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It’s Valentine’s Day today, so I hope you will all spend your Saturday thinking about Bobby Valentine, who played for the Dodgers from 1969-72, or maybe 2005 third baseman and shortstop José Valentín, or perhaps Tom Lovett, a pitcher for Brooklyn in the 19th century.

Or maybe Sandy Amorós can get you in the mood after watching his incredible catch from Game 7 of the 1955 World Series.

Today’s question is a simple one: Who or what made you fall in love with baseball?

Former Mets starter Griffin Canning is officially off the board. 

According to numerous reports, the right-hander has reached an agreement with the Padres. 

Canning spent just one season in the Big Apple after signing a $4.25 million deal last offseason. 

He was expected to serve as depth for the big league rotation, but injuries forced him into the group, and he ended up providing a tremendous boost before going down with a season-ending injury of his own. 

The former first-round pick pitched to a 3.77 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over his 16 outings. 

Perhaps his most impressive one came in early June, when he tossed six scoreless innings against the Dodgers. 

After recovering from his ruptured Achilles tendon, Canning threw for teams earlier this month, and it didn't take him long before he found a soft landing spot in San Diego. 

Some were hoping for a potential reunion in New York, but the Mets' up-and-coming young arms give them an immense amount of depth waiting in the wings. 

Spring has sprung as Major League Baseball's 30 teams gather at camps in Florida and Arizona ahead of the 2026 season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers begin spring training as the favorites to win a third consecutive World Series title and are set to play their first Cactus League game on Saturday, Feb. 21. The first official spring training games take place Feb. 20, with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles kicking off the Grapefruit League slate on Friday afternoon.

With the World Baseball Classic beginning on March 5, participating players will soon depart their clubs' camps to gather with national teams. The 2026 regular season begins on March 25 with the San Francisco Giants hosting the Yankees.

Here's what to know for the opening days of spring training games:

There are lots of projection systems that proclaim themselves the most accurate, the one that hits the target more often when talking about how a player will perform. It’s a tricky business because there are so many variables that go into a season that getting even half of the projection correct would be a boon to the system. This week, at Baseball Prospectus, they are celebrating PECOTA week, the one in which they reveal the projections about the teams and players based on their proprietary system PECOTA (Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm).

Don’t ask me about their math and wizardry because I don’t know either.

What I do know is that theirs is the system I find to be most accurate when trying to determine how well a player is going to play in a given season, so when that projection is given, I like to spend some time with it. Go through all of the different percentiles, how things could shape up if player X performs well or underperforms. There is a lot of information to go through, but some things do stand out about them. These are just a few of the initial observations about PECOTA’s thoughts about the 2026 Phillies.

It does not like their chances of winning the division

The initial release of the expected standings based on PECOTA projections always brings some consternation. The system always believes in the Braves and never believes in the Brewers. For the Phillies, right now, they don’t seem overly optimistic of their winning the National League East for a third consecutive season.

Now, the thing about these projected standings is they are pretty fluid. They adjust things based on the news that is received during the day. For example, when these were initially released, the Braves had an extra two wins while the Phillies were a few tenths of a win behind their current 86 total. With the news that Spencer Schwellenbach is expected to miss a sizeable chunk of time, things were adjusted a bit.

One thing that should be encouraging is that for all the gnashing of teeth about the team’s moves (or lack thereof) this offseason, PECOTA still sees them as pretty comfortable playoff team. It just likes the Braves to be a division winner more than the Phillies, which is understandable to a degree. PECOTA always loves Atlanta and nothing much has changed there.

But the Phillies? Don’t plan on getting a replica division pennant flag on opening day in 2027.

Adolis Garcia rebound szn?

Perhaps the most controversial signing the Phillies made this offseason was bringing in Adolis Garcia to take over right field duties from Nick Castellanos. A one year deal like this one shouldn’t bring too much controversy with it, but the timing, the cost and the seemingly preventative nature of it caused many to sneer in derision at the mere reminder of the deal.

PECOTA is a bit more optimistic in its projection. Garcia hit .227/.271/.394 with 19 home runs last year, a sizeable step back from his previous seasons’ production. His DRC+ of 91 (Deserved Runs Created) was markedly better than his 83 wRC+, yet still a below average number.

However, take a bit more of a step back and something should be a bit rosier. Here is Garcia’s 2025 season compared to his 50th percentile projection from 2025:

2025: .227/.271/.394, 19 HR, 75 RBI, 13 SB, 91 DRC+, 1.4 DRP
2025 50th percentile: .228/.292/.413, 25 HR, 78 RBI, 7 SB, 101 DRC+, -2 DRP

PECOTA was pretty optimistic about Garcia at least being a .700 OPS hitter last season, though still saw his on-base percentage being an issue. It’s kind of scary how accurate they were with that projection actually.

For 2026, the outlook is every so slightly rosier (50th percentile: .236/.295/.428, 23 HR, 74 RBI, 97 DRC+), seeing maybe some upticks in both his on-base and slugging percentages with his going to a better hitter’s park than the one in Texas. It does not predict the under the hood stuff, things like bat speed, chase rate and the like, but if we’re to guesstimate on that, seeing at least both of those numbers fall from 2024 to 2025 doesn’t exactly make one feel good. It’s still not great for the money that they allotted to Garcia for 2026, but at least on the baseball card stats, PECOTA thinks that maybe there is some improvement coming over what he did last year. If he gets to those 70th, or even 80th, percentile projections, well now we have something much better on our hands.

The offense as a whole?PECOTA still believes in you to produce

If you’re of a certain age and you have a couch or chair that is lower than normal to the ground, you know that getting older is not something that is enjoyable. Pay no mind to those commercials where people are out galivanting around wineries all day once they hit the age of 70, your body starts to betray you earlier and earlier it feels like. Try as you might, but Father Time remains undefeated against all challengers.

In baseball age, the Phillies are getting older, yet PECOTA is not really sure what to think of them. Looking at just the 50th percentile DRC+ projections, there is really only one that it sees taking a big step back. Kyle Schwarber is the biggest, but his DRC+ would go from the 154 to 127 this year. That shouldn’t be surprising as expecting him to repeat his MVP runner up season with something equal to it would be foolish. But the system still believes in Bryce Harper (120 DRC+ in 2025, 127 projection) and Trea Turner (103 in 2023, 109 projection). Surprisingly, it also doesn’t portend much of a cliff dive by J.T. Realmuto (91 in 2025, 99 projection)

The biggest one that I was surprised at was what it thinks about Brandon Marsh. Pockets of the fanbase don’t see him as more than a platoon bat and the front office would agree, going out of their way to mention Otto Kemp and others as potential partners to Marsh’s left handed bat. Yet PECOTA sees that if roughly 450 at bats, against who it does not know, Marsh would hit to a 102 DRC+, a ten point increase from what he accumulated in 2025. Wonder what more playing time against left handed pitching would do to help him improve against it. After all, how can you get better at the weakness if you’re never allowed to go against it?

Projection systems really like hitters that have produced well in the past. If you’ve done it often, it believes you can continue to do it over and over again, so long as there aren’t many major issues.

What rust? 

Yankees catcher Austin Wells didn’t see any signs of it as he caught Gerrit Cole’s first bullpen session in spring training on Friday morning. 

Cole consistently sat in the mid-90s with his fastball, touching up to 96 mph. 

“He looks great, he looks sharp, he looks like Gerrit Cole,” Wells told SNY’s Niki Lattarulo. “It was refreshing to see. That was my first time catching him since surgery -- I think he’s in full-season form and he could get outs right now if he needed to.”

Certainly an encouraging sign with Cole nearly a year removed from Tommy John surgery. 

The right-hander's exact timeline for a return is still a bit of an unknown at this point, but the Yanks are hoping to be able to get him back headlining their starting rotation by May or June. 

“The target is always between 14-18 months, that hasn’t changed,” Cole said Friday.

New York will obviously err on the side of caution as their ace progresses, though, as they can't afford to have him miss more time than expected with their pitching staff already banged up. 

Along with Cole, Carlos Rodon is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, Clarke Schmidt is expected to be sidelined until some point in the second half, and now Cam Schlittler is dealing with back inflammation. 

If Schlittler doesn't have to miss time, he'll help hold down the fort alongside Max Fried, Luis Gil, Will Warren, and the newly acquired Ryan Weathers until Cole and the others are ready to return. 

What Tony Vitello is learning from ‘entertaining' infield coach Ron Washington originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Giants manager Tony Vitello is enjoying the Ron Washington experience.

The first-year skipper detailed the lessons he has learned thus far from the seasoned infield coach in talking to KNBR’s “Murph and Markus” on Friday.

“‘Entertaining’ is easily the first word that comes to mind, and I don’t know if that’s going to change between now and the end of the year,” Vitello told Brian Murphy and Markus Boucher. “And obviously, there are other attributes he’s bringing to the table, but it’s been entertaining for sure. And, you know, you talk about him helping me or giving me advice …

“I jumped in on some PFP (pitcher fielding practice) yesterday — more than anything, because I kind of wanted to be in the middle of it to see how it was going and the differences and stuff like that — and he was all over me about my fielding technique. And so I think we’ve had fun and he’s had fun with the players, kind of giving each other some locker room humor, jabs back and forth. But also, I can tell you, he was very, very serious about me correcting my technique on a particular ground ball.”

That sounds like Washington.

The 73-year-old is one of the more respected names in baseball, known for his blend of humor, seriousness and teaching abilities. Considering Washington has been in MLB since his playing career started in 1977, he is a perfect fit for the up-and-coming Vitello’s staff.

Vitello is learning as he goes. And having Washington, who just served as manager of the Los Angeles Angels, around helps the Giants’ new manager formulate his plan to make San Francisco one of the more enjoyable teams in MLB.

“So that’s the balance he’s got going on between having a lot of fun, but also bringing a lot of intensity to the ballpark. It’s one of the reasons why fans like Drew Gilbert is a player, why everyone loves Washington as a coach.

“And … when this year is complete, we like fans to reflect on the team and say, ‘You know what, it was a fun group, but they also played hard. They brought a lot of intensity to the ballpark every day.’”

Washington sure does bring “fun” and “intensity” to the Giants, as Vitello has experienced firsthand.

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Last July, the Washington Nationals made Eli Willits the youngest first overall pick ever. With more famous prospects like Ethan Holiday and LSU ace Kade Anderson available, it was a bit of a risky pick. However, after a strong pro debut, Willits’ stock is higher than it was on draft day. Despite ranking behind Holiday in draft rankings, he is now ahead of him in prospect rankings.

While Willits was considered a very well-rounded prospect, there was one part of his game that caused some concerns. That was his lack of raw power. It is important to note he was just 17 last year, but his exit velocities were still below average in his pro debut. When you looked at him, he still looked like a kid because well, he was a kid.

Entering this offseason, Willits knew he had to hit the weight room. He will never have James Wood power, but if he can get to average power, Willits has star upside. The rest of his game is so solid. He has elite contact skills and plate discipline as a hitter. In the field, he has smooth actions at shortstop. Willits is also a well above average runner.

Willits acted accordingly, and was in the weight room early and often. All offseason, you would see him posting videos lifting weights. When you saw him on the field, it was clear that Willits had room to add weight. He still looked like a baby out there. His goal this offseason was to add some man strength.

It is not like Willits is tiny. He is listed at 6’1 and could still be growing. There is room to pack strength onto his frame. Willits’ pro debut showed all of his strengths and weaknesses. He hit .300 and had a great feel for the strike zone. However, basically all of his hits were singles. Out of his 15 hits, only two went for extra bases and none were home runs.

His slugging percentage was only .360, which is not very good. However, his .397 OBP allowed him to post a solid .757 OPS. For a 17 year old in pro ball, that is highly impressive. He adapted to pro ball like a duck to water, starting his career with a 9 game hitting streak. Most high school draftees either struggle or don’t even play in their draft year, but not Willits.

However, the physical limitations were still clear. Willits’ 90th percentile exit velocity was the lowest of any top 100 prospect. As the youngest player on the list, that is easy to explain away though. We will still need to see that improve though. As you rise through the minor leagues, defenses get better and Willits will have to hit the ball with more authority to get hits.

I think we will see him hit the ball harder though. Willits looked noticeably bigger and stronger when he arrived to camp a couple days ago. His lower half was so much sturdier and it was clear he put in the work. 

The before and after of Willits is pretty crazy. He truly developed from a boy into a man in one offseason. Given his age and bloodlines, this is not overly surprising. Most people get a lot bigger and stronger from that 17 to 18 mark. You start to gain that adult strength. 

Another reason why I was confident Willits would add weight is just seeing his family. His brother Jaxon is the star shortstop at the University of Oklahoma, and actually a pretty good draft prospect. Jaxon Willits is listed at a sturdy 6’0 203 pounds. Eli looks like he might be close to 200 pounds after this offseason.

As we know, there are some potential downsides to adding too much muscle. It can come at the expense of your quick twitch athleticism. Hopefully that will not be the case with Eli. I do not think it will because his frame had room to add good weight before this offseason.

Even if he does lose a little bit of twitch, it would be a fine trade off. Willits needs the strength to reach his potential. With his feel for hitting, he will be able to maximize the power he has. It will never be light tower power, but he could hit 15-18 homers one day.

As long as he is able to stick at shortstop, the strength will be a good addition to his game. Even if he does lose half a grade of speed, I am still confident in his ability to field. The best part of his defensive game is his IQ and hands. Willits is so fundamentally sound that he does not need to be a hyper-athlete to be a good defender.

That also applies to the basepaths. He will be able to maximize all the speed he has due to his IQ and his ability to get good jumps. Willits loves trying to take the extra base and is a true grinder. He combines that hard scrabble style with elite talent. That is what made him the first overall pick.

Willits’ baseball IQ allows him to make the most of his tools. However, you can only do so much without power. Willits clearly spent this winter trying to add power. Given how he looks, I think the mission was a success. He is already the 13th ranked prospect in baseball, so it is scary to imagine his ceiling if he starts hitting for power.

Nick Castellanos already has a new home.

Castellanos agreed to a deal with the Padres for the veteran’s minimum, pending a physical, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed Saturday morning.

The Phillies, who were his home for four seasons, released Castellanos on Thursday with one year and $20 million remaining on his contract, which was initially for five years and $100 million.

The Yankees inquired about a potential trade prior to Castellanos’ release but receivd mixed reviews, according to Heyman.

His exit didn’t come without some fire.

The 33-year-old wasn’t shy about expressing his “disdain” for Phillies manager Rob Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long

Additionally, he told his former teammates that he did not trust both of them since they never played in the majors — and it was not the first time he has aired that grievance.

In September, Castellanos explained he only wants to hear from those who have professional experience.

“The only opinions that I honestly care about are (from) the ones that have carried the stick,” Castellanos said during “On Base with Mookie Betts.”

“The ones that have put on the gloves and put on the cleats.”

The strain between the two parties is one of the biggest reasons Castellanos’ time ended early in Philadelphia.

Castellanos and Thomson often bumped heads, including when Castellanos brought a beer into the dugout after being removed for a defensive replacement and reportedly yelled at his manager in front of coaches and teammates.

Last season, Castellanos had a down year, hitting .250 with a .694 OPS — a significant dip from his last All-Star season in 2023 when he hit .272 with a .788 OPS.

He joins a Padres team that lost to the Cubs in the wild-card round.

While he played right field with the Phillies, the plan with the Padres is to rotate among the outfield, first base and designated hitter, according to Heyman.

The Padres already have an everyday right fielder in Fernando Tatis Jr.