The Japanese slugger was the most sought-after foreign free agent, then statistics came out that he couldn’t hit velocity, and he had to settle for a two-year, $34 million contract with the White Sox. Well, Murakami is proving just about everyone wrong, and currently is tied with Yordan Alvarez for the major league lead in homers with 11. Oh, and he’s batting .273 with seven homers against fastballs.

It’s fun to highlight White Sox players, because they’ve often been at the bottom of these lists. Might as well mention Everson Pereira while we’re on the South Side too. The former Yankee prospect has a .908 OPS with a .357 OBP and three homers in 49 at-bats.

Other news around the league? The Phillies asked the Mets to politely hold their beer. Philadelphia enters Saturday on a 10-game losing streak, dropping to 8-18 on the season while being outscored 69-26 during the stretch. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber have played like MVPs, but the remainder of the lineup has come up short. The Cubs have also been a benefactor of the Mets and Phillies struggles, as eight of the 22 combined losses between the two NL East rivals have come at the hands of the Cubbies.

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

1. Dodgers

Are the Dodgers mortal? It sure looks like it over their last seven games.

In the last seven games, LA has gone 2-7 against the likes of the Giants, Rockies, and Cubs. Only one of the loses came against Chicago, with the meat of the stretch coming against two lesser rivals.

There’s still no reason to drop the Dodgers or panic. The club got an excellent performance Thursday from Tyler Glasnow, who punched out nine Giants over eight scoreless innings. The real culprit for their poor stretch is their lack of offense. The club has scored only eight runs over their last four games. Andy Pages has considerably cooled off during this seven-game blip, slashing just .120/.185/.160.

2. Braves

Atlanta is building its case as a World Series contender for 2026.

Did they have the talent to do it? Yeah, obviously. But injuries and underperformance has kept this club from Dodger-level good since 2023. Fast forward to now, and the Braves have built themselves a comfortable lead in the NL East before May.

They’re 9-1 in their last 10 games, which includes four wins over the floundering Phillies. Matt Olson has been the sparkplug for this offseason, and has seven homers, a .944 OPS, and a major league leading 11 doubles in 27 games. Then of course is the pitching, which continues to limit runs and enters Saturday tied for first in the majors in ERA (3.11). Oh, and here’s your weekly reminder that this is all without Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach.

3. Yankees

There was a reason I didn’t drop the Yankees too far last week. They have the talent, and will be OK.

Well since that decision, the Yanks have rattled off a seven-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of the Red Sox in Boston.

So how have the Yankees dominated this past week. Easy. Pitching and Ben Rice. The lefty slugger from Massachusetts homered in four consecutive games dating back to last week, and has also slugged five homers in last eight games. I’m not joking, if the season ended today, Rice would be the American League MVP. He’s slashing .316/.450/.747 with nine homers and 20 RBIs. Rice is also second in the majors in slugging, OBP, OPS, fourth in homers, and 14th in batting average.

Then there’s the starting rotation. It dominated in Boston. Luis Gil pitched 6 1/3 scoreless Wednesday, Max Fried pitched eight scoreless innings with nine strikeouts Thursday, and Cam Schlittler allowed one run over eight innings Saturday. Entering Saturday, the Yankees are tied for the lead in ERA (3.11) in MLB.

4. Cubs

The Cubs might be ranked fourth, but they’re playing like the best team in baseball right now.

Chicago has ripped off a 10-game win streak, catapulting them to the top of the NL Central. Sure, nine of those ten wins have come against the Mets and Phillies, but it’s still a massive accomplishment. They even backed up the performance with a comeback win over the Dodgers Friday night, which saw Alex Bregman and Dansby Swanson club later homers to win 6-4.

During this stretch the offense has been torrential. They’re averaging 7.2 runs per game, and producing despite Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch being invisible. The rotation has also held up during this streak. Edward Cabrera and Shota Imanaga continue to shove and have ERAs under three, plus Javier Assad has looked good in his last two outings, allowing just one run in 6 2/3 combined innings.

5. Pirates

Did everyone see that Oneil Cruz homer off the top of the foul pole in Texas? If not, I give you permission to leave this article.

Seriously though, it’s could finally be the Cruz breakout season that fantasy experts have been waiting for. The lefty is slashing .271/.333/.542 with eight homers and five doubles. The slugging number in that slashline is the most important. The power was always going to be there for the 6’7 Cruz, the question was if he could translate it into in-game power. There were glimpses of it in 2024 when Cruz slugged .449, but April has been promising for the potential breakout candidate.

Of course there’s also the pitching. It’s the backbone of this team. It’s shockingly registered the third-lowest ERA (3.32) in the majors, and has led the Pirates to a 15-11 record and +26 run differential. There’s obviously the big names like Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller, but a breakout arm in the rotation has been Braxton Ashcraft. The 26-year-old has pitched to a 2.43 ERA in five starts, and is striking out 9.7 batters per nine.

6. Padres

San Diego was one of baseball’s hottest teams last week.

They swept a four-game series on the road against the Rockies, came home to sweep the Mariners to claim Eddie Vedder, then traveled to Anaheim to take a three-game series against the Angels.

Overall, the stretch saw the Padres go 9-1 in 10 games. Then earlier this week they won two of three against the Rockies at home. This run of course is aided by timely hitting and one of the best bullpens the sport has ever seen. Mason Miller is working on a 12 1/3 scoreless streak this season, and a 33 2/3 consecutive scoreless streak dating back to August 6 of last season. Another name everyone should learn is Bradgley Rodriguez. The righty has a 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 innings and wears glasses. The latter makes him cool.

7. Rangers

Texas has been steady this season. They’re 13-13, have a +8 run differential, and are second in a weak AL West.

So why are they so high on this list? Well, the pitching has been elite. Coming into Saturday, they have the eighth-lowest ERA in the majors (3.86), propped up by a vintage Jacob deGrom (2.13 ERA) and young Kumar Rocker (3.48 ERA).

The offense has been middling, and took a hit two days ago when the Rangers placed Wyatt Langford on the 10-day IL with a flexor strain. At least Josh Jung seems to have found his stroke. The third baseman, who was a crucial piece for Texas during their 2023 World Series run, has an .877 OPS through 23 games.

8. Diamondbacks

The Snakes have jumped out to a 14-11 start. And it’s because of their… pitching?

Yeah, the rotation has held up a slow offensive start for the D-backs. Through their first five starts in the rotation, Eduardo Rodríguez has a 2.89 ERA, Michael Soroka has a 2.60 ERA, and Zac Gallen has a 3.51 ERA.

Yet, despite these stellar performances, the Diamondbacks have the 20th-lowest ERA in the majors. And outside Corbin Carroll, Ildemaro Vargas, and Geraldo Perdomo, the entire D-backs lineup is flopping around. In fact most of them have OPS+’s under 100. Still, there’s hope for many D-backs hitters to bounce back and power this team toward a wild-card spot. Especially Ketel Marte, who has a .694 OPS through his first 24 games.

9. Brewers

Brandon Woodruff this. Jacob Misiorowski that. How about Chad Patrick?

The 27-year-old has a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings, and leads a strong rotation in ERA. The aforementioned two starters have also been great. Woodruff has a 3.77 ERA in his comeback year, and Misiorowski leads starters with a 14.2 K/9 and has a 3.04 ERA.

Outside the pitching, the offense has mustered enough runs. Brice Turang has a .900 OPS entering Saturday and Garrett Mitchell has put up a more than respectable .804. Just imagine what the lineup will look like when Christian Yelich returns from the 10-day IL.

10. Twins

Well, the Twins have lost six of their last seven. That’s what I get for slotting them at five last week.

They got swept by the Reds, dropped a series to the Mets, and lost Friday 6-2 to the Rays. So why are they still here?

The lineup is strong, especially when this healthy. We always talk about Royce Lewis and his potential, Byron Buxton as a superstar when on the field, but let’s give some flowers to Ryan Jeffers. The catcher is one of the most underrated catchers in baseball, and has a .889 OPS entering Saturday. He’s had an OPS+ above 100 dating back to 2023, and hit a clutch grand slam Thursday in a loss to the Mets.

The major question mark will be the rotation. Joe Ryan allowed seven earned runs Thrusday to the Mets, but is usually among the best in the AL. Mick Abel is on the IL right now, but when he was pitching, he was striking out 10.2 batters per nine to go with his 3.98 ERA.

Rest of the Field

11. Marlins
12. Tigers
13. Orioles
14. Guardians
15. Reds
16. Mets
17. Rays
18. Phillies
19. Mariners
20. Athletics
21. Angels
22. Astros
23. Cardinals
24. Blue Jays
25. Giants
26. Red Sox
27. Royals
28. Nationals
29. Rockies
30. White Sox

Previous Rankings: W3 | W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Four Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets and Yankees both struggled mightily last week, costing the Bombers a few spots on the top 10 and the Mets to fall off the list. The Amazins’ have dropped nine games in a row after starting 7-4 and fundamentally look like one of the worst teams in baseball. And the Yankees got swept by the Rays, split a series with the Angels, and survived the Royals Friday with a late homer from Ryan McMahon.

It’s been rough for two teams projected to be among the best in their leagues. But they’re not the only “power houses” struggling. The Mariners and Astros are both 8-13 after positive starts, the Phillies are 8-11 and are on a three-game losing streak, and the Tigers are 10-10 despite a positive run differential.

Instead, it’s been teams that were supposed to be bottom feeders dominating early. The Twins through three weeks especially have been undeniably good. So much so I put them on the list. The Angels have also been right there with Minnesota, surging thanks to a renaissance from Mike Trout in the Bronx last week.

All this is the long way of saying the list has gone through another metamorphosis. And will continue to throughout the first month or so of the season. Remember last year when the Braves were regulars in the top-10 till May?

Also, before we get into the list, I want to personally attribute a portion of this article to Garret Anderson. The all-time great passed away at 53 Friday, shocking the baseball world. On the field, Anderson holds the Angels franchise record for games played (2,013), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489), grand slams (8), and RBIs (1,292). Anderson was also a crucial piece for the Halos in 2002, helping the club win its first and only World Series. He passed away from a heart attack and is survived by his wife and three children.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

1. Dodgers

We all knew the Dodgers were going to be insanely good. But it’s April 18, and the club still hasn’t lost to a National League team.

They swept the Mets last week behind dominant performances from Justin Wrobleski and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, then went to Colorado to play a snow game with the Rockies Friday. And yes, they won that game 7-1.

The usual suspects are dominating again, but I want to point out Dalton Rushing. The 25-year-old has scorched the baseball to begin the season, slashing .529/.556/1.353 with four homers in 17 at-bats. Yeah, you read that right. Four homers in 17 at-bats.

2. Braves

Atlanta is back in full force.

The club has started 13-7 in their first 20 games, getting production from their entire roster. Everyone in their lineup outside Michael Harris II has an OPS+ above 100. The pitching rotation features five arms with ERA+’s over 120, including Bryce Elder who leads the NL with a 0.77 ERA. The bullpen has four arms with ERAs in the ones. Oh they also lead baseball with a +53 run differential.

It’s been an incredible start for a team trying to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2025. And they’re still waiting for Spencer Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach to come back.

3. Pirates

Is placing the Pirates all the way to three aggressive? Yeah. But they have the firepower to stay.

Everybody knows about the treachorous staff the Pirates throw at the league, but the offense has finally clicked for Pittsburgh. The additions of Brandon Lowe (184 OPS+) and Ryan O’Hearn (149 OPS+) have infused runs into this lineup, Bryan Reynolds has bounced back from a mediocre 2025 with an .810 OPS, and Oneil Cruz is finally blossoming into a superstar with a .313/.382/.588 slashline, six homers, and nine stolen bases.

The offense has been steady. And the pitching staff led by Paul Skenes can carry this team through the ineviatable offense woes they go through later in the season.

4. Yankees

The media has been hyperfixated on the Mets. But the Yankees have been equally as bad.

They dropped a series to the Athletics at home, were swept by the Rays on the road, then returned to the Bronx to split a series with the Angels. All and all, they went 2-7 and endured a five game losing streak.

Still, the club stays this high on the list due to their underlying numbers. They’re 11-9 and are the only team in the AL East with a positive run differential. Max Fried and Cam Schlittler are carrying a despondent offense, which is really being carried by Ben Rice (1.205 OPS) and Aaron Judge (.929 OPS).

5. Twins

Minnesota? The Twins?

Yeah, in case you weren’t paying attention, the Twins are among the best teams in baseball right now. Trevor Larnach and company last weekend swept the Red Sox out of Minneapolis, including a game where they walloped Garrett Crochet for 10 earned runs.

It’s been a fun start for the Twins. And the decision to keep Joe Ryan may lead to a fun summer. The rotation is strong behind Ryan, which features a ressurgent Taj Bradley (1.25 ERA) and righty Mick Abel (3.98 ERA), who was one of the returns for closer Jhoan Duran.

6. Padres

Mason Miller. Korn. What else do you need?

Seriously, have you seen what Miller is doing. The flamethrower hasnt’ allowed a run in 9 1/3 innings, has a 22.2 K/9, and a -1.45 FIP. If the season ended today he would be the NL Cy Young winner.

Miller has spearheaded the best bullpen in baseball. Behind him are David Morgan, Bradgley Rodriguez, and Wandy Peralta, all who have ERAs under two. It’s been a winning formula for San Diego the past two seasons, and with the offense still finding its groove, the ‘pen has been the backbone for this 13-7 San Diego team.

7. Rangers

Jacob deGrom has a 2.21 ERA. Brandon Nimmo has a .313/.396/.538 slashline with four homers. The Mets must be good!

All joking aside, Nimmo and the pitching staff has led the Rangers out of the basement of the AL West. They’re 11-9, have a +17 run differential, and could make a run toward the division if their rotation stays healthy.

The Rangers have the fifth best team ERA in baseball (3.38), 12th best team OPS (.714), and seventh most homers (23). That’ll play.

8. Diamondbacks

Is Corbin Carroll the most underrated player in major league baseball?

I’m serious. With all the Shohei Ohtani hype around baseball, it’s easy to forget about the other superstars in the league. Carroll has quietly put up a .308/.395/.585 slashline with two homers, six doubles, and a major league leading three triples. He might win an MVP one day.

Him and José Fernández (122 OPS+) are carrying a cold D-Backs offense right now, which is getting bailed out Eduardo Rodríguez (1.96 ERA) and Michael Soroka (2.78 ERA).

9. Cubs

Chicago might be the hottest team in baseball right now.

They’ve scored 10 or more runs in three straight games, leading to a series win over the Phillies on the road and a win Friday over the Mets. Despite being in last in the NL Central, they have the best run differential among their rivals and second best expected record.

Nico Hoerner has been the biggest surprise this early season. He spent the offseason trying to improve his power output, which has led to three homers and a .973 OPS in 19 games. Hoerner has only clubbed seven homers the past two seasons. His career high was 10 in 2022.

10. Guardians

Cleveland has been trading wins and losses in the early season. Mostly due to their struggling ‘pen.

Coming into Saturday, the bullpen’s 5.55 ERA is 25th in baseball. It’s blown numerous leads already, including Friday where Shawn Armstrong and Erik Sabrowski blew a six scoreless inning outing from Tanner Bibee.

Fortunately for the Guardians, the offense and starting pitching has done enough to mitigate. José Ramírez is breaking out of a early, short slump and Angel Martínez has a 122 OPS+. Daniel Schneemann has also done a fantastic job, putting up video game numbers early (.313/.353/.563).

Rest of the Field

11. Brewers
12. Phillies
13. Mets
14. Mariners
15. Astros
16. Marlins
17. Orioles
18. Rays
19. Tigers
20. Angels
21. Reds
22. Athletics
23. Giants
24. Blue Jays
25. Red Sox
26. Cardinals
27. Royals
28. Nationals
29. Rockies
30. White Sox

Previous Rankings: W2 | W1 | OD

The post 2026 MLB Power Rankings: Week Three Update appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

MLB umpire Emil Jimenez. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Long live the robots. The robots are here to stay.

After trial runs in both Triple-A and spring training, the Automated Ball Strike Challenge System [ABS] has made its way to the big leagues in 2026.

Starting on Opening Day 2026, players have been able to turn to ABS to issue a final judgment on close ball/strike calls. ABS is the first system to take away unilateral ball/strike decision-making from the home plate umpire’s discretion. Now, batters, pitchers, and catchers are granted an opportunity to challenge an egregious ball or strike call.

Once a player requests a challenge by tapping his helmet, 12 strategically placed Hawkeye cameras review the pitch’s location, and either overturn the on-the-field call or confirm the initial decision. Teams are granted two “challenges” per game, and retain the challenge if a call is overturned.

Early returns show ABS pretty evenly split on each side. As of publishing on March 31 before gameplay, 55% of challenges have been overturned. (Batter sit at 50% and pitchers and catchers sit at 58%.)

This change, the latest to incorporate cutting-edge technology into on-the-field play, will have major ramifications on the sport’s strategy.

Consider the delta in run value when a ball is called on the first pitch of an at-bat, compared to a strike. According to Baseball Savant, batters who started an at-bat with a 1-0 count were more productive by 9 runs, compared to batters who started with a 0-1 count. Nine runs are estimated to be worth an extra win, underscoring the importance of ensuring the accuracy of every single pitch.

Not every questionable call strike will be worthy of a challenge. Some teams may only use their objections at leveraged moments, such as when the game is on the line in the later innings.

Incorporating ABS into the granularities of calling balls/strikes represents a paradigm shift from the antiquated technologies that previously proliferated MLB.

In the mid-2000s, Pitchf/x emerged as the first regulated system to provide simple insight into pitch metrics, such as velocity and location. In the years since, TrackMan & Hawkeye have become virtually household names by disseminating new levels of pitch data at a rapid pace and furthering our understanding of “what makes a pitcher good.”

The Mets seemed primed to face any early ABS issues. Earlier this spring, Carlos Mendoza relayed the club’s spring training ABS strategy to the NY Post:

Asked how the team would approach the new rule this spring, the manager said, “Be aggressive. Challenge as much as possible. We want to see who’s good and who’s not [at challenging].”

While numbers in the spring should be taken with a grain of salt, and despite the guidance from their skipper, the Mets’ batters challenged only 19 times in the Grapefruit League; six were reversed. Their backstops tapped their heads 27 times, reversing the call 13 times.

Marcus Semein, Kevin Parada, and Christian Pache each led the club with three challenges; Semein and Pache overturned a call apiece while Parada was unsuccessful in his trio of attempts.

A handful of Syracuse Mets, projected to receive time with the big-league club in 2026, used ABS in 2025. Thanks to Baseball Savant’s new functionality, we’re able to identify the Mets players, a step away from the Majors, who were strong in their decisions to challenge ball-strike calls in 2025.

Veteran journeymen Gilberto Celestino & Yonny Hernandez each led the Syracuse Mets with 10 overturned challenges, with Hernandez’s 56% successful challenge rate just eeking out Celeistin’s 50%. Hernandez led the club with +2.7 “Net For” challenges, which gives a player credit for overturns on pitches thrown in similar locations to other players.

Celestino challenged at more opportune times. He had three strikeouts negated by a correct overturn on a strike outside the zone, while once correctly challenging a strike on a three-ball count.

Several Syracuse Mets hitters, who either previously garnered extensive major-league time or are projected to in 2026, familiarized themselves well with the challenge system in their debut season with ABS. Even with the small-sample caveat, Jesse Winker, Mark Vientos, and Jose Siri ranked in the team’s top three in “Challenge Rate vs Expected”, which takes into consideration the challenges a player is expected to win.

The club’s top hitting prospects in Triple-A, namely Jett Williams, Ryan Clifford, and Luisangel Acuna, overturned four calls in six tries.

Overturning calls via ABS isn’t just an option for hitters; pitchers are able to utilize it to reverse egregious ball/strike counts. During his time leading the Mets’ AAA staff, Nolan McLean‘s pitches were challenged 17 times by the Mets, with seven overturned. His seven reversals ranked second among Mets’ pitchers, trailing only former Mets farmhand Brandon Sproat.

A plethora of the Mets’ top pitching prospects, including McLean, got accustomed to ABS in 2025, a relieving note given the Mets tend to yo-yo pitchers between their Triple-A and big league rosters. McLean, Austin Warren, and Jonathan Pintaro, all members of the Mets’ current 40-man roster, each won three challenges in 2025.

Despite the individual success stories, when compared to the league, the Syracuse Mets, as an aggregate, performed poorly at overturning calls. In 2025, Syracuse won only 46 challenges, placing last in the International League. Their -42 expected net overturns ranked second-to-last in the minors, while 36% overturn rate trailed none.

Give Angel Hernandez his flowers. Calling ball/strikes isn’t an easy job to do. The nuances required, combined with 40,000 fans watching the real-time result, make this task a particularly grueling one. ABS provides a fix to baseball’s toughest job by putting the onus on the players to correct any inaccurate calls.

If you’d like to pull ABS data to an Excel file programmatically, via Python, please follow this request.

The post Statcast Breakdown: MiLB ABS Analysis appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mar 11, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Dominican Republic left fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a two-run home run against Venezuela during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Friday’s games

Korea vs. Dominican Republic at loanDepot park in Miami, 6:30 p.m. ET on FS2

Korea is the only team in the quarterfinals that lost twice, and it advanced by winning a three-way tiebreaker with Australia and Chinese Taipei. (Something seemed wrong to me at first about the runs allowed/outs recorded tiebreaker, but after some thought I like it.)

Korea is trying to make it to the semifinals for the first time since 2009, when it lost to Japan in the finals. It is facing a deep Dominican Republic team, looking for its second WBC title (2013, Robinson Canó was MVP).

Juan Soto is 5-for-15 with two home runs, four RBIs, five walks and a stolen base. He is one of five players on the team with two home runs (Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.). The DR outscored its opponents 41-10 while going 4-0 in pool play. Huascar Brazobán has thrown 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, hitless ball. He’s struck out four (including Nicaragua’s Mark Vientos) and walked one.

USA vs. Canada at Daikin Park in Houston, 8 p.m. ET on FOX

Team USA survived a scare, and now Nolan McLean (a shaky outing vs. Italy) might get to pitch again. McLean, before the tournament, was named the starter should the Americans make it to the final. Clay Holmes (three scoreless innings, six strikeouts vs. Great Britain) is returning to the Mets.  Pete Crow-Armstrong and Aaron Judge have hit two homers apiece.

The United States is trying to win its second WBC (2017, Marcus Stroman was MVP) and it will have to go through Canada and Marlins outfielder Owen Caissie (7-for-14, a home run, a 1.458 OPS). Jared Young is 1-for-5 with two strikeouts for Team Canada.

Saturday’s games

Puerto Rico vs. Italy at Daikin Park in Houston, 3 p.m. ET on FS1

Puerto Rico lost in this round in 2023 and in the finals in 2017 and 2013. In 2023, Edwin Díaz suffered a torn patellar tendon while celebrating a win over the Dominican Republic. He is back and has thrown two scoreless innings with five strikeouts and a save. Italy pulled off the upset of the tournament so far with its win over the United States. Vinnie Pasquantino became the first player to hit three homers in a WBC game against Mexico.

Mets prospect Nick Morabito, seeing action as a defensive replacement in the Team Italy outfield, is 0-for-1.

Venezuela vs. Japan at loanDepot park in Miami, 9 p.m. ET on FOX

Shohei Ohtani is 5-for-9 with two homers, a double and four walks for defending champion Japan, and Seiya Suzuki has a couple of homers as well. Japan has won three of the five Classics and advanced to the semifinals every time. This will be its first time playing Venezuela, which had its best showing when it advanced to the semifinals in 2009.

Ronald Acuña Jr. is 4-for-13 with a home run, a double, six walks, a tournament-leading eight runs scored and two stolen bases. Luis Arraez has two home runs and nine RBIs. RHP Carlos Guzman (3.12 ERA in 49 innings combined at Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Binghamton in 2025), got into one game, recorded two outs and gave up a hit and a walk.

The winners of Friday’s games will play Sunday in Miami, and the winners of Saturday’s games will play there on Monday. The championship game is Tuesday in Miami at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Predictions

Anything can happen in one baseball game. But I don’t like the vibes from Team USA. I think it survives Canada and loses to the immaculately-vibing DR in the semifinals. I’ll take Italy to keep its magic going, Venezuela in an upset over Japan and DR over Venezuela in the finals. Soto will edge Brazobán for MVP honors.

The post World Baseball Classic: Quarterfinals Preview appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Pre-Game

The experience, however, started off poorly. There is a list of 17 instruments that are allowed at the WBC and it includes bongos, tambourines, trumpets and trombones. There is also a list of banned instruments. Leave your bullhorns, kazoos and vuvuzelas at home.

A cowbell is permitted, and my friend Pat brought two. (I’m at the game with Pat and Mike, friends I made on my first day at SUNY Buffalo, which was the same year Bobby Bonilla debuted with the Mets.) Pat is from Ecuador and was torn about who to root for, so he had a blue cowbell to support the Dominican Republic and a yellow one to shake for Nicaragua. (What a joy it was going to be to sit next to him.)

But security at loanDepot park in Miami told Pat he couldn’t enter with the cowbells even though they were on the approved list. He pointed this out. This is when we learned that there are different types of cowbells. Cowbells that come with a stick are welcome. The ones with a little bell on the inside are not.

We enter, and the crowd of 35,127, in my estimation, is 70-30 for the DR. In introductions, Juan Soto received the second-biggest ovation. The loudest was for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Maybe he’s more popular or maybe he’s got a few more fans because us older folks have warm memories of watching his dad.)

The Games

I love a good first-round upset in March Madness and the DR vs. Nicaragua felt like, well, Duke vs. SUNY Buffalo. The DR has Soto, Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ketel Marte and batting sixth is Junior Caminero, who hit 45 home runs for Tampa Bay last year. Nicaragua has Mark Vientos and manager Dusty Baker.

The crowd is into it from the first pitch. Nicaragua already has a run in the top of the first when cleanup hitter Vientos (I wasn’t kidding, he’s the star) comes to bat with two on and nobody out. The WBC-approved cowbells are clanging. (Pat is jealous.)

Cristopher Sanchez treats Vientos like he’s prime Barry Bonds. He walks him on four pitches that weren’t close to load the bases. The Nicaraguans are loud. But Sanchez strikes out the next three batters to escape the jam, screams and fist pumps coming off the mound. It is the Dominican fans’ turn to use instruments. This is fun.

Vientos’ next at-bat comes an inning later, with two on and one out and Nicaragua ahead 3-2. Sanchez is pulled. Angels fans will always have Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout with the 2023 WBC championship on the line. Mets fans, we will always have Huascar Brazobán vs. Vientos in pool play. (Until it’s McLean vs. Soto in the final?) Brazobán struck out Vientos on four pitches.

The game was tied at 3-3 in the sixth when Caminero hit a two-run homer that sent (most of) loanDepot park into a frenzy. He pounded his chest as he circled the bases, danced at home plate and after the game said the hit was “a dream come true.” DR poured it on, scored six runs in the eighth and in the end this was the most entertaining 12-3 game I’ve ever seen.

We went to Venezuela vs. Israel on Saturday night and again the crowd (22,573) was into it from the start. We kept hearing drums (or some other instrument that must be on the approved list) but couldn’t locate them. I got to see Mets prospect Ben Simon make the start for Israel. If he never makes it to the majors, he can still say he struck out Maikel Garcia. He can also say he walked Ronald Acuña Jr., gave up a double to Luis Arraez and served up a home run to Eugenio Suarez. He recorded one out and gave up four runs.

Israel didn’t get a hit until the fifth inning, never made it a game and Venezuela won 11-3.

Final Thoughts/Suggestions

Part of what makes the WBC fun is seeing a pitcher like Nicaragua’s Stiven Cruz, 24 years old, who never pitched above Double-A, work a 1-2-3 inning where he retired three All-Stars. He got Marte to ground out, struck out Soto and Guerrero bounced to short.

Another great part is that every game is huge. A dozen of the 20 teams will be eliminated in pool play, which means they will only play four times. After that, it’s single elimination the rest of the way. A champion is crowned after playing seven games.

Seed the 20 teams. It would help us casuals know exactly how big of an upset we might be witnessing.

And lastly, be clearer about the cowbell rules!

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Before we get into it, we also want to quickly share that we have some new WBC merch up on our website. Go check it out! 

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David Melendi

The Dominican Republic. And I learned while doing extensive research for the MMO’s WBC team previews that ex and future Mets have won a few MVPs. Daisuke Matsuzaka, Robinson Cano, and Marcus Stroman have all taken home the hardware. This time it’s Amed Rosario’s turn.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki

The USA will defeat Japan in a rematch of the 2023 finals. Even with Tarik Skubal’s early departure, the Stars and Stripes have plenty of pitching depth in addition to their stacked lineup. I’ll go with Cal Raleigh for the WBC MVP.

Matt Mancuso

It’s difficult not to select the Dominican Republic, a squad that contains the offensive prowess of the 1927 Yankees. Betting against a team whose worst hitter was 30% better than league average last year seems like a fool’s errand. MVP: Juan Soto

Michael Mayer

I have a hard time picking between the US, Japan, the DR, and Venezuela. Those top four teams are really really good. I like the team the US has built quite a bit; it’s balanced well between offense and pitching. I believe they take home the WBC crown, and Bobby Witt Jr. will be the MVP.

Brandyn Pokrass

In a tournament with so much star power, I am going to go with the Dominican Republic. The U.S. would be my other pick, but I see the DR’s lineup having a huge impact game in and game out. As for the MVP, I’ll go with Fernando Tatis Jr.

Christian De Block

2026 will be the year the USA returns to the top. The Dominican Republic and Japan are deep, talented teams that will certainly have something to say. But in the end, USA will get it done, with Aaron Judge taking home the MVP.

Michelle Ioannou

DR isn’t going to be easy to beat, but I’m going to go with Team USA with Paul Skenes as the MVP.

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Notable Players

Setting an example for the youngsters will be infielder Yu Chang, who became the first Chinese Taipei player to make an all-WBC tournament team in 2023 when he went 7-for-16 with two home runs and eight RBIs in four games. He was named the MVP of his pool. Chang, 30, played for four teams over five major league seasons (2019-2023). In his best year, he hit nine homers in 89 games for the 2021 Guardians and posted a .693 OPS.

Of the nine in an MLB organization, only outfielder Stuart Fairchild (.606 OPS in 28 games with the Braves last year) and Pirates middle infielder Tsung-Che Cheng (seven career at-bats, no hits) have reached the majors. Fairchild and No. 6 Cubs prospect Jonathon Long (20 homers, .883 OPS at Triple-A Iowa in 2025) are the only U.S.-born players on the team. Everyone else was born in Taiwan.

Infielder Hao-Yu Lee, 23, is the Tigers’ No. 6 prospect and slashed .243/.342/.406 with 14 homers for Triple-A Toledo last season. He also stole 22 bases.

Three Athletics pitching prospects are on the team. LHP Wei-En Lin, 20, struck out 117 in 87 innings while pitching to a 3.72 ERA across three minor-league levels last season. He finished the year in Double-A. RHP Tzu-Chen Sha‘s ERA was 4.15 in 99 2/3 innings split almost evenly between Low-A and High-A. Right-hander Chen Zhong-A0 Zhuang made 26 starts at Double-A Midland (4.08 ERA, 145 strikeouts, 145 2/3 innings).

LHP Yu-Min Lin, 22, is Arizona’s No. 20 prospect and pitched to a 6.64 ERA over 23 starts for Triple-A Reno last season.

Notable Coaches

Hao-Jiu Tseng will manage after serving as hitting coach for Chinese Taipei at the 2023 event. He told Casey Drottar of MLB.com that the bigger role requires a stoic demeanor. “Not much smiling,” he said. “With more responsibilities, I always show them a poker face.” The bullpen coach is Chien-Ming Wang, who was second in Cy Young voting for the Yankees in 2006 when he went 19-6 with a 3.63 ERA. Wang pitched five seasons for the Yanks and nine in the majors (2005-2016). He struck out 394 in 845 2/3 innings.

WBC History

Chinese Taipei is one of 13 teams to participate in all five previous WBCs. The only time it advanced to the second round was in 2013. In 2023, the team went 2-2 in pool play despite Chang’s heroics and was eliminated by a tiebreaker.

Pool

It’s a tough draw, with defending champion Japan hosting Pool C in what will be a raucous Tokyo Dome, and a strong Korean team expected to advance as well. Chinese Taipei will be looking to surprise, as will Australia and Czechia. Chinese Taipei opens the tournament on March 4 at 10 p.m. ET against Australia. The five teams in each pool all play each other once, with the top two in each pool moving on to the quarterfinals.

For a look at MMO’s Robert Colonna’s rankings of the 20 WBC teams, click here.

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Notable Players

Hyun Min Ahn, 6-feet tall and 198 pounds, is nicknamed Muscle Man for his impressive physique. More impressive, the 22-year-old hit 22 home runs in the KBO last season in 482 plate appearances while slashing .334/.448/.570. The outfielder walked more times (75) than he struck out (72).

Infielder Do Yeong Kim, also 22, was the youngest player in KBO history to post a 30-30 season when he hit 38 homers and stole 40 bases in 2024. The .347/.420/.647 slash line that went with it wasn’t bad either.

In 2023, Edman became the first player born outside of Korea to play for the team in the WBC. This year, four MLB players have that distinction: Jahmai Jones (Tigers), Riley O’Brien (Cardinals), Dane Dunning (Mariners) and Shay Whitcomb (Astros). Other MLB players on the roster include Hyeseong Kim (Dodgers), Jung Hoo Lee (Giants) and Woo-Suk Go, a 27-year-old reliever who the Tigers signed to a minor-league deal this month. Go saved 139 games over seven seasons in the KBO.

Hyun Jin Ryu, who went 78-48 and pitched to a 3.27 ERA in 10 seasons with the Dodgers and Blue Jays, will pitch in his second WBC 17 years after appearing in his first. The 38-year-old threw his last MLB pitch in 2023.

Manager

Ji-Hyun Ru will be managing in his first WBC. He managed the KBO’s LG Twins for two seasons (2021-2022), was a coach for the Korean team in two WBCs (2006 and 2013) and played 11 seasons as a middle infielder in the KBO (1994-2004).

WBC History

Korea’s best showing was in 2009, when it advanced to the final against Japan. That game was a classic. Korea tied it at 3-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Bum Ho Lee singled in a run. Ichiro Suzuki (who else?) connected for a two-out, two-run single in the top of the 10th and 22-year-old Yu Darvish recorded the final outs of the 5-3 Japan victory.

In 2023, Korea split four games in pool play, including getting upset by Australia, and failed to advance.

Pool

Korea is in Pool C, games taking place in Tokyo, with Japan, Chinese Taipei, Australia and Czechia. Its first game is on March 5 vs. Czechia. Korea and defending champion Japan are the favorites to advance to the quarterfinals, which will be the top two teams from each pool.

For a ranking of all 20 teams by MMO’s Robert Colonna, click here.

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It’ll be an interesting ballot with Carlos Beltran looking to be the one sure thing. If Beltran gets in, he expects to go in as a New York Met. Then, of course, there’s David Wright, who will be a debatable name as long as he’s on the ballot. Then there’s another former Met who made an impact on the 2006 squad. He had a great career with the Toronto Blue Jays and Florida Marlins before making his way to Queens. That is Carlos Delgado.

Delgado is on the Contemporary Baseball Ballot this year. He was named on December 7th, 2025, along with the likes of Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela. Back in 2015, Delgado’s first year on the ballot, he only notched 3.8% of the vote. That fell below the 5%-mark players need to stay on the ballot. While Delgado doesn’t have major accolades to make him a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, with only two All-Star appearances in his 17-year career, he was still a mark of consistency.

After trying out as a catcher and left fielder in Toronto from 1993 to 1995, he switched to first base. From there, Delgado became one of the more productive sluggers in the game. Delgado hit 395 home runs from 1996 to 2006. During that stretch, he went ten consecutive seasons of hitting 30 or more home runs. The highest home run total of his career was 57 in 2000. He drove in 90 RBIs or more during those eleven seasons. He cracked a career-high 145 RBIs in 2003, which led the league. Also in 2003, Delgado became the 15th player ever to record four home runs in one game.

Delgado won three Silver Sluggers in 1999, 2000, and 2003, and the American League Hank Aaron award in 2000. Delgado finished top five in MVP voting on two occasions in 2000 and 2003. He was fourth in 2000 behind Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, and winner, Jason Giambi. The closest he ever came to winning the award was in 2003 when he finished 2nd in the voting. Rodriguez would win the award. Due to their payroll, 2004 would be the last season for Delgado in a Blue Jays jersey.

During the offseason, Delgado signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the Florida Marlins. In 2005, Delgado hit 33 home runs and drove in 115 RBI, and batted .301. After spending one season with the Marlins, Delgado was traded to the Mets. Delgado heavily contributed to a 2006 Mets team that won 97 games and their first National League Eastern Division title since 1988. Pairing up with Wright and Beltran in the middle of the order, Delgado hit 38 home runs and 115 RBI with a .909 OPS.

Delgado followed up 2006 with a down year in 2007, even though he still hit 24 home runs. After a slow start to 2008, Delgado would put up a bounce-back campaign with another 30-home run season (38) and 115 RBI. One of the most memorable games of his career came on June 27th of the 2008 season during the Subway Series at Yankee Stadium, where he made his mark on the rivalry. He hit a Mets record nine RBIs, breaking Dave Kingman‘s club record of eight, when he hit a two-run double, a grand slam, and a three-run home run.

Overall, Delgado finished his career with 474 home runs, 1,512 RBIs, 483 doubles, 2,038 hits, a career batting average of .280, and a career OPS of .929. His 474 home runs are more than Hall of Famers Chipper Jones, Dave Winfield, Carl Yastrzemski, Jeff Bagwell, and Vladimir Guerrero. He has more RBIs than Guerrero, Mickey Mantle, and Dave Parker.

Not only was Delgado a great player on the field but was great off the field. In 2006, Delgado won the award that bears his idol’s name, the Roberto Clemente award. An award given to the baseball player who best shows humanitarianism and sportsmanship. Delgado may not have hit 500 home runs and 3,000 RBIs, but for more than a decade, he was one of the premier sluggers in the game and produced at a high level to be in the Hall of Fame.

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