Category: Sports News

Alright, it’s time to make your official prediction for the season.

We have talked all offseason long about the Phillies and the moves they made and didn’t make. There has been gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, all the marks of people unhappy with what they have accomplished in the player acquisition department.

Now, we ask the big question:

It’s the question that is the ultimate judge of team success. There might be many versions of players ups and downs this season, but this is a team game, one where they are all judged on what sort of finish they have. Should someone like Cristopher Sanchez take another step forward in his career, that won’t matter to some without a certain threshold cleared. Should Bryce Harper channel his offseason annoyance at the POBO into an elite, MVP caliber season, it won’t matter unless the team wins.

What say you?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Phillies fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The San Francisco Giants waited longer than usual to announce their first round of camp cuts this Spring Training, which is perhaps partially due to a new coaching staff wanting to get familiar with everybody, but probably mostly due to the roster logistics required after losing players to the World Baseball Classic. But once they got the cuts started, they just kept coming.

On Tuesday — their final off-day before the season starts in eight days — the Giants announced their fourth wave of camp cuts, following their flurry of reassignments in the past few days. This time it’s just a pair of players: right-handed pitcher Blade Tidwell, who was optioned to AAA Sacramento, and first baseman Jake Holton, who was reassigned to Minor League camp. For anyone confused by the verbiage of those differing cuts, it’s simply because Tidwell is on the 40-man roster and Holton is not.

Tidwell, who was part of the Tyler Rogers trade at last year’s deadline, impressed in his first Spring Training with the organization, while also not looking ready for an MLB job. The small sample size did him in, as he got tattooed with a 9.45 ERA in 6.2 innings across five appearances, but he showed absolute gas with a fastball that tickled the periphery of triple digits, while striking out 13 batters in those 6.2 innings (he also walked six batters). In addition to those five Cactus League appearances, he pitched for the Giants in their exhibition game against Team USA, and while it didn’t go well — he ceded five earned runs in 2.2 innings — he had some impressive pitches, and struck out stars Roman Anthony and Gunnar Henderson.

He’ll start the season in Sacramento’s rotation, along with a few other high-profile arms for the Giants. It seems all but certain that, health permitting, we’ll see Tidwell in San Francisco at some point this year, perhaps filling in for the Giants rotation, or perhaps in a role as a heat-throwing high-leverage reliever.

Notably, while this is the fourth round of cuts, Tidwell was the first player that the Giants have optioned this spring. That speaks both to the unresolved camp battles at play, and the smattering of players on the 40-man roster who don’t have options.

As for Holton, he got a lot of playing time as an NRI, appearing in 19 games and getting 37 plate appearances. He didn’t hit very well, though, as he went 7-34 with two extra-base hits, seven strikeouts, and one walk, for a .680 OPS and a 71 wRC+, with fairly soft contact. Holton has spent the last three seasons (plus the end of 2022) in AA for the Detroit Tigers, but it seems likely that he’ll begin this year with his first taste of AAA, and will likely serve as emergency depth a la Trenton Brooks two years ago.

The Giants began camp with 19 NRIs, and are now down to 10 (they’ve assigned 10 to Minor League camp, while adding one in Joey Lucchesi). Add in Tidwell’s optioning, and the team has trimmed its roster to 49 players … which means they still need to make 23 cuts (or IL placements) before next Wednesday.

The Mets settled for their second tie of the spring as nine innings were not enough to determine a winner in their game against the Marlins. The game ended 5-5, though the Mets at one point led 5-1 until the late innings.

• Sean Manaea had his best start of the spring, hurling four perfect innings against Miami. It was a welcome sight for Manaea, who has struggled with a velocity dip and uneven performances so far as he tries to prove himself following an injury-plagued and ineffective 2025 campaign. He struck out four batters and threw 36 of his 52 pitches (69%) for strikes.
• The Mets got all of their offense from Bo Bichette, who drove in all five runs. Facing Sandy Alcantara in the third inning, Bichette doubled home Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. With the score 2-1 in the seventh, Bichette hit a three-run home run against Robby Snelling to extend New York’s lead.
• Craig Kimbrel came in to relieve Manaea and allowed one run on one hit, with one walk and no strikeouts. The run came on an Esteury Ruiz single, which plated Owen Caissie.
• Tobias Myers pitched a scoreless sixth but allowed a run on a Ruiz sacrifice fly in the seventh. Myers allowed just the one run on one hit, with two walks and three strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings.
• Jacob Jenkins-Cowart hit a game-tying, three-run home run against Colton Cosper in the bottom of the eighth, and that was the end of the scoring on the afternoon.
• Francisco Lindor got the start at short and played six innings in the field. He went one-for-four with two strikeouts and a run scored.
• Semien got two hits in three at-bats and scored two of New York’s five runs. Taylor also had two hits for the Mets, while Brett Baty, starting in right field, also had a base hit. Catchers Luis Torrens and Ben Rortvedt each picked up one hit.

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It’s time for the grand finale of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

The United States enters the title game looking to capture its second WBC crown after falling short in 2023, while Venezuela is chasing history with its first-ever championship appearance.

Team USA advanced with a 2-1 semifinal win over the Dominican Republic, leaning on strong pitching and just enough power to get through, even with some controversial calls. Solo home runs provided the offense, while the bullpen shut the door late against one of the tournament’s most dangerous lineups.

Venezuela, on the other hand, advanced with another comeback victory, topping Italy 4-2 thanks to a decisive three-run seventh inning. Big hits from stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. fueled the rally, continuing a trend of late-game heroics throughout the knockout rounds.

With MLB stars on both lineups, this matchup promises fireworks from the very first pitch.

WBC 2026: Venezuela vs. USA start time

Tonight’s (March 15) World Baseball Classic semifinal between USA and Dominican Republic is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch Venezuela vs. USA for free

If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the game for free.

Sling TV is one of our favorite ways to watch TV live and stream live baseball; its affordable Select plan includes FOX and starts at $19.99/month.

DIRECTV is another great service to try — its five-day free trial includes ABC and you can save $35 on your first month.

Venezuela vs. USA pitchers

Eduardo Rodriguez will start for Venezuela, while Mets starter Nolan McLean will be on the mound for Team USA.

Venezuela and USA starting lineups

1. Ronald Acuña Jr. , RF
2. Maikel Garcia, 3B
3. Luis Arraez, 1B
4. Eugenio Suárez, DH
5. Gleyber Torres, 2B
6. Ezequiel Tovar, SS
7. Wilyer Abreu, LF
8. Salvador Perez, C
9. Jackson Chourio, CF

• Bobby Witt Jr., SS
• Bryce Harper, 1B
• Aaron Judge, RF
• Kyle Schwarber, DH
• Alex Bregman, 3B
• Roman Anthony, LF
• Will Smith, C
• Brice Turang, 2B
• Byron Buxton, CF

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

On this episode of The Dodgers Post, Jack Harris and Dylan Hernández wrap up the latest news as Dodgers spring training winds up.

The begin with the team’s unsurprising decision to name Yoshinobu Yamamoto its opening day starter –– and how it sets up a potentially Cy Young-caliber season for the reigning World Series MVP.

The evaluate the rest of the Dodgers’ rotation, which remains somewhat in flux as camp enters its final days.

Then, they pick their biggest standouts –– and biggest disappointment –– from spring training this year.

Also, they discuss their feelings about the Dodgers selling naming rights to the playing surface at Dodger Stadium.

Yankees fans got some good news on Tuesday morning, learning that rehabbing ace Gerrit Cole would grace our television screens on Wednesday against the Red Sox in a one-inning cameo. He’s still probably two months (or more) off from a regular-season appearance, but it’ll be a great sign. He and All-Star lefty Carlos Rodón will start the year on the injured list, so while we can dream of a potent rotation in the summer, the Yanks will have to survive April and May in the meantime.

One player who will have a lot to play for in those opening weeks will be Will Warren, coming off an up-and-down rookie season that did see him lead all rookies in innings pitched. Still, with all the talented arms on the roster, his rotation spot is hardly guaranteed when Rodón and Cole are healthy.

While spring training results never mean too much, a young starter making strides is still encouraging, and that’s what Warren has done. He’s allowed just three earned runs in 20.1 innings this spring, including a strong four-plus inning outing in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Rays. JC Escarra provided much of the offense through eight innings, but minor league infielder Coby Morales played hero after both teams emptied the benches in the ninth.

Trent Grisham got off to a good start in this one, lining a first-pitch single to right field off Ryan Pepiot. The Rays’ starter would rebound to retire the next three, all on flyouts, with Ben Rice narrowly missing out on a two-run homer after pummeling a ball foul. Warren got off to a strong start for the Yanks, striking out Yandy Diaz and inducing a pair of groundouts to get through a quick, 1-2-3 frame.

The second would be much shakier for Pepiot, who, after inducing a groundout from Paul DeJong, gave up a moonshot to JC Escarra, who’s making a tremendous case for the Opening Day roster as the backup catcher. 438 feet, 108.4 mph off the bat, and a 1-0 Yankees lead. Pepiot would allow another pair of baserunners, but the Escarra homer was the only real damage.

Warren walked Cedric Mullins to open the bottom half of the second on six pitches, but rebounded to retire the next three in order, dialing the fastball up to 95.6 mph to get Hunter Fedducia swinging to end the inning. Pepiot had a clean third, cutting through the heart of the order. Diaz would get the game’s first hit off of Warren with two outs in the third, but would be stranded after a filthy 1-2 changeup got Jonathan Aranda to chase.

The top of the Yankees’ order was jumping all over Pepiot once he got to the third time through, but the balls kept finding gloves. After a Grisham walk, Rice hit a 104.4 mph lineout, and Jasson Domínguez hammered a long flyball that died on the track thanks to swirling winds.

Warren’s outing took a bad turn in the fifth, where the good luck he got to start the game reversed itself with two sub-85 mph hits that put runners on the corners with nobody out, chasing the 26-year-old for Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest. He jumped ahead of Williamson, but yielded a run after a Baltimore chop forced the Yankees’ defense to settle for a forceout, allowing Gavin Lux to score. Winquest was able to get out of the jam from there, blowing a 96 mph fastball by Aranda to end the inning.

Jake Bird took over for Winquest in the sixth and put his filthy arsenal to work, striking out Caminero on a sweeper and Mullins on a curveball. While a third strikeout was overturned to a walk by ABS against Ryan Vilade, he powered a cutter past Lux to finish off the inning one batter later.

The Yankees offense largely went quiet as the day wore on. They threatened in the eighth, putting two baserunners on against Joe Boyle, but stranded them both. Escarra finished his day 2-for-4 with a home run and some loud outs, an impressive day for him. Yovanny Cruz got the ball in the eighth and lit up the radar gun, throwing six pitches in triple digits in an impressive inning that saw him strike out Diaz and Richie Palacios.

Jorbit Vivas replaced Grisham in the leadoff spot and drew a leadoff walk in the ninth before stealing second. Rice, the lone starter left in the game, roped a single to right to set up runners on the corners with nobody out and chase Boyle. Hunter Bigee was tasked with getting out of the jam, but he could only strike out Cole Gabrielson before allowing a two-run single to High-A infielder Coby Morales to make it 3-1 Yankees.

Kervin Castro, who’s turning heads as a dark horse to grab a bullpen spot, pitched the ninth and was greeted by a Chandler Simpson special: a Baltimore chop that goes over the third baseman’s head because he was playing for the bunt. The trouble didn’t stop there, with Castro plunking Vilade and allowing an RBI single to Raynel Delgado to cut it to 3-2.

Just when the walls seemed to be closing in on Castro, a humpback liner from Daniel Vellojin stayed in the air long enough for Morales to leap in the air and save a run with an outstanding catch before doubling off the tying run at second. Castro struck out the next batter, Logan Davidson, to end it.

The Yankees return to George M. Steinbrenner Field tomorrow for maybe the hottest ticket of the spring. We might not see Aaron Judge back in the lineup so quickly after the WBC Final, but we will see the 2026 debut of Gerrit Cole, who is scheduled to throw one inning against the rival Red Sox at 1:05 pm. Connelly Early will get the ball for Boston. Catch the game on YES or MLB Network.

Box Score

* cracks knuckles *

Well, here goes, the first recap of the 2026 season, even though these games don’t count for anything other than an intellectual exercise. On a windy St. Patrick’s Day, cool for central Florida in March — a laughable sentiment for those of us dealing with snow — a meaningless game ended with a meaningless score, 1-1.

Grizzled veteran Young right-hander Justin Verlander, just a kid at 43, took the mound for the third time this spring. It was a Tale of Two Halves for Verlander with the Giants last year: first half, .786 OPS-against, 10 home runs given up, .273 batting average-against. Second half, .685 OPS, 6 dingers, .247 batting. Does Verlander still have a good season left in the tank? Unlike earlier in his career, he doesn’t have to be Number One in the rotation; heck, if he’s a solid third-best starter on this team behind Tarik Skubal and Framber Valdez, that’ll be a fine return on the investment.

Chris Bassitt, the former Blue Jay, took the hill for the Orioles. He’s been ultra-dependable, making 30 or more starts for the past four years, and over that time he’s also achieved pretty respectable results, with an ERA of 3.77, a WHIP of 1.271, and roughly one home run surrendered per nine innings. He’ll be a welcome addition to an Orioles team who, last year, had trouble getting anybody out.

Verlander looked good early, occasionally touching 96 mph with his fastball. He also mixed in a slow curveball and a bit of the sweeper he developed last year, because apparently old dogs can learn new tricks. Kevin McGonigle, not at his traditional shortstop position, made a sensational, off-camera play on a grounder; since it wasn’t on TV, this is as good as we can get:

A real pitchers’ duel unfolded as the game progressed, both teams only notching two hits apiece through four innings, and one of the Tigers’ hits was a bunt single by Jahmai Jones. The Orioles finally broke the seal in the fifth with a solo home run by Bryan Ramos into the wind to left field, ending Verlander’s day after 4 2/3 innings: three hits, one run and no walks. Jorger Petri, a 20-year-old who spent last year in Lakeland, got the final out of the fifth.

Kenley Jansen, possibly the Tigers’ new closer, pitched the sixth and gave up a walk and a hit but with no damage surrendered. Bassitt’s day ended with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and was relieved by Joe Glassey, and I immediately thought of “Glass Joe” from (Mike Tyson’s) Punch-Out!! for the NES, and if you did too, you’re also older than Justin Verlander, pal.

Burch Smith, one of the veterans on which the Tigers took a chance this offseason, pitched the seventh. He bounced between the majors and minors for a few years before spending 2022 in Japan and 2023 in South Korea; he spent this past offseason in the Dominican Winter League and had great results, so who knows? He gave up a couple of hits but squeezed himself out of a first-and-third jam with two outs by striking out Samuel Basallo on a fastball. Non-roster invitee Ricky Vanasco, who got into a pair of games with the Tigers in 2024, pitched an uneventful top of the eighth with a strikeout.

Max Clark walked in the bottom of the eighth; so long he gets on base, he could be wearing Flavor Flav’s clock around his neck for all I care. He advanced to second on a Jace Jung goundout, to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on another wild pitch, tying the score at one. Hey, it’s Spring Training, we’re all figuring stuff out this time of year.

Konnor Pilkington gave up a double to Ramos with two outs in the top of the ninth but stuck out Luis Vázquez looking to send it to the bottom of the ninth. Would the minor-league Tigers walk it off and avoid the tie?

Well, with one out, Peyton Graham walked and Austin Slater singled, putting two runners on. Max Burt walked to load the bases, but Corey Julks hit a grounder to third for the ol’ 5-2-3 game-ending double play. So, no, there were no ninth-inning heroics — but we had some classic Verlander and a little bit of drama at the end, didn’t we?

Final Score: Tigers 1, Orioles 1

Notes and Observations

• The Tigers didn’t wear their traditional green uniforms on St. Patrick’s Day, but they did have a green Olde English D on their hat. Bring back the green, I say.
• What we did have, though, was a stupid orange-on-orange battle. Springs-past have featured plenty of navy-on-navy, which is also stupid. Home teams should wear white and away teams should wear grey, and get off my lawn.
• Today is the day which celebrates the death — to the best of anyone’s knowledge — of Saint Patrick, the main patron saint of Ireland. He was born in Roman Britain late in the 300s, and came to Ireland as a missionary early in the 5th century CE. Did he use a shamrock as a Christian symbol? Did he really rid Ireland of snakes? Did he enjoy a green beer now and then? To borrow a phrase from Nelson Muntz, “Records from that era are spotty at best.”