Category: Sports News

Andy Pages hasn’t forgotten about last postseason, though he’d like to. And he’d surely like you to forget about it, too — or, well, most of it.

Feel free to retain the mental image of his epic smash-and-grab catch over teammate Kiké Hernández.

That stunning play in the bottom of the ninth inning didn’t just save Game 7 of the World Series, it also spared Pages’ reputation. Covered for the ignominy of his historically woeful four-for-51 hitting performance.

You know what will help everyone totally flush those memories? To turn the proverbial page? Maybe keep us from mentioning it ever again?

A steady diet of games like Thursday’s.

In an 8-2 season-opening victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, Pages stood out among his club’s standouts.

And, as the eighth man in the order, he also served up a reminder that there really will be no rest for weary opposing pitchers this season.

The buoyant bottom of the lineup has bite, too: Let the record show it was Pages who hit the Dodgers’ first home run and drove in the club’s first runs to kick off their pursuit of a third consecutive World Series championship.

That it was he who cracked the code against Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen in the fifth inning, teeing off on a three-run, 400-foot home run to left-center field.

And that it was his at-bat to lead off the eighth — a full-count single the other way, into right field — that Roberts had to mention postgame.

In spring training, Roberts anointed Pages as this season’s “pick-to-click” candidate, in part because of how hard the 25-year-old center fielder has been working on improving his plate discipline after swinging at 32% of pitches outside of the zone last year.

The pick-to-click distinction previously went to Teoscar Hernández in 2024, before he became an All-Star in his first season with the Dodgers. Last year, Michael Conforto was Roberts’ pick.

Small wonder, perhaps, that Pages isn’t putting too much stock in his manager’s prediction: “It feels really nice for him to say that about me, or to pick me, but obviously I'm not really focused on that,” he said, through an interpreter.

What he’s focused on, he said, “is just trying to do everything I can, every day, to get a little bit better.”

That’s what’s got his manager so revved up.

“He’s a complete player,” Roberts gushed. “And I’m excited to see what he can do this year.”

Is an Andy Pages Breakout Season loading?

Were last season’s 27 home runs — second most on the Dodgers, behind Shohei Ohtani’s 55 — not a breakout?

I think ... not?

Not when Pages so clearly has so much more to give.

Now when he does his homework like he did this spring, stationing himself in front of a pitching machine, calling out balls and strikes. (Watch out, Automated Balls and Strikes system?)

Not if the Dodgers can come to trust him at the plate like they now feel secure with him blanketing the outfield.

“Even last year when there were questions if he could play center field at a high level,” Roberts said. “And he's worked his tail off, he really has. Every single day, he's putting in work and he just keeps getting better — his jumps, his lines to the ball, and obviously the arm strength is there.”

Read more:Miguel Rojas cherishes final opening day as 'Uncle Miggy' in Dodgers' win over Arizona

On Thursday, Pages had another one of his sensational snags, taking an angle that would’ve made a defensive back proud in pursuit of Geraldo Perdomo’s fly ball to start the seventh. Stretched out, Pages slid beneath the ball to add to his opening-day highlight reel.

“I feel good,” Pages said, when I asked him afterward not about last postseason, but about his confidence heading into this season — though his mind went back there anyway.

“It's something that happened earlier, the postseason is what the postseason was,” he said. “I'm not really focused on that, I'm focused on what I'm doing right now and my confidence is really high right now.”

Keep it up, and all anyone will remember is the heroics — including those to come.

Read more:Plaschke: Seeing double: Dodgers celebrate titles on a sparkling opening day

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

NY Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees rolled over the Giants on Wednesday, but if you were to guess how they did it, you’d be hard-pressed to find a lot of people who would’ve had them getting 10 hits with nine of them being singles, not one home run slugged, and absolutely nothing from Aaron Judge. That’s the versatility of one of the deepest lineups in baseball though, and they put up the most runs in 2025 for a reason. If they want to repeat the process, there’ll be more nights than you’d expect where the stars take a backseat in a lineup that can do damage at any point, and Aaron Boone is enjoying the process being showcased right away — as the Yankee skipper put it, “I think we can beat you a lot of different ways.”

NY Daily News | Gary Phillips ($): One of the topics on hand for Opening Day was the fact that it was exclusively broadcast on Netflix, adding yet another streaming provider into the mix of platforms that have MLB games in their possession. The full gambit of Yankees games this year will require access to as many as five subscriptions, a wild number to think about when the organization owns their own broadcast media company. Gone are the days of YES carrying all but the occasional national media weekend game though, and the players can relate to fans’ struggles in finding all of the content. Players like Tim Hill and Ryan McMahon expressed their frustration for fans having to juggle all of these streaming costs, with McMahon relaying how he struggled to find where he could watch the WBC games as they were happening. There’s no easy solution in sight as MLB’s wonky media rights deals will surely be a topic of discussion in the upcoming CBA talks, but it’s hard to imagine putting the genie back in the lamp after the commissioner rubbed it.

FanGraphs: Wild predictions are always fun to shoot off right before the start of the season, and the FanGraphs staff took their shot at making some fun ones. Of relevance to New York, Jake Mailhot made the bold claim that four AL East teams will make the playoffs but all of them will fail to make it past the ALDS — a prediction that, logistically, sounds impossible so long as the division winner ends up with one of the top two seeds and a longshot even if all four play in the Wild Card Round but hey, who knows. Not to be outdone, Matt Martell took the stance that neither Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani will repeat as MVPs this year, which would be a major upset for sure. Perhaps the boldest yet comes from Paul Sporer, who is throwing down a Ryan McMahon 30-homer season prediction — from your lips to God’s ears, friend.

The season has started! Hooray! Alas, we have too little data to meaningfully dissect. So, today you get to read some final Spring Training tidbits.  Things that came up that didn’t make in neatly in another article.  It will seem kind of random, especially coming after the Regular Season has started.  So, there is that.

First, I will do a quick rundown on the Cardinal’s players who experienced the WBC.  Then a few random stats regarding Spring Training.  Last, will do a quick demographic look at the 2026 Opening Day roster.

Cardinal Players in the World Baseball Classic

Here is quick rundown of various Cardinal players who elected to participate in the WBC.  Suffice to say, this year was not nearly as disruptive as the experience of 2023. 

In no particular order:

Leonardo Bernal – Leo played all 4 games with Panama before they were eliminated.  He appears to have been the main catcher ahead of M. Amaya.  He recorded 17 PA, compiling a .235 BA.  He was made aware before leaving for the WBC that he would be returning to the MiLB side of Cardinal camp and find himself assigned to Memphis.  This is the next logical step in his progression.

Luis Gastelum – Luis played for team Mexico.  He appeared in 2 of their 4 games, pitching 1 inning while giving up a hit.  His limited use puts him a bit behind in camp.  Like Bernal, he was made aware before he left for WBC of his pending assignment to MiLB camp. When Oli was asked about which pitcher had caught his attention this spring, Gastelum and his change-up was the first mention. 

Matt Koperniak – Matt played for team Great Britain.  He acquitted himself well.  He got in all 4 games, going 3 for 9, with 4 BB and 3 K’s, plus 2 RBI.  He was an NRI to MLB camp this year and will retain that status upon his return, at least for a few days.  I don’t know his disposition at the end of camp.  I have him on the bubble for the Memphis squad.  Baez, Ugueto, Ledbetter and Madris would seem to be the 4 priority OFers and I’m not sure both Antico and Koperniak will make the squad.  It will be a few more days before we know.

Riley O’Brien – Riley was going to play for Korea, but an injured calf prevented him from joining the team at the outset.  Calf injuries can hang on with older guys, and yes, he is older.  He is actually one of the oldest players on the Cardinals team at 31 years old.  Only Ramon Urias and Ryne Stanek are older.  Surprised? He ended up not participating in the WBC, remaining behind in Cardinal’s camp.  He is just now getting back into the swing of things in Jupiter.

Ivan Herrera – Ivan did not participate due to insurance issues, which I suspect were related to his recovery from off-season elbow surgery.  The insurance snafu, which snagged many, may turn out to be a blessing in disguise as neither his arm nor his legs are yet in full-go condition.  WBC play would likely not have helped his ramp up, which will carry into the first part of the regular season.

To complete the report, we have Team Italy players Thomas Saggese and Gordon Graceffo, who legitimately could view themselves as the second incarnation of the Memphis Mafia. 

Thomas Saggese – Sags served a utility role for Team Italy, playing behind such luminaries as Sam Antonacci (SS), Jon Berti (2B), Andrew Fisher (3B).  He got 11 PAs over two weeks, which set him behind offensively.  Likewise, he got no time in the outfield, which did not advance his hopes to expand his repertoire and solidify a multi-position utility role.  In the 11 PAs, he struck out 5 times and did not walk.  He got one hit. 

Gordon Graceffo – Gordon pitched twice out of Italy’s bullpen.  No reliever made more than 4 appearances.  That said, two appearances in almost two weeks puts him behind in terms of building up for the regular season.  In two IP, Graceffo had four K’s and 3 BBs, with 1 ER.

For both Saggese and Graceffo, I saw both these guys as bubble guys with a shot to break camp with the MLB squad for Opening Day.  The odds became longer just because they are behind and it would be difficult to catch up in the MLB environment.  Plus, both have options.  I expected both them to start in Memphis and come up pretty quickly.  It turns out Sags made the Opening Day roster, ahead of Nelson Velazquez. Although I don’t it was Sags 40-man spot that blocked NV.

Closing Spring Training Notes

The Spring Training story is written and in the books.  I’ll put my own exclamation point on it with a few data points and conclusions (spoiler alert: Spring Training results have about the same predictive value as how often you open/close your refrigerator predicts next week’s weather). 

Record – 17-9 (with 2 ties)(not counting exhibitions)

The last time the Cardinals had such a fine run of games in Spring Training?  They finished with a Grapefruit League best at 17-7….in 2023.

As a note, the Cardinals were 7-3 in games decided by rallies in the late innings predominated by minor leaguers.  If anything, we can take a hint that the Cardinals minor leaguers are better than the other teams’ minor leaguers.

The Cardinals were 10-4 at home, where the games were predominantly established players vs. other team’s young guys (their travel squad).

At 119 runs scored, the Cardinals finished 10^th in Grapefruit League play (out of 15 teams).

At 106 runs allowed, the Cardinals finished 4^th in Grapefuit Leage play.  Feeling pretty good about that pitching are we?  Consider.  The Cardinals played 18 games against Houston, Miami and Washington (their closest neighbors).  All of those teams sported BA below .200 this spring.  Cause, or effect?  Good pitching?  Poor offenses faced?  Local weather factors?

In 2025 Spring Training, Victor Scott II tied for the team lead with 4 HR.  The player he tied with?  Luken Baker.  Consider that when you try to project Nelson Velazquez.   

The Opening Day Roster

The Cardinals open with a roster of players that average 27.3 years old.  That will line out to be one of the youngest in baseball, if not the youngest. I believe they capture the crown because Mikolas skews the Nats number so much.

Of the 26 players on the roster, 12 were drafted by StL and one came via the IFA route.  That is on the low side for their historical standards, but not markedly so.

Interestingly, 3 of the 26 were “purchased”.  That doesn’t mean anything, it just stood out. Not traded for. Not claimed on waivers. Bought. I think this is the result of a strategy to essentially jump the line on the waiver claim order for players who have been DFA’ed.

6 of the 8 bullpen arms are without minor league options.  That is a new twist.  The old days of “roster flexibility” are gone.

For an offense that was supposed to add more contact and on-base ability this off-season, it was a disappointing showing from the Mariners on Opening Day in front of a sold-out (as announced by the Mariners) crowd. The Mariners hitters combined for 14 strikeouts, scoring all their runs on solo homers. They only had two non-dinger hits: two doubles, one from Brendan Donovan and one by Randy Arozarena (that probably should have been scored as a single stretched to a double with some shaky play from the Guardians outfield).

Initially, it looked like the Mariners were going to be able to outmaneuver the Guardians, despite Logan Gilbert surrendering a first-inning home run to rookie Chase DeLauter, who pounced on a slider from Gilbert and took him deep to put the Mariners in an early hole.

“I was probably leaning too much on not walking [DeLauter] there,” said Gilbert postgame. “I just didn’t rip it like I usually do, a true slider.”

But Brendan Donovan was right there to pick up his teammate, making some history in his first plate appearance as a Mariner. This is the first leadoff home run on Opening Day in Mariners history:

“That’s a lot of prayers answered right there,” said Donovan postgame, who admitted he was trying to lean the ball fair when it came off his bat.

Marine layer? More like Mariner layer, as in the second Dominic Canzone proved he didn’t leave his power behind in Arizona, either, blasting this go-ahead run at 108 mph.

But that was the last time the Mariners were in the lead in this game. Guardians starter Tanner Bibee was able to keep the Mariners quiet, striking out seven over his five innings of work before being forced out in the sixth without throwing a pitch with what was later announced as right shoulder inflammation.

Logan Gilbert, while not the most efficient with his pitches, was able to match Bibee until the top of the fifth. He suffered a bad-luck weakly-hit leadoff single off the bat of Rhys Hoskins, but then gave up a double to Daniel Schneeman on a slider that didn’t slide enough to put runners on second and third with no outs. Brayan Rocchio then punished a terrible cutter that wound up dead red into the right field corner for a two-RBI double that put the Guardians ahead 3-2.

Gilbert relied on his cutter as the most often used of his secondary pitches, second only behind his four-seamer, while burying his slider in his arsenal. The fastball, which started out 95-96, was down to 94

But again, Luke Raley picked up his teammate, assuring Logan could be handed no worse than a no-decision with a game-tying solo shot in the bottom of the fifth. Raley continues to look like his 2024 self instead of the injury-ravaged 2025 version and it’s great to see

Both teams turned to their bullpens in the sixth. Tanner Bibee came out to pitch the sixth, but left shortly after throwing his warmup pitches with what was announced as right shoulder inflammation

The Guardians took the lead back in the seventh against Gabe Speier, again utilizing their brand of high-contact baseball to create traffic on the bases. Brayan Rocchio nubbed a single off a slider at the bottom of the zone, and Chase DeLauter ambushed a first-pitch sinker that caught too much plate for a single of his own. José Ramírez then doubled on a slider that was located approximately at his shoetops, sending it deep into the gap and scoring both runners, then to add insult to injury stole third base before Speier was able to

Again, it was Canzone pulling the Mariners back into it, seizing the MLB home run lead (for today, at least) with his second homer of the game, rudely greeting former Mariner Shawn Armstrong in the seventh with this titanic blast:

“Heaters down the middle,” smirked Canzone when asked what he was looking for on these homers. “And they were just kind of in the honey hole, down and in.” (Hello Honey Hole sandwiches, have I got a pitch for you.)

Casey Legumina also had to deal with some traffic against the pesky Guardians, walking Rhys Hoskins on a pitch that Cal should have challenged for a strikeout looking and giving up an ambush first-pitch single to Gabriel Arias. Brayan Rocchio then apparently his pant leg got nicked by a sweeper, loading the bases, but Legumina wiggled out of trouble with a beautiful pitch sequence to the uber-pest Steven Kwan, getting the contact-oriented Kwan reaching after sinkers up and away before burying a changeup for Kwan to swing over. In a game that maybe didn’t have a ton to get excited about aside from Canzone’s big day at the plate, let us pause a moment for Casey Legumina striking out Steven Kwan.

It was Legumina’s first-ever Opening Day start and he arrived at the park in a sharply tailored cobalt blue suit. When I complimented him on it, he smiled and said, “Thanks. It’s my Opening Day suit. I’ve been waiting three years to wear it.”

Cooper Criswell got dinged up by a solo home run in his outing, again the victim of the rookie DeLauter, who demolished one of Criswell’s cutters to lead off the ninth, but rebounded to strike out José Ramírez on a changeup at the edge of the plate. He then walked former Coug Kyle Manzardo but was able to get Bo Naylor chasing after a changeup for a weak-contact double play, neatly fielded by Criswell. If those are the two non-leverage arms those are two acceptable outings from Criswell and Legumina.

The pitching leaking six runs isn’t the path to winning baseball for any team, let alone the Mariners, but the issue tonight was the offense, which just wasn’t able to click all night, putting up disjointed at-bats. Cal Raleigh struck out to lead off the eighth, once again not using his challenge despite the pitch looking like it landed outside. Postgame, Dan Wilson reaffirmed that his hitters do have the green light to challenge and they will “remind the guys as much as we can about using the challenges” (which in Dan Wilson language is about as stern a rebuke as you will get).

“It is new for everybody, and I think it doesn’t jump to the forefront of your mind all the time when you’re in the box. But it’s part of the game now and something we will use.”

One player who isn’t panicking after tonight’s game is Brendan Donovan, who said the focus is on quality at-bats and earning a little “dot” in Kevin Seitzer’s notebook to represent a quality at-bat: “chase as many dots as possible.” Sounding eerily like his new manager, he praised this group’s ability to not quit, fighting for every at-bat.

“I know we didn’t get the win,” Donovan said, “but it’s cool to show that this group can flip it on a time at any time.”

“I’m excited.“

Sometimes excitement is a blue suit you don’t get to wear and then one day you get to take it out of the closet. The Mariners will seek their first win of the season tomorrow at 6:40 with George Kirby on the mound.

LOS ANGELES — It was Joe Namath sitting poolside guaranteeing a Super Bowl victory for the New York Jets.

It was Muhammad Ali at ringside telling the world he’d “whup’’ George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle.

And it was Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and president Stan Kasten predicting a baseball dynasty.

The date was Feb. 28, 2013, and the Dodgers were coming out of the throes of bankruptcy, failing to reach the playoffs three consecutive seasons, when Walter was asked whether it was remotely possible to duplicate Atlanta’s success when they won 14 consecutive division titles under Kasten as president.

“It's going to be done again," Walter told USA TODAY Sports. “This time on the West Coast.’’

Kasten recoiled, Walter apologized, and 13 years later Thursday night, were laughing about their bravado.

“It’s funny, too,’’ Walter said Thursday, “because at the time I didn’t realize how hard it would be. But even though we did it, it's still crazy.

"It’s nuts."

It’s also reality.

The Dodgers have since played 13 full seasons, won 12 NL West Division titles, five National League pennants and three World Series championships.

And the way they looked Thursday night in their 8-2season-opening victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of a sellout crowd of 53,712 at Dodger Stadium, their dynasty isn’t about to end any time soon.