Feb 28, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; a general view of the stadium during a spring training game between the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
After an off-day, the Jays are back at it, hosting the Braves.
I’m putting this together Monday night, so I don’t have the lineups.
But the Jays have Dylan Cease making his second spring start. I’d guess they would want 3-4 innings out of him.
The Braves are starting JR Ritchie, who pitched in the Braves minor league system last year, when he could get away from Southfork (sure Tom, use a reference that no one under 60 will get), starting in A ball and finishing in Triple-A, with a 2.64 ERA in 26 starts, 140 innings with 140 strikeouts.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 15: Jeremy Peña #3 and Josh Hader #71 of the Houston Astros pose for a photo after media availability during MLB All-Star Week at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things may be progressing well for Astros closer Josh Hader, according to this update from Brian McTaggart:
Josh Hader (biceps) returned to the mound just now, throwing about 15 pitches in the bullpen.
"Speed is there, fastball is there, action is there, synched up. All positives," he said.
While it should still be considered unlikely Hader would be ready Opening Day, this update does indicate that if Hader has to start the season on IL, he could potentially only miss the minimum required time.
Having Hader at the back of the pen with Bryan Abreu gives the Astros one of the best 1-2 punches to close out a game in baseball.
Meanwhile, SS Jeremy Pena is still getting some work in, despite his fractured finger, as shown here in another McTaggart update.
Jeremy Peña is still able to get his infield work in despite his fractured right ring finger pic.twitter.com/WYCupElmhF
Pena is seen getting in grounders while not using his bare hand at all, flipping the ball with his glove to the coach during the drill.
Pena should be back as soon as his finger is healed, and the Astros have previously shown they will push a top player right back to the lineup in the past. If Pena misses Opening Day, he may not miss much more. At this point it seems like Pena could avoid the IL to start the season. Carlos Correa is scheduled to play SS until Pena returns, with Isaac Paredes playing 3B.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Cincinnati Reds’ ace Hunter Greene is scheduled to undergo surgery Wednesday on his right elbow and could miss up to the first four months of the season.
The Reds said Greene was diagnosed with bone chips and loose bodies in his elbow. Greene needed an MRI last week after he left spring training camp due to right elbow stiffness.
Greene went 7-4 with a 2.76 ERA last year, helping Cincinnati earn an NL wild card for its first playoff appearance since 2020.
Greene, whose 99.5 mph average four-seam fastball velocity led the major leagues among those throwing at least 1,250 pitches, was limited to a career-low 19 starts and 107 2/3 innings. Still, his 296 pitches of 100 mph or higher were second in the major leagues behind Mason Miller’s 422.
Greene was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 9 with a right groin strain. He returned on May 23 and made three starts before going back on the IL with the same injury. This time, he was sidelined until Aug. 13.
The 26-year-old Greene is entering his fifth big league season. He made the NL All-Star team for the first time in 2024 while going 9-5 with a 2.75 ERA in 26 starts. He also had 169 strikeouts in 150 1/3 innings despite spending time on the IL that year with elbow soreness.
We’re back with Tuesday Spring Training to go alongside your dose of the WBC.
Seattle native JR Ritchie will be entering his third game and first start with the Braves after being invited as a non-roster prospect during this Spring Training series. This is an open opportunity for him, especially after the news that LHP Joey Wentz is suffering a knee injury, scratching him out for the remainder of the season.
Ritchie will be facing Dylan Cease and the Blue Jays today at 1:07 EST, and the game will be broadcast on the Blue Jays’ Sportsnet and can be listened to on ESPN 103.7.
Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Adolis Garcia (53) returns to the dugout against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 28: Starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. #43 of the Houston Astros delivers a pitch during the first inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 28, 2025 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Astros (5-8-3) host the Baltimore Orioles (7-8-2) in Grapefruit League play.
RHP Lance McCullers Jr. is set to start for the Astros, with RHP Levi Wells starting for the Orioles.
TODAY’S STARTER: This is Lance McCullers Jr.’s second appearance of the spring. He previously pitched one shutout inning on Feb 27 vs. the Nationals, working a 1-2-3 inning on 8 pitches. His velocity was improved from last year, primarily working 93-94 with his fastball/sinker.
He made his return to the mound in 2025 after missing the entire 2023-24 seasons due to a right flexor tendon injury that required surgery, working around four IL stints to go 2-5 with a 6.51 ERA (40ER/55.1IP) and 9.92 SO/9IP through 16 games (13 starts).
TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Bryan Abreu, RHP AJ Blubaugh, LHP Tom Cogrove, LHP Bryan King, RHP Michael Knorr, RHP Roddery Muñoz.
TODAY’S ROSTER MOVES: Following yesterday’s game, the Astros reassigned C Walker Janek and OF Lucas Spence to minor league camp…additionally, the Astros optioned RHP Jayden Murray to minor league camp this morning.
ASTROS IN WBC: IF/OF Shay Whitcomb went 1×1 with a double as a pinch-hitter in Team Korea’s 7-2 win yesterday vs. Team Australia. Team Korea secured a spot in the WBC quarterfinals with the victory.
In Team Italy’s last game on Sunday vs. Team Great Britain, IF/OF Zach Dezenzo went 1×3 with a double, a walk and two runs scored.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Tuesday, March 10, 12:05 p.m. CST
Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL.
TV: Space City Home Network, MLB Network (HOU Blackout)
PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 13: David Peterson #23 of the New York Mets trains during spring training workouts at Clover Park on February 13, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JULY 15: Carlos Pena #23 of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays is congratulated by teammate Delmon Young #26 after Pena hit a two-run home-run in the seventh inning against Ron Villone #47 of the New York Yankees on July 15, 2007 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Gavin Lux is slated to make his spring debut while Chandler Simpson and Cedric Mullins will make their returns to the Rays lineup.
First pitch against the Minnesota Twins is at 1:05 at Charlotte Sports Park and the Rays will be providing radio coverage.
Feb 20, 2026; North Port FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher JR Ritchie (93) poses for a photo during media day at CoolToday Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The last big publication, FanGraphs, have released their released their pre-season Braves top prospect list – lets jump in and take a look.
Let’s break down this list into groups of five and discuss.
Group 1
JR Ritchie
Didier Fuentes
Cam Caminiti
Owen Murphy
Alex Lodise
While there is no surprise in the names associated with the top five, save maybe Alex Lodise, the order in which they are ranked is open for discussion. Without a true plus pitch, according to the writer, JR Ritchie tops the list above Didier Fuentes and Cam Caminiti both of whom have at least one pitch that is currently graded with a future value of 60. Sliding in after Cam is Owen Murphy, but then surprisingly it’s Alex Lodise who is the first positional player to reach the list. With a 20 grade hit tool, and the approach problem that currently plagues him, it’s interesting to say the least that Lodise is above the likes of a Gil or a Tornes who have both made names for themselves with their very professional approach at the plate. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with this grouping, it’s just an overall interesting way to group them.
Group 2
Garrett Baumann
Luke Sinnard
Diego Tornes
John Gil
Tate Southisene
A lot to like about the names on this section of the list, but once again it’s the order of the players that comes into question. Without a true standout pitch, at least yet, Garrett Baumann comes in above Luke Sinnard and his slider/cutter/splitter combination of pitches. Diego Tornes, and John Gil coming in below Lodise is questionable but make sure to read what was said about the two, as there is lofty praise.
Group 3
Briggs McKenzie
Owen Carey
Conor Essenburg
Edelson Cabral
Raudy Reyes
Much like the second group, tools stand out in this section as Briggs McKenzie and his curveball, Owen Carey and his overall approach, Conor Essenburg and his power potential, and Raudy Reyes and his massive fastball make this portion of the list. The intriguing addition is Edelson Cabral, who was considered a polished middle infielder, without the highest of upsides found his way all the way to #14 overall.
Group 4
Eric Hartman
Blake Burkhalter
Rolddy Muñoz
Carter Holton
Luis Guanipa
Group 4 consists of a high upside athletic 2B/OF in Eric Hartman, a trio of relievers (potentially), and a 5-tool prospect who has struggled with injuries. While Guanipa dropping to 20 isn’t that big of a surprise because he has yet to fully put together a season, having his enormous upside below the likes of Blake Burkhalter and Rolddy Muñoz paints the picture of someone who highlights ceiling more than floor – again a perfectly reasonable thing to do, just doesn’t necessarily fit with my line of thinking/ranking. That said, it is nice to see Eric Hartman getting national love as he does have a very intriguing skill set that every organization would want.
Group 5
Landon Beidelschies
Lucas Braun
Drue Hackenberg
Ethan Bagwell
Hayden Harris
Once again the value of relievers is apparent as Landon Beidelschies and Hayden Harris make up 40% of this grouping. While it is interesting to see Lucas Braun and Drue Hackenberg that close, it speaks more to Drue’s upside than it does his struggles on the mound in 2025. Ethan Bagwell coming in at 24 is one of the highest rankings I’ve seen for him to which I personally love.
Group 6
Herick Hernandez
Angel Carmona
Brett Sears
Cade Kuehler
Jose Perdomo
The biggest part of this list is the inclusion of Angel Carmona this high on a list, with Jose Perdomo dropping all the way to 30th. Angel had a fantastic 2025, with an .827 OPS across 20 games in his age 18 season so it’s not surprising he is getting love, just surprising to see him over the likes of a Jeremy Reyes, Rayven Antonio, Cody Miller, Dixon Williams, Jhancarlos Lara, or Isaiah Drake all players with large upsides that put together strong seasons themselves against higher quality competition. There’s nothing against Carmona, but when that much talent is left off the list it’s an interesting choice.
Group 7
Connor Thomas
Jose Manon
Starlyn De La Cruz
Love the additions of Starlyn and Jose Manon this high on any list despite not having played a game yet, but again it’s the addition of a Connor Thomas over any of the players listed in the above section that warrants discussion.
What are your thoughts on Fangraphs list? Do you like the aggressive rankings of floors over ceilings? What are the biggest changes you would make?
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 5: Zack Littell #52 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on August 5, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the news broke a couple days ago, the Nats made the signing of Zack Littell official. We also got the terms of the deal, which are quite interesting. The base of the contract is a one-year $7 million deal. However, with incentives and a mutual option, Littell is likely to make much more than that.
The move is official: The Nationals have signed Zack Littell to a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2027.
It’s $7 million this year, per source, with the potential to get up to $9.5 million with innings incentives.
2027 mutual option is $12 million. $4 million buyout.
If you include the $4 million buyout, the least Littell could make is $11 million dollars. By 2020’s Nats standards, $11 million is a big investment. Heading into the offseason, Littell likely expected to make more on a multi-year deal. However, he had to settle for this offer as Opening Day loomed.
The incentives are based off of innings pitched. They start at 100 innings, and continue to climb as he throws more. Littell is a workhorse who threw 186.2 innings last year, so these incentives are quite attainable. It may not be what he was looking for after posting a sub-4 ERA in over 185 innings, but this is still a solid deal for Littell.
Innings incentives for Littell, per source:
100k each for 100, 110, 120, 130, 140 IP 250k each for 150, 160 IP 500k each for 170, 180, 190 IP
He was actually in the locker room this morning, so I got the chance to talk to him for a bit. While he signed late in the offseason, Littell is confident he will be ready for Opening Day. He said that he has been throwing live sessions to hitters and building up as he normally would in a season. Littell told me he and the Nats will “map out” the next steps, but he feels like he is right on schedule.
Interestingly, Littell said that his agent and Paul Toboni have a great relationship and had been talking throughout the offseason. It seems like Toboni waited for the price tag to come down and struck when the market got to where he wanted it. Littell said the Nats were always “hanging around and checking in” throughout the process.
Speaking of relationships, Littell mentioned that he has some ties to the Nats new staff. He did not really know any of the players, but his days with the Rays created ties with the Nats staff, which has a lot of connections to Tampa. Michael Johns, the Nats bench coach is one guy he mentioned. He was the first base coach for the Rays while Littell was there.
Obviously manager Blake Butera was with the Rays, but he and Littell did not interact much. Butera was working on the minor league side of things, while Littell was a big league pitcher. He said that they would see each other around every once in a while, but nothing beyond that.
However, he said that Butera was well regarded in the Rays clubhouse. Littell said that guys who played for Butera loved him and he never heard a bad word about the new Nats skipper. He also worked with Simon Mathews while he was with the Reds, and he said he was excited to reconnect with him.
After the season he had, Littell probably thought he would get a bigger deal than this, but he seemed excited to be on board. Littell brings a combination of reliability and production that the Nats needed badly. This surprise late addition really raises the floor of the Nats rotation.
The Nats needed to open up a 40-man roster spot to make this move, and did so by DFA’ing Richard Lovelady. While Lovelady had his moments this spring, his control was hit or miss. Hopefully he passes through waivers because Lovelady is a useful depth arm.
The Zack Littell signing is official. It's a 1-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. LHP Richard Lovelady was DFA'd to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Lovelady is no stranger to the waiver wire. This is the fifth time Lovelady has been DFA’d in the last 12 months. He is the epitome of a guy who sticks on the back end of a 40-man roster.
Overall, this Littell pickup is very exciting by Nats free agent standards. Hopefully Littell has a solid season and either becomes a trade chip, or someone the Nats can keep around longer term. At just 30 years old, he could be a useful middle to back of the rotation arm for years to come.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 19: Jack Wenninger #92 of the New York Mets poses for a photo during the New York Mets Photo Day at Clover Park on February 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Over the last few days, the Mets made their first roster cuts of spring training, cutting five players from major league camp. Jack Wenninger, the only one of the five not on the 40-Man Roster, was reassigned to minor-league camp, while the four players on the 40 were optioned to Triple-A. Those four players are Jonah Tong, Nick Morabito, Dylan Ross, and Jonathan Pintaro. The Mets are now down to 63 players in major league camp.
These moves are not a referendum on the individual performances, but rather an opportunity to both get them set up for their seasons in Triple-A and also to allow the Mets to have more opportunity to evaluate players who are more on the bubble for a roster spot. All of these players will possibly and perhaps are even likely to appear in further major league spring training games, and the move to minors camp is more just to start the process of shaping the Opening Day roster.
Ross, the first cut, happened back on March 6 without a single pitch tossed in a spring game. Morabito appeared in five games, collecting two hits in 11 plate appearances with a walk, a double, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. This all aligns with the type of player he’s been thus far.
Tong made one start in spring thus far, going two and a third innings, striking out two, allowing three earned runs on a home run and two other hits while walking one and hitting another batter. The line doesn’t look fantastic, but his stuff looked good until he tired in the third inning and gave up the dinger.
Pintaro made two relief appearances for the Mets, going four innings of one-run ball, striking out and walking four apiece. He also allowed four hits.
Wenniger, one of the next batch of starting pitching prospects a little behind the Tong/Nolan McLean/Christian Scott class, appeared in three games, tossing six and two-thirds innings. His control was a little off, allowing seven walks, but he struck out ten and gave up two earned runs on six hits.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see at least two of three, if not all five, of these players get some big league appearances in 2026.
Feb 26, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
There are two weeks of exhibition games remaining before things turn real for the Dodgers, on March 26 at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks. We have a pretty good general idea of the roster, with a few choices remaining.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto will likely pitch for Japan this Saturday, then once more for the Dodgers in preparation for the regular season. Tyler Glasnow went 2 2/3 innings last Wednesday and starts on Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, possibly this time around the first Dodgers pitcher to last into the fourth inning.
We know and can acknowledge that opening day is only a snapshot of a short period of a season that lasts over six months, and that several pitchers will be used throughout the year. But for our purposes today, let’s focus on the early part of the season. The Dodgers host the Diamondbacks for three games, take Sunday, March 29 off, then finish the homestand with three games against the Cleveland Guardians from March 30-April 2.
Today’s question is which Dodgers pitchers will start the first five games of the regular season?
HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 09: Roman Anthony #3 of Team USA celebrates with Kyle Schwarber #12 after hitting a three-run home run in the third inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team Mexico and Team USA at Daikin Park on Monday, March 9, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We had a lot of great games Monday but not many upsets.
Tonight, we will have a game thread for the three evening games, which are: Israel/Netherlands, Canada/Puerto Rico and Italy/USA. The thread will post at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Colombia scored four runs in the sixth inning and hung on to beat Panama 4-3.
This game was a pitcher’s duel to start. Panama’s Paolo Espino, who pitched for Panama in the very first World Baseball Classic all the way back in 2006, made his very last start before retirement a good one. Espino threw 4.1 innings and allowed just one hit and no runs. He struck out four and walked no one.
The problem for Espino and Panama was that Colombia’s Adrian Almeida, who pitched in the minors for the Mets and Angels and is in the Mexican League now, was even better. Almeida allowed just one baserunner of over four innings and that was a hit by pitch.
The game was still scoreless in the top of the sixth when Colombia got to Panama reliever Miguel Gómez, who pitched in the Nationals system last year. After Mariners top prospect Michael Arroyo walked and Harold Ramírez singled, Gómez was summoned from the pen and walked the bases loaded.
After a sacrifice fly by the A’s Jordan Diaz, Reynaldo Rodríguez, who has been in the Mexican League since leaving the Twins minor league system in 2016, singled home two [VIDEO].
That’s where things stayed until Panama rallied in the eighth inning off former Cubs’ farmhand Yapson Gómez. Dodgers minor leaguer José Ramos, Edmundo Sosa and the Cubs’ Christian Bethancourt hit three-straight two-out singles. Here’s Bethancourt’s single that made it 4-3 [VIDEO].
But that was all there was in this game. Well, not all as tempers boiled when Panama’s Jonathan Arauz got into a scuffle with his manager José Mayorga.
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
Great Britain avoids finishing last in the group and having to qualify for the next WBC with an 8-1 win over Brazil. Brazil, on the other hand, is relegated down to the qualifying groups.
Both British starter Brendon Beck, a 2021 second-round pick of the Yankees, and Brazilian starter Enzo Sawayama, who plays in the industrial leagues in Japan, held the other team scoreless through four innings.
The third British run that inning came on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. groundout.
Unfortunately, that Do Carmo RBI double would be the only hit that Brazil would get in this game and Great Britain scored in every inning from the fifth on. Cardinals Triple-A player Matt Koperniak had a two-run single in the seventh and Chisholm had another two-run single in the eighth.
Cubs minor leaguer BJ Murray Jr. went 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored for Great Britain.
What was shaping up to be a Team USA romp after they scored five runs in the third inning turned into a tight contest, but the USA hung on for a 5-3 win.
Paul Skenes started for Team USA and he dominated, as Paul Skenes is known to do. Skenes allowed just one hit and one walk over four innings while striking out seven. [VIDEO]
But Skenes exited after four innings. Garrett Cleveninger threw one inning before Matthew Boyd entered the game in the sixth. I have some advice for Craig Counsell: Don’t let Boyd pitch against Jarren Duran.
This result should not be a surprise to anyone. Japan is a potential winner of this tournament and Czechia is really just beginning its baseball history.
Surprisingly, then, the Czechs kept Japan scoreless through seven innings. But Czechia could manage only two hits through eight, and then Japan’s offense went to work, scoring all nine of their runs.
The Dominican Republic had no problem clinching a trip to the single-elimination rounds with a 10-1 win over Israel.
The Dominican Republic took the lead in the second inning. Guardians minor leaguer Ryan Prager retired the side in order in the first, but he walked three batters in the second inning to load the bases. Then he walked Geraldo Perdomo to force in a run and make it 1-0.
Seven Venezuela pitchers scattered seven hits and they made their five hits count for four runs as Venezuela beat Nicaragua 4-0 and clinched a spot in the quarterfinals.
Venezuela took an early lead when Ronald Acuña Jr. walked to lead off the game. Acuña then stole second base, went to third on a bad throw to second and scored on a Jackson Chourio sacrifice fly.
Last January’s premiere signing out of Venezuela, Bautista entered the system with high praise amongst scouts familiar with his game. Lauded as perhaps the highest ceiling player in the entire class, Bautista lay claim to potentially plus power, 70-grade run times, and a howitzer of an arm in the outfield. The only real thing missing from his game, however, is perhaps the most important tool of them all: bat-to-ball. Though the surface numbers aren’t necessarily jumping off the page after his first stint in the DSL, defining success is crucial when evaluating a player as young and unpolished as he is. Thanks to his immense skillset and nearly limitless potential, we’ve put him in a tier above our previous entries, marking the first of what is a healthy “middle” tier of prospect found in the Seattle system.
— Mariners Player Development (@MsPlayerDev) July 17, 2025
Bautista is a pure ceiling play as a prospect. The tools, while outrageously loud at times, are unrefined and need fine tuning to be maximized in game. Posting a slash line of .223/.326/.404 in his debut season, Yorger had a solid, if unspectacular start to his professional career. He managed to pop seven homers across ~200 PA and stole ten bags without getting caught, but a strikeout rate just a hair under 30% is a wart that’s hard to overlook right now, particularly with his relatively average walk rates. It’s not unheard of to see a player struggle with contact in the DSL and find success down the road (Lazaro Montes struck out over 33% of the time in his first season in the DSL), but it’s definitely an uphill battle. The tools are great to have, but if he can’t make enough contact to get to them, they’re something of a moot point.
A year one with a high strikeout rate was to be expected from the tooled up outfielder. Though it would have been great to see it lower than 30%, the then 17 year old was never going to be a contact machine in his first taste of pro ball and fell into line with what was generally expected. He didn’t make a huge leap offensively, but his performance mirroring the scouting consensus makes sense for a player brand new to professional development programs and keeps him in the picture prospect-wise. Whether he makes it stateside this year or takes another season in the DSL, some positive progression toward contact is a major box he’ll need to check in 2026. It’s impossible to call an age 18 season “make or break”, but if the hit tool stalls and looks roughly the same as it did last year, adjustments to his pedigree as a prospect are inevitable.
Keep an eye on the DSL this season; If Yorger hangs around for another season (I’d wager he’d start in the ACL, but it’s probably pretty close to a toss up), he’d join newcomers Gregory Pio and Juan Rijo in what could be the most fleshed-out lineup the DSL team has had in years.
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 1: Steve Howe #57 of the New York Yankees looks on before a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles on May 21, 1994 at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Steve Howe was an extraordinary pitcher. Featuring a bowling-ball sinker that he could locate with pinpoint control, his arm talent and tenacity distinguished him from the competition at every stage of his baseball life. He accomplished things on the field that should form the foundation of a proud legacy. Unfortunately, Howe never got the chance to cement that legacy as the cycle of addiction consumed his life.
Steven Roy Howe Born: March 10, 1958 (Pontiac, MI) Died: April 28, 2006 (Coachella, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1991-96
Steve Howe grew up in Michigan, where he was a standout at Clarkston High School before starring as a Michigan Wolverine. The talented left-hander was selected by longtime Dodgers GM Al Campanis in the first round of the 1979 MLB Draft, jumping straight to Double-A and spending just a single year there before making it to the Show. Howe was an immediate sensation as a rookie, posting a 2.66 ERA in 84.2 innings as the team’s closer while allowing just a single home run. “The kid’s got ice water in his veins,” raved a giddy Campanis of his new phenom. When asked if Howe was deserving of Rookie of the Year honors, his Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda, retorted: “Rookie of the Year? How about MVP?”
Howe did indeed take home the 1980 NL Rookie of the Year Award and followed up on his success in the years to come. In 1981, he made four scoreless relief appearances in the first two rounds of the playoffs to help the Dodgers to the pennant and was on the mound when his team defeated the Yankees in the Bronx for the title.
It was not until after the 1982 season that the cracks in this young superstar’s facade began to show. Howe entered himself into a substance abuse treatment center at his wife’s urging and, though he would be ready for the start of the following season, by May of 1983 he was back in rehab after no-showing for a game. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn (along with the Dodgers) fined Howe $54,000 for his use of cocaine, beginning a cycle of punishment and redemption that would continue for more than a decade. Howe returned in June and pitched at an elite level through September, when he missed a team flight, was fined another $54,000, and entered back into rehab. That following November, Howe tested positive for cocaine, at which point Kuhn suspended him for all of 1984.
This suspension began what would be a seven-year wilderness period for Howe. He cycled in and out of baseball, with brief stints with the Twins in 1985 and the Rangers in 1987. He spent time with the Single-A San Jose Bees and in Independent ball, as well as agreeing to terms with the Seibu Lions in Japan before the NPB vetoed the deal due to his history of drug use.
It wasn’t until 1991 that Howe would get another shot at a comeback. His agent arranged a tryout for Yankees GM Gene Michael, who offered him a spring training invite the next day. “He’s getting a chance because he’s good,” the matter-of-fact Michael, always a stickler for talent, told the press. “There’s always a need for left-handed pitching.” For his part, Howe espoused that he was leaving his troubles behind him. “That’s in the past,” he said of his drug abuse. “I am recovering today, and I have two years of sobriety. Believe me, if you went through what I’ve gone through, you’d want to forget, too.”
For a former Rookie of the Year, world champion, and All-Star, Howe’s introduction to pinstripes was ignominious. He initially had to wear the uniform of another non-roster invitee, Van Snider, and donned a pair of Don Mattingly’s cleats while waiting for his own equipment. But his golden left arm quickly jumped him back up the food chain. “I haven’t forgotten how to pitch,” Howe said. “I haven’t lost my competitive edge. That’s the key. You take those two things and put them with a 90-mile-an-hour fastball, and that’s success.”
That success would, indeed, come. Howe allowed just one unearned run through 18 innings with Triple-A Columbus before Michael called him up on May 10th. “They tell me he’s throwing as good as he can throw,” the GM said. “He’s as ready as he can be.” The next day, at the age of 33, the reliever cleared a hurdle that would have been unthinkable just months before, making his first big-league appearance since 1987 in a scoreless ninth “I made it,” he declared afterwards. “If I don’t pitch another inning, I got back.”
Howe recorded a 1.68 ERA in 48.1 innings that year and, in a full-circle stat line reminiscent of his halcyon rookie campaign, allowed just a single long ball. Having gone through hell and back, Howe established himself once again as one of the game’s top bullpen arms.
Alas, that December he was arrested by Montana police in a sting operation while purchasing cocaine. Despite protestations that he was coerced—and the fact that he continued to pitch at a high level through early June while the legal proceeding played out—he eventually pleaded guilty and was banned from baseball indefinitely by commissioner Fay Vincent.
It was Howe’s seventh suspension from baseball and, just as many had celebrated his redemption arc upon returning to baseball, the New York press reveled in the chance to beat him while he was down. “Seven-Time Loser” read the back page of one paper. Chris Russo of the newly minted “Mike and the Mad Dog” talk radio show repeatedly called for the suspension to be made permanent.
The banishment would be lifted before the 1993 season, in part because Howe’s manager went to bat for him. “I had to ask myself: how are you going to feel if two or three years from now Steve Howe ends up dead somewhere and you had an opportunity to help him, and you didn’t?” asked Buck Showalter. “I couldn’t live with that.”
Howe would stick with the Yankees for the next four seasons, showing intermittent flashes of his former dominance and avoiding an eighth suspension. His organization aided in his recovery, even giving him a job selling tickets in early 1995 while players were locked out due to a labor dispute so that he could continue to comply with the terms of his probation. After he pitched to a 6.35 ERA in 17 innings during the 1996 season, the Yankees released the 38-year-old. In some ways, being forced into retirement due to age and declining performance was a triumphantly extraordinary outcome for Howe in its ordinariness.
In 2006, Howe died at the age of 48 in a single-car crash. An autopsy revealed he had methamphetamine in his system at the time of the accident. It was a sad end for a man who had worked so hard for so long to keep his life on track. Perhaps that is Howe’s greatest legacy — a man who, despite scorn, ridicule, and ostracism, never stopped trying to live up to his potential, both as a ballplayer and as a person.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
