Spring Training games thread

[CUBDOM4life]

1 hour ago, mk49 said:

Just found Seiya hit two HRs in Japan (vs Korea).

He is absolutely mashing the ball

[Radar3454]

Was just watching a little bit of the game and I think Carlson is closer to the plate than Rizzo used 2 be. Mo followed him and was probably a foot further away. I'm guessing that is new for Dylan and maybe attributing to his success. Hard to believe he is only 27.

[Bertz]

Josiah Hartshorn is the starting DH today!?!

[We Got The Whole 9]

Pedro Ramirez has looked really good too.

[Gjfificifjdej]

Looks like today would have been a fun one, too bad the people at Marquee suck. 

[Bertz]

I know he's had some impressive exit velos but if Pedro can go deep to the opposite field that kind of fundamentally changes how we should think about his ceiling.

[Bertz]

We're getting a lot of Busch/Hoerner/Happ 1/2/3.  Curious if that's the default lineup vs. RHP, or if it's just because Bregman and Seiya are at the WBC.

[Rcal10]

25 minutes ago, Bertz said:

We're getting a lot of Busch/Hoerner/Happ 1/2/3.  Curious if that's the default lineup vs. RHP, or if it's just because Bregman and Seiya are at the WBC.

I would guess Bregman would be 2 or 3 if he was here. Maybe Suzuki too. Don’t see these two guys behind the 3 at the top now.

[Rcal10]

Why is Theilbar starting. I saw Harvey listed as starting? Is all ok with Harvey? 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

1 hour ago, Rcal10 said:

Why is Theilbar starting. I saw Harvey listed as starting? Is all ok with Harvey? 

Craig didn't mention anything about Harvey in his media briefing, I would assume he's fine. Only new injury he mentioned was Porter Hodge who they shut down because of a flexor strain.

[Gjfificifjdej]

Mr Schultz clearly took offence to not getting sent back to AAA with the others today. 

[mk49]

Interesting.  Jamo vs Amaya.  Jamo won the 1st round.😄

[Bertz]

 

[mk49]

At least, Jamo didn't give up a HR, the first time this year, I think.😄

Aside from the velo, he did OK.

Edited March 9 by mk49

[Cubs420psd]

Junior Lake is on team DR.

 

That name was a blast from the past.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

54 minutes ago, Cubs420psd said:

Junior Lake is on team DR.

That is wild, How does he make that team?

[CubUgly]

On 3/4/2026 at 9:08 PM, Stratos said:

If a catcher can be accurate with ABS and rack up many successful challenges per game that could fundamentally change game outcomes in this sport.

You wonder if catchers become so good that teams will start to not allow hitters to challenge unless it's very high leverage like runners on late in a close game.  Sounds like teams already don't want pitchers challenging.

I have always been of the opinion that calling a game and the relationship with the pitcher is a catchers most valuable trait and that really is not something that can be measured by analytics.    It's IMHO why two teams and now probably a third decided even though Wilson Contreras has a cannon arm, he was still a liability as a catcher.  Some say it was his pitch framing, but when it comes out as it did in St. Louis that he was calling pitches one of his pitchers did not even throw.....that is pretty telling. 

We'll see how this ABS stuff factors in, but the soft factors to me it seems always weight heavily internally for catchers. 

[Geographyhater8888]

On 3/8/2026 at 7:46 PM, Bertz said:

 

At least there’s enough arms to withstand any drop off in production with a healthy Assad, Horton and Cabrera part of the opening day rotation. This would concern me more from 23-25. 

[Jason Ross]

Fun lineup today

[CubinNY]

Without games to watch, the ST has so terribly boring.

[Post Count Padder]

On 3/8/2026 at 11:08 PM, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

That is wild, How does he make that team?

He was the replacement for Johan Rojas after he was suspended for PEDs. Although you could wonder how Rojas made the team also.

[Bertz]

Small sample size, spring training, blah blah blah all fair but James Triantos walking more than 20% of the time and rocking a league average groundball rate is fun and super encouraging.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Cade today, woof

[CubinNY]

3 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Cade today, woof

good woof or bad woof?

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

1 minute ago, CubinNY said:

good woof or bad woof?

Very bad