Steve Drumwright

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images In the early days of this past offseason, it was reported by The Athletic that MLB "would prefer" to discipline Cleveland Guardians relievers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz before spring training began due to their involvement in a pitch-rigging scheme that resulted in federal charges. Seemed logical at the time. There was no rush to impose probable lifetime suspensions for gambling with three months before pitchers and catchers would report to camps across Arizona and Florida. MLB could continue its investigation, gathering as much information as possible to ensure that proper discipline was applied. That same article also said the government's involvement, due to the federal charges, could be a factor in the timing of any announcement. In recent high-profile cases that involved the legal system—Trevor Bauer and Julio Urias, as examples—MLB has waited out that process before punishing players with suspensions. Another player, Wander Franco, has yet to have any concrete MLB discipline as a result of the sexual-abuse charges in his native Dominican Republic. Franco is awaiting retrial on the charges after being convicted in June. That trial was recently delayed. Clase and Ortiz, who were friends and had lockers next to each other, are currently on nondisciplinary leave from the Guardians, with that changing in late March from paid to unpaid. Clase, one of MLB's top closers, would have been entering the final year of a five-year, $20 million contract this season, although there were club options for 2027 and 2028. Ortiz would have been in his first year of arbitration eligibility in the recent offseason. Ortiz was the first of the two nabbed in this scandal, being put on the restricted list July 3, with Clase following July 28. But here we are, in the second full week of the 2026 MLB season, and there isn't a resolution despite mounting evidence. The original indictments against Clase and Ortiz, which came out in November, included charges of conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy for throwing pitches with a predetermined outcome to benefit bettors. That indictment was superseded in February to include additional instances of pitch-fixing, including one in the 2024 postseason. The top charge in this case can carry a 20-year prison sentence. A trial was supposed to begin in May, but has been pushed back to November, just after the MLB season concludes. Another complication in imposing discipline is that Ortiz is seeking to have his case separated from Clase's, with Ortiz's defense team claiming its client is a victim of Clase's actions. Clase's attorneys have supported separating the cases, while federal prosecutors oppose the move. While MLB could be waiting out the legal process, which would come after the World Series and be the biggest baseball news event before the impending lockout, this could be a huge reason why a decision has been delayed. While there was (still is?) a friendship between the two Dominican pitchers, Clase was a superstar in the baseball world as a three-time All-Star and two-time AL Reliever of the Year, and Ortiz was an afterthought. The number of instances in which Clase is alleged to have rigged a pitch has grown, too. In the first indictment, nine pitches were specified for the 2023 and 2025 seasons, excluding 2024. The updated indictment now includes 2024, including Game 1 of the NL Division Series vs. the Detroit Tigers. ESPN reported the number is now at 48 games based on a court filing by Ortiz's defense. Clase appeared in 197 games, recording 115 saves, from 2023-25. That means Clase allegedly threw a fixed pitch in about one-quarter of the games in which he appeared. A separate filing says there are 250 suspicious Clase pitches. You never know why a player would even risk this behavior, especially when it appears that the reward for Clase and Ortiz was a rather minimal return for what they put on the line. We don't have the full picture of why they did this. There could have been debt involved, whether it is theirs or someone in their family. Clase has been known to be involved in rooster fighting in the Dominican Republic, and he used coded language related to roosters to confirm his actions in an upcoming game. Based on what I have read about Ortiz's involvement, there seems to be a chance that he could receive a lesser penalty than Clase from an MLB perspective. Especially facing the type of prison time the charges could bring, perhaps 65 years each, Ortiz is likely singing like a bird to minimize any time behind bars, much less baseball punishment, and another reason why he wants his case split from Clase. With that type of prison time at stake, does it make sense for MLB to levy punishment now or wait until court proceedings play out? The one danger MLB faces in prolonging any announcement is any further delays in the trial's beginning. As it stands, MLB can use a conviction as cover to levy suspensions against Clase and Ortiz. And that is probably the way federal prosecutors prefer this to play out. Any suspension and the related news coverage would impact the jury pool's thoughts on whether the players were part of a gambling scheme. So if you are like me and wondering why MLB hasn't dropped the hammer yet, here are some reasons. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Nolan McLean, United States With a whopping eight career MLB starts and a previous one in the WBC, the 24-year-old New York Mets right-hander takes the ball to start the championship game. McLean was the starter against Italy, where the U.S. was upset by Italy 8-6 in the final game of pool play. He went three innings, allowing two hits, both home runs, and three runs with two walks and three strikeouts. The homers were by Kyle Teel and Sam Antonacci, both of the Chicago White Sox. He will need to be sharper this time around in the biggest game he has pitched to date. Garrett Whitlock, United States The 29-year-old Boston Red Sox right-handed reliever has had it on lock in his three WBC appearances. Whitlock has been part of a nasty trio at the back of the American bullpen with Mason Miller and David Bednar. Whitlock has the only non-Miller save, securing the 5-3 win over Mexico. Otherwise, Whitlock has been the eighth-inning guy, following Bednar and setting up Miller. In three innings, he has allowed one hit and struck out five, with no walks. Whitlock earned a hold in the 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic in the semifinals, striking out Juan Soto, getting Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to ground out, and striking out Manny Machado. Angel Zerpa, Venezuela If you were wondering why the Milwaukee Brewers traded outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever for the 26-year-old, the WBC has shown why. The hard-throwing left-hander has pitched in five of the six Venezuela games, including in the semifinal win. With Venezuela trailing 2-1, he came in with a runner on second and one out and got Jon Berti to fly out, hit Jakob Marsee, and struck out Captain Espresso himself, Vinnie Pasquantino, then showing his emotions as he headed toward the dugout. Zerpa has pitched 4 ⅔ innings and hasn't allowed a run, allowing four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. He will look good in that Brewers bullpen. Javier Sanoja, Venezuela The 23-year-old Kansas City Royals outfielder has only played in two of Venezuela's games, but he has had an impact when called upon. Sanoja is 3-for-8 with his only RBI coming on a go-ahead homer in a 6-2 win over the Netherlands. Sanoja is in a bench role with Venezuela due to the presence of three established MLB outfielders in Ronald Acuna Jr., Jackson Chourio, and Wilyer Abreu, but should he get called upon to pinch-hit in the championship game, he is the type of player who could provide that surprise spark. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Andres Gimenez, Venezuela The 27-year-old infielder was thrust into a more prominent role with the Toronto Blue Jays late in the regular season and throughout the run to the World Series. Due to Bo Bichette's injury, a three-time AL Gold Glove second baseman (2022-24) and the 2023 Platinum Glove winner as the AL's top overall defender, Gimenez slid over to shortstop and seamlessly anchored the Jays' defense. His hitting has always been secondary, and that has proven true in the WBC. Splitting time with Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop, Gimenez is just 1-for-7 (.143) in four games with a walk. He came up with some big hits for the Jays in the postseason, including homers in back-to-back AL Championship Series games, so this is the type of atmosphere in which he thrives. Willson Contreras, Venezuela The new Boston Red Sox first baseman hasn't had a significant impact on Venezuela's offense yet. The 33-year-old has played in three of Venezuela's five games and mustered just three hits in 12 at-bats (.250) with a walk and driven in three runs. This is a stark contrast to what he had done with the Red Sox in Grapefruit League action, where Contreras is 6-for-13 (.462) with two homers and six RBIs in six games. He also walked three times. The good news is Venezuela hasn't needed anything big from Contreras to this point, but this would be an opportune time for him to contribute. Andrew Fischer, Italy A year ago, the 21-year-old Milwaukee Brewers prospect was playing college baseball at Tennessee under Tony Vitello. Now, both are in pro ball, with Fischer having been the Crew's first-round draft choice last summer. The third baseman has been a key part of Italy's espresso-fueled offense, going 4-for-11 (.364) with two doubles, a homer, and five RBIs. This follows a 19-game debut in the minors at High-A Wisconsin, registering a .311/.402/.446 slash line with one homer, 10 RBIs, and eight stolen bases. He is back at third base after playing first at Tennessee and is likely ticketed to start 2026 at Double-A Biloxi. Ron Marinaccio, Italy The 30-year-old right-handed reliever, battling for a spot in the San Diego Padres' rotation, has made two appearances for Italy. While recording four outs, Marinaccio gave up just one hit, the ninth-inning homer to Pete Crow-Armstrong in Italy's 8-6 stunning triumph over the U.S. Marinaccio did get out of a big game in the eighth inning. With runners on the corners and two outs, he was brought in to face Bryce Harper, who flew out to left on a 3-2 changeup. Marinaccio is likely to be called upon for big outs against Venezuela, with his performance contributing to the Padres' decision on whether he makes the Opening Day roster. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Brice Turang, U.S. It is not a stretch to say that the 26-year-old Milwaukee Brewers second baseman has been the best position player for the Americans thus far. Turang has started four of the five WBC games and leads the regulars with a .467 (7-for-15) average and is tied for third with Aaron Judge with five RBIs. He also has two of Team USA's six stolen bases. Turang has a rather low profile when compared with his star-studded teammates, but he is one of the big reasons the U.S. is where it is. Turang went 3-for-6 with four RBIs in the opening 15-5 win over Brazil, with his bases-loaded double in the fifth inning turning a 4-1 lead into a 7-1 cushion. He then went 2-for-3 with a walk in the 5-3 quarterfinal win over Canada, including an RBI single in the sixth to make it 4-0. Matthew Boyd, U.S. While the Chicago Cubs' left-hander hasn't started in the WBC, he did come on in relief in the first game Paul Skenes started in the WBC. That lines the 35-year-old up to pitch in today's semifinal. Boyd came on in the sixth inning vs. Mexico and went 2⅓ innings, giving up all three runs Mexico would score. In his first inning, he surrendered a one-out solo homer to Jarren Duran, then three straight two-out singles with Joey Meneses driving in the second run to trim the U.S. lead to 5-2. After a perfect seventh inning, Duran once again tagged Boyd, this time for a leadoff homer to make it 5-3. Boyd finished with three strikeouts and a hit batter with no walks. A relief outing is always tough for a starting pitcher, regardless of the situation. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dominican Republic While he came close to bringing the Toronto Blue Jays their first World Series championship in more than three decades, the five-time All-Star is hoping to finish the job with the Dominican Republic in the WBC. Guerrero leads the regulars with a .500 (7-for-14) average and is second on the team with eight RBIs (Fernando Tatis Jr. has 11). Guerrero is one of six Dominicans with a pair of homers, while scoring five times and walking twice. He has helped the Dominican Republic offense dominate this tournament with a .312/.453/.637 slash line, each one the best mark in the WBC. The Dominicans are averaging 10.2 runs per game. Carlos Estevez, Dominican Republic Not that the Dominicans have needed a closer, with two games ending by the mercy rule and allowing just 10 runs in five games, so the 33-year-old Kansas City Royals right-hander has had just one appearance thus far in the WBC. That came in a 10-1 win over Israel, where he allowed a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless inning. The stakes will be much higher if and when he is called upon to face the U.S. lineup. Estevez was the surprising MLB leader in saves in 2025 with 42, his first season with the Royals. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Ranger Suarez, Venezuela Boston Red Sox fans will get to see their prized offseason addition pitch in a crucial game even before he dons the team's uniform at Fenway Park for the first time. The left-hander gets the ball to start against Japan. Suarez started Venezuela's tournament opener, a 6-3 win over the Netherlands, going two innings (43 pitches), allowing one run on three hits and one walk, striking out one. He had made two starts in spring training, going a combined 4⅔ innings and giving up three runs on five hits, with no walks and four strikeouts. In case you were wondering, Suarez has faced Shohei Ohtani three times, with the Japanese slugger going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, and a strikeout. Kazuma Okamoto, Japan The new Toronto Blue Jays third baseman was off to a good start in spring training as he transitions to MLB after 11 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball. The 29-year-old was 3-for-9 with a homer and three RBIs in four games for the Jays before heading to the WBC. There, he has struggled, going just 2-for-15 (.133) with a double and an RBI. He has walked three times in four games, while striking out three times. Japan hasn't needed Okamoto's production thus far, putting up the second-highest batting average (.301) and third-best OPS (.987) in pool play, but now would be an ideal time for him to get untracked. Seth Lugo, Puerto Rico The 36-year-old Kansas City Royals right-hander got Puerto Rico's WBC off to a terrific start. Pitching before the home fans in San Juan, Lugo tossed four shutout innings in a 5-0 win over Colombia. He allowed three hits, walked a pair, and struck out three. Now, Lugo has to contend with a homer-happy Italy team led by Royals teammate Vinnie Pasquantino, who had the first three-homer game in WBC history in the final game of pool play vs. Mexico. Italy has 12 homers, second only to the Dominican Republic's 13. Jakob Marsee, Italy The Miami Marlins center fielder hasn't been able to carry a strong start to spring training to his performance in the WBC. The 24-year-old, who had a nice rookie season, is just 3-for-16 with a double and two RBIs in the WBC. This comes after he went 4-for-9 (.444) with four walks, a double, and a homer in four games with the Royals. Marsee has hit in each of the top three spots in Italy's order in the first four games, including leadoff twice. Getting some offense out of the Marsee could help Italy's Cinderella run continue. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Roman Anthony, United States Playing alongside a bunch of All-Stars and current and former MVPs, the still-21-year-old Boston Red Sox left fielder has shown that he belongs on this roster. After a solid start to spring training, 5-for-19 (.263/.300/.316), Anthony has taken a step up at the WBC, going 5-for-15 (.333/.474/.533) with a no-doubt, three-run homer that put the U.S. up 5-0 over Mexico. Anthony, who has started all four WBC games, was the No. 1 prospect in baseball last year when he made his MLB debut in early June, then went out and put up a .292/.396/.463 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 71 games. While he has impressive power, he topped out at 18 homers in 2024, a number that he figures to topple in a full MLB season. Josh Naylor, Canada After a superb finish to the regular season with the Seattle Mariners and having a few big moments in the postseason, including three homers, the 28-year-old first baseman has been part of the relatively no-name nucleus that has carried Canada to the quarterfinals. Naylor has gone 4-for-16 with two RBIs, a run scored, and a steal in the WBC. The offense hasn't been that impressive, posting the ninth-best OPS in the tournament and seventh of the eight quarterfinal teams at .713. Naylor will also be a big part of the Mariners' offense in 2026. Will he repeat his 19-for-19 stolen-base performance in 54 games that he did with the M's? Fernando Tatis Jr., Dominican Republic The clear-cut star of pool play was the 27-year-old San Diego Padres right fielder. Tatis hit the first grand slam in WBC history in the Dominican Republic's 10-1 win over Israel on Monday, then followed that up with a three-run blast in a 7-5 triumph over Venezuela to seal first place in the pool. Both came with beautiful bat flips. Tatis is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with nine RBIs and six runs scored, both tied for second-most in the WBC. The Dominicans, with the deepest lineup in the event, have an amazing 1.130 OPS in the four games, which leads the tournament, while scoring a WBC-best 41 runs. Tatis has been hitting leadoff for the Dominican Republic, but could be hitting somewhere else in the top four of the Padres' lineup. Bo Gyeong Moon, South Korea Who leads the WBC in RBIs after pool play? That would be the 25-year-old corner infielder for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization, who has driven in 11 in four games, a record for the first round of the WBC. The left-handed slugger has two home runs and two doubles in his 7-for-13 (.538) showing thus far. Considering his age, it would be curious if Moon would consider a move to MLB after this season. In five KBO seasons, Moon has a .289/.370/.455, hitting 22 and 24 homers in each of the last two seasons. View full article

Here are some players to keep an eye on today: Sandy Alcantara, Dominican Republic The 30-year-old Miami Marlins right-hander can set the tone for his 2026 season with a good performance against a good Venezuela lineup. Last year, Alcantara came back from Tommy John surgery and improved in his final 13 starts, posting a 3.33 ERA. He has pitched twice for the Marlins this spring, going four innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Alcantara could be lined up for the championship game if the Dominican Republic advances that far. Wilyer Abreu, Venezuela The Boston Red Sox right fielder has been playing left field for Venezuela. Hitting sixth in the lineup, the 26-year-old got off to a quick start in the WBC, going 2-for-4 with an RBI in the first game vs. the Netherlands, a 6-2 Venezuela win. Since then, Abreu is just 1-for-9 with two RBIs in the other two games. Abreu was a nice power source for the Red Sox in 2025, hitting 22 in 115 games. Jac Caglianone, Italy As he prepares for his first full MLB season, the 23-year-old Kansas City Royals outfielder has shown an improvement at the plate this spring. That was certainly evident in Italy's stunning 8-6 win over the U.S. Caglianone, who had an RBI double in four trips vs. Brazil, went 2-for-2, walked, was hit by a pitch and scored twice. He hit a two-run homer off left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, a good sign for the left-handed-hitting slugger. Caglianone struggled in his 62-game MLB debut, putting up a .157/.237/.295 slash line with 52 strikeouts. He did hit seven homers, but perhaps an offseason of making adjustments and spring success (6-for-15 with the Royals) will set him up for success in 2026. Yariel Rodriguez, Cuba The Toronto Blue Jays' right-handed reliever, who turned 29 Tuesday, has already appeared in two of Cuba's three WBC games. Rodriguez has been dominant in those appearances, striking out six and allowing just one hit in 4⅓ innings. This was a nice bounce back after a rough first two spring outings with the Jays. He allowed seven runs in 1⅔ innings. Rodriguez wasn't included on the World Series roster after four postseason appearances. View full article

Pete Crow-Armstrong, United States Originally expected to be a platoon center fielder for Team USA, the soon-to-be 25-year-old Chicago Cubs star started vs. Great Britain due to Byron Buxton getting hit by a pitch on the forearm. Crow-Armstrong's defense is his calling card, especially on a team with a loaded offense like the U.S. He went 1-for-8 in the first two games, but he did have a double, a walk, and scored twice in the 9-1 win over Great Britain. Buxton was back in center for Monday's game. Vinnie Pasquantino, Italy The Pasquatch has been a leader for the Italian team. The 28-year-old Kansas City Royals first baseman has yet to produce offensively in the WBC, going 0-for-7 but drawing three walks and scoring once in Italy's first two games, both victories. That bodes well for Italy as it gets set to face the U.S. in a critical Pool B game, especially if Pasquantino starts to get some hits to power the middle of the order. Liam Hicks, Canada The 26-year-old catcher for the Miami Marlins is the backup backstop for Canada behind Bo Naylor of the Cleveland Guardians. Hicks didn't play in the first two games as Canada didn't use its bench except for one pinch-hit appearance. He did well in his rookie season for the Fish, putting up a .247/.346/.346 slash line with six homers and 45 RBIs in 119 games. RJ Schreck, Israel The No. 9 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays' system, the 25-year-old outfielder has played in each of Israel's first three games. While he has gone just 1-for-7, Schreck has drawn four walks and struck out just once. His lone hit was a solo homer, going deep off Venezuela left-hander Ricardo Sanchez. Israel is 1-2 and won't advance to the quarterfinals, so Schreck will return to Jays' camp. Schreck played at three levels in 2025, finishing with 58 games at Triple-A and posting a .242/.392/.435 slash line with nine homers and 33 RBIs. View full article