ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 5: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Drake Baldwin #30 after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Truist Park on June 5, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Once again, Monday was a reminder that many parts of the Braves offense have been on fire so far this Spring. Drake Baldwin had another outstanding showing in the Braves Spring Training Victory over the Rays. Ronald Acuna Jr. was a big reason as to why team Venezuela will be facing Team USA in the WBC Finals. This could potentially be the first two hitters in the Braves lineup, but regardless of where they hit, could also be two of the biggest reasons the Braves find their way back to winning at the level they want.
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)
On this day 51 years ago, Cy Acosta’s extraordinary White Sox career came to an end. | Topps
1901 The White Sox (and their American League counterparts), busy raiding National League teams to bolster talent for their first season in the majors, suffered a rare setback by losing their player-manager, second baseman Dick Padden. Padden cut against the trend lines and joined the NL’s St. Louis Cardinals, making him one of a handful of players whose only White Sox experience came in 1900, the one season in team history when the club was in the minor leagues.
Of course, it’s like Padden had seen the writing on the wall, as Clark Griffith had jumped from the NL to the AL to become the White Sox pitching ace and manager.
1903 The White Sox left for what would become a disastrous Spring Training in New Orleans. Two straight weeks of rain would permit just two games to be played. The club would break for home early, yet still encounter some rain on the way back north.
1910 Construction begins at 35th & Shields on the stadium that would eventually be called Comiskey Park. Architect Zachary Taylor Davis laid a lucky green foundation brick to set off the festivities.
The ballpark would be completed by late June, and officially open on July 1 with a 2-0 loss to the St. Louis Browns.
Think about that one: a new, steel stadium in a little more than three-and-a-half months!
1923 Appropriate for an Irishman, White Sox slugger Pat Seerey is born on St. Patrick’s Day in Wilburton, Okla. The 5´10´´, 200-pound slugger was dubbed “Fat Pat” and served as a precursor to a three-outcomes players like Rob Deer or even Adam Dunn.
Though his seven-year career was largely undistinguished, Seerey had a memorable four-homer game for the White Sox on July 18, 1948, just six weeks after being acquired from Cleveland. Seerey became just the fifth player in major league history to accomplish the feat. He finished the 1948 season with 18 homers for the White Sox in 95 games, but would see action in just four more MLB games after that.
1975 Reliever Cy Acosta was sold to the Phillies. He would appear in just six games for Philadelphia, in what would end up as his final season in the big leagues.
That said, Acosta had authored a breathtakingly-good season for the White Sox in 1973, his sole full, healthy season in the majors. Over 48 games, Acosta threw 97 innings and held batters to 66 hits. The native of Mexico had 18 saves and 10 wins, all adding up to 4.1 WAR — tied for the seventh-best reliever season in White Sox history.
Acosta returned to the Mexican League in 1976, and he remained active there (as a starting pitcher) as late as 1984, his age-37 season.
2012 Carlos Quentin receives his MRI results for a knee injury and will undergo surgery. The good news? This injury, for once, does not affect the White Sox, as Quentin had been traded on New Year’s Eve to the San Diego Padres. The deal, a modern-day salary dump, as the White Sox dealt the defensively-limited and oft-injured slugger for two pitchers who would end up only appearing in five total games for the White Sox.
Quentin would recover well enough to produce 1.6 WAR in half a season, and then put up 2.1 WAR for the Padres in 2013. But from there, his career was toast.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - FEBRUARY 19: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays poses for a photo during the Tampa Bay Rays photo day at Charlotte Sports Park on Thursday, February 19, 2026 in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Opening Day is right around the corner the Tampa Bay Rays starting rotation plans have been made official.
We already knew that Drew Rasmussen had been selected as the team’s Opening Day starter but we now know how the rest of the starting rotation will fill out.
Here is the Rays plan every five days
Drew Rasmussen
Nick Martinez
Steven Matz
Ryan Pepiot
Shane McClanahan
Drew Rasmussen will serve as the team’s ace while newcomers Nick Martinez and Steven Matz file in behind him. Ryan Pepiot will be counted upon to be a workhorse in the rotation early on in the season as both Steven Matz and Shane McClanahan will have their innings limited with Matz transitioning back into a starters role and McClanahan returing from injury.
With the way the schedule works out, this line up Shane McClanahan to be the starting pitcher when the Rays make their highly anticipated return to Tropicana Field on April 6th when they’ll take on the Chicago Cubs. It will be McClanahan’s first time pitching at Tropicana Field since July 22nd, 2023; only three players to suit up for the Rays that day remain with the team, Yandy Diaz, Kevin Kelly, and McClanahan.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 10: Nolan McLean #26 of Team United States warms up before a World Baseball Classic Pool B game between Italy and the United States at Daikin Park on March 10, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
The Mets fell to the Nationals 12-6 as Washington erupted for six runs in the ninth to break a 6-6 tie. David Peterson allowed four runs in his four innings of work, while Christian Scott took the loss after allowing three earned runs in three-plus innings. Carson Benge went 2-for-2, Ronny Mauricio went 2-for-4, and Francisco Alvarez went 1-for-3, while Mark Vientos struggled, taking an 0-for in his four at-bats.
Huascar Brazoban returned from the WBC and will be part of the team’s bullpen on Opening Day so long as he remains healthy to close out the spring.
Tim Britton made the case for Benge to start on Opening Day in the latest edition of “This Week in Mets”.
Britton and Will Sammon shared some notes on the final spot in the team’s bullpen, their fascination with the cutter, and more.
As Benge competes for a spot on the team, his goal is to help the team win any way that he can.
Nolan McLean will start tonight’s championship game for Team USA, and he confidently exclaimed, ‘I’m built for this’ as he looks to fulfill his patriotic duty and delivery a win for Team USA.
All signs point to McLean being ready for his big moment on the big stage tonight.
Carlos Mendoza has mixed feelings about McLean starting tonight’s WBC final.
Needless to say, Juan Soto was not happy with how the WBC ended for the Dominican Republic.
Vientos struggled again last night, but Mendoza had a simple message for him: “You’re on the team. You’re not trying to make a team here.”
Phillies’ outfielder Johan Rojas tested positive for Boldenone, resulting in an 80-game suspension. He became the third player from Philadelphia’s 2025 roster to receive a suspension for performance enhancing drugs.
Braves’ star Ronald Acuña Jr. is making up for a lost World Series with this year’s World Baseball Classic participation.
Christina De Nicola discussed who might grab the final spots on the Marlins’ roster ahead of Opening Day.
Around Major League Baseball
Venezuela put up a three-spot in the seventh inning to rally past Italy and advance to the WBC final against the United States.
Amid the turmoil back home, Team Venezuela is savoring their WBC moment.
Eduardo Rodriguez will start for Venezuela in tonight’s game.
USA’s stars are finding criticism of their play in the 2026 WBC ‘hilarious’.
David Bednar is likely unavailable to pitch tonight for Team USA, but Mason Miller may be an option out of the pen out of closing the team’s semifinal win against the Dominican Republic.
David “Captain America” Wright hit a walk-off, two-run single to lift the United States over Puerto Rico in the WBC quarterfinals on this date in 2009.
PERTH, Australia (AP) — Sam Kerr broke a second half deadlock and Australia edged defending champion China 2-1 for a spot in the Women’s Asian Cup final on Tuesday.
The veteran Chelsea forward started the attacking movement on halfway and finished it off with a left-foot shot from a tight angle in the 58th minute, the decisive moment of a semifinal that was tied 1-1 at halftime.
The Australians will play the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Japan and South Korea. Australia last won the continental championship in 2010.
Caitlin Foord gave the host the lead in the 17th when she finished off an attacking raid that started with Mary Fowler combining with Ellie Carpenter on the right. Carpenter crossed back into the area, where Fowler cut the ball back for Foord to fire.
China equalized in the 26th through Zhang Linyan from the penalty spot. Zhang won the penalty after she swooped on a defensive blunder and was felled in the area by goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.
All of the semifinalists qualified automatically for the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The losing quarterfinalists go into playoffs for two more guaranteed places in Brazil.
Iran’s exit
The two Iran players who remained in Australia on protection visas following their team's group-stage exit joined a practice session Monday with a professional club in Brisbane in their first publicly shared appearance since it emerged they were given asylum.
Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were pictured smiling and wearing the club’s training uniform as they posed alongside a women’s elite squad in photos posted to social media by the Brisbane Roar.
The baseball world is in the throes of the World Baseball Classic, with the final game Tuesday night featuring Team USA against. Will Smith is the only Dodger still playing in the WBC.
Samuri Japan was eliminated Saturday by Venezuela and as such, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani are back in Arizona. While neither is happy with how their WBC run ended, their eyes are now on getting the Dodgers that Three-Peat.
On Monday, Yamamoto was named the Opening Day starter. Eric Stephen covered that story here.
As for Ohtani, he did not pitch in the WBC, but he did throw bullpens. His most recent was a four-inning outing last Thursday. Since the assumption was that Samurai Japan was going to go all the way to the finals in the WBC, there wasn’t much of an expectation that Ohtani would pitch in Spring Training this year. Now, Ohtani will have time to take the mound at least once before the season starts.
Ohtani could pitch later this week in Arizona, or be kept until the Freeway Series starting on Sunday. Sonya Chen covers all the details for MLB.com.
Shohei expressed his regrets for what he referred to as his “shortcomings” in the WBC. As Chuck Schilken of the L.A. Times notes, one wonders what those shortcomings might be as Ohtani had a better WBC this year than he did when he was the MVP in 2023. Dodger fans hope that Ohtani continues to make up for those perceived flaws throughout the 2026 season.
The Ontario Tower Buzzers are the newest addition to the Dodgers family, starting their first season as the Dodgers’ Low-A farm club on April 2nd. While stating that the Tower Buzzers have hit the mark in every other facet of their digs, Jim Alexander of the OC Register posits that they have missed the spot on one area – having nothing named after Don Drysdale, who was so good at ‘buzzing the tower’ of opposing batters.
The Dodgers have signed an agreement with Uniqlo that will give them naming rights to the field at Dodger Stadium. For those of you who are also not cool like me, Uniqlo is a Japanese clothing company. Anthony Soloranzo covers more of the details of the deal here. I don’t know about you, but if the team is selling rights to iconic things like the field at Dodger Stadium, they can wear those beautiful blue spring training jerseys a couple games a year.
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Semyon Der-Arguchintsev delivered a moment that had hockey fans buzzing on Monday. During a shootout between Dynamo Moscow and Spartak Moscow at Megasport Sport Palace, the former Toronto Maple Leafs forward delivered a highlight-reel, jaw-dropping goal that sealed a thrilling victory for Dynamo.
Skating in with speed from center ice, the 25-year-old forward approached Spartak goaltender Artyom Zagidulin. What followed was pure audacity: Der-Arguchintsev feinted to his forehand, then in a flash, flipped the puck between his own legs while spinning, threading it past a sprawling Zagidulin into the top corner.
Born in Moscow and known for his slick hands and vision, he has thrived back home, tallying points consistently for Dynamo after stints with Traktor Chelyabinsk. In the 2025-26 season, he’s been a key contributor, with his shootout prowess adding to Dynamo’s depth. But for Toronto fans, this viral moment serves as a reminder of what might have been,a prospect who flashed promise but never fully cracked the NHL roster.
Der-Arguchintsev’s journey with the Maple Leafs began at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, where Toronto selected him in the third round, 76th overall. The pick was a nod to his junior success, and he quickly signed a three-year entry-level contract on September 22, 2018, after impressing at rookie camp. That first season, 2018-19, saw him dominate with the Peterborough Petes in the OHL, racking up 46 points in 62 games. He also dipped his toes into pro hockey with the Newfoundland Growlers, the Leafs’ ECHL affiliate at the time, notching two points in three regular-season games and contributing during their playoff run.
The following year, 2019-20, he elevated his game further with the Petes, amassing 75 points in 55 games before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season. He was Peterborough’s second-leading scorer behind current Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson (86 points in 36 games). Adapting to the disruptions, Der-Arguchintsev was loaned to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the KHL for 2020-21, gaining valuable experience abroad. He returned to North America briefly, suiting up for six games with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL and collecting four points. By 2021-22, he was a full-time Marlie, posting 32 points in 51 games as he honed his two-way play.
His breakthrough came in 2022-23, where he tallied 40 points in 50 AHL games with the Marlies. That performance earned him a call-up to the big club, and on December 6, 2022, Der-Arguchintsev made his NHL debut in a 4-0 shutout win over the Dallas Stars. Logging limited ice time and no points in that lone appearance, he was reassigned shortly after, a common fate for bubble prospects in Toronto’s stacked lineup.
As a pending restricted free agent after that season, Der-Arguchintsev opted to return to Russia, signing a two-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk on July 4, 2023. He later moved to Dynamo Moscow, where he’s continued to develop. Notably, the Leafs still retain his NHL rights, leaving the door ajar for a potential return if circumstances align.
After Saturday night’s defeat at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis said he was disappointed with the way his team managed risks in the game, but he also looked frustrated because that’s been a recurring issue this season. To use St-Louis’ own metaphor, who once likened himself to a dad for his players, a huge part of being a parent is repeating the same thing until the kid finally understands what you want them to do and why, and it’s what he’s going through right now.
On Tuesday night, the Canadiens will host the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre for one last time this season, and the stakes are as high as they could be. Montreal’s lead over the Bruins has melted to just one point. While most pundits thought the Massachusetts outfit would miss the playoffs this season, they’ve been having a very respectable season, and they even lead the season series 2-1. The Habs' sole win this season came in December, when they vanquished the Bruins 6-2, but Boston won the last time the two teams faced off, 4-3 in regulation.
Samuel Montembeault was in the net for the two defeats, while Jacob Fowler manned the net in the only win. The Canadiens have yet to confirm who will be on duty tonight, but it’s likely to be a choice between Fower and Jakub Dobes. Montembeault has faced the Bruins 13 times and has a 3-8-1 record with a 3.81 goals-against average and a .875 save percentage. Meanwhile, Dobes has never faced them, while Fowler won his only outing against the divisional rival, posting a .929 SV. The Tricolore will hold a morning skate at 10:30, and we should know then who St-Louis chose as his starter.
Jonas Korpisalo was in the net on Monday night when the Bruins took on the New Jersey Devils and lost 4-3 in the shootout, so Jeremy Swayman should be on duty, just like he was for the first three games against the two sides this season. He has a 11-2-1 record against the Habs with a 2.92 GAA and a .893 SV. As for backup, Korpisalo he’s 8-2-0 with a 2.49 GAA and a .916 SV when facing the Sainte Flanelle.
Up front, there are question marks about the Canadiens’ lineup. Brendan Gallagher was a healthy scratch on Saturday night, while Zach Bolduc got the chop on Sunday night, but Kirby Dach was hurt early in the game against the Ducks, and we have yet to get an update on his status. If he can’t play, Bolduc should draw back in. If Gallagher plays, he will be skating in his 900th game with the Canadiens. On the backend, Arber Xhekaj played well on Sunday but only had one shift in the third frame, and one has to wonder what that means for tonight.
Gallagher is historically the Canadiens’ most productive player against the archrivals with 30 points in 46 games, but he’s been held off the scoresheet in the three duels this season. Nick Suzuki is second with 18 points in just 21 meetings, while both Josh Anderson and Noah Dobson have 13 points in 23 games. The Bruins should definitely keep an eye on Lane Hutson, though. The blueliner has eight points in just six duels, and after having a couple of tough games, he will want to bounce back. Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky both have three-game point streaks going, and the Habs will need them to keep it up if they are to come out on top Tuesday night.
As for the Bruins, David Pastrnak has always been a thorn on the Canadiens’ side; he has 46 points in 35 games against Montreal, and he’s on a six-game point streak. Ellias Lindholm comes in second place with 25 points in 37 games, followed by blueliner Charlie McAvoy, who's on a seven-game point streak, with 19 points in 26 games.
Boston has a 5-3-2 record in its last 10 games but is still catching up to the Canadiens. The Habs are third in the Atlantic division with 82 points, just one point ahead of the Bruins. Meaning a win for the visitors would drop the Habs into a wild-card spot. The Canadiens also have a 5-3-2 record in their last 10 games, but have lost their last two. The Bruins have won seven of the last 10 matches between the divisional rivals and have outscored the Canadiens 40-32 in the process.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on RDS, TSN2, and NESN. Furman South and Wes McCauley are set to officiate, while Jesse Marquis and Brandon Grillo will be the linemen. The Canadiens will travel to Michigan on Wednesday, where they’ll take on the Detroit Red Wings in another crucial tilt on Thursday night.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Taylor Ward #3 of the Baltimore Orioles hits a home run during the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
My brain refuses to wrap itself around the fact of Taylor Ward being on the Orioles. I’m well aware that they traded for him since I wrote about that here on Camden Chat when it happened. It’s just not real yet. Spring training hasn’t done enough for the idea to sink in that the O’s have this guy – presumably an everyday corner outfielder – for the year.
Ward is coming off a 2025 season with the Angels where he socked a career-high 36 home runs. As we all remember quite well, the 2025 Orioles were lacking in home run threats in the lineup, with no one hitting more than 17 homers as an Oriole. Acquiring Ward was one part of Mike Elias’s plan to fix that. Maybe he’ll do something to make me happy to remember him as the season goes along.
Here’s how two of the big projection systems look at Ward for this season:
ZiPS (FanGraphs): .243/.328/.454 with 27 home runs, 2.7 WAR
PECOTA (Baseball Prospectus): .232/.317/.411 with 22 home runs, 2.4 WAR
We will all be hoping things turn out more like ZiPS for Ward than that PECOTA projection. If Ward hits only 22 home runs, not many people are going to fondly recall the trade, without even getting into what happens with Grayson Rodriguez in Los Angeles.
What do you expect from Ward this season? Do you think he’ll be bombing balls over Walltimore 2.0 for the year, or will he just be bombing his way out of the starting lineup?
Cade Horton looked damn good, throwing 10 Ks in five innings of work. The Cubs that were willing to ride the bus or unable not to did a good job, with Scott Kingery swatting a two-run homer and Matt Shaw making good contact. Brett Bateman made good contact as well, though his was against the center-field wall. Colin Rea also threw very well.
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RIP Tony Balsamo.
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SCOTTSDALE, AZ - MARCH 04: Ethan Holliday #18 of Team USA looks on during the 2026 World Baseball Classic exhibition game presented by Capital One between Team USA and Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP) made his debut with the Colorado Rockies big league club on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs at Salt River Fields. The shortstop – who was drafted fourth-overall in the 2025 MLB Draft – played six innings and went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts at the plate, but also made a spectacular diving stop to nab first baseman Carson Kelly right before being lifted (the clip below doesn’t do it justice, but alas).
“It was a blessing to be out there with those guys,” Holliday said after the game. “I look forward to things like this in the spring. I was super fortunate to be able to go out there, enjoy some baseball and get better. It was fun.”
Holliday, of course, is the son of Rockies legend Matt Holliday and has grown up around the game. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ready for MLB action quite yet. In 18 games with the Single-A Fresno Grizzlies in 2025, Holliday batted .239/.357/.380 with 14 runs scored, four doubles, two home runs and six RBI. He also walked 12 times (14.3%) and struck out 33 times (39.2%).
“You don’t really know how it feels until you experience it,” he said. “When you first get out there, the speed of the game gets on you a little bit, but take a deep breath and just remember you’re playing a game that you’ve always played, and it’s the same game you played back when you first started.”
He’s also taking camp one day at a time, “making adjustments, and [I] still have some time until the stats really matter.
“I’m just trying to improve my game every single day and trying to get my body healthy and get ready for it to be worked this season,” he continued. “And I’m just really trying to prepare for what’s ahead, but focus on the now and just try to improve every day.”
Holliday is in his first spring training, but it’s not his first experience with the Rockies – both from his dad’s time and his own short experience last summer after his draft. But he’s taking note of the new atmosphere surrounding camp.
“It’s been great [with] the new front office and a lot of new faces around here, even from when I was just here for the summer,” he said. “It’s been really cool to kind of get to know these people. And there’s a really cool buzz around this place right now, and it’s a super exciting time to be a Rockie and we’re in a really cool spot. So I’m super excited.”
In addition to his normal routines, Holliday has also been selected to represent the Rockies in the Spring Breakout game next weekend and was also selected to play for Team USA in their exhibition game against the Rockies on March 4.
“It was insane,” he said of the Team USA experience. “I walked out there and Clayton Kershaw was on the mound. You look around and you’ve got Hall of Famers all around you, and it’s an emotion you really aren’t ready for. But you get out there, and it was so much fun. I really enjoyed it, so it was a great experience.”
Even though he was surrounded by baseball giants, there was one player in particular he was excited to meet.
“Bryce Harper was pretty cool to meet,” Holliday said. “I’d heard a lot of things about him, and I’ve always looked up to him. I’ve always watched him since I was young, so it was really special to interact with him.”
But he added that, “all of the guys treated us like we were part of the team, so that really meant a lot.”
Finishing out the spring, Holliday said, “everyone’s goal is to get up to the big leagues fast and have success” but their timelines are out of their control.
“It’s one of those things where you work for it every day and you follow a process, but the answer people want is to get up there as fast as [they] can,” he said. “That’s what I want, so I’m going to work hard every single day and help the team win.”
“And I’ll be ready,” he continued. “When my time’s right, I’ll be ready.”
We always know that baseball is a family business a lot of the time, and Saturday was no different. Rockies bench coach Jeff Pickler served as the manager for one of the split squads, and his dad, Scott, served as his bench coach. It was a fun full-circle moment not only for the Picklers, but for many players and coaches who knew Scott from previous teams he coached them on.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 16: Maikel Garcia #11 of Team Venezuela celebrates after an RBI single in the seventh inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Semifinals between Italy and Venezuela at loanDepot park on March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Vinnie Pasquantino incorrectly noted which teams were in the WBC final four and apologized. Oops. It’s ok – he’s highly caffeinated and we all make mistakes when we’re W I R E D.
“It’s amazing,” Pasquantino said. “I don’t know how many people would’ve picked the Dominican Republic, Japan, the United States and Italy in the final four, but we’re here now, so we’re going to enjoy this for the probably next few hours. We’ve got a flight to catch. This is incredible, man.”
Pasquantino’s comments came hours before Venezuela advanced to the final four by defeating Japan.
The Royals Spring Breakout game will be televised on the Amazon MLB FAST channel on Friday.
Caglianone’s expected stats, which take quality of contact into account rather than the actual results, not only indicate he was much better than his OPS implies, they show he was one of the unluckiest hitters in the game.
In fact, he had MLB’s largest unlucky gap (the difference between his expected and actual production) in all three of these categories (minimum 100 PAs):
Colleran was the Royals’ 2024 seventh-round pick out of Northeastern and in his first year of professional ball in 2025, he went from Low A to High A and even pitched in one game at Double A, going a combined 9-0 with a 2.85 ERA in 66 1/3 innings with 72 strikeouts. He was so dominant that he represented the Royals in the Arizona Fall League, where he posted an impressive 1.17 ERA over seven relief appearances. He’s on a fast track to the majors and I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes his major-league debut sometime this year once his slider becomes more consistent and he throws more strikes.
Matt Quatraro, manager: “Dennis has been absolutely electric. He has an upper-90s fastball coming out of a low arm slot with an emerging slider. Hitters have really had uncomfortable at-bats against him.”
Verdict: Real. Witt had 32 home runs in 2024 before dropping to 23 in 2025, so we know there’s 30-homer power here — and maybe closer to 40 with the new ballpark dimensions. He’s entering his age-26 season, a common age for a player’s best season. Add 20 points or so back to his batting average, and reaching 92 extra-base hits is in play.
Last season, the Royals opted to let Massey be the everyday second baseman, and India rotated as a utility guy in left field and at third base at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, the move was disastrous for India, especially on defense. India posted a -5 FRV in 3B, and that poor defense carried to second base, as he posted a -4 FRV at the keystone. The poor defense seemed to have a mental impact on India’s bat, and he ended up having his worst season at the Major League level.
Quatraro is intent on India being their regular second baseman, with Massey mixing in here and there based on matchups. So far this spring, it seems like that has helped India be in a better headspace in 2026.
John Smoltz was his typical downer self about Paul Skenes on the broadcast for the WBC. Some unfortunate honesty in there, though I have no love for Smoltz as a commentator.
The Chiefs have their new interim starter/backup for when Patrick Mahomes comes back next season – it’s Justin Fields. CBS Sports has a grade for the trade.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Iran’s Embassy in Mexico on Tuesday said the country is negotiating with FIFA to move Iran’s World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico after President Donald Trump discouraged the team from attending the tournament, citing safety concerns.
It was unclear whether such talks are happening with FIFA, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iranian officials have previously said it is up to FIFA and the U.S. to keep the team safe during the World Cup.
The Embassy posted a statement attributed to Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj saying Iran wants to move its group stage matches to Mexico to ensure the safety of players and officials.
“When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” the statement said. “We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran’s matches in the World Cup in Mexico.”
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play against New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood, California, before finishing group play in Seattle against Egypt on June 26.
Moving the games would be unprecedented less than three months before the start of the World Cup.
Trump said last week that the Iran team was welcome at the World Cup despite the ongoing war in the Middle East but “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
Iran has sent mixed signals about its participation in the tournament after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks that killed the Islamic republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other senior figures.
Sports minister Ahmad Donyamali told state TV last week that it was not possible to play "due to the wicked acts they have done against Iran.”
But after Trump's post the national team said on Instagram that “no one can exclude” it from the tournament and a government spokesman in Tehran stressed in it was the responsibility of FIFA and the U.S. as a co-host nation to keep players safe and secure.
“FIFA is the organizer of the World Cup,” Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said. “When warnings are issued at the highest level about the environment being unsafe for Iranian football players, this indicates that the host country apparently lacks the capacity and ability to provide security for such an important sporting event.”
Soccer is followed passionately in Iran, a nation of more than 90 million people which has qualified for seven men's World Cups and each of the past four editions. The team is ranked No. 20 in the world by FIFA and behind only Japan from Asia.
FIFA has not commented in recent days beyond an Instagram post by president Gianni Infantino last week that he'd received assurances from Trump that Iran was welcome at the tournament.
The Vancouver Canucks will take part in their fourth game of an eight-game home stand when they face the Florida Panthers later tonight. Both the Canucks and the Panthers’ last matchups came against the Seattle Kraken, with Vancouver losing by a score of 5–2 on Saturday and Florida losing by 6–2 in Seattle the day after.
Today’s matchup falls in Vancouver’s favour for a couple of reasons. First is the fact that the Panthers will be without their top-scorer in Sam Reinhart tonight. The Vancouver local leads his team with 29 goals and 32 assists but did not travel with the team on their current western conference road trip. Second is the fact that the Panthers only had one day between their two games, while the Canucks had two.
Vancouver’s power play has been fairly cold as of late, as their last goal on the man-advantage came on March 6 thanks to Brock Boeser. To make matters more difficult for their power play, Florida currently sits at seventh in the NHL in penalty kill percentage with 82.2%. If they are unable to convert on the man-advantage tonight, the Canucks’ power play goal drought will increase to five straight games.
Another interesting tidbit about tonight’s game is the fact that Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote could be coaching against his son, Nolan Foote, who is currently with the Panthers. The Florida forward did not play on Sunday but could dress against Vancouver tonight.
Players To Watch:
Kevin Lankinen
With Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote confirming that Lankinen will start tonight at yesterday’s practice, the goaltender will officially play in his 200th-career NHL game. The goaltender has had a run of rough results recently, having not won a game since January 21 against the Washington Capitals. Despite this, he has not entirely been to blame, as Lankinen has put up impressive efforts as of late — specifically against the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets.
Matthew Tkachuk
Since returning to Florida’s lineup on January 19, Tkachuk has played well for the Panthers. He currently has eight goals and 12 assists in 19 games played as well as seven points in his last five games. The forward is also coming off his sixth-career NHL hat trick after a three-goal performance against the Detroit Red Wings on March 6.
Dec 12, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander (21) and Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues (17) and defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) and defenseman Uvis Balinskis (26) watch as forward Brock Boeser (6) scores during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (20–38–8):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 13–25–38
Filip Hronek: 7–31–38
Brock Boeser: 16–16–32
Jake DeBrusk: 14–18–32
Evander Kane: 12–16–28
Goaltenders:
Thatcher Demko: 8–10–1
Kevin Lankinen: 7–21–5
Nikita Tolopilo: 5–6–2
Jiří Patera: 0–1–0
Florida Panthers (33–30–3):
Points:
Sam Reinhart: 29–32–61
Brad Marchand: 27–27–54
Sam Bennett: 24–26–50
Carter Verhaeghe: 19–27–46
Anton Lundell: 17–26–43
Goaltenders:
Sergei Bobrovsky: 24–19–1
Daniil Tarasov: 9–11–2
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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Feb 25, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees infielder George Lombard Jr (96) hits a two-RBI double during the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
With the World Baseball Classic stealing the show this spring training, the spotlight in Yankees camp has turned to the team’s young prospects. Namely, manager Aaron Boone has been able to give plenty of looks to the up-and-coming trio of Jasson Domínguez, Spencer Jones, and George Lombard Jr. Lombard, who was named New York’s new top prospect for 2026 by MLB Pipeline, FanGraphs, and Baseball America, is gearing up for a vital season in his development — with eyes on becoming the next great Yankee shortstop in the next few years.
The precocious young infielder and son of a former big leaguer-turned-coach by the same name tore up the High-A South Atlantic League with the Renegades for 24 games to start the year before getting the call to the Patriots in May. His production there was unspectacular (.215/.337/.358), but he continued to showcase his stellar athleticism in the field and on the basepaths (24 steals). And ultimately, it wasn’t a terrible showing at the dish for the youngest qualified hitter at the Double-A level.
Lombard’s tools are loud; he should have far more thunder in his bat than Anthony Volpe, the previous heir apparent at shortstop. Acknowledging that this is a bit of a subjective, his talent jumps off the screen in a way that Volpe’s never really did, even though he was also once a highly acclaimed prospect. (And if you’ve ever seen Lombard’s glovework in person, you know just how dazzling it can be.) While his Grapefruit League results didn’t blow anybody away—he hit under .200 with a .740 OPS and just one homer—you see a sparkle of superstardom in every game he plays. Take that one spring homer: a leadoff comet off a 97-mph heater from AL Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet.
The former two-sport athlete credits his time as a top-flight soccer player in helping to develop his physical and mental game. Let that be a lesson to parents who want their kids to specialize in a sport right away!
I don’t bring it up for nothing: that mental maturity manifests in his plate discipline. While most young hitters are overly aggressive hotshots at the dish, Lombard’s outstanding walk rate shows he has a discerning eye and won’t make pitchers’ lives easier with poor swing decisions. The key will be making sure he doesn’t become overly passive and spot them extra strikes by waiting for the perfect pitch to hit. Lombard himself said as much: “I think the most important part is just competing, having competitive at-bats and not giving any free ones away,” he told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
However, what he does outside the zone is less important than what he does within it. With that, we must discuss his greatest weakness as a prospect. From MLB Pipeline’s latest scouting report writeup:
“Despite an efficient right-handed swing and a patient approach, Lombard has persistent issues making contact against in-zone fastballs.”
That’s a pretty big warning sign which threatens to undermine the strides he’s made in taking walks and hitting the ball in the air.
With the wealth of data all young players have access to, Lombard and his camp have probably already diagnosed the issue and formulated a plan to improve. This season will be a referendum on whether his strategy works. If Lombard can take a major step forward in Bridgewater, he could be on the fast track to the Bronx; as every prospect buff knows, the jump from Double-A to Triple-A is significantly smaller than High-A to Double-A.
Last week, Lombard was sent to minor-league camp to continue preparing for this consequential campaign. He had no realistic shot of battling for a roster spot, though the Yankees have been effusive about his work ethic and his defensive bona fides. Brian Cashman went as far as to say he “could play defense in the big leagues right now”—they’re just waiting for the bat to come along.
The Yankees don’t have quite as many blue-chip prospects as they did when the Baby Bomber era began a decade ago. But when they do come along, Cashman and his braintrust tend to give them every possibility to succeed. Lombard will get plenty of opportunity to make their jobs tougher if he takes a big step forward in 2026. Even with Volpe, José Caballero, and Ryan McMahon already covering the left side of the infield, it’d be hard to argue against bringing him into the fold if the complete version of GLJ starts to shine.
