Category: Baseball

TAMPA — With just under nine months to go until the current Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire, both MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association have been battening down the hatches for what appears to be increasingly likely next winter: a lockout.

While the two sides are set to begin bargaining some time next month, the looming battle is expected to center on the possibility of a salary cap — with owners pushing for it and the union staunchly against it.

“We’ve been preparing for this fight for years,” MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer said Thursday morning at Steinbrenner Field, where the union made a stop on its annual spring tour of all 30 teams.

“We’re coming off a season of incredible momentum and great fan interest, as evidenced by attendance, ratings, anything you want to look at. If the league is saying they’re looking to shut that down, that doesn’t make a lot of sense for a lot of reasons. But we’ll be prepared for that and everything else that may be coming.”

Gerrit Cole, who has previously served on the executive subcommittee, described the meeting with the PA as “very informative, very thorough.”

It came in the wake of Meyer replacing Tony Clark as the head of the union last month, after Clark resigned in the wake of an internal investigation that found he had an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who was hired by the MLBPA in 2023.

While Cole said he is trying to keep an “optimistic” view in the face of concerns of a lockout, he acknowledged that a salary cap is not the “answer to the questions that we’re trying to answer.”

“The sport is growing, the viewership is younger, the gate is up, the players’ pay is up, club appreciations are up,” Cole said. “Obviously there is a whole list of concerns. … I’m optimistic that through good conversations, through a lot of deliberation and some tense moments, ultimately the best will come out.”

Meyer said that the union has never thought that salary caps were in the best interest of players.

“We see no reason to change that view,” he said.

Meyer also added that salary caps “don’t really guarantee competitive balance,” indicating that baseball has the best competitive balance as opposed to the other major sports, which all have salary caps.

“The problem we have in baseball is not with the teams that are trying to win games and trying to spend money,” Meyer said. “It’s with teams that maybe aren’t trying as hard as they can. That’s the problem with competition in baseball.”

Oswaldo Cabrera will make his spring debut on Friday night, starting at shortstop against the Rays in his first game action since breaking his ankle and suffering ligament damage last May.

“Excited for him,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Obviously it’s been a pretty long road for him. It’s been exciting to see some of the improvement he’s made over the last few weeks.”

Cody Bellinger returned to the lineup Thursday for the first time in a week after dealing with a stiff back.

He played four innings in right field and went 0-for-1 with a walk in a rain-shortened 15-0 loss to the Twins at Steinbrenner Field.

“Felt really good,” said Bellinger, who is scheduled to play left field Friday. “Felt 100 percent.”

The Yankees made a round of cuts Thursday, optioning RHP Chase Hampton to Double-A Somerset and reassigning him, RHP Travis MacGregor and RHP Drake Fellows to minor league camp.

New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: On May 12th of last year, utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera broke his ankle in one of the more gruesome injuries you’ll watch in real time. It’s taken quite a bit of rehab for Cabrera in the ensuing ten months, but he’ll finally play something close to competitive ball today, with Aaron Boone announcing Waldo’s spring debut (coinciding with Cam Schlittler’s). Cabrera is more of a depth piece, and certainly a glue guy, rather than one of the stars the Yankees are looking to turn to, but I’m happy he’s back all the same.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees acquired lefty Ryan Weathers from the Marlins over the winter, and his stuff raised serious eyebrows in his first spring start for the Bombers. A possible breakout may be genetic for Weathers, whose father won two World Series, one with the Blue Jays and one with the 1996 Yankees. It goes even a step further, as David Weathers was also dealt from the Marlins to the Yankees, although it seems clear that the son has more natural talent. It’s not quite clear yet what Ryan’s role will be with the Yanks, but if that stuff plays, he’ll be called upon to do quite a bit.

Yahoo! Sports | Matthew Schmidt: Another winter trade hasn’t quite started so optimistically. Angel Chivilli was nabbed from the Rockies with clearly an eye to his powerful fastball and low walk rate, but he hasn’t looked great in Grapefruit League action. He gave up six runs against the Twins yesterday, and with a number of pitchers all competing for the final slots in the Yankee bullpen, it seems increasingly likely Chivilli will start the year with Triple-A Scranton.

Over three years removed from the second Tommy John surgery of his career, Walker Buehler is only now pain-free — and he doesn’t know why.

The right-handed pitcher, who signed a minor league deal with the Padres in mid-February, made his spring debut Thursday against the Mariners, allowing two earned runs over three innings while striking out four.

Buehler said competing for a spot in an MLB rotation — as elbow issues plagued him over the winter — seemed like a long shot just weeks earlier.

“About four weeks ago, my elbow just stopped hurting,” Buehler told reporters after the game. “That’s a new one for me. … Things have kind of ticked up from there.”

Along with veteran Germán Márquez and former Met Griffin Canning, Buehler is among several pitchers competing to fill out a spot in the back end of San Diego’s rotation.

Walker Buehler says his elbow stopped hurting about 4 weeks ago.

"I've tried every treatment, supplement, and vitamin you can…something got rid of it and it hasn't come back…I don't know exactly what did it that fixed it. I hope if it hurts again, we get lucky again." pic.twitter.com/lte6SoBhgS

— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) March 5, 2026

Still just 31 years old, Buehler is not too far removed from his Dodgers dominance when he made two All-Star teams (2019, 2021) and firmly entrenched himself as a perennial Cy Young candidate.

In 2021, he finished fourth for the National League Cy Young award before undergoing his second Tommy John procedure the following season — and he has failed to recapture that previous success.

Though Buehler sealed the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series victory with bullpen heroics in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium, he struggled for much of his return, posting a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts.

He signed a one-year, $21 million prove-it deal with the Red Sox last season in an attempt to reestablish himself, but the results were disastrous.

Boston released Buehler in late August after he went 7-7 with a 5.45 in 23 appearances.

He latched on with the Phillies down the stretch, going 3-0 with a 0.66 ERA in three outings, offering a glimpse of his prior standout form.

Buehler’s new teammate Joe Musgrove, also recovering from Tommy John surgery, recently told The Athletic that he, along with other pitchers he’s spoken with, typically oes not feel fully back to normal until “the two-year mark.”

As he fights to revive his career and experience the other side of the Padres-Dodgers rivalry, Buehler agreed with the former All-Star.

“My first [Tommy John surgery] was a bit of an outlier,” Buehler said. “I was 21 years old and got way bigger, way stronger and my first live I felt better than I ever had. The second [surgery], that timeline checks out. … Maybe mine was even more delayed.

“I’ve tried every treatment and supplement, and vitamin you can. … Something got rid of it, and it hasn’t come back. I’m a little scared. I don’t know exactly what did it that fixed it.

“I hope if it hurts again, we get lucky again. But, all in all, it’s in a really good spot.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Carson Benge vies for the starting right field job this spring — and Brett Baty looks to prove he can play there on occasion, as well — there continues to be a veteran outfielder who has been solid both at the plate and in the field.

Mike Tauchman led off Thursday’s 7-4 loss to the Nationals at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches with a long double and also started the game in left field, again showing the defensive versatility that the Mets believe could make the lefty-swinger valuable.

As the camp looks now, it’s difficult to see a path for both Benge — also left-handed at the plate — and Tauchman to make the Opening Day roster.

But as Carlos Mendoza noted after the game, there remains a long way until the Mets face the Pirates to start the regular season on March 26.

But Tauchman, who didn’t sign with the Mets until late in the offseason, is more than an insurance policy for the team.

“A lot can happen between now and Opening Day,’’ Mendoza said. “[Tauchman] is playing well, too. He can play left field and all three [outfield positions] and give you a quality at-bat. He’s versatile on defense and he’s got pop.”

All of that was on display against Washington, with Tauchman looking to stand out amid the crowd of Benge, Tyrone Taylor and MJ Melendez.

While Ben Rortvedt got the start behind the plate Thursday against the Nationals, Mendoza made it clear that Luis Torrens would be the primary backup to Francisco Alvarez at catcher this season.

“They’re both going to play and [Alvarez] is going to get the majority of the playing time,’’ the manager said prior to Thursday’s game.

The goal is to keep Alvarez healthier — and more consistent — than he has been in recent years.

Having Torrens on the field regularly will help that cause.

“We have to monitor [Alvarez] and make sure we keep him healthy for 162-plus [games], and Luis is a big part of that.”

The team is also handling Alvarez with care, encouraging him to take things slow this spring in an effort to avoid wearing him out.

“He’s a hard worker and is more mature now,’’ Mendoza said. “Instead of 200 swings every day, maybe you don’t need to take that many. We don’t have to tell him that. He’s learned over the years.”

Nolan McLean reported no issues after his outing on Wednesday and was scheduled to meet Team USA in Houston on Thursday.

The right-hander has had no issues after recovering from vertigo-like symptoms that lingered for several days last week and caused him to drop weight, but he’s on track to start in the WBC against Team Italy on March 10 and again in the finals on March 17, if Team USA advances that far.

Luis Robert Jr., who played his first game of the spring on Wednesday in a minor league contest, bounced back fine and is expected to be in center again Friday for another minor league game as the Mets try to protect the outfielder who has been bothered by lower-body injuries in the past.

— Additional reporting by Jon Heyman in Port St. Lucie

Somehow, despite at last check this was a Spring Training game, the White Sox were held to one hit, a Brooks Baldwin single, through seven innings. But then, given the state of Chicago pitching tonight, the lack of offense wasn’t the major concern, just an embarrassing one.

The game opened with three straight doubles cracked by Cleveland, and it was 2-0 before starter Sean Burke recorded an out. After one more, Triple-A first baseman CJ Clayfus destroyed a center-cut curveball for a two-run homer, and before the White Sox picked up a bat, they were down, 4-0.

The good news was that Burke settled down and finished his outing with dignity, giving up just one hit over his final two frames. And even better was Erick Fedde, coming on in relief (are we witnessing the fifth-starter battle right here?) and throwing three scoreless, giving up two hits and punching out one.

In the third inning, Baldwin singled to center. That was it for the White Sox offense through two-thirds of the game.

Heading into the seventh, this was still mostly anyone’s game, at 4-0, Cleveland.

Then Jedixson Paez entered. And if the fact that he’s thrown in just two of the first 14 Cactus League games isn’t its own vote of no-confidence, the young righty’s surrender of six runs on six hits (to be fair, some cheap, some not) is making it look much harder to imagine the 2-for-2 the White Sox went on Rule 5s in 2025 is going to repeat itself.

With the game at 9-0, Jake Palisch came in to put out the fire and surrendered a first-pitch, two-run homer to Carter Kieboom to put the game, as they say, out of reach.

JUST THEN the White Sox offense awakened — if in fact you call Dru Baker hitting a Little League home run (triple, scoring on shortstop Milan Tolentino’s throwing error) an awakening. From there, at 11-1, Cleveland scored once more (sad trombone, a rally against Hagen Smith in his Cactus League debut) and the South Siders rallied furiously for two, courtesy of three singles and a walk.

Yes, Sean Burke may have fallen behind in the race for the rotation. Sure, Jedixson Paez may have punched his ticket back to Boston with a dog-awful outing. Yeppers, the White Sox were suffocated to one hit over the first seven innings, while coughing up 16 to Cleveland batters for the game. And indeed, the Chicago offense mustered just one extra-base hit and three walks against 11 Ks in the contest. But at least no one but the 3,933 dear souls at Camelback Ranch was able to see any of it.

The New York Rangers have reportedly traded Sam Carrick to the Buffalo Sabres, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

This comes after the Rangers scratched Carrick out of the lineup due to roster management on Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

In return for Carrick, the Rangers received a 2026 third and sixth-round pick. 

The Rangers signed Carrick to a three-year, $3 million contract in the summer of 2024. 

Despite playing a limited bottom-six role, Carrick has been able to etch his mark with the team, largely due to his physical style of play and the way he’s stepped up as an enforcer.

In 140 games with the Rangers, the 34-year-old forward has recorded 10 goals, 20 assists, and 30 points, while averaging 11:17 minutes.

Observations from Mets spring training Thursday:

Bo’s arts building

Bo Bichette has long been one of the best bat-to-ball hitters in the game, and the veteran infielder is proving that regardless of what position he plays, he will produce at the plate.

He had two more hits Thursday in a 7-4 loss to Washington at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Not that Severino

Anderson Severino, a lefty who spent the past two years pitching in Mexico and is trying to get back to the majors for the first time since 2022, allowed four runs in ²/₃ of an inning. 

Caught my eye

Cristian Pache plays center field well enough to be an everyday player, but his bat hasn’t produced.

He ran down a ball in left-center that proved he’s able to get to just about anything in the gaps.

Friday’s schedule

Sean Manaea will be the next pitcher to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday when the Mets visit the Marlins under the lights at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., at 7:10 p.m.

Observations from Yankees spring training Thursday:

A good chime

Cody Bellinger went 0-for-1 with a walk.

More importantly, he left feeling healthy after playing right field in his first spring training game in nearly a week.

The former MVP — who had been out of action with a mild back injury — is scheduled to start again Friday. 

Black’ mark

Paul Blackburn was unable to extend his spring success, allowing two runs, three hits (one home run) and two walks against the Twins while striking out three over 2 ¹/₃ innings.

The 32-year-old had thrown six scoreless innings in his first two spring training appearances.

Caught my eye

The Ryan McMahon shortstop experiment hasn’t gone according to plan.

After the starting third baseman committed an error on a fairly straightforward grounder during his debut at shortstop Tuesday, McMahon recorded another error Thursday after sliding to his knee to get a ball in the hole, then forcing a wild throw to first.

McMahon later made another impressive stab up the middle but again threw off-target. 

Friday’s schedule

Cam Schlittler will make his spring debut in Friday night’s game against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.

Oswaldo Cabrera also will make his first appearance of the spring, returning to action for the first time since breaking his ankle in May. 

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Mets got a look into their potential near future on Thursday, when Jorge Polanco started at first base, with Brett Baty behind him in right field. 

Both players looked fine, but went largely untested in a 7-4 loss to the Nationals. 

They likely won’t be as fortunate when the regular season comes and more unpredictable plays develop. 

Baty and Polanco are doing what they can to be as prepared as possible. 

Baty, who played the outfield — but only left — in the minors, is still adjusting to balls moving in the opposite direction of what he’s used to seeing when he’s on the left side of the field.

He agreed with manager Carlos Mendoza’s decision to keep him on the right side of the diamond for the foreseeable future, either at first base or in right field. 

“When he mentioned it, I didn’t even think about it, but it’s a good plan,’’ Baty said. “It makes sense.” 

And though Baty and Polanco said they were growing more comfortable at their new positions, they acknowledge it’s too early to say just how good they’ll be once Opening Day hits in three weeks. 

But the fact that they are both learning first base — along with Mark Vientos, who is away from the team and playing third base for Team Nicaragua in the World Baseball Classic — has helped. 

“There’s no ego with him,’’ Baty said of Polanco, primarily a middle infielder during his lengthy MLB career. “He wants to play, and he’ll play wherever. We’re both bouncing ideas off each other, working on our footwork. It’s good to have both [of] us there working — and Mark, too, when he was here.” 

Polanco, who made a smooth play on a sharp grounder from Keibert Ruiz in the third inning, taking the ball himself, said he’s also feeling more comfortable at first base. 

“He’s engaged with the dugout and the movement from batter-to-batter [and] pitch-to-pitch,’’ Mendoza said. 

Some scouts remain skeptical that the Mets’ rotating group of players will be successful. 

In addition to Polanco, Baty and Vientos, there’s Bo Bichette moving from shortstop to third base. 

Bichette made a high throw to first after a nice stop and has said he’s growing more accustomed to the hot corner after a few weeks of work. 

But the reason the Mets want them to make adjustments in the field is because they want them in the lineup. 

Bichette had two hits and Baty hit an opposite-field homer. 

“It was good to see him drive the ball the other way,’’ Mendoza said of Baty’s blast.

Game No. 1: Australia (ɐı̣ןɐɹʇsnⱯ) at Czechia (Česká)

Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan

Australia looks to keep the momentum going after their exciting shutout victory over Chinese Taipei yesterday in which former Rockies farmhand Robbie Perkins and young Cleveland Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana both hit home runs. Meanwhile, Czechia looks to rebound after a difficult loss to Korea. Czechia’s pitching staff gave up four home runs—two by Shay Whitcomb, one by Jahmai Jones, and another to Bo-gyeong Moon—to put the game out of reach despite the offense playing four runs on nine hits. Former Rockies draft pick Terrin Vavra hit a three-run home run while Martin Červinka, Marek Chlup, and Willie Escala all had multi-hit games.

First Pitch: 8:00 PM MDT

TV: FS1

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

LHP Josh Hendrickson vs RHP Tomáš Ondra

Game No. 2: Japan (日本) at Chinese Taipei (中華臺北)

Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan

The victors of the 2023 tournament finally join the fray. Japan went undefeated in 2023 as their star-studded lineup headlined by Shohei Ohtani handled every obstacle in their way. This year, Ohtani is joined fellow Dodger Yoshinobu Yamamoto and plenty of other MLB players alongside NPB’s best. Also on the roster are Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, Seiya Suzuki, Yusei Kikuchi, Masataka Yoshida, and new Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.

Chinese Taipei has a tall task ahead of them if they want to rebound from last night’s loss to Australia. They were shut out and lost their team captain Chen Chieh-hsien to a finger fracture after he was hit by a pitch. Chen is hoping to return to the tournament at some point, but the timeline is unknown.

First Pitch: 3:00 AM MDT (March 6th, 2026)

TV: FS1

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs RHP Hao-Chun Cheng

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The Dominican Republic enters the tournament loaded with MLB talent and as one of the favorites to win the World Baseball Classic. They’ll kick things off against Nicaragua at LoanDepot Park on Friday, March 6.

My top Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets call for the star power of the Dominicans to pave the way to a lopsided victory in this tournament opener.

Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic prediction

Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic best bet: Dominican Republic -4.5 (-115 at DraftKings)

Not only does the Dominican Republic lineup feature a who’s who of MLB superstars, but lefty Cristopher Sanchez will start Friday, and he spun an elite 2.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP for the Philadelphia Phillies last season.

The Nicaraguans just don’t pack the same punch at the dish or on the mound, and in particular, projected starter Erasmo Ramirez has onlystarted four games since the beginning of the 2019 MLB campaign. 

Finally, I also value the elite Dominican bullpen arms available in the tournament opener. Camilo Doval, Gregory Soto, and Abner Uribe are all proven MLB talents.

Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic same-game parlay (SGP)

Sanchez posted a high-end 9.4 K/9 last season in the majors, and he’ll face a far easier Nicaraguan lineup on Friday. 

Turning to star outfielder Juan Soto, the perennial MVP candidate finished third with a .1500 OPS during the 2023 WBC, and he’s posted a rock-solid .275 batting average over the past three MLB seasons.

Juan Soto star player prop

Juan Soto best bet: 2+ hits (+145 at DraftKings)

In addition to Juan Soto's highlighted WBC and MLB numbers, his underlying 18.1 barrel percentage and 55.1% hard-hit rate are elite marks, and Soto will have excellent lineup protection to prevent the Nicaraguans from pitching around him.

Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic opening odds

• Moneyline: Nicaragua +700 | Dominican Republic -1400
• Run line: Nicaragua +4.5 (-105) | Dominican Republic -4.5 (-115)
• Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-110) | Under 9.5 (-110)

How to watch Nicaragua vs Dominican Republic and game info

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Since Sunday’s beatdown of the Cincinnati Reds, the A’s have outscored their opponents 52-24! What a thrill it has been too, seeing production not only come from staples like Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker, but also prospects such as Junior Perez.

That narrative continued today against the Angels in Tempe.

A pair of walks to Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers in the top half of the 2nd made it a 2-run lead early. With the bases loaded, Soderstromstepped up to the plate and absolutely unloaded on a 94 mph fastball from Aneurys Zabala for a Grand Slam. On the very next pitch thrown by the 29 year old right-hander, Rooker would take him deep. Just like that the A’s are up 7-0 and it’s only the 2nd inning. The damage wouldn’t end there. In Austin Wynn’s second at-bat (first resulted in a double) he’d get a hold of one. Another fastball served up by Zabala, another home run for the A’s. That’s 8 total runs and three tanks for the Green and Gold. They’d load the bases once again with two outs but Kurtz would roll over on a 3-1 fastball.

Aneurys Zabala’s day would be over after less than an inning of work, but oddly enough, starter Alek Manoah’s wouldn’t. Manoah would re-enter the game in the 3rd inning and aside from the Rooker ground-rule double, he pitched pretty decent compared to his first go around. Manoah’s day would end with a line of 2.1 IP, 3 hits, 5 ER, 5 BB, and 3ks.

In the 3rd, 4th, and 5th inning of offensive work for the Angels, they’d chip 4 runs off of A’s starter Luis Morales and Brady Basso. Morales looked really sharp through his first few innings, but once the 4th frame rolled around he kind’ve lost it. The bad juju vibes carried over into Brady Basso’s outing. A couple more runs would be tagged to his name on 4 hits. The highly touted Jamie Arnold would also give up a run on a homer to Denzer Guzman, but overall his day should be considered a success.

No one, however, on either team that is, had a less productive day than the 32 year old Geoff Hartlieb. The A’s right-hander got kicked around by the Halos, to the tune of 5 ER in less than an inning! Would not be surprised if he’s banished to the Phantom Zone by sundown.

Overall, A’s pitching was a bit of a mess today. Thankfully the offense got it done when called upon. Five more runs were tacked on by the Green and Gold in the 6th. Max Muncy’s single brought home Joshua Kuroda-Grauer. Michael Stefanic’s double scored Muncy as well as Bryan Lavastida. He’d then round the bases thanks to a towering cranker by Junior Perez!

Clark Elliot’s 3-run homer in the 9th capped off the last of it. They’d finish with 16 runs on 12 hits and no errors. In the hits department, the Angels came out on top. 15 of their hits resulted in 11 runs. Zero errors were committed by the Halos. Their defense wasn’t to blame, it’s the pitching! The pitching is just absolutely atrocious – – and by the looks of it, we’re not that far behind them!

Tomorrow, the A’s will be squaring up against the Colorado Rockies for the first time this spring. As of right now, it’ll be Chase Dollander (who made his big league debut against the A’s) vs. JT Ginn. Following Friday’s game, the club will split into two. Half will be staying in Arizona to take on the Cubs and the Dodgers, and half will be charting out to Las Vegas, Nevada for this season’s rendition of Big League Weekend against these same Angels!

Lots of fun baseball ahead for the Green and Gold!

What were your impressions of today’s game and do we like Chris Townsend in the booth? I personally am not a fan. I don’t like his energy. He clearly doesn’t have the stamina to be covering a full game. If I had to listen to him and Jenny Cavnar in a tandem, talking about dippin’ dots and beating traffic for 162 games, I’d probably resort to the Play-O-Graph.

Opening Day may still be weeks away, but we’re just hours from the World Baseball Classic bringing us high-stakes, international baseball. Yesterday, Peter kicked off our preview coverage of the WBC, analyzing the five teams that make up Pool A. Today, we’ll turn our attention to Pool B, which will see Italy, Mexico, Great Britain, Brazil, and the United States square off at Daikin Park in Houston starting on Friday. As a refresher, all five teams in the group will play each other once, with the top two teams advancing to the knockout stage. The eight teams that advance will play a through a single-elimination bracket concluding with the final in Miami on March 17th.

United States

Team USA arrives at the WBC with sky-high expectations and a hunger to avenge 2023’s loss in the finals to Team Japan. They’ve got the roster to get the job done, with the American talent pool seemingly motivated to try and secure the country’s second WBC title.

There are upgrades up and down the roster, but there’s none bigger than the addition of Aaron Judge as Captain America.

Judge opted to sit out the 2023 tournament, choosing to focus on ramping up for the season after signing this nine-year, $360-million contract with the Yankees the previous offseason. Now, Team USA can pencil the best hitter on the planet into the lineup. He’ll be joined by Pete Crow-Armstrong and Byron Buxton as part of a stellar overall outfield. There are also changes to be found on the infield dirt, with Bryce Harper slotting in at first base after Pete Alonso manned the cold corner last time around, while Bobby Witt Jr. will take over shortstop from Trea Turner. Alex Bregman and Gunnar Henderson are the primary candidates to fill out the rest of the infield.

Of course, as star-studded as Team USA’s lineup is, it’s the pitching staff that’s taken a huge leap forward. Pitching was the team’s Achilles Heel last time around, with Lance Lynn, Merrill Kelly, and Adam Wainwright the club’s top starters. This year’s edition will feature none other than two reigning Cy Youngs, with both Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal expected to suit up (though Skubal will only make one start in the WBC). There’s also real depth here, even with Joe Ryan having left the team due to injury, with Logan Webb, Nolan McLean, and Matthew Boyd in the fold. Ryan was replaced with another Ryan, as Yankee lefty Ryan Yarbrough was named to the roster in Ryan’s place.

This is the most talented team in the tournament, and probably the best squad the USA has ever sent to the WBC. Anything short of a title will be a disappointment. Judge will lead the way, with the championship-or-bust mentality all too familiar to him.

Mexico

Team USA is the obvious favorite in this group, but it won’t be a surprise at all if Mexico shows out. Team Mexico made a spirited semifinal run in the 2023 WBC, and brings a solid top-to-bottom roster this year with hopes of running even deeper into the tournament.

Randy Arozarena was the star last time around, and he’ll return to anchor one of the deeper lineups in the tournament:

Mexico adds Alejandro Kirk at catcher, as well as Joey Ortiz at shortstop, while retaining Jarren Duran and Jonathan Aranda from last time out. A number of other big leaguers dot the lineup, including Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales, Nacho Alvarez Jr. of the Braves, and Alek Thomas of the Diamondbacks, as well as Rowdy Tellez, who last played for the Rangers. It’s one of the better lineups at the event, but it will be missing a bit of juice thanks to the absence of Isaac Parades, who hit .375 for the team in 2023.

The pitching staff has some high-octane stuff at the top, led by All-World closer Andrés Muñoz. Taj Bradley and Taijuan Walker are the team’s top starters, as well as José Urquidy of the Pirates. A few other arms with big-league pedigree are here, including Javier Assad of the Cubs, Brennan Bernardino of the Rockies, and Robert Garcia of the Rangers.

Italy

Team Italy managed to make it out of pool play back in 2023, but they’ll face an uphill climb to move past the likes of the USA and Mexico here. They’ll be led by a couple of former Yankee catchers on the coaching staff, as Francisco Cervelli will be the manager and Jorge Posada will tag along as a hitting instructor.

Even if Italy is more of a dark horse than a favorite to advance, there’s still plenty of interesting talent. They have a couple of former top prospects in catcher Kyle Teel of the White Sox and Jac Caglianone of the Royals. Dominic Canzone joins Caglianone in the outfield, as does the pesky Jakob Marsee of the Marlins. Vinnie Pasquantino will be tasked with bringing the pop, while he’ll be joined on the infield by former Yankee Jon Berti.

Italy attempted to build a whole bullpen out of former Yankees, as Greg Weissert and Ron Marinaccio will suit up, as well as Adam Ottavino, who will step away from apparent retirement to represent his country. Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen are the biggest-name starters in Italy’s employ.

Great Britain

Team Great Britain will have some recognizable names in their lineup, none more so than Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is eligible to represent Britain due to his Bahamian heritage. Chisholm and Co. will thankfully don uniforms that don’t look like they were designed by a high schooler using Microsoft Word this time.

Britain will feature some top prospects, such as catcher Harry Ford of the Nationals (who starred for them last time around), and a chunk of former top prospects, like infielder Lucius Fox and outfielder Kristian Robinson. There’s also infielder Nate Eaton, who proved useful as a utility player for the Red Sox last year.

The pitching is thin here, with Yankees prospect Brendan Beck in the mix. The right-hander is a fine prospect, but that the Yankees’ 22nd-ranked farmhand is included on the staff probably says more about the state of Britain’s roster. The de facto ace is Beck’s older brother Tristan, who has 157 big-league innings to his name with the Giants. Otherwise, the biggest name here is… Vance Worley. Yes, that Vance Worley, bespectacled former MLB journeyman whose last pitch in the majors came in 2017 and whose last professional appearance came at the last WBC, where he tossed 2.2 innings and gave up two runs. Here’s hoping he finds himself back on the field one last time!

Brazil

Making their first appearance in the WBC since 2013 is Brazil, though they carry probably the thinnest roster in this group. The first name Yankees fans will recognize is Dante Bichette Jr., the club’s top pick in 2011. It’s a family affair elsewhere on the team, with Joseph Contreras, the 17-year-old son of former Yankee Jose Contreras, on the pitching staff. Contreras is committed to play for Vanderbilt but is rated among MLB Pipeline’s top 50 2026 draft prospects. They’ll look to write some new history for Brazil’s national team, with few highlights to speak of thus far, outside of a rousing three-game win streak in qualifying play last year that punched Brazil’s ticket to the tournament.

Find more Pinstripe Alley WBC pool previews here: Pool A, Pool C, Pool D.

Today the Texas Rangers play their first night game this spring in an intriguing Cactus League affair where they will be the road squad from their home camp in Surprise, Arizona with the Kansas City Royals acting as the home team.

Furthering the intrigue will be a matchup between two high profile lefties with MacKenzie Gore set to pitch for Texas against former Rangers first-rounder Cole Ragans for Kansas City.

The Royals have a telecast, otherwise you can listen via 105.3 The Fan, the Rangers Sports Network YouTube page, or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Surprise Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 pm CT.

Go Rangers!

The Colorado Rockies lost to the Milwaukee Brewers today, 10-8. For more details, click here.

And now to the postgame comments.

First, here’s manager Warren Schaeffer:

Starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen weighed in before heading out to play for Team Italy in the WBC:

And, finally, Tyler Freeman discussed his return to action:

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