Category: Baseball

Baseball is back and the Washington Nationals have come out on top not once, but twice. The team had a split squad double header today, where half the group went to Jupiter to face the Cardinals, while the rest of the team stayed in West Palm Beach to play the Astros. Both teams won, with the Nats edging the Astros 2-1 and beating the Cardinals 6-2.

It was an impressive start to the Paul Toboni and Blake Butera era. The pitching was mostly solid and the boys were able to get enough timely hits to get the job done. There are still things to clean up, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but they were good enough to win today. Also, these mistakes are only natural in the first games of Spring Training.

The Astros game was the one that was televised, so I was following that much more closely. It was a hotly contested game, where the Nats were let off the hook a few times by the Astros inability to hit with runners in scoring position. While there were some defensive miscues, there was also some brilliance. In the top of the 1st inning, prospect Andrew Pinckney made an outstanding throw to gun down a runner.

andrew pinckney mid-season form 🎯💪 pic.twitter.com/OIYsd93Zls

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 21, 2026

We were able to see the whole package with Pinckney today. As we saw, Pinckney’s arm is a major asset. Baseball America gave his arm a rare 80 grade. They noted that out of the 22 Triple-A outfield throws that were at least 100 mph, Pinckney made 8 of them. After seeing the rocket he unleashed today, that is easy to believe.

His skillset at the plate was also on display. In his first at bat, Pinckney looked overmatched and struck out. Those ugly strikeouts will always be a part of his game, it is all about limiting them. However, in his second plate appearance, he hit a 114 MPH rocket for a double in the gap. Pinckney has a 4th outfielder skillset. He has big power, elite speed, good defense and an elite arm, but has whiff concerns. 

Speaking of elite power, we saw that from Jorgelys Mota this afternoon. His home run gave the Nats a lead they never relinquished. The 20 year old got all of that ball as well, hitting it 434 feet and 115 MPH. Power has never been an issue for Mota, his big concerns come from his hit tool and propensity to chase. Maybe the new development team can unlock his potential and help him get to the next level.

jorgelys mota going from @FXBGNats to crushing spring home runs 💪 pic.twitter.com/BN93FM7rUF

— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) February 21, 2026

Mota has not fully broken out yet, and has holes in his game, but Baseball America still has him as the Nats 25th ranked prospect. He showed why he was put on the top 30 with his monster blast today. Mota is an intimidating presence in the box and is likely to start this season at High-A.

While the young guys were the story, another player who looked good was CJ Abrams. He went 1 for 2 with a walk today. His hit was a double he ripped down the line. Abrams looked very composed in the box and was seeing pitches well. His bases loaded walk also drove in a run. 

On the mound, it was a mixed bag. While the Nats only allowed one run, they did walk 11 batters. However, I thought PJ Poulin and Paxton Schultz looked sharp. Jake Eder also had his moments, but was inconsistent.

The winning pitcher Seth Shuman got bailed out by his defense right away. Minor league free agent signing Leandro Pineda robbed a home run with a fantastic catch. I can’t say I had heard of him until today, but it was a good way to make a first impression.

oh HELLO leandro pineda 😳 pic.twitter.com/0hHUIk2J1s

— Nationals Player Development (@Nats_PlayerDev) February 21, 2026

Holden Powell survived three walks to close the door, and the Nats got their 2-1 win. It was not their only curly W of the day though. Over in Jupiter, the Nats defeated the Cardinals 6-2.

Maxwell Romero’s three run homer was the decider in that one. Harry Ford also had a solid first game in the organization, with a walk and an RBI base hit. The other piece of the Jose A. Ferrer package Isaac Lyon also fired two scoreless innings. Marquis Grissom Jr. was also sharp in his two innings of work.

Overall, you can’t ask for a much better first day of Spring Training contests. The Nats got two wins and some of the young guys impressed. Hopefully the Nats can build on that and have a strong spring. Who knows, maybe they can surprise people this season, you never know. The boys are back in action tomorrow at 1:10 against the Marlins.

135 days since they were eliminated by the once and future World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the beta version of the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies took the field for the first time in a 3-0 Spring Training-opening loss to the 2025 World Series runner-up Toronto Blue Jays.

Aside from a couple costly pitches from some borderline bullpen contributors and an overall weak showing at the plate, there were some positive takeaways in addition to the obvious “nobody got hurt” that goes for every Spring Training exhibition.

One of the team’s biggest question marks heading into the season is whether Justin Crawford is ready to not only make the leap to the majors but to be a starting centerfielder and lineup contributor on a roster with playoff aspirations. The left-handed hitting Crawford led off the game against Blue Jays’ lefty, Eric Lauer, with an encouraging six-pitch at-bat that resulted in a hard-hit fly ball double to left-center. A pitch earlier, Crawford also hit a fly ball down the right field line that ended up just foul but had home run distance.

Wasting no time! Our first hit of the spring comes courtesy of Justin Crawford pic.twitter.com/EHLKCRl5kd

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 21, 2026

Crawford got his second hit of the spring in the fifth inning, a two-out line single up the middle, and displayed his speed in the field by running in to snag a hard liner off the bat of Vlad Guerrero, Jr. to end the third inning.

The only blemish on Crawford’s day was his pitch clock violation strikeout in the top of the third, but even that came at the end of a five-pitch at bat.

Most of the team’s major offensive contributors were held out of today’s game and the ones the weren’t didn’t have much to write home about in their first spring action. Adolis Garcia, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp and Rafael Marchan each got three plate appearances in, going a collective 0 for 10 with a walk each from Sosa and Kemp.

Non-roster invitee, Bryse Wilson, got the start on the mound and faced what appears will be Toronto’s entire opening day lineup. Wilson went two scoreless innings, albeit with three hits and a walk allowed and benefitted from a pair of double plays. The 28 year old Wilson has 163 major league appearances, 57 of which were starts, so he could be getting a look as a spot starter/long reliever at the end of the bullpen.

Zach McCambley pitched a scoreless third inning and allowed one walk with a strikeout. McCambley is a 26 year old right-handed reliever who the Phillies selected in the Rule 5 Draft, so he will need to make quite the impression to break camp with the team and must stay on the roster all season or be forfeit back to the Marlins.

Max Lazar pitched a scoreless fourth before Seth Johnson came on in the fifth and surrendered the first run of the afternoon, a solo shot to Daulton Varsho. Nolan Hoffman pitched the sixth, allowing four hits including a two-run homer by Sean Keys, though he did record three strikeouts.

After wholesale substitutions in the sixth inning, second baseman, Liover Peguero drew a leadoff walk and left fielder, Pedro Leon, reached on a fielders choice, getting all the way around to third via a steal and a wild pitch. Leon would fail to make it home as Carson DeMartini struck out to end the frame. DeMartini also collected an error in the previous frame on a dropped foul ball, though it didn’t end up costing his team any runs. Leon reached base again in the bottom of the ninth and took second courtesy of defensive indifference.

Andrew Walling pitched a one-hit bottom of the seventh, allowing a leadoff single to Rafael Lantigua, who was with the Phillies last spring and spent the 2025 season in Lehigh Valley. Walling is one of the few left-handed options currently in the organization, along with Kyle Backhus, Tim Mayza or Genesis Cabrera, that the Phillies could turn to if something were to happen to Jose Alvarado or Tanner Banks.

Catcher, Paul McIntosh, led off the top of the eighth inning with a double. McIntosh is likely battling it out with veterans Rene Pinto and Mark Kolozsvary for a spot in the Iron Pigs’ catching tandem alongside Garrett Stubbs.

Andrew Baker pitched the bottom of the eighth, allowing back-to-back two-out walks before getting a little luck from the wind that kept a deep fly ball in the park which was snared by center fielder, Dante Nori, at the warning track. Baker fell off the Phillies’ Top 30 Prospects list this season but projects to end up in Reading or Lehigh Valley to begin the season. Nori (Phillies #13 ranked prospect according to FanGraphs) will play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic and is projected to start in centerfield for the Reading Phils to begin the season.

A couple of free agent bench candidates also saw some action as Dylan Moore started at second base and Bryan De La Cruz was the designated hitter. Moore was hitless in two ABs while De La Cruz got a single in the second inning.

Look for more members of the 26 man roster to make their debut in Clearwater tomorrow as the Phils host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05pm.

The never-ending quest for depth continues, and on Saturday the Dodgers claimed outfielder Jack Suwinski off waivers from the Pirates.

Suwinski was designated for assignment on Monday when the Pirates signed free agent designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, ending a four-year stint in Pittsburgh for Suwinski. Acquired from the Padres in the Adam Frazier deal at the 2021 trade deadline, Suwinski hit 45 home runs with a combined 106 wRC+ in 2022-23, but was below replacement level in each of the last two seasons, hitting just .169/.271/.297 with a 59 wRC+ in 455 plate appearances in 2024-25.

Suwinski with the Pirates spend a little over half his time in center field, and also mixed in time in left field and right field. By Outs Above Average, Suwinsnki in his career is plus-2 in center, minus-3 in right, and minus-6 in left.

Chalk this one up to picking up a player because he became available, with over four weeks to figure out how to use him. The Dodgers before Suwinski had 17 position players on the 40-man roster, but both Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández won’t be ready for opening day. There’s an open battle in camp for second base, as well as multiple bench spots.

The only other center fielders besides starter Andy Pages on the 40-man roster are Michael Siani, who has an option year remaining, and Hyeseong Kim, who has options but is really an infielder by trade and is in the running to play second base. Suwinski is out of options, having used option years in 2022, 2024, and 2025 with the Pirates.

With two years, 170 days of major league service time, Suwinski was a Super Two this offseason, among the top 22 percent among players with between two and three years of service. He avoided an arbitration hearing in November with a one-year, $1.25 million deal in November.

Kiké Hernández was placed on the 60-day injured list to make room on the roster for Suwinski. Hernández is coming off left elbow surgery in November.

Aaron Judge launched two long home runs and Spencer Jones hit one, too, as the Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers, 20-3, in their second game of Grapefruit League play on Saturday in Tampa.

New York made up for being shut out in Friday's Grapefruit League opener and finished the day with 18 hits and 11 walks.

Here are the takeaways...

- Judge, getting his first action of the spring, lined out to center in the first inning, before he tattooed a cutter at the knees 420 feet to center (104.5 mph off the bat) for a two-run home run in the third off veteran right-hander Burch Smith.

Judge added another two-run shot in the fourth, taking an up-and-in fastball from long-time minor leaguer Ricky Vanasco and keeping it fair down the left field line. The 92 mph heater went out in a hurry, 106.1 mph off the bat, and 395 feet just inside the foul pole.

- Jones, sporting a bit of a Shohei Ohtani-type toe tap, launched a monster home run with one out in the second. The big lefty took a Keider Montero up-and-in fastball 408 feet (111.7 mph off the bat) for a very Ohtani-like no-doubt homer. He went down swinging on a changeup off the plate to end the third inning, his next time up.

Jones used the Yanks' first challenge as a batter of the spring in the fifth, but the low strike was correctly called as it did clip the bottom of the zone. He went down swinging on the next pitch, chasing a slider outside the zone.

- Carlos Lagrange got the start for the Yanks and allowed a bullet, one-out single to Kevin McGonigle, the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, in the first and nearly got his head taken off by a liner up the middle off Gleyber Torres' bat. The big Yankee youngster burned in the two fastballs at 100.5 mph and 98.2 mph, but they went for hits at 104.5 mph and 101.7 mph.

The Tigers got on the board after catcher Ali Sánchez couldn’t block a third strike in the dirt, and his throw to third went right past Ryan McMahon, scoring McGonigle. The No. 3 prospect in the NY system finished the inning with a second strikeout, showing off a very live arm.

Lagrange had the changeup working, but he left one up and over the plate to Corey Julks, and he tagged it 387 feet to left field for a solo home run to leadoff the third. After walking the next batter, the right-hander got the next two before issuing a two-out walk, and Aaron Boone was out of the dugout. His final line: 2.2 innings, two runs (one earned) on three hits, two walks, two strikeouts on 53 pitches (32 strikes).

"What I've been pleased with in just his first couple of life outings, and now obviously here, just filling up the strike zone for the most part. That's the next step for him," Boone said on the YES broadcast about Lagrange. "You see all of the stuff, the big fastball, really good changeup – although he gave up the homer on the changeup that he hung today – and then the sweeper. I like that he was in the zone for the most part with all of it."

On the day, Lagrange threw 19 fastballs (99.8 mph average), 11 changeups, his second-best pitch and one highly thought of (91.5 mph average), and 13 sliders, a pitch that was working well to upset the Tigers' timing with five called strikes.

"He's been excellent all camp so far," Boone said of the 6-foot-7 starter. "Really, really good kid, really good makeup. Kinda has developed into a leader coming up through the minor leagues."

- McMahon took a two-strike 97 mph fastball the other way for a ground-rule double into the corner in left with one down in the first inning. The Yanks have encouraged McMahon to have a narrower, less open stance, and it looked pretty good in his first time up. He finished the day 1-for-3 with a strikeout.

- Paul Goldschmidt, with runners on second and third and one out in the first, took a 3-2 fastball at the top of the zone and smacked it into left field to put the Yanks up 2-1. The veteran hit one right on the screws (108.3 mph) for a lineout to left his second time up. He reached on an infield single on another hard-hit ball (107.5 mph) in the fourth to finish the game 2-for-3 with two batted in.

- Jasson Dominguez, who walked his first time up, made a nice play to start the second when he got a good jump on a sharply hit liner to left to record the out. He reached second on a ‘double’ to start the fourth when Julks in left field lost a pop fly while battling a bright sunny sky. He added a sacrifice fly to center in the fourth.

- George Lombard Jr. got a RBI chance in his first at-bat with two on and two in scoring position in the fifth, and the Yanks’ top prospect bounced out to short. 

- Out of the bullpen, David Bednar worked around a one-out walk with a double play ball, needing just 10 pitches for a clean fourth, and Fernando Cruz used six pitches in a 1-2-3 fifth.

- Sanchez got involved with the ABS challenge system in the third inning. He lost on his first attempt when the ball was indeed outside (by 0.8 inches) and was successful on his second with a strike that caught the bottom of the zone. At the plate, the catcher went 1-for-2 on the day with a strikeout.

- The game blew open in the eighth inning after the Tigers' pitchers just lost the plot with four walks and a Roderick Arias grand slam before a few singles and a Jackson Castillo three-run shot in the nine-run inning. 

Highlights

Paul Goldschmidt rips a two-run single 💪 pic.twitter.com/agiuVFKEIk

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 21, 2026

111.7 MPH off the bat from Spencer Jones on this home run 🔥 pic.twitter.com/9TbvVRHWz9

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 21, 2026

ALL RISE.

A 420-foot home run for Aaron Judge! 👨‍⚖️ pic.twitter.com/IW30BmxGlO

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 21, 2026

AARON JUDGE HOMERS AGAIN! 💣 pic.twitter.com/wImikHQKJh

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 21, 2026

What's next

The Yankees host the Mets in Tampa on Sunday with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. 

Luis Gil is set to start for the Bronx-based club, with Justin Hagenman getting the ball for the boys from Queens.

As Mets pitchers lined up along the third baseline to take their turns in one of those mundane spring training drills Saturday morning, an outfielder whose presence was not required sidled into the queue.

Within seconds, Freddy Peralta’s laugh rang out over the voices of coaches and infielders navigating rundowns. A coach or two wandered over to get in on the joke. New center fielder Luis Robert Jr. wandered over and seemed to catch some flack. A few minutes later, Juan Sotoemerged from the huddle that had suddenly formed around him, his attempt to feign solemnity disrupted by a smile he could not hide.

The moment is one of many like it in the early weeks of Soto’s second spring training as a Met and emblematic of his presence so far: the 27-year-old looks less like a player trying to determine his role in the clubhouse and more like a superstar who understands it perfectly.

Impromptu gatherings seem to coalesce around him, whether in the back corner of the clubhouse with Spanish-speaking relievers or behind home plate during live batting practice, where he and Carlos Beltran descended on Robert Jr. because both noticed something with his hands as he was loading.

“We’re just talking a bunch of crap all day. We’re usually not talking that much about hitting,” Soto said. “Definitely when things come up like that, and Beltran is trying to explain something, I try to be there just to be there for him and also listen for myself.”

Soto is now a relative old-timer on a new-look Mets roster devoid of many players who used to mold its personality. This year, Soto and Francisco Lindor will anchor a core built around newcomers Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco, all of whom earned teammates’ respect elsewhere and are known as less vocal, lead-by-example types.

And while the dynamic between Lindor and Soto last season was reportedly uncomfortable, it has not been on display much at all in the early days of camp. Lindor, like most injured veterans, is maintaining a low profile in the clubhouse as his left hand heals from surgery. Soto spends most of his time with the outfielders anyway. At the moment, there seems to be plenty of room for comfortable coexistence.

At the very least, Soto said his offseason was more comfortable than the last one, and a few teammates have noticed he has a slightly different look: Soto arrived looking visibly more muscular in his arms and shoulders, prompting his former Yankee teammate, Luke Weaver, to ask, “Are you getting bigger, or am I getting smaller?”

Soto said he did not make a concerted effort to add muscle this winter and that he tried to do the same things he has done in years past. But this winter, he was able to do them better.

“I feel like last year’s offseason was kind of tough. I was going through a lot of ups and downs. Traveling a lot. Moving everywhere. Getting phone calls. Stopping workouts in the middle. It just wasn’t my best workouts,” Soto said. “This year, I could work a little harder and have a little more fun with it.”

The slugger will spend spring training refamiliarizing himself with left field, where he will play regularly for both the Mets and the Dominican Republic in next month’s World Baseball Classic. Several defensive metrics suggested Soto had the second-worst defensive season last year in right field, and he has been open about his desire to improve defensively. He played four innings in left field Saturday and successfully fielded a base hit.

Of course, comfort comes easily in spring training, when a few innings comprise a full day’s work and losses end in laughs. But Soto seems at ease in his routine, comfortable with his teammates, and eager to help Robert Jr. unlock his full potential. And after an offseason filled with discussion about the emotional state of stars in the Mets clubhouse, comfortable seems like a reasonable place to start.

TAMPA — The two biggest Yankees began Grapefruit League play by sending towering blasts into the stands and beyond.

Aaron Judge homered twice, and Spencer Jones added a moonshot of his own on Saturday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field as the Yankees opened their home spring schedule against the Tigers.

Jones’ mammoth shot came first off right-hander Keider Montero, clearing everything in right field and leaving the stadium altogether.

"Over EVERYTHING!"

Spencer Jones got all of that one. #YANKSonYESpic.twitter.com/97EfqpNfC6

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) February 21, 2026

It was projected by Statcast to travel 408 feet, which seemed incredibly light for the homer that came off the bat at 111.7 mph.

Judge then homered in his next two at-bats, the first a 420-foot poke off the batter’s eye in center field and the second a 395-foot drive down the left-field line that he was somehow able to keep fair.

Welcome to baseball season, Aaron Judge homered AGAIN pic.twitter.com/42CaZKfHkr

— MLB (@MLB) February 21, 2026

The 6-foot-7 sluggers were playing next to each other in the outfield, with Judge in right and Jones in center.

The Yankees typically slow-play Judge into Grapefruit League games, but he got into action quickly this spring since he is leaving camp next week to go play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

The Marlins defeated the Mets 2-1 in the opening game of Grapefruit League play. The Mets were no-hit in the contest until the fifth and threatened late, but were unable to pull out the late-inning comeback.

• Brandon Waddell pitched two scoreless (and smooth and easy) innings to kick things off for the Mets.
• The Marlins scored their first run in part thanks to an error by first baseman Jose Rojas in the fourth trying to corral a poor throw from Bo Bichette at third base.
• Austin Barnes broke through with a single for the Mets’ first hit in the fifth.
• The Marlins added a run on a Christopher Morel sacrifice fly in the sixth.
• The Mets loaded the bases on a hit-by-pitch and a pitch clock violation walk in the eighth and A.J. Ewing hit a sacrifice fly for the Mets’ only run.
• Ewing also had a nifty outfield assist in the top of the ninth, nabbing Colby Shade trying to get to third base. 

The Mets will play their crosstown rival Yankees in Tampa tomorrow at 1:05pm ET.

PORT ST. LUCIE  - The Mets opened Grapefruit League play Saturday with a 2-1 loss at home to the Miami Marlins, managing to get only two hits in the game.

Here are the top takeaways:

-Of most interest, Bo Bichette played his first game as a Met and made his debut at third base. Other than a routine pop-up, the only fair ball he had a chance to make a play on was Connor Norby’s ground ball down the line in the fourth inning.

Bichette had to range to his right, nearly to the foul line to backhand the ball, and from there his throw wasn’t particularly strong, as well as a bit off-line.

First baseman Jose Rojas stretched for the ball and dropped it, getting an error on the play.

So it could have been an out, but the throw also raised the question that scouts have had about whether Bichette has the arm strength to make those types of plays at third base.

In his two at-bats, Bichette went 0-for-2.

He grounded a chopper the other way, down the first base line, but Marlins’ first baseman Christopher Morel made a nice play, grabbing the ball over his shoulder going back for it, and throwing to the pitcher for the out.

Bichette also grounded to third in his second at-bat before coming out of the game.

-Carlos Mendoza’s lineup featured two more regulars, Juan Soto and Marcus Semien. Each went 0-for-2 before leaving the game.

Semien popped to third and struck out swinging. Soto popped to short and grounded out to first.

-Mets’ starting pitcher was lefty Brandon Waddell, who could earn a spot in the Mets’ bullpen with a strong spring, as AJ Minter won’t be ready to open the season.

Waddell threw two scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out three of the six hitters he faced.

-The Mets were held scoreless until the eighth inning, when they loaded the bases and scored a run on AJ Ewing’s sacrifice fly to center. Ewing emerged last season as a top prospect for the Mets and has a chance to be the center fielder of the future.

Veteran catcher Austin Barnes, competing for the backup at age 36, had the first hit for the Mets, lining a single to center in the fifth inning.

-Ronny Mauricio was the first Met to reach base, on a throwing error in the second inning, and he promptly stole second, getting one of those running leads/early starts with which they had so much success last season.

There were questions whether the Mets’ running game would be as good this season, after first base coach Antoan Richardson left to take a job with the Atlanta Braves. Richardson was credited with much of the success in how aggressive the Mets were last season.

Mauricio, meanwhile, hasn’t received much attention in Mets’ camp, but he could wind up starting the season at shortstop if Francisco Lindor isn’t ready to return after last week’s surgery for a broken hamate bone.

-MJ Melendez, who could be a candidate for playing time in right field, made two nice running catches from that position.

He ranged far to catch one fly ball in foul territory, nearly reaching the fence in front of the seats. On the second one, he was playing toward the gap, had to come a long way over and in to catch a shallow fly ball. Looked under control on each one.

Highlights

Ronny Mauricio swipes second base after reaching on an error! pic.twitter.com/R7MMPft90E

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 21, 2026

Two nice running catches by MJ Melendez pic.twitter.com/fTlyfxAgob

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 21, 2026

What's next

The Mets continue spring training action against the Yankees on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

Philles 0 Blue Jays 3

As everyone knows, the pitchers are ahead of the hitters at the start of spring training (when the teams score a bunch of runs tomorrow, the opening line will be reversed). Jays allowed just 4 hits and 4 walks.

Eric Lauer looked sharp in his inning, giving up a single, and getting a strikeout.

Other’s pitching:

• Tyler Rogers: He was fun to watch. Gave up a single, but got out of the inning.
• Adam Macko threw two innings, one walk, two strikeouts.
• CK Van Eyk had one hit, two walks, two strikeouts in his two innings.
• Jack Cushing had a walk and two strikeouts in one inning.
• Gage Stanifer started the inning with a double and hit a batter, then got a ground out, a pop out, and a ground out.
• Javen Coleman came in for the save. Got a lineout, strikeout, error on the shortstop, and strikeout. He looked good.

Batters:

Daulton Varsho hit a fifth inning home run.

Starting lineup:

• Ernie Clement singled and walked in his two PA.
• Andres Jimenez hit into a double play and ground out.
• Vladimir Guerrero walked and lined out.
• Kirk singled and struck out.
• Addison Barger was 0 for 2.
• Kazuma Okamoto was 0 for 2, but made a nice play coming in on a ball and made a strong throw to first. He also booted a ball that went off the pitcher to him, but it had no shot at a play.
• Daulton Varsho, as noted above homered. He also singled. A 3.500 slugging average.
• Davis Schneider was 0 for 1 with a walk.
• Nathan Lukes was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Replacements:

• Leo Jimenez played 2b: 0 for 2.
• Josh Kasevich had a misplay at short, called a hit, could have been an error. And then in the ninth had a bad error, easy ground ball, right at him and he booted it. Also had a single in two trips.
• Sean Keys 1B: 1 for 2 with a two-run homer.
• C.J. Stubbs: 1 for 2.
• Yohendrick Pinango: 0 for 2, k.
• Charles McAdoo: 1 for 1, walk. Made some nice plays on defense at third.
• Riley Tirotta: 0 for 1, k, walk.
• RJ Schreck: 0 for 2, k. He had a fly ball to the wall in the eighth. I thought it was out.
• Rafael Lantigua: 1 for 1

We are perfect in 2026.

If first impressions are any indication, then the Atlanta Braves and their fanbase should be pretty happy with what Mike Yastrzemski may have in store for the upcoming season. One of the newest signings for the Braves made his presence felt almost immediately in the Grapefruit League opener. He kept that up and had a pretty good day at the plate as the Braves cruised to a win over the Rays.

When I say that Yaz made his presence felt immediately, I mean it — he hit second for the Braves in this one and he took the first pitch he saw from Rays pitcher T.J. Nichols and crushed it deep to center field to put the Braves ahead early on in this one. Nichols left one right in Yaz’s wheelhouse and he made no mistake with it in order to crack his first homer (of spring training) with the Braves.

Yastrzemski wasn’t done there, either. He hit a hard single off of Kodi Whitley in the third inning and then he capped off his day by coaxing a walk out of Joe Rock. Once he reached base, Kevin Kilpatrick replaced him at first place and that was the end of his day. Sure, it was the very first day of spring training but I’d say that reaching base three times with one of those being a homer and playing some solid defense in the field on top of that makes for a lovely start to spring training. Here’s to seeing plenty more where that came from from here on out and especially in the regular season as well.

Mike Yastrzemski wasn’t the only player who hit the ground running. Journeyman outfielder Ben Gamel also made his presence felt in this one, as he hit a homer of his own to lead off the second inning. Gamel golfed one that was low and in the zone from Andrew Wantz and sent it flying way out for a dinger that extended Atlanta’s quick start in this one.

Gamel wasn’t finished as he went on to tack on two more RBI via a looping double to left-center. Mike Yastrzemski scored on the play as well, so those two players really were all over the place (in a good way) in this one. The Braves led 5-0 after three innings in this one — Mike Yastrzemski and Ben Gamel were responsible for four of the runs scored (two each) and four of the RBI (three for Gamel and one for Yaz) as well. Again, talk about hitting the ground running!

On the other side of things, Atlanta’s pitching staff did their part in order to make sure that the Rays stayed quiet for the vast majority of this contest. Carlos Carrasco got things going with three strikeouts and three hits allowed over two innings of work. Carrasco won’t win any velocity contests any time soon as he topped out at around 91-mph on the radar gun during Saturday’s action but it was still nice to see him retire the side in both innings with little-to-no issues.

Dylan Dodd picked up the baton in the third inning and pitched a scoreless frame while only giving up a hit and striking out a batter. Dodd’s velocity was certainly up, as his sinker was regularly hitting 96-mph on the gun in this one. That’s definitely encouraging if he can keep that up going forward since he was sitting at 94-mph with his sinker last season.

Hayden Harris got the ball for the fourth inning and while he did run into a situation with two men on and nobody out, Harris did a great job of escaping the jam by getting an infield fly and two strikeouts to nip Tampa Bay’s scoring threat right in the bud.

Offseason signing James Karinchak took on pitching duties in the fifth inning and tallied two strikeouts of his own with just one hit allowed in order to keep the ball rolling for the Braves and keep the Rays off of the scoreboard. In fact, the Rays did not score until the sixth inning when Logan Davidson homered off of Elieser Hernández and the Braves didn’t give up a walk until Austin Pope handed out the first free pass of the day all the way into the eighth inning. Atlanta’s pitchers racked up 12 strikeouts in this one. Suffice to say, this was a very solid performance from the pitching staff in this one.

It was a very solid performance all-around for the Braves as they got their Grapefruit League campagin started off on a winning note. The excitement should bleed into Sunday’s outing as Chris Sale has been confirmed as the starter for the home opener at CoolToday Park against the Twins. For now, Mike Yastrzemski and Ben Gamel should both feel pretty satisfied with their efforts today as they make the short trip back to Braves camp in North Port from the Rays facility in Port Charlotte.

Here are your Guardians lineups for today:

Double-barrel action to start Cactus League play.

Who has it better than us?#GuardsSpringpic.twitter.com/hV8tY50v2J

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) February 21, 2026

vs. Reds:

LF Kwan

CF Martinez

3B Ramirez

C Naylor

SS Arias

DH Fry

1B Kayfus

RF Rodriguez

2B Brito

P Allen

vs. Brewers

CF DeLauter

SS Rocchio

1B Manzardo

C Hedges

3B Schneemann

DH Valera

RF Jones

LF Halpin

2B Bazzana

P Cantillo

The Texas Rangers hitch a ride east for their first road game of the spring where they will take on the Chicago Cubs from Mesa, AZ. It’s days like today where we discover people such as Jonah Bride, Cooper Johnson, and Tyler Wade both exist and are employed by the Rangers.

Right-handed rotation hopeful Kumar Rocker will make the start for Texas opposite LHP Matthew Boyd for Chicago. According to Kennedi Landry, expect to see Cal Quantrill, Patrick Murphy, Luis Curvelo, and Carter Baumler also pitch for Texas in today’s game.

You can listen to the game via 105.3 The Fan, watch the Chicago feed via MLB.TV, or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Sloan Park is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.

Go Rangers!

Well, the D-backs are already off to a better spring start than they were in 2025. Last year, they lost their first three games, conceding a total of 32 runs in the process. So it was nice to see them put together a well-pitched game right out of the gate. On the other hand, opening with a victory makes it a little harder to remember that spring training numbers are totally meaningless! We’ll see if the Diamondbacks can run their unbeaten streak to a mighty two games this afternoon!

We play baseball… again! pic.twitter.com/RPvyRXi1ic

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) February 21, 2026

[Wrestling commentator voice] WHAT IS JORDAN LAWLAR DOING IN CENTER FIELD?!?!? After yesterday saw a fairly convincing facsimile of Arizona’s Opening Day line-up, this afternoon is… not so much. In fact, absent any injuries, Lawlar might be the only one who’ll be trotting out onto the field in Los Angeles next month. Still, we should probably get used to this, because it’s not long before the World Baseball Classic will be sucking away seven of the 40-man Arizona roster from Salt River Fields, and we should get used to seeing replacements for the next few weeks.

Also, Mitch Bratt makes his first appearance in a Diamondback jersey. He was one of the players received by Arizona from Texas, in exchange for Merrill Kelly’s holiday in Arlington, and will hopefully become a useful piece in the D-backs rotation. Perhaps not this year – Kohl Drake is the more advanced prospect we got off the Rangers – but fingers crossed for down the line. After him, we can expect to get some or all of the following pitchers: RHP Alfred Morillo, RHP Hayden Durke, LHP Spencer Giesting and LHP Yu-Min Lin. I don’t believe today’s game has any TV coverage, but it’ll be on the radio through ESPN 620 AM.

For the Dodgers, the Cactus League gets underway today, on the road in Tempe.

Baseball is back.

Today's #DodgersST lineup at Angels: pic.twitter.com/NYiyG2rFS3

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 21, 2026

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Angels
• Ballpark: Tempe Diablo Stadium
• Time: 12:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (simulcast), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Can I interest you in an embedded Bluesky post to set the mood?

The Royals are back in action this afternoon, hosting the San Diego Padres in Surprise. They’ll face off against MLB The Show stud but real-life underperformer Matt Waldron, the last known (to me, at least) knuckleballer in MLB. Here’s the lineup they’ll be using:

Kyle Isbel gets to bat fifth in today’s contest, likely to give him a third plate appearance before letting him head off to the golf courses. And don’t worry, that’s not the nearly-87-year-old Cookie Rojas (His birthday is March 6. Happy early birthday, Cookie!) but instead former White Sox infielder Josh Rojas getting the start at third as he tries to reclaim the success from his time with the Diamondbacks of three and four years ago. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez are the only Royals to start a second game in a row. That’s fitting as they are the heart of both the lineup and the team in general.

Ryan Bergert will be taking the mound in a semi-competitive game for the first time since he exited a start against the Cleveland Guardians early in September with forearm tightness. He’s someone we’ll be watching closely to make sure he’s healthy heading into the season. He might not even make the opening day rotation, but he’s likely to be very important as the year goes on.

They announced who all would be pitching after him during yesterday’s broadcast, but like a rookie, I chose not to write it down, assuming I’d be able to find it easily somewhere today. Don’t worry, I’ll have that cleaned up by Opening Day. The Royals do have the following pitchers listed on their game roster for today, and I imagine most of them are going to get an opportunity to pitch:

• Eli Morgan
• Chandler Champlain
• Jonathan Heasley
• Mason Black
• Christian Chamblerain
• Ben Kudrna
• Dennis Colleran Jr.
• Andrew Pérez
• Oscar Rayo

Of that batch, I’m most interested in Morgan and Black as they both seem to have outside shots at making the bullpen out of Spring Training. I had forgotten Heasley had returned on a minor league deal last August, and even if I had remembered, I wouldn’t have realized he was still in the organization this spring. Colleran is another guy to watch closely, even if he’s unlikely to make the Opening Day roster. He had a 1.83 ERA in A+ ball last year, though with a FIP over 4.00 and not nearly enough strikeouts.

(EDIT: Anne Rogers came through!)

#Royals pitching plan today…

Bergert
Black (2)
Morgan
Kudrna (2)
Colleran
Heasley (yes, that Jon Heasley!)
Rayo

Possibles: Perez, Champlain, Chamberlain

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) February 21, 2026

The outfield situation should be interesting as well; the Royals have Tyler Gentry, Gavin Cross, Kameron Misner, and Carson Roccaforte on the game roster outside the starters, and all of those guys have something to prove to the team, though only Misner seems remotely likely to break camp with the big club.

Today’s game will only be broadcast in online audio, but it’s free through either the Royals’ site or the MLB App. In the past, during such broadcasts, they haven’t played commercials but have instead allowed us to soak in the sounds of the ballpark between innings. Hopefully, we’ll get to enjoy that again this year.