Category: Sports News

7. JB Middleton (409 points, 19 ballots)

Middleton became the highest-ever drafted pitcher for Southern Mississippi when the Rockies took him 45th overall in the 2025 draft (Middleton was 41st in MLB Pipeline’s draft rankings), signing the now 22-year-old right-hander to a $2.072 million bonus that was $100k under slot. Middleton doesn’t possess ideal size for a modern day hurler (he’s only 6’0”), but his repertoire includes a good three pitch mix (fastball, slider, change) that he throws for strikes. He throws from a three-quarter slot with a quick arm action, a mid-90s fastball, a late-breaking slider that gets whiffs, and a good change-up to keep lefties honest.

Middleton’s freshman year in 2023 wasn’t pretty (nine earned runs in 9 1/3 innings), but he became an important reliever in 2024 for USM, throwing 37 1/3 innings with a 4.34 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 10.8 K/9 rate, and 6.0 BB/9 rate. Middleton’s stuff took a big step forward in 2025 and he moved into an ace starter’s role. In 16 starts, Middleton averaged nearly 6 2/3 innings per outing (105 1/3) against less acclaimed competition in the Sun Belt conference. Middleton’s 2.31 ERA, 10.4 K/9 rate, and 2.1 BB/9 rate were good, but it was his sterling 0.85 WHIP (ranking second in Division I) that was especially noteworthy.

Here’s video of Middleton in action this March with USM courtesy of Kyler Peterson, including some slo-mo looks at his delivery and release for his arsenal in the last couple minutes:

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Middleton 8th in the system earlier this month:

Middleton is a four-pitch guy who’s up to 97 on the heater, lacking a clear out-pitch in the mix but mitigating that with plus control and a good delivery he repeats well. I noted at the draft that he was a good candidate for the Rockies, who now have their own pitching lab, to try to work with on pitch design, as his slider seems like it could be sharper and maybe become that 60 in the quiver to help him miss more bats. As is, he’s a back-end starter who should get to Double A quickly.

MLB Pipeline is more hyped about Middleton than the PuRPs electorate, ranking him 6th in the system as a 50 FV player with a 60 grade on both the fastball and slider as well as a 55 on the changeup:

Middleton works with a versatile 93-95 mph fastball that tops out at 97, showing the ability to run and sink it toward the knees or carry it up at the letters. He gets plenty of swings-and-misses in the zone, elicits lots of chases and makes it nearly impossible to lift his heater in the air. His slider is even harder to hit, combining upper-80s velocity with two-plane depth, and he’ll morph it into a cutter at times.

Middleton will also flash a plus 86-88 mph changeup that tumbles and fades and gets in-zone misses and chases like his other offerings. He has an athletic delivery, moves down the mound well and cut his walk rate in half compared to last season. His lack of physicality is the only real knock against him as a long-term starter, though his improved strikes and stuff are stronger points in his favor.

Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs is less optimistic, grading Middleton as a 40 FV player (99th in the draft class) and ranked him 22nd in the system with a 60 future grade on the changeup:

Undersized righty who moved into Southern Miss rotation this year and held 94-95 mph heaters through well over 100 innings, touched 97 in final start of the year. Fastball lacks great life, curt upper-80s slider often looks like more of a cutter but played like a plus pitch in terms of miss in 2025. Turns over a power-tailing changeup in the mid-80s that looks more obviously plus to the eye. Will show you some pitchability elements (slider/fastball sequencing at top of zone) and was a drastically improved strike-thrower in 2025, but size and meat-of-zone locations point more toward a long relief role.

Shaun Kernahan of Three Quarter Slot wrote this about Middleton as a draft prospect:

With a short arm stroke in an up tempo delivery and super fast arm, the ball really jumps out of Middleton’s hand, but the command is quite inconsistent. He fires the ball out of a 3/4 slot and has more than enough stuff to be a factor in the professional ranks. His fastball sits 93-96 but has been up to 98 with ride and run. He snaps off a really good firm gyro slider in the upper 80s, although he can take a tick off of it and add a good amount of two plane depth at times too. His changeup sits in the mid-to-upper 80s that he throws with conviction and good arm speed and shows plenty of tumble and fade. The arm action and command to go with a bit of an undersized frame does leave plenty of reliever risk, a role he has spent the bulk of his college career in before moving to the role of starter this season. He has improved in almost every statistical category this year and really limited the number of free passes he has handed out, giving scouts much more confidence he can ultimately start long term.

Middleton has yet to make his professional debut, which isn’t surprising given the workload he had in 2025. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rockies started him in High-A this spring after an offseason working on pitch design, though a Low-A debut is also possible. Middleton is a high-probability starting pitcher with some mid-rotation projection. That’s always a big need for the Rockies, though I’d like to see his 2025 results carry over into pro ball before I rank him where MLB Pipeline has him in the system. For me, Middleton is a 40+ FV player that I ranked ninth on my list.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

In freshman JD Dohrmann’s dominant five inning start, the Tiger bats and bullpen were not able to hold up their end of the bargain in Missouri’s 4-2 loss to Florida Atlantic Tuesday evening.

Tigers Game Recap

The Tigers had a scoreless first, second and third inning, as Dohrmann struck out four batters, including Nick Romano twice and only allowed two hits to start the game strong. In the bottom of the third, Dohrmann managed to pick off a man at first base and Tyler Macon made a stellar catch in center field after missing a catch moments before.

In the top of the fourth inning, Pierre Seals hit a slow roller to third for a single, giving the Tigers their first hit of the game. Seals stole second, but could not reach home as their time up at the plate came to an end. At the bottom of the fourth, Dohrmann allowed three back-to-back hits, bringing in a run for Florida Atlantic. 

The inning came to a close shortly after when Macon tracked down a fly ball in center for the out, but it was deep enough for a sacrifice fly that plated another run for the Owls. With that, the damage was done and the score moved to 2–0 in their favor.

Ultimately, Dohrmann struck out five batters during his first career start, allowing five hits and two runs in a promising outing. If this performance is any indication, it will be interesting to watch his career continue to develop during this season and beyond.

During the sixth inning, Macon, who went 6-for-6 on Sunday, hit an infield single. This hit started up a rally as Jason Woita launched his second home run of the year towards right field, tying up the game for the Tigers. 

The Tigers brought in the left-handed reliever and graduate student Kadden Drew to try and slow the Owls momentum. Drew ended his day with two outs in the sixth, as they brought out freshman Sam Rosand to the mound. Rosand allowed no runs to end the sixth inning in a hurry and kept the score 2-2. 

In the top of the seventh, Cameron Benson hit a two out single for the Tigers, offering a brief moment of hope, but their time at bat ended soon after.

Turning Point of the Game 

During the bottom of the seventh, Rosand surrendered a two-run homer that pushed the score in favor of the Owls. From that moment on, Tiger fans could feel the outcome of the game slipping away.

By the eighth inning of the game, Rosand was back at it on the mound and ended his day with a final strikeout and no more runs driven through. Although Rosand was ultimately given a loss, he delivered a solid outing, and only allowed two hits and two runs.

Despite George’s hit in the top of the ninth, the rally never caught on fire. The Tigers could not put another runner on base, and just like that, the game was over. 

Next Up

The Tigers will face off against New Haven for a three-game series on Feb. 20-22 in Terry Park at Fort Meyers, Fla. The first game of the tournament will start on Friday at 5 p.m. Soon after, they will play their first home game of the series against Arkansas at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Columbia, Mo. 

To follow along and read more about Mizzou Baseball, follow @Rock MNation,@SophBleedsLA and @Henry_C81, on twitter/x. 

Back in the winter of 2024, shortly after the Yankees missed out on Juan Soto, they quickly pivoted and signed Max Fried to a mammoth eight-year, $218 million contract. The left-hander, one of the highest-profile pitchers in that 2024-25 offseason, was seen as a luxury for some fans, who deemed his signing unnecessary because their rotation was full and their offense was the unit needing a big splash after losing the superstar slugger.

Time proved that bringing in Fried was the right decision, mainly because quality pitching depth in MLB is invaluable. Gerrit Cole blew out his elbow in spring training, Marcus Stroman was a disaster, and Clarke Schmidt had not one, but two injury list stints, the last of them forcing him to miss the rest of the season and a big chunk of 2026. Carlos Rodón had his best season as a Yankee, and Will Warren and Cam Schlittler eventually broke out and became contributors. The glue that held it all together, however, was Fried.

2025 Stats: 195.1 IP, 2.86 ERA, 3.07 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 8.71 K/9, 2.35 BB/9, 0.65 HR/9, 4.8 fWAR

2026 ZiPS Projections: 189 IP, 3.35 ERA, 3.43 FIP, 1.18 WHIP, 8.37 K/9, 2.58 BB/9, 0.82 HR/9, 3.9 fWAR

Fried’s 195.1 innings were the second-most in the American League behind Garrett Crochet, and he ranked fourth in the majors. During times of quick hooks, phantom injured list stints, and cautious workloads, the Yankees got elite durability for their money, at least in year one. And despite a 5.54 ERA in July and a 5.14 mark in August that made some people think he had turned into a pumpkin, Fried eased concerns with an elite 1.89 ERA in September. His final 2.86 ERA was the fourth-best in the junior circuit among qualifiers.

But this isn’t about what Fried did, which is basically the same thing he has been doing since making his MLB debut in 2017: dominate. This is about what he will, or could, do in 2026 as the Yankees make another run at the title. At least from the start of the season, Fried will be expected to carry the rotation with his flawless combination of availability and effectiveness. Cole could be back in May or even April, but he is 35 and is coming off major elbow surgery. He could conceivably return to ace form and status, but it would be unfair to expect him to lead the Yankees staff in 2026. Instead, the Yankees will rely on Fried, who has started 61 games in the last two years and hasn’t finished with an ERA above 3.25 since 2019.

Stuff-wise, Fried remains excellent. He got fantastic results with his curveball last year, earning a 42 percent whiff rate on the pitch, and used a whopping six different offerings at least 10 percent of the time: his cutter, sinker, curveball, four-seamer, sweeper, and changeup, with some sliders sprinkled in. A deep repertoire, a clear out pitch, and elite command make Fried one of the most underrated aces of our time. He won’t touch the triple digits with his heater, but the pitch had a renaissance last year and averaged 95.8 mph. That’s the highest of his career and almost two ticks over the 93.9 mph he averaged in 2024 with the Braves.

Basically, Fried hit another gear with the Yankees, and a blister issue in July is at least partially to blame for his summer struggles. He was cruising before that, and returned to dominance once he regained full health. His Statcast profile is full of red, an awfully encouraging development with 2026 in mind:

That’s exactly what you want to see from an ace and what you can expect from Fried this year: elite groundball rate, above-average velocity, fantastic contact management, and pinpoint command. Still in his prime at 32, throwing well, and motivated by playing on a perennial contender, Fried looks ready to deliver another fine campaign in pinstripes. Don’t be surprised if, barring injuries, the 2026 season is even better for him, at least individually.

See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be rolling out a series of prospect previews for Spring Training. We begin with arguably the Astros’ top prospect in camp this year: Brice Matthews.

Brice Matthews, a Houston native and Atascocita High School graduate, went on to play college baseball at Nebraska. After solid freshman and sophomore campaigns, he broke out as a junior, slashing .359/.481/.723 with 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Viewed as one of the best overall athletes in the 2023 draft thanks to his rare power-speed combination, the Astros selected him with the 28th overall pick in the first round.

Matthews’ first full professional season in 2024 got off to a slow start when he missed about a month with lower back issues. Once healthy, he returned to High-A and immediately made an impact, hitting six home runs in his first seven games back to earn a promotion to Double-A. He finished the year with 15 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and an .865 OPS across the three levels.

Assigned to Triple-A out of Spring Training in 2025, Matthews continued to validate the scouting reports. He hit .283 with 10 home runs and 25 stolen bases in 73 games, earning a call-up to Houston. His big league stint exposed some swing-and-miss concerns as he struck out 20 times in 42 at-bats, but he also flashed his upside with four home runs.

Matthews possesses some of the highest upside in the system, pairing impact power and speed with the versatility to move around the diamond. He played games at second base, third base, shortstop and center field last year. His long-term defensive home may not be settled yet, but with a strong spring, he could carve out a super utility role for the Astros in 2026.

San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller has shown a willingness to take advantage of veteran players on low-cost deals. Walker Buehler was the latest signing, but prior to that he added Griffin Canning, German Marquez and Ty France. The addition of France makes the competition for reps at first base and designated hitter more intense as he will compete with the incumbent Gavin Sheets as well as Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos for playing time and a roster spot.

Padres News:

• Preller received a much-anticipated extension on Monday and AJ Cassavell of Padres.com believes that is significant for the 2026 season. With the Preller extension complete, it allows him to continue to focus on the roster and although there was a flurry of signings over the holiday weekend, Preller may not be done adding to his roster.
• The minor-league deal between the Padres and Buehler became official Tuesday with the right-hander receiving $1.5 million if he makes the roster. Once on the roster he could earn up to $2.5 million in bonuses.
• The deal with Marquez was also announced on Tuesday. He will ern $1 million and has a $750K buyout on a mutual option. Marquez will have the ability to increase his earnings through performance bonuses.
•  The deal with Canning was also made official on Tuesday. He is guaranteed $2.5 million in salary and a buyout and could earn more money with performance bonuses. As a result of adding Canning to the roster, the Padres designated outfielder Tirso Ornelas for assignment.

Baseball News:

•  Kris Bryant has not spent much time on the field during his tenure with the Colorado Rockies and it appears 2026 will be no different. Bryant explained he suffers from backpain daily which has been a chronic issue since he arrived in Colorado.
• Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez left Spring Training early Monday with a sore elbow. Imaging confirmed Lopez has “significant tearing” in his UCL and could require season-ending surgery.
• Tony Clark, the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association, resigned Tuesday after an investigation revealed he had an inappropriate relationship with an employee. Clark’s successor has not yet been named.

Welcome back to A Pod of Their Own, an all-women led Home Run Applesauce podcast where we talk all things Mets, social justice issues in baseball, and normalize female voices in the sports podcasting space. 

This week, we begin by discussing Francisco Lindor’s recovery from hamate surgery, Juan Soto’s move to left field, and other notes from Port St. Lucie. We also cover the highlights from Steve Cohen’s recent interviews with the media, including his thoughts on losing players to the Dodgers, his frustration regarding lack of World Series titles, and the fact that there will not be a team captain as long as he owns the Mets. We also celebrate SNY’s hiring of former Washington Post baseball writer Chelsea Janes.

In our baseball segment this week, we talk about the Orioles owner being named in the Epstein files, WPBL posting what are normally fully paid jobs as unpaid internships (boo), and MLB players being turned into AI chatbots and what a bad idea that is. 

Finally, we wrap things up with Walk-off Wins, where each of us talks about what’s making us happy this week, baseball-related or otherwise. 

You can listen or subscribe to all of our wonderful Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts. You can also support our work by subscribing to our Patreon, which will get you bonus episodes, access to our Discord server, livestream experiences, an exclusive monthly playlist, and more!

You can follow A Pod of Their Own on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky (@apodoftheirown) and you can follow Home Run Applesauce on Twitter and Instagram (@HRApplesauce). You can also follow our co-hosts on Twitter and Bluesky: Allison McCague (@PetitePhD), Maggie Wiggin (@maggie162), and LindaSurovich (@LindaSurovich). You can also email the show at aa.apodoftheirown@gmail.com. 

Look for A Pod of Their Own in your feeds every week and don’t forget: there’s no crying in podcasting!

In case you missed it yesterday, MLB Players’s Association (MLBPA) Executive Director Tony Clark resigned abruptly on Tuesday after an internal investigation found evidence he had an “inappropriate” relationship with his sister-in-law, who was concurrently employed by the union starting in 2023. Clark, a former MLB player, had held the position since 2013, when he became the sixth-ever director of the MLBPA (often called the “player’s union” or just “the union”) and the first former player.

It’s the latest firestorm for Clark, who is, along with the MLBPA, also under investigation for…they’re not using the e-word in the articles I read so let’s call it Financial Impropriety. Prosecutors in New York are looking into whether a joint venture between the MLBPA and its NFL counterpart was being used to enrich union leaders, while the feds are investigating an MLBPA-owned youth baseball organization that has some…let’s call them questionable accounting practices. This is what I get for writing late at night when our LLegal CounseLL is already asleep.

While the MLBPA is led by its executive director, there is an eight-player executive subcommittee, and it’s that player subcommittee that reportedly voted to ask for Clark’s resignation after hearing evidence of the alleged inappropriate relationship. The current committee consists of Marcus Semien, Brent Suter, Tarik Skubal, Chris Bassitt, Jake Cronenworth, Pete Fairbanks, Cedric Mullins, and Paul Skenes.

This is especially poor timing for another scandal to hit MLBPA, especially one that is such a needless distraction, as MLB and the MLBPA seem to be headed for a contentious collective bargaining agreement (CBA) re-negotiation and potential lockout following the end of the 2026 season. If you were following baseball closely in 2022-23, you probably remember the last time the CBA expired and the 99-day lockout that resulted and how we were all so so bored we actually did become a volcano blog for a little while.

The player subcommittee was also instrumental during that lockout; however, only Semien and Suter remain from that group. Three players left, and another three – Lucas Giolito, Jack Flaherty, and Ian Happ – were voted out after an attempt to oust Clark’s chief negotiator, Bruce Meyer, and replace him with Harry Marino, a former minor leaguer and labor champion who was instrumental in helping minor leaguers receive union benefits. The attempted coup failed, and now Meyer, who led negotiations during the previous bargaining period, will reportedly remain in place to continue in his role as Senior Director of Collective Bargaining.

But beyond this interpersonal drama (and the alleged Finance Crimes, I guess), inheriting the MLBPA right now is a little like being handed a bag of wet hornets. And also the bag is on fire. And also you are on fire. While being dropped blindfolded out of a plane towards a bullseye labeled “CBA NEGOTIATIONS.” The bullseye is also on fire. The biggest issue in the upcoming CBA negotiations will almost certainly be a salary cap. The owners and MLB want a cap on player earnings just as desperately as the players do not want it, and have indicated their intent to lock the players out for the 2027 season to try for the umpteenth time to demand it. But there’s no shortage of other things to fight about: there are also arguments to have about how arbitration works – or doesn’t work, from team’s perspectives, as players continue to score in arbitration hearings this winter like The Monstars – as well as revenue sharing. And if there’s time, maybe a fight about an international draft or maybe expansion. For fun.

It’s a grueling road ahead, and even if you think Clark was ineffective or even a figurehead who didn’t do the nitty-gritty numbers stuff, the MLBPA does find itself wrong-footed at a crucial moment. So while we wait for all this drama to play out, a thought exercise: Assuming there would be no negative influence on their career, if you could nominate anyone in baseball to serve as a singular voice for the player’s union, who would you pick? Feel free to think expansively about what “in baseball” means. Also we’ll allow current and former players too, I know one or several of you want the Greinke there. And for bonus points, who is on your dream eight-player executive subcommittee?

A month ago, I wrote about the new jersey numbers among the Twins’ roster. Now that the team’s spring training roster is finalize, why not do it again? After all, there have been several signings, both major- and minor-league, and other roster changes.

I won’t spend as many words on numbers for individual players this time, just highlighting ones I find interesting and going over general trends and changes.

Here goes. (All players in italics are non-roster invitees to major league camp.)

Starting Pitchers
17 Bailey Ober
20 Mick Abel
24 Simeon Woods Richardson
26 Taj Bradley
41 Joe Ryan
49 Pablo López
52 Zebby Matthews
58 David Festa
60 Kendry Rojas
61 Connor Prielipp
71 John Klein
74 Trent Baker
78 Andrew Morris
81 Cory Lewis
82 Christian MacLeod
85 Marco Raya

(López tearing an elbow ligament yesterday already throws the projected rotation into question, but that has been discussed elsewhere.)

Unsurprisingly, players at the back of the roster have been largely assigned higher numbers as seems to be baseball tradition. I know many are projecting Prielipp to move to the bullpen, but I left him here just for the sake of the list. Interestingly, the three 80s numbers on this list have been worn by Twins: Jordan Balazovic wore 81, Ober and Austin Martin started their careers in 82, and Charlie Barnes and Jair Camargo wore 85.

Relief Pitchers
19 Eric Orze
31 Liam Hendriks
39 Andrew Chafin
43 Anthony Banda
44 Cole Sands
45 Travis Adams
47 Julian Merryweather
48 Justin Topa
51 Matt Bowman
53 Dan Altavilla
55 Taylor Rogers
57 Kody Funderburk
59 Grant Hartwig
65 Cody Laweryson
93 Andrew Bash
94 Raul Brito

Also unsurprisingly, major league veterans invited to camp don’t get assigned high spring training numbers. Hendriks, who debuted as a starter for the Twins wearing #62 before becoming a top-level closer, will wear his regular #31 because he is the 31st Australian to play in the majors. Chafin takes #39 for the fourth time (he’s worn it with the Cubs, A’s, and Angels), Banda has claimed the #43 he wore for the past two seasons (and earlier in Toronto) from James Outman, and Rogers (as mentioned in last month’s article) got his old #55 back from Funderburk. Laweryson debuted last year in #66; that number now belongs to field coordinator Toby Gardenhire.

Catchers
27 Ryan Jeffers
37 Victor Caratini
70 Alex Jackson
73 Patrick Winkel
77 Noah Cardenas
83 Ricardo Olivar
90 Andrew Cossetti
92 David Bañuelos

Except for his debut, Caratini has worn #7 or #17 for his entire career. However, #7 is retired in Minnesota for Joe Mauer and #17 belongs to Bailey Ober, so he gets the next available number up (Jeffers has #27) ending in 7. Oh, and he debuted in 2017. (Additionally, Jackson had #64 last month but has switched to #70, which he wore for his debut with Atlanta and as an Oriole last year.)

Infielders
2 Kody Clemens
4 Tristan Gray
11 Orlando Arcia
12 Gio Urshela
13 Eric Wagaman
15 Luke Keaschall
22 Brooks Lee
23 Royce Lewis
56 Josh Bell
76 Kaelen Culpepper
86 Aaron Sabato
89 Tanner Schobel

Arcia’s most common numbers have been 3 and 11; 3 is retired for Harmon Killebrew, so it’s no surprised he’s claimed #11. Urshela has never before worn #12, but the #15 he wore as a Twin in 2022 is taken by Keaschall.

Outfielders
5 Ryan Kreidler
9 Trevor Larnach
16 Austin Martin
18 Alan Roden
25 Byron Buxton
30 James Outman
33 Emmanuel Rodriguez
38 Matt Wallner
64 Hendry Mendez
72 Gabriel Gonzalez
75 Walker Jenkins
80 Kyler Fedko
87 Kala’i Rosario

As mentioned above, Outman switched away from last year’s #43 to accommodate Banda; he now wears #30. His old #33 now belongs to Emmanuel Rodriguez, who has switched off of #32 because…

Coaches
0 Grady Sizemore (1BC)
8 Derek Shelton (MGR)
32 LaTroy Hawkins (BPN)
46 Ramon Borrego (3BC)
63 Mike Rabelo (ABEN)
66 Toby Gardenhire (MLFC)
67 Trevor Amicone (AHIT)
68 Mark Hallberg (BEN)
79 Rayden Sierra (AHIT)
84 Keith Beauregard (HIT)
88 Pete Maki (PIT)
91 Luis Ramirez (APIT/INT)
97 Anderson De La Rosa (BPNC)
98 Frank Nigro (BPNC)

…LaTroy got his number back!

So if you’re watching or attending the games, and you see someone you don’t recognize with an unfamiliar number, now you know who they are. (Until the roster inevitably shuffles again.)

The Rangers v Hearts encounter was a top-of-the-table clash for the ages and Rangers' comeback ensured they very much remain in contention for the title.

It was a performance and result that simply could not have happened earlier in the season as Rangers showed a grit and determination along with a clinical edge that had been missing under Russell Martin.

That short-lived era has been gradually erased from the memories of the club's supporters who are now revelling in the possibility of a turnaround in their season most would not have deemed conceivable when Danny Rohl took over in late October.

But since then, Rangers have taken 11 points more than Hearts and nine more than Celtic (from one game more) to give themselves a fighting chance of reclaiming the Premiership title.

His January signings all made significant contributions to Sunday's victory. Tuur Rommens' energy and strength on the left flank, allied to good crossing ability, make him a force to be reckoned with. Tochi Chukwuani has also added a powerful edge to the midfield as well as an element of guile that had been lacking previously.

In attack, Andreas Skov Olsen is improving with every passing game and could have a huge role to play in Rangers' quest for a league and cup double, while Ryan Naderi - although not on the scoresheet against Hearts - showed terrific positional awareness and a desire to put himself about.

Questions remain over Rohl's team selection against Motherwell last midweek. Rommens and Skov Olsen might have made the difference and Rangers could be in an even better position but the manager has earned the right to make the calls he believes are best for the team and given what he has achieved so far, it's difficult to be too critical.

Baseball is coming soon. Hot dogs, green grass, the crack of the bat and the sharp cry of “safe!” from the umpire… you can’t have a baseball game without these things. You can, however, have a baseball game without a stadium giveaway. But isn’t it better when there is one?

A new season means new giveaways: bobbleheads, hats, jerseys, various Phanatic-themed tchotchkes. The giveaways bring joy to children and adults alike, reminding us all how much fun toys can be (and the scalpers, sadly, remind us how much of a pain they can be).

Today’s question is: What’s your favorite stadium giveaway?

Here at Camden Chat, we have been posting a question of the day every day for a few weeks now. Most of these questions asked your thoughts about the upcoming season, but today I want to look backward and ask you, “What is your favorite Orioles memory?”

We have baseball fans of all ages here, so it’ll be fun to read answers from throughout the Orioles’ history. Some of us have seen three World Series winners; others have seen zero. I expect some favorite memories will be about the team itself, while others are more personal and perhaps revolve around family or growing up.

I am closer to 50 years old than I’d like to admit, and yet I am too young to remember the Orioles making it to the World Series. I was alive for the most recent two appearances, though in 1979 I wasn’t even a year old. In 1983, I was probably more interested in riding my Big Wheel or He-Man than in watching Cal Ripken make that final catch to capture the title.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t have any big memories of the Baltimore Orioles. Some of my fondest memories include going to the first night game at Camden Yards with my dad and brother. We couldn’t get tickets to Opening Day, but we made the first night game a tradition for many years after.

In 1996, I remember calling Ticketmaster over and over to try to get tickets to my first-ever playoff game, which I attended with my older brother. I saw my favorite player, Brady Anderson, hit a leadoff home run.

And of course, there is 2130. I prefer 2130 over 2131 because I got to be in the stands for that one. I was 16 years old, and my uncle somehow got a bunch of tickets in the Eutaw Street bleachers. He invited a friend and me along with him and his grown-up buddies.

I was in the stands when the 2014 Orioles clinched the division. I celebrated after the game by watching Adam Jones pie Nick Markakis while Zack Britton sprayed champagne into the stands.

It’s hard to narrow it down to one memory. If the Orioles ever win the World Series, I expect that’ll be the easy answer. But if I am picking one, I have to go with game two of the 2014 ALDS. I was in the stands with my father-in-law and watched as Wei-Yin Chen struggled and the Orioles fell behind. When the Tigers scored a run in the 8th to go ahead, 6-3, I remember saying to him that I much preferred the game the day before when the Orioles won big.

Then came the bottom of the eighth. We all remember it. Joba Chamberlain hit Adam Jones. Back-to-back singles by Nelson Cruz and Steve Pearce scored Jones. Joba was pulled for Joakim Soria. J.J. Hardy walked to load the bases. The crowd got louder and louder. Could they do this? Might they possibly do this? We didn’t have long to wait. Pinch-hitter Delmon Young sent the first pitch he saw to left field. Cruz scored. Pearce scored. Hardy, who used to run like he was fighting through Jell-O, rounded third. The throw came in. Cruz motioned “slide! slide! slide!” Hardy slid. SAFE! The Orioles took the lead. Camden Yards shook. I had never felt that way before or since.

I know I’m not alone in that memory. Let me know if you felt the same! Or share your other favorite Orioles memories. Let’s spread some good feelings around as we wait for the 2026 season to begin.

Meet the Mets

Clay Holmes threw live batting practice yesterday, and new Mets Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette were impressed by his breaking stuff.

John Harper posited Carson Benge as the Nolan McLean of the 2026 Mets, as he sees him coming up and adapting quickly to become an impact player.

The Mets plan to ease Luis Robert Jr. into spring training in an attempt to prioritize his health over the long season ahead.

Load management this early reveals the Mets’ plan to try to keep him as healthy as possible.

In addition to Robert, the Mets are taking things slow with Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, and Jorge Polanco.

Around the National League East

Dominic Smith has signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Around Major League Baseball

MLBPA executive director Tony Clark has resigned from the organization. It was revealed that the reason behind Clark’s resignation was an inappropriate relationship with his sister-in-law, who had been hired by the union in 2023.

The representatives in the Players Association met yesterday after the shocking Clark news, but they reiterated that the union is strong despite this.

In yesterday’s meeting, they didn’t vote on a new leader for the union, though an internal option has already emerged.

The union will hopefully vote today, as they are expected to have another meeting.

Twins starter Pablo López has a significant tear in his UCL and will likely need Tommy John surgery.

Pete Alonso has found a team and city that loves him in Baltimore.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Vasilis Drimalitis took a look at Anderson Severino and his attempt to make it back to the big leagues by way of the Mets’ bullpen.

This Date in Mets History

Several former Mets are celebrating birthdays today, including Shawn Estes and John Valentin.