Chase DeLauter goes deep on his first (regular season) big league at-bat

Kevin McGonigle is the second player in Tigers history with a four-hit game in his MLB debut, joining Billy Bean (April 25, 1987).

I've been talking to Logan Gilbert since he was in Modesto 7 yrs ago. It’s been fun to watch him grow. Gone is the curveball he had in minors. Gone are the slumped shoulders of his rookie year. Gone is the sweeper. Here is Walter, with a power slider, power splitter, power curve. t.co/YxuBFQ2BMz

Carson Benge on The Bird:

For a class that folks didn't love, the 2024 draft class is looking pretty good right now. Already a Rookie of the Year, a postseason folk hero, the current No. 1 prospect in baseball, two guys who have homered in their MLB debuts today, plus breakout candidates like Burns, Jac and Smith.

Justin Crawford picks up a knock on the first MLB pitch he sees in his career. All the Top 100 prospects are hitting in their debuts today.

We are getting dangerously close to Tyler O'Neill not extending that Opening Day HR streak. ☹️

A pro move by Xander Bogaerts hanging onto the ball, hoping McGonigle would be so excited he'd step off the bag at second. 😂

So far, the early returns on being part of Team USA in the WBC aren't looking great for Opening Day readiness. (Which isn't what I would have expected, to be honest, given the level of competition in that tournament.)

Cursive is useful. It isn’t calligraphy (I wish my handwriting was that nice), but it is the quickest way to handwrite notes, makes signing documents more official and gives you the skill of being able to read old historical documents by people who used it. Giving kids skills is a good thing.

Zack Wheeler, who had a rib removed during the offseason and now keeps it in his closet, is starting for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Saturday. The team found some "spare ribs" in their closet, and this concession special is the result:

my annual predictions column is now up for subscribers to @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

“It’s Opening Day!” we all exclaim for the next three days, stretching the definition of time until the earth folds in on itself and starts anew.

I used to. Clay Wood was more famous than all but like 20 players who ever played for the Oakland A’s.

Tony Vitello makes it official: Heliot Ramos will start in left field tomorrow, making him the first Giants player to make two starts on opening day in left field since Barry Bonds 2006-07.

I somehow managed to make it until today before realizing that MLB has Opening Day spread out over three days this year, and that is incredibly dumb.

my final scouting notebook from the Cactus League has notes on the A's-Brewers Breakout Game, for subscribers to @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/714...

Giants top prospect Bryce Eldridge, recently optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, smacked a 3-run HR into the left-field seats. 103.8 mph exit velocity, 381 feet per Statcast, and it got outta there in a hurry.

FREE READ More and more, high schoolers are reclassifying up a year to make their names more appealing to front offices. In some cases, to their detriment. I decided to write about a bustling economy full of prodigies and pitfalls. The Reclassification Economy…

Tampa Bay Rays traded RHP Gerlin Rosario to Athletics for 2B Cooper Bowman.

Hope he gets one more sandwich from Bianca’s for the road.

Old friend TJ McFarland has announced his retirement. Long, impressive career. Great pro. Couldn’t have been a nicer guy. Congrats to him. #TheTeej

Orioles have made these moves: - Granted INF Thairo Estrada his release. - Reassigned C Maverick Handley and 1B/OF Jhonkensy Noel to Minor League camp.

my scouting notebook on that dismal Dodgers-White Sox Breakout game, which saw 27 walks but still had some standouts among the prospects involved, is now up for subscribers to @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/713...

Dodgers optioned Hyeseong Kim, which means Alex Freeland will make the opening day roster

The Washington Nationals are acquiring INF Jorbit Vivas from the New York Yankees and sending pitching prospect Sean Paul Liñan back to New York, per sources. Vivas debuted and played 29 games for New York last season.

Wow! This is truly amazing news. Medicine is incredible

my scouting notebook on the Reds-Giants spring breakout game is now up for subscribers to @theathletic.com: www.nytimes.com/athletic/713...

Tigers have granted OF Austin Slater his unconditional release. The non-roster invite had the right to ask for his release if not added to the roster by today. Good chance he finds a spot with another club needing a veteran right-handed bat.

Bold predictions! Miz Cy! Trout is back! Mets win the pennant! and more: www.nytimes.com/athletic/708...

Now a nice right-on-right splitter from Kyson Witherspoon to get Wehiwa Aloy. That’s a pitch Witherspoon has committed to throwing ahead of his first full pro season after playing around with it in college.

Went to the mailbox to collect my latest data breach notice. Feels like America is rapidly becoming a nudist colony for secure information. It’s just all out there.

Bay Area cricket fans: Major League Cricket is returning to the Oakland Coliseum after last year's debut: June 24-28 and July 15-18. This year, the Coliseum will be the host for the entire league postseason (the second set of dates).

Four months ago, Rockies prospect Braylen Wimmer couldn’t speak after surgery to remove a brain tumor. It was a long, difficult winter. Now, he’s back in minor-league camp, chasing his baseball dreams. Wimmer’s story (free to read): www.nytimes.com/athletic/712...

Statcast is really giving off cryptic message to the Circuit City guy in Paradise vibes right now. "Deliver this message"

Willson Contreras described Venezuela’s WBC championship - with no hyperbole - the greatest thing to happen to Venezuela in 26 years, and the greatest sports achievement in the history of the country.

Josuar Gonzalez (left hamstring strain) and Jhonny Level (low back tightness) will be out of action for tonight's Spring Breakout game.

This is my favorite random streak in baseball. It's totally weird and doesn't make sense and yet it exists

Doubling down on gambling amid the worst gambling crisis in 100 years for your sport is certainly a choice.

I thought collecting the 1990 Donruss Geronimo Berroa error card was going to make me rich. At least we got the great rolled Rs player intro at the Coliseum later on.

The Nationals optioned C Harry Ford and 1B Abimelec Ortiz to Class AAA Rochester, reassigned C Riley Adams to minor league camp. Seems very likely Washington will roll with Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas to open the year.

Aracelis Leon is the first woman to ever be president of the Venezuelan Baseball Federation. She and her team just captured Venezuela’s first championship in any international sports competition since 1945. Now and forever, she is a baseball legend. 📸: @aleon_fvboficial on Instagram

On Wednesday and Thursday, the Red Sox will host the Women’s Pro Baseball League at JetBlue Park. A decade ago the Red Sox began hosting a women’s baseball fantasy camp and now are a small part of turning a women’s baseball league into a reality. “It’s a big honor” www.nytimes.com/athletic/711...

Acting Venezuelan president Delcy Rodríguez has declared today a national holiday to celebrate. 🥹

Not to brag but I was the one vote for Venezuela to be the dark horse winner for this tourney in our staff prediction poll: www.nytimes.com/athletic/708...

Eugenio Suárez is such a fun player.

Update: Josuar Gonzalez has now been removed from the Giants' Spring Breakout roster.

#BREAKING SO proud to announce that Mo'ne Davis, star of the Women's Pro Baseball League & 2014 Little League World Series, will be our guest on Jackie Robinson Day 4/15. Mo'ne will take part in an on-field Q&A, and will throw the ceremonial first pitch. Ticket available! ➡️ tinyurl.com/49e4bhfb

FREE TO READ. The 2020 MLB Draft happened in 5 rounds. In a process that traditionally spanned 40 rounds, impacting more than 1,200 players, baseball conducted its annual talent pipeline event in just 160 picks. I wrote about the ghosts of that draft that still walk among us.