United States' Bryce Harper walks to the team dugout prior to an exhibition baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Bryce Harper is already vouching for big leaguers to play in the 2028 Olympics.
”I hope LA ’28 happens,” Harper said. “I’m hoping the next CBA agreement can happen where teams and players can come to an agreement on taking that two-week break, especially it being in our home country.
“It would be great for baseball. You talk about growing the game and being able to grow it at that, at the highest level would help out tremendously.”
United States’ Bryce Harper, left, Aaron Judge, center, and Alex Bregman sit in the team dugout prior to an exhibition baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. AP
Despite the growing popularity of the World Baseball Classic, Harper put the Summer Olympics on a much higher tier than the tournament, which kicked off on Wednesday.
“Obviously the WBC is great, but it’s not the Olympics,” Harper said. “That’s no disrespect to the WBC or anything. But everybody knows when the Olympics are on, everybody is watching. Doesn’t matter what sport it is. It could be the most random sport and it has all of the fans watching it.”
Baseball became an official Olympic sport in 1992, and stayed so until 2008, although major leaguers have never been allowed to play in the games.
After being removed from the Olympic program in 2012 and 2016, baseball returned in 2021 during the Tokyo games, although current MLB players were excluded.
In 2024, baseball was once again removed when the games headed to Paris.
Last month, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred appeared to be on the same page as Harper regarding the professional baseball players in the Olympics.
United States’ Bryce Harper walks to the team dugout prior to an exhibition baseball game against the San Francisco Giants Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Scottsdale, Ariz. AP
“I think that we’re a lot closer to [an agreement] than the last time we talked about it,” Manfred said during the Winter Olympics. “There are some issues with the MLBPA that we just need to resolve. I sense a lot of momentum towards playing in L.A. in 2028. I think we’re going to get over those issues.
“I think people have come to appreciate that the Olympics on U.S. soil is a unique marketing opportunity for the game. I think we’ve got a lot of players interested in doing it and I feel pretty good about the idea that we’ll get there.”
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 06: Shohei Ohtani #16 of Team Japan celebrates after hits a grand slam in the second inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Japan and Chinese Taipei at Tokyo Dome on March 06, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to Pinstripe Alley’s coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! We previewed Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D in the linked articles. Since the first several days of the WBC feature a bevy of games, we’ll be recapping them in batches. Enjoy!
Friday marked the first full slate of World Baseball Classic action after a few appetizers in Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday. The early batch of games lacked any major upsets, but just because the games went to chalk doesn’t mean they weren’t full of exciting moments and intriguing storylines. Let’s take a gander at the first four contests in a jam-packed day of around-the-globe baseball.
Pool C: Japan (1-0) 13, Chinese Taipei (0-2) 0
The defending WBC champs entered the fray on Saturday night in Tokyo with a mighty roar in their home ballpark against poor Chinese Taipei, a squad already fighting an uphill battle with the loss of their captain Chieh-Hsien Chen in their tournament-opening loss to Australia. Who else would light the fire in the second inning but the biggest star in the sport? Shohei Ohtani strode to the plate with the bases loaded against Hao-Chun Cheng and did what baseball superheroes do: he hit a grand slam to right field.
That blast was the first blow in what would become a 10-run inning for Samurai Japan. Red Sox DH Masataka Yoshida, new MLB addition Murataka Murakami, and the rest of the lineup added on before Ohtani came right back up and smacked a single to plate that 10th and final run. He almost hit for the cycle in just a few innings before departing early with the game well in hand. I’m not sure Yoshinobu Yamamoto needed quite that much run support, but he did his job, pitching around three walks to log 2.2 scoreless innings in his first taste of competitive ball since his 2025 playoff masterclass.
Japan added three more runs i the third to polish off the blowout victory, which ended in a shutout thanks in part to a close call in the fifth. With Hiroya Miyagi pitching, the Guardians’ Stuart Fairchild clubbed a high drive down the left-field line which easily reached the seats, but was ruled foul. The call on the field stood after review. This one’s about as close as it gets; I’m sure the umpires were relieved they didn’t have to make this decision in a close game.
The first Classic game to take place in Puerto Rico since 2013 was a tight, well-pitched affair between two Latin American rivals. Cuba, a tournament semifinalist in 2023, faced off against José Caballero and Panama, the team that recently played against the Yankees in a pre-tournament scrimmage. The Cubans struck first in the second on a line-drive homer to right from Yoelkis Guibert to break the seal. Then in the third, the Angels’ Yoán Moncada took Cleveland’s Logan Allen deep to left for a two-run homer, extending Cuba’s lead to 3-0.
Cuba’s pitching staff, led by 2025 Pacific League MVP Livan Moinelo and Toronto’s Yariel Rodríguez, held the Panama offense at arm’s length. Former Braves infielder Johan Camargo finally managed to get his squad off the schneid in the seventh inning, but a costly baserunning mistake from the Phillies’ Edmundo Sosa an inning later defanged a potential rally. In the ninth, Yomiuri Giants star closer Raidel Martinez retired the side in order to seal the victory. As a Yankees-related postscript: no hits, one walk, and a few slick plays at shortstop for Caballero in the loss.
Pool D: Venezuela (1-0) 6, Netherlands (0-1) 2
Team Venezuela returned to Miami, the site of their greatest heroics from the last WBC, to host old friend Didi Gregorius and the Dutch contingent in the first game of Pool D, which has a case as the “Pool of the Death.” Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. got the party started for Venezula with a leadoff double, and then a Luis Arraez single past a drawn-in infield gave them an early 1-0 lead.
The Netherlands responded quickly to tie the score thanks to a two-out RBI hustle double by D-backs prospect Druw Jones off Ranger Suarez—making his father (and manager) proud. But the Venezuelans would not allow the tie to hold for long. Who better than a Miami Marlin to tee off in his home ballpark? While Javier Sanoja is not a household name, he put himself squarely on the radar with this go-ahead homer.
That 2-1 scoreline held up until the fifth inning, when the Dutch pitching staff—and defense—faltered. Venezuela got the first two men aboard before Maikel Garcia laid down a sacrifice bunt … and easily raced to an uncovered first base. Arráez made them pay with a bases-loaded walk, then a Willson Contreras two-run single rubbed salt in the wound. Wilyer Abreu kept the Venezuelan drum circle going with one last RBI of his own, and the big inning allowed their staff to keep the beat all the way to victory. A Jones sac fly in the sixth marked the only tally afterward.
Pool B: Mexico (1-0) 8, Great Britain (0-1) 2
This game has a misleading final score; it’s a classic case of an underdog team pushing a superior opponent to the limit before the wheels fall off at the very end. Mexico could not feel comfortable with a narrow 1-0 lead bestowed by a homer from Nacho Alvarez Jr., and indeed that lead vanished in the sixth thanks to the Nationals’ Harry Ford—who had his coming out party in the previous Classic, when he was still a Mariners prospect. This solo shot tied the game and put everyone on upset watch.
But Panama was not the only team to suffer from self-inflicted wounds today. Later in the inning, the Brits got two aboard with two out for third baseman Ivan Johnson, who smacked a single to left. But an overaggressive send from their third base coach gave Seattle’s Randy Arozarena just the opportunity he needed to announce his return to the international stage. He easily cut down Matt Koperniak attempting to score from second and kept Great Britain at bay.
At last in the eighth, the sun set on the British empire. A strong outing from delightfully-named Rays prospect Gary Gill Hill quickly went sour, giving the heart of the Mexican order a big opportunity. Fellow Ray Jonathan Aranda greeted new pitcher Tristan Beck with an opposite field three-run home run into the Crawford Boxes to untie the score for good.
Mexico put the finishing touches on a surprisingly tough victory in the ninth thanks to run-scoring hits from Alek Thomas, Joey Ortiz, and—of course—Arozarena. Here’s Yankee-related postscript number two: Jazz Chisholm Jr. was another Bomber who suffered defeat in his tournament debut. Jazz went 0-for-5 as the leadoff man for Team GB. He’ll look for a better performance against Aaron Judge and Team USA tomorrow night.
Here are the games that still lie ahead tonight. We’ll have the recap for this quartet in the morning!
Puerto Rico vs. Colombia (Pool A) Pitching matchup: RHP Seth Lugo vs. LHP Jose Quintana Time: 6:00 p.m. ET TV: FS1 Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR
Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic (Pool D) Pitching matchup: RHP Ronald Medrano vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez Time: 7:00 p.m. ET TV: FS2 Venue: loanDepot park, Miami, FL
United States vs. Brazil (Pool B) Pitching matchup: RHP Logan Webb vs. RHP Bo Takahashi Time: 8:00 p.m. ET TV: Fox Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX
Chinese Taipei vs. Czech Republic (Pool C) Pitching matchup: RHP Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang vs. LHP Jan Novak Time: 10:00 p.m. ET TV: FS2 Venue: Tokyo Dome, Japan
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 1: Eliezer Alfonzo (L) #64 and Landon Knack #96 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walk from the bullpen to the dugout prior to a game against the Los Angeles Angels at Camelback Ranch on March 1, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers are under the lights for a second straight night at Camelback Ranch, hosting the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.
Landon Knack makes his third start of spring, and is expected to be backed by Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Jack Dreyer, and Ben Casparius, all of whom pitched often in the bullpen last season.
SDSU catcher Anthony Marnell IV celebrating with his team after hitting a home run against Washington (Courtesy of SDSU Athletics)
As the programs of the Mountain West continue to run through the non-conference portion of the season, we here at Mountain West Connection want to highlight a marquee matchup each weekend until conference play. This week, we will discuss San Diego State’s upcoming series against Saint Mary’s
The Rundown
The Aztecs have had a good season one month in, and it has not been an easy road for them. Just in the last week, San Diego State took on then No. 1 UCLA in a one-game pit stop, Washington in a four-game road set and Long Beach State back home for one match. SDSU went 4-2 in that span, beating the best team in the nation 4-3, splitting the series against the Huskies while losing in run total 16-21 and bouncing back against the Dirt Bags in a 13-10 slug fest.
While San Diego State was climbing the hill of power four teams, Saint Marys had a weekend date with SDSU conference rival San Jose State. The Gaels, who entered last weekend 4-3, took the series against the Spartans in a dominant, 3-1 fashion. Saint Mary’s only lost the third game of the series, getting skunked 8-0 while winning the other three games by a combined 20 runs. They then went back home to take on the UC Davis Aggies, beating the future Mountain West member 7-2.
Both teams are on winning streaks and carrying a lot of momentum heading into Tony Gwynn Stadium, both trying to build up their resumes a bit more before conference play kicks off next week for SDSU and in two weeks for Saint Marys. It should definitely be a good weekend for baseball fans in San Diego.
Saint Marys (8-4) vs San Diego State (8-5)
Location: Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego, Calif.
Dates/Times:
Friday, March 6: 6:00 p.m. PST
Saturday, March 7: 5:00 p.m. PST
Sunday, March 8: 1:00 p.m. PST
Broadcast: Mountain West Network
History: San Diego State is 4-8 against the Saint Mary’s Gaels, with the last series being in 2025 when the Aztecs got swept by the Gaels in three straight games from Feb. 28, 2025-March 2, 2025.
Three key questions to the series
1. Can the Jabin Trosky show continue to put up bangers?
SDSU infielder Jabin Trosky has been tearing it up through the first month of the season, Toting a .377 batting average and a .930 OPS, the redshirt junior who transferred in from Oregon State has mounted 20 hits (most on team), five doubles (second most), a triple and 11 runs (third most) with 27 total bases (best on team). Trosky also has the second most stolen bases, successfully making it three times. When you factor everything, it is no wonder that Trosky made the Brooks Wallace Award (best college shortstop) watch list.
Trosky will have to bring it this weekend, as the Saint Mary’s pitching staff will not make it easy for him or the rest of the Aztecs’ lineup (which will be discussed shortly). However, if the redshirt junior can catch fire and energize the San Diego State bench, there will be some highlights added to his film reel.
2. Will San Diego State be able to rain on the Saint Mary’s fireworks show?
The Gaels have not won two-thirds of their games because of flukes. Saint Mary’s has had a great showing at the plate so far, with seven players boasting a .350+ batting average (two with .400 or better) and five with a 1.000 or better OPS. Saint Mary’s junior outfielder Tanner Griffith poses the biggest threat to the Aztecs’ pitching rotation, as he is going into this weekend’s series with a .515 batting average and a 1.491 OPS. His batting average is currently one of the best in the nation, sitting behind Miami outfielder Derek Williams (.535) and Iowa infielder Gable Mitchell (.521) in third place.
San Diego State does have great pitching, with two great options in Drew Talavs (2.81 ERA, 16 IP) and Rohan Lettow (2.70 ERA, 16.2 IP) and Alec Belardes (5.51 ERA, 16.1 IP) as starters and multiple relief pitchers sitting below the 3.00 ERA mark (four of them have an ERA below 1.00). However, there are also multiple pitchers in the bullpen that are currently above 4.00 ERA, so the disparity is there. If the Aztecs are able to calm the extremes and pitch solid, there will be no problems. But if the Gaels are able to get to the pitching staff, SDSU will have a hard time keeping up.
3. Will the Aztecs get through the tough pitching onslaught from the Gaels?
It is safe to say that Saint Mary’s has been able to get the most out of their pitchers this year. The program has a team ERA of 4.17, with three starters staying below a 4.00 ERA while pitching at least 12 innings each. Graduate student Jake Hilton has been the ace of the troop, standing atop the Gaels’ starting pitching staff with a 1.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 14 strikeouts. The bullpen has also rocked so far, as three of the four relief pitchers with at least seven innings pitched boast an ERA at 4.50 or lower.
Saint Mary’s performance has kept their opponents in check, as the combined opposing team batting average is at a .246. San Diego State’s team batting average is .262 at the time of writing, so they are not far off from the Gaels’ opposing average. There is work needed to be done to even the playing field, but if the Aztecs can rally behind its leaders and take care of business at the plate despite the uphill climb, they can win this weekend’s series.
The lines between baseball and video games just got blurred in the most delightful way imaginable.
The two-time World Series champion Dodgers have announced that on March 31 at Dodger Stadium against the Guardians, the first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a Yoshinobu Yamamoto x Yoshi from Super Mario Bros. bobblehead.
Now this is the cultural crossover we’ve been waiting for.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto will get a new bobblehead crossover with Yoshi from Super Mario Bros. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
The Los Angeles Dodgers are giving away this limited edition Yoshinobu Yamamoto x Yoshi from Super Mario bobblehead on March 31 vs the Guardians @SuperMarioMoviepic.twitter.com/4V42fGetk7
The cross-promotion arrives at the same time that the new “Super Mario Bros. Galaxy Movie” lands in theaters on April 1.
Call it marketing genius, call it cartoon chaos. Either way, the night will belong to the reigning World Series MVP and Nintendo.
For anyone who grew up with Nintendo controllers in their hands, the connection is obvious. Yoshi — the beloved green dinosaur companion of Mario — has been one of the most recognizable characters in gaming for more than three decades.
But in Los Angeles, the name “Yoshi” suddenly belongs to someone else, too.
In October, Yamamoto delivered a World Series performance that also felt pulled from a video game cheat code. Yamamoto pitched a complete game in Game 2 of the World Series against the Blue Jays. Warmed up in relief in Game 3. Allowed just one run and got the victory in Game 6, and then returned less than 24 hours later on no rest to pitch 2.2 shutout innings of relief to get the win in Game 7. Overall, he was 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in the Fall Classic, earning him a permanent place in Dodgers history.
Yamamoto’s nickname of “Yoshi” was already floating around the Dodgers’ clubhouse for the last two seasons, but now he can share it forever with the smiling green dinosaur in collectible form.
Yoshi, the video game character, will wear a Yamamoto jersey in the bobblehead giveaway, because duh, why wouldn’t he?
The club released a short video on Friday that captures Yamamoto doing a pregame stretching routine — calm, focused, almost monk-like — before a mischievous Yoshi bobblehead begins to interrupt the moment. The tiny plastic dinosaur wobbles beside him as the pitcher casually flips himself into a headstand, unfazed by the chaos unfolding next to him, while politely asking Yoshi to “please be quiet.”
Yoshinobu, meet Yoshi.
Join us at Dodger Stadium on 3/31 for the collab we’ve all been waiting for! Get your Yoshi Bobblehead presented by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Tickets are available now at https://t.co/DZQkfNeXIj. pic.twitter.com/wlfyVxn4lY
It’s the kind of strange, joyful collision that only sports can produce.
For the Dodgers, this promotion fits neatly into their long tradition of bobblehead greatness. They already have other cultural crossovers planned this year already. Ice Cube in a low-rider, Shaquille O’Neal, even Kobe Bryant got a bobblehead last season wearing the iconic Lakers jersey while holding a baseball bat.
The Dodgers open the gates on March 31 knowing something special is coming. A stadium full of fans. A sea of green bobbleheads bouncing in the night air. A video game character reborn in a baseball uniform.
Somewhere in the dugout, Yamamoto will probably shake his head and laugh quietly at the whole thing.
Because even a World Series MVP can’t escape becoming a dinosaur in Los Angeles.
Not when your nickname is Yoshi.
The Dodgers’ full bobblehead promotional schedule can be seen here.
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Milwaukee Brewers infielder Jesús Made, left, talks with outfielder Luis Lara during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Milwaukee picked up its second straight spring win today behind strong showings from several of their top prospects. Jesús Made, Mike Boeve, Luis Lara, and Eric Bitonti all had RBIs as the Brewers defeated the Diamondbacks, 6-2.
Arizona got on the board in the first inning against Brewers starter Chad Patrick. Jacob Amaya hit a leadoff single, immediately followed by an Oscar Mercado double. That put runners on second and third with no outs, but Patrick bore down, striking out Jordan Lawlar for the first out. LuJames Groover grounded out to second for the second out, but merely putting the ball in play was enough to score Amaya for the first run of the game. Patrick then struck out Aramis Garcia to end the inning, but Arizona took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
Milwaukee quickly tied the game up in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Jake Bauers failed to reach, but Brandon Lockridge singled and stole second to put a runner in scoring position for Christian Yelich, who struck out swinging. Akil Baddoo, however, did not, lacing a single into centerfield to score Lockridge from second.
The first batter that Patrick faced in the top of the second was Manuel Peña. With a 2-1 count, Patrick threw Peña a fastball up in the zone, and Peña sent it 433 feet over the fence to give the Diamondbacks the lead once again. Patrick would end up going three innings, allowing those two earned runs and five hits while striking out five.
Neither team would score again until the bottom of the sixth, when David Hamilton reached on a one-out single. Lara, Milwaukee’s No. 12 prospect per MLB Pipeline, smoked a double into right field to score Hamilton and tie the game. The next batter up was Made, who hit a hard ground ball that got by Diamondbacks second baseman Demetrio Crisantes, scoring Lara from second to give the Brewers a lead they would never relinquish.
The Brewers tacked on another two runs in the bottom of the seventh courtesy of an Akil Baddoo walk that preceded a two-out home run off the bat of prospect Mike Boeve. Milwaukee’s minor leaguers would add on another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Made, leading off the inning, beat out a ground ball to Adrian Rodriguez at shortstop and took second on a throwing error. After Brady Ebel struck out, Eric Bitonti smoked a line drive that deflected off of first baseman Modeifi Marte’s glove and bounced into right field for a single. Made scored from second for the Brewers’ sixth and final run of the game.
As someone who follows the Brewers’ minor league system, it was really fun to see so many of the Brewers’ top prospects show up today. Made, Lara, Bitonti, and Boeve are all ranked as top 30 Brewers prospects by MLB Pipeline, and their efforts were the reason that the Brewers won this game. Milwaukee’s pitching staff also did a great job of shutting down the Diamondbacks’ offense. Patrick was the only pitcher to allow a run — Jared Koenig, Peter Strzelecki, Brian Fitzpatrick, Will Childers, Mark Manfredi, and Blake Holub all put together scoreless outings in relief of Patrick.
The Brewers will attempt to win their third straight contest against the Los Angeles Angels tomorrow. First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners bats during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on February 23, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Amidst the first full day of Western Hemisphere-oriented World Baseball Classic games, spring training took the back seat, if not a full day off broadcasting. Despite no TV broadcast, Seattle was able to benefit from a handful of its young and less-seasoned players taking turns in the limelight. The 5-1 win for the Mariners featured three shutout innings from LHP Kade Anderson and a pair of home runs by 2B Cole Young, along with another strong day at the dish for Spring Training standout OF Brennen Davis.
The main draw (for me, at least) in Friday afternoon’s tilt was another chance to hone in on Anderson. Seattle’s top pick a year ago looked sharp in his spring debut last Friday, and shone again this afternoon. Sometimes the box score lies, but between the broadcast, Gameday, and Kate sending video and feedback from the Surprise Stadium press box, Anderson looked and sounded sharp against a lineup full of big leaguers.
Facing Nimmo twice, and the rest of the lineup once, Anderson worked around a two-strike double from Ezequiel Duran to an otherwise tidy outing. Barrels were dodged like he was playing Donkey Kong, and Anderson said after the game it was a valuable experience to work through high-quality hitters when his stuff felt a step less potent than it had a week ago.
When you play at this level, there’s so many good hitters that you don’t even realize who’s up. It’s they’re all good. So when you really have that mindset, it really it helps you understand doesn’t matter who’s in the box, this is my plan.
Anderson’s command was, aside from the curve he’d have rather buried to Duran, solid. Our friends at Pitcher List have made the most of the universal Statcast data now broadcast out of every Spring Training park, showcasing Anderson’s efforts Friday afternoon. On a slider-heavy day, Anderson was highly effective and once again encouraging that his medley of options and strong command help him perform against top notch competition.
Though I think this undersells what Anderson was doing today, it’s an interesting visual for what does and does not make the southpaw effective. Namely, despite velocity and stuff that remains page-bound, hitters don’t seem to pick him up nor barrel him up often. With Bryce Miller still in a slightly hazy space in terms of his ramp-up time, Anderson will continue seeing chances against the first line of opposing batters.
Apres Kade, déluge non, a blessed mercy following Thursday’s slobberknocker. A solo shot to Evan Carter was the only thing of consequence yielded by Emerson Hancock, while he in recompense scoured the souls of four Rangers hitters, engaging his sweeper to great effect and looking as sharp as he’s been in three innings of his own.
The pitching staff as a whole was sharp, albeit with Casey Legumina, Cole Wilcox, and Robinson Ortiz all racking zeroes against the more zero-ish batch of Rangers substitutes they were matched against. 28 runs allowed over the last two days for the M’s pitching staff feels a little better than 27 over the previous one.
Speaking of runs a-loud, listen to these back-to-back:
Young’s power hasn’t been central to his appeal as a prospect, although the titanic blast he sent last year reminded what he’s capable of at full bore. These max effort swings do seem a bit more geared towards damage, but it’s worth noting his second big fly today would’ve been a nearer thing in Seattle than in the Arizona elevation and heat. Young denied that he’s making any specific emphasis towards power this spring beyond trying to match the barrel to the ball when asked postgame, but acknowledged he’ll use “different types of swings” situationally and depending on the count.
Young’s hotter performance is unsurprising, even as he chuckled about another slow start at the plate this spring to mirror some of his challenges in 2025 upon his call-up.
It’s nice to come into the spring and, you know, fail the last year, fail a lot the last year, and just, you know, work on those failures this offseason and come back this year. Just, you know, being aware of what I need to do.
Those failures may have been challenging for Young, but he’s attempting to use them as context for his efforts this spring, where he’s the frontrunner for the Opening Day second base role so long as he continues hitting like he’s done most of his career.
Davis, by contrast, has little guaranteed. Still, he would’ve needed to Polo Grounds or old Tiger Stadium to contain his blast. The scorched 117 mph tater went nearly 440 feet to left center, and he tacked on another hit that got him driven in by Patrick Wisdom in the 5th. He was one of several players noted by manager Dan Wilson postgame for strong plate appearances, as well as a shoutout to the ongoing strengths of Cole Wilcox on display in the bullpen. The route to the bigs is still challenging for Davis without injuries, but it’s hard to see more that the righty could do on the field in a spring environment to give the club something to consider.
The M’s will be back in action Saturday, with Logan Gilbert on the hill in Peoria, hosting the Chicago White Sox on video through Mariners.TV at 12:10 PM PT.
Port St. Lucie, Fla.: New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea throws during spring training workout, at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Feb. 14, 2026. (Photo by Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Mets lineup
Marcus Semien – 2B
Carson Benge – RF
Francisco Alvarez – C
Ryan Clifford – 1B
Tyrone Taylor – CF
A.J. Ewing – LF
Austin Barnes – DH
Christian Arroyo – 3B
Vidal Bruján – SS
SP: Sean Manaea ( LHP)
Marlins Lineup
Xavier Edwrds – 2B
Heriberto Hernández – LF
Connor Norby – 3B
Christopher Morel – 1B
Maximo Acosta – SS
Kemp Alderman – RF
Brian Navarreto – C
Deyvison De Los Santos – DH
Andrew Pintar – CF
SP: Max Meyer (RHP)
Broadcast Info
First pitch: 7:10 PM EST Radio: Marlins – MIA Audio
Mar 6, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Nathan Lukes (38) runs the bases after hitting a grand slam against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth inning during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Pirates 2 Blue Jays 9
Not that it really matters, but it is nice to have a win.
José Berríos wasn’t great but only allowed 2 earned, with 5 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts and a home run. His ERA is now 3.38 on the spring. Normally, I’d say his spring training numbers don’t matter, but he had a bunch of stuff happen at the end of last season, so doing well will go a long way to make us, and the decision makers for the Jays, feel better.
Other pitchers:
Jeff Hoffman: 1 clean inning, with a strikeout. He looked good.
Jorge Alcala: 1 inning, 2 hits, 2 strikeouts.
Tyler Rogers: 1 inning, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts. I love watching him pitch.
Brendon Little: 1 inning, 1 walk, 1 strikeout.
Tommy Nance: 1 inning, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts.
Offense, starters:
Nathan Lukes: 1 hit, 1 walk, 1k, grand slam home run. .649 BA on the spring. I really want him to have a great spring, and, so far, he is. Not that I think a good, or bad, spring training will change a thing for his regular season playing time. But I still want him to to well.
Davis Schneider: 0 for 3, 2 strikeouts. .063.
Addison Barger: 0 for 1, 2 walks. .211.
Daulton Varsho: 1 for 3. .412.
Eloy Jiménez: 1 for 3. .391.
Brandon Valenzuela: 1 for 2, walk. .333. We really don’t have enough Brandons, Brendons, Brendens, Braydons, and other guys whose names start with Br so I’m sure he’ll be on the roster at some point this season.
Josh Rivera: 1 for 2, walk, k. .182.
Rafael Lantigua: 0 for 3, k. .500.
Riley Tirotta: 1 for 2, walk, k. .176.
Replacements:
Yohendrick Pinango: 1 for 2, 2 RBI, home run. .125.
Eddie Micheletti Jr.: 2 for 2, home run. .500. I love when guys who we don’t expect to be on the team at least for a year or two, hit a home run in spring. It is a nice way to get me to remember them and I’ll watch third minor league numbers a little more than others. I know one spring home run means nothing, but it makes me pay attention.
Cutter Coffey: 0 for 2. .077. I still think he’s the best name in the organization.
Johnatan Clase: 1 for 2, k. Triple. .286. I’ve liked watching his defense this spring. I know it has only been a few innings, but he’s looked more confident out there.
Geovanny Planchart: 0 for 1. Sac fly.
Aaron Parker: 0 for 1, k.
Josh Kasevich: 0 for 1. .438.
Carlos Mendoza: 1 for 1. .545.
Sean Keys: 0 for 1, k.
The Jays are now 3-8-2 on the spring. Tomorrow they make the 15 minute drive to Clearwater to play the Phillies. Max Scherzer makes his first start. It is an 11:00 start.
MARYVALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 23: A general view during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs on Friday, February 23, 2018 at the Maryvale Baseball Park in Maryvale, Arizona. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
Record 7-7. Change on 2025: +0.5. 5-inning record: 4-9-1.
The D-backs found themselves swept on both sides of today’s split squad double-bill, with fairly weak line-ups in both games. Starting off at Salt River Fields, a pair of three-run homers did all the damage as the White Sox blanked the D-backs 6-0. They were allowed by Landon Sims and Joe Ross; the latter came in to relieve Daniel Eagan with two outs and two on in the second, and didn’t. The best of the relievers for Arizona was likely Andrew Hoffman who struck out three batters in a scoreless seventh. The Diamondbacks were held to four hits and two walks: Angel Ortiz had the only extra-base hit, a double, as the team went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Over in Maryvale, the team did at least pick up a five-inning win, leading 2-1 at that point. But the Brewers scored five unanswered runs to beat the D-backs 6-2. Mitch Bratt started, and walked four over 2.2 innings, but gave up just one run on one hit, with two strikeouts. Bryce Jarvis tossed two scoreless, but Juan Burgos, John Curtiss and Taylor Rashi allowed five runs on six hits and two walks, over their three frames. Gavin Conticello and Demetrio Crisantes each went 2-for-3, while DH Manuel Pena had a homer and drew a walk. LuJames Groover drove in Arizona’s other run with a groundout.
Tomorrow, it’s back to one game: that comes at Salt River Fields against the Giants, with a 1:10 pm first pitch, and Kohl Drake starting for the Diamondbacks.
As the Mets continue camp this spring, here are the latest moves as New York cuts their roster to 26 active players ahead of Opening Day...
March 6, 6:10 p.m.
The Mets have made another move prior to Friday's game, optioning Dylan Ross to Triple-A.
Ross' early departure certainly comes as a surprise.
The hard-throwing right-hander finished with a 2.17 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 80 strikeouts in just 54 innings of work across three different levels of the minors last season.
He earned a call-up to the majors at season's end, but never appeared in a game.
Ross was viewed by many as one of the up-and-coming arms who could potentially crack the Opening Day bullpen, but instead, he's sent back down without appearing in a spring game.
New York is now down to 67 players in camp.
March 4, 4:45 p.m.
The Mets announced their second wave of cuts, optioning LHP Nate Lavender and C Chris Suero to minor league camp.
Lavender, of course, was picked up by the Rays after being left exposed to the Rule 5 Draft last offseason.
The southpaw wouldn't appear in a game all year, though, as his recovery following internal brace surgery didn't quite go as planned and he was returned to the Mets this winter.
Back with the organization, he'll look to prove that he can stay healthy to start the year.
Suero, one of the up-and-coming prospects in the organization, impressed during his time in big-league camp.
The 22-year-old reached base three times over four games, including a homer.
March 1, 4:50 p.m.
The Mets have optioned RHP Alex Carrillo to Triple-A.
Additionally, LHP Anderson Severino and LHP Matt Turner have been reassigned to minor League camp.
Colby Thomas drove in three runs today in the A’s loss to the Colorado Rockies. | Getty Images
The A’s were at home today at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona to face off against the NL West’s Colorado Rockies in Cactus League play. J.T. Ginn got the start against Chase Dollander for the Rockies.
Ginn got off to a rough start giving up his first earned run of the season on a three-run homer to Brett Sullivan in the bottom of the first inning. But the A’s bounced back in the bottom of the inning with a Shea Langeliers double followed by a Max Muncy single. Muncy followed with a stolen base, his first of the spring, but was stranded on second.
In the second, Ginn gave up a Chad Stevens homers to center field to make the score 4-1, in favor of Colorado. Ginn ultimately pitched three full innings giving up four earned runs on four hits (two of them homers), two walks while striking out three Rockies. While it’s still early in the spring, only his third outing, I’m sure Kotsay was hoping for more from Ginn.
Luis Medina relieved Ginn in the fourth and promptly gave up two hits and his second earned run in as many innings. There will likely be more wiggle room for Medina since he missed all last year after his Tommy John Surgery and the fact that he’s out of minor league options.
Brooks Kriske replaced Luis Medina in the top of the fifth and he too gave up a home run, a two-run shot to center field to Kyle Karros bringing the score to 7-1.
Cade Marlow hit his first homer of the spring, his seventh hit in twenty at-bats, to tighten the score to 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth, but TJ Rumsfeld got that run back with the Rox fourth homer of the afternoon, this one off rookie reliever Kade Morris.
Colby Thomas got his first hit of the day in the seventh, a double driving in two runs to tighten the score to 8-5.
Morris continued to pitch three innings, giving up just that one earned run on two hits and a walk. He also struck out two Rockies. The Rockies tagged on two more runs in the ninth off Cole Miller, making his spring debut for the A’s. It was an inauspicious start, giving up three earned runs on two hits and two walks while not registering an out.
The A’s scored one last run in the bottom of the ninth on Thomas’ second hit and third RBI of the day. That brought the final score to Rockies 11- A’s 6.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 20: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 20, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hey everyone! It’s good to be back. Speaking of back, so are the Yankees, and they’ll be looking to wash away the aftertaste of yesterday’s 15-0 drubbing at the hands of the Twins. Their opponents today will be the Rays, with Cam Schlittler making his spring debut against Joe Boyle.
It’s hard to overstate the impact that Schlittler made as a rookie last year with the Bombers — and he only debuted in July! In his 14 regular season starts, Schlittler threw 73 innings of 2.96 ERA ball, with very good peripherals to boot. However, he saved his best work for the postseason, posting eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts over the Red Sox in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. Though his next postseason start—Game 4 of the ALDS against Toronto—didn’t go as well, he still earned the admittedly dubious distinction of being the only Yankee starter to post a quality start in that series. This will be Schlittler’s spring debut, and I’m hoping it will be the harbinger for a strong sophomore campaign for the big guy.
Schlittler will duel against Joe Boyle, whose accolades include eight Oscars, all won for his 2008 film Slumdog Millionare, though die-hards still swear by his 1996 classic Trainspotting — oh wait, wrong Boyle. The Boyle starting today is less decorated than Danny, but that doesn’t mean he’s a pushover. Selected in the 12th round of the 2020 draft by the Reds, he made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Athletics, posting a 1.69 ERA over three starts. After a rough 2024, he was shipped to the Rays as part of a package for Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez, where he split time in Triple-A, where he was an International League All-Star, and the majors, where he posted a 4.67 ERA (4.19 FIP) and 58 strikeouts over 52 innings. Armed with premium stuff, the next step for Boyle is finding the strike zone with consistency. If he does, he’ll be a thorn in the Yankees’ side for the next few years.
The top of the Yankees’ lineup tonight features their big guns, sans Aaron Judge (leading Team USA tonight against Brazil in their WBC opener). Trent Grisham is in center field leading off, followed by Ben Rice at first, Cody Bellinger in left, and Giancarlo Stanton at DH. Ryan McMahon and Paul DeJong will be at third base and second base, batting fifth and sixth. Making his spring debut will be Oswaldo Cabrera—we love you Oswaldo!—coming back after a left ankle fracture ended his 2025 season in May. Max Schuemann will hit eighth and start in right field, and Payton Henry will don the tools of ignorance in the nine spot.
How to watch
Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL
Among the outstanding pitchers on Friday Noah Schultz was most dominant, needing just 25 pitches to get seven outs. | (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)
If you are going to produce few hits, might as well make them count.
The White Sox chased a morbid offensive effort on Thursday night with one not much better on Friday. The difference? Two of the hits left the yard, and with the sacks close to packed. Or, in other words: Five-hit games don’t result in wins very often — but six-run games sure do.
The key blow came early, as Oliver Dunn stepped to the plate with two on and two out in the second inning. Facing reliever Landon Sims fresh in from the pen, Dunn drove a center-cut, 92.3 mph fastball on 1-0 out 429 feet to right. Anyone questioning the strangeness of batting your designated hitter ninth in the lineup (uh, not me, no way) can pack those three runs home in their pipes and smoke ’em.
Just two innings later, it was Jarred Kelenic blasting another three-run shot, his first long ball with the White Sox. And even in the hot air of Arizona and Spring Training pitching always just one meltdown from defeat, Kelenic’s shot put the game away.
The game was over before its midpoint thanks to some outstanding pitching, as the White Sox arms put forth their best efforts thus far in 2026: Anthony Kay, Tanner McDougal and Noah Schultz took on all but two outs and combined to stifle the Diamondbacks on just four hits. None of the three had dominant K stuff rolling, but the White Sox defense backed each up on balls in play, keeping the game scoreless and the Dbacks frustrated.
Schultz in particular was outstanding, needing just 25 pitches to pocket seven outs. His removal with one out in the ninth rang a bit odd, but perhaps leaving right at 25 tosses meant the White Sox are working off a hard cap of 25-30 throws for the tall lefty rebounding from knee issues in 2025.
With the rout, the White Sox got back to better than .500, at 8-7, and return home tomorrow to take on Seattle in a CHSN/WMVP broadcast game. Leigh Allan (yes, undefeated on his four-game coverage season so far) will have your coverage.
Right after the game, the White Sox announced one demotion to Triple-A and nine other reassignments from MLB camp, none of them surprising:
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Reynaldo López #40 of the Atlanta Braves looks on during the game between the New York Mets and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on Monday, September 30, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
One of question marks for López after coming off a significant injury was whether he could get his velocity back. Back in 2024, when he arguably had his best season of his career, he averaged 95.5 MPH on his fastball. López was already hitting 94 MPH back on February 19th.
López has had positive results in spring thus far. He has pitched 5.0 innings while surrendering zero runs, only two hits and accumulating five strikeouts to only two walks. Of course, odds are it will be hard to replicate this over an entire season, but it is most certainly a positive sign.
Reynaldo Lopez consistently sat around 93 mph and hit 94 mph during the second inning of today’s live BP. He seems to be where he needs to be in February. He’s proven he can be effective at 94-95 with the ability to dial up 98 when necessary
It should also be noted that there is a fun stat on Baseball Reference that measures the opponent quality. It ranges from one being rookie ball to ten being a full MLB squad. So far López has a score of 7.0, which is equivalent of AA opponents.
It could be guessed before the lineup was dropped, but since the Braves are playing away from home, the lineup is largely full of players that will have minimal playing time in the regular season. Red hot Dominic Smith will get the start at 1B looking to boost his hopes for a roster spot now that Profar is done.
The Braves will face an outside-of-the-box trade option for them in Bailey Ober. Ober will be making his spring debut for the Twins who are already down a few rotation arms this year. It will be interesting to see if the Twins decide to go into a full rebuild mode this season.
The Twins’ lineup will feature former top prospect Royce Lewis, as well as old friend Orlando Arcia.
