Category: Baseball

*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.

We’ve officially finished the top-20 prospects in the Athletics system. This was where we were planning to end this series but due to high demand and a few weeks left until Opening Day, we’re set to continue our CPL for at least around five rounds of voting. So get ready for a few more votes!

The player that rounds out the top-20 prospects in the system according to A’s fans is righty Kade Morris. The 23-year-old was the return piece the A’s received back in exchange for former All-Star Paul Blackburn. He just wrapped up his first full season in the Athletics’ system, first beginning at Double-A and pitching well there before a promotion to the final stop in the minors. His time with the Aviators went a bit tougher than his time in Midland but hopefully a full year at Triple-A can further his development. Like many of the names on our CPL Morris could be an option for the A’s as soon as this upcoming season.

We have our first reliever taking a spot among the nominees as right-hander Eduarniel Nunez gets the nod to replace Morris in the next round of voting. One of the return pieces the A’s got back from the Padres in exchange for Mason Miller and JP Sears, Nunez comes with a big fastball and wicked slider than should make him a force in the backend of the bullpen… if he can learn to harness his two-pitch repertoire. If he can manage to do that the A’s could have their future closer already on hand.

The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:

• Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
• In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
• If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.

Click on the link here to vote!

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A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

1. Leo De Vries, SS
2. Jamie Arnold, LHP
3. Gage Jump, LHP
4. Wei-En Lin, LHP
5. Braden Nett, RHP
6. Henry Bolte, OF
7. Johenssy Colome, SS
8. Edgar Montero, SS
9. Steven Echavarria, RHP
10. Devin Taylor, OF
11. Mason Barnett, RHP
12. Tommy White, 3B
13. Henry Baez, RHP
14. Zane Taylor, RHP
15. Cole Miller, RHP
16. Gunnar Hoglund, RHP
17. Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP
18. Junior Perez, OF
19. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, SS
20. Kade Morris, RHP

The voting continues! Time to vote for the 19th-best in the system everyone. Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.

Nominees on the current ballot:

Eduarniel Nunez, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A/Majors | Age: 26

2025 stats (AA/AAA): 2.51 ERA, 39 appearances, 46 2/3 IP, 71 K, 25 BB, 2 HR, 2.90 FIP

2025 stats (Majors): 7.11 ERA, 10 appearances, 12 2/3 IP, 11 K, 11 BB, 2 HR, 6.77 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 70 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Pitching exclusively out of the stretch, Núñez has the goal to blow both of his pitches past batters, starting with a 97-99 mph heater that has touched as high as 101.4 mph in front of Statcast this season. It’s pure velo over movement here, and Núñez gets minimal extension under six feet (allowing batters to see the fastball a little longer), but it’s still enough to make for an uncomfortable at-bat. The Dominican Republic native’s upper-80s slider is an even better pitch, getting good depth while still being thrown hard, and it’s posted whiff and chase rates above 40 percent in the Minors during Núñez’s time in the San Diego system. Plenty of left-handed hitters have been fooled by the breaking ball too, but without a quality changeup, Núñez has drastic handedness splits.

Núñez’s desire to show explosive stuff can lead to inconsistencies in his delivery, and while his control numbers were much-improved with the Padres, he’s still likely to have issues locating routinely in the Majors. But there’s no doubt his electric arsenal is a quality find for a big league bullpen.

A.J. Causey, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (A+/AA): 1.72 ERA, 48 appearances, 73 1/3 IP, 75 K, 18 BB, 0 HR, 2.28 FIP

Causey thrives with a fastball that hovers around 90 mph, but that’s because he has a funky sidearm delivery that helps him get crazy movement and deception with his arsenal. Causey excelled in his first full pro season, posting a 1.72 ERA across High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He’s a fast mover with a different look that could add to the Royals’ bullpen in the coming years.

Causey began the year with a sinker, changeup and sweeper, but he added a four-seam fastball this season to help him at the top of the zone. After years of working on adding a cutter, Causey finally found something that works with the four-seamer.

Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 25

2025 stats (AA): 4.08 ERA, 26 starts (28 appearances), 145 2/3 IP, 145 K, 35 BB, 22 HR, 4.19 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 550 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

Zhuang relies heavily on his four-seam fastball, which can touch 95 mph but normally hovers in the 90-93 range. He also throws a low-80s split-finger offering with good diving action. His arsenal is rounded out by a low-80s slider, a mid-70s curveball with good bend and a low-80s changeup.

Zhuang does have a history of injuries, which brings some real concern as to whether he can hold up as a starter despite having the necessary pitch mix for the role. He can command it well, as evidenced by his low walk numbers. For now, the A’s are enjoying watching the rise of the man many in the organization have nicknamed ‘Z-Man.’ He is firmly on their prospect radar, and his age could actually help him move up quickly if the success continues.

Gavin Turley, OF

Expected level: A+ | Age: 22

2025 stats (A): 125 PA, .243/.336/.430, 8 doubles, 0 triples, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 14 BB, 34 K, 0 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 60 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

In some ways, Turley is the same player he was post-high school, a veritable toolshed with some concerns about him using those tools consistently. He might have had as much raw power as anyone in his Draft class, with some scouts hanging a 70 on it. He can drive the ball for extra bases anywhere with prodigious home run pop thanks to outstanding bat speed, and he was showing more ability to hit the ball out the other way this spring. There has long been the question about whether he’ll hit enough to get to that power. He had a 36 percent miss rate in 2024 with the Beavers, leading to a 27.3 percent strikeout rate, and while he’s improved those rates this season, including his propensity to chase breaking stuff, the swing-and-miss is still a concern. He does draw a ton of walks to help offset that.

Turley has above-average speed, though he hasn’t used it to be a basestealing threat. His athleticism does help him in the outfield, where his easily plus arm is also an asset. He’s played more left field than anywhere else and he should fit nicely as a corner outfielder in pro ball.

Yunior Tur, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 26

2025 stats (A+/AA/AAA): 3.29 ERA, 26 starts (30 appearances), 125 2/3 IP, 130 K, 60 BB, 7 HR, 3.79 FIP

Per The Athletics’ Keith Law:

Tur is 26 but only signed with the A’s before the 2023 season after several seasons pitching in the Serie Nacional in Cuba. He started almost all of last year, going from High A to Triple A, although I think he’s a straight reliever. He comes straight over the top, sitting 96 with some ride along with a 55 splitter and a low-90s cutter that doesn’t miss many bats. The slider is fringy and he’s very north-south because of the arm slot. He could pitch in the big-league bullpen right now.

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Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your

Today we look at the Cubs’new left-handed reliever.

Hoby Milner came to the Cubs as a free agent after spending a year as a Texas Ranger, where he had a little success, as he has had during a long career, previously with the Phillies, Rays, and Brewers. His ERA and peripherals weren’t so great, early in his career, but he seems to have righted the ship and has been dependable for years. Lifetime, he’s 13-9, 3.82 in 341 innings, in which he has logged 321 strikeouts, issued 94 bases on balls, and opponents have hit a rather high .252 against his offerings.

He throws a lot of ground balls. In 2025, his pitches resulted in 9 GIDP and he has 33 all-time. He’s a middle-reliever-type with a lot of holds on his baseball card. He’s likely to make the Opening Day roster and alternate with Caleb Thielbar.

Milner’s lifetime bWAR is 1.1 (2.8 fWAR). He signed a one-year, $3.75 million contract this past December. Milner is 35, 6’3”, 187. Projections have him throwing 60 innings with an ERA around 4.00 and three wins. He has four pitches, relying heavily on his sweeper and sinker, with a changeup and four-seamer worked into the mix.

His results the last few years have been pretty consistent, though nothing to write home about. But the Cubs love guys like Milner, ostensibly because the longtime vets deal with playoff pressure better than others, and have more predictable outcomes.

We’ll see. It’s always possible that a player at his age drops off. But Milner looks good to go right now. He’s got some good funk. We need the funk. Give us the funk.

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With the World Baseball Classic on the near horizon, teams are plugging lineup holes left and right.

These factors directly influence my MLB picks for Tuesday, March 3, which include the Cleveland Guardians among a trio of moneyline selections.

Spring Training predictions for March 3

Pick	Odds
SD moneyline	-105
CLE moneyline	-115
LAA moneyline	+115

Pick #1: Padres moneyline

Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. are off for the World Baseball Classic, but the San Diego Padres are still the superior team compared to the Chicago White Sox.

Nick Pivetta clears Sean Newcomb between the starters, and Jackson Merrill is still a better hitter than anyone in Chicago's lineup.

San Diego has the better bullpen, too, so I'll take the Friars as slight underdogs on a line that feels like an overcorrection.

Pick #2: Guardians moneyline

In the reverse sense, I actually buy into the Dodgers' absences being more of a problem. For one, Shohei Ohtani is with Team Japan, prepping for the World Baseball Classic. And while they aren't at the WBC, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Kyle Tucker are not scheduled to start this afternoon.

None of Los Angeles' top hitting prospects — namely Dalton Rushing, Mike Sirota, Zyhir Hope, or Josue De Paula — are in the lineup, either.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Guardians are trotting out a lineup that could mirror a regular-season batting order, complete with Jose Ramirez in the three-hole. This line should move toward Cleveland.

Pick #3: Angels moneyline

Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo could be a legitimate ace, and he gives his team the eye-test edge vs. the Los Angeles Angels and starter George Klassen (his upside is intriguing, though).

But Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh are in the WBC, taking away Seattle's two biggest weapons. While the Angels are far from fearsome, especially sans Mike Trout, +115 offers enough cushion to elevate them above a shorthanded Mariners squad.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

It was another active offseason on the margins for the Mets. Let’s see how they did.

Bats

Mike Tauchman, signed to a minor league deal only days before camp opened, is far and away the best player we’ll cover here. He’s coming off a season with a .356 OBP, a 115 wRC+, platoon-neutral performance, and scratch defense in a corner despite being 35. There’s an argument that he’s a credible starter batting in the bottom half of the lineup, and is at worst a decent part time player who can pair with a right-handed option. If you’re wondering why Mike Yastrzemski got a two-year, $23M contract from the Braves and Tauchman received only a minor league deal, I can’t explain it to you; this acquisition is a legitimate coup.

Per Tauchman himself, it seems like there’s a decent chance he makes the team out of Spring Training. What that means for the rest of the roster is less clear. The Mets reportedly cleared out Carson Benge’s locker and moved him next to the other prospects in deference to Tauchman. Is that meant to be a message about Benge’s performance to date or is it just veteran hierarchy? We leave interpretation up to the reader. It’d obviously be ideal if Benge is good enough to take the job and run with it (and I’d still bet on that outcome frankly). Having Tauchman around as a fallback is great insurance, however, and he’ll also function as a very solid part time player when the time comes.

We’ll call out two other additions here in MJ Melendez and Vidal Brujan. Melendez was signed to a split deal in early February and seemed like an early favorite to make the roster until Tauchman came on board. He was at one point the heir apparent to Salvador Perez in Kansas City, but it quickly became clear that 1) Perez wasn’t going anywhere, 2) Melendez couldn’t actually catch and 3) that Melendez couldn’t actually hit either. He’s been a below average bat with poor corner outfield defense, but is only 27 and hits the ball hard. Maybe there’s something the Mets can fix here that the Royals (hardly a bastion of good development) couldn’t. Melendez does have options remaining as well, so he can be stashed in Triple-A.

Brujan (acquired for cash from the Twins) is another former top prospect who hasn’t worked out to date, but he has more demonstrable utility than Melendez at present. He doesn’t impact the ball with any authority and swings way too much, but his speed and defensive flexibility make him a potentially useful bench piece. Brujan appeared at third, short, second, and all three outfield spots last season. I’d bet on him holding onto a bench spot over someone like Ronny Mauricio to start the season, though he may quickly be squeezed out given his lack of options.

Others players:

• CF Ji Hwan Bae (waiver claim, PIT) – speedy utility type who has never hit; convicted of assaulting his girlfriend in South Korea in 2018, for which he was suspended 30 games
• 3B Jose Rojas (MiLB FA) – 32-year-old Quad-A corner infielder with a 152 wRC+ in the Yankees system in 2025
• SS Jackson Cluff (MiLB FA) – generic upper-minors SS depth
• CF Jose Ramos (MiLB FA) – former Dodger farmhand with decent damage but significant approach and contact problems
• CF Cristian Pache (MiLB FA) – former top prospect who has never hit but can still go get it in center field
• SS Christian Arroyo (MiLB FA) – generic upper minors IF depth
• IF Grae Kessinger (MiLB FA) – slightly more interesting upper minors IF depth; can play all four infield spots and has a penchant for pulled fly balls despite weak exits
• C Austin Barnes (MiLB FA) – 4th catcher type
• C Ben Rortvedt (waiver claim, LAD) – 4th catcher type

Arms

Craig Kimbrel (minor league deal worth $2.5M if he makes the majors) is certainly the most famous name we’ll discuss here. Now 37-years-old, the likely future Hall of Famer posted a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings last year despite a walk rate over 14% and a BABIP of .348. He also spent 39 innings in the minors. Kimbrel still got some decent stuff, though it’s a far cry from his peak form why he was nigh unhittable. That said, when a pitcher of Kimbrel’s reputation is languishing for two-thirds of the season on minor league busses, that’s a decent sign of where things are at. I wouldn’t expect him to make the team out of Spring Training given the bevy of other options available, but boy it’d sure be fun if he had one last run in the tank for a former division rival.

Though less famous than Kimbrel, Bryan Hudson is more likely to make a significant impact on the 2026 squad. He was a disaster for most of last season, no doubt, but his 4.2 inning stint down the stretch with the White Sox displayed a potential return to form in terms of velocity, stuff metrics, and location. Yes, a back strain robbed Hudson of the end of his season, but he was legitimately one of the best relievers in baseball in 2024. Getting him back to that form would be a serious boon to the Mets relief corps, and all he cost them was some cash.

I’ll also call out Mike Baumann here as another interesting arm, though you could argue for a longer discussion of several guys on the list below. He’s got a neat little knuckle curve and a decent fastball. Even more interesting, the Mets plucked him out of Japan despite a middling performance in 15 innings. That could give one the nagging suspicion that there’s something under the hood the team thinks they can maximize here. Will that work? Probably not, but you’ve got to plant your flag and speculate on a dude from time to time.

Others players:

• RHP Nick Burdi (MiLB FA) – upper minors relief depth with strong stuff grades on his fastball and sweeper per Rob Orr’s app
• LHP Anderson Severino (MiLB FA) – cousin of Luis Severino, signed after a standout season in the Mexican League and an even better Winter Ball performance for Tigres del Licey; may compete for a spot as the second lefty early on
• LHP Joe Jacques (MiLB FA) – 30-year-old reliever who spent time in Triple-A with the Mariners and Dodgers and had an ERA over 6 in 2025; has interesting damage suppression traits
• RHP Daniel Duarte (MiLB FA) – former semi-notable relief prospect who blew out his arm in late 2024; had a flat fasteball (good) and interesting slider prior to being hurt
• RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (MiLB FA) – formerly a very good reliever, hasn’t been healthy or effective since 2022
• RHP Kevin Hergert (MiLB FA) – reunion with an upper-minors depth guy
• RHP Jun-Seok Shim (MiLB FA) – was at one point a semi-notable prospect out of South Korea, but has never made it out of the complex while dealing with shoulder issues
• RHP Tyler Burch (MiLB FA) – two-year deal for pitcher coming off elbow surgery
• RHP Ofreidy Gomez (MiLB FA) – flame-throwing reliever with big DSL performance this winter

Conclusion

I planned to have a harsher curve for all grades this offseason, but especially for these sorts of minor moves. It’s very easy to convince yourself that all your low-cost gambles will work out, even when there’s little reason to do so. As of early February, when Melendez, Kimbrel, and Hudson were the most notable additions (all additions I like, to be clear), this was likely to be a B of some sort – solid, but unremarkable.

Tauchman changes that calculus. I think he’s one of the steals of the offseason. Yes, at 35 he might just stop being good at any moment, time comes for us all eventually and not always in steady, predictable ways. But he was legitimately very good last year and the Mets added him to serve as excellent insurance for their top outfield prospect AND a useful reserve outfielder AND a contributor at DH for nothing…well, less than what similar players received in free agency. That addition pushes this category of moves over the line for me; the minor moves receive an A.

The Athletics have been a franchise full of turmoil on and off the field for some time now. The 2025 campaign saw the organization play its home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, its first of at least three seasons after leaving Oakland in search of a new home in Las Vegas.

However, not only did the 2025 season bring the entire organization some new scenery, but it also brought a host of changes that carried over into the offseason as they added a few new faces that could help grow a supporting cast of characters hoping to put this franchise back on the map once again.

The Athletics

2025 record: 76-86 (4th, AL West)
2026 FanGraphs projection: 80-82 (4th, AL West)

Last season, the finish for the Athletics still wasn’t as high as fans of the team would have liked it to be. And, most importantly, they’ll be without a couple of players that were headliners for their roster after selling at the deadline, but there are some names around the roster that could elevate the stature of the A’s and put them in contention for the middle of the road in the AL West.

First, when it comes to what will be missing completely from the Athletics, the biggest loss is Mason Miller. Every baseball fan knows the kind of arm he brings out of the bullpen, and after pitching in 38 games for the A’s last season, he was traded to the Padres in July. His 1.0 fWAR was tied for fourth among all A’s pitchers last season despite only pitching about half the year in the team’s uniform, and losing a fastball that averages 101.2 on the gun is as detrimental as any loss a club can get — at least in the short-term.*

*Nineteen-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries was the best prospect moved at last year’s deadline and his stock has only inflated since then. He’s only played 21 games above A-ball, but stay tuned. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball Prospectus had him ranked as a top-five prospect in the game.

But with that loss — and the loss of another relief pitcher in Sean Newcomb, who was tied in fWAR with Miller after last season and has since moved to the White Sox — comes a few additions, albeit fewer than what baseball fans saw last season from the Athletics’ front office.

The most notable name of the new additions is Jeff McNeil, the former second baseman for the Mets. With a huge overhaul coming in Queens, including the movement of other players like Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Díaz, McNeil was just another casualty and was traded to the A’s for right-hander Yordan Rodriguez. But the A’s also added veteran starting pitcher Aaron Civale, utilityman Andy Ibañez, and reliever Scott Barlow.

The Athletics, though, added those pieces to support the real prizes in their lineup: Brent Rooker, who was still an excellent hitter in 2025 following an absolutely absurd 2024 season at the plate; Shea Langeliers, who was re-signed to a one-year contract after finishing second on the team in fWAR with 3.9 and a wRC+ of 132; and first baseman Nick Kurtz, the player who made the biggest storylines last year, including winning the AL Rookie of the Year award and a Silver Slugger. He was the first rookie in MLB history to hit four homers in one game, tying a big-league record for a player of any age.

One of the biggest questions for the A’s heading into 2026 is: Can Kurtz recreate his fantastic season from last year and help propel this offense to higher levels than might be projected for them? At 22 years old and a hulking 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Kurtz slashed .290/.383/.619 for an OPS of 1.002 and a wRC+ of 170 in 117 games played. In his 489 plate appearances, he smashed 36 home runs while being the designated hitter and first baseman when called upon. He even finished 12th in the AL MVP vote.

There are some names that could help the Athletics inch closer to where they desire to be. However, it’s going to take a more prominent offseason (and, as everyone knows, more spending) to put them back fully on the map. They have an OK group of hitters who are looking to help a somewhat unknown pitching staff meet or perform above expectations and maybe even climb back into the talk of .500 or above in an AL West division that is not easy to maneuver around.

More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.

We’ve heard from Bryce Harper a lot this off-season.

He’s been active on Instagram, talking about blood ozonation and wearing “Not Elite” T-shirts. He’s held court in Clearwater discussing Dave Dombrowski’s now-famous post-season comments, and he’s been on podcasts like “Bussin’ the Boys” and, on Monday, ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show.

After an off-season stewing over Dombrowski’s assessment of a 2025 campaign that was pretty good but, sorry Bryce, not elite, Harper appears eager to shove an entire off-season of frustration up everyone’s noses.

This is all for the good. Ever since Harper signed with the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season, the roster has been designed around one guiding principle.

The offense flows through him.

He is the superstar. He is the straw that stirs the drink. He is the MVP candidate, the future Hall of Famer, the anchor, the man who performs best in the game’s biggest moments.

Except, he wasn’t that last season. It was noticeable. Try to think back on the “big” Bryce Harper moments from 2025. One doesn’t leap to mind, does it?

Harper was a very good player last season, worth a little over 3 wins while missing 30+ games in the middle of the season with an injury. That’s fine production from your second or third-best player, but the Phillies have relied on Harper to be the face of the franchise and its best player.

Last year, that person was Kyle Schwarber.

It feels like, this year, Bryce Harper wants to re-take his place atop the Phillies’ food chain.

Harper, Schwarber and 13 of their teammates are preparing to play in this week’s World Baseball Classic, an Olympics-like tournament featuring the very best players in the world playing for their home countries. Over the next two weeks, baseball fans will be fortunate to watch some baseball that matters, games that will crackle with drama, intensity, and emotion.

What better way for Harper to begin his redemption arc than to have a monster World Baseball Classic?

Harper homered in his final spring at-bat with the Phillies before leaving for the WBC, and over the years has generally stepped up in situations like this. The Orlando Arcia Game in the 2023 NLDS, the entirety of the ‘22 postseason, grand slams and 9th inning bombs in the biggest moments, those are his calling cards. And now he has the opportunity to make everyone forget about a tumultuous off-season by owning the WBC.

On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, we discussed whether the World Baseball Classic is a litmus test for Harper’s 2026 season (FOLLOW the show on Spotify below!).

Of course, a red-hot WBC for Harper does not necessarily mean a hot start to the regular season with the Phillies. As was mentioned in the video, Trea Turner (who surprisingly wasn’t asked to play for Team USA this time around) had a WBC for the ages in 2023, his first season in Philadelphia.

Turner hit five home runs in that WBC. He then started his Phils career by hitting .235/.290/.368 over the first four months and 107 games until the standing ovation that turned around his season on August 4.

And to be fair to Harper, a subpar WBC would not necessarily mean we’re in for another non-elite campaign from him this year. These are, after all, exhibition games. In early March, players are normally still getting their bodies ready for the regular season and are nowhere near at the top of their game at this point.

Harper’s inclusion in the WBC could not have been more opportune. Perhaps getting him out of Clearwater, away from the humdrum monotony of spring training baseball, is just what he needs. Getting his competitive juices flowing now could be very good for his state of mind, an outlet for his frustrations. If that’s the case, pity the poor pitchers who will be trying to get him out, including some of his own teammates in Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo and, yes, Aaron Nola, who is pitching for Team Italy.

While I’m sure they would be angry at themselves for giving up big hits to Harper over the next two weeks, somewhere inside they would secretly be happy to see their biggest star having a star turn at the WBC.

Bryce Harper does not need to have a monster World Baseball Classic in order for his 2026 season to be a bigger success, and if he struggles, it doesn’t necessarily portend disaster.

But it sure would be nice to see him rake.

The Royals made a move — and it could reshape the lineup.

In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco break down the Kansas City Royals’ signing of Starling Marte, analyzing how his bat fits into the lineup and what it means for roster construction moving forward. The hosts explore Marte’s versatility against both left- and right-handed pitching, the ripple effects for players like Nick Lofton and Tyler Tolbert, and why this addition could bring much-needed stability to the outfield.

Beyond roster mechanics, the conversation expands into broader MLB topics, including insights from a fan survey on betting’s growing presence in baseball and whether a salary cap system would improve competitive balance. The episode blends player evaluation, team-building philosophy, and league-wide economics — all while keeping the focus on how the Royals can position themselves for success this season.

As always, Jacob and Jeremy close with light-hearted movie and anime reviews, balancing sharp baseball analysis with personality and perspective.

Email Jacob directly at: jm17971047@gmail.com

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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A day ago, there was cause for concern and/or curiosity depending on your perspective of the Sacramento Athletics. Today, the same is true, but inverted in its perspective as we shift from the fearsome and frightening young position player core of the new A’s onto their highly suspect pitching staff.

In their first season in Sacramento, the pitcher-friendly-for-AAA confines proved hitter friendly for the grown-ups. Favorable-enough dimensions, along with a scorching, dry climate, made Sutter Health Park a nightmare for pitchers. Home runs flew freely, hits landed and skimmed swiftly, and while reliable dimensions kept triples in check and we’ll want a multi-year sample for precision, the stage was largely a launching pad.

That made sledding difficult for RHP Luis Severino and an A’s pitching staff built on the cheap that performed accordingly. A 4.71/4.66/4.58 ERA/FIP/xFIP led Sacramento to just 8.6 fWAR in 2026 as a pitching staff and 8.2 bWAR, good for 27th and 25th in MLB respectively. No club induced fewer groundballs than the Athletics, a move that eventually had some clarity thanks to Denzel Clarke’s amazing range, but largely seemed to serve them ill in a small, hitting-happy home. 

Few of these numbers moved in the ideal direction when bullpen ace RHP Mason Miller was traded at the deadline, and while the bullpen remains a relative strength, this club is still surprisingly upside-allergic in the rotation.

Notable Transactions

Out: LHP Sean Newcomb, RHP José Leclerc, LHP T.J. McFarland, RHP, Scott McGough
In: RHP Aaron Civale, RHP Mark Leiter Jr., RHP Scott Barlow, RHP Nick Anderson, RHP Brooks Kriske, RHP Wander Suero
Italics = Minor League Deals with Spring Training Invite

The Rotation

If those moves don’t rattle your bones, do not adjust your dial. Sacramento added just one starter to a rotation that was worst in the American League by fWAR at 5.9, ahead of only the near-historic Rockies. Their rotation was neither good nor diligent, mustering just 808.1 innings (25th in MLB) against the Mariners 882.1 IP (4th), more than eight entire games-worth shunted onto their bullpen. That was satisfactory in Sac-Town, as the club shipped off LHP JP Sears at the deadline along with Miller, working in a motley conveyer belt of ill-fated arms.

To his credit, RHP Luis Severino signed to be the ace of this collective and delivered a second-straight decent campaign. For the park he pitched in, an ERA and FIP beginning with 4 is only so damning. Behind him, however, Jeffrey Springs pitched like an hourly employee whose boss is conspiring to avoid having to give them health insurance, mustering just 158.1 innings in 30 starts and failing to reach the awards-qualifying threshold. Only 28 year old LHP Jacob Lopez, whose potential back half breakout was curtailed by a left elbow strain that’s still slowing his ramp up this spring, showed a serious stride in the right direction.

While adding Civale is a variation of stability, it’s surprising for an A’s club that would be well-served to figure out what they’ve got in reserve. Both Luis M’s have upper-90s heaters and at best a general sense of what direction it’s headed, making them uncomfortable at-bats but also uneven starters. Walk-heavy appearances seem on the docket for this group once again, which is incentivized to identify which of their younger hurlers can coalesce into a rotation mainstay. This is hardly an impossibility, but Sacramento has a decided lack of upside at the top of their rotation and very little floor on the back end, particularly in 2026.

The Bullpen

No major additions shouldn’t shock anyone with familiarity to the A’s organization, although bringing in Leiter and Barlow at least indicated an understanding that a path to contention runs through a standout pen for these A’s. Without Miller and Newcomb, however, an A’s bullpen that was dynamite down the stretch in 2026 will need to pull fresh rabbits from their Kelly green caps.

While much of the historical ‘pen is optionable, it’s likely the Athletics mix in some long relief work in earnest given what they’re working with in the rotation. Their 40-man roster contains a medley of early and mid-20s swingmen like Gunnar Hoglund, J.T. Ginn, Joey Estes, and Jack Perkins. Featured on the Chinese Taipei roster in the WBC this week, Sacramento may also see work from 25 year old righty Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, a durable righty who matches much of this cohort in their peculiar fit as a contact-focused, fly ball pitcher. They’ll need to see a repeat of the brilliant stretches Justin Sterner put together in 2025 for their pluckiness to push into playoff performance, but it’s less fantasy and merely an off-balance coin flip.

These Athletics aren’t too far off their spot a season ago on the hill, and it’s likely to be their Achilles heel. Still, the early half of the season is liable to feature plenty of fervent efforts to identify 1-2 rotation locks and another couple bullpen breakouts, in the way a franchise like the A’s is choosing to gamble on with a still-longshot playoff pathway. Plucky can mean you’ve got unexpected feistiness. It can also mean you’re just plucked.

Fans of the Kansas City Athletics endured many disappointments during the team’s thirteen-year stay at Municipal. Where do we start? The many, often lopsided trades to the Yankees? How about the fact that the team never had a winning record during its stay in Kansas City? Then, of course, there’s the move. The move was a tough pill to swallow, even though the city and the fans had their fill of Charlie O. Finley. Finley was a visionary, but he was also a world-class ass. I could write a chapter on the number of times he insulted the city and the fans.

What made the move really painful was that we could see the team was going to be good. Catfish, Rudi, Fingers, Jackson, Bando, Tenace, Blue, Campy, and Green. One thing Finley had done right was accumulate a deep pool of young talent.

And right on cue, they posted a winning record in their first year in Oakland. Then they won three World Series in a row. I couldn’t have been the only one who thought, “Those titles should have been ours.”

Despite that litany of tears, my first disappointment as a fan came when I was old enough to realize the team had traded away Roger Maris. Roger Maris! The guy who hit 61 home runs in a season! That Roger Maris? I was probably seven. Maybe eight. I remember thinking, who was the idiot who traded away Roger Maris?

That would have been Parke Carroll. Carroll probably wasn’t an idiot, but you can make the case that his loyalties still ran with the Yankees and not Kansas City. Carroll had been employed by the Yankee organization, most recently as the business manager of the Yankees’ Kansas City Blues farm team. The Athletics were owned at the time by Arnold Johnson. Prior to owning the Athletics, Johnson owned not only Yankee Stadium but also Blues Stadium, which he agreed to sell to the city. With that bit of housekeeping taken care of, Johnson moved the Philadelphia Athletics into a newly revamped and renamed Municipal Stadium. Johnson’s director of player personnel was George Selkirk, a former Yankee player who took over right field when Babe Ruth retired. Carroll, Selkirk, and Johnson all had heavy Yankee ties. With leadership like that, the Athletics never had a chance.

The Athletics somehow found some talent. At various times they had guys like Bob Cerv, Ralph Terry, Clete Boyer, Bobby Shantz, and Harry Simpson. All those guys ended up being traded to New York.

The most glaring trade had to be Maris. The Athletics had picked him up, along with Dick Tomanek and Preston Ward, in a June 1958 trade with Cleveland in which they gave up Woodie Held and Vic Power. It was a heavy price to pay, as Held was an adequate center fielder and Power was an excellent hitter. Power had been a two-time All-Star and picked up MVP votes in four seasons in Kansas City, but Maris was different. He had a gift.

Maris had been a football standout at Bishop Shanley High School in Fargo. He set a still-standing national record with four return touchdowns in one game. Maris was such an excellent football player that the University of Oklahoma wanted him. He didn’t even like baseball until he got into high school, whereupon he excelled.

The Indians signed him as a free agent, and he was named Rookie of the Year at his first minor league stop, playing for his hometown Fargo Twins. In four minor league seasons, Maris hit .303 with 78 home runs. The talent was there.

He made his major league debut with Cleveland in April of 1957, going 3 for 5. Two days later, he hit his first major league home run, a grand slam. He was just 22 years old.

Cleveland fans must have also felt our pain. They only had Maris for 167 games over parts of two seasons before they traded him to Kansas City.

Maris battled injuries during his time in Kansas City, including appendix surgery, which hurt his production when he tried to come back too soon.

He made his first All-Star team in 1959 when he hit .273 with 16 home runs and 72 RBI in just 122 games. It looked like the Athletics had their right fielder for the future.

In between injuries, Maris had some fantastic games for the Athletics. On August 3, 1958, in a game at Municipal Stadium against the Washington Senators, Maris went 4 for 5 with two home runs and five RBI. He ended just a single shy of hitting for the cycle and collected 13 total bases during a 12–0 Athletics rout.

On September 24, Maris made his former team pay during a 9–3 Kansas City win in Cleveland. Maris went 3 for 5 with two home runs, three RBI, and nine total bases.

On May 10, 1959, Maris clipped the Tigers for two home runs, scored four times, and drove in five in a 7–6 loss to Detroit.

Once he got healthy toward the end of the 1959 season, it was impossible to miss the talent.

The evil axis of Carroll, Johnson, and Selkirk thought otherwise. On December 11, 1959, the team shocked its fans by sending Maris, Kent Hadley, and shortstop Joe DeMaestri to New York in exchange for Marvelous Marv Throneberry, Norm Siebern, Hank Bauer, and a sore-armed Don Larsen. Maris was quoted in the Reading Eagle as saying, “Believe it or not, I had rather stayed with the Athletics, but I’ll do my best for the Yankees.”

Throneberry was immensely popular with the fans but could never unlock the power he displayed in the minors. Bauer was already 37 and in steep decline. Larsen was 30 and came to the Athletics with a career record of 55–57. His claim to fame was throwing the only perfect game in World Series history. The only thing that saved the trade was Siebern, who over four seasons slashed .289/.381/.463 with 78 home runs and 367 RBI. He made two All-Star teams and picked up some MVP votes. Siebern’s four Kansas City years were basically peak Eric Hosmer.

Maris hit his peak in New York. In 1960, he led the league in several offensive categories, including WAR (7.7), RBI (112), and slugging percentage. His sweet left-handed swing was custom-built for Yankee Stadium. That production earned him the league’s MVP award. Ouch.

Maris was even better in 1961, slashing .269/.372/.620 and leading the league in home runs (61), RBI (141), runs (132), and total bases (366). He won a second MVP award.

Maris broke Babe Ruth’s cherished 60-home run record and received numerous death threats for his trouble. Baseball fans can get nutty. Not “soccer-fan nutty”, but nutty enough.

If you want to know what kind of man Maris was, consider this. His 61st home run ball landed in the hands of 19-year-old Sal Durante. The young man was immediately surrounded by Stadium ushers. He told them he wanted to give the ball to Maris personally. After the game, Durante presented the ball to Maris, saying, “Here’s the ball, Roger.”

Maris then signed and dated the ball and gave it back to Durante, saying, “Keep it, kid. Put it up for auction. Somebody will pay you a lot of money for the ball.” Durante later sold the ball to a California restaurant owner for $5,000. The restaurateur then gave the ball back to Maris. Can you imagine that happening today? How much is that ball worth now?

Maris donated the ball to the Baseball Hall of Fame, where it still resides.

Maris played in New York for seven seasons, during which he hit a total of 203 home runs and won two World Series titles. But he never got over the abuse Yankee fans heaped on him for breaking the Babe’s cherished record. Despite playing in New York, the Maris family maintained their home base in Independence, Missouri. Roger really didn’t want to leave KC.

In December 1966, in a puzzling move, the Yankees traded Maris to St. Louis for utility infielder Charley Smith. The Yankees believed Maris was in decline, but the reality was that he’d had surgery to remove bone chips from his hand in 1965, then played most of the 1966 season with a broken bone in his hand. His batting average slumped, and his once prodigious power all but disappeared. Understandable. I’m not sure how the guy played, except on pure guts.

With his hand healed, Maris enjoyed a late-career revival for the Cardinals. At the ages of 32 and 33, his power had waned, but his defense was as good as ever. He played a pivotal role in the Cardinals’ 1967 World Series win, hitting .385 with a dinger and seven RBI. He nearly picked up another ring in 1968, a classic seven-game series that pitted the excellence of Bob Gibson against the immovable object of Mickey Lolich.

Maris retired after that 1968 season and owned and operated a Budweiser distributorship in Florida, something that Cardinals owner Gussie Busch had set him up with. Maris had a 10-year estrangement from the Yankees, which ended in 1978 when he returned for their Old-Timers’ Day.

In 1983, Maris was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He battled for two years before succumbing to the disease on December 14, 1985, at the very young age of 51.

Maris first came up for Hall of Fame consideration in 1974 but could never garner enough votes for induction. Despite his two MVP awards, the home run record, three World Series titles, and seven All-Star appearances, his overall body of work fell just a little short.

Analytics, invented long after Maris’ passing, show him with a little over 38 WAR, certainly a respectable total, but not enough to warrant Hall of Fame induction.

Despite that, Maris’ legacy lives on. The Yankees retired his No. 9 jersey and gave him a plaque in Monument Park. Can you believe the Yanks have 22 retired numbers? If they continue at this pace, they’ll have to start assigning letters.

The Postal Service issued a Roger Maris commemorative stamp in 1999. Barry Pepper played Maris in the acclaimed movie “61*.” In 2023, a Maris game-worn 1961 jersey sold for $1.59 million. His last game was almost 60 years ago, but people remember.

If you ever happen to be in Fargo, plan to make a stop at the West Acres Shopping Center. The mall is home to the outstanding Roger Maris Museum. Always a modest man, Maris first rejected the idea of a museum in his honor. He eventually relented on the condition that the museum would never charge admission.

Former teammate Moose Skowron said, “People just remember the 61 home runs. They forgot that Roger was an excellent base stealer and a superb right fielder. He was the best defensive right fielder in the majors. He was an all-around ballplayer, a humble guy, and a real team player. History never gave him his due.”

Yesterday I got to watch my first televised A’s game of 2026! Thank you MLB.TV’s free game of the day special as well as the fine commentators behind the mic for the San Diego Padres. I mean, imagine getting to watch your favorite team play a spring training game? Imagine getting to know your rising prospects with a little sneak peak of how the fan favorites are fairing? What a concept! Such a swing and miss for the green and gold, not going all in on something like this – – especially with the team being in the middle of a transition period. We should be trying to reach as many people as possible here. Plus the A’s have the best spring training uniforms BY FAR. No debate whatsoever. Now I’m sure there’s some broadcasting rights reason why Chris Caray isn’t on this ish day in and day out but I don’t care. Figure it out.

Side note: why is it every time they show footage of an A’s spring training game on these SB nation posts, it’s a highlight in favor of the other team? I swear, for the past week or so I have seen nothing but Edward Quero’s two run single on repeat! Now, initially I thought this was due to a limited sample size of 2026 baseball content, but they’ve already got Jase Bowen’s homer from yesterday up there above a post, despite their being plenty of great A’s clips to pick from now.

SB Nation, what are we doing? Give us a little Sody pop!

Did anyone see the announcement regarding the Spring Breakout Tournament they’ll be hosting next year? Finally! I’ve been saying this for years – – there is no reason for MLB not be incentivizing fans to watch spring training baseball. It’s a cash cow waiting to happen. Starting with the Spring Breakout Tournament is smart if they treat it like NBA’s summer league – – which is some of the most fun you’ll have watching anything NBA-related these days. What the Summer League does so well is capture the spirit of college basketball, all while slapping NBA team logos all over the whole operation. I see a similar thing happening here with the Spring Breakout, as you’ll get a bunch of ball players looking to get their licks in by whatever means possible, with most of them being probably fresh off the heels of a college career. All this spells success to me. Last year’s little showcase against the Padres was very fun to watch. Look at some of these players who were featured:

Nick Kurtz

Luis Morales

Gunnar Hoglund

Max Muncy

Denzel Clarke

All these dudes would be on the A’s by the end of the 2025 season. Not to mention Tommy “Tanks” White who hit an opposite field cranker in the third inning. Also playing for the Padres Spring Breakout club was our new shiny player of affection Leo De Vries (who went 2-4 against his former club today).

In retrospect, the whole thing feels like that show Freaks and Geeks where you look back at the cast and go “Damn, all these people were in this?” Giving these young players a tournament-style opportunity to make a name for themselves this early on is like the second season of Freaks and Geeks we never got. One and done is not enough! Let them run it back!

I really want to get into today’s exhibition against Team Brazil, but I’m also doing the game threads AND the recap. Consider this me getting loose in the pen in between innings, waiting to see if the starting pitcher is going to get through the inning or not.

Stay tuned. I’ll see you all in a couple of hours.

A’s Coverage:

• A’s have best ABS challenge success rates so far this spring
• A’s matchup with Padres a homecoming for No. 1 prospect De Vries
• Young, talented Athletics need veterans to show the way
• Athletics coaching staff enthusiastic about Bolte’s pathway to Majors
• A’s to follow casinos’ playbook on how to treat Las Vegas season ticket holders
• Where Does Tommy White Fit in the A’s Mix at Third Base?
• Only a little polish needed before Jump could be ready for The Show
• Butler ramps up recovery efforts, eyes mid-Spring Training return
• Why are A’s using personal seat licenses for Las Vegas stadium?
• Circa Las Vegas bringing in A’s legend for baseball opening day festitivies
• A’s spending on $2B Vegas stadium passes $300m mark, is Fisher’s folly really happening?
• Bob Melvin opens up: A Giants firing, an A’s hiring, and what comes next
• See you later, soda: A’s Perkins ditches sugar for science
• Can The A’s Young Core Turn Defense Into a Strength?
• Pesky Drawback Of “Closer By Committee” (It Never Really Works)
• “Relievers Are Volatile”… But Why?
• Are The Final Two Rotation Spots Really Up For Grabs?

MLB News and Interest:

• Mark DeRosa sets USA rotation for WBC with Logan Webb starting G1
• Tigers Announce Launch Of Detroit SportsNet
• Padres sign Verdugo to Minors deal, bolster outfield depth
• Here are the World Baseball Classic Power Rankings March 1st, 2026
• Is Salt Lake City emerging as a leader contender for MLB expansion?
• Ex-MLB pitcher from San Francisco sentenced for murder
• Fairbanks is Marlins’ new go-to for pop culture recs
• Way-too-early predications for 2026 All-Star Game starters
• Injuries: Lindor, Yanks, Twins, Kelly, Woodruff, Basallo
• U.S. denies visas for 8 in Cuba’s WBC delegation
• What does Scherzer’s return mean for Jays’ packed rotation?
• Comparing the industry’s 2026 Top 100 prospects lists
• CC Sabathia to have number retired by Yankees
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Cooking with GAS

People forget that 65% of West Sacramento’s population is Brazilian.

Really hope a lockout doesn’t spoil this amazing concept…

I have to admit this stadium design is kind’ve growing on me. I know! Hating everything Las Vegas A’s is en vogue but I can’t help it! The armadillo roof thing is quirky and I’m into it. The whole thing will without a doubt be one of a kind – – for better and for worse

Has there ever been a more reluctant A’s legend than Jed “Two Flaps” Lowrie??

Josiah Gray made his long awaited return to action after missing most of the last two seasons due to Tommy John Surgery. He was solid, but not spectacular in his return. Gray went 1.2 innings, but he would have completed two if not for a dropped third strike. His stuff was crisp, especially in the first inning.

Like a lot of Nationals pitchers, Gray is really backing off his fastball usage. This is not very surprising for him because we saw him moving away from his heater back in 2023 when we saw him last. Gray’s fastball has always been his achilles heel, as it has gotten crushed when hitters make contact. He only threw 9 fastballs in 38 pitches yesterday.

I do not think that will be an outlier in terms of usage for Gray. He has a few different breaking ball shapes he can throw. Yesterday, Gray’s two most used pitches were his slider and curveball. He also mixed in a sweeper a few times. There are other breaking ball shapes we know he can throw too. Back in 2023, he threw a cutter 18% of the time, so maybe that could be a pitch he brings into the fold as well.

The velocity was a bit of a mixed bag, which is not overly surprising. In the first inning, Gray was sitting 94 on his fastball, which really excited me. That is harder than he was throwing in 2023. However, the velocity was down in the 91-92 range in his second inning of work. 

He does not really rely on his fastball, so that is not the end of the world. However, secondary pitches are also helped by power and having to respect the fastball. Those secondary pitches were pretty sharp for Gray yesterday. I really loved how he used his curveball as a weapon against lefties. Against left handers, he threw the pitch 61% of the time. Righties saw a heavy dose of sliders.

The grades of those secondary pitches were strong, at least according to the Pitch Profiler model. All of Gray’s breaking balls graded out as above average according to their model. The fastball was a bit below average, which is not much of a surprise.

However, there was another model by TJ Stats that was more bearish on Gray’s stuff. All four of Gray’s pitches graded out as below average. Thomas Nestico, the founder of TJ Stats pointed out that Gray’s low release height may help the stuff play up. It is interesting to see how different models can see pitchers’ stuff slightly differently.

That is an example of why you can’t just blindly trust these models. They are great resources, but you have to look at the full picture. If a pitcher with great Stuff+ numbers gets lit up, you have to ask why that could be. Also, pitchers like Ranger Suarez can overperform models due to command and deception.

While that is an interesting side bar, the main thing about yesterday is that Josiah Gray was healthy and throwing the ball well. He has missed a lot of time, so hopefully as he gets more innings under his belt, he can sustain that velocity he showed in the first inning.

Overall, he made a strong first impression in his battle to win a rotation spot. If he continues to pitch like this, he should grab a spot in the Nats rotation. He has more interesting traits than the likes of Mitchell Parker and Andrew Alvarez. I also think Brad Lord’s best role is in the bullpen, so Gray winning a spot could help with that.

It is great to see Josiah Gray healthy. Back in 2023, I was a bit of a skeptic. I did not think his results were sustainable. However, after last season, I would kill for a reliable mid to back of the rotation starter who can give you league average production. That is what I think Josiah Gray could provide for the Nats.

Dodgers pitcher Gavin Stone impressed in his first Cactus League start last Tuesday in his one inning, his first game in a year and a half after right shoulder surgery. But any plans for a potential spot on the opening day roster were scuttled when Stone experienced soreness in that shoulder after a bullpen session, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Monday in Scottsdale.

Sonja Chen at MLB.com has more on Monday’s news of Stone’s injury.

Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register has more on just how serious Stone’s surgery was in October 2024:

He didn’t realize how bad things were.

“I didn’t,” he admitted earlier this spring. “Honestly, Arizona was my last outing and I felt pretty good. It would get tired in between innings but it felt good. I never really considered that it would be as bad as it was. When I got the MRI back, it was kind of a shock. But (Dr. Neal) ElAttrache does a great job. I’m very thankful for all he did.”

ElAttrache did a lot. He had to repair the labrum, rotator cuff and shoulder capsule.

This is a setback for Stone, but expecting him to have been ready for opening day doesn’t necessarily fit with how the Dodgers have handled these types of rehab plans for starting pitchers in recent years.

Walker Buehler had his second Tommy John surgery in August 2022 and made his way into starting a rehab assignment in late 2023, but he didn’t ultimately return to pitch for the Dodgers until May 6, 2024. Tony Gonsolin had Tommy John surgery in September 2023 and didn’t start for the Dodgers until April 30, 2025, with that return interrupted by a back injury during spring.

River Ryan is in a similar spot this spring, after his Tommy John surgery from September 2024 that wiped out all of his 2025 season. Ryan pitched a scoreless inning last Wednesday, with an even longer layoff between games than Stone. Roberts that day talked about Ryan like he was someone who wasn’t going to be rushed back into the rotation:

“I thought he was overthrowing,” Roberts said. “I haven’t seen that all spring. It’s probably just getting into live competition. I thought he was a little too bullish on the fastball, but he was getting behind in the first inning.”

With Blake Snell also out for opening day as he rests his shoulder this spring, the options for the Dodgers’ opening day rotation are thinning.

Yoshinbobu Yamamoto was up to three innings before leaving for the World Baseball Classic. Tyler Glasnow pitched one batter into the third inning in his Cactus League debut last Thursday and figures to start again this week. Shohei Ohtani pitched two simulated innings on the backfields on February 22 before leaving for Tokyo, and though he won’t pitch in the WBC will continue to throw on the side to continue his build-up.

Roki Sasaki is still working through some things, including the addition of a few new pitches into his repertoire. His second start comes Tuesday against the Guardians.

Emmet Sheehan figured to have an inside track to a rotation spot, but hasn’t gotten into a Cactus League game yet as he was slowed by the flu. But if he starts at some point this week, there’s still time for four starts to build up toward the regular season.

Justin Wrobleski has been stretched out to two innings now and is in a good spot, looking to build on his strong end to last season.

The other starting pitcher on the 40-man roster is Landon Knack, and among the non-roster invitees there is veteran Cole Irvin, who pitched in the KBO last year and has been stretched out to two innings so far this spring.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of prospect previews for Spring Training. This week we are looking at an up and coming bat: Will Bush

Bush took an unconventional path to professional baseball, spending a year at Tyler Junior College before the Astros selected him in the 16th round of the 2023 draft. The left-handed hitter brings above-average raw power and solid plate discipline to the table. While he has split time between catcher and first base, first may ultimately be his long-term home defensively.

The 21-year-old had a nice 2025 season. He opened the year in High-A, where he posted an .812 OPS with 12 home runs before earning a promotion to Double-A. With the Hooks, he added three more home runs and drew 14 walks in 24 games. Overall, Bush finished with a 121 wRC+, ranking near the top of the Astros’ system.

The Astros really like Bush’s approach and swing decisions. For a bigger power hitter, he has also done a good job keeping his swinging strike percentage (10.5%) down and his contact percentage (73.7%) high. Bush will be 22 in 2026 and has a chance to move up the system.

Happy Tuesday! The Mariners are back in action today with Bryan Woo scheduled to start against the Los Angeles Angels at 12:10 PM. The World Baseball Classic exhibition games also continue today, and we will get our first look at the different Mariners players representing their respective countries. Which exhibition game are you most excited to watch today?

In Mariners news…

• Logan Gilbert is highlighted in Michael Rosen’s article for FanGraphs on exciting new pitches from Spring Training.
• RHP Ryan Sloan’s impressive Cactus League debut is just the beginning, writes Mike Vorel at The Seattle Times.
• Top prospect Lazaro Montes reflects on his best moments of the 2025 season.
• Cal Raleigh has suited up for Team USA in preparation for the team’s first exhibition game this afternoon.
• Josh Naylor has been named captain of Team Canada!

Around the league…

• Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Gavin Stone has been shut down after battling shoulder discomfort and is unlikely to be ready by Opening Day.
• World Baseball Classic pool play begins this week! Catch up on key storylines, team previews, and more before the first matchups.
• Team Japan lost their WBC exhibition game against the Orix Buffaloes yesterday by way of a game-ending play at the plate.
• Houston Astros top draft pick Xavier Neyens has found a unique role as the team’s barber.
• The San Diego Padres have shut down catcher Blake Hunt due to an oblique injury, and his exact timeline for return is unknown.
• Toronto Blue Jays RHP Max Scherzer threw a bullpen session in his return to the team yesterday as he enters his age 41 season.
• MLB has announced that Spring Breakout, its prospect showcase event, will be expanded into a tournament in 2027 and 2028.

Baseball produces plenty of Hall of Famers whose glory and stat lines fade with time. Sayings, however, tend to stick around, passed down from generation to generation like prized baseball cards.

“Keep your eye on the ball!”

Most fans recognize the phrase. Far fewer know it came from Willie Keeler, a Hall of Fame outfielder and third baseman whose career helped shape how hitting itself was understood long before power numbers or analytics dominated the sport. More than a century later, players still hear the same advice Willie preached shouted from big league stands and youth dugouts alike.

Keeler, one of the earliest stars in New York baseball history, would have celebrated his 154th birthday today.

William Henry Keeler
Born: March 3, 1872 (Brooklyn, NY)
Died: January 1, 1923 (Brooklyn, NY)
Yankees Tenure: 1903–09

Even by Deadball Era standards, Keeler did not look like a baseball legend. Listed at just 5-foot-4 and 140 pounds, he remains one of the smallest everyday players in major league history.

For comparison:

• Eddie Gaedel: 3-foot-7 (shortest player ever to appear in an MLB game)
• Phil Rizzuto: 5-foot-6, 150 pounds
• José Altuve: 5-foot-6, 166 pounds

Keeler was undersized even among baseball’s most famous undersized players.

But while he might have been small, he carried a remarkably big stick, literally. Keeler’s bat reportedly weighed up to 46 ounces. For context, Babe Ruth’s famous bat model weighed about 44.6 ounces. The image of one of the smallest players in baseball history swinging a heavier bat than the Sultan of Swat tells you almost everything you need to know about both the era and Keeler himself. It was simply a different game.

If legend serves correctly, Willie Keeler would have produced one of the most impressive spray charts in baseball history. He approached hitting as geometry rather than force, spraying line drives across the field, dropping bunts with intention, and treating each at-bat like a problem waiting to be solved.

His philosophy eventually became baseball scripture:

“Hit ’em where they ain’t.”

The results backed it up. Keeler finished with a .341 career batting average, 2,932 hits, and 16 seasons batting over .300. Of his 33 career home runs, only three cleared the fence, with most coming the old-fashioned way. Speed, bat control, and precision defined his success. When he retired in 1910, only Cap Anson had collected more hits in major league history.

That success eventually landed Keeler in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s early Hall of Fame voting, becoming part of the fourth induction class in 1939, one of the first groups honored before the Hall even had permanent walls.

Keeler’s most enduring accomplishment arrived in 1897, when he recorded a hit in 44 consecutive games for the old National League iteration of the Baltimore Orioles, made famous by future New York Giants manager John McGraw. For decades, the record felt untouchable. Travel was harsher, playing surfaces inconsistent, and roster stability nearly nonexistent during the Deadball Era. Sustained offensive performance was incredibly difficult, which made Keeler’s streak feel permanent.

It lasted 44 years.

Then, in 1941, Joe DiMaggio stepped to the plate at Yankee Stadium and changed baseball history. DiMaggio’s famous 56-game hitting streak truly began when he surpassed Keeler’s mark at 45 games. While DiMaggio’s run became immortal, it required chasing down a record that had already survived as many years as it was in games.

Entering the upcoming MLB season, the roll call of longest single-season hitting streaks in major league history remains:

• Joe DiMaggio — 56 games (1941)
• Pete Rose — 44 games (1978)
• Willie Keeler — 44 games (1897)

More than 125 years later, Keeler is still tied for the second-longest streak in major league history. That alone speaks to how extraordinary his consistency truly was. The longest active streak belongs to Luis Arraez, who entering the 2026 season carries a 15-game hitting streak. Arraez would need to hit safely for roughly a full calendar month to surpass Keeler and Rose.

Keeler joined the franchise during its transition from the disbanded, early-American League Baltimore Orioles into the New York Highlanders era, before the team officially adopted the Yankees name. Along with Pittsburgh’s Jack Chesbro, he was one of the more higher-profile names to join the nascent squad.

After batting .313 during his inaugural campaign with the Highlanders, his strongest season for the franchise came in 1904, when he hit .343 with a 147 OPS+ and remained among the league’s most reliable offensive players despite entering his thirties — which was considered quite old by the standards of the time. By the time his career ended in 1910, baseball itself was evolving toward a new era, leaving Keeler as a bridge between 19th-century baseball and the modern game that followed.

“Hit ’em where they ain’t” can sound almost humorous today, especially in an age of defensive positioning models and advanced analytics. Yet the principle has never changed. Baseball still rewards awareness, adjustment, and exploiting space on the field, whenever possible. Keeler simply explained the idea generations before technology tried to measure it.

That may ultimately be his greatest legacy. Not just a batting average or a streak, but a philosophy that survived every era that followed. Long before Joe DiMaggio’s elegance or Yogi Berra’s accidental wisdom, Keeler was offering baseball truths simple enough to last forever. In a way, he was Joe and Yogi before there was Joe and Yogi. Long after numbers evolve and records fall, the advice still holds true.

Happy birthday, Willie Keeler.

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