Spring Training Game Thread: Twins vs Pirates

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 19: Simeon Woods Richardson #24 of the Minnesota Twins poses for a photo during Spring Training photo days at Lee Health Sports Complex on February 19, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

First Pitch (CT):12:05
TV: Twins.TV
Radio: NA
Know Yo’ Foe: Bucs Dugout

What to watch: The backup SS/utility battle continues. Orlando Arcia gets his first start at 2B while Tristan Gray sees his first action at short.

Lineups

TwinsPirates
SP: Simeon Woods RichardsonSP: Jose Urquidy
1. James Outman, CF1. Jake Mangum, RF
2. Josh Bell, 1B2. Spencer Horwitz, 1B
3. Royce Lewis, 3B3. Bryan Reynolds, LF
4. Matt Wallner, DH4. Marcell Ozuna, DH
5. Victor Caratini, C5. Oneil Cruz, CF
6. Alan Roden, RF6. Nick Gonzales, SS
7. Emmanuel Rodriguez, LF7. Joey Bart, C
8. Orlando Arcia, 2B8. Nick Yorke, 2B
9. Tristan Gray, SS9. Jared Triolo, 3B

Spring Training February 26 game thread: Braves at Yankees

TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 14, 2025: Carlos Carrasco #59 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 14, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

It’s Spring Training Game Thread time again. Double wooooo.

It’s kind of weird that Carlos Carrasco is “starting” again, but I guess we’ve had enough games now, and every other actual rotation-member other than Spencer Strider has made their 2026 Grapefruit League debut. The Braves are clearly not sending any of their regulars on the 90-minute bus ride to Tampa.

This game is broadcast everywhere. That’s kind of wild to think about: remember when Spring Training games were essentially not televised? It wasn’t even that long ago.

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Mariners Prospect Rankings #15, RHP Tyler Cleveland

Feb 19, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Tyler Cleveland (79) during spring training photo day in Peoria, AZ. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a dominant 2025 season across two separate levels, Tyler Cleveland joins our Mariner prospect ranks at #15 this season. Given a boost thanks to recent departures from the system, Cleveland represents the last of the true relief types on our list and carries some of the highest floor of any prospect in the back half of these rankings, though naturally comes with a somewhat limited ceiling. A consistent performer through pure funk, Cleveland should be one of the more interesting arms to monitor in Tacoma’s bullpen this season.

Destroying both High-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas last season, the 26 year old submariner out of Central Arkansas worked to a season ERA of 0.87 over 51.2 IP, an obviously outstanding mark that is perhaps buoyed slightly due to his advanced age considering his level. Though his strikeout numbers aren’t out of this world, his 25.5% K% and 8.7% walk rate reflect a more than capable pitcher, especially given his submarine, soft-contact oriented approach on the mound.

The arsenal metrics don’t jump off the page, but everything with Cleveland requires context given how unique he is in his operation. Primarily using a three-pitch mix, the sinker typically tops out around 90 mph (I’ve seen the stadium scoreboard clock it as low as 86 at times), but the pitch gets good two-plane run and pairs well with his slow, sweeping slider that gets massive break gloveside. His final offering, a changeup, mirrors the fastball movement profile well and serves as a more than acceptable third offering he can use against lefties.

Cleveland is clearly not the flashiest prospect in the system and is likely limited to a middle-relief ceiling if everything works for him at the major league level, but it’s impossible to argue with his production as a professional thus far. In an age of 100 mph fastballs and sliders in the mid 90’s, perhaps Tyler Cleveland can be the change of pace the Mariner bullpen needs. Should he break through and debut in the big leagues this season, he’ll likely throw the best (only?) 87 mph heater you’ll see all season.

Texas Rangers lineup for February 26, 2026

SURPRISE, AZ - FEBRUARY 17: Joc Pederson #3 of the Texas Rangers poses for a photo during the Texas Rangers photo day at Surprise Stadium on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Texas Rangers split squad lineup for February 26, 2026 against the Athletics:

Hey, we have a split squad lineup for today! Cal Quantrill is getting the start.

The lineup:

Wade — RF

Pederson — 1B

Osuna — CF

Cauley — SS

Bride — DH

Martin — 3B

Herrera — C

Zavala — LF

Velazquez — 2B

2:05 p.m. Central start time.

Royals have valuable trade chips in catching depth

For years, Salvador Perez has been the Royals’ mainstay behind the plate. If he’s been healthy, he wants to catch, and catch he has.

But the past several years have seen an aging, albeit still productive Perez shift more to first base and designated hitter. Last year, he appeared in 92 games behind the plate with a combined 68 appearances coming elsewhere. The year before that: 91 games catching, 49 at first, 24 with a DH appearance. Perez hasn’t caught more than 100 games in a season since 2021.

Thankfully, the Royals have allocated resources to succeeding Perez, and the first true step occurred last year when Carter Jensen reached the Majors.

Jensen, a 2021 third-round pick out of Park Hill High School, collected 69 plate appearances in 20 games at the end of 2025. He performed so well that I believe the Royals accelerated their plan in supplanting Perez as the full-time catcher. Not only did Jensen prove his worth defensively and build a rapport with the pitching staff, but he also slashed .300/.391/.550 with half of his hits being worth extra bases.

Incredibly, doubled up Perez in bWAR—0.8 to 0.4.

Jensen, a left-handed hitter, is not the only highly rated catching prospect in the Royals system. Sure, he’s the first to reach the Majors, but the organization has another two catchers in the wings who could, one way or another, help the Royals down the line.

First, let’s take a look at the prospect rankings. Max wrote an article some weeks ago breaking down where the current prospects land for the Royals in the big Top 100 lists. Jensen made all three of the big lists—No. 1o according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, No. 11 according to Baseball America, and No. 18 according to MLB Pipeline.

Next is Blake Mitchell, the Royals’ former first-round pick from 2023. Mitchell, like Jensen, bats left and throws right. He did not make Baseball America’s Top 100 but landed at No. 75 with MLB Pipeline (down from No. 48 a year ago) and No. 57 according to Law. Law concluded his report on Mitchell by writing that “[h]e still projects as an everyday catcher who might hit .230 or so with 20 homers and plus defense, which is a regular for almost every team in baseball.”

Blake Mitchell is the No. 10 catching prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

MLB Pipeline ranks Jensen as the game’s No. 2 overall catching prospect with Mitchell at No. 10.

But wait, there’s a third catcher raising eyebrows in the farm system. Ramon Ramirez, signed out of Valenzuela, is the youngest of the group, and while he didn’t make any of the Top 100 lists, he’s still worth a concentrated eye. Law ranks him as the Royals’ #9 prospect, noting that the young man has power but also seems to lack focus.

Baseball America ranks Ramirez as the team’s No. 8 prospect. They note that he signed with the Royals as an outfielder and also missed a chunk of time last season due to left-hand inflammation. Still, “[h]is body looked firmer in 2025, increasing his chances of staying behind the plate.”

The Royals find themselves with three stellar catching prospects and only one catching position.

Jensen is already in Kansas City and seems to have the upper hand when it comes to locking down the position for the next five to seven years. Mitchell has a chance to bounce back this year and prove the organization’s faith in him when they drafted him so high three years ago. And Ramirez, with seemingly the lowest skill level of the trio, could still make it as a dependable backup catcher who can also play the outfield.

Now, I’m not here to advocate for the Royals to trade a certain one of these young men. But with all of this in mind, the Royals should definitely cash in on one of these three chips.

Spring Training trades are not unheard of, but I think we’re more looking at a deal occurring around the trade deadline, once the Royals figure out which position needs tinkering. Of course, there’s nothing from stopping the team from making a trade before then. Perhaps I’m overestimating things, but in a trade for one of these three battery mates, the Royals should be able to land a player under team control instead of settling for a rental.

While the Royals’ farm system is on the rise, it still isn’t in the top half of the league. Despite that, the Royals have managed to develop three catchers who could, in the near future, start for a Major League club. With the big league roster still needing work, trading one of Jensen, Mitchell, or Ramirez could help shore up things.

Just gotta trade the right one.

Spring Game #6 GameThread and Jays Notes

Oct 31, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth inning during game six of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Jays and Marlins play in Dunedin at 1:00 Eastern today. We have a bunch of regulars in the lineup. It actually could be close to the lineup they would put out against a lefty starter.

And Kevin Gausman gets his first time out there this spring. Gausman set a personal record for innings pitched last year. Not bad considering he was in his 13th season and 34 years old. I’d like them to take it a little easier on him this year. But, we do have a few starters that will have to be handled gently, at least to start the season. But then we have roughly 37 guys who could start games (I might be exaggerating, my wife has told me a million times that I tend to exaggerate).

Kevin will throw 1 to 2 innings.

Today’s Lineups

MARLINSBLUE JAYS
Otto Lopez – SSGeorge Springer – DH
Kyle Stowers – LFDaulton Varsho – CF
Esteury Ruiz – CFVladimir Guerrero – 1B
Liam Hicks – CAddison Barger – RF
Owen Caissie – RFAlejandro Kirk – C
Deyvison De Los Santos – 1BKazuma Okamoto – 3B
Joe Mack – DHErnie Clement – 2B
Jacob Berry – 3BAndres Gimenez – SS
Jared Serna – 2BMyles Straw – LF
Braxton Garrett – LHPKevin Gausman – RHP

Alek Manoah said a rather unfortunate thing to a reporter from the Athletic:

“I was a very big piece of that process, getting to that World Series run,” Manoah added. “I wasn’t able to be there like I wanted to.”

The rest was very normal, nothing inflammatory. I’m almost sure that if Alek had time to think about what he was saying he would have found better words.

“Those are all my friends,” Manoah said. “A lot of those guys I called my brothers. I rooted for them 100 percent. I wanted them to win it all.”

The story also says that he is “down to” 285 lb (on his 6’6” frame).

“No, man,” Manoah said, when asked if there was a mental anxiety element to his strike throwing struggles. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve dealt with any of that.

“I think for me it’s more when, mentally, you don’t have your best stuff, I know for me, I’m going to go out and compete with what I’ve got.”


Ken Rosenthal tells us that Max Scherzers incentives are $1 million for each of 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 115, 125, 135, 145 and 155. I’m quite willing to bet he won’t get to 155 innings. We could have a poll:

Astros (SS) vs Cardinals 2/26/2026 Spring Training Game Thread

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 21: Brice Matthews #0 of the Houston Astros looks on during a spring training game against the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 21, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Houston Astros travel to Jupiter, FL to take on the St. Louis Cardinals. The Astros will be playing a split squad game.

Peter Lambert gets the start for Houston. This is his first start of the spring and his second appearance. In his first appearance, he pitched one scoreless inning while allowing 2 hits and striking out 1.

Astros top prospect Brice Matthews will play 2B today and lead off, Carlos Perez starts behind the plate and Astros #3 prospect Walker Janek will DH.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, February 26, 12:10 p.m. CST

Location: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter, FL

TV: No Local Broadcast

Streaming: MLB.tv (Cardinals audio only)

Radio: no local radio

(Image courtesy of Brian McTaggart on X)

Mets at Astros: Spring training lineups, broadcast info, and open thread, 2/26/26

PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 19: Nolan McLean #26 of the New York Mets poses for a photo during the New York Mets Photo Day at Clover Park on February 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Mets lineup

  1. Marcus Semien – 2B
  2. Mike Tauchman – RF
  3. Bo Bichette – 3B
  4. Mark Vientos – 1B
  5. Ronny Mauricio – SS
  6. Luis Torrens – C
  7. Jared Young – DH
  8. Tyrone Taylor – CF
  9. MJ Melendez – LF

SP: Nolan McLean

Astros lineup

lineup to follow

Broadcast info

First pitch: 1:05 PM EST
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM

Spring Training Game #7: Minnesota Twins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Minnesota Twins vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, February 26, 2026, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: LECOM Park, Bradenton, FL

How to Listen: 93.7 The Fan, 100.1 FM, AM 1020 KDKA, Sports Net Pittsburgh app SNP 360, How to Watch: Sportsnet Pittsburgh


The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home today against the Minnesota Twins looking to grab a win.


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GDT: One month from Opening Day

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 24: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates scoring a run against the Minnesota Twins during a spring training game at Charlotte Sports Park on February 24, 2026 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The only coverage today is courtesy of the Boston Red Sox radio team

First pitch is at 1:05 at JetBlue Park

AL West Preview – Angels Prognosis, Perpetually Rebuilding

Tempe, AZ - February 18: Outfielder Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels poses for a portrait during photo day at Diablo Stadium on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 in Tempe, AZ. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The Angels are stuck. Stuck with an aging Mike Trout, signed through 2030 with nearly $200 million left on his 12-year contract he signed in 2019. Stuck with paying out nearly $40 million on Anthony Rendon’s disaster of a free agent contract signed in 2020. Stuck with an owner who doesn’t even recognize that winning should be a priority for the franchise. Stuck with the consequences of short-sighted, win-now decisions over the last decade when the need for a complete tear down and rebuild was so obvious from the outside.

Los Angeles is essentially running things back this year, though at least the moves they made have the potential for some higher rewards if things break their way. Gambling on guys like Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah could have some solid payoffs if they’re healthy, though bringing in four high-leverage relievers with an average age of 36 is a lot less defensible. There are a handful of bright spots to cling to: Zach Neto is one of the best young shortstops in baseball and Jo Adell finally broke out in his sixth big league season. Still, just look at the table below and you’ll get a sense for how bleak things are for the Angels.

PositionAngels Projected WARMariners Projected WAREdge
Catcher1.56.1Mariners
First Base1.72.9Mariners
Second Base1.52.7Mariners
Shortstop4.42.8Angels
Third Base1.93.0Mariners
Left Field1.02.2Mariners
Center Field1.96.0Mariners
Right Field1.42.0Mariners
Designated Hitter1.31.6Mariners
Starting Pitching11.014.2Mariners
Relief Pitching1.93.4Mariners
Total29.746.8Mariners

The only position the Angels have an advantage over the Mariners is at shortstop, where Neto projects to be third best in the American League at that position. Everywhere else is below league average and not in a “the sum is greater than it’s parts” kind of way. Nearly every part of this roster needs an overhaul, and if you read John’s summary of Los Angeles’ farm system, it’s pretty clear that future improvement isn’t present in the organization yet. It feels like you can boil down the Angels approach to roster building to “make it 2019 by science or magic,” which wouldn’t be so sad if you didn’t know that the last time they made a playoff appearance was 2015.

So here they are, caught in no man’s land, neither competing for even a Wild Card spot nor tearing things down to build for the future. Just existing in the cellar of the AL West. Stuck.

2026 FanGraphs Depth Charts projections: 72.5-89.5, 5th in AL West, 5.4% playoff odds

2026 PECOTA projections: 66.4-95.6, 5th in AL West, 0.5% playoff odds

If it all goes right

As he stepped into the Rate Field batter’s box on March 27, 2025, Mike Trout took a deep breath and said to himself, “Fuck it. This one’s for me.” Knowing that his (still mystifyingly) beloved Angels were going nowhere, he spent the year chasing his lost ceiling, but it cost him something. To stay healthy, he spent 106 games at DH and the mere 22 games he played in the field came in right. To chase his old batting line, he sold out for power, whiffing and striking out at unprecedented rates.

So when he picked up a baseball for the first time over the offseason, he looked at it, tossed it in the air, caught it, and said to himself, “This time, for the real me.”

And that’s what we saw from wire to wire over 2026. Gone was the 2016-2023 version of himself that was trying to drag his team to the promised land. And gone was the 2024-2025 version of himself that was trying to etch his name more firmly into the record books. Returned again was the 2014-2015 version of Mike Trout who played simply for the love of the game. No longer playing like he was trying to prevent an injury, he just let himself go, leaving his status up to the baseball gods that once shined on him so brightly. And that turned out to be exactly the sacrifice they’d asked for.

Trout once again played with a preternatural ease and a too-simple-to-have-other-interests joie de vivre. At the plate, he hadn’t lost a step with his skills last year—the bat speed, the eye, the swing path, they were all still clearly there in the peripherals. He’d just made a bad change in approach. No longer selling out for power, he was able, ironically, to access more of it. And a vintage Mike Trout in the 2026 Angels lineup resulted in opponents intentionally walking him at a rate not seen in MLB since Barry Bonds. So he ended up hitting .288/.430/.575, the best hitter in baseball for the first time since 2019.

His speed was never coming back, but he’d clearly learned a thing or two about baserunning and pitcher tells across his 2,900 times on base, so he still stole 29 bases, just shy of a second 30-30 season.

He asked to get put back in centerfield, where he always belonged. He’d lost his range to the ravages of time, but no longer caring about whether he was going to be sore tomorrow, he made a few high-effort web-gem plays that made his youth, and our youth, flash before our eyes. When he robbed Julio of a home run at T-Mobile Park on September 25th, even the Mariners fans—in a forgiving mood after clinching a playoff spot the night before—gave him a standing ovation in tribute.

All told, his 9.1 fWAR took him past Wade Boggs, Al Kaline, Albert Pujols, Cap Anson, Cal Ripken Jr., Carl Yastrzemski, and Eddie Matthews to get to 22nd all-time.

The Angels finished 80-82. —ZAM

If it all goes wrong

The real battle over the past six years hasn’t been him vs. Verlander, or Price, or Iwakuma, even. Not even the WBC matchup with Ohtani that’s been analyzed from every angle, replayed in YouTube videos and TikToks through tiny, tinny speakers. No, the battle he fights every day is older, Biblical: spirit vs. flesh. The sense memory of gliding across outfield grass, thick and springy beneath his feet as he chases after a ball, easily picking out the small white orb from the California sky. The reality of how his knee protests every sharp turn and slide, the fifteen minutes he puts in every morning rolling his back out, the lingering ache in his thumb that worsens in the rain. He always knows when it’s going to rain.

For so long, he’s kept watch in the garden. He’s been the steady heartbeat at the center of this lineup, attempted to keep his teammates alert, drag them kicking and screaming over the precipice of the playoffs. He’s been a faithful servant to this team, this fanbase, this city. It’s all he knows: faith and family, showing up for people, doing the right thing.

And in exchange, management brought in…some players who should have worked, actually. Talented guys who maybe just needed some new scenery, a little sunshine. Grayson Rodriguez, Alek Manoah, Vaughn Grissom, Matthew Lugo, Oswald Peraza – all promising players who went by the wayside somehow. Diamonds in the rough, some rougher than others. As a plan, it left a lot to be desired. But he’s learned how to live with not getting what he wants.

Initially, it’s great. Manoah, a burly bear of a man he likes quite a bit, declares the squad Misfit Island, a reference that he’s not sure most of the clubhouse understands but makes a good t-shirt anyway. He’s not sure when Mike Trout, the Mike Trout, became a misfit, an underdog, an afterthought, but he puts those thoughts out of his mind. Maybe, just this once, someone else can take over the watch.

It starts small — a delayed start to the season for Grayson, which stretches into a missed month, then two. Then the injuries come for the pitchers in the bullpen whose birthdates have an 8 as the third digit. Offensively, the health is better, but the strikeouts gradually stack up, alongside the losses. You don’t get the reward without the risk, but sometimes buying low just means you paid less, got less.

It happens at the end of April, towards the end of a Midwest road swing. Chicago is cold and miserable that spring, the streets still pockmarked by mounds of fossilized snow, the field soggy after weeks of heavy rain-snow mix. They’re on a good run early in the season, even not at full strength due to some injuries, and he’s getting to play right field – a compromise between himself and his new skipper, who still remembers him in his golden era, a not-misfit. 

The ball jumps off Mongtomery’s bat with a crack but hangs up in the wind, suspended, before plummeting downwards like someone shot it out of the air. There’s no way he’ll get there in time. In his prime, he probably couldn’t have gotten there in time. But he has to try. He’s wired for loyalty, the flesh mortal but the spirit indomitable, ever-vigilant. 

He feels it in his plant leg immediately, his foot sinking too deep in the spongy grass, the knee joint catching like an old lock; can picture the cartilage shearing back, but it’s too late, he’s already in motion, chasing, one last time, a quickly disappearing dream, an angel falling out of the sky. —KP

Mets vs. Astros (SS) 2/26/2026 Spring Training Game Thread

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros pitches during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 20, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Houston Astros (1-2-1) host the New York Mets (2-2-1) in a split squad game today in Palm Beach, FL.

Tatsuya Imai makes his first appearance of the spring in this game. Imai was the Astros top free agent signing of the offseason and currently projects as their third starter while offering number 2 starter upside.

3B Carlos Correa and 1B Christian Walker will also make their spring debuts in this game.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Thursday, February 26, 12:10 p.m. CST

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

TV: No Local Broadcast

Streaming: MLB.tv (audio only)

Radio: KBME 790 AM / 94.5 FM HD-2

(image courtesy of Brian McTaggart on X)

Today in White Sox History: February 26

Jack Brohamer, the only player ever to hit a home run wearing shorts, was born on this day, 76 years ago.

1914
In the final game of their World Tour, the White Sox beat the New York Giants, 5-4, in 11 innings. The win came in front of the biggest crowd of the entire tour, between 20,000 and 35,000 spectators, at Stamford Bridge in London. Contrary to the headline above, Tommy Daly secured the win with a walk-off solo shot leading off the bottom of the 11th, ending the 46-game series at White Sox 24, Giants 20, with two ties.


1950
Short-time second-sacker for the White Sox Jack Brohamer was born, in Maywood, Calif.

Brohamer came to the White Sox during a flurry of Roland HemondBill Veeck trades during the 1975 Winter Meetings. He had a relatively outstanding 1976 debut with the club, leading all position players and finishing third on the team with 2.6 WAR. He also became the only player in MLB history to homer in shorts, going deep against the Orioles on August 21.

Brohamer played a lesser role with the 1977 South Side Hit Men, but managed an amazing wind-down to his White Sox career, hitting for the cycle on September 24 — the third-to-last game he played in Chicago.


1991
Five years after his death, Bill Veeck was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

The two-time owner of the White Sox (also with ownership of St. Louis Browns, Cleveland and the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers) was the last of the “small-time” or “common-touch” owners now made obsolete by free agency.

He found quick success in both of his stints as White Sox owner. In 1959, he was finally handed the keys — the first non-Comiskey owner ever — just before Spring Training, and the White Sox went on to win the pennant. In 1977, just his second full season of his 1970s ownership of the club, Veeck’s novel “Rent-a-Player” scheme of picking up players on free agency salary drives paid off to the tune of 90 wins — considerably more than anyone anticipated for his rag-tag band.

Veeck was also, hands-down, the most novel, innovative and fun owner in baseball history. His promotions remain legend (fan managing, Martians landing, exploding scoreboards, a dozen or more ethnic nights, Eddie Gaedel activated for a game), likely never to be repeated in the game.


2018
In an early spring training game vs. Oakland at Camelback Ranch, promising third baseman Jake Burger ruptured his left Achilles tendon running out a ground ball in the third inning. The 2017 first round pick, only in camp early playing in Cactus League A-games as a courtesy often extended to top picks soon after their drafting, would miss the season.

Subsequent injuries to his Achilles (another tear) and foot (plantar fascitis), plus the 2020 pandemic that cancelled the minor league season, saw Burger sit on the sidelines for three years. He returned in 2021 and jump right to Triple-A after never having played higher than Low-A professionally — and Burger mashed.

Before a trade deadline deal to Miami in 2023, Burger was shaping up as an average MLB starter, with 1.7 WAR over 154 career White Sox games, buffeted by a .230/.291/.500 slash, 34 homers, and 81 RBIs.

2026 Chicago Cubs player profiles: Luke Little

Today we look at the Cubs’ left-handed flamethrower.

Luke Little, all 6’8”, 220 pounds of him, just needs to throw strikes. In three seasons as a part-time Chicago Cub, he’s thrown 35.1 innings. In those innings, he has struck out 44 batters. That’s really good. But he has walked 28. That’s really bad.

He’s 3-1 with a 2.80 ERA in 39 games. Most of those games were in his pretty good 2024 season. He was hurt some of 2025 and spent almost the entire remainder of the season in Iowa. In his 43 games there, he was 2-1 in 59.2 innings, earned two saves, was the opener twice, had a 2.87 ERA, struck out 75 and walked 34.

Lifetime, he has amassed 0.6 bWAR (0.2 fWAR). The 25-year-old still has a little time before he’s considered a suspect but he’s on that track unless he makes a great showing in the spring. Projections do have him making the roster and throwing 30-ish innings, with his BB/p shrinking to 3.9 in Baseball Reference’s book. Zips has him garnering positive WAR and throwing 57 innings.

That would be okay. He could join the short/setup group with those kind of walk numbers. Little throws HARD — he’s reached triple digits more than once and sits 96+. He doesn’t give up many long balls. The free passes will determine his financial future.

He could be a star in the league. The odds are against it at this late date, but we will await developments.

Dodgers on Deck: Friday, February 27 at Giants

TEMPE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 21: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of the Los Angeles Dodgers before the spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on February 21, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Dodgers take a trip east across the desert to face the San Francisco Giants on Friday in Scottsdale, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto making his final start before heading to play for Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

Yamamoto threw 30 pitches in his 1 2/3 innings last Saturday against the Angels in the Dodgers’ Cactus League opener. After a scoreless first inning, Yamamoto allowed three hits and two runs, one of them earned in the second inning.

This is the first of two meetings between the longtime rivals this spring. The Dodgers and Giants meet again on Wednesday, March 18 at Camelback Ranch.

Friday game info
  • Teams: Dodgers at Giants
  • Ballpark: Scottsdale Stadium
  • Time: 12:05 p.m. PT
  • TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
  • Radio: AM 570