It’s finally here: the first day of Spring Training games. As Cactus League and Grapefruit League action gets underway with seven games today followed by a full slate on Saturday, big storylines abound. From the implementation of new technology for tracking balls and strikes to stars making their debuts in

TAMPA, Fla. -- Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s packing list for Spring Training and the upcoming World Baseball Classic looks a little different than most. The Yankees infielder never travels without his portable studio, allowing the artist known as Prince Jazz to lay down a track whenever inspiration strikes. He’s been busy

The World Baseball Classic begins on Wednesday, March 4, at 10 p.m. ET in a game between Australia and Chinese Taipei. It will kick off a fortnight of absolute madness, with the best baseball players on the planet highly motivated by patriotism, pride and plain old competitiveness squaring off in

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- When Steve Cohen said earlier this week that the Mets will never name a captain for as long as he owns the team, the immediate implication shadowed Francisco Lindor.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- The cavalry came from the clubhouse to watch their guy, their ace and their axis. If it wasn’t the entirety of the Pirates’ Spring Training roster assembled around a back field Thursday at Pirate City to watch Paul Skenes throw a simulated session, it was pretty close.

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: The American League East is loaded this year. The Blue Jays had a huge offseason after falling just short in Game 7 of the World Series. The Yankees are running it back, for better or worse, with a team that won 94

Promotional giveaways are a treat when you go to the ballpark, like icing on the cake of taking in a Major League game. And increasingly clubs are becoming more and more clever in their homage to former players, managers, broadcasters and other important figures in franchise history. The Mets are

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- After spending the past four seasons donning Dodger blue, Freddie Freeman hopes it will be the last uniform he wears in his big league career. Freeman isn't ready to hang 'em up just yet. Far from it. The star first baseman likes the idea of playing another

Samurai Japan is returning to the World Baseball Classic stage with many of the same players who powered its 2023 title run, including Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto. Fernando Tatis Jr. sees all that, but he isn’t blinking. “They’re nasty, but we’re gonna beat them,” Tatis

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Arguably no topic in Detroit sports has better encapsulated the city’s challenge of preserving history while embracing modernization than the Tigers uniform. For more than 30 years, generations of fans, players and team officials have wondered how to balance the history of an American League charter franchise

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- For months, all the Blue Jays had to work with were videos of Kazuma Okamoto. Now, after a week of seeing him take batting practice and ground balls, they’ll finally get their first look at him in game action. Okamoto is expected to be in the lineup

PHOENIX -- Going into the final season of his contract in 2026, two-time defending NL Manager of the Year Pat Murphy didn’t want to be anywhere other than Milwaukee. The Brewers didn’t want anyone else at the helm. Now the sides have reached an agreement to keep everybody happy. Murphy,

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Kevin McGonigle has done a great job blending into Tigers camp as a top prospect turned non-roster invite to Spring Training. But he couldn’t help but stand out Thursday afternoon as his home run soared down the right-field line. McGonigle got all of a Beau Brieske fastball

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies infield-outfield prospect Braylen Wimmer appreciated the conversation he had with doctors during a 3 1/2-hour surgery in November to remove a golf ball-sized tumor on the left side of his brain. “It was a lot of baseball, and we were talking about Christmas -- just about

PEORIA, Ariz. -- After a flurry of moves to round out their roster, there’s excitement ringing throughout Padres camp. You can hear it. Or … maybe that sound is the Padres-themed gong that has worked its way into throwing drills this spring.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles manager Craig Albernaz provided an update on injured infielder Jordan Westburg on Thursday morning, stating that the 27-year-old -- who has been slowed by a tweaked right oblique early in Spring Training -- is currently "'physically unable to participate" in workouts. "Right now, he's physically unable

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- White Sox hitting coach Derek Shomon used one word when asked for a first impression of Munetaka Murakami. “Worker.”

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Don’t read too much into the Phillies’ lineup on Saturday. Or Sunday. Or really most days this spring.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- After the Astros suffered their third consecutive shutout loss while they were in Detroit last August, veteran Carlos Correa spoke in a team meeting and challenged his teammates to play better. That came only three weeks after Correa had been traded back to the Astros

Stars lead the way as World Baseball Classic returns: "Expect everything." With just two weeks to go until the start of the tournament, when Australia takes on Chinese Taipei at 10 p.m. ET on March 4, it’s time to prepare for the biggest stars in the game to represent their

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- With uncertainty surrounding left-hander Blake Snell's readiness for Opening Day, the Dodgers are assessing their options to fill his spot in the rotation. One of the top arms in the mix is fellow southpaw Justin Wrobleski. The Dodgers have yet to rule Snell out for Opening Day,

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- When the Mets signed outfielder Mike Tauchman to a Minor League contract earlier this week, clubhouse attendants cleared out Carson Benge’s locker and moved Benge to a temporary stall alongside other prospects. Previously, Benge had lockered next to Juan Soto. Now that space belongs to

Dustin May is a 28-year-old grandfather. OK, not really. But it can feel that way for the right-hander amid the Cardinals' youthful starting rotation, which contains no one older than 28. "It's definitely a big role change for me, coming over here -- being one of the young guys to

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- If Steven Kwan ends up patrolling center field for the Guardians on Opening Day in Seattle next month, don’t be entirely surprised. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Thursday that Kwan (who’s a four-time Gold Glove Award winner in left field) will also see some time in center