Category: Baseball

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Blue Jays:

Let’s talk about it.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic officially kicked off earlier this week, and several Yankees are involved, most notably Aaron Judge. The Yankee captain is also captaining Team USA, while other Yankees around the tournament include Jazz Chihsolm Jr., Austin Wells, David Bednar, Paul Goldschmidt, Ryan Yarbrough, Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, and Amed Rosario.

However, seeing the coaching staffs of the teams at the WBC is often an exercise in remembering some guys. The tournament often brings out some of the biggest stars in their respective countries’ histories to take the reins and lead the current-day players, and that often also filters down to all of the coaching roles. With that in mind, let’s dig into the coaching staffs and remember the Yankees, great or not, who you may see in the background on your television in the coming weeks.

We’ll start off with Team USA, who has quite a number of former Yankees around the coaching staff. The most famous, and most beloved, of them is none other than Andy Pettitte. The Yankee hero will be the pitching coach for the U.S., a role he also filled at the last edition in 2023.

The team has two listed hitting coaches, one of which is ill-fated former Yankees’ interim hitting coach Sean Casey. The other is a former 2017 player in Matt Holliday. Also around will be Brian McCann, who is simply listed as “assistant coach,” but I assume he’ll be working with the catchers in some way. Another Yankee connection is that prospect George Lombard Jr.’s dad — George Sr., you could guess — is Team USA’s first base coach.

For Team Canada, mid-2000s relief workhorse Paul Quantrill will also serve as pitching coach, but former Yankee catcher Russell Martin will be manning the first base coaching box as well.

If you watched the opening game between Australia and Chinese Taipei earlier this week, you might have noticed a couple familiar, but slightly older, faces. The bullpen coaches for each respective team were former Yankees Graeme Lloyd and Chien-Ming Wang.

There are no former Yankees’ players on the Dominican Republic’s coaching staff, but Robinson Canó‘s dad, José, who famously was the pitcher for Robbie when he won the Home Run Derby in 2011, will be the DR’s bullpen coach.

Jazz will see some a familiar face in Team Great Britain’s dugout as current Yankee coach Tanner Swanson will serve as bench coach. Former Yankee hitting coach Dillon Lawson will also be their hitting coach.

Another team that will have a current Yankee coach is Israel, where bench coach Brad Ausmus will manage the WBC team.

Kevin Youkilis will be his bench coach, but the less said about his Yankee tenure, the better.

Team Italy’s roster probably won’t win the tournament, but it is probably my favorite, as seemingly any MLBer with an Italian last name could get on the team. The man who played a big role in putting together than team is none other than Francisco Cervelli, who is the manager, having previously played for the team in past editions.

He’s not even the only former Yankee catcher on the coaching staff either. None other than Jorge Posada is one of the team’s hitting coaches, while the hirsute Sal Fasano is the bullpen coach. To round things out, Dave Righetti is the pitching coach, and 1979 backstop Jerry is on the staff as well.

Yet another former Yankee who will manage their country is Andruw Jones. The soon-to-be Hall of Famer will skipper the Netherlands, including former Yankee player Didi Gregorius.

Obviously, the most interesting action in the WBC will be on the field. However, if you’re ever looking up at your tv wondering “Hey, is that…” it might be!

1890
Pioneering reliever and spitballer Dave Danforth was born, in Granger, Texas.

A relative rarity as a college-educated (Baylor University) player in the 1910s, Danforth was signed by the A’s in 1911, and while bouncing back and forth between Philadelphia and minor-league Baltimore, Danforth completed a dentistry degree at the University of Maryland.

After two years as a non-practicing dentist/Louisville Colonels minor league hurler in 1914-15, the White Sox signed Danforth for the 1916 season. He made a legendary mark in the bullpen in Chicago’s storied 1917 season: The southpaw led the AL with 50 appearances and all of the majors with 26 finishes and nine saves (he also started nine games, one of them a complete-game shutout). All that added to a value of 3.3 WAR, which still ranks tied for 13th-best in franchise annals.

Oddly though, that was the only one of his four White Sox seasons yielding positive WAR. Manager Kid Gleason hoped to move Danforth into the starting rotation in 1919, but he was crushed for five earned runs in the first inning of his season debut and was shelled in long relief his next game out; he saw only 13 games from there, and no action after July.

The White Sox apparently released Danforth after his -2.9 WAR season in 1919. He made it back to the majors with the Browns, stitching together a strong final four MLB seasons in more of a swingman role, earning 9.3 WAR with St. Louis.

Nicknamed Dauntless Dave for his ability to manage arm pain, Danforth returned to the minors to pitch in seven more seasons, to age 42. After ending his baseball career, Dr. Danforth practiced dentistry in Baltimore until retirement.

1903
Future White Sox coach and manager Kid Gleason was involved in the first intraleague (American-National) league trade ever, after the 1902 peace treaty is struck. Second baseman Gleason went from the Detroit Tigers to New York Giants, in exchange for second baseman-manager Heinie Smith. New York flipped Gleason to Philadelphia, where he was a regular for four more years, until the age of 40.

Gleason coached for the Phillies upon retirement, then had two stints with the White Sox (1912-14, 1916-17). He managed the club from 1919-23, having the unfortunate timing of being a rookie manager overseeing the Black Sox scandal.

Coincidentally, 21 years after this trade and just five after the Black Sox scandal, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds club that upended the White Sox in 1919, Pat Moran, died from Bright’s disease, at the age of 48 and while still Cincinnati’s active manager.

1953
The White Sox brought back pitcher Earl Harrist for a second tour on the South Side, and it turned out to be significantly less successful than his first.

Harrist had a mildly-successful season back in 1947, pitching to a 3.56 ERA (103 ERA+), going 3-8 but earning five saves. He was traded to Washington during the 1948 season.

After then moving to the Yankees and Browns organizations, the White Sox bought Harrist from St. Louis with the intent of using him late in games (he’d matched his 1947 career high of five saves with the Browns in 1952). However, Harrist was simply awful this time around with the White Sox, ballooning to a 7.56 ERA in just seven appearances before the club cut him loose on May 23.

Detroit grabbed him and gave Harrist another eight games, but despite laboring until 1958 in the minors, the righty would never see the major leagues again.

1959
Bill Veeck and his partners (including Hall-of-Famer Hank Greenberg), officially announced they had bought the White Sox. Veeck owned 54% of the team, with Chuck Comiskey retaining his 46%.

At the introductory press conference, Veeck jokingly told the media that “you can have 54% of the coffee!”

It was remarkable timing for the new owners, who steered the White Sox to their first AL pennant in 40 years, finishing 94-60-2.

2011
The Arizona Diamondbacks hosted the White Sox in their old spring training ballpark (Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tucson), with the proceeds benefiting a fund in memory of Christina Taylor Green, the granddaughter of baseball executive Dallas Green. Christina was one of six murdered in a shooting spree on January 8, at a town hall meeting with U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords at a supermarket near Tucson.

The young Green, born on Sept. 11, 2001, was a Little League player (following the footsteps of her minor league pitcher father and ex-MLB pitcher grandpa) and a student leader. She was at the Giffords gathering to observe government in action.

The result of the game hardly mattered, but the White Sox won, 12-1, with Edwin Jackson earning the decision.

Diamondbacks News

Kevin Ginkel Eyeing Health, Another Postseason
Kevin Ginkel’s 2025 season was ruined by injuries. Now, the Arizona reliever is back and looking to improve upon his 2025 results and help lead Arizona to a return to October baseball.

Diamondbacks, Carroll Give Injury Update
Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll took three at-bats off live pitching at Salt River Fields on Friday, March 6, his first time hitting at game-like intensity since undergoing surgery last month for a broken hamate bone in his right hand.

Struggling Drake Gets Nod Versus Giants
Left-handed starter, Kohl Drake, will try to get his spring on track after a rough start to training. The lefty will be starting against the Giants this afternoon.

Other Baseball News

Seiya Suzuki Shows Power, Patience to Rally Japan over Rivals
Korea gave Japan all it cold handle in their WBC tilt. Seiya Suzuki launched two home runs in the affair as Japan looks to repeat as champions.

Judge, Team USA Plate 15 in Rout of Brazil
This wasn’t even David and Goliath. This was more like David’s charismatic little sibling who didn’t even know what a slingshot was. It did not go well for Brazil.

Skubal, Tigers Have Had No Contract Talks
The Tigers and Tarik Skubal have not entered into any sort of contract negotiations since the team and player exchanged arbitration numbers. Skubal insists that no conversations will happen during the season, paving the way for his exit from the Motor City this coming winter.

Mets lineup

1. Mike Tauchman – RF
2. Jorge Polanco – DH
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Brett Baty – 1B
5. Luis Torrens – C
6. Ronny Mauricio – SS
7. Jose Rojas – LF
8. Cristian Pache – CF
9. Jackson Cluff – 2B

Kodai Senga – RHP

Cardinals lineup

1. Masyn Winn – SS
2. Alec Burleson – 1B
3. Ivan Herrera – DH
4. Nolan Gorman – 3B
5. JJ Wetherholt – 2B
6. Pedro Pages – C
7. Joshua Baez – RF
8. Victor Scott – CF
9. Miguel Ugueto – LF

Kyle Leahy – RHP

Broadcast Info

First pitch: 1:05 PM EST
TV: Cardinals – Matrix Midwest, Cardinals.TV
Radio: Cardinals – KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM, Cardinals Radio Network

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers, March 7, 2026, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: Joker Merchant Field, Lakeland, FL

How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Detroit Tigers looking to grab a win.

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

A legendary legacy.

First pitch against the Boston Red Sox is at 1:05 at JetBlue Park and the Rays will be providing TV and radio coverage.

Well the Braves are missing a few players to the WBC, but the rest of the squad keeps chugging through the Spring Training schedule and we have gotten to see some fun prospect performances.

Today they take on the Orioles and the young top 100 prospect, lefty Luis De Leon.

The lineups are as follows:

Join us and discuss today’s game in the comments below!

Game Notes

Time: 1:05 ET

TV: Gray TV

Streaming: MLB.TV (free game of the day)

Radio: 680 AM/93.7 The Fan

Is it on TV?

Yes, after a one-day break from spring training coverage, the Sox are back on the air. You can catch the game on either NESN360 or over the air on WHDH, first pitch at 1:05 PM.

What’s the lineup?

What should we watch for?

It’s Johan Oviedo’s third start, which means we can start drawing more meaningful conclusions from his performances. The thing to keep an eye on this spring in his case is his control. He had three walks in his first start and generally appeared to be nibbling around the plate. But he attacked hitters more directly in his second start and didn’t issue a single free pass.

And check it out: a Miguel Bleis sighting! Suffice it say some of his prospect shine has dulled, but he’s still young and worth keeping an eye on.

The Houston Astros (3-7-3) host the Miami Marlins (6-6) in Grapefruit League play.

RHP Jason Alexander will make his third start of the Spring opposite RHP Chris Paddack for the Marlins.

Isaac Paredes will make his first appearance at second base this spring.

TODAY’S STARTER: Today will be the third start of the Spring for RHP Jason Alexander. He was strong in his last outing, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings vs. the Mets on March 1 at Clover Park. Alexander proved to be a valuable in-season pickup for the Astros in 2025 when claimed off waivers on May 18 after being DFA’d by the Athletics. In his 14 appearances (13 starts) with HOU, he was 4-2 with a 3.66 ERA (29ER/71.1IP) with a save.

TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Sam Carlson, RHP Michael Knorr, RHP Anthony Maldonado, RHP Roddery Muñoz and RHP Alimber Santa.

VS. THE MARLINS: Today will mark the third of six Grapefruit League matchups between the Astros and Marlins this Spring. The clubs will also meet for a Spring Breakout exhibition on March 19 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The Astros are 1-1 vs. the Marlins this Spring.

TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have signed veteran C Christian Vázquez to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training. Vázquez, 35, has played in 11 Major League seasons (2014, 2016-25) and has batted .250 (810×3244) with 71 home runs and 349 RBI in 993 career games. He batted .271 (36×190) in 65 games with the Twins last season.

This will mark his second stint with the Astros, as he was acquired ahead of the 2022 Trade Deadline, starting in the club’s combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the World Series, as well as the series-clinching Game 6. Vázquez is currently playing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, March 7, 11:05 a.m. CST

Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL.

TV: none

Streaming: HOU video livestream (astros.com)

Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2

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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.

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 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.