Braves vs. Yankees Spring Breakout Game Highlights (3-21-26) - MLB Highlights

Spring training and we've got Saturday Night Baseball in Tampa, Florida. It's the 2026 Spring Breakout Game and yes, we've got the top dogs out. That's all those future Yankees stars taking on the future stars of the Atlanta Braves in the third annual Spring Breakout Game here on YES. A little surprise for Fred McGriff, not the lineup card but the shirt underneath the jersey. He was fired up to meet Fred McGriff before the game. On the Yankees side of things, look no further than the top prospect. Consensus wide, George Lombard Jr. getting the start at shortstop this evening and well he's playing in his third straight Spring Breakout Game. He's got the experience in this showcase. Next pitch grounded to short. First chance for George Lombard and it goes towards the dugout. So south of scene safe at first base to start the ball game. And I think that's a little bit of George having a little bit of fun. Jump throw just kind of kind of airmailed it a little bit but a little bit of a tricky one also this time of day. The sun over there at first base not not sure how much that came into play but yeah it's always interesting to see Carr as a guy pitched collegiately in San Diego and in the greater San Diego area where he grew up. Velocity wasn't quite there but it has been there early on here today 94-95 consistently. Gets a ground ball off the middle there's another chance for Lombard. The turn to Kent for one turn to first is not in time. He'll beats it out and takes out the scene scores the first run of the game. And Carr's got Heal picked off right a second and the swiping tag from Kent in time to end the inning. So Kyle Carr picks off John Heal to end the first. Fellow middle infielder Cor Jackson digs in. Jackson another one of the Yankees drafted last year. Fifth round pick Jackson hits it on the ground pass third and up the line. They had him shifted and it pays off for Jackson. Hartman picks it up he takes off for second base the ball gets way up the line. Jackson takes off for third dives in head first and makes it safely. Cor Jackson taking full advantage of the defense. Morales fresh off a trip to the Arizona Fall League which is where a lot of teams will send some of their highly prized prospects after a season of career highs and everything 116 games to get sent to the Arizona Fall League after the season really says a lot about where the rips one into right field to even the score. Jackson's in from third. Avina goes first to third and on at first base Kobe Morales levels the score at one here in the spring breakout. Just a really nice swing from Morales got the breaking ball that was left up in the strike zone and hammered it through the right side of the infield well struck ball that was able to get through and that's just really honestly a classic Kobe Morales kind of a hit solid line drive at a right field brings it around. Morales runs on the next pitch the throw to second gets into center field and Avina will score from third. Yankees prospects take the lead on the stolen base attempts from Kobe Morales allowing Avina to come home. Does it again head out to right field sliding catch made by Essenberg and Morales is going to be caught at second base a double play ends the inning. So he hit that one hard it came off the bat with a sharp exit velocity of 109. But the Yankees prospects take the lead with a couple hits in a couple runs. Arizona knows a thing or two about Kobe Morales he was again in the Arizona Fall League and had himself a really good campaign after the regular season. Rips this one into right field the base hit and Morales is two for two. Nearly identical hit two solid line drive through the right side that one 109 off the bat for Morales didn't quite have the same trajectory as the first but you hit the ball hard and good things happen and Kobe Morales certainly with the ability to do that we're talking before the game to Caden about the advice that he's gotten from his dad over the years and he said one of the things is that it's a baseball can be an unforgiving game you spend your life trying to figure it out. He said my dad a Hall of Famer can't even figure it out and that's been his message to Caden for a majority of his career. He bats this one in the air deep toward left center field sending Hartman back in the gap but he's got it measured and makes the catch to end the inning as the Kent Fenley watches on Williams walks and the bases will be loaded here for Jose Perdomo. All of our uh come on George we were love for all of us oh no. That ball dunks down and it's going to give the Braves prospects the lead on a bloop single from Jose Perdomo. As Burgess grounds one off the mound and skips into center field rolls off Maia's glove. Lodi scores, Williams scores, Perdomo goes first to third and in its second base Colin Burgess has a two run base hit and the Braves prospects take a 5-2 lead. Yeah just a little unfortunate there for Maia in center field. You heard James Cooper talk about some of the positional movement in this inning. He went from right field into center this frame and just uh over in a little bit didn't get that far away but enough for the extra base to be taken there by Burgess and now a 5-2 lead. It's a great defensive play by Kobe Morales at first one of the few who didn't change position coming for the force out at home plate so Harrison Cohen gets an important ground ball there. Slow roller up the third base line Kent charges fires to first base but it's not in time throw back to home they got him. What a throw from Kobe Morales a defensive master class at first base ends up getting the Yankees finally through this fourth inning as they trail the Braves prospects. You know this is a really exciting game for Jack Siebert Steven a guy who was drafted last year by the Yankees at a Texas Tech and for him a Tampa Kid getting to come back to Steinbrenner Field as this one is driven out by John Heal and a rude greeting for Jack Siebert into the ball game a solo home run for Heal makes it seven to two Braves prospects. Well we've heard a lot about Heal and his tools it's a guy that made it to double A as a 19 year old last year just like Jason Dominguez and George Lombard Jr. did that's a glimpse at Heal's potential for the Braves and you can see this one out to left field just really impressive how long did it kind of take you last year making the transition from from high A to double A to to have the game slow down is that a quick thing or does it take some time usually um I mean I think it was always a process just getting better every single day I felt like I was that was what I was focused on was just being a little bit better every day um but but I think the majority of it it probably took maybe a couple weeks to kind of you know get those um those that that little tightness out of there and you know just start playing the game um but yeah you know I always just continue try to keep getting better every single day sacrifice fly to center for Alex Lodi's makes it now six run lead for the Braves prospects as chatting with uh with George Lombard Jr. Colby Morales the throw home is in time well we saw Morales at first base earlier in the game and now an outfield assist from left cutting down Patrick Cloese on his way home to end the inning Arias another highly touted international signing of the Yankees couple of years ago let's talk with him about him one day and he said you know I know sometimes the the numbers might look good but he does some things on a baseball field that you just can't believe from time to time as he rips a nice double down to the left field corner Kobe Morales but a big spot here already a couple of hits for Kobe and that's going to help you out personally better as Morales delivers a base knock in right fields big turn at third for Arias RBI knock for Kobe Morales plates a run I'll tell you what Joe for Kobe Morales if there are Yankee fans watching this game aware of the big names and Kobe Morales has got to be somebody that has caught your attention today because what he's done in every situation at the plate that's his third hit his second run batted in but also defensively what we've seen from him at first base and in left field so two outs of the ninth inning goes down on strikes here to end the game and the Braves prospects take this one by a final score of eight to three here Steven but overall a lot of interesting and uh and and fun performances out there today yeah I mean you got to see one of the Yankees draft picks from last year Jack Siebert and what he's all about you got to see Kyle Card the defending South Atlantic League pitcher of the year and then a true breakout somebody like Kobe Morales this was so fun to to see all those talents on display