caulfield12

Pointless...well, we will see if Matsumoto is there in the final game using his second start or they choose the quarterfinals/semifinals instead. https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-power-rankings-2026 Joe Ryan was scheduled to be part of Team USA's pitching staff at the upcoming World Baseball Classic. For now, he's been removed from the 30-man roster and replaced by the Yankees' Ryan Yarbrough. But Ryan, who pitched for the United States at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, may still end up playing a significant role in the WBC. He's been added to the team's "designated pitcher pool" and will be eligible to participate if the USA makes it to the knockout rounds (which they are obviously heavily favored to do). https://www.si.com/mlb/twins/onsi/minnesota-twins-news/update-on-joe-ryans-back-injury-world-baseball-classic-availability Fwiw Logan Webb starting the first game against Brazil.

"Precast concrete is an essential component of the landmark facility; the architecture of the facades include large, stacked blocks of limestone that are native to the region. The honed and quarry creek rocked faced stone varies in thickness and is cast into the precast concrete wall system. There was nothing square, straight or plumb about the exterior precast concrete wall system. Many walls were battered a variety of different degrees, while each corner seems to intersect at a different angle. All these different interfaces provided for challenging geometry." molin.com

Dru Harris continues to impress when given opportunities... And then that happened. Maybe trying too hard.

Minnesota just feels like way too much concrete to me...but maybe an anti Twins bias there. One thing is for sure...watching some of these Japanese exhibitions and having gone to Kyocera and Tokyo Dome, the experience is equally bad on tv as in person. That said, a sold out stadium with all the attendant chanting, flags, player-specific cheers, dance groups, fans dressed up with their favorite team's uniforms, there's nothing quite like it.

Hays probably gets moved up if he's going well or Colson moved down also have Sosa option

Murakami just struck out his first AB against Orix in Osaka at the Kyocera Dome. Hitting fourth ahead of Yoshida and Sato. Y.Kikuchi roughed up for three bottom of first, two earned. Almost gave up a bomb to CF warning track or it would be a rout. 3-0 Orix P Teranishi very impressive so far. Low 90s but stuff has good life/movement. Don't love the Murakami bat wrap...you have to have incredible forearm and wrist strength but maybe he's a unicorn like Julio Franco. Samurai defense just played a single into a double. Slowly so far...just had a wild throw from SS to first allowing a run. Mune just made a good diving play on yet another wild wide throw to first. Quite solid over there. 9 up 9 down...for Jpn top of order k.Kondoh Ohtani SSuzuki no okamoto Ohtani k'd against lhp first 11 retired Orix into pen Yoshida towering Homer to RF upper tank 3-1 Orix top 5 Murakami pulled a sharp grounder to 2B on a low outside sinker Mune Suzuki Ohtani always together in dugout Kikuchi through 4 2 er pulled could start Sat versus Korea top 7 Ohtani popped up to of Murakami towering ball to LF warning track both 0/3 Yoshida 2/3 Suzuki also singled inf Shugo Maki doubled off the lf wall 3rd run scored but tying run cut down at the plate on a nice play by the infielder taking the short hop throw (on artificial turf, much easier) 4-3 Orix Japan 3-2 in exhibitions so far One more against Hanshin, then real WBC games Fri against Taipei and Sat against Korea

https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1rhmgb3/samurai_japan_at_nagoya_station_preparing_to/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj3tKHowoCTAxUGLUQIHSYECMUQFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0oufEiXTKhFyGbZ1oXJ_Re

just look at where the top college hitters are from May 2025 today... https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/45053078/college-baseball-best-hitter-rankings-mason-neville-alex-lodise-2025 Neville ended up a fourth rounder Alex Lodise went to ATL second round, Sox have his cousin Kyle Burruss otoh has held his value pretty well

The dreaded Frank Thomas slider-speed bat. We shall see with wooden bats against plus plus velocity.

Sure, but Chourio had been playing every day since age 13-14. Braden missed all the development in his draft year due to his ankle injury. Second, most important point, his contact rates/K rates and in game power need to be demonstrated at least for 2-3 months in Birmingham. It’s not like they are competing for a playoff spot any earlier than 2027. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=chouri000jac Chourio had 1232 minor league plate appearances before age 20/21. How many total PA does Braden have? Just 517. Last two Sox ncaa guys who were rushed, Madrigal and Vaughn, didn’t turn out that well. Finally, Milwaukee has the number one farm system and another Top 3 Latin prospect in Jesus Made. They probably deserve the benefit of the doubt after all those playoff appearances with Bottom Quartile payrolls.

With the Sox luck, they would get Bronny James, instead.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/breaking-news/article/top-mlb-prospect-konnor-griffin-blasts-third-home-run-of-spring-training-013853070.html

And Braden has barely got his feet wet in AA....

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7069000/2026/02/27/mlb-pitching-breakout-candidates-2026/?campaign=17077533&source=athletic_targeted_email&userId=310262 Features on three AL Central starters...none with Sox April starting group Crochet/Sale both Top 5 for "stuff plus"

Antonacci really would have to keep this up for three more weeks. Still think he's targeted for the minors...at least for the first half of the season.

8-5 UCLA leading in extras Cholowsky up to .366 still hitting

mlb.com merkin had him at CF and second to meidroth maybe depends on pitcher handedness "fast guys must hit at top of the order" lol

What is his bat speed reading? There's sort of this slowness or longness to his swing...maybe it's because a number of his homers have been on offspeed pitches. Hitting .350 atm. Gasparino .389 and Strosnider have a lot of helium ATM. Can't forget Lebron, either. "Just" at .317 He's looking like the real deal. 40 homers in dead ball era in Japan. 3B/OF, 26 is perfect age to come over

https://stats.statbroadcast.com/mobile/?id=635870&vislive=msst 3-3 Tie in UCLA game...good battle Miss State #4 Roch 0/3 Gasparino bomb #10

No. Let's see how both guys do the rest of the schedule before B10 hits...but 9 vs. 6 homers is probably pushing Gasparino into at least mid first round range athe the very least due the opposition level.

Schoenle not a hard thrower but got out of the inning in relief of Kay. Kay 95/96 with his sinker.

So Sosa at DH with Hays in RF? Or Baldwin in RF? Or Baldwin CF Hays RF Sosa DH? Seems that Acuna is being pegged as CF starter and Top of the lineup by most insiders.

https://uclawire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/ucla/baseball/2026/02/24/ucla-baseball-will-gasparino-better-start-roch-cholowsky/88827965007/ Scouting report at Texas before transfer... has he gained weight/muscle mass since then? "Between his throwing arm, athleticism and instincts, Gasparino has the defensive chops to potentially stick in center field. The long-levered Gasparino is also a plus runner and a threat on the basepaths. He has legitimate five-tool upside and could be an opening day starter for the Longhorns." That's the one thing Roch and Lebron are both missing...that plus plus speed.

Pitching after Matsumoto is the question mark. Will the Dodgers actually let him take two starts after the heavy workload last postseason? Maybe they pull him early against Korea or Taipei if they build up early leads...quarterfinals and semi finals match ups will be harder this time around. Last time had Cuba.

Is J.Gonzalez still even a Top 30 prospect in the Sox system? Or now all the way down to 30-40?