Category: Sports News

There’s a quick turnaround in action from the Yankees first night game of the Grapefruit League yesterday to a day game at the Twins. Let’s take a look at the starting pitchers and the lineups for both teams.

Luis Gil makes his second start of the spring after giving up a run and striking out four across 2.2 innings against the Mets on Sunday. His fastball velocity was still down, something which became a talking point when he returned from a lat injury last season. but he maintains that it’s not something he’s worried about since it’s early in spring training. In 11 starts last year, Gil went 4-1 with a 3.32 ERA (123 ERA+), 4.63 FIP, and 41 strikeouts in 57 innings.

Marco Raya was the Twins’ 18th-ranked prospect in 2025 according to MLB Pipeline, drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft. He throws a four-seamer and a sinker in the mid-90s, both topping out at 97, and a variety of secondaries including a slider, sweeper, curveball, and changeup. He made 30 appearances (20 starts) in Triple-A last season, going 2-8 with a 6.02 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 98.2 innings.

Aaron Judge may not have made the trip to Fort Myers, but there is still plenty of pop in the Yankees lineup. Ben Rice leads off, while Jasson Domínguez and Paul DeJong continue to get consistent reps in left and at shortstop, respectively. Top prospects Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. bat sixth and seventh, the former with a pair of booming home runs already this spring sporting an Ohtani-like toe-tap and the latter raking a two-run double last time out.

The Twins lineup more closely resembles what we might see on Opening Day than does the Yankees lineup. Byron Buxton leads off after reaffirming his commitment to the franchise amid trade rumors over the winter. Luke Keaschall burst onto the scene as a rookie last year and the second-year second baseman looks to be a cornerstone of their rebuild. We even get a visit from old friend Gio Urshela, who is in Twins camp as a non-roster invitee.

How to watch

Location: Lee Health Sports Complex — Fort Myers, FL

First pitch: 1:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: Gotham Sports App, Twins.TV, FOX9+KMSP, Gray Media

Radio broadcast: WCCO 830, The Wolf 102.9 FM (Twins broadcast)

Online stream: Gotham Sports App

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Another day, another Spring Training game day for baseball fans.

After dropping a game yesterday’s performance to the Yankees with Carlos Carrasco on the mound, the Braves are set to face the Red Sox with a more competitive squad showing up, with Ronald Acuña Jr. batting leadoff, and a newly girded ace, Chris Sale, ready to close out the first full week of spring training games.

Gametime is set for 1:05 p.m. EST at CoolToday Park, North Port, Florida. You can catch it streaming on Gray TV, and listen on ESPN 103.7.

Jesús Sánchez is a 28-year-old, left-handed hitting, outfielder. The Jays traded Joey Loperfido to the Astros to pick him up. Loperfido will be 27 in May, so there isn’t that much difference in age. Sánchez has played 580 MLB games and has a 4.8 bWAR. Loperfido has played 122 games and has a 1.1 bWAR. We could debate which player will be the most valuable for the rest of their careers, but, if we are talking this season, I’d bet Jesús will be more valuable, and that’s more important to the Jays at the moment.

Jesús isn’t a free agent until 2028.

Sánchez was traded from the Marlins to the Astros at the deadline last year. With the Marlins he was hitting .256/.320/.420, with the Astros .199/.269/.342. David Popkins, Jays hitting coach, told Keegan Matheson:

Popkins: “He went over to Houston, and they had some ideas for him to change some things and I think they didn’t quite resonate with his personality and who he is as a hitter. It kind of went more towards weakness prevention than his strengths, so we’re shifting him back more towards, ‘We want you to do what you do well.’ Let’s start there, then we can go elsewhere. We’re just trying to see him have rhythm again and get his swing off. We’re excited. He’s had some good days the last couple of days.”

Basically, ‘the Astros ruined him’. I always take these things with a grain of salt. I think if you can hit you can hit and a batting coach shouldn’t be able to change that. Or at least ruin that. But I’m hopeful that Popkins will help him find his way back to the swing that made him valuable. I also think Popkins says that to build up Sánchez’s ego a bit. Sports physiology is a big thing.

The best thing about Sánchez is that he hits the ball hard, 93rd percentile in bat speed, 79th percentile in Average Exit Speed last year. The year before (when he was just with the Marlins) he was 95th percentile in Bat Speed, 93rd in Exit Velocity and 95th in Hard Hit %. He was 46th percentile in strikeout rate and 51st in walk rate.

Ideally, he is a low average/high power hitter (though he hasn’t cracked the 20 home run barrier yet). Career, his batting average is .239. I’m hoping he’ll do better than that this year. It would be nice if he had more than 20 home runs.

Defensively? He’s ok. Outs Above Average had him at a +1 in right field. Savant has him a 41st percentile in range and 80th percentile in Arm Strength.

He steals some bases too. 13 last year, caught 3 times.

Steamer has Sánchez playing in 88 games, hitting .248/.317/.427 with 13 home runs. Seems somewhat pessimistic to me.

I don’t know what to expect, but I think he’ll be playing against right-handers everyday (presuming no injury issues). I’d like to think the batting coaches can unlock his power and he hits a few more than 13 home runs.

I think there are lots of reasons to be optimistic. He was a little unlucky last year. His strikeout rate improved a lot last year. I’m taking Popkins at his word that Popkins can improve his swing from last year.

Previous Winner

Homer Bush Jr., OF
24 | R/R | 6’3” | 215
AA | .301/.375/.360 (122 wRC+) 546 PA, 0 HR, 57 SB, 8.8% BB, 17.9% K

Acquired in the 2024 Jason Adam trade, the starting center fielder at Double-A passed the test of advanced pitching, but just barely. He lacks in-game power due to a lack of use of his lower half in his swing, and he whiffed more often than you can for long term success with a low-power approach. His calling cards are Rays-grade defense and plus-speed, having notably swiped 57 bags in back-to-back seasons.

Dom Keegan got his first votes this most recent round and almost took it from Bush, an impressive showing after no votes in any previous round. Keegan could get MLB reps this season, so this range is right. We add sleeper short stop prospect Adrian Santana after receiving an “other” vote.

Candidates

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

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

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

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

Gary Gill Hill, RHP
21 | 6’2” | 160
A+ | 3.82 ERA, 4.37 FIP, 136.2 IP (25 GS), 18.8% K, 5.3% BB

A groundballer, Gill Hill was a feather in the cap for the Rays scouting department when snagged in the sixth round in 2022. He raised his armslot in 2024 to great success, but got off to a rocky start in 2025, which muddies the water on his statline. On the whole, GGH has the body and the look to be a major league starter, particularly thanks to a plus fastball in the upper 90’s and plus control, but needs to find a longterm solution for opposite handed hitting as he climbs the ladder. Accordingly, he projects as a reliever until his arsenal finds a plus third pitch.

Brailer Guerrero, OF
20 | L/R | 6’1” | 215
A | 249.338/.399 (119 wRC+) 222 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 11.3% BB, 29.3% K
AFL | 2 H, 0 HR, 2 SB, 3 BB, 16 K, 29 PA

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

Dom Keegan, C
25 | R/R | 6’0” | 210
AAA | .241/.306/.429 (89 wRC+) 297 PA, 10 HR, 0 SB, 8.1% BB, 30.6% K

Keegan is at an inflection point in his minor league career, having joined the 40-man roster as the third catcher, and overall the jury is still out. Trusted more at first base than backstop at Vanderbilt, the Rays have kept him behind the dish but reports still have his defense below average, and 2025 was a wash after an elbow injury in the Spring sank his season, in particular his bat speed. While the lack of progress on the edges of his game has some evaluators calling into question his once-sure major league projection, he’ll get a long look in Spring Training, where his ability to punish mistakes in the zone may flourish.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Dodgers play two games on Saturday, their first of two split-squad games this spring. Both such days involve both the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs. This time, the Cubs come to Camelback Ranch and the game vs. Texas is in Surprise. On March 15, the Dodgers host the Rangers and travel to Mesa to take on the Cubs.

On Saturday, Justin Wrobleski will start for the Dodgers in the home game of the Cubs. Right-hander Colin Rea is first on the mound for Chicago.

Jackson Ferris starts on the road for the Dodgers at Surprise against Texas, with Jack Leiter pitching for the Rangers.

Saturday games info

• Home game: Dodgers vs. Cubs, Camelback Ranch
• Road game: Dodgers at Rangers, Surprise
• Time: 12:05 p.m. PT for both
• TV: SportsNet LA (vs. Cubs)
• Radio: AM 570 (vs. Cubs), 105.3 FM (Rangers broadcast, available through MLB)

Baltimore Orioles vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, February 27, 2026, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: LECOM Park, Bradenton, FL

How to Listen: 93.7 The Fan, 100.1 FM, AM 1020 KDKA, Sports Net Pittsburgh app SNP 360

The Pittsburgh Pirates are at home today against the Baltimore Orioles looking to grab a win in Spring Training.

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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

Ryan Pepiot takes the hill the today as he makes his first appearance of the Spring.

There will be local radio coverage of the game today by the Rays.

First pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays is at 1:05 at Charlotte Sports Park

Today’s highlight package is from September 14-16, 1999 when the Devil Rays took on the Seattle Mariners

Mets lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Juan Soto – LF
3. Christian Arroyo – 3B
4. Jose Rojas – 1B
5. Hayden Senger – C
6. MJ Melendez – DH
7. Vidal Brujan – 2B
8. Jackson Cluff – SS
9. Nick Morabito – CF

SP: Freddy Peralta

Cardinals lineup

1. JJ Wetherholt – DH
2. Jose Fermin – SS
3. Nolan Gorman – 3B
4. Nelson Velazquez – LF
5. Ramon Urias – 2B
6. Thomas Saggese – CF
7. Pedro Pages – C
8. Nathan Church – RF
9. Blaze Jordan – 1B

SP: Quinn Mathews

Broadcast info

First pitch: 1:05 PM ET
Radio: Cardinals Radio Network, KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM