Category: Baseball

I ask you, dear VEB’r, what could the Cardinals do to surprise the average fan? They have already been surprised with an Oliver Marmol extension, under a new President of Baseball Ops. Chaim Bloom had already worked with Marmol during the Mozeliak transitional years, and you can tell there is an affinity at least between the existing coaching framework and org veteran Oliver Marmol. There was already a pattern that things could and should work out, operationally and personally. The Cardinals will probably never take a gamble again on someone with anger management issues (same for just about every team). You might not like it, but Oliver Marmol is here to stay for a little while. And now they have a $29 all you can eat inclusive ticket, which was kind of surprising given how much they charge for concessions.

But this is about how the Cardinals could surprise us on the field, not about marketing, managers, and front office stuff. Who do you think will be the outliers this year? The overachievers, the come out of nowhere success stories, and also the disappointments… Sadly enough, it could be a bad season.

If all the worst projections come true, the Cardinals could be a 68 win team. And I’m not even considering PECOTA and Vegas. This data is from my four chosen projection systems ZiPS DC, Fangraphs DC, The Bat X, and OOPSY. On the higher ceiling side of things, the Cardinals, if hitting all the best projections, could win 78 games. That could still very well be last place, but that’s a 10 game swing, and if you bet the over on the Vegas odds on the Cardinals, there’s a VERY strong chance you’ll win, in my opinion.

The Reds also have a pretty big difference between the ceiling and floor, at around 8.5 games. The Pirates also are not easy to predict with an 8 game swing. The Brewers and Cubs at about 9 games difference from ceiling to floor. So maybe the Cardinals are only slightly more difficult to pin down, but the possibility is still there.

However, I am going to boldly predict the Cardinals winning even more than what the highest projection combination is saying. When I throw out all the outliers including the highest and lowest projections, this helps the Cardinals the most. They gain 4 games. The Cubs are not as affected when throwing out the outlier projections, probably because projections are more in agreement about that team as it is easier to predict with more veteran players. This illustrates how projecting a team like the Cardinals is a fool’s errand. There are too many known unknowns!

So why do I think they may be able to shatter the ceiling of 78 wins? They are no stranger to outperforming underdog projections, historically. Winn’s highest projection is from OOPSY at 3.7 WAR, I think he will crack 4 WAR. No projection I am choosing expects Herrera to crack 3 WAR, but I think he absolutely will. Is JJ Wetherholt’s rookie ceiling really 2.6 WAR? We are about to find out, starting in under a month! Is Alec Burleson’s ceiling 2.1 WAR? I think not! Or maybe it is, idk. He could certainly do better if he keeps ramping up his wRC+ like he’s done every season (89, 106, 124 over the last three seasons).

Is the Cardinals rotation worth a maximum of about 9 WAR? What if May, Fitts, Liberatore, and McGreevy are all 2+ WAR pitchers? Then it depends on if Leahy is a success story. Or maybe Pallante is more like 2024! There is a path for the rotation to exceed 10 WAR. The bullpen could rather easily outdo the projections as well. I would not write them off so easily. Sure, they will probably finish in last place, but I don’t think they will be quite as bad as some people are imagining they will be.

I predicted 85 wins in the VEB prediction poll! How could they do this? I’ll need to explain 7 games over the ceiling of 78 wins… Winn ups the ante to 5 WAR, Herrera also hits 5 WAR, and Burleson keeps improving his game every season by being a 3.5 WAR player. If those three players can perform at those levels, then the pitching staff just needs to cough up an extra 2 WAR by surpassing their ceiling of 9 by only one win. The consensus of projections predict they can do 8 WAR. This could come from difficult to predict players such as May, Fitts, or Liberatore, or it could come from the unproven bullpen. Does 85 wins mean anything other than being a successful season for a roster that could be seen as a AAAA group? Sure! I don’t think they would be first place at 85 wins, but it’s possible. The Cubs floor is actually below .500 if you imagine all the worst projections for them occurring.

Consensus projection prediction for NL Central end of season:

1. Cubs
2. Pirates
3. Brewers
4. Reds
5. Cardinals

Now I’d like to think about removing all outliers from the projections and seeing what would happen.

When normalizing the projections, taking out all outlier projections, this is the finish:

1. Cubs
2. Brewers
3. Reds
4. Pirates
5. Cardinals

Now the Pirates finish just ahead of the Cardinals, but the Brewers and Reds are not far ahead! This angle provides another look at the division, which has a lot of parity, actually. The Cubs aren’t running away with it, but still on top… but they’re only about 6 games ahead of the Cardinals win total. In this version of reality, the NL Central almost certainly does not have a wild card in 2026. Outside of Chicago, the Brewers, Reds, Pirates, and Cardinals are not all that much different. And if this version of reality happens, the Cardinals just have to get really good years out of Winn, Herrera, and Burleson, and the pitching cannot be a huge issue. Then the Cardinals could give the Cubs a run for their money.

Notes and Observations (related to the conclusion of my NL Central projections project)

• Overall, looking at all NL Central teams, Fangraphs Depth Charts is the most down the middle overall, not giving outlier projections as much as the other systems
• The Bat X is favorable to Cardinals pitching, Fangraphs DC is biased against it in this case
• The opposite is true when it comes to Cardinals position players, Fangraphs DC has more outliers and The Bat X isn’t impressed
• ZiPS likes the Reds (pitching) and Cubs (position players) moreso than any other system
• OOPSY and The Bat X see the most upside to the Pirates, interesting because both incorporate statcast metrics (especially OOPSY)
• OOPSY likes the upside of the Brewers position players, The Bat X sees the most upside to the Brewers starting rotation, and ZiPS likes the Brewers key depth pieces most. Confounding devil magic, probably!
• Perhaps all the Cardinals needed to be better on offense was the training upgrades in the offseason, another reason for hope is that this transformation will make players like Walker, Gorman, and Scott better on offense… or maybe it’ll help the entire offense be more successful

1980

C0ntinuing on with my bonus coverage of years throughout my life, 1980 begins the all too important 1980s

John Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980. I only know who one of those guys are, and not the asshole who murdered someone. I only recognize the name of both.

Time is of the essence!

Top Movie picks of 1980:

• Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
• Airplane!
• Smokey and the Bandit 2
• The Blue Lagoon

You let me know what I missed there, I’m sure it’s beyond comprehension!

20 Albums from 1980

Here are my 20 picks from 1980! I tried to go back to a top 10 but failed miserably! In a good way.

1. Captain Beefheart – ‘Doc At The Radar Station’ avant post-prog masterpiece
2. Steely Dan – ‘Guacho’ what could sound much more 1980 than this?
3. Eskaton – ‘Ardeur’ next level zeuhl alien music!
4. Sun Ra – ‘Strange Celestial Road’ Sun Ra during some of his peak years, one of his most memorable pieces
5. MX-80 Sound – ‘Out of the Tunnel’ laying the groundwork for punk rock to come
6. Rush – ‘Permanent Waves’ prog rock reaching into new and epic 80’s territory and succeeding mightily
7. Devo – ‘Freedom of Choice’ Devo absolutely perfecting the early 80’s sound
8. Talking Heads – ‘Remain In Light’ Talking Heads coming into their own and fusing many genres into one
9. Killing Joke – self titled Killing Joke debut defined a generation of industrial, punk, and metal fans
10. Blue Oyster Cult – ‘Cultosaurus Erectus’ perhaps their most underrated album, perfect start to finish
11. Motorhead – ‘Ace of Spades’ helps invent a whole new generation of heavy metal
12. Swell Maps – ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’ beautiful multi-genre punk rock voyage
13. Geza X – ‘You Goddamn Kids’ weirdo genius avant prog meets new wave
14. Peter Hammill – ‘A Black Box’ slightly unhinged avant art rock
15. Soft Boys – ‘Underwater Moonlight’ early and defining punk rock
16. Paul McCartney – ‘McCartney II’ surprisingly funny, awkward disco pop album
17. AC/DC – ‘Back In Black’ when this album hits it hits big, classic rock masterpiece
18. The B-52s – ‘Wild Planet’ super fun sophomore album by the 80’s phenom the B-52s
19. The Residents – ‘Commercial Album’ just as super bizarro world weird as you’d expect from early Residents
20. John Bender – ‘I Don’t Remember Now’ amazingly disconnected proto industrial techno release

Ok let me know your 2026 surprise performances and your favorite albums of 1980!

Early rules, Lou Gehrig Day,and other stories.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.

“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.

Today in baseball history:

• 1884 – National League owners agree to provide two separate team benches to minimize fraternizing among opposing players during games. (2)
• 1886 – The National League meets and adopts the stolen base and the four foot by seven foot pitcher’s box. But the NL retains seven balls for a walk and rejects the American Association’s rule giving a batter first base on a hit by pitch. (2)
• 1907 – A judgment of $52,000 is awarded to the Baltimore club from Brooklyn. When Baltimore left the National League in 1900, Brooklyn agreed to pay $40,000 for the franchise but never did. The award includes interest. (1,2)
• 1913 – The New York Yankees become the first major league team to conduct spring training outside of the United States, when they begin the spring in Bermuda, where is projected a series of exhibition games. (1,2)
• 1925 – John Montgomery (Monte) Ward dies in Augusta, Georgia, just a day after his 65th birthday. During his illustrious career in the majors, Ward hit for a .371 batting average twice, won 40-plus games as a pitcher twice, including the second perfect game in history, and was be the captain and manager of the first and original New York Giants. Ward will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1964. (2)
• 1941 – Grace Comiskey, widow of J. Louis Comiskey, is elected president of the Chicago White Sox. Her husband died on July 18, 1939. (2)
• 1943 – The woeful Philadelphia Phillies announce their new nickname – the Blue Jays. The winning entry in the contest was submitted by a Mrs. Elizabeth Crooks, and was chosen over a number of names ranging from Daisies to Stinkers. Team president Bob Carpenter says he hopes to have the farm system identified by the same blue color, with the Wilmington club called the Blue Rocks and possibly the new Bradford team as the Blue Wings. The Blue Jays will be the official team name in 1943 and 1944, but will be abandoned in 1945, though the team will still occasionally be referred to in newspaper accounts as the Blue Jays through 1949. Ms. Crooks wins a $100 war bond and a season ticket to the Blue Jays. (2)
• 1967 – Bullet Joe Rogan dies in Kansas City, Missouri, at age 77. One of the greatest pitchers in Negro league baseball, Rogan threw a devastating fastball which he complemented with a dizzying array of other pitches. He also played the outfield when he wasn’t pitching, and in 1922 led the Negro National League with 16 home runs. Rogan will receive Hall of Fame honors in 1998. (2)
• 2004 – Commissioner Bud Selig announces that Major League Baseball will celebrate “Jackie Robinson Day” in every ballpark on April 15th, the anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut as the first black player in the 20th Century. Robinson’s uniform number ”42” was retired for all time in a ceremony at Shea Stadium in April of 1997 to mark the 50th anniversary of his achievement. (2)
• 2021 – Commissioner Rob Manfred proclaims that June 2nd will now be Lou Gehrig Day, set to commemorate the life and legacy of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig and to raise funds in the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the disease that claimed Gehrig’s life. (2)

Cubs Birthdays:Jim Korwan, Red Murray, Earl Tyree, Clyde McCullough, Dave Stevens*, Nick Castellanos. Also notable: Dazzy Vance HOF.

Today in history:

• 852 – Croatian Duke Trpimir I issued a statute, a document with the first known written mention of the Croats name in Croatian sources.
• 938 – Translation of the relics of martyr Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, the patron saint of the Czech state.
• 1215 – King John of England makes an oath to the Pope as a crusader to gain the support of Innocent III.
• 1461 – Edward Plantagenet lays claim to the throne of England as Edward IV in London.
• 1774 – First sighting of Orion nebula by William Herschel.
• 1791 – Vermont admitted as 14th state.
• 1837 – Chicago becomes incorporated as a city.
• 1902 – American Automobile Association (AAA) founded in Chicago.
• 1936 – First flight of the airship Hindenburg at Friedrichshafen, Germany.
• 1978 – Chicago Daily News, founded in 1876, publishes last issue.

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
• (6) — Wikipedia.
• (7) — The British Museum
• (8) — For world history.

*pictured.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.

Phillies News

• There is a little more clarity regarding Johan Rojas. Jon Heyman reported that Rojas failed a PEDs test and is appealing.
• Orion Kerkering is working on a splitter.
• Want to know how all of the Phillies in the WBC are doing?

MLB News

• Speaking of PEDs, Jurickson Profar could miss the entire 2026 season after failing his second drug test. However, the MLBPA is now involved and intends to challenge MLB’s intention to suspend Profar for the entire season.
• Former 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply will sign with the Toronto Blue Jays on a minor league deal.
• Here is the projected Team USA pitching rotation for the WBC.

Good Morning Birdland,

The Orioles did play a game on Tuesday, but there are no highlights to share. The game, an exhibition against the Netherlands WBC team, was not broadcast anywhere. As far as I can tell, not even that awkward single camera angle from behind home plate—a trademark of spring games not shown on TV—was available.

All we can go on are first-person accounts and the box score. In that regard, it was not a good day for the Orioles.

Trevor Rogers started. He lasted 2.1 innings while giving up six runs on six hits, a walk, four strikeouts, and two home runs. Despite the ugly line, Rogers was encouraged by the outing, telling the media postgame that he thought he “got some good work out there.” It’s a process.

The Orioles had a rough game in the field. They made four errors, one each by Jeremiah Jackson, Bryan Ramos, Samuel Basallo, and Cobb Hightower. That sloppiness prompted Pete Alonso to call for an infield huddle in the second inning. The veteran slugger urged his teammates to “clean up” and play with more energy. The moment was praised by Rogers and manager Craig Albernaz.

Alonso had himself a fine afternoon. He went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer, just the latest impressive showing in what has been an impact spring for the newcomer.

Other performances of note included a solo homer for Jackson, two RBI for José Barrero, four shutout innings for Dean Kremer, and a two-strikeout inning for Grant Wolfram.

Team USA got its WBC preparations underway as well. They played a game against the Giants in Scottsdale, Arizona, and boy was it a walloping. Team USA prevailed 15-1, compiling 19 hits, eight walks, and 10 strikeouts. Alex Bregman and Roman Anthony both homered.

Gunnar Henderson also got into the game. Even though he did not start, the O’s star still managed to take four trips to the plate. He went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, two runs scored, and two RBI.

The Orioles will play the Astros in Grapefruit League play today at 1 pm ET. Team USA will take on the Rockies at 3:10 pm ET.

Links

At Orioles camp during a game that didn’t matter, accountability took center stage | The Baltimore Banner
Here’s more on Alonso’s decision to gather the infielders in the midst of a defensive fiasco. Does this stuff matter? Who knows. Alonso is definitely developing a culture of accountability and stepping into a veteran leadership void that we know existed post-trade deadline for this team last year.

Rogers allows 6 runs in Orioles’ 8-5 loss to Team Netherlands; Albernaz: ‘Sloppy game’ | Baltimore Baseball
Yeah, these aren’t the sorts of numbers you want to see from the pitcher that could potentially be your team’s Opening Day starter. But if we are going to disregard really good numbers, we can probably discount the really bad ones too. Or at least, that’s what I’m gonna tell myself.

Spring training leftovers for breakfast | Roch Kubatko
Quotes from all over the organization in this one. It sounds like Albernaz will be trotting out some different names at shortstop while Henderson is with Team USA. The fact that Jackson Holliday is also hurt does make this a bit tricky. They need to enter the season with a backup at the position, and right now it is not exactly clear who that would be.

For the homeland: These O’s are ready to rep their country in the Classic | MLB.com
Yet another roundup of where you can see some Orioles during the World Baseball Classic. Some of them are prospects or fringier talents, so you may not immediately recognize them.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Richard Rodríguez is 36 years old. He pitched in five games for the 2017 Orioles.
• Nerio Rodríguez is 55 today. From 1996-98, he made 20 total appearances for the O’s, mostly as a relief option.
• Jack Fisher celebrates his 87th birthday. The right-handed pitcher had a four-year stint in Baltimore from 1959 through ‘62. Over 634.1 total innings with the Orioles he had a 3.92 ERA and 1.8 bWAR.
• The late Bob Johnson (b. 1936, d. 2019) was born on this day. He spent five seasons on the Orioles infield from 1963-67. During those five years he played all four infield positions, accumulated 3.1 bWAR, and an 87 OPS+.

This day in O’s history

Not much has happened in Orioles history on this date, according to Baseball Reference. So here are a few happenings from beyond Birdland:

1913 – The United States Department of Labor is formed.

1917 – Jeanette Rankin of Montana becomes the first female member of the United States House of Representatives

1918 – A case of influenza is recorded at Camp Fusion, Kansas, considered the beginning of the worldwide Spanish flu pandemic.

1933 – Frances Perkins becomes the first female member of the United States Cabinet. She is confirmed as Secretary of Labor and sworn in the same day.

1955 – An order to protect the endangered Saimaa ringed seal is legalized.

1957 – The S&P 500 stock market index is introduced, replacing the S&P 90.

1966 – In an interview with the London Evening Standard, John Lennon declares that The Beatles are “more popular than Jesus now.”

2020 – Nik Wallenda becomes the first person to walk over the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.

1921
In the wake of the Black Sox, fortunes were going to turn hard against the fortunes of the South Siders — but don’t blame future Hall-of-Famer Harry Hooper. Charles Comiskey attempted to rebuild his team, making the acquisition of Hooper from the Red Sox as a cornerstone move.

The trade didn’t prevent the three-decade fall to come, but was a big win for the White Sox. Hooper, 33, still had five strong seasons in him, cementing the Hall case he built for himself in Boston. All told, Hooper was a .302/.383/.436 hitter in Chicago, good for 14.9 WAR total and 4.8 WAR in the penultimate season of his career. He was also a solid fielder, leading the AL in 1922 with 19 assists and 289 putouts.

Comiskey dealt two players, John “Shano” Collins and Harry “Nemo” Leibold, for Hooper, and neither would haunt the South Side. Both players, like Hooper, were active for five more seasons; however, Collins was washed (-3.3 WAR in that time) and Leibold was only about a third as effective as Hooper per WAR. 

1941
Daughter-in-law of team founder Charles Comiskey and widow of Louis Comiskey, Grace Comiskey was formally elected as team president by the White Sox board of directors, with daughter Dorothy installed as team secretary. With the move, Grace became the first team president in American League history, and would hold the role until her death in 1956.

1994
Basketball superstar Michael Jordan, who retired in October 1993 from the Chicago Bulls, made his Spring Training debut in a White Sox uniform. He played in his first game at the major league level against the Rangers in Sarasota. Facing lefthander Darren Oliver, Jordan tapped back to the mound and was tagged out by the pitcher.

Jordan collected his first Spring Training hit on March 14 against the Twins, a single off of pitcher Jeff Innes.

2011
After an unprecedented lat surgery, Jake Peavy returned to the mound to start a White Sox spring training game at the Angels.

The righthander threw just 26 pitches (16 for strikes) over two innings, allowing one walk and striking out two. It was Peavy’s first appearance on a mound since July 6, 2010. His hitless effort stretched the White Sox rotation’s streak to start the spring to 10 innings.

A fella named Brett Ballantini, then the CSN Chicago White Sox beat reporter and at the moment something else, was unable to get a wifi signal on press row and thus covered “Peavy Watch” and the game using his Blackberry from the roof of Tempe Diablo Stadium. It was there he caught the first foul ball of his life, from an Angels batter during Peavy’s outing — which happened to fall on the writer’s 42nd birthday.

The White Sox dropped the contest, 3-1.

2013
José Abreu’s grand slam paced a Team Cuba rout of China, 12-0, in the World Baseball Classic, in a game that ended early due to the mercy rule. Eight months later, Abreu signed with the White Sox.

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

The Bucs are sitting at 9-2 in Grapefruit League action. Their offensive production is up, while the pitching is still performing how we’d like them to. So what we want to know is, based upon the Bucs hot start, are you any more excited for the start of the MLB season? You can also pick less excited or no change. Spring can be a hard time to get a full evaluation, as plenty of guys are playing that won’t see the light of day once the regular season gets going.

Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with the results.

The big MLB news yesterday centered on drug suspensions, as two NL Easy players were reportedly linked to PEDs. The Phillies’ Johan Rojas was in the second case of the day, but the first was far more prominent: the Braves’ Jurickson Profar.

If that sounds familiar, it’s because the exact same thing happened to Profar last spring during the first season of his three-year deal with Atlanta. That was an 80-game ban, but this is a full-season penalty. Although Profar is appealing, it sure seems likely that his Braves career is going to go down in the books of infamy — if not only for its darkly comedic nature. How much is he actually going to end up playing with Atlanta on this contract anyway? Also, Profar was about half an hour away from leading off a Netherlands WBC exhibition game against the Orioles when the news dropped. Naturally, his hasty replacement (Ray-Patrick Didder) clubbed a leadoff homer. Oh, baseball.

So Profar’s suspension got us thinking about past PED cases in MLB history. Obviously this one doesn’t apply because Profar was just penalized last year, but which player was involved in MLB’s most surprising PED controversy from the past? You can go back as far as you’d like, whether a suspension policy was in play or not. Alex Rodriguez’s first scandal could apply, though the second with Biogenesis, which banged his 2014 season, was less of a shock (though more salacious). Maybe you were taken aback by Robinson Canó’s suspensions that derailed his possible Hall of Fame track. Andy Pettitte’s HGH ties currently qualify under the “bummer” category. If you’re just looking at body type, it is still odd to consider that string bean Dee Strange-Gordon got a suspension in 2016.

I think my gut answer would be one of the first players suspended for PEDs, Rafael Palmeiro. The policy was new in 2005 and Palmeiro emphatically testified before Congress amid its overall MLB investigation. He wagged his finger and insisted that he never used. Impressionable teenager that I was, I believed him, especially because it’s not as though accuser José Canseco seemed 100-percent reliable. So I cheered when Raffy joined the 3,000 Hit Club that July for Baltimore. Since he also had 500 homers, he was a lock for Cooperstown … until he got hit with a PED suspension less than a month later. Holy moly, that was a time. He denied it furiously (still does to this day), implicated a teammate, wore earplugs once after returning from suspension because Toronto was booing him so loudly, and saw his 20-year career end with a whimper with the O’s sending him home by September. Yeesh.

So that’s my answer. What’s yours?

Today on the site, Matt will continue our World Baseball Classic preview* by diving into Pool C, which is led by Shohei Ohtani’s defending champion Japan. Jonathan will consider the context of Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s big contract request with a comparison discussion, Sam will preview Clarke Schmidt’s comeback effort from July 2025 Tommy John surgery, Estevão will celebrate the birthday of a long-ago Bay Area baseball star who wore the pinstripes before Joe DiMaggio, and after the spring training game, John will mull over the division rival Rays and if they have any more surprises in store for 2026.

*By the way, the WBC formally begins tonight! Pool C will kick it off from Tokyo, where Australia and Chinese Taipei will square off at 10pm ET (it’s noon local on March 5th).

Today’s Matchup

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Video: ESPN

Venue: JetBlue Park, Fort Myers, FL

Observations from Yankees spring training Tuesday.

On the left

Lefty relievers Tim Hill and Brent Headrick each threw a scoreless inning, with Headrick striking out two.

Caught my eye

J.C. Escarra, trying to prove he should make the club as a third catcher and backup first baseman (with Ben Rice starting at first), clubbed his second home run of the spring, this one off a left-hander as he went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.

Steal the one

Playing for Panama, José Caballero robbed Jasson Domínguez of a hit when the shortstop made a strong diving stop on a one-hopper to the hole and fired to first for the out.

Wednesday’s schedule

Luis Gil will make his third start of the spring when the Yankees visit the Red Sox at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: A lot of news came out regarding Cam Schlittler’s “I have arrived” start in last year’s Wild Card Series. Now, though, we found out what he credits his success to: a good night of sleep. The righty has been tracking his sleep through WHOOP technology and said the two nights prior to his Game 3 start were the two best nights of sleep he’s ever had. Sleep tracking and WHOOP devices have now become commonplace throughout the Yankees clubhouse and for athletes in general.

The Athletic | Ken Rosenthal: All focus is on the World Baseball Classic now as exhibition games have started ahead of the tournament officially starting on Thursday. Aaron Judge is leading the charge as Team USA’s captain. This piece gathers some overall thoughts around Team USA, like the relationship between Judge and Bryce Harper, which was formed when Judge was trying to recruit Harper to the Bronx during his free agency. On a side note, Judge has been receiving some flack on social media for an “uninspiring” rallying speech, but us Yankees fans know, Judge has always been a more behind-the-scenes and on-the-field leader rather than a public one.

As an aside, Judge was among a number of Yankees who were in action yesterday for their respective WBC teams. Here’s how they fared:

• Aaron Judge (USA): 2-2, BB, 2 RBI vs. Giants (video)
• Paul Goldschmidt (USA): 1-3, BB vs. Giants
• David Bednar (USA): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K vs. Giants (and his brother)
• Austin Wells (Dominican Republic): 1-3, RBI, 2 K vs. Tigers (video)
• Amed Rosario (Dominican Republic): 1-2 vs. Tigers
• Camilo Doval (Dominican Republic): 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K vs. Tigers
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Great Britain): 0-1, 2 BB, throwing error vs. Brewers
• José Caballero (Panama): 0-2, BB vs. Yankees
• Elmer Rodriguez (Puerto Rico): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K vs. Red Sox (win)

Forbes | Peter Chawaga: Before the Yankees took on the entire country of Panama on Tuesday afternoon, one thing in the lineup card stuck out. Third baseman Ryan McMahon was penciled in at shortstop. The idea was mainly to get some reps in there and see if he’d be a viable option in a positional emergency, especially as they work to decide who to bring on their bench or not, especially as someone like Oswaldo Cabrera is still working his way back from injury. For those curious, McMahon started a 6-4-3 double play to end the first, but he did fumble a hard grounder up the middle in the fourth for an error.

The Athletic | Brenday Kuty ($): Spencer Jones has been getting a lot of attention this spring, and rightfully so. While the Opening Day roster will be crowded and tough for him to crack, fans will be calling for Jones at the first opportunity presented or even sooner. But as folks get more of a look at him in games, one distinct thing has stuck out to many: his swing looks like it’s worth $700 million. That’s because he has intentionally mimicked his swing after Shohei Ohtani.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been hit with a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The penalty, which goes into effect Friday, would sideline him for the entire 2026 season, including any potential postseason games, and cost him his annual salary if upheld. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Players Association plans to challenge the suspension and the union will file a grievance. 

If imposed, the suspension would leave the Braves without an important piece of the outfield. However, the grievance process could delay the start of any ban while the case moves through MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

For the Braves, the news creates immediate roster questions as they adjust plans heading into the season. Profar was projected to play a significant role in the lineup, and the club will now need to explore internal and external options to fill the gap.

MLB News:

Milwaukee Brewers starter Quinn Priester is slightly behind on his buildup schedule and may not be ready for Opening Day. He has been dealing with wrist soreness.

Another outfielder has violated the league’s policy, as Johan Rojas of the Philadelphia Phillies failed a performance-enhancing drug test. He received an 80-game suspension.

The 1969 World Series ring that once belonged to Mets legend Tom Seaver sold for more than $800,000 at an auction last weekend. 

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions sold the piece of baseball memorabilia for $854,122, Newsday reported Tuesday evening. 

The Post first reported in February that the World Series ring, along with nearly 200 items from Seaver’s personal collection, was being sold at auction at Heritage Auctions’ Winter Platinum Sports Catalog auction, which ran through March 1. 

Among the other items that had belonged to Seaver that were put up for auction were his 1992 Baseball Hall of Fame induction plaque. 

Newsday reported that the plaque sold for $170,800, while Seaver’s 1973 Mets National League championship ring went for $201,300. 

Seaver’s daughter Anne previously told The Post that his “’69 ring was very hard to part with.”

“We had trouble deciding on that,” she said. 

The items ended up being auctioned off after Anne and her mom, Nancy, went through Seaver’s office and storage area in their California home.

And it wasn’t until the three-time Cy Young Award winner’s death in 2020 that Anne realized how much her dad meant to Mets fans. 

“I never realized how much they loved him until I felt that love directed to me when he died. The support and kindness I got from these strangers made me realize that he is a huge part of these people’s lives,” she said.

“So that’s my personal reason for wanting to share something like the ’69 ring. His fans loved him, truly. And that makes me love them.”

The most expensive item auctioned off was a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card that belonged to player and announcer Joe Garagiola. 

The piece of baseball history went for $3.59 million.

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

Sure, it’s only Spring Training, but the White Sox got out of the box pretty hot in Cactus League play. Even a .500 record isn’t exactly something we’re used to around these parts.

While the fortunes of the 2026 White Sox rest squarely on the shoulders of their 2025 rookie class (Colson Montgomery, Edgar Quero, Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth), there’s a next wave of talent bubbling under the surface. And this spring in particular, second baseman Sam Antonacci and outfielder Braden Montgomery have made waves, hungry to contribute on the South Side soon.

This week, we’re asking you to pick the rookie you are most excited to see debut in Chicago in 2026:

The party was on after Juan Soto drilled a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth during an exhibition game between the Dominican Republic and the Detroit Tigers. 

The two-run blast to right field by the Mets’star broke a 4-4 tie as the Dominican Republic defeated the Tigers 12-4 in the World Baseball Classic tune-up game on Tuesday night in Santo Domingo. 

The go-ahead home run sent Estadio Quisqueya into pure jubilation as the fans celebrated the on-field moment. 

SOTO!

The scene in the DR is WILD
pic.twitter.com/XJ7iXEtZJl

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 4, 2026

Soto himself seemed to take in the moment a little bit more, pointing up toward the crowd as he rounded first base and clapping his hands above his head as he made his way around third. 

After he crossed home plate, he did a special handshake with Fernando Tatis Jr. and the two began dancing with one another. 

The home run went 431 feet and came off his bat with a velocity of 107.3. 

The party did not stop with Soto’s home run. 

The Dominican Republic team saw Manny Machado and Junior Caminero hit back-to-back home runs later in the inning to break open the game. 

Soto went 2-for-4 in the contest and ended the night with an RBI single. 

More than 10,000 fans packed into Estadio Quisqueya on Tuesday night to see the game, marking the first time that the Dominican Republic’s national team had faced a Major League Baseball organization. 

Soto was not the only Met in the lineup for the Dominican Republic on Tuesday night. 

Mets pitcher Huascar Brazoban took the mound for the DR and struck out two batters in the ninth inning. 

The Dominican Republic will face the Tigers again on Wednesday at 2:05 p.m.

The DR begins pool play in the World Baseball Classic on Friday against Nicaragua at loanDepot Park in Miami. 

TAMPA — By the end of his spring debut Tuesday, Max Fried was pleased that he had hit his pitch count of 56, with the side bonus of keeping Panama off the scoreboard.

It just might not have always looked pretty along the way, as the Yankees left-hander scattered three walks and one soft single across three-plus shutout innings in an 11-1 win at Steinbrenner Field.

“Definitely rusty, definitely out of sync,” Fried said. “But hit the capacity, the limit, the volume that we needed. Been doing a lot of live [batting practice sessions] in the backfields and nothing can recreate getting into a game with an umpire and different jerseys and all that. 

“Definitely was able to check the boxes off on that, but definitely rusty.”

For a veteran like Fried, the results matter little at this time of the year.

But as he works to get his seven different pitches feeling sharp by the time the regular season rolls around, he is focused more on his execution.

Through his first two innings, 14 of his 25 pitches were balls, but he was able to get out of both frames by generating a double play to end each one.

“Control was a little off, but stuff was good,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He was throttled back probably a hair, he was still popping some 95s in there, but for the most part trying to execute different things. He’s always working on specific things.”

That includes controlling the running game — a forte of Fried’s — so he was happy to have the challenge of teammate (and on Tuesday, Panama’s) José Caballero dancing off of first base with two outs in the third inning. 

“That was perfect,” said Fried, who threw over to first base twice before delivering a 96 mph fastball that struck out Allen Córdoba to end the inning. “That was exactly what I wanted. First time in a game, having one of the best base runners in the baseball trying to play a little cat and mouse game, I’m paying attention to him and trying to hold him on but also pitch and stay aggressive at the plate. Couldn’t have asked for a better little matchup there.”

Cody Bellinger (back) took batting practice on the field Tuesday morning and is scheduled to take live batting practice Wednesday before returning to game action on Thursday.

“I think he’s fine,” Boone said. 

Carlos Rodón threw a bullpen session Tuesday morning that simulated two innings and included breaking balls, a positive sign that he could be getting close to facing hitters for the first time in his rehab from elbow surgery.

PORT ST. LUCIE — Francisco Lindor, sidelined following surgery for a broken hamate bone in his left hand, played catch for the first time since the injury Monday and is expected to begin taking full swings by Wednesday, Carlos Mendoza said.

“He’s doing light defensive drills [and] incorporating more baseball activities,’’ the manager said.

Lindor hopes to be able to be ready by Opening Day on March 26, saying Saturday he was “still optimistic” about the goal.

Tuesday was a step in that direction and there is confidence in camp that as long as Lindor continues to trend that way, that he’ll be able to get enough at-bats this spring to not miss any time during the regular season.

Ronny Mauricio displayed his athleticism at short in the Mets 6-3 win over Team Nicaragua at Clover Park, as he and Vidal Bruján fill in during the spring.

Jonah Tong is going heavy with his new pitch, the cutter, this spring.

He used it early and often throughout his outing against Team Nicaragua at Clover Park.

When he came up late in the season a year ago, Tong mostly featured a four-seam fastball, and Tuesday he used the cutter on 39 percent of his pitches, throwing it to both righties and lefties.

“I thought the cutter was really good,” said Tong, who allowed one run on five hits in 2 ²/₃ innings, striking out three and walking none in his 54-pitch outing.

“I got some swing-and-miss and filled up the zone with it,’’ the right-hander said.

Mendoza liked the fact Tong was persistent with the pitch in different situations as he grows accustomed to using it in game situations.

“He used that cutter a lot,’’ the manager said. “It came and went, but he kept going to it.”

The goal, Tong said, is to take the pitch that’s similar to the slider he’s had in his arsenal and be able to throw it in the strike zone.

“Seeing it take off is nice,’’ Tong said.

Luis Robert Jr. is slated to appear in a game for the first time this spring Wednesday, as Mendoza said he’ll be in center field in the same minor league game Nolan McLean is starting. 

The Mets have been cautious with their new outfielder due to his injury history.

“From the beginning [of camp] we’ve put together a progression,’’ Mendoza said. “It’s about strength with his lower half. He’s doing full activity. We just wanted to be careful.”

Jorge Polanco has so far only played first base in simulated games this spring, but he’s scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut at his new position Thursday, according to Mendoza.

The manager said they want to get Polanco at first “as much as possible,’’ although he’ll likely continue to DH on a somewhat regular basis in games.

“If he needs more reps he can go on an off day and play a minor league game,’’ Mendoza said. “He feels good.”

Prospect Chris Suero saw time in left field and hit his second homer of the spring.