What a glorious day for baseball! Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:
For the Blue Jays:
Let’s talk about it.
Gamethread 2/21: Phillies at Blue Jays
Cactus League Game 1 – Reds vs. Guardians
The Cincinnati Reds return to baseball action today at 3:05 PM ET, kicking off their 2026 Cactus League campaign in the cozy home confines of Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona. They’ll do so as the away team, however, as it will be the Cleveland Guardians claiming the home game from the dugout on the other side of their own home complex, too.
Chase Burns will get the start for the Reds in his first in-game quest to earn the fifth and final spot in Cincinnati’s starting rotation come Opening Day, though I’d be shocked if he pitched more than two innings – if that.
The game will be carried by Reds.tv in market, or you can watch it out of market per usual via MLB.tv. Or, if you prefer, the Cleveland broadcast will be carried on Guardians.tv if you reside in the Cleveland media market.
Baseball is officially unofficially back, folks!
Spring Training Game Thread: Red Sox at Twins
Is it on TV?
Yup, this one’s on NESN again. First pitch at 1:05 PM.
What’s the lineup?
What should we watch out for?
There’s a lot to pick from in this one. Payton Tolle will be must-watch all spring, though no one should read too much into his performance this early on. With the WBC kicking off soon, we won’t have a lot of chances to see Roman Anthony, Willson Contreras, and Wilyer Abreu playing for the Sox, so I’ll probably be focused on them.
Spring Game #1 GameThread: Phillies @ Jays
These 1:00 Eastern starts really mess with my day. Being in Alberta, it is an 11:00 start. I like to get a workout in, but I’m not an early riser, so getting a GameThread together and working out before 11:00 is not going to happen. On the other hand, watching an 11:00 start-time game, doing a quick recap, and then getting the workout in is getting too late in the day. I know….I have such a rough life.
Of course, the 1:00 start isn’t going to mess with my day as much as tomorrow’s 8:00 am eastern start for the Gold Medal game. That is really going to mess with my day.
There is an additional wrinkle in the works at the moment. My son had a minor fender bender, but his car is on the IL. So he’s borrowing my car, which means my wife and I are sharing a car. But we both have our own things, so there is a fair bit of logistics to work out. She is out for the day, but she’s going to drop me where I workout. They have a pub, so I can watch the game and then go for my workout and hopefully she will be done around the time I’m finished my workout. First world problems.
Anyway, today’s lineup. A lot of the regulars are playing.
John Schneider said, “Spring training, please put no stock in the batting order. We’re just trying to get certain guys the number of at-bats and kind of get out of the game early.” And of course, every spring we get complaints about the batting orders, and every spring I say, ‘Save it for the season’. We’ll have enough to complain about when real baseball starts. Right now, just enjoy.
As always, I’m really looking forward to the first game, but then by the second week, I’ll be bored with fake baseball, and bored trying to pretend that the 2 at bats I see of some prospect, or near prospects, means something.
Here is a little semi-interesting bit:
In OOTP Baseball, last year’s version, I had Anthony Santander play first base all spring training, so he could play first when Vlad DHed. It was perfect. Of course, OOTP didn’t know that Anthony would be hurt most of the season.
Bill Mazeroski passed away yesterday. He was 89. He was best known for his Game Seven home run in the 1960 World Series, but for me, I knew him because of a preseason annual season preview magazine that came out before the start of each season, back before the internet. I don’t know if it is still published.
Mazeroski had a very nice 17-year career. In 2163 games, he hit .260/.299/.367 with 138 home runs, a 36.5 bWAR. He won 8 Gold Gloves, made 7 All-Star games and had MVP votes twice.
I’m going to post this early and then get to somewhere I can watch the game.
Go Jays Go.
The “Last Man In” free agent tournament: Quarterfinals part two
In the first quarterfinal matchup of the “Last Man In” free agent tournament, Jeff Hoffman squeaked by Jose Contreras by just two votes. In the second matchup, Brad Miller was victorious over Jake Arrieta.
Here are the next two quarterfinal matchups:
1.Cliff Lee, 2011
In 2011, Cliff Lee gave up three total earned runs across ten starts in the months of June and August. It must have been really depressing for opposing teams to have to get put through the ringer by Roy Halladay one night and then have to face Lee the next.
9. Nick Castellanos, 2022
As it turns out, there can be drawbacks to relying too much on free agency to build a team. If you need to pay a guy a lot of money to come play for you, there’s the chance that he might act like a mercenary.
Who should advance? Vote now!
2. Bryce Harper, 2019
For all the talk about whether or not Bryce Harper is still elite, his offensive performance in 2019 wasn’t all that much different than in 2025. He got off to a relatively slow start in his first season with the team, before turning it on down the stretch for a superb August and September.
7. Luis Garcia, 2013
Not every major leaguer’s path is the same. Luis Garcia had washed out as a prospect and was working as a barber (but apparently not a good one), when he was able to garner attention from scouts and finally reach the big leagues.
Who should advance? Vote now!
How will you watch Dodgers spring training games?
Today is the start of Cactus League play for the Dodgers, who hit the road to battle the Angels in Tempe for their first game.
For 27 of the next 29 days the Dodgers will play a televised game in Arizona. The first two games are this weekend in the afternoon, and 13 of the 18 weekday games over the next four weeks will also be played during the day.
That can create some conflicts with most people’s work schedules. If you can’t watch on SportsNet LA (or through MLBtv, from afar), six of the Arizona weekday telecasts will be simulcast on AM 570 radio, part of the 14 total radio broadcasts when the Dodgers are in Arizona.
Today’s question is how will you watch the Dodgers this spring? Do you have a second screen going while working, or are you listening to radio while multi-tasking? Or will you be able to watch the games live on your TV? Or might you go back in later to watch the game or browse the highlights?
Chicago White Sox 2026 Spring Training schedule and results
We’re back recapping every single White Sox game, and that starts with Spring Training!
The White Sox season begins on Friday, February 20 at the Cubs and packs 33 games into 32 days. After that barrage, it’s off to the 162-game marathon, beginning up in Milwaukee, taking on the Brewers on March 26.
Check back here for regular (if not daily or multi-daily) updates to the results and broadcast schedule!
Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski, known for walk-off home run in 1960 World Series, dies at 89
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 05: Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski waves to the crowd before throwing out the first pitch before the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees at PNC Park on July 5, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Bill Mazeroski, the Hall of Fame second baseman who won eight Gold Glove awards for his steady work in the field and the hearts of countless Pittsburgh Pirates fans for his historic walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, has died at the age of 89.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting said “Maz was one of a kind, a true Pirates legend. ... His name will always be tied to the biggest home run in baseball history and the 1960 World Series championship, but I will remember him most for the person he was: humble, gracious and proud to be a Pirate.”
Mazeroski died Friday, the Pirates said. No cause of death was given.
‘Defensive wizard’
Elected to the Hall by the Veterans Committee in 2001, he was, by some measures, no superstar. Mazeroski had the lowest batting average, on-base percentage and stolen base total of any second baseman in Cooperstown. He hit just .260 lifetime, with 138 homers and 27 stolen bases in 17 years, and had an on-base percentage of .299. He never batted .300, never approached 100 runs batted or 100 runs scored and only once finished in the top 10 for Most Valuable Player.
His best qualities were both tangible and beyond the box score. His Hall of Fame plaque praises him as a “defensive wizard” with “hard-nosed hustle” and a “quiet work ethic.” A 10-time All-Star, he turned a major league record 1,706 double plays, earning the nickname “No Hands” for how quickly he fielded grounders and relayed them. He led the National League nine times in assists for second basemen and has been cited by statistician Bill James as the game’s greatest defensive player at his position — by far.
“I think defense belongs in the Hall of Fame,” Mazeroski said, defensively, during his Hall of Fame induction speech. “Defense deserves as much credit as pitching and I’m proud to be going in as a defensive player.”
A home run for the ages
Mazeroski’s signature moment took place in the batter’s box, as the square-jawed, tobacco-chewing Mazeroski, a coal miner’s son from West Virginia, lived out the dream of so many kids who thought of playing professional ball.
The Pirates had not reached the World Series since 1927, when they were swept by the New York Yankees, and again faced the Yankees in 1960. While New York was led by Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, Pittsburgh had few prominent names beyond a young Roberto Clemente. They relied on hitters ranging from shortstop Dick Groat to outfielder Bob Skinner, and the starting pitchers Vernon Law and Bob Friend. Mazeroski, who turned 24 that September, finished the season with a .273 average and usually batted eighth.
The series told one story in the runs column and another in wins and losses. The Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27, and 38-3 in the three games they won. Mazeroski’s counterpart on New York, Bobby Richardson, drove in a record 12 runs and was named the series’ MVP — even though he was on the losing team. Whitey Ford shut out the Pirates twice, on his way to a then-record 33 2/3 straight scoreless World Series innings for the Yankees ace.
The Pirates’ first three wins weren’t nearly so spectacular, but they were wins — and Mazeroski helped. He hit a 2-run homer in the fourth inning off the Yankees’ Jim Coates in Game 1, a 6-4 Pirate victory, and a 2-run double in the second inning off Art Ditmar in Game 5, a 5-2 Pittsburgh win. In Game 7, he saved his big hit for the end.
Some 36,000 fans at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field, and many more tuning in on radio and television, agonized through one of the Fall Classic’s wildest and most emotional conclusions. The lead changed back and forth as Pittsburgh scored the game’s first four runs, only to fall behind as the Yankees rallied in the middle innings and went ahead 7-4 in the top of the eighth. Pittsburgh retook the lead with five runs in the bottom of the eighth, helped in part by a seeming double-play grounder that took a bad hop and struck Yankees shortstop Tony Kubek in the throat. But the Yankees came right back and tied the score at 9 in the top of the ninth.
The bottom of the ninth has been relived, not always by choice, by the two teams and by generations of fans. The New York pitcher was Ralph Terry, a right hander whom manager Casey Stengel had brought in during the previous inning and would later acknowledge that he had a tired arm. The right-handed hitting Mazeroski, who had grounded into a double play in his previous appearance, was up first.
Terry started with a fastball, called high for a ball. After conferring briefly with catcher Johnny Blanchard, who reminded him to keep his pitches down, he threw what Mazeroski would call a slider that didn’t slide. Mazeroski got under it and belted it to left, the ball rising and rising as it cleared the high, ivy-covered brick wall, with Yankees left fielder Yogi Berra circling under it, then turning away in defeat. The whole city seemed to erupt, as if all had swung the bat with him, as if he were every underdog who longed to beat the hated Yankees. Mazeroski dashed around the bases, grinning and waving his cap, joined by celebrants from the stands who had rushed onto the field and followed him to home plate, where his teammates embraced him.
“I was just looking to get on base,″ he told The New York Times in 1985. ″Nothing fancy, just looking for a fastball until he got a strike on me. I thought it would be off the wall, and I wanted to make third if the ball ricocheted away from Berra. But when I got around first and was digging for second, I saw the umpire waving circles above his head and I knew it was over.”
It was the first time a World Series had ended on a homer, leading to enduring waves of celebration and despair. Pirates followers memorized the date, Saturday, Oct. 13, 1960, and the local time of Mazeroski’s hit, 3:36 p.m. Forbes Field was torn down in the 1970s, but a decade later fans began gathering every Oct. 13 at the park’s lone remnant, the center field wall, and listened to the original broadcast.
Meanwhile, Mantle would sob on the plane ride home in 1960, insisting the better team had lost. Ford would for years remain angry at Stengel — fired five days after the Series — for using him in Games 3 and 6 and making him unavailable to start a third time. The late singer Bing Crosby, a former co-owner of the Pirates, was so afraid he’d jinx his team that he listened to the game with friends across the Atlantic Ocean, in Paris.
“We were in this beautiful apartment, listening on shortwave, and when it got close Bing opened a bottle of Scotch and was tapping it against the mantel,” his widow, Kathryn Crosby, told the Times in 2010. “When Mazeroski hit the home run, he tapped it hard; the Scotch flew into the fireplace and started a conflagration.”
A team player
Mazeroski was a Pirate for his entire time in the majors and was a team man off the field. His wife, Milene Nicholson, was a front office employee whom he met through Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh. They were married in 1958, had two sons and remained together until her death in 2024.
William Stanley Mazeroski was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, during the Great Depression, grew up in eastern Ohio, and lived for a time in a one-room house without electricity or indoor plumbing. His father, Louis Mazeroski, had hoped himself to be a ballplayer and encouraged his son’s love for sports, even practicing with him by having his son field tennis balls thrown against a brick wall.
Although a star in basketball and football, he favored baseball and was good enough to be drafted by the Pirates at age 17 in 1954. Mazeroski was a shortstop for a team with numerous prospects at that position, and had switched to second by his rookie year, 1956. Even as a part-time player at the end of his career, he was a leader and steady presence on the 1971 team that featured Clemente and Willie Stargell and defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
After his final season, 1972, Mazeroski coached briefly for the Pirates and the Seattle Mariners and was an infield instructor for Pittsburgh during spring training. In 1987, the Pirates retired his uniform, No. 9. The 50th anniversary of his Game 7 heroics was marked in 2010 by the unveiling — on Bill Mazeroski Way — of a 14-foot, 2,000-pound statue of one of Pittsburgh’s greats, rounding the bases, on top of the world.
Saturday morning Rangers stuff
Good morning, LSB.
The Texas Rangers played a baseball game yesterday. (: And lost. ):
Jeff Wilson has some highlights from the Rangers’ spring training opener against the Royals.
Nathan Eovaldi’s results were shaky but he felt good after his first start of 2026.
Wilson also offers up a piece on what to expect as the Rangers start up a month’s worth of spring training exhibitions.
Elsewhere Evan Grant asks who has the longest leash between struggling hitters Joc Pederson, Jake Burger and Josh Jung.
Shawn McFarland writes about Cam Cauley’s goal of carving a path to the majors.
Kennedi Landry talks to Skip Schumaker about the takeover of the ABS system.
The Rangers are pushing back the spring debuts of Wyatt Langford and Brandon Nimmo.
And finally Grant writes that the spunky Alejandro Osuna could make things tough on the Rangers’ roster decision-makers.
That’s all for this morning. Have a great weekend!
Mets 2026 Season Preview: You should be excited about A.J. Ewing
There were a lot of notable breakouts in the Mets’ system last year. Nolan McLean went from an interesting arm in the back third of the top-101 to a potential top-of-the-rotation and the putative favorite for the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year. Jonah Tong started in a similar place and ended up only a little behind McLean, still clearly in need of more polish also one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Carson Benge is now a top-10 or top-20 prospect that’s likely to break camp as the starting right fielder and might be the second favorite for NL ROTY. Will Watson and Josh Wenninger (and also Zach Thornton, before he got hurt) took huge jumps to land in the 75 – 125 range globally. Jacob Reimer and Ryan Clifford took big steps forward.
Amidst all of this, it seems that A.J. Ewing’s significant improvements are being overlooked. Sure, he only hit 3 HR this past season and spent most of his season in the low minors (primarily Brooklyn), and that’s not as flashy as some other performances. What he did do is post a 147 wRC+ across three levels while stealing 70 bases, walking 12% of the time, all while adapting to both a revamped swing and a defensive transition from the infield to center. Oh and he did all of that as a 20-year-old who was originally drafted as an over-slot prep pick in the 4th round and who posted a 102 wRC+ with a nearly 30% strikeout rate in Single-A in 2024.
Ewing now profiles as a 70 or 80-grade runner, one who is a reasonably safe bet to be a plus defender in center and who can play some on the dirt to boot. He’s shown a penchant for great swing decisions, avoiding the passivity issues that plague many other hitters in the Mets system while maintaining strong in-zone contact rates. As for the lack of power, it’s more an issue of intent that anything else right now; Ewing actually hits the ball quite hard, but a lot of that contact goes the other way and/or at low angles (read as – a lot of hard, low line drives). It’s generally easier to teach a guy who already hits the ball hard how to spray it around a bit better rather than the inverse, so it’s fair to project more over-the-fence power in the relatively near future for Ewing.
That’s a hell of a player. As is, the speed, defense, and contact give him a likely floor as a solid regular in center field. If he can actualize more of his power – get to a 10 – 15 or 15 – 20 HR guy rather than the pure contact maven he is now – we’re talking about a potential All Star. He’s also probably closer to the majors than you realize after closing out the season with a successful (though flawed, evidence by the degradation of his walk and strikeout rates) 28 game stint in Double-A with a 133 wRC+.
This is another instance where the actions of the Mets front office are potentially indicative of how optimistic we should be. Ewing popped up in multiple trade rumors this offseason (often times a sign that a player is actually being dangled or asked about), but it was Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat who headed to Milwaukee for Freddy Peralta. The Mets also elected to go with a year-to-year option in center field with Luis Robert rather than make a longer-term commitment, leaving Ewing some runway in the near-to-medium term. And of course, Ewing’s defensive projection aligns very well with the run prevention philosophy that David Stearns espoused early in the offseason.
All of this should paint a big green up arrow next to Ewing in your mind. He’s clearly the 3rd or 4th best prospect in the system, a top-50 prospect in baseball per Baseball Prospectus, and a player who could make an impact as soon as this year. Even with the risk associated with all prospects, that’s the kind of guy you get excited about.
Mets Morning News for February 21, 2026
Meet the Mets
Baseball is back! Here are some things to look out for as the Mets play their first spring training game today.
Nolan McLean and Juan Soto engaged in an epic rock-paper-scissors battle yesterday while facing each other in live BP.
Sean Manaea believes adjusting his arm slot will allow him to return to his 2024 heights.
With all the departures that occurred this offseason, David Peterson is now the longest-tenured Met, and he is embracing that title.
Newsday’s Laura Albanese discussed the vibes surrounding the Mets while providing her three observations from spring training thus far.
The Athletic’s Tim Britton and Will Sammon also provided some observations from camp thus far, including looking at Carson Benge.
Around the National League East
The Phillies have a few different roster battles to watch out for throughout spring training.
The Braves may want to look at some of the few pitching options still available on the market in light of their recent injuries.
Former Met Carlos Carrasco will be taking the mound for Atlanta in their spring training opener today.
The Marlins have made some adjustments in their broadcast booth.
CJ Abrams is trying to ignore all the trade rumors.
Around Major League Baseball
The Twins have already suffered a major blow to their roster, as Pablo López will miss the 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Bill Mazeroski, one of the few players to hit a World Series-winning home run, passed away at the age of 89.
Of course Pete Alonso would be the guy who would hit the first home run in all of spring training.
Gerrit Cole dialed it up to almost 97 MPH in his first session facing live hitters as he continues to inch closer to his return from surgery.
The Cardinals have added to their infield depth by signing Ramón Urías to a one-year deal.
With all teams in action today, MLB.com provided one thing to look out for for each of them.
Jen Pawol will be one of the umpires working in spring training, but she still has not been awarded a spot amongst the regular season roster of umpires.
Angels owner Arte Moreno spoke to reporters yesterday and said some stupid things, as he is wont to do.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Lukas Vlahos examined Mike Baumann, one of the many arms in camp trying to make the Mets’ roster.
This Date in Mets History
Tom Seaver got his bag—a whopping $172,000—on this date in 1974.
Kansas City Royals news: Is Luinder Avila a starting pitcher?
Jaylon Thompson writes that Michael Massey is looking to put last season behind him.
“A lot of guys have tough years,” he said, “and you just keep fighting and you learn something from it. You learn from it, you move on and you kind of leave the result in the past.”
Massey is excited for a fresh start at spring training in Arizona, where the Royals played the Texas Rangers in their Cactus League opener on Friday. The Royals will utilize him in more of a hybrid role this season because of how their roster is constructed. It’s expected he will see time at second base and keep working in the outfield, as well.
Bailey Falter also has a lot to prove.
“He looks great physically,” Quatraro said. “His demeanor has been tremendous. He’s healthy and he’s throwing the ball with great extension and great carry.
“I think in fairness to Bailey, he came over and he was in a tough spot. He was banged up a little bit and we probably saw him at his worst. I think to his credit, the way he’s put that behind him and moved forward throughout the offseason has been tremendous.”
David Lesky considers if the Royals could use a six-man rotation.
Theoretically, going with a five-man rotation for a full year gives two guys 34 starts and three guys 33. Going with a six-man rotation all year gives everyone 27 starts. Six or seven starts coming off the arm could be the difference between freshness for the playoffs or not. But one thing that I think you have to keep in mind with that six-man rotation is that you do have a deficiency now in the bullpen, so I think the extra rest will have to be used to give starting pitchers a bit of a longer leash. Again, I don’t have the biometrics or anything so I’m just talking here, but if you’re counting on 15-18 outs every night, I think that needs to be bumped up to 18-21.
Matt Quatraro thinks Luinder Avila could be an ace someday.
Craig Brown wonders if Avila could be a potential starter.
However, Quatraro’s assessment has me reconsidering. Having Avila in the rotation was always a possibility, but “front of the rotation?” Whoa. In order to make that happen, he’s going to have to refine and rely on that changeup a little more. That would give him another weapon against left-handed hitters. If Avila starts attacking hitters with three pitches—curve, four-seam, sinker against righties and curve, four-seam, change versus lefties—that changes the calculus in determining his future role on the big league club. If I were to tell you something to watch this spring, it would be Avila’s pitch mix. Let’s see if he throws the change with more frequency. Could he even add another pitch to the mix? He’s talented enough to pull something new out of the bag.
Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep considers catching metrics for the Royals.
Twins ace Pablo López will have season-ending Tommy John surgery.
Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg has a UCL tear.
The Blue Jays are in talks with Max Scherzer.
How can the Braves build rotation depth with their pitcher injuries?
Freddie Freeman wants to play til he’s 40 years old.
NBC plans to use local analysts for Sunday Night Baseball telecasts.
MJ Melendez is bringing defensive versatility to the Mets?
The biggest storylines in spring training this year.
Buster Olney omits Jonathan India in his ranking of top second basemen in MLB.
The big questions for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
MLB owners are stocking up about $2 billion in anticipation of a work stoppage.
USA’s win over Canada in the Olympics was the most-watched women’s hockey game ever.
Sporting Kansas City trades longtime winger Daniel Salloi to Toronto FC.
Can social media age verification really protect kids?
AMC Theaters won’t show an AI-generated short film that is running before some movies.
A judge rules Buffalo Wild Wings can keep “boneless wings” on the menu.
Your song of the day is Joe Walsh with Ordinary Average Guy.
Mariners News: Mitch Garver, Pablo López, and David Rubenstein
Good day everyone! It’s Saturday, and we’ve got some news from around the league to share with you.
In Mariners news…
- Cal Raleigh played a major role in Mitch Garver’s return to the team.
- Davy Andrews at Fangraphs provided his analysis of the Mariners’ re-signing of Garver, in which he tries to figure out what happened to the catcher’s once-incredible bat.
Around the league…
- It’s official: Twins right-hander Pablo López will undergo Tommy John surgery.
- Though Jen Pawol will serve as an umpire throughout spring training for the third straight season, she did not get a permanent umpiring job for the regular season.
- Bradford William Davis reports that Orioles owner David Rubenstein set himself up to profit from Donald Trump’s mass immigrant deportations.
- Angels owner Arte Moreno is crying poor over the team’s failing TV deal, but pledges that payroll will increase again once the situation is settled.
Yankees Birthday of the Day: Oscar Azócar
Over 22,000 players have played Major League Baseball. A small fraction of those players are remembered for their on-field accomplishments. An even smaller subset are remembered for their personalities and the joy they brought to the game. Oscar Azócar was one of those special people.
Oscar Azócar
Born: February 21, 1965 (Soro, Venezuela)
Died: June 14, 2010 (Valencia, Venezuela)
Yankees Tenure: 1990
Azócar was scouted by the Yankees out of Venezuela as a pitcher. He fared reasonably well in this role, posting a 3.31 ERA in 171.1 innings, but these were mostly spent in the lower levels of the minors, where the southpaw never showcased the stuff to turn himself into a viable prospect. But, in 1987, during his first season as manager of the Low-A Fort Lauderdale Yankees, a 30-year-old Buck Showalter saw enough out of the young hurler as he took batting practice that the future Yankees skipper engineered a positional switch, moving Azócar to the outfield. He hit .359 in 195 plate appearances that year, rewarding Showalter’s confidence in his ability to swing the bat.
Azócar then began a precipitous climb to the bigs. He was added to Yankees’ 40-man roster on November 8, 1988, alongside more recognizable names including Kevin Maas, Hensley Meulens, and a fellow young outfielder named Bernie Williams. Azócar got his first taste of Yankees glitz the following season when he was a teammate of Deion Sanders at Double-A Albany-Colonie while the two-sport athlete was working his way up to the Yankees. “He brought me a hat,”’ Azócar said while showcasing a Falcons cap before adding, presciently, of the future Pro Football Hall of Famer, “I think he wants to play football, though.”
After hitting .292 in 504 at-bats at Triple-A in ‘89 and ‘90, Azócar got called up in July 1990 to replace Mel Hall, who’d landed on the shelf after pulling a muscle in his thigh. He joined a Yankees team that was floundering, sitting at 31-54 in the standings. On the day the team elevated Azócar, manager Stump Merrill candidly told the press of his team’s woes: “It can’t get any worse.”
It was into this subdued environment that Azócar arrived and, in the context of a near-hopeless team, briefly looked like a savior. The 25-year-old recorded a hit off Royals pitcher Steve Farr in his first at-bat, homered twice in his first week, and, at the end of July, was hitting .386 with a 1.053 OPS in 15 games.
Alongside Maas and Jim Leyritz, Azócar gave hope that a youth movement was taking hold in the Bronx. “They’re going out and playing, and it’s contagious,“ Merrill said. “They don’t quit.” Future captain Mattingly said the trio, along with Sanders, boasted “some serious talent.” Merrill was particularly effusive in his praise of Azócar. “The reason Oscar hits for average is that he doesn’t walk and doesn’t strike out,” the Yankee manager said. “The reason he hits for average is that he uses the whole field, from line to line.” For his part, the rookie was blasé about his first brush with MLB competition. “There’s no difference,” Azócar said. “In the minor leagues, there’s tough pitching, too, just like here. There’s absolutely no difference. The only difference is the people in the stands.”
In his debut, Azócar quickly demonstrated an aggressiveness and verve that both won him praise and limited his ceiling. With “going all the way,” as his mantra, the outfielder played the game at a breakneck pace, both running hard on every play and swinging at nearly every pitch. When asked by his teammates why he ran in from left field at full speed to back up third on routine plays, Azócar offered a simple and earnest reply: “because that’s what I’m supposed to do.”
Despite earning a starting role and, amidst a thin Yankees roster, a shot to stick, Azócar trailed off, hitting below the Mendoza line after his dynamic July and eventually finding his way to the bench. The free-swinger would end the year with an unviable .257 on-base percentage, signaling his limits as a legitimate prospect.
Still, after his extended action the year prior, Topps made a 1991 Yankees card for the Azócar. It would prove an enduring showcase for his childlike love for the game of baseball, showcasing the outfielder balancing a baseball between two bats with a wry smile on his face.
Despite making it onto a 1991 Yankees baseball card, Azócar wouldn’t stick in the pinstripes that year. He was designated for assignment during the offseason when New York signed Farr, the pitcher against whom Azócar had gotten his first hit, as a free agent. On December 3, 1990, he was traded to the Padres for a player to be named later who became Mike Humphreys, an outfielder who saw limited action during three seasons in the Bronx.
Azócar spent two years in San Diego. He appeared mostly as a pinch-hitter, batting .204 with a .479 OPS. It would be his final MLB action. On the way out, though, he made time to pose for one more iconic Topps baseball card. In this one, he holds his bat tight to his head with an eyes-closed, playful smile upon his face.
After his time in the US, Azócar took his enthusiastic brand of baseball to the Mexican League, where he’d spend eight seasons. As late as 2000, at the age of 35 and eight years removed from his last season with the Padres, he hit .377 with the Guerreros de Oaxaca, finishing third in the batting title race behind fellow MLB castoffs Ivan Cruz and Warren Newson.
Azócar died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 2010 at just 45 years old. He would be 61 today. Despite his brief tenure in the majors, he is remembered for the joy and enthusiasm he brought to the game he loved so dearly.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
MLB Spring Training Picks and Predictions for February 21: Rocking Red Sox
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Spring Training is back! As the frost of a baseball-less winter finally melts away, we’re here to heat things up with picks while every team gets into full swing today.
Take a look at why I’m focusing on a couple of plus-money teams in my MLB picks for Saturday, February 21.
Spring Training predictions for February 21
| Picks |  |
|---|---|
 Phillies moneyline | +120 |
 Red Sox moneyline | -112 |
 Giants moneyline | +120 |
Pick #1: Phillies moneyline
+120 at DraftKings
Spring Training games often hinge on bullpen depth and timely hitting which is two areas where the Philadelphia Phillies have been pretty steady this time of year.
With the Toronto Blue Jays slightly favored (around -142) and Philly sitting at +120, the Phillies bring some nice value if their early arms give them solid innings and the offense can scratch across runs.
I’m expecting a tight, competitive game, but Philadelphia’s underdog price and recent edge in the matchup make them a strong moneyline lean against Eric Lauer.
Pick #2: Red Sox moneyline
-112 at DraftKings
Lately, when the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins have met in Spring Training, things have usually leaned Boston’s way, including last year’s 6–5 Grapefruit League win in a pretty similar spot.
Boston’s deeper lineup and balanced position group could give them an edge, especially in key at-bats and late-game situations.
Minnesota is expected to hand the ball to Joe Ryan to start, and they may mix in different bullpen looks early, which can lead to some uneven innings.
Boston, on the other hand, tends to use these spring games to get its regular hitters into a steady rhythm at the plate.
Pick #3: Giants moneyline
+120 at DraftKings
With plenty of young hitters and players competing for roster spots, the San Francisco Giants tend to take a scrappy, opportunistic approach early in the year and that style can really pay off in close spring games when pitching is all over the place.
This one could be a low- to moderate-scoring affair as both Hayden Birdsong and Emerson Hancock, along with the spring bullpen arms, work on finding their best grips and rhythms.
Still, San Francisco’s offense has shown it can put runs on the board against the Seattle Mariners in spring matchups, and at +120, the Giants look like a smart moneyline play here.
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