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As the Red Sox approach Opening Day, it’s time to start taking at look at the other American League playoff contenders. First up, a team that finished with one more win than the Sox in 2025.

What’s This Team’s Deal?

After a heartbreaking loss to the Blue Jays in Game 7 of the ALCS kept the Mariners from their very first World Series, they are looking to maintain that momentum and do one better in 2026.

They are hungry for more, and it’s not just the players; the front office has gotten in on the act too. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s infamous 2023 quote, where he professed to aiming to win only 54% of the time, typifies the past approach. Not this season. The Mariners believe their time is now, and they have made offseason moves to take charge of their own destiny. They locked down Josh Naylor at first base. They signed Brendan Donovan to stabilize third base; both of these players improve the offense as well.

Their starting rotation, which has remained nearly unchanged for the past three seasons, barring fluctuations for injuries, remains upper echelon, though unfortunately Bryce Miller will likely start the season on the IL.

How Good Are They?

Many are already predicting they will represent the American League in the World Series. At this point, Jon Morosi thinks they have the most balanced, talented distribution of players of all the teams in the  AL.

Recent Mariners rosters have leaned into streaky players, and some like Julio Rodriguez, who take time to warm up. This has led them to rely too much on Cal Raleigh for offense. In 2026, that weight should be distributed more evenly with a full year of Naylor and the addition of Donovan. They are reliable bats, not just defensive upgrades. Second-year player Cole Young, who will likely start at second base, had some impressive moments in the summer, including whaling the longest Mariners home run of the season. An extended and ugly slump cost him the starting job, but spring training reports suggest he used his winter productively, returning as an improved hitter and defender. If he can be part of the infield turnaround, as well as provide flashy pop from time to time, the Mariners will have finally put the pieces together.

Typically, as with most teams, there is some uncertainty around the bullpen. Morosi and others note that Mariners relievers pitched a lot of innings in the postseason, and several (notably Andres Muñoz, Gabe Speier, and Eduard Bazardo) also played in the World Baseball Classic. Did they have enough time to reset over their shortened offseason? Time will tell. There are a number of new relievers, like old friend Alex Hoppe, who are getting some serious looks in spring training. For others, it may be more like the front office kicking the tires. Expect the Mariners to bolster the bullpen at the trade deadline no matter what, at least as a line of defense against injury.

Most Likable Player

The Mariners are full of likable players but for our purposes, it comes down to two:

• Cal Raleigh is the backbone of this team. His historic 2025 season included doing just about everything: supporting the pitching staff, winning the Home Run Derby, hitting 60 HRs, captaining the team deeper into the postseason than they have ever been before, and being the most serious MVP runner-up in years. With his New England family ties, grinder mentality, and Red Sox Nation’s potboiling anger over Aaron Judge beating him out for said MVP, he’s the guy.
• Rob Refsnyder. I was sorry to see him leave Boston, but if he had to go, I’m glad I can still watch him with the Mariners.

Least Likable Player

The whole team is genuinely likable, but Randy Arozarena raised eyebrows during the WBC by beefing with Raleigh. (Not his parents though! Notably not his parents.) If this tension doesn’t get resolved or blow over once Arozarena and Raleigh are teammates once again, Arozarena will be the bad guy.

Old Friends

Although the teams have resisted repeated calls for high-profile trades with each other, there are a number of old friends to keep an eye on this year:

• Rob Refsnyder (sniffle)
• Cooper Criswell, who is off to a good start in the Mariners organization
• Alex Hoppe, former Sox prospect who may see the bigs this season as right-handed relief, but will likely be up and down between Triple-A and Seattle
• Eduard Bazardo, who pitched very well in the 2025 postseason
• Gabe Speier, who began his career with the Red Sox minor league system, but was traded away years ago in the package for Rick Porcello

Honorable Mention

Dominic Canzone, Brewster Whitecaps alum.

Schedule vs. Red Sox

The Sox and Mariners will face each other in the regular season for two three-game series. The Sox visit T-Mobile Park June 19-21, while the Mariners head to Boston August 31-September 2.

Season Prediction

It would be extremely unlikely for Raleigh to repeat with another individually historic year, but he will channel that competitiveness and drive toward the greater good of the team. The AL West is the Mariners’ to lose. Last year, they were 90-72 and won the AL West by three games. With their strong pitching and improved overall roster, they’ll gain five wins and finish the regular season 95-67, sitting pretty for a deep run in October. They’ll likely make the Series against the Dodgers, barring some catastrophe on either side. And if that happens, given how well-matched the Blue Jays (who barely escaped the Mariners’ clutches) and Dodgers were in 2025, it will be a fair fight.

The Miami Hurricanes baseball team is off to a 13-5 start in 2026 but the ‘Canes are only 1-3 in the ACC and finished 0-2 against the Florida Gators in a weather shortened series. While UM might struggle a bit in a talented ACC, there are some ‘Canes in the pros this season as spring training gets into full swing as well as the World Baseball Classic.

Boston Red Sox IF Romy González is Miami’s best bet at an every day player in 2026. González had a .826 OPS on nine HR’s in 2025. González is projected to have over 300 AB’s playing first and second for the Sox.

Cleveland Guardians hitter C.J. Kayfus is another Hurricane on a major league roster. Kayfus had a .707 OPS last season and is projected to log 200+ AB’s in ‘26. Kayfus is playing 1B and RF for the Guardians.

Slade Cecconi and Andrew Walters should be on major league rosters in 2026 as pitchers. Cecconi started 23 games in ‘25 for the Guardians posting a 7-7 record on a 4.30 ERA. Cecconi is posting a strong spring training with 4.67 SO/W and a 2.13 ERA. Walters, another Guardian player, struggled in limited duty in ‘25 after a solid ‘24 campaign.

Miami will be well represented in the minor leagues with Victor Mederos, Carson Palmquist, Rafe Schlesinger, Gage Ziehl, Yohandy Morales, Alejandro Rosario, and Dominic Pitelli along with Freddy Zamora and Zach Levenson who are in the WBC.

ZachLevenson (St. Louis Cardinals) represented Israel in the WBC and FreddyZamora (Milwaukee Brewers) represented Nicaragua. Levenson was 3-for-14 in the WBC while hitting .250 in spring training for the Cards. Zamora was only 1-of-9 in the WBC, but is hitting .333 in spring training for Milwaukee.

Mederos and Palmquist are on the LA Angels and Colorado Rockies 40-man rosters, respectively. Mederos made three starts with an 0-2 record and 7.41 ERA in ‘26, while Palmquist really struggled in the majors in ‘25 posting an 8.91 ERA and 0-4 record in seven starts.

2025 top picks Griffin Hugus and Brian Walters have yet to make their spring training debuts in the Mariners and Phillies organizations, respectively. Both players will be in the minor leagues in 2026.

The Atlanta Braves continued to trim down the roster on Friday, with John Gil and Tayler Scott being the next victims. After these two were reassigned to minor league camp, the Atlanta roster stands at 47.

Infielder Gil appeared in 17 games this spring, where he hit .158. He spent most of his time at shortstop, and in 21 frames, he committed two errors. 

As for Scott, the right-hander saw just four innings of action. He recorded two strikeouts and did not surrender a run. 

More Braves News:

The pitching was strong and the bats came to life in Friday’s 7-6 win over the New York Yankees. 

Our 2026 positional preview series continues with the relief pitchers. 

MLB News:

The Texas Rangers have signed left-hander Jalen Beeks to a one-year deal. The contract guarantees him $1.6M.

River Ryan is scheduled to pitch one of the Dodgers’ split squad games on Sunday, getting the home game at Camelback Ranch against the Texas Rangers. The right-hander who had Tommy John surgery in August 2024 and missed all of 2025, is now vying for a spot in the Dodgers’ rotation, or at least a spot on the opening day roster in some role.

Ryan to date has just four major league starts under his belt, and still qualifies as a prospect heading into this season. He was rated the 55th-best prospect in baseball by Keith Law at The Athletic, and on deeper lists Ryan was ranked 107th at FanGraphs and 125th at ESPN.

He’s also having a solid spring training, with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, with a solo home run his only hit given up so far in Cactus League play.

Ryan was listed in two different articles this week about strong performances this spring, including by J.J. Cooper at Baseball America:

Back from Tommy John surgery, Ryan needed one spring training outing to dial in the strike zone, as in his first appearance against Arizona he landed strikes with only 42% of his pitches. But he showed no control problems in his next two outings, and he’s sitting 96-98 mph with a swing-and-miss 90-91 mph slider. That slider has generated eight whiffs in 14 swings.

Kiley McDaniel at ESPN selected a potential 2026 breakout player for each MLB team, and Ryan was his choice for the Dodgers.

“Ryan has looked excellent in the early going in Arizona after not pitching since 2024,” McDaniel wrote. “He has the components to start but his deep arsenal of plus stuff can work in any role.“

Links

Major League Baseball this week released a report about Game 7 of the World Series regarding Miguel Rojas throwing out Isiah Kiner-Falefa at home plate in the ninth inning, that the play was not as close as it originally seemed From Ben Walker at The Associated Press:

“After reviewing all relevant angles, the replay official definitively determined the catcher’s foot was touching the plate when the ball contacted the interior of his mitt,” read the official report by MLB, which recently provided it to The Associated Press.

Mark Simon wrote about the Dodgers team defense at Sports Info Solutions: “The one thing that could go against them is age, with Betts, Muncy, Freeman, Rojas, and Hernandez all being 33 or older and on the downside of the aging curve. If it came apart for all of those players at once, the Dodgers could be in trouble.”

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The MLB regular season is less than two weeks away, and teams and players across the league are just about geared up and ready, whether they’re fine-tuning in Arizona or Florida or letting it fly in the World Baseball Classic. Thanks to the WBC, relevant baseball is already here, and not a week after the tournament concludes will we have Opening Night between the Yankees and Giants to greet us.

With the season about to kick off, we asked Yankees fans who they thought was the Yankees’ primary foe entering the year:

Unsurprisingly, the reigning AL champs won this poll in a landslide. The Blue Jays tied with the Yankees for the most wins in the American League last season before handling the Bombers in the ALDS en route to the pennant. Though they fell just short in the World Series, Toronto moved aggressively in the offseason to bolster their chances at a repeat run through the AL, landing Dylan Cease on a seven-year deal, while also adding NPB star Kazuma Okamoto and pitchers Cody Ponce and Tyler Rogers. To wit, most projections have the Yankees and the Blue Jays neck-and-neck at the top of the AL East.

The Red Sox come in second here above the Mariners, in part perhaps because Boston is obviously a direct (and hated) division rival, while Seattle feels like a far-off threat. But the Mariners, in the grand scheme of things, might be strongest AL team the Yankees have to deal with this year. Those projections that have the Yankees and Jays locked at the top of the AL East? They also have the Mariners projected to lead the AL in wins. The M’s didn’t have a super flashy offseason, but made a couple solid moves to augment a roster that came achingly close to the pennant last year, re-signing Josh Naylor and then adding Brendan Donovan in a trade with the Cardinals. If Seattle’s typically strong rotation bounces back from an iffy 2025, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Now, on to the cellar of the Junior Circuit:

This is Chicago’s crown to lose, though the Angels are pushing them in the race to the bottom. The White Sox “rebounded” from their historically poor 2024, looking more like a normal, terrible team rather than a mind-bendingly bad one. A few young talents, like Kyle Teel, Colson Montgomery, and Shane Smith provided bright spots, though unfortunately Teel is already down after injuring his hamstring in the World Baseball Classic. The White Sox also added Munetaka Murakami to the mix, the kind of risky but high-upside play that it feels like the Pale Hose should be making.

If you squint, it’s possible to see the White Sox rebuild moving in a positive direction. The Angels, though, seem stuck in purgatory, aimlessly wandering through the desert. Their roster is close to barren beyond Zack Neto, Yusei Kikuchi, and the still-fighting Mike Trout, and their farm system looks unlikely to provide much help any time soon. Dark times indeed in Anaheim.

These next two are MLB-wide polls:

PED’s are unfortunately in the headlines right now, with Jurickson Profar getting suspended for the entire 2026 season after a second positive test, while Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas received an 80-game suspension after his first positive test. Profar has fully torpedoed what was once a great story, one of a former top prospect finally making good after a decade-long journey through the majors. Instead, he will likely always be remembered for his two PED suspensions.

Less than half of fans feel that PED’s aren’t a major problem, and it’s easy to argue that recency bias is suppressing that number bit. As disappointing as it was to see two big leaguers popped in the span of a week, from 2023 to 2025, just five players were suspended under the league’s doping policy. Unless MLB is simply failing at detecting juicers, there just haven’t been many guys turning to PED’s in recent years, with the exception of the couple of cases that just came down.

Fans are rather split on whether the league’s current punishments are harsh enough. Currently, a first positive test nets an 80-game suspension, a second yields a season-long suspension, and a third leads to a lifetime ban. These punishments, which have been in effect for 12 years now, are notably harsher than previous PED policies, which had much shorter suspensions for first- and second-time offenders. That those harsher policies have coincided with a pretty low number of positive tests would suggest that players are being sufficiently deterred from turning to drugs, but it stands to reason that unless the league adopts a literal zero-tolerance policy, some fans will be left feeling that the rules aren’t stringent enough.

These survey results are sponsored by FanDuel.

Good morning, baseball fans!

The San Francisco Giants will be at home for the two games this weekend.

First up, they will play the Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:05 p.m. PDT on Saturday, which will have broadcasts on NBC Sports Bay Area for local fans and MLB Network for out-of-market fans. Radio coverage will be available on KNBR.

Sunday, they will play the Milwaukee Brewers at 1:05 p.m. and this game will have radio coverage available on KNBR.

While we wait, I thought we’d watch another fun video from the Giants social media team. Earlier this week, I shared a video from their YouTube channel of Ron Washington running first base drills with Jerar Encarnación. They recently put out another in that same series, with Washington working with Luis Arraez. So I thought we could watch that this morning.

Grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!

More than 750 players have appeared in a Rockies game — but only about 200 have ever started on Opening Day. 

As spring training is in full swing and Opening Day is approaching quickly (seriously… how is it March 14th already?!), there are still plenty of roster battles playing out. The Colorado Rockies will open the season in Miami on March 27, and the lineup is undecided to say the least. 

With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to look back over previous Opening Day lineups in Rockies history. And I’m glad I did. 

This exercise won’t suddenly explain how the Rockies can become competitive, but it does reveal some interesting — and occasionally funny — takeaways. 

Roster Churn

Turnover from year to year is very real. According to Baseball-Reference Opening Day lineup records, not once since 1993 have the Rockies opened a season with the same lineup as the year before. Given injuries, roster churn, and offseason changes, that result isn’t surprising. 

The most consistent stretch came from 2016 through 2018, when seven starters carried over year to year, including Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story, Gerardo Parra, Charlie Blackmon, and Carlos González. Not coincidentally, that stability helped produce back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018. 

Jon Gray started Opening Day in both 2017 and 2018, providing rare stability on the pitching side as well. 

The Stable Positions

First base, shortstop, and right field have historically been the most stable spots in the Rockies’ Opening Day lineup. 

Todd Helton is the model of consistency, having started at first base in a club-record 16 consecutive Opening Day lineups. Few players in franchise history have come close to that level of stability, and Helton’s mark feels safe for the foreseeable future. 

Shortstop was anchored for 15 seasons by Troy Tulowitzki and Trevor Story. Tulowitzki started nine Opening Days at the position, with Story adding six more. 

Right field also saw extended stability. Hall of Famer Larry Walker started seven Opening Days there while Brad Hawpe and Charlie Blackmon each started five. 

Blackmon ranks second in franchise history in Opening Day starts, and his appearances came at multiple positions — center field (5), right field (5), and DH (1). 

Left field, meanwhile, has been anything but stable. If Jake McCarthy gets the nod this year, he would become the eighth different Opening Day left fielder in the past eight seasons, making LF arguably the Rockies’ most inconsistent position over the past decade. 

On the Mound 

The franchise leader in Opening Day starts is Kyle Freeland. The Denver native has made four Opening Day starts and appears likely to make his fifth this season. 

Germán Márquez is next with three starts. Others include familiar names like Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Jennings, and Aaron Cook — along with surprises like Kyle Kendrick, Kip Wells, and Joe Kennedy. 

Opening Day Oddities 

There are also some strange historical oddities buried in these lineups. 

After trading Nolan Arenado, who had started seven consecutive Opening Days, the Rockies replaced him at third base for Opening Day 2021 with… his cousin, Josh Fuentes. 

It was the first Opening Day after the trade, and the family connection made for one of the stranger trivia notes in franchise history. 

Kris Bryant’s lack of availability has been unfortunate. Seeing him on the field in a Rockies uniform sometimes feels about as rare as spotting a puffin, yet he has somehow appeared in the last four Opening Day lineups — starting at left field, right field, first base, and DH.

Another fun tidbit involves Chris Iannetta, who holds the franchise record for Opening Day starts at catcher with six. Those starts came across two separate stints with the Rockies. 

Iannetta made his fourth Opening Day start with Colorado on April 1, 2011, then didn’t make another until March 29, 2018 — a seven-year gap between Opening Day starts with the same franchise. 

To me, the strangest Opening Day lineups came in 2004 and 2005. Those were years when the Rockies were cycling through veterans, short-term roster fixes, and rebuilding pieces before the club eventually turned the corner toward the 2007 pennant. 

Those lineups featured names like Kit Pellow, JD Closser, Jeromy Burnitz, Dustan Mohr, and Shawn Estes — a group that reads today like a particularly deep baseball trivia question. 

Looking ahead

Looking ahead to 2026, several players are hoping to make their first Opening Day lineup, while a few newcomers are vying for their first Opening Day start with the Rockies. 

Some names to watch include TJ Rumfield, Charlie Condon (No. 1 PuRP), Zac Veen (No. 9 PuRP), and Kyle Karros. Will this be the start of a new streak? 

There are also a few current players quietly building streaks. 

Ezequiel Tovar is likely to make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start, while Brenton Doyle could make his third. Hunter Goodman and Jordan Beck are both looking for their second. 

Whether the 2026 lineup ends up memorable or forgettable, Rockies history suggests one thing is almost guaranteed: It won’t look the same next year. 

Signs Point to Chase Dollander Boosting the Rockies’ Rotation in 2026 | SI.com  

Dominic Minchella highlights why the Rockies are hopeful that Chase Dollander could become a key piece of the team’s future rotation. The article acknowledges Dollander hasn’t yet found consistent success in the majors and that Coors Field presents a uniquely difficult environment for young pitchers. Still, learning how to pitch effectively at Coors is part of the challenge— and part of what could define Dollander’s development this season. 

Beck zoned in on keeping moving forward | MLB.com 

In this article from MLB.com, Thomas Harding looks at Jordan Beck’s continued development as he tries to take another step forward. The piece notes that Beck reached the majors after a relatively short time in the minor leagues, which means he’s still learning and adjusting at the big-league level. If that growth continues, the Rockies believe Beck has the tools to become an important piece of their outfield. 

20th & Blake: Handicapping the Colorado Rockies’ first-base battle | milehighsports.com 

In this 18-and-a-half-minute video from Mile High Sports, Drew Creasman breaks down the Rockies’ unsettled first base battle as spring training winds down. He looks at several candidates — including T.J. Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Charlie Condon — and weighs their chances of claiming the job. 

Good morning Birdland,

MLB’s regular season is inching ever closer. The World Baseball Classic will wrap up in just a few days. The Grapefruit League enters its final week. And the Orioles have named an Opening Day starter.

Team USA is still alive in the WBC, although the road has not been as easy as they probably expected it to be. They had to sweat out the final game of Pool play in order to squeak into the quarterfinals. That set the stage for a matchup with Canada on Friday night. That was a game they ultimately won 5-3, and now they will face a very impressive Dominican Republic squad on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. Even if you aren’t a WBC fan overall, that is a game worth checking out. Will USA skipper Mark DeRosa come to his senses and put Gunnar Henderson (5-for-10, home run) in the lineup ahead of Alex Bregman (2-for-11, five walks)? Don’t count on it.

One week from today, the Orioles will play their final game in Florida. After that, they are due to head north for a home-and-home pair of exhibition games with the nearby Nationals. Those will be the last tune ups before Opening Day on March 26. It’s practically right around the corner!

And we now know who will be pitching for the Orioles on March 26. The team announced on Friday that Trevor Rogers will take the hill as the unofficial “ace” of the staff. On one hand, it’s no surprise to give a veteran coming off of a Cy Young-contending season the Opening Day start. But on the other, Kyle Bradish is far more established within Baltimore, and still felt like the favorite to a degree coming into camp. Instead it looks like he will get to work in Game 2 of the year.

In the meantime, there is still plenty of baseball to watch. In the WBC, Puerto Rico and Italy will play at 3 p.m. ET, while Venezuela and Japan meet up at 9 p.m. ET. The Orioles will head to Bradenton for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch against the Pirates. Rogers will be on the bump.

Links

Gunnar Henderson, underrated? WBC treatment is puzzling for Orioles star | The Capital Gazette
Bregman is still a good player, but he is years past his prime. Meanwhile, Henderson might still be ascending. There is no question about who is the better player right now. The only arguments for Bregman being in the lineup is that he has more experience, has won big tournaments (World Series), and he plays third base everyday. And I will say that those are not without merit. Would I still pick Henderson? Yes, but I am openly biased.

How the Orioles built a potentially special draft class of pitchers in 2023 | The Baltimore Banner
The Mike Elias era of Orioles baseball is not without its pitching success stories. Bradish was plucked from the Angels when many saw him as a relief pitcher long term. Rogers has found a new level in Baltimore. Dean Kremer has been far more productive than many expected when he was a prospect. But the team has not really built a player from draft pick up to impact big leaguer yet. Maybe that changes soon.

Trying to learn more about Albernaz’s leadoff plans, Jackson on playing second base, teammates happy about Rogers’ Opening Day start | Roch Kubatko
The lead off consideration is interesting. The team probably still wants Jackson Holliday to be that guy at some point, but he’s hurt and still needs to prove some things at the big league level. Given the current state of the team, I would probably go with Henderson. It feels like a waste for his power potential, but he does so many things well on offense. For me, he is the best choice to set the table ahead of Taylor Ward and Pete Alonso.

After dominant ’25, Rogers named O’s Opening Day starter for ’26 | Orioles.com
Here’s more on Rogers being named the Opening Day starter. It’s a nice honor, and you can’t really argue against him deserving it.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Josh Stinson turns 38 today. He pitched in 19 games for the Orioles between 2013 and ‘14.
• Randor Bierd is 42 years old. The righty’s only MLB experience came in 2008, when he spent half the season in the Orioles bullpen.
• Kevin Brown (the pitcher) is 61. His lone season in Baltimore was a good one. In 1995, he had a 3.60 ERA over 172.1 innings and accumulated 3.60 bWAR.

This day in O’s history

March 14 has been a slow day in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. So instead, here are a few happenings from beyond Birdland:

1794 – Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin.

1900 – The Gold Standard Act is ratified, placing the United States currency on the gold standard.

1942 – Anne Miller becomes the first American patient to be treated with penicillin, under the care of Orvan Hess and John Bumstead.

1995 – Norman Thagard becomes the first American astronaut to ride to space on board a Russian launch vehicle.

Cubs lose, 4-2 in the battle of Martins. A war of the worlds, if you would.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Patrick Filbin (Block Club Chicago*): Cubs want hundreds of new parking spaces near Wrigley Field. “… residents fear the expansion will bring more gridlock on game days.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): The Chicago Cubs are worth a lot more than last year. “… it remains a very good time to own a marquee sports franchise.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): ‘Looks like Justin’: Steele faces live hitters as key step in recovery. “… Steele took the mound at Chicago’s spring home and faced hitters for the first time in 11 months.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ Matt Shaw adds first base to list of positions he has played this spring. Manager Craig Counsell said Shaw’s first taste of first base “couldn’t have gone any better.”
• Cory Sparks (North Side Baseball*): Cubs Prospect Brett Bateman might be closer to the Big Leagues than you think. “… Bateman currently has 233 minor-league contests under his belt across four different levels.”

Food For Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.