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The Ryan Jeffers era at catcher has quietly brought as much stability as any for the Minnesota Twins since Joe Mauer moved off the position in 2014. He's never been a steadfast regular in the way Mauer was, but Jeffers has been a steady presence behind the plate since his MLB debut back in 2020, when his impressive 26-game breakthrough earned him Twins Daily Rookie of the Year honors during a shortened season. Jeffers ranks fourth all-time among Twins catchers in plate appearances, behind only Mauer, Earl Battey and Tim Laudner. Entering his final year of team control, and with an extension appearing unlikely, a changing of the guard is afoot at catcher. Here's where things stand entering 2026. TWINS CATCHERS AT A GLANCE Starter: Ryan Jeffers Backup: Victor Caratini Depth: Alex Jackson, Noah Cardenas, Andrew Cossetti Prospects: Eduardo Tait, Enrique Jimenez, Khadim Diaw Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 22nd out of 30 Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 12th out of 30 THE GOOD If there's one area where I will give the Twins front office credit for their vision in the past eight months, it's the extent to which they've strengthened the organizational roadmap at catcher. Last year, there wasn't any roadmap. The "top prospects" listed in my 2025 position analysis for catcher were Jair Camargo and Diego Cartaya, both of whom ended up being released during the season. The future didn't just look bleak; with free agency creeping up for Ryan Jeffers, there basically was no future. The Twins addressed that issue emphatically at last year's trade deadline. They first acquired Enrique Jimenez, a 19-year-old switch hitter of some promise, from Detroit in the Chris Paddack trade. It was a surprisingly strong return for Paddack, albeit nothing spectacular. Then, the biggest singular prize of Minnesota's deadline haul came over in the form of Eduardo Tait, another teenager of much higher esteem hailing from the Phillies system. Jimenez is a legit presence on the Twins prospect radar — Aaron Gleeman ranked him as the 20th best prospect in the organization in his recent top-40 list at The Athletic. Tait is a legit presence on the overall prospect radar — ranked 38th, 54th and 65th by ESPN, BP and MLB, respectively. Catching prospects are always a gamble, especially ones this young, but it's hard to overstate how much the long-term outlook at this position has improved since this time last year. The short-term outlook has also received a boost, even as Jeffers nears the end of his team control. He'll be plenty motivated for a big year, and is in line to be the true primary starter with Derek Shelton envisioning a two-thirds starting share. Jeffers is even more ambitious: "My goal is 120 (starts)," he told reporters this spring. "My body is going to be ready for that." The pressure on Jeffers, who's never started more than 81 times behind the plate, to reach that lofty goal is lowered by the arrival of Minnesota's biggest offseason pickup: veteran switch-hitter Victor Caratini. His two-year, $14 million contract stands as the largest issued by the Twins in almost three years, reflecting their urgency in securing some sense of continuity at the catcher position. He's not just a catcher, and if Jeffers has his way, Caratini will spend a good chunk of time at first base and DH this year. But the newcomer will play plenty, and when at catcher, Caratini's bat is a standout, massively improving over the precedent set by Christian Vázquez. Minnesota's catching duo has a solid chance at forming one of the best offensive units in baseball, and that's maybe one of the more underrated strengths of this year's Twins team. Caratini wasn't the only high-level catching depth added by the Twins during the offseason. Prior to signing him, they made a trade with the Nationals to acquire Alex Jackson in exchange for minor-league utility man Payton Eeles. Jackson has the opposite profile of Jeffers and Caratini — great glove, highly suspect bat — but he brings some balance to the catching mix in that regard. The hold-up is that Jackson is unlikely to make the Opening Day roster as a third catcher, and he's out of options. The Twins are seemingly hoping that, if all three players stay healthy through spring camp, they'll be able to sneak Jackson and his $1.35 million salary through waivers and stash him as depth. As a backup catcher, Jackson is adequate. As a third catcher waiting on hand in Triple-A, he'd be a really nice asset. THE BAD The Twins didn't lose much of anything offensively with the departure of Vázquez, but they lost a lot defensively. He was clearly the team's best receiver, and pitchers loved working with him. Jeffers has seen his fielding metrics decline to the point where most models saw him as well below-average last year. Caratini is not considered a particularly strong defensive catcher. Neither of these guys are disasters behind the plate, they just aren't standouts, and that speaks to the reality at this position: outstanding offense vs. outstanding defense is an either/or proposition, outside of the true upper-echelon stars. (Like Joe Mauer. And hopefully one day Eduardo Tait?) For a team highly focused on improving its defense overall, while also bringing along a number of emerging young pitchers, this feels extra important. Defense is difficult to measure and quantify at this nuanced position, but no one can deny its critical impact. Can Jeffers find a way to reverse his sub-par control of the opposing run game? How quickly can Caratini build rapport and earn confidence from his new battery partners? How will both adapt to the new ABS system? These are key questions. The presence of Jackson and his highly regarded glove do bring a level of defensive assurance, at least from a depth perspective, but again, he'll be in Triple-A if things go to plan. And if/when he does enter the catching mix, the Twins will have to deal with his bat — one of the worst in baseball over the past handful of years — in the lineup. THE BOTTOM LINE Good offense and questionable defense amount to a Twins catching unit that projects as above average but not elite. FanGraphs forecasts them to rank 12th among MLB teams in fWAR at the position, which looks about right to my eye. The big storyline is whether Jeffers makes it through the entire season as a Twin. The healthier and more successful he is in the first half, the more likely he is to be traded at the deadline by a front office looking to supplement its rebuild. That is, unless the team is surprisingly competitive, and not in position to sell. If that happens, this potentially top-tier catching unit will undoubtedly play a big role. View the full article

Silvano Hechavarria was an overshadowed part of the Blue Jays' excellent 2025 season on the pitching end, as the Cuban righty put together a great campaign in his first year stateside. The 6-foot-4 righty was a man among boys, as he pitched to a 2.28 ERA/3.55 FIP with a 17.1% K-BB% in 86 2/3 innings pitched. Hechavarria utilized a strong three-pitch mix in 2025, with his four-seam fastball sitting 92-95 and touching 97 with average carry and strong arm-side run. His main secondary was his cut slider that sat in the upper 80s with strong whiff rates; hitters failed to make solid contact on the pitch. His third offering, deployed more to lefties, was a changeup with around nine inches of vertical separation from his fastball, sitting in the mid-80s. The stuff did not jump off the page despite the solid velocity, but it was able to play up given Hechavarria’s advanced command for his age. Graphic via @TJstats Here are Silvano’s three main pitches by location in 2025 in Single-A Dunedin. He was able to land his changeup in a really nice spot for lefties to miss, his sliders were consistently on the edge of the zone, and he was able to consistently land his four-seam fastball for strikes at the top of the zone. The results were there, with Hechavarria having only a 5.9% walk rate in Dunedin, as lower-level hitters were unable to do much with his pitches at those locations. Locations for Hechavarria's changeup, four-seam fastball, and slider/cutter, respectively. Hechavarria still has some developing to do, as although he was able to dominate lower-minors hitters, the arsenal may not be as effective against more advanced hitters, who will be less likely to chase pitches even with good location. Hechavarria’s command will still allow his pitches to play up, but without a true standout pitch, he may not have the highest upside, barring some advancement to the velocity or shape of his current arsenal. For now, the odds are more likely that he’ll be a solid fifth starter in the majors. The Jays are good at building strength, and despite Hechavarria already being 6-foot-4 and over 200 lbs, he still could add strength to his frame. Hechavarria is only turning 23 in March, and with his advanced command for his age and average stuff, there is some projection to dream on as he advances to the upper minors, where he could start the 2026 season. Hechavarria has been named a potential Blue Jays breakout prospect by Geoff Pontes from Baseball America, and in FanGraphs’ latest "Picks to Click" article, an anonymous scout named Hechavarria as a candidate to become a top-100 overall prospect in 2027. If he can prove that he can continue to get hitters out when he reaches the upper minors, he may very well fulfill that lofty evaluation. View the full article

Right-hander Brandon Woodruff, already a two-time Opening Day starter for the Milwaukee Brewers, was the logical choice to do the same for the 2026 season as the most accomplished pitcher on the staff. But he and the Crew's medical staff are taking it cautiously with Big Woo following a strained right lat that sidelined him for most of the final two weeks of the regular season and all of the postseason. Woodruff threw a 33-pitch simulated game Monday, his first time facing live hitters since his final start of 2025 on Sept. 17. That puts the 33-year-old, who accepted the $22.025 million qualifying offer to return to the Brewers, behind the other rotation candidates in camp and also makes his starting Opening Day on March 26 vs. the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field questionable. “It’s up in the air right now,” Woodruff told Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “I know that term’s used a lot. There’s one goal I have this year, and that’s to be healthy. I want to be available at the end of the year when it matters most. What that looks like early on, it could look a little bit different. Nothing’s set in concrete, though." Woodruff returned from October 2023 shoulder surgery and a couple of minor setbacks while rehabbing to make his 2025 debut on July 6. All he did in 12 starts was rekindle the thoughts of Woodruff pre-shoulder surgery as he turned in a 3.17 FIP and 130 ERA+. His control, previously terrific, was the best of his career, walking just 5.4% of hitters. He also struck out 32.3% of batters, also the best of his eight-year career. If Woodruff is unable to go, that would leave right-hander Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski as the leading contenders to start Opening Day. Neither was in the majors last season on Opening Day. View the full article

When the Brewers held a lead after six innings in 2025, it was almost certain they would come out the winners at the end of the game. The bullpen remains a strength in 2026, especially since, in a way, it feeds off the rotation depth that the Milwaukee organization has built. More than one starter in Milwaukee has found a home in the bullpen, where they become valuable contributors. 2025 In Review Milwaukee’s bullpen depth was demonstrated in 2025, when the team allowed pitchers who were valuable contributors in previous seasons—like Joel Payamps, Bryan Hudson, and Elvis Peguero—to be plucked off the waiver wire. That came after the Brewers traded closer Devin Williams during the offseason. Trevor Megill, Jared Koenig, Nick Mears, Abner Uribe, and Grant Anderson were the mainstays in the late innings, joined by Aaron Ashby, DL Hall, Tobias Myers, and Chad Patrick from the rotation by the end of the season. Craig Yoho had a rough first ride of the big-league circuit, but also flashed signs of being the next dominant Brewers reliever. Current Roster Situation Megill, Uribe, Koenig, and Anderson all return to handle the late-inning duties, with Yoho likely to force his way to Milwaukee on a full-time basis sometime in 2026. Other relief candidates on the 40-man include Easton McGee, Sammy Peralta, and Rob Zastryzny. Ashby, Ángel Zerpa, Hall, Patrick, Shane Drohan, Carlos Rodriguez, Logan Henderson, and other starting pitchers in the Brewers’ rotation Royal Rumble may end up in the bullpen. Among non-roster invitees, the Brewers have Gerson Garabito (though he'll miss at least the first two months of the season with an injury), old friend Peter Strzelecki, and Jacob Waguespack as options, although they may be more likely to serve as depth at Triple-A Nashville. A lot of the Brewers’ rotation prospects at Nashville or Double-A Biloxi could find themselves doing work out of the bullpen to start their careers in Milwaukee, a path previously trodden by former Brewers ace Corbin Burnes and current ace Brandon Woodruff in their early years in Milwaukee. Best-Case Scenario The Brewers cash in on one or two relievers (Ashby and Megill seem like top candidates) around the trade deadline not only to pick up some help elsewhere for a playoff push, but also to clear space for younger pitchers with more talent and roster flexibility. No pitcher appears in more than 60 games. If this is happening, then the Brewers are getting excellent production from the bullpen, and they are building more assets to continue their competitive run of finishing above .500 in every full year since 2017. Drohan is one likely candidate to take a multi-inning fireman role, similar to what Josh Hader held down in 2017 and 2018, and he could save the Brewers a not-insignificant amount of money by forcing a trade of Ashby. But this also will be dependent on how well Brewers relief prospects fare in Nashville and Biloxi. The Brewers have numerous pathways for their bullpen to succeed in 2026. The real question will be whether that depth is leveraged to bring in new assets for the team, or if it addresses injuries. Worst-Case Scenario The Brewers end up trading for relief pitching help. This scenario involves injuries and ineffectiveness across the entire pitching staff, and the prospects at Triple-A and Double-A. In 2025, the Brewers were able to win big, even when their bullpen was cobbled together, but the price was a heavy reliance on Megill, Uribe, Anderson, Koenig, and Mears, creating a bill that came due in the playoffs. In this case, the Brewers’ preference will be to deal from their surplus, likely involving pitchers who are out of options, and picking the cream of the crop from teams in need of bullpen help. Overview The bullpen will probably be a source of strength for the Brewers in 2026, even if the team starts a churn when top pitching prospects push their way to Milwaukee. The biggest question isn’t if the bullpen will be a strength; it will be how it is a strength. If the innings for Brewers relievers are more spread out, the team will be in good shape for October. If multiple pitchers hit 70 appearances a game, the team might have a good record, but there’s a risk of an October dropoff as fatigue catches up. View the full article

In his first action of the 2026 Cactus League season, Ben Brown needed just 30 pitches to get through two breezy, scoreless innings. He held the Royals to two hits and didn't issue a walk, while striking out three. That's just part of the story, though. For Brown, the bigger questions were bound to be about stuff and developmental progress—and on that front, there was even more good news. Brown threw 12 curveballs, but of his other 18 offerings, only eight were his formerly standard four-seam fastball. The other 10 were, pretty unequivocally, sinkers—or, more precisely, two-seamers. The pitches still had quite a bit of carry, but they ran much more to Brown's arm side, toward right-handed batters. This is not the kind of third pitch Cubs fans have been waiting and hoping for Brown to add to his repertoire over the last two years. He's experimented with different breaking-ball shapes to complement his hard curveball and with various forms of the changeup; those offerings would be the ones he could use to turn a lineup card over better and thrive as a starter. This pitch is something else. Brown throws from a high three-quarter arm slot. Last year, he averaged a 45° arm angle, significantly higher than the big-league average. From that slot, hitters are virtually always looking for a four-seamer. Sinkers from such an angle are very rare. However, there's no sign that Brown has lowered that angle this year. Spring games don't come with arm angle data, at least right away, and Monday's game wasn't broadcast on video, but the video we do have shows Brown operating from at least as high a slot. Brown faced almost exclusively right-handed batters Monday, which is probably why we didn't see him try out a cutter or test-drive this year's flavor of changeup. It was still illustrative, though, because we got to se him use both the four-seamer (7 times) and the sinker (10) against batters of the same handedness. He was, plainly, using the sinker as a lane-changer, commanding the inner half of the plate with that pitch and the outer half with the four-seamer. The curve can play off each pitch; he just needs to prove to opposing righties that he can throw strikes on both sides of the dish. Most sinkers come from lower-than-average arm slots, but the high-slot, running two-seamer is coming more into vogue. Last season, 15 pitchers threw at last 300 sinkers from arm angles of 45° or higher. Most notably, José Alvarado of the Phillies and Félix Bautista of the Orioles use high slots, but throw running, high-velocity heaters with which batters can hardly do anything. Brown also sat 97 in his outing Monday. That's the key to all of this. At that high a velocity, in two- or three-inning stints, he can be a monster, especially if utilizing multiple fastball shapes opens up the whole zone for him and forces hitters to chase his curve more frequently. The presence of a sinker does not make him a good candidate to start, per se, and we need to see whether he's made any progress with pitches that neutralize left-handed batters before getting excited. If Brown does end up in a stretched-out relief role, though, the sinker he showed Monday could be the key that unlocks his seemingly limitless potential. A version of him that mixes elite extension and average-plus command of both fastballs with that hammer curve is the second-best reliever in the Cubs bullpen, trailing only Daniel Palencia. Even if they keep trying to make things work for him as a starter, having the sinker in his mix will come in handy. If nothing else, he's showing a new and vital skill that had previously been missing from his scouting report: adaptability. View the full article

JUPITER, FL—Especially when we are still in the early days of spring training, it's normal for two starting pitchers to get work for the same team in a single game. On Monday, Miami Marlins right-handers Eury Pérez and Max Meyer both took the mound. Here is a closer look at how they fared against the St. Louis Cardinals, plus more takeaways from the game and a couple injury updates. Eury Pérez and Max Meyer take the mound In Pérez's lone inning of work, he threw 19 pitches (nine for strikes), surrendering one run on one one hit, two walks and struck out one. His lone strikeout victim was Nolan Gorman who swung at a 99.0 mph fastball, which is what Pérez topped out at. He threw his new sweeper as well. "I think the sweeper looked good," Pérez said in Spanish. "It's something that I've been throwing and am going to continue working on. There was one swing-and-miss and some others that didn't land for strikes. Think the weather was not helping me much with the grip." Last season, Pérez occasionally suffered from pitch-clock violations and that was once again the issue on Monday. He said that the first violation was due to some miscommunication between the coaching staff and Agustín Ramírez—they were supposed to start with a sweeper, but that was not communicated with Ramírez. This start also was an opportunity for Pérez to work from the stretch even with the bases empty, something he admitted he is uncomfortable with. He worked on the delivery and holding runners. Meyer's debut was as good as you could've expected. He threw 11 pitches (seven for strikes) and struck out two, both with his slider. His fastball topped out at 96.7 mph. "Feels good getting back on top of that pitch," Meyer said about his slider following his outing. "It was tough getting on that in the past, but yeah, just getting on top of it, playing it in the zone, getting swings-and-misses in the zone. Obviously feels good, but it's spring training, so can't take too much out of it." This marked Meyer's first appearance back after undergoing season-ending hip surgery, but there weren't any nerves despite the long lay-off. "Just felt good to be back out there, competing and getting in an actual game," said Meyer. "Not many takeaways, it's spring, everyone's working on stuff. Threw strikes, not a lot of pitches, so had to finish up in the 'pen, but it was good." He estimates that he threw 15 additional pitches after leaving the game as he gradually builds up to a starter's workload. Jakob Marsee goes deep Leading off the bottom of the first inning, Marlins outfielder Jakob Marsee took Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy 401 feet deep to right field. It marked his first home run of the spring. He later drew a pair of walks. 0p28v3_1.mp4 Marsee was invited to big league camp last spring, but an oblique strain limited him to only one game. After having success with Triple-A Jacksonville, he was called up by Miami a day after the 2025 trade deadline, played in 55 games and slashed .292/.363/.478/.842 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 14 stolen bases and a 133 wRC+. "He looks great," McCullough said. "He's got himself ready to go take down a full season now in the major leagues. Great swing in that first at-bat, caught one elevated to pull side. He showed some power last season that maybe was a little surprising for as how he could impact the baseball." Marsee will make two more Grapefruit League starts before reporting to team Italy for the World Baseball Classic. Pair of relievers make strong impression Josh White and William Kempner were selected to the 40-man roster in November and they are both in their first big league camp. White, who has a better chance of making the team's Opening Day roster, is coming off a dominant Triple-A season, posting a 1.86 ERA in 67 ⅔ innings. On Monday, he topped out at 96.0 mph, striking out two without allowing any runs. "Unique arm slot and how he can generate a lot of top-to-bottom with his breaking balls," said McCullough. "Hitters have a tough time picking up the slider and where that ball is going to finish. Good first outing for him. Came as advertised." As for Kempner, he was acquired from the Giants for international pool money in January 2025, a move which has aged well for the Marlins. Kempner topped out at 96.7 mph and also struck out two, working around a walk and a hit-by-pitch. "The stuff we know is going to be great. Now, accessing the strike zone on a regular basis will probably dictate the success, but the stuff is no question," McCullough said. Quick notes - In addition to the pitchers mentioned above, the Marlins also used Michael Petersen, Garrett Acton, Josh White, William Kempner, Patrick Monteverde, Colby Martin and Peyton Fosher. Monteverde made the first multi-inning appearance of any Marlins pitcher this spring. Most of the position players who played were the ones we previously saw up in Port St. Lucie for the Grapefruit League opener on Saturday. - Matthew Etzel helped himself with a 109.7 mph double in the top of the ninth inning, but in the bottom of the ninth, he misjudged a ball in center field, leading to a double on what should have been the final out of the game. - Chris Paddack will start for the Marlins on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Tyler Phillips will start a bullpen game on Wednesday against the Houston Astros, which will also include Pete Fairbanks' 2026 spring debut. - Graham Pauley is dealing with right forearm tightness and has been shut down from all baseball activities. He went for imaging and no results have come back as of Wednesday evening. - Andrew Nardi (right finger blister) threw a pitch design session of 15 pitches and is progressing well. "You can tell there's a whole different vibe and feel around him," McCullough said. "He's feeling great." - Anthony Bender (right tibial stress reaction) came out of his last pitch design "in a great spot," per McCullough. Next step is for him to dial up his fastball velo. - The plan for Janson Junk (Grade 1 right ankle sprain) is to get him on the mound either Wednesday or Thursday What's next? The Marlins will remain in Jupiter Tuesday afternoon as they welcome the Philadelphia Phillies at 1:10 pm. Chris Paddack, who was one of four free agents the team signed this offseason, will make his first start of the spring. It's expected to be one inning. The game will not be televised, but you can listen on the MLB app. View the full article

What if the next frontline arm in Minnesota is already in the system? Zebby Matthews has the pitch mix, the command, and the quiet confidence that scream breakout starter, and his upside might be even higher than people realize. Let’s talk about why the Twins could be sitting on something special. View the full article

What if the next frontline arm in Minnesota is already in the system? Zebby Matthews has the pitch mix, the command, and the quiet confidence that scream breakout starter, and his upside might be even higher than people realize. Let’s talk about why the Twins could be sitting on something special. View the full article

Spring training optimism is easy to find this time of year, but the Hall of Fame ballot has quietly provided its own jolt of hope for fans of modern-era starting pitchers. The 2026 election delivered a shockwave, when Felix Hernández vaulted from 20.6% of the vote to 46.1% in a single year. No pitcher has ever made a jump that large, and it feels like more than a curiosity. It feels like a course correction. Nearly six decades passed between Sandy Koufax walking away from the game in 1966 and Hernández appearing on the ballot in 2025. In that span, 32 pitchers retired with win totals between 165 and 199. None of them were elected to the Hall of Fame. Most were not even close. That context makes Hernández’s rise impossible to ignore. It suggests voters are finally grappling with how different the job has become, and perhaps how little pitcher wins matter. Hernández has been here before. In 2010, he won the American League Cy Young Award with just 13 wins, a result that helped break the stranglehold of pitcher wins as the defining measure of excellence. That moment mattered, and this one does, too. The same evolution that reshaped Cy Young voting now needs to reshape Hall of Fame voting. Hernández's countryman Johan Santana is the clearest example of the importance of that shift. In 2005, Santana lost the Cy Young Award to Bartolo Colón because Colón had more wins. Santana led the league in WAR (according to Baseball Reference), strikeouts, and WHIP, but that didn't matter at the time. Had he won that award, Santana would have captured three straight Cy Youngs, a feat that historically functions as a fast pass to Cooperstown. Instead, he owns two, and the difference between two and three has loomed far larger than it ever should have. Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine has openly acknowledged the problem. “Listen, I’ve had numerous conversations with (his fellow Hall of Famers) about what the Hall of Fame is going to look like," Glavine said. "And what I tell them is, the days of what guys in past eras have done are gone. I mean, we’ve got to redefine everything, right? So I think that for those of us who are accustomed to what the Hall of Fame is at the moment, that’s going to be a little bit of a hard sell.” Baseball never stops changing, and no position has been reshaped more dramatically than starting pitcher. The 250-inning workhorses are gone. The march toward 300 wins is effectively extinct. Unless the sport takes a hard turn back in time, those milestones won't come back. That reality makes direct comparisons to earlier generations unfair and increasingly useless. It also helps explain why starting pitchers have struggled so badly with BBWAA voters. Only 38 of the 75 Hall of Fame starters were elected through regular BBWAA voting. If the standards don't evolve, entire generations will pass with few or no starters elected, and the list of well-qualified snubs will keep growing. Santana already fell victim to that system. His lone appearance on the BBWAA ballot came in 2018, one of the most crowded ballots in history. Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome, and Trevor Hoffman were elected. Edgar Martínez, Mike Mussina, Larry Walker, and Fred McGriff were still building support. Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, and Curt Schilling continued to dominate the discussion while siphoning off votes. Santana received 10 votes, 2.4 percent of the number of ballots cast, and fell short of the 5% needed to remain on the ballot. That outcome looks worse with every passing year. From 2003 through 2009, very few (if any) pitchers matched Santana’s dominance. He was a four-time All-Star, won the pitching Triple Crown, and captured three ERA titles. He won two Cy Young Awards and should have won a third (see above). Santana finished in the top five in Cy Young voting five consecutive times. According to fWAR, only Roy Halladay, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, provided more value during that seven-year stretch. Santana threw more innings, struck out hitters at a higher rate, and posted a lower ERA. Every pitcher with three Cy Young Awards (besides Clemens) has been elected to the Hall of Fame, or is expected to be elected when eligible. Santana sits just outside that club because of an outdated obsession with wins that the sport itself has already abandoned. Because Santana fell off the BBWAA ballot after just one year, his path to Cooperstown now runs through the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee. That group evaluates players whose primary contributions came from 1980 to the present day, offering a second chance for candidates who were overlooked or misunderstood during their brief window with the writers. It is a different process, one driven more by peer perspective than historical inertia, and it creates an opportunity for voters to reassess Santana’s peak dominance within the context of a modern game that no longer values pitchers the way it once did. Hernández’s ballot surge suggests voters are finally willing to meet the modern game where it is. If that shift continues, the Hall of Fame can begin to properly honor pitchers whose greatness did not come packaged in round numbers. For Santana, that change in perspective may be the only path left. It just might be enough. Should Santana be in the Hall of Fame? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Every fan wants to make judgments on the athletes who play for their team based on what they see in action. For MLB spring training, it is a bit more complicated. Starting players, whether position players or pitchers, ease into their springs, playing minimal innings to begin and ramping up over a month. It is the other players, those fighting for jobs or prospects looking to get noticed or show they are ready for bigger roles, who take more of the at-bats and pitch more of the innings. And those come against players on other teams in similar situations. For the Milwaukee Brewers, there are a few position battles going on, but room on the Opening Day roster is tight. There are fewer non-roster veteran players in camp this year due to a well-stocked farm system. Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. This recap covers the Brewers' first three Cactus League games. The Crew went 0-3, losing to the Cleveland Guardians' split squad 9-6, then splitting up themselves Sunday for a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox and a 7-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Who's Hot? 🔥 Tyler Black: Once a highly touted prospect, the first baseman-outfielder is now fighting for a role as other talent moves up the organization ladder. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter started twice, once at first and the other in left, going 2-for-5 with a walk and two stolen bases. Starting allows players to face other starters. Black grounded out vs. Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo, then struck out against White Sox right-hander Mike Vasil, singled vs. right-hander Jordan Leasure, and flew out against right-hander Sean Burke. Akil Baddoo: A candidate for a backup outfield job, Baddoo went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. Baddoo started in left and hit third vs. the Guardians, getting a sacrifice fly in the first inning off Cantillo and striking out in the third vs. Connor Brogdon. Baddoo started in center against the White Sox, walking against Vasil and then homering on the first pitch Leasure threw, leading off the third inning. Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser: With 23 pitchers throwing no more than one inning, it was tough to single out one pitcher. These are two of the top candidates for a starting role and started each of Sunday's games. Henderson went against the White Sox, retiring Derek Hill on a sharp fly to center, getting Kyle Teel on a bouncer back to the mound, and getting Munetaka Murakami to fly out to right. He threw just 14 pitches, nine of which were strikes. Gasser also went just one inning against the Royals. Maikel Garcia singled to left, Jac Caglianone struck out, and Nick Loftin grounded into an inning-ending double play. Gasser threw seven strikes among his 11 pitches. Who's Not? 🧊 Brice Turang: After opening eyes with his late-season power surge, the former Platinum Glove-winning second baseman was selected to be on the U.S. roster for the World Baseball Classic. He is expected to be a backup there, so his plate appearances before leaving camp have a little more importance. In two games, Turang went 1-for-5 with a strikeout and a run scored. His spring started well, with a single off Cantillo on the fourth pitch of the first game. He stole second, went to third on a Jackson Chourio hit, and scored on Baddoo's sac fly. But nothing to panic about here. Luis Lara: Perhaps the Opening Day center fielder in a couple of years, Lara got a pair of starts in right field. He went 1-for-6 with two strikeouts. His lone hit was a grounded double to left off White Sox right-hander Luke Bell. This spring is more of getting a taste of where Lara needs to get to in order to join the major-league roster. Carlos Rodriguez: With seven MLB appearances already on his ledger, Rodriguez remains an outside candidate to join the Opening Day rotation. His first game this spring was bumpy. Coming on after Henderson in the White Sox game, Austin Hays greeted him with a double and went to third on Lenyn Sosa's groundout. Curtis Mead had an RBI single, but Rodriguez struck out Branden Montgomery and Korey Lee. He had 15 strikes in his 23 pitches. Not a bad outing. View the full article

Every fan wants to make judgments on the athletes who play for their team based on what they see in action. For MLB spring training, it is a bit more complicated. Starting players, whether position players or pitchers, ease into their springs, playing minimal innings to begin and ramping up over a month. It is the other players, those fighting for jobs or prospects looking to get noticed or show they are ready for bigger roles, who take more of the at-bats and pitch more of the innings. And those come against players on other teams in similar situations. For the Milwaukee Brewers, there are a few position battles going on, but room on the Opening Day roster is tight. There are fewer non-roster veteran players in camp this year due to a well-stocked farm system. Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is meant as basic information, not necessarily hardcore analysis. This recap covers the Brewers' first three Cactus League games. The Crew went 0-3, losing to the Cleveland Guardians' split squad 9-6, then splitting up themselves Sunday for a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox and a 7-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Who's Hot? 🔥 Tyler Black: Once a highly touted prospect, the first baseman-outfielder is now fighting for a role as other talent moves up the organization ladder. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter started twice, once at first and the other in left, going 2-for-5 with a walk and two stolen bases. Starting allows players to face other starters. Black grounded out vs. Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo, then struck out against White Sox right-hander Mike Vasil, singled vs. right-hander Jordan Leasure, and flew out against right-hander Sean Burke. Akil Baddoo: A candidate for a backup outfield job, Baddoo went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. Baddoo started in left and hit third vs. the Guardians, getting a sacrifice fly in the first inning off Cantillo and striking out in the third vs. Connor Brogdon. Baddoo started in center against the White Sox, walking against Vasil and then homering on the first pitch Leasure threw, leading off the third inning. Logan Henderson and Robert Gasser: With 23 pitchers throwing no more than one inning, it was tough to single out one pitcher. These are two of the top candidates for a starting role and started each of Sunday's games. Henderson went against the White Sox, retiring Derek Hill on a sharp fly to center, getting Kyle Teel on a bouncer back to the mound, and getting Munetaka Murakami to fly out to right. He threw just 14 pitches, nine of which were strikes. Gasser also went just one inning against the Royals. Maikel Garcia singled to left, Jac Caglianone struck out, and Nick Loftin grounded into an inning-ending double play. Gasser threw seven strikes among his 11 pitches. Who's Not? 🧊 Brice Turang: After opening eyes with his late-season power surge, the former Platinum Glove-winning second baseman was selected to be on the U.S. roster for the World Baseball Classic. He is expected to be a backup there, so his plate appearances before leaving camp have a little more importance. In two games, Turang went 1-for-5 with a strikeout and a run scored. His spring started well, with a single off Cantillo on the fourth pitch of the first game. He stole second, went to third on a Jackson Chourio hit, and scored on Baddoo's sac fly. But nothing to panic about here. Luis Lara: Perhaps the Opening Day center fielder in a couple of years, Lara got a pair of starts in right field. He went 1-for-6 with two strikeouts. His lone hit was a grounded double to left off White Sox right-hander Luke Bell. This spring is more of getting a taste of where Lara needs to get to in order to join the major-league roster. Carlos Rodriguez: With seven MLB appearances already on his ledger, Rodriguez remains an outside candidate to join the Opening Day rotation. His first game this spring was bumpy. Coming on after Henderson in the White Sox game, Austin Hays greeted him with a double and went to third on Lenyn Sosa's groundout. Curtis Mead had an RBI single, but Rodriguez struck out Branden Montgomery and Korey Lee. He had 15 strikes in his 23 pitches. Not a bad outing. View the full article

Minnesota Twins left-handed pitching prospect Kendry Rojas got his first spring training action Sunday. He worked two innings, tossing 24 pitches, with three strikeouts and no walks against the Atlanta Braves. Rojas also generated an encouraging five swings and misses over his two innings, while touching 98 mph on the radar gun. After coming over from Toronto in the trade that sent Louis Varland out of Minnesota, Rojas will hope to be that electric on a more consistent basis. There's still plenty of room to grow for the 23-year-old left-hander, who has struggled to stay healthy during his pro career. To be a starter, Rojas will need to throw more innings than he has proved capable of. His career high for innings in a season is 84, achieved in A-ball back in 2023. Rojas has traditionally been a fastball-slider pitcher, but there seem to be issues with both of those pitches. The heater has sometimes had a four-seam shape, and sometimes been much more of a running two-seamer. The two-seam version of the pitch got hit hard last year, and overall fastball execution is a key area in which to make progress for Rojas. Rojas's slider grades out fairly well, but still got hit hard last season, itself. The lack of consistent execution in terms of lateral movement sometimes leaves Rojas's fastball(s), changeup and slider looking too similar; he has rarely shown the ability to create big contrasts in movement and location. That's limited him in thee effort to get whiffs. The key to that might be committing to the four-seamer, and scrapping the sinker. Rojas's four-seamer averaged north of 97 MPH Sunday, and because he kept it from running and flattening out, it set up his changeup and slider better. This will be an interesting development to keep an eye on. As we outlined above, Rojas’s heat has been hit hard in the past. Is his first outing of the spring the sign of a new approach in pitch mix for the young pitcher, or simply a one-off that worked against the Braves? This is the point where we usually ask whether Rojas should remain a starter or be considered for a relief role. However, this team is already loaded with lefty relief options for 2026. Furthermore, as we said at the beginning, from a value standpoint, the Twins really need Rojas to blossom into the effective starter they traded Varland for. Rojas has also told reporters this spring that the Twins have told him he is a starter, making the answer to that question simple. Rojas is plenty young and has plenty of time before any true panic needs to set in—that is, unless injuries, trades or ineffectiveness cause the Twins to need to call upon their Triple-A depth sooner than they would wish to. He has all three minor-league option years remaining, but if he's going to break through as a starter, it will probably happen before then. It will probably happen, too, via the tightening of that fastball into a pitch with consistent ride and less run, giving him more chances to generate swings and misses. View the full article

The Royals played their first spring training game on Friday. Which players have started off hot, and which players have looked a bit rusty? Don't read too much into spring training performances. Sample sizes are small, competition levels vary, and players may be working on specific adjustments that don't necessarily translate to traditional stats. This is only meant to inform and summarize what has happened in the past few games. However, underlying metrics and early performances are still worth monitoring to see how they progress throughout spring training. Who's Hot? 🔥 Salvador Perez: Perez was not messing around in his first plate appearance of spring when he hit a solo home run with an exit velocity of 108.8 mph. In his third plate appearance, he belted a double with an exit velocity of 106.6 mph. Both hits were classified as hard hits and barrels. On Saturday, he did not record a hit in two plate appearances, but he did produce a 104.2 mph groundout. With a 75% hard hit rate and 50% barrel rate through his first two spring games, Perez is clearly seeing the ball well. Team Venezuela will also be excited that their starting catcher and captain is off to a hot start with the World Baseball Classic getting ready to start. Stephen Kolek: Kolek was the starter in the Royals’ spring training opener against the Rangers, where he pitched the first two innings. While he did give up a run and struggled to get batters to whiff and chase pitches, the Stuff+ grades on his pitches were above average for four of the six pitches in his arsenal. His Changeup stood out, earning a grade of 113. Kolek’s fastball averaged 95.6 mph, which is a noticeable increase from his average of 94.0 mph last season. That velocity could be worth keeping an eye on to see whether he can maintain it throughout the season. If he can, is there a place for him in this year’s rotation? Helcris Olivárez: Olivárez has only allowed one baserunner in his two appearances this spring, who was hit by a pitch. In two innings pitched, he has only allowed two hard hits. While he has not yet recorded a strikeout, four of his outs were by inducing ground balls, which will be key for success at Kauffman Stadium after the fences were brought in this offseason. His Stuff+ is sitting at 101, helped by his fastball at 103, which averages 96.6 mph. His chase rate has started high at 50%, if he can convert that chase into more swing-and-misses to get more strikeouts, he could be a valuable asset to this Royals bullpen. Who's Cold? 🧊 Ben Kurdna: Kudrna was scheduled to pitch the fifth and sixth innings during Saturday’s game against the Padres. The Royals’ No. 6 prospect struggled in his outing and was unable to complete the 6th inning, allowing four earned runs on six hits and two walks in 1 2⁄3 innings. He failed to record a strikeout before being taken out with two outs in the sixth inning. Padres hitters had a 60% hard hit rate against Kudrna, so even some of his outs were off hard contact. Kudrna also struggled to generate swing and misses, with a 6.7% whiff rate across 37 pitches. Kudrna will look to bounce back in his next outing this spring. Vinnie Pasquantino: Pasquantino has yet to record a hit in his two appearances this spring. He has just one walk in five plate appearances with a pair of strikeouts. Of his two batted balls, he did have a 98.1 mph lineout that was caught. Perhaps he was a little unlucky since that lineout had an expected batting average of .740. There is still plenty of time for Pasquantino to hit his stride this spring. He will look to get as many at-bats as possible to prepare to compete with Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Aaron Sanchez: Sanchez was hit hard in his first outing of spring. While only allowing one run, he failed to record a strikeout and allowed four baserunners (two hits and two walks) in two innings pitched. Of the eight batted balls Sanchez faced, seven were classified as hard hits, including a 111.6 mph RBI double from William Contreras. If Sanchez hopes to reestablish himself as a viable MLB option, he will need to limit his hard-hit rate. Sanchez struggled to find the strike zone with a zone rate of 45.5%, and he struggled to get batters to chase those balls out of the zone. His Stuff+ was 94 for the day. A full breakdown can be seen below. View the full article

Spring training, like any exhibition season for any pro league, is often a time for boundless optimism for MLB fans. Especially when that player competing for a bench spot puts up spectacular numbers in what is surely to be that long-awaited World Series run. But I am here to tell you to pump the brakes, San Diego Padres fans. Most Cactus League games follow this format: starting position players play about three innings, then head home, not waiting for the final out. It is more about process than results for those assured of an Opening Day roster spot. With that in mind, Padres Mission is going to do a twice-a-week check-in to see who is doing well and who isn't. Don't take anything too seriously in this recap. It is only spring training, where exhibition games often devolve into minor-league scrimmages. The information below is intended as basic, not hardcore analysis. This recaps the Friars' first three exhibition games. The Padres went 1-2, losing to the Seattle Mariners 7-4, beating the Kansas City Royals 10-3, and falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1. Who's Hot? 🔥 Mason Miller: The closer, who is ramping up to represent the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic, threw 23 pitches Friday vs. the Mariners, 14 of which were strikes. But Miller lit up the radar gun, hitting or surpassing 100 mph nine times, topping out at 101.7 mph. He faced four batters in the fifth inning, including AL MVP runner-up Cal Raleigh, who popped out to second on five pitches. Miller did give up a single to Lazaro Montes, who was pinch-hitting for Julio Rodriguez. Montes, MLB Pipeline's No. 43 prospect, made it to Double-A last year. Jose Miranda: In what figures to be an intense battle for bench spots, the non-roster invite struck an early blow. The corner infielder went 5-for-6 with six RBIs in games vs. the Mariners and Kansas City Royals, including a two-run homer. The homer came against Mariners right-hander Alex Hoppe, who posted a 4.76 ERA in 37 games at Triple-A. He went 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs against the Royals. Two of his plate appearances came against Royals right-handed starter prospect Ben Kudrna, who had four games at Triple-A in 2025. Samad Taylor: Another possible piece of the bench puzzle, the non-roster invite played left field and center field against the Mariners and Royals, going 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base. He also has infield experience. His damage came against minor-league pitchers. Who's Not? 🧊 Triston McKenzie: The right-hander, a non-roster candidate for the starting rotation, was rocked in two-thirds of an inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Replacing Randy Vasquez to start the third inning, he sandwiched walks to Michael Siani and Kyle Tucker around a flyout by Miguel Rojas. Will Smith then singled off McKenzie, who then struck out Ryan Ward. Nick Senzel followed with a two-run double, ending McKenzie's day after 26 pitches, only 12 of which were strikes. McKenzie, who gave up four runs in his six-batter appearance, topped out his four-seamer at 98.7 mph, his second pitch of the day, and mostly sat around 96 mph. Miguel Mendez: In a game in which the Friars gave up three runs to the Royals, the 23-year-old No. 5 Padres prospect was tagged for two of those in 1⅓ innings. Facing Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez to open the fourth inning, Mendez yielded a leadoff single to Witt, who was caught stealing by Freddy Fermin. Mendez then started the fifth by walking Kyle Isbel and yielding a double to Dairon Blanco. After notching his second strikeout, Mendez walked Josh Rojas to load the bases and was relieved by Alek Jacob, who hit and walked the next two batters. Nick Castellanos and Luis Campusano: We will group these two together because they entered Cactus League play with a strong likelihood of making the Opening Day roster, but could easily be overtaken by poor springs. Castellanos' journey to the Padres is well-documented, while Campusano has seemingly been in the team's future plans for a few years. Both started this spring 0-for-4, nothing to be worried about, but offense is their strong suit. Castellanos did make a couple of nice plays at first base, a position he has never played before. View the full article

In 1969, the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos both joined the National League. Both teams posted records of 52-110 in the first season of divisional play, and those stood as the worst season records in the divisional era until the 2003 Detroit Tigers finished 43-119 and the 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks set the new National League record at 51‑111. Ironically, another last-place Padres team may be responsible for teams losing more than 110 games in a season. During the 12 seasons Bruce Bochy was the Padres’ manager, the team won four division championships and finished last four times. The Padres went from first place in 1996 to last in 1997 back to first in 1998. The often-injured Tony Gwynn was the Padres’ only primary starting position player in 1997 not to spend time on the disabled list, and starting pitcher Andy Ashby also spent part of the season on the disabled list. During the season, 18 different players would go on the disabled list, and the list would be used 20 times including 19 after the regular season began. At one time in 2000, the Padres had more salary on the disabled list than on the active roster. That same year, the Padres once had ten pitchers on the DL at the same time. That means some of the Padres’ pitchers that year weren’t truly ready for the major leagues but were promoted to the San Diego roster. The 2000 Padres who weren’t yet ready for major-league play also included outfielder Kory DeHaan. In 1998, DeHaan was in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League and batted .314 with 33 stolen bases. DeHaan split 1999 between two minor league teams and batted .303 with 46 stolen bases. The promise was enough for the Padres to select him in the Rule 5 draft, which required DeHaan to stay on the major-league roster for all of 2000. He batted .204 in 110 plate appearances while stealing four bases in 2000. The Padres were allowed to send DeHaan to the minors for 2001, and he batted .268 with 24 stolen bases. Prior to the September call-up period, he was with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in Portland during 2002, and he batted .283 with 23 stolen bases. That year, the final 66-96 record not only gave the Padres last place but was 32 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. The San Francisco Giants, who would reach the World Series that year, finished second and the Los Angeles Dodgers finished six games behind the Diamondbacks. The 2002 Padres played their final 19 games of the season against the Diamondbacks, Giants, or Dodgers. The first of those was six days after DeHaan was recalled to the expanded major-league roster. Major League Baseball has an unwritten rule that September call-ups shouldn't play against contenders. The Padres 2002 outfielders prior to the September call-ups included Ron Gant, Trenidad Hubbard, Gene Kingsale, Ray Lankford, and Bubba Trammell. Although none of them played for the Padres in 2003, they, rather than DeHaan, saw action against the contenders. DeHaan also was not with the Padres in 2003. He was limited to 11 plate appearances with the Friars in 2002 and had only a single. That did not provide the sufficient major league experience DeHaan needed to make the 2003 roster. He played 54 games with Portland in 2003 before retiring. The Padres themselves were in last place from the end of April to the end of the season and finished 36 1/2 games out of first place. In effect, the inability to get the team’s 2002 September call-ups plate appearances cost the Padres the following year. Baseball’s wild card playoff entrants make sense if there aren’t too many. When there are two or four or eight divisions, or leagues in the case of high school sports, a certain number of playoff teams from each division makes sense. Otherwise, wild card or at-large teams are needed to round out the brackets. The San Diego County section for high school sports was formed in 1960, and initially there were four 2A large school leagues and the top two teams from each league made the playoffs. The playoffs were expanded not so that a third-place team in a tough league could make the playoffs, but because enrollment growth merited a fifth 2A league. When the American Football League and National Football League merged, two 13-team conferences with three divisions apiece made sense and a wild card team was needed to round out the playoffs. So, after Major League Baseball expanded to 14 teams in each league. a format with three divisions with a wild card team was justified. High school baseball teams do not have roster limits. Coaches will assign a player to the junior varsity if he won't see much action on the varsity. The functional roster expansion is actually for the playoffs, since there are no further JV games and the JV players might fulfill some roles (often as a pinch-runner). Also, a contending high school team can't trade junior varsity or feeder middle school players to a non-contending team for varsity starters. At the major league level, the non-contending teams weren't able to use prospects after the wild card created more contenders. That led to two options: don't give the prospects needed experience and sacrifice future seasons, or unload the veterans before September so that the prospects wouldn't be September call-ups. What happened with Kory DeHaan sent a lesson to other teams, who began unloading veterans before the roster expansion period. More contending teams due to the wild card also means more teams seeking veterans for prospects, so non-contending teams are willing to increase the current season's losses given the right offer. Pro football playoffs were expanded from four teams to five in each conference to give division champions a bye while the two wild card teams played in the first round, so baseball playoff expansion to five teams in each league created that same benefit. The six-team playoff only meant more dumping by non-contending teams. The 2013 Houston Astros matched the 2004 Diamondbacks’ National League record for most losses in divisional play. The next major-league team to lose more than 110 games was the 2018 Baltimore Orioles, who had a 47-115 finish. Two other changes to Major League Baseball are likely responsible for dumping veterans earlier in the season and sacrificing the current season for a brighter future. The original trade deadline was implemented for the right reasons. In 1922, interleague trading didn’t exist, a rift between American League owners created factions, and the suspension of White Sox players involved in the Black Sox Scandal meant that the New York Yankees traded almost exclusively with the Boston Red Sox. The acquisition of Red Sox third baseman Joe Dugan in late July allowed the Yankees to win the 1922 American League championship by one game. Although the non-waiver trade deadline was eventually moved from June 15 to July 31 in 1986, trades could still be made later in the season if the player cleared waivers. In 2019, waiver trades in August were eliminated. That forced teams to declare early whether they were buyers or sellers. In 2019, the Tigers lost 114 games. Also in 2019, rosters prior to September 1 were expanded to 26 active players effective for the 2020 season, although due to the shortened 2020 season teams were allowed 28 players that year before having a maximum of 26 since 2021. That change also limited active rosters after September 1 to 28 players, and that took effect in 2021. When teams were allowed 40 active players after September 1, the additional roster positions went to both prospects and players returning from what was known as the disabled list. The reduction in additional players has limited the number of prospects who can be called up, thus turning those September prospects into earlier-season call-ups. With fewer September call-ups allowed, more veterans are jettisoned early to allow for the prospects to see playing time. In 2021, both the Diamondbacks and the Orioles had 110-loss seasons. The 2023, Oakland A’s had 114 losses. In 2024, the Chicago White Sox set an all-time record with 121 losses. The 2025 Colorado Rockies lost 119 games. Non-contending teams are now better off sacrificing their current seasons earlier than when two-team or even four-team playoffs, 40-man September rosters, and August waiver trades were the standard. The playoff expansion, September call-up limits, and August trade elimination changes were done for understandable reasons, but the increased discrepancies between the top teams and the worst teams may show that those changes have had some adverse consequences on parity. Kory DeHaan himself didn’t lose very many games. He had 27 hits and walks in his 121 major league plate appearances. A star he was not. But the inability of the Padres to develop players like Kory DeHaan likely led to changes throughout Major League Baseball which increased the quantity of losses by last-place teams. View the full article

In 1969, the San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos both joined the National League. Both teams posted records of 52-110 in the first season of divisional play, and those stood as the worst season records in the divisional era until the 2003 Detroit Tigers finished 43-119 and the 2004 Arizona Diamondbacks set the new National League record at 51‑111. Ironically, another last-place Padres team may be responsible for teams losing more than 110 games in a season. During the 12 seasons Bruce Bochy was the Padres’ manager, the team won four division championships and finished last four times. The Padres went from first place in 1996 to last in 1997 back to first in 1998. The often-injured Tony Gwynn was the Padres’ only primary starting position player in 1997 not to spend time on the disabled list, and starting pitcher Andy Ashby also spent part of the season on the disabled list. During the season, 18 different players would go on the disabled list, and the list would be used 20 times including 19 after the regular season began. At one time in 2000, the Padres had more salary on the disabled list than on the active roster. That same year, the Padres once had ten pitchers on the DL at the same time. That means some of the Padres’ pitchers that year weren’t truly ready for the major leagues but were promoted to the San Diego roster. The 2000 Padres who weren’t yet ready for major-league play also included outfielder Kory DeHaan. In 1998, DeHaan was in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League and batted .314 with 33 stolen bases. DeHaan split 1999 between two minor league teams and batted .303 with 46 stolen bases. The promise was enough for the Padres to select him in the Rule 5 draft, which required DeHaan to stay on the major-league roster for all of 2000. He batted .204 in 110 plate appearances while stealing four bases in 2000. The Padres were allowed to send DeHaan to the minors for 2001, and he batted .268 with 24 stolen bases. Prior to the September call-up period, he was with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in Portland during 2002, and he batted .283 with 23 stolen bases. That year, the final 66-96 record not only gave the Padres last place but was 32 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. The San Francisco Giants, who would reach the World Series that year, finished second and the Los Angeles Dodgers finished six games behind the Diamondbacks. The 2002 Padres played their final 19 games of the season against the Diamondbacks, Giants, or Dodgers. The first of those was six days after DeHaan was recalled to the expanded major-league roster. Major League Baseball has an unwritten rule that September call-ups shouldn't play against contenders. The Padres 2002 outfielders prior to the September call-ups included Ron Gant, Trenidad Hubbard, Gene Kingsale, Ray Lankford, and Bubba Trammell. Although none of them played for the Padres in 2003, they, rather than DeHaan, saw action against the contenders. DeHaan also was not with the Padres in 2003. He was limited to 11 plate appearances with the Friars in 2002 and had only a single. That did not provide the sufficient major league experience DeHaan needed to make the 2003 roster. He played 54 games with Portland in 2003 before retiring. The Padres themselves were in last place from the end of April to the end of the season and finished 36 1/2 games out of first place. In effect, the inability to get the team’s 2002 September call-ups plate appearances cost the Padres the following year. Baseball’s wild card playoff entrants make sense if there aren’t too many. When there are two or four or eight divisions, or leagues in the case of high school sports, a certain number of playoff teams from each division makes sense. Otherwise, wild card or at-large teams are needed to round out the brackets. The San Diego County section for high school sports was formed in 1960, and initially there were four 2A large school leagues and the top two teams from each league made the playoffs. The playoffs were expanded not so that a third-place team in a tough league could make the playoffs, but because enrollment growth merited a fifth 2A league. When the American Football League and National Football League merged, two 13-team conferences with three divisions apiece made sense and a wild card team was needed to round out the playoffs. So, after Major League Baseball expanded to 14 teams in each league. a format with three divisions with a wild card team was justified. High school baseball teams do not have roster limits. Coaches will assign a player to the junior varsity if he won't see much action on the varsity. The functional roster expansion is actually for the playoffs, since there are no further JV games and the JV players might fulfill some roles (often as a pinch-runner). Also, a contending high school team can't trade junior varsity or feeder middle school players to a non-contending team for varsity starters. At the major league level, the non-contending teams weren't able to use prospects after the wild card created more contenders. That led to two options: don't give the prospects needed experience and sacrifice future seasons, or unload the veterans before September so that the prospects wouldn't be September call-ups. What happened with Kory DeHaan sent a lesson to other teams, who began unloading veterans before the roster expansion period. More contending teams due to the wild card also means more teams seeking veterans for prospects, so non-contending teams are willing to increase the current season's losses given the right offer. Pro football playoffs were expanded from four teams to five in each conference to give division champions a bye while the two wild card teams played in the first round, so baseball playoff expansion to five teams in each league created that same benefit. The six-team playoff only meant more dumping by non-contending teams. The 2013 Houston Astros matched the 2004 Diamondbacks’ National League record for most losses in divisional play. The next major-league team to lose more than 110 games was the 2018 Baltimore Orioles, who had a 47-115 finish. Two other changes to Major League Baseball are likely responsible for dumping veterans earlier in the season and sacrificing the current season for a brighter future. The original trade deadline was implemented for the right reasons. In 1922, interleague trading didn’t exist, a rift between American League owners created factions, and the suspension of White Sox players involved in the Black Sox Scandal meant that the New York Yankees traded almost exclusively with the Boston Red Sox. The acquisition of Red Sox third baseman Joe Dugan in late July allowed the Yankees to win the 1922 American League championship by one game. Although the non-waiver trade deadline was eventually moved from June 15 to July 31 in 1986, trades could still be made later in the season if the player cleared waivers. In 2019, waiver trades in August were eliminated. That forced teams to declare early whether they were buyers or sellers. In 2019, the Tigers lost 114 games. Also in 2019, rosters prior to September 1 were expanded to 26 active players effective for the 2020 season, although due to the shortened 2020 season teams were allowed 28 players that year before having a maximum of 26 since 2021. That change also limited active rosters after September 1 to 28 players, and that took effect in 2021. When teams were allowed 40 active players after September 1, the additional roster positions went to both prospects and players returning from what was known as the disabled list. The reduction in additional players has limited the number of prospects who can be called up, thus turning those September prospects into earlier-season call-ups. With fewer September call-ups allowed, more veterans are jettisoned early to allow for the prospects to see playing time. In 2021, both the Diamondbacks and the Orioles had 110-loss seasons. The 2023, Oakland A’s had 114 losses. In 2024, the Chicago White Sox set an all-time record with 121 losses. The 2025 Colorado Rockies lost 119 games. Non-contending teams are now better off sacrificing their current seasons earlier than when two-team or even four-team playoffs, 40-man September rosters, and August waiver trades were the standard. The playoff expansion, September call-up limits, and August trade elimination changes were done for understandable reasons, but the increased discrepancies between the top teams and the worst teams may show that those changes have had some adverse consequences on parity. Kory DeHaan himself didn’t lose very many games. He had 27 hits and walks in his 121 major league plate appearances. A star he was not. But the inability of the Padres to develop players like Kory DeHaan likely led to changes throughout Major League Baseball which increased the quantity of losses by last-place teams. View the full article

Mason Fluharty reported to camp 10 pounds heavier than last year, and prospect Arjun Nimmala added 15 pounds this offseason. They are just a small sample of a trend being seen across the Blue Jays organization. Maybe the big bodybuilders who sat behind the plate during the playoff run inspired the Jays, or perhaps it was Addison Barger adding some muscle prior to the 2023 season, but the Toronto Blue Jays are focused on high performance, and that means nutrition and strength are priorities. The organization has spent recent years reshaping its identity around a comprehensive, organization‑wide commitment to high performance, pursuing physical optimization as a competitive edge. Their modern approach emerged from a deliberate investment in sports science, including a staff of more than 40 specialists overseeing every athlete in the system from the low minors to the major league roster. This focus on individualized development can be seen under the stands at Rogers Centre, where the team has a massive weight room, which has tripled in size over the last few years and now features turf lanes, movement zones, and a cardio theatre. The amenities provide players with every resource needed to train effectively during the season as well as in the offseason. The transformation has spread throughout the organization, tying nutrition, strength training, biomechanics, durability planning, and mental performance into a coherent system that frames the Blue Jays not only as a skilled team but as one built for resilience over 162 games and beyond. Much of the public attention around the Jays’ physical evolution can be traced through player stories. The most well‑known is that of Barger, who openly detailed how his rise as a major league contributor started with a dramatic physical change. Barger gained 50 pounds prior to the 2023 season. The shift led to him becoming a legitimate power hitter. The intentional transformation of his frame from the ground up supported higher bat speed and harder contact, but also broadened his defensive range and versatility. Barger’s development has become a touchstone within the organization, an illustration of how the Jays want players to add strength that translates into repeatable, on‑field value rather than weight for its own sake. Fluharty’s progression offers another strong illustration of this philosophy. The left‑hander, who proved to be a crucial bullpen piece during the 2025 season, spent his 2026 offseason adding muscle with the explicit aim of improving durability and maintaining velocity deep into the year. His development plan was aimed at boosting his velocity, supporting the demands of high‑leverage outings, and helping him withstand the season‑long grind. What is striking this year, however, is how many players across the organization have joined the movement. While the Jays have not publicly stated organization‑wide numbers, the visible physical changes among players like Fluharty, Nimmala, Barger, and Ricky Tiedemann reflect how widely the club’s high‑performance model has taken hold. For Toronto, this widespread adoption reflects not just a trend but the maturation of an organizational identity rooted in high‑performance principles. The emphasis on strength is equally visible in how the Jays are handling prized pitching prospect Tiedemann. The left-hander’s rise through the minors was fueled in part by an offseason transformation that saw him pack on muscle and reach a listed weight of around 240 pounds heading into 2024, a physical leap that contributed to the upper‑90s fastball velocity that made him one of baseball’s most hyped young arms. However, Tiedemann’s story also reflects the delicate balance the Jays must manage. Heavy workloads and high-power deliveries carry risk. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2024, Tiedemann missed all of last season. Since returning, Tiedemann is reported to be working through staged drills to restore strength in his legs and arm while avoiding premature intensity, with emphasis on hip mobility, trunk stability, and a return‑to‑throwing program individually designed for him. The Jays’ staff has become increasingly vocal about building athletes who are not just powerful but durable. The key is supporting players so they can maintain their mechanics and peak output from April to October. For pitchers like Tiedemann, this means prioritizing movement efficiency as much as velocity, ensuring that their growing strength actually reduces injury risk rather than amplifying it. It isn’t just about strength. The Jays, like most professional sports teams, are also emphasizing nutrition. That means players are encouraged to consume lean proteins, slow‑digesting carbohydrates, and whole‑food snacks. Inside Rogers Centre, nutrition stations are stocked with fruit, yogurt, proteins such as chicken and beans, and smoothie setups that encourage individualized fuelling timed around performance. Alongside strength and conditioning, the high‑performance staff preaches the importance of eating to sustain energy, recovery, and body composition goals tailored to their role and physical profile. While they might not play 19 innings every game, they need to be able to handle the grind of 162-plus games. In recent seasons, players have also begun working with performance chefs and dietitians year‑round rather than only during the season. Several prospects have described learning how to shop, prep meals, and manage hydration as part of their development. For a young player trying to add 10-20 pounds of lean mass, understanding daily fuelling needs can be just as important as lifting weights. Physical health is complemented by a thorough mental performance approach that might explain why the team’s chemistry, especially last year, was so strong. Prioritizing workload has also paid dividends for the team. From George Springer to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the occasional off day or designated hitter assignment can make a big difference in helping a player stay healthy and effective. The Jays’ mental skills staff has emphasized routine, confidence, and communication. These are key ingredients that help players translate physical gains into competitive performance. A stronger body is only valuable if the mind can handle pressure, reset quickly, and maintain consistent habits. This alignment is often cited by players as the reason the 2025 clubhouse functioned at such a high level throughout the season. Apart from Nimmala and Tiedemann, the organization’s focus on physically empowered athletes can best be illustrated by the quick rise of Trey Yesavage. He was able to remain healthy and dominant in 2025, despite a huge workload. Building athletes who can withstand Yesavage’s climb has become a blueprint for how the Jays want their pitching prospects to develop. It hinges on building strength early, monitoring workload carefully, and then unleashing potential when the athlete is both physically and mentally mature enough to handle it. His durability during the playoff push reaffirmed the belief that strong bodies, supported by strong systems, create results. Seen in full, the Blue Jays of 2026 are the product of a decade‑long shift toward a total performance model. A model that treats players holistically, optimizes them systematically, and believes that building stronger, more resilient bodies unlocks not just individual potential but organizational stability. Bulk, in Toronto’s world, is not a fad but a foundational principle expressed through carefully planned individualized strength and nutrition alongside a culture that rewards continuous improvement. If anything, the clearest sign of progress is that physical development is no longer seen as optional. It is a shared responsibility embedded in the team’s identity. Veterans buy into it, prospects are raised in it, and coaches reinforce it. The result is a roster engineered to withstand the demands of a season, respond to adversity, and compete at the highest level. If the 2025 season demonstrated the power of this model, 2026 represents its continuation and an opportunity for the Jays to convert these strengths into wins. View the full article

The range of outcomes that we could see from the 2026 San Diego Padres is vast. It’s a flawed roster, but one that isn’t short on upside. Despite the attention that the pitching staff has gotten throughout the offseason, it’s the offensive side of things that could have the most significant bearing on their fortunes in the upcoming year. The stars are still in place in Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Jackson Merrill. The secondary pieces are, too, in Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts, et al. Some new faces join the fray – most notably Sung Mun Song, Miguel Andujar, and Nick Castellanos – but it’s the holdover that will have the most to say about where this team can go this season. As such, let’s talk about what the team needs out of each hitter in order to maximize the offensive success that felt so fleeting a year ago. Freddy Fermin: Get on Base Freddy Fermin is not in San Diego to hit. He’s in San Diego as a competent, controllable catcher. Nevertheless, he’s going to have to find ways to stretch this lineup, and reaching base is the best way that he can do that. Despite limited upside, Fermin does have a keen awareness of the strike zone. What he doesn’t do, though, is walk. Despite quality strikeout numbers in the last two seasons – 17.9 and 18.7 percent, respectively – he’s more prone to swinging than walking, where he did so at a rate of just 5.5 percent in 2025. If he can start to work that patience to his advantage at a higher rate, it would be a boon for the top of the order given his likely presence toward the bottom of it. More on base for a catcher that has been close to an average baserunner in his career would beget more run production opportunities for the top bats when the lineup flips. Gavin Sheets: Consistency in Approach The 2025 iteration of Gavin Sheets lent plenty of validation to change-of-scenery as a concept. While the vibe shift itself likely played a role, Sheets was able to ascend on his own courtesy of chase and whiff rates that improved steadily as the season wore on. In August, Sheets posted by his highest in-zone swing rate (64.5 percent) and his lowest rate of chase-and-miss (22.2 percent) of any individual month. The result? Sheets slashed .412/.464/.745 with a 237 wRC+ in 56 plate appearances. It was a smaller sample due to injury (while also being entirely unsustainable), but there’s a foundation laid that speaks to what Sheets can do if he has the discipline reined in. If he wants to hold off Andujar and Castellanos for playing time, he’ll have to demonstrate some consistency in that regard. Jake Cronenworth: Find the Barrel As indicated by his 13.4 percent walk rate (94th percentile), Cronenworth is perhaps the most patient hitter the Padres have to offer. What he couldn’t do, however, was parlay that patience into positive outcomes when he actually swung the bat. His 6.2 percent barrel rate didn’t just live in the 25th percentile, but represented a rather notable drop from 2024, when he found it at a 7.8 percent clip. He swung the bat faster in 2025 than either of the previous years, getting him to roughly average after a pair of seasons on the slow end of the swing speed leaderboard. If he can utilize the approach toward creating more quality contact, the compounding of a keen eye and improved bat speed could have him trending back toward the power upside we saw from him early in his career. Xander Bogaerts: Be Aggressive In the first two months of 2025, there was plenty of talk of Bogaerts being a sunk cost and some hope that a team might be willing to take some of his contract off the Padres’ books. That shifted in June and July as Bogaerts posted wRC+ figures of 123 and 125, respectively, and brought his slugging percentage well back over the .400 threshold. The big change was in his aggression. While he walked at an abnormally high rate (based on his career number) in the first two months, the free passes dipped and the swing rate went up. We saw a glimpse of the same in an injury-shortened September (115 wRC+, .500 SLG), albeit in just 18 plate appearances. Bogaerts has the contact chops and an above-average swing speed that rose two percent from the previous season (72.2 MPH). Similar to Cronenworth – even if not as extreme – he can sacrifice a bit on the walk end if it means more impact when he swings the bat. Manny Machado: Find the Power Faster Manny Machado is one of the two or three most important hitters in the San Diego lineup. The last two seasons, however, it has taken him a while to get going. In 2024, he went three consecutive months with a sub-.200 ISO before exploding to .250, .283, and .237 in the last three months of the year. Last season, he started much the same before crossing the .200 threshold in June on his way to a .283 ISO in July. The difference is that in 2024, he was coming off an offseason surgery that likely contributed to his slow start. That same scenario didn’t exist last year. If the Padres want to continue their run of contention, though, the power is going to have to manifest out of Machado’s bat much earlier, especially in order to compensate for some of those stretches where it wanes as he ages. Ramón Laureano: Get Back to Baltimore Ways When the Padres acquired Laureano ahead of the trade deadline, the hope was that he’d continue the bounce back he’d demonstrated all year with the Orioles. Prior to the trade, he’d cut down the strikeout rate to a career best and had driven up the contact metrics above where they’d been in any year prior. With the Padres, though, things started to slide before a finger injury ended his season early. The swing rate rose, the whiff rate jumped five percent between August and September, and a rise in groundball contact led to his lowest BABIP outside of an abysmal April (.278). We know the skill set exists given the contact metrics, but the approach will have to resemble something closer to Baltimore if he’s going to serve as a regular contributor in 2026. Jackson Merrill: Get the Slug Back Merrill is somewhat unique on this list, as his top priority is to merely stay healthy. A hamstring strain, concussion, and ankle sprain limited him greatly over the course of 2025. His performance climbing back toward his rookie form from 2024 might just be a natural byproduct of being clear of those woes. Ultimately, though, the Padres need Merrill to regain some of his form on the power side above all. He came out hot in April (.297 ISO before the hamstring injury), but was unable to maintain that in the face of his other health issues as the year progressed. His ISO dropped and remained low in the subsequent months, going .143, .100, and .109, respectively, in the three months following his April tear. It did start to rebound in August, though, climbing to .214 before spiking to a gaudy .352 ISO in September. There’s some nuance in the approach that could yield the power outcomes, but the stroke is clearly there. As long as he’s healthy, he should be a dynamic presence in a lineup that needs all the power it can find. Fernando Tatis Jr.: Balance Approach & Power Tatis’ trajectory merits its own discussion in the coming weeks. But even as one of the most valuable players in the sport (6.1 fWAR in 2025), he hasn’t gotten back to the superstar level we saw prior to his various injuries and suspension quite yet. That’s largely due to the decline in power. Tatis’ .178 ISO in 2026 was a career low. At the same time, his strikeout and walk numbers were the best of his career. There’s a clear tradeoff happening in hopes of making more contact. While that may have its benefits, Tatis is a catalyst to this lineup that already suffers a bit in the power department. He may have to find a blend of the two to maximize his value to this group. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox certainly didn't sit on their laurels this offseason. As of this writing, they’ve completed over 20 different transactions in an effort to solidify and improve the big-league roster. There have been questionable moves, no doubt, but all in all. the team is stronger on paper than they were when they were eliminated from the postseason in October 2025. What has remained consistent during each offseason that Craig Breslow has been the president of baseball operations is that he’s going to work hard to both make trades and sign free agents to improve the organization as a whole. Since spring training is here and the deals are far less likely to happen between now and the trade deadline, let’s look at both the best and worst deal the Red Sox did, or didn’t, make this offseason. Best Red Sox Offseason Move: Trading Jordan Hicks Sometimes the low-hanging fruit is the best on the tree. Jordan Hicks was both a roster roadblock and a money pit for the Red Sox as they looked to improve ahead of 2026. His career in Boston was fairly short lived, only just over half a season after he was traded on Father’s Day, but it was memorable for all the wrong reasons. He sported an ERA of 8.20 with the Sox, working a 7.23 K/9 to go along with a 5.79 BB/9 and a -0.4 fWAR. He’s a flamethrower that has no idea where the ball is going once it leaves his hand and his blowups in Boston cost the team more games than they helped. He was loudly critical of both the pitching program and the signals the catchers were giving him, so it was fairly clear that he wasn’t long for Boston as the season drug on. He was placed on the injured list in September with right shoulder tendinitis and wasn’t seen again throughout the remainder of the season or the postseason run. Sure, the team had to attach David Sandlin just to eat $8 million of Hicks’ remaining salary to move him, but it was worth it. Sandlin was, at best, the tenth-ranked pitcher in the starting rotation and wasn't likely to factor into the team's plans this year. Sometimes you have to do addition by subtraction, and that’s exactly what the trade that sent Jordan Hicks to the White Sox was. Worst Red Sox Offseason Move: Not Adding a Power Bat When the offseason began, Craig Breslow hammered home that the biggest need for the team (outside of another ace) was adding a middle-of-the-order power bat. With spring training now upon us and the first lineups of the year getting rolled out, that clearly didn't happen. The Sox have made offensive additions, sure, and most of them are positive, but none of them are the big bopper the lineup is currently missing. The team made a non-competitive offer to Pete Alonso and, reportedly, didn’t offer Kyle Schwarber or Eugenio Suarez any type of contract. There was hope that a trade could be made for a star bat as the offseason wore on, but the big trade came in the form of Caleb Durbin. A welcome addition to play the infield for sure, but he lacks the power we were promised in late October. Willson Contreras could prove to be a power threat with a swing that seems to be made for Fenway Park, but it’s tough to count on just him to provide that offensive spark the team needs. The team seems to be waiting for Triston Casas to get healthy to provide that offensive pop, but that’s a tall ask for someone coming off a second season-ending injury. A power bat is the missing piece that would put the Red Sox over the top this season, and hopefully they can either find one closer to the trade deadline or Casas proves to be that missing piece whenever he returns. You could argue that other transactions deserve either the best or worst designation but these two stood out to me as the two that impacted the roster as a whole. The Ranger Suárez contract or Sonny Gray trade also stand out, seeing as they did fulfill Breslow's promise of adding top-of-the-rotation upside. What do you think were the best and worst moves the Red Sox made, or didn’t make, this offseason? Sound off in the comments below. View the full article

There's no question that Marek Houston is the best defensive infielder in the Twins organization right now, but the big question surrounding him in 2026 is whether he can develop any power in Cedar Rapids. He had a poor stretch of 12 games to end the year there, but will he find more to his swing than just being a singles hitter? View the full article

There's no question that Marek Houston is the best defensive infielder in the Twins organization right now, but the big question surrounding him in 2026 is whether he can develop any power in Cedar Rapids. He had a poor stretch of 12 games to end the year there, but will he find more to his swing than just being a singles hitter? View the full article

There's no question that Marek Houston is the best defensive infielder in the Twins organization right now, but the big question surrounding him in 2026 is whether he can develop any power in Cedar Rapids. He had a poor stretch of 12 games to end the year there, but will he find more to his swing than just being a singles hitter? View the full article

There's a different tone when Emmanuel Rodriguez talks this spring. The talent has never been in question. The production has been tantalizing, when he's been healthy enough to play. What has stood between him and a sustained run toward Minnesota Twins stardom has been availability. Rodriguez knows that as well as anyone. “I worked a lot this offseason, working on my body," he told reporters in Ft. Myers, through a team interpreter. "I feel extremely healthy right now. I feel really good. I worked on strengthening my body so that I can last a whole season.” That emphasis on durability comes from experience. Injuries have interrupted stretches of momentum in recent seasons, and for a player who thrives on competition, the mental toll can be just as real as the physical one. “Ultimately, it's frustrating. I like to play baseball. It's my favorite thing to do," Rodriguez said. "When I get off the field because of an injury, I see my teammates playing, and it gives me a little bit of an uncomfortable feeling. I want to be out there with them. It's something, it's frustrating. But I prepare and try to be my best and do what I can do going forward.” This offseason was not just about lifting more or adding bulk. Rodriguez split his time between winter ball in the Dominican Republic and training in Florida, building both experience and structure into his routine. “I loved winter ball. I learned a lot because of the veterans they have there," he reflected. "It helps you compete at a high level in the offseason in the DR. As far as my offseason training goes, not only did I train in the DR, but I came to Tampa to train with my trainer. I think that went really well, and I saw two different sides of training.” That blend of competition and conditioning is showing up in his approach at the plate. Rodriguez has always combined patience with power, but as he climbs the ladder, the game has adjusted back. “The levels as I move up, I notice the pitchers are more consistent with their pitches and hitting their spots. If I have a certain weakness, they try to attack my weakness, but they're more consistent attacking it at every level I go.” Recognizing that reality has led to a conscious tweak in his mindset. “I am focusing on my approach. This is the time to work on it," he said. "There's a lot of pitches I feel comfortable swinging at with two strikes, but just because I am doesn't mean I shouldn't swing at the first pitch strike if I see one. This is the time to work on it, and we're working on it right now.” The physical gifts are loud. The strike zone awareness is advanced. The question has simply been whether the full package can stay on the field long enough to force the organization’s hand. Rodriguez is not alone in that push. He has come up alongside fellow outfield prospects and can already picture what the future might look like in Minneapolis. “It's an incredible feeling. I've played with [Gabriel Gonzalez]. I've played with [Walker Jenkins]. We've talked about it ourselves. We all get along," Rodriguez said. "We feel like we have great vibes out there in the outfield. If it was to come true, it'd be an incredible experience for the three of us.” The possibility is real. So is the proximity. All three outfielders played together at Triple-A at the end of the 2026 campaign. “We know it's there. We know it, but we can only control what we can control. We're going to let the front office decide when it's our turn. We're going to keep playing hard and do our best every day. We want to win as much as we can. We see it. We know it's there.” For 2026, the expectations are straightforward, even if they are ambitious. Stay healthy. Log a full season. Continue refining the approach against upper-level pitching. Force the conversation. If Rodriguez does that, the timeline will not matter much. His bat will speak loudly enough. His glove and athleticism will fit naturally into a big league outfield. Most importantly, his body will allow the talent to show up every single day. The Twins do not need him to be a savior. They need him to be available. If this offseason work translates into 140-plus games for Emmanuel Rodriguez, the rest of the league will quickly remember why he is considered one of the most dynamic prospects in all of baseball. What should the expectations be for Rodriguez this season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

One player who should be coming into Royals Spring Training with a lot of motivation is outfielder Dairon Blanco. After playing in 157 games in 2023 and 2024 combined, he only played in nine games with the Royals last season. Part of that was due to an Achilles injury, which seemed to sap him of his one premium tool (his speed). However, it seemed like manager Matt Quatraro and the Royals preferred Tyler Tolbert in the role that Blanco served in during Quatraro's first two seasons as Royals manager. Tolbert is back with the Royals and seems like a favorite to make the Royals' Opening Day roster, according to Roster Resource projections. Not only was Tolbert a demon on the basepaths last year (21 stolen bases on 23 attempts), but the 2019 13th-round pick can also play the infield, something Blanco cannot do. That said, Royals fans shouldn't sleep on Blanco completely this Spring Training, especially after he has collected two hits in his first two games in Cactus League play (which includes a single and a double). While he doesn't have the defensive versatility of Tolbert, Blanco could be an interesting weapon for the Royals again if he's 100 percent healthy again. What Blanco Brings to the Royals From 2023 to 2024, Blanco served as Kansas City's primary baserunner off the bench. It was for good reason: he was adept on the basepaths, especially when it came to stolen bases. Even though he only had 270 plate appearances from 2023 to 2024, Blanco stole 55 bases for the Royals. Over that two-year period, only Bobby Witt Jr. (80) and Maikel Garcia (60) had more stolen bases than Blanco, according to Fangraphs. Furthermore, when it came to Statcast's baserunning "runner runs" metric, Blanco fared quite well. For those unfamiliar with Statcast's baserunning metrics, below is an outline of what they are and how to read them. From 2023 to 2024, much like the stolen base totals, only Witt and Garcia outperformed Blanco in terms of baserunning run value via Statcast. That is shown in the table below. Blanco created 7.7 total "runner runs" from 2023 to 2024, with 1.5 of those runs coming on extra bases taken on base hits and 6.2 coming from stolen bases. In fact, his 6.2 stolen base runs total was the highest of Royals players over that two-year span. His mark was 1.1 runs better than Garcia's and 2.4 runs higher than Witt's. While Blanco's strengths were primarily on the basepaths, he held his own at the plate as a bench outfielder who would get occasional playing time. In 138 plate appearances in 2023, he posted a .333 wOBA and 102 wRC+ with three home runs and a 1.2 fWAR. In 132 plate appearances in 2024, he regressed a bit, sporting a .306 wOBA, 96 wRC, and 0.5 fWAR. He also saw some regression defensively, as his outfield FRV went from +5 in 2023 to -1 in 2024. That said, when things were clicking, Blanco could get hot at the plate and collect hits and runs in bunches. That was the case on August 17th in 2024, when he had 7 RBI while using a "crayon" bat for Player's Weekend. Blanco's profile wasn't perfect by any means. His xwOBA underperformed his wOBA in 2023 and 2024 with .302 and .284 marks, respectively. Additionally, even during his respectable 2024 season, the Statcast percentiles were questionable, especially in the exit velocity, hard-hit, and LA sweet-spot percentage categories. Below is a look at his TJ Stats Statcast summary profile from that season. Still, when healthy, Blanco was a nice fourth outfielder who may not be able to play regularly, but gave the Royals some nice stretches at the plate from time to time. That ability from Blanco was a nice benefit of his profile, in addition to his strong baserunning. What Happened Last Year With Blanco? Blanco suffered an Achilles injury on March 31st last season and didn't get reinstated until mid-May. When he returned, his sprint speed went from 30.3 FT/S (feet per second) in 2024 to 29.6 FT/S in 2025. Furthermore, Tolbert emerged as a reasonable option off the bench in Blanco's absence. In 57 plate appearances, the former UAB product posted a .305 wOBA, 92 wRC+, and 0.3 fWAR. When it came to baserunning metrics via Statcast, Tolbert ranked among the best Royals when it came to total runner runs. However, the numbers weren't as impressive as Blanco's marks from 2023 to 2024, as seen in the 2025 table below. Last season, Tolbert was third in total runner runs with a 1.0 mark. He was 6.4 runner runs behind Witt and 0.3 runner runs behind Adam Frazier. Surprisingly, Garcia took a step back in the baserunning category last season. He had a -0.1 total runner runs mark thanks to -1.5 stolen base runner runs. As for Blanco, despite the small sample in 2025 (nine games), he still produced 0.2 total runner runs with 0.1 runs in both the extra base and stolen base categories. It's too small a sample to take anything major away from, but it still shows that Blanco's baserunning was still a positive for the Royals last year, despite his injury. Unfortunately, things didn't go great for Blanco in Omaha last season, where he primarily played. In 295 plate appearances, he hit eight home runs, stole 32 bases (on 35 attempts), posted a .334 wOBA, and 92 wRC+. Much like 2024 with the Royals, the Statcast percentiles weren't all that impressive either, as illustrated in his TJ Stats Statcast summary from a season ago. He pulled the ball better in Triple-A, as his Pull% ranked in the 68th percentile with the Storm Chasers (39.9%). Everything else, however? He only ranked in the 50th percentile or higher in two other categories (Z-Swing% and K%). That's a bit disappointing for a player who was primarily on the Major League squad in 2023 and 2024. Tolbert's Statcast percentiles last year with the Royals weren't much more impressive than Blanco's in 2024, especially in the exit velocity, barrel, and hard-hit categories. However, the 28-year-old utility player excelled in launch angle, which gives him a bit more upside, especially in Kauffman Stadium's spacious yard. It's hard to justify Blanco over Tolbert for now, especially since Tolbert stayed healthy and thrived in the "Blanco" role last season (Tolbert's stolen bases alone justify his roster spot). However, if Blanco can get his hitting approach back in check and recapture that 2024 sprint speed, then he could make a case for an Opening Day roster spot, especially if Tolbert doesn't look sharp in Cactus League play. What Needs to Happen This Spring for Blanco? It's been a bit of a mixed start for Blanco so far in Cactus League play. While he has two hits, he also made a defensive blunder in his first outing against the Padres, misplaying a ball in the sun, and got thrown out on a stolen base attempt (also against the Padres). Considering that those are two areas that Quatraro wants to clean up in 2026, those kinds of mistakes aren't encouraging, even if it's still early in Spring Training. Also, in Sunday's game against the Brewers, Blanco was hit in the head by a pitch and had to leave the game. His status going forward is uncertain. While it was promising to see Blanco leave under his own power, getting hit in the head can have devastating effects. Royals fans saw how Jonathan India wasn't the same after getting hit in the head by then Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase during Opening Day weekend at Kauffman Stadium. Every game counts for Blanco this Spring Training, especially if he wants to be on the roster on Opening Day in Atlanta. For Blanco to make the team over Tolbert, he will have to show that his speed is back and that he can hit the ball harder and with more authority than Tolbert. Blanco saw a dramatic drop in xwOBA midway through the 2024 season after promising gains in 2023 and the start of 2024, which can be seen in the rolling chart data below, via Savant. Should Blanco get back to those more positive trends, it's plausible to think Quatraro could see him as a nice outfielder option off the bench who can fill in when needed. If he can do those two things, he could perhaps justify himself not just as the designated punch runner, but one who could play the corner outfield positions when they face a left-handed starter. The outfield is a bit deeper than it was last year, so the bar is a little bit higher for Blanco in terms of proving he can belong, especially on the offensive end. The Cuban outfielder isn't exactly young at 32 (he will be 33 in late April). However, he still remains a stellar athlete and may be the most explosive player on the 40-man roster beyond Witt. While the odds are against him making the Opening Day roster (especially with this latest hit-by-pitch incident), seeing Blanco return to his 2023 and 2024 form would be a nice (and much-needed) success story for the Royals, not just this spring, but in 2026 overall. View the full article

After trading Caleb Durbin, Anthony Seigler, and Andruw Monasterio to the Red Sox as part of a six-player trade days before spring training began, the Brewers needed more third base depth. Offensively, Luis Rengifo was a viable solution. Having posted a 111 wRC+ across three seasons from 2022 through 2024, the versatile 28-year-old was a reasonable bounceback candidate available on a cheap one-year deal. He has the profile to match Durbin's offense in 2026. At first glance, though, the fit on defense looks less clear. The Brewers prize above-average fielding. Throughout the past few seasons, they have frequently favored players who defend over those who hit more. Rengifo, however, has graded as a below-average defender at every position he's played. He's been especially poor at third base, amassing -6 Defensive Runs Saved and a -14 Fielding Run Value in just over 1,400 innings. However, president of baseball operations Matt Arnold told reporters shortly after signing Rengifo that the Brewers do not project him as the poor defender he's been to date. That's due to the presence of third base and infield coach Matt Erickson, who has helped several Milwaukee infielders improve their glovework. "Just knowing that Matt Erickson's here, and what he's been able to do with a lot of our infielders, was somebody we talked to a lot about before we acquired Rengifo," Arnold said. "Having those tools and ingredients, and having Matt as part of that evaluation process, saying, 'Hey, I've seen this guy, I think he has a chance to be really good here.'" View the full article