Highlights from Day 7 of 2026 Spring Training Games

The CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches was host to one of, if not the best, pitching matchups for February 26, as Mets rookie Nolan McLean faced off with new Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai. It was a show as McLean rolled against the Astros.

McLean & Imai square off in Florida

Mets pitcher Nolan McLean had a fantastic first start of the spring. McLean struck out six over scoreless innings against the Astros, and only allowed one hit over 56 pitches.

McLean threw more than some of his peers on the Mets in his first outing, unsurprising given that he’ll be on Team USA for the WBC. His velocity was good overall, as McLean consistently sat 96-97 MPH with his fastball.

As for the Astros, Tatsuya Imai made his spring debut for his new team. Imai allowed one run but didn’t let anyone score over one inning. He did not strike anyone out.

Imai was well-known for generating groundballs in the NPB. He got one on the 26th, as Imai was able to get Bo Bichette to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Nonetheless, the Mets were able to hit after Imai came out of the game. Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien both hit home runs in the 5-0 victory.

Yankees tee off on Braves

The Yankees hit three home runs off the Braves as part of a 7-3 victory against Atlanta.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a first-inning home run off former Yankee Carlos Carrasco in the first. Paul Goldschmidt got his second of the spring in the third inning, while Spencer Jones blasted one in the seventh after he came in for Trent Grisham.

Elmer Rodriguez struck out four over three innings and allowed just one run.

Young guns shine for Reds

Second-year MLB pitcher Chase Burns struck out five over 2.1 IP for the Reds against the Padres. Burns was sitting 96-98 MPH with his fastball during the outing.

Elly De La Cruz hit a double and a triple in the game. Noelvi Marte went 1-3 with a double and three RBI.

Wiggins and Soriano struggle

Angels pitcher Jose Soriano had another laborious start on February 26. Soriano gave up five hits and three earned runs over three innings against the Cubs. He did, however, strike out four.

Jaxon Wiggins, arguably the best pitching prospect in the Cubs system, piggybacked Matthew Boyd out of the bullpen. Aside from the three strikeouts he recorded, it didn’t go well. Wiggins conceded six hits and five earned runs over 1.1 IP.

As for Boyd, he threw three scoreless innings against the Angels.

In that same game, Dylan Carlson (Cubs) and Kyren Paris (Angels) had multi-hit games.