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In matters of personality, DL Hall and Shane Drohan couldn't be much more different. Drohan is the player most likely to be found, during each morning's open clubhouse period, sitting quietly at his locker with his phone. He's happy to talk, but volunteers little to the team's ongoing patter. Assigned to the bank of three lockers set apart from any others (with an empty stall next to him and equally quiet prospect Luke Adams on the other side of that gap), Drohan is easy to see but hard to hear—sometimes, even when you talk to him. Hall, who has lockered next to Brandon Woodruff since his first spring with the Crew, could be found on his knees at one point this week, reenacting his inglorious role in some past baseball brawl for laughing teammates. His South Georgia drawl erupts from him, whereas Drohan's words seem to come only with effort and thought. Hall is the Brewers' resident sneakerhead; Drohan professes to love history documentaries. ("Amazon Prime; that's the spot for documentaries that I've found, so far." But: "You do have to kind of filter out, because there are some crazy documentaries that I'm like, 'I don't know how much truth there was to that one.'") Yet, in the context of this team and beyond, the two have a great deal in common, too. They were born just four months apart: Hall in September 1998, and Drohan in January 1999. Though it says '6-foot-3' on Drohan's Baseball Reference page, the Brewers measured him at 6-foot-2 this spring; he weighs 202 pounds. Hall is 6-foot-1, 209 pounds. The cultural distance between Hall's native Valdosta and Drohan's birthplace in Fort Lauderdale is large, but they're really only about 400 miles apart. Each has spent some time on the prospect radar, but both are now optionable arms entering their age-27 season, sidetracked by injuries and not yet having established themselves in the majors. Each has an arsenal too wide and too promising to make you feel good at collapsing their value down to that of a left-handed short reliever, but each has had enough trouble with durability and/or control to make you wary of trusting them with a starting gig. This spring, these equal opposites are in a quiet competition for priority position in the Brewers' pitching plans. For Hall, the big spring project is trying to get his velocity back. He still believes he can tap back into the upper-90s heat he showed before injuries shook him loose and dropped him out of the top prospect firmament. However, he knows much better than to sit and wait for that to happen. Instead, he spent the winter adding a sweeper to his arsenal, giving him up to seven pitches to which he can turn when the situation calls for it. Since the four-seamer still isn't doing what he needs it to do in order to dominate with it, he's also favoring his sinker more—especially to lefty batters. "It's just been a progressive thing over the last eight months," Hall said. "After coming off the injury last year, things change, your body starts moving differently and the four-seamer wasn't riding as much as I want it to, so let's try the sinker." So far, that pitch grades out well. Utilizing it against right-handed batters is more difficult, of course, but manager Pat Murphy chose Hall to pitch for Team Great Britain against a lefty-loaded Brewers lineup on Tuesday specifically to get him work in left-on-left matchups. While Murphy insists that any reliever in his bullpen have some way to get out both lefties and righties, that's not a huge problem for Hall. For one thing, his changeup flashes plus, and has enough separation to be useful even in tandem with the sinker, rather than the four-seamer. For another, Hall also has a cutter he can use to get in on the hands of righty batters. The cutter isn't as distinct from his four-seamer as Hall would prefer, but that's more because the four-seamer isn't showing the good carry it once did than because of the cutter's deficiencies. He has enough pitches he's comfortable with to gut his way through showdowns with righty batters, and the new sweeper (along with the newly prioritized sinker) can stand him in good stead against lefties. Drohan bears some similarities to Hall, but his stuff is much more oriented toward glove-side movement and manipulating the ball with spin. His four-seamer has the carry missing from Hall's, and his cutter has more separation from it. He has a true, tight, vertical slider and a curveball, such that he can focus on a simple set of what the Brewers call "start lines": the visual targets he uses for each pitch, letting the movement carry them to a different destination but ensuring consistent execution. The flip side of being so good at those glove-side offerings and having the carry on the heater is that Drohan's changeup is not as good as Hall's. To get righties out in the majors, he'll need to execute well with his other four offerings. Both pitchers are stretching out and trying to keep themselves available for starting roles. Hall worked the first three innings of the game on Tuesday; Drohan took the final three on Wednesday. Both hurlers said they'll adjust to relief work if needed, but that the team has kept them on plans consistent with starting. "I just wanna pitch in the big leagues," Hall said. He's ready to do whatever the team believes will help them win, but is "trying to win a spot in the rotation." Now, tell me if this sounds familiar. "I don't really have a mindset on it," Drohan said. "I wanna pitch in the big leagues, so whether that's starting or in the bullpen, I'm willing to do either." Drohan said he doesn't want to concede the chance to eventually start by turning away from it, and that there's probably no benefit for him or the team in his switching lanes mentally before the time comes. For now, he and the team are working not on the installation of any new offerings or on rediscovering velocity—Drohan throws a couple ticks harder than Hall right now, anyway—but on matters of pitch mix. The lefty said most of the suggestions he's gotten from Chris Hook and company have been along the lines of introducing pitches he would normally eschew in given situations, within an at-bat or an inning, rather than doing anything truly novel. That's in keeping with the Brewers' preference to let players who are new to the organization come in and familiarize themselves with the environment, before pushing any more significant changes. To open the season, both pitchers are likely to be on the outside of the rotation battle, looking in. One might make the team as a reliever, but it's also possible that both find themselves in Nashville, starting and awaiting an opening in Milwaukee. They're different in appearance and sensibility, but so similar in skill set and circumstance that they could be on the same track for much of this season. The Brewers have an almost redundant pair of southpaws with very different personalities—as good an illustration of their superb depth as any. View the full article

Brandon Winokur has shown some of his upside as a prospect, but has played much more consistently to his floor. Will 2026 be a make-or-break year for his status as a Twins' top 20 prospect? Jeremy, Jamie, and Theo evaluate his case. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs have done their part in the grand reveal of their 2026 Spring Breakout Pool. Chicago has had players like NL Rookie of the Year candidate Cade Horton and Pete Crow-Armstrong on this squad in the past. The purpose of the Spring Breakout Series is to highlight each team’s top prospect talents by giving them another platform to prove themselves to the big league ball club. Think about it like the All-Star Futures Game, but with a couple of modifications. The Cubs joined the rest of Major League Baseball in submitting a preliminary list of 40 players who could appear on their breakout roster: PITCHERS (15) Brandon Birdsell, RHP, No. 17 Brooks Caple, RHP, NR Jostin Florentino, RHP, No. 18 Grant Kipp, RHP, No. 29 Jackson Kirkpatrick, RHP, NR Riley Martin, LHP, No. 28 Luis Martinez-Gomez, RHP, No. 24 Nazier Mulé, RHP, NR Dominick Reid, RHP, No. 16 Erian Rodriguez, RHP, No. 23 Yenrri Rojas, RHP, NR Will Sanders, RHP, NR JP Wheat, RHP, NR Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, No. 2/MLB No. 58 Kaleb Wing, RHP, No. 13 CATCHERS (4) Ariel Armas, C, No. 20 Owen Ayers, C, No. 11 Moisés Ballesteros, C, No. 1/MLB No. 55 Justin Stransky, C, NR INFIELDERS (11) Edgar Alvarez, 1B, NR Juan Cabada, 2B/OF, No. 12 Angel Cepeda, INF, No. 25 Fernando Cruz, SS/2B, No. 30 Jonathon Long, 1B, No. 7 Cole Mathis, 1B/3B, No. 15 Pedro Ramirez, 3B/2B, No. 9 Jefferson Rojas, SS/2B, No. 5 Ty Southisene, 2B, No. 26 Juan Tomas, SS, No. 14 James Triantos, 2B/OF, No. 10 OUTFIELDERS (10) Derik Alcantara, OF, NR Kevin Alcántara, OF, No. 4 Brett Bateman, OF, No. 21 Ethan Conrad, OF, No. 3 Josiah Hartshorn, OF, No. 8 Kane Kepley, OF, No. 6 Alexey Lumpuy, OF, NR Christian Olivo, OF, NR Kade Snell, OF, No. 27 Carter Trice, OF, NR With the roster being cut down in a couple of weeks and the regular season behind just around the corner, here are four notable players who could potentially make some noise in the Spring Breakout contest. Prospects To Watch: Jaxon Wiggins Wiggins is the Cubs’ shiny sports car at the moment. With Cade Horton graduating from prospect status last year, the former Arkansas Razorback has taken the reins as the team’s top pitching prospect. After an up-and-down first year in professional baseball in 2024 where Wiggins searched for his command at times, the hard-throwing righty turned up the temperature and found himself in Triple-A by the end of last season. Overall, his 70-grade fastball, wicked upper-80s slider and .176 career opponent batting average stand out as top metrics indicating his MLB debut could be just around the corner. Prospects To Watch: Jefferson Rojas Few players have stolen center stage like Rojas has for the Cubs in the last couple of weeks. Rojas has gone on his own Spring Breakout tour, logging a .318 batting average and a team-best 16 total bases across eight exhibition contests for the Cubs thus far. The organization’s No. 5 prospect topped out in Double-A Knoxville to conclude his 2025 campaign, but he took his lumps, failing to hit a home run and hitting .164 across 39 contests. The rising middle infielder is starting 2026 with confidence; let’s see if the performance can translate on the big stage come March 21. Prospects To Watch: Ethan Conrad As the Cubs’ first-round pick in 2025, all eyes will be watching if Conrad gets his first competitive at-bats with some of Chicago’s brightest young stars. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon boasts five-tool upside, with all of his tools grading at 50 or higher. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Conrad packs a punch with plus speed once he gets his gears turning. As an outfielder, there’s added appeal knowing that Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are on contract years and that the organization’s former top prospect, Owen Caissie, packed his backs for Miami in the Edward Cabrera trade. The 21-year-old has a long way to go before getting a call to the bigs, but it’s hard not to get excited knowing the North Siders have the NCAA triples leader (13) from just a couple of seasons ago. Prospects To Watch: Moises Ballesteros Last but certainly not least, we have a top-100 prospect who has already made his major-league debut. Ballesteros looked calm, cool and collected when he joined the North Siders down the stretch last year. The backstop made himself irresistible in Triple-A Iowa, hitting .316 with a superb .858 OPS across 114 games before carrying his momentum to Wrigley Field. Ballesteros’ OPS spiked to .868 in the majors, and he enjoyed two round-trippers with 11 runs batted in across 20 big-league contests. This showcase could be another opportunity to highlight the top prospect in the Cubs’ farm system. The Matchup The Cubs host the San Diego Padres’ Spring Breakout roster at Sloan Park on March 21. First pitch for the NL Wild Card rematch is set for 8:05 PM CT. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs have done their part in the grand reveal of their 2026 Spring Breakout Pool. Chicago has had players like NL Rookie of the Year candidate Cade Horton and Pete Crow-Armstrong on this squad in the past. The purpose of the Spring Breakout Series is to highlight each team’s top prospect talents by giving them another platform to prove themselves to the big league ball club. Think about it like the All-Star Futures Game, but with a couple of modifications. The Cubs joined the rest of Major League Baseball in submitting a preliminary list of 40 players who could appear on their breakout roster: PITCHERS (15) Brandon Birdsell, RHP, No. 17 Brooks Caple, RHP, NR Jostin Florentino, RHP, No. 18 Grant Kipp, RHP, No. 29 Jackson Kirkpatrick, RHP, NR Riley Martin, LHP, No. 28 Luis Martinez-Gomez, RHP, No. 24 Nazier Mulé, RHP, NR Dominick Reid, RHP, No. 16 Erian Rodriguez, RHP, No. 23 Yenrri Rojas, RHP, NR Will Sanders, RHP, NR JP Wheat, RHP, NR Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, No. 2/MLB No. 58 Kaleb Wing, RHP, No. 13 CATCHERS (4) Ariel Armas, C, No. 20 Owen Ayers, C, No. 11 Moisés Ballesteros, C, No. 1/MLB No. 55 Justin Stransky, C, NR INFIELDERS (11) Edgar Alvarez, 1B, NR Juan Cabada, 2B/OF, No. 12 Angel Cepeda, INF, No. 25 Fernando Cruz, SS/2B, No. 30 Jonathon Long, 1B, No. 7 Cole Mathis, 1B/3B, No. 15 Pedro Ramirez, 3B/2B, No. 9 Jefferson Rojas, SS/2B, No. 5 Ty Southisene, 2B, No. 26 Juan Tomas, SS, No. 14 James Triantos, 2B/OF, No. 10 OUTFIELDERS (10) Derik Alcantara, OF, NR Kevin Alcántara, OF, No. 4 Brett Bateman, OF, No. 21 Ethan Conrad, OF, No. 3 Josiah Hartshorn, OF, No. 8 Kane Kepley, OF, No. 6 Alexey Lumpuy, OF, NR Christian Olivo, OF, NR Kade Snell, OF, No. 27 Carter Trice, OF, NR With the roster being cut down in a couple of weeks and the regular season behind just around the corner, here are four notable players who could potentially make some noise in the Spring Breakout contest. Prospects To Watch: Jaxon Wiggins Wiggins is the Cubs’ shiny sports car at the moment. With Cade Horton graduating from prospect status last year, the former Arkansas Razorback has taken the reins as the team’s top pitching prospect. After an up-and-down first year in professional baseball in 2024 where Wiggins searched for his command at times, the hard-throwing righty turned up the temperature and found himself in Triple-A by the end of last season. Overall, his 70-grade fastball, wicked upper-80s slider and .176 career opponent batting average stand out as top metrics indicating his MLB debut could be just around the corner. Prospects To Watch: Jefferson Rojas Few players have stolen center stage like Rojas has for the Cubs in the last couple of weeks. Rojas has gone on his own Spring Breakout tour, logging a .318 batting average and a team-best 16 total bases across eight exhibition contests for the Cubs thus far. The organization’s No. 5 prospect topped out in Double-A Knoxville to conclude his 2025 campaign, but he took his lumps, failing to hit a home run and hitting .164 across 39 contests. The rising middle infielder is starting 2026 with confidence; let’s see if the performance can translate on the big stage come March 21. Prospects To Watch: Ethan Conrad As the Cubs’ first-round pick in 2025, all eyes will be watching if Conrad gets his first competitive at-bats with some of Chicago’s brightest young stars. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon boasts five-tool upside, with all of his tools grading at 50 or higher. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Conrad packs a punch with plus speed once he gets his gears turning. As an outfielder, there’s added appeal knowing that Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are on contract years and that the organization’s former top prospect, Owen Caissie, packed his backs for Miami in the Edward Cabrera trade. The 21-year-old has a long way to go before getting a call to the bigs, but it’s hard not to get excited knowing the North Siders have the NCAA triples leader (13) from just a couple of seasons ago. Prospects To Watch: Moises Ballesteros Last but certainly not least, we have a top-100 prospect who has already made his major-league debut. Ballesteros looked calm, cool and collected when he joined the North Siders down the stretch last year. The backstop made himself irresistible in Triple-A Iowa, hitting .316 with a superb .858 OPS across 114 games before carrying his momentum to Wrigley Field. Ballesteros’ OPS spiked to .868 in the majors, and he enjoyed two round-trippers with 11 runs batted in across 20 big-league contests. This showcase could be another opportunity to highlight the top prospect in the Cubs’ farm system. The Matchup The Cubs host the San Diego Padres’ Spring Breakout roster at Sloan Park on March 21. First pitch for the NL Wild Card rematch is set for 8:05 PM CT. View the full article

The Brewers have one of the deepest prospect pools in baseball and were ranked the number one farm system by ESPN at the end of January. These future members of the Brew Crew will once again get chances to showcase their skills in the third annual Spring Breakout Games, where each MLB club sends its top minor league prospects to compete against other future stars. The Brewers’ Spring Breakout Stars will get the chance to play two games this year: March 20th against the Mariners in Phoenix, Ariz., at 5:10 and March 22nd against the Athletics in Mesa, Ariz., at 4:05. Both games will be available to watch on MLB Network, with the March 22nd game also available on Amazon. Rosters were announced on Thursday, with an initial pool of 40 players. Game-day rosters are due March 18th, with anywhere from 23 to 27 players. This is a new change this year to address prospects playing in the World Baseball Classic, which runs until March 17th. The Brewers’ 40-player pool contains 23 of their top 30 prospects from the just-released MLB Pipeline rankings. These players range from being on the verge of making the big-league roster to just beginning their professional careers. Four shortstop prospects headline the group for Milwaukee. Jesús Made, Luis Peña, Jett Williams, and Cooper Pratt are the top four prospects in the Brewers’ system and are all skyrocketing towards the big leagues. Andrew Fischer is the next highest prospect on the list, coming in at number 6 for the Brewers. The Brewers’ first-round pick from last year will look to continue succeeding after a strong start with the Timber Rattlers in only 19 games last year. Jeferson Quero, the Brewers' No. 8 prospect, is one of three catchers selected to the roster as he looks to prove he can be a part of the team’s future behind the plate. Bishop Letson, the lone pitcher on this list in the Brewers’ top ten prospects, was very good for the Timber Rattlers last year but struggled in a lone game at Double-A Biloxi. The Brewers’ second-round pick in 2025 and No. 16 prospect in their farm system, JD Thompson, will look to turn heads as well. Here is the full 40-player Pool, with MLB Pipeline Ranking and Top 100 ranking if applicable: PITCHERS (20) Ryan Birchard, RHP, NR Jesús Broca, LHP, NR Will Childers, RHP, NR Coleman Crow, RHP, No. 27 Jaron DeBerry, RHP, NR Ethan Dorchies, RHP, No. 20 Brian Fitzpatrick, LHP, NR Michael Fowler, RHP, NR Tyson Hardin, RHP, No. 19 Blake Holub, RHP, NR Tate Kuehner, LHP, NR Bishop Letson, RHP, No. 9 Mark Manfredi, LHP, NR Bryce Meccage, RHP, No. 21 Jacob Morrison, RHP, NR Braylon Owens, RHP, NR J.D. Thompson, LHP, No. 16 Wande Torres, LHP, NR Brett Wichrowski, RHP, NR Craig Yoho, RHP, No. 29 CATCHERS (3) Marco Dinges, C, No. 10 Jeferson Quero, C, No. 8 Matt Wood, C, NR INFIELDERS (11) Luke Adams, 1B/3B, No. 13 Eric Bitonti, 1B, No. 26 Blake Burke, 1B, No. 18 Daniel Dickinson, 2B, No. 30 Brady Ebel, SS, No. 15 Andrew Fischer, 3B, No. 6 Jesús Made, SS/2B, No. 1/MLB No. 3 Luis Peña, INF, No. 2/MLB No. 26 Cooper Pratt, SS, No. 4/MLB No. 64 Brock Wilken, 3B, No. 22 Jett Williams, SS/2B, No. 3/MLB No. 51 OUTFIELDERS (6) Josh Adamczewski, OF, No. 11 José Anderson, OF, NR Handelfry Encarnacion, OF, NR Luis Lara, OF, No. 12 Braylon Payne, OF, No. 14 Josiah Ragsdale, OF, NR View the full article

JUPITER—Flight, workout, game, game, flight, start. The week in the life of Sandy Alcantara has been a doozy. "I got here last night at midnight, so my daughter was kicking me out of my bed," Alcantara joked to the media on Thursday afternoon. "A little rest and just get here, go out there and do my best." Lack of sleep or not, Miami's rotation mainstay was certainly at his best in Miami's 2-0 win over Houston. Alcantara retired all nine Astros he faced in order, recording four strikeouts and four groundouts. Outside of a 14-pitch at-bat to Isaac Paredes in the first, Alcantara only threw 29 pitches. The 30-year-old diversified his pitch mix, throwing each of his six offerings at least four times, with the sinker and slider taking center stage with a combined four whiffs. Not to be lost in the fray was Alcantara's new toy, the sweeper, registering a single whiff on five pitches. "The movement—that's what (we've) been looking for since we started throwing it," said Alcantara of the sweeper. "The movement had to be first. Then you got to combine your location. So, I think today, the movement was the first important thing, and the command was good today. So I feel great about it, and just get on, keep getting better." Next for Alcantara—and the reason why his past five days had been so hectic—is the World Baseball Classic. It's his second opportunity to represent the Dominican Republic on such a stage after previously competing in 2023. "Very excited, just to be out there wearing my country's jersey, represent my country. It's (an) amazing opportunity for me. I can't wait to be out there." Alcantara left Marlins camp on Sunday to join Team DR at loanDepot park for workouts, and flew to his home country for two exhibition games against the Tigers. After bearing witness to possibly the most electric baseball one could see, a flight back late Wednesday night set up Alcantara to go on Thursday. "We had an amazing game over in the DR against Detroit," said Alcantara. "Incredible fans, a lot of kids enjoying those moments. Now it's time to work. I think the chemistry, the relationships that we've been creating the first day that we get together is amazing. Everybody seemed happy, happy to win. Tomorrow is the first game, so we're gonna be ready." Notes and Quotes - Robby Snelling did indeed "flush" his previous outing in Clearwater. The southpaw sat down six of his own after Alcantara's departure, including striking out the side of Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Paredes in his first inning of work. "Felt really good," said a visibly happy Snelling. "When you go out and you feel like all your stuff's working for you, you're gonna feel really good. I know that that is what I'm capable of doing every time that I go out, and even though that's not necessarily what's going to happen every time you go out, it's always nice when everything kind of meshes together. Huge bounce bounce back from last week." - Karson Milbrandt tossed another scoreless inning in the ninth, striking out Tommy Sacco Jr. to end the contest. - Xavier Edwards exited Thursday's game with left calf tightness. "I don't think it's anything major," said McCullough of his leadoff man's status. "But, I just felt like that was enough to get him out. Still thinking that he'll plan for him to come back and play tomorrow as part of the back-to-back. We'll just see how he feels after the day and how he comes in tomorrow." - Before his departure, Edwards recorded half of Miami's RBI with an excuse-me single down to the opposite field. The Fish added their second courtesy of an Esteury Ruiz single off of old friend Steven Okert. - Continuing a refreshing trend, Marlins baserunners swiped five bags on the day. "Craig Driver (Miami's new first base coach) has been working since we started spring training," said McCullough. "In the morning with guys and working on their technique and something that we feel like we have an athletic team, and the ability to run and to be aggressive is something that we feel is going to pay dividends for us offensively. No better time than now for players to put some work in on it in the morning, and then when you get chances in the game to go, try to figure out the timing and let your technique play out in a game setting." Up Next The first night game of Miami's spring circuit is on the horizon, as the Fish welcome the Mets to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Friday at 7:10. Max Meyer, with plenty hanging in the balance in 2026, takes the ball for his second appearance of the spring. View the full article

The Kansas City Royals' top prospects will be on display on March 20th in the third-annual Spring Breakout. They will play in Surprise against the Texas Rangers' top prospects (Kansas City and Texas share the same facility). This is an exciting event for Royals fans, especially those who crave seeing budding young stars in the Kansas City farm system. Many top Royals prospects have built on strong Spring Breakout performances to successful Minor League campaigns in the regular season. Rosters were announced on Thursday, March 5th, with a preliminary pool of players for each team. A final gameday roster will be due on March 18th and will consist of 23 to 27 players from the initial 40-man list. This is a change from previous years due to the World Baseball Classic, which runs until March 17th. All 30 prospects on the Royals' MLB Pipeline top prospects list were selected to the preliminary pool. An additional 10 prospects outside that list were also added. It will be interesting to see which of the 40 will be on that final Kansas City Spring Breakout roster in 13 days. The Royals' top prospect, Carter Jensen, headlines the 40-man group. The local Park Hill High School product hit .300 with a .403 wOBA and three home runs in 69 plate appearances at the MLB level last September. He likely will make the Opening Day active roster, so the Royals may opt for another prospect in his place so Jensen can focus on preparing with the MLB club. Other notable position player prospects include Blake Mitchell, the Royals' No. 2 prospect and 75th overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. Mitchell had a down year due to a broken hamate bone in his hand, which he suffered at the start of Spring Training. However, he had a strong Arizona Fall League campaign and has been turning heads in Royals camp in Surprise this spring. Also, 2025 draft picks Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond are on the 40-man player pool and will likely play in the game, barring injury. Gamble and Hammond are the 5th and 6th-best prospects in the Royals system, according to Pipeline. Catcher Ramon Ramirez is another Top-10 prospect who will likely play in the game and has been getting some experience this spring behind the plate in Big League camp as a non-roster invitee. Ramirez was the Royals' 2025 Columbia Player of the Year. On the pitching side, righty Kendry Chourio and lefty David Shields highlight the list. Chourio made a meteoric rise from the Dominican Summer League to Low-A Columbia ball last year. He posted a 3.51 ERA, 2.68 FIP, and 29.9% K% in 51.1 IP across the DSL, ACL, and Low-A levels in 2025. Shields was a 2024 MLB Draft pick by the Royals and dominated as a 19-year-old in the Carolina League. In 75.2 IP, he posted a 2.38 ERA, 2.75 FIP, and 28.5% K%. That performance earned him Carolina League Pitcher of the Year honors. The rest of the Royals Spring Breakout pool can be found below, courtesy of MLB.com Royals beat writer, Anne Rogers. PITCHERS (20) Felix Arronde, RHP, No. 14 Luinder Avila, RHP, No. 9 Drew Beam, RHP, No. 12 Chourio, RHP, No. 3 Dennis Colleran, RHP, No. 25 Josh Hansell, RHP, No. 28 Ben Kudrna, RHP, No. 10 Justin Lamkin, LHP, No. 15 L.P. Langevin, RHP, NR Michael Lombardi, RHP, No. 16 Cameron Millar, RHP, No. 23 Frank Mozzicato, LHP, No. 29 Hunter Owen, LHP, NR Shane Panzini, RHP, No. 21 Hunter Patteson, LHP, NR Yeri Perez, RHP, NR David Shields, LHP, No. 4 Blake Wolters, RHP, No. 24 Hiro Wyatt, RHP, NR Steven Zobac, RHP, No. 13 CATCHERS (5) Jensen, C, No. 1/MLB No. 18 Moises Marchan, C, NR Mitchell, C, No. 2/MLB No. 75 Ramon Ramirez, C, No. 8 Hyungchan Um, C, NR INFIELDERS (9) Austin Charles, INF, NR Jose Cerice, INF, NR Darison Garcia, INF, NR Hammond, SS, No. 6 Sam Kulasingam, UTIL, NR Ramcell Medina, SS, No. 19 Yandel Ricardo, SS, No. 11 Brett Squires, INF, NR Daniel Vazquez, SS, No. 26 OUTFIELDERS (6) Gavin Cross, OF, No. 27 Gamble, OF/2B, No. 5 Asbel Gonzalez, OF, No. 17 Spencer Nivens, OF, NR Carson Roccaforte, OF, No. 18 Nolan Sailors, OF, NR View the full article

Spring training is off and running! What do we make of individual performances and tweaks so far with the Cubs roster? How much does it matter at this point? Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-north-side-baseball-podcast/id1798599313 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75wMGhBwlrDDYPt3kaF453 Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-north-side-baseball-po-268998437/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/eey7h6ih Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@northsidebaseball View the full article

While the San Diego Padres might not have the quality of depth in the farm system that other MLB teams do, there are still several prospects to be excited about. Those future Friars will be on display in the third annual Spring Breakout event, which features top minor-league players for each of the 30 teams squaring off for their respective franchises. The Padres will face the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Ariz., on March 21 at 6:05 p.m. Rosters were announced on Thursday, with a preliminary 40-man pool of players. Game-day rosters will be due March 18, with anywhere from 23 to 27 players. The player pool is a new wrinkle this year due to some prospects playing in the World Baseball Classic, which runs through March 17. Selected to the Padres' 40-player pool were the top 16 prospects in the just-released MLB Pipeline rankings. With the state of the Friars' system, most of these players are a couple of years away from potentially making their MLB debut. Leading the way is left-handed starter Kruz Schoolcraft, an 18-year-old who was the 25th overall pick in the 2025 draft and ranked No. 1 in the Padres' system by MLB Pipeline (No. 88 in baseball). Catcher Ethan Salas, the No. 1 international prospect in the 2023 class whose stock has slipped due to injuries, is still just 19 years old and is the team's No. 2 prospect. Right-hander Miguel Mendez, who is on the 40-man roster and made it to Double-A San Antonio in 2025, is the No. 3 prospect. Left-handed Kash Mayfield, a 2024 first-round draft choice, and right-handed starter Humberto Cruz, a 2024 international signing, are also pitchers to watch as the Friars' No. 4 and 5 prospects. No. 6 prospect Bradgley Rodriguez is in the mix to be on the Opening Day roster after being on the postseason roster last year. Here is the full 40-player pool with MLB Pipeline ranking: Pitchers (21) Bryan Balzer, RHP, No. 29 Manuel Castro, RHP, NR Humberto Cruz, RHP, No. 5 Jaxon Dalena, RHP, No. 30 Clay Edmondson, RHP, NR Harry Gustin, LHP, NR Luis Gutierrez, LHP, No. 20 Garrett Hawkins, RHP, No. 14 Jagger Haynes, LHP, No. 15 Kannon Kemp, RHP, No. 19 Josh Mallitz, RHP, NR Kash Mayfield, LHP, No. 4 Miguel Mendez, RHP, No. 3 Johan Moreno, RHP, NR Tucker Musgrove, RHP, No. 11 Kleiber Olmedo, RHP, NR Bradgley Rodriguez, RHP, No. 6 Michael Salina, RHP, No. 13 Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, No. 1 Lan-Hong Su, RHP, No. 18 Jeferson Villabona, RHP, NR Catchers (5) Brendan Durfee, NR Ty Harvey, No. 8 Lamar King Jr., C-1B, No. 16 Truitt Madonna, No. 24 Ethan Salas, No. 2 Infielders (9) Marcos Castañon, 2B, NR Jhoan De La Cruz, SS-2B, No. 23 Kale Fountain, 1B-3B, No. 10 Dylan Grego, SS, NR Ryan Jackson, SS, NR Jorge Quintana, SS-3B, No. 7 Romeo Sanabria, 1B, No. 28 Jose Verdugo, SS, NR Rosman Verdugo, SS, NR Outfielders (5) Braedon Karpathios, OF, No. 12 Alex McCoy, OF, No. 21 Kavares Tears, OF, No. 27 Kasen Wells, OF, NR Ryan Wideman, OF, No. 9 View the full article

The Minnesota Twins will once again get a chance to showcase the future of their organization later this month. Major League Baseball’s third annual Spring Breakout event will take place from March 19 through March 22, highlighting the game’s top prospects in exhibition matchups during spring training. Minnesota will host the Philadelphia Phillies prospects on Thursday, March 19, at 12:05 p.m. CT. Fans will have several ways to watch the game. It will air on MLB Network and MNNT, and stream for free on MLB.TV, MLB.com, and the MLB app. For the Twins, this year’s game should feature several players who could eventually factor into the team’s long-term plans. The Twins were hoping to showcase outfielder Walker Jenkins, the club’s top-ranked prospect. However, his status for the event remains uncertain after he recently suffered a left hamstring injury. He is still included in the initial player pool listed below. Because pitchers must remain on their scheduled throwing days during spring training, it can be difficult to predict exactly who will appear in the game. Even so, Minnesota has no shortage of candidates who could take the mound during the showcase. How the roster works According to MLB.com, Spring Breakout rosters are created using MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 prospects for each organization as a foundation. Players who still maintain rookie eligibility for the 2026 season are eligible to be selected for the event. This year, the process includes two phases. Teams first submit a preliminary 40-player pool, then trim it down to a final roster of roughly 23 to 27 players shortly before the event. The larger pool allows teams to adjust for injuries, pitching schedules, and the player movement that can occur during spring training. It also accounts for prospects who may be unavailable because of assignments in the Dominican Summer League or other roster considerations. Minnesota’s preliminary group features a strong mix of highly ranked prospects and additional depth players. Even if a few names are unavailable by the time the final roster is set, the Twins should still field a group worth watching when they face the Phillies' prospects. Preliminary 40-man player pool Pitchers (24) Matt Barr, RHP Kyle Bischoff, RHP Miguelangel Boadas, RHP Adrian Bohorquez, RHP Santiago Castellanos, RHP C.J. Culpepper, RHP James Ellwanger, RHP Brent Francisco, RHP Ryan Gallagher, RHP Ruddy Gomez, RHP Alejandro Hidalgo, RHP Dasan Hill, LHP John Klein, RHP Andrew Morris, RHP Jose Olivares, RHP Connor Prielipp, LHP Kendry Rojas, LHP Riley Quick, RHP Marco Raya, RHP Jason Reitz, RHP Sam Rochard, RHP Sam Ryan, RHP Charlee Soto, RHP Jonathan Stevens, RHP Catchers (4) Khadim Diaw Enrique Jimenez Ricardo Olivar Eduardo Tait Infielders (7) Bruin Agbayani, SS/2B Billy Amick, 3B/1B Kaelen Culpepper, SS Kyle DeBarge, SS Marek Houston, SS Brandon Winokur, SS/3B Quentin Young, SS Outfielders (5) Gabriel Gonzalez Walker Jenkins Hendry Mendez Emmanuel Rodriguez Kala’i Rosario View the full article

Hello again, Blue Jays fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Jays Centre, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. The Blue Jays had an exciting offseason, spending left and right in the wake of a heartbreaking Game 7 defeat in the World Series. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post Humor often leads these lists, and @ValiantJaysFan tapped into that with this post about Shapiro signing Tyler Rogers. Valiant, thanks for being one of the longest-running members of this site, and private message me with your name and address so I can send you this cool autographed ball from Blue Jays cult hero John McDonald! Most Popular Post Runner-Up Established communities establish their own culture, and personalities emerge over time. Grudges are formed, and hopefull it's all in good fun. The second-most-popular post was from @Terminator during a squabble in the offseason roster thread. Hey, we're all Jays fans here, right? Right? Most Prolific Poster Did you know that Terminator helped name this site? We appreciate all you do for the community here, Terminator, and you were the most popular poster over the 2025-2026 offseason. Most Popular Blog Entry One of the features of Jays Centre is that we offer the ability for any of our users to create a free blog that will be read by hundreds of like-minded Blue Jays fans. Over the winter, the most popular blog entry was this blog entry from @TheShow, handing out awards for the Blue Jays' performances during the ALDS. Yeah, I know it's not technically the offseason, but that's how these things shake out at times. TheShow, please private message me with your name and address so I can send you this cool Blue Jays commemorative coin! That's all for this winter, folks. Give a round of applause to all of those mentioned in this piece, and here's to a successful 2026 season for the Blue Jays! View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers are considering sending Quinn Priester to see a wrist specialist, manager Pat Murphy admitted Thursday. Priester, 25, is still feeling discomfort in his wrist, and Murphy acknowledged that some of that irritation is "moving up his arm." Already, the right-handed starter has undergone an MRI, which showed only inflammation in his wrist and no damage in his elbow. However, despite some good days, he has yet to successefully stack healthy days to the point where he and the team are ready to put him on a mound in a competitive setting. "Just not responding as quickly as we'd like it to," Priester said, though he tried to strike an optimistic tone overall in meeting with reporters about the delay in his preparation. He threw a live batting practice session early in camp, but hasn't been able to throw another one since—a layoff of roughly two weeks, so far. However, he's continued to play catch during that time, and said the most difficult part to navigate has been inconsistency. "I guess that's the part that's difficult, is some throws, I'll be able to feel it, and then some throws I don't," he said, admitting that the inability to ascertain exactly what's wrong has been a source of frustration. Because he's now likely to need another week or more to get back into competitive work, Priester is virtually guaranteed to start the season on the injured list. If his wrist responds better to treatment or the team gets an easily remediable diagnosis for the problem after a visit to a specialist, he could be back on a big-league mound by mid-April, but there's too much uncertainty around the situation to pin down that timeline right now. Priester said he first felt a similar issue last summer, during the Brewers' five-game series at Wrigley Field. That time, it responded relatively well to treatment, and he was able to pitch through it. When it recurred last month, though, the same interventions no longer seemed to work. "It kind of sucks, just taking it day by day trying to get past this, but, you know, [I'm] confident that it's nothing big, that it's just something that the body is probably reacting to after a really intense season last year," he said. He pitched an even 162 innings between the regular season and the playoffs, and noted that in addition to that being his heaviest sheer workload, there was added intensity (and thus, added stress) associated with pitching all of those innings in the majors. With Priester almost certain to be shelved, the door opens wider to Brandon Sproat, Kyle Harrison and Logan Henderson, (probably) in that order. After Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick, those three are the top arms in line for starting rotation spots to begin the season, though Brandon Woodruff and Priester could return relatively quickly. Koenig, Murphy Unconcerned About Spring Struggles Jared Koenig lost 6-8 pounds this offseason, as part of a shift in the focus of his conditioning work. He stressed that it was not a plan to overhaul his body in any sense, and that it traced more to a long 2025 season and the changes it wrought in his offseason strength work. As someone who easily adds weight during the season (a rarity in the majors, but less so with relievers), he expects not to have any trouble getting back the bulk missing from his frame right now. He'll need, at some point, to put that restored weight behind his fastball, which has dipped from its usual home in the mid-90s to 92-93 MPH in his first two Cactus League outings of the year. That diminished velocity has led to ugly numbers, but Koenig was unconcerned about them—and even less fazed by the velocity, which he expects will rebound. In a camp that has featured several Brewers pitchers ramping up slowly outside the quasi-competitive arenas of the Cactus League, Koenig pushed the coaching staff to let him do his preparatory work in that very space—even if it came with some lumps. "I told them I just wanted to pitch in more games," he said. "I don't like sim games. I just don't like facing teammates. It's hard for me, especially, to want to throw what I want to throw [against fellow Brewers]." It's early enough that Koenig isn't sweating velocity at all, but he's especially unconcerned because he feels that he gets stronger—better able to push himself without danger—in June and July, rather than the spring. For now, he's focused on continuing to get into games and test himself against real opponents, even if it be with lower stakes than in the regular season. Koenig is working on a sweeper, but said he's only gotten to throw one in a competitive setting so far. After struggling with right-handed batters last year, he also dedicated himself to shoring up his cutter over the winter, with his longtime trainer Matt Rossignol, near Koenig's home in the Santa Cruz, Calif. area. Using Trackman data for feedback and lots of video work, he feels he's honed that pitch anew, leaning on his nearly decade-long relationship with Rossignol, who has become so close that he officiated Koenig's wedding. For his part, Murphy has lost no faith in Koenig at all. On the contrary, he continues to see him as a linchpin of the bullpen plan. Asked whether the combination of a left-leaning bullpen and better overall depth could push Koenig back into consideration to be optioned to Triple-A Nashville, Murphy said he thinks of the big southpaw as an unsung hero of the last two seasons, and that he views him as an indispensable high-leverage arm, right along with Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill and Aaron Ashby. It might not be full-throttle come Opening Day, but expect Koenig to be in the thick of the team's bullpen plan all year. Despite a slow start to the spring, neither Koenig nor the team is worried. View the full article

Hello again, Red Sox fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Talk Sox, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. The Red Sox had a wild offseason, with considerable roster shuffling in trades. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post One of our newest posters took the most popular post award this offseason, so congrats to @jonnylongfella for this post following the Red Sox's surprise signing of Ranger Suarez! Jonny, please private message me with your name and address so I can send you this cool replica Red Sox championship ring! Most Popular Post Runner-Up The Red Sox losing Alex Bregman to the Cubs at the eleventh hour angered many fans, including @5GoldGlovesOF,75 with the second-most-popular post of the offseason. He skewers the Red Sox brass for routinely coming up just short, and questioning their dedication to winning. Thanks for being one of the top contributors on Talk Sox every year, 5GG! Most Prolific Poster We like to tip our caps to the poster who earned the most reputation points, and over the winter, that was one of our long-term moderators, @mvp 78! Thanks for all you contribute to this site, mvp! Most Popular Blog Entry One of the features of Talk Sox is that we offer the ability for any of our users to create a free blog that will be read by hundreds of like-minded Red Sox fans. Over the winter, the most popular blog entry was from @Charlie Hoke, who wrote up this blog post about how losing out on Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman maybe wasn't the worst outcome imaginable. Charlie, please private message me so I can send you this cool 3D wall hanging of Fenway Park! That's all for this winter, folks. Give a round of applause to all of those mentioned in this piece, and here's to a successful 2026 season for the Red Sox! View the full article

Hello again, Cubs fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on North Side Baseball, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. The Cubs had a wild offseason. In an attempt to win the National League Central, they signed Alex Bregman and traded for Edward Cabrera. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post The subject That's all for this winter, folks. Give a round of applause to all of those mentioned in this piece, and here's to a successful 2026 season for the Cubs! View the full article

Darrien Miller has long been an under-the-radar prospect at catcher in the Milwaukee farm system, without the 40-man roster spot or prospect luster of Jeferson Quero, or the high offensive ceiling of Marco Dinges. Miller’s been dinged at times for having merely acceptable defense, with the biggest knock being his relative inability to keep baserunners honest compared to the pre-injury form Quero displayed. However, this year, Major League Baseball’s new Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system and the new rule allowing challenges to ball-strike calls may make Miller’s offensive skill set more valuable behind the plate. Throughout his professional career, Miller's carrying skill has been his on-base skill. Miller’s drawn 271 walks, and he’s also gotten on base the painful way 102 times. A secondary feature has been some pop in his bat, in the form of 37 homers in his professional career. One at-bat from the Brewers’ February 27 Cactus League game against the White Sox points to how Miller’s offensive skillset may increase his defensive value behind the plate. Specifically, it was the last pitch of the showdown in a high-leverage situation. It was the top of the eighth inning, and the Brewers were clinging to a 5-2 lead when Will Childers was called in to relieve Drew Rom, who’d been pretty wild, allowing three walks and a wild pitch in two-thirds of an inning. When Childers came in, the bases were loaded with two outs, with White Sox third baseman Jordan Sprinkle, their fourth-round pick from the 2022 MLB Draft, coming to the plate. Sprinkle’s primary offensive tools are the ability to get on base (137 walks as a pro) and a lot of speed (he stole 80 bases between three minor-league stops in 2025). He doesn’t have a lot of power, though, and prior to 2025, he tended to strike out a lot (260 times in 1,046 professional at-bats) for a player who has only hit seven baseballs into the stands throughout his professional career. According to the MLB Gameday recap of the at-bat, Sprinkle didn’t swing once, with Childers’s first three pitches being pretty clear balls. Then, Childers settled down, getting two called strikes. On the sixth pitch, home plate umpire Brian Van Vracken called it “ball four,” which meant Sprinkle would walk and the runner on third would come into score. Here’s where we need to explore the rules of the ABS challenge system. Only the batter, pitcher, or catcher can challenge the call. The call also has to be challenged right away. To challenge or not will be a split-second decision, almost as fast as deciding whether or not to swing the bat as a hitter. The stakes are high. If the call being challenged is upheld, the team loses its challenge; they only get two for the first nine innings of the game. On the other hand, if the challenge leads to the call being overturned, the team keeps it. This can have implications late in a game: blowing the challenges early can leave a team helpless when it really needs to get a second look at a borderline call. In this case, Miller challenged the call, and Van Vracken’s “ball four” was overturned, becoming a called strike three. The ABS showed that Childers’s pitch had caught the bottom edge of the strike zone for the third out of the inning, and Miller's eye was at a level where he decided the challenge was worth it. The White Sox got nothing to show for all the ducks on the pond from Rom’s earlier struggles in the inning, and the Brewers went on to win. What does this pitch mean going forward? On the one hand, it is just one pitch, the smallest of small samples. But on the other hand, Miller’s eye for the strike zone is arguably one of the best in the organization, based on his entire professional career to date. With the rules surrounding the ABS challenge system, Miller’s eye has potentially become not just a weapon at the plate, but behind it as well. View the full article

Hello again, Brewers fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Brewer Fanatic, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. There was a lot to talk about, as the Brewers once again made a series of compelling trades that shook up the roster while hopefully extending this run of dominance in the Central Division. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post The subject matter was a serious one, and @ARobsBrewCrew (with the permission of someone close to the situation), posted an update on Brewers prospect Frank Cairone, who was in a terrible car accident this offseason. This is often the kind of information you can find on our forums. Many of our users have been here for two decades, and do their best to carve through misinformation and get to the heart of the matter. Thank you for your continued contributions to our community, ARobs. Normally, we offer a prize for the most popular post, but given the circumstances surrounding this post, we will defer to ARobs' judgment. Please private message me so we can have a discussion about what you would like to do with this cool Jackson Chourio bobblehead! Most Popular Post Runner-Up One of our most popular users is always @sveumrules, and they delivered yet again with a thread about Joey Ortiz, and how much do we really care about his bat anyway? After all, Ortiz is pretty solidly slotted into the ninth spot in the lineup, and his glove creates a solid floor for his performance. Thanks to Sveumrules for always coming through with the great content! Most Prolific Poster Come on down again, sveumrules! We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the offseason. Thanks for being such an integral part of the Brewer Fanatic community! Most Popular Blog Entry We had a slow offseason on the blogs this winter. Are you interested in trying your hand at writing about the Brewers in front of an audience of thousands? Try your hand at creating a blog today! That's all for this winter, folks. Give a round of applause to all of those mentioned in this piece, and here's to a successful 2026 season for the Brewers! View the full article

Hello again, Twins fans! Twice a year, we sit down and find the most popular posts and blogs on Twins Daily, and their creators receive prizes for their contributions to this community. While this offseason wasn't as action-packed as previous winters, there was still a lot to talk about. We look at the most popular posts and most popular blogs created by our amazing community contributors. Most Popular Post Congratulations to @Vanimal46, who has been part of our community since the early days of Twins Daily. The first half of the Twins' offseason was... uninspiring, to put it gently. With virtually nothing done to address the bullpen after its liquidation at last year's trade deadline, the trade for Anthony Banda was a welcome addition to the roster. Vanimal, private message me with your address so we can ship you this autographed Royce Lewis baseball! Most Popular Post Runner-Up The second most popular post of this offseason came, unsurprisingly, in the thread dedicated to the sudden departure of Derek Falvey. Humor often makes these lists, and @goliath's snarky comment about Edouard Julien and Pierson Ohl was our second-most-popular comment of the offseason. Congratulations, goliath, you win... well, nothing. Sorry about that. Most Prolific Poster We like to tip our hat to the poster who earned the most reputation points over the offseason, and this year that poster was @DJL44! Thanks for being such an integral part of the Twins Daily community DJL! Most Popular Blog Entry We have a thriving blog community here at Twins Daily, and every user can create their own blog that will be read by thousands of fellow Twins fans. @Doc Munson is one of our most popular bloggers, and they did it again this offseason with the most popular blog of the winter! Trade proposals are always popular, and Doc's Joe Ryan to the Yankees proposal intrigued users. Doc, private message me with your address so we can ship you this cool 3D rendering of Target Field! Most Popular Blog Entry Runner-Up There has been a lot of blame to go around Twins Territory the past few years. Many blame ownership, others laid blame at the feet of manager Rocco Baldelli. @Paul D counters with the primary culprit of the Twins' struggles being Derek Falvey. Do you agree? This controversial take was the second-most-popular blog entry of the winter! That's all for this winter, folks. Give a round of applause to all of those mentioned in this piece, and here's to a successful 2026 season for the Twins! View the full article

Preseason rankings abound, but MLB.com recently delivered a bleak forecast for the Minnesota Twins. MLB.com’s Mike Petriello recently grouped every Major League club into tiers reflecting their potential to win during the 2026 season. Instead of ranking teams from 1 to 30, he grouped organizations into roughly 8 or 9 groups based on expectations, roster strength, and overall outlook. At the very top sits a tier of its own occupied by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The next level includes a collection of clear contenders like the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, and New York Yankees. Minnesota, however, landed on the opposite end of the spectrum. Petriello placed the Twins in the lowest league tier, with only the Angels sharing that spot. It's a grouping that raises a pressing question: What is the path forward? To be clear, Petriello did not suggest these teams will necessarily finish with the worst records in baseball. In fact, he acknowledged that both the Twins and Angels still have talent on their rosters, including superstar players like Byron Buxton and Mike Trout. The concern is less about pure ability and more about the direction of the organizations themselves. According to Petriello, the issue primarily concerns the vibe around the clubs. For Minnesota, the last several months have shaped those vibes. Uncertainty after last year’s trade deadline and injuries to key pitchers like Pablo Lopez and David Festa have created a sense that the franchise is straddling competing and retooling. Outsiders often struggle to interpret that ambiguity positively. The data-driven projections do little to calm those concerns either. FanGraphs currently projects the Twins for the 23rd most wins (78 wins) in baseball during the 2026 season. The Angels sit even lower at 27th in those projections (73 wins). Only a handful of teams project worse, including the Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, and Colorado Rockies, who FanGraphs expects to finish with fewer than 70 wins. Ironically, Petriello placed several of those clubs in a higher tier than Minnesota. The Cardinals, Rockies, Nationals, and White Sox all landed in the eighth tier rather than the ninth. His reasoning was that those organizations appear to have a clearer long-term plan in place, even if the short-term results may still be rough. That distinction highlights the real criticism facing the Twins right now. It is not just about wins and losses. It is about perception. Minnesota still features a roster capable of surprising people if things break the right way. Young players could step forward, the pitching staff could stabilize, and a few early-season wins could quickly change the narrative around a team. But heading into the season, the national view of the franchise remains uncertain. The Twins may not accept the assessment, but it clearly outlines the challenge they face as they enter 2026. If the organization wants to shift the conversation about its future, it must do so on the field once the games start. View the full article

In the early weeks of spring training, the most promising on-field development for the Minnesota Twins has been the emergence of Mick Abel. In his first two appearances, Abel has dominated. He pitched three shutout innings with five strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers last Monday, then followed with three more scoreless frames and six strikeouts versus the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. Over six innings, he has yielded only three hits, issued no walks, and tallied 11 strikeouts. He has thrown 89 pitches and induced 22 swinging strikes. The second outing came against Atlanta’s split-squad B team, with Jorge Mateo the only 40-man roster player in the lineup. The group included several fringe big-leaguers and a couple of familiar names, in DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Jair Camargo. Context always matters in March, but Abel did exactly what a young starter with upside should do in that situation. He overwhelmed the hitters in front of him. Over 43 pitches on Sunday, he induced 10 whiffs. His fastball reached 99 miles per hour and accounted for three strikeouts. His slider-sweeper combination produced three more. The only blemish was a harmless two-out single in the first inning. Otherwise, it was total control. That word feels intentional, because Abel is pitching with a very clear plan. “I think it's more of the goals that we've set from going camp which ... landing the spin early, and the offspeed stuff early, to get them to expand more,” Abel said, when asked what he is trying to accomplish this spring. Instead of simply overpowering hitters, he's sequencing with purpose. He lands offspeed pitches early. Hitters must respect the breaking ball. As a result, the elevated fastball plays up even more. It's a simple concept, but one that requires conviction. Abel also emphasized the importance of being precise with his heater. “We were talking before the game and our meeting, and I told him I wanted to be more specific with the heater locations," Abel said of his pregame confab with catcher Victor Caratini. "And we were, so I was happy about that.” That specificity has shown up in the results. He's avoided the middle of the zone and attacked the edges with intent. When a pitcher throws 99 with life and can consistently spot it, the margin for error increases; opposing hitters are forced to think defensively. Perhaps the most encouraging part of his spring has nothing to do with radar gun readings or strikeout totals. Instead, it’s his mindset. “Yeah, for sure. I mean two offseasons in a row where I'm not really thinking too hard about what I'm doing mechanically. It's all up top now," Abel said. "So a lot of it boils down to competitive nature now, and you know, being intentional with every single pitch.” That freedom has translated into confidence. At 24 years old, Abel does not have much left to prove in the minors. He entered camp as a legitimate candidate for the Opening Day rotation, and injuries to Pablo López and David Festa have only increased that possibility. With Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and Simeon Woods Richardson likely in, two rotation spots remain for Abel, Taj Bradley, and Zebby Matthews. Abel is making a tough competition look easy. Asked how he approaches the numbers game, his answer matched the calm confidence seen on the mound. “I feel like, as long as I'm coming in here and just being myself, that's all I'm really trying to do every day. There's nothing more I can do.” That mindset may be his biggest development. Abel isn’t chasing results or outshining teammates. He's focused on executing his plan, trusting his stuff, and pitching with intent. Spring stats need context. Six scoreless innings in March don't guarantee success in April. But when a young starter combines velocity, command, swing-and-miss stuff, and a strong mindset, it’s worth attention. If Abel continues pitching this way, the decision-makers in Minnesota will not have a difficult choice to make. And if he carries this version of himself into the regular season, there is a world where he becomes one of the most important arms in the Twins' rotation sooner, rather than later. Do you think Abel will make the Opening Day roster? What are your expectations for his season? Share your thoughts and join the discussion. View the full article

Jack and Spencer react to Kyle Harrison and Brandon Sproat's new pitches and gauge the levels of concern surrounding Quinn Priester and Jared Koenig. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

Alex and Maddie dive into some surprising names (Mickey Gasper) that have been tearing it up in Grapefruit League action, and some not so surprising like Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela. They move on to their WBC predictions and discuss whether strong showings from Duran and Masataka Yoshida make either more tradable as the season gets underway. They both make their fifth starter predictions and give Payton Tolle and Connelly Early their flowers for strong starts to camp, before making strong cases for why the Red Sox shouldn't trade for Issac Paredes now that Caleb Durbin and Marcelo Mayer are settling into positions. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox View the full article

The San Diego Padres' fifth-round pick from the 2024 MLB Draft out of Firth, Nebraska, Kale Fountain made his professional baseball debut 2025. He had a decent start to his season in the Arizona Complex League, hitting .262/.386/.364 with one home run, 18 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. However, once he was moved up to the next level in Low-A, Fountain had his weaknesses exposed, hitting only .195 with 17 walks and 34 strikeouts over 148 plate appearances with the Lake Elsinore Storm. Fountain has great plate discipline, as he demonstrated in Rookie Ball, and was scouted with 65-grade power while still in high school, but his power has yet to show itself in the minors. That will need to be the next step in his development, especially if he expects to play one of the corner infield positions long-term. As Fountain has a full year in the Friars' system under his belt, he will need to show improvements in his game. The 2025 campaign saw more weakness exposed than upside. He still grades out with a 65 in raw power and 55 in in-game power, but everything else in his game sits at 40 or below in fielding, running, and his overall hit tool. In turn, Fountain is a boom-or-bust prospect in the classic sense. He's got a big frame (6'4", 225 pounds) and was impressive enough in high school to convince the Padres to go way over-slot to sign him (he was originally committed to LSU). Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in October 2024 certainly didn't help matters either — with a fully healthy offseason under his belt, there's reason to believe he can turn things around. A corner-infield prospect who played entirely at first base in 2025, there have been ravings about his excellent arm as well. If he can remain nimble as he further fills out his hulking frame, a move to right field could be in the cards (and would take a little pressure off of his bat to develop into a perennial 30-homer threat). And even with middling grades regarding his running ability, he stole more than 20 bases last year and holds Nebraska's state record for career stolen bases (84) at the high school level. Fountain only turned 20 last August, so there’s still plenty of growth and development that can change the course of his future. But the performance in his debut season is cause for some concern about where his floor is at. If he maintains at his current pace, then he may never make much noise in the big leagues, but if he can develop his power into more results and fewer strikeouts, then he will reach his ceiling and ascend up this list in future seasons. View the full article

The Royals’ 4-0 victory over Team Cuba on Tuesday gave fans a taste of things to come while the club’s World Baseball Classic participants — Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, and Vinnie Pasquantino, among others — are gone from spring camp. Until they return, KC’s lineups will feature more players on the Opening Day roster bubble than usual. This temporary shortage of star personnel will disappoint many Cactus League fans, but there’s a silver lining to the cloud — manager Matt Quatraro and his staff get longer looks at players they might be considering for the few available Opening Day roster spots. What better time, then, to wonder what the 26-man roster could look like when the season opens in Atlanta? Royals Keep examined that question before spring training began; now, let’s take a fresh look. Royals Pitchers Starting Rotation Cole Ragans Seth Lugo Michael Wacha Kris Bubic Noah Cameron No surprises here. Unless the dreaded injury bug hits or the Royals receive an irresistible 11th-hour trade offer for Bubic, the five-man rotation is set. Yes, Cameron stumbled in his second spring outing — he gave up three runs, six hits, and hit a batter in 2 2/3 innings against the Angels — but don’t expect that to continue. Relievers Carlos Estévez Lucas Erceg Matt Strahm Daniel Lynch IV John Schreiber Alex Lange Bailey Falter Nick Mears Consider these hurlers bullpen locks. Estévez is the presumptive closer (his recent velocity drop bears watching, though), Erceg and Strahm will set him up, Lynch is a valuable lefty who pitched well last season, and Schreiber’s two years in Kansas City have been solid. Free agent signee and former Detroit closer Lange’s lack of any minor league options makes him a bullpen shoo-in. He’s struck out four in 2 2/3 innings this spring and could sneak into a set-up role if he returns to his 26-save form of 2023. Falter, last year’s trade deadline pickup, who opponents battered for 12 runs in 15 innings before an August bicep injury ended his season, is also out of options and will make the club because it must see what he offers post-injury. Five-year big-league veteran Mears came to KC via the December trade with Milwaukee, which also made Isaac Collins a Royal and sent Angel Zerpa to the Brewers. Like Collins (more on him in a moment), Mears will be in Atlanta on Opening Day. Royals Position Players Catchers Salvador Perez Carter Jensen Like its starting rotation, Kansas City’s catching corps is set. The only question, and it’s a good one, is how much of Perez’s time behind the plate will become Jensen’s. Perez will need more “rest” time at first base and DH in his 15th big league season, and Jensen’s bat is too good to keep on the bench with only occasional reps at DH. First Base Vinnie Pasquantino Who else, and rightfully so? Although he’s only 3-for-15 and hasn’t homered yet this spring, Pasquantino’s bat is big, and he’s KC’s best first baseman since Eric Hosmer left after the 2017 season. Second Base Jonathan India Michael Massey Will someone please convince everyone they deserve to start at second? No one did last season — India flopped at the plate and his glove left much to be desired, and injuries held Massey back, although he slashed .375/.412/.482 with a .896 OPS after returning for good in August. For now, the nod goes to India. Somewhat surprisingly, considering offseason speculation that they wouldn’t bring him back, the Royals handed India an $8 million 2026 contract that suggests the job is his to lose. And although he’s struggling with one single in eight at-bats this spring, and the fact that Massey has spent more spring game time in the outfield (including Tuesday’s game, which doesn’t count in the stats) than he has at the keystone, hints, perhaps, that he may start the season in a Whit Merrifield-type utility role. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. What else is there to say? Third Base Maikel Garcia Also enough said. That’s what a Gold Glove, .286 average, .351 OBP, 121 wRC+, and a new five-year, $57.5 million contract will do. Outfielders Kyle Isbel Jac Caglianone Isaac Collins Starling Marte Lane Thomas No matter what happens in spring games, at least four things are certain about the outfield. Isbel will start in center, Caglianone will get a shot at right field redemption after his horrendous 2025 debut (so far, so good — he’s slashing .400/.550/.733 this spring), newcomer Isaac Collins is the left fielder, and Starling Marte is here to play. Isbel’s defense is too good to pass up, and Caglianone’s potential is too great to ignore. The club acquired Collins to boost its everyday outfield offense, not its bench depth, and newcomer Marte’s .270/.335/.410 line and nine homers in 98 games with the 2025 Mets prove he has something left to offer. Marte and Thomas won’t play every day, but expect Quatraro to get them in the lineup often. Utility Tyler Tolbert No, not Nick Loftin, although with a minor league option left, he'll remain in the organization. Instead, it's Tolbert who should land the final roster spot — as a rookie last season, he played second, short, third, and every outfield position, and in 64 games stole 21 bases (he was caught only twice) and hit .280. That Loftin hit only .208 with a 73 wRC+ in 67 games cinches the deal for Tolbert. View the full article

Simeon Woods Richardson had a rough first inning in his third Grapefruit League appearance. With no minor league options remaining, he's guaranteed to make the Minnesota Twins roster. Is he a lock to make the rotation, though? View the full article

It hasn’t been the best of starts to spring baseball for the Twins, having gone eight straight games without logging a win. The good news is that the winless streak is over. After a 2-2 tie with the Atlanta Braves and a 5-3 loss to the Rays, the Twins got back in the win column Wednesday with a 6-3 victory over Team Puerto Rico of the World Baseball Classic. The record isn’t the story in early March, but individual trends are starting to take shape. With that in mind, here’s the latest temperature check: Who’s Hot? 🔥 Mick Abel Abel was outstanding in his first start of the spring, and that continued in his second outing on Sunday against Atlanta. He spun three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out six and generating 10 whiffs on 43 pitches. His fastball, which touched 98.9 mph after topping out at 97.1 in his debut, showed both velocity and shape, and his breaking ball had sharp depth that hitters couldn’t square up. Through six spring innings, Abel has looked flat‑out dominant, and he’s making it clear why he deserves a spot in the Twins rotation to start the year. Andrew Morris After a rough first outing, Morris answered on Tuesday out of the bullpen, tossing three no‑hit innings with three strikeouts and two walks while throwing 34 of 58 pitches for strikes and generating six swinging strikes. His changeup and curveball command still wavered at times, but his fastball and cutter were better located, and more importantly, his velocity returned to normal after sitting a couple of ticks down in his first spring start. Considering how hard he was hit previously, this was exactly the type of bounce‑back you want to see. Alan Roden The plan was not to include Alan Roden in every single spring check-in article, yet here we are. After a 3-for-3 day on Wednesday that included a triple, he’s now 10-for-17 this spring with a pair of extra-base hits, a stolen base, and a pair of strikeouts and walks. He’s flashing the kind of consistent contact and extra‑base pop that’s going to make it hard to keep him off the Opening Day roster. Who’s Not? 🧊 Simeon Woods Richardson It’s been a tough couple of turns for SWR. On Tuesday against Tampa Bay, he was charged with all five runs, allowing seven hits and a walk over three innings. That followed another shaky outing last week, bringing his recent totals to 13 hits and seven earned runs over his last five frames. The fastball has been the problem; he’s tried climbing the ladder early in counts, but hitters have consistently done damage against it. He adjusted later in Tuesday’s outing and leaned more on his secondaries with better results, but the early damage keeps putting him behind. With the rotation picture unsettled, these are innings he can’t afford to lose. Aaron Sabato It’s a tiny sample, but it hasn’t been an encouraging start for Sabato. He’s 1‑for‑7 with four strikeouts, and the contact quality hasn’t suggested bad luck. His average exit velocity on balls in play is down at 78 mph, so this isn’t a case of lasers finding gloves. Coming off his best minor‑league season, there was some quiet optimism that the first baseman could carry momentum into camp. So far, that hasn’t materialized. Plenty of time remains, but the early swings haven’t inspired much confidence. Connor Prielipp I don’t love putting him here, but the command just hasn’t been there. Across 3 ⅔ innings, Prielipp has walked five and surrendered a home run, and only 44 of his 81 pitches have gone for strikes. When he’s fallen behind, hitters have done damage; opponents currently own a 55 % hard‑hit rate against him this spring. The stuff still flashes, but the strike‑throwing needs to sharpen up quickly. It’s also worth noting that both of his appearances have followed Mick Abel, and the contrast between the two has been noticeable. For Prielipp, it’s less about stuff and more about execution right now. It’s still early, and none of this locks anyone into or out of a role. Spring is about adjustments, building up innings, and finding rhythm. But as the games start stacking up, the separation between “ready now” and “still refining” becomes a little more noticeable. View the full article