LAKELAND, Fla. — Otto Kemp anticipated a slow start to the spring.

After undergoing two procedures over the winter — a bone fragment removed from his left knee and a left shoulder cleanup — the Phillies’ utility player didn’t come in with too many expectations right away. While spring training numbers are always hard to put stock into...Read more

MIAMI — It seemed like only a matter of time before Venezuela got its big hit, that momentum-swinging spark that would tilt this World Baseball Classic semifinal against Italy in its favor.

It finally came in the seventh inning.

And, naturally, it came from Ronald Acuna Jr.

The superstar leadoff hitter and right fielder logged the first ...Read more

Nolan McLean is ready for this moment.

With a World Baseball Classic championship on the line, Team USA is turning to the standout Mets rookie to start Tuesday night’s final at LoanDepot Park in Miami.

McLean wouldn’t have it any other way.

“If you work your whole life at something, you want to be put in these spots,” McLean said ...Read more

Team USA vanquished the Dominican Republic. The defending champions, Japan, already had been dismissed.

So … congratulations to the United States for winning the World Baseball Classic?

Not so fast, and certainly not based on Sunday's tense but hardly crisp 2-1 victory in which the U.S. eliminated the Dominican Republic.

"That was high-...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers agreed to a deal granting Uniqlo naming rights to the field at Dodger Stadium, according to the Athletic — marking the first time in the 64-year history of the stadium that a corporate sponsorship has been attached to it.

Dodger Stadium's name remains unchanged. The organization made it a priority to keep the name ...Read more

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani expressed regret Monday for his "shortcomings" following Japan's early exit from the World Baseball Classic.

It is unclear what those shortcomings might have been. Over four games during this year's tournament, Ohtani led Japan with a .462 batting average, three home runs and seven RBI in 13 at-bats.

Those stats are ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Wait, what? That's me whenever I see a list of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball that doesn't include the Los Angeles Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the top three — or not until No. 7, like MLB Network's did.

It's hard to believe there are professional ball-watchers who want us to believe there are a handful of ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — They’ll live to regret it, according to most everything I hear, so let’s name them directly before the issue blossoms toward its full baseball clarity or merely chugs off into the historical fog: The teams who passed in the 2024 draft on Konnor Griffin were the Guardians, Reds, Rockies, A’s, Royals, White Sox, Cardinals and ...Read more

MIAMI — Sunday’s World Baseball Classic semifinal was as much a chess match as it was a heavyweight bout between two of the top teams in the tournament.

The star power between the United States and Dominican Republic arguably rivaled any matchup seen on a baseball diamond before. MVPs, Cy Young winners, All-Stars litter both rosters.

So ...Read more

SEATTLE — Cal Raleigh — villain.

You buying it? Because I'm not.

The American catcher has probably been the most-mentioned name in baseball over the past few days, and not for reasons he wants. It's because he refused to shake the hand of Seattle Mariners teammate Randy Arozarena when Randy offered said hand to Raleigh at the plate in a ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — It started with a Shohei shot.

Ohtani began the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo for Team Japan with a double on the first pitch he saw and then, one inning later, a grand slam … of course he did.

It continued with an espresso shot ...

The hitters of lovable Team Italy celebrated home runs with shots of Italian espresso in a ...Read more

LAKELAND, Fla. — Following his dominant four-inning effort in the World Baseball Classic on Monday evening against Mexico, Paul Skenes fielded questions from the media alongside his USA teammate Roman Anthony and manager Mark DeRosa.

The reigning National League Cy Young winner discussed the “electric” atmosphere at Houston’s Daikin ...Read more

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Numbers were crunched. Video was studied. Players, managers and coaches were interrogated.

And once all the data was collected, parsed and analyzed for baseball’s new video system for reviewing balls and strikes, we came up with this rather technical description:

Um, kinda funky?

In an absolutely charming way, of ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — It remains to be seen if Ryan Weathers, the hard-throwing lefty the New York Yankees acquired over the winter, is going to be the rotation “find” they envisioned after surrendering four prospects to the Miami Marlins for him. Another rough outing against the Atlanta Braves Friday ballooned Weathers’ spring ERA to 8.68 for ...Read more

MIAMI — Omar Lopez didn’t have to give a pregame speech Saturday. The Venezuelan manager and his team already knew the challenge ahead of it in its World Baseball Classic quarterfinal. It knew it would have to take out defending tournament champion Japan and one of the sport’s best players in Shohei Ohtani if it wanted a chance to win the ...Read more

Italy’s magical World Baseball Classic run continues, and so does Greg Weissert’s impressive performance on the global stage.

The Red Sox reliever recorded a five-out save on Saturday evening to send Puerto Rico home and advance the still undefeated Italy to the penultimate round of the triennial tournament. He allowed two hits, struck out ...Read more

PEORIA, Ariz. — Randy Arozarena arrived to the Mariners' spring training complex early Saturday morning, ready to return to work.

With the Mariners having a later “show and go” start to their morning following a night game, the clubhouse was largely empty as he unpacked his gear. As teammates rolled in, he offered hugs and fist bumps and,...Read more

FORT MYERS, Fla. — It’s not the speed. That’s a given.

It’s not the pitcher glancing over his shoulder, or the catcher sitting a little higher in his crouch or the middle infielders cheating toward second base. It’s not the first baseman trying to keep him close to the bag, or the possibility that he’s about to move into scoring ...Read more

MESA, Ariz. — Justin Steele stepped off the back of the mound at Sloan Park, gathered himself with a deep breath and exhaled.

The sequence provided Steele a moment to reset amid the adrenaline of facing hitters again.

Teammates Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Gavin Hollowell and Jordan Wicks, along with front-office personnel, sat in the stands ...Read more