Author: rincon

Major League Baseball’s experiment of a robot umpire technology system allowing challenges to checked swing calls is moving up from Class A to Triple-A.

MLB will also test moving second base slightly to position it entirely within the infield, which would reduce by 9 inches the distance between first and second, and between second and third, according to a memorandum sent to teams last week.

It will try out reducing permissible disengagements by pitchers from two to one per plate appearance and stricter limits on batter timeouts and resetting the pitch clock for issues with PitchCom, the electronic signaling device that has been used since 2023.

There will also be a test allowing starting pitchers to re-enter games in the lowest level of the minor leagues. It’s not expected this test will lead to MLB implementation, but it’s being considered for the minors to improve development and player health by allowing more flexible workload management.

MLB’s Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System, the so-called robot umpire, launches when the season starts March 25 following tests that started in the minors in 2019. A batter, catcher or pitcher can appeal a ball/strike call by the human umpire under a system in which each team has two challenges and keeps its challenge if successful. Additional challenges become available to teams in extra innings.

An experiment began last May 20 in the Class A Florida State League allowing challenges to checked swing calls, and the test was extended to the Arizona Fall League.

Starting on May 5, the checked swing test will take expand to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League in additional to the FSL.

“The batter, pitcher or catcher may also appeal the umpire’s decision regarding whether the batter swung at a pitch,” according to the memo from MLB vice president of on-field strategy Joe Martinez to general managers and other club executives. “A swing will be considered to have occurred if the maximum angle between the bat head and the bat handle exceeds 45 degrees.”

Martinez said the strikeout rate was cut by 3% during last year’s testing.

In addition, umpires at games in the Triple-A International League will be instructed to apply the 45-degree threshold for determining swings starting May 5. The Official Baseball Rules do not specify a standard for checked swings, stating only: “A strike is a legal pitch when so called by the umpire, which is struck at by the batter and is missed.”

Since 1976, the rules have said: “The manager or the catcher may request the plate umpire to ask his partner for help on a half swing when the plate umpire calls the pitch a ball, but not when the pitch is called a strike.”

Starting pitchers will be allowed to re-enter a game after being removed at the Arizona Complex League, Florida Complex League and Dominican Summer League. A removed starting pitcher is eligible to return if he threw at least 25 pitches during the inning he was removed, can return only at the start of an inning and may re-enter only once.

MLB enlarged bases to 18-inch squares from 15 in 2023, a change the led to more stolen bases because of a decreased distance of 4 1/2 inches between first and second, and second and third.

Second base has been centered on the exact spot of second, but the experiment in the International League will place it “entirely within the perimeter of the infield diamond during the second half” of the season.

Citing an increase in the average time of a nine-inning game from 2 hours, 36 minutes in 2024 to 2:38 last year and a decrease in stole base attempt success rate from 80.2% in 2023 to 77.8% last year, MLB will experiment with changes to pitch clock rules.

Teams at Triple-A will be assessed a mound visit if play is stopped for a PitchCom problem, and if a team is out of visits an automatic ball will be charged.

At all levels, the clock will not stop when a catcher leaves the catcher’s box to give defensive signals, and players other than the pitcher and coaches must leave the mound before the clock on mound visits runs out. A violation would result in an automatic ball.

At High A, batters will not be allowed to request time if the bases are empty and in Class A no timeouts will be allowed. Exceptions will be allowed for brush backs, possible injuries or equipment problems.

Allowed disengagements by pitchers from the rubber will be lowered from two to one at Double-A.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

On a night when All-Stars and future Hall of Famers thrilled fans and each other until the final out, Aaron Judge proclaimed the World Baseball Classic had grown into the sport’s biggest event.

“It’s bigger and better than the World Series,” the U.S. captain said after a 2-1 semifinal win over the Dominican Republic that came down to Sunday night’s final pitch. “The passion that these fans have, representing their country, representing some of their favorite players, there’s nothing like it.”

American tradition emphasizing understatement on a team led by Judge and Bryce Harper was showcased against Latin flair on a side featuring Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. When Junior Caminero homered against Paul Skenes to put the Dominicans ahead in the second inning, he celebrated with an overhand bat flip.

[4 Takeaways: Team USA’s World Baseball Classic Win Over the Dominican Republic]

In the sixth tournament of an event that started in 2006, the game featured starting lineups featuring 17 All-Stars totaling 56 selections among the 20 starters. They had won five MVP awards, one Cy Young, five Rookies of the Year and three batting titles.

Before a crowd of 36,337 at IoanDepot Park, the U.S. overcame the deficit on fourth-inning home runs by Gunnar Henderson off Luis Severino and Roman Anthony against Gregory Soto.

Anthony, at 21 the youngest American player, had bought a ticket for the 2023 WBC final in Miami and watched from the seats as Japan beat the U.S. 3-2.

“Coming to the WBC here, you dream of representing this country and being here the next time around,” Anthony said.

American relievers allowed two hits over 4 2/3 scoreless innings, capped by Mason Miller topping 100 mph with 13 of 22 pitches. Miller’s last appeared to be low for ball four to Geraldo Perdomo but plate umpire Cory Blaser emphatically signaled strike three.

[Derek Jeter: Blown Call In WBC Semis ‘Pretty Much Guarantees’ ABS In Next Edition]

“Just a game we’ll remember forever, right?” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa said. “We understood this was going to be a talked-about game, probably one of the most watched games of all time.”

Dynamic defense was commonplace.

With the U.S. trailing by a run in the third, Judge threw a 95.7 mph strike from right field to third base to cut down Fernando Tatis Jr. for the inning’s final out. Judge then made a diving backland catch to rob Soto, his former New York Yankees teammate, in the fourth.

Julio Rodríguez denied Judge a home run with a leaping catch at the center-field wall in the fifth, 407 feet from the plate.

“I was like, OK, maybe we got a shot here,” Judge recalled. “But hit it to a guy like J-Rod, who’s one of the best if not the best center fielder in the game, he’s going make exciting plays like that in big moments.”

Shortstop Bobby Witt ranged to the right field side of the infield to snag Soto’s slow bouncer in the fifth, scrambled to back to touch second base and made an off-balance throw to first for an inning-ending double play. One inning later, Witt threw out Manny Machado at first from the outfield grass.

Pitching moments were memorable, too.

Dominican starter Luis Severino stranded runners at second and third in the third inning when he struck out Judge and Kyle Schwarber, and Skenes escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth when Austin Wells flied out.

[A-Rod Lauds USA’s Managing in Dominican Republic Win: ‘Mark DeRosa Pitched a Gem’]

Wells doubled with one out in the seventh and the relatively slow-footed catcher was held at third on Perdomo’s single to Crow-Armstrong in center. David Bednar then struck out Tatis Jr. and Ketel Marte on breaking balls below the strike zone.

Before Miller got the strike three call in the ninth, Perdomo had fouled off a pair of full-count pitches.

“The whole world saw in two teams some of the best players in the game,” said Dominican manager Albert Pujols, a likely future Hall of Famer.

Rosters included 18 of the 41 players who received MVP votes last year.

Judge gave a postgame speech to teammates, looking ahead to Tuesday’s championship against Venezuela or Italy. He had perceived a special night Sunday from the start.

“You get chills standing there on the line, hearing them announce all the names,” he said. “It was like an All-Star team they got over there.”

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Mark DeRosa nearly cost Team USA the opportunity to advance to the knockout stage of the World Baseball Classic with some of his decisions in its loss to Italy. Now, Alex Rodriguez thinks the Team USA manager is the biggest reason why it’s playing in the final of the World Baseball Classic.

Rodriguez pointed to DeRosa as the catalyst for Team USA in its 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic in Sunday’s World Baseball Classic semifinal win.

“The one guy I want to give a shoutout to is Mark DeRosa,” Rodriguez said on the FS1 postgame show following Team USA’s win. “He has gotten absolutely hammered this week. And tonight, he made some brilliant moves — Gunnar Henderson, great defense and a big home run. And taking out Paul Skenes after 71 pitches and followed by a double play. 

“Mark DeRosa pitched a gem.”

Henderson hadn’t been in the starting lineup for much of the tournament, sitting behind Bobby Witt Jr. and Alex Bregman on the left side of the infield for all but one game. However, Sunday’s game presented an opportunity for Henderson to start thanks to his strong career numbers against Dominican Republic starting pitcher Luis Severino. Henderson had gone 7 for 9 in his career against Severino with a home run, double and four RBIs against the righty entering Sunday’s game.

By the end of Henderson’s second at-bat, he had added another homer against Severino. He took Severino’s sweeper 400 feet for a home run to help Team USA tie the game against the Dominican Republic in the fourth inning.

“Playing the hot hand right?” DeRosa told reporters prior to Sunday’s game. “Gunnar’s got numbers against Severino.”

Henderson had also hit well in a limited role during the tournament, going 5 for 10 with a homer in the first four games he played. Bregman, meanwhile, had gone 2 for 11 in the four games he played in so far in the tournament. 

As for DeRosa’s decisions with Skenes, starting him was a no-brainer considering that he was available to pitch Sunday’s game. However, he threaded the need on when to take him out, too. 

Skenes began to face his first serious trouble in the bottom of the fifth inning, when he allowed back-to-back one-out singles to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ketel Marte. Instead of having Skenes pitch to Mets’ star Juan Soto, DeRosa called on sidearm reliever Tyler Rogers to try and get out of the jam.

Rogers did that in just a matter of a few pitches. Soto grounded into an inning-ending double play, keeping Team USA’s lead at 2-1. 

DeRosa seemingly pressed all the right buttons with the bullpen for the rest of the night. Griffin Jax, David Bednar, Garrett Whitlock and Mason Miller didn’t allow a run in the final four innings, with only three Dominican Republic players getting on-base. 

Now, DeRosa’s USA squad is a win away from helping the program win its second World Baseball Classic. It’ll take on either Italy or Venezuela on Tuesday, with Mets’ righty Nolan McLean likely taking the mound.  

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Is the Automated Ball-Strike System coming to the next World Baseball Classic?

In the aftermath of the controversial strike call in Sunday night’s semifinal between the United States and the Dominican Republic that sent Team USA to the WBC final, Baseball Hall of Famer and FOX Sports analyst Derek Jeter has a strong suspicion that ABS will be implemented in the next edition of the international baseball tournament.

“You can pretty much guarantee they’re going to have the challenge system in place for the next WBC, right?” Jeter said. “You hate to end a game that way, but you give credit to the U.S. They not only pitched well, they hit the two home runs; they played great defense; the U.S. deserved to go to the finals.”

With a runner on third and Fernando Tatis Jr. on deck, Geraldo Perdomo was called for a strike on a pitch that was seemingly well below the strike zone to end the game. Due to there being no ABS at this year’s World Baseball Classic, the Dominican Republic was unable to challenge.

“If you call a strike on a 101-102 miles per hour pitch on top of the zone, you can’t go down there and call that pitch a strike also,” Baseball Hall of Famer and Dominican icon David Ortiz said. “You’re expanding the strike zone against batters facing a really good pitcher.”

The Dominican Republic was held to just one run against the U.S. after scoring 14 runs entering Sunday’s semifinal. Their 15 runs at this year’s tournament are the most by a single team in World Baseball Classic history.

“You just hate to end a game this big, with these types of consequences, on a pitch that’s not a strike,” World Series champion Alex Rodriguez said.

Team USA will play the winner of Italy-Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic final on Tuesday.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

It wasn’t a high-scoring semifinal affair, but Team USA is back into the World Baseball Classic championship game. 

Two solo home runs against the Dominican Republic in Sunday’s semifinal were enough to keep the USA on track toward winning the 2026 title. One more game left.

Who’ll be the opponent? It will be either Italy and Venezuela, who’ll play in the other semifinal game on Monday (8 p.m. ET on FS1).

Recapping Sunday’s action and taking a peek at Monday’s second semifinal game:

USA Into WBC Final, Holds Off Dominican Republic

<!–>

In a game filled with All-Stars, sluggers and home run machines, it was two solo shots by rather unlikely heroes that gave USA the 2-1 win over the Dominican Republic. 

Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony each went yard in the fourth inning to respond after Junior Caminero’s solo shot in the first inning, which accounted for all the scoring in front of a rowdy and electric crowd at loanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.

Caminero’s shot was the 15th for Team D.R. at the tournament, setting a new record. 

Paul Skenes finished his Team USA duties with his start, where he went 4.1 innings pitched with one run given up. He goes 2-0 in the WBC after beating Mexico in the pool stage.

Mason Miller struck out three in the ninth – Caminero, Oneil Cruz and Geraldo Perdomo – to get the save. 

Espresso vs. Arepas: Italy Ready For Venezuela

–>

It’s been one of the best storylines in the World Baseball Classic. Fueled by a busy espresso machine and plenty of red wine. 

Italy’s WBC runs continues with Monday’s semifinal game against traditional powerhouse Venezuela, who took out the reigning champions Japan in the quarterfinals.

The battle on the mound for the game will be an MLB veteran against a budding youngster: Michael Lorenzen will start for Italy and Keider Montero for Venezuela.

A 34-year-old right-hander, Lorenzen pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in the group stage 8-6 upset of the United States on Tuesday.

“I faced him many times,’ said Italy manager Francisco Cervelli, a former big league catcher. “This is the perfect guy.”

Lorenzen, an All-Star in 2023, was 7-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 starts and one relief appearances for Kansas City last year, then became a free agent and signed an $8 million, one-year contract with Colorado. If Italy wins, Aaron Nola would be lined up to start Tuesday night’s final against the U.S. or the Dominican Republic.

Montero, a 25-year-old right-hander, pitched three scoreless innings of relief on Monday in a 4-0 first-round win over Nicaragua.

He made his big league debut on May 29, 2024, and was 5-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 12 starts and eight relief appearances last year for Detroit during a season in which he was optioned to Triple-A Toledo six times. Monero was 4-4 with a 5.91 ERA in eight starts and two relief appearances for the Mud Hens.

Montero had three postseason appearances last year and got a save in the AL Division Series opener, an 11-inning win over Cleveland.

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

LoanDepot Park (Miami) – The epic semifinal between the United States and the Dominican Republic was everything it was hyped up to be. 

Between both countries, there were 17 players who have already been All-Stars — the most All-Stars starting in a World Baseball Classic semifinal or final, surpassing the 11 who played in the 2017 WBC final between the USA and Puerto Rico.

It was quite possibly the most talent on a baseball field in a single game with stakes.

<!–>

Powered by powerful pitching, heads-up plays and excellent offensive timing, Team USA knocked off the Dominican Republic with a 2-1 win in the semifinals on Sunday night at loanDepot Park. The Dominican Republic, which featured its most dominant roster in the history of the WBC, suffered its first loss of the tournament as their “platano-powered” run came to an end.

Here are my takeaways:

1. Don’t run on Captain America

This was, arguably, the play of the game. 

The Dominican Republic took a 1-0 lead over the USA in the second inning and they were threatening to pile on in the third, just like they had done all tournament. But their previous five games in the WBC, two of which included mercy-ruling the opponent, didn’t feature a Gold-Glove caliber, three-time MVP patrolling right field.

With two outs in the third, the top of the Dominican Republic lineup was cooking after Fernando Tatis Jr. reached base on a fielder’s choice. The heavily-favored Dominican crowd urged the team to tack on some runs against Paul Skenes and the USA when Ketel Marte laced a single to right field. 

Tatis, who doesn’t have elite sprint speed to begin with, opted to test Aaron Judge’s arm in right field. As Tatis went from first to third, Judge fired a 95 mph laser to USA third baseman Gunnar Henderson, who tagged Tatis for the final out of the inning. Juan Soto, meanwhile, watched it all happen from the on-deck circle.

As much as Tatis and the Dominican Republic found out the hard way not to run on Judge’s superhuman arm, it was also a silly decision to try and advance to third with his team’s best hitter due up. All the momentum they generated instantly vaporized on that play. The USA put up a pair of runs on solo shots from Roman Anthony and Henderson in the next inning, and the Dominican Republic never scored again.

2. In the history books

Junior Caminero put the Dominican Republic on the board and in the history books with his third home run of the tournament on Sunday. The 22-year-old’s solo shot off Skenes marked the Dominican Republic’s 15th home run of this year’s WBC, setting a new record for the most home runs by a single team in the tournament’s history. The previous record of 14 home runs was set by Mexico in the 2009 WBC, which was headlined by Adrian Gonzalez.

Besides Caminero, five other Dominican Republic hitters had multiple home runs in this year’s tournament. Despite how stacked the lineup was, the country met its match against a dream team USA squad that flourished with their pitching on Sunday.

3. Sevy holds it down

This was a memorable outing for Luis Severino, who had the odds stacked against him, but still gave the Dominican Republic all he had in the semifinal. Severino was amped up throughout his 68-pitch outing, throwing so hard he was willing to risk blowing his arm out later in the year for the Athletics. 

Severino threw six pitches that clocked in at 99 mph or more against the USA on Sunday. He had five such pitches in the entire 2025 season for the Athletics, when his four-seamer averaged 96.1 mph. His best moment of the game came in the third inning, when he delivered back-to-back strikeouts against Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber and stranded runners on second and third.

Going into Sunday, the Dominican Republic was being criticized for failing to line up one of their best pitchers, Sandy Alcantara or Cristopher Sanchez, to start the semifinal. USA, on the other hand, planned in advance for Skenes to take the hill on Sunday. 

Severino’s 4.54 ERA last season didn’t tell the whole story. He struggled at home in the Athletics’ hitter-friendly ballpark (6.01 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 15 starts) and excelled on the road (3.02 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 14 starts). On Sunday, Severino showed why he was once upon a time the Yankees’ No. 1 pitching prospect, and eventually a two-time All-Star.

4. Bednar gets away with his usual act

David Bednar just can’t help himself sometimes. 

The right-handed reliever came out of the bullpen to pitch the seventh inning of a tight, one-run game when he allowed a one-out double to his Yankees teammate, Austin Wells. Geraldo Perdomo followed with a single to center, moving Wells up to third, and then Perdomo promptly stole second base. Bednar didn’t even bother paying attention to him. He was locked in on the top of the Dominican Republic lineup, and he delivered some of the fiercest outs of the game.

Tatis swung wildly at Bednar’s perfectly executed splitters in the dirt, striking out on four pitches for the second out of the frame. Rinse, wash, repeat. Ketel Marte, too, was fooled by Bednar’s nasty arsenal, this time flailing at his 78 mph curveball and whiffing for the final out of the seventh.

Bednar is known to create chaos on the basepaths late in the game, in high-leverage moments. It’s just a part of his act, and Yankees fans will have to become familiar with that stress this season as he gets ready to take on full-time closing duties in the Bronx.

]–>

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports

Italy continues its unlikely run at the World Baseball Classic and will next take on Venezuela in Monday’s semifinal game. The Venezuelans are having their own storybook run after eliminating Shohei Ohtani and defending WBC champions Japan in the quarterfinals. 

Next up is a spot in the final.

<!–>

The game will be Monday, March 16 at 8 p.m. ET on FS1. 

How to Watch the 2026 World Baseball Classic

FOX is your exclusive home to the WBC with games spread across the FOX family of networks. 

The Italy vs. Venezuela semifinal is on FS1 on Monday (8 p.m. ET). The Championship Game will be on FOX on Tuesday, March 17 (8 p.m. ET). 

All games will be available for streaming on the FOX Sports app and FOX One. Catch the action on the following streaming options:

[–>
• FOXSports.com and FOX Sports app
• FOX One

Italy vs. Venezuela Lineups, Pitchers

Michael Lorenzen will start for Italy and Keider Montero for Venezuela.

A 34-year-old right-hander, Lorenzen pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings in the group stage 8-6 upset of the United States on Tuesday.

“I faced him many times,’ said Italy manager Francisco Cervelli, a former big league catcher. “This is the perfect guy.”

Lorenzen, an All-Star in 2023, was 7-11 with a 4.64 ERA in 26 starts and one relief appearances for Kansas City last year, then became a free agent and signed an $8 million, one-year contract with Colorado.

If Italy wins, Aaron Nola would be lined up to start Tuesday night’s final against the U.S. or the Dominican Republic.

Montero, a 25-year-old right-hander, pitched three scoreless innings of relief on Monday in a 4-0 first-round win over Nicaragua.

He made his big league debut on May 29, 2024, and was 5-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 12 starts and eight relief appearances last year for Detroit during a season in which he was optioned to Triple-A Toledo six times. Monero was 4-4 with a 5.91 ERA in eight starts and two relief appearances for the Mud Hens.

Montero had three postseason appearances last year and got a save in the AL Division Series opener, an 11-inning win over Cleveland.

WBC Schedule

Semifinals

Monday, March 16

• Italy vs. Venezuela (8 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FS1)

Final

Tuesday, March 17

• SF 1 winner vs. SF2 winner (8 p.m., LoanDepot Park in Miami on FOX)

Link to Original Article - on Fox Sports