Worldwide Sports News

There was only one game, so let’s get right to it.

United States 2, Dominican Republic 1

I’ll admit, I was a little biased here. I wanted to see the United States come out and destroy the Dominican Death Star, hoping they would continue marching towards a WBC title. However, in my heart of hearts, I kind of thought there was no way it was going to happen. Even with Paul Skenes on the mound for at least four innings, my thought was that the Dominican lineup would eventually rise up against the bullpen of the United States and pound them into dust.

I was quite wrong.

A game fraught with tension, it got off to an unspectacular start as both starters, Skenes and Luis Severino, came out and handled the lineups. Skenes made one mistake to Junior Caminero that the Rays third baseman did not miss.

However, from there, Skenes shut the lineup down. He was helped by an outstanding throw from Aaron Judge to end an inning at third base.

Now, while Severino was great to start the game, eventually the adrenaline he was fueled by ran out and he started missing more often. Gunnar Henderson took one of those misses and hit a moonshot to left to tie the game at one.

Once Severino was removed in that inning and replaced with Gregory Soto, it looked as though the game would settle into a battle of the bullpens. Soto being Soto, however, he missed with a fastball to Roman Anthony and Anthony did not miss it.

The game continued like this, the United States up 2-1. Instead of the offense on display, it was the defense that sparkled in this game. In addition to his throw at third, Judge also had a diving catch to rob a hit off the bat of Juan Soto. The favor was returned in the sixth when Judge hit a drive to center that was robbed by Julio Rodriguez.

It was the seventh where the game was decided. David Bednar was brought into the game to start the inning and allowed two runners on, those two both getting into scoring position with two outs. Bednar, though, got Ketel Marte swinging to end the frame and kept the U.S. out in front. In the ninth, the Dominican lineup mustered some noise against Mason Miller, but the Padres closer was able to keep them in check, striking out Geraldo Perdomo to end the game.

Or did he?

I’ll expect to see ABS in the next round of the WBC.

The United States wins this round and moves on to the final while the Dominican Republic wonders what might have been.

For someone who’s never taken a big-league at-bat, there’s been an awful lot of talk about Spencer Jones. Taken by the Yankees in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt, the 6-foot-7 outfielder immediately drew the obligatory Aaron Judge comparisons that follow anyone with his physical profile. It didn’t hurt that he carried with him a prodigious power swing and an ability to play center field. Jones has risen steadily through the Yankees’ system during his four seasons as a pro, consistently showcasing a varied skill set to dream on. He was Baseball America’s No. 46 prospect entering the 2024 season and broke out in a major way last year between Double-A and Triple-A, swatting 35 homers.

And yet, his prospect stock has waned as his real-life performance has taken off. The reason is as simple as it is confounding: the man swings and misses too much.

2025 Stats (Double-A/Triple-A): 506 PA, .274/.362/.571, 35 HR, 80 RBI, 35.4 K%, 11.5 BB%, 153 wRC+

Last year, Ryan McMahon led all big-leaguers with a 32-percent strikeout rate. Jones’ 37-percent rate at Triple-A dwarfed that number and, while his overall offensive package was still highly productive due to his power, it’s difficult to project success for the prospect against MLB competition if he continues to demonstrate those kinds of contact issues. And 2025 was not an anomaly — the year prior, he had an even higher strikeout rate as he was punched out an astonishing 200 times.

To his credit, this offseason the 24-year-old tackled these concerns head-on, retooling his swing and modeling it after another lefty-hitting masher, Shohei Ohtani. “He’s a great reference of a really good mover with a great swing,” Jones said of the four-time MVP in what amounts to a bit of an understatement. “He’s one of those guys that I look at with some of the stuff he does, and I try to apply it in whichever way I can.”

Success followed in spring training, where he posted a 1.345 OPS while striking out at a more tenable 29-percent rate, albeit in a sample of just 28 plate appearances.

His fellow 6-foot-7 outfielder was impressed. “The minute he puts that foot down with that little toe-tap, he’s ready to hit,” Judge said of Jones’ new swing. “They might have gotten him with a lot of high heaters in the past, or even last season. I think that’s just going to help him.”

The Yankees reassigned Jones to minor-league camp last Monday. With the Yankees’ outfield set to feature Judge alongside lefties Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham, there would be limited opportunities for Jones and Jasson Domínguez, a switch-hitter who fared much better from the left side of the plate last season. Both are expected to start the year at Triple-A, with Domínguez, who appeared in 123 games with the Yankees last year and showcased strong lefty hitting and plus speed, the clear favorite as the next man up should the need arise. This is why, while FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projections expect Jones to make his Yankees debut this year, they only project him to get into five games.

Upon sending him out to minor-league camp, the prospect’s manager provided some advice. “As much as you can, don’t focus on things that right now might be out of your control a little bit,” Aaron Boone said. “Reality is, he’s coming off a really strong season. He continues to make really solid adjustments. He came in here this spring and has represented really well and has performed. You’ve seen the signs of him continuing to get better.”

It’s good advice. If Jones can demonstrate an ability to avoid the strikeout, his combination of power and outfield defense will be impossible to keep down at Triple-A for long, regardless of the other outfielders ahead of him on the depth chart. Given the team’s depth in the outfield, it’s possible that shot could come elsewhere, with Jones (and, for that matter, Domínguez) theorized throughout the offseason as potential trade bait to help out elsewhere on the roster.

This year will be a make-or-break campaign for Jones. If he can get his strikeout rate down, he’ll get some run to show he can fulfill the potential that made him a first-round pick and top-50 prospect. If not, Jones, who’ll turn 25 in May, will start to look like a former prospect whose time has passed.

See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

The ideal baseball lineup has players with high on-base percentages near the top of the order, setting the table for the sluggers in the middle. Optimizing a lineup like this can allow a team to score a few more runs per year. On a given day it may not make much of a difference, but over a 162-game season it could net your team an extra win or two. That’s nothing to sneeze at, and teams—especially those on the fringes of the playoff discussion—should be doing whatever they can to maximize runs.

This topic of lineup optimization has become a hot one as Orioles camp comes to a close. Manager Craig Albernaz was asked about it over the weekend, specifically who he planned to put in the leadoff spot on Opening Day. The skipper kept it vague with his answer.

“It all depends,” Albernaz said. “Depends on the hitter, depends on the pitcher, depends on the team we’re playing. Depends on a lot of different stuff.”

It also depends on who is healthy. That is what has really complicated things this spring. Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg are two guys that would probably top the list of consideration. But both will open the season on the IL instead.

MLB.com’s Jake Rill indicates that Albernaz won’t be committing to any one guy day in and day out. But he does seem to prefer either Gunnar Henderson or Taylor Ward in the role for now. While Henderson has been with Team USA, Ward has been getting a lot of at-bats in the top spot.

Ward does not scream “leadoff hitter” when you look at his recent numbers. He’s been a run producer that hits home runs. But he has experience in the role. The 763 plate appearances he has batting first are his most of any spot in the order, and the numbers have been good (.259/.326/.456, 32 homers). He’s also a patient hitter that doesn’t chase much and walks at a solid clip (11.3%). Putting him first and then, presumably, Henderson second, could benefit both. Pitchers may be more likely to give Ward pitches to hit, and it would also give Henderson traffic on the bases more often.

For whatever it’s worth, Ward does not seem to care when or where he hits.

“Really, it doesn’t matter to me. I mean, hit me ninth, eighth, I really don’t care,” Ward said. “I try to treat it like the same thing, just all the same. I like to keep it simple like that. So wherever Alby wants to put me, I’m good for it.”

The leadoff spot has also been Henderson’s most frequent role throughout his career. Over 789 plate appearances he owns a .276/.347/.533 line with 42 homers. Clearly, he is better than Ward, but putting Henderson first could be a waste of his slugging potential. He’s healthy this year and swinging the bat well for Team USA. If he is going to bounce back and return to the 37 home run form he had in 2024, it would be wise to have that happen with more runners on base. Moving him down a spot in the order makes sense.

But before we go and etch all of this in stone, let’s be clear that committing to any one lineup at this point in the year is foolish. So much is going to change throughout the summer. Players will get hurt. Hot streaks and cold streaks will pop up. A certain pitching matchup will present itself. Someone other than Ward or Henderson will lead off at some point. All of this could completely change Albernaz’s way of thinking.

Consider a few alternatives.

When healthy, Holliday and Westburg are going to be in the conversation. Holliday led off more than any other Orioles hitter in 2025. It didn’t go great (.236/.311/.366), but he is still young. You have to think the Orioles want him to eventually own the role if he can produce. Westburg has hit all over the lineup, usually settling into the second or fifth spots. But he can do a a job anywhere. He feels like the guy they will turn to if the lineup is in the midst of a bad run and needs some sort of spark.

Colton Cowser began the 2025 season as the Orioles’ leadoff hitter. At the time, he had a reputation for controlling the strike zone. His nightmarish campaign may have altered some perspectives, but it’s entirely possible he gets back to that point.

Dylan Beavers showed impressive plate discipline during his first taste of big league baseball. He walked 19 percent of the time and rarely chased pitches out of the strike zone. Putting a rookie atop a lineup with playoff aspirations right out of the gate might be a bit much, but Beavers could force the Orioles hand at some point.

And what about Adley Rutschman? His performance over the last season and a half suggests he should be in the bottom third of the order rather than the leadoff spot. But it wasn’t that long ago when he looked like the best hitting catcher in baseball. His 2023 season saw hime finish with a .374 on base percentage. If he could get back to that sort of production, he might be the team’s best option to hit first. He will need to prove that he’s actually back to that level before getting the distinction as everyday leadoff hitter.

The reality is that the Orioles do not have an “ideal” leadoff hitter on their roster. But they have plenty of competent big league players that they can cycle in and out to find advantageous matchups and put runners on base ahead of Henderson and Pete Alonso. That should be a recipe for success no matter who actually ends up in the top spot day to day.

As the Red Sox approach Opening Day, it’s time to start taking at look at the other American League playoff contenders. Next up, a team that may still be recovering from baseball heartbreak.

What’s this team’s deal?

The Toronto Blue Jays were inches away. Minutes away. One play or bounce away. They took the Los Angeles Dodgers to Game 7 of the World Series and nearly had it won. But the Dodgers found a way. That’s baseball. But don’t think for a second that when the game was over the Jays were ready to take a step back. After missing out on free agents and being lost in the shuffle of the Yankees and Red Sox as powerhouses, Tampa Bay as a relentless underdog payroll wise, and the Baltimore Orioles with their young core of stud prospects, the Jays aren’t a flash in the pan. They want to be here to stay.

Being in the World Series last fall is a step in the right direction for the Jays’ ambitions. And it may or may not have paid off in their recruiting. The money was there for the infamous Shohei Ohtani plane flight but no signing actually happened. This year?

• Kazuma Okamoto, third base. Coming over from Japan, Okamoto signed a four-year deal to play in Toronto. In NPB the 29-year-old hit .277/.361/.521 over eleven seasons. If he’s close to that, watch out. For example, Alex Bregman, after his two big seasons and the COVID 2020 year has hit .264/.352/.447 from 2021-2025.
• Dylan Cease, starting pitcher. The 30-year-old signed to play for the Blue Jays a long time. Seven years. Cease finished second in AL Cy Young voting in 2022 and 4th in NL Cy Young voting in 2024. Chris Bassitt moved to the Orioles over the winter and that’s a nice upgrade.
• Cody Ponce, starting pitcher. Ponce is returning to North America after 3 years in Japan and one year in Korea. He shined in the KBO last year and the Jays’ think the changes are real. He’s in town for three seasons.
• Max Scherzer, a familiar starter, is back for one more year at 41 and showed some life in the World Series.
• Old friend Josh Winckowski signed a minor league deal with the club.

How good are they?

They’re good. Right now FanGraphs projects they Jays to finish with about 85 wins, one or two behind the Yankees, and essentially tied with the Red Sox. Will the AL East winner win more than 86 games? Almost certainly. That’s not what’s important here. The general feeling that the Jays are going to be in the fight for the top of the division.

Their rotation includes the two new members mentioned in the signings above, Max Scherzer, 2025 rookie sensation Trey Yesavage, and veteran stalwart Kevin Gausman. Plus Shane Bieber and José Berríos who are a little behind dealing with some injuries.

George Springer rediscovered himself in 2025 and hopes to continue playign like his younger self. Alejendro Kirk is one of the best catchers in the American League.

Addision Berger and Ernie Clement had breakouts in 2025 to help get the team to their first World Series in 30 years.

Oh, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Who’s their most likable player?

At least for Red Sox fans it’s going to be Vlad Jr.

‘Nuff said.

Who’s their least likeable player?

George Springer was part of the Astros cheating scandal. Max Scherzer is kind of a hothead on the mound, although seems to mostly yell at himself. Kevin Gausman has really owned the Red Sox at times. He’s unlikable for that.

Do people have strong feelings about any Jays players?

Schedule against the Red Sox

As an AL East opponent, the Sox will see a lot of the Blue Jays.

April 27-29 in Toronto.

June 16-18 in Boston.

July 24-26 in Boston.

August 10-13 in Toronto.

Season Prediction

The Blue Jays won 94 games last season and are arguably better this year. They also have a lot of places where there could be some regression in the lineup and maybe the rotation. Vlad also didn’t hit for tons of power so maybe that comes back to balance things out.

They’re going to win between 92-96 games because the Orioles should be better, although the Rays may be worse. The Jays are going to finish first or second again in the AL East assuming they’re about as healthy as they are right now. The question will be who in the AL East finishes third and if that is a playoff trip or not.

If you are a fan of the Braves and baseball in general, this weekend was we worth the wait. From WBC moments to multiple Braves pitching prospects looking highly impressive, it was a great reminder that baseball is here to stay for the next 6+ months. On Sunday for the Braves, JR Ritchie once again was spectacular. It remains to be seen whether or not it will translate into a Opening Day roster spot, but in terms in what he can control, Ritchie has made a strong case to make his MLB debut in the near future.

Braves News

Didier Fuentes discussed his own impressive outing from Friday, as it was a dream come true to pitch well vs. the Yankees.

Many hope the strides Michael Harris II has shown in plate discipline this Spring will carry over in the season.

MLB News

Paul Skenes and the USA bullpen were amazing in a 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic to make WBC finals.

It is looking promising that Francisco Lindor will be ready for Opening Day.

The final week of spring training is upon us, with the Dodgers having just five more Cactus League games in Arizona before coming home to Southern California (and seeing a presenting sponsor on the field???). A lot of things will be decided this week.

As of Monday morning, 51 players remain in big league camp, a number that will be trimmed nearly in half within the next 10 days.

Hyeseong Kim already returned from the World Baseball Classic and played on Sunday, battling for a roster spot and a share of second base duties at the start of the regular season.

Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Edwin Díaz will be back from the World Baseball Classic, perhaps as soon as Monday, so we’ll get to see them in games this week. Ohtani last played for the Dodgers on February 21, so it will be nice to see him back in the fold.

After pitching for Japan on Saturday Yamamoto could presumably start again for the Dodgers on Friday, which would presumably line him up for the opening day start, which would be his second in a row. The Dodgers have not yet announced their plans for Game 1.

There are still rotation spots up for grabs, with River Ryan, Emmet Sheehan, and Justin Wrobleski all in the mix. Depending on how things shake out, all three might make the opening day roster, perhaps in the bullpen.

Ryan is healthy and thriving this spring after missing all of last season. Same for Kyle Hurt, who could pitch his way into the bullpen after an impressive swing.

I’m sure I missed a few things, so I’ll throw the rest out to you: What are you looking forward to seeing in this final week of spring training camp in Arizona?

Meet the Mets

Hey, remember Francisco Lindor? He’s back, in leadoff form!

While Lindor won’t officially commit to being ready and in the lineup on Opening Day, he isn’t saying he won’t, either.

On Tuesday night as Team USA goes for the gold, Nolan McLean will be on the mound.

He may not get the attention or have the pedigree of McLean, Tong, and Scott, but Zach Thornton is having himself a nice Spring Training.

The Mets made another 11 cuts to their Spring Training roster, bringing the number on the big league side of things down to a very football-ish 53 players.

Around the National League East

Over at The Good Phight, more than half of the fans who responded think that 2026 is a season of winning or getting the heave-ho for Rob Thomson.

Is the Washington Nationals’ lack of offense this Spring just another thing to chalk up to the randomness of the month-long warm-up or an actual problem that they’ll have to face?

Around Major League Baseball

The United States took down the dominant Dominican Republic team in a 2-1 game and punched their ticked for a third consecutive trip to the World Baseball Classic finals.

Italy and Venezuela will collide tonight to determine who gains entry to the finals to battle it out with the Americans.

It seems likely that Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena will get into game action before the end of Spring Training, but nobody will know if he’s ready to play in the regular season until he tests out his finger on the field.

One out away from a perfect game, the Giants proceeded to lose the perfect game, the no-hitter, and the shutout all in a row.

They’ll still have to do some tests to make sure it isn’t anything structural, but Jose Ramirez is day-to-day for the time being with what the Guardians are describing as shoulder inflammation.

Just a week into his stint as a Texas Ranger, Andrew McCutchen is more motivated than ever before and winning people over with his performance out of the gate.

Designated by the Rangers at the start of the weekend, Alexis Diaz went unclaimed and has been assigned outright to Triple-A.

Venezuelan Francisco Cervelli will be managing for Team Italy against Team Venezuela. Weird.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Brian Salvatore took a look at what is going to be Clay Holmes’ second season with the New York Mets and as a member of a big league rotation.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1961, Shea Stadium was officially funded by the New York City government.

For a pitcher who has made just seven appearances in the last two seasons combined, Tyler Wells suddenly looms very large for the 2026 Orioles. And not just because of his 6-foot-8 frame.

Wells, who hasn’t pitched in relief since 2023, enters the season as a key bullpen piece, likely serving as the late-inning setup man to closer Ryan Helsley. The right shoulder injury suffered by presumed eighth-inning guy Andrew Kittredge has created a void that Wells might be the best equipped to fill. The right-hander has a career 3.49 ERA as a reliever, holding opposing batters to a .168 average and .531 OPS. Wells briefly served as the Orioles’ closer during his rookie season in 2021 and again during the stretch run in 2023.

Most of the 2024-25 seasons were a wash for Wells, who underwent UCL revision surgery on his elbow after only three starts in 2024 and returned for just four outings last year. Entering this spring, his role was up in the air, but once the Orioles signed Chris Bassitt to bolster their starting staff, there was no potential rotation spot for Wells. The Kittredge injury further solidified the Orioles’ need for Wells in the bullpen.

The 31-year-old could be a boon to a relief corps that added nobody except Helsley and Kittredge this offseason and is filled with untested youngsters and uninspiring veterans. Wells attacks the strike zone and generally doesn’t get himself into trouble. As a reliever, he has a 1.7 BB/9 and an excellent 0.791 WHIP in 49 career games. His one bugaboo is home runs; Wells has served up nine career dingers in 67 relief innings. But at least there usually isn’t much traffic on the bases when he does so.

What do the projections say about Wells’s 2026 campaign? We’ll exclude ZiPS, which projects him as a starting pitcher, and instead look at the relief-only projections from Steamer and Baseball Reference:

• Steamer: 72 IP, 4.29 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 1.5 HR/9
• Baseball Reference: 68 IP, 3.97 ERA, 8.3 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 1.5 HR/9

Both of these projections grade Wells as an adequate but unremarkable relief pitcher this year. That may be disappointing to O’s fans who are hoping Wells could turn into a lockdown setup man and backup closer. But hey, projections are just projections. They’re no guarantee of what’s going to happen.

What do you think will happen, Camden Chatters? What kind of 2026 season will Tyler Wells have?