Category: Baseball

After a long and exhilarating group stage, the 2026 World Baseball Classic has seen itself narrowed from 20 teams to eight.

Brazil, Czechia, Nicaragua, and Panama—all having finished at the bottom of their respective pools—have been relegated. These four teams will need to re-qualify for the main tournament in 2029. Meanwhile, the United States, Canada, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Japan, Korea, Italy, and Puerto Rico have all advanced to the knockout stage.

These eight remaining teams will play single elimination games tonight and tomorrow as the field is further cleared down to the last two teams standing for March 17th’s championship bout in Miami, Florida.

Game No. 1: Korea (대한민국) at Dominican Republic (República Dominicana)

Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA

One of three Pool C teams to finish group play with a 2-2 record, Korea knocked out Australia and Chinese Taipei by way of tiebreakers and an incredibly exciting match-up against Samurai Japan. Now Korea is fighting for their first top four World Baseball Classic result since they took home the silver medal in 2009.

Korea will be led tonight by starting pitcher and former MLB star Hyun-jin Ryu. Ryu will be making his second start of the tournament. The 39-year-old lefty worked three innings of one run baseball—off a solo home run—against Chinese Taipei and struck out three batters during the group round.

One of just three 4-0 teams represents a sturdy wall against Korea’s aspirations. The team from the Dominican Republic is absolutely stacked with current and former big league talent on their roster and coaching staff. Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and Fernando Tatis Jr have been excellent at the plate, backed up by strong pitching that includes current Rockies reliever Juan Mejia and former Rockies reliever Carlos Estévez.

Making the start for the Dominican Republic is 2024 Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Cristopher Sánchez. The left-handed starter wasn’t his sharpest his last time out against Nicaragua, giving up three earned runs on six hits and a walk over 1 1/3 innings. He did, however, strike out four batters in the first inning to escape a bases loaded jam.

First Pitch: 4:30 PM MDT

TV: FS2

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

LHP Hyun-jin Ryu vs LHP Cristopher Sánchez

Game No. 2: United States at Canada

Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA

It may sound unlikely, but the powerhouse United States team enters the knockout stage as one of the more controversial teams in this year’s tournament. Despite being one of the most talented rosters on paper, Mark DeRosa’s squad has been accused of not taking the World Baseball Classic seriously this year. From not being aware they were on the verge of elimination, to the manager not knowing who was in his own bullpen, to Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh refusing to shake the hand of MLB teammate and Team Mexico outfielder Randy Arozarena’s hand, the Americans have been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Thanks to a commanding win by undefeated Italy over Mexico, the United States made it to the knockout stage and will be led on the mound by San Francisco Giants righty Logan Webb. Webb pitched a near-flawless four innings during the group stage against Brazil. He struck out six batters and his only blemish was a single hit—a solo home run off the bat of Lucas Ramirez.

USA’s opponent tonight will be Team Canada, who have made the knockout stage for the first time in the history of the World Baseball Classic as the surprise top seed of Pool A. Even though they’re the top seed, Canada remains the underdog. The squad from America’s hat hasn’t defeated the squad from Canada’s pants since the 2006 tournament. They might have some extra motivation as they seek to avenge Team Canada’s loss in the 2026 Olympic hockey finals.

Arizona Diamondbacks righty Michael Soroka will take the mound for the Maples. He pitched three innings of one run baseball against Colombia his last time out with two strikeouts.

First Pitch: 6:00 PM MDT

TV: Fox

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

RHP Logan Webb vs RHP Michael Soroka

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Twins 1 Blue Jays 6

A win.

Cody Ponce had troubles finding the strike zone, but he didn’t give up a run. He gave up 4 walks and 2 hits, with 2 strikeouts. He came out of the game with 2 out in the second inning and then came back in to get the first out of the third inning. His ERA is 1.13 this spring, though he was very lucky today to have no runs against.

Others:

• Michael Plassmeyer: Got the last out of the second.
• Spencer Miles: 1.2 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned, 1 walk, 1 k. 4.05.
• Brendon Little: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 k. 0.00.
• Joe Mantiply: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 walk. 0.00.
• Connor Seabold: 1 inning, 1 walk, 3 k . 7.20.
• Javen Coleman: 2 innings, 2 walks, 1 k.

Batters, starters:

• George Springer: 0 for 2, walk. .167.
• Daulton Varsho: 3 for 3, 5 RBI, home run. .452. He’s have a very nice spring. 1.420 OPS.
• Addison Barger: 1 for 3, k. .269.
• Jesus Sanchez: 0 for 3, 2 k. .206.
• Brandon Valenzuela: 0 for 3, 3 k. .286.
• Sean Keys: 1 for 3, k. .222.
• Rafael Lantigua: 0 for 3, k. .393.
• Arjun Nimmala: 0 for 2. .227.
• Carlos Mendoza: 0 for 1, walk. .412.

Others:

• Nathan Lukes: 0 for 1. .261.
• Jonatan Clase: 0 for 1. .286.
• C.J. Stubbs: 0 for 1, k. .286.
• Josh Kasevich: 0 for 1. .412. He’s likely done more to impress us than any of the other minor leaguers (well, other than our own Minor Leaguer).
• Charles McAdoo: 0 for 1, .231.

The Jays are now 8-10 on the spring. Nice to see them win some.

Tomorrow the Jays host the Tigers. Max Scherzer is to start, and Alejandro Kirk will be back.

And the Jays have assigned a few players to the minors:

• RHP Chad Dallas

• RHP Ryan Jennings

• RHP CJ Van Eyk

• C Aaron Parker

• INF Cutter Coffey

Mets vs Marlins

Mets lineup

1. Marcus Semien – 2B
2. Jorge Polanco – 1B
3. Bo Bichette – 3B
4. Luis Robert – CF
5. Francisco Alvarez – DH
6. Mike Tauchman – LF
7. Luis Torrens – C
8. Tyrone Taylor – RF
9. Jackson Cluff – SS

SP: Kodai Senga – RHP

Marlins lineup

1. Esteury Ruiz – CF
2. Heriberto Hernandez – LF
3. Connor Norby – 3B
4. Graham Pauley – DH
5. Christopher Morel – 1B
6. Joe Mack – C
7. Fenwick Trimble – RF
8. Jesus Bastidas – SS
9. Chase Jaworsky – 2B

SP: Chris Paddack – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 6:10 PM EDT
TV: SNY

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Mets at Nationals

Mets lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Mark Vientos – DH
3. Brett Baty – 1B
4. Ronny Mauricio – SS
5. Christian Arroyo – 3B
6. Vidal Bruján – 2B
7. Hayden Senger – C
8. A.J. Ewing – LF
9. Cristian Pache – CF
   
   SP – Carl Edwards Jr.

Nationals lineup

1. CJ Abrams – SS
2. James Wood – LF
3. Daylen Lile – RF
4. Luis Garcia – 1B
5. Dylan Crews – CF
6. Jose Tena – DH
7. Nasim Nunez – 2B
8. Drew Millas – C
9. Yohandy Morales – 3B

SP: Zack Littell – RHP

Broadcast info

First pitch: 6:05 PM EDT
TV: No luck, Chuck

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Detroit Tigers, March 13, 2026, 6:05 p.m. ET

Location: Publix Field at Joker Merchant Field, Lakeland, FL

How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

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

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Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

XRayReb asks:Which pitcher and position player do you predict will make their MLB debut first?

It’s difficult to say, as the Yankees carry a loaded roster and the few interchangeable pieces are players that have already seen action at the major league level. Still, the 40-man roster is a useful tool for estimating who has the inside track to a cup of Joe when the team is in a pinch, and currently that makes our likeliest candidates Elmer Rodriguez and Spencer Jones.

Rodriguez is an easier sell, as he rose through three levels of the minors last year (though admittedly he made just one start in Triple-A). After dominating at High-A and Double-A, he’s one good half with the RailRiders away from a callup if the team is in need of starting pitching, and even though the team’s depth is strong in the rotation there’s plenty of concern about how many of them are coming off of injuries — and new ones always pop up sooner or later in the year.

Jones is a much tougher pitch, for a variety of reasons. First, he’s blocked from the majors much like Rodriguez is with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham patrolling Yankee Stadium’s outfield, but unlike with the rotation it’d take a small disaster unfolding for him to see time in the majors. The organization wants him developing by playing every day, which means a backup role where he’s playing once or twice a week is out of the question, and there’s another name ahead of Jones on the depth chart with Jasson Domínguez on the outskirts as well. On top of that, Jones’ play has one glaring flaw that the team surely wants to see major improvement on before they consider calling him up.

The problem with the position player side is that nearly everyone else has made their major league debut already, either because they’re veterans and journeymen waiting for another chance or they’re prospects that got a taste of the majors but not much more. Thus, even with a couple of theoretical candidates on the board, Jones still stands as the likeliest to appear first just because of the incredible power that he can put on display, flaws and all.

ConorGallogy asks: With so many at the WBC, have any minor leaguers getting an opportunity shown more than expected?

There’s quite a number of Yankees participating in the WBC, to be sure, but it hasn’t opened up that massive a window for the organization’s prospect to take over the show. The tournament is two weeks long after all, and some players will be returning earlier as they get eliminated. One of the more unheralded names that have shined during this part of spring, however, is Max Schuemann, a third baseman with a handful of game experience in the majors with the A’s. Schuemann has appeared in 10 games this spring, hitting for a 1.036 OPS entering play on Friday, and he’s caught the eye of Aaron Boone and the coaching staff for his effort in camp. He’s not likely to appear with the team anytime soon, but his name is in the hat now should the team need depth in the infield, and that’s not something that might’ve developed as well had so many of the regular’s not been busy elsewhere.

yankobb asks: Is it just me or are the WBC celebrations become more exaggerated this time around? I know it’s always been more emotional but celebrating like you just won the championship when you push your lead from 14 runs to 15 runs seems a bit excessive.

We here at Pinstripe Alley tend to collectively side in favor of letting players express themselves on the field, and the WBC is no exception here. Quite the opposite, in fact — the unique circumstances of the tournament and the limited time with which these players have to enjoy the bonds they formed on these rosters lead to plenty of moments where the players want to erupt in celebration, regardless of the scoreboard. And since the mercy rule is in play, there’s no real threat of “overcelebrating” or anything of the sort: every run brings a team closer to walking off in a way that these players won’t get to experience once they’re back with their MLB teams.

A rough first inning cost Yankees left-hander Ryan Weathers dearly, as he surrendered four runs in that opening frame in the Bombers’ 7-6 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Braves on Friday afternoon at CoolToday Park in North Port. Things did get interesting in the ninth, though.

Atlanta got to the last inning up 7-1, but Tyler Hardman singled with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth to plate two runs, and then Garrett Martin launched a three-run bomb to put the Yankees within one. After Ornelas’ blast, however, the Bombers couldn’t do any more damage, as Owen Cobb lined out, Jorbit Vivas struck out, and while Ernesto Martínez Jr. singled, Kenedy Corona popped out to shortstop to end the game.

The Yankees are now 13-7 in Grapefruit League play, while the Braves improved to 13-5 with their win. New York simply couldn’t touch Atlanta’s starter Didier Fuentes, who pitched three perfect innings with five strikeouts to his name. The righty debuted for the Braves last year and won’t even turn 21 until June, and since they’ll now be entering the season without the injured Spencer Schwellenbach, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, and Joey Wentz, he certainly made his case to new skipper Walt Weiss that he should have a role on the 2026 club.

New York’s starter didn’t fare nearly as well. Mauricio Dubón welcomed Weathers to Atlanta’s spring home with a leadoff home run. Later in the first, the southpaw surrendered RBI singles to Austin Riley, Jonah Heim, and Kyle Farmer to make it 4-0 before he could complete the first three outs.

After that, Weathers settled in and threw 2.2 scoreless frames with four punchouts before being lifted in the fourth. He touched 100 mph with his four-seamer and averaged 98.4 mph, but could only get one whiff on 13 swings with the pitch.

Weathers’ sweeper, however, was on point, earning him a whopping seven whiffs on 10 swings for a 70-percent whiff rate. The changeup gave him three additional swings and misses to round out his total for the afternoon to 11. Weathers, whose spring training ERA is now at 8.68, managed to stretch out to 67 pitches. He appears to have hit a bit of a wall, but as long as his stuff and velocity keep trending up, there shouldn’t be a reason to worry about him. Barring injury, Weathers should slot in somewhere behind Max Fried and Cam Schlittler in the back end of the Yankees’ Opening Day rotation, with Will Warren and Luis Gil likely joining him.

The Yankees finally scored in the top of the fourth, when Max Schuemann doubled and crossed the plate on a Cody Bellinger single against Dylan Dodd.

That marked Bellinger’s only hit on the day, and it proved to be a quiet one for the Bombers’ more familiar contingent. Ryan McMahon (playing a clean shortstop), and outfielders Trent Grisham, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Randal Grichuk combined to go 0-for-11 with six K’s.

Although none of the members of the Yankees’ bullpen today should be on the Opening Day roster, they fared decently enough on this afternoon. Kelly Austin got Ozzie Albies to ground out and was followed by an impressive Yovanny Cruz, who touched 101.5 mph and struck out two brand names—Matt Olson and Austin Riley—in a perfect inning. From there, it got a little bumpier, as Dom Hamel allowed a couple of runs in two innings of relief, surrendering five hits and a walk while failing to record a single strikeout. Osvaldo Bido conceded the Braves’ seventh run late in the game.

The Yankees will play again on Saturday, as they return home to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa to take on the Philadelphia Phillies, starting at 1:05 pm ET. Max Fried will toe the rubber for the Bombers in preparation for his Opening Day start. In the meantime, if you’re interested in World Baseball Classic action, Austin Wells and the Dominican Republic will face Korea tonight at 6:30pm ET on FS2, while Aaron Judge and Team USA will contend with Canada at 8pm ET on Fox.

Box Score

After recording a scoreless appearance in three innings with one strikeout and one walk in the World Baseball Classic as the captain for Colombia’s squad, new Rockies José Quintana (1-0, 0.00 ERA) is back in action today as Colorado (10-8-1) hosts the Texas Rangers (11-8) at Salt River Fields.

The Rockies will face Jabob Latz (0-0, 5.40 ERA). The Rockies lost their first showdown against Texas in Cactus League action when they fell 9-5 on Feb. 22. The Rockies will be looking to build off the momentum of their 13-2 win over Arizona on Thursday.

First Pitch: 2:10 p.m. MDT

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM/94.1 FM KOA Rockies Radio Network (1:55 p.m. pregame)

Lineups:

Rangers lineup for March 13, 2026 at Colorado pic.twitter.com/oRQ1OvpwD6

— Texas Rangers PR (@TXRangersPR) March 13, 2026

Q's back 😁 pic.twitter.com/IScmrkXTyh

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) March 13, 2026

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How Giants ace Logan Webb fared in Team USA's WBC quarterfinal win over Canada originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Giants ace Logan Webb‘s dominant World Baseball Classic continued in Team USA’s 5-3 quarterfinal win over Team Canada on Friday at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas.

Webb, making his second Team USA start, struck out five in 4 2/3 shutout innings. He allowed four hits and walked one batter in his second WBC win.

The 29-year-old put two runners on in the bottom of the first inning, but struck out Team Canada’s Owen Caissie and Abraham Toro to get out of the jam.

Logan Webb was fired up after getting out of the jam 😤pic.twitter.com/NHzZdLmqVD

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 14, 2026

In the second inning, Webb allowed a one-out single and never let Edward Julien advance past first base. Team USA shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. made a slick running grab to end the frame.

Logan Webb gets some help from Bobby Witt Jr. 🤝pic.twitter.com/KSTaEo91gL

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 14, 2026

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa let Webb start the fifth inning, but after walking one batter and recording two outs, the right-hander was approaching his pitch limit, so he was pulled from the game to a standing ovation.

Logan Webb leaves after 4 2/3 shutout innings 👏pic.twitter.com/7i4PBORR38

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) March 14, 2026

“Nice,” Giants manager Tony Vitello told reporters in Arizona when informed of Webb’s line from Friday’s WBC start. “Not a huge surprise there but definitely great to hear. That’s great to hear, and obviously we’ll wait a little bit until they’re done before we see him.”

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal spoke to Webb in the dugout during the seventh inning and asked him about pitching in the high-stakes game.

“Yeah, it’s a win-or-go-home type of game, playoff atmosphere,” Webb told Rosenthal. “It was awesome. I had a blast out there. It was pretty electric.”

How happy are you that you said yes to playing for @USABaseball?

Logan Webb: "Damn happy."@Ken_Rosenthalpic.twitter.com/eLd69UWaeO

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 14, 2026

In two Team USA starts, Webb has allowed just five hits and one earned run while striking out 11 in 8 2/3 innings.

With the win, Team USA advances to the World Baseball Classic semifinal, where they will face the Dominican Republic at 5 p.m. PT on Sunday at loanDepot park in Miami.

With two possible WBC games remaining, Webb isn’t expected to pitch again for Team USA. But he did his job and still has a chance to return to Giants camp in Scottsdale as a world champion.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

The Washington Nationals have made another round of cuts as Opening Day comes closer. This round involved the most notable names and saw some familiar faces get sent to the minors. It also provided some clarity on what the roster could look like. However, there are still plenty of roster spots up for grabs.

The Nationals have made the following roster moves:

Optioned to Triple-A Rochester
-LHP Andrew Alvarez
-LHP Jake Eder
-LHP Mitchell Parker

Reassigned to Minor League camp
-RHP Trevor Gott
-INF Seaver King
-INF Trey Lipscomb
-1B Matt Mervis

— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) March 13, 2026

For me, the two most notable cuts are Andrew Alvarez and Mitchell Parker. Both were vying for a rotation spot, but are going to have to start the season in the minors. Parker was honestly not a surprising cut. Despite making 59 starts over the past two seasons, it felt like he was on the outside looking in. His 2025 season was ugly after a great April, and he will now have to go back to the drawing board in Rochester.

Like a lot of Nats pitchers, I would expect Parker to cut his fastball usage. He threw his 4-seamer 55% of the time despite the pitch getting hit hard. However, I do not think his secondary pitches are as sharp as guys like Josiah Gray or Jake Irvin. That was likely a big part of why those guys had the upper hand on Parker.

The Nationals optioned Mitchell Parker to Rochester. Curious to see how his repertoire changes, if they have him use his slider more, etc.

They also optioned Andrew Alvarez and Jake Eder, and reassigned Trevor Gott, Seaver King, Trey Lipscomb and Matt Mervis to MiLB camp.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) March 13, 2026

This has got to sting for Parker, who established himself as a big leaguer these past couple seasons. However, at just 26 years old, Parker has time to get his career back on track. There were times in 2024 where Parker showed serious promise. Now, he will have to get back in the lab and make some adjustments.

Andrew Alvarez getting cut this early is a bit more surprising. The 26 year old had five excellent starts in September and was throwing the ball well in camp. However, he was likely a victim of the numbers game. It is easier to cut a guy like Alvarez than it is to let go of veterans like Gray and Irvin. 

I would expect to see Alvarez at some point this season and I am intrigued by him. He has excellent command and great feel for his breaking balls. The velocity is not great, but he is able to make it work. I was very impressed by his last outing against the Astros.

Andrew Alvarez (WSH) struck out five over four scoreless innings against the Astros pic.twitter.com/8ujRYG7iwC

— Pitcher List Stats (@PitcherListPLV) March 8, 2026

The other cuts were not as surprising, but Seaver King is a guy who can hold his head high. He had a really nice spring and kept up the momentum he gained in the Arizona Fall League. The former top 10 pick is likely to start the season in AA, and hopefully he can keep up the strong performances. King is a great athlete, who had a rough first season as a pro. Getting him back on track would be a big boost for the Nats.

Coming into camp, Matt Mervis had a shot at MLB playing time at first base if he had a strong spring. However, the local kid was underwhelming and will start the year in the minors. Mervis has big time power, but will have to find a way to keep the strikeouts under control. 

While this gives us some clarity, there are still plenty of cuts to make. A bunch of bullpen spots are still up for grabs and none of the outfielders on the 40-man roster have been sent down yet. That means these last couple weeks of spring will be crucial for guys looking to lock down roster spots.

With a new regime in place, I am super interested to see how they put together the Opening Day roster. Will we see any surprise cuts or will they stick to the status quo? That is what we are going to find out over these next couple of weeks.

There’s now less than two weeks to go until Opening Day, and things are definitely beginning to come into focus. We’ve lost our Opening Day starter, with Merrill Kelly’s nervous back ruling him out for that role. However, he started today’s game. Let’s start off with that section of the roster in more detail, shall we?

Starting rotation

1. Zac Gallen ($22m)
2. Brandon Pfaadt ($3.4m)
3. Ryne Nelson ($3m)
4. Eduardo Rodriguez ($21m)
5. Michael Soroka ($7.5m)

No changes in personnel here, but a move of Soroka back from the bullpen is in order, due to the Kelly situation hinted at above. It’s uncertain when Merrill will be considered adequately stretched out in order to return to the rotation: that should become closer as we move towards Opening Day. It may not require a stay on the 10-day injured list, but I suspect it will. The D-backs do not need a fifth starter until their ninth game on Saturday April 4. This is due to the (weird) off-day the first Sunday of the season. However, if the team IL Kelly on Opening Day, and backdate this the maximum permitted three days he wouldn’t be able to come off until April 7.

Alternatively, they could keep the rotation on point, and use Soroka for spot starts on March 31st and April 5th. Or not IL Kelly at all: there’s a case to be made that four innings of Kelly is better than no innings at all. Or, if you’re feeling less charitable, better than four innings of Soroka. That pair could just piggy-back when needed for a start or, at worst, two. We’ll likely know more as we see how long Kelly pitches in his upcoming Cactus League outings, which would be March 18 and 23, if he maintains a normal five-day rotation. It’s all uncertain for now.

Gallen has been anointed as Opening Day starter, his fourth consecutive year in the role. Though both this year and last, he backed into the role after the original candidate was unable to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. After him, Jack has mapped out the most likely order. Pfaadt, for example, has been pitching the day after Gallen this spring, so it make sense he’ll follow him once the regular season starts. Things thereafter do become a little more flexible, and the World Baseball Classic also affected things, with uncertainty around Eduardo Rodriguez

Bullpen

• Ryan Thompson ($3.95m)
• Kevin Ginkel ($2.725m)
• Taylor Clarke ($1.55m)
• Kade Stroud
• Paul Sewald ($1.5m)
• Jonathan Loáisiga
• Brandyn Garcia
• Andrew Hoffmann

Moving Soroka into the rotation opens a spot in the bullpen. Albeit probably a relatively short-term one. but it’s not a major issue, since the like of Stroud, Garcia and Hoffman all have minor league options available, when Soroka goes back to long relief. I’m no longer convinced that Drey Jameson will crack the roster. While his velo has been up, he has had his struggles this spring (an 8.44 ERA, on eight hits and five walks over 5.1 IP). Oddly, it seems like the team has been stretching him out a little, with his more recent spring outing lasting thirty pitches. He only reached that figure in one of his 19 appearances last year. May be significant, may not.

Garcia is still my pick for the left-handers spot, but had a bit of a blow-up yesterday, to put it mildly. Until then both he and Philip Abner had put up decent numbers in spring. Abner has allowed one run over six innings, on three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. Garcia had given up no runs over 4 IP, with a K:BB of 5:1. But Thursday’s rough outing (BB, HBP, 1B, HBP, BB – 26 pitches without recording an out) was definitely a concern, and his ERA went from zero to 11.25. The pessimist in me is predicting an elbow specialist in his future, naturally. Even if that isn’t the case, the door is certainly still open for Abner.

It’s possible the team could go with both, if Torey Lovullo wants two lefties. But I like the chances of Hoffmann, who has had an excellent spring. He has allowed one run over 4.2 innings on four hits, with a K:BB of 7:1. If he sustains that over the remaining couple of weeks, he could fill the final spot. It would, however, perhaps be between him and Stroud for who gets the short-stay token, and goes down to Reno when it is time for Merrill Kelly to rejoin the rotation, pushing Soroka down.

Starting line-up

• Catcher: Gabriel Moreno ($2.55m)
• First base: Carlos Santana ($2m)
• Second base: Ketel Marte ($15m)
• Shortstop: Geraldo Perdomo ($6.25m)
• Third-base: Nolan Arenado ($5m)
• Left field: Alek Thomas ($1.96m)
• Center field: Jordan Lawlar
• Right field: Corbin Carroll (10.635m)
• Designated hitter: Pavin Smith ($2.25m)

The good news about Carroll has certainly made a tricky situation in the outfield a lot more bearable. He didn’t just make it back in time for Opening Day, he did so with two weeks to spare. That should give him plenty of time to get ramped up, and there are backfield opportunities should more at-bats be needed. Lawlar has also played encouragingly well this spring. He has a .323 average and 1.174 OPS going into play this afternoon, while not embarrassing himself in center [despite the near miss the other day]. We haven’t seem much of Thomas, due to the WBC, but with Mexico now eliminated, he should be back in camp.

This has all removed the need for Ryan Waldschmidt to be rushed out of the majors for Opening Day. While we may still see him in 2026, service time elements – not just direct years, but a desire to avoid potential Super 2 status – will become a factor. While he played well enough, I’m fine with letting him mature in Reno for a bit. His time will come, and it may not be far off. Elsewhere on the diamond, things are progressing as expected. Nobody has got hurt, and nobody has done much in terms of performance – either to play their way out of a starting spot or into one.

Bench

• James McCann ($2.75m)
• Tim Tawa
• Jorge Barrosa
• Ildemaro Vargas

The supposed deal for a utility player discussed last time still has been notable by its absence, but the need still seems to be there. However, every day which passes makes it seem more likely the team is going to be comfortable going with the quartet above, or something close to it. I’m a lot happier with Barrosa as a fourth outfielder than I was when it seemed like he might become an everyday left-fielder. With him being out of options, it will get a little tricky when Lourdes Gurriel comes back and a spot needs to be found. What happens may depend on how Lawlar fares in center: he does still have a minor-league option left, if needed.

Meanwhile, Vargas comes into play today batting .345, though has yet to take a walk. I suspect that batting average is not sustainable, but he really isn’t going to be on the roster for his bat. What Vargas does have, is over 100 MLB innings at each infield position, as well as in left-field, so he offers a lot of positional flexibility and experience. Between him, Tawa and Barrosa (plus, in a pitch, Pavin Smith can play the outfield – albeit for some loose definition of “play”), I feel like the D-backs have adequate coverage around the diamond.

Payroll

• Estimated 2026 Payroll: $195M
• Estimated Final 2025 Payroll: $188M

No change here since last time, so that’s nice.

MIAMI, Florida — World Baseball Classic pool play wrapped up on Wednesday night with one of the most exciting games of the tournament to date as the Dominican Republic beat Venezuela 7-5 in Miami. There were a lot of great moments like this epic Fernando Tatis Jr. blast:

FERNANDO TATIS JR. THREE-RUN HOMER!!! pic.twitter.com/6exLuQpTbk

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 12, 2026

Juan Soto, also playing for the Dominican Republic, described it as the perfect bat flip. I must say I agree, honestly the whole show from bat flip to the slow, exaggerated trot around the bases was a 10/10 no notes type of performance. Don’t believe me, take a look at the reaction in Santo Domingo:

Last night in Santo Domingo’s Malecón 🇩🇴, thousands watching 🇻🇪 vs 🇩🇴 on a big screen by the ocean.

This was the reaction to Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 3-run HR. 🤯 #WorldBaseballClassicpic.twitter.com/rilrMuIICZ

— ADHD (@ADHDGoat) March 12, 2026

It’s going to be exceedingly difficult for anyone to top the caliber of play the Dominicans are bringing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic, but I have to believe the Contrerii playing for Venezuela, the Boricua led by Yadi Molina who will be making their debut in Houston tonight, and Japan, anchored by Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki and the one and only Shohei Ohtani will give it a go as they make their debut against Venezuela in Miami on Saturday.

It’s going to be a blast.

As much as my heart is shattered that Mexico missed the elimination rounds, I can’t take anything away from the incredible showing Italy and their espresso machine have put on so far this tournament. You can see the whole bracket below:

So with that, below are my hot takes on what is now a win or go home tournament. It’s gonna be lit, y’all. You can see how the crew at ESPN ranked the teams remaining in the tournament here.

David and Goliath: Korea vs. Dominican Republic

On paper this is a mismatch with a stacked Dominican team featuring a Latino murderers row of hitters that would strike fear in the hearts of the 1927 Yankees. Tatis & Soto are joined by Junior Caminero, Manny Machado, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Oneil Cruz,  Julio Rodríguez y mas. Just look at this swagger:

Juan Soto, Ketel Marte, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Fernando Tatis Jr. all homer as Team Dominican Republic secures the top seed in Pool D! 🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/rIw4CCBYrE

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 12, 2026

Oh, did I mention they can pitch? They can pitch. Former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara heads up a pitching roster that includes Red Sox starter Brayan Bello and at least four guys with MLB closing experience in Dennis Santana, Seranthony Domínguez, Camilo Doval, Carlos Estévez, Gregory Soto and Abner Uribe. Don’t fall behind against La República Dominicana.

But the beauty of a single elimination baseball tournament is that on any given day anyone can win, just ask Mark DeRosa and Team USA. Korea qualified for the elimination rounds for the first time in four tournaments. Former MLB pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu will toe the rubber for Korea tonight in Miami.

The Kings in the North: Canada vs. USA

Later tonight in Houston, a scrappy Canadian team will hope to repeat Italy’s performance and stun a stacked US team that ranks second in the ESPN power rankings. The Canadians are coming off a surprise win against team Puerto Rico in San Juan (admittedly, on a night where Puerto Rico’s manager Molina was resting many of his regulars after clinching a spot in the elimination rounds). The Americans are coming off a surprise loss against team Italy in Houston (admittedly on a night where USA manager Mark DeRosa maybe thought he clinched when he hadn’t but says he knew he hadn’t?).

Because one angle isn’t enough. 🫨 https://t.co/bf9RatFYa5pic.twitter.com/2yxf76C8Of

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) March 11, 2026

Pete Crow-Armstrong was the star in a losing effort against Italy, but has generally been backing up Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton. Lineups are not out yet, but keep an eye out to see if PCA is in the game or on the bench.

The Canadians will have Giants ace Logan Webb on the mound while the Americans will counter with former Cub Michael Soroka. Keep an eye on left field where former Cub Owen Caissie has been starting for Canada.

Not gonna miss their shot: Puerto Rico vs. Italy

The middle of the bracket features two teams with MLB regulars and a few lineup flaws. Puerto Rico is without some of their heaviest hitters, but had a strong second place finish in San Juan. They’ll look for a strong outing from staring pitcher Seth Lugo, who’ll likely partner with defensive catcher extraordinaire Martín Maldonado behind the plate. Manager Yadi (mi favorito Yadi) will look for strong offensive performances from Nolan Arenado, Heliot Ramos and walkoff hero Darrel Hernaiz:

IT'S GONE!
PUERTO RICO WINS!
DARELL HERNAIZ, WALK-OFF HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/L2kIDmzi5N

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026

The Italians will hope their espresso-powered vibes and young electric bats like Jac Caglionne, Vinnie Pasquantino and Jakob Marsee, along with former Cubs Jon Berti and Miles Mastrobuoni, can score enough runs to make up for their lack of deep pitching. They’ll send Sam Aldegheri or Michael Lorenzan to the mound Saturday afternoon in Houston.

A League of Their Own: Japan vs. Venezuela

Japan will send the greatest baseball player on the planet, Shohei Ohtani, and Cubs slugger Seiya Suzuki to anchor their offense with pitchers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Yusei Kikuchi into their debut in Miami hoping to start yet one more run to the World Baseball Classic Championship. There will be incredible cheers, there will be vibes. There will be Ohtani:

SHOHEI OHTANI GRAND SLAM! #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSICpic.twitter.com/z0BXjlYInF

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 6, 2026

Ohtani may be a unicorn but these are evenly matched teams with Venezuela countering Yamamoto with the pitching prowess of Ranger Suárez, backed up by a fierce offense featuring Ronald Acuña Jr., catching legend Salvador Perez and my favorite Contreras brothers for the nightcap on Saturday in Miami.

It’s a fascinating matchup with both teams offering star-studded MLB rosters, including All Star pitching.

There will be a game thread for tonight’s two games here at 5 p.m. CT.

Mets star Francisco Lindor is taking another positive step in his recovery from left hamate bone surgery.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday that Lindor will take live batting practice for the first time since the SS had surgery on Feb. 11. He added that Lindor will face LHP A.J. Minter during the live BP session later in the day.

"Lindor is going through his workout today," Mendoza said. "He'll face Minter, I think he's got a live BP and I think he'll face him. So yeah, normal day for him, full workout."

Mendoza added that he's unsure if Lindor will play in an upcoming Grapefruit League game, but is confident he'll be ready to go for Opening Day on March 26 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field.

"Everything is trending toward him playing shortstop for us on Opening Day," Mendoza said.

Lindor played defense only in his first minor league game on the backfields on Monday, and said he felt "really good" after getting in some game-action. He's also been taking swings in the batting cages as he works his way back, Mendoza said on Thursday.

"Yeah, I share his confidence for sure," Lindor said Monday. "Our training staff is really good. They’ve been doing everything possible. … They’re getting me right day in and day out, so I trust them, I trust the process. 

"They’ve been through this a lot of times, and when they say I’ll be ready for Opening Day, I believe them. I’m very optimistic. Hopefully everything here goes the right way and we’ll see where we’re at."

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

Earlier this week, we asked Royals fans who they wanted to be the Opening Day left fielder with a bevy of options after the guy most of us have assumed would be the guy heading into Spring Training. It turns out, Royals fans haven’t changed their minds.

Isaac Collins – who probably will be the Opening Day left fielder – got 57% of the vote. On retrospect, I guess that’s a pretty obvious call. Royals fans are smart enough not to put too much stock into Spring Training stats, and if Isaac Collins can’t be the guy, the Royals will be starting the year behind the eight ball in the outfield for at least the third season in a row.

What’s perhaps more interesting is how the rest of the results came in. I can understand Lane Thomas is probably better suited to center field instead of Kyle Isbel against the projected starter, a tough lefty in Chris Sale. But Starling Marte could still really hit last year, and while his defense didn’t rate well, the Royals really need a solid bat more than a glove out there. But Royals fans preferred the field of “someone else” rather than Marte. Who are you all putting out there instead of him? Nick Loftin has had a really nice spring, so maybe he would make some sense. I still think I’d take Marte, though.

Regardless, Collins is who Royals fans want and almost certainly who they’ll get. Only two weeks to go to find out if it’s going to work!

These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.

We have a split squad double header this afternoon as the Athletics will once again break the team up 50/50 to go take on two different squads. First one half will stay back to play host of the San Diego Padres, while the other half is set to hit the road across town and visit the Milwaukee Brewers. Who doesn’t love two-for-one days during spring?

A’s vs. Padres

First dealing with the Padres, the Athletics have veteran right-hander Aaron Civale set to get the ball for what will be just his second appearance of camp. The last-minute signee was all but guaranteed a rotation job by the team when he joined up and nothing has dispelled that notion of yet. He looked alright in his first action last time out, reaching 60 pitches across 3 2/3 frames while allowing just a pair of runs. The A’s are hoping for the 30-year-old to be a veteran innings-eater for a young squad. Expect for him to reach or surpass that 60-pitch mark he hit in his first start this spring.

Here’s how the A’s lineup versus the Padres looks this afternoon:

Today's lineup vs. San Diego – March 13, 2026 at Hohokam Stadium pic.twitter.com/SQdXineZcO

— A's Communications (@AthleticsPR) March 13, 2026

First baseman Nick Kurtz is back atop the lineup and A’s fans are seemingly going to have to make their own inner peace with Mark Kotsay’s decision to have him lead off. We’ll likely be seeing lots of balls fly out of the park this coming season from the lefty slugger’s bat, but there will likely be lots of solo shots instead of two and three-run bombs.

The coaches heavily favored the Padres matchup for their starters, with all but the final two spots in the batting order full of regulars. Behind Kurtz is another slugger in Shea Langeliers, followed by two more in Tyler Soderstrom and Brent Rooker. The on-base guys, Jeff McNeil and Jacob Wilson, will meanwhile be in the middle of today’s lineup. Are the A’s somehow ahead of the curve when they switch their typical middle-of-the-lineup hitters with their on-base machines?

This lineup will be going against Padres righty Michael King, one of their best pitchers. He’s already pitched three times this spring as he ramps up for a possible Opening Day assignment for San Diego.

Here’s how the Padres stack up:

On the road again. pic.twitter.com/8HfpPFTTba

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 13, 2026

While the A’s have most of their starters going the Pads are going the opposite way. Shouldn’t be too difficult a matchup for Civale and the Athletics this afternoon.

A’s at Brewers

Meanwhile the other half travels to the Brewers’ complex hoping to do their job on this two-win opportunity kind of afternoon. Taking the ball for the Athletics will be lefty prospect Gage Jump. There’s a bit of chatter going around that Jump could be an earlier-than-expected option for the A’s this year, and he’s done nothing to dispel that notion with a great spring so far. Another big outing for the 22-year-old could further his goal of getting to the big leagues sooner than later, with an outside shot at Opening Day.

Here’s the A’s batting order for the second game today:

Today's lineup vs. Milwaukee – March 13, 2026 at American Family Fields of Phoenix pic.twitter.com/yVMWV7mosI

— A's Communications (@AthleticsPR) March 13, 2026

Of course, with most of the starters in the other game there won’t be any facing off against the Brewers Crew today. We will get a Zack Gelof sighting as he handles DH duties today. Colby Thomas and Andy Ibanez seem like safe-ish bets to break camp with the club but have both struggles this spring, so a big game today would go a long ways for both of them.

Then we’ll also see a pair of top prospects as we’ll see Leo De Vries and Tommy White bat back-to-back in the middle of the order. A sneak peak of a possible future, perhaps?

And here’s Milwaukee’s starting nine for this afternoon:

Another start for Kyle Harrison

📻: WTMJ 620#ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/ERWnJz8DYO

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) March 13, 2026

An interesting opponent on the mound this afternoon as lefty Kyle Harrison gets the ball for the Brewers. He’s yet to reach his potential that was expected of him coming up through the Giants system a few years ago and he’s now trying to establish himself in Milwaukee after a failed stint in Boston. He’s looked solid during camp and with the Brewers battling some injuries, there’s a chance Harrison breaks camp with them in some capacity. He’s going to be going into today’s start with something to lose, which doesn’t bode well for the Athletics’ B-Lineup.

Two weeks to Opening Day. A chance for two wins today! Let’s go A’s!

The Atlanta Braves took on the New York Yankees faced off in Northport for a spring training in which Didier Fuentes took the mound in hopes of proving he is ready for a rotation spot.

The game started off with a bang for the Braves. Didier Fuentes looked like seasoned veteran with a 1-2-3 inning while picking two strikeouts, one of which was to former MVP Cody Bellinger. Then, Mauricio Dubón seems to be getting hot with a HR. Mark Bowman said it best:

The Chipper Effect remains real for Dubon pic.twitter.com/YEuIZDjSCb

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 13, 2026

The Braves continued to roll in the first, scoring four total runs thanks to Ozzie hitting a double, Austin Riley getting a single, a Mike Yastrzemski HBP, Jonah Heim single, and Kyle Farmer single. Of note, Albies may end up hitting second this season against lefties. Before last season he had one of the best splits in MLB against LHP with a wRC+ of 136 or higher in six different seasons to include two seasons above 174. However he struggled by his standards last season with only a 91. All in all, the Braves were able to put up seven runs on fourteen hits.

Didier Fuentes was on fire this game. Through his first eight hitters, he struck out five of them and was perfect through three innings. He consistently hit 97 MPH and reached 98.6 MPH on his fastball, and his sweeper looked absolutely filthy. Unfortunately, we only got to see his 3.0 innings because he was replaced by Dylan Dodd after only pitching forty-two pitches.

Both of Fuentes' strikeouts in the second inning concluded with his sweeper. This was the nastier of the two pic.twitter.com/dWT2tUyAHp

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) March 13, 2026

Pitcher List gave us an in-depth look of his outing, showing that he may have been a bit lucky based on his location and stuff, but he did get seven whiffs.

Didier Fuentes (ATL) struck out five over three perfect innings in his second spring training appearance pic.twitter.com/wQZJc5ZZZz

— Pitcher List Stats (@PitcherListPLV) March 13, 2026

The Braves late inning guys came in the game and looked solid. Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, and Aaron Bummer all combined for 3..1 perfect innings before Bummer was replaced by Frey who gave up a single in the eighth with two outs. Between Fuentes and the three aforementioned pitchers, they combined for 7.1 innings of perfect ball. The only real blemish for Braves pitching was Dylan Dodd giving up a double and single in an inning where he too looked decent with two strikeouts.

The story of this game was that this may have been the best overall output in terms of an entire game from Braves pitching from players who that have a shot of potentially making the MLB roster at some point this season. They had thirteen strikeouts while only allowing two hits and zero walks in 7.1 innings. This includes the numbers from Fuentes because he does have a shot of appearing at some point.

The scoreboard does not show the true dominance because Ian Mejia, who came in to pitch the ninth, gave up five earned runs without retiring a single batter.

In the game thread post, it was mentioned that Kyle Farmer was a player to keep an eye on because he may make the Opening Day roster to start games against LHP. Farmer went 3-3 today, boosting his spring average to .481 and OPS to 1.130. José Azocar continued to fight hard for a spot as well, picking up two hits and raising his average to .393 and his OPS to .950.

The Braves will face the Red Sox at North Port where Bryce Elder is scheduled to start, looking to cement a spot in the rotation. It will be hard for him to top what Fuentes did today.