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Kansas City Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV won’t earn a plaque in Cooperstown. Nor does a spot in his own club’s Hall of Fame seem likely. He hasn’t made an All-Star team, won any major awards, or flirted with stardom. Nevertheless, Lynch is one of the most interesting pitchers the Royals have. That may seem odd considering he doesn’t draw a lot of attention, and when he does it sometimes comes, as it did this winter, in unflattering questions about his suitability for the majors, speculation that he isn’t quite good enough for the Royals, and suggestions that his one remaining minor league option means KC should farm him out and give another reliever a seat in manager Matt Quatraro’s bullpen. Maybe it’s because Lynch doesn’t profile like so many believe successful big league pitchers should. His four-seamer and sinker velocities aren’t especially intimidating. He toils frequently in middle relief, where stars typically aren’t made or imagined. Maybe he just isn’t flamboyant enough. This much is clear, though — Lynch is a pretty decent pitcher, an asset the Royals shouldn’t take for granted. Despite those inclined to think otherwise, he deserves a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster. But that hasn’t always been the case. Daniel Lynch IV Spent A Lot of Time on Shaky Ground Lynch climbed the minor league ladder quickly but didn’t enjoy early success in the majors. Taken by the Royals with the 34th selection of the 2018 amateur draft — an extra pick KC received for losing Eric Hosmer to the Padres in free agency — Lynch arrived in Kansas City during the 2021 season and went 4-6 with an alarming 5.69 ERA and troubling 1.63 WHIP. Things didn’t get much better, and by the end of the 2023 season, he’d lost over twice as many games (23) as he’d won (11) and had a 5.18 ERA in 51 starts. The nagging shoulder issues that limited him to nine starts in 2023 didn’t help. Then he went to the bullpen. And everything changed. Daniel Lynch IV Becomes a Solid Reliever for the Royals Lynch’s mid-July victory over Detroit was, unfortunately, his final appearance of the 2023 season — and one of his last starts for Kansas City. Needing to strengthen their bullpen (and almost everything else, for that matter) after losing 106 games that year, the Royals made Lynch a reliever in 2024, and he came through with a career-best 3.32 ERA, excellent 0.99 WHIP, perfect 2-0 record, and, for good measure, his first career save. The sample size wasn’t huge — 43 1/3 innings, to be precise — but the results were good. And he was even better last season. Lynch’s workload increased to 67 2/3 innings; he just missed dipping below 3.00 in ERA at 3.06, and he won six times while losing only twice. He’s now 8-2 with a 3.16 ERA since shifting primarily to relief work two seasons ago and boasts a 2.72 ERA in 68 appearances out of the bullpen. Lynch’s more advanced metrics, though, aren’t overwhelming. Take last season, for example — per Baseball Savant, his 15.6 K% ranked in the fifth percentile, his 9.0 BB% in the 32nd, his 22.3% whiff rate in the 25th, and his 20% chase rate in the 20th percentile. But despite his lack of eye-catching advanced numbers, Lynch has built himself into a solid reliever. That he wasn’t always so competent makes that achievement even more impressive. That he’s a left-hander adds to Lynch’s value. Yes, the three-batter rule has diminished, at least to some extent, the importance of bullpen southpaws, but they still have their place, especially on clubs managed by handedness-match disciples like Kansas City’s Quatraro. And Lynch is pitching effectively this spring. In four Cactus League appearances, he’s surrendered just one run, struck out five, and hasn’t walked any of the 15 batters he's faced (which helps explain his 0.75 WHIP). Lynch may not be overpowering, overwhelming, or spectacular. But he’s been good for the Royals. So, give credit where credit is due. Look for Lynch in Atlanta when Kansas City opens the season there on March 27. View the full article

Kansas City Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV won’t earn a plaque in Cooperstown. Nor does a spot in his own club’s Hall of Fame seem likely. He hasn’t made an All-Star team, won any major awards, or flirted with stardom. Nevertheless, Lynch is one of the most interesting pitchers the Royals have. That may seem odd considering he doesn’t draw a lot of attention, and when he does it sometimes comes, as it did this winter, in unflattering questions about his suitability for the majors, speculation that he isn’t quite good enough for the Royals, and suggestions that his one remaining minor league option means KC should farm him out and give another reliever a seat in manager Matt Quatraro’s bullpen. Maybe it’s because Lynch doesn’t profile like so many believe successful big league pitchers should. His four-seamer and sinker velocities aren’t especially intimidating. He toils frequently in middle relief, where stars typically aren’t made or imagined. Maybe he just isn’t flamboyant enough. This much is clear, though — Lynch is a pretty decent pitcher, an asset the Royals shouldn’t take for granted. Despite those inclined to think otherwise, he deserves a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster. But that hasn’t always been the case. Daniel Lynch IV Spent A Lot of Time on Shaky Ground Lynch climbed the minor league ladder quickly but didn’t enjoy early success in the majors. Taken by the Royals with the 34th selection of the 2018 amateur draft — an extra pick KC received for losing Eric Hosmer to the Padres in free agency — Lynch arrived in Kansas City during the 2021 season and went 4-6 with an alarming 5.69 ERA and troubling 1.63 WHIP. Things didn’t get much better, and by the end of the 2023 season, he’d lost over twice as many games (23) as he’d won (11) and had a 5.18 ERA in 51 starts. The nagging shoulder issues that limited him to nine starts in 2023 didn’t help. Then he went to the bullpen. And everything changed. Daniel Lynch IV Becomes a Solid Reliever for the Royals Lynch’s mid-July victory over Detroit was, unfortunately, his final appearance of the 2023 season — and one of his last starts for Kansas City. Needing to strengthen their bullpen (and almost everything else, for that matter) after losing 106 games that year, the Royals made Lynch a reliever in 2024, and he came through with a career-best 3.32 ERA, excellent 0.99 WHIP, perfect 2-0 record, and, for good measure, his first career save. The sample size wasn’t huge — 43 1/3 innings, to be precise — but the results were good. And he was even better last season. Lynch’s workload increased to 67 2/3 innings; he just missed dipping below 3.00 in ERA at 3.06, and he won six times while losing only twice. He’s now 8-2 with a 3.16 ERA since shifting primarily to relief work two seasons ago and boasts a 2.72 ERA in 68 appearances out of the bullpen. Lynch’s more advanced metrics, though, aren’t overwhelming. Take last season, for example — per Baseball Savant, his 15.6 K% ranked in the fifth percentile, his 9.0 BB% in the 32nd, his 22.3% whiff rate in the 25th, and his 20% chase rate in the 20th percentile. But despite his lack of eye-catching advanced numbers, Lynch has built himself into a solid reliever. That he wasn’t always so competent makes that achievement even more impressive. That he’s a left-hander adds to Lynch’s value. Yes, the three-batter rule has diminished, at least to some extent, the importance of bullpen southpaws, but they still have their place, especially on clubs managed by handedness-match disciples like Kansas City’s Quatraro. And Lynch is pitching effectively this spring. In four Cactus League appearances, he’s surrendered just one run, struck out five, and hasn’t walked any of the 15 batters he's faced (which helps explain his 0.75 WHIP). Lynch may not be overpowering, overwhelming, or spectacular. But he’s been good for the Royals. So, give credit where credit is due. Look for Lynch in Atlanta when Kansas City opens the season there on March 27. View the full article

The World Baseball Classic is reaching the end of Pool Play, as many teams have already punched their tickets to the knockout rounds (including Japan and South Korea). The Royals are well-represented in the WBC, with 10 players participating, as highlighted on the Royals' social media (though they didn't have Luinder Avila, a late addition to the Venezuelan roster who may have missed the official WBC media day). I already talked about the performance of Royals starting pitchers in Pool Play (specifically focusing on Puerto Rico's Seth Lugo and USA's Michael Wacha). However, I have not talked yet about the hitters, who are even more well-represented in the WBC. Five of the Royals' core position players for 2026 (Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, Maikel Garcia, Vinnie Pasquantino, and Jac Caglianone) are participating in the WBC for their respective countries. Let's break down the performances thus far of those Royals position players and identify what fans can expect from the five, not just for the remainder of the World Baseball Classic but also for the upcoming MLB season. Witt Showing Plate Patience, Speed on Basepaths, and Incredible Defense Witt has played in two games so far in pool play: against Brazil in game one and on Monday night against Mexico in game four. Manager Mark DeRosa opted for Baltimore's Gunnar Henderson at shortstop in game two against Great Britain, and the move paid off for Team USA as Henderson went 4-for-5. DeRosa has primarily put Witt in the leadoff spot, and the results have been mostly positive for the Royals' franchise player. On one hand, he's hitting .333 with a .1.056 OPS in nine at-bats. He went 2-for-4 with two doubles in the Mexico game, and he just missed out on a homer in his second at-bat. Against Mexico's Manny Barreda, he hit an 85.2 MPH slider 385 feet with an exit velocity of 103.9 MPH. Here's a look at the spray chart of that particular flyball out. If Witt pulled that one just a little bit more, it's probably gone, especially in Daikin Park's hitter-friendly confines. Furthermore, Witt did what he was supposed to do on a hanging slider from Barreda, which was located in a meaty part of the zone, as illustrated in his zone chart below via Savant. Thankfully for Barreda and Mexico, he threw that pitch to Spring Training Witt. If he threw that to in-season Witt, it's probably gone and hit a lot further as well. In his third at-bat against Alex Carrillo, he didn't miss. He launched a double with a 105.8 MPH exit velocity on a hanging slider, similar to the one he saw from Barreda. Perhaps this double is the breakthrough Witt needed to get going on the hitting end of things in the World Baseball Classic. He seemed to confirm that thought with another double in the 8th inning. This one had an exit velocity of 100.8 MPH off Mexico reliever Robert Garcia. In a short time in the WBC, Witt has done what he's supposed to do as a leadoff hitter: get on base and steal bases. He has a .500 OBP with two walks and only one strikeout. He also has three stolen bases on three attempts. The Royals have been a little rusty on the basepaths in Spring Training, so to see Witt in base-thieving form is a nice development. After stealing 49 bases in 2023, Witt stole 31 in 2024 and 38 in 2025. It would be nice to see Witt get back to the 40-SB mark in 2026. His start in the WBC shows that he may be capable of doing so, especially if manager Matt Quatraro is open to putting Witt in the leadoff spot in the batting order. Lastly, Witt demonstrated against Mexico why he won the Platinum Glove for the Royals last year. He made not one, but two incredible plays that few, if any other MLB shortstops could make (though don't say that to Orioles fans). Here's the first play Witt made against catcher Alejandro Kirk. Unbelievable. And for those who said, "Well, Kirk is a slow runner", let's take a look at what he did on a similarly hit groundball by Nick Gonzales (who is much faster than Kirk, though that's not hard). Witt may have gotten off to a slow start in the WBC, but he seems to be getting settled at shortstop for Team USA. That would be a scary development for the rest of the WBC competition, especially in the knockout rounds. Big Hits From Salvy and Maikel Venezuela is 2-0 in pool play and may be on their way to 3-0, as they are up 4-0 on Nicaragua in the seventh inning on Monday. Garcia and Perez both played in Venezuela's first two games, but got the day off in game three (though Garcia entered on Monday for Luis Arraez). Perez is the captain of Team Venezuela, and as with the Royals, he's the heart and soul of the team. He's gotten off to a strong start with his home country, as he is hitting .333 with a .666 OPS in nine at-bats. He has three hits, all singles, and one RBI. His lone RBI was a big one against Israel, tying the game and sparking a rally. Even though Perez got the night off against Nicaragua, he will be a key part of this lineup for Venezuela in the knockout rounds. It's been a bit of a different story for Garcia, who is playing in his first WBC after his breakout season in 2025. The Royals' third baseman started the first two games of pool play but is hitting .200 with a .400 OPS in 10 at-bats. He also has three strikeouts and no walks, though all three of his strikeouts came in a rough game against Israel. In his first three plate appearances in his second WBC game, Garcia was having a brutal performance, striking out in each at-bat against an Israel team that was eventually eliminated from the knockout stage. However, he gathered himself to produce a big two-RBI single with the bases loaded that extended Venezuela's lead in the sixth inning. That ability to bounce back with a big hit after striking out three times is the kind of adjustment Garcia made from 2024 to 2025. The 2024 version of Garcia would've struck out again or gotten a lazy ground or fly out. The 2025 version can put those bad at-bats behind him and produce a solid base hit in a hitter's count. That shows Garcia's maturity over the past year. The 26-year-old Royals infielder also has a stolen base and has shown solid defense at the hot corner, albeit in a small sample. While Garcia's overall stat line isn't great, he was really hurt by one bad game (Israel), so I'll be curious to see how he does for the remainder of the tournament. Struggles at the Plate for Vinnie and Jac Italy has gotten off to a strong start, as they are currently 2-0 in pool play. Furthermore, they have been a darling of the WBC, especially with their espresso shot celebration after home runs (served by none other than Pasquantino). Unfortunately, the numbers haven't been all that great so far for either Vinnie or Cags through two games. The Italy captain hasn't gotten a hit in seven at-bats and has an OPS of .300. He has three walks to zero strikeouts, which is good, as he became a little free-swinging last year. His 30.4% O-Swing% ranked in the 34th percentile last year, according to TJ Stats. Thus, seeing Pasquantino show some patience and avoid strikeouts has been nice, even if he hasn't gotten a base hit yet in this WBC. Caglianone has played only one game in the WBC, sitting out game two against Great Britain. In his lone start, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI double. That said, his base hit may have been more due to lackluster defense from Dante Bichette Jr. from Team Brazil (even Cags initially thought it was going to be a groundout). One of the positive developments for Caglianone in Spring Training was his plate patience, something he struggled with in his rookie year. In 2025, he had a 38.5% O-Swing%, which ranked in the bottom fifth percentile, and a 51.3% Swing%, which ranked in the 75th percentile. Cags swung too much last year, especially on pitches outside of the strike zone. In Spring Training, those metrics reverse, as seen below via his Statcast summary from TJ Stats. In 30 Cactus League plate appearances, he had a 21.4% O-Swing% and 38.9% Swing%. Those numbers ranked in the 75th and 16th percentiles, respectively. As a result, he posted a .375 average and 1.125 OPS in Cactus League play prior to heading out of Arizona for the WBC. Against Brazil, Caglianone was way too overeager, and that can be seen in his pitch description chart from his only WBC appearance. In four at-bats, he's seen a total of seven pitches. Of those seven pitches, he's swung at five of them. Yes, he has that RBI double on his WBC resume. However, he also hit into three field outs, all coming on those pitches up and in and early in the count. It seems like Cags is a bit amped up from the WBC experience, which has made him a bit impatient in his approach. He has made a lot of progress this spring, so hopefully he can get back into that patient mindset he had in Arizona during the remainder of Italy's WBC tenure. View the full article

#2 Luis Peña (Carolina Mudcats, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) Peña has quickly developed into one of the more interesting young position players in the system, and if not for Jesús Made, he would likely be the talk of minor-league camp as it opens this week. PA H 2B 3B HR OPS wRC+ wOBA K% BB% SwStr% Whiff% PULL% CENT% OPPO% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% SB CS SB% 90th EV 418 101 18 6 9 .757 113 .363 16.3% 8.1% 11.3% 24.0% 45.7% 25.1% 29.3% 20.9% 44.4% 34.6% 23.6% 44 7 86% 104.2 What to Like While Peña didn't receive the same level of attention as Made during their 2024 DSL debuts, his production at that level was equally strong. He sustained that momentum into 2025, even outperforming Made at Low-A before facing challenges after a promotion to High-A. The overall performance showed both his upside and the typical growing pains of a very young player facing more advanced competition. One of the biggest developments in Peña’s profile has been his power. Over the course of one offseason, he made a significant jump in his contact quality, improving his 90th-percentile exit velocity from under 100 MPH in the DSL to 104.2 MPH at two levels in 2025. That jump in impact elevated his offensive ceiling and added another dimension to his game. The improved strength showed up in his production, as he hit nine home runs and six triples during the 2025 season. Speed is another defining part of Peña’s profile. He possesses plus or better speed, and his application of it impacts the game in multiple ways. His quickness allows him to create pressure on defenses and provide a lot of value on the bases. He stole 44 bases in 2025 and has the aggressiveness and pure speed to be a big threat in that regard. The combination of emerging power and high-end speed gives him an exciting offensive foundation. Despite being one of the youngest players at his levels, Peña showed the ability to produce against older competition for much of the season. His offensive tools give him a high ceiling as he continues to develop physically and refine his approach. What to Work On The biggest area for improvement in Peña’s offensive profile is his approach at the plate. After his promotion to High-A, he began to show more swing-and-miss and struggled to maintain the same level of contact he showed earlier in the season. He currently chases pitches outside the zone more often than you’d like to see, and improving his pitch recognition and plate discipline will be important as he moves up the ladder. Elevating his hard-hit contact more often would also help his burgeoning power to really flourish. Defensively, there are significant questions about his long-term position. His work on the infield has been inconsistent, with actions that can appear rigid and hands that don't yet bring the ball in as surely as they'll need to. His defensive instincts and overall comfort on the dirt remain areas of concern. Shortstop looks unlikely, and continued development will be necessary for him to remain an infielder at any spot. His athleticism and arm strength provide enough tools to continue developing on the dirt in the short term, but a move to the outfield remains a realistic possibility. A transition to the outfield could allow his speed and athletic ability to play more naturally and maximize his defensive value; it would also accelerate his progress toward the majors. As with many young players, overall consistency will be key. Refining his approach, improving defensive reliability, and adjusting to higher-level pitching will determine how quickly he progresses. What’s Next Peña is expected to return to High-A in 2026. The organization will likely continue evaluating him on the infield, while also considering long-term positional fit based on his development. His combination of speed and emerging power gives him a high offensive ceiling, and the athleticism could allow the defense to bloom late. Showing improvement in the areas that he struggled with in 2025 could position him for a move to Double-A later in the season. What are your thoughts on Peña’? What are you hoping to see from him in 2026? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

Acquired from the Phillies at the 2025 trade deadline, Eduardo Tait was the main piece in return for Jhoan Duran, alongside pitcher Mick Abel. Tait immediately became the Twins’ premier catching prospect, and he is a consensus Top 100 prospect league wide. That being said, he’s the most likely of Twins Daily’s top prospects list to never register an MLB plate appearance. The low-floor, high-ceiling teenager who is already at High-A has a long way to go before he dons a Twins uniform, but his potential is something that the Twins and their fans are salivating over. Eduardo Tait Age: 19 (DOB: 08/27/2006) Bats/Throws: L/R 2025 Stats (Single-A, High-A): 486 PA, .253/.311/.427, 32 2B, 1 3B, 14 HR, 36 BB, 99 SO ETA: 2029 2025 Ranking: NR National Top 100 Rankings BP: 54 | MLB: 65 | ATH: 93 | BA: 93 | ESPN: 38 Tait was signed out of Panama as a 16-year-old in 2023 and immediately began mashing in the Dominican Summer League, sporting a .917 OPS. He earned a promotion to Single-A Clearwater in 2024 as a 17-year-old, four years younger than the average player. By age 18, he was already on Philadelphia’s High-A Jersey Shore, while his high-school-aged peers stateside were only getting drafted, and he was selected for the 2025 Futures Game. His numbers at both levels of Class A have not been standout, merely clocking in around league-average across the two leagues. But he was among the youngest players in either Class-A league, so league-average hitting, especially from a catcher, is noteworthy. What to Like Tait is a catcher with huge raw power potential, with scouts assigning a 60- or 70-grade rating to his profile. Catchers are among the weakest-hitting players across baseball, and to have a middle-of-the-order bat playing the catching position is a boon to any team. He popped 14 home runs and 32 doubles in 486 plate appearances last year in his age-18 season, showing great promise. He has a sturdy build, and scouts question how much more muscle he can add to his already-developed frame, so increased power is more likely to come from swing improvements than adding more muscle as he ages, but his power potential is legit. His exit velocities and swing speed are encouraging. He’s also quite pull-heavy, setting himself up for good in-game power as he continues to develop. Tait also has good bat-to-ball skills, a trait that is uncommon for sluggers, especially young sluggers. In 2025, he posted a 20% strikeout rate, which undersells his ability to make contact given his plate discipline deficiencies (to be discussed later). He can put the ball in play very well, and if he can combine that skill with plus or plus-plus power, the Twins could see some excellent results in the big leagues, even if he is forced to move off catcher. As a catcher, Tait’s calling card is his arm strength. His pop time is around 1.9 seconds, and he threw out 33% of base stealers at Single-A. He needs to clean up his accuracy on throws to best limit base stealers, but his raw strength is encouraging. His receiving is believed to have league-average potential by the time he’s done developing, which, when paired with his bat and arm strength, can be enough to justify keeping him at catcher, though he won’t be winning any Gold Gloves. What to Work On As stated, Tait is the least likely of the names on Twins Daily’s list to make the major leagues, in part because of his youth and in part because he has some significant holes in his profile. Although there is excitement about his bat as a catcher, the bar for offense rises if Tait is unable to stick at the position. Given his frame and lack of speed, Tait’s only other positional homes are first base and designated hitter. And Tait’s outlook as a catcher defensively is indeed in question. Although he has raw arm strength, his skills as a receiver and blocker are in question. He has improved as a receiver, but he still has major deficiencies in keeping the ball in front of him, and scouts question whether he will have enough athleticism to consistently block pitches in the dirt or move laterally. He still has the potential bat to be a good first baseman or DH, but his ceiling as a player is significantly lower away from the catching position. Tait’s biggest weakness at the plate is his discipline. Put succinctly, he swings at everything. He has the bat-to-ball skills to get to nearly anything, but his hit tool is greatly reduced by his decision-making. This has been more pronounced since reaching High-A, as he had only a 4% walk rate. This lack of plate discipline also contributes to his batting average, as he’s swinging at less-than-optimal pitches to hit, especially early in counts. He’ll probably never have the best eye at the plate, but if he can reel in his swing-happy approach a bit, combined with his bat-to-ball skills and power, he could be dangerous. What to Look For in 2026 Tait will likely begin 2026 at High-A Cedar Rapids, though it’s unclear whether the Twins will be as aggressive moving him up through the system as Philadelphia was. Tait needs to make strides as a receiver and blocker, and catcher development is notoriously difficult to predict. Offensively, success would include moving from a league-average hitter for the level to a plus hitter. The Twins have time for the 19-year-old to develop, and it’s important for him to do better than just holding his own. The major step he needs to take offensively is swinging less. Watch for him to be making better swing decisions, which should be reflected in his batting average and on-base percentage. If he cleans up his approach at the plate, watch out. View the full article

Trey Yesavage took the baseball world by storm last fall, shining on baseball’s biggest stage against some of MLB's biggest stars. Last season, Yesavage climbed the ranks of the Blue Jays’ farm system, starting the season in Single-A Dunedin before finishing the 2025 campaign as a member of Toronto’s rotation in the World Series. In total, Yesavage pitched in 139 ⅔ innings, with 27 ⅔ of those coming during the Blue Jays’ postseason run. Selected in the first round, 20th overall in 2024 and still only 22 years old, he is just starting his career, and the Blue Jays will be tasked with making sure that he remains healthy as he enters his first full season at the game's highest level. Yesavage has yet to make an appearance during a spring training game, slowly building his way up, going along with the plan the Blue Jays have put in place. Speaking to Sportsnet’s Ben-Nicholson Smith, Yesavage discussed the Blue Jays’ plan to play it cautious with his workload. “They’re taking me slow, slower than anyone else in here,” Yesavage said. “I know they have my best interests in mind, so I have all the faith in them for whatever they plan the future to look like. I’m just following orders, per se.” With under three weeks until Opening Day, the likely scenario is that Yesavage appears in two or three spring games before the Blue Jays break camp and head to Toronto to prepare to start their season against the Athletics. Blue Jays manager John Schneider has already said that the team isn't about to ask Yesavage to throw 200-plus innings this season, so that sets up the young right-hander to be on a pitch limit through portions of the season. What Does This Mean for Yesavage and the Blue Jays? This is where the Blue Jays’ deep roster of arms comes into play. Currently, they have Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and José Berríos presumably slotted into rotation spots. Shane Bieber, when healthy, will claim a role, leaving Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer as other potential options heading into 2026. Scherzer, like Yesavage, is still being slowly worked into games due to his late signing, so he may not be an option when the regular season begins. Bieber hasn’t worked his way into a game yet, either; he won't be on the Opening Day roster, and it's unclear how soon he'll be ramped up and ready to go. This means that Yesavage and Lauer working as a tandem to begin the season in one of the rotation spots may be the most likely scenario. Last season, Lauer worked as both a starter and reliever, going 9-2 with an ERA of 3.18, a FIP of 3.85 and a WHIP of 1.10, holding opposing batters to a .227 average. The left-hander would provide a different look either opening for Yesavage or coming in following the tall right-hander. Both pitchers made appearances out of the bullpen last year, so this is something that wouldn’t be completely foreign to either. Using both Yesavage and Lauer on the same day could raise concerns about overuse of the rest of the bullpen. This plan will require the following day’s starter to provide length if the Blue Jays are routinely forced to use several relievers (including Lauer) on days that Yesavage pitches early in the season. With that in mind, using the Yesavage-Lauer combo as the 'fifth starter' would make sense, leaving whoever the Blue Jays choose to take the ball on Opening Day – likely either Gausman or Cease – to follow them up. Gausman and Cease both routinely throw quality starts. In a perfect world, Yesavage could throw a full season, but as the Blue Jays look to protect last year’s rookie star, their depth will have to come into play. View the full article

North Side Baseball's top 20 Chicago Cubs prospects list has reached the top seven. To keep up with our deep dives on the brightest rising talents in the farm system, see the articles below: Prospects #20-16 Prospects #15-11 Prospect #10 - James Triantos Prospect #9 - Josiah Hartshorn Prospect #8 - Kane Kepley Chicago Cubs 2026 Top Prospects: Pedro Ramirez Coming Up With Moises Ballesteros Chicago found two high-level hitters out of a Venezuelan baseball program in 2021. Cubs top prospect Moisés Ballesteros has gained a lot of attention, especially since his impressive debut last year. The powerful backstop inked a $1.2 million contract before exploding onto the scene. Ramirez was the other of the two talented hitting prospects from Alvaro Diaz’s training program; he signed for $75,000. Fast-forward to today, and the versatile infield prospect has played in over 400 minor league games as a contact hitter with plus speed on the base paths. The 21-year-old switch-hitter has gained plenty of attention during his ascension, getting a Southern League All-Star nod and earning a slot with the big-league club’s 40-man roster. Strengths Ramirez has a very similar prospect profile to Jefferson Rojas. Both are smaller, compact and have the potential to develop as base-stealers. At 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, the Dominican Republic native has logged a .291 career batting average, better than that of Rojas. He has also leaned into his natural speed, stealing at least 15 bases in three of the last four seasons. Another strength of Ramirez’s is his experience. In a day and age where fans (and some league executives) itch to accelerate a player’s development, Ramirez has now taken 1,700 professional at-bats. When he does finally get the call, he’ll have plenty of data to work from. Weaknesses Ramirez doesn’t have a ton of power, and his hand-eye coordination almost works against him at times. Chicago’s rising infielder, according to his MLB.com scouting report, is able to make contact with pitches tailing out of the zone. What could be a walk turns into a weak dribbler, and sometimes double-play trouble when there are already runners on base. One of his main priorities will be learning which pitches to let go, even if he’s able to get to them. 2025 Performance Ramirez enjoyed one of his best seasons yet in 2025. Knoxville Smokies fans were treated to a .280 batting average and career-highs in home runs (8), runs batted in (73) and stolen bases (28). To this point, Ramirez is yet to strike out 100 times in a full season, showcasing above-average contact abilities. He has a better eye from the right side of the plate, but every one of his 12 home runs in the last two seasons have come from the left side. The Cubs did add Ramirez to their 40-man roster at the tender deadline in 2025, therefore keeping Ramirez away from Rule 5 Draft eligibility. Players who are signed at age 18 or younger need to be added to the 40-man within five years, and Ramirez was on the brink of qualifying before the Cubs made this move in November. Projecting His Call-Up Ramirez is the highest rated third baseman in the Cubs’ pipeline, but with three-time all-star Alex Bregman inking a five-year deal over the offseason, the Venezuela native will need to move off of the hot corner if he wants a realistic chance at playing up. Even if Bregman were to go down, Matt Shaw’s glove was more than capable at third base last year, and Shaw is working on shifting to the outfield to salvage his own big league playing time. Ramirez has an ETA of 2026, but he’ll have to battle with reserves for the first spot behind established names like Bregman and Nico Hoerner. His switch-hitting ability and bat-to-ball skills are admirable, and with Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki both facing contract years, don’t rule out a possible shift to the outfield corners if the Cubs really want Ramirez in their future plans. View the full article

Talk Sox's top prospect rankings have reached their latter half, now focusing on the Boston Red Sox's top 10 prospects heading into the 2026 season. Be sure to check out our previous rankings here: Part 1 (Nos. 16-20) Part 2 (Nos. 11-15) Part 3 (No. 10) Part 4 (No. 9) Part 5 (No. 8) Boston Red Sox Top Prospects: No. 7 Justin Gonzales Saying that Justin Gonzales is a physical specimen is an understatement. Entering spring training this season, Gonzales was measured at 6-foot-6 and 277 pounds. That was after being last measured at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. While the previous weight may have been outdated, it’s still fascinating to see the 19-year-old continue to grow, even stating that his goal is “to be like Aaron Judge." Gonzales was part of the team’s 2024 international free agent class and in his first professional season at the Dominican Summer League, he put on a show offensively by hitting .320/.391/.517 with four doubles, five triples, five home runs and 29 RBIs in 47 games. He would come stateside for 2025, when after just one game in the Florida Complex League, he would be promoted to Low-A Salem and play in 81 games. He went on to hit .298/.381/.423 with 23 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 27 RBIs in that stretch before finishing the season with 11 games in Greenville. Offensively, there is no doubt that Gonzales is one of the organization’s best prospects. He has a quick bat and has solid barrel control for his size. His 90th percentile exit velocity was 107 mph and his highest was 113 mph. Thanks to an advanced approach at the plate, he’s able to let a pitch come in to him deep and send it the other way to right field instead of just trying to pull everything. With a good understanding of the strike zone, he doesn’t strike out too much, though he does struggle to recognize secondary pitches. Despite being just 19 years old, he's already impressing in spring training. On March 2, he was called up to play in a Red Sox spring training game and had a single with an exit velocity of 117.3 mph. It would have been the 12th-hardest exit velocity in Major League Baseball in 2025. His power is really impressive as it’s viewed as being easily above average by scouts. With his size and swing, he generates easy pop as the baseball jumps off his bat and he can drive the ball to all parts of the field. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take full advantage of it due to a 57% groundball rate. If Gonzales can improve his bat path and launch angle, he could really tap into his power and become an offensive beast. Defensively, Gonzales has spent time at first base and all three outfield positions. In 2025, he spent the entire season split between the three outfield positions, though due to his size he will likely play either first base or a corner outfield position as he continues to advance through the minor leagues. He showcased good range in the outfield but struggled when it came to his jumps and routes. Despite that, his arm is considered above average and would play well at either corner outfield position. Gonzales’ speed is also below average, though he moves well for someone his size. While he won’t steal many bags, he won’t clog up the basepaths and should be able to go from first to third or second to home on outfield hits. Gonzales will look to continue his impressive start to his professional career in 2026. He’ll be entering his first full season (having only played 93 games in 2025) and it’ll be a good chance to see how he holds up across a full stateside campaign. Should Gonzales continue to develop at the plate, there’s a chance he could be up with Boston by 2028. Unfortunately, with an All-Star ceiling comes a low floor, making him one of the bigger boom-or-bust prospects in the system. Gonzales will open the season with High-A Greenville after appearing in just 11 games there last season. The Red Sox have been aggressive the past few seasons with promoting their top players, and should Gonzales avoid any prolonged struggles, he should be able to make it to Double-A Portland before the end of 2026. View the full article

A season away from testing the free agent market, left-hander Jesús Luzardo is instead putting down roots in Philadelphia. Per numerous reports on Monday, he and the Phillies have agreed to a five-year, $135 million contract extension. By average annual value, Luzardo is now tied for the fifth-highest-paid lefty in Major League Baseball. The deal takes effect in 2027 and includes a 2032 club option. Luzardo spent parts of four seasons with the Miami Marlins (2021-2024), making 74 starts and posting a 4.15 ERA and 3.78 FIP. During his age-27 campaign in Philly, he set career-highs with 183 ⅔ innings pitched and 216 strikeouts while earn down-ballot Cy Young votes for the first time. Although born in Peru, Luzardo spent most of his childhood in South Florida and grew up as a Marlins fan. Two years ago, he spoke openly about wanting to stay with the Fish long term. But the Peter Bendix-led front office never made a formal extension offer to him, as far as Fish On First can tell. Luzardo's situation is somewhat reminiscent of J.T. Realmuto's. The standout catcher was traded from Miami to Philly in 2019 when, like Luzardo, he had two remaining years of club control. Realmuto elected free agency after the 2020 season, but re-signed with the club on a $115.5M deal. He remains with the Phils to this day. Meanwhile, each of the other players involved in that trade—Sixto Sánchez, Jorge Alfaro and Will Stewart—are long gone from the Marlins. In exchange for Luzardo, the Marlins received infielder Starlyn Caba and outfielder Emaarion Boyd. Ranked eighth on our FOF Top 30 list, Caba is an excellent defensive shortstop with an advanced plate approach, but very limited power (five home runs in 186 career professional games). He's unlikely to be contribute at the major league level until 2028. Boyd (unranked) slashed .241/.337/.330 with 51 stolen bases in 101 minor league games last season. Luzardo made four starts against the Fish in 2025. He had a 2.52 ERA, racking up 29 strikeouts in 25 innings. The first Marlins-Phillies series of 2026 will be at loanDepot park from May 1-4. View the full article

In his first World Baseball Classic, San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first homer of the classic, which would be the first of a 10-run afternoon for the Dominican Republic in their win over Israel to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals round, in which seeding for that will be decided on Wednesday against Venezuela. In the top of the second inning, with the bases loaded, Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo worked a walk, allowing Padres teammate Manny Machado to score and give the Dominican Republic a 1-0 lead. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat with a 1-2 count, Tatis took Israel starter Ryan Prager 400 feet deep to left field, making it a 5-0 game. Fernando Tatis Jr. recorded six RBIs, tying Adrian Gonzalez (3/9/09) for the second-most in a single World Baseball Classic game, trailing only Ken Griffey Jr., who drove in seven runs on 3/10/06. Following Oneil Cruz's home run, his second of the tournament, the Dominican Republic has hit nine home runs through three games, scoring a total of 34 runs. Tatis has slashed .500/.692/.875/.1.567 in those three games, with one home run and six RBI. His Padres teammate Manny Machado, who is the captain of the team, is slashing .429/.714/.571/.1.285. "It's one of the best lineups in the world," is what Israel manager Brad Ausmus said following the game. "That lineup presents a lot of challenges, and even when they are resting some of their guys, the guys that aren't resting are pretty darn good, so it's going to be a challenge for every other team." The Dominican Republic will get an off-day on Tuesday before taking the field for the most hyped up game of the World Baseball Classic, which will be the clash between Venezuela and the Dominican Republic on Wednesday at 8:00 pm. Sandy Alcantara will take the mound for the DR, but no starter has been announced for Venezuela. Kevin Barral is on-site in Miami covering the World Baseball Classic for DiamondCentric. View the full article

Sandy Alcantara will take the mound on Wednesday for the Dominican Republic against Venezuela. Although both the Dominican Republic and Venezuela have already clinched spots in the quarterfinal round of the World Baseball Classic, Wednesday’s matchup will determine the winner of Pool D and who finishes in second place. The runner-up will face Shohei Ohtani and Team Japan on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. ET. On Monday, Alcantara met with national media ahead of his start. It will mark his second career World Baseball Classic start—both coming against Venezuela. In 2023, the matchup served as the tournament’s opening game, but this time the stakes are higher with seeding implications. In that 2023 outing, Alcantara pitched 3 ⅔ innings, allowing three runs on five hits—including one home run—while issuing three walks and striking out two. “I don’t think it’s a revenge game because this is a short tournament,” Alcantara said. “This tournament is about winning or losing. We gave everything we had and things didn’t go the way we wanted, but on Wednesday we’ll have the opportunity to give it our all. I just need to go out there and battle from the first pitch on and upwards." Last season marked the 30-year-old’s first year back after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He posted a 5.36 ERA, 4.28 FIP, and 7.32 K/9 across 174 ⅔ innings pitched. However, his second half was much more Sandy-like, as he recorded a 3.33 ERA over his final 13 starts. The Dominican Republic will hope Alcantara can replicate that solid second half on Wednesday. Through two spring training starts this year, Alcantara has allowed three runs across four innings, which all came in his first outing. In his most recent tune-up before joining the Dominican squad, he tossed three perfect innings while striking out four. This will be the biggest pool game of the World Baseball Classic, and it's already sold out in Miami. In 2023, the Dominican Republic fell to Venezuela by a final score of 5-1. Many fans have called this a rivalry and plenty of storylines are being created, but Alcantara does not see it that way. “The fans can go fight each other as much as they'd like, and there will always be controversies about how players get along with each other and whether there is good sportsmanship,” Alcantara said. “On our end, we’re good. All this talk about a revenge game—I think there’s a lot of talk on social media, with Venezuelan fans saying things to Dominican fans and vice versa. Let them say what they want. We are here to compete and represent our country, which is what we want to do the most.” As previously noted, this will mark the second time Alcantara pitches not only in the World Baseball Classic, but against Venezuela in this environment that held 35,890 fans in 2023. Alcantara referred to the saying, "the past is the past" and that they are not interested in that game when it comes to his 2023 outing against Venezuela. “This year we are focused on one goal, which is to win,” Alcantara said. “We have good vibes, and every guy on this team is helping in a positive way. (Juan) Soto, (Manny) Machado, (Vladimir) Guerrero Jr., and (Junior) Caminero are all extremely excited and emotional. When it comes to the pitching, we’re doing a great job. The focus for us this year is to do better than the last Classic, and I think everything will be possible if we put God ahead of everything.” Along with Alcantara, his Marlins teammate Agustín Ramírez is also on the Dominican Republic roster, but it will be New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells who will be catching Alcantara on Wednesday. Ramirez's lone start of the World Baseball Classic may very well have been Monday's game against Israel where he went 1-for-4 with an RBI. "Wells will play against Venezuela," Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols told reporters on Monday. "They all knew that was going to be the case and that is how it was communicated. The plan for Ramírez was to have him start this game and he knew he was going to start this game. Wells could've gone 4-4 with four home runs, and he still would've had the day off today." Who Alcantara will go toe-to-toe with is still uncertain, but Eduardo Rodriguez has still yet to pitch, so he can be a potential option for manager Omar Lopez's club. First pitch is scheduled for 8:00 pm and the game can be streamed on FS1. View the full article

The biggest addition to the Minnesota Twins lineup this offseason came when they signed switch-hitting first baseman Josh Bell. Minnesota added the veteran to provide stability in the middle of the order, and if his recent track record holds, he could be exactly what the lineup needs. Over the last four seasons, Bell has quietly delivered steady offensive contributions. He's averaged a 109 OPS+ during that span, while hitting roughly 20 home runs and 24 doubles per year. That level of production offers valuable support for a team looking to create more run-scoring opportunities—and capitalize better when they arise. Bell has never excelled on defense. His glove grades out below average (-4 OAA in 2025), but the Twins have built flexibility around him. Players like Kody Clemens and Victor Caratini can cover first base if needed, giving manager Derek Shelton different lineup options. In recent seasons, Minnesota has taken a similar approach, repeatedly bringing in veteran first basemen on short-term deals. The results have varied. Ty France held down the position in 2025, while Carlos Santana did so in 2024 and Donovan Solano in 2023. France and Santana both delivered strong defensive seasons that earned American League Gold Glove honors, but the offensive production from the position has fluctuated. Bell is a different style and caliber of player, at least after one adjusts for the stage of each player's career at which they arrived in Minnesota. His value is tied more closely to what he can do with the bat. Early in camp, Bell has focused on settling into a new clubhouse and getting back into the rhythm of spring training. “Definitely a good first couple of weeks, shaking hands, meeting different people,” Bell said. “I think spring training, for the most part, is the same, no matter what camp you go to. It's like shaking the cobwebs off. Try to establish your routine. Obviously, stay healthy out there as more and more innings get put onto your plate. But I'm definitely happy to be here and excited for the opportunity ahead.” With a roster that blends veterans and younger players, Bell also understands the leadership role that often comes with experience. For him, that responsibility starts with communication. “I think it all starts with conversation, getting to know different people,” Bell said. “People come to me with different questions. And for me, it's just about being honest about my experience. I've had a few more reps than other people in this clubhouse. But we all have the same love for the game. We're all trying to get to the pinnacle: postseason. See what we can do here collectively to do that.” He believes leaders show themselves in small moments, rather than grand speeches. “So that's the goal, lead by example, lead by a conversation here or there," he said. "That's what Shelty wants out of me, so I'm happy to do that.” Bell’s offensive approach evolved throughout last season. After making adjustments entering the year, he initially struggled to produce the type of contact he expected. Through June 12, he was hitting .178 with a .605 OPS, but posted an .839 OPS from then on. “Yeah, I thought I was in a great position leaving camp (in 2024),” Bell said. “I had a homer that first series, you know how that goes, I felt like I was on top of the world. Lot more fly outs than I was used to, a lot more soft contact than I was used to. Ball flight was there, but it wasn't crushed the way I normally do when I get balls in the air.” As the season progressed, Bell simplified things at the plate and focused on driving the ball with authority again. “So, I kind of honed things down and got back to squaring up the baseball and reestablished myself in the box and [was] able to drive the ball to all fields,” Bell said. “Then, as the season went on, I got a couple hot streaks to increase the power numbers and leave the yard a few times. So definitely a learning experience, not the start that I wanted, but hoping for a better start this year.” That late-season adjustment has shaped his preparation heading into 2026. Rather than reinventing anything, Bell is sticking with the routine that helped him finish strong. “Yeah, you got the same routine as I had the last four months, pretty much the same thing in the cage,” Bell said. “So you feel good, feel good for both sides about getting the reps now and addressing it, and getting out there and competing.” For Bell, the key to unlocking power is surprisingly simple. Focus on hitting the ball hard and let the strength take care of the rest. “I think it was just about not missing balls in my zone,” Bell said. “When I focus on driving balls to all fields, the at-bat tends to end when it needs to. So I'm not up there fouling balls off and grinding. Balls coming in my zone, at-bats over. If I screw it up, it's 100 plus, and if it's in the air, better things happen.” That mindset allows the power to show up naturally. “I think it was more just that, not trying to do too much pre-pitch, understanding if it comes into my zone, I have the strength to get it out of the ballpark, not trying to force that issue.” Ultimately, Bell’s role in the lineup will be determined by performance. He views the situation in straightforward terms. “I feel like if I'm playing well, I'll be in the lineup,” Bell said. “That's the way I see it.” For the Twins, that may be exactly what they're hoping for. While Minnesota has cycled through several veteran first basemen over the last few seasons, Bell brings a different offensive profile. If his approach continues to yield consistent power and run production, the Twins may finally get the middle-of-the-order impact at first base they've been seeking. What are realistic expectations for Bell in 2026? Can he replicate his numbers from the second half of last season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Hendry Mendez was a hot hitter to end the 2025 season. He doesn't have a strong glove in the outfield, so can he move to first base full-time and keep up his strong hitting skills as he reaches Triple-A for the first time in 2026? View the full article

Juan Valera is a fast-rising right-handed pitcher in the Boston Red Sox farm system, currently ranked as the organization's #5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Valera has the makings of a successful starting pitcher; however, could he be a back-of-the-bullpen threat? View the full article

Fans always hope that key prospects will play their way onto the major-league roster, even if in reality they might not be ready for that move. That is one way to summarize the moves the Milwaukee Brewers executed Monday. The Crew reassigned top prospect Jesus Made, an 18-year-old shortstop who is a consensus top-four prospect in all of baseball, to minor-league camp and optioned catcher Jeferson Quero, their catcher of the future, to Triple-A Nashville. Left-hander Sammy Peralta was also optioned to Nashville, while corner infielder Luke Adams, outfielder-infielder Greg Jones, infielder Eddys Leonard, and catchers Darrien Miller, Ramon Rodriguez, and Matt Wood were also reassigned to minor-league camp. All of the players reassigned were non-roster invitees to major-league camp. Made, who has rocketed through the Brewers' system since being part of the international signing class in January 2024, has posted a .320/.370/.400 slash line (8-for-25) this spring in 10 Cactus League games. After making his pro debut in 2024 in the Dominican Summer League with a .331/.458/.554 slash line with six homers, 28 RBIs, and 28 steals in 51 games. He then began 2025 at Low A Carolina and moved up to High A Wisconsin before finishing with five games at Double-A Biloxi, putting together a .285/.379/.413 with six homers, 61 RBIs, and 47 steals in 115 games. That should line him up to start 2026 at Biloxi. Quero, meanwhile, has battled injuries the last two seasons, which have sapped his status in prospect rankings. Once a top-100 prospect, the 23-year-old sustained a right labrum injury in the first game of 2024 and missed the rest of the season. In 2025, he had a hamstring and a mild left shoulder sprain. Those two injuries limited him to 69 games, but he still produced a .285/.379/.413 slash line with 11 homers and 57 RBIs. Many analysts cited that his arm strength hadn't totally recovered from his 2024 labrum injury, but the rest of his defensive skills are still elite. This is Quero's last option year, unless there is an appeal due to him missing virtually all of 2024 to get him a fourth option. View the full article

James Outman arrived in Minnesota under less-than-ideal circumstances. The Twins acquired Outman at last season’s trade deadline during the organization’s sweeping sell-off, sending reliever Brock Stewart to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1-for-1 deal. Among the moves the Twins made that week, that trade may have drawn the loudest criticism from the fanbase. Stewart had been one of the most reliable arms in the Twins bullpen and, perhaps more importantly, he still had multiple seasons of team control remaining. Given the demand for high-leverage relief pitching at the deadline, many assumed Stewart would command a more substantial return. Instead, the Twins flipped him for Outman, another left-handed hitting outfielder who had struggled to replicate the success of his standout rookie campaign. After bursting onto the scene in 2023 with the Dodgers, Outman has posted a sub-.700 OPS over the last two and a half seasons. To many observers, it felt like the Twins had simply added another corner outfielder to a roster that already had several. Outman’s initial performance in Minnesota did little to quiet those concerns. Over the final stretch of the 2025 season, Outman got 104 plate appearances for the Twins and struggled mightily. He posted a .558 OPS, while striking out 45 times and drawing just eight walks. For a player already fighting the perception that his rookie season might have been a mirage, the numbers didn’t help. Because of that performance and his roster status, Outman entered spring training in a precarious position. He's out of minor-league options, meaning the Twins cannot send him to Triple-A without first exposing him to waivers. In practical terms, that left the organization with a simple choice: either he makes the Opening Day roster, or he's designated for assignment near the end of this month. Coming into camp, it seemed fairly likely the Twins would take the attendant risks and end up cutting him. Given Outman’s struggles over the past three seasons, it was reasonable to believe he might clear waivers and allow the Twins to stash him in Triple-A as depth. If he didn't, it looked likely to be a palatable loss. Spring training, however, has a way of complicating things. In a very small sample, Outman has looked like a different player. Across just 25 plate appearances this spring, he has posted a 1.019 OPS while launching two home runs. He's also showcased his speed on the bases, swiping five bags in six attempts. Twenty-five plate appearances alone are not going to force the Twins to completely rethink their roster construction. But Outman’s strong start introduces a few new variables that could make the decision more complicated. The biggest, perhaps, is his waiver outlook. Earlier this spring, the Twins might have felt confident that Outman would pass through waivers unclaimed. After three disappointing seasons, the odds of another club using a roster spot on him didn’t appear particularly high. But if he continues to perform well throughout camp, that calculation changes. Outman is still only 28 years old. He’s fast; he plays a capable center field; and his rookie season remains recent enough to intrigue another front office. That year included a 114 OPS+ and meaningful postseason contributions for the Dodgers. Even after a few down seasons, it’s hard to imagine every team passing on that profile if he’s showing signs of life. The Twins also have alternatives for that left-handed outfield spot, but those alternatives come with roster flexibility that Outman does not. Alan Roden entered camp as the presumed third outfielder behind Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner, with Trevor Larnach expected to spend most of his time at designated hitter. Unlike Outman, Roden still has minor-league options remaining. That gives the Twins the ability to send him to Triple-A without risking losing him. If the Twins decide they want to keep Outman in the organization, they could choose to open the season with him on the roster while using Roden’s option. There are also defensive considerations. Outman has extensive experience in center field and grades as a strong defender there. That should translate to an even more valuable glove in a corner outfield role. Perhaps just as importantly, he provides the type of true center field depth the Twins have often looked for behind Buxton. Roden has seen time in center this spring, but Outman is a proven option there. None of this guarantees Outman a roster spot. Spring numbers can evaporate as quickly as they appear, and the Twins still have several weeks left to evaluate their roster. But the conversation has clearly shifted. What once looked like a straightforward DFA decision has turned into a legitimate roster question. If Outman continues to swing the bat well and showcase his athleticism, the Twins may decide the safer move is keeping him on the Opening Day roster, rather than risking losing him on waivers. Not bad for a player who entered camp looking like one of the most obvious roster casualties of the spring. What do you think? Has James Outman done enough to earn a spot on the Twins’ Opening Day roster, or should Minnesota still take the chance and try to sneak him through waivers? View the full article

While the key players at the World Baseball Classic won't be returning for a while, things are heating up at San Diego Padres camp. Some players continue to make a push to be on the Opening Day roster, which figures to lead to some tough decisions for new manager Craig Stammen and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller. 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 8-8 in Cactus League play, beating the Chicago Cubs 3-0 Friday, losing to the Cleveland Guardians 7-1 Saturday and beating the Cincinnati Reds 14-3 Sunday. Who's Hot at Padres Camp? 🔥 Nick Castellanos: Going 1-for-3 in two Cactus League games might not mean a whole lot, but the probable Opening Day first baseman (at least as part of a platoon) showed that his offense is coming along. Castellanos had an RBI single in the third inning off Cubs right-hander Ben Brown, then drew two walks in his three plate appearances against the Reds. His spring average is up to .318 (7-for-22) and he has now walked one more time than he has struck out (5-4). That is the type of look the Friars would be looking for from a potential No. 5 hitter in the lineup. Logan Gillaspie and Kyle Hart: I had them individually here in the last version of this feature, but since they pitched back-to-back Sunday and turned in very nice outings, I am combining them this time around. Gillaspie, a right-hander, started and stretched out to four innings against the Reds and still has yet to allow a run over 7⅔ innings this spring. He did walk two and only struck out a pair after having back-to-back outings with three strikeouts. Hart, a left-hander, came in for 2⅔ scoreless innings, facing the minimum and striking out three. Like Gillaspie, he hasn't allowed a run this spring, going 8⅔ innings. Jackson Merrill: The center fielder, looking to shake off a his injury-marred 2025 season, has five hits in his last 11 at-bats. That includes having two doubles in three at-bats vs. the Reds and scoring once. While the Padres figure out how their top four hitters will slot in, Merrill regaining his rookie form will go a long way toward making the offense much more productive. Who's Not? 🧊 Luis Campusano: Coming back to Campusano in the cold section isn't easy, especially considering I take spring training results with a grain of salt. But when a guy's primary contribution is with his bat and his exhibition average drops to .143 with Opening Day 17 days away, this starts to become a concern. Campusano started two of the three games and went 1-for-6, which is actually higher (.167) than his spring average. He is making contact, lining out, grounding out and flying out with similar exit velocities, so it could be a simple funk that just takes one good game to break out of. Gavin Sheets: Could Sunday have been significant for the slugging first baseman? The left-handed hitter smashed his first homer of the spring and it couldn't have come at a better time. Sheets has been scuffling this spring, entering the game 3-for-15 (.200) before roping a 97.7 mph four-seamer from Reds right-hander Chase Burns for a two-run homer, his first of the spring. With how some other candidates have been performing, there could have been some small rumbles about Sheets' roster spot, but this will calm that down for now. Mason McCoy: Getting starts at second and shortstop, McCoy isn't hitting his way onto this roster as of now. After going 0-for-6 in those two games, McCoy is now down to a .143 spring average (3-for-21), although he does have a double and triple in there. McCoy is a true shortstop, which is his path to a bench role, but with what other players bring offensively, that probably isn't enough to get him to San Diego come Opening Day. View the full article

Coming out of the third weekend of spring training, players have had ample time to acclimate to the rhythms of baseball. Meanwhile, many Royals regulars have gone off with their national teams to compete in the World Baseball Classic. This has allowed the depth players and non-roster invitees more opportunities to make a push for the Opening Day roster. Which players have taken their opportunity in stride, and who has come up short in their appearances? 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? 🔥 Daniel Lynch IV Lynch had a productive outing on Friday, pitching one inning with one strikeout and no hard-hit balls. In the game, he induced three swings and misses and a chase rate of 77.8%. He only threw two of his 11 pitches in the zone, but the extremely high chase rate suggests hitters were expanding the zone aggressively. Lynch has now pitched four innings this spring and has only allowed one run on a solo homer. Despite having a zone rate of only 48%, he has not yet allowed a walk this spring. While Lynch’s fastball velocity has been good this spring, averaging 95.5 mph, its Stuff+ has been below average at 96. His changeup and slider have been his best pitches this spring, with Stuff+ of 106 and 105, respectively. As Lynch continues to ramp up this spring, it will be worth keeping an eye out to see if his fastball’s effectiveness improves. Nick Mears Mears also stood out in his appearance on Friday, striking out two hitters and not allowing a baserunner in his inning against the Dodgers, who were off to a hot start, scoring six runs in the four innings before Mears entered the game. Mears threw his fastball, slider, and changeup to great effect, all grading with Stuff+ of at least 107. He induced a whiff rate of 60% and a chase rate of 33.3%. When a batter made contact, it resulted in an easy groundball. Friday was Mears’ best outing of spring so far, where he has not allowed a baserunner. He has been able to limit hard contact so far this spring, not yet allowing a hitter to barrel the ball, and his 74.4% ground-ball rate ranks in the 95th percentile among pitchers this spring. Until Friday, Mears struggled to get hitters to chase the ball out of the zone, so he will be looking to continue this growth as the regular season approaches. Nick Loftin Loftin saw time this weekend on Friday and Sunday. The Royals struggled against the Dodgers on Friday, only getting three hits as a team, but Loftin stood out among Royals hitters with a walk and his two other plate appearances being hard-hit outs, one of which was a 108 mph groundout. Loftin may have been a bit unlucky not to get a hit with his two batted balls, having an expected batting average of .440. On Sunday, Loftin was not struggling with luck, getting two hits, including a home run, and three RBI. He also walked and scored a run while batting leadoff. Loftin has seen good results this spring with an above-average wOBA of 0.473. He has also had good plate discipline with above-average chase, whiff, strikeout, and walk rates. While he has not necessarily hit the ball hard this spring, he has been able to find ways to reach base this spring. If he continues this level of production, he can certainly make his case for winning one of the utility bench spots on the opening day roster. Who’s Not? 🧊 Noah Cameron Cameron struggled in his outing Sunday against the White Sox, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk. While he did strike out three batters and induce eight swings and misses, when batters were able to make contact, they did damage. Cameron allowed a 67% hard-hit rate with an average exit velocity of 99.3 mph on Sunday. Cameron now has an ERA of 5.87 this spring in 7 ⅔ innings pitched. He is struggling to strike out batters with a rate of 14.7% and is below average in both chase and whiff rates this spring at 21.8% and 23.8%, respectively. Cameron has also not been able to limit hard contact, with a 44% hard hit rate and an average exit velocity of 92.7 mph. His Stuff+ has been well below average at 94 this spring, with all of his pitches grading at below average except for his slider, which has a score of 100. As the presumed fifth starter of this rotation, there is still time for Cameron to hit his stride before the regular season starts. If he is unable to find his form and other pitchers like Ryan Bergert continue to pitch well, then there may need to be a discussion on who will be at the end of this rotation for the start of the 2026 season. Héctor Neris Neris struggled in his outing against the Dodgers, allowing four hits, one walk, and three earned runs and zero strikeouts in his lone inning on Friday. Until Friday, he had not allowed a single run, but there were early signs since he had allowed five baserunners and not struck out a single batter in his three innings before this appearance. Neris is struggling to induce swing and misses at only 6.1% and is unable to get hitters to chase balls out of the zone with a rate of 22.9%. Overall, his Stuff+ this spring is sitting at 95, with all five of his pitches grading at below average. As a non-roster invitee, Neris faces an uphill battle if he wants to make a push for one of the open bullpen spots on the Royals’ roster. Isaac Collins Collins appeared in games on Friday and Sunday, going a total of 0-6 with a walk and four strikeouts. He has not had a good spring so far, slashing .067/.125/.133. Despite his struggles at the plate, Collins is starting to hit the ball harder this spring. When he does, he makes contact with an average exit velocity of 91.5 mph and a max velocity of 110.6 mph. There is still plenty of time for Collins to hit his stride this spring, especially since he is recovering from offseason injections to treat tendinitis in his knees. With the signing of Starling Marte last week, the Royals will feel that they have a capable replacement at the plate if Collins’s recovery takes longer than expected. View the full article

Here's a rundown of a handful of Twins topics. Byron Buxton was hit by a pitch while playing for Team USA, but he's going to be okay. Joe Ryan, who is ramping up after a back injury, hopes to join Buck on Team USA soon. The Spring Breakout preliminary rosters were revealed. I'm excited to see some of the 2025 Draft class play in that prospect showcase. A couple of important items to monitor this spring are the velo of Bailey Ober and Liam Hendriks. Early returns are not encouraging, but it is still early. View the full article

"Well, they've gotta understand what's gonna happen at the end there," Pat Murphy said to reporters on Feb. 24. "Every team's gonna do this, unless you have a [Trevor Hoffman]. It doesn't mean that Megill won't get a lot of them, because Megill handles lefties real well. So that's kinda how it's always felt, but if we've got three righties coming, no pinch-hitters who'd make a difference in our minds, we might go Uribe—or Zerpa. Or Koenig. Or Coleman Crow." The 'they' to whom Murphy was referring is the duo of Trevor Megill and Abner Uribe. The 'this' he was talking about is dividing save opportunities among multiple relievers. Entering the season, his vision for the back end of the bullpen can best be described as "closer by committee"; he wants the ability to play matchups and riffle through options in the ninth inning. Is his 6-foot-8 erstwhile closer good with that collectivist approach? Uh. no. "I got no plans of seeing it change," Megill said on Mar. 5. "But, you know, we'll see what they say. The only thing I can do is go out there and just pitch the way I know how to, which I feel like I have, and things will line up the way they're supposed to." Knowing that Megill has viewed himself as an eventual closer since 2023, took pride in filling in brilliantly for Devin Williams in 2024 and was the lion of the relief corps in 2025, that answer deserved a follow-up. If that weren't how things went—if Murphy did ask him to pitch the eighth (or even the seventh) more often—would he be ready to do whatever was asked, without friction? A pause. "I mean, I definitely see myself pitching the ninth," he said. So, we've got a bit of a situation on our hands. Because his focus is not primarily on data and because his method of facilitating the input of the front office is very personality-driven, it's easy to mistake Murphy for a typical modern players' manager. That's not who he is. The former college coach in him is alive and well, and that background informs his roster management. He isn't beholden to analytics, but his loyalty is to the pursuit of wins—even as he loves many of his players and wants the best for them. As such, he's less squeamish about friction in the clubhouse than are many modern skippers. That Megill wants to be a traditional, unquestioned closer—at least for as long as he earns that kind of job—does matter to Murphy, but winning matters more. It's understandable that Megill wants to rack up saves. Among relievers, only closers make any real money in arbitration, a process Megill will have to traverse one more time next winter. Saving 21 games as Williams's replacement for much of 2024 earned him $1.95 million in his first trip through arbitration, and 30 more saves last year spiked his earnings to $4.7 million. He'll earn much more next year if he does serve as the full-time closer than if he's relegated to any form of more flexible relief ace. On the other hand, Uribe, too, craves the saves that pave the way to higher pay. More importantly, from Murphy's perspective, he faces the imperative of keeping both of his star righty relievers healthy—particularly because the team is much deeper from the left side than from the right in the bullpen. Murphy acknowledged last week that, in a perfect world, he would have one more trustworthy, high-leverage righty than he does, so he can ill afford to find himself with one fewer, instead. Rather than asking Megill to pitch anywhere but the ninth, the plan might be simply to back off his usage overall—and, simultaneously, Uribe's. As Murphy has noted several times this spring, Uribe pitched more than 80 times last year, including the postseason. He's also pitching for his native Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic this spring. Rather than let either of his top-flight righties be used as heavily as they were last year just to have both available whenever they have a lead, Murphy could be more judicious about giving them each rest between appearances—which might naturally mean an extra handful of save opportunities for Uribe but no unwanted shifts into setup duty for Megill. With Grant Anderson feeling good coming into camp again, the Crew can take that approach without undue fear. They'll need their top lefties—Ángel Zerpa, Aaron Ashby and Jared Koenig—to bridge the gaps, but that was necessary, anyway. Make no mistake: Megill will be upset if he doesn't get 30-plus save opportunities again this year. Murphy, however, is not obligated to bend to those whims. In the name of getting to the end of the year a bit more intact, he might ask his closer to be more open to days off, rather than trying to move him to any other place in the game—and it might just mean more save opportunities to go around, in the long run. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox have finally started shaving down their major-league roster, optioning or re-assigning eight players to minor-league camp on Monday, March 9. Jake Bennett is the most notable name on that list as a member of the 40-man roster and one of the team's top prospects. Still, he's got a long way to go before making his MLB debut, as he's still behind Payton Tolle and Connelly Early on the organizational depth chart. Three of those pitchers (Osvaldo Berrios, Hobie Harris, and Vinny Nitoli) are either hurt or have been delayed in their ramp-up for the regular season. Both catchers (Nate Baez and Ronald Rosario) are projected to open the season in Double-A as depth behind Triple-A options Jason Delay and Mickey Gasper. The other two arms (Devin Sweet and Jeremy Wu-Yelland) are intriguing bullpen options who struggled mightily in their limited spring training action. Expect more rounds of cuts in the coming weeks, especially as the team's 15 representatives at the World Baseball Classic make their way back to camp. View the full article

Spring training can feel sluggish at times. The initial buzz of pitchers and catchers reporting is long gone, and the euphoric high of finally getting game action has faded. Opening Day is still more than two weeks away. If spring training had its own version of the regular season's “dog days,” we’d probably be in them by now. The good news is that competitive baseball is still on TV. With the World Baseball Classic underway (go Team Canada!), and with 13 players from the Blue Jays organization away representing their countries, opportunities have opened for players still in Blue Jays camp who normally wouldn’t receive an extended look. As always, the usual spring training caveats apply. Players might be experimenting with new mechanics or just simply focused on preparation rather than results. It's almost impossible to learn much from one game or one week of baseball games, and that's especially true in March. Still, strong performances and struggles are worth noting. Last week, we noted some observations from the first week of spring, and now that the sample has grown a little, it's time for another check-in. One young infielder has been impossible to ignore, while a familiar face on the roster is still searching for his first real swing of the spring. Stats updated prior to split-squad games on March 8. Who's Hot? Max Scherzer: Early velocity suggests the veteran might have more in the tank than expected. Don’t look now, but he’s doing it again. Scherzer made his spring debut for the Blue Jays on Saturday and looked like he was already in midseason form. He faced 12 batters, retired 11, and the only runner to reach base was promptly erased on a double play. The key number in this start: 95.6 mph. That was the velocity of a fastball he threw in the first inning, and it's a mark he didn’t reach at all in the spring of 2025. It’s only one outing, but he passed his first test, as the future Hall of Famer prepares for his 19th big league season Josh Kasevich: The young prospect has been turning heads in all aspects of the game. Every spring training, there is one player who forces you to take notice. That player for the Blue Jays has to be Josh Kasevich. Kasevich (Jays Centre's No. 11 prospect) has been impressive in all aspects of the game. At the plate, he’s hitting .389 with a .450 on-base percentage and has yet to strike out. He’s showing his skills on the basepaths with two stolen bases, tied for the team lead this spring. He’s flashed the leather as well, including a diving stop up the middle against the Phillies on Saturday. While he’s currently not on the 40-man roster, he’s checked every box this spring, and if the Blue Jays were strictly building their best 26-man roster based on spring performance, Kasevich would have a compelling case. Opening Day is still a long shot, but his odds of making an appearance with the team this summer have increased dramatically with his performance this spring. Brendon Little: New pitches and big velocity are turning heads early in camp. The last time we saw Brendon Little on a major stage, he allowed Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run in the 18th inning of Game 3 of the World Series. Naturally, there were questions about what Little might look like coming into 2026. So far this spring, the answer has been encouraging. He has yet to allow a hit and has struck out 46.2% of the batters he’s faced. It also appears he’s expanded his arsenal, adding a slider and a four-seam fastball that touched 98.1 mph to go along with his sinker and knuckle curve. Command has always been the question with Little, but early results suggest the wipeout stuff is still very much there. Who’s Not? Gage Stanifer: The results haven’t been pretty, but the sample size is tiny. Stanifer (Jays Centre'S #6 prospect) was exceptional in 2025, posting a 2.86 ERA and 13.17 K/9 in 110 minor league innings. This spring provided an early look at the 22-year-old, but the results have been rough so far. He’s recorded just five outs and carries a 16.20 ERA. Command has been the main issue, with two walks and one hit batter. Stanifer’s ceiling remains sky-high, but this spring has also highlighted some of the development areas he’ll need to address this season. Arjun Nimmala: The tools remain exciting, but the bat hasn’t gotten going yet. Nimmala (Jays Centre'S #3 prospect) entered his second big league camp with plenty of attention. Unfortunately, the first handful of games haven’t gone the way he would have hoped. After a 2025 season that featured flashes of high-end talent mixed with extended slumps, the bat hasn't heated up this spring. In 16 plate appearances (prior to his game on Sunday), he had just two hits and seven strikeouts. The tools are still very obvious; he remains a top-100 prospect for a reason. Yet, his development is still very much in progress. Davis Schneider: One of the quietest cold streaks in camp so far. It hasn’t been much discussed, but Davis Schneider is having a rough spring. His 22 plate appearances are tied for second on the team, but he has just one hit, a single, to show for it. Schneider's roster spot appears relatively safe as a right-handed option who gets in against left-handed pitching, but with Eloy Jiménez and Kasevich having good spring trainings of their own and making their own cases for roster spots, it's worth keeping an eye on how Schneider finishes camp. In spring, these things can change quickly; a two-home run day by Schneider or Nimmala changes the narrative rapidly, and there is still plenty of time for players to get hot. We will see how things look in a week's time, or more importantly, by Opening Day. View the full article

Age: 25 (DOB: 1/10/2001) 2025 Stats (Double-A and Triple-A): 24 GS (24 G), 1-9, 4.03 ERA, .288 BAA, 1.51 WHIP, 98 K, 31 BB, 82 2/3 IP ETA: 2026 2025 Ranking: 10 National Top 100 Rankings: BA: 94 | FAN: NR | MLB: NR | ATH: NR | TJ: 75 | ESPN: 54 What’s to Like? Since bursting onto the college baseball scene as a 19-year-old true freshman with Alabama, Prielipp’s “stuff” has always been something to dream on. He debuted with four starts in the SEC that year facing 75 hitters over 21 innings. He struck out 35 of them (47%) and allowed just five hits and zero runs in those games. That was good for a 0.52 WHIP and 15.0/9IP strikeout rate that vaulted him into future #1 overall pick conversations. We all know how that came crashing down the next season via Tommy John surgery, but it was still enough for the Minnesota Twins to bet their second-round pick on that “stuff” in the 2022 draft as he recovered. His arsenal includes a mid 90’s fastball that topped out at 98 MPH in pitches tracked with the St. Paul Saints in 2025, a plus slider that can touch 90 and has elite spin rates, and a changeup that generated a 62% whiff rate. He also mixes in a sinker and is toying with a new curveball this spring, but it’s those three plus-pitches coming from a lefty that could remind Twins fans of names like Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano. What’s Left to Work On? In addition to the elbow work Prielipp went through in college, he also had to have a second surgery during the 2023 season after making just a pair of appearances to kick off his professional career. He returned in time to pitch 23 1/3 innings at the end of the 2024 season, but simply staying healthy has been a monumental hurdle for him to overcome. The good news is Prielipp did so during the 2025 season, to the tune of 82 2/3 innings with Wichita and St. Paul. Those were 24 more than his total from all five of his college and pro seasons combined before then. He simply still needs innings to develop and re-harness those electric pitches. His walk rate with the Saints last year more than doubled what he had done with the Wind Surge, and he did give up plenty of hits in between the strikeouts. While his ERA landed above 4.00 on the year, his FIP came in about a half-run lower, suggesting some further improved command can pay dividends on the results. What to Look For in 2026? Prielipp has commented this spring that he’s going to be built up as a starter, so while it was fun to think of him as a possibility among the bullpen competition, he looks set to open the year in the Saints rotation. This is the right call for his future and where he is at his development. Going every five days and throwing plenty of pitches is how he’ll get to where the Twins and fans want to see. But I’ve also said in the past because of his injury history, he might just be a prime candidate to start his professional career much like one of those guys I made the “stuff” comparison to earlier. It is very likely Prielipp could be starting games on the mound at Target Field this season with the Twins. But the further into the summer any debut is pushed, the more likely it becomes he breaks into the majors in a reliever role as there will likely still be a clear limit to his innings. Getting his feet wet in the majors the same way Johan Santana did could allow him to both impact more major league games and provide him some runway to be unleashed as an impact starter in future seasons. Blossoming into a closer like another lefty in Glen Perkins is an appealing outcome, too. When you have the pure “stuff” that Prielipp does, you certainly have options. View the full article

Seiya Suzuki takes a lot of pitches. His swing rate hovers around 40% each year, which is markedly below the league average. That earns him a good number of walks, but it also means lots of called strikes. That's the price he pays for his selectivity. He gains more than he loses with his takes, but they're a source of much of the positive and negative offensive value he creates. In 2026, those takes will be affected by a new variable: the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system. The less often a hitter swings, the more they'll interact with that system. Thus, Suzuki will be one of the Cubs most exposed to it, for better (he can challenge bad calls on pitches just outside the zone that are called strikes) and for worse (when he gets a bit lucky on a ball that should have been called a strike, the opposing catcher can appeal it). New teammate Alex Bregman is almost exactly as patient as Suzuki is, so he, too, will have to navigate the system well. Let's explore how these two will have to adjust to life under a partially computer-optimized zone, starting with Suzuki. Here's the bad news: Suzuki will have to adjust his sights and his swing a bit to adapt to the shifting zone in 2026. Last season, most of the balls called strikes just outside the edges of the zone to him were above the top of the strike zone. He can continue to let those go, and get aggressive with challenges there. However, at the bottom of the zone, he got away with some takes that were called balls, but which will be strikes this year, if umpires respond to the codified zones and/or if catchers are quick to challenge against him in those zones. This is bad news because Suzuki's swing and approach have always been geared toward owning the top of the zone. His patience on low pitches is part of a plan, and he's done best when he's dedicated himself to that. Because he has a slightly flatter-than-average swing, he naturally gets to the ball better when it's around or just above the belt. He has to be sitting on the low pitch to hit it solidly, and that makes him more vulnerable up at the top rail of the zone. He's also prone to rolling over on that low ball. Needing to swing more in that range is dangerous for him. The good news, though, is that he can afford to lock in more on the bottom third of the zone if he can be confident enough to challenge some calls along the top edge of the zone. Moving the measurement of pitch location back to the middle of the plate (rather than the front) will mean everything shows up as very slightly lower than it did last year, which evens out the above somewhat, but more importantly, the codified ABS zone simply stops lower on the typical player's body than has generally been called. The zone is shrinking, and it's shrinking more at the top of the one (especially for players under 6 feet tall) than anywhere else. Speaking of such players, let's turn our attention to Bregman, whose official listed height was 6 feet in 2024, 5-foot-11 in 2025 and now 5-foot-10 in 2026. With his even flatter swing, Bregman can handle the high pitch even better than Suzuki can, but unlike Suzuki, he doesn't particularly hunt in vertical layers of the zone. Instead, he assiduously avoids chasing off the edges of the plate. With anticipation and good hands, he can manipulate the contact point and tilt of his swing, but because it's so flat that he's prone to weak contact via balls on the handle or out at the end of the bat, he focuses his plate discipline on attacking the ball based on horizontal location. Since hardly anyone knows the zone as well as Bregman does (and because of that orientation of his approach), he's in position to get a more unmitigated benefit from the system and its changes. He can afford to keep being extremely selective at the top of the zone, and he's in position to harvest lots of extra balls off the plate away, where most of his erroneous called strikes were last season. Winning teams will find ways to gain value from this system; others will lose it. Suzuki is a good example of a hitter who has to make a substantial adjustment to thrive under the new framework, but Bregman is sitting pretty, even doing things the same way he's been doing them for a decade. View the full article

It’s been an eventful few days of spring baseball for the Twins. They opened the stretch with a dominant 15-0 win over the Yankees on Thursday before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Braves on Friday and a tight 3-2 game to the Orioles on Saturday. Sunday’s matchup with the Phillies provided some late drama, as the Twins walked it off in a 7-6 victory. The results themselves aren’t the main focus this time of year. Early March is more about individual progress, building innings, and seeing which players are starting to separate themselves as camp moves along. With that in mind, here’s the latest temperature check from the past few days of Twins spring action. Who’s Hot? 🔥 Bailey Ober Ober finally made his spring debut on Friday, and it couldn’t have gone much smoother. The right-hander tossed two scoreless innings without allowing a baserunner, giving the Twins exactly what they were hoping for in his first outing of camp. His fastball averaged around 90 mph, which is right in line with expectations. Ober has never been a power arm, typically working in the low 90s while relying on command and deception to keep hitters off balance. The biggest takeaway here is simply that he’s healthy and back on the mound, and his first appearance of the spring was a clean one. Brooks Lee The Twins’ starting shortstop put together a strong weekend at the plate. He went 3-for-6, including a triple and a double, and four of the five balls he put in play were classified as hard contact. For a player who hasn’t quite lived up to the early hype surrounding his prospect status yet, this is an encouraging sign. When Lee is driving the ball with authority like this, it’s a glimpse of the offensive impact the Twins believed he could provide when they drafted him. Mick Abel Through three spring starts, Abel continues to look like one of the most dominant pitchers in camp. In his latest outing, he threw four scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and no walks. That now gives him 10 innings this spring without issuing a free pass, to go along with 13 strikeouts. He didn’t rack up quite as many whiffs as he did in his first couple of appearances, but that was largely because Baltimore’s hitters were aggressively swinging early in counts as Abel attacked the zone with fastballs. He still consistently ran his heater up to 98 mph and needed just 41 pitches to get through four innings, 30 of which were strikes. Considering he was facing several Orioles regulars, it was another impressive showing and further evidence that Abel is making a strong case for a spot in the Twins’ rotation. James Outman Outman has quietly put together a strong stretch over the past few days. Since Thursday, he’s gone 3-for-7 with a home run and three stolen bases, showing off both his power and athleticism. A couple of his batted balls have come off the bat at 100 mph or harder, highlighting the kind of impact contact he’s capable of when he’s locked in. With several outfielders competing for limited spots on the Opening Day roster, performances like this keep Outman firmly in the mix. Who’s Not? 🧊 Justin Topa It’s been a rough spring for Topa, and that continued Sunday when he squandered a Twins lead against Philadelphia. He allowed four runs on three hits and a hit-by-pitch, and the damage came against a Phillies lineup made up mostly of backups rather than regulars. Through his appearances this spring, Topa’s ERA now sits north of 30, which obviously isn’t the kind of line you want to see this late into camp. There’s still time for him to turn things around, but each tough outing makes the battle for a bullpen spot a little more difficult. Kendry Rojas After looking electric in his first outing of the spring, things haven’t gone nearly as smoothly since for Rojas. On Friday against Atlanta, he was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs across 2 ⅔ innings. He gave up five hits while striking out three, and while his changeup generated plenty of whiffs, his fastball and cutter caught too much of the plate, and hitters made him pay. The positive takeaway is that his command was solid; he threw 35 of his 50 pitches for strikes and didn’t walk a batter. The issue right now isn’t finding the zone, but rather leaving too many pitches over the heart of it. Royce Lewis It wasn’t the strongest weekend at the plate for Lewis, who went 0-for-6 with a pair of strikeouts. Most importantly, he’s healthy and on the field, which remains the top priority at this stage of the spring. Still, the quality of contact wasn’t there in this small sample. None of the balls he put in play left the infield, and only one was hit particularly hard. Both strikeouts also came on three pitches. It’s far too early to read much into a couple of quiet games, but it wasn’t Lewis’ most productive stretch offensively. It’s still early in camp, and none of these performances lock anyone into or out of a role. Spring training is about adjustments, building rhythm, and getting ready for the long season ahead. But as the innings start to pile up, the early trends are beginning to come into focus. View the full article