Prime Prospects, Pitches & Performances From Thursday’s Games

Thursday’s Games

Superlatives

Hitter of the Day: Nationals third baseman Gavin Fien went 3-for-4 with two doubles and 5 RBIs. He squared up a Liam Doyle 97 mph fastball within the first inning for an RBI double after which related with a Tyler Bradt sweeper for a two-RBI double within the second. Fien grounded out in opposition to Tanner Franklin in his subsequent at-bat, however he bounced again with an RBI single in his second have a look at Franklin. He added a stroll within the ninth inning. 

• Honorable Mention: Reds outfielder Hector Rodriguez has a knack for locating the barrel, and he did so in an enormous, loud method in his first at-bat. Facing Giants starter Keyner Martinez, Rodriguez reached out and put the nice a part of the bat on a dangling changeup. The ball traveled an estimated 424 toes earlier than deciding on the grass past the wall in right-center subject for the sport’s solely residence run. Rodriguez completed the day 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs. 

Pitcher of the Day: Reds righthander Chase Petty was the one participant in his crew’s recreation with massive league expertise, and he actually regarded the half over 4 shutout innings in opposition to the Giants with one hit and 6 strikeouts on his ledger. His slider and sweeper drew 4 whiffs on 9 swings. Both pitches featured vicious chew and had been answerable for 4 of his punchouts.

Fielder of the Day: Reds righthander Aaron Watson relieved Petty and turned in a scoreless inning. The 2025 second-rounder out of highschool in Jacksonville induced a nubber up the primary final analysis from Charlie Szykowny. Watson pounced on it shortly sufficient to maintain it from rolling foul, then contorted his physique and threw a strike over the shoulder of Szykowny and into the glove of first baseman Cam Collier for the ultimate out of the inning. 

• Honorable Mention: Marlins righty Aiden May fielded a comebacker and threw residence to catcher Joe Mack to start out a 1-2-3 double play that erased a runner at residence and received him out of a bases-loaded jam. In an inning through which he gave up three walks and a single, May’s defensive play saved him from permitting a run.

Most Impressive Moment: Twins’ outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez had a really spectacular day on the plate, however no second higher summarized his loud instruments than his triple within the backside of the fourth. In a 2-2 depend, Rodriguez hit a 97 mph fastball to left heart subject. The ball traveled at 113.2 mph and over heart fielder Dante Nori’s head. Rodriguez turned on the jets and slid laborious into third, catching the third base bag with aptitude. 

Best Pitches

Best Fastball: Nationals righthander Miguel Sime Jr. fell behind JJ Wetherholt 3-0, however because of his 100-plus mph fastball, he labored again into the depend and ultimately struck out the No. 3 total prospect.

• Honorable Mention: Twins lefty Dasan Hill hit 100.1 mph, in addition to 99 mph a number of instances. He produced a number of fastballs within the neighborhood of 20 inches of induced vertical break, too.

• Honorable Mention: Giants lefthander Nick Zwack bridged the hole between the 2 halves of Luis De La Torre’s look (pitchers can re-enter the sport after being eliminated). His look was notable for his leap in velocity. In 2025, the 27-year-old’s fastball averaged 93.1 mph and maxed at 95.8. On Thursday, the pitch averaged 96.3 mph and topped at 97.6. His outing was simply 0.2 innings, however the additional giddy-up on his fastball was sufficient to open eyes.

Best Breaking Ball/Changeup: Marlins’ starter Karson Milbrandt struggled to throw his laborious 86-87 mph slider for strikes, however when he did, Astros hitters didn’t know what to do with it. Milbrandt received 5 whiffs out of the eight sliders Astros hitters swung at.

• Honorable Mention: Righthander Marco Raya enters 2026 in a full-time bullpen position for the primary time in his profession, and he confirmed electrical stuff throughout his inning closing out the Twins’ victory in opposition to the Phillies. Raya recorded three whiffs and each his strikeouts on a sweeper at 86-87 mph throughout his 1-2-3 ninth inning. His most spectacular pitch of the outing was an 86.9 mph sweeper with 16 inches of horizontal break at 2,700 rpm for a swinging strike to start out the inning. 

Statcast Standouts

Fastest Pitches: There had been loads of pitchers who reached triple digits, together with:

• Chase Petty led all pitchers on the primary day of the Spring Breakout with a 102.1 mph fastball, though he didn’t throw some other pitch above 98 mph.
• Miguel Sime Jr. topped out at 101.9 mph and topped 100 9 instances. He received as much as 20 inches of induced vertical break, as properly. 
• Astros righty Leomar Rosario had 4 pitches clocked at 100.0 mph or tougher, topping out at 100.2. Rosario struck out three of the 4 batters he confronted, utilizing his fastball to arrange his cutter, which received three whiffs.
• The Angels’ Nate Snead touched triple digits thrice, topping out at 100.5 mph.
• Dasan Hill hit 100.1 mph within the first inning and sat 98-99 all through the body. He then settled into the mid 90s over the subsequent two. Hill completed the day with three strikeouts over 2.2 innings, permitting an unearned run on two hits and two walks.

Hardest Hit: Emmanuel Rodriguez didn’t simply have the hardest-hit ball of the day—he had the 2 hardest-hit balls of the day! After putting out in his first at-bat, Rodriguez lined a 95 mph fastball to proper subject for a single at 115.6 mph. He adopted it up together with his aforementioned triple to left heart at 113.2 mph off a 97 mph fastball.

• Honorable Mention: A pair of 19-year-old Angels outfielders, Hayden Alvarez and Anthony Santa Cruz de Oviedo, had the subsequent two hardest hits of the day at 113 mph and 112.9 mph, respectively. Cardinals outfielder Joshua Baez rounded out the highest 5 with a 112.7 mph exit velocity on his line-drive residence run to left subject in opposition to the Nationals.

Fastest Runner: Reds outfielder Carlos Jorge turned within the two quickest home-to-first instances of Thursday’s opening Breakout video games. His bunt to steer off the day in opposition to the Giants noticed him attain first in 3.86 seconds. Later, he was thrown out at first regardless of getting there in 4.06 seconds. 

Hardest Throw By A Defender: He wasn’t in a position to flip it into an out as a result of it was a high-bouncing chopper far to his proper, however Twins third baseman Quentin Young uncorked an absolute seed of a throw with a low one-hopper that was clocked at 93.4 mph. That is tougher than any throw by any third baseman in an MLB spring coaching recreation this 12 months (aside from a wild throw for an error by Aroon Escobar).