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With pitchers and catchers reporting to major league camps across Arizona and Florida this week, baseball is officially back — and for the first time since 2019, we have a full spring training ahead of us.

The start of camp means a first chance to view stars such as Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander and Trea Turner in their new uniforms, and this year we’ll get to see MLB’s 2023 rule changes in action as soon as Cactus League and Grapefruit League games begin.

To celebrate the sport’s return, we asked our MLB experts to weigh in on the teams, themes and stars they can’t wait to check out as spring training begins.


After last year’s lockout led to a rushed frenzy to start the season, what is the one thing you are most excited about as a full spring training begins?

Buster Olney: Baseball officials, staffers and players have been talking about the potential impact of the rules changes for years, but now we get to see the actual effects on the field. Some of the early feedback I’ve heard from club coaches and managers is that they believe the larger bases will change the game to a degree that is unforeseen, because the geometry of the sport has always been so precisely ingrained in how the game is played.

Jeff Passan: The pitch clock. If you didn’t happen to see it in play in a minor league game last year, big league games this year are going to look almost foreign: crisp, clean and — dare I say — fast-paced? Here’s the thing: It’s going to take some time for players to get used to, especially considering how many will be playing in the clock-free World Baseball Classic. There will be some ugly moments. A game is bound to be won and lost on a pitch clock violation, and that will not sit well with people. But it’s a small price to pay for what will become a regular occurrence: Major League Baseball games that last 2½ hours.

Alden Gonzalez: I’m psyched about the upcoming World Baseball Classic, which will run simultaneously with spring training. We’ve had stars take part in previous WBCs, but never like this. The rosters include eight MVP winners and 67 All-Stars, 35 of whom took part in last year’s Midsummer Classic. Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw will represent Team USA for the first time. Shohei Ohtani will star for Japan. Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Mexico are all decorated with stars, and the Dominican Republic is absolutely stacked. This is a chance to see intense games in frenzied environments with upper-echelon talent — before the regular season even begins. It’s going to be great.

David Schoenfield: Those first reports and game results from up-and-coming prospects. I think back to last spring training, when we heard a lot of good things about Michael Harris II in Braves camp. His spring performance was one reason the Braves were confident in promoting him to the majors after just 43 games in Double-A. So I’ll be looking at guys such as pitchers Grayson Rodriguez of the Orioles and Andrew Painter of the Phillies and hitters such as Jordan Walker of the Cardinals and Anthony Volpe of the Yankees to see how soon they might impact the big league team in 2023.

Brad Doolittle: The normal rhythms of spring, and a focus on actual baseball. There are always sideshows, and I assume the new rules will serve that purpose this spring. But for the first time in a while, we know when the regular season starts. We have players in camp fighting for spots, working their way into shape. Some hitters will have revamped swings. Some pitchers will be trying out new offerings. The news will come in a steady, undramatic, slow drip. Baseball for many, including me, is kind of like the throughline of the calendar and after a long, long period of general tumult, it’s good to just have it there, at its normal pace.

On the heels of this winter’s wild free agency, which player who changed teams are you most interested in seeing in his new uniform?

Olney: Xander Bogaerts wanted to play his whole career with the Red Sox, and in fact, worked to make that happen with a team-friendly deal signed in 2019. To see him in the Padres’ colors will be jarring, for sure, but also fun — Bob Melvin gets to decide how to arrange his unmatched quartet of hitters in late April. I’d bat Bogaerts in the cleanup spot, behind Fernando Tatis, Jr., Juan Soto and Manny Machado.

Passan: The New York Yankees entered the winter with two priorities: re-sign AL MVP Aaron Judge and add to a pitching rotation that can shut down elite lineups. Six years and $162 million for Carlos Rodon certainly helps with the latter, as the 30-year-old left-hander joins a staff with Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino. It’s a formidable group, and the Yankees hope Rodon’s power stuff — he struck out 237 in 178 innings for San Francisco last season — plays as well against the AL East as it did the NL West.

Gonzalez: I really like the fit of Trea Turner in Philadelphia, hitting atop that lineup. But what I really like is Trea Turner under baseball’s rules in 2023 — more specifically the bigger bases and the limited pickoffs. I want to see stolen bases become prominent in the sport again, and I’m hopeful baseball will begin to get back to that this season. Nobody runs — or slides — quite like Turner. I want more of it.

Schoenfield: I’m going to cheat a little here and go 2-for-1: Jacob deGrom going to the Rangers, and then Justin Verlander going to the Mets to replace deGrom. Given deGrom’s issues staying on the mound the past two seasons, the Rangers’ five-year, $185 million deal with him probably qualifies as the biggest gamble of the offseason — and perhaps a worthwhile one. As for Verlander, in his three full, healthy seasons with the Astros he finished second, first and first in the Cy Young voting. He turns 40 next week and some point will start slowing down, but I don’t think it’s going to be in 2023.

Doolittle: The sight of Willson Contreras in a Cardinals uniform is going to seem incongruous for a while but we’ll get used to it soon enough. It’s not just that he’s moved to a longtime rival. It’s that he’s also trying to fill the shoes of Yadier Molina, on the field and in the clubhouse, and it’ll give St. Louis a different feel. I have little doubt it’ll work fine, but I’m looking forward to seeing this new combination in action.

Which team are you far more interested in today than you were a year ago at this time?

Olney: The Padres, who have caused more discomfort in the owners’ boxes of rival teams than any club. Rival clubs can dismiss the spending of Mets owner Steve Cohen by citing Cohen’s unmatched wealth, but when the Padres spend big — and they’re spending huge, with the additions of Soto, Josh Hader and Bogaerts — well, that changes the context for everybody else. You get two distinct reactions from other clubs about the Padres: that what they’re doing is A) risky and unsustainable, or B) making other owners look bad.

Passan: This is not to suggest Arizona is an immediate threat to the Dodgers or Padres for NL West supremacy. But the Diamondbacks are undoubtedly a team on the rise, and there are few more enjoyable things in baseball than watching a talented group of young players ascend together. Arizona’s roster features a number of players with not only high ceilings but high floors, too. Outfielder Corbin Carroll is one. Catcher Gabriel Moreno, acquired from Toronto in a trade for Daulton Varsho, has multi-time All-Star potential. Right-hander Zac Gallen took the leap last year. And if Brandon Pfaadt (218 strikeouts and 33 walks in 167 minor league innings), Drey Jameson or Ryne Nelson can carve out a rotation spot, perhaps it will be enough to compel ownership next winter to do what it didn’t this time around: invest in free agency and supplement an excellent core.

Gonzalez: The Rangers spent a combined $500 million on two middle infielders in one day last offseason — and that was only half the work. The presence of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien instantly elevated the franchise, but it was clear then that it still needed major help on the pitching side. This offseason, the Rangers opened their wallets once again and signed deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney in free agency, adding them to a group that includes Martin Perez, Jon Gray and Jake Odorizzi to form a very nice rotation. The Rangers might not be legitimate contenders just yet, but they’re getting there fast.

Schoenfield: This is weird to say, since a year ago the Braves were coming off a World Series championship, but last season they added two new exciting stars in center fielder Harris and flamethrowing Spencer Strider. They were a better team in 2022 than in 2021, and they might be better in 2023 than they were in 2022 thanks to the addition of catcher Sean Murphy and what I expect will be a resurgent Ronald Acuna Jr. with more power.

Doolittle: Of all the recent rebuilding teams, I feel like the Orioles have emerged as the most interesting. It’s not just because they were so much better last season (though that’s part of it), because I feel like they played over their heads. But on top of that unexpected success, now the O’s are starting to graduate some of their prospects, and they have more than a few who seem like they can be true impact players. Adley Rutschman already is. Gunnar Henderson is following in his wake. Grayson Rodriguez should be a factor soon. The rebuild in Baltimore looked murky to me as recently as a year ago. Now I’m just excited for the fans there.

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‘Reason he’s here’: Crochet delivers for Red Sox

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'Reason he's here': Crochet delivers for Red Sox

BALTIMORE — Garrett Crochet gave the Boston Red Sox an immediate return on their investment.

In his first start since agreeing to a $170 million, six-year contract, the left-hander pitched a career-best eight innings as the Red Sox shut out the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Wednesday night. Crochet also threw 102 pitches, one shy of his career high.

“My first start in college I went eight, and I haven’t sniffed it since,” Crochet said.

Crochet (1-0) gave up four hits and a walk while striking out eight in his first victory since the offseason trade that sent him from the Chicago White Sox to Boston.

“That’s the reason he’s here,” manager Alex Cora said after the game. “That’s the reason we committed to him.”

Crochet went 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA last season, a bright spot on a Chicago team that lost 121 games. He threw 146 innings, which was double his previous career total since his debut in 2020.

Then Crochet was dealt to the Red Sox, and they made their long-term commitment to the 25-year-old earlier this week.

“Going back to when the trade went through, we knew Boston was a place where we would love to be long term,” Crochet said. “Credit to the front office for staying diligent, and my agency as well.”

Now the question is less about where he’ll pitch and more about how well. He’s off to a nice start in that regard.

“I can’t think of the last time I played baseball for pride. In college, you’re playing to get drafted, and once you’re in the big leagues, you’re playing to stay in the big leagues,” Crochet said. “So to have this security and feel like I’m playing to truly just win ballgames, it takes a lot of the riff-raff out of it.”

The news all around was good for Boston on Wednesday.

It reached a $60 million, eight-year deal with young infielder Kristian Campbell, and he went out and doubled twice against the Orioles.

And Rafael Devers ended a 21-at-bat hitless streak to start the season with an RBI double in the fifth inning. He finished with two hits and no strikeouts.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Ohtani’s walk-off pushes Dodgers to historic 8-0

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Ohtani's walk-off pushes Dodgers to historic 8-0

LOS ANGELES — Aside from his ability to pitch and hit and stretch the boundaries of imagination, Shohei Ohtani has displayed another singular trait in his time in the major leagues: an ability to meet the moment. Or, perhaps, for the moment to meet him.

And so on Wednesday night, with his Los Angeles Dodgers looking to stay unbeaten, the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, and more than 50,000 fans standing and clenching the Ohtani bobbleheads they lined up hours in advance for, Ohtani approached the batter’s box — and his teammates expected greatness.

“He’s going to end this right here,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said he thought to himself.

“We knew,” starting pitcher Blake Snell said. “It’s just what he does.”

Validation came instantly. Ohtani stayed back on a first-pitch changeup from Raisel Iglesias near the outside corner and shot it toward straightaway center field, 399 feet away, for a walk-off home run, sending the Dodgers to a 6-5, come-from-behind victory over the reeling Atlanta Braves.

“I don’t think anybody didn’t expect him to hit a walk-off home run there,” Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman said. “It’s just a question of where he’d hit it.”

The Dodgers are now 8-0, topping the 1933 New York Yankees of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth for the longest winning streak to begin a season for a reigning champion. The Braves, meanwhile, are 0-7, the type of record no team has ever recovered from to make the playoffs. And Ohtani, with three home runs and a 1.126 OPS this season, just keeps meeting moments.

“He’s pretty good, huh?” Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez said. “It’s Shohei. He’s going to do that. He’s going to do things better than that.”

On Aug. 23 last year, Ohtani reached the 40/40 club with a walk-off grand slam. Five days later, the Dodgers staged a second giveaway of his bobblehead — one that saw his now-famous dog, Decoy, handle the ceremonial first pitch — and Ohtani led off with a home run. On Sept. 19, Ohtani clinched his first postseason berth and ascended into the unprecedented 50/50 club with one of the greatest single-game performances in baseball history — six hits, three homers, two steals and 10 RBIs. Barely two weeks later, he homered in his first playoff game.

When Ohtani came up on Wednesday, he had what he described as a simple approach.

“I was looking for a really good pitch to hit,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “If I didn’t get a good pitch to hit, I was willing to walk.”

Of course, though, he got a good pitch.

And, of course, he sent it out.

“You just feel that he’s going to do something special,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And I just like the way he’s not pressing. He’s in the strike zone, and when he does that, there’s just no one better.”

The Dodgers began their much-anticipated season with a couple of breezy wins over the Chicago Cubs from Japan, even though Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman did not play in them. They returned home, brought iconic rapper Ice Cube out to present the World Series trophy on one afternoon, received their rings on another and swept a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Then came the Braves, and the Dodgers swept them, too — even though Freeman, nursing an ankle injury caused from slipping in the shower, didn’t participate.

The Dodgers already have two walk-offs and six comeback wins this season.

Wednesday’s effort left Roberts “a little dumbfounded.”

A nightmarish start defensively, highlighted by two errant throws from Muncy, spoiled Snell’s start and put them behind 5-0 after the first inning and a half. But the Dodgers kept inching closer. They trailed by just two in the eighth and put runners on second and third with two out. Muncy came to bat with his batting average at just .083. He had used the ballyhooed “Torpedo” bat for his first three plate appearances, didn’t like how it altered his swing plane, grabbed his usual bat for a showdown against Iglesias and laced a game-tying double into the right-center-field gap.

An inning later, Ohtani ended it.

“Overall, not just tonight, there is a really good vibe within the team,” Ohtani said after recording his fourth career walk-off hit. “I just think that’s allowing us to come back in these games to win.”

The Dodgers’ 8-0 start has allowed them to stay just ahead of the 7-0 San Diego Padres and the 5-1 San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Tack on the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2) and the Colorado Rockies (1-4), and this marks the first time in the divisional era that an entire division has combined for at least 25 wins and no more than seven losses, according to ESPN Research. The Dodgers’ and Padres’ starts mark just the fifth season in major league history with multiple teams starting 7-0 or better, and the first time since 2003.

The Dodgers famously overcame a 2-1 series deficit to vanquish the Padres in the NL Division Series last year, then rode that fight to their first full-season championship since 1988.

That fight hasn’t let up.

“It feels like this clubhouse is carrying a little bit of the attitude we had last year that we’re never out of a game and we’re resilient, and we’ve been carrying it into this season,” Muncy said. “It’s been fun to watch. The guys don’t give up. Bad things have happened, and no one’s really been down or out on themselves. Everyone’s just, ‘All right, here we go, next inning, let’s get after it.’ The whole team, top to bottom, has been doing that. It’s been making it really, really fun to play.”

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Death of Gardner’s son pinned to carbon monoxide

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Death of Gardner's son pinned to carbon monoxide

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death of the teenage son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, authorities in Costa Rica said Wednesday night.

Randall Zúñiga, director of the Judicial Investigation Agency, said 14-year-old Miller Gardner was tested for carboxyhemoglobin, a compound generated when carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood.

When carboxyhemoglobin saturation exceeds 50%, it is considered lethal. In Gardner’s case, the test showed a saturation of 64%.

“It’s important to note that adjacent to this room is a dedicated machine room, where it’s believed there may be some type of contamination toward these rooms,” Zúñiga said.

The head of the Costa Rican judicial police added that, during the autopsy, a “layer” was detected on the boy’s organs, which forms when there is a high presence of the poisonous gas.

Gardner died March 21 while staying with his family at a hotel on the Manuel Antonio beach in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific.

Asphyxiation was initially thought to have caused his death. After an autopsy was performed by the Forensic Pathology Section, that theory was ruled out.

Another line of investigation centered around whether the family had suffered food poisoning. Family members had reported feeling ill after dining at a nearby restaurant on the night of March 20 and received treatment from the hotel doctor.

Brett Gardner, 41, was drafted by the Yankees in 2005 and spent his entire major league career with the organization. The speedy outfielder batted .256 with 139 homers, 578 RBIs, 274 steals and 73 triples in 14 seasons from 2008 to 2021.

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