Baseball fans are a unique group. Every February, somewhere in Arizona or Florida, a perfectly rational adult watches a 32 year old utility infielder line a double off a pitcher who will be selling insurance by July… and immediately declares, with the confidence of a Supreme Court justice, “He has to make the team.”
Spring Training turns baseball fans into gold prospectors panning a river of box scores. They swirl the stats, squint at a .417 average in 12 at-bats, and shout “Eureka” as if they’ve discovered the next Hall of Famer hiding behind Field 6 next to the nacho stand.
It does not matter that the home run came off a reliever wearing number 98 who was optioned three times before breakfast. It does not matter that the pitcher’s fastball registered 89, and hope. What matters is that our Guy is hot.
And once a Guy is hot, he becomes inevitable.
“He just has that look,” someone says.
The look, of course, is batting practice confidence against a split-squad lineup featuring three catchers and a second baseman learning left field through interpretive dance.
Spring Training fandom operates on a beautiful and fragile ecosystem:
- Small sample sizes bloom like desert wildflowers.
- Context is gently set aside.
- A roster spot must be claimed in the name of justice.
Managers preach patience. Front offices whisper about options, service time, and 162-game marathons. Fans hear only destiny. Why carry the veteran with a decade of track record when you have Chad McLaunchAngle hitting .364 in the Cactus League?
By mid-March, social media becomes a courtroom.
Exhibit A: three opposite field singles.
Exhibit B: a hustle double when the left fielder tripped over the bullpen mound.
Exhibit C: “You can’t teach this.”
The fact that you absolutely can teach this, and have, for 120 years, is beside the point.
Baseball fans are not foolish. They are romantics disguised as statisticians. They track exit velocity and spin rate, yes. But deep down, they crave the surprise hero. They want the roster to bend toward the Cinderella story. They want the kid with the pine tar grin to shove aside projections and announce himself with a spring OPS that looks like a typo.
And when the inevitable happens, when the hot hitter cools and is optioned to Triple A after going 1 for 19 against pitchers who actually own furniture, fans pivot with astonishing agility.
“He just needs everyday at-bats.”
“He’ll be back.”
“We always knew he was a long-term piece.”
Spring Training is not about accuracy. It is about possibility. It is the annual festival of overreaction, where every bloop single whispers prophecy and every box score becomes scripture.
It is fickle. It is irrational. It is glorious.
And next February, when a non-roster invitee hits .438 in 16 at-bats against a parade of hopefuls throwing experimental changeups, we will do it all again.
Because baseball fans do not simply watch Spring Training.
They fall in love with it, one meaningless double at a time.
Dodger Rants & Raves
- Gavin Stone‘s soreness in his shoulder is as predictable as the Bazooka’s soreness and failure to thrive. I think Bobby Miller has a case of it, too. There is no roadmap for this. They could be back in May, or they MAY never be back. That’s why you buy ’em cheap and stack ’em deep!
- Why on earth would the Red Sox trade Dustin May for Zach Ehrhard and James Tibbs III? They did it because they had a veritable glut of outfielders. They could afford to take a risk. The Dodgers are approaching a “glut of outfielders.” Let’s hope they don’t trade the wrong ones away.
- The development of the minor league rosters will be fun to watch.
- The Dodgers used eight pitchers on Monday, and it’s possible that none (or maybe one) could make the Opening Day Roster.
Mark on a heater!
Maybe we’re playing Tibbs/Ehrhard to light a fire under JDP.
All are prospects.
Good ones!
… although JDP is doing just fine.
He’s much younger!
The Sporting News has the following proposed trade:
Dodgers get: RHP Joe Ryan, OF Byron Buxton
Twins get: OF Andy Pages, L.A. No. 1 prospect OF Josue De Paula, RHP Emmet Sheehan, L.A. No. 9 prospect RHP River Ryan, RHP Gavin Stone, C Dalton Rushing, L.A. No. 4 prospect INF Alex Freeland
I wouldn’t take this deal even if the Twins agreed to trade their entire 26 man roster.
That’s why TSN is out of the Rag business. 😉
They are crazier than a Loon.
The Sporting News must have NOTHING important to write about,then make up this garbage nonsensical trade.. We DON’T need either player. I’d rather sign a quality free agent player like HOF AF does and give up draft picks than to trade controllable players from our roster . Remember draft picks are suspects not prospects until they prove themselves at the Major League level.
Is SN working with the bottom tier teams to dismantle the Dodgers future? That trade is beyond stupid .
That’s just silly…
But I was all for a Buxton deal….. unti AF went to his BIG FAT CHECK strategy for Tucker.
Blockbusters are just more interesting than big fat checks.
Enjoyable perspective piece Mark. Well written!
Some here wanted to trade our excess of pitchers this offseason for this player or that player and as I have stated so many times,you DON’T trade controllable pitchers. The way the Dodger pitchers hit the IL,you’ll need everyone of them at some point in the regular season. The Dodgers have the best roster and best depth in baseball. There is NO need to make any changes till the trading deadline. This trading deadline could be different where HOF AF is having teams coming to us for our surplus of outfielders. Patience Gentlemen and Ladies if any are reading, the best trade right now is NO trade. Let the roster and season develop.
Yes, let them come to us.
Hell, throw a AA arm if you need to.
Ok. Also no one should be posting our Spring Won/loss record and discussing that
This year, the Dodgers won-loss record is a testament to the “depth” of the system. That is tangible, real, and is a tribute to what Andrew Friedman is trying to accomplish.
As predicted he is only a depth piece and would NOT make the 26 man roster:
03/02/26 Los Angeles Dodgers sent RF Jack Suwinski outright to Oklahoma City Comets.
“Now, Suwinski remains in the organization as outfield depth, and leaves 39 players on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster. There’s no real urgency yet to fill that spot, but it removes an extra burden should an opportunity arise. Like if Rortvedt inevitably becomes available yet again, or if someone like non-roster invitees Santiago Espinal or Cole Irvin play their way onto the roster over the next three weeks”.
Graterol news was not unexpected. I didn’t understand projecting him into the bullpen coming off a lost year.
Stone news was disappointing. People remember he was our best pitcher in 2024 and a super individual to boot.
Edman rehab is fine. As someone with a bum ankle, I understand the need for taking it slow and making sure you’re ready.
We have all these slots covered. Extra arm for the pen is no prob and might open opportunity for Hurt, etc.
Rotation has depth and Stone was part of it. Opens up chance for Wrobleski, Ryan, etc.
Espinal mihht benefit from Edman. To me he’s a little redundant with Rojas but together they can cover the IF.
Freeland vs Kim vs Call seems like the main battle. Hard to imagine Call not making the team. Ditto Kim. Freeland might be the odd one out but he’d be up soon. This year’s Feduccia: ready with no place to play.
Roberts is talking up Espinal. The Dodgers love veterans and Freeland can still benefit from everyday ABs in OKC….
One of your best, Mark. So true and funny as hell.
But we “Spring training lovers” are having the time of our life with the 1500 OPS and .500 BAs, at least for another week when our instant heros get sent down. But then we get to argue the last 3 guys to make the 26 man roster before they break camp. But you have to admit, most of the diehard Dodger fans who comment are fairly sane, with occasional bouts of stupidity.
The dumb ones went away.
3:05 PM ET
Dodgers (93-69)
Guardians (88-74)
SP Roki Sasaki R
0-0 .00 ERA
SP Joey Cantillo L
0-0 .00 ERA
Confirmed Lineup
DH Miguel Rojas R
LF T. Hernandez R
CF Andy Pages R
2B A. Freeland S
3B Nick Senzel R
RF Zach Ehrhard R
1B Ryan Ward L
SS Noah Miller S
C E. Alfonzo S
82° Wind 3 mph L-R
Go Freeland Go!
Ehrhard trying for Branch Ricky award.
Jurickson Profar To Receive 162-Game PED Suspension
“Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar is being hit with a second PED suspension and will face a 162-game ban, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. Profar’s first PED suspension came early last season, and he was banned for 80 games. He’ll miss the entire 162-game season in 2026 following his second failed test and would receive a lifetime ban if he incurs a third positive test in the future. Profar will not be paid his $15MM salary this season, and he’s now ineligible for both postseason play in 2026 and for the upcoming World Baseball Classic”.
Big blow to Braves season. Hey Ward, have you ever been to Atlanta? Just Kidding, Atlanta has a pretty good farm system
“March 3: Roberts told the Dodgers beat this morning that the team “dodged a bullet” with regard to Stone (link via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). Imaging revealed inflammation in Stone’s surgically repaired shoulder but no structural damage. He’ll be shut down from throwing for a couple of weeks but for now does not appear to be facing a monthslong absence”.
Thats good news and perfectly understandable.
Take your time
Funny that the biggest challenge making a random lineup is we have too many middle of the lineup hitters. Not enough spots!
1. Jurikson Profar has 66 career stolen bases, which coincidentally is his I.Q.
2. Roki Sasaki may very well start the season in OKC.
3. I think James Tibbs III is in the mix to make the team. Of course that would mean that Call has to be traded and Ward DFA’ed.
Oh shit, Tibbs winning final roster spot is galaxy mind.
Call is just an Outfielder. Tibbs can also play 1B.
I will say this: Tibbs could be a pulled hamstring away {knock wood}. Hell, Ehrhard might not be far behind.
What a terrible trade for Boston. Good players are never in excess. And I’m a D-May fan.
I’d lost track of Dustin…
He signed at $12.5 million deal one-year deal with the Cards. Hope he has a strong season.
Great job by the front office landing Tibbs. Deals like these make up for the fact that the Dodgers are too good to get early draft picks.
Tibbs can play 1B–but that’s also Rushing’s second job. At any rate, he should have a good shot at reaching the majors at some point this season.
I’m picking the D.R. in the WBC
Killer lineup for DR.
But Uncle Sam has better pitching.
Can’t imagine facing those two Cy Young winners in the same team.
I GOT THE GOOD OLD US OF A!
I can’t root for a team of A-Holes: Tatis, Machado, Soto, et al!
I’m thinking Ehrhard might be better than Call by nextvyear at the latest.
I’m convinced Call was a Plan B or C (to Bader?) but we pulled the trigger anyway.
Im just thinking those teams care about it more than we do
Ill root for USA I WONT root for PCA.
PCA is a POS
What did he do?
What don’t I know about PCA?
Seriously???? Google him and Dodgers….
I hereby change his name to KLBA from PCA.
Karen Little Bitch Armstrong!
The Braves might could use Call!
Oops. Meant to reply here
PCA is an LA boy…. but he apparently has no ambitions of playing for the Dodgers.
Pretty odd.
Speaking of LA boys, I just learned that UCLA’s Will Gasparino is the son of Dodgers exec Billy. Another product of posh Harvard-Westlake. He’s 6-6 slugger who plays CF, and looks like he could add another 20-30 pounds of muscle on that frame.
No idea what the scouts say about him.
Call is just a below-average outfielder with little to no power. Ehrhard or Tibbs would be an upgrade this year. I don’t think Bader was ever on AF’s radar!
BA on Ehrhard (#22 Prospect):
Adjusted Grade: 35
Track Record: The Red Sox were intrigued enough by Ehrhard that they drafted him twice. They called his name in the 13th round in 2021, when he was in high school in Florida. Instead, he spent three seasons at Oklahoma State and one summer in the Cape Cod League, where he was part of a loaded Hyannis squad that also featured Cam Smith, Jamie Arnold and Mike Sirota. Boston drafted him in the fourth round in 2024, then shipped him to Los Angeles in the deal that sent Dustin May to the Red Sox.
Scouting Report: Ehrhard is the kind of player who does just enough right to carve out a big league career. He knows the strike zone, hits the ball decently hard and puts his best-struck drives in the air more often than not. Added strength and bat speed amplified Ehrhard’s power in 2025, though his slugging percentage in the big leagues might be filled with more doubles than home runs. With the Red Sox, Ehrhard played more in left field. After the trade, he shifted to center field. His above-average speed plays at both spots, and his average arm strength fits anywhere in the grass. He moves well to his right and left, but his routes and jumps are shaky on balls hit over his head.
The Future: Ehrhard’s year-over-year gains made him a valuable trade chip. He has a chance to be a second-division regular who earns playing time by doing a little bit of everything.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 55 | Field: 50 | Arm: 50
BA on Tibbs (#26 Prospect):
BA Grade/Risk: 40/Average
Adjusted Grade: 30
Track Record: After watching his three standout seasons at Florida State, the Giants were impressed enough with Tibbs to draft him with the 13th overall pick. His tenure with San Francisco didn’t last long. Eleven months later, Tibbs was dealt to Boston in the trade that brought all-star Rafael Devers to the Giants. Six weeks later, the Red Sox sent him and Zach Ehrhard to the Dodgers for righty Dustin May.
Scouting Report: During his first two stops, Tibbs’ production was underwhelming. When he moved to the Dodgers, the tide turned a little bit. The offense-friendly Texas League certainly played a part, but he also made a slight adjustment to his swing mechanics. With the Giants and Red Sox, he employed a leg kick before getting into two-strike counts. With the Dodgers, the move became a timing step. He also became more aggressive during his time with Double-A Tulsa, going from 4.1 and 4.2 pitches per plate appearance with the Giants and Red Sox to 3.8 with the Dodgers. He’ll need to clean up a bit of noise at the top of his swing to have more success against premium velocity. Tibbs should be just sound enough on defense to play a fringe-average right field, though he’s gotten some exposure to first base as well. He is a below-average runner.
The Future: After three organizations in his first season and a half, Tibbs has shown himself to be a player with a fair amount of skills but without any flashy tools. He should spend 2026 between the upper levels and has the ceiling of a second-division regular corner outfielder.
Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
As per a great TrueBlueLA article:
Per Sonya Chen regarding Sasaki:
“I think it can change. But I don’t think it’s gonna change before we break,” Roberts said. “Building him up, we see him as a starter, and giving him every opportunity for success. But again, we still gotta coach him up, and he’s still gotta continue to get outs and work ahead like Major League starters do.”
Per Courtney Hollmon of MLB.com regarding River Ryan:
“I think right now, where we’re at, I don’t think we need to really talk about a competition as far as the rotation. Once we get to the 21st of March, we’ll have a better idea once we break camp. But I think right now, there’s just too much that can happen.”
Per Jack Vita of the Los Angeles Times (Jack Harris went to the Post) regarding Jackson Ferris:
“I like Jackson,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said recently. “I like the player. He’s a good kid. A lot of talent. I think for me, it’s just trying to harness his arsenal. It’s a good fastball. He needs to continue to get ahead, be able to put hitters away with the secondary pitches, be efficient with his pitches per inning, but I like Jackson.”
March 4th, 2026 3:05 PM ET
Camelback Ranch
Mexico
@
Dodgers
SP Tyler Glasnow RHP
0-0 0.00ERA
Confirmed Lineup
Miguel Rojas (R) SS
Teoscar Hernández (R) LF
Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
Andy Pages (R) DH
Santiago Espinal (R) 3B
Dalton Rushing (L) C
Alex Call (R) CF
Nick Senzel (R) 2B
Josue De Paula (L) RF
“Reds ace Hunter Greene is heading for an MRI after experiencing stiffness in his right elbow, manager Terry Francona tells reporters at Reds camp this morning. Greene himself says the injury dates back to late last season (link via Charlie Goldsmith). He was recommended for an injection and had a normal offseason but tells the Reds beat that the discomfort has crept back up recently. Greene will be examined by longtime team physician Timothy Kremchek and have a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He says his ulnar collateral ligament was intact at a recent check, but news of a new round of imaging will inherently lead to some concern until the results are known”.
Lou Holtz – R.I.P.
Grew up a USC to troll my Bruin dad. Holtz was a worthy foe.
*fan
They beat Mexico today in a close one. Pages with a long homer and a double, Rushing had a triple and a double. Espinal is hitting .667 this spring. He had 2 more hits today, one of them a double. They play night games on Friday and Saturday. Clocks move forward an hour this weekend. Hainline made a couple of really nice defensive plays. Vesia and Dreyer had clean innings.
I got my tax documents together to take to my guy
My favorite brewing company:
Favorites: Exemption and Deduction
https://www.taxmanbrewing.com/
It’s located about 60 yards from my wifes two restaurants.
Great to see Rushing hitting. Pages showing all-star potential, and Espinal has become a frontrunner for the bench.
With so much talent in the Dodgers’ system, small-market teams should get creative and try to pry some of these second-tier prospects like Hainline, Erhard and George away.
There has never been a time when the Dodgers had such a Deep Farm System.
It bodes well for the future. Tomorrow, we take a look at it.