The Baseball Buffet for 3/5/2026

Canada, 5, Phillies 3 - PHI SP Aaron Nola did well with 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, and PHI 3B Alec Bohm went 1-3 with a HR.

Colombia 1, Braves 9 - ATL RF Eli White went 2-3 with a HR, ATL C Sandy León was 1-3 with a HR, Michael Harris II was 2-2 with a walk and 2 doubles, and both ATL 1B Matt Olson and ATL DH Drake Baldwin had two hits apiece

Netherlands 11, Rays 8 - Netherlands’ hitters tallied 14 hits, including BOS CF Ceddanne Rafaela 3-4 with a HR and a double, ATL 2B Ozzie Albies 2-4 , and former NYY and PHI infielder Didi Gregorius going 3-3 with a double.

Nicaragua 2, Cardinals 1 - STL SP Matthew Liberatore struck out 5 in 3.1 IP, but also allowed 5 H and 2 ER

Panama 1, Tigers 2 - DET SP Jack Flaherty did well with 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, as did DET swingman Keider Montero who closed out the game with and identical line of 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.

Puerto Rico 3, Twins 6 - MIN CF Alan Roden was 3-3 with a triple and 3 runs, and MIN SP Zebby Matthews did well with 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

Israel 2, Mets 5 - NYM SP David Peterson did well with 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, as did NYM pitcher Christian Scott, who is competing for a bullpen or depth rotation role, with 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. NYM OF prospect Carson Benge went 1-3 with a HR.

Tigers 4, Dominican Republic 4 - Nine different Tigers allowed 13 hits to the powerful DR lineup, including NYM LF Juan Soto going 2-3 with a HR and a triple, and TBR 3B Junior Caminero 2-2 with a triple. BOS SP Brayan Bello did well for DR with 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.

Brazil 2, TEX 13 - TEX SP Jacob deGrom got in his first Spring game work (2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K), and TEX SP Kumar Rocker let up a lot of hits (3 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K). But the Rangers tallied 14 hits of their own before the game was called after seven innings, with TEX 1B Jake Burger going 2-2 with a HR and TEX 2B Josh Smith going 2-3 with 2 HR.

Reds 19, Cuba 2 - CIN SP Rhett Lowder had another good spring game with 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, while the Reds hitters tallied 19 hits and 19 runs. CIN RF Noelvi Marte was 3-3 with a HR and a double, CIN 1B Sal Stewart was 2-3 with a HR and a double, CIN LF JJ Bleday was 2-3 with a HR, and CIN LF TJ Friedl was 2-4 with 2 doubles.

Mexico 5, Dodgers 7 - LAD DH Andy Pages went 2-3 with a HR and a double, and LAD C Dalton Rushing went 2-3 with a triple and a double. LAD SP Tyler Glasnow struck out 4 in 2.2 IP, but also allowed 4 H, 1 BB, and 3 ER, while LAD pitcher Emmet Sheehan struggled with 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 K.

Great Britain 2, Padres 2 - SDP SP Joe Musgrove made his spring debut with 2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, while SDP SP Randy Vásquez did well with 4 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. Playing for Great Britain, NYY 2B Jazz Chisholm went 1-4 with a HR.

Italy 3, Angels 4 - The Angels got homers in this one from DH Jorge Soler and 1B Jeimer Candelario.

Venezuela 1, Nationals 5 - Eight different Nationals pitchers held a pretty strong Venezuela lineup to only five hits, while WSN DH Keibert Ruiz was 1-3 with a 3-run HR.

United States 14, Rockies 4 - For the US squad, NYY swingman started the game and went 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, with legend Clayton Kershaw then coming in but struggling with 0.2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, including allowing a HR to COL OF Mickey Moniak. The stacked US lineup had 14 hits and 14 runs, with homers by NYY RF Aaron Judge, CHC 2B Alex Bregman, LAD C Will Smith, NYY 1B Paul Goldschmidt, and MIN DH Byron Buxton. MIL Brice Turang went 2-2 with 2 doubles, and CHC CF Pete Crow-Armstrong was 2-3 with a double and 2 SB.

SEA SP Cooper Criswell did well with 3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, but then Carlos Vargas gave up a grand slam to SFG DH Jake Holton.

NYY SP Luis Gil was impressive with 3 IP, 2 H 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K. NYY SS prospect George Lombard Jr. went 2-4 with a HR off BOS ace SP Garret Crochet (2.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K). And NYY 1B Ben Rice went 2-3 with a double and his first HR of the spring.

BOS SP Payton Tolle, though he came in as a reliever, did very well with 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, and an impressive 7 K against the Yankees.

ATH SP Jeffrey Springs had an improved second spring outing with 2.1 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

AZ SP Brandon Pfaadt did well in his spring debut with 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

CHC SP Edward Cabrera did well with 2.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

MIL DH Christian Yelich went 2-2 with a walk and his first HR of the spring

MIL SP Brandon Sproat struck out 4 in 3 IP, but also allowed 3 H, 1 BB, and 2 ER

BAL SP Shane Baz struck out 5 in 3 IP, but also allowed 2 H, 2 BB, and 3 ER

The big story for Baltimore was again Minor League player Vance Honeycutt. And as Jake Rill notes at MLB, I do mean Minor League, as Honeycutt isn’t actually at MLB camp, he has just been filling in for a few at-bats when a guy is needed. And yet… he is 4-4 with 4 HR in his chances! Not surprising in the sense that he did hit for power in college at North Carolina, and was the Orioles first-round draft pick (22nd overall) in 2024. And yet… it is surprising in that last year he hit only .171 with 5 HR in 101 games at A/A+ ball (though he did have an impressive 32 SB).

1886: Tickets… 50 cents or 25 cents? “A business wrangle in the National League ends in a weakening of the league's famous 50 cents admission standard. The St. Louis Maroons and Philadelphia Phillies, the two clubs facing rival American Association teams with an admission of 25 cents, are allowed to charge a minimum of a quarter. Newcomers Washington and Kansas City are stuck with the 50 cents minimum, but are given the option of selling three tickets for a dollar.”

1922: Babe Ruth sets a new pay standard. “New York Yankees star Babe Ruth becomes the highest-paid player in history when he signs a three-year contract that will pay him over $50,000 per season. In 1921, Ruth led the American League with 59 home runs and 171 RBI.”

1936: The Dean-less Cardinals go to Cuba. “The St. Louis Cardinals - without the brothers Paul and Dizzy Dean, who are once again holdouts - visit Cuba and are beaten by the Cuban all-stars. Luis Tiant, Sr., whose son Luis Jr. will win 229 major league games, is the starting pitcher for the Cubans.”

1966: Marvin Miller is named Exec. Director of the MLBPA. “United Steelworkers union official Marvin Miller is named the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Under Miller's guidance, the players' union will make major gains such as salary increases, improvements in pension benefits, and the advent of free agency and salary arbitration.”

1973: A different type of Yankees trade is announced. “New York Yankees pitchers Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson make a stunning declaration. The left-handers announce that they have traded wives, children, and family dogs. The announcement sends shock waves through the baseball world and beyond.”

1996: Earl Weaver, Jim Bunning, Ned Hanlon, and Bill Foster are elected to the Hall of Fame. “The Veterans Committee elects four new members for the Hall of Fame, and just misses naming a fifth. The group elected includes fiery manager Earl Weaver, who had a .583 winning percentage in 17 seasons managing the Baltimore Orioles; pitcher Jim Bunning, who won 100 games in both leagues, including no-hitters in each circuit, one of them a perfect game; 19th-century manager Ned Hanlon, who won five National League pennants with the Baltimore Orioles (3) and Brooklyn (2); and Bill Foster, the top left-handed pitcher in the Negro Leagues. Nellie Fox receives the necessary 75% of the Committee's votes, but the rules allow just one modern player elected, and Bunning has more votes.”

Hall of Famer

15-year major league career, spanning from 1885-1906, mostly with the Detroit Wolverines and Philadelphia Phillies of the NL

In 1887 he led the NL with a .372 average, 203 hits, 23 triples, and 166 RBI (in only 127 games)

Led the NL again with 149 RBI in 1894 and 165 RBI in 1895, and overall had 100+ RBI eight times

Led the NL with 20 HR in 1889 and 18 HR in 1895. Also led the NL in doubles twice and hits three times.

Scored 100+ runs 10 times

Known for having a very strong arm as a RF

Overall had 161 triples, 126 HR, 1,308 RBI, 1,261 runs, 232 SB, a .331/.384/.505 slash line, and a 147 OPS+

First-round draft pick (4th overall) in 2014 by the Cubs

So far has played 11 years in the majors, mostly with the Cubs and Phillies, with 2021 spent between the Nationals and Red Sox

Three-time All-Star

Has hit 30+HR seven times, including leading the NL with 46 HR in 2022, and 56 HR and 132 RBI in 2025

While he strikes out a lot and doesn't hit for a high average, he has greatly increased his walk rate in the past several years, with 126 walks in 2023 and an NL-leading 106 walks in 2024.

Has had plenty of postseason opportunities already, and has hit 23 HR with a .234/.361/.545 slash line

Overall so far has had 340 HR, a .231/.346/.500 slash line, and a 127 OPS+

16-year major league career, spanning from 1949-1966 (missing 1951-52 for military service), mostly with the Boston/Milwaukee Braves

All-Star in eight seasons, and winner of four Gold Glove Awards as a catcher

Had some pop in his bat, with between 15-26 HR in eight consecutive seasons

Overall had 179 HR and a .254/.312/.404 slash line

16-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1974-1989, mostly with the Pirates and Phillies

Had 20+ saves four times, including his one All-Star campaign in 1980

Led the NL in games pitched four times, including in 1978 when he had a 2.33 ERA with 31 saves over 135.1 IP and 91 appearances, and in 1979 when he had very similar numbers with a 2.75 ERA and 31 saves over 134.1 IP and 94 appearances. That year he was a key member of the 1979 champion Pirates, posting a 2.89 ERA with 10 K in 9.1 IP and 3 saves in 5 appearances in the World Series.

Overall had 184 saves, a 2.85 ERA, a 132 ERA+, and appeared in 1,050 games, which at the time of his retirement ranked second (behind only Hall of Famer Hoyt Wilhelm), and still ranks 9th all-time

First-round draft pick (13th overall) in 1994 by the Dodgers

Six-time All-Star as a 1B

Had 25+ HR ten times, with highs of 41 HR in 2004 and 40 HR in 2005, and had 100+ RBI six times

Overall had 439 HR, 1,412 RBI, a .279/.354/.486 slash line, and a 118 OPS+

So far has had a 7-year major league career, all as a SS with the Blue Jays, but has now signed a three-year contract with the Mets and will apparently be playing mostly 3B in the Big Apple

Two-time All-Star

Led the AL with 191 hits in 2021 and 189 hits in 2022

Has hit 20+ HR three times

Overall so far has 111 HR, a .294/.337/.469 slash line, and a 121 OPS+

Is the son of four-time All-Star OF Dante Bichette who had a 14-year major league career from 1988-2001

20-year major league career, spanning from 1940-1961 (missing 1944-45 for military service), mostly as a RF/LF for the Athletics before spending his final five seasons as a pinch hitter for five other clubs

Was a capable hitter, batting over .300 several times, and had a good eye with 100+ walks twice, and a .400+ OBP in seven consecutive seasons

Had a little speed on the bases, with 10-14 SB seven times

Overall had 110 SB, a .282/.398/.391 slash line, and a 115 OPS+

13-year major league career, spanning from 1921-1933, mostly as a 1B with the Tigers, Browns, and White Sox

Batted .300+ five times, and had a good eye with 100+ walks in four seasons

Had modest speed on the bases with 10-19 SB ten times

Had 10+ triples five times, and scored 100+ runs six times, including a career-high of 131 runs in 1922

Overall had 1,152 runs, 151 SB, a .287/.402/.401 slash line, and a 109 OPS+

7-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1912-1918, all with the New York Giants

As a rookie in 1912 he posted a 17-7 record and led the NL with a 1.96 ERA

Had a 22-13 record in 1913 and a 26-10 mark in 1914

According to Wikipedia, "In 1918, he had an argument with manager John McGraw and quit the team in the middle of the season. In 1919, Tesreau refused to play for the Giants, and McGraw refused to trade or release him. He would not play another game in the major leagues."

Overall had a 119-72 (.623) record, a 2.43 ERA, and a 115 ERA+

2.26 - Aaron Judge

2.31 - Kyle Schwarber

2.43 - Mark McGwire

2.52 - Mike Trout (like Judge, hits second often)

2.53 - Adam Dunn (I remember him hitting a lot of solo HR)

2.58 - Giancarlo Stanton

2.62 - Barry Bonds (Again, I remember a lot of solo HR. He also walked so much late in his career, that would limit his RBI from other hits.)

2.72 - Curtis Granderson

2.74 - Sammy Sosa

2.74 - Dave Kingman (Again, I seem to recall him hitting a fair amount of solo homers)

5.95 - Al Simmons (most often batted 4th or 5th, including on some strong offensive teams)

5.26 - Rogers Hornsby (most often batted 4th or 3rd)

5.03 - George Brett (hit 3rd by far the most)

4.40 - Dave Parker (most often hit 3rd, 4th, or 5th)

4.36 - Tony Pérez (most often hit 4th or 5th, including as part of The Big Red Machine)

4.32 - Ruben Sierra (most often hit 3rd or 4th, as part of some strong offensive clubs)

4.28 - Iván Rodríguez (interestingly hit in various spots, most often 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th)

4.26 - Joe DiMaggio (mostly hit 4th, but sometimes 3rd, for some very strong Yankees lineups)

4.24 - Miguel Tejada (mostly hit 3rd and 4th, but also a fair amount 2nd too)

4.24 - Harold Baines (mostly hit 3rd, but also quite a bit 4th and 5th)

30 teams, 9 tiers: Where does your club fit in '26?, by Mike Petriello at MLB

The Strength of Seven Argument for Johan Santana, by Joe Posnanski at JoeBlogs, 3/4/2026