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Inside The Pinstripes

Two Winners, Two Losers From Yankees Spring Training Game vs. Braves

The New York Yankees had an interesting lineup take the field for their Spring Breakout game.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Mar 9, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Kyle Carr (66) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Kyle Carr (66) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

The Spring Breakout game for the New York Yankees didn't go according to plan as they fell to the Atlanta Braves, 8-3.

New York elected not to include guys like Spencer Jones, Dax Kilby, Elmer Rordriguez, or Carlos Lagrange on this roster and that ended up costing them.

There's nothing wrong with getting other top prospects some playing time in Spring Training, especially when the results of this game never really mattered in the first place.

Next year they certainly will when a new tournament style format is introduced, but for now Yankees fans can take a step back and just look at who performed and who didn't live up to the hype.

Winner: Coby Morales

There was only one clear winner and Morales takes that honor. New York had just five hits in the game and the 24-year old finished with three of those. Morales finished 3-4 with a pair of RBIs as he contributed to two of the team's three runs.

Not only was he great hitting wise, but MLB.com shouted him out for throwing out two runners at home. That sort of arm is going to go a long way in this organization, even though he'd be yet another left-handed outfielder to add to the mix.

Loser: George Lombard Jr.

Lombard didn't make the Opening Day roster and that was an extremely easy decision for the Yankees. It's not that he hasn't performed well but the team's top prospect clearly needs more time to develop in the minors.

Lombard was the team's leadoff hitter but went 0-3 with a pair of strikeouts. Unlike Morales, Lombard actually committed one of the Yankees two fielding errors due to a bad throw.

Winner: Jack Cebert

Cebert, 23, came in for four innings of relief but did far better than the Yankees starter, Kyle Carr. The righty still gave up a pair of runs, though those two came when the team was already trailing 6-2 so they didn't feel nearly as deflating.

Of the four pitchers the Yankees used, Cebert was by far the most impressive. He had five of the team's eight strikeouts and while he did walk a pair and give up a home run he held his ground in those middle innings.

Loser: Kyle Carr

Carr picked up the loss as these Braves prospects absolutely picked him apart. The 23-year old lefty allowed six total runs (five earned) on five hits. He didn't give up a homer like Cebert but he walked three batters in just 3.1 innings while only striking out three in the process. Carr also had a pair of wild pitches and a balk while recording just 10 outs.

To learn more about the Yankees from Spring Training and beyond, subscribe to All Yankees Talk, where new episodes are featured twice a week!

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz is a writer for On SI, part of the Sports Illustrated Network. Jordon is an accomplished writer for NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He contributes to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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