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The Good Phight will be previewing the 2026 season by going over each position on the field. We’ll talk about the players that will occupy them, the players behind them, their strengths and weaknesses and give a few takes about how we think the season will shake out.

Aaron Nola: Can he rebound?

Most of the discussion surrounding the Phillies rotation this spring has been about what to expect from Andrew Painter and the health status of Zack Wheeler. Understandably so, as they might be the two biggest questions surrounding the team in general. However, there’s one player that can help ease some of the uneasiness in both of those questions.

It wasn’t that long ago that Aaron Nola was one of the most durable, reliable starters in baseball. You could almost lock in close to 200 quality innings in the rotation, even if they were mind-numbingly frustrating at times. But the last two years especially have cast doubt on what Nola is and what he can still be, as he had a below average 2024 and a nightmarish 2025.

Well hope springs eternal, as Nola has looked rejuvenated this spring, crediting his participation in the World Baseball Classic with Team Italy as a catalyst for getting into shape sooner. The results have shown on the field, especially with his fastball velocity. Nola has averaged 91.7 MPH on his fastball in his spring training appearances and averaged just under 93 MPH in his second and final start for Italy at the WBC on Monday. For comparison, Nola averaged just under 92 MPH on his fastball last season and didn’t average over 91 until returning from injury in August. His fastball this spring is already in a better spot than it was in April of last season when he was sitting around 91.3.

For his career, Nola’s velocity has typically started below average and then gradually increases as the season wears on, usually peaking in the summer months. Take 2024 for example, when he started the season averaging 91.1 MPH but was just under 93 by the end of the regular season, peaking at 93.3 in July. This spring however, he’s already close to his career average of 92.5 MPH and Opening Day is still a week away.

So, what does all this mean? As you’re well aware, not much can be gleamed from spring training performances. Players are looking to get into shape and may be working on specific things, all while not facing top tier competition regularly. But a velocity bump like Nola’s is something that should perk you up a little, as it signals that his stuff is already in a better place than it was last season.

Now to address a more difficult question. If Nola is indeed in for a “rebound” season, what exactly would that look like? Will he be the 2024 version of himself who logged 199.1 innings with a 3.57 ERA and 117 ERA+? Or will he be the 2023 version where he still threw over 190 innings except this time had a 4.46 ERA and 96 ERA+? The Phillies desperately need at least the 2024 version, as they are facing more uncertainty in their rotation than they’ve had in years as we discussed in our rotation preview.

There’s really no way to answer this question until we see Nola in real game action. We can look at all the spring data we want and be encouraged by his performance in the WBC, but none of it ultimately matters until the real season starts. Maybe the old “even year/odd year Nola” phenomenon will be at work again in 2026, suggesting that he is in for one of his better seasons. But again, what exactly constitutes a “better” Nola season at this point in his career? Is it a mid-rotation innings eater? Is it a little bit more? Or was 2025 a harbinger of what’s to come as Nola ages?

It’s time to find out.

The St. Louis Cardinals are now one week away from Opening Day and will begin the final week of preparation with a Spring Training game against the Washington Nationals at Roger Dean Stadium today. Josiah Gray will make the start for the Washington Nationals according to MLB.com. Quinn Matthews will make the start for the Cardinals.

As we close in on Opening Day for the 2026 season, now is a time to start to take a look at some of the prospects who have seen their stock rise this spring within the Atlanta Braves system. Making this list isn’t just based on what we have seen in spring training games – though that is a big part of it. Reports from the backfields or a player showing up in great shape can also get a player mentioned here.

Owen Carey, OF

Owen Carey has impressed enough this spring that he has been able to earn himself nine at bats in big league spring training games. He may be just one for nine, but he has had some flashes at the plate against much more advanced competition – making it important to remember he is still just 19-years-old and hasn’t played above Low-A yet.

Didier Fuentes, RHP

Fuentes was brought up to Atlanta a bit too soon last season, and got hit pretty hard – not unexpected for a kid who had barely turned 20 and had limited Triple-A experience at the time. He responded well to that in the minors after being sent back down, and has come back this spring looking like he has completely put that behind him. In five innings over two appearances, Fuentes has a 0.00 ERA and WHIP with nine strikeouts to no walks – the only base runner he has allowed is a single hit by pitch. The Braves may be a little extra cautious with him this year after being a bit too aggressive last year, but he is looking better than we’ve ever seen him look this spring.

John Gil, SS

Gil ended last season with a short look at Double-A after a bit of a power spike to close out this season. He followed that up by coming to camp with a little added weight, and has shown that the power increase may be for real. Although he will never likely be a plus power guy, adding average power to a guy with his speed and hit tool makes him very dangerous. In 19 at bats this spring he is hitting .158, but has two homers and a .778 OPS. That should give him slightly heightened expectations heading into the season, which he is likely to open back in Double-A.

Hayden Harris, LHP

Harris is another arm who made his big league debut last year, but he seems to have built on it this spring. He has pitched five innings over five games, pitching to a 1.80 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 12 strikeouts to two walks. Harris has already been optioned down on the roster, but his continued success is worth noting, as he will be an in-season promotion candidate anytime the Braves need a relief arm.

Cody Miller, SS

The Braves third round pick out of East Tennessee State last year came in with a Trea Turner-like skill set of contact, speed, and a bit of power from the shortstop position. There were some questions about the adjustments he may need to make as the level of competition is set to really increase for him, and although he did show well in a small sample size after signing last summer, going three for four in big league games this spring is a positive sign that the competition jump won’t phase him.

Jose Perdomo, SS

It’s been a rough couple of years for Perdomo since signing as a top international free agent. Injuries basically wiped out his 2024, and a combination of injury and ineffectiveness ruined his 2025 season. The positive with him is that he showed up to camp in the best shape he has been in since he signed with the Braves – important since there were some reports from scouts last year which said he didn’t look at all like the guy the team expected to sign just over two years ago.

JR Ritchie, RHP

Ritchie came into the spring as a real long shot to make the team out of camp, but between injuries to other starters and his own stuff ticking up, he has pushed himself into the conversation as training camp winds down. Ritchie has pitched 12 innings over four games, with a 2.25 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts to just five walks. As great as his stat line has looked, his velocity has ticked up and his secondary offerings have also been even better than what we saw last year when he shot up to Triple-A after opening the year in High-A. Ritchie has assured himself that even if he doesn’t claim a spot in the opening rotation, he will be up for his big league debut sooner rather than later.

The roster is starting to come into focus with just over a week to go before the season opener. On the pitching staff, the Royals shipped out Ryan Bergert, Mason Black, Helcris Oliváres, and Mitch Spence this week. Here’s what the bullpen looks like at this point:

Locks, barring a trade or injury: Lucas Erceg, Carlos Estévez, Nick Mears, John Schreiber, Matt Strahm

On the bubble: Luinder Avila*, Steven Cruz*, Bailey Falter, Alex Lange, Daniel Lynch IV*, James McArthur*

Probably on the outside looking in: Jose Cuas*, Eli Morgan*, Héctor Neris, Aaron Sanchez

Probably on the IL to start: Stephen Kolek*

*-have options remaining

With five starters, and five locks in the bullpen, that leaves three bullpen spots remaining. Who would you carry on the roster?

With Opening Day just a week away, I thought it was time to dive into the schedule, specifically how hard it is to begin the season. The Nats open their season with matchups against the Cubs, Phillies and Dodgers. All three of those teams made the playoffs last year and project to be fearsome foes once again in 2026.

To make matters even worse, the first two series against the Cubs and Phillies are on the road. Both of those series will likely be played in chilly temperatures in front of fired up home crowds. Even if the Dodgers are the defending champions, the idea of going to sunny Los Angeles sounds more fun than a cold afternoon in Wrigley.

This will be a tough first test for new manager Blake Butera. I am intrigued to see how he navigates this, and if the Nats are able to keep their heads above water. In the Davey Martinez years, sluggish starts became the norm, even when the team was loaded with talent. Hopefully this new regime will have the team more locked in from the jump.

They will have to be, or else they could fall behind the 8 ball quickly. Nats fans are already frustrated after all the losing. The last thing you want is for the team to be 1-5 heading into the home opener. Fans just want to see encouraging signs, and holding their own in this stretch would be great.

Honestly, I feel the best about the series against the Dodgers at home of the three. Yes, the Dodgers are the best team in baseball and the back to back champs. However, they already have a couple injuries and can afford a sluggish start because they can turn it on whenever they want. I am not sure the Dodgers will be up for the fight on a 50 degree night at Nats Park the way they are in October.

We have seen this play out over the last couple of years. Last April, the Nats took two out of three against the Dodgers at home. James Wood had a couple really impressive homers and Brad Lord announced himself by getting his first career strikeout against Shohei Ohtani. A repeat of that is certainly not out of the question.

However, a slow start should not shock anyone. There is so much new in this Nats organization and they are going up against the cream of the crop in the NL. The rest of April is a bit more forgiving, with series against the Cardinals, Pirates and White Sox. However, they still have trips to Milwaukee and New York that will be tough.

It is going to be trial by fire for the new look Nats. Paul Toboni and Blake Butera are not getting an easy touch to start their first seasons in DC. Speaking of Butera, I am interested to see his managerial decisions in regular season games. It is tough to get a feel for what the manager is thinking in Spring Training, so I want to see how he uses his bullpen and sets his lineups.

Seeing three juggernauts to start the season is scary, but it is also an opportunity. It will be a good test to see where the Nats are this season. Will they be a true basement dweller or will they be more scrappy than expected? We will find out before too long.

That headline is a lie, it isn’t the Yankees, it is wannabe Yankees. They have a split squad day and all the ‘real’ Yankees are staying in Tampa.

I can’t really complain, the Jays do the same. There used to be, maybe still is, a rule that a certain number of ‘regulars’ have to be in every spring game, but team ignore it. It is still there:

Major League Baseball’s spring training road trip rules require that, for road games, clubs play “a minimum of four players who were regulars on the previous year’s Major League team or who were platooned on the previous year’s Major League team on a regular basis, or who have a reasonable chance to be regulars on the Major League Club’s squad during the upcoming season.” The regulars are supposed to play “a minimum of three complete innings.”

Team have, in the past, been fined for this. But then MLB team pretty much print their own money. Well, they would, but we give all of ours to them.

Go Jays Go.

There is a Dunedin New Zealand. I’ve been there, it has the oldest Brewery in New Zealand, which was very cool. They had a funny story: The brewery uses water from a spring and they were given use of this water, with the condition that they have a tap for people of the town so they can use the watch too. One year a radio station, on April Fools day, said that, for that day, the tap would have beer running through it.

People lined up for blocks.

I mentioned this because, when looking for a picture of Dunedin, I got pictures of the other Dunedin. It is a beautiful place.

The World Baseball Classic is over, and the players who participated are making their way back to their respective MLB teams. That’s because we’re still inching our way towards the regular season, which is now quite close.

However, we still have some spring training left, and for the Yankees, that includes today’s split-squad action against birds of a different feather. One half of the team will be in Tampa hosting the Orioles, while the rest will hit the road to take on the Blue Jays down in Dunedin. With both games happening somewhat simultaneously, we’ll be keeping an eye on all of the action today.

As you might expect, the roster for the home game features a few more expected MLB names (though no Aaron Judge back in the lineup just yet), including Max Fried taking the mound. There are still a couple heading to Dunedin—Amed Rosario, J.C. Escarra, and Randal Grichuk—as Ryan Weathers will toes the rubber in that one.

Here’s all the information for how to catch the action in either of today’s games.

Yankees vs. Orioles

How to watch

Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL

First pitch: 1:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES

Radio broadcast: none

Online stream: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv, ESPN Unlimited

Yankees at Blue Jays

How to watch

Location: TD Ballpark — Dunedin, FL

First pitch: 1:07 pm ET

TV broadcast: Sportsnet (TOR Broadcast)

Radio broadcast: Sportsnet.ca (TOR Broadcast)

Online stream: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv

For updates, follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

There is a lot happening today for the Phillies. They have a regular game and a Breakout Game game(?).

Let’s talk about them!

The Dodgers’ time in Arizona this spring training is almost done, with only two more days of games before heading back to Southern California. The opening day roster is close to finalized, with only a few more moves left to make.

Counting the 40-man roster and non-roster invitees, the Dodgers technically had 77 players in big league camp, which makes for a crowded clubhouse. But the player pool used to play in Cactus League games was much larger, with a few handfuls of players up for the minor league side of camp every single day.

Thus far in camp, 23 position players and 21 pitchers from the minor league side have appeared for the Dodgers in spring training games.

Every single Dodgers prospect to appear on a top-100 list has played for the Dodgers this spring, the bulk of them non-roster invitees. From the minor league side, outfielder Eduardo Quintero appeared in six games so far, and shortstop Emil Morales played twice. Outfielder Mike Sirota got into four games, including a start at designated hitter on Tuesday, and homered earlier this spring.

Pitchers from the minors to appear the most this spring are Antonio Knowles at six games, Cam Day in five games, and Cody Morse at four games.

Knowles struck out seven and walked three in his 4 2/3 innings, with one run allowed. Morse, drafted by the Dodgers in the 12th round in 2024, struck out seven of the 16 batters he’s faced in Cactus League play this spring. Knowles leads the Dodgers with two saves this spring, and Morse is one of seven pitchers with one save.

The most frequent position players from minor league camp this spring are Kyle Nevin with 11 games and Elijah Hainline at eight games. Logan Wagner and Austin Gauthier have gotten into seven games each.

Another quirk of such a full camp this spring is the Dodgers using the leading zero for many of the uniform numbers for the minor leaguers to wear when they temporarily join the big league spring team.

Players on the 40-man roster and the non-roster invitees all get jerseys with their names on the back for spring training. Players from the minor league side get generic uniforms with no name, and sometimes wear different numbers, most of them in the 80s and 90s. But with so many numbers already in use, rather than doubling up (the Royals used two players wearing 77 on Tuesday against the Dodgers, for instance, which wouldn’t fly in the regular season) the Dodgers have liberally used every number from 01 to 09 throughout this spring.

Gauthier this spring has worn 89 multiple times but has also suited up wearing 88 and 01. Kyle Nevin has worn at least 91, 93, 03, and 09.

Hainline, a seventh-round pick from Oregon State in 2024, has worn o5, o6, and 08, to name a few. Hainline impressed on defense in the middle infield this spring, and also hit a home run on March 2.

Whatever numbers they are wearing, we’ve seen a lot of Dodgers this spring.