Spring Training: 3/30

Spring Player Outlook: Ryan Zimmerman

Stat Line: 4 HR, 9 RBI, .298 AVG, 0 SB

Zimmerman, coming off offseason shoulder surgery, came back with a successful spring.  On March 9th against the Marlins, he went 3-3 with a home run.  On March 27th, he was 3-4 with 3 home runs.  The four total home runs he has hit are his highest since 2010, and the 57 at bats he collected are his highest since 2009.  He's played solid defense as well and looks ready for the season.  His career numbers in spring training, over 153 games and 456 at bats, come out to 33 homers, 94 RBI, and a .336 batting average.  Look for another great year out of Zim as he puts his shoulder problems behind him and gets set for what could be the Nationals' World Series season.  

News

Tigers signed Justin Verlander to a five year, $140 million extension, bringing his current contract to an all time record for a pitcher, seven years at $180 million ($25.71 million per season).

Giants signed Buster Posey to an eight year, $167 million extension ($20.88 million per season), the largest in Giants history.

Diamondbacks signed Paul Goldschmidt to a five year, $32 million extension ($6.4 million per season).

Today is the last day of spring training games before Opening Day tomorrow features the Rangers in Houston.

Game Scores

Yankees (14-18) beat the Nationals (14-18) 4-2.

Twins (17-15) beat the Red Sox (16-17) 8-3.

Blue Jays (15-17) beat the Phillies (16-16) 1-0.

Tigers (19-14) beat the Rays (15-17) 8-3.

Dodgers (13-19) beat the Angels (9-20) 9-8.

Cubs (16-18) tied the Astros (14-16) 6-6 (10 innings).

Top Scorers: Dodgers beat the Angels 9-8.

Standings

Grapefruit League: Top: Orioles (18-9, .667 WPCT).  Bottom: Pirates (13-18, .419).

Cactus League: Top: Royals (25-7, .781).  Bottom: Angels (9-20, 310).

Nationals: 14-18, .438, t-14th in Grapefruit League.

Spring Leaders

Offensive: AVG: Bryce Harper (Nationals), .478 (32-67).  Home runs: Micheal Morse (Mariners), 9.  RBI: Brandon Belt (Giants), Billy Butler (Royals), and Justin Upton (Braves), 19.  Stolen bases: Ezequiel Carrera (Indians), 11.

Pitching: Wins: 7 tied with 4.  K's: Julio Teheran (Braves), 35.  ERA: Jon Lester (Red Sox), 0.75 (24 innings, 2 earned runs).  Saves: Heath Hambree (Giants), 4.

Top Performers

Offensive: Will Venable (Padres): 3-4, home run (4), RBI, run, AVG up .037 from .200 to .237, hitting streak to 2 games (4-5, .800 AVG).

Pitching: Max Scherzer (Tigers): Win (1-0), 6 shutout innings, 1 hit, 2 walks, 9 K's (20), ERA drop: 0.36 runs from 0.93 to 0.57.

Worst Pitching Performance: Jason Vargas (Angels): Loss (1-2), 1.2 innings, 8 earned runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, 3 K's (18), ERA jump: 2.83 runs from 4.71 to 7.54.

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Teams followed in this update: Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers

If your team is not included, please leave a comment.

HR: home runs.  RBI: runs batted in.  AVG: batting average.  SB: stolen bases.  ERA: earned run average. WHIP: walks/hits per innings pitched.  K's: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage

Zack Silverman