changes with the Nats new regime, getting into the new resources under Paul Toboni and Blake Butera. pic.twitter.com/Rkmp6wYtG3
I am not going to sit here and say the Nats will have an elite, or even average pitching staff. They do not have that kind of talent yet. However, I would be stunned if they are as bad as last year. The Nats should not have a team ERA that starts with a 5 in 2026.
The improvement is going to come from a new approach rather than flashy new signings. I think guys like Cade Cavalli, Cole Henry and Orlando Ribalta are ready to step up and take on bigger roles. All of these guys throw hard, but their success will come from their secondary pitches, not their power fastballs.
We may see bumps along the way, but I am bought into the Nationals new forward thinking vision. There should be some improvements across the board, but the pitchers will find better results faster. There is a lot of low hanging fruit for the new development team on the pitching side. A few easy changes could help a lot of these Nationals arms. I cannot wait to see their plan come together. While the Nats probably won’t be a good team, I think we will see a lot of developmental wins this season.
382468 01: Former New York Yankees pitcher Jim Bouton signs copies of his new book, "Ball Four: The Final Pitch" November 27, 2000 at a Waldenbooks store in Schaumburg, IL. "Ball Four: The Final Pitch" is a new and final edition of his controversial 1970 book titled "Ball Four" that has sold more than five million copies worldwide its 30-year life. (Photo by Tim Boyle/Newsmakers) | Getty Images
While he had a perfectly nice major league career, the name Jim Bouton is probably only going to evoke one thing, and it’s not his pitching. While he was able to get the chance to do it because he was a major league pitcher of some regard, Bouton is most famous for his 1970 book “Ball Four” along with journalist Leonard Shecter.
While “Ball Four” is a diary of his 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots, Bouton spends plenty of time on the lesser seen side of baseball teams and the players that make them up. Some of that behind the scenes info wasn’t the most flattering, and some beloved players — including the Yankees’ Mickey Mantle — were among those mentioned. The book was massively controversial at the time, and led to Bouton essentially being blackballed.
However, there’s more to Bouton than just the book. After all, you don’t get to write a tell all like that if you’re not interesting.
James Alan “Jim” Bouton Born: March 8, 1939 (Newark, NJ) Died: July 10, 2019 (Great Barrington, MA) Yankees Tenure: 1962-68
Born in New Jersey in 1939, Bouton grew to love baseball from an early age. He grew up a fan of the New York Giants and would often go with his brother to the Polo Grounds to try and hunt down souvenirs. His family later moved to Illinois, where he attended high school.
In sporting pursuits, Bouton was a bit of slow burner, as he was never the biggest or most athletic. But by his senior year, he had become good enough to get a spot on the freshman baseball team at Western Michigan University. He was also good enough to catch the eye of professional scouts too though, and the Yankees eventually got him to sign a deal in December 1958.
Bouton’s pro career got off to a bit of a rocky start in his first season in 1959, but he rebounded with excellent years in 1960 and ‘61 between the Greensboro Yankees of the Carolina League and the Amarillo Gold Sox of the Texas League. While he had been a late bloomer coming up, he was now a fast riser and got an invite to spring training with the big league Yankees for 1962.
Over the course of that spring, Bouton impressed the team, and ended up getting one of the last spots on the roster to start the season. He made his MLB debut out of the bullpen on April 8th, and he would spend the year as a bit of a swingman, making 16 starts and 20 bullpen appearances. He was a bit below average on the season, but he would win a ring, as the Yankees beat the Giants in the 1962 World Series. Bouton didn’t appear in the series, though.
In 1963, Bouton would produce his career best individual season. He again started the year in a swingman role, but an impressive opening to the season soon got him regular starts. Bouton would go on to make 30 starts in the 1963 season, as he put up a 2.53 ERA (140 ERA+) in 249.1 innings. He made his first and only All-Star team that year and even got MVP votes, finishing 16th. He helped the Yankees to another pennant, and he was very impressive in his World Series debut, holding the Dodgers to just one run in seven innings in Game 3. However, the offense—as was the theme of the series—got shut out by Don Drysdale. They lost the game and the series in a sweep that saw them score just four runs, never even mustering a lead.
The following season, Bouton was very good again, posting a 3.02 ERA (120 ERA+) in a league-leading 37 starts. That year in the World Series, he was very good again, allowing just three earned runs over 17.1 innings. He was the winning pitcher in Game 3 (a complete-game triumph once Mickey Mantle walked it off) and Game 6, but the Yankees won just one other game in the series and lost to the Cardinals in 7.
Those would be the final two postseasons starts for Bouton. While he and some others drew the hope that the next generation of young Yankees would be able to replicate the previous stars, they could not. While he was still good in 1966, the rest of his career saw him post below average stats. The root cause of that probably had something to do with injury, as he first came down with a sore bicep in 1965 and according to him, he never really got over that.
Following a couple down years, the Yankees sold him to the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1968. The franchise began their first season the following year, but Bouton struggled there as well, eventually getting traded to the Astros in August. During that season, Bouton had begun taking copious notes.
Throughout his career in New York, Bouton got the reputation as someone who would give good quotes and was often outspoken about social issues of the day. He became friends with some reporters, including Shecter, with whom he developed the idea for a season diary of his 1969.
The book was eventually released during the 1970 season to mixed reviews. While Bouton often spoke glowingly about Mantle and some other revered figures of baseball, he also didn’t pull many punches. He was candid about some of the things he saw around baseball, such as the hard drinking, womanizing, and use of amphetamines. Players—especially many of Bouton’s former Yankee teammate—were enraged at the content, and that would spill over into the public. Bouton was booed upon returning to New York to play the Mets. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn even tried to strong-arm the pitcher into signing a statement that the book was fiction, although Bouton refused.
Meanwhile on the mound, Bouton was struggling to the tune of a 5.40 ERA, getting sent down to the minors. While his pitching wasn’t doing him any favors, having written the book probably precluded him from getting other chances, and he retired later that year. He eventually went deeper into the media side of things, becoming a sportscaster and releasing more books.
Despite what many people of the time thought, Bouton truly did love baseball. After a couple years, he got the itch and returned to the minor leagues. Following a couple years there, the Braves gave him a chance, and Bouton returned to the majors in 1978, eight years after his last appearance. He put up a 4.97 ERA in five games for Atlanta before retiring for good.
In time, “Ball Four” has come to be seen as a classic of baseball literature. While some of his teammates probably never forgave him, some did. Despite a lot of the hubbub around the book coming from passages about Mantle, even he eventually reconciled with Bouton. The pitcher sent Mantle condolences after Mickey’s son had died, and the two made amends. There had been long-standing rumors that Mantle had strong armed the Yankees into not inviting the pitcher back to events like Old-Timers’ Day, but the outfielder strongly denied that.
Bouton eventually passed away in 2019. While “Ball Four” itself remains ground-breaking, a hidden message in it remains that baseball players — including Bouton himself — are human.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 20: Mike Tauchman #18 of the Chicago White Sox catches a fly ball during a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on September 20, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For much of the offseason, Carson Benge has seemingly been guaranteed a starting spot in the outfield somewhere. It looked like it might be center field when the Mets were pursuing Kyle Tucker. Then it looked like it was going to be a corner (first left, then right) once Luis Robert was acquired. Sure MJ Melendez was kicking around, but the job was more or less Benge’s to lose.
Then the Mets signed Mike Tauchman to a minor league deal in the middle of February, very late in the offseason. The 35-year-old veteran outfielder promptly displaced Benge in the locker room and has mentioned repeatedly that the Mets were very clear about the path to the major league roster. Put another way, this sure seems like a minor league deal in name only, a roster manipulation ploy where Tauchman is all but guaranteed to make the major league roster out of camp.
In a vacuum, it’s a very nice little move. Tauchman is coming off a season with a 115 wRC over 385 PA for the White Sox, numbers largely backed by his expected metrics. He’s been an above average hitter each of the last three seasons, posting an OBP over .350 while playing scratch defense in an outfield corner. He’s also not got much of a platoon split, making him a viable option against both righties and lefties. Compared to other similar players (e.g., Mike Yastrzemski with the Braves) it’s an absolute steal, even if he is 35 and could theoretically fall off a cliff at any moment.
Tauchman’s role on the roster is a touch less clear. The Mets do have a pathway to playing time in a corner and at DH in theory, but Brett Baty and the aforementioned Benge figured to be key players in those spots (as do other players like Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio, who are shockingly still on the roster). Maybe Benge hasn’t looked as hot as the team hoped this spring and Tauchman is meant to serve as a hedge there, or even an early season starter. Maybe they wanted another body in the DH picture to allow Baty to function more as a super-sub who isn’t starting every day. Maybe Tauchman is just meant to be a nice bench bat.
Best guess, Benge will still be the opening day starting in right, but I’d fully expect Tauchman to make the team as a reserve outfielder who sees 2 – 3 starts per week at DH or on the grass. He’s certainly not shown any signs of aging in Spring Training to this point, so you can likely expect some strong, OBP-heavy contributions in a part-time role. In other words, literally Mike Tauchman.
