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The 2026 Twins are certainly set up to have a much better rookie class in 2026 than they did in 2025. Cody Christie asks Jamie and Jeremy which of the Twins top prospects at Triple-A will become the Twins rookie leader in WAR this upcoming season. Discussed in this video are Emmanuel Rodriguez, Alan Roden, and Mick Abel. View the full article

No pitcher in baseball last season produced as much horizontal separation between their four-seam fastball and their changeup as did Cubs righthander Cade Horton. What he calls a four-seamer (but which, in fairness, Pitch Info tags as a hard cutter) is a pitch with an extreme amount of relative cut for a fastball, which is part of the equation. Still, the 13.1 inches of difference between the lateral movement of his fastball and his offspeed pitch paced the league. In fact, only a handful of pitchers even come close. Freddy Peralta (then of the Brewers, now of the Mets) achieves a solid foot of separation, thanks to a much lower arm slot than Horton's and the ability to generate more sheer run on the changeup. That has led Peralta, who functionally lacked a changeup until 2021, to use the pitch more each season since, until it became his most reliable complement for the fastball last year. There's a simple reason for that: a changeup that can even vaguely mimic the fastball out of the hand but move that much is bound to end up generating lots of whiffs, and lots of weak contact even when the batter connects. That's why, as his rookie campaign unfolded, Horton, too, went to his change more and more often. By season's end, over 47% of swings against it had resulted in whiffs. Like Peralta, Horton was late in developing the changeup. When he entered pro ball, the headliners were his fastball and his slider, with a sharp curveball coming along for the ride. He's tightened his command and comprehension of each of those pitches, but it's the changeup that has transformed him. As he prepares for his first full season in the majors, he's a dark-horse candidate for the NL Cy Young Award, for the same reason why Paul Skenes exploded into that caliber of pitcher sooner and more completely than pundits predicted: because great players find unexpected ways to improve. Skenes added a splinker that changed his scouting report for the better, even after being the first overall pick in 2023. Because of injuries (and a bit less raw talent), it took longer for Horton to unlock his game-changing new weapon, but his changeup is just that. Yankees lefty Max Fried does technically have more separation between his changeup and his primary fastball (a cutter, and more of a true cutter than Horton's, with less ride on it) than does Horton. He has an even deeper arsenal than Horton's burgeoning five-pitch mix, too. Horton, however, uses his change much more than Fried does, akin to the amount that Peralta uses it. After he laid waste to the Guardians with the pitch in his penultimate spring tuneup Monday night, we might see his reliance on that offering rise even more this year. Note, too, that Horton's so-called four-seamer is two miles per hour harder than Fried's cutter, so hitters have less time to react to the gulf between his heater and his changeup than they do with Fried. More similar in their relative usages and plans are Horton and Twins righty David Festa, who operates with a higher-carry four-seamer but gets lots of depth on the change. Festa's ability to do that, though, reflects the motor preference of his arm, which generates so much arm-side movement and allows him to command a two-seamer but doesn't allow him to move the ball to the glove side very much. Horton, more like Fried and Peralta, can move the ball all the way from east to west. Unlike Peralta, though, he does it from a high arm slot where the horizontal movement on both his sweeper/slider and his changeup surprise the batter more, and unlike Fried, he has two-plane separation between his heater and his changeup, because he gets more carry on his fastball than Fried does on his cutter. In short, Horton's changeup has turned him into a unicorn. He won't strike out 10 batters very often, because his stuff is geared more toward outs than toward whiffs. He's still unlikely to win the Cy Young Award this year; Skenes and Logan Webb are early favorites. However, this development—this ability to make the last pitch he brought along (save his little-used sinker) his best one, even though it works opposite the movement pattern that comes most naturally to him—has unlocked the next level of success for him. Don't be surprised if Horton is the Cubs' ace this season, letting his former fourth pitch emerge as his signature weapon. View the full article

It seems that in recent years, the Twins have had very few classic roster battles in spring training. Part of this decline is due to the fact that spring training performance isn’t taken as seriously as it once was, but the Twins have also had a pretty set roster coming into camp for a few years. The “battles” on the offensive side tend to be “which of this pool of guys could be the 13th man on the bench,” which came more down to preference between very different roles. For instance, would Mickey Gasper’s bat or DaShawn Keirsey’s speed be more useful? (Because look, not all of the questions had a right answer.) This year, though, the Twins have a specific need: backup shortstop. After an offseason of collecting fringe major-league talent (and letting some of it, like Vidal Bruján, pass right through without ever actually donning the uniform), they have three options to fill the spot. Each has a unique profile, so it’s unclear that their talent level will be the deciding factor. However, this is one of the battles in camp least adulterated by outside factors like minor-league options or deferring to seniority. Orlando Arcia: The Veteran Arcia is in Twins camp on a minor-league deal worth $1.25 million if he makes the team out of camp. He has an opt-out clause, so if the Twins don’t add him to the 40-man roster, he may be able to re-enter free agency. Just two seasons removed from an All-Star nod, Arcia is the biggest name of the bunch. He spent a couple of seasons in Atlanta, hitting fine (100 OPS+ between 2022 and 2023), but his offense has fallen off a cliff over the last two seasons (.599 OPS, 64 OPS+ between 2024 and 2025). His peak was league-average, so there’s not much room to fall offensively. Once lauded for his defense, Arcia has slipped a bit upon entering his 30s. Stepping in for Dansby Swanson in Atlanta, he registered 7 outs above average (OAA) at shortstop over 2,591 innings between 2023 and 2024, but clocked in at -2 OAA in 173 innings at shortstop in 2025. He was still a plus defender at second base (3 OAA in 115 innings) and third base (1 OAA in 115 innings), but he’s not getting any younger, and his primary function would be playing shortstop. Arcia has played mostly shortstop and second base this spring and has put together a solid enough spring, with a .780 OPS. Obligatory “spring training stats don’t mean anything,” but if he’s looking good enough at shortstop, he might have the inside track on the spot, since the Twins can keep the other two choices. They both have minor-league options. Nothing about Arcia's batted-ball data suggests a significant change in who he is, though he's made more contact this spring than he has in recent big-league seasons. Ryan Kreidler: The Glove Kreidler was claimed late in 2025 from Pittsburgh and has lasted the entire offseason on the 40-man roster. The 28-year-old is getting big-league opportunities for one reason: he can pick it at short. He's probably the best shortstop defender in the organization who’s not named Marek Houston. For a team with a starting shortstop (Brooks Lee) who has major defensive questions, Kreidler can provide some stability. He’s registered 2 OAA at the position in 253 big-league innings. He can also play a solid center field, league-average by OAA at 0 in 117 innings there last season. The eye test matches the stats, though he lacks the raw speed you look for in a center fielder. The issue? The dude has never hit. In his best season, 2022, he slashed .178/.244/.233, for a 39 OPS+, where 100 is average and higher is better. This is saying he was less than half as productive as an average hitter—in his best year. Funny enough, he was worth positive WAR by both Fangraphs and Baseball Reference for that season, and would have been a 1-2 WAR player if given 300 plate appearances. That might tell you something about his defense. I guess it might also tell you something about WAR's utility in edge cases. He’s only got 211 MLB plate appearances in his career, and if he can hit even a little, he could be an adequate bench player who can play both shortstop and center field when needed. But it’s difficult to see him mustering even 2024-2025 Arcia-level offense at this point in his career. He’s played all three infield positions (other than first base) and both center and right field this spring, but he’s only got a .469 OPS in 30 (meaningless) spring training plate appearances. He's making slightly better and more frequent contact than has been his wont, but there hasn't been a breakout or visible overhaul. Tristan Gray: The Hitter Now, “The Hitter” might be overselling it a bit with Gray, but compared to the other two options, hitting is his defining trait. Gray was acquired for minor-league catcher Nate Baez this winter, and he’s stuck around on the 40-man roster, like Kreidler, indicating that the Twins have some lasting interest in him. Gray turns 30 this season, and he’s registered 122 plate appearances in his three-year MLB career between Tampa Bay, Miami, and Oakland. He’s also been in the Pirates, White Sox, and Red Sox organizations. He slashed .231/.282/.410 last season, and his OPS was just 9% below league average. He plays all four infield positions. He’s played 80 or fewer big-league innings at each infield position, but he’s been worth 0 OAA at first, 0 OAA at second, -2 OAA at third, and 1 OAA at short. I’m listing these for consistency in this writeup. The sample is too small for the stats to be meaningful. But the scouting report suggests that Gray could be serviceable at shortstop—not standout by any means, but potentially serviceable. One knock against Gray is that he’s left-handed, which adds another lefty to a roster crowded with lefties. However, the other infield positions are currently manned by Luke Keaschall and Royce Lewis, which would give Gray opportunities to give them days off against righties in addition to his normal days backing up Lee. He’s split his time evenly between second, third, and short this spring. If the Twins think he can hit a little and play a decent enough shortstop, he might be a better fit than the light-hitting options. And here’s your meaningless spring training stat: .648 OPS. He's swung and missed disturbingly often for Grapefruit League action and isn't hitting the ball especially hard, but he has plus bat speed, which the other two can't say. The Verdict: I Don’t Know Funny enough, at the time of writing, all three have exactly five appearances at shortstop this spring. I could see it going any way. I think I’d say 1) Kreidler, 2) Arcia, 3) Gray, but I could also see a world where Gray makes the team alongside one of the other two, due to injuries. In less than a week, we'll know for sure. 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 The Toronto Blue Jays' starting second basemen were considered a defensive strength, but not an offensive weapon, over the last couple of decades. The only offensive standouts were Aaron Hill, hitting 62 home runs between the 2009 and '10 seasons, and Marcus Semien, hitting 45 long balls in his only campaign with the Blue Jays (2021). Last season was no different, with Ernie Clement's 3.2 fWAR being heavily lifted by his 11.7 defensive runs above average. However, over the course of the postseason, Clement became a Blue Jays legend. He set the single-postseason hits record with 30, breaking Randy Arozarena's 2020 record (29). That total led to a .411/.416/.562 slash line, 13 runs, and nine batted in. It was a performance that made the Blue Jays' second base decision for this season an easy one. The position is Clement's, but the Blue Jays have plenty of flexibility with players who can play multiple positions. Toronto Blue Jays Second Basemen at a Glance Starter: Ernie Clement Backup: Davis Schneider Depth: Leo Jiménez, Andrés Giménez, Addison Barger, Prospects: Josh Kasevich, Arjun Nimmala Jays 2B fWAR in 2025: 13th out of 30 Jays 2B FGDC Projection for 2026: 13th out of 30 The Good The Blue Jays enter the season with a clear view of who their second baseman will be. Clement has continued his postseason hitting spree this spring, going 5-for-10 at the plate with a double and a triple while with the Blue Jays. With Team USA, he is 1-for-5 but has walked twice and scored three runs. During the WBC, he's played in four games in a complementary role. Defensively, he's as sure-gloved as a player can get. In the last two seasons as a full-time utility man, he's received fWAR ratings of 2.1 and 3.2, respectively, but defensive ratings of 8.2 and 11.7 heavily skew these numbers. It's tough to find a more defensively sound player. Another benefit the Blue Jays have is defensive flexibility. Clement can play any position, even pitch if needed. However, he's not Toronto's only flexible defender. Schneider and Barger can also play all over the field, and shortstop Giménez can handle second and third base. Clement will never be a massive earner like Vladimir Guerrero Jr., due to his limits offensively. So, the Blue Jays are in a wonderful financial position with Clement. He's 29, making $4.6 million this season, and under team control through 2028. This makes him an excellent secondary teammate to the number of superstars above him in the batting order. The future is bright at the position as well. Kasevich and Nimmala are primarily shortstops, but moving to second wouldn't be a massive transition, and most shortstops can move all over the infield. Of the two, Nimmala is the more promising prospect offensively (though Kasevich is closer to the majors). Last season, Nimmala hit 13 home runs and stole 17 bases over 543 plate appearances at the High-A level. Though he showed power and speed, his contact skills need improving. He has yet to posta batting average higher than .240 over his three minor league seasons, and he struck out 21.4 percent of the time at High A. Despite these struggles, he's found ways to be productive offensively, with only one season under a 120 wRC+. The Bad Toronto's downfall at second base is an awfully low offensive ceiling. Clement puts the ball in play exceptionally well, only striking 10.4 percent of the time last season, but that's where his offensive prowess ends. He hit 12 home runs in 2024, but that seems like a ceiling given how poorly his important power metrics are rated, according to Baseball Savant. Stat Percentile Number Avg. Exit Velocity 8th 86.6 mph Barrel Percentage 6th 2.4% Hard-Hit Percentage 2nd 26% Bat Speed 5th 67.6 mph These stats show Clement's lack of power. However, he will likely be in the ninth spot in the batting order. So, he won't be relied on to do the heavy lifting of carrying the offense. Let's be honest, though, second base isn't a position that you expect to get massive offensive production out of. Last season, only five primary second basemen hit more than 20 home runs: Jazz Chisolm Jr., Brandon Lowe, Ketel Marte, Jose Altuve, and Lenyn Sosa. This shows that second base is more thought of across MLB as a defensive position. The Bottom Line The Blue Jays aren't asking Clement to hit 20 home runs. It appears they're fine with someone who can put the ball in play and perform well defensively, which Clement excels at. He's also known as a gritty player who can play through injuries. Last season, he suffered a hairline fracture in his left middle finger, a shin injury that required 10 stitches, and a knee injury from diving for a ground ball. However, he still played in 157 games. Clement brings stability and a solid glove to second base for the Blue Jays. View the full article

Based on how some players go about their daily business, you almost take them for granted. Such is the case with Brice Turang of the Milwaukee Brewers. He routinely gobbles up grounders as the Crew's second baseman, and last year showed that he can be a big part of the team's offense. Was that power surge a flash in the pan, or is there more to get out of him with the bat? Brewers Second Basemen At A Glance Starter: Brice Turang Backup: David Hamilton Depth: Luis Rengifo Prospects: Jett Williams, Jesús Made, Cooper Pratt, Brady Ebel, Diego Frontado, Daniel Dickinson Brewers fWAR ranking last year: 5th out of 30. Brewers fWAR projection this year: 8th out of 30. THE GOOD Defense was always going to be the calling card for Turang. Even in his amateur days, he got the nod to start at shortstop over Bobby Witt Jr. with Team USA. But when Turang made his MLB debut, the Brewers had Willy Adames at shortstop, so Turang took over at second, and has proven to be an elite defender. Turang not only won the 2024 NL Gold Glove at second base, but also took home the Platinum Glove as the NL's top overall defender. But in 2025, the now-26-year-old became a more complete player, as his bat started to produce. After having a .239/.303/.328 slash line and a total of 13 homers in his first two big-league seasons, Turang was at .271/.339/.363 with 6 homers and 44 RBIs when the calendar flipped to August. Then, as everyone knew he could, he turned up the power in his game, doing deep 10 times in the month, including his first two-homer game and a five-game stretch in which he homered four times. Turang finished 2025 with a slash line of .288/.359/.435, with 18 homers and 81 RBIs. There was a notable jump in his exit velocity, which went from 87 mph and the 14th percentile in MLB in 2024 to 91.1 mph and the 75th percentile in 2025. THE BAD Depending on which defensive metric you trust, Turang slipped from elite to either merely very good or fringe-average last season. Watching him on an everyday basis, the former feels closer to the mark. He was worse, but still solidly in the top third of defenders at the keystone. As for things he truly needs to work on, besides leaning into a pitch now and then, Turang could stand to cut down on his strikeouts. His 2024 strikeout rate of 17% is an outlier when compared with his 2023 showing of 21% and his 2025 number of 22.8%. While 22.5% was the MLB average in 2025, putting those extra balls in play or drawing walks is something that will benefit him and the Crew offensively. Of course, if whiffing more is the price of getting to all the power we saw late last season, it's more than worth it, so the question here is one of calibrating the approach at a very fine level. Turang didn't run as much in 2025 as he did in 2024, when he swiped 50 bases. That number dropped to 24, which was slightly below the 26 he stole as a rookie in 2023 in 19 fewer games. Turang's sprint speed took a slight dip in 2025 (from 29.3 to 28.9 feet per second), but he still ranked in the 88th percentile. The real problem was that he was caught more often when he did run—eight times in 32 attempts, after going 76-for-86 in his first two years. That was caused by lousy leads and jumps, though he got better about it later in the year. He batted throughout the order during the season, starting at the bottom but then becoming a regular leadoff hitter against right-handed starters. Surprisingly, Turang was nearly as good against left-handed pitchers (.305/.361/.391) as against right-handers (.280/.358/.454). In his first two seasons, he struggled more with lefties, but other than a lack of power, he licked that issue last year. THE BOTTOM LINE Turang could turn into a bigger offensive threat if he taps into that power a little more often. There is 20-homer potential, to go along with 30 (or even 40) steals. Manager Pat Murphy needs to find a way for Turang to feel free to run more than he did in 2025 and make him more dynamic. Is that batting leadoff or second? Maybe fifth? Regardless, having Turang at second base gives the Brewers one of the game's best defenders at the position. He also has shown the ability to play shortstop, his natural position, when called upon. Hamilton can fill in nicely for Turang at second, with the potential of more offense than Andruw Monasterio could provide. The future will provide some interesting challenges for the Crew, with Williams (this year) and Made (probably next year) set for their own debuts somewhere on the infield. View the full article

The Red Sox have made another series of spring training moves, reassigning multiple names to minor-league camp. This group is exclusively pitchers this time, which makes sense in the wake of the team signing southpaw Danny Coulombe last week. The names being reassigned are: left-handed pitcher T.J. Sikkema, and right-handed pitchers Seth Martinez, Wyatt Olds, and Noah Song. This leaves big league camp at 54 while Craig Breslow and the coaching staff begin to whittle away the depth options in the bullpen. It’s been a mixed bag for each of these four pitchers during their time in spring training. Song posted a stellar 1.13 ERA across six games, but lacked control as evidenced by his three wild pitches. He did post nine strikeouts though, indicating that there’s still life left in his pitch mix and he should be pushing for a spot on the 26-man roster at some point this season. Olds fared much worse, posting a 6.75 ERA over seven games, but he also struck out nine. Martinez held a 7.27 ERA with only five strikeouts. Sikkema clocked in with the highest ERA at 9.00 over three games, but struck out five in those three appearances. Song is perhaps the most shocking name to be reassigned so far in camp, but he doesn’t have a true spot in the bullpen as it’s currently constructed. Should he show out in Worcester early in the season, expect to see his name called early and often. As for the other three, the reassignment makes sense as none of them have shown to be dependable enough in camp to warrant consideration for the big-league roster at this point. We’re getting closer and closer to Opening Day, so expect more names to be reassigned to minor league camp as Breslow and Alex Cora start making the tough roster decisions. View the full article

The final stretch of spring training is supposed to be about decisions, not diagnoses. For the Twins, that equation shifted quickly on Monday when Austin Martin exited Minnesota’s game against the Pirates with a concussion, creating uncertainty just days before the roster is finalized. Martin was lifted from the contest after sustaining the injury during Minnesota’s 5-1 victory. The play in question came in the third inning when he tracked a ball into right field off the bat of Henry Davis. Attempting to make a diving grab, Martin hit the ground awkwardly and appeared shaken up as he got back to his feet. After the impact, Martin remained in the game and collected a single in the bottom of the third. However, he showed signs of discomfort and was removed before the start of the fourth inning, with James Outman replacing him in right field. Twins manager Derek Shelton provided an update after the game, outlining the immediate plan for Martin’s recovery. “He won’t do anything through the next two days, and then we’ll reevaluate him,” Shelton said. The sequence of events raised concern in real time, particularly as Martin began to show signs of discomfort after the play. “When he dove, I think he kind of jarred himself a little bit,” Shelton said. “I think once he got on the bases, he realized he was a little bit dizzy. And then as he walked past [bench coach Mark Hallberg] and I, we kind of saw a little bit of hesitation, and then [head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta] got to him.” At this point, there is no firm timetable for Martin’s return, which is less than ideal given how firmly he had worked his way into the roster conversation. The former top prospect had been trending toward a role in the outfield mix, offering defensive flexibility with the ability to handle center field and even contribute at second base if needed. His trajectory dates back to last season, when he capitalized on an opportunity late in the year following Minnesota’s trade deadline selloff. Martin responded with some of the most productive baseball of his career by posting a 106 OPS+, putting himself squarely on the radar entering camp this spring. The timing of the injury is what stings most. With Opening Day looming, Martin represented one of the few right-handed-hitting outfield options expected to break camp with the club. If he is unable to clear concussion protocol in time, the Twins may need to pivot quickly. That could open the door for players on the roster bubble. Ryan Kreidler brings right-handed balance and defensive versatility. Alan Roden offers a left-handed bat with upside. Veteran Orlando Arcia also remains a possibility as a depth option if the team prioritizes experience. For now, though, the focus remains on Martin. Concussions are unpredictable, and even minor symptoms can linger longer than expected. In a camp where every at-bat and inning matters, the Twins will have to wait and see if one of their most intriguing roster pieces can get back on the field in time. View the full article

Dub Gleed quietly climbed from rookie ball to the upper levels of the Marlins farm system in 2025, demonstrating strong on-base skills every step of the way. Fish Unfiltered discusses his long-term outlook. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins held a retirement celebration last weekend honoring longtime Major League Baseball umpire Phil Cuzzi, who officially stepped away from the game after more than three decades of service. The event, which took place at Target Field, was decorated with framed scorecards and a suspicious number of printed screenshots from Ump Scorecards and gave the Twins organization an opportunity to recognize Cuzzi’s long career—while also revisiting one moment that many in Minnesota have spent the last 17 years trying to forget. Cuzzi, 70, began as an MLB reserve umpire in 1991 and later joined the league’s full-time umpiring staff. His career covered thousands of games, numerous postseason assignments, and at least one unforgettable moment for Twins fans. That moment came in Game 2 of the 2009 ALDS. After losing Game 1 in the Bronx, the Twins pushed Game 2 to extra innings, tied 3-3. In the 11th, Joe Mauer hit a 1-1 pitch down the left-field line. The ball hit Yankees outfielder Melky Cabrera’s glove, then bounced into the stands. Fans expected Mauer to be awarded a double. Cuzzi, just feet away, immediately ruled it foul. Mauer attended the retirement celebration and admitted the moment still occasionally crosses his mind. “I remember hitting it and thinking, well, that worked out nicely,” Mauer said with a laugh. “Then I saw Phil wave his arms, and I thought maybe he wanted someone to bring him a glass of cool, refreshing Kemps milk.” Mauer paused for a moment before smiling. “Honestly, I figured there had to be something I missed. It turns out the only thing missing was about three feet of chalk.” The call proved costly. Instead of standing on second with nobody out, Mauer remained at the plate, before eventually reaching first base. The Twins followed with two singles, but could not push across the go-ahead run. The Yankees eventually won the game in the bottom of the inning. Former Twins GM Terry Ryan said the team still revisits the moment when the phrase “close call” comes up. “I’ve seen that replay more times than I can count,” Ryan said. “Every time I watch it, I try to see it from Phil’s perspective. I squint a little, tilt my head, maybe turn the television sideways.” Ryan shrugged, “I still can’t find the foul ball.” Former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire also attended the event and joked that the retirement party felt like a long-overdue therapy session for everyone involved. “I told Phil tonight that I forgive him,” Gardenhire said. “It only took about 16 years and roughly a thousand Coors Lights.” Gardenhire added that he briefly considered bringing a chalk line to the party as a gift, but ultimately decided against it. “I didn’t want to cause a scene,” he said. “Plus, someone might have ruled it foul.” Cuzzi addressed the crowd later in the evening and reflected on his long career in Major League Baseball. “Umpiring is a tough job,” Cuzzi said. “You make thousands of calls every season, and people remember the one you miss.” Gardenhire could be heard, in a low voice, telling a joke related to that observation, having to do with masonry, carpentry, animal husbandry and the nature of fame. Despite the lingering frustration surrounding the 2009 call, the Twins organization emphasized that the celebration was meant to recognize Cuzzi’s decades of service to the game—and maybe to give him a last chance to change his mind. Several attendees acknowledged that the play came up multiple times during the evening. At one point, the replay looped on a nearby television. The room fell silent before someone quietly suggested the camera angle may have been misleading. The group agreed there was only one way to settle the debate: have Cuzzi watch the replay. According to attendees, he ruled it inconclusive. View the full article

Long gone are the days of Benito Santiago, who excelled at the plate as well as behind it. Such a catcher, if they're even in the system, is still a ways off. Thus, the San Diego Padres have tried to piece together a catching tandem that will help the team make a push for NL West title or a postseason berth. Freddy Fermin begins his first full season with the Friars and will be the No. 1 catcher for the first time in his brief MLB career. Will he be able to handle the rigors? Can Luis Campusano be good enough defensively to get his bat into the lineup? Padres Catchers At A Glance Starter: Freddy Fermin Backup: Luis Campusano Depth: Blake Hunt, Rodolfo Duran, Anthony Vilar Prospects: Ethan Salas, Ty Harvey, Lamar King Jr., Truit Madonna Padres fWAR ranking last year: 28th out of 30. Padres fWAR projection this year: 19th out of 30. The Good Whether it was a desperation move or the Padres actually thought so highly of him, Fermin was acquired at the trade deadline for two starting pitchers, Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek. At the time, the Friars were in need of offense from the position without losing much defensively; prior to the trade, the Padres had the worst fWAR at the position of any team in MLB as they tried to stay afloat with Martin Maldonado and Elias Diaz. While he won't be confused for his Royals mentor, 2015 World Series MVP and five-time Silver Slugger Salvador Perez, as an offensive weapon, Fermin is certainly not the black hole that Maldonado and Diaz were. Fermin had a career .268/.314/.383 slash line in K.C. with a high of nine homers in 235 plate appearances in 2023. Those numbers slipped to .244/.278/.339 in 42 games as the Friars' regular catcher following the deal, though that drop in performance can at least be partially attributed to Fermin focusing on getting to know a whole new set of pitchers. But now in 2026, Fermin is firmly the No. 1 catcher, with Campusano as the backup. Campusano is the more accomplished hitter, but not the defender that Fermin is. Fermin has a terrific pop time of 1.90 seconds, which is in the 88th percentile, and led to a caught-stealing above average that was in the 76th percentile. His blocks also ranked in the 72nd percentile. His framing is certainly his weakest skill behind the plate, but with the introduction of the ABS system this year, the team should be able to mitigate some of that. The 27-year-old Campusano spent all but 10 games of 2025 at Triple-A El Paso, where he tore it up. In 105 games and 472 plate appearances, he had a slash line of .336/.441/.595 with 25 homers and 95 RBIs, yet did not get a call to the majors when the Padres needed offense from the catching position. In the majors, Campusano has a career slash line of .240/.294/.372 over 178 games with inconsistent playing time. The Bad Picking up on that last note, why wasn't Campusano brought up? Campusano's pop time from 2024 at the MLB level was 1.97 seconds, which was in the 38th percentile, while his framing, caught-sealing above average and blocks above average were all in the bottom nine percentiles. In other words, he's bad behind the plate. How much did that catching improve at Triple-A last year or over the winter, as he played 13 games in the Dominican Winter League? The Padres appear convinced it will be good enough to at least spell Fermin once or twice a week. Campusano is out of minor-league options, so it would require putting him through waivers to send him back to the minors, perhaps a reason why A.J. Preller, the Friars' president of baseball operations, decided to stick with Campusano this spring. After all, he was a fairly highly touted prospect just a few years ago. As for the 30-year-old Fermin, while his offense is solid enough, he doesn't bring much in the way of productivity besides a rather routine batting average. His average exit velocity last year of 89.1 mph ranked in the 39th percentile of all MLB hitters. And other than a strikeout percentage of 18.7% that ranked in the 66th percentile, everything other notable metric was worse than his exit velocity numbers. The Bottom Line The Royals were willing to part with Fermin for two reasons. First, they got two young starting pitchers in return. Second, Fermin was going to start getting expensive, as he was arbitration-eligible for the first time this past offseason. How this experiment works out with Fermin, a defense-first catcher who provides a little bit of offense, and Campusano, an offense-first catcher who struggles defensively, will be interesting to watch. As long as Fermin can hit in the .250 range in his first season as an everyday catcher, you would think the Friars would be happy with that and the defense he brings. How much rope Campusano is given is another question. There were thoughts early in spring training of carrying three catchers, with Hunt being the backup and Campusano getting time at designated hitter and perhaps first base in addition to pinch-hitting. But with other moves made to create a logjam at first base and DH, that is no longer an option. That doesn't mean there aren't better days coming for the Padres at catcher. Salas, arguably the top prospect in the organization, should be starting the season at Double-A, where he played just 10 games last year due to a stress reaction in his back. Salas is elite defensively and has 20-homer potential. A healthy 2026 could put him in the mix for the starting job as early as next spring. View the full article

Spring training is entering its final stretch, and the roster decisions are starting to come quickly. With Opening Day set for March 26 against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, the Minnesota Twins are beginning to finalize the final pieces of their pitching staff. On Monday, the club reduced its bullpen competition by sending two relievers out of major league camp. Minnesota reassigned right-handers Julian Merryweather and Grant Hartwig to minor league camp as the organization inches closer to setting its Opening Day bullpen. Both pitchers entered camp as non-roster invitees looking to pitch their way onto the major league roster. With the calendar now showing mid-March, the Twins are clearly entering the phase of spring where roster battles become more defined. The moves leave the organization with 45 players still active in big league camp, including 21 pitchers. However, that number does not fully reflect the group competing for Opening Day jobs. Right-hander David Festa is expected to begin the season on the injured list, while right-hander Travis Adams has been limited by elbow inflammation during camp. If Adams is not ready for the start of the season, the Twins would be left with roughly 13 relievers competing for what is expected to be eight bullpen spots on the 26-man roster. Merryweather showed flashes early in camp before his progress was halted by injury. The hard-throwing right-hander strained his left hamstring during his first Grapefruit League appearance on February 24. Since then, he has thrown several bullpen sessions but has not yet returned to game action. Hartwig saw plenty of work this spring, appearing in seven Grapefruit League games. The results were uneven as he allowed eight earned runs on seven hits and two walks across 7 1/3 innings. For both pitchers, the reassignment does not necessarily close the door on helping the Twins later this season. Injuries and performance fluctuations often lead to bullpen shuffling throughout the year, and strong outings in the minors can quickly put a reliever back on the radar. For now, though, Minnesota continues narrowing the field. With only days remaining before the season opener in Baltimore, the Twins are quickly approaching the moment when speculation ends, and the final 26-man roster becomes reality. View the full article

Andrew Morris might not be the flashiest pitching prospect in the Twins’ system, but his command and impressive arsenal make him one of the more intriguing arms in the organization. After a strong season at Triple-A, the 24-year-old could be closer to the majors than a lot of people realize. View the full article

Jarren Duran has been making a bold statement before the start of 2026 spring training. Is his power a sign of what's to come? Jarren Duran's 2025 regression was largely characterized by a decline in luck and plate discipline rather than a loss of physical power. Preseason action is justifying that he's retaining better discipline at the plate. View the full article

Daniel Palencia has pitched seven scoreless innings this spring. The first three were virtually meaningless Cactus League warmups. The last four have been some of the biggest games of his life, serving as the closer for Team Venezuela in its first-ever run to the finals of the World Baseball Classic. He closed down wins for his country in both the quarterfinals against Japan on Saturday and the semifinals against Italy on Monday. Now, there's a tough question at hand. Relievers don't work three times in four days during March. That simply doesn't happen. It's not even something rubber-armed guys do to get ready for that pattern when it arises during the regular season; it's viewed as a greater risk than it's worth. However, Palencia has pitched twice in the last three days, including Monday night. If Venezuela has a late lead it needs to protect, will he be available to pitch? The answer isn't clear. Team USA closer Mason Miller is in a similar situation, having pitched both Thursday and Saturday, but he has an extra day of rest in his would-be three-appearance window—and still, neither he nor the team is yet committing to him being able to go. Miller did need a combined 40 pitches to get through his outings Thursday and Saturday, though. Palencia has yet to throw more than 17 pitches in a WBC game, and only needed 13 and 15 to mow down Japan and Italy, respectively. With hard throwers, in particular, a heavy early workload feels risky. There's no getting around the fact that Cubs fans have divided allegiances, because for many of them, the top priority is having Palencia healthy for the full regular season and (they hope) postseason ahead. Indeed, realistically, that's the nature of the relationship between MLB and international baseball right now: the latter is subservient to the former. Major League Baseball puts on the WBC; the event has little hope of real independence from the league. In my opinion, though, if the right moment comes, Palencia has to be on that mound. The Cubs should contact Venezuelan manager Omar López expressly to tell him that he has their blessing to go to his closer. This could easily be the biggest baseball moment of Palencia's life—even bigger than winning a World Series in the States. He deserves the opportunity, and international baseball needs that boost in legitimacy. Players take extended breaks from the top soccer clubs in the world several times each season to reunite with their national teams for various competitions and qualifiers. Sometimes, guys get hurt during international duty, as happened to Seiya Suzuki in the quarterfinals of the WBC. Other times, when a player needed a true break, playing for their country further wears them out instead, and they need to be lightly used for a period after returning from abroad. It's never fun when these things happen, but there's little expectation from fans that clubs will exercise power over the player or some national federation to prevent them from playing. That's the culture we need to pursue with baseball. If players want to play winter ball in Australia or in the Caribbean, they shouldn't need their MLB team's permission. When players join their national teams for the WBC or the Olympics, they shouldn't be constrained in usage by the dictates of their home club. We can move forward, toward a less MLB-centric baseball world. It can be a more vibrant world, and a more immersive one. Injury risk is a part of the game, but it should be a shared burden, and letting players and lesser leagues have more power to decide when and how players are used would do that—while also fostering the growth of shared benefits, like a game with greater global popularity and a more year-round calendar. It's clear that pitching for Venezuela is important to Palencia. He looks strong. He's been efficient. He has a chance to create the memory of a lifetime Tuesday night, if the right situation arises. If that happens, López should give him that chance, and the Cubs and their fans should be rooting unreservedly for a showdown between Palencia and Alex Bregman or Pete Crow-Armstrong with everything on the line. View the full article

Their vaunted rotation-fronting trio was to be foundational for Minnesota's hopes of fielding an unlikely contender this year. When Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober are healthy and on their games, it's hard to discount this team. Unfortunately, López went down with a season-ending elbow injury on the first day of spring training. Ryan and Ober were slow to get going in the first half of camp, and both have question marks attached to them entering their second-to-last seasons under team control. It's unclear which version of Ober we're going to get this year, and whether Ryan will still be a Twin after the deadline. These factors increase the urgency for the next wave of pitching talent to firmly establish itself in the major leagues. It is going to be the central storyline of this season, with major implications for the team's ability to compete in 2026 and contend for a championship down the road. TWINS STARTING PITCHERS AT A GLANCE Projected Rotation: Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel Depth: Zebby Matthews, Andrew Morris, David Festa Prospects: Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, Dasan Hill, Charlee Soto, Riley Quick Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 16th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 14th out of 30 THE GOOD The Twins have invested heavily in turning their pitching pipeline into a strength. They used high draft picks on Connor Prielipp, Dasan Hill, Charlee Soto and Riley Quick. They targeted Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel and Kendry Rojas in high-profile deadline trades. Several of those pitchers on the verge of joining the MLB rotation mix, if not on already in it. Others are rising fast through the minors and garnering acclaim. It's an exciting group. Woods Richardson has proven himself as at least a solid big-league starter, and his strong finish last year hinted at more to unlock. Bradley undoubtedly has more to unlock as a former top prospect who hasn't quite pulled it all together, but is still only 24. Rojas and Abel have commanded attention with their performances in camp, and the latter is angling for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. Abel is competing for that spot against Zebby Matthews, who was conversely not acquired via any ambitious investment, but rather through savvy drafting and development. He's gone from eighth-round draft pick to potentially entrenching himself in the major-league rotation if he can stay healthy and find consistency. Much like Bradley, Rojas and Abel, Matthews has frontline-caliber stuff and that's plain to see. Same goes for David Festa, who will hopefully be able to rebound from a shoulder setback and contribute. This deep assortment of promising arms could give the Twins a big advantage when facing lesser fourth and fifth starters for other clubs. The top of the rotation took a major hit with the loss of López, but in such a scenario, few teams could turn to an alternative No. 1 starter as good as Ryan. He's coming off an All-Star season at age 29. This year, only 11 AL starters are projected for a higher fWAR than Ryan's 3.1. The right-hander was slowed out of the gates in camp by a minor back tweak, but threw three innings in his spring debut last week and went four in a crisp outing on Monday. Minnesota projects as a middle-of-the-pack team for starting pitching. If some of these young starters and post-hype prospects take real steps forward, they can easily finish a lot higher. The front office is counting on just that. THE BAD In a recent survey, MLB coaches and executives were asked to name the best teams at pitching acquisition and development. The Twins received only four votes, ranking near the bottom. That's not what we were hoping for after seven years of Derek Falvey's leadership. For all the talk of his pitching specialization, and all the success stories we've seen sort of start to materialize, not that many panned out under Falvey. Injuries have ravaged the pitching pipeline. Guys like Matthews and Festa, who rose to prominence as prospects, have stalled out in their entry to the majors. And the Twins are taking on several more similarly intriguing but unfinished projects that other orgs more or less gave up on in Bradley, Abel and Rojas. Jeremy Zoll now leads baseball ops for the Twins, but otherwise the faces are mostly the same. Pete Maki survived a coaching shakeup and still runs the pitching staff. These guys need to buck the trend and turn some young arms into actual difference-makers in the MLB rotation. Past successes are already starting to fade from the picture. López will be coming back from Tommy John surgery in his final season under contract. Ryan seems somewhat unlikely to make it past this trade deadline as a Twin. And Ober saw a dramatic drop-off last year due to a velocity loss that shows no sign of being resolved. No doubt these emerging arms entering the fold can be good. They just haven't been good yet. Bradley has a 4.86 career ERA, including 6.61 with the Twins last year. Able has a 6.23 career ERA (8.36 with Twins). Matthews and Festa haven't turned the corner, with ERAs over five. Rojas has yet to find success in Triple-A. At the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. THE BOTTOM LINE This is going to be a transitional year for the Twins rotation. The younger starters have a chance to stake their claims and position this unit for a bright future, but they need to stay healthy and turn promise into results. Up until now, none have really been able to do it on the big-league stage. I don't want to say "now or never" for them because they've all got time left to figure things out, but if several don't do it now, the Twins will never have a chance in 2026. Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Shortstop Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Left Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Center Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Right Field Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Designated Hitter View the full article

When it comes to evaluating pitchers and their pitches, pitch modeling is all the rage. Whether it's models from Eno Sarris (Fangraphs), Jeremy Maschino (Pitch Profiler), or Kyle Bland (Pitcher List), pitching models give us a chance to understand how the characteristics of a pitcher's particular offering contribute to preventing runs. Thomas Nestico's pitch model, TJ Stuff+, has been one of my favorite models, mostly because I believe in the data he selects and analyzes. Furthermore, TJ Stats' presentation of the data, especially through his pitcher summaries, makes the most sense to me for understanding pitch effectiveness. When it comes to what TJ Stuff+ does, there are three key characteristics: A full deep dive into the TJ Stuff+ process is available in this Medium article published by Nestico in 2024. With that context about TJ Stuff+, Nestico's TJ Stats site has seen massive improvement over the past year and has been one of the best resources this spring for acquiring and breaking down pitch-modeling data from Spring Training. With every MLB Spring Training ballpark having public Statcast data, fans can get a breakdown of pitcher TJ Stuff+ every outing and overall this spring as well. Thus, with Opening Day coming up in 10 days, I wanted to see which Royals pitchers have been the top performers this spring in TJ Stuff+, whether in Cactus League play or WBC competition. A full leaderboard of Royals pitchers and their TJ Stuff+ marks can be seen here. Let's take a look at five Kansas City pitchers who have thrived this spring in TJ Stuff+ and what Royals fans can take away from those particular pitchers' metrics in preparation for the upcoming season. Steven Cruz, RHP, 107 Overall TJ Stuff+ Cruz hasn't seen a whole lot of work this spring, as he has only pitched 4.2 innings and thrown 56 total pitches. However, in his limited work, the 26-year-old righty has been sensational on a TJ Stuff+ end. The 6'7 pitcher leads all Royals with a 107 overall TJ stuff+ mark this spring. That includes two pitches with TJ Stuff+ marks of 110: his four-seamer and slider. His four-seamer has been his best pitch not just in terms of velocity (96.6 MPH), but also whiff rate (70%) and xwOBACON (.274). The pitch has shown some growth for Cruz over the past year in generating better iVB while still maintaining the horizontal break (HB) that makes it a unique fastball offering. When he locates the four-seamer effectively in the zone (especially up), it can be an effective offering, especially in two-strike counts. Here's an example of Cruz pumping the four-seamer 101.2 MPH last year to Cal Raleigh and striking him out. His slider has also been an effective offering in terms of TJ Stuff+ and zone rate (58.8%). He hasn't generated as many chases (28.6%) or whiffs (18.2%) with his primary breaking offer, but he may still be working on the command of the pitch this spring. I think once he gets more ramped up, his slider will be an effective secondary offering for him. Last year, he produced a 24.5% whiff rate and .201 xwOBA on the slider. The only pitch that has been underwhelming is the cutter, which has a 99 TJ Stuff+. Cruz has been flooding the zone with the offering (69.2%), but it's been getting hit hard (.691 xwOBACON). The cutter was a great put-away pitch for him last year (36.4%), but it wasn't a great overall whiff pitch (19%). His cutter was his second-most-thrown offering last year (25.5%), so I wonder if Cruz will throw his cutter less and slider more in 2026, based on his Spring Training trend. Cole Ragans, LHP, 104 Overall TJ Stuff+ Ragans has been the Royals' second-best pitcher in terms of overall TJ Stuff+ and the best starter this spring in this category. He has four pitches with a 100 TJ Stuff+ or higher, including his four-seamer, slider, changeup, and cutter. He also has three pitches with 60 grades or higher (four-seamer, slider, and changeup). His four-seamer and slider have been his main weapons in Cactus League play, as Ragans has thrown them 53.4% and 18.7% of the time, respectively. His four-seamer is generating a 30.2% chase and 37.7% whiff, and his slider has a 47.8% cahse and 43.5% whiff. The four-seamer has gotten hit a bit hard, with a .535 xwOBACON. That said, it's Spring Training, and Ragans' command is still getting ramped up (46.6% zone rate). Ragans generated a 43.4% whiff rate and 28.9% put away rate on his slider in 2025. He threw it only 13.8% of the time last year, nearly 5% lower than his usage this spring. When the slider is working, it's his best swing-and-miss offering, as illustrated in this strikeout of Austin Hedges last year. He's only been using the knuckle curve sparingly this spring, with an 8.8% usage. That's four percent down from a year ago. However, it only has a 97 TJ Stuff+ and a 40 grade, so it makes sense why Ragans would opt for the slider more and the curve less in Arizona. It will be interesting to see if this usage breakdown carries over to the regular season. Ryan Bergert, RHP, 102 TJ Stuff+ The results haven't been great for Bergert this spring. After a strong start, he has a 6.52 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 9.2 IP. To make matters worse, his FIP is worse than his ERA at 9.46. That doesn't bode well for him getting a spot on the Opening Day, though Spring Training numbers always have to be taken with a grain of salt. On a positive note, the stuff has been solid for Bergert in Cactus League play. He has an overall TJ Stuff+ of 102 with four pitches with TJ Stuff+ marks over 100 (four-seamer, slider, sweeper, and curveball). He also has a chase rate of 36.5% and a whiff rate of 34.7%. What's interesting, however, is that despite those strong chase and whiff numbers, he has a pretty mediocre K% (19%). Thus, putting away batters has been a work in progress for Bergert this spring. An issue is that Bergert's control has been erratic, as evidenced by his 43.5% zone rate. One concerning pitch related to this trend has been his slider. It has a 106 TJ Stuff+ and some great chase (45.2%) and whiff (54.8%) rates. However, it has a 42.6% zone rate and .497 xwOBACON. A primary issue is that it hasn't been all that effective against lefties this spring, according to his heatmap data from TJ Stats. The slider has a 52.8% CSW and 80% whiff rate against righties. However, it has only a 16.7% CSW and a 9.1% whiff rate against lefties. He is also leaving the pitch a lot more in the zone against righties, which explains why he's not generating as many whiffs. Bergert has thrown the slider 19.6% of the time against lefties this spring, so it is used fairly often. Hence, ironing out the command on the pitch to generate more strikes, especially of the whiff variety, could make his slider more effective overall in 2026 (and thus help his strikeout problem in Spring Training). Dennis Colleran, RHP, 102 TJ Stuff+ Colleran has been one of the best non-roster invitee stories this spring for the Royals. In four innings of work in Cactus League play, he posted a 0.00 ERA, 0.25 WHIP, 1.65 FIP, and a 25% K% and K-BB%. When it comes to results, no NRI pitching prospect was more impressive than the former Northeastern product. In terms of TJ Stuff+ data, there was also a lot to like with Colleran this spring. The 22-year-old righty posted a 102 overall TJ Stuff+ with a 55.2% zone rate, 30.8% chase, 33.3% whiff, and .241 xwOBACON. All those metrics are not just above-average, but quite stellar. Even though Colleran was already sent to Minor League Camp for the remainder of Spring Training, he may be a candidate for a midseason or end-of-year call-up if he progresses in Minor League ball as expected in 2026. One of Colleran's most intriguing pitches was his four-seamer, which he threw 34.5% of the time this spring. The four-seamer averaged 98.2 MPH and had an excellent chase rate (33.3%), whiff rate (45.5%), and xwOBACON (.277). However, the TJ Stuff+ was mediocre at 99. When it comes to shape, Colleran's four-seamer is pretty atypical. It has more horizontal movement with a 12.7 HB. As a result, his iVB is lower than typical for a four-seamer, at 11.6. Colleran has a pretty horizontal arm angle at 19 degrees, so increasing the iVB should be possible. However, it's a bit flatter, moving more like a sinker than a traditional four-seamer. Here's a look at the heatmap data of Colleran's four-seamer, and it's interesting to note how much he left it in the zone this spring. Now, the middle location of those four-seamers didn't hurt him too much. He had a 33.3% CSW against lefties and 50% CSW against righties, as well as xwOBACON marks of .321 and .263, against lefties and righties, respectively. However, when it came to the quality of competition, he had an Opponent Quality of 6.4, according to Baseball-Reference. That is just below Double-A competition on their scale. Thus, Colleran still has some things to work on, especially with his four-seamer. The velocity is there. The swing-and-miss ability is there. However, generating a better shape on the pitch will help him in his transition to the Major Leagues, whether it's this year or next. Luinder Avila, RHP, 102 Overall TJ Stuff+ Avila has been one of the more intriguing pitchers for the Royals this spring, as his outlook for 2026 still feels a bit in flux. On one hand, it seems that Matt Quatraro and the organization believe Avila can still develop into a frontline starting pitcher at the MLB level. If that's the case, then it would make sense for Avila to begin the year in Triple-A Omaha so he can get starts and innings. That's hard to do now at the Major League level with a crowded Royals rotation. However, looking at his repertoire and TJ Stats summary, it's hard to fully buy into Avila as a starter for now. The Venezuelan-born pitcher has an elite curveball that demonstrated a 107 TJ Stuff+ and a 66 grade this spring. He had some trouble with locating it in Arizona, as evidenced by his 38.6% zone rate and 18.5% chase. However, he still had a 35.7% whiff rate on the pitch, which shows its effectiveness at generating swing-and-miss swings. The big area of focus with Avila is his fastball offerings, specifically his sinker and four-seamer. The pitches have average grades, with his sinker at 96 TJ Stuff+ and his four-seamer at 101 TJ Stuff+. That said, despite having a lower TJ Stuff+, this sinker has been more effective this spring for Avila, as he is generating a 37.5% chase, 35% whiff, and .171 xwOBACON with the pitch. His four-seamer has a better TJ Stuff+ but lags in whiff (15.4%) and xwOBACON (.627). What's intriguing about Avila's sinker and four-seamer is that when he's fully letting loose of it in high-pressure situations, like the WBC, he has seen a sharp jump in pitch quality. That was the case in Monday's WBC semi-final, as he went 2.1 IP and posted excellent stuff metrics in his relief appearance against Italy. Not only did Avila have a 106 overall TJ Stuff+ against Italy, but he had three pitches with grades over 70 (curveball, changeup, and four-seamer), and all of his pitches were over 60. He didn't generate a lot of whiff (11.8%), but he did a solid job when it came to inducing chase (38.9%) and weak contact (.291 xwOBACON). Thus, would Avila be better served in the bullpen, where his stuff could play up in the big, high-leverage moments? The data seems to point in that direction, though the decision will ultimately fall on Quatraro and GM JJ Picollo. Safe to say, after a strong MLB debut in 2025 (1.29 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 14 IP) and a strong spring in the Cactus League and WBC play, it will be tough to leave Avila off the Royals' Opening Day roster. View the full article

Having spent the last couple of weeks examining the top 20 prospects in the Chicago Cubs organization (as voted on by our North Side Baseball writers), we, at last, turn our attention to the man in the top spot who may lack a position but not a future in Chicago. Be sure to check out all of our previous rankings! Prospects #20-16 Prospects #15-11 Prospect #10 - James Triantos Prospect #9 - Josiah Hartshorn Prospect #8 - Kane Kepley Prospect #7 - Pedro Ramirez Prospect #6 - Ethan Conrad Prospect #5 - Jonathon Long Prospect #4 - Kevin Alcantara Prospect #3 - Jefferson Rojas Prospect #2 - Jaxon Wiggins #1 - Moisés Ballesteros (Iowa Cubs, Triple-A) A relatively quick riser through the Cubs' system after being signed out of Venezuela in 2021, the 2025 campaign was Ballesteros' first extended action in Triple-A. The year prior, he split between Knoxville and Iowa, with his first taste of the higher level leading to an uptick in strikeouts, a dip in walks, and a fall in his wRC+ (to exactly average, 100). An adjustment manifested quickly, however. Last year, Ballesteros was back in Iowa to start the year. Across more than 500 plate appearances, he slashed .316/.385/.473, with a 13.2 percent strikeout rate that was eight points lower than when he initially reached that level. The walk rate crept back up (9.6 percent), and his total body of work featured a wRC+ that came in at 121. One might have hoped for a bit more in the power game (.157 ISO), but the bat-to-ball skills were on display enough that Ballesteros was able to earn a cup of coffee with the Cubs. In 20 games, he finished at a 143 wRC+ and showcased some particularly encouraging signs toward what his future could look like in the lineup. What To Like The bat is big-league ready. Ballesteros has already proven that much, both through the evidence in Iowa and his small body of work in Chicago. Ballesteros made contact at an 81.8 percent rate in Iowa last year and didn't experience too much of a downturn upon his call-up (77.6 percent). In addition to quality contact skills, he's plenty capable of driving it to all fields; he split between a 35.6 percent pull rate and a 33.4 percent opposite-field rate in Iowa. What's more is that his swing is adaptable. Our Matt Trueblood recently explored this as a benefit within Ballesteros' game. Not only is he capable of creating consistent contact, but he's able to generate different types of it based on pitch type. While that skill will continue to evolve, that's part of the reason we see such a wide distribution of his hits to each portion of the field. For an organization that likes efficiency in their swings, it's hard to find a better prototype. However, there's just a bit more nuance needed within that offensive profile before we're ready to declare Moisés Ballesteros an everyday bat for the 2026 Cubs. What To Work On From an offensive standpoint, Ballesteros has work to do on two fronts. The first is adjusting the approach to suit his skill set. Yes, he can create contact from various parts of the zone and spin that into hits in any part of the field. But he could also be seizing more opportunities to create impactful contact: There's just a touch too much aggression in Ballesteros' approach at present. He's able to compensate well given the aforementioned bat-to-ball skills and inherent ability to avoid whiffs, but he's also not finding the barrel at the type of rate one might expect, and there's room for growth in his overall hard-hit rate. Further, there's a bit more elevation needed if Ballesteros is to get his game moving to the next level. He spent 49.6 percent of the time on the ground with his contact last year and was up over 62 percent in his small sample with the major-league club. While the all-fields contact offers its share of benefits, the nature of such an adaptable swing should allow him to lean into the pull side just a bit more. If Ballesteros' ability to recognize pitches continues to develop, that varying swing path should be able to produce such results to a degree that will allow him to reap the benefits of an increased barrel and hard-hit rate. On the defensive side, the picture has been murky for quite some time. The Cubs are continuing to develop Ballesteros as a catcher, despite the fact that he appeared there just once in his 20 major-league games last season. His arm is decent from behind the plate, but he has enough work to do in virtually every facet with the glove that any answers about his long-term position might have to wait until the end of 2026 at the soonest. Nevertheless, his offensive profile should earn him regular work as a designated hitter, and demonstration of the refinement needed in his bat could make a defined defensive position somewhat unnecessary. What's Next There are two paths before Moisés Ballesteros ahead of 2026. The first is that Seiya Suzuki slides back into regular work in right field following Kyle Tucker's departure, freeing up the designated hitter role for Ballesteros. Perhaps he gets occasional work behind the plate, but he factors into the lineup on the strength of his bat almost exclusively. Maybe he draws an occasional start or appearance at first base, but that part seems less likely for a player standing 5'8". That's assuming he doesn't falter at the plate, with some adjustments to his approach manifesting into one of the better hitters on the team. Of course, the possibility exists that the team goes in a different direction, wherein Ballesteros gets just a bit more seasoning in Triple-A, especially to work on his defensive game. With Carson Kelly reaching free agency following the year, the Cubs will have some space behind the dish. Extra time to develop the glove and all of the intricacies that come with being a big-league catcher could do Ballesteros some good. Injuries could land him back up on the Cubs' roster at a decent rate, but the focus remains on development in this case. In terms of a one-or-the-other scenario, the former feels far more likely. The Cubs could certainly work with Ballesteros the catcher at the top level throughout the year, even if it features fewer game reps. They could go that route while keeping Ballesteros the batter in the lineup on a regular basis. With a decent volume of bench options remaining in camp, though, it might not be entirely unreasonable to see them go the latter path, either. Either way, we're likely to see a whole bunch of the hitting artist known as Mo Baller throughout the 2026 season. View the full article

Big questions gnaw at the Kansas City Royals. Will offseason acquisitions Isaac Collins, Lane Thomas, and now Starling Marte, breathe more life into the infamously poor offensive production of KC’s outfielders? Can Jonathan India or Michael Massey come through at second base? Will the starting rotation, so strong in 2024, shake the injury bug that struck too hard and too often in 2025? And is Jac Caglianone ready to prove he can handle big league pitching? No such questions, though, loom over Kansas City’s catchers. When the Royals take the field at Atlanta’s Truist Park to open the season against the Braves on March 27, and absent a late spring training injury, look for nine-time All-Star Salvador Perez behind the plate, where only twice since 2013, his first full big league season, has he not been stationed on Opening Day. And backing him up will be promising Carter Jensen, the franchise’s No. 1 prospect and heir apparent to Perez when the club captain retires. But expect some change at the position. Not a lot, mind you, but some. Royals Catchers At A Glance Starter: Salvador Perez Backup: Carter Jensen Depth: Luca Tresh, Elias Díaz, Jorge Alfaro Prospects: Blake Mitchell, Ramon Ramirez, Hyungchan Um Royals fWAR Ranking Last Year: 18th of 30 Royals fWAR Projection This Year: 18th of 30 The Good There’s a lot about his catchers for manager Matt Quatraro, a former professional backstop himself, to like. Perez, still primarily a catcher as he preps for his 15th big league campaign, threw out 43.8% of runners who tested his arm last season (43.9% is his career high) and KC pitchers seem well-satisfied with his game-calling. His five Gold Gloves speak for themselves. And although the five-time Silver Slugger winner slashed only .236/.284/.446 in 2025, his 30 homers and 100 RBI prove he can still produce. Jensen is, of course, a work in progress, but the progress is excellent. After slashing .290/.377/.501 with 20 homers and 76 RBI in 111 games split between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha last season, he spent September with the Royals, where his 20-game .300/.391/.550 line and 159 wRC+ made him a cinch for the club’s 2026 Opening Day roster. He’ll also get plenty of work at DH. Perez and Jensen will probably be it for the Royals — carrying a third catcher seems unlikely. But the club should be in good stead if injuries hit: Luca Tresh can be called up from Omaha in a pinch, and don’t be surprised if at least one of the two major league veterans working in spring camp on non-roster invitations — Elias Díaz or Jorge Alfaro — sticks around and heads to Omaha with Tresh. There’s also Blake Mitchell, our No. 2 KC prospect who’s in line for No. 1 when Jensen compiles enough big league time to drop off its list. Mitchell, the Royals’ top 2023 draft pick, will reach the majors, but probably later rather than sooner — he’s had some bad injury luck and has yet to see a Double-A pitch. Don’t be shocked, though, if the club gives him a taste of The Show in September. The Bad Perez isn’t, and never will be, a great framer, and he doesn’t block pitches as well as he used to. He’s also entering his age-36 season and will need more time at first base and DH than he’s accustomed to. All that isn’t terrible, though, and beyond the need to rely more on the less-experienced Jensen behind the plate, there isn’t much about KC’s catching to worry Quatraro. The Bottom Line The Royals are in good shape behind the plate. Expect good performances from Perez and Jensen, with Jensen making even more strides under Perez’s tutelage. Previous Installments: Second Base Position Analysis View the full article

Baseball is back, and there’s no better way to celebrate opening day than surrounded by the Twins Daily community. Cold beer, great food, watching baseball with friends, and more – that is how we’re kicking off the 2026 season. The Twins Daily Social Club is heading back to BlackStack Brewing for another Opening Day watch party after the incredible turnout and atmosphere last year. Their team helped make it unforgettable, so teaming up again was an easy call. This year’s opener features a fascinating matchup as the Minnesota Twins take on the Baltimore Orioles: two talented clubs with plenty of star power and plenty to prove right out of the gate. Twins fans will be eager to see how the lineup looks from the very first pitch. All eyes will be on stars like Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan, while fans are excited to watch emerging talent such as Luke Keaschall continue to make his mark. Opening Day always brings a little extra electricity – the first crack of the bat, the first big defensive play, the first chance to imagine what the season could become. The Orioles bring plenty of excitement of their own. Dynamic young stars like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman have turned Baltimore into one of the most entertaining teams in baseball, making this season opener matchup one fans across the league are looking forward to. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 pm on Thursday, March 26, and the Twins Daily Social Club will have the game on with a full house of fans ready to cheer. Our party kicks off an hour before first pitch, at 1:00 pm. The best part? You don’t need to buy a ticket. Simply RSVP using the Eventbrite link we will send out later this week, which will include full details for this year’s watch party. When you arrive and check in with the Twins Daily crew, we will get you set up with your first raffle ticket and everything else you need to enjoy a fantastic Opening Day with fellow fans. Stay tuned for more details about the event, the prizes we’ll be giving away, and everything else we have planned. Baseball is almost back. Let’s celebrate together. EVENT DETAILS What: Twins Daily Social Club's Opening Day Watch Party Cost: Free When: 1 pm, March 26, 2026 Where: Blackstack Brewing, 755 Prior Ave N, St Paul, MN View the full article

Before the start of the 2023 season, Statcast introduced the sweeper as a new label for certain breaking pitches, separating them from tighter, harder sliders. Since then, the term has found a strong foothold in the modern pitching vernacular. Sweeping sliders themselves aren’t new, but the classification came about as more pitchers and coaches learned to generate the sidespin that creates more extreme lateral break than gyro sliders have, without much depth. That means more pitchers throw it now, including some who throw both sweepers and gyro-spin sliders. Once several pitchers threw both, it became especially useful to have distinct labels for the two different offerings. But as the percentage of pitches tagged as sweepers has steadily increased over the last few seasons, the Brewers have lagged behind. In fact, they cut their sweeper usage last year. Pitching coach Chris Hook and the rest of Milwaukee’s pitching development team have nothing against sweepers, but they generally prefer shorter pitches that spend time in the strike zone, particularly for multi-inning pitchers. They often encourage bulk pitchers to throw more cutters and sinkers, instead of a bigger breaking pitch. Veteran starters Aaron Civale and Tyler Alexander threw fewer sweepers and more fastballs after joining the Brewers, even though those breaking pitches were previously among their most effective. Brandon Woodruff developed a sweeper while rehabbing from shoulder surgery, but he quickly realized he had a better feel for pairing a new cutter with his two existing fastballs. Prospect Coleman Crow, whose signature pitch is a big, high-spin curveball, has thrown his cutter more than any other pitch in big-league camp this year, after it was just a supporting pitch in the minor leagues last season. Sammy Peralta featured the sweeper last season; the team's first recommendation after claiming him last fall was to add a cutter. All indications have been that the Brewers are keeping that emphasis on in-zone pitches at the heart of their pitching philosophy, but sweepers could complement that approach more than in recent seasons. Crow and DL Hall have added sweepers to their arsenal. Brandon Sproat, who could crack the Opening Day rotation, has continued throwing his sweeper 14.3% of the time in Cactus League outings since coming over via trade. Sweeper specialist Robert Gasser is also set for a fully healthy season after spending much of 2025 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. And they did claim Peralta, after all, which shows a certain openness to acquiring guys for whom the sweeper is important and not a candidate to be scrapped or neglected. The Brewers may apply elements of a larger philosophy to most of their pitchers, but above all else, they try to avoid putting them into a box. This year’s staff will still live mostly off fastballs, but it may be better equipped to sprinkle in more sweeping breaking balls than last year's version was. Whether that was a conscious change of course or just a product of organic efforts to improve the team one move and one player at a time, they're evolving. View the full article

Talk Sox's top prospect rankings for the 2026 season has officially reached the elite tier of prospects, featuring a young arm making some Top-100 noise after getting selected in the first round by the Boston Red Sox last summer. Be sure to check out all of our previous rankings here: Part 1 (Nos. 16-20) Part 2 (Nos. 11-15) Part 3 (No. 10) Part 4 (No. 9) Part 5 (No. 8) Part 6 (No. 7) Part 7 (No. 6) Part 8 (No. 5) Boston Red Sox Top Prospects: No. 4 Kyson Witherspoon The Red Sox were lauded for a strong performance during last year's annual amateur player selection process, especially during the first day of the draft. The biggest steal of that day could be argued as any of the three pitchers the Red Sox drafted, however, none stand out more than the first player who fell right into their laps. Drafted 15th overall, Kyson Witherspoon was viewed as a consensus top-10 talent prior to the event. Fortunately for the Red Sox, the right-handed pitcher from Oklahoma State slipped and ended up available right in the middle of the first round. Witherspoon dominated in his final season at Oklahoma to the tune of a 10-4 record and 2.65 ERA in 16 starts. In that span, he threw 95 innings and struck out 124 batters, thanks in part to his velocity and secondary pitches that have scouts drooling over his potential. Witherspoon, who turned 21 in mid-August, made significant strides during his college career and is already implementing some changes in Boston. One of the more notable alterations to his profile was the addition of a sweeper he worked on over the winter with Driveline, and the pitch is already flashing some impressive break. No prospect with the Red Sox averaged close to 20 inches of horizontal break with a sweeper, but Witherspoon’s managed that after one offseason of working on the pitch. The rest of Witherspoon’s arsenal is made up of a fastball, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. Unlike other pitching targets by the Red Sox, his extension is under six feet (averaged around 5.7 feet). However, he’s able to repeat his delivery easily and hides the ball well throughout his throwing motion. His fastball averaged 95 to 97 mph in college, which he maintained during his first two innings of game action in minor-league spring training. His velocity seems to have improved since being drafted (in terms of maintaining upper-echelon consistency), which will pair well with his strong command. However, the pitch gets its bat-missing ability from its velocity and not its shape. His cutter was used often in college as a pitch he threw for consistent strikes. Velocity-wise, it averaged between 88 and 91 mph, though it's shown an ability to miss bats while also inducing batters to chase outside the zone. Likewise, his slider is a pitch he was able to use to generate whiffs, especially against right-handed batters. Both pitches have plus tendencies and are viewed as being potentially above average. The curveball, on the other hand, is seen as a middling offering, and that's if he learns to consistently land it in the zone. In college, it sat 78 to 82 mph and is considered to have good depth on its break. When he’s able to command and control it he can generate a few whiffs. His changeup is certainly the one that needs the most development (ignoring the new sweeper). The pitch has managed to reach the low-90s, but it was his least used offering in college and lacks the fade/tail to really dominate lefties down and away. Overall, Witherspoon has a chance to join the likes of Payton Tolle and Connolly Early as pitchers who moved through the system quickly. He's got a projectable mid-rotation future, though there's no denying the ace upside occasionally flashing in his profile. His fastball, despite being viewed as his best pitch, could also be in line for some tweaking should the Red Sox want it to have a different shape. Witherspoon, barring a surprise placement, will open the season in Greenville much like Tolle did the year prior. Though, should he dominate High-A batters, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he is promoted to Portland by some point in June. The Red Sox have been aggressive the last few years when it comes to promoting prospects that are performing well, and it shouldn’t be any different with the draft class of 2025. View the full article

Heading into the 2025-2026 offseason, changes were needed. Fans knew it, coaches knew it, players knew it, and most importantly, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns knew it. Not only did the Mets overhaul almost their entire coaching staff, but they also overhauled the entire team. With spring training nearing its end with Opening Day less than two weeks out, it's time to project the Mets' Opening Day roster. Let's take a position-by-position look to see who will make the 26-man roster on March 26 when the Mets host two-time reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field. Starting Rotation (6) RHP Freddy Peralta RHP Nolan McLean LHP David Peterson LHP Sean Manaea RHP Clay Holmes RHP Kodai Senga Searching for a frontline arm all offseason, the Mets traded for Freddy Peralta on Jan. 21 from Milwaukee for top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat. It was a hefty price to pay for someone with one year left on his contract before reaching free agency, but the Mets weren't going to squander the opportunity of acquiring an ace-level talent in Peralta. Manager Carlos Mendoza announced on Feb. 27 that Peralta will take the ball for his new team on Opening Day. Nolan McLean, who was slated to be the club's Opening Day starter had they not acquired Peralta, burst onto the scene in August 2025 and wowed not only the Mets, but everyone across MLB. Nicknamed "Cowboy Ohtani," McLean dazzled to a 2.06 ERA in eight starts (48 innings) down the stretch. Two innings shy of exceeding his rookie status, McLean already looked like an established star. Now in 2026, the 24-year-old, who participated in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA, looks to build off his impressive 2025 cameo. Entering his seventh season with the Mets and his first as the longest tenured Met, David Peterson will look to rekindle his first-half form in 2025 that earned him the first All-Star nod of his career. After four up and down years, Peterson has established himself as a quality starting pitcher as he enters his first contract year. It was not the season the Mets or Sean Manaea envisioned the 34-year-old would have. Manaea missed significant time in 2025 with a strained right oblique in spring training and later dealt with a 7-millimeter loose body in his left elbow, which he managed with a cortisone shot rather than surgery. Heading into the new season, the Mets believe Manaea can return to the pitcher he was in 2024. The former closer-turned-starting pitcher Clay Holmes is entering his second season as such in a Mets uniform. Like McLean, Holmes also participated in the WBC for Team USA. Stearns didn't get a whole right last season, but Holmes was certainly a right move. He'll look to throw more innings and get deeper into games in 2026. Since bringing Kodai Senga over from Japan in 2023, the Mets have accommodated Senga by going to a six-man rotation. It's been quite the first three years for Senga in the US. The 33-year-old finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting, seventh for NL Cy Young, and was selected to his first All-Star team. The right-hander then missed all but one start in 2024, and similarly to Peterson, Senga dominated in the first half last year. Senga came back in June after a hamstring strain and pitched to a poor 6.56 ERA and was subsequently sent down after eight starts. This offseason, Senga made changes with his "brain" as he hopes to rebound. "Run-prevention" has been the name of the game for Stearns and the Mets this offseason. A 1-2 punch of Peralta and McLean at the top of the rotation should help. Bullpen (7) RHP Devin Williams RHP Luke Weaver LHP Brooks Raley RHP Tobias Myers RHP Luis García RHP Huascar Brazobán RHP Craig Kimbrel The Mets signed Devin Williams before fan favorite closer Edwin Díaz, but that quickly turned into a replacement when Díaz chose the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Mets. The club signed Luke Weaver to a two-year deal and is getting veteran left Brooks Raley back, who will serve in a setup role. Similarly, A.J. Minter, whom the Mets signed ahead of the 2025 season, will also serve as a setup man once he returns in May from injury. Just days before the Mets were set to play their first Grapefruit League game, the club signed veteran Craig Kimbrel to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring camp. Kimbrel has made changes in his repertoire, and the Mets will likely value his experience and give him a spot on the roster. Tobias Myers, who was the "other piece" in the trade for Peralta, will likely serve in a long-relief or spot-starter role. For his career, Myers has appeared in 49 games (31 starts) and has pitched to the tune of a 3.15 ERA in 188 2/3 innings. Catchers (2) Francisco Alvarez Luis Torrens The former No. 1-ranked prospect Francisco Alvarez is due for a breakout year. Every year, Mets fans say, "This is the year." Alvarez has shown many flashes of breaking out, but hasn't been able to fully put it all together yet. Traded for in May 2024, Luis Torrens has been the Mets' backup catcher the past two years. Known for his defensive prowess, Torrens led all catchers in the NL with a 40.8 Caught Stealing percentage in 2025. Infielders (6) 3B Bo Bichette SS Francisco Lindor 2B Marcus Semien 1B Jorge Polanco 3B/2B/1B/RF Brett Baty 3B/1B Mark Vientos Stearns knew he would take heavy criticism from the Mets faithful after letting franchise stalwart Pete Alonso shake hands with the Baltimore Orioles; he even heard it from his own family. Instead of replacing Alonso with one player, the Mets will likely use a rotation of Polanco, Baty, and Vientos to man first base. Newcomer Bo Bichette, like Polanco, will also have to learn a new position at third base. Signing two players, especially ones who are not known for their defense, to play positions they are unaccustomed to had fans questioning the moves. But adding Marcus Semien, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, to play second certainly wasn't. Francisco Lindor remains on track to be on the Opening Day roster as he made his first start in spring training on Sunday. Outfielders (5) RF Carson Benge CF Luis Robert Jr. LF Juan Soto RF Mike Tauchman CF Tyrone Taylor Since November, the Mets' top position prospect, Carson Benge, was notified that he would have the chance to come into major league camp and be able to compete for the starting right field job. Well, the 23-year-old has taken the chance and run away with it. Less than two weeks to go, and Benge is leading the team in hits with 11. Benge is hitting .367/.406/.433 with an .840 OPS in 30 at-bats. Benge, who played right field for the most part at the University of Oklahoma, said he "feels really comfortable" at the position. Mike Tauchman, who is in direct competition with Benge for the starting right field job, has also played well this spring. While Tauchman was signed to a minor league deal, his contract includes an opt-out on March 25. The Mets will likely value his veteran-ship and keep him on the roster. Luis Robert Jr., whom the Mets traded for this offseason, has lots to prove. Coming off two down years, the one-time All-Star will look to recapture his tremendous 2023 form, where he hit 38 home runs and drove in 80 RBIs with an .857 OPS in 546 at-bats, showing the ability to stay healthy. View the full article

Jays Centre is counting down the top 50 Blue Jays in franchise history. Check out prior entries in the series here: Introduction Over the years, the Toronto Blue Jays have had many players who donned their jersey and played a starring role. Whether it be during the team’s years of struggle or during their contending regimes, there were a select number of Jays that made an indelible mark on the organization. Now, through careful analysis in the selection process, we bring to you our distinguished list of the top 50 Blue Jays of all time. Here, we begin the countdown, starting with numbers 50 to 46. No. 50: Buck Martinez Blue Jays Career Stats: 454 GP, .222 average, .675 OPS, 114 runs scored, 35 home runs, 154 RBIs, 3.5 bWAR Accolades/Accomplishments: 2023 Jack Graney Award Buck Martinez may not be the first name that people would come up with in terms of his contributions to the Jays during his time in the majors. But he has definitely cemented himself as a Blue Jay for life after what he has done for the organization following his retirement as a player. Martinez became a colour commentator for Toronto initially, and later on even managed the Blue Jays in a stint between 2001 and 2002; he compiled a 100-115 managerial record over the two seasons. More significantly, Martinez became the official voice of the Blue Jays by becoming their everyday play-by-play announcer in 2010. From then on, Jays fans enjoyed the flair and excitement that he brought with his broadcasting for the next decade and a half. He was recognized for his excellence with the Jack Graney Award in 2023. Martinez announced his retirement last month, and he leaves behind him a legacy of service to the organization that Jays fans will forever remember. No. 49: Mark Eichhorn Blue Jays Career Stats: 279 GP, 29-19 record, 15 saves, 3.03 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 493 IP, 372 strikeouts, 11.5 bWAR Accolades/Accomplishments: 1986 AL Rookie of the Year finalist When it comes to some of the side-earm submariners that have pitched for the Blue Jays over the years, the first and most obvious one that should come to mind is none other than reliever Mark Eichhorn. After failing as a starter when he was first brought up by the Jays back in 1982, Eichhorn reinvented himself as a multi-inning reliever in the subsequent years, and boy, was that a brilliant move. The side-arm reliever instantly found himself among the elite bullpen arms in the league, finishing sixth in Cy Young voting and third in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 1986 after going a stellar 14-6 with a 1.72 ERA over 69 relief appearances. More importantly, as one of the key cogs of the Jays’ relief corps, Eichhorn was instrumental in helping Toronto in their two postseason runs in 1992 and 1993. Without the elusive side-armer, the Blue Jays might still be searching for their first World Series title. No. 48: José Cruz Jr. Blue Jays Career Stats: 698 GP, .250 average, .793 OPS, 396 runs scored, 122 home runs, 355 RBIs, 11.5 bWAR Accolades/Accomplishments: 1997 AL Rookie of the Year finalist, 2003 Gold Glove winner Back when the Blue Jays made their 1997 trade deadline deal for José Cruz Jr., many were surprised that it only cost Toronto pitchers Mike Timlin and Paul Spoljaric to get it done. After all, Cruz was one of the top prospects in all of baseball at the time, and his potential had him destined to become a star in the major leagues. Despite the Jays outfielder never fully reaching that potential, he did manage to produce two 30+ home run and three 70+ RBI seasons in the six years that he ended up spending with the organization. His best season came in 2001 when he posted a solid .274 average and .857 OPS, along with 92 runs scored, 34 home runs, 88 RBIs and 32 stolen bases in just 146 games played. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to lead the Jays to success, as they failed to make the playoffs during his tenure with the club. No. 47: Marco Estrada Blue Jays Career Stats: 124 GP, 39-40 record, 4.25 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 686 2/3 IP, 575 strikeouts, 9.6 bWAR Accolades/Accomplishments: 2016 All-Star Despite not being viewed as a frontline starter for much of his MLB career, Marco Estrada nonetheless became a difference maker for the Blue Jays during his four-year stint with the club. In particular, he played a key role during the Jays’ two postseason runs in 2015 and 2016, even with the likes of former Cy Young winners R.A. Dickey and David Price being around. It was Estrada who was handed the ball with the Blue Jays on the verge of elimination, down two games to none in the 2015 ALDS against the Texas Rangers. He would prevail to help kick off the amazing series comeback win for Toronto, which of course included José Bautista’s Game 5 bat flip home run heard around the world. Estrada would follow that up the next season, pitching a gem in Game 1 of the 2016 ALDS for the Jays against the Rangers once again, paving the way to Toronto's three-game sweep over Texas. Even though the spotlight was focused on many of his teammates, it was Estrada who provided the much-needed stability for the Blue Jays' postseason rotation that enabled them to go on two deep playoff runs. No. 46: Todd Stottlemyre Blue Jays Career Stats: 206 GP, 69-70 record, 4.39 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 1139 IP, 662 strikeouts, 10.2 bWAR Accolades/Accomplishments: 8 seasons of 10+ wins As a high first-round pick from the 1985 MLB Draft, there were high expectations for Todd Stottlemyre. He was supposed to help the Blue Jays become legitimate contenders after years of working to establish themselves in the league. Stottlemyre didn’t end up posting the big numbers that were expected of him, but he did succeed in taking the Jays to the postseason in four of his seven seasons with the team. His best year with Toronto came in 1991 when he registered a 15-8 record with a 3.9 bWAR, 3.78 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 34 starts. Stottlemyre’s best postseason performance came in 1992 when he was used as a reliever due to Toronto’s stacked rotation featuring Jack Morris, David Cone, Jimmy Key and Juan Guzman. In five playoff appearances, Stottlemyre yielded only one run on seven hits along with five strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings for a stellar 1.23 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. But for Blue Jays fans, Stottlemyre will likely be forever remembered for his aggressive baserunning play against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series, in which he scraped his chin on a head-first slide while getting thrown out at third base. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs have announced that Matthew Boyd will get the ball for their Opening Day contest. The 2025 All-Star will take the hill on March 26th against the Washington Nationals, who feature a budding talent group that's aiming for a climb up the competitive NL East division. In this video, we break down Boyd's arsenal, his path to this point, and how he can be effective in the 2026 season. View the full article

Luis Pena is the no. 2 prospect in the Brewers' system and the no. 26 overall prospect in baseball. What makes the 19-year-old infielder so special amongst a loaded Milwaukee pipeline? In this video, we dive into Luis' speed, adjustment period with off-speed offerings, and odds that he makes it to the majors with Milwaukee or even another team via trade. Enjoy! View the full article