PHOENIX –– Finally, the Dodgers have found something they don’t excel at.

In fact, to this point of spring training, they’ve been significantly worse at it than every other team.

This year, Major League Baseball is introducing an automated ball-strike challenge system (ABS) into regular-season play. And so far, during a trial run in Cactus League exhibition games, the Dodgers have flat-out stunk when trying to appeal pitches.

Overall, the team won just five of the 27 pitch calls they’d challenged entering play Saturday. Among hitters, their 15% success rate (2 for 11) is six points worse than any other team. Among pitchers and catchers, their 21% success rate (3 for 11) isn’t even half as good as the next closest club.

While the Dodgers have downplayed their concern over the early numbers, manager Dave Roberts said they are “going to do an organization forum on Tuesday to get our guys, our hitting coaches, our players to talk about some things, maybe some strategies.”

Roberts also acknowledged that, while many of the Dodgers’ failed challenges have been “borderline” misses, the team’s “idea of the strike zone individually, collectively just hasn’t been great.”

“I honestly don’t know the answer right now,” Roberts added, when asked about the root cause of such pronounced struggles.

With Opening Day less than two weeks away, the team will have to find some better answers quickly.

Granted, the Dodgers have approached the ABS system with a more exploratory mindset in camp. Strategy has not been a priority. Getting calibrated to the exact dimensions of the zone has.

“Even if we’re wrong, we need to use it just to figure out the tops and bottoms of the zone,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said earlier this spring. “A lot of us are still trying to learn it … Spring training is the time to figure it out, figure out your zone and see if you have a better idea of it [before the start of the season].”

Still, their grand total of five successful challenges this spring has felt somewhat jarring. Every other club has at least 12 overturned calls. The Yankees are setting the pace with 37.

“We’ve just got to get that education,” Roberts said. “We’ll be better. I’m certain of that.”

Individually, sample sizes have been minuscule for most of the players expected to be on the Dodgers’ MLB roster. Alex Call and Dalton Rushing are the only ones who have attempted more than one challenge, with Call 1 for 2 and Rushing 0 for 2. Rushing has attempted the most challenges among the team’s catchers, going 2 for 6 on his attempts from behind the plate.

Their biggest lesson so far: Just how fine the margins between a ball and a strike can be.

Earlier this week, Rushing challenged a called ball while catching that was upheld –– with the ABS system showing it missed the zone by less than 1/10th of an inch.

“I would’ve bet my whole life that baseball was touching the zone,” Rushing joked with SportsNet LA afterward. “But that’s what spring training is for.”

On Saturday, Rushing got redemption when he challenged a ball that ABS showed had clipped the corner of the strike zone. As a scoreboard graphic at Camelback Ranch confirmed the successful challenge, Rushing playfully gave thanks by looking toward the sky.

It also remains unclear just how pivotal the ABS system will be when real games start. Teams are only allowed two missed calls before they run out of challenges. Most nights, overturned balls and strikes figure to have only a marginal impact on the outcome of games.

Nonetheless, it is one area the two-time defending champions are focused on improving before Opening Day on March 26.

“At the end of the day, we want to get it right,” Roberts said.

For now, they have nowhere to go but up.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

NORTH PORT, Fla. — Tim Naehring has lived through the highs of Gerrit Cole and the lows of Kei Igawa. CC Sabathia fronting a championship and the hype, hope and quick fizzle that was Deivi Garcia. 

In 19 seasons with the Yankees, 11 as vice president of baseball operations, Naehring has helped form many permutations of the rotation. And so it resonates when he says this is the best he has felt about a group as a season approaches because of “The top-end talent, depth and prospects coming. … This could be a very dynamic pitching staff that has impact and depth.” 

Of course, Naehring adds the proviso about both the need for general health of those pitching right now and that the positive rehab progressions of Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt continue. Because depth can evaporate quickly when it comes to pitching. 

The Braves have lost three starters since the outset of spring training — Joey Wentz (knee) for the season and Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) and Hurston Waldrep (elbow) for at least half a season. This from a rotation that already had lots of injury-history concerns with ace Chris Sale, Grant Holmes, Reynaldo López and Spencer Strider. 

PORT ST. LUCIE — Luke Weaver is less than thrilled by the perception that his 2025 performance was a regression from his 2024 breakout, when he received accolades for his work in the Yankees bullpen.

On the surface, his surge in ERA from 2.89 to 3.62 tells that story. But Weaver, who arrived to the Mets on a two-year contract worth $22 million, would argue he was just as dominant, if not better, last year.

Two September appearances, in a span of five days, brought havoc to his ERA. He allowed eight earned runs combined against the Tigers and Twins over two-thirds of an inning and suddenly a 2.81 ERA increased by more than a full run.

Such is the life of a reliever, on whom perceptions can change based on a bad outing or two. 

There are seven World Baseball Classic games slated for Sunday, which include Japan vs. Australia and the Dominican Republic vs. Netherlands.

Both Japan and the DR — the favorites in their respective pools — opened as top contenders to win the tournament behind the United States at +330 and +400, respectively.

New users looking to place wagers on the international baseball spectacle with MLB betting sites can access a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets offer with the bet365 bonus code NYPBET.

bet365 Sportsbook bonus code NYPBET for World Baseball Classic

Before you sign up, punch in the bet365 bonus code NYPBET to enable the bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets offer in your account.

The $150 bonus betting value is given regardless of the outcome of your first bet.

bet365 is live in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.

How to sign up at bet365 Sportsbook

1. Select your bonus offer: Bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets, win or lose!
2. Choose your state.
3. Hit the “Join Now” button.
4. Fill out your login details.
5. When prompted, enter the promo code NYPBET.
6. Choose your preferred welcome offer.
7. Make a minimum deposit of $10.

What our Post expert thinks about World Baseball Classic

The Dominican Republic has an explosive lineup, along with a rotation that still has plenty of power arms, even without Framber Valdez and Freddy Peralta. But it really comes down to the bullpen — if guys like Seranthony Domínguez and Camilo Doval can throw strikes and limit the walks, the Dominicans have the talent to bounce back from their 2023 disappointment and win this.

Japan’s path to another title hinges on how its rotation holds up without Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish and Roki Sasaki taking the mound. There’s still plenty of talent led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Yusei Kikuchi, but with less depth than in 2023, Japan likely needs Yamamoto to be dominant again if it wants to repeat.

Deposit Required. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New Customers Only. T&Cs, time limits, and exclusions apply. 21+ (18+ in KY). Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Available in AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, NC, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA only. Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets at bet365. Minimum odds -500 of greater.

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.

Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer and Gunnar Henderson had four hits and two RBIs as the United States rolled to a 9-1 victory over Britain on Saturday night at the World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park in Houston.

Team USA improved to 2-0 in Pool B at Houston, while Britain dropped to 0-2.

Nate Eaton homered on Tarik Skubal’s first pitch to give Britain a quick lead it held until the fifth inning. But his teammates couldn’t muster anything else at the plate.

U.S. hitters had managed just one single when Ernie Clement reached on an error by third baseman Ivan Johnson to start the fifth. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled before Clement scored on a wild pitch by Andre Scrubb to tie it at 1.

Schwarber followed with a 427-foot drive that landed near the back of the second deck in right field to put the United States on top 3-1.

There were two outs in the inning when Henderson’s two-run single made it 5-1.

Aaron Judge, who homered in Friday night’s win over Brazil, knocked out a panel in the metal scoreboard with a 109.6 mph RBI single in a three-run sixth that pushed it to 8-1.

Skubal allowed two hits with five strikeouts in three innings.

It’s scheduled to be the only start of the tournament for the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner, who will return to spring training with the Tigers on Sunday.

Britain (0-2) plays Italy on Sunday.

The Americans are off until reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes pitches Monday night against Mexico.

Observations from Yankees spring training Friday:

Single file

Trent Grisham had been quiet at the plate through his first six games, but delivered a two-run single to get the scoring going in Friday’s 3-0 win over the Rays.

Challenge accepted

Catcher Payton Henry, who should provide some depth at Triple-A, went 4-for-5 in ABS challenges behind the plate, helping his pitchers out throughout the night.

Caught my eye

It was a strong night for the Yankees’ lefty relievers. Tim Hill and Brent Headrick both retired all five batters they faced, with each of them striking out four.

Hill and Headrick offer different looks from the left side, but the Yankees are banking on both of them being key contributors in the bullpen this season.

Saturday’s schedule

The Yankees head to the other coast of Florida for the weekend, beginning with Will Warren getting the start against the Nationals at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches on Saturday night.

TAMPA — The last, but perhaps most anticipated, piece of the Yankees’ projected Opening Day rotation has finally joined the fold. 

Cam Schlittler, slowed earlier in camp by mid-back/left lat inflammation, made his spring debut Friday night, throwing 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings against the Rays at Steinbrenner Field. 

As long as he continues to bounce back well the rest of the spring, the Yankees believe Schlittler can get built up to throw around 65-80 pitches in his regular-season debut. 

“We got a plan laid out, so I’m very confident that I’m going to be good to go that [first] weekend,” Schlittler said. 

The 25-year-old right-hander brought the heat from the jump, striking out the first batter he faced on three pitches, capped off with a 99.4 mph fastball.

That pitch averaged 98.7 mph across his 39 pitches, scattering two hits and one walk while striking out four. 

But the pitch that may have jumped out the most Friday was Schlittler’s cutter, which he used to strike out a pair of batters. The pitch peaked at 96.5 mph and averaged 94.9 mph, up noticeably from the 91.9 mph it averaged last season. 

“It’s nasty, too,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Couple of his live [batting practices], just standing behind him, it’s kind of wicked. I think if he can get the consistency on that downer curveball that he has, then if you want to count the cutter as the third fastball [along with a four-seam and two-seam], the three fastballs with the curveball, then he gets pretty tough to deal with.” 

Schlittler credited Gerrit Cole with having him split the cutter into two pitches before his final start of the regular season last year, focusing on a harder cutter that he predominantly threw up in the zone. 

“Continue to hopefully keep the velo and location as well,” he said. 

Schlittler has the potential to elevate the Yankees’ rotation this year if he can build off his 14-game cameo last season, when he was called up in July to replace the injured Clarke Schmidt and pitched to a 2.96 ERA the rest of the way. He was even better in the playoffs, delivering an historic performance against his hometown Red Sox in the clinching Game 3 of the AL wild-card series, striking out 12 across eight shutout innings. 

Boone said that Schlittler’s confidence, combined with his competitiveness, is what impressed him the most. 

“He comes up and he’s able to make adjustments without it being stressful,” Boone said. “He was just at ease right away, in the best kind of way.”

Team Cuba and Panama are set to play their first World Baseball Classic game on Friday. Cuba and Panama are featured in Pool A along with Puerto Rico, Canada and Colombia.

Cuba won the group in the 2023 edition of the tournament and defeated Panama 13-4 in their third game. They finished 2-2 in pool play but a +10 run differential earned them the top seed. Despite their superior record, Cuba will face a tough test against Panama in their WBC opener.

World Baseball Classic: Cuba vs Panama Odds (DraftKings)

Moneyline

Cuba (-900)

Panama (+550)

Run Line

Cuba (-195)

Panama (+160)

Total

9 (Over -105/Under -120)

Preview: Probable starting pitchers and lineups

Cuba probable starting pitcher: Livan Moinelo

Livan Moinelo, who is expected to take the mound in Cuba’s first WBC game this year, is coming off a historic season with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He posted a 12-3 record and 1.46 ERA with 172 strikeouts over 167 innings, earning the Pacific League MVP award.

Cuba projected lineup

2B: Erisbel Arruebarrena

SS: Alexei Ramirez

3B: Yoán Moncada

1B: Yoel Yanqui

CF: Yoelquis Guibert

DH: Alfredo Despaigne

C: Omar Hernandez

LF: Roel Santos

RF: Leonel Moa

Panama probable starting pitcher: Logan Allen

Team Panama are expected to send Cleveland Guardians pitcher Logan Allen to the mound in Friday’s game against Cuba. While Allen has plyed his traded in the minor leagues over the last two seasons, he boasts MLB experience on his resume.

Panama projected lineup

SS: José Caballero

LF: Allen Cordoba

3B: Edmundo Sosa

C: Miguel Amaya

1B: Johan Camargo

RF: José Ramos

DH: Christian Bethancourt

2B: Leo Jiménez

CF: Enrique Bradfield Jr.

Pool A is likely the most balanced group in this year’s tournament with each team having a legitimate chance of making it to the quarterfinals. Both teams are evenly matched on paper but Cuba’s record gives them the edge in the contest.

Prediction: Cuba 4, Panama 2

Betting Tips

Although the Cuba are the favorites for the clash, Panama pose a strong threat to their chances. However, Cuba covering the -1.5 (-130) runline for the contest is a safer bet.