Category: Baseball

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So far, Team Panama has struggled to get things started at the plate this spring. The team managed just one run in each of its exhibition games, and one more in the WBC opener against Cuba. 

They’re facing a Puerto Rican team that has had no trouble scoring and is coming off a 5-0 shutout win in its opener. Our Panama vs. Puerto Rico predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets call for Team Puerto Rico to keep it rolling.

Panama vs Puerto Rico prediction

Panama vs Puerto Rico best bet: Puerto Rico -1.5 (78¢ at Kalshi)

Team Puerto Rico has scored 13 runs in three games, nearly scoring as many runs as Panama has hits.

The Puerto Ricans also got strong pitching in Friday’s opener, striking out nine Colombians in a 5-0 win in front of a raucous home crowd. They also scored five in an exhibition win over Boston, and three in a loss to the Twins.  

Panama, meanwhile, was beaten by the Yankees, 11-1, in a game stopped in the eighth inning due to the mercy rule. They also managed just one run in losses to the Tigers and in the WBC opener against Cuba. 

Panama vs Puerto Rico players to watch

Panama’s Johan Camargo, an infielder who last played in MLB in 2023, hit .300 with an .812 OPS in the Mexican League last year. He’s hit in all three of Team Panama’s games and has more than a quarter of the team’s base hits with a .500 average.

Puerto Rico’s Eddie Rosario hit .313 at Triple-A last year and has hits in all three of Puerto Rico’s games, impressive considering he was only in the starting lineup for one of them.

He’s been on base five times, driven in two runs, and scored two. He also stole a base.

Panama vs Puerto Rico odds

• Moneyline: Panama 15¢ | Puerto Rico 86¢
• Run line: Panama +1.5 | Puerto Rico -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 4.5 | Under 4.5 

How to watch Panama vs Puerto Rico and game info

Panama vs Puerto Rico weather

78F, 15 mph winds, 10% PoP.

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

The other day, I posted a short piece about how the Phillies not winning a World Series title does not mean they haven’t had a successful season. There was a short survey to ask your opinion, so here are those results.

It’s interesting that the results are somewhat varied. Success can vary from person to person as at least one in five believe they have to win a championship to be considered successful. Yet the majority of people who voted believe they have to win a series as the bare minimum to feeling good about the season.

The National League does have some solid competition for the pennant this year. Everyone is chasing the Dodgers of course, but the Phillies can pretty solidly be lumped into a group with the Mets and (maybe) the Cubs as being threats to dethroning the defending champions. Your view on whether the Brewers can keep doing what they’re doing will likely shape how much of a chance you think they have and whether or not you would place them in that same bin.

Yet there are several other teams that are sprightly enough to give anyone a challenge in a playoff series. The Padres, Braves, maybe the Reds and Pirates, mayyyyyyybe the Giants and Diamondbacks, all of them have rosters that we can squint and tilt our head a certain way to visualize their being able to make the playoffs, making the National League quite competitive this year.

Focusing back on the Phillies, there needs to be something that stems the tide this season. They’ve take a few steps back in terms of how they have finished each season since making their World Series appearance in 2022, so taking a playoff series would go a long way to helping with perception. Is that the bare minimum? As you can, there is a good amount of you that believe that. If they don’t win a playoff series? Then those wholesale changes many are looking for with the organization might end up happening.

This article was brought to you by FanDuel.

Vidal Brujan was once a top prospect, bouncing around the back half of top-100 lists in the late 2010s and early 2020s. He was lauded for his bat-to-ball skills, above average approach, standout speed, and defensive flexibility as he worked his way up Tampa’s system. The latter scouting call has certainly born out – Brujan has appeared at every position except catcher in the big leagues, logging significant time at second, third, short, and on the outfield grass. Everything else though, not so much.

Brujan has stolen only 16 bases since debuting in 2021 while being caught 14 times and hasn’t actually had above average sprint speed since 2022. He’s never walked all that much and, more relevantly, has never posted an above average SEAGER in the big leagues, typically sitting around 20% below league average. And the contact skills have been more good than great, certainly not enough to buoy the rest of the profile. Couple that with anemic damage on contact numbers and you get a player with a career 54 wRC+ and -2.0 fWAR.

If for some reason you remember Andrew Romine, that’s the sort of player we’re talking about here. Romine had an 11-year career as a utility man, accruing a net 0.0 fWAR and posting a career line 40% below league average. He also became just the fifth player to ever appear at all nine positions in a single game in 2017, the last such player to do it. Brujan has a very similar skill set, though you’d ideally hope the games down the stretch matter enough to the Mets that they can’t make time for it.

This archetype of player is simply not as common anymore. With the notable exception of Kiké Hernandez and the Dodgers (who I would assume keeps getting brought back for clubhouse reasons rather than on-field contributions), good teams are not prioritizing extremely limited offensive players who can stand at a bunch of spots without actually being very good anywhere. Even the Brewers, who loved multi-position flexibility under David Stearns and continue to under his successors, have rarely rostered a player with this level of anemic output.

This leaves Brujan – and other players like him – squeezed out of modern roster construction. Without a surprising late-career improvement to his approach, damage, or speed, there’s limited utility keeping him on the bench, particularly with the infield flexibility already offered by the Mets starters (Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, Brett Baty, and Jorge Polanco can all move around). The injury to Grae Kessinger may have cleared the path to an early-season utility role with Francisco Lindor still working his way back from a hamate injury. Beyond that, the life span of this sort of throwback reserve is limited.

Baseball careers are often remembered for a single moment. Sometimes it’s a walk-off hit or a championship performance. Other times, it’s even more strange. Like a game stopped by controversy, resumed weeks later in an empty stadium, and remembered forever for a bat covered in pine tar and a player charging like a bull out of the dugout.

Mike Armstrong was the winning pitcher in one of the most famous games in baseball history.

That moment of notoriety did little to help him once he arrived in New York, where his Yankees tenure became defined less by what happened on the field and more by a public feud with both his owner and his manager. Perhaps it was the memory of that one game or perhaps he was just an unfortunate victim of the Steinbrenner and Martin feud.

Michael Dennis Armstrong
Born: March 7, 1954 (Glen Cove, NY)
Yankees Tenure: 1984–86

A native of Glen Cove on Long Island, Armstrong’s path to the majors was anything but direct. Drafted out of high school in 1972, he chose instead to attend the University of Miami before becoming a first-round selection of the Reds in the 1974 MLB Draft. Years of minor-league development followed before he finally got a cup of coffee in the majors with the Padres in 1980.

Armstrong was never a flamethrower. He built his career as a reliever through durability and adaptability, pitching wherever managers needed a few innings grinded out rather than dominating with overpowering stuff. After early seasons spent moving between the majors and minors, he found stability with the Kansas City Royals in 1982 and 1983.

That stability produced perhaps the best season of his career. In 1983, Armstrong appeared in 58 games, won 10 contests, and logged more than 100 innings out of the bullpen with a 3.86 ERA. More importantly, he found himself at the center of baseball history.

On July 24, 1983, the Yankees and Royals played what would become known simply as the “Pine Tar Game.” George Brett appeared to hit a go-ahead home run off Goose Gossage before Yankees manager Billy Martin argued that Brett’s bat contained excessive pine tar. Home-plate umpire Tim McClelland’s ruling erased the homer, chaos followed, and Brett famously stormed onto the field in protest. The game ended in confusion and was later ordered resumed by American League president Lee MacPhail nearly a month afterward, with only four outs left to play in an empty Yankee Stadium.

Armstrong, who had pitched earlier in the original contest, was ultimately credited with the victory (retiring a young, pinch-hitting Don Mattingly as part of his two innings of work). Few pitchers have ever earned a win under stranger circumstances.

“It was wild,” Armstrong later recalled, describing returning to finish a major-league game in complete silence, dressed in uniform with no fans present. The bizarre victory became the defining highlight of his career. And within months, he was actually traded to New York.

In December 1983, the Yankees acquired Armstrong from Kansas City in a deal that sent slugging first baseman Steve Balboni to the Royals, a move that quickly began to unravel. Armstrong arrived at spring training in 1984 with arm soreness, prompting owner George Steinbrenner to publicly complain that the Yankees had received “damaged goods.” Steinbrenner even appealed to commissioner Bowie Kuhn in an attempt to void the trade.

The appeal failed, but the damage was already done. Before Armstrong threw a meaningful pitch for the Yankees, his owner had openly questioned whether he belonged on the roster at all. He did not make his Yankees debut until June 16, 1984 (which happened to be Lou Piniella Day and the end of the Yankee great’s playing career).

When Armstrong finally took the mound, he performed reasonably well — especially after shaking off the jitters of the two-run debut above. Across 36 relief appearances that season, he recorded a 3.48 ERA and a 4.06 FIP, numbers that suggested a useful bullpen arm capable of contributing to a competitive club. It would also prove to be the high point of his Yankees career.

Over the next two seasons, Armstrong bounced repeatedly between Triple-A Columbus and the Bronx. Roles shifted, opportunities became inconsistent, and any sense of stability proved difficult to maintain. Complicating matters further was his relationship with on-again/off-again Yankees skipper manager Billy Martin.

Martin publicly criticized Armstrong in the press, stating he had never liked him dating back to his Kansas City days and openly questioning his ability to retire left-handed hitters. For a reliever already fighting for innings, the comments created an uphill battle.

“You feel like you’re working against your own manager,” Armstrong later said, capturing the frustration of trying to succeed while lacking organizational support.

The Yankees of the mid-1980s were defined by volatility, constant roster churn, and public criticism from ownership. Armstrong found himself squarely in the middle of that environment. Demotions followed, appearances became sporadic, and at one point he openly requested his release, believing the organization had mishandled his development from the start.

By April 1987, after refusing a minor-league assignment, the Yankees released him. He finished his MLB career later that season with Cleveland, closing an eight-year run in the big leagues.

Armstrong’s career totals — a 19–17 record with a 4.10 ERA — do not immediately stand out on paper. But statistics rarely capture context. He remains forever linked to one of baseball’s most famous controversies, credited with perhaps the most unusual victory a pitcher has ever earned, and remembered as one of the many players who experienced firsthand the intensity of the George Steinbrenner years.

For a hometown pitcher returning to New York, the story never unfolded the way anyone expected or would have hoped. Baseball history often remembers its stars, but just as often it remembers moments and the players caught inside them. Happy 72nd birthday, Mike.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Friday was the first full slate of WBC pool play action, and a lot of stuff happened. As expected, there were a lot of blowouts — both because of the fundamental talent mismatch, but also because these games are still Spring Training-y with the pitch count restrictions and the overall dearth of pitching talent, so all it takes is for one subpar pitching performance against a high-quality lineup to let things get out of hand.

If you’re only here to read about the Braves, well:

• Ronald Acuña Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B, BB, K. One flyout would’ve been an extra-base hit at Truist (off the right field wall), another was mashed but right at the center fielder.
• Ozzie Albies: 0-for-4, one hard groundout, two weak groundouts, and a popout.
• Chadwick Tromp: 0-for-3 with a walk, two strikeouts, and a weak flyout.
• Nacho Alvarez Jr.: 1-for-3 with a mashed homer, a walk, and a strikeout.

Alright, onto the games:

Japan 13, Taiwan 0. An expected mercy rule slaughter in this game. Shohei Ohtani doubled in the first but ended up stranded, only to hit a grand slam in the second. Not that the Samurai were done then, as they put up a ten-spot in total in the frame, scoring six more times after the slam. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was pretty meh with a 2/3 K/BB ratio in 2 2/3, but Taiwan didn’t get anything going. Taiwan collected just one hit in this game, though they did draw five walks.

Cuba 3, Panama 1. Of all the games, this one was probably the most tense. Logan Allen got the start for Panama and made a lot of Cuban hitters look silly with five strikeouts in three frames… but he also got popped for two homers: Yoelkis Guibert pulled a laser down the right-field line for a solo shot in the second, and then Yoan Moncada crushed a two-run homer in the next inning. Cuba’s first two pitchers, Livan Moinelo and Yariel Rodriguez, were adept at handling Panama’s bats (six total innings, 7/2 K/BB ratio), but things got more interesting against what I guess is the softer part of Cuba’s bullpen. Emmanuel Chapman labored through four batters in which Johan Camargo knocked in Panama’s only run with a weak single past the infield. Panama got a one-out double in the ninth but that was it. I was really impressed by Panamanian arm Dario Agrazal, who washed out of the minors years ago but dominated the Cuban bats for two very clean frames.

Venezuela 6, Netherlands 2. This game ended up being closer than you’d think given that the relatively unheralded Oranje pitchers had to face down basically an All-Star lineup. Antwone Kelly looked overmatched against the Venezuelan attack, but the game was still just 2-1 after two. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled on the first pitch he saw and later scored on Luis Arraez spraying one through the infield, but Druw Jones ripped a hard groundball double (on a pitch that wasn’t a strike and probably shouldn’t have been pulled) to plate a run with Ranger Suarez pitching for Venezuela. But, Javier Sanoja took Kelly deep to reclaim the lead.

The next few frames were quiet, but the entry of Jaydenn Estanista (a fringe prospect in the Phillies system) opened the door for Venezuela: HBP, walk, misplayed bunt, walk added a run, and then a couple of singles off Eric Mendez blew the game open. Luinder Avila struggled a bit to start the sixth with a HBP and walk of his own, but it led to just a lone run on a sac fly as Jose Butto came in to restore order. That capped the scoring — Acuña’s hard smash getting caught stopped more scoring by Venezuela, and Daniel Palencia looked destructive as he slammed the door in the ninth.

Mexico 8, Great Britain 2. This was one of those games that arguably shouldn’t have been close at all, but only actually stopped being close/interesting at the end. Boston farmhand Jack Anderson looked great through three frames, his efforts marred only by a Nacho Alvarez Jr. mash job of a solo homer (of all things). In the sixth, Harry Ford returned the favor with a solo shot of his own, and this game was weirdly tied, with Great Britain actually clogging the bases more frequently against real MLB starter Javier Assad than Mexico was able to.

The eighth, though, led to more “restored order” in terms of aligning to expectations. Gary Gill Hill had looked fine in the seventh and struck out the first two in the eighth… only to then walk two straight on ten pitches. That led to his replacement by onetime Braves prospect Tristan Beck to face the lefty-swinging Jonathan Aranda (who had a ..380+ xwOBA last year!!!), and Aranda hit a routine opposite-fit field fly ball that nonetheless went for a three-run homer because the venue for this game included the Crawford Boxes. Mexico then added four more against Graham Spraker and company in the ninth, so in the end, this was a blowout, but it never really felt that way until the end. Mexico used eight different pitchers in this one and they kind of struggled considering the quality of the opposition relative to their own caliber as mostly major leaguers, so that was weird to see.

Puerto Rico 5, Colombia 0. This game was scoreless in every single frame but one. Jose Quintana threw three no-hit innings with a 1/1 K/BB ratio for Colombia, and was replaced by Adrian Almeida, who struck out the Puerto Rican side in the fourth. In the fifth, though, there were three singles and a Gio Urshela error before Almeida recorded an out, and then even more ball-in-play stuff finding holes, such that Puerto Rico jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Unlike their opponents, Colombia never managed to sequence or cluster their baserunners, and didn’t score any runs as a result.

Dominican Republic 12, Nicaragua 3. There was a point… actually two points, where Nicaragua held a lead in this game. But, the heavily favored D.R. team scored nine of its 12 runs in its final three offensive frames. Nicaragua scored three times off Cristopher Sanchez and his defense in the first two innings, and led 3-2 until Julio Rodriguez tied it with a single in the bottom of the third. Junior Caminero’s homer off Stiven Cruz broke the tie in the sixth, while Rodriguez and Oneil Cruz added homers in a six-run eighth. Nicaragua’s pitching staff was understandably overwhelmed (4/7 K/BB ratio) but somehow their batters avoided the strikeout, as a bunch of MLB-quality arms on the D.R. side only managed a 6/2 K/BB ratio (with Sanchez accounting for four of those strikeouts).

USA 15, Brazil 5. Another game that was close until the Stars and Stripes plated seven and nearly doubled their run total in the ninth. Aaron Judge popped a two-run dinger on a 3-0 pitch a few minutes into the game, but Anaheim farmhand Lucas Ramirez took Logan Webb deep in response. Webb largely dominated as expected (6/0 K/BB in four frames), but Brazil’s Victor Masai popped a three-run homer off Michael Wacha (5/0 K/BB in three frames otherwise) to make it a three-run game. Ramirez later connected on a second dinger, this time off Braves legend Gabe Speier. The ninth-inning explosion came against a trio of pitchers without any experience as professionals, as Team USA drew five walks in a single frame along with some hits and whatnot to make it a laugher in the end.

Taiwan 14, Czechia 0. I mean, yeah. Taiwan took a drubbing per the first blurb in this post, and then returned the favor on poor Czechia. Czechia’s beleaguered pitching staff had a 6/8 K/BB ratio and gave up a grand slam to another Braves legend, Stuart Fairchild, in the second. Czechia’s bats did stuff in at least one prior game in pool play but not here, as a quartet of Taiwanese arms posted a 10/1 K/BB ratio, and Czechia only had two runners reach second base, with just one coming after Terrin Vavra’s leadoff double in the first.

There’s another sizable slate of games on Saturday — eight in total, including one where we already know Japan beat Korea by a very non-dominant 8-6 tally. Keep an eye on Nicaragua-Netherlands, where the Oranje are gonna have to do something to avoid visions of an early exit.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Earlier this week I asked you the following question in the SB Nation Reacts survey: Which two of these non-roster outfielders will make the Opening Day roster? That question referred to Dylan Carlson, Chas McCormick and Michael Conforto, all of whom are in Cubs Spring Training camp as non-roster players.

Here are the results:

This seems like the right answer. Carlson is batting .421/.577/.526 (8-for-19) with five walks and Conforto is 2-for-5 with a pair of walks and a double in the two games he’s played so far. The Cubs could use someone who could play center field occasionally to rest Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Carlson has significant experience there, though he played only 14 games there in 2025. But again, this is just a “start a handful of games” situation, and 14 games might just about do it.

Carlson’s also a switch-hitter, and that should help out the bench.

Conforto has hit well in past years, hitting 20 home runs in 130 games for the Giants in 2024. He had a down year in 2025, but just turned 33 and likely has something left in the tank.

Two spots on the bench are probably open after the injury to Tyler Austin, which reportedly will keep him out for “months.” The Cubs have guys they can place on the 60-day injured list to open up 40-man roster spots for Carlson and Conforto, if that’s the way they choose to go.

Here are the results of the national questions asked in the SB Nation Reacts survey.

I’m actually surprised it’s “only” 82 percent. I think the ABS challenge system is fantastic. It will eliminate a fair number of bad calls, especially the ones Jim Deshaies loves to call “egregious.” Interestingly, Jayson Stark of The Athletic wrote an article the other day about whether this system would eliminate manager ejections. The consensus: Most of them — but not all:

“Oh, don’t worry,” one umpire predicted this spring. “We’ll still eject them. They’ll find something. They have to vent.”

I tend to agree with this one, too. In particular reference to the Cubs, it has appeared over Seiya Suzuki’s four seasons in MLB that he’s gotten jobbed on a lot of close calls. I would think he’ll be a major beneficiary of this system. So, for that matter, will be former Cub Kyle Schwarber.

Can you think of any other hitters this system will benefit?

This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.

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

Another day, another CPL to get started. This round’s voting was close but we have our first full-time reliever on the list in Eduarniel Nunez. The right-hander, who came from the Miller/Sears trade with the Padres, has a high-octane fastball and a wipeout slider but massive control problems will put a cap on his potential. If he can harness his repertoire, we could have our future closer on hand.

The next player joining the voting is outfielder Breyson Guedez. While Shotaro Morii drew more of the attention during last year’s international signing period, Guedez is no slouch himself. A product out of Venezuela, Guedez is a quality hitter in the batter’s box though how much power he’ll develop is a major question mark. He’s not a burner on the basepaths and he’s considered an average outfielder in one of the corners so he’s really going to have to impress with his approach at the plate as he gets older and rises through the system.

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

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

Click on the link here to vote!

* * *

A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

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

The voting continues! Time to vote for the 23rd-best prospect in the A’s farm. Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.

Nominees on the current ballot:

Breyson Guedez OF

Expected level: Low-A | Age: 18

2025 stats (ROK): 210 PA, .359/.395/.490, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 46 RBI, 14 BB, 20 K, 5 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Guedez has a knack for hitting. His swing is smooth through the zone with good barrel control and impressive hand-eye coordination that allows him to get to pitches both inside and outside of the zone. He does tend to chase at a high rate, though that is not uncommon for a teenager. There isn’t much power to his game at this point, and the A’s are unsure how much will come even as he fills out his 5-foot-11 frame.

Guedez’s defense is considered average with an average arm, which likely limits him to a corner outfield spot. He was one of the more fun players to watch for the A’s player development staff down in the Dominican Republic this past summer, but with his no standout defensive attribute and underwhelming power, he will have to rely on his strong hit tool to carry him through the system.

A.J. Causey, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23

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

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

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

Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 25

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

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

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

Zhuang leans heavily on his four-seam fastball that he can change speeds quite a bit with, throwing heaters that range anywhere from 86-96 mph, though it generally sits in the low-90s. His low-80s changeup has emerged as his best secondary pitch. He also brings a mid-70s curveball, low-80s slider and mixes in a low-80s splitter, providing a decent starter repertoire.

Zhuang, nicknamed ‘Z-Man’ within the organization, did a good job of staying healthy last season to silence some previous injury concerns. But while he has above-average command and enough pitches to remain a starter in the Minors, questions still remain about the effectiveness of his offspeed stuff, especially against higher competition, which could eventually lead to him switching to a bullpen role where his fastball can play up in shorter stints.

Gavin Turley, OF

Expected level: A+ | Age: 22

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

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Turley falls in line with similar A’s draft picks in recent years — like Denzel Clarke and Rodney Green Jr. — as a toolsy outfielder with some concerns about his ability to make consistent contact. He’s got big power and is able to drive the ball out to all fields with great bat speed, but his strikeout rates throughout his career with the Beavers were somewhat alarming. The question over whether he can hit enough to tap into that raw power is something he’ll have to prove early in his pro career. He has a tendency to chase breaking stuff often, though he mitigates that issue somewhat with his strong ability to draw walks.

A big knock on Turley coming out of college was poor defense, but the A’s believe he is plenty athletic and speedy enough to improve and envision that happening as he grows into his 6-foot-1 frame. His body type and look in the box remind some within the organization of Mark Canha, and he’ll look to move through the system as a power-hitting corner outfielder.

Ryan Lasko, OF

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (ROK/A/AAA): 375 PA, .244/.355/.343, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 46 BB, 86 K, 14 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 40

Lasko is still trying to learn his craft from an offensive standpoint. He brings good plate discipline and bat speed, but pitch recognition is something he’s still working to improve. The A’s have also worked with him to rein in his high intensity during games. The power element he showed in college has also yet to show up much in pro ball.

Defense is Lasko’s calling card. He’s a plus defender in the outfield with a great arm and plays center field fearlessly with high energy. His speed is evident in his range, as well as on the basepaths. He’s another talented center fielder in the A’s system who could one day provide stellar defense in the Majors, but the hit tool is something he’ll have to continue improving to become anything more than a fourth outfielder at the highest level.

* * *

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

The Jays make the short drive to Clearwater to play the Phillies.

We get out first look Max Scherzer this spring. He says he’ll be ready for opening day. I didn’t expect that he would be in the rotation to start the season. I think the odds of him being able to give us 30 starts at age 41 are slim. He has said the hand issue has resolved itself.

I’m not expecting Cy Young type pitching (not that I would complain). I really don’t know what to expect. Steamer has him going 4-4 in 30 games, 10 starts. I’d bet anything that he isn’t going to have 20 relief appearances.

I’m putting this together Friday night, so I don’t have the lineups, but I’m hoping to be back around came time.

Game No. 1: Colombia (República de Colombia) at Canada

Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico

First Pitch: 9:00 AM MST

TV: FS2

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Julio Tehran vs RHP Michael Soroka

Game No. 2: Nicaragua (República de Nicaragua) at The Netherlands (Nederland)

Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA

First Pitch: 10:00 AM MST

TV: Tubi

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Erasmo Ramiréz vs RHP Jaitoine Kelly

Game No. 3: Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil) at Italy (Repubblica Italiana)

Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA

First Pitch: 11:00 AM MST

TV: Fox Sports App

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

TBD vs LHP Sam Aldegheri

Game No. 4: Panama (República de Panamá) at Puerto Rico

Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico

First Pitch: 4:00 PM MST

TV: FS1

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Ariel Jurado vs LHP Eduardo Rivera

Game No. 5: Israel (מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל) at Venezuela (República Bolivariana de Venezuela)

Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA

First Pitch: 5:00 PM MST

TV: FS2

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Ben Simon vs LHP Enmanuel de Jesus

Game No. 6: Great Britain at United States

Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA

First Pitch: 6:00 PM MST

TV: Fox

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Tyler Viza vs LHP Tarik Skubal

Game No. 7: Chinese Taipei ( 中華臺北) at Korea (대한민국)

Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan

First Pitch: 8:00 PM MST

TV: FS2

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Ruei-Yang Gu Lin vs TBD

Game No. 8: Australia (ɐı̣ןɐɹʇsnⱯ) at Japan (日本)

Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan

First Pitch: 4:00 AM MST (March 8th, 2026)

TV: FS1

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Connor MacDonald vs TBD

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Good morning, LSB.

Evan Grant has observations from a game in which Evan Carter homered but the Rangers lost.

Andrew McCutchen had an emotional first day back in a major league camp.

Jeff Wilson says McCutchen hit the ground running on his first day.

Kevin Sherrington got one look at the Mariners and quickly deduced that they’re the Rangers’ top competition for the AL West this season.

Skip Schumaker laid out plans for keeping Corey Seager healthy in 2026.

Grant welcomed on former Ranger and current Team USA manager Mark DeRosa to the SportsDay Rangers podcast.

DeRosa’s group started off strong on Friday with a win over Brazil in the WBC opener.

And finally former Ranger Nathaniel Lowe and brother Josh announced the death of their mother Wendy, who Ranger fans got to know during the 2023 playoff run.

That’s all for this morning. Have a nice rainy weekend.

Meet the Mets

Sean Manaea made his spring training debut for the Mets and pitched three innings in yesterday’s 2-0 loss to the Marlins.

Manaea’s velocity appeared to be down a bit, but he nevertheless expressed confidence coming out of his outing.

Freddy Peralta has reiterated his desire for a potential extension to be a lengthy one, in the range of 7-8 years.

The Mets’ hopes for improving their infield defense this year rests in large part on new bench coach Kai Correa.

Which Mets are most likely to benefit from the ABS challenge system?

Robert Stock has been impressing this spring as he has fought for a roster spot with the Mets, but the well-travelled righty has now been removed from Team Israel’s World Baseball Classic roster due to shoulder soreness and will undergo testing.

FanGraphs unveiled their top 45 Mets prospects entering the 2026 season.

Around the National League East

The Good Phight examined the argument to have rookie speedster Justin Crawford bat leadoff for the Phillies this year.

New Braves manager Walt Weiss is weighing his options after Jurickson Profar’s full-season suspension.

Cade Cavalli pitched well for the Nationals yesterday and could be an opening day starter option for them.

Marlins pitcher Adam Mazur will be getting his right elbow examined after experiencing discomfort there earlier this week.

Around Major League Baseball

Team USA got off to a blistering start in their first World Baseball Classic game with a decisive 15-5 victory over Brasil.

The Dominican Republic also enjoyed a route in their game yesterday, defeating Nicaragua by a score of 12-3.

Puerto Rico’s pitching dominated Columbia to enjoy a 5-0 victory in front of their home fans.

Korea and Japan had a back-and-forth affair in the wee hours of the morning, but Japan ultimately came out on top 8-6.

Mexico and Great Britain were tied after seven innings, but the former squad then put up seven runs in the final two innings en route to an 8-2 victory.

Tarik Skubal has stated that there were no long-term contract offers from the Tigers this offseason, and he will now wait until free agency next winter to entertain any negotiations.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

More season previews! Steve Sypa covered Justin Hagenman and Brandon Waddell, while Vasilis Drimalitis took a look at Kodai Senga.

This Date in Mets History

Hall of Famer and formet Met Jeff Kent celebrates a birthday today.

Jaylon Thompson writes about the approach of new hitting coach Marcus Thames.

Thames said he maintains open communication with players. He said he asks questions and focuses on their given strengths. His goal is to not suggest changes, but rather to elevate a guy’s particular skill-set.

“For me, it’s all about players understanding who they are and dominating their strengths,” Thames said. “We’re going to work on our weaknesses, but sometimes we forget who we are. And so for me, it’s all about dominating that. After that, it’s just being aggressive in your (strike) zone. Knowing what zone you like to hit and dominate it.”

Perla Peredes of MLB.com writes about pitcher Mason Black in his first camp with the Royals.

Previously relying on a five-pitch mix that leaned primarily on his four-seam fastball and sweeper, Black refined his repertoire this offseason. The adjustment, along with support from the Royals’ pitching staff, has helped him settle into his new organization.

Black worked with assistant pitching coach Mike McFerran on his curveball release point, especially when facing left-handed hitters.

“That’s been a big help just getting into this organization, having the support staff around us here,” Black said. “Just [to] take the ball whenever they ask me to, whether that be starting, mid relief, short relief. I’m good with whatever [I have to do] to go out there and try to throw zeros.”

Vahe Gregorian writes about what Eric Hosmer will bring to Royals telecasts.

In the process, he also hopes he can provide some translation.

Not so much in the sense that Hosmer, whose mother is Cuban, understands a good deal of Spanish — though that should again be helpful in the clubhouse. But more in the context of the lexicon of the game, which Hosmer felt changing around him late in his career as analytics-speak became more common.

“It really is a different language,” Hosmer said.

Craig Brown considers what the starting lineup might look like.

For part of this exercise, I visited David Pinto’s Lineup Analysis tool. This has been around for almost two decades so it’s not as up to date as you’d like as far as incorporating data into an output, but hey…this exercise is hardly scientific. The tool asks for OBP and slugging percentages, so since I’m projecting, I initially used ZiPS. Except ZiPS doesn’t really like the Royals offense—only three players are projected to be above average. That’s not exactly fun. So I ran another lineup using Steamer, which is quite a bit more bullish on the Royals offense.

Using ZiPS, India is the runaway favorite as the leadoff man. With Steamer, it’s Collins. The difference? ZiPS projects a higher OBP for India while Steamer favors Collins. In other words, among the players in the lineup who lack a certain amount of power, who gets on base with greater frequency? That’s your leadoff man.

David Lesky likes the patience he has seen in Royals hitters so far.

First, Perez has swung at just five of 30 pitches outside the zone. That will not last, so I’m not telling you this to say there’s a trend. There isn’t. But it’s interesting. The two who I think are worth watching and I wish were in camp for this reason still are Jac Caglianone and Witt. Caglianone has swung at 10 of 53 pitches outside the Gameday zone. That’s a chase rate of 18.9 percent. Fangraphs actually shows it as lower, which I don’t really know why, but either number is great, so I’m not going to spend much time worrying about that. And Witt has chased just 10 of 47 for a 21.3 percent chase rate that shows as 17.4 percent on Fangraphs.

Pete Grathoff writes about a photoshoot Bobby Witt Jr. did for a bat company.

Bobby Witt Jr. went 1-for-5 with two walks in a 15-5 Team USA rout over Brazil.

Seth Lugo tosses four shutout innings, helping Puerto Rico blank Colombia 5-0.

Shohei Ohtani hits a grand slam in a WBC win over Chinese Taipei.

Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia each get a hit, while Luinder Avila and Venezuela defeat the Netherlands 6-2.

Five prospects who could make Opening Day rosters.

The Athletics are interested in a long-term deal with Shea Langeliers.

The Mets are having Brett Baty learn to be a utility player.

The Angels will create their own TV network.

The Athletics say they are open to a reunion with Kyler Murray if he wants to return to baseball.

All the deals leading up to the NHL trading deadline.

The 23 NFL players that will define the trade market.

The “ShamWow” guy is suing the Texas Republican Party for not letting him use his nickname on the ballot in primary elections.

The Brady Bunch house gets Los Angeles landmark status.

Radio station owner Cumulus Media files for bankruptcy.

Your song of the day is The Jam with That’s Entertainment.

All offseason, Orioles fans were wondering what would happen with Coby Mayo. Seemingly blocked at his primary position, would the team trade him? When spring training arrived and we learned of the injuries to Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg, a path for playing time opened up for him as the starting third baseman. The team seems to be committed to this.

Still to be determined is whether this is a good idea. There have been scouting reports all along that were dubious about Mayo being able to remain at the position. In a survey this week, I polled Orioles fans about their feelings about the move:

I was surprised when I got these results. On Camden Chat, comments are seemingly overwhelming in the negative on Mayo as a third baseman. For myself, I am feeling anxious about it and about the team’s defensive potential in general. This already is a backup plan and there doesn’t seem to be another plan lined up behind it.

Apparently, there’s a silent plurality out there that’s excited to see this former top prospect get an extended run at the position he played most of the way up through the minors.

Opening Day is now 19 days away. Mayo’s play at third in spring games between now and then could shift people’s feelings. Or maybe they won’t, because nothing matters until the games start mattering.

This week’s survey was sponsored by FanDuel.

Having seen a couple weeks of Spring Training, it is clear who the Washington Nationals best pitcher is. That would be Cade Cavalli, who is trending towards being Nats Opening Day starter. He dominated in his four innings against the Astros, and looks poised to have a breakout year now that he is finally fully healthy.

The fact a pitcher with 11 career starts is my pick to be the Nats Opening Day starter tells you a lot about where the team is right now. However, it is also a credit to how nasty Cavalli is. His fastball is sitting at 97 MPH and his breaking balls look sharp. The stuff models liked what Cavalli was throwing yesterday.

One thing this model did not pick up was that Cavalli threw two separate breaking balls. Baseball Savant listed nine of his breaking balls as sweepers. That is a new pitch for Cavalli, who needed to find a way to get right handed hitters out. He held lefties to a .221 average last year, but right handers hit a crazy .381 against him. 

Cavalli did not have any pitch that moved away from righties last year, which is why he added the sweeper. Last year, his mix was predictable against right handers and they crushed him. The sweeper was actually the pitch he threw the most against right handed hitters yesterday, tossing it 41% of the time.

According to Grant Paulsen, that is not the only tweak the new regime has made with Cavalli. He is also experimenting with something called a one-seam sinker. It is a different sinker grip that uses seam orientation to get more movement. Teams are learning more about seam effects these days, and the Nats are now a part of that movement. Here is a cool video of an MLB pitcher being taught this one-seam sinker.

With Cavalli’s raw stuff, if one of these new pitches really catches on, he has front of the rotation upside. The other thing Cavalli will have to do to reach his upside is stay healthy. His Tommy John recovery was turbulent to say the least. He basically missed all of 2023 and 2024 due to the recovery process. Cavalli came back last year and threw 122.2 innings between the majors and the minors. 

However, this is the year where he can really be unleashed. Last year was all about showing he still had the stuff that made him a top prospect. Now it is time for him to focus on dominating and leading a young rotation.

If you designed a pitcher in a lab, they would come out with a lot of the traits Cade Cavalli has. He throws very hard, has a feel for spin, can throw a good changeup and has a sturdy 6’4 225 pound frame. While he has not been an innings eater in his career, he just looks like a guy who could throw 200 frames.

Interestingly, Cavalli is on a five day schedule that would line him up to start on Opening Day. With his performance yesterday, where he went four innings without allowing an earned run and struck out 6, there should be no doubt who the Nats Opening Day starter is.

He may be inexperienced, but Cade Cavalli is easily the most talented pitcher in the Nats rotation. I still believe he has number two starter upside and can show that this season. His raw stuff is even better than the now departed MacKenzie Gore, and I would not be shocked if Cavalli out produces Gore this year. Cavalli’s combination of velocity, a special curveball and a new look sweeper gives him a high ceiling.

I would project Cavalli to toss about 165 innings this year and post an ERA around 3.60. Given his lack of experience, this is ambitious, but I really think his stuff plays. He is the guy who I think will benefit the most from the new pitching coaches because he has the most raw tools. 

Out of anyone on the team, I think I am most excited to see Cavalli. This is a real breakout candidate. While he is already 27 years old, he is still brimming with untapped potential. I think this is the year where we see him put it all together. That breakout year should start on Opening Day at Wrigley Field.

The players in competition for the final spot in the rotation are not going to make the decision easy on the San Diego Padres front office and manager Craig Stammen. German Marquez started the game against the Chicago Cubs for the Padres, who won the game 3-0, and he completed three innings without allowing a run. Marquez did allow two hits, but that was it. He also finished with three strikeouts. Marco Gonzales followed Marquez with three scoreless innings of his own. Gonzales allowed three hits and a walk, but he recorded five strikeouts. Both of these performances followed Walker Buehler the day before after he had a strong outing, and after the last two games all three pitchers along with JP Sears seem to have every intention of making things as difficult as possible for the San Diego decision makers.

Padres News:

• The 2026 Spring Breakout is coming in the near future and the Padres, despite their abysmal preseason minor league rankings, will have plays such as Kruz Schoolcraft and Ethan Salas competing. Schoolcraft and Salas join other highly outed prospects from around MLB in the third annual prospect showcase.

• Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Wandy Peralta all left the Peoria Sports Complex to join the Dominican Republic for the WBC. The Dominican Republic joins the US and Japan as the favorites to win the global competition and Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball believes this may be the year the D.R. finishes at the top.

• Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribuneprovided notes surrounding multiple Padres players. He learned Sung-Mun Song is considered day-to-day with an oblique injury and Nick Pivetta is also being given time off due to arm fatigue. On a positive injury note, Acee reported reliver Jason Adam continues his progression and has a chance to be on the roster on Opening Day.

• Ramon Laureano came to the Padres at the 2025 trade deadline and part of the appeal for San Diego was the team option for 2026. Laureano solidified a position of need and if he can replicate what he did in the second half of last year he could have a career year.

WBC News:

• Aaron Judge homered in his first WBC at-bat and helped the US dominate Brazil. Byron Buxton was hit on the elbow and left the game, but reports after the game were he will be “fine.”

• Machado flashed some leather and Junior Caminero homered to lead the Dominican Republic over Nicaragua.

• Mexico knocked off Great Britain in the WBC opener for both teams.

• Edwin Diaz looked sharp in his return to the WBC in Puerto Rico’s win over Columbia.

• Venezuela knocked off Netherlands in the first WBC game for both teams.

Baseball News:

• Freddy Peralta has made it known that he is willing to sign an extension with the New York Mets and prefers it to be a long-term extension.

• The Texas Rangers signed Andrew McCutchen to a minor league deal.