Category: Sports News

The Red Sox should be deemed the unofficial champions of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Garrett Whitlock absolutely stood out as a star from his time on the mound in March, though his run ended with heartbreak and fair concerns for the upcoming season. Prior to taking the ball in the ninth inning of the WBC Final against Venezuela, Whitlock looked like arguably the best setup man in baseball, which he was in the second half of 2025. The Red Sox right-hander did not surrender a run in his first three appearances, including a scoreless inning with two strikeouts to lift the United States over the loaded Dominican Republic lineup in the semifinals. 

His mission against Venezuela ended differently. Whitlock got the call for the ninth inning moments after Bryce Harper’s dramatic game-tying, two-run home run. Unlike Padres closer Mason Miller and Yankees reliever David Bednar, Whitlock had the backing of his manager in Alex Cora to log more innings with a world title on the line. A third outing in five days is strenuous on an arm gearing up for the season in March. So a dip in velocity and execution as a result could’ve been expected. 

Venezuela broke through when Eugenio Suarez shot a 3-2 changeup to the left-center gap to plate Javier Sanoja for the go-ahead (and eventual decisive) run. 

The loanDepot Park crowd erupted and the United States eventually fell by the same score in the same stakes as three years ago when Japan hoisted the 2023 crown. There had to be some feelings of deja vu for the United States. Whitlock had to feel his own chapter of that as well. 

For the second time in six months, an overlooked Whitlock made one mistake that overshadowed an extended stretch of previous dominance. Cora and the Red Sox  certainly leaned on Whitlock in prior years as a multi-inning reliever (where he should have been all along!) In 2025, he locked into one-inning stints and dominated. That shift helped him post a microscopic 0.34 ERA after the All-Star break. 

Boston met the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card series and won the opener 3-1 behind 7 ⅔ brilliant frames from ace Garrett Crochet. Whitlock entered in the seventh inning of Game 2 with the score tied at three. His stuff looked good, but Boston pushed him deeper into multiple innings. Whitlock’s pitch count rose and he began to falter. 

On his 39th pitch of the night, Austin Wells laced a single down the right field line that scored Jazz Chisholm Jr. all the way from first base. Whitlock hadn’t thrown that many pitches in one outing in over three months. 

That run decided the game in favor of the Yankees, who shut out the Red Sox the following night to eliminate their rivals and advance to the ALDS. And after two soul-crushing outings for Whitlock, the Red Sox now really need to protect him early in the season. 

A rare flaw of the otherwise phenomenal WBC is the volume of high-stress pitches demanded of elite relievers prior to their normal build-up windows to start the regular season. Beyond the results of Whitlock’s recent bumps, his velocity showed fatigue and that’s not a trend the Red Sox can afford, never mind the obvious concerns of injury. Whitlock already lost most of 2022-2024 during the brutal starting pitching experiment. The Red Sox have to operate in the best interests of their dependable set-up man. 

The back of Boston’s bullpen runs through the exceptional tandem of Whitlock and rejuvenated All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman. Cora, pitching coach Andrew Bailey and the Red Sox staff might need to defer to alternative options the first month or so to keep Whitlock fresh. Their success in 2026 depends on it. 

The Mets made another round of major league spring training roster cuts, optioning infielder Ronny Mauricio and right-handed pitcher Joey Gerber to Triple-A Syracuse and reassigning right-handed pitcher Mike Baumann and left-handed pitcher Brandon Waddell to minor league camp. None of those names are particularly surprising, as Francisco Lindor’s return to the field has put him on track to be the Mets’ Opening Day shortstop.

Mauricio made 184 plate appearances at the major league level last year, but he hit just .226/.293/.369 with an 88 wRC+ and was worth 0.7 fWAR in that time. He began last season in St. Lucie as he returned from a knee injury that cost him the entire 2024 season and quickly worked his way up to Binghamton and Syracuse during his rehab process. In his very brief stop in Triple-A, he tore the cover off the ball, hitting .515/.564/.818 in 39 plate appearances.

That earned Mauricio a spot with the Mets, but he didn’t thrive with inconsistent playing time over the remainder of the season. It seems best for both the player and the organization that he’ll get to play every day to begin the 2026 campaign.

Gerber spent the 2025 season with the Rays, and the vast majority of his innings came in Triple-A. The 28-year-old had a 6.09 ERA and a 4.94 FIP at that level, though he fared better in a very small sample of major league innings.

Baumann is attempting to return to the big leagues after pitching for five different major league teams in 2024 and throwing 15.0 innings last year in Japan. He has a career 4.95 ERA and a 4.59 FIP in 167.1 MLB innings.

And last but not least, Waddell made eleven appearances for the Mets last year and fared better in his time in the big leagues than in the majority of his season in Syracuse. The 31-year-old had a 3.45 ERA and a 4.54 FIP in 31.1 innings with the Mets last year as he returned from a three-year stint pitching in Korea.

As expected, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar will miss the entire 2026 season after his PED suspension was upheld following an appeal. The ban covers 162 games and also renders him ineligible for the postseason.

Major League Baseball announced earlier this month that Profar tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. This marks his second violation, as he previously served an 80-game suspension for a similar offense in 2025.

The Major League Baseball Players Association filed an appeal on Profar’s behalf, but the decision ultimately stood. With the suspension now finalized, the Braves have some added financial flexibility, clearing several million dollars from the payroll.

Profar was expected to be in the Braves’ outfield mix this season, so his absence leaves the club with additional questions as they finalize roster decisions heading into Opening Day.

More Braves News:

All eyes are on Didier Fuentes after his performance this spring, but does he have a shot at the Opening Day roster?

Right-hander Ian Hamilton was outrighted to Triple-A Gwinnett, leaving 41 players at camp. 

MLB News:

Houston Astros lefty Bennett Sousa will begin the season on the injured list due to a left oblique strain. His stint on the IL is expected to be minimal.

San Francisco Giants right-hander Hayden Birdsong will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, causing him to miss the entire 2026 season and part of 2027.

The end of spring training is filled with various forms of lists. Which teams have the best lineup/pitching staff/bullpen/roster? Who are the best veterans who failed to crack the Opening Day roster and found themselves on waivers or as free agents? Who looks primed for a breakout season? And conversely, who struggled the most, and is now a cause for concern?

Among these many lists are, of course, preseason prospect rankings. Over the last few years, the Yankees have not exactly fared well in this category — this year, for example, ESPN ranks them 23rd in baseball, while FanGraphs states that the Yankees farm “resides among the bottom handful in baseball.” The thing about prospects, though, is that ranking them while they’re still prospects only tells part of the story; to get the full picture, you need to return years later, and analyze them once more, this time with the benefit of hindsight.

In that regard, let’s turn the clock back five years, and take a look at the Yankees’ top prospects at the start of the 2021 campaign, using MLB.com’s Top 30 list as a starting point. Of the players on this list, almost two-thirds have cracked an MLB roster at some point, including 9 of the top 10, and 13 of the top 15. But what is more interesting, in my opinion, than just where they ended up, is how the Yankees opted to employ them. To that end, rather than list the players according to their rankings, I’ve opted to organize them according to, well, how their careers have gone.

Players Allowed to Develop

Players in this category: Jasson Domínguez (1), Clarke Schmidt (2), Deivi García (3), Oswald Peraza (4), Luis Gil (5), Austin Wells (6), Yoendrys Gómez (8), Estevan Florial (10), Anthony Volpe (11), Alexander Vargas (13), Antonio Gomez (21), Anthony Seigler (22), Ryder Green (25), Matt Sauer (26), Jake Sanford (29)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Yankees attempted to develop the majority of their top prospects into big league contributors, with mixed results. Clarke Schmidt has arguably been the most successful of the bunch, as he has flashed No. 2 starter potential in his five years in pinstripes. Across his last 30 starts, in fact, he has a 3.07 ERA and has been worth 3.7 rWAR; unfortunately, that spans two seasons (2024 and 2025), and due to elbow surgery, he will not return to the mound until this summer at the earliest. Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe, meanwhile, established themselves as strong defenders and put together strong stretches at the plate in 2024, but their 2025 performance raised more questions than they answered (though Wells remained a stalwart with the glove behind the plate). Injuries and inconsistency have similarly marred Luis Gil’s career to date despite a 2024 AL Rookie of the Year win.

While these players’ futures may have questions, they were undeniably key components of the Yankees’ most successful season since the 2009 World Series: the 2024 American League pennant winners. That’s more than can be said for, well, pretty much everybody else on the list.

Oswald Peraza flashed in a cameo at the end of 2022, lost the starting shortstop job to Volpe in spring training in 2023, and pretty much bottomed out afterward; in 106 games between the Yankees and Angels last season, he posted an OPS+ of 33. Following a strong stint with the Yankees during the later parts of the shortened 2020 campaign, Deivi García posted an ERA of almost seven in Scranton in 2021 and 2022, was demoted to Double-A Somerset, turned into a reliever, and eventually designated for assignment; he was claimed by the White Sox, continued to struggle, and is now out of organized baseball. Yoendrys Gómez made all of 12 appearances for the Yankees as a reliever, was designated for assignment by the Yankees and Dodgers last season, and then traded by the White Sox to the Rays this past winter (coincidentally, for another former Yankees farmhand). The toolsy Estevan Florial never resolved his contact issues and has since been dealt to Cleveland, traveled to the KBO, and, most recently, signed on in the Mexican League.

Then you have Jasson Domínguez. The much-hyped prospect, still just 23 years old, made a splash when he made his debut at the end of 2023, missed most of 2024 due to injuries, and had mixed results as a part-time player in 2025. He appears ticketed to Triple-A Scranton to start this season, which would be alarming for a prospect who has been around as long as he has been, except for the fact that he is still just 23. Five years after he was the organization’s top prospect, the Martian’s story has hardly been written.

The 2021 Trade Chips

Players in this category: Alexander Vizcaíno (9), Kevin Alcántara (12), Josh Smith (14), Ezequiel Duran (15), Trevor Hauver (23), Glenn Otto (28)

Despite having just a 46-43 record at the All-Star Break, the 2021 Yankees opted to be buyers at the trade deadline, sending Josh Smith, Ezequiel Durán, Glenn Otto, and Trevor Hauver to the Rangers for Joey Gallo and Joely Rodríguez, Alexander Vizcaíno and Kevin Alcántara to the Cubs for Anthony Rizzo, and some low-level prospects for Andrew Heaney and Clay Holmes.

Mathematically, these deals turned out to be disasters for the Yankees (save for Holmes), even if they were generally praised at the time — including by yours truly. Gallo lost the ability to hit when he came to the Yankees, accrued just 0.5 rWAR between his acquisition at the 2021 deadline and his trade to the Dodgers at the 2022 one, and has now tried to make a comeback as a relief pitcher. Rizzo was much better, spending parts of four seasons in the Bronx after re-signing and becoming a leader in the clubhouse beside Aaron Judge; and if he had not played through a 2023 concussion he didn’t know he had for months, he likely would have put together more value than the 3.7 rWAR he did in pinstripes.

Of the players traded, there are really only two the organization truly misses: Smith and Alcántara. Smith has been a solid starter for the Rangers the past two seaesons, putting together a .254/.336/.380 slash line while playing adequate defense throughout the infield; for an organization which has been cobbling together the hot corner for a few years now, that would have been a welcome improvement. Vizcaíno only pitched six games for the Cubs before a 2022 spring training dispute led to him leaving MLB, but Alcántara has become one of Chicago’s top prospects, and is currently ranked 60th on the FanGraphs prospect list. Duran was good in a versatile role for the Rangers’ 2023 World Series champions, but has since regressed to replacement-level.

The 2022 Trade Chips

Players in this category: Luis Medina (7), T.J. Sikkema (16), Albert Abreu (18), Beck Way (24), Ken Waldichuk (27), Hayden Wesneski (30)

At the time, the Yankees’ Trade Deadline in 2022 looked like a masterclass, as the Yankees added a top-of-the-rotation starter under contract in 2023 in Frankie Montas, a former closer in Lou Trivino, a dominant reliever with years of team control in Scott Effross, and the lefty outfielder they needed in Andrew Benintendi to a squad that was 64-28 and already running away with the AL East at the All-Star break. Montas, however, turned out to be damaged goods and only made nine appearances in pinstripes, Benintendi and Effross both got injured and were unavailable come playoff time, and though he was fine down the stretch, Trivino joined the walking wounded as well at the start of 2023 and never pitched again for the big-league club. Effross’ years of control were for naught by the way, as he was a shadow of his former self upon returning from injury and threw just 14 total innings for them from 2023-25 before being nontendered.

Of the prospects traded away, well, most of them were pitching prospects, and that means most of them have also spent extensive time on the shelf: Medina, Waldichuk, and Wesneski have all undergone Tommy John surgery, for example. Rather ironically, the biggest contribution any of these players has made to this point may belong to Wesneski, who was one of the pieces the Cubs sent to the Astros to acquire Kyle Tucker … thus opening the door to the Yankees’ acquisition of Cody Bellinger.

Special shoutout here to Albert Abreu, who netted the Yankees Jose Trevino right before the season, then returned to the squad later that June.

The 2024 Trade Chips

Players in this category: Brandon Lockridge (20)

The Yankees used a number of prospects at the Trade Deadline in 2024 to reel in Jazz Chisholm Jr., Mark Leiter, and Enyel De Los Santos. However, the only prospect traded who had been among the top prospects in 2021 was Brandon Lockridge, who was sent to the Padres for De Los Santos in what was a lose/lose trade. Lockdrige made his debut with San Diego later that season, had just two hits in 12 games, and was traded to the Brewers at the 2025 deadline for Nestor Cortes, who then made six starts for San Diego before requiring surgery on his throwing arm.

And somehow, that was the better end of the deal. De Los Santos was an absolute disaster for the Yankees and was designated for assignment in less than two weeks.

The 2025 Trade Chips

Players in this category: Everson Pereira (17)

For the second consecutive season, the Yankees made a number of moves at the deadline to fill holes, trading away a small army of prospects in order to acquire Ryan McMahon, David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Jake Bird, and José Caballero. Once again, only one of those prospects had been highly-regarded in the organization since 2021: Pereira, who was flipped to Tampa Bay for Cabby.

To date, Pereira has been the quintessential Quadruple-A player, capable of mashing Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .271/.362/.519 career slash line, while being unable to hit big league pitching. After just half a season, the Rays have seemingly given up on him, sending him to the South Side of Chicago in a deal to acquire aforementioned fellow former Yankees farmhand Yoendrys Gómez.

All in all, looking back at this list, we can maybe begin to push back against the idea that the Yankees’ farm has failed them in recent years. While it would be nice for the farm to develop a top-of-the-rotation starter or another big bat to slot in front of or behind Judge (fingers crossed that Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice continue on their trajectory to do just that), the Yankees have been able to build their MLB roster by developing and trading away prospects for big-league talent. Has every trade worked out? Absolutely not! But just the fact that the farm has been able to develop players desired by other teams is, at the end of the day, a sign that the farm is doing what it needs to do.

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

Spring training is winding down and the Orioles are inching toward their season-opening roster. And with the World Baseball Classic now finished, that roster is looking close to complete, as the Orioles’ WBC-participating players have rejoined the team for the final stretch of Grapefruit League games. The last to return to camp was Gunnar Henderson, fresh off a stint with Team USA in which he performed great but was painfully under-utilized. That won’t be a problem for him with the Orioles.

With Gunnar back in the fold, the Orioles unveiled a very Opening Day-ish kind of lineup in the first of their two split-squad games yesterday. That group fared decently against Yankees ace Max Fried, with nearly every starter reaching base at least once, but one change I’d like to see before the actual Opening Day is Samuel Basallo being included in that lineup. Basallo proved why in the second split-squad game, powering two home runs off the Pirates as part of a 3-for-3 day. Samuel is OPS’ing 1.225 this spring. I think he’s ready for the season to start.

Orioles starting pitchers, too, continue to look sharp this spring. Dean Kremer held the Yankees to one run in 4.1 innings, striking out eight, and Trevor Rogers struck out seven Pirates in 5.1 innings in the late game. In six days, Rogers will take the mound for the Opening Day assignment against the Twins. It’s gonna be fun.

What’s also gonna be fun is tonight’s Spring Breakout game, featuring a team of Orioles prospects taking on Red Sox prospects in Sarasota. The Birds’ squad consists of most of the club’s top prospects who aren’t in big league camp, including Enrique Bradfield Jr., Nate George, Trey Gibson, Aron Estrada, Ike Irish, and Wehiwa Aloy. The game will air on MASN. And the big league Orioles will be in action a half hour later, again playing the Yankees, with a local broadcast on WBAL Radio. So if you’d like, you can get more than your fill of spring training action tonight.

Links

Basallo keeps bashing in exhibition games, homers twice and goes 3-for-3 in Orioles’ 5-2 win – School of Roch

Asked about his hitting success, Basallo said he’s trying not to hit like “a crazy chicken.” I mean, that’s just good strategy.

Jac Caglianone, Shane Baz and other breakout MLB candidates for 2026 – The Athletic

Keith Law is practically glowing about the Orioles, saying he’s “pretty bullish” about their 2026 outlook and including both Baz and Coby Mayo on his list of breakout candidates. Not bad for a noted Orioles hater!

To be ‘an elite Grant Wolfram,’ the Orioles reliever studies video of himself at his best – The Baltimore Banner

Grant Wolfram already has an elite name. Maybe someday he’ll have the performance to match.

Does moving positions hurt Orioles’ players? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

A reader theorizes that some O’s hitters are struggling because they keep getting moved around to different positions, including guys who are literally utility players. Defensive versatility is not a bad thing, buddy.

Grayson Rodriguez May Begin Season On Injured List – MLB Trade Rumors

Poor Grayson’s Angels career is starting the same way his Orioles career ended. Will this guy ever catch a break?

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 26th birthday to the Orioles’ starting center fielder, Colton Cowser. Because it’s his birthday, I won’t mention how he’s been doing at spring training, and we’ll just have to hope his 2026 season will be more like his 2024 Rookie of the Year runner-up campaign.

Happy birthday also to Orioles Hall of Famer Chris Hoiles, the best-hitting catcher in O’s history, who turns 61. Other former Orioles born on March 20 include infielder Manny Alexander (55), left-hander Paul Mirabella (72), and the late outfielder Mike Young (b. 1960, d. 2023).

On this date in 1995, the Orioles canceled the remainder of their spring training games after refusing to field replacement players. Owner Peter Angelos had long been adamant that the O’s wouldn’t follow the lead of the rest of baseball by using replacement players during the MLBPA strike, and, in one of the rare bright spots on his ownership, he followed through on that promise. MLB’s replacement-player plan was ultimately scuttled as the strike ended and a shortened season began April 26.

Less than one week remains until Phillies baseball is back. Nuf Ced.

Phillies news

Dylan Moore has exercised his opt-out. The Phillies must either add him to the 40-man within 48 hours (of his decision), or lose him.

The Phillies have announced the new concessions items for fans to enjoy in 2026. This includes eight new ice cream helmets, for anyone who likes those (which has to be everyone, right? is there a soul on planet earth that doesn’t smile at the thought of an ice cream helmet?)

The Phillies pitchers talk about their appreciation for their BCIB.

Couldn’t catch the Spring Breakout game between the Phillies prospects and the Twins’ up-and-comers? MLB Film Room has you covered.

MLB news

Jurickson Profar appealed his PED suspension, but to no avail.

MLB has named Polymarket their official prediction market partner.

Speaking of predictions, I predict you, dear Phillies fan, will have some quibbles with this ranking of World Series contenders.

Free of charge for the discerning reader.Babe Didrikson* makes her pitch, and other stories. Important events in world history.

Today in baseball history:

• 1888 – Albert Spalding announces a baseball tour to Australia next winter with his Chicago team and a squad of National League All-Stars.
• 1918 – Although the major leagues optimistically keep the schedules at 154 games, the owners agree to halve the spring training time in an attempt to save money with the United States now engaged in World War I, as the St. Louis Cardinals open their camp at Hot Springs, Arkansas. In fact, the season’s last month will never be played, with the World Series starting at the beginning of September.
• 1934 – Mildred Didrikson* (also known as Babe Zaharias), the renowned all-around female athlete, pitches the 1st inning for the Philadelphia Athletics in a spring training exhibition game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. She gives up one walk but no hits. Two days later she pitches again, this time one inning for the St. Louis Cardinals against the Boston Red Sox. Didrickson is less successful the second time, giving up four hits and three runs. Bill Hallahan relieves her, as she does not have an at bat in either game. She will also play several games for the House of David this season. Didrickson is the second female to play exhibitions with a major league team. Previously, first baseman Lizzie Murphy played for an American League All-Star team on August 14, 1922. 
• 1953 – U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson offers a bill to give clubs the sole right to ban radio-TV broadcasts of major league games in their own territory. The antitrust division of the Justice Department outlawed this practice in 1949. Johnson believes that it started the decline of baseball in small towns and cities throughout the country. His bill aims to restore the equity between large communities and the small areas.
• 1954 – The Chicago Cubs send shortstop Roy Smalley to the Milwaukee Braves for pitcher Dave Cole, opening up the shortstop job for Ernie Banks.
• 1955 – While the Chicago Cubs are in Arizona beating their Los Angeles farm team, 7-0, major league baseball is played at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. In a rematch of last year’s World Series, the New York Giants beat the Cleveland Indians again, 7-3. Willie Mays and Dusty Rhodes hit home runs for New York, while Ralph Kiner’s ninth-inning homer is the first score for Cleveland. A crowd of 24,434 is on hand.
• 1976 – Leo Durocher, hired to manage the Yokohama Taiyo Whales (Japanese League), is sick with hepatitis and asks for a five-week delay in reporting. The Lip receives a telegram from the Whales stating: “Since the championship starts in twenty days, it’s better if you stay home and take care of yourself for the remainder of the season.“
• 2000 – The new World Umpires Association agrees to consolidate all umpires as part of an interim agreement with the commissioner’s office. The umpires will merge into a single unit reporting directly to Major League Baseball this season, after being employed by either the National League or the American League since the latter’s creation in 1901.
• 2019 – The Major League season opens at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, with the A’s hosting the Mariners in the first game of a two-game series. While most of the early attention is directed at 45-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, who starts in right field for Seattle, it’s the sluggers who define the game as the Mariners prevail, 9-7. Stephen Piscotty, Khris Davis and Matt Chapman all homer for Oakland, but the M’s reply with long balls by Domingo Santana — a grand slam — and Tim Beckham. Marco Gonzales pitches six innings for the win.

Cubs Birthdays:Emil Geiss, Johnny Butler, Clyde Shoun, Jim Willis, George Altman, Manny Alexander. Also notable: Joe McGinnity HOF.

Today in history:

• 1345 – Conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, thought by scholars at the University of Paris to be the “cause of the plague epidemic” known as the Black Death. Actual cause was the bacterium yersinia pestis spread by fleas, rats and other animals.
• 1616 – Walter Raleigh released from Tower of London to seek gold in Guyana.
• 1703 – Akō incident: 46 of the 47 surviving Ronin commit seppuku (ritual suicide) as recompense for avenging their master’s death in Edo.
• 1800 – Alessandro Volta reports his discovery of the electric battery in a letter to Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society of London.
• 1815 – Napoleon enters Paris after escape from Elba, begins 100-day rule.
• 1854 – Anti-slavery activists within the US Whig political party opposed to the Kansas-Nebraska Act form a new Republican Party; notable politicians who switched allegiance include Abraham Lincoln, Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, and Benjamin Harrison.
• 1942 – General Douglas MacArthur vows “I came through and I shall return” after escaping Japanese-occupied Philippines.

*pictured.

Greetings, Brew Crew Ball community. Opening Day is now just six days away!

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-baseball sports, the Brewers, you name it. As long as it’s appropriate and is allowed by our moderators, it’s fair game here.

A few quick ideas for conversation this week: Dealing with traffic around the ballpark, best parking spots, best tailgate menu.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread: