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We continue our look at the Chicago Cubs' top 20 prospects today, with our ninth-ranked prospect, outfielder Josiah Hartshorn. For a quick refresher, make sure you check out our other articles in the series: Prospects #20-16 Prospects #15-11 Prospect #10 - James Triantos #9 - Josiah Hartshorn (Orange Lutheran High School) Josiah Hartshorn was the Cubs' sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft. The team gave him a pretty massive $2-million bonus, buying him out of a commitment to Texas A&M. Hartshorn had an interesting senior year, as the switch-hitter faced both right and left elbow issues that forced him, in turns, to hit only right- or left-handed. Despite those setbacks, he was ranked within the top 100 draft prospects by MLB.com, and none of the injuries were bad enough to scare the Cubs away from the selection. What to like: Hartshorn displays both a good hit and power tool. For someone his age, it's usually one or the other, but with the Cubs' sixth-rounder, it's both. Hitting .364 over his 29 games, the outfielder added five home runs while walking six more times than he struck out. Clearly he made a lot of contact, and the approach is somewhat advanced for his age. While the five home runs may not wow you on their own, it's a good reminder that he dealt with a handful of injuries to his back and his elbow over his time, and spent a decent amount of it banged-up. Where the power was truly on display was during the 2024 High School All-Star Home Run Derby, when he finished tied for the win with eventual 19th-round selection Jacob Parker. Don't let his draft round fool you, though, Parker didn't sign a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and decided to go to Mississippi State instead. Parker was ranked the ninth-best incoming freshman in baseball, so his draft round was due to signability issues, not talent. That night in 2024, Hartshorn went toe-to-toe with him, forcing Parker to hit a buzzer-beater to share the title. The Home Run Derby isn't our best data point, but it does highlight the pure power potential. He absolutely thumped some of those pitches, and if this can translate from "derby power" to "game power," the organization could have something very fun on their hands. Defensively, there's enough athleticism and arm strength to believe he could become an average or slightly above-average right fielder. He may see some time in center field initially because he moves pretty well for his size, but he's probably destined for the corners. His defense will never be the calling card, but an average right fielder with the type of light-tower power he's shown is a player you can really get excited about. What to work on: Because he's already 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, there might not be a lot of projection in Hartshorn moving forward. While it's not impossible he could grow an inch or two more, as of now, he's kind of maxed out his body. That's not inherently a bad thing—with many kids this age, you're hoping they grow into that body—but it also means that he must maintain it. If he doesn't work hard, what could be a slightly plus defensive right fielder can turn into a first baseman or a DH very quickly. It also means there's less to dream on, but with his current pop, that's easily forgiven. Another thing; the bumps and bruises he's suffered shouldn't be entirely ignored. With back and elbow issues on the injury ledger already, it's important that the team do everything to ensure that those do not become chronic, nagging and recurring. It could mean a little extra load management, or a different workout regimen, or teaching Hartshorn simply that it's okay to take a game off through an ailment. And while it's less "something to work on" and more "just the truth of the matter," Hartshorn is a prep player; he's very far away. There's a lot of potential here, but the only at-bats he's taken in pro games have come this spring, and it's only been a few at the back end of Cactus League contests. Patience is key. We may find that he struggles against a certain type of pitch more than others, or that mechanically, he needs to change some things (such as his big leg kick he flashes from time to time). What's next: While many prep hitters need time in the Complex to work on adding bulk and size, Hartshorn is mostly filled out and should probably see Myrtle Beach pretty early in the year. Baseball America did note that his left-handed swing is a bit more raw, so the team may want to keep him in Arizona for a little bit of time just to work through refinement, but it's pretty likely he'll see a good chunk of time in Low-A. The hope is that over the next few years, with a patient mindset, the Cubs can turn Hartshorn into an exciting, power-hitting corner outfielder from both sides of the plate. The athleticism is there today, and the arm strength should be a plus. If things go well, he could be MLB-ready in three years, putting him on track to make a debut by age 22. But not all things go the way you want to, and it could take time for the Cubs' big investment to pay off. With a history of injury and his youth, it may take longer. On the other hand, it does feel notable that he's been in three Cactus League games, including playing a few innings of the team's visit to the Brewers Wednesday. For a teenager who wasn't a top pick to play big-league games the following spring speaks to the organization's faith in his polish. On Wednesday, he hit the only pitch he saw hard in the air, flying out to deep right field on a cutter from Brewers lefty Shane Drohan—who's eight years his senior and on the cusp of the majors. Regardless, worrying about his MLB timeline right now feels like putting the cart before the horse. A successful 2026 will see Hartshorn spend his time in Myrtle Beach. Luckily for the Cubs' newest addition, the Cubs have moved the fences in at Myrtle Beach this season by 10 feet, which should make hitting in the Low-A affiliate of the team a bit easier. Here's hoping he can take advantage of the new, shorter porches. What do you think of the Cub's big-bonus signing of 2025? Do you think he will stick at RF? Sound off in the comments below and start a discussion! View the full article

#5 Brandon Sproat (Syracuse Mets, New York Mets) Brandon Sproat joined the Brewers organization in January as part of the Freddy Peralta trade with the Mets. He quickly became one of the most intriguing upper-level arms in the system. He made his major-league debut in 2025 but spent most of the season at Triple-A, where his performance showed a lot of improvement over the course of the year. ERA FIP xFIP IP G GS CG ShO SV BS K% BB% K-BB% HR/9 SwStr% Whiff% WHIP BABIP LOB% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% HR/FB 4.24 4.18 4.53 121.0 26 25 0 0 0 0 22.1% 10.4% 11.7% 0.67 10.9% 25.4% 1.24 0.270 66.7% 18.3% 53.2% 28.4% 25.8% 9.7% What to Like After a very slow start to the 2025 season, Brandon Sproat really took off in the second half in Triple-A. From June 28 through the end of the season, Sproat posted a 2.44 ERA with a 2.81 FIP while striking out 29.9% of opposing hitters. His overall whiff rate climbed to 29.3% during that time as well, showing his ability to miss bats at a high level. That stretch more closely reflected the version of Sproat that we had seen during his time in college at Florida—and throughout his rapid rise to Triple-A during his first professional season in 2024. Sproat brings one of the deepest arsenals in the system, working with a six-pitch mix that gives him multiple ways to attack hitters. His fastball combination stands out, as he splits usage between a four-seam fastball and a sinker. Both pitches sit in the 95–97 MPH range (higher, this spring), and he has reached triple digits in the minor leagues. The sinker shows particularly strong movement and shape, helping him to generate groundballs, while the four-seam fastball plays well at the top of the strike zone and can generate swing-and-miss when elevated. His mid-80s sweeper is his best secondary pitch and has the potential to develop into a true plus offering. The pitch generates around 17 inches of horizontal movement and produced strong whiff rates in the minors. He also mixes in a true cutter at around 94 MPH this spring, replacing a tight but slower and lower slider, along with a larger breaking curveball in the low 80s. His changeup took a slight step back in 2025 but still shows the potential to become an above-average pitch, having flashed plus in 2024. The depth of his repertoire gives him the tools to handle lineups multiple times and maintain a starting profile. What to Work On Command remains the primary area for improvement in Sproat’s profile. While it was not considered a major concern earlier in his development, inconsistencies in strike-throwing and pitch location have shown up at times, particularly when working deeper into games. Improving overall command will help him maximize the effectiveness of his full arsenal and maintain consistency from outing to outing. As mentioned, turning the shorter slider into a cutter is a work in progress still, something he will continue to search for consistency with as he moves forward. It was up to around 94 MPH and touched even higher in his first two spring outings, and it could be a weapon for him if he can find a consistent shape at that velocity. Like many pitchers with power stuff and multiple offerings, maintaining consistent execution across his entire arsenal will determine how well he performs at the major-league level. What’s Next Sproat has a good chance to win the Brewers' fifth starter spot coming out of camp, and he certainly has the stuff to do it. If the improved version from late last season proves sustainable, he projects as a mid-rotation starter with the potential to give even more if his command continues to develop. What are your thoughts on Sproat? What are you hoping to see from him in 2026? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

Talk Sox's top prospect rankings continue into the latter half, focusing on the Boston Red Sox's top 10 prospects. Be sure to check out our previous rankings here: Part 1 (Nos. 16-20) Part 2 (Nos. 11-15) Part 3 (No. 10): Anthony Eyanson Boston Red Sox Top Prospects: No. 9 Marcus Phillips The Red Sox had a plan in mind when they entered the 2025 draft, and that was showcased by taking three talented pitchers within their first four picks. Phillips, who was selected by the team with their Competitive Balance pick that was acquired in the Quinn Priester deal, follows the blueprint of pitchers that Craig Breslow is after. Thanks to his size, power and athleticism, along with an aptitude that allowed him to improve significantly in college, Phillips has a chance to be something special with help from the Red Sox pitching lab. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 245 pounds, Marcus Phillips also has great extension, which currently reaches 6.43 feet. His delivery also ends in a very low release height that, when paired with his stuff and extension, should lead to positive results on the mound. The right-hander pitched his sophomore and junior seasons for Tennessee; in the latter year, he made 17 starts as the team’s Saturday starter. He finished the season going 4-5 with a 3.90 ERA in 83 innings along with 98 strikeouts and 34 walks. Phillips works with three pitches: a fastball, slider and changeup. All three are rated positively by scouts, with most suggesting each should at least by average by the time he reaches the majors. The fastball averaged 96-99 mph in college and would occasionally reach 101 mph. Unfortunately, it plays below its velocity at times and his control is still a work in progress. The slider averaged between 84-88 mph in college, having more horizontal shape with a high spin rate. It's perhaps his most consistent pitch in terms of missing bats. His changeup is his weakest pitch but will be necessary to develop if he hopes to remain in the rotation. The pitch was thrown in the low-90s in college and can generate the most whiffs, but also is the one he struggles to control the most. Beyond that control, another area he may look to work on is adding a fourth pitch to his repertoire such as a cutter (a pitch the Red Sox have worked with many young pitchers on). Phillips could very well be a boom-or-bust prospect based on how his feel develops over the next few years. His delivery and inability to consistently throw strikes has made scouts wonder if the bullpen is where he is best suited, thanks to a fastball that could end up averaging 100 mph in shorter stints. Should Phillips reach his potential and improve upon his strike-throwing ability, he could end up as a middle-of-the-rotation arm. Where Phillips opens the 2026 season is up in the air. While it’s likely he could begin the season with High-A Greenville, there’s also the possibility that the organization chooses to send him to Low-A Salem to work on a few things before getting a May promotion to the next level. Though, with his stuff, there’s a chance he finishes the season at Double-A regardless of where he opens the year. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays had a great year on the farm in 2025, and although there were some key subtractions as they added at the deadline to compete for the division, the minor league system is in a stronger place than it was this same time last year. Here are the prospects ranked 16th to 20th in the Jays organization, as voted on by JaysCentre writers. 20. RHP Landen Maroudis (FCL, Dunedin Blue Jays) ERA FIP xFIP IP G GS K% BB% K-BB% HR/9 SwStr% Whiff% WHIP BABIP LOB% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% HR/FB 6.55 6.11 6.88 45.1 18 17 15.7% 20.8% -5.1% 0.2 10.1% 24.9% 1.79 .282 63.3% 14.6% 46.3% 39.% 12.5% 2.1% Landen Maroudis was a name to watch at the beginning of the 2024 season. He had a promising showing in an appearance in the MLB Spring Breakout game and pitched in just three games in Single-A Dunedin before heading to the injured list with an elbow injury. After more than a year of rehab and recovery, Maroudis was back pitching, but things had changed significantly. His velocity on his fastball, once sitting at 94 mph, only sat at 90 mph. The pitch dropped from 13 inches of vertical break down to 11, but did gain four inches of run. His control disappeared, as he walked more batters than he struck out and had a strike rate of just 51.8%. Maroudis will only be 21 years old in the 2026 season, and despite the setback to his health, pitch quality, velocity, and command, there’s practically nowhere for him to go but up. With a full offseason not spent rehabbing, there’s reason to believe that he’ll rediscover the velocity that he had prior to the elbow surgery, and that he’ll find some semblance of command as well. His pitches looked mediocre due to the lack of velocity, but when he was able to find the zone, Single-A hitters didn’t make great contact, and his curveball had a whiff rate of over 40%. Maroudis’ future looks much shakier than ever before, but the athleticism and potential from when the Jays gave him a $1.5 million signing bonus in 2023 can still prevail if he returns to form. Maroudis will get another chance to pitch in Dunedin this season, and reportedly, his velocity is back up to the 93-95 mph range. 19. OF Yeuni Munoz (FCL, Dunedin Blue Jays) PA H 2B 3B HR OPS wRC+ wOBA K% BB% SwStr% Whiff% PULL% CENT% OPPO% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% SB CS SB% 90th EV 127 28 8 0 6 .809 125 .380 29.9% 9.4% 16.6% 33.6% 56.9% 25.0% 18.1% 18.6% 50.0% 31.4% 27.3% 2 1 66.67% 107.1 Yeuni Munoz was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, and although he hit decently in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old, he hasn’t been able to put together a season worth remembering since, as he has struggled with inconsistency and injuries. However, as a 21-year-old in his second trip to Single-A, he really found his footing out of the gate, hitting .323/.408/.645 for a 186 wRC+ in April, with extremely strong batted ball data to back up the performance. He was consistently at the top of the exit velocity leaderboards after every game. Unfortunately for Munoz, he hurt his knee, which sidelined him until August. He struggled to make contact as effectively upon his return, resulting in a quieter end to his season. Yet, Munoz showed improved contact metrics; his 67.8% contact rate was still poor, but a 10% increase from his 2024 season. His power was on display as well, with a max exit velocity of 112.2 mph, a 107.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, and a 92.4 mph average exit velocity. Munoz was seemingly on the pathway to being a breakout prospect for the Jays, but the expectations have dampened due to his inability to stay healthy. He will project to have plus power given his strong exit velocities as a 21-year-old, but he’s already only a corner outfielder at this stage of his career, and he isn’t much of a runner with his hulking frame, meaning that the majority of his value will have to come from his bat. His strikeout issues are still a large concern, as he ran nearly a 30% K rate even with improved contact metrics. If Munoz can make just enough contact, he has a path to being a platoon hitter with power; he’ll just need to stay healthy enough to get enough reps to prove it. 18. LHP Brandon Barriera (FCL) ERA FIP xFIP IP G GS K% BB% K-BB% HR/9 SwStr% Whiff% WHIP BABIP LOB% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% HR/FB 14.29 6.21 6.64 5.2 5 5 21.4% 28.6% -7.10% 0.0 15.9% N/A 1.94 0.231 25.0% 10.0% 60.0% 30.0% 33.3% 0.0% Brandon Barriera has been snake-bitten ever since he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2022 as their first-round pick. He dealt with multiple arm injuries in his first professional season and had issues with his conditioning. He then had elbow surgery in 2024 after making just one start, leading to another injury-plagued season. Despite the injuries, reports came out on Barriera looking really good on the backfields, showing much improved stuff. He returned to pitching in the Florida Complex League, where he only pitched five and a third of an inning, with extremely wild command, walking nearly 30% of the batters that he faced. Adding on to his injury woes, he then fractured his elbow, putting him on the injured list for the rest of the season. Despite the poor results, and another season cut short by injury, Barriera’s fastball reached 99 mph, and his cutter and slider both looked great despite the wildness. Barriera has a ton of reliever risk, given his prolonged injury history and inability to throw strikes, and his future outlook will highly depend on if he can stay on the field or not. The Jays will take it slow with him to ensure that he can stay healthy. If he can figure out a consistent release point that allows him to throw strikes, he’ll jump up this list. 17. 1B/3B Sean Keys (Vancouver Canadians) PA H 2B 3B HR OPS wRC+ wOBA K% BB% SwStr% Whiff% PULL% CENT% OPPO% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% SB CS SB% 90th EV 529 92 22 1 19 .773 119 .360 22.1% 16.3% 8.4% 27.4% 53.4% 22.0% 24.6% 19.7% 38.8% 41.4% 25.8% 8 1 88.9% 102.7 Sean Keys was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 draft by the Blue Jays out of Bucknell. In his first stint in Single-A Dunedin, he showed an advanced approach, with a 134 wRC+ in 98 plate appearances. The Jays then sent him up to Vancouver the following year, where Keys performed solidly but didn’t have numbers that jumped off the page, hitting .217/.365/.408 for a 119 wRC+ in 529 plate appearances. Vancouver is one of the toughest parks in which to hit in the minor leagues, however, and Keys showed underlying metrics that signified he had a much better season than his results showed, with strong barrel rates and plate discipline. Keys is strong bodied, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 232 pounds, and when he made contact, he had strong exit velocities that translated to above-average raw power, as he was adept at turning on pitches at optimal launch angles, leading to a Vancouver Canadians record 19 homers in a single season. Defensively, Keys is most suited to first base. Although he has the arm for third, the range can be a little stretched thin at the position. He’s still new at first, and it shows a bit, but he’s a smart player and has taken to it pretty well. His glove is secondary to his bat, which is where he will derive most, if not all of his value. He’ll most likely get a chance to see more advanced pitching soon, as he’s on track to start the season off with Double-A New Hampshire. 16. OF RJ Schreck (New Hampshire FisherCats, Buffalo Bisons) PA H 2B 3B HR OPS wRC+ wOBA K% BB% SwStr% Whiff% PULL% CENT% OPPO% LD% GB% FB% IFFB% SB CS SB% 90th EV 427 85 14 2 18 .854 143 .393 21.3% 16.4% 8.2% 22.1% 55.4% 21.1% 23.5% 21.9% 35.6% 42.5% 31.4% 9 1 90.0% 103.3 RJ Schreck was acquired from the Seattle Mariners at the 2024 trade deadline for the old vet Justin Turner after breaking out with their High-A team. He continued that momentum with the Jays organization, with a strong finish to the year at Double-A for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, slashing .255/.377/.521 in 114 plate appearances. He was even better in 2025, continuing his success with a .266/.396/.518 slash line before getting promoted to Triple-A Buffalo. Schreck did deal with an injury after his promotion to Buffalo but still performed well after coming back. He capped off his season in Triple-A with a 129 wRC+. Schreck’s offensive production is backed by solid swing decisions that may be a little passive, with a 22.3% chase rate as well as an innate ability to barrel the ball in the air to the pull side. His raw exit velocities do not jump off the page, and although he’s stronger than he was just a few years ago, his average exit velocities were below average in Triple-A. His max and 90th percentile exit velocities were fringe-average as well, although he did set a new career high max velocity at 111.9 mph in Double-A. Although the data looks very good for Schreck, there are some concerns with his swing being a little too long and stiff to match up to higher velocities. The Jays have found success with similar style hitters to Schreck — older prospects carried by a strong approach more than significant tools like Davis Schneider and Spencer Horwitz —which gives him a solid floor as a platoon bat/fourth outfielder, but the ceiling may also be limited in the same vein. Defensively, Schreck is more suited to the corners, especially as an average runner, but the Jays like to throw him out in center field anyway. There’s a bit of a crowded outfield situation, even with the injury to Anthony Santander, as the Jays just acquired Jesús Sánchez, but there’s definitely a path forward for Schreck as a fourth outfielder. Schreck will be a part of Team Israel in the 2026 WBC, which will give him a chance to face MLB-level talent. View the full article

In a rare solo podcast episode, Ely Sussman prepares Miami Marlins fans for the World Baseball Classic by highlighting each of the 10 players from the organization who'll be participating, offering advice to those of you attending the tournament and making predictions. Once again, loanDepot park is hosting games throughout the WBC, from Pool D play all the way through the championship. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. The following Marlins are taking part in the 2026 WBC: Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic) Owen Caissie (Canada) Yiddi Cappe (Cuba) Liam Hicks (Canada) Ian Lewis (Great Britain) Otto Lopez (Canada) Jakob Marsee (Italy) Agustín Ramírez (Dominican Republic) Javier Sanoja (Venezuela) Jared Serna (Mexico) Alcantara, Ramírez and Sanoja are in Pool D, meaning that they'll stay in Miami for the duration of the tournament. Ely predicts that the Dominican Republic will defeat the United States in the championship on March 17, with Julio Rodríguez winning WBC MVP honors. Follow Ely (⁠@RealEly⁠) and Fish On First (⁠@FishOnFirst⁠) on Twitter. Join the ⁠Marlins Discord server⁠! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at ⁠FishOnFirst.com⁠. View the full article

While Chandler Simpson, Elly De La Cruz, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. jockey for the fastest man in baseball title, Kyle DeBarge may have the 'fastest man in Minnesota' moniker on lock before long. The Twins' 21st-ranked prospect swiped 66 bags in 2025 and is tracking towards a 2027 big league debut. Here is a full scouting report on everything DeBarge brings to the table. View the full article

Max Scherzer is back with the Toronto Blue Jays for his age 41 season. This came around the same time the public found out that his daughter had let the team know she wanted her dad to play in Canada again. Scherzer is on a one-year, $3 million deal with up to $10 million in incentives. How much gas does the future Hall-of-Fame player have left in the tank? We break it down in this video. View the full article

FORT MYERS—Joe Ryan took another step toward returning to the top of the Twins’ rotation on Wednesday, throwing a live batting practice session and coming away encouraged by how his body responded. “Most importantly… the back felt good,” Ryan said, noting he felt better than the first time he got back on the mound. Ryan was a late scratch from his first spring training start back on February 21 with a sore back that he has been rehabbing. Ryan faced, among others, Luke Keaschall, Matt Wallner, and Brooks Lee. He said there were only “maybe two pitches” he didn’t love location-wise, but overall he liked where his offspeed was, describing it as “comfortable coming out of the hand” and something he can trust. The next step, assuming his body feels healthy tomorrow, is likely to be a live game. The Twins’ road games on Monday, March 9, or Tuesday, March 10 would be five or six days out, allowing him to get an additional two or three starts in spring training to build up his pitch count. Ryan said his offseason program had him “a little ahead of schedule” prior to the sore back. Cuts, But Not Deep Cuts The Twins made their second round of cuts Wednesday, sending six players to minor-league camp and leaving them with 59 players still in major-league camp. The six players were catchers Andrew Cossetti and Ricardo Olivar; outfielder Walker Jenkins; right-handed pitchers Andrew Bash and Raul Brito; and left-handed pitcher Christian MacLeod to minor league camp. The most notable of these is Jenkins, Twiins Daily’s #1 prospect, who suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain this week, which limited his ability to participate in the rest of camp. This is often when top prospects are sent down, after coaches have had an introductory look at them. So maybe more notable than who was sent down is those who were not—and why they were not. View the full article

The 2025 Brewers entered September in an unusual place: the lap of luxury. Having won 14 straight games (and 29 of 33) to race far ahead in the NL Central by mid-August, they were in position to coast to a division title. It was a good thing, too, because by that point, they were dragging. Even in the second half of August, one could detect their edges fraying slightly, but in the first half of September, they looked positively worn out by winning in such intense, detail-oriented fashion every day. Right fielder and team leader Sal Frelick showed the wear and tear most of all. In July and August, his bat speed had averaged just a hair under 69 miles per hour. In September, it was 66.8. He batted just .237/.302/.368 for the month, after batting .296/.359/.412 through the end of August. As he prepares for his third full season in the majors, though, Frelick isn't focused on managing his effort differently over the season's 162-game grind. "Listen, you shouldn't be fresh in September, honestly," Frelick said Wednesday in the Brewers' spring training clubhouse in Maryvale. "You should play hard enough so you're tired in September, and I mean, yeah, you're gonna be dragging—you're [even] dragging in July—but that's never an excuse. Everyone's tired." Frelick said October offers a second wind at the end of the relentless regular campaign, but that he's learned not to wait for that. His preparation for his fourth big-league season has been focused not on being "130 percent" come September, he explained, but on being as mentally strong as possible. Last spring, he reported to camp heavier and stronger than in the past, but it didn't insulate him from the gravity of the schedule, and he's learning not to try to force his body to feel better than is realistic. Pat Murphy concurs with that approach. "I don't think we're the only team that goes through that, but I think young players go through that [more than veterans]," Murphy said. "And I think it's not pacing yourself, either. It's just being in better condition mentally, more than physically." Both Murphy and Frelick fight to keep the focus on the things that are within their control, which often excludes the results of at-bats but always includes things like attention to detail and swing decisions. Those things deteriorate even more than bat speed or jumps on fly balls, in the heat and the accumulated fatigue of the late summer. "Yeah that's the hardest part, right?" Frelick said. "I think the mental part is just the hardest part of the game, in general. You can go out and have four barrels and get out four times, and how do you—even though you were 0-for-4 and you might've lost the game—how do you wake up the next morning and go into it saying, 'I'm confident'? "It's a hard thing to deal with, especially when those 0-for-4s are 0-for-20s. But I think you just have, again, the experience, the understanding of how long a season is, how many games you're gonna play, how many at-bats you're gonna get, how many plate appearances you're gonna get. That only helps the mental game." Frelick carries himself, a month shy of his 26th birthday, with a much greater air of security than he had when he first arrived in the majors. Experience is already benefiting him, in ways that should carry all the way from March to October. "I remember early on, I would get more upset or have more of a freakout when I wasn't playing well. But now, in retrospect, I don't even remember any of those freakouts, because the season's so long, it's not even worth worrying about it," the sudden veteran explained. "This is the stuff Murph talks about. It's such a long season. You're gonna have a month or two where you play really bad. You're gonna have, hopefully, more months where you play really good. It's just how you go through it." Frelick's maturity manifested itself in a better ability to balance selectivity with aggressiveness at the plate last year. Notably, he hit 12 home runs, but all of them came against right-handed pitchers. Frelick said that was because of a conscious difference between his approaches against righties and lefties. To generate power, he picks his spots and turns on the ball, driving it to his pull field. Against southpaws, though, that's not his approach—and he doesn't plan to make it so. "I try to really hit the ball the other way more, just stay closed," Frelick said of his approach to left-on-left matchups. "You just can't really get pull-happy." To ensure that he didn't do so, Frelick set up slightly deeper in the batter's box against lefties than against righties, and slightly farther off the plate. He fought the urge to open up too soon on pitches from lefties by knowing he needed to stay in just to cover the outer edge of the plate, and he caught the ball slightly farther in front of himself against righties, giving himself a better chance to pull and lift those pitches. Here, on the left, is his stance and stride against lefties last year. On the right are his stance and setup against righties. Frelick didn't sell out for power in 2025, but he tapped into much more of it, which he credited to his evolving approach. That power might continue to be isolated in matchups against right-handed pitchers, but if he continues to make contact and reach base at a strong rate against southpaws, he's happy to keep making the same tradeoffs. On a perpetually young team who turned over its roster yet again this winter, Frelick (like Brice Turang, William Contreras, Aaron Ashby and others) has a much greater leadership role in this clubhouse than he would in most such rooms throughout the league. He's increasingly well-suited to that job, and his message—about everything from approaching disadvantageous matchups to sustaining excellence across the long season—is in lockstep with that of his manager. View the full article

The San Diego Padres made their first roster reductions at spring training camp, reassigning three players to minor-league camp. One of those players is left-handed starter Jagger Haynes, who has a chance to make his MLB debut later this season. Haynes and fellow left-handers Omar Cruz and Ryan Och were non-roster invites to spring camp with no realistic chance of making the Opening Day roster. These moves leave the Friars with 67 players in big-league camp. Haynes, who dropped from No. 10 in the Padres' system at the end of 2025 to No. 15 in just-released rankings by MLB Pipeline, is expected to begin the season at Triple-A El Paso. A fifth-round pick in 2020, the 23-year-old has had Tommy John surgery and overcome blister and shoulder injuries in his first couple of pro seasons, but remained healthy in 2024 and 2025. At Double-A San Antonio last year, Haynes had a 4.11 ERA in 103 innings over 26 games, all but one as a starter. He needs to improve his control, having walked 5.4 batters per nine innings with San Antonio, while striking out a modest 8.8 per nine. Haynes appeared in three Cactus League games, pitching four innings with no walks and one strikeout. Cruz made his MLB debut with the Padres in 2025 with two relief appearances. Och, the Friars' seventh-round choice in 2021, spent all of last season at San Antonio, posting a 3.46 ERA in 45 games, and should be joining Haynes at El Paso for 2025. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins made some roster news before taking on Team Puerto Rico in an exhibition game at Hammond Stadium on Wednesday. The Twins won 6-3. Over the weekend, Walker Jenkins hustled down the first base line in an attempt to beat out a potential double play ball. The next day, Jenkins was diagnosed with Grade 1 Hamstring Strain. It is the mildest grade, which is encouraging, but he likely wouldn't play in games for the next week or two. That is why he was one of six players whose lockers moved from Hammond Stadium, across the parking lot, and to the minor-league clubhouse. In addition to the young outfielder, catchers Andrew Cossetti and Ricardo Olivar, right-handed pitchers Raul Brito and Andrew Bash, and left-handed pitcher Christian MacLeod were assigned to minor league camp where things are getting more and more busy. A few days earlier, the Twins sent Matt Canterino and Cory Lewis to minor-league camp. Canterino continues to work his way back from surgery that cost him the 2025 season. Lewis had been shut down very early in spring training with arm issues. Cossetti and Olivar spent the 2025 season in Wichita where he hit 13 doubles, 13 home runs, and had 13 stolen bases. Olivar has been a borderline Top 20 prospect in the Twins system over the past few seasons. A catcher, he also plays some left field, to keep his bat in the lineup. Cossetti has played some first base and DHd quite often. Over the past two seasons in Wichita, he has hit 33 doubles, four triples, and 12 home runs. He was the Twins 11th round pick in 2022 out of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. MacLeod was the Twins fifth round pick in 2021 out of Mississippi State. He has primarily been a starter in his professional career. Last year, he made 13 starts and had a 2.63 ERA in Wichita. He made a couple of spot starts for the Saints, but 10 appearances out of the St. Paul bullpen. 29-year-old Bash pitched in a variety of roles in the Blue Jays organization since joining the organization before the 2021 season. He went 6-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 40 games and 84 innings in 2025. He walked 36 and had 72 strikeouts. 28-year-old Brito has spent the past three seasons in the Padres organization. Before that, he pitched in the Marlins organization from 2016 through the 2022 season. In 2025, he posted a 6.11 ERA over 48 games and 63 1/3 innings. He had 82 strikeouts but also walked 35 batters. These moves leave the Twins with 59 players in camp. 18 of them are non-roster players. There are 29 pitchers, six catchers, 11 infielders, 10 outfielders, and three utility players remaining. In addition, Pablo Lopez has been played on the 60-Day Injured List. Because the players reassigned were not on the 40-man roster, they can come back and play in games for the Twins during spring training. Players cut from big-league camp who are on the 40-man roster are "optioned" to the Saints or Wind Surge rosters. Semantics. View the full article

The latest round of spring roster cuts from the Minnesota Twins came as little surprise, but they offer clarity on how the organization is shaping its upper-level depth. At this stage of camp, decisions are now driven by practicality rather than upside. Veterans and non-roster invites receive longer looks for early-season roles. Prospects needing everyday reps or rehabbing injuries move to the minor league side. These changes don't dramatically alter the long-term outlook but do clarify how the Twins prioritize development and depth as camp concludes. With those themes in mind, let's break down the implications of this specific group of cuts. Catching Depth Gets Reassigned Andrew Cossetti and Ricardo Olivar were both in big league camp to provide depth behind the plate. Neither was realistically pushing for an Opening Day role, but both gave the Twins reliable innings throughout the early Grapefruit League schedule. Cossetti, a 2022 draft pick, has spent the last two seasons at Double A and posted a .717 OPS across 171 games. He has split time between catcher and first base, giving him some defensive versatility, but his offensive production has remained more steady than spectacular. For now, he remains organizational depth with a chance to climb if the bat takes another step. Olivar has quietly put together a solid run in the system since signing out of Venezuela. Over five seasons, he has worked his way into fringe top-30 prospect conversations. Last season at Double A, he posted a .768 OPS in 93 games and continued to show a balanced offensive profile. Like Cossetti, he was in camp primarily to support the catching workload. Returning him to the minor league side allows him to prepare for what should be another important season in his development. A Sensible Move for Walker Jenkins There was never any real debate about Jenkins breaking camp with the big league club, especially once the hamstring strain surfaced. Jenkins remains the top prospect in the organization, but he is not on the 40-man roster and is currently sidelined for a couple of weeks. With his focus on rehab and getting back to full strength, sending him to minor league camp is simply procedural. It allows him to progress at his own pace without occupying a spot on a big league roster. The Twins are thinking long term here. Jenkins does not need to rush anything in March. His priority is building toward a healthy and productive season, not squeezing in a few extra at-bats in exhibition games. Sorting Out the Triple-A Bullpen On the pitching side, several arms now shift their attention toward Triple-A roles. Christian MacLeod’s path remains one of the more interesting developments. A fifth-round pick in 2021, he reached Triple-A last season after a strong first half at Double-A. As a starter there, he posted a 2.63 ERA in 13 starts and looked to be trending upward. The move to the bullpen in St. Paul brought mixed results. The hitter-friendly environment proved challenging, and his numbers took a hit. Still, the organization appears committed to him as a reliever for now. Returning him to Triple-A in a bullpen role gives him a chance to refine that transition with more experience. Andrew Bash is a name to keep in mind. He has spent his entire professional career in the Blue Jays organization and quietly put together an impressive 2025 campaign at Triple-A. Over 40 appearances and 84 innings, he logged a 2.57 ERA with a 7.7 K/9. Minnesota brought him into camp for a closer evaluation, and while he will start the season in the minors, he profiles as a potential depth option if the big league bullpen needs reinforcements. Raul Brito rounds out the group. The 28-year-old spent the last two seasons in the Padres system and showed swing-and-miss ability at Triple-A last year with an 11.7 K/9 across 63 1/3 innings. The problem was consistency. A 6.11 ERA, 5.0 BB/9, and 10.2 H/9 illustrate the volatility. Like Bash and MacLeod, he should factor into the Triple-A bullpen mix and serve as depth if he can tighten the command. None of these cuts dramatically shifts the outlook for the Opening Day roster. Instead, they represent the natural narrowing of camp competition as the calendar flips toward the regular season. Spring training roster cuts are rarely headline-grabbing. But they often reveal how an organization values depth, flexibility, and patience. This round was no different. View the full article

A month before he graduated from Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California in 1973, Robin Yount signed a national letter of intent to attend Arizona State University. Pat Kuehner, ASU assistant coach, said that Yount was the "best high school prospect in the nation." In the June 1973 MLB Draft, the first pick (by the Texas Rangers) was left-handed high-school pitching phenom David Clyde, who won 44 of his last 45 games for his team in Texas and had nine career no-hitters. The Philadelphia Phillies selected slugging college catcher John Stearns with the second pick. With the third pick, the Milwaukee Brewers chose Yount. Yount, who played mostly shortstop in high school, also did some relief work on the mound, striking out 17 batters in nine innings of work his senior year. Milwaukee scout Roland LeBlanc said that Yount was a "good defensive player with good hands and range, and above-average speed." His bonus was an estimated $75,000. Yount was assigned to short-season Class A ball at Newark, in the New York-Penn League. As a 17-year-old, Yount had a slash line of .285/.370/.409 across 242 at-bats. His 15 doubles ranked fifth in the league. The next year in spring training, Yount opened the eyes of the Brewers' management team. “If he goes north with us, he’ll be our regular shortstop," said manager Del Crandall. Usually, when a manager says that about a player. they don't go north with the team. Yount went north with the team and started the first game of the year, a chilly 40-degree day on Apr. 5, 1974, at Milwaukee County Stadium in front of 32,761 slightly frozen fans. Yount batted ninth and drew a free pass off Boston’s Luis Tiant in the bottom of the second inning. In the top of the third, with Juan Beniquez on second and Cecil Cooper on first, Carl Yastrzemski hit a grounder to short. Yount fielded it clearnly, tagged the bag at second and leaped over a sliding Cooper to make the throw to first. Unfortunately, Cooper’s spikes clipped Yount’s shin, and the throw bounced to first, not in time to get Yastrzemski. Yount learned an early lesson on how to make plays around second base. “I turned it wrong,” Yount said. “I came across the bag when I should have stayed behind it. I was told afterward how to do it. I know now that I shouldn’t have done it that way.” He led off the bottom of the fifth and flied to left field, and in the bottom of the sixth, he was pinch-hit for by Felipe Alou with the bases loaded and one out. Darrell Porter scored on a passed ball to cut Boston’s lead to 7-6, but then Alou struck out looking. Alou would only have two more at-bats in his illustrious career, which would later include managerial stints with the Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants spanning 14 seasons. Yount started the season hitless in his first 10 at-bats, before he singled to center in the fifth inning off Baltimore's Dave McNally on April 12 at County Stadium. The next day, Yount got the first of 251 career home runs, a game-winner in the eighth off Ross Grimsley of the Orioles in a 3-2 victory. Otherwise, it was slow going for Yount in April; he ended the month with a batting line of .182/.220/.255. Yount finally got the hang of major-league life in May. Keep in mind, he was only 18 for most of the season. In 23 games, he batted .324/.351/.423 across 71 at-bats in his second big league month. The player who became ‘The Kid’ developed tendinitis in his left foot late in the year and only played in 107 games. His season totals of .250/.276/.346 were not a harbinger of things to come. “I don’t think about how scared I should be because I’m in the major leagues at 18,” Yount told sportswriter Pat Jordan for his Sports Illustrated feature in 1974. “I just go out and play. When I’m at bat, I concentrate on hitting the ball, and when I’m in the field, I concentrate on picking it up.” Yount would do just that for 20 years, winning MVP awards at both shortstop and center field, collecting 3,142 hits, and getting inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, along with Nolan Ryan, Orlando Cepeda, and George Brett. Other than Bob Uecker, one of the first people you think about when the Milwaukee Brewers are mentioned is 'Rockin' Robin.' What are your favorite memories of 'The Kid?' Please add them in the 'comments' section. View the full article

Ryan Gallagher didn't have the flashiest performance after the Twins acquired him from the Cubs at the 2025 trade deadline. But he has some upside as a back-end of the rotation starter, which reminds Jeremy of what Nick Blackburn was like as a prospect (with much lower velocity). View the full article

For the Minnesota Twins, the eternal optimism of spring training feels a little more necessary this year. The organization faces a 2026 season without ace Pablo López, while ownership continues to apply public pressure to win—or at least stay in contention until the final stretch of the season. Coming off a 70-92 season and with little winter reinforcement, that's a tall order. For a team that still believes its competitive window is open, internal growth is not just helpful, but required. To keep pace with the rest of the American League's playoff hopefuls, Minnesota will need multiple players to take meaningful steps forward. Fortunately, there are a handful of outcomes that could dramatically change the Twins' season if they come to fruition. Bold predictions are often designed to be unrealistic. That is what makes them fun. Occasionally, though, one lands in the sweet spot between aspirational and plausible. With a roster that features both star-level talent and players who have teased breakout potential before, Minnesota has several candidates capable of turning a bold prediction into a headline by the end of the year. Let's test-drive a few such predictions. Byron Buxton Finishes Top-5 for AL MVP This one feels like it has been sitting on the table for years. When healthy, Byron Buxton has often played at an MVP level. The issue has never been talent or impact. It's mostly been about availability. If Buxton approaches 140 games played, the statistical case will take care of itself. His defensive value remains above average, and the power-speed combination is still capable of changing games on a nightly basis on the run production side of the ledger. A season wherein he slashes something close to his career best offensive production while anchoring the defense up the middle would almost certainly place him squarely in the middle of the American League MVP conversation. Last season, he finished just outside the top 10 in voting, causing him to lose out on a $3-million bonus. He’s spoken about that this spring and is focused on improving his performance. It doesn't require a sensationalist streak or a razor-sharp scouting eye to tout Buxton; it just takes a leap of faith on the health front. Joe Ryan Strikes Out 230 Batters There may not be a more important arm on the roster right now than Ryan. With the Twins missing their would-be Opening Day starter for the entire season, Ryan becomes the de facto tone setter for a rotation that needs to outperform expectations. Ryan has always possessed swing-and-miss stuff that plays at the top of the zone, and his strikeout rates suggest there is another gear available if he can demonstrate durability across a full season. The path to 230 strikeouts is not particularly complicated. It requires 32 starts and an ability to pitch deep enough into games to let the fastball-splitter combination do its job multiple times through an order. In 2025, he recorded 194 strikeouts over 171 innings, but that came with a lower strikeout rate (28.2%) than he posted in his best season, 2023 (29.3%). A healthy year with even marginal improvement against left-handed hitters could push Ryan into the upper tier of American League strikeout leaders. Ryan has never faced more batters than the 689 he saw last season, but if he becomes one of the fistful of pitchers who faces 800 batters each year and maintains his strikeout rate, he'll flirt with this total. Matt Wallner Hits 40 Home Runs The power has never been in question for Wallner. Few players in the organization can match the raw strength that Wallner brings to the plate, and his ability to impact the baseball to the pull side is among the best on the roster. Forty home runs would require adjustments. He will need to make enough contact against velocity to avoid prolonged slumps and continue improving against breaking pitches that have given him trouble in the past. But the Twins don't need Wallner to become a completely different hitter. They need him to be a slightly more consistent version of the player he already is. Wallner’s career high is 22 homers, but he’s never played more than 104 games. Given every day at-bats and some positive regression on balls that died at the warning track last season, this type of power surge is not impossible. However, a flatter swing led to more ground balls last year; that does need to be corrected. Twins Win the AL Central For all the individual milestones that could define Minnesota’s season, nothing would matter more than another division title. Winning the American League Central would validate the organization’s belief that it can contend despite the adversity that has already impacted the pitching staff this spring. The AL Central is set up with Detroit as the favorite, but they aren’t a juggernaut. Minnesota’s blend of veteran leadership and emerging talent gives the club a realistic path to the top of the standings. Improved run prevention and continued development from the lineup’s younger pieces would go a long way toward turning preseason optimism into a playoff berth. A division crown might be the bold prediction that relies the least on any individual outcome and the most on the roster functioning the way the front office believes it can. The truth is, none of these outcomes exists in isolation. A top-five MVP finish from Buxton likely means the offense is operating at a high level. A 230-strikeout season from Ryan probably signals that the rotation has stabilized in the absence of its ace. Forty home runs from Wallner would add a middle-of-the-order presence capable of carrying the lineup through inevitable slumps over the course of six months. Put together, these bold predictions begin to look less like wishful thinking and more like the blueprint for how the Twins remain relevant in October. The 2026 season will not be defined by one breakout performance or one statistical benchmark. It will be shaped by whether this roster can turn potential into production when it matters most. The odds are against them, perhaps, but fortune favors the bold. Which bold prediction has the best chance of coming true in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Spring training seems to fly by faster than usual in World Baseball Classic years. The Miami Marlins have already completed 10 Grapefruit League games, sent off some of their key players to participate in the tournament and made their first round of cuts from major league camp. Although injuries have popped up as they always do, the Marlins fortunately haven't had serious issues rule out any of their veterans for Opening Day. That means trimming things down to construct their 26-man active roster could be difficult. With 23 days to go until real Marlins baseball, it's time to follow up on Ely Sussman's roster projection with a projection of my own for the 2026 season opener. Position players Starting nine: Agustín Ramírez (C), Christopher Morel (1B), Xavier Edwards (2B), Graham Pauley (3B), Otto Lopez (SS), Kyle Stowers (LF), Jakob Marsee (CF), Owen Caissie (RF) and Heriberto Hernández (DH) Bench: Griffin Conine (OF/1B), Javier Sanoja (INF/OF), Liam Hicks (C), Connor Norby (INF) Stowers (hamstring) and Pauley (forearm) are both expected to be fully recovered from their injuries and ready to go for Opening Day, per manager Clayton McCullough. To Norby's credit, he has been able to hold his own at third base this spring. The arm strength is still there and he has only committed one error, which was a throwing error in the first game against the New York Mets. Offensively, he has gotten off to a slow start, striking out six times in 13 at-bats. It's still relatively early and remember that in 2025, we saw a certain Marlins outfielder have a rough spring statistically, only to turn into an All-Star and emerge as the team's best player, so let's not get to conclusions yet. If both make the club, Pauley and Norby will in all likelihood platoon at third base. Just missed: Esteury Ruiz (OF) and Deyvison De Los Santos (1B) Ruiz, who isn't hitting much either to this point and has one minor league option remaining, could be sent down to Triple-A Jacksonville. The Marlins already have a decent number of right-handed-hitting alternatives capable of contributing off the bench. Despite making an offseason trade to acquire Ruiz, the need for him on the Opening Day roster just isn't there right now. Still only 22 years old, De Los Santos has looked good so far, but the Marlins signed Morel to play first base and will also use that position to keep Griffin Conine's bat in the lineup. De Los Santos will go to Jacksonville and if the Morel/Conine experiment at first base does not work, he should be the first player called up, since he is the only natural first baseman on the 40-man roster. Pitchers Starting rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Eury Pérez, RHP Max Meyer, RHP Chris Paddack and LHP Braxton Garrett No surprises in the starting rotation as Alcantara and Pérez will be right at the top, followed by a trio of Meyer, the free agent signing Paddack and the lefty Garrett. McCullough told reporters that he wants the best five pitchers taking the mound. After a shaky first start for Garrett, he came back out against Israel and threw two shutout innings, striking out one in the process. It would still be nice to see him generate more whiffs as he continues building up. Just missed: LHP Robby Snelling Snelling missing out on the rotation will be motivated in part by the Marlins' desire to gain another year of club control. The only concern with that is if he is called early enough to earn rookie of the year votes and wins the award, he will be given a full year of service time, which is what happened with Paul Skenes two years ago. Bullpen: RHP Pete Fairbanks, RHP Calvin Faucher, RHP Anthony Bender, RHP Tyler Phillips, RHP Lake Bachar, RHP Janson Junk, LHP John King and LHP Cade Gibson Just missed: LHP Andrew Nardi, RHP Michael Petersen, RHP Josh White and RHP Jack Ralston Nardi (blood blister) has yet to pitch in a spring training game, and with an option remaining, he may just begin the season in Jacksonville to get back to full strength and then rejoin the team once he is ready. A southpaw combo of Gibson and King isn't bad at all to begin the season. Michael Petersen, who Ely had making the roster over Bachar, is something I disagreed with. Although Petersen's fastball is one of the best in the Marlins bullpen, averaging 97.5 mph with a plus-three run value, his other pitches just haven't been very effective. Bachar has more of a major league track record and his stuff is intriguing, too. With that being said, Petersen is 31 and you may as well see what you've got with the player. White was on my last roster projection, and you can potentially add him over Bachar, but it has been a while since the Marlins chose to let any pitcher with zero MLB experience make the team's Opening Day roster. Of all the minor league signings, Ralston seems to be the best thus far. In four spring appearances, he has yet to surrender a run and has struck out seven hitters. Health permitting, he will be called up at some point in 2026. View the full article

Spring training is going to look quite a bit different for the Boston Red Sox for the next two weeks, as multiple players have departed to participate for their respective countries in the World Baseball Classic. What that does, though, is give us fans an opportunity to watch some of the less heralded players in the organization. Once teams have been eliminated from the WBC, we’ll see more familiar names start to pop up here. but it will be interesting to see which players are making a case for themselves to be in the Opening Day roster conversation based on these next two weeks. Who’s Hot for Red Sox? Braiden Ward: Ward has been not so quietly making a case for himself to be the utility man off the bench come Opening Day. Offensively, he’s been absolutely on fire. He’s slashing .389/.450/.444 with a .894 OPS. He’s notched seven hits in 10 games with three RBIs and no home runs. Where he has absolutely shined is on the basepaths. In those ten games, he’s swiped eight bags while only being thrown out once. He’s lao scored six runs so far in Grapefruit League action. If Ward continues to be an absolute menace on the basepaths while playing solid defense in the outfield, it will be tough deny him a spot on the Opening Day, or at least have him cooking in Worcester, ready to be called up at a moment’s notice. Trevor Story: Story is looking to build on his first healthy season with the Red Sox in 2025 and through the first portion of spring training, he’s doing just that. He’s slashing .400/.400/.667 with six hits, two RBIs, and one triple over five Grapefruit League games. He’s showing that he’s still comfortable at shortstop on defense and is already rounding into form on offense. There’s a lot riding on Story being healthy again in 2026, which is always a huge question mark. As of right now though, Story looks strong and ready for the season to start. If his bat can avoid the early season cold snap he went through last season, he will force his way into the All-Star conversations for the first time since 2019. Noah Song: Song is making a case to be a part of the major-league bullpen sooner than later with his early performances in spring training. He’s appeared in two games, tossing 2 1/3 innings with a flat zero ERA and three strikeouts. He’s topping out at 96.7 mph on his four-seam fastball and getting whiffs with it up in the zone. He’s been a name that diehard fans have been tracking since he was drafted in 2019 due to his military service commitment and then subsequently being taken by the Phillies in the Rule 5 Draft in 2022. Song has all of the tools to be a major-league contributor this season, but he’s going to have to keep this up for the remainder of the month to shoo away the remaining doubters. Who’s Not? Nick Sogard: Sogard has logged 22 at bats over nine games so far this spring, but he’s failed to make much of an impact. He’s slashing .091/.167/.091 with two hits and two runs. He was believed to be in contention for a bench spot entering camp, but he may be quickly playing his way into a role with the WooSox instead. He could be one of the people most impacted by playing time changes over these next two weeks, so he has a chance to turn things around, but the spring has not been kind to Sogard so far. He will be one of the first names called up in the event of injury, but if this level of play keeps up then he’s going to be jumped in the pecking order pretty quickly. Wilyer Abreu: Abreu has taken some great swing against left-handed pitchers during spring training but his stats leave a lot to be desired. He’s slashing .143/.294/.143 through six games of Grapefruit League action. He’s been playing out of position, left field, as he prepares to join Team Venezuela in the WBC, but that shouldn’t make such a drastic impact on his offensive numbers. He’s likely going to start every game for Venezuela while they are in the tournament; hopefully, he shows back up to camp ready to go and is able to prove that he deserves more than just being part of a platoon in right field in 2026. Connor Wong: This feels like low-hanging fruit after the season Wong had in 2025, but he’s not performing well in camp so far. He’s slashing just .111/.200/.111 over nine at bats in four games. He’s registered one hit, zero runs, two strikeouts, and one walk. Wong entered camp hoping to reestablish himself as a viable option as the backup catcher, but we could be seeing the beginning of the end of Wong. He would have benefited from Carlos Narvaez playing in the WBC, but Narvy was denied insurance to compete, so he’s sticking around camp for all of spring training. He was scratched from the lineup on March 3 with back spasms, but it’s unlikely that sidelines him for very long. Wong likely has a short leash this year and his lack of production is making it shorter and shorter by the day. View the full article

There is more at stake this spring than just whether a player starts, is in the bullpen, or comes off the bench. Spots on the 40-man roster are also in jeopardy for a handful of San Diego Padres who do not have the ability to be optioned to the minor leagues. Without going into too much detail, players have to be put on the 40-man roster in order to be promoted to the major leagues. You do not have to be promoted to the major leagues if you are on the 40-man roster as MLB rosters are limited to 26 players. This creates a pseudo taxi squad of 14 players who are ostensibly in the minor leagues or on either the seven-day concussion list or the 10- (position players) or 15-day (pitchers) injured lists or other emergency lists such as bereavement or paternity. Players who are on the 60-day injured list do not count against the 40-man roster (temporarily removed) until they are activated. The first time a player is put on a 40-man roster in his career, he receives three minor-league options. Each of these options cover a single season and allows a player to be moved freely between the majors and minors, typically Triple-A. Players can be optioned from the majors to the minors up to five times in a single season. This means a player can be optioned from the majors to the minors in three different seasons. Options do not reset when a player changes teams or if he is removed from the 40-man roster for some reason and added back. Occasionally, a player is able to petition for a fourth option year, usually due to an injury situation or other circumstance. One other thing: Players with five years of service time can't be optioned without their permission, so none of those players are included here. OK, now that we have that established, how does that apply to the Padres this spring training? There are six players in Friars camp on the 40-man roster who do not have a minor-league option remaining. The are catcher Luis Campusano, outfielder Bryce Johnson and pitchers Randy Vasquez, Matt Waldron, Ron Marinaccio and Ty Adcock. Their paths to making the Opening Day roster are different, with some have a better chance than others. For players from this group who don't earn one of the 26 spots on the major-league roster and are not placed on the injured lists, they will either be traded or designated for assignment, which removes them from the 40-man roster and subjects them to waivers. If they clear waivers, they can be either released or outrighted to the minors. Luis Campusano Campusano is as solid of a lock as there is on this list. He entered camp as the No. 2 catcher behind Freddy Fermin and no real competition from within the organization. Unless someone else is brought in or he is traded or gets hurt, Campusano will be on the Opening Day roster. Bryce Johnson Johnson's chances of opening the season with the Padres took a turn when outfielder Alex Verdugo agreed to a minor-league contract. Johnson played 47 games in 2024 after joining the Friars in free agency, left that offseason to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who traded him back to the Padres on April 17 for catcher Brett Sullivan. He went to Triple-A, where he stayed until being called up June 16. He saw action in 56 games the rest of the way. Now, he faces increased competition for one of three non-catcher bench spots. With one going to infielder Sung Mun Song and the other to outfielder-infielder Miguel Andujar, that leaves one more depending on how the Padres want to configure their bench. An outfielder like Johnson or Verdugo would be logical, while perhaps other non-40-man players such as Samad Taylor, Ty France, Jose Miranda, Carlos Rodriguez or Nick Schnell could grab that spot. Randy Vasquez Early results look promising for Vasquez to be part of the Opening Day roster and in the starting rotation, where he has been each of the last two seasons with the Friars. There was competition brought in to challenge for the last two spots in the rotation after camp began. Those additions are right-handers German Marquez, Griffin Canning and Walker Buehler, the latter signing a minor-league deal and thus not appearing on the 40-man. Canning is still making his way back from a left Achilles injury and is a candidate to begin the season on the 15-day IL. Matt Waldron Waldron, like Vasquez, is in competition for the rotation, though the former received a reprieve from the Padres having to make a decision on him before Opening Day. That is because the right-handed knuckleballer had hemorrhoid surgery recently and is expected to start the season on the 15-day IL. He was a borderline candidate to begin with, now with more time before the team has to add him to the major-league roster or trade or DFA him. Ron Marinaccio A right-handed reliever, Marinaccio spent most of 2025 at Triple-A El Paso after being purchased from the Chicago White Sox, who DFA'd him that January. Marinaccio did get called up three times and pitched in seven MLB games with a 2.01 FIP. He is squarely on the bubble, with the Padres having a few choices on how to handle him. How he performs in the World Baseball Classic with Italy could play a role; another factor is the health of the other Padres relievers. Right-hander Jason Adam (ruptured quad) and left-hander Yuki Matsui (strained adductor) are on the mend, while another candidate, right-hander Bryan Hoeing, was just shut down due to discomfort in his throwing elbow. Ty Adcock An early offseason signing to a major-league contract, the 29-year-old right-handed reliever has just 18 MLB games to his credit over the last three seasons with the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets. Adcock has had a good start to camp and will need to continue that in order to make the team. Like Marinaccio, his chances could depend on the health of others and the fact other candidates, like Bradgley Rodriguez, Kyle Hart, and Alek Jacob, have minor-league options remaining. View the full article

With both Tyler Austin and Jonathon Long dealing with injuries, non-roster invitee Chas McCormick has gained an inside track on an Opening Day role with the Cubs. McCormick, 30, is a seasoned veteran with ample experience in center field, and he bats right-handed, so he can (at least theoretically) swap in to shield starting center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong from tough matchups against left-handed pitchers. McCormick also hit a ball 110.8 miles per hour off Angels starter José Soriano in a game last week, harder than any he's hit in a big-league game in his career. However, he's also come into camp swinging rather desperately, trying to create flashes just like that double against the Angels but not demonstrating the improved approach he needs to succeed sustainably. He's swung at 43 of the 71 pitches he's seen this spring—almost 61% of them. A whopping 19 of those swings have been whiffs or foul tips. He might make the team purely because of his defensive utility, but he's not truly showing that he's ready to regain his footing at the plate, after batting .211/.273/.301 since the start of 2024. That makes the lineup Craig Counsell wrote Tuesday against Team Italy important. Matt Shaw, who had previously made three starts in right field and two each at second and third base, patrolled center field in the exhibition game leading into the World Baseball Classic. He was neither notably good nor a disaster there, and he also got two hits in the game—though he made a baserunning mistake (not his first of the spring, and an increasingly sore subject for Counsell). It's just one game, so it's far, far too early to make any kind of assessment. The simple fact of his standing out there, however, carries some heavy implications. If the Cubs can get Shaw more reps in center over the fortnight for which Pete Crow-Armstrong will be absent from camp, and if he shows himself to be capable there, the roster math changes. The team claimed infielder Ben Cowles from the Blue Jays on Sunday, the third time they've acquired him. They first dealt for Cowles at the 2024 trade deadline, when they shipped Mark Leiter Jr. to the Yankees, and after losing him on waivers to the White Sox last September, they reclaimed him in January—only to waive and lose him again in February, then scoop him up once more to open March. Cowles, 26, can be optioned to the minors, but as the four times he's been waived in the last six months attest, he's a fringe guy. If McCormick does assert himself as a solid candidate for the roster, he'll need a spot on the 40-man reserve list, and Cowles could easily be the casualty. However, the Cubs wouldn't keep bringing him in if they didn't like some of the things Cowles does. He's a solid defender at shortstop, second base and third base. He's not a good hitter, but he has a modicum of both speed and pop—though the latter would be muted at the big-league level. If Shaw keeps playing center field and looks good there, the chances of the team making him the backup center fielder and letting Cowles (rather than McCormick) take up the final spot on the roster. Even better, perhaps, would be the scenario in which Pedro Ramirez—unlike Cowles, a good contact-oriented hitter who also hits from both sides of the plate—claims that utility infield role. Unless Shaw can handle center, the team needs a righty-batting guy who will do so, not only to insure them against an injury to Crow-Armstrong but to give them someone who can hit lefties at that position. McCormick, Dylan Carlson, Justin Dean and Kevin Alcántara are all auditioning for that job, but none has come into camp looking so good as to make the decision clear. If they have to give one of their bench spots to one of those guys, Shaw will be the utility infielder, with occasional time in right field mixed in. The results of the converted third baseman's trial in center, then, will determine from which pool the team selects the last member of their bench cohort. View the full article

It feels hard to believe now, but it's true: the Opening Day starter at third base for the Minnesota Twins last year was José Miranda. His last hurrah didn't last long; Miranda was demoted to the minors in mid-April with a .417 OPS and did not return. He moved on during the offseason, landing with the Padres, and now the layer of third-base depth that Miranda provided — however tenuous — is gone, along with the rest of their in-house backups from last year, leaving a lot of pressure on Royce Lewis to stay healthy and produce. What could go wrong? TWINS THIRD BASEMEN AT A GLANCE Starter: Royce Lewis Backup: Kody Clemens Depth: Eric Wagaman, Gio Urshela, Tristan Gray Prospects: Quentin Young, Brandon Winokur, Billy Amick Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 20th out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 14th out of 30 THE GOOD We all know what Lewis is capable of. He's done it in the regular season, the playoffs. He's doing it again this spring — it took him exactly one at-bat to remind us of his awesome power. Now that's the guy we remember. The first overall draft pick, top prospect and rookie phenom. The unstoppable force who took the league by storm and lifted the franchise out of its postseason malaise. Even with his struggles over the past couple years, he has a very respectable .255/.310/.453 career slash line and 109 OPS+ at age 26. Of course, those good-not-great numbers are split down the middle, blending Lewis' otherworldly production in 2022-23 (148 OPS+ in 70 games) with his sub-par performance over a much larger sample in 2024-25 (93 OPS+ in 188 games). He doesn't need to get quite back to the level of his early peak — that may not even be possible, given the cumulative toll of his injuries — but the Twins need something far closer than what we saw in 2025. And it's more than possible! Believing in a Lewis resurgence is more than just wishcasting. He's still relatively young, his natural talent is obvious, and he ended last year looking as healthy and spry as we've seen him in a long time. Lewis graded out better defensively than ever before, and made some legitimately dazzling plays down the stretch. He stole nine bases on 10 attempts in September, and has been running early this spring, as if to make a statement about how good his legs feel. The missing piece is his bat, with Lewis acknowledging that his swing has long felt broken and out of whack. He spent the offseason working with a personal hitting coach, and early signs have been positive. THE BAD Aside from Lewis, these are the players who made starts at third base for the Twins last year: Brooks Lee (32), Jonah Bride (16), Willi Castro (9), Miranda (9), Ryan Fitzgerald (4). Lee is now the starting shortstop and everyone else is no longer in the organization. While Lewis' run of good health in the second half last year was encouraging, the injury stormcloud isn't going to stop looming over him for a while, especially given that he already had an early scare this spring. Fortunately, the side discomfort that scratched him from the lineup last Thursday came up clean on an MRI, and Lewis was back in the lineup batting leadoff on Tuesday, but it was a stark reminder that contingency plans behind him matter. I found myself asking: if a more serious injury struck and Lewis were sidelined for a prolonged period, who would step in as the regular third baseman? I guess as of now it's Gio Urshela, who joined the Twins on a minor-league deal in early February. He offers a lot of MLB experience at third and an okay glove, but little else. Urshela hasn't hit at all for multiple years and he's legitimately one of the slowest players in the major leagues. But I also think a long-term injury to Lewis is the only thing that gets Urshela on the roster. In the event of a more short-term absence or rest day for Lewis, the top backups as of now are seemingly Kody Clemens and Eric Wagaman. Maybe those two could even form a platoon if Lewis went down. But man, what an incredibly dire situation that would be on defense. Tristan Gray, Ryan Kreidler or Orlando Arcia are more palatable gloves at the hot corner, depending who's on the roster, but like Urshela they haven't hit. The Twins don't really have much going on in terms of quality infield depth, and that's felt at third as much as anywhere. THE BOTTOM LINE This feels like a make-or-break season for Lewis. He still has three remaining years of control but if he doesn't significantly improve or can't stay on the field, you've got to think the Twins will be inclined to chart a new path at third base. Presently, it's totally unclear how that path might look take shape. Maybe Kaelen Culpepper shifts over to third at some point, though that would open up its own can of worms for planning elsewhere, as we'll address in the next installment of this series. For now, all eyes are on Lewis, whose own success (or lack thereof) will play a huge role in determining whether the Twins are able to field a competitive team this season. 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 View the full article

After a rough 2024 season, Jake Bauers was non-tendered by the Brewers, and limped back into camp last year as a non-roster invitee. He earned a place with the team, though, and went on to have a strong season—especially down the stretch. He missed five weeks with a shoulder impingement, but after returning in late August, he batted .321/.433/.500 in 67 regular-season plate appearances to close the campaign. In the playoffs, he was 4-for-13 with a double, a home run and a walk. This time around, he and the team agreed to a deal ahead of the non-tender deadline, guaranteeing him $2.7 million. Bauers said that his time on the injured list in the latter part of the summer afforded him a chance to shift the focus of his conditioning work, which led to his late-season success and inspired a change to his offseason routine. "I think there was a real emphasis on mobility toward the end of last year, and just making sure I was controlling my body as well as I could, so that was kind of the main focus," Bauers said. Entering the winter, that informed how he worked out. "A lot more focus on functional training, as opposed to just throwing weight on a bar and squatting. A lot of single-leg stuff, stability work, mobility, stuff like that." Although a California native, Bauers now lives outside Dallas, in the same area as new teammate Jett Williams. He turned to a new trainer, Nick Daley, who helped him develop a plan focused on specialized movements and maximizing the utility of his movements. He's always been an athletic specimen, and a much better mover than most first basemen and corner outfielders. Now, he hopes, he's tapped into a way to better convert that athleticism into consistent on-field value. The Brewers have bought in. Though Andrew Vaughn and Bauers won't play in a platoon—that would marginalize the righty-batting Vaughn too much—Pat Murphy is enthusiastic about Bauers's value and expects him to play more in 2026 than he did last season. Despite the team's apparent logjam in the outfield, Murphy emphasized the versatility Bauers brings as a left fielder, in addition to first base. That could come into play especially prominently if (as seems increasingly plausible) Jackson Chourio ends up spoending significant time in center field again this year. Bauers is preparing to play both positions. "I think the second you assume something—assume you might not get out there—I've found that to be exactly the moment you do end up in the outfield," he said. "So I'm trying to stay ready for whatever it is." Both Bauers and Murphy said the lefty slugger will play some outfield in the coming days, which works just fine for the Brewers. With Chourio away for the World Baseball Classic and both Brandon Lockridge and Jett Williams slowed by injuries, there's playing time available out there. Of course, Bauers's main job is to hit. That's where his improved body control will be most important, because he already has ample explosiveness. He owns the best bat speed on the team, and his average swing speed increased substantially last season. At the same time, as part of a more patient approach, he let the ball travel a bit deeper into the hitting zone before contact, reducing his likelihood of whiffing. It was a major change, although a subtle one, and his hope is that a winter of work focused on the aspects of his movement that are most essential to it will result in similar results to what he managed late last year. If so, the Brewers will find a lot of plate appearances for him. His could be the unexpected slugging that infuses this year's seemingly underpowered with its missing ingredient. View the full article

When the San Diego Padres signed Jose Miranda to a minor-league deal in December, the level of intrigue in response was tepid at best. A former top prospect of a certain pedigree with two separate years of success at the top level as a change-of-scenery candidate rung as similar to Gavin Sheets. But could the Padres capture lightning in a bottle twice after Sheets established himself as a key bat following multiple down years with the Chicago White Sox? If Miranda’s early returns in spring training are any indication, they just might. While the story of Sheets didn’t quite reach the valleys on the performance front as that of Miranda, the context is somewhat similar. After two steady years of above-average play that bookended a brutal 2023, Miranda was woeful in 2025. He struck out over 36 percent of the time, didn’t walk once, and saw his power dissipate entirely across 36 plate appearances with a Minnesota Twins team that traded away as much of their roster as they could at the trade deadline. His Triple-A output wasn’t much better, as a .214 batting average on balls in play pinned him down to a wRC+ of 49 in 371 plate appearances with the St. Paul Saints. So, even for a team mired in a rebuild like the Twins, they didn’t feel he was worth giving another shot at either infield corner ahead of 2026. Miranda caught on with San Diego on that non-guaranteed pact and has immediately produced during the exhibition season. As of this writing, he’s stepped to the plate 19 times, turned in a .412/.474/.765 line with a 15.8 percent strikeout rate against a 10.5 percent walk rate. He’s slugged a homer and a trio of doubles along the way. It’s a small sample, but gaudy numbers are gaudy numbers, especially this time of year. The “issue” for the Padres is if Miranda continues this pace. With an already-existent glut of profiles that read as quite similar to Miranda, could they make room for him on the Opening Day roster even if they wanted to? Miranda offers a bat at first base, third base, and designated hitter for the Padres. As of right now, the only of those three spots with a guaranteed body entrenched is third base featuring Manny Machado. As far as guaranteed contracts on the roster, the Padres figure to rotate Sheets, Nick Castellanos, and Miguel Andujar into those other two spots regularly. The latter two can fill in on the outfield grass occasionally, but with Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Ramón Laureano occupying the three spots, opportunities there may be sparse. However, given that at least two of those three names will have to be in the lineup on a given day, the Sheets-Castellanos-Andujar contingent will, technically, only count for one bench spot. However, even one bench spot counts for a lot given how the rest of the reserves stand to shake out. Sung Mun Song will occupy a key role as a utility player, but without a clear path to a starting gig, someone’s on the bench in his stead as he moves around the diamond. Beyond Song, Luis Campusano has the inside track as the No. 2 gig behind the plate, and Bryce Johnson is the favorite as the fourth outfielder. That’s a very murky picture for someone like Miranda, good as his spring has been thus far, to actually crack the roster barring an injury. Additionally, it’s difficult to see the Padres cutting someone from that mix in order to accommodate him. Let’s deal in hypotheticals for a moment, though. An injury could put Miranda on the roster on its own. To a corner outfielder, you’ve got Andujar, Castellanos, and Sheets in tow capable of handling such a role over a short stint. In center, you’re looking at Laureano or Bryce Johnson, with Song sliding into regular duty wherever infield coverage may be needed. Either way, a lane would open up for Miranda in that case. Obviously, that’s not the ideal scenario, of course, so let’s talk about a pathway to the roster that doesn’t involve someone’s trip to the injured list. The Padres need offensive upside from their bench. They’re not a team that is necessarily prioritizing defense. Johnson offers the least offensive upside of anyone currently in the group. He’s also out of options. Would the team part ways by way of a DFA for their lone three-position-capable outfielder if it meant further stocking up the bench with bats? In that case, you get Miranda on the roster with Laureano filling in in center field on occasion. Should the Padres want Miranda on the roster to the point of executing that type of move, though? That all depends on how the remainder of spring shakes out. If he keeps going this way, you’re not just talking about him on the roster, but supplanting either of Andujar or Castellanos as a right-handed hitter getting regular work on a corner or as the designated hitter. Then again, that develops a concern regarding the defensive limitations of that veteran-laden group. Should he make the roster in someone like Johnson’s stead, you’d be looking at Miranda on either infield corner, Andujar at any of the four corners, and Sheets and Castellanos each at first and handling one side of the outfield apiece (the former in left and the latter in right). That leaves only Song up the middle, unless the Padres trust Jake Cronenworth to slide over to shortstop from the keystone on occasion. In those terms, it doesn’t seem as dire. Of course, Miranda has to sustain his output before this is a conversation the team is willing to have. As muddled as it might make things if he does, it does appear that there are at least a couple of paths toward feasibly getting him on the Opening Day roster. Ultimately, it’d make for a good problem to have for the Padres in 2026. View the full article

Fans caught their first glimpse of the roster Canada is bringing to the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday, when Team Canada took on the Blue Jays in a pre-tournament exhibition match. While the Blue Jays came out on top, Team Canada put up one heck of a fight, thanks to an offense led by Josh Naylor, Tyler O'Neill, and Owen Caissie. Altogether, the bats combined for seven runs on 10 hits and five walks. The Canadian pitching wasn't quite as strong, though Adam Macko tossed a scoreless frame. Facing his own team, he gave up a single to Nathan Lukes but erased it by inducing a double play from Daulton Varsho. A groundout from Addison Barger got Macko out of the inning. In addition to Naylor, O'Neill, Caissie, and Macko, more notable players on Team Canada include pitchers Jameson Taillon, Michael Soroka, Cal Quantrill, and James Paxton, as well as position players Bo Naylor, Edouard Julien, and Denzel Clarke. Former Blue Jays Otto Lopez and Phillippe Aumont are also suiting up for the national squad, while four more former Jays are on the coaching staff: manager Ernie Whitt, first base coach Russell Martin, pitching coach Paul Quantrill, and bullpen coach Denis Boucher. Team Canada has never advanced past the first round of the World Baseball Classic before, but the roster they've put together this year has what it takes to change that. Here's everything you need to know about when and how to watch Canada's pool play matchups against Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cuba, and Panama. Team Canada First-Round Schedule (Pool A) Three of Canada's four first-round games will air on Sportsnet. However, to watch their faceoff against Puerto Rico, arguably the most exciting game of them all, you'll have to tune in to Sportsnet One instead. (The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing the Montreal Canadiens that evening in the same time slot.) Date Opponent Start Time Where To Watch March 7 Colombia 11:00 am ET Sportsnet March 8 Panama 7:00 pm ET Sportsnet March 10 Puerto Rico 7:00 pm ET Sportsnet One March 11 Cuba 3:00 pm ET Sportsnet TVA Sports has the rights to Canada's French-language WBC broadcasts, while in the USA, games will air on FOX Sports and its various divisions. More information about how you can watch the WBC from other countries is available on MLB.com. View the full article

Following an impressive 2024 season that saw Matt Duffy dominate in Salem during his first full professional season, the Boston Red Sox expected for the young pitcher to take the next step forward last year as a pitching prospect. Instead, an injury occurred that derailed his entire season. Duffy, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, made 22 appearances for Low-A Salem. In that span, he tossed 98 2/3 innings with a 2.83 ERA while striking out 100 batters. The right-hander also managed to limit walks, allowing only 27 free passes throughout the entire season. The thought of playing in 2025 was quickly wiped away when he tore his UCL in February, requiring elbow surgery. “Before I got hurt I was slated to go to Greenville. But I know when I finish my rehab I’ll go back to Salem for probably one or two starts,” Duffy explained when asked about the plan for 2026. “But I don’t really know what the plan is cause it’s kind of far away from now.” Duffy is one of many young Red Sox pitchers working his way back from injury. While he may not be the highest on the depth chart or prospect lists, as a command-oriented pitcher who has seen his velocity increase from the high-80s to around 93 or 94 mph is an interesting arm to keep an eye on. Should he continue to increase the velocity on his fastball once healthy, he could become another success story for the Red Sox's pitching lab down the road. Along with Duffy, Conrad Cason has been working his way back from injury. Drafted in 2024, the two-way player didn’t get a chance to play much in his first professional season as he appeared in just three games, one as a pitcher and the other two on the positional side. In total, Cason tossed two innings and struck out five batters while offensively he went one-for-four with an RBI. Cason’s season would be cut short when he underwent Tommy John surgery much like Duffy, only his came in August. In an offseason interview with Cason, the two-way player stated that he was doing well in his rehab and that the next step was seeing how his arm would respond during the beginning of spring training. In the first week of spring training, he appeared to be doing well, playing long toss to test out his arm along with taking batting practice like everyone else. The most encouraging sign for his arm was the fact Cason was taking infield grounders with other minor-league players at both shortstop and second base. After fielding, he would throw across the diamond showing no issues with his arm. Cason himself said that he felt great and that his arm felt great after throwing, but he would not be pitching in 2026 because of the surgery. He will be playing as a positional player, getting a chance to develop on that side of baseball while he waits for his return to the mound. Despite losing a year of pitching, the team isn’t ready to give up on having him throw off a mound and will look to 2027 to see if he’ll continue as a two-way player or focus on just one aspect of baseball instead. These two young players will continue to work their way back onto a baseball field as they look to move onto the next step of their careers. While things haven’t gone as planned for either of them, their resilience and talent portends a bright future for both Duffy and Cason. View the full article

Shota Imanaga has been in Cubs spring training headlines for the full spectrum of reasons. While his fastball velocity is hovering around 94 MPH at times, up from 2024 and 2025 numbers, he recently gave up some hard contact to the Cubs' crosstown rivals, the Chicago White Sox. Should we be worried about Imanaga regressing in 2026? We break it all down in this video. View the full article