Daily Report – 3/13/26
Yankees
Extending a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham was not a mistake. Well, not necessarily. Although Grisham deserves to be the Yankees’ Opening Day (Night) center fielder, many Yankees fans disagree with this take because his presence is taking opportunities away from younger players who also deserve a fighting chance.
There is no better example than Jasson Domínguez, who went 1-for-3 with a home run in yesterday’s 4-3 Spring Training win over the Detroit Tigers. Domínguez is a talented young player. His nickname is “The Martian” for a reason. Even Caleb Durbin, now with the Red Sox, told me that two years ago, when he was a Yankees prospect.
Two things have held Domínguez back from being a full-time outfielder with the Yankees: His defensive struggles, particularly in left field, and his offensive issues from the right side of the plate. Nevertheless, this spring, he is 11-for-33 (.333 average) with three home runs, nine RBI, and a 1.010 OPS.
Domínguez’s home run yesterday came against Justin Verlander, the same pitcher he homered against on the first swing of his first Big League at-bat.
However, the Yankees have indicated that Domínguez will likely start the season in Triple-A, joining fellow rookies George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones, who have also impressed this Spring. The Yankees optioned Lombard to Triple-A yesterday, but he will remain with the squad in training camp.
Lombard only has five hits so far this spring, including three for extra bases, but the 20-year-old showed a knack for hard contact. Unfortunately, like Jones, his strikeouts continued to limit his chances to crack the Yankees’ Big League roster. That being said, with Anthony Volpe unlikely to play his first game until at least late April, Ryan McMahon hasn’t looked like a promising backup option at shortstop, where José Caballero is the starter.
And it isn’t like Lombard strikes out much more than Volpe anyway. So, maybe there’s a conversation to be had there.
Anyway, Will Warren was very efficient on the mound yesterday, allowing a pair of runs on 64 pitches over six full innings. He gave up two hits and never allowed a walk. The righty is confident he will have a successful sophomore season, and he will once again play a big role in the Yankees’ rotation.
“My pitches seem a lot sharper,” Warren said. “I’m not falling behind as much, and that gives me confidence I can get anyone out.”
Warren paired a 9-8 record with a. 4.44 ERA in 33 starts last season. In four starts this Spring, he has pitched to a 1.65 ERA.
Rangers
If what we are witnessing is a glimpse of the future, then there is plenty to be excited about on Broadway. For the first time since November, the Rangers won their third straight game, and it was the kids who shone the brightest as the Rangers defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-3.
“These [young] guys, they’re playing with energy. They’re playing with enthusiasm. They’re enthusiastic learners. They’re engaged,” said head coach Mike Sullivan. “When they have success, obviously, it breeds another level of confidence.”
Since general manager Chris Drury announced that he would be retooling the Rangers, he has shed veteran players Carson Soucy, Sam Carrick, and Artemi Panarin. Since then, youngsters like Alexis Lafrenière, Gabe Perreault, and Braden Schneider have grabbed the proverbial horse by the reins in terms of opportunities to contribute on the ice. They have also allowed Tye Kartye to join them.
Kartye, 24 years old, recorded a goal and an assist in last night’s win. Lafrenière, Perreault, and Schneider each had two-point performances as well. Coming off a hat trick in his previous game on Tuesday, Lafrenière, the former first-overall draft pick, has been the brightest spot of all. He entered yesterday’s game with the third-most goals in the NHL since the Olympics.
“[Lafrenière’s] goal was a deflection on a stack screen; Tye Kartye’s goal was off a faceoff; he was getting into the blue paint,” Sullivan said. “That’s where goals are scored in this league. I was encouraged by the guys. I’m happy for them.”
Before you ask – yes, I want the Rangers to keep winning games. The best recipe for future success is for young players to experience winning. It’s plain and simple, no matter how it affects the offseason pinballs. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin understands this reality.
“Right now, we go to the net, we play with speed, with everything,” Shesterkin said. “And we believe, right now, in each other. I think it’s pretty good for confidence, for the future, of course.”
Shesterkin’s mask raised many questions yesterday. It was plain and white, unlike an NHL goaltender’s typical mask, which features personalized artistic renderings. Shesterkin claimed to be between designs right now, but a white mask could also be a metaphor for a fresh start. A literal blank slate, if you will, and the new design he receives will represent the Blueshirts’ future.
Shesterkin, the former Vezina Trophy winner, signed a record-setting eight-year, $92 million extension last year. The deal is likely too expensive for other teams to swallow, so he’ll stay a Ranger for the foreseeable future. Therefore, it’s encouraging that he expressed such positivity about his club’s future.
Also encouraging – this quote from former first-round pick Braden Schneider: “It’s awesome to get some wins here, and it definitely creates a much better vibe in the room.”
Schneider has never put up more than 21 points in a single season, a total he reached in 80 games last year. With 15 points in 65 games this season, he is on pace for 19 points this year. But he is also on pace for a career-high 16 assists, four of which came in his last five games.
Meanwhile, with 44 points this season, Lafrenière is not only on pace to surpass his total from last year, but he has also reached a career high in power-play goals. Despite significant turnover throughout their special teams units, the Rangers have scored seven power-play goals in their last seven games. Their 24.1% power-play conversion rate is the eighth-best in the NHL this season.
Shocking. I know.
And then there is Perreault, who scored his first-career game-winning goal yesterday by tipping Schneider’s wrist shot past the Olympic goaltending phenom Connor Hellebuyck. It was part of his third straight multi-point effort, making him just the second Rangers rookie in three decades to achieve such a feat. If you don’t think that stat demonstrates Perreault’s potential, then maybe you’re just a hater.
“I just tried to get down there on the forecheck and tried to get the puck back,” Perreault said. “There was a guy on my back, so I thought there would be a guy behind him, and I’d give it to him, then [Schneider] made a good pass. It handcuffed me a little bit, that’s why I went down low. But every goal counts.”
Yes, Gabe. Every goal does count.
To everybody reading this, let me acknowledge Perreault’s brilliant description of his goal. There is a reason his teammates compliment his “Hockey IQ,” which is especially impressive because he is just 20 years old. Last season, it took the Rangers months to score a goal directly off the forecheck. But by streaking to the net and finishing down low, Perreault scored directly off the forecheck.
This is the style of play the Rangers needed two years ago when they won the President’s Trophy because it would have helped them defeat the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. The Panthers are an excellent forechecking team. It’s a core aspect of their identity. It is the kind of stat that doesn’t always appear on paper, but is always evident in the eye test.
Adam Edstrom’s third-period insurance tally, which gave the Rangers a two-goal lead with nine minutes remaining, came after he forechecked Haydn Fleury behind Hellebuyck’s net. The Rangers’ final goal, scored by 22-year-old Noah Laba, came with Winnipeg’s net empty, but it took some effort.
After Kartye dove to the ice to clear the puck, Laba knocked down one defender in the neutral zone and flipped behind another in the offensive zone to reach the open cage. As Sullivan said, NHL goals are scored by getting physical, setting screens, and crashing the net.
The Rangers will try to bring this goal-scoring style to Minnesota tomorrow as they attempt to earn their fourth straight win (6:00 PM – MSG, Gotham Sports).
Schedule
Tonight 3/13:
1:05 PM: 2026 Grapefruit League Baseball – NYY at ATL; Gotham Sports
5:30 PM: 2026 Big East Tournament – No. 4 Seton Hall vs. No. 1 St. John’s; FOX, FOX One
7:30 PM: NYK at IND; MSG, Gotham Sports
8:00 PM: 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Quarterfinals – United States (Pool B Runner-Up) vs. Canada (Pool A Winner); FOX, FOX One
Saturday 3/14:
1:05 PM: 2026 Grapefruit League Baseball – NYY vs. PHI; Gotham Sports
6:00 PM: NYR at MIN; MSG, Gotham Sports
Sunday 3/15:
1:05 PM: 2026 Grapefruit League Baseball – NYY SS vs. DET; YES, Gotham Sports
6:00 PM: 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship (March Madness) Selection Show; CBS, Paramount+
6:05 PM: 2026 Grapefruit League Baseball – NYY SS at BAL; Gotham Sports
8:00 PM: Sunday Night Basketball – NYK vs. GS; NBC, Peacock
7:00 PM: NBA Showtime; NBC, Peacock
