As the 2025-26 season wraps up, one storyline that has emerged is Evander Kane's quest for his 1,000th regular-season game. The 34-year-old is nine games away from the milestone, meaning he will have to play in half of the remaining 18 games to hit 1,000 for his NHL career. Kane was originally drafted in 2009 and is in his 16th NHL season.
The topic of Kane hitting the milestone has come up recently as he is currently battling an upper-body injury. After missing Monday's game, Kane was back on the ice on Wednesday, where he was skating alongside Elias Pettersson and Drew O'Connor. After practice, Head Coach Adam Foote was asked about Kane closing in on 1,000th games and if it was already on his radar.
"I want to see him get that," said Foote. "You know, I mean, that's something. Who knows what Kanner is going to do moving forward? I'm talking about what he wants to do. If he wants to continue to play after this. I'm sure he does. But he just, you always want a player to reach those goals, for sure. So that's a great, you know, it's a great thing to hang your hat."
Mar 2, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (91) skates in warm up prior to a game against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
If Kane stays in the lineup, he is scheduled to play game 1,000 on March 30 in Vegas. Players who hit the 1,000-game mark are rewarded with a silver stick to commemorate reaching the milestone. Other players who have played their 1,000th game this season include Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Brenden Dillon and Roman Josi.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 7: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball while being defended by Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center on March 7, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Golden State fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Golden State Warriors have a serious decision to make this offseason: should they re-sign Kristaps Porziņģis? The former All-Star has looked brilliant when on the court with the Dubs, following a deadline deal that sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks.
But staying on the court has been an issue. He’s appeared in just three games in his month-plus with the team, and has now had an issue suiting up every year for the last decade. The talent is tantalizing, and there’s no doubt that he’s an excellent fit with the team. But is he worth committing to beyond this year, especially if his All-Star talent drives up his price? Let us know how you feel!
NBA fans have been paying very close attention to this draft because of three names in particular: Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa, with the occasional Big Board having UNC’s Caleb Wilson thrown in the mix. Rightly so; all four of them have had incredible seasons, but juuuuuust outside of all of that hype there are a few guys who have had really great seasons in their own right.
Playing in the Big 12 (which is widely regarded as the third best basketball league in the world) is no small feat. Playing on a team in the Big 12 that has winning culture and finished 2nd in the Big 12 standings is also no small feat, but to do all of that AND lead that team in scoring as a true Freshman seems impossible… but here we are. Kingston Flemings has demonstrated that he does have the ability to be great at the next level, but will he? Let’s talk numbers.
Hardware: First-Team All-Big 12, Big 12 All-Freshman Team
Triumphs
What cannot possibly be denied is his ability to put the ball in the hoop. He scored 27 against TCU, he scored 22 against a juggernaut in Iowa State, and he had a career high 42 against Texas Tech. He’s also a great facilitator as he was fifth in the Big 12 for assists per game and the ONLY Freshman in the Big 12 to average more than 5 a game.
His shooting percentages should be mentioned as well; not everyone can come in at 18/19 years old and shoot 37% from deep, albeit on limited attempts per game. His defensive metrics can’t be overlooked either: in the Big 12 he ranks 5th in Defensive Win Shares (2.3), 3rd in defensive box plus/minus (5.8), and 14th in defensive rating (97.4).
His other highly coveted skill is his ability to be THE engine of a team. He finished the Big 12 regular season with a Usage Percentage of 26.3% so he had the ball in his hands all the time. While constantly having the ball could lead to a high turnover rate, that isn’t the case with Flemings as he has a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio. He finished 16th in Big 12 Offensive Rating (124.3), 11th in Points Produced Per Game (16.8), and 7th in Offensive Box Plus/Minus (6.8). There is quite literally nothing that he can’t do on the basketball court. However…
Shortcomings
Flemings does have one fatal flaw in my opinion, and that is his consistency. While he does have the ability to go off for 40, he also has multiple single digit scoring games this year including 7 against Cincinnati in 30 minutes, 4 against Utah in 29 minutes, and a grotesque 1 point against Notre Dame in 22 minutes earlier in the year. His field goal percentage also fluctuates: for every 60% game on high shot volume, he has a 15% on similar attempts. For every hyper efficient game on limited attempts he also has a 0-4 night.
Something that I’m also concerned about is his frame at the pro level. He’s 6’4” which is a decent height, but with the NBA is shifting to taller ball handlers (or allowing your Center to be the playmaker in the case of Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun), the “smaller” guard is becoming more of a novelty. There are exceptions, obviously: Payton Pritchard is 6’1” and Steph Curry is 6’3” but the a huge difference between those two and Flemings is my other concern which is his weight. He’s listed at 190 lbs but he is a skinny 190. I do want to give credit where credit is due; he put on 10 lbs of muscle prior to the start of the season, so this is something that he is aware he needs to work on, but I think that early in his career his frame will hinder him from being as physical as he needs to be in the NBA.
Is He Worth The Pick?
I think that I approach drafts and draft picks a little differently than most. In my view scouting is both very difficult and kind of a crapshoot. I made a video over a year ago detailing how rare it is to find a superstar in any one draft. In my view the draft kind of goes like this…
Picks 1-3: You are expecting a future superstar
Picks 4-14: You are expecting a high production role player
Picks 15-60: You are PRAYING for a role player
There are obvious outliers in that framing as Giannis and Jokic come to mind, but for the most part if you can secure a lottery pick and they turn into a solid role player you have to count it as a win. When you don’t have a chance to select a consensus “top guy” in the draft you’re best suited to select a positional need.
I think that Kingston Flemings has the ability to be really good in this league one day. He can put the ball in the hoop, he is a more than capable defender, and he has shown the ability to be the engine for a team. For the Utah Jazz specifically? I’m not sure that the juice is worth the squeeze.
I don’t think that he’s a great roster fit for us at this stage in our development. Keyonte George is on track to win the Most Improved Player Award and his playmaking ability has taken a huge leap. Isaiah Collier, while mostly playing a backup role, has also shown great strides in his playmaking. With two above-average playmaking guards on the team I’m not sure that having another one would be super beneficial. Now, I’m higher on Collier than most (I even bought a Collier jersey to celebrate me becoming a contributor to this great site and community) so I’m willing to entertain the idea of moving on from Collier to get a guy like Flemings but if we end up with the 5th pick in the NBA Draft, and we truly feel like we need to get another do-it-all guard, I think that there is at least one better option at our disposal (be on the lookout for that piece soon).
We’re also in the middle of a contentious Tankathon against the Pacers, Wizards, Kings, Nets, and Pelicans right now, and I think that Flemings could benefit the most from going to a team like the Nets; a team that isn’t going to compete in the immediate future and can allow someone like Kingston the time and grace needed to adjust to the NBA game. After the moves the Jazz made this Trade Deadline Season it’s clear that the front office is tired of being at the bottom of the standings and they’re ready to start competing for potential Playoff spots. I’m not sure that we’ll be in the business of drafting a guard that will have this much of a learning curve at the start of their career.
If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. If we wake up in 6 years and Flemings is an All-Star already I’ll eat my words, but now that it seems like we’re trying to take steps forward instead of laterally I think that we’d be better off selecting someone else with that potential pick, selecting a truly needed archetype like a volume 3 point shooting wing, or to trade the pick and get even more assets as Trader Danny is prone to do.
Where do you land on Flemings? How do you think Houston will do in March Madness? Sound off in the comments!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 05: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks in action against Jusuf Nurkic #30 of the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden on December 05, 2025 in New York City. The Knicks defeated the Jazz 146-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The New York Knicks (41*-25) face the Utah Jazz (20-45) tonight at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Josh Hart is OUT for New York with left knee soreness, while Utah is missing Lauri Markkanen (hip), Walker Kessler (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic (nose), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee), and lists Keyonte George as questionable (illness).
Tip off is 9 p.m. EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is SLC Dunk. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Have fun. And go Knicks!
* Should be one more, but NBA Cup finals are temporary tattoos.
I’m going to throw some numbers at you and let you decide whether or not I’m completely making them up.
Matt McLain, the resident 2B of the Cincinnati Reds and likely #2 hitter in the lineup everyday, is 17 for 28 so far in Cactus League play in 2026. Seventeen for twenty-eight, or a .607 batting average.
He is Joey Votto now, roughly – he has walked 5 times so far in spring games while only owning a pair (2!) strikeouts across 10 games played.
He’s hit 5 dingers. He has 3 more home runs than he has strikeouts.
He is slugging 1.179. Over the final 11 seasons of Barry Bonds’ career, his OPS was 1.173.
Matt McLain, after homering again on Wednesday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers as part of a 3 for 3 day (that featured a pair of runs scored and a stolen base), is now hitting .607/.667/1.179, numbers that are so ridiculous they quite frankly ruin the triple-slash format because they’re so good.
He has a 1.846 OPS at the moment. That’s the best in all of spring training baseball across MLB right now.
In fact, he’s atop the spring MLB leaderboard in runs, hits, home runs, RBI, average, OBP, and SLG. He leads every Major League Baseball player in all of those.
Here’s the leaderboard. You can look at it yourself. You can look at it yourself, but you cannot unsee Matt McLain, because he’s literally the first name listed on pretty much any category you choose to sort.
He does not lead all of Major League Baseball in height, but that doesn’t matter.
None of these spring stats really matter, either, and they’ll all reset to .000 the moment the regular season begins in two weeks. The hope is, though, that McLain has fully turned the corner from his shoulder troubles and struggles from a year ago, and that the ridiculous dude we’ve had the chance to follow this spring is the guy who’s capable of being a really, really good big leaguer showing out in the best manner possible.
My brain typically ignores spring stats the moment spring training ends, and I honestly don’t recall anyone doing anything of note – bad or good – this side of Dave Sappelt. This McLain spring, though, may just be so ridiculous that I have a hard time forgetting it.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel has a right hamstring strain and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, general manager Chris Getz told reporters on Wednesday.
Teel, 24, injured his hamstring playing for Italy during its 8-6 upset of the U.S. on Tuesday night in the World Baseball Classic. On a double down the right-field line, Teel appeared to tweak his hamstring while rounding first base. He left the field under his own power with athletic trainers.
Teel, acquired from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade during the 2024 offseason, appeared in 78 games for the White Sox last season. Teel hit .273 with eight home runs, 11 doubles and 35 RBIs while walking 37 times in 297 plate appearances.
Edgar Quero, who appeared in 111 games for Chicago last season, is expected to handle the bulk of the catching innings with Teel sidelined. Quero hit .268 with five home runs, 17 doubles and 36 RBIs in 403 plate appearances last season.
DENVER — Let’s start with the obvious: Tuesday night’s matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche was a tightly contested hockey game. The Oilers capitalized on their chances, executed when it mattered most, and ultimately earned the victory.
That much is straightforward.
What is far less straightforward, however, is the officiating that unfolded throughout the night.
Regardless of which team you support — whether it’s the Oilers, the Avalanche, the Dallas Stars, the Detroit Red Wings, or anyone else — every rational fan ultimately wants the same thing: a sport where the rules are enforced competently and consistently. Tuesday’s game unfortunately provided another example of how far the NHL still has to go in that department.
Credit: DNVR. Jared Bednar was furious about MacKinnon's ejection.
Nathan MacKinnon has received a five-minute major following a scary collision with Connor Ingram.
The first moment that raised eyebrows came with a hooking penalty assessed to Brett Kulak. The call was extremely ticky-tack and, in my view, didn’t truly meet the standard for hooking.
The Oilers did what good teams do — they took advantage. They converted on the ensuing power play and made the Avalanche pay.
And to be fair, bad call or not, you still have to play the game and keep the puck out of your net. The Avalanche have been one of the league’s better penalty-killing units all season, so that is one situation where Colorado still needed to be better regardless of the circumstances.
But consistency matters.
Later in the game, Evan Bouchard appeared to clearly hold Valeri Nichushkin’s stick against the boards. The play developed seemingly right in front of the officials, yet no penalty was called.
From a consistency standpoint, that sequence looked far more like a textbook penalty than the one Kulak had been assessed earlier in the night.
That observation alone shouldn’t be controversial.
The MacKinnon Ejection
The real controversy came late in the second period, when Nathan MacKinnon was ejected from the game after being assessed a major penalty for goaltender interference — resulting in the first game misconduct of his NHL career.
The play occurred while Colorado trailed 2–1 and was on the power play.
MacKinnon entered the offensive zone with speed before receiving an east-to-west pass from Martin Necas. His shot sailed wide of the net, and as he pursued the rebound along the goal line, Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse closed in from behind.
Nurse made contact with MacKinnon’s left hip, subtly but significantly altering the Avalanche star’s path just as he attempted to avoid the crease.
With his skates angled left in an effort to steer clear of goaltender Connor Ingram, MacKinnon instead lost his lane and collided with the goaltender along the goal line. The impact forced Ingram from the game.
First and foremost, everyone hopes Ingram is okay. No one wants to see a player get injured in that fashion — regardless of team allegiance.
But even a basic understanding of physics makes the situation easier to interpret. When a 6-foot-4, 215-pound defenseman like Nurse makes contact with a player moving at high speed just inches from the crease, the margin for avoiding a collision becomes extremely small. Add in the fact that Ingram was leaning forward to play the puck, and the window for MacKinnon to escape the situation essentially disappears.
If that interpretation sounds reasonable, it’s because it’s not just fans saying it.
John Wroblewski — head coach of the U.S. women’s Olympic gold medal-winning team — joined the PuckAroundPod and offered his perspective on the play:
"Mack was going to the net as hard as he could legally," he explained. "I thought his route was going to take him above the paint and I thought he got nudged, hit by an extremely sturdy D, Darnell Nurse, who's one of the biggest frames in the league. That doesn't take much to, you know, to knock a train slightly off the rails.
"It was completely out of character for MacKinnon to run a goalie and isn't in his brand. I'm chalking the whole thing up to inadvertent contact. The whistle gets blown. The (concussion) spotters did a great job getting Connor the help that he needed. And the faceoff should have been outside the zone with no penalty assessed."
Retired goaltender Tuukka Rask, who played for 15 years in the NHL, all with the Boston Bruins, stated on TNT that he didn't agree with the five-minute major assessed to MacKinnon.
"I don't think so," he stated. "I'm all about protecting the goalies; this is just the perfect storm. Ingram's in a tough spot, stretching, Nurse is cutting the pass off on one knee basically.
"MacKinnon, I feel like he wants to get out of the way, but then he runs into Nurse, and then it's just a perfect storm. Sucks for Ingram getting hurt like that."
A League-Wide Consistency Problem
Beyond the specific ruling Tuesday night, the play highlighted a much larger issue that has quietly grown into one of the NHL’s most frustrating officiating problems: goaltender interference has become wildly inconsistent.
Night after night, similar plays are judged completely differently.
To see how confusing the standard has become, it’s worth revisiting a moment from last season.
On January 2, the Avalanche defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6–5 at Ball Arena in one of the most chaotic games of the year. During that contest, Parker Kelly made contact with Zach Benson near the crease. The bump caused Benson to tumble directly into the right leg of Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood, knocking him violently to the ice.
Wedgewood immediately went down in visible pain and remained sprawled in the crease.
Despite the fact that the goaltender was clearly injured and unable to defend the net, play continued. No whistle was blown. Moments later, Benson circled behind the net and scored on a wraparound while Wedgewood was still incapacitated.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar pressed the officials for an explanation. The reasoning he received was that the whistle was not blown because the collision had been caused by an Avalanche player.
That explanation is exactly why Tuesday night’s ruling raises so many questions.
Using that same logic, the play involving MacKinnon and Ingram should have resulted in a whistle and a faceoff — not a major penalty and an ejection. MacKinnon’s path into the crease had clearly been altered by contact from Nurse of the Oilers.
Instead, the result was the first game misconduct of MacKinnon’s career.
When Inconsistency Becomes the Story
Hockey is a fast sport. Officials are human, and mistakes are inevitable over the course of an 82-game season.
But there’s a difference between the occasional missed call and a pattern of inconsistency that leaves players, coaches, and fans genuinely unsure about how the rules are being interpreted.
When blatant slashes — like the one delivered by Zach Hyman on Brock Nelson — go uncalled, or when goaltenders like Tristan Jarry can slash players such as Parker Kelly skating to the net without consequence, it becomes increasingly difficult to defend the standard being applied on the ice.
And to be clear, this isn’t about blaming the Oilers. Any team in the league would take advantage of lenient officiating if it’s clear certain plays are going to be ignored.
The responsibility lies with the league.
The NHL Can’t Afford to Ignore This
From the standpoint of the NHL and the sport as a whole, the expectation should be simple: the rules need to be enforced with as much consistency as possible.
No one is asking for perfection.
But when major penalties, game misconducts, and injury-related plays are involved, the margin for error becomes extremely small — especially with the postseason approaching.
The last thing the NHL wants is a blown call, an inconsistent interpretation, or an avoidable officiating mistake deciding an entire playoff series.
Or worse, the Stanley Cup Final.
Because in today’s era of instant replay, viral clips, and nonstop social media discussion, moments like that don’t just disappear. They linger. They get dissected from every angle. And over time, repeated controversies like these begin to chip away at something far more important than a single game result: fan trust.
And that’s something the league simply cannot afford to lose.
Kyle Teel and the White Sox might be screaming “Mama Mia!”
The Team Italy and Chicago catcher could be out for the next 4-6 weeks after he hurt himself running the bases during the Italians’ win over Team USA on Tuesday night in the World Baseball Classic
White Sox general manager Chris Getz told reporters Wednesday that Teel suffered a grade-2 hamstring strain in his right hamstring and that he would “likely” be starting the 2026 season on the injured list.
Teal got hurt during the 8-6 Italy win — which put the Americans’ chances at advancing in the tournament in peril — when he hit the ball down the first-base line and appeared to be in some discomfort as he ran to second base.
Kyle Teel of Team Italy reacts to an injury after hitting a double against Team United States in the sixth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park on March 10, 2026 in Houston, Texas. Getty Images
It was a disappointing turn of events for the 24-year-old backstop, who had an impressive showing during the World Baseball Classic.
Teel, a Ridgewood, N.J., native, hit a home run in the second inning and had four hits in six at-bats in the tournament.
Getz was happy to see Teel and infielder Sam Antonacci, representing the organization so well, but the loss of Teel took some of the “wind out of the sail.”
“But I am proud of how those guys have been representing the organization, and I’m really happy for those guys,” he said.
White Sox Manager Will Venable told reporters Wednesday that he texted with Teel to “check in on him” and to “make sure that he was in a good headspace.”
Italy catcher Kyle Teel (3) leaves the game after he injured himself after sliding into second base against the United States in the sixth inning at Daikin Park. Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
“Such a positive guy,” Venable said, according to the Chicago Tribune. “He said he was great and was optimistic that he was going to make this as quick as possible.”
Teel played in 78 games for the White Sox last season and slashed .273/.375/.411, while hitting eight homers and 11 doubles.
Those guys, of course, aren’t likely going to be playing for the Cubs this year, though Kingery might wind up at Triple-A Iowa as infield insurance.
Before that happened, the teams combined for seven home runs and the Cubs wound up batting in very weird sequences in the seventh and eighth innings. I’ll get to the latter, but let’s begin at the beginning.
Colin Rea allowed a run in the first inning on a triple and an error by Nico Hoerner, and then the Cubs got to work in the second. With two out, Carson Kelly and Dylan Carlson singled and Matt Shaw was hit by a pitch.
Gotta tell you, I am really impressed with Ramirez. He turns 22 on April 1, plays solid infield defense and has hit well this spring. Granted, spring, granted, small sample size but this is a player to keep an eye on.
So it’s 5-1 Cubs, but Rea gave that all back by allowing three home runs in the third and fourth innings. The 5-5 tie stuck until the seventh, with Caleb Thielbar and Hunter Harvey throwing efficient scoreless innings, then Hoby Milner gave up a homer to give KC a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh.
The Cubs scored a pair in the bottom of the inning and I swear to you, they batted out of order. Now, that doesn’t really matter in Spring Training but take a look at this part of the boxscore:
What happened here was this: Rojas had replaced Hoerner in the top of the seventh and should have led off the inning. Instead, Moisés Ballesteros led off and singled. Then he was replaced by Joan Delgado as a pinch-runner. THEN Rojas batted, and struck out.
Don’t ask me why. That’s what I saw. It broke Gameday for quite some time, eventually the above is what they went with. Th Cubs scored two runs, one on an RBI single by Brett Bateman, one on an RBI single by Kingery. The Cubs led 7-6 going to the eighth.
Jacob Webb gave up an unearned run thanks to an infield popup that was dropped by Halbach. In fairness, there was a bit of wind that blew the ball near the mound. That tied the game. A homer off Gavin Hollwell in the ninth gave KC the lead, then the Cubs won the game in the ninth. Justin Dean challenged a pitch that was called strike three, and it was overturned. Given another chance, Dean doubled. He scored the tying run on Kingery’s single and then Halbach won it with his double.
This might have been a meaningless spring result, but right there you can see how an ABS challenge can help change the result of the game. You can be sure the Cubs are filing that info away for future reference.
Attendance watch: 12,026 attended this Wednesday afternoon affair at Sloan Park. That makes the season total for 11 dates 132,824, or 12,076 per date.
The Cubs will host the Seattle Mariners at Sloan Park Thursday afternoon. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs and Emerson Hancock will go for Seattle. Game time is 3:05 p.m. CT. No TV Thursday, but the Mariners flagship station Seattle Sports 710 AM will have a radio broadcast.
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 09: Atlanta Braves pitcher Hayden Harris (79) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins on March 9, 2026, at CoolToday Park at North Port, Florida. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Earlier this afternoon, the Atlanta Braves optioned reliever Hayden Harris to Triple-A and reassigned starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco and relievers Elieser Hernández and James Karinchak to their minor league camp.
Harris is a mild surprise given his stand-out performance this Spring, having struck out 12 batters in five innings. His ability to be optioned – combined with Atlanta starting the season with 13 consecutive games – made his fit on the Opening Day roster a tight one barring a roster move with other relievers. Much like his 2025 minor league performance, he put himself in the position to make the team, soomething that could still happen with two weeks left until the start of the regular season.
Karinchak, the former Cleveland reliever, has also pitched well in camp as he tries to return to the big leagues for the first time since 2023 due to injuries. He has struck out nine across four innings pitched.
Mark Bowman of MLB.com believes that Karinchak will likely be with Atlanta by early April, citing the schedule as a factor in why the Braves would opt for a multi-inning reliever during the season’s first few weeks.
Here’s some clarity to yesterday’s Karinchak vs. Suarez debate. Playing 13 straight days to open the season creates reason to carry a long relief option, especially if you want to give your top starters an extra day of rest those first two weeks. Karinchak will be up soon enough.… https://t.co/dBgY81deys
Carrasco, who made his MLB debut back in 2009, made three starts with Atlanta last year and returned on a minor league deal despite his struggles in 2025. Hernandez is another veteran pitcher, who has 99 games of big league experience, but didn’t pitch in the majors last season.
The moves bring the current camp roster to 50 players.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Matt Chapman #26 of the San Francisco Giants celebrates with Willy Adames #2 after hitting a home run during the first inning of the spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at Scottsdale Stadium on February 26, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Well, we’re a month into Spring Training, and just two weeks away from Opening Day. So it seemed like a good time to dive into one of my overly verbose spring traditions: contextualized stats.
One of the hard things about judging spring results — for individuals or for teams — is that the competition varies. In one at-bat you might be facing off against a Cy Young winner, and, later in the game, you might be battling someone who got drafted in the ninth round last summer and may never make it out of A-Ball. To help you parse through that, I’ve taken a look at every single at-bat that the San Francisco Giants have had so far this spring, and broken them into four categories: at-bats against MLB regulars, at-bats against non-regulars who are on the 40-man roster, at-bats against non-roster invitees, and at-bats against players on loan from Minor League camp. For context, examples of Giants players who fit those categories would be, in order: Robbie Ray, Carson Whisenhunt, Will Bednar, and Nick Zwack.
Of course, one of the other things that makes it hard to judge Spring Training results is that the samples are so small, so me making it even more granular by cutting it into quarters may not be helping things. But it’s interesting!
In addition to tallying those totals, this year I’m adding exit velocities, since all Cactus League ballparks are equipped with Statcast data this year. That data isn’t perfect … there are a few at-bats where the exit velocities were not available. But for the most part, I’ve calculated all the EVs for all the players, so you can see how hard they’re hitting the ball — I’m including average exit velocity (the average of every batted ball); EV50 (the average of the hardest-hit 50% of the balls), and maximum EV. To help you contextualize that data, each number is accompanied by a parenthetical of where it would rank among the 389 MLB hitters who had at least 100 plate appearances last season.
These articles are best fit for off-days, but sadly/happily the Giants don’t have many of those. So apologies to all who played well in Wednesday’s 5-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, but their stats are not included.
Now let the nerding commence!
Willy Adames
vs. regulars: 2-14, 1 home run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 0-4, 1 strikeout vs. NRIs: 0-6, 2 strikeouts vs. MiLBs: 1-2, 1 strikeout
Also: 1 stolen base, 1 error, 1-for-1 on ABS challenges
Exit velocities (18 balls in play) Average EV: 89.5(185th) EV50: 97.7(331st) Max EV: 106.7 (371st)
Adames’ second spring with the Giants has not gone well, save for one glorious moment: a home run off of World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto to lead off San Francisco’s win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. If it makes you feel better, he had a red-hot spring last year, and then was ice cold to start the season. Let’s hope the opposite is being set up here.
Exit velocities (10 balls in play) Average EV: 85.8(363rd) EV50: 95.4(381st) Max EV: 100.7 (below the lowest figure of 104.2)
Giants fans haven’t gotten much of a look at Arráez in the black and orange, as he quickly departed to join Venezuela in the WBC. But his spring has been exactly what you expect of him: pesky at-bats, soft contact, and lots of hits. Things look much rosier if you look at his WBC data, which included a dynamic two home run game. There’s optimism in those at-bats that his downward trajectory on offense could be reversed this year.
Harrison Bader
vs. regulars: 1-4, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 strikeout vs. 40-mans: 1-3 vs. NRIs: 1-3 vs. MiLBs: 2-2, 1 home run, 1 double
Exit velocities (11 balls in play) Average EV: 84.9 (376th) EV50: 98.9 (276th) Max EV: 113.6 (81st)
Like Arráez, we haven’t seen much of Bader either, due to the WBC. And while the bulk of his damage has come against lower-level pitching, his 113.6-mph hit — the viral home run that damaged a food truck beyond the left field grass — lends us lots of optimism. It matched his career high, and was more than a full MPH harder than any ball he’s hit in a Major League game since 2018.
Patrick Bailey
vs. regulars: 4-11, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 sac fly vs. 40-mans: 1-2 vs. NRIs: 1-4, 1 double vs. MiLBs: 0-1, 1 strikeout
Exit velocities(16 balls in play) Average EV: 91.9 (39th) EV50: 101.6 (110th) Max EV: 109.7 (266th)
The most notable part of Bailey’s spring has been that he has been an absolute superstar at challenging pitches. He not only is great at framing baseballs, but he has an exceptional awareness of the strike zone as well. But there’s also been a lot of optimism around his bat. He’s had some very loud contact, and in 20 plate appearances has only struck out once.
Osleivis Basabe
vs. regulars: 0-4, 2 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 2-3, 1 double, 1 strikeout vs. NRIs: 3-5, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 strikeout vs. MiLBs: 3-6, 1 triple, 2 doubles, 1 strikeout
Exit velocities(13 balls in play) Average EV: 92.0 (37th) EV50: 100.2 (193rd) Max EV: 107.9 (345th)
Basabe has really impressed this spring as a non-roster invitee. He has primarily come off the bench, and all of his damage has come against non-regulars. But he’s hitting the ball hard, to go along with his strong defense (don’t let the errors fool you) across the infield.
Exit velocities(22 balls in play) Average EV: 97.8 (above the highest figure of 95.8) EV50: 104.3 (15th) Max EV: 111.9 (139th)
It’s here where I need to remind you of the limitations of small samples for batted ball data. No one is suggesting that Bericoto would have the best average exit velocity in the Majors if he spend the year with San Francisco. But my goodness has he impressed by hitting the ball hard, and hitting it often. 18 of his 22 batted balls have been at least 90 mph, while a whopping nine of them have reached triple figures. It’s been an eye-opening performance that surely has him on the radar of the coaching staff and the front office. It’s the type of showing that could factor into the team’s decision-making this summer if they’re considering calling him up for a debut.
Will Brennan
vs. regulars: 2-7, 1 strikeout vs. 40-mans: 6-10, 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts vs. NRIs: 0-2, 1 walk vs. MiLBs: 0-2
Exit velocities(18 balls in play) Average EV: 86.0 (359th) EV50: 96.4 (365th) Max EV: 106.0 (379th)
I always enjoy overanalyzing this data. Brennan has been utterly dynamic against players on the 40-man roster who aren’t regulars, and awful against everyone else, above and below that. Obviously it means nothing, but it’s funny! Brennan has been just what the Giants expected when they signed him right as camp was starting: he’s played solid defense all across the outfield, and reliably put the ball in play with soft contact. With Drew Gilbert’s ailment delaying his reps in camp, Brennan could have a shot at making the Opening Day roster if the Giants care about handedness for their fourth outfielder.
Exit velocities(2 balls in play) Average EV: 93.8 (9th) EV50: n/a Max EV: 97.3 (below the lowest figure of 104.2)
It’s been pretty clear that Cartaya is in camp as a non-roster invitee primarily because the Giants — like all teams — need people who can catch, be it for bullpens, sim games, or late in Cactus League games. He hasn’t gotten any real playing time, as the focus on him will come during the Minor League season when he’s in AAA. He was never in play to earn a role early in the season.
Matt Chapman
vs. regulars: 4-12, 1 home run, 2 doubles, 3 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 1-5 vs. NRIs: 2-3, 1 home run, 1 double, 1 strikeout vs. MiLBs: 0-1
Exit velocities(17 balls in play) Average EV: 94.3 (7th) EV50: 105.6 (6th) Max EV: 115.2 (35th)
Chapman has been absolutely smoking the baseball all spring. Six of his 17 balls in play have been at least 105 mph, and he’s also shown off by catching a few blistering balls on defense, as well. Opening Day can’t come soon enough for Chapman. Nothing but green flags over here.
Exit velocities(9 balls in play) Average EV: 94.6 (5th) EV50: 104.4 (14th) Max EV: 110.0 (193rd)
Davidson, one of the organization’s top prospects, is not in camp as an NRI to earn a spot on the team. He’s only barely gotten his feet wet in AA, where he’s likely to begin the 2026 season. But he’s here to hopefully make an impression, and get comfortable with a team that he could end up being a big part of as early as this summer. And make an impression he has. While his overall numbers haven’t been good, his at-bats have been poised, and the contact he’s made has been phenomenal. The spring has done nothing to quell his rapidly rising prospect status.
Rafael Devers
vs. regulars: 0-7, 4 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 0-3, 2 strikeouts vs. NRIs: 0-1, 1 walk vs. MiLBs: n/a
Exit velocities(5 balls in play) Average EV: 88.5 (246th) EV50: 102.1 (86th) Max EV: 105.2 (383rd)
You don’t want anyone to struggle at Spring Training, but if someone has to, Devers is probably the best man for the job. He’s probably the only hitter on the team that we should have zero worries, doubts, or questions about. He’s still looking for his first hit — but has been slowed by a long absence due to a minor hamstring injury. No concerns here: just saving his hits for the season.
Bryce Eldridge
vs. regulars: 4-14, 1 triple, 2 doubles, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 1-6, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 4 strikeouts vs. NRIs: 2-7, 1 home run, 1 double, 1 strikeout vs. MiLBs: 1 walk
Totals:7-27, 1 home run, 1 triple, 3 doubles, 6 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 11 strikeouts, .967 OPS, 146 wRC+
Also:2-for-3 on ABS challenges
Exit velocities(16 balls in play) Average EV: 92.7 (23rd) EV50: 104.4 (14th) Max EV: 113.0 (97th)
The biggest question when Spring Training began was this: will Bryce Eldridge be on the Opening Day roster? A month later, the biggest question is this: will Bryce Eldridge be on the Opening Day roster? He hasn’t completely forced the issue: his strikeout rate of 32.4% leaves a bit to be desired. But my goodness has he looked impressive. The quality of the at-bats has been exceptional, and the loudness of his contact has been … well … loud. He’s even looked quite good at first base. The question of his Opening Day status still needs to be answered, but the question of how dynamic his bat can be sure does not.
Exit velocities(23 balls in play) Average EV: 97.0 (above the highest figure of 95.8) EV50: 106.6 (4th) Max EV: 115.6 (28th)
Encarnación’s spring has been a microcosm of his time with the Giants: absurdly hard contact that hasn’t really resulted in much. When you look at the batted ball data, you can see why the Giants remain enamored with him: four of his 23 balls in play have been 110+ mph, nine have been in triple figures, and 18 have been at least 90 mph. But with those hard-hit balls not translating in much damage, and with the players around him performing well, his path to the Opening Day roster is slipping. That said, he’s been coming alive in recent games, and is the player who is most negatively impacted by me publishing this article today, as he hit a home run in the team’s Wednesday game.
Exit velocities(16 balls in play) Average EV: 84.3 (387th) EV50: 93.0 (below the lowest figure of 93.6) Max EV: 103.1 (below the lowest figure of 104.2)
There’s really no sugarcoating it: Fitzgerald has had an absolutely miserable spring. He’s mostly looked helpless, with swings-and-misses galore, and when he does make contact it’s been woefully soft. In 26 plate appearances, he’s only hit the ball harder than 85 mph five times. Unfortunately, there aren’t any bright spots to find — he’s been awful against the regulars, but very poor against the NRIs as well. The Giants have played him a little bit in the outfield, so he’s at least staying ready as a utility player on defense, should he re-find his mid-2024 bat.
Nate Furman
vs. regulars: 1-3, 1 home run, 2 walks, 1 strikeout vs. 40-mans: 0-5, 1 hit by pitch, 3 strikeouts vs. NRIs: 1-8, 1 double, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts vs. MiLBs: 2-4
Totals:4-20, 1 home run, 1 double, 4 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 7 strikeouts, .760 OPS, 102 wRC+
Also:2 stolen bases
Exit velocities(13 balls in play) Average EV: 88.9 (220th) EV50: 96.2(366th) Max EV: 102.5(below the lowest figure of 104.2)
Furman was perhaps the most surprising inclusion in the list of non-roster invitees this spring, but it speaks to how high the Giants are on his contact-oriented bat. Unfortunately, the upper-level talent has highlighted his inexperience a little bit. Furman has only played 21 AA games, and so it seems fitting that he went 2-4 with no strikeouts against fellow Minor Leaguers, and 2-16 with seven strikeouts against more experienced pitchers. That’s a far cry from the .369 average and 11.7% strikeout rate he had in the Minors last year.
Drew Gilbert
vs. regulars: 0-1, 1 strikeout vs. 40-mans: 1-1 vs. NRIs: 2-6, 1 walk, 1 strikeout vs. MiLBs: 0-4, 1 strikeout
Exit velocities(9 balls in play) Average EV: 74.3 (below the lowest figure of 83.9) EV50: 89.2 (below the lowest figure of 93.6) Max EV: 106.9 (369th)
Nothing has gone right for Gilbert this spring. He entered camp as the favorite to win the fourth outfield role, but suffered a shoulder impingement and had to miss a good chunk of time. He only just returned on Tuesday, but as a designated hitter, as he hasn’t yet been cleared to throw. When he has been on the field, he’s been unable to do damage, with very soft contact all around. He’ll play a big role on the Giants this year, but it’s looking unlikely that he’s standing on the chalk at Oracle Park on March 25.
Eric Haase
vs. regulars: 1-6, 2 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 1-4, 1 home run, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts vs. NRIs: 0-3, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts vs. MiLBs: 3-9, 1 home run, 5 strikeouts
Also:5 stolen bases allowed, 2-for-4 on ABS challenges
Exit velocities(11 balls in play) Average EV: 84.8 (378th) EV50: 99.1 (271st) Max EV: 105.3 (383rd)
Haase entered camp needing to make a strong case for himself if he wanted to win the backup catcher role. Unfortunately, he’s struggled to do that. While his OPS and wRC+ are fine thanks to his pair of home runs, it’s been a tough go of it for him this spring. He’s just 2-13 against non-Minor Leaguers, and is sporting a strikeout rate that is dangerously close to 50%. Despite the tie for the team lead in home runs, his batted ball data has been fairly grim. It certainly looks like he’ll be the third catcher, starting the year in AAA.
vs. regulars: 2-9, 1 double, 1 hit by pitch, 3 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 2-8, 2 strikeouts vs. NRIs: 1-3, 1 home run, 1 walk vs. MiLBs: 1-2, 1 walk, 1 sac fly
Totals:6-22, 1 home run, 1 double, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 1 sac fly, 5 strikeouts, .801 OPS, 102 wRC+
Also:1 stolen base, 1 error, 1-for-2 on ABS challenges
Exit velocities(17 balls in play) Average EV: 94.6 (5th) EV50: 103.6 (31st) Max EV: 111.8 (143rd)
Like Davidson, Harber came to camp hoping to impress his future coaches and teammates, and get comfortable at the level for the future. The rising star prospect has yet to experience life in AA, so an Opening Day spot was never up for grabs. But he has absolutely impressed. While big league regulars and 40-man pitchers have mostly gotten the better of him, his exit velocities have been as impressive as his reputation said they would be. A very successful first camp.
vs. regulars: 4-8, 1 home run, 1 double, 2 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 0-4 vs. NRIs: 2-9, 1 hit by pitch, 1 sac fly, 1 strikeout vs. MiLBs: 1-4, 1 strikeout
Totals:7-25, 1 home run, 1 double, 1 hit by pitch, 1 sac fly, 4 strikeouts, .736 OPS, 81 wRC+
Exit velocities(22 balls in play) Average EV: 84.0 (388th) EV50: 95.6 (380th) Max EV: 108.7 (311th)
Holton came to the Giants with hopes of seeing a higher level of baseball. He was promoted to the Detroit Tigers AA affiliate late in the 2022 season … and never made it past that level, spending three consecutive full seasons at the level. He’s shown some things in camp with the Giants, including nice numbers against MLB regulars. But on the whole, he hasn’t made too much of an impression. The batted ball data has been quite poor … in 31 plate appearances, he has just three triple-digits balls in play. Not quite what you hope for out of a first baseman, but Holton has shown some strong contact skills, and should make good depth in AAA.
Buddy Kennedy
vs. regulars: 0-4, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 0-3, 1 walk, 1 strikeout vs. NRIs: 5-11, 2 home runs, 1 triple, 1 sac fly, 1 strikeout vs. MiLBs: 1-2
Exit velocities(17 balls in play) Average EV: 86.6 (343rd) EV50: 95.2 (383rd) Max EV: 103.0 (below the lowest figure of 104.2)
After many thousands of words, we finally get to a player who highlights why I track this data. Kennedy is having an awesome spring, as an OPS that doesn’t start with a decimal point suggests. But he’s done that damaage exclusively against pitchers who aren’t on Major League rosters: he’s 6-13 with three extra-base hits and just one strikeout against such pitchers, while hitting just 0-7 with three strikeouts against rostered arms. And that’s one of the reasons why he’ll be in AAA when the season begins.
vs. regulars: 1-6, 2 walks, 1 strikeout vs. 40-mans: 1-3, 1 walk, 1 strikeout vs. NRIs: 2-4, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch vs. MiLBs: 2-4
Totals:6-17, 5 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 2 strikeouts, .875 OPS, 154 wRC+
Also:1 caught stealing
Exit velocities(15 balls in play) Average EV: 87.1 (327th) EV50: 99.6 (232nd) Max EV: 104.4 (387th)
Koss also has performed much worse against the rostered pitchers, but it’s notable that he’s had a good chunk of playing time against them. It certainly seems that the current coaching staff values him as much as the previous one did, and that the front office still loves him. The numbers aren’t exciting, but he’s done nothing to suggest he’s lost his spot on the active roster. He’s missed a little time, but thankfully not due to injury: instead, due to his wife giving birth! Congratulations to the whole family.
Jung Hoo Lee
vs. regulars: 1-3 vs. 40-mans: 1-5 vs. NRIs: 1-1 vs. MiLBs: 2-3, 1 triple
Totals:5-12, 1 triple, 1.000 OPS, 157 wRC+
Also:2 outfield assists
Exit velocities (11 balls in play) Average EV: 91.6 (50th) EV50: 99.6 (232nd) Max EV: 105.8 (380th)
We didn’t get to see much of Lee before he departed for the WBC, but what we did see was right on brand: he came to the plate 11 times, and 11 times he put the ball in play. Most noteworthy for Lee this spring is that he looked comfortable in right field, and that the Giants still used him as a backup in center field.
Luis Matos
vs. regulars: 3-9, 1 double, 1 walk, 2 hit by pitches, 1 strikeout vs. 40-mans: 1-6, 1 home run, 1 hit by pitch vs. NRIs: 3-8, 1 home run vs. MiLBs: 1-5, 1 double
Totals:9-28, 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 1 walk, 3 hit by pitches, 1 strikeout, 1.013 OPS, 159 wRC+
Also:1 stolen base
Exit velocities(27 balls in play) Average EV: 91.1 (76th) EV50: 101.5 (114th) Max EV: 110.0 (247th)
Matos entered camp needing a lot to go his way to break camp with the team. So far a lot has gone his way. Gilbert has been mediocre and injured, while Encarnación has not played up to his potential. And most importantly, Matos has played wonderfully, with an average in the 300s, an on-base percentage in the 400s, and a slugging percentage in the 600s. He’s done it against all levels of talent, and certainly is making a strong case that the Giants should keep him on the Opening Day roster, rather than losing him on waivers.
vs. regulars: 2-6, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 strikeout vs. 40-mans: 0-3, 1 walk, 1 strikeout vs. NRIs: 2-8, 1 home run, 3 walks, 1 sac fly, 2 strikeouts vs. MiLBs: 1-5, 1 walk
Totals:5-22, 1 home run, 6 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 1 sac fly, 4 strikeouts, .764 OPS, 108 wRC+
Exit velocities(19 balls in play) Average EV: 87.1 (327th) EV50: 103.5 (32nd) Max EV: 108.5 (320th)
It’s been something of a funny spring for McCray, who has been making his mark by drawing free passes, which is not his usual way of doing business (in his Major League career he has a sky-high 42.9% strikeout rate, and just a 5.1% walk rate). He’s looked comfortable against all levels of pitchers, and has shown some pop: six of his 19 balls in play have been hit at at least 105 mph. He’s certainly in play for an Opening Day spot, though not the favorite.
vs. regulars: 4-11, 1 double, 1 hit by pitch, 2 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 1-4, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts vs. NRIs: 3-8, 1 double, 3 strikeouts vs. MiLBs: 1-1
Totals:9-24, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 7 strikeouts, .903 OPS, 143 wRC+
Also:7 stolen bases, 1 caught stealing, 0-for-1 on ABS challenges
Exit velocities(16 balls in play) Average EV: 86.1 (356th) EV50: 97.8 (324th) Max EV: 109.4 (282nd)
Oliva has certainly impressed this spring, and it’s notable that he’s done well against MLB regulars. But as a 30-year old non-roster invitee, it seems that he is destined to begin the year in AAA. But he’s opened eyes — seven stolen bases! — and I fully expect to see him on the roster at some point this year.
Logan Porter
vs. regulars: n/a vs. 40-mans: n/a vs. NRIs: 0-3, 1 hit by pitch, 2 strikeouts vs. MiLBs: 0-1
Totals:0-4, 1 hit by pitch, 2 strikeouts, .200 OPS, -25 wRC+
Also:2 runners thrown out, 1 stolen base allowed, 0-for-1 on ABS challenges
Exit velocities(2 balls in play) Average EV: 77.1 (below the lowest figure of 83.1) EV50: n/a Max EV: 84.4 (below the lowest figure of 104.2)
Like Cartaya, Porter isn’t in camp with the opportunity to win a job. He’s there because they need lots of catchers, and so he can build rapport and familiarity with the pitchers for when he’s inevitably added to the roster sometime during the season when the team is dealing with injuries.
Heliot Ramos
vs. regulars: 3-5, 1 home run, 2 doubles, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch vs. 40-mans: 2-4, 1 hit by pitch, 1 strikeout vs. NRIs: 2-2, 1 double vs. MiLBs: n/a
Totals:7-11, 1 home run, 3 doubles, 1 walk, 2 hit by pitches, 1 strikeout, 1.896 OPS, 371 wRC+
Exit velocities(10 balls in play) Average EV: 96.5 (above the highest mark of 95.8) EV50: 105.2(7th) Max EV: 107.7 (350th)
We only saw a brief bit of Ramos and his bleached hair before he headed off to help Puerto Rico in the WBC, but what we saw was electric. He had four extra-base hits in 14 plate appearances, with all four coming against right-handed pitchers, and three going to the opposite field. Half of the balls he put in play were hit at 102.6 mph or harder, and he made no foibles in the field or blunders on the bases. And he did all of that without facing any players on loan from Minor League camp.
Jesús Rodríguez
vs. regulars: 1-6, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 strikeout vs. 40-mans: 2-6, 1 double, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts vs. NRIs: 4-9, 1 home run, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 strikeout vs. MiLBs: 1-1
Exit velocities(18 balls in play) Average EV: 93.0 (19th) EV50: 101.0 (140th) Max EV: 105.7 (381st)
It speaks to Rodríguez’s consistency that his average EV is so high, when his EV50 is more middle of the pack, and his max EV is near the very bottom. He just reliably hits the ball with decent, but not overwhelming velocity. The young catcher — who has also played second base and left field this spring — has shown why the Giants are enamored with his contact skills, but has also displayed that he’s probably not quite ready for the Majors. It doesn’t really feel like he’s been given a shot to win a roster spot.
Exit velocities(24 balls in play) Average EV: 89.3 (196th) EV50: 100.0 (204th) Max EV: 109.3 (284th)
It’s been a mild-mannered spring for Schmitt, but it’s clear how the organization feels about him. His splits are less about how he’s performed, and more about how much he’s performed: 24 of his 31 plate appearances have come against rostered pitchers. The Giants, it seems, view Schmitt as a starter who has just been forced into a bench role by better options. And while the numbers haven’t been particularly good, they haven’t been concerning, either.
Daniel Susac
vs. regulars: 0-7, 4 strikeouts vs. 40-mans: 1-1 vs. NRIs: 4-10, 1 double, 1 strikeout vs. MiLBs: 2-4, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Exit velocities(16 balls in play) Average EV: 91.4 (55th) EV50: 104.6 (11th) Max EV: 108.8 (309th)
It’s been a spring of good and bad for Susac. On the one hand, his offensive numbers have been fairly pedestrian (though the would have been better had one of his doubles been correctly ruled a home run), and he’s been downright awful against rostered pitchers. On the other hand, he’s absolutely blistered the ball: seven of his 16 balls in play have exceeded 102 mph. He’s had baserunners take bags from him effectively, and been a bit of a mess with the challenge system, but he’s otherwise looked good defensively. Ultimately, Susac entered camp as the favorite to win the backup catcher job, and it sure looks like he’s going to do exactly that. That makes it a good spring for the Rule 5 pick.
Minor Leaguers
There’s no use doing full write-ups for the players on loan from Minor League camp, but here’s how they’ve done at the plate:
Maui Ahuna: 1-1, 1 double Rod Barajas Jr.: 0-1 Trevor Cohen:1 walk Jonah Cox: 0-2, 1 strikeout Josuar González: 1-3, 1 strikeout Dakota Jordan: 0-2, 1 strikeout Gavin Kilen:0-1, 1 walk Lorenzo Meola: 1 walk Jean Carlos Sio: 2-5, 1 home run, 1 strikeout
No "cautious optimism" needed here as Austin Hays is officially dialed in. | (David Durochik/Getty Images)
The White Sox dropped their second straight, this time 8-4 to the Angels. The bats showed up early, but the South Siders’ issues with stranding runners (2-for-18) continued. Their 4-0 early lead was gone in a blink, as the Halos rattled off eight straight runs and left the Sox staring at an 11-9 spring record.
The Good Guys got to Alek Manoah right out of the gate. Chase Meidroth took a walk, Colson Montgomery slapped a single, and then Austin Hays, still on his spring heater, drove a three-run shot to left. That’s three homers for Hays in the Cactus League. Enjoy it all now because if he keeps this up, he’s probably gone at the deadline.
Montgomery piled on in the third, yanking a 91.7 mph fastball 362 feet to right. 4-0 Sox, and for a fleeting moment, everything was feeling pretty good.
The wheels started to wobble in the fourth. Tristan Peters, fresh off robbing Logan O’Hoppe with a highlight-reel grab, doubled to start things off, and Korey Lee followed with a single. Lee’s all but punched his ticket to the roster with Kyle Teel out, and he’s been one of the few bright spots this spring. But with the bases juiced, Meidroth and Montgomery fizzled, and the Sox let the Angels right back in the door.
Anthony Kay did his job: four innings, one earned, four punchouts. But the bullpen? Not so much. Jo Adell finally broke through with a 469-foot moonshot in the fourth, but the real meltdown was still to come in the sixth.
Rule 5 flyer Alexander Alberto lit up the radar gun at 100, but couldn’t find the zone. Walk, stolen base, two straight singles, and suddenly the Angels were breathing down Chicago’s neck. Jake Palisch came in to put out the fire and instead handed Oswald Peraza the game-tying knock.
The Sox had a golden chance in the sixth, facing Angels blue-chipper Tyler Bremner making his debut. Bremner looked every bit the rookie, walking Lee and Oliver Dunn to open the inning. But the Good Guys went limp: Benintendi froze for strike three, then Meidroth and Montgomery rolled over. Another rally, dead on arrival.
The Halos took the lead for good in the seventh, teeing off on Tyler Gilbert with a Chris Taylor homer and back-to-back triples. The defense didn’t help matters, either, as Jason Matthews threw away two balls at third in the ninth, gifting the Angels an extra run.
The South Siders went down quietly in their half of the ninth. Jacob Gonzalez tried to get things going with a leadoff base hit, but the Sox quickly fizzled out, never threatening a real comeback.
The White Sox get another shot tomorrow night in Scottsdale, squaring off with the Giants under the lights. First pitch at 8:05 PM CT. Ryan Borucki takes the ball for the Good Guys, looking to keep his spotless spring rolling against a Giants squad steamrolling at 14-3.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Cole Young #2 of the Seattle Mariners bats during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on February 23, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you take out the eight runs given up by Casey Lawrence in the final three innings, this game is a decisive win for the Mariners, and I invite you to live in that reality instead of this one, where the Mariners lose 11-7 to the Colorado Rockies, which even in Spring Training, feels embarrassing. But let us focus on some individual strong performances today: a solid start from Luis Castillo in his third spring tuneup, a great day by Cole Young, and some very strong performances from the bullpen.
Castillo got some of his signature Houdini moves out of the way early in this one. Leadoff hitter Tyler Freeman singled on Castillo’s second pitch of the game and then immediately stole second, advancing to third on an overthrow by Mitch Garver to put a runner on third with no outs. Despite a walk to Charlie Condon, Castillo was able to wiggle out of trouble with an easy popout, a strikeout on the slider, and a flyout to deny the Rockies a high-percentage-chance score.
Unfortunately Castillo’s occasional homer problem also cropped up in this game, with Adael Amador dropping the barrel on a 93.4 mph fastball right in the lefty loop zone for a solo homer to lead off the second. Castillo was able to cap the damage there, however, despite a Nicky Lopez double.
The Mariners got that run right back for Castillo in the bottom of the inning. J.P. Crawford looped an opposite field single (a beautiful sentence, that) and Cole Young drove him home on an opposite-field double, a very satisfying pair of hits.
Connor Joe then drove a pitch right back at Rockies starter Chase Dollander, using that up-the-middle approach he’s been showing off this spring and both getting a double out of it and scoring Young from second to give the Mariners a 2-1 advantage.
But the Rockies continued to swing it against Castillo, who dealt with runners in scoring position in every inning. Brett Sullivan doubled on a slider in the third, eventually coming around to score on a sacrifice fly to tie up the game.
Chase Dollander had some command issues in the third, hitting Refsnyder and Garver, neither of whom were happy about it (Garver had the stronger complaint about it, getting 97 right on the back). A wild pitch moved them both into scoring position, and then J.P. Crawford checked in with yet another opposite-field hit to score Refsnyder. Cole Young then took 98.5 right back where it came from, smoking an RBI single at 105.8 mph right up the middle over the second baseman’s head to double up the lead on the Rockies, 4-2.
Luis Castillo pitched to one batter in the fourth inning, getting Amador—who had homered earlier—to ground out, and then José Ferrer took over. Ferrer looked nasty, striking out the two hitters he faced.
In the fifth we got to see our first Matt Brash appearance of the spring. Brash, whose slider command looked a little wonky, got a pair of soft-contact lineouts before the third one dropped for a base hit. Dan Wilson then brought in Carlos Vargas and Charlie Condon greeted him rudely, turning on a sinker well inside and just muscling it down the left-field line for an RBI double. That was poor luck, but walking Troy Johnston on five pitches was bad process. To his credit, Vargas was able to bounce back and strike out Braxton Fulford, which is not a name of a baseball player but a company that sells commemorative plates, getting him swinging after a 96 mph cutter up.
The Mariners were able to add a run in the sixth, thanks to Colt Emerson smoking a line-drive single and then stealing second base. Rhylan Thomas then drove him home on a double. But the Rockies struck right back against Casey Lawrence in the seventh, tagging him for three runs on some hard contact and giving the Rockies a 6-5 advantage.
One of those runs had come thanks to an error on new shortstop Brock Rodden, and the normally sure-handed Brockstar made up for it in the seventh by sending a Brocket to the moon for a game-tying solo home run. Because he is secretly very selfish and look-at-me and not the nice humble scion of Pittsburgh he pretends to be*, Cole Young immediately trumped that with a majestic moonshot of his own that made me say “jeebus” out loud in the press box. 108.7 off the bat! Cole Young is a power hitter, tell your friends.
*this is A Joke do not come for meCole Cultists
That’s a three-hit day for Cole Young this afternoon here in Peoria — all of them loud.
Unfortunately, Casey Lawrence couldn’t stop the onslaught of runs from the Rockies B-squad. He gave up a three-run tank in the eighth to put the Rockies up 9-7, and another two-run shot in the ninth to put the game well out of reach, and that’s all that needs to be said about that. Just watch the Cole Young homer a few more times.
Other notes:
Colt Emerson got the start at third today and made a solid catch on a sun ball in the first. In the third, he made a nice charging play on a slow-rolling (58.2 EV) grounder to get the runner at first.
Victor Robles worked a walk in the first inning, which is very good to see. He did get thrown out running from first to third on a single, which was less good, but it was nice to see Victor flying around the bases again.
Rob Refsnyder checked in with a solid base hit off righty Chase Dollander, whose name I promise I only said like Ilya saying “Hollander” a couple of times to myself in the press box.
Michael Arroyo, freshly returned from the WBC, got into the game in the sixth, playing in left field. He didn’t get to do much at the plate because he had to wait a while to get a turn to bat, and then in his second at-bat he got hit square in the back with a pitch. He got a challenge in LF in the eighth inning, but wasn’t able to reel in what would have been a very very tough catch on a ball slicing quickly to his right. He made a good effort though!
In the sixth, Cole Young made a play where he had to go to his right, which was a problem for him last year, and although it was routine, it came off the bat at 107 mph and he fielded the ball cleanly and made a solid throw to first. He then made a similar, even more difficult play like that in the seventh, ranging even further to his right and making a nice cross-body throw. This has been a problem for Young in the past so it’s good to see.
Yosver Zulueta pitched another scoreless inning, adding another two strikeouts, and continues to be quietly very good this spring.
Connor Joe tripled in the home run parade of the seventh but was stranded at third. The ball came off his bat at 102.3 mph for another hard-hit ball from Joe, who is just smacking the ball around this spring in a way his ice-blue Statcast sliders would belie. I talked to Joe today a little about how he’s liking Mariner camp and what he feels like he might have unlocked here so keep an eye out for that soon-ish.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Ana Beatriz Passos scored 12 points, Ana Pinheiro and Hope Hassmann each added 11, and top-seeded Idaho beat No. 2 seed Montana State 60-57 on Wednesday night to win the Big Sky Conference Tournament and clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade
Idaho (29-5) won its first regular season conference title since 2019 and its first Big Sky Conference Tournament since 2016. Second-year coach Arthur Moreira — the first Brazilian head coach in Division I history — led the Vandals to a program record for single-season wins. Idaho won 28 games in the 1984-85 season.
Debora dos Santos grabbed 10 rebounds to go with nine points for the Vandals.
Taylee Chirrick made a layup, and Ella Johnson hit a 3-pointer — her only points of the game — to cut Montana State’s deficit to a point with 54 seconds left, but the Bobcats didn’t score again.
Hassmann made 2 of 6 from the free-throw line from there, and Lorena Barbosa blocked a potential tying 3-point shot by Johnson with about a second left.
Chirrick had 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting for the Bobcats (25-7), the 2025 Big Sky Conference Tournament champion.
The Bobcats scored seven of the first nine second-half points to tie it 38-all, but dos Santos responded with a layup before Kyra Gardner and Ella Uriarte made 3s as the Vandals led the rest of the way.
Montana State beat the Vandals 99-66 at home Jan. 10 and lost 73-70 at Idaho on Feb. 5.
Up next
Montana State: Hopes for a potential postseason invitation.
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Javohn Garcia scored a career-high 31 points and made five 3-pointers, and No. 2 seed McNeese beat top-seeded Stephen F. Austin 76-59 on Wednesday to claim the Southland Tournament championship and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
McNeese (28-5) became the first team in 10 years to reach and win three straight Southland Tournament title games since Stephen F. Austin did so from 2013–16.
Garcia finished 11 of 18 from the floor and grabbed five rebounds in 33 minutes — a day after playing 48 minutes in a triple-overtime win over UT Rio Grande Valley. Larry Johnson added 18 points and Tyshawn Archie had 17.
McNeese did not trail in the game, jumping out to a 29-20 lead behind five 3-pointers from Garcia. The Cowboys went into the break ahead 42-25.
Keon Thompson, the conference player of the year, led the Lumberjacks (28-5) with 18 points, while Kam Burton added 10. Stephen F. Austin shot 37% from the floor and 24% from behind the arc.
Up next
The Cowboys return to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history.
