The Baseball Buffet for 3/21/2026

BAL SP Zach Eflin pitched very well against the Yankees with 5.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

NYY SP Luis Gil had an almost identical line against the Orioles with 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K

MIA SP Eury Pérez did well with 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 5 K

HOU SP Hunter Brown had 6 K in 4 IP, but also allowed 4 H, 3 BB, and 3 ER

MIA SP Chris Paddack did well with 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 3 K

ATL SP José Suárez pitched well with 5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 6 K, and ATL 3B Austin Riley was 1-3 with his fourth HR of the spring

CHW SP Shane Smith had 5 K in 3.1 IP, but also allowed 2 H, 3 BB, and 4 ER

STL SP Matthew Liberatore did well with 5 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, and 5 K

DET C Dillon Dingler had his first HR of the spring

DET SP Tarik Skubal had 5 K in 4 IP, but also allowed 6 H and 3 ER

PHI SP Cristopher Sánchez did well with 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, and 4 K

TOR SP Max Scherzer pitched well with 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

TBR SP Shane McClanahan did well with 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

KCR DH Salvador Perez had his second HR of the spring, connecting off SFG SP Adrian Houser who otherwise pitched well with 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 5 K. SFG 3B Matt Chapman hit his third HR of the spring.

TEX SP Nathan Eovaldi didn’t have any strikeouts but otherwise did well with 4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, and 1 BB, while TEX 1B Jake Burger hit a grand slam, his fourth HR of the spring

CHC SP Matthew Boyd struggled with 4.2 IP, 9 H, 8 ER, 2 BB, and 5 K, allowing three homers to CIN C Tyler Stephenson, LF Spencer Steer, and hot-hitting 2B Matt McLain, who now has a .542 average with 7 HR this spring

CIN SP Brandon Williamson pitched again in his bid to make the Reds rotation, with 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, and 2 K

SDP SP Marco Gonzales did better this time than in his recent spring outings, with 3.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 4 K. Meanwhile in the other Padres’ split-squad game, SP Nick Pivetta struggled with 4 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, and 3 K, allowing homers to COL SS Ezequiel Tovar and DH Hunter Goodman.

LAD SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched very well in what was presumably his final action before opening day, with 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, and 7 K

CLE 3B José Ramírez had his fourth HR of the spring

CLE SP Logan Allen was pounded by the Mariners for 14 H and 12 ER in just 2.1 IP, while posting 2 BB and 2 K. SEA SS Cole Young went 3-4 with a walk, 2 HR, a double, 4 runs, and 5 RBI; DH Dominic Canzone went 4-7 with a grand slam HR; RF Victor Robles went 4-6 with a HR and a double; CF Julio Rodriguez went 3-3 with a walk and a HR; and 3B Brendan Donovan went 3-4 with a walk, a double, 3 runs, and 3 RBI.

CHC C Miguel Amaya hit two solo HR, his first two homers of the spring

CHC SP Jameson Taillon had 6 K in 4 IP, but also allowed 5 H, 2 BB, and 3 ER, including homers by ATH RF Lawrence Butler (his first of the spring), and 3B Max Muncy (his fifth)

ATH SP Luis Severino pitched well with 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K, while ATH C Shea Langeliers hit his seventh HR of the spring

AZ SP Zac Gallen struggled with 4 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, and three homers allowed to MIL DH William Contreras, 2B Freddy Zamora, and 1B Jake Bauers, his fifth HR of the spring

MIL SP Jacob Misiorowski, who was recently named the Brewers’ Opening Day starter, gave up some baserunners with 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 ER, and 3 K

NYY optioned OF Jasson Domínguez to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders - he did well this spring, batting .325 (13-40) with 3 HR and 3 SB, but the Yankees roster is pretty strong and it seems they are preferring to start the year with veteran Randal Grichuk as the reserve OF

MIN released veteran 3B Gio Urshela

MIN released veteran RP Andrew Chafin

MIN released veteran RP Liam Hendricks

TBR optioned SP Joe Boyle to the Durham Bulls

ATL optioned RP Dylan Dodd to the Gwinnett Stripers

MIN optioned SP Zebby Matthews to the St. Paul Saints - SP Mick Abel has done very well this spring and is apparently getting the fifth rotation spot

MIA optioned SP Braxton Garrett to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

CLE optioned OF Nolan Jones to the Columbus Clippers - he was only 5-33 with 1 HR and 1 SB this spring

WSH optioned OF Dylan Crews to the Rochester Red Wings - he was only 3-29 with 0 HR and 1 SB this spring

WSH optioned OF Robert Hassell III to the Rochester Red Wings

SFG optioned 1B Bryce Eldridge to the Sacramento River Cats

SFG optioned IF Tyler Fitzgerald to the Sacramento River Cats

BOS optioned IF Nick Sogard to the Worcester Red Sox - he was only 3-37 with 1 HR and 2 SB this spring

NYM optioned 3B Ronny Mauricio to the Syracuse Mets

LAD optioned SP River Ryan to the Oklahoma City Comets

MIL optioned SP Logan Henderson to the Nashville Sounds

PIT optioned 1B/C Endy Rodríguez to the Indianapolis Indians

ATH optioned 2B Zack Gelof to the Las Vegas Aviators

WSH optioned SP Josiah Gray to the Rochester Red Wings

WSH optioned C Harry Ford to the Rochester Red Wings

SFG optioned SP Carson Whisenhunt to the Sacramento River Cats

STL optioned SP Richard Fitts to the Memphis Redbirds

NYM optioned OF MJ Melendez to the Syracuse Mets

KCR optioned SP Ryan Bergert to the Omaha Storm Chasers

TBR optioned SS Carson Williams to the Durham Bulls

TBR optioned OF Jacob Melton to the Durham Bulls

CHW optioned SP Jonathan Cannon to the Charlotte Knights

COL optioned SP Tanner Gordon to the Albuquerque Isotopes

1968: The team in Kansas City will be named the Royals. “One of the two American League expansion teams announces its nickname. The Kansas City franchise, now known as the ‘Royals’, will begin play in 1969. Kansas City's last major league franchise, the Athletics, moved to Oakland after the 1967 season. The name evokes the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs and the annual "American Royal" Horse Show, held in Kansas City.”

1977: Mark Fidrych injures in left knee. “Detroit Tigers pitching sensation Mark Fidrych tears cartilage in his left knee. The injury will require surgery, which will effectively end his promising career. Fidrych, who was elected the 1976 American League Rookie of the Year, gained national attention for his strange gyrations and mannerisms on the mound, which earned him the nickname ‘“The Bird.’”

1978: The Padres fire manager Alvin Dark. “The San Diego Padres fire manager Alvin Dark, replacing him with pitching coach Roger Craig. Dark becomes the second manager ever fired during spring training. Phil Cavarretta, fired by the Chicago Cubs in 1954, was the other.”

1999: Garth Brooks gets a hit. “In the 2nd inning of a Chicago White Sox/San Diego Padres game, country singer Garth Brooks earns his only hit of the spring; he had been hitless in his previous ten at bats. Brooks's pinch-hit single comes off Mike Sirotka. Sox first baseman Frank Thomas gives Brooks the ball and a bear hug as congratulations. Chicago goes on to win, 11-8.”

18-year major league career, spanning from 1959-1976, starting with eight seasons with the Dodgers, and the rest spread across nine different clubs

Was an All-Star in two seasons, including in 1962 when he led the NL with a .346 average, 230 hits, and 153 RBI, and also had 120 runs, 27 HR, and 18 SB

Led the NL with a .326 average in 1963, but never again approached his overall offensive output from 1962

Played some CF, RF, and 3B early in his career, but was primarily a LF

Overall had 153 HR, 1,052 RBI, 136 SB, a .294/.329/.405 slash line, and a 108 OPS+

13-year major league career, spanning from 1967-1980, mostly as a catcher with the Pirates

Three-time All-Star

Was a high-average hitter, with a .325 average in 1970, .319 in 1971, and .328 in 1975

Overall had a .296/.326/.398 slash line and a 102 OPS+

First-round draft pick (13th overall) in 2003 by the Blue Jays

13-year major league career, spanning from 2005-2017, mostly as a 2B with the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks

Was an All-Star in 2009 and finished that year with a .286 average, 36 HR, 37 doubles, 108 RBI, and 103 runs

Had 26 HR in both 2010, and again in 2012 when he also provided a .302 average, 44 doubles, 14 SB, 85 RBI, and 93 runs

Overall had 162 HR and a .266/.323/.417 slash line

Overall #1 draft pick in 1982 by the Cubs

18-year major league career, spanning from 1985-2002, mostly with the Cubs but with seven seasons spread across five other clubs

Two-time All-Star

Had a very strong arm as a SS, and later leveraged it as an OF late in his career

Had 20+ SB twice, with a high of 32 SB in 1997

Had a little pop, with 11-17 HR in seven seasons

Didn't walk very often, with 20+ BB in only three seasons

Overall had 150 HR, 212 SB, and a .269 average, but only a .296 OBP

11-year major league career, spanning from 1999-2010, mostly as a SS with the Twins and Nationals

Two-time All-Star

Led the AL in triples with 20 in 2000, 14 in 2001, and 14 again in 2003

Had some speed on the bases with 15+ SB three times, including a career-high 28 SB in 2000

Didn't walk much, with 30+ BB in only three seasons

Overall had 125 SB and a .271 average, but only a .307 OBP

Pop Fisher: People don't start playing ball at your age, they retire!

Pop Fisher: Batting practice tomorrow, be there!
Roy Hobbs: I have been. Every day.

Gus Sands: If it isn't enough, tell us what you had in mind.
Roy Hobbs: To hit away.

Roy Hobbs: I coulda been better. I coulda broke every record in the book.
Iris Gaines: And then?
Roy Hobbs: And then? And then when I walked down the street people would've looked and they would've said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.

Roy Hobbs: Pick me out a winner Bobby.

165 - Manny Ramírez (1999)

160 - Sammy Sosa (2001)

158 - Sammy Sosa (1998)

157 - Juan González (1998)

156 - Álex Rodríguez (2007)

153 - Tommy Davis (1962)

152 - Albert Belle (1998)

150 - Andrés Galarraga (1996)

150 - Miguel Tejada (2004)

7 breakout batters who could make a leap at the plate this season, by Mike Petriello at MLB, 3/19/2026

Ranking the Top 10 pitching staffs in baseball, by Anthony Castrovince at MLB, 3/20/2026

From Spring Breakout to MLB? Here are 8 players who could soon be in The Show, by Ben Weinrib at MLB, 3/20/2026

Here are the 2026 Opening Day starting pitchers, by Sarah Langs at MLB, 3/20/2026

When Heinie Got The Boot in Fall Classic, by Andrew Sharp at Here's the Pitch: the IBWAA Newsletter, 3/21/2026