Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies, February 22, 2025, 1:05 p.m. ET
Location: BayCare Ballpark, Clearwater, FL
How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7
The Pittsburgh Pirates are splitting the team up, with half staying home to face the Rays and the other traveling to visit the Phillies.
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Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) plays catch during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Houston Astros for game 2 of Spring Training. For the Cardinals, Kyle Leahy is expected to start the game. Mike Burrows is expected to take the mound for the Astros today. If you’re a MLB subscriber, you can listen to the game via KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM and the Cardinals Radio Network.
CHICAGO, IL - AUGUST 03: Alexei Ramirez #10 of the Chicago White Sox is tagged out by Curt Casali #19 of the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning on August 3, 2015 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Rays defeated the White Sox 5-4. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Spring briefly sprang in the Twin Cities last week, with temperatures in the mid-50s and the promise of baseball on the horizon. Naturally, as the team congregated in Florida for their first workout of Grapefruit League action, so too did the nice weather congregate in a little place called “Somewhere Else.” So, it is with a fresh six inches of snow and a consistent streak of lows in the single digits that we northerners get to watch the first weekend of 2026 baseball, with a mixture of excitement and envy in our hearts.
If you are the kind of person who prefers the cold-weather months — such as myself — please feel free to re-read the entire opening paragraph but with your own adjectives substituted into emotional areas where they make more sense. It’s like Mad Libs, but much less restrictive. Plus, you don’t need a friend.
Spring is a season of hope and ambition, which is why the Cleveland Guardians will be giving Steven Kwan some center-field reps this spring. I suppose if you win enough Gold Gloves in a defensive position without much prestige, somebody will get the idea that your talents might be better-utilized elsewhere.
Cleveland minor-league Cam Schuelke turned some heads by turning his elbows and showcasing multiple release points in the same at-bat, which is kind of like if Pat Venditte only had one arm instead of two, but that one arm was actually two arms. Do you know what I mean?
By special request of NPB addition Munetaka Murakami, the Chicago White Sox will be adding bidets to the clubhouse in 2026. In line with my reference to Mad Libs from earlier, this is a situation where you, the readership, will be able to come up with something funnier as a collective. Feel free to brainstorm in the comments.
The Detroit Tigers are adding an orange alternate jersey, which feels right on paper but wants for a little individuality in real-life execution, as the kits could easily belong to either the Baltimore Orioles or San Francisco Giants, two teams who manage to distinguish their own orange-and-black palettes from each other. For Detroit, it’s proven a harder task, although we’ll have to wait for a little in-game action under the lights before passing too much judgment.
Feb 21, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (49) looks on during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 18: Mickey Moniak #22 of the Colorado Rockies poses for a portrait during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 18, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Scottsdale, Ariz. – Mickey Moniak’s career has been defined by ups and down.
He was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2016 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut on September 16, 2020, playing eight games in the COVID-shortened season. After bouncing up and down in 2021, Moniak broke his hand on April 7, 2022 and then bounced up and down until he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels at the deadline.
With the Angels, he continued to struggle in 2023 largely due to injuries. However, he played 124 games in 2024 and slashed .219/.266/.380 with 14 homers, but was eventually released on March 25, 2025.
The Colorado Rockies took full advantage of it, and signed him two days later.
Moniak broke camp with the Rockies, and ended up having a career year in 2025, slashing .270/.306/.518 with a career-high 24 homers.
But Moniak learned some lessons during the 2025 season, even if the Rockies were the worst team in baseball.
“I think, in general, [I learned that] success isn’t linear,” he said.
“Last year, with the season we had, obviously nobody was excited about it. Nobody was happy. However, I think that there was a lot of experience that was gained last year for a lot of young guys to then put us in a good situation this year to compete. And we talk about moving past ‘happy to be here’ and it’s time to win.”
Personally, Moniak made some adjustments to “build off what (he) did last year.”
“Obviously, I had the best year of my career,” he said. “But there’s a new coaching staff, a new front office – it’s a big turnaround here. So I’m just getting comfortable with them. We’re talking about what needs to be a focus going into this season in order to build off last year.
“And I think a big one is just trying to stay in the strike zone as best I can,” he continued. “I’m naturally an aggressive hitter, and I think that’s one of my biggest strengths but also it’s a double-edged sword sometimes. So I’m just trying to really hone in on that.”
Moniak has been impressed with the new coaching staff, but made sure to shout out manager Warren Schaeffer, who served as the interim manager last year.
“First and foremost, bringing ‘Schaeff’ back was huge for us,” he said. “I think just what he brings to a clubhouse day in and day out, and what he brings to this organization… I think he’s the right guy for the job and the right guy to lead us.”
Moniak specifically pointed to Schaeffer’s “comfort” with young players as what makes him the right guy for this job.
“Knowing them and being comfortable with them, and vice versa – young guys being comfortable with him – I think is a great start,” he said.
“And then obviously bringing in a lot of veteran guys to help bring experience to the clubhouse,” he continued. “I think experience is gained in one of two ways: It’s either you do it, or you have guys who’ve done it, and you can learn from them. So I think that was huge for us.”
And Schaeffer returned the sentiment, and not just being “a great left-handed bat that plays a good outfield.”
“[He brings] a good leadership quality that is very, very good,” Schaeffer said. “He’s a huge presence in that clubhouse, along with Kyle Freeland and [Antonio Senzatela]. He’s right up there with that.
“And you can’t really put a value on that,” he continued. “That’s an enormous value, and he’s a really good baseball player.”
Moniak hasn’t seen any spring action yet, but he’s using a more relaxed spring training to get ready for Opening Day.
“The number one [goal] is just making sure we’re going into the season healthy,” he said.
“This might be my first spring training where I’ve felt like I haven’t had to go out there and hit .300 to make a team. So just being able to use spring training to kind of work on some things and try some stuff, but ultimately, get ready to where we’re hitting the ground running on March 27.”
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well today we have Atlanta’s first “home” game of 2026 Spring Training and we are treated to Chris Sale on the mound. Not only is a potential future Hall of Famer on the mound, but the Braves are rolling out what could be most of the Opening Day lineup.
The only member of the likely Opening Day lineup missing is Mike Yastrzemski, who homered in yesterday’s game. It’s February 22nd, so things are very subject to change, but I wouldn’t love batting Baldwin and Olson 2nd and 3rd like that, and would probably prefer swapping Olson with Profar, just to avoid stacking two lefties together like that. I also would probably have Olson in the 2 spot instead of Baldwin, but we’ll see how the lineup develops throughout Spring Training in Walt Weiss’ first season as manager. Today we are mostly hoping for health from everyone, maybe a few fun moments, and perhaps some cool prospect performances later in the game.
You can see both lineups below, as the Twins are leading off Byron Buxton and have former Brave Orlando Arcia starting at shortstop.
You can find today’s game on Gray TV, MLB.tv, or on the radio with 680 AM/93.7FM The Fan. Boy is it nice to have baseball back in our lives. Join us and discuss today’s game in the comments below!
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 17: Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait during the New York Yankees Photo Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 17, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Ah, can you hear that? The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowds, the Death Star siren as Cam Schlittler is about to fan yet another batter to end the inning? No, you can’t? Well, neither can I, because once again, it’s Sunday, and that means it’s snowing in New York City.
Fortunately, it’s a Sunday after February 20th, which means that, as Mother Nature covers up the mounds of dirty snow with fresh snow, we can load up the Gotham Sports App, listen to the YES music, and catch some Yankees play baseball. And since it’s Sunday, that also means it’s time for our social media roundup! What have our favorite ballplayers been up to during their busy week of camp? Let’s find out!
Media Day Shenanigans
This year’s media day was historic, as it was the first media day in which Yankees players were allowed to don beards in decades (remember, the Yankees did not end the ban until after media day, which meant we got a year of Austin Wells, Devin Williams, and others appearing on the in-stadium hype videos clean-shaven while donning facial hair). As always, we got a ton of behind-the-scenes videos from the day.
Everyone’s favorite spring training social media activity, the Question of the Day, is back! We’ve got some fun stuff this week, as the Yankees were asked their go-to hot beverage.
Not to be outdone, the YES Network has posted its share of player shenanigans alongside its typical coverage of spring training. Sometimes, it was a second Question of the Day, as we learned whether the Yankees preferred the aisle or window seat on the airplane, as well as which Winter Olympic events they’re fans of.
As always, some Yankees legends visited spring training this week, and as always, a number of Yankees players took the opportunity to not only learn from some greats, but also take some pictures with the players they watched in their youth.
Last, and certainly not least, we got to hear Oswaldo Cabrera on the mic. The Yankees’ part-utilityman, part-human golden retriever missed most of last season due to a gruesome ankle injury, and in many ways, his absence sucked a lot of the energy out of the Yankees clubhouse. Seeing him not only on the field, but back to his old self, is a great sign.
Celebrating Black History Month
This week, the Yankees celebrated Black History Month by remembering the career of Curtis Granderson, who spent four years in the Bronx in the early 2010s.
Miscellaneous Photos & Highlight Reels
As always, spring training is a time where a bunch of pictures and highlight reels get posted to generate hype for the season. Here’s a couple of my favorites:
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 23: Nick Lodolo #40 celebrates the win with Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds after throwing a complete game shutout against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on July 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just over a month ago we learned that the Cincinnati Reds tried, and failed, to sign star shortstop Elly De La Cruz to a contract extension that would have made him “the highest paid Red ever.”
We don’t know if that meant by season. We don’t know if that meant by total dollar value. What we do know, though, is that there was interest from the club itself in forking over millions and millions of dollars to cement a cornerstone of their future – and even though it didn’t materialize with Elly, that could mean there’s money there to make it happen with the rest of the roster.
There’s always the chance that money was only earmarked in a way similar to the pursuit of Kyle Schwarber in free agency this winter, in that it was only ever going to get spent on a unique, franchise-altering player whose presence – both in the lineup and in jersey sales – would generate revenue in ways other players simply would not. Still, with the team’s commitment to developing their own players, we’ve reached the point in that life-cycle where locking down some of their core players to cost-controlled deals may make that as ‘sustainable’ as Nick Krall has preached for the last three plus years.
It’s still the same mentality that led them to sign Hunter Greene years ago, an anchor of their rotation right now and potentially through the 2029 season. Not only do they get him beyond his six seasons of team control through the arbitration process, but they both add on additional years of would-be free agency and now know exactly how much he’ll make each year (instead of leaving that up to the arbitration gods). For a cost-conscious team that typically operates on shoestring budgets, that’s a vital part of the process.
The question becomes where the Reds would turn from Elly at this juncture.
It doesn’t appear it will be to Tyler Stephenson, who’s entering his final season of team control before free agency. The team already inked Jose Trevino to a solid deal to be a part of the catching position for a few more years, and top prospect Alfredo Duno looks poised to mash his way to the big leagues as early as 2027.
On the pitching side, it doesn’t look like it will be Brady Singer, either. Like Stephenson, he’s in his final year of team control before free agency, and the Reds have drafted and developed Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder (and added Brandon Williamson via trade years ago) to help bolster the rotation going forward.
If an extension were to come for a part of their rotation, perhaps it would to Andrew Abbott, who has yet to reach arbitration despite already having 11.7 bWAR and 413.2 IP under his belt. As a somewhat unknown out of the University of Virginia, he only landed a $1.3 million signing bonus back in 2021, so perhaps he’s precisely the kind of player who’d jump at early guaranteed money instead of waiting four more years to fully cash in on a longer term extension. However, signing him after his All-Star season in 2025 might end up begin a case of ‘buying high’ if he’s never able to fully replicate such a stellar season.
The flipside of that, at least in terms of the rotation, would be with Nick Lodolo. He’s a former 1st rounder who banked a $5.4 million signing bonus and is already getting a big raise in his arbitration years, but he’s also a pitcher who still seems like he’s yet to truly have a full breakout season. With only two years of team control left, getting him to take his eyes off a lucrative free agency may be difficult, but he seems like precisely the kind of rare talent who has a season much bigger than he’s ever shown before within, and tying him down now may look like a huge bargain later.
On the position player side, there are endless options, and perhaps their collective trait of still being raw is why none of them are signed long-term. None of them, Elly included, seem to have had a season at all approaching their peak (aside from 30 year old TJ Friedl and, perhaps, Spencer Steer), so it’s hard to know just how much more they can continue to flourish.
Could Noelvi Marte develop into a star? The scouting reports have long suggested as much, but he’s also never played a full year, switched positions twice already, and has a PED suspension on his record.
Matt McLain had a small-sample breakout in 2023 that had a lot of question marks in its peripherals, but a litany of injuries and underperformance has hampered the highly touted former 1st rounder ever since. Sal Stewart, meanwhile, has all the upside in the world on top of an excellent first showing in the big leagues, but if the club is already willing to move him down the defensive spectrum, would they really want to jump at throwing a ton of money at a guy they only see destined to play 1B/DH?
It’s an exercise in mental gymnastics to process all the scenarios, but what’s clear is that this group of Reds that seemed ‘young’ just a season or two ago has now reached the point where all key parties involved are on the cusp of getting more expensive through the arbitration process anyway. And when that happens, the Reds are going to be forced to pick and choose which ones to keep around and which ones to trade away, as it will end up being far too expensive for their tastes to keep the entire band together. Sticking to that plan will require some contracts to be signed, and that’s going to need to happen sooner than later.
Which Red do you think is the best combo of deserving and timely to get the next big contract extension?
PeoriPeoria, AZ - February 20: Nick Castellanos #21 of the San Diego Padres plays first base against the Seattle Mariners during a spring training game on February 20, 2026 in Peoria, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images) | K.C. Alfred
Recently signed Nick Castellanos made his first base debut on the first day of spring games and looked like he had been there his whole career. By all reports, he had been doing extensive work at the position since arriving in camp with the San Diego Padres in Arizona. It helps that he claims to enjoy the position as well as all the work he has been doing to get up to speed at his new position.
“I find it fun. Again, I only have four innings. But I love all the work there.” Castellanos was quoted as saying after Friday’s game in MLB.com’s article by AJ Cassavell.
Castellanos has been working with infield instructors Ryan Goins and Nick Punto as well as working on his own during the offseason to get ready for the position.
The projected approach is to have a platoon for first base with a right-handed bat sharing time with left-handed hitting Gavin Sheets, who came up as a first baseman. There will probably be two or three other players getting looks during the spring, with Sung-Mun Song, Miguel Andujar and Ty France all in the loop for time there.
It should be a spot to watch for fans and the coaching staff with multiple players trying to make the roster and break camp with the team. The competition also could favor a more versatile performer.
Pitchers progress
Pitchers working for spots in the rotation appear to be progressing slowly toward their debuts. Manager Craig Stammen highlighted Germán Márquez’s work with pitching coach Ruben Niebla, stating they are working on all aspects of his game while Griffin Canning has thrown batting practice and live BP but has not done infield work yet while recovering from his Achilles surgery.
Joe Musgrove made an appearance on the Friar Territory podcast, detailing his journey back from Tommy John surgery. He acknowledged he is not 100 percent and is willing to slow-play his approach to the new season. His goal is to be ready to be a normal pitcher and complete the whole season, including the postseason.
Reliever Jason Adam has also thrown off the mound with live BP and bullpens. He is not yet doing infield work and states he feels great and believes he will be ready for Opening Day. Stammen has emphasized caution but has not ruled out Adam starting the season on time.
Right-hander Logan Gillaspie was slated to start the first game of the spring but was scratched when his wife went into labor and he left for paternity leave. Stammen detailed a flexible role for Gillaspie this spring. He could start, go in long relief or even in a high-leverage situation. Stammen termed him a “Jack-of-all-trades” pitcher.
Lefty starter Jagger Haynes took the start on Friday, allowing four hits and two runs over two innings. He allowed a home run and had a strikeout. The only pitcher on the day to not allow a hit was new Padre Garrett Hawkins, getting two strikeouts in his o.2 innings pitched.
When Márquez and Canning were added to the roster, outfielder Tirso Ornelas was designated for assignment and pitcher Jhony Brito was placed on the 60-day IL.
Reliever Yuki Matsui threw live BP on Thursday and was pulled when he felt tightness in his adductor muscle. He is officially day-to-day and his involvement in the WBC with Team Japan could be affected.
Tatis may not lead off this season
Fernando Tatis Jr. has stated that he doesn’t care where he bats in the order. Last season he was the primary leadoff hitter and ended up with an .814 OPS with 25 HR and 71 RBI. Tatis and everyone in the organization knows that he is capable of achieving more despite those being good numbers for most players. Leading off last year, with Luis Arraez behind him in the batting order, most likely stole some RBI opportunities away as well as stunting his power opportunities. If Tatis lands at a position other than leading off, run production and power production could be an added benefit of moving him down in the order. Hitting third or fourth also gives the other hitters around him more opportunities. It seems line up construction will be a running experiment this spring.
WBC preparation
Manny Machado and Tatis Jr. will be leaving the team next Sunday to join their WBC team. Xander Bogaerts will also be leaving around the same time. All WBC players will be gone by March 1. Stammen will be putting all of them in the line up more than what you would normally see this time of the year. Getting them reps to get ready for real games and getting teamwork in with their Padres teammates will take precedence.
Powering up
Although the Friars lost their first spring game, non-roster invites Jose Miranda and Padres prospect Romeo Sanabria got the home run totals started, accounting for three of the four runs scored in the game by the Padres. Miranda also hit a solid double and ended up with two RBI.
In Saturday’s game, Miranda went off again, going 3-for-3 with four RBI and another solid double. The third baseman is fighting for a bench job and is making a really good first impression.
Knuckleballer Matt Waldron started Saturday’s game, throwing two innings and allowing one hit and no runs. He was caught by Freddy Fermin and they had no issues. Fermin had an ABS challenge go his way, making three successful challenges for Padres catchers in two games.
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins (12) hits a solo home run off of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano during the sixth inning of their game Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Guardians have added a right-handed bat in free agency. Finally.
Hoskins put up a 109 wRC+ last year for the Brewers but has a career 121 wRC+ and for his career has a 137 wRC+ against LHP. He had his best year defensively at first base last season.
One would assume this will push Kyle Manzardo to more of a full-time role at DH, and it’ll be interesting to follow the effects on David Fry. I would guess Hoskins is here on a major league deal. While there are reasons to guess that Hoskins is more of a league average bat, there is at least potential for him to be a middle of the order threat, something the Guardians’ lineup desparately needed, especially against lefty pitchers.
This is very exciting and helps redeem an offseason that was very disappointing until today as far as enhancing the team’s offense.
TEMPE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 21: Santiago Espinal #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates during the first inning of the spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on February 21, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After two years of early overseas trips and truncated Cactus League schedules, the Dodgers are back to a full-fledged relatively normal spring training this season, with four and a half weeks of games in preparation for the regular season.
Besides Ohtani, the other Dodgers position players slated for WBC play are Hyeseong Kim, who will also head overseas for pool play with Korea, and catcher Will Smith for Team USA.
We can look back to 2023 for a similar spring training for the Dodgers, though a more robust contingent that year took part in the WBC. Still, the full spring schedule coupled with some stars taking time away led to loads of playing opportunities for others still in camp. The same holds true this spring for the Dodgers, with now 77 players in big league camp after outfielder Jack Suwinski was claimed off waivers on Saturday.
IF Devin Mann 20 (tied with Ryan Ward and three others)
Of those six players mentioned, only Outman was on the 40-man roster.
Today’s question is which player will lead the Dodgers in games played during 2026 spring training? If you need a refresher on available players, here is the 40-man roster and the list of non-roster invitees.
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 16: Kumar Rocker attends The Lucky Classic MLB and Celebrity Softball Game at First Horizon Park on November 16, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kennedi Landry looks at some of the Rangers’ options for handling the closer role in 2026.
Cody Freeman’s hopes of making the Opening Day roster have taken a blow, as he has a stress fracture in his back that will sideline him for several weeks.
Skip Schumaker has told Justin Foscue that Foscue has a clean slate this spring, after a disappointing 2025 season that saw him passed over repeatedly when the Rangers needed to bring up a position player.
Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Daniel Duarte (77) tosses a rosin bag and shakes his head after giving up a solo home run to Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki (27) in the eighth inning of an MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. The Cubs won the first game of the doubleheader, 6-2.
Daniel Duarte was signed rather unceremoniously back in December of 2025, with his signing being discovered on his MLB.com profile page by MLB Trade Rumors. Duarte, however, is one of the more intriguing of the cornucopia of relief options that were brought in by David Stearns this past offseason, due to his past MLB experience and winter ball dominance this year.
The 29 year old righty is no stranger to playing on the biggest stages, despite quietly signing a minor league deal with little fanfare. He’s appeared in 36 Major League games in his career, debuting with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022, after bouncing around the Rangers, Royals and Reds systems prior to his debut, with a brief stint in the Mexican League in between his Reds tenures. He was traded from the Reds to the Twins prior to the 2024 offseason, played in two games for them, underwent season-ending elbow surgery, and missed all of the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. He comes to the Mets with a 3.99 career ERA.
He also has played on the international stage, representing Mexico in the 2020 Olympics and will represent his country in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which will be a fun side story for Mets fans to keep track of while watching the tournament.
Duarte got put on a few people’s radars after signing his minor league deal due to his performance in the Mexican Winter League. He was untouchable for Caneros de Los Mochis, playing in 25 games, throwing 24 innings, with a 0.00 ERA (not a typo, he did not surrender a single earned run in the entire season — he did surrender an unearned run, don’t sue him). He surrendered only 10 hits and walked just four batters. It was utter dominance.
Now, of course, dominating the Mexican Winter League does not necessarily mean you will be getting big outs against Major League hitters, but the performance definitely put him on the map some. He brings to the Mets a slider heavy arsenal, throwing it 36% of the time. He throws a 95-ish MPH four-seamer, a cutter, and a changeup in descending order of usage. He does not strike anyone out, nor does he walk many hitters; he relies on getting weak contact and forcing ground balls. In his lone long stint in the bigs (2023) he had a 50% ground ball rate, struck out 16.9% of batters, walked 14.7%, had just a 32.6% hard-hit rate, and a 4.3% barrel rate (all per his Baseball Savant page).
In all likelihood, Duarte will not make the Mets Opening Day roster barring some injuries ahead of him, instead pitching important innings for Triple-A Syracuse. However, he comes with an interesting profile and is fresh off dominating in Mexico over the winter, so a strong WBC and Spring performance after that could put him in pole position to be an early season call up when the bullpen roster churn eventually begins to pick up.
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 28: Miles Mastrobuoni #21 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Sunday, September 28, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mollie Handkins/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Happy Sunday everybody! Did anybody wake up for the gold medal hockey game this morning? As of compiling these links last night, I’m still uncertain if I’ll make it out of bed in time for the start. Today is set up to be one of the best sports Sundays I can recall ever getting in a February. The hockey game starts before dawn, there’s a full slate of spring training games to choose from, the final round of the Genesis Invitational will be on all day, and there’s ten NBA games on throughout the afternoon.
In Mariners news…
February 2026 seems fated to be remembered as the month of Kade Anderson. A crowd of people gathered to watch him throw a live BP yesterday that included strikeouts of Julio and Cal.
Game two of the spring ended in a Mariners loss, but Miles Mastrobuoni had a big day at the plate to add to an already impressive spring resumé.
On the Giants side of yesterday’s game, the focus was all on Hayden Birdsong and Giants fans were left badly disappointed.
Truly, unequivocally, without a doubt, the most shameless, pathetic, little-brother energy move I’ve ever seen.
Sources to @NFLonCBS: The Rams are planning rules proposals that would address this successful and controversial 2-point conversion from their late-season meeting against the Seahawks. Full story here https://t.co/uThOaPc2jBhttps://t.co/spF44eGxN8
NEW YORK - 1958: Pitcher Ryne Duren of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait prior to a game in 1958 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. (Photo by: Kidwiler Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The “pitcher with unbelievable stuff, just with no control over where it’s going” is a well known player type in baseball. In fact, the most enduring character from one of the most famous baseball movies — Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn from Major League — is that exact player.
You could say that the Vaughn character drew inspiration from many different players over the years. However, according to the director of the movie, the player who most inspired the pitcher was a Yankee: Ryne Duren. Today happens to be Duren’s birthday, so let’s look back at the original “Wild Thing.”
Rinold George “Ryne” Duren Born: February 22, 1929 (Cazenovia, WI) Died: January 6, 2011 (Lake Wales, FL) Yankees Tenure: 1958-61
Duren was born in Wisconsin in 1929 and grew up working on his family farm. He would credit the manual labor he did in his youth with helping develop his arm muscles. On the baseball field, he tried out for his high school’s baseball team as a pitcher, but poor control led him to hitting and injuring a teammate, as the team opted to use him as a position player instead. In 1945, he came down with rheumatic fever, which left him bed-ridden for several months and also caused problems with his vision.
After high school, he began playing for local teams, and returned to the mound. While he often couldn’t control where the ball was going, he had an absolutely blazing fastball, which led to the St. Louis Browns taking a chance and signing him in 1949.
Even after that signing, it would be several years before Duran saw the mound in a major league game. His aforementioned poor vision caused problems with control and seeing the catcher’s signs in the minors. Over the course of his first two seasons in the minors, he issued 271 walks in 275 innings. Eye doctors encouraged him to give up baseball, but he was too much of a sicko to do so. Instead, Duren began wearing thick, tinted “Coke bottle” glasses, which he would do throughout his career.
Duren never truly would rein in his problems with walks, but his other numbers, especially his strikeouts, eventually became too much to ignore. He got the call up to the big leagues in 1954, joining the Baltimore Orioles — where the Browns had moved to that year. His one appearance that year didn’t go great and the O’s returned him to the minors the following year. While he improved his control somewhat upon going back down, Baltimore ended up dealing him to the Kansas City Athletics.
Upon moving to Kansas City, Duran got a chance back in the big leagues, and started to develop his reputation as the hardest thrower around, and someone you didn’t want to face … just not necessarily because he was really good. He put up a 5.27 ERA in 42.2 innings with KC, while he walked 30 batters and hit two others in that time. Despite that, he would soon find himself on the move again, and to a team higher in the standings.
Back in May, Billy Martin and several other Yankees had been involved in the famed “Copacabana incident.” Martin had the reputation of a troublemaker, and the incident was something of a final straw. At the trade deadline a few weeks after, they sent him to the A’s in a multi-player deal, with Duren among those going the other way.
To start, the Yankees sent Duren back down to the minors, where he impressed. That led to the team bringing him back up for the 1958 season. In his first full season in the bigs, Duren posted a 2.02 ERA in 75.2 innings, while recording a league high 19 saves. While he still issued plenty of walks, that season got him a second-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting, as he helped the Yankees to a World Series title. Duren got off to a bumpy start in said Fall Classic, allowing a walk-off single to the Braves’ Bill Bruton in the opener, but he rebounded to to earn the save in Game 3 with two scoreless frames and then won the win-or-go-home Game 6 back in Milwaukee with 4.2 innings of one-run ball, preserving a 2-2 game into extras before the Yanks scored two in the 10th.
Meanwhile, Duren was also becoming quite the character on and off the mound. His wildness, iffy vision, and trademark glasses have already been mentioned, but it goes beyond that. When called upon, Duren would opt to hop the Yankee Stadium outfield fence instead of open the bullpen door. Upon reaching the mound, he would then often intentionally sail his first warm up pitch way over the catcher’s head, playing up his wildness and trying to strike a little fear into opposing batters.
All of that stuff is pretty amusing, but Duren also had to deal with some issues off the field. Throughout his career, Duren battled alcoholism and related mental health issues. At a later stop in his career, he threatened suicide, only to be talked down by his then-Washington Senators manager Gil Hodges. After finishing his playing career, Duren got sober and spent much of his later life as a speaker and counsilor on addiction issues.
On the mound, Duren fell away after notching a 1.88 ERA in 76.2 innings 1959. He was sub-replacement level for the AL champs in 1960 and the Yankees eventually dealt him away to the expansion team Los Angeles Angels in May 1961. He spent the rest of his career as a journeyman, never quite managing to harness his raw stuff into anything consistent. One bit of trivia about him is that late Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg was named after the pitcher (many kids in the 1980s and ’90s with baseball-loving parents were subsequently named after Sandberg).
Upon his death in 2011, the always quotable Yogi Berra had another one:
“Ryne could throw the heck out of the ball. He threw fear in some hitters. I remember he had several pairs of glasses, but it didn’t seem like he saw good in any of them.”
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
