Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Speaking of Peralta, he smiled and said, “No comment” when asked if he and the Mets have engaged in extension talks.
The one lowlight of yesterday’s game was that Devin Williams gave up a home run on the very first pitch he threw in a Mets uniform—a “cutter that didn’t cut much.” Williams isn’t worried about it though. “This being my first [outing], it was kind of just fill up the strike zone with everything,” he said, “and not really worry about results.”
On the bright side, MJ Melendez continued to make his case to make the Opening Day roster with a two-home run performance yesterday.
Tim Britton of The Athletic chatted with Mets’ director of hitting Jeff Albert last week at Clover Park about the specifics of his role, his evaluation of the Mets’ offensive performance last season, and his view of the lineup entering 2026.
It was an easy decision for Trent Grisham to take the Yankees’ qualifying offer, writes David Lennon of Newsday.
Vuori CEO Joe Kudla and Drew Brees are among the bidders in the Padres’ sale process; they did not submit their own formal bit, as previously reported, but are looking to potentially join up with one of the other groups involved.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Thomas Henderson and Brian Salvatore preview the seasons of two bullpen depth options for the Mets in 2026: Alex Carrillo and Matt Turner.
This Date in Mets History
Exactly six years after the Mets first acquired Dave Kingman from the San Francisco Giants, he returned to the Mets in a second stint via a trade with the Cubs for Steve Henderson that took place on this date in 1981.
SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 18: Adam Jones #10 of Team USA catches a fly ball for the second out in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6 of Pool F of the 2017 World Baseball Classic against Team Dominican Republic on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Petco Park in San Diego, California. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/WBCI/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
The World Baseball Classic begins this Thursday with opening tournaments in Houston, TX; Miami, FL; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Tokyo, Japan.
Since its debut in 2006, the World Baseball Classic has offered many memorable moments. Most recently, in 2023, brought possibly the biggest. In the final game, Angels’ teammates Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout faced off in the ninth inning. Ohtani was pitching for Japan; Trout was batting for USA. Two of the biggest stars in baseball on the world baseball stage. What could be better? Ohtani struck Trout out to end the game and the WBC in favor of Japan. It was like a moment from a movie.
I have always loved the World Baseball Classic. And while Ohtani vs Trout might be the most iconic teammate moment of the WBC, it is not the only one. Orioles Adam Jones and Manny Machado had an exciting moment of their own in 2017. With Adam Jones manning center field for USA vs the Dominican Republic, his O’s teammate Manny Machado stepped to the plate. Manny hit a long fly ball to right-center that looked like a home run. But Jones wasn’t having that. He made an incredible catch at the wall to rob his teammate, an incredible moment for Orioles fans. Team USA won the game and went on to win the WBC.
My first lasting memory of the WBC came from the 2009 classic, when Brian Roberts was on base for David Wright’s walk-off single against Puerto Rico.
I look forward to the WBC every time it comes around. It’s such a fun showcase of players I might not normally see. And this year I am attending my first WBC games. Next Sunday, I’ll be in San Juan to watch a doubleheader of Cuba vs Colombia and Canada vs Panama.
So how about you? Are you looking forward to the WBC this year?
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 27: Gabriel Arias #13 of the Cleveland Guardians watches a pitch during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park on February 27, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We have had a chance to see our Guardians for a week now… which of them should be on the major league team for opening day?
Make your argument for your preferred 2B and SS combo.
Figure out the ideal outfield alignment.
Decide which of the six pitchers make the rotation.
Put together another bullpen of doom.
Demote or keep David Fry, it’s up to you. Let us know in the comments below
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians gets ready in the batters box against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark on February 23, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Numerous sources, including the Athletic’s Zack Meisel and Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto, have reported that Chase DeLauter is fine, the team is taking precautions they wouldn’t during the season, and he will be back in games on Monday.
I am sure that makes you all feel better.
Brayan Rocchio, Kahlil Watson and Jonah Advincula had doubles yesterday. Watson has had a great camp so far. Gabriel Arias has looked as bad at the plate as ever. Hunter Gaddis looked dominant in relief. The Guardians play the White Sox on Cleveland Guardians TV today at 3:05PM.
The World Baseball Classic players have left the team for their various national teams, so no Travis Bazzana, Bo Naylor, Matt Festa, Stuart Fairchild and Logan Allen for a bit. Plus, some minor leaguers.
You can check myself and Nick Karavolos out on the latest Disgusting Baseball Podcast episode here.
(051808 Boston, MA)Boston Red Sox batter Dustin Pedroia (R) gets a high five from teammate Manny Ramirez after Pedroia scored on a solo home run in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 18, 2008 at Fenway Park. Photo by Matthew Healey (Photo by Matthew Healey/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Craig Breslow brought in a lot of new talent this offseason, but he didn’t plug every hole on the Red Sox roster. So for our question of the day today, we’re bending space and time to ask you this: If you could take one player from Red Sox history and put him on the 2026 roster, who would you pick?
Considering that we spent the offseason wondering about the lineup’s lack of right-handed power and the hole at third base, someone like Kevin Youkilis immediately comes to mind. (Adrian Beltre would be even better, but it’s hard for me to think of him as a player from Red Sox history.) On the other side of the infield, having Dustin Pedroia to lock down second base while sliding Marcelo Mayer to third would certainly work.
But I’m going with this guy:
The Boston Red Sox should, as a matter of principle, always have one of the very best sluggers in the game anchoring the lineup. So let’s bring back the best Red Sox hitter of the last 50 years.
I’d make him the full-time DH, of course. And, as an added bonus, his presence would force Craig Breslow to finally make a trade to clear the outfield/DH logjam.
Andoni Iraola: “It’s a team that has played really well this season,” he said of today’s visitors. “Starting from the goalkeeper - he has been very, very good for them. He has a really long kick so it puts you under pressure really early. Every free-kick and every set-piece situation, they put a lot of pressure on you, they manage the situations very well.”
Regis Le Bris: “We are in a tough league – a young team with injuries, suspensions and different events,” said Sunderland’s head coach, upon being asked about his side’s run of three league defeats. “We expected that a bit earlier [in the season]. It is not the best period from a results perspective. We are learning a lot, and it is often in these tough phases that you are learning more.”
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 28: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates hitting a home run during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Truist Park on September 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves’ bats were hot during Friday’s 15-8 win over the Boston Red Sox. It was an exciting third inning, as the Braves plated 11 runs and Ronald Acuña Jr. launched a grand slam. Mike Yastrzemski and Matt Olson also joined in on the fun and went yard.
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 02: James Wiseman #33 of the Golden State Warriors plays the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter at Ball Arena on February 2, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yours truly built a bracket around the most important question of the Two-Timelines era. It’s not about who was the best, but who did you believe in the most? Eight ex-Warriors drafted after Kevin Durant left. Three rounds. One crown. I seeded it by emotional gravity: draft expectations, peak belief, and how long you kept the faith. And now the voting starts.
First matchup: the #1 seed Jordan Poole against the #8 seed Alen Smailagic.
Current matchup: the #2 seed James Wiseman against the #7 seed Ryan Rollins
There is a version of this story where James Wiseman becomes the most important Warrior of the next decade.
Joe Lacob saw it. He called Wiseman a “once in a decade” kind of player in November 2020, barely a month after the draft. That is not a throwaway line from a man who does not throw away lines. That is a vision statement. Lacob looked at a 7-foot-2 athlete who was 19 years old, who had barely scraped together 39 college games before the NCAA shut the whole thing down on him, and decided this kid was the foundation of everything that came next.
Dub Nation believed it too, and that collective belief is exactly why he is the #2 seed in this bracket.
When you pick second overall you are not picking a rotation piece. You are picking a cornerstone. And from the jump, Wiseman had the physical gifts to justify every ounce of that faith. The dunks alone were an exhilarating experience. He led all NBA rookies with 84 slams in just 39 games, 20th in the entire league. He shot 51.9% from the field and 76% at the rim, landing in the 89th percentile per Cleaning the Glass. The 84% free throw percentage told you the shooting touch was real if you gave it room to grow. The transition upside and the lob threat. All of it was right there in Year 1, visible, pointing somewhere exciting. Sure he didn’t have a training camp or have people in the stands to watch him play which is pretty insane, but those were the pandemic times.
And then Year 2 didn’t happen.
An injured knee ended his sophomore season before it ever got going. He played zero games in 2021-22. The Warriors won a championship that year and Wiseman watched it from the bench in street clothes. No reps. No rhythm. No chance to build on what the rookie season started.
So when September 2022 rolled around and the Warriors took the team to Japan for a preseason exhibition against the Washington Wizards, the entire Dub Nation energy around Wiseman was basically: okay, this is it. Year 3. This would be his first full training camp with a healthy body. He’s finally going to show us what this whole thing was supposed to look like.
And for one night in Tokyo, he absolutely did.
He went 20 points, 9 rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting off the bench in 23 minutes. Five dunks. He delivered a poster so thoroughly that “WISEMAN SEASON 3 ACTIVATED” was being typed in capital letters across every Warriors forum on the internet. I wrote about that game with full optimism and zero apology because if you watched it, the optimism was mandatory. This was the guy. This was finally the guy.
Then the actual season happened. He played 21 games in a Warriors uniform that year, averaging 6.9 points in 12.5 minutes, and by February the front office was done waiting. The trade to Detroit came on February 9, 2023, Kevin Knox and draft picks heading out, Gary Payton II coming back through Portland. Monte Poole wrote the definitive autopsy in his NBC Sports Bay Area piece that day: Wiseman was the only center in the Warriors’ recent dynasty history whose best skill was his shot and whose weakest skills were orchestrating a defense and setting screens. Every center who thrived in that system before him was built around the opposite profile. The mismatch was not fixable within the championship window that remained.
Legendary DNHQ journalist and GSOM alumni Eric Apricot framed the bigger picture well in his farewell piece around the same time. The front office was running a high-variance portfolio strategy across all their young picks. You cannot look at one pick in isolation and call it a disaster. Big miss, Eric said, but not an incompetent one.
Steph Curry said his piece on it too, eventually. Reflecting on the Two-Timelines era with ESPN, he said: “I think the postmortem on some of the two-timeline stuff is not great. We picked Wiseman, who’s had a rough go. It’s not his fault, but we had an opportunity when we were at the bottom of the standings and had the No. 2 pick, and picked Wise. We thought there was going to be a way to bridge that gap, and it didn’t work out that way.”
In total we’re talking 60 games across three seasons and one championship he watched in street clothes as year 2 was completely missed. The Japan game resurrection that turned out to be a curtain call. That collective hope was enormous, and losing it slowly over three seasons hurt in a way most Warriors draft stories simply do not. That is why he is the 2 seed. The emotional peak of believing in James Wiseman was higher than almost anything else this era produced.
Let’s talk about Ryan Rollins.
The Warriors paid $2 million in cash to move up seven spots in the 2022 draft to take a youngster from Toledo. Joe Viray’s GSOM deep-dive at the time laid out what they saw: a potential three-level scorer with a 6‘10″ wingspan on a 6’3″ frame, passing lane instincts, and a physical profile that a coaching staff could shape into a real rotation piece. The organization liked him enough to spend actual cash to get him. That is not nothing.
He played 12 games in a Warriors uniform. Then a stress fracture in his foot ended his rookie season before it found any kind of footing. And when the summer of 2023 arrived and the Warriors needed to move Jordan Poole to Washington, Rollins got packaged into that deal as the salary filler that made the numbers work. He was not the story, rather he was a part of the fine print. Most of Dub Nation barely registered his name leaving because the Poole trade was the only thing anyone was reading that week.
Washington gave him 10 games before off-court issues ended his time there entirely.
This season with Milwaukee he’s opening eyes, but don’t take my word for it. That is the player who walked into Chase Center on October 30, 2025 with no Giannis to bail him out. Just Rollins, the 44th pick who got 12 games and a line in a trade announcement, laying the smackdown on the franchise and ex-teammates where his NBA story began. He dropped 32 points, 8 assists, and 5 treys as Milwaukee won 120-110. Rollins was the best player on the floor against the team that let him walk out the door as an afterthought.
Milwaukee Bucks blog Brew Hoop’s Jack Trehearne said it plainly this week: “Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t. This is a stone-cold killer.” He is averaging 17.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.5 steals on 42% from three. In clutch situations he is shooting 55.6% and ranks second in clutch shooting percentage among the 13 players with the most clutch attempts in the entire NBA.
“Obviously, if we had seen this coming, we wouldn't have made that trade.”
Steve Kerr is thrilled that Ryan Rollins, former Warriors draft pick, is having a great season with the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/Vn1DedW2z6
Feb 25, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman (15) makes the play for an out against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
In 2025, the Rockies started off the year with catchers Jacob Stallings and Hunter Goodman. The veteran Stallings was in his 10th MLB season, and Goodman was in just his third. However, ultimately, 2025 ended up bring not only Goodman’s first full year in MLB, but it was also his first full year catching.
Braxton Fulford eventually emerged, as well, after making his MLB debut on April 16, and finished the season in tandem with Goodman after Stallings was released in June.
Goodman obviously had a career year with an All-Star selection and Silver Slugger award and is looking to build on that, but Fulford is also planning to take the next step in his own career in 2026.
Everyone learned something in 2025 — including myself — but both Fulford and Goodman learned valuable lessons that will carry them into 2026.
“It’s the same game” Fulford said of his biggest lesson. “Just go out there, play hard, and trust your abilities because you’re there for a reason.”
Goodman echoed that, but also added this.
“Even when you have a good season, there’s a lot of rough patches where you go through things and you try and figure things out, so just trying to stay level-headed through all of it,” Goodman said.
“And I think as a team, we learned a lot. We had a lot of young guys play last year and get a chance to get their feet wet. And I’m still young, too, so [it was] good getting that first full season and catching them was really good. So I think we learned a lot and we’re going to go into this year trying to win some baseball games.”
They focused on different things in the offseason. For Goodman, is was about improving himself behind the plate.
“I had a lot of focus on the stuff behind the plate,” he said. “Some receiving stuff, cleaning up some of my throwing. My throwing was pretty poor. It was pretty poor throwing to bases last year, so [I’m] trying to figure some of that stuff out.“
For Fulford, it was more about working both behind the plate and in front of it.
“[I did] a little bit of swing work, just trying to make things more efficient there,” he said. “Catching work, same thing. Trying to clean up different areas that I thought had been better – receiving, throwing. I think a lot of areas felt good last year, so [I’m] just trying to build on those and then clean up different areas that I was inefficient.”
In addition to their own personal work, they — like the rest of the team — are getting used to the new changes the Rockies made to their coaching staff and front office. But they’re excited to see what’s next.
“I love it!” Fulford said.
“There’s a lot of good energy, new ways of thinking, and new ways of doing things.”
He added, “Pitchers have a lot of resources that they can use to improve their arsenals, to make adjustments where they saw deficiencies last year. Same thing with the catchers. We’re going about things differently so that we can get our pitchers in the zone, so that we can attack hitters early offensively. We have more resources there, as well, a whole different way of thinking in regards to the offensive part of the game, too.”
Fulford said, “Specially on the pitching side, we’re getting ahead and staying ahead. We’re not going to worry so much about pinpoint accuracy as we are throwing strikes with a lot of pitches and throwing our best stuff. [We’re] not just trying to throw the perfect location.”
Goodman echoed the “good energy” and said he’s excited to work with both the new and returning coaches.
“I like the hitting coaches,” he said. “Obviously, [Jordan] Pacheco is back from last year and then Brett [Pill]’s been awesome so far. And then just seeing how the pitching coaches are working with the pitchers and how they’re talking to me. I’m just excited going forward. I think the new staff is very open-minded to try new things in Denver, which I think will be good.”
Heading into 2026, both have similar goals.
For Goodman, it’s about “staying healthy and coming out of camp ready to play.”
For Fulford, it’s “want[ing] to put my skills on display, go out there and play hard because I know I’m more than capable of being an everyday catcher.”
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 24: A tv broadcast camera is pictured before the MLB baseball game between the Philadelphia Phillies Sox and the Detroit Tigers on June 24, 2024 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Joseph Weiser/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Tigers released a full schedule for televised Grapefruit League broadcasts on Friday. However, we’re still waiting on the details for Tigers TV and how and when games will be broadcast on local cable providers. The club thought those details would be finalized this week, but apparently we’re not quite there yet. In the meantime, the televised broadcasts this spring will mainly be free games of the day on MLB.tv, so anyone with an account will be able to watch them without paying for a season package. Most of them will also be on MLB Network, with ESPN carrying a March 2 matchup at home against the Braves.
10 of the remainng 24 games are slated to be MLB.tv free games of the day, so they will be available to anyone with an account, even if it isn’t active, with no home blackouts involved. That amount of broadcasts is pretty standard for the Grapefruit League. Most games will be available via the Tigers Radio Network as always.
On top of negotiating out all the broadcast rights in partnership with MLB, there’s also the matter of producing their own broadcasts, so there are a lot of things that may be holding up the Tigers TV package, which will eventually be available on MLB.tv. The Tigers will produce their own home broadcasts March 1st, 7th, and 21st, featuring the teams broadcasters. That probably means Dan Dickerson running the show for the most part, but Jason Benetti should get in at least one trial run with the new setup when he isn’t busy with national obligations covering March Madness.
So for now, if you don’t already have MLB.tv you should be able to just establish an account without purchasing a package, and watch the free games in March. At some point, the Tigers TV package will be ready for order, and we should find out about cable providers carrying the games in partnership with the Tigers along the way as well. At that point, everyone can figure out what’s best for their home viewing during the season.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - APRIL 07: A general view of fans at Oracle Park during the game between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Friday, April 7, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Loren Elliott/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
As you’ve probably noticed, we’ve been checking in all month to get your opinions on various topics around the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general.
But now, it’s time to discuss the most important aspect of McCovey Chronicles, and that is YOU! The wonderful community!
Today’s prompt is less about baseball and more about the community: Who among your fellow community members deserves a shout out for making this community the awesome place that it is, and why?
I’ll be reading through the responses and I’d like to highlight a few next week in a follow up post. So make sure you give your shout outs in the comments below!
Who are your McCovey Chronicles community All Stars?
No TV, no radio. Absolute BS. Baseball teams can afford to take the loss in order to promote the game. But they won’t. And it isn’t going to get better.
For the cost of an NRI longshot or, even better, some minuscule portion of CEO salary, these games could be made available to you and me. But it’s not going to happen, because infectious inimical capitalism is rife. Gordon Gekko might have been talking about sports culture.
Don’t let Rob fool you. He hates baseball. He likes money.
Swanson also singled home another run in the bottom of the sixth. Porter Hodge had another subpar outing. Jefferson Rojas and Pedro Ramirez had good days, and the Cubs took away an 8-6 victory.
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Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on unimpeachable sources.
BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates during a Grapefruit League spring training game at LECOM Park on February 27, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
The final day of February has arrived. Our long wintery nightmare is nearly over. Today is expected to be a sunny one around Baltimore, with temperatures nearing 60 degrees! And while I don’t want to jinx anything, I may have taken a gander at the ever-inaccurate 10-day forecast and spotted an upcoming day with a high in the 70s. The great thaw has begun.
It’s not just the temperatures that are heating up this week. The baseball is too. What a segue!
Speaking of health, we are still waiting to hear more on Samuel Basallo. The latest there is that the side injury he suffered earlier in the week was not a major issue. Craig Albernaz said the catcher could have stayed in the game, but the team was being cautious. For now, he is not scheduled to get any testing done. He’s just resting it.
But these are the Orioles weren’t talking about. They aren’t known for their transparency on the injury front. We’ll believe it when we see Basallo back in the lineup, and not a moment before.
Maybe he will return to the field this weekend. We shall see! The O’s will play the Braves today at 1:05, and then the Red Sox at the same time on Sunday. Both games will be on MASN and local radio.
Links
Baz shows why O’s traded for him with electric 1st outing of spring | MLB.com If you had to pick one player as “the talk of Orioles camp” it’s probably Pete Alonso, but Shanze Baz might be a close second. All of the reviews of his stuff have been raving, and now he has an impressive Grapefruit League outing under his belt. The Orioles are putting a lot of eggs into the Baz basket, so they need him to pan out.
Orioles appear to catch a break with Basallo | Roch Kubatko The indications on this are good. Basallo is saying he feels good. He is still around the team and smiling. Hopefully there are no setbacks and we see him back on the field in the next few days.
Orioles’ Bradfield on playing for Team Panama in World Baseball Classic: ‘A fun opportunity’ | Baltimore Baseball For players that haven’t made it to the majors yet, the WBC seems like a great chance to play in a competition with elevated stakes and major league-adjacent talent. Bradfield is a player that will probably get to Baltimore sometime this summer, so anything he can do to prepare himself for those slightly brighter lights feels worthwhile.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Mike Milchin turns 58 today. The lefty pitched in 13 games for the Orioles in 1996, accumulating a 5.73 ERA over 11 total innings.
Dallas Williams is 68 years old. He had a two-game stint with the Birds in 1981.
The late Dick Kokos (b. 1928, d. 1986) was born on this day. He was on the Orioles team that came over with the organization from St. Louis in 1954. He had spent four seasons with the Browns, but lasted just 11 games with the Orioles.
This day in O’s history
2023 – The Orioles and Pirates play an unofficial bottom of the ninth inning without umpires. The home team Pirates had already won the game, 7-4, and the umpires headed to the locker room. But both teams agreed to play another half inning in order to get more spring reps for their players. Orioles catcher Maverick Handley fills in for the missing officials, receiving the pitches and calling the balls and strikes. No additional runs are scored as Orioles pitcher Ofreidy Gomez allows just one hit before the game ends…unofficially.
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 9: Garrett Whitlock #22 of the Boston Red Sox reacts with Aroldis Chapman #44 of the Boston Red Sox during a Spring Training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 9, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s pitching preview time, ladies and gentlemen. Over the next several days, I’ll be writing 10,000 words or so about everyone you might see pitching for the Red Sox to start the season.We’re done with the rotation options and are moving on to the bullpen. We’ll start at the back, with the high-leverage options.
Aroldis Chapman
Aroldis Chapman is coming off arguably the best season of his career, believe it or not. He posted a 1.17 ERA over 67 appearances. He was so good that it’s almost impossible for him to repeat that performance, and that’s okay. If he’s even 90% of the pitcher he was in 2025, he’s still one of the game’s best closers.
The key for Chapman is throwing strikes. Last season, he posted a career low 6.6% walk rate. I still have a hard time believing that he was able to start locating for the first time in his career because he actaully started aiming, but whatever the reason for his newfound control, it made him virtually unhittable. His fastballs, a four-seam and sinker, are what he’s known for. They averaged 98 and 99 mph, respectively,
He used a fastball and sinker most frequently; they averaged 98 and 99 mph, respectively, and had strike rates of 74% and 67%. The four-seam had a swinging strike rate of 15.6%, while the sinker had an insane 21.5% swinging strike rate. Those two pitches accounted for about 75% of his offerings, with more four-seams early and sinkers late. Ahead in counts, he turned to a slider that was untouchable, returning a 34% putaway rate and a whiff on about one in every three pitches. He also used a splitter that caused hitters to chase at a 42% rate and whiff on one in every four pitches. The stuff is overpowering, and Chapman was in the zone enough to harness it. It’ll be hard for him to post another 1.17 ERA, but he’ll handle the ninth inning as long as he’s healthy.
Garrett Whitlock
As dominant as Aroldis Chapman was in 2025, the mere fact that he’s Aroldis Chapman is inherently nerve-wracking. He could throw nothing but strikes for two months straight, I’d still be slightly afraid he’ll completely lose control and start handing out walks to everyone. With Garrett Whitlock, that isn’t the case.
Whitlock moved back to the bullpen full-time in 2025 and made 62 appearances with a 2.25 ERA. From August 19 through the end of the regular season, he didn’t allow an earned run. I will not be elaborating on what happened in the postseason.
He was equally effective against both sides of the plate, holding both lefties and righties to an OPS below .600. He both struck out and walked more righties, but the differences were negligible. Whitlock is a strike-throwing machine. Each of his three pitches hold a strike rate over 65%, led by his sinker at 70%. The sinker, due to its shape, functions more like a four-seam fastball. It has two-plane movement with high velocity and elite extension that allows it to miss bats at the top of the zone. Righties see his sinker about 50% of the time, while lefties see it about 40%. He utilizes a slider and a changeup as secondary pitches, 31% and 21%, respectively.
Against righties, Whitlock goes to his slider most often, and it was excellent. The two-strike chase rate was 35% while the putaway rate was 30%. He’s also one of the few pitchers on the Red Sox staff who utilizes a changeup against same-handed hitters. They predominantly came with two strikes, but he’d occasionally flip one in early to steal a strike. It was a solid offering and got righties to expand the zone, but was fouled off more than he’d like in two-strike counts. I’m probably nitpicking, but his pitch plot shows he might have been in the zone or too near the zone, costing him whiffs. As I write this, I realize I’m criticizing a pitcher with a 30% strikeout rate. Ignore me.
Alright, focus back up. We’ve still got his approach against lefties to talk about. Lefties swing and miss at his sinker often, though the contact is louder when they do connect. His changeup is his go-to secondary pitch, and it’s mostly great. It generated a chase rate near 50%, an 18% swinging strike rate, and a paltry 20% ideal contact rate. I say it was “mostly” great because of its performance with two strikes. In 54 two-strike counts, he only recorded three strikeouts. Despite good locations, lefties either fouled the ball off or took pitches just off the plate. His changeup is the only pitch he throws away from lefties, so throwing low two-strike fastballs might be able to freeze opponents and make them respect the changeup. Again, I’m nitpicking a 30% strikeout rate pitcher, but it is a place to improve. Regardless of the changeup’s ineffectiveness in putting hitters away, his fastball and slider each pulled their weight. Each pitch had a putaway rate of 25%, allowing him to keep that strikeout rate high.
Whitlock was one of the most reliable relievers in baseball and should continue to be in 2026.
Around the Division
David Bednar (NYY)
David Bednar was born in Pittsburgh and went to high school in Eastern Pennsylvania before moving across the state to play college ball at Lafayette College. He walked out to Renegade by Styx when closing games for the Pirates, and they still traded him to the Yankees. Kinda messed up if you ask me.
Bednar’s arsenal is similar to Craig Kimbrel’s. It’s high 90s fastballs up, and then he’ll pull the string with a 75 mph in the dirt and make you look like an idiot. He struggled for a stretch in 2025 and was briefly demoted to the minor leagues, but was completely dominant upon returning. I’d love to be a fan of his, but he was forced to put on pinstripes, so I’ll wait until 2027 when he becomes a free agent.
Jeff Hoffman (TOR)
Hoffman was up and down in 2025, most notably allowing a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series. His fastball, slider, and splitter each miss bats at a high rate, but the fastball in particular was hit hard in 2025. Walks were an issue as well; Hoffman handed out free passes to 9.4% of hitters. He also surrendered 15 home runs, although his 37.5% home run per fly ball rate should regress to the mean in 2026. While he’s slotted in as the Blue Jays’ closer now, he might be on a short leash to begin the season.
Ryan Helsley (BAL)
Ryan Helsley comes over to the American League East after spending the second half of the season with the New York Mets, where he really struggled. He throws as hard as anyone, but opponents were able to handle his fastball last season. While his four-seam has always allowed some hard contact, 2025 was an outlier in terms of ideal contact rate. His slider is excellent, returning a 23% swinging strike rate. The Orioles paid him like a closer, so the ninth inning is likely his to lose to start the season. He’s a major bounce-back candidate after a rocky 2025 season.
Edwin Uceta/Griffin Jax (TBR)
Pete Fairbanks took off for Miami, so the Rays have an opening at the back of their bullpen. While they likely won’t have a designated closer, Edwin Uceta and Griffin Jax are two names likely to get late-game opportunities. Uceta throws a flat fastball from a near-sidearm release with a crazy delivery that gives hitters a really difficult time, and follows it up with a changeup with great fade. He gets a ton of strikeouts, but was prone to the home run ball in 2025. He also has a lingering shoulder injury that puts his status for opening day in question.
Jax came over from the Twins, and I have no idea why Minnesota let him go. His sweeper and changeup each have swinging strike rates over 20%, while his fastball has a solid shape and great velocity. He leaves the ball over the plate some, which was punished in 2025, but his strikeout numbers are off the charts. It seems that the Rays want to use him in the bullpen, but you could convince me that he could succeed in a rotation. He’ll also represent Team USA during the World Baseball Classic.
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Marco Odermatt has taken a giant step towards retaining his World Cup downhill title this season, leading a Swiss sweep Saturday in the first men’s race since the Milan Cortina Olympics.
More good news for Odermatt was that his closest challenger, teammate and Olympic gold medalist Franjo van Allmen, was not part of the Swiss trio on the podium.
Odermatt just barely edged out Alexis Monney by 0.04 seconds, with Stefan Rogentin coming 0.98 seconds behind in third. Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayr and Italy’s Giovanni Franzoni shared fourth.
Von Allmen had costly mistakes halfway through his run down the Kandahar course and finished 1.47 second behind in sixth.
The result means Odermatt increased his lead over von Allmen to 175 points in the season standings with two races remaining. A race win is worth 100 points.
It felt like redemption for Odermatt, who arrived at the Olympics as a gold-medal favourite in the downhill but finished fourth.
“It was certainly a bit of a revenge today, too,” said Odermatt, who won the World Cup downhill title the past two seasons and is also a strong favourite to win his fifth straight overall Crystal Globe this year.
The fascinating duel between close friends Odermatt and von Allmen has dominated the downhill season.
Odermatt started his campaign with back-to-back wins and later added a victory at the classic Wengen event, but von Allmen hit back with two wins, including the last race before the Olympics a month ago in Crans-Montana, where Odermatt failed to make the podium.
On Saturday, though, von Allmen could not keep up with his rival.
“I was a little bit too direct, also not central with my body, sat down in the back, and was pretty tired. In the end, too direct and not smooth enough,” said von Allmen, who was one of Alpine skiing's stars of the Olympics with three golds from the downhill, super-G and team combined.
Odermatt's 54th career win put him level with Austrian great Hermann Maier in third position on the men’s World Cup winners list. Only Ingemar Stenmark (86 wins) and Marcel Hirscher (67) won more races. The overall record is held by American standout Mikaela Shiffrin with 108 World Cup wins.
“My idol always was Didier Cuche when I was a kid,” Odermatt said. “But it’s incredible to get level with Hermann.”
Several skiers sat out the race a day after they crashed in the final training session Friday, most notably France's Nils Alphand and Finland’s Elian Lehto.
The French ski federation said Alphand sustained a right shoulder and rib injury and would be out for at least three weeks. Lehto suffered “injuries to the chest area and lower limb that require hospital monitoring” but “are not life-threatening,” the Finnish ski federation said on Instagram.
A super-G on the same hill is scheduled for Sunday.
