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Finally, we reach the top 5 Boston Red Sox prospects as ranked by the contributors at Talk Sox. Does Payton Tolle or Connelly Early claim the top spot? Who else joins them in the top 5? That and more in this video! Discussed in this video are Juan Valera, Kyson Witherspoon, Franklin Arias, Connelly Early, and Payton Tolle. View the full article

With spring training wrapped up and the major and minor league seasons underway, it’s time to check in with the New York Mets' top pitching prospects and how well their stuff played during spring training. Let's dive into the metrics of each pitcher's arsenal, and highlight what they did well and where there is room for improvement. Heading into the beginning of last season, the Mets top pitching prospects were headlined by Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong, and Nolan McLean. Fast-forward to the end of last season, where all three of them made their major-league debuts to varying success. This offseason, the Mets traded Brandon Sproat and top infield prospect Jett Williams to the Milwaukee Brewers. That was a hefty cost, but at least they got a new ace of the staff in Freddy Peralta, and a really solid arm in Tobias Myers. For this breakdown, the prospect rankings were provided by MLB Pipeline. The top five pitchers in the Mets organization currently consist of Nolan McLean (#1), Jonah Tong (#3), Jack Wenninger (#7), Jonathan Santucci (#10), and Will Watson (#11). Since Santucci did not pitch in any major-league games this spring, there is no public data on his pitches. Instead, he will be replaced by Zach Thornton (#15), who is the next-highest ranked pitching prospect within the Mets organization. Breaking Down Mets' Top 5 Pitching Prospects In Spring Training Nolan McLean (RHP) McLean is entering his second year in the majors and looks to be a huge contributor to the Mets rotation. McLean will still be considered a prospect until he logs two more innings in the majors. He only pitched in one spring training game before heading off to join the rotation for Team USA. Between one spring game with the Mets and two with Team USA, there is a pretty good sized sample of pitches to examine. In a 169-pitch sample, McLean had a really good tjStuff+ score of 108. He featured a five-pitch mix, all five of which graded out average or better. He threw his sweeper the most, 51 times, and it was also tied with his four-seam fastball to be his best pitch. His sweeper was nasty, generating -18.8 inches of horizontal break, with -0.9 inches of induced vertical break. It got batters to chase out of the zone 48.1% and had a wOBA of .123, both being excellent marks. It’s not a slow sweeper either, as it averaged 86.2 mph. Overall, McLean did a really good job this spring generating chases outside the zone, but did struggle to keep pitches in the zone. His sweeper was an exception, as he executed that pitch really well (47.1 zone%). Jonah Tong (RHP) Tong is slated to begin the 2026 campaign with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. He made a brief appearance with the Mets at the end of last season, making five starts while totaling 18.2 innings. His ERA was high at a 7.71 clip, but did strike out a solid 22 batters. Tong, along with the remaining three pitchers on this list, has a significantly lower pitch sample to work with than McLean. This spring, Tong pitched seven innings between two starts, giving us a 174-pitch sample to work with. His four-seam fastball, which has a tjStuff+ score 112, was his best offering. It averaged 94.6 mph, with 18.8 inches of induced vertical break and five inches of horizontal break. The spin rate was right around average sitting at a 2293 average. Even though the traits of his fastball are good, it got hit pretty hard and he had trouble keeping it in the zone. Note that he also threw it the most at a 42% rate. He also featured a solid cutter with a tjStuff+ score of 102. All across the board, this was probably Tong's most consistent pitch. Besides his four-seamer and cutter, he also threw a changeup, curveball, and slider. He threw his changeup 33 times, but only used his curveball and slider for a combined 17 pitches. Those three pitches all graded out to be average to below-average pitches. His strengths were his solid extension and release height along with his really good four-seamer, but until he throws more consistent strikes and get whiffs on pitches in the zone, he'll be a step away from the big leagues. Jack Wenninger (RHP) Wenninger is a 24 year-old starting pitcher making his way through the Mets' farm system. Last year he made 26 starts, all with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies. He had a really nice season, posting a 2.92 ERA over 135.2 innings, with a 1.15 WHIP. Wenninger is projected to reach the big leagues sometime in the next 12 months. This spring, he pitched in three games, making one start while totaling 6.2 innings. We have a 192-pitch sample to examine his five-pitch arsenal. He features a solid four-seam fastball in which he threw the most at 33.3%. It received a rating of 101 according to tjStuff+, and averaged 95.3 mph. His best pitches are his slider (106), changeup (105), and sweeper (104). His changeup this spring got the best results, as it fetched a 55.2 chase% and a 54.8 whiff%. It also had a xwOBA of .085, which is preposterous. He did a really good job overall of generating whiff on all his pitches except the sweeper. His extension is subpar, averaging six feet this spring, but his release height is really good at 6.5 feet. This is as a result of him standing 6’4” with a pretty high arm angle. With his changeup being the only pitch that generated chase, his other four pitches didn’t do a great job of baiting batters to swing out of the zone. Will Watson (RHP) Watson is another really good arm in the Mets organization, who along with Wenninger is on track to make his major league debut at some point in 2026. He’s a 23-year-old righty that spent time at three levels last year between Single-A and Double-A. He made 23 starts across 30 total games, while pitching to a 2.60 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. His K/9 ratio was really good at 10.53, but had a high walk ratio of 4.30 BB/9. He only gave up eight home runs the whole year, which is good to see. Watson has the smallest sample size out of these five pitchers, only appearing in one game where he logged 3.1 innings in relief. This gives us a 40-pitch sample. In his one game of action this spring, Watson threw five different pitches including a slider, four-seam, cutter, sinker, and a changeup. In this small sample, his best pitch was his four-seam fastball, which had a tjStuff+ grade of 102. It averaged 93.1 mph 16.4 inches of induced vertical break and 10.4 inches of horizontal break. He threw his slider the most, 11 times, and it was also his next best pitch receiving a tjStuff+ rating of 101. It had -5.1 inches of horizontal break and 3.7 inches of induced vertical break while averaging 85.9 mph. Zach Thornton (LHP) Thornton spent his 2025 season between High-A and Double-A. He made 14 starts, while logging 72.2 innings. His surface stats were really good, with a 1.98 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP. He struck out an average number of batters, but did a great job not giving free passes and not giving up homers. He’s projected to reach the major leagues during 2027, putting him a little behind Wenninger and Watson. Thornton made two spring training appearances, both being starts. He pitched 6.2 innings and only gave up one earned run. He threw 104 pitches this spring between five different pitches. He worked mainly with three pitches including his slider, sinker, and four-seam, but threw a curveball and changeup way less than the others. His best pitch was his four-seamer, which averaged 91.3 mph and was thrown 22.6% of the time. It had 14.5 inches of induced vertical break, while moving -1.5 inches horizontally. He did a good job throwing strikes with his four-seamer along with his sinker. His slider was thrown in the zone 47.2% of the time which is right around average. It's an interesting profile for a lefty, but still wanting for some refinement. View the full article

Worcester, MA -- While most Boston Red Sox fans are focused on the major-league team's playoff chances this year, the WooSox aren't taking anything for granted. “It was cool to be the first one on the mound," said Tyler Uberstine ahead of Triple-A Opening Day. He was just that back at the start of spring training as Alex Cora tabbed him to be the starter against Northeastern. If you were to ask Uberstine (who is TalkSox’s 17th ranked prospect) one year ago today how his 2025 season would go, he wouldn't have predicted anything close to what actually happened. Coming off of Tommy John surgery, Uberstine had barely pitched in 2024. Entering 2025, it was all about showing what he could do when healthy. Opening the season with Portland, Uberstine was quickly promoted to Worcester and dominated the competition. Going 6-4 with a 3.56 ERA in 19 games, 15 of them starts, the 26-year-old right-hander helped anchor a Worcester pitching staff that was in flux. In the 91 innings he tossed in Triple-A, Uberstine struck out 102 batters on his way to being named Co-Most Valuable Pitcher. Along with the award, Uberstine also saw the return of his fastball's velocity; between it reaching 95 mph and an ability to miss bats, it proved to be an important pitch in 2025. “If you asked me a year ago if that all would have happened, [I’d say] probably not. Where I was coming back from TJ and it’s all been super fun. Whether it’s been up here or whether it’s at big league camp it’s been a great experience overall,” Uberstine reiterated. And everything that’s occurred since has been one experience he hasn’t taken for granted. Despite lasting just 1 1/3 innings against the college team, Uberstine didn’t allow it to shake his confidence as he found himself pitching in multiple roles for the remainder of his time in Fort Myers. “I had [different] roles, whether it was coming out of the pen for an inning, two innings or three innings. Just kind of taken to what they give me." The right-handed pitcher did whatever the team asked of him, appearing in four games during spring training and tossing 7 1/3 innings. In that span he struck out 11 batters, something that had him in consideration for a long-relief role with the team until it got narrowed down to one of Connelly Early or Johan Oviedo. But despite being used mainly as a starting pitcher during his time in the minor leagues (40 of his 54 appearances have been starts), the right-hander didn’t see entering from the bullpen as any different than if he were to start the game. His mindset was the same as it always has been, which will serve him well as he looks to finally make the leap to Boston in 2026. “I’m gonna go out there and compete regardless. There’s more of a different preparation aspect, whether it’s lifting or the throwing schedule. That’s the little bit of learning curve but once you’re out there on the mound it’s the same thing." His first major-league spring training may not have yielded the exact results he expected (0-2 record with a 6.14 ERA), but it was one large learning experience for the pitcher. The biggest thing he took from it all was observing the veterans at camp, chatting with them and taking bits and pieces of information that he can use to improve as a pitcher. Not just on the mound, but also for his routine and how to prepare. The opportunity to pick at the brains of successful major league pitchers was a key part of Uberstine’s continued development as he looks to take the next step in his professional career. Uberstine will make his Triple-A debut Saturday as he starts for the Worcester Red Sox. View the full article

MIAMI, FL — Just like last year, the Miami Marlins collected an Opening Day win, but Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies featured several players who are brand new to the organization. Owen Caissie was not in the original Marlins starting lineup, but after Christopher Morel was scratched due to a left oblique strain, he became the designated hitter, with Connor Norby moving to first base. "It happened like two or three hours before the game, so it wasn't that bad," Caissie said postgame. "I did my scouting report last night, so I was already ready, I guess, but it wasn't that bad. They did a good job of getting to me the information quick." In the bottom of the second inning, Caissie drove in Xavier Edwards on a 104.1 mph RBI double to put the Marlins on the board. Caissie, who the Marlins acquired as the centerpiece of the Edward Cabrera trade this offseason, participated in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, representing Team Canada. He slashed .412/.476/.765/1.241 during the tournament with one home run and five RBI. "I did the WBC in 2023 and I felt so prepared for the season, because those games I played in had a lot of meaning," Caissie said. "(Opening Day) has the same environment, same feel as these, so helped a lot." Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told the media postgame that Morel will be getting imaging on Saturday. More information on his status should be available then, but as Miami fans are well aware, oblique strains almost always result in trips to the injured list. Outfielder Esteury Ruiz, infielder Maximo Acosta and top pitching prospect Thomas White are currently sidelined with the same issue. Just two days before the start of the season, the Marlins signed Austin Slater to a one-year major league deal, and on Friday, he was leading off and playing right field. In the top of the fourth inning, with a runner on second, Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman hit what many thought was an RBI single, but Slater was able to provide the Marlins with their first outfield assist of the season, dotting a 92.5 mph throw right to Agustín Ramírez to keep the game at 2-0. With the Marlins leading 2-1, they brought in their most expensive free agent signing, Pete Fairbanks, to shut down the door. He first struck out Ezequiel Tovar swinging with his cutter, a pitch he added towards the end of the 2025 season. After surrendering a base hit to TJ Rumfield, Jordan Beck popped out and Brenton Doyle lined out to Otto Lopez. This marked Fairbanks' first save as a member of the Marlins. It's also the first time that the Fish have won consecutive Opening Day games since the 2004 and 2005 seasons. "I think especially coming to a new team, you want to make that good impression," Fairbanks said postgame. "Hopefully I've managed to do that over the past month and a half. I'd say locking down the first back-to-back Opening Day wins in 20 years is off to a good start." Sandy Alcantara's sixth Opening Day start was the best of his career. He went seven innings, striking out five, walking three and allowed one (unearned) run on four hits. Alcantara's fastball topped out at 98.5 mph and generated 11 whiffs, with six of them coming on the changeup. "It's always been a good pitch," Alcantara said postgame regarding his changeup. "It's a pitch that I can throw in any count because of the command. I think my best (secondary pitch) was my changeup. I just gotta trust it and keep it throwing it in the game." Alcantara's changeup was responsible for three of the five strikeouts he recorded. "Sandy was filling it up," said McCullough. "The ability to use his entire mix, sinker and velocity was really good, too. Changeup and his ability to spin breaking balls in there...He did a great job of mixing up his looks at first and controlling the running game, some things that he's worked hard on. This was a great first start to the year for Sandy to go that deep in the game, be that efficient and as well as to be able to execute at the rate he did today." Alcantara was as efficient as you could've asked for, throwing 73 pitches, an average of barely 10 per inning. But McCullough noted that he maxed out at five "ups" during spring training, so stretching him beyond seven would've been pushing it. True to his nature, the 30-year-old workhorse was hoping to go back out there for the eighth. "He took me out of the game and I gotta respect that decision—that is something I cannot control," Alcantara said. Even so, this was tied for the second-longest Opening Day start in franchise history, trailing only Ryan Dempster in 2022 (7.1 IP). The Marlins bullpen tossed two shutout innings, striking out four Rockies and not walking anyone. Andrew Nardi made his first appearance in a regular season game since 8/21/24. Anthony Bender had runners on the corners in the top of the eighth inning and struck out Willi Castro swinging. Fairbanks closed it out for the Fish to notch win number one of the season. Eury Pérez will get the ball for the Marlins on Saturday, as he will go up against Michael Lorenzen. First pitch is at 4:10 pm. View the full article

MIAMI, FL — The Miami Marlins defeated the Colorado Rockies on Friday without the services of Christopher Morel, who suffered a left oblique strain during pregame work. Fish On First can report that the Marlins are calling up Deyvison De Los Santos, their 28th-ranked prospect, to replace Morel on the active roster. The latest update from Marlins manager Clayton McCullough postgame was that Morel will undergo imaging on Saturday, but in all likelihood, he will land on the 10-day injured list. De Los Santos, 22, was acquired by the Marlins along with Andrew Pintar in 2024 when they sent A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his first full season with the organization, he slashed .240/.313/.359/.672 with 12 home runs, 54 RBI and an 85 wRC+. The positive is that De Los Santos struck out 22.4% of the time and walked 8.5% of the time, both improvements from his 2024 season. De Los Santos impressed during the 2025-26 Dominican Winter League season. Then this spring, playing in seven games, he slashed .286/.333/.286/.616 with one RBI and struck out only three times in 14 plate appearances. The Marlins optioned De Los Santos to Triple-A Jacksonville to begin the season. On Opening Day, he went 2-for-4 with a walk, a home run and three RBI. By recalling him so quickly, his option year has not been used up yet. On Saturday, the Rockies are going with right-handed starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen. It is unlikely that De Los Santos, a right-handed hitter, finds himself in the lineup. But on Sunday, lefty José Quintana is scheduled to start for Colorado, so that matchup makes more sense for his major league debut. First pitch on Saturday is at 4:10 pm. View the full article

Marlins closer Pete Fairbanks speaks with the media following Friday's game. Fairbanks pitched a scoreless ninth inning and earned his first save with his new club.View the full article

MIAMI — Sandy Alcantara got to leave the mound Friday night knowing he was at the apex of what he’s capable of. It’s a feeling he didn’t have after last year’s Opening Day. The 2022 Cy Young winner pitched well to start last season against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He allowed no hits and walked two through four innings that afternoon, but faltered in the fifth, giving up two runs on two walks and two hits before being pulled in the 5-4 win. It was Alcantara’s first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery after the 2023 season. But Friday was different. Alcantara allowed zero earned runs in seven innings against the Colorado Rockies and retired nine of his last ten batters faced. Unlike his Opening Day start last year, he was able to finish his final frame with relative ease, coming off the field to a standing ovation from the 32,459 in attendance at loanDepot park. “I think I prepared myself very good in the past week for today,” Alcantara said. “I think the hard work I put in the last bullpen I threw was amazing, and today was a great result to me.” Alcantara was perfect in his first frame of work. Even when he allowed a leadoff single to Ezequiel Tovar to start the second, it was negated by a soft ground ball off the bat of TJ Rumfield to shortstop Otto Lopez that turned into a double play. Relievers Andrew Nardi, Anthony Bender, and Pete Fairbanks combined to pitch two scoreless innings to lock down the 2-1 win. It was hopefully an omen of a successful season for Alcantara, who struggled in the first half of 2025 (7.22 ERA) before showing flashes of his old self in the latter half (3.33 ERA). Friday was the second time that a Marlins pitcher allowed zero earned runs over seven or more innings in an Opening Day start, joining Kevin Brown in 1997. View the full article

Fish On First staffers answer your Miami Marlins questions and provide in-depth analysis for two hours leading up to the opening series of the regular season. Friday's show was hosted by Jeremiah Geiger and featured panelists Ely Sussman, Nate Karzmer and Alex Carver, plus an interview with Kevin Barral from the loanDepot park pressbox. The following topics were covered. Notable Opening Day performances across Major League Baseball Expanding on our FOF Opening Day roundtable responses Live reaction to Christopher Morel suffering an oblique strain Triple-A Jacksonville's season opener and newly released minor leaguers Lineups, probable starters and predictions for the Marlins-Rockies series You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our next FOF LIVE episode will be Sunday at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET following the Marlins-Rockies series finale. View the full article

Since the Saints are the only affiliate playing until next week, we’ll treat the minor league report as if it was a Twins Game Recap. We’ll include notes on the other affiliates as news breaks. In other words, this will be a bit more than just a regular summary and hopefully more detailed to give you more information. As you know, the daily minor-league reports are a staple at Twins Daily. You’ve come to expect it and we sure enjoy writing it, even in the middle of the summer when all six affiliates have a game and a couple of them are doubleheaders. There is a great group of commenters who read the report daily, discuss fun topics (or not-so-fun topics), and ask questions. We really do appreciate you, and your input. Here’s to another fun-filled, exciting 2026 season! If you have any questions or comments, let us know in the comments or DM me. What are your favorite parts of it, and are there parts that seem unnecessary? We welcome your suggestions and look to continue making it a Must Read for fans. TRANSACTIONS On Thursday, the Saints announced their Opening Day roster. That included playing Kendry Rojas, Julian Merryweather and Cory Lewis on the Injured List. Catcher Patrick Winkel, who has played with the Saints the past two seasons, has been released. A plus-defensive backstop, he could be a successful coach or manager if he chooses that direction when his playing career is done. At just 26, he could continue to play for several yeas with his knowledge of the game and defensive chops. RHPs Matt Bowman and John Brebbia have been added to the Saints roster. Bowman was a non-roster invite to big-league spring training. When told he wasn’t going to make the Opening Day roster, he elected free agency, likely hoping for a big-league opportunity. Not seeing one, he re-signed with the Twins. Brebbia has spent big-league time with five organizations over parts of eight seasons going back to his debut in 2017. After the 2025 season, he became a free agent and quickly signed with the Colorado Rockies on a minor-league contract. He remained in their spring camp until the last day. Like Bowman, he looked around and after not seeing a big-league job, chose to sign with the Twins. SAINTS SENTINEL St. Paul 4, Indianapolis 2 Box Score Fast Start in the First The Saints started the season with a strong first inning off of former Twins and Saints pitcher Noah Davis. Right 28-year-old right-hander pitched five innings over four appearances with the Twins last year and posted a 16.20 ERA. He posted a 3.78 ERA over 14 games and 16 2/3 innings. To be fair, he also earned a World Series ring because he pitched in five games for the Dodgers earlier in the season and in six innings posted a 19.50 ERA. After Walker Jenkins led off with a pop out, Gabriel Gonzalez was hit by a pitch. Kaelen Culpepper singled to left in his first Triple-A at-bat. Emmanuel Rodriguez followed with a walk to load the bases. Alan Roden came to the plate and lined a single to center that drove in the game’s and season’s first two runs. After Orlando Arcia struck out, Eric Wagaman singled to right field to drive in Rodriguez with the third run of the inning. Slow Start, Quick Turnaround Connor Prielipp was given the Opening Day nod for the Saints. In a game that started at 42 degrees and after a long top of the first, it took the lefty a little while to find himself. In Connor vs Konnor: Part 1, the game’s top prospect (Konnor Griffin) walked. Prielipp followed with a strikeout, and Griffin stole second. The Password (Jhostynxon Garcia) followed with a walk, and Endy Rodriguez singled to drive in Griffin to make it a 3-1 game. At that point, Saints pitching coach Carlos Hernandez came to the mound to chat with his starter. Whatever the former big-league southpaw said, Prielipp listened. He recorded a strikeout and got a ground out to end the first inning. The Saints co-pitching coach, Ryan Ricci, said after the game, “We both just emphasized how efficiency is important for him, and how his stuff is too good to fall behind guys and let them run up his pitch count.” In the second frame, Prielipp got a ground out and two pop outs in the infield. In Connor vs Konnor: Part 2, the game’s top prospect checked his swing on a pitch, but too late. He made contact with the ball and it went out to second base for the ground out. Kind of a nice, easy out, except Griffin’s speed made it very close. The next two batters struck out. In the fourth inning, he got a grounder back to the mound, a ground out to third base, and followed it up with a strikeout. So again, after the Hernandez mound visit, Prielipp bore down and retired the next 11 batters he faced. Staying true to their plan with the talented lefty the past couple of years, his day was done after four innings, at 61 pitches. Ricci added, “He did a great job of adjusting the last three innings and thought it was awesome to see him get through four (innings) on his pitch count after being at 27 after the first.” Looking at his pitch-mix in the season opener, Prielipp threw 25 four-seam fastballs (41%), 18 sliders (30%), and 10 curveballs (16%). He added five changeups and three sinkers as well. His fastball averaged 95.4 mph and topped out at 97.0 mph. He averaged 95.6 mph in the first inning and 93.6 mph in the fourth inning. It’s also interesting to note that in 31 pitches against left-handers, he threw 16 fastballs (52%) while in 30 pitches against right-handers, he threw just nine fastballs (30%). Ricci noted, “His key to success was the command of his fastball and slider in the later innings, to get ahead, and getting back in the zone. I think he was able to execute some change ups late that also kept hitters off balance and kept them guessing.” Another Twins Tally Thanks to Top Picks The Saints had more opportunities, but their only other run came in the top of the fifth inning when Kaelen Culpepper lined a single to right field to drive in Walker Jenkins to make it 4-1 Saints. The Bullpen Got the Job Done Brian Dinkelman turned to the Twins minor-league veterans to close out the rest of the game. It started with Raul Brito who tossed two scoreless innings before giving up a run in the seventh inning when he gave up three hits including one to Griffin who scored Indianapolis’s second run. He walked the leadoff man in the bottom of the seventh, but Hernandez made another mound visit. Brito got an infield pop out and a strikeout. Grant Hartwig came on to face Griffin (representing the game-tying run) and struck him out to end the inning. Hartwig threw Griffin six pitches. One was a 94 mph sinker. He mixed that with five sweepers including the final pitch, his lone whiff. Dan Altavilla came on for the eighth inning. Many Twins fans were surprised one of the stars for Team Italy in the WBC did not make the team’s Opening Day roster. Instead, he is with the Saints. He struck out the first two batters he faced before a fly out ended the inning. He threw just 14 pitches. Nine were fastballs and averaged 96.4 mph. He hit 97.8 mph with one pitch. His primary pitch is his changeup, which he only threw four of them. He also threw one slider. He had just two whiffs, both by blowing fastballs past hitters. Still clinging to a 4-2 lead going to the bottom of the ninth, Dinkelman turned to another veteran, Matt Bowman, to close the door. Bowman got a ground out to second base, a fly out to center, and ended the game with a knee-buckling called third strike. Of those veterans, Ricci noted, "(It's) always good to have veterans like those guys around. Great for some young bullpen arms like (Marco) Raya and (Trent) Baker among others to learn from them and their experiences. They go about their business the right way, and it feeds off on the other guys for sure." Jenkins Replaced in the 8th Inning With two on and two outs in the top of the eighth inning, Jenkins was due up to face former Twins minor leaguer, lefty Evan Sisk. Dinkelman called on Kyler Fedko to pinch hit for Jenkins. Normally that move is going to raise some eyebrows. However, when you consider that Jenkins’ spring training was shortened by a hamstring injury, and that he’s had similar injuries in the past, it may be wise to start him on this type of program for the first few weeks. They did that with Kaelen Culpepper in Cedar Rapids at the start of last season when he began his season after injuring his hamstring last spring. In addition, the game-time temperature was just 42 degrees, so certainly it was much cooler than that later in the game. New Role, but Dinkelman Wins His Second Triple-A debut For those of you who don't remember, Brian Dinkelman was drafted by the Twins in the eighth round of the 2006 draft out of McKendree University in his home state of Illinois. He steadily climbed up the Twins organizational ladder. On Opening Day in 2010, Dinkelman played his first Triple-A game. Of course, the Twins Triple-A affiliate back then was the Rochester Red Wings. He batted ninth and played right field. Take a look at the box score and all the fun names from Twins 2000s History to make you smile, including on the Red Sox affiliate on the other side of the diamond. Dinkelman went 1-for-4 in the game. In the second inning, he flew out to left fielder Daniel Nava off of #OldFriend Boof Bonser. With two outs in the fourth inning and Danny Valencia on first base, Dinkelman singled to right field. Valencia advanced to third. The crowd rejoiced! The Sox brought lefty Alan Embree into start the top of the sixth inning. Embree won that matchup by coaxing a ground out. In his final at-bat of his playing-days Triple-A debut, Dinkelman came to the plate with no one on base and two outs. He grounded out to MLB Network Radio's Kevin Frandsen who tossed the ball across the diamond to Los Angeles Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates for the out. So, I'm sure, in some small, quiet way, Brian Dinkelman is excited to get his first Triple-A win as a manager in his first Triple-A game as a manager. If we are talking about revenge, which we're not, but research is fun. 11 days later, The Woo Sox were in Rochester. In the fifth inning, Dinkelman hit his first Triple-A home run. It came against Chad Paronto. PLAYERS OF THE DAY Hitter of the Day Alan Roden (St. Paul): 1-for-1, 4 BB, 2 RBI. Pitcher of the Day Connor Prielipp (St. Paul): 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 61 pitches, 36 strikes (59.0%) PROSPECT SUMMARY Check out the Prospect Tracker for much more on our Twins Top 20 prospects after seeing how they did today. #1 - OF Walker Jenkins (St. Paul) - 1-for-4, R, K (played CF, batted 1st) #2 - SS Kaelen Culpepper (St. Paul) - 3-for-5, R, RBI, 2 K (played SS, batted 3rd) #3 - OF Emmanuel Rodriguez (St. Paul) - 0-for-5, 2 K, (played RF, batted 4th) #4 - C Eduardo Tait (TBD) - DNP #5 - LHP Connor Prielipp (St.Paul) - 4 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. 61 pitches, 36 strikes (59.0%) #6 - LHP Dasan Hill (TBD) - DNP #7 - OF Gabriel Gonzalez (St. Paul) - 0-for-3, R, BB, K (DHd, batted 2nd) #8 - LHP Kendry Rojas (St. Paul) - Injured List (hamstring) #9 - SS Marek Houston (TBD) - DNP #10 - RHP Charlee Soto (TBD) - Injured List #11 - RHP Riley Quick (TBD) - DNP #12 - RHP Andrew Morris (St. Paul) - DNP #13 - 3B/CF Brandon Winokur (TBD) - DNP #14 - 3B/SS Quentin Young (TBD) - DNP #15 - RHP Marco Raya (St. Paul) - DNP #16 - OF Hendry Mendez (TBD) - DNP #17 - 2B/OF Kyle DeBarge (TBD) - DNP #18 - RHP C.J. Culpepper (TBD) - DNP #19 - C/OF Khadim Diaw (TBD) - DNP #20 - RHP James Ellwanger (TBD) - DNP WEEKEND PROBABLES Saturday: St. Paul @ Indianapolis (3:05 pm CT) - RHP Zebby Matthews Sunday: St. Paul @ Indianapolis (12:35 pm CT) - RHP Andrew Morris CURRENT W-L Records Minnesota Twins: 0-1 St. Paul Saints: 1-0 Please feel free to ask questions about the teams, the rosters, and discuss today’s games, or anything else Twins minor-league related! View the full article

On the surface, you might wonder how the Nashville Sounds, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, would fare over a 162-game MLB schedule. That is because the roster is loaded with prospects, some of whom will make their MLB debuts this season or return to the majors to fortify the major-league roster. But the players on the Sounds' 28-player Opening Day roster are in Nashville for one reason or another. For several, they need that extra bit of seasoning because they start to cook for the Brewers. For others, it was simply a numbers issue at the MLB level. Seven of Brewer Fanatic's Top 20 prospects, including three of the top seven, begin the season with the Sounds. Already, the Brewers have tapped into that depth as they had to call up center fielder Blake Perkins, a surprise demotion, to replace injured outfielder Jackson Chourio. For the moment, the Sounds only have two listed outfielders, although some of the infielders can easily move to the outfield. Left-hander Robert Gasser will be on the mound as the Sounds open the season Friday on the road with three games against the Norfolk Tides, a Baltimore Orioles affiliate. Nashville returns home Tuesday to open its first homestand against the Charlotte Knights (Chicago White Sox). Three players are on the injured list. Right-handers Gerson Garabito (broken ankle) is on the 60-day IL, while relievers J.B. Bukauskas and Thomas Pannone are on the seven-day IL. Here is the roster that manager Rick Sweet will have to work with: Projected starting rotation (5) Robert Gasser, LH Logan Henderson, RH (No. 6 Brewer Fanatic prospect) Shane Drohan, LH Coleman Crow, RH Carlos Rodriguez, RH Gasser and Henderson could have easily been in the Brewers' rotation. They will undoubtedly get their shots at some point in the season. Is there anything to read into Gasser starting the season opener over Henderson? Probably not. Gasser came back from Tommy John surgery after five MLB starts to begin 2024 to make two abbreviated late-season starts and was included on the postseason roster, making a pair of relief appearances. Henderson had three call-ups and made five starts in his MLB debut season of 2025 before elbow issues shut him down prematurely. That elbow caused him to miss a little time in spring training, which may have led to him starting the season at Nashville. Drohan and Crow are exciting arms to watch. Drohan certainly would have been included in our prospect list, but was acquired from the Boston Red Sox after it was published. Both have dealt with significant injuries, with Drohan limited to 15 starts in 2025 by a forearm strain and Crow returning from Tommy John surgery to make 12 starts. The 24-year-old Rodriguez has been pushed down the depth chart, but has made five MLB appearances for the Crew over the last to seasons. Projected bullpen (9) Kaleb Bowman, RH Will Childers, RH Joe Corbett, RH Brian Fitzpatrick, LH Blake Holub, RH Tate Kuehner, LH Easton McGee, RH Sammy Peralta, LH Drew Rom, RH Garrett Stallings, RH Peter Strzelecki, RH Jacob Waguespeck, RH While technically there are no prospects in the bullpen, there are plenty of talented arms. McGee was bumped off the Brewers' Opening Day roster by the acquisition of right-hander Jake Woodford on Tuesday. Holub, Kuehner, Peralta, and Waguespeck are some of the other interesting arms who could find their way to Milwaukee at some point this season. Catcher (3) Jeferson Quero (No. 7 prospect) Andrick Nava Ramon Rodriguez Quero is the Brewers' catcher of the future, perhaps starting in 2027, depending on whether William Contreras is still around. Quero dealt with surgery on his right labrum after being injured in the 2024 season opener for the Sounds, then had a cranky hamstring that delayed the start of his 2025 season, and later injured his left shoulder. Quero is terrific defensively, but his throwing has not been as good as it was before the surgery. His power, which produced 16 homers in 90 games in 2024 and 11 in 69 last year, has been slow to return, but improved as 2025 wore on. Getting his arm back up to par and showing off his hit tool (.276/.353/.453 career slash line in the minors) will be key. Infield (8) Luke Adams, 3B (No. 13 prospect) Tyler Black, 1B-LF Eddys Leonard Ethan Murray Cooper Pratt, SS (No. 4 prospect) Brock Wilken, 3B (No. 15 prospect) Jett Williams, SS-2B-CF (No. 3 prospect) Freddy Zamora Sweet will be like a kid in a candy store with this talented group. With only two outfielders to begin with, Williams is likely to get more time in the outfield to begin the season. Otherwise, Sweet will be able to roll out a number of different combinations. Williams' versatility is the key to that, while Pratt is likely to play a position other than shortstop for the first time since just after he was drafted in 2023 and had three games at second base in the Arizona Complex League. Williams, a consensus top-75 prospect, could force his way onto the Brewers' roster with a good first-half showing. He struggled in 34 games after being promoted by the New York Mets to Triple-A last year. Adams and Wilken will probably alternate at the two corner infield spots, with Black, who had a strong spring, also seeing time at first. Adams further developed his power in 2025, but still topped out at 11 homers for the season. He did hit three homers in 16 Arizona Fall League games. Wilken is looking to stay healthy after two freak injuries marred his last two seasons (hit in the face by a pitch, knee injury while celebrating the first-half title). Still, Wilken produced 18 homers in 79 games in 2025. Outfield (2) Greg Jones Luis Lara (No. 11 prospect) Lara's defense is the star attraction, which bodes well for him eventually fitting into the Brewers' roster. But he has also made improvements at the plate. He had a .257/.369/.343 with 44 steals in 51 attempts. In three seasons since coming Stateside, Lara has translated his speed into 121 steals in 152 attempts. Unfortunately, the power is nonexistent, with eight homers in that same timespan. Any improvement there would help raise his profile for his eventual MLB debut. View the full article

MIAMI — Two hours prior to the first pitch of the 2026 season, the Miami Marlins announced Christopher Morel strained his left oblique and was scratched from the starting lineup. There is no further update on his status as of midgame. Morel signed with the Marlins over the offseason on a one-year, $2 million deal. The 26-year-old was slated to get a bulk of his reps at first base, a position he had never played in the majors. He mostly played all three outfield spots, along with second base, third, and shortstop in his four years with the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays. The Marlins ran into injury troubles in the final week of spring training, losing outfielders Kyle Stowers (right hamstring strain) and Esteury Ruiz (left oblique strain) on the same night. The Marlins have preached defensive versatility for years, but even more so under second-year manager Clayton McCullough. Whoever gets slotted into first base will have had experience there in the regular season or this most recent iteration of spring training. Here’s how that spot can be filled: Connor Norby This is the natural place to start. In a pinch, Norby was slotted into the first base spot Friday after Morel was scratched. Originally a third baseman his first two years in Miami, Norby got reps in the outfield and first base this spring. During McCullough’s pregame media availability Friday—before Morel’s injury was announced—he said Norby would see “quite a bit of action” at first base. Liam Hicks The Marlins carried three catchers on their roster for a few months last year, with Hicks, veteran Nick Fortes, and highly-rated prospect Agustín Ramírez all vying for playing time. Hicks was able to stay in the lineup by playing 28 games at first base, racking up one out above average, according to Baseball Savant. Side note on another catcher that some fans have asked to go to first base: the Marlins have made it very clear that Ramírez will continue getting reps as a catcher only. Deyvison De Los Santos De Los Santos is currently the only member of the 40-man roster who considers first base his primary position. Promoting him would be an easy choice, albeit an ill-advised one at this time. The right-handed power hitter Miami got in a trade from the Arizona Diamondbacks raised his walk rate from 5.2% in 2024 to 8.1% in 2025, his highest in his Triple-A career. But his power still hasn’t adjusted to playing at sea level. Even in the pitcher-friendly International League he plays in now, his slugging percentage of .363 last season was paltry. Assuming that De Los Santos remains in Jacksonville for the near future, the Marlins would still need to call up a position player of some kind to fill Morel's spot on the active roster. View the full article

The Fish On First staff makes their series predictions for the three-game set between the Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies.View the full article

Marlins right-hander Chris Paddack speaks with Fish On First about the significance of Opening Day at this stage of his career and preparing for a full-circle moment when he pitches on Monday. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs' reported agreement with second baseman Nico Hoerner on a six-year contract extension creates multiple knock-on effects, including clarity on Matt Shaw's role with the club going forward. Simply put, Hoerner staying in Chicago further blocks Shaw on the infield. He is now behind third baseman Alex Bregman, shortstop Dansby Swanson, and Hoerner on the depth chart for the foreseeable future. Those players don't take many days off, either. An injury will be Shaw's main hope of getting back on the dirt full time for the Cubs. That's why it's important for him to take advantage of the team's decision to try him in right field while Seiya Suzuki is on the injured list. His regular-season debut at the position was a qualified success. After a 50-inning instructional course in spring training, the 24-year-old Shaw got the start in right on Opening Day at Wrigley Field, batting ninth against Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli. Right from the start, he was challenged in the field. In the top of the second inning, Washington right fielder Daylen Lile hit a 97.6 mph line drive toward the well in deep right. Shaw began drifting back to the warning track. A strong wind was pushing the ball away from him. As the ball passed over his head, Shaw jumped awkwardly, not sure where he was in relation to the wall. He got his glove up in time to make the catch. This was not a routine play -- Statcast gave Lile's drive a .311 xBA. Two innings later, Shaw had his first outfield assist with the help of Nats shortstop C.J. Abrams. But Shaw deserves credit for making a nice play, as well. He raced into the corner to get to Abrams' liner off the wall, taking a good angle to play the carom. He hit Hoerner with the relay throw, and then Hoerner threw to Swanson to retire Abrams, who loafed out of the batter's box. In the eighth, Shaw showed off the glove again as he tracked down another Lile liner. This one was measured at 98.4 mph off the bat and given a .380 xBA. So, the early verdict on the outfield defense is that Shaw has potential. He can lean on his physical tools until he learns angles and jumps. But there's also the offensive component to this experiment, and Shaw already isn't being trusted with the bat. After going 0-for-3 (no strikeouts, 82.0 mph average exit velocity) on Thursday, he was lifted for pinch hitter Michael Conforto in the bottom of the eighth. The Cubs had runners at first and second with one out in an 8-4 game. The left-handed swinging Conforto struck out against Nats right-hander Clayton Beeter, and the Cubs went on to lose 10-4. The right-handed hitting Shaw's platoon splits in 2025 -- a 125 wRC+ vs. left-handers and a 82 wRC+ vs. right-handers -- made the switch easy for manager Craig Counsell. It's a tough ask for him to improve that part of his game as he learns multiple new positions, but even having the pedigree of a tough prospect isn't a guarantee to playing time. The balance needs to shift before Shaw can be more than just a utility guy with the Cubs. View the full article

Aroldis Chapman closed out Opening Day’s victory in typical Chapman fashion. He carried himself with the confidence and swagger you want from the man tasked with shutting the door on the opposition night after night. He tossed 11 pitches to claim his first save of the season, but something felt different about this outing. Even if you weren’t watching the radar gun on the (now much larger) NESN score bug, the southpaw's fastball looked like it lacked the zip we’re accustomed to. We were spoiled last year when he would reach back and sling it over 100 mph, but he still averaged an impressive 98.4 mph in 2025. That was more than five miles per hour faster than the average for left-handed pitchers last season. His so far lone outing in 2026 saw him average out at 97.3 mph. That’s still ridiculously fast, no question about it, but the pitch lacked the movement and control he brought to the table last year. Could this just be early season rust he’s shaking off, or is his age finally starting to catch up to him? If we look back at Chapman’s spring training stats, it starts to paint a clearer picture. He appeared in seven games posting a 5.40 ERA over 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs, one home run, three walks, and 10 strikeouts. While spring training stats need to be taken with a giant grain of salt, especially when Chapman was clearly only throwing his off-speed pitches at the end of the Grapefruit League season, it’s hard to ignore what seems to be some form of regression over a (very) small sample size. Chapman’s pitch mix on Opening Day was something else that peaked my curiosity. In 2025, Chapman features his four-seam fastball as his primary pitch, throwing it 40% of the time. His second-most-used pitch was his sinker, clocking in at a 34% usage rate, followed by his slider and splitter at 15% and 11%, respectively. During his first save of 2026, though, things were different. His four-seam fastball was still his primary pitch at 55% usage, but his slider was his second most used at 27%, then the splitter and sinker tied for third at 9%. While those percentages are sure to change throughout the season, him leaning on his four-seamer more than half the time while only throwing his sinker once was surprising. Logic would tell us that since his pitches were all clocking in slower than usual, that his command would have been spot on. If you were watching the game, you’d know that was far from the truth. Gone was the Chapman who was throwing gas while painting the corners that we grew accustomed to in 2025, and back was the Chapman that seemed to not quite know where the ball was going once it left his hand. If we look at his heat maps from the outing on Opening Day, we see a pitcher struggling to find the zone. If his slider is going to miss high like that this season, he’s going to get knocked around eventually. Rust is likely playing a big factor here; he wasn’t able to pitch in the World Baseball Classic, which robbed him of some leverage outing during his tune-up for the season. If you're optimistic, that's the stance you'll take. But Father Time waits for no one. Chapman is 38 years old and has had a storied major league career. His resurgence to top-tier closer in 2025 was remarkable, and he was rewarded with a contract extension late in the season, but there were calls from some people to cut bait and trade him at the deadline last year because they didn’t believe that the resurgence was sustainable. If he is starting to feel his age, it’s entirely possible that we’ve seen the best version of Chapman come and go. Even a version of the closer who is at 75% of what he was last year would be effective, but it'd make late-game situations far more nerve-racking for the Red Sox. This is something to monitor, at least while the cold weather permeates the late-spring schedule. If Chapman's heat rises with the weather, this may be a conversation we can avoid having for a while yet. View the full article

Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine speaks with Fish On First about experiencing Opening Day for the second time in his career, learning first base and much more.View the full article

Beck Bradford loves making outrageous claims in the Hrbek's Heroes group chat. "This is the year that they put a roof on Target Field so they can do monster truck rallies in December" reads one text. "Ron Gardenhire will prove the existence of Godzilla with a shaky cellphone video and an eyewitness account from Nick Punto" reads another. "He keeps the chat from getting bogged down in stats or charged emotions," said Eric Bauer, another group chat participant who grew up in Apple Valley with Bradford. "He keeps it light." But when it came time for their annual Twins prediction thread, what might have seemed like a joke at first now raises the eerie specter of sorcery, even prophecy. "We were all pretty negative, just from the payroll cuts and last year's fire sale," said Andy Schmit, the group chat's founder and fellow Apple Valley native. "Not a ton of optimism. But Beck checked in with one simple message: '0-162.' No follow up joke like usual. In fact, he hasn't said another word to any of us since sending it on Monday night." "I think the rest of us thought, oh yeah, good one Bradford," said Bauer. "Classic overreaction bit. But then..." "Then we all watched the opener on Thursday, and literally everything about it made 0-162 seem reasonable," said Schmit. "Wasted a great start by their best pitcher, couldn't do a damn thing on offense, and the anonymous bullpen faltered. It looked like..." "It looked like 0-162 wasn't a joke, but perhaps something darker," said Jonah Guilford, a professor of parapsychology at St. Olaf and Hrbek's Heroes group chat member since 2021. "I've often wondered if Beck had the gift of the second sight. We'll see how the season plays out. I thought he was doing a bit, but as the game wore on it all seemed so plausible." Bradford, whose had notifications silenced since making the prediction, was unavailable for comment. Sources say he is on spring break with his family but that is unconfirmed as this edition of Twins Daily went to press. "I'll be honest, I'm terrified," said Bauer. "Last month Beck got rid of his gas-guzzling SUV for a Rivian because he didn't think gas prices could possible stay as low as they were. I don't even think he watches the news. He just...knew. "I'm hoarding supplies, I guess is what I'm saying." Image license here. View the full article

Coming into 2026, a lot of the conversation around the Minnesota Twins farm system has centered on high-profile arms like Connor Prielipp and Kendry Rojas. But internally, there is another name that keeps coming up. “I think John Klein’s a guy to look for,” St. Paul Saints pitching coach Ryan Ricci said. “Just watching the improvements he made last year, gaining velo, fine-tuning his off speeds… a guy that is going to be able to carry a lot of innings and pitch in some different roles.” That idea of different roles is a big part of what makes Klein such an interesting piece of this system heading into 2026. The season begins tonight at CHS Field when the Saints host a three-game weekend series against speedy Braiden Ward, old friend Mickey Gasper, top prospects Payton Tolle, Mikey Romero, and the Worcester Red Sox. Tickets are still available. At 23 years old, he doesn’t necessarily jump off the page in the same way as some of those top prospects. But in a lot of ways, he is tracking right alongside them. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound right-hander out of Brooklyn Park looks the part immediately, with a frame that’s more reminiscent of an NFL tight end than a typical pitcher. And over the last year, he has started to turn that physicality into real production. Klein logged 106 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last season, finishing with a 3.98 ERA, 128 strikeouts, and 37 walks. At Double-A, he was especially steady, posting a 3.12 ERA across 80 2/3 innings before earning a promotion. His Triple-A numbers look rough at first glance with a 6.66 ERA, but the underlying data tells a very different story. His FIP sat at just 3.30, and his strikeout rate actually improved to a very strong 11.6 K/9. A spike in walks and a .373 BABIP played a major role in his inflated ERA, and both are areas that tend to stabilize over time. In other words, his performance was better than the results. That progress is a big reason why the Twins have been intentional with how they have developed him. “There’s a couple factors,” Ricci said. “For John, he started on that length reliever role where you’re still accumulating innings on a little bit shorter rest. We didn’t want to fully commit to the bullpen but also keep the door open to starting.” That hybrid role isn't new. The Twins began using it throughout the organization to allow more pitchers the ability to throw more innings. We saw it with Travis Adams and Pierson Ohl who made their MLB debuts in 2025. The role allowed Klein to do two things at once. He was able to build up his workload, while also getting the type of between outing work that typically comes with being on a starter’s schedule. “He performed his way into the conversation of, ‘This guy might be able to start long term,’” Ricci said. “Being on that starter plan gave him the bullpens he needed to really fine-tune the off-speed pitches and get more reps.” That development shows up when you look at his arsenal. Klein already features a fastball, sinker, slider, curveball, and changeup, and this spring he added a sweeper to his mix to give hitters another look. His fastball and sinker were consistently touching 96 miles per hour this spring after sitting around 94-95 last season, giving him a solid foundation to work off of. The next step is continuing to sharpen everything around it. Klein’s first pitch strike rate sat below 50 percent last season, an area that needs to improve. Getting ahead in counts is one of the simplest ways to change an at-bat, and even elite hitters like Shohei Ohtani see a dramatic drop off when they fall behind early. Last season, Ohtani hit .329 when working from a 1-0 count, compared to just .227 when pitchers got ahead with a first-pitch strike. For Klein, that is where a lot of the upside still lives. His stuff is good enough, his frame is built to handle innings, and the role flexibility gives him multiple paths to the major leagues. Because while the Twins have not fully committed to him as a starter, they also have not closed that door. At the same time, there is a very real scenario where Klein carves out a role as a multi-inning reliever. Someone who can give you two or three innings at a time, a couple times a week, and help stabilize a pitching staff over the course of a long season. That kind of pitcher does not always get the same attention but is a valuable piece to have. And with the way Klein has developed over the last year, he is putting himself in a position to be exactly that. He may not be the flashiest name in the Twins system, but between his progress, versatility, and the underlying numbers, he is absolutely one to watch in 2026. For much more Twins Daily content on John Klein and his rise through the Twins organization, click here. View the full article

After becoming the first team to win back-to-back World Series since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers are trying to do something that hasn't been done since... the very same Yankees. The Dodgers brought back of its postseason roster and added a couple of superstars to its stable full of star players. There is little question that as the 2026 season begins, the Dodgers are not only the clear-cut favorite in the NL West—it figures to be a three-way battle for second place between the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks—but the best team in all of baseball. So the path back to the World Series, as of now, appears fairly clear. Only one other team since the Yankees of the 1950s (five in a row) has won three straight: the 1972-74 Oakland A's. Dodgers' Notable Offseason Moves There wasn't a whole lot the Dodgers had to do this offseason despite losing a handful of players to free agency (Michael Kopech, Michael Conforto, Kirby Yates, Andrew Heaney) or retirement (Clayton Kershaw). None of those players had a key role in the postseason. Still, the Dodgers did what the Dodgers do: upgrade. First was adding three-time Reliever of the Year Edwin Diaz via free agency (three years, $69 million), then landing the top player on the open market in right fielder Kyle Tucker (four years, $240 million). Diaz will fortify a Dodgers bullpen that was shaky at times in finishing games, while Tucker brings a big bat to an outfield that underproduced in 2025. L.A. also brought back infielder Miguel Rojas (one year, $5.5 million), injured infielder-outfielder Enrique Hernandez (one year, $4.5 million) and injured right-handed reliever Evan Phillips (one year, $6.5 million), while giving third baseman Max Muncy a one-year extension through 2027. The Dodgers did trade away left-handed reliever Anthony Banda, shipping him to the Minnesota Twins. Projected Dodgers Lineup Shohei Ohtani, DH Kyle Tucker, RF Mookie Betts, SS Freddie Freeman, 1B Will Smith, C Max Muncy, 3B Teoscar Hernandez, LF Andy Pages, CF Miguel Rojas, 2B Adding Tucker to this top four, much less this lineup, seems unfair to opposing pitchers. He never felt like he got into a groove with the Chicago Cubs, but still produced a .266/.377/.464 slash line with 23 homers, 78 RBIs and 25 stolen bases. Hitting behind Ohtani and ahead of Betts and Freeman could yield a 30-30 season from Tucker. Betts was disappointing offensively in 2025 as his season started with an illness that sapped a bunch of weight and he battled the entire season. However, he did amazing play Gold Glove-caliber defense at shortstop. Rojas, normally a bench player, is the surprising starter at second base until Tommy Edman (right ankle surgery) returns, probably in late April. Alex Freeland will also get time at second base. Projected Dodgers Rotation Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RH Tyler Glasnow, RH Shohei Ohtani, RH Emmet Sheehan, RH Roki Sasaki, RH What else can you say about Yamamoto that hasn't already been said? He leads a rotation that will have a full season of Ohtani, who was very good on the mound in his gradual comeback from Tommy John surgery in 2025. Ohtani, who had a 1.90 FIP in 14 starts last year, will continue to take things easy in the early going, with a designated piggyback (perhaps Justin Wrobleski). Sheehan begins in the rotation as left-hander Blake Snell (left shoulder discomfort) is not expected back until perhaps early May. The Dodgers had the third-fewest innings from their starters in 2025, so a healthy Ohtani should help improve that number. If there is a question in this group, it is whether Sasaki has learned enough from his struggles last season that landed him in the minors. Following his postseason success as a reliever, he now gets another shot in the rotation. The Verdict Last year's Dodgers had the worst regular-season record at 93-69 since they had 92 wins in 2018. That gave them the No. 3 seed in the NL postseason, but that was certainly not an obstacle as they steamrolled through their three series until the thrilling seven-game World Series triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays. The only thing that truly matters for the Dodgers is winning the trophy at the end of the season. This roster is built for that to happen. View the full article

One hundred sixty-two games stretch across six months, and the rhythms of baseball tend to smooth out early noise. A bad week in April is forgotten by July; a hot stretch can dissolve just as quickly. The sport, more than any other, frowns upon small sample conclusions. The American League East has never really played by those rules. In this division, April matters. Not because it defines a season, but because it frames it. A strong start doesn’t just pad the standings; it reshapes expectations, compresses margins and quietly shifts pressure across divisional opponents who already understand how thin the line is between October baseball and disappointing seasons. And if you’ve followed the Toronto Blue Jays over the past half-decade, you’ve seen both sides of that coin. To understand why early-season performance carries more weight in the AL East, you have to start with the baseline: this is the most competitive division in baseball, year after year. It’s not just perception – it is a reality. Every team in the division, even the Rays, has tweaked their roster for a solid shot (at least on paper) of taking the division in 2026. Last year, the Jays and Yankees finished with identical 94-win seasons, and the Jays won the division by virtue of their head-to-head record. That kind of internal competition creates a unique dynamic. There are no soft landings for teams to stabilize a sluggish start. Every series often feels like it matters a little more, even in April. Historically, that pressure has shaped the division’s identity. The AL East has produced dynasties, Wild Card juggernauts and some of the tightest races in modern baseball, with every franchise claiming multiple division titles. So, when a team jumps out early, it’s not just about stacking wins, it’s about forcing everyone else to react. Baseball players will always tell you the same thing: Don’t scoreboard watch in April. Focus on the process. Trust the numbers. Let things play out. But inside a clubhouse, the standings still matter. An 8-2 start, like the Yankees opened with in 2024, doesn’t just add wins, it changes the tone. That particular run was their best 10-game start since 2020, and it immediately put them ahead of schedule in a division where every game feels like a two-game swing. Last season, the Jays started slow, amassing a record of 26-28 by May 27. That was despite a 5-2 record out of the gate. Their eight-game winning streak heading into July was the first time they’d managed that feat dating back to 2022. Momentum in baseball is a tricky concept. It’s not as simple as “hot” and “cold,” but confidence is real. Hitters expand the zone less when things are going well. Pitchers attack more aggressively. Managers manage differently when they have a cushion. And perhaps most importantly, the media narrative shifts. A team that starts 12-5 is “legitimate.” A team that starts 5-12 is “searching for answers,” even if both clubs might end up in the same place by September. In the AL East, those narratives can stick. If you want a modern example of how powerful an early-season surge can be, look back to the Rays in 2023. They exploded out of the gate, opening the season 13-0 and eventually pushing to a staggering 20-3 record by late April. Even as the Rays cooled later in the season, the cushion they built in April kept them firmly in a playoff position. It’s the clearest case study in modern baseball of why April dominance isn’t just noise in a division like this. It’s leverage. For the Blue Jays, recent seasons have shown how dramatically early performance can shape the trajectory of a year. From 2021 through 2023, Toronto consistently hovered around contention, posting win totals of 91, 92, and 89, respectively. Those teams were built on strong cores, balanced rosters and enough early-season competence to stay in the race. But 2024 told a different story. The Blue Jays stumbled to a 74–88 finish, landing at the bottom of the AL East. The season wasn’t lost in April alone; the early inconsistencies set a tone the team never managed to overcome. There’s a fundamental difference between “banking” wins early and “chasing” them late. When a team starts strong, every additional win adds to a growing reserve. Slumps become manageable. Injuries become survivable. The math works in a team’s favor. But when a team starts slowly, everything tightens. A 7–12 start doesn’t look disastrous on paper, but in the AL East, it can mean a team is suddenly five or six games back in the standings. From that point, every series carries added weight. Every loss feels amplified. And over time, that pressure compounds. We saw that with Toronto in 2024. The underlying metrics suggested a team that wasn’t dramatically worse than its recent predecessors, but the early-season struggles forced them into a reactive posture they never escaped. In other divisions, a slow start can be corrected with a strong intra-division run. You can make up ground quickly if your rivals falter or if there are weaker opponents to exploit. The AL East doesn’t offer that luxury. Every team is capable of punishing mistakes. Every lineup has depth. Every rotation can string together quality starts. That’s why early head-to-head matchups matter so much. Winning a series in April against a division rival isn’t just one tick in the win column. It’s a direct denial of a win to a competitor. It’s a double impact, and over the course of a season, those small edges accumulate. Precisely what we saw when last season came to an end with the Jays grabbing the division based on their record against the Yankees. One of the more understated effects of a strong start is how it shapes a team’s internal identity. Baseball seasons are long enough that teams tend to become what they believe they are. A club that starts 15-8 begins to see itself as a contender. Players buy into roles more quickly. Lineups stabilize. Pitching staffs settle into rhythms. Conversely, a 6-15 start invites doubt. Roles become fluid in the wrong way. Pressing at the plate leads to worse at-bats. Pitchers nibble instead of attacking. For the Blue Jays, this has been particularly evident in recent years. When their offense clicks early, when the heart of the lineup is driving the ball, and the lineup feels dangerous, they tend to carry that identity forward. When they struggle out of the gate, the inconsistency lingers. Like it or not, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been at the forefront of this rollercoaster. However, he seems to be in a good spot, building upon his historic playoff performance with a stellar WBC. When Guerrero is locked in, the entire offense tends to settle into rhythm around him, and for a team with October ambitions, that consistency is less of a luxury and more of a requirement. It’s not that April defines any team, but it introduces the version of the team they’re going to spend the next five months trying to either sustain or fix. Statistically, early-season records in baseball are less predictive than in sports with shorter seasons, like football or basketball. But they’re not meaningless. Consider this: Teams that reach 90 wins almost always avoid prolonged early slumps. Division winners frequently post winning records in April, even if modestly so. Extreme early success (like Tampa Bay’s 20–3 start) dramatically increases playoff probability, even accounting for regression. And in the AL East, where multiple teams routinely finish within a handful of games of each other, those early wins effectively replace the need for perfection later. A team that starts 18-10 can play .550 baseball the rest of the way and still finish with 90+ wins. A team that starts 10-18 needs to play at a near-elite pace just to catch up. The Blue Jays sit in an interesting position relative to these trends. They’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum: playoff-calibre consistency and division-winning success, and seasons that slipped away under the weight of early struggles. 2026 will be an interesting test for the Jays. The expectations are sky-high, but that also means additional pressure to perform. A strong start reinforces that they are the real deal and puts pressure on opponents rather than the team. The lesson isn’t that April determines their fate, but that it sets the terms. A strong start doesn’t guarantee anything, but it allows the team to dictate its own pace. A weak start forces them into reaction mode, where every adjustment feels urgent and every mistake carries more weight. In a division like the AL East, that distinction is everything. April doesn’t define a season, but in this division, it frames it in a way the rest of MLB can’t match. A strong start provides breathing room. It puts pressure on opponents. And yes, a little confidence never hurt anyone. But more than anything, it buys time. And in a division where time is always in short supply, that might be the most valuable commodity of all. View the full article

The Twins lost on Opening Day 2-1 in Baltimore. More importantly, the 2026 Sire of Fort Myers has (finally) been announced. Here's some discussion on the controversy surrounding this year's Sire of Fort Myers plus an overview and reactions from the Twins game.View the full article

Yet another season of Twins baseball is underway; the season may have started with a whimper, but there are 161 more to play. There are always lively conversations in the forums, and every week we'll highlight three of the best. We don't know what to expect from the new head of Twins baseball operations, Jeremy Zoll. While he worked and was promoted under former president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, he also spent years in other organizations, including the Dodgers under Andrew Friedman. What flavor will he bring to the Twins? OG Nick Nelson gets it started with his excellent season preview. Agree? Disagree? What say you? Not feeling the optimism this spring? Perhaps you missed a few things? What else do you look forward to? Speak up! There's been considerable change atop Twins leadership this winter. What effect might that have in the case of GM Jeremy Zoll? Twins fans weigh in... View the full article

“Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest.” Alexander Pope was an 18th-century poet reflecting on our tendency to believe that better days are always ahead. Today, we celebrate the optimism of Opening Day and six more months of baseball by taking a look at some of this week's best thread topics on the Brewer Fanatic forums. Brewers: Brewers (Misiorowski) vs White Sox (Smith): 3/26/26, 1:10pm Emotions always run high with Jacob Misiorowski on the mound. The leadoff home run to Chase Meidroth tested our patience but was, in a way, on-brand for Milwaukee by Opening Day standards. Miz and our Brewer Fanatic community kept their composure on the way to the largest margin of victory to start the season since 1988. Come relive the thrills of yesterday’s game! Brewers baseball is back and even more fun with the passionate fans on Brewer Fanatic. Brewers: Season Predictions Thread Predictions are all the rage right now. Polymarket might make you wealthy, but our Season Prediction Thread can make you internet famous, at least a little bit. The consensus on the forum is to expect over 90 wins, a return to the playoffs, and team-leading performances from Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, and Brice Turang. It is always fascinating to look back at our collective preseason wisdom later in the year. It is not too late to weigh in on how you think the 2026 season will go! Minors: Spring Breakout 2026 Dozens of Milwaukee‘s top prospects were on display across two Spring Breakout games last week. This thread includes highlights and reactions, including big plays from Jett Williams, Jesús Made, Luis Peña, Eric Bitonti, Andrew Fischer, Cooper Pratt, Bishop Letson, Jaron DeBerry, and more. On a related note, the Nashville Sounds begin their regular season tonight. Be sure to follow the best minor league coverage in our Daily Minor League Link Report. Game time starts at 5:35 PM Central. The Brewers' off day is a perfect opportunity to join us in the minor league forum. View the full article

Sometimes, it's nice to just have a little luck on your side. While it isn't luck that drove the San Diego Padres draft Jackson Merrill, the Friars were fortunate that the high school shortstop took to his new position so quickly. He was rewarded with a contract extension that could have him patrolling center at Petco Park through at least the 2034 season. However, coming off an injury-marred 2025 campaign, Merrill will have to show that last year was the aberration and he is more like the 2024 phenom who took the National League by storm. Padres Center Fielders At A Glance Starter: Jackson Merrill Backup: Bryce Johnson, Ramon Laureano Depth: Jase Bowen, Nick Schnell Prospects: Ryan Wideman, Braedon Karpathios Padres fWAR ranking last year: 10th out of 30. Padres fWAR projection this year: Third out of 30. The Good When the Padres took Merrill with the 27th pick in the 2021 draft out of a Maryland high school, they thought they had their shortstop of the future. What they didn't know was they were getting their center fielder of the future. It just so happened that the Friars had a need for a center fielder entering spring training in 2024 and decided to try their 20-year-old prospect in a tough defensive position he had never played before. From there, Merrill showed that he can play anywhere on the diamond. All he did was put up a .292/.326/.500 slash line with 24 homers, 90 RBIs and 16 steals in 156 games to finish as the runner-up to Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes for NL Rookie of the Year and won the NL Silver Slugger for center. He also finished ninth in NL MVP voting. But his 2025 campaign was most definitely not a repeat performance. He signed a nine-year, $135 million contract extension at the beginning of the season that begins in 2026. Then, the injuries hit. First, it was a strained hamstring in April that sidelined him for about a month. Then, it was a concussion in mid-June that kept him out the minimum seven days. Finally, a sprained left ankle and bone bruise put him out of action for 13 days. He still put up solid numbers, with a .264/.317/.457 slash line with 16 homers and 67 RBIs. Likewise, his defense was still really good. Merrill has good speed and can cover gap to gap with ease as well as with a strong arm, offering plenty of reasons for optimism after a health-rejuvenating offseason. The Bad That being said, you have to consider Merrill's injuries when looking at the downturn in his numbers. His hamstring and ankle injuries limited his running and the concussion can have any number of effects. Merrill attempted just three steals in the entire 2025 season and was successful just once. That came after 16 steals on 19 attempts as a rookie. The lack of steals could also be because he hit in the top half of the order in 2025, with probably too many games in the cleanup spot. As a rookie, he hit ninth a lot and mainly in the bottom half of the lineup. Responsibility is a key part of being a star, but perhaps it was a jump too far for someone who is still just 22 years old. His exit velocity only dropped from 90.4 mph to 89.7 from 2024 to 2025, but that sent him from the 70th percentile to the 46th. Merrill still chases too many pitches. with his 37.8% rate in 2025 sitting in the seventh percentile. He also struck out more, although his 22.4% rate is right at the MLB average. Injuries, pressure, and perhaps just an old fashioned sophomore slump caught up with him. The Bottom Line Merrill turns 23 in April and is still learning how to be an MLB player. But the talent is undeniable; he can be one of the best center fielders in the game with his combination of offense and defense. With the changes that are being contemplated to the Padres' top of the lineup, Merrill could be better served as a leadoff or No. 2 hitter, allowing his speed to became a bit more of a factor. Notching 20 steals should be easy for someone like Merrill, who should be a much better hitter this season than he was as a sophomore. A 20-homer, 20-steal season is very attainable, and he could challenge for 100 runs if he is ahead of Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the lineup. If injuries hamper Merrill again, Bryce Johnson is a capable backup who had a breakthrough offensively in 2025, putting up a .342/.383/.434 slash line in 84 plate appearances. Ramon Laureano also has center field experience, as he showed in 14 games with the Padres after being acquired at the trade deadline. View the full article