WBC Trending Roundup: Mike Trout's joy, Shohei Ohtani's gift, Ford's surprise
Mike Trout is having the time of his life, Shohei Ohtani has a friendship with the Czech Republic, and Harry Ford is a British hero in our l...MARCH 14, 2023
MLB 26-and-under power rankings: Which clubs have the best young players?
Which MLB franchises have the best collection of young players? We're counting down from 30-1, ranking and analyzing each team based on its...MARCH 14, 2023
Reid Detmers - Showing big jump in velocityDetmers' fastball was clocked at 95-97 mph and his slider at 89-91 mph during his last Cactus League start against the Dodgers, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.
ImpactDetmers averaged 93.2 mph with his fastball and 85.9 mph with his slider last season, per Baseball Savant, so these are both notable bumps. His slider velocity did go up last year following a midseason demotion, but where he was sitting versus the Dodgers was even higher than that. Detmers said he didn't necessarily have a goal over the offseason to increase his velocity, but he did work with Driveline Baseball and training guru Eric Cressy. "I said I just want to get stronger and more explosive," Detmers said. "We made up a program for the whole offseason and I just stuck to that. And the velo came." Detmers had already been viewed as a potential breakout candidate in fantasy following his strong finish in 2022 and this news figures to only enhance his draft stock.
MARCH 14, 2023ā¢ROTOWIRE
Tommy La Stella - Still 7-10 days away from fieldLa Stella (shoulder) won't be ready to play the field for another 7-10 days, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.
ImpactConsidering we're just 16 days away from Opening Day, La Stella is going to be cutting it close in regards to his ability to avoid an IL stint. He has been able to serve as a designated hitter, as his right shoulder irritation bothers him only when throwing. However, Mariners manager Scott Servais has said that La Stella will have to show he can play the field before the team includes him on the Opening Day roster.
MARCH 14, 2023ā¢ROTOWIRE
Dylan Moore - Set for spring debut ThursdayMoore (abdomen) will make his Cactus League debut for the Mariners on Thursday versus the Giants, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.
ImpactMoore has been brought along slowly this spring following offseason core-muscle surgery, but he's almost ready to test things out in game action. The Mariners believe he'll have enough time to knock the rust off before Opening Day.
MARCH 14, 2023ā¢ROTOWIRE
World Baseball Classic stakes feel greater than ever before
Just as Mike Trout and other American big bats connected freely and frequently on Monday, the WBC is hitting the right spots. It'll be over...MARCH 14, 2023
Shohei Ohtani - May not pitch past WBC quartersAngels manager Phil Nevin said Monday that Ohtani's final appearance as a pitcher in the WBC would come in the quarterfinals, but Ohtani subsequently indicated that such a decision...
ImpactThe report comes by way of Japanese journalist Naoyuki Yanagihara of Sports Nippon Newspapers. Ohtani is expected to pitch for Japan against Italy in a quarterfinal matchup early Thursday morning, and if that is indeed his final outing on the mound in the WBC, it would prevent him from throwing in a potential championship game in Miami on Tuesday, March 21. From a scheduling standpoint, Nevin's direction makes sense, as Ohtani typically pitches on five days of rest, and there would be four days between Japan's quarterfinal contest and the championship game (if the team makes it that far). Given Ohtani's response to word of Nevin's comments, however, it may not be set in stone that the star hurler would be kept off the mound in a potential title game.
MARCH 14, 2023ā¢ROTOWIRE
