MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 14: Ronald Acuña Jr. #21 of Team Venezuela rounds the bases after his home run during the first inning against Team Japan during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot park on March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Tuesday! The Mariners are back in action today against the Colorado Rockies at 1:10 PM, with the starting pitcher yet to be announced.
In some non-baseball news, it’s time for March Madness! One of my personal favorite times of the year. If you think you have what it takes to beat both staff writers and commenters, or if you’re just in it for the love of the game, sign up for our Lookout Landing March Madness bracket pool. Updates of bracket standings will be posted in the Moose Tracks as the tournament goes on, and who knows, there might even be some fun prizes involved for the winner. Brackets officially lock on Thursday morning, good luck to all!
Lookout Landing is collecting your preseason predictions to include in our annual predicitions article. Fill out the form here.
In the World Baseball Classic…
An electric seventh-inning rally from Venezuela started by Ronald Acuña Jr. propelled them to a 4-2 win over Italy in the WBC semifinals. They will matchup against Team USA in an exciting final tonight at 5 PM.
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)
Surprise, AZ - February 21: Matt Waldron #61 of the San Diego Padres throws during a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals on February 21, 2026 in Surprise, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
With six games remaining in the San Diego Padres spring schedule, and a roster deadline coming quickly, tough decisions are around the corner.
The announcement by manager Craig Stammen that Joe Musgrove will start the season on the IL should have come as no surprise to anyone who has noticed his absence since his first start on March 4. His following bullpen resulted in being placed on a “hold” and he hasn’t pitched since.
Walker Buehler, in camp on a minor league deal, made a strong start on March 10 where he featured his off-speed pitches and only threw eight fastballs among his 68 pitches and 3.2 innings in a win versus the Los Angeles Angels.
Ya, it was Buehler's day ON today.
Seven punchies, five scoreless, mixed a ton of different pitches. Could he crack the Padres rotation?? pic.twitter.com/hfuzrP8PUp
Although results are not to be trusted in spring, his improvement over the past weeks shows that learning to pitch using all his pitches is progressing well. With the loss of Musgrove for the start of the season, Buehler should have a job. The deadline for adding him to the roster is March 21, his first opt-out opportunity.
The rest of the competitors
Germán Márquez has had very inconsistent results since he joined the Padres on a major league contract. If his struggles continue (12.15 ERA in 6.2 IP) there could be a different pitcher filling the fifth rotation spot. No matter how they start the season, the Padres will have to name a fifth starter within the first couple of weeks. Using an opener or a bullpen start is a short-term fix. They have two off-days within the first eight games so they can take a little time to figure out their approach, possibly using a four-man rotation and carrying nine pitchers in the bullpen.
It seems obvious that neither Tristan McKenzie nor Marco Gonzales have been effective enough to seriously contend for that spot. Lefty JP Sears has had moments during his appearances but has also shown command issues and has not been consistent. His velocity is up on his fastball, but he appears to need more time to master the strike zone.
Matt Waldron is ready to pitch again after recovering from his surgery but will need time to build up to a starter length and perform well. His velocity has also increased on his fastball in his limited look before his surgery, but he is out of options and will have to make the team or be put on waivers before he could be sent to the minors after the IL.
Handling the injured
Besides Musgrove and Waldron, several other Padres are dealing with injury issues, and their status complicates the final roster decisions.
Super-utility Sung-Mun Song has not appeared in a game since aggravating his oblique but has been hitting off a tee and is on a progression toward a slow return.
Yuki Matsui has also not appeared in a game and threw a bullpen on March 14. Jason Adam has had field drills and sim games, next is his Cactus League debut and there will be an assessment after that. He is still aiming for Opening Day.
Bryan Hoeing is having flexor tendon surgery and will be on the 60-day IL for the season. He will join Griffin Canning and Jhony Brito, who will miss at least a couple months.
Infielder Will Wagner has an oblique strain and catcher Blake Hunt is also sidelined with an oblique injury.
If Song isn’t available, both Ty France and Jose Miranda have had great spring performances and could be named to the roster. France has a March 21 opt-out as his first opportunity to have a job here or elsewhere.
Yu Darvish visit
Yu Darvish flew from Tokyo to Miami with a stop in Peoria, Ariz. to visit the Peoria Sports Complex last week. With the elimination of Japan from the WBC, Darvish should be back in Arizona with the Padres soon.
Bullpen decisions
At this point the performances of David Morgan, Bradgley Rodriguez, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada and Kyle Hart would dictate that they are all on the roster for the start of the season. Hart, Estrada and Morgan haven’t allowed a run and the others all have low ERAs. Adding Wandy Peralta, who should be back from the WBC in a day or so, allows for one or two more pitchers for the bullpen.
Assuming Matsui is not ready, the last spot(s) will belong to Mason Miller and maybe one other pitcher. If there are eight to start, then that is the bullpen and Logan Gillaspie does not make the roster despite an impressive performance and no minor league options.
Luis Campusano
The backup catcher, who has not had a good offensive spring showing, got a vote of confidence from manager Craig Stammen when asked about the catcher’s status.
“What we’re most concerned about with Campy is what he’s doing behind the plate, and he’s done really well behind the plate,” Stammen said. “… There’s always competition for everything. Every time you take an at-bat, every time you step behind the dish, anytime you’re on base, you’re competing. With Campy, we’re very satisfied with who he is and what he’s done this spring with our pitching staff, and he’s got a pretty strong hold on that second spot.”
Campusano will have more time to improve his offensive performance as he has been concentrating on his defense and working with the pitchers. His Triple-A performance from last season will buy him time with his manager.
Opening Day
It still looks like Nick Pivetta will be the starter on March 26 against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park. Stammen is not willing to discuss it, but Pivetta should have another start on March 19 and then could throw limited innings, a sim game or live BP on the March 22 or March 23 to get ready for Opening Day.
Should they decide to go with Michael King instead, he is due to start March 18, and they could maneuver him in the same way to get ready for the big day. Either would be a good choice and one would likely follow the other with Randy Vasquez pitching the third game of the season.
Minor League camp in full swing
The Padres have reassigned many of their non-roster invitees and non-competitive roster players to the minor league training camp. Last week, outfielder Tirso Ornelas, catcher Blake Hunt (oblique injury), pitcher Garrett Hawkins and catcher Anthony Vilar were all sent down. There are 54 players in major league camp.
As the Mets shook up their roster over the course of the offseason, the biggest names added to the bullpen were Devin Williams and Luke Weaver. But in late January, the Mets inked 39-year-old right-handed reliever Luis García to a modest one-year deal, and he remains a very likely candidate to make the team’s Opening Day roster.
García’s big league career began in 2013 with the Phillies, and he remained in Philadelphia through the end of the 2018 season. Since then, he’s pitched for the Angles, Rangers, and Padres, had a second stint with the Angels, pitched for the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Nationals, and ended the 2025 season with a third stint with the Angels.
In total, García has a 4.07 ERA and a 3.92 FIP in 583.1 innings in his major league career. And over the past two seasons, during which he’s pitched for the final four aforementioned clubs, he has a 4.17 ERA and a 3.68 FIP. Perhaps the Mets were particularly high on his 2025 season, which saw him end the year with a 3.42 ERA and a 3.28 FIP, both of which were his best marks since his very good 2021 and 2022 seasons.
García is not a strikeout machine, having put up 20 percent strikeout rates in each of the past two seasons and peaked at just 26.3 percent in 2022. His walk rate was atypically high last year at 11.2 percent, at least compared to the standard he’d established over the four seasons that preceded that one with a 7.0 percent walk rate. He offset the potential damage that those walks could’ve done by limiting home runs to just 0.33 per nine innings pitched. He’s given up 0.82 per nine in his career and combined to give up 1.06 per nine in 2023 and 2024.
A three-pitch pitcher, García didn’t make any drastic alterations to his pitch usage last year. He threw his sinker a plurality of the time rather than the majority, continuing an overall trend that’s seen him throw the pitch slightly less often over the past few years. He upped his usage of his slider and splitter a bit, and the most notable distinction in that data is that he threw the splitter more often last year than he had in any other season, albeit by a relatively small margin.
Last year, García still threw pretty hard, averaging just shy of 97 miles per hour on his fastball, which put him in the 87th percentile according to Statcast. The rest of his metrics there aren’t super encouraging, but he did remain pretty good at inducing ground balls. Should he continue to do that, the Mets’ infield defense will go a long way in determining his effectiveness, especially if the K rate doesn’t improve from last year.
As for projections, there are no real surprises in the ones published at FanGraphs. Every system sees García finishing the 2026 season with a regular major league reliever workload, an ERA in the high threes or low fours, and a FIP that pretty much lines up with it. Given his long major league track record, options haven’t been on the table for years, which means the Mets will have to expose him to waivers if they want to choose to cut him at any point this season. Based on the events of the past couple of years, though, he’d almost certainly get claimed on waivers by another team. If he starts the season strong, expect him to stick around.
The Detroit Red Wings picked up a badly-needed two points on Monday evening, securing a 5-2 victory over the lowly Calgary Flames at Little Caesars Arena.
Future Hall of Fame forward Patrick Kane scored twice, while the Red Wings also got goals from Emmitt Finnie, Moritz Seider, and Dominik Shine (empty-net).
They also got 25 saves from goaltender John Gibson, who turned in another strong performance for Detroit, who can now turn their attention toward the impending divisional clash against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
"It's nice, enjoy it, and get ready for Thursday; you can't dwell on any games," Gibson said afterward of the win. "It's too close. But it's exciting. You ask anybody, and this is what you want to be playing for; you can't be nervous (about) the pressure. You have to take it head-on and have fun with it."
Gibson had to be sharp early after a turnover in Detroit's own defensive zone led to a direct chance in front of the net from Joel Farabee; he robbed his golden chance with a windmill-style glove save.
John Gibson robs Joel Farabee with the glove. Good start for the Flames early in the 1st.
Gibson has been one of the NHL's best goaltenders since the beginning of January, and his swagger between the pipes has aided the Red Wings.
Head coach Todd McLellan made special note of not only how well Gibson has played, but the communication he provides to the team at the bench during television timeouts.
“I don't know if you could put a number on how big it is, but you can just feel it, Gibby does have that swagger," McLellan said. "When he comes to the bench during the timeouts, and he's in total control and command of the game, and he sees things that the forwards and D need as reminders, he's barking, and they're listening."
“Once that started, his game really started to go. It's still like that, and it's huge. You have to have goaltending at this time of the year.”
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BOSTON, MA - MARCH 16: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics is fouled by Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns as he hits him in the face during the second half at TD Garden on March 16, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
#1 – Call your team, the Jay’s are back
Slowly but surely, the synergy between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum is coming back. There hasn’t been a big highlight with an alley-oop yet, but some plays are showing that they can both be so impactful together.
This pick-and-roll manipulation from Tatum with Luka Garza’s screen breaks the Suns’ defensive shell and, despite having three players in front of him, JT finds JB in the corner. The defense collapses even more, Brown swings it to Garza, and that’s an easy one.
Over Jaylen Brown’s six assists, three were for Jayson Tatum. Having JT pass away from JB, with all his improvement in reading two-vs-one situations, is just too much to handle for the defense.
Because JT isn’t just a regular shooter next to JB. If the defense closes too hard, or sends two players by mistake, he can already drive and make sure to use the gap in the defense to capitalize on JB’s first drive.
Both Jay’s had a great night against a fierce defense, and it all started with Brown’s willingness to get to the line no matter what.
#2 – Brown energy shifted early
At the end of the first quarter, Jaylen Brown had made just one field goal, yet he was up to 11 points. The Celtics’ leading scorer quickly understood that the calls would be made last night, so he drove to the rim. Relentlessly.
This level of aggression was particularly oriented towards Jalen Green, probably one of the worst defenders among the Phoenix Suns’ core rotation. The 2024 Finals MVP went at this mismatch, forced great positions for himself in the post, and just went after the former Rocket.
This most impressive drive came a little later and was concluded by a beautiful pass to Pritchard, who swung it to Baylor Scheierman for a corner three. With great gravity comes great responsibility, and Brown is showing how much he has learned to deal with the space he creates for his teammates.
As he kept on driving, Jaylen finished with 41 points, 21 free-throw attempts, and well-deserved MVP chants that echoed with the chants he got in South Boston a couple of days ago.
Jaylen Brown on hearing MVP chants from the home crowd:
"It's pretty cool, I'm not gonna lie. It's pretty awesome to be at this point in my career and get that love from the fans…I got some MVP chants in Southie. I think that might've been a little cooler."
Who wouldn’t dream of a player who can play both the ball-handler and the roll man in a pick-and-roll situation? Well, the Celtics have him, and he is just getting started.
On this first bucket from the Celtics, Neemias Queta plays the roll man and sets a beautiful flare screen for Tatum, who uses his speed with the ball. His gravity forces a second defender to help, and he finds the Portuguese big man on the roll. Well done.
A few possessions later, Tatum becomes the screener in the pick-and-roll. His screen quality creates a switch, and he gets the mismatch he was looking for. He traps the defender on his back before getting the ball, rolls to the rim, and that’s a layup.
Two buckets at the rim he generated, once as a ball-handler, once as a roll man. It doesn’t get much better than that.
#4 – Derrick White’s Celtics
When the second quarter started, both Jaylen and Jayson were sitting on the bench, leaving the creation to White. And you know what? He scored 13 of the first 16 points in that quarter. It all started with a good old pull-up from three above a mismatch created by Queta’s screen.
Then, the Celtics use Queta as a ball-handler to put pressure on the Suns’ off-ball defense. As the big man gets the ball, Sam Hauser sets a slip screen for White. His quick cut to the rim attracts two defenders with him, and there you go, an open three for the Defensive Player of the Month.
On the next play, he is off-ball while Scheierman and Hauser go into a two-man action. The drive and Queta’s cut create an imbalance in the Suns’ defense, and guess who is open for three again?
The last play of that run might be my favorite. The Celtics are in a horns situation with the ball in Queta’s hands again. White goes to the ball for a handoff, and in the meantime, Brown cuts to the rim. These movements create space for White as Brown seals his defender on his back.
A wonderful display of how the Celtics can have a lot of different approaches on offense. And if you look closely, Neemias Queta is one of the reasons why.
#5 – Queta the hub
How do you trick a defense that loves to put a lot of pressure on the ball-handler with their wings? You put the ball into your center’s hands – and pray he can execute. Great news for the Celtics: Neemias Queta keeps showing promise as a passer. Last night, he finished with a team-high 6 assists in 33 minutes.
This play above, and the one we looked at earlier in this article with Derrick White’s off-ball movement, are clear indicators that the Celtics’ coaching staff is confident relying on Neemias to have the ball in his hands and on his decision-making to make the right play when needed. That development is great for the Celtics, who can play some 5-out offense even with him on the court.
#6 – No center, no problem?
To close the second quarter, the Celtics went small-ball with Jayson Tatum as their tallest player (not their center, just the tallest guy out there). The reason I emphasize that he is not a center is because the Celtics use that lineup to really spread the floor as much as possible, and it created chaos in the Suns’ defense.
On the play below, Phoenix players look a bit lost. White cuts, and JT finds him with a gorgeous pass in the paint. Pritchard sees it and cuts right away for an easy layup. No center, more space, more speed to attack the rim.
But no center also means a lot less rim protection, and the Suns quickly figured it out with high pick-and-rolls to stretch the Celtics’ defense early in the rotation.
What the Celtics gained on offense with that lineup, they lost on defense, and the score remained pretty even during this stretch.
#7 – The Suns tried to avoid half-court situations
What stood out pretty early was that the Suns were here to steal the ball and run as fast as possible. Before the game, Jordan Ott told us he preferred to avoid having to attack the Celtics in half-court situations as much as possible. So, to do so, they went for the ball aggressively.
Overall, they succeeded with 13 forced turnovers, but it wasn’t enough to win it all. Plus, contrary to the previous game, the Celtics were very disciplined in transition defense and allowed only 1 point per possession in transition.
#8 – The possession battle
Before the game, Jordan Ott mentioned that the Celtics had 15 more possessions than the Suns in their last matchup, and that was something he wanted to fix.
For @celticsblog, I asked Both Joe Mazzulla and Jordan Ott the importance of the possession battle tonight.
They both talked about the importance of it but also their different approaches.
Coach Ott highlighted that the Celtics add 15 more possessions in their last matchup. pic.twitter.com/eq8WHK4tk3
Well, the Suns definitely came prepared and were able to win the possession battle thanks to turnovers but also far better box-outs. After allowing 22 offensive rebounds the last time they faced Boston, the Celtics only got 7 extra chances tonight, leading to a much closer game.
That was a rare occasion where the Celtics lost the possession battle and still won the game, showing the gap in talent between the Suns and the Celtics, especially with Jayson Tatum back in the roster.
#9 – The Celtics were okay giving mid-range shots
It felt like Joe Mazzulla and the coaching staff wanted the Phoenix Suns to have those mid-range opportunities. With 20% of their shots attempted between 14 feet and the three-point line, the Suns were forced (or invited?) to shoot from the middy a lot. What might not have been expected was how efficient they would be from that zone.
Indeed, on average this season, the Suns are making 42.6% of their long mid-range shots – last night, it was up to 58.8%! That shooting variance allowed Booker and his teammates to stay in the game despite the Celtics taking away the rim, with only 14 shots allowed in that zone.
So, when clutch time arrived, the Celtics wanted to make sure they weren’t leaving the game result in the hands of lady variance.
#10 – Until they were not
As Nik breaks down for us in the post below, the Celtics changed their coverage in the final minutes to take the ball away from Devin Booker. Instead of the usual drop, they switched and even doubled him, leaving the weakside corner open and making sure the decision would have to be made under pressure.
Boston gave DBook open pull ups all game just to switch the coverage in clutch time and it has stifled the Suns
When Queta comes up it’s not to switch but for him to stay for as long as he can until the primary defender comes back. Here Pritch just chases Book and crowds pic.twitter.com/E33yG424qD
A great adaptation in the final minutes of the game, where every bucket matters. Overall, it made sense to leave the pull-up mid-range shots open because it invites players to take inefficient shots that don’t generate fouls and lack collective synergy. Booker almost won it from the middy, but the Celtics closed that zone right when they needed to.”
Peoria, AZ - February 22: Luis Campusano #12 of the San Diego Padres catches during a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on February 22, 2026 in Peoria, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Walker Buehler is one of a handful of pitchers competing for a spot at the back of the San Diego Padres rotation. He made a strong case for himself with a dominant start against the San Francisco Giants. Buehler threw five scoreless innings and recorded seven strikeouts while allowing three hits and two walks. The San Diego offense did not get anything going against San Francisco starter Tyler Mahle, but no one has this spring. In four Spring Training games, Mahle has earned three wins and has yet to allow a run over 10 innings while allowing just two hits. The Padres offense broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning with three runs against reliever Spencer Bivens. The San Diego bullpen made the three runs hold up, allowing just one run and the Padres walked away with a 3-1 win.
Padres News:
Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters that Joe Musgrove would likely not be on the Opening Day roster as he works back from Tommy John surgery. Musgrove has not pitched in a game since March 4 against Great Britain. Stammen said this delay was expected. Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball says it is important that Musgrove takes the time now to get right and get healthy because the Padres will need him later in the season if they want to make the playoffs.
With the news about Musgrove likely starting the season in the IL, the rotation picture for San Diego looks bleak. Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Randy Vasquez are all in the top three spots, but the fourth and fifth spots remain open. Gaslamp Ball asked readers what their level of concern is about the rotation with just a handful of days remaining before Opening Day.
Despite the concerns about starting pitching, Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball believes the Padres will compete with the Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks for second place in the National League West Division. He also does not rule out the possibility that San Diego could knock off the rivals to the north and claim the NL West title.
Manny Randhawa of Padres.com looks at how Musgrove starting on the IL will affect the San Diego rotation and the competition for the final spots.
Randhawa also talked with Stammen about the at-bat that almost was between Fernando Tatis Jr. and Mason Miller. Most baseball fans saw it as an opportunity that would have rivaled Shohei Ohtani versus Mike Trout, but Stammen said he was glad that two of his best players did not have to face off against one another in the 2-1 US win over the Dominican Republic in the semi-final of the WBC tournament.
Jose Miranda has been putting together a solid Spring Training in his first season with the San Diego organization, and he has a chance to make the roster with Sung-Mun Song likely starting the season on the IL thanks to an oblique injury. Miranda has tough competition to make the Padres’ roster, but he is trying to make the most of his new opportunity.
Stammen said weeks ago that Luis Campusano was going to be the secondary catcher for the Padres and that stance has not changed despite a lackluster performance in offense throughout Spring Training.
Baseball News:
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas will miss 80 games in the 2026 season as a result of a failed test for PEDs.
Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez looked as though he was going to miss time due to a sore shoulder, but he advised stated he is feeling “much better” and the team is considering him day-to day.
Detroit Tigers top prospect Kevin McGonigle is having a great spring and is doing all he can to show that he should be on the Opening Day roster when the team opens the season against the Padres in San Diego.
Every play is the “Play of the Year.” Every new prospect or rookie is a generational talent. And every great player gets inevitabely put into the discussion of “Greatest of All Time.”
But trust us, it might be tough to top this goal as far as the title of “Goal of the Year.”
It comes to us from the KHL, and the clash between Moscow heavyweights Dynamo Moscow and Spartak Moscow. The game advanced to a shootout, and that is when former Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Semyon Der-Arguchintsev lined up for his attempt.
Der-Arguchintsev breaks towards Spartak goalie Artyom Zagidulin, before slowing the play and getting Zagidulin to drop down to his pads. That’s when Der-Arguchintsev pulls the puck around his back, lifting a shot around his back and into the top shelf for the game-winning goal.
Toronto drafted Der-Arguchintsev in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft, and the forward worked his way through the team’s developmental system. He spent three seasons with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, scoring 25 goals. He appeared in one game with the Maple Leafs, but did not score a goal.
He opted to return to Russia for the 2023-2024 season, joining Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL.
But this shootout goal is good enough, that it might just get him another look.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 16: Venezuelan fans celebrate the victory 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
MIAMI, FL, March 16 — When I decided to plan a trip to Miami centered around the knockout stage of the World Baseball Classic a few weeks ago, I did so with the expectation that the tournament would see a steady rise in popularity over the next couple of decades. In a world where almost everything is on the verge of falling apart, the WBC presents a refreshing opportunity to invest in something that’s fun and has its best days clearly in the future.
Well, I was wrong. The future is now!
The World Baseball Classic isn’t just a story of slow and steady growth for tomorrow — it’s a love letter sent down from the baseball gods addressed to everybody on planet Earth, and in most places, it already arrived yesterday. (Some folks just haven’t checked their mailbox yet.)
Simply put, there is nothing like the World Baseball Classic. I keep looking for some combination of words I can string together here to try and communicate what I’ve seen and experienced the last four days, and nothing is going to do it justice.
In less than 100 hours, I’ve gone from never being more impressed by a singular fanbase than I am for Team Japan, to never being more impressed by a singular fanbase than I am for the Dominican Republic, to never being more impressed by a singular fanbase than I am for Venezuela. And as silly as this may sound after that last sentence, I’m not somebody who is easily impressed.
Team Japan brought an armada of fans from the other side of the planet. They wore creative costumes and face paint, brought flags, expectations, and a deep knowledge of the game, donned a million Shohei Ohtani jerseys, and flooded Miami with an obsession for baseball I haven’t seen in a city since Boston in 2004. These folks are everywhere!
Ohtani is like a God to them. When he comes to the plate, the entire background state of the stadium changes. Side conversations evaporate, unrelated chanting stops, focus maximizes, and anticipation builds. Everybody in the park knows they might be about to witness something extraordinary on any given pitch, and in the bottom of the first inning Saturday, we did.
In what felt like a direct counterpunch to Ronald Acuna’s solo home run in the top of the first inning, the greatest player in the world instantly answered and set the stage for Japan to eventually jump out to a 5-2 lead.
But oddly enough, it was an Ohtani strikeout with two men on and a chance to extend that three run lead later in the game that ultimately served as the turning point. If Ohtani can be beaten, well then so can team Japan, and that’s exactly what happened later that night, powered largely by Wilyer Abreu’s three run homer:
Willyer Abreu’s most iconic moment of his life so far. This guy is such a stud. Such an underrated hitter.
Then on Sunday night, there was the United States against the Dominican Republic, and a full 90 minutes before first pitch, the DR fans were doing this:
They only got louder as the evening progressed, and as a group, they turned a night at the ballpark into a five-hour party with enough electricity to light up the Miami skyline for a week. And of course, all this was happening while perhaps the greatest collection of talent ever assembled on a baseball diamond in a game that mattered faced off in a nerve-wracking 2-1 battle. It just doesn’t get any better than this! (Except it does, because Roman Anthony ended up hitting what turned out to be the game winning home run.)
But despite all of this, the fanbase that’s taught me the most about how to act as a human being is the Venezuelans. From now on, when I think of the word joy, I’m going to think of them.
Their manager Omar Lopez said something to the effect of “we just want to bring some happiness to our country” in this tournament. And, well, they’ve already done that and more, despite still being one win away from the championship.
Until you experience a game with the Venezuelans, you will never believe an atmosphere could be both so tense and so friendly at the same time. It was as if I was back in a ballpark with all the passion of Red Sox vs. Yankees of the early 2000s, but none of the hostility. And of course, this is only more amazing when you consider I experienced this while wearing a U.S hat, the very country that bombed their homeland a mere two months ago.
Whenever anything good happened for their team, they wanted to include me in their celebrations, which included dancing, specialized chants, and a joy you barely see anywhere in the world right now. Here I am, as white as Christmas snow equipped with zero dancing ability, and these folks are grabbing my hand and teaching me how they do it.
Perhaps I’ll have better luck at retaining their chants. My favorite of which is when they yell “Ponche! Ponche!” while swinging their right arm anytime their pitcher gets two strikes on a hitter. It actually comes from the English word strikeout or punch out, but it’s clearly pronounced with a delightful Spanish flair. Perhaps we should try to bring this thing to Fenway whenever Venezuelan native Ranger Suarez is on the mound this summer. It’s so much fun!
You know what else was fun? Watching this Venezuelan team celebrate after punching their ticket to the WBC final.
I have no idea how this tournament manages to keep topping itself every single day, but with the U.S. and Venezuela set to match up for all the marbles tonight, it just might do it again. But regardless of who gets crowned champion, this has already been an enormous win for the sport of baseball on a scale of global proportions, and that’s something we can all celebrate.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Gunnar Henderson #11 and Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of Team United States celebrate after the 2-1 victory against Team Dominican Republic at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning everyone!
The WBC finally comes to an end tonight with the finale set up between the USA and Venezuela. While many expected the US national team to be here, this is Venezuela’s first time reaching the final round of the competition. And of course with world events going on right now you can’t help but feel the added sense of importance for players on both squads.
The Americans are set to send Mets right-handed Nolan McLean to the bump this evening for what’ll be his second start of the tournament. His first one didn’t go all that smoothly as he got tagged for three runs in three innings of work. Team Italy seemed to get the jump on the young righty so he’ll be hoping to turn his and his squad’s fortunes around in this winner-take-all matchup. This is likely going to be the biggest game of the 24-year-old’s young career so let’s hope he got a good night’s rest as is ready to take on the impresses Venezuela lineup.
Team Venezuela meanwhile has Diamondbacks lefty Eduardo Rodriguez getting the nod for the final game of the tourney. Like McLean he also got hit hard in his lone start during the WBC, but unlikely McLean Rodriguez is a seasoned veteran. This is going to be for all the marbles now. Let’s see who wants it worse.
And of course we have some A’s baseball to look forward to this afternoon as well when the Athletics take on the Chicago White Sox. Opening Day is fast approaching and it’s nearly time to start getting the roster officially set. The A’s don’t have seemingly as many roster questions as they’ve had in recent years but there’s always tough decisions to be made around this time of year. Let’s hope manager Mark Kotsay makes the right calls early and gets our team started strong for what could be a surprising year for people not familiar with our group of guys.
Venezuela vs. USA. Tomorrow.. The game of baseball has long been intertwined with politics whether we like it or not. The current climate of our world & specifically the relationship between these 2 countries recently ramps that up on an international scale. Goes without saying…
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 7: Peyton Pallette #63 of the Cleveland Guardians gets set to throw a pitch during a Spring Training game against the San Diego Padres at Goodyear Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Stephen Vogt said Jose Ramirez’s shoulder is already feeling better and he won’t need imaging on it, so nothing else matters.
Venezuela beat Italy to advance to tonight’s final against the USA. Brayan Rocchio had one at-bat for team Italy, flying out to left.
The Guardians didn’t look good losing to the Cubs yesterday but the important thing is we are closer to Opening Day and Jose is ok. Peyton Pallette looked sensational again in two spotless innings and Tim Herrin had a clean inning as well.
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It’s undeniable, the excitement that the World Baseball Classic brings to baseball fans around the world. Legends are made, fan and player customs become more familiar, and players off of our MLB-centric radar lunge to the fore.
But there are downsides to the tournament, particularly with regard to injuries. Our White Sox, with just five active players involved in the WBC, were snakebitten, as platoon-starting catcher Kyle Teel strained a hamstring that will likely keep him out of the regular season until May.
It’s unlikely that the WBC will be going away any time soon (although you haters do have a voting option below), so when is the best time to hold this world tournament?
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 14: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the third inning of the spring training game at Surprise Stadium on March 14, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning.
Evan Grant offers up a few observations from camp as the Texas Rangers beat the Chicago White Sox in a Cactus League game yesterday.
Kennedi Landry writes about president of baseball operations Chris Young speaking on how the roster is shaping up.
With Opening Day right around the corner, Grant has more from Young’s Q&A, including thoughts on the general vibes of camp.
Jayson Stark writes that more rules changes are coming to the minor leagues, which is often a testing ground for future changes to the big leagues.
Grant writes that the spotlight has been on Corey Seager this spring after the Rangers transitioned away from players that Seager won a World Series with.
Jim Callis checks out the state of the farm for the Rangers in camp, including a couple of youngsters that Texas is trying to develop as two-way players.
Grant notes that, after making it back from spring injuries, Marc Church and Justin Foscue were sent to minor league camp in the latest round of camp cuts yesterday.
Davy Andrews at FanGraphs begins their positional power rankings with a look at catcher where the Rangers project in the bottom third.
Landry writes that Michael Helman is the owner of a brand new Rolex after relinquishing No. 24 to Brandon Nimmo.
Grant writes about Cal Quantrill trying to remain in the mix for a spot on the staff after performing for Team Canada in the WBC.
Shawn McFarland believes Winston Santos could pitch in the big leagues this year which lands him at No. 8 on the DMN’s top 30 list.
I’ll make this one fairly short because I know most of you were watching Venezuela’s 4-2 win over Italy in the WBC semifinal, closed out by Cubs closer Daniel Palencia. (I was watching it, too!)
While that was going on, Cubs right-hander Cade Horton was mowing down Guardians hitters. Horton struck out 10 in five solid innings of work, half of the 20 hitters he faced. Horton allowed three hits and one run and the Cubs defeated the Guardians 5-2.
But the story of the game was Horton, who was dominant. He threw 72 pitches (50 strikes), efficient for five innings. Here’s more on Horton’s outing [VIDEO].
It’s Spring Training and only about half of Cleveland’s regulars were in the lineup. But this sort of dominant outing from Horton is what we became used to last year, and hopefully is a sign of a great year to come for the right-hander. All 10 of the K’s were swinging and Horton mixed up the strikeout pitches, some on four-seamers, some on changeups, some on curveballs. Good stuff.
Unusually, the Cubs used just two pitchers in this game. The other was Colin Rea, who relieved Horton and threw four innings, allowing two hits and one run (a two-out homer in the ninth). He walked two and struck out four, throwing 58 pitches (34 strikes). That should get him good and stretched out for long relief.
The Cubs will play another evening contest Tuesday. It starts one hour after the WBC championship game. So … I’ll have game threads here for both, but I’m pretty sure not many of you will be paying attention to the Cubs game, especially since there’s no TV. The Angels visit Sloan Park for Tuesday’s night game, scheduled for 8:05 p.m. CT. Shōta Imanaga will start for the Cubs and Mitch Farris goes for the Angels. As noted, no TV for the Cubs game, there will be a radio broadcast on the Angels flagship station, KLAA 830.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 20: Trea Turner #7, Alec Bohm #28, Bryce Harper #3, and Bryson Stott #5 of the Philadelphia Phillies look on against the Seattle Mariners at Citizens Bank Park on August 20, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Mariners 11-2. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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 played behind them, their strengths and weaknesses and give a few takes about how we think the season will shake out.
After the dust settled on the offseason roster churn, the Phillies ended up standing pat with the same starting corps of infielders that they rolled out last year. Along with the re-signings of Kyle Schwarber and JT Realmuto, this decision to “run it back” again has a significant portion of the fanbase calling for Dave Dombrowski’s seat warmer to be turned up to 11. While it maybe doesn’t carry the same excitement as months of prognosticating how a new dynamic might have performed, it does leave the team with a veteran, battle-tested crew that has won over 90 games in each of the past three campaigns.
The starters: Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, Trea Turner
Maybe the most infamous controversy surrounding the team this offseason was Dombrowski’s commentary on Harper’s 2025 performance and whether it deserves his being regarded as an “elite” player going forward. Dombrowski since walked it back a bit but Harper took notice and by all appearances looks motivated to prove that he is deserving of that status. Harper started the spring hot with three extra-base hits in four games before departing the club for the World Baseball Classic as part of Team USA. He hasn’t made the impact he or his country would like to have seen, with one more chance for “The Showman” to emerge in tonight’s championship game.
Stott will maintain his role as the team’s everyday second baseman for the fourth straight season. His production early in the season (.233/.305/.340 through July 31st) suffered from a failed experiment as the leadoff hitter, but from August 1st onward he slashed .310/.377/.503. In his 207 plate appearances in the leadoff spot and a few games hitting fifth and sixth, he went .212/.257/.295, while in his 353 PAs batting in the 7-9 spots he slashed .284/.369/.451. Stott, along with most of humanity, will never be the offensive threat at second base that was Chase Utley, but at the back of a deep order, he is capable of keeping the train running while providing consistently elite defense.
Hopefully Nick Castellanos burned his hairshirt before he left for San Diego, but if he gifted it to anyone, it could be Bohm. He seems poised to be the most likely player to draw the fans’ ire should his production not meet expectations, which might be fair when he’s being counted on by the organization to be one of the primary run-producers in the middle of the lineup. 2025 will be remembered as a down season for Bohm, but he still hit .287 and is a year removed from slugging 44 doubles and driving home 97 runs, so it’s not outlandish to think he can be a driving force for this offense.
The reigning NL batting champion is your plug-and-play everyday shortstop, as Turner had his best season in red pinstripes in 2025 and was the team’s most consistent hitter from start to finish. He will be turning 33 midway through the season and already provides middle of the road defense at a physically demanding position, so it will bear watching whether he can continue to stay at shortstop long term or if a contingency needs to be mapped out for the future.
The backups: Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp, Dylan Moore
Sosa will be the primary backup again at the middle infield spots, providing above-average defense at both spots as well as a live bat with underrated pop that also gives lineup flexibility as he hits from the opposite side of the plate as Stott and is especially successful against left-handed pitching.
Kemp and Moore seem destined to carry a lot of the same responsibilities in the field, each having recent experience at every infield position besides shortstop as well as left field. Kemp bats right and Moore left, so a lot of their playing time will come down to matchups and who’s hot.
The depth: Liover Peguero, Jose Rodriguez, Christian Cairo, Aidan Miller, Felix Reyes
Of the non-roster invitees projected to end up in Lehigh Valley or Reading, Peguero has the most MLB experience, 106 games over the last four seasons all with the Pirates. Rodriguez had a cup of coffee with the White Sox in 2023 and has experience at both middle infield spots. Cairo has seen more versatile usage in his journey through the minors, but the Phillies have been looking at him mostly at first and second. Anything these guys provide at the plate would be a bonus, but solid if unspectacular defense up the middle is all you should hope for if any short-term injuries befall Turner, Stott or Sosa.
Miller remains the gem of the farm system but a nagging lower back injury has kept him out of game action so far this spring. Barring a significant injury to one of the starters or a doomsday scenario where the team is out of contention early, expect Miller to see most of his action in the minors this year.
Reyes has gotten a lot of time at the corner outfield spots in the last two years, but corner infield depth is an organizational weakness. With Harper away, the organization has gotten a long look at Reyes at first base and he’s making the most of it, leading the team in RBI and tied for the lead in home runs.
Strengths: Continuity
This will be the third straight season all four infield spots have the same starters penciled in from day one. That sort of continuity begets chemistry and familiarity in vital places on the ball field. Each of these starters has a well-defined role carved out in the lineup and there is no uncertainty about the type and level of production the team expects from them. From a human standpoint, they are a close-knit group of leaders in the clubhouse that want to win for one another, which has to count for something.
Weaknesses: Continuity
At the beginning of the offseason, the possibilities seemed endless at what this group would look like this year. Bohm and Stott were the subjects of trade rumors. The Phillies were tied to Ketel Marte as a trade target and Alex Bregman as a free agent acquisition. They had a deal in place with Bo Bichette before he chose violence and went to Queens. After all of that commotion, the same four guys that couldn’t get this team over the hump in the playoffs are back and they’re all a year older.
Hottest take: Bohm makes the All Star Game
Bohm will build on his hot start to spring and play himself into the conversation as one of the top offensive third basemen in the NL with a stellar first half and the numbers will be too potent for voters to deny.
Realistic take: Turner and Harper make the All Star Game
With Citizens Bank Park hosting the midsummer classic, the fans will be stuffing the ballot boxes. Turner and Harper should get their fair share of votes league-wide anyway.
The most stable unit in the team may also be its most crucial for short-term and long-term prosperity. If the Phillies win 90 games and enjoy a playoff run, these guys will have played a huge part. If they don’t, this will be the first place everyone points a finger and demands be torn down. No pressure.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - MARCH 13, 2026: Pete Alonso #25 of the Baltimore Orioles bats during the third inning of a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on March 13, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
For the last four seasons, the story of the Most Valuable Oriole has largely told the story of the Orioles’ entire season. In 2022, a rookie Adley Rutschman took home MVO honors after debuting in May and rallying the O’s to a 67-55 record over the last four months of the season. Another rookie took home the award in 2023, as Gunnar Henderson earned ROY and MVO as the Orioles captured the AL East crown.
Henderson was a back-to-back winner in 2024, as the Orioles’ Country Boy posted the best season in franchise history by WAR (9.1) by anyone other than Cal Ripken Jr. Trevor Rogers denied Gunnar the three-peat last year, as the lefty overcame an early-season injury to post one of the best 18-start stretches in Orioles’ history.
The Orioles will need a concerted effort from the entire 26-man roster if Baltimore is going to reverse its fortunes and return to the playoffs in 2026. But after disappointing seasons from many star players in 2025, the O’s will need their stars to lead from the front of the lineup or rotation if they want to reverse their fortunes in the new season. With that in mind, let’s give sportsbook-style odds for which players are most likely to add their name to the pantheon of Most Valuable Orioles winners.
*Disclaimer: These are not real betting odds. I set these odds myself. Do not actually try and bet them.*
The favorite: Pete Alonso
Beers Sportsbook Betting Odds: -150
Gunnar Henderson has been the Orioles’ best player for some time now, both in terms of on-field production and national recognition. After rising to the No. 10 player in all of baseball on the heels of a record-setting season in 2024, Henderson has slipped to No. 26 in MLB.com’s latest Top 100 Players of Right Now due to a down 2025. That’s still the best ranking of any Oriole, but right behind him at No. 33 is major offseason signing Pete Alonso.
What is often the separator in “Most Valuable” conversations is not solely a player’s stats, but the narrative attached to their season. If the Orioles are going to reach their full potential in 2026, the offense will have to lead the way. Before injuries to Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday, many projection models had the O’s lineup as the best in the American League. Last year, the O’s finished near the bottom of the league in runs scored and toward the middle of the pack in home runs. Alonso will look to help the O’s match or better their 2024 form when they finish Top 5 in both runs and home runs.
Given his track record as a five-time All-Star and perennial 40+ HR hitter, I’m sure a lot of credit will be given to Alonso if the O’s reach their full offensive potential. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t expect big things from Henderson, Rutschman, Taylor Ward, Samuel Basallo and others. However, Alonso is the leader this team will be looking to throughout the season, and the player MVO voters will look to if he leads an offensive revolution.
The leading competition
Trevor Rogers or Kyle Bradish
Beers Sportsbrook Betting Odds: +150
The Orioles’ rotation is full of talent, but also full of uncertainty. The additions of Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt, and the re-signing of Zach Eflin, have made the Orioles’ rotation deeper. And yet, this rotation still lacks a fully-proven, front-line starter. That is, unless Rogers or Bradish prove their best seasons were not one-offs.
When Rogers took home the award last year, a big part of his value came from the unexpected nature of his breakout season. Coming into last season, Rogers wasn’t projected to make the rotation and his only previous experience with the O’s was a disastrous four-start stint after being acquired at the 2024 trade deadline. The southpaw only got a chance last season because Baltimore needed a second starter for a doubleheader in Boston.
What ensued from there was a stretch that put Rogers’ name next to the likes of Jim Palmer and Mike Mussina when it comes to best single-season pitching runs in Orioles history. Rogers’ MVO win last year made him the first pitcher to win the award since closer Randy Myers in 1997, and the first starter since Mike Cuellar in 1974.
Both Rogers and Bradish come into this season with plenty of expectations. The 28-year-old southpaw will get the Opening Day nod, looking to build on his Top 10 Cy Young finish from last year. Bradish slots into the No. 2 spot in the rotation and looks to prove that his dominant 2023 season and spectacular cameo last September are what we should expect going forward. If either can live up to the lofty expectations and put a stranglehold on the ace role, it could be enough to beat out Alonso and the rest of the offense for MVO.
Gunnar Henderson
Beers Sportsbook Betting Odds: +200
In Henderson’s MVP-level season, he put up a 9.1 bWAR while hitting 37 HRs, collecting 92 RBIs, 31 doubles, 21 stolen bases and 118 runs. The majority of that production came with Henderson as the Orioles’ leadoff hitter. Indications from Sarasota are that new manager Craig Albernaz will put the star SS back in the leadoff role after spending most of last year as the No. 3 hitter.
If the return to the top spot in the lineup brings out the best in Baltimore’s best player, his all-around contributions will make it near impossible for any other Orioles to outpace him in the MVO race. Henderson may also be coming into this season with a chip on his shoulder after having to fight for his spot in Team USA’s World Baseball Classic lineup. And a Gunnar Henderson that’s both pissed off and back in his best spot in the order, that’s an MVO waiting to happen.
The dark horse
Coby Mayo
Beers Sportsbook Betting Odds: +1000
Pretty much everything about Coby Mayo is up in the air as we head toward Opening Day. Has he shown enough defensively in the spring to lock down the starting spot at 3B? Once Jackson Holliday and (maybe) Jordan Westburg get healthy, can he keep his spot in the lineup? Will he get any playing time at 1B or DH with Alonso, Basallo and Ryan Mountcastle all competing for ABs at those spots?
The one thing that becomes less of a question every day is Mayo’s bat. He’s gone 13-for-26 in Grapefruit League play while posting a 1.195 OPS, a team-high 10 RBIs and one absolute moonshot. With his spring training performance and his .941 OPS last September, there’s growing reason to believe that the 24-year-old is starting to make good on his offensive upside. If he can break out like Gunnar did in his second full season, we could see Mayo have a 2021 Cedric Mullins run to an unlikely MVO win.
