Arizona Diamondbacks Spring Training Gameday Thread, #16 vs. Giants
Just time for the barest of Gameday Threads this afternoon. Here’s our line-up, which saw a late change with Crisantes coming in to replace Torin. There were also some shuffling of other positions, like Vargas moving over to 3B and Fernandez covering short in place of Torin:
A busy day of World Baseball Classic baseball is already well under way. Michael Soroka started for Canada in their 8-2 win over Colombia. He went three innings, and allowed a run on four hits, with a walk and a pair of strikeouts. He was followed o the mound by Indigo Diaz, who posted a zero in the fourth, allowing one walk but striking out a pair. Jatoine Kelly started for the Netherlands, as they also won, 4-3 over Nicaragua. He pitched a pair of scoreless innings on one hit, one walk and three K’s. Druw Jones went 2-for-3 with a walk in that game too.
This game is on the radio, through Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
Spring Training GAME THREAD: Guardians vs. Padres
Here’s your Guardians’ lineup for the day:
Kwan CF
Valera LF
Ramirez 3B
Arias SS
Manzardo DH
Hoskins 1B
Rocchio SS
Hedges C
Kayfus RF
Cecconi P
Spring Training Game Thread: Texas Rangers at San Francisco Giants
Today the Texas Rangers head over to Scottsdale, AZ for a Cactus League matchup against the San Francisco Giants.
Taking the mound for Texas will be LHP Jacob Latz in his latest audition for the fifth spot in the rotation. Opposing him will be LHP Carson Whisenhunt for San Francisco.
The Giants have a telecast which will also be on MLB Network out of market, otherwise you can listen via 105.3 The Fan or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Scottsdale Stadium is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.
Go Rangers!
Islanders Gameday: In San Jose with Schenn, #10
The 2025-26 New York Islanders begin the rest of their season with a roster that has three veterans they did not have a couple of months ago. Two of them were once semi-stars but are now in their decline — while carrying cap hits that reflect the former phase than the latter — but Mathieu Darche is betting they will add enough to carry this year’s team forward into securing their playoff position and possibly making a little noise. The impact on following seasons is for another day.
The newest, Brayden Schenn, joins the team for their game in San Jose tonight, where his former Blues teammates beat the Sharks, 3-2 in overtime, despite lobbing only 14 shots on goal.
Newly extended backup Alex Nedeljkovic was in goal for that one, so the Islanders will presumably face Yaroslav Askarov tonight.
Based on the first draft of lines, the Islanders see Schenn as a center, a second-line center, pushing Calum Ritchie to the wing. That might be a subtle improvement as Ritchie adjusts in his rookie season at age 20, but it’s also asking too much a lot of Schenn, who was frequently moved to wing with the Blues over the past few seasons. With the matchups, and J-G Pageau taking on some assignments, maybe it’s more like they have two third lines.
First Islanders Goal picks go here.
Islanders News
“You should see the texts we got from former players, players that have been with him,” says Mathieu Darche in the media availability scrum below. This does not surprise me at all; I’m a fan of Schenn’s game at its peak and his approach even today. The challenge and fear is that was yesteryear. Former players are former players for a reason. Schenn probably gets, and delivers, a boost down the stretch here in this new environment, and freed from the burden of captaining a team that was in full identity crisis.
The impact on following seasons is, again, for another day.
At the beginning of this hotel interview about leaving the Blues, Schenn talks a little bit about excitement for the team and opportunity he’s joining — and later, about he and his brother Luke fielding “probably 45 calls” since 11 p.m. the night before discussing possible trade destinations and logistics with family:
Here’s how they may line up tonight:
And Schenn on the power play, too. He’s a smart player who still has hands, so…well, surely he can’t make the PP any worse?
I’m actually curious to see if the Isles ever use Schenn in 3-on-3 overtime. You wouldn’t think it from his speed at this age, but he can be effective and finish coming down the wing in that role.
- Our reactions (and comment fights) to the trade and the extension of J-G Pageau. [LHH]
- Another bit of trivia and orientation: Schenn will wear the #10 he’s worn at every NHL stop — save for his first callup in Philly — while Simon Holmstrom will take #92, while Lou Lamoriello rolls over in his retirement chair.
- Previewing tonight: The Islanders look to come out of their California slump. [Isles]
- A little more on those morning lines, with Anthony Duclair coming into the lineup in place of Kyle MacLean. [Isles]
It’s a laaaaate start tonight, 10 p.m. EST — and EDT starts tomorrow, you’ll lose an hour! — but I know we’ll all be curious to see how they look and do.
Elsewhere
- Evgeni Malkin suspended five games for trying to chop a guy’s head off. Maybe he’ll learn by the time he retires? [NHL]
- New Duck John Carlson carries mixed emotions after 17 seasons in D.C. [NHL]
- What the hell is the Leafs’ plan now? (You hate to see it…) [Sportsnet]
- Winners and losers: “There’s nary a bad vibe to be found in Buffalo these days, but it still had to be disappointing to think an Olympic-calibre defenceman in Parayko was coming your way, only to find out you were going to be Luke Schenn’s 10th NHL team.“ [Sportsnet]
Evan Mobley knows what he has to do to make partnership with James Harden work
INDEPENDENCE — James Harden’s ability to make each of his new teammates better in different ways has stood out in the first nine games with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The instant chemistry he’s developed with Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Sam Merrill has been easy to see. Evan Mobley is looking to be the next Cavalier to benefit from playing alongside the all-time great guard.
“He’s not scared to take risks,” Mobley said about playing alongside Harden after practice on Saturday. “There’s a lot of benefits with how he just controls the game.”
Mobley hasn’t had the same time to develop chemistry with Harden. He missed Harden’s first few games with the team due to a calf strain. As such, they’ve played in just five games and 99 minutes together, but the results have been impressive.
Cleveland has been good on both ends of the court when Harden and Mobley share the floor. They’re scoring 118.4 points per 100 possessions (76th percentile for offensive ratings) and allowing 102.3 points per 100 possessions (99th percentile for a defensive rating) when both are playing. These lineups have outscored opponents by 16 points per 100 possessions, which is in the 98th percentile for net rating.
It’s a much smaller sample size when Mobley is the only center on the court (just 57 possessions). Groups with Harden and Mobley, but without Allen, have been better offensively as they’ve posted a 122.8 offensive rating (95th percentile). The defense hasn’t been as good as they’ve had a 120 defensive rating (20th percentile) and just a +2.8 net rating (65th percentile). It’s worth noting that the Cavs have been without Dean Wade in most of these lineup configurations, which likely hurts how they’ve performed defensively.
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Lineups with Mobley as the only big alongside Harden will likely get tested on Sunday against the Boston Celtics. Allen may not be able to go as he’s still dealing with knee soreness after leaving Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons with a knee injury.
Offensively, these groups have thrived due to Mobley knowing exactly what he needs to do to make things work on that end.
“I got to be dominating the paint,” Mobley said. He pointed out that it includes setting good screens and being aggressive offensively so that Harden can attack in the pick-and-roll.
Being a more physical screen setter is an area Mobley needs to improve. He is good at finishing in the pick-and-roll and can have success alongside Harden by just slipping screens. However, doing so doesn’t create the same space for Harden that a physical screen does. And he knows this.
“Hitting my screen hard,” Mobley said when asked how he could help Harden. “They’re going to put the best defenders on him, make sure we get [his defender] off James.” Mobley also mentioned that they want to get switches in these actions, which requires him to roll hard to the basket to do so.
There’s a learning curve that comes with playing alongside a new pick-and-roll partner, which is something the duo is still working through.
“Tendencies, that’s the main thing,” Mobley said. “When they like to throw it. How they like to throw it, how they would like to come off the screen as well. When he looks to attack, when he doesn’t. … I’ve been watching him most of my life, so I know some of his tendencies, but as you play with him, you learn more and more.”
Plugging Harden into the offense has worked incredibly well so far for the Cavs, but there are still areas that the team needs to work through. And they only have 19 games to do so. As of now, they’re confident that’s enough time for everyone to get up to speed.
“We’ve done a great job so far,” Mobley said. “All the guys fit in pretty well. We just got to keep sharpening it.”
Washington Nationals late additions to the bullpen impressing in camp
The Washington Nationals added two experienced relievers on minor league deals right as camp was starting. Drew Smith and Cionel Perez have been quality big league relievers in the not too distant past, but have seen their stock fall due to injuries in the case of Smith and a dropoff in production for Perez. Now, they will look to bounce back on a team with plenty of bullpen spots up for grabs.
Each have made two scoreless appearances so far, and have looked good. Perez has been particularly sharp. After a rough year, it seems like Perez was in the lab this offseason. His fastball is in the mid to upper 90’s and his breaking ball has looked really sharp. He caught Ronald Acuna Jr. looking on a nasty slurve the other night.
At this point, I would be very surprised if Perez did not make the team. From 2022 to 2024, Perez made at least 60 appearances each season and was a valuable member of the Orioles bullpen. At just 29 years old, there is a decent chance last year was just a blip on the radar.
Perez’s BABIP in 2025 was .391, which is just unsustainably high. The Nats infield might be somewhat problematic for the ground ball heavy lefty, but that batting average on balls in play number is inevitably going to come down. His career BABIP is .303, so I really think last year was a fluke in that regard.
There are some pitchers, like MacKenzie Gore, who run high BABIP numbers because of the quality of contact they allow, but Perez is not like that. His expected batting average number was low at .213 and he does not allow many barrels. Perez’s ERA is inevitably going to come down, just by getting better batted ball luck.
One thing I am more worried about is his control. He has always allowed his fair share of walks, but that number spiked in 2025. His 16.4% walk rate is simply too high. Perez is going to walk people, but he needs to get that number closer to 10%, which is where he was before 2025.
If Perez does become a contributor, I think he will become a bit of a fan favorite. The amount of velocity he gets from a small frame is crazy. He also seems like a big personality. Perez has long flowing hair and can be quite fiery on the mound. He also had a funny tradition of catching home runs with his hat while sitting in the O’s bullpen. I wonder if he will bring that to DC.
The situation for Drew Smith is a bit less straightforward in my opinion. He has thrown the ball well so far, but I do not think he is a lock to make the team out of camp. I certainly think we will see him at some point, but I think he could benefit from some time in AAA.
Smith had not pitched since June of 2024 before this spring. He underwent Tommy John Surgery, the second one of his career. Coming back from a second TJ can be quite dicey. I would not be surprised to see the Nats give Smith some time to acclimate before throwing him in the big leagues.
The 32 year old was an effective reliever for the Mets from 2021 until his injury in 2024. He has missed a lot of time though, which is why he had to settle for a minor league deal. Smith is a strikeout artist who can really spin the ball though.
He has tossed two scoreless innings this spring, but his velocity has been down a tick. However, his fastball has always relied more on its shape than the pure velocity. The shape has been solid. He has been leaning heavily on his slider. The velocity of that pitch is down over 3 MPH, so I wonder if this is a different type of slider than what he was throwing before.
Before picking up Smith and Perez, the Nats bullpen was painfully short on experience. These guys are not sure things, but they have been there and done that before. That is more than you can say for most of the other guys in the Nats ‘pen. They should also be very hungry to prove themselves.
If Spring Training is any indicator, these could be shrewd additions for Paul Toboni. You just never know with relievers though. At this time last year, I was hyping up Lucas Sims and Colin Poche, and we all know how that turned out. Hopefully these guys prove to be better than that, and help the Nats bullpen improve after they were the worst unit in baseball last year.
Game Thread: White Sox (8-7) at Mariners (4-9-1)
The White Sox hit the road to face a Mariners team that’s a whole lot better than its spring record, so they may be doing a whole lot of experimenting so far. The Sox can hope the experimenting continues, which is likely given all the players the Mariners have on international rosters at the moment. One problem with that: They’ll start out facing a member of the regular rotation, in Logan Gilbert.
Gilbert, who has given up one run in 4 2/3 innings in his first three spring starts, will face a White Sox lineup that has Luisangel Acuña at second base. This is the second time in a row Acuña has been in the infield, despite the fact he was acquired ostensibly to take over center field after Luis Robert, Jr. was traded for him. Maybe the Sox have figured out what the Rangers and Mets had determined before them — Acuña’s a very good infielder but a weak outfielder. If so, that will have repercussions, good or bad, for several other players.
The Sox aren’t going the usual route of beginning the game with a regular starter, instead beginning the parade with reliever Grant Taylor. Taylor has had a nice spring so far, giving up just two hits and no runs over three one-inning appearances while walking just one and striking out four. He faces a Mariners lineup badly depleted by the absence of 18 WBC players. Yep, 18.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Central (for the last time, since Arizona change to DST). CHSN has deigned to carry this game, as has ESPN 1000.
Spring Training game thread XIV – Reds at Royals
The World Baseball Classic is in full swing now, but Spring Training soldiers on with those left behind. Sure, Harry Ford continued his weird dominance of the event while Shohei Ohtani continued to do very Shohei Ohtani things, and Oneil Cruz still hits a ball harder than anyone when he can make contact. Seth “Quarterrican” Lugo pitched four scoreless innings to lead Puerto Rico to victory, and Michael Wacha had a weird outing in relief for USA during their win over Brazil. But guys like Brandon Drury and Kevin Newman still want to find a way to play in MLB this year, so the games in the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues must go on.
Here’s today’s lineup; it continues to be uninspiring while seemingly half the team is scattered around the globe doing mercenary work for their ancestral homes.
Nothing against those guys I mentioned earlier, but when they join with Josh Rojas to form the heart of your order, it’s difficult to expect much of interest to happen.
Kris Bubic will take the mound for his second official appearance of spring. The stuff looked completely normal last time out, so the goal is just to see him continue to build up and not get hurt as we trudge toward Opening Day. Here are the guys on the roster who could pitch after him:
- Sanchez, Aaron RHP
- Way, Beck RHP
- Chamberlain, Christian LHP
- Cawyer, Zachary RHP
- Johnson, Brandon RHP
- Panzini, Shane RHP
- Olivárez, Helcris LHP
- Patteson, Hunter LHP
The odds are heavily against any of these pitchers making the Opening Day roster, though I did attempt to wishcast Olivárez onto the team in my latest roster prediction. But hey, if you don’t want to listen to this extremely Spring Training game, there is still plenty of WBC to watch! Team Italy is taking on Brazil as this post goes live, and Panama at Puerto Rico isn’t far off.
Don’t lose heart, Opening Day is less than three weeks away!
Why is Tarik Skubal only pitching once in WBC? USA ace has 500(?) million reasons
HOUSTON — Tarik Skubal’s teammates refuse to pressure him.
Team USA officials won’t interfere.
The fans have openly shared their sentiments, but Skubal is undeterred.
Barring a dramatic change of plans, Skubal’s first and only appearance in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for Team USA will be Saturday evening against Great Britain at Daikin Park in Houston.
He then plans to return back to the team hotel, pack his suitcase, and fly to Florida on Sunday to be back with his Detroit Tigers teammates at spring training in Lakeland.
If USA advances to the semifinals in Miami, as expected, Skubal plans to pitch one spring-training game for the Tigers, and then join Team USA in Miami – but only to be their highest-paid and most decorated cheerleader.
“It’s only a three-hour drive," Skubal said, “I can do that."
Certainly, Team USA officials would love Skubal to stay, and pitch in the semifinal or final, but that would require Skubal to alter his routine. He certainly isn’t going to pitch on short rest in the WBC, and he still needs to be ready for the Tigers’ season-opener March 26 at Petco Park in San Diego.
And, yes, he also has an astronomical payday waiting that will make him the richest starting pitcher in history, likely eclipsing $400 million – and perhaps close to $500 million.
Certainly, after just being with Team USA for a week of workouts and team bonding, Skubal concedes that he is smitten in his first WBC.
“These games are going to feel like playoff games or World Series games," Skubal said. “Those environments are what baseball is and that's where baseball is kind of going. That's why it is the best sport in the world because it is pretty international.
“When you look around at every pool, you look at all the different games going on around the world, those environments are always going to be pretty special. And that's what makes the game of baseball so beautiful."
The only real flaw of the WBC is the timing of the event. Players have been in camp for less than a month, and pitchers certainly aren’t ready to compete like it’s a postseason game.
“As far as the pitching standpoint," Skubal said, “timing is everything. If they can get the timing right to where it is not in a spring training ramp-up phase, I think that will reduce the risk of injuries for pitching, you know."
That's why why Skubal is leaving town, even though WBC fans have been openly critical about his one-and-done.
“The guys have been cool about it," Skubal said, “but I mean, obviously, like publicly, it’s a little bit different perception. But I think they understand what it means for me to be here. Obviously, I want to be in the room, you know, and that's cool for them to even take that aside and be like, 'it's awesome that you're here.'"
Players like three-time MVP Aaron Judge, captain of Team USA, has effusively praised Skubal for being on the team, condemning those who are critical over his limited role.
“He's got the two Cy Young awards, but this guy's about to make half a billion dollars here in the next offseason,’’ Judge said. “So, for him to put it all on the line for his country, and come out here and show up for us. ... You know, maybe it is just one game, but you know there's a risk with everything you do, and for him to take that risk and come out here and be with us, the boys love it."
Says Skubal: “I can’t wait to feel it. It's the first time I've ever been able to wear the USA jersey, and it's going to be special. My family and friends will get to enjoy that. It will be pretty special for everybody involved."
He still plans to pitch in the next WBC and would love to be in the 2028 Olympics, too.
“I'd love to come here and just have a game where I have 100 pitches and be ready to go," Skubal says. “So hopefully the Olympics, they get that at the All-Star break, and they get it right. That way we can send out the best lineup and arms, and they can be at max, full-go. And they don't have to worry about injuries."
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tarik Skubal contract and why USA WBC ace is only pitching once
'Just business': Bruce Pearl makes nice with Miami (Ohio) coach Travis Steele
March is a month defined by its trademark madness, but it can also be a time to bury the metaphorical hatchet.
After spending much of the past week critiquing Miami (Ohio) men's basketball and dumping cold water on its NCAA tournament aspirations, former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl made nice with RedHawks head coach Travis Steele as Steele made an appearance on TNT on Saturday, March 7, one day after Miami capped off an undefeated regular season.
Pearl, ever the charmer, broke the ice by telling Steele he felt like the fourth-year RedHawks coach was Cinderella and he was “the ugly stepmother,” drawing a laugh from Steele.
“I’ve also said teams are going to win their way in or they’re going to lose their way out, and you guys have won your way in,” Pearl said. “All you’ve got to do is go, ‘Hey, BP, scoreboard.’ You know I’ve been rooting for you. I’m proud of you.”
"It's a Super Bowl everywhere we're going."@MiamiOH_BBall HC Travis Steele and @coachbrucepearl talked the RedHawks' 31-0 regular season 👏 pic.twitter.com/6Nq8ZTEZ1f
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) March 7, 2026
With a 110-108 overtime victory on Friday at Ohio, Miami improved to 31-0 and became just the sixth team since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to finish the regular season unbeaten.
While the RedHawks would earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by winning the Mid-American Conference tournament, their potential candidacy for an at-large berth has been a subject of intense debate, particularly from Pearl, who’s in his first season as an analyst for TNT.
On Feb. 28, Pearl said Miami would have to win its conference tournament to make the cut for March Madness, noting that “as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country.” Pearl’s comments drew extra attention and criticism because his son’s Auburn team is among the squads on the tournament bubble, with a 16-14 record heading into its regular-season finale against Alabama. Steven Pearl is in his first season as the Tigers’ coach after taking over for his father following his abrupt retirement last September.
Among those who fired back at Pearl was Miami athletic director David Sayler, who lambasted Pearl on social media on March 2.
"U are flat out wrong about @MiamiOH_BBall when u say we would finish last in the Big East," Sayler wrote on Twitter. "The disrespect is awful and u should not be near a TV studio covering this sport when u show your true colors! Even slipped in a 'we' when talking about Auburn, nice work!"
Though Miami made serious efforts to schedule “buy games” against teams from college basketball’s five power conferences, only to be turned down, the RedHawks have played no games this season against teams in Quad One of the NCAA’s NET rankings and their non-conference strength is schedule is rated as the fifth-easiest in Division I, according to KenPom. Their non-conference schedule included three games against non-Division I opponents.
Still, Miami is No. 21 of 365 Division I teams in strength of record and they’ve managed to go undefeated against Quad Two opponents, something that even top-10 teams like Michigan and Florida can’t say.
“We’re getting everybody’s best shot,” Steele said to Pearl. “It’s a Super Bowl everywhere we’re going. For our guys to be able to kind of withstand that, it just shows you the resiliency and the grit our team has. It’s really impressive.”
Pearl made sure to leave things on a positive note at the end of their two-minute conversation.
“Travis, you and me, it’s just business,” he said. “This is the business we’ve chosen. It’s not personal. I’m happy for you.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bruce Pearl makes nice with Miami (Ohio) coach Travis Steele
ST Game 16: San Diego Padres at Cleveland Guardians
San Diego Padres at Cleveland Guardians, March 7, 2026, 12:05 p.m. PST
Watch: Padres.TV
Location: Goodyear Ballpark – Goodyear, AZ
Listen: 97.3 The Fan
Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.
- Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
- Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
- Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
2026 MLB Team Preview Series: Arizona Diamondbacks
As one of the more unlikely pennant winners in recent years, the 84-win Diamondbacks of 2023 nearly reached baseball’s peak for the second time in franchise history. While it hasn’t been all doom and gloom for the Snakes, they haven’t been back to the postseason since, and they likely face an uphill battle to do so in 2026.
Despite becoming sellers at the 2025 Trade Deadline, the D-backs remained in the playoff hunt up to the final week of the season. While contending in the competitive National League West feels unlikely, they have enough talent at the top to leave things up in the air, though the realistic estimate is likely somewhere around the .500 mark.
Arizona Diamondbacks
2025 record: 80-82 (4th in NL West)
2026 FanGraphs projection: 81-81 (3rd in NL West)
As mentioned, there was a bit of a fire sale come deadline time for the Diamondbacks last season. In the span of a week at the end of July, Arizona sent off two of their best hitters in Josh Naylor and later Eugenio Suárez to the Mariners, as well as Randal Grichuk to the Royals. On the pitching side, they shipped out veteran hurlers Jordan Montgomery, Shelby Miller, and Merrill Kelly to cap off their mid-season sale.
Despite moving on from a significant portion of the talent on the top of their roster, the D-backs were able to stay in contention nearly through the end of the season, thanks in large part to the talent at the top of their depth chart.
Heading into 2026, their strength remains at the top of their lineup. Their veteran leader, Ketel Marte, is quietly one of baseball’s better position players. After a 2023 campaign that saw him put up a 152 wRC+ and finish third in MVP voting, the now 32-year-old slashed .283/.376/.517 for a 145 wRC+ in his 126 games. He is a star-level player, and perhaps a borderline MVP-type at his best. Looking forward—assuming there are no awkward clubhouse-disrupting incidents—he projects to continue with at least All-Star level production.
Elsewhere in the infield, Geraldo Perdomo was the biggest surprise for the club in 2025, and among the most significant around the league. The 26-year-old shortstop played nearly every game, nearly tripled his career high in homers with 20, and finished as a top-five position player in all of baseball by fWAR with a mark of 7.1. If the D-backs can get even a reasonable portion of that production back in 2026, they’ll be thankful. If they can, he and Marte form one of baseball’s best double play combos.
It doesn’t stop there, either, as Corbin Carroll mans the outfield for the Snakes. Since bursting onto the scene in 2023, the 25-year-old quickly established himself as one of the game’s most talented young players. On the heels of a comparative down year, he locked in that status in 2025, with his first 30-homer season, a 139 wRC+ and 6.5 fWAR. There’s little reason to suspect he won’t continue producing at an elite level in the desert, or perhaps even grow on what he’s established.
The top of the lineup is obviously strong, and the Diamondbacks will look to benefit from a few veteran acquisitions in the lineup as well. The Snakes brought in Nolan Arenado via trade, and Carlos Santana in free agency hoping to solidify positions they sold from at last year’s deadline.
The pitching side of things is slightly less exciting for the D-backs, as they’ll look to get everything they can out of their veteran arms. Zac Gallen, who took a step back after a few years of Cy Young Award contention, enters his age-30 campaign on the heels of a 4.50 FIP and a the lowest strikeout rate of his career. Ryne Nelson enters the season on the other end of swings on an upswing. 2025 saw him manage a 3.39 ERA in over 150 innings, as he’ll hope to build on a career-year to this point.
Veterans Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, and Michael Soroka round out the projected rotation for Arizona, and likely bring more questions than answers. Rodriguez was not great in 150 innings last year and now enters his mid-30s, Pfaadt is still waiting to take a jump to being a consistent big league starter, and Soroka has an obvious injury history that brings reasonable concern. The lack of certainty makes the return of a re-signed Merrill Kelly and former Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes (from Tommy John surgery) all the more important for Arizona.
The bullpen also brings about plenty of questions. There are some new-ish names in the fold projected to fill substantial roles out of relief in 2026, with Taylor Clarke and former Yankee Jonathan Loáisiga now on board, as well as the return of their veteran closer from 2023, Paul Sewald. The unit does, however, lack locked-in dominant arms in the back end for high-leverage spots.
The Diamondbacks have loads of talent at the top of their depth chart, but middling supplementary players and injury trouble in the rotation lead to plenty of questions outside of the top few guys. Perhaps the biggest barrier to their success, however, is the dominant Dodgers, and perennially competitive clubs in the Padres and Giants.
More Pinstripe Alley MLB team season previews can be found here.
Baseball world still can't believe what high schooler did vs. Team USA in WBC
HOUSTON — Joseph Contreras tried to go to sleep Friday night, but it was impossible.
His cell phone kept ringing. Friends were calling. Teammates from Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia were screaming. Coaches were checking in. And family members were euphoric.
When he finally fell asleep, he had already received hundreds of text messages, and when he woke up early in the morning, hundreds more awaited.
Hey, when you’re a 17-year-old who has an excused school absence to go get three-time MVP Aaron Judge to hit into a double play in the World Baseball Classic, life comes at you fast.
“My phone has been blowing up," Contreras said. “We have a group chat. It was just going crazy. It was, like, 'Let's go, you're the man!'
“And it was just really exciting and knowing that they were always behind me because this year went on and on, and I could feel the presence of not just me, but my whole support staff."
Contreras, the youngest player in this World Baseball Classic, burst onto the scene Friday night when he entered the game for Brazil to face the most powerful lineup in the world.
He came in throwing 97-mph fastballs, forkballs and changeups, and although he was hardly perfect in his 1 ⅓-inning stint, he had a surreal moment that he’ll cherish forever.
Bases loaded. One out.
Judge at the plate.
And he induced an inning-ending double play grounder that had the entire baseball world buzzing.
“The scouting report was just attack him hard in, and then if we go away on him," Contreras said, “make sure it's up and away. So I was just, like, OK, I'll throw the fastball up and away. After that, it was 1-1, needed to win the count, so I decided to go two-seam hard on him."
Boom, Judge hit a routine ground ball just 77.2-mph off his bat to third baseman Leonardo Reginatto, who started the double play.
The next thing Contreras knew, he was dancing off the mound celebrating while his Brazilian teammates screamed.
“Now that I look back," Contreras said, “I can see the magnitude of bases loaded, one out. In the moment I was [thinking], “I just have to execute my pitches and just hopefully just get him out somehow. Fly ball. Maybe ground ball. Just force weak contact.'"
Certainly, it grabbed the attention of pro scouts in attendance. If Contreras was ranked 47th on the MLB.com draft prospect list, they sure want to know who the other 46 players are ahead of him.
“I think it just shows scouts that my stuff plays,” said Contreras, who has a verbal commitment with Vanderbilt. “I just followed my father’s advice. My father told me to keep attacking the zone. He also told me that I show no fear and that I should keep on working with what I've got.
“At the end of the day I need to get more outs or more strikeouts, and that is what's going to help me get to the next level."
And after watching Contreras perform Friday, there’s no doubt in the mind of Judge and other players on the USA team that they’ll be facing him again one day in the big leagues.
“I know I wasn't doing that at that age," Judge said. "Just great stuff. I know he had some poise on the mound. He's throwing 100 miles an hour. He's facing Team USA, a lot of guys he has seen on TV.
"It was just impressive seeing him control himself out there and get out of a big jam. And he had some good stuff."
He’ll be going back to reality and high school after Brazil plays its final game in the WBC.
But, oh, will he ever have some stories to tell his buddies back home.
“Can you imagine?" USA starter Logan Webb said. “This guy is throwing a high school game a week ago, and now he’s throwing 98-mph against our lineup. Impressive to watch."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brazil's Joseph Contreras leaves World Baseball Classic in awe at 17
Italy v England: Six Nations 2026 – as it happened
Italy beat England for the first time with a late try as Steve Borthwick’s men reach a new low in Rome.
Does regular contributor Guy Hornsby speak for all England fans?
“I am not full of confidence today, Daniel. We are coming to this in semi-disarray, falling apart off the back of our 12 match run, now a distant memory. Against a team on the up full of excellent players, there are so many big battles, no more so than their centre partnership. You feel Brex and Menoncello v Atkinson and Freeman could decide it. Atkinson is a huge talent but what a way to come back into the team. Freeman is arguably one of our best players, but a work in progress at 13. If their defence falters, we could get torn open. You feel the battle up front will go a long way to deciding it, but make no mistake: on form, Italy winning will be no shock. England have a mountain to climb. A gritty win today will be just fine with many England fans.”
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