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The 2025 iteration of second baseman Nico Hoerner was the best version the Cubs have yet seen. Sure, he'd hit more than .297 in a season. He'd reached base at a clip better than the .345 mark he posted. He's also stolen more bases in a season than the 29 bags he swiped, and he's hit for better power than indicated by a .097 isolated power (ISO). Yet, in terms of his total value, both his wRC+ (109) and his fWAR (4.8) were above any figure he'd posted in his three previous seasons of full-time action. Much of the value lies in Hoerner's glove. His 15 Outs Above Average ranked 12th among qualifying players regardless of position, ninth among infielders, and at the top of the list of players who log regular time at the keystone. While much of his value may be wrapped up in that facet of his game, however, last season saw him consolidate his skills at the plate, too. Hoerner's 2025 season was his best in the contact game. His 48.5% swing rate was his highest since 2022, as was a 31.9% chase rate. But the aggression didn't mitigate his ability to make contact. He touched 89.8% of the pitches at which he swung, continuing a four-year progression of improvement there and sitting fourth on the leaderboard among qualifying batters. He whiffed on just 4.9% of all pitches he saw, both a career best and a number which landed in the 99th percentile of hitters. Of course, very little of that was hard contact. Hoerner logged Statcast Barrels on just 2.3% of his batted balls—the league average is 7.2%—and hit the ball 95 MPH or harder just 30.3% of the time (league average: 37.0%). Both rates put him among the bottom 10% of batters who saw substantial time. When one encounters high swing rates alongside such a dearth of power, the player who comes to mind is Luis Arráez, whose value has been mitigated by his approach and his shortcomings. Hoerner, though, has a bit more to his offensive profile than that. The version of Hoerner we saw in the second half of 2025 was a bit different than the one in the first. His hard hit rate was 32.1% in July, and progressively increased over the final three months of the year. His ISO was essentially flat from the first half to the second, but it ticked up a tiny bit (.094 to .100), while his line-drive rate jumped by seven percentage points. He swung at a higher rate against fastballs over that span, which is encouraging, given most players' penchant for generating more line drives and some extra power against that pitch type. As the year went along, he found a consistent feel for pulling the ball neatly and undefendably, on a line. To update the key stat from the linked article in the last sentence, he had 41 pulled batted balls at launch angles between 5° and 13° last season, compared to: 17 in 2022 23 in 2023 21 in 2024 He had more hits (30) on that kind of batted ball last year than he'd had batted balls matching those criteria in any previous season, regardless of outcome. Earlier this offseason, I broke down where in the zone Hoerner needs to focus in order to produce more consistent power in 2026. Part of that is simply attacking more on the inner half of the plate. Between the adjustments that led to a slight uptick in impact and the knowledge that there is an area of the plate where Hoerner can tap into a bit more, there's reason to think he could clear the fence a bit more often this year. His hard-hit rate (35%), average exit velocity (89.3 MPH) and 90th-percentile exit velocity (102.9 MPH) are all higher this spring than in 2025, which is good news. But is that what fans should be expecting: more power, from a player whose game isn't primarily about that? Realistically, the expectation should be for Hoerner to repeat much of what he did in 2025. With his defense and baserunning, continuing to make contact at an elite rate, control the strike zone and hit for average with solid line drives is plenty. Hoerner's process has improved to the point where he can be a great player even without finding double-digit home-run power. That's the key takeaway. Whatever their superficial similarities, Hoerner is not Arráez. Not only does he sport a more impressive profile on the bases and in the field, he has a broader array of offensive skills, beyond batting average. A repeat of 2025 with an ISO that creeps back to multiple points above .100 would represent a blend of each of his career trends to date and the final frontier of his development. The most impressive thing is that none of that feels unrealistic. View the full article

The first significant blow to the San Diego Padres' Opening Day rotation became somewhat official as first-year manager Craig Stammen said Monday that right-hander Joe Musgrove will begin the season on the injured list. Musgrove, the Padres' best pitcher when healthy and author of the first no-hitter in franchise history, has not pitched since having Tommy John surgery after the Friars were eliminated from the postseason in 2024. The 33-year-old had been building toward a spot in the rotation to begin the season, but made just one appearance, a start against Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic exhibition on March 4. He needed 60 pitches to get through two innings in his first game action since Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series vs. Atlanta in 2024. Musgrove's arm didn't bounce back, and he has not pitched since. "He’s most likely going to start on the IL this year," Stammen said. "We're getting to the point where he's taken enough time off that it would be hard to ramp him up to get him to be a viable starter that can throw five innings, 90 pitches. This was part of the plan. We knew he was going to have to take some time off. We knew we were going to have to get him ready for the entire season, and not just Opening Day." That leaves the Padres' rotation with three known starters: right-handers Nick Pivetta, Michael King, and Randy Vasquez. Pivetta returned to action Saturday after skipping a start due to arm fatigue. Pivetta pitched three innings, throwing 56 pitches, against the Cleveland Guardians. He would have one more Cactus League start, potentially Thursday or Friday, before the season begins. He was the top candidate for the Opening Day start entering camp. The Padres do have options to fill the void with Musgrove starting on the IL. Those begin with right-handers German Marquez and Walker Buehler. Buehler is a non-roster player, meaning he would have to be added to the 40-man roster before Opening Day. The Padres have one confirmed spot open and another with Yu Darvish not pitching this season. Stammen said he was not ready to name the slots for his starting pitchers yet. One option for the Friars, with two days off in the first eight days of the season, is to open with four starters and nine relievers. "We'll probably pick spots probably the day before Opening Day," Stammen said. "We'll wait all the way until we have to make a decision. I think it's probably smart to wait as long as you can to make decisions because you never know what can happen in between that time period. We're going to be smart, we're going to be patient, and we're going to try to make the best decision with all the information." The setback is likely to sideline Musgrove for most, if not all, of April. Another right-handed starter, Griffin Canning, is expected back in April as he continues to recover from an Achilles injury last season, when he was with the New York Mets. View the full article

For Brewers fans, beating the Cubs in Game 5 of the NLDS last fall was much-needed catharsis. It wasn't just about advancing in the postseason; it was also about proving that their supremacy in the NL Central was real and complete. It was energizing, for many, to see the team hold up an 'L' flag during their on-field team picture after the game. The phone gestures toward the Cubs dugout by William Contreras and Abner Uribe at key junctures are iconic moments from that series. However, while it's easy to forget this part of the reporting, there was a collective hesitation by the team before they agreed to hold up the flag. While Contreras seemed to savor beating the Brewers' top rivals (and an organization by which his big brother felt slightly disrespected), he also singled out Craig Counsell in a Player's Tribune column last fall—not for the so-called treachery of leaving his hometown team to manage the Cubs, but for his excellent treatment of Latino players. Counsell and Pat Murphy have a many-layered, lifelong friendship. The Cubs keep picking up players (Colin Rea, Hoby Milner) whom the Brewers employed first, and who still have nothing but good things to say about the Milwaukee organization. New Brewers prospect Jett Williams has a surprisingly close relationship to Alex Bregman, whom Murphy also knows and immensely likes. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Brice Turang, Bregman and Matthew Boyd have been Team USA teammates this month for the World Baseball Classic. Contreras, Jackson Chourio and Cubs closer Daniel Palencia are together on Team Venezuela. Tyler Black and Jameson Taillon (Canada) and Joey Ortiz and Javier Assad (México) were tournament teammates, too. Their entrenched places at the top of the division make their games feel extremely important; the enmity between the fan bases is real (and unfortunate); and the front offices have some ongoing and real (though low-level) beef. On the field, however, it's harder all the time to make the case that these teams don't like each other. There's been mutual respect even at harder moments, like Counsell's first season in Chicago. Now, with Murphy locked in for a long tenure with the Crew and some of the resentment of Counsell's departure blunted by the success of the team he left behind, there's something much like mutual affection between the teams. Off the field, the rivalry is likely to remain bitter for a while. Because the Brewers just came to the National League in 1998 and the two teams didn't overlap near the top of the standings for the first fistful of years, this is still an adolescent rivalry. It's not as settled or comfortable as those between, for instance, the Cubs and Cardinals or the Brewers and Twins. A rivalry born in the age of the internet, it's also burned a bit hotter from its inception than many of the game's older rivalries did. It'll be interesting, though, to see whether the shared DNA of the two teams and their lack of genuine dislike at the field level begins the inevitable process of bringing down the temperature of the off-field hatred. Reasonable people can disagree about the value of sports rivalries, but there have been many times over the last decade when the fans, franchises and even players and coaches in this particular one have been deleteriously angry and confrontational with one another. Entering 2026, that feels less likely to happen on the field than at any time in the last 20 years. Whether that reduction of tension can carry over to the crowds at games and the timelines on social media remains to be seen. View the full article

The St. Paul Saints are set to have one of the best outfields in the Twins organization for their Opening Day, and the same can be said for the Cedar Rapids Kernels and their starting rotation. But which of these two groups will have the better future value once they are all in the majors? Discussed in this video are Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez, Dasan Hill, Charlee Soto, Adrian Bohorquez, and others. View the full article

Zebby Matthews made an exciting rise through the Twins’ system in 2024 and flashed his potential in the majors in 2025. The expectation was that 2026 would bring him more opportunities to cement himself in the Twins’ rotation, and to finally turn the corner from promising to productive. As spring training winds down, it's looking like that chance is slipping past him. While it's important not to put too much weight into spring performance, we know some roster battles are underway. The bench spots are the obvious examples, but another opened in the rotation when Pablo López went down with an injury. It's safe to say the fifth spot (after Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson and Taj Bradley) will go to either Matthews or Mick Abel. The two have had very different springs. Abel, 24, was acquired at last year's trade deadline and has been one of the best arms in all of camp. He’s allowed just two runs in over 13 innings and struck out over a third of opposing hitters. Matthews's ERA is just under 6.00, and some of the underlying metrics are even more concerning. The velocity and raw stuff that jumped off the page while Matthews ascended through the Twins’ system haven't shown up this spring. In Sunday's start, he was missing a tick and a half on the fastball, and the velocity was down across the board. It’s worth wondering whether his shoulder injury from last season has anything to do with the dropoff, but even if this is simply a delay in getting into midseason form, it's easy to make an argument that Matthews should begin the season atop the Saints rotation, rather than at thee bottom of the Twins'. His stuff is worse even if we keep it apples-to-apples by setting his spring readouts alongside the ones from last spring training, rather than the regular season. While it would be good to afford Matthews all of the opportunities possible this season, he's still just 25 years old. The Twins will need another starting pitcher by the end of the first month or two. The team is also steadfast in its stated intention to win in 2026. If they want to hit the ground running, Abel has looked like a stronger bet to contribute immediately. Besides, rewarding a top prospect for an exciting spring is a good notion. If Matthews had built himself a stronger résumé at the big-league level, things would be different. He has yet to put it all together, though. The Twins came into this spring wanting to see one of their young starters come in and win a rotation spot, rather than having Matthews's name already written in. Abel is looking like that guy, instead of Matthews. Matthews has nothing left to prove in Triple-A, which would make him missing out on the Opening Day rotation a disappointing outcome. The same can be said for Abel, though. The Twins are fortunate to have several options for this spot, even if someone has to lose out, and that someone could be a homegrown prospect with a bright future with the team. View the full article

Can you believe we are entering the final week of spring training? In 10 days, the San Diego Padres will host two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park for Opening Day. Following the Dominican Republic's 2-1 loss to the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic semifinals, the Friars will get their two superstar position players, third baseman Manny Machado and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr., back earlier than the duo had wanted. Perhaps that is good news for the Padres, who can get a few days to do the final experimentation in setting their lineup. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Friars improved to 11-11-1 in the Cactus League, beating the A's 13-9, using split squads to beat the Cleveland Guardians 8-2 and lose to the Texas Rangers 22-2, then tying the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-4. Who's Hot? 🔥 Jase Bowen The 25-year-old outfielder has been one of the feel-good stories in camp. He went 3-for-8 in back-to-back games with three extra-base hits and three RBIs. Bowen, who left the Pittsburgh Pirates as a minor-league free agent and signed with the Friars, had a pair of doubles vs. the A's and a two-run homer for the only runs against the Rangers. Manager Craig Stammen recently pointed out the immense athleticism that Bowen has as a former football player (he committed to play wide receiver at Michigan State), but said his skills are still shifting to a baseball mentality. Xander Bogaerts The starting shortstop returned from the World Baseball Classic and picked up where he left off. After going 5-for-15 with the Netherlands, Bogaerts went 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI in his first game since the WBC. That is good news considering Bogaerts was 2-for-12 in Cactus League play before heading to the tournament. He should be in fine shape to start the season. David Morgan The surprise of last year's bullpen has been pretty sharp this spring, his first with an MLB job in his back pocket. Morgan pitched a scoreless inning vs. the Diamondbacks, keeping his slate clean in the Cactus League. In six innings, Morgan has allowed four hits and two walks, while striking out five. The undrafted free agent who signed with the Padres in 2022 out of college will have a big role in the bullpen again this season after a strong rookie campaign. Who's Cold? 🧊 Marco Gonzales I promise I'm trying not to pick on the left-hander, but being included here is a unavoidable following the stat line he put up against the Rangers. Gonzales could only get two outs in the first inning and left down 1-0 with the bases load. Those runners came in to score for a four-run inning. Gonzales came back out for the second and gave up a homer to the first batter he faced, Brandon Nimmo, before retiring the next three hitters. In the third inning, Gonzales fell victim to needing to get in a certain number of pitches and had to wear another six runs. He gave up a total of eight hits and walked six, with only one strikeout. Logan Gillaspie A candidate to make the bullpen as a long reliever, or as Stammen is calling him and Kyle Hart, a "bridge" arm, Gillaspie followed Gonzales and had a similar fate, lasting just 2⅔ innings and coughing up nine runs on 11 hits. He walked three and struck out one. With questions at the back end of the rotation and the favorable early-season schedule, the Friars could go with four starters and nine relievers, giving Gillaspie and/or Hart a shot at the Opening Day roster. Luis Campusano The backup catcher got a couple of days off to clear his head as he endures a subpar spring, with Rodolfo Duran getting back-to-back starts. But Campusano returned to the lineup Sunday and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. The offense-first catcher saw his splash line drop to .148/.233/.185. Campusano is out of minor-league options, so he will either make the Opening Day roster or be designated for assignment, with either a free agent being signed or Duran possibly making the roster and his MLB debut instead. View the full article

With the Twins looking to return to being competitive in the AL Central, we wanted to take a look around at the other teams in the division and what moves they made this offseason. This is a look at what to expect from the Chicago White Sox this season. The White Sox finished last in the division with a 60-102 record, marking their second straight season with over 100 losses after setting an MLB record with 121 in 2024. Here is a look at some notable additions and subtractions for the White Sox this offseason. Subtractions OF Luis Robert Jr. SP Martin Perez RP Tyler Alexander OF Michael A. Taylor RP Miguel Castro OF Mike Tauchman Additions INF Munetaka Murakami, 2 years, $34 million RP Seranthony Dominguez, 2 years, $20 million SP Anthony Kay, 2 years, $12 million, mutual option for 2028 SP/RP Jordan Hicks (trade w/Red Sox) OF Austin Hays 1 year, $6 million, mutual option for 2027 2B Luisangel Acuna (trade with Mets) SP/RP Sean Newcomb 1 year, $4.5 million OF Jarred Kelenic (minor league deal) P Erick Fedde, 1 year, $1.5 million Chicago made headlines this offseason with several notable changes. The addition of infielder Munetaka Murakami, signed from the NPB in Japan, is expected to bring significant power to the lineup despite a tendency for strikeouts. Seranthony Dominguez was signed as the new closer to help improve a bullpen that has struggled for the last couple of years. Just as notable as their signings, the White Sox made a major move by trading former All-Star and Silver Slugger OF Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets. In return, they acquired infielder Luisangel Acuna—brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr.—along with pitching prospect Truman Pauley. The White Sox also acquired veteran pitcher Jordan Hicks in a trade with the Red Sox. Hicks is expected to either join the starting rotation or be used as a high-leverage relief pitcher, depending on team needs. Although the additions seem to surpass the subtractions for the South Siders, the overall impact will depend on how the team manages a new direction and if young players can take a step forward to being more consistently competitive going forward. Here is a look at a few injuries and the players who should have the biggest impact on the successes the White Sox will have in 2026. Injuries LHP Ky Bush, Tommy John surgery RHP Drew Thorpe, Tommy John surgery 1B Tim Elko - Torn ACL - expected return June/July RHP Prelander Berroa - Recovering from Tommy John surgery in March 2025. Losing two pitchers to Tommy John surgery—Ky Bush, a top thirty prospect, and Drew Thorpe—depletes pitching depth. Tim Elko and Prelander Berroa have gotten a cup of coffee, but they will be out to start the year, which will limit options in the lineup and out of the bullpen. Key Players SS Colson Montgomery - 3.3 bWAR SP Adrian Houser - 3.0 bWAR RP Mike Vasil - 2.9 bWAR SP Shane Smith - 2.3bWAR C Kyle Teel - 1.9 bWAR 3B Miguel Vargas - 1.9 bWAR Other players include starting pitcher Davis Martin, infielder Chase Meidroth, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, and utility player Lenyn Sosa (2B/OF). Notably, SS Colson Montgomery finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting and led the team in bWAR in 2026. Starting pitchers Adrian Houser and Shane Smith will anchor the rotation, with Smith displaying front-line potential thus far in his career. Catcher Kyle Teel and third baseman Miguel Vargas are also young players aiming to build on strong 2025 campaigns and step into more prominent roles at their respective positions. With a team looking to return become more competitive, there will be opportunity for a number of young players. Young players can help speed up a rebuild and return a team to competitiveness quickly if they are called up and have success. The White Sox system boasts five prospects in MLB Pipeline’s top 100, led by OF Braden Montgomery, whose advanced approach and athleticism make him a potential everyday outfielder. LHP Noah Schultz, a power lefty, is expected to contribute to the major league rotation as early as 2026. LHP Hagen Smith projects as high-upside rotation depth. Both SS Billy Carlson and SS/3B Caleb Bonemer show promise but may need more seasoning in the minors before contending for roster spots. Spring Storylines (and beyond) Early in the year, attention will rest on how the team's catcher and designated hitter roles take shape. With three catchers—Teel, Edgar Quero, and Korey Lee—vying for playing time both behind the plate and at DH, and potential contributions from Murakami, Andrew Benintendi, and Lenyn Sosa in the DH role, this competition will be something worth keeping an eye on. Like many teams, the White Sox will be hoping their young players can take a step forward and provide the next core of players to build around when they return to contention. Colson Montgomery and Shane Smith will headline the position player and pitchers as young players with high upside. Munetaka Murakami signing with the White Sox was a bit of a surprise, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to MLB. Transitioning leagues can present challenges, and evaluation will focus on both his adjustment to Major League pitching and how opponents approach him as well. Murakami brings considerable potential, especially in the power department. With all of the additions shaping the roster for this year and into the future, here is a look at the projected lineup, rotation, and expected record for the White Sox in 2026. Projected Lineup Chase Meidroth - 2B Kyle Teel - C Colson Montgomery - SS Munetaka Murakami - 1B Miguel Vargas - 3B Austin Hays - RF Andrew Benintendi - LF Edgar Quero - DH Brooks Baldwin - CF Projected Rotation Shane Smith - RHP Davis Martin - RHP Anthony Kay - LHP Erick Fedde - RHP Sean Burke - RHP Projected Record PECOTA: 5th place, 69-93 Fangraphs: 5th place, 69-93 While the projections may temper White Sox fans' expectations, the roster features intriguing talent and some interesting storylines to keep an eye on this year. Both PECOTA and Fangraphs see improvement over last year, making it worth watching whether the team can surpass forecasts and build momentum throughout 2026 and beyond. While not projected as favorites, the White Sox are positioned to offer stronger competition in the AL Central this season than in recent seasons. Progress this year could spark renewed division rivalries and signify important steps toward contending for the division crown in the near future for the South Siders. View the full article

John Scott, Héctor Torres, Doug Ault, Otto Vélez, Gary Woods, Steve Bowling, Pedro García, Dave McKay, and Rick Cerone. That was Toronto’s lineup on April 7, 1977. Bill Singer took the mound at Exhibition Stadium to throw the first pitch in team history. By the end of nine innings, the Blue Jays’ motley crew had beaten the White Sox 9-5. Forty-nine years, 27 winning seasons, 11 playoff berths, seven division titles, three AL pennants, and two World Series championships later, we’ve seen 556 players step to the plate with a bluebird on their uniform. We’ve seen 529 throw a pitch. Those players have combined for 113 All-Star selections, 33 Silver Sluggers, 31 Gold Gloves, five Cy Youngs, two Rookies of the Year, and two MVPs. They include eight league-leaders in ERA, give home run kings, and one batting champ. In total, nearly 1,000 players have suited up for the Blue Jays. I’m sure you remember a lot of them, and I’m sure there are many more you don’t. Over the next two weeks, Jays Centre will shine a spotlight on some of the most iconic names in franchise history. To celebrate the 50th season of Blue Jays baseball, we’re counting down the top 50 Blue Jays of all time. Starting tomorrow, we’ll write about five players each day, starting with numbers 50 to 46 and finishing with our top five the day before Opening Day. To put this ranking together, I asked our writers to each submit their own top 50 list. The task was simple, and the criteria purposefully vague. As I told the writers, “Performance, longevity, personality, awards, championships… however you weigh all the factors is up to you.” That means the top 50 list you’re going to see on our site isn’t any one person’s ranking. It’s a composite of opinions from a group of writers with a wide variety of perspectives. With that in mind, I urge our readers, just as I urged our writers, not to worry too much about any one player’s exact placement. Our final list, for instance, has Joe Carter well ahead of Paul Molitor, but I wouldn’t be mad at all if it were the other way around. The way I see it, the real point of this exercise is to celebrate 50 great ballplayers, not to fight about which of them was a little bit greater than another. Having said that, I should acknowledge some names you won’t see on our top 50. For one, I asked our staff not to include Roberto Alomar in their individual rankings. The Blue Jays cut ties with Alomar in 2014, the same year he was added to Major League Baseball’s permanently-ineligible list. If the Blue Jays have no interest in celebrating their former second baseman, Jays Centre doesn’t need to either. The other notable name you won’t be seeing is Roger Clemens. I didn’t make a hard and fast rule about Clemens like I did Alomar, but some writers chose to leave him off their lists. Those who included him ranked him low enough that he didn’t end up making the cut when I averaged everything together. Clemens would be hard enough to rank from the numbers alone. He was only with the Jays for two playoff-less seasons. Yet, you could make a case that his two seasons in Toronto were the two greatest single-season performances in team history. For those who care the most about peak greatness and individual accomplishments, there’s a case for Clemens to make the top 10. On the flip side, those who think a list like this should emphasize team success and longevity wouldn’t buy that case at all. More to the point, however, a ranking like this isn’t just about the numbers. Clemens has given us no shortage of reasons not to want to celebrate his on-field accomplishments. So, in the end, we won’t. With all that stuff I wish I didn’t have to write out of the way, I’d like to leave you with a teaser of what’s to come. You’ll have to check back tomorrow (and each of the next nine days after that) to find out who made our top 50, but this eccentric list of honourable mentions who didn’t make the cut might help you figure out who did. Frank Catalanotto Ernie Clement Alfredo Griffin Kelvim Escobar J.A. Happ Brandon Morrow Kevin Pillar Robbie Ray Ricky Romero Ed Sprague Jr. Dave Stewart Otto Velez View the full article

The Royals have less than two weeks left until Opening Day in Atlanta. As the number of players in big league camp begins to thin, many players are still fighting for their spots on the roster. With time running out to make an impression, which players are making the most of their opportunities? As a reminder, don't read too much into spring training performances. Sample sizes are small, competition levels vary, and players may be working on specific adjustments that don't necessarily translate to traditional stats. This post is only meant to inform and summarize what has happened in the past few games. Who’s Hot? 🔥 Carter Jensen Jensen continued his strong spring training with another impressive performance on Friday. Jensen went 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs. He had a quieter day on Sunday, going 0-3, but was able to score after earning a walk in the seventh inning. Following this weekend, his spring slashline is .267/.313/.567. His underlying Statcast metrics have been encouraging this spring. He is hitting the ball hard with an average exit velocity of 95.4 mph (93rd percentile) and a hard hit rate of 59.1% (84th percentile). Jensen has taken advantage of spending extra time behind the plate while Salvador Perez is spending time with Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. While there are still some aspects of his game this spring that could use improvement, only walking twice in his 32 plate appearances, the Royals will be happy with how their projected backup catcher is hitting the ball. Nick Mears Mears had another strong outing on Saturday, recording outs against all four batters he faced, including two strikeouts. Mears generated high chase and whiff rates on Saturday, and his slider was his standout pitch, grading above average with a 105 Stuff+. Mears’ outing on Saturday was an improvement on his spring so far, where he had allowed four earned runs in his first five innings pitched. If he can continue to show improved command this spring, he will surely be a lock for a spot in the bullpen in 2026. Kyle Isbel After a rough start to his spring training, Isbel had a couple of good games at the plate this weekend. On Friday, he went 1-3 with a walk, and he followed it up by going 2-2 with a double and a run scored on Sunday. After Sunday, his spring slash line improved to .231/.355/.269. With a pair of hard-hit balls this weekend, his hard-hit rate is sitting at 57.9% this spring. As a defense-first centerfielder, the Royals will not be asking Isbel to carry this offense in 2026. If he can provide hard contact and get on base similar to this weekend, then he could be a boost at the end of the lineup that the Royals were missing last season. Who’s Not? 🧊 Ryan Bergert Bergert allowed five earned runs in 3 ⅔ innings on Saturday against the Athletics. The A’s were hitting the ball hard against Bergert with four home runs, nine hard-hit balls, and an average exit velocity of 98.1 mph. Despite allowing such hard contact, Bergert was able to induce high chase and whiff rates of 46.2% and 42.1%, respectively. Bergert induced 16 whiffs and four strikeouts in his 20 plate appearances. Bergert’s overall Stuff+ was 101, with his slider and sweeper standing out in particular. The key to Bergert’s success going into the 2026 season will be to limit the hard contact with his above-average ability to induce swings and misses and swings outside of the zone. Helcris Olivárez Olivárez has been featured as a hot player for the Royals this spring, but he struggled greatly in his appearance against the Diamondbacks. Olivárez faced six hitters and was only able to get one out before being relieved in the ninth inning. Olivárez could not find the zone with a low zone rate of 20.8%, leading to three walks and one hit batter. While Olivárez was unable to find strikes, hitters against him stayed disciplined and refused to chase pitches out of the zone. The silver lining is that when hitters were able to make contact, they did not make hard contact. Despite his lack of control, his sinker and curveball graded above average with Stuff+ of 105 and 103, respectively. He also throws hard with his fastball, and averaging 97.4 mph (94th percentile for all pitchers this spring with at least 25 PAs), and his sinker averages 98.0 mph. The key for Olivárez to make the Royals’ roster this year will be his ability to find the strike zone and limit walks. Peyton Wilson On Saturday, Wilson did not have his best day at the plate, going 0-3 with three strikeouts. He also made a substitute appearance on Friday, going 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout. While Wilson hit a home run in his one plate appearance on Sunday, the non-roster invitee has not had the best spring with a .174 batting average and .256 wOBA. While he has struggled to find hits this spring, Wilson has had good plate discipline with six walks in his 30 plate appearances. Wilson has not been able to repeat his hot spring training from 2025, where he saw more success and power with a .263 batting average and a .432 wOBA in 22 plate appearances. If Wilson can return to hitting the ball hard (58.3% hard hit rate in 2025 compared to 31.3% this spring) and limit his strikeouts, he should be able to bounce back. View the full article

Spring training is ending, and final roster decisions loom for the Minnesota Twins. Injuries to Pablo López and David Festa have unexpectedly created an opening in the rotation. Now, two young pitchers compete for the last rotation spot. Zebby Matthews began spring as the favorite, but Mick Abel’s recent electric performance has made the decision tougher. Only one will break camp with the club for Opening Day in Baltimore. Why Matthews Should Make the Roster To begin with, Matthews entered spring training as the leading candidate for the final rotation spot, and his overall profile still makes him a strong option for the Opening Day staff. Matthews’ 5.92 ERA through 25 starts raises concerns at first glance. Yet a closer look reveals tools that suggest greater potential than the ERA implies. Matthews has the type of velocity teams crave in a modern starter. His four-seam fastball averaged 96.5 mph last season, and he pairs it with a slider that generated 50 strikeouts and a 38.5% whiff rate. That combination alone gives him the ability to miss bats consistently. Matthews has recorded 131 strikeouts in 117 innings, showing that his stuff is capable of producing outs at the highest level. What makes Matthews even more intriguing is the depth of his arsenal. In addition to the fastball and slider, he mixes a cutter, changeup, curveball, and sinker. Few young pitchers possess that many options, and the variety allows him to attack hitters in multiple ways throughout a lineup. Control has also been one of his greatest strengths. Over the past two seasons across all professional levels, Matthews has posted a 4.8% walk rate. Among pitchers with at least 50 combined starts during that span, that mark ranks seventh best. That type of command provides a solid foundation for long-term success. Why Matthews Could Be Left Off the Roster Despite the tools and upside, Matthews has struggled to turn his raw ability into consistent results. One of the biggest concerns has been his command within the strike zone. While Matthews does an excellent job limiting walks, his pitches often drift into dangerous locations once they cross the plate. Over the past two seasons, opposing hitters have posted a .362 batting average and a .979 OPS against his strikes, the second-worst marks among pitchers with at least 25 starts. Left-handed hitters have been especially problematic. They have crushed Matthews’ pitches in the zone for a .406 batting average and a 9.1% home run rate. Those numbers suggest that his pitch placement needs significant improvement before he can fully harness his arsenal. Still, there are signs that better days could be ahead. Matthews’ career FIP sits 1.51 runs lower than his ERA, suggesting he has been somewhat unlucky. Even a modest improvement in his in-zone command could significantly raise his ceiling. Why Abel Should Make the Roster Abel has made a case this spring. In 10 innings, he struck out nearly 40 percent of batters and issued no walks, quickly garnering attention for his control. Abel’s early outings were nearly flawless. He threw his first 10 innings without a walk or run, displaying the command the Twins wanted. Even when tested, Abel responded well. Facing the Toronto Blue Jays, he walked George Springer on eight pitches, then left a slider that Daulton Varsho hit for a two-run homer. Abel rebounded by striking out the next three, then finished 3 1/3 innings. He gave up only three singles and erased a runner with a double play. That ability to recover could be a sign of maturation. Abel has always possessed excellent raw stuff and a wide pitch mix. If his improved control is real, he could quickly become one of the most dynamic arms in the Twins’ rotation. On the fringes of contention, Abel might offer the highest upside among the pitchers competing for the final spot. Why Abel Could Be Left Off the Roster Abel still faces a challenge: experience. He has the fewest major league innings in the starting group, making him the easiest to send to Triple A. Developmentally, that option could make sense. Abel has struggled with walks throughout his minor league career, and the organization may want to see a larger sample size of improved command before handing him a permanent spot in the rotation. Roster management also matters. Teams often keep younger pitchers in the minors early to avoid inconsistency in the big league rotation. Even with Abel showing the most electric arm this spring, the Twins may see a few more Triple-A starts as the safest path for his long-term growth. The final rotation decision depends on philosophy. Matthews offers more experience and stability. Abel brings more upside. The Twins must weigh early-season safety against the potential boost Abel could provide. Realistically, both pitchers will be needed for critical roles throughout the 162-game season. With Opening Day approaching quickly, the Twins must decide whether to trust Matthews’ experience or gamble on Abel’s potential. Either way, the outcome of this spring battle could have a significant impact on who heads north with the club. Who should earn the final rotation spot? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Padres Mission's ranking of the organization's top prospects for 2026 has reached the final stage with a countdown of the top five. Be sure to check out our previous rankings here: No. 5: Miguel Mendez No. 6: Jagger Haynes No. 7: Humberto Cruz No. 8: Ty Harvey No. 9: Ryan Wideman No. 10: Kale Fountain Nos. 11-15 Nos. 16-20 No. 4 Bradgley Rodriguez (San Diego Padres, El Paso Chihuahuas, San Antonio Missions) After a successful big-league callup last September and a strong spring training this year, Rodriguez appears ready to handle a full-time role in the Padres' loaded bullpen. That's a big accomplishment for a 22-year-old who has spent half his pro career injured. Bradgley Rodriguez joined the Padres organization in January 2021 out of Venezuela, signing for $370,000. Later that year, the right-hander showed off his live arm in the Dominican Summer League. But then came the struggles. An elbow injury led to Tommy John surgery in 2022, and the subsequent rehab cost him the 2022 and 2023 seasons. When he finally got back on the mound in 2024, he made up for the lost time. He pitched at three levels that year, capped by a promotion to Double-A San Antonio in August. He went back to San Antonio to begin the 2025 season, and then he caught the Padres' eye. In late May, he was promoted to the majors straight from Double-A. He debuted on May 31 vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates, working 1 2/3 scoreless innings, but was optioned to Triple-A El Paso three days later. Then, the injury bug bit him again. He missed about two weeks in mid-June with biceps tightness and spent seven weeks on the IL from early July to late August. Once healthy, he earned another callup to San Diego, where the Padres were dealing with their own pitching injuries. His electric stuff and moxie earned him a spot on the club's roster for the Wild Card Series against the Cubs. Rodriguez did not appear in the series, but just being on a postseason roster was a clear sign that the club thought it might have something with him. Rodriguez faced just 31 batters over 7 2/3 innings in the majors in 2025, but we can still glean much from how he attacked them. He threw a four-seamer, sinker, changeup, and cutter. All three of his fastballs played up in the charged atmosphere of the Show --- the sinker and four-seamer velocity increased by a full mile per hour to 98.3 and 98.8, respectively, while the cutter velo increased by 0.9 mph to 89.2. The sinker and change showed sizable horizontal movement, with 15.3 and 16.0 inches of arm-side run, respectively. Some of that movement can be attributed to a drop in arm angle from 56 percent to 46.8 percent. According to Mad Friars, the organization made the switch to three-quarters after the biceps scare to ease the strain on his arm. Rodriguez's pitch mix underwent a transformation last year as well. It changed from sinker-heavy in Triple-A to four-seam-heavy in the majors. The four-seamer use was just 10.6 percent at El Paso, but 40.2 percent with the Padres. The sinker use fell from 45.8 percent to 26.0 percent in the bigs. Changeup use was pared from 31.3 percent to 23.6 percent. The changeup played very well off the four-seamer, generating a 46.7 whiff rate as Rodriguez's putaway pitch. In fact, both pitches were unhittable, a .000 batting average for both. The sinker helped to produce a 56.3 percent ground-ball rate, to pair with a 29.0 strikeout rate. Platoon advantage played a large role in pitch selection. Thirty-one of his 33 sinkers and all 13 of his cutters were thrown to right-handed batters, while 23 of his 30 changeups were thrown to left-handed batters. The four-seamer use was more balanced --- 32 to left-handers, 19 to right-handers. (All stats per Baseball Savant and FanGraphs.) Rodriguez put himself in position to win a job out of spring training with six consecutive scoreless outings to begin exhibition play. He allowed two hits, struck out seven, and, more importantly, walked one over six innings. His chances will improve greatly if Jason Adam (quad) needs to open the season on the injured list and the bullpen has a second opening. If Adam proves ready to go, then it will be Rodriguez, Ty Adcock, Logan Gillaspie, Alek Jacob, and Ron Marinaccio vying for one spot. Gillaspie has earned praise from manager Craig Stammen for his willingness to fill any role, while Marinaccio is out of minor-league options. Rodriguez, on the other hand, can be optioned. If he does have to go back to El Paso, he'll be an early call-up option when the staff begins to go through the inevitable churn. View the full article

The numbers aren't pretty. Corbin Martin has allowed seven hits, four walks and six runs this spring, and he's only gotten 17 outs. He wasn't in pole position for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen, anyway, but it now seems nearly certain that he'll start the season at Triple-A Iowa. Some of those numbers are the results of a multi-layered effort to change his profile on the mound, though. When the time comes—as it always does, for the Cubs, usually by around Memorial Day—Martin could be the guy who's ready to step in and fill vital middle-relief innings for them. First of all, Martin has moved over on the mound this spring. His arm slot is little altered from last season with the Orioles, but whereas he started on the third-base side of the rubber in 2025, he's on the first-base side this spring: One reason for that change: Martin is also working to add a sinker to his pitch mix. His natural fastball is a hard cutter, with plenty of ride but considerable glove-side movement relative to most heaters. That shape is unchanged, but Martin is trying to complement it with a sinker that runs much more to his arm side. Moving to the first-base side makes room for that pitch to move across the plate and still be a strike. His changeup also moves a lot in that direction, so two pitches can benefit from the shift in mound position. When Martin signed, I noted that his best complements for the fastball were a cutter (a more breaking ball-flavored one, which Statcast tagged as a slider at around 91 MPH) and a 12-to-6 curveball to which he switched midseason last year. Interestingly, this spring, he's gone away from that cutter/slider, and back to a slower sweeper-like offering. The curveball is still there, but it's not as sharp as it was last summer. Keeping that sweeper on the plate from his new place on the mound will be tough. If he can locate the fastball well and tunnel the sweeper off it, he should get a good number of hopeless chases from right-handed batters, but looking at all this, it's not hard to see why Martin has struggled during Cactus League play. He's reinventing himself on the mound, in pursuit of a more complete arsenal that can generate sustainable success in the majors. All of it could be scrapped, if it doesn't work. Martin could move back to the other side of the slab and pare his mix back down, if erratic outings like Sunday's (0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) continue. However, if he and the team are seeing the progress they want from these changes, Martin might simply need more time to prepare himself for an important summertime contribution. View the full article

The Twins entered the weekend riding a three-game winning streak, but the momentum didn’t last very long. After an 8-5 victory over the Red Sox on Thursday, Minnesota dropped all three games that followed. They fell 6-1 to the Blue Jays on Friday, 9-6 to the Rays on Saturday, and 7-2 to the Red Sox on Sunday. Wins and losses aren’t the most important thing during spring training, but the individual performances behind them can still tell us quite a bit. With the calendar continuing to move toward Opening Day, players are getting more consistent opportunities, and it’s becoming easier to tell who’s on track and who’s still searching for answers. With that in mind, here’s a quick temperature check from the past few days of action. Who’s Hot? Luke Keaschall: Continuing his impressive spring, Keaschall went 3-for-7 at the plate with a pair of doubles and no strikeouts since our last check-in. His quality of contact has been encouraging, as well. Across those seven balls in play, he’s posted an average exit velocity of 88.9 MPH. While that number might not jump off the page, it's actually 2.6 MPH harder than his average exit velocity during his time in the majors last season. His 90th-percentile exit velocity (often a better indicator of power upside) is 102.4 MPH, up from 100.5 last year. Even this spring's number is below-average, but it's much more viable than last season's. We already know what Keaschall provides on the bases with his speed, but if he’s able to add a little more pop to his bat this year, it could really take his offensive profile to another level. Mick Abel: Abel took the mound on Friday and turned in a solid outing, even if the final line wasn’t quite as clean as his earlier starts this spring. Over 3 1/3 innings, he allowed two earned runs on four hits and a walk, while striking out four. Both runs came early, after he issued a leadoff walk and then allowed a two-run homer in the first inning. After that, though, Abel really settled in. He generated eight whiffs on 70 pitches and once again showed off some impressive secondary stuff. His slider, in particular, continues to look like a legitimate weapon. Abel posted a 127 Stuff+ grade in the outing with that pitch, and it's become one of the best breaking balls anywhere in the Twins’ system. His fastball velocity was slightly down, sitting around 96 MPH compared to the 97-98 MPH we’ve seen earlier this spring, but I doubt that’s anything worth worrying about. The most encouraging part was seeing a young pitcher give up a couple of early runs and still settle in to finish the outing strong. Matt Wallner: Wallner is another hitter who looks like he’s starting to find his rhythm at the plate. He went 3-for-6 over the weekend, highlighted by a 420-foot home run on Saturday. With that performance, Wallner is now hitting .294, with a .415 on-base percentage across 34 at-bats. His power has always been obvious when he connects, but the key has been consistency. So far this spring, he’s doing a nice job of putting together competitive at-bats, and if that carries over into the regular season, he could end up being a staple in the Twins’ lineup. Who’s Not? Royce Lewis: It’s been a tough stretch for Lewis at the plate. Since the last check-in, he’s gone a combined 0-for-10 with three strikeouts. The contact quality hasn’t been particularly strong, either. Only two of the seven balls he’s put in play during that stretch have had an exit velocity above 80 MPH. As a result, Lewis is now hitting just .111 this spring, with a .466 OPS. Of course, it’s important not to overreact to spring numbers, especially for a player with Lewis’s talent level. No one should jump to the conclusion that he’s headed for a rough season. Still, it would definitely be encouraging to see him start squaring up a few more balls as camp continues. For a player we know to have made a major change to his swing, spring matters more than it would for most similarly seasoned players. Eric Orze: Orze has continued to run into some trouble. After allowing a pair of earned runs on Thursday, he gave up another run on Sunday, while recording just two outs. In that outing, he issued two walks and allowed a hit, continuing a trend that’s been a bit concerning this spring. Over his last two appearances, hitters have put six balls in play against him, and those balls have come off the bat with an average exit velocity of 93 MPH. That’s the kind of contact that’s tough to survive consistently, and it’s reflected in his numbers. Orze now owns a 6.35 ERA, along with six walks in just 5 2/3 innings. Coming into camp, he felt like a relatively safe bet to factor into the Twins’ bullpen mix. Amid this stretch, that feels less certain. Victor Caratini: Caratini has also had a difficult spring at the plate, and the struggles continued over the weekend, as he went hitless across seven at-bats. While it’s somewhat encouraging that he’s at least been putting the ball in play consistently, the quality of that contact hasn’t been strong. Only two of those balls were hit remotely well, and just one was classified as hard contact. It’s very unlikely that his quiet spring will affect his chances of making the Opening Day roster, but like Lewis, it would still be nice to see him start squaring a few more balls up before the regular season begins. Spring training results themselves rarely matter much, but the underlying trends can still be useful. Some Twins players are starting to heat up as the schedule winds down, while others still have a little work to do before the regular season begins. With Opening Day approaching quickly, this week should give us an even clearer picture of who’s ready to carry momentum into the season. View the full article

The days in Arizona are growing short for the Milwaukee Brewers. They play their final Cactus League game Sunday, before a couple of exhibition games against the Cincinnati Reds at Uecker Field. They open the season March 26, at home against the Chicago White Sox. There will be some big decisions made this week. As a reminder: Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. During spring training, exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Brewers dropped to 9-12 in Cactus League play, falling to the A's 13-4, beating the Colorado Rockies 8-4 and losing to the San Francisco Giants 7-1. The Giants came within one out of a perfect game. Who's Hot? ? Sal Frelick The outfielder showed signs of breaking out of his spring slumber. Frelick went 3-for-6 with a walk against the A's and Rockies, finally poking his Cactus League average above .200. Frelick is tied for the team lead in at-bats (37) with David Hamilton. Frelick did slide back under the Mendoza Line by going 0-for-3 Sunday. He started twice in center and led off all three days. One has to wonder if manager Pat Murphy is tinkering with Frelick playing more center this season, considering he started there back-to-back days with other options available. If Christian Yelich is healthy enough to play the outfield and/or both halves of the first base timeshare hit well enough to merit everyday playing time, Jackson Chourio could end up in right field, pushing Frelick to center. Speaking of first base... Jake Bauers The top left-handed bat off the Brewers' bench went 2-for-5 in back-to-back games to raise his Cactus League average to .500, before going 0-for-3 Sunday and dropping it to .440. He has 11 hits this spring, second-most to Andrew Vaughn's 12. Bauers played left field and first base, the two spots at which he figures to be the top backup this season. His offense, as he showed off late in the season and into the postseason, will certainly be a boost for the Crew. Cooper Pratt The prospect infielder showed off his versatility by playing second against the A's. Undistracted by a change in defensive duties, he went 2-for-3 at the plate. Pratt has never played a position other than shortstop as a pro, save three times in the Arizona Complex League as he made his debut in 2023. With other shortstop candidates coming up behind him and the addition of Jett Williams to the system, Pratt doesn't have the luxury of not being versatile. He broke up the perfect game against the Giants by drawing a two-out walk on five pitches in the ninth inning, then scored on a Blake Burke double. Who's Cold? ? Luis Rengifo The probable Opening Day third baseman hasn't gotten untracked this spring. Rengifo went 0-for-5, including a two-strikeout game, as his Cactus League slash line dropped to .214/.290/.321. He will get plenty of time to begin the season at third base, but if Hamilton hits well and Rengifo struggles, it could turn out to be more of a platoon situation than what the Brewers were envisioning—or, given how high Pat Murphy is on Hamilton, exactly as much of one as he envisiond all along. Kyle Harrison Do we need to be worried about the left-hander as he makes a bid to be part of the starting rotation? Harrison surrendered six runs in his second Cactus League game. He gave up six hits against the A's, walking one and striking out four. Harrison threw 66 pitches, 44 of which were strikes. Considering his other outing was an eight-strikeout performance, Harrison probably still has a good shot at nabbing a rotation spot, but he has two more starts (including, probably, one of the two games at The Ueck) to secure that role. Here's one counterpoint: his average fastball velocity this spring is 95.2 MPH, a full 4.0 higher than last spring. Maybe he just needs time to hone his increasingly nasty stuff. Sammy Peralta While he has already been optioned to Triple-A Nashville to start the 2026 season, the left-handed reliever hasn't impressed this spring. The waiver claim from the Los Angeles Angels following last season has made five appearance in the Cactus League, allowing runs in four of them. We know he's still working to incorporat a cutter the Brewers recommended after claiming him. Peralta has averaged about a strikeout per inning in the minors, but has just one strikeout in five innings this spring. He doesn't throw hard, and missing bats has always been a struggle in the majors for him, so that's the most important thing to watch when next he gets into a game. View the full article

Simeon Woods Richardson put together a respectable season for the Twins last year, but some of the underlying numbers tell a more complicated story. Once you start digging into the data, it raises an interesting question about his long-term role. What if his best fit isn’t the starting rotation at all? View the full article

The Royals have struggled to find consistent production at second base in the JJ Picollo era. In 2024, the Royals seemed to get solid production from the keystone with Michael Massey, Nick Loftin, Garrett Hampson, Adam Frazier, and Maikel Garcia all splitting time at the position. According to FanGraphs, the Royals' second baseman ranked 18th in baseball with 1.8 fWAR, with Massey leading the way at 1.7 fWAR. Thus, when Kansas City acquired Jonathan India from the Reds last season, it was assumed that the Royals' production at second base would improve as well. Unfortunately, that was far from the case. In 2025, the Royals ranked 28th in second-base fWAR, with a 0.0 mark. India led the way with a 0.4 fWAR, but that was a massive decline from his 2.9 fWAR in 2024 with the Reds. Furthermore, Massey had a -0.3 fWAR, and Loftin and Frazier combined for a 0.4 fWAR in 2025 (remember, Frazier didn't come until midseason). They also got middling production from Tyler Tolbert and Cavan Biggio at the position as well (combined -0.2 fWAR). The Royals seem okay running it back in 2026, hoping that India and Massey can bounce back to 2024 form. Kansas City could've non-tendered India, but they decided to bring him back for one more season. Massey isn't a free agent until 2029, but he's already 28 years old, and this is probably a crucial year for him if he wants to prove to Kansas City that he can be a long-term option. Let's break down the Royals' situation at second base in 2026 and what the depth in the organization looks like. Royals Second Basemen At a Glance Starter: India Backup: Massey Depth: Loftin, Tolbert Prospects: Peyton Wilson, Javi Vaz, Sam Kulasingam, Justin Johnson, Tyriq Kemp Royals fWAR Ranking Last Year: 28th out of 30 Royals fWAR Projection This Year: 28th out of 30 The Good A lot will be riding on India this year, as the Royals opted to bring him back on a one-year, $8 million deal. It seems expensive, especially since he not only posted a negative overall fWAR last year, but he also posted an 89 wRC+, a career-worst. That said, there are some promising signs this spring that hint that India will be able to put his lackluster first year in Kansas City behind him. First off, manager Matt Quatraro admitted in the offseason that playing India in multiple positions had a negative effect. He pointed that out at the Winter Meetings back in December. Last season, the Royals opted to let Massey be the everyday second baseman, and India rotated as a utility guy in left field and at third base at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, the move was disastrous for India, especially on defense. India posted a -5 FRV in 3B, and that poor defense carried to second base, as he posted a -4 FRV at the keystone. The poor defense seemed to have a mental impact on India's bat, and he ended up having his worst season at the Major League level. Quatraro is intent on India being their regular second baseman, with Massey mixing in here and there based on matchups. So far this spring, it seems like that has helped India be in a better headspace in 2026. He's currently hitting .333 with a 1.206 OPS in 26 Cactus League plate appearances, and he's also showing some solid metrics in his Statcast summary this spring, via TJ Stats. Plate discipline has always been an area where India rates highly, so what he's doing this spring isn't a surprise. However, his 90th EV and Max EV rank in the 77th and 72nd percentiles, respectively, and his barrel rate ranks in the 85th percentile. While it's unlikely that he transitions those numbers to the regular season, if he shows any improvement in exit velocity and barrel rate in 2026, he could end up producing a lot more at the plate this year compared to his first season in Kansas City. Massey has also showcased solid skills this spring as well. That is encouraging to see, especially after his OPS went from .743 in 2024 to .581 last year. The former Illinois product is hitting .364 with a .962 OPS in 24 Cactus League plate appearances, and he is showcasing solid skills this spring, especially in terms of launching, pulling, and hitting the ball hard. Massey and India may not be great second basemen individually, which explains why Quatraro hasn't really given either guy the regular position for now. That said, they are showing promising signs for an offensive comeback in 2026. Furthermore, they should both be better defensively at second base this season, as long as they can stay healthy. The Bad The problem at second is that there isn't much depth. Yes, India and Massey could be a nice combo, but they have a history of injuries, especially for Massey. In fact, Massey has been shut down for a little bit this spring due to a low-grade calf strain, according to MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers. After Massey, the Royals don't have a whole lot of options at second to challenge India. Loftin has had a good spring, hitting .300 with a 1.000 OPS in 35 Cactus League plate appearances. However, he's limited defensively, and he probably fits better at third base or in left field. Tolbert is a little bit better defensively than Loftin, and he is a plus base-runner. Conversely, he may be more of a pinch-runner type than a guy who can play semi-regularly. If Massey is expected to be out for a considerable amount of time, it wouldn't be surprising for the Royals to add Josh Rojas, who is primarily a third baseman but can play second base in a pinch. Rojas is hitting .258 with a .909 OPS this spring in 36 plate appearances. In terms of prospects, there are some gritty, high-floor types, but no one is ready to be a major impact player at the MLB level this season. Wilson has some power upside for a second baseman, but he strikes out way too much. Vaz is a high-contact hitter, but he offers no power and has been absent this spring, which is a sign he may be injured. Kulasingam is a gamer who offers a polished skill set at the plate and on the field. However, he hasn't showcased much in the power end this spring, as illustrated by his TJ Stats Statcast summary. Johnson and Kemp are mid-round draft picks who played at Wake Forest and Baylor, respectively. However, they are long shots to see any playing time at the MLB level this year or next, and they are high-contact hitters who still have power questions, even for second basemen. The Bottom Line The Royals traded for India back in 2024 because they don't really have many second-base options in the system beyond Massey. Thus, India seemed like a reasonable gamble that could become a long-term option if things worked out, or could allow them to move around if Massey did break out. Massey hasn't broken out, and India doesn't seem likely to stay in Kansas City beyond 2026. Nonetheless, they still offer some upside and production potential in 2026, as long as they stay healthy. I tend to believe more in India than in Massey, simply because India has a stronger proven track record. The 29-year-old infielder has a career fWAR of 7.9 in 659 games, and he had 100+ wRC+ marks in 2023 and 2024 in Cincinnati. Massey may be better served anyway as a player with 300-350 plate appearances per year. That could allow him to maintain his health and body a bit better over a full 162-game season. Regardless, second base production for the Royals will ride on India and Massey in 2026. Should one of them get hurt or be tanked, they will likely need to trade for someone from outside the organization to fill that spot. Perhaps Frazier for a third time? View the full article

Welcome to Spring Breakout week! In the first of many items of Miami Marlins prospect content coming your way, Ely Sussman welcomes Maxfield Lane and Owen Riley of Oyster Analytics onto Fish Unfiltered. They cover each of the five Marlins who rank among the Oyster model's top 100 MLB hitting prospects, intriguing players who missed the cut and what to make of the organization's incredible stolen base volume during the 2025 minor league season. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. The highest-ranked Marlin on the Oyster's top 100 is Owen Caissie (#46), followed by Andrew Salas (#58), Joe Mack (#73), Dub Gleed (#78) and Maximo Acosta (#99), with Deyvison De Los Santos (#143) being the top unranked hitter in the organization. Here is an expanded overview of Marlins prospects with the best career projections, which you can find under the "prospects" tab of the Oyster Analytics website: In this year's Spring Breakout showcase, Marlins prospects will match up against those from the Houston Astros farm system. The game is being held at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Thursday at 12:05 p.m. View the full article

Maxfield Lane of Oyster Analytics joins Fish Unfiltered to discuss the wide range of potential career outcomes for one of the stranger prospects in baseball, Deyvison De Los Santos.View the full article

And then there were two. North Side Baseball's rankings of the top 20 prospects in the Chicago Cubs' farm system (as voted on by our writers) has reached second place, this year featuring starting pitcher Jaxon Wiggins. Be sure to check out all of our previous installments in the series here: 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 #3 - Jaxon Wiggins (Iowa Cubs) Jaxon Wiggins was once a controversial draft pick; the Cubs selected the pitcher out of Arkansas in the second round of the 2023 Amateur Draft. The reason people were skeptical at the time was that Wiggins had missed the previous year due to Tommy John surgery, and despite some encouraging reports before he went down in the fall league, his numbers while at college were never good. Since then, Wiggins has exploded through the Cubs' system, and his 2025 season saw the right handed pitcher move from High-A South Bend to Iowa by the end of the year. There was a mysterious shutdown around the trade deadline in which Wiggins took time off (either for injury or rest, it's not entirely clear), but the year was excellent for the former second-round pick. Through all three levels, he posted a 2.19 ERA and a 3.29 xFIP. Better yet, he struck out 31% of batters faced and kept his walks in check, walking 11.5% of hitters. He only logged 78 innings, so you'd like to have seen a little more length out of him, but it was an encouraging year. What to like: The first thing that stands out in Wiggins' profile is that his fastball is already flashing very special characteristics. Capable of running it up to triple digits, and sitting comfortably at 96-98 mph with ease, it's not just a hard fastball — it has great shape too. The heater that the Cubs' prospect features has some of the best induced vertical break (IVB) around. IVB helps us understand the effects, or in this case, the lack of effect, gravity has on a specific pitch. Wiggins' fastball has the ability to cut through the air and not have gravity drag it down. Wiggins' IVB of 19.1 is about the same level as Shota Imanaga's fastball, except he throws it much harder. While I hesitate to say it's an 80-grade offering, this is a pitch that is going to make Wiggins very hard to hit when he gets it up in the zone. A knock on Wiggins coming out of college and into the draft was his inability to throw enough strikes. Baseball America's draft profile mentions his "erratic control." Well, Wiggins has quieted those concerns, showing improved control en route to manageable walk totals. While he looked rusty at times in Iowa coming off a long layoff, he seems to have continued to work on that aspect in the offseason. As Matt Trueblood wrote about recently, his fastball command has been very good this spring while in camp with the Cubs. This is great news for his development; limiting free passes is always a good thing for a pitcher. What to work on: As with all pitchers, availability matters and Wiggins hasn't always been available. Whether it's the TJS he had in college or the timeout he took last year, ensuring that their prized pitching prospect remains on the mound is big priority for the organization. The Cubs have done well over the years keeping players relatively healthy, and with depth at the MLB level, the Cubs shouldn't have to push him along too fast. In the event of an early injury, the team can turn to Colin Rea or Javier Assad with confidence and Justin Steele seems to be well ahead of schedule, too. This will allow Wiggins to build strength on his own timeline. Once he clears all bars of health and continues to build innings, his secondaries are still more of a work-in-progress than his fastball is. As Matt explained in his article, while the fastball command is making progress, the other offerings still need some refinement in the zone. He has a curveball and a changeup that both flash upside, but he hasn't dialed in the location entirely. His command isn't as erratic as it once was, but it'd be best for his starting pitching prospects if he could improve this further. What's next: Jaxon Wiggins is going to head to Iowa to start the year and will undoubtedly be the pitcher to watch, not only in Triple-A, but in the entire system. The upside here is immense; think a Nick Pivetta who throws 98 mph. He has the makings and foundations of a top-of-the-rotation guy, but with enough warts that he may not get there. Ensuring that the endurance, stamina, health and control of his secondaries progress will help make sure that he gets as close to his optimal outcome as possible. It feels very likely that as long as he's healthy, he's going to make his debut in Chicago sometime in 2026. While we'd all love to see him as a starting option, the Cubs have a ton of depth built up this year, so he may make his initial appearances out of the bullpen. That's okay; depth is a good thing, and this will allow the Cubs to control his innings while not having to put him on a leash. If the North Siders are as good as we hope, they could even get him some late-season starts if they're running away with the division in that case. And with Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea, and Jameson Taillon all possible departures at the end of the year, a 2027 rotation spot seems prime for the taking. The Cubs don't need to rush Wiggins, and that's a good thing. There's still many outcomes for their top-ranked-arm, but so far, he's clearing hurdles and showing he's a capable learner. There is some major upside with the 24-year-old, something the team is sorely lacking down on the farm, so there's probably some undue pressure on him to lead the line and break out fully this year. That's a tough bill to live up to, but he has so far shown he's up to the task. View the full article

The Brewers have had an interesting situation at first base since Eric Thames departed after the 2019 season. While they have received some excellent production in the aggregate in some seasons, their primary starter has not topped 1.0 Wins Above Replacement (according to Baseball Reference) in any season since then.* Could that change? Let’s look at the position and see who Milwaukee has for 2026. The Starter Andrew Vaughn .308/.375/.493, 9 home runs, 46 RBIs in 64 games with Milwaukee Vaughn was acquired in exchange for disgruntled right-handed starting pitcher Aaron Civale last June. The deal worked out quite well for Milwaukee, as Vaughn provided some right-handed pop that helped make up for the absence of Rhys Hoskins due to injury. An increasingly well-rounded hitter, Vaughn didn’t just club homers; he also delivered 14 doubles. That balanced power and an improved walk rate pushed his OPS to .869 during his time with the Brewers. If Vaughn manages to equal his 141 OPS+ (where 100 is average and higher is better) from his 2025 in Milwaukee, the Brewers would be in position to rival the league leaders in value from first base. Vaughn would help the Brewers maintain length in their lineup, behind Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich, William Contreras, and Brice Turang. *Incidentally, Vaughn actually exceeded the 1.0 WAR threshold in 2025, but wasn’t the primary starter at first base for the Brewers, Hoskins, who posted 0.9 WAR, was. The “Platoon Partner” Jake Bauers .235/.353/.399, 7 home runs, 28 RBIs in 85 games Bauers is not likely to be the primary first baseman for the Brewers; nor is he a strict platoon partner for Vaughn. He’ll exist in a more flexible timeshare with Vaughn, and find supplemental playing time in the outfield corners. Like Vaughn, Bauers had a career year with Milwaukee in 2025. In this case, he rebounded from being non-tendered after the 2024 season and posted a 111 OPS+, fueled by improved plate discipline (32 walks in 183 at-bats in 2025, compared to 39 in 302 at-bats in 2024). He's also capable of even more power than Vaughn, with the best sheer bat speed on the team. Down The Depth Chart On the 40-man roster, the “third first baseman” is former top-100 prospect Tyler Black, whose biggest issue is finding a defensive home. Black has had a couple cups of coffee in the majors, but hasn’t had a chance to get untracked, being stuck behind external additions Hoskins, Vaughn, and Bauers over the past two seasons. He's also failed to develop the power required of a bat-first player, but that might be changing this spring. He not only cracked four extra-base hits before leaving for Team Canada and the World Baseball Classic, but has been hitting the ball harder this spring than he has in the past two years, in terms of exit velocity. In the upper minors, the Brewers have other prospects who could emerge as contributors. Blake Burke and Luke Adams could someday form a traditional platoon arrangement, with Adams also able to play some third base. Burke, acquired with a competitive-balance pick the Brewers acquired in the Corbin Burnes trade, is a lefty power bat. Adams is an OBP machine who adds some power and average speed as a right-handed hitter. The Brewers also have 2025 first-round draft pick Andrew Fischer, a natural first baseman who’s proving capable at the hot corner. Fischer has been performing extremely well in the World Baseball Classic for team Italy, batting 4-for-11 with two doubles, a home run, a walk and just two strikeouts entering Monday's semifinal against Venezuela. He could force his way to the high minors—or even Milwaukee—in 2026. Overview Milwaukee’s star prospects and players are often in the outfield or the middle infield. First base in Milwaukee hasn’t seen a long-term primary starter since Prince Fielder’s departure after the 2011 season. Right now, though, there are several players with a chance to change that in the organization. We could see one of them seize the position this year. View the full article

Youth. Prospects. The future. Some years, these are the only places to focus if you want to feel hopeful and positive about your favorite team. For Twins fans, it looks like this is going to be one of those years. Fortunately, the current state of Minnesota's farm system gives plenty of cause for enthusiasm and optimism. Read on for a rundown of our rankings plus analysis of how the Twins compare to the rest of the league, and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Twins Top 20 Prospects of 2026 Click on the player's name to read our full profile. Walker Jenkins, OF: If he shakes the injury bug, his path to becoming an MLB All-Star is plain to see. Kaelen Culpepper, SS: Broke through in first full minors season, now stands as heir apparent at short. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF: Boom-or-bust profile is easy to dream on, with rare power/patience blend. Eduardo Tait, C: Standout hitting tool, legit defense make him MN's best catching prospect since Mauer. Connor Prielipp, LHP: Finally healthy last year, he made a convincing case as the system's best arm. Dasan Hill, LHP: Oozing top-of-rotation potential after fanning 83 over 62 IP in first season out of HS. Gabriel Gonzalez, OF: Line-drive machine batted .329 across three levels in breakout 2025 campaign. Kendry Rojas, LHP: Lanky southpaw has drawn attention in camp, flashing impressive FB/SL combo. Marek Houston, SS: Defensive wiz will play in MLB based on glove alone, with star potential if he hits. Charlee Soto, RHP: Boasting some of the org's best stuff and looking to rebound from arm injury. Riley Quick, RHP: Reaches the upper-90s from a 6-foot-6 frame, could rise fast if he stays healthy. Andrew Morris, RHP: Polished strike-thrower who provides immediate depth for the MLB rotation. Brandon Winokur, SS/CF: A big man with big power potential and exceptional athleticism for his size. Quentin Young, SS: Similar traits to Winokur. The question for both: will they make enough contact? Marco Raya, RHP: Hoping to weaponize his high-powered sweeper following conversion to bullpen. Hendry Mendez, OF: Controls the zone well and offers upside if he can start elevating the ball more. Kyle DeBarge, 2B/SS/CF: Speedster struggled in the second half at Cedar Rapids, but stole 55 bases. C.J. Culpepper, RHP: Continues to get results, but must show he can stay healthy and throw strikes. Khadim Diaw, C/CF: Disciplined hitter with an intriguing defensive profile, looking to add some pop. James Ellwanger, RHP: Hard-throwing college draftee has strikeout stuff, could be fast-tracked as RP. POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN Catchers: 2 Infielders: 4 Outfielders: 5 Right-handed Pitchers: 6 Left-handed Pitchers: 3 ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIMELINES 2026: Jenkins, K. Culpepper, Rodriguez, Prielipp, Gonzalez, Morris, Raya 2027: Rojas, Mendez, C.J. Culpepper 2028: Tait, Houston, Soto, Quick, Winokur, DeBarge, Diaw, Ellwanger 2029: Hill, Young LEAGUEWIDE SYSTEM RANKINGS ESPN: 8 out of 30 Baseball Prospectus: 8 out of 30 MLB Pipeline: 9 out of 30 FanGraphs: 12 out of 30 Baseball America: 12 out of 30 The Athletic: 21 out of 30 STRENGTHS The Twins are generally viewed as having an above-average, but not quite top-tier, farm system relative to the rest of the league. In sizing up their overall mix of talent, a few strengths stand out. Near-ready impact: At least six of the top 10 have a reasonable chance to debut in the majors this season, including all of the top three (Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, Emmanuel Rodriguez). Left-handed pitching: There was a long stretch where the Twins had zero left-handed pitchers among their top prospect. How things have changed. Our top three pitching prospects are all southpaws, with Connor Prielipp, Dasan Hill and Kendry Rojas all landing in the top 10. Raw athleticism and strength: Brandon Winokur and Quentin Young are huge physical specimens with really impressive tools. Riley Quick was a highly recruited four-star offensive lineman before attending Alabama and getting drafted as a pitcher by the Twins. There's a lot of volatility and bust potential with such player types, but it's fun to see the Twins taking big swings. Big-velo arms: Quick is one of several pitchers in the Twins system who can throw really hard. Charlee Soto and James Ellwanger are also guys who light up the radar. Prielipp, Hill and Rojas throw harder than almost any left-handed pitchers in Twins history. The question is whether all these velo demons can stay healthy. WEAKNESSES You might notice that, among the farm system rankings from various publications above, The Athletic is a clear outlier. Whereas ESPN, BP, BA, FanGraphs and Pipeline all have the Twins somewhere between eighth and 12th out of MLB teams, Keith Law has them all the way down at 21. His reasoning is pretty straightforward, and tough to deny: health. For all the great talent the Twins have boasted in their system over the years, so much of it has failed to actualize in the majors due to a constant onslaught of injury woes. Unfortunately, that shows no real signs of changing. Jenkins has been hurt frequently since being drafted, and is sidelined this spring by a hamstring strain. Rodriguez has also been oft-injured, totaling only 112 games over the past two seasons. Prielipp has undergone multiple elbow surgeries; he's 25 years old with only less than 115 professional innings logged. We're still in the top five! It's not like the Twins organization has some inherent curse, and much of this is just bad luck, subject to change with the winds of fortune. But there are certain developmental philosophies that might lead to higher likelihood of injury, especially on the pitching side. It's the trade-off for targeting hard throwers or drafting mid-rounders and boosting their velocity. The reality is that we've yet to see any of these guys make it to the big leagues healthy. David Festa and Zebby Matthews have dealt with shoulder issues since graduating. KEEP TRACK OF TWINS PROSPECTS ALL YEAR This series and recap only serve as a snapshot of the Twins' system heading into the season. As the action gets going and players start to move in the rankings, you can follow along through the summer with our Twins Top Prospect Tracker, which is updated frequently. 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 Toronto Blue Jays First Basemen at a Glance Starter: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Backup: Kazuma Okamoto, Ernie Clement Depth: Anthony Santander (IL), Eloy Jiménez (if he makes the team) Prospects: Damiano Palmegiani, Charles McAdoo, Jackson Hornung, Peyton Williams Jays 1B fWAR in 2025: 8th out of 30 Jays 1B FGDC Projection for 2026: 1st out of 30 Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is both elite and remarkably durable. Considering the 14‑year, $500 million extension he signed last season, he is Toronto's first baseman until he or the team decides he can’t handle the role anymore. Based on his track record, that scenario isn’t in the cards any time soon. Instead, the Jays only need to address the question of who looks after first when he starts as the DH or gets injured. Guerrero is among the most durable and high-volume first basemen in Major League Baseball. He consistently ranks near the top of the league in games played and plate appearances at the position. Last season, he started 133 of his 156 games at first. In three other games, he played first after either starting as the DH or entering as a pinch-hitter. There isn’t a single more important position player on the Blue Jays' roster than Guerrero. Since 2021, he has piled up more innings at first than any AL peer, and he’s coming off a monstrous 2025 postseason that powered Toronto to the World Series. He’s also under team control through 2039, making contingency planning more about short‑term risk management than succession. I haven’t found an Opening Day projection that doesn’t have Guerrero as the everyday first baseman. That said, as is now customary in professional sports, especially for superstars, he will face some load management that will necessitate that Kazuma Okamoto and Ernie Clement fill in when required. The depth charts on FanGraphs and CBS paint a similar picture, with Vlad as the primary and Okamoto and Clement among the first backups. Sports Illustrated’s positional ranking has this group at the top when it comes to each team's first base setup across MLB. No team can replace a player like Vladdy, but if he is starting at DH, resting or injured, the Jays will look to find the sweet spot of defensive talent, contact hitting and run-production to fill his shoes at first. Plan A (for Non‑Vlad Days): Kazuma Okamoto When the team signed Okamoto, management was very open about what they perceived as an opportunity to use his defensive versatility to their advantage. That includes his playing left field and first base. Okamoto brings a resume that suggests, based on his time with the Yomiuri Giants of NPB, he is a capable first baseman. In fact, he won the Japanese version of a Gold Glove in 2024 at the position. His hitting in his first four spring training games before he left for the WBC bodes well as he transitions to the MLB. He hit a home run and two doubles in nine at-bats. Okamoto will hopefully complement the contact-first orientation of the Jays’ offensive philosophy. From a lineup geometry perspective, moving Okamoto to first would allow Addison Barger to play third and open up some playing time for one of the outfielders (Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, Eloy Jiménez or Davis Schneider) off the bench. For the 10 or 15 games that Guerrero won’t start at first, Okamoto would be the cleanest fill-in with minimal disruption to the lineup and defense. Plan B: The Utility Safety Net Heading into the 2025 season, Clement had only played first in the majors five times while playing for the Guardians. Last season, he played first for 15 games, though he only started six of them. Clement has become Toronto’s utility glue. He’s projected to start at second base this year, but the coaching staff trusts him everywhere, including first. He won’t replicate Guerrero’s power, but his bat‑to‑ball skills, reliable hands and baseball IQ can stabilize the right side of the defence when the priority is run prevention and clean innings. Clement at first allows Okamoto to focus on third while Barger can stick to the outfield. It does mean that the Jays would need a fill-in at second, however. That might result in a negative offensive blip, if Leo Jiménez is the answer, or a defensive downgrade, if Davis Schneider is the one who slides into second. Plan C and Beyond: Not So Clear There has not been a lot of talk about who on the major league roster could fill the first base position. Once healthy, Anthony Santander could potentially fill in at first. His timeline, however, is a return in August or September. According to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson, Eloy Jiménez has been spending significant time in spring training working out at first base. That might be an indication that if he makes the team, he’ll get an opportunity to back up Vladdy. Further down the depth chart, and one has to really scan down, there are a few more names that have the potential to make the leap to the majors. Charles McAdoo is projected to be ready by 2027 and possibly earlier. He is a third baseman/first baseman and Jays Centre's 14th-ranked prospect, as of our latest update. More likely would be Damiano Palmegiani, whose calling card is power. He’s been developed as a corner infielder with some work in the outfield. He could potentially get the call if he has a strong start in Buffalo. Baseball America highlights both his power and approach but flags his swing and miss vs. spin and defensive limitations. FanGraphs lists several other minor leaguers as options at first, including Jackson Hornung and Peyton Williams (who both reached Double A in 2025) and Carter Cunningham and Brennan Orf (a pair of left-handed-hitting first basemen in High A). At this point in their careers, none of these players appear ready to make a big jump to the major league level. If Guerrero Misses Two Weeks… Six Weeks… or Two Months Daily plan: Okamoto starts approximately 70–80% at 1B; Clement picks up the rest in platoon matchups; Barger locks 3B most days. Net effect: Offense dips from MVP-calibre to solid but variable; defense improves mildly on some days (Clement); run prevention keeps the floor high. Longer-term structural move (4-6 weeks): Promote a corner power bat (Palmegiani) or sign a short‑term veteran to soak up DH/1B at‑bats so Okamoto isn’t overexposed to position hopping. The front office has shown an appetite for in‑season corner bat adds in the past (like Ty France last season) to cover first base innings when Guerrero is pencilled in as DH. As long as Guerrero stays healthy, the Jays have one of the best in baseball at first base. Plans A and B address load management with complementary pieces to support short-term coverage. The lack of organizational depth is only a concern if Guerrero is injured and out of the lineup for an extended period. The Jays have intentionally prioritized MLB‑level flexibility over pure first base depth at Triple A and throughout the minors. It’s as much a bet on Guerrero’s availability and durability as it is on Okamoto’s adaptability. For the Jays, first base is elite so long as Vladdy is in the lineup. The position is adequately insulated for any short-term challenges. Any injury beyond a few weeks, though, would likely push the front office to explore a trade to ensure run production doesn’t sag in a tough division. 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Designated hitter is arguably the most convoluted position in the Boston Red Sox’s lineup as we head into the 2026 season. That spot seems like it is primed to help the team kick the can down the road even further while they try to figure out how to knock loose the outfield logjam. Now, having too many major-league-caliber offensive players on one roster is hardly a negative thing, but Alex Cora is going to have to get creative very early on this season if the goal is to get regular at-bats for everyone currently labeled as an outfielder on the 26-man roster. Let’s dive into the position that may make or break the lineup this season. Red Sox Designated Hitter At A Glance Starter: Jarren Duran Backup: Masataka Yoshida Depth: Roman Anthony, Willson Contreras, Triston Casas Red Sox fWAR Ranking Last Year: 7th out of 30 Red Sox fWAR Projection This Year: 13th out of 30 The Good That’s a lot of potential power across the board for the designated hitter position. Both Duran and Yoshida have had standout performances during the World Baseball Classic, and Duran was on fire early in spring training, even against left-handed pitchers like Chris Sale. If Duran has found his power stroke again, and early returns indicate that he has, he should serve as the primary DH for the Red Sox moving forward. Anthony will see some time there on occasion because Duran needs to play the field from time to time as well, but those breathers should be few and far between as Anthony should be seeing regular time in left field as long as he’s healthy. Contreras will get the lion’s share of reps at first base but will need the occasional day off from the field as well, so look for him to rotate into the DH role too. What does that mean for Yoshida, though? Your guess is as good as mine. There has been at least rumored interest in him during the offseason and his strong showing at the WBC may give some teams the confidence to take on part of his salary to add him to their lineup, but that’s not a given. If healthy, and he clearly seems to be, he’s going to be an incredibly expensive bench piece. That’s a waste of his talent and team resources. The smart play here is to cut bait and eat the bulk of the rest of Yoshida's contract to send him somewhere he can get regular reps. The unknown here is Casas. We’re likely not going to see him until mid-to-late April at the earliest since he’s not going to get into any Grapefruit League games. Casas has 30-home run potential, but we’ve yet to see a fully healthy season out of him. If he bounces back from his knee injury as expected, he’s going to be pushing for a spot on the major-league roster sooner or later. While that’s an exciting thought for this season, it creates far more questions surrounding the current construction of the lineup. The Bad Essentially, take every good outcome listed above and reverse it. That’s the potential downside of having an open-door DH policy. Duran could struggle against left-handed pitching again while failing to provide much of a spark against righties. Anthony could hit his sophomore slump early in the season and take time to recover as the league adjusts to him. Contreras may not live up to the hype as a dominant pull-side hitter at Fenway. Yoshida could continue to struggle during the regular season. Casas might be slapped with the injury-prone label as he fails to return to form after two devastating injuries the past two years. It would be a catastrophe for the Red Sox, but let’s not pretend like the team is immune from those. Expecting all of that to happen during the same season, at the same time, feels farfetched right now. Should one or two of them come to pass, though? Then the front office will be on the ropes. The Bottom Line The Red Sox are in a very good place when it comes to the talent that will be cycling through the designated hitter position in 2026. Is there a true big-bat thumper in the group? That’s unlikely, but with how players have been performing in spring training and the WBC, it looks like there could be 20+ home run potential from each of the names listed above. That’s huge, especially for a team that lacks power on paper. The Red Sox have spent the offseason building, potentially, the best starting rotation in baseball. Alex Cora and Craig Breslow have even made comments about having to win low-scoring games with their defense. While that’s certainly on the table, it'd be nice if the offense can slug its way to a few wins as well. View the full article

The Twins’ bullpen picture is mostly set heading into Opening Day, but a couple of spots are still very much up for grabs. So who has the inside track, and what could ultimately decide those final roster decisions? Names discussed include: Justin Topa, Eric Orze, Zak Kent, Liam Hendriks, Cody Laweryson, and Dan Altavilla. View the full article

It was all going so well. Before Venezuela ousted Samurai Japan Saturday night, Seiya Suzuki went 3-for-10 in the World Baseball Classic, with a homer and a double. He played center field, batted near the top of the order, and drew six walks, while striking out just once. Then, in a nightmarish turn for the Cubs, he seemed to twist or jam his knee as he went into a slide on a stolen-base attempt, and limped off the field in the first inning of Japan's eventual loss. Even as he returns to Arizona, the question looms: If he's out for an extended period, who will take his place as the team's regular right fielder? The most obvious candidate is Matt Shaw. Displaced from third base, Shaw has responded well to the challenge of playing the outfield this spring, and his stance and swing seem to have undergone another round of adjustments. His numbers last year weren't pretty, and he's certainly not the hitter Suzuki is, but as he works past some of the consequences of having been rushed to the majors, he might be ready to handle a bat-first everyday job. We don't yet know whether Suzuki will miss any time, though, and even if he does, it's most likely that some combination of Shaw, Michael Conforto, Chas McCormick, Dylan Carlson and/or Kevin Alcántara will fill the gap, rather than that any one of them will take all the playing time. With up to nine potential starting pitchers on the roster, few major-league teams have more pitching depth at the ready. One hurler whose role is still not quite clear, however, is Ben Brown. While the youngster continues developing a stronger arsenal (with greater dedication to his sinker and changeup than in the past), he's locked in on the mound in Mesa. He's posted a 3.38 ERA in 10 2/3 innings and has struck out 33.3% of the batters he's faced. He could be ticketed for a starting job in Iowa, or a bullpen job in Chicago—although he sounds like a man on a mission to earn a big-league rotation spot. There's nothing good about an injury to anyone on the roster, especially to one so instrumental to their success. Hopefully, Suzuki's balky knee calms down quickly. For now, though, the team's problems are in balance with its reasons for optimism. Setbacks are a part of the game, but the Cubs are well-equipped to handle them. View the full article