Spring Training isn’t just a warm-up for established players, it’s also a chance for prospects to showcase their skills and see how they measure up in a big league setting.

Up until Friday, the prank war between Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and manager Dave Roberts had been rather one-sided. But then, Roberts struck back with a stunt so good that even Ohtani couldn’t help but admit that the two were now even. On Friday night, the Dodgers shared a video

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Jose Altuve finally got a chance to make a defensive play in left field. Two of them, in fact -- one not so good a play, the other the kind of catch that can go on a highlight reel. Altuve, who is attempting to make

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Somebody bet Trea Turner during stretches -- it might have been Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott -- that he would not challenge Max Scherzer’s first pitch in Sunday afternoon’s Grapefruit League game at TD Ballpark. Challenge accepted. “That’s a great idea,” Turner said. “I’ll do that.” Challenge

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A group of Giants prospects knew they had a tough assignment when they got a chance to square off against Justin Verlander in a simulated game at the club’s Player Development Center at Papago Park on Saturday afternoon. But the youngsters were quite literally thrown for a

NORTH PORT, Fla. – With a bit of déjà vu for the Yankees when it comes to DJ LeMahieu and Spring Training injuries, the young guns vying to be the Opening Day third baseman just saw their stock rise. The timetable for LeMahieu’s return is uncertain after he tweaked his

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After a dominant run through the postseason in the Dominican winter league, capped by a championship-clinching homer for his hometown Escogido team, Junior Caminero arrived for Spring Training about as locked in as any hitter in baseball. And it shows.

Three years later, we’re back at it again. After three seasons of batters grimacing at the expanded left-field wall in Camden Yards – “Walltimore,” as it maybe-sort-of-affectionately came to be known – the Orioles announced in November that they’d be making the dimensions a little friendlier to hitters. That meant

After Nicaragua and Chinese Taipei booked their trips to the 2026 World Baseball Classic last week, only two spots remain. Those will be decided this week in Tucson, Ariz. Four teams -- Brazil, China, Colombia, and Germany -- will battle in hopes they will be the team to advance. -

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Early this spring, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation, Mets officials broadly discussed the idea of naming a captain for the first time since David Wright retired seven years ago. Francisco Lindor is the most obvious candidate given the leadership responsibilities he’s

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Fresh off leading Leones del Escogido to both the Dominican Professional Baseball League and the Caribbean Series titles, Albert Pujols is ready for his chance to manage in the Majors. Pujols, who arrived at Angels camp as an instructor on Sunday, said he officially will manage the

It’s hard to imagine that Paul Skenes could be much better than he was after taking the Majors by storm in 2024 and winning NL Rookie of the Year honors for the Pirates. That doesn’t mean that the young ace hasn’t been searching for ways to improve his game.

PHOENIX -- The next big thing in the Minor League system that propelled Brewers rookie Jackson Chourio to a 20-20 season in the big leagues at age 20 is Jesús Made, a 17-year-old, switch-hitting shortstop from San Cristobal in the Dominican Republic who inherited a love of baseball from his

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- As the Red Sox sort out their positional alignment as it pertains to Rafael Devers, Alex Bregman, Kristian Campbell and Vaughn Grissom, a name not being mentioned as much is Masataka Yoshida. Now entering his third Major League season after a strong run in Japan, Yoshida

NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Braves center fielder Michael Harris II heard A’s outfielder Lawrence Butler's rebuttal and supplied video showing what he believes is proof that he is the faster of the two Atlanta-raised big leaguers. “I slowed the video down,” Harris said. “I was actually in front of him

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Corbin Carroll left the D-backs’ game Sunday afternoon’s game against the Rangers after the third inning due to lower back tightness, but the outfielder does not believe the injury is anything serious. “I felt it at the start of the game, and it was kind of just

NORTH PORT, Fla. – The injury bug has once again taken a bite out of Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu. During Saturday’s 9-3 Spring Training win over the Astros, LeMahieu felt a “tweak” in his left calf heading up the first-base line after popping out to second in the fourth inning.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- As 6-foot-3, 205-pound left-handed-hitting No. 24 took batting practice for Team Brazil at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday to prepare for the country’s first 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifier game on Sunday vs. Colombia, the Brazilian club’s manager, Daniel Yiuchi Matsumoto, was talking about the 18-year-old

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Roles have yet to be defined in the Rangers’ rebuilt bullpen, and may not be for awhile. No surprise, given the changes they have made. But know this: manager Bruce Bochy understands the value that late-inning arms bring to a winning team. “It is a priority for

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Another exciting spring debut is on tap for the Dodgers, as Roki Sasaki is set to make his first appearance in the Cactus League next Tuesday night against the Reds, manager Dave Roberts said. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. MT/5:05 p.m. PT at Camelback Ranch,

Spring Training might not count, but it is when we get the year's first wave of Statcast data, and that deserves a closer look. Let's try to find some numbers worth paying attention to early on this spring, from the hitters who are ripping the ball to the pitchers who

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Undergoing Tommy John surgery is just the beginning of an arduous road to recovery. The Dodgers are more familiar with that process than they would like to be. The team has had several pitchers undergo Tommy John in the past few years, including three last season: Emmet

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- In A.J. Minter’s estimation, the left-hander remains slightly ahead of schedule in his bid to be ready for Opening Day … which isn’t the same thing as saying he’ll definitely be there. At this point in Minter’s progression back from left hip surgery, he isn’t

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- There was a player sitting in the Orioles’ bullpen last Sunday at BayCare Ballpark who had long dirty-blonde hair, sleeve tattoos down his non-throwing arm and the name “Vespi” on the back of his jersey. He was there for this Sunday’s O’s-Phillies game, too. No, Nick Vespi

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pirates catchers such as Sunday's starter Henry Davis have an extra pitch to consider this season when calling games for Jared Jones. It’s the two-seam fastball with sinking motion, and it was thrown at just the right moment against the Tigers, who won the game, 10-4, but