Padres SP Joe Musgrove gets back on the mound
The World Baseball Classic gets underway in dramatic fashion, people fight about Tatis' spot in the lineup, Breanna Stewart wins more hardware, Katie Ledecky can't be stopped, and a lot more!
It is very funny to me that the sport of baseball takes six full months, and 162 games, to get through a single season and yet people will spend an entire month before the season begins arguing about where a player should or shouldn’t hit in the lineup.
Maybe I’m getting old, maybe I’m just finally gaining the appropriate perspective and giving sports its proper importance (instead of something greater than it actually is), but I think it’s okay if we spend at least part of this season in wait-and-see mode.
The San Diego Padres manager has never managed a real game before. Half of the team is spending Spring Training on the other side of the country from him and the rest of their teammates. About half of the starting lineup and starting rotation wasn’t with the team a year ago and their All-Star closer plays elsewhere now. The most important thing going on with the team is a sale of the team. The idea that anything can be, or should be, figured out and settled in the next three weeks is probably silly. Any plans made are just going to be wrecked anyway.
Part of enjoying the ride is picking up knowledge in real-time and adjusting. I’m sure there is a little bit of that to be done in Peoria, AZ, but not much, if you’re asking me.
Now, onto the links…
San Diego Padres
Padres notebook: ‘Real’ lineup makes Fernando Tatis Jr. batting first make sense; Sung-Mun Song to add at least one position - San Diego Union-Tribune
It did not escape Craig Stammen’s attention that Fernando Tatis Jr. hit leadoff for the Dominican Republic in its exhibition Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers.
“Tati is a great leadoff hitter,” Stammen said Wednesday morning. “He could be our leadoff hitter at some point too. I’m sure he loves it. He’s playing for a great team, playing in a great lineup.”
And there is the thing.
Whether Tatis is the best leadoff option for the Padres arguably depends on the quality of the hitters around him.
Padres Have Made a Big Fernando Tatis Jr. Mistake - Athlon Sports
This could prove to be an act of overthinking on behalf of the Padres, who no doubt want to supplement the middle of their lineup with Tatis’ bat where they lack power.
Because while the idea makes sense on paper, the 27-year-old right fielder excelled out of the leadoff spot in the 2025 season, putting up his best performance since 2021.
In a career-high 155 games played in 2025, Tatis appeared as the leadoff hitter in 151 of them, where he slugged 25 home runs and posted a formidable 125 OPS+.
Given the tumultuous nature of Tatis’ past few seasons, it seems ill-advised to mess with what has clearly a winning recipe for the face of the franchise.
Musgrove’s return to the mound ‘another step’ toward regaining old form - MLB.com
“To me, this is another step,” Musgrove said. “I think getting in a big league game, facing big league hitters in the big stadium, night game, things like that will be another adjustment. For me, this was just: I’m still checking boxes and building up.”
All of that may be true. This was still a massive day for the San Diego Padres.
Randy Vásquez continues solid spring as Padres tie Great Britain in exhibition - San Diego Union-Tribune
Samad Taylor, one of two players in the starting lineup with more than 16 big-league plate appearances, was 1-for-3 with a bunt single. He stole second base after that hit and later scored on a groundout. If Taylor is to make the team, it will be because of that skillset and his ability to play all three outfield spots.
World Baseball Classic
Bazzana’s blast helps Australia power past Chinese Taipei in Classic opener - MLB.com
Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 Draft, had been dreaming of this moment for years. In college, he kept a note on his phone outlining his dream 2026 World Baseball Classic lineup, with his name penciled atop manager Dave Nilsson’s lineup.
On Thursday, inside a packed Tokyo Dome, Bazzana’s dreams came true. Up 2-0 in the seventh inning, the Guardians prospect smashed a laser beam for a home run over the right-field fence to give Australia some breathing room in its eventual 3-0 victory over Chinese Taipei.
Six Essential Story Lines for the 2026 World Baseball Classic - The Ringer
There’s every reason to believe that this year’s Classic, which begins on Wednesday night, can extend the sport’s momentum from last October, when a thrilling postseason and a historic World Series pulled baseball back to the center of the national conversation. The field is loaded with talent; MLB All-Stars and top prospects dot nearly every roster, from the three favored juggernauts (the U.S., the Dominican Republic, and Japan) to the emerging contenders and long-shot underdogs. And with games in Miami, Houston, Tokyo, and, for the first time since 2013, Puerto Rico, this tournament remains the loudest expression of baseball’s global heartbeat.
Bobby Witt Jr., Team USA ready for redemption in World Baseball Classic: ‘We know what needs to be done’ - Yahoo Sports
If Bobby Witt Jr. is anxious about the next couple months, he’s not showing it. Why should he? Since his major-league debut in 2022, Witt has developed into one of the game’s most complete superstars, a true five-tool player capable of clubbing 30 home runs, stealing 30 bases, winning a batting title and playing exceptional defense at arguably the game’s toughest position every single season.
So when Witt takes the field for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, he won’t carry any nerves with him. Sure, there’s a lot at stake. Team USA is looking for revenge after a close, crushing loss to Japan in the 2023 WBC championship. Combine that with the U.S. Olympic team’s success at the Winter Olympics, and there’s a ton of pressure on Team USA to put those 2023 demons to rest and win the 2026 WBC.
Odds & Ends
Breanna Stewart outduels Kelsey Plum as Mist claim Unrivaled championship - The Athletic
Mist won the 2026 championship after posting the highest point differential during the regular season. They led the league in points and steals per game and capped that effort by shooting 56 percent from the field in the championship, including a perfect 9-for-9 from the foul line. O’Brien was an assistant coach on the New York Liberty staff that won a WNBA title with Stewart in 2024. Now, the two are champions once more.
Lou Holtz, coaching legend who led Notre Dame to title, dies - ESPN
Lou Holtz, the quick-witted college football coach who led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988 and burnished his reputation as a master at rebuilding programs, has died at the age of 89, his family said Wednesday.
According to a statement released by Notre Dame, Holtz died in Orlando, Florida, where he was surrounded by family. A spokesperson said a cause of death was not provided by the family.
San Diego FC transfer Tomás Ángel to América de Cali - MLSsoccer.com
San Diego FC have transferred forward Tomás Ángel to Colombian top-flight side América de Cali, the club announced Friday.
The 23-year-old former Colombian youth international joined San Diego in December 2024 via a trade with LAFC.
Ángel tallied four goals and two assists in 25 appearances for San Diego across all competitions as they charted a historic expansion season in 2025.
Katie Ledecky edges Summer McIntosh in 800m freestyle to open Pro Swim Series Westmont - Yahoo Sports
Katie Ledecky won the 800m freestyle over Summer McIntosh to kick off a Pro Swim Series meet in Westmont, Illinois, on Wednesday.
Ledecky, who won the last four Olympic 800m free gold medals, clocked 8 minutes, 8.57 seconds. McIntosh, the second-fastest woman in history in the event, was 1.88 seconds behind.
Last August, Ledecky won the 800m free at the World Championships, becoming the first swimmer to claim seven world titles in one event.
USD men, women open WCC tournament as longshots - San Diego Union-Tribune
Both the University of San Diego men’s and women’s basketball teams begin West Coast Conference play Thursday as No. 11 seeds.
The Toreros women (10-21, 4-14) will play 10th-seeded Saint Mary’s (15-16, 6-12) at 2:30 p.m. The USD men (11-20, 5-13) will play 10th-seeded Loyola Marymount (15-16, 6-12) at 8:30 p.m. Both games are being streamed on ESPN+.
To win the WCC title, either the men’s or women’s team would need to win six straight games.
Women’s Soccer’s Tatum Wynalda Signs with San Diego Wave FC - Pepperdine Waves
Pepperdine women’s soccer’s Tatum Wynalda, class of 2026, signed a short-term contract with San Diego Wave FC, the club announced Wednesday.
“We’re all incredibly proud of Tatum,” head coach Tim Ward said. “She’s such a very special player with match winning qualities. Her soccer IQ and athletic attributes allow her to play in so many places on the field, and yet it is her ability around the goal that separates from most.”