Category: Baseball

Having seen a couple weeks of Spring Training, it is clear who the Washington Nationals best pitcher is. That would be Cade Cavalli, who is trending towards being Nats Opening Day starter. He dominated in his four innings against the Astros, and looks poised to have a breakout year now that he is finally fully healthy.

The fact a pitcher with 11 career starts is my pick to be the Nats Opening Day starter tells you a lot about where the team is right now. However, it is also a credit to how nasty Cavalli is. His fastball is sitting at 97 MPH and his breaking balls look sharp. The stuff models liked what Cavalli was throwing yesterday.

Cade Cavalli is a pitcher I need to talk about more!

After a myriad of injuries that kept him out effectively since 2022, Cavalli returned strong at the end of the last season and looks even better this Spring! He is sustaining his upper 90s velocity and producing well. pic.twitter.com/DtqoN4kufG

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) March 6, 2026

One thing this model did not pick up was that Cavalli threw two separate breaking balls. Baseball Savant listed nine of his breaking balls as sweepers. That is a new pitch for Cavalli, who needed to find a way to get right handed hitters out. He held lefties to a .221 average last year, but right handers hit a crazy .381 against him. 

Cavalli did not have any pitch that moved away from righties last year, which is why he added the sweeper. Last year, his mix was predictable against right handers and they crushed him. The sweeper was actually the pitch he threw the most against right handed hitters yesterday, tossing it 41% of the time.

According to Grant Paulsen, that is not the only tweak the new regime has made with Cavalli. He is also experimenting with something called a one-seam sinker. It is a different sinker grip that uses seam orientation to get more movement. Teams are learning more about seam effects these days, and the Nats are now a part of that movement. Here is a cool video of an MLB pitcher being taught this one-seam sinker.

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

With Cavalli’s raw stuff, if one of these new pitches really catches on, he has front of the rotation upside. The other thing Cavalli will have to do to reach his upside is stay healthy. His Tommy John recovery was turbulent to say the least. He basically missed all of 2023 and 2024 due to the recovery process. Cavalli came back last year and threw 122.2 innings between the majors and the minors. 

However, this is the year where he can really be unleashed. Last year was all about showing he still had the stuff that made him a top prospect. Now it is time for him to focus on dominating and leading a young rotation.

If you designed a pitcher in a lab, they would come out with a lot of the traits Cade Cavalli has. He throws very hard, has a feel for spin, can throw a good changeup and has a sturdy 6’4 225 pound frame. While he has not been an innings eater in his career, he just looks like a guy who could throw 200 frames.

Interestingly, Cavalli is on a five day schedule that would line him up to start on Opening Day. With his performance yesterday, where he went four innings without allowing an earned run and struck out 6, there should be no doubt who the Nats Opening Day starter is.

Cade Cavalli's total pitching line so far this spring: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. Fastball has averaged 97 mph. Still 3 weeks to go, but at this point he's on a 5-day schedule that lines up with Opening Day.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) March 6, 2026

He may be inexperienced, but Cade Cavalli is easily the most talented pitcher in the Nats rotation. I still believe he has number two starter upside and can show that this season. His raw stuff is even better than the now departed MacKenzie Gore, and I would not be shocked if Cavalli out produces Gore this year. Cavalli’s combination of velocity, a special curveball and a new look sweeper gives him a high ceiling.

I would project Cavalli to toss about 165 innings this year and post an ERA around 3.60. Given his lack of experience, this is ambitious, but I really think his stuff plays. He is the guy who I think will benefit the most from the new pitching coaches because he has the most raw tools. 

Out of anyone on the team, I think I am most excited to see Cavalli. This is a real breakout candidate. While he is already 27 years old, he is still brimming with untapped potential. I think this is the year where we see him put it all together. That breakout year should start on Opening Day at Wrigley Field.

The players in competition for the final spot in the rotation are not going to make the decision easy on the San Diego Padres front office and manager Craig Stammen. German Marquez started the game against the Chicago Cubs for the Padres, who won the game 3-0, and he completed three innings without allowing a run. Marquez did allow two hits, but that was it. He also finished with three strikeouts. Marco Gonzales followed Marquez with three scoreless innings of his own. Gonzales allowed three hits and a walk, but he recorded five strikeouts. Both of these performances followed Walker Buehler the day before after he had a strong outing, and after the last two games all three pitchers along with JP Sears seem to have every intention of making things as difficult as possible for the San Diego decision makers.

Padres News:

• The 2026 Spring Breakout is coming in the near future and the Padres, despite their abysmal preseason minor league rankings, will have plays such as Kruz Schoolcraft and Ethan Salas competing. Schoolcraft and Salas join other highly outed prospects from around MLB in the third annual prospect showcase.

• Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Wandy Peralta all left the Peoria Sports Complex to join the Dominican Republic for the WBC. The Dominican Republic joins the US and Japan as the favorites to win the global competition and Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball believes this may be the year the D.R. finishes at the top.

• Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribuneprovided notes surrounding multiple Padres players. He learned Sung-Mun Song is considered day-to-day with an oblique injury and Nick Pivetta is also being given time off due to arm fatigue. On a positive injury note, Acee reported reliver Jason Adam continues his progression and has a chance to be on the roster on Opening Day.

• Ramon Laureano came to the Padres at the 2025 trade deadline and part of the appeal for San Diego was the team option for 2026. Laureano solidified a position of need and if he can replicate what he did in the second half of last year he could have a career year.

WBC News:

• Aaron Judge homered in his first WBC at-bat and helped the US dominate Brazil. Byron Buxton was hit on the elbow and left the game, but reports after the game were he will be “fine.”

• Machado flashed some leather and Junior Caminero homered to lead the Dominican Republic over Nicaragua.

• Mexico knocked off Great Britain in the WBC opener for both teams.

• Edwin Diaz looked sharp in his return to the WBC in Puerto Rico’s win over Columbia.

• Venezuela knocked off Netherlands in the first WBC game for both teams.

Baseball News:

• Freddy Peralta has made it known that he is willing to sign an extension with the New York Mets and prefers it to be a long-term extension.

• The Texas Rangers signed Andrew McCutchen to a minor league deal.

The World Baseball Classic ramped up into their pool play schedule yesterday, so let’s do a quick recap of what happened.

Japan 13, Chinese Taipei 0 (7 innings)

Listen, we’re all here for the Shohei Ohtani show in the WBC, so of course Shohei Ohtani crushed a grand slam in the second inning.

Bases loaded
Shohei Ohtani at the plate

What else did you expect? 🦄 pic.twitter.com/bfN2qheoRV

— MLB (@MLB) March 6, 2026

That was basically all she wrote for the game. I’m not sure if anyone in this pool can win a game against Samurai Japan.

Cuba 3, Panama 1

In a game that had some good pitching in it, Cuba was led by home runs from Yoelkis Guibert and Yoan Moncada to secure the victory over the Panamanian squad. I thought for sure that this was going to go Panama’s way considering the roster differences, but Cuba does just know how to win on an international stage.

Venezuela 6, Netherlands 2

Led by former Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez, the Venezuelans picked up a pretty important win for them in a pool that has several teams that have a shot at moving on to the knockout stage. Suarez was good in only two innings of work, but it was the lineup that is pretty deep that did some damage. Luis Arraez picked up two RBI on a single and bases loaded walk while Willson Contreras delivered the big blow with a two-run single that basically ended the game.

Mexico 8, Great Britain 2

This was a fairly close game going into the eighth inning, where it was tied at one. That was until the pitching depth that the English lack showed when they surrendered seven runs in the final two innings to seal the deal. Gary Gill Hill, Tristan Beck and Graham Spraker – all affiliated with MLB clubs – just could not keep Mexico’s offense down for the entirety of the game.

Puerto Rico 5, Colombia 0

A game that showed the interesting pitching limits the WBC is played under, Puerto Rico rode a big fifth inning to take a game in their home stadium in San Juan.

Colombia had Jose Quintana on the mound to begin the game and he was very effective for three innings. However, he was removed after only 30 pitches, where the pitcher who succeeded him, Adrian Almeida, was charged with five runs allowed in that fifth inning that doomed Colombia. Why they pulled Quintana could have had something to do with his now being available after a single day’s rest, but that’s still a strange move to make that ended up costing them.

Dominican Republic 12, Nicaragua 3

You know, I watched a lot of this game next to the United States one (thank you, YouTube TV). I really thought Nicaragua was going to pull this one off once they had a lead and at least a share of a tie through five innings. But as we watched, I told my son, “it’s going to come down to pitching and Nicaragua just doesn’t have the octane to beat DR, I don’t think.”

Then Junior Caminero came up and hit a baseball that went about 200 miles per hour and about 20 feet off the ground for a backbreaker.

IT'S GONE 😤

JUNIOR CAMINERO IS AN ELECTRIC FACTORY ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/SCOYIV7yg4

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

This Dominican team might be legit.

United States 15, Brazil 5

This shouldn’t have been this close.

Seventeen walks allowed by Brazil, to be expected of course, was just too much to overcome. Aaron Judge hit a titanic shot in the first inning to give the U.S. a lead they never gave back.

AARON JUDGE GOES YARD 🇺🇸 #WorldBaseballClassicpic.twitter.com/rHI5uO5p6m

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

However, this game was 8-5 going into the ninth inning. That simply can’t happen if the U.S. wants to win anything in this tournament. Better clean it up.

Hey, Manny Ramirez’s kid hit two home runs. And Jose Contreras’ kid, a 17 year old kid still in high school, got Judge to ground into a double play. We’re all officially old!

Chinese Taipei 14, Czechia 0 (7 innings)

Taipei gets on the board with a win here, using a grand slam from Stuart Fairchild to power them to a mercy rule victory. I think the Czechia story is officially over.

How did the Phillies do?

Edmundo Sosa: 1-4, single
Bryce Harper: 1-5, single, R, RBI, walk, strikeout
Kyle Schwarber: 2-4, two singles, 2 R, 2 walks

Cubs catcher Moisés Ballesteros made three ABS challenges in Friday night’s 3-0 Cubs loss to the Padres, and got all of them right.

As you know, Ballesteros has previously been known as a catcher who’s probably better off as a DH. It appears, to me at least, that being good at ABS challenges is a useful skill. So… maybe Ballesteros will see some catching time during the regular season. He’s getting opportunities now because Miguel Amaya is off at the World Baseball Classic.

I’ll get to the challenges shortly. Ben Brown, who started this game, struggled. He allowed three hits, walked three, hit two batters and was charged with all three Padres runs. That’s… not good. Brown will get more starting chances this spring. His future could be in the bullpen… or at Triple-A Iowa being stretched out to start. As always, we await developments.

Here’s video of two of the three successful Ballesteros challenges. First, in the bottom of the third [VIDEO].

Here’s another, in the bottom of the fourth [VIDEO].

Good work by Ballesteros on both of those.

Cubs relievers combined for 5.1 shutout innings in this game, allowing three hits, two walks and striking out five. The only one of those relievers likely to make the Opening Day roster was Jacob Webb. Also in this group were Collin Snider, Ethan Roberts, Ryan Rolison and minor leaguer Charlie Barnes.

The offense didn’t do much. Ballesteros had two hits, raising his spring BA to .372, and Matt Shaw also had a pair of hits. The Cubs also drew three walks and left nine on base, going 0-for-8 with RISP.

And that’s the tale of the first night game of the spring.

The Cubs will face the A’s at Sloan Park Saturday afternoon. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs, and hopefully will keep the ball in the yard this time. Mason Barnett starts for the A’s. Game time is 2:05 p.m. CT. No TV today, but there will be a radio broadcast via WSCR/The Score.

That spring training results mean little, yes. That the A’s are having a terrific spring training so far because no one has gotten majorly hurt, yes. But there must be some significance in some of the play on the field, no? The answer to that is an emphatic and resounding maybe.

What we’ve seen so far that could be meaningful unless it isn’t:

Max Muncy

Two things stand out with regard to Muncy so far in spring training. One is that it really does appear that 3B is his job to lose. He is tied for the team lead with 21 at bats and has been frequently a starter at 3B.

The other is that true to his profile, the bat seems to be ahead of the glove. There are many aspects of Muncy’s hitting to like so far, from how hard he is hitting the ball to his 4 walks in 25 PAs, helping him to a .286/.400/.524 line so far. But he continues to throw erratically and to play 3B very much like someone still learning on the job — or someone for whom defense just doesn’t come naturally.

It looks like 3B is not a position where the A’s are going to emphasize defense first, most likely handing Muncy the keys and trusting that his bat will be good enough to overcome shakiness with the glove — and also hoping Nick Kurtz can save many of Muncy’s low and wide throws.

Luis Morales & Jack Perkins

Morales and Perkins have in common that their stuff plays and their upside is significant, but they are also wild cards with regard to how ready they are to be consistent at the big league level.

So far both have shown that up-and-down combo with Morales giving up a 6-spot in one start, then pitching great his last time out until he ran out of gas in the 4th and walked 2 before exiting, and Perkins flashing good stuff but having trouble throwing enough strikes.

It’s fair to say that the A’s fortunes in 2026 will rest largely on the shoulders — that is arms — of their young pitchers and so far the group has generally looked raw. These are also tiny samples early in spring training, so they barely count for anything other than reinforcing what we already know.

The exception has been Gage Jump, who has arguably been the best of the bunch and might have accelerated his ETA from mid-season to more like May. And we haven’t yet seen Jacob Lopez, whose continued success would be pivotal to enhancing the A’s rotation.

Tyler Soderstrom

Again, spring results are not terribly meaningful even if 9 for 20 with 2 HR is a mighty nice way to begin the year. What might be meaningful, though, is that these are Soderstrom’s first 20 at bats since signing an extension and if nothing else, it’s fair to say he has not come out pressing or trying to do too much as we may have seen with Lawrence Butler.

It’s great that the A’s scored 4 players in the top 100 recently suggested by MLB Rank, but how was Soderstrom not one of them? He is poised to make that list look silly.

Leo De Vries

Who knows how quickly the 19 year old wunderkid will reach the big leagues? Once thought to be positioned for a call up maybe late in 2026, De Vries is proving that he may be even closer than that. He has been anything but over matched by his elders, 7 for 19 to start the Cactus League.

Granted 6 of the 7 hits are singles but no one really questions his power or whether he can spray doubles from line to line. He has consistently been patient and gotten into hitter’s counts and just seems to have that natural feel for the pace of the game, the strike zone, you name it.

De Vries isn’t on the cusp of the big leagues as a teenager because his ST batting average is .368, but he is on the cusp based on how well matched he looks so far on both sides of the ball playing against big leaguers.

Overall Pitching

If spring training stats are meaningless in general then spring training team ERA is even more so. You have the desert air and wind playing tricks with fly balls, A ball scrubs tossing the last 3 innings, so many reasons why results just don’t tell you a whole lot, especially on a team level.

That being said, the A’s pitching was a weakness in 2025 and their team ERA so far in the Cactus League — whether it’s meaningful or not — stands at 6.51. You can take solace that one of the 4 teams worse in MLB happens to be Seattle (7.68), more proof that spring training team stats don’t mean squat. But what you can’t do is celebrate that A’s pitchers so far are having a ton of success.

So there are some observations about things that mostly don’t matter or are utterly misleading, which is what happens when fans are forced to write about the team they love at a time when the players are just getting stretched out physically and working on their craft without much concern about the results.

In other words, it’s time to fully panic and at the same time reserve your post-season tickets.

Dominic Smith is in the driver’s seat to make the Opening Day roster. The subtractions of Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar make it all but a certainty. Mark Bowman feels that Smith is your designated hitter versus right handed pitching coming out of the gate. It’s difficult to argue that point, so I’m going to get used to this idea and dig deeper to see what he can bring. I may have more of a deep dive soon, but the first thing that caught my eye were Dominic’s comps from Baseball Savant. The Braves’ former catcher’s 2019 season was listed there.

There are some parallels between the two. Travis had a .745 OPS in 2019 versus .750 for Smith’s 2025 season. Travis had 2.79 strikeouts per walk and Smith was at 2.65. Smith had a 111 wRC+ against Travis’s 100. So you don’t have to squint too hard on the overall numbers. But after that, the numbers diverge.

Dominic’s splits make the case for his contribution as a Braves. He had a 119 wRC+ versus righties last season and a 100 wRC+ for his career. So as long as that’s all the Braves are asking him to do, it will be fine. I think I would rather have 2019 Travis d’Arnaud to start this season. This would allow decent hitting from the catcher spot and allow Baldwin to play as a DH more. But for now, Dominic Smith with his similar numbers from the DH spot should be fine.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Baseball is nearly in full swing as spring training has played out for a few weeks now, and players are getting their legs underneath them. The Yankees have lots of players looking to catch the attention of coaches throughout camp, as this is the biggest spotlight they’ll get before the minor league season begins and top prospects get to work on a path to the majors. There’s a number of promising arms that the Yankees have in the pipeline, and they’ve taken centerstage as the B teams hit the road for a number of these exhibitions. So naturally, we wanted to know which ones have caught your eye.

Overwhelmingly, the star of the staff thus far by your vote has been Carlos Lagrange. The soon-to-be 23-year-old has been flashing consistent 100-mph heaters, even topping out at 103 mph on the radar during his two spring training games, and that’s building a lot of confidence from some of the leaders of the clubhouse that this kid could be something special in the near future. Both Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole have commented on how impressed they are with Lagrange’s stuff and the potential he has to be a top of the rotation type of arm, and after a season in which Lagrange jumped up to Double-A and posted a 3.22 ERA with 104 strikeouts in just 78.1 innings at that level there’s a lot to be excited about with him.

Elmer Rodriguez came in a distant second here, but there’s plenty of enthusiasm for his potential as well. Ranked in the back-half of the top 100 prospect lists for major outlets like Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and Baseball Prospectus (and slightly higher ranked than Lagrange is on average between the three), Rodriguez was acquired from Boston for catcher Carlos Narvaez last year and shot through the system. He pitched to a sub-3 ERA at both High-A and Double-A across 145 innings, even getting a taste of Triple-A Scranton to end his year.

Ben Hess comes in third here, and that’s reasonable given how much farther down the line Hess is compared to the other two in terms of development — Hess has just one professional season under his belt — but there’s a good amount of results already showing to generate some excitement. Hess debuted in High-A, and already made it up to Double-A in the middle of the year while continuing to put up zeroes. The organization has a heaping of pitching talent working their way up the farm system now, and soon enough fans will be able to see some of them break through instead of just envisioning how they might fit.

We also had a secondary topic on hand, with the news that the Yankees were retiring CC Sabathia’s No. 52 jersey and putting it up in Monument Park for the rest of time. The majority of you found this a fitting honor for the now-Hall of Famer who went into Cooperstown with a Yankee cap on, as Sabathia arrived in New York and immediately anchored the pitching staff as the ace of a World Series championship team. CC wound up achieving incredible milestones at the end of his career, including his 3,000th strikeout and 250th career win in his final season, and that combined with his dominant first four seasons as a Yankee combined with his ability to retool himself in his latter years on top of just being the central figure of the clubhouse throughout his tenure in the Bronx gave him more than enough of a resume to earn his Monument Park plaque. Sabathia knows and appreciates the weight of the enshrinement well, calling the Yankees’ decision “one of the greatest honors of my life.”

Touching on some MLB-wide topics, the ABS system was introduced at the MLB level for the first time back in last year’s All-Star Game and now it’s gotten a wider look at it makes its spring debut, and it’s drawn rave reviews. Applicable only by the catcher, pitcher, or batter, the challenge calls are quick enough to not interrupt the flow of the game too much and lessen the severity of an umpire having an off-night — so long as you still have your challenges.

Teams have been gung-ho about utilizing the feature thus far, challenging early and often, which often leads to them running out of challenges if they reach for questionable ones. Austin Wells went on a spree of challenging calls that didn’t wind up overturned early in spring, but the Yankees at large have been pretty successful at nailing their spots otherwise. Whether it’ll assist offenses more than pitching remains to be seen, but the weight of keeping a rally alive by a batter successfully challenging a call might feel more significant than a pitcher getting themselves out of one via similar means and thus create the feeling that it aids batters more. It does detract from a catcher’s ability to frame the ball and “steal” strikes as often, especially if teams retain their challenges for later innings when an important at-bat hinges on the correct call, which is purely a benefit for hitters. We’ve all seen the umpire who manages to miss a strike straight down the middle here and there though, so pitchers will undoubtedly be pushing the button for themselves as well.

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These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.

The polls have closed and the votes are in! At Bucs Dugout, we polled how excited Pittsburgh Pirates fans were for the regular season after the team’s hot start to Spring Training. 82% of those who voted said that they are more excited than normal for the regular season after the Buccos dominated Grapefruit League play.

The Pirates as of Friday have a 10-4 record in Spring Training, and fans have a lot to be excited about ahead of the regular season. The story of the Pirates’ offseason of course has been how differently they’ve approached building their lineup. Signing All-Star slugger Ryan O’Hearn was a sign of good faith that the Buccos were looking to get serious. The organization also made a monster trade that saw All-Star Brandon Lowe and prospect Jake Mangum come over from Tampa Bay. Very quickly they completely transformed the lineup, and then kept adding when they signed Marcel Ozuna to be the team’s designated hitter.

The emergence of Konnor Griffin as the top prospect in baseball has dominated headlines, and to this point, he has absolutely looked like a future star in Major League Baseball. Other prospects like Jhostynxon Garcia, Braxton Ashcraft and Esmerlyn Valdez have also been turning heads in camp and have their own share of highlight moments.

Pittsburgh’s pitching rotation is what will get butts in seats this season, as they are projected to be one of the best in baseball. Paul Skenes is the reigning National League Cy Young winner and is primed to have another strong season. Bubba Chandler is still one of the most exciting pitching prospects in baseball, while Mitch Keller will provide the veteran leadership to keep the group on track.

FanDuel Sports Network has the Pirates at -520 odds to win 70 games in 2026. Pittsburgh won 71 games in 2025.

There’s a lot of reasons for Pirates fans to be more excited than usual for the upcoming season, and there should be no shortage of fireworks going off at PNC Park this year.

Brandon Valenzuela is a 25-year-old switch-hitting catcher born in Hermosillo, Mexico (he has a good role model as a Mexican-born catcher in Kirk). The Blue Jays picked him up from the Padres in trade for Will Wagner. MLB.com has Valenzuela as #24 on their Jays top 30 prospect list. He was added to the Jays’ 40-man last November.

The Padres signed him as a 16-year-old in 2017 for a $100,000 signing bonus. He has all three options left.

Last year, splitting time between Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A Buffalo, he hit .224/.309/.383 with 15 home runs. As a switch-hitter, he’s been pretty even on each side (last year a .725 OPS vs. LHP and .680 vs. RHP). He struck out a lot (24.0% of the time) but then walked a fair bit (10.9%). He has a bit of pop.

But offense isn’t what has put on prospect lists. His defense is what has him on the edge of a major league job. Last year, he threw out 34% of baserunners. He’s said to good at blocking balls in the dirt and that he calls a good game.

Baseball America says:

The switch-hitting Valenzuela is a glove-first catcher without a lot of offensive upside. Valenzuela’s righthanded swing is better than his lefthanded swing, leading to average results against lefthanded pitching. He shows below-average contact skills with an advanced approach that should lead to at least an average walk rate. There will be a fair amount of strikeouts as Valenzuela is a well below-average contact hitter against righthanded pitching. He hit 15 home runs in 2025 and shows fringe-average game power. To Valenzuela’s credit he has average exit velocity data with lofty launch angles. Behind the plate he’s a plus defender with an above-average arm that keeps runners in check

He’s having a good spring, with 4 hits and 3 walks, in 12 at-bats, and, to my eyes, has looked good behind the plate.

If Tyler Heineman hits like he did last year (and he’s also a good defensive catcher) and stays healthy, we won’t see much of Valenzuela, but if Heineman goes back to hitting the way he has in the past, well, the team is still likely to stay with the catcher they know. Then, catchers do tend to hit the IL at some point during a season, and Brandon would be next in line. Ali Sánchez got into 20 MLB games last year.

Valenzuela is nine years younger than Heineman. All things being equal, I’d rather have Valenzuela on the major league team than Heineman, but Tyler would likely either retire or look for a job with another team if the Jays wanted to send him down. Valenzuela pretty much has to do whatever the Jays tell him to.

Heineman didn’t get his first MLB at-bat until he was 28. And, before the age of 30, Heineman only played 20 games. If Brandon doesn’t get any major league time this year, he’s got lots of time to ‘make it’.

Steamer figures he’ll play 8 games this season, hitting .201/.272/.315 with 1 home run.

Early Saturday morning action in the World Baseball Classic gave us a battle between two Dodgers. Shohei Ohtani and Hyeseong Kim each homered, and Japan beat Korea 8-6 at the Tokyo Dome.

Japan joins Australia at 2-0 in Pool C in Tokyo, with two games left to play, with Korea falling to 1-1.

Ohtani walked and scored in the first inning, then hit a solo home run to tie the game in the third inning. With a runner on third base and two outs in the seventh inning, Ohtani was intentionally walked, and later scored in a three-run frame.

In two games so for in the WBC, Ohtani has reached base seven times in eight plate appearances, with two home runs, a double, and two walks, with four runs scored and six runs batted in.

SHOHEI OHTANI HOMER. TIE BALLGAME! #WORLDBASEBALLCLASSICpic.twitter.com/Y2ihZbXokl

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

Kim followed with a two-run shot in the fourth inning to tie the score at 5-5.

Hyeseong Kim sent that ball flying like a comet ☄️ #WorldBaseballClassicpic.twitter.com/nxFfAFmk7x

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

Down 8-6 with two outs in the eighth inning, Kim batted with the bases loaded but struck out looking in Korea’s last threat of the game.

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Edwin Díaz closed out Puerto Rico’s 5-0 win over Colombia with a scoreless ninth inning on Friday, following a leadoff single with three straight strikeouts. Díaz threw 24 pitches in his first game action since last Saturday for the Dodgers.

Díaz also came the game using his entrance music at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

On the mound to close it out for Puerto Rico: Edwin Diaz 💪

📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/bLpuEjJbvZ

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 7, 2026

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Lucas Ramírez, the 20-year-old son of former Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramírez, hit a leadoff home run for Brazil off Logan Webb in the first inning on Friday.

Lucas Ramirez smashes one over the right field wall ⚾️ #WorldBaseballClassicpic.twitter.com/KEHTbQPA5z

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

Team USA beat Brazil 15-5 in its opening game Friday. Will Smith did not play in the game, and Clayton Kershaw did not pitch.

Saturday schedule

• 8 a.m. PT: Canada vs. Colombia (FS2)
• 9 a.m.: Netherlands vs. Nicaragua (Tubi)
• 10 a.m.: Italy vs. Brazil (Fox Sports app)
• 3 p.m.: Puerto Rico vs. Panama (FS1)
• 4 p.m.: Venezuela vs. Israel (FS2)
• 5 p.m.: United States vs. Great Britain (Fox)
• 7 p.m.: Korea vs. Chinese Taipei (FS2)

Every spring training has roster battles. That part isn’t new. 

What feels different about Rockies camp this year is who is competing — and why. 

When ‘veteran presence’ replaces production

Last year, many roster decisions felt tied to something other than baseball performance. Several spots went to players whose value was often described in terms of ‘veteran presence’ or ‘clubhouse leadership.’ Players like Kyle Farmer, Thairo Estrada, Nick Martini, Sean Bouchard and Jacob Stallings (and later Orlando Arcia) were frequently framed as stabilizing influences for a young team. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with veteran leadership. Teams benefit from players who know how to prepare, handle adversity, and model professionalism for younger teammates. 

But leadership only works when it’s paired with production. 

The quintet of Farmer, Estrada, Martini, Bouchard and Stallings combined for 742 plate appearances in 2025 and produced -3.4 bWAR (per Baseball-Reference). That’s not exactly a formula for success. 

The best version of the ‘veteran presence’ model looks something like this: productive core players, young contributors developing around them, and a few experienced veterans reinforcing professional habits and clubhouse culture. 

Not every veteran on the 2025 roster was there solely for leadership. But as injuries mounted and on-field production declined, the narrative increasingly shifted toward intangible value. 

That’s where the equation starts to break down. When leadership becomes the primary justification for playing time, its value quickly erodes. Leadership can amplify talent, but it can’t replace it. 

A structural shift inside the organization

Structurally, things feel different for the Rockies this spring. 

The organization’s evolving leadership structure — including the influence of president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes — has emphasized process, player development, and more modern decision-making. If that philosophy is beginning to shape roster construction, spring training is exactly where it would start to appear. 

And this year, it does. 

Competition based on baseball skills

The competitions in camp this year are largely centered around actual baseball skills and roster impact, not reputation or tenure. The players pushing for spots are younger, more athletic, and trying to establish themselves rather than simply extending their careers. 

Players like Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP), Ryan Ritter, Kyle Karros, and TJ Rumfield represent different kinds of roster pressure. They’re not competing for symbolic opportunities — they’re competing because their tools and upside could genuinely help the roster. 

Even the possibility of someone like Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP) pushing the timeline adds another layer to the competition. When prospects start forcing their way into the conversation, the roster naturally becomes more dynamic. 

At the same time, the Rockies did bring in players with experience. But those additions feel fundamentally different from last year’s veteran-heavy approach. 

Players like Willi Castro, Jake McCarthy, and Edouard Julien weren’t brought in to provide leadership speeches in the clubhouse. They were brought in because they offer specific baseball tools. They are all under 30 years old and are being looked upon for on-field contributions. 

Castro brings versatility and athleticism. McCarthy adds speed and defensive range. Julien provides on-base ability and offensive upside. 

Those are functional baseball skills. They solve roster problems. 

Instead of simply filling up space until prospects arrive, these players give the Rockies flexibility while still allowing younger players to compete for real opportunities. 

Where veterans still make sense

The one area where veteran presence is still noticeable is in the pitching rotation. But even there, the reasoning feels much more baseball-driven than narrative-driven. 

Pitching at Coors Field is difficult, and stability matters. The veterans competing for rotation spots weren’t brought in simply to mentor younger pitchers or guide the clubhouse. They were brought in because they can absorb innings, stabilize games, and provide durability in a challenging environment. 

That’s a baseball reason for having veterans. 

In other words, the Rockies appear to be prioritizing function over reputation. 

Why it matters

Several roster spots remain genuinely unsettled as camp progresses. First base, second base, third base, fourth outfielder/utility roles, the fifth starter spot, and the left-handed bullpen role are all still being sorted out. 

None of those competitions involve superstar players. But they matter because they shape the architecture of the roster. 

These decisions determine how athletic the team is, how much flexibility the bench provides, and how many opportunities exist for young players trying to establish themselves at the major league level. 

Ironically, real competition often creates the best clubhouse culture. 

When playing time is earned, not granted, it brings accountability, urgency, and energy. Those traits build stronger teams than any imported ‘veteran presence.’ 

That’s why this spring feels different. The roster battles feel real, and the outcomes feel tied to performance. 

And for a team coming off a 119-loss season, that difference matters. 

If the Rockies keep rewarding performance when the games count, this spring might represent more than just another camp. It might signal a meaningful shift in how the roster is built. 

The real question is whether that philosophy will hold once the season begins. If younger players outperform veterans in April and May, should the Rockies commit to them or fall back on experience?

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Mock Joey Bart Trade to Replenish the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Pitching | Last Word On Sports 

A Pirates fan at Last Word on Sports floated a hypothetical trade sending catcher Joey Bart to the Rockies in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Sean Sullivan. The idea hinges on Pittsburgh’s crowded catching situation potentially making Bart available. Colorado would get a capable big-league catcher, while the Pirates add a young arm. It’s more of a thought experiment than a prediction, but an interesting one for both sides. 

Ritter making a case for more playing time with strong spring start | MLB.com 

Ryan Ritter has been one of the Rockies’ early standouts this spring, swinging a hot bat and forcing his way into the roster conversation. The young infielder has delivered several big hits as Colorado sorts through its infield competition. If he keeps it up, Ritter could turn a strong camp into a real opportunity. 

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Happy weekend, baseball fans. How ‘bout them Giants? They’re cruising! Try to forget that the Cactus League is mostly meaningless, and live in a happy world of dominant Giants baseball.

Sami usually writes the BPs, but a combination of sickness and birthday celebration has put me on the duty for a few days. But, had she stayed in good health, her plan was to write about Giants birthday memories.

My birthday is right before Spring Training, so I’ve never had the joy of watching the Giants play on my increasingly terrifying special day (though today is my brother’s birthday, so everyone wish him a happy day please). But I can share Sami’s with you. Her lone notable Giants moment for her early-March birthday is an unfortunate one: Hunter Pence breaking his wrist in a Cactus League game.

And just like that, I’m no longer sad about not having a baseball birthday (I have, however, had the Super Bowl land on my bday a few times, for better and for worse).

Many of you are in the same boat as me, but the baseball season — especially if you include Spring Training — fills more than half the calendar. So the bulk of you should have baseball birthdays. A few of you might even have World Series memories from your annual celebration.

So what are you favorite Giants birthday memories?

Good morning Birdland,

The World Baseball Classic has been underway for a few days now, but Friday was the busiest slate so far. Eight games took place, including the opener for Team USA. They beat Brazil 15-5, although that scoreline is not reflective of just how close Brazil kept things for most of the evening. It was an 8-5 game going into the ninth inning, and that is where the US pulled away as Brazil was on its eighth and ninth pitchers of the contest.

But Brazil had more feel good stories than the US, for whatever that is worth. Lucas Ramirez, the 20-year-old son of Manny Ramirez, launched two home runs as Brazil’s lead-off hitter. Joseph Contreras tossed 1.1 innings for Brazil, which included getting Aaron Judge to hit into a double play. Contreras is just 17 years old, can touch 100 mph, and is in the middle of his senior year at a Georgia high school. Amazing stuff.

Team USA walked 17 times in the game while striking out only twice. Brice Turang led the team with three hits, two doubles, and four RBI out of the nine hole in the order. Judge also had a two-run homer and scored three times. Alex Bregman walked four times. Roman Anthony and Kyle Schwarber had two hits apiece.

There was no Gunnar Henderson in this one. He seems to be the backup at both shortstop and third base for Team USA. One would imagine he will get a start at some point, at least in group play, but who knows. If manager Mark DeRosa prefers his speed and left-handed bat coming off the bench, then that is the role he will handle. Hopefully it doesn’t have a negative impact on Henderson’s ability to ramp up to the regular season with the Orioles.

There are eight more games on the docket for today. As of this writing, South Korea and Japan are already underway in Tokyo. Team USA will take on Great Britain tonight at 8 p.m. on FOX.

The Orioles also played a game on Friday. It did not go as well, particularly for Albert Suárez (L, 2.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 HR). They lost 10-2 to the Cardinals. But there were positives. Chris Bassitt gave up just one run and struck out two over three innings. Yennier Cano had another shutout inning. Ryan Mountcastle was 3-for-3. And although he did not hit a home run, Vance Honeycutt remained perfect this spring with a single in his lone at-bat.

The O’s will play two games today. It’s a split squad special. They will host the Twins in Sarasota, and they will head to Venice for a matchup with the Braves. Both games start at 1:05. MASN and local radio coverage will broadcast the game in Sarasota, but it looks like the Braves networks will cover the other game, so MLB TV subscribers should be able to watch/listen to that as well.

Links

Because You Asked – Another Simple Favor | Roch Kubatko
Lots of bullpen questions in this one, and for good reason. Outside of Ryan Helsley, little is settled in the team’s relief corps. Andrew Kittredge dealing with shoulder inflammation doesn’t help. It seems inevitable that they sign…someone by Opening Day. But it’s common for Mike Elias to wait on that. He probably wants to see a little bit more from the guys in camp before adding a known commodity like a veteran reliever.

Polar Bear Q&A: Alonso on 1st half of camp, leadership, World Series aspirations, more | Orioles.com
Pete Alonso has very quickly become the face of the Orioles franchise. He’s not their absolute best player, obviously, but he does seem the most comfortable with being the guy to talk to the media and guide the culture of the team. That’s something they needed. Hopefully it comes with a bunch of homers this season.

Remember what the Orioles’ stars told Craig Albernaz in the fall? Their explanations speak volumes. | The Baltimore Banner
It sounds like everyone is on board with Albernaz’s philosophy of getting back to basics, playing “winning” baseball, and putting your best foot forward at all times. That sounds simple, and like something you would have hoped they were doing anyway. But the reality is that losing and injuries can breed bad habits. A perspective shift should help.

Orioles’ starting pitching appears to be a strength: ‘I think we’re very underrated’ | Baltimore Baseball
If the unit needs to view themselves as underdogs, I am all about it. I would agree that there is more upside in this group than the broader public is acknowledging. But there is also a lot of risk.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Nick Ciuffo turns 31 today. He spent two games as an Orioles catcher in 2021.
• Joe Carter is 66 years old. A team legend with the Blue Jays, Carter’s time with the Orioles was less remarkable. He played half of the 1998 season in Baltimore.

This day in O’s history

1999 – It is announced that the Orioles will travel to Havana, Cuba for a March 28 exhibition game against the Cuban national team. It is the first time in 40 years that a team from the United States will play a professional game in Cuba.

Ben Brown didn’t exactly put his best foot forward, allowing three runs in 2.1 innings against the Padres. He was a little wild.

The Cubs had those special bats with ball-avoidance radar. One run would have been enough to defeat them.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Why Cubs, White Sox fans’ demand for spring-training broadcasts isn’t being met. “It’s that time of year when baseball fans long to watch baseball.“
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): How Cubs’ Edward Cabrera forces everyone to think differently about pitching. “Cabrera is a nasty guy,” catcher Moisés Ballesteros said. “Every pitch is nasty.” More from Jordan Bastian*.
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball*): Jaxon Wiggins’s developmental checklist is on full display. “It’s easy to see what makes him great—and what will make fans wait.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Kyle Wright offered the Chicago Cubs a huge implicit compliment when he chose to sign with them. “… if Wright had options available to sign elsewhere, you would superficially assume he would go somewhere with a clearer path to getting back to the big leagues.” More Wright from Meghan Montemurro* {$}.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): How in-season development of younger relievers will be ‘crazy valuable’ for the Chicago Cubs bullpen. “The volatility in bullpens inherently leads to roster-construction changes over the course of the season.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): How Cubs first baseman Michael Busch ‘earned’ everyday role, at-bats against left-handed pitchers. “Busch was the Cubs’ best hitter in the playoffs.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ Dansby Swanson is crushing the ball after overhauling his offseason plan. “Swanson hit an opposite-field home run to help lift the Cubs over the Diamondbacks on Thursday.“
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Here’s the Cubs’ player pool for their Spring Breakout game. “Here is a breakdown of this year’s prospect showcase.”

Food For Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on unimpeachable sources.

The World Baseball Classic continued on Friday, and this time, Ronald Acuña Jr. faced Ozzie Albies. Acuña Jr. and Team Venezuela came out on top, winning 6-2. The Braves outfielder set the tone early with a leadoff double and crossed the plate a couple of times.

Ronald Acuña Jr. jumps on the FIRST pitch and drills a double off the wall in the World Baseball Classic! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sf2G3l1rAi

— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) March 6, 2026

Albies and the Netherlands offense struggled to get much going in the matchup, with the Braves second baseman finishing the game hitless. Even so, the head-to-head between two Atlanta teammates added an interesting storyline to the early stages of the tournament, with Acuña getting the better of the matchup this time around.

More Braves News:

Reynaldo López threw four innings during a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday.

MLB News:

Miami Marlins right-hander Adam Mazur is experiencing elbow discomfort and is headed to see a specialist.