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With the calendar turning toward the final week of spring training, the Minnesota Twins continue to narrow down their roster. On Tuesday, the club reassigned three more non-roster position players to minor league camp, signaling that decisions are becoming more real with each passing day. Outfielders Kala’i Rosario and Kyler Fedko, along with infielder Tanner Schobel, were the latest cuts. Rosario and Fedko were among a group of Twins prospects announced for the team’s Spring Breakout game on Thursday. The moves come just ahead of an off day on Wednesday, March 18, and leave the Twins with 21 position players remaining in big league camp. That group still includes a handful of non-roster invitees, but the competition is clearly tightening. Rosario may have made the strongest impression of the trio this spring. The 23-year-old went 5-for-15 in Grapefruit League action, showing some pop with a home run and driving in four. He also drew three walks, though the seven strikeouts highlight the continued development needed in his offensive approach. A fifth-round pick in 2020, Rosario finished last season at Double-A and remains an intriguing power bat in the system. Fedko, 26, brings versatility with experience at both first base and the outfield, but his spring numbers did not jump off the page. He collected three hits in 23 at-bats while striking out eight times. After splitting last season between Double- and Triple-A, he looks ticketed to provide organizational depth at the upper levels. Schobel, a 2022 second-round pick, also flashed some ability despite limited opportunities. The 24-year-old recorded two hits in 15 at-bats, including a home run, while working three walks. He reached Triple-A last season, and the Twins have continued to challenge him with aggressive assignments since drafting him. At this stage of camp, these moves are less about performance and more about roster realities. The Twins need to allocate at-bats and innings to players still competing for Opening Day roles, and that often means sending promising but not quite ready contributors back to the minor league side. None of Rosario, Fedko, or Schobel was expected to break camp with the major league club, but all three remain firmly in the picture for 2026. Each should factor into Triple-A depth at St Paul, positioning themselves as potential call-up options when injuries or roster needs inevitably arise during the season. View the full article

Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs reported that several rule changes are being implemented in the minor leagues. Much like the automated strike zone before it, these rules are being tested in the minors before potentially being implemented in the big leagues. The motivation behind the changes appear to revolve around pace, increasing balls in play and encouraging more action on the bases. Not all changes will be tested at all levels, but among the items new for 2026 are that check swings will be called at a 45-degree angle and that the actual second-base bag will move in about nine inches toward the plate to be inside the baseline diamond instead of centered on top of it.View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Fish On First. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated Fish On First is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn Fish On First into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” Fish On First on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Fish On First at https://fishonfirst.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Fish On First app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://fishonfirst.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Fish On First on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Fish On First at https://fishonfirst.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Fish On First app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://fishonfirst.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Grand Central Mets. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated Grand Central Mets is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn Grand Central Mets into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” Grand Central Mets on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Grand Central Mets at https://grandcentralmets.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Grand Central Mets app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://grandcentralmets.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Grand Central Mets on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Grand Central Mets at https://grandcentralmets.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Grand Central Mets app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://grandcentralmets.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Royals Keep. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated Royals Keep is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn Royals Keep into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” Royals Keep on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Royals Keep at https://royalskeep.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Royals Keep app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://royalskeep.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Royals Keep on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Royals Keep at https://royalskeep.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Royals Keep app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://royalskeep.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Padres Mission. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated Padres Mission is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn Padres Mission into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” Padres Mission on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Padres Mission at https://padresmission.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Padres Mission app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://padresmission.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Padres Mission on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Padres Mission at https://padresmission.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Padres Mission app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://padresmission.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Jays Centre. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated Jays Centre is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn Jays Centre into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” Jays Centre on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Jays Centre at https://jayscentre.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Jays Centre app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://jayscentre.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Jays Centre on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Jays Centre at https://jayscentre.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Jays Centre app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://jayscentre.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Talk Sox. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated Talk Sox is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn Talk Sox into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” Talk Sox on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Talk Sox at https://talksox.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Talk Sox app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://talksox.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Talk Sox on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Talk Sox at https://talksox.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Talk Sox app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://talksox.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to North Side Baseball. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated North Side Baseball is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn North Side Baseball into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” North Side Baseball on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of North Side Baseball at https://northsidebaseball.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the North Side Baseball app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://northsidebaseball.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” North Side Baseball on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of North Side Baseball at https://northsidebaseball.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the North Side Baseball app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://northsidebaseball.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Brewer Fanatic. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated Brewer Fanatic is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn Brewer Fanatic into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” Brewer Fanatic on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Brewer Fanatic at https://brewerfanatic.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Brewer Fanatic app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://brewerfanatic.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Brewer Fanatic on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Brewer Fanatic at https://brewerfanatic.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Brewer Fanatic app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://brewerfanatic.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

How To Install On iPhone or iPad How To Install On Android Device Developing a pure, native app for either Android or iOS is a breathtakingly expensive endeavor, which is why we haven’t done it, despite so many requests over the years. Thankfully, technology has met us halfway, and PWAs (Progressive Web Applications) have reached maturity in the marketplace. What is a PWA? It’s effectively a pseudo-app that works much like a native application but doesn’t require tens of thousands of dollars in development to produce. It creates a single browser instance and maintains it as if it were an application. It’s basically a standalone browser tab, dedicated specifically to Twins Daily. From this app instance, you can receive notifications; the typical browser interface is removed, and the site is presented clearly, using as much screen real estate as possible, all without sacrificing any functionality. The site is faster, more reliable, and offers more mobile functionality than a standard web browser. Additionally, a newer, completely updated Twins Daily is coming later this year, and that will add even more app-like features, making PWA usage even better for all our users. With that said, here’s how you turn Twins Daily into an app on your mobile device. How To “Install” Twins Daily on iPhone or iPad Using Safari First, go to the home page of Twins Daily at https://twinsdaily.com/. 1. Tap on the ellipses (…) at bottom right of screen. 2. Tap “Share” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “View More”. 4. Tap “Add To Home Screen”. 5. Tap “Add”. That takes you to your home screen on iOS, where you can move the Twins Daily app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for them. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://twinsdaily.com/notifications/options/. How To “Install” Twins Daily on an Android Device Using Chrome First, go to the home page of Twins Daily at https://twinsdaily.com/. 1. Tap on the vertical ellipses (…) at top right of screen. 2. Tap “Share…” in pop-up menu. 3. Tap “Add to Home Screen”. 4. Tap “Install”. That takes you to your home screen on Android, where you can move the Twins Daily app around, just as you would any other app. Additionally, you can turn on notifications for the site. Just go to the following link while logged into the site: https://twinsdaily.com/notifications/options/. View the full article

Through 34 plate appearances this spring, Ryan Kreidler has hit .133/.235/.233, with a 27 wRC+ and 32.4% strikeout rate. After posting an 11 wRC+ over 211 plate appearances with the Detroit Tigers the past four seasons, the 28-year-old’s offensive ineptitude doesn’t come as a surprise; it's an understood cost of being in the Ryan Kreidler business. His ability to hit wasn’t what led former Minnesota Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey to claim Kreidler off waivers last October. Instead, it was his plus glove and defensive versatility, two traits that have been on full display this preseason. Over 13 games, Kreidler has appeared five times at third base; four times at shortstop; three in center field; and once in right. Despite not yet playing the positions, he would also be serviceable in left field and at second base, making him a true super-utility player. Kreidler will never be the hitter Willi Castro was during his Twins tenure. His edge over Castro, rather, is that he provides plus value at every position he plays, including the positions highest on the defensive spectrum: center field and shortstop. As things stand, Kreidler is favored to win one of Minnesota’s four open bench spots, beating out Tristan Gray and Orlando Arcia in the club’s backup shortstop competition. Kreidler is projected to earn the nod due to his aforementioned defensive flexibility and his plus glove. There's more than the usual amount of lost offense when a team rosters Kreidler, though. Exactly how lousy a stick can the Twins tolerate? Two players jump to mind upon being asked this question: West Sacramento Athletics center fielder Denzel Clarke and Houston Astros shortstop Nick Allen. To make up for a 75 wRC+ over 159 plate appearances for West Sacramento last season, Clarke was one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball, netting 1.3 Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR) almost exclusively on the strength of his fielding. Allen was one of the best defensive shortstops in the game while playing for Atlanta in 2025, generating 17 Outs Above Average (OAA) at the position highest on the defensive spectrum. Like Clarke, however, Allen struggled mightily at the plate, with a heinous 53 wRC+ over 416 plate appearances. Clarke and Allen are outliers. Still, it’s vital to note their 2025 campaigns, as there was fairly little debate whether Clarke’s or Allen’s respective clubs would continue rostering them last season, proving that team decision-makers can have a high tolerance for offensive ineptitude if it comes with plus defense at premier positions. Obviously, Kreidler is not the elite-level defender Clarke is in center, or Allen is at short. Yet, given that Kreidler can play a plus third, second, left, right, and most importantly center and short, the 28-year-old functionally provides the same amount of value as Clarke and Allen, both of whom are locked in at one position. Alas, we have to keep saying it: Kreidler even pales in comparison with Clarke and Allen as hitters. As mentioned earlier, Clarke (75 wRC+) and Allen (53 wRC+) combined to create a 64 wRC+ last season, which is 36% below the league average. Kreidler’s career wRC+ of 11 is 53 points below that, making him the worst-performing hitter (766 out of 766) with at least 200 plate appearances this decade. Again, Kreidler has technically performed better at the plate this spring, generating a 27 wRC+, including an opposite-field home run off Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jonathan Hernández on Mar. 8. Still, defensive versatility can make up for only so much offensive ineptitude. He's well below that line right now. Defensive wizardry and versatility go a long way, but as Bill James once said, if you shake a tree in Triple-A, a good glove guy will fall out. Teams pay for offense because it's the harder side of the ledger to bolster for position players. If Kreidler keeps wearing sneakers to a snowstorm every time he steps into the batter's box, his flexibility won't keep him around very long. View the full article

With the Royals looking to return to competitiveness in the AL Central, we wanted to take a look at the other teams in the division and the moves they made this offseason. This is a look at what to expect from the Cleveland Guardians this season. The Guardians enter 2026 as the defending AL Central champions. After off-season changes, will they repeat and claim their fourth division title in five years? The big news out of Cleveland this offseason is the extension that third baseman Jose Ramirez signed, keeping him in Cleveland through 2032, which will be his age-39 season. As the face of the franchise, Ramirez sets the pace—when he thrives, so does the club. To understand how Cleveland looks coming into 2026, let's take a look at the additions and subtractions from this offseason. Guardians Subtractions OF Lane Thomas RP Sam Hentges RP Jakob Junis SP John Means SP Triston McKenzie OF Will Brennan Guardians Additions RP Colin Holderman, 1 year, $1.5 million (controlled through 2028) RP Shawn Armstrong, 1 year, $5.5 million, mutual option for 2027 1B Rhys Hoskins, minor league deal Hoskins, on a minor league deal, is expected to add power at first base and designated hitter. He will look to return to being an above-average hitter with 30-home-run potential. Armstrong, after a strong season in 2025 with the Texas Rangers, will likely take on higher-leverage innings with the departures of key relievers from the Guardians 2025 team. Holderman is a potential bullpen project for Cleveland, a team known for reviving and getting the most out of relievers. On the subtraction side, both reliever Sam Hentges and John Means have joined other teams (the Giants and Royals, respectively) following injury issues in recent years. Jakob Junis, after a solid 2025 season, may be a notable loss from the pitching staff after signing with the Texas Rangers. McKenzie, limited to 24 games over three seasons since his 2022 breakout, has also signed elsewhere and will look to revive his career in San Diego. The Guardians are a team that always seems to linger in the division race. While their roster may not appear very intimidating at first glance, they maintain competitiveness more often than not. One thing the AL Central has learned over the past few years is to never count the Guardians out, even when everything says to do so. Guardians Injuries Andrew Walters, recovering from lat surgery, should return in May and may join the bullpen if healthy. Ben Lively, who pitched well in 2024 and early 2025, will miss 2026 after Tommy John surgery and will look to return in 2027. Though some may see the Guardians as a team in transition, let's take a look at the current key players as well as who may be contributing at the major league level soon, in their top prospects. Key Guardians Players 3B Jose Ramirez - 5.8 bWAR SP Gavin Williams - 3.8 bWAR LF Steven Kwan - 3.7 bwAR 2B Daniel Schneemann - 1.9 bWAR C Bo Naylor - 1.5 bWAR Other notable players include Gabriel Arias (SS), Kyle Manzardo (1B/DH), and pitchers Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, and Kolby Allard. Top Guardians Prospects 2B Travis Bazzana OF Chase DeLauter SS Angel Genao 1B/OF Ralphy Velazquez LHP Parker Messick Ramirez remains the cog in their lineup, with Williams, Kwan, Schneemann, and Naylor among the main contributors. Arias, Manzardo, Bibee, Cantillo, and Allard are also expected to play important roles in looking to help keep the Guardians competitive in the Central. Bazzana, ranked MLB's No. 20 prospect, nears his debut after representing Australia in the WBC. DeLauter (No. 46 prospect) may break camp with the team and could see regular left-field time. Genao (No. 66) and Messick (No. 95) may debut this year; Velazquez (No. 89) is a 2027 candidate. Key Questions for Cleveland in 2026 Who is playing Center Field? For the outfield, manager Stephen Vogt has indicated that all outfielders may rotate between positions. Most likely, Steven Kwan shifts from left to center field, which opens the door for young bats to gain major league experience. DeLauter presents another option in center field if they prefer to keep Kwan in left field. What will the rotation look like? Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee are expected to anchor the first two rotation spots, leaving three open for competition. The performance of those filling these roles will serve as a key indicator of the Guardians' overall success. Young pitching has been a constant for the Guardians for many years. It would not be surprising to see the next wave—Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen, Joey Cantillo, and Parker Messick—emerge as average or better major league starters. Will the Guardians be able to rely on Travis Bazzana? Bazzana missed time last year due to an oblique strain, playing in just 84 games, mostly at Double-A and Triple-A. If healthy, he could quickly join the major league roster, possibly by Opening Day. He's an electric player and will look to be a key piece along with Kwan and Ramirez for the foreseeable future. Here's a look at the projected lineup, rotation, and how the Guardians project over a full season. Projected Guardians Lineup Steven Kwan - CF George Valera - RF Jose Ramirez - 3B Kyle Manzardo - 1B Rhys Hoskins - DH Chase DeLauter - LF Bo Naylor - C Gabriel Arias - SS Brayan Rocchio - 2B Projected Guardians Rotation Gavin Williams - RHP Tanner Bibee - RHP Logan Allen - LHP Slade Cecconi - RHP Joey Cantillo - LHP Projected Guardians Record PECOTA: 4th place, 76-86 FanGraphs: 4th place, 76-86 While the Guardians may be projected to finish behind all AL Central teams other than the White Sox, this is not uncommon territory for Cleveland, which has outperformed its projections in recent years. The Guardians were 10.5 games out of first place on Sept 1 this past season and played very well down the stretch, going 20-6 the rest of the way to win the AL Central. The Guardians have proven to be pesky and never out of it, so don’t be surprised if they perform better than many think they will in 2026. View the full article

Finalized rosters dropped on Wednesday, trimming each organization’s initial 40-player pool down into something much more game-ready. For the Twins, that means a prospect group in the mid-20s taking the field on Thursday afternoon, with a chance to show what the next wave of talent might look like in Minnesota. Major League Baseball’s third annual Spring Breakout event runs from March 19 through March 22, serving as a four-day window into the future of the sport. The Twins will host the Philadelphia Phillies prospects on Thursday at 12:05 p.m. CT, giving fans a midday look at some of the organization’s most intriguing names. The game will be widely accessible, airing on MLB Network and Twins.TV while also streaming for free on MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB app. For Minnesota, this is more than just a novelty on the spring calendar. The roster is packed with players who could realistically factor into the club’s long-term plans, and in some cases, sooner rather than later. Spring Breakout rosters are built primarily from MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 prospects list for each organization, with eligibility tied to players who still qualify as rookies for the 2026 season. This year’s format again featured a two-step process: a 40-player pool, then a final group announced on Wednesday. One notable absence is Walker Jenkins, who will miss the event for the second straight year. The outfielder dealt with a hamstring injury earlier in camp, but the Twins have indicated he is progressing well. The expectation is that he will return to action later this week and be ready for Opening Day with St. Paul. Even without Jenkins, the Twins are not lacking in star power. Fourteen of Twins Daily’s top 20 prospects made the cut, giving this roster a legitimate amount of upside across the diamond. On the position player side, Emmanuel Rodriguez remains one of the most electric bats in the system, capable of changing a game with one swing or one sprint out of the box. Kaelen Culpepper continues to generate buzz as a fast-rising infielder with the tools to stick on the left side. Marek Houston, last year's first-round pick, will also get his first chance to show his lauded defensive skills at shortstop. Behind the plate, Eduardo Tait and Khadim Diaw give the Twins a pair of catching prospects that bring both intrigue and upside, each carving out their own path toward the upper minors. On the mound, Dasan Hill headlines the group as the highest-ranked pitching prospect on the roster. The left-hander has already turned heads this spring after touching 100 mph, and this setting feels tailor-made for a breakout performance. Marco Raya will be another arm to watch, especially as he continues transitioning into a bullpen role. Short bursts in a showcase environment could play directly into his strengths. All told, this is a roster that blends proximity with projection. Some of these players are a few adjustments away from knocking on the big league door, while others are just beginning to scratch the surface of what they might become. Either way, Thursday offers a rare opportunity to see that spectrum all at once. Finalized roster: PITCHERS (13) Miguelangel Boadas, RHP C.J. Culpepper, RHP, TD’s No. 18 James Ellwanger, RHP, TD’s No. 20 Brent Francisco, RHP Ruddy Gomez, RHP Alejandro Hidalgo, RHP Dasan Hill, LHP, TD’s No. 6 Matt Des Marets, RHP Marco Raya, RHP, TD’s No. 15 Mitch Mueller, RHP Sam Ryan, RHP Jonathan Stevens, RHP Eston Stull, RHP CATCHERS (3) Khadim Diaw, TD’s No. 19 Ricardo Olivar Eduardo Tait, TD’s No. 4 INFIELDERS (7) Billy Amick, 3B/1B Kaelen Culpepper, SS, TD’s No. 2 Kyle DeBarge, SS, TD’s No. 17 Marek Houston, SS, TD’s No. 9 Ben Ross, IF Brandon Winokur, SS/3B, TD’s No. 13 Quentin Young, SS, TD’s No. 14 OUTFIELDERS (5) Gabriel Gonzalez, TD’s No. 7 Kyler Fedko Hendry Mendez, TD’s No. 16 Emmanuel Rodriguez, TD’s No. 3 Kala’i Rosario View the full article

Coming into the offseason, there may not have been a position with more uncertainty for the San Diego Padres than first base. While the team retained Gavin Sheets, the two names that logged the most time at the spot both appeared set to depart in free agency. Of course, that would come to fruition as Luis Arráez (117 games) and Ryan O'Hearn (27 games) signed deals with San Francisco and Pittsburgh, respectively. That left just Sheets and Cronenworth (13 games apiece) as players on the roster who spent any time at the cold corner in 2025. Fortunately, the volume approach that the organization took to the roster impacted first base most heavily. They were never in on the likes of Pete Alonso via free agency or Willson Contreras via trade. Instead, Craig Stammen declared early that Sheets would get the first crack, with the signings of Miguel Andujar and Nick Castellanos to follow. That left four options on the roster including Cronenworth. Then, Ty France and José Miranda were each added on minor-league deals as well. Factor in the idea that Sung Mun Song's versatility as an infielder is likely to be expanded to include a few quick stints — and that Luis Campusano is capable of handling it for a spell — and the Padres appear to be well-suited at first base for 2026. The only question is what the playing time distribution will look like. FanGraphs has Sheets with a healthy edge in playing time as he's projected for 53 percent of the first base innings. They like Nick Castellanos for the second-most time (22 percent), followed by France (10 percent), Cronenworth (eight percent), and Andujar (four percent). Song and Miranda make up the last three percent of the time combined. Baseball Prospectus agrees only in the sense that it'll be Sheets ahead of everyone else (40 percent). From there, it goes Cronenworth and Andujar (25 percent each), Castellanos (five percent), and Campusano (five percent). None of Song, France, or Miranda are included, most likely due to the non-guaranteed contracts of the latter two. All of that indicates that there isn't a lot of certainty around how the playing time distribution could shake out, especially early in the season. Nevertheless, with Sheets, Cronenworth, Castellanos, and Andujar all on guaranteed contracts (and at least one of France or Miranda with a decent chance at cracking the roster given their strong springs), Craig Stammen has plenty at his disposal to get the most out of the position. San Diego Padres First Baseman At A Glance Starter: Gavin Sheets Backup: Nick Castellanos, Miguel Andujar Depth: Jake Cronenworth, Sung Mun Song, Ty France, José Miranda Prospects: Romeo Sanabria fWAR Ranking Last Year: 20th (0.9) fWAR Projection This Year: 28th (0.8) The Good Volume is a never a bad thing to have, especially when it allows a manager to play the matchups as much as possible. That goes double for a position like first base, where the goal is to maximize power given the position's profile. Unsurprisingly, Sheets was much better against right-handed pitchers (119 wRC+) than he was against lefties (89 wRC+) in 2025. His power was especially notable against pitchers of the opposite handedness, with a .202 ISO against righties as opposed to the .113 mark he went for against left-handed arms. The same could be said of Andujar. While he was above average against pitchers of both handedness, his 171 wRC+ against left-handers far exceeds that of the 108 wRC+ he posted otherwise. His .189 ISO was also exactly 50 points higher. We can't glean that same kind of trend out of Castellanos after an abysmal last year in Philadelphia, but Cronenworth offers someone a little more split-neutral everywhere but in his power output. That's a lot of chess pieces at Stammen's disposal, which should yield some positives throughout the rest of the lineup. Given the setup, he can slide either of Andujar or Sheets to left or Castellanos to right. Cronenworth would move to first while Song logs time at second. France and Miranda, should either make the roster, can flip over to the hot corner to get Manny Machado off his feet for a day. It opens up a ton of different lineup possibilities and raises the floor of the position significantly from what Arráez and O'Hearn's respective skill sets offered last year. The Bad If you have eight players that could log time at first base, you probably don't have a first baseman. While it's unlikely that the volume approach fails at this particular spot considering the names involved, there's at least a possibility that this is the worst defensive position on the field for the Padres in 2026. A primary factor in FanGraphs' WAR figure not only indicating a regression for the position, but projecting it to be among the worst in the sport, is in the defense. Sheets is a -3 Outs Above Average player there in his career. Cronenworth was at -2 OAA last season. If he were to make the roster, Miranda is at -4 OAA. If Ty France did, he's two years removed from a -12 OAA season, with no way of knowing if he'll repeat the 10 OAA to which he bounced back last year. Further, Andujar has just 30 innings there, and Castellanos hasn't appeared there in a major-league game. Ditto for Sung-mun Song in the KBO. Of the seven players for which FanGraphs projects time, only Sheets is expected to fall on the positive end of their fielding metric. It's also difficult to know whether you'll see improvement when the playing time might be inconsistent until Stammen settles into what he wants from that spot. So, while it's unlikely that we see this area of the roster fail completely given the volume and the flexibility available, there's also massive questions about what this spot will look like defensively and who can rise above to become the cream of the crop. The Bottom Line It's highly probable that we see Gavin Sheets run out at first base for the bulk of the time in 2026. He offers the most reasonable defensive aptitude while demonstrating visible growth at the plate last season. But one of the ways a manager can support a player is by offering the platoon solution to protect him as needed. Stammen has that at his disposal with Sheets, where each of Castellanos, Andujar, et al will be in the mix to support him. That should bode well at the position, providing consistent production given that each of these hitters has at least some track record of offensive success to their names. While it may be somewhat worrisome that the team didn't bring in a surefire option to handle first base, the way in which the position was addressed should benefit the Padres this season, especially in the myriad ways all of the options can impact other parts of the roster. View the full article

On Tuesday evening, during the World Baseball Classic, the Royals announced via social media that they would option pitchers Ryan Bergert and Mason Black and outfielders Kameron Misner and John Rave to Triple-A Omaha. They also announced that they would be assigning reliever Helcris Olivarez to Minor League Camp. Bergert is the most high-profile player of this group not to make the Opening Day roster. The 26-year-old showed promise last year after being acquired from the Padres with Stephen Kolek for Freddy Fermin. That said, much like last year, consistency proved to be a problem for the talented righty. Bergert made four starts in Cactus League play and pitched 9.2 innings. In that sample, he posted a 6.42 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 9.41 FIP, and 11.9% K-BB%. He showed excellent stuff this spring, as his 102 TJ Stuff+ was the fourth-best mark of Royals pitchers this spring, according to TJ Stats. However, he struggled with his command, as illustrated by his 38.5% HR/FB% and 43.5% zone rate. His overall Statcast percentiles were promising, for the most part. Conversely, it makes sense for the Royals to let him develop as a starting pitcher in Omaha, where he will get regular innings. Black was acquired from the Giants this offseason, and his role seems to be fluid when it comes to whether he will start or pitch in relief in 2026. That said, the former top San Francisco pitching prospect held his own in Cactus League play, which made his demotion tough for the Royals. In six appearances and eight innings pitched, he posted a 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 2.23 FIP, and 15.6% K-BB%. Black didn't generate a lot of chase (16.7% O-Swing%), and his stuff was a bit inconsistent (95 overall TJ Stuff+). However, he showed that he can throw strikes (28.5% CSW), limited contact on pitches in the zone (78th percentile Z-Contact%), and he could be an option in the bullpen if injury or ineffectiveness hit one of the projected Royals relievers. The last pitcher to be cut from the Spring Training roster was Olivarez, who was also acquired from the Giants this offseason. Olivarez had one of the most electric fastballs in Spring Training, velocity-wise. His 97.5 MPH fastball velocity was the second-best mark of Royals pitchers this spring, behind only Dennis Colleran (97.9 MPH FB velocity). Unfortunately, control was an issue for the lefty. In addition to an 8.53 ERA and 1.74 WHIP, Olivarez posted a 42.5% zone rate and a 16.1% BB%, the latter ranking in the 12th percentile. He also didn't generate many strikeouts (19.4% K%) or chase (18.5% O-Swing%). The 25-year-old sports a strong curveball, which had a 108 TJ Stuff+, but his four-seamer, which has good velocity, still needs refinement. The four-seamer had a 98 TJ Stuff+, which is slightly below average. There's no question that Olivarez isn't ready yet, but he could be mid-season, especially if he can improve his four-seamer and generate more swing-and-miss in the Minor Leagues, whether it's in Omaha or Northwest Arkansas (likely the former). On a positive note, he showed a strong ability to generate groundballs, as his 77.8% GB% ranked in the 99th percentile this spring. In terms of hitters, Rave and Misner were optioned to Omaha, which makes sense after the acquisition of Starling Marte this spring. Neither Misner nor Rave hit for a high average this spring, as they posted batting averages of .226 and .231, respectively. However, Misner outperformed Rave overall in Cactus League play. In 36 plate appearances this spring, Rave posted a .713 OPS and had two doubles, two triples, and two stolen bases. Rave did a good job of pulling the ball in the air, but he struggled in nearly every other Statcast category this spring, as illustrated in his Statcast summary from TJ Stats. Misner, on the other hand, showed some solid power and plate discipline this spring but lost out due to a crowded outfield situation. In 30 plate appearances, he posted a .333 OBP, .462 slugging, and .795 OPS. He had a homer, a triple, a double, and six RBI this spring and generated a 15% barrel rate and 60% hard-hit rate. He also didn't chase much, as evidenced by his 22.9% O-Swing%, which ranked in the 71st percentile, according to TJ Stats. With a strong ability to launch the ball this spring (98th percentile LA Sweet-Spot%) and pull the ball in the air (86th percentile Pull Air%), he could be similar to MJ Melendez in terms of power and on-base potential, even if the batting average may be lackluster. Misner could find himself back in the Majors if injury befalls one of the outfielders in 2026, and he could provide sneaky production if given the opportunity. View the full article

Jays Centre is taking a close look at every position on the Toronto Blue Jays heading into the 2026 season. Check out prior entries in the series here: Catcher First Base Second Base Toronto Blue Jays Third Basemen at a Glance Starter: Kazuma Okamoto Backup: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement Depth: Josh Kasevich, Damiano Palmegiani Prospects: Charles McAdoo Blue Jays 3B fWAR in 2025: 10th out of 30 Blue Jays 3B FGDC Projection for 2026: 10th out of 30 Third base will be one of the most interesting pressure points on the Blue Jays’ 2026 roster, not because the position is unsettled, but because it demonstrates the organization balancing certainty, versatility and long-term planning. The club signed Kazuma Okamoto out of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to add a middle-of-the-order bat while also providing defensive flexibility across the corner positions and outfield. While he will occasionally back up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base and see limited time in left field, most projections have Okamoto spending the majority of his innings at third. Toronto’s third-base production has been solid but unspectacular in recent years. In 2025, the Blue Jays ranked 10th in MLB in fWAR at third base, firmly above league average but well behind elite units such as those in Cleveland, San Francisco, and Kansas City. Looking ahead to 2026, most projection systems see Toronto somewhere in the middle of the pack again, a reflection of positional uncertainty and the risk of transitioning a star hitter from NPB to MLB. That mid-tier projection doesn’t necessarily indicate a weakness. It instead highlights just how compressed the league has become at third base. The gap between the 8th and 16th ranked teams at the position is often fewer than 1.0 WAR, meaning health, platoon efficiency and defensive deployment could easily swing Toronto’s ranking several spots in either direction. Does it matter that Okamoto might not have been the team’s first choice at third base? Throughout the offseason, there was widespread discussion about the potential re-signing of Bo Bichette, a move that would have kept the infield alignment largely intact from 2025. Instead, Toronto pivoted and replaced Bichette with a seasoned international veteran with an elite resume, albeit one built outside of MLB. Okamoto arrives with credentials that few NPB hitters can match. Over his final five full seasons in Japan, he averaged over 30 home runs per year, routinely posting an OPS above .900 and maintaining an above-average walk rate. His career strikeout rate in NPB hovered in the mid-teens. All that to say, that he fits the mold of what the Jays' offense has been building over the past couple of seasons. Defensively, Okamoto brings stability rather than flash. He won’t be Matt Chapman or Brett Lawrie. While he isn’t considered an elite reaction defender, his hands, arm strength and internal clock earned him multiple Mitsui Golden Glove Awards, including wins at both third base and first base. For Toronto, that versatility is critical, especially given Guerrero’s workload management and occasional need for rest at first. If Okamoto shifts to first base or misses time, Addison Barger is the most likely candidate to absorb innings at third. Barger’s 2025 campaign represented a meaningful step forward. He hit 21 home runs and posted a .755 OPS. Statcast indicators showed above-average exit velocities and strong pull-side power, especially against right-handed pitching. Listed as a 3B/RF, Barger’s athleticism allows Toronto to maintain flexibility without sacrificing offense. His left-handed bat also adds balance to a lineup that can skew right-heavy depending on matchups. From a roster construction standpoint, moving Barger to third opens opportunities for players like Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, Davis Schneider or Jesús Sánchez to rotate through the outfield. While Barger’s defense at third remains a work in progress, his arm strength and reaction time suggest at least average capability. The absence of Bichette will have a cascading effect on the infield, most notably pushing Ernie Clement into the role of everyday second baseman. Clement spent much of 2025 rotating between third, second and shortstop. He logged over 1,000 defensive innings across multiple positions. Now, Clement will be a stabilizing force at second, where his range and reliability profile well. However, his defensive metrics, particularly Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved, are consistently high regardless of the infield position he’s playing. In 2025, Clement finished as an American League Gold Glove finalist at both third base and the utility position, a rare dual recognition. Offensively, Clement is league average, but context matters. His contact rate, low chase percentage and ability to hit left-handed pitching make him an ideal matchup-based contributor. Even though he is the primary second baseman, it would be surprising if John Schneider didn’t continue to deploy Clement at third base in specific situations, particularly against groundball-heavy left-handers. One of the defining characteristics of the 2026 Blue Jays is that very few positions are locked into a rigid everyday role. Instead, the roster is built around matchups, platoons, and flexibility. Clement’s presence allows Schneider to shift the defensive alignment based on opposing pitchers. Against left-handed starters, Clement might slide to third, leaving Barger in right, allowing another right-handed bat to enter the lineup. Against high-velocity right-handers, Barger’s bat speed becomes more valuable, even if it costs a fraction of defensive efficiency. Surprisingly, CBS Sports’ depth chart lists Guerrero as a potential third base backup, though that scenario remains highly unlikely outside of emergency situations. Okamoto’s contract runs through 2029, which significantly reduces urgency within the farm system. Toronto does not need to rush a prospect into the role or push development timelines. That reality is reflected in spring training coverage out of Dunedin, where attention has focused more heavily on middle infielders, outfielders and catchers, rather than true third base regulars. There is some depth in the minors. Josh Kasevich, primarily a shortstop, has logged reps at third and has enjoyed a solid spring. His value lies in contact skills and defensive reliability rather than power. Most projections place him starting the year in Triple A, but his versatility makes him a logical call-up if injuries mount. Damiano Palmegiani offers some power. A right-handed bat with legitimate pop, he can play the infield corners and left. His primary challenge remains managing his strikeout rate, but the raw power is undeniable. In a small sample, Palmegiani could equal Barger’s power output from the right side. So, what happens if Okamoto goes down? If the injury is short- to medium-term, the solution is straightforward. Barger slides to third, Clement spells him depending on matchups, and the rest of the roster remains largely intact. This alignment minimizes disruption both offensively and defensively and maintains the lineup and roster as is. A longer-term absence, like two months or more, might prompt Toronto to explore the trade market. That said, the presence of Barger and Clement significantly reduces the urgency to overpay. Historically, teams with internal third base depth are better positioned to wait for favorable deals than react out of necessity. In either scenario, a call-up such as Palmegiani becomes more likely, particularly if the club wants to preserve Barger’s flexibility across multiple positions. Of Okamoto, Barger, and Clement, only Clement is routinely described as an elite defender, but that label can be misleading. Clement’s Gold Glove finalist status speaks for itself. Okamoto’s track record includes Japanese Gold Gloves at both corner infield spots. Even Barger, while imperfect, brings athletic tools that project to league-average defense with consistent reps. Collectively, this group offers competence, flexibility, and reliability. These traits often matter more over a full season than highlight-reel plays. Third base may not be Toronto’s most glamorous position in 2026, but it could quietly be one of its most important. The combination of Okamoto’s proven bat, Barger’s upside and Clement’s versatility gives the Blue Jays a floor that is comfortably league average and a ceiling that could push them into the top quartile of MLB teams at the position. In a division where marginal gains often decide playoff spots, that kind of stability, especially at a traditional offense-first position, could matter more than it appears on paper. View the full article

Seiya Suzuki suffered a sprain of the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the Cubs announced this week. It's not great news, in that Suzuki has a tangible injury that will require recovery and a slight reset of his preparation for the regular season, but the diagnosis could be far worse. A sprained PCL is usually a fairly minor injury in a baseball player; the severe form of the injury usually involves a traumatic collision, like an awkward tackle on the football field. Kyle Schwarber tore both his ACL and his PCL in 2016, as fans might remember, but that was because he and Dexter Fowler collided so brutally in the outfield at Chase Field in Arizona. Suzuki suffered no such incident, and his sprain is considered mild. Before delving deeper into the prognosis for a player dealing with a PCL sprain, we should pause to make a clarification, because the Cubs ended up having to do the same on Tuesday. Initially, Suzuki's injury was reported as a strain of the PCL, which left anyone with substantial familiarity with sports medicine a bit confused. Sprains and strains are similar, but they're different. A strain is a stretching or tearing of either muscles or tendons—the latter being, as you might remember from high-school biology, the tissues that connect bones to muscles. Sprains, by contrast, are exclusive to ligaments, which connect bones to other bones and are the most important tissues in stabilizing joints. Because of their respective jobs, ligaments are a bit more likely to be stretched (and thus sprained) than tendons are to be strained. Any sudden roll or twist of your shoulder, ankle, elbow, wrist or knee is liable to produce a mild sprain of a ligament, and those can cause discomfort, lost range of motion, or weakness in the joint. Because they exist to absorb those stresses and keep joints functioning, though, ligaments handle mild sprains well, and recovery can be quick. By contrast, a strain of a tendon usually signifies a somewhat less natural or frequent movement. They're more likely to be overuse injuries. Muscle strains, of course, range from micro-tearing that merely allows our tissues to grow and strengthen to full ruptures, but they reflect the pushing of that muscle to a point of failure, whether through repetitive stress or an especially acute exertion of an unready tissue. No sports fans have been led into a deeper forest of confusion about these related injury types more than baseball lovers, because of the nature of elbow injuries in pitchers. The most infamous elbow injury is the torn ulnar collateral ligament, which you might think would begin as a sprain. Sometimes, it does. However, diagnoses of elbow sprains are relatively rare, compared to diagnoses of strains of the flexor tendon in the forearm or the muscles of the forearm or the biceps. Often, before a pitcher's UCL gives way, they're diagnosed with a strain, so when the UCL then tears and they undergo Tommy John surgery, 'strain' is still in the air around them. Fans attach that term to the injury that sent them to the surgeon's slab. In reality, because the combined forces applied to the arm throughout the pitching motion are so violent, most pitchers pitch with a sprained (frayed or stretched) UCL much of the time. Sometimes, it's the point at which the muscles and tendons around the ligament can no longer absorb the excess force when the UCL finally tears. What does all of this mean for Suzuki? Well, partially, it's just a good opportunity to clarify the terminology of injuries, There's certainly a real set of implications, though. It's a good thing that Suzuki doesn't have a strained hamstring or quad, or even damage to a tendon or the meniscus in his knee. A PCL sprain, in particular, is relatively easy to recover from for a rotational athlete like Suzuki. You'd rather have him dealing with this than with a muscle strain, and you'd rather it be the PCL (in the back of the knee) than the MCL or ACL. I combed through Baseball Prospectus's Recovery Dashboard to create a useful guide by which we can estimate when Suzuki will return to play. The dashboard allows you to isolate injuries to the knee and to search the keyword "sprain", but that still leaves a bit of pruning to do. I cut out players who suffered their injuries in September, October, or over the offseason; those muddy any understanding of real recovery time. I went through and, where possible, removed players who turned out to have full tears of their ligaments after initially being diagnosed with a sprain. (That happened, for instance, with Dexter Fowler in 2021.) I also removed players I could verify were dealing with ACL or MCL injuries, leaving all cases of PCL trouble and the ones that were never publicly specified that well. Finally, I took catchers out of the sample. Any catcher dealing with a knee issue has a different checklist for returning to play than do other players, especially outfielder/designated hitter types like Suzuki. Here are the relevant comps I was left with, going back to the start of the 2021 season. Obviously, every injury is unique, just as every human body is. It would be foolish to overfit this data onto Suzuki's experience. (It also feels like something bigger was going on with Richie Palacios, doesn't it? If you strip out his tragic experience with this injury, the median and mean tighten even more, to 21 and 23 days, respectively.) However, these are fairly direct comps to Suzuki, and they tell a pretty clear story. Suzuki got hurt on March 14. We should expect him to miss anywhere from 3 weeks to a month of action, and since the team is pushing a fairly optimistic tone, we can aim for the early end of that window. Suzuki probably won't be ready for Opening Day, but he could be back in the lineup as soon as the second week of April, without having obviously rushed anything. It feels like a good bet that he'll be the DH for a bit as he returns, though. He'll be able to get back into the lineup faster if he doesn't push himself to be ready to play right field regularly before doing so. Besides, Michael Conforto looks likely to make the team, so he can play right field while Suzuki is unavailable. If Suzuki does come back primarily as a DH, it will cramp the Cubs' style a bit when it comes to Moisés Ballesteros. This injury might end up nudging Ballesteros to Triple-A Iowa to begin the season, where he can soak up reps as a catcher and prepare to play that role for the parent club either later in this season or in ones to come. In the meantime, the Opening Day roster could include Conforto, the winner of the Dylan Carlson-Chas McCormick battle, and even Kevin Alcántara. When Suzuki returns, Alcántara could go back to Iowa, and once Suzuki is ready to resume active duty in the outfield, the team could jettison either Conforto or the Carlson/McCormick victor, calling up Ballesteros. That arrangement would come with an ancillary benefit for the Cubs. If Ballesteros spends about 45 days in the minors this year, he'll come up short of a full year of service time by the end of the season, and the team will retain control of his services for 2033. It sounds like a small thing, but an extra year of team control is always a serious consideration for a team handling a top prospect. Suzuki won't be out an especially long time. It's just a sprain, and a mild one. His trajectory for the first six weeks of the season has been altered, though, and so might the Cubs' roster plans be. View the full article

You know it is getting closer to Opening Day when guys thought to be in the mix for a spot on the 26-man roster are sent to minor-league camp. Right-handed reliever Ty Adcock, who just returned from an oblique injury, was optioned to Triple-A El Paso by the San Diego Padres on Tuesday. Adcock had been battling an oblique in camp before making his Cactus League debut Monday. Also, infielder-outfielder Samad Taylor and left-hander Jackson Wolf were reassigned to Triple-A. Taylor entered camp as a strong candidate to earn a bench spot. The speedy 27-year-old, who has 38 games of MLB experience, posted a .233/.265/.300 slash line in 30 at-bats over 17 games, with five RBIs and three stolen bases. His path became more difficult as the Padres brought in Nick Castellanos and Ty France early in camp. Wolf was a long shot to make the Friars' bullpen, but did get some attention with his spring showing, putting up a 2.38 ERA in 11⅓ innings, walking six and striking out eight. View the full article

Brewer Fanatic contributors have voted and ranked the top 20 Milwaukee Brewers prospects headed into the 2026 season. Does Craig Yoho's upside as a high-leverage reliever keep him out of the top 20? Players discussed are JD Thompson, Brady Ebel, Craig Yoho, Tyson Hardin, and Braylon Payne. View the full article

Twins Daily just wrapped up its annual top prospect countdown. Notably, six of the Twins’ top eight prospects are expected to open at Triple-A St. Paul, one step from the big leagues. That proximity means the Twins could see several prospects make their major-league debuts in 2026. While much of the focus is on position players at the upper levels, the system's pitching side also boasts several intriguing arms. These pitchers could take big steps forward this year. Here are three Twins pitcher prospect predictions for 2026. Riley Quick Wins Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year Quick's power arsenal could let him dominate minor-league hitters this season. He started 14 games for the University of Alabama last year, showing enough for the Twins to draft him 36th overall. Minnesota signed him for the full slot bonus of $2.69 million. Quick’s fastball already sits in the 96-97 mph range and can touch 99, while maintaining its velocity deep into outings. The Twins are helping him refine how he uses the pitch, leaning on his sinker against right-handed hitters while mixing in a four-seamer against lefties. His secondary pitches also generate plenty of swings and misses. Quick throws a mid-80s slider with sharp two-plane movement that he can tighten into a harder cutter, along with an upper-80s changeup that features strong fade and depth. He logged only 87 innings in college before entering pro ball. Building a full starter’s workload will be important this season. If he refines his command while keeping his electric stuff, Quick could emerge as the Twins' fastest-rising arm of the year. Dasan Hill Enters Next Season as a Top-100 Prospect The Twins made a significant investment in Hill during the 2024 Draft, signing the highly projectable high school left-hander for $2 million after selecting him with the 69th overall pick. His first full professional season showed why the organization was willing to go over slot. Hill struck out more than 12 batters per nine innings and held opposing hitters to a .196 average over 62 innings. He posted a 2.77 ERA at Low-A before finishing the season with a promotion to High-A. His fastball already averages around 95 mph and has touched 99, and early reports this spring indicate he has begun reaching triple digits as he continues adding strength to his 6-foot-5 frame. Hill also features a low-80s sweeper that produced a high whiff rate, along with a big curveball and a changeup that helps him neutralize right-handed hitters. The main area for improvement will be throwing more consistent strikes. Hill’s strikeout ability is already impressive, but reducing his walk rate will be key as he moves up the ladder. If his command improves while his velocity continues trending upward, Hill could quickly become one of the most exciting young left-handed pitching prospects in baseball and enter the top 100 by the end of the season. Connor Prielipp Ends the Year as the Twins Closer The Twins intend to keep Prielipp in the Triple-A rotation to start, especially because of big-league injuries that could spell an earlier need for his reinforcement than they anticipated when camp opened. His injury history, however, could shift him into a bullpen role. Prielipp missed nearly all of 2023 after undergoing internal brace surgery on his elbow. He returned in 2024 for limited action and finally logged more than 80 innings in 2025 while pitching at the upper levels of the minors. His performance was strong enough to earn him a spot on the Twins' 40-man roster during the offseason. When healthy, Prielipp has exceptionally impressive stuff. His fastball averages around 95 mph and can reach 99, and it generated more swings and misses once he reached Triple-A. He also added a two-seamer late in the season. His upper-80s slider features elite spin rates and grades as a plus pitch, while his changeup also produces plenty of swings and misses. He has even begun experimenting with a curveball to round out his repertoire. If durability becomes a concern, a bullpen move could help. His power arsenal may be more effective in shorter outings. In that role, Prielipp could reach Minnesota quickly and end the year in late-inning situations. The Twins' farm system features several promising young arms who could take meaningful steps forward in 2026. Quick has the raw stuff to dominate in the minors as he builds a full professional workload. Hill has the potential to emerge as one of the organization’s biggest breakout prospects. Prielipp could eventually find his path to the big leagues through the bullpen, where his electric repertoire might play even better. With several pitching prospects nearing the upper levels, 2026 could signal a new wave of Twins arms in Minnesota. What are your predictions for the Twins' pitching pipeline in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Padres Mission's ranking of the club's top prospects for 2026 has reached the final stage with a countdown of the top five. Be sure to check out our previous rankings here: No. 4: Bradgley Rodriguez No. 5: Miguel Mendez No. 6: Jagger Haynes No. 7: Humberto Cruz No. 8: Ty Harvey No. 9: Ryan Wideman No. 10: Kale Fountain Nos. 11-15 Nos. 16-20 No. 3 Kruz Schoolcraft (Lake Elsinore Storm) Kruz Schoolcraft's professional career has barely begun -- he made one minor-league appearance made at the end of the 2025 season. He'll turn 19 in April and his development will take time. The good news? There's evidence to suggest that it won't be a lot of time. The Padres selected the 6-8, 229-pound Schoolcraft in the first round (25th overall) of last year's MLB Draft out of Sunset High School in Beaverton, Ore. He was the No. 1-ranked prep left-hander in the draft. He also was a legitimate first-base prospect with big-time power. San Diego lured him away from the University of Tennessee -- he committed to the Vols in December 2024 -- with a $3.6 million signing bonus. Then, they convinced the potential two-way star to become a full-time pitcher. The organization waited until Sept. 6 to get him into a game. His appearance with Lake Elsinore in the Low-A California League was brief and eventful: 1 2/3 innings, one hit, two runs (both earned), three walks, four strikeouts, four stolen bases allowed. Schoolcraft showed that he has a lot of work to do. But he still could rise quickly, for several reasons. First, he already throws three pitches -- a mid- to high-90s fastball with good extension, a changeup with deception, and a slider with depth. Prior to the draft, MLB.com gave both the fastball and slider a 60 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale and the change a 55, but the slider is considered his third pitch at the moment. Second, he is considered to have advanced mechanics, which will help make his delivery repeatable sooner. It also will help him improve his 50-grade control. Of course, his longer levers make it easy for baserunners to pick up on his cadence, so he'll have to fine-tune that in order to prevent everyone faster than Giancarlo Stanton from swiping a base against him. But his mechanics as a whole are quite impressive for a teenager. Third, the organization considers him a smart player and a hard worker. Schoolcraft showed those traits when he spoke with reporters, including MLB.com's Sam Dykstra, at spring training. He said that he wants to reshape his slider better and make it a pitch he can throw effectively both early and late in the count. He talked about getting stronger, and he shared a specific goal for 2026: he hopes to make 22+ starts. Schoolcraft has already made an impression in camp with his sharp outing in an intra-squad game. He might make another before spring training is through. The Padres listed him in the initial 40-man player pool for their Spring Breakout game on Saturday, March 21, against the Cubs' top prospects in Arizona. There's bound to be buzz about the kid moving rapidly through the system if he gets into that game and overpowers hitters. But those people will need to be patient; Schoolcraft is just getting started. View the full article

Owen and Jesse break down Vladimir Guerrero Jr's explosive WBC tournament and fantasize about the type of regular season he's bound to have. The guys get into Kevin Gausman being named the Opening Day starter, his career as a Blue Jay, and consider whether Gausman is the Jays' best free-agent signing of all time. Next, they talk about José Berríos' appointment with Dr. Keith Meister and what it means for the pitching staff. They talk about how much they've enjoyed the World Baseball Classic and watching the Central American teams before finishing with a game of Smoke or Fire. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

Not every prospect reaches their full potential, and every farm system has a few highly ranked players who may never be the star they're projected to be in the Majors. Jamie and Jeremy share their most overranked Twins prospect going into 2026 and give Theo crap for Charlee Soto being his once more. Other players discussed are Emmanuel Rodriguez and Eduardo Tait. View the full article

Comparing anybody to David Ortiz is an unfair, egregiously high bar, but Justin Gonzales has some notable similarities. Right away, his 6-foot-4, upper 200s frame puts him head and shoulders above the size of most prospects his age. It also doesn't help when the man himself, Big Papi, is complimenting Gonzales' intangibles. In this video, we dive into Gonzales' bat speed, points of improvement, and when we could see him in Fenway. View the full article