Two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal planned to make just one start in the World Baseball Classic before returning to spring training with the Detroit Tigers.
But after getting a taste of what it's like to represent Team USA, he's not so sure he's ready to leave.
"When you get into these environments, when you get this team, it’s hard to walk away from that," Skubal said Saturday, March 7, after tossing three strong innings in the Americans' 9-1 win over Great Britain.
"I didn’t expect these types of emotions to run through my brain or my thoughts to differ. I was pretty committed to making a start and getting back to camp," Skubal said. "Things have changed, obviously, that’s why I’m going to have some conversations to try and figure out a plan for me."
The Tigers left-hander, who is ticketed for free agency – and likely one of the largest contracts in baseball history – at the end of the 2026 season, said he'll talk with the Tigers, his agent and his family before making what he calls "one of the tougher decisions I’ve made in my career."
He said he'll make the call "in the next couple days."
Skubal allowed a leadoff home run to Great Britain's Nate Eaton in the first inning, but he settled down and struck out five over his three-inning stint on Saturday in Houston. But he said he didn't expect his emotions to take over the way they did after getting on the mound.
"It just changes your perspective a little bit, you know?" Skubal said. "And how proud I am to be an American and go out there and pitch and compete. (Thinking about) the people that make real sacrifices for me to play a kid's game. So we'll see."
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 4: Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after hitting a double during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Mexico at Camelback Ranch on March 4, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
2025 saw Andy Pages fully emerge at the plate, with his 27 home runs on the season ranking second on the Dodgers behind Shohei Ohtani while being one of the best offensive hitters while playing at home. In the postseason, Pages was a shell of himself at the plate, relegated to bench duties during the final two games of the World Series.
Had it not been for a season-saving catch to rob Ernie Clement of a World Series winning walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, Pages’ reputation as a postseason letdown would’ve made all the headlines. Instead, he enters the 2026 season as one of many unsung heroes during the Dodgers’ most recent title run.
Pages has performed well at the plate so far this spring to the tune of a .350/.364/.600 slash line with four RBI, and is firmly positioned to be the Dodgers’ starting center fielder this season. Dave Roberts noted that the team has instilled confidence in Pages as he continues to mature as a big league hitter and get past his postseason struggles, notes Doug Padilla of the Orange County Register.
“I do think (the Game 7 catch) can add that confidence because he was a big part of what we did all year,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I hope that he learned from that last month, month and a half, whatever it was, and know he was still valuable to the end. He’s a confident young player right now.”
Links
Landon Knack tossed three solid innings on the mound on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies, allowing a pair of runs on two sacrifice flies while also holding Colorado to just one hit— thanks in part to a horrible route by Teoscar Hernández in left field. Knack is one of a handful of young arms eager to be a part of the Dodgers rotation for opening day, but Knack has his sights on staying in the big league rotation throughout the duration of the season, per Courtney Hollmon of MLB.com.
Two years ago, James Tibbs III was selected 13th overall out of Florida State University by the San Francisco Giants. A year later, he was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in the Rafael Devers trade before being traded again to the Dodgers in the Dustin May deal. Now, he is putting on a show in his first big league spring training.
There is promise for the young outfield prospects, and Dave Roberts hasn’t ruled out the possibility of Tibbs making his big league debut at some point this upcoming season, per Jack Harris of the California Post.
“He’s on our radar,” manager Dave Roberts said Monday, after Tibbs belted a 458-foot home run, in a left-on-left matchup no less, for what has been his biggest highlight so far in camp. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if, at some point this year, he makes his debut.”
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 18: Zach Agnos #36 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
The last two seasons have been filled with MLB debuts for Colorado Rockies pitchers, including a trio of young relievers who have made an impact late in games: Seth Halvorsen, Zach Agnos and Juan Mejia. Halvorsen debuted in August 2024, while Agnos and Mejia both debuted in 2025.
Of the three, Mejia made the biggest splash in 2025, ranking eighth in our “Ranking the Rockies” series, and is currently playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. But all three are making their cases for why they should start 2026 with the team after taking some big lessons from last season.
Lessons learned in 2025
“I think the biggest lesson that I learned [in 2025] is that I’ll always be able to make adjustments,” Halvorsen said. “I think that I’m always wanting to make adjustments and improve, whether it’s game to game, year to year, pitch to pitch – I just want to be able to consistently make adjustments going forward.”
Mejia echoed that, while also leaning on his faith.
“Every mistake that I had, I can learn from that,” Mejia said through interpreter Edwin Perez. “Without any mistakes or errors, you can’t really grow as a player or you can’t learn. So I think I just grew overall learning through all the things that I went through last year.”
For Agnos, the lesson was different.
“Just being in the strike zone, honestly,” he said.
“When I was throwing really well, I was throwing a ton of strikes. And then when I wasn’t throwing so well, I didn’t throw a ton of strikes. And that’s been kind of the emphasis this camp and my bullpens and my live [BP’s] and from Alon [Leichman] and Gabe [Ribas] and Matt [Daniels] and [Matt Buschmann] and [Warren] Schaeffer and Paul [DePodesta] – everybody top to bottom, ‘Just throw strikes!’ I believe in my stuff. I believe I have the stuff to be an everyday guy, so now it’s just putting it over the plate and making hitters earn it.”
Throwing strikes and getting ahead in counts early has been an emphasis of the newly revamped coaching staff, and something Schaeffer has preached throughout camp.
Something else that has permeated Rockies camp since the new coaches were hired is an increased arsenal. Ryan Feltner added a cutter; Chase Dollander added a sweeper; and Kyle Freeland has been tweaking his changeup.
New pitches incoming
And just like the starters, the relievers are adding to their arsenals, too.
For Halvorsen, the work started in the offseason with his fastball and slider.
“I switched the grip [on my fastball] a little bit to maybe make it a little more true,” he said,” and then I switched the grip of my slider for it to maybe have a little more depth, or at least have the ability to do that. And then maybe I’ll manipulate that pitch a little bit, so I’m excited with those two for sure.”
Mejia, like Freeland, is working on his changeup and slider.
“I didn’t have the biggest confidence in it last year, and that’s why I didn’t throw it,” he said. “So that’s my pitch that I’ve held back, but I think I’m truly growing into it and getting better at it. And the slider – I think the slider’s still the same, but in a sense, it’s getting better. I’m just improving that.”
Agnos, on the other hand, is adding a plethora of new pitches.
“Sinker and curveball, and then we’re tweaking with my cutter, sweeper and slider,” he said during the first weekend of spring training. “I was actually with my brother (Jake) in the offseason. He gave me a lot of helpful little tips and showed me some grips that I talked to Alon and Gabe about, and the sweeper has been good. So it’s kind of nice to have these guys as pitching coaches and my brother as a pitching coach. You get two sets of eyes.”
Additionally, as of Saturday, Agnos has added yet another pitch at the suggestion of Michael Lorenzen.
“It’s called a death ball,” he said.
“It’s an interesting pitch. I threw it against Team USA, so it’s pretty good, but I’ve still got a lot of room to grow with it. But it’s been fun!”
The new coaching staff is really helping
And, of course, they’re learning a lot from the new pitching coaches overall.
“They’ve all been super fantastic. They’ve been awesome,” said Agnos.
“They communicate a plan, whether I’ve wanted to hear it or not. They’ll tell you how it is and it’s awesome. There’s a clear plan, and they’re definitely trying to develop us, which is awesome.
“[It’s] the most fun I’ve had playing catch,” he continued. “As stupid as that sounds, I’ve never had so much fun playing catch. Like today (Feb. 15), I threw with Alon because he wanted to work on my sweeper and cutter. So it was good, and he got to see it firsthand. We had a good talk, and he’s kind of building up some confidence in us, which is good, too. He just kept being like, ‘You’re nasty, bro, you’re nasty. Trust [yourself].’ He’s like, ‘You’re nasty.’ So it’s cool to hear. It’s always nice to hear – I believe it – but it never hurts to hear.”
For Halvorsen, it was an immediate change in his slider.
“I’ve done the same pitch there for a couple years now,” he said, “and then right away they came in and they had me make that adjustment. And I saw results – beneficial results – right away. So it was pretty exciting to see that.”
Mejia is noticing the difference in the clubhouse.
“It’s been very positive overall,” he said. “They’ve helped me so much already. From the start, you can feel that there’s a different energy, a different atmosphere in here, and I think that’s going to help us a lot this year.”
“I think we can have a better record this year,” he continued. “I think we can play better as a team and hopefully these changes bring us to the championship one day. Hopefully this year, and hopefully we’re able to celebrate this year, but more than anything, I think it’s been overall a great adjustment for all of us.”
Schaeffer had nothing but glowing things to say about the trio.
“All three of those guys are dudes. There’s no doubt about it” he said. “The one that has been the most impressive in camp, for me, has been Agnos with the way he’s attacked the zone and pounded it, doing what we’ve been asking 100%. It’s been impressive.
“Mejia, also, is one of our top guys. He’s so nasty. So it’s been a good progression for him,” he continued. “And it’s been a good progression for Seth. Seth’s working on new things, and so is Juan. So it’s about striking that balance, about executing the fundamentals in game, pounding the strike zone, and working on stuff, which is difficult early in camp. So I don’t foresee any problems.”
Closing thoughts
Agnos has been lighting it up in spring training, making a very strong case for the Opening Day roster. Halvorsen has been tinkering with things, but his fastball command has been improving. And Mejia has been outstanding for Team Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
2026 is still up in the air for a lot of Rockies, but at least the bullpen appears to be a strength heading into it.
How nice that there was no available media coverage of the game on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was looking forward to cocking one eye at the game. But no.
The faithful are taken for granted. Our only view is obstructed. We do not provide much in the way of profits, either short or long-term. We’re shut out of the entire process. We have no say. We have no power.
<snip rant>
The Cubs defeated the Athletics, 4-3, getting back to one game under .500. Once again the starting pitcher gave up three runs in his stint. This time it was Mike Imanaga who took the ball, while Shota rested. Grant Kipp walked a guy, and Riley Martin gave up a hit. That was all the A’s had. Chicago pitchers struck out ten Athletics.
Ian Happ solo-homered, Pedro Ramirez took one deep, and Nico singled in a run for the Cubs’ tallies, at home in Sloan Park.
Seiya Suzuki had a good game for Japan.
Right now, the Magic 8-Ball tells me that Ben Brown and Javier Assad will be in Des Moines to start the season.
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Mark Gonzales (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ catching corps returns, but it could look different. “Carson Kelly had one of the best offensive seasons of his career. He also caught a career-high 105 games, but that could dip this season if Miguel Amaya can stay healthy.”
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On this day 75 years ago, Marilyn Monroe paid a visit to White Sox camp, posing here with Gus Zernial (catching) and Joe Dobson. | Phil Burchman
1942 Future White Sox MVP Dick Allen was born in Wampum, Pa.
Allen set a franchise mark with 37 home runs in his 1972 MVP year, along with 113 RBIs. His 8.6 WAR in 1972 ranks second all-time among White Sox hitters (Eddie Collins, 9.4, 1915) and 14th all-time among all White Sox players.
Perhaps most importantly of all, Allen was credited by numerous sources as saving the White Sox in Chicago, his play driving attendance when a move to Milwaukee or other cities loomed as a consistent threat.
Allen died in 2020, still short of Hall of Fame election. In the most recent Veterans Committee vote in 2021, Allen was just one vote shy of immortality.
1948 WGN announced that it would televise Chicago White Sox games for the first time during the upcoming season.
Veteran radio broadcasters Jack Brickhouse and Harry Creighton would become the first White Sox TV announcers in history. The first game WGN aired was an exhibition game against the Cubs from Wrigley Field on April 16, 1948, in the freezing cold!. The White Sox won, 4-1.
WGN televised White Sox games from 1948-67, 1981, and 1990-2019.
1951 The White Sox held Spring Training in Pasadena, Calif. after the war. It was near Hollywood, and on this day the team had a special visitor, as actress Marilyn Monroe came calling.
Monroe was going to be the mascot for a charity game played at Gilmore Field (home of the Pacific Coast League Hollywood Stars) that Sunday. The game featured a number of All-Stars.
Monroe arrived early and took a number of publicity photos with the players, including Hank Majeski, Joe Dobson and Gus Zernial. All of the Sox players would later receive autographed pictures from her.
The photo shoot that resulted caught the eye of a player on the other side of the country: Joe DiMaggio, who reached out to Monroe’s press agent to arrange a date after the season, as he began life as a retired player.
1961 Former White Sox player and bullpen catcher Mark Salas was born, in Montebello, Calif. The catcher, drafted in 1979 by the St. Louis Cardinals, made a major impact as a rookie, with 2.2 WAR and an eighth-place finish in AL Rookie of the Year polling as a member of the Minnesota Twins. However, Salas never played in as many as 92 games after that season, taking tours with the Yankees, Tigers, Cleveland, and in 1988, the White Sox. The catcher had a barely-positive season (0.3 WAR) backing up Carlton Fisk, but was released at the end of Spring Training 1989.
Salas spent much more than one year with the White Sox later, as a coach and scout. Immediately upon retirement, he went to work as a coach in the White Sox system. Later he served as White Sox bullpen catcher from 1996-99, and again under former teammate Ozzie Guillén starting in 2007. In-between coaching, Salas scouted for the Sox.
Salas is also one of 10 major-leaguers in history whose surname is a Palindrome.
2011 On International Women’s Day, former White Sox front office analyst Kim Ng moved from assistant GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers — the highest-ranking woman in baseball — to MLB senior vice president of baseball operations.
Ng got her start with the White Sox, hired for an internship in 1991 in what she thought would be public relations. Instead, assistant GM Dan Evans saw promise in her analytical thinking and background in the game (Ng was a University of Chicago softball player) and took her under his wing. When Evans lost out on the White Sox GM job that went to Ken Williams, Evans knew his future was outside of Chicago, and when he left for the Dodgers, Ng came with him.
Nine years after taking this executive position with MLB and after at least four failed attempts at landing a GM position, Ng was hired as the general manager of the Miami Marlins.
2019 Former White Sox catcher Mike Colbern passed away in Tempe, Ariz. He played his only 80 career games with the South Siders in 1978-79, tallying 0.1 WAR and a .627 OPS/73 OPS+. He played two full seasons for the White Sox in Triple-A after that, and wound up his career with a season in the Atlanta organization.
In retirement, Colbern became the lead plaintiff in a class action for what lawyers turned into (against Colbern’s wishes) a reverse-discrimination lawsuit against MLB demanding his health costs be paid akin to an approved plan that paid for pre-1947 Negro League players’ health bills. Although that lawsuit failed, Colbern later received $3,700 in medical payments as part of a partial restitution plan initiated by MLB.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 07: Shohei Ohtani #16 of Team Japan celebrates with Seiya Suzuki #51 after hitting a solo home run in the third inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between South Korea and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 7, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to Pinstripe Alley’s coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! We previewed Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D in the linked articles. Since the first several days of the WBC feature a bevy of games, we’ll be recapping them in batches. Enjoy!
Pool C: Japan 8 (2-0), South Korea 6 (1-1)
Japan-South Korea is a heated rivalry as far as international baseball is concerned (and, uh, in life really), and the clash lived up to it in this year’s WBC. While Japan blasted four home runs for the game, it was a couple walks and a single that gave them the three-run inning they needed to come away with the win.
Korea got off to a hot start, with a Bo Gyeong Moon double scoring three runs to cap off a three-run top of the first. However, two homers from Seiya Suzuki, one from Shohei Ohtani, and one from Masataka Yoshida allowed Japan to storm back and take a 5-3 lead in the third. Ohtani’s Dodgers teammate Hyeseong Kim answered with a two-run shot of his own, tying things up as the game went into the late innings.
In the seventh, Japan’s Shugo Maki drew a leadoff walk, with the pinch-runner for him advancing to third on two outs. Korea’s pitching then got sloppy, as while they intentionally walked Ohtani, they also issued two unintentional ones, allowing a run to score. Yoshida brought home two more with a single. While South Korea did get one run back, that three spot in the seventh ended up being the difference in the game.
Pool A: Canada 8 (1-0), Colombia 2 (0-2)
Thanks to a homer from Cubs-turned-Marlins up-and-comer Owen Caissie in the second, Canada never trailed in this one. But they didn’t fully put it away until a four-run eighth inning.
Canada was never not in control of this game, as the Caissie homer gave them a 2-0 lead, and they later went on to take a 4-1 lead thanks to a Josh Naylor single. However, Colombia got back within two runs in the eighth thanks to a Harold Ramírez RBI double and even brought the go-ahead run to the plate later in the inning.
That was as close as they got, though. Canada went on to bat around in the bottom half of the eighth, plating four runs in the process and staving off any upset bid.
Pool D: Netherlands 4 (1-1), Nicaragua 3 (0-2)
Nicaragua got within one out of pulling off the upset, but a stunning, walk-off, three-run homer from Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies swung the pendulum in the complete opposite direction and gave the Netherlands a crucial win to keep any hopes of advancing alive.
Much of this game was a pitching duel between Nicaragua’s Erasmo Ramírez and Jaitoine Kelly and the Dutch bullpen. The Netherlands had taken a lead after Albies was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third, but Nicaragua answered when Cheslor Cuthbert drew a bases loaded walk in the fifth.
The game then stayed tied until the eighth. There, former Yankee farmhand Jeter Downs (most famously part of the trade package that netted the Dodgers Mookie Betts) hit a two-run home run to give Nicaragua the late lead and on the verge of their first-ever WBC win. Nicaragua pitcher Angel Obando then got through the eighth and picked up two quick outs in the ninth to get them right on the brink. Things quickly got away from them, though. Ceddanne Rafaela lined a single to center, and Xander Bogaerts caught a break when his 72.2-mph grounder hit the third-base bag and bounced into left. That set the stage for Albies, who launched one over the right-center-field fence for the first* walk-off homer in WBC history.
Through the first five innings, there was no score as Sam Aldegheri of Italy — who finished with eight strikeouts in 4.2 innings — and Enzo Sawayama of Brazil both had pretty decent days. When Italy did finally break through, the runs then came in bunches.
Zach Dezenzo and Jac Caglianone broke the deadlock with RBI hits in the sixth. Homers from Dante Nori and a moonshot from Seattle’s Dominic Canzone then helped Italy to a four-run seventh to put Italy in full control. Brazil never really troubled them after that, as Italy pitching combined to strike out 15 on the way to a win.
There will be another roundup post coming later, breaking down the rest of the games, including Aaron Judge and Team USA. Today will also be another busy day of WBC action with seven games ahead, so here’s the skinny of what’s on tap.
Australia vs. Japan (Pool C) Pitching Matchup: RHP Connor MacDonald vs. RHP Tomoyuki Sugano Time: 6:00 am ET TV: FS1 Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan
Colombia vs. Cuba (Pool A) Pitching Matchup: RHP Luis Patiño vs. RHP Denny Larrondo Time: 12:00 pm ET TV: FS2 Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, PR
Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic (Pool D) Pitching Matchup: RHP Arij Fransen vs. RHP Luis Severino Time: 12:00 pm ET TV: FOX Venue: LoanDepot Park — Miami, FL
Great Britain vs. Italy (Pool B) Pitching Matchup: TBD vs. RHP Dylan DeLucia Time: 1:00 pm ET TV: Tubi Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, TX
Nicaragua vs. Israel (Pool D) Pitching Matchup: RHP Carlos Rodriguez vs. RHP Dean Kremer Time: 7:00 pm ET TV: Tubi Venue: LoanDepot Park — Miami, FL
Panama vs. Canada (Pool A) Pitching Matchup: TBD vs. RHP Jameson Taillon Time: 7:00 pm ET TV: FS2 Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico
Brazil vs. Mexico (Pool B) Pitching Matchup: RHP Eric Pardinho vs. RHP Taijuan Walker Time: 8:00 pm ET TV: FS1 Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, TX
Sep 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday (7) at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Hello, friends.
There are now 18 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. From now through March 23 will be near-daily exhibitions where hopefully nobody will get injured and everybody will get ready to fill the role they are needed to fill this season. This afternoon, they’ll play the Blue Jays at 1:05 in a game that will air on MASN as well as on the Orioles flagship radio stations in Baltimore. Many of your electronic devices have probably already reminded you that the “spring forward” part of Daylight Savings Time happened last night, but if they haven’t, don’t show up an hour late.
With the magic of spring training, the Orioles played two games simultaneously in two different places yesterday afternoon. At home in Sarasota, one group of Orioles beat the Twins, 3-2. Heston Kjerstad hit a two-run go-ahead home run in this game, and Coby Mayo later broke a tie with an RBI double.
A second group of Orioles was on the road to play the Braves in North Port, Florida. That game ended in a 2-2 tie. Not much of interest happened in this game. Samuel Basallo was on base twice, so at least there was that. Pitching prospect Boston Bateman got some action in and allowed two solo home runs, one to Austin Riley and one to Mike Yastrzemski. That’s some tougher competition than he’s seen in A-ball up to this point. Earlier in the game, pitching prospect Luis De León struck out those same two batters.
Within the next week, we’ll see more and more of the players who are obviously not going to make the MLB roster getting sent over to the minor league camp and there won’t be as many opportunities to see them in the major league spring games. The expected big league regulars will be playing more and more of the innings as the regular season gets closer. We’re not quite there yet, especially with there still being World Baseball Classic absences.
Updating Holliday’s advancements in recovery from hamate bone surgery (School of Roch) Yesterday’s development is that Holliday has progressed to swinging off a tee, with BP “within the next week or so.” They still haven’t put a timetable on his return. I’m sticking with my guess of Holliday missing a month.
Orioles option Brandon Young to minor league camp (Baltimore Baseball) As manager Craig Albernaz said, “There is no pathway for him to break with us for Opening Day,” so the team wanted to get him over to the minor league side to build up his innings there. 67 players are still on the camp roster after this lone cut.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 2001, the Orioles announced that Albert Belle was no longer able to perform as an MLB player due to his degenerative right hip condition.
There are several former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2011 pitcher Mark Worrell, 2009 pitcher Chris Lambert, 2009 utility man Ryan Freel, 2002 infielder Mike Moriarty, and 1960-62 infielder Marv Breeding.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: composer Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach (1714), Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841), baseball Hall of Famers Dick Allen (1942) and Jim Rice (1953), sports broadcaster Kenny Smith (1965), and actor James Van Der Beek (1977).
On this day in history…
In 1801, during the War of the Second Coalition (against Napoleon), the British successfully landed an expeditionary force in Egypt with a victory in the Battle of Abukir. Within six months, the French who had invaded the territory surrendered.
In 1917, protests made on International Women’s Day in Petrograd, Russia launched the February Revolution that, over the next eight days, overthrew the monarchy. If you’re wondering why the February Revolution happened in March, it’s because Russia at this time was still using the Julian calendar so for them it was February 23.
In 1979, electronics company Philips made the first demonstration of the compact disc.
A random Orioles trivia question
I received a random book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask a question in this space each time it’s my turn until I run out of questions or forget. Though the book gives multiple choice answers, I’m not giving you those because that would be too easy. Here’s today’s question:
The team’s combined no-hitter in 1991 against the Athletics saw three relievers pitch: Mike Flanagan, Mark Williamson, and Gregg Olson. Who was the starting pitcher in this game?
If you are answering the question early in the day, please be considerate of those coming later and place your answer in spoiler text in the comments. Thank you!
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on March 8. Have a safe Sunday.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 06: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan reacts in the third inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between Japan and Chinese Taipei at Tokyo Dome on March 06, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers have their first off day of the spring this week, with no game on the docket for Wednesday. It’s one of two off days on their Cactus League schedule, along with Thursday, March 19. Also this week, pool play concludes in the World Baseball Classic, which moves into elimination games next weekend.
Korea, at 1-2 in Pool C, needs a win over Australia on Monday and some help to stay alive in the tournament. If Japan advances out of Pool C as expected, expect Yoshinobu Yamamoto to pitch in the quarterfinals on Friday or Saturday.
Daylight saving time starts on Sunday, so Arizona will be on the same clock as those of us in and around Los Angeles now. Here is the schedule for the week ahead (all times PT):
Sunday, March 8
WBC: Japan vs. Australia, 3 a.m. (FS1) Dodgers at A’s, 1:05 p.m. (SportsNet LA)
Monday, March 9
WBC: Korea vs. Australia, 3 a.m. (FS1) Dodgers at Brewers, 1:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA) WBC: Puerto Rico vs. Cuba, 4 p.m. (FS1) WBC: United States vs. Mexico, 5 p.m. (Fox)
Tuesday, March 10
Dodgers vs. D-backs, 1:05 p.m. (SportsNet LA, AM 570) WBC: Puerto Rico vs. Canada, 4 p.m. (Tubi) WBC: United States vs. Italy, 6 p.m. (FS1)
Mar 3, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Team USA outfielder Aaron Judge against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Yankees have spent a lot of time talking about their pitching this spring, Brian Cashman making a point to praise the high upside arms the team will have at their disposal throughout the season. To be sure, the thought of Gerrit Cole arriving midseason to reinforce a rotation that should already include Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, and Cam Schlittler is tantalizing, not to mention the potential on offer from new addition Ryan Weathers and prospects Carlos Lagrange and Elmer Rodríguez.
But perhaps we should be spending more time talking about offense. It was on offense, after all, that the Yankees shined in 2025, running a 119 wRC+ that was by far the best in baseball. Their 118 wRC+ in 2024 also led MLB, albeit by a lesser margin. Judge’s production is incomparable, but he’s been backed up by enough depth in recent years to put the offense into elite territory.
Yet the Yankees aren’t alone even in their own division in terms of offense, with particularly strong outfits in a few spots in the AL East. So let’s keep it simple: who’s got the best lineup in the division?
The Yankees are the incumbents, having paced the league last year and continuing to employ the greatest hitter of his generation. But will one of their rivals surpass them? At first blush, the Blue Jays seem like the strongest contenders. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and George Springer lead the way, backed up by a few group breakout players, a group that cut the Yankees pitching to death in the ALDS in 2025.
That said, the Orioles could be a dark horse. The O’s disappointed last year, but they made some serious power additions in the form of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward, deepening a lineup that already included loads of talented young players, led by Gunnar Henderson. Baltimore would need bounce back seasons from Adley Rutschman and Jackson Holliday, among others, but this Orioles offense has the talent to be very, very good. The last two offenses here, in Boston and Tampa, probably don’t have quite the horses to get into this conversation, though the Red Sox could surprise. Roman Anthony is already a star, and Willson Contreras, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran round out a formidable top quartet of hitters.
What do you think? Is the best lineup in the division still in New York? Or will they be outstripped by the batters in Baltimore, Toronto, or elsewhere?
The WBC is roaring along, so this morning Matt and Peter will get you caught up on the latest action. We also have a fascinating figure for our Yankees Birthday series in Jim Bouton, while John takes a look at the Rangers as part of our 2026 MLB Preview, and also provides this week’s runaround Yankees social media.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — There was a time when the Yankees might have envisioned a 2026 Yankee season with Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones both starting in the outfield, with Aaron Judge in right.
The reality, though, is that both young players have significantly more to prove before they get starting jobs in the majors, which is part of the reason why Trent Grisham received a qualifying offer this offseason and the Yankees signed Cody Bellinger to a new deal.
And to make matters worse for the young duo, they even brought in Randal Grichuk for a bench spot to add some right-handed depth to the roster.
But in Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, Domínguez was in left and Jones in center, as the Yankees look at the two talented prospects who are almost certainly ticketed for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Domínguez was first unable to outperform Alex Verdugo in 2024 and then Grisham last year, as Grisham emerged as an offensive force.
And Jones has shown flashes of phenomenal power in the minors, but not the consistency to warrant a call-up to The Bronx.
Still, they have time to make an impression on the organization — and Aaron Boone — especially this weekend with an inexperienced lineup because of back-to-back games on the opposite side of the state and other players absent due to the WBC.
Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez rounds the bases after hitting a home run earlier in spring training. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Boone said Saturday there have been encouraging signs from both Domínguez and Jones.
Of Jones, the manager said, “He’s done a nice job. He’s worked really hard this winter to make adjustments to try to hone his craft and had pretty good results here the first few weeks of games.”
He had a hard-hit single and stole second in the second inning Saturday.
Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones looks on from from the dugout earlier in spring training. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Still, the 6-foot-7 Jones is coming off a season in which he whiffed 179 times in 506 plate appearances, an issue the Yankees remain hopeful will dissipate with more experience.
“Those are the challenges of being a big guy,’’ Boone said. “It’s a hard thing to figure out, but if you can do it, [that size is] a massive advantage.”
Judge is the best example of that, clearly. He turned 25 the year he set the rookie home run record in 2017.
Jones, the team’s first-round pick out of Vanderbilt in 2022, turns 25 in May.
“You’ve just got to figure out your mechanics,’’ Boone said of super-sized players. “It’s a challenging thing to do when you’re really big, but once you do, you have an advantage.”
That’s not what’s kept Domínguez back.
The switch-hitter has not blossomed from the right side yet — which helped lead to the Grichuk signing — and remains a work in progress in the outfield.
After Boone criticized some of his decision-making in the outfield Saturday, Domínguez threw out Washington’s José Tena, who was trying to stretch a single into a double in the third.
That’s not enough to unseat any of the starters — or Giancarlo Stanton at DH — but Boone said the situation hasn’t impacted Domínguez’s work.
“One of the things I appreciate about Jasson is how consistent a person he is,’’ Boone said. “He’s the same all the time. He has a good way about him. I’m not surprised, but I also think he continues to be a better pro. He’s done a good job.”
HOUSTON — For the first four innings of Saturday’s World Baseball Classic game, Team USA struggled to consistently generate offense while trailing Great Britain 1-0. It looked like an upset was brewing, until an unlikely hero stepped up.
The catalyst was infielder Ernie Clement, one of just two players in Saturday’s USA starting lineup who has never been named an MLB All-Star. At the plate with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning, Clement connected on a two-strike pitch and put it into play. Great Britain third baseman Ivan Johnson overthrew first base. Clement hustled and was safe at first, cracking the door open just wide enough for the Americans to start a rally.
Clement moved to third base on a Pete Crow-Armstrong double, then scored the USA’s tying run with gutsy baserunning when he slid home on a wild pitch. The door blasted off its hinges.
The USA scored five runs that inning, grabbing a lead it never relinquished in a 9-1 win against Great Britain at Daikin Park.
“To have that little spark – it started with Ernie there, a big hustle play to get to first base,” said Kyle Schwarber, who hit the USA’s go-ahead home run.
Clement, the Toronto Blue Jays utility man, scored three runs and hit 1-for-3 in the win. He took five plate appearances, saw 18 pitches and reached base four times courtesy of an error, a single, and two walks.
A team’s ceiling is often defined by its depth, which is exactly what Team USA manager Mark DeRosa had in mind when he recruited Clement as a plug-and-play infielder to join a roster that constitutes an embarrassment of riches.
“He’s deserving of being in that room,” DeRosa said. “(I) wanted to get Gunnar (Henderson) and him in the lineup. I felt like coming out of Arizona, I felt like everybody was worthy of a start. And wanted to get these guys rolling, and they deserve it.”
Saturday night’s gutsy performance further underscored Clement’s dramatic career transformation – from underproducing fringe player in danger of falling out of the majors to heroic playoff performer to Team USA contributor.
Following a miserable 2022 season in which he batted .184 in 69 games, Clement was not even in consideration for Team USA’s roster for the 2023 WBC. In fact, during the tournament, he was released by the A’s and two days later signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays.
“If you told me back then that I would be doing this, I would be pretty surprised,” Clement said. “But I’ve always believed in myself and I’ve always put the work in, and it’s nice to see it rewarded.”
Clement’s resume looks much different these days. He made his WBC debut coming off a record-setting 30-hit postseason for the 2025 American League champion Blue Jays, a season in which he was also nominated for Gold Glove awards at third base and the utility position.
And yet on paper, Clement was hardly the biggest threat on a USA team littered with league MVPs, Gold Glovers and Cy Young winners.
“You kind of run into, what All-Star is going to be in the lineup?” Great Britain manager Brad Marcelino said before Saturday’s game.
The USA started seven All-Stars. The two exceptions were outfielder Roman Anthony, the former top prospect who made his big-league debut in 2025, and Clement, the veteran two weeks shy of his 30th birthday.
Saturday was Clement’s first start of the WBC. He entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning and did not take a plate appearance in the USA’s opening win over Brazil on Friday. Against Great Britain, he started at second base and batted eighth in the lineup.
After grounding out his first time up, Clement took advantage of Great Britain’s throwing error.
“I’m trying to hustle as much as I can,” he said. “I saw the first baseman jump up and as soon as I see that, usually I try to slide, but it was so bang-bang. I’d already made up my mind.”
He was just as aggressive sliding headfirst to score on Andre Scrubb’s wild pitch that same inning. Leading off the bottom of the sixth, Clement lined a two-strike slider into left field for a single and later came home on Alex Bregman’s sacrifice fly. In the seventh inning, after getting on base with a walk, he scored again on another Bregman sacrifice fly – the final run of the game.
Team USA, and in particular clubhouse leaders Schwarber and captain Aaron Judge, have attempted to create a camaraderie absent of a hierarchy. The goal is to relieve the burden felt by the more experienced (and accomplished) players on the team and simultaneously empower everybody else.
“We don’t want to feel like anyone needs to do something extraordinary because this is a lineup of extraordinary people and a bullpen and a starting staff of extraordinary people,” Schwarber said. “We play for our country and play for our team and that’s all we care about.”
Clement’s background as a utility player who in his MLB career has played at seven different positions – including four games at pitcher, allowing six earned runs across four innings – demanded that he be prepared for a variety of scenarios.
“I’m just kind of going in with an open mind and being ready for anything because in these kinds of tournaments, really anything can happen,” Clement said.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 7: Trayce Thompson #28 of Great Britain makes a catch in the outfield during a World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Great Britain and the United States at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Will Smith played a part in the United States’ 9-1 win over Great Britain Saturday night to improve to 2-0 in Pool B in the World Baseball Classic. But he was also on the wrong end of a couple of nice defensive plays that prevented an even bigger night for the Dodgers catcher.
Smith walked twice and threw out a baserunner trying to steal second base against Great Britain. But he was also robbed of a solo home run in the second inning, when former teammate Trayce Thompson made a leaping catch over the right field wall to bring it back.
Early leader for catch of the World Baseball Classic?! 😤
Smith also tattooed a ball 104.1 mph in the sixth inning with the bases loaded, but left fielder Kristian Robinson tracked it down in the gap, making Smith settle for a sacrifice fly instead of extra bases. Smith had another hard-hit flyout to Thompson in the eighth inning.
Old friend Hyun-jin Ryu, two and a half weeks shy of his 39th birthday, was back on the mound for Korea for the first time in the World Baseball Classic since 2009. The former Dodgers left-hander allowed a solo home run in the second inning and worked around two singles and two steals to get through three innings with just the one run allowed with three strikeouts against Chinese Taipei.
In a back-and-forth contest in which no team ever lead by more than one run, Chinese Taipei scored in the 10th inning to outlast Korea 5-4.
Ryu, who returned to the KBO the last two years after pitching over a decade in MLB, talked with Michael Clair at MLB.com about his history in international play, including winning an Olympic gold medal in 2008 and finishing as the runner-up in the 2009 WBC:
“As a young guy back then, I remember a lot of good veterans were there for me. So, I try to do the same thing. We have a much younger pitching staff compared to years ago with the national team. I just try to be there. I think one thing I want to do for them is not only care about my baseball here now, but try to think for the young kids, so they can grow. Just being there really, but I’m also getting a lot of energy and things to learn from those young kids, as well.”
Hyeseong Kim walked in the eighth inning and scored the tying run from first base on a double.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
With the tying run on third base and one out in the 10th, Kim laid down a squeeze bunt but the runner was out at home. Kim stole second to get into scoring position, but he was stranded to end the game.
After throwing a scoreless inning on Friday, Edwin Díaz did not pitch for Puerto Rico on Saturday. Puerto Rico erased deficits in the ninth and 10th innings to stun Panama and improve to 2-0 in the tournament. Daniel Hernaiz delivered the walk-off blast for Puerto Rico in front of his home fans with one of the most joyous celebrations you’ll ever see on a baseball field.
Aaron Boone put the 20-year-old at shortstop Saturday in a 3-0 loss to the Nationals and said he planned on starting him at third base Sunday against the Mets in Port St. Lucie.
The part that needs more development is Lombard’s offense, although he has given the Yankees reason to believe that’s not far away with his home run against Boston’s Garrett Crochet earlier in the spring.
Boone also said he thought Lombard might have had another one Friday against Tampa Bay lefty Ian Seymour if the wind hadn’t knocked it down.
On Saturday, he walked in the first before being picked off to end the inning.
George Lombard Jr. hits a single during the Yankees’ Feb. 27 Grapefruit League game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Despite making an error at short against Washington, what continues to wow the team — and opposing scouts — is his glove work.
“He’s mature, he’s a pro, he’s physical [and] he’s prepared,’’ Boone said. “He’s played really well. He’s swung the bat well, but also played phenomenal defense wherever.”
Despite that ability to play numerous infield positions, Boone said it’s clear where Lombard’s future is.
Asked about showing his versatility, Boone said, “I don’t know how important it is because he can really play short.”
Still, it’s a nice luxury to have and Lombard excels at the other spots, as well.
“The fact he plays the other ones with the ease with which he does, that’s what’s impressive to me,” Boone said. “Wherever I put him — even going back to last spring — he makes a play every time that you’re like, ‘Dang, not a lot of people make that play, even if they’re familiar with the position.’ He’s pretty special on the defensive side.”
And his bat is developing.
“He’s just impressive physically,’’ Boone said. “As a young man, he keeps filling out and you notice another level every year.. He gives you a really good at-bat, knows the zone and is very disciplined and focused. The last thing for him is to continue to develop the hit tool to finish off the player.”
Jake Bird has looked like a different pitcher this spring compared to what the Yankees saw after they acquired him from the Rockies at the trade deadline last season — at least until Saturday, when he gave up a pair of runs and retired just two batters.
The right-hander had a rough introduction to the Yankees last season, allowing multiple runs in two of his three outings following the trade before being sent to the minors.
He had also been shaky in his final month with the Rockies and wasn’t much better with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Boone said Bird might have been impacted by a heavy workload prior to the trade, as he appeared in 45 of Colorado’s first 106 games before the Yankees picked him up and “hit a little bit of a wall physically.”
Now, Boone said Bird is “one of the guys very much in the mix” for a spot in the bullpen.
“We got him last year for a reason,’’ Boone said. “He’s had a good bit of success at this level. He had a really good winter and shown well [here].”
Didier Fuentes looked absolutely dominant on Saturday, drawing 7 whiffs on just 25 pitches and pumping up to 99 MPH with his fastball. He did so, however, throwing only two pitches and throwing his four-seamer 80% of the time. It will be interesting to see what additional pitches he adds to his arsenal this season, if any. It’s difficult, as we know, to succeed as a starter with only two pitches. Fuentes looked nasty though and looked the part of an absolute weapon who could handle up to one time through the order, but I would be skeptical of his success seeing hitters multiple times with that pitch mix, even if the fastball is looking like it did today.
