DiamondCentric

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The injury bug has struck another member of the Boston Red Sox organization: Isaac Stebens will spend the season on the injured list. As first reported by SoxProspects’ Andrew Parker, Stebens will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in early March. Stebens was drafted out of Oklahoma State in the 16th round of the 2023 draft and split 2024 between Salem and Greenville. In 2025, the right-hander spent the entire season with Greenville where he appeared in 38 games and tossed 50 1/3 innings. After the season concluded Stebens, was one of the Red Sox representatives for the Arizona Fall League where he appeared in eight games and tossed seven innings. Stebens was one of Greenville’s most dominant relief arms and had a good chance of opening the season with Double-A Portland. Instead, he will look to recuperate from his surgery before attempting to rehabilitate from his injury. View the full article

While the progress continues for the Chicago Cubs at their Arizona home, the much-anticipated World Baseball Classic is off and running in Tokyo, Japan. Last season, a different-look Cubs squad commenced their regular season in the same venue opposite the vaunted Los Angeles Dodgers. The Tokyo Dome is playing host to some of the game's best, including standouts from your North Side ball club. Fans of this baseball team want a lot out of its stars, especially newbie Alex Bregman, and de facto squad leader Pete Crow-Armstrong. Both have been electric so far in the international tournament. During two recent exhibition tilts versus big league clubs, Bregman drilled two no-doubt home runs, igniting the hopes of Red Line riders across the city of Chicago. Elsewhere, Crow-Armstrong looks as good as ever, both at the plate and patrolling center field for the American squad in the WBC. To this point, Crow-Armstrong looks like he's in mid-season form. In terms of rumors surrounding the franchise, it's hard to ignore what's going on in left field. Veteran Ian Happ is synonymous with the Chicago Cubs franchise. A true lifer in this organization, Happ is a tremendous ambassador for the city, but as he volunteered, his time in the blue pinstripes may soon be drawing to an end. "It’s been a true honor for me to represent this great city, organization, and fan base," Happ said. "The reality of this is, you can’t control if the team wants you back. It's totally plausible another chapter elsewhere awaits me." During his nine years with the North Siders, Happ famously stipulated a no-trade clause on his contract, but with a crowded list of prospects ready for opportunities in left field, it appears Chicago is ready to move on from the Gold Glover, now that he's on the wrong side of 30. Of the myriad pleasant surprises from the Cubbies' 2025 campaign, the arrival of Moises Ballesteros was arguably the most pleasing. With a .394 OBP, "Mo Baller" came through in key situations during his club's playoff push. As an encore, Ballesteros, 22, looks to deliver more behind the plate and "prove people wrong," as to the extent of his capabilities. Soon, music will blare from the rooftops up and down Sheffield Avenue and the surrounding areas near the Cubs' home of Wrigley Field. There are no awards handed out for who can practice the best, but the improvements and implications of the North Siders' performances this spring prove that many coveted accolades could come in time. View the full article

Two down, three to go. Or four? Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy made official what has seemed obvious: right-handers Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick will be in the Opening Day rotation. It will be the first Opening Day for Misiorowski, while it will be the second straight for Patrick. Both made their MLB debuts last season. Misiorowski, an All-Star after less than three weeks in the majors in 2025, is also the leading candidate to start Opening Day. That is because right-hander Brandon Woodruff, the likely Opening Day starter entering camp, is being brought along slowly this spring following a strained lat that ended his season early. The other top candidate is right-hander Quinn Priester, who has been dealing with inflammation in his right wrist and slowed his progress toward Opening Day. It is likely that Priester begins the season on the 15-day injured list. Woodruff is hoping to avoid the same fate, but could be limited if he is available on Opening Day. That could lead to a tandem starter situation or a six-man rotation. The Brewers have plenty of candidates for the other three spots regardless of the setup, with Kyle Harrison, Logan Henderson, Brandon Sproat, Robert Gasser, and Shane Drohan. Harrison, Gasser, and Drohan are left-handers, while Henderson and Sproat are righties. Left-handers Aaron Ashby and DL Hall can also provide multiple innings out of the bullpen. View the full article

While there was a lot to enjoy in a 27-6 shellacking of the Seattle Mariners in a Cactus League game Thursday, the San Diego Padres are looking for good news after infielder Song Mun Song left the game early. Song, who started at shortstop and homered in his first plate appearance, left after striking out in the second inning after aggravating an oblique injury sustained in the offseason, only slightly delaying his start to spring camp. Padres manager Craig Stammen said removing Song from the game was "precautionary," and the team was awaiting test results to determine the extent of the injury. Signed in the offseason from the Korea Baseball Organization, Song is expected to be a utility player in his first MLB season, seeing time at second base, third base, and perhaps the outfield. The Padres also made their second set of roster cuts, sending eight players back to minor-league camp. A ninth, right-hander Miguel Mendez, was optioned to Double-A San Antonio, making him the first player on the 40-man roster removed from camp. Right-handers Sean Boyle, Evan Fitterer, Francis Pena, and Ethan Routzahn, infielders Marcos Castanonon and Romeo Sanabria, infielder-outfielder Clay Dungan, and catcher Brendan Durfee were reassigned to the minor-league camp after being non-roster invitees. The Friars now have 58 players in major-league camp. View the full article

Everyone who is expected to be part of the Milwaukee Brewers' Opening Day roster has now played in at least one game. While there are minimal injury concerns at the moment, now the work to get everyone sharp is truly underway. The Brewers are without several camp regulars due to the World Baseball Classic. The absences of Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, Brice Turang, Abner Uribe, Angel Zerpa, Rob Zastryzny, Tyler Black, and Carlos Rodriguez open opportunities for others. 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 news, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Crew dropped to 5-7 in Cactus League play. After having Monday off, the Brewers lost to the rival Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Tuesday, lost to Great Britain 7-3 on Wednesday in a WBC exhibition, and beat the Colorado Rockies 10-8 on Thursday. Who's Hot? 🔥 Kyle Harrison The left-hander, acquired this spring in the six-player Caleb Durbin deal, made his exhibition debut against Great Britain and displayed a new weapon. Harrison's kick change was a rousing success, helping him get eight swings and misses during his three scoreless innings. Harrison allowed two hits and a walk while striking out a pair. Four of those eight whiffs came on his changeup, which he threw 10 times among his 40 pitches. Harrison only used three pitches, his four-seamer, changeup, and slurve, after also using a cutter and sinker last year. Perhaps those pitches come out later. But the changeup, revised following the trade, is certainly something that bodes well. Garrett Mitchell After a late start to game action and a 0-for-4 beginning, the potential Opening Day center fielder showed off the tools that have the Crew expecting big things from him if he can stay healthy. Mitchell went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, including a 462-foot homer on the first pitch of the game vs. Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen, then a ringing opposite-field double with the bases loaded off right-hander Davison Palmer, who finished last season at Double-A. Mitchell has been the clear-cut top center fielder in the organization for the past few years, but he has played just 113 games over the last three seasons due to a variety of injuries. Jake Bauers After missing a few days, Bauers was back in the lineup against the Rockies and went 2-for-3 with his first spring homer, a two-run shot off Palmer. Bauers, who was the starting designated hitter, also stole a base and was hit by a pitch as he raised his spring average to a robust .545 (6-for-11). He is expected to see some time in left field soon as he prepares for whatever role the Brewers need him for once Opening Day rolls around. The left-handed hitter is the backup first baseman to Andrew Vaughn and was a valuable bat down the stretch and in the postseason last year. Who's Not? 🧊 Jared Koenig The reliable left-handed reliever coughed up a whopping five runs in one-third of an inning against Great Britain in his spring debut. But he came out of the appearance unconcerned about the metrics in his outing. Koenig came on to start the fifth inning against Great Britain, walking two and allowing four hits, including a two-run homer to Washington Nationals catcher Harry Ford. Only 12 of his 22 pitches were strikes, a very un-Koenig-like outing. But remember, it was his first game action this spring. Robert Gasser The left-hander, bidding for a spot in the starting rotation, gave up three runs on three hits in 2⅔ innings vs. the Rockies. It was his second start this spring. While not giving up much in the way of hard hits (82.4 mph average exit velocity), it was the three walks that were troublesome. With Quinn Priester's status now in doubt for Opening Day, Gasser and the other candidates have a little wiggle room, yet still know they have to perform with the depth of the starters vying for a job. This was not a concerning outing for Gasser, but it could knock him down a rung if you are rating the candidates on a daily basis (which we hope you aren't). Cooper Pratt The shortstop, expected to be the starter at Triple-A to begin the season, has yet to get untracked this spring. He went 1-for-5 while appearing in all three games, but did have a hit, two walks, and scored twice against the Rockies. The 21-year-old is hitting just .200 (3-for-15) this spring. Pratt had a rough 2025 at Double-A Biloxi, posting a .238/.343/.348 while playing a career-high 120 games. His defense is not a question, but he has been inconsistent offensively, a trait that will need to change to become part of the MLB equation. View the full article

San Diego Padres 27, Seattle Mariners 6. The final score on Thursday looked more like a Chargers-Seahawks NFL game than a Padres-Mariners MLB matchup. But those things tend to happen in spring training. And that came with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts not around, instead getting ready for their first games today in the World Baseball Classic. 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 news, not necessarily hardcore analysis. The Friars improved to 6-7 in Cactus League play after losing to the A's 7-2 Monday, beating the Chicago White Sox 4-3 Tuesday, tying Great Britain 2-2 Wednesday in a WBC exhibition, and clobbering the Mariners 27-6 Thursday. Who's Hot? 🔥 Joe Musgrove If you want to talk about a meaningless game that can give a boost to an entire team, this was it. And it was because Java Joe was back on the mound for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2024. Musgrove's first inning was a little rough, but that could be because it wasn't his regular defense behind him. Facing Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic exhibition, Musgrove walked Nate Eaton (Boston Red Sox), then struck out Jazz Chisholm Jr. (New York Yankees) before yielding three straight singles and a run. He was taken out at that point and, under spring training rules, returned to pitch the second inning, allowing another hit, and came out to face three batters in the third, surrendering one final hit while getting two outs, finishing with a strikeout. Only 36 of his 60 pitches were strikes, but the results weren't what mattered; it was Musgrove being back on the mound. Kyle Hart A candidate to make the Opening Day bullpen if Yuki Matsui is unable to go, Hart threw 2 ⅔ more scoreless innings against the White Sox and hasn't yielded a run in four spring appearances. He did issue two walks in this outing, but that has been the rare blemish thus far. Hart has mainly been a starter in his pro career, but a long relief role could also be a ticket to make his first Opening Day roster at the MLB level. Logan Gillaspie A dark-horse candidate for the bullpen, the right-hander spun 2 ⅔ perfect innings against the A's, striking out three. He has 12 relief appearances over the last two seasons with the Friars after 28 in two seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. Gillaspie had a scoreless inning with three strikeouts in his other Cactus League outing this year. With a loaded bullpen, making the Opening Day roster could be a challenge, but Gillaspie could be one of the first relievers called upon when injuries hit. Freddy Fermin With the onslaught against the Mariners, it would be ridiculous not to include a hitter here. Fermin gets the headline with a 3-for-3, six-RBI performance, highlighted by a three-run homer in a five-run third inning off Triple-A reliever Alex Hoppe. That outburst came after the Friars erupted for 12 runs in the second inning. They sent 17 hitters to the plate, with six of the runs coming against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo and the other half against minor-leaguers. The Padres hit eight homers in the game. Who's Not? 🧊 Triston McKenzie The right-hander's long-shot bid to join the rotation took another hit with his outing against the Mariners. After a scoreless seventh inning, he was tagged for a leadoff homer by Jared Sundstrom, who spent last year at Double-A, then retired the following two hitters before yielding a single and walking a pair to bring his day to an end. Those walks added to a troubling trend for McKenzie. He has faced 26 batters this spring, with seven walks. Pablo Reyes Before going 2-for-4 in the back half of the game against the Mariners (which Friars didn't get a hit in this game?), the infielder-outfielder had been 0-for-5 in the previous three games with a walk and an RBI. That dropped his spring performance to 2-for-14 (.143). He was a dark-horse candidate to earn the last bench job due to his ability to play shortstop (as well as the outfield). He started at short in the WBC exhibition game, going 0-for-3. Clay Dungan Another long shot to snag that final bench job, the 29-year-old, who spent last season at Triple-A El Paso, got a long look this spring. He played in 10 games, including coming off the bench against the Mariners, but only went 3-for-17 (.176) with an RBI, while walking once and striking out eight times. He was reassigned after Thursday's game to minor-league camp, but could be an infield option if injuries hit. View the full article

On Friday, Pool D will begin play in loanDepot Park. It'll be Team Venezuela "welcoming" the Netherlands. One crucial piece to that team is Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, who was named captain of the team. He will be hitting fifth and is the designated hitter in Venezuela's lineup. "I'm super happy to be the captain for Venezuela," Perez told reporters on Thursday. "I think every time we represent our country, it's a different feeling. I'm happy to be here. I've said this before, and I will always say it, but we are all captains. The difference is that I have a 'C' on my jersey. The guys are focused, and we are surrounded by hard workers, and we will give the best we've got every day." For the Venezuelan catcher, playing in the World Baseball Classic, representing his country, is like playing in Game 7 of the World Series. "Players need to be here and feel the emotion," Perez said. "When you hear that anthem, the fans and the Venezuelan's who are rooting for you. One of the best games I've ever played in was in 2023 between the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Since we were taking BP, the stadium was completely full." Perez, 35, will be participating in his fourth World Baseball Classic, having competed in the 2013, 2017, and most recently, 2023 editions of the tournament. Last season with the Royals, Perez played in 155 games, slashing .236/.284/.446/.729 with 30 home runs, 100 RBI, and a 95 wRC+. Despite his age, Perez continues to be a mainstay in the Royals lineup and will serve as a crucial piece for Venezuela. Despite being a nine-time All-Star, 2015 World Series champion, World Series MVP, five-time Gold Glove winner, and five-time Silver Slugger, Perez believes that there are still things he can work on. "I think that is going to make the difference when it comes to the type of baseball player you wanna be in MLB," Perez said. "I've always said that the sacrifice is dedication and how much you want to get better day-by-day. For many, some may think that for Salvador Perez, he won't be playing for much longer, but I don't see it from that point of view." The biggest game of the tournament will take place on March 11th when Venezuela and the Dominican Republic will clash in Miami. It'll be Sandy Alcantara on the mound for the DR, but no starter has been announced for Venezuela. Perez, who has experienced that matchup before, spoke to it "I've always said that any team in the WBC can surprise people," Perez said. We need to come out and play hard, give our best every day, no matter who we are facing. Everyone knows that the Dominican Republic is a great team, and they are extremely talented, but we will wait for that day to come, and we will see what happens after the game." Prior to the biggest game of the pool-play round, Venezuela will take on the Netherlands on Friday and Israel on Saturday, and after Monday's off day, they take on Nicaragua. Kevin Barral is on-site in Miami, covering the World Baseball Classic for DiamondCentric. View the full article

On Fish Unfiltered, AJ Ramos explains how he took full advantage of the nightlife in Miami to take his mind off of baseball after Marlins games. View the full article

In 2024, the Twins finished sixth among MLB teams in fWAR at the shortstop position, even with Carlos Correa missing much of the second half with a foot injury. Heading into 2025, Minnesota was again projected as a top-10 team at short, behind the strength of Correa coming off an All-Star season. Correa proved disappointing. At the end of July, the Twins ranked 16th among MLB teams in shortstop WAR. Mediocre, but hardly disastrous. Just minutes before the trade deadline, Minnesota's front office pounced on an opportunity to unload (some of) Correa's contract, sending him to the Astros for essentially nothing. Brooks Lee took over full-time shortstop duties the rest of the way, and things now did take a turn for disaster. He slashed .208/.274/.348 with uninspiring glovework in the final two months. Despite the underwhelming display, he's once again lined up for the everyday job in 2026, without much in the way of confidence-inspiring backup plans. Can Lee and the Twins defy expectations at a position where they are projected by FanGraphs to be the worst team in all of baseball? TWINS SHORTSTOPS AT A GLANCE Starter: Brooks Lee Backup: Ryan Kreidler Depth: Orlando Arcia, Tristan Gray Prospects: Kaelen Culpepper, Marek Houston Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 22nd out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 30th out of 30 THE GOOD It's important to acknowledge that Lee is still only 25 years old, and the attributes that made him a top-10 draft pick and high-end prospect are still there. He's a switch-hitter with excellent contact skills and a very high baseball IQ, capable of playing up the middle while offering signs of latent power potential. That's a valuable asset, in theory. But so far in his major-league career, the pieces just have not clicked together for Lee, who's been a replacement-level player through 189 MLB games per FanGraphs (negative-1.0 WAR per Baseball Reference). And while there's no sugarcoating his performance up to this point, it's telling that the Twins traded Correa last year, handed Lee the reins, and are handing them right back over this spring. They believe in Brooks Lee. That was clear from very early on. Their faith may ultimately prove misguided but it's far too early to say so; he'd hardly be the first highly-touted prospect to struggle through a couple of rough seasons before finally turning a corner in his mid-20s. Tom Kelly used to say it takes 1,000 plate appearances in the majors before you really know about a guy, and Lee's still a few hundred short of that. That said, the clock is ticking. The Twins are giving him a wide open runway to take off. The time is now. Lee knows it, and has come to camp with a resolve to lock down the shortstop gig for the foreseeable future. As Bobby Nightengale wrote for the Star Tribune, Lee is living out the proverbial "best shape of his life" mantra — “Probably 15 people have said to me, ‘Man, Brooks looks great,’” said Derek Shelton — and attacking his weaknesses head on. He's focused on improving his defensive range in the field, and making better swing decisions at the plate. Average shortstop defense is about the best you can realistically hope for from Lee, so his bat needs to carry him if he's going to be a positive contributor. And while there are many things that go into that, the simplest version is that he just needs to hit the ball harder. He's shown flashes of impressive power but they are too few and far between, washed out by endless waves of weak contact. We'll see if the offseason work and partnering with new hitting coach Keith Beauregard pays off. Lifting his batting average by even 20 or 30 points would go a long way toward putting Lee's production in an acceptable range — seemingly doable for a guy with one of the lowest BABIPs (.254) in the league since debuting in 2024. Even if he rights the ship somewhat, it's not clear that Lee is part of the long-term vision at shortstop. He's better suited at second or third. Rising through the system are two clear candidates to be heir apparent: Minnesota's #1 selections from each of the last two drafts. Kaelen Culpepper, drafted 21st overall in 2024, experienced a huge breakout last year in the minors, slashing .289/.375/.469 in 113 games between Single-A and Double-A. He participated in the Futures Game and this spring finds himself as a consensus top-100 prospect. Culpepper is in big-league camp and seeing a fair amount of action, which is among the many signals that he might be inching toward entering the team's plans. Marek Houston, drafted 16th overall in 2025, lacks the offensive profile of Culpepper, but is probably already the best defensive shortstop in the organization at age 21. I don't want to overstate things but there's a reason the Twins took him in the middle of the first round, signed him for nearly $5 million and promoted him to High-A almost immediately — and it's not because of his bat. If he proves to be the level of difference-maker in the field that the Twins are envisioning, he can turn into a valuable big-league regular even if the punchless bat doesn't progress. Shortstop is one of the few positions where you can say that. THE BAD Correa, even during his down years in 2023 and 2025, was a roughly average MLB starting shortstop. I know people get lost in the salary and the "overpaid" narratives, but Correa had tremendous value to the Twins as a floor-setting veteran with All-Star potential. They traded that for nothing at last year's deadline and now we pin our hopes with an organization that has shown no real ability to develop its own MLB shortstop talent. Here's a list of first-round shortstops the Twins have drafted in the past 20 years, prior to Culpepper and Houston: Levi Michael (2011), Nick Gordon (2014), Royce Lewis (2017), Keoni Cavaco (2019), Noah Miller (2021) and Lee. That list does not include high-profile international signings like Wander Javier, Miguel Sano and Danny De Andrade. To date, none of these players have panned out as major-league shortstops. (Jorge Polanco did, briefly.) The jury is still out on Lee, but it's not looking good. And while it's easy to dream on Culpepper or Houston, the reality is that odds are stacked against them because it's just really hard to emerge as one of the 30 best shortstops in the world. Culpepper is a good prospect, but not an elite prospect, in part because many evaluators believe he's destined for third base. Houston's going to need to meet an extremely high bar defensively unless his hitting ability improves by leaps and bounds. For now, what the Twins have is Lee, a replacement-level player backed up by replacement-level options in Ryan Kreidler, Orlando Arcia and Tristan Gray. Unless Lee can stay healthy and rebound, the shortstop position is going to be rough for Minnesota in 2026. THE BOTTOM LINE The long-term picture is unclear and the short-term outlook is rather bleak. FanGraphs projecting the Twins to rank 30th out of 30 MLB teams in WAR at the shortstop position says it all — Lee hasn't shown much of anything, and there's little behind him in the way of proven depth. Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series: Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base View the full article

Padres Mission's countdown of the top 20 San Diego Padres prospects, as voted on by our staff writers, continues with deeper profiles on the top 10 entering the 2026 season. Check out previous editions of these rankings here: No. 10: Kale Fountain Nos. 11-15 Nos. 16-20 No. 9 Ryan Wideman (Lake Elsinore Storm) After one season at Western Kentucky, the San Diego Padres selected center fielder Ryan Wideman in the third round of the 2025 draft. Wideman had spent the two previous years in junior college at Georgia Highlands and then became the Conference USA Player of the Year at Western Kentucky. The 22-year-old son of former Clemson men's basketball player Tom Wideman is very toolsy. He can definitely hit for average, posting a .398/.466/.652 slash line in his lone season (60 games) at Western Kentucky after a .423/.488/.724 in 115 Juco games. He also brings a big speed aspect, stealing 48 bases in 2024 and then 45 in 2025. Besides those two traits, many onlookers feel that his power potential is untapped due in part to a 6-foot-4, 204-pound frame. Wideman had 10 homers at Western Kentucky after 22 in two Juco seasons. After being selected, he reported to Low A Lake Elsinore and had a .229/.330/.271 slash line in 26 games, with no homers and 12 RBIs with 11 steals in 12 tries. The concern with Wideman offensively is how he adjusts to pro pitching. His grounder and chase rates were among the worst in Division I. The Padres will need to help Wideman hone in his approach at the plate, perhaps eliminating a big leg kick. After striking out 47 times in 283 plate appearances (16.6%) at Western Kentucky, he went down 32 times in 112 plate appearances (28.6%) at Lake Elsinore. He had a 40% chase rate in college in 2025 and 35% with the Storm. Defensively, Wideman has the speed and the range to track down any ball in center field, but needs to improve his routes to the ball, something that can be smoothed over as a pro. While he has an average arm, his legs will keep him in center. A return to Lake Elsinore and the California League seems pretty obvious in order to put the changes made in the offseason and spring training into action. With the investment of a third-round pick, at least a round or two higher than projected, Wideman will get time to prove himself. If things click early and the Padres like what they are seeing, a promotion to High-A Fort Wayne will be waiting. His tools are easy to dream on, especially if he puts together a 25-homer season, which seems very reachable based on his college performance. It would not be out of bounds to project a 25-homer, 70-steal season while playing the premium position of center field if absolutely everything clicks. But that only comes if he is able to smooth out the rough patches at the plate. View the full article

The excitement is building for baseball fans. As the calendar hits the first Friday in March, the Kansas City Royals are only three weeks away from opening day in Atlanta. As always, spring training statistics don’t mean a lot in the big picture, but with the countdown until the regular season begins, players will be getting close to wanting to find their groove before camps break at the end of March. Who’s Hot? 🔥 Carter Jensen Jensen continues to show why he is ready to be a full-time Major League Baseball player. After appearing in 20 games last season, where the catcher batted .300 with three home runs and 13 RBI’s, Jensen has followed that up with a .400 average through his first 15 spring training at-bats. With two home runs and five RBI’s this spring, Jensen is making a case to become a middle-of-the-lineup bat, which would be a great boost to the Royals’ lineup after last season’s offensive struggles. Ryan Bergert Bergert made his third appearance of the spring on Tuesday, pitching two shutout innings against Team Cuba. Through six spring training innings, Bergert has yet to allow a run, allowing two hits, one walk, and striking out six. Bergert remains in the mix to earn a spot on the Royals’ opening day roster, especially with the injury to Stephen Kolek. After posting an ERA of 3.66 and holding opposing batters to a .215 average last season, Bergert is setting himself up to be a strong option for the Royals. Lucas Erceg Erceg made his first appearance of the spring on Tuesday, recording a scoreless inning with one strikeout. A major factor in the Royals’ bullpen last season, Erceg will be tasked with helping set up for closer Carlos Estévez. Last season, Erceg went 8-4 with an ERA of 2.64 and a WHIP of 1.17 across 61 ⅓ innings. Erceg will look to strikeout more batters in 2026 after recording only 48 last year. Who’s Not? 🧊 Cole Ragans Ragans was roughed up by the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, allowing six earned runs over 1 ⅔ innings. The left-hander allowed one home run, one walk, and hit one batter, requiring 52 pitches to get through his outing. Ragans likely has three more outings prior to opening day, giving him a chance to get right before the 2026 season kicks off. The likely candidate to be named the Royals’ opening day starter, the main concern is a healthy spring after last year’s injury troubles. Kevin Newman Signed to a minor league contract in December, Newman has struggled across 18 at-bats. Newman has hit .211, with zero home runs and no RBI’s. In 114 at-bats, last season with the Los Angeles Angels, Newman hit .202 with two home runs and 11 RBI’s. After recording an on-base percentage of .209, Newman is on the outside looking in at a big league spot. John Schreiber Schreiber was hit hard by the Rangers on Thursday night, giving up five hits in one inning of work. The right-hander allowed four runs, while walking one and striking out one. Facing many of the Rangers’ regulars, Schreiber allowed four straight hits to Corey Seager, Jake Burger, Kyle Higashioka, and Josh Smith. Last season, Schreiber appeared in a team-high 74 games, going 3-3 with an ERA of 3.80 and a WHIP of 1.19. The 32-year-old will be a big part of the Royals’ bullpen in 2026. View the full article

The back end of the Brewers' rotation has plenty of competition. Can Logan Henderson break in after a superb five-start stint in 2025? In this video, we review what made him so successful in his first taste of the big leagues, what he needs to work on, and the overall likelihood that Henderson is a member of Milwaukee's starting five. View the full article

Emmanuel Rodriguez is turning heads in Twins camp this spring. The numbers are loud, the contact quality is real, and he’s making a serious case to be part of the Opening Day conversation. Could the Twins’ outfield prospect force his way into that fourth outfield spot? View the full article

As spring training rolls on, there are a few names that Red Sox fans should be keeping an extra close eye on. Payton Tolle just made his latest case to be in the Sox rotation, Roman Anthony will enter his first full big league season since inking an eight-year extension, Seth Martinez is aiming to return to his 2024 form, Caleb Durbin has many eyes on him after Boston acquired him from the Brewers, and Vinny Capra is aiming to finally break through and shake his in-betweener reputation to this point. Enjoy! View the full article

Apologies in advance for stepping out from behind my satirical remove. But the situation demands it. Guys, I think the Twins might be pretty bad this year. Prior to spring training, 75 wins seemed about right. That isn't good, by any stretch of the imagination. But they had enough starting pitching to get from here to respectability, especially in a bad division. Enough things break right, they could sniff .500, and if they finally get some breakout performances from the kids (I'm one of the TD writers old enough to remember when Kirby Puckett started hitting for power), one could dare to dream of a playoff berth. Dream in one hand and [REDACTED] in the other, and see which one fills up first. Pablo López is out. David Festa is hurt. Joe Ryan has back trouble. Bailey Ober already had to hit reset. That's 80% of the rotation! The good part of the team! The depth has gone from enviable to Andrew Morris and ten Hail Marys. The lineup is...man, I don't know. Can anyone but Byron Buxton play defense? And are Josh Bell and Victor Caratini enough to fix the inconsistent offense of last year? I desperately want to be wrong. I want Brooks Lee to live up to his potential. I want Royce Lewis to be Royce Lewis again. I think it's foolish to expect that to happen. To be honest, the least of my concerns is the bullpen. Yes, the completely decimated one from last year with three reclamation projects as the causes for quote-unquote "hope". I like how Aaron put it over at The Athletic: There is zero reason to expect the bullpen to be good (and to be clear, Aaron doesn't), but bullpens are weird like hockey goalies are weird. No one knows how they work or what makes them tick; you just hope you fall into a decent one. Of all the things I can muster optimism about today regarding Your Minnesota Twins, it's that the bullpen might be OK—because sometimes that just happens. In the name of Tony Fiore, let it be so. Finally, I know spring training records are meaningless. But the 4-8 record as of Thursday morning is earned. It seems about right for what they're putting out there every afternoon. And it doesn't look a whole lot different from what they're going to put out there when the games start counting. I want to be wrong. As I put this in the publication queue, they are beating the living hell out of the New York Yankees, of all teams. [Ed. note: They held on to win a nailbiter, 15-0.] I would love nothing more than to have everyone reading this throwing it in my face come September's pennant race. That said, if the worst comes to pass, tickets, hot dogs, and beers will be pretty cheap this summer. See you at the yard. Image license here. View the full article

On Fish Unfiltered, Ely previews Sandy Alcantara's WBC revenge match against Venezuela...and wonders if he'll pitch in the championship game should the Dominican Republic get there. View the full article

#4 Cooper Pratt (Biloxi Shuckers) Selected in the sixth round of the 2023 draft, Pratt has moved quickly through the system and finds himself on a lot of the national top 100 lists. He had a solid season in Double-A in 2025, and will look to build upon it in 2026. PA H 2B 3B HR OPS wRC+ wOBA K% BB% SwStr% Whiff% PULL% CENT% OPPO% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% SB CS SB% 90th EV 527 104 22 1 8 .691 108 .334 15.2% 12.7% 9.3% 22.3% 45.1% 24.5% 30.4% 22.6% 40.7% 36.8% 19.7% 31 5 86% 101.2 What to Like Pratt stands out as one of the more instinctive players in the Brewers system. His overall feel for the game shows up in multiple areas, especially in how he handles the defensive side and how he moves on the bases. He consistently makes strong reads, takes efficient routes, and shows strong baseball awareness in game situations. Despite possessing only average or slightly above-average speed, he is a very good baserunner; he went 31-for-36 on stolen base attempts in 2025. Offensively, Pratt put together a fine season in a difficult offensive environment. His .691 OPS may not immediately stand out, but that was 8 percent better than the average offensive output in the Southern League, and he did that while spending roughly 90 percent of the season as a 20-year-old. Producing at that level against older competition in one of the toughest hitting environments in the minors is a positive sign for his long-term outlook. His offensive profile is built around strong bat-to-ball ability and an above-average hit tool. Pratt shows consistent contact skills and can put the ball in play against a variety of pitch types. His swing is controlled and repeatable, allowing him to maintain steady at-bats and avoid extended slumps. If the hit tool continues to develop, it'll give him a strong foundation as an everyday contributor. Defensively, Pratt shows advanced ability at shortstop. He profiles as an above-average defender, with the potential to develop into a plus or better glove at the position. His range may not immediately stand out through raw speed alone, but his reads off the bat and first-step quickness allow him to cover significant ground. He positions himself well and shows strong instincts that help his athleticism play up. His arm strength is another clear asset. Pratt shows a plus arm and the ability to make throws from multiple angles, including off-platform throws from different spots on the infield. The combination of defensive instincts, range, and arm strength gives him a strong chance to remain at shortstop long-term. What to Work On The biggest area for improvement in Pratt’s profile is his power development. His raw power currently grades below average, as evidenced by his 101.2 MPH 90th-percentile exit velocity in 2025, and while his physical build suggests more strength could come with time, it has not yet consistently shown up in games. If he's going to profile as an everyday player at the major-league level, developing more extra-base impact will be important, and he’s most likely to do that through increasing his bat speed. His swing decisions also remain an area for growth. While his bat-to-ball skills are very strong, which helped him manage his strikeouts effectively, he does struggle with chasing out of the zone. Pitch recognition, particularly against breaking balls away from him, has shown to be a challenge for him at times. Improving his approach and becoming more selective in those situations would help him maximize his contact ability and overall offensive production. Because his profile currently leans heavily on contact ability and defensive impact, continued development with the bat will ultimately determine his ceiling. Without legitimate power growth, the offensive skill set will be more dependent on batting average and on-base ability, which could make it difficult for him to find a permanent home in the Milwaukee infield—especially if some of the other top prospects reach their ceilings. What’s Next Cooper Pratt’s combination of defensive ability, instincts, and contact skills gives him a strong foundation and makes him a relatively safe bet to reach the major leagues in some capacity. His long-term role will largely depend on how much the bat develops, and particularly whether he begins to show more consistent power production. He's likely to continue facing upper-level pitching, and strong offensive performance could position him for a move to Triple-A or even a major-league opportunity in the near future. If he performs well in Nashville, a debut in Milwaukee during the 2026 season is a realistic possibility. What are your thoughts on Pratt? What are you hoping to see from him in 2026? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

In his two innings of work Wednesday against the Brewers in Maryvale, Jaxon Wiggins looked like a big-leaguer with front-of-the-rotation upside. He allowed just one baserunner (a walk) and struck out two. His fastball sat at 98 miles per hour and nearly touched 100. His hard slider (or cutter, depending on whom you ask) looked good, and his curveball continued to flash depth that makes it scary. Perhaps most importantly, Wiggins showed the ability to fill up the strike zone with that fastball, which has not just velocity but plenty of carry and life on it. He got just three whiffs from a contact-oriented Brewers lineup, but he also delivered seven called strikes, including six on the heater. If he can throw enough strikes to limit walks and put hitters into two-strike counts, he'll rack up plenty of strikeouts, even against teams who specialize in the avoidance of them. Wiggins's easiest comp might be Nick Pivetta, of the Padres. Like Pivetta, he throws hard, with a high-rise heater, and like Pivetta, he has huge break on his curveball. To get a sense of how extreme Pivetta is in terms of pitch movement, consider this plot of pitchers who threw a qualifying number of four-seamers last year. Now, contrast that with a plot of the movements of curveballs thrown by pitchers who fired enough of them to qualify. Stretching the vertical movement differential that way is good. It creates the chance to miss bats. However, Pivetta loses a little bit of the theoretical, in-a-vacuum value of his high-rise heat and big-breaking curve because he works from an extreme over-the-top angle. That makes his pitches' vertical movement less deceptive—less unexpected—than it would be from even a slightly lower slot. As it happens, Wiggins pitches from that slightly lower slot. With just a hair less spine tilt and a slightly less exaggerated overhand action, Wiggins makes the interaction between his curveball and his fastball more deceptive than Pivetta's. However, that's not the only effect of that change in slot. There's a cost to it, in that Wiggins's fastball runs quite a bit more to his arm side than does Pivetta's. The latter is a cut-ride shape, which allows Pivetta to keep it over the plate and to attack both sides of the zone with it when his command is good. Wiggins will always struggle to execute his four-seamer to the glove side, which introduces a limitation. However, there are also benefits of that lower slot that go beyond the ride on the fastball being more surprising to the hitter. Wiggins's second pitch isn't the curve; that's his third or fourth option. Rather, he leans hard on his hard slider or cutter, and that pitch works better because he doesn't come so completely over the top that he's locked into only vertical movement separation. That changeup is also unlocked by not having such a high arm angle. Wiggins is never going to have Pivetta-caliber cut on his heater, let alone anything like what teammate Cade Horton does with his power cutter/four-seamer. However, like Horton (and unlike Pivetta), Wiggins has the makings of four good pitches that each hit one cardinal direction on the movement compass. His arm slot permits that vicious four-seamer to set up both breaking balls and the changeup. That's not to suggest, however, that he's ready to show up in the majors and have Horton-like success. To his credit, he's taken the critical first step in controlling his arsenal, by learning to throw his fastball for strikes. He can locate the slider/cutter well enough to get outs, too. However, both his change and his curve are wildly inconsistent. He doesn't know how to change his targets on those offerings, or even to consistently attack any one quadrant with them. He's at least two big developmental mile markers from Horton Territory: Throwing those two pitches for strikes with life, forcing hitters to honor them; and Learning to consistently throw strike-to-ball versions of them that induce chases for weak contact and whiffs, as well as the versions that land in the zone and compel the hitter to prepare themselves to swing. On a remarkably talented pitcher's developmental checklist, these items can get checked off surprisingly quickly. Wiggins might be doing all of this well enough to come up and dominate within a few months. Right now, though, he's merely tantalizing. The chance to rapidly become an ace is there, but the current reality is a long way from that hoped-for eventuality. Wednesday was a lovely glimpse of what's to come, but also a reminder that it's not yet here. View the full article

Dasan Hill Bats: R / Throws: L Age: 20 Stats in 2025: (Low-A, High-A) 62 IP 83 SO 3.19 ERA 1.35 WHIP Rule 5 Eligible: After 2028 Season ETA: 2028 2025 Ranking: 7 National Rankings: Just outside the Top 100 in several. What’s to Like "Intriguing" is the first word that comes to mind when I see Hill’s name and profile. Being 6-5 and lanky, left-handed, and hitting 97 mph with his fastball is just the start. Wait, what? Let's try that again. Dasan Hill is a 20-year-old left-hander who stands 6-5, has room to gain strength yet, and has already reached triple digits with his fastball. He also throws a curveball, change-up, and slider, all of which grade out as above average. Having four above-average pitches is a great profile as a starting pitcher prospect. Drafted in Competitive Balance Round B in the 2024 draft, Hill was signed for an over-slot deal of $2 million out of Grapevine High School in Texas, Hill was the only pitcher taken in the Twins' first eight picks of the 2024 draft. In 2025, he pitched with both Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids. Across 19 starts and 62 innings, he had 83 strikeouts with a 3.19 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. At 20 years old, Hill is listed at 165 pounds, so one would think he could still fill out his frame some, which could help him as he continues to develop. Despite the lack of innings, Hill was named by Twins Daily as the Twins Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year in 2025. What’s Left to Work On Like many young pitchers, Hill will need to reign in his command, as he had a 5.8 BB/9 rate this past season. Given his pitch mix, he projects to improve on those numbers, but it is something to keep an eye on and will be a part of taking a step forward. Another thing will be to stay healthy and continue working toward a starter’s workload, so pitching over 100 innings this year, would be a great accomplishment in doing this. What’s Next: Hill will be pitching his second professional season in 2026, so getting more innings and facing more hitters will be key in the next step of his development. He will likely start the year with High-A Cedar Rapids and pitch most of the year there, and as long as things go as planned, he may get his first taste of Double-A toward the end of the season, much like he did this past season, getting three starts at High-A after spending most of the year with Low-A Fort Myers. With plenty of upside, keep an eye on Hill and how he continues to grow and round out his approach in his second full season in the Twins organization. For more Twins Daily content on Dasan Hill, click here. View the full article

In the second Fish Unfiltered episode of the AJ Ramos era, the former Miami Marlins closer, Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral reflect on Tommy Hutton's brilliant broadcasting career. Recording live from loanDepot park, Kevin sets the stage for what to expect when Pool D action begins on Friday. AJ relives the invitations that he received to represent Mexico in past tournaments and the guys give an overview of which Marlins players are participating this time around. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Catch up on more pod episodes from earlier this week: Which Marlins could win the World Baseball Classic? (Fish Unfiltered) Sandy and Snelling shove, plus Marlins Spring Breakout player pool (FOF LIVE) View the full article

Make that 13 players from the Blue Jays organization participating in the World Baseball Classic. Giaconino Lasaracina has two transactions listed on his MLB.com player page. In February, he was named to Team Italy's roster for the World Baseball Classic. A month later, the Toronto Blue Jays signed him to a minor league contract. Lasaracina, 22, was born in Venezuela but evidently has Italian heritage. The righty batter played three seasons of Italian Serie A baseball from 2022-24, slashing .374/.451/.579 (1.030), excellent even by the much higher offensive standards of the Italian Baseball League. That is the extent of his professional experience, at least according to Baseball Reference. He did, however, play for Italy in the 2025 European Baseball Championship. Lasaracina appeared in all seven of Italy's games, leading the team with 13 hits, 15 RBI, and a 1.701 OPS. His dominant offensive showing helped the Italians beat Switzerland, Lithuania, Greece, France, Germany, and Czechia before they lost to the Netherlands (by one run) in the final. The loss, it should be said, came despite Lasaracina's best efforts. He hit six home runs in the tournament, more than any other player, with his last one coming against the Netherlands in the championship game. Lasaracina is listed as a catcher on MLB.com, but he is categorized as an infielder on Team Italy's roster. Meanwhile, the WBSC Europe website describes him as a catcher/infielder/outfielder. According to Baseball Reference, he was primarily a catcher and third baseman in the Italian League, though BR's fielding stats for Serie A are incomplete. He played at least 24 games at third, 23 behind the dish, eight at first base, and nine as a pitcher too, although that only accounts for about two-thirds of his total games played. (For what it's worth, he pitched to a 2.89 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 9.1 IP – though he also walked 13, hit four batters, threw three wild pitches, and gave up seven unearned runs on top of three earned. That’s not a pitching line you see very often!) All that to say, it's not yet clear what position Lasaracina will play in the Blue Jays organization. It would boost his value if he can catch on a regular basis, but based on the available evidence, all I can really say is that it seems like he's a bat-first player. Now, there's a high likelihood Lasaracina never makes the majors. You might never hear his name again. But it's for all the same reasons he's a wild card that his signing is so interesting. It's not every day the Blue Jays ink a 22-year-old international free agent with so little professional experience (and from Italy, no less). It's even more unusual that we get a chance to see such a player perform on one of the game's highest stages so soon after his signing. Lasaracina probably won't be in Team Italy's regular starting lineup, but hopefully, he'll make it into a few first-round games. Here's when and where you might be able to catch him play: Team Italy WBC Pool Play Schedule Date Opponent Start Time Where To Watch March 7 Brazil 1:00 pm ET Sportsnet+ March 8 Great Britain 1:00 pm ET Sportsnet+ March 10 USA 9:00 pm ET Sportsnet 360 March 11 Mexico 7:00 pm ET Sportsnet+ Italy is in Pool A with the USA, Mexico, Great Britain, and Brazil. While the Americans are the heavy favourites in the pool, an Italian team featuring Kyle Teel, Jac Caglianone, Vinnie Pasquantino, Aaron Nola, Michael Lorenzen, and, of course, Giaconino Lasaracina, is a dark horse to upset Mexico and advance to the quarterfinals for the second WBC in a row. It won't be easy, but if Lasaracina can hit anything like he did in last year's European Baseball Championship, it will certainly help the cause. Lasaracina will be even more of a dark horse once he starts his career in affiliated ball, but he, like Team Italy, will be an underdog worth watching. View the full article

Greg Weissert has inserted himself into the conversation for a high-leverage role through his performance this spring as well as his 2025 season. Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock stand uncontested as the primary options for the eighth and ninth inning spots, but a lack of additions in the bullpen this offseason has left the door open for Weissert to emerge as the other set-up man. His spring outings thus far turned heads, going two innings, striking out two and not giving up a hit in either outing. Now, spring box score results are not worth spending much time on, as some fans might remember someone like Trayce Thompson dominating 2025 spring, hitting home runs seemingly every other at-bat, but not seeing any time with the big league club. For pitchers, looking at new movement profiles, new pitches, or an uptick (or decrease) in velocity can set the table for what to expect in the upcoming season. Pitchers will often over-utilize pitches to get feel for them in game, so while keeping hitters off balance is a plus in the spring, it is rarely an omen for how the season will go. Still, at least from the initial data, it appears Weissert has improved his movement profile on his primary pitches. Weissert's strongest offering his is frisbee-like sweeper, which was put him on the map after the Red Sox as part of the Alex Verdugo deal. His sweeper's -20.1 inches of horizontal break is the most among any qualified pitcher, moving 6.2 inches more than the average sweeper. As if it could get better, Weissert has shown up to Fort Myers, throwing a UFO sweeper with now 22.5 inches of horizontal movement. These two additional inches have moved the pitch from a 113 tjStuff+ to now a 118 mark, making it a pitch that moves 18% better than a league-average sweeper. One interesting note about the pitch is that he has made it his second offering after throwing it as his fourth-most used pitch last season. This could be some experimentation like I had mentioned previously or an indication of a slight change in approach. We can see thanks to the top right graphic that he used it primarily against righties, which makes sense for it's use as a chase pitch. Just look at the swing Javier Baez tried to get off against it. NHlneFBfWGw0TUFRPT1fVXdOWEIxQlhWQUVBRDFZS1hnQUhBZ1ZUQUFNRkFsTUFBMVFFVTFCUlZRc0FCd1ZX.mp4 Nasty. His primary pitch, as with most pitchers, is his fastball, which grades out as below average, mostly due to his low extension and below-average velocity (94.1). While his velocity has not improved thus far, the induced vertical break did, improving from 12.6 iVB to now 13.9, allowing it to stay up longer and fool hitters. To be fair, results wise, it was still a solid pitch last year, generating a minimal .296 xWOBA on contact and an above average 31 percent chase rate, but this tweak should make those results more sustainable. Finally, his changeup has shown massive improvement this spring, going from a 101 tjStuff+ to now a 106 thanks to an extra inch of horizontal break and far more distinct vertical movement. The effectiveness of a changeup is its ability to pair with a fastball for as long as it can before it drops off the table, getting hitters to swing over it for a whiff or beating into the dirt. His change was already effective at the latter, generating the second-highest groundball rate (82.4%) among pitchers who had thrown the pitch at least 75 times. It was not great at generating whiffs, though, sitting at only a 13.5 percent swinging strike rate. An additional inch downward won't hurt his prospects on whiffs, but it likely still won't be a big piece of his arsenal. An additional inch of horizontal run against lefties though, the side he would primarily throw it to, can and will create more problems. Here is perennial MVP candidate Corbin Carroll facing his 2025 changeup: NXkyZ0JfWGw0TUFRPT1fVWxCUVVGWU1BMUFBV3dZS1ZRQUhWQTRGQUFBQVVBQUFVUUZUVmdKUUFGRUJVbE1D.mp4 Weissert shoved last year for one of the quieter sub-3.00 ERA reliever seasons in 2025, posting a 2.82 mark. Improvements in the pitch mix should only help to build on that and hopefully create a three-headed monster starting in the seventh inning. He is largely platoon-proof as well, as neither left-handed nor right-handed hitters managed even a .300 wOBA against him. This Sox team is one that will thrive thanks to its defense and pitching. I expect plenty of close games in the seventh, and if Weissert can use this improved arsenal to set the table for Whitlock and Chapman, opposing teams are going to need to have a lead before they entered the final third of every game. View the full article

Enjoy new episodes of our Miami Marlins livestreams throughout 2026 spring training. Every week, Fish On First staffers answer your questions and provide in-depth analysis of the team leading up to Opening Day. Thursday's show was hosted by Jeremiah Geiger and featured panelists Ely Sussman, Daniel Rodriguez, Isaac Azout and Nate Karzmer. The following topics were covered: Awesome pitching performances by Sandy Alcantara and Robby Snelling Whether Snelling could force his way into the Marlins Opening Day rotation Prospects who could have the biggest MLB impact over the next 2-3 years The Marlins' Spring Breakout preliminary player pool What we're most looking forward to seeing in the World Baseball Classic You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Related reading from FOF: Kevin Barral's latest roster projection Nate's coverage of Thursday's game The ultimate fan guide to the World Baseball Classic View the full article

The Spring Breakout Event is back this year, featuring some of the best prospects in all of baseball. The Boston Red Sox's contingent will square off against the Baltimore Orioles on March 20 (6:05pm EST). The annual event has led to some memorable moments in recent iterations — it was just last year that Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell all homered in the Spring Breakout game — and this year's contest should be no different. Many of Talk Sox's top 20 Red Sox prospects in 2026 will be in attendance, as will a large swath of the team's top 2025 draft picks. Below you'll find the team's initial 40-man pool of players eligible for the game; due to the World Baseball Classic interrupting spring training, the Red Sox will finalize their roster (consisting of 23-27 total players) on March 18. PITCHERS (18) Cooper Adams, RHP Jake Bennett, LHP Alex Bouchard, RHP Sadbiel Delzine, RHP Austin Ehrlicher, RHP Anthony Eyanson, RHP Leighton Finley, RHP John Holobetz, RHP Jacob Mayers, RHP Hayden Mullins, LHP Marcus Phillips, RHP Eduardo Rivera, LHP Reidis Sena, RHP Brady Tygart, RHP Tyler Uberstine, RHP Juan Valera, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, RHP Gage Ziehl, RHP CATCHERS (4) Nate Baez Johanfran Garcia Franklin Primera Gerardo Rodriguez INFIELDERS (11) Marvin Alcantara Franklin Arias Josue Brito Yoeilin Cespedes Freili Encarnacion Henry Godbout Ahbram Liendo Hector Ramos Mikey Romero Dorian Soto Mason White OUTFIELDERS (7) Enddy Azocar Miguel Bleis Allan Castro Anderson Fermin Justin Gonzales Harold Rivas Nelly Taylor Spring Breakout Pitching Prospect To Watch: Kyson Witherspoon We still haven't actually seen the Red Sox's top draft pick from 2025 actually take the field with the team, but what a stage this would be for the former Oklahoma Sooner to make his pro baseball debut. There are concerns about his command, but Witherspoon has an electric fastball and dominant breaking pitches that would play really well in a short one- or two-inning stint that the Spring Breakout Game would afford him. It's possible he doesn't make the final roster once the Red Sox pare down their 40-man pool, but the point of this game is to highlight the best prospect talent in every team's farm system. As a consensus top-five prospect in the organization right now, Witherspoon certainly fits that distinction. Spring Breakout Hitting Prospect To Watch: Franklin Arias Someone who will definitely be on the final roster is Arias, who has already made some flashy plays in the field this spring. He's looked overmatched in his few trips to the plate, but he mustered a 109 wRC+ in 2205 while ascending to Double-A as a teenager. Now set for his age-20 season, the slick-fielding shortstop is arguably the best prospect in the system heading into 2026. After the memorable performance the Big 3 put forth last year, it'd be nice to see Arias get his own shining moment during the nationally broadcasted prospect-fest. View the full article