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The Toronto Blue Jays start this spring with some clarity at shortstop and unusual luxury in their succession plan. In the wake of Bo Bichette’s free agent departure this offseason, the Jays opted for Plan B (though really, it seemed like their plan all along) of having the sure-handed Andrés Giménez take over as the club’s everyday shortstop. Ernie Clement, who will get most of his starts at second, will also serve as the backup at short, while Davis Schneider will likely fill in for him at second base from time to time, depending on matchups. Giménez is under guaranteed contract through 2029, with a club option for 2030 as part of the seven-year, $106.5 million deal he signed with the Guardians. The decision to cement Giménez at shortstop works largely because of his defense. In Cleveland, he stacked three straight American League Gold Gloves at second base from 2022 through 2024 and added the 2023 AL Platinum Glove as the league’s top overall fielder. His elite run prevention metrics, like Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, illustrate why he earned those accolades. His first step, angle, exchange and arm accuracy translate well to shortstop. For the front office, the expectation is that having a stronger defender at short will complement a deeper run-producing lineup. It is challenging to directly compare Giménez and Bichette, especially when it comes to offensive output. For everyone hoping that Giménez would return to his 2022 level, his 2025 was a disappointment at the plate (.210/.285/.313). However, the Jays don’t need him to replicate Bichette’s production (.311/.357/.483 in 2025). According to FanGraphs, Bichette was worth 3.8 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in 2025, compared to Giménez, who was worth 1.0. However, he only played 101 games. In his last full season (2024) he racked up 2.8 fWAR, and he earned 3.8 the year before that. In 2026, Giménez will be responsible for converting balls in play into outs, reaching a league‑average batting line, and letting the bigger bats shoulder the run creation. The occasional explosive swing, like his home run in Game 4 of the ALCS, will be considered a bonus. The Jays never wavered in their support for Giménez to be the Opening Day shortstop. There were no rumours about anyone but Bichette, and those talks just never seemed to gain momentum. When the team signed Kazuma Okamoto, the infield seemed set. Okamoto will primarily play third, Giménez will stand to his left at short, and Clement will play second and float around as the infield’s connective tissue. Whether Toronto’s strategy of having a glove-first shortstop works will be totally reliant on the rest of the lineup producing. If that doesn’t happen, a queue of middle infielders is beginning to form in the team’s minor league pipeline. These replacements are untested at the major league level but could offer more offensive upside. Josh Kasevich is the Jays' 11th-ranked prospect, with a handful of other infielders ahead of him, but he is the oldest among that group and probably the closest to being MLB-ready. The 2022 second‑rounder out of Oregon reached Triple‑A Buffalo in 2024 and did exactly what his Oregon resume forecast: .325/.382/.433 in a 41‑game sample, for a .296/.348/.385 line across Double A and Triple A combined that year. He has elite zone contact and low chase that he pairs with a 90th‑percentile exit velocity hovering in the 103–104 mph band. His lack of power might hold him back, as might his health. Last season, he battled back and ankle issues and struggled badly when he took the field. The real focus for the Jays is their younger prospects. Arjun Nimmala is embracing the spotlight. A first‑round pick in 2023 out of Florida’s Strawberry Crest, the 19-year-old spent last season at High‑A Vancouver. His .224/.313/.381 line with 13 home runs and 17 steals across 120 games might not seem overly impressive, until you figure in that he was consistently one of the youngest players on the field. Independent scouting grades him in the 55 range for power, field, and arm, with quick‑twitch bat speed and a knack for pulling the ball in the air when sequencing and approach cooperate. Although he is Toronto’s third-ranked prospect, most estimates suggest he won’t be ready for prime time until 2028 at the earliest. Nimmala arrived early to camp this spring, roughly 15 pounds heavier after losing weight over the grind of 120 games last year. He has been attached to Giménez during infield reps. That connection has resulted in Nimmala following Giménez’s example of using a smaller, pre-game glove to sharpen pocket awareness and transfers. That small learning is exactly the kind of detail that helps a teenage shortstop’s defense take the next step while the bat matures and makes the “upper minors by mid‑summer” path a real possibility. Regardless of the level Nimmala starts at this year, if his chase rate stabilizes and he builds upon his exit velocity, he’ll be pushed into Double A and even Triple A by late in the season. A late 2027 debut with the Jays would be a successful outcome for a player who was one of the youngest first‑rounders in his class and has retained true shortstop traits throughout. JoJo Parker, selected eighth overall in 2025, is the second pillar and the complement to Nimmala, especially if Nimmala doesn’t meet expectations. Parker is the left‑handed hit‑tool archetype: a 60‑grade bat with strike zone control, 55 power that should grow into 20–25 homers, and enough arm for the left side. The Jays definitely feel he could play an important role in the future. They signed him for $6.19 million and began the transition plan that mirrors their prior work with top shortstop prospects. The open question with Parker is not the bat, but whether the better long‑term defensive fit is second or third base. That open question does not diminish the probability he becomes an everyday player; it simply frames the infield chess Toronto can play if the bat is as advertised. The other name that matters, and might matter quickly, is Leo Jiménez. Once a top‑10 prospect in the system, Jiménez debuted in 2024 and showed the outline of a bench piece. Across 63 games, his line was .229/.329/.358. The structural reason he’s in this conversation is roster status, as he is out of options. He’ll either be on the Opening Day roster, traded, or potentially lost on waivers. At this point, he is basically a short‑term defensive safety net at shortstop, allowing the Jays to absorb an injury or two without pulling Kasevich or asking Parker or Nimmala to cut the developmental line. He won’t raise the position’s offensive ceiling, but he can keep the floor where Toronto needs it in a 26‑man roster world. The beauty of where the Blue Jays find themselves is that they don’t have to choose between present and future. They can win the run‑prevention battle at shortstop in 2026 and build a deeper run‑creation mix in the years that come. The plan holds up even when you stress‑test it. If Giménez’s defense remains elite and the bat sags, the most likely outcome is that Toronto simply stays the course, relying upon others offensively to carry that load. If the club loses Giménez to injury, Clement or Jiménez can handle the workload, and Kasevich or the newly-claimed Ben Cowles becomes the next man up if it stretches longer than expected. Only a full-season, underperformance scenario would necessitate a larger structural change, such as sliding Giménez back to second while Clement, Kasevich or Cowles shoulder shortstop innings, or an unexpected mid‑season leap from Nimmala if he forces the issue for months in the upper minors. Shopping for a short‑term external rental at the deadline is another option in this scenario. They say defense wins championships, but a consistent bat never hurts. In 2026, there will be plenty of eyes on Giménez and those knocking on the door. View the full article

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL—Miami Marlins baseball returned on Saturday as they faced off against the New York Mets. The teams combined for four total hits in the 2-1 Marlins exhibition game win. We were able to see Robby Snelling make his first spring training start, Christopher Morel play first base and the automated ball-strike challenge system in play. Snelling makes first spring start Fish On First's number three prospect Robby Snelling took the mound for the first inning. He threw 10 pitches, setting the top of the Mets order down in 1-2-3 fashion. That included Marcus Semien, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette. Snelling went with a fastball/curveball combo, with his fastball topping out at 96.4 mph and generating one swing with the curveball. "It's always tough getting one inning, small sample sizes, only 10 pitches through the entire inning," said Snelling. "I go back and look that I didn't get to show the entire repertoire, but being able to go out and have a scoreless inning to start the spring, that is a big confidence builder. Even happier to be in the zone, like I was against a really good starting three." Snelling, who isn't on the 40-man roster, still enters spring with a real chance at cracking the Marlins Opening Day rotation. "If you don't go into spring with that mindset, I don't want to say you don't belong there, but you got to have a little competitive fire in you," said Snelling. Early on in camp, it's been the "nine pockets," which are meant to help you target certain spots in the strike zone. "This helped me big time last year," Snelling said. "I've been doing that throughout spring and I think if you fall 2-0 to a really, really good hitter, you can't leave anything middle-middle in the danger zone. Being able to know where your stuff's going to end up is throwing it into the nine pocket. I pictured a nine pocket back there, and (Agustin Ramirez) was my nine pocket." Marlins "bullpen" After Snelling, the following pitchers each threw one inning: Ryan Gusto, Tyler Phillips, Cade Gibson, Zach Brzykcy, Jack Ralston, Josh Ekness, Nigel Belgrave and Stephen Jones. Gusto recorded the first strikeout of the spring for the Marlins, getting MJ Melendez to swing on a 95.0 mph fastball. This offseason, Gusto tweaked his sweeper and added a completely new changeup. "We were really moving the pointer finger on the sweeper, just figuring out a way for me to get to the front of the ball a little bit better, make that spin a little bit tighter and more efficient, so it can help them move and be more consistent," Gusto said following his outing. He threw the sweeper twice, generating one whiff with it. After attempting many different changeup grips, Gusto has finally settled on one that "will be able to work with the way that I leverage the ball individually for me." Before using it in game action, he was able to throw is in his most recent live and hitters told him it was "moving a lot, just wasn't locating it well enough." On Saturday, he threw it three times, generating three whiffs. "He got a little bit everything too," McCullough said. "It was nice that first one, he had a deep at-bat, was able to finish that off. To get some working out of the stretch and probably most importantly, he felt healthy. He came into camp feeling good and then to have this first one go that way, it's a good start." Phillips struck out Marcus Semien swinging with his splitter. His fastball topped out at 97.8 mph, which was faster than any pitch of his MLB career. The Marlins expect to stretch Phillips out given his prior experience as a starting pitcher and extensive pitch mix. "We talked last year on even the potential of him starting," McCullough said. "I think he has those capabilities and we'll see how that plays out. I think we'll just want to continuously increase him, whether that's giving us really good length out of the ‘pen and you can certainly pitch him in short bursts, and as crazy as things can get during the season, also the ability to even go through the lineup a couple of times." Plan at first base On Saturday, free agent signing Christopher Morel started at first base with Griffin Conine playing right field, both for five innings. That will be the plan until the Marlins feel comfortable with Conine playing first base in a game. Morel will move around the field as well, per McCullough. Morel looked comfortable in his first ever start at first base, making a couple of nice plays, specifically in the bottom of the first inning to get the final out. He finished the day hitless, but was able to drive in the Marlins’ second run of the game on a sac fly in the top of the sixth inning, scoring Jakob Marsee. "Probably in a lot of ways couldn't have been any better for Christopher (Morel)," said Marlins manager Clayton McCullough. "Not only making the plays, but some of them were not just your garden variety, leaving the first, the high chopper that takes him kind of going into foul territory, get himself under control and make a nice read. He attacks some other ones very well and gave himself some good hops to play with. He's looked great on the backfields, and certainly knew that he was going to prepare himself as best he could coming into camp for this and I'm glad he got a lot of chances, and hope he just continues to get more of those in spring training." ABS challenge system strategy New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told his players to "be aggressive" with the ABS challenge system this spring—that way they can create a strategy for the regular season based on who’s getting calls overturned. McCullough plans on using it in a similar way, at least with the position players. "I've told our position players that they have the ability to challenge in spring training," McCullough said pregame. "You need to meet a percentage threshold that you feel pretty certain that this is. If you get it wrong, there'll be a tax you have to pay me and if you get it right, then you don't get anything from me, other than you get to build some equity and trust in myself and the staff. “If a guy goes 5-for-5 in spring training, what does that mean for the season? I think everyone will look at the samples in their own way. We're talking through actively some more team philosophy and some team things that we'll be thinking about rolling out for the season." On Saturday, each team challenged once and both were unsuccessful. Brian Navarreto, who entered the game in place of Agustín Ramírez, challenged for Miami. Mets catching prospect Kevin Parada challenged while batting in the bottom of the ninth inning. What's next? The Marlins begin a stretch of four straight games at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, located in Jupiter, Florida. Sandy Alcantara will take the mound for the Marlins on Sunday, as they welcome the Washington Nationals. First pitch is slated for 1:10 pm. The game will not be televised, but you can listen to it on MLB.com. View the full article

Designated hitter has long been handled in one of two ways by the Brewers: Either it’s been filled by one-year deals for a “primary” DH (Andrew McCutchen, Jesse Winker, and Gary Sanchez being recent examples) or it was handled “by committee” (multiple players with over 25 starts as the DH). The Brewers took a rare approach in 2025, using Christian Yelich as their DH 131 times. Will that be the case in 2026? 2025 In Review Yelich put together arguably his best season since 2019 as the Brewers’ primary designated hitter, leading the team in homers and RBI and generating 3.1 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference. It was an excellent recovery from a 2024 season where he missed over half the games due to back issues. The only other Brewer to see significant time at DH was catcher William Contreras, who served in that role for 22 games, often when Yelich was playing some left field or needed a day off. Jake Bauers saw seven games at DH, but nobody else reached five appearances at the position. Designated hitter was one position where things went well for the Brewers. Current Roster Situation Yelich is under contract through 2028, with a 2029 mutual option. He will likely be the primary DH for as long as he is in Milwaukee – not because he can no longer field, but because the Brewers have multiple capable options for all three outfield spots. Contreras and 2024 primary DH Sanchez are also options for when Yelich may need a day off or when he is patrolling left field, but those should be few and far between. Players who are behind the “break in case of emergency” glass include Tyler Black and Jake Bauers, with a few of their regular players from other positions as options. Best Case Scenario Yelich handles 85-90% of the starts at designated hitter and produces at his 2024 level, being another year removed from back surgery. If Yelich is “relegated” to designated hitter, it means that the Brewers are getting solid, if not better, production from the other positions on the field, particularly the corner outfield spots and first base, and that the team has avoided injuries. Against left-handers, Sanchez can step in occasionally and be an effective DH against southpaws. In this case, it should be noted that Yelich at DH is not so much a bad thing, particularly when it is seen as a statement of the depth and talent the Brewers have in the outfield. If he gets 140-150 starts on “partial rest,” the Brewers are likely to be doing very well in 2026. Worst Case Scenario Christian Yelich is somehow not the primary designated hitter. If Yelich is on the injured list, it means one of Milwaukee’s best hitters is on the shelf – and their $26 million a year man is one of those they can ill afford to lose. If he’s in the field for more than 10 starts, then it’s likely because of injuries or ineffectiveness from other players – unless Black has performed in such a manner than the Brewers decide to move Yelich to left field or first base on a semi-regular basis, but that’s about as likely as a stray unicorn walking onto American Family Fields at Maryvale and having triplet foals. Seriously, though, if Yelich is broken free from the DH role to play the field, then the Brewers are in for a rough time – not just because of other players being hurt, but because in the field, Yelich is more likely to re-injure his back – or something else. Overview If things go well for the Brewers, Christian Yelich may etch himself another claim to history: As one of the best, if not the best, primary designated hitters in team history. As we’ve discussed years earlier, Dick Davis is the Brewers ' player with the most seasons as the team’s primary starter at the position, with three, as the team has often rotated the position among its starters. While there are other players who could be very competent at the position, including Contreras, Sanchez, Black, and Bauers, and while Milwaukee also retains the option to rotate players, how much time Yelich spends as the DH will perhaps be the best indicator of how Milwaukee’s 2026 season is progressing. View the full article

FORT MYERS - The Twins kicked off their spring training Grapefruit League season with a home opener against the crosstown rival Red Sox. Besides the disconcerting news about Joe Ryan's scratched start, here are some other things the nearly 8000 fans at Hammond saw: Royce’s Work Paying Off In the first inning, Royce Lewis made a nice play on a bouncing ball up the third base line, reminding everyone that, despite his offensive struggles last year, he at least put to rest some concerns about his defense at third base. Then, in the fifth inning, his throw to first base was wild and resulted in an error. This last week on Twins Daily’s Live show from Fort Myers, I was asked if it was possible that Royce Lewis would grade out as the second-best defender on the Twins this year, behind only Byron Buxton. I don’t think that’s unlikely at all. That’s partly damning of the Twins' overall defensive level, but I also think that the work he put in last year paid off and will continue to do so. The work he put in this latest offseason around his swing looks like it might pay off, too. He drilled a 96-mph fastball from southpaw Payton Tolle into left-center field to give the Twins a 1-0 lead in his first at-bat. Simeon’s Splitter Simeon Woods Richardson finished the year with a 4.04 ERA over 23 starts, his second year of providing solid production in the rotation. But while he clearly tired late in the season in 2024, he finished the 2025 season with a 2.33 ERA in September. This coincided with him leaning into his splitter more. It looks like he plans to do the same this season. View the full article

Following his Marlins spring training debut on Saturday, first baseman Christopher Morel speaks with the media about his comfort level at his new position and where he can still improve before the regular season begins. View the full article

Following his Marlins spring training debut on Saturday, first baseman Christopher Morel speaks with the media about his comfort level at his new position and where he can still improve before the regular season begins. View the full article

Following Saturday's scoreless start against the New York Mets, Marlins left-hander Robby Snelling speaks with the media about his main takeaways from the outing and competing for a big league job.View the full article

Following Saturday's scoreless start against the New York Mets, Marlins left-hander Robby Snelling speaks with the media about his main takeaways from the outing and competing for a big league job.View the full article

Minnesota Twins ace Pablo López is expected to miss the entire 2026 season. How do the Twins move forward? In this video, I discuss the Plan B options for both the rotation and the bullpen. I also previewed this year's class of top contenders for Sire of Fort Myers down in spring training. View the full article

The Twins were gearing up to face the Boston Red Sox in their first Grapefruit League game on Saturday afternoon when, around 10 minutes before the scheduled first pitch, the team shared news that scheduled starter Joe Ryan had been scratched. Soon after, we learned the reason: lower back tightness on the right side. No further information was available as of game time, but Twins Daily's John Bonnes is live on the scene in Fort Myers and will update this article (or a new one) with additional details and quotes from team officials, so be sure to check back in a bit. During the minutes in between the announcement of Ryan being scratched and the revelation of the cause, a wide range of possibilities passed through the minds of bamboozled Twins fans – still reeling from the bombshell of Pablo López going down the 2026 season due to elbow surgery. A trade? Another injury? Turns out it's the latter, although initial indications don't necessarily point to anything overly serious. The fact it's not an arm issue is, on its own, fairly relieving. That's not to say one can safely dismiss or downplay any back-related discomfort, but naturally, the Twins are going to be taking every precaution at this early stage of spring training. Ryan has generally proven extremely durable for the Twins, rarely missing a start or facing any limitation outside of a teres major strain in 2024 that cost him most of the second half. Last year, he set a career high with 171 innings pitched over 31 outings (30 starts). With López going down, the Twins are counting on him to be the steady, dependable workhorse atop their rotation. This isn't a great first step, and the timing is almost surreal coming just days after López suffered a season-ending injury in his first live BP. The Twins came into this spring with that duo as the foundation of their faint contention hopes. But at this point there's no reason to panic, and I'd suggest mentally separating this situation from any lingering López-related despair, even if it feels tempting to lump it all together. With that said, Ryan's planned participation for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic would certainly seem to be in doubt. We'll have more info for you as it becomes available. For now, feel free to sound off with your reactions to the early-spring health woes for the top of the Twins rotation. View the full article

On Friday, the Royals acquired free-agent catcher Elias Diaz, signing the 35-year-old to a Minor League deal. He is not expected until next week, according to the announcement on the Royals' social media account. Diaz made the All-Star team with the Rockies in 2023. That season, he hit 14 home runs and collected 72 RBI, but only posted an 82 wRC+ and -0.1 fWAR. Last year, he played 106 games with the Padres and had nine home runs, 29 RBI, a 74 wRC+, and a 0.4 fWAR in 283 plate appearances. In terms of Statcast, Diaz didn't excel in any particular areas, though he is aggressive on pitches in the strike zone, as illustrated in his Statcast summary below. Since debuting with the Pirates in 2015, he has played 830 career games and had 2,800 plate appearances at the Major League level. In that time span, he has 71 home runs and 326 RBI, but a career 78 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR. At this point in his career, he may be a Major League backup catcher, at best. The Royals seem set at catcher with Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen on the big league roster. Perez showed he is ready for the upcoming season in Kansas City's first Spring Training game of the year, hitting a 441-foot home run on Friday against the Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi. However, the Royals may need some catching depth this spring, as they have been down a couple of catchers. Jorge Alfaro has not been able to report yet due to visa issues. Luke Maile hasn't reported due to personal reasons. Thus, Diaz likely was acquired due to the issues with those two catchers, who both were signed on Minor League deals in the offseason. Diaz will likely start the year in Triple-A Omaha, though he may opt out of his deal if he doesn't make the Opening Day roster. It is unlikely Diaz will have a shot at making the active roster unless an injury happens to Perez or Jensen in Spring Training. View the full article

Before diving into this article, we recommend reading previous entries in this series, along with an introduction in part one. With that said, let's look at the gold standard Padres, starting rotation. Part one: Gold Standard Padres, Infield Edition Part two: Gold Standard Padres, Outfield Edition Part three: Gold Standard Padres, Bench Edition The Starting Rotation: The Masters of the Hill The architects of the rubber. These arms took the ball every fifth day, carrying the hopes of the city for nine innings at a time. Through heat, movement, control, deception, and sheer will, they turned the mound into a sanctuary and defined the different eras of Padres baseball. Kevin Brown "Brownie" "The Hired Gun" 1998 (8.6 WAR) The Sinkerball Assassin W-L: 18-7 | ERA: 2.38 | FIP: 2.23 | SIERA: 2.71 | SO: 257 | IP: 257.0 | CG: 7 | SHO: 3 | WHIP: 1.07 | K/BB: 5.24 | K%: 24.9% | K-BB%: 20.2% | ERA+ 164 NL All-Star (1998) | NL Player of the Week (Aug 16 & Sept 20, 1998) | Clyde McCullough Pitcher of the Year Award (1998) | Padres Chairman's Award (1998) The Five Pillars of Brownie Innovation: Brown was the architect of the modern "power sinker," a pitch that defied the laws of physics in the late 90s. While most sinkerballers of the era sat in the high 80s, Brown’s clocked in at a staggering 96-98 MPH with a violent, late horizontal run. Under the specific guidance of pitching coach Dave Stewart in 1998, Brown perfected a devastating split-finger fastball that mimicked the exact arm speed and tunnel of his sinker before falling off a table. This two-pitch tunnel made it impossible for hitters to distinguish between a ball breaking into their hands or one diving into the dirt. He effectively weaponized the ground ball and the strikeout simultaneously in a feat rarely seen before the Statcast era—a combination of power and precision that paved the way for the high-velocity, high-spin specialists of today's game. Impact: Kevin Brown’s presence changed the entire culture of the 1998 clubhouse. His "bulldog tenacity" was contagious, leading the staff to an imposing identity. In the playoffs, he famously outdueled Randy Johnson in Game 1 of the NLDS with 16 strikeouts—setting a franchise postseason record and the tone to upset the 102-win Astros. He followed that by silencing the 106-win Braves in the NLCS, throwing a three-hit, 11-strikeout complete game shutout in Atlanta that gave San Diego a commanding 2-0 series lead. During the regular season, he led the National League with 8.6 WAR and set a Padres franchise record with 257 strikeouts, a mark that still stands today. He finished the year with 7 complete games and 3 shutouts, while leading all of Major League Baseball with a microscopic 0.3 HR/9. Legend: Kevin Brown's 1998 season is widely regarded by historians as the most dominant single-season pitching performance in San Diego history. Beyond the record-breaking stats, he provided the psychological edge the franchise needed to transition from a divisional contender into a legitimate national juggernaut. He remains the only pitcher in club history to anchor a World Series run while simultaneously leading the entire Major Leagues in overall value with an 8.6 WAR. Brown arrived as the ultimate "hired gun," and though his tenure lasted only one summer, he established an impossible standard of excellence that remains the benchmark for every San Diego ace who has followed. His 1998 campaign is the definitive chapter of Padres pitching lore, representing a moment when the best pitcher on the planet belonged exclusively to San Diego. Iconic Look: Brown was the intimidating face of the Padres' 1998 "pinstripe" era in navy blue and orange. On the mound, he was a study in controlled aggression, standing 6'4" with a menacing, stoic expression and a traditional clean-shaven look that highlighted his intense, focused game face. His appearance was anchored by the team's navy blue crown cap featuring the iconic white-and-orange interlocking "SD" logo, a color scheme that became the visual hallmark of the 1998 World Series run. In an era where many pitchers were moving toward loose, baggy styles, Brown maintained a sharp, athletic appearance with high-set shoulders and a deliberate, high-leg kick. He exclusively used a dark Rawlings heart-of-the-hide pitcher’s glove with a closed web to hide his grips on his legendary sinker and split-finger pitches. The finishing touch to his look was his signature intensity; he rarely smiled, and his jersey was often stained with sweat and dirt, reflecting the grit he brought to every start. The "Did You Know Factor": Kevin Brown’s 1998 season was so dominant that he finished in the top four of the National League in every major pitching category: Wins (18), ERA (2.38), and Strikeouts (257). He was the only pitcher in the Senior Circuit to achieve that level of "Triple Crown" consistency that year. Despite his dominance, Brown finished 3rd in the Cy Young voting behind Tom Glavine and teammate Trevor Hoffman. This created a historical rarity: Brown and Hoffman became the only pair of teammates to finish second and third in the voting while the award went to a player from a different team. Perhaps most impressively, Brown surrendered only 8 home runs across 257.0 innings; he famously struck out twice as many batters in a single playoff game (16) as he allowed home runs over the entire 162-game regular season schedule. Randy Jones "The Junkman" "Jonesie" 1976 (7.8 WAR) The Workhorse of Mission Valley W-L: 22-14 | ERA: 2.74 | FIP: 3.16 | SIERA: 3.42 | SO: 93 | IP: 315.1 | CG: 25 | SHO: 5 | WHIP: 1.027 | K/BB: 1.86 | K%: 7.4% | K-BB%: 3.4% | ERA+ 119 NL Cy Young Award (1976) | Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year (1976) | Baseball Bulletin NL Pitcher of the Year (1976) | NL All-Star (1975, 1976) | NL Player of the Month (April & May 1976) | NL Player of the Week (May 22, 1976) | Padres Team MVP (1975, 1976) | Clyde McCullough Pitcher of the Year Award (1975, 1976) | Padres Chairman's Award (1975, 1976) | No. 35 Retired by Padres (1997) | Padres Hall of Fame (1999 - Inaugural Class) The Five Pillars of Jonesie Innovation: Jones was the master of the "sinker-slider" approach, a style of pitching that served as a radical, cerebral departure from the high-heat dominance that defined the mid-70s. Relying on impeccable control and late, biting movement rather than raw velocity, Jones innovated through a blend of psychological warfare and relentless tempo. He famously worked with a rapid-fire cadence that bordered on the obsessive, often completing nine full innings in under two hours. By weaponizing the diving action of his sinker and varying its speeds to create a "ghost" effect, he forced the opposition to play at his speed, turning aggressive swings into a record-setting parade of weak ground balls and demoralizing double plays. He proved that a pitcher could dominate the strike zone and dismantle an order without ever needing to touch 90 miles per hour on a radar gun. Impact: He was the ultimate "workhorse" during a fragile era where the Padres franchise was still desperately fighting for respect and a foothold in the National League. In 1976, Jones got a season started that remains statistically unprecedented; he became the first pitcher in National League history to be named Player of the Month in back-to-back months (April and May). This early-season blitz anchored the entire organization, as he went on to lead the major leagues in Wins (22), Starts (40), Innings Pitched (315.1), and Complete Games (25). His efficiency was unmatched, finishing the year with a league-best 1.027 WHIP, proving he could maintain elite precision despite the massive workload. This output single-handedly preserved a thin bullpen and gave a young, often outmatched San Diego team a legitimate chance to win every fifth day. Legend: In 1976, Randy Jones became a literal folk hero, cementing his place in San Diego lore as the first pitcher in franchise history to capture the Cy Young Award. Following a 20-win season in 1975, where he was arguably snubbed for the honor, he returned with a quiet vengeance, capturing the hearts of the city during a historic summer where "Randy Jones Day" became a mandatory local holiday. He was the first true superstar the city could claim as entirely their own—a home-grown icon who provided a symbol of hope for a young expansion franchise. His legacy is defined by his "weapon of choice"—a sinker with a distinct screwball tilt that baffled the era's greatest hitters. This unique movement, combined with a superior mental plan, allowed him to out-duel Hall of Fame flamethrowers with surgical precision. Iconic Look: With his trademark blonde curls flowing out from beneath his cap and his classic brown and gold #35 jersey, Jones was the visual pulse of San Diego in the 70s. His calm, methodical presence on the mound provided a perfect contrast to the high-pressure situations he mastered, moving through innings with a smooth, repeatable delivery that looked effortless. He was the visual embodiment of the Swinging Friar era, frequently seen in the team’s signature brown-sleeved home whites or the solid chocolate brown road jerseys with gold sleeves. On the mound, he utilized an oversized, deep-pocketed tan glove to hide his finger grips and a short, controlled follow-through that left him in a perfect, square-ready defensive stance. His relaxed, West Coast swagger became as recognizable to fans as the Mission Valley skyline itself. The "Did You Know Factor": Jones started the All-Star Game for the National League and earned the win, pitching three dominant innings against an American League powerhouse. This performance came on the heels of his 1975 season, where he led the league in ERA, making him the only pitcher in franchise history to win an ERA title and a Cy Young Award in back-to-back campaigns. During the 1976 season, he went 68 consecutive innings without walking a single batter, tying a 63-year-old National League record set by the legendary Christy Mathewson in 1913. Furthermore, Jones set a major league record for the most total defensive chances by a pitcher in a single season (112) without committing an error. He also entered the All-Star break with a 16-3 record, a National League mark for most wins before the break. His dominance was so total that he finished 10th in the 1976 NL MVP voting. Dave Roberts "The Unlucky Lefty" 1971 (7.1 WAR) The Quiet Professional W-L: 14-17 | ERA: 2.10 | FIP: 2.89 | SIERA: 3.11 | SO: 135 | IP: 269.2 | CG: 16 | SHO: 3 | WHIP: 1.050 | K/BB: 2.21 | K% 12.4% | K-BB% 6.8% | ERA+ 151 NL Cy Young - 6th Place (1971) The Five Pillars of The Unlucky Leftie Innovation: The tendency of the era was toward high-strikeout smoke, but Roberts operated with a surgical precision that stood in stark contrast to his peers. He innovated through the art of the calculated contact game, utilizing a heavy, bowling-ball sinker that bore in on the hands of right-handed hitters with such violent downward action that it was widely considered the most physically taxing pitch to square up in the National League. He weaponized a unique cross-fire delivery, stepping slightly toward the third-base dugout to create an angled release point that hid the ball until the last possible millisecond, thriving in the expansive, marine-layer-heavy dimensions of San Diego Stadium. By mastering tunneling—maintaining an identical arm slot for both his biting slider and his fading changeup—he dictated the pace of every at-bat, forcing hitters into late, defensive swings. Impact: Roberts’ 1971 campaign remains the gold standard for hard luck brilliance in Major League history. Despite a losing record of 14-17, his 2.10 ERA was the second-best mark in the league, trailing only Tom Seaver, and remains a franchise record that still stands. His impact was defined by his role as the first true stabilizer for a fledgling Padres rotation; he threw nearly 270 innings and completed 16 games, single-handedly shielding a young, overmatched bullpen from exposure. His value was most visible in his 24 Quality Starts, a mark of consistency that was routinely sabotaged by a historically stagnant Padres offense that finished dead last in the NL in runs and hits. Roberts was forced to pitch with zero margin for error, as evidenced by his 11 starts in which his offense provided zero or one run of support, yet he still posted the third-highest WAR (7.1) of any pitcher in the league. Legend: Before the arrival of Cy Young winners like Randy Jones and Gaylord Perry, Dave Roberts was the quiet foundation upon which San Diego pitching was built. He was the franchise’s first legitimate Ace, a southpaw who carried the dignity of a last-place team on some of the worst rosters in team history. His legacy is etched in the 1971 leaderboards, where he stood toe-to-toe with Hall of Fame giants, earning a 6th-place Cy Young finish that served as the first legitimate mark of excellence in Padres history. To this day, he is remembered by San Diego purists as the Unlucky Lefty—a man who once pitched 28 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run across four starts, yet failed to record a single victory during that stretch due to an utter lack of support. He didn't just play for the Padres; he validated them, proving a pitcher could achieve immortality even while pitching for a 100-loss club. Iconic Look: Roberts was the personification of the early "Mustard and Mud" era, cutting a lean, focused figure on the mound in the Padres’ original 1971 uniforms. In contrast to the shaggier looks of the later 70s, Roberts maintained the clean-shaven, traditional appearance of a quiet professional. He wore the solid brown cap featuring the bold, gold SD logo and a gold button on top—the gritty, definitive look of the team's infancy. He donned the high-waisted, classic white flannels with the brown Padres script across the chest, often seen with his stirrups pulled high to show a flash of the white sanitary socks underneath. He used a dark, deep-pocketed Rawlings leather glove he kept tucked tight to his chest, emphasizing a windup as compact and unshakeable as his personality. The "Did You Know Factor": On August 11, 1971, Roberts participated in arguably the greatest pitching duel in franchise history, out-dueling Tom Seaver in a 1-0 masterpiece by throwing a 12-inning complete-game shutout and allowing only 5 hits while striking out 10. During that historic season, Roberts went on an incredible tear where he made 15 consecutive starts without allowing a single home run, a stretch spanning over 93 innings that remains a franchise record that stands to this day. His mastery extended to the running game; with a lightning-quick slide step and a deceptive pickoff move, he allowed only five players to successfully steal a base against him all season. He remains the only pitcher in major league history to finish a season with an ERA at or below 2.10 while pitching at least 250 innings and still finishing with a losing record. Jake Peavy "The Alabama Hammer" "The Gunslinger" 2007 (6.7 WAR) The Triple Crown Champion W-L: 19-6 | ERA: 2.54 | FIP: 2.62 | SIERA: 3.01 | SO: 240 | IP: 223.1 | CG: 0 | SHO: 0 | WHIP: 1.061 | K/BB: 3.53 | K% 26.8% | K-BB% 19.2% | ERA+ 158 NL Cy Young Winner - Unanimous (2007) | Pitching Triple Crown (2007) | NL All-Star Game Starter (2007) | Padres Team MVP (2007) | Clyde McCullough Pitcher of the Year (2007) The Five Pillars of The Gunslinger Innovation: Peavy was a "max-effort" right-hander with a violent, cross-fire delivery. Working closely with pitching coach Darren Balsley and veteran Greg Maddux, he refined his command to the point where he could pinpoint a "nasty" two-seamer that broke late and sharp, leaving the league's best hitters flailing. He mastered pitch tunneling, ensuring his 95-mph heater and his 10-to-4 slider looked identical until the last moment for the batter. By landing his lead foot toward the third-base side, he created a horizontal angle that made his sinker effectively run away from lefties and jam righties, leading to a league-best 0.52 HR/9. This mechanical precision transformed him from a pure thrower into a tactical surgeon who could dismantle lineups without ever giving up a barrel, marking the fifth-best ERA season in franchise history. Impact: He was the heartbeat of the mid-2000s Padres. Peavy didn't just pitch; he competed with a visible, fiery intensity that galvanized the entire stadium. His 2007 campaign kept the Padres in the hunt until the final breath of the season. Beyond his energy, he was the statistical anchor of the staff, taking the ball 34 times and leading the National League with a 1.06 WHIP. During the high-pressure stretch of September, Peavy went 4-1 with a 1.20 ERA, single-handedly carrying the rotation through a brutal race that ended in the 163rd tie-breaker game. He finished the season holding opponents to a measly .208 batting average, serving as the ultimate "stopper" every fifth day for a club that eventually fought into a 163rd tie-breaker game, providing the workhorse stability that allowed a heavy-use bullpen to survive. Legend: In 2007, Jake Peavy reached a level of dominance rarely seen in the modern era. By leading the National League in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, he secured the only Pitching Triple Crown in Padres history. He was the unanimous choice for the Cy Young, cementing his place as the greatest homegrown arm to ever wear the jersey. His 2007 season remains a mountaintop in franchise lore, as he received all 32 first-place votes to become a unanimous selection. He is one of only two NL pitchers since 1985 to sweep all three Triple Crown categories, joining Randy Johnson in that elite tier. His transformation from a 15th-round draft pick into the undisputed premier pitcher in the world solidified his status as the most important arm developed in San Diego history. Iconic Look: Often pitching with a face red from exertion and grit, Peavy was a blur of motion in the navy blue and sand uniforms. His jersey was usually stained with dirt and sweat by the fifth inning, a testament to his "bulldog" mentality. This high-octane visual was punctuated by a distinct, audible grunt that accompanied every single max-effort delivery, a sound that echoed through the stadium and signaled his absolute physical commitment to the pitch. His aggressive follow-through, where his flat-back finish left him staring down hitters through a sweat-streaked cap pulled low over his eyes, showcased the sheer torque of his delivery. The sight of him shouting into his glove after a massive strikeout became the definitive image of the Petco Park era, personifying a high-tension performer who exerted every ounce of physical torque into every single delivery to connect with a fan base that thrived on his gritty persona. The "Did You Know Factor": On April 25, 2007, he struck out 16 Arizona Diamondbacks, including a stretch where he fanned nine consecutive batters—just one shy of the all-time MLB record set by Tom Seaver. By winning the ERA title in 2007, he became the youngest pitcher since Dwight Gooden to win two career ERA crowns. Further adding to his 2007 legacy, he outdueled reigning Cy Young winner Brandon Webb in that 16-K performance and tied the franchise single-game record he had previously set in 2006. In a strange statistical anomaly, he also became the first pitcher in the live-ball era to win a Pitching Triple Crown without recording a single complete game. This 2007 run also included a stretch of four consecutive games with double-digit strikeouts, one of the most dominant stretches in franchise history, highlighting his status as the most feared arm in the National League. Gaylord Perry "The Spitter" 1978 (6.6 WAR) The Ageless Alchemist W-L: 21-6 | ERA: 2.73 | FIP: 3.19 | SIERA: 3.82 | SO: 154 | IP: 260.2 | CG: 5 | SHO: 2 | WHIP: 1.178 | K/BB: 2.33 | K% 14.6% | K-BB% 8.3% | ERA+ 122 NL Cy Young Award (1978) | Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year (1978) | NL Pitcher of the Month (September 1978) | Clyde McCullough Pitcher of the Year (1978) The Five Pillars of The Spitter Innovation: Perry was the undisputed master of psychological warfare on the mound. Whether it was the legendary "spitball" or simply the threat of one, he kept hitters completely unsettled. He was a master of gamesmanship. By turning his pre-pitch routine into a theatrical performance, he forced batters to hunt for a "wet" ball rather than focusing on his actual release point. This mental manipulation enabled him to weaponize a high-leverage pitching style that disrupted a hitter's rhythm and intent. He effectively used an agonizingly deliberate pace to make his sinking fastball and hard slider even more devastating because the batter was often mentally defeated before the ball was even released. He mastered the art of the "decoy," understanding that in the heat of a pennant race, the suspicion of a doctored baseball was just as lethal as the pitch itself, forcing hitters to fight a ghost that may or may not have been there. Impact: His arrival provided a veteran championship pedigree that the 1978 Padres desperately needed. He gave the rotation an anchor and taught the younger staff how to "pitch with their heads," using 21 wins to lead the team to its first-ever winning season. Perry’s presence professionalized a clubhouse that had known only losing, serving as a de facto coach for young starters like Bob Shirley and Bob Owchinko. By eating 260 2/3 innings, he stabilized the rotation and protected the rest of the staff. His 21 wins accounted for 25% of the team's total victories, a workload that earned him the Cy Young over Burt Hooton and Vida Blue. This shift in culture resulted in an 84-78 finish—the first time in the franchise's 10-year history they finished above .500. His 1978 campaign wasn't just a statistical outlier; it was the blueprint that proved the Padres could compete for a pennant. Legend: In 1978, at the age of 39, Gaylord Perry became the first pitcher in MLB history to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues, proving that "Spitter" still had plenty of magic left in his right arm when he arrived in San Diego. This achievement made him the oldest pitcher to win the award at the time, a record that stood for 26 years until Roger Clemens won it at 42. His 1978 campaign remains the gold standard for veteran acquisitions in Padres history, as he defied the physical decline expected of a player his age through intelligence and craftiness. This dominance was recognized across the league, as he was voted the NL's top starting pitcher by his peers in The Sporting News. By the time he moved on from San Diego, he had climbed to 3rd all-time on the strikeout list, trailing only Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson, cementing his status as a first-ballot Hall of Famer who used the 1978 season to prove that the "Ageless Alchemist" longevity was no fluke. Iconic Look: With his weathered face and the 1978 home white pullover with its distinct brown sleeves, Perry looked like a veteran of a thousand battles. His left sleeve featured the 1978 All-Star Game patch, which famously introduced the "Swinging Friar" logo to the Padres' game uniform for the first time, placing him right in the center of the design. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, Perry was famous for having sweat on his forehead and neck; he used the San Diego heat to his advantage, making sure everyone saw the moisture he might be using for his spitter. It was a visual intimidation tactic that left hitters more focused on his fingers than his sinking fastball. His deliberate, methodical motion and legendary pre-pitch ritual—touching his hat, belt, and jersey—made him a fascinating spectacle that often prompted opposing managers to demand that umpires search him for hidden substances. The "Did You Know" Factor: Perry once famously said, "I'd give them a look at the dry side, the wet side, and the side they hadn't even thought of yet." He leaned so far into this reputation that he published an autobiography in 1974 titled Me and the Spitter, in which he detailed his methods for doctoring the ball. Because of this, opposing managers often asked umpires to perform mid-game inspections. These searches included peering into his cap and feeling behind his ears and along his neck. During one famous search, an umpire even made Perry pull up his pant legs to check his knees. His Padres catcher, Gene Tenace, later joked that the ball was sometimes so greasy he couldn't even throw it back to the mound, forced instead to walk it out and hand-deliver it to Perry. When he wasn't using grease, he used a "Puffball" tactic, caking the ball in rosin so it would explode in a cloud of white dust upon release, a move that forced MLB to pass a rule in 1981 specifically banning the practice. Blake Snell "Snellzilla" 2023 (6.0 WAR) The Cy Young Specialist W-L: 14-9 | ERA: 2.25 | FIP: 3.44 | SIERA: 4.06 | SO: 234 | IP: 180.0 | CG: 0 | SHO: 0 | WHIP: 1.189 | K/BB: 2.36 | K% 31.5% | K-BB% 18.2% | ERA+ 182 NL Cy Young Award (2023) | All-MLB First Team (2023) | NL Pitcher of the Month (June & September 2023) | Players' Choice NL Outstanding Pitcher (2023) | Sporting News MLB Starting Pitcher of the Year (2023) | Clyde McCullough Award (2023) The Five Pillars of Snellzilla Innovation: Snell mastered the "tunneling" of his four-pitch mix to a degree rarely seen in the Statcast era. He utilized a high-velocity four-seam fastball with "ride" to effectively set up three distinct "out" pitches: a devastating 12-6 curveball, a sharp slider, and a fading changeup. This approach focused on mirroring his release points to ensure that no pitch was ever located over the heart of the plate, keeping hitters off balance. In a shift from traditional usage, he reduced his fastball frequency to a career-low (under 50%), instead utilizing those secondary offerings as primary weapons. While traditional pitching emphasizes pounding the strike zone, Snell and pitching coach Ruben Niebla adopted a philosophy in which walks were a calculated risk, proving that a pitcher could dominate by using the space just outside the zone. Impact: During a season of high expectations, Snell became the ace of the Padres. He was a master of escaping jams, posting an 86.7% left-on-base rate—the seventh-highest mark by a starting pitcher in history—anchored by a Major League-best .152 opponent average with runners in scoring position. This was fueled by 234 strikeouts and a 37.3% whiff rate. He also led the majors with just 5.75 hits allowed per nine innings. This season was punctuated by an NL Pitcher of the Month performance in September—his second of the season (June and September)—where he went 3-0 with a 0.58 ERA and ended the year with 19 consecutive scoreless innings. Beyond his league-leading .181 opponent batting average, Snell also led all of Major League Baseball in opponent slugging (.286) and opponent OPS (.579). Legend: In 2023, Blake Snell produced one of the most dominant seasons in baseball history. He became just the seventh pitcher to win a Cy Young in both leagues, joining the elite company of Gaylord Perry as the only two players to accomplish the feat while wearing a Padres uniform. This achievement placed him in a rare circle alongside icons like Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez. For months, he was essentially a brick wall, posting a historic 1.20 ERA over his final 23 starts. In the last century of Major League history, the only pitcher to post a lower ERA over a similar span in a single season was Bob Gibson (0.85 ERA), a feat not seen since the "Year of the Pitcher." In 1968. Iconic Look: Although he hails from the Pacific Northwest, Blake Snell brought a distinct, laid-back energy to the mound that resonated perfectly with the Friar Faithful. He became a staple of the modern Padres era, pulling off the vibrant City Connect pink and mint or the classic brown pinstripes. His signature look was defined by a loose-fitting jersey, his blingy Jaxxon gold chains, and a delivery where he holds his hands high before an explosive leg kick that hides the ball behind his frame. To complete the look, he wore custom gear that turned a childhood nickname he stole from his brother, Dru, at age eleven into a massive personal brand. This included his signature Snellzilla belt and hand-painted cleats featuring everything from Kobe Bryant tributes to The Simpsons—specifically Bart and Homer playing catch. The "Did You Know Factor": In his 2023 Cy Young campaign, Blake Snell became the first pitcher since the ERA became an official stat in 1913 and the first in Major League history to lead all of baseball in both ERA (2.25) and walks (99) in the same season. This ability to ignore negativity was built early on. Growing up, Blake was often smaller than his peers and doubted he could keep up, but his father, Dave—a former pro in the Giants and Mariners systems—guided him through those years at their family training facility, Showcase Sports NW. Having now passed that torch by launching "Zilla National," a youth travel team in Seattle, where he personally coaches and outfits players with neon gear and custom Jaxxon jewelry. His competitive edge translates to the digital world, too—Snell is a world-class gamer who dominated the delay in a shortened 2020 COVID season by winning the inaugural MLB The Show Players League championship, sweeping the virtual World Series 3-0. View the full article

For the better part of the last few seasons, the Minnesota Twins did not have to think very hard about how they were going to finish games. When a lead made it to the ninth inning, the ball went to Jhoan Duran, and the rest of the league usually understood what came next. Duran developed into one of baseball’s most dominant closers thanks to his overpowering fastball and splinker combination that made even elite hitters look overmatched. He brought consistency to a bullpen that had spent years searching for a true shutdown presence. When he took the mound in save situations, there was a level of calm that had been missing in Minnesota for a long time. That stability is now gone. At last year’s trade deadline, the Twins made the difficult decision to part ways with Duran, along with Griffin Jax and Louis Varland. All three had experience pitching in high-leverage roles, and any one of them could have entered spring training as the favorite to close games in 2026. Instead, Minnesota will attempt to piece together the ninth inning with a mix of veteran reclamation projects and internal arms looking to take the next step. LHP Taylor Rogers Minnesota signed Rogers to a one-year, $2 million deal, but that does not mean the left-hander cannot provide value in the closer role to begin the season. In fact, it probably makes the most sense for the Twins to lean on his experience early in the year, given the number of other lefties projected to make the bullpen, like Kody Funderburk and Anthony Banda. On a recent episode of Inside Twins, Rogers spoke about the adjustments he has made later in his career to rely more on sequencing and pitchability as his velocity has dipped. He also mentioned that new bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins has been a valuable resource when it comes to finding ways to extend a reliever’s career and remain effective in high-leverage spots. Rogers seems to have the inside track to the closer role, but he’s told Twins manager Derek Shelton that he must earn the spot. RHP Liam Hendriks Hendriks has been one of the best closers of his generation, but the reality is that he has thrown fewer than 20 innings over the last three seasons. Since 2022, Hendriks has dealt with seemingly constant adversity, beginning with a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that offseason, which delayed his 2023 debut until May 29. He was only able to make five appearances that year before suffering an elbow injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. “[He’s a] veteran guy that people speak so highly of in the game in terms of who he is as a human being,” Shelton said. “Obviously, he’s had some challenges in his life over the last couple years. Just talking about the person, [we're] excited to add him into that group.” If Hendriks can rediscover anything close to his previous form, he could quickly move to the front of the closer conversation. RHP Cole Sands Sands might possess the highest upside of anyone currently projected to make the Twins’ bullpen. However, he also seems like a candidate to slide into the fireman role that Jax occupied in recent seasons, which takes him out of the full-time closer conversation. Minnesota may prefer to keep Sands flexible enough to enter during the middle innings to escape a jam or bridge the gap to one of the more traditional ninth-inning options. He has been working on adding a gyro slider that could help neutralize left-handed hitters more consistently. “So the big idea here is just try and put lefties away," Sands told reporters this past week. "And that's kind of where the gyro came into play. And we're always going to continue to push all, you know, all these pitches to try and execute lefties as well as I [do against] righties.” RHP Justin Topa Topa arrived in the Jorge Polanco trade after a breakout season with the Mariners that saw him post a 152 ERA+ and a 3.15 FIP. He has recorded a handful of saves throughout his career, which gives him at least some credibility in late-inning situations. However, his 18.3 K% last season suggests his skill set is better suited for a setup role. Minnesota will need reliable right-handed options throughout the year, which should still allow Topa to carve out meaningful opportunities even if they do not come in the ninth inning. Dark Horse Candidates David Festa and Connor Prielipp Festa and Prielipp are both expected to begin the year building starter workloads, but the reality is that each comes with injury concerns, and the Triple-A rotation is likely to be crowded. Both pitchers feature electric arsenals that have allowed them to succeed as starters in the minors. Limiting their pitch mix in shorter bullpen stints could unlock additional velocity and give Minnesota another potential late-inning weapon. The organization has already seen how that transition can work with pitchers like Jax, Varland, and Sands in recent seasons. Replacing a talent like Duran is not something that can be done with a single move. The Twins are not just searching for someone who can collect saves but for someone who can bring a sense of stability to the bullpen’s most important moments. That responsibility could shift month to month depending on performance and health. There is also value in keeping the role fluid early in the season. Locking in a closer on Opening Day might provide clarity, but it could also limit the Twins’ ability to deploy their best relievers in the highest leverage spots, regardless of inning. Minnesota has leaned into that philosophy at times over the last few years and may now be forced to embrace it more fully. Ultimately, this bullpen will look very different from the one that opened last season. New opportunities often create unexpected outcomes, and the Twins will be hoping that one of these veterans or emerging internal options can seize the ninth inning and make it their own. If that happens, Minnesota might not completely replicate what Duran provided at the back end of games, but they could still find a path toward building their next trusted late-inning presence. Who should be the team’s closer on Opening Day? Who will have the most saves for the Twins in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

There was perhaps no need that was more evident, for any team in Major League Baseball, than starting pitching was this winter for the San Diego Padres. They lost Dylan Cease early in free agency and appeared poised to do the same with Michael King. Yu Darvish was quickly declared out for the entirety of 2026, if he doesn’t call it a career it a career altogether. Nestor Cortes was a virtual non-factor upon his acquisition at last year’s trade deadline and never really merited discussion of a return. In short, the situation was dire for the Padres’ 2026 rotation. As the offseason progressed, however, they started to shift the narrative, at least a bit. King was, surprisingly, re-signed to what could amount to a one-year deal (though reads three on paper). Joe Musgrove is going to be close to a full-go for the regular season from the jump as he works back from Tommy John surgery. Adding those two to Nick Pivetta provided at least some stability to the top of the group. Questions remained, however. Sure, Randy Vásquez finished the year strong. But his profile is still flawed given some command woes against a lack of upside in his stuff. Even if he is able to build on that finish, the absence of anything resembling certainty helps to make this the murkiest positional group on the roster. With the team more recently opting for a pure volume approach in addressing it, though, they might have an opportunity to capitalize on that lack of clarity in seeking a more creative solution: the six-man rotation. Last week, the team signed Griffin Canning and Germán Márquez to one-year deals. They join in-house holdovers JP Sears, Kyle Hart, and Matt Waldron and non-roster invitees Triston McKenzie, Marco Gonzales, Sean Boyle, and Walker Buehler to create a competition that presents plenty of intrigue, even if it’s lacking in upside. If you’re keeping count, that’s 13 names for five spots. Pared down based on the more certain aspects, that’s 10 names for two spots. It’s not a terribly favorable probability for those that are on a deal of the minor-league variety or lacking in upside altogether. For example, it’s much more likely that we see a name like Hart in the bullpen or El Paso on the guaranteed contract side, with Boyle serving a similar role off the 40-man roster. However things shake out, though, it’s an opportunity to the Padres to explore the possibility of the six-man setup. The concept of a six-man rotation is floated throughout the league with decent regularity, but few teams actually adopt it. Pitchers being as routine oriented as they are stifles at least some of its usage, while another share of the responsibility goes to simply not having six options with which to work in the context of some organizations. In the Padres’ case, though, there’s real logic in exploring the possibility. From the standpoint of the certain aspects of the rotation, King is coming off a season in which he made only 15 starts. Musgrove hasn’t thrown a big-league inning since 2024. Pursuing such an avenue as a six-man rotation allows each of the two to settle back into regular work without putting too much stress on either arm early in the season. That’s the primary reason the team would even consider it. But it may not be the only one. As an added benefit, it also provides the Padres with runway beyond the spring to sort through some of the volume they’ve accrued. If they like what they see from the likes of Triston McKenzie or Walker Buehler – two pitchers that have performed at a high level in the past – they could structure the rotation in such a way that allows them sufficient time to evaluate whether some of the upside still persists within either pitcher. With Griffin Canning likely needing some time to work his way back from the Achilles injury, too, they get additional coverage from an innings standpoint. FanGraphs’ prognostication indicates that, in some way, the Padres will heavily feature at least six starters in 2026. Their list includes Canning grabbing 11 percent of the available starts, which is the lowest among the six starters playing on a guaranteed contract. That amounts to roughly 18 starts. While the depth charts are predictive and don’t necessarily always factor in context, this at least suggests that the thought isn’t entirely unreasonable. The Padres represent as good a case as any for the six-man rotation. The situation is always different when these conversations manifest around different organizations. But considering their lack of certainty at the back end of the rotation and their group of pitchers recovering from injury, the merits of the approach are at least visible to the naked eye. View the full article

While Ben Brown was hit around and struggled to control at-bats with a two-pitch mix in 2025, there are a few signals pointing towards a bounce-back campaign in 2026. If all goes to plan, and Brown expands his arsenal, Tommy Hottovy eluded that Brown could be a pivotal part of the future of this Cubs rotation. View the full article

In 2026, the Twins could have a secret weapon in Austin Martin. He can play almost anywhere, he gets on base, and he gives the team flexibility that might just be invaluable over a long season. Think of him as Minnesota’s ultimate Swiss army knife. View the full article

Spring training games start this weekend. I invite you to take a moment and think back to what the Blue Jays' roster looked like a year ago today. Some of the main characters are still around, but not even a trip to the World Series was enough to make this team immune to the winds of offseason change, least of all on the pitching side. There was considerable turnover in the rotation and the bullpen as the Jays try to stay ahead of the curve in a division that's only getting more hyper-competitive. At this point, all notable public player projection systems have given their two cents on how this season will unfold. Naturally, each forecasting model on sites like FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus is built on slightly different foundations. Two models can come to entirely different conclusions on a given player's prognosis. On FanGraphs alone, there are a handful of algorithms dedicated to predicting every major leaguer's immediate future. ZiPS uses historical comps to estimate future performance. Steamer uses underlying numbers and regresses toward league average. FGDC averages ZiPS and Steamer with a more precise playing time projection. Similar to Steamer in nature are The Bat and The Bat X, with the latter incorporating more Statcast data. ATC is an elaborate aggregate of all those systems. OOPSY is more exploratory, considering pitch modelling and bat tracking more than its predecessors. What do these models think about the Blue Jays’ pitching staff in 2026? Which is most optimistic? Which is least optimistic? Who are the specific pitchers they find common ground on, and who has a wide range of outcomes? In Agreement It's always a comforting sign for a fanbase when the computers have a shared, positive consensus on their team's most expensive addition of the winter. Across the board, Dylan Cease is pegged for a mid-3.00s ERA and FIP by the FanGraphs projections roundtable. The proverbial crystal balls are quite confident he'll rebound from an inconsistent 2025 and become the team's best starting pitcher. Derek Carty's The Bat X provides the most glowing report, predicting a 3.37 ERA for Cease across 29 starts and 171 IP. Cease's reputation as a strikeout pitcher certainly precedes him, but Steamer is the most bullish on him suppressing the walks that have plagued him from time to time (proj. 8.7% BB rate). By contrast, ATC is on the low end with a 3.72 ERA estimate. A minuscule difference of 0.35 runs between the best and worst ERA projections is a ringing endorsement of Cease's ability to live up to the peripherals and be a true ace in Toronto. Setting expectations for rookies, especially after the run that Trey Yesavage went on to cap off 2025, can be a tough exercise. However, the models paint a pretty clear picture. Between FanGraphs' various models, Yesavage has the lowest standard deviation in FIP projections of anyone on this staff. Unsurprisingly, the stuff-based OOPSY likes him the most (3.39 ERA, 3.67 FIP), while The Bat thinks he'll be a little closer to average (3.86 ERA, 3.94 FIP). The alien release point, high-vert fastball, dizzying splitter, and reverse slider make for an enigmatic package. The most crucial task for Yesavage this year will be staying ahead of hitters; he had them perplexed for most of October, but baseball is a game of constant adjustment and readjustment. In any case, he's one of the more talented young pitchers the organization has seen in some time. As with prospects, it can be tough to put a finger on pitchers coming in from overseas. Yet, as with Yesavage, the models have conviction in their optimism for Cody Ponce in what'll be his second go-around at the MLB level. He isn't the same pitcher he was when we last saw him with the Pirates, and the FanGraphs projections are buying into his stellar showing in the KBO, with a composite 4.07 ERA/3.94 FIP outlook. Ponce has the tightest forecasted ERA window of any of his teammates, with Steamer more sold than the rest (3.94 ERA, 3.81 FIP) and ZiPS falling on the other end of the spectrum (4.20 ERA, 4.13 FIP). He looks like a perfectly capable back-of-the-rotation arm from that standpoint, something the Blue Jays would surely be happy with considering his relatively low free agent price tag. In Disagreement It was a strange first year back in the organization for Jeff Hoffman. There were pronounced highs and lows, and he underperformed some of his peripherals, but after some speculation that someone else would be the closer in 2026, it looks like it's his job to lose once again. Most of the classic "luck" indicators can't make heads or tails of what happened last year: His BABIP was low, his HR/FB% was very high, and his xERA was considerably lower than reality, albeit still higher than it was with the Phillies. The projections are thus conflicted as well; OOPSY (3.36 ERA, 3.61 FIP) and ZiPS (3.38 ERA, 3.74 FIP) are believers while The Bat is not (4.08 ERA, 4.06 FIP). It's important to note that despite the wide range of possibilities, Hoffman's forecast stands out relative to his colleagues. His 3.60 composite ERA projection is the third-lowest of the pitchers widely expected to break camp. There's also some contention regarding Louis Varland. The bullpen's chief workhorse has OOPSY convinced (3.20 ERA, 3.40 FIP), which, again, shouldn't be too surprising given how electric the stuff is. On the other hand, a fastball that regularly touches 100, coupled with the hardest knuckle curve in the sport and decent command, isn't enough to convince The Bat X (4.23 ERA, 4.00 FIP). Varland has the highest standard deviation in ERA and FIP projections of anyone who's likely guaranteed an Opening Day roster spot, but as with Hoffman, the averages paint a more reassuring picture. His 3.72 composite ERA projection slots right behind the closer as fourth-best on the team. Among those turning heads early in camp is Ricky Tiedemann, who's healthy for the first time in a while and inserting himself into that Opening Day roster conversation. The talent is undeniable for the former third-round pick, but considering the lack of clarity as to his role if he does make the team and his injury history, the computers are divided on him. OOPSY has him down for a 3.73 ERA and a 3.88 FIP, which would be an encouraging development but relatively inconsequential at the team level, given his playing time projection of 19 appearances and 32 innings. ZiPS thinks it'll be a slower climb (4.68 ERA, 4.74 FIP), but the fact that he's off the IL and ready to create some tough decisions for the coaching staff is a refreshing sign for everyone in the organization. The Verdict Out of the wealth of projection systems at FanGraphs, Steamer has the lowest team-wide ERA for the Blue Jays in 2026, while ZiPS has the highest. More Notes This season's forecast is strong for Brendon Little. On aggregate, he has the lowest ERA (3.46) and second-lowest FIP (3.70) projection on the staff. He burned out down the stretch and was not reliable in October, but he was one of the most effective lefty relievers in baseball during the first half and frequently got the ball in high-leverage spots. Finishing the season the way he starts and putting up a better fight against fatigue will be key. Thanks to the additions in the bullpen, Braydon Fisher is not guaranteed a big-league job right out of the gate. The projection systems think he should be, though, as he has the fifth-lowest composite ERA projection of the group (3.74). Fisher was acquired from the Dodgers for Cavan Biggio in 2024, and the Blue Jays have certainly gotten what they wanted so far out of that deal. Both on the surface and below, he has had a glowing start to his big league career. Eventually, the bullpen will welcome back Yimi García, who will start the year on the IL after he battled injury for most of last season. When the Blue Jays re-acquired him in free agency last winter, it was thought that he could compete with Hoffman for the closing job, and while it remains to be seen how his rehab will affect his stuff, most of the projection systems are confident. Garcia's aggregate ERA projection is 3.75, right behind Fisher’s, and hopefully a positive omen that he'll work his way back to high-leverage work sooner than later. View the full article

The moment Shota Imanaga first took the mound in Chicago, there was an electricity in the air. On a cold night, with the help of the Wrigley wind, against a hapless Colorado Rockies lineup, Imanaga carved up hitters left and right. Through his first 53 innings in Major League Baseball, the left-handed pitcher had a sub 1.00 ERA, and hadn't recorded a loss; a phenom was born, albeit, one that could never live up to that kind of hype. The rest of his debut season was good, but wasn't as good, as over his next 119 innings, Imanaga posted a 3.82 ERA, a 3.78 xFIP, to go along with a 23.9 K%. These are good, nearly very good, numbers, but short of "ace" territory — the kind of pitcher you want in your rotation but probably not good enough to lead your rotation. Heading into 2025, he was probably a bit overrated by the general populace. Then, 2025 happened. The narrative around Imanaga has shifted dramatically as a result. To put it lightly, last year was not a good one for the Cubs' left-handed pitcher. Right away, Imanaga struggled in the Tokyo Dome in front of a raucous crowd and against a tough Dodgers team. On May 4, Imanaga would suffer a hamstring injury that would hamper the rest of his season. The left-hander showed diminished velocity all year long, with a fastball down a few MPH. He never got fully right in 2025, struggling with (potentially) tipping pitches against the lowly White Sox and never really getting back to the guy we saw the year before. It looked like maybe he was bouncing back after the rough start, posted a 3.54 ERA (with a 3.61 xFIP) over his next 54 innings after facing the Pale Hose, but the wheels fell off in his last two regular season starts, then once again in the playoffs. Something was wrong and the Cubs decided to skip over their Opening Day starting pitcher in the do-or-die Game 5 of the NLDS. This led the team to difficult decisions when it came to his contract; eventually, both sides decided that playing out 2026 on the qualifying offer, a one-year, $22.025 million pact, would be best for everyone involved. For the pitcher, this represents a pay-increase over what he was expecting, but a loss of guaranteed years behind; for the team, it's a chance to evaluate the hurler before they commit to more seasons. It's an imperfect solution for both, however, the two probably need each other still and this allows that partnership to continue. Entering the 2026 season, it's hard to figure out what to make of Imanaga, however (and why the team was so hesitant to pick up his three-year option). Is he the 2024 guy, who, even when taking out his amazing start, was the kind of arm you'd slot into a top-three spot in your rotation? Is he the home-run-soft-tosser he looked like in 2025? A lot of this is going to come down to one thing: velocity. The worst part is we probably won't know the answer to that concern until the season truly begins. Chris Langin, a former Driveline instructor, expertly broke down the velocity cliff that Imanaga faced last year. His best pitch is his fastball and it's not particularly close. Because his fastball is so good, it allows his other stuff to play up despite mediocre shapes. But he's also living in a razor-thin land of velocity; at 92-93mph, his fastball has such unique outlier characteristics that allow it to front his arsenal. Hitters have to protect against the fastball, and thus, they swing at the sweeper and the splitter which generate a ton of chase. However, at 90-91mph, the fastball loses much of it's uniqueness, and now instead of protecting against the pitch hitters are hunting the fastball. And this is where he sat last year. It's a no-man's land and Imanaga suffered the consequences. This can be easily seen with a quick glance at Imanaga's Baseball Savant page, as well. He still generated a lot of chases, as outlined in the above tweet-thread by Langin, but his whiff and K% dropped significantly. Hitters made significantly better contact as well. Imanaga's fastball value plummeted, so while hitters still struggled against his off-speed offerings, his fastball was the clear issue. Diving into his individual offerings, the whiff% is also highlighted there. While Imanaga's whiff% on his fastball wasn't significantly lower year over year, the batted ball data against that pitch (especially his expected data) was much worse. But beyond jus the fastball, his whiff% against his split-finger is telling, as hitters simply weren't swinging and missing as much on that pitch or getting put away as often. Imanaga is a primary fastball-splitter guy, and if both pitches aren't getting the same results, it's not shocking that the overall results suffered. So, then, what's the fix? For the Cubs and Imanaga, the hope here is clear: health. Craig Counsell spoke before the Cubs' first spring training game and voiced that he believed that the hamstring injury took velocity out of Imanaga's game in 2025. And it would appear as though his velocity is up, at least from the team. This is all good news. As Langin outlined, if Imanaga gets back to the velocity shown in 2024, there's top-30 starter upside there. The fastball velocity tracking seems to support this to a degree. Before his hamstring injury, Shota was averaging 91.2 mph on his fastball, while after, it dipped to 90.7 mph. And while 91.2 mph is still down from Imanaga's 91.9 mph average in 2024, some of that may be attributed to throwing a bunch in a very cold Wrigley Field early in the season. The other good news is that the fastball velocity isn't the only thing that stands out in his data. Following his injury, his arm angle also dropped significantly. While this could have been designed to give him extra run on his sweeper, it could also be because of the injury to his left hamstring. Because he's left-handed, that hamstring is his anchor and where he's driving from to generate power. Not only could that cause velocity drop, but it could also create those bad mechanics that led to a homer binge at the end of the campaign. If you're following the Cubs this spring, we're in luck: Sloan Park, the home of the Cubs in Mesa, will have Statcast tracking this year for all of their spring training games (as will all spring stadiums)! There will be plenty of fun things to keep an eye on, but maybe none as important as the velocity that Imanaga shows. If he's hitting 92-93mph, there's probably a good reason to believe he's back, at least to some degree, to his 2024 self. The Cubs have done a good job of making sure they're not too invested in his fastball velocity. So, while the team will be significantly better if Imanaga is significantly better, they aren't counting on him in 2026 like they were last year. The team has Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Edward Cabrera slotting in ahead of the lefty in the rotational pecking order, while also rostering a returning Justin Steele. Rookie Jaxon Wiggins is also waiting in the wings, and swing starters such as Colin Rea, Javier Assad, Jordan Wicks and Ben Brown could slot in if Imanaga continues to falter. But the Cubs could also be in a situation in which they have an embarrassment of riches if Imanaga shows 2024-type-velocity on his fastball as well. It's a worthwhile gamble, and heading into this upcoming season, it likely means Shota Imanaga has once again become underrated by the fanbase to a degree, much like he was when he made his first fateful start in Chicago. What do you think about Shota Imanaga as we head into 2026? Do you think he will be an asset to the team? Or was it a mistake to give him a qualifying offer? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

Aaron Ashby is entering his fifth year in Milwaukee and has been an above-average pitcher for the Brewers, posting career numbers of 114 ERA+ and a FIP of 3.46. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Nashville is not a realistic option, as in, ‘he’s too good to send down.’ Where will he fit into Milwaukee’s plans? Ashby was a fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft out of Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri, and made good progress through the Brewers chain, arriving in Milwaukee in just his third year, and has been a solid contributor ever since. The Brewers have two main questions with their pitching staff: who is going to start, and who is going to stay in Milwaukee? Let’s answer the first question. Currently, the Brewers have six southpaws that have the versatility to make the rotation or pitch out of the pen. Newcomers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan came over in the Caleb Durbin trade from Boston, joining Robert Gasser, Angel Zerpa, DL Hall, and Ashby. All these guys could potentially join the rotation, or they could reside in the pen. Back in 2022, Ashby made 19 starts for Milwaukee. He averaged nearly five innings per start, striking out at a high rate of 26.2%, but unfortunately, his 10.4% walk rate was pretty bad. Last year in 43 appearances (including one opener game) he whiffed 28.1% while improving a little on his walk rate, dropping it to 8.9%. Ashby began spring training last year as a starter but suffered an oblique injury and missed the first third of the season. When he came back, he was inserted into a regular bullpen role, pitching in all leverage situations. Realistically, Quinn Priester, Brandon Woodruff, Chad Patrick, and Jacob Misiorowski are front-runners for the first four starting spots. Logan Henderson and Brandon Sproat are on the periphery. They are all right-handers. Add to that Harrison, Gasser, Ashby, Zerpa, Hall, and Drohan, and you have nearly a baker’s dozen of arms to choose from. Some will get injured, some will underperform, and before you know it, the Brewers could be scrambling to cobble a rotation together. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Aaron Ashby's Stuff Ashby depends heavily on his sinker, which he throws over 50% of the time, and backs it up with his curveball, which he throws once every four pitches. His most effective pitch is his curveball, which has a 7.6" drop, more than the major league average. It produced 27 strikeouts for a K rate of 47%. His slider has big movement as well, 9" more than the major league average. Ashby has changed his arm angle over the years, going from high-three-quarters in 2022 when he was a starter to a more over-the-top guy last year with an arm angle of 51%. Aaron Ashby's Pitch Arsenal Ashby uses his sinker and curve three-quarters of the time overall, while using his changeup at a 12% rate, while the slider (8%) and four-seam (2%) are the lesser-used pitches in his repertoire. He relies more on the sinker to lefty hitters (58%) and doubles the slider offering up to 18%. When facing righties, the slider and the four-seam go in the back pocket (5% total) while the curve and slider come out half the time, along with the old reliable sinker at 47%. That sinker gets beat into the dirt more often than not (62%), and with an infield like the Brewers have, that is a good thing. Year Pitch Type # # RHB # LHB % MPH PA AB H 1B 2B 3B HR SO BBE BA xBA SLG xSLG wOBA xwOBA EV LA Spin Ext. Whiff% PutAway% 2025 Sinker 530 305 225 51.3 97.5 136 119 29 24 2 1 2 21 101 .244 .259 .328 .354 .291 .311 90.2 -1 2151 5.3 16.4 22.8 2025 Curveball 273 192 81 26.4 82.2 57 49 7 5 2 0 0 27 22 .143 .150 .184 .185 .219 .225 88.0 3 2737 5.3 43.9 34.6 2025 Changeup 122 120 2 11.8 91.4 38 35 10 6 3 1 0 9 26 .286 .250 .429 .353 .325 .282 89.2 4 1902 5.3 31.3 25.0 2025 Slider 84 14 70 8.1 84.2 31 28 6 5 0 0 1 17 11 .214 .140 .321 .242 .277 .218 76.2 0 2661 5.3 51.5 29.3 2025 Four Seamer 24 17 7 2.3 96.9 8 7 2 2 0 0 0 2 5 .286 .189 .286 .207 .307 .243 78.8 -12 2263 5.3 28.6 11.8 2024 Sinker 216 136 80 44.6 96.2 56 49 12 9 2 0 1 8 42 .245 .211 .347 .327 .297 .297 90.4 1 2120 5.2 12.6 15.1 2024 Changeup 99 91 8 20.5 88.8 27 23 5 1 3 0 1 4 20 .217 .252 .478 .422 .337 .339 86.5 6 1775 5.2 36.4 13.3 2024 Curveball 93 77 16 19.2 82.2 14 14 1 1 0 0 0 9 5 .071 .161 .071 .241 .063 .174 94.6 -5 2636 5.3 42.9 34.6 2024 Slider 66 26 40 13.6 83.2 19 18 2 1 1 0 0 12 6 .111 .138 .167 .277 .149 .201 85.6 9 2541 5.2 43.8 35.3 2024 Four Seamer 10 9 1 2.1 96.9 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 .155 .000 .467 .000 .255 95.4 32 2214 5.3 0.0 0.0 What Should Aaron Ashby's Role Be in 2026? In his major league career, Ashby has appeared in 97 games, of which 26 were starts. He started 66 times in the minors among his 95 appearances, so he definitely has the chops to fit into the rotation. Given the heavy right-handed presence in the tentative rotation, manager Pat Murphy will probably be looking to insert one southpaw into that mix. The question is: which of the groups listed above will be that left-hander? I would put Harrison or Gasser at the top of that list, but given an underperformance and the likelihood of an injury or two, you might as well flip a coin or roll the dice to decide. No matter where he ends up, Ashby will play a huge role for the Brewers in 2026. View the full article

Outside of Trey Yesavage, who will be graduating from prospect status before long, JoJo Parker is the top-rated prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system before even playing a game. Where did this guy come from, what does his skillset look like, and how long will it take for him to reach the show? We answer all of these questions. View the full article

Outside of Trey Yesavage, who will be graduating from prospect status before long, JoJo Parker is the top-rated prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system before even playing a game. Where did this guy come from, what does his skillset look like, and how long will it take for him to reach the show? We answer all of these questions. View the full article

The 2026 Minnesota Twins entered spring training with a clear identity. If there was one area this roster could hang its hat on, it was starting pitching. That strength was supposed to give the Twins a path, however narrow, to relevance and possibly even a surprise playoff push. That plan lasted exactly one day. Twins ace Pablo López suffered a torn UCL on the first day of spring training, an injury expected to sideline him for the entirety of the 2026 season. In one moment, the Twins lost the pitcher they were most reliant on to anchor the rotation. In the wake of that injury, the Twins need to reassess their direction, and that reassessment should lead to one clear conclusion: It is time to trade Joe Ryan. Even before López went down, the Twins' margin for error was already slim. The idea was never that Minnesota could contend with a merely solid rotation. Their chances rested on starting pitching being outstanding in order to offset a lineup filled with question marks and a bullpen that lacked proven reliability. Without López, that scenario becomes increasingly difficult to envision. Every remaining starter is now pushed up a rung in responsibility. The first depth arm in St. Paul, whoever that would have been, is no longer a depth option but a necessary member of the rotation. Any flexibility the Twins may have had to deploy a starter in a hybrid bullpen role, similar to how Louie Varland had been used just last season, is now gone as well. Even if starting pitching remains the team’s relative strength, that says more about the rest of the roster than it does about the rotation’s ceiling. A good rotation is not enough for this team. The Twins needed an elite one, and without López it is hard to imagine a realistic scenario in which they reach that level. The projections reflect that reality. FanGraphs gave the Twins a 31% chance to make the playoffs before the injury. Following Lopez’s diagnosis, that number has dropped to 26.5%, with Vegas moving the Twins' win total to just 73.5 games. The odds were already low. Now they are even lower. That context makes Ryan’s situation impossible to ignore. He is 29 years old and firmly in the prime of his career, coming off a season in which he earned his first All-Star selection while posting a career-best 3.42 ERA. He also has two full seasons of team control remaining, which matters greatly in the current pitching market. That market has changed. The free agent pool of starting pitchers has largely dried up, leaving trades as the primary avenue for contenders to improve their rotations. There may not be a more attractive starter realistically available than Ryan, who is durable, effective, controllable, and producing at a peak level. The Twins already know the interest is real. At last season’s trade deadline, during the team’s fire sale in which 10 players were moved, Ryan nearly became the 11th. Advanced talks with the Boston Red Sox never materialized into a deal, but speculation followed Ryan into the offseason as many wondered whether the Twins would ultimately trade him, López, or both. The Twins chose to hold onto their starters with the belief that pitching could carry the 2026 roster. That bet didn't work out. Whether it means reopening discussions with Boston, a team that still enters the season with questions at the back of its rotation, or engaging another contender looking to stockpile pitching depth, the Twins should be aggressive. Injuries happen every spring. Another team could quickly find itself desperate for a starting pitcher, and Minnesota should be prepared to capitalize. It was arguable that the Twins should have traded Ryan during last year’s fire sale. It was arguable that they could have done it this offseason. After López’s injury, it is no longer debatable. Ryan would command a significant prospect return, the kind of capital that could help reset the organization’s timeline and better position the Twins for the future. With each passing month, his value declines as his remaining team control decreases. There is also an uncomfortable reality the Twins just experienced firsthand. Health is far from guaranteed, especially for starting pitchers. What happened to Lopez this spring could just as easily happen to Ryan. While no one could have predicted López’s injury, the decision not to trade him now looks like a missed opportunity in hindsight. The Twins cannot afford to risk another one. With a healthy Ryan who may never have more trade value than he does right now, the Twins should cash in. López’s injury did not just remove an ace from the rotation. It fundamentally altered the Twins competitive outlook for 2026. The path that once existed, however narrow, has become even smaller. In that context, holding onto Ryan no longer makes sense. Trading him now offers the Twins their best chance to extract meaningful value, mitigate risk, and begin charting a more realistic course forward. What do you think? Should the Twins move Joe Ryan now and lean into a reset, or is there still a case for holding onto him despite the long odds? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View the full article

Baseball action is finally back, and the Boston Red Sox's roster looks largely complete. However, when you take a look at the bullpen, it's clear the team still has some moves to make prior to Opening Day. If the season were to start today, the only guaranteed left-handed reliever would be Aroldis Chapman. With Chapman slotted to be the closer once more after a historically great season in 2025, that would leave the Red Sox without a left-handed option for earlier in the game. Jovani Morán is a likely case to break camp with the team as he is out of minor-league options, though necessity doesn't always equal preference. It seems that the team would want a second left-handed option to pair with Morán for the middle innings. Earlier in the offseason, you could argue that the Red Sox had plenty of left-handed options in Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy also on the 40-man roster, but they were both traded. Shane Drohan could have been another option to be a reliever for the team but he too was shipped off. Thus, the team must turn to a dark horse candidate. Drafted by the New York Yankees in the first round of the 2019 Draft, T.J. Sikkema has spent a lot of time in the minor leagues since. After making four starts in 2019, he would not pitch again until 2022, where he would be part of a package by the Yankees sent to the Kansas City Royals for Andrew Benintendi. Sikkema would become a minor-league free agent after the 2023 season and would find himself pitching in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization; in 2025, he finally managed to make it to Triple-A. While it was only five appearances, he still garnered decent results, tossing 23 1/3 innings while walking just eight batters and striking out 16. Most impressively, he only allowed opposing batters to barrel up his pitches 1.4% of the time. For good measure, he walked batters at a reasonable 8.1% rate. Sikkema doesn’t come without his own issues, however. He isn’t a big strikeout guy, nor does he generate a ton of chases or whiffs. Again, it was during a small sample, but it demonstrated that Sikkema has never really been someone who overpowers or tricks batters. And yet, Sikkema threw a live bullpen in Sox camp on February 18, going up against Roman Anthony, Caleb Durbin, Nate Eaton, Masataka Yoshida and Tsung-Che Cheng. Of the five hitters, Sikkema managed to get Anthony out twice on weakly hit balls including a broken bat and struck out Yoshida. While spring is still early, it’s a positive sign of a pitcher who may just force his name into the bullpen conversation. Sikkema relies on a fastball-slider combination, though the slider is the better of the two pitches. Sikkema isn’t the hardest thrower as his fastball averages 88 to 91 mph, but he has managed to get it into the mid-90s on occasion. With an offseason of working in the Red Sox's pitching lab, it's not unreasonable to suggest that he could add some more punch to his heater, which would make him a far more intriguing candidate for the bullpen. At this point, whoever the Red Sox bring in as a left-handed reliever will lead to divisiveness, but the options are what they are. Sikkema may never reach the majors with Boston, but there's a reason the team signed him with a non-roster invite attached. He may be a longshot, but opportunity has come knocking. View the full article

Speaking to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi, Blue Jays right-hander Yimi García confirmed that he will open the 2026 season on the injured list. García, 35, had elbow surgery last September. He has not suffered a setback, but the Blue Jays are simply taking things slow with the veteran reliever, who also dealt with elbow issues in 2024. The righty has not yet thrown off a mound this spring, though he's hoping to do so soon. While it once seemed as if the Blue Jays would have some tough decisions to make regarding their Opening Day bullpen, that might not be an issue anymore. Barring a particularly impressive spring training from Chase Lee or one of the Rule 5 guys (or a last-minute Max Scherzer signing), Toronto's Opening Day bullpen is likely to include Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland, Brendon Little, Eric Lauer, Tommy Nance, Braydon Fisher, and Mason Fluharty. View the full article

FORT MYERS - Minnesota Twins baseball returned on Friday night, though it won’t count even in spring training’s Grapefruit League standings. The Twins beat the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers baseball team, with Zebby Matthews starting and Cole Sands following him on the mound. Gophers pitchers faced a mix of veterans (Josh Bell - 1B, Kody Clemens - 2B, Gio Urshela - 3B) and top prospects (Emmanuel Rodriguez - CF, Henry Mendez - DH, Gabriel Gonzalez - RF; Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper subbed in midway). I’m not going to go over any of their stats, because it would create the false impression that any of it means anything. Instead, I’ll tell you that it was a beautiful night, included a great sunset, and was appreciated by an appropriately sized half-full Hammond stadium. Matthews threw hard and seemed to feel good, which is probably the most important takeaway. Tomorrow afternoon, the Grapefruit League schedule will start with a home game versus the crosstown rival Boston Red Sox, and with Joe Ryan starting the game. Ownership Thoughts New Twins executive chair Tom Pohlad has spent the week in Fort Myers with his family, the team, management, and even the media. The message has been consistent: he wants to be hands on, he wants to be aggressive, and he wants the team to win this year. The reaction, of course, has been skepticism, because the Twins have consistently spent less under the Pohlads than the average MLB team for at least the entirety of 21st century. View the full article