George Lombard Jr. and Elmer Rodríguez are typically regarded as the two best prospects on the Yankees, but the next two are pretty much interchangeable. Some believe No.3 belongs to Carlos Lagrange and No.4 to shortstop Dax Kilby; others have them in the reverse order. In any case, the point stands: Kilby, last year’s first-round pick, is a top-five organizational prospect and a top-100 in all baseball per multiple outlets.

If Lombard is a glove-first prospect with developing offensive skills, Kilby is quite the opposite: the hit tool is impressive, and while he is not a disaster at shortstop, questions about his ability to make all the throws from the position remain.

2025 Stats (Single-A Tampa Tarpons): 18 games, 81 PA, .353/.457/.441 (159 wRC+), 0 HR, 9 RBI, 16 SB, 13.6 K%, 16 BB%.

So, what’s in store for Kilby in 2026? Nope, not the big leagues, if that’s what you are thinking. The most likely answer is a months-long date with High-A pitching. There might be a quick stop at Low-A to open the year, though.

If the Yankees are aggressive, they will have Kilby spend most of the season in High-A Hudson Valley and see if he can consistently produce against more polished pitchers. If his 2025 performance is any indication, he most likely can.

Last year, the Yankees sent Kilby to the Low-A Tampa Tarpons, and he hit .353 there over 81 trips to the plate, with an elite .457 OBP and a .441 slugging percentage. He had more walks (13) than strikeouts (11) and added 16 stolen bases in just 18 games. His 159 wRC+ tells you everything you need to know: he was a mismatch for Low-A pitchers.

Kilby has the tools to keep advancing. MLB Pipeline wrote the following about him and his offensive gifts:

“Kilby employs a quick and relatively compact left-handed stroke that stays in the hitting zone for a long time. He makes advanced swing decisions, rarely misses fastballs, and focuses on driving balls from gap to gap. While he stands out most with his hitting ability, he also has the bat speed and projectable strength to develop plus raw power. Add in plus speed and an aggressive nature on the basepaths, and Kilby has 20-20 potential.”

With 100 games played, he could push for 30 or 40 steals if he stays aggressive on the basepaths. There is still work to do to tap into his power, though.

In the 18 games Kilby played last year, he didn’t homer. He did have two doubles and two triples, a sign that the gap power is there and the potential for some of those balls to clear the fence remains, but he seems to be a swing change away from becoming a 20-homer guy, as many predict. He had a healthy 28.1 percent line drive rate per FanGraphs, but his 54.4 percent ground ball rate will have to come down, and his 17.5 percent fly ball rate will need to increase if he wants some balls to leave the yard.

Still, the 19-year-old Kilby might not be done adding to his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame. More power should be on the way if he works for it.

The 2026 campaign will be a pivotal one for his development. If he dominates High-A as he did in Single-A, there is a chance we see him in Double-A Somerset at some point in the season.

Kilby is, without a doubt, one of the best and most exciting prospects on the farm, but he hasn’t scratched his ceiling yet. He probably won’t see the majors this year, but if he’s brought along slowly and the organization lets him develop at his own pace, he could become a franchise cornerstone in 2027 or 2028.

See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

MESA, Arizona — While most of you were watching Cubs closer Daniel Palencia close out the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela, Cubs catcher/DH Moisés Ballesteros and starting left-hander Shōta Imanaga put on quite a show in front of a festive St. Patrick’s Day full house at Sloan Park.

Ballesteros smashed two monster home runs to center field and Imanaga had his best outing of the spring, striking out eight and allowing just one hit over four innings (okay, it was another homer, but still, he was dominant). The Cubs defeated the Angels 8-6.

Imanaga struck out the side in the first, all swinging, and had two more K’s in the second before the Cubs offense got to work. Michael Conforto led off with a double and Carson Kelly gave the Cubs a lead with this two-run homer [VIDEO].

Ballesteros batted next and hit a baseball a very, very long way:

The Cubs loaded the bases after the homer but could not score again, leaving the second with a 3-0 lead.

Then Ballesteros smashed another homer to nearly the same spot in center field in the third. Here are both of the homers [VIDEO].

And remember, Ballesteros is just 22 years old. He usually sprays balls all over the field. This sort of power is something he’s developed more recently. I think he could be primed for a big season.

While this was going on, Imanaga was mowing down more Angels hitters. He didn’t allow a hit through four innings, just a walk and former Cub Jorge Soler reaching on catcher interference. Former Cub Jeimer Candelario homered off Imanaga leading off the fifth, the only Angels hit off the Cubs left-hander. It was a really good outing for Shōta, who struck out eight [VIDEO].

Here’s more on Imanaga’s outing [VIDEO].

And a bit more [VIDEO].

Imanaga threw 76 pitches (50 strikes). Seven of the eight strikeouts were swinging and he had 23 whiffs, which is the most by any pitcher in the Cactus League so far this spring. I’m really encouraged by this great outing from Shōta.

The Cubs scored three more in the fifth, highlighted by this double from Dansby Swanson [VIDEO].

Kelly drove in the Cubs’ eighth and final run with a single in the sixth. Most of the Cubs starting players stuck around until the top of the seventh. They likely won’t play in Wednesday’s away game and the team has Thursday off, so this is part of getting them ramped up for full games beginning next week in Chicago.

After that it got a bit sloppy, particularly in the ninth when Cubs minor leaguer Jackson Kirkpatrick walked in a run and Tyler Beede had to be called on to wrap things up.

I look forward, though, to more good games like this from Ballesteros and Imanaga. Also of note: Pedro Ramirez made a couple of really slick plays at third base and had two hits in this game. He’s a prospect to watch, for sure.

Attendance watch: First, an update on Sunday’s game, where the official attendance is now reported as 13,888. For Tuesday evening, a full house of 15,055 paid to see the Angels and Cubs. Many in attendance (myself included) were keeping track of the WBC game on their phones or at one of the ballpark bars that had TVs. The season attendance at Sloan Park is now 176,674 for 14 dates, or 12,620 per date.

Also, ICYMI (Bluesky link):

Hopefully it will be just a bit warmer in Chicago a week from tomorrow. It’s definitely going to be warmer for Friday’s game at Sloan Park. Forecast highs for Friday in the Phoenix area are supposed to reach 106, which is nearly 30 degrees above average.

The Cubs travel to Scottsdale to play the Diamondbacks Wednesday afternoon. Edward Cabrera will start for the Cubs and Merrill Kelly will go for Arizona. Game time is 3:10 p.m. CT and there will be a TV broadcast via the D-backs streaming service AZ Video.

One possession from my childhood that is a continuous source of fascination is a Kansas City Athletics yearbook, the type that you used to be able to buy at the ballpark, or by sending in a few dollars to the club.  The yearbook looks to be from 1967.  It was given to me by a friend of my father’s, who attended a game.  The cover has been missing for years and the brittle pages are starting to show their age which is tragic, as the yearbook is a time capsule for that era.  Near the front, there are two pages dedicated to Charlie O. Finley, and his family.  No surprise there given Finley’s ego.  Towards the back, there are two pages dedicated to Charlie O., the mule mascot of the Athletics.

Overall, the publication is put together very well.  It has two pages of headshots of the players; all dressed in black suits and ties.  Very classy.  There are several pages dedicated to player profiles, talking about their careers, where they grew up and some tidbits about how they came to be Athletics, either through trades or free agent signings.  Since the player draft was new, no drafted players had yet made the Kansas City roster.  Rick Monday was the first ever choice of the Athletics and at this printing, he was still in the minors.

One player who figured prominently in the publication was a slugging first baseman named Ken Harrelson. 

Harrelson was born September 4^th, 1941, in Woodruff, South Carolina.  He grew up in Savannah, Georgia, where he was a star athlete in baseball, golf, football and basketball.  Like many young men from the south, he dreamed of playing basketball at the University of Kentucky.  Golf may have been his best sport, but his mother convinced him to pursue baseball as she thought the sport gave him the best chance for a long and lucrative career.  Harrelson listened to his mother and signed with the Athletics after graduating from high school, figuring correctly that the woebegone Athletics offered him the best chance of quickly making the majors.   The scout who signed him was the legendary Clyde Klutz. 

At the age of 17, Harrelson was assigned to the Olean A’s of the New York-Pennsylvania league.  He started to blossom at the age of 19, hitting .301 with 25 home runs and 114 RBI at Class C Visalia.  He followed that up with a .272, 38 home run, 138 RBI effort in 1962 at Class A Binghampton during his age 20 season.  His rapid ascension continued in 1963 as he started the year at AAA Portland.   He hit .300 with 9 home runs in 41 games for the Beavers.  That was enough to convince Finley to call up the young slugger.  Why not?  The Athletics weren’t contending and they needed fresh young stars to attract fans, and the somewhat flamboyant, talkative Harrelson was nothing if not fresh.

He made his major league debut on June 9^th, 1963, at the age of 21.  He got two pinch hit at bats before he got his first start on June 12^th against the Twins in Bloomington.  He collected his first major league hit with a first inning single off Hall of Famer Jim Kaat.  He collected his first home run, and RBIs, in the 8^th inning with a two-run shot off Bill Pleis.

The Athletics acquired veteran slugger Jim Gentile in the offseason, which left no position for Harrelson going into the 1964 season.  Gentile did what he was brought in to do, by hitting 28 home runs and driving home 71.  Finley went all in on power for the 1964 season.  Another off-season acquisition was Rocky Colavito.  The Rock was very popular with Athletics fans and his 34 home runs, and 102 RBI didn’t hurt his standing.

Harrelson started 1964 at AAA Dallas.  His batting average dropped to .232, but he still hit 18 home runs and drove home 52 in just 77 games.

The Athletics recalled Harrelson in July and gave him the start in leftfield on July 9^th against the Twins.  Facing Kaat once again, he smoked a 6^th inning pitch into the left field stands for a solo home run.  Welcome back to KC Hawk.  Why left field?  With Gentile entrenched at first, and regular left fielder Manny Jimenez only hitting .241, why not?

About that nickname.  Early in his KC career, someone started calling Harrelson “Hawk” due to the shape of his often-broken nose.  Harrelson wasn’t crazy about the name at first, but eventually it became his identity.  It rolls nice, Hawk Harrelson.  And Finley had a thing about nicknames.  He even tried to convince Vida Blue to change his first name to True. 

The Gentile/Colavito experiment only lasted one season (Finley had a history of being what you might describe as impulsive). 

The first base job was Harrelson’s in 1965, with Tommie Reynolds and Jose Tartabull moving to left, while Mike Hersberger manned right.

Harrelson hit just .238 but did lead the team with 23 home runs and 66 RBI.  Those totals don’t sound too imposing but remember, the Athletics finished with a 59 and 103 record.  They were not good.  Yet.

The team was starting to play some of the young talent they acquired.  Dick Green and Bert Campaneris made a solid double play combo.  Catfish Hunter and Blue Moon Odom both made their debuts in 1965.  This was also the year that 58-year-old Satchel Paige came out of retirement and threw three scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox.

Harrelson got off to a slow start in 1966 and in late June, the Athletics traded Harrelson to Washington for pitcher Jim Duckworth.  The trade didn’t make much sense, other than to fulfill the Athletics constantly churning roster.  Why trade a 24-year-old with power potential?  Duckworth appeared in eight games for Kansas City during which he compiled a 9.00 ERA.  He never appeared in another major league game.   

On June 9^th, 1967, the Athletics realized they needed Harrelson back, and with him Harrelson only hitting .237 with ten home runs during his 97 game Washington tenure, the cash strapped Senators gladly sold him back to Finley.  The reunion was not peachy.  After Finley fired manager Alvin Dark, Harrelson popped off to the media, calling Finley “A menace to baseball.”   Harrelson denied using the word menace, but even if he did, he wasn’t wrong.  The enraged Finley ordered Harrelson released, which was a major stroke of luck for the Hawk.  Three days later, he signed with the Boston Red Sox and made several key contributions down the stretch in the Sox Impossible Dream season.  Unfortunately, Harrelson had a miserable World Series, going 1 for 14 in the seven-game loss to St. Louis.

Harrelson had his best year as a pro in 1968, hitting .275 with 35 home runs and a league leading 109 RBI for Boston.  He made his only All-Star team and finished third in the leagues MVP vote.  That was Kansas City’s lot in life in those days, trade away or release a player and watch him become a star in another city.

Harrelson hit another 30 home runs in 1969, drove home 92 and drew a career high 99 walks. 

Just ten games into the 1969 season, the Red Sox shocked Harrelson by trading him to Cleveland in a six-player deal.  Harrelson then announced his retirement, saying that leaving Boston would cost him money from lost business interests.

Bowie Kuhn intervened, Harrelson relented and reported to Cleveland with a new contract in hand.  The Hawk slugged 27 home runs and drove home 84 which endeared him to the Indians faithful.  It was in Cleveland that Harrelson got his first taste of television, hosting a program called The Hawk’s Nest.

The Hawk broke his leg early in the 1970 season and when Chris Chambliss took over the first base job in 1971, Harrelson elected to retire and pursue a professional golf career.

Harrelson was a terrific golfer.  His KC bio says he won the Baseball Players Golf Tournament with a record score of 290 over the 72-hole event.  In 1972, he played in the British Open and missed the cut by one stroke.    

While he was still playing baseball, Harrelson strode to the plate once and with his hands blistered from playing golf and used his golf glove.  Some people credit Harrelson for introducing modern “batting” gloves to the sport.  Records show that other players used gloves periodically, especially in the 1950’s but Harrelson and Rusty Staub were the two modern era players who popularized the use of gloves.

In 1975, Harrelson went to work for the Red Sox as a TV announcer.  He jumped to the White Sox for the 1982 season.  He served in a variety of front office jobs for Chicago through the end of the 1986 season.

He spent a couple of years with the Yankees, before moving back to Chicago for the 1990 season.

Harrelson, an admitted homer, is one of those broadcasters that you either love or you hate.  He has a large collection of Hawkism’s such as “You can put it on the board” and “Mercy!”.  He had a long running feud with umpire Joe West and has been called to the carpet on multiple occasions by the commissioner’s office for his colorful remarks about other umpires.

Love him or hate him, Harrelson is never boring.    

Last week I dug into the things we think we know at this point of the Orioles spring. We know that Tyler Wells is going to start the season in the bullpen because Craig Albernaz told us. We’re pretty sure that Coby Mayo is going to get a shot at third base with Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday sidelined, and we’re all but certain that the Orioles roster will not have room for a third catcher.

We know a lot more than that about the Orioles, but those were questions that followed the team to Sarasota. With those all but settled, I’m focused on a few things we still don’t know at this point of spring training.

What if Eflin is ready for Opening Day?

With Wells set to join the bullpen, a healthy Eflin would still give the Orioles six solid starting pitchers for the rotation. The Orioles resigned Eflin after an injury-filled 2025. Last year’s Opening Day starter tallied only 71 1/3 innings last year with an inflated 5.93 ERA.

Eflin underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure to address prolonged back pain in the second half of last season. The surgery could have ended his tenure in Baltimore, but the organization brought him back on a one-year, $10-million deal that features a mutual option. At the time of the signing, it seemed unlikely that Eflin would be healthy enough to break camp with the team. Eflin has undergone a delayed ramp up this spring, but the team has yet to announce whether he’ll be ready in two weeks. Eflin has a pair of Grapefruit League starts under his belt in 2026.

If Eflin is ready to go, and the Orioles avoid any other injuries, he’ll join a rotation that features Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Dean Kremer. A majority of Orioles fans recently came out in support of a six-man rotation, but the strategy would potentially weaken an already certain bullpen.

Who will set up Helsley with Kittredge sidelined?

Speaking of the bullpen, the Orioles are running it back with another pitcher that missed time with an injury last season. Baltimore re-acquired Andrew Kittredge from Chicago in exchange for cash considerations. Unfortunately, Kittredge will begin the season on the IL for the second consecutive year. The team announced that the veteran reliever had a “low probability” of making the Opening Day roster due to shoulder inflammation.

Kittredge and new closer Ryan Helsley are expected to anchor a bullpen with several unknowns. Wells could emerge as a multi-inning option, a high-leverage reliever, or anything in between. The same can be said for Albert Suárez. Yennier Cano and Keegan Akin have leverage experience but come with less certainty. Rico Garcia and Grant Wolfram have potential, while several others remain in the mix for a spot in the ‘pen.

Albernaz said that Kittredge was “on the right track” after he played catch earlier this week, but the skipper reiterated that the they are taking it one day at a time. The bullpen will need to tread water in the meantime. The roster will be set at the end of spring, but the hierarchy will remain fluid throughout the start of the season.

Which infielder takes the last spot?

There’s more room on the roster due to the Holliday and Westburg injuries. Holliday appears on track for a quick return, but Westburg’s status represents the greatest unknown of the Orioles spring. Westburg’s long-term availability will not be decided in the next two weeks, but Baltimore’s utility infield competition will.

Jeremiah Jackson, Luis Vázquez, Weston Wilson and Bryan Ramos all have a shot at making the team. Jackson could be considered a favorite after slashing .276/.328/.447 over 48 games in his debut season, but the 25-year-old still has minor league options. The 25-year-old looks like player that could carve out a Ramon Urías type role in Baltimore, but the Birds may be willing to stash him at Triple-A in an effort to keep another guy in the organization.

Vázquez is back in camp after representing Puerto Rico in the World Baseball classic. Vázquez appeared in 32 games for Baltimore last season. He slashed a discouraging .160/.208/.240 over 53 plate appearances, but his versatile glove proved valuable. The 26-year-old made 12 appearances at third, 11 at short, three at second, and he even logged an inning at first base. His four relief appearances won’t win him any prizes, but the ability to play shortstop holds real merit. The Orioles believe there’s at least a little more offensive upside than what he displayed last season.

Bryan Ramos is the flavor of the day after finishing a triple shy of the cycle yesterday. Ramos made his first start at second base and took future hall-of-famer Justin Verlander deep in a 1-1 tie. The Orioles DFA’d Wilson when they acquired Ramos from the White Sox. Wilson has big league experience at multiple infield positions and the corner outfield. He can match Vázquez with mop-up relief appearances too.

White Sox fans are nothing if not optimistic. Every spring brings a new breakout candidate, every top prospect becomes the next cornerstone, and the most recent hot streak has us dreaming about what could be. Sometimes that hopefulness pays off. Other times, well, we’ve all been there before.

So, every fanbase has them — the players we hype up a little more than reality probably warrants. Sometimes it’s because of prospect pedigree, sometimes it’s a great half-season, and sometimes it’s just the hope that this guy will finally be the one.

South Side fans are no different.

Over the years, there have been plenty of players who captured the imagination of Chicago’s faithful. A big spring training, a loud tool, or a few memorable moments can turn someone into a fan favorite pretty quickly. But that doesn’t always mean the production matches the reputation.

So that brings us to today’s discussion question:

Who do you think White Sox fans tend to overrate?

It could be:

• A current player people expect too much from
• A recent prospect whose hype got a little out of hand
• Or even a former player that fans still talk about like a star

There’s no wrong answer here because baseball fandom is built on optimism, after all.

Who does this fanbase overrate, and why?

Tuesday night we saw two powerhouse teams go head to head in the World Baseball Classic Final as Team USA and Team Venezuela squared off to see who could call themselves best in the world. Team USA was always going to be a juggernaut, but Venezuela beat out several other teams that were predicted to do better in the series. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, considering the dominant talent that has come out of Venezuela for decades.

In the winner-take-all final, it was ultimately Team Venezuela that came out the champions. The final score was 3-2. Bryce Harper made a valiant effort to tie the game in late innings, but it wasn’t enough to keep Venezuela down. This is Venezuela’s first WBC championship.

With the WBC now finished, focus will return to the final weeks of Spring Training as teams gear up for Opening Day and the dawning of the new MLB season.

WBC years are always such a treat, getting to see the best of the best go head-to-head is a wonderful showcase for baseball talent on a broader stage.

Now let’s get into the rest of today’s links.

Detroit Tigers News

• We love a good stat.

• When Miguel Cabrera gives you advice, you take it.

• Hey, we know him!

AL Central News

• White Sox RHP Mike Vasil will miss the season following elbow surgery.

MLB News

• Some experiment rules we might see tested in the minors this season.
• How baseball really is sometimes just a children’s game.
• What can the Brewers expect from their new pitching rotation?
• Providing context for the Texas Ranger statue at Globe Life Field.
• Team Venezuela finally found their pitching groove, but was it in time to tackle their biggest rival?
• The Red Sox have signed old friend Tommy Kahnle to a minor league deal.
• All the previous MVP winners of past WBCs.
• Alex Rodriguez is very bad at making comparisons.
• A sweet moment between Clayton Kershaw and his son.
• Team USA were rocking a lucky charm on their way to the WBC final.
• The WBC has succeeded in creating a consistent buzz around baseball ahead of the regular MLB season.
• Shohei Ohtani will make his Spring Training pitching debut today.
• Gerrit Cole is also poised to make his return today for the Yankees.
• How much do WBC winner stand to make? ($)
• Why would Team USA lean on a rookie pitcher with the biggest game of the WBC on the line? ($)
• A very important update about the Mariners’ ferry boat.

• Some great moments from WBCs past.

• Oof, bring on the ABS, please.

There was a hint of optimism after Roki Sasaki struck out nine Chicago White Sox hitters in a “game B” outing last week. After Tuesday’s performance, the struggles that Sasaki has experienced throughout most of spring have returned.

Sasaki was finally able to throw at least half of his pitches for strikes on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals— 71 pitches, 38 strikes— but was wildly inconsistent over 3 1/3 combined innings, as he walked the bases loaded in the third inning and was forced to be relieved by Nick Robertson. Sasaki came back out to the mound in the next two innings, allowing a two-run home run in the fourth inning and was again relieved after allowing a double to Starling Marte to begin the bottom of the fifth inning.

Sasaki now carries an ugly 13.50 ERA over 6 2/3 innings, and although he has struck out 10, he has walked nine hitters over that span. Sasaki is cognoscente that his spring training numbers don’t ultimately matter, but Dave Roberts has expressed repeatedly the urgency for him to be a quality starter, especially as Blake Snell and Gavin Stone nurse injuries, notes Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

“I have a lot of things I need to work on,” Sasaki said through an interpreter. “But it’s just Spring Training, so just keep continuing to work on that. The results in Spring Training don’t really matter.”

“I think there’s progress in the sense that we got him into the fifth inning. The stuff was good, so that’s continued progress. Pitch count we got up,” Roberts said. “But I think the thing with Roki is, again, you’ve got to be efficient, you’ve got to be able to take down innings and be able to make adjustments sooner.”

Links

After a down second half last season that bled into the postseason, Blake Treinen has yet to get over his obstacles on the mound. He is posting a 10.80 ERA across five innings of work, with his latest meltdown coming on Monday’s 24-9 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers where he allowed two runs over 2/3 of an inning.

Dave Roberts noted a lack of confidence and conviction from Treinen this spring, but isn’t concerned about opening up a potential roster spot in lieu of the veteran reliever, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

“I don’t see confidence,” Roberts said. “Obviously the execution is not there, with the sinker, the sweeper is a ball. It’s been a few, three or four outings consistently not throwing the baseball the way we expect. But for me, off the top, there’s no conviction. I see a lack of confidence.”

For the first time in his big league career, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will kick off the Dodgers’ regular season in Los Angeles, as he is slated to start the team’s home opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Yamamoto spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA on Tuesday about the significance of having his name called to begin the season.

Per interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda: “It’s an honor for me, and it’s opening day at a Dodger Stadium home game. It’s an honor for me and I also feel the responsibility.”

Build Your Winning Bracket!

SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory! Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness Feed all week long and we’ll have both on hand! (All times ET)

• Sun 4-7pm: Chris Dobbertean
• Mon-Wed 7-10am: Mike Rutherford
• Mon-Wed 2-5pm: Chris Dobbertean
• Thursday 6-9am: Chris Dobbertean and Mike Rutherford