Check out all episodes of The Kevin O’Connor Show and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv
Check out all episodes of The Kevin O’Connor Show and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv
The Atlanta Braves didn’t send a particularly imposing group of players to Sarasota to face off against the Baltimore Orioles but that didn’t matter too much in the end. The first two hurlers for the Braves helped make sure that the Orioles were unable to set off too many fireworks at their own spring training ballpark as they kept a strong Baltimore lineup quiet over four innings of clean work.
Despite the fact that the Orioles were putting to a pretty strong lineup for this one, both Garrett Baumann and José Suarez combined to make sure that Baltimore’s group of regulars largely remained quiet in this one. Baumann pitched two innings and struck out a batter while retiring the O’s six-up-and-six-down. Drake Baldwin was already pretty impressed with Baumann before the game had even started, per this post from Atlanta Journal-Constitution Braves beat writer Chad Bishop.
Rotation hopeful José Suarez then entered the game in the third inning and while he wasn’t perfect during his two innings of work, he still did enough to make sure that the Orioles didn’t make any additions to the run column while he was out there. Suarez did walk two batters but he also struck out three Orioles hitters and came away from his two innings of work without giving up any runs, either. One of those strikeouts came at the expense of Pete Alonso, which is no small feat considering that Alonso already has two homers to his name here in the early goings of spring training.
Fortunes did change a bit for the pitching staff once those two left the game. Hunter Stratton had a rough one as he got tagged for two hits and three runs — two of those runs came off of an RBI double from Luis Vázquez and the third run was walked in by Elison Joseph after Stratton exited the game. This certainly qualified for a rough outing for Stratton.
Late-game rough outings aside, the first two pitchers for the Braves were in pretty solid form this afternoon and it was especially encouraging to see Baumann and Suarez accomplish what they did against a lineup that is very close to what could feasibly be Baltimore’s Opening Day lineup.
Meanwhile at the plate, a mix of both new and old faces did a lot of the damage for the Braves in this one. Both Eli White and Dominic Smith delivered RBI knocks in the third inning in order to put Atlanta ahead and that was part of what was a very good day at the plate for Smith. Smith ended up racking up two hits and three appearances on-base in this one and he came around to score once as well. He was also pretty reliable with the glove as well, so this was a solid day from an all-around standpoint for a guy who’s trying to make the Opening Day roster any way he can. Eli White also delivered a pair of hits as he’s looking to fortify his hold on a bench spot for the Braves.
Once the Orioles subbed out most of their starters in the sixth inning, that was when the dam broke offensively for the Braves. Atlanta ended up scoring eight runs in this frame — it started with Nacho Alvarez Jr. delivering a go-ahead double off of Enoli Paredes and it finished with former Orioles infielder Jorge Mateo crushing a grand slam in order to break the game wide open. The only real blemish during this frame was that Chadwick Tromp got hit by a pitch and exited the game as a precaution. Injuries are always the absolute last thing you want to see at any given point but especially during spring training and even more especially when we’re dealing with a hit to the helmet.
The Orioles found themselves in a bases-loaded, one-out situation but Jim Jarvis made a great play to pick up the second out and then a strikeout ended the threat right there. As a non-roster invitee, Jarvis figures to be a long shot to break camp on the Opening Day roster but defense like that could turn the right heads.
The Braves ended up closing out the Grapefruit League win after all — even if this was supposed to be Spencer Strider’s turn to start. There doesn’t appear to be anything wrong but the radio crew did mention that he got most of his work done on the back fields today, so hopefully that was a productive session for him. He’s currently scheduled to start on Saturday (that’s coming from the radio crew as well), so there’s that.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Reynaldo López tomorrow at CoolToday Park in North Port as the Braves will take on the Tigers with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET. Here’s hoping for a performance that looks more like what we saw from Garrett Baumann and José Suarez today rather than the concerningly-diminished results that the Braves were getting from López during last season’s spring training.
The Yankees defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates by a score of 6-2 in spring training action on Monday afternoon.
— Ben Rice served as the DH and led off. After popping out in his first at-bat, Rice came up with the bases loaded and two outs his second time up, and ripped a two-run single up the middle to give Yanks a 3-1 lead in the second inning. He added another hit with a single in the fourth, and walked in his final plate appearance, reaching base three times in total. Rice and Paul Goldschmidt figure to split time at first base this season in the Bronx.
— Jasson Dominguez got the start in left field, hitting second in the order, and he followed Rice by lining a two-out RBI double to extend the Yankees’ lead to 4-1 in the second. He ended his day 1-for-4 with three strikeouts. Dominguez could be the odd man out in the outfield, but he’s already put together a couple of hits this spring.
— Spencer Jones, playing center and batting fifth, walked on four pitches in his first at-bat, coming around to score as part of that four-run second inning. But he ended up going 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts, something that has plagued him throughout his minor league career.
— The Yankees’ lone home run of the day came off the bat of minor league catcher Miguel Palma, who hit a solo shot in the eighth inning. Palma was signed in December.
— Lefty Ryan Yarbrough allowed one run on pair of singles in the first inning, but he settled in and had a decent outing overall. The southpaw went 2.0 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out four and walking one.
Paul Blackburn followed Yarbrough on the bump, and he pitched around three hits to give the Yankees two scoreless innings.
— Bubba Chandler, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 11 prospect in all of baseball, was the starter on the mound for the Pirates, but the young right-hander struggled mightily with his command. He recorded just five outs while walking four, including walking Payton Henry to force in a run.
Ben Rice knocks in a pair! pic.twitter.com/QsdfCcExgn
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 23, 2026
An RBI double for Jasson Dominguez! pic.twitter.com/mqruegmca5
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 23, 2026
The Yankees stay on the road and face the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday at 1:07 p.m.
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Garmin is known for its GPS smartwatches designed for rugged outdoor adventures and camping trips. The Garmin Instinct 2X Solar Tactical Watch is one of the brand’s best solar-charged options—an right now, it’s 40% off on Amazon, dropping its price from $499.99 to $299.99.
Compared to its predecessor, the Garmin Instinct Solar 2X produces up to 50% more energy from the sun thanks to the Power Glass lens, which is particularly helpful in GPS mode, which can drain the battery quickly. It’s also 0.8 mm thinner, has a built-in LED flashlight, a compass, and an altimeter. It also has a number of health- and fitness-tracking features, including Pulse Ox, heart rate monitoring, and sleep monitoring stats that are meant to help you train and recover more efficiently. The watch also contains integrated sports apps.
TrackBack is another helpful feature that lets you use location readings to keep track of where you last left your car or where you started your hike, for example. That said, this device doesn’t have a touchscreen; users are limited to a button-based interface, and app support on the Garmin Connect IQ app is somewhat limited. The display is also somewhat bare-bones compared to more vibrant AMOLED options like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (that said, there are some benefits to an MIP screen over AMOLED.)
Tarik Skubal’s stint with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic will be short-lived.
The Detroit Tigers ace told reporters Monday that he’ll make one WBC start and then be done with the tournament. It sounds like the start will come in pool play, rather than in the knockout rounds.
Skubal shared the plan from spring training in Florida and explained that he’ll prioritize getting ready for Detroit’s season after his start.
“I’m trying to do both things, trying to pitch for Team USA, but I understand the need to be here with these guys and get ready for the season,” Skubal said, ]
The decision appears to be a compromise from the Tigers, allowing Skubal to pitch for Team USA while limiting his exposure and injury risk. The Tigers are coming off a season in which they bounced back from a regular-season collapse that allowed the Cleveland Guardians to win the AL Central to clinch a wild-card berth and beat the Guardians in the wild-card round. They lost to the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS.
Detroit is projected to contend for the AL Central title in 2026, and Skubal’s health and performance will be a big part of those plans.
After exhibitions against the San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies, Team USA will begin pool play in the WBC against Brazil on March 6. The WBC finals are scheduled for March 17.
MLB’s full Opening Day slate, including Detroit’s season opener against the San Diego Padres, is scheduled for March 26.
The NBA has always been a league of superstars — real superstars. The players good enough to go toe-to-toe with the best of the best and still come out on top.
Michael Jordan. Tim Duncan. LeBron James. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird. Bill Russell. Wilt Chamberlain. You all know the names, and the list most certainly doesn’t end there.
In today’s league there is no shortage of stars, and even a handful of truly elite players.
Yet as NBA observers, we must always have an eye toward the future in an attempt to identify the next big thing.
Of course, that journey is not linear. Steve Nash didn’t become an MVP until he was 31, and we’ve seen others not hit the league as instant stars, but eventually get there. (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, anyone?)
So, are there players currently in the NBA who are productive but could have more in the tank than we might believe?
Needless to say, we don’t know the answer, but here are three players we at least should keep under a watchful eye.
(For the sake of this exercise, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are not included, as both are already on star-like trajectories.)
The rookie wing is older than most at 22, which usually isn’t a strong indicator of a ton of future growth. However, Coward’s game seems to have the potential to carry more.
The 6-foot-5 guard/wing is a solid scorer who has a strong, physical NBA body, and he knows how to use it. He understands the value of the 3-point line and has virtually flawless jumpshot mechanics.
On top of that, he’s an outright ridiculous rebounder at his size, grabbing 6.2 per game in just 26.3 minutes. He moves the ball well (2.9 assists), doesn’t turn it over frequently and even gets to the foul line a fair bit, considering his tendency to seek the 3-point line.
As he stands to gain a bigger role with the trade of Jaren Jackson Jr., could we see a quick rise out of Coward in Year 2? Probably, but the role of genuine franchise leader and potential league-wide superstar is probably not in the cards.
The 6-9 combo forward is in his second year and is showing signs of becoming something most teams are looking for: a plug-and-play guy. Buzelis takes 5.6 triples per game and almost 35% of his overall shot attempts are right at the rim.
He can routinely create his own looks, particularly inside the 3-point line but is also very capable of playing off lead guards.
There is a world where Buzelis, 21, becomes an All-Star, given his tools and two-way upside. But superstar status is a tall task — and perhaps unreasonable.
Like Coward, Buzelis is likely to become a critical part of a rebuilding franchise, and more of a complementary star down the line, who needs someone better next to him, if he wants to compete for championships.
When a guy averages 24.4 points, 7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and makes the All-Star game, presumably he’s on his way to ultimate superstardom.
Except, Avdija still has a ways to go, and at 25, this does look like his major leap. He’ll refine on what he does now and improve within the margins of his current game, but is there another step up from here?
As good as the 6-9 Israeli forward is — and he is very, very good — you have to wonder if he can be the best player and primary decision-maker on a team that could ever compete for a title.
If anything, Avdija seems to represent the absolute ceiling of Coward and Buzelis, which means he’s ahead of the curve in that he’s already there and is currently at the established star stage. To go from where he is now to something better seems almost unfathomable.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is out for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry considers himself “highly unlikely” to participate. But that’s not stopping Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant from trying to win another gold.
Durant, 37, says he would like to play for Team USA when it suits up for the 2028 Games, per ESPN.
“You guys, the media, have projected that,” Durant told ESPN recently. “That narrative, where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me.”
Durant later made his intentions extremely clear, saying, “Hell yeah, I want to play.” But he added a few caveats to that statement. Durant doesn’t want to be put on the team due to his stature. He still wants to earn his spot.
“I’ve got to stay on top of my game. I’m not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team. I don’t want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win.”
If he makes the team at that point, Durant will be a few months away from turning 40. That would be record-setting territory. James currently holds the crown for the oldest NBA player to suit up for Team USA in the Olympics. He was 39 years, 6 months old back when he helped the U.S. win the gold in 2024. Durant would beat James by a few months if he took the court in July 2028.
As for Durant’s chances … well, it’s tough to doubt a future Hall of Famer. Despite his already advanced age — for a basketball player, at least — Durant has not shown many signs of decline just yet. He’s averaging 26.1 points with the Rockets this season. While that is his lowest scoring average since the 2018-19 NBA season, that’s not really a sign of decline. It’s more an acknowledgment of both how good and how consistent Durant has played over the past eight seasons.
While it’s impossible to know how Durant will continue aging, James’ success at 40 and beyond provides hope that Durant can remain effective as he approaches that number. It also helps that Durant — like James — is considered one of the best players of his era.
That should provide some hope that Durant still has a shot to make Team USA in 2028.
Your iPhone is likely currently running iOS 26.3 (assuming you’ve been keeping up with the operating system updates), but there’s another version currently in the works over at Apple HQ. Right now, beta testers have their hands on iOS 26.4, which is shaping up to be a much bigger update than the last. Among the changes, Apple is debuting end-to-end encryption for RCS chats, so texts with Android users will no longer be insecure, and the Reminders app is getting an “Urgent” section for any entries you’ve labeled as such.
But perhaps no part of iOS is getting a larger update with 26.4 than Apple Music—both the app, and Apple’s paid subscription service. Apple seems to have decided that Music needed a bit of a facelift, as well as some quality of life changes that will make the app and service easier to use. Whether you use Apple Music for streaming or you rely on it to store your digital library, you’re going to notice the updates when iOS 26.4 drops in the near future. Some of these features will be free and some only available to paid subscribers; I’ve reached out to Apple to confirm which is which, and I will update this piece if I hear back.
Do you like making playlists, or do you know someone who does? The robots are coming for your hobby, too. With iOS 26.4, Apple Music is rolling out “Playlist Playground,” a new feature that lets you generate playlists from natural language prompts. In layman’s terms, that means you tell the AI what kind of music you want to hear, and it will generate a playlist from that request. That could something hyper-specific, like “Taylor Swift country tracks,” or something more general, like “morning coffee vibes.” The AI will choose 25 songs it thinks match your query. If it doesn’t get it quite right, you can ask it to make changes, and you can change things yourself, like the playlist’s title, description, and cover image.
I’m interested to try this out, if for no other reason than music discovery: I like Apple Music’s curated playlists already, but I am intrigued as to whether asking Apple’s AI to select certain types of songs for me will help me find new music any better than the platform’s human curators. I also don’t think this will stop me from making my own playlists, or looking for playlists from friends. Sure, maybe the AI is good at picking 25 songs that match a specific theme, but there is an art to hand-picking tracks that work well together—plus, it’s just fun.
Apple is far from the first company to roll out such a feature. YouTube Music recently launched something similar, while Spotify has two different AI playlist features (AI Playlist and Prompted Playlist) available on its platform.
When you start exploring Apple Music after updating to iOS 26.4, you’ll likely notice something right away: The UX, which is normally white or black (whether your iPhone is in light or dark mode) now matches the color scheme of the artwork for the album or playlist you’re checking out. The effect is especially cool when the album art supports full-screen motion, like the following:
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Apple has made some divisive design decisions in recent years, but I think this change is going to be a crowd pleaser. The difference between the current design on iOS 26.3 and the new look is stark, and, while there’s nothing wrong with how things stand now, it already looks super dated next to the full-screen color matching designs.
Speaking of playlists, you can now add songs to multiple at once—just in case you still need some human intervention when it comes to these playlists. When you go to add a song to a playlist, you’ll notice a new button in the bottom right. Tap it, and Apple Music opens up the ability to select multiple playlists at once, and send the song to all of them. It’s a small change, but a helpful one, especially if you frequently add new music to more than one playlist at a time. I could see myself using this to add a song to my personal new discoveries playlist, as well as a shared playlist of new music I keep with friends.
Not all music is made to active listening. If you use Apple Music for background music, especially when sleeping, working, or zoning out, you might be interested in the new “Ambient Music” widget, which lets you launch one of four different ambient playlists from the Home Screen: Sleep, which plays “Sleep Sounds;” Chill, which plays “Today’s Chill;” Productivity, which plays “Productivity;” or Wellbeing, which plays “Pure Meditation.”
I still can’t quite shake the habit of relying on YouTube for my “focus music” needs, especially since these tracks mess with my Apple Music algorithms. But it might make sense to start relying on the platform I actually pay for when I want music to work or fall asleep to—unless that music is only available elsewhere.
Apple Music is also making it easier to listen to music outside of the app. The platform is rolling out a “Concerts Near You” section, which shows you artists playing in your area. You can see popular artists and their concert dates, as well as shows that are coming up this week. You can sort by both date and genre, and you can update the location when you want to know where shows are going to be in different areas.
Veteran outfielder Michael Conforto will try to revive his career after reportedly signing a minor-league contract with the Chicago Cubs on Monday, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports.
Conforto, who will turn 33 in March, played last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He appeared in 138 games, slashing a career-worst .199/.305/.333 with 12 home runs, 20 doubles and 36 RBI in 486 plate appearances. He wasn’t a factor in the Dodgers’ repeating as World Series champions, as the team left him off its postseason roster.
Looking at the Cubs’ roster, it’s difficult to see where Conforto would fit in. Taking over in right field for the departed Kyle Tucker might seem like a possibility, but the Cubs have Seiya Suzuki and his 32 home runs to play there. Ian Happ will play left field and hits right-handed pitching as well as Conforto (.791 OPS, 18 homers in 2025). Conforto hasn’t regularly played center field since 2019, so he likely wouldn’t be a defensive replacement or substitute when Pete Crow-Armstrong needs a day off. At designated hitter, Moisés Ballesteros (.309/.387/.491) is probably the preferred choice, though Conforto could be an option.
The hope is that Conforto could rediscover something close to his form in 2019, when he hit 33 homers and 29 doubles for the New York Mets. But the 10-year MLB veteran hasn’t approached those numbers since then, failing to register an OPS above .759 in four of his past five seasons. (He missed the entire 2022 campaign due to a shoulder injury.)
Otherwise, if the expectation is a left-handed bat who can play both corner outfield positions (and maybe center field) and provide depth to the lineup, Conforto could be a nice addition. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said as much to reporters.
“At this point, we’re looking to bring in candidates to just strengthen the roster,” Counsell said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “And it’s a sign of just continuing to do that. Michael had a down year last year but has been a good player in this league for quite a while.”
Conforto will also face competition from veterans Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick. And top prospect Kevin Alcantara could be in the major-league lineup by the end of the season.
