Worldwide Sports News

The Houston Astros (3-7-3) host the Miami Marlins (6-6) in Grapefruit League play.

RHP Jason Alexander will make his third start of the Spring opposite RHP Chris Paddack for the Marlins.

Isaac Paredes will make his first appearance at second base this spring.

TODAY’S STARTER: Today will be the third start of the Spring for RHP Jason Alexander. He was strong in his last outing, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings vs. the Mets on March 1 at Clover Park. Alexander proved to be a valuable in-season pickup for the Astros in 2025 when claimed off waivers on May 18 after being DFA’d by the Athletics. In his 14 appearances (13 starts) with HOU, he was 4-2 with a 3.66 ERA (29ER/71.1IP) with a save.

TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Sam Carlson, RHP Michael Knorr, RHP Anthony Maldonado, RHP Roddery Muñoz and RHP Alimber Santa.

VS. THE MARLINS: Today will mark the third of six Grapefruit League matchups between the Astros and Marlins this Spring. The clubs will also meet for a Spring Breakout exhibition on March 19 at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The Astros are 1-1 vs. the Marlins this Spring.

TODAY’S ROSTER MOVE: The Astros have signed veteran C Christian Vázquez to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training. Vázquez, 35, has played in 11 Major League seasons (2014, 2016-25) and has batted .250 (810×3244) with 71 home runs and 349 RBI in 993 career games. He batted .271 (36×190) in 65 games with the Twins last season.

This will mark his second stint with the Astros, as he was acquired ahead of the 2022 Trade Deadline, starting in the club’s combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the World Series, as well as the series-clinching Game 6. Vázquez is currently playing for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Saturday, March 7, 11:05 a.m. CST

Location: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL.

TV: none

Streaming: HOU video livestream (astros.com)

Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

So far, Team Panama has struggled to get things started at the plate this spring. The team managed just one run in each of its exhibition games, and one more in the WBC opener against Cuba. 

They’re facing a Puerto Rican team that has had no trouble scoring and is coming off a 5-0 shutout win in its opener. Our Panama vs. Puerto Rico predictions and World Baseball Classic best bets call for Team Puerto Rico to keep it rolling.

Panama vs Puerto Rico prediction

Panama vs Puerto Rico best bet: Puerto Rico -1.5 (78¢ at Kalshi)

Team Puerto Rico has scored 13 runs in three games, nearly scoring as many runs as Panama has hits.

The Puerto Ricans also got strong pitching in Friday’s opener, striking out nine Colombians in a 5-0 win in front of a raucous home crowd. They also scored five in an exhibition win over Boston, and three in a loss to the Twins.  

Panama, meanwhile, was beaten by the Yankees, 11-1, in a game stopped in the eighth inning due to the mercy rule. They also managed just one run in losses to the Tigers and in the WBC opener against Cuba. 

Panama vs Puerto Rico players to watch

Panama’s Johan Camargo, an infielder who last played in MLB in 2023, hit .300 with an .812 OPS in the Mexican League last year. He’s hit in all three of Team Panama’s games and has more than a quarter of the team’s base hits with a .500 average.

Puerto Rico’s Eddie Rosario hit .313 at Triple-A last year and has hits in all three of Puerto Rico’s games, impressive considering he was only in the starting lineup for one of them.

He’s been on base five times, driven in two runs, and scored two. He also stole a base.

Panama vs Puerto Rico odds

• Moneyline: Panama 15¢ | Puerto Rico 86¢
• Run line: Panama +1.5 | Puerto Rico -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 4.5 | Under 4.5 

How to watch Panama vs Puerto Rico and game info

Panama vs Puerto Rico weather

78F, 15 mph winds, 10% PoP.

What is Kalshi and how does it work?

Kalshi is a federally regulated U.S. exchange where you trade directly on the outcome of real-world future events. Instead of traditional bets, you trade "Event Contracts" which are simple Yes/No questions like "Will the Eagles win this Sunday?" These events are priced between $0.01 and $0.99, and the prices reflect the market’s estimated probability of that event occurring. For instance, $0.55 equals a 55% chance. If your prediction is correct, the contract pays out exactly $1.00; if not, it settles at $0. Kalshi is essentially a stock market for reality.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

*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.

Another day, another CPL to get started. This round’s voting was close but we have our first full-time reliever on the list in Eduarniel Nunez. The right-hander, who came from the Miller/Sears trade with the Padres, has a high-octane fastball and a wipeout slider but massive control problems will put a cap on his potential. If he can harness his repertoire, we could have our future closer on hand.

The next player joining the voting is outfielder Breyson Guedez. While Shotaro Morii drew more of the attention during last year’s international signing period, Guedez is no slouch himself. A product out of Venezuela, Guedez is a quality hitter in the batter’s box though how much power he’ll develop is a major question mark. He’s not a burner on the basepaths and he’s considered an average outfielder in one of the corners so he’s really going to have to impress with his approach at the plate as he gets older and rises through the system.

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!

* * *

A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

1. Leo De Vries, SS
2. Jamie Arnold, LHP
3. Gage Jump, LHP
4. Wei-En Lin, LHP
5. Braden Nett, RHP
6. Henry Bolte, OF
7. Johenssy Colome, SS
8. Edgar Montero, SS
9. Steven Echavarria, RHP
10. Devin Taylor, OF
11. Mason Barnett, RHP
12. Tommy White, 3B
13. Henry Baez, RHP
14. Zane Taylor, RHP
15. Cole Miller, RHP
16. Gunnar Hoglund, RHP
17. Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP
18. Junior Perez, OF
19. Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, SS
20. Kade Morris, RHP
21. Yunior Tur, RHP
22. Eduarniel Nunez, RHP

The voting continues! Time to vote for the 23rd-best prospect in the A’s farm. 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:

Breyson Guedez OF

Expected level: Low-A | Age: 18

2025 stats (ROK): 210 PA, .359/.395/.490, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HR, 46 RBI, 14 BB, 20 K, 5 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 40 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Guedez has a knack for hitting. His swing is smooth through the zone with good barrel control and impressive hand-eye coordination that allows him to get to pitches both inside and outside of the zone. He does tend to chase at a high rate, though that is not uncommon for a teenager. There isn’t much power to his game at this point, and the A’s are unsure how much will come even as he fills out his 5-foot-11 frame.

Guedez’s defense is considered average with an average arm, which likely limits him to a corner outfield spot. He was one of the more fun players to watch for the A’s player development staff down in the Dominican Republic this past summer, but with his no standout defensive attribute and underwhelming power, he will have to rely on his strong hit tool to carry him through the system.

A.J. Causey, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (A+/AA): 1.72 ERA, 48 appearances, 73 1/3 IP, 75 K, 18 BB, 0 HR, 2.28 FIP

Causey thrives with a fastball that hovers around 90 mph, but that’s because he has a funky sidearm delivery that helps him get crazy movement and deception with his arsenal. Causey excelled in his first full pro season, posting a 1.72 ERA across High-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He’s a fast mover with a different look that could add to the Royals’ bullpen in the coming years.

Causey began the year with a sinker, changeup and sweeper, but he added a four-seam fastball this season to help him at the top of the zone. After years of working on adding a cutter, Causey finally found something that works with the four-seamer.

Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 25

2025 stats (AA): 4.08 ERA, 26 starts (28 appearances), 145 2/3 IP, 145 K, 35 BB, 22 HR, 4.19 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 45 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

Zhuang leans heavily on his four-seam fastball that he can change speeds quite a bit with, throwing heaters that range anywhere from 86-96 mph, though it generally sits in the low-90s. His low-80s changeup has emerged as his best secondary pitch. He also brings a mid-70s curveball, low-80s slider and mixes in a low-80s splitter, providing a decent starter repertoire.

Zhuang, nicknamed ‘Z-Man’ within the organization, did a good job of staying healthy last season to silence some previous injury concerns. But while he has above-average command and enough pitches to remain a starter in the Minors, questions still remain about the effectiveness of his offspeed stuff, especially against higher competition, which could eventually lead to him switching to a bullpen role where his fastball can play up in shorter stints.

Gavin Turley, OF

Expected level: A+ | Age: 22

2025 stats (A): 125 PA, .243/.336/.430, 8 doubles, 0 triples, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 14 BB, 34 K, 0 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Turley falls in line with similar A’s draft picks in recent years — like Denzel Clarke and Rodney Green Jr. — as a toolsy outfielder with some concerns about his ability to make consistent contact. He’s got big power and is able to drive the ball out to all fields with great bat speed, but his strikeout rates throughout his career with the Beavers were somewhat alarming. The question over whether he can hit enough to tap into that raw power is something he’ll have to prove early in his pro career. He has a tendency to chase breaking stuff often, though he mitigates that issue somewhat with his strong ability to draw walks.

A big knock on Turley coming out of college was poor defense, but the A’s believe he is plenty athletic and speedy enough to improve and envision that happening as he grows into his 6-foot-1 frame. His body type and look in the box remind some within the organization of Mark Canha, and he’ll look to move through the system as a power-hitting corner outfielder.

Ryan Lasko, OF

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (ROK/A/AAA): 375 PA, .244/.355/.343, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 46 BB, 86 K, 14 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 40 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 40

Lasko is still trying to learn his craft from an offensive standpoint. He brings good plate discipline and bat speed, but pitch recognition is something he’s still working to improve. The A’s have also worked with him to rein in his high intensity during games. The power element he showed in college has also yet to show up much in pro ball.

Defense is Lasko’s calling card. He’s a plus defender in the outfield with a great arm and plays center field fearlessly with high energy. His speed is evident in his range, as well as on the basepaths. He’s another talented center fielder in the A’s system who could one day provide stellar defense in the Majors, but the hit tool is something he’ll have to continue improving to become anything more than a fourth outfielder at the highest level.

* * *

Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your vote!

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

Earlier this week I asked you the following question in the SB Nation Reacts survey: Which two of these non-roster outfielders will make the Opening Day roster? That question referred to Dylan Carlson, Chas McCormick and Michael Conforto, all of whom are in Cubs Spring Training camp as non-roster players.

Here are the results:

This seems like the right answer. Carlson is batting .421/.577/.526 (8-for-19) with five walks and Conforto is 2-for-5 with a pair of walks and a double in the two games he’s played so far. The Cubs could use someone who could play center field occasionally to rest Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Carlson has significant experience there, though he played only 14 games there in 2025. But again, this is just a “start a handful of games” situation, and 14 games might just about do it.

Carlson’s also a switch-hitter, and that should help out the bench.

Conforto has hit well in past years, hitting 20 home runs in 130 games for the Giants in 2024. He had a down year in 2025, but just turned 33 and likely has something left in the tank.

Two spots on the bench are probably open after the injury to Tyler Austin, which reportedly will keep him out for “months.” The Cubs have guys they can place on the 60-day injured list to open up 40-man roster spots for Carlson and Conforto, if that’s the way they choose to go.

Here are the results of the national questions asked in the SB Nation Reacts survey.

I’m actually surprised it’s “only” 82 percent. I think the ABS challenge system is fantastic. It will eliminate a fair number of bad calls, especially the ones Jim Deshaies loves to call “egregious.” Interestingly, Jayson Stark of The Athletic wrote an article the other day about whether this system would eliminate manager ejections. The consensus: Most of them — but not all:

“Oh, don’t worry,” one umpire predicted this spring. “We’ll still eject them. They’ll find something. They have to vent.”

I tend to agree with this one, too. In particular reference to the Cubs, it has appeared over Seiya Suzuki’s four seasons in MLB that he’s gotten jobbed on a lot of close calls. I would think he’ll be a major beneficiary of this system. So, for that matter, will be former Cub Kyle Schwarber.

Can you think of any other hitters this system will benefit?

This edition of SB Nation Reacts is sponsored by FanDuel.

Friday was the first full slate of WBC pool play action, and a lot of stuff happened. As expected, there were a lot of blowouts — both because of the fundamental talent mismatch, but also because these games are still Spring Training-y with the pitch count restrictions and the overall dearth of pitching talent, so all it takes is for one subpar pitching performance against a high-quality lineup to let things get out of hand.

If you’re only here to read about the Braves, well:

• Ronald Acuña Jr.: 1-for-4, 2B, BB, K. One flyout would’ve been an extra-base hit at Truist (off the right field wall), another was mashed but right at the center fielder.
• Ozzie Albies: 0-for-4, one hard groundout, two weak groundouts, and a popout.
• Chadwick Tromp: 0-for-3 with a walk, two strikeouts, and a weak flyout.
• Nacho Alvarez Jr.: 1-for-3 with a mashed homer, a walk, and a strikeout.

Alright, onto the games:

Japan 13, Taiwan 0. An expected mercy rule slaughter in this game. Shohei Ohtani doubled in the first but ended up stranded, only to hit a grand slam in the second. Not that the Samurai were done then, as they put up a ten-spot in total in the frame, scoring six more times after the slam. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was pretty meh with a 2/3 K/BB ratio in 2 2/3, but Taiwan didn’t get anything going. Taiwan collected just one hit in this game, though they did draw five walks.

Cuba 3, Panama 1. Of all the games, this one was probably the most tense. Logan Allen got the start for Panama and made a lot of Cuban hitters look silly with five strikeouts in three frames… but he also got popped for two homers: Yoelkis Guibert pulled a laser down the right-field line for a solo shot in the second, and then Yoan Moncada crushed a two-run homer in the next inning. Cuba’s first two pitchers, Livan Moinelo and Yariel Rodriguez, were adept at handling Panama’s bats (six total innings, 7/2 K/BB ratio), but things got more interesting against what I guess is the softer part of Cuba’s bullpen. Emmanuel Chapman labored through four batters in which Johan Camargo knocked in Panama’s only run with a weak single past the infield. Panama got a one-out double in the ninth but that was it. I was really impressed by Panamanian arm Dario Agrazal, who washed out of the minors years ago but dominated the Cuban bats for two very clean frames.

Venezuela 6, Netherlands 2. This game ended up being closer than you’d think given that the relatively unheralded Oranje pitchers had to face down basically an All-Star lineup. Antwone Kelly looked overmatched against the Venezuelan attack, but the game was still just 2-1 after two. Ronald Acuña Jr. doubled on the first pitch he saw and later scored on Luis Arraez spraying one through the infield, but Druw Jones ripped a hard groundball double (on a pitch that wasn’t a strike and probably shouldn’t have been pulled) to plate a run with Ranger Suarez pitching for Venezuela. But, Javier Sanoja took Kelly deep to reclaim the lead.

The next few frames were quiet, but the entry of Jaydenn Estanista (a fringe prospect in the Phillies system) opened the door for Venezuela: HBP, walk, misplayed bunt, walk added a run, and then a couple of singles off Eric Mendez blew the game open. Luinder Avila struggled a bit to start the sixth with a HBP and walk of his own, but it led to just a lone run on a sac fly as Jose Butto came in to restore order. That capped the scoring — Acuña’s hard smash getting caught stopped more scoring by Venezuela, and Daniel Palencia looked destructive as he slammed the door in the ninth.

Mexico 8, Great Britain 2. This was one of those games that arguably shouldn’t have been close at all, but only actually stopped being close/interesting at the end. Boston farmhand Jack Anderson looked great through three frames, his efforts marred only by a Nacho Alvarez Jr. mash job of a solo homer (of all things). In the sixth, Harry Ford returned the favor with a solo shot of his own, and this game was weirdly tied, with Great Britain actually clogging the bases more frequently against real MLB starter Javier Assad than Mexico was able to.

The eighth, though, led to more “restored order” in terms of aligning to expectations. Gary Gill Hill had looked fine in the seventh and struck out the first two in the eighth… only to then walk two straight on ten pitches. That led to his replacement by onetime Braves prospect Tristan Beck to face the lefty-swinging Jonathan Aranda (who had a ..380+ xwOBA last year!!!), and Aranda hit a routine opposite-fit field fly ball that nonetheless went for a three-run homer because the venue for this game included the Crawford Boxes. Mexico then added four more against Graham Spraker and company in the ninth, so in the end, this was a blowout, but it never really felt that way until the end. Mexico used eight different pitchers in this one and they kind of struggled considering the quality of the opposition relative to their own caliber as mostly major leaguers, so that was weird to see.

Puerto Rico 5, Colombia 0. This game was scoreless in every single frame but one. Jose Quintana threw three no-hit innings with a 1/1 K/BB ratio for Colombia, and was replaced by Adrian Almeida, who struck out the Puerto Rican side in the fourth. In the fifth, though, there were three singles and a Gio Urshela error before Almeida recorded an out, and then even more ball-in-play stuff finding holes, such that Puerto Rico jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Unlike their opponents, Colombia never managed to sequence or cluster their baserunners, and didn’t score any runs as a result.

Dominican Republic 12, Nicaragua 3. There was a point… actually two points, where Nicaragua held a lead in this game. But, the heavily favored D.R. team scored nine of its 12 runs in its final three offensive frames. Nicaragua scored three times off Cristopher Sanchez and his defense in the first two innings, and led 3-2 until Julio Rodriguez tied it with a single in the bottom of the third. Junior Caminero’s homer off Stiven Cruz broke the tie in the sixth, while Rodriguez and Oneil Cruz added homers in a six-run eighth. Nicaragua’s pitching staff was understandably overwhelmed (4/7 K/BB ratio) but somehow their batters avoided the strikeout, as a bunch of MLB-quality arms on the D.R. side only managed a 6/2 K/BB ratio (with Sanchez accounting for four of those strikeouts).

USA 15, Brazil 5. Another game that was close until the Stars and Stripes plated seven and nearly doubled their run total in the ninth. Aaron Judge popped a two-run dinger on a 3-0 pitch a few minutes into the game, but Anaheim farmhand Lucas Ramirez took Logan Webb deep in response. Webb largely dominated as expected (6/0 K/BB in four frames), but Brazil’s Victor Masai popped a three-run homer off Michael Wacha (5/0 K/BB in three frames otherwise) to make it a three-run game. Ramirez later connected on a second dinger, this time off Braves legend Gabe Speier. The ninth-inning explosion came against a trio of pitchers without any experience as professionals, as Team USA drew five walks in a single frame along with some hits and whatnot to make it a laugher in the end.

Taiwan 14, Czechia 0. I mean, yeah. Taiwan took a drubbing per the first blurb in this post, and then returned the favor on poor Czechia. Czechia’s beleaguered pitching staff had a 6/8 K/BB ratio and gave up a grand slam to another Braves legend, Stuart Fairchild, in the second. Czechia’s bats did stuff in at least one prior game in pool play but not here, as a quartet of Taiwanese arms posted a 10/1 K/BB ratio, and Czechia only had two runners reach second base, with just one coming after Terrin Vavra’s leadoff double in the first.

There’s another sizable slate of games on Saturday — eight in total, including one where we already know Japan beat Korea by a very non-dominant 8-6 tally. Keep an eye on Nicaragua-Netherlands, where the Oranje are gonna have to do something to avoid visions of an early exit.

Baseball careers are often remembered for a single moment. Sometimes it’s a walk-off hit or a championship performance. Other times, it’s even more strange. Like a game stopped by controversy, resumed weeks later in an empty stadium, and remembered forever for a bat covered in pine tar and a player charging like a bull out of the dugout.

Mike Armstrong was the winning pitcher in one of the most famous games in baseball history.

That moment of notoriety did little to help him once he arrived in New York, where his Yankees tenure became defined less by what happened on the field and more by a public feud with both his owner and his manager. Perhaps it was the memory of that one game or perhaps he was just an unfortunate victim of the Steinbrenner and Martin feud.

Michael Dennis Armstrong
Born: March 7, 1954 (Glen Cove, NY)
Yankees Tenure: 1984–86

A native of Glen Cove on Long Island, Armstrong’s path to the majors was anything but direct. Drafted out of high school in 1972, he chose instead to attend the University of Miami before becoming a first-round selection of the Reds in the 1974 MLB Draft. Years of minor-league development followed before he finally got a cup of coffee in the majors with the Padres in 1980.

Armstrong was never a flamethrower. He built his career as a reliever through durability and adaptability, pitching wherever managers needed a few innings grinded out rather than dominating with overpowering stuff. After early seasons spent moving between the majors and minors, he found stability with the Kansas City Royals in 1982 and 1983.

That stability produced perhaps the best season of his career. In 1983, Armstrong appeared in 58 games, won 10 contests, and logged more than 100 innings out of the bullpen with a 3.86 ERA. More importantly, he found himself at the center of baseball history.

On July 24, 1983, the Yankees and Royals played what would become known simply as the “Pine Tar Game.” George Brett appeared to hit a go-ahead home run off Goose Gossage before Yankees manager Billy Martin argued that Brett’s bat contained excessive pine tar. Home-plate umpire Tim McClelland’s ruling erased the homer, chaos followed, and Brett famously stormed onto the field in protest. The game ended in confusion and was later ordered resumed by American League president Lee MacPhail nearly a month afterward, with only four outs left to play in an empty Yankee Stadium.

Armstrong, who had pitched earlier in the original contest, was ultimately credited with the victory (retiring a young, pinch-hitting Don Mattingly as part of his two innings of work). Few pitchers have ever earned a win under stranger circumstances.

“It was wild,” Armstrong later recalled, describing returning to finish a major-league game in complete silence, dressed in uniform with no fans present. The bizarre victory became the defining highlight of his career. And within months, he was actually traded to New York.

In December 1983, the Yankees acquired Armstrong from Kansas City in a deal that sent slugging first baseman Steve Balboni to the Royals, a move that quickly began to unravel. Armstrong arrived at spring training in 1984 with arm soreness, prompting owner George Steinbrenner to publicly complain that the Yankees had received “damaged goods.” Steinbrenner even appealed to commissioner Bowie Kuhn in an attempt to void the trade.

The appeal failed, but the damage was already done. Before Armstrong threw a meaningful pitch for the Yankees, his owner had openly questioned whether he belonged on the roster at all. He did not make his Yankees debut until June 16, 1984 (which happened to be Lou Piniella Day and the end of the Yankee great’s playing career).

When Armstrong finally took the mound, he performed reasonably well — especially after shaking off the jitters of the two-run debut above. Across 36 relief appearances that season, he recorded a 3.48 ERA and a 4.06 FIP, numbers that suggested a useful bullpen arm capable of contributing to a competitive club. It would also prove to be the high point of his Yankees career.

Over the next two seasons, Armstrong bounced repeatedly between Triple-A Columbus and the Bronx. Roles shifted, opportunities became inconsistent, and any sense of stability proved difficult to maintain. Complicating matters further was his relationship with on-again/off-again Yankees skipper manager Billy Martin.

Martin publicly criticized Armstrong in the press, stating he had never liked him dating back to his Kansas City days and openly questioning his ability to retire left-handed hitters. For a reliever already fighting for innings, the comments created an uphill battle.

“You feel like you’re working against your own manager,” Armstrong later said, capturing the frustration of trying to succeed while lacking organizational support.

The Yankees of the mid-1980s were defined by volatility, constant roster churn, and public criticism from ownership. Armstrong found himself squarely in the middle of that environment. Demotions followed, appearances became sporadic, and at one point he openly requested his release, believing the organization had mishandled his development from the start.

By April 1987, after refusing a minor-league assignment, the Yankees released him. He finished his MLB career later that season with Cleveland, closing an eight-year run in the big leagues.

Armstrong’s career totals — a 19–17 record with a 4.10 ERA — do not immediately stand out on paper. But statistics rarely capture context. He remains forever linked to one of baseball’s most famous controversies, credited with perhaps the most unusual victory a pitcher has ever earned, and remembered as one of the many players who experienced firsthand the intensity of the George Steinbrenner years.

For a hometown pitcher returning to New York, the story never unfolded the way anyone expected or would have hoped. Baseball history often remembers its stars, but just as often it remembers moments and the players caught inside them. Happy 72nd birthday, Mike.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Vidal Brujan was once a top prospect, bouncing around the back half of top-100 lists in the late 2010s and early 2020s. He was lauded for his bat-to-ball skills, above average approach, standout speed, and defensive flexibility as he worked his way up Tampa’s system. The latter scouting call has certainly born out – Brujan has appeared at every position except catcher in the big leagues, logging significant time at second, third, short, and on the outfield grass. Everything else though, not so much.

Brujan has stolen only 16 bases since debuting in 2021 while being caught 14 times and hasn’t actually had above average sprint speed since 2022. He’s never walked all that much and, more relevantly, has never posted an above average SEAGER in the big leagues, typically sitting around 20% below league average. And the contact skills have been more good than great, certainly not enough to buoy the rest of the profile. Couple that with anemic damage on contact numbers and you get a player with a career 54 wRC+ and -2.0 fWAR.

If for some reason you remember Andrew Romine, that’s the sort of player we’re talking about here. Romine had an 11-year career as a utility man, accruing a net 0.0 fWAR and posting a career line 40% below league average. He also became just the fifth player to ever appear at all nine positions in a single game in 2017, the last such player to do it. Brujan has a very similar skill set, though you’d ideally hope the games down the stretch matter enough to the Mets that they can’t make time for it.

This archetype of player is simply not as common anymore. With the notable exception of Kiké Hernandez and the Dodgers (who I would assume keeps getting brought back for clubhouse reasons rather than on-field contributions), good teams are not prioritizing extremely limited offensive players who can stand at a bunch of spots without actually being very good anywhere. Even the Brewers, who loved multi-position flexibility under David Stearns and continue to under his successors, have rarely rostered a player with this level of anemic output.

This leaves Brujan – and other players like him – squeezed out of modern roster construction. Without a surprising late-career improvement to his approach, damage, or speed, there’s limited utility keeping him on the bench, particularly with the infield flexibility already offered by the Mets starters (Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, Brett Baty, and Jorge Polanco can all move around). The injury to Grae Kessinger may have cleared the path to an early-season utility role with Francisco Lindor still working his way back from a hamate injury. Beyond that, the life span of this sort of throwback reserve is limited.

The other day, I posted a short piece about how the Phillies not winning a World Series title does not mean they haven’t had a successful season. There was a short survey to ask your opinion, so here are those results.

It’s interesting that the results are somewhat varied. Success can vary from person to person as at least one in five believe they have to win a championship to be considered successful. Yet the majority of people who voted believe they have to win a series as the bare minimum to feeling good about the season.

The National League does have some solid competition for the pennant this year. Everyone is chasing the Dodgers of course, but the Phillies can pretty solidly be lumped into a group with the Mets and (maybe) the Cubs as being threats to dethroning the defending champions. Your view on whether the Brewers can keep doing what they’re doing will likely shape how much of a chance you think they have and whether or not you would place them in that same bin.

Yet there are several other teams that are sprightly enough to give anyone a challenge in a playoff series. The Padres, Braves, maybe the Reds and Pirates, mayyyyyyybe the Giants and Diamondbacks, all of them have rosters that we can squint and tilt our head a certain way to visualize their being able to make the playoffs, making the National League quite competitive this year.

Focusing back on the Phillies, there needs to be something that stems the tide this season. They’ve take a few steps back in terms of how they have finished each season since making their World Series appearance in 2022, so taking a playoff series would go a long way to helping with perception. Is that the bare minimum? As you can, there is a good amount of you that believe that. If they don’t win a playoff series? Then those wholesale changes many are looking for with the organization might end up happening.

This article was brought to you by FanDuel.