Jonathan Pintaro went undrafted out of high school and spent five seasons at Shorter University, D2 school in the Gulf South Conference located in Rome, Georgia, without being selected by a Major League Baseball team. The 24-year-old still had the passion for baseball and refused to let his dream die, signing with the Glacier Range Riders of the Pioneer League for the 2023 season. Still, he had no takers. With his dream holding on by a thread, he decided to return to Glacier Range for the 2024 season. He made three appearances, all starts, posting a 4.40 ERA in 14.0 innings, with 13 hits allowed, 1 walk 1, and 23 strikeouts, and finally found a suitor. On June 3, 2024, the New York Mets officially signed Pintaro to a minor league contract.
The right-hander was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones and pitched in Coney Island for two months, making 7 starts and 9 total appearances with a 2.50 ERA in 36.0 innings, allowing 28 hits, walking 14, and striking out 35. He was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies in late July and was just as effective in the two months he was there, making 7 starts and posting a 3.18 ERA in 34.0 innings with 26 hits allowed, 10 walks, and 34 strikeouts. He was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse for his final start of the season, throwing four scoreless innings there, and posted a 2.68 ERA in 74.0 innings on the season in totality, allowing 58 hits, walking 28, and striking out 75.
Following the conclusion of the season, the Mets sent him to the Arizona Fall League, where he allowed 4 earned runs in 10.1 innings, good for a 3.48 ERA, with 9 hits allowed, 6 walks, and 10 strikeouts.
He began the 2025 season with Binghamton and once again put up solid results. In 42.1 innings over eleven starts, the right-hander posted a 3.40 ERA with 32 hits allowed, 15 walks, and 57 strikeouts. On June 24, Pintaro was promoted to Triple-A, and a day later, the New York Mets selecting his contract, showing that perseverance does pay off; almost a year to the day prior, he had been pitching in Kalispell, Montana in front of roughly 2,000 people; now, he would be pitching in front of almost twenty times that amount in the capital of the world.
It was expected that Pintaro would pitch out of the Mets’ bullpen and the big 6’3”, 235-pound right-handed did exactly that; he appeared in a single game against the Atlanta Braves on June 25, coming out of the bullpen in the ninth inning of a 7-1 lead, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in 0.2 innings. He was optioned back down to Triple-A Syracuse and remained there for the remainder of the season, posting a 5.27 ERA in 39.2 innings over 17 games, five of which were starts.
Pintaro did not exactly impress in his brief MLB cup-of-coffee, nor did he put up particularly good numbers with the Syracuse Mets for the rest of the season, but as the Mets identified when they signed him out of the Pioneer League in 2024, the right-hander has the stuff to get MLB outs when he has his stuff working. The right-hander throws fastballs nearly 75% of the time, mixing in a high-spin cutter, a mid-90s fastball, and a low-90s sinker. He supplements those pitches with a mid-to-high-80s changeup that gives him a north-south option and a low-to-mid-80s sweeping slider that gives him a horizontal option.
Already on the 40-man roster with remaining options, Pintaro has an outside shot of making the major league bullpen if he is really impressive during spring training, but odds are, he will be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to begin the year and will be one of a handful of internal starting or bullpen options the team can activate with when and if the need arises.
Baseball Magazine features a photograph of Lefty O'Doul, of Brooklyn, January 1932. (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
An outstanding hitter who started his career as a pitcher is involved in a trade between the Yankees and Red Sox. While this statement could be used to outline the career of the legendary Babe Ruth, it also rings true for the not-nearly-as-renowned Lefty O’Doul — a talented player in his own right and the next individual in our Birthday Series.
Francis Joseph “Lefty”O’Doul Born: March 4, 1897 (San Francisco, CA) Died: December 7, 1969 (San Francisco, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1919-20, 1922
The San Francisco Giants are such a storied franchise in baseball that for those born around the turn of the century and even a bit older, it’s difficult to imagine a version of MLB without a team in the Bay Area. That being said, before the Dodgers and Giants moved to California in the late-1950s, there was still quality baseball played out in San Francisco. Few people could attest to that quite in such rich fashion as Lefty O’Doul, a late-blooming, MLB star and a legend of the San Francisco Seals, the Pacific Coast League team for which he played and managed.
Hardcore MLB trivia enthusiasts might know O’Doul as the record holder for most runs allowed in a single relief appearance, but his career went far beyond that curious bit of minutiae. If you’re curious about that specific game, back when he pitched for the Red Sox in 1923, O’Doul gave up an absurd 16 runs against Cleveland—only three of them earned due to a plethora of errors, which, of course, didn’t take the sting off that much.
Following his career in chronological order, O’Doul started out as a pitcher for the aforementioned Seals of the PCL and moved to the Des Moines Boosters, where he caught the eye of Yankee as a 20-year-old pitcher. O’Doul made the Yankees team in 1919 and spent a couple of seasons with the team, receiving minimal opportunities as a relief pitcher, failing to reach even 10 innings pitched in the two seasons. New York won 95 games in 1920 but still fell three short of Cleveland in the race for the American League pennant. In 24.2 innings for the Yanks from 1919-22, he had a 3.65 ERA and looked the part of a pitcher at the plate at .243/.282/.297 with a 55 OPS+.
New York made its first World Series in 1921 while O’Doul was farmed back to the Seals, and he appeared in eight games for the team that repeated as American League champs in ’22 (falling to the Giants in an all-Polo Grounds Wolrd Series in both years). O’Doul wasn’t around for the end of the latter year either, as he was shipped off to Boston in September of ’22 as the player-to-be-named-later of a July package deal that had seen the Yankees acquire Joe Dugan and Elmer Smith. In Boston, O’Doul struggled heavily the following year, allowing a 1.887 WHIP in a little over 50 innings pitched, playing for a team that finished 61-92-2.
Struggling to cope with the demands of pitching, O’Doul went back to the Pacific Coast League to try his hand at hitting. He hadn’t hit much in the majors for Boston, but in 1921 with the Seals, he’d caught eyes with a .338 average and a .529 slugging percentage in 75 games. Over a four-year stretch beginning in 1924 with the Salt Lake City Bees, he made a complete mockery of PCL pitching, never finishing the year with a batting average lower than .338, accruing over 2,500 PA across those four seasons in the California sun with Salt Lake City, Hollywood, and San Francisco. O’Doul hit .392 in ’24 and .378 in ’27, finishing runner-up for the batting crown in both seasons (the former by mere percentage points). Those superb averages and a 33-homer campaign in ’27 were a sign of things to come for O’Doul.
Picked up by the Giants after those outstanding numbers with the Seals in 1927, O’Doul hit the ground running in the bigs, managing a .319 average in a little under 400 plate appearances. Perhaps still a bit unsure of what exactly they had in this 31-year-old who had reinvented his career as a hitter, the Giants flipped O’Doul to the Phillies for Freddy Leach in a straight-up swap after 1928, one they’d come to regret.
O’Doul broke out as one of the game’s top players in 1929, finishing as the NL MVP runner-up and coming within an inch of hitting .400. O’Doul’s .398 average wasn’t all made of singles either; in fact, far from it. The San Francisco native hit 33 home runs and only missed out on the MVP award due to the magnificent efforts of the great Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby, who played for a far superior Cubs team that managed to make it all the way to the Fall Classic, a particularly meaningful distinction during that period. But O’Doul won the NL batting title and also led the Senior Circuit with a .465 OBP and the majors with a staggering 254 hits. That was just three knocks shy of George Sisler’s MLB record 257 in 1920 and remains third in MLB history behind only Sisler and 2004 Ichiro (262).
O’Doul took a couple of steps back, but remained a great player in 1930. As his team got worse, Philadelphia flipped him to the Brooklyn Robins, where he’d spend the next two-plus seasons, further cementing his legacy as a great hitter, including a top-three MVP finish in 1932, when he won his second and final batting title at .368.
As if in a twist of fate, O’Doul would get moved once again, this time back to Giants in June 1933. Hall of Fame Giants skipper John McGraw had retired the previous year, but he was enlisted to manage the first-ever NL All-Star team on July 6, 1933 at Comiskey Park, and he named O’Doul to the inaugural roster. (He grounded out as a pinch-hitter.) At age-36, O’Doul also got to play in his first Fall Classic that fall, and he singled to drive in two runs during his only at-bat as the Giants beat the Washington Senators in five to win the World Series.
O’Doul retired as a productive hitter in 1934, finishing that year with a .908 OPS in 197 PA. The left-hander walked away with an outstanding .349 career big-league batting average and .945 OPS in over 3,000 at-bats, having debuted as a full-time hitter in the majors after turning 30. It still stands as one of the more remarkable career comebacks in MLB history (with his career providing part of the inspiration for Roy Hobbs in “The Natural,” alongside Eddie Waitkus). Outside of the controversial Shoeless Joe Jackson, O’Doul has the highest average of any big-league regular not already enshrined in Cooperstown. He appeared on 10 different ballots from 1948-62 and again on Veterans Committee ballots in 2007 and 2022, most recently coming seven votes shy of induction in ’22.
Upon his retirement, O’Doul moved back to the Bay Area, where he managed the San Francisco Seals in the Pacific League for nearly two decades. There, he led his hometown team to six Pacific Coast League championships, including four in a row between 1943-46.
During his successful period at the helm of the Seals, O’Doul developed perhaps his most notable Yankee connection, working with a young center fielder by the name of Joe DiMaggio. The future “Yankee Clipper” had already agreed to join New York for 1936, but his final season with the Seals corresponded with O’Doul’s first as their skipper, and he hit an O’Doul-esque .398.
While the lack of a larger sample ultimately prevented O’Doul from joining Cooperstown, he was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (the Lefty O’Doul Bridge near Oracle Park is named in his memory), the Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame, and in 2002, the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame. On top of his fascinating career on the field, O’Doul, who served in the United States Army, played a key role in helping baseball grow in Japan with several tours throughout the country to help promote the sport. O’Doul helped name their oldest and most successful pro team, the Yomiuri Giants, upon their founding in 1934. The club that would one day star the likes of Sadaharu Oh and Hideki Matsui retain the MLB Giants’ orange, black, and white colors to this day.
O’Doul’s first trip to Japan was back in 1931 as part of a group that included Lou Gehrig and Lefty Grove, and he returned at least 10 times for extended visits throughout the rest of his life — including a meaningful trip in 1949 to help thaw relations between Japan and the U.S. following the all-around devastation of World War II.
O’Doul lived long enough to see his Giants come to him, as the New York club moved west in 1958 to become the San Francisco Giants. They played their first two seasons in his old stomping grounds of Seals Stadium, and O’Doul led his last exhibition tour in 1960 when he brought the Giants to Japan. At the end of the decade, he passed away due to a stroke at age 72. He’s a somewhat-forgotten name today in New York baseball circles, but the ripple effects he had on baseball in San Francisco and Japan will last forever.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
The Big Ten basketball regular season is down to the final four games Sunday. Teams are still jockeying for Big Ten Tournament seedings with positions 2 through 4 earning the all-important triple-bye to the quarterfinals.
Purdue, which began the season ranked No. 1 in the country, will be the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament after losing Saturday at home to Wisconsin, and UCLA beating USC.
This year, the Big Ten Tournament expanded to all 18 teams. So Penn State, Oregon and Maryland, who would have been in line to miss the tournament, get a chance to play in Chicago.
Here's how the bracket looks as of Sunday, March 8.
Something has been in the air lately, almost like a bug—or perhaps an injury bug? Jokes aside, both Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. have had ankle injuries in recent games. Amen hurt his ankle in Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards, while Jabari was injured during last Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic.
Houston’s upcoming injury report is anticipated to include an official severity update for Amen, and Jabari’s comeback is anticipated on Thursday when Houston plays the Golden State Warriors. Smith and Thompson are both dealing with ankle issues, which is testing Houston’s depth. The coaching staff has been compelled to experiment with lineup combinations, increasing the responsibility of secondary scorers and bench contributions. The absence of two young building blocks also affects chemistry. Thompson and Smith make up the squad’s long-term core; their extended absence disrupts the team’s identity-building process.
Luckily for Houston, neither injury is currently believed to be a season-ending one. Both players remain vital to the Rockets’ present and future objectives. Thompson’s top priorities will be steadiness and regaining confidence when going downhill. Smith’s main goal is to ensure that the ankle is strong enough to endure defensive shifts and heavy minute workloads. As the season goes on, both talent and health might determine the Rockets’ destiny. Houston will have two dynamic players who can alter the tempo of a game on any given night if Smith and Thompson heal completely. Without Thompson and Smith, expect more minutes from members of the “stay ready crew” such as Aaron Holiday and Jeff Green, along with Reed Sheppard starting.
The Rockets will be back in action Thursday at 6:30 pm as they take on the Orlando Magic at Toyota Center. You can watch the game on SCHN, and as always, be sure to check back at The Dream Shake for both pre- and post-game content.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 09, 2025: Pitching coach Derek Johnson #36 of the Cincinnati Reds walks onto the field for a mound visit during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on June 09, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds have put together an enviable breadth of starting pitching heading into the 2026 Major League Baseball season. That’s a nebulous, bland, blanket statement on its surface, but it’s also very much emblematic of the fact that almost none of the cadre of starting-caliber arms they have down there is the same, or even in the same situation.
They’ve got a bona fide ace in Hunter Greene, the lone one amongst the group operating on a long-term contract extension. They’ve got Brady Singer, a veterans innings-eater, who is in his final year of team control with free agency looming.
They’ve got a flamethrowing rookie with Cy Young upside in Chase Burns, and a mix-match command maestro in rookie Rhett Lowder – who’s own stuff is good enough to chase awards, too. They’ve got lefties in Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo and Brandon Williamson to match the might of their RHPs. They’ve got guys coming off lost seasons who’ll need to deal with innings limits, and guys like Lodolo and Greene still looking to complete full seasons to add that badge of honor (an incredibly lucrative badge of honor) to their already growing resumes.
It’s also unique in that it’s a group composed completely of players who were already within the organization last year, with nary a new starting pitcher brought in to camp on a big league deal among them. Even with Nick Martinez, who left for free agency following the 2025 season, they lost a guy who spent a ton of the end of the season pitching as a reliever despite his prowess as a starter, so their rotation options have been lined up for 2026 long before 2026 ever arrived.
The one obvious question that we don’t necessarily know about this group, though, is who becomes their workhorse.
Last season, it was Singer who topped the IP leaderboard for the club at 169.2, a number that marked the fourth straight season in which he’d topped 150 IP for his respective clubs. That edged out both Abbott (166.1) and Lodolo (165.2) for the team lead, with each of those numbers marking career-bests for the lefties. Greene, meanwhile, has the best stuff on the team (and perhaps in the game) with the best surface stats, too, but injuries once again limited him during the 2025 campaign and he fired just 107.2 innings.
If the mantra is truly have your best pitchers pitch the most, then it’s pretty obvious the Reds would love it if Greene ended up leading the team in IP this year. However, since he’s only topped 150 IP once (at 150.1 IP in 2024) and threw just 107 IP last year, I doubt the Reds are itching to see him chase 200 IP this season from a long-term (and playoff) perspective. Innings limits for each of Lowder and Williamson coming off injury will 100% be in play, while the team is going to be cautious with Burns due to his 2025 forearm issue and lack of overall IP experience, too.
Singer, a perfectly cromulent mid-rotation starter for just about any rotation in the bigs (including this one), may well end up being leaned on more to take innings off others this year and wind up leading the team in innings once again – all despite being perhaps the fifth or seventh most ‘talented’ arm on the roster. Lodolo or Abbott could power their way to 32+ starts and set new career marks, too, something that would inch both closer to being considered legitimate top-of-the-rotation starters nearing lucrative paydays.
It’s a discussion with no crystal ball, clearly. Who do you think ends up leading the 2026 Reds in IP?
The Detroit Red Wings responded in impressive fashion after a difficult road swing, earning a statement 4–2 victory over the Nashville Predators. The win came on the heels of a demanding trip to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes, widely regarded as one of the NHL’s strongest home teams.
Detroit now returns to the Motor City riding momentum, but another stern challenge awaits in the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas enters Wednesday’s matchup desperate to reverse its fortunes, having gone 4-8-2 over its past 14 games and carrying a three-game losing streak into the contest.
Historically, the Red Wings have had mixed results against Vegas. Detroit has won just one of the past four meetings overall, but the Golden Knights have struggled in Hockeytown, dropping four of their last five visits.
Lineup Storylines
Vegas may once again be without captain Mark Stone, who is listed day-to-day. Stone was among the team’s hottest players prior to the Olympic break, and his absence has been noticeable as the Golden Knights have lacked their usual sharpness and offensive rhythm.
In his place, Pavel Dorofeyev has stepped up in a major way as the 24-year-old winger has quietly become one of the league’s most productive goal scorers, tallying 12 goals and three assists for 15 points over his last 16 games. Skating alongside elite playmaker Mitch Marner, Dorofeyev has thrived and will be a focal point for Detroit’s defensive game plan.
To counter, Detroit will lean heavily on the dynamic pairing of Lucas Raymond and captain Dylan Larkin. The duo has combined for eight goals over the Red Wings’ past 10 games and continues to drive the team’s top line offensively.
The biggest storyline, however, could unfold in between the pipes. Goaltender John Gibson exited Monday’s win in Nashville, and while head coach Todd McLellan initially indicated the veteran was fine, Detroit’s decision to recall top prospect Sebastian Cossa suggests there may still be some concern.
Cossa, one of hockey’s premier goaltending prospects, has been dominant in the AHL this season. The 23-year-old Hamilton native owns a 24-4-3 record, along with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage in 31 games. He was even included in an early projection for Team Canada’s 2030 Olympic roster. Cossa could make just his second NHL appearance Wednesday or serve as backup to Cam Talbot, who has struggled recently with only three wins in his last 12 outings.
Vegas is expected to counter with Adin Hill. The Golden Knights’ regular starter has endured a challenging campaign, posting a 5-4-3 record, a 3.46 goals-against average, and an .858 save percentage.
With both teams seeking stability in goal and momentum in the standings, Wednesday’s clash presents a pivotal opportunity for Detroit to continue its surge and for Vegas to halt its slide.
Vegas: Adin Hill Expected (Season: 5-4-3 record, 3.46 GAA, .858 SV% | VS DET: 4-1-0 record, 2.64 GAA, .895 SV% in six games)
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided some updates prior to Wednesday's game against Team Israel...
McLean good to go for sim game
Nolan McLean's vertigo-like symptoms are gone, and the right-hander is officially set to throw in a sim game on the backfields in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday.
McLean is expected to throw about four innings and 50-55 pitches.
If he's able to get through that without any issues, he'll likely join Team USA in the coming days and make his scheduled start in their pool play finale against Italy on March 10.
The 24-year-old is also penciled in as USA's starter for the WBC Championship if they were to make it that far.
McLean expects to make just two appearances of around 60 pitches during the tournament.
Robert's next step
McLean won't be the only big-name Met partaking in that sim game on the backfields, asLuis Robert Jr. is officially set to play four innings in center, as well.
This will be Robert's first game action as a Met this spring training.
The 28-year-old has gotten plenty of swings in the cages and during live BP sessions, but the Mets are easing him in to game action in an effort to keep him healthy heading into the year.
He'll be playing in these sim games on alternate days until he's ready to jump into Grapefruit League action.
Minter's up and moving around
The Mets have been encouraged by how A.J. Minter has looked in his early bullpen sessions, and he's officially ready to take the next step in his spring training build-up.
Minter is set to face hitters in live BP for the first time since undergoing season-ending lat surgery last May.
The southpaw still remains without a timeline for a return, but best-case scenario, the team is hoping he'll be back in the mix around late April or early May.
Whenever he does return, it'll certainly be a huge boost for this group.
Minter was spectacular before going down to injury last year, allowing just two runs and striking out 14 over his first 13 appearances in orange and blue.
MLB is returning to NBC and Peacock for the 2026 season and a familiar face will provide the soundtrack to the action.
It was announced Wednesday that award-winning broadcaster Jason Benetti will serve as the lead play-by-play voice for Sunday Night Baseball on NBC and Peacock. He’ll be joined by analysts with ties to each team featured in each Sunday Night Baseball broadcast.
Benetti currently serves as the Tigers’ primary TV broadcaster, but he’s no stranger to NBC Sports, as he was the lead play-by-play voice for MLB Sunday Leadoff on Peacock in 2022. He was also the lead baseball announcer for the Tokyo Olympics. Now he’s back to bring his trademark wit and humor to Sunday Night Baseball at its new home.
“I am thrilled to be rejoining the NBC Sports family,” Benetti said. “Rick Cordella, Sam Flood and the whole team at NBC all have a deep appreciation for live sports. It's a true honor to be part of the dawn of Sunday Night Baseball at NBC Sports. Each week is going to be a new, unique experience with analysts who all have different viewpoints on the game of baseball.”
Benetti will make his debut on Thursday, March 26 as the Dodgers take on the Diamondbacks at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The game will be the only primetime game on the first full day of the 2026 MLB season.
NBC Sports announced last month that Clayton Kershaw, Joey Votto, and Anthony Rizzo will serve as NBC Sports’ pregame analysts for exclusive MLB postseason coverage of all Wild Card games on NBC and Peacock. With the addition of one of the best broadcasters in all of sports in Benetti, the All-Star lineup continues to grow.
From an MLB Opening Day doubleheader on March 26 to the Wild Card round of the playoffs, NBC Sports’ 2026 schedule delivers wall-to-wall coverage.
D.J. Short
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About MLB on NBC and Peacock
As part of a three-year media rights agreement, MLB will be presented across NBC, NBCSN, and Peacock.
It all begins on Thursday, March 26 with an Opening Day doubleheader, as the Pirates and Mets square off at 1 p.m. ET before the Dodgers host the Diamondbacks at 8 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
Sunday Night Baseball will debut on March 29 with a matchup between two 2025 first-place teams, as the Mariners host the Guardians. The 18-game MLB Sunday Leadoff schedule begins May 3, with the defending AL champion Toronto Blue Jays visiting the Twins in Minnesota. On Sunday, July 5, all 15 MLB games will be presented nationally across Peacock and NBC as part of a special all-day “Star-Spangled Sunday” showcase.
Viewers can also look forward to a weekly Sunday whip-around show, a Labor Day special, the MLB Draft, the All-Star Futures Game, as well as highlights, short-form content, and documentaries.
Telemundo Deportes will present all NBCUniversal-produced MLB games in Spanish, with Universo televising all games broadcast on NBC.
NORTH PORT, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Jurickson Profar #17 of the Atlanta Braves poses for a photo during Spring Training photo day at CoolToday Park on February 20, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning, all!
Shawn McFarland continues his prospect countdown with left handed pitcher Dalton Pence at number 22 right handed pitcher Izack Tiger at number 21.
There has been a lot of turnover in the Ranger bullpen, but Chris Young says that the best bullpens in baseball have a lot of moving parts.
Feb 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Tyler Black (7) scores on a double by second baseman David Hamilton (6) in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Brewers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We’re back with another Brewers Reacts Survey as we’re now nearly two weeks into spring training! In this edition of the survey, we’re asking fans which position player they’d most like to see make the roster.
Now, before we look at the options, let’s quickly run down who should make the roster.
William Contreras (C)
Gary Sánchez (C)
Andrew Vaughn (1B)
Jake Bauers (1B)
Brice Turang (2B)
Joey Ortiz (SS)
Luis Rengifo (3B)
David Hamilton (UTIL)
Jackson Chourio (OF)
Sal Frelick (OF)
Garrett Mitchell (OF)
Christian Yelich (DH/OF)
Assuming all of those names are safe (barring the seemingly inevitable injury), that leaves one roster spot up in the air. There are probably five realistic candidates, but I didn’t include Jett Williams simply because he isn’t on the 40-man roster. That leaves us with the four candidates below.
Akil Baddoo (OF)
Tyler Black (1B/OF)
Brandon Lockridge (OF)
Blake Perkins (OF)
Baddoo, 27, was a second-round pick out of high school by the Twins in 2016 and made his MLB debut with the Tigers in 2021. His best season was that rookie year, when he totaled 2.1 bWAR across 124 games, hitting .259/.330/.436 (112 OPS+) with 13 homers and 55 RBIs. Over the last four years, however, he played in 223 games and totaled just 0.7 bWAR, with 15 homers and 49 RBIs. He did have some success at Triple-A in 2025, though, hitting .281/.385/.483 with 15 homers and 48 RBIs across 103 games. It remains to be seen if he’s just a AAAA-type player, a la Keston Hiura. He’s had a strong start to his spring, hitting .455/.462/.818 with a homer, three RBIs, and three runs across four games.
Black, 25, was a supplemental pick (No. 33 overall) by the Crew in 2021 out of Wright State University. He rose through the minors at a pretty average pace, hitting Triple-A Nashville in 2024. Across 102 games with the Sounds that year, he hit .258/.374/.429 with 14 homers, 67 RBIs, and 20 steals. He took a slight step back in the minors in 2025, hitting .243/.369/.360 with just four homers, 34 RBIs, and 22 steals across 61 games at Triple-A. He’s had brief MLB cameos in each of the last two seasons, totaling 23 games with 57 at-bats, hitting .211/.357/.263 with three RBIs, five runs, and three steals. The main reason he’s on this list, though, is his hot start to spring training — across four games, Black hit .667/.692/1.250 with a homer, a triple, two doubles, eight RBIs, four runs, and three steals before departing for Team Canada during the World Baseball Classic.
Lockridge, who turns 29 next weekend, was a fifth-round pick by the Yankees out of Troy in 2018. He made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2024 and has appeared in 79 games between San Diego and Milwaukee the last two seasons, hitting .226/.268/.308 with a homer, 12 RBIs, 21 runs, and 12 steals. Not known for his power, Lockridge got out to a powerful start this spring, slugging a pair of homers in the Brewers’ first couple of games. Across four games this spring, he’s hitting .545/.643/1.182 with six hits, including those two homers, with two RBIs, six runs, and a steal.
Another veteran, Perkins, 29, was a second-round pick out of high school by the Nationals in 2015, though he didn’t catch on anywhere until finding a home with the Brewers. He made his MLB debut with Milwaukee in 2023, and across three seasons with the Brewers, he’s hit .232/.314/.339 with 13 homers, 82 RBIs, 107 runs, and 35 steals over 242 games while providing above-average defense. Perkins has also had a solid start to his spring, hitting .375/.500/.500 with three hits, including a double, to go with two RBIs and two runs scored over three games.
Given that all of these players have options remaining — Baddoo and Black each have one, Lockridge and Perkins each have two — the question is really where the Brewers see the most value for this team on opening day. Who do you think the Brewers should include as the 13th man when opening day rolls around later this month? Weigh in on our poll below, and stay tuned for results later in the week!
For the past two seasons, MLB has featured a “Spring Breakout” series during Spring Training where every team assembles a team of their best prospects from throughout their farm system. Then these teams of prospects each play one exhibition game against a squad from a rival team in the Cactus or Grapefruit League. These games have been a great way to showcase baseball’s next generation of talent. The games are all televised locally and some of them end up on the MLB Network or streaming platforms. All games are also streamed for free on MLB dot com.
This year, the Cubs will take on the Padres at Sloan Park at 8:05 p.m. CT on March 21. The game will be broadcast both on Marquee Sports Networkand the Padres sports channel as well as streaming for free. Tomorrow, March 5, the rosters for every Spring Breakout Series team will be announced on the MLB Network at 11 a.m. CT. Matt Vasgersian and Harold Reynolds will host the hour-long announcement program.
But that’s just for this year. The bigger news is that in 2027 and 2028, the Spring Breakout series will become two single-elimination tournaments, with one team being crowned the winner of the Cactus League and one the winner of the Grapefruit League Spring Breakout tournament. These two tournaments will take place from March 19 through the 22nd at various Spring Training venues in Arizona and Florida.
On the one hand, this is a great idea to showcase the next generation of talent in baseball and give fans something to be invested in during a slow part of the Spring. It will even give fans of two teams a little bragging rights.
On the other hand, this is clearly insurance by MLB to have something to show next March to the fans if major leaguers are still locked out in a labor dispute. Prospects not on the 40-man roster will not be locked out, so they will still be playing in Spring Training and available for the tournament no matter what is going on with the major leaguers.
So this tournament can be two things at once. It’s both a great idea and an ominous omen about baseball next year.
In any case, let’s hope that it doesn’t come to that and that the Spring Breakout Tournaments in 2027 and 2028 just become an added attraction for baseball fans before the season starts in years that there is no World Baseball Classic.
Rob Dillingham looked like something close to Gen Z Allen Iverson in college when he was tearing it up for the Kentucky Wildcats next to Reed Sheppard. The super shifty point guard was ripping deep three-pointers, cooking defenders off the bounce, and playing with a flair that energized fans and teammates alike. The Minnesota Timberwolves were so sold on Dillingham that they traded a first-round pick seven years out to move up to the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 draft to select him.
Dillingham could not get on the floor for a contending Wolves team in his first 1.5 seasons, so at the trade deadline Minnesota dealt him to Chicago for Ayo Dosunmu. Taking a flier on the 21-year-old guard made sense for a rebuilding Bulls team, but so far the change of scenery hasn’t benefitted Dillingham too much.
As the Thunder were crushing the Bulls on Tuesday night, Dillingham had one of the strangest turnovers you will ever see. Pushing the ball on the break, the Chicago guard accidentally heel-kicked the ball to OKC. This is something straight out soccer, but not sure if Messi himself could actually pull off if he tried. Watch the play here:
Some of these Rob Dillingham turnovers are mind-boggling. He just heel kicked the ball to the Thunder pic.twitter.com/ngAuzeJjBG
This feels absolutely impossible to recreate. If Dillingham tried to do it 100 more times, I don’t think he could. That’s yours truly on the clip, and I’m just glad I had the game recording when such a strange play happened.
Dillingham needs to do two things to save his NBA career: cut down the turnovers, and improve as a shooter. He has a nearly 20 percent turnover rate since entering the league, which is about twice as high as it needs to be given his other limitations. For such a small guard to succeed, they need to be able to drain threes off the dribble. Dillingham’s 44 percent college three-point stroke has fallen to 31.7 percent in the NBA. A lot of his issues could probably be fixed just by getting stronger.
Dillingham is really fun to watch when he’s on, but his significant lack of both length and strength hurts him. This is just a bizarre play. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it before, and I doubt I’ll ever see it again.
Spring training is in full swing as the Detroit Tigers prepare for their 2026 campaign, locked and reloaded for another run to the playoffs, and hopefully, a World Series ring. Sure, the team is just 2-6 so far, but these games do not matter… yet.
A great deal of the optimism heading into the season rests on the shoulders of the pitching staff, which features the best left-handed pitcher in all of baseball, Tarik Skubal, along with a robust supporting cast that includes newly added Framber Valdez and a reunion with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. The bullpen also got a boost by bringing back Kyle Finnegan and adding Kenley Jansen, who ranks fourth all-time in saves.
Which brings us to today’s question: “Who will be the Tigers’ best pitcher not named Tarik Skubal this year?” While the aforementioned four players are certainly prime candidates, there are other options, such as Casey Mize, who still has some headroom for growth, or perhaps Jack Flaherty can rediscover his 2024 form; maybe Keider Montero finally makes the jump to the next level.
Or maybe it is none of the above.
So, Tigers fans, who do you think will be the standout hurler for the Ole English D in 2026? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Luis Rey holds a Mexican flag outside of Chase Field before they play Colombia during the World Baseball Classic in Phoenix on March 11, 2023. Baseball World Baseball Classic Opening Day
Jurickson Profar Suspended for 162 Games Atlanta’s Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games following a positive test for “exogenous testosterone and its metabolites.” This is Profar’s second failed PED test, which will also likely end his MLB career. Profar has also been scratched from the WBC roster.
Phillies’ Rojas to Appeal 80-Game PED Suspension Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is contesting a possible 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball following an alleged failed test for a performance-enhancing substance, according to multiple reports.
BRADENTON, FL - MARCH 02: Jacob Melton (29) of the Tampa Bay Rays walks back to the in the dugout after a strikeout during a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 02, 2026 at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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D.J. Short
