PORT ST. LUCIE — Carson Benge is excelling in his first major league camp with the Mets, but whether that translates into a spot on the Opening Day roster is still in question.
“I don’t think we have made that decision yet,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday.
Benge, the team’s top position player prospect, entered play with an .846 OPS in the Grapefruit League.
He bolstered his case with an RBI triple in his first plate appearance against the Marlins on this night.
Carson Benge has excelled in his first major league camp with the Mets. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“Carson is having a nice camp,” Stearns said. “Similar to all our guys he’s worked really hard — I think we have had a real work-intensive camp across the field and Carson has participated in that.
“In the games we’ve seen what we would have expected. He’s taken very competitive at-bats. He’s a tough out. I think he’s played a nice right field … he’s a really good player and we’ll have a difficult decision as we get toward the end of camp.”
Mike Tauchman and MJ Melendez are among the other players in camp in the right field mix.
Francisco Lindor remains in position to potentially begin the season with the team, according to Stearns, as he rehabs from hamate bone surgery in his left hand.
Stearns said he would expect Lindor to appear in Grapefruit League games before the Mets break camp, but conversations have not occurred to set a plan.
Brandon Waddell is “getting better,” according to manager Carlos Mendoza, after he was scratched from his Monday start because of shoulder fatigue.
The left-hander won’t need imaging on the shoulder and will continue throwing, according to Mendoza.
Outfielder Nick Morabito and pitcher Jonathan Pintaro were optioned to Triple-A.
Pitcher Jack Wenninger was reassigned to minor league camp.
The Mets have 64 players remaining in major league camp.
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - MARCH 09: A detail shot of a World Baseball Classic Pool A base jewel prior to the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool A game presented by Capital One between Team Colombia and Team Panama at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on Monday, March 9, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockies fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The World Baseball Classic is in full swing, and the Rockies have a number of players on a variety of rosters. Some have performed well while others have struggled… but that’s baseball!
Tonight, we’d like to know your thoughts on the WBC so far. Who has performed well, and who do you think will win? Let us know!
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 09: Max Fried #54 of the New York Yankees delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the Grapefruit League spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 09, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Look. It’s spring training. I’m not going to get too wound up in the final score. There was some really good tonight and some really blah tonight. On the positive side of the ledger, just-announced Opening Day starter Max Fried looked like an ace on the mound, mixing his repertoire and flummoxing Pirates hitters. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton was doing his usual, smashing baseballs at preternatural speeds.
Less positively, “let’s get Rockies relievers for our bullpen” is looking like a sketchy proposition, with a couple former Coloradans struggling versus Pittsburgh hitters in a 5-3 loss. But at the end of the day, Fried looked great, Stanton’s swinging a big stick, and the club got out of tonight healthy. That’s its own kind of win in my book.
Fried picked up right where he left off against Panama last week. Three Pirates came to the dish in the opening stanza, including super-prospect Konnor Griffin. All sat right back down. Fried punctuated the inning with a swinging strikeout of former first overall pick Henry Davis, the first of six on the night.
Former Houston Astro José Urquidy took the mound for Pittsburgh and, unfortunately, matched Fried. I hold grudges, so out of sheer spite, I would have liked to hang 10 runs on Urquidy in the first.
Fried ran his scoreless spring streak to five innings when he stepped back on the mound in the second. Two more strikeouts highlighted the frame, led by an ABS overturn that sent former Baby Bomber Rafael Flores, Jr. back to the Pirates dugout with his bat on his shoulder.
Big G got the Yankees on board in the home second. And it was Vintage Stanton. Giancarlo absolutely murdered an Urquidy offering: 109.5 mph off the bat, 424 feet to left center field. Watch and enjoy:
Sadly, the Pirates managed a base hit in the top of the third. No spring training no-no for Maximum Fried and the Yankees. I guess the good news was, as Todd Frazier pointed out in the YES booth, it gave Fried a chance to pitch out of the stretch after having been exclusively in the windup for the first two innings.
Veteran infielder Paul DeJong, leading off the Yankee third, followed in Stanton’s footsteps. He got a fastball out over the plate from Urquidy and drove it to left field. The only question was whether it would stay fair. It did, and it was 2-0, New York. Later in the inning, with Trent Grisham standing on second and two out, Cody Bellinger took Urquidy to deep right-center field. That double scored Grish and extended the lead to three runs.
With his pitch count in outstanding shape (40 pitches through three), Fried came back out for the fourth. Two more whiffs and a groundball sent him back to the dugout with about 10 pitches left in his bag – skipper Aaron Boone revealed in-game the goal was to have Fried throw 65.
The Pirates got on the board with Fried at the end of his rope in the fifth. On Fried’s 62nd pitch of the night, Endy Rodriguez got ahold of a mistake and hit it just far enough to send one up and out to left field. Boone left him out to face the next hitter, but once Fried’s pitch count hit 67, Boone bounded out of the dugout to come get his ace.
All told, it was an excellent outing from Fried, who threw seven different pitches on his way to striking out six Buccos while handing out nary a free pass.
Jake Bird was the next man up for the Yanks. Following the disastrous beginning to his Yankees tenure after the club acquired him from Colorado last summer, all positive signs from Bird are encouraged. Unfortunately, there were not many of those tonight. Bird handed out another walk. Along with a catcher’s interference, that loaded the bases for Griffin. Bird then missed over the plate with a 1-2 sweeper that Pittsburgh’s next great star promptly drove into left field, scoring two runs, tying the game, and ending Bird’s outing.
Another former Rockie followed Bird into the game. Angel Chivilli inherited runners on second and third with two out. It was dicey at points but ultimately, he was more successful than his predecessor and got the Yankees out of the inning. He was not so lucky in the sixth. A pair of singles and some good situational baseball allowed the Pirates to eke a fourth run across and take the lead. To Chivilli’s credit though, he limited the damage and got back to the dugout only down one.
The Yankee bats had been quiet since Urquidy departed. But in the bottom of the sixth, Stanton crushed another baseball. This one was merely a single to left field, but it was a 115.3-mph single to left. There is only one Giancarlo Stanton.
Osvaldo Bido, who the Yankees claimed off waivers from the Angels in early February, came in for the seventh and looked good, striking out a pair of Pirates hitters in a scoreless frame.
Southpaw Kyle Carr, the Yanks’ 13th-ranked prospect, came in to pitch the eighth. Unfortunately, some control problems led to a pair of two-out walks. And everyone knows those often come around to haunt the pitcher who hands them out. Shawn Ross doubled in the fifth Pirates run of the game.
Some shoddy Pittsburgh defense in the home eighth gave the Yankees a window to come back. After a one-out walk, Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez threw a ball into center field trying to get an ill-advised force out at second base. Instead, the Yanks had runners on the corners. Alas, that was as close as they’d get. Carr tossed a clean ninth for the Bombers but the bats were—as they’d been all night since Urquidy left—unable to make a dent in the Pirates. Yankees lost, 5-3.
At least Aaron Judge had a very nice day for Team USA.
Join us tomorrow as the Yankees hit the road to play Philadelphia. Luis Gil gets the start for New York against Tanner Banks. First pitch is 1:05 pm EDT.
PORT ST. LUCIE — Before arriving to camp for his annual visit as a Mets guest instructor, David Wright received a message from the team’s new third baseman saying he wanted to meet him.
On Monday, Wright found Bo Bichette and began that relationship with a 30-minute conversation.
“He was asking some great baseball questions and some great questions just about the city of New York in general,” Wright told SNY. “I have become a big Bo Bichette fan, so I am excited to see what he can do this year.”
Bichette, who arrived to the Mets on a three-year contract worth $126 million in January, is shifting from shortstop to third base, as one of multiple new players learning a new position.
Bo Bichette is in the process of shifting from shortstop to third base. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Following a winter in which the front office reshaped the roster, the former Mets captain is learning new names, aside from Bichette.
Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Edwin Díaz have departed and the new arrivals also include Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Luis Robert Jr. and Devin Williams.
“I really love spring training energy, especially with the new group of guys that the Mets have,” Wright said. “Now you get to meet some of these guys for the first time and it just seems there’s energy and enthusiasm in that locker room. I like being a small part of that.”
David Wright speaks at Mets spring training on March 9, 2026. X /@SNY
Team owner Steve Cohen has said there won’t be an official Mets captain as long as he owns the club. Wright, who held the title for five seasons, said the number of veterans in the clubhouse may preclude the need for an official captain.
“Knowing Francisco [Lindor] for the last few years, knowing Juan [Soto] for the last few years, when you have a handful or a group of leaders in there, that is just as good if not better than having a single leader,” Wright said.
“Times change. It makes sense when you have the veteran group that they have in here, that group can get together with these young guys, these top prospects, and say, ‘Hey, this is how we’re going to kind of do it.’ I think that’s what made the team successful, the success that we had when I played, that let these young players know that ‘Starting now, this is how we play the game. This is how we carry ourselves.’”
TAMPA — The Yankees signed Randal Grichuk because of his ability to hit left-handed pitching.
But with the 34-year-old not getting into camp until recently — and with just over two weeks before the start of the regular season — they just want to get the veteran as many plate appearances as possible.
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That’s why Grichuk was in the lineup Monday night with right-hander José Urquidy on the mound for the Pirates at Steinbrenner Field — and why Aaron Boone didn’t wait for a lefty starter for him to go up against.
“At this point, we’re pretty deep into camp and may not have that luxury,” Boone said of saving the righty-swinging Grichuk for lefties.
Grichuk won’t play Tuesday’s day game in Clearwater, Fla. against the Phillies and time — and at-bats — are of the essence.
“Right now, especially with his experience, it’s about building up innings and reps,” Boone said. “If it comes [versus] lefties, that’s great.”
With Grichuk seemingly likely on the Opening Day roster instead of the switch-hitting Jasson Domínguez, who has struggled against lefties from the right side, appears ticketed for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Randal Grichuk has hit well against lefties throughout his career. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
That would leave a four-man bench of Grichuk, J.C. Escarra, Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario.
Boone is also confident that Grichuk will be valuable in the outfield, where he’s had plenty of experience over the years.
“I think he can really handle left-handed pitching and we can help him in the outfield,’’ Boone said. “He’s a natural outfielder, a former center fielder and fundamentally very good. We might be able to help a little bit with some range things.”
What the Yankees really need Grichuk to do, though, as Boone said, is “really hammer” lefties.
They’re hoping for a return to his 2024 form, when Grichuk had a .913 OPS in 184 plate appearances against lefties with the Diamondbacks — and an .801 OPS against righties — before those numbers dropped to .703 versus lefties and .623 against righties last season split between Arizona and Kansas City.
He’s confident he can get back to solid performance, in particular because many of his underlying numbers last year were better than his stats would indicate.
Randal Grichuk is playing catch-up after missing the beginning of spring training. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
And he continues to embrace the part-time role.
As Grichuk noted, many players in that situation might complain about not getting regular at-bats, which makes it harder for them to get into a rhythm.
“I kind of flipped the script, basically, and said ‘No one feels sorry for me,’” Grichuk said. “I’ve got to do it. That’s my role. I just changed the mindset. It doesn’t matter if it’s X amount of days without an at-bat. You’ve got to do your job and go to battle.”
Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (93) makes a diving catch to retire St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nelson Velázquez (not pictured) during the second inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Mets blanked the Marlins 9-0 this evening thanks to a pair of four-run innings in the first and sixth.
Lefty Zach Thornton looked sharp, tossing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts to get things started for the Mets.
He was provided with plenty of run support, as the Mets put up a four-run first inning in which Tyrone Taylor and Ryan Clifford each contributed RBI doubles.
The Mets added a run in the second on an RBI triple by Carson Benge. Benge also had a two-RBI single in the sixth, taking a 3-2 pitch the other way with the bases loaded. The Mets put up another crooked number in that frame to extend their lead to 9-0.
Devin Williams’ airbender was working, as he fanned two in a hitless inning of work in the fifth.
The Marlins loaded the bases a couple of times, but failed to score. Craig Kimbrel, Ofreidy Gómez, Matt Turner, Channing Austin, and Brian Metoyer each pitched a scoreless inning.
The Mets will be back at it tomorrow at Clover Park, facing off against the Cardinals at 1:10pm EDT.
Max Fried struck out six batters and looked solid in four innings of work, but the Yankees fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3, in Grapefruit League action on Monday night in Tampa.
Here are the takeaways…
- Fried had a 1-2-3 first, blowing a 3-2, 95 mph fastball past Henry Davis, one of the Pirates' most promising young prospects, to close the frame. The lefty got two more strikeouts in the second, the first on ABS overturn on a changeup that clipped the bottom of the zone, and the other on a 95 mph fastball off the outside corner.
After retiring the first seven, Fried allowed a lofted single into right field, but he got out of the frame, adding another strikeout swinging, this time on a down-and-in slider. The lefty needed 17 pitches for a clean fourth with two more strikeouts.
Fried got stung to start the fifth when Endy Rodriguez took a 2-2 slider on the inside corner and snuck it over the wall in left despite a leaping effort from DukeEllis for a 386-foot homer. Fried faced one more batter and got ahead 0-2, before a PitchCom issue led to a throwaway ball as the lefty tossed it 50.1 mph and nowhere near the plate to avoid a pitch clock violation. After throwing a 95 mph fastball and getting a foul ball, Aaron Boone yanked the starter in the middle of the at-bat.
His final line: 4.0 innings, two hits, one run, no walks, and six strikeouts on 67 pitches (42 for strikes), and he looked much sharper than he did in his previous outing. Fried's average velocity and average spin rate were down on all of his pitches from last year's average last season, but this is just his second outing of the spring and he will likely make at least two more before being New York’s Opening Day starter, which Boone officially confirmed after the game.
- Giancarlo Stanton put a great swing on a hanging cutter that was right over the plate and socked it 424 feet (109.5 mph off the bat) for a tremendous home run to lead off the second inning. Stanton laced a single his last time up, 115.3 mph to left, to finish his day 2-for-3 with two exceptionally loud hits.
- Cody Bellinger, after grounding out his first time up, smacked a 2-0 fastball at the top of the zone for an RBI double to plate the Yanks' third run of the game. He just missed the homer, hitting it 392 feet off the wall (103 mph). Playing right on the day, he finished 1-for-3.
- Oswaldo Cabrera, in his second game of the spring and back from a gruesome injury last season, hit one hard into the left field corner his first time up, but Pittsburgh’s blank made a nice running grab. He finished the day 0-for-2.
- Paul DeJong, who joined the Yanks this offseason on a minor league deal, got a 2-1 fastball at the top of the zone and clobbered it for a 375-foot homer down the left-field line. It was a loud homer, 105.9 mph off the bat. He finished the day 1-for-3.
- Randal Grichuk made his first appearance of spring training on a minor league deal. He went 0-for-2 with a flyout and a groundout while playing left field.
- Ryan McMahon and Ben Rice each went 0-for-3 at the plate
- Trent Grisham had a single in three at-bats, finishing the night 1-for-3.
- Jake Bird had a tough bit of luck as he looks to try and make the roster. After entering the game in the 5th with a 2-2 count, he walked the first batter and then got hit with bad luck when a strikeout was whipped away by a catcher's interferene putting two men on. After a strikeout and a fielder's choice, the lefty walked the next man before allowing a two-run double to left off Konnor Griffin's bat as a sweeper got the center of the plate.
He threw 21 pitches (12 strikes) while getting just two outs and allowing two runs.
- Ahead of the game, the Yanks announced they had optioned outfielder Spencer Jones and right-hander Elmer Rodriguez to minor league camp.
The Yankees head over to Clearwater to face the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. Right-hander Luis Gil is set to make the start for New York.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo works out during spring training
The Phillies made sure Jesús Luzardo isn’t going anywhere.
The team locked up the 28-year-old lefty on a five-year, $135 million contract extension on Monday, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.
Luzardo was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season after coming over in a deal with the Marlins before this past season.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo works out during spring training AP
Luzardo, whose fastball hits around 97 mph to go with a dominant slider, acquitted himself well during his first year in Philadelphia, going 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA with 216 strikeouts in 183.2 innings.
His career-high 216 Ks were second in the NL behind the Giants’ Logan Webb.
He gives the defending NL East champions a formidable top-three in the rotation, joining Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez as the team looks to win the World Series for the first time since 2008.
Wheeler, 35, is a bit of a wild card coming off thoracic outlet surgery, leaving Luzardo as important insurance, despite his own injury history with elbow and back issues early in his career.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo throws out Los Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez at first during the fourth inning in Game 2 of baseball’s National League Division Series, Oct. 6, 2025. AP
The Phillies are Luzardo’s third stop during his career after being drafted by the Nationals in 2019, having made his big league debut with the Athletics in 2019 before three-plus seasons in Miami, where he went 21-28 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.231 WHIP over 74 starts.
Aaron Judge, who silences crowds when he steps into the box and makes all the noise in the world with his bat, showed off his defense in the top of the third inning of the United States' 5-3 win over Mexico in the World Baseball Classic on Monday night in Houston.
Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes retired the first eight batters of the game and looked to be cruising. That was until Joey Ortiz reached on an error by second baseman Brice Turang, and when Jarren Duran smacked a single to right, it looked like Mexico had something cooking.
The Yankees' star had other ideas as he unleashed a perfect throw to nail Ortiz at third base, ending the threat before it began and the inning. A throw that put memories of last season's elbow injury solidly in the rearview mirror.
But Judge wasn't done dazzling in the third.
Following Bryce Harper reaching on an infield single, Judge got a 2-1 slider on the outside corner from Jesus Cruz and drove it the other way for a 364-foot two-run home run that just got over the short right field wall. The ball didn't go as far as Roman Anthony's 417-foot three-run shot a few batters later, but it was a solid shot with a 101.5 mph exit velocity.
The Yanks' slugger, and reigning back-to-back American League MVP, singled in his first at-bat and finished the night 2-for-3 with two walks and two RBI.
Earlier in the tournament, Judge blasted a 405-foot homer in his first at-bat of the WBC against Brazil.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Kade Anderson #13 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kade Anderson’s fastball is neither fast nor shapely, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.
Anderson’s first two outings this Spring have been somewhat controversial. He’s earned rave reviews from the Mariners and the media, but the underlying data has lagged behind. Public “stuff” models are somewhat skeptical of his arsenal, and his vaunted fastball appears especially disappointing. Here’s a snapshot from Thomas Nestico, whose website I highly recommend for exploring pitching data:
Stuff+ is statement on the physical properties of a pitch, where 100 is average and higher is better. It takes a bunch of data points—velocity, spin, movement, etc.—and estimates the effect of those characteristics on performance. In broad strokes, it works very well, and there’s a reason both public-facing analysts and teams invest in these models. Andrés Muñoz is the Mariners all-time leader in Stuff+, if that helps paint the picture.
Anderson’s fastball so far grades at 91 by tjStuff+, Nestico’s version of the model. (I’m not picking on Nestico here. His just happens to be one of the few models available for Spring, and again, I really enjoy playing around in his website.) For reference, that’s about 10% below league average and would be one of the lesser four-seam grades in MLB. He’s only thrown 28 fastballs—another element of this discourse to keep in mind—but we can see why the models are unimpressed: it’s not very fast. His average four-seamer of 93.4 mph would be below average by MLB standards, and you don’t need fancy statistics to tell you more velocity is good.
The “shape” (or vertical and horizontal movement) of the pitch is also not unique. Great fastballs come in all shapes and sizes, and nothing about Anderson’s movement profile prevents it from being a highly effective pitch. But his fastball doesn’t exhibit the traditional top-rail four-seamer rise to coax whiffs at the letters, nor the bowling ball quasi-sinker that can plop down in the zone. From the perspective of these models, it’s just kind of… generic.
Again, none of this is disqualifying. Plenty of great pitchers have a lesser, nondescript fastball—some pitchers don’t even throw a fastball. But the concern here is Anderson was billed as having a remarkable fastball. FanGraphs, for instance, gave it a 70 grade on the traditional scouting scale. That’s hard to square with what we’re seeing in these models, even in small samples. If the fastball has indeed been overstated, it’s possible there’s some limit to his projection.
But as Nestico or anyone else developing these models will tell you: stuff isn’t everything. It doesn’t capture location, tunneling, and other matters of deception. As Brendan Gawloski noted in his report for FanGraphs, that’s a big part of what makes Anderson’s fastball an elite pitch:
His fastball sits 92-95 mph with vertical ride, and it plays up because his loose arm action hides it until the very last moment. It generated a whopping 35% miss rate in 2025. The way his fastball plays means Anderson’s command of it doesn’t have to be precise; it rides enough to evade barrels in the strike zone.
Jerry Dipoto offered a similar account when Kate Preusser asked him about it on Sunday. Anderson’s delivery naturally hides the ball from the batter until the last moment, Dipoto said. He throws from an unusually high arm slot for a lefty, while still getting solid extension down the mound. It’s just not a “look” batters see very often. Public models can’t capture that, Dipoto said.
And it’s not just Dipoto saying it. Mariners’ hitters have reported issues picking up the pitch in practice.
“It’s got some teeth on it,” Ryan Bliss said. “It’s spinny, it’s sneaky. It’s 93-94, but it feels like it’s 96-97. And he will throw it any time, he’ll throw any of his pitches any time for strikes, so you don’t know what’s coming. It’s an uncomfortable at-bat.”
And look, I’m not going to tell you that I, sitting here in my office, in my sweats, mustard still staining my fingers from lunch, can “see” even the weakest professional fastball. But yeah, I get how this pitch might appear out of nowhere from the perspective of a batter.
The other thing stuff models don’t capture? Arsenals. In addition to the fastball, Anderson throws a slider, changeup and curveball. Each of these pitches grades a more favorably by stuff models, and each gets the same boost from his deceptive arm action. This is one thing we (and by we I mean people much smarter than me) are starting to model publicly, and it does appear to be a big factor in whether a pitch or pitcher is effective. When Anderson releases the ball, batters might expect the incoming pitch to move at four different speeds and in four different directions. They can’t cheat and sit on any one offering, and because of his hocus-pocus delivery, they can’t afford not to cheat. It’s a blender of deception that helps his velocity play up.
…. in theory. We have yet to see the sum of this deception in games that count. We have data telling us one thing, and we have the Mariners telling us another. That’s why there’s dissonance. But while I normally wouldn’t put stock in typical Spring Training chatter from the team, I certainly value action. And the Mariners, somewhat literally, put $8.8 million where their mouth is when they drafted him. That’s worth something, as Justin Hollander pointed out Monday.
“If the Seattle Mariners draft him third overall in the country, you can bet our models like him,” Hollander said.
That’s the strongest point in favor of Anderson’s fastball, in my opinion. To be clear, Kumar Rocker, Max Meyer, and Ian Anderson were also drafted third overall within the last decade, so it’s not quite ipso facto in the way Hollander asserts. But the Mariners are indeed a top five collection of pitching thinkers across the league, and (I’d argue) the best organization at knowing who to draft. They’re aware of the models, and they invested anyways.
This level of scrutiny isn’t entirely fair to Anderson. He is still a prospect after all and has yet to make a professional appearance outside these exhibitions. His stuff is not defined by 64 pitches in any setting, and a few outings while ramping up for the season aren’t representative of his current abilities. Regardless, he’s sure to get better with experience, whether we can measure it or not.
Still, the scrutiny isn’t quite misplaced. The hype heaped on Anderson has been pushed to rare levels, and the emphasis of the narrative is how fast he’s expected to move through the minors. The Mariners are trying to win a World Series this year, and there are legitimate questions about the depth of their rotation. It’s fair to wonder whether the team is serious about accelerating him, and whether he is ready for the jump. Is he now the sixth starter? Seventh? Eighth? I’m not sure. But my sense is Anderson, much like his fastball, will sneak up on us quick.
The Mets defeated the Miami Marlins 9-0 on Monday night at Clover Park.
New York has now won three straight to improve to 8-5 in Grapefruit League play.
Here are some takeaways...
- Tyrone Taylor has always been known for his defense, but he's been swinging a hot bat thus far in Grapefruit League play. The outfielder beat Marlins 3B Conor Norby down the line for an RBI double in the bottom of the first, giving him four XBH's and seven runs driven in on the spring.
- Slugging 1B/OF prospect Ryan Clifford followed that a few batters later with a well-struck two-out opposite-field two-run double to extend New York's early lead. The youngster has had a bit of a rough time at the plate so far in camp, but it was good to see him show the impressive pop he has in his pocket.
- The Mets struck again an inning later, as Carson Benge continued his strong spring. The youngster struck out on a Tyler Phillips curveball with two on in his first at-bat, but he made an adjustment his second time up, and laced the same pitch for an RBI triple into the left-center gap.
Benge worked the count full and drew a six-pitch walk his third time up, then did even more damage in his final plate appearance, going the other way with the bases loaded for a two-run single. The 23-year-old reached base three times and drove in three runs in another big night at the ballpark.
- Ronny Mauricio put together three tremendous at-bats as he battles to crack the Opening Day roster. He drew an eight-pitch walk from the left side leading off the bottom of the third, saw eight more pitches batting righty before reaching on an infield single in the bottom of the fifth, then laced an RBI double in the seventh pitch he saw in the sixth.
- With Brandon Waddell missing his start due to shoulder soreness, young Zach Thornton made his first career appearance in big-league camp. The left-hander opened his night on a high note, setting the top of the Marlins' lineup down in order on just eight pitches in the top of the first; however, the second wasn't as smooth.
Miami created some traffic and caused some havoc on the bases, as a Thornton throwing error on a pickoff attempt pushed two into scoring position, but he was able to dance his way out of danger. The 24-year-old then finished his night working around a two-out single in the top of the third.
Thornton allowed just two hits and a walk while striking out three over three scoreless innings.
- Craig Kimbrel gave up a leadoff single on the very pitch he threw, but quickly picked the runner off first. The veteran righty then needed just four more pitches to work through his third consecutive scoreless appearance since allowing a run his first time out this spring.
- Devin Williams had his signature Airbender in mid-season form as he struck out a pair in a perfect top of the fifth. Aside from the homer he allowed on the very first pitch he threw this spring, the new Mets closer has looked extremely sharp thus far in Grapefruit League play.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 25: Pitcher Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 25, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Diamondbacks are 7-5, fourth in the Cactus League, and still only the third best NL West team in the league. Preview of what’s to come?
James: While I never consider Cactus League indicative of anything remotely accurate to the regular season, I do still think AZ finishes 2026 in a battle for third or fourth.
Wesley: There’s very little correlation between a team’s performance in spring training and how they ultimately do in the regular season, although I also wouldn’t be surprised if they finish third or fourth anyway. I am actually somewhat encouraged by the performance of some of our young hitters. Seeing Jordan Lawlar, Tommy Troy, Ryan Waldschmidt, and Alek Thomas hit the cover off the ball this Spring should be a sign of encouragement, but it has to be taken with a massive grain of salt especially with Thomas and Lawlar’s previous offensive struggles.
Makakilo: The manager and coaches are looking at things that don’t show up in the box score, such as player skills, poise, and confidence. Three thoughts follow:
In the first 11 games, the offense scored an average of 6.5 runs per game. That encourages me to predict above average offense.
With four infielders who are excellent defenders (Arenado, Perdomo, Marte, and Santana) now playing WBC games, runs allowed are not predictive of the regular season.
Thru Saturday the 5-inning win-loss record would be 4-10-1, which is worse than their full-game win-loss record of 7-8. Nevertheless, my view is that 81 regular-season wins is the floor for the Diamondbacks.
Spencer: They keep a record of Cactus League results?
1AZfan1: Ha Spencer wins
How’s the unexpected fifth starter competition going? Any standouts to you so far? If the season started tomorrow, who gets the nod?
James: This is sort of a trick question for me. If Merrill Kelly is healthy enough to not miss more than the first run through the rotation, I don’t see much of a competition for fifth starter. Michael Soroka was never a serious rotation candidate, despite the narrative around his initial signing. If Soroka is in the rotation, someone is hurt long-term. That would be bad.
Wesley: I’m with James on this, it really depends on how many starts Merrill Kelly is likely to miss. Soroka has stood out to me for the wrong reasons, as he’s been awful so far this spring.
Spencer: Sadly I agree here. I think unlike with The Bum and The Full Monty, Rodriguez is guaranteed a rotation spot because he was actually a Hazen target and signing not a Kendrick splurge. I personally would rather have Soroka in there but he’s headed to the bullpen most likely. I think the only way that changes is if Pfaadt has a rough go and they choose to stash him in Reno for some reason. I put that option at 10% likelihood.
1AZfan1: Concur with the consensus. Soroka will be the odd man out if Kelly is healthy enough to start the year on the active roster.
Makakilo: The following is good news about Kelly:
“But, after throwing 26 pitches Thursday and feeling no discomfort Friday, Kelly may very well be able to open the season on the active roster and pitch at the backend of the rotation.” – Steve Gilbert, 6 March
On the flip side, who gets the ball on Opening Day 12 games in?
James: Unless Ryne Nelson turns into Brandon Webb between now and just under three weeks from now, the answer is Zac Gallen. It shouldn’t even really be a debate.
Wesley: Ryne Nelson has actually been better than his already solid performance this spring, but James is right, Gallen is the obvious answer here.
Makakilo: Last season, Ryne Nelson pitched better than Gallen (ERA 3.39 vs 4.83, FIP 3.73 vs 4.50). Therefore, Ryne Nelson is my choice.
Spencer: The concept that Opening Day Starter means something still confuses me. Whomever is ready and looks good will start. We play in LA. You can basically pencil in a loss already. So ERod or Pfaadt gets my vote.
1AZfan1: Nelson deserves it. He’s been our best starter for the past year and a half. Opening Day starter is largely ceremonial in my mind, so I could see the argument for Gallen getting the ball as he’s been the guy for the past 3 years. Torey has a valid excuse to delay Gallen’s start to the home-opening series, though. If this isn’t Nelly’s perfect opportunity (late start for Gallen and Kelly injury setback) then I don’t know what is.
Jurkison Profar will be serving his second PED suspension in 2 years. Is that a sign the program is working? Or do you feel it’s a sign that even more is happening we can’t see?
James: In this particular case, both. Overall, I think the system works as-is. While the system is far from perfect, it has the sort of teeth that clearly have had an effect.
Wesley: I think there’s a very real issue with medication/supplement labeling in Caribbean and Latin-American countries. There’s also the real issue of tainted/adulterated supplements being sold online as well. While I don’t think that either is applicable in Profar’s case, both are very real issues not being discussed, and MLB really needs to do a better job educating young players on “Maybe don’t take that sketchy supplement from a pharmacy back home” and “Don’t order cheap bulk supplements from a sketchy online retailer.”
Makakilo: There is reason to believe the program is working to reduce PEDs. Looking at this Wikipedia Website, suspensions of MLB players and former MLB players dropped from about 10 per year in 2020 to 2022, to about 6 per year in 2023-2025, with 3 so far in 2026.
An interesting point is that Profar had nothing to gain financially from using PEDs. His high-paying contract was good thru the 2027 season. That would be his age 34 season, which might have been his last season before retirement (and now it looks likely to be his last season before retirement).
Profar’s reaction after his first suspension (assuming it was unintentional per his statement at the time) should have been to consistently guard (and document) his intake of foods, vitamin supplements, and medicine to for-sure avoid a second suspension. Some people might have avoided anything that might have a risk, even if it hurt their health. And yet he is facing a second suspension. Why?
Spencer: Working. The league is actually testing people and following through on punishment. The list of PED users this decade is laughable. And Tatis showed a new generation just how good PEDs can make a player. Profar has proven how stupid players can be…
1AZfan1: I think that’s a really interesting point brought up by Wesley. Something worth looking into further for sure. General rule of thumb is that programs like these don’t catch every rule-breaker, but I still speculate that the program is working overall, though.
What’s your favorite Spring Training park?
James: Trick question. While I am torn between Scottsdale Stadium and SRF for favorite venue, my favorite place to attend an actual game is Tempe Diablo. If one arrives early to the game, there are shaded tables situated along the outfield concourse with individual seats. The view is great. Sitting in those seats allows stretching out. The shade is a massive boon. Also, the be girl is 8-10 feet away. My mattress and I regularly have purchased premium seats to enjoy the game (in case we couldn’t get one of those tables). We then don’t feel bad if we monopolize one of those tables for the duration. Without that loophole, Tempe Diablo needs a serious updating.
Wesley: The two spring training parks I’ve been to no longer host spring training games, ie Hi Corbett Field and Kino Ballpark. I can’t really answer the question honestly.
Makakilo: I, like Wesley, have been to games at Hi Corbett Field and Kino Ballpark. Also, many years ago, I went to Surprise Arizona. Because Surprise was a delightful adventure, and because spring training games happen there this season, my choice is Surprise Stadium.
Spencer: I have no idea what parks I attended as a kid living in Phoenix. So I’ll just say Peoria because it’s the only one I’m confident I went to. As I recall, most Spring Parks are nicer than Chase, but lackluster compared to most AAA/MLB parks around the country. I’m also told this has been changing since I left AZ in 2012.
Justin: Same as Wes. I think of the two, I preferred Hi Corbett. It’s an older ballpark, so maybe the old timey nostalgia feel. When the Sidewinders were still here, I would go to several games over the summer (yay living at my parents house still…) at Kino, versus maybe 1 game at Hi Corbett so that might add to it. 1AZfan1: I’ve only been to one Spring game in the past 20 or so years and that one trip to Salt River Fields was very nice. Baseball is generally a nostalgic pastime, though, so with that in mind, my absolute favorite Spring Training memory occurred at Peoria Sports Complex. I was thrilled to see my all-time favorite player, Ken Griffey Jr., launch a moonball to the top of the berm in right field in his first AB of the game. I was the happiest kid alive that day – except for maybe the kid who got that Griffey home run ball. So I’ll go with Peoria as my fave.
Ryan McMahon has altered his batting stance during spring training.
TAMPA — There are players who overhaul mechanics during an offseason or spring training and then cram in every at-bat or inning they can, determined to feel comfortable before the games actually matter.
Ryan McMahon is not in this subset. The Yankees third baseman, who will debut a new batting stance on Opening Day after a winter and a spring devoted to altering his setup, feels adjusted and natural with his new posture.
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“I’m ready,” McMahon said before Monday’s 5-3, exhibition loss to the Pirates at Steinbrenner Field. “I’m ready for some games with some juice.”
McMahon is ready with a stance that is noticeably narrower than what was one of the widest stances in baseball last season. According to Statcast, he averaged 42.7 inches between his feet while in the batter’s box last year, the fourth biggest gap in the majors. That stance saw him swing and miss at a 35.2 percent clip, the worst rate among qualified hitters for a player who struck out 189 times between the Rockies and Yankees.
After the season, McMahon sat for a lengthy Zoom with Yankees hitting minds including hitting coach James Rowson and assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes. McMahon is a good pupil, according to Dykes, both because he is receptive to new ideas and because he is clearly talented — a few tweaks can make a large difference.
“You’re always trying to help guys be in a position where they can be multidimensional,” Dykes said. “He can make more contact. He can keep the ball up [for fly balls rather than ground balls]. He obviously hits the ball hard. He sees the ball really well.
“We’re trying to put him in a position to maximize all those things.”
Ryan McMahon has altered his batting stance during spring training. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
McMahon is a bit of a rarity and has not suffered from the problems that usually plague the strikeout-prone. He rarely chases pitches out of the strike zone, above-average in ignoring pitches that become balls and ranked 24th last season — in between Bryce Harper and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — in drawing walks. His 93.3 mph average exit velocity last season was the 14th best in the game, percentage points behind 13th-place Fernando Tatis Jr.
He swung at the right pitches, ignored the wrong ones and did plenty of damage. He simply whiffed too often. Were his legs too far apart?
“We’re trying to get him in a consistent position to maximize what we think he can do offensively,” Dykes said of McMahon, who himself said the extreme nature of the stance was not a lifelong issue but a bad habit that had “kind of happened over time.”
McMahon, about to embark on his 10th major league season, did not realize how far apart his legs had grown over the years. The tick reappeared recently at camp.
“The coaches brought it up to me immediately,” McMahon said. “Got in the cage the next day, worked it out. Felt great. Went into live [batting practice]. I think I had like six at-bats that day, and I think I walked in one and then hit all the other five balls over 100 [mph].
“It’s going to be something I got to keep my eye on because my feel — if I’m not feeling it right, I can get wide.”
It is rare that a 31-year-old with an impressive résumé — a 2024 All-Star and routinely one of the best third basemen in the sport — qualifies as a bit of a project, but McMahon’s first experience with a new organization and away from the Rockies, along with his sheer talent, makes him particularly intriguing. McMahon, who has begun his Grapefruit League season 3-for-23 with three doubles, said the new stance feels natural and “sturdier.”
The Yankees have appreciated that McMahon has fully bought in.
“He’s been great,” Dykes said. “A lot of conversations throughout the offseason, a lot of work in camp. … Just like anybody who was going through adjustments during the offseason period, as you go into the season you’re going to continue to try to refine — especially when you’ve been doing something one way for a long time.
Ryan McMahon swings during the Yankees-Tigers spring training game on Feb. 21, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“He’s had a lot of success at the big league level already. Sometimes it takes time for things to feel natural, to be able to repeat them without having to overthink it. But he’s been great and working his tail off.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 07: Luis Arraez #2 of Team Venezuela celebrates after hitting an RBI double in the first inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool D game presented by Capital One between Team Israel and Team Venezuela at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
New San Francisco Giants second baseman has read your (our) criticism of his lack of power and he decided to take it out on the beleaguered pitchers of Team Israel. Luis Arraez went 4-for-5 with four runs, five RBIs, two doubles and two big home runs as Venezuela defeated Israel Saturday night, 11-3. at loanDepot Park (It’s a lowercase “L” because the Marlins are the worst).
Arraez got scoring started in the first inning with an RBI double, a play that didn’t make new Giants center fielder Harrison Bader look great as he utilized what looked like a pilates move in his attempt to catch the line drive.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
Arraez went deep for the first time in the bottom of the fifth off of New York Mets reliever Jordan Geber, he of 6.2 career major league innings pitched.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
In the bottom of the sixth, Venezuela had a 7-2 lead and two runners on when Israel brought in left-handed reliever Ryan Kaminsky to shut down the Reggie Jackson of the World Baseball Classic. Arraez said “Nacht gut!” and sent 3-1 pitch over the right-field wall.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
Arraez added another double in the eighth and came around to score. That almost capped the scoring, but Bader proved the Giants may have one of the most powerful lineups in the world by hitting a 397-foot home run in the top of the ninth.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
Look, maybe Arraez has only hit 16 home runs in the last three seasons, when he hasn’t slugged over .400, despite winning a batting title in 2024. But if this tournament is any indication, Arraez is poised for a power breakthrough, as long as he can solely face marginal Israeli one-inning relievers.
Israel! Venenzuela! They’re all about power now, and not just the United States imperial overreach kind!
Team Panama did not go down without a fight in this year’s World Baseball Classic – on the field and in the dugout.
Trailing 4-3 against Team Colombia in the bottom of the ninth inning in Monday’s contest, veteran infielder Jonathan Araúz – who entered as a pinch hitter – grounded out to second base to begin the frame.
Araúz did not hustle out of the batter’s box and got into a heated exchange with Team Panama manager José Mayorga as he returned to the home dugout at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Team Panama’s veteran infielder Jonathan Araúz has to be restrained after a confrontation with manager José Mayorga. FS2Araúz did not hustle out of the box during his ninth-inning groundball. FS2
The pair was immediately separated, with Araúz being physically restrained by a member of Team Panama.
“To put yourself in [Araúz’s] shoes, he’s not playing, he’s a former major league player, he’s frustrated,” Fox Sports 2 announcer and ex-MLB pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith said during the broadcast. “And then he got some words from his teammates for not busting it, there’s so much pent-up frustration.
Panama pinch-hitter Jonathan Arauz had to be held back during an altercation with manager José Mayorga while they were down one in the ninth inning and facing elimination
A former Red Sox, Orioles and Mets infielder, Arauz got just one start and five at bats in this WBC pic.twitter.com/jhgdbSj91X
‘He’s probably like, ‘Oh, you have me pinch-hitting now.’ He’s probably frustrated he’s not starting on this team because he’s a veteran player and this is what happens when you start pressing.”
It’s not Araúz’s first time showing emotion during a WBC contest, as he was visibly frustrated with a teammate who did not tag up and score on a flyout during a game against Cuba in 2023.
In four games during the 2023 WBC, Araúz slashed a solid .267/.421/.333 with three RBIs – but registered one walk and no hits in five at-bats this time around.
He has appeared in parts of four MLB seasons, most recently suiting up for the 2023 Mets, where he hit a meager .136 with three home runs over 26 games.
Yankees shortstop José Caballero launched a home run for Panama in the sixth inning of Monday’s loss. AP
Mayorga did not go into detail about the confrontation with Araúz after Monday’s game.
Former Mets infielder Ruben Tejada singled moments after the confrontation, but Enrique Bradfield Jr. struck out and Yankees shortstop José Caballero – who homered in the sixth inning to make it 4-1 – flew out to right field to end the game.
Colombia was eliminated from WBC title contention after Panama defeated Canada on Sunday and returned the favor on Monday, knocking Panama out of the tournament.
Both teams finished 1-3 in Pool A play, and one of them now faces relegation depending on how Canada fares in its remaining games.
Canada (1-1) is set to face Puerto Rico on Tuesday and Cuba on Wednesday. If Canada also finishes 1-3 in Pool A, a tiebreaker will determine whether Colombia or Panama is relegated to the qualifying tournament for the next World Baseball Classic.
