The Pirates are coming to Dunedin from Bradenton. I thought Bradenton was the prettiest town. A very nice downtown area and a great spring ballpark. Not that Dunedin isn’t a pretty town.

The Jays brought a few of the ones who should be regulars and a couple of guys on the bubble on the bus trip.

There doesn’t seem to be much for news. Max Scherzer is to make his first spring appearance tomorrow against the Phillies. That will be interesting.

Beyond that, it really looks to me like Eroy Jimenez is likely to make the team, which would be bad news for Nathan Lukes or Davis Schneider. Leo Jimenez seems a lock to make the team now.

A win would be nice.

1914
The White Sox returned home from their around-the-world series of exhibition games against the New York Giants. The Sox went 24-20-2, but the added 46 games took their toll when the regular season began in late April. For the year, the Sox would end up in sixth place, 30 games out with a record of 70-84-3.

In each of the three years previous, the White Sox were better than .500, at 77 or 78 wins — and 1914 would end up as just the third losing season in franchise history.

Among the players who participated in the exhibition series was New York’s Jim Thorpe, regarding as the greatest athlete in the world at that time because of his Olympic success.

The ship that brought the White Sox back to the U.S.? None other than the Lusitania — the ship sunk by a German torpedo little more than a year after the White Sox returned home safely from their world tour.

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2006
Chicago native born in the shadow of Comiskey Park in the Robert Taylor Homes complex, Calumet High/Bradley University/Triton College product Kirby Puckett died after a stroke in Phoenix, at age 45. Puckett was a beloved player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame immediately after his five years of retirement were up, although his legacy has since been tarnished by the revelations of chronic domestic abuse.

Puckett was a storied overachiever, however, honored as an high school All-American baseball player but garnering no interest from major league teams upon graduation. Only after he was laid off by Ford Motors (he was a carpet installer) did Puckett attend a Kansas City Royals tryout camp, which led to scholarships to play baseball at Bradley and Triton.

Only Lou Gehrig died at a younger age as a living Hall-of-Famer than Puckett, and no player in the “modern era” of a five-year waiting period for the Hall has died younger.

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2012
The first game ever at Marlins Park, an exhibition game vs. the University of Miami, had a decided White Sox flavor. Legendary starter Mark Buehrle made his debut for the Marlins, throwing three innings and giving up three runs on four hits. He started the game in Buehrle-esque fashion, however, retiring the first seven batters.

“Against minor league guys I don’t fare too well, so I was kind of nervous facing college guys, thinking it was going to be even worse,” Buehrle told reporters afterward. “Three runs is pretty good. I’ll take that any day.”

The first home run in the new park was hit by Marlin Hanley Ramírez, off of Alex Fernandez Jr. — son of former White Sox and Marlins ace Alex Fernandez.

The retractable roof needed to be closed prior to the night game, as rain started falling 30 minutes before first pitch. Several players bounced batting practice home runs off of the art deco home run sculpture in center field as well.

The Marlins eked out the win, 7-6, giving skipper Ozzie Guillén his first of not-many future Ws in Miami.

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2026
Curtis Mead became the first of the five active White Sox in (six, including 44-year-old Alexei Ramírez of Cuba) to make an impact in the World Baseball Classic, with a three-run homer in the third inning of Australia’s 5-1 win over Czechia.

The home run didn’t come without drama, as Mead fell behind, 0-2, fought for his life on three straight foul balls, and then after one fastball well out of the zone clobbered an 81.2 mph, center-cut changeup.

Previous Winner

Brailer Guerrero, OF
20 | L/R | 6’1” | 215
A | .249/.338/.399 (119 wRC+) 222 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 11.3% BB, 29.3% K
AFL | 2 H, 0 HR, 2 SB, 3 BB, 16 K, 29 PA

Good news: the $3.7 million 2023 signee made the leap out of the complex league in his final teenage season. Bad News: He was injured yet again, with hamstring and knee injuries limiting him to 51 games for Charleston. The Rays tried to make up for lost time with an aggressive assignment to the AFL that resulted in only two hits in 29 plate appearances. He makes loud contact from a quick, quiet swing which he pre-loads by reaching back for even more power. He appears to make early decisions to swing, leading to a bit extra whiffs against anything off-speed, but that could easily clear up with some consistent playing time.

Rank	Player	Position	Votes	Total	Percentage	Last Season
1	Carson Williams	SS	14	25	56%	1
2	Brody Hopkins	RHP	19	25	76%	8
3	Jacob Melton	OF	14	28	50%	N/A
4	Theo Gillen	OF	14	26	54%	13
5	Ty Johnson	RHP	12	25	48%	15
6	Daniel Pierce	SS	13	23	57%	N/A
7	Jadher Areinamo	INF	15	28	54%	N/A
8	TJ Nichols	RHP	13	28	46%	N/R
9	Michael Forret	RHP	8	33	24%	N/A
10	Santiago Suarez	RHP	11	30	37%	16
11	Anderson Brito	RHP	7	28	25%	N/A
12	Xavier Isaac	1B	9	28	32%	3
13	Caden Bodine	C	10	25	40%	N/A
14	Brendan Summerhill	OF	11	27	41%	N/A
15	Slater de Brun	OF	10	25	40%	N/A
16	Nathan Flewelling	C	8	26	31%	N/R
17	Trevor Harrison	RHP	9	26	35%	10
18	Jose Urbina	RHP	13	26	50%	25
19	Tre’ Morgan	1B/LF	15	25	60%	4
20	Jackson Baumeister	RHP	12	27	44%	12
21	Aidan Smith	OF	17	29	59%	6
22	Homer Bush Jr.	OF	10	25	40%	21
23	Dom Keegan	C	10	28	36%	9
24	Gary Gill Hill	RHP	8	25	32%	11
25	Brailer Guerrero	OF	8	24	33%	14

Brailer broke through in this poll, despite some noise from (finally) Brayden Taylor. My vote is currently stuck on Mesa Jr, who has a MLB floor with his defense, particularly for the Rays, but I could be persuaded to vote for Taylor. Next round, we add likely major leaguer Alex Cook.

Candidates

Fabricio Blanco, SS
17 | S/R | 5’11” | 161

A bat-first middle infielder, the Venezuelan is an elite prospect within the context of the international signing process, with some believing he’s the best Rays signee this off-season, despite gathering only a $1 million bonus. He can barrel up from both sides of the plate, but may settle into a right handed swing in the long term, with quick hands. He has the ability and instincts to stick at short, with a high-IQ approach and gritty demeanor.

Alex Cook, RHP
25 | 6’2” | 220
AA | 2.30 ERA, 2.29 FIP, 15.2 IP (13 G), 30.5% K, 5.1% BB

The Rays added Cook to the 40-man roster this off-season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, despite only throwing 20 innings (if you include four appearances in the complex league) after a slow start to the season. Cook attempted to convert to starting in 2024 and succumbed to a should injury, but bounced back in the bullpen in 2025 throwing 99 mph — and he has shown up to camp continuing to pitch with confidence. He has plus control and command, with stuff that leans into his low release point, including a cut-ride fastball and two-plane slider, and an MLB average cutter to prevent platoon slit problems. He should slot into high leverage for Durham and ride the shuttle in 2026.

Cooper Flemming, SS
19 | L/R | 6’3” | 190

One of the best high school bats in the 2025 draft, Flemming surprisingly fell into the Rays laps in the second round. He has a too-quiet swing that lacks the load necessary to hit for power, but he’s historically compensated for that with a high contact rate that would have rated him as first round material if his defense projected to stick. The Rays were able to convince him to forgo an education at Vanderbilt by going above slot ($2.3m, Comp-A money).

Taitn Gray, 1B/OF/C
18 | S/R | 6’4” | 220

The Rays 86th overall pick in 2025, Gray fell to the third round due to some concern about whether he will stick at catcher, but that buries the lead. Still just 17 at the time of the draft, Gray showed up to the Rays organization and proved his rumored power was real, running exit velocities up to 115 mph from both sides of the plate, although the left handed swing is sweeter. He has plus athleticism, which elevated his bat speed, foot speed, and fluidity — despite his size. It will be interesting to see where the Rays deploy him on defense, but it’s a great bat to dream on.

Victor Mesa Jr., OF
24 | L/L | 5’11” | 195
AAA (MIA) | .301/.368/.510 (136 wRC+) 171 PA, 7 HR, 4 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.4% K
MLB (MIA) | 6 H (1 HR), 5 BB, 5 K (81 wRC+) 38 PA

This Cuban power bat already made his major league debut with Miami last year after bouncing back from a spring hamstring injury, and was dealt to the Rays in February. He profiles as a fourth outfielder but has an option remaining, so the organization may send him down for regular playing time and one last chance for something more in development. If not, he’s a center field capable on defense, which goes a long way for a platoon bat. In the running for the nicest guy in baseball.

Austin Overn, OF
23 | L/R | 6’0” | 175
A+ (BAL) | .242/.367/.386 (127 wRC+) 341 PA, 8 HR, 43 SB, 15.5% BB, 28.2% K
AA (BAL) | .266/.326/.427 (112 wRC+) 136 PA, 5 HR, 21 SB, 6.6% BB, 25.0% K

Acquired in the Shane Baz trade, Overn was once a top draft prospect after committing to baseball over football at USC, but surprisingly struggled as a draft-eligible sophomore. That didn’t stop Baltimore from taking him in the third round (97th overall) in 2024. Now a professional, Overn overhauled his swing in the first half of 2025, and earned an early promotion to Double-A for his efforts, where he didn’t look overmatched. His biggest threat is his speed, which raises his floor and gives him an easy projection to a major league bench thanks to plus defensive instincts (BA gave 70’s to his run and field tools). His offensive profile is buoyed by his ability to work the count, but evaluators would like to see him punish fastballs more often for him to be considered a regular.

Émilien Pitre, 2B
23 | L/R | 5’11” | 185
A+ | .268/.356/.393 (122 wRC+) 524 PA, 9 HR, 14 SB, 11.6% BB, 20.4% K

The Rays 58th overall pick in 2024, Pitre has risen on draft boards through a strong performance in the Cape Cod league in 2023, but the power was a real question mark on his profile. Now given a chance to develop as a professional, he wouldn’t be the first to add muscle. His run and hit tools are plus, with a well coiled swing and solid contact in and out of zone. He’s too old to return to High-A and it be viewed as positive. His power stroke will be the key to his success in 2026.

Adrian Santana, SS
20 | S/R | 5’11” | 155
A+ | .263/.324/.326 (94 wRC+) 409 PA, 2 HR, 47 SB, 8.6% BB, 12.0% K

Once a top-ten or so prospect in 2024, Santana fell off our site’s 2025 list after failing to clear as an honorable mention. Why? The switch-hitting slick fielding short stop was the Rays 31st overall pick in 2023 but has delivered sub-100 wRC+ each stop of his career, although that got closer than ever last season, his third as a professional and his third as a teenager in the Rays system. Could expectations be too high on his bat? He has plus athleticism, is learning to wheelhouse, and has “acrobatic” defense at the hardest position in the game, with 98 swiped bags over the last two seasons. What happens if he survives the test of Double-A breaking balls?

Brayden Taylor, 2B/3B
24 | L/R | 6’0” | 180
AA | .173/.289/.286 (77 wRC+) 437 PA, 8 HR, 17 SB, 14% BB, 27.7% K
AFL | .264/.400/.472 (.384 wOBA) 65 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, 12 BB, 19 K

Taylor entered 2025 as a top-100 prospect after demolishing High-A (154 wRC+), and left 2025 as an afterthought on prospect lists, although he was selected as an Arizona Fall League “Fall Star” in between, where he worked to keep his chase rate low and his hard hit rate high. The juice must have been worth the squeeze, as the Rays have elected to invite Taylor to major league Spring Training this year.

Victor Valdez, SS
17 | R/R | 6’1” | 186

A pretty swing with a low whiff rate earned Valdez a big payday this winter — $3.5 million — with as good of a power projection as you can reasonably ask for from a a teenage bat, having been given a 25+ home run projection by Baseball America, who also praise his plus foot speed, bat speed, and control of the zone. Reports say he has ever improving lateral movements on defense, with smooth actions and a strong arm. If it all clicks, it’s a middle-of-the-order bat on the left side of the infield. At signing, the Rays gave him a comp to Francisco Lindor. It will be interesting to see if his first professional season can solidify the five tool profile.

When the Mets signed Kodai Senga to a five-year, $75 million contract, it signaled the team’s first swing move in the international market in years and generated a lot of excitement, even resulting in an A+ grade from Amazin’ Avenue’s Lukas Vlahos. It’s hard to argue with the hype: His ghost fork was already regarded as one of the most dangerous and unique pitches in the world, and a $15 million AAV for a player with ace potential is something you can’t find in modern baseball. It’s hard to find anything to complain about with the move.

Senga made waves with a stellar rookie campaign, coming in second in NL Rookie of the Year voting while striking out 200+ batters—he remains the most recent Met to punch out 200 hitters. His ghost fork was as advertised and, in a year where there was little to cheer for, fans reveled in sporting ghost fork merch as the Citi Field scoreboard flashed the “Senga” graphic with the Sega Genesis sound effect accompanying it. Senga Fever quickly overtook the Flushing Faithful, and it seemed the Mets had found the ace to take up the mantle from Jacob deGrom, who departed the previous offseason.

Unfortunately, his journey since then has been nothing sort of rocky following his eye-opening first season. He pitched just 5 1/3 innings in the 2024 regular season due to a right shoulder posterior capsule strain suffered in February, and a high-grade calf strain suffered during his one (1) regular season start, which came in late July. He returned for the postseason and made three appearances (two starts), allowing seven earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts over five innings. He was mostly an afterthought in the team’s World Series push, which concluded with a loss to the Dodgers in six games in the NLCS.

Last year was a tale of two halves for Senga, who looked like an early Cy Young hopeful until he exited his June 12 start with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, and then was largely unplayable upon his return in July. In his first 13 starts, he posted a sparkling 1.47 ERA and a 3.24 FIP, with a 23.9% K% and a 10.6% BB% in 73 2/3 innings. His season was derailed by an errant throw to first from Pete Alonso, which forced Senga to stretch awkwardly and resulted in the aforementioned hamstring injury. The rest, as they say, is history. He returned on July 11 and made just nine starts the rest of the way, posting a 5.90 ERA and a 4.69 FIP, with a 20.6% K% and a 12.6% BB% in 39 2/3 innings. He lost the confidence of his skipper and the club, so much so that he was asked to accept a Triple-A assignment, which he agreed to. His last regular season start was on August 31, and he spent all of September unsuccessfully trying to find himself in Syracuse. He allowed five earned runs on nine hits over 9 2/3 innings in two starts in the minors to close out the year.

From that point forward, it was fair to wonder whether Senga would ever return to his 2023 form over the final two years of his contract. Senga remained with the club beyond his 2025 opt out, which would have kicked in had he recorded 400 innings over his first three seasons. Despite his 166 1/3 innings in 2023, his lost 2024 season made that opt out a non-factor, and he finished 2025 with 285 major league innings under his belt. Heading into the offseason, the club made it known that Senga as someone they would listen to in trades, with Jeff Passan even adding in an offseason piece that, “multiple executives expect him to be traded this winter as the Mets look to overhaul their rotation.”.

However, the offseason came and went without anything materializing. It’s unclear whether the club seriously discussed the right-hander with any teams, though Senga made it clear to the Mets that he wanted to stay. In any event, it’s hard to imagine there weren’t teams out there willing to take a chance on $30 million over two years on a pitcher with a lethal ghost fork and an ace-like ceiling. More likely, the Mets either decided his value was greater on their team than the return they would have received, or the offers were so non-competitive that trade discussions never progressed.

That brings us to today, with Senga still on the roster and in came with the Mets to start spring training. His presence has been a constant source of questions for manager Carlos Mendoza, who has affirmed that the team has six starters. This seems to suggest that Senga is still a part of the team’s plans, and they will move forward with the six starters they have, including Senga. That makes Senga something of a wild card for the team. Unlikely to slot at the front of a rotation that features newly-acquired ace Freddy Peralta and young up-and-comer Nolan McLean, Senga offers enticing potential at a still relatively-affordable price point.

When asked about his goals for 2026, Senga candidly (and perhaps comedically) answered “to not get injured”. It’s a simple goal, but an important one. Given his first half last season, there is still proof that if he’s healthy and on a regular routine and schedule, he can be one of the best pitchers in the sport, a fantastic tool in Mendoza’s belt to use once a week and help push the Mets towards a playoff spot. If he succumbs to injuries yet again, however, he can quickly become another forgotten pitcher whose impact will long be forgotten, with someone like Jonah Tong ready to take his spot.

Mendoza has been extremely positive on Senga, saying that what he’s seen from the right-hander is “probably the best I’ve seen him since I’ve been here around this time”. This follows his positive review of his first bullpen session back in February, where Senga was seen throwing around 96-97 miles-per-hour, which resulted in Mendoza calling it a good sign before adding, “it was good to see him go out there with intensity and throwing the ball the way he did.”

Part of this is probably the third-year manager playing the role of hype man and lending support to his player in his time of need, but it should at least lend some excitement that Senga could finally put together a season similar to his rookie campaign. If he can be anything remotely close to that, it could (and should) give the Mets one of the most lethal rotations in the sport. Here’s to hoping that Senga, who figures to slot somewhere in the middle to back-end of the team’s six-man rotation, can realize his 2026 goal of remaining on the field.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, March 6, 2026, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: LECOM Park, Bradenton, FL

How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays, March 6, 2026, 1:07 p.m. ET

Location: TD Ballpark, Dunedin, Florida

How to Watch: Sportsnet ONE

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are splitting the team up, with half staying home to face the Phillies and the other traveling to visit the Blue Jays.

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Last week I asked who is the most underrated player on this Royals team. But who is the most underrated player in franchise history?

The Royals have had unheralded players come up with big hits in key situations, guys like Buddy Biancalana, Dane Iorg, and Christian Colon. They have had really good players that just played on a lot of bad teams, like Kevin Appier, Jeff Montgomery, and Mike Sweeney. Or maybe it is someone forgotten over time, great players from the early days of the franchise like Amos Otis, John Mayberry, Paul Splittorff, Dennis Leonard, or Steve Busby.

Who is the most underrated player in Royals history?

Despite a dramatic midseason battle for first, the NL East was fairly clear cut for most of last season. 

At the end of May, the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets were tied in a dead-heat, and the Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, and Washington Nationals had all started a downward trend out of contention. By the end of July, the Phillies’ and Mets’ fortunes began to split. The teams were within a half game of each other on August 1st, but the Phillies pulled away and never looked back, finishing in first place, 12 games ahead of the Mets. 

Ultimately, the NL East yielded only one playoff team in 2025. The Braves hobbled out of the gate, plagued by injuries. The Mets imploded down the stretch, despite a stacked roster. But betting odds predict a brighter future for those two teams and the reigning division champs. Following the two-team race to the division crown for most of last season, things in the NL East could look a lot closer in 2026, with the potential for three teams to push for the postseason.

Atlanta Braves

2025 Record: 76-86 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 89.1 wins

Key Additions: Walt Weiss (Manager), Robert Suarez, Mike Yastrzemski, Ha-Seong Kim

Key Departures: Marcell Ozuna, Alek Manoah

The Braves were as consistent as it gets in divisional dominance and playoff berths, so last year was a rough break from the norm.

Coming into 2025, Atlanta was riding a seven-year postseason streak, winning the NL East in six of those seasons. Unfortunately, they were doomed by a challenging start that they couldn’t quite shake. They lost their first seven games to begin the year and were plagued by injuries and absences throughout: Ronald Acuña Jr. started his year on the IL; Jurickson Profar was suspended for the first 80 games;  and a bulk of the rotation (Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenback, and Spencer Strider) was limited throughout the season. 

The team’s focus for 2026 will be to get healthy and back on track. They’ll also have a new skipper at the helm looking to right the ship as Brian Snitker, the team’s manager for the last 10 seasons, was replaced by long-time bench coach (and Rockies’ legend) Walt Weiss. Weiss is hoping for fireworks from a “gauntlet” of a lineup, banking on Acuña Jr. and a slew of others to return to form offensively. 

Unfortunately for Atlanta, breaking news this week forecasts another lineup hurdle. Profar will yet again be suspended for violating the league’s PED policy, this time for a full 162 games plus bans from the World Baseball Classic and the postseason. 

The Braves will hope to avoid another avalanche of bad news. If they can weather the loss of Profar and ongoing injuries to the pitching core, they may have enough talent to make a run at the division. 

Miami Marlins

2025 Record: 79-83 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 73.9 wins

Key Additions: Christopher Morel, Esteury Ruiz, Chris Paddack

Key Departures: Edward Cabrera, Eric Wagaman

Although Miami posted a losing season in 2025, it in many ways was a win. Last year was about carving out a path to the future holistically. The team lost GM Kim Ng at the end of the 2023 season and parted ways with manager Skip Schumaker after 2024. In all of the chaos, they went 62-100 in the 2024 campaign, so 2025’s 79 wins were a marked improvement. 

That being said, there is little optimism that the Marlins will make a similar jump or seriously compete this season. 

The Fish didn’t make a big splash in the offseason, sticking with a handful of lateral moves. With that, they retain a roster very similar to last year’s and are one of just four teams with zero players on ESPN’s Top 100 list. They were right around or under the league average in a number of key batting and pitching stats, so the lack of an influx of talent doesn’t inspire confidence in a win increase. Rather, they will rely on youth and upside, building towards long-term stability. 

New York Mets

2025 Record: 83-79 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 89.0 wins

Key Additions: Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., Freddy Peralta, Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco

Key Departures: Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz, Starling Marte, Cedric Mullins

There’s a new look in Queens as the Mets have retooled while still maintaining high expectations. 

The Mets pushed all of their chips in (figuratively and financially) when signing Juan Soto for $765 million over 15 years heading into 2025. Soto is a top-5, MVP-caliber player, so pairing him with a core of Alonso, Nimmo, and Lindor should have been a recipe for success. 

Things were going well in the Big Apple… until they weren’t. 

Despite rocketing out to 45 wins and a 5.5 game lead on the division, things fell apart as the season went on. New York would finish 13 games behind Philadelphia in the division, while losing out to the Cincinnati Reds for a Wild Card spot. 

The Mets will look to find a path into the postseason with a brand new core. In addition to retooling their roster, they’ve revamped their coaching staff with a slew of changes in key positions. Fortunately, it’s a talent-out, talent-in situation, and the team shouldn’t lose much steam despite a sporting different look. The addition of a number of big names should allow the team to pick up where they left off and try their hand at competing for the NL pennant. 

Philadelphia Phillies

2025 Record: 96-66 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 85.6 wins

Key Additions: Adolis Garcia, Brad Keller

Key Departures: Nick Castellanos, Harrison Bader, Walker Buehler

As the reigning division champs, the Phillies’ offseason was less defined by sweeping change and more by consistency. They feel they have what it takes to strike while their window of contention is firmly open. 

Despite losing a good bat (and questionable clubhouse presence) in Castellanos, they re-signed both Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto to run things back with the same cast of characters that locked up the 2-seed in the last playoff field

Schwarber will lead the way in batting after leading the NL in homers and RBI. The Fighting Phils finished second in the league in hits, third in batting average, fourth in OPS. They weren’t too shabby on the mound either, finishing top-10 in ERA, top-3 in saves, and first overall in FIP. 

A well-balanced attack on both sides of the ball with little roster turnover should position Philadelphia at the top of both the East and the league. 

Washington Nationals

2025 Record: 66-96 | PECOTA 2026 Projection: 66.2 wins

Key Additions: Miles Mikolas, Harry Ford

Key Departures: MacKenzie Gore, Paul DeJong, Josh Bell

The Nats flirted with a 100-loss season in a year full of growing pains. But growing pains are to be expected with a youth movement and the Nats are fully leaning further into that this year, starting at the top. In the offseason, Washington hired 31-year-old Anirudh Kilambi as the new GM and 33-year-old Blake Butera as manager. 

One of their primary roster acquisitions was 23-year-old catcher Harry Ford, adding a highly-touted prospect to the pipeline. 

Continuing the trend throughout the roster, the team sent 2025 Opening Day starter MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers for prospects with the idea that young guns will get the bulk of starts in the year ahead, learning on the job. The pitching rotation is in desperate need of development, posting the league’s second highest ERA last year. They have a handful of pitchers climbing the ranks, but many of these prospects aren’t expected to join the big leagues until 2027, at the earliest. 

For now, Washington will embrace “wait and see” mode. 

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Who do you think will win the NL East this year? Do you think the NL East will send multiple teams to the postseason? Let us know!

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On Thursday, the Astros released their roster for the Spring Breakout game, which will be played on March 19. The Spring Breakout event showcases some of the top young talent from each organization’s farm system.

This year’s roster is highlighted by several of the Astros’ top prospects, along with a few players fans may be seeing in game action for the first time.

The Astros’ new top prospect, Kevin Alvarez, is listed on the roster, along with fellow top-five prospects Ethan Frey and Xavier Neyens. Fans will also get a look at right-hander Ryan Forcucci, who has yet to appear in a game since being drafted.

Former first-round picks Walker Janek and Brice Matthews are also included. The Astros will show off their outfield depth as well, with Zach Cole, Lucas Spence, Joseph Sullivan, and Anthony Huezo joining Frey and Alvarez.

Below is the full roster:

Which prospects are you looking forward to seeing?

The Royals announced today that former Royals All-Star Eric Hosmer will be joining TV broadcasts as an analyst. His first game will be on Friday, March 13 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hosmer has previously done TV work for MLB Network and was a host on pre- and post-game baseball coverage for Apple TV.

Hosmer was a first-round pick, four-time Gold Glove winner, Silver Slugger winner, and a 2016 All-Star first baseman with the Royals for seven seasons from 2011 to 2017. He was a key member of the World Series teams in 2014 and 2015.

“Our 2014 and 2015 run wasn’t just a championship, but a city finding out what it was capable of,” Hosmer said in a press statement. “My teammates and I were lucky to be on that field, but the energy came from the stands with fans buying in. That bond with this city doesn’t expire.

“I was 18 years old when this organization believed in me, and now I get to repay that belief from a different seat. The guys on this roster are building their own story, and we all know what happens when this city believes. I want to be here when that energy comes back around.”

The Royals will retain their broadcast crew from last year, including Ryan Lefebvre and Jake Eisenberg on play-by-play duties, with analysts Rex Hudler and Jeremy Guthrie. Joel Goldberg and Royals Hall of Famer Jeff Montgomery will continue to host the pre and postgame shows. Earlier this week, the team announced the hiring of Bridget Howard as a sideline reporter, and she made her debut on Thursday night’s game against the Rangers.

Royals games this year will air on Royals.TV after the team ended their deal with FanDuel Sports Kansas City. The team has hinted at upgrades to the broadcast, including the use of drones.

Later on this evening, the Atlanta Braves are going to be playing their first night game of spring training over in Fort Myers against the Twins. However, those won’t be the only Braves players taking part in a baseball game in Florida today. In fact, there will be a game that actually counts (and figures to be a lot louder and noisier) taking place down in Miami as Braves representatives Ronald Acuña Jr. and José Yépez will be playing for Venezuela as they take on teammates Ozzie Albies and Chadwick Tromp (and manager Andruw Jones) in Pool Play action in the World Baseball Classic.

While I wouldn’t say that Venezuela is one of the favorites as there’s a pretty big gap in quality between the top three teams (Japan, USA and the Dominican Republic) and the rest of the field, they’re certainly one of the best of the rest. The Netherlands figures to be a longshot contender in the WBC but hey, they have a pedigree in this tournament as they’ve made the semifinals twice before. The winner of this game could end up being the dark horse candidate to make a real deep run, so it’ll be fun to see what happens this afternoon — on top of the fact that we’re going to see Acuña and Albies become baseball foes for a day.

For information on how to watch, click here. Let us know who you’re rooting for below!

The Houston Astros (2-7-3) host the Washington Nationals (6-3-3) in Grapefruit League play.

RHP Mike Burrows will be on the mound for the Astros for the third time this Spring, RHP Cade Cavalli will start for the Nationals.

TODAY’S STARTER: RHP Mike Burrows has made two appearances in the Grapefruit League this Spring. He’s combined to record a 0.00 (0ER/5IP) with two walks and six strikeouts. The Astros acquired Burrows this offseason in a three-team, six-player trade from Pittsburgh. As part of the deal, the Astros traded OF Jacob Melton and minor leaguer RHP Anderson Brito to the Rays, and the Rays traded IF Brandon Lowe, OF Jake Mangum and LHP Mason Montgomery to the Pirates.

Burrows pitched most of the season with the Pirates, making 23 appearances (19 starts) and going 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA (42ER/96IP). He struck out 97 hitters in 96.0 IP.

TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS:RHP Jayden Murray, LHP Bennett Sousa, RHP Kai-Wei Teng, RHP Logan VanWey and RHP Amos Willingham.

ROSTER MOVES: This morning, the Astros reassigned C Garret Guillemette and OF Joseph Sullivan to minor league camp.

PEÑA INJURY UPDATE: Yesterday, the Astros announced that SS Jeremy Peña has a fracture in the tip of his right ring finger. He will be reevaluated in two weeks.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Friday, March 6, 12:05 p.m. CST

Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL.

TV: none

Streaming: HOU video livestream

Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2

Happy Friday!

⚾️: 12:05pm CST | 1:05pm EST
📺: HOU Video Livestream
🎙️: @SportsTalk790#ChaseTheFight x @PalmBeachesFLpic.twitter.com/0LZcyaQ64h

— Houston Astros (@astros) March 6, 2026

today's crew ‼️ pic.twitter.com/UJfLOckER9

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) March 6, 2026

While most of the attention in camp has focused on players battling for the final spots on the major league roster, several prospects have quietly stood out in small samples. Spring Training results are noisy, but traits like strike throwing, approach, and batted-ball profile can still signal meaningful development – especially when viewed in the context of a player’s track record.

RHP Alex Cook

Cook was added to the Rays 40-man roster in December to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Given his blend of plus strike throwing and above average stuff, it’s easy to see why the Rays wanted to allocate a valuable roster spot to him.

Cook has posted plus strike rates at every professional stop, but he’s taken it to another level this spring with a 71.1% strike rate (ML average sits around 63%). While it’s unrealistic to expect Cook to continue throwing strikes at over 70%, it’s another data point that suggests Cook is ready to face more difficult competition in AAA.

In addition to his solid control and command, Cook has above average stuff. His fastball is a clear plus pitch. It’s a cut-ride shape with solid velocity that plays up due to his low release height. His breaking ball is a two-plane slider in the mid 80s, and he’s got an average cutter in the upper 80s to keep hitters from sitting on either of his other two pitches. Cook can throw all three weapons to both sides of the plate.

He looks ready for a high-leverage role in Durham to begin the 2026 season, and I expect him to have an opportunity to pitch in the majors at some point despite all the quality depth ahead of him in the ML bullpen. Given his platoon-neutral arsenal and strike throwing ability, Cook could even be a candidate to stretch out as a starter later in his career – something the Rays have not been shy about experimenting with.

SS Gregory Barrios

On the position player side, Barrios has put together a nice camp so far, taking advantage of playing time opportunities with Taylor Walls having a slow start this spring.

Barrios has always been a guy with plus speed, contact ability, and defense at SS. He’s got pretty average plate discipline too. So, what’s the catch? Why is Barrios not considered a top prospect? He has nearly bottom of the scale power. His 90th percentile exit velocity (the industry’s preferred proxy for raw power) sits at just 101.1 mph this spring, well below the typical MLB average of roughly 105 mph.

Rather than chasing power, Barrios appears to be leaning fully into a contact-and-speed offensive identity. Below are his LD+GB rates for each of his domestic professional seasons, and what he has done so far this year in Spring Training:

• 2023: 58.1%
• 2024: 69.4%
• 2025: 77.2%
• 2026 Spring Training: 87.5%

It’s still early, so the exact numbers aren’t stable, but the trend is what matters. His glove and speed will give Barrios plenty of opportunity to stick in a lineup, and leaning into his offensive identity is what can help make him productive.

I expect him to return to Montgomery to begin the season, likely getting work at both middle infield spots with Adrian Santana. Barrios should have an opportunity to advance to AAA later in the year – an impressive trajectory for a 22-year-old whose value comes from defense, contact, and speed rather than power.

C Dom Keegan

Keegan’s 45.6% framing strike rate places him in the 71st percentile among catchers with 50 framing opportunities so far this spring. Keegan is regarded as an above average receiver, but he’s still working on the other defensive parts of his game.

Solid framing combined with his average hit and plus power combo should earn him a cup of coffee at some point this season if his blocking and throwing continue to improve, or at least not be a detriment to his overall profile.

Dominic Keegan worked a 14 pitch AB today and fouled off 8 straight pitches.

Keegan showed good quality of contact metrics in AAA last season (113.5 Max Exit Velocity + 48.0% Hard-Hit%) & can make an impact with the Rays this season.

Here is the full 14 pitch AB: pic.twitter.com/zJDdpVkyx6

— Inside The Rays Podcast (@InsideTheRays_) February 24, 2026

C Caden Bodine

A recent draftee acquired in the Baz trade, Bodine really hasn’t played much this spring, but he did hit a ball at 106.1mph, just below his collegiate max exit velocity of 106.6mph — which he did with a metal bat. There may not be plus power given his size and physicality, but a new professional max exit velocity is still noteworthy even if it is just spring training.

Bodine’s plus defensive skills and solid hit tool give him a chance to be an everyday ML catcher, and getting to even just average power could make him the franchise catcher the Rays have been searching for.

RHP Luis Guerrero*

*While he technically exceeded his prospect eligibility with the Red Sox last season with 17.1 IP, it’s hard to ignore what Guerrero is doing as someone who has yet to establish himself in the majors, so he’s getting a shout out here as well.

After going unclaimed through waivers in November, the Rays cleared a 40-man roster spot by trading INF Tristan Gray to Boston for the non-rostered Guerrero. Given his lack of a need to be on the 40-man, he will likely begin the year in AAA with a chance to impact the ML bullpen later this season.

Now under the Rays tutelage, LG is showing a harder, more cutter-ish breaking ball shape than last season. The new shape creates a more optimal tunnel with his fastball, which also might have a slightly different profile — with a little less run and a little more ride than what it had in 2025 thus far.

The change in both pitch shapes appear to be a result of Guerrero raising his arm slot just a bit. His ability to throw strikes will dictate whether he can crack the 40-man roster at some point this season, and so far it’s been roughly average this spring, which is good enough when you’ve got plus stuff like Guerrero does.

Spring Training numbers rarely tell the whole story, but developments like these often hint at what might be coming next in the Rays’ player development pipeline.

Welcome to Pinstripe Alley’s coverage of the 2026 World Baseball Classic! We previewed Pool A, Pool B, Pool C, and Pool D in the linked articles. Since the first several days of the WBC feature a bevy of games, we’ll be recapping them in batches. Enjoy!

The WBC officially kicked off on Wednesday night (ET) with Australia winning a minor upset over Chinese Taipei, 3-0, aided by a homer from 2024 top draft pick Travis Bazzana. Kevin provided a direct recap of that game for Pinstripe Alley, but as the note above indicates, most of the recaps from now until the semifinals will feature multiple WBC contests from the previous 24 hours.

This marks the first of those, and it’s a little unusual given how the ol’ clock lines up for us in the Eastern Time Zone. The two games both featured teams in Pool C. Technically, the first from yesterday at the Tokyo Dome began at 5am ET and the second started at 10pm ET. Although that’s the same day for us, they respectively began on Thursday night and Friday afternoon in Tokyo. So you’ll see the Czechia twice because they had the tough draw of a day game after a night game. Ah, logistics!

Pool C: South Korea (1-0) 11, Czech Republic (0-1) 4

The Czechia club was one of the best stories of the 2023 WBC, with a scrappy team of players who don’t have the luxury of playing baseball full-time. They even won a game against China to earn instant qualification for this year’s WBC. During that previous WBC stint though, Korea jumped all over the Czechs in the first inning of their contest, batting around and plating five runs en route to a 7-3 victory.

The script evidently did not change all that much in their 2026 rematch.

Czechia starter Daniel Padysak immediately ran into trouble from the jump, as a couple walks and a Jung Hoo Lee single loaded the bases with one out for Bo Gyeong Moon, who has hit 46 homers across his last two season for the KBO’s LG Twins. Sure enough, he hit a moonshot (sorry) for a grand slam, and Korea had a 4-0 lead already. They kept the pressure on the Czechs, as Astros infielder Shay Whitcomb tallied two dingers against the arms that followed, Jeff Barto and Michal Kovala.

Former Orioles utiltyman Terrin Vavra, the lone Czechia player with MLB experience, had briefly made it a ballgame again at 6-3 in the fifth with a three-run shot off righty Woo Joo Jeong. But Whitcomb’s second long ball pushed his team’s lead back up to a comfortable five, and they only added from there. 2024 Yankee Jahmai Jones clubbed a solo shot of his own to join in on the action.

South Korea was expected to take care of business against the Czech Republic in their WBC opener, and they certianly did. They’ll face a far greater challenge tomorrow morning, when they square off with Shohei Ohtani and longtime rival/defending champion Japan at 5am ET — a Saturday night thriller at the Tokyo Dome.

Pool C: Australia (2-0) 5, Czech Republic (0-2) 1

No rest for the weary Czechs, who went right back to business in reporting to the ballpark the following morning. Their tenacity was briefly rewarded when they drew first blood against the Aussies. Tomas Ondra threw two scoreless innings, and in the the third, Vojtech Menšík gave Czechia a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly.

That being said, even the brief tally wasn’t a pure feeling of relief, as from the outside, it sure seemed like skipper Pavel Chadim played it too safe by going for small ball. The inning began with a Martin Cervenka double and a walk to Marek Chlup had set the table for one of their few power bats, Martin Mužík. But Chadim had Mužík bunt the runners over, which just looked worse when the sacrifice came on a 3-0 count. (In the postgame, Chadim said that he had indeed called for the bunt, but hadn’t wanted it after going up 3-0.) The Czechs played for one run, got it, and never scored another.

The very next inning burned this decision. Left fielder Chris Burke beat out an infield single for Australia’s first hit, and after a fielder’s choice at second that should’ve been a double play, Bazzana walked to set the table for White Sox infielder Curtis Mead — a familiar name around these parts as a former Rays prospect. Ondra went ahead 1-2 and was nearly out of the jam. Then Mead went monster.

The three-run shot proved decisive. The rest of the Czechia pitchers did a better job of holding down Australia than Korea, as it remained a 3-1 score into the ninth. Unfortunately for them, the Aussie arms had little trouble of their own. Josh Hendrickson, Coen Wynne, Blake Townsend, Ky Hampton, Todd Van Steensel, and Mitch Neunborn combined to hold Czechia to four hits on the day. Alex Hall homered in the ninth as part of insurance for Australia and Neunborn closed it out to move Australia to 2-0.

More likely than not, the Australians will have to at least beat Korea in their eventual head-to-head to advance in the WBC as they did in 2023, but they’ve put themselves in prime position by handling Chinese Taipei and Czechia. As for the Czechs, they know that they won’t be moving on. All they can do now is try to take down Chinese Taipei and at least ensure an automatic qualification for the 2029 WBC by avoiding last place in the pool, as they did by beating China in 2023. Chinese Taipei is far more internationally renowned though, so it’s a tall task.

---

Today at the WBC

/deep breath/

Japan vs. Chinese Taipei (Pool C)
Pitching matchup: RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. RHP Hao-Chun Cheng
Time: 5:00 a.m. ET
TV: FS1
Venue: Tokyo Dome, Japan

Cuba vs. Panama (Pool A opener)
Pitching matchup: LHP Livan Moinelo vs. LHP Logan T. Allen
Time: 11:00 a.m. ET
TV: FS2
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR

Netherlands vs. Venezuela (Pool D opener)
Pitching matchup: RHP Antwone Kelly vs. LHP Ranger Suarez
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: Tubi
Venue: loanDepot park, Miami, FL

Mexico vs. Great Britain (Pool B opener)
Pitching matchup: RHP Javier Assad vs. RHP Jack Anderson
Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

Puerto Rico vs. Colombia (Pool A)
Pitching matchup: RHP Seth Lugo vs. LHP Jose Quintana
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS1
Venue: Hiram Bithorn Stadium, San Juan, PR

Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic (Pool D)
Pitching matchup: RHP Ronald Medrano vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS2
Venue: loanDepot park, Miami, FL

United States vs. Brazil (Pool B)
Pitching matchup: RHP Logan Webb vs. RHP Bo Takahashi
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Venue: Daikin Park, Houston, TX

Chinese Taipei vs. Czech Republic (Pool C)
Pitching matchup: RHP Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang vs. LHP Jan Novak
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
TV: FS2
Venue: Tokyo Dome, Japan

Away we go!

In December 2024, David Stearns signed Brandon Waddell to a minor league contract, the right-hander having spent the prior two seasons playing in Asia, 2023 with the Rakuten Monkeys of the CPBL and the Doosan Bears of the KBO and 2024 with Doosan. Scouts specifically honed in on Waddell’s improved control, a refined changeup, and a newly added sweeping slider. While the right-hander didn’t do anything in particular to stick out, he logged an extremely respectable season. He was promoted up and down from Triple-A Syracuse to the major leagues multiple times over the course of the season and posted a 3.45 ERA in 11 games with the Mets, allowing 29 hits, walking 11, and striking out 22 in 31.1 innings.

The yeoman’s work that the left-handed did throughout the year did not go overlooked, as Stearns re-signed the left-hander for the 2026 season on a major league shortly after the 2025 season officially concluded. Not every player who steps foot on the field needs to be a star, and while Waddell certainly was not one, he was a good soldier and then some in 2025. He was designated for assignment in December and then outrighted to Syracuse after passing through waivers.

The left-hander will be competing for a spot in a Mets bullpen that has been augmented since his initial signing, but a strong showing in spring training could punch his ticket north for Opening Day 2026 in Queens as one of the final bullpen arms.

Aaron Nola got off to bad starts over the previous two seasons. While it didn’t look bad from a results standpoint in 2024, he had a FIP of 4.49 over the first month of the season and carried a strikeout rate that would’ve been his lowest since 2015 over a full season.

His 2025 season was a mess all around. His ERA sat at 5.40 in the six starts he made to begin the season, but he showed better signs than the previous season with a higher strikeout rate and a slightly lower FIP. It was slightly better from a process standpoint but significantly worse results.

In both cases, the Phillies front office didn’t pay Nola over $24 million a season to put up those numbers, so it was important for him to look different coming into camp. He needed to get off to a much better start in 2026.

The biggest reason Nola started slow in back-to-back seasons is his velocity. Over the first month of the last two regular seasons, he has sat at 91.2 mph on his four-seam fastball. That is always going to be worse for him than the typical 92-93 he ramps up to over the following five months.

This was, at least to some extent, intentional. He is expected to make 30-33 starts and pitch 190-200 innings a season while being as effective as possible in October. Spring training and April are sacrifices to make for what is more important down the line.

But with only pitching 94.1 innings and playing for Team Italy in the WBC, he has looked different to begin spring training. Over his first two starts this spring, Nola has pitched five innings with six strikeouts and one earned run. His breaking ball has looked sharp, the changeup looks good, and the command is dialed in.

But the most encouraging sign is what his velocity looks like so far in camp. He sat 91.7 mph while touching 92.9 against the Marlins. In his second start against Canada, Nola sat 92.1 while touching 93.9.

This looks like the makings of not just a bounce back season from a disastrous 2025 but his best since 2022, the last time Nola looked like a top of the rotation starter.

Other Notes

It’s only been two outings for pitcher Yoniel Curet but you would certainly like to see more. In his first outing against the Nationals, he struck out two in a scoreless inning but it took 28 pitches. His outing against the Tigers was a disaster, walking two, allowing two more hits, and five earned runs.

If the league still ends up suspending Johan Rojas after his appeal is over, the Phillies’ center field depth starts getting very thin. Only Justin Crawford and Brandon Marsh play a proven center field on their 40-man roster and the AAA options might be Pedro León. Gabriel Rincones Jr and Bryan De La Cruz are strictly corner outfielders, and there isn’t much depth behind them.

While Johan Rojas has been frustrating as a player with not cutting down the swing, not learning to bunt, and some mental baserunning issues, there could still be room for him to have some future here.