Tampa, Fla., February 25, 2026; Yankees 7, Nationals 0 — It is perhaps a bit ironic to wax poetic about southpaw Ryan Weathers’ Spring Training debut pitching for the Yankees in a 7-0 shutout of the visiting Washington Nationals Wednesday evening, the first night game of this year’s Spring campaign. Pitch well, he did. The numbers were impressive. But he was just the first of six pitchers who not only blanked the visitors, but held them to just one hit. The identity of the hurler who allowed that one safety? Ryan Weathers.

How much the change in accepted strategy for building up starting pitchers from the start of Spring Training has to do with the about-to-break session of World Baseball Classic games is anyone’s guess, but the change is real, and it’s radical. Starters have typically pitched two innings, sometimes one, the first time out, and built on that as the games mounted. Not so this year. Prospects Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (3 innings, 52 pitches) and Carlos Lagrange (2-2/3 frames, 53 throws) established the growing numbers in the first two games. And it did not change much as Luis Gil (2-2/3 innings, 48 tosses); veteran swingman Ryan Yarbrough (2 innings, 44 pitches); and Will Warren (2-2/3 frames, 49 throws) followed.

So what would veteran, yes, but newbie in Tampa, Weathers do when he toed the mound Wednesday? The lone serious potential offseason addition to the rotation did not surprise by going 3 innings, but when he toed the mound in the fourth, a line was crossed. A groundout and swinging strike out almost got him through the frame, but he was removed with a 2-1 count on catcher Keibert Ruiz at exactly 50 tosses (truth be told, I had 49); young righty Danny Watson closed the fourth on a swinging strike out four pitchers later.

The quality of the opposition undoubtedly played a part in this game. The bumbling Nationals actually committed errors in the field in the second, fourth, and fifth innings, and were saved from a fourth in the seventh when second baseman Elvis Martinez’s peg to second got a force out after he had dropped a routine popup to short right. But the Washington lineup did feature some viable major league hitters, and left fielder Christian Franklin reached Weathers with a one-out single in the third. Watson, David Bednar, Fernando Cruz, Tim Hill, and Kyle Carr finished the one hitter in a game that went just two hours and eight minutes.

Although he allowed the lone safety, Weathers’ debut was impressive. He punched out five Nats, four of them swinging. and among the 34 strikes he got, 10 were swings and misses. The accompanying five ground ball outs (including a double play that removed that one pesky runner after the hit) were a welcome addition. He certainly established himself as a member of the 2026 staff, and perhaps as a starter, at least to begin the season, as wounded hurlers work their way back.

As for the rest of the team, DH Amed Rosario hit the first pitch of the bottom of the first over the wall in right for a 1-0 lead. Washington errors played a part in the next six runs (the Yanks collected seven hits). Jason Dominguez, though he went 0-for-3, had a nice drive to deep right for his first solid contact from the right side of the plate in four at bats. But the offensive/defensive standout was young third baseman George Lombard, Jr. He doubled hard off the center field wall for two runs in the fifth. But his catch, turn, and throw to nail Elijah Wiemer on a high hopper down the third-base line at first in the fifth was extraordinary.

After two frigid days in Central Florida (I can feel the eye rolls from my friends and family buried in the snowbound Northeast as I write that), it was a pleasant but cool night in Tampa, with warming temps on the way. February 25 has been the day some fine ballplayers were born, including the Yankee warrior Paul O’Neill, Monte Irvin of the Giants, and Ron Santo of the Cubs. And beyond the great game, George Harrison of the Beatles as well. Ryan Weathers picked a good day to have…

An Auspicious Night

BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!