Category: Baseball

We got our first ever walk-off home run in WBC history yesterday. Then we got our second ever walk-off home run a few hours later. Finally, we had our first real upset in Tokyo.

Pool A (San Juan):

Canada 8, Colombia 2

Canada got its WBC journey off to a strong start with an easy 8-2 win over Colombia.

It was a big day for former Cubs for Team Canada. Owen Caissie opened up the scoring with a 403-foot two-run home run off of Rangers minor leaguer Austin Bergner. [VIDEO]

Meanwhile, Michael Soroka started for Canada and got the win. He allowed one run on four hits over three innings. The one run came in the third inning when Mariners prospect Michael Arroyo singled home Tito Polo [VIDEO].

But Canada got that run back in the bottom of the third when former Red Sox minor leaguer Río Gómez walked Abraham Toro with the bases loaded. Gómez is a former Red Sox farmhand who pitched in Taiwan last year.

Canada extended the lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Josh Naylor. Colombia closed again when Harold Ramírez doubled home Arroyo in the top of the eighth. [VIDEO]

Canada got to Mariners pitcher Guillo Zuñiga in the eighth, scoring four runs to put the game out of reach. This triple by Toro was a highlight. [VIDEO]

Puerto Rico 4, Panama 3 (10 innings)

Panama’s upset efforts were spoiled after Athletics infielder Darell Hernaiz hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 10th.

Panamanian starter Ariel Jurado hadn’t pitched in the majors since throwing for the Mets in 2020 and has pitched in KBO since 2023. But he befuddled an all-current major league Puerto Rico lineup for five scoreless innings. Jurado allowed three hits. He struck out four and walked no one.

Panama broke through with two runs in the top of the fifth inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by the Cubs’ Christian Bethancourt and 36-year-old Luis Castillo, an international veteran who hasn’t played in the US since reaching Double-A with the Tigers in 2013. Both doubles came off former Cubs reliever Jorge López.

Bethancourt’s double [VIDEO]

Puerto Rico cut the lead in half in the bottom of the sixth on a Nolan Arenado sacrifice fly.

The score stayed 2-1 until the bottom of the ninth. Former Nationals reliever Alberto Baldonado got the last out of the eighth inning and came out for the ninth. After retiring the first batter, he walked Eddie Rosario and gave up a single to Mártin Maldonado. Panama was one out away from the upset when Baldonado retired Christian Vázquez on a fly to right. But then Maldonado walked both Matthew Lugo and Willi Castro to force in a run and send the game to extras.

In the top of the tenth, Panama took the lead on an RBI single by Yankees infielder José Caballero. [VIDEO]

Panama looked to tack on around run on a single by Cardinals minor leaguer Leonardo Bernal, but right fielder Carlos Cortes threw out Caballero at the plate. [VIDEO]

In the bottom of the 10th, Puerto Rico had runners on the corners and no outs. They tied the game on a double play ball by Cortes. That brought up Hernaiz, who hit the second walk-off of the day. [VIDEO]

Pool B (Houston)

Italy 8, Brazil 0

Italy made its debut in the 2026 WBC with an easy 8-0 win over Brazil.

The game was scoreless through five innings and Brazilian starter Enzo Sawayama (who pitches in the Japanese minors) and Italian starter Sam Aldegheri of the Angels traded zeros. But Italy broke through against the Brazilian bullpen when Astros infielder Zach Dezenzo hit an RBI single and then Jac Caglianone doubled in another run. Dazenzo got thrown out at the plate. [VIDEO]

Phillies minor leaguer Dante Nori hit two solo home runs, one in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Later in the seventh inning, Mariners outfielder Dominic Canzone hit a three-run home run that went 416 feet and landed in the upper deck. [VIDEO]

Nori’s second home run went 420 feet. [VIDEO]

United States 9, Great Britain 1

Great Britain jumped out to an early lead, but a Kyle Schwarber two-run home run in the fifth gave the US the lead and they never looked back.

Tarik Skubal was making his one appearance in the WBC in this game and Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton took the first pitch he threw deep. [VIDEO] (Apparently Skubal is softening on his “just one start” position.)

Skubal was pretty good after than, allowing just two hits and striking out five over three innings.

The Great Britain starter, former Phillies farmhand Tyler Viza kept Team USA off the board for three innings. Viza pitched two years in Taiwan and two in Mexico since his last minor league game in 2022.

Viza had some help from former Cub Trayce Thompson, who robbed Will Smith of a home run. [VIDEO]

But after Viza exited, Team USA’s bats found their groove. Schwarber’s home run came as a part of a five-run fifth. Here are all five runs. [VIDEO]

The game was pretty much over after that. Team USA scored four more runs and three of them came on sacrifice flies. Two were hit by Alex Bregman and one was by Will Smith. The other run came on an RBI single by Aaron Judge.

Bregman was 1 for 3 with a double and two sacrifice flies. Pete Crow-Armstrong went 1 for 4 with a double and a walk.

Pool C (Tokyo)

Chinese Taipei 5, Korea 4 (10 innings)

In the first real upset of the tournament, Chinese Taipei edged Korea 5-4 in 10 innings.

Chinese Taipei scored first when former major league infielder Yu Chang hit a solo home run off of former Cy Young Award runner-up Hyun Jin Ryu. [VIDEO] Chang went 0 for 2 with a strikeout over his career in the majors against Ryu.

Chinese Taipei starter and NPB pitcher Ruei-Yang Gu Lin held Korea scoreless through four innings. But after Gu Lin allowed the first two batters of the fifth inning to reach via a walk and a single, he was pulled from the game. One of the runners he let on came around to score on a double play, which tied the game at 1-1.

In the top of the sixth inning, Chinese Taipei went back on top 2-1 on a solo home run by Tsung-Che Chen [VIDEO] who made his major league debut with the Pirates last year but is with Boston now.

Do Yeong Kim of the Kia Tigers reversed the lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning [VIDEO].

The see-saw nature of the game continued when Guardians outfielder Stuart Fairchild hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth. [VIDEO]

The struggle between these two teams wasn’t over, as Korea tied the game back up in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Do Yeong Kim [VIDEO]. The 22-year-old Kim plays for Kia and is considered by some to be the top MLB prospect in KBO.

The game went to extra innings and Chinese Taipei got the automatic runner home from second with two sacrifice bunts. Korea tried to tie the game in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice bunt which put a runner on third. But a ground ball to first by Hyeseong Kim wasn’t enough as Taiwan threw the runner out at the plate. After Do Yeong Kim flew out, Chinese Taipei completed the upset.

Chinese Taipei finishes pool play at 2-2. They still have a chance to advance to single-elimination play if Australia loses to both Japan and Korea and they get some help on tiebreakers.

Australia 4, Japan 3

The game was a scoreless tie for five innings, then the Australians pushed across a run in the top of the sixth on a throwing error by Japan’s catcher Kenya Wakatsuki after Australia’s Aaron Whitefield had stolen third base.

In the bottom of the seventh, Masataka Yoshida gave Japan the lead with a two-run homer. They extended their lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth on a double by Teruaki Sato. Shohei Ohtani was the next hitter. Australia intentionally walked him, loading the bases.

That move backfired when Seiya Suzuki drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-1. [VIDEO]

That run turned out to be very, very important because Australia’s Alex Hall and Rixon Wingrove both hit solo homers in the ninth to make it a one-run game. But Japan’s Taisei Ota got Robbie Perkins to ground out to preserve a 4-3 win.

Japan’s victory clinched a spot for them in the quarterfinals. Australia can also advance if they defeat Korea on Monday.

Pool D (Miami):

Netherlands 4, Nicaragua 3

Ozzie Albies hit the first ever walk-off home run in WBC history, as Nicaragua suffered heartbreak after being just one strike away from their first ever tournament win.

Starter Erasmo Ramírez gave Nicaragua five solid innings, giving up just one run on five hits. That one run came in the third inning when Ramírez hit Albies with the bases loaded.

Nicaragua tied the game 1-1 in the fifth inning when Rays reliever Kevin Kelly walked former Royal
Cheslor Cuthbert with the bases loaded.

Former Red Sox Jeter Downs, who played for the Softbank Hawks in NPB last year, put Nicaragua up 3-1 with a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning. [VIDEO]

It looked like Nicaragua was headed to their first WBC win ever. Manager Dusty Baker summoned Ángel Orbando, who had a short career in the Yankees minor leagues in 2018 and 2019, to get the save in the ninth. Orbando struck out Drew Jones and got a fly out from Ray-Patrick Didder. Next, Orbando had Ceddanne Rafaela down 0-2 before Rafaela stuck out his bat and blooped a fastball outside of the zone into short right-center for a single. That kept the Netherlands alive.

Next up, Xander Bogaert doubled off the third base bag. That set up the heroics by Albies. [VIDEO]

Venezuela 11, Israel 3

Luis Arraez homered twice and Eugenio Suárez once as Venezuela had little difficulty disposing of Israel, 11-3.

Venezuela jumped all over Mets pitcher Ben Simon for four runs in the top of the first inning and they never looked back. Luis Arraez had an RBI double, Salvador Perez singled him home and then Suárez hit a two-run home run. [VIDEO]

Arraez, of all people, went 4 for 5 with two doubles and two home runs.

Here’s the first home run. [VIDEO]

And here’s the second one, which came with two men on. [VIDEO]

Team News

Arizona Diamondbacks’ Pitching Struggles vs Giants
https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/poor-pitching-downs-diamondbacks-rough-loss-giants-01kk550y1ma2

Torey Lovullo Had Blunt Message on Poor Pitching after Loss to Giants

“We’ve got to start honing in on the pitching side of things, and we’re wanting to see guys commanding the baseball, commanding their secondary stuff, attacking the zone, filling up the zone,” Lovullo said. “It’s one of our first pillars, filling up the zone with strikes. I know that Drake is starting a game and still finding his way, what his strengths are. I want him to stick to his strengths, and I want him to pitch to his strengths, and go out there and dominate the zone, dominate the zone glove side.”

https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/diamondbacks-torey-lovullo-blunt-message-poor-pitching-loss-giants

Diamondbacks’ Gabriel Moreno blasts 460-foot home run vs Giants

“It feels good,” Moreno said in Spanish, smiling. “I’m just adjusting. I have to make adjustments to pitches, and it felt good to make good contact. Defense is the first priority for catchers, individually, too, throwing, blocking, catching, trying to help the pitchers and working on communication.” https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2026/03/07/1st-spring-training-home-run-arizona-diamondbacks-gabriel-moreno/89040665007/

Sewald puts work in, sees ‘gigantic difference’ in velocity
“I’m never going to be a hard thrower, but 92 versus 90 is a gigantic difference. I had been one of the best pitchers in baseball when I averaged 92.”

https://www.mlb.com/dbacks/news/paul-sewald-brings-improved-fastball-back-to-d-backs

Why Gabriel Moreno’s Poor Spring Stats Shouldn’t Worry D-backs Fans

“I’m always working to get where I am right now,” Moreno told Diamondbacks On SI’s Jack Sommers in an interview at the advent of Cactus League play. “I feel like I’m in a good spot hitting. So, I’ve just got to keep working the little things, my routine to be consistent all year.” https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/arizona-diamondbacks-news/gabriel-moreno-poor-spring-stats-worry-d-backs

Ryan Thompson is focused on his faith, leadership in Diamondbacks’ clubhouse “One of the questions that I’ve found to be really fruitful is asking God, ‘What do you want me to know and what do you want me to do?’ Then you walk into the clubhouse and you’re just available. Your eyes are open, your ears are open, your hearts are open and you’re just feeling revelation all the time, like I need to talk to this guy today. I don’t know why. I’m going to go talk to this guy today and then see what’s going on.” https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/ryan-thompson-faith/3613815/

Michael Soroka fires 97 mph in World Baseball Classic start for Canadahttps://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-diamondbacks/michael-wbc/3613818/

Former Diamondbacks Top-30 Prospect Retires at Age 23https://www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi/diamondbacks-top-30-prospect-retires-age-23-elbis

Other Baseball

1st walk-off HR in Classic history! Netherlands stuns Nicaragua on Albies blast
https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic/news/nicaragua-vs-netherlands-in-2026-world-baseball-classic

OZZIE ALBIES!

A #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC WALK-OFF HOMER FOR TEAM NETHERLANDS 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/T2HRyL233M

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

Tarik Skubal mulls changing WBC plan: ‘Hard to walk away’https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48142326/tarik-skubal-mulls-changing-wbc-plan-hard-walk-away

Darell Hernaiz’s walk-off HR lifts Puerto Rico to WBC winhttps://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/48139685/darell-hernaiz-walk-hr-lifts-puerto-rico-wbc-win

DARELL HERNAIZ WALK-OFF HOME RUN THE FANS IN PUERTO RICO ARE GOING NUTS!!!! pic.twitter.com/KjtHW4VdoW

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 8, 2026

Tigers Didn’t Make Long-Term Offer To Tarik Skubal This Offseasonhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/03/tigers-didnt-make-long-term-offer-to-tarik-skubal-this-offseason.html

NL West Notes: Carroll, Kelly, France, Song

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/03/nl-west-notes-carroll-kelly-france-song.html

Paolo Espino Announces Retirement

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/03/paolo-espino-announces-retirement.html

Anything Goes

This day in history:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/march-8

This day in baseball:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/March_8

70% of the world’s toys are made in China.

Other countries like Japan only produce 19% of goods that are shipped internationally. Most manufactured toys are made from materials such as traditional plastics to wooden toys. 

Almost 50 pigs played Babe.

If you’ve seen the 1995 film Babe, you may think you’ve been emotionally invested in one pig. However, it actually took 48 different pigs to portray the lead character!

Since the end of WWI, over 1,000 people have died from leftover unexploded bombs. During the Great War, an estimated 200 pounds of explosives were fired per square foot of territory on the Western front. However, not all of these shells exploded. Since 1919, over 1,000 civilians and ordnance collectors have died from explosions caused by these in France and Belgium.

Good morning, folks…

Evan Grant has Three Observations from Saturday’s game against the Giants.

Kyle Higashioka was scratched from the lineup again due to back issues.

Cody Bradford is expected to throw live batting practice later this week as he continues his return from internal brace surgery.

New manager Skip Schumaker has made a positive impression so far.

Texas Rangers coach Rod Barajas took out the lineup card for Saturday’s game, and the San Francisco Giants send out Rod Barajas, Jr., with their lineup card.

Kevin Sherrington caught up with Bruce Bochy, who is an advisor for the Giants this year.

Ken Rosenthal writes about Tarik Skubal, who is weighing making another start for Team USA in the WBC.

The DMN’s top 30 Rangers prospect countdown continues with #18, Paxton Kling, and #17, Emiliano Teodo.

David Laurila has his Sunday Notes column up at Fangraphs.

Game No. 1: Colombia (República de Colombia) at Cuba (República de Cuba)

Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico

First Pitch: 10:00 AM MDT

TV: FS2

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

Game No. 2: The Netherlands (Nederland) at Dominican Republic (República Dominicana)

Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA

First Pitch: 10:00 AM MDT

TV: Fox

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

Game No. 3: Great Britain at Italy (Repubblica Italiana)

Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA

First Pitch: 11:00 AM MDT

TV: Tubi

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

Game No. 4: Nicaragua (República de Nicaragua) at Israel (מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל)

Venue: loanDepot Park — Miami, Florida, USA

First Pitch: 5:00 PM MDT

TV: Tubi

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

Game No. 5: Panama (República de Panamá) at Canada

Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium — San Juan, Puerto Rico

First Pitch: 5:00 PM MDT

TV: FS2

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

Game No. 6: Brazil (República Federativa do Brasil) at Mexico (Estados Unidos Mexicanos)

Venue: Daikin Park — Houston, Texas, USA

First Pitch: 6:00 PM MDT

TV: FS1

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

Game No. 7: Korea (대한민국) at Australia (ɐı̣ןɐɹʇsnⱯ)

Venue: Tokyo Dome — Tokyo, Japan

First Pitch: 4:00 AM MDT (March 9th, 2026)

TV: FS1

Radio: MLB Audio; Sirius XM

Lineups:

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Meet the Mets

Despite allowing two solo homers, Kodai Senga had a really good outing in his spring debut yesterday. “Really good signs,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Senga’s performance. “We saw it from the very beginning when we’re watching live BPs on the backfield. It’s not something that I’ve seen the two years that I’ve been here. On the first day 94-95 [mph], and then Day One, when he’s playing in a real game, and you see 97-98 and just how sharp he was. He’s healthy, and we can see it now.”

Senga has also shown an upbeat demeanor this spring that is indicative of how good he feels.

Robert Stock, who experienced shoulder discomfort after throwing for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, has thoracic outlet syndrome and will need surgery. He hopes to be back by the end of the season, but was told he has the “bad” kind of TOS in which the artery is compressed.

Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel is pulling out all of the stops and tinkering with his repertoire to try to make the Mets.

Around the National League East

Charlie Wright of MLB Trade Rumors checked in on the battle for the final spot on the Phillies’ roster.

Battery Power took a look back at their bold predictions for the Braves’ 2025 season, which mostly did not turn out looking so great.

Federal Baseball remarked upon the fact that Cionel Perez and (former Met) Drew Smith were late additions to the Nationals’ bullpen picture, but yet among the more impressive arms so far this spring.

Around Major League Baseball

Yesterday was a World Baseball Classic day for the ages. There had never been a walk-off home run in the history of the tournament, but yesterday there were two in one day. First, Ozzie Albies’ walk-off three-run shot helped the Netherlands stun Nicaragua and then Puerto Rico narrowly avoided an upset at the hands of Panama in extras thanks to Darell Hernaiz’s no-doubt walk-off homer.

Most of the other games yesterday were not as tight, but still filled with exciting moments. After falling behind early and being held scoreless for the first four frames, a huge fifth inning helped propel Team USA to a 9-1 win over Great Britain.

Luis Arraez hit two home runs in Venezuela’s thrashing of Israel.

Italy was also dominant yesterday, slugging their way to a decisive 8-0 victory over Brazil.

Canada defeated Colombia 8-2 thanks to an Owen Caissie homer and a strong performance by Michael Soroka.

Earlier this morning, Japan, who had already advanced to the knockout stage with their thrilling victory over Korea yesterday, came from behind to beat Australia and secure the top seed out of Pool C.

Ace Tarik Skubal told USA Today Sports that the Tigers did not make him a long-term offer this offseason. Skubal is currently with Team USA for the World Baseball Classic and had planned to make one start and return to camp, but he is now considering pitching deeper into the tournament.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Lukas Vlahos previewed Vidal Brujan’s season as he vies to make the team.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1966, Casey Stengel was elected to the Hall of Fame.

The Washington Nationals have made sweeping changes in the last year. After nearly two decades with the organization, Mike Rizzo was let go in July and the Nationals decided to go in a new direction. That new direction led by Paul Toboni aims to be on the cutting edge, which is a stark contrast to the old school nature of the previous regime.

Fans and people like myself have been speculating all offseason about who will benefit the most from these changes. After a couple weeks of Spring Training, I think the pitching staff will be the biggest beneficiaries in the short term. The hitting development could be a longer term process.

This makes sense because it is easier to make changes as a pitcher. With all the technology out there, it is easy to learn a new pitch or make a mechanical tweak. Those minor changes can transform a pitcher overnight. For example, Cade Cavalli has already added multiple new pitches and looks better against right handed hitters so far. It is tougher for a hitter to make those overnight changes.

Cade Cavalli's stuff is exploding into elite territory. He added a sweeper; calls it a "turbo slurve." One-seam sinker as well. Has added 25 pounds since last year.

Former 1st-rounder using tech like spin axis balls and pulse bands for the first time. Chance for big break out. https://t.co/vcmcW5MSSJ

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) March 6, 2026

The Nats are going to need to see these changes produce quick results because the pitching staff was a disaster in 2025. Their 5.35 staff ERA was the second worst in baseball, only behind the Rockies. The Nats also traded away their de facto ace MacKenzie Gore this offseason. Despite that, I think the Nats will see major improvements.

One of the big reasons for that is an overhaul in pitch usage. The Nats have made it clear this spring that they will be cutting fastball usage. In Spring Training, the Nats are throwing fewer fastballs than just about anyone. This comes after a season where the Nats were near the top of the league in fastball usage. 

Lowest combined four-seam and sinker usage through the first couple games of Spring Training…

1. Red Sox: 39.1% (duh)
2. Marlins: 41.1% (duh)
3. Nationals: 43.3% (YES!)

The Nationals led all of MLB last year with 55.3% fastball usage. Toboni is cookin'. 👨‍🍳

— Lance Brozdowski (@LanceBroz) February 24, 2026

I think this change will pay off in a big way. Nats pitchers were simply throwing their fastballs way too much. It would be understandable if the Nats pitching staff was full of guys with elite heaters, but that was not the case. A lot of Nats pitchers with mediocre fastballs were throwing the pitch at a very high rate.

That led to a lot of loud contact and inflated ERA’s. This spring Nats pitchers have held hitters to a .175 average and have 132 strikeouts in 123 innings. Obviously, that is not sustainable, but I do think Nats pitchers are not giving in as much. One side effect of this is an inflated walk rate, which I think could be an issue for the Nats. However, I think the benefits of this new approach will outweigh the potential downsides.

Nats pitchers have been raving about the new technology and the work that new pitching coach Simon Mathews has put in. In their interviews, Nationals pitchers have been wide-eyed talking about things like horizontal movement or seam shift effects. It is a very different tune from previous years. 

Nats reliever Cole Henry gets into the changes with the Nats new regime, getting into the new resources under Paul Toboni and Blake Butera. pic.twitter.com/Rkmp6wYtG3

— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) March 4, 2026

I am not going to sit here and say the Nats will have an elite, or even average pitching staff. They do not have that kind of talent yet. However, I would be stunned if they are as bad as last year. The Nats should not have a team ERA that starts with a 5 in 2026. 

The improvement is going to come from a new approach rather than flashy new signings. I think guys like Cade Cavalli, Cole Henry and Orlando Ribalta are ready to step up and take on bigger roles. All of these guys throw hard, but their success will come from their secondary pitches, not their power fastballs.

We may see bumps along the way, but I am bought into the Nationals new forward thinking vision. There should be some improvements across the board, but the pitchers will find better results faster. There is a lot of low hanging fruit for the new development team on the pitching side. A few easy changes could help a lot of these Nationals arms. I cannot wait to see their plan come together. While the Nats probably won’t be a good team, I think we will see a lot of developmental wins this season.

While he had a perfectly nice major league career, the name Jim Bouton is probably only going to evoke one thing, and it’s not his pitching. While he was able to get the chance to do it because he was a major league pitcher of some regard, Bouton is most famous for his 1970 book “Ball Four” along with journalist Leonard Shecter.

While “Ball Four” is a diary of his 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots, Bouton spends plenty of time on the lesser seen side of baseball teams and the players that make them up. Some of that behind the scenes info wasn’t the most flattering, and some beloved players — including the Yankees’ Mickey Mantle — were among those mentioned. The book was massively controversial at the time, and led to Bouton essentially being blackballed.

However, there’s more to Bouton than just the book. After all, you don’t get to write a tell all like that if you’re not interesting.

James Alan “Jim” Bouton
Born: March 8, 1939 (Newark, NJ)
Died: July 10, 2019 (Great Barrington, MA)
Yankees Tenure: 1962-68

Born in New Jersey in 1939, Bouton grew to love baseball from an early age. He grew up a fan of the New York Giants and would often go with his brother to the Polo Grounds to try and hunt down souvenirs. His family later moved to Illinois, where he attended high school.

In sporting pursuits, Bouton was a bit of slow burner, as he was never the biggest or most athletic. But by his senior year, he had become good enough to get a spot on the freshman baseball team at Western Michigan University. He was also good enough to catch the eye of professional scouts too though, and the Yankees eventually got him to sign a deal in December 1958.

Bouton’s pro career got off to a bit of a rocky start in his first season in 1959, but he rebounded with excellent years in 1960 and ‘61 between the Greensboro Yankees of the Carolina League and the Amarillo Gold Sox of the Texas League. While he had been a late bloomer coming up, he was now a fast riser and got an invite to spring training with the big league Yankees for 1962.

Over the course of that spring, Bouton impressed the team, and ended up getting one of the last spots on the roster to start the season. He made his MLB debut out of the bullpen on April 8th, and he would spend the year as a bit of a swingman, making 16 starts and 20 bullpen appearances. He was a bit below average on the season, but he would win a ring, as the Yankees beat the Giants in the 1962 World Series. Bouton didn’t appear in the series, though.

In 1963, Bouton would produce his career best individual season. He again started the year in a swingman role, but an impressive opening to the season soon got him regular starts. Bouton would go on to make 30 starts in the 1963 season, as he put up a 2.53 ERA (140 ERA+) in 249.1 innings. He made his first and only All-Star team that year and even got MVP votes, finishing 16th. He helped the Yankees to another pennant, and he was very impressive in his World Series debut, holding the Dodgers to just one run in seven innings in Game 3. However, the offense—as was the theme of the series—got shut out by Don Drysdale. They lost the game and the series in a sweep that saw them score just four runs, never even mustering a lead.

The following season, Bouton was very good again, posting a 3.02 ERA (120 ERA+) in a league-leading 37 starts. That year in the World Series, he was very good again, allowing just three earned runs over 17.1 innings. He was the winning pitcher in Game 3 (a complete-game triumph once Mickey Mantle walked it off) and Game 6, but the Yankees won just one other game in the series and lost to the Cardinals in 7.

Those would be the final two postseasons starts for Bouton. While he and some others drew the hope that the next generation of young Yankees would be able to replicate the previous stars, they could not. While he was still good in 1966, the rest of his career saw him post below average stats. The root cause of that probably had something to do with injury, as he first came down with a sore bicep in 1965 and according to him, he never really got over that.

Following a couple down years, the Yankees sold him to the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1968. The franchise began their first season the following year, but Bouton struggled there as well, eventually getting traded to the Astros in August. During that season, Bouton had begun taking copious notes.

Throughout his career in New York, Bouton got the reputation as someone who would give good quotes and was often outspoken about social issues of the day. He became friends with some reporters, including Shecter, with whom he developed the idea for a season diary of his 1969.

The book was eventually released during the 1970 season to mixed reviews. While Bouton often spoke glowingly about Mantle and some other revered figures of baseball, he also didn’t pull many punches. He was candid about some of the things he saw around baseball, such as the hard drinking, womanizing, and use of amphetamines. Players—especially many of Bouton’s former Yankee teammate—were enraged at the content, and that would spill over into the public. Bouton was booed upon returning to New York to play the Mets. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn even tried to strong-arm the pitcher into signing a statement that the book was fiction, although Bouton refused.

Meanwhile on the mound, Bouton was struggling to the tune of a 5.40 ERA, getting sent down to the minors. While his pitching wasn’t doing him any favors, having written the book probably precluded him from getting other chances, and he retired later that year. He eventually went deeper into the media side of things, becoming a sportscaster and releasing more books.

Despite what many people of the time thought, Bouton truly did love baseball. After a couple years, he got the itch and returned to the minor leagues. Following a couple years there, the Braves gave him a chance, and Bouton returned to the majors in 1978, eight years after his last appearance. He put up a 4.97 ERA in five games for Atlanta before retiring for good.

In time, “Ball Four” has come to be seen as a classic of baseball literature. While some of his teammates probably never forgave him, some did. Despite a lot of the hubbub around the book coming from passages about Mantle, even he eventually reconciled with Bouton. The pitcher sent Mantle condolences after Mickey’s son had died, and the two made amends. There had been long-standing rumors that Mantle had strong armed the Yankees into not inviting the pitcher back to events like Old-Timers’ Day, but the outfielder strongly denied that.

Bouton would eventually return to Old-Timers’ Day. In 1998, his son published an open letter to the Yankees asking the team to finally invite their former starter back, as the pitcher was badly grieving his daughter, who had passed away in 1997 in a car crash. The team eventually did so, and Bouton got a nice hand upon his return in 1998.

Bouton eventually passed away in 2019. While “Ball Four” itself remains ground-breaking, a hidden message in it remains that baseball players — including Bouton himself — are human.

---

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

For much of the offseason, Carson Benge has seemingly been guaranteed a starting spot in the outfield somewhere. It looked like it might be center field when the Mets were pursuing Kyle Tucker. Then it looked like it was going to be a corner (first left, then right) once Luis Robert was acquired. Sure MJ Melendez was kicking around, but the job was more or less Benge’s to lose.

Then the Mets signed Mike Tauchman to a minor league deal in the middle of February, very late in the offseason. The 35-year-old veteran outfielder promptly displaced Benge in the locker room and has mentioned repeatedly that the Mets were very clear about the path to the major league roster. Put another way, this sure seems like a minor league deal in name only, a roster manipulation ploy where Tauchman is all but guaranteed to make the major league roster out of camp.

In a vacuum, it’s a very nice little move. Tauchman is coming off a season with a 115 wRC over 385 PA for the White Sox, numbers largely backed by his expected metrics. He’s been an above average hitter each of the last three seasons, posting an OBP over .350 while playing scratch defense in an outfield corner. He’s also not got much of a platoon split, making him a viable option against both righties and lefties. Compared to other similar players (e.g., Mike Yastrzemski with the Braves) it’s an absolute steal, even if he is 35 and could theoretically fall off a cliff at any moment.

Tauchman’s role on the roster is a touch less clear. The Mets do have a pathway to playing time in a corner and at DH in theory, but Brett Baty and the aforementioned Benge figured to be key players in those spots (as do other players like Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio, who are shockingly still on the roster). Maybe Benge hasn’t looked as hot as the team hoped this spring and Tauchman is meant to serve as a hedge there, or even an early season starter. Maybe they wanted another body in the DH picture to allow Baty to function more as a super-sub who isn’t starting every day. Maybe Tauchman is just meant to be a nice bench bat.

Best guess, Benge will still be the opening day starting in right, but I’d fully expect Tauchman to make the team as a reserve outfielder who sees 2 – 3 starts per week at DH or on the grass. He’s certainly not shown any signs of aging in Spring Training to this point, so you can likely expect some strong, OBP-heavy contributions in a part-time role. In other words, literally Mike Tauchman.

Happy Sunday everybody! This morning I will be on the way down to Phoenix for a few days of Phoenix sunshine and Spring Training baseball! My phone battery is going to get worked to within an inch of its life trying to stream as much WBC as possible. Really looking forward to seeing the result of the Australia-Japan game when I wake up in the morning (I will NOT be waking up for this one). After last night’s wild Chinese Taipei-Korea game, Pool C looks like it’s the most open group in the tournament. Which two teams do you think are moving on from Pool C?

In Mariners news…

• Mariners legend James Paxton has put his Major League career firmly in the rearview, but is committed to giving everything he can to Team Canada.
• Shannon Drayer met up with Adam Bernero, the Mariners mental performance coach, to learn about how he gets the best out of the players.

In the World Baseball Classic…

• The highlight of an incredible day of tournament baseball was this absolutely electric walk-off homerun by Puerto Rico’s Darell Hernáiz in front of the home crowd in San Juan.

• Hernaiz’ walk-off was the second of the day, and only the second walk-off homerun in the history of the World Baseball Classic, because Ozzie Albies hit a walk-off three-run homerun for the Netherlands to beat Nicaragua just a few hours before.

• Team Italy appears to be rather blatantly making use of PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drip).

• Luis Arraez slugging .200 points higher in WBC games than he does in across his MLB career is so awesome.

Around the league…

• Tarik Skubal revealed that the Tigers have not approached him with a contract offer, something I could’ve told you based on the totality of the Tigers 2025 offseason processes.
• Red Sox infielder Romy González may miss a significant portion of the 2026 season due to persistent pain in his left shoulder.
• The Angels are very optimistic that Lucas Ramírez’ WBC success will lead to a successful minor league season.
• Tim Kurkijan was forced to remember one of his all-time worst takes, and couldn’t even think of anything believable to blame.

Have hope, White Sox fans! Or at least fairly young White Sox fans. AI is on your side!

Yep. Or, at least, the ChatGPT version of AI.

My son, Will, sent me a link to an intense bit of research that shows the Chicago White Sox will indeed win the World Series. Maybe even sooner than you think, depending on how big a pessimist you are.

The information is currently on many types of social media, but apparently originated with the site collegebaseballhub.com. They say they asked famed artificial intelligence source ChatGPT to name the World Series winners for the next half-century and, by golly, the White Sox showed up!

Take a look at this chart, and rejoice:

If you look long enough, you’ll see that the White Sox will be hoisting that trophy again in 2055! If that seems a trifle long wait, bear in mind the first time AI predictions were run and the results hit the web, the Sox didn’t win the World Series until 2070. So this set of predictions is cutting 15 years off your wait. Even better, the other version had the Cubs winning it all in 2030 while this one doesn’t have them on the list at all.

You may note the Sox only get to be champions after many teams that don’t exist, coming in right after the Packers and ahead of something called Forest, and also few years after the four-year title run of North Japan (no doubt a team with offspring of Ichiro Suzuki and Shohei Ohtani). That may be discouraging, but it’s still a 2055 championship instead of 2070.

Now, of course, ChatGPT and other forms of AI are like any search engines in that they only answer the question or request they get, so wording is crucial. Will tried a direct White Sox question and was told 2040 was a possibility, which is barely long to wait at all by Sox fan standards. I don’t know how he worded the question, but I tried “When will the World Series next win the World Series” and the response was rather mealy-mouthed:

There’s no reliable way to predict when the White Sox will next win the World Series. Championship windows shift with roster moves, player development, injuries, and front‑office strategy.As of now, the best answer is: It’s uncertain, but possible once their young core matures and the team rebuilds into contention again.

Well, that’s a whole lot better. And a change of phrase hinted at a possibility sometime in the 2030s. So I also asked Microsoft’s Copilot and got a very long answer, the gist of which was:

Predicting a specific year is impossible—and no reputable projection attempts to. But based on:

• current roster construction,
• farm system trajectory,
• and comparative league strength,

the earliest plausible window is several years out, and only if their rebuild accelerates dramatically.

Not really encouraging, but not a total shot to the gut, either.

Now 2070, or even 2055, is a tad far out for those of us in the geriatric set, but you young whippersnappers may yet have an opportunity to see a White Sox World Series win on the south side or in Nashville or northwest Indiana or Shanghai or wherever they may be playing, and good luck to you.

Of course, any AI is only as good as the information it gathers, which means one absolutely critical piece of information is bound to be missing because they weren’t looking for it — just how long Jerry Reinsdrof will live.

Reinsdorf is 89, and even if he hangs on to be 100 just to spite the players and fans he hates, 2070 or 2055 would appear to be a stretch. But 2040 would appear to be possible, because if he died at 100 that would be three years later.

“Three years after Jerry Reinsdorf dies” may be the best guess at a White Sox championship, because that gives enough time for a new owner to clear out the organizational incompetents who only have their jobs because of where they firmly secure their lips, and to sign a star-level free agent or two. But it’s understandable that AI systems don’t want to appear ghoulish, what with their need for political support and all. At least not yet.

So, 2055 or 2070 it is. You might want to hold off if you get an email from the White Sox trying to sell you World Series tickets.

It was a rough day for San Diego Padres pitchers in Goodyear, Ariz. on Saturday. The Padres were on the road to face the Cleveland Guardians with one of their top pitchers on the mound in Michael King. It was only King’s second start of Spring Training and after a diving attempt by center fielder Bryce Johnson on a ball that landed in the outfield and rolled all the way to the wall allowing Steven Kwan to reach third base, it looked as though it was not going to be a good day. King would allow Kwan to score in the bottom of the first but limited the damage to one run. He would finish his day on the mound with 3.2 innings pitched with three earned runs allowed on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Garrett Hawkins, who had been having a solid spring season, followed King and allowed two runs on two hits in 0.2 innings pitched. He also allowed a walk and failed to record any strikeouts. Carter Loewen did not fare much better following Hawkins. He also worked 0.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.

The first three pitchers for the Padres combined with the San Diego offense, which had one run on 10 hits, took the loss in Goodyear at the hands of the Guardians, 7-1. The Padres will look for better performances from the pitching staff when they play the Cincinnati Reds at the Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday at 12:10 p.m.

Padres News:

• Position battles have been the story of Spring Training for the Padres. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides a snapshot of each competition and some insight with regard to how she believes each position will be decided. AJ Cassavell of Padres.com, like Bell, looked at the competitions in Spring Training for the Padres. He focused on the players competing for the fifth starter spot in the rotation.

• The Padres have a new manager who appears young and energetic in his dealings with the media. Craig Stammen took the job as the San Diego skipper and brought in many of his own coaches and the Padres players seem to be enjoying the new atmosphere of the clubhouse.

• Freddy Fermin continues to swing a hot bat for the Padres and Bradgley Rodriguez continues to push for a bullpen spot. Meanwhile, Ty France has quietly put together as solid spring and could be pushing for one of the last if not the last coveted roster spot.

Baseball News:

• The Detroit Tigers reportedly did not make a long-term offer to ace pitcher Tarik Skubal. The ace pitcher also hinted at possibly pitching in more than one game in the WBC.

WBC News:

• Kyle Schwarber hit a monster home run when the US faced Great Britain and it ignited the team as the US cruised to a win.
• Puerto Rico hit a walk-off home run to top Panama.
• Ozzy Albies hit a walk-off home run to lift Netherlands over Nicaragua.
• Luis Arraez homered to lead Venezuela over Israel.  
• Chinese Taipei knocked off Korea in extra-innings.
• Italy shutout Brazil and Canada got a win over Colombia.

I’m not going to pretend I’m a doctor. I’m not to going to act like I know more about Romy Gonzalez’s body than the highly paid and likely excellent medical staff working in Fort Myers and on Ipswitch Street. I’m not here to second guess medical advice — I’m sure there was a very solid reason why “wait it out” made sense. But I will say that I am not remotely surprised by how this has developed. After arriving at Spring Training with a shoulder that was still bothering him after an initial injury that occurred way back in September, Romy Gonzalez is now meeting with an orthopedic surgeon to determine whether surgery is necessary. Even if he he does elect surgery, he doesn’t think he would miss the whole season, but as of now there is absolutely no timetable for his return. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

The Romy injury is a big blow to the lineup, particularly against lefties. But it does open up some opportunities. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t do much to help the outfield/DH logjam, because Masataka Yoshida looks like he’s ready to hit:

If the Red Sox let Masataka Yoshida wear his Team Japan jersey for the whole season, he would break Barry Bonds’ single season home run record by the All Star break. pic.twitter.com/Jf87cN1drJ

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) March 8, 2026

One player who is better positioned to take advantage of Romy’s absence, though, is infielder Andruw Monasterio, who is one of four under-the-radar players who could end up making an impact for the Sox in 2026. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)

Here’s a guy whose shoulder is definitely not injured. Connelly Early’s fastball is averaging 95.3 MPH so far this spring, after averaging 94 MPH last year. The book on Early has usually been that, while he has a complete arsenal, he doesn’t necessarily have elite stuff. It looks like he’s trying to rectify that. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)

Though after two strong starts in a row — and two starts in a row without issuing a walk — some are now saying that the fifth spot in the rotation is Johan Oviedo’s to lose. (CJ Haddad, MLB.com)

As Patrick so ably reported to you yesterday, the Houston Astros have agreed to a minor league contract with Christian Vazquez with an invitation to Spring Training. Fortunately, he has been working out with team Puerto Rico, so he will not be coming in completely cold and presumably could reasonably build up enough plate appearances to plausibly make the team out of camp. Of course, that brings up the salient question: should he make the team out of camp?

I would point out that Vazquez was likely always on their radar and Dana Brown simply had a price he wanted to stick to. We don’t know know the exact parameters, but the wild suggestions that he could sign for something like four to six million dollars were always ridiculous on their face. Vazquez was always going to be in the Jonah Heim, Gary Sanchez, and Elias Diaz neighborhood of things.

Some of you will remember that we profiled Vazquez with the catchers in our current series. However, I looked at Cesar Salazar based on his big league numbers and we didn’t look at Carlos Perez at all. In this edition, we will look at Vazquez’s big league numbers since 2023 and compare them with the AAA numbers for both Perez and Salazar. I should note that the 2023 numbers for Perez came in Oakland which was nominally a big league team.

This is just a gentle reminder that we are looking at five different statistics on offense. That includes the chase rate, hard hit rate, BABIP, contact rate, and home runs per flyball. We have been looking at these fairly consistently, but I will include the league norms for those metrics below in case you are joining us for the first time.

• Chase rate: 30% league average
• Hard hit rate: 35% league average
• BABIP: .300 league average
• Contact: 75 percent league average
• HR/FB: 10 percent league average

Carlos Perez

	Chase	Hardhit	BABIP	Contact	HR/FB
2023	28.8	39.4	.256	80.8	11.1
2024	28.4	32.4	.258	82.1	18.5
2025	27.3	36.1	.290	81.4	18.4
Aggregate	28.2	36.0	.271	81.4	15.9

There is one significant difference between Perez and the other two. The home run rates are significantly higher and he did club 27 home runs two seasons in a row at the AAA level. He has hit 20 or more home runs several times since the 2021 season in the minors. Even the 2023 rate (which came in Oakland) is significantly better than what the other two have done. So, if we assume he plays 40 games, how many extra dingers does this end up translating into?

Catcher BABIP is an interesting conversation itself. If the league average is ,300 then that would include all positions and some where the BABIP is probably naturally above .300. Catchers aren’t beating out infield singles as a general rule, so it makes perfect sense for their BABIP to dip to the .270 or .280 range naturally. Otherwise, Perez looks like an average big league hitter across the board. Maybe that’s not exciting, but getting average major league hitters on your bench can be exciting.

On the other hand, Perez has spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues as a catcher. He was significantly above average defensively back in 2015. Unfortunately, he was below average in 2018 and 2023 (his last two stints) according to both defensive runs saved and fielding run value. A vote for Perez is a vote for the bat. Given what the other two have going on, that might not be the craziest bet.

Cesar Salazar

	Chase	Hardhit	BABIP	Contact	HR/FB
2023	25.6	21.1	.223	78.3	4.3
2024	24.0	21.7	.274	83.8	9,4
2025	25.3	28.9	.237	80.1	11.1
Aggregate	25.0	23.9	.241	80.7	8.3

It’s hard not to like a guy like Salazar. He probably gets about as much out of what he has as anyone has any right to do. When you consider the fact that there are 780 big league players we could then take that number and multiply by five to get the total number of players in affiliated baseball. Then, you take that number and probably multiple it two or three times to include Japan, Korea, Mexico, Australia, and Cuba. Then, you have the independent leagues. It would probably be fair to guess that there are around five or six thousands players being paid to play baseball around the world. That might be a conservative estimate.

Maybe Salazar is one of the top 1000 players in the world. That’s actually an accomplishment even if he never sticks in the big leagues. He doesn’t chase. He doesn’t swing and miss often. He just doesn’t hit the ball hard and he doesn’t have power. If you add in the fact that he does not have speed as a catcher then you see what we are up against. Soft contact from slow runners is not a recipe for a good BABIP. Add in very little extra base power and I’m not sure where the offense is going to come from.

He has been more or less a neutral defender at the big league level in minimal innings, but comes with a reputation of a good receiver. You did have the dust up with Framber Valdez last season, so there is some question over whether he has the cache to work with veteran pitchers. Simply put, you have to be over the moon about his defense in order to accept the lack of offensive production.

Christian Vazquez

	Chase	Hardhit	BABIP	Contact	HR/FB
2023	33.2	32.8	.279	75.5	7.2
2024	33.5	36.6	.257	81.7	7.5
2025	25.3	27.4	.214	84.6	4.1
Aggregate	30.7	32.3	.250	80.6	6.2

I’m probably repeating myself from the last time I profiled Vazquez, but the ultimate question is whether he bounces back to the aggregate or continues to rot. In general, I like the choices he seems to have made to react to his aging. He swings at fewer balls outside the zone and makes more contact. I have to believe that is a conscious choice and one that could mask some of the decline in hard hit ball rate and home run rate.

The good news is that even with the low hard hit rate, that BABIP was ridiculously low last season. I think the aggregate in BABIP is actually a decent target and give him 35 points on his batting average and he would have hit about .225. No one would confuse that with Josh Gibson, Johnny Bench, or even Joe Mauer, but for a backup catcher that also produced good fielding numbers, that would be more than reasonable.

The question at backup catcher wss never about whether either Perez or Vazquez (or anyone else) was better than Salazar. That was likely always a given. The question was always how much more you would have to pay for marginal improvement? I wrote an earlier piece about preferring to stand pat because the costs being thrown around sounded ridiculous. A Christian Vazquez at or near veteran minimum seems like a reasonable cost to pay for a marginal upgrade. Assuming he is in shape, he would seem to be the preferred choice, but we will have to see how it all plays out.

We’ve got another day of WBC baseball and this one wasn’t without it’s thrills.

Japan 8, Korea 6

Ho hum, another game for Japan, another home run for Shohei Ohtani.

Except this time, it wasn’t Ohtani that was the star for Japan. That would be Seiya Suzuki, who homered twice to help Japan take a game was pretty well played from both teams.

SEIYA SUZUKI HOMERS AGAIN

Team Japan leads! #WorldBaseballClassicpic.twitter.com/oCTPVNc4rJ

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

Korea’s offense was actually clicking on a few cylinders and gave Japan a scare, but Samurai is just too deep.

Canada 8, Colombia 2

Canada has a sneaky good team put together that might be able to do a little damage. They rode an Owen Cassie home run and a two hit, two RBI day from Abraham Toro to a victory over Colombia.

Canada’s offense is legit. If they can get some pitching to back it up, particularly if their bullpen can be effective, don’t be surprised if they win their pool and maybe a quarterfinal game.

Netherlands 4, Nicaragua 3

This one was a thriller. Nicaragua, which has yet to ever have a win in the Classic, were down to needing their last out to secure that first victory. They had gotten that lead thanks to a two-run home run from Jeter Downs that broke a 1-1 tie. However, with those two outs, Netherlands put two runners on for Ozzie Albies. Albies got a first pitch fastball and…

OZZIE ALBIES!

A #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSIC WALK-OFF HOMER FOR TEAM NETHERLANDS 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/T2HRyL233M

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

Fun game to watch.

Italy 8, Brazil 0

Italy began their tournament play with a thumping of a Brazilian team that is simply overmatched in any game they play. The Italians were led by Dante Nori, who had two home runs.

It's a 2-homer game for Team Italy's Dante Nori! 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/DNBEZsQoAF

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

That’s a rather nice swing from the Phillies’ prospect. Might we be seeing a breakout campaign begin right before our eyes?

Puerto Rico 4, Panama 3 (10 innings)

Now, this was another thriller that was probably missed thanks to the U.S. playing around the same time. Panama had a lead in the bottom of the ninth, but blew it thanks to a bases loaded walk to Willi Castro. In the tenth, the Panamanians took the lead when Jose Caballero singled in the ghost runner on second, but they needed to get three outs themselves.

It was not to be.

DARELL HERNAIZ HITS A WALK-OFF HOME RUN TO WIN IT FOR PUERTO RICO IN EXTRAS!!! 🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/A9fnyybeYD

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) March 8, 2026

Venezuela 11, Israel 3

Venezuela continued to show an all around offensive thunder by beating Israel 11-3. Luis Arraez was the hitting star of the night, going 4-5 with two doubles and two home runs, driving in five to pace the Venezuelans. They are looking dangerous yet again.

United States 9, Great Britain 1

Tarik Skubal gave up a first pitch home run to someone named Nate Eaton, but that was the only offensive production the Brits would have. The American pitching simply overwhelmed the opposition while their own offense slowly creaked the life as the game when on. They were sparked by Kyle Schwarber.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

KYLE SCHWARBER GIVES TEAM USA THE LEAD 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/s0r7SsCKSo

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026

That should wrap up that pool, I think.

Chinese Taipei 5, Korea 4 (10 innings)

Another extra inning thriller, Chinese Taipei put their hat into the ring as the possible second seed in their pool by taking a game from Korea thanks to a suicide squeeze in the 10th inning. Fundamentals are critical, folks.

Australia stayed with defending World Baseball Classic champion Japan step for step for more than six innings during their Sunday pool play clash.

Masataka Yoshida changed that with one swing.

Yoshida, the Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to wipe out a one-run deficit and ultimately help Japan to a narrow 4-3 win.

Japan scored two more runs in the eighth to provide some breathing room, which proved important when Australia designated hitter Alex Hall AND first baseman Rixon Wingrove blasted solo homers in the ninth.

Australia matched zeroes with Japan for five innings before breaking through with the game's first run in the sixth.

Center fielder Aaron Whitefield, who had three of Australia's six hits, was almost single-handedly responsible for that run. Whitefield hit one-out double in the sixth off Japan reliever Chihiro Sumida, then he stole third and scored after a bad throw by Japan catcher Kenya Wakatsuki. It gave Australia a 1-0 lead, which it held going into the bottom of the seventh.

The starting pitchers were stellar with Tomoyuki Sugano leading Japan by working four scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts. Australia starter Connor MacDonald blanked Japan on one hit over three innings with one strikeout.

Australia could still advance to the next round by beating Korea on Monday (6 a.m. ET. on FS1).

Shohei Ohtani stats today

For the first time in this WBC, Shohei Ohtani did not leave the yard. He didn't even have a hit.

Ohtani wound up 0-for-3 with two walks, the last of which was intentional in the eighth inning.

Ohtani led off the bottom of the first inning with a groundout to second base, and he ended the second inning with a hard lineout to center field. Ohtani came up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded and two outs, and he had a 2-2 count when his teammate Shugo Maki was picked off second base by Australia catcher Robbie Perkins to end the inning. Ohtani wound up lining out to right to start the fifth.

Ohtani won his fourth MVP award in 2025 with a career-high 55 home runs and returned to the mound after only hitting in 2024, leading the Dodgers to a second consecutive World Series title.

• 2025 (LAD): .282 AVG | 55 HR | 102 RBIs | 20 SB | 1.014 OPS
• 2024 (LAD): .310 AVG | 54 HR | 130 RBIs | 59 SB | 1.036 OPS
• 2023 (LAA): .304 AVG | 44 HR | 95 RBIs | 20 SB | 1.066 OPS
• 2022 (LAA): .273 AVG | 34 HR | 95 RBIs | 11 SB | .875 OPS
• 2021 (LAA): .257 AVG | 46 HR | 100 RBIs | 26 SB | .965 OPS

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani stats today: Hitless in Japan's WBC win vs Australia