Mets superstar Juan Soto will indeed suit up for Team Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Juan Soto is BACK for Team Dominican Republic!

Soto hit a pair of home runs in the 2023 #WorldBaseballClassic 🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/w9kzX4Bcmv

— MLB (@MLB) February 1, 2026

Soto previously appeared in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and was one of the top hitters in the entire tournament.

In four WBC games in 2023, Soto led all players with a ridiculous 1.500 OPS, recording six hits in 15 at-bats, including two home runs, three doubles, and three RBI. In classic Soto style, he also walked three times.

Soto is coming of a debut season in Queens in which he finished third in MVP voting, posting a .921 OPS with 43 home runs, 105 RBI, 127 walks, and 38 stolen bases.

Along with Soto playing for Team Dominican Republic, fellow Mets Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes are set to pitch for Team USA.

Francisco Lindor, meanwhile, will not suit up for team Puerto Rico after undergoing a recent cleanup procedure in his right elbow.

The 2026 World Baseball Classic will run March 5 through March 17.

Dodgers FanFest 2026 is an annual reminder for fans that baseball is right around the corner. However, on Saturday at Chavez Ravine, the loudest presence was an absence. 

Clayton Kershaw wasn’t there.

For the first time since he was a wide-eyed 19-year-old draft pick, the Dodgers gathered without the man who had been their north star for nearly two decades. Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, former National League MVP, 11-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion, retired at the end of the 2025 season. 

In two weeks, that reality will sharpen.

When this current Dodgers squad report to Camelback Ranch for spring training, they’ll walk into a clubhouse that has never existed for them before. There will be no locker with No. 22 hanging above it. No early-morning sprints before a start. No laughter as he sings in the weight room, no more Kershaw Days at Dodger Stadium. 

“Obviously, we’re going to miss Clayton,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s a different ball club without him. When we get to spring training and Camelback and not seeing his locker where it’s been for 18 years is going to be different.”

Kershaw spent all 18 seasons with the Dodgers, a rarity in modern sports and a point of pride for an organization that watched him compile a 222-96 record, a Live Ball Era-best 2.54 ERA, 15 shutouts, and 3,000 strikeouts. He leaves second on the franchise wins list, just 11 behind Don Sutton, tied with Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most seasons ever played  in Dodger blue. A first-ballot Hall of Famer in waiting, even if Cooperstown won’t say it out loud yet.

“It’s going to be really weird not seeing him in there,” Mookie Betts said. “I also want him to enjoy his retirement. It’s a new chapter in life, and something that he’s not going to be used to. I really want him to enjoy it, but I really want him to come see the boys as well.”

Freddie Freeman smiled, then paused, the memory still fresh in his mind. “I just saw my walk-off home run [in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series] and they showed Kersh running onto the field like a 5-year-old looking for candy,” Freeman said. “Everyone talks about Kershaw the Hall of Fame pitcher, what he meant to this organization, but the day-in-and-day-out inside the clubhouse, the joy he brings, him singing at the top of his lungs shirtless in the weight room — those are the things I’ll miss more. It’s weird seeing Dodgers legends no longer walking around the clubhouse anymore.”

Will Smith put it more quietly. “I’m going to miss his presence each and every day,” he said. “He keeps the mood light, but also is intense with everything he does. His legacy is going to carry on in the clubhouse.”

Kershaw once joked he was on the “no-plan, plan.” That didn’t last.

Team USA in the World Baseball Classic awaits, as does a new role on NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball. He’ll be around, Betts joked, hopefully not too critical of his former team.

Still, when spring arrives in Arizona, the silence will land first. The Dodgers will move forward. They always do.

They’ll just do it without Kershaw standing there, reminding everyone what it meant to wear the uniform.

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Spring Training hasn't even started, and the Chicago White Sox have already taken their first L of 2026.

The Southsiders' social media account rung in the first day of Black History Month on Sunday with a timeline looking back "upon momentous firsts for the White Sox organization." Some of the more notable moments included Comiskey Park hosting the first Negro Leagues All-Star Game in 1933, Al Smith becoming the organization's first Black All-Star in 1960 and current manager Will Venable becoming the third Black White Sox manager in team history and one of two active Black managers in 2024.

MLB offseason grades: Dodgers get top marks, plenty of Fs to go around

Top remaining MLB free agents: 31 best still available

But there was one glaring omission.

Frank Thomas, the club's all-time leader in home runs (448), RBIs (1,465), runs scored (1,327), doubles (447), walks (1,466), on-base percentage (.427), slugging percentage (.568), and total bases (3,949), was absent aside from a brief mention under Dick Allen's MVP section. None of his franchise records, five All-Star appearances, four Silver Sluggers, AL batting title — or his streak of seven consecutive seasons with at least a .300 average, 100 RBIs, 100 runs scored, 100 walks and 20 home runs from 1991-1997 — were in the post.

And the Big Hurt himself noticed.

I Guess the black player who made you rich over there and holds all your records is forgettable! Don’t worry I’m taking Receipts!

— Frank Thomas (@TheBigHurt_35) February 1, 2026

"I Guess the black player who made you rich over there and holds all your records is forgettable!" he said in a reply to the post. "Don’t worry I’m taking Receipts!"

Thomas' tweet ratioed the White Sox with over 2,000 likes and 218 retweets compared to 264 likes and 88 retweets on the original post as of 2:00 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Frank Thomas reacts to being left off White Sox Black History Month post

Near the end of the Dodgers’ annual Fanfest event on Saturday afternoon, a sudden buzz arose in the crowd.

Over the Dodger Stadium speakers, fans heard the familiar sounds of a high-pitched trumpet. They started clapping to the beat of what will soon become a common ballpark tune.

Edwin Díaz, the team’s new closer and $69 million free-agent signing this winter, wasn’t personally in attendance. But on the unofficial start day of a new and highly anticipated 2026 season, his Timmy Trumpet entrance song was already whipping Chavez Ravine into a frenzy.

It was a reminder of how, even for a franchise with back-to-back World Series titles, another big winter spending spree has re-energized the club.

Much like their team’s fans, Dodgers players have watched in amazement at the way the organization has continued stockpiling talent over the last several offseasons.

Such moves helped build this current Dodger dynasty, netting everyone from Shohei Ohtani to Yoshinobu Yamamoto to Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. They have also turned the Dodgers into villains, with their $400 million payroll becoming the bane of the rest of the sport.

Inside the clubhouse, however, this winter’s newest additions –– namely, Díaz and $240 million outfielder Kyle Tucker –– have served another purpose ahead of the team’s three-peat bid.

Dodgers players didn’t exactly need more motivation, or a reminder of the opportunity in front of them.

But seeing more big names walk through the door, “it injects energy into us,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “To go out and keep getting the best players year in and year out, even when you’re winning the World Series, it’s refreshing. It just really shows you that our organization, our front office, our ownership group wants to win every single year. To be a part of that, it’s special.”

This has become something of an annual dynamic for the Dodgers in recent years.

Each season, they are saddled with lofty expectations. Anything short of another World Series has long been seen as a failure. That kind of environment presents an ever-present pressure, and the threat of mental fatigue over the slog of a long regular season.

The infusion of new blood, however, has come to provide an important internal reset.

“It’s huge in the sense that you’re getting the talent,” manager Dave Roberts said of this winter’s signings of Díaz and Tucker. “But the other part is, you’re getting a couple guys that haven’t won a championship (with us) … Having guys that haven’t had that feeling, that taste, infused with a lot of the guys that we already have here, I think that’s great.”

Third baseman Max Muncy, now the longest-tenured player in the organization following Clayton Kershaw’s retirement this offseason, was speaking to reporters Saturday when Díaz’s entrance song made its Chavez Ravine debut.

He said adding players of that caliber is a reminder to the rest of the roster.

“It always sends a message to the players: We’re here to win,” he explained. “It’s not, ‘Oh, we won one. We’re good now.’ It’s, ‘We want to keep winning.’ And for us as players, when we see that, you have to understand and know that we can’t just take this year off because we won last year. We have to keep going and get better.”

Veteran infielder Miguel Rojas echoed that sentiment, describing the “sense of urgency” such moves create for a new campaign, especially after a long October run and short offseason of recuperation.

“It’s going to push ourselves,” he said. “Older players need to continue to get better. Younger players need to earn their spot. And I think that’s going to be a good competition, a good vibe and a good atmosphere in the clubhouse.” 

The Dodgers wouldn’t be in such a position, of course, had it not been for their biggest recent signing of all in Ohtani, whose heavily deferred contract structure and revenue-driving celebrity status have enabled much of the club’s recent spending.

“When I signed with the Dodgers, I had conversations with (owner) Mark Walter and (president of baseball operations) Andrew Friedman, in terms of making sure we would be in position to continue to add players,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “I’m sure from a fan’s perspective, they’re ecstatic to see something like this.”

And on Saturday, it was clear that feeling was reverberating among his teammates, as well, setting the tone for a 2026 season in which the Dodgers will be pursuing history, and re-energized by the new pieces they’ve enlisted to help accomplish it.

“It’s why everyone wants to be a Dodger,” Muncy said. “They see that it’s just all about winning. It’s never about, ‘Oh, we’re good.’”

*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.

Well he finally got his spot on our annual list. Outfielder Henry Bolte comes in as the obvious pick for the sixth-best prospect in the A’s system. The righty-swinging Bolte had a great all-around year this past season, demolishing Double-A pitching before a brief promotion to Triple-A. He faced some challenges at that next level but still held his own as a relatively young player against better pitching. While he may need another couple of months with the Aviators the speedy outfielder could be a legitimate option for the Athletics in the outfield this summer and looks like a potential contributor when the A’s open their new stadium.

The next nominee was a close vote but corner infielder Tommy White just eked out the win this time around. The former second-round pick has a strong right-handed bat but there are major questions about his ability to remain at the hot corner. With Nick Kurtz sticking around for the next few years at first base and Brent Rooker locked in as the DH White is going to need to show improvement at third base if he wants to get to the big leagues with the A’s.

The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:

• Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
• In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
• If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.

Click on the link here to vote!

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A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

1. Leo De Vries
2. Jamie Arnold
3. Gage Jump
4. Wei-En Lin
5. Braden Nett
6. Henry Bolte

The voting continues! Which A’s prospect do the fans believe is the #7 player in the system? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.

Nominees on the current ballot:

Tommy White, 3B

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 22

2025 stats (A+/AA): 395 PA, .275/.334/.439, 23 doubles, 0 triples, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 29 BB, 54 K, 3 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45

White’s right-handed power is legitimate and he can hit the ball a long way to all fields thanks to his strength and bat speed. He might be known for his home run totals but he’s a better overall hitter than people think, finding the barrel consistently and limiting strikeouts. His knack for contact can lead to him expanding his strike zone, but he doesn’t swing and miss very often.

It will be White’s bat that carries him to the big leagues. He’s a well-below-average runner who likely lacks the range and tools to stick at third base, where he toiled as a sophomore and junior, earning praise for playing through a shoulder injury at LSU in 2023. He’s likely headed to first base long term, which could give the A’s a glut of serious offensive talent between him and first-rounder Nick Kurtz.

Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP

Expected level: Low-A | Age: 19

2025 stats (Rookie Affiliate): 188 PA, .258/.399/.384, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 36 BB, 47 K, 4 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades (hitter): Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Scouting grades (pitcher): Fastball: 55 | Slider: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

At the plate, Morii features a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he clubbed 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning. Having only been pitching with regularity for less than two years, Morii’s arm is relatively fresh as he enters the organization.

Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see a possibility of moving to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. While scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan on giving him every opportunity to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already building over his impressive physical traits and desire to become one of the next great players out of Japan.

Johenssy Colome, SS

Expected level: Dominican Summer League | Age: 17

2025 stats: None

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 65 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 60

It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome has a tendency to get to that jumpy pop with frequency, consistently leveraging his swing well – so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion on which he saw an international prospect continually get to their launch point in such a manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, although he has been known to be a tad aggressive in the box as a means of getting to said power.

Something of an athletic marvel at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds at age 16, Colome is an agile athlete who shows a lot of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and strong arm led to a Manny Machado comparison being hung on him defensively. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may move off short as his frame fills out, but he’s a tremendously dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stick at the premium position.

Steven Echavarria, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 20

2025 stats (A+): 4.59 ERA, 25 starts (26 appearances), 104 IP, 88 K, 42 BB, 8 HR, 4.10 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

The A’s believe Echavarria’s stuff played better than the overall numbers might suggest. His fastball reached 98 mph and sat 95-96 with good ride up in the zone. The issue was struggling to command his arsenal when he would fall behind in counts. His mid-80s slider flashes plus, and his upper-80s changeup continues to improve. He also throws a two-seamer in the 92-93 mph range. He clearly dealt with some control issues, but the A’s are not at all sounding the alarm, instead patiently working with the teenager on adjustments.

Echavarria profiles as a starter for the long-term with his 6-foot-1 frame and sound delivery. Previously having shown an ability to consistently throw all of his offerings for strikes prior to the Draft, he will continue to work to rediscover that control in his second season of pro ball.

Edgar Montero, SS

Expected level: Low-A | Age: 19

2025 stats (DSL): 244 PA, .313/.484/.580, 14 doubles, 3 triples, 9 HR, 50 RBI, 60 BB, 54 K, 11 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

A switch-hitting shortstop, Montero has shown the ability to impact the ball from both sides of the plate, with his natural right-handed swing more direct to the ball, though his left-handed swing is more picturesque and he obviously gets more plate appearances from that side. He has the chance to hit for average and power, with a solid approach that has allowed him to walk more than he strikes out for much of the summer.

Last year, Montero was slower and less athletic, but attention to conditioning and nutrition has helped him get leaner and stronger. An average runner, Montero has the instincts and actions to stick at shortstop for a long time, with a solid and accurate arm. If his body gets bigger as he matures — he played all of 2025 at age 18 — he could move to the hot corner, but the A’s don’t see that in his future. What they are hoping for is that he comes to instructs this year and stays in the United States as one of the better prospects to come out of their Dominican academy in some time.

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